0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello. I'm Eric Knowles, and this is the programme where you can find out
0:00:05 > 0:00:09if those tired and broken heirlooms and treasures can be restored back to their former glory,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12and maybe make you some money at auction.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Find out how on Restoration Roadshow.
0:00:22 > 0:00:28I'm at Stonyhurst College, a splendid Grade I listed building here in rural Lancashire.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Originally built in the early 1500s by Sir Richard Shireburn,
0:00:31 > 0:00:36it was bequeathed to the Jesuits, and is now one of the country's top boarding schools.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40It's a perfect setting for our Restoration Roadshow,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44and our team of restorers are already attracting a lot of interest.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Your rocking horse is just one step away from the knacker's yard, isn't it?
0:00:48 > 0:00:53And the questions on everyone's lips: just how much are they worth?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I'm suggesting that it may be in the £4,000 bracket.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Should they be cleaned up and restored?
0:01:00 > 0:01:03- Would you like to go ahead with that?- I would, yes, because I really like it.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08And will they make any money at auction, or end up back at home?
0:01:11 > 0:01:17Coming up on today's programme - a mysterious Flemish woman hiding under layers of grime.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Can painting conservator Lucia reveal her secrets?
0:01:21 > 0:01:25This dirt is really quite telling.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29What hope is there for these fabulous 300-year-old battle-scarred chairs?
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Very interesting bracket there.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34I'm a pot-aholic. I love this vase!
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Come on, Roger, we need your ceramics skills to bring it back to life.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's worth good money, but not like this.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44To restore Moorcroft is quite difficult.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47So can he restore it and make this vase fly at auction?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50£800? 850? I'll take 850.
0:01:55 > 0:02:01It's wonderful to be at Stonyhurst College for today's Restoration Roadshow.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04With over 400 years of scholastic history to marvel at,
0:02:04 > 0:02:10the roll-call of past pupils is a who's who of the great and the good.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Along with seven Victoria Cross winners, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
0:02:14 > 0:02:20celebrated author and creator of Sherlock Holmes, also left his mark.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26While our restorers investigate the day's first casualties, this item's caught my eye.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31Owned by Dr Frank Rudman and his wife, Liz, and it's linked to the great author himself.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I believe we share a literary hero in the form of...
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- Yes, Sherlock Holmes. - Sherlock Holmes.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The connection of Conan Doyle with Stonyhurst is quite interesting.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46I understand he was a pupil here in the 1870s, and he shared his classes
0:02:46 > 0:02:53- with two characters called Moriarty and Watson.- Is that a fact?- Indeed.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And you've brought along a a couple of volumes... What are we looking at?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59We're looking at bound editions of the Strand Magazine.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04The first, 1891, possibly the most interesting.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07OK. Just looking inside here,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10it is profusely illustrated.
0:03:10 > 0:03:18I was led to believe that these originally were offered in, was it the monthly editions?
0:03:18 > 0:03:20In covered magazine form, that's right.
0:03:20 > 0:03:26This was subsequently bound so there's the edition for the whole year there, 1891.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31With anything to do with Sherlock Holmes extremely collectible,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34these bound Strand magazines are highly prized.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39They're in pretty good nick, too, so I think tampering with them would be a crime.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41But what an unexpected treat.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49It's this unpredictability that our restorers just love.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54What's going to turn up next? What secrets does each treasure hide?
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Like Edwin Grettin's mysterious oil painting.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03He's throwing down the gauntlet to our painting conservator, Lucia Scalisi,
0:04:03 > 0:04:09who spent 12 years at London's Victoria and Albert Museum working on priceless masterpieces.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12What a beautiful portrait you've brought in for us today.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13How did you come by this?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17About 50 years ago, when I was in my early twenties, I was working
0:04:17 > 0:04:22in Poland and I saw her in a junk-shop, and I liked the look of her.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25She didn't cost me very much. I paid about £25 for her at the time.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29She's beautiful. She looks Flemish to me.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34Probably late 17th century, and she's oil on panel.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37You can see she's very dirty, and the first thing that strikes me
0:04:37 > 0:04:40is that somebody's actually had a little wipe of the surface here.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42You have got this sort of streak down here.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44That's actually taken some of the discoloured varnish off.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- We have also got some paint losses around the edges.- Yes. - This one here is where it would...
0:04:48 > 0:04:53- A nail's gone through there, probably when it was in its original frame, so that's nail damage.- Yes.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57The other curiosity about the actual image itself
0:04:57 > 0:05:01is in the hands, and these two hands are painted very differently.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06This looks as if it's actually been added on at a later date, but that's not a problem.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08It adds to the history of it.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11The other thing on the condition, apart from the little paint losses,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14in the paint there, is this area here.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19It's been heat damaged, and you can see that the paint in this area is bubbled up.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Are you thinking about selling it? Have you had an evaluation?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24No, I haven't recently, no.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28If it turns out to be very special, very valuable, I don't think I would want to hang on to it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33I would want to sell it. If it's enough to buy me a chateau in France, I would certainly sell it!
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I don't think somehow it's going to do that.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Well, no, our valuers here today,
0:05:38 > 0:05:44they suggested in this condition at a sale, and not knowing who it's by,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47it will probably fetch something up to £1,000.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50So what I can do today, for the painting,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54is some local consolidation of this very fine, flaking paint here, then surface clean it.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Take all the dirt off the surface.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Not touching the varnish that's under there, that's a different thing altogether.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Re-varnishing it so it will look a lot better, a lot brighter,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08- you'll get a much better idea of the image, and refit it into this frame.- The cost...
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Would be around about £200.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Let's try it and see.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17It looks like Edwin's enigmatic lady has had a tough old life.
0:06:17 > 0:06:23Under Lucia's care, what will come to light from beneath those ancient layers of grime?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Could this woman prove to be Edwin's lady luck?
0:06:31 > 0:06:36Restorers just love getting their hands on items largely untouched since they were first made.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Even if that was over 300 years ago.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45These fabulous chairs were brought in by Chris and Joanne.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Furniture restorer Tim Akers is absolutely committed to
0:06:49 > 0:06:53bringing back beauty to neglected and abused furniture.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57It's a passion he's been indulging for over 30 years.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00So, Chris, how lovely to have some early oak.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Can you tell me anything about them?
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Yes, they've been in my family for many generations now.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Ultimately, they were retrieved from Bolton Hall, which is my family's
0:07:08 > 0:07:12ancestral home, and have been in our family home ever since.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I think they're fantastic, I really do. I really love them.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17There's a lot of Victorian copies around.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19These are absolutely genuine.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Do you know the date? - I wouldn't like to guess.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28They're Charles II, and they date about 1680, so they are super chairs. Let's just have a look...
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Well... OK!
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Very interesting bracket there.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38That's fine. That needs to be removed.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41The joints...
0:07:41 > 0:07:43are incredibly rickety,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48but of course, these joints were never originally glued in the first place.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54They were all dry assembled, and pegged, and you can see the lovely pegs on the chairs.
0:07:54 > 0:08:00The other thing is, of course, the second chair has got replacement finials.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03They do rather let it down. These are the originals,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07so I will turn two new ones, age them down.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But the big question is, Tim, how much will they cost to fix?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Sounds like quite a big job to me.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18I would have thought the restoration is going to be around about £300
0:08:18 > 0:08:21to get them into that sort of condition.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26So, what are you going to do? Do you think that's worth spending the money on the restoration?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I would say on balance that it probably would be.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34You know, you are looking at a niche market, and I think fully restored, you might get the best price.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Hold on a minute! Who's the expert here?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39But I actually think Chris is right.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43I reckon these chairs are worth £1,000 of anyone's money.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Tim is going to charge Chris £300 to restore them, so I think,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49and I'm putting my neck on the line here,
0:08:49 > 0:08:55at the right auction and with a fair wind, they could reach up to £1,500.
0:08:57 > 0:09:03Coming up - as Tim starts work on the chairs, he discovers a surprising feature.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05That's a piece of linen!
0:09:05 > 0:09:08That's 17th-century bodging at its best!
0:09:08 > 0:09:14And despite being hidden in the middle of the Ribble Valley, another famous name has found his way here.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Think hobbit and orcs!
