PEOPLE are being encouraged to find their household treasures and dust off their family heirlooms as one of television's most popular programmes comes to Suffolk.
PEOPLE are being encouraged to find their household treasures and dust off their family heirlooms as one of television's most popular programmes comes to Suffolk.
The BBC's Antiques Roadshow will be visiting the Corn Exchange in King Street, Ipswich on April 1 - a welcome return to the town after 19 years.
A host of Britain's leading antique and fine art specialists will be on hand to offer free advice and valuations. Film crews will also capture the all-day event, running from 9.30am to 5.30pm, and broadcast it to the nation.
The programme will be part of the 27th series and it is the second time Ipswich has hosted the show, the first time being back in 1985.
Then expert Roy Butler was delighted to come across a Lloyd's Patriotic Fund sword, given to officers who served in the Battle of Trafalgar. He valued it at £9,000 and today it is worth about £20,000.
The roadshow has also visited Lowestoft back in 1999 and Ixworth House near Bury St Edmunds the year earlier. Last year, it visited Cressing Temple barns in Essex.
Micheal Aspel, who has hosted the event for the last four years, described the show as a "national treasure".
He added: "It's a detective story, a game show and a history lesson."
Series producer, Simon Shaw, said: "On an average day at the roadshow we see about 1,500 people. On exceptional days we clock up many more and on these occasions our experts see several thousand items between them."
The hoards of people that descend on the show mean that waiting is part of the experience but the production team have assured people that as long as they join the queues by 5.30pm they will be seen by an expert.
People with large pieces of furniture or other big items can send details and photographs of their objects to the Antiques Roadshow at the BBC, Whiteladies Road, Bristol, BS8 2LR or email them to antiques.roadshow@bbc.co.uk. It may then be possible to arrange a viewing of the items in advance and organise transportation to the venue.
There are car parks situated within walking distance of the Corn Exchange or there are park and ride schemes that operate from Bury Road, London Road and Martlesham and drop off near to the show.
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