Hampton Court 2 Antiques Roadshow

The last time we were here at Hampton Court Palace, we used the wives of Henry VIII as our guide,

but of course the Tudors weren't the only royals to make their mark here.

The Baroque palace on the south side of the grounds was built in the late 1600s by William III.

It contained his private apartments and overlooked his private garden.

For William, it was crucial that buildings and landscapes complimented each other -

this was to be his Versailles.

The gardens today are exactly

what William would have wanted, but if he'd taken a stroll here

in the 20th century, he wouldn't recognise his beloved privy garden.

Inevitably, changes were made over the years after the King's death

and layers of modernisation and plant growth

gradually obscured the old monarch's vision for the palace and gardens.

By the early 1990s it was obvious that to make the most of the views

from the apartments, there was an urgent need for restoration.

The first step was an archaeological investigation.

Surprisingly, this didn't involve a lot of digging - it was more like an X-ray.

Using probes, the team were able to establish just how much of King William's garden had survived.

The results showed that original features were still there.

There was more available evidence -

the palace and gardens had been painted and sketched many times.

This one, by Leonard Knyff, was done in 1703, the year after William died.

It gave the perfect illustration of the period to be recreated.

In 1993 the major work began, trees were transplanted,

modern top soil removed

and the freshly exposed surface cleaned by hand.

The original paths and a drainage system were found.

William's garden was beginning to re-emerge.

When the time for planting came, authenticity was guaranteed - the restoration team would follow

Daniel Marot's original designs for the king.

Tender exotic plants collected by William and Mary from all over the world,

would be moved out of these glasshouses every summer to embellish the garden.

After four years of back-breaking work, the palace got its view back.

The Privy Garden was reopened to the public on 6th July, 1995

by HRH The Prince of Wales.

Today the Antiques Roadshow is taking advantage of these beautiful surroundings.

I think these are lovely things because they're puzzle jugs in delftware, tin glazed pottery.

-It is delftware?

-Yes, delftware and around about 17...

-1760, something like that.

-It's a miracle it's survived.

-I know.

-It's lost all its spouts.

-Yes.

-You haven't knocked those off?

-No, no. Nothing in my time.

-How does it come to you?

It was in a cottage that had originally been part of a very old pub in Cornwall,

and my mother-in-law moved into it and it was on a corner of the stairs that you really couldn't see.

And it must've been lying there for years before my husband found it,

and realised it was a joke jug and worked out how to...how to drink out of it without spilling it all.

-So it was just found for nothing at all?

-Yes.

-I've always dreamed of finding something like that.

-Yes.

So where...where was the cottage?

It was not far from Plymouth, so we imagined that sailors used to come into the pub and drink

-and play with the thing for years.

-That's very likely, because very interestingly,

we usually ascribe these cut-out holes of hearts -

-they're little hearts...

-Yes.

-..to Liverpool.

Liverpool delftware. So it's probably gone round the sea, down to Plymouth

and used in a pub down there, because, as you say, it's a puzzle jug.

"Gentlemen, come try your skill, I'll lay a wager if you will

"that you won't drink this liquor all without you spill or let some fall."

-You gave it to someone as a joke.

-That's right.

-And they tried to drink and out poured this...

Yes, exactly.

-Do you know how it works?

-Well, I can't remember,

but my husband and some friends could do it.

-It seems to me that men worked it out better than women.

-Yes, it's technically difficult.

It was full of beer, I expect, in the pub.

Well, the handle is hollow...

-Yes.

-And if you can get the liquid up through the handle without coming through the neck...

-Yes.

-..And through the... out of one of the nozzles, you can suck it up like that -

-up the handle and out of the spout.

-I remember now.

-But you have to cover up all the other spouts...

-Yes.

..Except the one and there's a secret little trap under there,

a little hole which you have to cover as well, so it's like that.

And then out comes the liquid...

-Yes, I remember.

-..And it avoids coming through the holes. They're absolutely idyllic things.

Without the spouts, not quite so valuable.

It would be several thousand pounds with all the spouts.

-Thousands?!

-Yes, yes, but without the spouts...

It's such a lovely poem and in such good condition apart from that

-that I think it's somewhere around about £600 or £700.

-Good heavens.

-And should be insured for £1,000.

-Good grief.

