0:00:31 > 0:00:34The idea of civic pride isn't exactly all the rage these days,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37but there was a time when cities and towns across the land
0:00:37 > 0:00:40wanted everyone to know they were special.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42"If you've got it, flaunt it", was the cry.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47The best way to do that was to dazzle the world with your public buildings.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54Our venue this week is a perfect example - it's a masterpiece of Gothic revival architecture.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59And it has the lot - magnificent stained glass windows,
0:00:59 > 0:01:06vaulted ceilings, grand stairways, wonderful Minton tiled floors,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09stone and wood carvings worthy of a stately home.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11There's even a great organ.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Is this another of our great cathedrals?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18In fact it's a town hall.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24We're in Rochdale, Lancashire, home of the Co-op Movement and once an industrial boom town.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27In the Victorian era the town's leaders wanted to prove
0:01:27 > 0:01:33they had enough brass and "chutzpah" to turn a functional building into a work of art.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Rochdale's old coat of arms hints at where the brass came from.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41A woolsack and a ram suggest a woollen industry.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45But the crest also features a large garland of cotton buds.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50In the 19th century the cotton mill chimneys of Rochdale were smoking for England.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54The population exploded as workers, many of them women, poured in from
0:01:54 > 0:01:59the countryside to the factories to operate steam-driven power looms like this one.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Lancashire became the cotton goods capital of the world.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The mill workers themselves lived in atrocious conditions.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Some of Rochdale's councillors opposed the plan to build a grand town hall
0:02:11 > 0:02:15because they felt the money would be better spent on decent sanitation.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Half the streets in town didn't have the luxury of a sewer.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26But by 1866 the budget was approved and the foundation stone was laid, although the building ended up
0:02:26 > 0:02:31costing nearly eight times Crossland's original estimate of £20,000.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35Rochdale eventually got a decent sewage system too.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41Designed for public meetings and concerts, the Great Hall is the setting for today's Roadshow.
0:02:41 > 0:02:47Above our heads, an enormous hammer beam ceiling based on one at Westminster.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51And on all sides, stained glass windows that depict every monarch of England,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54from William the Conqueror to Queen Victoria.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Now that's flaunting it!
0:02:57 > 0:03:02And it's time for the people of Rochdale to do a bit of showing off for our experts.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05What a nice little group of pieces, aren't they?
0:03:05 > 0:03:07How did you come by them?
0:03:07 > 0:03:12My mum's aunt left my mum £500 in her will when she died.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17I've got two brothers and two sisters, so my mum decided to give us £100 each.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22My brothers and sisters were all given £100 to go and do what they wanted with.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Whereas I was only quite young, there's quite a big difference in our ages,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31so my mum decided that it would be better if we went to an antique shop.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35It might be quite nice to go and spend the money on some antiques.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Hence, I've still got my £100.
0:03:37 > 0:03:43- You've got yours still. Your brothers and sisters spent it on wine, women and song.- I think they squandered.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47It's remarkable for a youngster to want to buy these things.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52- Did you like them at the time? Did you fall in love with them?- I did. It was between us what we chose.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- The girls are pretty.- They're fascinating things, aren't they?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57The two figures are French.
0:03:57 > 0:04:03The two girls, a pair, nice to have the pair, they're Jean Gille
0:04:03 > 0:04:06of Paris, in bisque.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11That's an unglazed body which lets the flesh show very beautifully.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16I think they're absolutely lovely and in remarkable condition.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22The pot here is Doulton of Lambeth,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24with a pattern called "Chine" -
0:04:24 > 0:04:29this sort of lovely little shining gold decoration on the top.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Chine decoration, about 1900.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Whereas the French figures
0:04:35 > 0:04:38are about 1870, something like that.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41The little tiny group,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45these little three girls, seated on there, on the top of a box,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47they've put the thing on top of a box.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- Right.- They're made by a firm called Conta & Boehme of Germany.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55So little fairings, things somebody bought when they went to Brighton
0:04:55 > 0:04:59or to, I suppose, Blackpool, or something locally here, wasn't it?
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And brought it back and gave it to mother.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04So those aren't complete but I think they're wonderful.
0:05:04 > 0:05:10Thinking of value, your £100, do you think it might have increased a bit?
0:05:13 > 0:05:19Well over 30 years, maybe it would have gone up a little bit, perhaps.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21We'll see.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- The little figures, I suppose they're going to be £20, £30.- Right.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27They lack their box underneath.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- Yes.- The chine vase, should be one of a pair.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- You haven't got the pair?- No.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34£80 to £100.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- Really?- So that's nearly your...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38I've nearly got my £100.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- You've got your £100 there, haven't you?- Right.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43But the French figures are very nice.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48I think, probably in value, they're going to be say £600 or £700.
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- Really?- So your £100 has multiplied alarmingly!
