Antiques Roadshow aficionado Rupert Maas was left in tears as he spilled the astonishing valuation of a vintage boat featured in a beloved cinematic classic.
In a stunning episode of the hit show, Rupert was seen emotional when he divulged the staggering value of a sailboat hailing from the 1974 cult film, Swallows and Amazons. The scene unfolded as Rupert sat aboard this cinematic masterpiece, reminiscing about the impact it had on his life as a 14-year-old.
“I’m sitting on a boat and not just any boat but the boat from Swallows and Amazons movie released in 1974 which I saw aged 14.” he confessed, as he began to break down. The boat’s current owner shared the captivating tale of its acquisition.
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Nestled in a Thames boatyard, it went up for auction when the previous owners decided to downsize. “After the film, it was stored in a boatyard on the Thames and 35 years later, they decided to downsize and move so all the boats they were storing came up for auction.”
(Image: BBC)
In a stroke of serendipity, the author of the original novel, Arthur Ransome, caught wind of the opportunity, sparking a collective desire to rescue Swallow. He said: “So, my colleague Magnus started crowdfunding basically and there were about 85 of us who chipped in to buy her.”
In an awe-inspiring display of camaraderie, one of the boat’s saviours, Magnus, initiated a crowdfunding campaign, amassing just under £5,500 to ensure Swallow would remain in the public domain, preserving the spirit of sailing on the boat for generations to come.
(Image: BBC)
“I like to think she was made in about 1930 when the book was published. So that would be a nice coincidence,” he added. Clearly impressed with the 90-year-old boat’s condition, the expert said: “And she’s not overly restored or spruced up. She’s in this lovely workaday condition.”
“So you can just take her out any time you want?” Rupert asked, to which the owner replied: “That’s right and we take lots of people out. In the book, she was a rough-and-ready farmer’s boat, so we don’t want to over-restore her.”
(Image: BBC)
But the pièce de résistance was yet to come. Rupert went on to unveil the boat’s value. While similar vintage sailboats could command a modest £2-3,000, Swallow’s association with the silver screen catapulted its price into the stratosphere, an astonishing £20-30,000.
The guest, rendered utterly speechless by the revelation, could only manage to exclaim: “That’s beyond belief!” as the boat’s value left him astounded.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
