TV star Paul Martin has described Westbury as “amazing” after a busy day meeting locals in the town.
The antiques expert visited the Leigh Park Community Centre earlier this month for a free community valuation day.
Fuelled by a bottle of Britvic orange juice from the centre’s coffee shop, Paul spent hours inspecting pieces of jewellery, historic paintings, old diaries and even a 22-carat gold crown for a tooth.
But there was one item that stood out for the TV presenter.
Speaking at the event, Paul said, “It’s been very exciting today. My favourite item has been a Victorian table-top ink well. It’s mounted in silver with a beautiful ram’s horn. It’s a curiosity typical of the Victorian period. It’s a little bit quirky; it has a bit of flair and stands out on a desk.
“We’ve had a lot of silver, jewellery, and watches today. I’ve also seen some Chinese porcelain, stamp collections, and a matchbox collection. What’s been interesting is that there’s been no ‘modern’ stuff like Pokémon, Marvel comics, or even records, which we refer to as ‘next generation antiques’.
“It’s been a lot of historical items instead.”
A steady stream of Westbury locals passed through the doors of the Leigh Park Community Centre to meet with Paul during the valuation day.
They included Carol Jones and Catherine Davidson, who had brought two paintings and a Japanese vase to the antiques expert.
Paul valued one of their paintings, of a thatched cottage, at £60. Carol had bought the artwork for just £2 in a charity shop.
She said, “I’m not going to sell it; I’ll keep it on the wall. It’s been really interesting today, but it looks like I’m not going to be booking my cruise just yet.”
Meanwhile, Beryl Drake had brought several pieces for Paul to examine. She said, “I showed him a few broken pieces of jewellery.
“Turns out they are worth something, so I’ve decided to sell them.”
The event in Westbury was so popular that, as he prepared to leave the Leigh Park Community Centre, Paul made a point of stopping by centre manager Debbie Cole and catering assistant Laura Malek to ask when he could make a return visit. A date for the next valuation day will be revealed in the coming months.
Paul added, “I’ve really enjoyed doing this at the community centre. Debbie and Laura, and all the people I’ve met, have been amazing.
“Places like this [the Leigh Park Community Centre] are so good for the community. They’re open all day long, there are toilets, a café, and free parking. Everyone I’ve seen today seems to know each other and swapped stories while waiting for their turn for a valuation, which is nice to see.
“I’ve also met a lot of Flog It! fans. For me, a day like this is great as I get to do my job without any TV cameras. I’ve seen so many gems today and always like to see people go home happy. People have old family items like medals, which they know a bit more about now, so they can value them properly and cherish them rather than chuck them in a drawer to be forgotten.
“I’ve also been advising a lot of people to do something with any unwanted gold jewellery, even if it’s broken. Don’t just leave it to gather dust in a box—do something productive with it. The price of gold is at an all-time high, so sell your gold and treat yourself. Buy a plum tree, book a holiday. Go and enjoy life!”
