An Aberdeenshire woman will showcase her stunning Russian antiques in a new STV series tonight (Wednesday January 19).
Kathleen Findlay, from Stonehaven, will appear on Clear Out, Cash In, an eight-part series which follows antiques expert and auctioneer Angus Ashworth as he visits homes across Scotland in the search for unusual antiques and collectables to sell for profit at auction.
In tonight’s episode, viewers will see Kathleen explain that she’s keen to declutter her home and put the proceeds towards her “new campervan fund”.
Many of the items unearthed by Angus in Kathleen’s home belonged to her late husband and childhood sweetheart James, who died 17 years ago of a heart condition.
Great eye for collectibles
James picked up numerous Russian antiques when he worked in Azerbaijan, and Angus assures Kathleen her husband “had quite an eye (for collectables)”.
In a moving moment, Kathleen reminisces of the early days of her relationship with James: “I knew I liked him and I knew he liked me, but he was very shy.
“There was a club that we all used to go to on a Saturday night. We were dancing and I asked him, ‘Will you go out with me?’ He said ‘yes’ and we got married in 1984.”
Unique collection of luxury watches
Angus, who also stars in BBC One’s Antiques Road Trip, takes a particular interest in Kathleen’s unique collection of luxury watches, which she has kept in a chest for more than two decades.
He said: “It’s an auctioneer’s dream when you come in, open a chest and it’s full of watches. This is quite exciting.
“A lot of these are worth anywhere between £100 and £300, but there’s one or two that are probably worth about £600 to £800.”
In the end, Kathleen walked away with more than £14,000.
She said: “I can’t believe I had all that sitting in my house for so long. Crikey!”
How to watch Clear Out, Cash In
Clear Out, Cash In airs on Wednesdays at 8pm on STV and those interested can watch the series so far on STV Player.