This in connection with Sir Winston Churchill Homburg Hat.

John Nolan ‘The Antiques Man‘ has bought what could turn out to be the buy of the century and has asked Qlocal posters to help verify the story.

Back in mid 1945 just after the end of WW11 Mr Churchill visited Liverpool and visited what was Martins Bank buildings in Water Street. At the time the visit to the bank was kept secret for whatever reason. He visited the board room on the first floor at Martins Bank and then went to the basement of the bank according to the lift boy at that time. Years later it was let known the basement connected to what was in fact an integral part of the War Room and the invasion of Germany and the landings in France and also the storage of Britains Gold. Now I believe is a museum.

The story is………..

that when Mr Churchill was in the Board Room he hung his hat and coat on the coat stand and later went to the basement without it. When he was in the basement he was cold and asked for his coat. The lift boy retrieved the coat leaving the hat still on the coat rack.

It would then seem that Mr Churchill was paraded around the streets of Liverpool in an open roof car. The missing hat, may be this is the reason why he is waving not a Homburg Hat but a military cap in the photographs yet wearing a suit at the time.

Churchill is never seen without his hat, yet in Liverpool all photographs that day show him without any hat.

Winston-churchill-hat-southport

From the information I have received .............. the hat stayed on the hat rack for many years, the bank people known it as, Churchill’s Hat. When Martins Bank was taken over by Barclays, the Bank Director asked what is that hat doing there in the Board Room. The Churchill story was then told to him and the hat stayed on the hat rack until the early 1990’s when Barclays Bank was reorganized and the hat was demoted to a cupboard and then cleared out with a load of old stationery. The hat was saved from the tip by an older member of the staff and then taken to his home. When that person concerned died the family inherited it, always referred to the hat as Churchill’s. One of the later generations has now sold the hat to The Antiques Man.

More information I have learned ........ The war room was accross the road from Martins Bank Bldg. Not India Bldg. and it has been suggested a tunnell there was a tunnell connecting the two bldgs under Water Street. It was Britains Gold Bullion that was stored under Martins Bank Bldg.

The Antiques man wonders if any posters on the site have any relations or who worked at the bank that has heard or been told a similar story about a hat that hung for over 45 years in Barclays Bank. (Martins Bank.)

It has also been suggested by an employee of Martins Bank that if the hat had been left that there was a care taker working for the bank that might have placed it in a cupboard much ealier than first suggested and then taken it home......................... but who knows........Help Please

Originally Posted by theantiquesman

This in connection with Sir Winston Churchill Homburg Hat.

John Nolan ‘The Antiques Man‘ has bought what could turn out to be the buy of the century and has asked Qlocal posters to help verify the story.

Back in mid 1945 just after the end of WW11 Mr Churchill visited Liverpool and visited what was Martins Bank buildings in Water Street. At the time the visit to the bank was kept secret for whatever reason. He visited the board room on the first floor at Martins Bank and then went to the basement of the bank according to the lift boy at that time. Years later it was let known the basement connected to what was in fact an integral part of the War Room and the invasion of Germany and the landings in France and also the storage of Britains Gold. Now I believe is a museum.

The story is………..

that when Mr Churchill was in the Board Room he hung his hat and coat on the coat stand and later went to the basement without it. When he was in the basement he was cold and asked for his coat. The lift boy retrieved the coat leaving the hat still on the coat rack.

It would then seem that Mr Churchill was paraded around the streets of Liverpool in an open roof car. The missing hat, may be this is the reason why he is waving not a Homburg Hat but a military cap in the photographs yet wearing a suit at the time.

Churchill is never seen without his hat, yet in Liverpool all photographs that day show him without any hat.

Winston-churchill-hat-southport

From the information I have received .............. the hat stayed on the hat rack for many years, the bank people known it as, Churchill’s Hat. When Martins Bank was taken over by Barclays, the Bank Director asked what is that hat doing there in the Board Room. The Churchill story was then told to him and the hat stayed on the hat rack until the early 1990’s when Barclays Bank was reorganized and the hat was demoted to a cupboard and then cleared out with a load of old stationery. The hat was saved from the tip by an older member of the staff and then taken to his home. When that person concerned died the family inherited it, always referred to the hat as Churchill’s. One of the later generations has now sold the hat to The Antiques Man.

More information I have learned ........ The war room was accross the road from Martins Bank Bldg. Not India Bldg. and it has been suggested a tunnell there was a tunnell connecting the two bldgs under Water Street. It was Britains Gold Bullion that was stored under Martins Bank Bldg.

The Antiques man wonders if any posters on the site have any relations or who worked at the bank that has heard or been told a similar story about a hat that hung for over 45 years in Barclays Bank. (Martins Bank.)

It has also been suggested by an employee of Martins Bank that if the hat had been left that there was a care taker working for the bank that might have placed it in a cupboard much ealier than first suggested and then taken it home......................... but who knows........Help Please

Just been told by the daughter of an ex employe of Martins Bank that they heard a similar story about Mr Churchills visit.