Neil plans to party into the record books
A bus shelter, which has made national headlines after being sold for £1,800 on eBay, looks set to continue its dalliance with fame after its new owner announced a world record attempt.
Neil Copping, from Rougham, the proud new owner of the bus shelter currently in St Andrew's Street South, Bury St Edmunds, said: "I've bought a lot of things in my time but never a bus shelter."
He has already unveiled a number of plans for his new purchase.
"I am going to have a big party in the bus shelter. I'm going to try to break the world record for how many people you can get into a bus shelter. I've got to clear it with the council to see if I can do that where it is and then take it away the next day," he said.
The bus shelter, at the back of Boots, was auctioned on eBay by St Edmundsbury Borough Council. The 26m long shelter, which originally cost about 30,000 is making way for the Cattle Market redevelopment.
The advert on eBay attracted almost 14,000 hits and 32 bids –a bidding war in the final few minutes saw the price leap by 300.
Mr Copping, who lives at The Green, is planning to convert the shelter into a swimming pool cover and car port.
"I'm quite excited about making it into a pool cover, I think it will look quite nice.
"It will need a bit of paintwork and I'll have to get planning permission – but it will make a wonderful swimming pool cover," he said.
Another idea he has is to see whether the shelter could be converted into smoking cabins, which could be placed at the back of hotels when a public smoking ban comes into effect.
Failing that, Mr Copping, who runs Water World Water Softeners, at Rougham, with his wife Sara, said he may even scrap the shelter – he anticipates the value of the aluminium will be enough to at least recoup his 1,800.
"I wouldn't be surprised if I made more than the 1,800 I paid," he said.
Mr Copping has until early September to remove the shelter to allow archaeological investigations to take place ahead of the Cattle Market redevelopment.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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