One of Northumberland's most popular museums is set to appear on the Antiques Roadshow on Sunday.
Woodhorn Museum near Ashington tells the story of coal mining and the miners' way of life in the North East of England, and was chosen to host an episode in the 44th series of the popular BBC programme.
Filmed on a closed set with an invited audience when the country was tentatively moving out of restrictions last summer, around 300 people were present - some of whom had very interesting heirlooms ready for inspection.
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Woodhorn's episode sees Clocks and Watches expert Alastair Chandler admire a gold Rolex 'President wristwatch from the 1980s while Steven Moore is intrigued by a grotesque ceramic animal sculpture made by the eccentric Martin Brothers. Susanne Zack looks at a pencil portrait by British artist Henry Ryland while John Foster falls for a small Roman figure uncovered by a metal detectorist.
And it wouldn't be a trip to the North East without football getting a mention - Raj Bisram is thrilled by a set of gold FA Cup medals won by Newcastle United legend Bobby Cowell.
Woodhorn's history is shown too, through the work of the 'Pitmen Painters'. Fiona Bruce shines a light on this group of miners who learned to paint and draw and created artworks capturing life in pit communities.
A spokesperson from Woodhorn Museum said: "It's an amazing opportunity. I think Antiques Roadshow gets seven million viewers so it's a real opportunity to raise the profile of the museum and share stories that people may not know about Northumberland, and South East Northumberland in particular. It's a really important platform for us.
"It was a lovely day too. The weather was perfect and there were some really interesting pieces that were brought along. Some were more valuable than others, and there were some lovely stories as well."
Rowan Brown, Chief Executive of Museums Northumberland, said: "As a life-long Antiques Roadshow fan, I’m delighted that Woodhorn Museum will be the series’ first coalmining location.
"The programme is renowned for its engaging and diverse storytelling, and Museums Northumberland aspires to do the same."
As well as Woodhorn Museum, other locations on the new series include Ham House in Richmond, London; The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh; Aston Hall, Birmingham; Bishop's Palace in Wells, Somerset; Ulster Folk Museum near Belfast and Porchester Castle, Hampshire.
Antiques Roadshow airs at 8pm on BBC One on Sunday February 27. It will be available on BBC iPlayer shortly after.
