Beatles fan's photo collection goes on display

Mark Stanton's private collection of Beatles photos is being displayed in Norwich

A private collection of rarely seen photos of The Beatles have gone on display in a new two-day exhibition.

Seventy images from Mark Stanton's private collection will be shown at The Forum in Norwich on Wednesday and Thursday to raise money for charity.

The Fab Four super fan started building his collection 17 years ago and the photos have never before been exhibited together publicly.

"So far we've raised over £3,000 for Prostate Cancer UK, so it's a double whammy for me because I've raised some money and I get to see my collection," Mr Stanton said.

Mr Stanton has collected the photos over the last 17 years

Mr Stanton moved to the UK from Australia in 1974 and began living in Norwich four years later.

He worked in hospitality, pubs and catering before moving into economic development in local government and set up his own consultancy in 2016, which he retired from two years ago.

He said his favourite Beatle was John Lennon, but he never actually got to see Liverpool's most famous sons play live.

Speaking to BBC Radio Norfolk, he said: "I was born and brought up in Australia and at the age of 12 years old The Beatles came to Melbourne at the Festival Hall, just before they broke America, so that was 1964.

"Evidently, I was too young, and my mum wouldn't let me go but I was besotted with them. I think it was kind of Beatlemania, as it was called in those days of course.

"It wasn't only the kids in those days, it was the mums and dads as well - I think about a third of the population of Melbourne were stood outside their hotel."

The Forum is hosting the exhibition events in aid of Prostate Cancer UK

His collection started when his wife bought him a Frank Herrmann photo of the band, captured when they were recording their Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, from the St Giles Street Gallery in Norwich.

He continued to build the collection throughout the years, with Mr Stanton continuing: "My attic is full of Beatles pictures and my good wife Teresa is not keen on having a Beatles home!

"What I've tried to do, I've never been a collector of memorabilia per se, but all these photographers took beautiful pictures of The Beatles and they are beautiful works of art in themselves.

"I'd rather have a work of art that expresses the thoughts, feelings and fashions of the times, than somebody's signature that may or may not be real."

Mr Stanton is raising funds in memory of his brother-in-law, Laurence Taylor, who lived in Japan and died of prostate cancer aged 77 in January.

Mr Taylor was from Hampshire originally but had gone to school in Norfolk, at Langley School.