Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Fab Four’s Weston gig autographs fetch £7,000
AUTOGRAPHS of all four Beatles obtained during their stay in Westonsuper-Mare in the 1960s have sold at auction.
Before going global, John, Paul, George and Ringo performed in the seaside resort in July 1963, playing six concerts at the Odeon Cinema alongside Jerry and the Pacemakers, and staying at the Royal Pier Hotel.
The autographs were obtained by the vendor’s sister on July 23, 1963, – the second date of the six-night residency – at the venue where she worked at the time, as the vendor had chicken pox.
During their week-long stay, the band were spotted out and about across the seaside town, enjoying walks along the prom and riding on go karts and donkeys.
The autographs went under the hammer at a specialist auction selling for over the guide price. The collection, which had an estimate of between £4,000 and £6,000, sold for £6,944 to a private collector in the UK. The autographs were part of a plethora of lots at Graham Budd Auctions’ first ever vinyl and popular culture sale this week and attracted a number of bidders.
John Garrett, senior valuer for sports and vinyl at Graham Budd Auctions, said: “What can we say about the Beatles? Their legacy lives on as arguably one of the biggest bands in music history and the sale of these autographs is a testament to that fact.
“To get these autographs during Beatlemania was a rare feat and we hope they continue to serve as a worthy reminder of the Fab Four in their prime.”
Other items to get snapped up at the auction included a selection of Chris De Burgh signed merchandise, including a tin of baked beans which sold for £111.
A set of autographs by the band Slade sold for £136 and two Oasis Creation Records promotion pictures got snapped up for £136.