Cliveden Antiques Roadshow

This week, we've returned to Cliveden -

a mansion standing above the Thames.

Cliveden has been close enough to London

for those who needed refuge from matters of court or politics.

In 1893, Cliveden was bought by an American family, the Astors,

whose money came from fur trading,

and, in 1916, William Waldorf Astor became a baronet.

When he died, his son, Waldorf, an MP, entered the House of Lords.

His wife, Nancy, fought the election in his place, becoming the first woman MP to enter Westminster.

A renowned hostess, Nancy established the Cliveden Set.

There were endless parties,

with an "A" list of guests, such as George Bernard Shaw...

..Amy Johnson and Charlie Chaplin.

Winston Churchill also visited, despite some venomous exchanges between him and Nancy Astor.

If he were her husband, she said, she'd poison his food.

He replied, "Madam, if you were my wife, I'd eat it."

But he still dined here.

But Cliveden, in the '60s, was the setting

for one of the most notorious political scandals.

It was here, after dinner,

that Minister for War, John Profumo,

first saw Christine Keeler, while she was swimming in the pool.

Their affair was secret for a while,

but rumours, and the fact that MI5 knew that Keeler was seeing a man from the Russian Embassy,

forced Profumo to deny that he knew her.

His downfall wasn't due to the affair but because he lied to Parliament.

Public interest was huge.

When Lord Denning published the report into the scandal, people queued till midnight for a copy.

We're unlikely to find mementoes of that story,

but our experts are ready for anything which might turn up.

Let's just hope it stays fine for us.

Guess what nationality these are.

-French.

-Wrong!

-English.

-Oh!

There's a naivety about these two chaps.

The combination of bronze and gilt bronze

is typical of the late 18C, early 19C.

I don't think a French sculptor made this thin lion with this funny face,

but the workmanship is good.

Look - you can see the hair.

-He has this shaggy mane.

-And the whiskers.

It's nicely done,

but the sculpture isn't brilliant.

You've got this vaguely Adam design

that you get in the 1770s.

It's been used on this desk object,

but it's quite crudely pricked out.

I'm being rude about them!

I wish you had said nicer things!

It's a lovely combination of colour. Let's look underneath.

These handmade nuts are well made.

There are traces of sand.

It's sand-casting, as you'd expect then.

They're very nice objects indeed,

and they look so nice.

They're such decorative objects,

and so difficult to find.

Have you had them a long time?

No, I've had them for about four years.

A friend of restores antiques.

He said that a couple owned them,

and the husband brought them in, as the wife didn't like the base.

She was thinking of changing the base

-to more of a bronze colour.

-Oh, yuck!

He couldn't bear to do it! How horrible!

He couldn't do it, and asked me if I was interested in purchasing them.

-I thought it was a fabulous... I love them! It's all right that they're crude!

-Not crude - naive!

There's a certain charm in naivety.

I'm very glad the restorer

didn't change for that lady!

I like these, despite their naivety.

May I ask what you paid for them?

£2,500.

Would you mind insuring them for £6,000?

No, not at all! I'd be very pleased!

-Who is this charming young lady in the photograph?

-It's my mother.

-And when was it taken?

-I think about 1920 - I don't know exactly.

Do you know what the occasion was?

My father loved to show off his furniture,

and my mother loved to show off a new dress,

and together they made a picture.

The thing I want to look at

is this, which is being shown off with flowers.

We have it here.

This is a scrumptious object.

-Do you know any more than it dates back to 1920?

-It's Viennese.

-Hand-painted, 18th century.

-18th?

-I think.

-That's what you've been told.

-Yes. Is that wrong?

In the 19C, the German School, in both Germany and in Austria,

-went back to the Renaissance for inspiration.

-I see!

-This called Historismus - historical revival.

-Yeah, quite.

This drinking horn was associated with medieval knights.

-Mmm.

-And it's made of enamelled copper.

Making 3D shapes in copper and enamel

is very, very difficult.

Buckling occurs when firing.

This is a complicated shape to make.

-Oh.

-So it has been made in sections.

On the horn itself

is subject matter which would be at home in this house.

We have Orpheus,

God of music,

dragging Eurydice out of Hades,

before he looks back and she disappears.

It's a gorgeous thing.

Most gorgeous of all, perhaps, is this -

the hippocampus,

-the horse of the sea.

-Yes.

-It has a dolphinesque tail.

-Yes.

And this is fashioned in silver.

A little sculpture in its own right!

It's beautiful!

-I love the colours!

-They're gorgeous!

There is a little bit of restoration

-on the rim up here.

-Oh, yes.

It will have a bearing on the value.

-It's been repainted there.

-Mmm.

Now...value.

-Right.

-At a sale some years ago of Viennese enamels,

I remember seeing a piece like this,

fetching something like £2,000.

I see.

-That was some years ago.

-Yes.

Today, it's more likely

to be in the region of £10,000 to £15,000.

I thought that was about it. Mmm.

-I'm not going to faint on you!

-Good! Take this home very carefully!

My mother she got it from a friend or a neighbour, in the Clapham area,

-it would have been.

-Yes.

-And how long ago was that?

-The '30s.

Have you any idea what nationality it is?

Well, I have an idea it is Dutch, but I don't know.

Well, certainly, marquetry like this

-you do see on Dutch furniture.

-Yes.

-In my view, it's an English piece of furniture.

-Oh!

It would have been made in the middle of the 19C.

It's not that old, then? I see.

-It's about 1850, 1860.

-Yes.

It has a bad ink stain in there. Does that detract...?

But it also has its original pink velvet inside, which has faded,

but it's retained that.

Ebony veneering. Very high quality.

Another sign that it's English

is the lock on here is an English lock.

It has the look of something

that you've enjoyed for years.

Yes, I enjoy it. Mmm.

It hasn't been over-polished.

Often things coming onto the market are restored.

This has a nice, natural feel.

I haven't polished it lately.

I used to go over it now and again.

Gently, every so often, will look after it.

I think, today, for insurance,

a figure of £2,500 to £3,000 is right.

-It's a lovely thing.

-Yes!

-Continue enjoying it!

What a super plate! It's English delftware -

-copying the Chinese.

-Yes.

The inscription is incredible.

-It thrilled ME.

-Is it a family thing?

Not MY family. I looked after two old people.

When the man died,

his wife asked if there was anything I'd like.

I chose THAT and I treasure it.

-I would imagine so!

-I really do.

The underglaze blue is marvellous.

-It's very much in the Kangxi style of Chinese.

-Yes!

You've got a lovely vase, and a little table.

Then these lovely little panels,

which depict a Chinese pavilion,

which people used to retire to,

and contemplate things!

-Copied by the English in a strange way.

-Yes!

-1732 would be the right date for it.

-Yes.

-Commemorative things can be done later. You realise you haven't made a plate for a birthday...!

-Yes!

But this is right as rain!

From Lambeth in London.

-Really? Yes.

-It's super.

Unfortunately, at some date,

they've put these nasty metal...

-Little wires to hold it on the wall.

-Yes!

-It may have happened. But delftware easily chips.

-Does it?

-So, although it has a few chips, it doesn't matter much.

-Good!

-Are you worried about its value?

-I'd be interested.

Well, if that didn't have an inscription,

-if it was just a copy...

-Yes.

-..Of the early-18C,

-of the Chinese Kangxi plate...

-Yes.

..it would be something like £500.

-Ah, yes!

-The inscription turns it into a different animal.

-Oh!

The inscription and date raise that £500

up to something like £2,000.

Oh, that's a lovely surprise!

This is a wonderful present

-to have from your friend.

-Well, yes.

My great grandmother left me it.

She was born in 1877,

and she got married in 1898.

It was in my family home, in my bedroom, and now it's in my cottage.

That's all I know.

It's satinwood, which was a popular wood,

and it's, as you can see, extremely decorative,

with these Reynolds-like portrait medallions on the doors. It couldn't have been made for a man.

So it's a piece of late-Victorian, Edwardian furniture.

It may have been a wedding present.

Let's look inside, shall we?

What else does it do? ..Fantastic.

So you've got a beautiful piece for possibly the bedroom,

a little writing surface...

..places for writing accoutrements.

Here, you could put little bits of sewing,

you could put letters...

A very feminine piece of furniture.

What would we insure it for?

I think we will put the figure of £1,000 on this.

Right, that's nice!

It'll be passed to my daughter when she's old enough.

-Do you love it?!

-It's very pretty.

It's interesting to know about these pictures, as my mother is a Reynolds,

-and is related to Reynolds.

-Strange!

You said they were "Reynolds-like" -

that was interesting!

A collection of illustrated letters

of absolutely the best sort.

It's pop art of the 1850s,

I suppose it is, really.

This is a wonderful one here!

-Mrs Abbot, I assume.

-Yes.

I don't know who these others are.

-That was his son.

-That's his son?

-William Thomas, my great-grandfather.

-That's absolutely charming!

Presumably this...

Is this to do with India? I can see that he's away from his wife.

The circumstances of him going to India,

-I haven't found out.

-Right.

-I assume that it was to make his fortune,

as he left a wife of only two years,

-and a son who was only a year.

-Yes.

-Is that his young son?

-Edward. Yes.

-With long dreadlocks!

-Absolutely!

-Terribly mid-Victorian.

-Yes.

These are so beautiful!

This one here, I notice,

has got a little, um...

-It's his bungalow and pigeon house.

-Yes!

-Is this out in Bombay?

-That's right.

He makes a great thing

about enjoying the East India Company more than the British Army.

-Now you know what I'm going to say about this!

-I panicked!

-I must hold up my hand and confess - that's my...

-That's YOU?

-Yes.

I recommend that you get it off,

-because it really soaks into the paper and makes a mess of it.

-Yes.

-Here is one of ships, and him playing cricket.

-Yes.

That brought him

from England to Bombay.

Wonderful!

You have other pictures here.

-Well...

-This one here...

-That's his self-portrait.

And that is - you can see it's the same man -

-a self-portrait in dress uniform.

-Amazing. It's not a Regency dandy -

it's a William IV, early-Victorian dandy!

-With these wonderful muffs!

-Yes!

-They were sent home in letters?

-Yes.

Illustrated letters as good as these are rare.

I find them charming,

but, of course, being a direct descendant, I can't be very objective about it!

I think they're the best of their sort and very desirable - illustrated letters sent from India.

They are worth in the region

-of about £400 to £500 each.

-Right!

So you've got, at least, about £2,000 here,

-together with these.

-I'm pleased!

-It's wonderful to air them.

-Good!

Thank you very much indeed!

I can imagine it behind us here -

it would be suitable, wouldn't it?

-Definitely.

-I mean, it's large,

and I'm sure very heavy...!

Do you know ANYTHING about it?

My husband's grandpa acquired it in the '20s - that's it.

-But do you know what country it came from?

-No idea. No.

Let's decide on the country.

It's fortuitous that you've brought this in today.

There was a recent exhibition of this type of furniture in Belgium.

Why was it held in Belgium?

It was made outside Brussels.

The whole look of this piece of furniture is 17C.

-17th?

-Yes - the LOOK of it! The look of it!

-Yes.

And it was a very popular style in Holland.

Hans Vredeman de Vries was an important designer working in the 16C.

In the 17C, he kept producing this style as it spread through Europe.

In the 19C, in Belgium, they started making lots of these,

and they became almost factory-made.

There was a recent exhibition of furniture of this type.

It is the first time anyone has tried to catalogue these pieces,

so it was fascinating.

You see, here,

this design - this geometric moulding -

you see in England in about 1680, 1700.

And why do you see it in England at that time?

The design came over when William of Orange became King in the 1680s.

So they brought this design from Holland into England. And here...

-It's great.

-I

-couldn't carve this.

Compared to the way a figure is carved,

it's not as realistic as it would be as a 17C piece.

-Is it oak?

-It's oak, solid oak - very solid oak indeed.

-So what do you think it's worth?

-I haven't got a clue.

Have a guess. I'm thinking on my feet, here. It's a new science.

-I would imagine...£3,000.

-Any advance?

No, not at all!

Thinking on my feet, I'll top your bid, and put £5,000 on it.

-£5,000?

-£5,000?

-It's one of the best I've seen of its type.

-Really?

-Yes. I think it's a great investment.

-Yes.

-I can't believe it's £5,000.

-I think that's the minimum! I do!

-Well...

-It's becoming popular now?

We're in England - it's a Flemish piece -

so over there, it'll be taken very seriously. Well done!

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you!

-Very interesting!

-Thank you!

-Thank you!

-I'm very stunned.

This is one of the most famous images in the Roadshow's history,

-because you brought this along to Reading.

-Yes, I did.

-It was much appreciated.

-It caused a stir - the picture has had fan mail!

Have you found out more about this person and what she did?

I haven't identified the person,

but someone wrote to me,

saying the lady was wearing

a Voluntary Aid Detachment uniform of the Order Of St John,

which we call St John's Ambulance.

I was pleased about that.

I contacted the Order of St. John.

They invited me to look at their archives.

When I looked at a uniform of WWI it sent tingles down my spine.

Since then, I've had more letters.

We've decided that it would be a good idea to make a card.

This card will go towards this charity.

It'll be more famous than it is now.

This little framed miniature is French.

-Is it a family heirloom?

-I don't know its origin.

It's signed to the left - just "Dubois".

The interesting thing about Dubois is that he, at the end of the 18C...

-..1780s, he was exhibiting in Paris.

-Mmm.

He then went to St Petersburg.

By 1818, he was exhibiting in London.

I'm not clever enough on dress

to know whether this waistcoat -

which is delicious - is English, Russian or French.

It's hard to comprehend

how these miniatures are painted.

Some of them are plumbago with a pencil...

You can see how they're built up.

This fineness is extraordinary.

And even when you get the...

You have fine paint in the face,

but you also have a much more painterly brush stroke

in the shirt and in the cravat.

Even that feels painterly -

it doesn't feel laboured in any way.

Dubois actually painted

with these dark backgrounds.

This little miniature here

is worth today about £3,000 or £4,000.

I think they're very good value for money.

This is a different matter altogether -

rather murky and distressed,

but I have no doubt, myself,

that it's of the period - 16th century.

And it's...

It says in Latin...

her age,

and we can just see...she's 29.

Beyond the marriage date, really!

You always think of these little miniatures as being...

-as being sent to the prospective husband...

-Yes.

-..As a photograph.

And it's dated 1596,

and it's um... almost certainly Dutch.

-It's oil on copper.

-Right.

And then it does seem to be signed.

The initial is T. Then it's B-U-I-S.

In fact...if it were English, I think it would be pretty rare,

but when we go over to Northern Europe,

these miniatures really AREN'T terribly rare.

It's worth £400, which seems surprisingly little.

If you didn't have much money,

but wanted to collect,

what a wonderful thing to collect!

-How long have you had them?

-Over 30 years, I suppose.

-Probably about...

-So you've had them a jolly long time!

I bought them as I was fascinated by the workmanship...

-Yes.

-The detail of these fascinated me,

even on the end of the...ramrod.

They've gone to trouble to engrave it.

-Yes, yes.

-Amazing.

England. France. Spain.

That's Spain?

Yes, this one's a Spanish one.

This pistol is a double-barrelled,

percussion belt pistol.

It would have been made around about 1840, that time -

a nice pistol.

Now, here we have France...

This pistol is not for firing.

This is an alarm gun.

Here...

This part... would be into a door jamb,

to make it secure.

A line would be passed

across the threshold of a doorway.

It comes under there,

up into a little hole here,

and that, when it's tripped,

will move that trigger sufficiently

to allow the cock

-to make the charge.

-Yes.

I mean, it would be a gunpowder charge.

-It's to frighten somebody?

-An alarm gun made in the form of a pistol.

Now, Spain...

A nice travelling pistol.

This is called a miquelet,

because the action is on the outside

instead of inside the lock plate.

Spanish pistols have these ring cocks -

you could tell a Spanish pistol a mile away.

Three interesting pistols.

I think this particular one,

if it was in auction,

and it's in nice condition,

would be around £600 to £800.

Your alarm pistol...

Firearms curiosa -

a lot of collectors for it...

About £500. And your Spanish one...

That would be similar to the English one -

£600 to £800.

So all in all, you know, three very nice pistols.

These are some of my favourite toys.

They're small, they're beautifully designed,

they sum up a period in history,

and this is a lovely collection.

How did they come to YOUR hands?

They came from my family,

and I know they were used on my brother's first Christmas tree,

-which was in Danzig, 71 years ago.

-Oh, fantastic! So...

I know they're as old as that,

but that is all I know.

-They were used as Xmas decorations?

-We have them out every Xmas.

-You STILL do?

-Yes.

They tended to be sold

by vendors outside big stores.

They were called "penny toys",

because, at the time, they were sold for one penny.

They were made in Germany.

A range of dates here,

from about 1905,

through to about 1915, 1920.

They are sought after by collectors now.

Something like this -

we'd be talking £300, £400.

Oh, my goodness!

Something like this - the same figure.

So for this group of toys,

we are looking at £1,000, if not more.

Not bad for Xmas decorations!

It's lovely!

We're on the next door table,

and what have we discovered?!

I don't believe it!

Look! This is another penny toy,

and THAT...

You've got...

five coaches, in lovely condition...

-I would have thought maybe £400.

-Oh!

THUNDER

Delicious, and not so delicious recipes!

I'd say that that is probably worth £200.

Far more exciting, in my opinion,

are these 50 watercolours of the most delightful,

and most detailed plants.

Great bindweed - something that we try to get rid of!

-Is this another family item?

-It is, yes.

Another great-great-grandmother,

more directly connected to me -

our maiden names are the same.

These are remarkable -

50 fabulously detailed watercolours!

I feel that this collection

would make certainly in excess of £1,000.

I enjoy seeing railway posters,

as they're a precarious survival!

This is one of my favourite images - Brunel's great Saltash bridge...

The train coming across this... This was done from a Terence Cuneo painting in 1959 -

-done for the bridge's centenary. There's a mouse.

-Yes.

-There he is.

-His trademark.

His trademark, running along.

It's one of his best images, as it conveys the history of the railways.

Where did you get it?

My family was friendly with a ticket collector from Paddington Station.

-So he kept posters?

-Yes, he did.

-I asked him for something for my room.

-Why?

A train enthusiast?

Yes. I loved Great Western.

In wonderful condition,

this poster is worth £300 or £400.

-In this condition, it'll be about £150.

-Thanks very much!

Well, this is a Book Of Common Prayer,

dated...

1686 is the date.

It's a fine Book Of Common Prayer!

The book, itself, I have to say, doesn't excite me

as much as this binding!

In the middle here,

are the arms of William and Mary,

but around the edge,

this lovely, delicate speckling

with roses and other flowers around it.

It's the best binding I've seen.

Where did it come from?

-My dad was given it to burn.

-What?!

-Yes, among many other books.

-That's terrible! When was this?

55, 60 years ago.

That would have been terrible!

This is a beautiful survival.

It's more exciting on the back.

It has survived better on the back.

It's lacking its ties.

I'd recommend you have it furbished.

Even the joints, although cracked,

-are not in bad condition.

-No.

As a binding, this is worth

something like £2,000.

Good heavens! Is it really?!

-And it could have been burned!

-Yes!

-Thanks for bringing it in.

-Thanks.

-My father was born in 1929.

-Yes.

He was a Mickey Mouse fan! He died last year.

We were clearing things out and found Mickey.

So this was a treasured possession...?

-You can tell...!

-Yes!

-He's been much loved.

-He's missing his tail!

Um, these Mickeys

were made by Deans Rag Book.

Here is the registration number...

which showed that it was a pukka Disney registered design.

And Mickey - the early sort of rat-faced Mickey with the teeth.

We have an abundance of riches here.

Not only do we have THIS Mickey - the type that one sees quite often -

but we have MacMickey!

-MacMickey! That's right!

-Mickey MacMouse!

I have to say

I haven't seen a Mickey MacMouse,

dressed in his tartan.

Is it Mickey or Minnie?

Is this a kilt, or is it a dress?

He does have lace round his pants, so perhaps it's Minnie.

What is nice here

is that, unlike our friend,

-yours has his tail.

-Yes.

Um, we've got the same registration mark here.

Again, we've got this toothy grin,

but it is unusual to have this tartan. Is it from Scotland?

I was told it was from an exhibition in London,

but I don't know how true that is.

And how far can you trace it back?

It belongs to a friend who was born in 1933.

He's had it since he was a baby.

Yes, that would figure. Very nice!

Let's have the two here together.

As far as value's concerned,

this little chap... I would say that he is around...

perhaps £80 to £120.

Um, MacMickey, because he is very unusual in this outfit,

would appeal to Disney collectors,

something like £180 to £200.

I think he's absolutely lovely.

This is a delightful garden scene.

It's painted in oil,

on a wooden panel.

A garden with a large greenhouse in the background,

and rather sort of painted in similar colours.

Difficult to see is the signature,

but it's readable - Norman Garstin.

Garstin was among the first painters

to settle in Newlyn, in Cornwall -

-he was in the Newlyn School.

-Yes.

One of the leading Victorian schools of painting,

you know, in the late 19C.

What can you tell me about it?

How did YOU come by it?

I was clearing a house out,

about 15 years ago,

and this was amongst it.

-I put it in the shop for six months. There was no interest.

-Really?

I suddenly looked at it one day,

-and I thought it was very nice.

-So you took it home?

-Yes.

Quite right. It is a charming picture.

Garstin is an Impressionist.

He studied in France and his pictures almost LOOK French.

It's got a French feeling about the tonality of it.

Impressionistic brush work and soft colours

-are typical of him.

-Yes.

Now Garstin's work is rare, it doesn't often appear.

What also makes him interesting

is that he was born in Ireland.

So Irish collectors are interested in Norman Garstin,

all of which, you know, helps to add to the price.

I took it to an auction house and they said about £700.

-£700?

-Yes.

-How long ago was that?

-Eight or ten years ago.

-Yes!

Things have changed since then.

If you were to take this picture back to the auction house now,

-they'd tell you more like £20,000 to £30,000.

-God!

Without doubt, it's a very charming and delightful Garstin,

and a good example of his work, in good condition.

Although small, it's perfect for a private collector - this size -

so really delightful.

Thank you for bringing it!

Thank YOU. You made my day!

You made MINE!

-Have you ever seen a LARGER barometer?

-No.

It's the largest one I've seen.

I mean, it is eccentrically large.

It has great charm, due to its scale.

It's an exquisitely made object.

This chap has used the best mahogany veneers.

You've got this flame veneer

that occurs throughout the carcass of the piece,

so he's really tried to make this a showy barometer.

They're called "wheel barometers",

-or "banjo barometers".

-I've heard THAT expression.

..Relating to the shape of it.

You've got a hygrometer, and you've lost the glass.

This hygrometer would have been an ear of corn

-which when twisted, as the weather is damper...

-Yes.

-..Or drier,

so the ear of corn reacts, changing the measurement in that dial.

The thermometer part...

is unusual as it's in a bow-fronted case.

He could have used a flat, glazed cover,

but decided it was special,

-and used a more expensive bowed cover.

-Yes.

The register itself

is about 16 inches in diameter,

-which is really enormous.

-Yes.

Just at the bottom,

is "Charles Maspero, Manchester".

He was a maker recorded in Manchester

-between 1850 and 1870.

-Oh, really?

If we revolve it, and have a look at the back,

and we can see inside...

The silk through this pulley floats with a glass weight

on top of the mercury.

The pressure makes the pulley react,

and adjusts the arm on the front.

It's a very simple mechanism

-for such an elaborate and enormous case.

-Yes.

Tell me, how long have you owned it?

My great-great-uncle was the estate manager for Lord Leverhulme,

and Lord Leverhulme gave this as a retirement present,

because, as the estate manager,

he was responsible for the shoot and the fishing.

The barometer was an important piece of his equipment,

to see what the weather would do!

So, it sort of... eventually ended up

in my hands, just after I was married in the early '70s.

I was rather short of money,

and I had an antique dealer round.

I sold some bits and pieces, and he offered me £50 for this.

-Did he?

-And I said I'd think about it,

and, er, well, I'm still thinking!

-It's just as well you were not forthcoming at that time.

-Yes.

At the moment, it's a splendid thing.

I'd expect you to get between £3,000 and £4,000 for it.

-You're joking!

-So £50 to £3,000 is a very fair stretch, isn't it?!

I'm very grateful!

Why Malta?

My husband is half-Maltese. My father-in-law was from Malta.

Yes, so you bought them there?

No. My father-in-law bought them in the '60s at an auction in Surrey.

Two types of Maltese paintings...

There are lots of tourist pictures.

-This isn't a tourist picture.

-No.

It's a Maltese painting his people.

And where is this one?

If I remember - father-in-law died 12 years ago -

he said that that was in a square,

and he was a melon seller,

he would be selling melon.

-Looks more like bananas to me!

-Yes!

You don't know where it is?

-I don't know.

-Valetta or somewhere.

It's a very small island.

Yes. It's the feeling of that dry...

This is a dry, parched rock, really.

And a wonderfully warm people.

They are.

I'm interested not in the value of them, but in how they're painted.

-Are they well-painted?

-They are.

They're in the Italian style of watercolours.

-There's an Italian tradition in watercolours.

-Yes.

And Malta is quite Italian...

It's a second language there.

Not the finest watercolours,

but they are highly competent.

Yes. OK.

The price is highly competent as well -

-these are worth quite a lot of money.

-Ah.

They are worth

at least £6,000 to £8,000 each.

Good grief!

-And maybe more.

-Gosh.

-Maybe up to £10,000 each.

-Heavens!

You have surprised me! I must say, you have!

Lovely cruet frame! Do you use it?

-I don't.

-Why not?

I'm frightened to use it!

I'd be wary, particularly with this glass.

Glass, I must admit, terrifies me.

If you drop silver, at least it bounces -

you can get the dents out later!

What is wonderful with this cruet

is that the glass seems intact.

Has it been passed down the family?

I see there's a coat of arms.

Nothing to do with our family.

It would be quite interesting

to try and work out who that is.

There's a gentleman's helm there,

so it's not a member of the peerage.

So, how did you come by it?

It was my birthday, I was in Ireland, and my father told me to pick out whatever I liked in the house.

-I picked this.

-You know the maker?

Yes, I do - Paul Storr.

Absolutely! Paul Storr -

one of the greatest workers ever -

the greatest makers of silver.

From the date there...

Where are we? ..1808.

That was at the peak of Paul Storr's work -

with Rundell, Bridge and Rundell -

goldsmiths to the King.

You couldn't get better work then.

Cruets by Paul Storr...

..are actually comparatively common.

I see.

Complete ones are not,

and ones of this size are not.

This is quite a cruet.

It surprises me that it's not a member of the peerage,

which is what you expect with Storr.

A stunning piece of Regency silver.

Have you ever had it valued?

I have, yes. Due to insurance.

It was valued between five and six.

-Thousand?

-Yes.

-How long ago was that?

-Um, it must be at least... er, six years ago.

-Six years.

Things have moved a bit since then.

I would reckon, that to insure this,

you'd have to put...

between £25,000 and £30,000 on it.

Boy-oh-boy! Whew!

-So a reassessment on the insurance!

-Yes. Whew!

That's something. Whew! Yeah.

In spite of the rain, we've had a wonderful day.

Thank you to the National Trust, and to the hotel for their warm welcome,

and to the people of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire for bringing us their treasures AND themselves.

Until next week, goodbye.

Subtitles by BBC