Antiques Roadshow: A letter from the Titanic

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During Sunday night’s Antiques Roadshow, BBC host Fiona Bruce took viewers to Porchester Castle on the Hampshire coast. Guests brought the experts’ several unique antiques to be valued including the likes of an unpublished poem by Siegfried Sassoon, a Victoria Cross medal and a rare cigarette lighter. However, it was a water-damaged letter that survived the sinking of the Titanic that grabbed the attention of Hilary Kay.

The letter was brought to the expert by the children of Titanic survivor Sidney Daniels.

The guest’s late father was just 18-years-old when he boarded the Titanic as a plate washer.

Sidney’s daughter began by speaking about where her father was when the Titanic hit an iceberg in 1912.

“It was a Sunday, he was sound asleep when there was banging and shouting, and it was the night watchman,” she began.

Despite thinking it was just a drill, Sidney was asked to wake passengers who were asleep at the time.

“Some reacted in different ways,” she continued. “One or two said, ‘What does this young man know? He’s 18, this ship is unsinkable’.”

Sidney’s son went on to add that his father’s job was to help people into the lifeboats.

“The water was rising all the time,” he said. “When all the lifeboats were gone, the water was rising up to their knees and so he thought, ‘It’s time to go’ so he jumped off the side of the boat.”

Sidney’s dad and another passenger managed to swim to a life raft, which is where they stayed until they got rescued.

“When he was on there, he said, ‘I’m tired, I want to go sleep’ and the chap next to him said, ‘If you do, it’ll be your last.'”

Turning his attention to his dad’s letter which was written by his family, the guest explained it was in his pocket when the Titanic sank.

“It was posted to him but obviously the stamp washed away,” he added.

“It’s an extraordinary momentum,” Hilary beamed. “And anything relating to the Titanic had an extraordinary effect on people.”

Discussing what it could fetch at auction, the expert continued: “I mean, it is an emotional moment to hold something so linked in to such an extraordinary moment in history.

“We’re talking about around £10,000 is the realistic amount.”

“Very nice,” the guest replied before admitting they would never sell it.

“It’s not going out of the family,” the son continued before Sidney’s daughter added: “Definitely.”

He went on to explain he hoped one day to give the letter to a museum for them to showcase.

Hilary said: “Very good. I’m delighted that then more people will be able to share that.”

The guest concluded: “I think dad would have been pleased that.”

Antiques Roadshow airs on Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.

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