A huge fire has devastated the Bristol warehouses where Aardman animation stored their properties. Sets and models for the Wallace & Gromit films, including current box office champ The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, as well as Creature Comforts and Morph, have all been lost in the fire.
The firm's "entire history" was lost, but happily no one was hurt. At one point, flames reached 100 ft tall, and all three floors of the building ultimately collapsed. Founder and Wallace & Gromit director Nick Park remained stoical, however, saying, "Even though its precious stuff and nostalgic - and its dreadful news for the company – in the light of other tragedies it's not a big deal."
While we admire his ability to maintain his perspective, it's a sad turn of events at a time when Aardman should have been celebrating.