Beatle Sir Paul McCartney repaid blanket 'debt', letter reveals

A letter from Beatles' legend Sir Paul McCartney settling a "debt" for a missing holiday blanket is going up for auction.

The singer made off with the bedding after staying at a farmhouse with fellow bandmate George Harrison in north Wales.

Decades later, he was reminded by owner Irene Brierley that she was still one blanket short.

He responded with a cheque for £30, and his letter is now being sold off.

Sir Paul and Harrison became friends with the Brierley family after taking a hitchhiking holiday in 1958, before they were stars.

The pair had knocked at the door of their farmhouse in Harlech, Gwynedd, asking to pitch their tent in a field.

But after a downpour on their first night, they sought refuge inside and ended up staying the week.

They became friendly with the young John Brierley, a musician himself, and later sat in with his local skiffle group The Vikings during a performance at the Queen's Hotel pub in the town.

Mr Brierley also recalled several days of playing snooker and listening to Elvis Presley's first album, as well as Sir Paul banging away on the family piano trying to work out the solo in the middle of the Buddy Holly song, Think It Over.

The following year the pair returned to Harlech, which is when the blanket was taken.

The bedding incident stayed with Mr Brierley's mother long after Beatlemania swept the globe, and in the 1980s, she wrote to Sir Paul to remind him.

He responded to her letter writing: "Dear Mrs Brierley (Irene), Your letter reached me eventually and I was sorry to hear about my 'debt'.

"I remember well the fun we had in Harlech and hope the enclosed cheque will settle our differences.

"Excuse the scrawl as I'm trying to write this on a bouncing express train! I was very sorry to hear about your hubby - he was a very nice man. Please give my best to your boys.

"Kindest regards, Paul (McCartney)."

The letter has now been put up for sale through the Beatles memorabilia specialists Tracks, with a starting price of £3,000.