News

An album of autographs and photos collected by a Folkestone man which contains signatures of important 20th Century figures including Sir Winston Churchill has been sold at auction for £1,200.

Cross-Channel ferry captain William Baker, gathered the signatures in the 1930s.

He allowed VIPs to use his cabin because there were no other private facilities onboard and in the process, gathered the autographs.

The album which has autographs of Neville Chamberlain, Rudyard Kipling, and members of Arsenal football team, was put on sale by Capt Baker's daughter, Joyce Thompsett, who inherited it.

The 87-year-old who lives in a care home, said: "It was a bit difficult to decide who to hand it down to."

"I knew that it would probably end up forgotten in a drawer somewhere so I decided it would be better to sell it to someone who finds these things interesting."

There are also signatures and a photograph of Capt Baker with Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons, collected on the SS Biarritz in November 1936.

Although the SS Biarritz was torpedoed and destroyed during World War II, Capt Baker survived and retired from service in 1945.

A private bidder bought the album for double its guide price of £600 at Gorringes auction house in Worthing.