Tommy Cooper fezzes found in Norfolk to go up for auction

Fezzes worn and signed by legendary comedian and magician Tommy Cooper could sell for thousands at an auction after a chance find in Norfolk.  

Tommy Cooper in Great Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest)

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Two of the star’s signature hats from the 1960s were brought to a valuation event at The Rostrum's saleroom in Roughton, near Cromer.

Charles Hanson, a television antiques expert who was on hand to assess items, was stunned to discover the showbiz memorabilia.

Mr Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers which includes The Rostrum, said: “What a find, and I made it just like that.

“I’m a huge fan of Tommy Cooper, a comedy-magic genius who entertained millions.

“After the Second World War, he became one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers.

“But it was during the war that his fez became his emblem.

“Legend has it he was performing for soldiers in Cairo, Egypt, when he reached out and borrowed a fez from a passing waiter.

“It got such laughs it became his trademark.

“The prop is now regarded as an icon of 20th century comedy.

“To find not one but two fezzes was magical for me.

“One is inscribed ‘Just like that 1965’. The other is inscribed, ‘To Dan (?) Many thanks Tommy Cooper’.

“It never ceases to amaze me what people have tucked away at home.

“The owner was thrilled to learn they could make between £2,000 and £3,000 each under the hammer.

“In 2010 a Tommy Cooper fez achieved £4,750 at auction."

The Norfolk seller of the comical headgear said: “The fezzes have been treasured for decades by my husband.

“In the 1990s a customer at our old family restaurant in the seaside town of Cromer in Norfolk gave them to us.

“My husband and all his family were Tommy Cooper mad. That’s why the lovely customer gifted them to us.

“We have sold the restaurant after more than 40 years and decided it was time to part with the fezzes.”

Tommy Cooper amongst a crowd in Great Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest)

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Tommy Cooper was born in Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales, in 1921 but his family moved to Exeter, Devon, when he was three.

After receiving a magic set from his aunt at the age of eight, he spent hours mastering tricks.

In 1940, with the Second World War under way, he was called up as a trooper in the Royal Horse Guards, serving for seven years.

He joined Montgomery's Desert Rats in Egypt, became a member of a Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) entertainment party, and developed an act where his tricks failed for fun.

After the war, he took his magic show on tour and gained international prominence thanks to shows on London Weekend Television and Thames Television.

On April 15, 1984, he died at the age of 63 in front of millions on live TV after suffering a heart attack.

Mr Hanson said: “Tommy was taken from us all too soon but the fact that his fezzes command significant prices 40 years after his death underlines his impact and the affection still felt for him today.

“We expect strong interest in the fezzes."

Charles Hanson with Tommy Cooper fezzes (Image: Hansons)

The fezzes will be offered at The Rostrum, Jewellery and Fine Art Auctioneers in Roughton on September 7

Classic Tommy Cooper Jokes

I've always been unlucky. I had a rocking horse once, and it died.

Doc I can’t stop singing The Green, Green Grass of Home. That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome. Is it common? It’s not unusual.

I sleep like a baby. Every morning I wake up screaming around 2 o’clock.

I’m on a whiskey diet. I’ve already lost three days.

Man goes to the doctor, with a strawberry growing out of his head. Doc says I’ll give you some cream to put on it.

Our ice cream man was found lying on the floor of his van covered with hundreds and thousands. Police say that he topped himself.

You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said, ‘Parking Fine.’ So that was nice.