Antiques Roadshow (UK): Season 39, Episode 15

39 - 15: BBC Caversham Park 1

Fiona Bruce and the team head to Caversham Park near Reading which, since World War II, was home to the BBC's Monitoring service, where many news stories have been broken by the team who listen in to international broadcasts. It is a busy day for the experts who specialise in written documents, as they examine items such as a very rare booklet containing notes made in the 17th century by one of Shakespeare's earliest readers. A chunky gold ring complete with a moving letter tells the story of a British family that joined the Californian gold rush in search of personal fortune in 1848. But star item of the day must go to some beautiful watercolour illustrations made in the early 19th century depicting people in southern India. After being told the jaw-dropping valuation, a stunned owner tells viewers that he promised the grandchildren an ice cream if the illustrations were worth more than £100.