Althorp 26 Flog It!

In the Northamptonshire countryside sits Althorp.

It's been the home of the Spencer family for more than five centuries.

If you think the outside looks impressive,

you should see the inside.

There's not a bare wall in the house.

There's 650 paintings here, all with a fabulous pedigree,

Gainsborough, van Dyck, Rubens, to name just a few.

And today, for one day only,

the galleries are all ours and we're going to be making the most of them.

Welcome to Flog It!

Althorp, childhood home of the young Diana, Princess of Wales.

Her family, the Spencers, have lived here for 19 generations.

Each has left their mark on the house

and what's contained within it. Keen artistic patrons,

they've filled the rooms with impressive collections -

and we're not just talking paintings but ceramics

and lots and lots of books.

We're looking forward to exploring Althorp,

so it's time to meet the "Flog It!" crowd

gathering for our valuation day.

-Hello, everyone! ALL:

-Hello!

Hundreds of bags and boxes - we've really got our work cut out today.

We've got a fantastic crowd here,

all laden with antiques and collectables to see our experts.

They're eager to ask that all-important question - what's it worth?

And if you're happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?

-ALL:

-Flog it!

-Let's do it.

And on the hunt for some gems to take to auction is

Charles Hanson, a scholar and a gentleman.

-You're not cold, are you? Do you want my jacket?

-THEY LAUGH

He is joined by a very enthusiastic Will Axon,

who's been pipped to the post.

Oh, he's already got a sticker on there. Who got you? Paul?

-Paul, yeah.

-Martin!

-THEY LAUGH

And you have to admit, Will's a real trier.

-Excuse me, what's going on here, Carlos?

-Erm, nothing.

-I draw your attention to the man who's been stickered.

-Oh, I'm sorry.

-That's all right. Nice, though, isn't it?

-I never saw it.

-Nice, though, isn't it?

So, you're having the bag and I'm having the rest?

-Thanks for everything.

-See you later!

And there's no time to waste.

The queue's moved inside to settle down and unpack.

This house has 90 rooms, so there's plenty for our crowd to take in.

Before we explore, let's have a look at what's coming up later on in the programme.

Will's got an idea who could take pride of place in June's picture frame.

We'll see if we can't get a photo of Mr Paul Martin in there

-before the auction and who knows?

-That would be nice.

-Well, it might struggle to sell.

-Charles spots an enticing box...

The box is magnificent but, of course, it's what is within

that sets my heart racing.

Guess which silent movie star inspires us at the auction.

-Oh, of course!

-How is it?

-Exactly, yes!

-THEY CHUCKLE

And I find out more about the man whose portraitists are

the Georgian glitterati and a personal friend to Spencer family.

Well, the crowd are now safely seated inside,

so it's time to get on with those valuations.

Let's delve into those bags and boxes and let's find out who is on Will's table.

Well, I don't know what it was that attracted

me to these pictures in the queue but I'm glad I was because,

Joe, having spoken to you about them, fascinating story!

Come on, this is your stage - tell me about them!

-Well, my family are from Cumbria.

-Yes.

And one of my grandfather's wartime jobs was collecting the milk churns

from all the isolated farms.

And part of his route, he used to drive past the prisoner of war camp

-near Cockermouth in Cumbria.

-Yes.

And he used to talk to prisoners and often used to throw food over

the wall to them because they always said they were hungry,

so he used to take bread and throw it over the wall to them.

-What a kind-hearted man.

-Well...

And in early 1946,

when one of the prisoners found out that my mum was pregnant with me...

-Oh, wow!

-Because I was born in '46...

-Yes?

-Erm, he gave my grandad these two paintings.

-Really?

-Yeah.

So, this chap that painted these, we've got a signature down there, haven't we?

-Heinz, Heinz, is it L-A-U-Z-I, is it? Lauzi?

-Lauzi. Yeah.

-And dated 1946, so, your birth year.

-And this one as well.

It's the same on that one here.

Wonderful, by the same artist and he's even inscribed it

-there, England.

-This was a fire screen, originally.

-Cos you can see the holes where it had metal for a fire screen.

-I've got you.

And that's the Bassenthwaite Lake and Skiddaw mountains.

-Ah, so, it's a known scene?

-And the fell.

-You recognise it?

Yeah, yeah, Skiddaw and Bassenthwaite Lake.

-So, it's the view from the prisoner of war camp?

-Yeah,

-and there's views over the fields there.

-Fascinating.

And this one was obviously in winter and my grandfather used to

-have this hanging in his lounge.

-Yeah.

And I always used to be fascinated with this shepherd with his

-dog going across the frozen fields.

-Yeah.

-Because I have walked over this area.

-Have you?

-Yeah.

-That's wonderful, isn't it? That you can sort of relate in that way.

-When I was a young child,

I used to stand and look at the picture and always admired it

and when my grandfather died, erm,

it's the only possession I had from his estate.

You're starting to make me feel guilty now about dragging you

out of the queue! I can't make you sell these!

But what's happened is we just put them in our attic and every

time we've moved house they've gone from one attic to another attic.

-I know that story. They've probably done more miles than you and me together.

-Probably.

Well, listen, looking at it from an artistic point of view,

you know, the technique and the quality of the painting, erm,

it does fall down a little bit. I mean, you can tell...

-Pretty amateurish, yeah, yeah.

-Exactly.

What we would call a keen amateur.

I don't think we're going to have any sort of national galleries

on the phone bidding furiously for them.

A lot of artworks are driven, their prices,

by the artist and what they've made in the past.

We've just cleared space in the attic - that's all.

-So, you're quite happy for these to just...

-Absolutely.

..find a new home and perhaps, you never know,

maybe there will be an ancestor of his online.

-Who may recognise the name?

-Well, it's an unusual name.

-It is.

You never know, once it's out there on the "ether interneb",

-you know, who knows what can happen?

-You never know, yeah.

We are going to have to publish an estimate for them and I think

we would just pick an arbitrary estimate of, say, 30 to 50,

or 20 to 30 for the two. No reserve.

-You've made the decision for them to sell.

-Absolutely, yeah.

And, well, at least we're guaranteed of one sale on the day.

I look forward to seeing you there, Joe.

-Thank you so much for your help.

-It's been fascinating talking to you.

-Thank you.

That's such a heart-warming story.

And Charles is not being outdone, as he hears tales of celeb spotting.

Rosemary and Roger, when I first saw these plates,

I thought maybe you were having a picnic here or something.

But there's far more than meets the eye.

They have far more history of a rock 'n' roll nature, haven't they?

-They do.

-Tell me about them.

-Yes, they do.

In the early '60s, I was in the Navy and had six weeks'

leave and I got a part-time job at the Blue Boar services, Watford Gap,

which was the only services on the motorway between Birmingham

and London at the time.

So, obviously, we used to get a lot of people that had been doing

shows in Birmingham and Manchester stopping off.

It was the place to stop.

-That's right.

-Because, of course, it was the only place.

-Yes.

So, you met all of these famous names.

I actually served several of them.

-A few have "to Rosemary" on, so were are you working together?

-No.

-No, no.

-But you were just trying to impress your girlfriend?

-That's right, yes.

-I got you! I've got the history now.

-Yeah.

-So, who are these famous names?

-Well, we've got Roy Orbison.

-Which is here, in the middle.

-Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield...

-Amazing.

-Paul Jones...

-Yeah.

-..Engelbert Humperdinck.

-Unbelievable.

Every time Roger brought you a plate home,

obviously it may have been greeted by a kiss and he may have had

a good meal on the back of that, but were they giftwrapped for you or...

No, no, just handed to me like they are here.

-And you were obviously highly appreciative of them?

-Oh, yes.

I think what's wonderful is that time, that era, it was so...

-creative. It was evolving, something so special...

-It was.

-..and of course,

now, we, as valuers, auctioneers, hold these specialist sales

celebrating just this sort of material.

-OK, they've been personalised but that gives added provenance.

-Yes.

Added pedigree.

I did actually have a proper autograph book,

which Keith Moon took to look through

and I never got it back.

-Really?

-Hence, this is why I have the paper plates.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-All acquired at the service station?

-Yes.

-Oh, yeah.

Goodness me, what a good way to, I suppose, earn money but

also make money by investing in these autographs indirectly,

-and if only we had known back then what these names would have made.

-Well, that's right.

Why do you feel it's time to literally sell them now?

They've been in a cupboard for a long time, haven't they?

Yes, wrapped up in a paper bag in the cupboard for donkey's years.

There's at least 15 to 20 plates, I think they're marvellous and we

would be delighted to give them a spin at auction.

Not in the Greek way.

I would guide these, with your blessing, between £50 and £80.

Hopefully, with an online marketplace,

it will really drive them home to a good price. Is that OK with you?

-Yes.

-Thanks, Roger. Thanks, Rosemary.

-Thank you very much.

And thanks for letting me learn about this wonderful heritage on the M1.

# You don't have to say you love me

# Just be close at hand

# You don't have to stay forever

# I will understand... #

It just goes to show, you can find glamour in the most unlikely of places!

Mind you, here at Althorp, it's everywhere you look.

# I'll never tie you down. #

Now, this is Painter's Passage, which has been restored to

its former Edwardian glory by the current Earl Spencer.

And as you walk along, you notice different tastes and

interests from different family members.

That's how the collection has built up.

John Spencer, the first Earl Spencer,

was one of the leading artistic patrons of the 18th century.

He and his wife, Georgiana,

were close friends to the English actor David Garrett and there's

a portrait of him up there and also a sculpture of him somewhere.

Further along, there's a self-portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds -

he was the man to go to if you wanted your portrait painted.

And later on in the show,

we'll be finding out more about him and his connection to the family.

The Spencers moved in the right circles and their collection

sums up the connection between art and celebrity.

Back to the valuations and Will's going for gold with Peter.

-I assume that it doesn't get worn.

-Not by me, no!

I assume that it probably spends its time

-in the bottom of a drawer somewhere.

-Absolutely right.

-Secreted away,

when in fact they should be out,

they should be showed off, shining in its glory.

Look at that. Tell me about it.

Well, it was my mother's. She passed away in 2009,

so it was sent down to me.

-My wife has already got a charm bracelet, so...

-And no sisters?

No sisters, so, as you said,

it just sits in the drawer doing absolutely nothing.

Erm, I've done a little bit of research on it but I tend to

believe in "leave it to the experts" -

-they'll tell me what it's worth.

-I'll just go and find one for you!

-I'm sure I've got the right one, Will.

-Yeah.

Listen, charm bracelets, of course, they were very fashionable.

You've got charms given for maybe special occasions,

anniversaries. Do you know the story of any of these charms?

I don't really. I mean, I know my father bought the bracelet for

my mother and put all the charms on for birthdays,

anniversaries, but after a certain period of time,

it fell out of fashion, went in the drawer and that's where it stayed.

Exactly, and they can actually get quite heavy.

-When you get too many charms on there, you're sort of dragging your arm behind you.

-Yeah.

But they're like little feats of engineering

-in themselves, aren't they?

-Yeah.

I mean, we've got the old woman who lived in a shoe

and there she is with her... How any children did she have?

-Oh, I'm not sure.

-Plenty.

-Plenty, yeah.

And there's a little bit of colour added there with the enamel as well.

Another here - is that a little church?

-A church, yeah.

-Exactly. And this one's quite unusual, the skier.

-Yes.

I mean, he's looking rather fine in his...

-It looks like he's popped out in his nightcap, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

And he's slightly more, erm, a higher grade of gold.

He's 14-carat gold, whereas most of the others are 9-carat,

which is generally what you would expect with a charm bracelet.

You know, someone's not really going to be buying this to wear it

or gift it on.

It's down to that factor of how much does it weigh

-and what's the price of gold at the moment?

-Yeah.

I mean, tell me, you did a bit of digging about -

you give me a figure that you think it'd maybe worth.

-About £550, I would have thought.

-Well, do you know what?

You're bang on, because I was going to suggest to you

putting it into auction with an estimate of £500 to £700.

-Sounds good to me.

-With a fixed reserve at 500,

I think that's got a good chance of getting away.

And what's the money going to go towards?

It's a very big year for us this year -

-it's our golden wedding anniversary this year.

-Well, how apt!

We've got a holiday already booked to the Caribbean.

So, unfortunately, we won't be able to make the auction,

-so I'm going to have to leave it in somebody's safe hands.

-Oh!

I'll be thinking of you while you're cruising the Caribbean and,

well, may I say, happy golden wedding anniversary!

Thank you very much, Will.

Althorp is such a magnificent house. There's so much for us to see here

today and so much for our crowd to enjoy as well.

-Having a good time, everyone? ALL:

-Yes!

Yes, we are really lucky to be here. But right now, we need to make tracks.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

Here's a quick recap of all the items that are going - krr! - under the hammer.

Painted by a prisoner of war,

two views from his prison camp in Cumbria.

Spinning the disc, or should that be paper plates?

The collection of signatures from singers of the '60s.

And the charm bracelet that could help fund

golden wedding celebrations.

We've travelled half an hour north and we've crossed the border into

Leicestershire, into the town of Market Harborough.

Back in the day, carriages would have stopped here on the old

coaching route to Leicester and today, we're stopping here

because this is where we're putting our valuations to the test,

Gildings in Market Harborough and the saleroom looks jam-packed.

Let's go inside and catch up with our owners and get on with the sale.

It looks busy, which is good for us, and wielding the gavel today

we have two auctioneers, Mark and Will Gilding.

First to face the bidders are Joe's artworks,

painted by a prisoner of war.

The art's not brilliant, is it?

-But it's... You've got to put it into context.

-Context.

Exactly, and it was the story that really drew me to them and,

you know, I told you at the time, they're not going to be

worth a fortune, but your story is so interesting.

-If they don't sell, it doesn't matter.

-No.

Because we're trying to find the artist or his family.

Exactly, I think that would be a good journey to go on.

They're going under the hammer right now.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

The prisoner-of-war art.

Panoramic landscape and a watercolour by the same hand.

Two in the lot, and a £10 start and I'm going to start at 10,

£10, please, for the two, at £10.

At 10, 12 online. At £12.

Oh, it's the heady heights of £12 bid online.

At £18, it's creeping up online.

-20 bid. At 20, I have bid at 20.

-Wow.

Watching you all in the room carefully.

There's no bids from the floor. At 22, the internet is still going.

At £22.

£22, they've stopped at 22, and that's where I'll finish, at £22.

£22.

But look, we are fascinated with that story.

-At least I'm not bringing them back in the attic.

-No, exactly.

-They weren't on the wall, no. No.

-Great end to a great story.

That's what this show is all about - documents of social history.

Now for the collections of paper plates with a roll call of musicians

from the '60s, and I'm a real fan of one of the stars Roger met.

Love the story about Keith Moon - he's one of my favourite drummers

and he ran off with the autograph book.

That is a fabulous story, isn't it?

Oh, he was a bit barmy, wasn't he?

-He was bonkers.

-Yes.

-But look, great, great signatures.

-Roy Orbison. Bringing back memories?

-Yes.

-Still play his music.

-Initially you had...

-£50 to £80.

-50 to 80 price guide.

I know, since the evaluation day, you've been in touch with

-the auctioneer and you've upped that, haven't you?

-We have, yes.

-To what? 100?

-150.

There's no others like it, so you can almost, in a funny way,

name a price that you want to really start off with, in my opinion,

-so well done.

-Yes.

-Well, look, good luck. Good luck.

We had fun looking at these and hopefully the bidders are

going to have fun bidding on them.

This is it, here we go.

20 autographed paper plates

in this lot, including

Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield,

Paul Jones and all those others.

And bidding opens here with me, at £80.

£80, my opening bid here, at £80, at 80. At £80, I'm bid, at £80.

90, 100.

£100 against you online.

At £100, at 100, 110, 120.

130, 140.

At £140, at 140, still against you online, at 150 now.

-150 with the internet.

-Come on.

150, the bidders are all out in the room,

we're bidding online now at 150.

And I am going to sell, make no mistake.

150...

Online bidding, then. Last chance in the room.

And selling at £150...

Brilliant, well done, you. Well done, £150,

top end of the new estimate.

-That's great.

-That's a good result, isn't it?

-Yes, yes.

-You wanted that.

Going towards my fence that's been blown down.

Well, that's a novel way to pay for repairs.

We're hoping for some good luck now with the charm bracelet belonging

to Peter, who is in sunnier climes.

He's enjoying himself on holiday,

but we do have his daughter, Jude, with us.

You obviously have seen this bracelet quite a bit of time

-throughout your life, haven't you?

-Yes, I have.

It's kind of like something that everyone...

Well, a lot of people had in the '80s and '70s, didn't they?

-But now they're just sort of... You don't...

-A little bit.

A little bit blingy, a little bit too heavy,

-a little bit showy.

-Yeah, and we're just...

Yeah, exactly, a little bit showy.

People aren't as comfortable perhaps

wearing things like this out and about any more.

But there's some lovely little charms attached,

-some real nice quality and works of art in their own way.

-There are.

-Lovely.

-OK. Fingers crossed you'll be able to get on the phone

and tell Dad the good news or the bad news.

A nine-carat flat curb link charm bracelet, lot 320,

with 14 charms in total, and I start the bidding at 460.

480. 500.

550, I have bid. 600 bid in the room.

Both the absentee bids out at £600. It's here in the room at 600.

At £600, it is 600.

At £600.

Oh, someone's... Yeah.

-Yeah, that won't push the room any further, will it?

-No.

-650. That was good, £50 at the very last second.

-Yeah.

That's OK, isn't it?

Well, someone's speculating online that the price of gold might go up.

Yeah, and that's all it's all about.

And you have to watch those bullion markets because it does change.

Well done. Get on the phone to Dad and ring him up

-and tell him the good news.

-I will do. Thank you.

Well, there you are, our first three lots under the hammer,

done and dusted, and some great results and I have to say,

the atmosphere here is absolutely electric.

I cannot wait to come back with some more finds from Althorp House.

Now, the house is renowned for its collections and earlier on,

I had the opportunity of exploring one

by the celebrity artist of the day.

Image is the currency of the glitterati.

Nowadays, if you're in the public eye,

photographers and stylists work hard to show you at your best.

But in the 1700s, photographers didn't exist.

A portrait artist did the job.

One of the best was Sir Joshua Reynolds,

a middle-class man who, unlike his contemporary, Gainsborough,

was no friend of the King, George III.

But his talent for social networking gave him access to the aristocracy,

like the Spencers.

The fact that there's a self-portrait here says it all.

He was a friend of John, the first Earl Spencer,

who commissioned Reynolds to paint a succession of family portraits.

And you only have to take a look in here to see the results

of those commissions.

There's 16 paintings in here and they span three generations of

the Spencer family.

Dr Martin Postle is a renowned expert on Joshua Reynolds,

who has curated exhibitions of his work, including pieces from Althorp.

He's joined me to explain more about the artist and what set him apart.

He was a mover and shaker.

He loved society, he loved to be out with people,

he loved to network.

He was at the centre of the Georgian art world,

but also the centre of Georgian culture.

Yeah, yeah. Who do you think today follows in his footsteps?

-Who would take a big influence from him?

-Lucian Freud...

-Celebrity painter.

-Celebrity painter, great portrait painter.

Very aware of celebrity.

Even someone like Damien Hirst, who's not fond of

the establishment - and Reynolds, too, could upset the apple cart.

Those are the kind of people I'd be thinking about.

-So what defines him as a portrait painter?

-He captures character.

Tremendous sense of character in the portraits and I think the sense of

a narrative, a story and mixing formality and informality...

They're unforgettable images, you know?

-That is absolutely stunning, isn't it? Breathtaking.

-Magnificent.

That's a portrait of Georgiana, first Countess Spencer,

and her daughter, Georgiana.

And what I love about it, it's a composition,

it gets away from the formal portrait.

It's a mother and a daughter.

And all those little touches, the dog's paw,

the mother's hands clasped around her,

and then she tucking her hand inside the top of her dress there.

-It's a very affecting image.

-Yeah, yeah.

How important, in terms of art history, is this collection?

It's right up there.

If you wanted to look at Reynolds in a private collection,

this is as good as you're ever going to get.

Who's that up there?

That's the third Earl Spencer, Jack, as he was known.

And he is the height of fashion. These are very fashionable people.

I can see... That's the height of fashion. You can see, can't you?

-What an outfit!

-This is a new way of dressing a little boy,

and remember, he's only about two or three years old.

And Reynolds is great with children.

Apparently, didn't have any of his own, but he used to talk to them.

Sometimes he would tell them fairy stories and

-he'd get down onto their level.

-Engage with them.

-Yes, that's right.

And it's a very engaging portrait from that point of view.

This is George, second Earl Spencer, and this was painted when he...

You have to remember, he was only about 16 years old

when this was painted. So he's a teenage boy.

Really interesting character, a man of great refinement,

a tremendous bibliophile. He had one of the greatest libraries in Europe.

He's wearing a van Dyck costume, which is a kind of masquerade,

a kind of fancy dress costume.

Van Dyck is one of the old masters that Reynolds emulates,

so it's almost as if he's painting a van Dyck.

This could be a Cavalier, you know?

With the long flowing tresses, the long hair,

and he's in park land, you know, he's on his estate.

I like the way all the sky detail is sort of blocked in with the curtain,

a sort of dramatic effect, like a history painting to block out

-too much cloud.

-That's right.

In fact, some people at the time referred to his portraits as

confined histories. So this is a real show-off picture.

This is Reynolds saying, you know, in a sense,

"I'm a modern master," yeah.

Exactly, yeah.

How was he regarded by his peers?

I kind of think of him like Marmite, OK?

Some people loved him, some people hated him.

The Spencers loved him, William Blake couldn't stand him.

-Didn't like him.

-Didn't like him at all.

Because he was a success,

and that always happens when people are successful.

Nobody, at this time, mid-to-late 1770s...

No painter in Europe had a bigger reputation than Joshua Reynolds.

So, with this artistic heavyweight on the walls,

the Spencers can be proud of their collection.

Even the paperwork that came with those paintings is worth framing.

Listen to this, because this is great provenance.

"Received, April 28th, 1771,

"from the Right Honourable Lady Spencer,

"the sum of 40 guineas, being the entire payment for a portrait

"of Madame Blanchard, with a hand."

We can see he's painted her with a hand.

"42 guineas received by me, Sir Joshua Reynolds." And then...

underneath that, it says, "And also an extra 2½ guineas for the frame."

That is absolutely priceless provenance. It's watertight.

Reynolds was a prolific artist.

He painted around 3,000 works.

In later life, his eyesight failed him and he developed

a liver disease, sadly passing away in 1792.

90 carriages accompanied his coffin for burial at St Paul's Cathedral

and all ten pallbearers were prominent members of

the aristocracy, just as he would've wished for. And his legacy?

Well, his many iconic works have stood both the test of time

and the harshest of critics.

From Georgian glitterati to Hollywood glamour now,

as we catch up with our experts.

Charles is mixing in showbiz circles with his discovery.

-Now, you're a Babs, aren't you?

-Bubbly Babs, not boring Barbara.

Bubbly Babs, I like your style.

Well, Bubbly Babs, you really bubbled me.

Sometimes as a valuer, you miss a heartbeat because something

so important jumps out at you and you think, "That's real history."

And that's on this table now.

This letter, which obviously... I've got to be careful handling it -

it's creased, it's worn, it's very old.

It's over 100 years old and it's a letterhead for an individual...

..Charles Chaplin.

August 25th, 1915.

And it reads,

"Dear Miss, I am glad to hear that you like my work on the screen.

"Enclosed, find autographed photo as requested.

"Sincerely, Charles Chaplin."

What an amazing letter.

Here is that photo of a handsome man.

How on earth did you acquire this?

I found it in the wardrobe in my mum's house.

Unfortunately, she'd passed away, so we'd been clearing the house.

I found all these and my nan must have collected them all.

And the only way I found out was cos a cousin in Australia

did a family tree and she'd done a paragraph about my nan

and that was where I found out that she had actually lived

near Elstree Studios and when they were doing a silent movie,

they would go around knocking on doors and ask for extras.

So my nan was in lots of films and they would get paid

a shilling for their services.

Your nan was obviously going to Elstree

and meeting these other stars of the day,

Mary Fuller - signed, "Sincerely yours, Florence Janet."

Stewart Rome there as well.

Of course, what is key is this Charlie Chaplin archive.

You know, you think back to the birth of Hollywood,

you think back to this great man, Charles Spencer Chaplin,

born 1889 in Southwark, had no money,

went to a workhouse school and then he began to move.

And really, by 1915, with that film, The Tramp,

he was the biggest star of the silent movie.

He was still a young man, he was 26.

You know, that's so young for what he'd achieved.

He was a real shrewd businessman, but, of course,

there is that original signature,

obviously quite rightly in his hand, there's no question mark over that.

The autograph market is extremely buoyant.

And you feel it's time to serenade Charlie at auction?

Yes, I do.

This is part of my mum's estate and there's three of us and it's

-unfair that one of us should have it.

-Yeah.

And somebody that's a collector will relish it more than we do.

Oh, yes, I would hope that two or three buyers might really

lock their horns.

And I would like to estimate it at between £70 and £100.

OK? And let the market pick it up. Hopefully, it will ride high.

It might make £300 or £400,

but with this sort of condition and nature and being

so market fresh, you almost want to just begin to draw those buyers in

-to give this man a good send-off.

-Brilliant.

It's made my day, seeing this. I just can't wait for the auction.

-Nor can I. Bring it on.

-Bring it on! Quite right.

And Will's find is perfect for putting your own idol in the frame.

June, welcome to Flog It!

It's lovely to see you, and what a great venue we're in today!

-I know, isn't it luxurious?

-Have you been here before? Are you local?

-Well, fairly local - Leicestershire, actually.

-OK, yeah, down the road.

But, yes, if I have visitors, I usually bring them down here

to have a look at how the other half live.

Well, listen, I'll tell you what,

your silver photograph frame isn't really out of place in here, cos

look at this wonderful work, the repousse scrolls

and cartouches and so on.

It's very, sort of, grandiose.

Tell me, whose face sat in that when it was at home?

Well, it's come through inheritance from one of my relatives.

Has it really?

Yes, so I really don't know who used to be in there.

And do you use it at home at all?

-No, it's a bit too grand for me, really.

-Is it?

It gradually got up with the other things in the attic, you know?

-That old chestnut.

-Yes, yes.

And I thought, it's too good, really, isn't it, to be stuck away?

Well, it is, and I think it's pretty enough to say, you know, it

needs to be shown off a little bit, perhaps, and we've got the hallmarks

-down there at the bottom and it's hallmarked for Birmingham 1903.

-Yes.

And it's got a maker's mark for Mander & Son,

who were a firm known for making photograph frames,

cos they were made in quite large numbers,

so don't get me wrong, the manufacture of them was very much

on a sort of industrial scale, when you get to this type.

So when you say embossed and pierced and pressed,

if you have a sheet of silver, there's a machine

that you can press down,

it stamps it and presses it and out comes the silver frame

-which is then mounted onto the actual backing itself.

-Yes.

Invariably, you get very thin silver on these photograph frames

which, the trouble is then,

if you're a keen polisher of silver, you are literally taking

a layer of metal away each time you polish. It'll eventually go through.

But I've had a look here and, to be honest with you,

there's just one or two little areas that might be a little thin,

but there's no obvious gaping holes, which is a bonus. We like that.

It looks quite solid from the front, doesn't it?

-But when you look behind, you can...

-I know.

We'll keep that part hidden, because, as you say,

-when looked at from the front, well, it does the job, doesn't it?

-Yes.

I can see it amongst others on the grand piano, perhaps,

-in the music room here.

-Yes.

As far as value goes, have you ever inquired as to its value of anyone?

-No, I haven't, really.

-No?

-I haven't got much of a clue on that one.

-Yeah.

I think, you know, the idea, name of the show is Flog It!

So we want to put a sensible price on it and I would suggest

-putting a figure of £100 to £150.

-Right.

-Now, I would suggest reserving it at £100...

-Yes.

..with maybe just a little bit of discretion. What I don't want to do

is someone's put off by the felt being a little tired and saying,

well, you know... So if we get to £90, pretty much the auctioneer

will sell it, if you're happy at that.

Yes, yes, I think that would be OK.

And we'll see if we can't get a photo of Mr Paul Martin in there

-before the auction.

-That would be nice.

-It might struggle to sell.

Oh, dear. How about you instead, then?

What a charmer!

It sounds like Will and I will have to battle

for a place in June's frame.

As I plan my tactics, it's time for a stroll and I know just the place.

This is, not surprisingly, known as the Picture Gallery

and what a fabulous room it is.

It was used by ladies back in the day to take exercise

if it was raining outside,

and as they promenaded backwards and forwards, they could feast

their eyes on this fabulous artwork, and what a collection it is.

It was gathered by Robert Spencer, the second Earl of Sunderland,

in the 17th century. He

travelled the continent extensively and he was

the first member of the family to collect on a grand scale.

Now, time for some real quality.

Charles is clearly very excited by the enticing item brought in

by Lynn and Margaret.

The box is magnificent.

It's swagged in a great classic style of the refined 1920s.

But, of course, it's what is within

that sets my heart racing for so many reasons,

as I say, hello, it's Cartier, darling.

Tell me history, your association with these studs.

Somebody was moving house and they gave us a box of junk to burn.

-We started rummaging.

-I can't believe it. To burn!

The box came out first in two pieces.

Yet, it fell to pieces, so we were collecting bits and pieces out

and suddenly I saw one and I thought, "Oh, that's pretty."

It's just magnificent, it really is. My voice is a bit of a croak now.

But the content, you can see, are these mid-1920s Jazz Age

octagonal enamelled chest studs and they are beautiful.

They are, aren't they?

If I take you back to the year 1847,

that's the year that Louis Francois Cartier

founded that great jewellers,

OK, and they really were so important.

For example, in 1902,

King Edward VII ordered 27 tiaras from Cartier.

On the back of that, 1904, he gave Cartier the Royal Warrant.

In 1940, that most exuberant panther brooch was made for

Wallis Simpson...

-Oh, of course, yeah.

-..by Cartier.

So, the studs are what we call a guilloche enamel with

the enamel set in a ground which has this vertical radiating design,

like a sunburst.

You feel the brightness in them and their lavish, lively design

encompassed with the border design of blue enamel droplets and

this beautiful white-framed octagonal order within and

the backing, we can see on this one, for example, is marked silver

Cartier with the dress clip to fit them in place on your attire.

So, what's the plan?

-Sell it.

-Flog it.

-Yeah.

I would like to guide them with a guide price,

despite their condition, of £1,000 to £1,500. They're wonderful.

-OK.

-That sounds fair.

-And I will say to you, I will say to you,

let the market decide,

let them compete and let you watch on as we flog it.

-Sounds good, doesn't it?

-We'll be there.

Well, I'll be there as well,

and I can't wait to watch that gavel come down.

Well, that's it, you've just seen,

our experts have made their final choices of items

to take off to auction and what a day it's been here at Althorp House.

-Have you enjoyed yourself, everyone? ALL:

-Yes!

And we've all learned something as well.

We found some treasures worthy of our location.

But right now, we need to find out exactly what they are worth.

This is where it gets exciting. Don't go away -

anything could happen. We're going to put these items under the hammer

and here's a quick recap of what we're taking with us.

So, back to the silent movie era -

the signed letter by Charlie Chaplin.

Too good to be hidden away - the pretty silver picture frame.

And a touch of class - the box of Cartier studs.

Back at the auction room and June's silver picture frame is facing

the bidders, with Mark Gilding doing the honours on the rostrum.

It's a classic look, June. And it smacks of quality.

-It should have a photograph of you in it.

-Oh, that's nice of you.

That would put the value up and it should be at home still.

Why do you want to sell this?

Well, all of my other photographs from my children and grandchildren,

they're all in these modern frames, you see.

I know, but do you know what? We can put that in the photo frame.

That's my younger brother. That's a few years ago now.

I wouldn't want her to choose... But there's a lovely one here of...

Oh, look at this! What a dashing gent!

No, I think this one.

Hang on, no, let me just black out a couple of teeth.

They're for you. They're for you, anyway.

-It's a pity it wasn't a double frame.

-Oh, a double!

All right, look, we're going on now.

Silver-faced photograph frame by Mander & Sons, Birmingham 1903.

Bidding here, £65. 65, the frame,

I'm bid at 65. 70, 80, 90.

-All the way.

-100.

-There we go.

-Yeah.

-New bidding at 100.

To my left, this time. You're out on my right, it's 100 here.

At £100. Any more at 100? Selling quickly and away in the room. £100.

-Well done. That's good.

-Very good.

And someone's got a lovely silver frame that no-one else has got.

I mean, which one of the children would you pick to put in it,

-you see?

-It's an even harder choice than this one, isn't it?

-Isn't it!

Decisions, decisions! And our next lot got me thinking.

Chas Chaplin - does that ring a bell?

Do you know, it didn't to me until I kind of thought about that

and said, "Ah, Charlie Chaplin!"

Yes, it's that letter belonging to Babs.

-I can call you Babs, can't I?

-You can, certainly.

-It is Barbara, though, isn't it, really?

-Definitely not Barbara.

It's never been Barbara? Never, ever, ever?

-Only my mum used to call me that.

-Oh, bless.

-Usually when I was naughty.

-Barbara!

-Why are you selling this?

-Because it's part of Mum's estate.

It's me and my two brothers -

I don't think it's fair one of us should keep something like that.

-No, OK, yeah, you can't really share that, can you?

-No, no.

-Charlie Chaplin.

-Such an exciting find.

When I held it, I thought, "It can talk to me."

This really is the man himself, Charlie Chaplin,

-and that was it for me.

-Come on, do the walk.

-How's the walk?

-It's like that, isn't it?

-Oh, of course!

How is it?

Exactly. Sorry!

Here we go, good luck.

Charlie Chaplin, a handwritten letter, dated 1915

and a small collection of postcards

and a leather wallet that they are all in.

Bidding will open with me at £45.

-Come on.

-Look at all the hands gone up.

-All the hands. 65.

75. 85.

-It's hotly contested.

-100. 110.

120, 130, 140, 150.

160, 170, 180.

Are you sure? It's 180.

200 here, at 210. 220.

-Wow.

-230.

240. 250.

260, 270,

280, 290.

300, 320, 340.

-Wow.

-Come on!

-Babs, this is great!

-It's a memory.

380 on the internet. At 380.

-£420.

-Wow.

-I bet it's all American now.

-Yeah.

-All over the pond.

420 with the internet competition, then, at £420.

At 420, you're still out in the room, I'm afraid. It's 420.

Fair warning, Internet. At 420...

Well, that is a crack of a hammer, isn't it? The gavel goes down!

Wonderful, Babs.

That proves the pen is mightier than the sword, doesn't it?

I mean, what a great result for that. Chas, it was the Chas.

Let's go and buy a bottle of bubbly!

Now, remember Lynn and Margaret's little box

that got Charles hot under the collar?

Well, let's see if his excitement was justified.

Will Gilding is our man with the gavel.

-Found when you were clearing a house out.

-Yes.

-Unbelievable.

-All complete, condition is great as well.

-A little bit of...

-A little bit, but not much.

-Not a great deal, no.

I could not believe it when they came out of this box,

it was such a wonderful find, it really was.

And here we are, surrounded by luxury as well, and quality and...

-I can't wait!

-Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?

Here we go - it's going under the hammer now.

Stylish set of six Cartier octagonal buttons in original fitted case,

of course. Telephones, we have.

-That's a good sign - commission bids.

-At 750, at £750.

800, 850.

At £850, at 850 it's here with me.

It is Cartier, darling.

£900 bid, thank you, at 900 in the room now. At £900.

-1,000.

-1,000 bid, thank you. 1,000 from the telephone. 1,100 bid.

Do you know, I am so nervous and they're not even mine!

-Really?

-Yeah, yeah, I'm aching.

1,200. 1,300.

1,400 bid. 1,500.

-1,500. Good!

-Good.

£1,600 bid on the telephone, 1,600. 1,700.

At £1,700.

No, thank you.

Thank you, telephone bidder. At 1,700 here in the room, at 1,700.

Last chance at 1,700, be quick online. At £1,700, selling...

-Yes!

-£1,700, well done.

-Well done! Happy with that, aren't you?

-Yeah, yeah, really.

-What a find as well, and what a way to end today's show!

-Thank you.

Oh, that's all right, it's our pleasure.

-Thank you for bringing them in.

-Thank you.

We've all learned something and I hope you have as well.

And what a way to end today's show,

with a whopping great, big surprise like that.

A great result for you two.

Join us again soon for many more surprises, but until then,

from Market Harborough, it's goodbye.