A recent episode of Antiques Roadshow left one visitor astounded when the true value and captivating history of her soup bowls were uncovered. The show, hosted by Fiona Bruce, set up shop at Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery in Ealing, West London.
Among the many treasures brought in for appraisal, a visitor caught the experts’ attention with a pair of soup bowls and a painting. These items were not just ordinary antiques; they carried a remarkable story linked to a historic expedition.
The guest revealed that her grandfather, Reginald Skelton, was an officer on the first major Scottish expedition to the Antarctic. This unique connection added a layer of intrigue to the already fascinating items.
The painting accompanying the bowls was an artwork of Antarctica by the renowned artist Edward Wilson, further deepening the historical significance of the collection.
Antiques expert Fuschia Voremberg carefully evaluated the soup bowls, which were originally part of the Antarctic expedition. Her insights into their origin and worth left the guest in awe, as she learned just how valuable these pieces were.
The soup bowls came from the expedition itself, with expert Fuschia Voremberg offering her assessment of them.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was surprised to discover the value of her soup bowls, which she had brought in for inspection
The guest’s grandfather was Reginald Skelton, one of the first officers of the first major Scottish expedition to the Antarctic – with the bowls being from the expedition
Alongside the bowls, she also brought in a painting of the Antarctic that had been painted by Edward Wilson
She said: ‘These soup bowls are so fun, and they’re actually made by Royal Doulton as you can see on the crest on the back.’
Fuschia added: ‘This is the actual china that the officers would’ve eaten their soup out of.
‘But anyway, let’s take a look at this painting, I think the colours are amazing.’
Upon valuing the items, Fuschia said: ‘These soup bowls, I’m going to give them a value of £3,500 each.
‘And this painting, which is so lovely and has a really nice inscription on the back from Wilson to your grandfather, I’m going to give that a value of £7,000. How do you feel about that?’
The guest replied: ‘A bit astonished, quite honestly. I’ve never really sort of thought about value.
‘And certainly we would never sell them. They’ll just go down through the family.’
In a previous episode, a guest was stunned after discovering the value of his dad’s rare watch – only for a jaw-dropping twist to follow.
The visitor brought in a rare Omega watch, which, as a child, he had seen his father wear on special occasions.
Clock expert Alastair Chandler, who carried out the valuation, branded the timepiece as a ‘real classic’.
He shared: ‘This is a fabulous Omega Speedmaster made in Switzerland.
In a previous episode, a guest brought his dad’s Omega watch – which had been purchased for £59 for 1971 – in for a valuation
‘It’s a real classic watch. However, what really caught my attention was it’s such an unusual dial configuration for an Omega Speedmaster.’
The guest recounted how his dad bought the watch back in 1971, for just £59 at the time.
Alastair noted that given this model’s rarity, they do not come up for sale often, making it difficult where to place the watch.
The expert added: ‘I can say in December 2024, a similar watch, same model, sold for just over £50,000 at auction.’
But despite this eye-watering sum, the guest revealed he had no intention of selling the watch.
The guest said: ‘Wow, surprising. Very surprising’, before agreeing with Alastair that the watch had been a good investment on his father’s part.
He added: ‘It’s very, very good actually, very good. Dad chose wisely.’
Antiques Roadshow continues Sunday on BBC One and iPlayer.
