AMERICAN Pickers is my comfort blanket on television.

It is a constant factor on the History Channel and best news of all a new series or season depending on your preference is on the air.

The premises of American Pickers is Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz travel the USA leaving their base in Le Claire, Iowa, and hit the road in search of re-useable collectables.

They buy lots but between them their main interests lie in Petroliana, anything car related, bicycles, motorcycles (Mike loves Indian motorcycles) smalls like toys, clocks, boxes up to barn find cars or cars which need some love but will not be restored to their full glory but will go down the road.

Mike always uses phrases like 'that guy at the end of the rainbow', this is great for an entree level collector'. Frank likes to buy motorbikes such as Harley Davidsons and Japanese models.

Every where they go you know the people in the houses are expecting them. A whole camera crew is rocking up with them. I am sure they tell people to look surprised but you know it is an illusion.

What is good about the programme while it focusses on Mike and Frank, it does allow the people they meet to tell their story, how they came to have so much and why they are selling the items.

While the programme is entertainment it does teach you things. You listen, take on board and suddenly you know bits about knucklehead engines, serial numbers without realising it.

You know what is hot in the world of collecting or interior design.

American Pickers is not a guilty pleasure, it is a pleasure.

It is a show, it is not Antique Roadshow thankfully, it is more like Dickinson's Real Deal. A place where cash is king and a shake of a hand is the deal clincher.

The Antique Archaeology have been to Italy and did come to Great Britain.

I hope they come back to the UK for episodes, they can come and visit me, love to share a cuppa with Mike and Frank.