Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould head to the beautiful Norfolk countryside on the trail of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists, Henry Moore. They are investigating an intriguing sculpture that belongs to retired dairy farmer Neil Betts and his wife Barbara, who, over the years, have used the piece as a doorstop and even a water feature, when Neil draped a hosepipe over it. t was only when a friend suggested it looked very much like the work of Henry Moore that the Betts began to see it in a different light - and started to call it Henry.
Neil and Barbara inherited the sculpture from their former neighbour, Mrs Williams, who at that time lived next door to them at Mergate Hall near Norwich. The sculpture had been found in the long grass of the grounds of the hall when Neil had struck it with his strimmer while helping the Williams family clear the garden. When Mrs Williams died, she left it to the Betts along with all of her possessions.
Things got off to a promising start when Neil and Barbara sent photographs of the sculpture to the Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green, Hertfordshire. The foundation has the authority to decide whether previously uncatalogued pieces are genuine works by Moore, and they were interested enough in the Betts’ piece to ask them to submit it to their review panel. But first the Fake or Fortune? team are helping the Betts research this distinctive piece and compile a dossier of evidence.
There’s a huge amount at stake. If this is a unique piece by Henry Moore, it could be worth up to £1 million. But if it’s not, then it’s probably worth just a few thousands. The stakes have never been so high for the team.