0:09:21 > 0:09:26Stonyhurst College is beginning to look like an antiques A&E department.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31Bruised and battered pieces lie everywhere, with owners waiting to see if they can be rescued.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33But is everything salvageable?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Sue Ashcroft is hoping for a minor miracle.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I'm really rooting for Roger, our ceramics restorer.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43If he can get this right, Sue could make pots of money.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48With over 25 years' experience under his belt, Roger is recognised as one
0:09:48 > 0:09:52of the country's leading experts in pottery and porcelain restoration.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Tell me the history of this. Where's this been hiding all these years?
0:09:57 > 0:09:59For the last seven years, it's been hiding in my garage.
0:09:59 > 0:10:06- Oh, completely hidden.- But it belonged to my mum's cousin, who gave it to Mum, and after she died
0:10:06 > 0:10:11and I was sorting things out, there was a little note inside that said, "Don't just throw this out, love."
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Oh, really? Is that because she knew the value of it?
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- Yeah. Well, I think she knew that... - She had some idea it's a nice piece.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Yes, yes and she also knew that I would just get rid of it.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Oh, I see. And would you? Do you like it enough to keep it, or...
0:10:22 > 0:10:26It isn't... I can see that it's beautiful, but it isn't my taste.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- It's not your sort of thing. There's no point it living in the garage, is there?- Not really.
0:10:30 > 0:10:39You have the registration mark here, and the number 397964, and that 39
0:10:39 > 0:10:46suggests that it is after 1900, and so it's around 1905, give or take.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50What a find. And hey, can you believe it? Dumped in a garage!
0:10:50 > 0:10:54So you have no idea of what its value might have been?
0:10:54 > 0:11:01- No.- If it had been perfect, it would certainly have been around the £1,000 mark, or even more.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Like this, if it went into auction like this, it wouldn't fetch very much.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07It might be just a few hundred pounds.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11To restore Moorcroft is quite difficult.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16All the brushwork round here, very, very difficult for the restorer to put back.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21So the cost of restoration of something like this would certainly easily be around £350, £400.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26- What do you think about that? Do you think that's a worthwhile option for you?- I think so, yeah.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28I thought it might have been about 300, something like that.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So you're happy to go ahead on that basis?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Are you getting the impression that I adore this pot?
0:11:34 > 0:11:40Despite its damage, I think Sue would have no problem getting £400 to £500 in its current state.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Roger's cost to restore and reglaze is £400.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47That might sound steep, but it's got to be a good investment.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52After restoration, it could easily reach £1,000 at auction.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57So, Roger, love that pot. Make it whole and make Sue some money!
0:12:02 > 0:12:04It's operation SOS here at Stonyhurst.
0:12:04 > 0:12:10So many casualties needing all our restorers' skills to give them a new lease of life.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15Using a cotton swab and a chemical enzyme resembling human spit - yes, human spit -
0:12:15 > 0:12:20Lucia has been painstakingly removing a veil of grime
0:12:20 > 0:12:23shrouding Edwin's mysterious lady. But has she uncovered any secrets?
0:12:23 > 0:12:29Well, we're now looking at the beautiful portrait of this Flemish lady.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34I've been working on the surface dirt of the painting,
0:12:34 > 0:12:38and you will see when I clean this little area just how much dirt is coming off.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42This dirt is really quite telling for two reasons.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Not only is it thick and black,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48but it also has a distinctive smell of soot,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and that ties in with particular damage in this dark area,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54particularly here, but also across here,
0:12:54 > 0:12:59and the painting has been in a fire or actually severely damaged by heat.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Lucia's teaching me a thing or two.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Backs are of equal importance.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05This beautiful oak panel...
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Flat down...
0:13:09 > 0:13:14To get a panel in its original condition and to have come through from the 17th century
0:13:14 > 0:13:17to the 21st century without anybody having interfered with it,
0:13:17 > 0:13:22either having shaved it down or added a secondary support, is quite miraculous.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27The fact that it's come through in such great condition is...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I haven't seen anything like it, to be honest.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34I rarely get panels that haven't been tampered with. It's rare.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41It's a once-in-a-career find, but is there more to the lady than meets the eye?
