RINGO´S LETTERS TO TEENAGE GIRLFRIEND ABOUT HIS "NEW GROUP" THE BEATLES SELL FOR £16,250

Doreen Speight met the future Beatle at a Butlin's holiday camp when he was with his old band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes

Love letters from Ringo to a teenage girlfriend sold today for £16,250.

Doreen Speight met the future Beatles drummer on a Butlin’s holiday in Pwllheli, North Wales, in 1961, when she was 16 and he was with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

Ringo wrote to her later in October 1962: “I got a phone call asking me would I join the Beatles and I said yes and I left Rory. 

“I am doing very well with the new group, we have a record out I hope you have herd (sic) it it is on (Radio) Luxembourg every night (also don’t forget to buy it).”

Doreen, of Bredbury, Stockport, rediscovered the letters in a drawer. They were sold at a Bonhams auction in London to an anonyous UK collector.

“He was known as Richard Starkey back then and we ended up spending the whole week together, having barbeques and beach parties after they had practised.

“We would sit in Rory’s car and Ringo would hold my hand and buy us non-alcoholic drinks, he was a real gentleman. When we left he told me to write to him.”

Five out of a dozen letters have survived and each begins with ‘Dear Doreen’, with three sent from 10 Admiral Grove in Liverpool, where Starr grew up.

In most of the messages he enclosed photographs of himself and signs off with ‘Lots of love and luck, Ringo x x x’.

A Bonhams spokeswoman said: “We are extremely pleased with the result. The Ringo Starr letters obviously captured the hearts of many as competitive bidding pushed the price to more than double the estimate.”