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Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Antiques Roadshow expert issues warning as 'frightening' item is valued at £70k
Antiques Roadshow expert Steven Moore was left gobsmacked as he spoke with a mother and daughter who were in possession of a "frightening" family heirloom. One guest on Antiques Roadshow was left completely astonished to discover the hidden value of a family keepsake that had been terrorising youngsters. Whilst at Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland, expert Steven Moore encountered a peculiar artefact. The item, brought on the BBC show by a mother and her daughter, was a bizarre combination of avian head and amphibian body. Moore said: "Looking at this, I can't help thinking of a phrase of my grandmother's. 'It's a face only a mother could love.' Do you love them?". The mother admitted: "Well I do. For a while it lived in my parents' house in a cupboard in the spare bedroom." Although her daughter recounted the more distressing childhood memories saying: "The bedroom that my brother and I would stay in if we stayed over and we were terrified of it. Definitely couldn't sleep with it in there. We would cry until it was removed and hidden far away from us." Moore went on to articulate the unusual charm behind the Martin Brothers' pieces, reports the Mirror. He said: "That's the thing about Martin Brothers. They were idiosyncratic, one way to describe them." "Crazies may be another way to describe them," he interjected before delving into the features of the sculpture. He inquisitively asked about the abstract form: "Robert Wallace Martin who made this, got so much character into this face which is clearly a bird. But what's going on here [with the body]?". "Did you have a name for him or was it just sort of terrified?," he noted. The revelation came when they shared that they called the piece Ernie, to which Moore playfully remarked: "That seems a very unscary name." The mum shared a touching tale: "Well the story is that my grandparents saw it in an antique shop and walked past it and admired it a few times, or at least my grandmother did. "And then one day she walked past and it was gone but what had happened, my grandfather had a winnings on the premium bonds and he went and bought it for her". Expert Moore ingeniously connected the item's nickname to the iconic lottery machine, remarking: "Hence, the name of the computer that drew the premium bonds, of course," alluding to Ernie, the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. He further speculated: "In theory, there's no reason why there could have been a kiln disaster and the body of this one and the head of this one were destroyed and thought 'Well actually, you know what?' "So yes, maybe they could have put them together but what I think is more likely to happen is a dealer has probably found this [pointing to the item's body]. "And thought 'one day, I might find the head'. And they found this head and they put them together and sold them." When appraising the "collectible" yet mismatched pieces, Moore valued the base at £2,000 and the head at an impressive £4,000. "That's a lot for just a head," quipped the daughter, amused by the valuation, but Moore wasn't finished just yet, hinting at another intriguing aspect of the story. He continued: "But there's an intriguing possibility. If you could find the head for this body and you could find the body for this head, you would have a profit of £60,000 to £70,000, because that's how much the two separate items would be if they were complete." The disclosure of such an extraordinary figure left the mother absolutely gobsmacked, her expression one of sheer astonishment, while her daughter remained composed. Her reaction saw her elated: "That is amazing. I don't think he's grown on me and I don't think I'd be impressed if I got him as a birthday present as my great-grandma did." Moore then quipped in amusement: "So Ernie hasn't gone up in your estimation," eliciting her response: "He brings back quite funny memories so I feel like he has to stay in the family."
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Antiques Roadshow guest amazed as 'terrifying' item potentially worth thousands
An Antiques Roadshow guest explained that there was a "possibility" that an unusual ornament could be worth a five-figure sum. An Antiques Roadshow guest was gobsmacked at the potential fortune behind a quirky family heirloom that had been scaring children for years. Expert Steven Moore, while filming at Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland, encountered a mother and daughter with a peculiar ornament – a fusion of a bird's head and what seemed to be a frog's body. Moore quipped: "Looking at this, I can't help thinking of a phrase of my grandmother's. 'It's a face only a mother could love.' Do you love them?" The mother confessed: "Well I do. For a while it lived in my parents' house in a cupboard in the spare bedroom." Her daughter, however, recounted: "The bedroom that my brother and I would stay in if we stayed over and we were terrified of it. "Definitely couldn't sleep with it in there. We would cry until it was removed and hidden far away from us." Moore continued, highlighting the eccentric nature of the Martin Brothers' creations: "That's the thing about Martin Brothers. They were idiosyncratic, one way to describe them. "Crazies may be another way to describe them," he added, before probing further into the ornament's bizarre design. "Robert Wallace Martin who made this, got so much character into this face which is clearly a bird. But what's going on here [with the body]? "Did you have a name for him or was it just sort of terrified?" After revealing the item had been called Ernie, Moore quipped: "That seems a very unscary name." The mum elaborated: "Well the story is that my grandparents saw it in an antique shop and walked past it and admired it a few times, or at least my grandmother did. "And then one day she walked past and it was gone but what had happened, my grandfather had a winnings on the premium bonds and he went and bought it for her -". Moore cleverly linked the nickname to the famous lottery computer, saying: "Hence, the name of the computer that drew the premium bonds, of course," referencing Ernie, the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. He then noted: "In theory, there's no reason why there could have been a kiln disaster and the body of this one and the head of this one were destroyed and thought 'Well actually, you know what?' "So yes, maybe they could have put them together but what I think is more likely to happen is a dealer has probably found this [referencing the item's body]. "And thought 'one day, I might find the head'. And they found this head and they put them together and sold them." When it came to valuing the "collectible" and mismatched items, Moore estimated the base at £2,000 and the head at a hefty £4,000. "That's a lot for just a head," the daughter responded with a laugh, but Moore had yet another detail to add. He added: "But there's an intriguing possibility. If you could find the head for this body and you could find the body for this head, you would have a profit of £60,000 to £70,000, because that's how much the two separate items would be if they were complete." The revelation of such a staggering value left the mum utterly flabbergasted, her face a picture of shock, while her daughter managed to keep her cool. She responded excitedly: "That is amazing. I don't think he's grown on me and I don't think I'd be impressed if I got him as a birthday present as my great-grandma did. "So Ernie hasn't gone up in your estimation," Moore joked, to which she said: "He brings back quite funny memories so I feel like he has to stay in the family."
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Antiques Roadshow item that ‘terrified' kids could be worth five figures on one condition
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 expert explained how his guests could get their hands on thousands of pounds with their quirky family heirloom. BBC expert Steven Moore filmed another episode of the BBC classic daytime series, this time travelling to the Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland. This was where he met a mother-and-daughter duo who presented him with a ornament that appeared to have a bird's head and perhaps a frog's body. He began: 'Looking at this, I can't help thinking of a phrase of my grandmother's. 'It's a face only a mother could love.' Do you love them?' The mum replied: 'Well I do. For a while it lived in my parents' house in a cupboard in the spare bedroom.' Her daughter then shared that the younger members of the family weren't exactly fans of the item growing up. 'The bedroom that my brother and I would stay in if we stayed over and we were terrified of it. 'Definitely couldn't sleep with it in there. We would cry until it was removed and hidden far away from us.' (Image: BBC) 'That's the thing about Martin Brothers. They were idiosyncratic, one way to describe them. 'Crazies may be another way to describe them," Moore said. 'Robert Wallace Martin who made this, got so much character into this face which is clearly a bird. But what's going on here [with the body]? 'Did you have a name for him or was it just sort of terrified?' When the mum shared that he was nicknamed Ernie, the expert laughed: 'That seems a very unscary name.' She elaborated: 'Well the story is that my grandparents saw it in an antique shop and walked past it and admired it a few times, or at least my grandmother did. 'And then one day she walked past and it was gone but what had happened, my grandfather had a winnings on the premium bonds and he went and bought it for her -' Moore then interjected: 'Hence, the name of the computer that drew the premium bonds, of course," referring to Ernie which stands for Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. He then turned his attention to the fact that the head, which could be taken off, did not match with the body. He commented: 'In theory, there's no reason why there could have been a kiln disaster and the body of this one and the head of this one were destroyed and thought 'Well actually, you know what?' (Image: BBC) 'So yes, maybe they could have put them together but what I think is more likely to happen is a dealer has probably found this [referencing the item's body]. 'And thought 'one day, I might find the head'. And they found this head and they put them together and sold them.' It was then time to give his appraisal for the 'collectectible' and disparate things', concluding that the base would be worth £2,000 and the head £4,000. 'That's a lot for just a head," the daughter laughed but Moore wasn't quite done just yet. He remarked: 'But there's an intriguing possibility. If you could find the head for this body and you could find the body for this head, you would have a profit of £60,000 to £70,000, because that's how much the two separate items would be if they were complete.' Upon hearing the whopping value, the mum's jaw dropped before pulling a face, clearly taken aback by the value while her daughter seemed calmer. She replied: 'That is amazing. I don't think he's grown on me and I don't think I'd be impressed if I got him as a birthday present as my great-grandma did.' 'So Ernie hasn't gone up in your estimation," Moore stated as she added: 'He brings back quite funny memories so I feel like he has to stay in the family.' Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Dorset Premium Bonds winners announced for May 2025
People from across the county have come out as winners in this month's May draw, with people earning between £5,000 and £50,000. The draw is held by National Savings and Investments (NS&I), with the winners being created randomly. With that said, here are the bondholders from Dorset named in this month's draw. What is a Premium Bond? Dorset Premium Bond winners in May 2025 Every month, only two winners take home £1million, but there are still plenty of other prizes available from the bonds. No one from Dorset won a £1 million prize or a £100,000 prize, with the £50,000 prizes being the highest value won. The prize money won was split up in the county like so: £50,000 - 4 £25,000 - 5 £10,000 - 16 £5,000 - 39 The overall total won by Dorset residents in May 2025 was £680,000, which was a decrease from April's £805,000. How to see if you've won on Premium Bonds You can check your account via the NS&I website. Prize draws are conducted every month and prizes up to £1,000,000 are given away. To find out if you have ever won a Premium Bonds prize, you will need to dig out your holder's information and head over to the prize checker. You will need your holder's number, which you can find on your bond record or in the app. You can also use your NS&I number, which you should be able to find on any communication about your bonds. How are Premium Bonds winners decided? According to the NS&I website, they use a system called ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) to decide the winners. Recommended reading: It is "powered by quantum technology, which uses light" which helps it produce enough random numbers for a monthly prize draw in around 20 minutes. The website adds: "Using light, ERNIE 5 generates random numbers that are matched against eligible Bond numbers to determine the lucky winners. "And because it's random, every Bond number, whether it has 8, 9, 10 or 11 digits, has a separate and equal chance of winning a prize."
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Premium Bonds prize checker: When is May's draw and how can I check if I've won?
Every month, savers have the chance to win big prizes as the Premium Bonds winning numbers are announced. There are now 24 million people taking part in the government-backed savings scheme, with more than £127bn banked. Premium bonds are an investment product from the National Savings and Investment (NS&I), which is owned by the government. Each month, millions of savers are entered into a prize draw to win cash prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million, with two millionaires made at every draw. Every £1 entered has a 22,000-to-one chance of winning. The minimum investment is £25, while the maximum is £50,000. These savings don't accrue interest as with regular bank accounts, but are put up against a random digital prize picker called 'Ernie' – the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. The date of this month's draw is Thursday 1 May. The results of this draw will be released by NS&I the following day. What are the chances of winning? There are many premium bond winners every month, but the actual chance of winning remains fairly low. Most people will never win a prize, meaning their investment will stay the same. However, the scheme is also risk-free, meaning money won't be lost either. Analysis by money expert Martin Lewis found that the 'interest rate' on premium bonds accounts is 4 per cent when all winnings are considered – but notes most people won't see anything like this. Many savings accounts in the UK also offer a higher interest rate than this, which will be far more consistent. The distribution of prizes changes slightly every month. Here were the results in January 2025: £1 million x 2 £100,000 x 82 £50,000 x 163 £25,000 x 328 £10,000 x 818 £5,000 x 1,636 £1,000 x 17,163 £500 x 51,489 £100 x 1,987,844 £50 x 1,987,844 £25 x 1,803,871 To check if you've won a prize on premium bonds, you can visit the NS&I checker on its website and enter your bond numbers.
