Dickinson's Real Deal

In the Ilkeston 1 programme, David Dickinson and the antiques dealers travel to the Derbyshire town of Ilkeston to investigate local finds. During the visit, Alison Chapman evaluates a Treasure Island illustration in detail, offering her expert opinion on its significance for the show.

Ilkeston 1 is a television programme presented as an episode in a larger series. It follows the familiar format of a regional antiques‑focused show, taking viewers to a specific town and highlighting local artefacts and expertise. The episode’s structure is built around on‑site visits, expert commentary and the assessment of items that have historical or cultural interest. In this particular instalment, presenter David Dickinson joins a group of antiques dealers for a day out in Ilkeston, a market town situated in Derbyshire. While the team canvasses the area, specialist Alison Chapman steps in to examine a particular piece – an illustration taken from the classic novel Treasure Island. Her role is to appraise the artwork, offering insight into its provenance and relevance within the broader context of literary illustration. The visit to Ilkeston provides the backdrop for the dealers’ search and Chapman's evaluation, linking the town’s heritage with the literary significance of the illustration. By combining Dickinson’s on‑screen presence, the dealers’ expertise, and Chapman's specialist knowledge, the episode showcases how a single item – in this case, a Treasure Island drawing – can serve as a focal point for discussion about both local and wider cultural history.