Yorkshire Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer's memorabilia to go under hammer in Scarborough

Now in their 80s, Anita – a British Empire and Commonwealth Games double gold medallist – and her husband, the former world champion cyclist Hugh Porter, have decided to thin out their treasures and let some of them move on into other collections.

They live in Wolverhampton but Anita wanted to send her things home to Yorkshire – where she was based throughout her competitive swimming career – and asked Scarborough auctioneers David Duggleby to handle it for them.

The collection entered in the auction includes her first tracksuit top, a present from her parents when she started competitive swimming, festooned with the badges of the clubs and competitions in which she took part – including that of the English Schools Swimming Association whose championship she won in 1957.

The collection also includes the ‘primitive’ team-issue swimming costume in which Anita shot to prominence, wearing it in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Cardiff where she won her first two gold medals.

The Rome Olympics has contributed the blue tracksuit that Anita wore on the podium when she received the gold medal – as well as a 1960 Summer Olympics towelling robe with her name incorrectly labelled Lonsborough.

The catalogue for the Decorative Art & Collectors Auction is available at davidduggleby.com – viewing will take place at the Vine Street Saleroom on May 31, June 1 and 2, from 9am until the start of the auction at 11am.

It is to be webcast with online bidding.