In the 1970s, an otherwise quiet north Norfolk seaside village became a mecca for those railing against the establishment.

%image(14668983, type="article-full", alt="A rare collection of original punk rock posters, gig tickets and memorabilia all from Norfolk are set to go underthe hammer at an internationally renowned auction house later this month. Picture: Steven Ashley")

In the 1970s, an otherwise quiet north Norfolk seaside village became a mecca for those railing against the establishment.

Punks from across Norfolk would regularly jump on buses to West Runton to see the legends of the early Punk Rock scene perform in person - including the Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, Iggy Pop and more.

Among them was Steven Ashley, who at the time was a student at Great Yarmouth College of Art.

Drawn to the counter culture, Mr Ashley regularly found himself hanging out with bands like the Sex Pistols or The Damned before and after gigs, collecting anecdotes and the ephemera from the scene which he squirrelled away in his college portfolio.

%image(14668984, type="article-full", alt="Auction highlights include official Sex Pistols promo posters, rare prints from The Clash, The Damned and Joy Division and dozen's of other items. Picture: Steven Ashley")

Now, after lying in an attic for more than 40 years, Mr Ashley's collection of rare posters, gig tickets and memorabilia charting Norfolk's Punk scene has been sold at Bonhams Auction House in London.

Containing hundred of items, the collection, which dates from 1976-79, sold for a total of £5,865.25 when it went under the hammer at Bonhams on Wednesday June 12.

Mr Ashley, who is now an archeologist, said he had no idea how much the collection was worth until it went on display in Museum of Norwich's Punk in the East exhibition in October 2016, the website of which now hosts a digital version of the collection.

Mr Ashley said: "I'm incredibly fond of my collection and love the memories that it gives me, but now it's been digitised, I [felt] it was time to let it go.

%image(14668985, type="article-full", alt="They didn't know it at the time but the chemistry students at the University of East Anglia had juts booked one of the biggest names in Punk to be the band at their Halloween party. Picture: Steven Ashley/Punk In The East")

"I hadn't really thought about how valuable it all was, and then I looked into it. I had never really thought about it in that way," he said.

Adding that he hoped the collection would go to someone who would appreciate it, Mr Ashley said: "It was an exciting time musically and the visuals were very strong, the imagery, the cut up impromptu approach, it was great, it was new, it was very explosive, people trying all sorts of things, musically and in fashion.

"I just think it was a really amazing time of invention and of a counter antidote to the main stream, the [bands] would just make it up as they went along," he said.

%image(14668986, type="article-full", alt="Anarchy in the UK, Sex Pistols poster. Picture: Steven Ashley/ Punk in the East")

%image(14668987, type="article-full", alt=""Young hot loud and stiff" The Damned promote their first 7" record. Picture: Steven Ashley/Punk in the East")