Sweep recalls curious items found in Derbyshire chimneys after discovering mysterious doll just before Halloween

John Throne, 38, has found many interesting items while working as a chimney sweep, but this week’s discovery surprised even him. In the upstairs chimney of an empty house in Creswell, John found a mysterious, wooden doll.

John said: “At first I didn't know what it was. I was concerned, especially when I thought about Halloween coming up. When I realised it was a doll, I wasn’t sure if I should take it with me. I'm still undecided if I should keep it and the doll is riding around at the back of my van. I've not been cursed so far and had no bad luck yet!”

John explained the chimney was unused for at least 30 years and was located where probably a kid’s bedroom used to be. He believes a little hole in the chimney wall where the doll was found would be a great place for a child to hide toys from their siblings.

But the doll is not the only curous item John has encountered while working at Sweeps Chimney Services based in Chesterfield and operating across Derbyshire and East Midlands. Last year he found an old letter to Santa, which has been sat amongst the bricks for 60 years. It asked for a cowboy toy. John even managed to find the man who wrote it and returned the letter.

John said: “He was amazed that we found it and that he's been reunited with it too. It's always interesting to find different stuff like that. The chimney sweeping world is a strange world.”

Apart from the letter, during the last six years, John has found an old cigarette packet, golf balls, shiny pebbles, squirrels, loads of bird skeletons and plenty of trapped living birds too.

“When I found a bird skeleton for the first time, I looked at the customer and didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what it was. After I dusted it off and had a look at it, it became obvious that it was a bird skeleton. They do stay quite well preserved in the chimney. The weirdest one was a bird that was trying to get out, got stuck and became a skeleton. We opened up the hatch and it was just there staring at us, looking as if it’s going to get out.”

“I have seen a lot of alive birds as well. Some fall down because they're clumsy. And then they just flap around or make a lot of noise and customers calls us to get them out. They're never happy to be rescued - if they see the light, they go for it. You’ve got to be quick to catch them. I'm used to it now, but at first it was daunting when you put your arm up the chimney and touch something which is still alive and moving.”

John added: “I enjoy sweeping chimneys, it is fascinating to talk to people from different walks of life and find interesting items. I hope one day I will some treasure or old coins that are worth a fortune.”