0:00:02 > 0:00:05It's a beautiful day and people have been turning up in their droves
0:00:05 > 0:00:09to see if our experts can restore their antiques and collectibles.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12What's more, some of the items are proving quite a challenge
0:00:12 > 0:00:15to our team of experts here on Restoration Roadshow.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Welcome to one of my favourite counties, Oxfordshire,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29where the sun is shining on this beautiful palace.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32A splendid example of English baroque architecture.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35It's rich with history and ready to hold court
0:00:35 > 0:00:41as our restorers prepare to help your broken and distressed antiques.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Everyone's keen to know if they're worth anything.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45This is a £400 or £500 tray.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47There's no hesitation.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Will they be staying in the family?
0:00:49 > 0:00:53- A little piece of Winston Churchill's artwork.- Absolutely. I might hang on to it!
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Should they be cleaned up and restored?
0:00:55 > 0:00:59That is one very mucky picture.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05- 140.- And if they go to auction, will they make a pretty penny?
0:01:05 > 0:01:06At £2,600...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Coming up, on the outside this grandfather clock has
0:01:11 > 0:01:16seen better days, but is it hiding something even worse?
0:01:16 > 0:01:21What we don't know is what we're going to find underneath this molding at the bottom.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25A rare Royal Doulton tobacco jar is in a bad way.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Yes, that is distressed.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29In fact, that's very distressed.
0:01:33 > 0:01:39And we go behind the scenes to discover how one little boy played a trick on this beautiful organ.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43He took three of the small pipes out of the organ.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50So it's another sunny day as we wait to see what you've found
0:01:50 > 0:01:54under the bed, up in the attic or at the back of the garage.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Our restorers are ready and the excitement is about to begin.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05First up today is a fantastic 300-year-old grandfather clock.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10He's been in the family for years and Kate Norman is keen to help him.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14I don't want to be unkind, but I think your grandfather clock,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18or to give it its proper term, your long case clock,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22has had a bit of a hard life, yes?
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Well, from what I know of it, according to family legend,
0:02:26 > 0:02:31my great-great-grandfather's brother found the clock on a dump.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34So I think the case has been...
0:02:34 > 0:02:38probably not treated perhaps quite as it should have been, ideally.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42The nice thing about your long case is its date, because
0:02:42 > 0:02:47the vast majority of clocks that we see tend to be 18th or 19th century.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50This one's actually late 17th century. Do you know what it's worth?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I'd go for maybe even £1,000.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Maybe. On a good day.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57You're very good. You are very good.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I'm feeling redundant here.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Well, I think in its present state,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07it may be up to that figure. I think you're looking at maybe about £800.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11I mean, the problem is, it's not going, OK.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16The other problem is that it just does need that cosmetic touch, doesn't it?
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Time to call in our furniture and clock expert Malcolm Green.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25He's got over 30 years' experience and we're in desperate need of his expertise.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27It's a rather...
0:03:27 > 0:03:32sad-looking clock at the moment, but at one time it was looking rather good.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35This plinth at the bottom is not original.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39That was put there by somebody when they were doing their flooring in the Victorian period.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43It should have two little bun feet, that would really bring it out,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45but that would be silver.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48These hands, actually, are pretty good.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52That one's not original, but I wouldn't worry about that too much, cos they're often not.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So what's the plan of action, Malcolm?
0:03:55 > 0:03:59The most basic is to take this plinth off,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and turn four lovely little bun feet that look right.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I think what we don't know is what we're going to find
0:04:06 > 0:04:08underneath this molding at the bottom.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It could be rotten. A lot of these cases just stood on the floor and the floors
0:04:12 > 0:04:16were fairly horrid stone floors, wet, damp,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20so there might be a lot of bacterial damage, and when we turn it over,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24we could see that, but quite simply, four bun feet need to be done.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The woodworm needs to be killed and hardened to make it right.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33That's the most basic and I suppose to do that - £350, thereabouts.
0:04:33 > 0:04:39To undertake the restoration of the whole thing, it's going to be around £1,000-ish.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42The decision is, on that basis,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46is it something that you would consider putting to auction?
0:04:46 > 0:04:50What would be good is to just do the very basic.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54He's not properly looked after, and it'd be lovely for him
0:04:54 > 0:04:57to go to somebody who can really appreciate him.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00This grand old chap didn't cost Kate a penny,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and I think in its current sorry state, it's worth about £800,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07but given its poor condition, it'll have a tough time finding a buyer.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Malcolm's charging £350 to restore it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14That should help it reach the top end of its price,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16which I reckon could be up to about £900.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19So, Malcolm, you've got a challenge on your hands.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23This clock needs serious detective work, but who knows what secrets
0:05:23 > 0:05:28lie concealed in that plinth and can you do enough to help reach its price at auction?
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Can I start the bidding at £800. I'll take £20 anywhere.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Come on, where's £20?
0:05:38 > 0:05:44The antiques and collectibles arriving today are coming in all shapes and sizes.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49You stand a very good chance of getting close to £1,000 for it.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54But we don't mind looking through your bags and inside your cars to discover those hidden gems.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58It's what brings the fun to Restoration Roadshow.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01If you keep that, when you're grown up, that might be worth some money.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Later on, we'll investigate some local history that's showing its age.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Gosh, that's a hefty volume, isn't it?
0:06:09 > 0:06:15Well, it dates from 1888, and it's really very much a social history.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Next, we have a rare Edwardian Royal Doulton tobacco jar,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23brought in by Brian Murray.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25It was my father's and he used it.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29He was a pipe smoker and he bought this at Caledonian Road Market
0:06:29 > 0:06:34and that would have been in the second half of the 1930s.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36But it's been in the wars.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40So our ceramics expert Roger Hawkins is urgently needed.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44With over 30 years' experience, he knows a pretty pot when he sees one,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48but can he help Brian put the beauty back into his precious jar?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Can you remember when your father broke it at all?
0:06:51 > 0:06:56No, I can't recall and I'm sure that it was my father who broke it
0:06:56 > 0:06:58rather than my sister.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03And it was known that she broke a couple of his other treasured pieces from the same Caledonian Road.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Yes, that is distressed.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11In fact, that's very distressed because it has a replacement silver
0:07:11 > 0:07:12finial to it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16When it was dropped, I assume it just hit the floor,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19perhaps the knob...
0:07:19 > 0:07:26was perhaps lost or damaged beyond repair and that knob has been fashioned out of a piece of silver.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29So it's interesting to see a repair like that.
0:07:29 > 0:07:35I mean in this condition, it would probably fetch somewhere around the £60 mark.
0:07:35 > 0:07:41Restored, if it were absolutely perfect, probably around £150-£180,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45because it's an interesting, rarer tobacco jar
0:07:45 > 0:07:47than one would normally see.
0:07:47 > 0:07:54The cost of restoration would be around between £80 and £100.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58It would put it back to its former glory, you see.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Yeah.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I'm not going to sell it, so...
0:08:03 > 0:08:06but I would quite like to see it restored.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Yes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:09I'll...
0:08:11 > 0:08:14..I'll bite the financial bullet. There.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18So the little jar is currently worth around £60
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and the restoration will cost £80.
0:08:21 > 0:08:27Roger thinks it could be worth £150 to £180 once it's fully repaired,
0:08:27 > 0:08:33assuming Roger can reset the break without shattering the stoneware further.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40Coming up, Malcolm's had to pack up that grandfather clock and transport it back to his warehouse.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44We'll be seeing how things are ticking along there later.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48And I really can't wait to go inside Blenheim Palace and discover
0:08:48 > 0:08:51how this magnificent organ has been restored.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Tony Simmons, from a local historical society,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05has arrived with a ledger dating back to the late 1800s.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11It's from an old sawmill and contains a record of the workers' wages.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Gosh, that's a hefty volume, isn't it?
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Well, it dates from 1888,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and it's really...inside there is very much a social history.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Combe Mill was a local working sawmill.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27It closed in 1969, and now operates as a museum.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32Paper conservator Louise Drover has worked for the V & A and the National Trust.
0:09:32 > 0:09:39With other 20 years' experience, she knows about bringing historical documents back to life.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45- If you look at each of the sections there, you've got lists of names of people in the mill.- Yes.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48How many days they worked on a particular job,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51and then, of course, how much to charge for it.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52My goodness.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- So have you ever had this piece valued at all?- No, we've never put a price to them.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59It's more of a museum piece, really.
0:09:59 > 0:10:06Restoration-wise, what we could probably do is give it a good surface clean, really.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's got lots of loose dust and ingrained dirt on it,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12particularly on the leather and in this cloth.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16I'm going to reattach this cloth with a wheat starch paste,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and often the corners get very knocked and delaminated,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22particularly on large volumes.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24This one has become terribly detached.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29One of the main areas of damage with old books,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33particularly very heavy volumes like this, is that the boards can become detached
0:10:33 > 0:10:37and they really ought not be opened more than about 45 degrees.
0:10:37 > 0:10:43I think this could probably be repaired for around £150.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46That sounds very reasonable.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Eminently reasonable! The society would be very pleased.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Combe Mill would be very pleased to have it put right.
0:10:54 > 0:11:00But after suffering years of hard labour, can that crumbling cover be saved by Louise?
0:11:10 > 0:11:15No, it's not me playing. I'm just inside the palace taking a look at this incredible organ.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20The man who built it was responsible for some of the UK's most famous organs,
0:11:20 > 0:11:25like those in the Royal Albert Hall and St Paul's Cathedral, to name just two.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29It was installed really by, I suppose, the greatest organ builder
0:11:29 > 0:11:32that the country has ever had, Henry Willis.
0:11:32 > 0:11:38This was built and installed in 1891 when he was at the height of his powers.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Not only does it reflect Willis' own organ building skills,
0:11:42 > 0:11:48but the quality of materials and the techniques used really were outstanding.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51This is the largest privately-owned organ in Europe
0:11:51 > 0:11:56and one of the biggest challenges is how to restore over 2,300 pipes.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01Well, the organ is over 100 years old and that's the main problem, really.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03We are repairing and we are restoring.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05One of the major problems, however,
0:12:05 > 0:12:11is the organ is like an intricate jigsaw puzzle, and to get to something quite simple
0:12:11 > 0:12:14would mean dismantling about half of the organ.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18In the last 20 years, 60% of the organ has been restored
0:12:18 > 0:12:25including the bellows and the sound boards, at a cost of £100,000.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29It's money well spent as it's an irreplaceable part of Blenheim's history.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34Andrew Patterson has been organist here for 20 years.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36This is a wonderful instrument to play.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40It gives you a tremendous feeling of power, of pleasure
0:12:40 > 0:12:46and it also has tremendous scope so there's no piece of organ music that you can't play well on this organ.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50It's not everyone's taste, but I think if you like organ music, you'll like this organ.
0:12:53 > 0:13:00It's truly the king of instruments, it has many orchestral stops, or pipes, spread across four manuals.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03The skill of the organist is to combine those stops into
0:13:03 > 0:13:07interesting sounds and different dynamics for the pieces he plays.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10The Willis organ needs constant maintenance, but sometimes,
0:13:10 > 0:13:15little acts of restoration can occur when you least expect them.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17We had a letter from an elderly lady.
0:13:17 > 0:13:24She wrote and said, "My husband, who has just died, in his will asked me to write to you about this.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28"He was evacuated here as a schoolboy during the war and as a souvenir
0:13:28 > 0:13:35"he took three of the small pipes out of the organ and he kept them all these years, nearly 70 years."
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It got on his conscience towards the end of his life
0:13:37 > 0:13:41and here they are, and there they were in a little package.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45More than that, we actually replaced them in the organ and they still played.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Slightly out of tune, but amazing, isn't it?
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Outside, our restorers are putting in virtuoso performances, too.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02We've seen a real collection today, but not everything is worth repairing.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Roger's tip of the day:
0:14:06 > 0:14:09That's so typical of household repairs.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13The amount of glue that's been used, an absolute mess.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18So forget that glue-it-yourself, let the experts do it properly.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And speaking of Roger, I wonder how he's coping
0:14:21 > 0:14:24with that handsome Royal Doulton tobacco jar,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27the one with the deluxe addition of a silver top.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30What I have to try and do now is break it apart.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34So I thought I'd try near-boiling water, poured over it
0:14:34 > 0:14:37to see whether that will
0:14:37 > 0:14:38affect the glue.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Every now and again I think, "Will it end up in 100 pieces?"
0:14:45 > 0:14:47But I think he'll do it all right.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I'm fairly confident. A professional man. It'll work.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52I hope!
0:14:57 > 0:14:59So far, so good.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Well, I'm glad you're confident, Roger.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06Actually, the lid has come apart, leaving its original break intact.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Now it's in bits, Roger has spotted something else.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17It wasn't until I broke it apart that I realised that the original
0:15:17 > 0:15:22ceramic finial is still inside the silver casing.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27What that tells me is that in fact it was obviously made in the factory
0:15:27 > 0:15:31and they put the silver over the stoneware finial
0:15:31 > 0:15:39to match the silver rim around the tobacco jar and around its base.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43It's a great discovery. The silver around the top of the jar is so tarnished,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47it's easy to see why Roger thought the knob was an addition.
0:15:47 > 0:15:54He'll need specialist tools in order to complete the next stage, so he's taken the jar back to his workshop.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02We're never quite sure what's going to turn up.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06The treats you bring us can be big, small, broken and grubby.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08It's a restoration revolution.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15And sometimes our restorers just don't have all the kit to do the right job here on site.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21That was the case when Malcolm diagnosed a fairly major illness with this lovely grandfather clock.
0:16:21 > 0:16:26So he took it away, opened it up and found something wriggling inside.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31I can see on closer inspection that there is quite a lot of woodworm.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36This woodworm here has at some stage rotted the bottom part,
0:16:36 > 0:16:41so this molding section has been added to a piece of wood under here.
0:16:41 > 0:16:48That newer piece of molding is holding the base together, so Malcolm will keep it in place.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53After treating the woodworm, Malcolm sets to work on the feet.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55But what's with the less than delicate technique?
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Now we're going to cut these areas off here, and you have a nice round piece already turned,
0:17:03 > 0:17:04ready to cut the bun feet.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Oh, I see, recycling, antique-style.
0:17:07 > 0:17:13In the late 1600s, bun feet were all the rage on grandfather clocks - so as well as protecting the base,
0:17:13 > 0:17:18this will help the clock look more in keeping with its age.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Here, we're looking at the initial stage of turning this bun foot,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26so this area here is starting to be the collar.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31This collar will go up underneath the foot and this obviously will be where the floor area would be
0:17:31 > 0:17:36when it's turned. This needs to be turned rather more, but you can see the shape coming there gradually.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43Coming up, will Malcolm's efforts be enough to turn heads at auction?
0:17:43 > 0:17:47We'll find out how Roger's fared with that wheezy old tobacco jar,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and will owner Brian be smiling again?
0:17:55 > 0:18:00Tony Simmons brought a ledger for Louise to look at. Dating from the late 1800s,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02it was ripped and in a crumbling mess.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07So Louise has cleaned her brushes, scrubbed up and is ready for action.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I'm just pasting out this...
0:18:09 > 0:18:16this piece of textile that forms part of the boards, and I'm going to
0:18:16 > 0:18:21gradually unroll it and pitch it back into position.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27It's very precise work and there's only one chance to get it right.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31What I have to do now is actually tease out all the fibres along this edge
0:18:31 > 0:18:36so that they're unrolled and tend to tuck themselves underneath. They've been like that for years.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Even the seemingly harmless wheat gluten paste that Louise is using
0:18:43 > 0:18:46can present risks at this stage.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I just have a few more bits to do.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52The two lower corners to do,
0:18:52 > 0:18:58and reattaching this leather, taking great care really not to get the
0:18:58 > 0:19:01paste on to the surface, because it can actually blacken it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I have to be careful, because it can stain, which you don't want to happen.
0:19:05 > 0:19:11Louise is being ultra-delicate, so will Tony and his historical
0:19:11 > 0:19:14society be lost for words when they see the results?
0:19:19 > 0:19:23I have to say that my favourite moment is when we hand back the lovely collectibles
0:19:23 > 0:19:28that we've painstakingly restored. It's always a surprise and a delight.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29My goodness me!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- Wow!- Goodness, that's lovely, isn't it?- Crikey.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Roger got to grips with this attractive Royal Doulton tobacco jar.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40First, he had to break it apart to remove the old glue.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Then he took it on a journey back to his workshop,
0:19:43 > 0:19:48where he stuck it back together and carefully filled all the holes.
0:19:48 > 0:19:55What I have to do now is start painting this surface to render that join completely invisible.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Then I'm going to stick the finial back on and the job will be done.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04So take a deep breath everyone, it's time to deliver it back to Brian.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10So, Brian, is it fair to say that your tobacco jar and cover
0:20:10 > 0:20:13is a real family heirloom as far as you're concerned?
0:20:13 > 0:20:19Oh yes, I remember it throughout my life, standing on the shelf beside my father's preferred armchair.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22For the past eight years or so it's been at my home on a shelf.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24So, yes, it's an heirloom.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31Gosh. That really is good because I was expecting, of course,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35the top to be restored, but clearly the pot itself has been cleaned
0:20:35 > 0:20:37and the silver has been cleaned as well.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41It really does look absolutely superb.
0:20:41 > 0:20:48Before, the lid looked like a pipe smoker's nightmare, but now it's positively glowing.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52For me, pots are touchy-feely, so feel free just to pick it up.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56It was the top that was given all the attention...
0:20:56 > 0:20:57- Yes, it was.- ..wasn't it?
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Yes.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02That is absolutely outstanding.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07I would never have guessed that that was in so many different pieces.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Amazing not to be able to see any hint of restoration.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13There's no sign of a break there, that it's undergone any work.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I can only say, I'm really, really pleased with it.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20I'm going to put it down because I'd hate it to slip through my fingers!
0:21:20 > 0:21:27So, another satisfied customer and the Restoration Roadshow has a great result.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30It's the moment of reckoning for Louise.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34She's been working hard on that late 19th century piece of local history,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37gently pasting and repairing.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Toni Simmons has really put her skills to the test,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43so what's the verdict?
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I say! Oh that's smashing!
0:21:47 > 0:21:48Thank you for doing that.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51No, you're very welcome.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Remember how tattered and frayed the book cover was,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and the leather corners that were perished and split?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00It's been totally transformed.
0:22:00 > 0:22:07Managed to relay that cloth that was sort of folded back to here. The corners have been reconsolidated.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- Oh, and the edges too. Look, all the way along.- That's right.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14The leather is reattached where it had been lifting.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18How did you get this sort of finish on this lovely piece of leather?
0:22:18 > 0:22:21That's just been waxed. It's a renaissance wax.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Wow, wow, wow. Aren't we lucky?
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Aren't we lucky? Combe Mill members will be surprised when they see that.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29- Jolly good.- I hope delighted too.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- Thank you very much. - You're welcome.- Much appreciated.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37The ledger will now make a short journey across the Blenheim estate
0:22:37 > 0:22:41to the museum where it'll make fascinating reading for years to come.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47It's been hot work here in the sun-drenched grounds of Blenheim Palace.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53We've been privileged to see what many of you have been hiding inside your homes, sometimes for decades.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58Some heirlooms are going home, like Brian's unusual little tobacco jar.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02Ah, I say!
0:23:02 > 0:23:06And the ledger that really has been through the mill,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11but that impressive 300-year-old clock, which has been in Kate's family for years,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15has had Malcolm really turning on the style. Now it's crunch time.
0:23:15 > 0:23:22Will Kate be happy with the finished look and will it tick all the right boxes for the bidders at auction?
0:23:22 > 0:23:27Remember, it was found on a Victorian rubbish heap and has limped on for generations.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Kate grew up with him, and this will be the first time she's ever seen him in good health.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Now this is the big reveal. This is the bit I like.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I'm quite emotional, actually!
0:23:38 > 0:23:40There we go. Is it looking a bit better than it was?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Oh, he's lovely.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46It's quite emotional, actually.
0:23:46 > 0:23:52I can remember my mother hiding things in it at Christmas, so yeah, lots of memories around him.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56This old man was really tattered around the edges.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Malcolm has polished him up and given him a healthy glow.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07But it was the rotten woodworm-addled base that really needed work.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Malcolm has transformed it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So what do you think of that base?
0:24:12 > 0:24:16It's just lifted him in more ways than one - physically, obviously.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20It just gives it another dimension, really. It's fabulous.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Now you've seen it, I want to know what you intend to do.
0:24:25 > 0:24:33Put him to auction for someone who can really look after him and finish the restoration off.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35The bottom looks fantastic.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39It would be great for the top to look that good, wouldn't it, really?
0:24:39 > 0:24:40That's true.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43So we gently packed up Kate's grandfather clock
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and headed to Sworder's Fine Art Auctioneers and their country house sale.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53There are over 800 items on offer attracting a lot of interest.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57If you're interested in buying or selling at auction, you will have commission
0:24:57 > 0:25:02and other charges to pay, so be sure to check with the auction house.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Everything that's been restored should be noted in the catalogue.
0:25:06 > 0:25:12It's buzzing here, and we're almost ready to see Kate's clock go under the hammer.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16In its original state, it would have been difficult to find a buyer at auction.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19But with Malcolm's fantastic restoration job,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24I reckon the clock could go today for up to £900.
0:25:26 > 0:25:33Sadly, Kate couldn't be here today so I'm going to call her after the sale to report back the news.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Lot 1,806.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Fingers crossed. Here goes.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39I'll start the bidding at £800.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- A good start.- 20 anywhere?
0:25:41 > 0:25:47820, 850, 880, 900.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50£900, top end of estimate. £900.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I'll take 20 anywhere.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57920, 950, 980, 1,000.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59With me at £1,000.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Do we have telephones?
0:26:00 > 0:26:07We've got a telephone problem. We have a bidder coming through on the telephone and he can't get through,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09or can he?
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Just wait and see if the telephones can be resurrected.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Nothing like cutting it fine. £1,150 to bid.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Yes. There's a telephone bid!
0:26:27 > 0:26:30We've got two telephone bids.
0:26:30 > 0:26:321,300 to bid.
0:26:35 > 0:26:381,300 on John's phone.
0:26:38 > 0:26:401,350 to bid, Tony.
0:26:42 > 0:26:461,300, I'm going to sell it to John's phone.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51£1,350, £1,400, John?
0:26:54 > 0:26:56£1,400.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02I'm going to sell it to John's phone for £1,400.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04£1,400!
0:27:04 > 0:27:08£1,400!
0:27:08 > 0:27:11That's a result with a capital R!
0:27:12 > 0:27:17So, as Kate paid £350 to have it restored and with a selling price
0:27:17 > 0:27:22of £1,400, even taking off commission, she's made quite a profit.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Now I'm going to sneak out and give her the good news.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30- 'Hello.'- Hello. Is that Kate?
0:27:30 > 0:27:35- 'It is.'- Kate, hello. Yes, it's Eric Knowles from Restoration Roadshow.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36'And how did it go?'
0:27:36 > 0:27:38How did it go?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Well, I think it went all right.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- Your reserve was £800, wasn't it? - 'Yes.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'So did we have to keep the clock?'
0:27:47 > 0:27:53Well, no because somebody wanted it and paid £1,400 for it.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54'Goodness me!
0:27:55 > 0:27:57'That's...way over.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'Oh, wow!'
0:28:01 > 0:28:06You can give me another "wow" if you want, I do like listening to "wows" on the telephone.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07SHE LAUGHS
0:28:07 > 0:28:09'That's amazing.'
0:28:09 > 0:28:13Well, it's been a tense, yet exciting day here, and thanks to our restorers,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17we've managed to put some smiles back on our owners' faces.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23So join me again for another transforming slice of Restoration Roadshow.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:30 > 0:28:33E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk