Dorchester care home welcomes celebrity antiques expert for valuation day, in support of Weldmar

Residents at a Dorchester care home were thrilled to meet a celebrity antiques expert during a special valuation day event that was raising money for Weldmar Hospicecare.

Maiden Castle House, 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. Members of the public were invited to attend, and encouraged to donate to the charity.

They joined residents, and their families and friends, 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 Eidlestein, 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.

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.”

Norman, a Maiden Castle House resident, showed Paul Martin a ceramic whistle that he has had since he was a child. He said: “Paul was genuinely interested in my whistle and I found his talk very funny and interesting.”

Nancy, who also lives at Maiden Castle House, said: “He was really lovely and liked looking at my husband’s collectibles. I got his autograph.”

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.”