Singer Robbie Williams has shared the reason behind his decision to purchase Eric Morecambe’s glasses and pipe, explaining that he has always considered the comedian “an uncle of sorts.”
The singer placed the winning bid of £20,000 last month, far exceeding the estimated price of £2,000 to £4,000. Reflecting on the moment, Williams admitted he cried “happy, childlike tears” after securing the items.
In an Instagram post featuring photos of himself wearing the glasses and holding the pipe, he revealed that he treated himself to the memorabilia ahead of his 51st birthday.
The “Angels” singer recalled assigning a team member, Mike, to be “chief bidder” while he was in Los Angeles, preparing to board a plane as the auction began.
“As it happens, I got to watch the lot being auctioned live. My iPhone and Mike’s iPhone acting like walkie-talkies,” he wrote.
Describing the excitement of the bidding war, he shared a conversation with his wife, Ayda Field. “‘What should I do, Ayd’s?’ I nervously kept asking my wife. ‘Keep bidding,’ Ayda says with the steely determination of someone bursting through an electronics store door on Black Friday.”
“‘Keep going, Mike,’ I say. This vignette of conversation would repeat itself several times over the next 10 minutes.”
Williams expressed his lifelong admiration for Morecambe, describing him as a source of comfort and joy. “You see, I guess we all need friends-we-never-meet from off the telly. Eric has always been mine. An uncle of sorts,” he wrote.
“To the very core of me, Eric Morecambe’s spirit has been salve for my soul. How Eric made me feel is how I want to make people feel. What a gift to be able to create such joy and have that joy be present just by thinking of them.”
The imitation tortoiseshell glasses, made by Metzler, were a signature part of Morecambe’s comedic persona. They were sold alongside his Barling briar pipe and two black-and-white photographs of him wearing the spectacles.
Hanson Auctioneers offered Morecambe’s belongings in 700 lots on January 10 and 11, more than 40 years after he passed away in 1984 at the age of 58.
(Sky News)
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