A real magical mystery: Homeless man returns Paul McCartney Wax Head

On this day in 2008, a homeless man found a wax head of Sir Paul McCartney in a train - his ticket to ride

Anthony Silva, a homeless man in Reading, never expected to stumble upon rock ‘n’ roll history in a bin. At first glance, the wax likeness of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney looked like a Halloween mask. Silva, thinking it was a quirky seasonal prop, even used it as a pillow—until the truth dawned on him.

“I thought it was just a spooky mask at first,” Silva said, laughing at the memory. “I’d been resting my head on it. Then I realized it wasn’t Halloween—it was Paul McCartney!”

The wax figure had been left behind by auctioneer Joby Carter, who accidentally left it under a seat on a train at Maidenhead station. Once Silva grasped the importance of his find, he returned it promptly—and was rewarded £2,000 for his honesty.

“It was bizarre, but fair,” Carter said. “You don’t expect your £5,500 wax Paul to end up as a train-side pillow.”

The wax model eventually sold at auction for £5,500, proving its value—and highlighting just how unusual the journey had been. For Silva, the moment was less about the money and more about doing the right thing, even when that right thing involved returning the head of a Beatle from a bin.

“It was strange, definitely strange,” Silva admitted. “But I guess you never know when you’ll meet Paul McCartney in a rubbish bin.”

From mistaken costume to auction treasure, this absurd episode is a reminder that honesty sometimes comes with a surreal twist—and a story you won’t forget.

Sources:

• BBC News
• The Guardian
• The Independent

Images:  public domain/fair use