Willtshire's own antiques expert and presenter Paul Martin is inviting anyone with antiques or collectables to join him at Longleat House and Gardens when FlogFlog It! stages a valuation day this week.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the event on Thursday where antiques experts will value items both on and off screen. A selection will then be included across a number of Flog It! programmes which will be transmitted over the following months.

Paul said: “People come along with anything they can carry, it’s a fantastic experience for them and the show can really motivate people to get out there collecting and enjoying antiques.

“While being a fantastic show to make and to take part in, it also provides an insight into social history. It really opens a window into the past, shows the craftsmanship which brought us wonderful objects and demonstrates the arts and crafts of the past.”

Paul is hoping to see items of local Wiltshire interest during the filming day at Longleat, as well as any work by war artists as the centenary of the Great War approaches. Personally he also has a love of early furniture, particularly from the Georgian period, and he admires the modern 20th century art such as that created by war artist Paul Nash.

“Bring along anything which you think is of interest and which you may want to sell,” Paul said.

“As far as furniture is concerned it could be early or it could be 1960s, Danish or Scandinavian as that is becoming more sought after. It could be silver or pottery or it could be something like an early tumble-dryer. There’s no limit to what you can bring as long as you can carry it!”

The day-time BBC antiques show is now on its 12th series, regularly achieving an audience of over two million viewers. Next year, it will air its 1,000th show.

“You never know what’s going to turn up on the day,” Paul said. “It’s a voyage of discovery, items can sometimes be so unusual it’s hard to predict what will happen on auction day. That’s what makes the show so exciting.”

An added benefit for Paul is that the valuation day is so close to home - he lives in Seend with his wife and children.

“As a family we love Longleat, in fact we have an annual pass and visit almost every month,” he added.

Longleat House and Gardens will host the Flog It! valuation day from 9.30am to 4pm on Thursday and guests can bring along up to three antiques and collectables and joining Paul on the day will be fellow valuers David Fletcher, Mark Stacey and Michael Baggott.

If an item is chosen for auction it is included in a sale a few weeks later, at Wiltshire auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes. Everyone who goes along to Flog It! will receive a free valuation – even if their antiques are not chosen to go to auction. Entry is free but standard charges will apply for entry to Longleat House, Safari and Adventure Park.