HOLLYWOOD star James Mason was reminded of his hometown thanks to the work of artist Peter Brook.

The film star collected around 30 pieces of the Brighouse artist’s work and 20 of them are up for auction at Bonhams in Chester in November.

The pieces of work are for sale individually, but if they reach their top guide price they could raise £46,000 collectively.

James Mason, who was born in Marsh, was introduced to the artist by mutual friend Rodney Bewes, who starred in the Likely Lads.

They were filming when, during a break in filming, Rodney Bewes suggested a trip to Brighouse.

Richard Hopkinson, head of pictures at Bonhams in Chester, said: “The meeting between James Mason and Peter Brook came about in 1969.

“James was working on a film with Rodney Bewes in Bolton which was called Spring and Port Wine and at this point Rodney had already been introduced to Peter Brook and had purchased a couple of his pieces.

“My understanding is that there was a break in filming and one evening Rodney suggested they go and meet Peter Brook and that is what they did.

“They went from Bolton to Brighouse and I think James Mason liked the work a lot and from there a friendship was formed.”

As well as buying pieces of Peter Brook’s work, the film star also commissioned one or two pieces.

His collection featured around 30 Peter Brook paintings, which he began collecting in the early 1970s. He kept many of them at his Switzerland home but now the estate of James Mason has decided to sell them off.

Mr Hopkinson added: “They depict northern England, Yorkshire and the Pennines, which is something James Mason was fond of.

“My interpretation is that Peter Brook had a really strong sense of the Pennines and Yorkshire, the winters and landscape and also the industry and that really struck a chord with James Mason, who was an ex-pat but remained quite dedicated to his roots in Huddersfield – it was a connection to home when he was away.

“It’s obvious they were treasured pieces.

“They’ve come from his Swiss home where he lived and they’re in a good condition so it’s clear they were pieces he admired.”

James Mason was son of John and Mabel Mason and went on to become a major film star on both sides of the Atlantic.

But he had a tense relationship with his home town. He went to America in 1947 and during an interview for Time magazine he said how much he disliked Huddersfield and how he never wanted to see his parents again and never wanted to visit the town again.

In the 1950s he threatened to take out American citizenship, but by the 1960s, and after a messy divorce, he tried to re-establish himself as a British actor rooted in the North.

He returned to film Spring and Port Wine and it’s from then on his fondness of his hometown returned.

In 1972 Mr Brook appeared in Home James, a TV film about Mason’s Huddersfield memories.

On the death of Mason’s father, Mr Brook painted Croft House, the actor’s family home in Huddersfield, which will be included in the sale.

The auction will take place at Bonhams in Chester on November 17.