0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hi, I'm Eric Knowles. Now, antiques, heirlooms and collectibles, we've all got them.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09But are they tired, broken, faded, and maybe even destined for the bin?
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Well, on this programme, we could bring them back to life, and maybe even make you some money.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Find out how on Restoration Roadshow.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Welcome to Burghley in Lincolnshire.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32Over the past 25 years, this Elizabethan house has undergone a multimillion-pound
0:00:32 > 0:00:38restoration, helping to make it one of the most popular stately homes in the country.
0:00:38 > 0:00:39It's certainly busy enough here today
0:00:39 > 0:00:43as scores of people have arrived with all manner of this and that.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Everyone's keen to know how much they're worth.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52I think she's worth £200, £300, that sort of figure.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Should they be cleaned up and restored?
0:00:54 > 0:00:58- You've got some damage to the top. - Yes, I had a guest who wasn't very careful.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03- 140.- And will they make any money at auction, or end up back at home?
0:01:03 > 0:01:05At 2,600...
0:01:07 > 0:01:13Coming up, will a knight in less than shining armour make a profit for its owner?
0:01:13 > 0:01:17£100. Good for an item. 110. 120.
0:01:17 > 0:01:23Can ceramics restorer Roger Hawkins resurrect a damaged Minton jug?
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It's dreadful. It's metal.
0:01:25 > 0:01:31Furniture restorer Tim Akers has a restoration rethink when he hits a major snag.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Plan A was to...
0:01:33 > 0:01:36clean it and wax it, but that hasn't worked.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And will these Edwardian chairs make a pretty sum at auction?
0:01:40 > 0:01:42200 for them, pair of chairs.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43Expertly restored.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52Burghley House is a fantastic venue for today's Restoration Roadshow.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57But stately homes always have their share of restoration challenges.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02And we'll see later how stonemasons are trying to restore the building.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05This has just lost its strength with time
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and now is subject to erosion.
0:02:08 > 0:02:14Back at the Restoration Roadshow, the restorers are certainly attracting a lot of interest.
0:02:16 > 0:02:23Our first needy patient, a battered Victorian writing desk that is literally falling apart.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Well, it's quite obvious, looking at your desk, that it's seen a fair
0:02:28 > 0:02:32- amount of action over the years, hasn't it?- Certainly, yes.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34How many years has it been in your family?
0:02:34 > 0:02:36In the family since the '50s.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41And prior to that, it belonged to a couple of elderly ladies who lived
0:02:41 > 0:02:46- in the town, and my mother worked for them as a housekeeper.- Mm-hm.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51Their estate was eventually wrapped up, and she bought it then.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53It's a bit the worse for wear.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56From time to time, bits keep falling off,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00which I imagine is something to do with age.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Gentlemen's writing desks were very popular in the late Victorian era
0:03:06 > 0:03:09but this one's about to spring a surprise.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14How ingenious - a built-in sloped writing section.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Which makes it just that little bit different.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21It certainly works in its favour.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Can you remember what your mama paid for it?
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Not a lot, I suspect, no.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Have you ever given any thought as to what it might be worth?
0:03:29 > 0:03:32A couple of hundred pounds, possibly, on a good day.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Maybe a bit more. Maybe 300. In this present condition.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39But if this was in really good, neat order, and I wanted to go into a shop and buy one,
0:03:39 > 0:03:43they're going to charge me probably £600 or £800 for it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48So it really is well worth considering spending X amount,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52you know, to give it back a certain amount of respectability.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56We had talked about doing it for years, but this is a really good opportunity.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01So it's decision time. Are they going to take it home or sell at auction?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- I do actually use it.- Every day.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Pretty well every day.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10I have a suspicion that my wife might like to get rid of it.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15But then our son is sitting on my shoulder, saying, no, don't get rid of it, so...
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Oh, right.- We can pass it down to the next generation.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Malcolm Green started out as an archaeologist
0:04:21 > 0:04:25before turning his detective skills to furniture restoration.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30He's conserved some of our stately homes' finest treasures.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34It is a splendid-looking desk and these leathers are absolutely wonderful.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36I think I would leave them.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38The veneer needs some work, as you can see.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41The most major work is on that bottom drawer.
0:04:41 > 0:04:49Exactly. This veneer comes off when, over the years, these drawers, in out, in out, in out like this...
