WILL Farmer, a long serving expert on Antiques Roadshow got choked up as he remembered his mother with Fiona Bruce.
The ceramics and glass expert brought in a series of treasures that belonged to his family and host Fiona had to guess which he like best.
Will had brought in some glass wear and a distinct piece of artwork.
The minimalist portrait of a girl looking off into the distance was one his mother bought in the 1980s.
Pointing to the painting, Will explained how his mother came to own it.
“There we have a painting I think is just wonderful. This belonged to mum, I remember her buying it, I was only 14 or 15 at the time I think, we were in Newark at the big antique fair there,” he explained.
“And we went up and down the aisle so many times and she laboured and laboured over whether she should buy it and at the time it was £400 and we’re talking mid to late 80’s and I remember her saying ‘Oh “eslie just do it’.”
He aded: “He bought it and it hung by her bed from there on in.
“She taught in me this whole thing there’ll always be some other ways to earn money, but if you love it and it stirs something in your soul and you enjoy it, then go for it.”
A clearly moved Fiona replied: “I was lucky enough to meet your mum and I know how much she meant to you, so I think it’s this.”
“You’ve just completely sealed everything about our friendship,” a smiling Will told her as Fiona, cheered and laughed in excitement.
But Will then got emotional as he remembered his mother.
“I always said if I had 10 per cent of her eye and her knowledge and her love for this… I’d be good,” he told Fiona and gave the thumbs up as he welled up.
An emotional Fiona remarked: “Well, she would be so thrilled and proud to hear you talk about her. She loved this program and she watched it and she was proud of you.”
Will agreed: “That will go with me to the end of my days,” he said as he pointed to the painting.
The expert joined Antique Roadshow in 2004 and whose began when he was just a baby and taken to his first auction.
He would spend every weekend trawling through antique fairs with his mum and grandmother.
Will then formed his own company dealing in 20th century furniture and in 1999 he joined the Birmingham auction house Weller & Dufty as Head of Fine Art & Antiques.
Two years later he set up own auction house Fieldings Auctioneers, along with a business partner.
