WSSN Stories

A long-lost painting by Britain’s beloved artist J.M.W. Turner has been found in a dusty attic and could sell for £50,000 ($63,394). The unsigned watercolor of Hampton Court, Herefordshire, was painted by Turner in 1796.

George Viscount Malden, the 5th Earl of Essex, commissioned Turner to paint the stunning house and grounds after he inherited the estate. When he sold the country pile and its contents to inventor and industrialist Richard Arkwright in 1810 the painting was put into storage.

The artwork, which measures 12.5ins (32cm) by 17ins (43cm), was then kept in a portfolio with other watercolors for the next two centuries.

When the Arkwright family moved into Kinsham Court in Herefordshire the paintings were stored in the attic of the main house. It was finally discovered when a descendant of the Arkwright family decided to auction a selection of heirlooms.

It is being auctioned with a guide price of £30,000 to £50,000 but could fetch far more when it goes under the hammer at Minster Auctions in March. Paintings expert James Pearn said he was “pretty surprised” to find the painting.

He said: “The watercolor was in a file together with a number of other things.

GV of Hampton Court in Hereford. 

“It was in the middle of some mid-19th century watercolors and hunting prints which were nothing very exciting.

“I have to say, I had a pretty good idea of what it was. Although it was unsigned you can tell it’s a genuine Turner.

“The style, the composition and the way he painted the foliage and the brush work are the signatures of Turner.”

The painting depicted Hampton Court from a south-east direction across the River Lugg.

Pearn said he expected Turner would only have been about 21 when he completed the painting. The artist entered the Royal Academy drawing schools when he was 14 in 1789 and was exhibiting less than a year later.

Pearn added: “That of course makes it all the more exciting. He does have quite a lot of distinctive features in this.

“Although it is unsigned, his signature is there in the paint.

“Turner’s technique was evolving rapidly. “His accomplished topographical views attracting an increasing number of aristocratic patrons eager to employ the artist in the portrayal of their country houses and estates.”

The painting will be auctioned at Minster Auctions in Leominster, Herefordshire, on March 6 and is expected to attract global interest.

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Adorable footage of OAPs taking part in a ‘silent disco’ at a care home has gone viral – after getting millions of views on TikTok( a service that hosts short videos and is owned by ByteDance. Videos uploaded by users are hosted there and they might last anywhere from three seconds to ten minutes).

The hard-partying residents of Goodson Lodge in Trowbridge, Wilts., raked in over 4.5m views in just 72 hours after the footage was posted on the social media site.

The youthful users of the platform also shared their delight at the impressive set-up.

“If my retirement home isn’t like this, I don’t want it,” said one of the youthful users of the platform.

The home, run by not-for-profit provider The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT), organized the event as part of their “Beat the January Blues” activities.

Residents were each given a set of headphones where they could hear the tunes during the disco. And after they had their IDs ‘checked’ at the door by the ‘bouncer’, events manager Alex Damon, they were whisked onto the dance floor. With headphones on, silent discos provide a variety of music selections for an amazing experience for all attendees.

Several of the residents were wheelchair-bound, but this didn’t stop them from taking hold of glow sticks and jiving away to the thumping baselines.

“It was rather exciting to be part of the silent disco and to enjoy a new experience,” said Resident Judy Farr, who featured in the video.

“I like to do new things and try new experiences, and I liked trying different music. I would do it again – there was a great playlist for everyone to enjoy!” she added.

TikTok users showered the pensioners with praise after seeing the video.

One wrote: “This seems like the most wonderful nursing home everyone seems so lovely and caring it makes me so extremely happy and emotional.

Another added: “Hope the care home I go into will have a mosh pit! But seriously this is amazing!

A further commenter agreed, saying: “If I’m not being spun around in my chair at 90 to DnB [Drum and Base] then I don’t want life.”

While another user simply penned: “See you here in 30 years.”

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These stunning pictures show the amazing transformation of a super slimmer who shed a third of her body weight after being left mortified by a photo of herself.

Joanna Wojcik, 38, was so horrified by the picture – taken at a friend’s baby shower when she weighed 14st 10lb (nearly 200 pounds) – that she was jolted into changing her lifestyle.

She ditched the ready meals and takeaway pizzas that she gorged on while working long night shifts at a nursing home, opting instead for healthy, home-cooked meals.

And she managed to lose 4st 9lbs thanks to her ‘life-changing’ transformation and now weighs a trim 10st 1lb.

Mom-of-two Joanna, who dropped four dress sizes from a 16 to an eight, said: “It was horrible… I didn’t like myself. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to get help from

“I wasn’t happy as nothing fitted me. If I liked something, I couldn’t wear it, and it didn’t look right on me because I was bigger. “When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t like myself, but I didn’t take pictures of all my body anyway.

“And then it was the middle of December when we had my friend’s baby shower. I sat next to her, and I could see all myself in the picture. It made me angry and upset, and I was frustrated as well. I felt like I had to do something,” said Joanna.

Joanna Wojcik after shedding a third of her bodyweight. 

Joanna, from Alsager, Cheshire, said she had never had any major struggles with her weight during her 20s and was able to slim down after the births of her two daughters.

But around six years ago, she began piling on pounds that she could not shift after tucking into ready meals while working all hours in her demanding occupation.

She had tried different kinds of diets, but often got bored of them and would simply bang the weight back on as soon as she lost it.

But she was determined to act when she was left furious at the photo, taken in December 2021. She said: “If you work full-time, it does affect you.

“I never planned any meals, I just used to have ready-made meals many times, or order pizza or have takeaways and things like that. “I never thought that I could cook healthy food. And I didn’t know how to do it.

“I was always struggling to sleep because of very bad back pain. I had to be careful. I was struggling to go for longer walks. “And when I was at work, I had so many times when I was short of breath. I didn’t exercise at all.”

Joanna Wojcik before her weight loss journey began. 

Joanna joined her local Slimming World group with a friend in January 2022 and lost a stone within a month. She says the group has been revolutionary for her and she has learned culinary skills that will stay with her for life.

Now, instead of ordering a pizza at work, she will prepare lighter options such as pasta carbonara and risotto – using a ‘one calorie spray oil’ to cut down on fats. She said: “It was so easy. But I did stick to the plan 100 percent. I did everything as I was told to do. I love myself now. I’m just happy.

“It’s life-changing. I don’t think now, ‘What should I buy, what should I eat’ – I just know that. Through the years, I learned what to choose and things like that.

“At the moment, I don’t have an issue with anything. And I love it because I know what to do and how to have a healthy lifestyle.”

Joanna says she has now become a better mom to her two kids Oliwia, 17, and Kornelia, 12 – and revealed how she’s learned to swim after losing weight. She said: “I feel like I’m a better mom now. Before I didn’t want to go and do anything, do any exercise, but now I’m more energetic. “Last year, I learned to swim when I lost the weight. I feel so relaxed after doing it.

“My daughters love swimming as well, so it is something we can do together, and spend time together. “And I absolutely love doing aqua fitness classes.” After achieving her target weight last February, Joanna has maintained her weight ever since and is now a Slimming World consultant herself.

Joanna’s typical daily diet before:

Breakfast: toast – white bread with butter or sandwiches, cereals with sugar.
Lunch: cinnamon rolls, biscuits
Dinner: meat with fat, cooked in oil or ready meals
Snacks: crisp, cheese, cakes, chocolate bars,

Joanna’s typical daily diet before now:

Breakfast: two Weetabix with blueberry, strawberry and raspberries, sometimes with banana, measured semi-skimmed milk.
Lunch: Fruits, omelettes or eggs cupcakes and salads
Dinner: chicken drumsticks, without skin, with potatoes, cabbage, canned tomatoes and dill – and fresh carrot thinly grated, with a little bit of sweetener

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A 7-year-old boy who was devastated after losing his grandfather to pancreatic cancer is running a full marathon in his memory. Oliver Connon decided to run the 26.2 miles throughout the month of January to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK and is 22.4 miles in.

After losing his grandfather James to pancreatic cancer in 2020, Oliver and his mom Miranda became frustrated at the lack of research into the disease. Sporty Oliver and his mom began brainstorming for ways to make a difference, and sporty Oliver settled on his month-long marathon.

Oliver, of Padstow, Cornwall, has been running rain or shine, after school and on weekends – and friends and family have been joining him where they can to help keep him company.

Now, set to complete his challenge on Jan. 31, Oliver has raised a whopping £1,167 – with just under four miles left to go.

His mom Miranda said: “Oliver decided to raise money for pancreatic cancer because my dad, who he always called papa, actually died back in April 2020 of pancreatic cancer.

