A PENSIONER could be rolling in cash when she sells a rare autographed letter from The Rolling Stones, written on the headed notepaper of a Wyedean hotel they stayed at 56 years ago.

The band spent a night at the Beaufort Arms Hotel next to Monmouth’s Shire Hall, and bass player Bill Wyman took time out on tour to reply to a fan letter from Zena Hutton, who was just 15 at the time.

Bill and bandmates Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richard and Charlie Watts also signed a separate headed sheet of paper.

And now Zena, 71, is planning to auction them to raise some cash to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary after discovering them lying in a suitcase in the attic where they had lain forgotten for more than half a

century.

The band stayed at the Beaufort between gigs in Cheltenham and Cardiff in September 1964, when local fans besieged the historic building, which had seen legendary admiral Lord Nelson dance the night away with Lady Hamilton 152 years earlier on the dance floor which survives to this day.

Zena wrote her fan letter after watching the Stones perform in Southampton earlier that year.

And a few weeks later she was stunned to receive a letter in the post from Wyman along with the band’s autographs.

The retired school admin assistant stumbled across the memorabilia while doing a spring clean and they are now set to fetch up to £1,500 at auction.

She said: “I forgot all about the letter and autographs but came across them by chance. They were in an old suitcase in the loft with my school books.

“I’ve got some Beatles autographs somewhere too, but I can’t find them. I was very impressed when I saw the Stones at the Gaumont. They were new and different, so I wrote to the fan club.

“I wasn’t expecting a personal letter but wasn’t too surprised at the time because I was a fan club member. Now it seems extraordinary because they are so famous. You can’t imagine something like that happening today.

“Sadly, one of the Stones who signed his name, Brian Jones, is no longer with us.

“I’ve decided to part with them now because it’s my 50th wedding anniversary next year and we want to go on a cruise. Anything I raise will go towards that.”

The letter and autographs were due be auctioned by Hansons Auctioneers yesterday (March 17).

Jim Spencer, associate director at Hansons, said: “By being in the right place at the right time, Zena now owns a fantastic musical

treasure.

“The Stones, who formed in 1962, are one of the most famous British groups of all time. Back in 1964, when this letter was sent, mega-stardom hadn’t quite hit.

“Nevertheless, they were already making huge waves. On January 1, 1964 the Stones’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ was the first song ever performed on the BBC’s Top of the Pops.

“By 1965 their impact on the music scene, both in Europe and America, was phenomenal. The fact that Bill Wyman took time out to pen a note to a youngster who loved their music is extremely touching. It’s incredible really.

“At the time, it must have rated as the best gift ever for a Stones fan – and it still is.

“We’ve seen important autographs sell for thousands. For example, a Jimi Hendrix autograph made £5,700.

“I would imagine many Stones fans would like to own this piece of memorabilia.”

The Bill Wyman letter, handwritten in black ink on headed paper is dated October 9, 1964, so Bill presumably took the headed notepaper with him from the hotel.

He wrote: “Dear Zena, Many thanks for your nice letter that I picked up from the fan club today.

“Hope you liked the show at Southampton and continue to like us in the coming months too.

“Sorry there are no souvenires [sic], but I hope the autographs & letter make up for it.

“Thanks again for writing, look after yourself and keep smiling, Bill.”