Jonny Buckland gives Coldplay disc to Pantymwyn village hall restoration fund

Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland has given a gold disc to be sold at auction to help a village hall restoration fund where he grew up.

As a child Buckland lived in Pantymwyn, Flintshire, where the hall was the focal point for community events and birthday and Christmas parties.

Now, as a member of one of the world's biggest bands, he has given the committee restoring the village hall a disc marking 100,000 album sales.

It is to be sold in London in July.

"This is an incredibly generous donation from a very special son of Pantymwyn," said village hall committee chair Chris Johnson.

"We cannot thank Jonny and his family enough for their fantastic support and we hope the disc will do very well at auction."

The disc marks 100,000 sales in Germany of the band's latest album, Mylo Xyloto.

Buckland, whose family moved to Pantymwyn, near Mold, when he was four, started playing guitar as a young boy.

He met fellow Coldplay members during their first week at University College London in the mid-90s.

Buckland attended nearby schools Ysgol y Waun in Gwernaffield and Mold Alun High School where he studied A-level music under former teacher Margaret Parr.

She once <link> <caption>described Buckland as having "immense talent for the guitar"</caption> <url href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/halloffame/showbiz/jonny_buckland.shtml" platform="highweb"/> </link> .

The village hall committee reckon Buckland used the hall, which has become a registered charity, along with other youngsters for parties and plays.

But its condition fell into decline before its restoration began thanks to donations from residents from the past and present.

The proceeds of the sale of the gold disc, which was a gift from music giant EMI to Buckland, will help pay for a new roof.

The disc, which features the signatures of all four band members, will be sold by Bonhams in London on 3 July.