0:00:32 > 0:00:36This week, we salute a great star of British industry,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40a tough character but with a stainless reputation,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44our hero is steel and this is the scene of his latest hit.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56We've come to a part of the country that's been a powerhouse of steel production.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59The white-hot furnaces of South Yorkshire
0:00:59 > 0:01:03fashioned the materials that built industrial Britain.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07One of the industry's busiest centres was Rotherham.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Whatever was required, from kitchen ranges to the cladding for ships,
0:01:14 > 0:01:19to the wheels and axles for the railways of India, Brazil, China and Japan...
0:01:19 > 0:01:21they made it here.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26When World War I broke out, there was a massive demand for munitions.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30To meet the need, the vast Templeborough Works was created.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35By 1918, 11 furnaces were working flat out, three more were added
0:01:35 > 0:01:39and the chimneys were known as the "14 sisters".
0:01:39 > 0:01:41They were a landmark for 40 years.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Housewives didn't hang out their washing when the wind was in the wrong direction.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Acid rain could make a right mess of your smalls.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56In its heyday, Templeborough gave work to over 10,000 people.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01In 1977, it smashed the world record for liquid steel production.
0:02:02 > 0:02:08But its days of glory were numbered and, despite modernisation in the '80s, the plant succumbed
0:02:08 > 0:02:12to the deadly combination of overproduction and falling demand.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It closed in 1993...
0:02:15 > 0:02:19but - hey presto - our story doesn't have an unhappy ending.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25By the magic of modern technology, Templeborough has been transformed into Magna,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28a hands-on science adventure centre.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41These days, a whole new generation come to see the story of steel and science.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Magna is big in every way.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50In the heart of the former works, we've set up the tools of our trade.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Let's get rolling with another Roadshow.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I'll let you into a little secret.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03The Antiques Roadshow gives you a completely false impression
0:03:03 > 0:03:06of the day.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10You see all these things with us quoting hundreds, if not thousands,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13of pounds,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16but the bulk of what we do...
0:03:16 > 0:03:19come out of a plastic bag at £1
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and this came out of your plastic bag and I thought,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24"It's another pound,"
0:03:24 > 0:03:28and then when I picked it up, I thought, "No,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32"this is actually something really very interesting,"
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and I wondered whether you actually liked it.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Oh, what does that mean?
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- I've never liked it. - You've never liked it.- No.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- What don't you like about it? - It's a bit...Gothic.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48- Grotesque?- Yes.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Because, in our terms,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53these scrolls on here
0:03:53 > 0:03:56come from Gothic ornaments on Gothic churches.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00- Do you have it out at home?- Yes, I keep it in the bathroom...
0:04:00 > 0:04:02- as a soap dish.- As a soap dish?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06You're doing the right thing. It's a soap dish.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10- Where did you get it from?- I was working for Severn-Trent at the time
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and I just passed this garage sale
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and I thought I'd have a look round
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and I thought this was very unusual
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- and paid a pound, I think, for it. - You paid a pound for it?- Yeah.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25The real clue is on the bottom there.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- Yeah.- We've got "Doulton"...
0:04:28 > 0:04:31the factory founded by Henry Doulton in Lambeth...
0:04:31 > 0:04:37- We haven't on the mark here got the word "England"...- Right.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41..so that suggests that it's pre-1891.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45I'm not 100% sure that that's accurate.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48It's got a feeling to me of more sort of 1895,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51but it could be 1890, it's possible,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55in which case it's quite an early example of its kind.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58This is a piece of Carrara ware.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00It's not common at all.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04I think it's by a man called Mark Marshall
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and I've seen almost exactly that leaf terminal
0:05:08 > 0:05:13on a big Mark Marshall Doulton vase.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18The lady said it was presented to her father who worked at Doulton.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Aha!
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Now that makes absolute sense,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26because Doulton was known for making one-offs,
0:05:26 > 0:05:31special requests for presents to people...
0:05:31 > 0:05:35You could actually go to the factory and ask for a piece to be made
0:05:35 > 0:05:40with your own initials and date on it, or somebody else's, as a present,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43so this fits into that pattern absolutely perfectly.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48It's in almost perfect condition. We've got one little finger off here,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50but otherwise it's in a good state.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54I think... The market's a little bit soft at the moment,
0:05:54 > 0:05:59but I think a collector would happily give you £400 to £600 for that.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03- Right. That's...- Do we like it a little more now?
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- I think so. I could grow to like it. - Thank you for bringing it in.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08Tell me about this photo.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11That was the first show that I did
0:06:11 > 0:06:14with Doncaster Thespians in 1949 -
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Rose Marie.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19I was just... I'd just left school.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Show me where you are.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26- There.- You just got into shot.- Yes. - And you're all singing.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Yes, it was the grand finale.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33It's a great, great photo. Now, why doesn't it look like this today?
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Er, the last show at the Grand was in 1962, which was Showboat,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40and then it became a bingo hall.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Hopefully, we'll get it restored and reopened as a working theatre.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48- And here you've got some of the archive material.- Yes, we have.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51The lady who used to work there, a lady called Ann,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54she worked there for many years,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and when Ann died she had all these photographs
0:06:57 > 0:07:01and she asked her daughter if they could go back into the Grand.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- These are individually signed photos...- They are.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06..of people who appeared on stage.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Now, I don't know all of these characters.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- Who is this fine fellow?- Right, this gentleman is Sandy Powell.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17He's from this area. Well-known saying was, "Can you hear me, Mother?"
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- Can you hear me, Mother?- That's it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Show me one or two of the others. - Henry Hall and his band.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Ah, now I have heard of him.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Nellie Wallace... When I was three years old, I was taken to the Grand
0:07:28 > 0:07:32to see my first pantomime and it was Nellie Wallace in Mother Goose.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- So these are big names up here?- Yes.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39- Ah, hang on...is this the cheeky chappy?- This is George Formby, yes.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Oh, he's rather fine, isn't he?- Yes.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44This is quite early on in his career.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- Yes, he's quite a young man there. - No ukulele.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Not on that one, no.- No, no.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Now I can't believe you let this sort of thing go on up here.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55This was one of the early nudes.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00They were sprayed in gold and they had to keep perfectly still. They didn't have to move a muscle.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04So it was like the Windmill Theatre in London - if it moves, it's rude.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07That's exactly right, yes, yes.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Well, they're a fine-looking pair, aren't they?- They are.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Book-ending each other. Wonderful.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Hopefully they're all going to be displayed IN the Grand Theatre.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- So you don't want to know what they're worth?- I would like to know.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23OK, how many are there in all?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26There's 150 signed photographs.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Right, now the most valuable ones are going to be the big names,
0:08:29 > 0:08:33the names that even people like I know today.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- Yes, yes.- So I suppose George Formby is one who sticks out
0:08:36 > 0:08:40and signatures for people of that ilk move towards...
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- up to a maximum of about £100 for the really distinguished ones.- Yes.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49- You've got 150... Let's average them very, very conservatively.- Yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55I think the whole collection is likely to be somewhere in the region of £4,500 to £5,500.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00- Ooh...yes.- That's worth bearing in mind.- It is, for insurance purposes.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I'm going to take this away, because I see it gives me
0:09:04 > 0:09:07almost indefinite attendance at the Doncaster theatre
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and I'm going to wish you good luck
0:09:09 > 0:09:16- and I shall bring my ticket along when you're up and running. - You'll be very welcome.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Right...well, it claims to be antique already.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25A special offer today. I'll clean anybody's dirty plate for them.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30I'm ready to clean it for you. Special offer today, one day only...
0:09:30 > 0:09:34You've brought in the smallest penknife I think we have ever seen.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- How long have you had this? - Well, I've had it 30 years.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41My husband's mother gave it to me and it was just in a...
0:09:41 > 0:09:44- pinned in a little box. - It's amazing that it's survived.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48It could have dropped between the floorboards or been swept away.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52It's beautifully, beautifully made. We have a mother-of-pearl handle,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56a tiny little silver ferrule and the tiniest of steel blades
0:09:56 > 0:09:58which will just fold away...
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Just click it away like so. Absolutely amazing.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05It must've been an apprentice piece. I can't think of any other reason
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- why a knife of this size would have been constructed.- Mmm.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Just a beautiful thing. Value-wise...
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- perhaps it's £20, perhaps £50. - I don't think that matters too much.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20- It would be almost impossible to produce today, and thank you for bringing it in.- A pleasure.
0:10:20 > 0:10:26Well, we know they're fire screens, so they were to protect a woman's face from the heat of the fire.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Imagine you're in a country house or farmhouse with a big open fireplace.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34You need to keep warm, so you sit as close as you can to the fire,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38but socially...you've got to keep a very pale face -
0:10:38 > 0:10:41pale skin, not like the big sun tans of today -
0:10:41 > 0:10:45so you're wearing very heavy white powder,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47and lead-based powder too,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51so the thing you didn't want to do was to get too red in the face,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55or even worse, for the make-up to melt, so you'd have a fire screen...
0:10:55 > 0:10:59You might be crouched down... Imagine I'm sitting down.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02A lady is not six-foot tall. She's five-foot-something tall...
0:11:02 > 0:11:06so you could adjust that to keep your face away from the fire,
0:11:06 > 0:11:11then also, if you're just moving around the fire, you'd use this to protect yourself from the fire
0:11:11 > 0:11:13or perhaps on that side, like that,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and also, the obvious advantage, you've got that as a fan.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Very pretty decoration. Look at that.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23- I mean, isn't it just glorious? - We do have a pair of these,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- but the handle's broken on the other one.- Oh, OK. It's so pretty.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Probably pear wood. This is my favourite of the two.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34The actual pole screen, as it's called, is a little bit plain.
0:11:34 > 0:11:371820. This is really Regency 1810.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Not worth a lot of money and the pole screen is probably worth...
0:11:40 > 0:11:43for one, £250.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47These...unfortunately damaged.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- They've been used.- Fair enough,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54but it brings it down from probably £500 or £600,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- so let's say £250 to £300. - Each, or for the pair?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- For the pair.- Yes, lovely.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03To adapt an old saying,
0:12:03 > 0:12:09"You can take the boy out of the train, but you can't take the train out of the boy."
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Rod Ash, you are that boy
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and you are a fully paid up, bona fide anorak.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- Dare I say that?- I'll let you.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- When did trains come into your life? - Um, very early on.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25About the age of six, I had my first model railway
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and I suppose you could blame my parents a little bit
0:12:28 > 0:12:32in that, for a brief while, they both worked on the railways.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37- Which company did they work for? - The Great Western Railway. - Oh, sounds good to me.- Taunton.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I can see this has to do with railways, except for THIS.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Was this to keep off great train robbers?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46No, it's a signalling staff.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It's quite a rare item.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Once the line was closed to passenger traffic in the late 1960s,
0:12:52 > 0:12:59the line was used for a daily freight train that ran from Grimsby to Louth and back.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03To ensure that only one train was on that section of line at a time,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06the signalman would give the train driver this staff.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It would be carried to Louth and back again
0:13:09 > 0:13:14and when it was given to the signalman back at Grimsby, he would know the line was clear.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Oh, a relay baton.- It is, of sorts,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21but the reason I went out of my way to buy this particular item
0:13:21 > 0:13:24was that the line between Grimsby and Louth went past my school
0:13:24 > 0:13:29and from the library window... We were supposed to be reading,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33but we could watch the train go by if we were there at the right time in the afternoon.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- What are these items over here? - OK.- They look like, um...
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- as if they're money, almost. - Right, well, they are money.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43They are the pay cheques.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47They were handed in in exchange each week by the employee
0:13:47 > 0:13:49- for his pay packet.- I see.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52They are very collectable still
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and for railway items they're still relatively cheap.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00Talking about expense, I imagine that what you're standing in front of must be the...
0:14:00 > 0:14:02the flagship of your collection.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Yeah, I don't think I could afford them today,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08but name plates off hydraulic engines...
0:14:08 > 0:14:13when they were first available, they were being sold through Collectors Corner at Euston,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16the main outlet in the early 1970s, for £50 each,
0:14:16 > 0:14:20which was a fortune to me then. 15 years on, I had the opportunity
0:14:20 > 0:14:25to buy these at auction for a few hundred pounds.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- And now?- And now we're talking many thousands of pounds.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30The market has taken off.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Well, it's a completely comprehensive collection
0:14:33 > 0:14:37from models to cards to keys and very esoteric items.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40What are the collectibles for the future?
0:14:40 > 0:14:45If you're looking for easy-to-collect history,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49then perhaps the luggage labels. They're still in plentiful supply,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53even though they go back 50 or even back to 100 years in age.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Are you the sort of man who must have the full set of everything?
0:14:57 > 0:15:02If possible...once we get into postcards and stamps and similar models, yes,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06- I do try and complete my sets, yes. - That's dedication.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14We may be looking at a doll from the 1960s,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18but my goodness, wasn't she fashionable?
0:15:18 > 0:15:20I mean, this is a tremendous collection -
0:15:20 > 0:15:24not one outfit, not two outfits,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27but hundreds of outfits almost, really,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- and it all starts here, doesn't it? - That's my first Sindy doll, yes.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- And can we be a little bit naughty and lift up her leg?- You can.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39And what we can see is that... if we go up to the knee,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- she's not bendy there at all, is she?- No.- She's an early one.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45The flexible ones came in later.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48You've obviously been a fan of Sindy. How did it start?
0:15:48 > 0:15:52In the early '60s, my father took me down every Saturday morning,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55with my pocket money, and bought one of the outfits.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Which was the first outfit? There must be a beginning somewhere.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03- I think the first one probably was this one.- Right.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- The "Leather Looker" outfit.- Yes...
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Two shillings and eleven pence. That was a reasonable amount of pocket money.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- Yes, it was.- Have you got a personal favourite here?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I think this is one of my favourites.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20This was bought as a Christmas present from my late brother.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24I didn't think he'd actually bought me anything for Christmas
0:16:24 > 0:16:29till he asked me to look in the cupboard, and out came this outfit, and it's got good memories.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34There's a little damage to the tennis racket, but you know, it's 1960s...
0:16:34 > 0:16:39- Christmas morning, opening that was absolutely...- Really?- Thrilling.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41These are in immaculate condition.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46- You've actually kept not only the outfit but the little hanger...- Yes.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50..the card...and what's nice from an historical perspective
0:16:50 > 0:16:53is we know how much each one cost.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Here we've got "Out and About" - five shillings and eleven pence.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59That one was a bit more expensive.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- Yes.- Do you remember her launch, September 1963?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07Yes, I think I must have been about eight or nine years old.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10- Yes, they started with...you know, a run of commercials.- Yes.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- She had her own little record. - Oh, I used to sing to the adverts.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- Sindy was probably every girl's dream doll.- That's right.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- She was what they said - "the doll you love to dress".- Exactly.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26And she had outfits designed by the Carnaby Street team
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Tuffin and Foale, who designed this lovely "Weekenders" outfit here.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The shame, from my perspective, is that...where's the box?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37You were so careful with your packaging, but where's the boxes?
