0:00:32 > 0:00:36All aboard! We sail on the noon tide!
0:00:37 > 0:00:42I wish. Sadly, the seafaring days of this glorious vessel are over,
0:00:42 > 0:00:47but HMS Trincomalee is still afloat here at Hartlepool's historic quay.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Made of teak and built in India for the British Navy in 1817,
0:00:51 > 0:00:56the Trincomalee has been lovingly restored over the past few years.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00She is now, officially, Europe's oldest floating warship,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and she's a fitting centrepiece
0:01:03 > 0:01:07because this north-east town built ships for hundreds of years.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10But this is a tale of two towns.
0:01:10 > 0:01:16The original Hartlepool, here on the headland, is celebrating its 800th anniversary.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20It wasn't until the 19th century that West Hartlepool was formed
0:01:20 > 0:01:22on the other side of the docks.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Something which the two towns shared was a terrible experience in 1914.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Just after 8am on December 16th,
0:01:29 > 0:01:34three German battleships steamed out of the mist
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and opened fire on the headland.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41For 42 minutes, shells rained on the docks, the steelworks
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and the houses of Hartlepool.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49People ran into the streets to escape and there, many of them died.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Altogether, 112 civilians were killed in the raid.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56The bombardment provoked a fierce reaction.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Recruitment offices were besieged by volunteers,
0:01:59 > 0:02:05and locals gave more money per head to the war effort than any other part of the country.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10Before that, Hartlepool had provided the men to serve in the ships that were built here.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14And from the time of the Napoleonic Wars, comes a bizarre story
0:02:14 > 0:02:18which, however unlikely, sticks to the town like glue.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21One stormy night,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25two fishermen found a monkey that'd been washed ashore from a shipwreck.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30Confused by its gibberings, they took it for a Frenchman - the enemy.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35They declared it a spy and, there and then, they hanged it. True or false,
0:02:35 > 0:02:41if you tell a story often enough, it becomes part of history.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Hartlepool has had hard times in recent years,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48but the town is very aware of its maritime heritage
0:02:48 > 0:02:53and the new docks and marina have given it an air of buoyancy.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57We've tied up at the Mill House Leisure Centre for this week's show,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01so let's see what treasure our experts have found.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04How long have you been collecting Noritake porcelain?
0:03:06 > 0:03:10About a year and a half, but the original piece that I started with
0:03:10 > 0:03:15was my mother's, which I've had about 30 years, something like that.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20- Right. You brought it with you? - These two vases.- This pair?- Yes.
0:03:20 > 0:03:27She swapped me, because she fancied the pair that I had, and I had a mantelpiece which they fit on.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31So it took you 30 years to get into the idea of collecting the stuff?
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Yeah, we never knew what it was at all. We'd never heard of it.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39- Right.- We just happened to see some other pieces with the same mark on.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44- OK. So what was the first purchase? - The bowl.- This bowl here?- Yes.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49I think what is remarkable about Noritake is that 25 years ago,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- you couldn't give the stuff away. - No, no.- Nobody wanted it. And then,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57we'd get the odd American turning up and buying it,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- and it really has become very much a sort of US-dominated market.- Yes.
0:04:01 > 0:04:07- However, there is a UK collectors' club.- Yes, there is, yes.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- And there's a lot more information coming out about Noritake.- Yes, yes.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13What is great about Noritake
0:04:13 > 0:04:17is the fact that it was an international concern.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21because the design team were in New York, headed by an Englishman,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25making porcelain for...in Japan,
0:04:25 > 0:04:30for the European and the American market. So it was all very clever.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- International companies today... - They did copy a lot of other styles.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40- There's quite a bit from the style of Wedgwood as well.- Oh, yes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- So there's quite a lot of different styles.- The one to look out for
0:04:44 > 0:04:48is the abstract designs that you often get on plates,
0:04:48 > 0:04:54- designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. - I don't like it.- You don't like it?
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- No, I like the pretty pieces. - Oh, do you?- Rather.- Right.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- So you've got set views about which Noritake you want to collect?- Yes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06I think where they win - as with that bowl and this piece -
0:05:06 > 0:05:11whereas in Staffordshire, in the sort of 1920 period,
0:05:11 > 0:05:16much of what was being mass-produced was being transfer-printed -
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Noritake went one better, and they actually hand-painted pieces.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Here, each one of those roses is entirely hand-painted.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Yes.- And that makes it special.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Also, they didn't go easy on the gilt as well,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34so it's what I call "bright and bonny".
0:05:34 > 0:05:39- Yes.- So, um...I've got to say that the pair of vases
0:05:39 > 0:05:44- are quite splendid...- Yes.- I don't know how much you paid for them,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49but if I can just say that I would expect today
0:05:49 > 0:05:55- that you would have to pay about £200 to £250... - Yes, we paid £210 for them, so...
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- That was a near one, wasn't it?- Yes! - And all I can say is,
0:05:59 > 0:06:04thank you for sharing a little bit of early 20th-century Japan with us
0:06:04 > 0:06:09- here in Hartlepool.- Yes, lovely, you're welcome. Thank you.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14Seeing a suite of furniture like this takes me back to when I started in this business,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- and I used to buy suites like this for £1.- Did you, really?
0:06:18 > 0:06:23All this for £1. Nobody wanted them - this is late 1950s.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28I used to stack them in a shed, then some Italians used to come over,
0:06:28 > 0:06:34- and they would buy four or five suites at £1-10s - a huge profit... - I'm sure, yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39- ..that kept me out of trouble.- Yes. - Now, they didn't look like this.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- You have done a wonderful job on upholstery. Did you do it?- No.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49- I purchased it at a sale 23 years ago in a place called Stokesley, not far from Hartlepool.- Right.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And, from what I understand, it was actually in an attic.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57It has a watermark on the settee, from some problem in the attic.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02It was upholstered like this then - for how long, I don't know.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06- Well, that type of material - I'd have thought in the '70s.- Right.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Anyway, they did a jolly good job. - Yes.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13I used to buy them when they were rough and falling to bits,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17but this is what they COULD look like.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21It comes from the period we call belle epoque - late 19th century,
0:07:21 > 0:07:27and it's a great example of how you can tell quite quickly that's when it has to be.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31If you look at that chair, you have so many designs in it
0:07:31 > 0:07:35which are all revivals of the 18th and early 19th centuries,
0:07:35 > 0:07:40- but they never occurred together until the 1890s.- Right.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43So you have that sort of Rococo-style back,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46that sort of cartouche shape,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50and if you look at the whole thing, with what is a cabriole leg -
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but it's a very small cabriole leg -
0:07:53 > 0:07:57it gives the sort of general curvilinear outline.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02Then you have the formality of that fanned shape in the top...
0:08:02 > 0:08:08That would have been 1760, this was very much 1780-1790...
0:08:08 > 0:08:11You've got this peculiar type of frond coming up,
0:08:11 > 0:08:16which is rather like an Egyptian formalised Regency lotus,
0:08:16 > 0:08:22and then you have these C-scrolls which are like a capital C,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26each one turned into the other - that's 1760.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30So you've got 1780, 1760, 1800...
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- Very interesting. - And you put them together,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and that's an immediate guide to 1890 - it must be Revival -
0:08:38 > 0:08:43those were never put together until then. The other thing is the size,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47- because that is too small for an 18th-century chair.- Right.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Then you have the form of the settee at the back,
0:08:51 > 0:08:58again peculiar in its combination of designs to that period. Delightful.
0:08:58 > 0:09:05- Oh, I like it.- It's lovely. Do you have it all together in one room? - No, I have it all scattered around,
0:09:05 > 0:09:11because we've just moved house, but wherever we go with it, it seems to fit,
0:09:11 > 0:09:17- That's why I chose it - because it's delicate furniture.- But you can use it and these are quite comfortable.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Very comfortable.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Now, it's quite rare in two respects -
0:09:22 > 0:09:24one is the condition, which is good,
0:09:24 > 0:09:28the other is in the fact that it's complete.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Now, when people died over the last three or four generations,
0:09:32 > 0:09:38- Uncle George had two chairs and Auntie Edie had one of those...- Yes. - ..and somebody else had the settee.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42There are hundreds of these suites split up all over the country.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Very few are still together.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Each of the chairs on its own would cost £300 or £400 to make,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53but you'd only get probably £50 for a chair like that -
0:09:53 > 0:09:57one's an odd chair. But as soon as you start getting into a set,
0:09:57 > 0:10:03then the price multiplies, you don't just add £50, you double the value.
0:10:03 > 0:10:11Talking about splitting them up - while I was at the sale, I only wanted two chairs and the settee,
0:10:11 > 0:10:18when this gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Can I just say, don't split them up?
0:10:18 > 0:10:24"Because it will be worth much more if you keep it all together." So I did.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28- So that was good advice.- That was good advice indeed.- It was.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33The pair of chairs, today, would probably cost you £2,500 to replace,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37the settee - probably £2,000,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42and the set of six pretty little chairs have got to be round about...
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- sort of £4,000. - That's very interesting.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51So, £7,000 or £8,000 for insurance value, that's for replacement value.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Yes. I paid £800, actually, when I purchased it.
0:10:54 > 0:11:01- Did you really? Wonderful.- I had an idea it might be worth about £3,000, so I'm pleasantly surprised.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06The brooch was presented to my grandma when she launched a ship.
0:11:06 > 0:11:12Her father-in-law was one of the directors of the shipping line, so that was why she was picked.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- Would you like to have been picked? - I would!
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- I don't know whether they do it any more now.- Would be rather good.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- It's a handsome present, isn't it? - It is very pretty.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- What about that one? - That one was left to me by an aunt.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31I don't wear it very often, because it's so pretty
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- and these crescent shapes catch on your clothing.- Bit catchy.
0:11:35 > 0:11:41- It's just on very special occasions that I wear it.- Well, it was made for a very special occasion.- Oh?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44There's a hint here. Any ideas?
0:11:44 > 0:11:49- Is it Russian?- No, it's not Russian. Its significance is very simple -
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- it's a honeymoon bracelet. - Oh, really? Ah!
0:11:53 > 0:11:57There it is - the pearls for love and the diamonds forever.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- So forever love within the crescent moon - honeymoon.- How lovely.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05But it's an extraordinary bracelet - and we do see them sometimes -
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- for its mechanism.- Yes.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11It expands in a rather dramatic way, and the engineering of it
0:12:11 > 0:12:15must have evolved over a long time. Have you enjoyed wearing that?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Yes. I always look forward to an occasion when I can wear it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:25- It dates from about 1890.- Oh?- It's the sort of thing people want today.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- What about these two fellows? - They're inherited.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I don't know who they belonged to in the family.
0:12:32 > 0:12:38I'd assumed it was Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, but it isn't,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- it's Disraeli.- It is, it's Disraeli. - Why should she be chained to him?
0:12:42 > 0:12:48- Well, he was her favourite prime minister...- Oh, right. - ..and she absolutely adored him,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and he was very courtly,
0:12:51 > 0:12:56he was far from handsome, but he was capable of winning her heart
0:12:56 > 0:12:58in every sense of the word.
0:12:58 > 0:13:04He once rather cynically said that when dealing with royalty you had to lay flattery on with a trowel,
0:13:04 > 0:13:11- so I think she was susceptible to his honeyed tones.- Right, yes. - But she did adore him,
0:13:11 > 0:13:17so, metaphorically, there's something in this chain, although I'm not quite sure what.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22Perhaps it is just to simply mark the end of his premiership really.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27- Right.- So that's a fun thing, a historical one.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32It may well have secured a sort of scarf, with this chain between.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36- Oh, right.- It would hold a cravat or a scarf for a girl, I think.- Yes.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40But, anyway, that isn't necessarily the most valuable one,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44though I think one would be pleased to find it and pay something like...
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- £600 for the pair. - Really? That's a nice surprise.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53I think they're very nice English historical jewels. Charming.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57And this one is also a very valuable thing because it is wearable.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02Wearability is much more to do with intrinsic value at this level.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04So, goodness, what do you think?
0:14:04 > 0:14:09- Oh, I don't know, you tell me. - That's why you came, isn't it?- Yes!
0:14:09 > 0:14:14- Let's say £800 to £1,200 for that. - Really? Golly!
0:14:14 > 0:14:17But I want to talk about this one here.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20It's a little flower head,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24a stylised flower head of opals and diamonds and dementoid garnets,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- which are Russian garnets.- They're not emeralds?- No, green garnets.- Oh.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31They have a grassier green look,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36which harmonises with the colours of the opals better than the emerald.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40But, anyway, a beautiful jewel and, as we can see, at the back,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43you can take this off. Tried that?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I've had it off, yes, I have worn it on a chain.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49And that gives the double function.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53But, anyway, a beautiful thing, and, um...
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I think, let's put that one down at...
0:14:56 > 0:15:01- £1,750 today.- Ooh, golly, very nice! Thank you very much.- A lovely group.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- Thank you for bringing it. - I've enjoyed it, thank you.
0:15:04 > 0:15:11It belonged to my grandmother, but I think it probably belonged to her mother, or her mother before that.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- It probably was.- I think it's been handed down in the family.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20I think it was her mother's mother. It was probably made in about 1780.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Charming. I love the dormer window,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25the architectural purity of that,
0:15:25 > 0:15:30the lattice windows, the sort of cottage Orne-type finish,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and you think perhaps it might be a tea caddy, but lo and behold,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37it's not a tea caddy, it's a workbox,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40lined with this divine apple-green paper,
0:15:40 > 0:15:45with all the little fitments for cottons and thimbles and so on,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49with a detachable tray... I'll ask you to hold that. That's great.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54And then on the side, we've got a secret drawer,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58with a little peg that secures it, which is charming too,
0:15:58 > 0:16:04and some more divisions for cottons underneath. Absolutely original.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09I could take it home with great pleasure. I think it's worth -
0:16:09 > 0:16:14- even in this state - at auction, between £1,000 and £1,500.- Gosh!
0:16:14 > 0:16:18This is fascinating because it's a social little object, I think.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22A little barrage balloon unit by W Britain. In the war,
0:16:22 > 0:16:28these barrage balloons were put up to try and deflect enemy aircraft
0:16:28 > 0:16:32from flying across populated areas. Now, how did you acquire it?
0:16:32 > 0:16:36My parents bought it for me when I was a child.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40It's quite good fun because it's actually a working model.
0:16:40 > 0:16:47You can wind the barrage balloon up and down with the aid of a little crane on the truck there.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51This was made during the war, and I don't think it's very valuable.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55They came in two sizes. The larger version is worth a lot more money.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00You have the smaller version, but in its box, it's worth about £80-£120.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04But thank you very much for bringing it in.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10My grandfather was one of the people who were killed in the German naval bombardment of Hartlepool.
0:17:10 > 0:17:16- He was in the Salvation Army, and this is the piece of shrapnel that killed him.- Oh.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21The family were downstairs getting ready for school,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and my grandfather went upstairs to get something from his office
0:17:25 > 0:17:29and the shell came through the window and exploded
0:17:29 > 0:17:34and the piece of shrapnel entered his head and he died.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38What happened to your grandfather's family after his death?
0:17:38 > 0:17:42My grandmother and the five children were moved down to London,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and the Salvation Army provided her with housing and a job,
0:17:45 > 0:17:52and my mother, along with her four brothers and sisters, grew up in London and met my father down there.
0:17:52 > 0:17:58So had my grandfather not been killed and the family had not moved south, I wouldn't be standing here today.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03And we wouldn't be examining this tragic reminder of that awful event
0:18:03 > 0:18:06- 87 years ago.- Indeed, yes.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10It belongs to my aunty. She bought it at a summer fair for half a crown,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15- 30 years ago, so it's quite old. - And did she buy it for any reason?
0:18:15 > 0:18:19- Well, she actually bought it for her dog to play with because...- What?!
0:18:19 > 0:18:25She bought it for her dog to play with because it used to pinch other babies' toys,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- so she bought it for that.- Is that why this has been eaten away?
0:18:29 > 0:18:32That was done by my dog, not hers,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- when it was a puppy, so...- Ohh!
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- She wasn't too happy about it. - Oh, my goodness! Well...
0:18:39 > 0:18:43he's also got a hole in his ear, where she pulled out the stud.
0:18:43 > 0:18:49She pulled it out cos she thought the dog would swallow it and choke on it.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54And aren't you and she lucky that it only did that damage?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Because...
0:18:56 > 0:18:59this chap is a very, very important bear.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03He's by the firm of Steiff in Germany.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06He has the centre seam here,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10which shows he's one out of seven,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14in other words, they had seven bolts of this lovely mohair plush,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18and every time they came to the end they could make half a teddy,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22so they made six without the seam and one with,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24so he's slightly rarer.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29He's got these boot-button eyes - the original, not eaten by the dog.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Have you any idea what he's worth?
0:19:31 > 0:19:36- None at all.- Well, you'll have to break it to your aunt quite softly,
0:19:36 > 0:19:41because if he were go into a teddy-bear auction,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46he would make in the region of between £3,500 to £4,000.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51£4,000?! You're joking!
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- For a teddy bear?! - For a teddy bear. For a teddy bear.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01These things were brought back by the whaling captains
0:20:01 > 0:20:03in the 18th and early 19th century.
0:20:03 > 0:20:10The north-east coast was one of the great whaling centres of the world, before the Americans came into it,
0:20:10 > 0:20:15Whitby being the chief port. This thing is a sawfish bill,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19not a swordfish - they're not related whatsoever -
0:20:19 > 0:20:23and they're related to sharks, rays and other cartilaginous fishes,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and they are becoming very rare.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30In the 19th century, when whalers were out there, they were common,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and they were brought back as mementos of their travels.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38And this is a remarkably large one. This is called the rostrum,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- and these aren't teeth at all, they're modified scales.- Ah.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46They swim around in muddy water, using this as a probe in the mud
0:20:46 > 0:20:51to find small creatures. Sometimes they impale them on these.
0:20:51 > 0:20:57What intrigues me is how do they get them off, having impaled them six feet in front of them?!
0:20:57 > 0:21:02Anyway, very collectable in the 19th century, and still collectable.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06But the thing you're holding is actually much more interesting.
0:21:06 > 0:21:12- Yes.- It's a more appealing object, to my eye and, um...fascinating.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17It's a narwhal tusk. Another thing that was brought back by whalers.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- Yes.- Now, the great name was...? - Scorsby.
0:21:20 > 0:21:26- Scorsby.- William, father and son. - Captain William Scorsby, father and son, who worked out of Whitby
0:21:26 > 0:21:30in the late 18th, early 19th century, up to the 1820s.
0:21:30 > 0:21:37- It's quite possible that it is this tusk that gave rise to the myth of the unicorn.- The unicorn's horn.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Absolutely. They always have this spiral form.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44The longest known is about... just under nine feet long, I think.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- And this one is...- This is a baby - six foot.- Not a baby, pretty good.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Six foot or thereabouts.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56Now...not antiques, but collectable rare species,
0:21:56 > 0:22:02both of them on the endangered list and certainly shouldn't be caught and fished any more,
0:22:02 > 0:22:07so that gives these things value. How long have you had this?
0:22:07 > 0:22:12I've had them both about three years. They came from a whaling family...
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- Not the Scorsbys? - Unfortunately not.- What a shame.
0:22:15 > 0:22:21Tyneside family. I paid £500 for the bill, £1,000 for the narwhal tusk.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- You've definitely come out on top. - Oh, well, that's good news.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29The bill, probably because of its size,
0:22:29 > 0:22:34is somewhere around the £500, £600, £800 mark,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39- but this is worth probably the best part of £3,000.- Oh, splendid!
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- It's a jolly nice one. - Well worthwhile.- Absolutely.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48It was given to my mother by an old lady that my mother looked after in the 1950s.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I think my mother appreciated what a pretty object it was,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- and that's all I know about it. - Do you keep tea in it?
0:22:56 > 0:23:01I don't do anything with it. It just stands on the piano at home.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- Well, it's a sweet little box, isn't it?- Mmm.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09- You probably know it's made of veneered tortoiseshell.- I guessed.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14In fact, it's turtle shell, but it's still referred to as tortoiseshell.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Made in England.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22Tea was a very valuable commodity in the 18th and the early 19th century, so you've got the lock on the front.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26It dates from around 1840 to 1850,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and the size is still not too large.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32If it was an 18th-century one, it would be smaller.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's got a wonderful little metal escutcheon
0:23:35 > 0:23:41which hasn't had any initials inscribed onto it, and then this white metal stringing runs over it.
0:23:41 > 0:23:47What's nice about the caddy is that it's in good, untouched condition,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and it's been beautifully made.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Tortoiseshell is quite transparent, and this is a lovely pale colour.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59Because it's transparent, you can put different colours underneath it,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02so occasionally you see tortoiseshell
0:24:02 > 0:24:05with a red sort of ground to it, and you get this red glowing through it.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Occasionally, it's blue or green.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13But this is a really good example. It's been kept out of sunlight,
0:24:13 > 0:24:17which can seriously affect its condition over the years.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Another wonderful thing is that the veneers are matched and mirrored,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26so that they're very symmetrical. All a good sign of craftsmanship.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30It's still got its original two divisions -
0:24:30 > 0:24:33they each have turned ivory finials.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Nice to see these because they very often get lost. If we look inside,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40it's got the original zinc lining.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44It's bubbling a little bit and flaking off slightly,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47but good that it's in this untouched condition.
0:24:47 > 0:24:52- The little ball feet - what material are they?- Probably a plated metal,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- rather like the escutcheon on top. - Would that be nickel-plated, or...?
0:24:56 > 0:25:00- Well, it would be silver-plated. - Silver-plated, yes.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01That tarnished,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05- which is why it looks so grey now. - So should they be left or...?
0:25:05 > 0:25:09You could gently clean it, but the problem is
0:25:09 > 0:25:14- some of these bands may spring out. - Best left untouched, then.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- Yes. It hasn't done it any harm for the last few years, has it?- True.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- Did your mother have any idea of what its value might be?- None.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27- What about the lady who gave it to her?- No. She was a schoolteacher,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31and I just think it may have been sort of passed down the family.
0:25:31 > 0:25:37- I don't know much about it.- There's quite a demand for tea caddies in this original condition.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41If you were to put it to auction, which I'm sure you wouldn't do,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44you'd get in the region of...
0:25:44 > 0:25:46£1,200 to £1,800.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Bit of a shock! Didn't expect that much.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54At first glance you might think this is a Winchester repeating rifle,
0:25:54 > 0:25:59but it's actually a rifle made by the Bullard Repeating Arms Company.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- A very rare rifle. Where did you get it?- I bought it two years ago
0:26:03 > 0:26:07at a local arms and militaria fair, locally,
0:26:07 > 0:26:14and the chap said that it didn't need any licence because, um...
0:26:14 > 0:26:18the cartridges are obsolete, it's an obsolete calibre,
0:26:18 > 0:26:23you can't get bullets for it and you haven't been able to for a long time.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28That's right. There's been new Home Office guidance on antique firearms.
0:26:28 > 0:26:34It allows people to own old firearms which are perceived to be no risk to society, without any licensing.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36- Yes.- So that's good.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40- Good.- This is chambered for a very obscure cartridge called the 38.45,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and I've never seen any.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Like most American firearms of the period that were repeaters,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50it relies on a tubular magazine
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and an action which is operated by this lever,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57which runs back, throws the bolt back,
0:26:57 > 0:27:02raises a lifter with a cartridge in it, we pull the lever forwards,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06it rams it home, drops a lifter and the action is then cocked
0:27:06 > 0:27:08and ready to fire.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12- And you could shoot this as quick as you could work that lever.- Yes.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17And it's inspired by the products of Winchester and Benjamin Tyler Henry,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and it was intended as a competitor,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24but regrettably, as a competitor, it failed miserably.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29It was in production from 1886 to 1890.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Really? - And for just those four short years,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37probably no more than 10,000 to 12,000 were made,
0:27:37 > 0:27:42and of this particular model - the small-frame - probably about 500.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Really?- So in terms of mass production of the 19th century,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49it was a drop in the ocean and it's a very rare thing.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51How much did you pay for it?
0:27:51 > 0:27:56I'll have to make sure my wife doesn't watch this bit. Um...£650.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Well, that, I think, was a very good investment,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03and if I can reassure your wife
0:28:03 > 0:28:07- that this would be worth between £1,500 and £2,000 today.- Really?
0:28:07 > 0:28:12Very desirable, and for somebody who collects American firearms
0:28:12 > 0:28:16that would be the sort of thing that somebody would buy.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20- Did you buy these at auction or at a junk shop?- No, no.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25That one was in a backstreet shop, and those were at different fairs.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- So £25 for that. How much for that one?- About £120, I think.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36- £120 for that.- That was about the same for that.- About £120?- Yes.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38- Right, yes.- And I think...
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- about £150.- £150 for this?
0:28:41 > 0:28:44- Yes.- Amazing.- Few years ago, it was.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49Ooh, can I have a go? I see, there are two little figures
0:28:49 > 0:28:52and they go up and down if you hold the bowl,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55from the heat of your hand.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Like those things that measure if you're cold-blooded or passionate.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02In my case, I've been dead for three months!
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Come on... Ah!
0:29:05 > 0:29:08That's more like it - I've come to life!
0:29:08 > 0:29:11This one's lovely - by Henry Brian Ziegler -
0:29:11 > 0:29:14clearly signed, no problem there.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17And he was a kind of contemporary of Winterhalter.
0:29:17 > 0:29:22They were both painters who went around the courts of Europe,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24particularly in England,
0:29:24 > 0:29:29and Ziegler... taught Queen Adelaide how to draw.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32So he was a very well-connected artist,
0:29:32 > 0:29:38and drew the heads of the aristocracy and the royal family of England and of other countries.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42He's got great charm. I like the detail. Worth about...
0:29:42 > 0:29:47- £400 to £600.- Really?!- Quite nice. Yes, would you believe it?- Oh!
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Well, it's charming, you know. Why not?
0:29:50 > 0:29:56It belonged to my mother, and if she was here now, she'd be 105 to 110,
0:29:56 > 0:30:01and when I was that high - perhaps a year old - I can remember that.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05So you think it's somewhat more than 100 years old?
0:30:05 > 0:30:11Definitely. By the look of it, I should think it's as old as Methuselah!
0:30:11 > 0:30:16Well, that's closer because I think it's as old as Oliver Cromwell.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19In 1653, he became Lord Protector of the Realm.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24- Yes. - And it was about this time that this drug jar - that's what it is -
0:30:24 > 0:30:27- was made, probably in London.- Yes.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31And what we have here is "DIAPOMPH",
0:30:31 > 0:30:35which is an abbreviation for the name of the contents.
0:30:35 > 0:30:41This design is absolutely typical - the peacocks and cherubs' heads -
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- typical of the date. Now, it has got a problem.- Yes.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- It's got cracked and chipped here. - Yes, yes.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- But after all, it's 350 years old. - Yes.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55So since you know nothing about it,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59I suppose you've never entertained any idea of its value?
0:30:59 > 0:31:05Well, no, because it's in such bad condition. I just hung on to it because it was Mother's.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Well, it is true that it's a bit of a battered wreck.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12- We can't get round it - it's a nasty crack.- Yes.
0:31:12 > 0:31:18And had it been perfect, I think it might have been worth about £5,000.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23- But I think we're still looking at £2,500 or £3,000.- Oh.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28- Because to find a pot like this... - Yes.- ..350 years old,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- is pretty rare.- Oh! No wonder the doctor wanted it.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37- Every time he came, he wanted it. - Well, doctors collect medical jars.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42- Yes, yes, yes.- Well, he's got a good eye.- I think he has, yes.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45The one I really like is this one.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I think she's so beautifully drawn.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53Now, we're lucky because the artist has signed it
0:31:53 > 0:31:56- in the bottom right. Did you know that?- No.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01But you can read it with a magnifying glass - "Adam Buck".
0:32:01 > 0:32:05He's an Irish miniaturist, who was born in Dublin in the 18th century,
0:32:05 > 0:32:10and came to London about the turn of the 18th-19th century,
0:32:10 > 0:32:16and he was very interested in, and inspired by, Grecian vases.
0:32:16 > 0:32:22You can see that this girl has got her hair up in a very Grecian way.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26She looks like a head straight off a Grecian vase, I think.
0:32:26 > 0:32:32He drew the image on the ivory upon which most miniatures are painted,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35with very fine pencil, really quite careful drawing,
0:32:35 > 0:32:41and then using a series of very fine watercolour washes, extremely fine,
0:32:41 > 0:32:47would build up the face - very, very delicate. That's his hallmark -
0:32:47 > 0:32:51you always know an Adam Buck by the delicacy of those washes.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56He would neglect the background - it was the head he was interested in.
0:32:56 > 0:33:02Now, I think a miniature of this quality, an autographed miniature by Adam Buck,
0:33:02 > 0:33:06is worth about £800 to £1,200.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11That's a surprise!
0:33:11 > 0:33:15Well, my grandfather was in the British Embassy in 1900
0:33:15 > 0:33:20- during the famous 55-day siege of Peking.- Oh?- The Boxer Uprising.
0:33:20 > 0:33:26And, as you probably know, the Western Forces were besieged by the Chinese in the legation quarter,
0:33:26 > 0:33:32and a military party was sent from Ting Hsien on the coast, to relieve the garrisons.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35They had some artillery with them
0:33:35 > 0:33:40and one of the cannons shot a shell outside the legation area,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46and it blew up the statue of Buddha and out of the base fluttered what looked like brown paper pieces,
0:33:46 > 0:33:52and my grandfather collected these together, gave them to the ambassador and was allowed to keep one of them,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55and this is what he kept.
0:33:55 > 0:34:01It's an example of some of the first paper currency anywhere in the world.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05The very first paper currency was discovered by Marco Polo in Cathay -
0:34:05 > 0:34:07the Chinese called it "flying money".
0:34:07 > 0:34:13- But this is Ming dynasty "Son Of Flying Money"!- Yes! It's a wonderful size, isn't it?
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Because there's a clue to its contemporary value, because here,
0:34:17 > 0:34:22we have little bundles of coins tied through the centre,
0:34:22 > 0:34:27so this is a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 - it's a ten unit...
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- You didn't need to be able to read in order to know what it was worth.- No.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35The print would have been a wood block. On the back there's a seal...
0:34:35 > 0:34:41Yes, it's the Emperor's crimson seal which was applied by hand when the banknotes were issued.
0:34:41 > 0:34:48It not only authenticated it, it also made it the Emperor's personal property,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52- which accounts for the interesting message on the front.- Basically -
0:34:52 > 0:34:59- "Don't reproduce this money or you'll lose your head!"- Yes, decapitation was worse than dying
0:34:59 > 0:35:05because without the head, the spirit wandered through the universe, never reuniting with the soul in heaven,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09so decapitation was a punishment for forging banknotes.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- Something that the Bank of England might take seriously.- That's right!
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Now, what have we got here?
0:35:16 > 0:35:22Well, this is my father's Chinese passport. It was issued to Captain James Kilburn in 1926.
0:35:22 > 0:35:30It authorised him to travel anywhere in China. It was a means of living his life with my mother and sister -
0:35:30 > 0:35:32this was in 1927 before I was born,
0:35:32 > 0:35:39and this was a period when the Chinese Communists were trying to take over the country,
0:35:39 > 0:35:44and there were skirmishes between the Communists and the Nationalists,
0:35:44 > 0:35:48and my parents were in a small town called Ting Hsien, north of Peking.
0:35:48 > 0:35:56There'd been some nationalist defeat and the only transport was a train commanded by a Nationalist general,
0:35:56 > 0:36:03who my father heard was coming south towards the city on the way to Peking, so my father hijacked a car,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07and drove it out of the town with my mother and my six-month-old sister,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11parked it along the railway track and stood in front of it
0:36:11 > 0:36:16and held this up to the advancing train and shouted, "Stop, stop!"
0:36:16 > 0:36:23Fortunately, the train did stop, he was taken on board, was taken before the general and he said to him,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26"I'm a British army officer.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31"There will be the most severe trouble if you don't see that me and my family are rescued."
0:36:31 > 0:36:37So the general said to him, "You can travel on the train if you can get on it."
0:36:37 > 0:36:43- That wasn't so easy because the roof and sides of the train were covered with soldiers hanging on.- Indeed.
0:36:43 > 0:36:49So they had to push my mother bodily through the window of one compartment and throw in my six-month-old sister,
0:36:49 > 0:36:54and my father had to stand on the running board and cling on.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57In this way, they set out to cover 50 miles to Peking.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02- Such a wonderful piece with such an interesting history.- Indeed, yes.
0:37:02 > 0:37:08Once again, it's printed and certain parts of it would have had signatures -
0:37:08 > 0:37:11this hand-drawn signature here and so on,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14so it's a lovely contemporary thing for your...
0:37:14 > 0:37:17- It's part of my family history.- Yes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19This is going to be worth
0:37:19 > 0:37:22maybe £100, £150,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26and the banknote - £400, £500, something like that.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30- But it's not the value that matters. - Oh, I would never part with them.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34- It's part of the family history. - Without them, you wouldn't be here!
0:37:34 > 0:37:38- Oh, no.- Thank you very much. - It's a pleasure.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42- WM Simpson of Darlington - do you know those makers?- No, no.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Well, I tell you, in all the years I've done the Roadshow -
0:37:46 > 0:37:5224 years - this is the first time I've had a piece of furniture which is local to the show.
0:37:52 > 0:37:59- Is that right?- Wonderful. And it is late 19th century...- Mmm.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02..but of the most superb quality.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06We tend to forget how huge the mansions were, all over England,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10but particularly in the north of England. Vast libraries were built
0:38:10 > 0:38:14for people who were bibliophiles,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and this is a fitment from such a library.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22There's two of them - there's one at the back - it almost matches,
0:38:22 > 0:38:29but it's as if the man had his collection and it enlarged and he wanted another piece to fit in,
0:38:29 > 0:38:33so he gradually filled the library with pieces like this.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38They're all made by the same company. Later on, this was added,
0:38:38 > 0:38:46and there's another one at the back, and there might have been 4 or 6 of these, of which these were salvaged.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Now, how did you come by them?
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Well, a colleague of mine bought a rather large house in Park Row,
0:38:53 > 0:38:57and he found this in the coal cellar and he offered it to me.
0:38:57 > 0:39:03- Right.- So I cleaned it up, and I use it for different cabinets.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07What we can tell about the man is that not only did he collect books,
0:39:07 > 0:39:11but he also collected manuscripts or objects that went with the books
0:39:11 > 0:39:15- because you have a glass top on all of them.- Oh, yes.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Normally, a library bookcase would have a solid top.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24You'd bring out the book, you'd put it up here to read.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28This obviously surrounded a library table or desk to put the books,
0:39:28 > 0:39:34- so you could still see the items in here.- So that's the idea of the glass?- Absolutely.- Oh, good.
0:39:34 > 0:39:41- These come from a separate bit of furniture because, originally, this wouldn't have been on glass.- No, no.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44So we shall never know where these come from. These are later.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Let's look down here.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51This is superb. This is almost certainly machine-carved -
0:39:51 > 0:39:56on a jig - which means not that the man didn't operate it by hand,
0:39:56 > 0:40:02but that he made several at the same time, so this exactly matches that.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- So these are all identical? - Absolutely.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09All identical pieces. Now, what ISN'T identical
0:40:09 > 0:40:13is the quality of that work with the quality of this, which is looser.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17- Yes.- Slightly less crisp.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22The wood is the same, the wood is perfectly matching,
0:40:22 > 0:40:28but the quality of the construction and the quality of the carving is slightly less.
0:40:28 > 0:40:34So this might have been made a few months later, by a different man in the same workshop.
0:40:34 > 0:40:41So what we've got left is a fraction of what there must have been. Goodness knows where the rest went,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45but so much was demolished in the 1950s and '60s. It's wonderful.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50Here I think it's a good opportunity to perhaps explain the difference
0:40:50 > 0:40:56between the values that we give. I'm going to tell you what this would cost to replace.
0:40:56 > 0:41:02So to make, or to replace, a pair of cabinets of this quality
0:41:02 > 0:41:06would cost in the region of £2,500 to £3,000 - each cabinet.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10That's as a piece of furniture, not as an antique, it's just as it is.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14This quality, this timber is marvellous.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18These pair of cabinets on top - slightly less expensive to make -
0:41:18 > 0:41:21and/or find and replace,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24but round about £1,500 to £2,000 each.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29That's what it would cost you if you wanted to replace that with new,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32or replace it second-hand, whatever.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36You wouldn't get that if you tried to sell it,
0:41:36 > 0:41:42because that would mean you'd have to find somebody who NEEDS this object,
0:41:42 > 0:41:47- so you'd get approximately half the insurance value.- Yes.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52The difference between being in the finding, the profit for the auctioneer or the dealer,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56it's the difference between purchase and sale,
0:41:56 > 0:42:03and so if you wanted to sell it, you could safely say that you would get in the region of £4,000.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07- If you want to replace - the best part of £8,000.- Yes.- All right?- Yes.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- Thank you.- They're wonderful.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14It's historically so interesting and wonderful to see, at long last,
0:42:14 > 0:42:18- a piece of local furniture. Thank you.- Can I shake your hand?
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- Of course.- Thank you.- Not at all.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Well, I must pay tribute to the fortitude of Hartlepudlians
0:42:24 > 0:42:29because today they've queued around the block in all kinds of weather
0:42:29 > 0:42:37and it's been heartening to watch them come inside and change colour from blue to a rosy shade of pink.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42It's been a most rewarding day, so until next time, from Hartlepool, goodbye.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd