A letter which appears to have been written by the late Queen Mother has surfaced at a charity shop operated by the two Rotary clubs of Barnstaple. The letter, sent shortly after the end of World War II, congratulates members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service on their work and bears the signature, Elizabeth R.
The shop is run entirely by volunteers who price up the donations as they arrive, but there is no one there with expertise in identifying valuables. Shop Manager Penny Furseman said: "At the moment we have no idea if the letter is genuine but the Buckingham Palace logo is raised and looks authentic so it is possible.”
The club has now removed the letter from the shop into safe storage until it can be authenticated. In the meantime, Rotarians in Barnstaple are hoping that the media coverage of the find may bring forth further information.
This is not the first time an unusual item has turned up in the shop. Not long ago, a customer alerted Rotarians to a metal plate which was on sale for £10, suggesting they should get it valued. The plate turned out to be silver and sold for £115.
The Rotary charity shop in Barnstaple was originally started by the Rotary Club of Barnstaple Link with a view to operating it just for one month to raise funds. It proved so successful that they continued and it is now run jointly with the Rotary Club of Barnstaple.
The shop only sells items donated by the public and all proceeds go to local clubs, charities and community projects.
Photo courtesy of the North Devon Journal
