Raj Bisram: My England

The landscape and artefacts of rural England—which reveal the past lives of country dwellers—fascinate celebrity antiquarian and auctioneer, Raj Bisram.

I’ve always been outdoorsy, so even though I grew up in an urban area of north London, I was forever exploring nearby Queen’s Wood, which is a beautiful ancient woodland. Alexandra Palace—with almost 200 acres of green space and trees—was just down the road too. Until 1970, there was a racecourse there, and my Saturday job was helping
with the racehorses. I absolutely loved it!

My parents came to England in 1954, two years before I was born, and the English countryside was a wonder to them. On Sundays, as a treat, they would put me and my two sisters in the car and off we’d go for a picnic. Sometimes we’d visit Richmond Park—for a London boy, seeing all the deer running free for the first time, well I just thought, ‘Gee whiz!’.

We’d also head into the Hertfordshire countryside, where we discovered the village of Bayford. It had this lovely green and a farm nearby. I would gaze over the gate into the field and one day the farmer came over and said hello. We ended up visiting him every time we went. He had horses and he let me ride one. That was such an adventure.

Being active in the great outdoors is an absolute joy. At school I discovered a love of cross-country, running for Haringey, Middlesex and in the England championships. Later I became a PT instructor in the army and skied competitively too. But being in the countryside is not only good for your physical health, it’s great for your mental health too.

My wife is from a very old Kent farming family and our two daughters grew up here. They both still live nearby. The special thing is the sense of community. People have time to talk to you. In big cities people just don’t have time. If you talk to someone in London they think you’re crazy!

We live on a very small island and the contrast between the landscapes of different English counties is amazing. For example, I love St Just in Cornwall for its wildness and its beauty. And I also love the very different beauty of the landscape here in Kent, known of course as the Garden of England and famous for its oast houses. When I first arrived, you would see lots of hop fields and apple orchards. You still see the orchards here in the Weald, but there seem to be fewer hop farms as more hops are imported. That’s something that concerns me. We try to do our bit and buy local produce from farm shops. And we always go with the seasons, buying what is available at that time of year.

In the woods behind our house is an old culvert and possibly an old Roman road, now long gone. I travel all around the country for my television work and every single village I go to has fascinating customs, crafts, or history. Recently, in Norfolk I learnt how to make the local beer. I’ve been to Suffolk and learnt the local version of clog dancing. I helped make a trug at the oldest trug-maker in Sussex. I’ve helped a wheelwright make an old cart wheel. All these old trades are firmly rooted in the place and its history.

Rural artefacts have a story to tell too. Old Kent hop sacks often have a lovely design with the farmer’s name on them, so you can link them back in time to farming families. It’s the same with many milk churns. Things like these, as well as old farming implements and equipment, are becoming very collectible. The money old tractors go for is mind-blowing! Sometimes I find old rural tools and haven’t a clue what they are. But you’ll always find somebody who can tell you, and that sense of discovery is wonderful.

One thing that really bugs me, though, is litter by the side of the road in the countryside. We have volunteer days where we go out and pick up the litter that people just lob out of car windows. Education is needed on things like littering, fly-tipping and waste in general. For example, manufacturers need to be responsible for reuse or recycling when their products come to the end of their useful life.

The first thing we do when our two grandchildren, aged just four and three, come over is go for a walk in the woods. They are always curious, always inquisitive, asking ‘what is this?’ and ‘what is that?’. They used to do things that small children often do, like bashing the flowers. So we made sure we explained why they shouldn’t do that and they don’t do it anymore. They’re learning so much about nature, including how important it is to take care of it.

About the author

Antiques expert Raj Bisram is a regular on Antiques Roadshow, Flog It!, Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt as well as many other shows. He is also the co-founder of Bentley’s Antique and Fine Art Auctioneers in Cranbrook.