MEMENTOS of a relationship which reignited the creative fires of Worcestershire’s favourite son are to come up for sale at auction in London.

The collection of autograph music, inscribed scores and other mementos of Worcestershire composer Sir Edward Elgar’s relationship with Vera Hockman come up for sale at Bonhams Books, Maps, Manuscripts and Historical Photographs.

The collection, which goes on sale on November 22, shows how Elgar was inspired by his new muse during a last great creative flowering before his death.

The items are being sold, in part, to help Rebecca Hunt, the adopted daughter of Vera Hockman’s granddaughter, Janet Kelly, complete her masters at a London conservatoire in the next couple of years but the cost of doing this runs into many thousands of pounds.

The family hope the sale can not only raise funds for her studies but contribute to the preservation of the papers.

They include the two first sketch-leaves for his unfinished Third Symphony, inscribed for her and given by him to Vera Hockman.

They contain words inscribed by Elgar in pencil, including “First thought for Sym. III and last thought for V.H.”

Chris Bennett, supervisor at the Elgar Birthplace Museum and Visitor Centre in Lower Broadheath said: “It’s a very interesting lot. It confirms the importance of this relationship to Elgar. Elgar had been fairly quiet after his wife’s death in 1920.

“The resurgence in his creative energies coincided with him meeting Vera Hockman. She was the inspiration and this confirms she was the inspiration. These are lovely things and we would love to be able to display some of them, especially manuscripts. We already have a great collection here.”

Mr Bennett was not able to confirm whether the museum was pursuing a bid but said he would rather the items were kept in a museum where they could be displayed and viewed by researchers rather than passing to a private collector.

Other items to go on sale include printed novello scores, Vera Hockman’s album of her life together with Elgar, the cover printed “Snapshots” to which she has added “of E.E.”, comprising ten photographs, showing her with Bernard Shaw, one of Shaw and Elgar and Elgar on the riverbank, which is inscribed “Worcester Festival/ Sept 1923”.