BBC Antiques Roadshow expert makes stern demand to guest over treatment of historic Olympics memorabilia
BBC Antiques Roadshow: John Foster was keen to warn one guest about the treatment of her item
BBC
Antiques Roadshow expert John Foster didn't mince his words when he heard how one guest had treated a piece of historic Olympics memorabilia when the BBC show headed to Lytham Hall.
Foster, Fiona Bruce and the rest of the team first travelled to the Lancashire landmark back in 2019 but on Sunday evening, BBC viewers will get another chance to see exactly why the antiques expert was left rather surprised.
During the instalment, Foster met one guest who revealed her familial ties to England's first medal-winning Black Olympian.
As he perused over an array of medals and photos on the table, Foster began: "So when anyone ever thinks of famous Black athletes in the Olympics, our minds instantly go to the 1936 Berlin Olympics with Jesse Owens.
"But you've got your own story here from the '28 Olympics. Who is he and who is he to you?" he asked, prompting the guest to explain: "Well, he's my great-uncle Jack [London].
"He's from French Guyana originally and he was the first Black man to win any medals for England."
BBC Antiques Roadshow: The Lytham Hall guest had a familial tie to her items
BBC
Keen to emphasise the significance of the artefact, Foster replied: "So you have somebody in your family who was an Olympics athlete from the 1928 (games), and being Black - I mean that's huge!
"I can see there there's a silver, a gold and a bronze (medal)... I don't remember him winning a gold medal," he continued as he spotted an anomaly.
"No, he didn't. That was my father's doing, he wanted a matching set," the guest answered but that didn't devalue the collection to Foster.
"Right, so he had one gold-plated. We can allow him that," the Antiques Roadshow star said. "Yes, it would've been lovely if he won the gold, but to have the silver and the bronze is quite amazing."
BBC Antiques Roadshow: Jack London was the Olympian the items used to belong to
BBC
"Did you ever get to meet him?" Foster asked to which the guest said: "I didn't but my father did. He said he was a very colourful man in a way, a ladies' man. He played piano for the stars."
A surprised Foster weighed back in: "When you say played piano for the stars, (you mean) after he retired from athletics? Was he using the fame he built up from that to then..."
"Yes, and it were lucky he could play the piano. He played with Noel Coward in Cavalcade at Drury Lane and then went on to star in a film with Will Hay called Old Bones of the River."
Foster soon turned his attention to how the collection is preserved and celebrated nowadays, asking: "Where do you have this at home? Does it take pride of place?"
"I'm afraid not. It's about three or four years (since) my father gave it to me and I'm afraid it's just been in the cupboard since," the BBC guest answered.
This didn't sit well with Foster who quickly demanded the guest change her ways, telling her: "Well, you've got to get it out!
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BBC Antiques Roadshow: John Foster told Jack London's relative to stop hiding his achievements away
BBC
"He should be celebrated and you should be celebrating him more!
"The achievement just to get silver and bronze is amazing," he continued before slapping a value on the items.
"I think overall as a collection here you've got between £3,000 and £4,000," he said.
"Very nice... but it'll be passed to my son and then on and on," the guest replied as she refused to sell, something Foster expected as he signed off: "I wouldn't expect it any other way, it's amazing. Thank you."