Beatles' MBE autographs on sale at Lichfield auction

The Beatles were awarded their MBE's on 26 October 1965

A complete set of Beatles autographs obtained by a firefighter who was receiving his MBE on the same day as the band are to be sold at auction.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr signed a book for George Goodman at Buckingham Palace on 26 October 1965.

He said it was for his daughter, adding "I don't know what she sees in you" - a comment later repeated by McCartney.

The signatures go on sale in Lichfield, Staffordshire on 9 October.

Mr Goodman's daughter Joy, now 70, said she had had the autograph book "tucked away for years", but felt it was now time to pass it on to a collector who would appreciate it.

Auctioneers said George Goodman collected the signatures for his daughter

Her father worked in fire safety and ended up as chief fire prevention officer for Birmingham, based in a fire station on Corporation Street.

"All dad said, was there were lots of people asking The Beatles for autographs so he did too," said Joy, who accompanied him to the palace with her sister Jill and mother Doris.

"Telling them like that that the autographs were for me certainly sounds like my dad.

"It wouldn't be the thing he would normally do, asking for autographs from these long-haired pop stars - he was always smartly dressed and very dignified."

Joy said she was told to wear her grammar school uniform on the day of the ceremony

At a press conference following the ceremony, Lennon said the band signed autographs "for all the people who were waiting to get their MBEs", with McCartney adding: "They were all nice, you know. But one fellow said, 'I want it for my daughter but I don't know what she sees in you'."

Lennon went on to return the MBE in protest at Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra civil war and its support for the USA in Vietnam.

Beatles-fan Joy, from Lichfield, said she had to wear her school uniform on the day of the ceremony, "which I wasn't over the moon about".

"I was never allowed to go to a concert, but then I was still very young when they stopped touring in 1966," she added.

Auctioneers said the provenance of the signatures was "extraordinary"

Rob French, valuer at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, said the provenance was "extraordinary".

"To get such good quality signatures of all four Beatles on the same page is very important, but I was also so moved by the story itself," he said.

"Hearing it from Joy first-hand you can see how proud she still is of her father."

The signatures go on sale from 09:30 BST on 9 October with an estimate of £3,500 to £4,500.