Dorchester Care Home Welcomes Celebrity Antiques Expert For Valuation Day

Residents at a Dorchester care home were thrilled to meet a celebrity antiques expert during a special valuation day event.

Maiden Castle House care home, on Gloucester Road, welcomed Paul Martin, the presenter of BBC1 show Flog It for nearly 20 years, to give a talk about his career in antiques, a book signing, and valuation event. All events on the day led by Paul were free for the public to attend, with donations going to the care home’s chosen charity, Weldmar Hospicecare, which provides care to people with life-limiting illnesses in Dorset.

Residents, their families and friends, and members of the public congregated in the ground floor lounge of the care home to hear Paul, who is now Head of Valuations at Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd, talk about his life-long love of antiques.

Paul then signed copies of his books, and then, alongside his colleague, Marc Eidelstein, they provided valuations of items which the residents’ families and members of the public had brought in, including a pair of decorative urns, gold jewellery, silver boxes, paintings and ceramics.

Ashley Smith, Home Manager at Maiden Castle House, said:
“The residents had a fantastic time meeting Paul Martin. It was lovely to see them enjoying a chat with him and being able to talk about their shared interest. At Care South, we prioritise getting to know the residents’ hobbies and interests to tailor the activities towards them, so this was a perfect opportunity for them to learn more about antiques.”

Eden Fraser from Weldmar Hospicecare’s Fundraising team said:
“Thank you so much to the team at Maiden Castle House for their continuing support of Weldmar, which they do in memory of their beloved colleague Elaine Stockley. Thanks also to Paul Martin for generously giving his time on what was a wonderful day. The money raised by our local community ensures that we can provide care and dignity to more people like Elaine and her loved ones, who are treading the difficult path of living with a life limiting illness.”