During Sunday night's episode of Antiques Roadshow, BBC host Fiona Bruce took viewers to Porchester Castle on the Hampshire coast. Among the unique antiques brought for valuation was a water-damaged letter that survived the sinking of the Titanic, which caught the attention of expert Hilary Kay.
The letter was brought by the children of Sidney Daniels, who was just 18 years old when he boarded the Titanic as a plate washer. His daughter recounted how Sidney was asleep when the ship hit an iceberg in 1912, and he was asked to wake passengers, some of whom dismissed him due to his age.
Sidney's son explained that his father helped people into lifeboats until the water rose to his knees, at which point he jumped off the side. He swam to a life raft with another passenger, where a companion warned him not to fall asleep, as it would be fatal.
The letter, written by Sidney's family, was in his pocket during the sinking and the stamp washed away. Hilary Kay valued the letter at around £10,000, but the guests stated they would never sell it, hoping instead to donate it to a museum.
