0:00:33 > 0:00:38Hello, and welcome to another series of the Antiques Roadshow - our 24th.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42We shall chart a zig-zag route across the country,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46from Cornwall to Scotland to Wales and beyond.
0:00:46 > 0:00:52This time, we shall cross the North Sea and the Atlantic, from Shetland to Canada.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58We shall go racing at Newmarket, and we shall see our share of stately homes. Where do we begin?
0:00:58 > 0:01:03Well, here, in the Peak District and the town of Buxton in Derbyshire -
0:01:03 > 0:01:06one of the highest in England.
0:01:06 > 0:01:13There is a cavern in the town where the earliest inhabitants of Buxton enjoyed the basic comforts of life
0:01:13 > 0:01:16over 7,000 years ago.
0:01:16 > 0:01:21This is Poole's Cavern, famous not only for its stalactites,
0:01:21 > 0:01:25but for its usefulness as a hideaway for outlaws.
0:01:25 > 0:01:32In the 15th century, a man called Poole kidnapped a wealthy widow and fled here to hide.
0:01:32 > 0:01:38He would occasionally pop out and rob passers-by, and it's said that his loot is still buried here.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42A natural treasure, found only in nearby caves,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46is the mineral known as blue-john stone -
0:01:46 > 0:01:50for over 200 years in great demand for ornamental vases and jewellery.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Ashford marble also comes from here,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57but it's Buxton's springs that have been its main attraction.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02Emerging at 28 degrees Centigrade, the water saved medieval people
0:02:02 > 0:02:06from preparing a hot bath, to say nothing of its healing qualities.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10And locals today will tell you that the water from the well
0:02:10 > 0:02:14makes the best cup of tea in Britain. I won't argue with that,
0:02:14 > 0:02:19and if Mary Queen of Scots said that the water helped her rheumatism,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21that's OK with me as well.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27The Duke of Devonshire, in 1780, decided to transform Buxton into the spa town of the north
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and a fitting place to accommodate his chums.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34The Duke modelled his crescent on the Royal Crescent in Bath.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38It was one big hotel for aristocratic guests
0:02:38 > 0:02:40and took four years to complete.
0:02:40 > 0:02:47The great stables and riding school was the base for coachmen, grooms, carriages and over 100 horses
0:02:47 > 0:02:51which were exercised in the enormous circular courtyard.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56The courtyard was covered by the world's largest unsupported dome -
0:02:56 > 0:03:00bigger than the domes of St Paul's Cathedral and St Peter's in Rome.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06This would have been the perfect place to stage our Roadshow, except for one problem -
0:03:06 > 0:03:12in the middle of the courtyard you get a strange effect called a "flutter echo".
0:03:12 > 0:03:15This could be very disconcerting for our experts
0:03:15 > 0:03:19and our engineering manager really put his foot down.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- ECHOES - Wow!
0:03:21 > 0:03:27Instead, we're all set up in another of Buxton's fine buildings - the Octagon.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Among the familiar faces on the team today are David Battie,
0:03:31 > 0:03:32Henry Sandon,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and Lars Tharp on porcelain,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and Hilary Kay, joined by a newcomer,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Madeleine Marsh. So with myself on drums,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44let's get the show on the road.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49You've brought a piece of eggshell porcelain that raises my spirit.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53I think it's fair to say it doesn't get much better than Rozenburg.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57How did this Dutch pot arrive in this part of the world?
0:03:57 > 0:04:05Well, I bought it at a local auction, along with a piece of blue-and-white pottery, but a job lot of two items.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10- What was it sold to you as? A kettle or teapot?- As a teapot.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13We found out later that it might be a chocolate pot.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Well, it may well be based on a chocolate pot,
0:04:17 > 0:04:22- but I don't think they were ever really meant to be used.- No.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24This is purely ornamental.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27First of all, that lovely shape - turn it round -
0:04:27 > 0:04:32you've got that lovely loop handle, and it's almost organic, isn't it?
0:04:32 > 0:04:37It's almost as though it's evolved rather than it's been potted.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Um, and what about these fish?
0:04:39 > 0:04:45These fish are glorious and, because they're entirely hand-painted...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48In fact, everything on here is hand-painted.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52You've just got to look at the detail. Let's take the top off...
0:04:52 > 0:04:58Very careful. The great thing about this particular factory,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- situated in the Hague...- Yes. - There was a factory there
0:05:02 > 0:05:07in the 18th century and they used a stork as a mark
0:05:07 > 0:05:11because storks used to nest in the chimneys of the Hague.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18The Rozenburg factory, from the late 19th century, also used a stork.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Various other marks - that particular starburst
0:05:23 > 0:05:26is actually a year symbol. I would suspect
0:05:26 > 0:05:30that this is around about 1900, maybe 1905.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Mm, yes.- And then the decorator -
0:05:33 > 0:05:37and the "H" is almost certainly for Hartgring.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Now, it's difficult to be sure, but the actual shape itself
0:05:42 > 0:05:48was probably designed by the head of their design - J Jurriaan Kok.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Has it had any restoration?
0:05:50 > 0:05:55The handle was broken and we had it restored. There's a few chips...
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- A few little chips on the rim. - Well, you expect that
0:05:59 > 0:06:02because this is so thin and delicate,
0:06:02 > 0:06:08that the failure rate... For every 50 of these that went in the kiln,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10probably only 5 came out.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Oh!- They collapsed because they're so fragile.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Now, the financial side.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21- Well, along with the blue and white plate, we paid £100.- All right, OK.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26- And restoration?- Then restoration, which was a few hundred pounds.
0:06:26 > 0:06:32Right, well, I mean I know a collector in the Hague
0:06:32 > 0:06:36and I'm pretty certain that if I were to say,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39"It's yours if you're prepared to pay £1,500,"
0:06:39 > 0:06:42he would snap my hand off for it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48The day you went to that auction was a jolly good day's fishing,
0:06:48 > 0:06:53- wouldn't you agree?- Mm, yes. Very much so, yes, yes.- Yes, it was.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58I've seen a lot of scrap screens, but this is a cracking example.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Now, is it something that you bought, or did it...?
0:07:02 > 0:07:05We bought this in about 1968, 1969.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09My mother's one of those people, when they go out,
0:07:09 > 0:07:15my father starts to have heart attacks because he never knows what she's going to bring back.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21And even when my mother brought this back, my father just couldn't understand why she bought it.
0:07:21 > 0:07:27- But my mother loved the pictures. - Let's look at the screen itself
0:07:27 > 0:07:29because I LOVE the design of it.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34A lot of these little chromolithographic panels
0:07:34 > 0:07:39were known as "scraps", and they were sold as scraps,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44and that's how you get a scrapbook - a book to put your scraps into.
0:07:44 > 0:07:51And they were sold commercially in toy shops and stationery shops and so on, for exactly this purpose,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55for decorative purposes. I LOVE these down here,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58the early bicycles and all sorts.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03You've got ordinary bicycles and penny-farthings, as they're called,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07more of the same, all sorts of shenanigans going on, on bicycles,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and then the central figure here
0:08:11 > 0:08:16is framed by this lovely garland of scrap flowers.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Looking at it, there's a little bit of damage, sort of holes here...
0:08:21 > 0:08:26- Was that as it came to the family? - That was later in its history.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31- There were times when I actually used this as a dartboard.- Oh, no!
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Just to occupy my free time.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38That's terrible! Did they ever find out?
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I think they're going to find out today.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45That's a terrible story! What were you aiming for?
0:08:45 > 0:08:49I was actually aiming to take the heads off.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51SHE LAUGHS
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Ghastly! All right, we'll gloss over that one.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59What strikes me particularly about this screen
0:08:59 > 0:09:03is how beautifully designed it is.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08Everything balances, it's completely symmetrical,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12but then you've also got this central panel -
0:09:12 > 0:09:18this is very different to the other two - this is religious scenes -
0:09:18 > 0:09:20much more sombre in tone.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Looking at it, I've been trying to work out whether this is something
0:09:25 > 0:09:28that's been produced commercially,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33or whether it was just really well done by a family at home,
0:09:33 > 0:09:39because I have a feeling that this sort of decoupage would have been allowed on a Sunday,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42because it's of a religious context,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46so maybe they worked on putting the other panels there
0:09:46 > 0:09:52on other days of the week, and this panel they only worked at on a Sunday.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57So I think that it is really good amateur work
0:09:57 > 0:10:01rather than a professionally produced screen.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05I wonder what your parents paid for it in the '60s?
0:10:05 > 0:10:11- My mother told me that she paid 30 shillings for it, or £1.50 in today's currency.- And in the '60s,
0:10:11 > 0:10:18they were burning Victorian furniture, they wanted it out of their houses. So 30 bob - not bad.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23In today's money, I would have said something around £1,000 to £1,500,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28- so a reasonable investment.- That's very nice. She'll be very happy.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- Have you seen this signature down there?- Yes.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38- I couldn't make it out terribly well. "Wale..."- JP Wale. John Porter Wale.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42John Porter Wale was a Worcester artist.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46He did some extremely fine painting in Worcester in the 1860s and '70s,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and then he came up to Derby
0:10:49 > 0:10:53to help found the new Derby Royal Crown Porcelain Company,
0:10:53 > 0:10:58and he was very instrumental in ensuring the success of Derby.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01It's lovely seeing a Derby plaque here in Derbyshire.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07I'd almost despaired of seeing some Derby! Have you had it a long time?
0:11:07 > 0:11:12Yes. It belonged to my mother and before, it belonged to her aunt.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- And what price have they put on it? - Um, £200 to £300, I was told.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21- £300 you've been told by...? - A local valuer, yes.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23I think they're undervaluing it.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Oh, right, good, that sounds good.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31- My thoughts are certainly £1,000 plus.- Really? Wow!
0:11:31 > 0:11:34He's a fine artist, and it's beautifully painted.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38It's very interesting because it's a complete fake in every sense.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43It is a Moorcroft design of about 1901-1902, which was registered,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48but what is wrong is the shape. It was never a Moorcroft shape.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53- The feel of it is wrong because it's actually made of porcelain...- Yes.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59..not earthenware, which Moorcroft used. There's no mark, which there would have to be -
0:11:59 > 0:12:04although unmarked, Moorcroft does exist. It's a very good copy indeed,
0:12:04 > 0:12:09- but it is designed to deceive, cos there's no such Moorcroft piece.- No.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15Every week on the Roadshow you hear our experts doing a valuation on various items.
0:12:15 > 0:12:21Now, an auction price is the price that an item would fetch if it went to auction,
0:12:21 > 0:12:27but you have to subtract the commission of the auctioneer, which could be 10% or 15%.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32The insurance valuation is always a higher price than the auction price
0:12:32 > 0:12:36because if the item has to be replaced on the retail market,
0:12:36 > 0:12:41it takes into account auctioneers' commissions and dealers' mark-ups.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45It's the sort of difference between a selling price and a buying price.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49What a fantastic collection of stuff!
0:12:49 > 0:12:52How on earth do you store all this at home?
0:12:52 > 0:12:57Well, we've got it all on display in the kitchen and around the house.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02- Every square inch is taken up with boxes.- Yes!- And what do YOU think?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- It's all right.- It's all right. - Yeah.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Well, I think it's really, really brilliant,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13because it's a fantastic selection of packaging.
0:13:13 > 0:13:20Packaging took off in the second half of the 19th century, with new technology.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Pioneers were Huntley & Palmers,
0:13:22 > 0:13:29who really started off the decorated biscuit tin...
0:13:29 > 0:13:34always well marked. You used to buy your biscuits from the local bakery
0:13:34 > 0:13:40in a little paper bag, but, of course, with improved transport in the 19th century,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43you need storage,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48so that when you're travelling, they don't get broken up.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52But also it's fantastic advertising. How much did you pay for it?
0:13:52 > 0:13:58- I can't honestly remember - it was probably about £20-ish. - Yeah, that's very good.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02This is an early 20th-century Huntley & Palmer's one,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and, I mean, in top condition,
0:14:05 > 0:14:10tins like this can fetch £300 to £500.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14There's a little bit of wear and tear, but it's not bad.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18But for you is it the value that matters, anyway?
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- No, it's not the value at all. - It's just sentimental.- Well, no,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26it's really just the visual aspect of it, you know.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Our house is like walking into a museum, people have said.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35When people come in, do they go, "Ooh, I remember Rinso!"
0:14:35 > 0:14:41- A few people do. Other people just think it's junk.- Do they?- We don't. We collect everything, don't we?
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- Everything!- Well, that's so nice,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48because with things like this, whether it's Rinso or Fab,
0:14:48 > 0:14:53it's provocative memories, because you don't forget things like that.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And if you look at the back, I mean, I love that -
0:14:56 > 0:14:59that mum, in her '50s-style dress,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03so THRILLED by the fact that her washing is so clean,
0:15:03 > 0:15:10and it says here, "for painters' and mechanics' overalls, butchers' aprons and pit clothes..."
0:15:11 > 0:15:15A little bit of social history that really makes things come to life.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Something like that, if you bought that from a packaging dealer -
0:15:20 > 0:15:25£5 to £10. And the idea of collecting loo paper...
0:15:25 > 0:15:30- Where do you have these? - The bathroom.- Oh, that's lovely!
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Some of these things are worth a reasonable amount of money -
0:15:34 > 0:15:41things like that, a couple of quid, but how interesting to see.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44It's a really exciting collection.
0:15:44 > 0:15:50- Thank you.- Thank you for bringing it in. And I want to come to your house now.- You're welcome!- Yeah.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54This is a very unusual north Italian sword,
0:15:54 > 0:15:59not the sort of thing that you see very often. Where did you get it?
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It was from my father-in-law.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06He collected swords and pistols in the mid-'60s.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12He died in the early '70s and they've been in family since then.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Well, it's known as a Schiavona,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19and it's a type that dates from the end of the 17th century.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- Right.- And very distinctive with this very complicated basket guard -
0:16:24 > 0:16:29a function of armour falling into disuse because of firearms.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Firearms could get through armour, so there was no point wearing it,
0:16:34 > 0:16:41and so instead of having a gauntlet to protect your hand, people put the protection onto the sword instead.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46It's also got this thumb loop, so you can really get a grip of that
0:16:46 > 0:16:51and bear down with your thumb which pulls the sword tightly into your hand,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56because this is a chopping sword, rather than a prodder or a thruster.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00But a very, very nice sword and in very good condition.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05We then move a bit further north in Europe from Northern Italy
0:17:05 > 0:17:08to this magnificent specimen
0:17:08 > 0:17:12from the first decades of the 17th century,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17and it's a type that was very popular during the Thirty Years' War.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21It was a war that produced lots and lots of very famous names,
0:17:21 > 0:17:27including a man called Pappenheim who was an Imperialist general on the Catholic side,
0:17:27 > 0:17:33and, for some reason, swords with this complicated basket-style guard are called Pappenheimers.
0:17:33 > 0:17:40I don't think he invented it - he was far too busy slaughtering Protestants to worry about design.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43But it's an effective type of sword
0:17:43 > 0:17:49which gives tremendous protection to the whole of the hand. In very fine condition -
0:17:49 > 0:17:52they are both very desirable swords
0:17:52 > 0:17:55because they are 17th century, good condition.
0:17:55 > 0:18:01If you had to buy the Pappenheim sword, you would pay about £3,000,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04the Schiavona, a little less - £2,000.
0:18:04 > 0:18:10- So there's the best part of £5,000 worth of swords there. - That's more than I expected,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13much more than I expected.
0:18:13 > 0:18:19The man said, "Who'll give me £1? Who'll give me 75p?
0:18:19 > 0:18:23"Who'll give me 50p?" - I'm having to think -
0:18:23 > 0:18:29- "2/6d?" And I said, "Yes, it's got to be worth that!"- 2/6d?- 2/6d.
0:18:29 > 0:18:35- And how many years ago was that? - I believe it was about 1968.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39My word. Well, that is not bad. And you know what it is?
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Yes, it's an Arts-and-Crafts chair, and it was perhaps made
0:18:43 > 0:18:49by a William Birch in High Wycombe in 1904.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Yes, it is a William Birch chair.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56William Birch were one of the larger manufacturers in High Wycombe,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00and they were also one of the more adventurous manufacturers.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03This particular model
0:19:03 > 0:19:07was actually commissioned by Liberty's and made by William Birch.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12So you have two great names - Liberty's and William Birch -
0:19:12 > 0:19:18and the designer - a man called Punnett. And they come together in this typical Arts-and-Crafts piece.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23What is it that appeals to you about this kind of thing?
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Er...I just like its bulk and heaviness, I think it's lovely,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32I think it's something that will last forever.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37It is a design classic. You can see one of these at the V&A Museum.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- I HAVE seen a companion there.- Then you know what I'm talking about.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46- But it was mass produced, so there are quite a lot of them about.- Yes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49So it's not going to be hugely valuable,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53and one can still buy a chair like this for...
0:19:53 > 0:19:57I suppose, getting on for £600 to £800 at auction.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Oh, gosh, I think that's wonderful!
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Do you know who General Jacob was?
0:20:03 > 0:20:08I do now. I didn't up to three weeks ago, till I found a biography on him.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12He was one of those Victorians who went out into the Empire
0:20:12 > 0:20:16and grabbed it by the scruff of the neck
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and shook it into Britishness, almost.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24He not only was a soldier, he was also a very competent administrator,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29political agent and superintendent for the Upper Sind area of India,
0:20:29 > 0:20:36and he was a man who - like your regular scrapping with guerrillas - would do his own thing.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Would he have paid for the guns himself, for the army?
0:20:40 > 0:20:44He would either have been presented with them, or he'd have bought them.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50Officers bought their own equipment. The army issued soldiers with clothing, equipment and arms,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54but officers were expected to buy their equipment themselves,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59so you'd go to your tailor and say, "I want a red coat," and then you'd go to a gun maker.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03The gun maker who made this magnificent pair of pistols...
0:21:05 > 0:21:10..was one of the two greats of the period -
0:21:10 > 0:21:14both brothers, John and Joseph Manton,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17and these are made by John Manton and Company.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21We can date these fairly accurately from the inscription on the lid -
0:21:21 > 0:21:24- somewhere around about 1840.- Right.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27And they're known as belt pistols
0:21:27 > 0:21:30because they have a spring clip round the side
0:21:30 > 0:21:33which conveniently would slip onto your belt.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37These great big heavy pistols were favoured by officers in India
0:21:37 > 0:21:43because two of them gave you four guaranteed shots with heavy bullets
0:21:43 > 0:21:47that were more than enough to deal with any enemy.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51They were also favoured by people who hunted tigers from elephants,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55and they often carried a pair of these in the howdah,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58so you could deal with tigers.
0:21:58 > 0:22:03But they are pistols of exceptional quality and are highly desirable
0:22:03 > 0:22:09for the fact that they are made by the era's greatest gun maker.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15They've also got this wonderful provenance from this great Victorian who was a real character,
0:22:15 > 0:22:20and, on that basis, I think they're worth round about £10,000.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26And they're quite the best pair of pistols that I've ever seen on the Roadshow.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30- Oddly enough, this was made in the same place as that.- Oh?
0:22:30 > 0:22:35- It's from Kutani, in Kaga province, in Japan, about 1880.- Right.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- What's so nice about it is the subject matter.- Yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43You've got this wonderful fat - I'm not even sure he's an owl -
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- I think he's an owlet, a baby owl. - Yes.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51- What's nice is the way he's sitting there looking at his lunch.- Yes!
0:22:51 > 0:22:57He's about to put this claw down and go, "Oh, breakfast, lunch, lovely!"
0:22:57 > 0:22:59You liked it too, did you?
0:22:59 > 0:23:03It's lovely, particularly the shape - you want to touch it.
0:23:03 > 0:23:10- Yes. And the colour round the back is quite breathtaking.- Yes.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14This particular green colour - very characteristic of Kutani -
0:23:14 > 0:23:18as is this mixture of black on green -
0:23:18 > 0:23:23again something you would expect from there. I think it's marvellous.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- Where did this one come from? - Well, that was left to my mother.
0:23:27 > 0:23:34She'd visited the house of an elderly couple who did collect antiques...
0:23:34 > 0:23:38and admired it. In fact, as she went past it, she stroked it.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43And didn't meet them again for many years, but when the wife died,
0:23:43 > 0:23:48- she left it to my mother.- How wonderful!- Because she'd admired it.
0:23:48 > 0:23:55- I think that would fetch somewhere between £1,800 and £2,500.- Wow!
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Well, we must continue to keep it on a high shelf.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03My husband bought it in an antique shop in Stockport.
0:24:03 > 0:24:10He went there to buy another picture which had gone, and the gentleman there said,
0:24:10 > 0:24:15"I've got a portrait at home," and my husband fell in love with that.
0:24:15 > 0:24:21I'm not surprised. I've completely fallen in love with her in the short time that I've seen it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:27- I think you're aware that it's by John Graham Gilbert. - Yes.- Scottish artist.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31And, fortuitously for me, it's got a title and it's signed on the back,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35along with the year he painted it. Now, the title is "A Border Girl",
0:24:35 > 0:24:39- so she's obviously a Scottish girl. - Yes.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41And it was painted in 1858.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46Gilbert was unusual amongst Scottish artists in that he went to Rome.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49He spent a lot of time in Italy.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53The interest for us that that holds,
0:24:53 > 0:24:58is that this very Scottish subject, to me, has an Italianate influence.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03She's a Scottish girl, but I think there's something Italian about her,
0:25:03 > 0:25:09not only her features, but also this deep red cloak that she's wearing.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15- But above all, it's those eyes.- Yes, the eyes are lovely.- Aren't they?
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Quite haunting. And his ability with textures is very apparent,
0:25:19 > 0:25:25like the bonnet she's wearing. He's caught the light on the side of it,
0:25:25 > 0:25:30and the glow in her cheeks which match her lips and her cloak.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34The whole thing's most alluring. It's a lovely thing.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Did you pay a lot for it?
0:25:37 > 0:25:41- £100. But it was in the early '70s. - Early '70s.
0:25:41 > 0:25:48The fact that it's in such good condition and the fact that it has such allure and power,
0:25:48 > 0:25:53mean that I really have to value it at between £8,000 and £12,000.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Absolutely wonderful! Thank you very much indeed.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02..This relates to the battleship HMS Repulse. What's the connection?
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- My father served on the Repulse. - That's your father?- Yes.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- In Repulse uniform.- That's right.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14The story of the Repulse is one of disaster. On 11th December 1941,
0:26:14 > 0:26:19the Repulse and the Prince of Wales were sunk by Japanese aircraft.
0:26:19 > 0:26:24- Yes.- The ships sank very quickly and the loss of life was terrific.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27How is this photograph still here?
0:26:27 > 0:26:32- How do we have this material?- That's a telegram.- Can I read it?- Yes.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37"Deeply regret to inform you that your husband, Joseph Marland Mellor,
0:26:37 > 0:26:42"who is believed to have been serving on HMS Repulse, has not been reported as a survivor,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47- "and must therefore be regarded as missing." 18th December?- Yes.
0:26:47 > 0:26:53- So this came to your mother? - Yes. All the family and friends were at the house.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Everybody seemed to be making a fuss of me and I couldn't understand it.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Then, a few days later, we had a further telegram.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05- This is the 27th December, so ten days.- Yes.- Ten days later.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09- Ten days later.- "Pleased to inform you, information received,
0:27:09 > 0:27:15"that your husband is safe and now recovering at Colombo."
0:27:15 > 0:27:17That is correct, yes,
0:27:17 > 0:27:22- and then a telegram came from my father...- From him?- Yes.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26- "Safe. Tres fit. Love..- Joe Mellor."
0:27:26 > 0:27:32- What a wonderful New Year it must have been.- Yes, 31st December, we received that,
0:27:32 > 0:27:37- so that was a very good present for the New Year.- So how did he escape?
0:27:37 > 0:27:40Well, it appears that, very fortunately for me father,
0:27:40 > 0:27:48the ship called in at Colombo and he was sent on a radar course and left the ship,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52but his name had not been taken off the ship's register.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56- So, officially, he was still on the ship.- He was.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01- So he brought back the hatband. - Yes.- And - this is extraordinary -
0:28:01 > 0:28:03a crossing-the-line ceremony.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08Everybody who crossed the line - the equator - for the first time,
0:28:08 > 0:28:14had to go through this extraordinary ceremony where everybody dressed up and were ducked in the water.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Then they were given the booklet and the certificate
0:28:18 > 0:28:22which proved that they'd crossed the line
0:28:22 > 0:28:26- on Her Britannic Majesty's battle-cruiser Repulse.- Yes.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- Very rare survival, I'm sure. - Well, it is, yes.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35- So now, when did he finally come back?- Well, I met him...
0:28:35 > 0:28:40I was born in 1938, so I was nearly six years old
0:28:40 > 0:28:46and the bell rang, we went to the door and, er...there was a figure.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Mother said, "This is your father."
0:28:50 > 0:28:53So I was quite shocked, really.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58Until then I had not had a father, so I was very pleased to see him.
0:28:58 > 0:29:03- Do you remember what you said? - No, I can't, no, I can't remember,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- but it was a joyous moment for everybody.- It's a wonderful story.
0:29:07 > 0:29:13It's terribly unusual to find things relating to the Repulse - so few survivors,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17so few people associated with the ship still alive today.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21So the value to this is incalculable in terms of personal history
0:29:21 > 0:29:26and also the history of those times. This is a remarkable archive -
0:29:26 > 0:29:30I'm so glad you brought it in.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32I understand it's an ear trumpet.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38- I think that my great-grandfather used to use it.- That's right.
0:29:38 > 0:29:44- It should have an ivory earpiece here.- Oh, something missing?
0:29:44 > 0:29:48- Does it work?- Yes, yes. - Yes, it does, sort of, yes.- Yes.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53It's very decorative, isn't it? Beautifully engraved with flowers.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57- And it's beautifully done underneath as well.- Yes.- Beautifully finished.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00This will probably sell for...
0:30:00 > 0:30:06- somewhere between £700 and possibly even £1,000.- Really?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Wow!
0:30:08 > 0:30:13This yellowy parchment is a camera script and a cast list
0:30:13 > 0:30:17of an Antiques Roadshow which took place in Buxton in the Pavilion
0:30:17 > 0:30:21in July 1978, the very first series.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26In the cast list are Bruce Parker - the presenter, Arthur Negus,
0:30:26 > 0:30:31and among the others - David Battie and Simon Bull.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33Gentlemen, the evidence.
0:30:34 > 0:30:40Amazing! This ought to be on the memorabilia table! Somebody ought to put a value on this!
0:30:40 > 0:30:46- 23 series later, and nothing has changed.- Oh, yes, it has! I've got less hair,
0:30:46 > 0:30:50I have a nasty feeling that I had sideburns,
0:30:50 > 0:30:54and shirts that came out there and a kipper tie!
0:30:54 > 0:30:59- Yes, the dress has changed a lot. - Worth a fortune now.- I pay people
0:30:59 > 0:31:02not to show those old pictures!
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Sash-window supports.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08- Have you got sash windows at home? - No, not any more.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11- There are a few round here.- Yes.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15When sash cords go, it's a devil of a job replacing them.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20- So how do you keep the windows open? - You put these in as wedges,
0:31:20 > 0:31:25and the roughened area there keeps a grip on the lower part of the sill.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29These are portraits of a particular person. Do you have any idea who?
0:31:29 > 0:31:31No idea.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34- There's a ram or something on there. - Ah!
0:31:34 > 0:31:38There's the clue. This is not a ram, this is a goat.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Oh.- And what do we call goats?
0:31:41 > 0:31:45- Nanny.- Or?- Billy. - Billy goat.- Billy.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Now, think of Billy - think of the House of Orange,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52because this is an orange tree...
0:31:52 > 0:31:55- William...- ..of Orange. - Of Orange.- Good Lord!
0:31:55 > 0:31:59- How amazing.- The Orange Order was actually revived
0:31:59 > 0:32:02at about the time these were made.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07These were made in Staffordshire some time in the 1830s or '40s,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- and they are very orange, aren't they?- Yes.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14So find a friend with sash windows
0:32:14 > 0:32:19of the Ulster persuasion and you will have the perfect client!
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Political commemoratives are highly sought after,
0:32:24 > 0:32:32- and going from purely ornamental supports - worth maybe £200.- Mmm.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36I know they're damaged, but that's not a huge problem.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39These suddenly become worth rather more...
0:32:39 > 0:32:45They're going to be worth, to a political commemorative collector, somewhere in the region of...
0:32:45 > 0:32:51- £800 to £1,200. - Good heavens! How extraordinary!
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Albums like this - and they always look like this -
0:32:54 > 0:32:57with these covers - are Chinese,
0:32:57 > 0:33:01and they've always been known as rice-paper paintings,
0:33:01 > 0:33:06but, in fact, they're made from the pith of a tree.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09- Ah.- They were made by the Chinese,
0:33:09 > 0:33:14not for their own market, purely for the European export market.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18So this one here shows golden pheasants, actually.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20When they... And I'll turn over...
0:33:22 > 0:33:27- This one shows the most fabulous moth, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32They're in fantastic condition, actually. Have you inherited these?
0:33:32 > 0:33:37- We have, yes - my father-in-law's. - My father's.- Did he go to China?
0:33:37 > 0:33:43No idea where they came from. As far as I know, they came from HIS father,
0:33:43 > 0:33:48- but how they arrived there, we just don't know.- We don't know.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- They're made in about 1850, by the way, 1850-60.- Oh, right.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Usually, that they were made in sets,
0:33:55 > 0:34:00so you'd have a set of junks, a set of insects, all in different albums.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05- A set of courtiers and so forth. - Yes.- But what is really fascinating
0:34:05 > 0:34:10- is that it's a sample of each of the different categories.- Yes.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Did you know these as children?
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Were you allowed to play with them? I suppose they...
0:34:16 > 0:34:22Well, we didn't actually play with them, but they were always there. We sort of looked occasionally.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25In the cupboard, weren't they?
0:34:25 > 0:34:30This is a botanical subject matter and shows...lotus, isn't it?
0:34:30 > 0:34:33We have the dried pod and nuts, too.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37This intrigued me. Were you ever shown this as a child, I wonder?
0:34:37 > 0:34:41That was the one we always wanted to see.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43- And it IS horrible.- It is.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Well, the thing is, they made albums of torture.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50God knows who bought these things -
0:34:50 > 0:34:53somebody with a rather gruesome frame of mind.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58- So clear, that.- They are. This one is the most decorative of the lot.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- That's lovely.- A basket of flowers.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- Very rich, isn't it?- Oh, it's marvellous. That's my favourite one.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10I'm glad you said that, because this is the most saleable one.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15If they were put up at auction, I daresay they would be broken up -
0:35:15 > 0:35:19- it would be a dreadful thing, but that's life.- Yes.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- But the whole lot - you've got about 20 all-in-all...- There's 18.
0:35:23 > 0:35:2518, are there? OK.
0:35:25 > 0:35:30They're going to be worth something like £2,000 to £2,500.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33- Really?- They're really interesting.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Fascinating.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39I got my bear on my second birthday.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43I also had a baby sister on my second birthday.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- That was clever of your parents. - Very clever.
0:35:46 > 0:35:53She was the best thing that ever happened to me. I wouldn't like to have been an only child.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57- Oh, good. So you were happy to have a sister?- Very happy to have her.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01- They don't half sparkle, don't they? - They certainly do, yes.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06Anyway, anyway, tell me a bit more about the background of them.
0:36:06 > 0:36:12These rings belonged to my mother, and when she died they came to me.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16- Did she tell you where they'd come from at all?- No.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19No, I don't know the history of them at all, no.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23In many ways, they're all different periods.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27This is a very typical band ring, probably made in about the 1970s.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Look at the diamonds,
0:36:30 > 0:36:35because they have rather grey, dull, blobby looking centres to them.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40The reason is that they are a more simple cut - single-cut diamonds.
0:36:40 > 0:36:46They lack the lustre of the far more complicated brilliant-cut diamonds.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48This is a brilliant-cut diamond
0:36:48 > 0:36:54and I think you can see the sparkle of that stone compared with these.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57So when you get a diamond that's a single-cut,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00the value of it is much lower
0:37:00 > 0:37:03than that of the full brilliant-cut.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08So this 1970s gold-band ring with straightforward single-cut stones -
0:37:08 > 0:37:14if I was selling this in auction, I might get about £300 for it.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Oh, right.
0:37:16 > 0:37:22This one is a brilliant-cut diamond that weighs around about 1.8 carats.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24A nice, bright brilliant-cut stone
0:37:24 > 0:37:29in a pretty, fussy and complicated setting of platinum and gold.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34But the problem with this stone, when I look at it through my lens,
0:37:34 > 0:37:41- I can see that it's severely hampered by having a very nasty flaw at the side.- Oh, right.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44And these stones are valued
0:37:44 > 0:37:49according to how few the flaws are and how white the stone is,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53so if a diamond is white and clean, it's far more valuable
0:37:53 > 0:37:58than a stone that's a bit off-colour and a bit flawed.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01This one is quite severely flawed, so it's worth...
0:38:01 > 0:38:07- around about maybe £1,400 - £1,500. - Really?!- Yeah.- Good heavens!
0:38:07 > 0:38:12And I would insure it for maybe around £3,000, as a retail price.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Gosh!
0:38:17 > 0:38:23- This bear, as you probably know, is made in Germany. - I know that, yes.- You do?- Yes, yes.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28- And you know he's made by the firm of Steiff?- Yes.- May I hold him?- Yes.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33He shakes his head, but he won't growl any more.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38- I can hear there's a growler in there.- There's a growler in there.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43Um, yes. But you've probably tipped him up too many times.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48- Probably that was, yes, yes. - He's known as a cinnamon colour,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52so is one of the most collectable colours of all the bears.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56Yes, I always knew he was different.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59He probably dates to about 1908.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04- Yes, well, it's 1909. - Oh, 1909.- 1909, yes.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09Well, it's very rare for me to meet the owner of a 1909 bear,
0:39:09 > 0:39:16- I feel very privileged.- It's very unusual for him to be photographed,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18let alone on television!
0:39:18 > 0:39:24You know, if you were going to try and buy a bear like this, by Steiff,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28a cinnamon bear, it would be very hard to find one
0:39:28 > 0:39:31under £4,000.
0:39:31 > 0:39:36My goodness! You're worth keeping, old man, aren't you?
0:39:36 > 0:39:42Now, this one. The feature that is most outstanding about THIS diamond
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- is that it's bright yellow.- It is.
0:39:44 > 0:39:50That means that it's a different ball game from these white diamonds,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53because this is a fancy yellow diamond.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- Mmm.- And when you talk about fancy coloured diamonds,
0:39:57 > 0:40:02the value of them totally transcends the valuation for a white diamond.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07- She referred to it as "canary". - Well, it's a good word to use.- Yes.
0:40:07 > 0:40:15These days they use a scientific approach to establish the depth of colour yellow it has.
0:40:15 > 0:40:20There are different grades of yellow - fancy light yellow, a fancy yellow.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25The very best grade is fancy vivid yellow, and goodness me, that is a very intense colour.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Now, we have a setting which is platinum,
0:40:29 > 0:40:34and this very, very fine piercing work in the mount
0:40:34 > 0:40:40- would tell me that the ring was probably made in about 1925...- Yes.
0:40:40 > 0:40:46..but the diamond was probably cut in about 1910 or 1920. Now, that's very good news -
0:40:46 > 0:40:51if it's that age, the chances of it being treated to make it yellow
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- are not very likely.- Mmm.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00There is a procedure to follow to establish the grade of yellow it is.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05Now, if we calculate the weight - it weighs around about 3.2 carats -
0:41:05 > 0:41:10we then send it off to a laboratory, typically in the States,
0:41:10 > 0:41:15where they will issue a certificate to confirm (a) it is natural colour,
0:41:15 > 0:41:20(b) that if it IS natural colour, what intensity of yellow it has.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22In here, it's difficult to see,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26but I think this is a pretty good-looking yellow.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Subject to all these caveats
0:41:29 > 0:41:34- I think it's worth something in the region of maybe £10,000.- Gosh!
0:41:34 > 0:41:40Gosh, yes! And she used to wear it when she was doing the housework and gardening!
0:41:40 > 0:41:47- She just had them on all the time, didn't she?- I notice that this one is clogged up with quite a lot of dirt!
0:41:48 > 0:41:52- And you've already cleaned the stone! - I took the opportunity
0:41:52 > 0:41:55to clean that one out and have a look at it.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00- But, honestly, it needs to go through this procedure.- Yes.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02It really is quite an exciting gem.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07Not the sort of thing one sees every day. I'm delighted you brought it.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- Thank you very much. - Thank YOU very much.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Time to put up the shutters at the end of the first programme of the series -
0:42:14 > 0:42:17a programme that contained one or two very pleasant surprises.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20It's good to be back on the road and as far as Buxton is concerned,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22it couldn't have happened to a nicer place.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Until next week, from Derbyshire, goodbye.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Subtitles by Gillian Frazer