0:13:42 > 0:13:46And will Tim's cruel-to-be-kind approach impress the bidders,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49when those Charles II chairs go under the hammer?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Who will start me at what for these? £2,000 for the pair?
0:13:56 > 0:14:00It's a restoration bonanza for the crowds here at Stonyhurst.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04All manner of battered and injured objects keep turning up.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08I've come across something that I reckon is worth a bob or two.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Well, it's amazing what's coming out of the woodwork here at Stonyhurst College,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17because we've got here quite a pleasant sketch.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It's using pencil and crayon, and it shows one of the outbuildings,
0:14:20 > 0:14:25and it also shows various flowering plants, and I'm told
0:14:25 > 0:14:29it's the bean row just around the corner from here.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34What makes it interesting is that it was drawn here in 1947
0:14:34 > 0:14:38by none other than JRR Tolkien.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Yes, the man that gave us The Hobbit and the man who gave us Lord Of The Rings.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47This was drawn and given to the people he stayed with as a little memento.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Now, unfortunately, it has got a few problems,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54which if you look around here, is only too evident.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58The problem's been created by using this sort of
0:14:58 > 0:15:03sticky masking tape, which has done it no favours whatsoever.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05The tape has left its gummy mark.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08It should have been framed using conservation tape,
0:15:08 > 0:15:14so I'm definitely going to have to pass it on to one of our restorers to stop it getting any worse.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23Speaking of which, hasn't Tim sorted out those Charles II chairs yet?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26One of the chairs is so rickety that unless Tim
0:15:26 > 0:15:30takes its joints apart and dismantles it, the chair's likely to collapse.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35It's held together by old and new pegs. The originals come out easily.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39The newer ones need 21st-century technology.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45What I don't want to do with drilling is go at an angle.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49If I go to an angle by mistake, I am going to make the hole much bigger.
0:15:49 > 0:15:56That will weaken the leg of the chair, so you have to be very careful to get your angles right.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58That's perfect.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02The next stage is to knock the chair apart.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05There's no glue, so in theory, it should come apart quite easily,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08so let's have a go and see what happens.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13But these chairs conceal some extraordinary secrets.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Let's remove that rather cruddy area there.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20That's a piece of...
0:16:20 > 0:16:22That's a piece of linen.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24That has been there a long, long time.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28The cabinet maker made his joint a bit too small
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and stuffed some linen there to pack the hole.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38There you go.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43All labelled, so that I remember where each joint goes,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and one...
0:16:45 > 0:16:52Well, I suppose it's a flat pack 17th-century piece of furniture.
0:16:52 > 0:16:58But a 17th-century flat-pack needs its own specialist assembly tools.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05Back at his workshop, Tim's ready to tackle that nasty metal bracket.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08That doesn't want to go anywhere. Let's try another one.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11The screws don't come out easily, and Tim must grapple with them,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15at the same time being aware that the wood could splinter.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Very stubborn. Let's try something else.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22There, it's turning now.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It's broken off. It doesn't matter as long as it's below the surface.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I can plug those little holes.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I won't know until I put the two together whether that's going to be a good fit.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Actually, that's a very good fit. I couldn't have asked for better.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43That will be a very good repair.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47But carving finials is an extremely delicate operation.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Tim's craftsmanship is now being tested.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54He has to fashion two new finials out of pieces of oak.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Steady hands, Tim. Just one slip and it will be start all over again.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07If we have a look... That is that collar there.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Need to dish that in there.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13It's quite a large chunk of timber to take off there, and that's very narrow.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16You are putting a lot of stress on that little bit of timber while you're turning that.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19So let's do that bigger one first.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33If you actually rest it up against... You can see if you are out in any way.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38In fact, there's a tiny piece on that edge there, that I need to do a bit more on.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45Turning the acorn part of the finial is fiendishly tricky.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50If he's to make them identical, there's no margin for error.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56- That's it.- Looking good, so this piece is almost ready to make its debut at auction.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04Roger's also headed to his studio to tackle the restoration of the Moorcroft vase.
0:19:04 > 0:19:10Remember, Sue's pot had two pieces that had obviously been chipped off and glued back on.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12And there's that ugly crack, too.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Roger's already reglued the pieces back in, but what's really tricky
0:19:16 > 0:19:19with Moorcroft is getting the paint finish just right.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21On with the mask.
