staggering

A man was adamant he wouldn’t be selling his family heirloom, despite learning its eye-watering value in the latest instalment of the BBC show.

A guest on Antiques Roadshow refused to part with his late father’s rare Omega watch, despite discovering it was worth five figures.

During Sunday’s episode (November 30), the BBC programme showcased ‘unseen treasures’ from this summer’s valuations, including a timepiece that horological expert Alastair Chandler hailed as “a real classic”.

The Speedmaster watch belonged to the guest’s father, who only wore it on special occasions throughout his son’s childhood.

Examining the piece, Alastair remarked: “This is a fabulous Omega Speedmaster made in Switzerland. It’s a real classic watch. However, what really caught my attention was it’s such an unusual dial configuration for an Omega Speedmaster.”

The guest revealed his dad purchased it for just £59 back in 1971. The specialist then explained this particular model was the first watch to travel to the moon, reports the Express.

Alastair said: “As soon as we mention the Speedmaster, we automatically think ‘moon landing’. These watches were known as the moonwatch because they were the first watch to go to the moon, chosen by NASA.

“But you’ll notice on this watch there’s nothing about the moon landing on it. And that’s because it was primarily [used] as a chronograph for racing.”

Despite its original price tag of under £60, Alastair revealed the watch is now valued at over £50,000 as of December 2024.

“Given the rarity of these watches, they don’t come up for sale very often. So it’s quite a difficult one to place. However, I can say, in December 2024, a similar watch, same model, sold for just over £50,000 at auction,” the expert revealed.

Despite learning about his family heirloom’s staggering worth, the guest insisted he wouldn’t be parting with it.

“Wow, surprising. Very surprising,” he responded after hearing the figure, before confirming: “But I won’t be selling it.”

Alastair then joked: “It’s not a bad investment on £50.” The delighted guest agreed: “No, it’s very, very good actually. Very good. Dad chose wisely.”

The timepiece’s extraordinary value stemmed from its scarcity, with only between five and twenty examples featuring the identical dial design and appearance known to exist in public hands.

Like most vintage timepieces, its worth could increase further over the years, presumably why the guest was determined to hold onto it.

Social media users picked up on this too, with one X commenter suggesting the guest might want to “take his time selling that!”.

Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One.

A new report has revealed the large sum of money owed to the unpaid Manchester Pride artists and venues.

Back in October, the charity behind the long-running LGBTQIA+ festival made headlines after various performers revealed that they hadn’t been paid for this year’s event, including Drag Race UK star Saki Yew.

“It’s gone too far. As performers, we’re used to waiting for money, but there’s no communication and no answer. A lot of performers are starting to give up hope of being paid,” Saki told BBC Newsbeat in October.

Drag Race UK star Zahirah Zapanta and Adam Ali echoed similar sentiments, with the latter publishing a letter on behalf of other acts who were awaiting payment.

Following immense backlash, Manchester Pride’s Board of Trustees released a statement on 16 October, revealing that they were in “the process of determining the best way forward” with their legal and financial advisers.

A week later, the event’s board of trustees confirmed that Manchester Pride had started the “legal process of voluntary liquidation.”

“A combination of rising costs, which are affecting the entire events and hospitality industries, declining ticket sales and an ambitious refresh of the format aimed to challenge these issues, along with an unsuccessful bid to host Euro Pride, has led to the organisation no longer being financially viable,” they wrote in a statement released on 22 October.

“The Manchester Pride team have now handed over the details of suppliers and artists who are owed money to the liquidators who will be handling the affairs of the Charity and contacting everyone,” the board concluded.

Now, a new financial report from KR8 Advisory has revealed the staggering debt Manchester Pride had accumlated before they went into voluntary liquidation.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the charity owes £1.3m to performers, venues and suppliers.

Included in the extensive list are 182 companies and individuals who are reportedly owed between £30 and £330,329.

Manchester Pride was also unable to pay the £47,330.40 bill for first aid charity St John Ambulance, the £330,329 fee for Mayfield Depot, nor the £167,892 price tag for security firm Practical Event Solutions.

The event’s headliners, Nelly Furtado and Olly Alexander, were also left unpaid, with the former owed £145,775.75 and the latter £48,000.

In addition to their debt, the report gave further insight into the events leading up to the charity going bust.

Following lower-than-expected ticket sales, Manchester Pride directors allegedly sought out legal advice at the start of September.

They also attempted to dig themselves out of their financial hole by exploring “rescue proposals” such as the Mardi Gras event at Mayfield Depot.

“But as delivery of the festival drew closer, the pace of ticket sales did not accelerate as expected,” the document revealed.

The charity, which reportedly entered 2025 with “challenging circumstances,” also sought help from Manchester City Council, but after weeks of deliberation, the authority declared that they were unable to assist.

Amid their attempts to save the charity, organisers were also waiting to see if they had been selected to host EuroPride 2028, which would have garnered “significant grant funding and sponsorship support.”

When Ireland was selected over Manchester, the board called an emergency meeting to discuss additional solutions before agreeing to put the organisation into liquidation.

While Manchester Pride has been embroiled in financial issues, it’s not the end of the long-running festival.

In a statement, the Manchester City Council confirmed that “a new chapter” for the festival will take place in August 2026.

“The council will play a full and active role in bringing together the LGBTQ community to help shape how the city moves forward to ensure a bright and thriving future for Manchester Pride,” the council added.