Carry on selling... Williams’ alarm clock rings up £1,000
AN ALARM clock that helped Carry On star Kenneth Williams turn up on time for every film shoot sold for more than £1,000 when it went under the hammer yesterday.
The 1960s Swiza clock was only expected to fetch between £60 and £100 when it was put up for sale alongside three letters written by Williams.
But after frantic bidding at Catherine Southon’s auction at Farleigh Golf Club, Surrey, a private collector on the phone from Gibraltar put in the winning offer of £1,100.
The seller, Hester Fernee, 73, of West Wickham, south-east London, bought the clock at a fundraiser in 1978 in aid of travels planned by yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, 78, the first person to single-handedly sail the globe non-stop.
Celebrities including Williams had donated items to be sold for the cause.
Williams, who died aged 62 in 1988, was in 26 of the 31 Carry On films, more than any other actor.
The clock came with a letter from him which said: “This dear old clock has unfailingly wakened me since 1960 for every early film call I have had.” Mrs Fernee then wrote to him and he responded to say: “It’s a good alarm and never let me down and I am a stickler for punctuality.” Catherine Southon added: “It is so nice to get someone to walk in with an item that has such a lovely story attached to it. “I really like Kenneth Williams’ response to her letter.”