0:19:27 > 0:19:33Roger is trying to get an even coat and hide the repair - no mean feat on this type of ceramic.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35Rather you than me, Roger.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40Moorcroft doesn't actually lend itself terribly well to conservation because of the colours.
0:19:40 > 0:19:46To do a coloured filler on Moorcroft can be quite difficult.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49I'm happy with the join and my filling.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53It's a little too light, so I can put another coat on top
0:19:53 > 0:19:56to adjust the colour and the glaze.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Coming up - will Roger's glaze be a perfect match?
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Will Sue spot the difference?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Back at the Restoration Roadshow,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Lucia has finished working on Edwin's mysterious Flemish lady.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Has she been able to give the fair maiden a much-needed facelift?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Right, so here we go.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25The beautiful Flemish lady.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Yes, yes, yes. Completely changed.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I can see the detail now, quite clearly. There is much more colour.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40From the gloom of soot-stained wood,
0:20:40 > 0:20:45Lucia has managed to reveal the lady in her true colours.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48I mean, she is damaged, obviously with the fire damage there...
0:20:48 > 0:20:52I'd never noticed this crazing before, because it was all so
0:20:52 > 0:20:56dirty and obscured, but now it does show up.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Unfortunate, that's irreversible. - You can't do anything?- No, no, no.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04The other thing that came up with taking that sooty dirt off is this lovely little fringe that she's got.
0:21:04 > 0:21:10You can see how fine those little brush marks are, just outlining her hair. It's very delicately painted.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12She could well have been done by a respectable artist.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Definitely, and I think the quality of the panel reflects that.
0:21:15 > 0:21:21In terms of the valuation, I know it was discussed with our valuer here, it was about £1,000,
0:21:21 > 0:21:27and having talked about it just recently with him, he thinks it may fetch £2,000 - £3,000 at auction.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32I'll tell you what, Lucia's done a splendid job on Edwin's paramour.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37And to think she valued the artwork at £1,000 when he first introduced her.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Lucia then cleaned her up for £200.
0:21:40 > 0:21:46That means if Edwin had the heart to part with his Flemish lady, he could pocket £2,000 - £3,000.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49She's more than doubled in value.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54But Edwin's smitten, and as for the lovely lady, she ain't going nowhere but his living-room wall.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00It's been a cracking day here at Stonyhurst,
0:22:00 > 0:22:05and a successful Restoration Roadshow with plenty of satisfied customers.
0:22:05 > 0:22:11Here's a reminder of what tired old heirlooms needed our restorers' skilful touch.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I'm obviously biased, but Sue's exquisite Moorcroft vase
0:22:15 > 0:22:19is well on its way to making her at least £1,000 at auction.
0:22:19 > 0:22:26Edwin's alluring Flemish mistress is now worth 2,000 - 3,000, but not enough for him to part with her.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31As for the Charles II chairs, Tim has sorted out their 300-year-old bodges.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36Will that be enough to tempt the buyers into spending £1,500 at auction?
0:22:41 > 0:22:44A few weeks later, we have come to the special fine art sale
0:22:44 > 0:22:47at Silverwoods auction rooms in Clitheroe near Stonyhurst.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53The place is filling up with customers eager to investigate the gems on offer.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Do remember that auction houses charge fees and commission.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Everything that's been restored will be noted in the catalogue,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03including Sue's Moorcroft vase.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06But what will she make of it after Roger's expert makeover?
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Well, shall we do the reveal?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Yes.- Are you ready? I've been practising this.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- Have you?- I have.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Very gentle.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19- And, voila. - Wow, that's incredible, isn't it?
0:23:19 > 0:23:22That's just amazing. I can't believe that.
0:23:22 > 0:23:28Now, if you can show me exactly where that restoration's been done, I'll give you a tenner.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33I just can't see where it is at all. It's just amazing.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36I've no idea. You keep your tenner.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40If we got near the £1,000, then you would be a happy bunny?
0:23:40 > 0:23:44- I would be very happy with that, yes. - All right. Well, so will I.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Before, Sue's vase had badly glued chips and a nasty crack,
0:23:50 > 0:23:55but Roger has turned himself into the Michelangelo of ceramics
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and produced a breathtaking paint finish.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Tim has also restored the 300-year-old chairs,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08but will Chris and Joanne be bowled over by his skilful craftsmanship?
