The Antiques Roadshow is now recording its 37th series and I joined the team of experts back in 1978, during the second series of this long-running television favourite. At that time I was working for Sotheby's as head of their Collectors’ Department, a department that handled a wide variety of subjects ranging from scientific instruments to costume and textiles, sporting and rock memorabilia to toys and dolls.

My own interest in mechanical antiques had originally been ignited by childhood visits to my grandparents’ house where my grandfather introduced me to a Victorian microscope and all its delights. It would be lovely to see some mechanical antiques later this week when the Antiques Roadshow wagon train comes to Barrington Court near Ilminster.

September is a month of mixed emotions for the Roadshow expert team, with the recording season drawing to a close (only the programme at Kelvingrove in Glasgow remaining after Ilminster), but it is also the month that the current series begins to be broadcast on a Sunday evening.

We have heard that viewers enjoyed the new Roadshow title sequence which was first seen on Sunday, and my colleague, Marc Allum, provided a good number of the objects featured. The audience also enjoyed sharing the once-in-the-history-of-the-programme visit by HM The Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh to the Antiques Roadshow at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland. A memorable and hugely enjoyable experience for Paul Atterbury, John Axford and I, the three experts who met the royal party and chatted with them at length about antiques discovered in the castle.

One question that the royal party did not ask us was "How should we look after this piece?", something that members of the public often put to us. There is an almost infinite number of conservation questions that antique owners put to the Roadshow experts and I will mention here a few of the most regular issues that can affect the heirlooms and antiques with which we share our homes.

General Problems

Light.
Most people are aware that all light causes a degree of damage to natural materials, with daylight (and sunlight in particular) causing most harm. What may not be widely known is that fluorescent lights and, to a lesser extent tungsten light, can also be harmful cumulatively since it is the UV radiation present to a greater or lesser extent in all light that slowly breaks down organic materials such as paper, wood and textiles.

Humidity.
It is the natural materials, once again, that are most susceptible to the effects of excessive humidity. Wood, paper (including paintings), textiles and leather are some examples where it is important that humidity levels are kept under control

Heat.
High temperatures and dryness can also damage natural material, as well as creating the right environment for metals exposed to the air to corrode more quickly.

Ideal conditions.
Humidity of around 55%, temperature of around 18?C, with light controlled by using light blinds or with window glass coated with a film of UV absorbent material.

Hilary and the Antiques Roadshow team will be in Ilminster for the penultimate show of the season, on 18 September from 9.30am. The last show will be filmed in Glasgow on 9 October.