Milligan memorabilia sale exceeds expectations

IT WAS going, going, Goon yesterday as the auctioneer’s hammer fell on Spike Milligan’s personal possessions, raising tens of thousands of pounds.

Milligan fans packed the auction house, and splashed out above all estimates for a chance to own the comedian’s personal possessions which included a collection of his scripts, scrapbooks, recordings and furniture.

The surreal comedian shot to fame in the 1950s, writing and staring in the Goon Show alongside Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. He died six years ago, aged 83.

And the comic might have enjoyed the irony with the sale of his handwritten poem called Auction Stations:

“With hand signals or polite cough

He bid 25 million

For a Vincent Van Gogh

For that sort of money

I’d chop my ear off.”

One bidder shelled out £3,000 (€3,500) for the poem; 15 times higher than its original estimate.

The lots in the Bonhams sale in London included 40 of the original Goon Show recordings on tape which made £1,560 (€1,851) and a collection of Christmas cards that musician George Harrison sent to Milligan made £7,200 (€8,550) — one which reads: “You should have joined The Beatles.”

There was also a piano which was often played by his friend Sir Paul McCartney.

Milligan’s wife, Shelagh, said the cleaning lady would let McCartney in and he would start to play the piano while the Milligans were still in bed.

The 1883 Broadwood Grand Piano fetched £480 (€570).

Milligan’s wife said she decided to auction off the collection because she was moving house and did not have enough spare room.

A statement released on behalf of Milligan’s four children said they were “deeply distressed” they had not been consulted over the auction.