' Colossus ' - the Ship that Lost a Fortune
First of two programmes Expectation
In 1798 HMS Colossus, a man-of-war returning home from Nelson's fleet in the Mediterranean, foundered off the Scilly Isles. As she sank she took with her part of Sir William Hamilton 's second collection of ancient Greek vases.
Dr Birchall looks back at 1975 and shows how a group of divers found the wreck and its unique cargo. The vases were discovered, but the sea had broken them into thousands of tiny fragments. For Dr Birchall it was just the beginning.
Fascinating saga. (DAILY MAIL) Absorbing. (DAILY TELEGRAPH) Producer TONY SALMON
(Part 2: Realisation, next Wednesday)