Lichfield businesses delve into Titanic history on popular television show
Two family-owned Lichfield businesses have appeared on the same episode of one of a popular television show.
The 19th series of Dickinson’s Real Deal is currently being broadcast on ITV1 and an episode last Friday (January 19) featured auction scenes with Richard Winterton at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Fradley.
It also showed celebrity antiques expert David ‘The Duke’ Dickinson talking to Simon Price, CEO of cutlery manufacturer Arthur Price.
Simon visited the Fradley Park saleroom because of a personal connection with one of the lots featured on the programme – a Titanic souvenir signed by Millvena Dean, the last living survivor of the sinking and, at two months old, the youngest passenger onboard.
Founded in 1902, Arthur Price supplied cutlery for the White Line, Titanic’s owner and the company's items have been found in the wreck and been verified by deep-sea explorers.
The business produced limited edition silver-plated spoons modelled from the original die on the pattern used on the Captain’s table.
Number 1 of 89, bearing Millvena’s signature on the bowl of the spoon, and commemorating her 89th birthday in 2001, was taken to a Dealer Day at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull in May last year by Tom Reeves and, after receiving an offer of £80, he decided to go to auction instead.
Tom’s framed spoon included a certificate with a personalised inscription – “To Tom and Gail, with every good wish from Millvena Dean, youngest survivor of the Titanic” – dated September 19, 2001.
By a quirk of fate, Tom worked for Simon’s grandfather Frederick Price at Parkfield Rolling Mills in Saltley, Birmingham, a manufacturing firm used to produce Arthur Price cutlery.
When auctioneer Richard Winterton found out about the connection, he invited Simon to meet Tom and watch the auction together.
On auction day, Simon was interviewed onscreen by ‘The Duke’ discussing the Titanic cutlery and a letter from an explorer who in a submersible visited the wreck at the bottom of Atlantic Ocean and recognised the Arthur Price cutlery in the ship’s copper dishwasher tanks.
Going under the hammer with Richard Winterton, Tom’s lot sold well at auction and he took home £82 to put towards a holiday.
Simon said: “It was tremendous fun going along to the auction and meeting David, and it was a fantastic surprise to meet Tom, who worked for my grandfather.
“It was also a special moment being able to share the story of Arthur Price’s involvement with the Titanic on TV.”
David Dickinson also signed the We Love Lichfield celebrity t-shirt of which Simon is the patron.
The Community Fund, which raises and distributes grants across Lichfield District, hopes to auction the t-shirt, which has more than 40 signatures, to raise further funds in the future.
Richard Winterton added: “I have known Simon for many years and when Tom came to the Dealer Day with his history linked to Arthur Price, it was a perfect connection."
