Bidding Room reveals a Titanic catalogue

The Bidding Room, which began last week, has an impressive pedigree – it’s from the makers of The Repair Shop, the sleeper hit that made the jump from early evening BBC2 to primetime BBC1.

Like that show, it appeals to anyone with an interest in antiques or unusual objects.

For newcomers, The Bidding Room is set in an emporium in the Yorkshire countryside where a group of expert dealers try to outbid each other to buy extraordinary items brought in by the public. To make sure the sellers get the best deals, they will meet the room’s valuation expert who will talk to them about their item’s history – and what it’s potentially worth.

But for some viewers, one of the main draws is the host, the eternally suave Nigel Havers.

The actor-turned-presenter admits he didn’t have to think too hard about taking on the job: “It’s fun to present a show for a change, getting to know new people, and not having to learn lines or wear a costume! I am keen on antiques in general, so it was an easy decision for me.”

Admittedly, Nigel’s own tastes are pretty specific (“I collect stuffed fish in bow fronted, gilt framed cases by Cooper & Sons who stuffed fish between 1870 and 1903”), but he’s still been taken by some of the objects on display in the series.

He says: “Out of 138 objects, my favourite was a bottle of Chateaux Palmer 1959 which four of us clubbed together, bought and drank – it tasted of angel’s breath!”

However, he has resisted the urge to buy too many objects, no matter how much he may have been tempted: “Well apart from the wine, there were many other things, such as a Corpus Christi carving, and a pair of telescopic candlesticks, but I’m an inveterate collector and my wife is always complaining that we’ve got too much ‘stuff’ so if I tried to sneak anything else into the house I would be killed!”

The items in the emporium today include a selection of classic Hornby trains, tracks, stations and other bits of kit, courtesy of Ian from Essex. He’s selling the set following the death of his father-in-law and wants to put the money towards a memorial stone.

Anoushka from Newcastle has an item of crystal-ware that she’s hoping is a piece by Lalique. If it is, it would push the price right up, but even if it’s not, can she still persuade the dealers that it’s worth splashing out due to its prettiness alone?

Before Mike can sell his decorated piece, the dealers will have to work out what is – and the guesses range from a toilet brush to a musical instrument. Finally and perhaps most intriguingly, Kathy from Leicester has a catalogue of items for an auction organised to help the families of victims of the Titanic disaster. But no matter what the bids, it all adds up to a nice bit of escapism. As Nigel says: “It’s an upbeat, fun show that combines interesting objects with a bit of drama and comedy thrown in, so it’s easy to lose yourself in it and forget about what’s going on outside.”

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