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| Almost £3,000 for Laurel letters | Almost £3,000 for Laurel letters |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Personal letters sent by comedy legend Stan Laurel to a Scottish housewife who became his long-term pen pal and confidante have been sold for £2,900. | Personal letters sent by comedy legend Stan Laurel to a Scottish housewife who became his long-term pen pal and confidante have been sold for £2,900. |
| Edinburgh-based Walterina Hunter first wrote a fan letter to Laurel, who lived in Glasgow as a teenager, in 1952. | Edinburgh-based Walterina Hunter first wrote a fan letter to Laurel, who lived in Glasgow as a teenager, in 1952. |
| For 10 years they exchanged letters discussing everything from the weather to Laurel's poor health and the death of his comedy partner Oliver Hardy. | For 10 years they exchanged letters discussing everything from the weather to Laurel's poor health and the death of his comedy partner Oliver Hardy. |
| Mrs Hunter's letters and pictures were expected to fetch £2,000 at auction. | |
| Among the bundle there are 18 letters and three photographs, most of which were signed by Laurel, with one photograph also signed by Hardy. | Among the bundle there are 18 letters and three photographs, most of which were signed by Laurel, with one photograph also signed by Hardy. |
| The letters are written on headed notepaper from luxurious hotels where the comedian was staying while on tour, with others on Laurel's own paper from his California home. | The letters are written on headed notepaper from luxurious hotels where the comedian was staying while on tour, with others on Laurel's own paper from his California home. |
| I don't visit the studios anymore because I don't know anyone there and would feel like a stranger Stan LaurelIn letter to Walterina Hunter | I don't visit the studios anymore because I don't know anyone there and would feel like a stranger Stan LaurelIn letter to Walterina Hunter |
| Several of the earlier letters discuss Hardy's illness and, finally, in August 1957, his death. | Several of the earlier letters discuss Hardy's illness and, finally, in August 1957, his death. |
| Laurel wrote to Mrs Hunter soon afterwards: "I naturally was very upset over the death of my dear friend & partner & the reason I didn't attend the funeral services was that my Dr. advised me not to go..." | Laurel wrote to Mrs Hunter soon afterwards: "I naturally was very upset over the death of my dear friend & partner & the reason I didn't attend the funeral services was that my Dr. advised me not to go..." |
| English-born Laurel suffered a nervous breakdown after Hardy's death, and later confided in one of the letters: "I don't visit the studios anymore because I don't know anyone there and would feel like a stranger." | English-born Laurel suffered a nervous breakdown after Hardy's death, and later confided in one of the letters: "I don't visit the studios anymore because I don't know anyone there and would feel like a stranger." |
| Alex Dove, book specialist at auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, said the correspondence between the pair progressed to something far more personal than the usual star-fan relationship. | Alex Dove, book specialist at auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull, said the correspondence between the pair progressed to something far more personal than the usual star-fan relationship. |
| Met once | Met once |
| She said: "He discusses everything from his illness to his trips around America, moving house his partnership with Oliver Hardy and the gifts that he and Mrs Hunter sent backwards and forwards to each other. | She said: "He discusses everything from his illness to his trips around America, moving house his partnership with Oliver Hardy and the gifts that he and Mrs Hunter sent backwards and forwards to each other. |
| "Quite a friendship was built up and that was reflected in the content of the letters. He made a lot of time to sit down and write to her wherever he was." | "Quite a friendship was built up and that was reflected in the content of the letters. He made a lot of time to sit down and write to her wherever he was." |
| The pair only met once, in 1954, when Laurel and Hardy toured the UK and sent tickets to Mrs Hunter for their Edinburgh performance. Their correspondence only ended in 1962, three years before Laurel's death. | The pair only met once, in 1954, when Laurel and Hardy toured the UK and sent tickets to Mrs Hunter for their Edinburgh performance. Their correspondence only ended in 1962, three years before Laurel's death. |
| The collection was auctioned on Wednesday at Lyon and Turnbull's Edinburgh auction rooms. | The collection was auctioned on Wednesday at Lyon and Turnbull's Edinburgh auction rooms. |