ROCKERS of a bygone era will be in seventh heaven as Beatles memorabilia and a rare guitar go under the hammer on Saturday.

Stacey’s Auctioneers in Rayleigh is holding a “Rock & Retro” day which will see four authenticated Beatles autographs obtained in May, 1963 after the Fab Four’s gig at the old Odeon in Southend, go under the hammer.

They are estimated to fetch up to £500, but could go for a lot more as the Liverpool band’s memorabilia, especially signed items, has rocketed in value in recent years, particularly since the deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison.

A Beatles “Another Christmas Record” flexi disc is among the lots, along with a signed Beatles postcard by John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi, who brought him up after the death of his mother Julia, with printed signatures of the Beatles to the front.

There is also another postcard signed by Louise Harrison, George’s mother.

Stacey’s auctioneer and valuer Rob Smee said: “We have various signed pictures of the Beatles, some are authenticated and some not.

“The Beatles signed a lot of stuff themselves, particularly in the early days, but there were also a lot which were printed or signed by members of their entourage, so it’s great to get some with provenance which proves their authenticity.”

At the same auction, a 1960/61 Fender Stratocaster in red with white scratch plate and complete with vintage Jennings hard case is likely to go for up to £5,000.

Fender Stratocaster guitars are among the most revered in rock and were used by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and David Gilmour, of Pink Floyd.

Mr Smee added: “It’s only just come up for sale.

“It was found in someone’s loft during a probate clear out.

“The guitar has its original case. and it’s a great thing.

“It’s a very old model, a real shiny number.”

It’s the second time this year Beatles memorabilia has been auctioned at Stacey’s. In January, a rare photograph of the Beatles with all four band members’ signatures found in a Thorpe Bay loft was sold at auction for £5,000 – almost triple what was expected.

The picture, signed when the Fab Four played to the sell-out audience at the Odeon cinema, went to a Swiss online bidder in a matter of minutes.

The picture once belonged to the then cinema manager Arthur Levenson, who asked the young musicians to sign a large official picture taken by “band snapper” Derek Cross.

It was later passed on to his son Martin, who had been taken to the performance by his grandparents as a nine-year-old.

Mr Levenson sold the picture after “decluttering” his home.

Day 13 of the Beatles’ 1963 UK tour with Roy Orbison took them to the Odeon Cinema

Throughout the tour they performed a set consisting of seven songs, namely Some Other Guy, Do You Want To Know A Secret, Love Me Do, From Me To You, Please Please Me, I Saw Her Standing There and Twist And Shout. The Beatles performed at the Odeon on one other occasion, December 9 that same year.

The venue was demolished in 2004 and replaced with a university building.