-But apart from that, I think it's lovely.

-Yes, it is lovely.

-And you got it for nothing.

-Ever since I inherited it about a year ago, it's been in a cardboard box underneath a bed.

-You're joking.

-I don't know where to put it. Don't find it attractive enough to...

-No?

-..To want to put it up.

Well, if it was mine I wouldn't have it under the bed. Let's just have a look.

It's a lovely eight-inch dial and with a wall clock we measure them from the actual edge of the dial -

there to there - rather than the case, and although this looks rather scruffy now,

it would - when new - have been silvered...

silvered on the brass and it would've looked magnificent against this brass bezel.

Again, that's scruffy but that could be taken nicely back,

polished and lacquered and the features to look for -

a lovely London signature...

and a subsidiary seconds dial which is superb.

-Most wall clocks, as you probably know, have a pendulum.

-Yes.

-The thing about this is it has a platform lever escapement.

-Right.

-And therefore the seconds hand.

And the other great thing about it - most wall clocks that you will see will be white painted dials,

this is going to be silvered, and most are a lot bigger.

They're just fairly ordinary but this is small,

technically it's lovely and it's very, very rare.

-So I must encourage you to like it a little bit more.

-Right.

And it's...

When I said scruffy, you can see here that the rosewood veneer

is starting to flake off a bit. It's all there but it does need attention.

And...and look at that movement.

What a cracking good thing.

I can see the chain wrapping itself round the barrel and this fantastic lever platform.

That's massive, it's got to be at least two inches in depth there.

And certainly an inch-and-a-quarter wide here.

Lovely, a really nice thing.

I cannot believe that you have this under the bed. Have you ever thought of having it restored?

Not really, I only...I've only owned it for a year and I do collect clocks. I haven't...

-Who had it before, may I ask?

-A foster brother who was older than me, who also collects clocks.

-Did he ever have it running?

-Yes, he had it running. He lived on a canal boat with smoky old chimney and...

That might account then for its rather rough state,

-if it's been a little bit damp here and there.

-Yes, oh, yes. It's been through the mill with him.

It has. It's had a hard-working life but what a lovely thing.

It's as nice as you're going to get - a little dial clock.

So, you've got it under the bed in a box.

You're not spending any money on it yet, but you must do because...

I'm going to tell you what it's worth.

-Or have you any thoughts?

-No, no idea.

In good condition, how about £3,500?

-No?!

-Yeah. In the rough like this at auction it's going to make £2,200 to £2,500 in the rough.

-Good gracious!

-It's a lovely thing!

I can't tell you how exciting it is when you suddenly see, in a box, something like this.

For me, it is extremely exciting.

Do tell me what you know about her.

Well, she was left to me by my grandmother when I was about 13.

She had spent all her youth and adult life in the West Indies,

mainly on Montserrat and Antigua, Her husband - my grandfather - was a doctor out there.

They did have a daughter who died sadly with the flu epidemic after the First World War

when she'd been sent back to boarding school. Whether it was her doll, I don't know.

Or whether it was a thank-you from a grateful patient of my grandfather's to my grandmother, I don't know.

In all my time learning about dolls -

and one never stops learning -

this is the first early black wax doll that I have seen.

It's SO rare to have a black wax doll.

I don't even know what goes into the wax to make it black.

I mean, I've seen black porcelain dolls, black bisque dolls,

black china dolls, but I have not seen an early black...

This is mid-19th century. This is 1850s.

And as far as you know, it could have been made in the West Indies,

but it defies the whole reason of making a wax doll.

Why not make a porcelain doll which won't melt?

Who was she? Why did they make this personalised doll?

She's got an open mouth with the remains

of little teeth which could well be ivory.

Underneath this...real hair

there are little tiny, tiny pins, pinning on the wig.

-Real nine-carat gold earrings.

-Oh, my goodness!

And when I got to the legs I thought, "Well, I'm going to see black wax legs."

But they're not.

They're, um... They're just...

I think they're wood shavings with silk stockings.

Her little hands go right up to the elbow,

that's wax and then after that it'll be wood shavings again.

All the little stitching, got her own little bracelet -

all in superb condition.

I find her extremely exciting.

Have you got her insured?

No.

Um, I'm going to stick my neck out.

I'm going to say you should insure her for £8,000.

