Handwritten Paul McCartney letter to fellow Beatles bandmate John Lennon to go under the hammer

A handwritten letter from Paul McCartney to fellow Beatles bandmate John Lennon and actress Mia Farrow is set to bring in thousands at auction. It will go under the hammer at Ryedale Auctioneers, in North Yorkshire, on 19 and 20 May , along with other collectable items. A viewing of the items will take place on 18 May.

The letter dates back to the time The Beatles were studying meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh, India, in the late 1960s. It features Paul McCartney’s signature and comes with a certificate of authenticity from Heroes and Legends.

In the letter, Paul writes: “Hello John + Mia, Everything here is still going very well, we do miss you though, George and Ringo have both done five hours, but we’ve only done 2 hours we’re hoping to do longer ones before we leave. The weather here is very warm. Jane loves it, no complaints about the mosquitoes. I think though the Maharishis gonna build a swimming pool! Much love, see you soon! Paul McCartney”.

While in India, the Fab Four wrote many songs, including one for Mia Farrow’s sister, Prudence Farrow. John Lennon was inspired to create the tune after Prudence became obsessive about meditating while practising with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and had to be coaxed out of seclusion. "Dear Prudence" featured on the Beatles’ 1968 White Album and returned to the charts in 1983, when it was covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Earlier this month, a bass guitar signed by Sir Paul went on the market for £20,527. The near-mint and original instrument was signed by Paul in 1993 during his World Tour for Spanish bassist Jose Luis Precioso.

The 500/1 model is sometimes nicknamed the "Beatle Bass" or "Cavern Bass" after it was made famous by Paul McCartney in 1965. Paul was drawn to the Höfner because he felt that its symmetrical shape would mean that playing it left-handed would not look as awkward as using a cutaway guitar designed for a right-handed player.