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And what happens is, when they've been coming in and out
0:04:52 > 0:04:56rather too long, they make little grooves in the linings, here.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01And then when they make grooves in the linings, of course the veneer comes off.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05And also the other thing that causes this, the carcass starts to move.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Just here you've got some movement in the carcass,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11so if you rock it, you can actually see it's loose.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15But overall, I've seen a lot worse, put it like that.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18How much do you think it'll cost to put it right?
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I suppose around the £300 mark, something of that sort.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Yeah, that's fine. Yes.- Yes, we want to keep it in the family.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Roy's desk is in need of some serious cosmetic surgery.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35For £300, Malcolm is going to fix as much of the mahogany veneer as possible.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40But with so many missing pieces, he'll have his work cut out.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Here at Restoration Roadshow, our restorers often see items
0:05:44 > 0:05:50with unusual DIY attempts at restoration, not all of them elegant.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Quite simply, somebody has taped it up.
0:05:53 > 0:06:00Some items can be restored but more often, the solution would be just too costly to attempt.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Roger Hawkins is a top ceramics restorer.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08He's at home working on priceless 300-year-old Meissen porcelain
0:06:08 > 0:06:11as he is with monumental Mason vases.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17Right now, he's pondering over what might have been a valuable Minton jug.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It belongs to Anne Johnson.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23It's very battered. It came to me, I looked at it and thought, oh.
0:06:23 > 0:06:29And so I've kept it propping up a family photograph for years.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31And I thought it might be a Minton fake.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32No, no, no.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's Minton real!
0:06:35 > 0:06:41It's perfectly genuine. But what interests me is the handle.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43It's dreadful. It's metal.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48It's metal. This was damaged, there's the remains of the original handle.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51When this was damaged, someone had it repaired
0:06:51 > 0:06:55but it couldn't be repaired with a ceramic-type handle
0:06:55 > 0:07:01so they used old metal repairs of one description or another
0:07:01 > 0:07:03to prolong their life.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10Oh, dear. In mint condition, it would be worth £200.
0:07:10 > 0:07:17But it's a fact on Restoration Roadshow, not everything can be restored, let alone go to auction.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- That metal repair is actually quite a good one.- Is it really? - In comparison to others.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24And for me to restore that for you,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29if you wanted to restore it, I wouldn't recommend you have it done
0:07:29 > 0:07:34because it would cost twice as much as the value of a perfect jug anyway, it would just cost too much money.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- I'll keep it on my family treasures, shall I?- Yes.- Thank you very much.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Thank you for bringing it in, very, very interesting piece.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Restoration is often about putting missing pieces into place.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50So it's great to find a couple of Edwardian chairs just made for each other.
0:07:50 > 0:07:58Sisters Juliet Jones and Liz Rotherer have brought them in but unfortunately they're badly damaged.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02With over 30 years' experience of restoring distressed furniture,
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Tim Akers loves delving into an item's history to reveal its past.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11So we have a very pretty pair of corner chairs here.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- Thank you. - What can you tell me about them?
0:08:13 > 0:08:18I think my mother would have bought them from an antiques shop in about the 1970s with the interest
0:08:18 > 0:08:21of putting the tapestries on. She was very into her tapestries.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26So have you always had them together as a pair?
0:08:26 > 0:08:30No, my mother parted with them, one to my sister and one to myself, before she died.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35I've used mine as a bedroom chair and my sister has used hers as an office chair.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Well, it's lovely they've come back together.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I think so, yes. I think they should be a pair.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46They should and often with pairs, they do get divided and they never actually come back together.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51Because they're a pair, that actually helps the value of them as well, which we'll talk about.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Let's just look at the areas that there is some damage.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00This one has quite a lot of water damage to it. I think probably you've had it by an open window.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03OK.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Because it is so splattered.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07It's such a shame.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13Sadly, water is to furniture what sugar is to tooth enamel.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16It not only eats away at the surface, causing unsightly
0:09:16 > 0:09:21patches of discolouration, but also undermines the actual structure.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26Tim's seen this problem all too many times.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29So how much will it cost to restore them?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Are you wanting to keep them or do you want to sell them?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34No, we're happy for them to go to auction.
0:09:34 > 0:09:41- OK, the cleaning and the waxing, it would be between 30 and £40, per chair.- Yes, that would be fine...
