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BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Krays gun licence could fetch thousands at auction
Several items connected to notorious London gangsters the Kray twins are to come up for auction.A gun licence issued to gangster Ronnie Kray, letters his twin Reggie wrote from prison and their brother Charlie's ring are being auctioned by Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood in are being sold by Dean Buffini who is the stepson of the twins' brother Charlie has decided to sell the items after the death last year of his mother Diane, who was Charlie Kray's partner for 27 years. The lots include a four-page letter which Reggie Kray wrote to his mother Violet Kray from Brixton prison in told his mother he enjoyed seeing her and his father on their recent visit and "I liked that suit you was wearing, it's a nice colour."He described life in prison including watching the Des O'Connor Show and suggested his mother use honey in her tea rather than sugar, because "its good for your health".He told her he was "going to do a few yoga exercises now" and listen to Radio Luxembourg and would think of her when he was in church. He also discussed a visit from a woman believed to be called Coral or Carol who may be Carol Skinner, or "Blonde Carol" who rented the flat in Hackney where Reggie Kray killed Jack "The Hat" McVitie in October who died in 2000, signed off the letter to his mother "Keep smiling. God bless you. All my love."Another letter going under the hammer is a four page letter Reggie wrote from Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight to Ronnie in told his twin brother prison rule limited his correspondence "so I will not be able to write to you often". An18ct gold diamond ring that belonged to their older brother Charlie is expected to fetch between £3,000 to £4, is being sold together with a photograph of Charlie Kray wearing the ring at a family auction also includes three photographs featuring Ronnie Kray, Reggie Kray's first wife Frances Shea and 1958 receipts from the Krays' Double R Club in east London, as well as business cards for the club and The Kings Arms in also include letters of condolence to the twins after their mother's death. Auctioneer Brian Goodison Blanks said there was "an interest in crime" and The Krays had a major impact on London's history and culture in the 1960s."These are historical pieces and historical documents. There is an interest in the darker side of history".He said the collection was difficult to value but the whole set is expected to fetch more than £10,000, with the gun licence alone estimated at about £5,000 to £8, auction will be held on 12 and 13 August.
The Sun
31-07-2025
- The Sun
Never-before-seen treasure trove of ‘artefacts' belonging to Ronnie and Reggie Kray unearthed – and you can buy them
A TREASURE trove of artefacts belonging to Ronnie and Reggie Kray has been unearthed. The stepson of Charlie Kray discovered the hoard of never-before-seen items - and they're expected to fetch a hefty price. 13 13 13 13 They include hand-written notes, cards, photographs, Charlie Kray's 1960s 18 carat diamond ring with 27 single cut diamonds and Ronnie 's first gun licence. The personal pieces are being put up for auction next month by Dean Buffini, following the death of his mother Dianne last year. Dianne had been Charlie Kray's partner for decades and moved in with him when Dean was around 13-years-old. He said he had a good relationship with his step-father, and recalled how "he introduced me to some gangsters". Dianne had refused to sell the items before her death, aged 83, because she viewed it as a "betrayal". Dean said: "I never went to visit Reggie but I did go a couple of times to see Ronnie in Broadmoor. Jimmy Savile was there and Ronnie said he was 'a wrong 'un'. "I saw Charlie two days before he died. He was a nice guy, charming, booted and suited and doing deals. "He was always smiling - it was just a shame he ended up back in jail and died in Parkhurst prison." Dean, 62, now living in Exeter, Devon, added: "Reggie and Charlie could have gone straight. "They were so different to Ronnie who was a ball of muscle and a violent man. Shocking prison tapes reveal unbreakable bond between Kray twins during darkest moments… & how vain overreaction led to brutal machete attack "Reggie was intelligent and there was a gentle side to them too." Bidders have the chance to take home a gun licence issued to Ronnie Kray in 1964. It is expected the historical piece of paper could go under the hammer for and eye-watering £5,000. Ironically, a message on the back of the licence lists safety measures to avoid death or injury. 13 13 13 "Should this occur, you would never forgive yourself," it reads. Letters penned by Reggie Kray from behind prison bars are also on sale. They were written to his mother Violet while he was on remand for murder at Brixton Jail in 1969. He explained how he was able to watch the Des O'Connor show. In other messages he urged her to use honey instead of sugar in her tea. There's also a three-page letter from Carol, known as Blonde Carol Skinner, who rented the basement flat in which Reggie Kray murdered Jack 'The Hat' McVite in October 1967. She wrote: "All I can say is that I hate myself for causing you so much pain and misery. "I can only class myself with all the swine whom I myself detest & and who are the cause of you being in prison". The auction is being held on August 12th at Hampton, Bearnes and Littlewood auctionhouse in Exeter. Auctioneer Brian Goodison-Blanks said:"These are historical artefacts. No matter what you think of the Krays, they are historical figures." 13 13 THE KRAY TWINS The identical twins were born within ten minutes of each other on October 24, 1933, in in Haggerston, East London. They were born to parents Charles David Kray and Violet Annie Lee and grew up in the East End with their brother Charles. The brothers also had a sister, named Violet who was born in 1929, however she sadly died in infancy. Their father, also Charles, was a second-hand clothes dealer and went on the run to avoid military service. Their maternal grandfather Jimmy "Cannonball" Lee encouraged them to take up amateur boxing, a common pastime for working class boys in the area. Ronnie was considered to be the more aggressive of the two twins, constantly getting into street fights as a teenager. In 1952 they began their national service, but they were too wild for the military. After assaulting the corporal in charge and several police officers, they managed to get a dishonourable discharge by throwing tantrums, dumping their latrine bucket over a sergeant and even handcuffing a guard to their prison bars. With a criminal record their boxing careers were brought to an abrupt end, and they instead turned to a life of crime. The twins became household names in 1964 when they were hit with an expose in the Sunday Mirror. It insinuated that Ronnie had a sexual relationship with Lord Boothby, a Conservative politician. No names were printed in the piece, but the twins threatened to sue the newspaper with the help of Labour Party leader Harold Wilson's solicitor Arnold Goodman. 13 13 13 The Mirror backed down, sacked its editor, issued an apology and paid Boothby £40,000 in an out-of-court settlement. Because of this other newspapers were unwilling to expose the Krays' connection and criminal activities. In the early 50s the brothers started their gang, The Firm. Under The Firm umbrella they were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, assaults and murder over close to two decades. One of their first moves was to buy a run-down snooker club in Mile End, where they started several protection rackets. In the 60s, they moved to the West End to run a gambling club, Esmerelda's Barn, in Knightsbridge. As owners of Esmerelda's Barn, the twins quickly achieved celebrity status, and rubbing shoulders with the likes of lords, MPs, socialites and famous faces such as Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. But in March 1969, both Ronnie and Reggie were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 30 years for two counts of murder of Cornell - the longest sentences ever passed at the Old Bailey. Their brother Charlie was imprisoned for ten years for his part in the murders. Ronnie Kray was classed as a Category A prisoner and was denied almost all liberties. Ronnie was eventually certified insane - his paranoid schizophrenia was treated with constant medication. In 1979 he was committed and lived the remainder of his life in Broadmoor Hospital. Reggie Kray was imprisoned in Maidstone Prison for eight years as a Category B prisoner. In 1997, he was transferred to the Category C Wayland Prison in Norfolk. Reggie Kray spent a total of 33 years behind bars, before being released from prison on compassionate grounds in August 2000, at the age of 66. He was released due to being diagnosed with inoperable bladder cancer. Ronnie Kray spent the remainder of his life imprisoned in Broadmoor Hospital, up until his death in 1995. 13
