A 'gloving donkey' from the South Somerset Heritage Collection (SSHC) took centre stage in the latest episode of the BBC's Bargain Hunt as the programme's 'mystery item'.

 Bargain Hunt filmed the episode at the Bath & West Showground Antiques and Collectors Fair in November 2022, and Joseph Lewis, Heritage Coordinator at Somerset Council brought along the item to discuss it with BBC presenter, Charlie Ross.

 The object was selected as the episode's 'mystery item' where it was shown to visitors and asked if they could guess what it was and its purpose.

 The 'gloving donkey' was invented in 1807 and is a device that has clamps and brass teeth to hold the fabric of a glove together for sewers to sew more evenly and quickly.

In Midsomer Norton it might have been recognised very quickly, since the town has a history associated with glove making. There was a factory making gloves in Church Lane - one that still today is one of the most famed in the world.

Dent, Allcroft & Co became in 1884 the biggest glove producer in the world - in 1884 it was making 12 million pairs of gloves a year - and customers included and still do today, the royal family.

But the company moved to Warminster in 1937. It is now a subsidiary of a fashion accessories company based out of Bolton, and was most recently in the news for being where the artefacts from Bath's Fashion Museum. are being stored

The SSHC, which is part of Somerset Council, is an archive based in Yeovil – a town which has been home to the glove-making industry since the 14th Century and in the 1950s, the town produced 50% of England's leather gloves.

Cllr Peter Seib, Ward Member for Brympton, where the SSHC is located, said: "I was amused to see one of our 'gloving donkeys' featured on Bargain Hunt. It demonstrates that our collection is of significant local and national interest.

 "The SSHC archive is a great resource for Yeovil and South Somerset and has been fascinating historians and interested groups since it was established in 2004.

 "Preservation of Somerset's heritage is a key priority for the Council and the items entrusted in our care are in safe hands thanks to the dedicated and knowledgeable heritage staff and volunteer team."