TV antiques expert David Harper has turned to online video production during the current enforced break from his usual activities.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, Mr Harper had been looking forward to the publication of a new history book on the Georgians, a theatre tour and more television work on shows that have made him a household favourite with millions of viewers.
However, with work on hold and observing the lockdown at his home near Barnard Castle, he has begun producing a series of videos for broadcast on his Facebook and Twitter social media channels based on some of the stories contained in his book, A Romp with the Georgians.
Mr Harper said he got the idea after being contacted by a school in the Isle of Wight.
“They asked me if I would do something for the kids at home,” he said.
“I used to love the Horrible Histories and it gave me the idea of telling some of the stories in my book.
“The book is written and aimed at older readers and concentrates on things our history teachers never told us.
“It is full of true stories about real people doing outrageous things, so I have adapted some of them for a younger audience.
“They are for age 10-plus and there is a home schooling element to this, introducing the children to this period in history.”
Mr Harper has already recorded one piece on the wigs that were worn in Georgian society and plans another on make up of the period.
He even plans to tell the story of the four King Georges of the period in just two minutes and 20 seconds.
Prior to the lockdown, Mr Harper had been filming an episode of the BBC’s Antiques Road Trip with fellow expert Roo Irvine when production came to a sudden halt.
The series pairs up antiques experts, sends them out in a vintage car with £200 and challenges them to make money buying and selling objects at a succession of auctions.
“We were having a great time in our AC Cobra. Everything was going wonderfully and then it was called off just like that,” he said.
It was a similar case with his planned book and tour.
“I was just coming to the end of the last tour – I lost about five dates. The tour was brilliant and I was getting excellent reviews,” he said.
“I had written the book as the basis for my next theatre tour but I have lost dates in June, July and September. I am losing more by the day.”
In the meantime, in addition to his online videos, Mr Harper has registered as a NHS volunteer responder for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.