My goodness!

The mind boggles, doesn't it? You think, "This doll I've had all this time in this box."

-Under my bed.

-Under your bed!

THEY LAUGH

Late 18th-, early 19th-century mahogany chest of drawers. Perfect proportions, lovely thin drawers

and those wonderful little French feet, or little French foot, just kicks out at the end.

Great-quality timber throughout and, yes, it does have later handles on.

-Yeah.

-There's no doubt...

-By my grandfather.

-Oh, did he?

-Oh, that's good! At least we've got some proof.

-So we know who did it.

-They would have been smaller in diameter and probably brass drop or knob handles.

-I see.

It's a secretaire, right?

-Yeah.

-And we get at the inside. Oh, as we pull it down, look at that - "Gillows, Lancaster".

Now, do you know something about Gillows?

Well, I looked up the archive in Westminster Library

-where they've got all his original facsimiles of his drawings.

-Excellent, right.

And I came up with the conclusion this was about 1797,

-but I couldn't find THIS model. I could find longer ones and shorter ones.

-Yes.

-All with this...

-Arcaded section in.

-Sure.

Well, what you have to remember is that the drawing books were a guide to the client.

-I see.

-So the client would say, "I like the arcaded pigeon holes,

"I like the drawers over the pigeon holes but I don't want it that width. I want it this width."

-Oh, I see.

-"But I want that pattern."

So you won't find every dimension directly relating to that particular piece.

It IS interesting and, of course, they were known for their superb quality,

choice of timber, choice of metal mount - absolutely fabulous - and also, all the little handles.

And then again, extra quality to the little clasp that takes this quadrant, well hidden inside.

Very smart object. Totally useful and...and so good to look at. So how long have you had it?

Well, I've had it since my father died,

but, I mean, it's been in the family certainly since about 1860, and I suspect before that.

Yes, lovely. It has the feel of a family piece, do you know what I mean?

Well, it's these funny knobs, I think.

Well, despite the funny knobs, it's still as pretty a piece and is worth £6,500 or £7,000.

-Really?!

-Oh, yes. Absolutely. Super little bit of furniture as well.

-Thank you very much.

-And thank you.

The intriguing tale of this picture began with the label on the back - "Portraits of Grand Papa's Pets,"

-and I gather you've been doing some quite crucial research.

-Yes. I knew that they were related.

It's a family painting.

I discovered that they are my great-grandmother's sisters, and that the painting -

the Grand Papa who commissioned the painting -

was my great great great-grandfather who was Benjamin Vulliamy, clockmaker to the King.

So as clockmaker to the King, did he have any links with Hampton Court?

Yes. At one time he mended the astronomical clock.

He was asked to restore it in the mid-19th century.

How were you able to establish that this picture belonged to him?

I did family history research and then, more recently, I found his will at the Public Records Office

which actually confirms that it was HIS painting and that he left it to his daughter.

-It's mentioned in the will?

-Yes.

-And you found the will?

-Yes.

That's a great bit of arcane research. That's amazing.

Now, we do know a little bit about this artist, do we not?

Because you have seen him referred to in the will,

but have you worked out who he might be and where he fits in?

Er, no. I've just looked him up in books on artists.

I just know that he was particularly famous for drawing dogs and any other animals that...

Yes, he was, he was one of the...

Part of that Victorian phenomenon. He was a sort of pet and portrait artist,

He was actually from Ireland originally. His name was Richard Robert Scanlan,

signed clearly in the left-hand corner.

But what's so lovely about it is, that it sort of sums up and serves up deliciously on a plate

all that Victorian sentiment that we associate with portraits of that period.

I feel that the chair itself, very much in the way Victorian art does,

sort of symbolises Grandpa in a way, and this is a device that was used from Van Dyke onwards

in child portraiture. You had to dwarf the children. It's a great way of making those children look small.

The next bit is the artist imbues the dogs.

This is that Victorian technique that Landseer perfected so well.

He's imbuing the dogs with human expressions and that look of doleful expectation upon the...

lurcher's face as he eyes up the biscuit held teasingly by the child.

-But where I think it works best of all... Do you know her name, the little girl in the middle?

-Yes.

-She was Lucy Frances Christian Rego.

-We'll call her "Lucy with the hairstyle" at the moment.

Because Lucy has a very similar hairstyle,

if it was a bit unwashed, unkempt and slept on all night,

as the dog on the left.

And I mean it's not too far-fetched because the placing of the eyes and the manner of the hair

makes a superb juxtaposition.

So this is anthropomorphising Victorian painting at its best and of course,

the title itself - "Grandpa's Pets".

-You don't think for one moment it just refers to the pets?

-Oh, no.

Um, he's quite a valuable artist, for one particular reason,

and that is that he's Irish

and also, he is good at doing this type of work

which is, as I say, very representative of Victorian art.

-You had it valued about 20 years ago?

-Yes, yes.

They said between £800 and £1,000.

Well, I think we can confidently say that it's three, four,

-possibly five times that now.

-Really?!

-I'd happily put an insurance valuation of anything up to £5,000 on this.

-Really?!

So...yes.

SHE LAUGHS

So how long have you had these pieces?

I inherited them when I was three years old.

-Gosh, what an inheritance!

-Yes, they're lovely, aren't they?

Where did they come from?

They were my grandparents' on my mother's side.

-I know that my grandparents had them in India for most of their working life.

-Right.

Um, then they retired to South Africa and they went there with them,

and then they came to me about 27 years ago.

-You don't happen to know when your grandparents got married?

-I don't.

My reason for asking is because a set like this was very often a wedding present

-from a groom to his bride.

-Oh, right!

That goes right back into the 17th century, this sort of period.

Um, of course what we've got here, the hand mirror, a couple of brushes, this wonderful box.

I have to say that box, I think is a stunner.

We've got the inscription running around here

"Omar Ramsden et Alwyn Carr me fecerunt".

And that's of course the very famous Ramsden and Carr partnership.

They were actually from Sheffield, although these are London pieces.

-Right.

-We've got maker's mark of Omar Ramsden and Alwyn Carr there,

but the date, in this case, is really quite evocative, it's 1915.

-Right.

-Start of right towards the beginning of the First World War...

with a decoration

I think is wonderful for that period, we've got St George and the dragon.

Because 1915... What could be better at that time?

I think that's wonderful.

The roses became very much a feature of Ramsden and Carr work - Tudor roses.

Had you thought in terms of value?

-Not at all.

-I think today I would not be surprised to see that selling somewhere...

between about...

say £6,000 and £8,000.

-Really?!

-Really.

I'm in shock.

OK. Well, don't be too shocked!

Now, let's have a look at THIS jug.

And gosh, what an inheritance!

Claret jug, of course,

and of course we've got the same makers - Ramsden & Carr.

But here we're a bit earlier, actually - we're back to 1905,

a far more peaceful time, and what have we got? We've got grapes.

The roses are there as well.

It's also interesting to see on this as well

this hammered surface.

And this was very much a reaction

against industrialisation.

They were saying, "Look, this is handmade."

On the top of course

we've got these cabochon stones,

and that's very much Arts and Crafts movement coming through -

the idea that you would use the stone in its much more natural state.

So...

-had you thought about value on this one?

-No.

Right.

Um...I think with this,

we're actually looking at...

again £6,000 to £8,000.

Wow!

Thank you. That's amazing!

It was a very nice little inheritance, that.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you for bringing them in.

Obviously this is a microscope. Is it something you ever use?

No, I'm afraid not. My husband gets it out occasionally.

Well, it'll still work today

as well as the first day it was actually built.

Now, it's made by Ross,

and after his death in the early 1860s,

the initials changed from "A Ross" just to "Ross",

so we know it's probably late '60s, early '70s period,

and it had this special feature

which meant you could look through both eyes,

rather than just having to use one.

So it's what's called a binocular microscope,

and a single tube is a monocular.

To a collector, it is the height of Victorian engineering and one of the best makers you can buy.

I don't know if you ever played with it, and it's made to be played with,

but, I mean, all the alterations you can make, all the fine adjustments

here, here, below... you can adjust the mirror here...

It's a superb piece of engineering. Ever thought about the value?

We thought, a few hundred pounds, possibly 1,000.

Well, it comes in its beautiful original mahogany box.

It comes with a full set of accessories.

It is...I keep on going on about the condition is perfect.

For insurance purposes,

-you should be thinking about 2,500.

-Gosh!

