Would It Surprise You To Know…?
'Ronnie has overcome a heart-breaking start in life to achieve great success and no one deserves it more. What a dude, what a life!' - Fiona Bruce
'Brilliant...a mercurial memoir of a meritorious life.' - Lemn Sissay
For decades, Ronnie Archer-Morgan has brought to life the fascinating, often surprising backstories behind our most cherished heirlooms and household objects on the Antiques Roadshow. Now, he tells his own unlikely story.
Born in the fifties to a Sierra Leonean mother battling mental health problems, Ronnie spent his childhood in and out of care. After difficult beginnings, marked by abuse, racism and brushes with both criminals and the police, he got into music, managing to get DJ gigs and, later, worked as a celebrity hairdresser for Vidal Sassoon and Smile in the height of seventies London. A flair for spotting antiques led him to start his own Knightsbridge gallery, ultimately becoming one of the most respected figures in the industry, culminating in a regular spot as an expert on the nation's Sunday favourite, Antiques Roadshow.
Told with rich warmth, this is an extraordinary journey from deprivation and abuse to adventure and success against the odds - with stories of the incredible objects which shaped the way.
'A surprising story, like many of the objects he appraises on the Antiques Roadshow' - Kate Adie, broadcaster and bestselling author
'A fascinating, rollercoaster read, very well told.' - Times
Ronnie Archer-Morgan has worked in the antiques business for over 30 years. He learned the tricks of the antiques trade by exploring local shops and markets whilst working a variety of jobs including technical model maker, DJ, a boutique manager and celebrity hairdresser. This eventually led him to work as consultant to Sotheby's wristwatch department and to start his own renowned Knightsbridge gallery. Today, Ronnie is best known for his regular appearances on the TV favourite Antiques Roadshow where his exciting finds have included a Fijian war club, and he remains a fixture at London's flea markets and the prestigious Masterpiece Art Fair
Janet Gleeson (Author)
Janet Gleeson is the author of works of fiction and nonfiction which have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Her books include The Arcanum, which was Radio 4 Book of the Week and a Sunday Times bestseller, The Money Maker, An Aristocratic Affair and The Lifeboat Baronet, as well as three historical crime novels. She has a BA Hons in English and Art History from Nottingham University and an MA from Birkbeck College, University of London. She worked at Sotheby's and Bonhams where she specialised in old master paintings before starting her writing career as a columnist for House & Garden and an editor for Reed Books. She lives in a medieval barn in Dorset.