DAVID Gilmour from legendary progressive rock band Pink Floyd has bought a mixing desk owned by the group from vintage musical equipment collector Chris Hewitt.

Chris, 61, from Wincham, writes books about music, stages exhibitions of musical equipment and album sleeves and runs a record label.

He has been involved in the music industry since the age of 17, and bought two mixing desks owned by Pink Floyd from the 1960s.

Chris is a Pink Floyd fan, and the mixing desks feature on the back of the sleeve of the cover for double album Ummagumma, which was released by the band in 1969.

Chris sold the number 2 desk before Christmas to David Gilmour after being contacted by his technical assistant.

David Gilmour is best known for his work as guitarist and co-lead vocalist with Pink Floyd, which by 2012 is estimated to have sold more than 250 million records.

Chris said the desks had evidence inside and outside linking them with Pink Floyd, and he would keeping the other desk, which bears the number 1.

“The mixing desks were owned by the band from the late 1960s to the early 70s,” said Chris.

“I bought them together, and it was an added bonus that they were owned by Pink Floyd.

“They were made by WEM, and were used by the band on their live tours between about 1966 to 1970. They feature on the back of the Ummagumma sleeve in a photoshoot at the Biggin Hill airfield.”

Biggin Hill Airport is on the southern edge of London, and on the album sleeve roadies are shown with the band’s equipment laid out on a runway at the airport.

“I bought the desks for my collection, but have bought so much stuff that I decided to sell one of them to create a bit of room,” said Chris, who owns Ozit Morpheus Records.

“They would have been expensive to buy in the 1960s, and are part of Pink Floyd’s history.

“I bought the desks about five years ago, and they still work. There is an affection for things from that period.”