Every day is a school day, as the old adage goes. Today, at the college of life or, rather more specifically, on the website of the The Cotswold Auction Company, I learned that Sir Winston Churchill’s dentist was named Sir Wilfred Fish. One to keep in mind for your next village fete or pub quiz.
As well as sounding like a forgotten villain from Cluedo, Dr Fish also designed a pair of dentures for Sir Winston, which, should you be so inclined, are up for auction with the Cotswold Auction Company in their February 6 sale, along with other things, under the umbrella of ‘Books, Medals, Militaria, Coins, Stamps and Collectables’. I have not endeavoured to learn why Dr Fish was knighted, but I would imagine it was for daring to go near the Prime Minister’s mouth after his usual breakfast of cigars, brandy and champagne.
Dentures aside, the auction contains a veritable feast of war memorabilia and other items. Of note is the microphone with which Sir Winston announced the end of the Second World War, as well as a RAF Battle of Britain ‘Book of Heroes’.
This Book of Heroes is considered ‘extremely rare’, according to the Cotswold Auction Company. It contains the signatures of 107 RAF officers, many of whom flew in the Battle of Britain and did not survive the war, and was created in 1941. The leather cover of the book was cut from a mess chair by legendary ace Douglas Bader, whose signature and photo feature in the book.
On the ‘non-war’ side of things, the auction will also offer up a ukulele signed by Paul McCartney, which has a surprisingly reasonable estimate of £200-£300 and comes with a case and some pictures of Terry Wogan. Other lots will be a boxing glove signed by Frank Bruno, a signed football boot from Geoff Hurst and guitars signed by The Shadows and Status Quo.
The ‘eclectic assortment of memorabilia’ belonged to a Gloucestershire-based collector named George Ridgen, who purchased the Churchill memorabilia and the ‘Book of Heroes’ at Bonhams and other auctions ‘some years ago’. All provenance paperwork is included.
For more information, to bid and to view the remaining lots, click here.
The Country Life Podcast
Listen to all the episodes of the Country Life Podcast.
A dispatch box, a bottle of whisky and some frogs — estate of Baroness Betty Boothroyd going under the hammer
Items belonging to the first female Speaker of the House of Commons will be auctioned off for charity next week
Winston Churchill had his cakes and ate them
A new exhibition from the National Trust shows how Britain's greatest Prime Minister would celebrate his birthday with some massive
Andy Murray: My favourite painting
-
What should 1.5 million new homes look like?The King's recent visit to Nansledan with the Prime Minister gives us a clue as to Labour's plans, but what are the benefits of traditional architecture? And can they solve a housing crisis?
-
Having a ruff day: Kennel Club exhibition highlights the plight of vulnerable spaniel breedsPhotographer Melody Fisher has been travelling the UK taking photographs of ‘vulnerable’ spaniel breeds.
-
A dispatch box, a bottle of whisky and some frogs — estate of Baroness Betty Boothroyd going under the hammerItems belonging to the first female Speaker of the House of Commons will be auctioned off for charity next week
-
Jean-Michel Basquiat painting goes under hammer for $110.5 millionBasquiat was 21 years old and still a relative unknown when he painted this piece.
-
Scarfe’s biting satire to go under the hammer at Sotheby’sA selection of cartoons by satirical cartoonist Gerald Scarfe are going under the hammer at Sotheby's.
-
Sotheby’s experts to appraise your antiques during Meissen event at ClivedenA team of experts from Sotheby's will be giving appraisals of antiques during an event organised by porcelain maker Meissen at the beautiful Cliveden House.
-
Long-neglected ‘copy’ turns out to be original Stubbs worth £750,000Gallery owner Archie Parker thought something was amiss when he came across this painting in an online sale catalogue, and he flew to New York to play out his hunch. It paid off.
-
Constable ‘added rainbow after his masterpiece first went on display’One of Britain's greatest-ever artists apparently touched up one of his most famous works to mark the death of a close friend.
-
Princess Eugenie helps boost Children & the Arts charity auction at Christie’sThe princess has helped secure donations of works, and has given her patronage to the sale helping a charity which she says has left her "truly inspired".
-
Sotheby’s set new London auction record with £48m Klimt leading the wayA sale of Impressionist, Modern and Surrealist paintings at Sotheby's on Wednesday night set the record for an auction staged in London.
