�An Elm Park man has been reunited with a long-lost painting after 20 years – when he visited a local charity shop.

During a regular trip to the St Francis Hospice shop in Station Parade, Elm Park, Ted Archer came across his own framed work.

D-Day veteran Ted had not seen the painting since 1991, when he gave some of his work to the president of the Royal Naval Association.

The piece, called The Glory of Sail, depicts an 18th century ship in oils and Ted was able to identify it as his own because his signature and address are on the back.

Wine

Staff at the shop regularly put aside pieces of military-related art to show Ted, but they had no idea that the painting was his.

The 88-year-old said: “I’m so pleased to have my painting back because it was one of my favourite pieces. How it came to Elm Park was a dream.”

Shop manager Lynn Saunders said: “It’s great that we were able to help Ted, a loyal hospice supporter, find one of his paintings again.

“We could have so easily sold the painting, but had put it aside to show him.”

Ted, who took up painting after he retired from a career at Ford, thanked the staff with a vintage bottle of wine and his family has made a donation to the hospice.

n If you can help reunite Ted with any more of his paintings, particularly one of the Titanic with the wrong signal flags, please contact the shop’s head office on 01708 376269. To find out more about how you can volunteer or make a donation to help the work of St Francis, visit www.sfh.org.uk or call 01708 753 319.