CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews the weekend's TV trends now
Antiques Roadshow: Royal Treasures ****
Black Ops ****
What do you give the woman who has everything? Really, everything... palaces, dominions, diamonds as big as duck eggs?
As a wedding present to Princess Elizabeth in 1947, the people of Australia sent 500 tins of pineapples. Well, rationing was in force, and you can't have a party without pine-apple chunks on cocktail sticks.
Sadly, Fiona Bruce didn't discover any leftover tins on the Antiques Roadshow: Royal Treasures (BBC1). But she did find a slab of chocolate in an embossed tin, sold in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII.
I notice Cadbury's Dairy Milk has produced a coronation bar, by appointment, on sale in supermarkets at £8.50. It won't count as an antique for a few decades, but at that price it had better be an investment. Being a cheapskate, I'll just get a King-size Snickers.
All the commemorative ephemera of the coronation fascinates Robert Opie, of the Museum Of Brands off West London's Portobello Road — the street that is the spiritual home of antiques dealers (Paddington's old friend Mr Gruber has a shop there, you'll remember).
Fiona Bruce with her childhood doll, at the Museum of the Home in London for the Antiques Roadshow Toys & Childhood special
Sadly, Fiona Bruce didn't discover any leftover tins on the Antiques Roadshow: Royal Treasures (BBC1)
Robert brought some of his treasures to show Fiona, including a cardboard box of Shredded Wheat from 1953. On the back was a cut-out coronation coach, which the curator regarded with heartfelt awe. Fiona managed to keep a straight face but you could tell it was a struggle.
He also had a cardboard periscope, as used by people, especially children, to get a better view along the processional route. These were given away by newspapers. They might look odd now,
