When I first bought a video machine [possibly in '91 or '92] - I brought it home, set it up and looked in the programmes for something to record. Episode 1 of an adaptation of a novel by Bernice Reuben sounded good, so I set it to record and immediately went to bed stupidly early to see if it would work. I woke and got up stupidly early the next morning to check that my new technology had worked.

It had, and I ate my breakfast while I watched episode 1 of 'Mr Wakefield's Crusade'. As I munched and drank my coffee the story unfolded.

A brief synopsis:

'This is the bizarre tale of accidental millionaire Luke Wakefield, an accomplished failure, who embarks on a crusade when he appropriates an un-posted letter from a man who drops dead in front of him in a post office.

Pledging himself to contact the family of the mysterious Marilyn who, according to the letter, has been murdered by her jealous husband and buried under the un-sanctified turf of Wimbledon Common, Luke follows a tangled web of clues from the back streets of Merthyr Tydfil to the brothels of Soho.'

I watched as Luke Wakefield put his newly found collection of letters in a rather nice wooden box, book-matched burr walnut, curved lid and sides - quite a distinctive box. Which I recognised. In fact - there was only one place where that particular box could have come from - me, It was one I had made.

So, here was my box, in a starring role - on the telly!  Well, co-starring anyway - and I knew nothing of how this had come about. I probably never would have done if I hadn't decided to buy a video machine the day before episode 1 of 'Mr Wakefield's Crusade'. It turned out that the box was one that was on sale-or-return to a gallery in Wimbledon. They had been a nightmare to deal with and probably would never have told me about this. They shall remain nameless [actually I'd be happy to slag them off anytime if anyone really wants to know - and if they still exist]. I only found out because I phoned the BBC and spoke to the props buyer for the show.

I made a point of recording the other 5 parts, of course, and the box appeared in all of them. I will put up some screen captures when I can work out how to do it.

What are the chances of this happening?