SANTA came early this year to Tavistock Area Support Services (TASS) when it sold a vinyl record for almost £600.

Thanks to the kind anonymous donation and the expert eye of TASS volunteer Terry Hyde the vinyl sold online for £564.

Terry, who looks after the music donations for TASS, said: ‘I spotted this ten-inch record by the violinist Gioconda De Vito (1907-1994) in amongst a large box of mostly rock and pop albums. I recognised the name immediately and knew that the record was potentially valuable.

‘I was hoping for maybe £200 but after 27 bids I was thrilled that it made so much.’

In a six-degrees-of-separation connection, the buyer (in North Yorkshire) is a musician who once worked with Eli Goran (1923-1999), founder member of the Allegri String Quartet; and Eli had been a colleague of Gioconda’s in the 1950s.

Chairman of TASS Margaret Garton said: ‘We are so pleased to have volunteers like Terry, whose expertise lead to this amazing sale. As always, the proceeds will be used wisely and in the best interests of elderly folk in Tavistock and the surrounding areas.’

For more information on TASS visit www.tasstavistock.org.uk