More than 800 auction lots from the life of comedy genius Eric Morecambe available for public viewing

The 800 lots can be viewed today, Tuesday, (January 7) until 4pm, Wednesday, January 8 from 10am until 8pm, and Thursday, January 9 from 10am until 3pm.

There will be a talk and a Q & A with Gail Morecambe, Eric’s daughter, at 2pm on every viewing day.

Viewing is entry by catalogue only and catalogues are available to purchase on the day for £25 – catalogue admits two people.

The viewings take place at Burton Albion Pirelli Stadium, Princess Way, Burton-on-Trent DE13 0AR.

No appointment is required - just turn up between the times shown to view the incredible lots coming up in this once in a lifetime auction.

The auction takes place on January 10 and January 11, between 10am and 4pm both days.

A spokesman for Hanson’s Auctioneers who are hosting the sale said: “Fascinating finds include loving letters from Eric’s parents and a poignant message from Ernie Wise revealing how close the pair came to splitting up.

“Ernie explained that, with a very heavy heart, he wanted to break up the duo before they continued and became massive. He signed it ‘your best pal’.

“Thankfully that never happened. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Eric’s death from a heart attack in 1984.

“Everyone loved Morecambe and Wise. Consequently, there are telegrams from Prince Philip and letters from King Charles, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and comedy legends Ronnie Barker and Tommy Cooper.

“Nostalgia abounds thanks to playbills and posters, right from the beginning, as well as photographs and scrapbooks of cuttings, documenting his very first performances and reviews when he was only a child.

“There are thousands of photographs of Eric with celebrities of the day, some signed and inscribed, including actor Cary Grant.

“There are costumes from memorable sketches and numerous props including Eric’s famous ventriloquist dummy, Charlie.

“Eric and Ernie took Charlie to America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. The dummy was even in an episode of TV crime series The Sweeney. Every find, every little piece of paper is important.

"It’s truly remarkable.

“It’s thanks to Eric and Joan’s three children, Gail, Gary and Steven, that Eric Morecambe fans have this opportunity. The auction will celebrate their parents’ lives and a comedy career like no other.

"They hope, like Morecambe and Wise’s trademark song, Bring Me Sunshine, this sale will light up lives for legions of fans.

“The auction is also timely as the comedy duo's centenary anniversaries are fast approaching. Yorkshireman Ernie Wise was born in 1925 and Lancashire’s Eric Morecambe in 1926.”

Eric Morecambe: John Eric Bartholomew OBE (1926-1984), known by stage name Eric Morecambe, took his name from his home town, the seaside resort of Morecambe.

He was the co-star of BBC television series The Morecambe and Wise Show, which for the 1977 Christmas episode gained UK viewing figures of over 28 million people.

One of the most prominent comedians in British popular culture, in 2002 he was named among the top 40 Greatest Britons in a BBC poll - placed above David Beckham and Henry VIII.

Some 40 years after the nation lost him, everything from the iconic genius’s glasses to the piano he practised on to deliver a famous Morecambe and Wise Christmas special TV sketch with

conductor André Previn - the one where Eric ‘plays all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order’ - will be featured in this auction.

His antiques, collectibles and art, including a painting of the star by royal portrait artist Richard Stone, will show the ‘other side’ of the man who made millions laugh.

The sale of 800+ lots, the entire contents Brachefield, Eric’s former home in Harpenden, Herts, also demonstrates his dedication to his comedy craft.

Secrets of his success are revealed by a mountain of never-before-seen items including heaps of gag and sketch ideas.

Visit https://ericmorecambe.com/the-auction for more information or to buy a catalogue.