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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Antiques Roadshow expert booed over joke after Lord Nelson letter valuation
Viewers couldn't help but laugh as an expert made a quirky sheep related joke which fell flat, sparking a chorus of boos from the audience. The Antiques Roadshow audience couldn't help but burst into laughter and then a chrous of boos after expert Mathtew Haley's sheep related joke fell flat. The scene unfolded on the BBC show as Matthew assessed the value of a one-of-a-kind handwritten letter. He began sharing its unusual story in a picturesque countryside setting. He quipped: "So here we are today with some sheep over the moat from us and you've brought us a letter about sheep. Tell us all about it." The letter's owner delved into its history as reported by the Mirror: "So this is a letter that was given to my step-father's great-great-great grandfather who was the farmer in question, given the sheep by Captain Bainton. Captain Bainton was the captain of HMS Leviathan at the Battle of Trafalgar, and Nelson gave him the sheep." They added: "The sheep survived the Battle of Trafalgar, and when Captain Bainton returned to the UK, he gave the sheep and the letter to William Raymond, and this is the letter." Reacting to the tale, the BBC expert said: "Absolutely bizarre. It certainly is the first Nelson that I've come across that talks about sheep. "And here he is, writing from HMS Victory in June 1805, a few months before the Battle of Trafalgar. He's gone to the West Indies and he says 'I don't know how you're doing for stock but all I got in the West Indies was one sheep I can give you. And the sheep went on board and it went to the Battle of Trafalgar.'" The owner of the item elaborated: "Well somehow it survived, came back and William Raymond the farmer who was given the sheep, crossed it with some south Devon sheep and said it had really good progeny, was well known for its beauty and fleece. "So the sheep won a medal. Really, really fantastic," Haley expressed with enthusiasm. "This is what we think of as a Nelson left-handed letter, because he obviously lost his right arm so you see two different handwritings from Nelson." "Very much a left-handed letter, very, very collectible really. The sheep interest can only add to it", he observed. When it came to the valuation, Haley anticipated: "At auction, I would see it making certainly in excess of £5,000." The owner couldn't hide their astonishment at the valuation, exclaiming with a delighted "Wowza's!". Keeping up with the light-hearted atmosphere, the BBC expert delivered a pun, quipping: "Not much of a baa-gain", accompanied by an imitation of a sheep's bleat. Despite the audience's groans at his jest, the guest laughed, retorting: "Low blow." A brief moment of silence followed as the chuckles died down, after which Haley courteously thanked the guest for bringing in the historical letter.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC Antiques Roadshow guest grins awkwardly at expert joke
An Antiques Roadshow expert was booed by the crowd after he told a joke to a guest following the valuation of their handwritten letter that had an unusual backstory. Antiques Roadshow viewers were left chuckling after an expert's sheep-related quip fell flat, prompting a chorus of boos from the audience. BBC's Mathew Haley was evaluating a unique handwritten letter with a quirky tale when he attempted to make light of the situation. Standing amidst a pastoral setting, Haley remarked: "So here we are today with some sheep over the moat from us and you've brought us a letter about sheep. Tell us all about it." The owner of the letter shared its history: "So this is a letter that was given to my step-father's great-great-great grandfather who was the farmer in question, given the sheep by Captain Bainton. "He was the captain of HMS Leviathan at the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson gave Captain Bainton a sheep. "The sheep was in the Battle of Trafalgar, survived the Battle of Trafalgar and then when Captain Bainton came back to the UK, he then gave the sheep and the letter to William Raymond and this is the letter." Haley responded: "Absolutely bizarre. It certainly is the first Nelson that I've come across that talks about sheep. "And here he is, writing from HMS Victory in June 1805, a few months before the Battle of Trafalgar. "He's gone to the West Indies and he says 'I don't know how you're doing for stock but all I got in the West Indies was one sheep I can give you. And the sheep went on board and it went to the Battle of Trafalgar.'". The item's owner continued: "Well somehow it survived, came back and William Raymond the farmer who was given the sheep, crossed it with some south Devon sheep and said it had really good progeny, was well known for its beauty and fleece. "So the sheep won a medal. Really, really fantastic," Haley enthused. "This is what we think of as a Nelson left-handed letter, because he obviously lost his right arm so you see two different handwritings from Nelson. "Very much a left-handed letter, very, very collectible really. The sheep interest can only add to it", he remarked. It was then time for the valuation as Haley predicted: "At auction, I would see it making certainly in excess of £5,000." The owner was visibly surprised by the estimate, responding with an excited "Wowza's!" Following through with the jovial mood, Haley cracked a pun, cheekily stating: "Not much of a baa-gain", complete with a sheep sound effect. Although the audience booed his joke, the guest chuckled, replying: "Low blow." A slight awkward silence befell as the laughter tapered off, before Haley gracefully thanked the guest for presenting the historic letter.
