RAF Marham 2 Antiques Roadshow

In my time on the Roadshow, I have seen antiques

brought along by all sorts of modes of transport.

By boats, by bike, even by a dog pulling a cart.

But never before like this.

Ah-ha!

Thank you very much.

Brought by Flight Lieutenant Tim Bullimont there,

all the way from the RAF Flying College in Cranwell.

And this historic cup was handed out to pilots who came from all over

the world to compete in an air race at the start of the 20th century.

We'll make sure the right specialist sees this.

Welcome back to RAF Marham, near King's Lynn, in Norfolk.

Here at RAF Marham, there are three squadrons of Tornadoes

which were originally formed back between 1912 and 1915.

And this is one of the biggest RAF bases in the country.

So before our visitors arrive, Major Walker here has very kindly

agreed to give me a quick tour of the base.

The Tornado has seen action in many conflicts - Kosovo,

the Gulf, and Libya.

I wouldn't say it's an antique,

having been called into service in 1982.

But it's certainly proved over the years why it's managed

to stay on the front line for so long.

To keep the Tornadoes in tiptop condition,

they are brought to these 1930's hangars which have been

transformed into 21st-century MOT testing stations.

Each Tornado passes through four different hangars, like this one.

Look, you can see them all around me with scaffolding around the jets.

It's an amazing sight, isn't it?

And it takes a staggering 120 days, or 14,000 man-hours,

to give each one a full service, tune up and oil change.

It's no wonder with all that TLC they have lasted this long.

Each Tornado is microscopically examined before being updated

with the latest technology, like the Raptor.

This beams digital images of the ground back to base

that help to identify targets.

Like me, you've probably seen a lot of footage like that on the news.

And to think, when these squadrons were formed,

it was the era of photographic glass plates, developing solution

and magnifying glasses.

Well, I have to find an expert to take a look at this.

We're so lucky to be here, because this is a frontline base with

squadrons on classified operations.

Not only are we fortunate to be here, but so are our visitors.

Normally, they aren't allowed in.

Oh, and don't forget, if you'd like to play along with

our valuation game, press red on your remote control or go to...

..on your smartphone or on your computer.

Keeping in mind that we're all sort of bound by the

Official Secrets Act, you've got to come clean with me today,

-because I know for a fact you've arrived here in disguise.

-I have.

-So tell me all.

-Well, I have come disguised...

On my day off, I am a local priest of the Diocese of Ely,

and I brought our Buddha.

So, there's immediately something of a theological contradiction

-going on here, isn't there?

-Well, it's a family piece.

It's been in the family for 150 years, and we love it dearly.

We think 150 years.

Actually, I think you're bang on with that, quite frankly.

How did it arrive in your family? That's what I am keen to know.

Well, I first knew this when I was seven or eight

when we visited an elderly relative.

It was a bit like Pip going to see Miss Havisham.

I was rather scared, but she had lots of lovely things,

and I rather like this.

The story was that one of our old salty seadog forebears brought it

back from the Far East in the 1860's, probably, either from Siam or Burma.

-But, apart from that, we don't really know anything for sure.

-Right.

Well, the minute I saw it, the word "Burma" came to mind,

but they invariably do tend to be described as Southeast Asian.

And it is a Buddha in the truest sense of the word.

If I can get technical, he's seated in dhyanasana

on a double lotus throne with his hand in an earth-touching mudra.

That's about as technical as it's going to get.

The material itself, it looks like marble,

but in actual fact, it's alabaster. It's a soft stone.

I'm not going to scratch it, but I could do with my fingernail.

Obviously missing a little bit of the thumb there.

Just the idea of owning something...

They are very contemplative, aren't they?

I think it's fair to say that when it comes to Buddhism -

without getting too technical - it's more of a philosophy than a faith.

Oh, yes.

So, I'm looking at something like this and I'm thinking,

datewise, about 1850 or thereabouts.

So that fits in with what you have to say.

If I wanted to go and find something like this in a smart

gallery in London, well, I think I would have to pull out

my cheque book and write a cheque for around £800-£1000.

Right, wow.

For what it's worth, the good news is that, you know,

if any burglar should consider removing this from your home,

he'll have years and years of bad karma.

And a bad back!

That's very true.

Well, in the sunlight, these birds on these gilded boughs

look like they could literally fly off like these jets.

But tell me, where do they come from in your history?

From my great-great-grandmother, and that's all I know.

-They've been passed down through the family line?

-Yes, yeah.

Did they ever talk about where they'd come from, where they'd been?

The only thing we know - we don't know if it's true or not -

is that it came from the Crystal Palace Exhibition.

-That's all we know.

-So there's talk of the Great 1851 Exhibition?

-Yes.

I'm really sorry, I've got to shoot you down in flames. I'm a horror!

The only reason I've got to shoot you down in flames is

-because 1851 is impossible.

-Right.

-The company that made these didn't even exist then.

-Right.

-They actually came into being in 1857.

-Oh, right.

Because they are made by a great Bohemian firm of Moser.

And the firm was started by Ludwig Moser in 1857.

So we are a few years on.

The only exhibition, possibly, would your family have travelled to Paris?

Not as far as I know, but who knows?

Really, the exhibitions we'd think about when these were made

were the great exhibitions of Paris at the end of the 19th century.

Because we're looking at a date here of about 1890, 1900,

that kind of date, when Moser, who originally started life making

only cut and engraved glass, started to develop into far more decorative.

And what we've got here are two beautiful rose amber vases,

with these fantastic applied birds.

And the tell-tale sign, a little signature, these little acorns.

That for me, was as good as a signature that these are Moser.

Now, they were a firm of great excellence,

and they produced beautiful glass.

This kind of decorated and relief-applied work became really

popular at the end of the 19th century.

These are slightly sparsely decorated.

I have seen them where they are more profusely decorated, all over,

top-to-toe.

That said, usually, I only ever see them with acorns

and acorn boughs, not birds.

The birds are super-rare.

Hmm!

So, a pair in reasonably good condition, and rare,

you're going to have to look somewhere in the region of...

£2,000-£3,000.

SHE GASPS Oh! I never...

I never would've said that.

That's lovely! SHE LAUGHS

-Well, I would call him Mr Handsome, but what do you call him?

-Bear.

That's his name, because that's what my aunt called him.

-My great-aunt.

-And she gave him to you?

Yes, he was handed down by mother to me, yes.

-How lovely. Did you know your great-aunt?

-I did, yes, yes.

My great-aunt, Gladys, she came from Clacton-on-Sea.

She's probably seven or eight in this photograph

and holding her bear, and on the date, it's dated September 1913.

Well, that tells me something, but I think he's a bit older than that.

-Really?

-I think he's much more likely to be 1907, 1908.

He's got this button in his ear

which is telling everybody that he's a Steiff.

It isn't what the very early one...

It's not the elephant, the embossed elephant, it's the later one,

which is a Steiff embossed with an underscored last F underneath.

But that started in 1908, 1907, thereabouts,

and he's so typically early Steiff.

And it was such an excitement to see, sitting in its bag,

with you carrying him.

-He's a very noble bear, because he's got a fantastic back hump.

-Right.

He's got a wonderful snout, which has had a lot of kissing, I think.

Yes! Probably, yes.

And he's got these lovely boot button eyes,

which know everything, see everything.

He's just wonderful, and he would have had a growler, which has gone.

-I don't think he's growling any more, is he?

-No, sadly not.

A bear of this size and this age,

in this condition...

at auction...

he would carry an estimate of between £4,000-£6,000.

Oh, my goodness!

Oh, that's made me feel quite tearful, actually. I don't know why.

-Aw!

-Aw!

-Yes, I can understand that.

-Yes.

He won't be sold. SHE LAUGHS

I always like to take notice

when an artist is trying to tell you something.

This very striking image of Nelson on his ship,

looking out to sea,

with these rather evocative historical-looking figures around

him has, in the bottom right-hand corner,

a few words for us.

"Study for a picture. Arthur Twidle."

But I need to ask you, with an album of images here,

are we talking about the artist being related to you?

The artist was the father of my great-aunt by marriage,

and the picture has been in the family for many, many years.

What interests me about this artist is his great claim to fame, and

that is as one of the main artists who illustrated Sherlock Holmes.

This is what we believe, yes.

Of course, Sherlock Holmes has such cultural currency.

He's such a celebrated figure.

To be one of those artists who gave form to Conan Doyle's words

is really quite a significant achievement.

And here's a picture of Conan Doyle and his family leaving for America.

Is there an American link at all with your ancestor in this picture?

When I did some research, he illustrated the Sherlock Holmes

books that were printed especially for America.

So this would have particular pertinence from that point of view?

Probably, yes.

You know, looking at this picture, I think you can

sort of tell that it's painted by an illustrator.

There's so much information on it.

There's always a trade-off with artists who illustrate things.

It's a trade-off between conveying information in the text of a book

and also balancing it with a picture that looks good.

This is crammed with information.

But I also think it's actually rather attractive.

Have you worked out what's going on?

We've always just known it as Nelson. We've always presumed this is Nelson.

I don't really know who those figures are.

Maybe it's Neptune coming out of the sea,

but no, I don't really know at all.

Well, I think that's certainly meant to pass for Nelson in the middle.

A slightly craggy-looking Nelson, it ought to be said, with that nose.

But in front of him, as he looks over the side of the ship,

are a phalanx of ghostly figures.

They look like naval heroes from the past.

I mean, could that be King Canute, for example, the Viking king?

Are these references to people like Raleigh or Drake?

Is that a Pilgrim Father image here? I am not entirely sure.

But this is so typical of an artist who can't resist

putting in more information.

This is a painting that's designed to be read.

Now we come to the subject of value.

Well, he's not a very famous artist in the sort of main currency

of arts sense, but he does have the Conan Doyle association.

So, on the back of that,

-I would put a valuation of about £3,000 on it.

-Right.

Thank you very much. It will stay in the family.

This is such a delightful set of jewellery, and in a case.

How did you come about it?

My mother-in-law recently died, and we were sorting out her room,

and we found a strongbox.

When we opened it, we found family papers inside and some jewellery,

and this box. When we opened it up, we thought, wow, you know,

we'd really like to know what it is, really.

I mean, we'd like to know, is it 1920's or, you know,

what era it comes from?

-Yeah. What makes you think it's 1920's?

-The tassels.

It just reminds me of the Charleston.

Yes, those wonderful flapper dresses and the long necklaces they wore,

and the very sort of free style, wasn't it, during the 1920s?

-Well, it's actually from round about 1860-1870.

-Oh, right!

Yeah, it's a lovely Victorian set of jewellery

which is known as a demi-parure.

And a parure is a full set of jewellery which would include

a brooch, a pair of earrings, as we have here,

but then a necklace and also a bracelet.

So a demi-parure is a part of a big set of jewellery.

