LATER this month, a face familiar from 24 years on TV's Antiques Roadshow invites his Courtyard audience to bring along their own treasures.

Eric Knowles - a consultant at Bonhams auction house in London - has just returned from New York, where he has led a guided tour of the city's art deco highlights.

He has been travelling back and forward for 20 years to the city he regards as his second home, and knows it well.

Hereford he knows less well, but he is aware of the good auction houses we have nearby, and is keen to see what he may find here.

"Nothing to small!" is his advice on what to bring to the show, as he is not a jeweller.

"Anything art nouveau or art deco," he says, "or pottery, glass and metalwork is fine.

"If you bring in your Stradivarius or Turkish rug, I won't be able to help - I know nothing of these things," (said in true Manuel fashion).

His specialist subject is 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th ceramics including English, European and Oriental and he is responsible for sales of art nouveau and art deco.

He is also a leading authority on Tiffany and Lalique glass.

He began at Bonhams in 1975 as a porter, which involved "humping, lumping and moving stuff from A to B".

"It was a great social time," he says.

"I started off with other people who went on to big things in the auction world, some of whom are also now on TV.

"The first three years were so exciting when I arrived in London. I thought I knew a lot about antiques and on the first day I realised I knew nothing."

An inherited love of antiques from his parents - and a keen interest - took him, swiftly, to the top.

In 1985 he became a director and in 1992 he set up the firm's Bristol office, later returning to London to direct the decorative arts department. "Anybody can learn this business, given time, dedication and enthusiasm," he says, self-effacingly. "You need all three."

The day before I spoke to him, there were three TV programmes about antiques broadcast in the same prime time slot, a variation on a theme.

How does he feel about this glut of interest in old things?

"As far as my friends were concerned, I worked in an obscure discipline, which has all changed now.

"To some extent I have been part of that shift in popularity, and all publicity is good publicity.

"I'm glad that I work on the programmes I do," he adds, diplomatically.

As well as his busy schedule of TV work, including Period Property and This Morning, he writes for Teletext, The Sunday Times and BBC Homes & Antiques magazine.

He's never done a boot sale, but loves going to them when he has the time.

He describes himself as an information sponge and has a photographic memory for things like marks and glazes.

"One day it might come in useful," he says. "I keep it neatly filed away for that moment."

His advice for would-be collectors is to follow your nose and learn by your mistakes.

"Never skimp on a decent reference book, even if it's £50 - it will repay itself - and if you collect something like Clarice Cliff then think about joining the Clarice Cliff Collectors Club, where you'll meet like-minded people and find out more."

A buyer, and seller, his passion is gun metal blue ceramics and, although he would never have a cat or a budgie, he would die for a "nice iridescent jack-in-the-pulpit vase".

"If I ever become a grandparent, I'll need a day's grace to move everything up a shelf!"

His highest valuation so far has been £900,000 for a blue and white Chinese bowl, so see if you can push the million for Eric.