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- Wow!- That's jolly nice, and instead of wine, women and song, you've got these.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- That shows them, doesn't it? - Yes, yes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Have you got any marine background to the family?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06None at all, none at all.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09My uncle was in the Merchant Navy but apart from that, none at all, no.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- So this hasn't come down through the family?- No.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16This is the only antique my father ever bought, I think.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20My mother, she got plenty, but this is the only one he bought.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Right. It's a very well designed barometer
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- and the chap who invented it, he didn't make the barometer, this man, Admiral Fitzroy.- No.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32He was really the world's, certainly this country's, first meteorologist.
0:06:32 > 0:06:39And the whole weather forecasting system that we now use, basically owes a huge amount to his work.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- Yes.- And he's an interesting man.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46I think he was born about 1805 and committed suicide in 1865.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- Did he?- And in the meantime he was a Member of Parliament,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I think he sat in the Houses of Parliament,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56he was associated with Darwin, and he came up with the barometer.
0:06:56 > 0:07:03But he came up with a very advanced system of how you could actually predict and forecast the weather.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08Whereas before that they simply had the scales and perhaps a few simple instructions.
0:07:08 > 0:07:15Well, although Admiral Fitzroy died in 1865, the vast majority of barometers were made after his death.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- This one dates from somewhere about 1880.- Yeah.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21And, as I'm sure you know, the way this one works
0:07:21 > 0:07:25is you have two knobs here that can adjust the needles.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30- Yes. - The pointers, depending upon what, set for yesterday, set for today.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34And you have two sets of scales - the winter and summer.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So, if you set it today,
0:07:37 > 0:07:43apparently it's hot and raining, or it could be much rain and snow!
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Now they come in various qualities.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50It's not signed. I don't know who the exact maker was.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53But this is quite a superior one because the scales are all enamelled.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57And some of them are in cardboard, printed paper.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00So this is a rather good one.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Quite a nice size, decorative carving, well-made.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Do you know what he paid?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08No, I don't.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- He wouldn't have paid a lot. - No, I don't think so.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- 25 years ago... - Well, no, longer than that.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16About the '30s, I think he probably bought it. In the '30s.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20They weren't very popular then. People didn't understand the significance.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24He had it in the porch, he used it daily. He followed it daily.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Yep, well he's done all right, I think.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Nowadays, £1,500.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31£1,500 to £1,800.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33That is a surprise, that.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46It's a lovely hall. Have you been here before?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Yes, it's beautiful. Yes, I've been to you know, dances in there.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- Oh, really? - When I was younger, you know.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53What, ballroom dancing?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Oh, yes, ballroom, dinner dances and things like that.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59And who did you come here with?
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Me cousins, actually. - Oh, right, not your husband?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Oh, no, I hadn't met him then.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Anyway, these boxes, why did you bring them along today?
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Because they've been in the family for years and years.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I don't know how far they go back at all, you know.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19- So, that's really the question, isn't it?- Yeah.- How old are they?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And there are a couple of clues here.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24This one is dated 1616.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Yeah.- And the other is dated in a very similar place, right down.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Right at the bottom.
0:09:29 > 0:09:311542.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35- So the suggestion is that they're 16th and 17th century.- That's right.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39This is a very standard form of piece of furniture around that date.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- Right.- People used coffers to store everything from textiles...
0:09:43 > 0:09:48- That's the proper name for them, coffers?- Coffers, yes, or little joined chests.- Yes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50So the question is, do we believe the date or not?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- Well.- What do you think?
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I haven't a clue, I haven't a clue.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Well, the problem with them really is that they're a bit of everything.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04- Right.- And so, whilst there are some old pieces of timber within them,
0:10:04 > 0:10:09they've almost certainly been constructed or made in the 19th century.
0:10:09 > 0:10:16And on this one it's very clear that the whole box has been constructed out of various sections of timber.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21But in order to match all these different bits of timber from different dates together,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24they've put a nice thick glare of dark staining over the top.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Yes, to make it look authentic.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Exactly. This, I think, is really quirky. Where does this live?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32It doesn't fit in anywhere at all.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- I had a cover made for it to match the bedroom.- You cover it up?!
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Cover over it, so that it blends in with the bedroom.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Blends in with the bedroom, right.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Well, one of the things that's wrong with this is the top.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- You daren't touch it. - Well, I can see that you, was it you who put the Blu Tack on
0:10:49 > 0:10:52to try to keep the whole thing together?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I've seen all sorts of restoration, but I don't think I've seen...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57I was told I hadn't to put nails in it.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- So you went for the Blu Tack option instead?- Yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I am going to attempt to lift it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And again here, now that's a very good example of where...
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- Peeling off. - ..the dark staining, exactly.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13- You can see it's almost like a black paint that's been applied to it.- Yes.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16They're just decorative boxes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Yeah.- Little sort of 19th-century creations.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Taking a bit perhaps from earlier centuries, putting all the pieces together.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- Yes.- As far as value goes, because they're 19th century pieces...- Not worth anything.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34- I wouldn't say nothing.- Oh. - But a piece like this would be around, I suppose, £80 to £120.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38And a small chest like this, around perhaps £150 to £200.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Oh, right. So I can get rid of them?
