0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello, I'm Eric Knowles. We've got an amazing array of objects,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09some of which we're restoring, and hopefully, making a bit of money as well.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12It's all here on Restoration Roadshow.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We're delighted that today's Restoration Roadshow
0:00:20 > 0:00:23is coming from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire,
0:00:23 > 0:00:27the birthplace of prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.
0:00:27 > 0:00:34This majestic building, dating back to 1705, was an inspiration to Churchill throughout his life.
0:00:34 > 0:00:40He once famously said, "At Blenheim I took two very important decisions - to be born and to marry."
0:00:40 > 0:00:47There are hordes of people arriving here today with an amazing variety of heirlooms.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Everyone's eager to put a value on them.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- You may be going up to round about a £1,000.- Yup.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Should they be restored?
0:00:54 > 0:00:58It would be lovely to do the work that needs to be done and make a wonderful clock.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59100, 110.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03And just how much money will they fetch if they go to auction?
0:01:03 > 0:01:04At £800...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Coming up - an Edwardian Tiffany tray with water damage.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15One slip of the knife could prove a very costly mistake.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19That is one very mucky picture.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Can our team breathe life back into this unique 19th-century oil painting
0:01:23 > 0:01:26that spent far too many years in a stuffy old boardroom?
0:01:26 > 0:01:32And one not-so-careful owner needs expert help to save her grandmother's Mayfair tea service.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Is this something that you broke recently, perhaps?
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Yes, unfortunately I did break them.
0:01:44 > 0:01:51With our roadshow installed, Blenheim Palace is beginning to resemble an antiques A&E department,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and our restorers have their hands full, tending to the sick and needy.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58One patient that has caught my eye is a special piece
0:01:58 > 0:02:03made by the famous American jewellery and silver company Tiffany & Co.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Based on a Georgian design this inlaid tea-tray,
0:02:06 > 0:02:11with silver gallery and handles, was a windfall to owner Len Wise.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16My mum tells the story that they bought quite a lot of furniture from a second-hand shop.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22And to clinch the deal the guy said, "Well, I'll throw this tray in."
0:02:22 > 0:02:27The next day he was knocking on their door saying, "I want that tray back, I shouldn't have given it to you."
0:02:27 > 0:02:31- Oh, really?- But my mum said, "That was part of the deal."- Quite right.
0:02:31 > 0:02:38Well, it's the sort of tray that would have been made probably in around 1900, 1910.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I think it's fair to say that these... If I can just lift it.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44..would have been carried into some of those wonderful,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47New York brownstone buildings
0:02:47 > 0:02:53and would have belonged to somebody of...considerable means.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Have you given any thought whatsoever as to what it might be worth?
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Perhaps up to £100 or so,
0:02:59 > 0:03:00I really don't know.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Well, you're saying 100 and I'm a bit more optimistic.
0:03:04 > 0:03:12In its present state, not an awful lot more, maybe 150 or 180, but it does need some work doing on it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15This tray has seen a bit too much of the good life.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Spilt cocktails and dripping soda siphons have made the veneer bubble up
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and those nasty watermarks need some expert attention.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Tim Akers is like a furniture detective.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30With over 30 years' experience, he's a dab hand
0:03:30 > 0:03:35at hunting out stunning original pieces for clients and then restoring them.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39But the question is, how on Earth is he going to get those pesky bubbles out?
0:03:39 > 0:03:44And will the cost of the work make Len feel in need of a good stiff drink?
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I think that's gorgeous. That's such a nice colour. Do you know what the wood is?
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- I don't, I've no idea.- It's walnut.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54You've got some really lovely grain on that.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58You've got some inlay with holly with a line around the edge.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- That's Holly?- Yes, that's Holly.
0:04:00 > 0:04:06You've got quite a lot of peaking where the damp has gone beneath the veneer and released the glue.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Some are worse than others.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10- If you listen to my finger... - TAPPING
0:04:10 > 0:04:13..you can hear the difference where it's loose.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16There's quite a lot of lifting throughout the tray.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I suggest that we lift those, clean away the old glue underneath
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and re-glue it down with traditional glue.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Then polish it up gently and it'll look absolutely fantastic.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- It sounds wonderful. - Oh, you need a price.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Yes, I was going to say, it all sounds wonderful, but at a price.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40- OK, come on.- Well, I would say £100, maybe 120.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Between those two figures, you'll get a tray that looks absolutely fantastic.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It is reasonable, isn't it?
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- Yeah. Yeah, I'll go along with that. - OK. It's an offer you can't refuse.
0:04:51 > 0:04:57- Indeed.- I really think that if this tray turns up at the right auction,
0:04:57 > 0:04:58this is a £400 or £500 tray.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01'So, no pressure, Tim.'
0:05:01 > 0:05:05I valued this tray in its present condition at around £150.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Tim's hoping to get it back to its glory days for around £120.
0:05:09 > 0:05:16And I believe, in tip-top condition, this Tiffany tray could reach £400.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20The question is, what will Tim find when his patient goes under the knife?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22There's another small bubble there.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24I don't want to go any further than that.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Coming up - it looks like this elegant, English tea party set
0:05:28 > 0:05:32has experienced some less than genteel treatment.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Well, the surface of this break looks very clean,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37that makes the restorer's job a lot easier.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47Here at our Restoration Roadshow our experts have set up their emergency surgeries
0:05:47 > 0:05:52and are saving items that many of you thought were beyond help.
0:05:53 > 0:05:59They really get interested when a patient with a fascinating local story to tell turns up.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05This 19th-century oil painting owned by David Newman, depicts a unique piece of local history.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12- Now, I believe you've brought along with this painting a little bit of old Oxfordshire.- Yes.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Tell me what we're looking at,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16cos I can see dray horses and the barrels.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18We're talking beer, aren't we?
0:06:18 > 0:06:24That's right. We're talking of a local brewery in Oxford called Morrells, which has now gone.
0:06:24 > 0:06:31This painting was bought by my son-in-law off of an antiques dealer who bought it in an auction.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's been hung up on his wall in his lounge.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- He thinks it's circa 1840.- Mm-hmm.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42And it did hang in the chairman's office in the brewery apparently.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Date-wise, I think you're bang on - round about 1840.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50You can normally detect from the type of costume that they're wearing.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52You've got almost like a stovepipe hat.
0:06:52 > 0:06:58There's a stovepipe hat you might have seen before on Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
0:06:58 > 0:07:05This painting was commissioned by the brewery's owner, James Morrell - the man with the impressive hat.
0:07:05 > 0:07:12The painter is unknown, but it's a wonderful scene and a valuable piece of local Oxfordshire history.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- I don't know whether your son-in-law has got any plans to sell it. - Not as far as I know.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22All I would say is that with a picture like that, what am I going to pay for it in that condition?
0:07:22 > 0:07:29In that condition, it's somewhere between £1,000 and £2,000.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- But that is one very mucky picture. - Mucky picture.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39It really is, isn't it? You've got a budget from your son-in-law to have this cleaned?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43- Yes, he's willing to spend £500.- OK.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Sounds like a job for our paintings conservator, Lucia Scalisi.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51She's conserved everything from priceless Holbeins to Picassos.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Cleaning up David's brewery scene will be a refreshing challenge.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59I think you've got something very unusual here, from a conservation point of view,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02in that this is a painting that's in original condition.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07It's so rare for paintings nowadays to get through to this stage not having been tampered with.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12This painting is in dire need of a good clean.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18It certainly is. It would certainly benefit from at least a surface clean and a re-varnish.
0:08:18 > 0:08:2317 decade's worth of dirt needs to be delicately removed by hand.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28The rosettes on the drey horse are a shade of brown ale, but should be bright red.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32The lettering on the cart looks smudged.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37And it's hard to make out any details on people's faces.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40For that, the price that you're looking at is maybe £300 to £400.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43We've the go-ahead to give it a clean.
0:08:43 > 0:08:50Once it's given the works, it's got to be then worth the best part of £5,000.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- I'm sure he'd be pleased to hear that.- I would be if it was mine.
0:08:53 > 0:09:00So it's up to look Lucia to deliver the goods and revive this important piece of local history.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03In its current condition it's worth between £1,000 and £2,000.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08To give it a clean and a new varnish will cost £300 to £400.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12And although David wants to keep it, if the restoration is successful,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16the painting will leap in value to £5,000.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19But this is a huge painting.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23There's a lot of canvas for Lucia to delicately clean.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28And with barrel loads of good old Oxfordshire grime to get rid of, she'll probably work up a thirst.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32You can see from the colour of the swab just how dirty it is.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37Here at the roadshow,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41there's no shortage of antiques and collectables needing attention.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The folk at Blenheim are keeping our restorers on their toes
0:09:44 > 0:09:48as they work to revive these very special pieces.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50One team member is Roger Hawkins.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54He's a leading expert in ceramics restoration.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Plying his trade for over three decades, he's handled everything
0:09:58 > 0:10:02from Egyptian antiquities to monumental mason vases.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Maria Haynes has brought along something familiar to some of you,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09produced in their thousands in the '50s,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13this Mayfair tea and coffee set has really gone to pieces.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Were these something you inherited?
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Yes, they were my grandmother's, so I've had them about 20 years now.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25The surface of this break looks very clean so is this something that you broke recently, perhaps?
0:10:25 > 0:10:31- Unfortunately, they broke when I was moving house, but that was 10 years ago.- About 10 years ago?
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Although you have kept them for a long time in this damaged condition, you haven't glued them.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39The surfaces are nice and clean, so that makes the restorer's job easier
0:10:39 > 0:10:43because we don't have to spend time using various solvents,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47taking the glue off the surface before we glue it back together.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Wise words, Rog. If a piece of ceramic breaks,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54putting it back together again using strong, quick fixing glue,
0:10:54 > 0:10:55is a big no-no.
0:10:55 > 0:11:01These glues dry instantly, so if your mend is crooked, you're stuck with it.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06- Have you any idea of the value of these, what they would fetch? - To be honest, I don't, no.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11From my expert valuer's opinion, they would be around £40 to £60.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Yes.- But, that's after restoration.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18That would be perfect. If you were to put them in an auction
0:11:18 > 0:11:22or try and sell them like this, they would fetch practically nothing.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28To restore them and put these back into what would be their former glory,
0:11:28 > 0:11:36it would probably cost about £40 to £60 anyway, simply because of the labour involved.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41Sadly, with all that damage, these Mayfair tea and coffee pots are worth absolutely nothing.
0:11:41 > 0:11:47For Roger to put them seamlessly back together again would cost £40 to £60.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Which is what they'd make if they went to auction after restoration.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56What do you think of that? Is it something you would have done because of the sentimental value?
0:11:56 > 0:12:02I think I will, yes. I think the teapot and the coffee pot deserve to be restored.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- And you would keep them, do you think? - I think I might do, actually.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The knobs of the lids need to be carefully glued
0:12:09 > 0:12:12to achieve an invisible mend and Roger will have to re-paint
0:12:12 > 0:12:16some of the pheasant design using a special airbrush.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20It is not a quick fix so Roger is going to retreat to his workshop.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25But can he work wonders on this much-loved heirloom and serve up a teatime treat for Maria?
0:12:31 > 0:12:36Meanwhile, the bubbled up Tiffany tray is raising all sorts of issues for Tim.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40This is the area we need to work on, because this is the sort of danger
0:12:40 > 0:12:45where you could get a duster caught underneath it and it would ping up,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49and you lose the veneer, so we have to gently lift it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50Actually, that's lifting well.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Then work our way down
0:12:54 > 0:12:59and we can work that right the way down.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01There's another small bubble there.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I don't want to go any further than that.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07And that's fine.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11So, what I'll do is I will scrape the loose glue out of that,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15and then we'll inject some Scotch glue in with a hypodermic needle
0:13:15 > 0:13:20and then, we will work the same on the other four or five around the tray.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Once that is done, we can polish it up and it will come up fantastically.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25It will be really good.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28This restoration process is so exacting,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Tim's decided to take the tray back to his workshop
0:13:31 > 0:13:34where he has all the special tools to finish the job.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46While our roadshow is attracting all manner of finds,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50inside Blenheim, the restoration challenges are on an altogether grander scale.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Keeping these heirlooms and antiques in perfect condition
0:13:57 > 0:14:01is a never-ending task, costing millions of pounds each year.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Well, it's a labour of love.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I mean, I've always had a great affection for Blenheim,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11and I realise what a wonderful property it is.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17And I have tried to ensure that we keep this place in pristine condition
0:14:17 > 0:14:24not only for my family, but for the millions of visitors who have already been to Blenheim.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and I hope will come to Blenheim in the future.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Restoration very much involves the furniture here.
0:14:33 > 0:14:34Much of it dates from the house
0:14:34 > 0:14:38and in just the last few months we have made major restoration
0:14:38 > 0:14:45to four magnificent gilded side tables in the saloon which have had the decoration,
0:14:45 > 0:14:51which had been chipped and worn and generally deteriorated, completely restored and very fine they look.
0:14:51 > 0:14:58It's a staggering collection of treasures, much of it dating from the 1700s when the first Duke
0:14:58 > 0:15:01was given the palace after defeating the French.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06But as one priceless piece is restored, there's always another waiting to be worked on.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The palace is reviewed at least once a year by the Duke
0:15:10 > 0:15:15and the senior management and specialists, and the frowns become deeper
0:15:15 > 0:15:22as they walk from room to room because, really, we'll never finish restoring and conserving.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26It is just an ongoing task, really.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I always say that my ancestor was very lucky -
0:15:29 > 0:15:34he won the Battle Of Blenheim in one day, we are still fighting the battle for Blenheim today.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Back at the roadshow, Lucia is rolling back the years
0:15:41 > 0:15:46by gently removing the dirt and grime from that Morrell Brewery painting.
0:15:47 > 0:15:54At the moment I am removing surface dirt and you can see from the colour of the swab, just how dirty it is.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Because of the fragile nature of the artwork,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59she's having to use a small cotton swab
0:15:59 > 0:16:02dipped in a chemical enzyme resembling human saliva.
0:16:02 > 0:16:10There's 170 years of grime engrained in this big three-foot canvas and it's not a process you can rush.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17It's not nicotine. If it was nicotine, we would have a lovely golden swab there.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19This is actually not even city dirt
0:16:19 > 0:16:22because if it was city dirt, there would be a lot more grease
0:16:22 > 0:16:25and it would be a lot more difficult to take off.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30This is years and years of accumulated dust and dirt from a domestic house.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34It is certainly not a good idea to try and clean your own paintings
0:16:34 > 0:16:36at whatever level you want to clean them,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40whether it is just removing dust and dirt from the surface or anything else.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Probably, the most common thing that I have seen
0:16:43 > 0:16:46with people trying to clean their own paintings
0:16:46 > 0:16:49is they have decided to give them a dust with a dry cloth
0:16:49 > 0:16:54and they have ended up snagging on the paint and taking the paint off, really, and that is real damage.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58That ends up being quite expensive to repair.
0:16:58 > 0:17:04The level of surface dirt on here is quite extreme, probably several decades of dirt.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08It will look a lot better when this is off.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Instead of this yellowy, greeny-coloured sky,
0:17:11 > 0:17:16you start to see more of a contrast between the blue sky and the white clouds,
0:17:16 > 0:17:22and the contrast we are getting is really quite a nice thing, and encouraging, really.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24It's a satisfactory part of the job.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27The bigger the painting, the tougher the task,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and the restoration doesn't stop there.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Having cleaned it, Lucia will have to seal the surface
0:17:33 > 0:17:38with a coat of protective varnish. But will we all raise a glass to her when she has finished?
0:17:42 > 0:17:46Coming up - will Tim's handiwork be just the tonic that the Tiffany tray needs?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Removing those unsightly bubbles should give it back some fizz.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56But will it be enough to tempt those bidders when it comes up at auction?
0:18:01 > 0:18:06At the roadshow, we're discovering that some pieces are just not worth restoring.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09The repairs are too costly or too difficult.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11What would you like to show me?
0:18:11 > 0:18:13'Shirley Arnold's claret jug is a case in point.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18'She has nabbed me to ask my advice about a chunk of silver detail that is missing from the handle.'
0:18:18 > 0:18:21The piece itself is German.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25Um... Dates to around 1880,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27or thereabouts, give or take 10 years.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- The problem's there, isn't it? - That's where it is broken.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Oh, right. Well... Hmm.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36That is a tricky one, isn't it? It needs that decoration being replaced
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and that would just be prohibitive
0:18:40 > 0:18:44because, any heat on it, next to this glass and it is going to break.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- It is going to shatter.- Yes.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So, there you go.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52In its present state, it is worth £50.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55A perfect one, well, you're going to be asked 250,
0:18:55 > 0:19:00maybe £350 for a perfect one, but it ain't, I'm afraid.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03'Sorry, Shirley, it's just too risky to restore.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06'The heat from any soldering onto glass
0:19:06 > 0:19:08'could smash it into smithereens.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11'So, my advice - treasure it as it is.'
0:19:11 > 0:19:18However, for the Tiffany tray, the advice was to restore and return it to its former grandeur.
0:19:18 > 0:19:24Tim's decamped to his workshop where he has specialist tools to work on this lovely piece.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Having lanced the bubbles at the roadshow, he is now embarking on major surgery
0:19:28 > 0:19:33to glue the bubbles down and hopefully, get a seamless mend.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37There is quite a lot of dust that has gathered
0:19:37 > 0:19:41over the years under this veneer bubble, you can see it all here.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46That will actually stop the veneer from going down level.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49You never quite know how something like this is going to go.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Hopefully, it will knit back down very well together.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56If you push it with my fingers, it seems like it will,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00but when you actually get some glue in there, that is a different story.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08Tim has heated up traditional glue and is using a syringe to painstakingly squeeze it into place.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Have to get in every single crevice,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15every single lift, lifting area.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Just work down the other side now.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23And this is cooling all the time, so I've got to be quite quick.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Really don't want the glue to get too cold.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32If I get this wrong, I can't get another piece of veneer that will match, obviously,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36as well as the existing piece so this has to go right, I have no choice.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38That's nerve-wracking.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41With the delicate operation over, the veneer needs secured,
0:20:41 > 0:20:48so Tim carefully uses clamps to hold it in place and give the glue time to set.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50I think that'll be fine, but we will see.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52We will find out shortly.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01So, has our furniture restorer achieved what looked like the impossible?
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Oh, that's amazing.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05That has gone down so smoothly.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08These little grey areas will come off.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Look, it is coming off with my finger.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12It is just from the paper.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Yeah, I'm pretty chuffed with that, actually.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18That is a real result.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20But that's just one of many bubbles on the tray
0:21:20 > 0:21:24and Tim will have to smooth the rest of the veneer before giving it a polish.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Will he serve up a stunner?
0:21:27 > 0:21:30And just how well will it do at auction?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32260, 280.
0:21:37 > 0:21:45Meanwhile, Roger Hawkins is in his workshop, getting to grips with the 1950s tea and coffee pots.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51He has already re-glued the finials in place, now comes the delicate task of making the breaks invisible.
0:21:51 > 0:21:59Now I have mixed my trusty filler, I am going to now start filling around this join.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04There was a piece out of the finial and the whole finial was off, so I have plenty of filling to do
0:22:04 > 0:22:08and also rubbing down the filler once it has hardened.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12It is a little awkward, because of the shape, particularly round the top here.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20Like that, it may look a mess, but by the time it is shaped and sanded down,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22there will be very little of it left.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25And then it is ready for painting.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Let's hope Roger is able to match the colours and make the pots presentable again.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39It has been a great day here at our Blenheim roadshow and the restorers have done themselves proud.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- What a difference.- Oh, I say!
0:22:42 > 0:22:48But I'm really keen to find out what David Newman thinks of Lucia's hard work. Will he be impressed?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Ah, yes.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56There is a difference, isn't there?
0:22:57 > 0:23:01In its original state, the painting was dull and dirty,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03but the cleaning and new varnish
0:23:03 > 0:23:06has brought out its true colours and vibrancy.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Gracious me.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14The once murky brown rosettes on the dray horses are now a lively red.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19The lettering on the cart that looked smudged is clearer,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23and finally, you can see the detail on people's faces.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24Very nice.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Lucia's definitely delivered.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29You should see a difference, particularly in the sky,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32where it is always easier to read the colours.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37And a lot of details have come through, like the rosettes on the horses and the details in the faces.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And the nameplate has come up nice.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41It's great, isn't it?
0:23:41 > 0:23:46The veil of dirt that was on there and acting like a smog has gone.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48So, you spent quite a few hours on that, then?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Yes. I mean, the dirt was really black.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Black, black, black dirt. It's lifting a cloud, really.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58It's quite exciting.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Don't let anybody persuade you to do much more to it.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07Keep it in its original condition and it should pass on into the next generation of your family
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- which is a great thing. - Smashing, thank you very much.- Good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12What a sparkling result.
0:24:12 > 0:24:18Here's a reminder of the battered bunch of antiques that came in for treatment at our Blenheim roadshow.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Along with the newly restored Morrell Brewery oil painting,
0:24:21 > 0:24:27remember those sentimentally valuable Mayfair tea and coffee pots that Maria wants to keep.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31For £60, Roger Hawkins has been carefully re-gluing
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and painting the broken finials to give them a second chance.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But what will Maria make of Roger's skilful handiwork?
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Wow.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48Not seeing any joins anywhere. They are fabulous, actually.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Before, their ceramic finials had broken off and the pots were destined for the bin.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Now, Roger has re-glued and re-painted them
0:24:55 > 0:24:57to create an invisible mend.
0:24:57 > 0:25:03I just can't see that there was a breakage there at all.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Well worth having them done, definitely.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10They look as if they belong in an antiques shop, I think!
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It's great to have another happy customer.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And we are about to see how Tim's Tiffany tray does at auction.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28It is sale day here at the Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Essex.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34The viewing room is crammed with potential bidders, all looking for that elusive bargain.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39Len and Meryl Wise are hoping that someone will want to pick up their Tiffany tray,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41but first, they need to be reunited with it.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Let's do the business, shall we?
0:25:43 > 0:25:49And let's show you what appears to be a brand new Tiffany & Co tray.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Goodness, that's lovely, isn't it?
0:25:51 > 0:25:55- Crikey!- That looks so nice now.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57He's made a great job, he really has.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Yeah, it's stunning.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Before, this Tiffany tray looked like it had enjoyed one too many cocktails.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Now it's got its star quality back.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Tim has sorted out those bubbles, hand tinted the watermarks
0:26:10 > 0:26:14and the surface shines with quality and class again.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18I'm amazed, actually. I can't see where he's done the...
0:26:18 > 0:26:22- It's lovely. - You could easily feel it before,
0:26:22 > 0:26:27running your finger over where the bubble was, but that has gone entirely.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30He's brought the colour up so nicely. Lovely.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Well, let's hope that we've got another nice surprise for you
0:26:34 > 0:26:36when we see this go under the hammer.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Let's just hope we've got people out there with taste.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I hope so!
0:26:42 > 0:26:46As it was, it wouldn't have been worth more than £150,
0:26:46 > 0:26:51but to my mind, £120 of restoration was money well spent.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54I just know this collectible tray
0:26:54 > 0:26:57is worth every penny of £400 to the right bidder.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Remember, if you're interested in buying or selling at auction,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05you will have commission and charges to pay, so check with the auction house.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Everything that has been restored should be noted in the catalogue.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Now, 1838 is the Tiffany & Co Edwardian mahogany oval tray.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18So, this is us.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22At 250, I start. At 250, I'll take 60 anywhere.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24260, 280,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26300, 320.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28320. Come on, we want more than that.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31£320. 350, can I?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- 320...- 320, come on.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36No sale.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- No sale?!- No sale! Oh, well.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Explain that to me, will you? Because I don't understand it.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47- Never mind.- Never mind.- We will be quite happy to take it home.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53A bit disappointed that, you know, no-one in the room thought it was worth more than £320.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59But I'll take it home as a bargain at 320, thank you very much.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03I have to say, I'm not quite as philosophical as Len. In fact, I'm stunned.
0:28:03 > 0:28:10In my book, that wonderful tray with Tim's exquisite restoration was a dead cert at £400.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14But, hey, win or lose, it's great to know that with the right care,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19tired and tatty antiques can become things of real beauty once again.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23So, join us again and see our restorers' skill being put to the test
0:28:23 > 0:28:29and more items being saved and given that extra chance here on Restoration Roadshow.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:41 > 0:28:44E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk