A COLLECTION of tracksuits, medals and trophies awarded to two top North-East athletes is going under the hammer tomorrow. (Wednesday, January 16) Ian Chipchase and his wife Dorothy Swinyard both achieved success in a number of disciplines.

Ian, who was born in Hebburn and now lives in Tynemouth, won Commonwealth Gold in 1974 in the hammer throw, having won many national titles and competed at the European Junior Championships.

Many of the medals for sale include awards for shot, discus and 100m titles, several from Northumberland and Durham County Championships.

As a senior he set a British record for the hammer of 70.28m in an international match against East Germany in Erfurt.

His gold for the Commonwealth Games hammer in Christchurch, New Zealand was a Commonwealth Games record at 69.40m In 1967, Dorothy Swinyard, from North Shields, broke the record for senior girls discus distance, a title she held for 38 years.

A selection of their tracksuits, medals and trophies go under the hammer at the Town and Country Sale being held by Anderson and Garland in Westerhope.

Fred Wyrley-Birch, a valuer at Anderson and Garland, said: “Local sports stories always generate keen interest and this collection of medals and tracksuits will undoubtedly be the same, thanks to the records broken by the sporting couple.”

Anderson and Garland will also be auctioning a large collection of stamps collected by Lord Glenamara who was the Postmaster General between 1966-8.