It brings out one of the really fun parts of Victorian jewellery

and design, and that was the classical revival.

It's got a lot of beadwork just around the edge and also ropework,

which is inspired by these ancient Etruscan designs.

There were a group of designers working in London in the 1860's

and 1870's, and a couple of famous names like Castellani,

Robert Phillips, and also Giuliano.

Now, this isn't by any of those major designers, but obviously,

due to the detail that we're looking at here,

the designer and jeweller was looking at these makers

and taking inspiration from their very good quality work as well.

So, in the centre of each of the pieces,

we've also got a lovely, delicate, but strong-coloured emerald

surrounded by half pearls,

which really give a softness to the very strong,

yellow-coloured metal that it's set in.

Did you have any idea about what the metal might be?

I just thought it was gold plate,

because I couldn't see any markings at all, any hallmarks.

During the Victorian period, in England, we didn't have to

hallmark jewellery if it was a precious metal such as gold.

And this is gold. It's probably 15-carat gold, which is

a nice gold to be working with during the period.

Through it, they've created these very delicate tassels as well which

do add that fun aspect to the piece of jewellery

-and almost bring it alive, don't they?

-Yes, yes, they do.

So, if it were to go up at auction, I think

all the factors are going in its favour.

A collector in a current market is going to pay

somewhere between £600 and £800 for it.

Wow. Wow. SHE LAUGHS

Didn't expect that much, no!

I am so excited by this moment, because, for a start, I am looking

at the only object in Roadshow history

that came in its own private jet.

That's a pretty good start.

Secondly, I am looking at something which is absolutely totally

involved in the early history of military aviation.

This is the Schneider Trophy.

I must confess straightaway, I was confused when I heard about this,

because I thought, "Schneider Cup, I know all about that."

Seaplane races in the 1920s and '30s, Britain the outright winner,

-Mitchell's S6B, father of the Spitfire, all that story.

-Yes.

But, of course, it's not that.

This is a much earlier story and much more important in a way.

I know you're a squadron leader based here,

so, obviously you're the perfect person to tell me all about it.

Well, it was awarded to Bertram Dickson in 1910,

and he won it in a race in France, in Tours, in fact,

which it says on the front.

He won it for achievement at distance in the air.

Originally, Bertram Dickson had flown for the army,

and the army had decided there was no future in flying

and he left the army.

Eventually, they said,

"Well, just do us a demo on Salisbury Plain of what flying

"can do for reconnaissance, etc." He got in his plane, and in the

audience watching from the ground was Lord Kitchener and Winston Churchill.

He said, "By Jove, there's something in this!"

-And that's how it started.

-That's why we're here.

-It all starts at that point.

-Absolutely.

And those early years were filled with international competitions.

They were about speed, they were about distance,

they were about endurance, they were about all sorts of things.

The Tours one - correct me if I am not right -

this was about how long you could stay in the air.

-Correct, yes, yes.

-And he won it.

And is it fair to say he was the father of military aviation?

I think so. Certainly, the Royal Air Force today very much looks at this

trophy as, you know, it the father of aviation.

-So this is where it all starts?

-Indeed.

How does it come to you?

It was flown in from RAF Cranwell,

-and the trophy was presented to RAF Cranwell in 1946.

-Right.

From there on in, it's been awarded at elementary flying

training at Cranwell for airmanship both in the air and on the ground.

-So it's about achievement?

-Indeed.

-So it goes to the best student of the year?

-Absolutely, absolutely.

-Did you get it?

-I'm not a flyer, unfortunately!

-Would you have liked to have won it?

-I'd have loved to have won it, yes.

I think, you know, it's rare for things to tell such

an important story.

You look at this and, obviously, this starts the Royal Flying Corps

which in April 1918 becomes the Royal Air Force.

We then go through all the campaigns from then to now

to where we are now, standing beside a Tornado.

And this has been there throughout that, in one form or another.

-Absolutely, yes.

-I think it's an amazing object.

It's quite... for pilots to actually hold this,

-with all its history, it is quite humbling.

-It is.

It's an amazing thing, it's quite breathtaking, actually.

Now, you know, conventionally,

we talk about the value of these things.

How does one value something which invented the RAF?

I know, I know,

it's certainly not been valued in our sort of lifetime and not recently.

Well, I can only value it from the point of view of similar

motoring, aviation cups that have come up for sale,

-and that takes us certainly to £100,000, £150,000.

-Right.

-But there is no parallel.

-No.

-And you're not going to sell it either?

-No. No, no.

-Not even in these days of economy?

-No! No, no.

-No.

But there is a huge demand for things that have such resonance,

such iconic status, and this is certainly one of the greatest.

-That's fabulous.

-It's a wonderful moment for me,

and let's hold it together. Here we are.

-We can both do it.

-OK!

-Wonderful. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I've just been shown this intriguing little book.

It's called Primitive Physick

or An Easy And Natural Method Of Curing Most Diseases.

And it's written in 1768.

And George III was on the throne in 1768, and of course famously,

he went mad. And when you look at some of the suggested cures here,

perhaps it's hardly surprising!

There's a cure here for something called canine appetite.

"If it be without vomiting, it is often cured by a small

"bit of bread dipped in wine and applied to the nostrils."

Or, down here, "To cure baldness, rub the part morning

-"and evening with onions until it is red."

-LAUGHTER

-Anyone round here to whom that might apply?!

-No!

And this is my favourite.

"Deafness, be electrified through the ear."

-Annie one fancy trying any of these?!

-Pardon?! LAUGHTER

For me, these pieces of furniture

have to represent the ideal Sunday afternoon.

You've had a long lunch,

you want to sit down, relax,

chill out on a very comfortable chair.

But it's a chair with a secret.

Pull open the side and you find there's a bar in each arm.

Please tell me you use it for that!

Yes, I do, and I have a lovely little lamp that goes over there

where you can rest a glass on as well.

I think for me, this sums up as well,

a lot of the essence of the gentlemen in the Metro Land.

If you think of the Metropolitan Line coming out of London,

all of those northwest boroughs, filling up with houses on these

enormous estates and people sort of living this wonderful, idyllic life.

You'd be in your garden, attending your roses with your wife, perhaps.

-Come indoors, sit down and mix a wonderful gin and tonic.

-Yes.

HE LAUGHS Absolutely right, yes.

So, what we're looking at are two pieces made during the 1920's,

probably the 1930's,

very strongly in the Art Deco style

with this geometric stepped form here.

But there's more to this table than meets the eye.

And there it is. Where on earth did you find them?

This one was in an auction.

This one was actually in an antique shop,

but it was in the back room and the lady who ran the antique shop

actually used to sit in it and I said, if you ever want to sell it,

please could I buy it, and then she eventually sold her shop

and came to me and said, did I want to buy the chair?

And of course, I snapped it up.

I can absolutely understand why. This would make a comfy seat.

Now, presumably, she recovered this?

She did, and I think it's a kind of African material that has been

chosen for that, strangely.

It's certainly not original, but it sort of matches the sort

of style that you would want to see on an Art Deco piece like this.

I'd imagine a very similar sort of colour

and very similar geometric type pattern.

Although it's not right, it sort of looks right.

-It gives a good impression, I suppose.

-Yes.

These sorts of pieces, ten, 15 years ago,

were being thrown out of auction houses. They simply weren't selling.

Nowadays, the situation is really quite different.

The Art Deco style is incredibly popular.

It fits with that sort of modern look,

clean-lined look that we've got.

And I could see in auction, that these two pieces, the chair,

I would have thought around £300-£500.

-And I think the table, around £400-£600.

-OK.

-Yeah. Very good.

-Does that please you?

-Yes, it does. That was £100.

-And that was £300.

-So, you've done well already then?

-Yes, thank you!

-LAUGHTER

-What's your favourite cocktail by the way?

-It is gin and tonic.

-Gin and tonic?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

-Well, you can have a double when you get back!

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Do you call it a tablecloth?

It was called a tablecloth when it was given to us.

The story was, that this was worked by Irish nuns

and presented to the Queen Mother.

And I understand that from time to time, the Queen Mother used to give

presents that she had received

to one of her charities and that's what happened.

-It's so white!

-Well, it wasn't white when it was purchased.

It was quite grubby.

And in fact, the couple who owned it put it in a bath of hot water

-and trod on it as though you were pressing grapes.

-Trampled it?!

-Trampled it.

-In a bath?!

-In a bath, yes.

And then spent a long time teasing out all of the little bits

and pieces, because they were all flattened.

And then, they had it mounted on this frame.

And that is again, in a big picture frame.

-So you have it as a picture at home?

-Yes.

-And do you love it?

-I love it.

Every time I visited them, I walked past it and it was in a hall

and I used to stop and admire it

and always find something new.

And we were at their house once when they were moving

and getting rid of a lot of things and having things valued,

and the valuer came through and said that he just didn't know what

to value it at, because he had never seen anything like it.

And I said to our friend, well, I think

-it should go in a museum because it is so unique.

-As a collection?

Yes. And he said, well it's not going in a museum because they have

lots of things they put in a cellar and you never see it again.

He said, I know what I'm doing with it,

and he said, I'd like you to take that home, because you

love it, you've got daughters that love nice things and you've got

granddaughters, and I would like it to be passed down your family!

Well, isn't that fantastic?!

We still seem to find new things, every time we look at it.

Well, I think this dates probably from between 1900 and 1910,

and in fact, you can't call it a tablecloth,

and it's not a quilt or a bedspread,

but what I think that this is, if we can think of it,

it's like a sampler.

I think that the overall impression of this is just, wow!

Can you imagine how long it would have taken?

And I think very often, when these things are done,

and I think this is a display piece, it is

to show, like a sampler, your craftsmanship, your excellence, and

in fact, the glory of this is that it's got this 3D quality.

-It's so lifelike. Right down to these little wisps of corn.

-Yes.

It's a tour de force.

Beauty is not always represented by pounds, shillings and pence.

In this instance, we can say it's glorious. Its value - £300.

-It's not valuable.

-No.

But it's fantastic and I'm so pleased to have seen it. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Standing here, you've got the perfect accessory for a Roadshow.

I mean, is it a family piece?

Yes, it's been in my family for many years.

I think, probably goes further than my great-grandfather.

A member of the family went to Australia or came back

from Australia and carved it and that's as much as I know.

-Onboard ship?

-Yes.

-Yes. I mean, that may be...

This is where provenance really comes in.

..that may be true, but that,

unless you can prove that, is going to be lost in history, really.

It IS made onboard ship.

I mean these would have been whaling ships,

where the most abundant resource would be whalebone. And teeth.

And you can see, typically here, for whalebone,

you've got this black flecking in there.

But it's such a lovely piece of carving.

You almost wonder what travels this would have been on.

I mean, you would have spent hours onboard ship, day after day,

sitting there with not much to do.

