The Magic of the Antiques Roadshow -

Our Antiques Roadshow came from Highcliffe Castle this week and as is the norm, host Michael Aspel told us a wee bit background about the historic building, taking us back in history to the original owners; the Earl of Bute then his son Lord Stuart; the building being used for the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations back in '1977, and how in fact it's planned refurbishment will been funded by us, the viewers, by means of National Lottery good causes monies.

Anyway, first up was a bust of a lady, a Mrs Sarah Siddon, whom it seems was an actress of some repute back in the early 1800's when she "took London by force". We heard of the Green Room at the Drury Lane Theatre and her famed role as Lady Macbeth before our expert enthused over the "long, bridged nose" which Mrs S possessed. The item was brought in by a common or garden gardener, who had acquired it for nothing whilst working at a retired actors home, then cleaned it with bleach. According to wikipedia, Simmons was the Queen of Drury Lane for 20 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Siddons

Next up, some dark humour perhaps as an older spinster type of lady brought in a miniature Royal Crown Derby china tea set. The lady told how she had somehow obtained the pieces from a couple of "old maids" who seemingly "lived at the bottom of the garden". Our expert tenderly turned them over to allow us to see the mark, then proclaimed them as a fairly rare pattern called, would you believe it,"old witches". "My goodness" our dear lady replied. £1,000 was the value given, resulting in a cackle of delight.

Bubbling behind this came a selection of letters and a signed photograph, sent to an actor called Blondie by Noel Coward. It was Blondie's son who had brought in the momentoes and our expert, a plump Christopher Biggins type of a man, fairly gushed over the offering whilst enthusing over Coward, an spy during the war

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Coward

A doll next, a representation of a peddlar complete with barrow of merchandise. The item was manufactured around 1890 in fact portrayed a "type of person who was dying out" at this time in history. She was made in Germany, "almost at the end of an era" and seemingly "captured" that moment in time perfectly, staying in remarkably pristeen condition as if it had "a dome over it".

A French writing desk, a "bonheur du jour" , Louis IVth, yet perhaps not what it seemed. Our expert inspected the light fittings, and explained how they were in fact "hollow lamps" and constructed to contain an electric cable. This light significance seemed to be the key, as such he proclaimed this piece to be 1900; not a fake, rather a tribute to the original and as such, worth 25k if sold in the right place, "say London or Glasgow",

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XV_of_France

A simple glass boat next, but one with a story, we heard of a lighthouse keepers daughter called Grace Darling, who it seems was a heroine along with Florence Nightingale, the pair of them being "superhuman people" with "celebrity status" which seemingly "infuriated" the former, her status being based on the fact she helped her lighthouse keeper father in a rescue. The link to the boat was to do with fund raising for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, RNLI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Darling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_nightingale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNLI

A magician appeared soon after, along with his collection of antique spinning tops and toys - "things that spin" . He told how he was a member of the Magic Circle and that most of his bits and pieces were "allied to majic". We saw a magical trick being performed, the wheel spinning on the palm of his hand.

A selection of jewellery next, brought in by an older, dignified lady. Lovely royal blue enamel and diamond pendant, an opal brooch, the stone from Queensland and a 1930's diamond ring, deco, geometric, classy etc. Am inpressive valuation was provided, the lady showed no emotion - it's all in the breeding.

Time to recall on of the "magic moments" of the show's last thirty years, this week attention focused on an old painting of the Holy Lands, brought in by a couple a number of years ago on the off chance it might be worth something. Talk was of a quarter million pound retirement fund.

A lucky punter next, not a clue about antiques but always watched the roadshow, picked up an old vase in a charity shop, brought it along, turnd out to be Japanese, worth 3-5k. Our expert told how the programme "soaks into the brain".

A uniformed gentleman from the Royal Navy's treasure division, with a model of Lady Penelope from Thunderbirds, apparently, given to HMS Penelope at some point. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Penelope_(F127http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Penelope_Creighton-Ward

In the same vein, we then saw a soldier, a member of the Queens Royal Lancers, we viewed his collection of "lance plaques", some sort of metal adornment for the uniform. He had maybe twenty, we ran through a few, dating them and apportioning wars rather than values. Particular attention was made of the 17th Death & Glory regiment and their skull and cross-bones insignia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Lancers

An enamel box, the lid decorated with "The Judgement of Paris" by William Etty. We heard details of the scene portrayed, including Helen of Troy and a Golden Apple.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgement_of_paris

A bookcase or similar which opened to reveal a hidden cocktail cabinet. Our owner explained how she had purchased it brand new in 1976 after finding it languishing in the discount basement of a furniture store. Our expert judged it as "spellbinding" as he displayed the hidden interior.

To close, a refined gentlleman with a pair of miniature paintings and an entourage of children. One of the paintings was of a Col. James Hamilton, the other of a lady, they had apparently "been in the family for years" and were in fact portraits of the ancestors of the owner. Our presenter advised that they were worth a cool 15k each and enquired as to whether the father would now be "buying burgers for the kids",a bit like Di, Wills, Harry and MacDonalds, maybe?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hamilton_(British_army_officer)

cheers