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- You can't, or you can?- I can, I can.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Well, yes. I mean, if it's just covered up in your...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Well, you just keep holding on thinking well, well, well.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Now I know, they can go.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Now when I first saw this little gold pencil,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57I could see it was a very, very good thing.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02And there's an inscription here that suggested that it was made by a firm called Sampson Mordant.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And it was. But you know more about it than that, don't you?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Well, it was given to the wife of a friend of mine.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13Apparently it was an old gentleman who she used to take care of.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16But he used to live in London, from what I gather,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- and he worked for the government. That's about all I know.- That's all.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24But we can find out a bit more, because when we read this inscription,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29it says, "The gift of His Majesty George IV, 25th December,"
0:12:29 > 0:12:32"Christmas Day, 1825".
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- I think that's a bit of a belter, don't you?- I think so, yes.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39A gold pen by Sampson Mordan set with an amethyst in the end.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41A propelling pencil, given by King George IV.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44He's a very fascinating character because
0:12:44 > 0:12:48he missed the genetic gene bank rather conspicuously.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51He had 15 intimate friendships in his life.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57The upshot of those is that he's said to have had as many as 14 illegitimate children.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59He acknowledged very far fewer than that.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04And he had one legitimate child who died in childbirth, Princess Charlotte.
0:13:04 > 0:13:10And the upshot of that was, the succession went to the Duke of Kent, who'd just given birth
0:13:10 > 0:13:13to what was to become Queen Victoria.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18So, it's just a sort of inch away from an enormously powerful situation.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21And fate would not have it that the giver of this pencil
0:13:21 > 0:13:25was to be the father of the next generation of monarch.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27And so, I think it's a rather powerful thing.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31He was a rather full figure. Do you know about King George IV?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- Not a lot.- No, a very, very big man.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Had a home in Brighton which is the Brighton Pavilion.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Huge sense of design and discrimination, without doubt.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42I think that's a very quietly beautiful thing.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I think what is exciting about it is that the royal inscription's very tiny.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48It takes a while to find it.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52But anyway, something from a king's hand, not bad, eh?
0:13:52 > 0:13:57What do you reckon it's going to cost to buy something from a king's hand to somebody?
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Oh, I wouldn't have a clue.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00No. Heaven only knows what it was.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Maybe it was to one of the ladies of the 15 intimate friendships, I don't know.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09Anyway, I'd be jolly pleased to pay £600 or £700 for it, I really would.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- Really?- Would you?
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Probably.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17What a fascinating bit of furniture.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22It is fascinating for several reasons to me -
0:14:22 > 0:14:25first off, it's been used,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27but not in a home, it's too dusty.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29- Yeah. - But it has the warmth of use.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So, you tell me if I'm right, where has it been -
0:14:32 > 0:14:33in a garage or an office?
0:14:33 > 0:14:36It's been in a garage as the office desk.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It belonged to me father and his father.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- His father took it as a debt. - Really?- Yeah. I don't know how much the debt was,
0:14:43 > 0:14:48but I believe the office it came from was in the Corn Exchange Buildings in Manchester.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- Right, OK. - That's about as much as I know.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Well, I mean that makes sense.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58First of all, I think it reflects several periods of social history.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- First of all it's a Chinese piece of furniture.- Yeah.
0:15:02 > 0:15:08It's very, very flamboyant, very elaborate, which makes it late 19th century.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11But the interesting thing is that when this was bought,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15probably in London from Liberty's or somewhere like that, major store,
0:15:15 > 0:15:21maybe in the north, but it was a huge amount of money and it had to look like a lot of money.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27So when it came here, like this hall, I mean money was no object in the late 19th century.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It was a display of huge wealth.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33And this is typical. This was the most luxurious thing you could buy,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37not only an English decorated piece, something from China.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Something from the Far East was magical and looked wonderful,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44and looked a lot of money. Then it went out of fashion.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49I'm ashamed to say now that pieces like this were broken up and thrown away.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51I was partially guilty.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55I mean, you know, this was not saleable in the 1950s.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57You couldn't sell it, couldn't give it away.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Now, gradually it's coming back.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Now I'll tell you something about it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Why I'm interested as a piece of furniture -
0:16:06 > 0:16:09a little detail means nothing to most people -
0:16:09 > 0:16:14to me is magic, is that handle and that little escutcheon.
0:16:14 > 0:16:21Those you would find on a piece of Chinese furniture made in the English style from 1780 onwards.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25This man was using the same old dyes, the same casting
0:16:25 > 0:16:29as his family had used to make furniture for a hundred years.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32That's why that is totally out of date to this.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Looks great though, it worked.
0:16:35 > 0:16:42So I think probably between £4,500 and £5,000 would be reasonable at the moment.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43But it will go up.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48There's no question that one day this will be the equivalent of what
0:16:48 > 0:16:54it cost when it was new, which would have been probably £20,000 or £30,000 in the same money.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59- But it will come up to that. - Yeah.- Perhaps not in my time, but certainly in theirs.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Now for this week's most addicted collector.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08The love of his life is one that dare not speak its name.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10We're referring to cigarette packets.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15Chad Irwin, your collection started long before there were health warnings on cigarettes.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18That's right, I was collecting for about ten years.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22It was an area which people were just, were just ignoring.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28I decided to collect up as many of the old packets as I could find.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32- Have you any idea how many you've got?- I've got quite a few thousand.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36It seems like a whole lot of smoking was going on there.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40I've never seen such an array. And this is only a tiny representation.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I mean how many cigarette companies were there?
0:17:43 > 0:17:49There was, um, literally every town had its own cigarette company, or there used to be three or four
0:17:49 > 0:17:55in each town. I mean Chester alone had five manufacturers, Liverpool probably had about 60 manufacturers.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Turn of the century was the heyday for cigarette packets.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02In those days they were very, very pictorial as you can see.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04And were there any from, from Rochdale?
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Did Rochdale have a manufacturer?
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Rochdale with the start of the Co-op, with Rochdale Specials.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15On the back it says, "Rochdale Pioneer Society Ltd."
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And some very interesting names as well.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Nimble Dick, five Nimble Dicks there.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25They were mostly sold to the miners in South Wales.
0:18:25 > 0:18:31They were small packets because they were able to put them inside their top pockets when they were working.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Do you have a favourite? Is that a silly question?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36My favourite packet is called Tit-Bits,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40which is made by a company from Manchester called B Muratti.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42I believe this is about 1892.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45And the reason you love that so much?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's very, very pictorial.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52It's just got everything that you would want in a cigarette packet.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55And do you come across packets with the cigarettes still in them?
0:18:55 > 0:19:01About every 50 packets I find, I usually find one with the cigarettes still in.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And those particular type of packets, we call them "live packets".
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- Live?- Live packets. - Like ammunition, they're live.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- Yes. - Some of them are very grand.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12This has got the royal touch here, what's the story behind that box?
0:19:12 > 0:19:17This is Lambert & Butler and it's their New Reign cigarettes.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20They're 22-carat-gold-tipped
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- and they're from about 1902, coronation.- Are they all there?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27They're pretty well all there, yes.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30I think maybe one or two have been sneaked out and smoked I'm afraid.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- They were even sold by chemists. - That's right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38We've got a few examples here of cigarettes sold by chemists,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40which was Boots asthma cigarettes and catarrh
0:19:40 > 0:19:45and on the back it tells you how to actually use these cigarettes -
0:19:45 > 0:19:51"Inhale the smoke, keep it into the lungs as long as possible to get the maximum benefit".
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Boots the Chemist. - Boots the Chemist, I'm afraid.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57There's another company from Wigglesworth, Fumora, they also did,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59"for asthma, catarrh and bronchitis."
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Then another company, Kinsman.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05But there was quite a lot of companies producing asthma cigarettes.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Some were recommended by doctors as well.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11What stopped the huge production, the huge number of companies?
0:20:11 > 0:20:16Basically, lots of these companies were swallowed up by the big combines.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21That was the decline and the end of really nice pictorial packets.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26Now that smoking is so politically incorrect, does that add a certain flavour to you as a collector?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Yes, well I like to collect them
0:20:28 > 0:20:33because it's a part of our social history which has been ignored.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36It's a shame that if somebody doesn't collect these things,
0:20:36 > 0:20:41in the future people won't realise you know, how pictorial, and how much art work there was.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45GENTLE TINKLING
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Makes the most phenomenal sound, doesn't it?
0:20:52 > 0:20:57- Yes.- What a lovely thing. Have you got this in your front room at home? Where does it live?
0:20:57 > 0:21:01It's in the public lounge in a public house.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- You run a public house?- Yes, yes. - Is it a draw for the people coming into your pub?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08- Very much so, yes. - And have you had it for a long time?
0:21:08 > 0:21:13- We've had it for, well it's been in my husband's family for 60, 70, 80 years.- Has it really?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Yes.- Because they're brilliant things these.- Yes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I mean the tradition of making music mechanically
0:21:19 > 0:21:23using a machine goes back right to the 18th century.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28But in the 19th century they made music out of a solid bar, a cylinder music box.
0:21:28 > 0:21:35It wasn't until one particular moment in the 1880s that they developed this type of music player.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37On the top here it says "Polyphon".
