Style speaks

to Antiques Expert Raj Bisram

at Smoking Lobster on the Esplanade. Over the years I keep being recommended to go to The Hut at Colwell Bay but if only I had a pound for every time I tried to book a table, I would be a very rich man. So, if anyone can help with getting a table at The Hut in August let me know!

In your expert opinion, what types of antiques are on their way up at the moment? And which ones wouldn’t you touch with a bargepole?

This issue, we sit down with antiques expert (and former Austrian ski resort instructor) Raj Bisram to talk about childhood collecting, visits to Ventnor, and what to look out for in the world of antiques.

Back in the 1960s, you bought your first antique at the age of just ten. What inspired your interest in historic items from such a young age?

I used to walk to school and would always pass by a pawnbroker’s shop. I always looked in and was fascinated by the things I saw. One day I spotted a small old ironstone pottery jar inscribed ‘J. Sainsbury’s Potted Meats’, I can’t remember how much it was, but I do remember saving my pocket money to buy it and I still have it to this day.

Following on from a role as a PT instructor in the British Army and a stint as a skiing instructor in Austria, you switched to antiques full-time. What prompted that change in career?

After leaving the army I wanted to become a professional ski racer, so I trained and raced in Europe. I lived in Ellmau, Austria, where I did my ski instructor’s qualifications and became the first British-Asian ski instructor in the whole of Austria. All the time I was earning money I bought and collected antiques. When I retired from skiing and moved back to the UK I decided to make one of my passions a career. I started with my wife Sue just selling to friends until we opened our first shop, and over the years moved on to be a co-owner of Bentley’s Fine Art Auctioneers in Kent.

You’ve often been spotted on the streets of Ventnor during the summer months. When did you first board a boat for the Isle of Wight? And what do you like so much about the place?

I just love the Isle of Wight — I first went there as a child and when our girls were young we visited many times. More recently some great friends of ours bought a house in Ventnor and we are so lucky they ask us to come and stay. I love the people of Ventnor and they say that people make a place. I get such a warm welcome whenever I go and there are so many beautiful places. We love going to the Garlic Farm and I also had a great time when I filmed an Antiques Road Trip on the Isle of Wight too.

We’ve heard you’re a bit of a foodie. Any favourite spots to dine on the Isle of Wight?

I do Iove my food and have never been disappointed with meals out on the Island. In Ventnor, we particularly like having an early evening drink at The Volunteer pub or a cocktail at The Royal Hotel before eating out

Well, rare items are on the way up, as are silver and gold items, modern art, specialised drinks, and vintage cars to name a few. Antique furniture items I believe are on the way up again, but I don’t have a crystal ball so my advice is if you are a collector, buy what you like and buy the best example you can afford.

We’ve seen you make appearances on BBC’s Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip to name just a few — any favourite moments from your televised adventures?

I’ve been very fortunate to be asked to join Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Trip, and of course Antiques Roadshow, but it seems I’m mostly remembered for being that Raj that got the magic trick wrong on Would I Lie to You. The truth is I’ve enjoyed every moment of every show I’ve ever been on (but I’m not a great quizzer as has been shown on numerous quiz shows!).

If you could only keep one item from all the antiques and collectables you’ve bought over the years, which one would you pick and why?

I’d have to pick two. First, the Sainsbury’s jar I mentioned earlier as I have kept it safe for 57 years so it’s not going anywhere. The other item is an early 20th-century plaster plaque depicting ‘skijoring’ which is a sport I tried in Austria. It’s where horses, dogs, reindeer, or a motorised vehicle take you round a course with you on skis holding onto the reins behind. I did it with horses and the plaque always reminds me of my days in the mountains.