Antiques Roadshow expert issues stern warning as guest makes validity confession
Antiques Roadshow presenter Hilary Fay admitted an object on the BBC show made the hair on the back of her neck stand up due to it's alleged association with the Titanic. However she issued a stark warning to the guest who had brought it along telling him he must get it verified.
The show's team of experts were at Salisbury Cathedral when the guest in question brought along an artefact he claimed came from the doomed liner. He said the piece of metal was cut out of one of the ship's bulkheads in order to extinguish a fire on board as it made its way to Southampton.
"Now, you only have to say that word, that word 'Titanic', and I could see everybody here having a sharp intake of breath...And actually as you said that word and as I'm looking at this and as I'm going to pick it up, I can feel the hair on the back of my neck rising and the hair on my arms," she said.
"She was launched in April 1912, and on her maiden voyage, she hit an iceberg and she sank on the 15th of April, 1912 with the loss of about 1,500 lives... but of course, she set off from Southampton, so tell me what you know about this story?" she enquired.
The guest told her his great-grandfather was the foreman of the "Black Gang", a team employed by Harland and Wolff at the docks in Southampton. "There was a fire on-board the ship that needed to be tackled. I think the fire broke out on its way to Southampton from Belfast where it was manufactured," he said.
READ MORE: BBC Breakfast's Olympics 2024 coverage sparks fury as fans all spot same issue
Hilary Fay was stunned by the alleged providence of an item on Antiques Roadshow (Image: BBC)"So his team had to tackle the fire and to do so they had to cut a hole in the bulkhead to pass the hoses through. Once they'd successfully tackled the fire, they patched the hole up and she was ready to sail. And that was the hole that was cut out," his astonishing story concluded.
Pointing out that fires on steam liners weren't an uncommon occurence she explained: "This is this thing that really brings it all to life. It's a very small hole, they got the hose in and that's it!
"They don't want any oxygen in there so it's made just to the right dimension of the fire hose and they'd hope that they'd put it out," she opined.
However, she did question the validity of the small metal disc asking the guest if it could be verified. "Who is going to be able to tell you for certain that that is from the Titanic? Harland and Wolff will know the thickness of the steel that was used to construct the bulkheads, that would be an easy win, wouldn't it?
"[But] what have you got in terms of evidence here, say paperwork, photographs...?"
Don't miss...
Carol Kirkwood shares romantic gesture her new husband does every morning [INSIGHT]
Zoe Ball’s son Woody Cook opens up on 'magic' TV legend grandfather Johnny Ball [EXCLUSIVE]
Tim Roth details stage fright and being a d*** on set in the past [EXCLUSIVE]
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
"So, here's the thing, my great-grandfather lived in Southampton. All I can say is this story was said to his granddaughter who was my grandmother and she informed my father who passed it on to me," the owner admitted.
This led her to give him some serious advice. "Okay. What you need to do from your father is get that affidavit properly written up. A word of mouth, a scribble, or a handwritten note is one thing, to have a sworn statement in front of a solicitor is something else."
In terms of it's worth she acknowledged it was dependent on proving the origins. "What's a piece of the Titanic worth if it can be proved? I have to say, I don't think it's going to be a life-changing sum, not the way some of those letters or some of those artefacts have been.
"But it's got to be worth a thousand or two (pounds). But I think from the point of the history of the Titanic, it is a fabulous object."
Antiques Roadshow expert issues stern warning as guest makes validity confession
Antiques Roadshow expert issues stern warning as guest makes validity confession
Antiques Roadshow expert issues stern warning as guest makes validity confession
Antiques Roadshow expert issues stern warning as guest makes validity confession
Antiques Roadshow expert issues stern warning as guest makes validity confession
Play online games for free at games.easybranches.com
Guest Post Services www.easybranches.com/contribute