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 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.
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.”
Maiden Castle House, which is run by the not-for-profit charity Care South, provides specialist residential, respite, and dementia care. The care home features a range of communal lounges overlooking a landscaped garden for residents to enjoy. Maiden Castle House has a dedicated activities team who organise a daily programme of events to bring residents together to socialise and build friendships.
Care South is a leading provider of high quality residential and home care services across the south of England. The not-for-profit organisation, which is a registered charity, has care homes in Dorset, north Devon, Somerset and West Sussex, and home care offices covering east and west Dorset, and northeast Somerset and south Somerset.
For more information about the care services available, go to care-south.co.uk or call Care South on 01202 712410
Photos supplied by Care-South (click photos to enlarge)
Antiques expert, Paul Martin, pictured with the Maiden Castle House care home team
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- Antiques expert, Paul Martin, chats to Jean, 105, at Maiden Castle House care home
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- Antiques expert, Paul Martin, chats to Paul, who lives at Maiden Castle House care home
