Beatles' autographs go to auction

The Beatles signed their autographs for John Rees in 1963

An autograph album signed by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, which was used to settle a bill at a delicatessen, is up for auction.

The stars' signatures belonged to John Rees, a cameraman on the set of the 1960s ITV show Thank Your Lucky Stars.

Mr Rees is said to have used the album to settle a large bill at a delicatessen near the studio where he worked.

The album is under the hammer 40 years on at an auction in Colwyn Bay, Conwy.

Other signatures up for sale include Cliff Richard and The Shadows, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Helen Shapiro, Joe Brown, Rolf Harris and Bobby Vee.

The autograph album is estimated at between £200 and £300.

Cliff Richard's autograph is also being auctioned

The vendor who hasn't been named, who until recently lived in north Wales but is now living in France, said: "We owned a delicatessen in Teddington and John Lennon was a regular customer.

"He (Mr Rees) gave me the autograph albums in payment of a large bill.

"The other autographs on our headed paper we got when the celebrity concerned was shopping in the delicatessen, which was located close to the studios and some others we got when we made deliveries to the studios."

Thank Your Lucky Stars was a pop show made by ABC Television and recorded at Thames Television studios. It was broadcast by ITV from 1961-1966.

The Beatles first appeared on the show in January 1963, while the Rolling Stones performed in front of the cameras later that year in July.

The autographs will be auctioned on 27 October.