A NEWPORT pub manager is staging an exhibition of Danny La Rue memorabilia – having spent almost £30,000 building up the collection.

Andrew Carragon, 36, of Chepstow Road has more than 500 items associated with the late star, including original costumes, theatre programmes and press photographs, breaking the bank by a staggering £29,780.

But now the manager at The Church House pub, Stow Hill, is putting his collection to good use by exhibiting the items at the pub for a week to raise funds for charity.

The items being exhibited include 11 costumes from shows including Hello Dolly and Danny La Rue at the Palace as well as Danny La Rue’s oldest costume from 1964.

One of the most expensive items is a cut-glass crystal ‘caviar dish’ used by the star. Mr Carragon paid just under £1,000 for it.

Some of the collection was bought by Mr Carragon from the star’s dressmaker Annie Galbraith, and others were bought from auctions and a fan site.

However, despite being a huge fan, Mr Carragon never actually saw Danny La Rue live. The star died last year.

The exhibition be open from June 1 to 8 from 12pm until 9pm except for the evening of June 1 when 55 guests will attend a special opening evening from 8pm.

There is no entry fee but there will be a donation box.

The money raised will be added to that raised by a pub local – Cameron Knight – who is doing a sky dive to raise funds for Cancer Research Wales; and some will also go to the Mayor of Newport’s charities.

These were recently announced as the Alzheimer’s Society and St David’s Foundation.