Liz Crudgington

l.crudgington@KRNmedia.co.uk

ALMOST a thousand people queued for more than four hours for a chance to appear on BBC auction show Flog It.

But for some the wait was well worth it, as the experts uncovered treasures worth thousands of pounds.

The daytime television show and its flamboyant presenter Paul Martin spent a whole day filming at the Kings Hall in Herne Bay, and producers expect to make five episodes from their footage.

They will follow the fate of some of their finds at auction when the items are taken to the Canterbury Auction Galleries next month.

Producer Julia Foot said: "It was a really fantastic day and we were thrilled at the number of people who came along.

"They were all in really good spirits, even though some of them had to wait quite some time for a valuation.

"The Kings Hall was a great location, full of character, and Paul really enjoyed filming there."

The on and off-screen experts selected 32 lots to take to auction, and one of those who narrowly missed out was am-dram enthusiast Andrea Oliver, from Whitstable.

She brought along a decorative bowl and mug that expert Kate Bateman said she "would love to lick"!

Andrea said: "It was good to get a valuation and find out what it was worth, especially from someone like Kate.

"But it was my grandmother's, handed down to her from her mother, so I decided not to sell it."

Some of the finds that will go under the auctioneer's hammer were paintings, thought to be worth several thousand pounds each, and a diamond solitaire ring.

Julia said: "We ended up with a really varied collection of items and the experts were really pleased with the day.

"We never quite know who will come along or what they will bring so it was fantastic to have such a great selection."

The shows will be aired as part of the new series, starting in September. For details of the dates, keep an eye on www.bbc.co.uk/flogit