James Chrimes, Oliver Connon’s late grandfather. 

“When I spoke to him about the disease and explained that there wasn’t much funding going into pancreatic cancer, he decided that he wanted to raise money for the cause.

“He wanted to try and raise as much money as possible so that other children won’t lose their grandparents too.

“He lost the only granddad he’s ever had, and he really wanted to do something positive to stop people from feeling how he’s felt. “Loads of people can relate to pancreatic cancer and the devastation it causes in its wake.

“Oliver decided on doing running, because it’s something we’ve not done before – we’ve done a lot of cycling and sports, but not running, so this was a bit more of a challenge for him.

“We’ve had our ups and downs – at the start, he had loads of energy and was full of beans, but we’ve had the winter weather this month. “It’s been cold and rainy – we’ve had tears, we’ve had stitches, and everything to be honest.

“But we know that it wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy!”

Oliver has surpassed his target of £1,000, and the family have been deeply touched by the support from the local community.

The family are prepared for a celebration after Oliver runs his final mile – complete with banners provided by Pancreatic Cancer UK and cake provided by mom.

Oliver Connon, 7 and mom Miranda Connon. 

“The support has been amazing,” Miranda said.

“Everybody’s been getting involved; lots of people have been running with him, from four-year-olds to grown-ups.

“I think we needed that support – it’s really kept him going and it’s phenomenal.

“Next Wednesday, we’re putting an event together for him.

“We’ll have one mile left, so we’re going to get everybody who wants to run with him to join and run the mile – friends, family, supporters, anyone that wants to come along and celebrate him.

“We want to recognize that it’s such an achievement. For anybody to run that far is absolutely amazing, never mind a seven-year-old. “He’s brilliant – he’s really inspired a lot of people.”

“We cannot thank Oliver enough for his incredible fundraising efforts in memory of his Papa,” said Abbey Harnwell, community fundraising manager at Pancreatic Cancer UK.

“At just seven years old he is running 26.2 miles in January; a feat that many adults would find daunting! “He should be so proud of what he’s achieved so far.

“The money he has raised will help to fund world-class research to transform the future for people affected by pancreatic cancer, as well as help our charity provide support for people when they need it most.”

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Harrison Ford’s original “Star Wars” script from 1976 is to be auctioned after he left it in the London flat he lived in whilst making the iconic movie. The revised fourth draft of the franchise’s first installment bears its original title “The Adventures of Luke Star Killer” now better known as “Episode IV: A New Hope”.

The never-seen-before piece of Jedi history was used by the Hollywood actor, who portrayed the iconic Han Solo for the first time. It was discovered in a London flat which Ford had rented in 1976 so he could easily travel to Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, where the series was being filmed.

Ford’s portrayal of Han Solo skyrocketed his acting career, and led to him reprising the role in four more films over the next four decades.

The title page reads ‘The Adventures of Luke Star Killer as taken from the Journal of the Whills by George Lucas (Saga I) Star Wars’.

The script is unbound and incomplete, with an array of different coloured pages. In all, the script had five revised drafts, of which this is the fourth, and provides an interesting insight into the scenes and characters which were cut from the film during the final edit.

The early versions of some of the film’s most iconic moments are also featured, including Han Solo’s first appearance on page 56, and the famous ‘Chasm Scene’ on page 88.

Excalibur Actions, who are selling the script, estimate that it could go for between £8,000 and £12,000.

Ford’s old possessions were offered up for auction by the people who rented him his London flat back in 1976.

The rising star had been given a budget by filmmakers to choose a property near Elstree Studios and ultimately opted for a place in Notting Hill after coming across an advert in The Sunday Times.

The owners, a married couple, lived on the bottom floors of the house in Elgin Crescent while Ford occupied the top two floors. Oblivious to the celebrity world, the couple had no idea who Ford was – initially only knowing him as an “excellent” and “very tidy” tenant.

During his stay, there were many soon-to-be famous visitors – including Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, and Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker. Still, the owners had no idea who these famous faces were, and only referred to Hamill as ‘the boy’, as that was what Ford called him.

Over time the couple struck up a genuine friendship with Ford.

They spent time in the garden having drinks while he relaxed after filming, and Ford even attended their son’s first birthday party. On one occasion, Ford gave them money to purchase new plants for their garden, since they all spent so much time there.