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- Oh, per chair?- Yes, you jumped in a bit quickly there.- Yes, I did.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- You'd like to go ahead? - I would like to go ahead, thank you.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
0:09:50 > 0:09:56In their current state, the chairs are worth a mere £80 to £100.
0:09:56 > 0:10:02For £80, Tim will polish them up and try and get rid of those water marks.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It'll be a challenge but I reckon the newly restored chairs
0:10:05 > 0:10:10should fetch between £150 and £200 at auction.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15But things aren't going as smoothly as Tim had hoped.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Plan A was to clean it and wax it.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21But that hasn't worked.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Get your thinking cap on, Tim.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27We're relying on you to make them presentable for auction.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Coming up...
0:10:29 > 0:10:33our Restoration Roadshow team meets a chap who's been in the wars.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It looks like it's seen a few dents and sword thrusts, that sort of thing
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- here and there.- The straps have gone.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43And have we made a macabre discovery?
0:10:43 > 0:10:48They are called hair work but I've never come across one that is actually made using human hair.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00Burghley House is the home of the descendants of William Cecil since Elizabethan times.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04In 1961, ownership of the house passed to a preservation trust
0:11:04 > 0:11:11dedicated to the maintenance of the house and gardens, but keeping it alive is no picnic.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15The ornate chimneys on the roof represent a daunting challenge.
0:11:15 > 0:11:21Clerk of works Alan Scott has been running a long-term project to restore them.
0:11:21 > 0:11:2530, 40% of my time is spent on restoring the fabric of the house.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29We're here to restore and preserve what's been left for us for future generations.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34Most of the house is built from a local limestone called Ketton stone
0:11:34 > 0:11:37which brings its own peculiar problems.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Very easy stone to work but with it being so soft, it does suffer from deterioration.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45That's why we're having to replace a lot of the stonework on the chimneys
0:11:45 > 0:11:47because over the years, they have deteriorated.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Gwyn Watkins knows that only too well.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00Resident stonemason and carver, he's been tending to Burghley for over 20 years.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04This has just lost its strength with time.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Lost its character, if you like.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08And now it's subject to erosion.
0:12:08 > 0:12:14With 29 chimney stacks and 73 columns, the restoration
0:12:14 > 0:12:18has been a mammoth task, both in terms of time and money.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22On average, a stack to take down and repair if we weren't using all-new stone
0:12:22 > 0:12:25would cost in the region of £35-40,000.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29So it's quite an expensive task, that's why we're really budget constrained.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31We can only manage to do one per financial year.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37The march of time may be relentless but the conservation team relish the challenge.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The satisfaction is to finish one project and get on with another one.
0:12:40 > 0:12:46I think if you sit back and say, well, that's it, nothing else to do now, that wouldn't be true life.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It's just great to have challenges every day of the year.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53That's a mind-boggling task but at the Restoration Roadshow,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57we're getting to grips with our own set of challenges.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Malcolm is working away on the chipped and battered Victorian desk.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07There are lots of gaps to fill and for each one, the veneer must match perfectly.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11On top of that, he's also got to work like the clappers.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15The only thing with this stuff is it tends to be fairly quick-setting.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Each missing piece needs a new, tailor-made,
0:13:18 > 0:13:24wafer-thin mahogany veneer but not just any old mahogany.
0:13:24 > 0:13:30You have to take it off of a piece of furniture, meaning that you have to remove it from a piece that has
0:13:30 > 0:13:33the same age as the piece that you're working,
0:13:33 > 0:13:38otherwise it just doesn't match and it looks silly, really.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42For Malcolm, the trick is to make the mends invisible.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49But will he be able to find all the missing pieces?
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Coming up... Tim's under pressure too.
0:13:51 > 0:13:57His plan to get the Edwardian chairs ready for auction has hit a snag.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The water has actually eaten right through the polish into the bare wood.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03And will the restoration be enough to achieve top dollar at auction?
0:14:03 > 0:14:07- The pair of corner chairs... - Oh, they're here, we're on. - We're on.- We're on.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Life's never dull here at the Restoration Roadshow.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17We've got all sorts marching in here.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23Although this chap doesn't look like he's in much condition to storm anything.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28Glenda Parsley is hoping he can be made fighting fit and earn her some money at auction.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30What can you tell us about it?
0:14:30 > 0:14:35Well, I had the cafe in the square in Stamford, the Central Cafe.
0:14:35 > 0:14:41- And this has been in the cafe for about 65, 70 years.- Really?
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I don't know where it originally came from
0:14:44 > 0:14:49but it was very popular with the children that used to come up the stairs.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53- Well, indeed it would be.- I used to dress him up as Father Christmas.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I can see that, yes!
0:14:56 > 0:14:59- I used to put little presents around it.- Did you?- They used to like that.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- So you made it like a Christmas tree, really?- Yes!
0:15:01 > 0:15:06That's wonderful. It's the sort of thing that was made
0:15:06 > 0:15:09in late Victorian or Edwardian Britain.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Maybe even into the '20s for re-enactments, that sort of thing.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- It's not a real suit of armour, unfortunately.- No, no.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It looks like it's seen a few dents and sword thrusts,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21that sort of thing, here and there.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- And the straps have gone. - The straps have gone.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25The leather does, I'm afraid.
0:15:25 > 0:15:31I think it's rather jolly but I think it's not really worth restoring.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35I think the armour could achieve £150 if it went under the hammer,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39and Glenda's decided she wants to take her battered knight to auction.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42170, 180.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Ooh!
0:15:44 > 0:15:46We're having a smashing time here at Burghley, and
0:15:46 > 0:15:52our restorers have certainly been putting their skills to good use.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Tim's been doggedly trying to polish out the unsightly water marks on those chairs
0:15:56 > 0:15:58to get them ready for action.
0:15:58 > 0:16:05He's already tried a simple clean but it hasn't worked, so it's on to plan B.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09I'm going to try first of all with just some clear polish.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12If that doesn't work, I'm going to have to put a little bit of tone in the polish as well.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15So let's see if we can do that and see what happens.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20In the days before spray finishing and abrasive buffing,
0:16:20 > 0:16:25the technique known as French polishing was said to produce the finest finish on wood.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Put a little bit of shellac on to the rubber.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Shellac is a very traditional polish
0:16:32 > 0:16:34used in the 19th century, mainly.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And it's from the lac beetle.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40A tiny little bit of meths as well.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45And then we're going to put a little bit of polish on there and see what happens.
0:16:45 > 0:16:51This puts a really incredibly thin coat of shellac on.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53It dries almost instantly.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57As soon as you put the polish on, you can see the beauty of the wood coming through.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02But unfortunately, you can also see the horror of the damage as well.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07The polish has highlighted even more of the white bleaching effect of the water stains.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12I need to tone the damage, these are the colours here.
0:17:12 > 0:17:19Every piece of mahogany has its own unique shade so Tim has a palette of colours he can blend together.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24The tints are meth-based so they'll dry rapidly and mix well with the French polish.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26That's quite a good colour, actually.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31It doesn't have to be an exact colour because timber has such a variety of colours to it anyway.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37This is more involved than if I just had to clean and wax it,
0:17:37 > 0:17:43which is what I was hoping but you don't know which way it's going to go.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Tim's having to work overtime here.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49But will it be enough to entice the bidders at auction?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Our Restoration Roadshow team have seen some great items today
0:17:56 > 0:18:00but it's always a bit special when something of local interest turns up.
0:18:00 > 0:18:06This picture may look like a line drawing of Burghley House, but it's actually an embroidery.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Perhaps the curator here at Burghley, Jon Culverhouse,
0:18:09 > 0:18:15can tell us if it's black thread or something much more macabre.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20The gentleman who bought this in earlier in the day was told that it was hair work.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- Now, what do you think? - Often they are called hair work.
0:18:23 > 0:18:29I'm not saying there aren't, but I've never come across one that is actually made using human hair.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30Interestingly, the chimneys.
0:18:30 > 0:18:37Now, the chimneys on Burghley today have castles, little castles decorating the tops of them.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41That happened in 1835, 1840.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44So it's pre-1835-40.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I would think 1810, 1815?
0:18:48 > 0:18:54OK. As you might expect from a grand house like Burghley, you can always go one better, can't you?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Well, the home team always have the best picture, if you like.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00But yes, this is big brother.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06Just the smart version, throw in some livestock and a few other little decorative pieces here and there.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And of course yours is all the grander for having the family arms.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- Indeed. - So the technique here is identical?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15I think so. Black thread,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20a lot of it is drawn but the details are highlighted in thread.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22This picture is in good nick.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26But it's a different story for the smaller version.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31- I think there are a few problems with this piece and it does need some attention.- It does.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33The frame needs altering
0:19:33 > 0:19:40so that the glass isn't actually touching the work itself because that's probably
0:19:40 > 0:19:44half the cause of this breaking up of the threads in the sky here.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It needs to be unframed.
0:19:46 > 0:19:53And if you have a look at the back you'll see there's a very nice pine panel as a backboard, all very nice
0:19:53 > 0:19:58but very acid and the acid from that panel will be transferring itself very busily into the print,
0:19:58 > 0:20:03so it needs a buffer between this and the object and it needs a buffer between
0:20:03 > 0:20:07the object and the glass which will protect it from the contact.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13And just some very careful, loving care to try to and relay some of these threads.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Other than that, it's in lovely order.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19A Regency lady would have spent many evenings slaving over the stitching
0:20:19 > 0:20:23on this embroidery, so it's good to know a simple frame repair
0:20:23 > 0:20:27will help preserve it for future generations.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33I bet Malcolm's wishing that Victorian desk was as easy to restore!
0:20:33 > 0:20:36He's spent hours on the battered writing desk
0:20:36 > 0:20:41but with all those missing veneers, has his patching been worthwhile?
0:20:41 > 0:20:45While I've been flitting from A to B, I keep glancing over to this part
0:20:45 > 0:20:51of the world and I have to say, this has been a hive of industry.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- Somebody's polished it!- Well it's...
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Remember how tatty and chipped the desk looked?
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Well, Malcolm's drawn on all his skill to seamlessly blend the veneer
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and achieve an amazing transformation.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Now, hang on a minute. There was some veneer missing on this.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- There was.- Oh, right. Listen, have a look.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16That side, but somewhere along there.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Well, you say somewhere along there, but where?- Exactly.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Before, there was a huge hole in the desktop.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26The veneer down here has been replaced all the way down,
0:21:26 > 0:21:32it's been replaced down here and we've used the same mahogany as the original.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36So basically we've had to match it, cut it, and then match the colour.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41I mean, initially, in its original state we said it was worth, what, about £300?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Yes.- About that.- We knew it wasn't worth huge amounts of money.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49No, and you've just spent £300 on taking it to this condition.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I think you've got a desk there that is now worth
0:21:52 > 0:21:57the best part of £600-800 without any hesitation whatsoever.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02So now you've seen it, do you think the boy's done well?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04I think it's absolutely wonderful.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- We're very pleased, or I'M very pleased.- Yes, I am indeed.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13- I think it's brilliant.- The fact is now it's in this condition, I've got to say any second thoughts?
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Is it something that you might consign to auction or is it staying put?
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I think it'll stay put.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20Yes, yes. Definitely.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25And I now want to keep it more than I want to sell it.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27It's been a successful day here at the Restoration Roadshow
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and there's been no shortage of folk all seeking advice.
0:22:31 > 0:22:38But has Tim's artistry with a brush been enough to save the water-damaged Edwardian chairs?
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Reveal.- OK.- Reveal all.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Let's pull it back and see what we've got.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45Oh, wow.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Wow.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50They look like new!
0:22:50 > 0:22:53Before, the chairs were distinctly shabby.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Tim's colour-matched the water marks so the wood has regained
0:22:56 > 0:23:01its mahogany glow and all the white, bleached blobs have simply vanished.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03They're beautiful, absolutely stunning.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I actually had to tone every single water mark
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- by hand with a brush.- Right.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13- But actually it went very well. - Beautiful, thank you so much.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19In their original, tattered state, the chairs were worth between £80-£100 for the pair.
0:23:19 > 0:23:26For £80, Tim polished them both up and used all his skill to banish the water marks.
0:23:26 > 0:23:34And our valuers think the newly-restored chairs should fetch between £150-200 at auction.
0:23:35 > 0:23:42We've seen quite literally the good, the bad, and without wishing to be too unkind, the ugly!
0:23:42 > 0:23:48Some of the antiques like the newly-restored Victorian desk are going home to take pride of place.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53But we have two pieces that we will be taken to auction.
0:23:53 > 0:23:59This old soldier is on his way without a facelift as he's not worth the expense of restoring.
