Unseen Treasures 2

The roadshow reveals more unseen treasures from the summer, including Victorian Christmas cards and a ceramic polar bear, and visits Trentham Gardens near Stoke-on-Trent.

At Shuttleworth House in Bedfordshire, Marc Allum is intrigued to hear about a visitor’s family connection to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show when it toured Britain in the 1880s. Katherine Wright examines a pair of exquisite art deco Moorcroft vases made for Liberty & Co. in London, and Will Farmer and Mark Hill find some festive winter treats in the form of a ceramic polar bear and a set of Victorian novelty Christmas cards.

At Lister Park and Cartwright Hall in Bradford, which is the UK’s City of Culture for 2025, Matthew Haley traces the origins of a dust-covered Bible back to 1569, whilst Ronnie Archer-Morgan discovers a tape measure concealed within a small Pierrot figurine.

In Scotland, at the Hill of Tarvit Mansion in Fife, Fiona tries her hand on the adjacent golf course, which still uses hickory wood golf clubs. Meanwhile, Gordon Foster is dazzled by one of the best snuff boxes he’s ever seen on the roadshow, made in gold and quartz and dating from 1815.

At Stephens House & Gardens in Finchley, north London, Frances Christie is shown a striking bronze figurine by a long-forgotten artist, and Justin Croft gets his hands on two books owned by Florence Nightingale, which were discovered at the back of a cupboard in a house where she used to work.

And in a special visit to Trentham Gardens near Stoke-on-Trent, Fiona is challenged by Will Farmer to work out the values of three stunning examples of ceramic lustreware. She then delves into the history of the gardens themselves and their close association with the nearby potteries.