A white 5 x 3 card signed with a biro by Alan Bates (1934 - 2003) who, as a boy, won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where he studied with Albert Finney and Peter O'Toole. In a career that stretched for 46 years from his stage debut in 1956, he worked steadily in film, television and theatre, and was knighted for his contribution to acting shortly before his death.