Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1

Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1: Welcome to the Antiques Roadshow 2025, where history unfurls in the heart of Yorkshire. The beautiful grounds of Lister Park and Cartwright Hall in Bradford provide a stunning backdrop. Significantly, Bradford is celebrating its reign as the UK City of Culture for 2025. Thousands of hopeful visitors have arrived, each clutching a piece of their personal history. Consequently, the air is thick with anticipation and the quiet hum of untold stories. Every box, bag, and blanket holds a potential treasure. Everyone wonders if their forgotten heirloom might just be a masterpiece in disguise. This is a day for dreams to take flight.

Among the bustling crowds, expert Wayne Colquhoun’s eyes suddenly light up with recognition. A guest has presented a seemingly simple, framed sketch. However, to Wayne’s trained eye, the fluid lines and confident strokes tell a powerful story. He sees not just ink on paper, but a flicker of genius from a global icon. The sketch is a whimsical drawing by the one and only John Lennon. It serves as a rare and intimate glimpse into the mind of a musical legend. For a moment, the park is filled with the spirit of the Beatles, a timeless melody captured in a few simple lines.

Elsewhere on the sun-drenched lawn, a truly astonishing discovery is being made. Steven Moore is examining a vase with a humble, almost comical, backstory. For many years, this object has been languishing under its owner’s kitchen sink. It was a forgotten container, holding brushes and cleaning supplies. The owner brought it along almost as an afterthought. Nevertheless, Steven recognizes the vase’s elegant form and subtle glaze. Like a diamond in the rough, its true identity was hidden in plain sight. He soon reveals its incredible origin, turning a forgotten utility item into an object worth a small fortune.

Shortly after, another piece of history emerges, this time with a royal connection. Expert Robert Tilney is visibly intrigued by a fascinating and delicate object. Before him sits a perfect miniature cavalry sword, crafted with astonishing precision. This is no mere toy or decorative piece. Instead, it is a bespoke commission with a truly remarkable provenance. Robert explains that Queen Victoria herself ordered this tiny sword. She gave it as a personal gift, a tangible token of her royal favour. The small blade carries the immense weight of British history, connecting its proud owner directly to the legendary monarch.

Meanwhile, jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy experiences a moment of pure professional joy. A guest presents a brooch that is both daring and beautifully unconventional. Joanna immediately recognizes the signature style of one of her favourite designers, Andrew Grima. He was a trailblazer who treated jewellery not as mere accessory, but as wearable sculpture. This unique brooch is a testament to his bold artistic vision. Consequently, Joanna’s genuine delight is infectious. She passionately explains Grima’s genius, celebrating a piece of art that truly shines and tells its own captivating story of modern design.

Of course, no visit to Yorkshire would be complete without celebrating a local hero. The work of Robert “Mouseman” Thompson is always a popular sight. Famed for his handcrafted oak furniture, each piece is marked with his signature carved mouse. Today, Ronnie Archer-Morgan’s table is laden with these wonderful creations. There is certainly no shortage of Thompson’s work for the appreciative crowd to see. From sturdy chairs to charming bowls, each item showcases exceptional craftsmanship. Furthermore, spotting the tiny, iconic mouse becomes a delightful game for visitors, a tribute to the enduring legacy of a beloved Yorkshire artisan.

Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1

The episode, Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1, also beautifully embraces Bradford’s unique cultural identity. Drawing inspiration from the city’s vibrant Asian community, expert Runjeet Singh presents Fiona Bruce with a fun challenge. He asks her to identify several mystery items, each one rich with cultural significance. This engaging segment offers a wonderful learning opportunity for everyone. It highlights the diverse traditions that weave together to form the fabric of modern Bradford, perfectly aligning with the spirit of the City of Culture celebrations. It’s a joyful exploration of heritage.