0:24:10 > 0:24:15That's amazing. I really can't remember where the join was.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- Which is the new finials? You can't tell. It's this one.- This one here.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- You'd never know, would you?- Yeah.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- What do you think of those? They're amazing, aren't they? - Very, very good.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Before Tim turned his hand to these ancient chairs,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32one was held by a bracket and another had replacement finials,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34and one was really unstable.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37But now they have been beautifully restored.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Look too good to sell now.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Take them home.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It looks like Chris and Joanne are falling in love
0:24:44 > 0:24:47with their chairs all over again -
0:24:47 > 0:24:51so much so, they've decided to put a £1,500 reserve on them.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53They're just too good to give away.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04It's the moment of truth, as everyone takes their places for today's fine art sale.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- Lot 129...- First up are the 17th-century oak chairs.
0:25:07 > 0:25:14They were valued at £1,000 before restoration, which cost £300,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17and could now fetch £1,500.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Next lot. OK?
0:25:19 > 0:25:24Who will start me at what for these? £2,000 for the pair?
0:25:24 > 0:25:26£2,000, any of you?
0:25:26 > 0:25:28£1,500, then?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Go on, I'll take £1,000.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33They are well worth that.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36700, 800 this time? 800? 800.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37And nine? At £800.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39900 for the pair together? Come on.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Where are those oak buyers?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45All finished at £800, are you all done at 800?
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Sorry, folks, I'll have to leave them where they are. Sorry.
0:25:50 > 0:25:51Bit of an anti-climax.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55- It is a bit.- It is a bit, isn't it?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57I agree. I'm disappointed, too.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Think how special it is that something so old has survived so well.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04But at least Chris and Joanne seem philosophical.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08- They're going back in your hallway, are they?- There's a nice gap waiting for them.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11So they'll be welcome home.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16- Right, Lot number 17... - Next up, Sue's Moorcroft vase.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Even with the damage, I thought it was worth £500.
0:26:19 > 0:26:26Sue paid £400 to have it restored, and I genuinely think it could make at least £1,000.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Here we go. Are you holding your breath?
0:26:28 > 0:26:32I'll start this straight away at £800. 800, and 50 if you like?
0:26:32 > 0:26:36At £800, and 850? I'll take 850.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39850. 900? And 50? 950?
0:26:39 > 0:26:411,000. And 50.
0:26:41 > 0:26:431,050.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- Going the right way.- And 50 again?
0:26:45 > 0:26:471,450 on the telephone.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51At 1,450. Anybody else now? 1,500.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- Gentleman hiding at the back, bidding.- Is he?
0:26:54 > 0:26:581,650. 1,700? And 50 again, now?
0:26:58 > 0:27:021,750? 1,800? And 50?
0:27:02 > 0:27:071,850. 1,900? And 50?
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- 2,000?- Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Two one? Two two? Two three?
0:27:12 > 0:27:17Two three? Two four? Two five?
0:27:17 > 0:27:212,500. Two six? Two seven?
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Are you all quite sure, at 2,600? Thank you, sir.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- £2,600!- Amazing!
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Do you think that was £400 well spent?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I do think it was £400 well spent!
0:27:36 > 0:27:382,600!
0:27:38 > 0:27:42It's incredible, isn't it? I can't believe it. It's just amazing.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I did say, "Wow, wow, wow,"
0:27:44 > 0:27:48and I meant it. Now, to be honest, that's far more than I expected.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51What a result! £1,000 over its restoration value.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Bring out the champagne!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58To think it was in my garage for all that time!
0:28:00 > 0:28:05So while Joanne prepares to take home the pristine family heirlooms,
0:28:05 > 0:28:12Sue's fantastic windfall proves again that our Restoration Roadshow experts are worth every penny.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Well, as the auction draws to a close I can tell you that
0:28:15 > 0:28:18we've had a very interesting time of it up here in Clitheroe.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23So until the next time, it's goodbye from everybody on Restoration Roadshow.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:34 > 0:28:39E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk