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BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Kray twins items sell for thousands at auction
A number of possessions of the notorious London gangsters the Kray twins have sold for thousands of pounds at an auction in items that belonged to Ronnie and Reggie Kray included a collection of 19 manuscript condolence letters, which went under the hammer at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood auction house on Tuesday.A four-page manuscript letter to their mother Violet Kray, dated April 1969, sold for £1,600, and a 1960s 18ct gold diamond ring that had belonged their older brother Charlie sold for £2, condolence letters and cards sold for £1,300, while a collection of photographs and ephemera, dating between 1957 to 1974, sold for £1,500. The twins built a criminal empire in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s before being imprisoned for Kray died in 1995, aged 61, while Reggie died in 2000 at the age of had also included a gun licence in the name of Ronald Kray, but that was unsold against a firm reserve of £5,000, the auction house said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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 Exeter. They are being sold by Dean Buffini who is the stepson of the twins' brother Charlie Kray. He 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 1969. He 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 1967. Reggie, 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 1982. He 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 £4,000. It is being sold together with a photograph of Charlie Kray wearing the ring at a family wedding. The 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 Shoreditch. Lots 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 £8,000. The auction will be held on 12 and 13 August. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Notorious gangster's letters to be sold at auction Kray letter about Cornish houses up for auction Related external link Bearnes Hampton and Littlewood
BBC News
5 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
The Sun
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Shocking tapes reveal unbreakable bond between Kray twins & how vain overreaction led to brutal machete attack
DURING their brutal 10-year reign as London's kingpin gangsters, Ronnie and Reggie Kray were known as hard men who let their fists do the talking before moving onto knives, guns and murder. But the notorious pair shared an incredibly tender bond which few would have understood - until now. 18 18 The loving relationship has been revealed in remarkable, never-before-heard prison tapes that Reggie made to his twin brother from one prison to another, along with his own personal memories of their life together. The two-part Amazon documentary, Krays: London 's Gangsters, also features interviews with their criminal associates, family friends and psychologists in an attempt to get under their skin and discover the men inside the monsters. In 1995, both brothers were serving a life sentence for the murder of fellow gangster, Jack 'The Hat' McVitie. Reggie was in Maidstone Prison while Ronnie, who for years had struggled with mental health issues, was in Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital. Always protective of his more volatile brother, Reggie recorded a message on tape for him to listen to, hoping that the sound of his voice would reassure him in his darkest moments. 'Hello, Ron,' it began. 'Reg speaking. Now, I'm very concerned for you of late but I wish to help you. You are making yourself suffer by thinking bad thoughts. You must only think of good thoughts. 'Life gets shorter and shorter as each day goes by. Try to realise what I'm telling you because here's the truth and any time you get down just play this tape again.' In another message to Ronnie, Reggie attempted to calm his increasing paranoia with the words: 'You are inflicted with an illness. You should realise that no one is talking about you. That you are paranoid. As soon as you realise you are paranoid, you should give other people the benefit of the doubt because they are not talking about you.' The close bond they shared throughout their life was stretched when they were imprisoned away from each other but Reggie attempted to ease Ronnie's anxiety with a philosophical approach: 'Life is very complex, as you know, but according to the universal laws, each one of us has a role in life. This is the path that we've all been pushed on, you know? All our paths take different ways.' Just weeks after Reggie recorded the tape to his brother, Ronnie passed away at the age of 61. Their reliance on each other was evident as babies as family friend, Maureen Flanagan, reveals. Maureen was a hairdresser for the twin's beloved mother, Violet, who she used to visit at her home in Vallance Road in Bethnal Green, East London. 'The first brother that I met was the eldest one, Charlie,' she says. 'He remarked about what gorgeous hair I had. It was all hanging down, long and blonde and looking quite glamorous, I suppose. And I said 'I'm a hairdresser' and he said, 'You wouldn't go to our home and do my mother's hair?' 'I pulled up in my white Mini and knocked at the door and this little lady came out and said, 'Hello darling. You must be Maureen. Would you like a tea, coffee? I've made a beautiful cake.' Tight upbringing 'As I was having tea and cake I noticed some photographs along the mantelpiece and I got up to have a look and one was of two boys in their boxing shorts and boxing gloves and they were absolutely identical. 'Then she started telling me about the time when they were three and they both caught diphtheria. People always talk to hairdressers! 'They were put into the London Hospital where Reggie got better and Violet was told she could take him home but Ronnie continued to get worse and she was told that he might not survive. 18 18 18 "So, she marched down to the hospital and said, 'I'm taking him home.' They said, 'You can't move him. This is a really dangerous situation. He might not make it through the night.' She said, 'I'm taking him home.' 'She wrapped him in a blanket, walked home and put him next to Reggie in bed and wrapped the two babies in the same blanket so they were as close as they could be. And in two days he was better. All he needed was his twin. "I think that was probably the start of their togetherness. They couldn't get away from each other and didn't want to. 'They were called 'The two ones.' Their aunties used to say, 'Where's the two ones, Violet?' It was like two people in one.' Professor Ruth Penfold-Mounce, a criminologist at the University of York, says that the boys would have attracted an instant celebrity status when they were born in the 1930s. The problem with twin that they are not encouraged to develop separately as individuals Vivienne Lewin 'At the time when they were born, it was really unusual to have identical twins who survived infancy,' she says. 'When Violet was walking down the street with her twin sons, people would have noticed. People would have stopped and stared. There was like a minor celebrity status that surrounded these boys.' Vivienne Lewin, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist explains how they would have been conditioned to have been influenced by each other. 'There are some misconceptions about twins,' she says. 'The most damaging one, I think, is that they are two halves of one. But the fact is, no two twins are two halves of one. Each is an absolute separate individual with an individual personality. 'The problem with twin development, where the twins themselves and twin-ship is idealised, is that they are not encouraged to develop separately as individuals. Sometimes, to the extent that they are really very entangled with each other and have difficulty leading separate lives.' This was undoubtedly the case with Reggie and Ronnie, who were born on 24 October 1933. Their father, Charlie Snr., a street-seller on the run from the police for refusing to be conscripted into the army, was largely absent during their childhood, but Violet showered them with love. 18 18 18 Broadcaster and TV presenter Fred Dineage, who wrote the Krays official biography, says: 'Violet always said that her twins were special and she treated them like that. She treated them like pieces of rare bone china, really. They could do no wrong in her eyes.' 'Violet was often called to their school because of their fighting,' says Maureen. 'All little boys fought but they fought back to back. In other words, if Ronnie had hit a boy and the boy had hit back and got his mate to join in, Reggie would go and stand with his back to Ronnie.' Rising stars At the end of the war they took up boxing which became a big part of their teens. Both were very adept at it, particularly Ronnie, and that, along with glowing reports in the local newspaper of their success, gave them extra status in the area. It also fuelled their arrogance. In 1952, they were conscripted into National Service for two years. They turned up but Ronnie lost his temper with the CO's attitude so he punched him on the nose and they walked out and went home. Effectively, they were dishonourably discharged and ended up serving their two years in prison instead and were released when they were 20. A life of crime now lay ahead. They bought a run-down billiard hall which they built up and started a protection racket business on the side. This led to several clubs and casinos in London during the late 50s and 1960s which attracted the celebrities of the day, including Barbara Windsor Diana Dors, Shirley Bassey, Terence Stamp, David Bailey, Christine Keeler and even Judy Garland and World Heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston, when they were in town. 18 18 18 The twins loved the glamour, impeccably dressed in made to measure suits, crisp white shirts and silk ties. Ronnie, in particular, idolised gangsters from Hollywood films played by the likes of Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. Such was their fame that they were even interviewed on the BBC, in which they talked about being club owners and that a little bit of violence was sometimes justified. 