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Antiques Roadshow expert pulls face at awkwardness after guest says 'low blow'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow. An Antiques Roadshow guest exclaimed "wowza" as her inherited Lord Nelson received a top valuation. BBC expert Mathew Haley encountered a guest who had in their possession a handwritten letter featuring quite the quirky tale. In the picturesque surroundings of their filming location, Haley quipped: "So here we are today with some sheep over the moat from us and you've brought us a letter about sheep. Tell us all about it." The owner of the letter revealed its fascinating history: "So this is a letter that was given to my step-father's great-great-great grandfather who was the farmer in question, given the sheep by Captain Bainton. "He was the captain of HMS Leviathan at the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson gave Captain Bainton a sheep. "The sheep was in the Battle of Trafalgar, survived the Battle of Trafalgar and then when Captain Bainton came back to the UK, he then gave the sheep and the letter to William Raymond and this is the letter." In response, Haley expressed his amazement: "Absolutely bizarre. It certainly is the first Nelson that I've come across that talks about sheep. (Image: BBC) "And here he is, writing from HMS Victory in June 1805, a few months before the Battle of Trafalgar. "He's gone to the West Indies and he says 'I don't know how you're doing for stock but all I got in the West Indies was one sheep I can give you. And the sheep went on board and it went to the Battle of Trafalgar.'" The specialist detailed how, back in the day, the Royal Navy would transport farm animals to provide sustenance for the crew and then highlighted a medal awarded to a sheep. The owner revealed: "Well somehow it survived, came back and William Raymond the farmer who was given the sheep, crossed it with some south Devon sheep and said it had really good progeny, was well known for its beauty and fleece." "So the sheep won a medal. Really, really fantastic," Haley commented. "This is what we think of as a Nelson left-handed letter, because he obviously lost his right arm so you see two different handwritings from Nelson. (Image: BBC) "Very much a left-handed letter, very, very collectible really. The sheep interest can only add to it." When it came to valuing the item, the expert estimated: "At auction, I would see it making certainly in excess of £5,000." The guest couldn't hide their surprise, responding with an astonished "Wowza's!" upon hearing the valuation. Haley couldn't resist throwing in a pun, joking: "Not much of a baa-gain", imitating a sheep's bleat for comedic effect on the word "bargain". The pun was met with groans from the crowd, prompting boos, while the guest chuckled: "Low blow." A brief, uncomfortable silence fell as the laughter from the expert, guest, and audience faded, after which Haley expressed his gratitude to the owner for presenting the letter. Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.
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Scotsman
6 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
Time ball to drop again from top Edinburgh monument
The time ball has returned to Calton Hill. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A 19th century time ball that helped seafarers set their clocks for decades is due to drop from the top of one of Edinburgh's great monuments once more. The 90kg time ball was fitted to the Nelson Monument on Calton Hill in 1852 and dropped every day at 1pm to assist sailors in the Firth of Forth with timekeeping and navigation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Made from wood and zinc, the time ball was taken down last year for restoration. From next month, it will keep time once again after Edinburgh City Council spent £500,000 on repairs to the timepiece and the part of the monument which supports it. Karl Chapman, City of Edinburgh Council's head of heritage, culture, museums and galleries, said: ''Now we have GPS and phones but back in the day this was modern technology. ''People are still fascinated by this today which is why it's important we maintain the time ball and the Nelson Monument - it's a fascinating piece of history and mechanism.'' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Nelson Monument stands at the highest point of Calton Hill, built in honour of Admiral Lord Nelson, who died at the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. The battle was a victory for the Royal Navy, but Nelson was fatally wounded. When the news reached Edinburgh, a group of subscribers banded together to raise funds for a monument as a tribute to Nelson. The design, by Robert Burn, was modelled on an upturned telescope. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The monument's prominent position made it useful for sending messages across the city, but in 1852 it took on new importance when a time ball was installed at the top of the tower. Professor Charles Piazzi Smith, the Astronomer Royal in Scotland, proposed the time ball to assist with ship's navigation. The ball would drop at exactly one o'clock as a signal to ships moored in the Firth of Forth, enabling captains to check the accuracy of their chronometers and correctly calculate their longitude at sea – a tradition that continues even though technological progress means it is no longer vital to safe seafaring. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad After its installation, Piazzi Smyth continued to work out the time and triggered the ball drop himself. He even devised an automatic system to drop the ball, and nine years later in 1861 the 1 o'clock gun fire from Edinburgh Castle was added on foggy days. The latest restoration work on the timeball was carried out by the Cumbria Clock Company. The entire mechanism of the time ball has now been automated, with the timber mast replaced and lightening protection renewed. Some stonework has also been replaced and repaired. Margaret Graham, City of Edinburgh Council's culture and communities convener, said: ''Half a million pounds sounds like a lot of money but in the scheme of things, in our heritage buildings, it's not a lot. "It's a lot of specialist work that needs to be done.''
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A Union Jack Flag That Was Flown at the Battle of Trafalgar Could Fetch Up to $1 Million at Auction
There is certainly no shortage of Union Jack flags in the United Kingdom—the tat shops alone offer up thousands, if not millions—but the one crossing the auction block this summer is distinguished by an incredible history. The iconic piece of fabric, which will be auctioned off during Christie's Classic Week in London this July, was flown by HMS Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This consequential naval clash saw Admiral Horatio Nelson and his 27 British ships defeat a robust 33-strong Franco-Spanish fleet, thereby stopping French general Napoleon Bonaparte and his army from invading England. More from Robb Report A Tourist Damaged Two Terracotta Warriors at China's Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang Inside a $20 Million L.A. Home Designed by Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect Oscar Niemeyer Mount Gay Just Dropped a Fantastic New Rum Aged Entirely in Cognac Casks 'Nelson was one of the first naval commanders to fly the Union Jack in battle, and to be able to look at one of the very flags flown by his fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar 220 years ago is both remarkable and inspiring,' Thomas Venning, head of Christie's London Book Department, said in a statement. The first Union Flag was created in 1606, but was later updated with the cross of St. Patrick of Ireland in 1801. (The second design is still in use today.) Measuring 91 1/3 inches high by 138 1/2 inches wide, this particular example is one of only three Union Jack flags to survive Trafalgar. Captain James Clephan R.N., Spartiate's second lieutenant, took the flag after the battle, according to Christie's. It was common practice for officers to take such rewards after battle. Benjamin Reed Zaricor acquired the flag in 2009 for the Zaricor Flag Collection. It has been offered to the public just once in 220 years, making it exceptionally rare. The flag also sports a few notable battle scars that highlight its incredible provenance. An analysis carried out by the Zaricor Flag Collection showed shards of metal embedded in the fabric and a large hole on one edge. This suggests the flag may have been in close proximity to a cannonball. Fragments of wood splinters were also found throughout. This piece of British history comes at a cost, of course. The flag is expected to fetch between $675,000 and $1 million (£500,000-800,000) at Christie's London on July 1. It will be on display in the British capital from June 26 as part of the auction house's Classic Week. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