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- Yes.- That's the trade name for this type of player.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46It's peculiar because they made all the music on these tin discs.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48- Shall we have a demo?- Yes.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51All right, so out comes the Mikado.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57- Yes.- Which has got all these brilliant holes in it which tie up
0:21:57 > 0:22:00with the mechanism, which is playing the music on a series of teeth.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- Which is brilliant, isn't it?- Yes.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- But in this extraordinary, vertical format.- Yes.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And what I like about them
0:22:08 > 0:22:12is where you get the CD storage disc, down underneath here.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15So if I file that one
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and we take that chap out,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21which is a lovely waltz,
0:22:21 > 0:22:26insert the disc on top of the machine like that.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28It's a great piece of kit.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32The whole thing died a death in 1905.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37Between 1905 and 1907 these things were completely obsolete,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40just like a CD player coming along and being
0:22:40 > 0:22:44in fashion for a few years and then being superseded by something else.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48A very tight time frame really, 1880-1907.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50But it's a great survival.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54They're very sought after, particularly in America because these people, Polyphon,
0:22:54 > 0:23:00started a factory in America, and in America these players are called Regina players.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Particularly the coin-op ones, they love them.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I think you could get at auction, say between £4,000 and £5,000.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- Are you going to play us a tune? - Yes.- Yes.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16TINKLING
0:23:25 > 0:23:29What an extraordinary pair of plates. Did you buy them or not?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31No, they belonged to me mother.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33I inherited them from her.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- Clumsy, was she?- No, not really. - Did she make them?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39She made them, yes.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43And where did she get all these shards and remnants of porcelain and pottery from?
0:23:43 > 0:23:46I believe they're from the local tip.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47So she went to the local tip,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51found all these bits and pieces and made a couple of plates.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Let's have a look at them. They're heavy, aren't they?
0:23:54 > 0:23:55They are.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58And the fascinating thing is, from my point of view,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01is to try and see how many factories one can see
0:24:01 > 0:24:04in the porcelain and pottery that you've got here.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07You've got a bewildering example, it's wonderful.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I mean, if we take the girl's head,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- that's probably German bisque porcelain.- Really?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- Dating from about 1880-1890.- Yeah.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Here, what looks like the border of a Staffordshire blue and white,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22perhaps willow pattern plate
0:24:22 > 0:24:24dating from the 1850s.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27You've got a bit of cranberry glass here.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32All this porcelain dates from the 1850s to the 1920s.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- Really?- So that sort of period.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Well, I should imagine she's made them after 1900 up to 1920,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- something like that.- Yes, yeah.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- And I must ask you, do you have them hanging on the wall?- Yes.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48And you find them attractive?
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- Oh, yes, they're in the hall. - Well, they are unique, aren't they?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54- Yeah. - And they're extremely colourful.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I think they're terrific.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I suppose if they were in a shop, I would expect, as a novelty item
0:25:00 > 0:25:05for them to be priced at perhaps £100 or £150 for the pair.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- Really?- But good for your mother, is all I can say.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12- Yeah.- It must've taken her a long time to make them. Very much a one-off but I think they're great.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- So thanks for bringing them in. - Right, thank you very much.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It's a pity that not all children are this well behaved.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23- Look at them, they're very attentive, they're doing exactly as they're told.- Wonderful.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28I find them very interesting because not only are they very large dolls,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32it's a very interesting kind of contradiction with these two dolls.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Which one's the prettier to you?
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Which one do you most like?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39If they were children I couldn't really say, could I?
0:25:39 > 0:25:44- But I think she's the prettiest. - You think she's prettier?- Yes. - Now that's interesting in itself.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50I think she's the prettier but I have a little bit of inside knowledge, I suppose, as well.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55What we have are two very different strata of dolls.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56She's a German doll.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Looking at this doll here, I know she's a French doll.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Now in order to reveal more,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I really have to look at the backs of their heads.
0:26:04 > 0:26:10Can you tell me while I'm doing this, how did you come across large dolls like this?
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Did you purchase them at auction? Are they something you collected?
0:26:13 > 0:26:18- This one here, belonged to a lady who was emigrating to New Zealand. - Right.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21She was such a large doll, she couldn't take her along.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Right.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Knowing my interest in dolls, she asked me if I'd like to buy her.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- So I bought her from the lady. - I see right, OK.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Well, on the back of her head she's marked "AM" with a 1-5 in the middle.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- AM for Armand Marseille.- Yes.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Very well known manufacturer
0:26:38 > 0:26:42who basically specialised in producing an enormous range of dolls.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47The 1-5 mould is relatively common in many respects.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50If we stand her back up, pop her there.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54Looking at this doll, if we turn around,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57we're into a different ball game.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Here we're talking about a doll which is regarded as being the Rolls-Royce of manufacturers.
0:27:02 > 0:27:10And if we look here, we can see the words "Tete Jumeau", which in doll terms is an absolute magic word.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15Jumeau, one of the best doll manufacturers that people like to collect, to be honest with you.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Now that's why I was interested to see which one you liked most.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22You didn't go for what I regard as the expensive doll as being the best-looking.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28Which is wonderful in many ways because this doll here
0:27:28 > 0:27:33is probably worth at auction maybe around about £250 to £350.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37- What did you pay for her, can you remember?- I paid £200.- How long ago?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- Last year.- Last year.- Yes.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- We're not far off then. - No, that's about it.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46We're about on the mark. Now this beauty is a different matter.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I'd like to know what you paid for her
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and how long ago you paid it?
0:27:53 > 0:27:56I think it was about £800 and it was over 20 years.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Now £800 is quite a lot of money.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03- It was.- And 20 years ago, it wasn't a small amount of money. - Yes, my heart was pounding.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07The price was going up and there was one other lady bidding with me, against me.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10- Right.- And I'd got £500 in me mind.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- Once it gets to £500 I'll have to stop.- And you got auction fever.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15I continued and continued until...
0:28:15 > 0:28:19- And you couldn't stop. I bet you've never regretted it, have you? - No I haven't. I'm very pleased.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24That's the thing with auction buys. In spite of going that extra mile, you've never regretted it.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27- No.- You'll be pleased to know that essentially,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31in the present market because she's a Jumeau, she's worth up to £2,000.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36- So after all that heartache, I think you did all right in the end. - Yes, thank you.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43A cracked Chinese porcelain bowl from the 1920s.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Essentially not of any real value at all but why have you brought it to show us?
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Well, it was my uncle's, who was a Japanese prisoner of war.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56He had nothing to drink from, and a Malay prisoner gave him that.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00When I asked him where he was, he said he was on the river building a bridge.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03So the bridge would be the River Kwai?
0:29:03 > 0:29:07So this sustained him all his time while he was there.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10All the time he was in... Just over four years.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13- And then he brought it back. - He brought it back to England
0:29:13 > 0:29:15when he was released.
0:29:15 > 0:29:21So the piece, as humble as can be, yet given a very different meaning
0:29:21 > 0:29:23because it was passed on to your uncle
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- to save his life almost.- Yes.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31People who lived during the Second World War and in the 1950s
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and '60s would know the name Albert Pierrepoint.
0:29:34 > 0:29:42He was one of Great Britain's official executioners and one who did execute a great number of people.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Can you tell me how you got this interesting archive?
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Yes, he gave it to me over the years and the books are signed to me.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51We were very great friends.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54We went to each other's homes, shared holidays and what have you.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58We had a really good time, and he was a very kind man, very kind.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02A lot of people would think that it's macabre owning material like this.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Did you find it in any way makes you uncomfortable or unpleasant?
0:30:06 > 0:30:09- Nothing whatsoever, no. It's part of history, it's part of life.- Yes.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14And you know, people make fortunes out of stories about criminals today.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19Albert really believed he was put on this earth from a higher being
0:30:19 > 0:30:21to actually carry out this job.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24And he believed it was vengeance on behalf of the state,
0:30:24 > 0:30:26because murder will never stop.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29People will always commit murder. He really believed that.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32People say, "Oh, he didn't believe in hanging". Not true.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Albert said it never solved it.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39That's very clear, because I can remember reading this book when I was a boy at school.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I was absolutely fascinated by it.
0:30:42 > 0:30:48At the end of it, his conclusion that it acted as no deterrent, you know, I found very, very interesting.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- And this has got a dedication in it. - That's right.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56- That's his signature on it. - That's it.- How wonderful.
0:30:56 > 0:31:03Now I understand these are the little diaries or records that he kept of all the people that he executed.
0:31:03 > 0:31:08- Yeah.- With their age, height, weight and the amount of drop that
0:31:08 > 0:31:11they gave them. Presumably he would have got the
0:31:11 > 0:31:16drops from the table here which was officially issued by the Home Office.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Yeah, because when somebody's in custody for a long while,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23as you know, they lose a huge amount of weight with the worry.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25And also with a death sentence over you.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29So even when they go into prison, they're weighed and then obviously
0:31:29 > 0:31:32the day before the execution he looks at them again.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34So there was that last bit of personal discretion
0:31:34 > 0:31:37on the professional judgement of the executioner.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Yeah, and Albert was, without a doubt, an expert on it.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43I'm very interested in this entry here.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48William Joyce. I think a lot of people will know that he was far better known as Lord Haw-Haw.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- That's right.- And he was executed for treason.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54There's Derek Bentley - very, very controversial case.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Is Ruth Ellis in here?
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Yes, she's in there, yes, 53.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02That was again a very, very controversial execution
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- and she was of course the last woman to be executed.- That's right.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10I suspect that probably pushed the death penalty on the slope downwards towards abolition.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15But this is an absolutely fascinating and very important archive.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17It's a very difficult thing to put a value on.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22It's a very, very limited market and there are not many instances when you
0:32:22 > 0:32:25see material like this coming up for sale.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31My view is that it would make between £3,000 to £5,000 if it were to come to auction.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35It could do very much more if you've got the right people there on the right day.
0:32:35 > 0:32:42Whatever its monetary worth is, I think it's got a far greater worth because of its historical importance.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47I hope that it's going to be preserved for posterity because it is part of our history.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48I believe it is, also.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50Now, what have we got in here? Let's have a look.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Brushes. Any significance in the brushes?
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Well, I happen to know that the brushes belonged to LS Lowry.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Fascinating. Right.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07And my parents were friends of Lowry's.
0:33:07 > 0:33:15It was a friendship that was established in the 1960s and went on until his death in 1976.
0:33:15 > 0:33:21I don't know the circumstances for the brushes being handed over,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23but they were given to my father.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Well, I think this is absolutely remarkable.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Here in Rochdale, and almost on Lowry territory,
0:33:30 > 0:33:38we are handling the tools of one of the modern masters of British painting in the 20th century.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41They're remarkably tactile objects, aren't they?
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- Yeah. - And also, you almost feel there's an
0:33:45 > 0:33:49organic quality, as if it's an extension of the artist himself. It's a link between the artist.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Very much so. It's the way the paint goes all the way down to the bottom.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59The value of these objects is a very difficult one to speculate on.
0:33:59 > 0:34:04To someone who's an avid collector of Lowry, someone who wants to
0:34:04 > 0:34:09possess not only his paintings but the tools of his trade,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13a broad estimate and a comfortable estimate would probably be somewhere
0:34:13 > 0:34:18- in the region of £500 to £1,000. - Right.
0:34:18 > 0:34:19Somewhere in between.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- I had no idea of that. - They're very beautiful.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26- They're just lovely instruments of his trade.- I know.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- It's a thrill to see them. - And it's a good job they were never cleaned.- Indeed.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Henry, I want you to look deep into my eyes -
0:34:35 > 0:34:40- I'm taking you back to Rochdale 1991.- Oh, God, yes.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42The worst day of my life.
0:34:42 > 0:34:50I was down there on a table and this chap brought in a beautiful vase made by Minton, decorated by Solon,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53worth, oh, I don't know £6,000 to £8,000.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54I said, "I want to record it"
0:34:54 > 0:34:58and he wouldn't do it. We argued a bit about it, and he agreed finally.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02Then I had a tap on my shoulder - would I go off and see the producer.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05So I said, "Excuse me," to the chap. "I won't be long".
0:35:05 > 0:35:09He put the lid back on the box, off I went, to be met by a
0:35:09 > 0:35:12detective chief superintendent from the serious crime squad.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17- DETECTIVE:- The gentleman with the vase, is somebody who's of interest to us.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Oh, I see. Might be a stolen piece?
0:35:19 > 0:35:22The thing is, if you can press him a little bit,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25he might reveal a few facts, a few connections.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Something we haven't got, is that OK?
0:35:27 > 0:35:32So I went back, the lid was on the box and we sat there, we chatted and I was scared stiff.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34I thought he might have a gun.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Then eventually a uniformed bobby burst his way through the crowd
0:35:38 > 0:35:40and said to this man, "I'm arresting you".
0:35:40 > 0:35:45The fellow jumped up, knocked onto the floor this box which smashed.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50I could hear the smash. I sat there staggered and frightened stiff.
0:35:50 > 0:35:57He went tearing off down the town hall and this policeman said, "I think it's broken, sir".
0:35:57 > 0:36:02I said, "I think it is". He picked up the box, starts rattling it and I said, "Don't do that!".
0:36:02 > 0:36:04I turned and looked at him, it was Noel Edmonds.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09I'd been stitched up for a Gotcha Oscar. I've never ever forgotten it.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14I found out afterwards they'd switched the box so they hadn't broken this precious pot.
0:36:18 > 0:36:24And only last year, this pot was sold in London for £35,000.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Oh, thank God they didn't smash it.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29But it was horrible shock.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31- But a happy ending for someone. - A happy ending for somebody.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- But not you.- Not me, no.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43I don't want you to get the wrong impression, but I've been willing you to come in today.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45- Now we've never met before, have we? - No.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49But anybody who collects Pilkington pottery, let's say that again,
0:36:49 > 0:36:54Pilkington's Lancastrian pottery, is my sort of person.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00First of all Pilkington's Royal Lancastrian pottery is based at Swinton, at Clifton Junction.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- Which is how many miles away from here?- About 12.- About 12 miles away.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04- 12 mile, yes.- OK.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06And for my money
0:37:06 > 0:37:12it's the premier art pottery of the late 19th, early 20th century.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16I'm biased because I'm a Lancastrian, you'll forgive me that, won't you?
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- I am meself. - Ah, I'm glad to hear it.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Let's start with the earliest one.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24The plate at the end is dated 1906.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Now it's interesting because it's actually been signed
0:37:27 > 0:37:29by somebody called Foy Evans.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30To be frank with you,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33I don't know who that is because I'm still learning.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37The plate's Pilkington because on the back it's got an impressed "P"
0:37:37 > 0:37:43which is a mark you'll get on pots which tend to be late 19th, early 20th.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49Now because it has the possibility of being an outside decorated piece, it's difficult to value.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54So, I could only hazard that you know, a collector
0:37:54 > 0:37:58may venture somewhere in the region of round about £150 for it.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01- Am I on safe territory?- Yeah.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03- What did it cost you?- £115.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Right, OK.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Let's get to these because they are jewels.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11What is it that attracts you to Pilkington's pottery?
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Let's see, the style and the layers on it.
0:38:15 > 0:38:21Let's give it a twirl because the thing with Lancastrian pots is that they change colour,
0:38:21 > 0:38:27almost in different light - artificial light, strong daylight, evening light.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32The control of this lustre decoration was something they really specialised in.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35This particular vase
0:38:35 > 0:38:39has been decorated, and the great thing is he's put his monogram underneath there,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41William Salter Mycock.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42Yes.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46A great servant to the Pilkington pottery.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48I mean he's there in the early days.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51The golden age is really just before the First World War.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53So that's William Salter Mycock.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Um...
0:38:55 > 0:39:01value, well I'd go in there today and say that's around about £1,500.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04- Yeah? - Are we quids in here so far?- Yeah.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Good. And then this little fella.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Let's just give it a twirl because you've got that lovely frieze,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13that lovely band and this fabulous ruby lustre.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17The maker, or should I say the decorator, what have we got? RJ -
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- Richard Joyce.- Richard Joyce, yes.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24And again another great servant to the Pilkington dynasty.
0:39:24 > 0:39:32It's a great pot and today, if I want to buy that, around about £800 to possibly £1,000.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34And then finally, another pot.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38I've got to look under it right away just to see who's responsible.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Again, Richard Joyce.
0:39:40 > 0:39:45I think the combination of this gold lustre and this lovely
0:39:45 > 0:39:49rich sort of honey glaze underneath is just magical.
0:39:49 > 0:39:57I wouldn't hesitate to say a pot like that could quite easily have an asking price of around £2,000.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Oh.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01So, quids in?
0:40:01 > 0:40:05- Certainly is.- Well, you haven't told me, how much did this one cost you?
0:40:05 > 0:40:08About £550.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13- This one?- £400, £700.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15See, and you were buying these how long ago?
0:40:15 > 0:40:17The '80s.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Have you ever bought a crystal ball?
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- No.- I don't think you need one.- No.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30Now this is one of those objects where I think, and hope, I know what I'm going to see before I open it.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33But before we do that, do you know what the case is made of?
0:40:33 > 0:40:36I haven't a clue.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38I have always treated this almost like a toy.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Well, it's what we call shagreen
0:40:40 > 0:40:43which is a fish skin, normally that of a shark.
0:40:43 > 0:40:49- Right.- So it's probably shark skin and inside we find a pocket globe.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53- And it's perfectly normal for them to be in shagreen cases.- Right.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58Normally with a globe like this, you can find a maker's mark on it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Oh, yes, we've got one here,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02"Cary's Pocket Globe."
0:41:02 > 0:41:05That's great because John Cary was working in London,
0:41:05 > 0:41:09and the firm was in London, in the late 18th and early 19th century.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13- Oh, right.- They were one of the best globe makers of the time.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16It's probably dated. Have you any idea of the age?
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I have no idea at all.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Yes, we have a date there, 1791.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22My goodness.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24So it's from the reign of George III.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26How did it come into your family?
0:41:26 > 0:41:30It belonged to my grandfather.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33He had various knick-knacks from around the world
0:41:33 > 0:41:37and it was always something that I used to play with, but never
0:41:37 > 0:41:43attached any particular respect to it, because as a globe it wasn't actually particularly useful.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46The idea was they're called pocket globes
0:41:46 > 0:41:50because you walked around with them in your coat pocket, or in your jacket,
0:41:50 > 0:41:55- and you discussed the latest developments that were going on in the world.- Oh.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58And it might be difficult for us to appreciate these days,
0:41:58 > 0:42:04but the great excitement in the 18th and early 19th century when ships came back from abroad
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- and had discovered new towns, and new countries even.- Right.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11And so the world was very evolving and people got frightfully excited about it.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Australia's always an interesting one to see what it was called.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19If we look at this in the 1790s, Australia was called "New Holland".
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- Oh, right. - That was the name for Australia.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26It's actually very fortunate to be here because it's been high up on
0:42:26 > 0:42:29the list for jettison on several occasions.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- Well, I'm glad you didn't. - No, so am I.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35Any idea of values?
0:42:35 > 0:42:40Well, up till now I'd always imagined it was worthless, but obviously it's not.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44- No.- But I haven't a clue, I wait with interest.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Well, I'm glad you didn't jettison it.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Because there's a great following for globes.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Recently there's been an increase in prices.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55If this came up at auction today,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59I guess it would probably fetch £2,500 to £3,000.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01Oh!
0:43:01 > 0:43:03I'm very glad I didn't jettison it.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08- Perhaps you'll treat it more respect from now on.- It will now get great respect.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15There have been a lot of people in the Great Hall today, and
0:43:15 > 0:43:21not surprisingly, since Rochdale is the birthplace of the Co-operative Movement, we all got on rather well.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25In fact, the mayor has just invited me to step into the parlour for a cup of tea.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29So, if you'll excuse me, until the next time, goodbye.