Silsoe Odours at the Antiques Roadshow
Article updated 12th March 2019.
The excitable amongst you may remember our exploits last summer, when the Antiques Roadshow came to visit our small part of Bedfordshire. We tried (and failed) to interest them in our vintage olfactometer. To their shame they weren’t fussed about the history of testing odour samples! They did, however, get excited about our Project Manager Victoria’s contribution. She featured on the BBC1 show on Sunday 10th March 2019.
If you missed it live, you can see what happened and get to know Victoria a bit better by catching up on the iPlayer. She’s featured at 32 minutes, 34 seconds. The eagle-eyed amongst you may also spot James here and there too.
In the meantime, read on to find out about our day with the Antiques Roadshow experts…
July 2018
Today has been very eventful here at Silsoe Odours! Our odour lab is based in the flagship English Heritage site in Bedfordshire, Wrest Park. We often share our workspace with weddings, festivals and the odd film crew. Today, we’ve seen around 5,000 members of the public, all here to see meet Antiques Roadshow experts. So to join in the fun, we dug out our very own vintage Olfactometer – the device we use for testing odour samples. Victoria and Nalisha also brought along their own personal heirlooms. Here’s what happened…
The view of the action from Silsoe Odours
Queueing At The Antiques Roadshow
We thought it would be a good idea to challenge the marvellous British summer. Cue us standing in a queue for more nearly four hours in the early afternoon sun. Yes, there was sunburn. But also an abundance of new aquaintances, great conversation, good humour and a general acceptance of popping in and out from time to time. A queue rivalled in British etiquette only by Wimbledon!
Newbie Queuebies – in denial at the wait ahead
The charm of a vintage olfactometer is apparently confined to the scientific community, and didn’t make the TV grade. But Victoria’s Spinning Jenny was a different matter. It had staff literally running around in excitement, in a quest to find the relevant expert.
We’re VIPs Now
Quick pit-stop to take a photo of the odour lab from the action side. They’re still busy testing odour samples in there by the way!
James and Victoria posing between the crowds and the VIP area.
Identified as a future TV star, Victoria (with the rest of us in tow!) was directed to the pre-production waiting area. A cool room, tea and ginger biscuits. Perfect! And a make-up artist for our A-lister, of course.
Lights, Camera, Action!
I’m sure you’ll agree the photos speak for themselves – we had a great day. As you’ll see on the show, Victoria is a natural on camera. Here she is with her new best pal Hilary Kay. A thoroughly lovely lady!
The antique in question is a 200 year old bone carving. It’s a ‘Spinning Jenny’ toy, carved in Suffolk by a French prisoner-of-war during the Napoleonic war. We’ll let you find out what Hilary thought when you watch the episode for yourself.
Sound check
Victoria on camera with Antiques Roadshow expert Hilary Kay
Victoria and Hilary’s close up
Taking a close look at the Spinning Jenny
What Was That About An Olfactometer?
The olfactometer in use today
The olfactometer is a specialist laboratory instrument which we use to test odour samples. We have a shiny modern one today (and a new one going in the week this airs, funnily enough). But back in the day things were a bit different.
Here’s our late 1970s version. It came from Germany and still has its original operating instructions and notes from 1985. According to our Director, Robert Sneath, it didn’t work – maybe that’s why the TV experts weren’t interested!
The old days!
There’s More!
After all that, there was still more to come. In all the excitement over her Spinning Jenny, Victoria’s other treasure was nearly forgotten! Our last hurrah at the Antiques Roadshow involved running across Wrest Park trailing behing Hilary, in search of David Battie. He tells Victoria she’s got a stag antler page turner from Japan.
Not your average Thursday at Silsoe Odours, but one we certainly won’t forget for a while.
David Battie appraising Victoria’s page turner
Our leading lady
Hilary Kay and the Silsoe Odours team
So finally, if you’d like to know more about our exploits today, or you’d like to talk about testing odour samples, get in touch.