'You will get the occasional drunk and sometimes they have to be slung out and that's why there are doormen,' said Reggie. 'I suppose it's like club land all over the world. I don't suppose it can be all that bad or else people wouldn't go to them, would they?' Ronnie chipped in: 'Most clubs are very respectable and I don't think there's any trouble at all in them…. except occasionally.' He took him in the toilet and slashed his face and the back of his head with a machete that he had in his overcoat Maureen With a thriving club business, they could have turned away from violence and the criminal world, but they didn't. 'They threw it all away,' says Dinenage. 'Reggie would be quite content to get dressed every evening, go to his clubs, take his money, pay his people and live a good life,' says Maureen. 'But he was a twin. He was half of another half and that other half was Ronnie Kray.' Violent spirals Ron's mental issues had him on heavy medication but when he didn't take it he became volatile and dangerous and had paranoid thoughts. 18 18 'As he was put on stronger medication, Ronnie became puffy in the face and put on a stone, which he hated,' says Maureen. 'I heard one day in the pub there was a man who said, 'Hello, Ron. How are you? You've put on a bit of timber.' Ronnie looked down at himself and said, 'Yeah, I have.' 'He walked out and got in a car, drove half a mile down the road, turned round, came back to the pub and said to the man, 'I want to talk to you for a minute.' He took him in the toilet and slashed his face and the back of his head with a machete that he had in his overcoat. 'People asked him why he did it. He was happily talking to the man. And he just replied, 'That will teach him to talk about my weight.' That's how he could change in an instant.' Reggie recorded his memories of life with Ronnie in his tapes made in 1995, relishing their violent episodes. 'A memory I've got is when Ron and myself was in a dance hall in Tottenham,' he said. 'We saw about five fellas who came from the Stamford Hill area. Ron and I waited for them to come across and as they did so, right in front of the band, we hit them on the chin and also hit them on the heads with chairs. It was just like the cowboy days. We finished up having knocked them all out, and they lay in front of the band and the band was still playing the music.' Another memory was: 'We were sitting on bar stools. There's Ron and I, and we were drinking gin and tonics, when three fellas came into the pub and they stood behind Ron and started making detrimental remarks against Ron, and I watched him as he stepped down from the bar stool and hit one with a right hand punch. Knocked him spark out. Turned the other way and hit another one with a left hook.' Feeling invincible, they took things too far and the murder of rival gangster, George Cornell in The Blind Beggar Pub, was the beginning of their downfall. Ronnie walked in and shot him between the eyes in front of a handful of drinkers and a traumatised barmaid. But they were all too scared to say anything to police. Reg's new wife Frances – who Ronnie jealously resented for coming between him and his brother – had recently taken her own life by taking an overdose. He was not thinking straight and was increasingly being led along by Ronnie into his crazy and dangerous exploits. 18 18 The pair bizarrely tried to get a friend of Ronnie's, Frank 'The Mad Axeman' Mitchell, a release date from prison. They helped him escape and hid him away, telling him to write to the Home Secretary saying 'If you give me a date for my release I will give myself up.' Roy Jenkins, Home Secretary of the time, flatly refused and with Mitchell now a liability on their hands, they arranged for him to be murdered and his body disposed of. Jack 'The Hat' McVitie was next to be brutally stabbed to death by Reggie after he was paid but failed to carry out the task of killing their business manager, Leslie Payne, for talking to police after being concerned by the twins increasing violence. With the police now committed to putting the Krays behind bars, they offered protection for those willing to come forward, including the barmaid at the Blind Beggar who gave evidence against them in court about the murder of George Cornell. Ronnie and Reggie were firmly behind bars in 1969, having been given life sentences with a minimum of 30 years to be served. Reggie was allowed out, on compassionate grounds, to attend Ronnie's funeral in March 1995, where crowds lined the streets. Amongst the floral tributes was one from Reggie – flowers that spelt out 'To the other half of me' – and a wreath from Barbara Windsor. Five years after Ronnie's death, Reggie died of cancer at the age of 66. He was buried next to his twin. Whether it was irony or that he had finally discovered the decent, sensible and happy way to live, is unclear. But Reggie commented on his 1995 tape: 'What you give out in life is returned to you. If you give out love, love will be returned to you. If you give out hatred, hatred will be returned to you.'
