The latest series of the Antiques Roadshow has ended its run on Sunday Evenings. Although it was up against The X Factor on ITV, audience figures for the Roadahow were as strong as ever; Indeed, the final show in the series, looking back at series highlights, was the week’s most-watched BBC programme, even beating Eastenders.
Last day of Filming
The final programme in the series was recorded on 23 September 2010 in the magnificent setting of the nave of Winchester Cathedral. More than 3000 people queued for up to five hours to have their treasures evaluated by John and the other experts.
A very plain brown-glazed jug, bought for £1 in a Winchester junk shop, provided good news for its owner when John identified it as a Staffordshire piece made around 1730. John also filmed a Dresden monkey-band that had miraculously survived the Blitz with barely a scratch.
Kris Sandon helped out at the roadshow. She was in charge of ‘Limbo’—the waiting area where owners of interesting finds are gathered together while the production team decide which discoveries are exciting enough to be filmed.
Practicing Hill Climbing
Although making the Winchester Roadshow was exhausting, John and Kris spent part of the following day climbing the highest hill in the South Downs. With only five weeks to go before their Everest trek, they need to make the most of every opportunity to climb the landscape of Britain. A week earlier it was Pen-y Fan, the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons.