A historic handwritten script of The Two Ronnies' much-loved Fork Handles sketch failed to sell at auction – despite receiving bids of around £25,000.

The script, written by the late comic legend Ronnie Barker, is regarded as one of the funniest of all TV comedy moments, and was expected to fetch between £30,000 and £40,000 when it went up for sale at Hansons Auctioneers on Wednesday, December 20.

But when it came to sale day at the Etwall auction house on Heage Lane, bids failed to meet the reserve and the script was returned to its owner.

Owner of the house, Charles Hanson said: "So near but yet so far, we were shy of the price and maybe the script had the last laugh." He was unable to reveal the script's reserve price due to client confidentiality.

The piece was written in red ink by the notoriously publicity-shy Barker - who died in 2005 -under a pseudonym, Gerald Wiley, which he sometimes used to stop expectations growing from having his own name on a script.

The sketch is also sometimes known as The Hardware Shop, and has been regularly included on 'best-ever' lists for TV comedy after its first airing in September 1976.

Jim Spencer with the fork handles script
Jim Spencer with the fork handles script

The sketch shows Barker entering a hardware shop with a shopping list and appears to ask for four candles in a broad southern accent.

Shopkeeper, Ronnie Corbett, does as requested and hands him four candles, to which Barker replies, "No, fork 'andles! 'Andles for forks!"

The complete lot included a pair of spectacles used in The Two Ronnies, with a letter signed by Ronnie Barker and an authentication certificate, as well as a colour print of the 'fork handles' sketch signed by Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.

Fork handles script

This is how some of the most memorable moments from the sketch unfolded, as written in the script.

Based in a hardware shop, Ronnie Corbett is behind the counter, wearing a warehouse jacket. He has just finished serving a customer.

Robbie Barker enters the shop, wearing a scruffy tank-top and beanie.

Barker: Four candles!

Corbett: Four candles?

Barker: Four candles.

(Ronnie Corbett makes for a box, and gets out four candles. He places them on the counter)

Barker: No, four candles!

Corbett: Well there you are, four candles!

Barker: No, fork 'andles! 'Andles for forks!

(Ronnie Corbett puts the candles away, and goes to get a fork handle. He places it onto the counter)

Corbett: Fork handles. Thought you said 'four candles!' Next?

Barker: "Got any plugs?

Corbett: Plugs. What kind of plugs?

Barker: A rubber one, bathroom

(Ronnie Corbett gets out a box of bath plugs, and places it on the counter)

Corbett: What size?

Barker: Thirteen amp!

Corbett: It's electric bathroom plugs, we call them, in the trade. Electric bathroom plugs!

(He puts the box away, gets out another box, and places on the counter an electric plug, then puts the box away)

Barker: Saw tips!

Corbett: Saw tips? What d'you want? Ointment, or something like that?

Barker: No, saw tips for covering saws.

Corbett: Oh, haven't got any, haven't got any. Comin' in, but we haven' got any. Next?

Barker: 'O's!

Corbett: 'O's?

Barker: 'O''s.

(He goes to get a hoe, and places it on the counter)

Barker: No, 'O's!

Corbett: 'O's! I thought you said 'O! (he takes the hose back, and gets a hose, whilst muttering) When you said 'O's, I thought you said 'O! 'O's!

(He places the hose onto the counter)

Barker: No, 'O's!

Corbett: O's? Oh, you mean panty hose, panty hose ! (he picks up a pair of tights from beside him)

Barker: No, no, 'O's! 'O's for the gate. Mon repose! 'O's! Letter O's!

Corbett: Letter O's! You had me going there!