0:00:28 > 0:00:30According to one description,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34this venue is half in Lancashire and half in Fairyland.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37In fact, we're in Clitheroe, in the beautiful Ribble Valley,
0:00:37 > 0:00:42where men are men, women are women, and rocks are limestone,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45which is perfect for preserving old fossils.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48One miracle that sprang from here
0:00:48 > 0:00:53was TV, film and radio entertainer, Jimmy Clitheroe - The Clitheroe Kid.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02This cafe preserves the image of the Kid, who, at 4'3",
0:01:02 > 0:01:05could hardly reach the microphone
0:01:05 > 0:01:08for his BBC shows in the '50s and '60s.
0:01:08 > 0:01:14- RECORDING: What are you doing? - Spring cleaning, ma'am.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17- What? At the end of August? - I'm a slow worker. - LAUGHTER
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'Oh, I loved him. I once met him.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23He used to have a hotel, I think,
0:01:23 > 0:01:28near Blackpool, cos he offered me a job if I wanted to work for him.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33He holds the record for the most appearances at Blackpool in a summer show.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38He'd have six chips. If you gave him seven, he'd get upset.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42I didn't know him. I knew his aunts.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52This cement quarry is as big as the town itself.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56You could say it's one of the most established museums in the world.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00It was around here that local fossil hunter, Stanley Westhead,
0:02:00 > 0:02:06found two exciting new species that were actually 350 million years old.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Here's some of his famous crinoids.
0:02:08 > 0:02:14If you look closely, you can see an original Jimmy Clitheroe script
0:02:14 > 0:02:16in amazingly good condition.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22Just down the road is what is known, in geological and educational terms, as the "Elementary Period".
0:02:25 > 0:02:28A pupil at Stonyhurst College in 1868
0:02:28 > 0:02:30was a certain Arthur Conan Doyle.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35A contemporary of young Arthur's was a boy named Patrick Sherlock,
0:02:35 > 0:02:40and there were two brothers named, wait for it, Moriarty.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Doyle complained that local hounds kept him awake at night,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and, interestingly, the college is a dead ringer
0:02:47 > 0:02:50for the fictional Baskerville Hall.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54'But we mustn't get overexcited
0:02:54 > 0:02:56'or we'll have to call Dr Watson.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58'So, off to Rowfield Leisure Centre,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- 'to test our experts' powers of deduction.'- A nice Minton vase.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10- You bought most of this on the Internet?- Yes.- How?
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Er, searching on the web for Satsuma Oriental pottery,
0:03:14 > 0:03:19finding them listed on various auction sites, and placing a bid.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21How long have you been doing it?
0:03:21 > 0:03:25- About 18 months. - And you've managed to put together
0:03:25 > 0:03:29a very interesting sample of Satsuma ware.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34- How do you know that what you see is what you'll get?- Well, you don't.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I've always been a gambler, so you do take a slight chance.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41But most sellers photograph their wares well.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45You get an indication from that how good something is.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50Have you had any unpleasant surprises when the box that you've bid for...?
0:03:50 > 0:03:55- When it arrives through the post...? - Yes.- I mean, a ceramics nightmare?
0:03:55 > 0:04:00- Have you had unpleasant surprises? - Only one or two over the years.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- A couple of damages, but I've had my money back.- Really?- Yes.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08That's amazing! What world area are we talking about?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Where have they all come from?
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Well, they've come from New Zealand, Australia and Florida, New York...
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Those are mostly the places they've come from.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- Do you have any favourite pieces? - This box is my very favourite.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- The other's a close second.- Yeah.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30I always like things that I find attractive.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34This particular piece was listed...
0:04:34 > 0:04:35I felt that the scene on the top
0:04:35 > 0:04:40was particularly fine, and although there was damage on one of the feet,
0:04:40 > 0:04:47- I felt it was worth taking a chance. - How much did you pay? - With the restoration - £650.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52If there is a common theme... Obviously, it's all Satsuma ware.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57It obviously all dates to the 1890-1920 period.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02- You seem to be good at buying pieces with well-painted human figures.- Yes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07- This is my favourite.- I love that as well.- When did you buy this?
0:05:07 > 0:05:09About, um, four or five months ago.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- And where did it come from? - That came from Florida as well.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17The thing that's nice about this is it's got these very thick enamels.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20In particular, this very thick blue,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23with thick red and raised gilding.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27You can actually feel the coils of this dragon
0:05:27 > 0:05:32as he goes in and out of these beautiful blue clouds.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36His head is somewhere here. I love it. I think it's great.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38An incense burner... There he is.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43An auspicious dragon with the top beautifully pierced.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45If we turn him upside down,
0:05:45 > 0:05:52- there's the signature, fortunately intact, with the Satsuma mon.- Yes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- Tell me again, you paid...? - 1,100, with the shipping.- 1,100.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01Well, it's these slightly earlier, circa-1880 pieces of Satsuma,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05these thick blue enamels which I personally prefer,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09and which tend to be more expensive in the marketplace
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- than run-of-the-mill Satsuma.- Yes.
0:06:11 > 0:06:17- This is worth a bit more than you paid for it, if you put it up for auction.- Yes.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20You could get £1,500-£2,500 for it at auction.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26The name I want you to look for when browsing the Internet - it'll be the great trophy of all -
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- will be the magical name of Yabu Meizan.- Yes.
0:06:30 > 0:06:37- One day, you will open that packet and see a Yabu Meizan signature.- Yes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Then we're talking thousands of pounds.- Yes.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- So, not bad for 18 months. Well done.- Thank you.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48- A pair of whatnots. Curious word, isn't it?- It is.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- Do you know the origins of it? - Um, actually, no.- No.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- I mean, really, they are etagere. - Yes.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Um, stages, platforms, and were developed
0:06:59 > 0:07:03in the latter part of the 18th century from France.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Then, during the 19th century,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10they became multi-formed with columns in every shape and size,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13particularly by the 1860s, 1870s.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17In the 1880s they started to get very much more elegant.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19A renaissance of classical style
0:07:19 > 0:07:23came in and superb quality whatnots developed, like this.
0:07:23 > 0:07:29I think the name came from someone asking, "Where shall I put this?"
0:07:29 > 0:07:31They'd say, "Put it on the whatnot."
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- And the name stuck.- Yes. - I can think of no other reason.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Now, this very style is typical
0:07:38 > 0:07:44of the makers of the 1870s, 1880s - the top quality -
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Crace and Son, Holland and Son, and, of course, Gillows.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54And they followed this line of ebony and a strong contrasting timber.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Then you'll see here, outside this, framing it,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00is this strong black ebony colour,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and then this beaded edge, which actually sparkles.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09The note of quality is the amount of it there is round all the edges.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Another piece of quality are two drawers in each.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18Usually one in the base or the top, but one each end is pretty good.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24And nice to see the original little knobs with their carved wood fascia.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29When we open the drawer, there you are - Gillow & Co.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32The magic name. The magic name.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37If you pull them together, there are just slight differences in the pattern.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41There you have a plain groove or a reed.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Here, you have a little heart shape at the top.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48- There's a slight difference in the size of the feet.- Yes.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51So, not quite a matched pair.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57Gillows had innumerable differences, slight differences in their patterns.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02It really, to all intents and purposes, matters not.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Now, any maker's name on a piece of furniture adds to the value -
0:09:07 > 0:09:10the historical and monetary value.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12In this case, of course - Gillows -
0:09:12 > 0:09:17probably the greatest increase in any name on a piece of furniture,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19certainly of the 19th century.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- Have you had these a long time? - No, we've had them for three years.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- Really?- Yes. We saw them in an antique shop.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30We thought they looked neat and well-proportioned,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33then realised they were Gillow.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35We thought they were attractive.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Oh, they're charming. They're as good as you'll see.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41If we take this little piece here.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44That would cost today
0:09:44 > 0:09:49in the region of probably £4,500 to £5,000,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51without the name on.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56With the Gillows name - double...at £9,000.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58A pair, even a matched pair,
0:09:58 > 0:10:03would be certainly £22,000.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08- Gosh.- They are so desirable. They're so fashionable.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- These are ideal pieces of furniture. - Wow! That's amazing.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15You bought extremely well.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19I saw it in an antique shop two years ago and went in each Saturday
0:10:19 > 0:10:22thinking whether to buy him or not,
0:10:22 > 0:10:27and then one Saturday I went in and he said, "He's no longer for sale."
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Anyway, he reappeared six weeks ago, so I bought it immediately.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36You bought her thinking she was...? What was she described as?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- We think it's a Steiff.- Right.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44- About 70 years old, I was told, and that's all I know.- Right, OK.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50- She is... Do you know what she's made out of?- No.- What is she made out of?
0:10:50 > 0:10:56She's covered in a material called mohair, which is this furry material,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and you can feel she's quite hard. Any ideas what might...?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- Straw?- It's a sort of straw, but made out of wood.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08It's like wood straw. It's thicker than wood wool.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11That's what she's stuffed with,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14which gives her a very firm solid feel to her.
0:11:14 > 0:11:20Let's look at this button, which is what everybody looks for,
0:11:20 > 0:11:26and in the ear there there's this very nice nickel-plated button saying Steiff.
0:11:26 > 0:11:33What I particularly like about Steiff elephants is it goes back to the history of Steiff.
0:11:33 > 0:11:41When Margaret Steiff started business in 1877, the first thing she made was a little elephant pin cushion.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45So... Although they're perhaps best known for their teddy bears,
0:11:45 > 0:11:50the elephant is very important in the history of Steiff.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54The buttons changed over the years, and are a good indication for dating.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00This particular style of button didn't come in until about 1952.
0:12:00 > 0:12:07- Oh, right. - And was used from then for about 25 years up until about 1977.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11The other thing that would indicate it's a later date is the wheels,
0:12:11 > 0:12:16and these are solid wheels which are painted.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20The earlier Steiff animals that you pulled along
0:12:20 > 0:12:23had cast-iron wheels which were usually spoked.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28So that's another good way of checking the date.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33She's in nice condition and she's got this, um, pull.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34- Does she make a noise?- Indeed.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38LOW GROAN Well, was that you(?)
0:12:38 > 0:12:43- Was that you or the elephant(?) - I blame the elephant.- It's rude.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48- Perhaps the person who made the box inside...- Had a sense of humour.
0:12:48 > 0:12:56Or didn't know what an elephant sounded like, but very good to have something to blame perhaps.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02- So, now we need to talk about the price, because you paid...? - I paid £650.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Well, I don't think you've got a bargain.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- No.- But you probably paid the right shop price.
0:13:09 > 0:13:16- An auction price would be less. The thing is you bought it as something you liked.- That's right.
0:13:16 > 0:13:23- Maybe by the time Charlotte's as ancient as we are... - She'll benefit?- She'll benefit.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- Well, thanks for bringing it in. - Thank you.
0:13:26 > 0:13:34My father was a watchmaker and jeweller, and he bought it off somebody about 40 years ago.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's always been a prize possession,
0:13:36 > 0:13:42and when my dad passed away, I inherited it and I think it's wonderful.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I quite agree. It is absolutely stunning. Do you know who made it?
0:13:46 > 0:13:51- I think it's Liberty. - It is, indeed, and we've got
0:13:51 > 0:13:54the mark of Liberty & Co just there,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59but, beyond that, do you know who designed it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Um, I can't actually remember. I have had a look in my Liberty book at home.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- It's not Archibald Knox, is it? - It is.- Oh, is it? Oh, right.
0:14:07 > 0:14:13- It is Archibald Knox and this...- Oh! - ..makes it important.- Does it?- Yes.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16It's a wonderful piece of Knox ware.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19In fact, we've got there the Cymric mark,
0:14:19 > 0:14:25which you get with the early Liberty silver and particularly designed by Archibald Knox.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29But this design, with the circular foot,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32almost like a doughnut, really,
0:14:32 > 0:14:39but with the four plants growing up supporting the bowl, it works so beautifully.
0:14:39 > 0:14:46Of course, these are marvellous stylised plants and Archibald Knox was so important to Art Nouveau.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48He is internationally important.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54- Do you know the date of it? - Um, is it 19...? Early 20th century?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56You're absolutely... It is...
0:14:56 > 0:15:02- Actually, it's the last year of the 19th century. It is 1900.- Oh, right.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06What's lovely at this period - the use of these cabochon stones.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11But an absolutely stunning piece of Knox ware,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and, of course, Knox is highly sought after.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20I would say, at auction, you'd have to reckon
0:15:20 > 0:15:25an estimate probably of about £6,000 to £7,000.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31- Right, OK.- And insure for probably £10,000-£12,000.
0:15:31 > 0:15:38- Right, I was thinking about £800, something like that.- I'll give you that for it at this instant!
0:15:38 > 0:15:43- (Oh, my God!)- No, I don't think you should take £800.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- So £6,000 or £7,000 is what I'd say. - Right, OK.
0:15:47 > 0:15:54- I assume the ball comes out, rolls round, and I catch it. - Catch it in the basket.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- Right.- You take your prize if it goes...
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Put the money in, then. Let's have a go.- OK.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03..Right, here it comes.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- ..Yes, I've won!- You've got it.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10- Where is my prize?- I haven't got tickets to put in the tube.- Right.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- This is a penny arcade machine.- Yes.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19- It's actually quite a rare machine. - Is it? Oh.- This is called The Clown.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25There's a little plate there, you can see, with a licence number which says The Clown.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29In fact, it's a very early machine. It was made in around about 1910.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- Oh?- It has a lot of early features.
0:16:32 > 0:16:40- It's velvet lined and has these little gilt spandrels, which are very Victorian-Edwardian.- Yeah.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46- So, how do you come to have this? - Well, it was rescued from a bonfire.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- Right.- And, er, my son helped me, and we took it and reconditioned it.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55I can see the brass has been cleaned, and the clown repainted,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- and that is a factor in determining the price.- I see.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02I've seen these make as much as £1,000 at auction.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07In this condition this is going to be worth around about £700-£900.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- Is it?- It's a rare machine
0:17:10 > 0:17:17- Obviously, it gives you pleasure. - Yes, especially the grandchildren. - Good. Thanks for bringing it.- OK.
0:17:17 > 0:17:24- These are interesting. I'd guess they're belt buckles. Am I right? - I think so.- Where are they from?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Well, they were presented to my great-great-grandfather,
0:17:27 > 0:17:32who was the strongest man in England in 1861.
0:17:32 > 0:17:39Um, I think those were following an exhibition he did before the Queen in Holland Park, London.
0:17:39 > 0:17:46He died aged 47, in 1870, um, but he was very well-known for Indian club-swinging,
0:17:46 > 0:17:53which apparently was a keep-fit fad from the mid-1800s to about 1930s.
0:17:53 > 0:18:00I gather he saw the Lord Mayor's Procession in London, saw an Indian doing it,
0:18:00 > 0:18:05and decided he'd like to do it, and was eventually swinging clubs that came up to chest height.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11- Was he a big man?- I don't know. I have a sketch of him and a photograph, but that's all.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- He doesn't look massively powerful. - No!
0:18:14 > 0:18:18The hands are strong. Did you inherit his strength?
0:18:18 > 0:18:26No, I wish I had, but, er, I think his son inherited some of it - the youngest they called Samson.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31I think he and another brother did Indian club swinging for a while.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33How did you get them?
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- A friend bought them and I like the simple things they're doing.- Yeah.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41- Um...- They are very nice. Lovely.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46I'd guess they're Northern French, probably 1920, individually painted.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51Some of them are monogrammed. Have you spotted any monograms?
0:18:51 > 0:18:58- That one there. Well done. How much did you pay? - We paid £50 or £80.- £80?- Yes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03- That's OK.- I thought £5 for a hand-painted tile was what you pay nowadays.- Absolutely.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07INAUDIBLE SPEECH
0:19:07 > 0:19:12It was left to me by my mother, and she was left it by her great-aunt.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18- Did the great-aunt tell her anything about it?- Not as far as I know, no.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23My mother thought it was Persian. Somebody then said it was Japanese.
0:19:23 > 0:19:30- Yeah.- I think she had it valued a few years ago, but I just want to know more about it, really.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36With the original owner, was there any connection with the Far East?
0:19:36 > 0:19:39A connection with India, but not with, as far as I know, with Japan.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43- When were the connections with India?- 1842.- Right.
0:19:43 > 0:19:49- Well, this goes back some way before that.- Yes.- It actually is Japanese,
0:19:49 > 0:19:54and the type of ware is called Namban lacquer.
0:19:54 > 0:20:01It's actually made for export, but in the late 16th and 17th centuries, when this type of thing was made.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07No doubt it could filter its way over South East Asia, into India, and then here.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09But they're very scarce.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13It's a spectacular piece of furniture.
0:20:13 > 0:20:21It would've came from Japan filled with something. When it got here... Was there any other piece of this?
0:20:21 > 0:20:27- There is a base, but I think that was made separately. It sits on it, but it's a different style.- Right.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32A lot of these came in, not necessarily this form,
0:20:32 > 0:20:39but a lot came in and were mounted on English and Continental bases, so that's quite standard.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41They wouldn't have made this in Japan with the base.
0:20:41 > 0:20:49It's densely decorated, painted in lacquer, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, with all this geometry down here,
0:20:49 > 0:20:55- and these nice ogival panels up here. These are auspicious and have a meaning.- Oh?
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- The crane here symbolised longevity. - Yeah?
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I can't remember the exact meaning of the hare,
0:21:02 > 0:21:09which brings me in here, which is done in a slightly different style, but you have the two hares.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13I know they have a positive iconography about them,
0:21:13 > 0:21:21but this is a marvellous example of this rare material, and...it's quite valuable.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Although the Japanese market's fluctuated recently,
0:21:24 > 0:21:29this would certainly make between £15,000 and £20,000 at auction.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- Maybe even more, I don't know.- Yeah.
0:21:32 > 0:21:38- It's not going to be sold, though. - Good.- I'm keeping it. - Very exciting.- Thank you.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- Who was George? Or is George the name of the car?- He was my father.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Who the car belonged to. It was kept in the bottom of the wardrobe,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and I used to get it out, play with it, put it back,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and they always said it belonged to my father. It was Dad's.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57He got it when he was a boy, so I guess it's about 70 years old.
0:21:57 > 0:22:04Right. Well, there's no discerning mark on it that tells me immediately who made this.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It's German, I know that.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11In the early 1900s, the Germans were the biggest manufacturer of toys
0:22:11 > 0:22:15and they exported in huge quantities to the UK.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16This is a very fine quality toy.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21What's nice about it is that he, and then subsequently you,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23played with it very carefully.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26There are some features that I quite like about it.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29First of all, it's got a handbrake here, at the side.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33And also here, it's got a little adjustable window
0:22:33 > 0:22:36that can open and close,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39so the front windscreen can actually hinge up and down.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42In old cars they didn't have windscreen wipers,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46so if started to rain, and the chauffeur couldn't see out -
0:22:46 > 0:22:48he was sitting out in the cold, anyway -
0:22:48 > 0:22:52so he'd just winch up the windscreen and got even colder and wetter.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57So that's a nice feature that a car of that period would have had.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02And then two great acetylene lamps in the front.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05They didn't have electric lamps in those days,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09they were gas lamps, illuminated so that they could see at night.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13So these features are extraordinarily nice and very rare.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17And also... If I could turn it round...
0:23:17 > 0:23:22the liveried chauffeur here at the side.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27Those were the days when you didn't have to drive yourself, but your chauffeur drove for you.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30It's probably by a company called Distler,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33or it could be a company called Karl Bub.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Distler certainly had this adjustable windscreen.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40So it's one of those two. They both were manufacturers in Nuremberg.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44And I think the date is about...1920,
0:23:44 > 0:23:49so that puts it at 80 to 85 years old.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54- So do you know when he was born? - Well, he will be 84, so...
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- So he must have got it as a very small child.- Yes.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- So he got it new, in this box. - That's right, yes.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- And they've always stayed together. - Yes.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05What I'd like you to do, the next generation,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08when you find out a bit more about it,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11just put that as a label inside the box,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14so people down the line will know exactly who it belonged to.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18So often these things appear and one doesn't know the history behind them.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22This has a full history. Like when you buy a car you want the history,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25when you buy a toy, you want the full history as well.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30- Have you had it valued it all?- No. I've never asked anybody about it.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35- At auction you could expect to get between £1,500 and £2,000.- Great.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37And maybe a bit more for insurance.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44- Madam Mayor, a great privilege to see you, and to meet you.- Thank you.
0:24:44 > 0:24:51I must say, however elegant and interesting the table is, it's eclipsed by that medallion.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53It's wonderful and Queen Victoria...
0:24:53 > 0:25:01- It was presented for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.- How wonderful! - So it's a privilege to wear it.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05Now, first glance, it looks like a very interesting breakfast table
0:25:05 > 0:25:13from about 1830, maybe before. We need to sit down and look at the base together.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17These are the things that we date it from and give it a provenance.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21This type of triple moulding, on a platform such as this,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25with a leg springing from each corner
0:25:25 > 0:25:31is typical Northern Counties or Scotland from 1820-1840.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36- OK?- Yes.- The fact that it has this superb quality timber,
0:25:36 > 0:25:43and it has carved wooden claws rather than the brass ones,
0:25:43 > 0:25:48does indicate a slightly later date, so we'll go for slightly post-1830.
0:25:48 > 0:25:55The column is fantastic, with a beautiful baluster shape, so it fits together nicely.
0:25:55 > 0:26:01The next thing we'd date it by is the apron - this skirt around under the top.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05That appeared after 1810, not before.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10An 18th-century one would've had no skirt, but a moulded edge like that.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14So, all is well, and it should tip up.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- This is where the test comes... - It does tip up.- ..because...
0:26:18 > 0:26:23We can stand up here if you'd like to get up.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Now, it doesn't stand up. It doesn't tilt to the upright.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It doesn't, because it's hitting
0:26:31 > 0:26:35the knee of that curl of that leg.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40An original table would've stood up, so we have to look at the frame,
0:26:40 > 0:26:45- and here you can see this is a totally new piece of wood.- Yes.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51These are totally new tenon joints, and these are also new rails.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So you've got an old top being re-railed,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and that is a new...
0:26:57 > 0:27:01quite soft-timbered platform.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04So, we have an old base
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and an old top
0:27:07 > 0:27:11put together, at a later date, with a new frame.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16That could've happened for several reasons - they weren't satisfactory.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Big tables, because the weight is on that tiny centre part,
0:27:20 > 0:27:25were often rickety and so forth, and they broke, so they made a new one.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- I see here it says, "Clitheroe Town Mayor's Parlour".- That's right.
0:27:30 > 0:27:36- So how do you use the table? - Well...- For breakfast?- No.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40The table stands in the hallway of the town hall,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44and we display leaflets and anything that comes in -
0:27:44 > 0:27:51councillor's notes and letters, and, should we have a raffle, the prizes are placed on the table.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53It's never been anything special.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57As long as it's being used, it doesn't matter.
0:27:57 > 0:28:04It's not being abused and it's never going to be turned up, so what I've told you is purely academic.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10However, in terms of antiques, it's probably better that it's like this,
0:28:10 > 0:28:16because if this were good and original, it's probably into £10,000-£12,000.
0:28:16 > 0:28:23- As it is, it's nearer probably £2,000-£2,500, which is the price of a modern table.- Nice.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25So you can use it and enjoy it.
0:28:25 > 0:28:31- And still put the raffle prizes on it.- Yes.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Was this a lucky purchase for you?
0:28:33 > 0:28:40Well, my wife bought it, er, for her mother in Nelson over 20 years ago.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45- It had plastic flowers in it, and she paid £3.50 for it.- £3.50?- Yeah.
0:28:45 > 0:28:51- That was good. What did you do with the plastic flowers? - Oh, they still get put in it.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56- You, of course, recognised the mark immediately, did you?- No, I didn't.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59- I didn't like it at first. - Did you not?- No, no.
0:28:59 > 0:29:05It's wonderful. If we look at the marks - "Bizarre, Clarice Cliff".
0:29:05 > 0:29:12Clarice Cliff was one of the great designers who starts up in the 1929 period.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17During the early '30s, she's one of the world's greatest designers.
0:29:17 > 0:29:25She worked for Wilkinsons, and the proprietor of the Wilkinsons factory was a man called Colley Shorter.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29There is one pattern Clarice Cliff did called the "Secrets" pattern,
0:29:29 > 0:29:34which includes a little cottage such as the one you've got here.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39That's where they'd tryst - Clarice Cliff and Colley Shorter.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43But there are all sorts of variations on that pattern,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47and they're extremely sought after, these pieces.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51So, £3.50 - 22 years ago. What do you think it's worth now?
0:29:51 > 0:29:57- I haven't a clue.- You haven't...? - I thought it might be a few hundred.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02- Um, well...- Guessing.- Nearer to £800 to £1,200 for this.- You're joking?!
0:30:02 > 0:30:07It's a sought-after shape and very exciting to see, so thank you.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11- Great! I like it better now. - LAUGHTER
0:30:11 > 0:30:16My friend asked us to get a valuation on it over a year ago,
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- and we only got a valuation of £50, and I felt it was worth more.- Hmm.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24When I heard you were coming, I said I'd bring it in.
0:30:24 > 0:30:30Well, it's very kind of you. It's a wonderful big knife.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35Very typical of Victorian knives that were produced in Sheffield.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38It's made by G Butlers of Sheffield,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41and its trademark's name is the Cavendish.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45It has a saw, for use on wood or bone.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48If you'd been hunting you'd saw through bone.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53We move round. There's a button-hook to do your boots up or your spats.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58Further round here there's a wickedly pointed thing - an awl,
0:30:58 > 0:31:02which you'd use for boring holes in or whatever.
0:31:02 > 0:31:10- Further round - a hoof pick.- Right. - For removing clag from the horse's hoof.- I didn't know what that was.
0:31:10 > 0:31:16Most important on any knife, here is the good old corkscrew.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19And then we move into the detail.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24- You've got things you'd expect on most penknives.- Yes.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29But, down here... Voila! A pair of tweezers, and...
0:31:29 > 0:31:37- A bodkin.- Right.- You could sew with that or do anything with it. It takes splinters out of thumbs.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40And then last, and perhaps most interesting,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43is this little thing here,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47which is made between two pieces of tortoiseshell.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52- That's a little surgical lancet. - Right.- You do what you like with it.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56It all fits into this wonderful combination tool.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00You could be confident that you'd have a tool for every job.
0:32:00 > 0:32:06It is literally the ancestor of the Swiss army knife and the multi-tools of today.
0:32:06 > 0:32:14- Now you wanted a valuation. Well, I think that it is worth between £750 and £1,000.- Right.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Oh!
0:32:16 > 0:32:21He got it... I think he got it with some cutlery in a cutlery drawer.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23So I think he'll be very pleased.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27I fell in love with the Scottish colourists.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31- I was introduced to them by a friend in Scotland.- Yes.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35- I love them - the Hunters, the Cadell and the Peploe.- Yes.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39I just fell in love with this painting when I saw it.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44Well, I've long admired Peploe and the other colourists, too,
0:32:44 > 0:32:49and the Glasgow colourists were amazingly advanced for their time.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54They'd been to France and seen the impressionists, postimpressionists,
0:32:54 > 0:32:57imbibed that, taken it back to Scotland,
0:32:57 > 0:33:03and they were far in advance of what English painters were doing then.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08This is a typical work by him. It's quite restrained.
0:33:08 > 0:33:14Peploe's still lives can be bright and strong in colour - those flowers in vases.
0:33:14 > 0:33:22But this is rather restrained - its white, its black, its grey tones, its rather sort of cool colours.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24But I like that. I like that.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30- Um, now, any idea who the girl is? - No, none at all.
0:33:30 > 0:33:37- Because I think it's Peggy McCrae, who sat for him a lot.- Oh, yes? - And I think it's a picture of her.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40But, tell me now, how did you acquire it?
0:33:40 > 0:33:45Well, about nine years ago, I received a rather nice bonus.
0:33:45 > 0:33:52I used to be in industry, and decided I wanted to buy something that we could keep,
0:33:52 > 0:33:57and I bought it at Christie's at one of their Scottish sales...
0:33:57 > 0:34:02- Yes.- ..in Edinburgh. - Do you remember what you paid?
0:34:02 > 0:34:07Approximately £10,000 - 10,300 or 10,400 - something like that.
0:34:07 > 0:34:14- I don't obviously have to tell you there's been a huge revival of interest in Scottish painting...- Yes.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18..Old Scottish art, and in the colourists most of all,
0:34:18 > 0:34:23- so there's no doubt, in ten years, this will have gone up in price.- Yes.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27I'd think if that went up in a sale in Scotland today,
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- it would be more like £20,000-£25,000 now.- Yes.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37- You can't be precise...- No, quite. - ..but that's roughly what I think,
0:34:37 > 0:34:42- and, for insurance, you should be insuring it for, say, £35,000.- Right.
0:34:42 > 0:34:50I knew, since the London Colourist exhibition, they were more popular, but I didn't realise that popular.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- Those things all help.- Yes, quite.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57- It was my great-grandfather's. - And how long ago would that be?
0:34:57 > 0:35:02Maybe 1910. We don't really know when, but think around that date.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08It's been passed down through the family and now belongs to my brother.
0:35:08 > 0:35:14- Do you know where it came from? - We've been told it's a Brazilian yellow diamond.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19- Apart from that, we don't know. - It's interesting you said Brazil,
0:35:19 > 0:35:24- because, now, most people associate diamonds with Southern Africa.- Mm-hm.
0:35:24 > 0:35:32- But diamonds were originally found in India, and all the diamond mines were worked out about 1725.- Right.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Around the same time, they found them in Brazil,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40and those mines went on until they found diamonds in South Africa,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44which was pretty late in the 19th century.
0:35:44 > 0:35:51- So it's likely this did originate from Brazil.- Did they specifically find yellow diamonds in Brazil?
0:35:51 > 0:35:58Well, they find white, white-yellow, all colours, because the... After white diamonds,
0:35:58 > 0:36:04the range goes from yellow to brown. This is quite a good colour yellow.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07It's not a really strong intense yellow.
0:36:07 > 0:36:13The cutting's quite interesting, because it's a 19th-century cut.
0:36:13 > 0:36:20It's not round like most modern-cut diamonds. It's more cushion shaped, or TV-screen shaped, I always say.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Also, if you look through, you'll see that there's a slice off the bottom.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30- Yes.- The cullet. That's something you won't get in a modern diamond.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34- Do you think it's always been a ring?- No, I don't,
0:36:34 > 0:36:42because the stone is older than the setting, and diamonds get unset and reset and unset and reset.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46- It happens all the time. - What kind of date's the setting?
0:36:46 > 0:36:54Around 1910, because it's platinum. Platinum's great for mounting jewellery, because it's very hard.
0:36:54 > 0:37:01They hardly used it, because it was difficult to solder until about 1900, when they improved their technology.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06It's quite a big stone. I've got a little gadget here that, um...
0:37:06 > 0:37:10roughly measures the size of diamonds,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13but it only goes up to 2½ carats.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18And 2½ carats goes nowhere near that.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23And these are heavy, because they cut them deeper than modern stones.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26So I think this probably weighs
0:37:26 > 0:37:31somewhere between four and five carats, which is quite sizeable.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35So, you don't actually have this insured?
0:37:35 > 0:37:38It's on the household contents insurance.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43- So you'd get £500 for it if it was stolen?- Something like that.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47If it was a strong yellow, it'd be worth a huge amount,
0:37:47 > 0:37:53but even with this pleasant yellow, weighing between four to five carats,
0:37:53 > 0:37:58this has got to be insured for, well, at least £12,000.
0:37:58 > 0:38:06- Anything between £12,000 and £15,000, I would say.- Yeah, quite a lot. - It's... It's really a super ring.
0:38:06 > 0:38:12- It was a present for getting into Central School of Art and Design to study theatre.- Were you a designer?