If you were on a whaling ship, this is the sort of thing you would do.

Sit there and carve this to bring home.

It would date from 1860, 1870, that sort of date.

-I mean, is it something you like?

-I absolutely love it.

Yeah, there is something so charming about this type.

It really is a form of artwork in itself.

It's a real shame that it isn't dated, or with the name of a ship.

I mean, that's quite rare in itself, but if it was dated, it would

be even more sort of interesting. And value wise,

around £1,500.

Goodness me!

Wow!

-My mother would love to know that!

-You look like you need

something to lean on, so I'll give you that back. Thank you very much.

-Thank you so much.

-I love this sort of artwork, so thank you very much

-for bringing it in.

-Oh, you're very welcome. Thank you.

Well, it looks as though a tornado ripped through this little

scene here. Tell me about this Chinese hut.

We think it's a theatre.

My grandfather brought it back from China, many, many years ago.

He was involved in the pottery business and ran a pottery

and he just saw it and I think in glazes, particularly,

because the company that he worked with,

particularly his own grandfather, father and grandfather, I think

were very interested in glazes.

Yeah. Well, I can see that absolutely appealing.

And what you have here is actually

a piece of theatre, quite literally.

This is a classic Chinese Theatre,

as you see in all of the great cities in China today.

Sadly, it's a piece of theatre where several of our players have

exited and you can see where they were, because there are little holes

in the stage where these figures would have popped in, like so.

And this table, standing at the back, which is

a permanent fixture, it's a part of the actual permanent stage

feature, has holes itself, and this is actually an alter table.

And it would have had a classic set of incense burners and

candlesticks, as you see on Chinese Buddhistic altars to this day.

But the fact that these figures are detachable suggest that it was, you

know, something that you could develop or you could play with.

Every large domestic dwelling in China

has a traditional three-courtyard construction

and very often has a temple-like theatre, like this.

So this is a glimpse of China. So these two little survivors

at the front, they're obviously engaged in a conversation.

Usually it was something to do with money or marriage.

But it's beautifully observed piece of ceramic construction.

Made in Guangdong, a southern province of China.

Date is late 19th-century or even early 20th.

And I'm slightly sort of foxed by this trough at the front.

Because on one side, we've got a dragon whose tail disappears

going through here and then it reappears coming out here.

And on my side, we've got a large carp, and if you look at them,

they've got a little hole in each and I had a jolly good

look inside to see how this works, because these are little fountains.

So this is an ornamental Chinese stoneware theatre,

which would have had a little fountain playing.

I mean, one is tempted to compare it with some of the Indian

restaurants one goes into today,

which have these tasteful little shrines of Buddhas, etc.

Certainly, these were expected to play as fountains.

It's really lovely. I feel quite jealous of that.

I think that's a great thing to have.

Difficult to put a value on a souvenir.

Probably, if you put it up for auction, it would

-fetch getting on for £1,000, maybe a little more.

-Yes.

Good, thank you very much indeed.

Anyone might be forgiven for thinking those were egg cups

or goodness knows what,

-but I understand, you probably realise they're napkin rings.

-Yes.

Have you any idea who the initials are?

The smaller of the two is my grandfather's.

It was given to him on his 21st birthday.

It was made by Omar Ramsden,

who had his studio just around the corner

from my great-grandfather's art studio.

-Really?

-In Fulham.

-Did they know each other?

-I believe they did, yes.

The larger of the two was given to my grandmother

-when my grandmother and grandfather got married in 1920.

-How fantastic.

The reason I picked them out is actually because these two

napkin rings tell a very interesting story of the period.

They are, the first one anyway, is made by Ramsden and Carr,

who were a firm of silversmiths working around the corner

-from your great-grandfather.

-Yes.

-The second one,

although more or less identical, is made by Alwyn Carr on his own.

And there is a very good reason why Alwyn Carr

is making it on his own.

It's because during the First World War, Omar Ramsden

stayed at home and Alwyn Carr went off to fight with the Artist Rifles,

who later became the SAS, in fact, but they weren't at the time.

And when he came back, he found that Omar Ramsden didn't need him

any more and so they went their separate ways.

You may have noticed that the hallmark on the slightly

older one was made in 1908 by Ramsden and Carr,

-but we've got this napkin ring which is 1920...

-Yes.

..which has got Alwyn Carr's mark solo,

demonstrating not only had the partnership well

and truly dissolved, but that Alwyn Carr carried on using

his own designs after he had ceased to be in business with Omar Ramsden.

Yes.

You may also like to know that small

and napkin ring-like as they are, they are quite collectable.

-That's good to know.

-Yes.

Alwyn Carr and Omar Ramsden both are big collectors areas,

and those two napkin rings would cost you about £400 each

if you went to a shop to try and buy them.

My goodness. They're our 25th wedding anniversary

present from Tom's dad.

-That's a very generous present!

-They're not going anywhere.

-Mind you, with a family connection, they need to stay put.

-They do.

-Absolutely.

-Staying in the family.

-Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, thank you. That's great.

Like most small boys, I had an interest in aeroplanes

and I made small, plastic ones, I graduated to three,

four-foot wingspan flying models that never got quite to this stage.

What took you here?

Well, my school was underneath the runway at RAF Sculthorpe in the '50s.

When Americans were here in force, flying over our school,

we had to stop lessons. I used to run and look out the windows

and I thought, this is for me. I'll build model planes.

Starting off with the small ones and it went from there,

and my father objected to it, because he was in the Navy

and the more he objected, the more I built the aeroplanes.

And I've been building them for 65 years.

But what you see here today with the lorry

and this one, is the last 42 years.

-42 years?

-Yes.

-How many planes in the lorry there?

-25.

We had a quick glance at them, no detail,

but they all look as remarkable as this one.

But this is the biggest, isn't it?

-This is the biggest and probably the last.

-How big is it?

That's a sixth scale.

And most people who don't know about aeroplanes

might be mistaken in thinking this is a Lancaster,

because that is the classic four-engine World War II bomber,

-but it isn't, is it?

-It's a Stirling

and Stirlings operated from here in 1942, where we are today.

-Are there any of these still flying?

-No.

-There's just the one Lancaster and none of these.

-That's correct.

Em...this is not a free flight model, is it?

It's on a tethered line, round and round on 120-foot steel wires.

-But it actually flies?

-They all fly, yes.

How long did it take you to build?

6,550 hours, spread over 15 years.

And are you interested in value?

I would like to know a value because one or two museums

in Europe and here are on the phone.

Right, if somebody really wants this, if it goes to a museum,

a static display of aircraft and it fills a niche,

it's got to be somewhere in the region of £10,000, in that area.

-Would you agree?

-Thank you very much.

Would you shoot me down at that?

No, I wouldn't dream of shooting you down. Thank you.

Well, we're here today in this beautiful sunshine

and you've brought this amazing necklace and locket here.

There's a photograph of a lady and a gentleman inside,

looking very pleased with themselves,

but also there seems to be some family resemblance. Who are they?

It's my grandmother and my grandfather on my mother's side.

And then if we look on the reverse...

..there's an inscription with a date around it.

The date on the back of the locket was their wedding day in 1908.

Oh, wonderful. And where would he have got this from?

He's actually made it himself.

He was an artist and oil painter and he also made jewellery

and taught jewellery, both at the art school in Barrow-in-Furness

and also as principal of Harrogate Art College.

Gosh, what an amazing husband to have,

someone who could actually make jewellery and obviously

appreciated all the arts and gave his wife such a fabulous present.

It's very typical of the Arts and Crafts movement

that was at its height roundabout this period

and it's interesting that he was based

up in Barrow because, of course,

we have the Keswick School Of Industrial Art in that area as well

and it was down to these schools of art

where these artists flourished

and took forward the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement.

He's used beautiful mabe pearls here,

which are slightly misshapen, but have a lovely lustre to them.

He's also used these delightful cabochon-cut sapphires,

which if I just pull the chain up a little bit,

we can really appreciate the lovely, delicate blue colour,

which through the cut, which has got a flat back and a domed surface,

has helped to intensify the colour

and he's also use that similar cut on the chrysoprase,

which we have here, which is a form of hard stone,

which not really many people appreciate today,

but was used extensively in Art Nouveau jewellery.

And the Arts and Crafts movement was about getting back to these

basics of handcrafted jewellery.

Now, sadly, a lot of the guilds

which were set up in local villages and homes,

where people were working together,

didn't succeed and a lot of them went out of business,

but those that did succeed,

such of the School Of Industrial Art in Keswick

and the Guild Of Handicrafts,

produced some amazing pieces of jewellery

and I think your grandfather was probably looking at

some of the key designers, such as Arthur Gaskin,

who was producing very similar examples of jewellery like this.

-Do you remember your grandfather?

-Yes, very much so.

-He taught me to draw.

-Wonderful.

And I've carried on doing quite a lot of artistic things since then.

Fantastic.

Well, it's great that you appreciate it as a work of art

and not just a piece of jewellery and, naturally,

I'm sure it's going to stay in the family for a very long time

and won't be sold, but if it did come on the open market,

because of the interest in Arts and Crafts jewellery,

particularly at the moment, I think it would fetch

somewhere between £1,500 and £2,000.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Oh, wow! I had no idea. Thank you.

-It's my pleasure.

I'm sure you're even more proud of your grandfather now.

-Yes! Thank you very much.

-Thank YOU very much.

This is such an unusual thing because it's unfinished.

Where did it come from?

My father bought it when he was 15 and it cost ten shillings.

He saw it in an antique shop in Sussex

and that's all I know about it.

That's a pretty unusual thing for a 15-year-old boy to buy.

He's always loved antiques, but yes, it's quite a feminine object.

It certainly is.

There is this wonderful doll-like lady sitting here,

in very opulent 17th-century dress

and I love all of these birds and insects -

moths, caterpillars, ladybirds.

I wonder why it wasn't finished.

Would it have been a wealthy person? Would she have got ill?

Died?

LAUGHTER

I don't know!

Well, I think there is a chance that whoever made this did die.

I mean, why else would something this beautiful

with such expensive materials be left unfinished?

But I also have another theory

and that is this mark that is running down the side of it.

Do you see here?

I wonder if the girl or lady who was stitching this

spilled something on it and possibly got into awful trouble.

If it was a young girl, she wouldn't have started out

working on satin and working in satin stitch with silk thread.

She would almost inevitably have started working on samplers,

which would have been on a linen ground

and so she would have worked her way up to this.

And to then leave it unfinished

is sort of almost inconceivable,

but it's one of those things that remains unknown.

It is so revealing, isn't it, because it's unfinished?

I have read about silk embroidered pictures being worked like this,

but I've never actually seen one on its frame.

-Do you have any idea of its date?

-No, not at all.

Well, it's definitely 17th-century and I would date it at around 1660.

