Bowler hat-wearing teen finds comfort in antiques

A bowler-hat wearing Scottish teenager has described how sharing his love of antiques has been his therapy for chronic pain.

Charlie Elphinstone, 16, has already collected hundreds of items - many military-related - which he displays at home, near New Pitsligo, in Aberdeenshire.

After becoming obsessed at the age of just 10 by chance, he has now landed himself a job at a local antiques shop. He believes his passion has helped him through some tough times amid years of serious ear pain.

His ultimate dream is to run his own museum one day, with people paying to get in.

Charlie cuts a dapper figure, in his great grandfather's bowler hat.

He normally only wears it outside, as "a gentleman doesn't usually wear his hat indoors", he explained.

''I think a lot of people would be a lot more happy if they dressed up every once in a while," Charlie told BBC Scotland News. "It's just a confidence booster and you get a lot of compliments."

However, Charlie's fondness for the past extends to more than clothes.

He has been collecting antiques since he was 10.

He was looking under the stairs when he found some treasures.

"Because this house has been passed through the generations I ended up finding a heap of relics," he recalled.

"I had them all lined up in the sitting room. Mum was not very happy to see all this dusty stuff, but I just thought it was great, finding all these antiques, and that's what started my interest in them."

He has since transformed the conservatory into his own museum, as it is the biggest room in the house.

The teenager said: "I went to my great granny. She was surprised how much she had left here, from when she had moved away. It was nice to have that link with the past.

"I would be going to antique shops, charity shops, picking up any antiques I could find.

"Later on, Christmases, birthdays, it was just antiques I would ask for. It's just kind of grown from there.

"I do like my military stuff - medals, uniforms - I'm such a history buff, it's just incredible I think."

For Charlie, this is more than just a hobby.

"All my life I've been plagued with sore ears, I've had numerous operations," he said.

In February 2020 in particular, he said he was left in pain after one operation to put in grommets, which remove fluid from the ears.

Charlie said they had to be removed within a month.

"I've been in pain every day. It's not been easy. At my worst I could hardly leave my room."

He has been helped by pain psychologists.

His focus on antiques has provided some welcome relief.

"It's like a form of therapy I think," he explained.

"If I'm having a rough time I'll start researching something, or start sorting through my stamp or coin collections - which can take hours - and you just get lost in it, you go down some rabbit holes with these items.

"It's helped with my mental health, and my physical health."

He added: "I go to care homes and various different groups, I just teach them. That's how I share my knowledge.

"I love it. Before going to groups I was very scared, very anxious, but once I start talking, off I go. I'm just able to present everything."

Charlie's mum Michelle Cruickshank joked that her son's obsession could be a "pain" due to taking up so much space, but that it was generally "absolutely amazing".

She said: "I just love how much he loves it and how much he gets out of it, and how positive it has been for him.

"He has not had an easy time of it, this has given him a sense of purpose. It's been such a cure for him."

She said she was "very proud" of what he was achieving.

"He's just like a different person altogether."

Charlie has big plans for his future.

''I dream to have my own actual museum, where I can charge people admission to come in, see the entire thing and tell them about everything," he said.

"That is quite a big goal. Antiques mean so much to me."