Nightmare called Antiques Roadshow!

I had a FREE ticket to go to a session of the BBC Antiques Roadshow at Eden. I had thought it would be interesting watching the filming. I did have something to be valued as well - but I regret taking it now! I wish i had just wandered around and watched the filming..

The first queue was just to get in. Once inside, there was a very long snaking queue to ‘show and tell’. But the people at that desk just took one look and gave out a card - which said ‘ceramics’ or. ‘glass’ or ‘miscellaneous’ etc. Then it was the long walk down to the lowest level to join another queue! The miscellaneous’ was the longest. I was in the ceramics queue. At one point Miscellaneous, who had been taken indoors due to rain, were all herded out again. At which point it started to rain! The rain got torrential, and everyone rushed indoors - I had been near the front of the queue but but all semblance of order disappeared!

I had lost the will to live by then. I got a quick few minutes with David Battie, who was ‘charming’ but didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I wondered how many dark striped suits he owned.

I was told most people have to spend 4- 5 hours getting to the valuation point. And they enjoy it because it’s a day out! The email before the event did say that we must see the queuing as ‘part of the experience’ For me it was 99% queuing and one m% getting my items looked at . And a lot of the queuing time was spent in the rain. I had hoped to watch some filming but I had had enough by then so didn’t see any!

In the photo it had only just started to rain. I didn’t photograph the torrential rain because I didn’t want my phone to get wet!

Never again!