Rare items given to a South Lakes family by Alfred and Betty Wainwright are set to go under the hammer this month.
Estimated to make over £4,000, they include a thank you card, a set of Lakes and Lune Water Board illustrated accounts for 1973 and a pension form.
There is also a Wainwright sketch of Bowness Bay – signed almost 40 years later by Wainwright and given by him to Mike Duff, a signed Wainwright map which Alfred Wainwright gave to Percy Duff and a signed copy of his Coast to Coast book.
They have been entered into 1818 Auctioneers picture sale by the Duff family.
Valuer David Brookes said: “Percy Duff was a good friend and colleague of Alfred Wainwright, taking over from him as borough treasurer of Kendal in 1967.
“Percy also took over the role of treasurer of the Lakes and Lune Water Board from Wainwright in that year.
“Up for sale is a rather unusual and creative set of accounts produced by Wainwright including an illustration of the Langdale Pikes, not something you’d expect to find in such a ledger. And there’s a Lakes and Lune Superannuation Scheme form for Paul, signed by Wainwright.
“In 1991 Alfred gave a Coast to Coast book to Percy to pass on to his son Paul as a birthday present.
“He added his signature when Percy visited him in hospital in January of that year, making it probably one of Wainwright’s last,” adds David Brookes.
Alongside the items is a card from Betty to Percy’s son Paul.
“On Alfred’s death, Betty asked Percy to help scatter the ashes on Haystacks,” says David Brookes.
“As both Betty and Percy were in their 70s, they asked Percy’s sons, Michael and Paul, to carry his ashes.
As a gesture of thanks, Betty gave each of the sons an original drawing, with a note of thanks.
Paul chose the picture of the Langdale Pikes which featured in the illustrated accounts. Betty’s note reads ‘For Paul in memory of AW, Thank you for your help on the 22nd March’91, with love.’”
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator who moved to Kendal in 1941 from his Blackburn home.
Mr Brookes said the firm had seen rising interest in Wainwright sketches.
He said: “Last June we saw a record price paid in the saleroom for a signed drawing of Striding Edge, Hellvellyn – when it made £10,200.
“And his popularity is far from waning perhaps fuelled by a new found respect and appreciation of the great outdoors, because of the Pandemic. From what we’ve seen in the saleroom people share his love of the mountains.”
All four lots are being offered up as part of 1818 Auctioneers online picture sale, with live bidding from Thursday May 20 until Sunday June 6.
