TAUNTON'S Castle Hotel has always been a prestigious venue at which to dine, or stay.
And for one autograph hunter in 1963, it proved to be the place to pick up the ultimate collection - the Fab Four themselves, The Beatles.
The fan obtained signatures from John, Paul, George and Ringo in 1963, when the group performed twice at the Gaumont in Taunton, now Mecca Bingo.
The signatures are scrawled on a postcard of Gloucester Cathedral, collected at the Castle Hotel restaurant, with the menu also included in the lot.
AUTOGRAPHS: On a picture of Gloucester Cathedral
Being served that day were dishes including lamb cutlets and roast duckling, apple sauce and seasoning.
The autographs will be part of a double set of sales for Greenslade Taylor Hunt in March.
The antiques sale takes place on Thursday, March 5, and the first of the quarterly collectors’ sales is set for Friday, March 6.
Both sales are on view this Saturday, February 29, from 9am to 12.30pm. There will be further opportunities to view the sales on Tuesday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 4, from 9am to 5pm.
Of note in the antiques sale is a Rolex, Oyster Perpetual Datejust, stainless steel and gilt bracelet watch, while the Beatles' autographs will go under the hammer in the collectors’ sale.
For more information on the sales please call 01823 332525.
ON OFFER: The menu from the Castle Hotel when the Beatles visited in 1963
Meanwhile, an eager but patient group of salegoers had to wait for two other auctions to take place before they could enjoy what they had come for – the automobilia sale.
It was mid-afternoon at The Octagon Salerooms, in East Reach, Taunton, by the time Derek Biss and Malcolm Claridge took to the rostrum for the third and final sale of the day.
It was well worth the wait for the travelling collectors, many of whom had sat through the monthly antiques sale and the specialist auction of Karl Hofer drawings, in anticipation of the automobilia event at Greenslade Taylor Hunt.
There was an excellent range of items to tempt them from books and ephemera to badges and mascots, models, pictures, lamps and lights to autojumble.
Pick of the pack was a Somerset registered 1937 Austin Seven “Ruby” Mk II saloon. This vehicle in green and black livery was fitted with a folding luggage rack and sunroof. It was tax and MOT exempt, with its last recorded MOT in 1999. It came complete with V5, paperwork, receipts, Austin Seven Club correspondence and some spares.
SOUGHT AFTER: The 1937 Austin Seven
A room bidder bought the historic car for £3,450, while a private collection of motoring books was bought for £2,150.
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