0:17:37 > 0:17:42She was well played with and I used to take them on holiday with me...
0:17:42 > 0:17:44She's in pretty good condition.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48If you look carefully at her eyes, at her mouth -
0:17:48 > 0:17:52the lip colour's very strong, her eyelashes are beautifully painted on
0:17:52 > 0:17:55and her hair's pretty good. You haven't cut it.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59You haven't done anything that you shouldn't have done to her.
0:17:59 > 0:18:05Have you any idea...? Have you any idea at all how much inflation has brought these prices up to
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- and the insatiable appetite of collectors?- I've not really
0:18:08 > 0:18:12- thought about the value of them, because they are sentimental.- Yes.
0:18:12 > 0:18:17But my husband said I'd be disappointed today
0:18:17 > 0:18:22- when I came along.- Tell me...did he suggest that you didn't even come?
0:18:22 > 0:18:26He thought I'd be disappointed with all the antiques
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- and it put me a bit...I thought maybe he's right.- Yes.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33But they're just sentimental value,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- so I really wouldn't like to... - Well...
0:18:36 > 0:18:41some of these... This particular outfit is worth £55, £60 on its own,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- so that was originally five shillings.- Really?
0:18:44 > 0:18:48When you look at the price of an individual Sindy doll,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50if she was still in her box,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54- she could be worth as much as £225, £250, something like that.- Mm-hm.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Unboxed, in this condition,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- probably around about £50, something like that.- Mm-hm.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03If we do a quick tot up, I guess...
0:19:03 > 0:19:06the collection is approaching probably about £1,000
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- in value.- Really? - Yes, as much as £1,000.- Really?!
0:19:10 > 0:19:13So tell your husband that!
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- Well, it's quite obvious that this is a carriage clock.- Yes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20But I have to say it's a very superior carriage clock box.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Normally, they're in wood with a bit of leatherette,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and this one has polished wood, brass bindings...
0:19:26 > 0:19:32the repeating button is nicely recessed and you've even got the handle recessed into the case
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- with the initials of, I presume, the original owner...- Yes.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39..actually on an ivory plaque, so it bodes well for what's inside.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43As I thought, it is a superior clock.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47It's what is called a gorge case...clock
0:19:47 > 0:19:53and that's named after the mouldings on the case. This elaborate moulding is known as a gorge case.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57It's got a superb platform which has all been machined and finished
0:19:57 > 0:20:01rather like the dashboard of a 1920s Bugatti.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Tucked away, apart from the gongs - there are two sets of gongs -
0:20:05 > 0:20:08tucked away behind it, right in the corner,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- is the signature, DC, and that's the signature of Drocourt.- Of Paris.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15- Which is one of the better makers. - Oh, yes.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19It's also got an inscription on the front - "From the Queen, Xmas 1897",
0:20:19 > 0:20:22which seems very far-fetched.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26- I don't suppose you've found anything out about that.- I have.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- I've got a letter here. - Oh, excellent.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Yes, from Windsor Castle archive.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36What have they found out? Ah, here's the relevant bit -
0:20:36 > 0:20:40"I've found an entry in Queen Victoria's privy purse accounts under Presents
0:20:40 > 0:20:46"in November 1897 for the purchase of a clock. Unfortunately, we do not have a description of this item,
0:20:46 > 0:20:51- "I can't be sure it's your clock, but it's likely to be." That's... - Near enough, isn't it?
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- If they found ten clocks you'd have to say it might.- Yes. - So, that's looking good.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58"The clock recorded in our account books cost £9..."
0:20:58 > 0:21:02- My, that's some money.- Back in 1897.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- "..And was given to 'the Telegraph Clerk'."- Yes.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09The person working in the telegraph office at Windsor Castle.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11- But they don't know his name. - Don't know his name.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Nine notes was a lot of money then, but even today I think it's changed.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You have to say that that clock,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20just with the history you've got...
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- Yes.- ..it's got to be £4,000 or £5,000.- Yes.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25That's a great story.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Looking at this painting,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32one might be forgiven for thinking that it was certainly
0:21:32 > 0:21:38under the influence of Paul Nash, probably one of England's foremost landscape painters and illustrators.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41But, in fact, it's by an Irish artist, Patrick Swift.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46Now, what's the connection with you and these works?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50My grandfather bought a lot of Patrick Swift's work
0:21:50 > 0:21:56when Patrick was working in Hertfordshire in the 1950s,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59so, I think you could say, he was one of his patrons
0:21:59 > 0:22:02and the work has been passed down through the family.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05this picture was with my parents
0:22:05 > 0:22:09and they gave it to me for my 32nd birthday, I think.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Um, and these pictures are from my aunt's estate.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17The painting, I love it. What do you particularly like about it?
0:22:17 > 0:22:22- We lived in London, um, in the 1960s.- Yes.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25And these were the sorts of views that I was seeing.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28It reminds me of...of, sort of,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31almost actually, some sort of Picasso.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- It's actually of Eccleston Square isn't it?- I think so, yes.- Yes.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39It's obvious that he did a lot of work in planning
0:22:39 > 0:22:41exactly what he was going to get on the canvas...
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- Yes.- ..because I've got two preliminaries as well.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Well, we have here, of course, a preliminary watercolour
0:22:48 > 0:22:53for this particular work. And here with them,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56we've got four wonderful botanical studies of fungi.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01I always think I'm a little bit apprehensive about botanical artists.
0:23:01 > 0:23:07Sometimes they can be a little bit too controlled and don't have much artifice about them.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10But these, I think, are splendidly different in their way
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and, I think, are just very attractive.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- There are 33 of them.- Yes. Yes.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- They're all...- Different in the way they're expressed.- ..different.- Yes.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23The interesting thing about Swift was that being Irish...
0:23:23 > 0:23:26He worked mostly in England and went to the Algarve.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30..it was his origins which anchored him to the interest in the Irish.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35The Irish market has been particularly strong. Things of only ten years ago
0:23:35 > 0:23:39which were fetching 1,000 or 1,500 are fetching 15 to £20,000.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And it's been an extraordinarily hot market,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46so we've got to consider all these values.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Now, I think on the painting,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51I like it a lot. I think it's wonderful.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54But it is London rather than Ireland,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58so I think, conservatively, I'd put 10 to £15,000 on that.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01And then, all the drawings, the 37,
0:24:01 > 0:24:05between 500 and £1,500 each.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07So we've got a total of over £50,000
0:24:07 > 0:24:09for this group of materials.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17That's a...good investment I think my grandfather made.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Well, you've brought along the proverbial treasure chest here.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I don't think you dug this up in the garden, did you?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30But, um... Oh, and you've got a few curious things inside.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31Um...
0:24:32 > 0:24:37a pincushion. Do you know anything about...where this came from?
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- I found it rather grubby under an auntie's bed.- Under an auntie's bed?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- Yes. As...- Well... - ..a few other items.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47..the good news is that specially unusual ones like an ostrich
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- have become hugely collectable. - Right.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Something like this, made round about the turn of the century,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58they've got up hugely in the last years, that's probably worth £400,
0:24:58 > 0:25:03£500 on its own, so that's not a bad start, is it?
0:25:03 > 0:25:05And what else have you got in here?
0:25:05 > 0:25:10- Oh, a hip flask.- I think you need that.- Under the auntie's bed again? - Um, yes, actually.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15It's a fairly standard sort of hip flask, made in Sheffield
0:25:15 > 0:25:19- again at the turn of the century. - Oh, it's made here?- Yeah.- Oh, right.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Not of huge value, but something like that perhaps £100.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28- Right.- Now this is getting much more interesting
0:25:28 > 0:25:31because a little vinaigrette like this,
0:25:31 > 0:25:36um, is very collected because of the scene on the top.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- Right.- And is this again...?- Under auntie's bed again, I'm afraid.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- Well, what a great place to start looking, or finding things.- I know.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It's got this pierced grill,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48which all vinaigrettes have,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and the nice thing about this is it's got its scented sponge.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56In the 19th century ladies used to walk around carrying these
0:25:56 > 0:25:59as the smells on the streets were bad,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03so they'd waft these under their noses to...well, to revive them.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- Do you know who made it? - I do actually know.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It's Nathaniel Mills, quite a famous maker from Birmingham.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11That's absolutely right.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16Nathaniel Mills is generally regarded as the best maker of vinaigrettes.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19They call these "castle top" vinaigrettes.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23And they're not always castles. Sometimes they are... very often cathedrals.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28And this is St Paul's. And St Paul's is one of the most sought after scenes.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The most common is Windsor Castle.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Slightly worn on here,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37even so that's worth about £1,500.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Well...the good news... - Now, I am worried.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46The good news is, we haven't even got to the star lot yet,
0:26:46 > 0:26:51which is this wonderful Arts and Crafts casket -
0:26:51 > 0:26:55something handmade. That's the ethos of the Arts and Crafts movement -
0:26:55 > 0:26:58everything should be handmade.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00You've got these very...
0:27:00 > 0:27:02distinctive, sort of like, Celtic strap work
0:27:02 > 0:27:07round here and here. But the most important thing about this
0:27:07 > 0:27:10is when we turn it over and look at the base.
0:27:10 > 0:27:16The date letter for 1926. But most importantly of all
0:27:16 > 0:27:21is this maker's mark here and the signature for Sybil Dunlop.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Sybil Dunlop is one of the MOST collected names
0:27:25 > 0:27:28amongst collectors of 20th-century silver.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32She was a woman, very much in a man's world.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Sybil Dunlop was also most famous for her jewellery.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And...it's actually pretty rare
0:27:39 > 0:27:43to find a...piece of silver
0:27:43 > 0:27:49- um, with her marks on and with her name stamped on the bottom.- Right.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- What do you know about the history of this piece?- It was same auntie.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54This wasn't under the bed.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Um, it was her retirement present and she worked in Bloomsbury Square.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01This is quite a valuable piece of silver, I mean, it's...
0:28:01 > 0:28:05- I'm still reeling over this. - You're still reeling over that?- Yes.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Well, I don't know if we're going to need a sniff of that in a moment,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13because I think we're looking at at least £3,000
0:28:13 > 0:28:15- for this.- Wow.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And now, before your very eyes,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Henry Sandon will do something he's never done before...the washing up.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24And for a very good reason.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Henry, people are nervous about their plates and whether they should wash them.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32- Yes, they can ruin a plate if they're not very careful.- Right.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34But I've got a very old dirty plate,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37been 50 years just collecting dirt and we're going to wash it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Do you see how dirty the thing is?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42But in ordinary warm water
0:28:42 > 0:28:44with just a little bit of washing-up liquid.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Nothing violent, just gentle washing-up liquid.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49We're going to wash this little piece
0:28:49 > 0:28:52and I hope it'll come up absolutely beautiful.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56- It's beginning to emerge, see?- I knew it was in there.- In there somewhere.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58And the back as well. We're going to wash...
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Even on the back is dirty. But off comes the dirt.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07And then, um, without sort of drying it there,
0:29:07 > 0:29:12what you have to do is to rinse it in an equal temperature of clean water. So, it's going over there.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17Equal temperature of clean water and then just put aside to dry.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Don't rub it while it's wet. Don't, sort of, dry it.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24- "The hands that do dishes" look lovely.- I know they're lovely,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27- So give us some no-nos. - Some no-nos.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Well, there's original dirt you see, on there. That's been on there quite a long time
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Now, just washed in soapy water, these gold bands
0:29:35 > 0:29:39will still be as beautiful as any. That's just soapy water, like this.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Um, but don't use the nasty things like bleach.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Now, bleach... One application of bleach
0:29:45 > 0:29:48has taken those gold bands away, almost disappeared.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- Faded. - And dishwasher powder is very bad.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56That's dishwasher powder - equally bad, dangerous,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59very abrasive and used in hot temperatures in a dishwasher.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Nobody should do that. And equally dangerous is metal polish
0:30:03 > 0:30:07which people put on gold to try and make it look nice,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09but it takes it all away.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13And that is what NOT to do, as well as what to do.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15I've made out a little list which people can see -
0:30:15 > 0:30:19what to do and what not to do. There's a pile of plates here...
0:30:19 > 0:30:21for you to do later.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23A likely story.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27And also I've been asked to say... how do you hang plates on the wall?
0:30:27 > 0:30:30I've seen experts get really narked about this.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- They do.- They come up with all kinds of tricks.- Yes.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36What not to do is use these little things you stick on the back
0:30:36 > 0:30:40which...which hurt porous pottery and porcelain,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43that gets into it, takes the glaze away.
0:30:43 > 0:30:49What you should do is to use a spring-loaded plastic-coated wire.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53Plastic coating doesn't hurt at all. And provided the spring loading
0:30:53 > 0:30:56is the right size for the piece -
0:30:56 > 0:31:00not too heavy, not too big, not too small, just the right size -
0:31:00 > 0:31:04stretch it out onto the... onto the bottom there.
0:31:05 > 0:31:10And there we've got the thing quite safe, ready to hang up on the wall,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13but no danger or damage to the piece at all.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some dishes to do here.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Yes. Like to try that one?
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I'd love to know where you got him.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Well, actually, it was left to me in a will, by a great aunt, when I was nine years old.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Unfortunately I forgot about him after, sort of like, I was ten.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36Children used to come round to the house and turn him on. It used to frighten them.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41Eventually he got put in the box, went upstairs and that's where he's lived until about last week.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44My word! So, you've never had him out since?
0:31:44 > 0:31:49Not until last week when I got him out, and then I thought, "I wonder what he is,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52"where he came from, and how old he is."
0:31:52 > 0:31:54I know what you mean about him being a bit scary.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58I was just surprised because when we were talking about it,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01John said that he was quite frightening.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04It's surprising that he is so scary if he's a toy.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09- They weren't really made for children.- Right. - They were made for grown-ups.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13This would be an entertainment for a soiree with a musical interlude.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16And then, they'd say, "Now this my latest..."
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Him.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22- Is it the first time you've seen him before?- I saw him a week ago
0:32:22 > 0:32:27and thought he was absolutely REVOLTING - one of the most hideous things I've ever seen.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31Well, for me it's a great excitement to see one of these.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Um, I don't think I've seen one at all on the Roadshow.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Maybe if you could wind him up...
0:32:37 > 0:32:39and...
0:32:39 > 0:32:42and not... Obviously, you know not to over-wind.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47- I think that's quite, quite tight, so...- OK, so we... You pull the stop starter.- Yeah.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- Jolly good.- There you go.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58A dice and a ball.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Nothing.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- Yeah. - TOGETHER:- Nothing.- Nothing
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Nothing. CLICK
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Something went click.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15There's a little ball there, and fluff, and what have you.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- It's amazing that he's working. - That he's still working.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23Um, I have to say I'm a bit surprised that there's no music.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26- Would they normally be musical?- Yes.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Now, this was made, um, in the 1870s,
0:33:30 > 0:33:35possibly for the exhibition in Paris in 1878,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37by Jean Phalibois
0:33:37 > 0:33:40who was one of our top, or their, being the French,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42- automata makers.- Right.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47Now he made many, many what we call bocage, which are under glass domes
0:33:47 > 0:33:51- with lovely flower arches and that sort of thing.- Right.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53- And a lot of them were monkeys. - Right.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56And the more elaborate the workings,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59um, the more expensive they are.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05And he would have employed a Swiss manufacturer of musical boxes to make the musical movement.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09- Right.- And what I'd like to do is lift it up
0:34:09 > 0:34:13and see if there's something that will tell us whether it had a musical box.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Now, let's see. And this is where I drop everything
0:34:17 > 0:34:21- for the first time ever. There we are.- Yes.- Can you see?- Yes.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Now, that's where the musical movement would have been.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29- Now, WHY was that taken OUT? If only you could ask your great aunt.- Yeah.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- Because it makes such a lot of difference.- Right.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Having said that, you could have one put in and it wouldn't cost you an arm and a leg.
0:34:37 > 0:34:42- And it would make SUCH a difference because, then, he'd be playing to music.- Right.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45He was a serious automaton in his time.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47Now, one at auction has just...
0:34:47 > 0:34:50with the music...sold for £10,000.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Right.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55But, because you don't have the music,
0:34:55 > 0:35:00um, I would have said we're talking about £2,000 to £3,000 without the music.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04It's a lovely piece, serious piece. It's got a glass dome
0:35:04 > 0:35:08which will protect it and obviously has protected it all this time.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- So, thank you very much for bringing it.- Thank you.- Him, or it.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14- Whatever.- Whatever.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19Right, well, what we've got is a very young-looking Ringo and John Lennon.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21You know, I had a jacket like that.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Now, did you take these snapshots?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27- I didn't, a friend of mine. - A friend of yours took them.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30- Where were these taken? - Great Yarmouth.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34We all went on holiday to Great Yarmouth - four friends.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- And what year?- 1963.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- 1963.- July 1963.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- There's George. That's got to be you. - That's me, yes, definitely.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46- With the bouffant?- Absolutely. Those were the days.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49And what's the story? What was the circumstance?
0:35:49 > 0:35:54Well, we knew a girl who was working in Great Yarmouth,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57and she said "I know where the Beatles are staying."
0:35:57 > 0:36:01But the previous evening we'd been to see the Beatles in concert
0:36:01 > 0:36:03and we'd been screaming like mad.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07- You had?- We were so excited when we knew where they were staying,
0:36:07 > 0:36:12- we sat in the lounge and they came and sat with us.- The following day? - The following day.
0:36:12 > 0:36:17- Was that the car they used? That was the car they went, went away in, yes.- Right. Excellent stuff.
0:36:17 > 0:36:23- But we asked if we could take their, have their photographs.- So, your friend took these snapshots.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28- Yes.- 1960...?- 1963.- ..63.- Yes. - Well, that's absolutely brilliant.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32- There's all three of you.- Yes. - You in the middle. - My friend's taking the photo.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- With a very young Paul McCartney. - Absolutely, yes.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39- I think they're... Oh, look at that. - Yes.- Look at that. Very casual.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41I was on that photograph
0:36:41 > 0:36:45but I cut it off because it didn't look very good.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49- Oh, right. In addition to the photographs you've got a little album here...- Yes.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52..With something even more special in it, in a way.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56- It says "My Trip" on here. Is it a little diary, is it?- Yes.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00And you kept notes about what you did, where you went etc.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04- Where and what we did. - And somewhere... Here we go.- Yes.
0:37:04 > 0:37:10- "To Chris, with love from John Lennon"- "Chris, love, Paul McCartney".
0:37:10 > 0:37:13- And George Harrison. And is that Ringo Starr?- Yes.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18So, you've got all four, excellent. Well, that's very nice indeed.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21I don't know whether you are aware but there are a lot of,
0:37:21 > 0:37:26shall we say, copies of autographs, Beatles autographs, on the market.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31They were often done by the roadies, people around the Beatles, simply to keep the fans away.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34There was so much demand for autographs
0:37:34 > 0:37:36they often got the roadies to sign them.
0:37:36 > 0:37:42So, it's very, very important, so far as the value's concerned, to know the history.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47Without a history, they often fail to make even a few hundred pounds in auction.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49With a genuine history, like yours,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53I'd be quite confident in getting the better part of £5,000 in auction.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Good gracious. Wow!
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Hope that pleases you. - That's absolutely wonderful.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03What a great-looking table, but obviously there's a lot more to it than meets the eye.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07- There certainly is.- How many leaves do we have altogether? We've got...
0:38:07 > 0:38:12- I believe there are five leaves altogether that add into the section we have here.- Right.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15- Quite chunky, isn't it?- And heavy.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18So, mahogany leaves but oak veneer.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22This is fantastic. Is this a family piece?
0:38:22 > 0:38:24It is, it's only been in the family since 1970,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27but we've had so many family meals around it and what have you.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31I've five brothers and sisters, lots of friends, so it's been fabulous.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34- How many do you seat at it? - The maximum we've had,
0:38:34 > 0:38:39is about, um, 20, although we've never had all the leaves in.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41I've never seen it with all the leaves in.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43- Shall we try it?- I'd love it. - Let's see.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- Is it easy?- Just pull. Pull. Relatively, yes.- Well, I...
0:38:46 > 0:38:50- Cos you're doing all the work. Just wait one sec...- Keep on pulling.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Just wait one minute. Look at that. I can't resist this.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56It's a bit dusty. I've not been doing my job, have I?
0:38:56 > 0:38:59You mustn't polish here. This is as it was made, 1860 or '70.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Have you noticed these screws? All the slots are lined up.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06OK, I had never noticed that before.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11So, whoever made this has really thought about it. This is a piece of Victorian engineering.
0:39:11 > 0:39:16- This is, you know, a great steel bridge, but it's made of mahogany. It's fantastic.- Yes.- It's wonderful.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21- How smoothly it pulls apart.- Well, let's try. I think we might need some help with the leaves.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25- OK.- I'm making you do all the work here. How far back do I have to go?
0:39:25 > 0:39:28All the way. I think mine's locked now.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Is it safe here? Are we...?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Hello, right,
0:39:33 > 0:39:37I think we'd better get some help. I'm going to ask somebody to put the leaves in.
0:39:37 > 0:39:43- This is just... I think I'll just stay down here out of the way, what a WONDERFUL thing.- It is fabulous.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45So, you've had it since 1970.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Yes, my father worked at the Shirley Institute in Manchester
0:39:48 > 0:39:52and they had it as a board-room table there.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57And they were told by a local antiques dealer that it was too big to be worth anything.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01He made an offer and the table has been in my family ever since.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05It was in Mum and Dad's house, obviously, when I was a child.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09They've downsized houses and we have a larger house. The table fits...just.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13I have to be honest. I've seen this table before.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18I believe it was at Leeds University with my father in 1989.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20So, 15 years ago.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24This is one of the most magnificent Victorian dining tables I've ever seen.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27It's certainly one of the largest.
0:40:27 > 0:40:33It's one of the largest pieces of furniture we've had on the Roadshow. Do you know how long it is exactly?
0:40:33 > 0:40:38- As we see it here, with all its leaves in, almost 18 feet. - 18-feet long.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43Why do you bring a HUGE table like this back to the Roadshow 15 years later?
0:40:43 > 0:40:49I just thought it was interesting for people to see what had happened to a table that was on so long ago.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53It is still used very, very regularly for dinner parties
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and you can see children's fingerprints all over it.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01- And.- Looking at this, I mean, the children's fingermarks are perfect because it's patination.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06Um, but the best bit is here, isn't it? I mean, this is just fantastic.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- The whole concept of the legs. Firstly, it's massive but it doesn't look heavy.- Yes.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- A very clever design. It's got this silhouette...octagonal leg. - Elegant, yes.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19What's really interesting... The more I look - and I'm focusing on these little patera here,
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- these flower heads...- Right. - ..with the black ebony dots
0:41:23 > 0:41:28and the petals dividing them, and there's this neoclassicism of this anthemion on this leg -
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- I just wonder if this is possibly something to do with Saltaire...- Yes.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- ..designed by Charles Bevan in 1865 to 1870.- Right.
0:41:36 > 0:41:42- It's got that big, chunky, oak, massive Arts-and-Crafts feel about it.- OK.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46- It's big enough to be in a house of that size.- Right. - That would be interesting and I...
0:41:46 > 0:41:49And was he creating furniture in the North?
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- Yes.- We believe it's from the North. - Yes. I'm sure it's a northern piece.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- It's good Victorian. There's money...- Yes.- ..you know? Where there's muck there's brass.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02- This is for somebody with a lot of money.- Right. - And Bevan designed for Titus Salt -
0:42:02 > 0:42:07- this big house and all the furniture. - OK.- It's similar enough to be worth investigating.- OK.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13I think it is now a public museum. It would good to just go there and see what they could do.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Do you remember, thinking of expense, I mean, what did we say? What did I say?
0:42:17 > 0:42:22I believe that the... the valuation was in the area of
0:42:22 > 0:42:25um, £3,000...per section
0:42:25 > 0:42:30- so that would make it £20,000...- £20,000. Right. Right.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- Well, sadly, Victorian furniture hasn't gone up very much.- Right.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37But I think it's worth the effort of bringing it in,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41because I think a table like this, of this size, if you insure this today,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- insure it for £50,000.- 50,000?
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Goodness, right, I'd better get the house insurance changed.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Thank you very much.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53That massive table reminds me how difficult it is to convey
0:42:53 > 0:42:57the SCALE of the building that we've pitched our tent in today.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01They say one end of the building's in Rotherham, the other is in Sheffield.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Our hosts here at Magna promise visitors a day without limits.
0:43:05 > 0:43:11I wish we could say the same, but time is up. So, until the next time, from Rotherham, goodbye.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd