Start the fans: Fife firm sees products used in Crystal Maze episode

A Fife-based vintage specialist has celebrated the latest screen appearance of its products in a celebrity edition of Channel 4 game show The Crystal Maze.
Items from the Fife firm feature in the latest series of The Crystal Maze, which is hosted by maze master Richard Ayoade. Picture: Ray Burmiston.Items from the Fife firm feature in the latest series of The Crystal Maze, which is hosted by maze master Richard Ayoade. Picture: Ray Burmiston.
Items from the Fife firm feature in the latest series of The Crystal Maze, which is hosted by maze master Richard Ayoade. Picture: Ray Burmiston.

The episode, screened last Friday and hosted by “maze master” Richard Ayoade, saw Dame Kelly Holmes face a challenge with items supplied by the Cupar firm including two vintage padlocks, iron keys, and a 100-year-old teak storage chest along with antique Indian door hasps and staples.

The show bought another Scaramanga antique teak storage chest with a secret compartment as well as seven more padlocks, and it's thought they will be used in games in later episodes of the series.

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The new role for the Cupar vintage specialist’s products came about when owner Carl Morenikeji got a call from a games researcher at makers Fizz in March, and items were dispatched the same day.

Owner Carl Morenikeji said: 'I was delighted to see our products play a key role in the show's Medieval Zone.' Picture: contributed.Owner Carl Morenikeji said: 'I was delighted to see our products play a key role in the show's Medieval Zone.' Picture: contributed.
Owner Carl Morenikeji said: 'I was delighted to see our products play a key role in the show's Medieval Zone.' Picture: contributed.

Similar vintage and antique padlocks supplied by Scaramanga were used in Paddington 2, The Hobbit, Pan and Celebrity Big Brother 2016, and their wooden chests were used in the Legend of Tarzan movie two years ago.

The company, which also sells bags, vintage furniture and homewares, has also seen its props used in TV shows including Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Big Brother, Peaky Blinders, Jericho, Hollyoaks, 60 Minute Makeover and The Only Way Is Essex as well as seven major movies including The Hobbit, Maleficent and Victoria & Abdul.

Speaking about the firm’s latest TV role, Morenikeji said: “I was delighted to see our products play a key role in the show’s Medieval Zone. I didn’t have a clue how they’d be used as that was a closely-guarded secret.

“When I founded Scaramanga 12 years ago I never imagined that by now our reputation for original vintage and antique items, as well as our own bags, would be so good we’d become the first-choice supplier for so many leading TV and movie props-buyers."