It would be very difficult to find an example as good as this.

They say three's a crowd, but this is quite a crowd -

-there's you, me AND... Vivienne Westwood!

-Indeed, yes!

I'm just going to do something very rude -

I'm just going to check that we have...

-We DO have the label - that's all right.

-Good, good.

-This is a great dress.

-Thank you.

-Tell me where you got it.

I actually bought it...or my husband bought it, I should say.

I'd seen it in a magazine spread and absolutely fell in love with it. And we happened to be up in London -

this is 14 years ago - and I just happened to guide him down the Kings Road towards the World's End.

-I do that to my husband sometimes. It works, doesn't it?

-It did, and it also happened to be my birthday.

-How could he possibly resist?

-Absolutely.

-And it looks terrific, I have to say.

-Thank you.

Even now, 14 years on,

there's something about Westwood designs

that have this sort of classic feel to them.

Vivienne Westwood, she's an icon really in late-20th-century design.

She and Malcolm McLaren

created punk rock

with their shop in the King's Road called Sex,

and out of that

came this wonderful, extraordinary passion for design

and a very quirky and a very English type of design.

-What did you pay for it? Sorry...

-It's OK.

-Am I allowed?

-I'm trying to remember. Yeah, it was about £250.

-I can believe that.

-Mmm.

I have to say, today I would...

I would have thought we're talking about 300, 400,

-so it hasn't shot up in value.

-No, no.

But the great thing is - unlike almost anything else that you buy and wear -

-it hasn't gone DOWN in value.

-That's true.

-It's not worth nothing.

-Yes.

-Will you continue wearing it?

-Yes, I love it. I would never sell it,

because I adore it and love wheeling it out every now and again.

-Fantastic. I hope you and Viv have a great future together.

-Thank you.

Well, it's off with the sandals and the ankle socks - we're all ten years old again.

This lovely scene is brought to you by a contender for collector of the series.

-Russell Potts.

-Hello.

-This is a lovely selection.

Have you been crazy and mucking about in boats ever since childhood?

No, not really. I had toy boats when I was a boy,

but I laid them aside until... oh, the early '70s

when I got heavily involved in radio-controlled model-yacht racing.

And then from that, I started looking at the history

and I started writing about the history.

What is the size of your own personal collection?

-It's probably pushing 90.

-There are so many types and sizes.

-Yeah.

-Which is the oldest one you've brought?

-The oldest one that I've got here...

..is this boat here.

This is Swallow -

one of the racing classes that modellers use,

and she dates probably...

from 1890.

She's a lovely boat and she's carved out of a single piece of wood,

which is fairly unusual,

and the sails are almost certainly the originals

from when she was built.

-You buy them and you actually restore them as well?

-Yes.

This one I've had the deck off and relined the inside and a new coat of varnish, new lot of string, but...

-She's still an old boat.

-Oh, still an old boat, yes.

There's nothing that is not 100 years old, except for the rigging.

They're all beautiful without a doubt. Tell me which is...

out of this selection...

the most expensive...of your boats.

-In terms of what they're actually worth?

-Yes.

Probably THIS one, because she's bigger...

In antique dealers' terms,

she's visibly a work of craftsmanship -

there's lots of different bits of wood beautifully put together.

I suppose on a good day at auction you might get 1,000, 1,200,

-perhaps a little more.

-Not as much as I would have thought.

No, I mean, the market for old boats is divided into people like me,

who are interested in them because they're old model yachts,

and interior decorators who want something snazzy for a niche in the flat they're decorating.

-With you, it's love.

-Oh, absolutely.

When you talk to an enthusiast, you start getting enthusiastic.

-I want to see a boat sail, please.

-Right, OK.

This is one of Paxton's toy boats,

which he made as a sideline to his main business of making shipping-company models

and it probably dates from 1900 or so.

-But it works?

-It works, yes.

-Let's launch her.

-Let's have a go.

God bless her and all who sail in her!

APPLAUSE

Well, I just didn't expect to see an Art Deco bedroom suite

in William III's royal palace. I mean, it's travelled some way.

-It's come a long way.

-Yeah.

We bought it in Boston

and shipped it over to the UK.

We liked it, because we'd seen some Bel Geddes work at the V&A exhibition on Art Deco,

so we decided that's Bel Geddes.

It WAS, so we made a bid for it.

Well, he's an amazing character, Bel Geddes.

He's one of those great pioneers of industrial design.

It's very distinctly American in some ways, don't you think?

Yeah. It's interesting whether it is Deco or whether it's modernist,

which they tend to use in some of the books on Bel Geddes,

but if you look at the end of the bed,

that has very much a Deco theme to it,

but the rest of the furniture I think is sort of moving towards the Deco idea coming out of Europe,

and then Bel Geddes was concentrating more on the engineering

and then trying to bring design to bear on basic engineering

to make it more modern, more acceptable.

They wouldn't have been enormously expensive when they were made,

but the idea was to bring really good modern design to utilitarian objects.

Exactly, yeah, yeah.

You have the great book, one of his great books.

There's a couple of pictures in here,

which might illustrate his style, and there is a picture of the bed,

which is how he got to blend

the design of sort of functionality

with design and engineering.

But then there's a couple of other things that perhaps never quite made it into production,

and there was his car for the 1930s,

which is probably now a people carrier in 2004.

-It's all about that streamlining, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's all aerodynamics, industrial design.

-Yes, beautiful.

And he even designed...

It wasn't just the shape, but he even went on to design sort of the inside and how it was laid out,

and then even more fantastic perhaps is the aeroplane.

This had about seven levels.

It had decks...it was like an ocean liner, wasn't it?

And it landed on water and it even had a promenade.

So an amazing designer.

He's a bit like a sort of 1930s equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci

with these fantastical designs.

He even designed the first rotating restaurant

and he had an idea in Manhattan

of having a floating airport off the south of the island.

-Yes.

-He was an extraordinary character.

That's really interesting, because it was originally from Manhattan -

that's what the people who sold it said.

If one can find out the original commission, for whom it was made,

that would add enormously to the interest, the value of it.

He used a lot of different makers, Bel Geddes,

but one of the ones he particularly used in the late '20s, early '30s,

was Simmons, and what's nice

-is that each and every part of this is labelled, in the drawers, stencilled on the back.

-Yes, yes.

I mean, it's very interesting -

he's a particularly interesting designer, Bel Geddes.

I think he's one of those people who will become increasingly valuable

as his importance in the development of industrial design is appreciated.

You bought it in Boston cheaply?

Hmm...it wasn't so cheap -

they wanted 2,500 for it.

-Right.

-And we actually got it for 1,800.

-Hard bargaining.

-Which is about £1,000 today.

-Right.

And then shipping it across wasn't as expensive as we thought,

-because they shipped it by volume and not by weight.

-It doesn't weigh very much, does it(?)

It weighs an absolute ton, yes.

Well, I think, even at the early stages of his market,

I think if you were to offer a suite like this at auction,

you might easily get...

-£2,000, maybe £3,000 for it.

-That's good.

-That's not bad.

-Would the market be here in the UK or in the US?

In the US at the moment, yeah.

-We're not selling.

-I hope you find the rest of it.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

It really is the most fascinating collection of watch keys.

I'd love to know where they came from and who started it.

They belonged to my mother, who started collecting 54 years ago,

and she collected them for a charm bracelet originally,

because they were about five bob each,

so she said it was a cheap way of getting a charm bracelet together.

Five bob each, so what's that...?

-About 25p...

-Yes!

-..in new money, yes.

How many are there?

Roughly about 357 altogether.

-Roughly(!) I love it!

-My daughter counted them, so yes.

I've taken a few out already of the ones that I really rather like

and I haven't even got to this drawer underneath. Oh, my gosh, look!

This is absolutely unbelievable -

everywhere I look, there are just fantastic examples of everything.

Some of the ones I really love...

I mean I love anything to do with animals. You've got a unicorn here,

this lovely little fox's mask there.

Absolutely charming, with a little hard stone back.

The pipe is fantastic, but I think probably my favourite so far

is this dog here, and I don't know if you've ever tried turning them,

but if you can imagine, bearing in mind you wind a watch up once a day and if you left it to the evening,

-as many people did...

-Yes.

-..you've had a drink or two...

If you tried to wind it the wrong way, you'd do great damage to the watch,

so this actually has a ratchet inside, and if you wound the watch the wrong way,

-that freewheels against the ratchet clockwise.

-Oh, isn't that clever?

It actually does it, so there's a proper ratchet in there.

-Don't you think that's charming?

-Ingenious, yes!

Masonic ones - the ever-watchful eye, the trowel, the set square -

it's all here, isn't it?

They're beautiful.

And they're representing over 200 years of key-wound watches.

OK, there are a few plated items, but the majority of them are gold.

I won't start telling you an individual amount for each one,

because that would be stupid.

Just bear in mind that some of these aren't worth that much.

-No.

-But others are worth £200 or £300 each.

-That much?

So if you actually think about it,

350-odd of these...

even an average

of...say, £50

or an average of £80...

we're very nearly up to £25,000.

Ooh! Yes...right.

-It's a good investment. Thank you.

-It's been a great investment.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

"Success to the farmer, The plough and the flail,

"May the landlord ever flourish, And the tenant never fail.

"Long may you live, Happy may you be,

"Blessed with content, And from misfortunes free."

-Hear, hear!

-That's a jolly nice piece.

I hope you're going to be able to tell me all about MA Richards.

Well, a little of it, yes.

It came through my mother, but she got it from her aunt,

and this lady on here

was her mother-in-law.

This was Mary Ann,

and her surname I don't know,

but she married Thomas Richards who was a farmer,

so it's been in the family a while.

It's very important that this information

be sort of put down and attached to the object,

because after all it is half the interest of the object.

In itself, it's a very fine thing.

It was made by Edwin Beer Fishley,

-who had a pottery at Fremington, which is in North Devon.

-Indeed.

And he was greatly admired by Bernard Leach.

And Bernard Leach was enormously influenced by Fishley.

I mean, this is rural pottery at its traditional best.

The glory of Leach has sort of rubbed off backwards,

-and people collect Fishley, because he was admired by Leach.

-I had no idea at all.

So that affects the value,

because on one hand, you've got a family heirloom handed down

-with nice documentation, which is important.

-Indeed.

And on the other, we have the fact that Mr Fishley is now collected.

-You wouldn't be able to replace it.

-No.

But if that were in a retail shop,

I think you might well have to pay £1,500 or £2,000 for it.

Good heavens! That's more than my insurance limit, I think!

Well, it is a great treasure and a lovely family heirloom and a most exciting piece to see.

Well, here we have a rather sad-looking copy of "The Ascent of Everest" by John Hunt.

Look at the state of the spine,

and the top here is all frayed.

But when we turn up inside, a completely different story.

There's a picture of Tenzing on the top of Everest,

and then there's this tiny little rusty pin with the Everest pig.

-Now, tell me about it.

-Well, in 1924 I wrote a letter -

with help, because I was only eight years old -

and sent him this little silver pig, and he took it up Everest as far as he went.

-But this was Howard Somerville going to Everest?

-Yes, it was Somerville's expedition.

-Right.

-But Noel was the photographer on it, and he knew my father.

-Right.

But he didn't go on the final ascent where only Somerville and Mallory went.

-Yes. That was the one where...?

-They were killed.

-They were killed, Mallory was killed.

-Yes.

Now, when he came down, he gave it to Somerville

to send back to me, but then in 1951 I sent it, on behalf on my son,

-on the next expedition to Everest.

-And this was Eric Shipton's.

Yes, that was Eric Shipton's, but it didn't come back from the '51

for a long time, and then he posted it to me,

and in 1953 he said, "Send it back to me,"

and he gave it to Charles Evans to look after.

Then, after this book - Hunt wrote the book - they had a big reception.

-A party.

-Yes, a party.

-A party to launch the book.

-Yes, that's right.

A book launch at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington.

-Yes, yes.

-And I remember...

-You were invited?

-I was invited, and I met Tenzing and Hillary,

and they gave me back my pig and he actually told me...

-So Tenzing had actually taken it right to the top?

-Yes, he said he had.

And there's the picture of Tenzing, right on the top of Everest.

So, that is one of the most widely-travelled silver pigs I've ever come across.

There is a letter from one of them

saying that it's probably been on Everest more than anybody else had at that time.

-Of course, now people get there quite easily.

-They have summer holidays up there.

I don't know to value this, you know.

No. Well, it's of great sentimental value to my family.

-Well, of course it would be.

-And great interest to them, so it hasn't got a "value".

A jolly little porker.

My husband just came home with it one day, like he came home with many things, including a puppy one day.

-He would just turn up with all sorts of things.

-Do you know about the artist?

I don't. I just know he's Sir Frank Brangwyn.

I know that there's a museum of Frank Brangwyn in Wales

where we used to live, but apart from that, no.

You're dealing with here, an artist who was literally the most famous artist of his day,

when was active, certainly in Britain anyway, at the beginning of the last century.

I mean, Frank Brangwyn is the only artist, as far as I know,

-who has a building named after him in Los Angeles.

-Really?

He was knighted, he was feted,

he was probably more in work doing major civic commissions

than any other artist of his day.

-You had the picture cleaned, didn't you?

-Yes, I did. Was that a mistake?

Well, who knows? But what did it look like beforehand?

It was very dull, very flat, and you couldn't see the vibrance of the colours at all.

And now it's sort of... It sparkles.

This makes a rather nice allegory of his stylistic life,

because when he first started painting, he was rather dull,

grisaille - grey and white work -

and then about ten or 20 years into his career,

he suddenly discovered colour,

-rather like you discovered colour with this picture on your wall.

-Yes.

And wham, he changed,

and suddenly greens, blues, yellows began to filter through.

-And of course reds, which I gather is your favourite colour.

-Yes.

But unfortunately, round about the same time, old master painting -

and this is more old-master painting than modern painting,

-if you think what was going on in France, with Picasso...

-Right.

...and Braque and all of those followers and movements.

This type of art could look a little bit stilted,

and what happened as the century progressed, this megastar artist

who now adorns your wall with such colour,

became less and less fashionable and it's only in recent years that he's begun to come back,

-and in the year 2006 there's going to be an exhibition of his work in Leeds.

-Oh, right!

You have a star here who's orbiting.

I think it would be fair to say that in the present market,

given where Brangwyn is now, where he will be quite soon,

-an estimate of £10,000 to £15,000 would be pretty well appropriate.

-Really?!

-It's a great-looking picture.

-I love it.

-You've re-presented it with tremendous aplomb.

Well, it's a family object which has been handed down from mother to daughter,

and it belonged to my four-greats grandmother,

who was Rosamund Croker,

known as "the beautiful Miss Croker."

Whose painting we've got here.

This painting was exhibited in the Royal Academy Exhibition

of 1827 and she's wearing the jewel.

It's really amazing, isn't it?

And she is a ravishingly beautiful lady, isn't she? Where did she live?

She married Sir George Barrow of the Admiralty

and they lived, actually, for some time near Hampton Court,

and she is, I think, buried over the river in East Molesey.

She lived till she was 92.

Really?

And had eight children.

My goodness.

The portrait is 1827, I think,

it tells us conveniently on the back of this lovely postcard.

I suppose one might have thought that perhaps it was made FOR her,

but I think it probably isn't.

I think it's much earlier than that, I think it's 100 years earlier.

She was only 17 when this was painted, so it was...

-And was she married at the time?

-No, she married later on.

-Hmm.

So possibly it was something from the family jewel casket,

brought to her to furnish this remarkably beautiful portrait.

And not only stylistically can we guess at this earlier date.

I mean, it's the way in which the gold is phrased, the way it's cut, the way it's chased,

but also the coral's significance. The coral was thought in antiquity

to be the fossilised blood of Christ, and was a talismanic jewel to wear.

It was particularly effective against witchcraft and fascination,

and younger people were thought to be very much more at risk of that,

and that was where the magic lies.

So here you have an object that sort of transports you into the room

where this portrait was painted and that's pulse-makingly exciting, I think.

It's cast and it's made by hand -

it positively reeks of quality,

and I think, really, it's unrepeatable and well-documented,

it's full of context and fascination

associated with the beautiful portrait of a beautiful girl,

so I think it's time to go a bit mad.

And I think I'm going to say...

..£30,000.

My goodness.

My goodness.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

Another fine day at Hampton Court.

Now we'd like to thank the Tudors

and the other royal families who've lived here, for their hospitality.

They always were kind to visitors - Henry VIII even had a 24-seat toilet facility built for his staff.

It was called "The Great House of Easement"

And on that relaxed note, from the privy garden at Hampton Court Palace, goodbye.

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