A long-forgotten parcel – found in a Staffordshire house – has been opened for the first time in 70 years.
A mystery item, wrapped in decades-old crumpled brown paper, yellowing newspapers and a piece of string, was discovered in a house in the village of Rolleston-on-Dove by Hansons Auctioneers. And they likened the discovery to finding an unopened Christmas present.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons, said: “After discovering the parcel had not been touched for decades, I was excited to see what lay beneath the layers of waste-not, want-not wrapping paper. Newspapers had a multitude of uses in days gone by.
“And thanks to those newspapers, I was able to ascertain when the parcel had been wrapped up. The publication dateline was 1951. That meant the parcel had remained unopened for 70 years.”
Pages from East Staffordshire newspaper, the Burton Mail, were dated November 20, 1951. In addition, a page from the Daily Express was dated November 22, 1951.
Charles said: “As I gently pulled the wrapping apart, a sizeable chunk of blue material became visible – blue wool serge to be exact. I lifted out a garment. Much to my amazement, it turned out to be a 1940s RAF jacket. Matching trousers were neatly folded up underneath.”
The mystery parcel, believed to have been forgotten for decades, contained a British RAF senior aircraftman uniform from 1948 in good condition, estimate £200 to £300. The ‘best blue’ uniform, which would have been worn on parade, features a three-blade propellor on the jacket. It has been consigned into Hansons’ September 24 Militaria, Medals and Firearms Auction.
“Finds like this are wonderful to uncover,” said Charles. “It’s like finding an unopened Christmas present from a forgotten era. So often, items get tucked away for decades. They are only found due to a house move or house clearance. This is a wonderful piece of military history, still in good condition and perfectly wearable. Uniforms are popular with militaria collectors and re-enactors.
“It was also interesting to cast my eyes over those old newspapers. They revealed much about UK life in 1951 – and demonstrated how much times have changed.”
The Burton Mail’s small ads were full of pianos for sale, dancing classes, affordable transport, such as a Velocette motorbike for £59, and sexist job adverts, ‘Girls leaving school are required for bakery work’ or ‘Local bank requires Lady Clerk’.
Another advert asked, ‘Have you an only-time-for-toast husband?’ It urged wives to fortify their husband with Procea bread containing wheat protein.
Meanwhile, an Express article was headlined ‘What the boss looks for in the ideal secretary’. Under ‘Appearance’ one company director said, ‘she does not have scarlet talons in the office’. Meanwhile ‘Talents’ included ‘knows what biscuits we will not eat with our tea’.
One story to make front page news was headlined ‘Man of 80 argued over twin beds’. An 80-year-old newlywed man refused to consider separate rooms or beds so his 50-year-old bride, Ethel, left him.
“We’ve come a long way in the last 70 years,” said Charles. “It’s fascinating to look at old newspapers, so often found in attics or even under old carpets. They provide a valuable social history lesson.”
The 1948 RAF uniform is due to be sold on October 1 in a Militaria, Medals and Firearms Auction at Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire. To arrange a free valuation or find out more, email: [email protected].
