Ipswich schoolgirl's Jimi Hendrix autograph sold at auction

The day was April 1, 1967, and 14-year-old Sara Bland had travelled up to Ipswich from Colchester with two friends to attend a Walker Brothers concert at the Gaumont, now the Regent.

This was the second date in the band’s month-long UK tour, which also featured Cat Stevens, Englebert Humperdinck, The Californians, The Quotations – and American singer-songwriter, Jimi Hendrix.

Singer and guitarist Jimi Hendrix was part of The Walker Brothers 1967 tour. Image: PA (Image: PA) The girls arrived hours early, and were wandering around the town centre, when to their astonishment, they came across Hendrix and his band.

Jimi Hendrix came to the Gaumont, now the Regent, in 1967. Image: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

The girls knew almost nothing about Hendrix – they had not yet heard about the mayhem he had caused the previous night when he set fire to his guitar on stage at the Astoria Theatre in London.

However, they recognised him and went over to speak to him. Hendrix was happy to chat to the girls for a few minutes and gave Sara his autograph: “Love Jimi Hendrix”.

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Jimi Hendrix gave his autograph to schoolgirl Sara Bland after she and her friends approached him in Ipswich. Image: Potters Auction (Image: Potters Auction) This year, 57 years later, Ms Bland was living in the south of France, and read a news report that a Hendrix autograph given to a Scunthorpe schoolgirl had fetched £5,800 at an auction held at Potters Saleroom in Messingham, north Lincolnshire.

Auctioneer Paul Potter and saleroom 'head of security' Harry with the autograph book. Image: Potters Auction (Image: Potters Auction)

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Sara dug out her old autograph book, which she had not touched in decades, and sent it to Potters.

Auctioneer Paul Potter said: “Fate was kind to both girls. They really wanted Walker Brothers autographs but got Hendrix. Walker signatures today sell for £50 or less. Hendrix, on the other hand is rock star royalty - and his autograph makes four figures on the rare occasions when it comes up for sale.”

Like the schoolgirl from Scunthorpe, Sara, too, has made a four-figure sum.

The autograph went under the hammer on Saturday afternoon, with a lucky bidder paying £2,000 for the memento of Hendrix’s visit to Ipswich.