What would it have been for?

It may well just have been as a small picture

to be framed and put on the wall,

but equally, you see a lot of boxes decorated in this way,

so it could have been the top of a box

and maybe there would have been then other sections

that the lady would have worked to make up the sides to it.

And that's really the beauty of it, that it's on this beech frame,

with the pegs holding the joints in place and I have to say,

I have never seen one in an unfinished state

on the frame that it was worked on around, what, 350 years ago.

-Very old.

-But I still think it's worth

-around £1,500.

-Wow!

That's a lot of money.

Take a look at this postcard.

It doesn't look anything out of the ordinary. It's to a Miss Cooper

near Leicester and it says,

"Dear Mary, does this surprise you? Of course, I couldn't stand aside.

"I hope our meeting is only deferred.

"Hope you are well, will write again later.

"Lots of love, yours affectionately, Tom."

It's only when you see the date, 1914,

that you realise that what Tom is telling Mary

is that he couldn't stand aside from the call to take up arms

on behalf of the country in the First World War.

Who knows if their meeting was just deferred or whether, in fact,

it ever happened?

We don't know if they ever met again or indeed if Mary ever married.

Of course, so many women of that generation never did marry.

So something rather ordinary,

once you look at it a bit more closely, becomes rather poignant.

Well, it's not that unusual on the Roadshow

for us to see horn beakers like this one here

and quite often they have a silver plaque on the front,

commemorating perhaps, a family event

or someone's retirement from work,

but when I read the inscription on your plaque,

I knew it was a bit special. So how long have you had this beaker?

-It's been in the family.

-So you inherited it?

-Yes, yes.

-OK.

Well, let's have a look at the inscription,

and we can see that it reads,

"Manufactured from the horn of an ox,

"roasted whole at the opening of

"the London and Southampton Railway, May 11, 1840."

And if we turn it round, we can see on the back,

there's a wonderful silver plaque with an engraving

of an early train, looking pretty much like Stephenson's Rocket.

And, of course, the date, 1840, in terms of railways, is pretty early.

Did your family have any connections with the railway or not?

Yes, I believe my adoptive mother's great-grandfather was

the person who put the money into...

-Into the railways?

-Yes.

Yes, well, obviously there was a great excitement

and I had never heard of the ox roast at the opening

of the London to Southampton Railway,

so I think railway historians could be very interested

by this particular beaker

and certainly, if this came up for auction,

-I could easily see it fetching £1,000, £1,500.

-Right.

Possibly a lot more because I've never seen anything like it before,

-it's a unique piece, so we'd just have to see.

-I'd better clean it!

I think a bit of silver polish might not go amiss!

-Thank you for bringing it in.

-You're very welcome.

Now, are you a fan of Madonna or Lady Gaga by any chance?

-Neither, particularly.

-Well, there we are.

The reason I mention it is that both of them would be fans of this.

-Oh, right.

-And that's important. We'll get to that bit later on.

It's a glass crucifix. Where did you find it?

I found it at a street fair in northern France about ten years ago.

-And did you pay a lot of money for it?

-Very little. Under £50.

-So little you couldn't remember.

-No.

Well, it's signed on the side, Rene Lalique,

the famous French glass designer and it's a great example of his work.

Also, this great chrome base is very Art Deco

and Lalique is best when he's in the Art Deco period,

so this is what the collectors are looking for.

And the reason I mentioned Madonna and Lady Gaga is because,

generally, religious stuff turns people off, but this is very stylish

and because the likes of Madonna and Lady Gaga...

Cher is a great collector of religious stuff as well,

so this has crossover appeal and because of its crossover appeal,

it's going to be worth more than the £50 or so you paid for it.

I think if that was in the right auction,

someone like Madonna or Cher or even Lady Gaga

-might pay £1,000 for it.

-Really?

-Yep.

-That was quite a good return on my francs then.

A very good return. Your prayers have been answered!

-You're a member of the Pugin family, aren't you?

-Yes, I am.

It's an extraordinary story. Where do you fit in, just remind me?

Well, I'm the great-great-grandson. My father, Michael Pugin Purcell,

was an accountant,

but his father, Charles, was an architect in Liverpool.

He finished... Pugin & Pugin finished in 1958 when he died.

So he carried on the family business in effect,

although it wasn't a family business, but yes.

I mean, Pugin has always been THE most intriguing man.

One ends up in life with heroes, groups of them,

and he certainly became one of mine. His achievements are so astonishing.

I mean, we haven't time to go through it now, but he was

one of THE great designers of the 19th century,

and really, in many ways, the founder of modern Britain,

in the way we live and the way we look today.

If I just say the Palace of Westminster,

the Houses of Parliament, I think people get the idea.

You know, he was creator of modern Gothic.

What always intrigued me about him

was his private life, his personal life.

He was married several times, he had many children

and his last wife, Jane, was always somehow an intriguing figure.

I mean, you must have been much more drawn into it than I,

but she was much younger than him

-and, I think, she survived him by over 50 years.

-That's right.

She was married for four years and then a widow for 57 years

-and she buried both her children.

-So an astonishing thing.

And what intrigues me most of all

is seeing here, a photograph of her I have never seen before.

Well, it could have been an engagement present in about 1847.

Yes, it's an early daguerreotype. It fits in with that period.

The dress she is wearing and the jewellery is not designed by him

and, in most later photographs, she's wearing his jewellery.

It's when she's called a truly Gothic woman.

I know and I've always loved that statement.

"At last," he says, "I have a truly Gothic woman."

I spent the last 20 years wondering,

what is a truly Gothic woman and none the nearer knowing!

Well, she brought up the grandchildren

and also promoted local charities and the St Augustine School.

That's right, she was a great woman, but there she is

and I'm sure this is a picture no-one has ever seen before.

We've got her here again, obviously much older,

-with two of her grandchildren.

-That's Charles.

-That's him?

Yes, and Mary, who married a Mr Riddell.

Right, so there is a direct link here between her and him?

-That's right.

-And, of course, Pugin's house,

The Grange in Ramsgate in Kent, survives.

It's owned now by the Landmark Trust,

it's been restored very much to his time

and seeing that, with this immensely complicated,

colourful and dynamic design, shows how people lived.

And, of course,

he designed most of the things as well as the decoration

for that house, which takes us really onto here,

because this is a fairly conventional

Gothic-revival candlestick.

You think, "Well, nothing special about it,"

until you look there and this is Pugin's personal badge,

en avant, his motto, with that strange bird.

-A little martlet.

-Martlet bird, yes.

-And it's marked on here. He had this.

-In his house.

It was in his house, he designed it, it was made by Hardman,

but that doesn't really matter. What matters is I can imagine him

-walking around the house carrying this. Can you?

-Yes

and he used to look out to sea if ships were in danger

-and want to help them.

-Well, he was a great sailor, too.

But the fact that this comes from that house

is like, sort of touching history really.

Of course, because he's such an important figure, I mean,

these are family photographs, wonderful visions of their life

and, of course the life that went on after his death in 1852.

This is a tangible object.

Now, if we looked at this, as I say, mid-Victorian,

late-Victorian candlestick, it would have been one of a pair...

Without the badge, I'd see those in a shop

and I'd think, "£150 a pair, nothing special."

Turn that round...

..and suddenly it's something different.

You know, that on its own must be at least £1,000

and if you had the pair, much, much more,

because it's HIS thing and that's what makes things different.

Once you've put the person back into the object,

it's a completely different story.

Now, of course,

I haven't actually thought about the value of Jane's photograph.

I mean, it's a very early daguerreotype.

It's in very good condition, it's unfaded.

If we just take it as a photograph without any connections,

it's between £50 and £100, possibly more, just because of what it is.

A hitherto unknown photograph of Jane Knill, Pugin's wife and widow,

I think goes towards £500

because it's a wonderful image of her and one otherwise unseen.

It is beautiful and even the hairstyle

makes you think of early Victorian.

Well, as you say, it's 1847. It's a fantastic object, as well.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Well, here's a brooch gleaming in the sunshine

and I rather want to know how it is with you.

-Was it given to you?

-Yes, it was.

-And who gave it to you?

-My husband.

-That's very good, isn't it?

Jewellery-buying husbands are almost an extinct species. They're...

But this is a most beautifully chosen one

and I think it's got a very interesting subliminal message,

which is only secondary to what I'm going to

tell you next, actually.

In fact, it signifies forever luck in love.

He's a horseshoe for luck, the diamonds are forever

and a little sprig of mistletoe,

a little amatory significance there, so forever luck in love,

but from your husband and how often does he buy you bits of jewellery?

Every now and again I get a little surprise.

-For your anniversary and for your birthday?

-No, just out of the blue.

Out of the blue!

And he buys that as a complete surprise to you,

-you'd never seen it before?

-No.

-Astounding.

I had a little look at it earlier and, on the back,

there's a series of hallmarks and they are significant

to what I'm going to tell you next.

Well, this is a sequence of hallmarks that not only tells me

that this brooch is made in Russia in 1900,

but there's also a hallmark there that tells me

that this is made by the most famous goldsmith that ever lived.

This is a brooch by Carl Faberge.

Lovely.

And it says 56 because there are 56 parts of pure gold in the alloy

and it's made for the immediate circle

of the Emperor and Empress of Russia.

They were avid shoppers at Faberge and they bought

exactly this sort of thing to give away

and in this case, it's made of gold

and decorated with this very interesting orange-coloured enamel

and diamonds and it's a sentimental thing

and it did that job for somebody,

perhaps in the circle of Nicholas and Alexandra,

but it did that job for you, as well, didn't?

-Yes.

-Amazing, really. Can't believe it's happened.

Can't believe it's happened to me, actually,

because it's a wonderful voyage of discovery

and these sort of brooches,

not only because of their amatory significance,

but because of the context and the excitement of the maker,

have been offered at auction and they have fetched as much as,

-well, £10,000.

-Really?!

No! It can't be!

I can't see any reason why this wouldn't fetch that, actually.

-Really?

-Yes. And you have a gem of a jewel,

-but apparently a gem of a husband as well.

-Yeah, lucky day, isn't it?

Yes, you are a lucky girl, no questions at all.

-Thank you so much.

-Wonderful, lovely.

Look at this poster.

It's for an air display commemorating the Battle of Britain.

1947, flying trips, grand air pageant, mock air attack,

the whole works.

And it took place here at Royal Air Force Marham all those years ago

and a visitor brought it along today and has very kindly

donated it to the personnel here at the base,

so David Cooper, you're the base commander.

Where are you going to put it?

It's an extremely generous donation from the public.

I can only think it will have to go in station headquarters

and take pride of place there.

Sounds just right. Well, from the Antiques Roadshow here at RAF Marham

and all the RAF personnel who've helped us so generously

and all those Tornadoes that kept going overhead,

until next week, bye-bye.

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