Found 'at a dump'! Winston Churchill's iconic top hat and cigar 🎩 - Antiques Roadshow

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Watch the BBC first on iPlayer 👉 In this episode of Antiques Roadshow, from Eltham Palace in Greenwich, Antiques Roadshow specialist Mark Smith values a remarkable set of items once belonging to Sir Winston Churchill, including a cigar, cigar case and his iconic top hat.

The items were brought to the Antiques Roadshow by David Rose who unbelievably found them all at the dump where he works.

“I’ve worked there for like 15 years and I get to pull out whatever I like, mostly antiques,” said Mr Rose who claimed to have three sheds full of items found at the dump at his home.

Alongside the hat and cigar, Mr Rose presented over 200 letters he had found from a mother, who worked as a cook for Winston Churchill, to her son, in which she detailed insight into the wartime leader’s life.

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

The items he found in the dump were gifts from Mr Churchill for the mother, including a signed photo of Sir Winston himself.

Examining the items, Mark Smith revealed the authenticity would be in doubt were it not for the detailed letters, admitting that David Rose had brought “lots of things that Winston touched, Winston signed and Winston owned” to Antiques Roadshow.

With the haul being so unique, Mark Smith valued the whole collection at £10,000, an amount Mr Rose described as “crazy”.

However Mr Rose remained tight-lipped about the location of the dump where these incredible items were found, claiming “dozens” of people had asked but no-one had been told.

Antiques Roadshow | Series 41 Eltham Palace 2 | BBC

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