News
- Wheathills on BBC
DEALING WITH DICKINSON
a BBC
TV programme hosted by David Dickinson and filmed partly
at Wheathills, explored the journey of six people all
eager to discover the realities of being an Antiques
Dealer.
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The programme's producers were
attracted by the Antique Study Days offered by Wheathills,
as they provided the ideal platform to educate the 6
volunteers on the correct identification and dating
of antique furniture, as well as helping them to avoid
fakes and marriages when it came to buying antiques
themselves.
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The six initially knew nothing about antiques, but during
the course of the programme learnt to identify good
items of furniture, buy at auctions, oversee the restoration
of items purchased before finally exhibiting them at
a large trade fair in Birmingham.
During the first day's filming the six took part in
Antique Study Day 1 which
was delivered by Nigel Heldreich and filmed in the Cabinet
Makers' workshops (preferred by the camera crew as it
provided a more interesting backdrop). The participants
thoroughly enjoyed the study day and all felt fully
prepared for the second day when they would be set challenges
designed to test their recently acquired knowledge.
On Day Two the programme host
David Dickinson arrived and joined Nigel in preparing
a series of challenges. The first task was to select
the only good piece of furniture from a group of fakes,
marriages and other items specifically chosen to catch
out the unwary.
Next came the 'Dating Game' where a collection of chairs
from the 17th - 20th centuries had to be arranged in
the correct chronological order, with each contestant
investigating the method of construction rather than
the piece's style; it was essential that the differences
between wooden blocks, brackets, wooden rub blocks and
pegs were clearly recognized, as some chairs were designed
in styles more common in previous eras. The contestant's
recently acquired knowledge was put to the test.
Additionally Wheathills undertook careful and sympathetic
restoration and conservation on some of the items bought
during the show. Projects included replacing a beautiful
Corner Cupboard's back panels with period timber, dismantling
and re-gluing a set of fine Regency dining chairs, as
well as cleaning, conserving and making minor repars
to a Victorian Folio Stand and Chaise Longe, a Regency
Rosewood Gaming Table and an Edwardian Tray. An
Antique Restoration Case Study of the dining chairs
can be seen here.
"Thank you for your excellent
work carried out on the Antiques selected for my forthcoming
BBC television programme. The restoration was sympathetic
and I was pleased with the results."
David Dickinson.
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