An Antiques Roadshow guest was left speechless after a set of old underwear earned an eye-watering rating, marking a ‘first career’ for a BBC expert.
In a new episode broadcast on Sunday, the roadshow returned to Cromford Mills in Derbyshire, where items including a rare opal collection, a pair of 300-year-old long johns and an Albert Medal for bravery were found.
Expert Chris Yeo met a local man whose great-great-grandfather owned a mill in Derbyshire and had an unlikely bond with British hero Florence Nightingale.
He brought an old brown pair of tall gentlemen and the mill purchase contract to have them appraised.
Explaining the history behind the contract, the man said: ‘John Smedley was my great-great-grandfather.
‘He was a cotton spinner at the factory in Derbyshire which he rented from the Nightingales and in 1983 he bought the mill from the Nightingale family.’
An Antiques Roadshow guest was left speechless after a set of old underwear received an eye-watering rating, marking a ‘first career’ for a BBC expert
Expert Chris Yeo met a local man whose great-great-grandfather owned a mill in Derbyshire and had an unlikely connection to British hero Florence Nightingale
The expert pointed to Florence Nightingale’s signature and added, “And this is the actual deed here. Working further down, there we are: the lady herself Florence Nightingale, widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing.”
Moving on to the long johns, the guest said, “These were made for the Emperor of Japan in 1916. These are vicuna long johns. Vicuna is a particularly fine wool, it comes from a llama-like animal.
‘We have kept examples of everything we make, including this one.’
Shocked by the unique item, Chris laughed, “Now, in my career, I’ve never been asked to rate long johns before.
‘I think probably £500. The deeds here, signed by Florence Nightingale, occur from time to time and normally fetch between £500 and £700.
“The fact that it’s actually in these documents associated with the company I think puts it on a different level. I see that it is attractive, I’m going to say between € 1,000 and € 1,500.
“Wow, yeah,” the guest replied, seemingly lost in the combined appreciation.
It comes after another guest was left gobsmacked when they learned the truth behind their crown ‘kingdom’ – as the BBC pundit admitted ‘he would buy one but can’t afford it’.
During Sunday’s BBC show, the folks at Cromford Mills in Derbyshire took their hidden gems to the experts for valuation.
He brought an old brown pair of tall gentlemen and the mill purchase contract to have them appraised
The man explained the history behind the contract and said: ‘John Smedley was my great-great-grandfather’
The expert pointed to Florence Nightingale’s signature and added, “And this is the actual deed here. When we work our way down, there we are, the lady herself Florence Nightingale’
It comes after another guest was left stunned when they learned the truth behind their crown ‘kingdom’ – as the BBC pundit admitted ‘he would buy one but can’t afford it’
The woman explained that it was given to her by her husband two years ago as a Valentine’s Day gift, but originally came from an attic sale at the famous estate in 2010.
Chris Yeo’s face lit up when a guest presented him with a gold and red velvet crown that doubled as a Chatsworth House trinket box.
The woman explained that it was given to her by her husband two years ago as a Valentine’s Day gift, but originally came from an attic sale at the famous estate in 2010.
An excited Chris replied: “What it is is a crown fit for a king, you might say, or even a duke.
‘Probably for storing trinkets. Victorian, with this gilded metal outline and a velvet inset.
Opening it, the expert continued, “If you turn the crown like this, the top comes off and you have a velvet-lined interior.
‘It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. Very good quality. It’s something I would really like to have in my home.’
Chris recalled wanting the item when he saw it, or something similar, during a visit at Chatsworth House, but ‘couldn’t afford it’.
Revealing the value of the beautiful piece, he said: “That brings us to the price. If that were to go to auction now, in the county of Chatsworth, it could fetch between £800 and £1,200.”
He asked the guest if she loved it even more now that she knew its value, to which she replied, “I love it, I just love it.”
‘I’m very happy. I think my husband will be very happy with it. I think he’s as intrigued as I am to find out more, so yeah, we’re very excited.”
Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One and can be streamed on iPlayer