They were visible all over London for almost 50 years, and now they could end up in your living room — the original Centre Point letters are being auctioned off for charity.
That's excellent news if your name's Peter*, and you've got room in your home for a two-metre high rendering of your name. Less so if you're called Sebastian or Esmerelda, or your flatmates are rather picky about decor.
The letters sat atop Oxford Street's 34-storey skyscraper — erected in 1966 — until refurbishment began in 2015, during which time millions of pairs of eyes must have clocked them, using it as a landmark by which to navigate the city in the days before Google Maps.
At this point, the somewhat-tired neons were identified as no longer fit for purpose and replaced with swanky new LED lights. The old letters were exhibited in Trafalgar Square as part of Lumiere London 2016, before each being given to a different artist to put their stamp on. Now they're being auctioned off for homeless charity Centrepoint, with the sale taking place at the building's new VIVI restaurant on 24 June.
The full range of letters can be seen here, including Nancy Fouts' intricately designed N, filled with hundreds of tiny beads and trinkets, and Rob and Nick Carter's O, which nods to the '60s heritage with rainbow neon lights.
Find out more about the auction and place an absentee bid, or register to attend in person. You'll need deep pockets though — there's an estimate price of £3,000-£8,000 per letter.
*Yes, there probably are other monikers that can be fashioned from Centre Point too, but we've not yet had our morning coffee. Don't send us an angry, ahem, letter, if we missed yours.