“Summer 1976 was a great time,” they said. “Harrison was an ideal tenant. It really was a fun time.” When the couple first found the script, they held onto it for posterity.

But now, they have decided that it should be offered to the public – with the item due to go on sale at Excalibur Auctions’ Collectors’ Cavern Auction on 17 February. Other items which Ford left in the flat will also be available to purchase, including a pair of shooting schedules, a call sheet, and a collection of notes.

The first shooting schedule is dated 8 March 1976. One of the pages is annotated with circles and writing on the back reads ‘1st Tony Wayne 2nd Gerry and 3rd Terry’, who all worked as Assistant Directors on the first Star Wars film.

The second shooting schedule is dated 23 April 1976 and is annotated on two pages: ‘Han intro in cantina’, scene 50, and ‘Group arrived at grid, Montross leaving’, scene 58.

The call sheet is dated 28 April 1976, for the filming of ‘The Death Star Hallway to Core Shaft’, featuring Hamill and Fisher. On the reverse, there is a handwritten note which says: ‘Browns Hotel, Dover St. Sunday 8th, Robert Watts, Roast Beef’.

This appears to refer to a meeting between Ford and the film producer Robert Watts, who worked with Ford on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series. The assorted notes include timings for parties and telephone numbers, including one which says: ‘For the good time – Her’.

These will be sold as a group lot, for an estimated price of between £800 and £1,200.

The final item up for sale is a typed letter from Ford’s agent, Patricia McQueeney, which discusses his contracts and future film prospects.

In the letter, McQueeney playfully scolds Ford for not calling his first wife Mary Marquadt, whom the actor was married to between 1964 and 1979. Auctioneers estimate that this could fetch between £60 and £80.

Commenting on the fresh insight into one of the key figures in the Star Wars franchise, Excalibur Auctions’ auctioneer “Although other copies of this script have come to market previously, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to offer a version with such wonderful provenance and attribution to Harrison Ford,” said Jonathan Torode.

“The touching backstory to these items adds even more appeal for avid Star Wars fans and we anticipate huge interest from around the globe.” The catalog for the sale will be published online from 5 February on Excalibur Auctions’ website.

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A secret stash of 331 gold coins spanning three centuries which were hidden in an old SOCK and bedsheets have sold for $149,415. The sovereigns were discovered among sheets and pillowcases at the bottom of a linen chest during a house clearance in Leicestershire.

The earliest pieces date back to Queen Victoria’s reign in the 1800s while later coins were minted this century.

Each coin was valued at between £300-£500 and the collection sold for £118,000, including the buyers’ premium, when they went under the hammer at Hanson Ross Auctioneers in Royston, Hertfordshire, on Wednesday (17/1).

“It was an amazing find, made after a client instructed us to clear a house,” said TV’s Bargain Hunt star Charles Hanson, who owns the auction house. “Our team are renowned for being thorough. They check over every inch of a house.”

“It’s not just about fine or fragile objects on display, it’s the hidden items that are often the most valuable.

“These are found in drawers, wardrobes, cupboards, bags and, in this case, even an old sock. “People have a multitude of hiding places. Sometimes it’s a case of hide and seek.

“In this case workers were checking through the attic and linen in a bedroom chest when the coins were discovered.

“You can imagine their amazement. First they saw the golden glint of one gold coin, then handfuls emerged.

“Some were hidden in a pillow case and many others were tucked away in a sock.

“Our client was flabbergasted and delighted in equal measure. They had no idea the house contained a treasure trove of gold. “You hear about people stashing cash under the bed but this was quite extraordinary.”

“Normally gold of this value would have been kept locked away in a safe or bank vault. The coins were most probably amassed over many years but no-one, aside from their late owner, knew they existed,” he said. “The coins were in hot demand under the hammer because gold is sought after and prices are strong.

“The collection sparked a white glove sale, an auction term used when every single lot sells.” The shield-backed sovereigns included coins dating back to the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign which began in 1937. The earliest coin was minted in 1846 while another was dated 1901, the year of her death.

Other monarchs depicted on the coins through the centuries included King Edward VII, King George V and Queen Elizabeth II. Auctioneer Charles added: “It was like a walk through 300 years of history.

“The collection captured the passage of time due to different monarchs represented on the sovereigns.

“They also reminded us of the length of their reigns.

“Due to long periods on the throne, Victoria and Elizabeth’s coin profiles alter through the decades.”

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