0:23:59 > 0:24:07And the Edwardian chairs which, after a great restoration, should be worth £150.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08They look like new!
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Coming up... will the armour have the bidders fighting for it?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16- £100 I have in front, at £100. - That's good.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20And will the transformed Edwardian chairs corner the market?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23At £150? Quite sure?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31It's auction day at Thomas Mawer and Sons in Lincoln.
0:24:31 > 0:24:37Today's sale is a special one as the auctioneers are selling off the contents of a local manor house.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40It's attracted bidders from all over the county.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44Lot 660A, added bids there, £300.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Now, do remember that auction houses charge fees and commission
0:24:48 > 0:24:53and that everything that's been restored will be noted in the catalogue.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Lot 648 is a pair of corner chairs.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Handsomely restored by Tim, the chairs could do really well
0:25:00 > 0:25:04but Juliet and Liz may be having mixed feelings.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Are the emotions coming into play here?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10They are now we're starting to talk to you, they are, yes!
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Remember, unrestored, we valued them at between £80-100.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Tim's work cost £80.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20I reckon between £150-200 at auction is a fair price
0:25:20 > 0:25:24but the sisters are so taken with the restoration
0:25:24 > 0:25:27that they've put a £300 reserve on the chairs.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30That's going to be a tough ask.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Added bids here, what do we say? - Oh, they're here. We're on.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- Bit anxious.- He's gone in at three, so that's strong.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38They do that, go in at three, go down at two.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Expertly restored.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Beautifully restored, now come on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Come on.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48- Oh, he's doing the talk-up. - Oh, please.- OK, come on.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51£50, who wants them? 50, I'm bid at 50.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56- They're not going to go for that, don't worry, we've got a reserve up there.- At £80, £90.- Where are they?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58- They're beautiful chairs.- At £100.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00I'm looking at who's in there.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05There must be people in Lincoln with taste, come on, where are you?
0:26:05 > 0:26:07- We might be taking them home. - No, no, hold your breath.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- At 150.- Anybody on the internet?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Anybody coming in, 50?- At £150?
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Quite sure? At £150, all done?
0:26:18 > 0:26:22- I'm withdrawing those. - Ouch. Withdrawn, he did say.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- Do you know what, that's fine. - It's fine. - We're happy to take them home.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30That's why we put the reserve at 300. Yes, we're very happy to take them home.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35I'm glad the girls are pleased but £300 was way too optimistic.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40My valuation of £150 was right on the money.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43What can I say?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46There are some eye-catching items here at the auction today.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49128, this is the Lalique scent bottle.
0:26:49 > 0:26:57But I can't wait to see the bidders' reaction to Glenda's trusty, or should I say rusty, old gent.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58We've all wanted one.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And there's something I'm dying to know.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Can I ask you a personal question?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06At any stage were you ever tempted to try it on?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Oh, we had many people trying it on.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12- But what about you?- No, I didn't.
0:27:12 > 0:27:19Even though it's unrestored, we're hoping to achieve around £150.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21And who's going to start me with this one at £200? £200 I'm starting.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23£100, somebody.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26£100, good for an item. £100 I have in front, at £100.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29- Oh, that's good.- 110? 120.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32130. 140. 150, 160.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35160, over reserve. It's selling.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- 180.- 180.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40190? £190 in the room, £190.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I'm going to sell at £190, all done and dusted?
0:27:43 > 0:27:47- £190.- That's good, that's good.
0:27:47 > 0:27:54Glenda's knight in tarnished armour has earned her a pocketful of cash, £40 more than I thought.
0:27:54 > 0:28:01And as for the graceful Edwardian chairs, well, Juliet and Liz really did price them to go home.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03We had a reserve price of 300.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05If we'd made that, that would have been fine.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08But we weren't going to give these beautiful chairs away.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12We feel that they shouldn't be separated and I have quite a lot of chairs at home,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Elizabeth has a shortage of chairs at home.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17And I think you'd like to have it, wouldn't you?
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Yes, I'm going to buy it off my sister.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22That's the way we'll have our own little private auction!
0:28:26 > 0:28:29It's been a successful day at the auction in Lincoln.
0:28:29 > 0:28:36So join us again and marvel at those skills of our expert restorers on Restoration Roadshow.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:29:06 > 0:29:09E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk