Plant's guitar to go under hammer
Legendary rock star Robert Plant has donated a signed acoustic guitar to go under the hammer at a Midland charity auction today.
The guitar, bearing the name of the Led Zeppelin frontman, will be auctioned during a fundraising dinner to mark the 40th anniversary of Worcester and District branch of the Parkinson's Disease Society.
The guitar is expected to fetch about £700 at the dinner after it was donated via the rock legend's neighbour Robin Hancox.
Mr Hancox has had Parkinson's Disease for six years and is chairman of the Worcester and district branch of the PDS.
Robert Plant lives "a couple of fields away" from Mr Hancox, who secured the guitar after bumping into the rock legend in the village shop they share in Wolverley, near Kidderminster. He said: "Both Robert Plant's ex-wife and sister are customers of my health and nutrition business, and I had talked to his sister about the possibility of Mr Plant donating a guitar.
"Then one day I bumped into him in the village shop and decided to ask him myself.
"He brought the guitar to our house, signed it, and my wife took some photos.
"We are incredibly grateful to have such a well-known local legend like Robert Plant donate such a unique prize to our cause."
The Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy has also donated a day's sailing, and Sir David Jones, JJB chief executive, will be speaking about Parkinson's on the night. Funds raised will go to the Branch Welfare Fund, which aims to support people with Parkinson's and their families through friendship groups in Droitwich, Evesham, Kidderminster and Worcester.
Mr Hancox said: "It's vitally important that we are able to offer support to local people with Parkinson's. We rely on charitable giving, so I hope that many will join us on what promises to be a very special evening."
The PDS has invested more than £40 million in research over the past 40 years.
To buy tickets for the event, which begins at 7pm, contact Mr Hancox on 01562 851713. People who cannot attend but would still like to bid for the guitar, can contact Mary Long at Fellows and Sons Auctioneers on 0121 212 5500. The Parkinson's helpline is on 0808 800 0303.
