Latest news with #letter
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Staffordshire gardener finds 70-year-old letter under tree in Wolverhampton garden
A gardener says he was amazed to find a letter dated 1955 virtually intact under a tree he was clearing in a Wolverhampton Elshaw said it was from a hotel in Torquay, Devon, and addressed to a man who lived on the Stafford Road in Fordhouses, setting out the costs of its was working in a garden in nearby Tettenhall a few weeks ago when he found it and said the homeowners knew nothing about t."How it got there, and under a tree, and survived 70 years I do not know," he said. "I was trimming the tree and tidying it up and I just thought it was a bit of rubbish," Elshaw, from Bishop's Wood, Staffordshire, added."I couldn't believe it was an envelope and a letter that was 70 years old."I was amazed.... It's a once in a lifetime find I think and I'd be interested to see if there's anything else we can find out about it."The typed letter is dated 21 January 1995 with the letterhead of Ashleigh Court in Torquay and sent to a JR Gwilt Esquire of Stafford Road, responding to an inquiry by Mr Gwilt about a possible booking, the letter stated rooms were charged at six, seven and seven-and-half guineas per person for a week, including meals."The rooms vary in size and position of course, but all are attractive and comfortable," the letter News contacted a hotel of the same name but spelt slightly differently in the town, but the owner said it was not from his hotel, believing it to be from another of the same name in Torquay that shut several years ago."It's a bizarre find given it's age and that it was just under a tree where I was clearing and has no connection to the house. It's pretty unexplainable currently." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump said he never ‘wrote a picture.' This woman solicited two drawings from him
After the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night on a 2003 letter to Jeffrey Epstein that included Donald Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman, the president's denial was comprehensive. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women,' he told the Journal. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.' 'I don't draw pictures,' he later wrote on Truth Social. However, a charity director told CNN that in 2004 Trump sent her two signed drawings for an Iowan charity auction. And news reports suggest other drawings of his have sold for thousands of dollars. Dr. Lowery Lockard, who ran the auction for Hattie Larlham – a nonprofit foundation – said she was 'shocked and impressed' at the artful nature of then-real estate mogul and reality show host Donald Trump's doodles. 'It was somebody we reached out to,' said Lockard. 'It just wasn't really something that I would have expected.' The drawings raise questions about Trump's vociferous denial that he draws. (His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also said he had never seen his father doodle.) Trump has also denied that he wrote the letter that the Journal said it had reviewed and was part of a collection of notes given to Epstein for his 50th birthday. In a statement for this story White House spokesman Steven Cheung said, 'As the President has said, the Wall Street Journal printed fake news and he doesn't draw things like the outlet described.' In 2004, Lockard collected around 150 drawings from celebrities for the auction, sending them a 'doodle kit' in which they could draw anything they like on it. Appropriate for his big-city mogul image, Trump chose the New York City skyline for his doodles. According to Lockard, the celebrities sent the doodles back with a signed waiver, authenticating them and allowing them to be sold at auction. 'They sign a release that they're aware that we're going to sell them,' said Lockard who said that she still has Trump's authentication. When asked about Trump's denial to the Wall Street Journal that he never 'wrote a picture,' Lockard seemed perplexed. ''Wrote a picture' is a little bit different than drawing a doodle, I guess. I'm not exactly sure what that terminology means. But I mean, we do have an authentic signature. It was authenticated when we received it.' Lockard said that Trump's drawing was done with a gold sharpie. Other Trump drawings have also found their way into auction houses. A drawing of a tree with dollar bills falling off of it, signed 'Donald Trump,' with a gold sharpie sold for $8,500, and a drawing of the Empire State building sold for $16,000 at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles in 2017. That same year, a minimalist sketch of the New York City skyline with a gold marker signature sold for $29,184. One of the drawings that was auctioned in 2004 has subsequently been donated back to another charity and will be up for auction in September. The winning bidder will receive what Lockard describes as the signed letter of authentication from Trump. 'This should raise a pretty penny,' said Lockard, who is planning on starting the bidding at $10,000. 'It's a great doodle.'
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Trump said he never ‘wrote a picture.' This woman solicited two drawings from him
After the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night on a 2003 letter to Jeffrey Epstein that included Donald Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman, the president's denial was comprehensive. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women,' he told the Journal. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.' 'I don't draw pictures,' he later wrote on Truth Social. However, a charity director told CNN that in 2004 Trump sent her two signed drawings for an Iowan charity auction. And news reports suggest other drawings of his have sold for thousands of dollars. Dr. Lowery Lockard, who ran the auction for Hattie Larlham – a nonprofit foundation – said she was 'shocked and impressed' at the artful nature of then-real estate mogul and reality show host Donald Trump's doodles. 'It was somebody we reached out to,' said Lockard. 'It just wasn't really something that I would have expected.' The drawings raise questions about Trump's vociferous denial that he draws. (His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also said he had never seen his father doodle.) Trump has also denied that he wrote the letter that the Journal said it had reviewed and was part of a collection of notes given to Epstein for his 50th birthday. In a statement for this story White House spokesman Steven Cheung said, 'As the President has said, the Wall Street Journal printed fake news and he doesn't draw things like the outlet described.' In 2004, Lockard collected around 150 drawings from celebrities for the auction, sending them a 'doodle kit' in which they could draw anything they like on it. Appropriate for his big-city mogul image, Trump chose the New York City skyline for his doodles. According to Lockard, the celebrities sent the doodles back with a signed waiver, authenticating them and allowing them to be sold at auction. 'They sign a release that they're aware that we're going to sell them,' said Lockard who said that she still has Trump's authentication. When asked about Trump's denial to the Wall Street Journal that he never 'wrote a picture,' Lockard seemed perplexed. ''Wrote a picture' is a little bit different than drawing a doodle, I guess. I'm not exactly sure what that terminology means. But I mean, we do have an authentic signature. It was authenticated when we received it.' Lockard said that Trump's drawing was done with a gold sharpie. Other Trump drawings have also found their way into auction houses. A drawing of a tree with dollar bills falling off of it, signed 'Donald Trump,' with a gold sharpie sold for $8,500, and a drawing of the Empire State building sold for $16,000 at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles in 2017. That same year, a minimalist sketch of the New York City skyline with a gold marker signature sold for $29,184. One of the drawings that was auctioned in 2004 has subsequently been donated back to another charity and will be up for auction in September. The winning bidder will receive what Lockard describes as the signed letter of authentication from Trump. 'This should raise a pretty penny,' said Lockard, who is planning on starting the bidding at $10,000. 'It's a great doodle.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump, Who Has Sold His Doodles in Past, Denies Report of Graphic Epstein Letter by Saying He 'Never Wrote a Picture in My Life'
Internet sleuths quickly shut down Trump's assertion that he has never once doodled, unearthing several of his past drawings that have sold for thousands of dollarsNEED TO KNOW The Wall Street Journal reportedly obtained a 2003 letter from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, which allegedly included a sketch of a naked woman and a cryptic note about making each day "another wonderful secret" Trump slammed the WSJ's bombshell report about the letter as false, claiming, "I never wrote a picture in my life" Internet sleuths quickly poked holes in the president's rebuttal by tracking down multiple doodles that Trump has sketched and signed over the yearsAlmost immediately after Donald Trump dismissed the latest allegation about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, internet sleuths identified a major flaw in his denial. On Wednesday, July 17, The Wall Street Journal reported on a graphic letter that Trump allegedly gave Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. While the newspaper didn't show a copy of the letter — which was reportedly part of a collection of well wishes that Ghislaine Maxwell assembled from friends of the billionaire — they described its contents as "bawdy." "It contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker," WSJ claimed. "A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future president's signature is a squiggly 'Donald' below her waist, mimicking pubic hair." WSJ reported that Trump's birthday message also included an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein. In the fictional exchange, Trump says, "We have certain things in common, Jeffrey." Epstein replies, "Yes, we do, come to think of it." "Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" Trump then asks Epstein, who answers, "As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you." "The letter concludes: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' " WSJ claimed. In an interview with WSJ, Trump denied writing the letter and threatened to sue them "just like I sued everyone else." "This is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake Wall Street Journal story,' he told the outlet. "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women... It's not my language. It's not my words.' The internet quickly latched on to the president's claim that he "never wrote a picture in his life." Within minutes, critics began digging up a variety of well-documented Trump doodles. Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger compiled several Trump sketches into a photo collage on X, with the caption, "Trump loves to draw. Just saying." Others were found on auction sites, including a 2004 cityscape skyline that was listed and auctioned off at Sotheby's, a sketch of the Empire State Building that sold for $16,000 at Julien's Auctions, a 2005 rendition of the Manhattan skyline that went for $29,184 at Nate D. Sanders Auctions, and a drawing of a tree with money falling from it that sold for $8,500 at Leland Little. All of the auctioned doodles appear to feature the president's distinctive signature. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Trump even admitted to his prolific scribbling prowess in his 2010 book, Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges Into Success. "Each year, I donate an autographed doodle to the Doodle for Hunger auction at Tavern on the Green," he wrote. "It's a great event." Despite the counter-evidence was presented, Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., took to X to also try refuting the Wall Street Journal article. "My father has a very specific way of speaking. People all over the world have mimicked it for decades. The insanity written in the Wall Street Journal AIN'T IT and everyone knows it," he wrote. "Also in 47 years I've never seen him doodle once. Give me a break with the fake 'journalisming.' " California Rep. Eric Swalwell replied to Don Jr.'s post with Kinzinger's nine screenshots of Trump's reported doodles. Read the original article on People
CNN
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Trump said he never ‘wrote a picture.' This woman solicited two drawings from him
After the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night on a 2003 letter to Jeffrey Epstein that included Donald Trump's name and an outline of a naked woman, the president's denial was comprehensive. 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women,' he told the Journal. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.' 'I don't draw pictures,' he later wrote on Truth Social. However, a charity director told CNN that in 2004 Trump sent her two signed drawings for an Iowan charity auction. And news reports suggest other drawings of his have sold for thousands of dollars. Dr. Lowery Lockard, who ran the auction for Hattie Larlham – a nonprofit foundation – said she was 'shocked and impressed' at the artful nature of then-real estate mogul and reality show host Donald Trump's doodles. 'It was somebody we reached out to,' said Lockard. 'It just wasn't really something that I would have expected.' The drawings raise questions about Trump's vociferous denial that he draws. (His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also said he had never seen his father doodle.) Trump has also denied that he wrote the letter that the Journal said it had reviewed and was part of a collection of notes given to Epstein for his 50th birthday. In a statement for this story White House spokesman Steven Cheung said, 'As the President has said, the Wall Street Journal printed fake news and he doesn't draw things like the outlet described.' In 2004, Lockard collected around 150 drawings from celebrities for the auction, sending them a 'doodle kit' in which they could draw anything they like on it. Appropriate for his big-city mogul image, Trump chose the New York City skyline for his doodles. According to Lockard, the celebrities sent the doodles back with a signed waiver, authenticating them and allowing them to be sold at auction. 'They sign a release that they're aware that we're going to sell them,' said Lockard who said that she still has Trump's authentication. When asked about Trump's denial to the Wall Street Journal that he never 'wrote a picture,' Lockard seemed perplexed. ''Wrote a picture' is a little bit different than drawing a doodle, I guess. I'm not exactly sure what that terminology means. But I mean, we do have an authentic signature. It was authenticated when we received it.' Lockard said that Trump's drawing was done with a gold sharpie. Other Trump drawings have also found their way into auction houses. A drawing of a tree with dollar bills falling off of it, signed 'Donald Trump,' with a gold sharpie sold for $8,500, and a drawing of the Empire State building sold for $16,000 at Julien's Auctions in Los Angeles in 2017. That same year, a minimalist sketch of the New York City skyline with a gold marker signature sold for $29,184. One of the drawings that was auctioned in 2004 has subsequently been donated back to another charity and will be up for auction in September. The winning bidder will receive what Lockard describes as the signed letter of authentication from Trump. 'This should raise a pretty penny,' said Lockard, who is planning on starting the bidding at $10,000. 'It's a great doodle.'
