0:00:34 > 0:00:39After a fascinating Roadshow last week, we've returned to Glamis Castle in Angus -
0:00:39 > 0:00:42the childhood home of the Queen Mother.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47The dining-room walls constitute the Queen Mother's family tree -
0:00:47 > 0:00:52they're covered by portraits of her ancestors.
0:01:02 > 0:01:09In 1767, John Lyon, the 9th Earl of Strathmore, and the Queen Mother's great, great, great-grandfather,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13married Mary Bowes, from an old and respected Durham family.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Eventually. their names and arms came to be combined as Bowes-Lyon.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26The Queen Mother, then Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was born on August 4th 1900, the ninth of ten children.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31Her mother embroidered the names of all her children on the canopy of her bed.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Although she wasn't born at Glamis, Elizabeth spent much of a very happy childhood here.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39As a little girl, she said her favourite hobby
0:01:39 > 0:01:44was "liking people", and during today's programme we'll be finding out how, over the years,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46the nation returned the compliment.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50As well as telling that story,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54we'll show objects from recent Roadshows that you won't yet have seen.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So let's start in Barnstaple.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03It was my auntie's for - ever since I can remember - and when she died, it passed on to me and before that
0:02:03 > 0:02:07it belonged to her eldest brother-in-law who lived in Plymouth. That's about it.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11- When you went to your auntie's, did you like it?- Yes, I did.- You did.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15When she moved to a nursing home she said, "You'd better take the painting."
0:02:15 > 0:02:21- That's nice, isn't it?- Yes. - And you don't know who it's by? - No, I've got no idea at all.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26- It is signed. You didn't notice?- No. Is that halfway up by the cherries?
0:02:26 > 0:02:31- I knew there was something.- Yes. William - or "W Duffield".- 1880...
0:02:31 > 0:02:35- 52. 1852. - Yes, something. I knew it was.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40- So he's a nearly West Country painter.- Ah.- Bath.- Bath. Ah.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- Right.- Bath. Self-taught to begin with.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49But then he went to Belgium to study under a famous Belgian artist called Baron Wappers,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51a famous teacher.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57And really what these Victorian paintings are about, right in the heart of the century,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59is craftsmanship.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02We only have to study this goblet
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- to see how the cherries are both inside and out.- Yes.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09One cherry's darker than the other.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11You might imagine if you've seen...
0:03:11 > 0:03:17- Victorian paintings of this period how - when this is cleaned - this will glow.- Yeah.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22This picture - it's probably never been touched.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- Not to my knowledge, no. - And - fine...
0:03:25 > 0:03:32- there are things we must pay attention to for the future - it is flaking.- Yes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35There's a hole. Those don't matter.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38How is the surface of this picture? Perfect condition.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41The only negative aspect of this painting,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- to put it into a slightly different class, is dead birds.- Dead birds.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52Actually, this bird is so beautifully painted and it could be in anybody's larder - who cares?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But you know there are squeamish people in the world,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and most of them live in America.
0:03:58 > 0:04:06- That's who pays the money. - Um, but I... It's certainly worth £5,000 or £6,000.- Really?
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- You do surprise me.- Mmm.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14- Are you waiting for the tea boy? - I am.- Let's have a look - ooh!
0:04:15 > 0:04:20- Are you a messy family?- No. - Why have you got this?
0:04:20 > 0:04:26- It was left to me, as a family heirloom. Passed down.- Were they messy?- Not that I know of.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32I've seen these in books but never in the flesh - incredibly rare.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Let's have a look at the back.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40Here we are. It says "Davenport patent drip-preventative saucer"
0:04:40 > 0:04:45and they've gone to great trouble putting in a very nice little, mm...
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Chinese lotus frieze,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51giving you these ridges, so if you're a particularly nervous person
0:04:51 > 0:04:57and the tea is slopping everywhere, then it goes into these receptacles
0:04:57 > 0:04:59and it doesn't slop around.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It wasn't the most successful patent.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Some of these stumpwork pictures
0:05:04 > 0:05:08have a date worked into them, and you can see here - ink...
0:05:08 > 0:05:10where they've done
0:05:10 > 0:05:13the original design to work up
0:05:13 > 0:05:16in silver threads. The snake around Adam and Eve
0:05:16 > 0:05:22is done in silver threads, um, and you've got little bits of sequin,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25perhaps cornelian bead, for the eyes
0:05:25 > 0:05:30of these wonderful animals here, but have you ever found a date?
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Only on the back. My grandmother wrote "In the reign of Charles I"
0:05:34 > 0:05:37but whether she was right or not, I don't know.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Charles I.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Executed in the mid-17th century.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46- It could well be of that date. - Really? As old as that. - It's a very early piece.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50I would actually date it to slightly later than that.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55Some of these are much brighter and this has faded slightly,
0:05:55 > 0:06:01so I'm going to be conservative and say somewhere between £3,000 and £5,000.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05- Gosh! - So it's a wonderful object.- Yes.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I love this blue ground, this deep cobalt underglaze blue
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and the painting and the whole shape of it,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and these little Cupids with these wreaths on top
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- are absolutely gorgeous.- Yes.- And have they come through the family?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21They came through my wife's family.
0:06:21 > 0:06:29- Her grandmother had them. Possibly her great, great-grandfather. - Going back a few generations.- Yes.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34- Do you know what they are?- We've been told they're late 19th century.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38One person who looked at them suggested they might be Bloor Derby.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44- They are actually Minton.- Really?- A very fine factory in Stoke-on-Trent.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Minton of the very finest period. I mean, the 1830s, '40s
0:06:48 > 0:06:53of Minton is probably the...one of the greatest factories ever made.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Well, that's a real surprise.
0:06:55 > 0:07:02- Is it? And they're beautiful. They're called the New Vases, when they came out in the 1830s.- Right.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06They're based vaguely upon Dresden and what is particularly...
0:07:06 > 0:07:12- lovely about them, I think, is that on the front they're painted with figure subjects.- Yes.
0:07:12 > 0:07:18But on the...on the back, they have landscapes, which is really rather marvellous.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21There has been a bit of damage on this one. Well, quite a lot.
0:07:21 > 0:07:28The cover has been broken, hasn't it... And been riveted together, which is fun to see.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34- That one is damaged. This one looks absolutely perfect, doesn't it? - I think that one's probably OK.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38That's super, isn't it? Lovely quality.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43I mean, to make a vase like that - the little figure on top is absolutely lovely.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- The amount of work that goes into it.- Oh, enormous amount of work.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51Each flower is separately made. The whole thing is absolutely beautiful.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- Have you had them valued and insured?- Um...
0:07:53 > 0:08:00- They're insured for just under £900. That's our last valuation.- They're worth a packet more than that.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- Oh! Really?- I think the last pair that have been sold
0:08:04 > 0:08:08fetched something around about £4,000.
0:08:08 > 0:08:14- Really?- So I think you ought to insure them, even with a bit of damage, which is not too worrying,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- something like about £5,000.- Really?
0:08:17 > 0:08:23- So they're Minton, to be insured for £5,000.- It's nice to know. - And they're very, very beautiful.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Nobody who knew the Queen Mother in her early days
0:08:27 > 0:08:32would have been at all surprised to learn that she became well known for her great sense of fun.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38Revelling in the freedom here, she was known by her family as "the imp" and "merry mischief".
0:08:38 > 0:08:43One game which they called Repelling Raiders involved climbing the spiral staircase
0:08:43 > 0:08:48to the top of the highest tower and lying in wait for castle guests.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50As visitors approached the door,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54a welcoming cascade of water would descend from 90 feet above.
0:08:54 > 0:09:00It's not known how often Miss Elizabeth got away with that. She had other tricks up her sleeve.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Having five older brothers probably presented a challenge to her.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Her younger brother David was her real partner.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11They had a den in the grounds, "the flea house", where they hid
0:09:11 > 0:09:16to eat apples and sweets and, it is said, to smoke Woodbines.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20When she wanted to, Elizabeth could play the proper little hostess.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23She entertained neighbours in the drawing room,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27having ordered tea all by herself at the age of four.
0:09:27 > 0:09:35But as she grew into a teenager, the First World War changed life here at Glamis, as we'll hear later.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39What we're looking at here are two objects in their original boxes.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I bang on about keeping objects in their boxes
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and this is a very good indication to show why.
0:09:45 > 0:09:52Here we've got all the details on the outside. It says that it's a Tri-ang Gyrocycle.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It's in perfect condition. Whose was it?
0:09:55 > 0:10:00It was given to my brother when he was very small and probably too young to play with it.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- I suspect it appealed to my father's sense of humour.- Yes.
0:10:04 > 0:10:10It used to come out at Christmas and wobble round the room then fall over,
0:10:10 > 0:10:17- and everybody was very amused, then it went back in its box for another year.- Hence its perfect condition.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- Can I take it out?- Of course.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25I feel I don't deserve to be playing with something this...this perfect.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31Here we have a celluloid figure sitting on a bicycle
0:10:31 > 0:10:37and the clever thing is that in the front wheel, which is very heavy, is a gyroscope,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39so you wind the string round,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42give it a yank,
0:10:42 > 0:10:48the gyroscope starts spinning and of course the toy keeps upright, and it's a miracle, isn't it?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Especially as it goes so slowly.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Exactly. It doesn't keep upright permanently. It's a little bit...
0:10:54 > 0:10:56- Very wobbly.- A bit unbalanced,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00but just the concept of the toy I think was so clever.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03The other reason I like it is that it's...
0:11:03 > 0:11:08putting contemporary technology - this is technology of the 1930s -
0:11:08 > 0:11:15into an object. But you can probably tell me the year that it was purchased, almost.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Er, yes, probably 1934.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22It's a wonderful thing and lovely condition, and value today -
0:11:22 > 0:11:25because of all the things I said
0:11:25 > 0:11:31about condition and box and so on - about £150 or £200. So it's lovely - continue to look after that.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Let's pop him away and look
0:11:33 > 0:11:37and see what's in the other original box,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41which is much smaller and much older and all very exciting
0:11:41 > 0:11:45because I like to look at a box and know what's inside,
0:11:45 > 0:11:50and there's no question about what could be in a box this size and this shape,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53which is a lovely pocket globe.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59It's got one or two little dints on it, but in general terms it's in very good condition.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Here we have the maker's name - "Lane's Improved Globe, London".
0:12:05 > 0:12:10"Lane's" is almost certain to be Nicholas Lane,
0:12:10 > 0:12:18who worked in Southwark, not a million miles from here, between about 1775 and 1786.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24And in fact if you have a look at some of the detailed names
0:12:24 > 0:12:29down here - let's go down to Australia, always a good place to start.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31The whole of Australia is sketched in,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35whereas on some early 18th century globes, part of Australia's missing.
0:12:35 > 0:12:41But it's called New Holland and there's Van Diemen's Land and so on,
0:12:41 > 0:12:47so this is a globe absolutely of its period when people were still discovering,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50investigating and charting unknown territories.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57The case itself is covered in fish skin, which has then been painted black,
0:12:57 > 0:13:05which gives a very hard resilient surface, and inside we have...
0:13:05 > 0:13:13the map of the heavens with the various stars and signs of the zodiac charted.
0:13:14 > 0:13:20In this condition, which is very good, even though there's a little crack just running through
0:13:20 > 0:13:23the top of the box,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25we'd be talking about between £2,000 and £3,000.
0:13:25 > 0:13:31- That's an auction price, so insurance would be a little bit higher than that.- Thank you.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36- It's a goddess of some sort. - A goddess.- That's all I know. - Chinese, Japanese, English?
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- Chinese? - Chinese. Very good, yes, absolutely.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45It is a goddess. It's the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin, and she...
0:13:45 > 0:13:49is the most famous of the Chinese divinities.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- Oh.- Where did it come from?- Um...
0:13:52 > 0:13:58- from an inheritance from my cousin, whose husband used to travel quite a bit.- Did he? All over the world?- Yes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:03Right. It's 17th century - pretty ancient, made during the reign of the Emperor Kangxi.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06He reigned from 1662 to 1722.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08These became very popular.
0:14:08 > 0:14:14They were shipped over to Europe and, in fact, became misidentified.
0:14:14 > 0:14:21And because it's a woman and a child, they were thought to be the Virgin Mary,
0:14:21 > 0:14:27- which is really rather wonderful. - Oh, doesn't look anything like her. - Well, no, absolutely not at all.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32A nice figure. Little bit of damage. Arm off here and a tiny chip, but not too serious.
0:14:32 > 0:14:40- That's going to be worth around £1,500 to £2,500.- Ooh, well! - Nice inheritance.- Very nice, too.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43This is such an unusual teapot. Did you buy it yourself,
0:14:43 > 0:14:50- or did you inherit it?- Inherited it, yes.- Did you? When?- About 25 years ago, something like that.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- Do you know anything about where they got it from?- No, I don't.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59No. It is exceptionally well made, that's the first thing I can see
0:14:59 > 0:15:05just by looking at it from a distance. And I've got to sort of pick it up and it's a lovely weight.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08That's another thing I'd expect,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12because normally if something looks good, it's going to feel good.
0:15:12 > 0:15:18Now we can see inside here, it's got all this hammer marks, so originally
0:15:18 > 0:15:22this was a flat sheet of silver and was hammered up into this shape,
0:15:22 > 0:15:30but what makes this particularly good is that all this decoration round here is cast and applied.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35The normal form of decorating a teapot would be to just emboss it from the inside,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38so somebody's gone to a great deal of trouble,
0:15:38 > 0:15:45not only in the construction, but the design as well, because it is beautifully made.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It's a lovely size and because it is such a small piece,
0:15:49 > 0:15:55they sometimes call these bachelor's teapots or spinster's teapots.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I hope I'll find some hallmarks - the maker's mark first.
0:15:58 > 0:16:05"CF" is for Charles Fox. The Fox family lasted throughout the whole of the 19th century.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Charles Fox the first ended his mark in 1801
0:16:09 > 0:16:14but this one is made by his son, Charles Fox the second,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18and it has a date letter for 1833,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21so we're looking at a piece
0:16:21 > 0:16:26of William IV period silver. I have to say I don't think I've ever seen one
0:16:26 > 0:16:30quite in this form with this naturalistic handle and spout and feet,
0:16:30 > 0:16:37and made to look like branches and then all these beautifully made flowers around the sides here.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Have you ever had a professional valuation?
0:16:40 > 0:16:46About 20 years ago, I took it to an auctioneer's and they said it was worth about £800.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- Twenty years ago? - About twenty years ago, yes.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Right. Nowadays, I think, er, you could at least double that.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Maybe more, because it is such an unusual pot and...
0:16:57 > 0:17:04most teapots are worth perhaps, you know, £400, £500, £600 of this period - but because of the maker,
0:17:04 > 0:17:09because of the quality, I think you've got a real gem here.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Britain joined World War I on the Queen Mother's 14th birthday. Soon Glamis became a hospital.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Beds were set up in the dining room.
0:17:19 > 0:17:26Too young to be a nurse, Elizabeth ran errands for the sick soldiers and wrote letters home for them.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30She was popular - one soldier wrote in her autograph book,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33"May the owner of this book be hung, drawn and quartered.
0:17:33 > 0:17:41"Yes, hung in diamonds, drawn in a coach and four and quartered in the best house in the land."
0:17:41 > 0:17:42A man of vision!
0:17:45 > 0:17:52When the war ended Elizabeth was 18. It was time to join the adult world. She did so with typical enthusiasm.
0:17:52 > 0:17:58It was at a ball in Grosvenor Square in May 1920 that Prince Albert said he fell in love with her.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03He and his brother came to visit Glamis, to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and, for Bertie,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05the company of Elizabeth.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11When she accepted his proposal of marriage, he was described as "the luckiest man alive",
0:18:11 > 0:18:15so popular was Elizabeth with the eligible bachelors of the day.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20As the Duke and Duchess of York, the royal couple spent part of their honeymoon at Glamis
0:18:20 > 0:18:22and they signed the visitors' book.
0:18:22 > 0:18:30"Elizabeth" and "Albert". And Elizabeth's brother David added a few romantic embellishments.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34In 1930, Princess Margaret was born at Glamis.
0:18:34 > 0:18:40Six years later, the whole family was thrown into a new life, when King Edward VIII abdicated.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Later, I'll talk to the Dowager Countess of Strathmore
0:18:44 > 0:18:48about Elizabeth's life as a Duchess, Queen and Queen Mother.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51What we've got here is a collection of things I've often seen,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54but never seen as a collection -
0:18:54 > 0:19:00essentially handbag mirrors. What an amazing variety. How did you begin?
0:19:00 > 0:19:04My father collected them for a long time and, um,
0:19:04 > 0:19:10during the time I became interested, and when he died three years ago, I decided I'd like to carry on.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I've added to them ever since.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16I think they're just so fascinating and it's an easy thing to collect.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Although one can't display them well, they don't take up a lot of space.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26- How many have you got? - Oh, um, seven or eight hundred. - Good Lord!
0:19:26 > 0:19:30I think they're wonderful things - we've got royal commemoratives,
0:19:30 > 0:19:35we've got advertising, holiday commemoratives, film stars, First World War,
0:19:35 > 0:19:40- and they're still being made.- They are.- Do you collect modern ones?
0:19:40 > 0:19:46Well, I started to, but they're not as interesting and I've got a selection of them
0:19:46 > 0:19:52- but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them.- Right. Pick out one that you like particularly.- This one.
0:19:52 > 0:19:59- That's the...- It's a perpetual calendar one, actually, starting, I think, from the late 1920s.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02So you can change the date constantly.
0:20:02 > 0:20:08- So this is meant to be durable?- Yes. - That's unusual. Most of them are pretty ephemeral, aren't they?
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- Yes.- They come out, they're thrown away, replaced by something else.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- Yes.- I like the shipping ones.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Now, shipping things - here we've got one for Norwegian cruises.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Advertising ones are particularly interesting because they give us a line
0:20:23 > 0:20:26straight into the period that produced them.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- They do. - "The challenge, never beaten,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33"noted for style, durability, quality and reasonable prices."
0:20:33 > 0:20:36It's the bravura of early advertising I like.
0:20:36 > 0:20:43There's one over here which has got an early aeroplane on it, 1920s, actually probably 1930s,
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- pleasure flying developing as a pastime.- Yes.- That's a very good record of the time.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50That again would be of enormous appeal to somebody who was...
0:20:50 > 0:20:54- a collector of aviation material, regardless of the mirror.- Yes.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59You've got 800. Your father obviously paid a little amount for them. What do you pay?
0:20:59 > 0:21:06Well, they vary, they are going up in price, but between five - the absolute minimum - and...
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Pounds?- £5 and £20, £21. - So they're not 50p items any more.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14- They're not, no. - So quite an investment, but I mean we can't value them.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- It's meaningless.- No, no.- You could multiply £10 by 800...- Exactly.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23..for insurance purposes, but I think it's just a wonderful slice of our own history.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29This is a very deceptive thing you've brought. It looks like a chest of drawers but it in fact
0:21:29 > 0:21:33is a very elaborate way to conceal an essential bit of china.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37And look, this comes up
0:21:37 > 0:21:45like that, and you lift up here, and inside there is a creamware chamber pot, or pot,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49so it is a commode, and what is intriguing
0:21:49 > 0:21:55is... Can you...can you hold that for me? Thank you. ..intriguing
0:21:55 > 0:22:00is that this is a bit of late 18th century creamware,
0:22:00 > 0:22:06English creamware, and of course it is the same date as the whole of this,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10which is probably around 1800 Beautifully made.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15So often these - because they're not very useful now -
0:22:15 > 0:22:20get cannibalised into cocktail cabinets and things of that kind,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and this is absolutely lovely untouched condition,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26original handles,
0:22:26 > 0:22:32beautiful surface, love the way these pegs fit so beautifully into the...
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Let that down...
0:22:36 > 0:22:42So there you have a genuine 18th century, or circa 1800, bit of English furniture.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45How did you come by this one?
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Well, I got it from an antique dealer.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- How long ago?- Ten years ago.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- And what sort of money did you pay? - £475.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01- Yes, you see, and that's... I would think today it's probably worth twice that.- Yes.- But still...
0:23:01 > 0:23:06you can buy a wonderful, absolutely authentic untouched bit of furniture
0:23:06 > 0:23:10less than £1,000 but it's a lovely object.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16Interesting case, being able to find something that's totally authentic, untouched and not terribly valuable,
0:23:16 > 0:23:22- because the function, um, is fulfilled by other things nowadays in modern plumbing.- Yes indeed, yes.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30It was given to my mother by an elderly lady,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and she was a Miss Tatton from Wythenshawe Hall.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Was there a history about it passed down, or...?
0:23:37 > 0:23:42- No, no, I don't know no more about it.- Um, did you wonder why
0:23:42 > 0:23:46all the stones were sort of engraved with these motifs?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49No. I knew each one was different.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54- I've looked at them and every one was different. - Well, they are called intaglios.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59They are cut hard stones - what they've done is cut into the stone itself.
0:23:59 > 0:24:05When you look at them close up with a lens, you see that they've got many different styles and designs.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Some of them have got things like standing figures, some of them have got birds,
0:24:09 > 0:24:14- some of them have got wild creatures like boars.- Mmm, I noticed there was some animals among them.
0:24:14 > 0:24:21They're in these Roman-style seal settings but the word "Roman" is very pertinent to this,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25because a lot of these are Roman hard stones.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30- Oh. I thought it was cameo. - Cameo is when they carve above...
0:24:30 > 0:24:37- they carve the higher profile.- Yes. - When they dig down into the stone itself, that's called intaglio.- Oh.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- Um, some of these are 2,000 years old.- Those?
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- 2,000...- Yep. Some are as old as that.
0:24:48 > 0:24:54In fact, it was quite popular around about 1790 to get these hard stones
0:24:54 > 0:25:00and what they did is they put them into these settings.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03They used a variety of different hard stones.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- I've shocked you with that Roman thing, haven't I?- You did!- Yes.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10You've got cornelian sard - this green material here.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15It's called a Niccolo hard stone - that greyish-blackish one.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21It's very collectable because of the age and also because this particular example
0:25:21 > 0:25:24is in such good condition.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29- It's probably worth something in the region of £2,000.- Goodness me!
0:25:30 > 0:25:36They came from my grandfather's, who shipped it across from Tientsin.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- They've come down through the family. - You have an extensive collection?
0:25:40 > 0:25:46- I have some more pieces, yes. - Do you know anything about them? - Not really.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48They've been in the family so long.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- I used to keep plant pots in these.- You didn't?!
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- I did.- Right, let's start with this piece here.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Let me remove its hat,
0:25:59 > 0:26:06- which is actually not the original hat.- Right.- This should have a porcelain cover to it.- Mmm.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11This piece, er...dates from about 1650.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12Right.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- This is what is called transitional ware.- Right.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20That means it was made when the Ming dynasty was declining
0:26:20 > 0:26:27- and the new regime, if you like, the new dynasty - the Ch'ing dynasty - came into power.- Right.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32So this is painted with figure subjects, with flowers and all this landscape
0:26:32 > 0:26:38- and it's conventional for the date...- Right. - ..of the 17th century.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44It was intended for middle-class houses in Holland or northern Europe. Some are found in England.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Very heavy, massively potted.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52- I suppose it was massively potted to withstand a journey by sea.- Right.
0:26:55 > 0:27:01- A pot like this is going to be around about £2,000.- Really?! - Yeah, it's a good pot.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06Unfortunately, it drifted in the firing, so it's slightly blurred round the figures.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09So this one is meant for export.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Now, these are not.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16These are Imperial bowls. They're actually made for the Imperial Court
0:27:16 > 0:27:24- in the early part of the 19th century.- Right.- They are absolute classics of their type.
0:27:24 > 0:27:31You can see the decoration on them. We've got the dragon on this side, right?
0:27:31 > 0:27:36And a phoenix here. They stand for the Emperor and the Empress.
0:27:36 > 0:27:43And it's painted with other objects like... There are parasols. It's all Buddhist significance at the top.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48- It's a type of decoration which comes in the late Ming dynasty.- Mmm.
0:27:48 > 0:27:56And the whole idea was revived at the beginning of the 18th century, of doing the same technique.
0:27:56 > 0:28:03- This dragon and phoenix formula was made in every reign from the beginning of the 18thC.- Right.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08- Right the way through.- Right.- These are made between 1820 and 1850.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Unfortunately, one of them - as you can see - has got a crack.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And, in this condition,
0:28:15 > 0:28:23- I think these are probably around £2,000 - maybe £2,500 - for the pair.- Gosh! ..Right!
0:28:23 > 0:28:29Mary, who is Dowager Countess of Strathmore, is niece by marriage to the Queen Mother
0:28:29 > 0:28:33and has known her since she herself was married.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36What was your first memory of the Queen Mother?
0:28:36 > 0:28:42The very first memory I have was so exciting to me as a 23-year-old.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46The night before my wedding, my family and I were staying in London
0:28:46 > 0:28:50and the most beautiful ring was delivered to me.
0:28:50 > 0:28:56It may have been a family ring. She was giving it to me for my wedding present.
0:28:56 > 0:29:03I remember being so touched and so overcome by that, that it's stayed with me all my life, that memory.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07She met Prince Albert in London and he pursued her to Glamis, didn't he?
0:29:07 > 0:29:10As far as I know they met in London,
0:29:10 > 0:29:15but I know that her first involvement with the Girl Guides
0:29:15 > 0:29:22was the Princess Royal - the Duke of York's sister - asked her to start the Girl Guides in Glamis
0:29:22 > 0:29:29and she came here with Queen Mary from Balmoral, and I think the whole process probably began like that.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36- There must have been great joy in the family at the wedding. - I'm sure there was.
0:29:36 > 0:29:44Everybody knew she was an exceptional girl and would make a wonderful job of marrying into the Royal Family.
0:29:44 > 0:29:51They were very happy as the Duke and Duchess of York, and then came the abdication of Edward VIII.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55A complete change. It must have been very hard for them,
0:29:55 > 0:30:01with two young daughters, but, I think, with her usual sense of duty
0:30:01 > 0:30:08and "let's get on with what we have to do" sort of attitude to life, I think they managed extremely well.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12How lucky we all were, as a country, that it happened.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16And then she had the added blow of the death of her husband.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Yes, the King died very young, which was very hard on her,
0:30:20 > 0:30:26and one should never underestimate the enormous ability she had to create a new and very useful life
0:30:26 > 0:30:30for herself. How important she has been all those years.
0:30:30 > 0:30:38Her role as the Queen Mother has been almost as important as her role as Duchess of York and then Queen.
0:30:38 > 0:30:45One of the most important things about her is the way that duties and pleasures are one, they don't divide.
0:30:45 > 0:30:52Anybody that's worked with her knows that it's always enormous fun as well as being very important and serious,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56but always with a sense of fun and happiness.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03What an unusual back this has got.
0:31:03 > 0:31:10- I've never thought of it that way! It seemed just part of the sideboard. - Well, it is!
0:31:10 > 0:31:15I've come round to see if it's original and it is. The oak is very similar here.
0:31:15 > 0:31:22Not as well grained. Here you've got this lovely graining, which I love to point out. These medullary rays,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26where it's cut on the quarter to show these hard bits of grain.
0:31:26 > 0:31:34- It's got this dappled, reflective look.- Does it matter that it's in two planks and has got this ridge?
0:31:34 > 0:31:39- No, it IS a split. The two planks would have been close together like fingers.- Yes.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44And, over time, they've just warped a little bit and come apart.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48- It must be a bit irritating if you have food on it.- Yes,
0:31:48 > 0:31:53- and it's had a bit of wear and tear. - That's part of its life. I wouldn't worry.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57And certainly never try and restore this. You'd never get it flat again.
0:31:57 > 0:32:03- There's nothing to say it wouldn't spring up again in a year's time. - No.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06But I love this. It's a nice feature.
0:32:06 > 0:32:12It's a very popular sort of mid-18th century, 1750s sort of feature, this serpentine line.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- It's a provincial piece.- Yes. - Where's it from?
0:32:15 > 0:32:21Somewhere in Lancashire. And I always understood it was a Lancashire sideboard.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26It's North-Western certainly, which is a huge area. If we take that line
0:32:26 > 0:32:31and you look through here... and you go down these lovely doors,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34- this fielded panel and this little ogee here...- Yes.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38..and the same here - it's called an ogee bracket foot -
0:32:38 > 0:32:42is all typical of about the middle of the 18th century.
0:32:42 > 0:32:49But we're talking about a provincial piece and as it has the quadrant columns and serpentine top,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- it could be 1780 or 1800.- Right.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56- It's never had a plate rack? - It hasn't.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00- No, it's a dresser. Not a dresser base.- A dresser.- Yeah.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03This I think is charming. I love the shape.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06It's so pretty to have this...
0:33:06 > 0:33:12Oh, hang on! Even more pretty! You didn't tell me about that! What have we got in here?
0:33:12 > 0:33:17- Is that original to it? - Well, I don't know. ..Yes, it is!
0:33:17 > 0:33:24That's really sweet and it's unusual to have in below. They've all disappeared, if they had them.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27They've been cleared out to put big pots in.
0:33:27 > 0:33:35The oak has a feeling of being probably north European oak, north Germany, something like that.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40- I don't think it's Welsh or English oak.- Right.- I love the colour here.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45- You know what that wood is? - Is it fruit wood? - I was going to say mahogany.
0:33:45 > 0:33:51I think it IS mahogany, but it's a clever guess, fruit wood. This is mahogany on the top.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55- It's actually more obvious to me there.- It is, yes.
0:33:55 > 0:34:02This banding was used in country areas. They could only afford a little bit of mahogany.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05Elsewhere, they would use fruit wood and stain it mahogany.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10- Yes.- So ten out of ten for that! - Thank you.- So we must value it.
0:34:10 > 0:34:16It's a cherished piece of furniture and you've still got room for it. I've made room for it. Right.
0:34:16 > 0:34:23But today, people want this size of dresser. It's a great piece of furniture. I'd insure it for...
0:34:23 > 0:34:27- £5,500, possibly £6,000.- Right.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Right!
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It belonged to my grandfather. My mother called it the Derby Plaque.
0:34:41 > 0:34:48Well, it IS a Derby Plaque and Derby in the first quarter of the 19th century had two wonderful painters
0:34:48 > 0:34:51who painted plaques.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54One was called Steel and the other was called Lucas.
0:34:54 > 0:35:02- Yes.- When we turn to the back of this plaque, we find a label, which is very interesting. It says...
0:35:02 > 0:35:10"The Midland Counties Works of Art Exhibition, Derby 1870.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- "JF Lucas lent this plaque."- Yes.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Now, JF Lucas in 1870 cannot have been the J Lucas
0:35:19 > 0:35:25- who painted it in 1820.- No. - So that must be a family connection. - Yes it is, yes.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30- So you're a descendant of Lucas? - Yes, there's a family connection. - That is wonderful.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35Here we have a prime example of Regency plaque painting...
0:35:37 > 0:35:41..wonderful - the basket on a shelf, it's called terrace painting -
0:35:41 > 0:35:45by the master...
0:35:45 > 0:35:48and there it is, still in the family.
0:35:48 > 0:35:54- And that adds a hell of a lot, even to a beautiful object. You don't have any others, do you?!- No.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01- I understand they come in pairs, but I don't have another.- But a single one is still well worth having,
0:36:01 > 0:36:07particularly when it's a family thing. I'm sure you want to keep it in the family,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11- but you've still got to insure it.- Yes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:17- I think you should probably insure it for £4,000.- I see, yes. Thank you very much for your help.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- And this is your grandfather's name? - Yes.- Wonderful.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- He died...?- He died 15 years ago. They've been locked away ever since.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Before he finished this? - The last two.- Really?
0:36:30 > 0:36:35- There's two ramrods missing.- You want to keep those frissons up.- Yes.
0:36:35 > 0:36:42- But as I say, this is an American market today. Americans, they go bananas over this.- Yes, yes.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46I can first remember these pieces in my grandfather's house.
0:36:46 > 0:36:54When I was very small, we used to go to their house after school, and that, and play in the lounge
0:36:54 > 0:37:00and these pieces, along with several others, were in a glass cabinet.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04They're made of the English equivalent of true porcelain,
0:37:04 > 0:37:11rather than artificial or soft-paste porcelain, and are probably from the New Hall factory in Staffordshire.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15The formula for the porcelain began not far away from here, in Plymouth,
0:37:15 > 0:37:21by William Cookworthy, and the formula passed into Staffordshire around about 1780-81.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24This is made a little bit later than that.
0:37:24 > 0:37:32It's a very good example of the Neo-classical style, if you will, or just Neo-classicism, if you want.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36The teapot is a very, very good oval shape, nice faceted spout.
0:37:36 > 0:37:44And the cups too - these kind of simple U-shape cups, representative of the period around 1800 to 1810.
0:37:45 > 0:37:50What first appealed to me was the saucer here...
0:37:50 > 0:37:52painted in this Classical style,
0:37:52 > 0:38:00- in this cameo, this single colour, the detailing.- Yes.- It's the sort of thing that'd be done by Wedgwood,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04but this is slightly more primitive, but that has more appeal for me.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08But it's very rare to get this design.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13New Hall produced a lot of material. This is so evocative of that period
0:38:13 > 0:38:17that it has enormous appeal. These are not printed, these are painted.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21You can see the primitive nature of the painting in the handling.
0:38:21 > 0:38:27- How many pieces have you got? Is this it?- No, there's another milk jug, which is damaged.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32There's about six, er...coffee cups, I always thought they were,
0:38:32 > 0:38:37and there's another three teacups and another three of the saucers.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41- Right.- I don't think there's any plates.- Right.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Well, you're looking at a round figure
0:38:44 > 0:38:50of between £2,000 and £3,000 for this, what you've got here,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54even allowing for the damage on the teapot, even for that.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57So they're a real collector's piece.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02My father collected it many years ago.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06He's since passed on and it's been left to me.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12- He was quite acquisitive, wasn't he? There's a big range here.- Yes, he used to collect a lot of things.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17- So much so that we used to call him "Steptoe".- Steptoe?!
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Every time he'd come home, he'd have something else and...
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- So this is a bone for the rag-and-bone man?- Yes!
0:39:24 > 0:39:27You've a French fan,
0:39:27 > 0:39:31you've got a piece of Indian carving over here
0:39:31 > 0:39:35but then everything, except one piece,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37is Japanese or Chinese.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I suppose that's the most eye-catching one.
0:39:40 > 0:39:45- Has it always been in this state? - Yes.- If I look closely at it...
0:39:45 > 0:39:52what should be mother-of-pearl inlay, is, in fact, little sequins, little glass sequins,
0:39:52 > 0:39:58so, in fact, looking over the body there, a lot of the inlay has been replaced.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03It's not in its original condition. It's a shame. Also the broken trunk.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08So this has been through the wars and, in fact,
0:40:08 > 0:40:13looking at the collection, it has a slightly nibbled feel to it!
0:40:13 > 0:40:15This one really caught my eye.
0:40:15 > 0:40:21If we had to choose any here, this is perhaps the finest representative of detail.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Can you see what's going on here?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28This little lad here is painting at the table,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32and then next to him is this rather corpulent fellow
0:40:32 > 0:40:36called Ho-Tai. He's the god of good luck
0:40:36 > 0:40:44and longevity and he's always represented by lots of little children climbing over him.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49- He's the sort of god of plenty. - Yes.- It's beautifully carved.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52There are one or two 18th-century pieces here,
0:40:52 > 0:40:59but our elephant is late 19th century, as are most of these little okimono, these miniature carvings.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04The one we've just looked at here is probably worth £600 to £900.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Just for the one?!
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Just for that one. And you've got one, two...
0:41:10 > 0:41:13three, four...
0:41:13 > 0:41:17five of that calibre. Are you doing your arithmetic?!
0:41:17 > 0:41:20I'll choose my favourite piece.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Quite difficult to do but it's THIS one.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26This reminds me of when I was a wee lad
0:41:26 > 0:41:31- and my grandfather used to take me to the fish shop.- Yes.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34He's watching as the fishmonger
0:41:34 > 0:41:39is about to deliver the coup de grace to this poor old eel.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43And I love the expression of regret.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49"Oh, you don't really want to look at this." Don't you think that's touching,
0:41:49 > 0:41:55the way they've conveyed the eye contact with this little boy? "Oh, don't do it, Daddy!"
0:41:55 > 0:41:58And meanwhile the comical touch.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Here.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04The brother eel is looking out of his bowl. "Oh, blimey!"
0:42:04 > 0:42:09It's a very, very nice little okimono. It's signed,
0:42:09 > 0:42:14and again it dates around 1900 and it has terrific presence.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Unfortunate for the eel, but a beautiful piece of carving.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Well, that piece alone I think is £1,000 to £1,500.
0:42:23 > 0:42:29- So your whole collection is really rather good.- It is, isn't it?
0:42:29 > 0:42:33And from an insurance point of view,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36- I'd want to go through it...- Yes.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38But it's going to be about £10,000.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Wow!
0:42:44 > 0:42:50In 1936, the oldest tenant on the Glamis estate sent a letter to Lord Strathmore,
0:42:50 > 0:42:55the Queen Mother's father. James White wrote, "No more joyous people
0:42:55 > 0:43:00"can there be found than the folks around here. They are elated in the knowledge
0:43:00 > 0:43:05"that the young lady who most of them knew not so very long ago as Lady Elizabeth,
0:43:05 > 0:43:09"is now their Queen." And he goes on to say...
0:43:09 > 0:43:13"The new Queen Elizabeth is the finest asset our Empire possesses".
0:43:13 > 0:43:18The Empire might have disappeared, but no-one can argue with Mr White's sentiments.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23Our thanks to Lord Strathmore for the very warm welcome we've received at Glamis Castle.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Until next week, goodbye.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd