Churchill antiques ‘found in dump’

Sir Winston Churchill’s top hat and one of his cigars are part of a collection valued at £10,000 found in a dump, which were shown on the Antiques Roadshow.

The items, along with a cigar case and letters from a cook to her son giving details of the prime minister’s daily life, appeared on the BBC One programme yesterday.

They are taken along to the roadshow by a man named David Rose, who discovered them at the dump where he works.

He presented the famous hat, a cigar, a cigar case and more than 200 letters from Churchill’s cook to her son, in which she gave an insight into the wartime leader’s life.

The items were gifts from Churchill for the cook, and included a signed photo of the politician himself.

Mr Rose said: “She used to write to her son every day about the daily goings-on of Winston Churchill, what he was getting up to, how he was feeling and just interesting stuff about him.”

Antiques Roadshow specialist Mark Smith said the authenticity of the items would be in doubt were it not for the detailed letters.

Mr Smith valued the whole collection at £10,000, which Mr Rose described as “crazy”.

Mr Rose declined to give the location of the dump.