RAF Marham 2

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0:00:06 > 0:00:08In my time on the Roadshow, I have seen antiques

0:00:08 > 0:00:12brought along by all sorts of modes of transport.

0:00:12 > 0:00:16By boats, by bike, even by a dog pulling a cart.

0:00:16 > 0:00:17But never before like this.

0:00:28 > 0:00:29Ah-ha!

0:00:29 > 0:00:31Thank you very much.

0:00:31 > 0:00:34Brought by Flight Lieutenant Tim Bullimont there,

0:00:34 > 0:00:37all the way from the RAF Flying College in Cranwell.

0:00:37 > 0:00:41And this historic cup was handed out to pilots who came from all over

0:00:41 > 0:00:44the world to compete in an air race at the start of the 20th century.

0:00:44 > 0:00:47We'll make sure the right specialist sees this.

0:00:47 > 0:00:50Welcome back to RAF Marham, near King's Lynn, in Norfolk.

0:01:47 > 0:01:50Here at RAF Marham, there are three squadrons of Tornadoes

0:01:50 > 0:01:54which were originally formed back between 1912 and 1915.

0:01:54 > 0:01:58And this is one of the biggest RAF bases in the country.

0:01:58 > 0:02:01So before our visitors arrive, Major Walker here has very kindly

0:02:01 > 0:02:03agreed to give me a quick tour of the base.

0:02:13 > 0:02:16The Tornado has seen action in many conflicts - Kosovo,

0:02:16 > 0:02:18the Gulf, and Libya.

0:02:18 > 0:02:20I wouldn't say it's an antique,

0:02:20 > 0:02:22having been called into service in 1982.

0:02:22 > 0:02:25But it's certainly proved over the years why it's managed

0:02:25 > 0:02:27to stay on the front line for so long.

0:02:29 > 0:02:33To keep the Tornadoes in tiptop condition,

0:02:33 > 0:02:36they are brought to these 1930's hangars which have been

0:02:36 > 0:02:40transformed into 21st-century MOT testing stations.

0:02:42 > 0:02:45Each Tornado passes through four different hangars, like this one.

0:02:45 > 0:02:49Look, you can see them all around me with scaffolding around the jets.

0:02:49 > 0:02:51It's an amazing sight, isn't it?

0:02:51 > 0:02:56And it takes a staggering 120 days, or 14,000 man-hours,

0:02:56 > 0:03:00to give each one a full service, tune up and oil change.

0:03:00 > 0:03:04It's no wonder with all that TLC they have lasted this long.

0:03:06 > 0:03:10Each Tornado is microscopically examined before being updated

0:03:10 > 0:03:12with the latest technology, like the Raptor.

0:03:12 > 0:03:16This beams digital images of the ground back to base

0:03:16 > 0:03:18that help to identify targets.

0:03:19 > 0:03:24Like me, you've probably seen a lot of footage like that on the news.

0:03:24 > 0:03:26And to think, when these squadrons were formed,

0:03:26 > 0:03:30it was the era of photographic glass plates, developing solution

0:03:30 > 0:03:32and magnifying glasses.

0:03:35 > 0:03:38Well, I have to find an expert to take a look at this.

0:03:38 > 0:03:41We're so lucky to be here, because this is a frontline base with

0:03:41 > 0:03:43squadrons on classified operations.

0:03:43 > 0:03:47Not only are we fortunate to be here, but so are our visitors.

0:03:47 > 0:03:49Normally, they aren't allowed in.

0:03:49 > 0:03:52Oh, and don't forget, if you'd like to play along with

0:03:52 > 0:03:55our valuation game, press red on your remote control or go to...

0:03:58 > 0:04:00..on your smartphone or on your computer.

0:04:00 > 0:04:04Keeping in mind that we're all sort of bound by the

0:04:04 > 0:04:08Official Secrets Act, you've got to come clean with me today,

0:04:08 > 0:04:11- because I know for a fact you've arrived here in disguise.- I have.

0:04:11 > 0:04:14- So tell me all. - Well, I have come disguised...

0:04:14 > 0:04:18On my day off, I am a local priest of the Diocese of Ely,

0:04:18 > 0:04:20and I brought our Buddha.

0:04:20 > 0:04:24So, there's immediately something of a theological contradiction

0:04:24 > 0:04:27- going on here, isn't there? - Well, it's a family piece.

0:04:27 > 0:04:31It's been in the family for 150 years, and we love it dearly.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33We think 150 years.

0:04:33 > 0:04:38Actually, I think you're bang on with that, quite frankly.

0:04:38 > 0:04:41How did it arrive in your family? That's what I am keen to know.

0:04:41 > 0:04:44Well, I first knew this when I was seven or eight

0:04:44 > 0:04:47when we visited an elderly relative.

0:04:47 > 0:04:50It was a bit like Pip going to see Miss Havisham.

0:04:50 > 0:04:52I was rather scared, but she had lots of lovely things,

0:04:52 > 0:04:55and I rather like this.

0:04:55 > 0:05:00The story was that one of our old salty seadog forebears brought it

0:05:00 > 0:05:07back from the Far East in the 1860's, probably, either from Siam or Burma.

0:05:07 > 0:05:10- But, apart from that, we don't really know anything for sure.- Right.

0:05:10 > 0:05:14Well, the minute I saw it, the word "Burma" came to mind,

0:05:14 > 0:05:19but they invariably do tend to be described as Southeast Asian.

0:05:19 > 0:05:23And it is a Buddha in the truest sense of the word.

0:05:23 > 0:05:27If I can get technical, he's seated in dhyanasana

0:05:27 > 0:05:32on a double lotus throne with his hand in an earth-touching mudra.

0:05:32 > 0:05:35That's about as technical as it's going to get.

0:05:35 > 0:05:38The material itself, it looks like marble,

0:05:38 > 0:05:41but in actual fact, it's alabaster. It's a soft stone.

0:05:41 > 0:05:45I'm not going to scratch it, but I could do with my fingernail.

0:05:45 > 0:05:49Obviously missing a little bit of the thumb there.

0:05:49 > 0:05:51Just the idea of owning something...

0:05:51 > 0:05:53They are very contemplative, aren't they?

0:05:53 > 0:05:56I think it's fair to say that when it comes to Buddhism -

0:05:56 > 0:06:00without getting too technical - it's more of a philosophy than a faith.

0:06:00 > 0:06:01Oh, yes.

0:06:01 > 0:06:05So, I'm looking at something like this and I'm thinking,

0:06:05 > 0:06:09datewise, about 1850 or thereabouts.

0:06:09 > 0:06:12So that fits in with what you have to say.

0:06:12 > 0:06:17If I wanted to go and find something like this in a smart

0:06:17 > 0:06:21gallery in London, well, I think I would have to pull out

0:06:21 > 0:06:26my cheque book and write a cheque for around £800-£1000.

0:06:26 > 0:06:28Right, wow.

0:06:30 > 0:06:35For what it's worth, the good news is that, you know,

0:06:35 > 0:06:39if any burglar should consider removing this from your home,

0:06:39 > 0:06:44he'll have years and years of bad karma.

0:06:44 > 0:06:46And a bad back!

0:06:46 > 0:06:48That's very true.

0:06:49 > 0:06:52Well, in the sunlight, these birds on these gilded boughs

0:06:52 > 0:06:55look like they could literally fly off like these jets.

0:06:55 > 0:06:57But tell me, where do they come from in your history?

0:06:57 > 0:07:02From my great-great-grandmother, and that's all I know.

0:07:02 > 0:07:05- They've been passed down through the family line?- Yes, yeah.

0:07:05 > 0:07:09Did they ever talk about where they'd come from, where they'd been?

0:07:09 > 0:07:12The only thing we know - we don't know if it's true or not -

0:07:12 > 0:07:16is that it came from the Crystal Palace Exhibition.

0:07:16 > 0:07:22- That's all we know.- So there's talk of the Great 1851 Exhibition?- Yes.

0:07:22 > 0:07:27I'm really sorry, I've got to shoot you down in flames. I'm a horror!

0:07:27 > 0:07:29The only reason I've got to shoot you down in flames is

0:07:29 > 0:07:33- because 1851 is impossible.- Right.

0:07:33 > 0:07:37- The company that made these didn't even exist then.- Right.

0:07:37 > 0:07:40- They actually came into being in 1857.- Oh, right.

0:07:40 > 0:07:46Because they are made by a great Bohemian firm of Moser.

0:07:46 > 0:07:51And the firm was started by Ludwig Moser in 1857.

0:07:51 > 0:07:53So we are a few years on.

0:07:53 > 0:07:58The only exhibition, possibly, would your family have travelled to Paris?

0:07:58 > 0:08:01Not as far as I know, but who knows?

0:08:01 > 0:08:04Really, the exhibitions we'd think about when these were made

0:08:04 > 0:08:09were the great exhibitions of Paris at the end of the 19th century.

0:08:09 > 0:08:14Because we're looking at a date here of about 1890, 1900,

0:08:14 > 0:08:18that kind of date, when Moser, who originally started life making

0:08:18 > 0:08:24only cut and engraved glass, started to develop into far more decorative.

0:08:24 > 0:08:29And what we've got here are two beautiful rose amber vases,

0:08:29 > 0:08:33with these fantastic applied birds.

0:08:33 > 0:08:37And the tell-tale sign, a little signature, these little acorns.

0:08:37 > 0:08:41That for me, was as good as a signature that these are Moser.

0:08:41 > 0:08:43Now, they were a firm of great excellence,

0:08:43 > 0:08:45and they produced beautiful glass.

0:08:45 > 0:08:48This kind of decorated and relief-applied work became really

0:08:48 > 0:08:51popular at the end of the 19th century.

0:08:51 > 0:08:54These are slightly sparsely decorated.

0:08:54 > 0:08:57I have seen them where they are more profusely decorated, all over,

0:08:57 > 0:08:58top-to-toe.

0:08:58 > 0:09:02That said, usually, I only ever see them with acorns

0:09:02 > 0:09:06and acorn boughs, not birds.

0:09:06 > 0:09:09The birds are super-rare.

0:09:09 > 0:09:10Hmm!

0:09:10 > 0:09:17So, a pair in reasonably good condition, and rare,

0:09:17 > 0:09:22you're going to have to look somewhere in the region of...

0:09:22 > 0:09:23£2,000-£3,000.

0:09:23 > 0:09:26SHE GASPS Oh! I never...

0:09:26 > 0:09:28I never would've said that.

0:09:30 > 0:09:32That's lovely! SHE LAUGHS

0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Well, I would call him Mr Handsome, but what do you call him?- Bear.

0:09:43 > 0:09:47That's his name, because that's what my aunt called him.

0:09:47 > 0:09:49- My great-aunt. - And she gave him to you?

0:09:49 > 0:09:51Yes, he was handed down by mother to me, yes.

0:09:51 > 0:09:56- How lovely. Did you know your great-aunt?- I did, yes, yes.

0:09:56 > 0:09:59My great-aunt, Gladys, she came from Clacton-on-Sea.

0:09:59 > 0:10:02She's probably seven or eight in this photograph

0:10:02 > 0:10:08and holding her bear, and on the date, it's dated September 1913.

0:10:08 > 0:10:12Well, that tells me something, but I think he's a bit older than that.

0:10:12 > 0:10:17- Really?- I think he's much more likely to be 1907, 1908.

0:10:17 > 0:10:20He's got this button in his ear

0:10:20 > 0:10:24which is telling everybody that he's a Steiff.

0:10:24 > 0:10:27It isn't what the very early one...

0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's not the elephant, the embossed elephant, it's the later one,

0:10:30 > 0:10:36which is a Steiff embossed with an underscored last F underneath.

0:10:36 > 0:10:41But that started in 1908, 1907, thereabouts,

0:10:41 > 0:10:45and he's so typically early Steiff.

0:10:45 > 0:10:49And it was such an excitement to see, sitting in its bag,

0:10:49 > 0:10:51with you carrying him.

0:10:51 > 0:10:57- He's a very noble bear, because he's got a fantastic back hump.- Right.

0:10:57 > 0:11:02He's got a wonderful snout, which has had a lot of kissing, I think.

0:11:02 > 0:11:04Yes! Probably, yes.

0:11:04 > 0:11:07And he's got these lovely boot button eyes,

0:11:07 > 0:11:11which know everything, see everything.

0:11:11 > 0:11:15He's just wonderful, and he would have had a growler, which has gone.

0:11:15 > 0:11:19- I don't think he's growling any more, is he?- No, sadly not.

0:11:19 > 0:11:24A bear of this size and this age,

0:11:24 > 0:11:27in this condition...

0:11:27 > 0:11:29at auction...

0:11:29 > 0:11:33he would carry an estimate of between £4,000-£6,000.

0:11:33 > 0:11:35Oh, my goodness!

0:11:35 > 0:11:39Oh, that's made me feel quite tearful, actually. I don't know why.

0:11:39 > 0:11:41- Aw!- Aw!

0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Yes, I can understand that.- Yes.

0:11:43 > 0:11:46He won't be sold. SHE LAUGHS

0:11:47 > 0:11:49I always like to take notice

0:11:49 > 0:11:51when an artist is trying to tell you something.

0:11:51 > 0:11:56This very striking image of Nelson on his ship,

0:11:56 > 0:11:58looking out to sea,

0:11:58 > 0:12:03with these rather evocative historical-looking figures around

0:12:03 > 0:12:07him has, in the bottom right-hand corner,

0:12:07 > 0:12:09a few words for us.

0:12:09 > 0:12:13"Study for a picture. Arthur Twidle."

0:12:13 > 0:12:18But I need to ask you, with an album of images here,

0:12:18 > 0:12:21are we talking about the artist being related to you?

0:12:21 > 0:12:26The artist was the father of my great-aunt by marriage,

0:12:26 > 0:12:31and the picture has been in the family for many, many years.

0:12:31 > 0:12:36What interests me about this artist is his great claim to fame, and

0:12:36 > 0:12:42that is as one of the main artists who illustrated Sherlock Holmes.

0:12:42 > 0:12:44This is what we believe, yes.

0:12:44 > 0:12:48Of course, Sherlock Holmes has such cultural currency.

0:12:48 > 0:12:50He's such a celebrated figure.

0:12:50 > 0:12:56To be one of those artists who gave form to Conan Doyle's words

0:12:56 > 0:13:00is really quite a significant achievement.

0:13:00 > 0:13:06And here's a picture of Conan Doyle and his family leaving for America.

0:13:06 > 0:13:11Is there an American link at all with your ancestor in this picture?

0:13:11 > 0:13:16When I did some research, he illustrated the Sherlock Holmes

0:13:16 > 0:13:20books that were printed especially for America.

0:13:20 > 0:13:22So this would have particular pertinence from that point of view?

0:13:22 > 0:13:24Probably, yes.

0:13:24 > 0:13:28You know, looking at this picture, I think you can

0:13:28 > 0:13:32sort of tell that it's painted by an illustrator.

0:13:32 > 0:13:34There's so much information on it.

0:13:34 > 0:13:38There's always a trade-off with artists who illustrate things.

0:13:38 > 0:13:42It's a trade-off between conveying information in the text of a book

0:13:42 > 0:13:45and also balancing it with a picture that looks good.

0:13:45 > 0:13:48This is crammed with information.

0:13:48 > 0:13:50But I also think it's actually rather attractive.

0:13:50 > 0:13:52Have you worked out what's going on?

0:13:52 > 0:13:56We've always just known it as Nelson. We've always presumed this is Nelson.

0:13:56 > 0:13:59I don't really know who those figures are.

0:13:59 > 0:14:01Maybe it's Neptune coming out of the sea,

0:14:01 > 0:14:03but no, I don't really know at all.

0:14:03 > 0:14:06Well, I think that's certainly meant to pass for Nelson in the middle.

0:14:06 > 0:14:10A slightly craggy-looking Nelson, it ought to be said, with that nose.

0:14:10 > 0:14:14But in front of him, as he looks over the side of the ship,

0:14:14 > 0:14:16are a phalanx of ghostly figures.

0:14:16 > 0:14:19They look like naval heroes from the past.

0:14:19 > 0:14:24I mean, could that be King Canute, for example, the Viking king?

0:14:24 > 0:14:29Are these references to people like Raleigh or Drake?

0:14:29 > 0:14:34Is that a Pilgrim Father image here? I am not entirely sure.

0:14:34 > 0:14:37But this is so typical of an artist who can't resist

0:14:37 > 0:14:39putting in more information.

0:14:39 > 0:14:42This is a painting that's designed to be read.

0:14:42 > 0:14:48Now we come to the subject of value.

0:14:48 > 0:14:53Well, he's not a very famous artist in the sort of main currency

0:14:53 > 0:14:57of arts sense, but he does have the Conan Doyle association.

0:14:57 > 0:14:59So, on the back of that,

0:14:59 > 0:15:02- I would put a valuation of about £3,000 on it.- Right.

0:15:02 > 0:15:06Thank you very much. It will stay in the family.

0:15:06 > 0:15:10This is such a delightful set of jewellery, and in a case.

0:15:10 > 0:15:12How did you come about it?

0:15:12 > 0:15:17My mother-in-law recently died, and we were sorting out her room,

0:15:17 > 0:15:19and we found a strongbox.

0:15:19 > 0:15:24When we opened it, we found family papers inside and some jewellery,

0:15:24 > 0:15:29and this box. When we opened it up, we thought, wow, you know,

0:15:29 > 0:15:31we'd really like to know what it is, really.

0:15:31 > 0:15:35I mean, we'd like to know, is it 1920's or, you know,

0:15:35 > 0:15:37what era it comes from?

0:15:37 > 0:15:41- Yeah. What makes you think it's 1920's?- The tassels.

0:15:41 > 0:15:43It just reminds me of the Charleston.

0:15:43 > 0:15:47Yes, those wonderful flapper dresses and the long necklaces they wore,

0:15:47 > 0:15:51and the very sort of free style, wasn't it, during the 1920s?

0:15:51 > 0:15:57- Well, it's actually from round about 1860-1870.- Oh, right!

0:15:57 > 0:16:00Yeah, it's a lovely Victorian set of jewellery

0:16:00 > 0:16:02which is known as a demi-parure.

0:16:02 > 0:16:05And a parure is a full set of jewellery which would include

0:16:05 > 0:16:08a brooch, a pair of earrings, as we have here,

0:16:08 > 0:16:11but then a necklace and also a bracelet.

0:16:11 > 0:16:14So a demi-parure is a part of a big set of jewellery.

0:16:14 > 0:16:20It brings out one of the really fun parts of Victorian jewellery

0:16:20 > 0:16:24and design, and that was the classical revival.

0:16:24 > 0:16:29It's got a lot of beadwork just around the edge and also ropework,

0:16:29 > 0:16:34which is inspired by these ancient Etruscan designs.

0:16:34 > 0:16:37There were a group of designers working in London in the 1860's

0:16:37 > 0:16:42and 1870's, and a couple of famous names like Castellani,

0:16:42 > 0:16:45Robert Phillips, and also Giuliano.

0:16:45 > 0:16:49Now, this isn't by any of those major designers, but obviously,

0:16:49 > 0:16:52due to the detail that we're looking at here,

0:16:52 > 0:16:56the designer and jeweller was looking at these makers

0:16:56 > 0:17:00and taking inspiration from their very good quality work as well.

0:17:00 > 0:17:02So, in the centre of each of the pieces,

0:17:02 > 0:17:07we've also got a lovely, delicate, but strong-coloured emerald

0:17:07 > 0:17:09surrounded by half pearls,

0:17:09 > 0:17:12which really give a softness to the very strong,

0:17:12 > 0:17:15yellow-coloured metal that it's set in.

0:17:15 > 0:17:18Did you have any idea about what the metal might be?

0:17:18 > 0:17:21I just thought it was gold plate,

0:17:21 > 0:17:25because I couldn't see any markings at all, any hallmarks.

0:17:25 > 0:17:28During the Victorian period, in England, we didn't have to

0:17:28 > 0:17:32hallmark jewellery if it was a precious metal such as gold.

0:17:32 > 0:17:36And this is gold. It's probably 15-carat gold, which is

0:17:36 > 0:17:40a nice gold to be working with during the period.

0:17:40 > 0:17:43Through it, they've created these very delicate tassels as well which

0:17:43 > 0:17:46do add that fun aspect to the piece of jewellery

0:17:46 > 0:17:50- and almost bring it alive, don't they?- Yes, yes, they do.

0:17:50 > 0:17:52So, if it were to go up at auction, I think

0:17:52 > 0:17:56all the factors are going in its favour.

0:17:56 > 0:17:59A collector in a current market is going to pay

0:17:59 > 0:18:02somewhere between £600 and £800 for it.

0:18:02 > 0:18:04Wow. Wow. SHE LAUGHS

0:18:04 > 0:18:07Didn't expect that much, no!

0:18:07 > 0:18:10I am so excited by this moment, because, for a start, I am looking

0:18:10 > 0:18:14at the only object in Roadshow history

0:18:14 > 0:18:16that came in its own private jet.

0:18:16 > 0:18:17That's a pretty good start.

0:18:17 > 0:18:21Secondly, I am looking at something which is absolutely totally

0:18:21 > 0:18:25involved in the early history of military aviation.

0:18:25 > 0:18:27This is the Schneider Trophy.

0:18:27 > 0:18:32I must confess straightaway, I was confused when I heard about this,

0:18:32 > 0:18:35because I thought, "Schneider Cup, I know all about that."

0:18:35 > 0:18:39Seaplane races in the 1920s and '30s, Britain the outright winner,

0:18:39 > 0:18:44- Mitchell's S6B, father of the Spitfire, all that story.- Yes.

0:18:44 > 0:18:45But, of course, it's not that.

0:18:45 > 0:18:49This is a much earlier story and much more important in a way.

0:18:49 > 0:18:52I know you're a squadron leader based here,

0:18:52 > 0:18:55so, obviously you're the perfect person to tell me all about it.

0:18:55 > 0:18:58Well, it was awarded to Bertram Dickson in 1910,

0:18:58 > 0:19:02and he won it in a race in France, in Tours, in fact,

0:19:02 > 0:19:04which it says on the front.

0:19:04 > 0:19:07He won it for achievement at distance in the air.

0:19:07 > 0:19:11Originally, Bertram Dickson had flown for the army,

0:19:11 > 0:19:14and the army had decided there was no future in flying

0:19:14 > 0:19:16and he left the army.

0:19:16 > 0:19:18Eventually, they said,

0:19:18 > 0:19:21"Well, just do us a demo on Salisbury Plain of what flying

0:19:21 > 0:19:25"can do for reconnaissance, etc." He got in his plane, and in the

0:19:25 > 0:19:29audience watching from the ground was Lord Kitchener and Winston Churchill.

0:19:29 > 0:19:31He said, "By Jove, there's something in this!"

0:19:31 > 0:19:33- And that's how it started. - That's why we're here.

0:19:33 > 0:19:36- It all starts at that point. - Absolutely.

0:19:36 > 0:19:40And those early years were filled with international competitions.

0:19:40 > 0:19:42They were about speed, they were about distance,

0:19:42 > 0:19:45they were about endurance, they were about all sorts of things.

0:19:45 > 0:19:48The Tours one - correct me if I am not right -

0:19:48 > 0:19:51this was about how long you could stay in the air.

0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Correct, yes, yes.- And he won it.

0:19:53 > 0:19:57And is it fair to say he was the father of military aviation?

0:19:57 > 0:20:01I think so. Certainly, the Royal Air Force today very much looks at this

0:20:01 > 0:20:04trophy as, you know, it the father of aviation.

0:20:04 > 0:20:06- So this is where it all starts? - Indeed.

0:20:06 > 0:20:07How does it come to you?

0:20:07 > 0:20:10It was flown in from RAF Cranwell,

0:20:10 > 0:20:14- and the trophy was presented to RAF Cranwell in 1946.- Right.

0:20:14 > 0:20:17From there on in, it's been awarded at elementary flying

0:20:17 > 0:20:21training at Cranwell for airmanship both in the air and on the ground.

0:20:21 > 0:20:24- So it's about achievement?- Indeed.

0:20:24 > 0:20:28- So it goes to the best student of the year?- Absolutely, absolutely.

0:20:28 > 0:20:30- Did you get it? - I'm not a flyer, unfortunately!

0:20:30 > 0:20:34- Would you have liked to have won it? - I'd have loved to have won it, yes.

0:20:34 > 0:20:36I think, you know, it's rare for things to tell such

0:20:36 > 0:20:38an important story.

0:20:38 > 0:20:43You look at this and, obviously, this starts the Royal Flying Corps

0:20:43 > 0:20:47which in April 1918 becomes the Royal Air Force.

0:20:47 > 0:20:50We then go through all the campaigns from then to now

0:20:50 > 0:20:53to where we are now, standing beside a Tornado.

0:20:53 > 0:20:57And this has been there throughout that, in one form or another.

0:20:57 > 0:21:00- Absolutely, yes.- I think it's an amazing object.

0:21:00 > 0:21:02It's quite... for pilots to actually hold this,

0:21:02 > 0:21:05- with all its history, it is quite humbling.- It is.

0:21:05 > 0:21:08It's an amazing thing, it's quite breathtaking, actually.

0:21:08 > 0:21:10Now, you know, conventionally,

0:21:10 > 0:21:12we talk about the value of these things.

0:21:12 > 0:21:15How does one value something which invented the RAF?

0:21:15 > 0:21:16I know, I know,

0:21:16 > 0:21:20it's certainly not been valued in our sort of lifetime and not recently.

0:21:20 > 0:21:23Well, I can only value it from the point of view of similar

0:21:23 > 0:21:27motoring, aviation cups that have come up for sale,

0:21:27 > 0:21:32- and that takes us certainly to £100,000, £150,000.- Right.

0:21:32 > 0:21:35- But there is no parallel.- No.- And you're not going to sell it either?

0:21:35 > 0:21:40- No. No, no.- Not even in these days of economy?- No! No, no.- No.

0:21:40 > 0:21:43But there is a huge demand for things that have such resonance,

0:21:43 > 0:21:46such iconic status, and this is certainly one of the greatest.

0:21:46 > 0:21:49- That's fabulous. - It's a wonderful moment for me,

0:21:49 > 0:21:51and let's hold it together. Here we are.

0:21:51 > 0:21:55- We can both do it.- OK!- Wonderful. Thank you very much.- Thank you.

0:22:04 > 0:22:07I've just been shown this intriguing little book.

0:22:07 > 0:22:10It's called Primitive Physick

0:22:10 > 0:22:14or An Easy And Natural Method Of Curing Most Diseases.

0:22:14 > 0:22:16And it's written in 1768.

0:22:16 > 0:22:19And George III was on the throne in 1768, and of course famously,

0:22:19 > 0:22:22he went mad. And when you look at some of the suggested cures here,

0:22:22 > 0:22:25perhaps it's hardly surprising!

0:22:25 > 0:22:28There's a cure here for something called canine appetite.

0:22:28 > 0:22:31"If it be without vomiting, it is often cured by a small

0:22:31 > 0:22:35"bit of bread dipped in wine and applied to the nostrils."

0:22:35 > 0:22:42Or, down here, "To cure baldness, rub the part morning

0:22:42 > 0:22:45- "and evening with onions until it is red." - LAUGHTER

0:22:45 > 0:22:49- Anyone round here to whom that might apply?!- No!

0:22:50 > 0:22:52And this is my favourite.

0:22:52 > 0:22:55"Deafness, be electrified through the ear."

0:22:55 > 0:23:00- Annie one fancy trying any of these?!- Pardon?! LAUGHTER

0:23:05 > 0:23:08For me, these pieces of furniture

0:23:08 > 0:23:11have to represent the ideal Sunday afternoon.

0:23:11 > 0:23:13You've had a long lunch,

0:23:13 > 0:23:15you want to sit down, relax,

0:23:15 > 0:23:17chill out on a very comfortable chair.

0:23:17 > 0:23:19But it's a chair with a secret.

0:23:19 > 0:23:23Pull open the side and you find there's a bar in each arm.

0:23:23 > 0:23:25Please tell me you use it for that!

0:23:25 > 0:23:29Yes, I do, and I have a lovely little lamp that goes over there

0:23:29 > 0:23:31where you can rest a glass on as well.

0:23:31 > 0:23:34I think for me, this sums up as well,

0:23:34 > 0:23:36a lot of the essence of the gentlemen in the Metro Land.

0:23:36 > 0:23:39If you think of the Metropolitan Line coming out of London,

0:23:39 > 0:23:43all of those northwest boroughs, filling up with houses on these

0:23:43 > 0:23:47enormous estates and people sort of living this wonderful, idyllic life.

0:23:47 > 0:23:50You'd be in your garden, attending your roses with your wife, perhaps.

0:23:50 > 0:23:53- Come indoors, sit down and mix a wonderful gin and tonic.- Yes.

0:23:53 > 0:23:55HE LAUGHS Absolutely right, yes.

0:23:55 > 0:23:58So, what we're looking at are two pieces made during the 1920's,

0:23:58 > 0:24:00probably the 1930's,

0:24:00 > 0:24:01very strongly in the Art Deco style

0:24:01 > 0:24:03with this geometric stepped form here.

0:24:03 > 0:24:06But there's more to this table than meets the eye.

0:24:10 > 0:24:14And there it is. Where on earth did you find them?

0:24:14 > 0:24:15This one was in an auction.

0:24:15 > 0:24:18This one was actually in an antique shop,

0:24:18 > 0:24:21but it was in the back room and the lady who ran the antique shop

0:24:21 > 0:24:24actually used to sit in it and I said, if you ever want to sell it,

0:24:24 > 0:24:28please could I buy it, and then she eventually sold her shop

0:24:28 > 0:24:31and came to me and said, did I want to buy the chair?

0:24:31 > 0:24:33And of course, I snapped it up.

0:24:33 > 0:24:36I can absolutely understand why. This would make a comfy seat.

0:24:36 > 0:24:38Now, presumably, she recovered this?

0:24:38 > 0:24:41She did, and I think it's a kind of African material that has been

0:24:41 > 0:24:44chosen for that, strangely.

0:24:44 > 0:24:46It's certainly not original, but it sort of matches the sort

0:24:46 > 0:24:50of style that you would want to see on an Art Deco piece like this.

0:24:50 > 0:24:52I'd imagine a very similar sort of colour

0:24:52 > 0:24:53and very similar geometric type pattern.

0:24:53 > 0:24:56Although it's not right, it sort of looks right.

0:24:56 > 0:24:58- It gives a good impression, I suppose.- Yes.

0:24:58 > 0:25:01These sorts of pieces, ten, 15 years ago,

0:25:01 > 0:25:04were being thrown out of auction houses. They simply weren't selling.

0:25:04 > 0:25:07Nowadays, the situation is really quite different.

0:25:07 > 0:25:09The Art Deco style is incredibly popular.

0:25:09 > 0:25:11It fits with that sort of modern look,

0:25:11 > 0:25:13clean-lined look that we've got.

0:25:13 > 0:25:18And I could see in auction, that these two pieces, the chair,

0:25:18 > 0:25:22I would have thought around £300-£500.

0:25:22 > 0:25:27- And I think the table, around £400-£600.- OK.

0:25:27 > 0:25:31- Yeah. Very good.- Does that please you?- Yes, it does. That was £100.

0:25:31 > 0:25:35- And that was £300.- So, you've done well already then?- Yes, thank you!

0:25:35 > 0:25:38- LAUGHTER - What's your favourite cocktail by the way?

0:25:38 > 0:25:40- It is gin and tonic. - Gin and tonic?- Yes.- Excellent.

0:25:40 > 0:25:45- Well, you can have a double when you get back!- Thank you.- Thank you.

0:26:08 > 0:26:11Do you call it a tablecloth?

0:26:11 > 0:26:15It was called a tablecloth when it was given to us.

0:26:15 > 0:26:20The story was, that this was worked by Irish nuns

0:26:20 > 0:26:23and presented to the Queen Mother.

0:26:23 > 0:26:28And I understand that from time to time, the Queen Mother used to give

0:26:28 > 0:26:31presents that she had received

0:26:31 > 0:26:34to one of her charities and that's what happened.

0:26:34 > 0:26:38- It's so white!- Well, it wasn't white when it was purchased.

0:26:38 > 0:26:41It was quite grubby.

0:26:41 > 0:26:46And in fact, the couple who owned it put it in a bath of hot water

0:26:46 > 0:26:50- and trod on it as though you were pressing grapes.- Trampled it?!

0:26:50 > 0:26:52- Trampled it.- In a bath?! - In a bath, yes.

0:26:52 > 0:26:56And then spent a long time teasing out all of the little bits

0:26:56 > 0:26:59and pieces, because they were all flattened.

0:26:59 > 0:27:03And then, they had it mounted on this frame.

0:27:03 > 0:27:06And that is again, in a big picture frame.

0:27:06 > 0:27:10- So you have it as a picture at home? - Yes.- And do you love it?- I love it.

0:27:10 > 0:27:14Every time I visited them, I walked past it and it was in a hall

0:27:14 > 0:27:17and I used to stop and admire it

0:27:17 > 0:27:20and always find something new.

0:27:20 > 0:27:23And we were at their house once when they were moving

0:27:23 > 0:27:27and getting rid of a lot of things and having things valued,

0:27:27 > 0:27:31and the valuer came through and said that he just didn't know what

0:27:31 > 0:27:35to value it at, because he had never seen anything like it.

0:27:35 > 0:27:37And I said to our friend, well, I think

0:27:37 > 0:27:40- it should go in a museum because it is so unique.- As a collection?

0:27:40 > 0:27:44Yes. And he said, well it's not going in a museum because they have

0:27:44 > 0:27:48lots of things they put in a cellar and you never see it again.

0:27:48 > 0:27:50He said, I know what I'm doing with it,

0:27:50 > 0:27:52and he said, I'd like you to take that home, because you

0:27:52 > 0:27:56love it, you've got daughters that love nice things and you've got

0:27:56 > 0:27:59granddaughters, and I would like it to be passed down your family!

0:27:59 > 0:28:01Well, isn't that fantastic?!

0:28:01 > 0:28:05We still seem to find new things, every time we look at it.

0:28:05 > 0:28:09Well, I think this dates probably from between 1900 and 1910,

0:28:09 > 0:28:12and in fact, you can't call it a tablecloth,

0:28:12 > 0:28:14and it's not a quilt or a bedspread,

0:28:14 > 0:28:18but what I think that this is, if we can think of it,

0:28:18 > 0:28:20it's like a sampler.

0:28:20 > 0:28:25I think that the overall impression of this is just, wow!

0:28:25 > 0:28:28Can you imagine how long it would have taken?

0:28:28 > 0:28:31And I think very often, when these things are done,

0:28:31 > 0:28:34and I think this is a display piece, it is

0:28:34 > 0:28:39to show, like a sampler, your craftsmanship, your excellence, and

0:28:39 > 0:28:43in fact, the glory of this is that it's got this 3D quality.

0:28:43 > 0:28:49- It's so lifelike. Right down to these little wisps of corn.- Yes.

0:28:49 > 0:28:52It's a tour de force.

0:28:52 > 0:28:57Beauty is not always represented by pounds, shillings and pence.

0:28:57 > 0:29:03In this instance, we can say it's glorious. Its value - £300.

0:29:03 > 0:29:05- It's not valuable.- No.

0:29:05 > 0:29:08But it's fantastic and I'm so pleased to have seen it. Thank you.

0:29:08 > 0:29:11- Thank you.- Thank you. - Thank you very much.

0:29:13 > 0:29:17Standing here, you've got the perfect accessory for a Roadshow.

0:29:17 > 0:29:19I mean, is it a family piece?

0:29:19 > 0:29:21Yes, it's been in my family for many years.

0:29:21 > 0:29:25I think, probably goes further than my great-grandfather.

0:29:25 > 0:29:28A member of the family went to Australia or came back

0:29:28 > 0:29:31from Australia and carved it and that's as much as I know.

0:29:31 > 0:29:34- Onboard ship?- Yes.- Yes. I mean, that may be...

0:29:34 > 0:29:37This is where provenance really comes in.

0:29:37 > 0:29:39..that may be true, but that,

0:29:39 > 0:29:43unless you can prove that, is going to be lost in history, really.

0:29:43 > 0:29:45It IS made onboard ship.

0:29:45 > 0:29:47I mean these would have been whaling ships,

0:29:47 > 0:29:51where the most abundant resource would be whalebone. And teeth.

0:29:51 > 0:29:54And you can see, typically here, for whalebone,

0:29:54 > 0:29:57you've got this black flecking in there.

0:29:57 > 0:30:00But it's such a lovely piece of carving.

0:30:00 > 0:30:03You almost wonder what travels this would have been on.

0:30:03 > 0:30:07I mean, you would have spent hours onboard ship, day after day,

0:30:07 > 0:30:09sitting there with not much to do.

0:30:09 > 0:30:12If you were on a whaling ship, this is the sort of thing you would do.

0:30:12 > 0:30:14Sit there and carve this to bring home.

0:30:14 > 0:30:19It would date from 1860, 1870, that sort of date.

0:30:19 > 0:30:23- I mean, is it something you like? - I absolutely love it.

0:30:23 > 0:30:25Yeah, there is something so charming about this type.

0:30:25 > 0:30:28It really is a form of artwork in itself.

0:30:28 > 0:30:32It's a real shame that it isn't dated, or with the name of a ship.

0:30:32 > 0:30:35I mean, that's quite rare in itself, but if it was dated, it would

0:30:35 > 0:30:40be even more sort of interesting. And value wise,

0:30:40 > 0:30:42around £1,500.

0:30:42 > 0:30:45Goodness me!

0:30:45 > 0:30:46Wow!

0:30:47 > 0:30:50- My mother would love to know that! - You look like you need

0:30:50 > 0:30:53something to lean on, so I'll give you that back. Thank you very much.

0:30:53 > 0:30:56- Thank you so much.- I love this sort of artwork, so thank you very much

0:30:56 > 0:30:59- for bringing it in.- Oh, you're very welcome. Thank you.

0:31:08 > 0:31:12Well, it looks as though a tornado ripped through this little

0:31:12 > 0:31:16scene here. Tell me about this Chinese hut.

0:31:16 > 0:31:18We think it's a theatre.

0:31:18 > 0:31:22My grandfather brought it back from China, many, many years ago.

0:31:22 > 0:31:26He was involved in the pottery business and ran a pottery

0:31:26 > 0:31:29and he just saw it and I think in glazes, particularly,

0:31:29 > 0:31:31because the company that he worked with,

0:31:31 > 0:31:35particularly his own grandfather, father and grandfather, I think

0:31:35 > 0:31:36were very interested in glazes.

0:31:36 > 0:31:40Yeah. Well, I can see that absolutely appealing.

0:31:40 > 0:31:42And what you have here is actually

0:31:42 > 0:31:44a piece of theatre, quite literally.

0:31:44 > 0:31:46This is a classic Chinese Theatre,

0:31:46 > 0:31:50as you see in all of the great cities in China today.

0:31:50 > 0:31:55Sadly, it's a piece of theatre where several of our players have

0:31:55 > 0:32:00exited and you can see where they were, because there are little holes

0:32:00 > 0:32:04in the stage where these figures would have popped in, like so.

0:32:04 > 0:32:08And this table, standing at the back, which is

0:32:08 > 0:32:11a permanent fixture, it's a part of the actual permanent stage

0:32:11 > 0:32:16feature, has holes itself, and this is actually an alter table.

0:32:16 > 0:32:19And it would have had a classic set of incense burners and

0:32:19 > 0:32:23candlesticks, as you see on Chinese Buddhistic altars to this day.

0:32:23 > 0:32:27But the fact that these figures are detachable suggest that it was, you

0:32:27 > 0:32:31know, something that you could develop or you could play with.

0:32:31 > 0:32:34Every large domestic dwelling in China

0:32:34 > 0:32:38has a traditional three-courtyard construction

0:32:38 > 0:32:43and very often has a temple-like theatre, like this.

0:32:43 > 0:32:47So this is a glimpse of China. So these two little survivors

0:32:47 > 0:32:50at the front, they're obviously engaged in a conversation.

0:32:50 > 0:32:53Usually it was something to do with money or marriage.

0:32:53 > 0:32:58But it's beautifully observed piece of ceramic construction.

0:32:58 > 0:33:02Made in Guangdong, a southern province of China.

0:33:02 > 0:33:08Date is late 19th-century or even early 20th.

0:33:08 > 0:33:12And I'm slightly sort of foxed by this trough at the front.

0:33:12 > 0:33:16Because on one side, we've got a dragon whose tail disappears

0:33:16 > 0:33:20going through here and then it reappears coming out here.

0:33:20 > 0:33:23And on my side, we've got a large carp, and if you look at them,

0:33:23 > 0:33:26they've got a little hole in each and I had a jolly good

0:33:26 > 0:33:30look inside to see how this works, because these are little fountains.

0:33:30 > 0:33:35So this is an ornamental Chinese stoneware theatre,

0:33:35 > 0:33:38which would have had a little fountain playing.

0:33:38 > 0:33:42I mean, one is tempted to compare it with some of the Indian

0:33:42 > 0:33:44restaurants one goes into today,

0:33:44 > 0:33:49which have these tasteful little shrines of Buddhas, etc.

0:33:49 > 0:33:52Certainly, these were expected to play as fountains.

0:33:52 > 0:33:55It's really lovely. I feel quite jealous of that.

0:33:55 > 0:33:57I think that's a great thing to have.

0:33:58 > 0:34:01Difficult to put a value on a souvenir.

0:34:01 > 0:34:06Probably, if you put it up for auction, it would

0:34:06 > 0:34:11- fetch getting on for £1,000, maybe a little more.- Yes.

0:34:11 > 0:34:14Good, thank you very much indeed.

0:34:14 > 0:34:17Anyone might be forgiven for thinking those were egg cups

0:34:17 > 0:34:18or goodness knows what,

0:34:18 > 0:34:22- but I understand, you probably realise they're napkin rings.- Yes.

0:34:22 > 0:34:25Have you any idea who the initials are?

0:34:25 > 0:34:28The smaller of the two is my grandfather's.

0:34:28 > 0:34:30It was given to him on his 21st birthday.

0:34:30 > 0:34:34It was made by Omar Ramsden,

0:34:34 > 0:34:36who had his studio just around the corner

0:34:36 > 0:34:38from my great-grandfather's art studio.

0:34:38 > 0:34:43- Really?- In Fulham.- Did they know each other?- I believe they did, yes.

0:34:43 > 0:34:46The larger of the two was given to my grandmother

0:34:46 > 0:34:51- when my grandmother and grandfather got married in 1920.- How fantastic.

0:34:51 > 0:34:55The reason I picked them out is actually because these two

0:34:55 > 0:34:58napkin rings tell a very interesting story of the period.

0:34:58 > 0:35:03They are, the first one anyway, is made by Ramsden and Carr,

0:35:03 > 0:35:06who were a firm of silversmiths working around the corner

0:35:06 > 0:35:09- from your great-grandfather. - Yes.- The second one,

0:35:09 > 0:35:13although more or less identical, is made by Alwyn Carr on his own.

0:35:13 > 0:35:15And there is a very good reason why Alwyn Carr

0:35:15 > 0:35:18is making it on his own.

0:35:18 > 0:35:22It's because during the First World War, Omar Ramsden

0:35:22 > 0:35:26stayed at home and Alwyn Carr went off to fight with the Artist Rifles,

0:35:26 > 0:35:29who later became the SAS, in fact, but they weren't at the time.

0:35:29 > 0:35:32And when he came back, he found that Omar Ramsden didn't need him

0:35:32 > 0:35:35any more and so they went their separate ways.

0:35:35 > 0:35:39You may have noticed that the hallmark on the slightly

0:35:39 > 0:35:42older one was made in 1908 by Ramsden and Carr,

0:35:42 > 0:35:47- but we've got this napkin ring which is 1920...- Yes.

0:35:47 > 0:35:50..which has got Alwyn Carr's mark solo,

0:35:50 > 0:35:53demonstrating not only had the partnership well

0:35:53 > 0:35:56and truly dissolved, but that Alwyn Carr carried on using

0:35:56 > 0:36:00his own designs after he had ceased to be in business with Omar Ramsden.

0:36:00 > 0:36:01Yes.

0:36:01 > 0:36:04You may also like to know that small

0:36:04 > 0:36:07and napkin ring-like as they are, they are quite collectable.

0:36:07 > 0:36:10- That's good to know.- Yes.

0:36:10 > 0:36:13Alwyn Carr and Omar Ramsden both are big collectors areas,

0:36:13 > 0:36:17and those two napkin rings would cost you about £400 each

0:36:17 > 0:36:19if you went to a shop to try and buy them.

0:36:19 > 0:36:22My goodness. They're our 25th wedding anniversary

0:36:22 > 0:36:24present from Tom's dad.

0:36:24 > 0:36:27- That's a very generous present! - They're not going anywhere.

0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Mind you, with a family connection, they need to stay put.- They do.

0:36:30 > 0:36:33- Absolutely.- Staying in the family. - Thank you very much.

0:36:33 > 0:36:35Thank you very much, thank you. That's great.

0:36:38 > 0:36:42Like most small boys, I had an interest in aeroplanes

0:36:42 > 0:36:47and I made small, plastic ones, I graduated to three,

0:36:47 > 0:36:52four-foot wingspan flying models that never got quite to this stage.

0:36:52 > 0:36:55What took you here?

0:36:55 > 0:37:01Well, my school was underneath the runway at RAF Sculthorpe in the '50s.

0:37:01 > 0:37:04When Americans were here in force, flying over our school,

0:37:04 > 0:37:08we had to stop lessons. I used to run and look out the windows

0:37:08 > 0:37:12and I thought, this is for me. I'll build model planes.

0:37:12 > 0:37:16Starting off with the small ones and it went from there,

0:37:16 > 0:37:19and my father objected to it, because he was in the Navy

0:37:19 > 0:37:22and the more he objected, the more I built the aeroplanes.

0:37:22 > 0:37:24And I've been building them for 65 years.

0:37:24 > 0:37:27But what you see here today with the lorry

0:37:27 > 0:37:30and this one, is the last 42 years.

0:37:30 > 0:37:34- 42 years?- Yes.- How many planes in the lorry there?- 25.

0:37:34 > 0:37:37We had a quick glance at them, no detail,

0:37:37 > 0:37:39but they all look as remarkable as this one.

0:37:39 > 0:37:40But this is the biggest, isn't it?

0:37:40 > 0:37:44- This is the biggest and probably the last.- How big is it?

0:37:44 > 0:37:45That's a sixth scale.

0:37:45 > 0:37:48And most people who don't know about aeroplanes

0:37:48 > 0:37:50might be mistaken in thinking this is a Lancaster,

0:37:50 > 0:37:53because that is the classic four-engine World War II bomber,

0:37:53 > 0:37:56- but it isn't, is it? - It's a Stirling

0:37:56 > 0:38:01and Stirlings operated from here in 1942, where we are today.

0:38:01 > 0:38:03- Are there any of these still flying?- No.

0:38:03 > 0:38:07- There's just the one Lancaster and none of these.- That's correct.

0:38:07 > 0:38:12Em...this is not a free flight model, is it?

0:38:12 > 0:38:16It's on a tethered line, round and round on 120-foot steel wires.

0:38:16 > 0:38:19- But it actually flies? - They all fly, yes.

0:38:19 > 0:38:21How long did it take you to build?

0:38:21 > 0:38:266,550 hours, spread over 15 years.

0:38:26 > 0:38:29And are you interested in value?

0:38:29 > 0:38:32I would like to know a value because one or two museums

0:38:32 > 0:38:35in Europe and here are on the phone.

0:38:35 > 0:38:39Right, if somebody really wants this, if it goes to a museum,

0:38:39 > 0:38:43a static display of aircraft and it fills a niche,

0:38:43 > 0:38:49it's got to be somewhere in the region of £10,000, in that area.

0:38:49 > 0:38:51- Would you agree? - Thank you very much.

0:38:51 > 0:38:53Would you shoot me down at that?

0:38:53 > 0:38:56No, I wouldn't dream of shooting you down. Thank you.

0:39:23 > 0:39:25Well, we're here today in this beautiful sunshine

0:39:25 > 0:39:28and you've brought this amazing necklace and locket here.

0:39:28 > 0:39:32There's a photograph of a lady and a gentleman inside,

0:39:32 > 0:39:34looking very pleased with themselves,

0:39:34 > 0:39:37but also there seems to be some family resemblance. Who are they?

0:39:37 > 0:39:41It's my grandmother and my grandfather on my mother's side.

0:39:41 > 0:39:44And then if we look on the reverse...

0:39:46 > 0:39:49..there's an inscription with a date around it.

0:39:49 > 0:39:53The date on the back of the locket was their wedding day in 1908.

0:39:53 > 0:39:55Oh, wonderful. And where would he have got this from?

0:39:55 > 0:39:58He's actually made it himself.

0:39:58 > 0:40:02He was an artist and oil painter and he also made jewellery

0:40:02 > 0:40:09and taught jewellery, both at the art school in Barrow-in-Furness

0:40:09 > 0:40:12and also as principal of Harrogate Art College.

0:40:12 > 0:40:14Gosh, what an amazing husband to have,

0:40:14 > 0:40:17someone who could actually make jewellery and obviously

0:40:17 > 0:40:20appreciated all the arts and gave his wife such a fabulous present.

0:40:20 > 0:40:23It's very typical of the Arts and Crafts movement

0:40:23 > 0:40:27that was at its height roundabout this period

0:40:27 > 0:40:29and it's interesting that he was based

0:40:29 > 0:40:31up in Barrow because, of course,

0:40:31 > 0:40:34we have the Keswick School Of Industrial Art in that area as well

0:40:34 > 0:40:37and it was down to these schools of art

0:40:37 > 0:40:40where these artists flourished

0:40:40 > 0:40:44and took forward the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement.

0:40:44 > 0:40:46He's used beautiful mabe pearls here,

0:40:46 > 0:40:49which are slightly misshapen, but have a lovely lustre to them.

0:40:49 > 0:40:53He's also used these delightful cabochon-cut sapphires,

0:40:53 > 0:40:55which if I just pull the chain up a little bit,

0:40:55 > 0:40:59we can really appreciate the lovely, delicate blue colour,

0:40:59 > 0:41:03which through the cut, which has got a flat back and a domed surface,

0:41:03 > 0:41:05has helped to intensify the colour

0:41:05 > 0:41:09and he's also use that similar cut on the chrysoprase,

0:41:09 > 0:41:11which we have here, which is a form of hard stone,

0:41:11 > 0:41:14which not really many people appreciate today,

0:41:14 > 0:41:17but was used extensively in Art Nouveau jewellery.

0:41:17 > 0:41:20And the Arts and Crafts movement was about getting back to these

0:41:20 > 0:41:23basics of handcrafted jewellery.

0:41:23 > 0:41:24Now, sadly, a lot of the guilds

0:41:24 > 0:41:27which were set up in local villages and homes,

0:41:27 > 0:41:29where people were working together,

0:41:29 > 0:41:32didn't succeed and a lot of them went out of business,

0:41:32 > 0:41:34but those that did succeed,

0:41:34 > 0:41:36such of the School Of Industrial Art in Keswick

0:41:36 > 0:41:37and the Guild Of Handicrafts,

0:41:37 > 0:41:39produced some amazing pieces of jewellery

0:41:39 > 0:41:42and I think your grandfather was probably looking at

0:41:42 > 0:41:45some of the key designers, such as Arthur Gaskin,

0:41:45 > 0:41:49who was producing very similar examples of jewellery like this.

0:41:49 > 0:41:51- Do you remember your grandfather? - Yes, very much so.

0:41:51 > 0:41:53- He taught me to draw.- Wonderful.

0:41:53 > 0:41:57And I've carried on doing quite a lot of artistic things since then.

0:41:57 > 0:41:58Fantastic.

0:41:58 > 0:42:01Well, it's great that you appreciate it as a work of art

0:42:01 > 0:42:03and not just a piece of jewellery and, naturally,

0:42:03 > 0:42:06I'm sure it's going to stay in the family for a very long time

0:42:06 > 0:42:10and won't be sold, but if it did come on the open market,

0:42:10 > 0:42:12because of the interest in Arts and Crafts jewellery,

0:42:12 > 0:42:15particularly at the moment, I think it would fetch

0:42:15 > 0:42:17somewhere between £1,500 and £2,000.

0:42:21 > 0:42:26- Really?- Yes.- Oh, wow! I had no idea. Thank you.- It's my pleasure.

0:42:26 > 0:42:29I'm sure you're even more proud of your grandfather now.

0:42:29 > 0:42:31- Yes! Thank you very much. - Thank YOU very much.

0:42:34 > 0:42:38This is such an unusual thing because it's unfinished.

0:42:38 > 0:42:40Where did it come from?

0:42:40 > 0:42:44My father bought it when he was 15 and it cost ten shillings.

0:42:44 > 0:42:46He saw it in an antique shop in Sussex

0:42:46 > 0:42:48and that's all I know about it.

0:42:48 > 0:42:51That's a pretty unusual thing for a 15-year-old boy to buy.

0:42:51 > 0:42:55He's always loved antiques, but yes, it's quite a feminine object.

0:42:55 > 0:42:57It certainly is.

0:42:57 > 0:43:01There is this wonderful doll-like lady sitting here,

0:43:01 > 0:43:05in very opulent 17th-century dress

0:43:05 > 0:43:09and I love all of these birds and insects -

0:43:09 > 0:43:13moths, caterpillars, ladybirds.

0:43:13 > 0:43:16I wonder why it wasn't finished.

0:43:16 > 0:43:21Would it have been a wealthy person? Would she have got ill?

0:43:21 > 0:43:22Died?

0:43:22 > 0:43:24LAUGHTER

0:43:24 > 0:43:25I don't know!

0:43:25 > 0:43:30Well, I think there is a chance that whoever made this did die.

0:43:30 > 0:43:33I mean, why else would something this beautiful

0:43:33 > 0:43:37with such expensive materials be left unfinished?

0:43:37 > 0:43:39But I also have another theory

0:43:39 > 0:43:43and that is this mark that is running down the side of it.

0:43:43 > 0:43:46Do you see here?

0:43:46 > 0:43:51I wonder if the girl or lady who was stitching this

0:43:51 > 0:43:56spilled something on it and possibly got into awful trouble.

0:43:56 > 0:44:00If it was a young girl, she wouldn't have started out

0:44:00 > 0:44:05working on satin and working in satin stitch with silk thread.

0:44:05 > 0:44:09She would almost inevitably have started working on samplers,

0:44:09 > 0:44:11which would have been on a linen ground

0:44:11 > 0:44:14and so she would have worked her way up to this.

0:44:14 > 0:44:18And to then leave it unfinished

0:44:18 > 0:44:20is sort of almost inconceivable,

0:44:20 > 0:44:23but it's one of those things that remains unknown.

0:44:23 > 0:44:27It is so revealing, isn't it, because it's unfinished?

0:44:27 > 0:44:31I have read about silk embroidered pictures being worked like this,

0:44:31 > 0:44:34but I've never actually seen one on its frame.

0:44:34 > 0:44:38- Do you have any idea of its date? - No, not at all.

0:44:38 > 0:44:45Well, it's definitely 17th-century and I would date it at around 1660.

0:44:45 > 0:44:47What would it have been for?

0:44:47 > 0:44:50It may well just have been as a small picture

0:44:50 > 0:44:52to be framed and put on the wall,

0:44:52 > 0:44:56but equally, you see a lot of boxes decorated in this way,

0:44:56 > 0:44:58so it could have been the top of a box

0:44:58 > 0:45:01and maybe there would have been then other sections

0:45:01 > 0:45:04that the lady would have worked to make up the sides to it.

0:45:04 > 0:45:08And that's really the beauty of it, that it's on this beech frame,

0:45:08 > 0:45:14with the pegs holding the joints in place and I have to say,

0:45:14 > 0:45:17I have never seen one in an unfinished state

0:45:17 > 0:45:23on the frame that it was worked on around, what, 350 years ago.

0:45:23 > 0:45:26- Very old. - But I still think it's worth

0:45:26 > 0:45:30- around £1,500.- Wow!

0:45:31 > 0:45:33That's a lot of money.

0:45:33 > 0:45:35Take a look at this postcard.

0:45:35 > 0:45:38It doesn't look anything out of the ordinary. It's to a Miss Cooper

0:45:38 > 0:45:40near Leicester and it says,

0:45:40 > 0:45:45"Dear Mary, does this surprise you? Of course, I couldn't stand aside.

0:45:45 > 0:45:47"I hope our meeting is only deferred.

0:45:47 > 0:45:50"Hope you are well, will write again later.

0:45:50 > 0:45:52"Lots of love, yours affectionately, Tom."

0:45:52 > 0:45:56It's only when you see the date, 1914,

0:45:56 > 0:46:00that you realise that what Tom is telling Mary

0:46:00 > 0:46:03is that he couldn't stand aside from the call to take up arms

0:46:03 > 0:46:07on behalf of the country in the First World War.

0:46:07 > 0:46:10Who knows if their meeting was just deferred or whether, in fact,

0:46:10 > 0:46:12it ever happened?

0:46:12 > 0:46:16We don't know if they ever met again or indeed if Mary ever married.

0:46:16 > 0:46:20Of course, so many women of that generation never did marry.

0:46:20 > 0:46:22So something rather ordinary,

0:46:22 > 0:46:26once you look at it a bit more closely, becomes rather poignant.

0:46:30 > 0:46:33Well, it's not that unusual on the Roadshow

0:46:33 > 0:46:35for us to see horn beakers like this one here

0:46:35 > 0:46:38and quite often they have a silver plaque on the front,

0:46:38 > 0:46:40commemorating perhaps, a family event

0:46:40 > 0:46:42or someone's retirement from work,

0:46:42 > 0:46:44but when I read the inscription on your plaque,

0:46:44 > 0:46:48I knew it was a bit special. So how long have you had this beaker?

0:46:48 > 0:46:52- It's been in the family. - So you inherited it?- Yes, yes.- OK.

0:46:52 > 0:46:54Well, let's have a look at the inscription,

0:46:54 > 0:46:56and we can see that it reads,

0:46:56 > 0:46:59"Manufactured from the horn of an ox,

0:46:59 > 0:47:01"roasted whole at the opening of

0:47:01 > 0:47:06"the London and Southampton Railway, May 11, 1840."

0:47:06 > 0:47:10And if we turn it round, we can see on the back,

0:47:10 > 0:47:14there's a wonderful silver plaque with an engraving

0:47:14 > 0:47:19of an early train, looking pretty much like Stephenson's Rocket.

0:47:19 > 0:47:24And, of course, the date, 1840, in terms of railways, is pretty early.

0:47:24 > 0:47:28Did your family have any connections with the railway or not?

0:47:28 > 0:47:32Yes, I believe my adoptive mother's great-grandfather was

0:47:32 > 0:47:34the person who put the money into...

0:47:34 > 0:47:36- Into the railways?- Yes.

0:47:36 > 0:47:39Yes, well, obviously there was a great excitement

0:47:39 > 0:47:43and I had never heard of the ox roast at the opening

0:47:43 > 0:47:44of the London to Southampton Railway,

0:47:44 > 0:47:48so I think railway historians could be very interested

0:47:48 > 0:47:49by this particular beaker

0:47:49 > 0:47:52and certainly, if this came up for auction,

0:47:52 > 0:47:57- I could easily see it fetching £1,000, £1,500.- Right.

0:47:57 > 0:48:00Possibly a lot more because I've never seen anything like it before,

0:48:00 > 0:48:04- it's a unique piece, so we'd just have to see.- I'd better clean it!

0:48:04 > 0:48:06I think a bit of silver polish might not go amiss!

0:48:06 > 0:48:09- Thank you for bringing it in. - You're very welcome.

0:48:09 > 0:48:13Now, are you a fan of Madonna or Lady Gaga by any chance?

0:48:13 > 0:48:17- Neither, particularly. - Well, there we are.

0:48:17 > 0:48:21The reason I mention it is that both of them would be fans of this.

0:48:21 > 0:48:25- Oh, right.- And that's important. We'll get to that bit later on.

0:48:25 > 0:48:28It's a glass crucifix. Where did you find it?

0:48:28 > 0:48:32I found it at a street fair in northern France about ten years ago.

0:48:32 > 0:48:37- And did you pay a lot of money for it?- Very little. Under £50.

0:48:37 > 0:48:40- So little you couldn't remember. - No.

0:48:40 > 0:48:43Well, it's signed on the side, Rene Lalique,

0:48:43 > 0:48:47the famous French glass designer and it's a great example of his work.

0:48:47 > 0:48:51Also, this great chrome base is very Art Deco

0:48:51 > 0:48:55and Lalique is best when he's in the Art Deco period,

0:48:55 > 0:48:57so this is what the collectors are looking for.

0:48:57 > 0:49:00And the reason I mentioned Madonna and Lady Gaga is because,

0:49:00 > 0:49:05generally, religious stuff turns people off, but this is very stylish

0:49:05 > 0:49:09and because the likes of Madonna and Lady Gaga...

0:49:09 > 0:49:11Cher is a great collector of religious stuff as well,

0:49:11 > 0:49:15so this has crossover appeal and because of its crossover appeal,

0:49:15 > 0:49:19it's going to be worth more than the £50 or so you paid for it.

0:49:19 > 0:49:22I think if that was in the right auction,

0:49:22 > 0:49:24someone like Madonna or Cher or even Lady Gaga

0:49:24 > 0:49:27- might pay £1,000 for it.- Really?

0:49:27 > 0:49:30- Yep.- That was quite a good return on my francs then.

0:49:30 > 0:49:33A very good return. Your prayers have been answered!

0:49:43 > 0:49:46- You're a member of the Pugin family, aren't you?- Yes, I am.

0:49:46 > 0:49:50It's an extraordinary story. Where do you fit in, just remind me?

0:49:50 > 0:49:56Well, I'm the great-great-grandson. My father, Michael Pugin Purcell,

0:49:56 > 0:49:58was an accountant,

0:49:58 > 0:50:02but his father, Charles, was an architect in Liverpool.

0:50:02 > 0:50:05He finished... Pugin & Pugin finished in 1958 when he died.

0:50:05 > 0:50:07So he carried on the family business in effect,

0:50:07 > 0:50:09although it wasn't a family business, but yes.

0:50:09 > 0:50:12I mean, Pugin has always been THE most intriguing man.

0:50:12 > 0:50:15One ends up in life with heroes, groups of them,

0:50:15 > 0:50:19and he certainly became one of mine. His achievements are so astonishing.

0:50:19 > 0:50:22I mean, we haven't time to go through it now, but he was

0:50:22 > 0:50:25one of THE great designers of the 19th century,

0:50:25 > 0:50:28and really, in many ways, the founder of modern Britain,

0:50:28 > 0:50:30in the way we live and the way we look today.

0:50:30 > 0:50:32If I just say the Palace of Westminster,

0:50:32 > 0:50:35the Houses of Parliament, I think people get the idea.

0:50:35 > 0:50:38You know, he was creator of modern Gothic.

0:50:38 > 0:50:41What always intrigued me about him

0:50:41 > 0:50:43was his private life, his personal life.

0:50:43 > 0:50:46He was married several times, he had many children

0:50:46 > 0:50:51and his last wife, Jane, was always somehow an intriguing figure.

0:50:51 > 0:50:53I mean, you must have been much more drawn into it than I,

0:50:53 > 0:50:55but she was much younger than him

0:50:55 > 0:50:58- and, I think, she survived him by over 50 years.- That's right.

0:50:58 > 0:51:01She was married for four years and then a widow for 57 years

0:51:01 > 0:51:04- and she buried both her children. - So an astonishing thing.

0:51:04 > 0:51:07And what intrigues me most of all

0:51:07 > 0:51:11is seeing here, a photograph of her I have never seen before.

0:51:11 > 0:51:15Well, it could have been an engagement present in about 1847.

0:51:15 > 0:51:19Yes, it's an early daguerreotype. It fits in with that period.

0:51:19 > 0:51:23The dress she is wearing and the jewellery is not designed by him

0:51:23 > 0:51:25and, in most later photographs, she's wearing his jewellery.

0:51:25 > 0:51:28It's when she's called a truly Gothic woman.

0:51:28 > 0:51:30I know and I've always loved that statement.

0:51:30 > 0:51:33"At last," he says, "I have a truly Gothic woman."

0:51:33 > 0:51:35I spent the last 20 years wondering,

0:51:35 > 0:51:38what is a truly Gothic woman and none the nearer knowing!

0:51:38 > 0:51:40Well, she brought up the grandchildren

0:51:40 > 0:51:44and also promoted local charities and the St Augustine School.

0:51:44 > 0:51:47That's right, she was a great woman, but there she is

0:51:47 > 0:51:50and I'm sure this is a picture no-one has ever seen before.

0:51:50 > 0:51:53We've got her here again, obviously much older,

0:51:53 > 0:51:57- with two of her grandchildren. - That's Charles.- That's him?

0:51:57 > 0:52:00Yes, and Mary, who married a Mr Riddell.

0:52:00 > 0:52:03Right, so there is a direct link here between her and him?

0:52:03 > 0:52:05- That's right. - And, of course, Pugin's house,

0:52:05 > 0:52:09The Grange in Ramsgate in Kent, survives.

0:52:09 > 0:52:11It's owned now by the Landmark Trust,

0:52:11 > 0:52:13it's been restored very much to his time

0:52:13 > 0:52:17and seeing that, with this immensely complicated,

0:52:17 > 0:52:20colourful and dynamic design, shows how people lived.

0:52:20 > 0:52:22And, of course,

0:52:22 > 0:52:24he designed most of the things as well as the decoration

0:52:24 > 0:52:27for that house, which takes us really onto here,

0:52:27 > 0:52:30because this is a fairly conventional

0:52:30 > 0:52:33Gothic-revival candlestick.

0:52:33 > 0:52:35You think, "Well, nothing special about it,"

0:52:35 > 0:52:39until you look there and this is Pugin's personal badge,

0:52:39 > 0:52:42en avant, his motto, with that strange bird.

0:52:42 > 0:52:44- A little martlet.- Martlet bird, yes.

0:52:44 > 0:52:48- And it's marked on here. He had this.- In his house.

0:52:48 > 0:52:51It was in his house, he designed it, it was made by Hardman,

0:52:51 > 0:52:54but that doesn't really matter. What matters is I can imagine him

0:52:54 > 0:52:57- walking around the house carrying this. Can you?- Yes

0:52:57 > 0:53:00and he used to look out to sea if ships were in danger

0:53:00 > 0:53:03- and want to help them. - Well, he was a great sailor, too.

0:53:03 > 0:53:06But the fact that this comes from that house

0:53:06 > 0:53:08is like, sort of touching history really.

0:53:08 > 0:53:12Of course, because he's such an important figure, I mean,

0:53:12 > 0:53:15these are family photographs, wonderful visions of their life

0:53:15 > 0:53:18and, of course the life that went on after his death in 1852.

0:53:18 > 0:53:20This is a tangible object.

0:53:20 > 0:53:23Now, if we looked at this, as I say, mid-Victorian,

0:53:23 > 0:53:27late-Victorian candlestick, it would have been one of a pair...

0:53:27 > 0:53:29Without the badge, I'd see those in a shop

0:53:29 > 0:53:32and I'd think, "£150 a pair, nothing special."

0:53:32 > 0:53:34Turn that round...

0:53:35 > 0:53:38..and suddenly it's something different.

0:53:38 > 0:53:41You know, that on its own must be at least £1,000

0:53:41 > 0:53:44and if you had the pair, much, much more,

0:53:44 > 0:53:48because it's HIS thing and that's what makes things different.

0:53:48 > 0:53:50Once you've put the person back into the object,

0:53:50 > 0:53:52it's a completely different story.

0:53:52 > 0:53:53Now, of course,

0:53:53 > 0:53:56I haven't actually thought about the value of Jane's photograph.

0:53:56 > 0:53:59I mean, it's a very early daguerreotype.

0:53:59 > 0:54:01It's in very good condition, it's unfaded.

0:54:01 > 0:54:05If we just take it as a photograph without any connections,

0:54:05 > 0:54:11it's between £50 and £100, possibly more, just because of what it is.

0:54:11 > 0:54:17A hitherto unknown photograph of Jane Knill, Pugin's wife and widow,

0:54:17 > 0:54:21I think goes towards £500

0:54:21 > 0:54:25because it's a wonderful image of her and one otherwise unseen.

0:54:25 > 0:54:27It is beautiful and even the hairstyle

0:54:27 > 0:54:29makes you think of early Victorian.

0:54:29 > 0:54:32Well, as you say, it's 1847. It's a fantastic object, as well.

0:54:32 > 0:54:33- Thank you.- Thank you.

0:54:33 > 0:54:36Well, here's a brooch gleaming in the sunshine

0:54:36 > 0:54:39and I rather want to know how it is with you.

0:54:39 > 0:54:42- Was it given to you? - Yes, it was.- And who gave it to you?

0:54:42 > 0:54:45- My husband.- That's very good, isn't it?

0:54:45 > 0:54:48Jewellery-buying husbands are almost an extinct species. They're...

0:54:48 > 0:54:51But this is a most beautifully chosen one

0:54:51 > 0:54:55and I think it's got a very interesting subliminal message,

0:54:55 > 0:54:57which is only secondary to what I'm going to

0:54:57 > 0:54:59tell you next, actually.

0:54:59 > 0:55:01In fact, it signifies forever luck in love.

0:55:01 > 0:55:05He's a horseshoe for luck, the diamonds are forever

0:55:05 > 0:55:08and a little sprig of mistletoe,

0:55:08 > 0:55:11a little amatory significance there, so forever luck in love,

0:55:11 > 0:55:14but from your husband and how often does he buy you bits of jewellery?

0:55:14 > 0:55:17Every now and again I get a little surprise.

0:55:17 > 0:55:20- For your anniversary and for your birthday?- No, just out of the blue.

0:55:20 > 0:55:21Out of the blue!

0:55:21 > 0:55:24And he buys that as a complete surprise to you,

0:55:24 > 0:55:26- you'd never seen it before? - No.- Astounding.

0:55:26 > 0:55:29I had a little look at it earlier and, on the back,

0:55:29 > 0:55:33there's a series of hallmarks and they are significant

0:55:33 > 0:55:35to what I'm going to tell you next.

0:55:35 > 0:55:38Well, this is a sequence of hallmarks that not only tells me

0:55:38 > 0:55:41that this brooch is made in Russia in 1900,

0:55:41 > 0:55:44but there's also a hallmark there that tells me

0:55:44 > 0:55:47that this is made by the most famous goldsmith that ever lived.

0:55:47 > 0:55:49This is a brooch by Carl Faberge.

0:55:51 > 0:55:52Lovely.

0:55:52 > 0:55:58And it says 56 because there are 56 parts of pure gold in the alloy

0:55:58 > 0:56:02and it's made for the immediate circle

0:56:02 > 0:56:04of the Emperor and Empress of Russia.

0:56:04 > 0:56:08They were avid shoppers at Faberge and they bought

0:56:08 > 0:56:11exactly this sort of thing to give away

0:56:11 > 0:56:13and in this case, it's made of gold

0:56:13 > 0:56:19and decorated with this very interesting orange-coloured enamel

0:56:19 > 0:56:22and diamonds and it's a sentimental thing

0:56:22 > 0:56:24and it did that job for somebody,

0:56:24 > 0:56:26perhaps in the circle of Nicholas and Alexandra,

0:56:26 > 0:56:29but it did that job for you, as well, didn't?

0:56:29 > 0:56:33- Yes.- Amazing, really. Can't believe it's happened.

0:56:33 > 0:56:36Can't believe it's happened to me, actually,

0:56:36 > 0:56:38because it's a wonderful voyage of discovery

0:56:38 > 0:56:40and these sort of brooches,

0:56:40 > 0:56:42not only because of their amatory significance,

0:56:42 > 0:56:46but because of the context and the excitement of the maker,

0:56:46 > 0:56:52have been offered at auction and they have fetched as much as,

0:56:52 > 0:56:55- well, £10,000.- Really?!

0:56:55 > 0:56:58No! It can't be!

0:56:58 > 0:57:01I can't see any reason why this wouldn't fetch that, actually.

0:57:01 > 0:57:05- Really?- Yes. And you have a gem of a jewel,

0:57:05 > 0:57:08- but apparently a gem of a husband as well.- Yeah, lucky day, isn't it?

0:57:08 > 0:57:12Yes, you are a lucky girl, no questions at all.

0:57:12 > 0:57:14- Thank you so much.- Wonderful, lovely.

0:57:14 > 0:57:15Look at this poster.

0:57:15 > 0:57:19It's for an air display commemorating the Battle of Britain.

0:57:19 > 0:57:241947, flying trips, grand air pageant, mock air attack,

0:57:24 > 0:57:25the whole works.

0:57:25 > 0:57:31And it took place here at Royal Air Force Marham all those years ago

0:57:31 > 0:57:34and a visitor brought it along today and has very kindly

0:57:34 > 0:57:37donated it to the personnel here at the base,

0:57:37 > 0:57:39so David Cooper, you're the base commander.

0:57:39 > 0:57:41Where are you going to put it?

0:57:41 > 0:57:43It's an extremely generous donation from the public.

0:57:43 > 0:57:46I can only think it will have to go in station headquarters

0:57:46 > 0:57:47and take pride of place there.

0:57:47 > 0:57:51Sounds just right. Well, from the Antiques Roadshow here at RAF Marham

0:57:51 > 0:57:55and all the RAF personnel who've helped us so generously

0:57:55 > 0:57:57and all those Tornadoes that kept going overhead,

0:57:57 > 0:58:00until next week, bye-bye.

0:58:21 > 0:58:24Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd