0:00:37 > 0:00:40Today, a rare treat. We've brought the Roadshow
0:00:40 > 0:00:43to one of the UK's finest botanical gardens,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Wakehurst Place in West Sussex.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04For our visit behind the scenes,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I'm required to dress up like Scott of the Antarctic.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10There is more here than meets the eye,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14though what DOES meet the eye is pretty stunning.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28The 465-acre estate is an offshoot of London's Kew Gardens,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32and, like Kew, it's both a living green museum
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and a kaleidoscope of colour that changes with the seasons.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44But Wakehurst Place is not just a picnic in the park,
0:01:44 > 0:01:49it's also home to the world's largest and most comprehensive conservation project.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's an £80 million enterprise.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57I'm standing at the very frontier of botanical science.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Like something from a Steven Spielberg movie,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04the Millennium Seed Bank is billed as a race against time,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08to save the world's most endangered plants from extinction.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13In a hi-tech building under laboratory conditions,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17scientists are sifting and storing the seeds of 25,000 species
0:02:17 > 0:02:20before they vanish from their natural habitats.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24By removing most of their moisture content and then freezing them,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28seeds can be saved for germination hundreds of years from now.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32And here's the reason for my thermal ensemble.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35It's -20 degrees centigrade down here,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37in the vaults where the seeds are stored,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39row after row of them. Who knows?
0:02:39 > 0:02:44These sealed jars might contain the key to future miracle cures,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46or alternative sources of food.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53The pots on this greenhouse bench contain a flowering plant
0:02:53 > 0:02:56that can be found only at one other place,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59a secret location in South Africa.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Visitors who come to Wakehurst to saunter around the grounds
0:03:02 > 0:03:07are often unaware that some of the rarest plants on the planet are being nurtured here,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11including a few that are already extinct in the wild.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Meanwhile, on the south lawn, and at about 30 degrees plus,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20the search is on for other rare and exciting finds,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22so let's start digging.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24He looks fierce, doesn't he? Tell me about him.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Well, he's a survivor of the Blitz.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30The last great raid of the war on 10th May 1941,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35a bomb was aimed at Tower Bridge, which missed the bridge,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39but hit a barge going underneath it, and the explosion all went upwards,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and blew various bits off the bridge,
0:03:41 > 0:03:46and a friend of my father's had the job of clearing away all the debris,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50and wrenching off any loose bits, so they didn't fall on the public.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52- Quite right, health and safety. - That's right,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54and that was one of the bits,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and he was supposed to send it all off for scrap, melt it all down,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and the next day my father saw it all,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and the only bit that was decorative was that one,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and he gave him a few shillings for it, and we've had it ever since.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08I don't believe it!
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- I mean, this is a lump off Tower Bridge.- That's right, yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Absolutely extraordinary!
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- And what did your dad do with it then?- He just kept it in the garage.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19- Did he?- Until he died.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23And, in fact, when he died, I took it, and we now have it in our study.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- In pride of place. - In pride of place.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28They're every 20 or 30 yards along the top of the walkway,
0:04:28 > 0:04:29but there's one missing.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33- Between the two towers? That long walkway.- That's the missing one.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- Mm.- Well, that's an amazing story.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38I mean, how many Londoners, or visitors to London,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41visit that icon, which Tower Bridge is,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43plastered in Gothic detail?
0:04:43 > 0:04:48- And there couldn't be any more Gothic-looking object than that.- No.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53With these sort of Valkyrie-type wings growing out of his visor.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57I rather like the fleur-de-lys here on the breastplate,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59a sort of reference to France,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and these pellets over his ears. I mean, it's a marvellous thing.
0:05:03 > 0:05:09Now, if I turn it upside down, we can see a mixture of materials.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11That's definitely a piece of copper,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and that's the copper socket that would have gone onto a piece of iron
0:05:15 > 0:05:17or stone on the top of that walkway,
0:05:17 > 0:05:23and then, that copper is seamed into another metal, and...
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- my old trusty penknife, do you mind holding it?- Sure.- Hang on to that,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30and let's just give this a little nick,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32because it does make a difference,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35if I just give it a little cut in there like that,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39underneath the layer of paint, just there,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- you can see a white metal.- Yes.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43And it's not spelter,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47because this thing is far too heavy to be spelter,
0:05:47 > 0:05:48- it's made of cast lead.- Right.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51In its own right, as a paperweight on your table,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53- it's decorative, right?- Yes.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I mean, I'd love to own it, just to have it on my desk,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58but for Tower Bridge, of all structures!
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I think it's absolutely fab, I really do,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and, I mean, incredibly difficult to value.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10- An American offered my father in 1961 £250 for it.- Did he?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- £250. You'd have bought a motorcar for £250.- Yeah, indeed.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15I mean, quite a nice motorcar.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I don't know, if you said to me,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19what would I see it making at auction,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23I would think probably between £1,000 and £2,000.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- Wow! Good, that's good. - Good old Dad!- Yeah, good old Dad!
0:06:28 > 0:06:33- This is a...quite an ordinary-looking box.- Yes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Mahogany box of about 1880,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40the sort of box that you might expect to have tea in it,
0:06:40 > 0:06:41- as a tea caddy.- Yeah.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46- But inside, there's a whole different story.- Yes.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Tell me about your box.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54My great-grandmother was a teacher, and she used it in schools,
0:06:54 > 0:06:58to take round and show the children the bits and bobs,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and she gave it to her daughter, my grandmother,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03who gave it to Jasmine,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06on the occasion of her christening last year,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08and it's been around,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10we've always been allowed to get it out, and have a look.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- And play with it?- Carefully.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Well, I'm going to just lift out these trays.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- How many trays are there? - There are actually four, in total.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23So, as a child, you were allowed to take all these wonderful things out.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- Yes.- I bet you found it absolutely fantastic, didn't you?
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I did. I've always really loved it.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I am absolutely thrilled with this,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34because they don't survive in any great numbers.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- Oh, really?- And I haven't seen one quite as complete as this,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and you're absolutely right, it is a teaching aid,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and what would have happened is...
0:07:45 > 0:07:49In the late 19th century, children were still educated at home.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- Oh, right.- So, in a school room, with a governess or a tutor.- Oh.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58So, with girls like Jasmine, when she was about eight or ten,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01she would have been taught in a school room,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and the boys would have been sent off to school.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09So, this tells you absolutely all one wants to know
0:08:09 > 0:08:13about the state of the British Empire in the late 19th century.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Look, here, we've got a little bottle containing raw coffee,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20so when you were being told about the raw coffee,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24you could have included things like the coffee plantations,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26how we came to own the coffee plantations,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28all about India and Africa,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31so you would have had the geography lesson,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33- with this as the demonstration.- OK.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36And you can rattle them, and play with them,
0:08:36 > 0:08:37I mean, it's just fantastic.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40So, that tells you about the Empire.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Now, over here, you've got a little bit of raw beeswax.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Oh, I didn't know what that was.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- So, here we have the nature story. - Yes.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55- So, insects, plant life, um... just hold that.- Hold that.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57It's lovely, isn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Comes from bees, - Comes from the beehive.- That's it.
0:09:00 > 0:09:06Um, and then, you've got something very appropriate for girls,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09you've got this lovely sample of material,
0:09:09 > 0:09:10so you've got cotton velvet,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13something called "jean", which is interesting,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17- I've never seen that before.- No. - Glazed-printed calico,
0:09:17 > 0:09:18and then plain calico.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22And then you've got all the cottons and other things in here,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27so it really is the most comprehensive box of teaching aids,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30but done in a really good, fun way,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32because it would appeal to young children,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35because of the ability to hold the little bottles,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38but also, you know, they are serious aids
0:09:38 > 0:09:42to learning all the different subject matter.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45You're very lucky to have it, and, as I say, I'm thrilled to see it,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48because I've never seen one so complete.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50If you did find another one,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55- I think you'd have to spend at least £600 to buy it.- Gosh!
0:09:55 > 0:09:57I'm really surprised.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So, your granny gave you a lovely present.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02She did, didn't she?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- You're a lucky girl. - You're a lucky girl.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I don't think I've shared a bench with three ecclesiastical orphans.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17They've come from somewhere very interesting.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22Yes, yes, we'd love to know exactly where, but perhaps we never will.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25They came from Norfolk, I'm sure, because my uncle
0:10:25 > 0:10:28acquired them from a house he moved into, and that's all we know.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31They were on the wall when he moved in, in '47.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35They look as though they've come out of a church, don't they?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38They absolutely do, and I think one of the things one often forgets
0:10:38 > 0:10:42is that although there are all these early Gothic and Norman churches,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45particularly in Norfolk and East Anglia,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47that a lot of churches were reconditioned
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and improved by the Victorians, in their overzealous way,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52in the late 19th century,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and a lot of the early carvings and pews were removed.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- Were they?- And they found their new homes,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01in slightly different circumstances, admittedly.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- Yes.- And I think this is exactly what happened to these.- Yes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07When churches often got redecorated,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10they got new altars, they got new screens,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14was that the objects themselves didn't travel that far,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17they quite often geographically stayed very near
0:11:17 > 0:11:19where they were originally from,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- so whereabouts in Norfolk was...? - He lived in Hunstanton.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28- Right.- And I would imagine they'd been there since the house was built,
0:11:28 > 0:11:34in about 1890, 1900, and it had a mad artist living there,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and I think he may have collected these
0:11:36 > 0:11:39in the intervening years, but before that, we know nothing.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41They would certainly fit in,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43they'd appeal to a mad artist's eccentric taste,
0:11:43 > 0:11:47and they've got rather wonderful, quite naive features,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49but actually extremely well carved.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53They're all in oak, they have these fantastic emblems
0:11:53 > 0:11:56of all the sort of religious symbolism,
0:11:56 > 0:12:01and this very distinctive, very broad, flared, footed chalice,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06that we have here is of a type that was made, really, for altars,
0:12:06 > 0:12:12between about 1250 and about 1450, so it's an incredibly early form.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- Yes.- They have a very rich, dark patina to them,
0:12:16 > 0:12:18which is just a result of, I am sure,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21endless candles, and dust and dust...
0:12:21 > 0:12:23but they've got fantastic characters,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- and they're all obviously carved by the same person.- Mm.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Now, they're very difficult things to value, really.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34It's not the largest market, I suppose, for religious artefacts,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37but as a reflection of the aspirations and the richness
0:12:37 > 0:12:39in England in the 15th century,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43they couldn't be a better evocation of that,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and I think if you were to part with these today,
0:12:46 > 0:12:52you could easily get £3,000 or £4,000 for the three of them.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Well, I'm glad we don't want to.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Thank you. I just love them.- I'm glad they were saved by the mad artist.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01They're lovely, and they've got such sweet faces.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Now, Lewes is a very attractive town.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- I suppose about 20 miles south of here, isn't it?- Yes.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12How does all this relate to Lewes?
0:13:12 > 0:13:17Well, my father was a Lewesian, and indeed, I count myself as a Lewesian,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19although I don't live there now.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21But during his lifetime,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25my father made a huge collection of Lewes memorabilia,
0:13:25 > 0:13:30and he developed an interest in the history of the town,
0:13:30 > 0:13:31which, I'm bound to say,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35he became quite an expert in the course of his 96 years.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Very long-lived. So, he was an amateur social historian?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- He was.- Is this him?- This is... That's my father, yes.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Towards the end of his life.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Yes, sadly he passed away in February of this year and...
0:13:46 > 0:13:49So, he wrote these books?
0:13:49 > 0:13:53He wrote books on the history of Lewes, the street names of Lewes.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- So, he was very much "Mr Lewes". - He was indeed,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and people used to call him that.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Have you followed with that taste, or that enthusiasm?
0:14:01 > 0:14:05I can't pretend to have anything like the knowledge that he had,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09and going through his collection has been something of an education to me.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I'm surrounded by postcards, photographs,
0:14:12 > 0:14:13obviously lots of books.
0:14:15 > 0:14:16I think this is by Horsfield.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- Horsfield.- And so, he's the great 19th-century historian.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- Historian, indeed. - Right. And so we've got here,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- in a sense, everything to do with the history of Lewes.- Yes, indeed.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32It's very well catalogued, because my father had a very orderly mind,
0:14:32 > 0:14:37but I'm puzzled as to what I should do with it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39What do you feel you should do?
0:14:39 > 0:14:45I feel it deserves to be in the hands of someone who will use it
0:14:45 > 0:14:49probably more effectively than I am able to do.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Do you feel a moral obligation to hang on, because it's family?
0:14:53 > 0:14:58Possibly, at the moment, I might be a little reluctant to part with it,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02but I think it would be a pity if it just resided in one of my cupboards
0:15:02 > 0:15:03and gathered dust.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And what about your children?
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Yes, my children are not Lewesians in the same sense of the word.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10So, they don't want it?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I think it's unlikely that they would want it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Would you feel guilty if you disposed of it?
0:15:15 > 0:15:16I hope not, no,
0:15:16 > 0:15:21but there is a sense in which one sometimes does have these feelings.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23This is a very frequent Roadshow problem.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26We meet people who have family collections,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28assembled by Great-Aunt Edith or whatever,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32and they say "I don't really want it, it doesn't mean anything to me,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34"but I don't know what to do. Should I keep it?"
0:15:34 > 0:15:38My view is "No." You know, why should you?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42It was your father's life's work, that's fine, it's recorded here.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44The only thing I would say is
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- it would be a great pity if it was broken up.- Indeed.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- If you say, "Here are 300 postcards, scatter them to the winds"...- Yes.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53..you're undoing everything he spent his life doing.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57There is an importance in keeping the integrity of the collection,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59but YOU don't have to have it.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01So, how does one deal with the disposal of such?
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Well, let's think about value.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07There are things here that are worth a lot of money.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09How many postcards have you got?
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- 400, 300? I don't know. - More than that.- 500?- 500.
0:16:12 > 0:16:13Right, well, if you say,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17take an average price of £5 a card,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and they're more likely to be £10 a card,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- well, there's £5,000, straightaway. - Goodness me.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Social history postcards are very desirable,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28particularly if they show people, scenes...
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Just a street is not exciting,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33but if there are things going on, and shop fronts and activity,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35these are collectable cards.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40Books like this are highly desirable. Horsfield is a rare book.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45- The photographs, how many did you say?- Probably close on 1,000.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50Well, minimally again, £5 each, probably £10 each,
0:16:50 > 0:16:55so you're getting towards probably £10,000, £15,000 for the collection,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59and the obvious thing is to say, "Give it to a local-history museum."
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- You don't want to, if it's worth that.- Well...
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- I wouldn't and you wouldn't. - No, that's right.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08I don't think you have any moral obligation to keep it.
0:17:08 > 0:17:13We don't have to keep the things of our family, unless they excite us.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16In a sense, he's produced his own memorial in the books...
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- These will remain in print. - ..that he's left with us.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22This is, in a sense, his working tools.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- Thank you for that advice, and for your enthusiasm.- I love it.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27A photograph like that...
0:17:27 > 0:17:30If I saw that in a fair, I'd buy that,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- even if I didn't know it was Lewes. It's a great image.- Yes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- And I'm sure there are many, many more.- Oh, there are many more.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Just tell me what it is.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It's a music box, with a Christmas tree holder.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48How does it work?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52You put the Christmas tree in, and then you pull out the button,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and it plays a Christmas tune and turns slightly.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- And what do you hang the tree with? - Chocolates mainly, yeah.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- Not a good thing, on a day like today.- They would melt.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04They wouldn't last.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It's just a completely extraordinary object, and, of course,
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- you're German, and the Germans gave us the Christmas tree.- Yeah.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Do you use it?- Ja, every year,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- and it's the pride of our children.- I'm sure it is.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Absolutely, and it is really most unusual.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23What you've got inside, as you say,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27is this extraordinary disc here, a polyphon,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and you've got numerous discs, you've got about 20 discs.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33It's, I suppose, about 1890, 1900 in date.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39As a musical box, in tired condition, without this part,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43I suppose it's worth £150, £200.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48But as a dual-purpose musical box, with such charm to it, as well,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52it's a charming object, even in this condition,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54I'm sure it's worth £500 or £600, and maybe more.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57With the memories, you'd never sell it.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- No, no.- But, commercially, I'm sure that's what it's worth.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02There's one thing missing, a Christmas tree.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06I wonder if the Botanic Gardens will let us chop a tree down.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08If we can get one, we must get it set up.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09That would be brilliant.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14It belongs to my aunt, who lives in Edinburgh,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18and she was left it in a will many years ago,
0:19:18 > 0:19:19and she didn't like it,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21so she had it in a back bedroom, facing the wall,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24and a couple of years ago, I found it
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and said to her, "What about this?",
0:19:26 > 0:19:30and she said, "Take it away, and see what you can find out about it."
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Well, I brought it home with me to Groombridge,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and it's literally sat in my cupboard since, until today.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39And you didn't like it, either?
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I don't know very much about it, so...
0:19:41 > 0:19:43We hope to help you,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46because it's a fantastic piece of Russian goldsmith's work.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's an image of Christ Pantocrator,
0:19:48 > 0:19:53it's one of the earliest images of Christ, a Byzantine image of Christ,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55where he's in a gesture of blessing,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58but he also is holding the New Testament in his hand, here,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and it's such an ancient image of Christ
0:20:01 > 0:20:06that it's thought to derive from an image, a well-known image of Zeus.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08- Right.- It's a truly Byzantine image,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11but it's not made in the Byzantine era,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14it's actually a 20th-century icon.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16And the positioning of the icon,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18you've had it, and your aunt, facing the wall.
0:20:18 > 0:20:23- Yes.- Where it should be positioned is at the right angles of rooms,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25because it's thought that Satan himself
0:20:25 > 0:20:28inhabited the corners of rooms at right angles,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and the best way to drive him away
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- was to position an icon in the corner of the room.- Oh, right.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So a truly magical thing,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and a magical thing in Russian society, too,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41because this is not simply a representation of the Divine,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43in a sense, it is a piece of the Divine.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It's a piece of heaven that's fallen to earth,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and we know that because in the language of the icon,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- which is a very ancient one, the colour gold...- Yes.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55..here represented by silver gilt, actually,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58is a metaphor for heaven itself, so here is Christ in heaven,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02blessing the world, holding his Testament in his hand,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04made by an icon maker in the early 20th century.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And it predates the Revolution, does it?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10It does, and that's of crucial importance.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13After the Revolution, the Orthodox religion was in recession.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Right.- And this is a feudal country, really,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19presided over by an autocratic Tsar,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22whose Tsarina was obsessed with the Orthodox religion,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24and that obsession was not unusual,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26so Russian houses were filled with icons,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28but this is a high-status one.
0:21:28 > 0:21:29I'm very, very excited about it.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- Oh, right. I can tell, yes. - And what do you feel about it now?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Yes, it's growing on me.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39It is, it is. Well, it's a superb piece of goldsmith's work,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42made by a very famous Russian goldsmith,
0:21:42 > 0:21:47a competitor of Faberge working in Moscow, called Ivan Khlebnikov,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51and we can look at it carefully and see that it's decorated with enamel.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Yes, I had noticed that.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55And enamel work, particularly cloisonne enamel work,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59makes a reference to a 17th-century style of goldsmith's work.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It's a revivalist icon, in every sense of the word.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Khlebnikov made this his speciality, the cloisonne enamel.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Yes.- So, something from Imperial Russia, really,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12made in the time of the telephone and the motorcar,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14just before the Russian Revolution,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18for jewellers patronised by Nicholas and Alexandra.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19- Quite a potent brew.- Yes.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25- So I'm going to value it, here and now, for £8,000.- Wow!
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Yes, I'm astonished, absolutely astonished.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31It's certainly grown on me, over your conversation.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Are you going to hang it in the corner of your house,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35- to keep the devil away?- Yes.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37- We might find a place for it now. - I know.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39It's not guaranteed to keep the devil away,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43but it might work, and thank you for bringing it, it's wonderful.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49MUSIC BOX PLAYS "SILENT NIGHT"
0:23:12 > 0:23:13That's interesting.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Yes, this is my husband's Great-Uncle William's damp tester,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20that he used to take with him wherever he went,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and he used to put it in the bed,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24to make sure he wasn't sleeping in a damp bed.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26What was he afraid of?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Um, catching a cold. Catching a chill.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I don't know, and I'm not sure
0:23:31 > 0:23:33what he would have done if the bed WAS damp.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37He must have had a bad experience at some time, to be so keen on it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41But I've never heard of anything or seen any other one like it.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44He just slipped it into the bed, saw it was dry
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- and said, "I'll stay."- That's right,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50and if it was damp, maybe he'd go on to another inn.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- He's gone now, of course. - Absolutely.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Somewhere nice and dry, I hope. - I hope so, too. Thanks.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Well, this is lovely. How on earth did you get it?
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Well, my husband was a Close Protection Officer
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- and a Protection Officer to the- royal family. Right.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13And every Christmas, we received a Christmas card,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- from Charles and Diana...- Right.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20- ..Andrew and Sarah, and latterly from Diana.- On her own?- Yes.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- So you must have been very close. - Yes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- Really close personal family friends.- Very close.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Were you on first-name terms, and all that?
0:24:27 > 0:24:31- Yes, indeed, yes.- That's fascinating, and they're such lovely cards.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34I'm going to put something down on here,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38because otherwise, they'll be lovely cards on the other side of the park.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40So, what have we got?
0:24:40 > 0:24:46These lovely, wonderful photographs, I mean, so beautiful.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50That one, with the boys, I like particularly, but they are...
0:24:50 > 0:24:53they so much show the very close relationship
0:24:53 > 0:24:55between the Princess and her sons.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- Indeed.- And it's very important,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01with Christmas cards from the modern Royals,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04to be aware of the fact that some of them, a lot of them,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- the majority of them...- Right.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- ..because there are thousands of them...- Indeed.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12..the majority of them are written with autopens.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- Now, an autopen is a mechanical signing device.- This isn't.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Now, the first thing that you look for
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- is that they're inscribed to you.- Yes.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Though even "To you both" can be autopen,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27but these aren't, these are fine.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29You can tell because they're all different.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34The "I" on this "D" has the dot directly above it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36This "D", on the other hand,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38the stroke of the "I" is made differently,
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and the dot is placed over the "A".
0:25:41 > 0:25:44This "A" has a curly loop,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48whereas this one has one that goes down straight at the side.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51They're similar, but different, which is vital.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Now tell me, presumably
0:25:53 > 0:25:57your husband was still working with them when she died so tragically.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- He'd just retired.- Right.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04He retired in June '97, and she died in the August of '97.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05Was he involved with the funeral?
0:26:05 > 0:26:10- Yes, indeed.- Gosh.- He drove the oldest Rolls-Royce of the Queen.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14- Well, that's quite an honour.- With Princess Margaret as his passenger.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18He must have been very involved with the family, generally.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Very, very involved.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Do you know what they're worth?
0:26:22 > 0:26:25I have no idea whatsoever, no idea whatsoever.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Diana's a particularly tricky one,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32because Charles and Diana were very sought after, anyway.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37They're not that rare, but lots of people wanted them, so...
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The day before she died, a Christmas card
0:26:40 > 0:26:43signed by Charles and Diana was worth £850.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48The day after she died, the prices went through the ceiling.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Absolutely ridiculous,
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- people were asking £5,000 for something like this.- You're joking!
0:26:53 > 0:26:59Then the furore died down, and the prices have now settled down.
0:26:59 > 0:27:05Even so, these are still worth around
0:27:05 > 0:27:08£1,000, £1,250 each,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13but it's very important that they are like this.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- Mint condition.- You can't frame them and put them on your walls.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It doesn't really make any difference
0:27:18 > 0:27:20whether Charles is there, or not.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Lots of people want Diana with the two boys,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- and they are such beautiful images. - Right.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Did your mother bring you hot milk when you were ill?
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Yeah, I'm sure she did.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Well, if we think back a bit further,
0:27:35 > 0:27:40and we imagine an older person ill in bed,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44a few years ago, this is the sort of thing that they might have brought.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- Now, do you know what it is? - I understand it's a posset pot.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49So, do you know what posset is?
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Er, I think it's milk and brandy, is it?
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- Sort of.- Milk and something.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56Posset is sort of a drink,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59sort of something you'd give invalids,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01which we don't seem to have any more, do we?
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Invalids seem to have disappeared.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08It was basically a mixture of hot milk and beer mixed with bread,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11if it was being served to an invalid,
0:28:11 > 0:28:12or, if you were a bit richer,
0:28:12 > 0:28:17and you were serving it as a drink at a celebration or a wedding,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21you would heat up cream, which you would add spices to, and eggs,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and then you'd finish off with sack wine, which was a type of wine,
0:28:25 > 0:28:30and what it would do inside, it would form different levels.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- At the bottom, you would get the thick alcohol layer.- Right.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36In the middle you'd get a custard, and on the top, a foam.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40There was great ceremony attached to it and the top, the foam,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43was known as "the grace", and if we were at, say,
0:28:43 > 0:28:45a very important banquet,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49and you were my important guest, you would be offered the posset pot.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50- Right.- And the lid would be removed,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I would say, "You take the grace,"
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and you would be allowed to spoon off the froth,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- and that was a great honour.- Right.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Then me, as the second most important guest, the host,
0:28:59 > 0:29:04I would eat out the custard, and then the lid would be put back on,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07and we'd all drink the alcoholic stuff at the bottom.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It's about 1700. 1700, 1710.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Posset pots go back further,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17you get silver examples from the Tudor period,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21you get Delft ones like this from the 17th century onwards,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24but this one dates to about 1700, 1710.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28- Mm.- It's difficult to say where it's made. It is English.- Oh, right.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30This one's probably made in London, or in Bristol,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32very difficult to say.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Delftware, I don't know whether you realise,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37- was English potters copying Chinese porcelain.- Right.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Which is why you get these sort of Chinese designs.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44At that time, we didn't have the techniques of making porcelain,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47so we covered ordinary ware in this thick, white tin glaze
0:29:47 > 0:29:51- and decorated it, hence the Chinese designs.- Is this earthenware?
0:29:51 > 0:29:53It's earthenware, yes.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54If we look at the chip on the edge,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57you can see it's quite a coarse earthenware.
0:29:57 > 0:30:03Look inside, it's like it's brand-new. Where's it been?
0:30:03 > 0:30:05I don't know much about its early history.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08I know I got it from my grandfather,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12and he left it to my father, who then gave it to me.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16It was a good present, because on a good day, in the right sale,
0:30:16 > 0:30:17it would sell for about £5,000.
0:30:17 > 0:30:23- Oh, right. Very nice!- Thank you for bringing it in.- Thank you very much.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26- You've brought along this sporran. - Yeah.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- Now, do you have any Scottish family history?- None at all.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33So, why have you got this?
0:30:33 > 0:30:37It was left to my grandmother, or in my grandmother's care,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40in the Second World War, by her local vicar in Croydon,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and presumably, he never came back for it.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- And just this?- No, we have a few more things in here.- In here?
0:30:47 > 0:30:49- Do you mind if I dig in?- No.
0:30:49 > 0:30:55Oh, that's rather nice, that's a dress powder horn.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59And more, there's more, a wonderful dirk, Scottish dirk,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and more still...
0:31:02 > 0:31:04another dirk,
0:31:04 > 0:31:09that's a beauty, we'll talk about this in a moment, and...
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Ah, that is very interesting. So, that's it?
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- That's it.- I think that's enough to be getting on with.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20Well, let's just talk about one or two of these items,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23because you have actually got here some rather special objects.
0:31:23 > 0:31:30This dirk is a beautiful example of an officer's dirk,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34which would have been made
0:31:34 > 0:31:39around the beginning of the Victorian period, very likely.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43What's interesting is, if we just take out this, the knife here...
0:31:43 > 0:31:45- Fun, aren't they? - Do you see the "92" there?
0:31:45 > 0:31:47What do you think that refers to?
0:31:47 > 0:31:51- Presumably the battalion or the regiment that it belongs to?- 92nd.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Have you ever done any research?
0:31:54 > 0:31:57We were told it was the Black Watch, but then we know it isn't, now.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00It's not Black Watch, it's Gordon Highlanders.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03- Oh, so it is Scots.- It is, very much Scottish, yes, absolutely.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08The reason we have the sphinx here is because Gordon Highlanders were
0:32:08 > 0:32:13involved in fighting the Napoleonic forces in Egypt, and as a result,
0:32:13 > 0:32:18they were allowed to use the sphinx as part of their insignia.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21- Oh, nice, yeah.- It's a wonderful object, actually,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25this is absolutely superb, with this wooden basket weave hilt,
0:32:25 > 0:32:29and if we just remove it from its scabbard,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33this is absolutely the most beautiful,
0:32:33 > 0:32:38gorgeously etched blade I think I've seen for a long time,
0:32:38 > 0:32:40absolutely superb.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44- You have the Highland warrior there with his kilt...- Oh, yeah.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48..holding his sword, and on the other side,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50here's St Andrew, with St Andrew's cross.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- I hadn't noticed that. - But it's a beautiful piece,
0:32:53 > 0:32:58a beautiful ceremonial blade, and a beautiful ceremonial dirk.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00The other thing that I want to talk about,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04because it's quite interesting, is this flintlock pistol.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Tell me what you know about that.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10It says it's made in London on it. I think that says London.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12- I assume it's London. - There, London.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Having said that, the butt,
0:33:14 > 0:33:18which in normal circumstances would be made of wood, is steel.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21The whole thing is made of metal
0:33:21 > 0:33:26and is absolutely typical of a Scottish pistol.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27So, not made in London?
0:33:27 > 0:33:30- Yes, made in London.- Made in London?
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Made for the Scottish market, and if it was used in anger I don't know,
0:33:33 > 0:33:34but it could have been.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Oh, very much so,
0:33:36 > 0:33:40but I have to say that the scroll engraving on this is gorgeous.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44This would date probably from, I suppose,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47the third, fourth quarter of the 18th century,
0:33:47 > 0:33:52but these items here are all early 19th century.
0:33:52 > 0:33:53So, it's not all one set, then?
0:33:53 > 0:33:55It may well have belonged to one officer,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58because it's quite clear from the quality of these items
0:33:58 > 0:34:00that they belonged to an officer,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04because these would have been incredibly expensive to buy.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06And, of course, you know,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10when you look at things that were expensive to buy originally,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- they're often worth quite a lot of money today.- Yes, well!
0:34:13 > 0:34:15The sporran there is silver-plated.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17That certainly is worth...
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- ..£500, or thereabouts.- Is it? - Oh, yes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26The ceremonial powder horn, which is silver, incidentally...
0:34:26 > 0:34:28- Is it?- Yeah, it's...
0:34:29 > 0:34:32..1838, so, we can date that exactly from the hallmark.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Yes, fantastic. Didn't know it was silver.
0:34:35 > 0:34:40And that is worth, certainly, £1,200 to £1,500.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43Dear, oh, dear.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45This dirk is worth...
0:34:46 > 0:34:49..certainly £1,000, £1,500.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54This one, I think 1,500 to probably 2,000...
0:34:55 > 0:34:59..and the pistol round about £3,000.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03So, what's that in total?
0:35:03 > 0:35:068,000 to 10,000.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Oh, thank you very much.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I had absolutely no idea when I first saw this picture
0:35:14 > 0:35:16who these people are.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19No, I've got no idea either. I was hoping you'd tell me.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- Some really amazing outfits, aren't they?- Yes.- We've worked it out.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26It's been a communal effort, but we've worked out who they are.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- They're Zen archers.- Oh.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33- From Japan.- Right, really? They don't look very Japanese.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36This beard threw me because I didn't think that was Japanese.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39But the whole costume did, too, and there are no bows.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41- No.- But they definitely are Zen archers, we're sure.
0:35:41 > 0:35:46Archery is a very, very stylised pursuit now, in Japan,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49or was at around the time this was painted in 1890,
0:35:49 > 0:35:51and there was this feeling,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55not that it wasn't necessary to hit the target even, perhaps,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59but a good shot was considered to be
0:35:59 > 0:36:02that in which the arrow naturally belongs in the target.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- Right.- I don't understand it, either.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12It's become extremely ritualistic, and so that goes with the costume
0:36:12 > 0:36:14and the whole attitude that we see here.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18- Anyway, we have a signature down here, bottom left.- Yes.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20That's quite stylised too, isn't it?
0:36:20 > 0:36:25- Almost a hieroglyph, but what it says is "Mortimer Menpes".- Oh.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- Can you just see that? Mortimer Menpes.- I can, yes.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Once you know what it says, you CAN read it, and I knew what it said,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34because I've seen his pictures before.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37- Ah.- And they're often in these amazing frames.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Yes, yes, the frame is as interesting as the picture, I think.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43The design is rather nice, isn't it?
0:36:43 > 0:36:46With these sunbursts, and these lines here.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Now, he was very much part of what we call the Aesthetic Movement
0:36:50 > 0:36:52in English art in the late 19th century,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54and he was a friend of Whistler's,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and in fact Menpes was also a print maker, and he used to ink
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and help prepare most of Whistler's prints,
0:37:00 > 0:37:04- because Whistler was also a prominent print maker.- Yes.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08They met in the Fine Art Society in the early 1880s
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and immediately became friends.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Menpes was from Australia, Whistler from America,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16so two of these ex-patriots, you know, in London,
0:37:16 > 0:37:18they naturally gravitated towards one another,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and they shared a sense of humour.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22- Yes.- And also a girlfriend!
0:37:22 > 0:37:25They had to have a sense of humour, then.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Well, you see, the problem is that they did eventually fall out,
0:37:28 > 0:37:31because Menpes pinched Whistler's girlfriend...
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- Oh, dear.- ..and that was not so good.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Now, Menpes went to Japan in the later 1880s
0:37:38 > 0:37:43and came back having got a whole wealth of visual material,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47which he used to do a series of watercolours of Japan,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49not always done on the spot, but after.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51But what amazing colours!
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Such vibrant colours.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55- What do you think? - They're wonderful.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58There are so many different colours.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03But what we don't know is how you got it.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05I don't know, either.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09It's been in the family as long as I remember.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13- You've never bothered valuing it, or anything?- No, no.- Well...
0:38:13 > 0:38:18I think, if you just threw it in an auction, left it to swim on its own,
0:38:18 > 0:38:22it would probably make between £8,000 and £10,000.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25- Thousands?- Well, yes.- Crumbs!
0:38:25 > 0:38:28AUDIENCE LAUGH
0:38:28 > 0:38:33- Crumbs!- But retail, rather more.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36- Really?- Yeah, about £15,000, perhaps.
0:38:36 > 0:38:3815,000!
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Phew!
0:38:41 > 0:38:42Well, it's such a good one.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46- Look at the condition, it's wonderful.- Yes.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49And they're very collectable, very sought after,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51as examples, prime examples,
0:38:51 > 0:38:56- of the best of British art in the Aesthetic Movement.- Mm. Gosh!
0:38:56 > 0:38:58Speechless, for once!
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Good.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Another perfect Roadshow day.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07Here at Wakehurst Place,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10they take a comprehensive view of the botanical scene.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12As well as all things beautiful,
0:39:12 > 0:39:14the poppy, the iris, the narcissus...
0:39:14 > 0:39:17you can also take a stroll in the bog garden
0:39:17 > 0:39:19or linger for a while at Compost Corner.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22It's all here, and we've enjoyed it very much.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24From West Sussex, goodbye.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd