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This week, we've returned to Cliveden - | 0:00:35 | 0:00:38 | |
a mansion standing above the Thames. | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
Cliveden has been close enough to London | 0:00:44 | 0:00:47 | |
for those who needed refuge from matters of court or politics. | 0:00:47 | 0:00:52 | |
In 1893, Cliveden was bought by an American family, the Astors, | 0:00:54 | 0:00:59 | |
whose money came from fur trading, | 0:00:59 | 0:01:02 | |
and, in 1916, William Waldorf Astor became a baronet. | 0:01:02 | 0:01:07 | |
When he died, his son, Waldorf, an MP, entered the House of Lords. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:12 | |
His wife, Nancy, fought the election in his place, becoming the first woman MP to enter Westminster. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:19 | |
A renowned hostess, Nancy established the Cliveden Set. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:25 | |
There were endless parties, | 0:01:25 | 0:01:27 | |
with an "A" list of guests, such as George Bernard Shaw... | 0:01:27 | 0:01:32 | |
..Amy Johnson and Charlie Chaplin. | 0:01:34 | 0:01:37 | |
Winston Churchill also visited, despite some venomous exchanges between him and Nancy Astor. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:45 | |
If he were her husband, she said, she'd poison his food. | 0:01:45 | 0:01:49 | |
He replied, "Madam, if you were my wife, I'd eat it." | 0:01:49 | 0:01:53 | |
But he still dined here. | 0:01:53 | 0:01:55 | |
But Cliveden, in the '60s, was the setting | 0:01:55 | 0:01:59 | |
for one of the most notorious political scandals. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:03 | |
It was here, after dinner, | 0:02:03 | 0:02:06 | |
that Minister for War, John Profumo, | 0:02:06 | 0:02:08 | |
first saw Christine Keeler, while she was swimming in the pool. | 0:02:08 | 0:02:14 | |
Their affair was secret for a while, | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
but rumours, and the fact that MI5 knew that Keeler was seeing a man from the Russian Embassy, | 0:02:17 | 0:02:23 | |
forced Profumo to deny that he knew her. | 0:02:23 | 0:02:26 | |
His downfall wasn't due to the affair but because he lied to Parliament. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:32 | |
Public interest was huge. | 0:02:32 | 0:02:34 | |
When Lord Denning published the report into the scandal, people queued till midnight for a copy. | 0:02:34 | 0:02:40 | |
We're unlikely to find mementoes of that story, | 0:02:40 | 0:02:44 | |
but our experts are ready for anything which might turn up. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:49 | |
Let's just hope it stays fine for us. | 0:02:49 | 0:02:53 | |
Guess what nationality these are. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:56 | |
-French. -Wrong! | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
-English. -Oh! | 0:02:59 | 0:03:01 | |
There's a naivety about these two chaps. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:05 | |
The combination of bronze and gilt bronze | 0:03:05 | 0:03:09 | |
is typical of the late 18C, early 19C. | 0:03:09 | 0:03:12 | |
I don't think a French sculptor made this thin lion with this funny face, | 0:03:12 | 0:03:17 | |
but the workmanship is good. | 0:03:17 | 0:03:20 | |
Look - you can see the hair. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:22 | |
-He has this shaggy mane. -And the whiskers. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:26 | |
It's nicely done, | 0:03:26 | 0:03:28 | |
but the sculpture isn't brilliant. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:31 | |
You've got this vaguely Adam design | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
that you get in the 1770s. | 0:03:34 | 0:03:36 | |
It's been used on this desk object, | 0:03:36 | 0:03:39 | |
but it's quite crudely pricked out. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:42 | |
I'm being rude about them! | 0:03:42 | 0:03:45 | |
I wish you had said nicer things! | 0:03:45 | 0:03:48 | |
It's a lovely combination of colour. Let's look underneath. | 0:03:48 | 0:03:53 | |
These handmade nuts are well made. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:56 | |
There are traces of sand. | 0:03:56 | 0:03:58 | |
It's sand-casting, as you'd expect then. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:01 | |
They're very nice objects indeed, | 0:04:01 | 0:04:04 | |
and they look so nice. | 0:04:04 | 0:04:06 | |
They're such decorative objects, | 0:04:06 | 0:04:09 | |
and so difficult to find. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:11 | |
Have you had them a long time? | 0:04:11 | 0:04:13 | |
No, I've had them for about four years. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:16 | |
A friend of restores antiques. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:19 | |
He said that a couple owned them, | 0:04:19 | 0:04:21 | |
and the husband brought them in, as the wife didn't like the base. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:27 | |
She was thinking of changing the base | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
-to more of a bronze colour. -Oh, yuck! | 0:04:30 | 0:04:34 | |
He couldn't bear to do it! How horrible! | 0:04:34 | 0:04:38 | |
He couldn't do it, and asked me if I was interested in purchasing them. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:43 | |
-I thought it was a fabulous... I love them! It's all right that they're crude! -Not crude - naive! | 0:04:43 | 0:04:49 | |
There's a certain charm in naivety. | 0:04:49 | 0:04:52 | |
I'm very glad the restorer | 0:04:52 | 0:04:55 | |
didn't change for that lady! | 0:04:55 | 0:04:57 | |
I like these, despite their naivety. | 0:04:57 | 0:05:00 | |
May I ask what you paid for them? | 0:05:00 | 0:05:03 | |
£2,500. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:05 | |
Would you mind insuring them for £6,000? | 0:05:05 | 0:05:09 | |
No, not at all! I'd be very pleased! | 0:05:09 | 0:05:12 | |
-Who is this charming young lady in the photograph? -It's my mother. | 0:05:12 | 0:05:17 | |
-And when was it taken? -I think about 1920 - I don't know exactly. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:22 | |
Do you know what the occasion was? | 0:05:22 | 0:05:24 | |
My father loved to show off his furniture, | 0:05:24 | 0:05:27 | |
and my mother loved to show off a new dress, | 0:05:27 | 0:05:31 | |
and together they made a picture. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:34 | |
The thing I want to look at | 0:05:34 | 0:05:37 | |
is this, which is being shown off with flowers. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:41 | |
We have it here. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:43 | |
This is a scrumptious object. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:46 | |
-Do you know any more than it dates back to 1920? -It's Viennese. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:50 | |
-Hand-painted, 18th century. -18th? -I think. | 0:05:50 | 0:05:54 | |
-That's what you've been told. -Yes. Is that wrong? | 0:05:54 | 0:05:59 | |
In the 19C, the German School, in both Germany and in Austria, | 0:05:59 | 0:06:04 | |
-went back to the Renaissance for inspiration. -I see! | 0:06:04 | 0:06:08 | |
-This called Historismus - historical revival. -Yeah, quite. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:14 | |
This drinking horn was associated with medieval knights. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:19 | |
-Mmm. -And it's made of enamelled copper. | 0:06:19 | 0:06:22 | |
Making 3D shapes in copper and enamel | 0:06:22 | 0:06:25 | |
is very, very difficult. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:27 | |
Buckling occurs when firing. | 0:06:27 | 0:06:30 | |
This is a complicated shape to make. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:33 | |
-Oh. -So it has been made in sections. | 0:06:33 | 0:06:36 | |
On the horn itself | 0:06:36 | 0:06:38 | |
is subject matter which would be at home in this house. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:43 | |
We have Orpheus, | 0:06:44 | 0:06:46 | |
God of music, | 0:06:46 | 0:06:48 | |
dragging Eurydice out of Hades, | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
before he looks back and she disappears. | 0:06:51 | 0:06:55 | |
It's a gorgeous thing. | 0:06:55 | 0:06:57 | |
Most gorgeous of all, perhaps, is this - | 0:06:57 | 0:07:00 | |
the hippocampus, | 0:07:00 | 0:07:02 | |
-the horse of the sea. -Yes. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:05 | |
-It has a dolphinesque tail. -Yes. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:07 | |
And this is fashioned in silver. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:10 | |
A little sculpture in its own right! | 0:07:10 | 0:07:13 | |
It's beautiful! | 0:07:13 | 0:07:15 | |
-I love the colours! -They're gorgeous! | 0:07:15 | 0:07:18 | |
There is a little bit of restoration | 0:07:18 | 0:07:21 | |
-on the rim up here. -Oh, yes. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:24 | |
It will have a bearing on the value. | 0:07:24 | 0:07:26 | |
-It's been repainted there. -Mmm. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:29 | |
Now...value. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:32 | |
-Right. -At a sale some years ago of Viennese enamels, | 0:07:32 | 0:07:36 | |
I remember seeing a piece like this, | 0:07:36 | 0:07:39 | |
fetching something like £2,000. | 0:07:39 | 0:07:42 | |
I see. | 0:07:42 | 0:07:44 | |
-That was some years ago. -Yes. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:46 | |
Today, it's more likely | 0:07:46 | 0:07:49 | |
to be in the region of £10,000 to £15,000. | 0:07:49 | 0:07:52 | |
I thought that was about it. Mmm. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:56 | |
-I'm not going to faint on you! -Good! Take this home very carefully! | 0:07:56 | 0:08:01 | |
My mother she got it from a friend or a neighbour, in the Clapham area, | 0:08:04 | 0:08:10 | |
-it would have been. -Yes. | 0:08:10 | 0:08:12 | |
-And how long ago was that? -The '30s. | 0:08:12 | 0:08:15 | |
Have you any idea what nationality it is? | 0:08:15 | 0:08:18 | |
Well, I have an idea it is Dutch, but I don't know. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:22 | |
Well, certainly, marquetry like this | 0:08:22 | 0:08:26 | |
-you do see on Dutch furniture. -Yes. | 0:08:26 | 0:08:29 | |
-In my view, it's an English piece of furniture. -Oh! | 0:08:29 | 0:08:34 | |
It would have been made in the middle of the 19C. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:38 | |
It's not that old, then? I see. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
-It's about 1850, 1860. -Yes. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:43 | |
It has a bad ink stain in there. Does that detract...? | 0:08:43 | 0:08:47 | |
But it also has its original pink velvet inside, which has faded, | 0:08:47 | 0:08:52 | |
but it's retained that. | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
Ebony veneering. Very high quality. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
Another sign that it's English | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
is the lock on here is an English lock. | 0:09:00 | 0:09:04 | |
It has the look of something | 0:09:04 | 0:09:06 | |
that you've enjoyed for years. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:09 | |
Yes, I enjoy it. Mmm. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:11 | |
It hasn't been over-polished. | 0:09:11 | 0:09:13 | |
Often things coming onto the market are restored. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:17 | |
This has a nice, natural feel. | 0:09:17 | 0:09:19 | |
I haven't polished it lately. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:22 | |
I used to go over it now and again. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:25 | |
Gently, every so often, will look after it. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:28 | |
I think, today, for insurance, | 0:09:28 | 0:09:31 | |
a figure of £2,500 to £3,000 is right. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:34 | |
-It's a lovely thing. -Yes! -Continue enjoying it! | 0:09:34 | 0:09:38 | |
What a super plate! It's English delftware - | 0:09:40 | 0:09:44 | |
-copying the Chinese. -Yes. | 0:09:44 | 0:09:46 | |
The inscription is incredible. | 0:09:46 | 0:09:49 | |
-It thrilled ME. -Is it a family thing? | 0:09:53 | 0:09:56 | |
Not MY family. I looked after two old people. | 0:09:56 | 0:10:00 | |
When the man died, | 0:10:00 | 0:10:02 | |
his wife asked if there was anything I'd like. | 0:10:02 | 0:10:06 | |
I chose THAT and I treasure it. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
-I would imagine so! -I really do. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:11 | |
The underglaze blue is marvellous. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:14 | |
-It's very much in the Kangxi style of Chinese. -Yes! | 0:10:14 | 0:10:18 | |
You've got a lovely vase, and a little table. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:22 | |
Then these lovely little panels, | 0:10:22 | 0:10:25 | |
which depict a Chinese pavilion, | 0:10:25 | 0:10:27 | |
which people used to retire to, | 0:10:27 | 0:10:30 | |
and contemplate things! | 0:10:30 | 0:10:32 | |
-Copied by the English in a strange way. -Yes! | 0:10:32 | 0:10:36 | |
-1732 would be the right date for it. -Yes. | 0:10:36 | 0:10:39 | |
-Commemorative things can be done later. You realise you haven't made a plate for a birthday...! -Yes! | 0:10:39 | 0:10:46 | |
But this is right as rain! | 0:10:46 | 0:10:48 | |
From Lambeth in London. | 0:10:48 | 0:10:50 | |
-Really? Yes. -It's super. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
Unfortunately, at some date, | 0:10:52 | 0:10:55 | |
they've put these nasty metal... | 0:10:55 | 0:10:58 | |
-Little wires to hold it on the wall. -Yes! | 0:10:58 | 0:11:01 | |
-It may have happened. But delftware easily chips. -Does it? | 0:11:01 | 0:11:06 | |
-So, although it has a few chips, it doesn't matter much. -Good! | 0:11:06 | 0:11:10 | |
-Are you worried about its value? -I'd be interested. | 0:11:10 | 0:11:15 | |
Well, if that didn't have an inscription, | 0:11:15 | 0:11:18 | |
-if it was just a copy... -Yes. -..Of the early-18C, | 0:11:18 | 0:11:23 | |
-of the Chinese Kangxi plate... -Yes. | 0:11:23 | 0:11:25 | |
..it would be something like £500. | 0:11:25 | 0:11:28 | |
-Ah, yes! -The inscription turns it into a different animal. -Oh! | 0:11:28 | 0:11:34 | |
The inscription and date raise that £500 | 0:11:34 | 0:11:37 | |
up to something like £2,000. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
Oh, that's a lovely surprise! | 0:11:40 | 0:11:42 | |
This is a wonderful present | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
-to have from your friend. -Well, yes. | 0:11:45 | 0:11:48 | |
My great grandmother left me it. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:50 | |
She was born in 1877, | 0:11:50 | 0:11:52 | |
and she got married in 1898. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
It was in my family home, in my bedroom, and now it's in my cottage. | 0:11:55 | 0:12:01 | |
That's all I know. | 0:12:01 | 0:12:03 | |
It's satinwood, which was a popular wood, | 0:12:03 | 0:12:07 | |
and it's, as you can see, extremely decorative, | 0:12:07 | 0:12:11 | |
with these Reynolds-like portrait medallions on the doors. It couldn't have been made for a man. | 0:12:11 | 0:12:17 | |
So it's a piece of late-Victorian, Edwardian furniture. | 0:12:17 | 0:12:23 | |
It may have been a wedding present. | 0:12:23 | 0:12:26 | |
Let's look inside, shall we? | 0:12:26 | 0:12:29 | |
What else does it do? ..Fantastic. | 0:12:32 | 0:12:36 | |
So you've got a beautiful piece for possibly the bedroom, | 0:12:36 | 0:12:40 | |
a little writing surface... | 0:12:40 | 0:12:43 | |
..places for writing accoutrements. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:46 | |
Here, you could put little bits of sewing, | 0:12:46 | 0:12:50 | |
you could put letters... | 0:12:50 | 0:12:52 | |
A very feminine piece of furniture. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:55 | |
What would we insure it for? | 0:12:55 | 0:12:57 | |
I think we will put the figure of £1,000 on this. | 0:12:57 | 0:13:01 | |
Right, that's nice! | 0:13:02 | 0:13:04 | |
It'll be passed to my daughter when she's old enough. | 0:13:05 | 0:13:10 | |
-Do you love it?! -It's very pretty. | 0:13:10 | 0:13:13 | |
It's interesting to know about these pictures, as my mother is a Reynolds, | 0:13:13 | 0:13:18 | |
-and is related to Reynolds. -Strange! | 0:13:18 | 0:13:21 | |
You said they were "Reynolds-like" - | 0:13:21 | 0:13:25 | |
that was interesting! | 0:13:25 | 0:13:27 | |
A collection of illustrated letters | 0:13:32 | 0:13:35 | |
of absolutely the best sort. | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
It's pop art of the 1850s, | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
I suppose it is, really. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:43 | |
This is a wonderful one here! | 0:13:43 | 0:13:46 | |
-Mrs Abbot, I assume. -Yes. | 0:13:46 | 0:13:49 | |
I don't know who these others are. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:52 | |
-That was his son. -That's his son? | 0:13:52 | 0:13:55 | |
-William Thomas, my great-grandfather. -That's absolutely charming! | 0:13:55 | 0:14:01 | |
Presumably this... | 0:14:01 | 0:14:03 | |
Is this to do with India? I can see that he's away from his wife. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:08 | |
The circumstances of him going to India, | 0:14:08 | 0:14:13 | |
-I haven't found out. -Right. -I assume that it was to make his fortune, | 0:14:13 | 0:14:19 | |
as he left a wife of only two years, | 0:14:19 | 0:14:22 | |
-and a son who was only a year. -Yes. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:26 | |
-Is that his young son? -Edward. Yes. | 0:14:26 | 0:14:28 | |
-With long dreadlocks! -Absolutely! | 0:14:28 | 0:14:31 | |
-Terribly mid-Victorian. -Yes. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:34 | |
These are so beautiful! | 0:14:34 | 0:14:36 | |
This one here, I notice, | 0:14:36 | 0:14:39 | |
has got a little, um... | 0:14:39 | 0:14:41 | |
-It's his bungalow and pigeon house. -Yes! | 0:14:41 | 0:14:45 | |
-Is this out in Bombay? -That's right. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:48 | |
He makes a great thing | 0:14:48 | 0:14:50 | |
about enjoying the East India Company more than the British Army. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:55 | |
-Now you know what I'm going to say about this! -I panicked! | 0:14:55 | 0:14:59 | |
-I must hold up my hand and confess - that's my... -That's YOU? -Yes. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:05 | |
I recommend that you get it off, | 0:15:05 | 0:15:08 | |
-because it really soaks into the paper and makes a mess of it. -Yes. | 0:15:08 | 0:15:13 | |
-Here is one of ships, and him playing cricket. -Yes. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:17 | |
That brought him | 0:15:17 | 0:15:19 | |
from England to Bombay. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:21 | |
Wonderful! | 0:15:21 | 0:15:23 | |
You have other pictures here. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:25 | |
-Well... -This one here... -That's his self-portrait. | 0:15:25 | 0:15:30 | |
And that is - you can see it's the same man - | 0:15:30 | 0:15:33 | |
-a self-portrait in dress uniform. -Amazing. It's not a Regency dandy - | 0:15:33 | 0:15:39 | |
it's a William IV, early-Victorian dandy! | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
-With these wonderful muffs! -Yes! | 0:15:42 | 0:15:45 | |
-They were sent home in letters? -Yes. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:49 | |
Illustrated letters as good as these are rare. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
I find them charming, | 0:15:53 | 0:15:55 | |
but, of course, being a direct descendant, I can't be very objective about it! | 0:15:55 | 0:16:02 | |
I think they're the best of their sort and very desirable - illustrated letters sent from India. | 0:16:02 | 0:16:08 | |
They are worth in the region | 0:16:08 | 0:16:10 | |
-of about £400 to £500 each. -Right! | 0:16:10 | 0:16:13 | |
So you've got, at least, about £2,000 here, | 0:16:13 | 0:16:17 | |
-together with these. -I'm pleased! | 0:16:17 | 0:16:21 | |
-It's wonderful to air them. -Good! | 0:16:21 | 0:16:24 | |
Thank you very much indeed! | 0:16:25 | 0:16:27 | |
I can imagine it behind us here - | 0:16:27 | 0:16:30 | |
it would be suitable, wouldn't it? | 0:16:30 | 0:16:33 | |
-Definitely. -I mean, it's large, | 0:16:33 | 0:16:36 | |
and I'm sure very heavy...! | 0:16:36 | 0:16:38 | |
Do you know ANYTHING about it? | 0:16:38 | 0:16:40 | |
My husband's grandpa acquired it in the '20s - that's it. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:45 | |
-But do you know what country it came from? -No idea. No. | 0:16:45 | 0:16:49 | |
Let's decide on the country. | 0:16:49 | 0:16:51 | |
It's fortuitous that you've brought this in today. | 0:16:51 | 0:16:55 | |
There was a recent exhibition of this type of furniture in Belgium. | 0:16:55 | 0:17:01 | |
Why was it held in Belgium? | 0:17:02 | 0:17:04 | |
It was made outside Brussels. | 0:17:04 | 0:17:06 | |
The whole look of this piece of furniture is 17C. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:10 | |
-17th? -Yes - the LOOK of it! The look of it! -Yes. | 0:17:11 | 0:17:15 | |
And it was a very popular style in Holland. | 0:17:15 | 0:17:19 | |
Hans Vredeman de Vries was an important designer working in the 16C. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:25 | |
In the 17C, he kept producing this style as it spread through Europe. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:30 | |
In the 19C, in Belgium, they started making lots of these, | 0:17:30 | 0:17:34 | |
and they became almost factory-made. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:37 | |
There was a recent exhibition of furniture of this type. | 0:17:37 | 0:17:42 | |
It is the first time anyone has tried to catalogue these pieces, | 0:17:42 | 0:17:47 | |
so it was fascinating. | 0:17:47 | 0:17:49 | |
You see, here, | 0:17:49 | 0:17:51 | |
this design - this geometric moulding - | 0:17:51 | 0:17:55 | |
you see in England in about 1680, 1700. | 0:17:55 | 0:17:59 | |
And why do you see it in England at that time? | 0:17:59 | 0:18:03 | |
The design came over when William of Orange became King in the 1680s. | 0:18:03 | 0:18:08 | |
So they brought this design from Holland into England. And here... | 0:18:08 | 0:18:13 | |
-It's great. -I -couldn't carve this. | 0:18:13 | 0:18:16 | |
Compared to the way a figure is carved, | 0:18:16 | 0:18:19 | |
it's not as realistic as it would be as a 17C piece. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:24 | |
-Is it oak? -It's oak, solid oak - very solid oak indeed. | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
-So what do you think it's worth? -I haven't got a clue. | 0:18:28 | 0:18:32 | |
Have a guess. I'm thinking on my feet, here. It's a new science. | 0:18:32 | 0:18:37 | |
-I would imagine...£3,000. -Any advance? | 0:18:37 | 0:18:43 | |
No, not at all! | 0:18:43 | 0:18:45 | |
Thinking on my feet, I'll top your bid, and put £5,000 on it. | 0:18:45 | 0:18:49 | |
-£5,000? -£5,000? | 0:18:49 | 0:18:52 | |
-It's one of the best I've seen of its type. -Really? -Yes. I think it's a great investment. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:58 | |
-Yes. -I can't believe it's £5,000. -I think that's the minimum! I do! | 0:18:58 | 0:19:03 | |
-Well... -It's becoming popular now? | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
We're in England - it's a Flemish piece - | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
so over there, it'll be taken very seriously. Well done! | 0:19:10 | 0:19:14 | |
-Thanks very much. -Thank you! -Very interesting! | 0:19:14 | 0:19:18 | |
-Thank you! -Thank you! -I'm very stunned. | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
This is one of the most famous images in the Roadshow's history, | 0:19:21 | 0:19:26 | |
-because you brought this along to Reading. -Yes, I did. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:31 | |
-It was much appreciated. -It caused a stir - the picture has had fan mail! | 0:19:31 | 0:19:36 | |
Have you found out more about this person and what she did? | 0:19:36 | 0:19:41 | |
I haven't identified the person, | 0:19:41 | 0:19:43 | |
but someone wrote to me, | 0:19:43 | 0:19:46 | |
saying the lady was wearing | 0:19:46 | 0:19:48 | |
a Voluntary Aid Detachment uniform of the Order Of St John, | 0:19:48 | 0:19:53 | |
which we call St John's Ambulance. | 0:19:53 | 0:19:56 | |
I was pleased about that. | 0:19:56 | 0:19:58 | |
I contacted the Order of St. John. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:00 | |
They invited me to look at their archives. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:04 | |
When I looked at a uniform of WWI it sent tingles down my spine. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:10 | |
Since then, I've had more letters. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:13 | |
We've decided that it would be a good idea to make a card. | 0:20:13 | 0:20:17 | |
This card will go towards this charity. | 0:20:17 | 0:20:20 | |
It'll be more famous than it is now. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:24 | |
This little framed miniature is French. | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
-Is it a family heirloom? -I don't know its origin. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
It's signed to the left - just "Dubois". | 0:20:32 | 0:20:37 | |
The interesting thing about Dubois is that he, at the end of the 18C... | 0:20:37 | 0:20:42 | |
-..1780s, he was exhibiting in Paris. -Mmm. | 0:20:43 | 0:20:47 | |
He then went to St Petersburg. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
By 1818, he was exhibiting in London. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:54 | |
I'm not clever enough on dress | 0:20:54 | 0:20:56 | |
to know whether this waistcoat - | 0:20:56 | 0:20:59 | |
which is delicious - is English, Russian or French. | 0:20:59 | 0:21:03 | |
It's hard to comprehend | 0:21:03 | 0:21:05 | |
how these miniatures are painted. | 0:21:05 | 0:21:09 | |
Some of them are plumbago with a pencil... | 0:21:09 | 0:21:13 | |
You can see how they're built up. | 0:21:13 | 0:21:16 | |
This fineness is extraordinary. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:19 | |
And even when you get the... | 0:21:19 | 0:21:22 | |
You have fine paint in the face, | 0:21:22 | 0:21:24 | |
but you also have a much more painterly brush stroke | 0:21:24 | 0:21:28 | |
in the shirt and in the cravat. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:31 | |
Even that feels painterly - | 0:21:31 | 0:21:33 | |
it doesn't feel laboured in any way. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
Dubois actually painted | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
with these dark backgrounds. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
This little miniature here | 0:21:41 | 0:21:43 | |
is worth today about £3,000 or £4,000. | 0:21:43 | 0:21:46 | |
I think they're very good value for money. | 0:21:48 | 0:21:51 | |
This is a different matter altogether - | 0:21:51 | 0:21:55 | |
rather murky and distressed, | 0:21:55 | 0:21:58 | |
but I have no doubt, myself, | 0:21:58 | 0:22:00 | |
that it's of the period - 16th century. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:03 | |
And it's... | 0:22:03 | 0:22:06 | |
It says in Latin... | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
her age, | 0:22:09 | 0:22:11 | |
and we can just see...she's 29. | 0:22:11 | 0:22:14 | |
Beyond the marriage date, really! | 0:22:15 | 0:22:19 | |
You always think of these little miniatures as being... | 0:22:19 | 0:22:24 | |
-as being sent to the prospective husband... -Yes. -..As a photograph. | 0:22:24 | 0:22:30 | |
And it's dated 1596, | 0:22:30 | 0:22:33 | |
and it's um... almost certainly Dutch. | 0:22:33 | 0:22:37 | |
-It's oil on copper. -Right. | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
And then it does seem to be signed. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
The initial is T. Then it's B-U-I-S. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
In fact...if it were English, I think it would be pretty rare, | 0:22:46 | 0:22:52 | |
but when we go over to Northern Europe, | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
these miniatures really AREN'T terribly rare. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
It's worth £400, which seems surprisingly little. | 0:22:59 | 0:23:03 | |
If you didn't have much money, | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
but wanted to collect, | 0:23:05 | 0:23:07 | |
what a wonderful thing to collect! | 0:23:07 | 0:23:10 | |
-How long have you had them? -Over 30 years, I suppose. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:17 | |
-Probably about... -So you've had them a jolly long time! | 0:23:17 | 0:23:22 | |
I bought them as I was fascinated by the workmanship... | 0:23:22 | 0:23:26 | |
-Yes. -The detail of these fascinated me, | 0:23:26 | 0:23:30 | |
even on the end of the...ramrod. | 0:23:30 | 0:23:33 | |
They've gone to trouble to engrave it. | 0:23:33 | 0:23:36 | |
-Yes, yes. -Amazing. | 0:23:36 | 0:23:39 | |
England. France. Spain. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:41 | |
That's Spain? | 0:23:41 | 0:23:43 | |
Yes, this one's a Spanish one. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:46 | |
This pistol is a double-barrelled, | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
percussion belt pistol. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:53 | |
It would have been made around about 1840, that time - | 0:23:53 | 0:23:59 | |
a nice pistol. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:02 | |
Now, here we have France... | 0:24:02 | 0:24:07 | |
This pistol is not for firing. | 0:24:07 | 0:24:09 | |
This is an alarm gun. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:12 | |
Here... | 0:24:12 | 0:24:14 | |
This part... would be into a door jamb, | 0:24:14 | 0:24:19 | |
to make it secure. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:21 | |
A line would be passed | 0:24:21 | 0:24:23 | |
across the threshold of a doorway. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:26 | |
It comes under there, | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
up into a little hole here, | 0:24:29 | 0:24:31 | |
and that, when it's tripped, | 0:24:31 | 0:24:33 | |
will move that trigger sufficiently | 0:24:33 | 0:24:37 | |
to allow the cock | 0:24:37 | 0:24:40 | |
-to make the charge. -Yes. | 0:24:40 | 0:24:42 | |
I mean, it would be a gunpowder charge. | 0:24:42 | 0:24:45 | |
-It's to frighten somebody? -An alarm gun made in the form of a pistol. | 0:24:45 | 0:24:51 | |
Now, Spain... | 0:24:51 | 0:24:53 | |
A nice travelling pistol. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:55 | |
This is called a miquelet, | 0:24:55 | 0:24:57 | |
because the action is on the outside | 0:24:57 | 0:25:00 | |
instead of inside the lock plate. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
Spanish pistols have these ring cocks - | 0:25:04 | 0:25:08 | |
you could tell a Spanish pistol a mile away. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:12 | |
Three interesting pistols. | 0:25:14 | 0:25:16 | |
I think this particular one, | 0:25:16 | 0:25:20 | |
if it was in auction, | 0:25:20 | 0:25:22 | |
and it's in nice condition, | 0:25:22 | 0:25:24 | |
would be around £600 to £800. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:27 | |
Your alarm pistol... | 0:25:28 | 0:25:30 | |
Firearms curiosa - | 0:25:30 | 0:25:32 | |
a lot of collectors for it... | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
About £500. And your Spanish one... | 0:25:35 | 0:25:38 | |
That would be similar to the English one - | 0:25:40 | 0:25:43 | |
£600 to £800. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:46 | |
So all in all, you know, three very nice pistols. | 0:25:46 | 0:25:50 | |
These are some of my favourite toys. | 0:25:51 | 0:25:54 | |
They're small, they're beautifully designed, | 0:25:54 | 0:25:58 | |
they sum up a period in history, | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
and this is a lovely collection. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:03 | |
How did they come to YOUR hands? | 0:26:03 | 0:26:06 | |
They came from my family, | 0:26:06 | 0:26:08 | |
and I know they were used on my brother's first Christmas tree, | 0:26:08 | 0:26:13 | |
-which was in Danzig, 71 years ago. -Oh, fantastic! So... | 0:26:13 | 0:26:17 | |
I know they're as old as that, | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
but that is all I know. | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
-They were used as Xmas decorations? -We have them out every Xmas. | 0:26:21 | 0:26:26 | |
-You STILL do? -Yes. | 0:26:26 | 0:26:28 | |
They tended to be sold | 0:26:28 | 0:26:31 | |
by vendors outside big stores. | 0:26:31 | 0:26:33 | |
They were called "penny toys", | 0:26:33 | 0:26:35 | |
because, at the time, they were sold for one penny. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:41 | |
They were made in Germany. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:44 | |
A range of dates here, | 0:26:44 | 0:26:46 | |
from about 1905, | 0:26:46 | 0:26:48 | |
through to about 1915, 1920. | 0:26:48 | 0:26:52 | |
They are sought after by collectors now. | 0:26:52 | 0:26:56 | |
Something like this - | 0:26:56 | 0:26:58 | |
we'd be talking £300, £400. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:00 | |
Oh, my goodness! | 0:27:00 | 0:27:02 | |
Something like this - the same figure. | 0:27:02 | 0:27:05 | |
So for this group of toys, | 0:27:05 | 0:27:08 | |
we are looking at £1,000, if not more. | 0:27:08 | 0:27:11 | |
Not bad for Xmas decorations! | 0:27:11 | 0:27:15 | |
It's lovely! | 0:27:15 | 0:27:16 | |
We're on the next door table, | 0:27:16 | 0:27:19 | |
and what have we discovered?! | 0:27:19 | 0:27:21 | |
I don't believe it! | 0:27:21 | 0:27:23 | |
Look! This is another penny toy, | 0:27:24 | 0:27:27 | |
and THAT... | 0:27:27 | 0:27:29 | |
You've got... | 0:27:30 | 0:27:33 | |
five coaches, in lovely condition... | 0:27:33 | 0:27:36 | |
-I would have thought maybe £400. -Oh! | 0:27:37 | 0:27:40 | |
THUNDER | 0:27:40 | 0:27:42 | |
Delicious, and not so delicious recipes! | 0:27:52 | 0:27:56 | |
I'd say that that is probably worth £200. | 0:27:56 | 0:28:00 | |
Far more exciting, in my opinion, | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
are these 50 watercolours of the most delightful, | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
and most detailed plants. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:09 | |
Great bindweed - something that we try to get rid of! | 0:28:09 | 0:28:14 | |
-Is this another family item? -It is, yes. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:17 | |
Another great-great-grandmother, | 0:28:17 | 0:28:20 | |
more directly connected to me - | 0:28:20 | 0:28:22 | |
our maiden names are the same. | 0:28:22 | 0:28:24 | |
These are remarkable - | 0:28:24 | 0:28:26 | |
50 fabulously detailed watercolours! | 0:28:26 | 0:28:29 | |
I feel that this collection | 0:28:29 | 0:28:32 | |
would make certainly in excess of £1,000. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
I enjoy seeing railway posters, | 0:28:36 | 0:28:38 | |
as they're a precarious survival! | 0:28:38 | 0:28:43 | |
This is one of my favourite images - Brunel's great Saltash bridge... | 0:28:43 | 0:28:48 | |
The train coming across this... This was done from a Terence Cuneo painting in 1959 - | 0:28:48 | 0:28:54 | |
-done for the bridge's centenary. There's a mouse. -Yes. | 0:28:54 | 0:28:59 | |
-There he is. -His trademark. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:01 | |
His trademark, running along. | 0:29:01 | 0:29:03 | |
It's one of his best images, as it conveys the history of the railways. | 0:29:03 | 0:29:08 | |
Where did you get it? | 0:29:08 | 0:29:10 | |
My family was friendly with a ticket collector from Paddington Station. | 0:29:10 | 0:29:15 | |
-So he kept posters? -Yes, he did. | 0:29:15 | 0:29:18 | |
-I asked him for something for my room. -Why? | 0:29:18 | 0:29:22 | |
A train enthusiast? | 0:29:22 | 0:29:24 | |
Yes. I loved Great Western. | 0:29:24 | 0:29:26 | |
In wonderful condition, | 0:29:26 | 0:29:28 | |
this poster is worth £300 or £400. | 0:29:28 | 0:29:32 | |
-In this condition, it'll be about £150. -Thanks very much! | 0:29:32 | 0:29:37 | |
Well, this is a Book Of Common Prayer, | 0:29:37 | 0:29:40 | |
dated... | 0:29:40 | 0:29:42 | |
1686 is the date. | 0:29:42 | 0:29:44 | |
It's a fine Book Of Common Prayer! | 0:29:44 | 0:29:47 | |
The book, itself, I have to say, doesn't excite me | 0:29:47 | 0:29:51 | |
as much as this binding! | 0:29:51 | 0:29:53 | |
In the middle here, | 0:29:54 | 0:29:57 | |
are the arms of William and Mary, | 0:29:57 | 0:29:59 | |
but around the edge, | 0:29:59 | 0:30:01 | |
this lovely, delicate speckling | 0:30:01 | 0:30:05 | |
with roses and other flowers around it. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:09 | |
It's the best binding I've seen. | 0:30:09 | 0:30:11 | |
Where did it come from? | 0:30:11 | 0:30:13 | |
-My dad was given it to burn. -What?! | 0:30:13 | 0:30:16 | |
-Yes, among many other books. -That's terrible! When was this? | 0:30:16 | 0:30:20 | |
55, 60 years ago. | 0:30:20 | 0:30:22 | |
That would have been terrible! | 0:30:22 | 0:30:25 | |
This is a beautiful survival. | 0:30:25 | 0:30:27 | |
It's more exciting on the back. | 0:30:27 | 0:30:30 | |
It has survived better on the back. | 0:30:30 | 0:30:33 | |
It's lacking its ties. | 0:30:33 | 0:30:35 | |
I'd recommend you have it furbished. | 0:30:35 | 0:30:38 | |
Even the joints, although cracked, | 0:30:38 | 0:30:41 | |
-are not in bad condition. -No. | 0:30:41 | 0:30:43 | |
As a binding, this is worth | 0:30:43 | 0:30:46 | |
something like £2,000. | 0:30:46 | 0:30:48 | |
Good heavens! Is it really?! | 0:30:48 | 0:30:50 | |
-And it could have been burned! -Yes! -Thanks for bringing it in. -Thanks. | 0:30:50 | 0:30:55 | |
-My father was born in 1929. -Yes. | 0:31:02 | 0:31:04 | |
He was a Mickey Mouse fan! He died last year. | 0:31:04 | 0:31:08 | |
We were clearing things out and found Mickey. | 0:31:08 | 0:31:12 | |
So this was a treasured possession...? | 0:31:12 | 0:31:15 | |
-You can tell...! -Yes! | 0:31:15 | 0:31:17 | |
-He's been much loved. -He's missing his tail! | 0:31:17 | 0:31:21 | |
Um, these Mickeys | 0:31:21 | 0:31:23 | |
were made by Deans Rag Book. | 0:31:23 | 0:31:26 | |
Here is the registration number... | 0:31:26 | 0:31:30 | |
which showed that it was a pukka Disney registered design. | 0:31:30 | 0:31:35 | |
And Mickey - the early sort of rat-faced Mickey with the teeth. | 0:31:35 | 0:31:40 | |
We have an abundance of riches here. | 0:31:40 | 0:31:43 | |
Not only do we have THIS Mickey - the type that one sees quite often - | 0:31:43 | 0:31:49 | |
but we have MacMickey! | 0:31:49 | 0:31:52 | |
-MacMickey! That's right! -Mickey MacMouse! | 0:31:52 | 0:31:55 | |
I have to say | 0:31:55 | 0:31:57 | |
I haven't seen a Mickey MacMouse, | 0:31:57 | 0:32:00 | |
dressed in his tartan. | 0:32:00 | 0:32:02 | |
Is it Mickey or Minnie? | 0:32:02 | 0:32:04 | |
Is this a kilt, or is it a dress? | 0:32:04 | 0:32:06 | |
He does have lace round his pants, so perhaps it's Minnie. | 0:32:06 | 0:32:11 | |
What is nice here | 0:32:11 | 0:32:13 | |
is that, unlike our friend, | 0:32:13 | 0:32:16 | |
-yours has his tail. -Yes. | 0:32:16 | 0:32:18 | |
Um, we've got the same registration mark here. | 0:32:18 | 0:32:21 | |
Again, we've got this toothy grin, | 0:32:21 | 0:32:24 | |
but it is unusual to have this tartan. Is it from Scotland? | 0:32:24 | 0:32:29 | |
I was told it was from an exhibition in London, | 0:32:29 | 0:32:33 | |
but I don't know how true that is. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:35 | |
And how far can you trace it back? | 0:32:35 | 0:32:38 | |
It belongs to a friend who was born in 1933. | 0:32:38 | 0:32:42 | |
He's had it since he was a baby. | 0:32:42 | 0:32:44 | |
Yes, that would figure. Very nice! | 0:32:44 | 0:32:47 | |
Let's have the two here together. | 0:32:47 | 0:32:50 | |
As far as value's concerned, | 0:32:50 | 0:32:53 | |
this little chap... I would say that he is around... | 0:32:53 | 0:32:57 | |
perhaps £80 to £120. | 0:32:57 | 0:33:00 | |
Um, MacMickey, because he is very unusual in this outfit, | 0:33:00 | 0:33:06 | |
would appeal to Disney collectors, | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
something like £180 to £200. | 0:33:09 | 0:33:12 | |
I think he's absolutely lovely. | 0:33:12 | 0:33:15 | |
This is a delightful garden scene. | 0:33:15 | 0:33:19 | |
It's painted in oil, | 0:33:19 | 0:33:22 | |
on a wooden panel. | 0:33:22 | 0:33:24 | |
A garden with a large greenhouse in the background, | 0:33:24 | 0:33:28 | |
and rather sort of painted in similar colours. | 0:33:28 | 0:33:32 | |
Difficult to see is the signature, | 0:33:32 | 0:33:35 | |
but it's readable - Norman Garstin. | 0:33:35 | 0:33:38 | |
Garstin was among the first painters | 0:33:38 | 0:33:41 | |
to settle in Newlyn, in Cornwall - | 0:33:41 | 0:33:44 | |
-he was in the Newlyn School. -Yes. | 0:33:44 | 0:33:47 | |
One of the leading Victorian schools of painting, | 0:33:47 | 0:33:51 | |
you know, in the late 19C. | 0:33:51 | 0:33:54 | |
What can you tell me about it? | 0:33:54 | 0:33:56 | |
How did YOU come by it? | 0:33:56 | 0:33:58 | |
I was clearing a house out, | 0:33:58 | 0:34:01 | |
about 15 years ago, | 0:34:01 | 0:34:04 | |
and this was amongst it. | 0:34:04 | 0:34:06 | |
-I put it in the shop for six months. There was no interest. -Really? | 0:34:06 | 0:34:11 | |
I suddenly looked at it one day, | 0:34:11 | 0:34:13 | |
-and I thought it was very nice. -So you took it home? -Yes. | 0:34:13 | 0:34:18 | |
Quite right. It is a charming picture. | 0:34:18 | 0:34:22 | |
Garstin is an Impressionist. | 0:34:22 | 0:34:24 | |
He studied in France and his pictures almost LOOK French. | 0:34:24 | 0:34:29 | |
It's got a French feeling about the tonality of it. | 0:34:29 | 0:34:33 | |
Impressionistic brush work and soft colours | 0:34:33 | 0:34:37 | |
-are typical of him. -Yes. | 0:34:37 | 0:34:39 | |
Now Garstin's work is rare, it doesn't often appear. | 0:34:39 | 0:34:43 | |
What also makes him interesting | 0:34:43 | 0:34:46 | |
is that he was born in Ireland. | 0:34:46 | 0:34:49 | |
So Irish collectors are interested in Norman Garstin, | 0:34:49 | 0:34:53 | |
all of which, you know, helps to add to the price. | 0:34:53 | 0:34:57 | |
I took it to an auction house and they said about £700. | 0:34:57 | 0:35:02 | |
-£700? -Yes. -How long ago was that? | 0:35:02 | 0:35:04 | |
-Eight or ten years ago. -Yes! | 0:35:04 | 0:35:07 | |
Things have changed since then. | 0:35:07 | 0:35:10 | |
If you were to take this picture back to the auction house now, | 0:35:10 | 0:35:15 | |
-they'd tell you more like £20,000 to £30,000. -God! | 0:35:15 | 0:35:19 | |
Without doubt, it's a very charming and delightful Garstin, | 0:35:19 | 0:35:24 | |
and a good example of his work, in good condition. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:28 | |
Although small, it's perfect for a private collector - this size - | 0:35:28 | 0:35:33 | |
so really delightful. | 0:35:33 | 0:35:35 | |
Thank you for bringing it! | 0:35:35 | 0:35:38 | |
Thank YOU. You made my day! | 0:35:38 | 0:35:40 | |
You made MINE! | 0:35:40 | 0:35:42 | |
-Have you ever seen a LARGER barometer? -No. | 0:35:42 | 0:35:46 | |
It's the largest one I've seen. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:48 | |
I mean, it is eccentrically large. | 0:35:48 | 0:35:52 | |
It has great charm, due to its scale. | 0:35:52 | 0:35:55 | |
It's an exquisitely made object. | 0:35:55 | 0:35:58 | |
This chap has used the best mahogany veneers. | 0:35:58 | 0:36:02 | |
You've got this flame veneer | 0:36:02 | 0:36:04 | |
that occurs throughout the carcass of the piece, | 0:36:04 | 0:36:08 | |
so he's really tried to make this a showy barometer. | 0:36:08 | 0:36:12 | |
They're called "wheel barometers", | 0:36:12 | 0:36:15 | |
-or "banjo barometers". -I've heard THAT expression. | 0:36:15 | 0:36:19 | |
..Relating to the shape of it. | 0:36:19 | 0:36:22 | |
You've got a hygrometer, and you've lost the glass. | 0:36:22 | 0:36:27 | |
This hygrometer would have been an ear of corn | 0:36:27 | 0:36:31 | |
-which when twisted, as the weather is damper... -Yes. -..Or drier, | 0:36:31 | 0:36:36 | |
so the ear of corn reacts, changing the measurement in that dial. | 0:36:36 | 0:36:43 | |
The thermometer part... | 0:36:43 | 0:36:45 | |
is unusual as it's in a bow-fronted case. | 0:36:45 | 0:36:49 | |
He could have used a flat, glazed cover, | 0:36:49 | 0:36:53 | |
but decided it was special, | 0:36:53 | 0:36:55 | |
-and used a more expensive bowed cover. -Yes. | 0:36:55 | 0:36:59 | |
The register itself | 0:36:59 | 0:37:01 | |
is about 16 inches in diameter, | 0:37:01 | 0:37:04 | |
-which is really enormous. -Yes. | 0:37:04 | 0:37:06 | |
Just at the bottom, | 0:37:06 | 0:37:09 | |
is "Charles Maspero, Manchester". | 0:37:09 | 0:37:12 | |
He was a maker recorded in Manchester | 0:37:12 | 0:37:15 | |
-between 1850 and 1870. -Oh, really? | 0:37:15 | 0:37:18 | |
If we revolve it, and have a look at the back, | 0:37:18 | 0:37:22 | |
and we can see inside... | 0:37:22 | 0:37:25 | |
The silk through this pulley floats with a glass weight | 0:37:25 | 0:37:29 | |
on top of the mercury. | 0:37:29 | 0:37:31 | |
The pressure makes the pulley react, | 0:37:31 | 0:37:34 | |
and adjusts the arm on the front. | 0:37:34 | 0:37:37 | |
It's a very simple mechanism | 0:37:37 | 0:37:39 | |
-for such an elaborate and enormous case. -Yes. | 0:37:39 | 0:37:43 | |
Tell me, how long have you owned it? | 0:37:43 | 0:37:46 | |
My great-great-uncle was the estate manager for Lord Leverhulme, | 0:37:46 | 0:37:51 | |
and Lord Leverhulme gave this as a retirement present, | 0:37:51 | 0:37:56 | |
because, as the estate manager, | 0:37:56 | 0:37:58 | |
he was responsible for the shoot and the fishing. | 0:37:58 | 0:38:02 | |
The barometer was an important piece of his equipment, | 0:38:02 | 0:38:07 | |
to see what the weather would do! | 0:38:07 | 0:38:09 | |
So, it sort of... eventually ended up | 0:38:09 | 0:38:13 | |
in my hands, just after I was married in the early '70s. | 0:38:13 | 0:38:17 | |
I was rather short of money, | 0:38:17 | 0:38:19 | |
and I had an antique dealer round. | 0:38:19 | 0:38:22 | |
I sold some bits and pieces, and he offered me £50 for this. | 0:38:22 | 0:38:27 | |
-Did he? -And I said I'd think about it, | 0:38:27 | 0:38:30 | |
and, er, well, I'm still thinking! | 0:38:30 | 0:38:34 | |
-It's just as well you were not forthcoming at that time. -Yes. | 0:38:34 | 0:38:38 | |
At the moment, it's a splendid thing. | 0:38:38 | 0:38:42 | |
I'd expect you to get between £3,000 and £4,000 for it. | 0:38:42 | 0:38:46 | |
-You're joking! -So £50 to £3,000 is a very fair stretch, isn't it?! | 0:38:46 | 0:38:52 | |
I'm very grateful! | 0:38:52 | 0:38:54 | |
Why Malta? | 0:38:56 | 0:38:58 | |
My husband is half-Maltese. My father-in-law was from Malta. | 0:38:58 | 0:39:04 | |
Yes, so you bought them there? | 0:39:04 | 0:39:07 | |
No. My father-in-law bought them in the '60s at an auction in Surrey. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:12 | |
Two types of Maltese paintings... | 0:39:12 | 0:39:14 | |
There are lots of tourist pictures. | 0:39:14 | 0:39:17 | |
-This isn't a tourist picture. -No. | 0:39:17 | 0:39:19 | |
It's a Maltese painting his people. | 0:39:19 | 0:39:22 | |
And where is this one? | 0:39:22 | 0:39:24 | |
If I remember - father-in-law died 12 years ago - | 0:39:24 | 0:39:28 | |
he said that that was in a square, | 0:39:28 | 0:39:31 | |
and he was a melon seller, | 0:39:31 | 0:39:33 | |
he would be selling melon. | 0:39:33 | 0:39:35 | |
-Looks more like bananas to me! -Yes! | 0:39:35 | 0:39:38 | |
You don't know where it is? | 0:39:38 | 0:39:40 | |
-I don't know. -Valetta or somewhere. | 0:39:40 | 0:39:43 | |
It's a very small island. | 0:39:43 | 0:39:45 | |
Yes. It's the feeling of that dry... | 0:39:45 | 0:39:48 | |
This is a dry, parched rock, really. | 0:39:48 | 0:39:51 | |
And a wonderfully warm people. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:53 | |
They are. | 0:39:53 | 0:39:55 | |
I'm interested not in the value of them, but in how they're painted. | 0:39:55 | 0:40:01 | |
-Are they well-painted? -They are. | 0:40:01 | 0:40:04 | |
They're in the Italian style of watercolours. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:07 | |
-There's an Italian tradition in watercolours. -Yes. | 0:40:07 | 0:40:12 | |
And Malta is quite Italian... | 0:40:12 | 0:40:15 | |
It's a second language there. | 0:40:15 | 0:40:17 | |
Not the finest watercolours, | 0:40:17 | 0:40:20 | |
but they are highly competent. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:22 | |
Yes. OK. | 0:40:22 | 0:40:24 | |
The price is highly competent as well - | 0:40:24 | 0:40:27 | |
-these are worth quite a lot of money. -Ah. | 0:40:27 | 0:40:31 | |
They are worth | 0:40:31 | 0:40:33 | |
at least £6,000 to £8,000 each. | 0:40:33 | 0:40:36 | |
Good grief! | 0:40:36 | 0:40:38 | |
-And maybe more. -Gosh. | 0:40:38 | 0:40:40 | |
-Maybe up to £10,000 each. -Heavens! | 0:40:40 | 0:40:43 | |
You have surprised me! I must say, you have! | 0:40:45 | 0:40:48 | |
Lovely cruet frame! Do you use it? | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
-I don't. -Why not? | 0:40:51 | 0:40:53 | |
I'm frightened to use it! | 0:40:53 | 0:40:56 | |
I'd be wary, particularly with this glass. | 0:40:56 | 0:40:59 | |
Glass, I must admit, terrifies me. | 0:40:59 | 0:41:03 | |
If you drop silver, at least it bounces - | 0:41:03 | 0:41:07 | |
you can get the dents out later! | 0:41:07 | 0:41:09 | |
What is wonderful with this cruet | 0:41:09 | 0:41:12 | |
is that the glass seems intact. | 0:41:12 | 0:41:15 | |
Has it been passed down the family? | 0:41:15 | 0:41:17 | |
I see there's a coat of arms. | 0:41:17 | 0:41:20 | |
Nothing to do with our family. | 0:41:20 | 0:41:22 | |
It would be quite interesting | 0:41:22 | 0:41:24 | |
to try and work out who that is. | 0:41:24 | 0:41:27 | |
There's a gentleman's helm there, | 0:41:27 | 0:41:29 | |
so it's not a member of the peerage. | 0:41:29 | 0:41:32 | |
So, how did you come by it? | 0:41:32 | 0:41:35 | |
It was my birthday, I was in Ireland, and my father told me to pick out whatever I liked in the house. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:41 | |
-I picked this. -You know the maker? | 0:41:41 | 0:41:44 | |
Yes, I do - Paul Storr. | 0:41:44 | 0:41:46 | |
Absolutely! Paul Storr - | 0:41:46 | 0:41:49 | |
one of the greatest workers ever - | 0:41:49 | 0:41:51 | |
the greatest makers of silver. | 0:41:51 | 0:41:53 | |
From the date there... | 0:41:53 | 0:41:56 | |
Where are we? ..1808. | 0:41:56 | 0:41:59 | |
That was at the peak of Paul Storr's work - | 0:41:59 | 0:42:03 | |
with Rundell, Bridge and Rundell - | 0:42:03 | 0:42:05 | |
goldsmiths to the King. | 0:42:05 | 0:42:07 | |
You couldn't get better work then. | 0:42:07 | 0:42:10 | |
Cruets by Paul Storr... | 0:42:11 | 0:42:13 | |
..are actually comparatively common. | 0:42:14 | 0:42:17 | |
I see. | 0:42:17 | 0:42:20 | |
Complete ones are not, | 0:42:20 | 0:42:22 | |
and ones of this size are not. | 0:42:22 | 0:42:25 | |
This is quite a cruet. | 0:42:25 | 0:42:27 | |
It surprises me that it's not a member of the peerage, | 0:42:27 | 0:42:32 | |
which is what you expect with Storr. | 0:42:32 | 0:42:35 | |
A stunning piece of Regency silver. | 0:42:36 | 0:42:39 | |
Have you ever had it valued? | 0:42:39 | 0:42:41 | |
I have, yes. Due to insurance. | 0:42:41 | 0:42:44 | |
It was valued between five and six. | 0:42:44 | 0:42:47 | |
-Thousand? -Yes. -How long ago was that? | 0:42:47 | 0:42:50 | |
-Um, it must be at least... er, six years ago. -Six years. | 0:42:50 | 0:42:56 | |
Things have moved a bit since then. | 0:42:56 | 0:42:59 | |
I would reckon, that to insure this, | 0:43:00 | 0:43:03 | |
you'd have to put... | 0:43:03 | 0:43:05 | |
between £25,000 and £30,000 on it. | 0:43:05 | 0:43:08 | |
Boy-oh-boy! Whew! | 0:43:10 | 0:43:13 | |
-So a reassessment on the insurance! -Yes. Whew! | 0:43:13 | 0:43:17 | |
That's something. Whew! Yeah. | 0:43:17 | 0:43:20 | |
In spite of the rain, we've had a wonderful day. | 0:43:20 | 0:43:24 | |
Thank you to the National Trust, and to the hotel for their warm welcome, | 0:43:24 | 0:43:29 | |
and to the people of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire for bringing us their treasures AND themselves. | 0:43:29 | 0:43:36 | |
Until next week, goodbye. | 0:43:36 | 0:43:39 | |
Subtitles by BBC | 0:44:01 | 0:44:05 |