Finally, the show moves inside the magnificent Cartwright Hall. Here, Fiona meets the inspiring local artist Razwan Ul-Haq. As a key part of Bradford’s City of Culture programme, his work is deeply resonant. Razwan’s art explores the ancient and profoundly beautiful tradition of Islamic calligraphy. He explains how each stroke is a form of meditation and storytelling. His work connects this timeless art form with contemporary life in the city. Ultimately, it provides a moving insight into a living, breathing culture that continues to enrich the artistic landscape of Bradford and the entire nation.

As the sun begins to set over Lister Park, the Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1 draws to a close. The day has been filled with surprising valuations, emotional reactions, and profound historical connections. From a Beatle’s doodle to a Queen’s gift, the treasures have been remarkable. More importantly, the show has celebrated the personal stories behind each object. It has proven, once again, that history is not just found in museums. It lives in our homes, under our sinks, and in the memories we pass down through generations.

Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1 review

The Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1 brings a fascinating collection of history and personal stories to the forefront in the heart of Yorkshire. Set against the magnificent backdrop of Lister Park and Cartwright Hall in Bradford, the event captures the unique cultural excitement of the city’s landmark year. Thousands of visitors arrived, carrying potential treasures and the quiet hum of untold stories, each hoping their forgotten heirloom might be a masterpiece in disguise. This was a day for history to unfurl and for dreams to take flight.

The timing of the roadshow is particularly significant, as it coincides with Bradford’s celebration as the UK City of Culture for 2025. Throughout the year, a vibrant tapestry of events celebrates every conceivable form of art and heritage, attracting people from across the city and beyond. Many of these cultural activities take place at Cartwright Hall, making it a fitting venue for the valuation of precious antiques and cherished family possessions, where personal history intersects with the broader cultural narrative.

The scope of items presented during the Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1 was remarkably diverse. Experts were met with everything from modernist jewellery and rare furniture to military curiosities and whimsical toys. Each piece, whether purchased for a pittance at a car boot sale or passed down through generations, offered a window into a different time and place. This collection of artifacts represents a cross-section of design, craftsmanship, and social history, turning the day into a dynamic exploration of material culture.

Beyond the individual items, the event provided a platform for expert appraisals that illuminated the stories behind the objects. The specialists on hand unpacked the provenance of these fascinating collectibles, explaining their historical context, artistic merit, and market value. This process transforms a simple valuation into an educational journey, revealing the intricate details that make an object truly special. The wide range of art on display demonstrated the breadth of human creativity over the centuries.

The celebration of Bradford as City of Culture was a palpable presence throughout the day. This prestigious prize, awarded every four years, has inspired a rich diversity of artistic expression in the city, from performance to sculpture. Outside Cartwright Hall, a striking installation by artist Osman Yousefzada features a classical bronze statue wrapped in blue fibreglass, a powerful symbol of the migrant experience. This thoughtful piece sets a tone of reflection and cultural appreciation, perfectly aligning with the search for hidden Treasures inside.

The event demonstrated how objects act as tangible links to our past, holding memories of loved ones, historical moments, and artistic movements. As the experts delved into the histories of each item, they revealed not just monetary value, but the deeper, often priceless, emotional and cultural significance embedded within them. From a simple doodle by a music legend to a vase rescued from beneath a kitchen sink, the day was a testament to the enduring power of objects to tell compelling stories.

The Enduring Legacy of British Craftsmanship

A recurring theme was the exceptional quality of British design and artisanship, showcased through several remarkable pieces of furniture. One of the most astonishing finds was a mahogany chair stamped “Morant,” which connected its owner directly to a prestigious chapter in furniture history. After tracing his family ancestry, the owner discovered he was the great-great-great-great-grandfather of George Morant, who founded a furniture business in the late 1700s. The firm became a celebrated name, described as a “latter-day Chippendale” that supplied furniture and provided interior design services to royalty and the aristocracy.

The chair itself, which a design registration kitemark dates to 1843, represents a fascinating crossover of William IV and early Victorian styles with Gothic and acanthus-leaf influences. The owner’s story of acquiring this piece of his family’s legacy was just as remarkable. He found it on an online auction site for a mere £36, with the delivery cost of £50 exceeding the purchase price. Despite its less-than-perfect condition, the chair’s incredible pedigree and connection to such an important maker resulted in a staggering valuation of £3,000 to £5,000.

Another highlight of Yorkshire craftsmanship came in the form of an extensive collection of Robert Thompson “Mouseman” pieces. Robert Thompson, a furniture maker from Yorkshire, famously continued the Arts and Crafts tradition of William Morris, bringing a focus on craft back into production. Every piece he created was made from Yorkshire oak and featured his trademark signature: a small, carved mouse. The collection presented at the roadshow was exceptional for its quality and rarity, including ashtrays, bookends, a beautifully crafted stool, and a witty money box shaped like a slice of cheese with a mouse poking through.

While many Mouseman items are beloved, the true stars of this collection were a rare pair of owl carvings from the late 1950s or early 1960s. The owner, a dedicated collector with a keen eye for quality, had purchased the flanking pair for about £600 each. Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was stunned by their quality and rarity, noting that such a group of high-caliber Mouseman pieces is rarely seen together. The commitment paid off handsomely, as the owls were valued at a staggering £6,000 each. The entire collection, assembled with passion, was appraised at between £14,000 and £15,000.

Artistic Visions: From Industrial Grit to Modernist Glamour

The world of fine art and design was well-represented, with several pieces capturing distinct artistic movements. A monumental pencil drawing by Trevor Grimshaw offered a hauntingly atmospheric industrial landscape. Grimshaw, an artist often compared to Lowry, was known for his very small-scale, smoky scenes. This particular work was extraordinary for its sheer size, a feat of drawing that achieved a mysterious, mystical quality. The owner had acquired it from a carpenter who was a friend of the artist and had accepted artworks in lieu of payment for odd jobs. Given its unusual scale, the drawing was valued at £4,000 to £6,000, with the potential to fetch significantly more at auction.

In a similar vein, a painting titled “Hauliers In Difficulty” by Archie Rhys Griffiths captured the dark, moody atmosphere of life underground. Griffiths was a “pit painter” who began his career as a coal miner before becoming an artist in the 1920s. The powerful oil on plywood depicted the intense struggle of miners and a horse trying to get a derailed coal cart back on its tracks. The expert noted that cleaning the very dirty surface would reveal the dramatic interplay of light from the miners’ lanterns. This raw and evocative piece was valued at £2,000 to £3,000.

Transitioning from industrial grit to high fashion, an Ossie Clark for Radley dress from the early 1970s embodied the glamorous spirit of its era. The owner had bought it from a boutique in Bradford while still a schoolgirl, using money from her Saturday job. Ossie Clark was a pre-eminent designer of the time, celebrated for his brilliant pattern-cutting and for dressing pop stars like Mick Jagger. This dress, typical of his style with its puff sleeves and long, flowing silhouette, was valued at £400 to £600 at auction, with a retail value potentially exceeding £1,000.

The pinnacle of modernist design appeared in the form of an exquisite Andrew Grima brooch. Andrew Grima, hailed as the “godfather of the modernist jewellers,” transformed British jewellery from the 1960s onward. The owner’s mother had purchased the piece in the early 1970s. The 18-carat gold brooch was designed as a delicate, cast leaf with a single diamond representing a dewdrop. The expert praised the incredible skill required for such a casting and noted that every Grima jewel was a unique, one-of-a-kind creation. This wearable work of art received a valuation of £6,000 to £8,000.

Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1: Echoes of the Past

Many of the most compelling items were those steeped in personal and historical memory. A pair of mourning rings offered a glimpse into sentimental traditions of the 17th and 18th centuries. One, a Stuart crystal ring from the latter half of the 1600s, was a family heirloom. The other, dated 1781, was a lucky find, purchased in a bric-a-brac shop for only £20. The expert explained that such rings were not just about sadness but were an important way to remember loved ones. The inherited ring was valued at £800 to £1,200, while the £20 discovery was appraised at an impressive £400 to £600.

A fascinating piece of military and royal history was presented in the form of a miniature sword. The 1821/45 pattern Gothic hilted sword was perfectly scaled down for a child. Its story began in 1856, when the owner’s six-year-old great-grandfather was serving as the mascot for the North Gloucestershire Militia. During a presentation to Queen Victoria, the queen took a special liking to the boy and asked what gift he would like. After he boldly requested a horse, the queen instead commissioned this unique sword just for him. This charming artifact, with its direct connection to Queen Victoria, was valued at £800 to £1,000.

Local history was celebrated through a collection of three rare playbills from Bradford’s iconic Alhambra Theatre. The owner, who had worked at the theatre for 35 years, had painstakingly collected these ephemeral items. Built in 1914, the Alhambra has welcomed legendary performers from Laurel and Hardy to Morecambe and Wise. The playbills, dating from 1926 to 1958, are “throwaway items” that rarely survive, making them important social documents of the heyday of variety performance. One was even sourced from a bookshop in Melbourne, Australia. Each playbill was valued at £100 to £200.

The Art and Culture of Bradford

The episode also delved into the artistic traditions that shape the host city’s cultural landscape. A special segment explored the ancient art of Islamic calligraphy through a collaboration between local artist Razwan Ul-Haq and Cartwright Hall. Razwan explained the long and honorable tradition of calligraphy as an art form, where the Arabic script’s “wonderful plastic quality” allows it to be both writing and flowing art. He demonstrated this with an 18th-century piece where calligraphy formed the image of a horse.

Razwan Ul-Haq also creates unique inks with deep local connections. One ink is made from the soil of Bradford City Football Club’s ground mixed with dye from a shaggy ink cap mushroom. Another vibrant red ink is crafted from turmeric, chilli powder, and red oxides gathered from the local River Beck. This practice grounds his ancient art form firmly in the modern identity of Bradford.

In a particularly innovative project, Razwan worked with a local boxing gym. He took a group of boxers to the British Library, where they selected ancient texts that resonated with them. Inspired by their choices, he created a dynamic calligraphic artwork of a boxer in motion. He explained the powerful parallel between the two disciplines, noting that both calligraphy and boxing require immense discipline, daily practice, and the ability to enter a focused “zone” where the outside world fades away.

Global Collectibles and Unexpected Discoveries

The day was filled with treasures from around the world, often with surprising stories. One of the most remarkable was a Zsolnay Pecs vase from Hungary, which its owner had purchased for £20 at an antique fair, mistaking it for Royal Lancaster lustreware. Believing it to be a fake, she stored it under her kitchen sink for two years. It was only after seeing a similar vase online that she realized her “mistake” was, in fact, an exquisite example of Zsolnay’s work, featuring brilliant and difficult-to-fire eosin glazes. The beautiful piece was valued at an incredible £5,000 to £8,000.

A striking Japanese porcelain moon flask from around 1870 captured the aesthetic japonism movement. The flask featured an aquatic theme, with crashing waves, plants, and octopus-shaped handles. In Japanese culture, the octopus symbolizes good luck, perseverance, and wisdom. This beautifully decorated piece was valued at £800 to £1,200. On a more contemporary note, a simple doodle of a face turned out to be an original sketch by John Lennon. Purchased 18 years prior in Las Vegas for £2,000, the signed pen drawing from 1979 was appraised at £5,000, proving to be a wise investment.

An American powder horn stood out for its exceptional craftsmanship. The cow horn featured high-relief carving filled with colored wax, but its most unusual feature was a small, printed image of a woman in a big hat—a sort of “pin-up”—set under the transparent horn at its base. Bought for £90 at an auction market, this stunning and unique piece of Americana was valued at £1,500 to £2,000.

Curious Contraptions and Everyday Treasures

The roadshow also featured an array of intriguing and unusual objects. Specialist Runjeet Singh challenged the audience with a selection of “mystery items” from Asia. These included an 18th-century South Indian hunting boomerang that does not return, an 18th-century Indian expanding cannonball shot designed to cause maximum damage, and an 18th or 19th-century wrestler’s exercise club used for building endurance and strengthening ligaments.

Even everyday objects held surprising value. A 1970s Lego set, purchased at a car boot sale for just £3, was found to be a desirable collectible. Although missing a small bench and its instructions, the set was valued at £30 to £50, with the potential to be worth up to £80 if completed. Similarly, a collection of hand-carved, 19th-century Indian sari printing blocks, which had been mysteriously abandoned in a garden, were each valued at £30 to £50.

Finally, an elegant gilded brass object marked “Dunhill” revealed a clever secret. Appearing to be a cigarette lighter, it was actually a lady’s compact from 1928. A marvel of engineering, it opened to reveal compartments for powder, a lipstick, mascara, and even an aluminum perfume holder. This delightful and valuable piece of design was valued at £700 to £1,000.

Where Stories Live: The Enduring Magic of Hidden Treasures

As the final visitors departed Lister Park that evening, their footsteps echoing across the sun-warmed paths, something profound had shifted in Bradford’s cultural landscape. The Antiques Roadshow had done more than simply appraise objects—it had illuminated the extraordinary truth that history isn’t confined to museum cases or academic texts. It lives, breathes, and waits patiently in the most unexpected corners of our everyday lives.

The day’s revelations tell a compelling story about value itself. A Hungarian vase rescued from beneath a kitchen sink transformed into an £8,000 treasure, while a £36 online auction purchase revealed a direct lineage to royal furniture makers. These discoveries remind us that worth isn’t always immediately visible—sometimes it requires the trained eye of an expert, the curiosity of a collector, or simply the courage to look beyond surface appearances. The widow who unknowingly harbored a Zsolnay masterpiece among her cleaning supplies exemplifies how easily we can overlook the remarkable hiding in plain sight.

Perhaps most striking was how seamlessly the roadshow wove together Bradford’s celebration as UK City of Culture 2025 with its exploration of personal heritage. From Razwan Ul-Haq’s innovative calligraphy using soil from Bradford City’s football ground to the collection of Alhambra Theatre playbills spanning decades of entertainment history, the event demonstrated that cultural significance operates on multiple levels simultaneously. The miniature sword gifted by Queen Victoria to a six-year-old boy carries the same emotional weight as a carefully preserved Ossie Clark dress bought with Saturday job money—both represent moments when lives intersected with larger historical currents.

The expertise displayed throughout the day served as a masterclass in storytelling through objects. When specialists like Joanna Hardy examined Andrew Grima’s modernist jewelry or Ronnie Archer-Morgan celebrated Robert Thompson’s carved mice, they weren’t merely conducting valuations—they were translating craftsmanship into narrative, transforming silent artifacts into eloquent witnesses of their times. This alchemy of knowledge and passion reveals why programs like Antiques Roadshow resonate so deeply: they honor both the creators who poured skill into their work and the families who preserved these treasures across generations.

For those inspired by Bradford’s remarkable day of discoveries, the message is clear: look again at the objects surrounding you with fresh eyes. That sketch tucked away in a drawer, the ornament relegated to storage, or the piece of furniture considered too old-fashioned might hold stories waiting to be told. The roadshow’s greatest gift isn’t the monetary valuations—it’s the reminder that we are all custodians of history, whether we realize it or not.

As Bradford continues its year-long celebration of culture and creativity, the Antiques Roadshow has added another layer to the city’s rich tapestry. It has shown that every home contains the potential for wonder, every family harbors connections to broader human experience, and every forgotten object might just be tomorrow’s celebrated treasure. In a world increasingly dominated by the digital and disposable, there’s something deeply reassuring about discovering that the past still has the power to surprise, delight, and occasionally, make us considerably richer in every sense of the word.

FAQ Antiques Roadshow 2025 – Lister Park and Cartwright Hall 1