Churchill’s Home Sold For £102,500

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30895, 30 October 1965, Page 25

Churchill’s Home Sold For £102,500

(A.Z.P A LONDON, October 29. The London home of Sir Winston Churchill, No. 28 Hyde Park Gate, Kensington, where he had his last illness and died in January, was sold in London yesterday.

Together with the adjoining property it was sold for £102,500 at an auction, being bought by Dr. S. P. Simpson, the chairman of Simpson's of Piccadilly. Dr. Simpson made it clear that he was referring to his own family when he spoke after the sale of the house being bought for a British family trust. Dr. Simpson said he had not decided whether his own family would live at Hyde Park Gate or if the houses would be turned into a shrine. Knew Churchill “1 knew Sir Winston Churchill and 1 do not want to discuss any personal matters,” Dr. Simpson said. It took only four minutes to sell the two houses and there were only two main bids. Starting the auction, the auctioneer said: "May I say £lOO,OOO is a round figure to start?” Immediately, there came a bid for this amount and then the auctioneer suggested that the price should be advanced by £5OOO at a time. There

was no reaction to this in the crowded salesroom and he then suggested £2500 at a time. It was then that Dr. Simpson made his bid of £102,500. Overseas Inquiries There had been many inquiries before the auction from the United States and several European countries. The sale was interrupted by an elderly, silver-haired man in a grey top hat and morning suit, who called himself a “world ruler” and made a £llO,OOO bid, which was ignored. He was restrained by officials from taking further part in the auction after launching into a long speech praising Sir Winston Churchill's leadership.

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