Concorde, celebrity and royal memorabilia amassed by an air hostess has taken off at auction – flying high above expectations.
Star autographs and instructions on how to care for Queen Elizabeth II were collected by the late Elizabeth Evans (nee Yarwood), from Moseley, Birmingham. She served as cabin crew for British Airways for 28 years from 1970.
Her proudest achievements including serving royalty and crewing Concorde during the 1980s and 90s when everyone who was anyone wanted to experience flying at twice the speed of sound. Concorde, the world’s first commercial supersonic airliner, could travel from London to New York in three hours.
The find sparked worldwide interest and a battle at Hansons Auctioneers’ Derbyshire saleroom (Aug 20). The hammer finally fell at £2,800 – around five times the lot’s £400-£600 estimate. The premium-inclusive total paid by a private online USA buyer was £3,757.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “As well as interest from America, we had enquiries from Australia, Sri Lanka and London. The find made news all over the world, sparked phone and pre-sale bids and throttled past what was already a punchy guide price.
“I think this archive appealed on many levels. It captured Concorde’s golden era and celebrity appeal with autographs from singers Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard, actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Swayze and Warren Beatty and tennis champions Virginia Wade and Billie Jean King. Plus people were fascinated by typed cabin crew instructions on how to look after Queen Elizabeth during a 1989 BA royal tour flight.
“Apparently, the Queen liked mints at hand for take off and a Martini before guests arrived. Royal comfort included having her own pillows and her dresser made up her bed. Also, if Her Majesty was asleep prior to landing cabin crew could not disturb her.”
The result delighted Elizabeth’s niece Jo Smallwood, 53, a retired police officer, from Solihull, West Midlands, who inherited the items. She said: “I can’t believe how far the story went! Even my friends in New Zealand messaged me! I watched the auction live and it was amazing. My aunt would have been delighted her story saw the light of day and generated so much interest internationally. Hansons did a wonderful job raising the profile of my aunt’s career and experiences. I am just happy her story has been told and the next chapter started.
“I was aware of some of the things she had kept from her career with BA but nothing on this scale. She married late in life, moving to Devon and finally Hermanus, South Africa. I found the items in her study following her death at the age of 70 in 2017. I travelled to South Africa to arrange her funeral.
“Having discovered this treasure trove relating to my aunt’s career and experiences with BA, especially the fantastic trips on Concorde and serving the Queen, I found it sad that none of it had seen the light of day. This collection is a little piece of history that should be shared and enjoyed.”
Mr Hanson said: “Elizabeth’s archive swept us back to the 1970s, 80s and 90s when flying on Concorde was a luxurious privilege enjoyed by the wealthy jet-set. Celebrities flocked to use its services and carrying royalty was the norm. Service had to be first class.
“Queen Elizabeth II closely followed Concorde’s development. She enjoyed her first supersonic flight in 1977 and used the aircraft for state visits. The Queen of the Skies was seen as fitting transport for the Queen of the Realm. In 1991, Charles and Diana, then the Prince and Princess of Wales, flew supersonic during a trip to Omar and Pakistan.
“We’re thrilled Elizabeth’s memorabilia reached for the clouds and hope the new owner will enjoy the aviation memories.”
Concorde: The world’s first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial plane was a French-British collaboration. The first transatlantic crossing was on September 26, 1973. Scheduled passenger services launched on January 21, 1976. Concorde flew all over the world offering a maximum cruising speed of 2,179 km (1,354 miles) per hour, or Mach 2.04 (more than twice the speed of sound). However, financial losses led to routes being cut, eventually leaving New York City as the only regular destination. Operations ceased in 2003 because development costs were so great Concorde could never be profitable.
Auction: The Concorde/BA memorabilia, Lot 3402, sold on August 20 in Hansons Auctioneers’ August 15-20 Derbyshire Antiques and Collectors Auction.
Auction entries invited
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