Turned out nice again as fan’s Formby collection goes on sale

TWO UKULELES used by George Formby, inset, could fetch nearly £20,000 when they go auction next month.

They include one used in his first film Boots! Boots! which was made in 1934 on a budget of just £3,000 by the Manchester producer John E Blakeley, in a studio above a garage. With no soundproofing installed, the crew had to ask the mechanics to stop work whenever the cameras rolled.

The instruments were part of a 60-year collection of Formby memorabilia hoarded by one of his fans, George Johnson.

He bought the second, a ukulele-banjo which had been used on stage, directly from the star’s wife. It has been given a guide price of £10,000-£12,000 while the film prop has been estimated at £5,000-£7,000 – despite selling for only £8 in 1961.

Other vintage ukuleles and Formby memorabilia, including 78rpm records, videos, cassettes, magazines and sheet music, will also be sold at the auction next month. Claire Howell, a music memorabilia expert at Derbyshire-based auctioneers Hansons, said: “This collection is extraordinary. Mr Johnson must have been one of George Formby’s biggest fans, if not the biggest.

“To own two of his ukuleles and correspond with his wife shows he went the extra mile to celebrate his admiration for one of Britain’s biggest stars.” Formby’s formidable wife, Beryl, who controlled almost every aspect of her husband’s career, sold Mr Johnson the stage instrument in 1952. The ukulele from the film was purchased from a woman who bought it at a well-documented auction held at Beryldene, the Formbys’ home near Blackpool, following their deaths in 1961.

Mr Johnson left the treasures to his son, Mike, and daughter, Brenda Robson.

“The collection’s been gathering dust under beds and on top of wardrobes,” said Mike.

“Looking at pictures of dad playing his Formby ukuleles and seeing how much pleasure it brought him, made us realise how much we’d love to see that happen again.”

The success of Boots! Boots! led to 11 films for the leading studio Associated Talking Pictures, which made Formby the highestpaid British star of his era.