The secret lives of autograph hunters: Donald Trump was really hard to get'

"Andrew Broughton still remembers the first celebrity autograph he ever got. It started by accident, he says, when he was 13 and doing a project about horror films at school. I love Hammer horror. I wrote a letter to [actor] Peter Cushing and sent it to the BBC. A large envelope came back and a lovely letter. He sent me some signed film stills. So I got the bug. I just thought: there's nothing to stop me writing to anybody."

"Since then, Broughton, 62, has collected autographs from some of the biggest stars in TV, film, music and sports, as well as royalty, politicians and world leaders. The walls of his home in Derby are covered in framed signed photos from the late queen, King Charles, Diana, Princess of Wales, Brigitte Bardot, John Travolta, Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Muhammad Ali. Broughton supplements the signatures he requests with ones he has bought at auctions and private sales. He estimates he has 10,000 in his collection."

"I've got all the prime ministers of my lifetime through to Keir Starmer now; I've got a contact in Downing Street. When the prime minister changes, I send a photograph in. They know who I am. He hangs these photos on the wall along his stairs. He's also got autographs from all the American presidents since Richard Nixon. Donald Trump was really hard to get. I wrote to him saying how big the collection was and they made an exception."

Andrew Broughton began collecting autographs at age 13 after receiving signed film stills from Peter Cushing. He has amassed about 10,000 signatures from celebrities, royalty, politicians, world leaders, athletes and entertainers. His Derby home displays framed signed photographs including members of the royal family and major film and music stars. The most valuable item in the collection is a photograph of Queen Victoria signed in the 1870s. He maintains contacts at Downing Street, holds autographs of every US president since Nixon, and received a wedding invitation from Prince Charles and Camilla following correspondence with Camilla.

Read at www.theguardian.com