When I was a little girl my mother loved going to antiques auctions and watching a show about antiques on the BBC on Sunday evenings. She’d guess how much pieces were worth and gasp along with the audience when they were surprisingly valuable. The experts on the show would assess the piece people brought along. There was always the chance somebody would find something amazing in their attic or bring along a family heirloom with a cool backstory.

Eventually my dad persuaded her to leave the auctions alone because we owned too many vases and obscure brass ornaments. She even sold some and made a small profit. But I knew people like this sort of thing, so when the email came in from the county museum I raised it with Boss Lady at our planning session.

“The county museum is doing a roadshow and the...

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