0:00:02 > 0:00:04Our location today has a lot to thank the humble pigeon for.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07You can tell the town is grateful because you can see them on top of
0:00:07 > 0:00:11the signposts scattered around the town, sculpted for posterity.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13So what has the pigeon got to do with
0:00:13 > 0:00:16the success of a Regency spa town?
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Welcome to the Antiques Roadshow from Cheltenham.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58The story of how the town became a fashionable health resort
0:00:58 > 0:01:03began in 1716, when people noticed pigeons pecking at salty deposits
0:01:03 > 0:01:06left around a spring in a local field.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And then when King George III came to stay in 1788 -
0:01:09 > 0:01:12he'd been told by his physician that drinking the waters would be
0:01:12 > 0:01:16good for his poorly tummy - then the town really took off.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Hannah Forty couldn't afford to drink the spa water,
0:01:24 > 0:01:28but she was the town's pumper, handing it out to paying visitors.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31George III was so impressed with her that he commissioned her portrait,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34thought to be the earliest picture of a Cheltenham resident.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38She did that job for 43 years.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42At the height of its popularity, there were 19 spas in the town,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44each competing with the others
0:01:44 > 0:01:46to see who could provide the best entertainment,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and some of the best acts of the age came -
0:01:49 > 0:01:53famous names like Paganini, Liszt, Grieg,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and Sibelius performed at our venue, here at Cheltenham Town Hall.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04There was even a spa here, opened in June 1906 to revive
0:02:04 > 0:02:08the fading fortunes of the town and its drinking water.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13By then, few doctors - if any, really - were recommending
0:02:13 > 0:02:17the waters as a miracle cure, but it was still an attraction for tourists
0:02:17 > 0:02:21and for local people, and the women of Cheltenham were still serving
0:02:21 > 0:02:26the waters from these magnificent Doulton urns here in the town hall.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29And in 1932 the two pumpers were sisters.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Here they are, Lillian and Gladys Bird.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Sadly, the pump doesn't work any more
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and looking at the queues today,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43we may all need a pick-me-up, especially our busy experts,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45ready to get another Roadshow under way.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Have you got anybody violent in your family?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56- No.- What happened to this?
0:02:56 > 0:02:58It was broken when we bought it.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01You must have liked it a lot, to buy a cracked pot.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Well, it was such a lovely colour.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- It is, isn't it?- Yes.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10- Where did you buy it? - In York, in a saleroom.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- How long ago?- In the '50s.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Cost you a lot of money?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Masses. £5.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- Really?- Mm.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Well, this is a guan, which is a wine jar.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30- It's a class of porcelain which is called transitional.- Yes.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33It's from the end of the Ming Dynasty
0:03:33 > 0:03:36through the beginning of the Ching Dynasty
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and this is about 1630,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43so we can forgive it for being cracked.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Could you tell me how much it would cost to restore?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49- I can't tell you exactly.- No.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53- And I don't think a restorer could either.- No.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Because once you start cleaning and breaking down,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00all sorts of things might come to issue,
0:04:00 > 0:04:04but I think probably £600-£800.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Oh, really?- Which I know sounds like a lot of money...- No.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- ..but think of it as giving to posterity...- Yes.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- ..a better pot.- Yes.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17I love this watery blue that you always get,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and then the cracked ice,
0:04:20 > 0:04:28and then down here with this vine leaf and polychrome grapes.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32And have you noticed what's rustling about in the leaves?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35I don't know if they're squirrels or not.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- This pattern is called Squirrel In Grapevine.- Is it?
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- Yeah.- Oh.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- But they're not.- Oh. Ah.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47- They're tree rats. - Oh.- Which I think's even nicer.
0:04:47 > 0:04:48Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Well, the market now is very strong for transitional wares,
0:04:53 > 0:04:58particularly with a pattern like this, which is rare.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Right.
0:04:59 > 0:05:05And I think that a dealer in an auction sale would look at this
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and say, "I can see that cleaned up,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12"£4,000-£6,000."
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Gosh! I thought you'd say about £50!
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Well, even that would have shown you a profit!
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Well, it would, yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28We see lots of samplers on the Roadshow, and I like them,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30but in the end, you think, "OK, another sampler,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33"another child who ruined their eyesight putting it all together."
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They're a great piece of sort of social history,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39but very, very few tell a specific story.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Now, this one is different, because it's actually,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45in a sense, it's almost like a tombstone, because it's a memorial
0:05:45 > 0:05:50to an engine driver who was killed in an accident in 1840.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55And this is very specific. Did you buy it for that reason?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58No, I bought it for the frame, in actual fact.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I saw it in a flea market and it had another picture inside,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03and found this underneath.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- So you had no idea it was there?- No, no idea at all.- What did you think?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I just loved it when I... As soon as I saw it, I thought,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11"Wow! What a fantastic find!"
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- You're so lucky.- Yeah, I know.
0:06:13 > 0:06:18Now, I have to say, this is known in printed versions, you know,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22it's a wonderful sort of classic early railway epitaph.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26But what I've never seen is the idea of it done as a sampler,
0:06:26 > 0:06:30and it just brings to life, A - samplers and children
0:06:30 > 0:06:34who had to learn their sewing skills in that way,
0:06:34 > 0:06:40B - the risky life of early railway drivers and engineers and employees.
0:06:40 > 0:06:421840, really only ten years into
0:06:42 > 0:06:45the development of the British railway network,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48from the Liverpool and Manchester, and suddenly you've got
0:06:48 > 0:06:52this sort of wonderful commemoration of one of these great events.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55But of course the most important bit is really this,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58where the man is seeing himself as an engine
0:06:58 > 0:07:00that's come to the end of his life.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It was written by, obviously, a friend of Oswald Gardner, who died.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And I have to quote some of it, I can't resist it, really.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10"Life's railway's o'er, each station's past,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13"In death I'm stopped and rest at last.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17"Farewell, dear friends, and cease to weep!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20"In Christ I'm safe, in Him I sleep."
0:07:20 > 0:07:21Now, that'll do for me, thank you very much.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- I'll have that on my tombstone any time.- Yes, it is lovely.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It's so wonderful. It's valuable because, you know,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32if this was just a sampler, you'd be looking at £150-£200.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Factor in early railway history,
0:07:35 > 0:07:39the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, then in its infancy,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41oh, you're looking now at
0:07:41 > 0:07:43sort of £300-£500, I should think, straightaway.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- Oh, lovely. Thank you very much.- Just because of the railway.- Super, yes.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53The trophy belonged to a friend of my father's and they both used to
0:07:53 > 0:07:59go to Brooklands, and the friend had his own racing cars.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05My father used to go and support him. Sometimes he had to go as a passenger
0:08:05 > 0:08:07because some of the races required that,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12but this particular thing is related to one of his best wins,
0:08:12 > 0:08:17which was the Long Norfolk Handicap at Brooklands in 1932.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21But unfortunately he died when he was quite young
0:08:21 > 0:08:25and this was passed to my father, and when my father died, I got it.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29- And it's got a little plaque here on the front.- Yes.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32"Long Norfolk Handicap," I think it says,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36and he broke the speed record there.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37- Really?- Yes.
0:08:37 > 0:08:43And it's got the speed - for a little Riley, over 90 miles an hour.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Yes, that's the average speed,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47so he must have been going well over the top of that.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49And if you've ever been to Brooklands,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- it's a very steep oval track... - Yes, yes.- ..and very dangerous.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59- Yes, it was dangerous, but these young men liked to do it.- Fantastic.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Well, the sculptor - as it shows here on the reverse -
0:09:02 > 0:09:04is Richard Lang, who's German,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and he did the original sculpt about 1928,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10so just a few years before this trophy was actually presented.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14- Right.- What I love about it is the energy, isn't it?- Yes.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15You can see the speed.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- Almost...- They're crouching over the wheel, the mechanic is looking
0:09:18 > 0:09:21out at the side and there's smoke and dust coming out.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25You expect the dust to come into your face when you're standing here.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26- Lots of movement. - Yes, it's wonderful.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31Fantastic, and I have to say, because it's such a great bronze,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33it has been replicated and reproduced over the years.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37- Yes, I guess there are many of them. - But not of these nice original ones.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- Oh, good.- I love it,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and it's got lovely history and it's all original.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45I would expect at auction it would fetch between,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48well, £3,500-£5,000.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Gosh! I'm amazed because I thought there were lots of them about,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55but that's very nice.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But I'm not going to sell it, it's too precious.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Some people might be offended at looking at a picture like this
0:10:04 > 0:10:07of a pregnant lady and the way this has been painted,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11in such a distinctive style, with these brush strokes,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14it can only be one artist, which is John Bratby.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- Indeed. - Do you know who the sitter is?
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Um, I was taking the picture to be reframed, because as you know
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- he had his own way of things framing and it all fell off.- Yes.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28One of my neighbours is a lecturer at the local art college.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31He said, "Kate, what are you doing with a picture of Jean Cooke?"
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and when he was at the Royal College of Art,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Bratby was one of his tutors, and Jean was there, as well.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40He married Jean and this is her pregnant.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I'm sure it's her, in fact.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Good.- It looks just like her from the pictures I've seen before.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47He's an extraordinary man.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51I mean, I used to go and see him in his studio in Hastings
0:10:51 > 0:10:54and he divorced Jean and married somebody else later on,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57but a very colourful character.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59As we all know - or I know -
0:10:59 > 0:11:01he's famous for his kitchen sink work...
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- Yes.- ..which was the late '50s, early '60s.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Then he went into this brighter palette, then he became
0:11:07 > 0:11:10famous for painting sunflowers and then he sort of went out of fashion,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14and I met up with him in the late 1980s when he started putting
0:11:14 > 0:11:18things into auction for sale and suddenly his prices went right up.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23And he died in the early '90s. And when did you buy this?
0:11:23 > 0:11:26The early '70s, early to mid '70s.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Yeah, where do you have this hanging?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30In my drawing room, always.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32What do people think about it when they come to your house?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35The paper boy objected.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37He was in the same class as my youngest daughter at school
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and said, "Your mum's got dirty pictures in her sitting room."
0:11:41 > 0:11:45- Not everybody likes it, no. - No, what did you pay for that then?
0:11:45 > 0:11:47It's somewhere between 200 and 400.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Well, that's irrelevant by today's standards
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- because he is back in fashion. - Really?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Yeah, and I would think, to the right buyer,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58that's worth about £3,000 to £5,000 today.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I am surprised. Thank you.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Word has come into the show that something remarkable
0:12:08 > 0:12:10has arrived from Cheltenham Race Course.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14I thought we'd see some horse memorabilia turn up
0:12:14 > 0:12:17being here at Cheltenham, of course, Cheltenham Gold Cup.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Never thought we'd see a table with horse legs!
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- Where has this come from? - It's from our stewards' room.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25The stewards adjudicate if things go wrong during races.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28And it's a working table, it's been there for 50 or 60 years,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30we don't really know how long,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and actually when the new weighing room, where the stewards work,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36was built, it had to almost be built around this table, and today is
0:12:36 > 0:12:39the first time we've actually managed to get it out for about 50 years.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41So this is the table where stewards will sit if a jockey
0:12:41 > 0:12:45has misbehaved in some way, or is accused of misbehaving in some way.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48So there's been a few sweaty moments around this table, then?
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Some very sweaty moments around that table, yeah.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51And with these legs on,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I mean, you could put a tenner on that in the 3:30, couldn't you?
0:12:54 > 0:12:56You could, it might not be fast enough, but you could.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59What did you have to do to get it out?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Well, we had to take the doors off at the back of the weighing room
0:13:02 > 0:13:03and then get it on its side,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and we had about half an inch of clearance so it was tight,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09but we're looking forward to finding out much more about it.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Well, here's something you don't see every day.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Two specialists - you glass, me pictures -
0:13:16 > 0:13:18and they're all owned by you?
0:13:18 > 0:13:22- Yes.- Now, where did you get this cluster of lovely goods from?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I got those paintings from car boot,
0:13:24 > 0:13:29and those decanters in one second-hand goods shop.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31These are really good! I mean, how much...
0:13:31 > 0:13:33What's the story, how much did you pay?
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- £22.- £22. You're made of money(!)
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Well, they're very nice.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42They are about 1910, they're made in Czechoslovakia,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44in the style that is associated with Moser.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47They are bone-cut,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51gilded and they are just what the market wants.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55A segment of the market wants bling, and these are bling.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58The condition is just out of this world,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01they're like they came out of the works, 1910, Bohemia.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Value - conservative, you selling at auction, low, low...
0:14:06 > 0:14:093,000 quid. Over to you, Philip.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- 3,000 quid?- 3,000 quid.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Blimey, OK, how am I going to improve upon that?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18What you have here is something, as they say, completely different.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21You have three works by a very esteemed French artist
0:14:21 > 0:14:23who is still alive.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26He was born in 1925 and his name is Jean Cortot.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31Now, Cortot became particularly famous in the '50s and '60s.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35He was known for his tapestries, his love of philosophy,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40his love of art, which he attempted to ply into his paintings.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43How much did you pay for these three?
0:14:43 > 0:14:45A pound each, at a car boot.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48A pound each at a car boot sale, OK.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52- And immediately after, I was offered £10.- You were?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I'm not at all sorry you didn't take it,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59because you have a painting at the top here
0:14:59 > 0:15:01worth £1,000,
0:15:01 > 0:15:06you have one beneath worth about £300 or £400,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and the other about £300 or £400.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Now, I know that adds up to less than the glass.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And so, for the first time ever
0:15:13 > 0:15:17in the history of the Antiques Roadshow, glass beats paintings!
0:15:17 > 0:15:22- However, however... - Ah, what are you going to say now?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25However, just consider the increment,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28because you paid only £1 each for those.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30My God, you had to pay a lot for those!
0:15:30 > 0:15:32LAUGHTER
0:15:34 > 0:15:37We're going to take this table all the way through,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39so we need a big space cleared.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41OK, fine. What's your trajectory?
0:15:41 > 0:15:43You're going to take it...?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47We're having a few problems getting it through the doors here, as well.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Unsurprisingly!
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Yes, I think we might have to take the hinges off, possibly.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I can't imagine how many there are here.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04All these fabulous printed pieces of material.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06How on earth did you get started?
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Well, it started when I was 17, I was at Leicester Art College
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and we just used to go to the local market,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14and because I did textiles,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I just used to collect all these fabulous squares.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20I mean, I didn't actually know what they were for
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and other people used to cut up the fabrics,
0:16:22 > 0:16:27but I decided to collect them and I've been doing it for 43 years.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31- And my first one I bought was two old pence.- Yes.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35And now I buy them in a variety of places really,
0:16:35 > 0:16:40off the Internet, antique fairs, for £5 upwards, I suppose.
0:16:40 > 0:16:46The clue as to exactly what they are, of course, comes in here.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Yes, because I didn't know what they were for, really.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- I couldn't believe that people blew their nose on them.- I know.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54I mean, here is a lovely packet
0:16:54 > 0:16:57of these fabulous printed handkerchiefs,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- and that's what they are.- Oh, right. - Nothing more or less exciting.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04But actually, these are handkerchiefs
0:17:04 > 0:17:06when you could make a statement
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- by bringing out a handkerchief. - Oh, right.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11You could show that you were stylish by bringing out a hankie with
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Parisian poodles on it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17You could show that you were well-travelled by bringing one out
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- with Italy on it. - Oh, I see, yes.
0:17:20 > 0:17:26It said a lot about YOU and, you know, what kind of a girl you were,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29according to the handkerchief that you had.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33I mean, they weren't that expensive and they came in silk
0:17:33 > 0:17:35and they came in rayon and they came in cotton
0:17:35 > 0:17:37and they came in all those materials,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40but I think the sum of all these parts
0:17:40 > 0:17:44makes it into this extraordinary sort of kaleidoscope, doesn't it?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Yes. - So is this your entire collection?
0:17:47 > 0:17:49No, I've got about another 200 at home.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- Because I just love... - I'm almost speechless.- Yes.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57So how... I haven't counted these.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59So you've got 200 at home, how many are here?
0:17:59 > 0:18:02I think there's about 180 here, something like that.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04So getting on for 400 in total.
0:18:04 > 0:18:11Well, 400-odd, they must be worth £800-£1,000.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- Oh, well, that's nice. - Maybe more than that. Maybe £1,200.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18- I mean, they are just beautiful. - Oh, thank you.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25My father always used to say that a good piece of English furniture -
0:18:25 > 0:18:27actually a good piece of antique furniture -
0:18:27 > 0:18:30would look as if it's going to walk off the room.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33He'd never seen this, but this looks likes it could jump...
0:18:33 > 0:18:35It certainly does qualify on that front!
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Now, the interesting thing is its period.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42And where did it actually come from? I've not seen its like before,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- so I'm starting from scratch.- Yeah.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I can't say, "There's one in this museum."
0:18:48 > 0:18:52But I think it's Spanish and I think it's about 1840.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55That's from the style and the fact that it is walnut.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59And, originally, I don't think it had those iron braces underneath
0:18:59 > 0:19:01because each leg is chunks of walnut,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03which would be braced inside.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08OK? I'm quite convinced that the iron work is later.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11It was such a gimmick at that time.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15How astounding, but of course people would take care,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17and thank goodness they put those struts,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19- because by now it could give way. - Yeah.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21When was the Jockey Club formed?
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Well, the Jockey Club's been going since 1750, so plenty of time.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29I would think that some time during the 19th century
0:19:29 > 0:19:32this came up at auction and somebody said, "We've got to have it,"
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and that would make sense.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I'm going to have another look. It really is quite wonderful, isn't it?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45What a great, great, great idea.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Well, having got it out, we'd better have a think about...
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I mean, is it...? Presumably, it's insured?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56It's insured under the general insurance, but not specifically, no.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Really?
0:19:57 > 0:20:02Goodness knows, this could make any money in the horse-racing field.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Not that it will ever be sold, will it?- No.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's an academic question, really, or an academic answer.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But as a table on the open market,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15probably between £15,000 to £20,000.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20- Lovely.- And I know people who'd give more. I think it could go on and on.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- Who's to say?- As you say, it's academic, it will never be sold.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Well, thank you for letting me see it,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28thank you for going to all that work, it's made my day.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- No, it's been a... - Especially if it wins.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- ..pleasure to find out more about it. - Oh, good, thank you.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34Thank you.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38MUSIC: Theme from "Horse Of The Year Show"
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It's so easy to jump to the wrong conclusions,
0:20:55 > 0:20:56because looking at these -
0:20:56 > 0:20:59the stylised elephants supporting globes -
0:20:59 > 0:21:01I mean, they look, for all the world, Art Deco,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03they just scream 1920s,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07but somehow I think there's more to them than that.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09What can you tell me about them?
0:21:09 > 0:21:13They were my grandparents', who were born in the late 1800s.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Right, so taking them back to that time.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I know... Further back than that, I don't know.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22They then, of course, passed to my parents, who passed them on to me.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Now down to you, that's right. Pair of oil lamps. I mean,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29the tops would have supported the glass fittings.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Have you got the glass tops for them?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I haven't. I'm trying to get hold of some.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37We have some fittings, which look old, but aren't.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Right, I mean, these would need quite dramatic fittings
0:21:41 > 0:21:43because these are fairly early.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Let's look - there's the press marks on them,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and that's what I want to see.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It's not easy to read, but had you noticed there's a mark here?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- I had noticed it, but couldn't read it.- Right.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Well, you can see "wood" going backwards there,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58there's the "wood" of Wedgwood,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01and there's... Those little initials against it is a year code.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03- Right.- Which is awfully helpful,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and there you've got the date letter "G", which is...
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- HE MUTTERS - My maths... 1878.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13- Oh, right. - So they were made in 1878 exactly.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17- And actually, that's quite early for this sort of design.- Yes.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20They must have been very exotic at that time.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24I suppose the influence would be Japan.
0:22:24 > 0:22:31At that time, in the 1870s, Japan art was just being exhibited
0:22:31 > 0:22:34for the first time, and it caused a huge influence
0:22:34 > 0:22:37on pottery makers, including firms like Wedgwood.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42And that brings to mind, perhaps, one of the most important designers
0:22:42 > 0:22:45working at Wedgwood at the time, and that's Dr Christopher Dresser.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47I see. Right.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50That's a name that means quite a lot to us, because he was really
0:22:50 > 0:22:54the great innovator of so much design ahead of his time.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59Particularly, he was interested in Japanese art, and so one wonders
0:22:59 > 0:23:02if he might have had some input into these.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05I mean, there's unfortunately little known about which ones Dresser did,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08but certainly there's the influence here
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- of Christopher Dresser's work, I think.- Oh, lovely.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16And so the combination of great design for 1870s,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Wedgwood name, which is wonderful, a pair is super.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Just lost the original mounts,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26but they're going to be pretty valuable, I think.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Um, about £1,500.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37For the pair. £1,500 for a pair of oil lamps, right. That's amazing.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Our silver specialist Alistair Dickenson has given me
0:23:50 > 0:23:53a rather terrifying responsibility. He's brought in three silver plates.
0:23:53 > 0:24:00One is worth £1,000, one is worth £8,000 and one is worth £100,000!
0:24:00 > 0:24:03So if it goes missing, I shall be in a lot of trouble.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07Yes, it's this week's Basic, Better, Best challenge.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I'm going to see what our visitors think,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and why don't you have a look and see what you think at home, as well?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15So, let's work our way up from the bottom.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Which do you think is the basic one?
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Um, I think, I'd go for... this as the basic one.- OK.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And I'd go for this as the better,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and I'd go for this one here as the best.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29And why do think this is it?
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Because I've a funny feeling that it looks older than the others
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and I think older things are often simpler -
0:24:35 > 0:24:39this seems somehow simpler and perhaps it's more sought after
0:24:39 > 0:24:42because it's rarer in that right, so that's my guess.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46- I would say basic is that.- Yeah.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Best and better.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55And why do you think this one is the best one?
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Because it's got the most detail around the edge.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- So it's got the lovely border, £100,000.- Absolutely.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08- I think...the basic one is that one. - That one, OK.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13And the better one's that one.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- OK.- And the best one's that one.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And why do you think this is the £100,000?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I just think it looks a bit more expensive than...
0:25:21 > 0:25:27I don't really know that much about antiques.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Well, if you're right - even at your tender age -
0:25:29 > 0:25:30you will have the eye of an expert.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32We'll find out.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39They belonged to my father, who was a Norwegian
0:25:39 > 0:25:45and who worked for the Norwegian resistance during the Second World War,
0:25:45 > 0:25:50and they were the shoes that he wore when he was arrested by the Gestapo in 1944,
0:25:50 > 0:25:55and they were the shoes he wore when he escaped across the mountains towards Sweden.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57He must have been a very brave man.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Yes, and he was actually right underneath the Germans,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I mean, the Germans were right there with him on a day-to-day basis,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09and he was working for the resistance right the way through.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Well, the resistance in every country that was occupied by the Axis powers -
0:26:13 > 0:26:19by Germany in particular - the resistance was incredibly important to the Allies winning the war.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23And without these amazingly brave men and women, it's very likely that
0:26:23 > 0:26:27the outcome of the Second World War would have been completely different.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29- Yes. - And what sort of things did he do?
0:26:29 > 0:26:33He was photographing German military installations up and down the coast.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- You mean he had a camera? - Yes, he had a little Leica camera
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and he took photographs through the buttonhole of his coat, and he would send the film -
0:26:40 > 0:26:44the microfilm - to the Allies underneath postage stamps.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- This is one of the stamps that he... - Yes.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49So if I lift this up - look at that!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- Yeah.- Isn't that incredible?
0:26:51 > 0:26:55And this is absolutely one of the stamps that he would have sent.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Yes, I found it in an old envelope a month ago.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- You didn't even know it existed until a month ago?- No, no,
0:27:01 > 0:27:04and then I found that and I thought, "Papa, there it is."
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- That's an incredible thing.- Yes.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Have you got a photograph of him, do we know what he looks like?
0:27:09 > 0:27:10- Yes, it's here.- Oh, it's here.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- It's just here, and, I mean, he was a lovely man, full of fun.- This is him.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Great character, we adored him, and he died 50 years ago,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22but I have very good memories of him, very fond memories, and every time
0:27:22 > 0:27:27I discover something new, it's as if he talks to me, which is wonderful.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30It sounds like it's making you feel very emotional.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Yes, it does sometimes, yes, yes. But it's a good emotion, yes.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37You've brought this letter, which is typewritten,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40but also written in ink - what's the relevance of that?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Yeah, it's just an ordinary typewritten letter
0:27:42 > 0:27:44with ordinary everyday things on -
0:27:44 > 0:27:46"I haven't seen you for a while," and so on -
0:27:46 > 0:27:50and then underneath, the blue writing is actually the invisible ink
0:27:50 > 0:27:54instructions that he would have got from the resistance movement.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57And we can't read a lot of it, but for instance, here, it says
0:27:57 > 0:28:01"Otteroy" which was an island where he was actually eventually arrested.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04And he was arrested photographing a German submarine station -
0:28:04 > 0:28:08a U-boat station - and he was taken on board a ship and given
0:28:08 > 0:28:11an armed guard and handcuffed underneath his knees, and then
0:28:11 > 0:28:15the ship went across to Andalsnes, where he was...
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It was moored overnight and he was due to be taken to Dombas,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21to Gestapo headquarters, the next day by train,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and he would have been interrogated - which was torture.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28- His brother was very badly tortured and then executed.- Oh, my goodness.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29And he would have been executed,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31he was told he would be when he was arrested.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35- Absolutely, because he was spying. - Yes, he was.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37And in the middle of the night, my father woke
0:28:37 > 0:28:40and realised the guard was asleep, so he got out,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43and within three quarters of an hour of his escape,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46900 soldiers and tracker dogs were sent out to look for him.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Good grief.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51And what's that photograph, which shows a man jumping on a tree?
0:28:51 > 0:28:55It's lovely, isn't it? It was taken in the 1930s of him tree-leaping.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- Sorry?- Tree-leaping.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- What's tree-leaping?! - Well, it's my word for it.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03He and his brother spent a lot of time in the mountains as young men
0:29:03 > 0:29:06and they found that if you pulled a sapling down into the snow,
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- you could use it like a pole vault. - Good grief.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13But he used that technique after his escape so that he didn't
0:29:13 > 0:29:16- leave his footprints in the snow for the soldiers to follow. - What a clever idea!
0:29:16 > 0:29:21Well, what you have here is a testament to an incredibly brave man.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24He knew - because of the fate of his brother -
0:29:24 > 0:29:29- he knew what would await him if he was captured.- Yes.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32So he was very brave, and of course he was one amongst many
0:29:32 > 0:29:36- other brave soldiers who carried out this sort of activity. - Yes, he was, yes, yes,
0:29:36 > 0:29:38with no training, that's the thing,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41- they weren't soldiers. - So he was a civilian.- Yes, he was.
0:29:41 > 0:29:47I mean, you know, there is such an interest in Second World War
0:29:47 > 0:29:51special operations executive, for example, or clandestine operations,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53or spying - and do you have more than this, by the way?
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Oh, yes, I've got the arrest warrants that went out for him,
0:29:56 > 0:29:58one in German, one in Norwegian.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- So you've got a lot of other items. - Yeah, yes.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Well, you know I can see someone paying £1,000 or £2,000 for this.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09I know, for scraps of paper and a pair of old shoes!
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Yes, I know, but they're so precious.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14Precious to you, of course it is, and to his memory.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18- Yes, yes. - Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Remember these?
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Our silver specialist Alistair Dickenson set us a challenge.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34One plate - the basic one - is worth £1,000.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38The better one, £8,000, and the best one, a whopping £100,000.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Our visitors have been having a look,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and there was quite a consensus, actually,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45so I've decided to go with that consensus.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48Alistair, this is what I think.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52Well, I don't know whether to be pleased or disappointed,
0:30:52 > 0:30:53but you've got this right.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Oh, be pleased, Alistair, go on!
0:30:57 > 0:31:01This, as the basic, I valued at £1,000.
0:31:01 > 0:31:07It was made in 1740 by George Hindmarsh, and the reason why
0:31:07 > 0:31:14this one is basic is that it's only one from a set of 12.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19The next one - we're moving back in time 50 years earlier,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23to the reign of William and Mary.
0:31:23 > 0:31:29Plates become much rarer at that period, very simple, very elegant.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Simple, largely because during the Civil War in the mid-17th century,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37huge amounts of silver were melted down to pay for the armies,
0:31:37 > 0:31:43and so silver was scarce during the decades following the Civil War.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47So this was made in 1692, maker's mark "IA".
0:31:47 > 0:31:51We don't know who the maker's mark is, because there was a fire
0:31:51 > 0:31:58at the London Assay Office, so this one is valued at £8,000.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02Now, before you come to this one, I just want to tell you,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05most of the people I spoke to - and I - felt this was the best,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08the £100,000 plate, just because it looks the oldest.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11It was no more scientific than that.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- Is that the right reason? - It's partly the reason.
0:32:14 > 0:32:20It's... The main reason is the history behind this particular dish.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25This comes from the earliest known hallmarked service called
0:32:25 > 0:32:26The Armada Service.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- Now, that is a complete misnomer... - Oh.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34..because the earliest dish from this set is actually dated 1581,
0:32:34 > 0:32:39which is seven years earlier than the actual Armada, which was 1588.
0:32:39 > 0:32:45But each one has the crest at the top of Sir Christopher Harris.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48He worked for Sir Walter Raleigh,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52he also was related to Sir Francis Drake by marriage,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54so the combination of all these things,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58people called it "The Armada Service", but it wasn't.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03- It's not actually a dinner plate, this is a spice dish.- Oh.
0:33:03 > 0:33:09- And...- Hence the unusual shape and the raised mound in the middle.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Yes, yes and it's slightly deeper than the others.
0:33:11 > 0:33:17Now, during the Civil War, the Harris family hid all these dishes
0:33:17 > 0:33:21and they were found in 1827 by farm labourers in a cave,
0:33:21 > 0:33:25and the local paper said there were upwards of 30 of these.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30- And how many are there in existence now?- The British Museum have 26.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35- There's this one and one other... - 28.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39- So...- Ooh... - There are some more out there.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Well, there's a challenge for you, isn't it?
0:33:43 > 0:33:47If you think you might have one of those pieces of Armada silver
0:33:47 > 0:33:51just lying neglected at home, bring it along to a Roadshow,
0:33:51 > 0:33:54we'd love to see it. You can find out where we'll be visiting on our website.
0:33:59 > 0:34:05So whenever I see an early wrist watch that comes in,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07- I always get rather excited. - Good.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11I see quite a few of them, but this one's just a little bit special.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16- Yes.- Let's just give it a quick... Ping the lid.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Yes, which I didn't know about, yes.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21- You didn't know about it? - I didn't know.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24- I opened it this way, but... - Ah, so the mechanism to open it.
0:34:24 > 0:34:25I didn't know that.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30But I believe you do know what it does, or what it's for.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34Yes, it's for somebody with minimal sight, or absolutely blind,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36as indeed my grandmother was for about 40 years.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39She used to tell the time, and she did this all day long,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43she wanted to know the time of day, and she'd go very, very gently
0:34:43 > 0:34:46and she'd feel it straightaway, she'd tell us the time.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48If you were wrong she'd say,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51"No, no, darling I think it's 2.55, not 3."
0:34:51 > 0:34:53- Really?- Yes, really. - And she was always accurate.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55This was always accurate, yes.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58And so to her fingers - because a blind person's fingers are often,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00they have that fineness, don't they?
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- Yes.- Does history relate in your family how she came by it?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06No, it doesn't, but she was a very interesting person.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08- She was born in 1875.- Right.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13- And she taught Oscar Wilde's children at nursery school.- Where was that?
0:35:13 > 0:35:17- That was in Dulwich, I think. That's where she lived.- Right.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- That's fascinating, did she tell you all about that?- I know.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23A little bit, but of course, I was 20-something when she died,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26and so, you know, Oscar Wilde was just a name I'd heard.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30- I would ask her much more now, but...- Fascinating.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33- I think it's lovely. I see very few of them.- Really?
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Yeah, very, very few.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Blind people's or impaired-sighted people's watches were...
0:35:39 > 0:35:41I mean, they were being made
0:35:41 > 0:35:44as early as the early part of the 19th century,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46or latter part of the 18th century.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48There was a man called Abraham Louis Breguet -
0:35:48 > 0:35:49probably the most famous
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Swiss-French watch maker of his generation -
0:35:51 > 0:35:57he died in 1821 - and he made a number of blind people's watches.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59I think it's great.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04It's nine-carat gold, it's a Swiss movement by Tavannes, who were...
0:36:04 > 0:36:07who made large numbers of wrist watches and pocket watches,
0:36:07 > 0:36:14but what is nice is that it's from the 1910-1920 period
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and it's still, the mechanism for the cover still operates, but what's
0:36:17 > 0:36:21great is that you, you know, you can feel where each quarter mark is
0:36:21 > 0:36:23by the two bobbles - for want of a better way of putting it.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- Yes, you can.- And each five minutes has got one single,
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and the hands are robust,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31so you can tell where the hands are.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36Value is relatively small. Interest, very high.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40I think it's a super watch. If I tell you it's worth £300 to £400 -
0:36:40 > 0:36:44and I wouldn't be surprised if it made £400 or £500 at auction today,
0:36:44 > 0:36:45maybe a little bit more.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- I don't think I'll sell it. - I don't think you could.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50- Not with that history.- No.- But thanks for bringing it in.- Pleasure.
0:36:53 > 0:36:5959 years ago, my mother's mum saw in a national paper an advert
0:36:59 > 0:37:03for this doll, and they sent away for her,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and she arrived a few weeks later,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08and they actually put her in the window
0:37:08 > 0:37:11in a village in Ramsbury in Wiltshire,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14and she was on display for about a week for the Coronation.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15How amazing.
0:37:15 > 0:37:21And, now, you're holding a card which, actually, I don't believe.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24It says, "This doll says 'Mummy - where have you been?
0:37:24 > 0:37:26"'Take me to London to see the Queen
0:37:26 > 0:37:28"'What shall we see in London town?
0:37:28 > 0:37:30"'The Queen on her throne with her golden crown.'"
0:37:30 > 0:37:32And then she sings...
0:37:32 > 0:37:36She sings God Save The Queen, how does all that happen?
0:37:36 > 0:37:39She does. I'll lay her down...
0:37:41 > 0:37:43..and you just press this little button down here
0:37:43 > 0:37:44and then it's like a little record,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47you have to have it just the right speed, it doesn't sound very clear.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50SQUEAKING
0:37:50 > 0:37:52And then she sings.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55VAGUELY TUNEFUL SQUEAKING
0:38:00 > 0:38:02That's it!
0:38:02 > 0:38:05- It sounds as if you've got a strangling kitten in there!- I know!
0:38:05 > 0:38:08I did ask my mum if it was any clearer when she was new,
0:38:08 > 0:38:13- but she said, "Not particularly." - You can actually make it out.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Yes, much easier when you... when you know what the words are.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Exactly. What an extraordinary
0:38:18 > 0:38:22and wonderful and slightly spooky object. Do you like her?
0:38:22 > 0:38:24- Not particularly.- Oh, shame. - I think she's a bit scary,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28especially when she opens her eyes, and the fact her head wobbles around.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Yes, she's got a slightly loose head, hasn't she?
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And I'm sure those eyes follow you around the room, don't they?
0:38:34 > 0:38:35- They do.- She's not marked.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39I mean, it's possible that there were makers out there -
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Mark Payne is one - it's possible, but I can't say for certain.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48Well, I mean, I think that, you know, emotion is running very high
0:38:48 > 0:38:53at the moment for anything to do with the Queen
0:38:53 > 0:38:57and her Coronation and so on, so I would put her value at around
0:38:57 > 0:39:03perhaps £80 to £120, as a wonderful novelty,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06but I don't think there are a huge number of people,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08perhaps outside your family, who love her.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11No, I'm not sure there's many in the family, either!
0:39:11 > 0:39:14THEY LAUGH
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Can I tell you what I like about this bit of jewellery?
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- I like the balance...- Right.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22..between the top cluster and the drop,
0:39:22 > 0:39:28because you know how and why these things were made?
0:39:28 > 0:39:33I think they were made to be worn - how can I put this delicately? -
0:39:33 > 0:39:37in the swell of the "embonpoint". Can you imagine?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41So it sort of sits in the...
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- you know what I'm trying to say, anyway, yes?- Yes, I do.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47- I mean, I'm assuming it's a family piece.- It is, yes.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51How's it floated down the generations to you, then?
0:39:51 > 0:39:58- I inherited it in 1985 from a great aunt.- What do you think about it?
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- Do you like it?- I like it, yeah. I think it's really pretty.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- Do you wear it? - I have worn it in the past,
0:40:04 > 0:40:09I think it's pretty enough and modern enough to wear.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- Yes, because it's timeless. - Yes.- Now, do you know why?
0:40:12 > 0:40:17Because it's so well made. You've got a beautiful...
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I mean, look at the lustre of the main pearl there.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Let me just lift that like that... And it's got a real - I don't know,
0:40:23 > 0:40:28we use these words, but it's got a real integrity about it.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33Lovely diamonds going round the outside, diamond drop stones
0:40:33 > 0:40:37and then you've got this different-looking pearl drop
0:40:37 > 0:40:40suspended at the bottom in a lovely cap,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42like a sort of acorn style to it,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- like an acorn look.- Yeah, yeah.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48So, do you know what sort of pearls they are?
0:40:48 > 0:40:52- No, not at all.- Well, what they are, are natural pearls.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57Now, I make that distinction because in the world of pearls,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59- there are lots and lots of different types of pearls.- Right.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03There are cultured pearls, and quite a lot of people - quite a lot of people here today -
0:41:03 > 0:41:06will have a cultured pearl necklace.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- There are simulated pearls, which are just beads.- Yes.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Natural pearls are the ones that come from oysters,
0:41:13 > 0:41:19and do you want to know what are incredibly in, at the moment?
0:41:19 > 0:41:22- Pearls?- Natural pearls.- OK.
0:41:22 > 0:41:28You know, in the 1920s, when Mikimoto introduced the world to
0:41:28 > 0:41:33cultured pearls, the market for natural pearls sunk without trace.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38Nowadays, people are recognising them for what they are
0:41:38 > 0:41:45- and these are what we call natural, salt-water pearls.- Right. OK.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Date of manufacture - well, I know it's got that rather nice box
0:41:48 > 0:41:51but I'm not sure the box is quite the same period as the piece.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54I think this was probably made in about 1900.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59So it's got great balance, it would look terrific when it was worn,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02it's just the right period that everyone likes at the moment,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04and you've got pearls.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06And value...
0:42:08 > 0:42:14- ..£8,000 to £10,000. - No! No.- Yes.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Can't believe that, can't believe that.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24Why? Because they're natural pearls.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27That's wonderful. Thank you.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28Pleasure.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Do you remember how I told you at the beginning of the programme about
0:42:33 > 0:42:37the great acts, the classical performers and composers
0:42:37 > 0:42:40that conducted here and played here at Cheltenham Town Hall?
0:42:40 > 0:42:44Well, someone has brought along a scrap book from the '70s
0:42:44 > 0:42:47of the bands that played here then. So the musical tradition continued.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Who have we got?
0:42:49 > 0:42:52The New Seekers...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Who else have we got here...?
0:42:55 > 0:42:57Vinegar Joe...
0:42:58 > 0:43:01Genesis... Oh, my goodness, they're all here -
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Mott The Hoople, Thin Lizzy.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Do you know, I think there's quite a few of the experts here
0:43:08 > 0:43:10who might remember these bands!
0:43:10 > 0:43:15From Cheltenham Town Hall and all of the Roadshow team, bye-bye.