Flogged it! 

Swindon digs out its prized possessions

 

The STEAM museum played host to hundreds of interesting items on Sunday, with everything from an ancient African dagger, to a selection of tin trains on show for a team of valuers from BBC 2's Flog It! programme.

Amongst the hidden gems was a railway dining car lamp brought by Paul and Kay Read, which caught the attention of the Flog It! team – and the little piece of GWR history is amongst a select few items which will go under the hammer in a few weeks time.

 

It's hammer time!: Paul Martin and his team of valuers put their expertise to good use at the STEAM museum on Sunday

Paul Martin, presenter of Flog It! was moved by the personal stories which so many Swindon residents brought along with their prized possessions.

He told us: “We don't just want to see items going for £5,000 and more. We're more interested in the fascinating stories that go with them.

“We've had men here today who worked on the railways and have come to share a little piece of their history with us.”

 

Prized Posession: Hundreds of people turn out to see if they've got the next Mona Lisa tucked away in their loft

And with more than 500 people coming through the doors, there were certainly a lot of stories to be told.

Pete Smith, Series Producer, said: “We're filming 25 to 30 items today, and will probably use about 8 in the show, so it's going to be a long day!

“We've had everything from a rare Bayco building toy set, to the more obvious pieces from the Great Western railway days. It's fantastic to see such a broad mix of items here on show.”

An auction will take place on Friday 8th February at the Cotswold Auction House in Cirencester, with the show expected to be broadcast later this year.

Click back to see exclusive coverage of the auction, and for more details on the show...

 

Photos by - Amy Read