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Eric Morecambe's glasses sold for £20,000

Hansons Auctioneers A maroon leather glasses case on the left and to the right is a pair of horn rimmed heavy glasses, folded up on their armsHansons Auctioneers
Eric Morecambe was known for wearing heavy dark-framed glasses, which he would put askew on his face or waggle up and down

Comedy legend Eric Morecambe's glasses have sold for £20,000 at auction - far exceeding their estimate of £2,000 to £4,000.

A lifetime of showbiz memorabilia and personal items from the comedian's former home, Brachefield in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, were put up for sale after his widow, Joan, died aged 97, in March.

A 1978 portrait of the star by the artist Richard Stone went for £15,000, while his ventriloquist dummy Charlie achieved £6,200, twice its highest estimate, during the two-day event.

The comedian's daughter Gail Stuart, who lives in Northamptonshire, said the auction was "exciting, it was emotional, it was surreal - and it was surprising, because the things you thought might run didn't and things we hadn't really did".

Getty Images Comedians Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise dressed in checked suits, bowler hats and holding cigars during a rehearsal for their series The Morecambe & Wise Show, circa 1981Getty Images
The Morecambe and Wise Show was a long-running and immensely popular sketch show

Ms Stuart and her brothers Gary and Steven decided to give fans of the comedy star the opportunity to own some of his belongings, more than 800 of which went under the hammer.

Speaking to BBC Three Counties' Justin Dealey, she said: "I think Mum was more depressed and upset by Dad's death than we ever gave her credit for, so everything was just frozen in aspic, so it was exactly as it was when Dad died [in 1984].

"When Mum died, it felt like an end of an era and we decided it could be the start of a new era - and I've had so many fans message me with what they'd got at auction and it's just fabulous.

"It was a lovely way to give back and I think Dad would have highly approved."

Morecambe met comedy partner Ernie Wise in 1940, aged 14, and despite a wartime separation formed an enduring double-act.

They had many lean years touring theatres before they broke into TV and by 1977 their Christmas special was watched by 28 million viewers.

Hansons Auctioneers A head and torso shot of Eric Morecambe's ventriloquist dummy Charlie. It is wearing a maroon jacket over a checked shirt and a maroon tie. It has a maroon cap on its head, from which light brown hair is sticking out. It has a broad smileHansons Auctioneers
Eric and Ernie took Charlie to America to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show and it was even in an episode of the 1970s ITV crime series The Sweeney

A letter from Wise to Morecambe which revealed he wished to end their partnership sold for £3,200.

Other highlights of the sale included:

  • His tailcoat and trousers from the Morecambe and Wise Show sold for £4,500
  • His Breitling watch sold for £10,000
  • A vintage Luton Town FC tracksuit with Eric stitched on the back sold for £5,500
  • His OBE sold for £11,000
  • His pipes sold for £1,100

The auction house said the sale attracted a room full of fans and collectors and a record-breaking online crowd tuned in from all around the world.

It made more than £500,000, it added.

Charles Hanson, of Hanson Auctioneers in Derbyshire, said: "The prices reflect not only the quality and uniqueness of the items but also the deep affection fans continue to hold for him."

Ms Stuart agreed, saying: "The lovely thing with all the fans, people you've never met before, they're bursting to tell you when they met Dad.

"It's always surprising, always lovely and I haven't had anyone say he was a bit grumpy that day."

Hansons Auctioneers A 1978 portrait of Eric Morecambe by the artist Richard Stone. It is in sepia tones and shows the comedian sitting on a wooden chair wearing a beige suit over a white shirt with a small scattered motif and a kipper-style patterned tie. He has a cigar in his left hand and his right hand is on his hip and he is looking alert and is slightly smilingHansons Auctioneers
The oil by Richard Stone was painted for an Anglia Television documentary Morecambe & Stone and was signed by the artist

Jonathan Powell called into BBC Radio 5 Live to tell them he was the person who bought Morecambe's tailcoat and trilby hat.

He explained to presenters Jeanette Kwakye and Gordon Smart that the tails reminded him of André Previn's appearance in the comedy duo's 1971 Christmas Show.

Mr Powell said: "The bid went way beyond where I expected it to be... It's such an iconic piece, I had to have it."

He explained that his parents had passed away in March and he used the inheritance he received from them to buy the tailcoat and trilby.

While his wife knows he bought the items, he admitted that he has not yet told her how much they cost.

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