bbc’s bArgAin hunt returns to film At the llAndeilo fAir

THE Llandeilo

Antiques and Vintage Fair , due to be held on Saturday 5th August, is going to be a very special event. The fair has always turned up some surprises over the years , with different celebrities turning up unexpectedly at the fair. Last year the fair played host to BBC’s Bargain Hunt. This popular show is aired at lunchtime and is watched by millions of viewers each day.

The breaking news is that Bargain Hunt will be back filming at Llandeilo again on the 5th August.

The scene will be set for a spectacular event.

Bargain Hunt was first aired on BBC 1 on 13 March 2000 and was originally presented by David Dickinson. From 2003 to January 2016 it was presented by Tim Wonnacott. In 2016 the format changed to a rota of hosts from a “team of experts” fronting the show.

Two teams –designated the “Reds” and the “Blues” –compete. Each team has two members, who wear jackets that correspond to their team’s colour.

At the beginning of the show, each team is given £300 with which to purchase antiques. The objective is to find items that will earn the team a profit when later sold at auction. Each team is accompanied by their expert, though it is the contestants’ decision whether to heed the advice , given by their expert. After the contestants have completed their purchases and presented them to the host, home viewers are shown a “what the auctioneer thinks” section in which the auctioneer appraises the buys and gives the auction estimate. At the auction, as each item is sold, the host compares the auction sale price to the price originally paid by the team. If the final total shows a profit, the team receives that profit in cash; otherwise, the team receives nothing.

The show is punctuated by footage of the host visiting a place of historical interest, such as a stately home or museum, and talking about the items housed there.

2019 again brought a change to the rules with two challenges, the ‘Big Spend Challenge’ and the ‘Presenter’s Challenge’ being introduced. The teams have to spend at least £75 on one item, and buy an item relating to a specific category. Other changes include the contestants introducing themselves to camera, rather than to the presenter, and the bonus buy is now revealed to the contestants in the auction room after the sale of the first three items. If the teams gain profits on all 3 items then a golden gavel is awarded to the team members,

The experts who aid the contestants in their choice of item are only revealed at the beginning of the show and therefore their identity is kept top secret.

However we do know that the popular presenter Eric Knowles will definitely be in charge on the day.Eric Knowles was born in Nelson Lancashire, in 1953 and worked in both engineering and for a firm of antique shippers in the early 1970s. His love of antiques, inherited from his parents, came to the fore in 1976, when he joined Bonham’s, the London auctioneers, working first as a porter in the ceramics’ department, before becoming head of the department in 1981.

Eric has also become a regular face on TV. His appearances include BBC Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Show, Antiques Master to name but a few. Eric is a writer. He is resident Sunday Times Antiques Expert and a frequent contributor to the BBC Homes and Antiques magazine. Eric has lectured extensively in the UK and both in the USA and Canada.

As well as presenting and appearing on radio and TV, he has written books on subjects such as Victoriana, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Royal Memorabilia. The famous pottery of Royal Doulton has launched the Eric Knowles character jug. He is a patron of several charities and is an Ambassador for the Princes Trust.

However it’s on BBC Bargain Hunt that we regularly see Eric as one of the team of presenters ,who took over from Tim Wonnacott. This lunch time favourite sees Eric encouraging 2 teams plus their experts ,to go out and find a bargain at various fairs around the country.

We are delighted to have the Bargain Hunts teams at the next Llandeilo fair and this is obviously is brilliant news and it will be exciting to see what bargains the contestants discover at this popular fair. They will then be filmed at auction at a later date ,to witness what money has been made.or lost!The programs will be aired later in the year.

The fair can be located in the heart of Llandeilo, close to the main car park. Here you will find a bustling, vibrant Fair with lots of antiques and vintage to wet your appetite. The fair now includes a vintage element with a touch of retro.

The fair at Llandeilo brings a surprising diversity of antiques on display. There should be a good selection of Welsh items on offer. Whether it’s an original Welsh watercolour or oil painting or a piece of Welsh pottery or examples of Welsh blankets and textiles on display , the result of Wales having a rich heritage , in the woollen industry.

Attractive displays of gardinalia has proved extremely popular at the fair, including watering cans , wheel barrows and garden tools and large garden pots and urns.

The Llandeilo fair has a rich cross section of antiques and vintage on display, from jewellery,watches, books, ephemera, postcards, militaria and vintage clothes and accessories. There will also be collections of glass and up cycled and pre loved furniture, plus interior design pieces. I’m sure visitors will not be disappointed with the selection on offer at this popular fair, especially as there will some outside stands to browse.

Homemade refreshments will be available and doors open at 10 am until 4pm. Admission is just £1.