The armchair was made by Graham Hayes, who apprenticed at Kilburn as a young man. Yet Hayes’ life took a dramatic turn when WWII began. He became one of the founding members of Winston Churchill’s Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF)—a covert commando unit formed to wreak havoc on enemy territory. Hayes’ heroics during ‘Operation Postmaster’, a daring raid that involved commandeering enemy ships from a neutral Spanish port, earned him legendary status. Sadly, he was captured by the Gestapo in 1942, held in solitary confinement at Fresnes Prison near Paris, and executed in 1943. Hayes’ wartime heroism is depicted in Guy Ritchie’s recent film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
When Hayes’ descendants brought the armchair to one of our York valuation days, it was initially estimated at £1,200 - £1,800. Once its full story came to light, however, the armchair became a magnet for interest. Several news outlets, including The Antiques Trade Gazette, The Gazette & Herald, and The York Press, ran stories on the piece, sparking nationwide anticipation.
On the day of the sale, bidding opened at £5,000, with fierce competition from collectors across the country. Within just seventy seconds, the final hammer price soared to £10,500—more than five times our original estimate. A private buyer in Cheshire secured the armchair, setting what we believe to be a record auction price for a single Mouseman chair from Kilburn.
Reflecting on the sale, our furniture specialist Tom Howard remarked:
"Initially, we valued the chair as an excellent piece of Mouseman furniture, but once Graham Hayes’ incredible story emerged, it became a piece of living history. The response from collectors was phenomenal, and we’re delighted with this record-breaking result."