Norfolk base hosts Fiona Bruce and the experts from popular BBC TV show

Thousands of people flocked to RAF Marham today when the Antiques Roadshow arrived at the base.

Presenter Fiona Bruce said she was delighted to be back in Norfolk having previously filmed for the show at Oxburgh Hall, near Swaffham, in 2008.

Now in her fifth series, she said that being allowed on a working military base for the programme had been a privilege.

'There are some great historical artifacts here too because II Squadron is celebrating its centenary and it's fascinating. We have had a great time.'

The queue of people waiting to see an expert stretched for around a quarter of a mile by noon and packages of all shapes and sizes were arriving by the hundred.

Among those who left smiling was Julia Jones, of Swaffham, whose painting by her grandfather Herbert Upton was valued at between �3,000 and �5,000.

Gordon Richards, of King's Lynn, took a collection of 1970s Warlord and Action comics along and was told by expert Mark Hill that they could be worth up to �200.

'They belonged to my son and he now lives in America. I'm surprised at what they were worth though,' he said.

Mr Hill, who is patron of King's Lynn Arts Centre, said he was delighted to be at RAF Marham.

'It's not always about the value of things, it is often about the personal stories behind them,' he said.

The crowds even caught a glimpse of Captain Mainwaring and Private Pike from the popular Dad's Army show.

Mick Whitman and Saxon Syndon-Steele, complete with their second world war uniforms, took along autographs from the entire cast of the programme - filmed in and around Thetford.

'It even has Arthur Lowe, and he was quite difficult to get an autograph from,' said Mr Whitman who is involved with the Thetford museum dedicated to Dad's Army.

The framed autographs were valued at several hundred pounds but 'not as much as we had hoped,' he added.

Base commander, Gp Capt David Cooper said it was a 'privilege' to have the Antiques Roadshow being filmed at Marham.

'It has been a lot of hard work by people on the base but I think its put Marham in an extremely good light and its allowed the community to come onto the base,' he added.

For the full story see tomorrow's EDP