0:00:02 > 0:00:06This week, the Roadshow comes from a town on the edge of Cardigan Bay.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10It was known in the 1920s as the "Biarritz of Wales".
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Welcome to the Antiques Roadshow from Aberystwyth.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Bringing the Antiques Roadshow team here to Aberystwyth has been
0:00:59 > 0:01:03a pretty long journey for all those involved and, in fact,
0:01:03 > 0:01:08Aberystwyth's remoteness was often a problem in the past, particularly
0:01:08 > 0:01:12for the Victorians who liked to come here and dip their toes in the sea.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16And, in fact, promenades like this were constructed so they could
0:01:16 > 0:01:18show off their fashionable clothes, and take the air.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23'But, if the town was to become a top holiday destination,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27'it needed one thing in particular - a good public transport system.'
0:01:31 > 0:01:33TRAIN WHISTLES
0:01:33 > 0:01:38'In 1861, the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Company was formed,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42'and awarded the contract of forging a rail link to Aberystwyth.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Well, it was quite an event,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58the day the town celebrated the official opening of its new railway line.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03On 22nd July, 1864, there was a large procession through the town
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and then a train with 35 coaches, carrying nearly 2,000 passengers,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10pulled up to Aberystwyth station.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Now, before I go, there's one thing I've got to do, which is...
0:02:18 > 0:02:20..kick the bar.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25Because I'm reliably informed that, for years, visitors have ended their walk along the promenade
0:02:25 > 0:02:27by coming here and kicking the bar.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I don't know why. It seems a funny thing to do.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33But I've seen people do it and, apparently, it brings good luck.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Let's hope that luck is with us today,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40as we join our experts at Aberystwyth Arts Centre at the university campus.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46When I was coming up on the train yesterday, with my colleague,
0:02:46 > 0:02:51I said to her, "The one thing I would really like to see tomorrow is a spoon rack."
0:02:51 > 0:02:59When you came into reception, she came running over and she said,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- "I've got somebody you must meet." And here you are!- Yeah. Here I am.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06How far back can you remember them in your family?
0:03:06 > 0:03:12Well, I remember my father talking about his grandfather using them,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15so that would be my great-great-great grandfather.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19So that takes us almost back to the beginning of the 1800s.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24- Where was that?- That was in a little village called Llanfihangel ar Arth.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I'm glad you said that and not me!
0:03:26 > 0:03:31In the north of Carmarthenshire, really, still in Carmarthenshire.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- And were they in a farmhouse? - A smallholding.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36What they used to call a longhouse.
0:03:36 > 0:03:42One main room, one bedroom, with a bedroom door leading into the cow shed.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46- And these would have hung on the wall?- On the kitchen wall.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48And tell me how they were used?
0:03:48 > 0:03:53They were used for what, in the Welsh was called cawl, which is broth.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Put a big pan on the fire, open fire.
0:03:56 > 0:04:03Potatoes, meat, onions, carrots, parsnips, swedes
0:04:03 > 0:04:07and last, before serving it, the leeks.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12I bet it was one of those dishes that, when you had it the second day, it tasted even better.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Oh, much, much nicer, much nicer.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20But what I love about this is that it is a design, a shape, that has never changed.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It could have been made in 1780,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26it would have been looking just the same in the 1880s.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Very simply made from local wood,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34the actual rack is pine with a bit of staining, but it's got this
0:04:34 > 0:04:37sort of lovely blackness over it, which must have been from the smoke.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42- Smoke, most probably.- And all the spoons are, you know, wiggly waggly
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and they would have just been simply carved, wouldn't they?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Whittled away in the evening. - Front of the fire.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Front of the fire. This piece speaks family - family life,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57children round a table, they just are a dream.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- You can picture it, can't you? - So how long ago were they last used?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I think they were last used in 1986.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09- I think Health and Safety might have something to say about it now.- Yes!
0:05:09 > 0:05:13I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see them, and so many spoons.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16So, now to value.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21I mean, to me, they are as rare as hen's teeth these days.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Families have kept them, they were passed down... - They will be passed down.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29..generation to generation. So how often do they come to market?
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Why would anybody want to sell them?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34But I have to put a price on because that's what we're about,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37and I would say somewhere in the region of
0:05:37 > 0:05:43£400 or £500... What?! ..is a gentle price.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Oh...
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Surprised, really surprised.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57How does a lady wearing a jacket as fantastic as that,
0:05:57 > 0:05:59come to own a piece like this?
0:05:59 > 0:06:03My father bought it for my mother about 40 years ago.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07My mother's died now, so my daughter's inherited it,
0:06:07 > 0:06:09so I brought it up for her tonight.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12So why did he buy it for her? Was she particularly attracted to birds?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- It was the sort of thing she really liked, yes.- OK.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17I don't know where he bought it.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21It's been in the family about 30 or 40 years now, I should imagine.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23OK, you don't have any idea what he paid for it?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- Or where he might have bought it? - No, no, I don't.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28OK. Well, actually, if you don't know that,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31you can add a little bit of revenue out of it, too.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- And he starts moving his head and singing.- Yes, yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36He's a quiet one, he's quite silent.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37- It's gone quiet. - It's late in the day.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41My mum used to put the penny in and he used to make more noise.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43So he loved your mother?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Yeah, he did love my mum, I think.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- He was happy when she was around. - Yes, I think so. Yeah.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50He needs restoring again,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- as I'm sure he'll love your daughter as well.- Yes.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55These are real feathers, but obviously the bird
0:06:55 > 0:06:58is covered inside, and I think he'll come up wonderfully bright.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02And quite snazzy, actually, when he's had a good bit of a clean.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- Yeah.- And his bellows, too.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06You'll hear him, he'll sing sweetly again.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09What's interesting is that these were made
0:07:09 > 0:07:10for parlours in the 19th century
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- and they were effectively a rich person's toy.- Yes.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16They were for entertainment, you'd have them in a corner.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18- Like a cylinder music box.- Yes, yes.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Wind it up, play a tune, and ha-ha, everybody had a lovely time.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24They were made in France, often with Swiss movements.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26This was made probably in the late 19th century,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- so probably the 1880s.- Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30- This wonderful decorative panel. - Gorgeous.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- He's quite magnificent.- Yeah. - They're very sought-after pieces.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- Ah! There we are, then. - He's quite large.- Yes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39- In need of a bit of repair.- Yes.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43And I still think you're looking at around £2,000.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Gosh, that's great.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47So make sure that when he's spick-and-span again,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and ready to go, he takes pride of place in the living room
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- and he can sing once again with joy.- Great.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07One of the exciting things about a Roadshow is when an object is brought along
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and it looks pretty ordinary, similar to countless others we see every week,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but there's something special about it that sets it apart
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and makes it significant and valuable.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19The thing is, how do you tell?
0:08:19 > 0:08:22As you know, in this series our experts are setting us
0:08:22 > 0:08:25a bit of a challenge - basic, better, best.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29This week is the turn of our arms and militaria expert, Graham Lay.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34So we have here a set of medals. One is a basic set worth about £80,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37the other is a rather better set worth £500 to £600
0:08:37 > 0:08:42and then there's the best, worth £4,000 to £5,000.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44I have to say, medals are not my speciality
0:08:44 > 0:08:47but Graham is going to reveal all later on.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51First it's time for our visitors and you to see if you can work out which is which.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- Have you any idea what you're looking for?- No.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00This is a trick question. The smallest one will be most valuable.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- Mm...- What about the age?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06What do you think? Basic, better, best.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Here would be basic that one would be better, that would be the best.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15- Maybe, mm...- That one and that one look very similar, don't they?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17OK, I'm going say better and best.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Crosses there, and crosses generally say more important.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Um...- Tricky.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- That could be the best.- Why do you think that?- There's two crosses.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Er...
0:09:28 > 0:09:30These ones are the most important ones.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Basic, better, best.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Hold on, switch those around.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Basic, better, best.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- Sure?- Sure as I can be.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Now this is a striking bit of human anatomy.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52How did it come into your life?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Well, it's quite a story.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57I visited an old friend of mine
0:09:57 > 0:10:00that does house clearances
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and from time to time he gets a painting,
0:10:03 > 0:10:07he gets in touch with me and he says, "Are you interested in buying?"
0:10:07 > 0:10:10And this is my hobby, so he brings it down to me
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and it was in a terrible state. I saw the ticket on the back,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18Francis Bacon and recognised the signature and we did a deal.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I gave him a few hundred pounds
0:10:21 > 0:10:26and when I had a look at it, I thought, well you know, this isn't for me really,
0:10:26 > 0:10:27but the name is.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Of course the central question is "Is this by Francis Bacon?"
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Francis Bacon, the major towering figure in British art
0:10:34 > 0:10:38in the last 20-30 years, died fairly recently.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41If it's by him, of course, it's a picture of extreme value,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44art historical importance, worth many millions of pounds,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47so it's really worth getting this one right.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49From the front,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52well it's the sort of composition we normally associate
0:10:52 > 0:10:57with Francis Bacon, in as much that you've got that rather sort of bruised and angry flesh,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01almost like a corpse, and you've got that bleary out-of-focus face,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04all the sort of stuff that you associate with Francis Bacon.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But I think before we go any further on the front,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11as we're trying to establish if this is the real thing or not,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Let's have a look at the back, shall we?- Yes.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31OK, now it's always been my view,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35that whenever you're looking at a picture that could potentially
0:11:35 > 0:11:39be a great treasure or, indeed, a fake, that the back of it
0:11:39 > 0:11:41will tell you more than the front.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46The title of the picture it seems, Ophelia, with a sort of inscription
0:11:46 > 0:11:49we find from time to time on 20th-century pictures and earlier,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51"A gift to my sister."
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Now this gets more interesting, we have a label
0:11:54 > 0:11:57at the top here that says "Francis Bacon B29".
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Now I have to say the writing looks quite modern,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03but what do you think the B29 refers to?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Well, I was thinking
0:12:05 > 0:12:10perhaps it's the Hanover Gallery Exhibition number of 1952.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Well, you've really done your homework,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15because the Hanover Gallery was the first gallery
0:12:15 > 0:12:17to discover Francis Bacon,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and if it a label from that exhibition,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22that is immediately exciting.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25It proves that it was at a place
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and at a time which is extremely significant
0:12:28 > 0:12:31in the life of Francis Bacon. You could say we're warming up.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34But then, does that look really old?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Or does it look like a photocopy of a label?
0:12:38 > 0:12:42And is this B29? Is the paper just a little bit fresh?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I'm not sure. But let's just ask those questions.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47What do you feel?
0:12:47 > 0:12:51I think it's an old label and the reason I think that is because
0:12:51 > 0:12:55it's bowed slightly with the damp,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58within an attic for years and years
0:12:58 > 0:13:02and the ink is coming off in places
0:13:02 > 0:13:04where it would do, with damp.
0:13:04 > 0:13:10But the signature looks to me to be genuine because it's spontaneous.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Well, someone...
0:13:12 > 0:13:14And I'm going to just go back to the front.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Someone has gone to inordinate trouble to get it right.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23And they haven't just tried to paint a picture
0:13:23 > 0:13:26that Francis Bacon might have done.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And it looks fairly plausible. I have to say
0:13:30 > 0:13:32I don't think I'd be taken in
0:13:32 > 0:13:33and I don't think a lot
0:13:33 > 0:13:36of 20th-century scholars, or dealers,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38or auctioneers would be taken in.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41But the combination of that and the back
0:13:41 > 0:13:44has meant that someone out there...
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Someone around us, who knows?
0:13:46 > 0:13:50- Yes.- Has actually decided to create not just a fake,
0:13:50 > 0:13:51but a fake history,
0:13:51 > 0:13:55a fake exhibition history, a fake owner probably,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- and has done it quite well. - Yes.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And don't worry, you are not alone.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03I have to say,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06I've even been taken in myself.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10- Yes.- So join the crowd.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Yes. It's all part of learning, isn't it?
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Graham, it was interesting talking about these -
0:14:22 > 0:14:23they excite a lot of interest
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and it seems invidious to talk about a value for these things,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29when just the fact that you've fought in a war
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and gained a medal should be enough.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35None of us really were quite sure what we were looking for.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Well, you know, medals are a testament
0:14:38 > 0:14:40to the heroism of the recipients
0:14:40 > 0:14:42and I always feel uncomfortable
0:14:42 > 0:14:44about talking about values of medals,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46but people are interested in them.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48During the First and Second World Wars,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51millions and millions of people served their country
0:14:51 > 0:14:55and almost everybody was entitled to a medal.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59During the First World War, for example, the British War Medal,
0:14:59 > 0:15:00this silver medal -
0:15:00 > 0:15:036.5 million of these issued during the First World War,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05so they were issued in huge numbers.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And the great thing about First World War medals
0:15:08 > 0:15:10is that they were always named.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Gosh, so every single one of those millions were individually...?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Yes. There are lots of websites out there
0:15:17 > 0:15:21that can point you in the right direction for doing the research.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25So campaign medals, therefore, I assume are not that valuable.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Well, they are.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30They can be, depending on what the campaigns were
0:15:30 > 0:15:33and depending on what the recipient did.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37And that's when we come to the Basic, Better, Best point of view.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Right. Well, I'll tell you what I suggested.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I was thinking, "Campaign medals,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46"everyone will have got one, so presumably not that valuable,"
0:15:46 > 0:15:48so I put Basic here.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I didn't know what to make of these.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54I looked at these and interestingly, cos I read out on the news,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57- time and again, about in Afghanistan or Iraq.- Yes.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00And maybe about someone who's winning a Victoria Cross
0:16:00 > 0:16:03or a medal for bravery, and so I looked at these and thought...
0:16:03 > 0:16:05I realised I'd never seen one,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09but I'm assuming one of these must be a cross for valour, for bravery,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and therefore I've put these in the Best category.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Well, you're absolutely right.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Well, good, cos it doesn't happen very often!
0:16:17 > 0:16:20But looking at these - let's look at them first.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24This is the Basic group of three First World War medals.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28These are worth somewhere in the region of £60 to £80.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Better is this group.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Now, this is also a group that shows heroism of some sort
0:16:36 > 0:16:38because he's got the Military Medal
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and also this means "mentioned in dispatches".
0:16:41 > 0:16:43- This...?- This oak leaf,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46so he must have performed many acts of bravery.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48But also he served in the Second World War,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50because this is the Defence Medal,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53so he would have probably been too old
0:16:53 > 0:16:54to serve in the Second World War,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58so he took part in some way, perhaps he was a Special Constable.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02And that's going to be worth somewhere in the region of £800.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Best...
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- you're right.- I had a vague idea, I thought, "They're crosses."- Yes.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12- But go on, cos I didn't really know. - Well, this is the important medal.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17This is the Military Cross, but it's even more important than that,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19because do you see this bar here?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21It means he was awarded it twice.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25so not only did he perform some act of gallantry
0:17:25 > 0:17:27to be awarded the Military Cross,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30but he performed ANOTHER act of heroism,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- and so he was put up for it again. - Gosh.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35You can't be awarded the same medal twice, of course,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37so he was awarded the bar to go with it.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40I think we should name him, if he was that courageous.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43"Captain John Williams, 15th Battalion Welsh Regiment."
0:17:43 > 0:17:44A very brave man.
0:17:44 > 0:17:50And I happen to know that he was mainly responsible
0:17:50 > 0:17:53for the capture of Thiepval Ridge
0:17:53 > 0:17:57and Pozieres village in 1918, during the First World War,
0:17:57 > 0:18:02and the capture of many German guns and over 1,000 prisoners.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05And you found this out by researching his background?
0:18:05 > 0:18:09- He was a very, very brave and courageous man.- Goodness me.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12And this group is going to be worth somewhere in the region of...
0:18:12 > 0:18:15£4,000 or £5,000.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Gosh. Well, as I say,
0:18:17 > 0:18:21it does seem slightly invidious, really, talking about the value,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24when clearly to have fought with medals like this,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26you have shown bravery by being on the field.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I hope it's given you some insight, if you have medals at home,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33of relatives, now you have an idea of what to look for, and what value they may have,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36or if you want to bring them along to a Roadshow,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38have a look at our website...
0:18:39 > 0:18:41You can see the locations we're coming to
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and maybe you could pay us a visit.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I suppose what I expected least to see in West Wales,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52is this wonderful array of Native North American beadwork.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56I am actually overcome by the sort of diversity, the richness of it.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Tell me the background, why have you got it?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I inherited it from my nana,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05it was my nana's Uncle Tommy who went over to British Columbia
0:19:05 > 0:19:09in the early 1900s and he went there to work - he was a missionary.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- Right.- He went over to work in a school over there.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Yeah.- And she inherited it down then to her,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and then obviously I inherited it then.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18So working as a missionary,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- he was in contact obviously with various tribes.- Yes.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- And so these are things he brought back...- Yes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- ..to show how it had been. - Yes, they gifted these items to him,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30and also you can see some of them have been worn as well, by him.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Often we see things like this, but it's very rare
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- that you can actually precisely time the event.- Yeah.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- What have you got there? - Well, what I've got here is...
0:19:38 > 0:19:40- Is that a picture?- Yeah, that's Uncle Tommy.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43So here we have this intrepid man in his fur coat.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- Yes.- In the snow. - Over there, yes, at the time. - Do you know much about him?
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Not an awful lot, no. Unfortunately, my nana's passed away, so I don't... I obviously never met him.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57- No, no.- So I don't know an awful lot about him as a person, no. - And this is what?
0:19:57 > 0:20:00This is a letter then, the date there, August 20th.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02OK, Well, this is, yes, August 20th 1909,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04now this is crucial.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- I mean obviously writing letters home.- Yeah.- I won't read it all
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- but I'm sure it's full of interesting facts.- Yes.- But the point to establish is,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16he was miles away from everywhere, and therefore leading a very, very remote life.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Now the first thing I'm going to tell you
0:20:18 > 0:20:21is obviously, by and large, these are things of that period.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And a lot of this material can go back to much earlier dates.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30- Right.- The only thing that may well be earlier here are the gauntlets. - OK.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- Those could go back into the 19th century.- Oh gosh, right, OK.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37We've got typical beadwork styles.
0:20:37 > 0:20:43What we've also got to acknowledge is - by now, while these are tribal pieces,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46a lot of them were being made for people like him.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51- Right.- We've got - in a sense - the tourist element, the visitor element.- OK.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55So the famous pieces like the slippers, the gloves
0:20:55 > 0:20:58and so on, the purses, the bags,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02were very much tourist-minded by the makers.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- OK, yes.- And so on that basis,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07it's not that surprising that they did move out from Canada
0:21:07 > 0:21:08into places like Wales.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14We've got pipes - traditional cut from stone type pipes.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18But the things that excite me most of all are these.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- OK.- Now why do you think those are different?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- They're incredible pieces of... - I'm glad you say that.- Yes.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27They're made from a material called argillite which is a stone
0:21:27 > 0:21:31that only occurs in a certain region of Western Canada.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- Oh, right. - And they are totally the product of one tribe, the Haida tribe.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40- Oh, right, OK.- The Haidas actually sit on the world's resources of argillite.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45It's slightly related to slate and when it comes out of the ground,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48it's quite soft and it can be carved,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and then it becomes harder and harder and harder,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and it was used from the early 19th century
0:21:54 > 0:22:00for carving things like miniature totem poles and figures that relate
0:22:00 > 0:22:02to all the creatures and animals
0:22:02 > 0:22:06that are significant to the tribe.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Yes.- So a piece like this is a wonderful piece of story-telling.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14- All the figures are symbolic and it is this smooth stone-like material. - Yes.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17There's nothing like it in the world anywhere else.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20This is excellent, but fairly typical,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23this is just completely exceptional.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28- Oh, right, OK.- So to see that is just sort of blowing my mind out.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31You're sitting on, here, a remarkable collection,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- and I have to say, quite a valuable collection.- OK.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37A pair of gauntlets like that is probably £500, £600, £700.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39OK.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44The slippers are £200 to £400.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49All the smaller pieces are £100 to £200 and sometimes more,
0:22:49 > 0:22:55so you've got probably £2,000 or £3,000 worth in the beadwork.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- OK. - Come on to the argillite.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05- That's going to be £1,500 - £2,000. - Oh, my gosh.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07This is going to be - it's such a fantastic piece -
0:23:07 > 0:23:09it's going to be...
0:23:09 > 0:23:14oh, between £2,000 and £3,000 - or even £4,000.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Oh, my gosh, I never...
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So put it all together, you're getting towards £8,000 or £10,000.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- Wow, how incredible. - So, he did you proud.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Yes, he did. And my nana, yes, for keeping all the stuff.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26I've dreamed for years
0:23:26 > 0:23:29to have a really great piece of argillite on the Roadshow.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- Oh, right.- You've done it for me.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- OK, oh, thank you.- So thank you very much.- Oh, no problem.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38'What a great end to the day for Paul. Our experts never know
0:23:38 > 0:23:41'whether they're going to see collections from halfway around
0:23:41 > 0:23:43'the globe or just around the corner.'
0:23:44 > 0:23:48It's been wonderful here at Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51From all of the Roadshow team, until next time, bye-bye.