Fancy that! Costume shop bows out after 40 years

A specialist costume shop is selling off hundreds of outfits that have graced pantos, plays and parties over four decades.

Wardrobe in Cromwell Road, Cambridge, is preparing to close its doors because owner Leslie Symondson is retiring.

Mrs Symondson, 78, said specialist costume shops like hers were now as rare as "hens' teeth" and an era was ending.

She said anyone with a fancy for dressing up had about a month to get their hands on anything from an RAF uniform to a Henry VIII outfit to a Womble suit.

"It's the end of an era," said Mrs Symondson, who was born in London and moved to Cambridgeshire more than 50 years ago.

"But we've got lots of memories and lots of funny stories."

Mrs Symondson said she had set up Wardrobe with husband John in 1984, supplying historical, showbusiness and animal outfits for plays, pantos, and fancy dress parties in Cambridge and beyond.

"It was a golden opportunity," said Mrs Symondson, who used to live in Barrington, Cambridgeshire but now lives in Cambridge.

"When we opened, trade was obviously quite busy because there was nobody else," she said.

She said the number of specialist costume shops had fallen as outfits had become more easily available online.

Mrs Symondson said Wardrobe supplied costumes to schools and colleges and theatre groups, as well as individuals.

"It's a little bit about parties, but it's mostly about productions and education," she said.

"And we have not been given the support that we should have been given."

Such shops had not been recognised by any government, she said.

"And the worth that we have is that we provide a service so that people can put on their productions."

She said there were now "few" similar shops in the East of England, adding: "We are like hens' teeth."

Mrs Symondson, who has four children and five grandchildren, said she had made some costumes and bought others.

She recalled buying costumes at BBC auctions in the late 1980s and said she had sold some worn by stars including Les Dawson and Benny Hill.

"We do not like to be known as 'fancy dress'," she said.

"We like to be known as 'costume'."

She compared specialist costume shops to wedding outfitters, saying her shop offered "quality" and staff provided "knowledge and service".

Mrs Symondson said she would be interested in any offers to buy the business as a going concern.

She said she would like the collection to stay in the "locality".

Mrs Symondson's assistant, Mojo Sullivan, said the aim was to shut up shop at the end of January.

"We have about 2,000 costumes up for sale," said Miss Sullivan.

"Thousands of pounds worth of costumes - plus fabrics."

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