TV antiques expert Eric Knowles today lifted the lid on his love of collections -- and revealed he was making money out of them when he was a kid in short trousers.

And he told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph of the days he and his pals would trample through the fields of Nelson armed with nothing more than a bottle of "corporation pop."

The popular TV presenter was born and bred in Nelson, living in the shadow of St Paul's Church, in St Paul's Road.

He left when he was 22 to seek fame and fortune in London and in a new book -- Celebrity Childhood Memories, published this week -- he recalls his East Lancashire days.

He said: "In the book I talk about how we use to keep ourselves occupied during the long summer holidays.

"It was in the days where we would say goodbye to your parents in the morning, with our sandwich, banana and bottle of corporation pop(water), and then not see them for the rest of the day.

"It's not like today."

The TV presenter, often featured in popular shows such as the Antiques Roadshow and Going, Going, Gone, is joined by former Blackburn MP Barbara Castle in the book, which is on sale for £5.

And Eric, who is also director of ceramics and works of art at Bonhams, the London auction house, reveals how he had a fixation with collections from an early age. He said: "We would get together our collections and put on a display on the lawn.

"The lad from across the road would bring his collection of birds' eggs, somebody else military cap badges and I would have Airfix models.

"We would pretend the lawn was a museum and charge the kids a penny to see them.

"It meant that we could afford dandelion and burdock instead of corporation pop.

"I suppose that's where I got my interest from and that aspect never left me.

"In later life I just had to become a lot more specialised."

Also featured in the book are Sir Cyril Smith, ex Goodie Bill Oddie, Keighley-born actress Mollie Sugden, actor George Layton, Bobby Robson, Margaret Thatcher and Jimmy Savile among many others.

Half the £4 cost of the book will be donated to Children in Need.

Celebrity Childhood Memories is available by sending a cheque for £5 including postage to author Henry Buckton PO Box 2770, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9XD.