marching order
Antiques Roadshow expert sends guest home with strict orders after game-changing reveal about toolkit
A GUEST on Antiques Roadshow was given strict orders on the show in order to pick up a healthy profit for her item.
The moment came on the BBC programme when the guest proclaimed to own a toolkit with a link to legendary Florence Nightingale.
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On the programme, hosted by Fiona Bruce, antique specialist Hillary was left thrilled when the guest brought in 'Florence's tookit'.
The guest claimed her grandfather, Sir Harry Verney, had inherited the item from Florence whom she alleged was his great aunt.
Hillary took a closer look at the item but was quick to debunk the toolkit of professional standard.
Putting it bluntly, she said: "It's not a professional one - I'd have said it's a good amateur toolkit, used by a hobby carpenter.”
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Trying to offer up 'proof', the guest showed Hillary a photo of Florence and her grandfather.
Explaining the tale behind the picture, she said: "These are a group of her Nightingale nurses. And their matron from St Thomas' Hospital."
It seemed that Hillary could not be sure that the item had an 'official' connection to Florence.
Hillary said on the show: "I've got this image in my mind of Florence as she sets to in the hospital. She's restoring this, gouging that, chiselling that with the equivalent of a 19th century toolkit."
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The toolkit could be determined to come from the 1800s in a good step as Hillary reflected that this was around Florence's time.
It left her no choice but to offer up some words for the guest and tell her to do some homework on the item.
Confessing that at present it would be worth around £200, she admitted that finding a 'solid' link to the nurse could raise the value significantly.
"The family link is good. And the date is good. As it is, it's going to be worth about £200," she said.
"If we can make a paper trail to Florence Nightingale, then we're going to be talking about £5,000, £6,000 or £7,000, who knows?"
She told the guest she needed to go through her family paperwork and see if she could find anything to prove that the toolkit actually belonged to Florence in order for her to be in possession of big money.
Encouraging her, she said: "It would be a major find - if you can find that bit of paper.
"So I would encourage you to go through those family records.
"Go find it!”
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