0:38:12 > 0:38:20- For a little while.- So this means something to you?- It means I had a past in the theatre. I love it.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25- Well, before we dive in, I want to just look at the building itself.- Do.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29This is so wonderful. It's made of wood.
0:38:29 > 0:38:36At the front, it's got the royal box, the proscenium arch and so on, but that's what you'd expect really.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41The interesting thing comes... I'm going to do this very carefully,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45because I'm sure things will just drop away.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49- But it's got the fly doors here... - It does.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54..All finished in simulated brick as if it was a proper theatre.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58There it is, inside you've got a fully working theatre.
0:38:58 > 0:39:05The doors open on the other side, so you can operate the flies, you can move the scenery in and out.
0:39:05 > 0:39:12- Are children allowed to play with it?- I have allowed children to play with it, under supervision.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17- Nothing has been broken, and these were special needs children. - That's staggering.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22- They love it.- I suppose it's so obviously breakable and fragile
0:39:22 > 0:39:29that maybe it gives a certain sort of hesitation to leap in and bang away at it.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Now, we've got various plays here.
0:39:32 > 0:39:38It looks as if this could be Romeo and Juliet, this Merchant of Venice.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43- I think so.- Could this possibly be the unmentionable play?
0:39:43 > 0:39:49- It could be, or Hamlet.- Let's say Hamlet. Here, perhaps The Tempest?
0:39:49 > 0:39:53- I love this boat here. - Do you want to play?- Yeah!
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- Right, you go first. - And you.- And here we go.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01- LAUGHTER I'm feeling seasick.- It's lovely.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07Absolutely great. These are little perfect watercolour sketches
0:40:07 > 0:40:12of the backdrops, the flies, the side scenery,
0:40:12 > 0:40:16everything there, even 3D scenery here.
0:40:16 > 0:40:23- And they're written on the back of calling cards, business cards. - Certainly seem to be, yes.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25We've got a number of names here.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30One name sticks out, which is Percy Madgwick,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34and he says that he is the stage manager
0:40:34 > 0:40:39- of Mr FR Benson's Shakespearian Company.- Yes.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44Sir Frank Benson is an extraordinary name in Shakespearian productions,
0:40:44 > 0:40:51because when he first got involved with Shakespearian production in the 1880s...
0:40:51 > 0:40:56He produced Shakespearian plays for 30 years at Stratford,
0:40:56 > 0:41:03so he was associated with Stratford and Shakespeare, and produced all but two of the Shakespeare plays,
0:41:03 > 0:41:09- and he was actually knighted in Drury Lane on the set of Julius Caesar.- That's amazing!
0:41:09 > 0:41:14- It's wonderful that we've got that. - Oh, beautiful! I didn't know that.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18- It's great, isn't it? - It's smashing, yes.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Looking at the original box...
0:41:20 > 0:41:23I'm looking at the name here,
0:41:23 > 0:41:29- hoping I can make out P Madgwick. - Yes.- It'd be nice to think so. - It does look like it is.- It does.
0:41:29 > 0:41:34- Give it the benefit of the doubt? - I think it was his, for his theatre.
0:41:34 > 0:41:40In which case, it links it, without any question, to Sir Frank Benson's company.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Now, why do you think Mr Madgwick made these things?
0:41:45 > 0:41:51I only can think he loved working for the company, and this was his record.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56So you don't think these are actually pre-production designs?
0:41:56 > 0:42:00- I think they're too tiny. - Actually, you're right.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05- They're far too tiny.- What scale do you work on for pre-production?
0:42:05 > 0:42:10- This...?- That would be normal, but I think that's too tiny.
0:42:10 > 0:42:15- If you were a travelling company, you could travel with the box.- Yes.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19- That's a possibility.- Yes. - But I don't know, I really don't.
0:42:19 > 0:42:26And what's exceptional about it is that it's not a toy. It is really quite serious,
0:42:26 > 0:42:32but, as a side issue, it's entertaining and amusing, but for a serious purpose.
0:42:32 > 0:42:38I would have thought that, to a theatre collector, somebody would pay £2,000 for this.
0:42:38 > 0:42:45- It's just...heaven.- Yes, good. - I'm really pleased you brought it. - You can play as long as you like.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49- Let's go and play.- Absolutely. Thank you.- It's a pleasure.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52'Well, a day of pleasant surprises.'
0:42:52 > 0:42:56A long time ago, even before the first Roadshow,
0:42:56 > 0:43:03this whole area was at the bottom of a warm tropical sea, and it feels like that today.
0:43:03 > 0:43:10It's been very warm and humid, so special thanks to the people of the Ribble Valley for joining us.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13If you've enjoyed our discoveries,
0:43:13 > 0:43:16you can enjoy them again on our website.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20But, from Clitheroe, until next time, goodbye.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd