0:00:02 > 0:00:04When Sir Walter Scott described Edinburgh as
0:00:04 > 0:00:07"Yon Empress of the North with her stately halls and holy towers",
0:00:07 > 0:00:11I think it's safe to say he would have included the setting of today's venue.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Welcome to the Antiques Roadshow from the Scottish National Gallery
0:00:14 > 0:00:15of Modern Art in Edinburgh.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02When this imposing building was completed in 1833,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04it opened its doors, not as a museum,
0:01:04 > 0:01:09but as the Dean Orphan Hospital for Poor Working Class Orphans.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11The idea was to create a building
0:01:11 > 0:01:13that would not be mean in its appearance
0:01:13 > 0:01:17or resemble an ordinary workhouse or penitentiary.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I mean, look at it - it certainly does not look like a workhouse!
0:01:20 > 0:01:23You can see why it was nicknamed The Pauper's Palace.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It wasn't really a hospital as such,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29more a home and school for nearly 100 children.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34This book of photographs was presented to every child as they left,
0:01:34 > 0:01:39and it gives you a wonderful insight into life in The Pauper's Palace.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42I mean, look at this one, the Matron's sick room,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45I mean, it's wonderfully staged, but none the less,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47it does give you an idea of what life was like.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51All the children in their smart uniforms
0:01:51 > 0:01:55were taught their three R's together in one big classroom.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The girls would then learn domestic duties like sewing,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01laundry and cooking, while the boys looked after the garden
0:02:01 > 0:02:03and grounds with a bit of spare time for PE.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09They were long days. Up at 6am, in bed by 9pm.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Look at these matrons here. I bet they were pretty severe.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18It stopped being an orphanage in 1947
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and became part of the National Galleries of Scotland in 1999,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26but there are still a few clues to its former life.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31The banisters were especially high to stop children sliding down.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34And if any child did manage to climb up here,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36these studs would make the eyes water.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43And windows like this were built into most rooms
0:02:43 > 0:02:45so that passing teachers, or matrons,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48could look out for naughty children.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Today it's been transformed into the home
0:02:53 > 0:02:55for Scotland's leading art collection,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59a perfect backdrop as our experts prepare to meet our visitors outside.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02If you want to see your antiques knowledge is top of the class,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04why not play along with our valuation game?
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Press the red button on your remote control,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09use the app or go to the Roadshow website.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Well, this is in marked contrast to today, really, isn't it?
0:03:14 > 0:03:16There's obviously been a ghastly storm
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and something absolutely horrendous has happened. What?
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This is the Eyemouth fishing disaster.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24It was painted in 1882,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- but the actual disaster was in November 1881.- Right.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32And Eyemouth is a little town just off the east coast of Scotland
0:03:32 > 0:03:36between Dunbar and Berwick, and in this particular disaster,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38the night before it was a flat calm, they all went out to fish.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Oh, because they thought it was safe and a good time?
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Yes, and they were out fishing.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- With the tide. - With the tide and so on.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47It was low tide and suddenly this huge storm appeared
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and all the fishing boats tried to get back into the harbour,
0:03:50 > 0:03:52but there were lots of rocks and things round Eyemouth.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Because it was low tide.- Yes. - Because it was a drying harbour.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58- That's right, yes.- And normally they'd wait for the tide to be up.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02So a terrible storm in November at a low tide,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05so a lot of the boats were lost actually on the rocks, they couldn't
0:04:05 > 0:04:09get into the harbour, and Eyemouth lost about a third of the fishermen.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- That many?- Yes, that many.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16There were about 186 men who died, and the tragic thing was that
0:04:16 > 0:04:20actually most of them were lost just outside the gates of the harbour.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Oh, my God, so their families could watch it happening.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Yes, they could watch it happening and they couldn't save them
0:04:26 > 0:04:28because the rocks were just... It was just so bad.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30So they were watching their own families being killed.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34And this particular, I think this is probably the next day,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37this is a dead fisherman being brought ashore,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40but what really... Is the look on the woman's face
0:04:40 > 0:04:42as she's looking out to sea.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Oh, my goodness, it's searing, isn't it? Searing.- And so, so sad.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48In fact, the whole picture really hinges on her face, doesn't it?
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Absolutely, the light here just seems to shine on her face.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53This baleful light after the storm.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Yes, I think that's the composition of it
0:04:55 > 0:04:58just absolutely draws you to that woman's face.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02It's a remarkable piece of painting, that figure grouping there actually,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05it's almost a pieta, if you know that expression,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09it's when the Holy Family grieves over the crucified Christ.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12But as you rightly say, her face is unbelievably expressive
0:05:12 > 0:05:14and in a way, very theatrical.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18- Mm, yes.- Not melodramatic but dramatic.- Yes, yes.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19- And it involves us all.- Yes.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22And I wonder, too, whether this breaking light,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- so presumably it's dawn. - I think it must be dawn.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Yes, because that's when they might have found
0:05:27 > 0:05:28a washed up body on the shore.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- Yes.- When the light comes.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34And is it perhaps hope, do you think, a symbol of hope?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I think it probably is. It's a renewal, isn't it?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- And the children, the renewal. - That's right, yes.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42- So she has at least got them. - Yes.- It's heartbreaking.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The children that were left, there was a public collection
0:05:45 > 0:05:49and a lot of the children, their education was catered for by the...
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- By huge public sympathy. - Yes, yes, that's right.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56This picture might have been part of that public response, do you think?
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I think it probably was.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01We do have a signature down there, don't we?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Yes, it's painted by Michael Brown,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- J. Michael Brown, who's an Edinburgh artist.- Yes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08I bought it on a whim, really. I went to an auction
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and was going to buy a painting by a different artist
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and it went for more than I was prepared to pay,
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- but I paid four times as much for this painting.- Ooof!
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Because...I bought it on a whim, I'd never seen it before,
0:06:22 > 0:06:23but I knew the artist,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I knew Michael Brown because he paints golfing paintings.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- And you're into golf? - We're a golfing family.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31What an extraordinary tangent to go out on, though.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33So what was it... It just grabbed you?
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Absolutely grabbed me. - Straight into your heart strings.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38I just thought, I had to have it, I just had to have it.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- But it was exhibited in 1883.- Right.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- In the Royal Scottish Academy. - Academy, right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45So tell me, three times what you were prepared to pay
0:06:45 > 0:06:47for another picture, was how much?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50I spent, well, it was £6,000 plus the commissions.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Plus all the bits.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Yes, that's right, and about five years ago.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58It is a very instructive picture and a very well painted one,
0:06:58 > 0:06:59and an interesting one.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03And for that reason I think I'm going to value it at what you paid for it,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06which I suppose with commission is £7,000.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Yes, I thought you'd say that.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10THEY LAUGH TOGETHER
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Thank you very much, thank you.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Did you buy this up here?
0:07:15 > 0:07:20No, I inherited it about 15 years ago, it was my parents',
0:07:20 > 0:07:24they bought it in Somerset, about 1947.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Well, it is legal to bring this across the border
0:07:27 > 0:07:30between England and Scotland.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Should you decide to go on holiday in Europe or America
0:07:33 > 0:07:38and take this with you, unusual perhaps, it would be illegal.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It would need a special licence.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Go on.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The wood here, this lovely wood,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53is Brazilian rosewood from the Atlantic forests of Brazil.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Mm-hmm.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59It was imported into Europe in huge quantities in the 19th century,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and this table is mid 19th century.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05It was imported in such huge quantities that it's now
0:08:05 > 0:08:09an endangered species, so like ivory, turtle-shell,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- it needs what's called a CITES licence.- Right.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13To move it in and out of a country.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17It's... You amaze me.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19There must be hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands,
0:08:19 > 0:08:24of pieces of furniture like this in the UK which people are perfectly
0:08:24 > 0:08:27innocent about this, which is fine if you don't move them around.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28But if you moved that to say...
0:08:28 > 0:08:32If you moved to France, buy a house in France,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and you come back into England with it a few years later,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and it was spotted by customs and you didn't have the right papers,
0:08:38 > 0:08:39you'd be in trouble.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Well, it's not going anywhere.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44But this is a point I want to make, this wonderful, wonderful timber
0:08:44 > 0:08:48which was so popular in the 19th century, and indeed popular today
0:08:48 > 0:08:51as an antique, needs a licence to move it around.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54That's very, very important, just the same as ivory or turtle-shell.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56I do want to look at the table very quickly
0:08:56 > 0:08:59because it's a very sweet, ordinary table of about 1850.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02But there's something... The reason I asked you where it was bought
0:09:02 > 0:09:06is it's got a Scottish feel about it, those barley twist legs.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10Post Trotter of Edinburgh but you know, maybe that's coincidental.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14We'll never know who made it, it's an anonymous piece,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17and it's nice that it's continued in the family for a long time.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21We always value pieces on the Roadshow.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23This has got a little bit of damage on it, hasn't it?
0:09:23 > 0:09:28But, you know, this was worth the same 30 years ago as it is today,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31amazingly, it just hasn't gone up in price.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35About £1,000, £1,500 at auction.
0:09:36 > 0:09:42Well, that's certainly significantly more than my parents paid for it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much, thank you.
0:09:45 > 0:09:51- You've given me a little Wemyss egg, and isn't it a little sweetie?- It is.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54How did it come to be in your possession, was it an Easter gift?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58No, it wasn't, I inherited it from my father.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02He had a modest collection of Wemyss Ware,
0:10:02 > 0:10:07and that is what I felt was the most unusual piece that I have,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11and I was interested to know more about it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15My father wondered if it perhaps had been an apprentice piece.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- I don't think it's an apprentice piece.- Oh.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22And the reason I say that is because the roses are beautifully painted.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28They're painted in such a way, and in the style of Karol Nekola,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- who was the head decorator at the factory.- Yes.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34What I do think it is, I think this has probably been what is
0:10:34 > 0:10:38called a comfort egg, which has been put under a laying chicken when
0:10:38 > 0:10:42they have no eggs to encourage them to lay, because it just doesn't have
0:10:42 > 0:10:47the surface finish of a Christening egg and it's quite narrow as well.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And you do get eggs made for Christenings and I think somebody
0:10:50 > 0:10:53has probably just said, "Could you decorate me an egg?"
0:10:53 > 0:10:54How interesting.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57So I'm not saying it's the only one, but I've never seen one,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01and I've seen a lot of Wemyss. Wemyss is still very popular,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05but of course, like lots of collectables, people want
0:11:05 > 0:11:10the rarest things, and that little egg, if that came to auction,
0:11:10 > 0:11:15a collector is going to want to have it and there would be a fight on,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and that fight would probably go to at least £2,000.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20CROWD GASPS
0:11:23 > 0:11:25My goodness me!
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- So that's several dozens of eggs.- Oh!
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Interestingly, looking at these things here is a bit like being
0:11:34 > 0:11:39home from home, because I've got a collection of these,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41but I think your collection probably has the edge on mine.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43You know what they are, don't you?
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Well, I know that they are weights made in, I think in Ghana,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49to weigh gold.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51That's exactly what they are.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55My cousin bought them when he was there in the 1940s,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and he came back and he brought all these.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00And he particularly left them to me
0:12:00 > 0:12:04because I did VSO in Ghana in the '60s.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- I see.- I've a few more myself, but not as nice as these ones.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12No, they are a nice, little, interesting, comprehensive collection.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18Gold was central to Ashanti, they were a kingdom, obviously in Ghana.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- Yes.- That became in the 19th century known as the Gold Coast.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Because gold was central to their art and beliefs,
0:12:25 > 0:12:30and on a political level, it also asserted their power
0:12:30 > 0:12:34over other regions, because gold always attracts power.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And they traded a lot with other kingdoms,
0:12:37 > 0:12:42even as far away as North Africa and so on.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And the whole of the Ashanti kingdom was therefore
0:12:45 > 0:12:50involved in the manufacture and producing of gold,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53because they had their own natural resources in the south of the kingdom
0:12:53 > 0:12:57and everybody involved in the industry would have to have gold weights,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00which were a standardised measure, and they would know
0:13:00 > 0:13:04what each measure represented by the figures very often, and the shapes.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09And the early shapes were nearly always geometric, so this one,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13that one, that one, they're probably earlier than the figurative ones.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15How early would they have been?
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- Well, they can be as early as the 17th century.- Oh.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I don't know if there are any quite that early here,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25and I think most of these are 19th century, if not all of them,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27but they're still from early styles.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30And the figurative ones and the animal ones
0:13:30 > 0:13:31usually relate to Ashanti proverbs.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35- Oh, right.- Don't ask me what the proverbs are, because I don't know.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39But they do. So sometimes you see figures doing strange things
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and it will relate to a proverb.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44And this is a wonderful little collection. Do you like them?
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I do, I do, yes.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Because I love them, and actually I've got one of those,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52that's one of my favourites, it's just a tied knot.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55These are mud fish biting each other's tails,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- and these are boxes for storing the gold dust in.- Right.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Look, that's very nice. And they would have had scoops
0:14:02 > 0:14:06for putting the gold dust into these boxes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11- And these things have quite a reasonable value, actually.- Right.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13- Have you ever had them valued? - No, no.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15- No idea whatsoever?- No.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Well, the one I've got like this cost me £30.
0:14:19 > 0:14:26But there are about 22 items there averaging about £30 each,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29that's... that's £700, isn't it?
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- Good heavens.- But that's just for the weights.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- And the boxes, £400-£500 for the boxes.- Good heavens.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37So that's something like £1,200 on this table.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41That's a lot of... That's much more than I ever thought.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44- It's a very nice little collection. - Lovely, thank you.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I was hoping, when I came to Edinburgh,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54I would see a work by Jack Vettriano, who is, without doubt,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57one of the most interesting painters, I think, in Scotland,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59painting at the moment.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02And he's a very controversial figure.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05I mean, he shot to fame in the 1990s
0:15:05 > 0:15:08with these classic sort of Frank Sinatra,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13almost cinemagraphic pictures and he became very popular.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Everyone tried to buy his pictures,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18and yet the art world was a bit sniffy about his work
0:15:18 > 0:15:21and felt that he wasn't a great painter
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and that he wasn't original, he wasn't a modernist.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28But somehow he captured the heart of the nation
0:15:28 > 0:15:33and one of his most famous pictures is called The Singing Butler
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and it has, you know, people on a beach
0:15:35 > 0:15:37with the butler holding an umbrella and they're dancing
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and it's actually an incredibly romantic picture,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44but it's the number one selling reproduction,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47certainly in the UK and it might well be in Europe.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And again, you know, it's the people that are dictating
0:15:50 > 0:15:53that this is an artist they love and they respect
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and here we have a wonderful portrait,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and I'm even more excited to know that it's you!
0:15:58 > 0:16:01- Unfortunately, it is, yes. - I think that's fantastic.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I met him in sort of 1990, 1991.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05- Right, OK.- So it was...
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Well, it was an exciting time for him,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- because it was on the back of his pictures getting into the RSA...- Ah.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13..and then '92 was his first solo exhibition.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- First major exhibition.- Yeah.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18But I'm just really interested and I want to know more.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20How did you meet him? Why did you meet him?
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- I was living in a flat in the west end of Edinburgh...- Right.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27..and Jack moved into a flat downstairs and then I moved out,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30but we kept in touch and it just really went from there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I mean, as I say, it was an exciting time for him -
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- he was getting ready for the first show...- Yeah.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- ..and he asked me if I'd take sort of photographs...- Ah!
0:16:37 > 0:16:39- ..in his studio...- Right.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41..of his work before it went to the framers for hanging.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- OK. So are you a photographer by profession?- No. No, no.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47I mean, he was great and he always encouraged me in what I was doing.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- Yeah.- I mean, I've got a few, I've got this here.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Look at that! What a cool photograph.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55So I took a series of portraits for him and this particular one was used
0:16:55 > 0:16:58in his first catalogue and another one I took was used
0:16:58 > 0:17:02in his second catalogue for the London exhibition later that year.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04That's a seriously good photograph.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07- And that one is from the first show in Edinburgh.- Oh, right.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09And again it just shows the pictures in situ
0:17:09 > 0:17:11and the famous Singing Butler there.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I think these are really interesting photographs
0:17:14 > 0:17:18because it seems to me, in this exhibition,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22I guess in '92 his works were worth what, under a thousand pounds?
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- Yeah.- And then it may have been, I can't remember exactly,
0:17:26 > 0:17:27probably ten years ago,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30I was actually the auctioneer when we were selling The Singing Butler
0:17:30 > 0:17:32and I remember we had 24 telephones
0:17:32 > 0:17:37and collectors from all over the world, from America, from the UK,
0:17:37 > 0:17:43and they went mad and it made over £800,000, this picture.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Well, what a great... And this portrait,
0:17:45 > 0:17:46can you remember it being done?
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I can, yeah, I remember being sat in the chair
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- and I was just in my jeans and T-shirt.- Yeah, yeah.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55And then it was my birthday in the October and he turned up with this.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Isn't that wonderful? Well, I think it's a fantastic portrait,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I love it, I mean it's quite sketchy and, you know,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I would have probably said it was worth a bit more a few years ago
0:18:04 > 0:18:06when he was sort of at the height of the market,
0:18:06 > 0:18:11when there was this sort of bounce off from The Singing Butler price.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- I mean, I think £6,000 to £8,000, something like that.- OK.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Which is not bad, I suppose.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17It's such a personal thing
0:18:17 > 0:18:19and I want to be able to sort of live with it,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22and enjoy it for what it was. It's just an incredible gift, you know.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Thank you.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Now I'm looking at a mountain of bits and pieces
0:18:27 > 0:18:29which I know contain a great story
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and the clue really is in this first photograph.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I'm looking at a photograph of a football team.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41The key is on the top where it says "RRS Discovery II First XI"
0:18:41 > 0:18:44which takes us straight into Antarctica, am I right?
0:18:44 > 0:18:46You're absolutely right, yes.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48And so why am I looking at this football team?
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Because one of the handsome chaps in that photograph is my father,
0:18:53 > 0:18:58- who is this chap here.- So this chap, L. Thomas, is your dad.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03- That's right. - So he is an Antarctic explorer.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- He was.- Was.- He was, yes.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08OK, now let's just look at a couple more pictures.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- I've got three very stalwart looking chaps there.- Yeah.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Is one of them him?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Yes, it's this chap here looking like a fitter in a boiler suit,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20all bundled up with I don't know how many jumpers underneath,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23but none of your lovely cool weather gear you get nowadays.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Now how old was he then?
0:19:24 > 0:19:29He would have been about 18, 19. He went to join The Discovery
0:19:29 > 0:19:32at 17 and a half, so maybe this is a couple of years later.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36I mean, what astonishes me is that they could be playing in the park
0:19:36 > 0:19:37in Edinburgh, couldn't they, on a nice day?
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Well, in those clothes, yes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43That's what I mean. We think of how amazingly hi-tech
0:19:43 > 0:19:46- all that exploration is today.. - Absolutely.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- ..and they were just wearing ordinary clothes.- Yeah.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Anything they sort of bought in the Army surplus shop, it looks like.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- Yes, yes.- How did they survive in those extreme conditions?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Well, I know it was pretty brutal, they were lucky -
0:19:58 > 0:20:01at least they were beside the ship, they had the ship nearby,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04they weren't trekking miles, he wasn't involved in that part of it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- He wasn't doing a Shackleton. - No, he wasn't.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10But I think there was a couple of times
0:20:10 > 0:20:14they were on a little rowboat and it got turned over as it landed...
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- Yes.- ..and they had to spend the night underneath the rowboat
0:20:17 > 0:20:21in their wet, sogging clothes in the cold, so I know he survived that.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- Well, that's a real Shackleton experience.- It was, yes.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26And just to get this straight,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- of course we're not talking about Captain Scott's Discovery.- No.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31We're talking about the later Discovery.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33What was his job on this ship?
0:20:33 > 0:20:37He was a humble engineer-room boy, I think,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39and I think he'd read Scott's books
0:20:39 > 0:20:44and been inspired and when Discovery was in Portsmouth,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47he wrote to the captain and asked if he could join
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and he was told, no, there was no room.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53A few days later, a telegram arrives from London,
0:20:53 > 0:20:58they have somebody ill, could he fill the space? And the rest is history.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00What date are we?
0:21:00 > 0:21:06He joined in '29 and did five trips over ten years from '29 to '39.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- To and from the Antarctic? - That's right.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10But he was working in the engine room
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and I think that's a very good point again,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14there's the ship, it's quite a modern-looking ship,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17built for that purpose or adapted for that purpose,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and we forget, you know, it's not just about the great heroes
0:21:20 > 0:21:22who do the great achievements and the great treks -
0:21:22 > 0:21:24someone's got to cook the breakfast,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26someone's got to fire up the engines,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30someone's got to clean the lavatories - ordinary life goes on.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Now, the diaries are obviously very comprehensive
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and I love them because they're so full of information,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39everything he did written about, drawings about things he saw,
0:21:39 > 0:21:40they really bring it to life.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I love it because it's a young boy's writing,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46it's his 17-year-old boy's scrawl.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- It must have been so exciting for him.- Oh! It must have blown him away.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51And of course when we talk about drawings,
0:21:51 > 0:21:52he was a great watercolourist.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Very much so. He won a scholarship, as a young boy of about 15,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59to the local art school but because he was one of 11 children,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02he basically had to go out and earn a crust,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05and so his mother couldn't afford to let him go.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07I mean, to me, these are actually the most exciting things.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10- Cos what they tell us is it's not a white wilderness.- No.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- It's full of colour and of course this is the summer, so you're seeing..- At its best.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17..summer landscape, the snow has dropped and the ice has dropped back
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and these visions of what it was like...
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I've always wanted to go there and I just think
0:22:22 > 0:22:24now I know it looks like that,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26I want to go there even more, you know.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28What are you going to do with his story?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Well, I hope they will go into one of the polar archives,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33the Antarctic, British Antarctic Survey or something.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Yes, that would be a natural place for them.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- And then I want them to be available to people, to come and look at.- Yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Not to be in a stuffy box somewhere and never seen again.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45As long as they're safe, as long as they're accessible, it doesn't really matter.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- Secure and conserved.- The British Antarctic Survey is a perfect place.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- Yeah.- Now, I know there's one more thing I've got here.- Yes.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Which of course is a very exciting thing.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59In this box is the famous Polar Medal with the Antarctica bar on it,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02so it's a gallantry medal of a different kind.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04It's recognition of the effort and time.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's recognition of that extraordinary effort
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and effort and cold and difficulties.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14Now it's a very difficult collection to value,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17because the obvious piece, that has a known value,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21you know you're looking at £1,000, £2,000 or something like that.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- But that's neither here nor there. - No.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27The value of the totality is extraordinary
0:23:27 > 0:23:31because this is, I think I'm going to use a dangerous word,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35- I think this is a unique archive, because of who he was.- OK. Yes.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37And therefore how do you value it?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40It must be £10,000, £15,000.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Oh, my word! Oh, gosh!
0:23:43 > 0:23:45And it sits around in bags and boxes and...
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- Yeah, but it doesn't matter, it's with you.- Yes.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50And it's your story and it's his story, thank you very much.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51Thank you.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58On a day like today, which is baking hot,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01they're actually looking rather sort of cool in those silk robes.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- So they are.- What do you know about it?
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Well, it was supposed to be ploughed up in a field down in Ayrshire,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08but I know nothing else about it.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13I mean, what I love about it is the simplicity of its form.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17It's so beautifully carved. I mean, the clue really is in the outfits,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- this to me is Indo-Portuguese. - Right.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- So, who found it in a field? - I don't know, I really don't know.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- How did it come into your family? - I don't know, my grandmother had it years and years
0:24:28 > 0:24:32and I can remember when I was small, and that's all I can tell you.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33Because that's quite a story,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35but then in some ways actually that works.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39You can see there the arm is broken and the hand is broken,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42but that's been done such a long time,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45because there is actually ingrained dirt into there,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47which would fit in with your story of it being buried.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51But another sign of real quality is when you spin it round,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54they don't stop at the front. Look at the child's arm,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57just the way it folds round the shoulder, that's just another sign.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00All of this pleating here, finished at the back,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04- someone really wanted to make this as good as they could.- Right.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07But I think this actually would have been polychromed or painted,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11- decorated.- Right.- You can see just little traces of colour.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- And the eyes would have been painted.- Right.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18And that's very typical of this type of work, carved in ivory,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21dated from, I think, 1790, 1800, in date.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Gosh. I always thought it was a wee bone, not ivory,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27that's why I brought it today.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Well, it's not bone, it's ivory, it's beautifully carved
0:25:31 > 0:25:34- and I collect this sort of thing, but the damage...- Yeah.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38..means it's not worth a reasonable amount of money.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42It's lovely, it's pretty, but...
0:25:42 > 0:25:44..£500.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Oh, 500!
0:25:47 > 0:25:52Wow! I nearly never brought it, my husband said, "Bring it." Gosh!
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Iridescent Art Nouveau glass, and what is iridescence?
0:25:58 > 0:26:02Well, if anybody ever wanted to know the answer to that question,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04this answers it.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06So where does it float into your life?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Floated into my life a few years ago,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11when I was clearing my parents' house,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14it had been in the attic.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16They actually moved from a bigger house to a smaller house
0:26:16 > 0:26:19and thank goodness it was kept in the attic
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and, when I saw it, I just thought it was absolutely beautiful.
0:26:22 > 0:26:28Erm, I had a neighbour who collected glass and said it was lovely,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and I should do something about it, but of course I never did.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32And how long ago was all this?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34It was about five, six years ago.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- So the glass coming to you has liberated it...- Absolutely.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42..from the dismal dust dungeon that it's been inhabited.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I mean, when I say dust dungeon...
0:26:44 > 0:26:47It's funny, I've always thought that I could make a fortune
0:26:47 > 0:26:49bringing up washing up liquid to Edinburgh
0:26:49 > 0:26:50as you clearly don't have it up here.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52CROWD LAUGHS
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I'm really embarrassed, because it's been on a shelf in our sitting room.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Well, it does look more as if it's just come straight out of the loft,
0:26:59 > 0:27:00and when I say it's floated into you,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04see, it's actually flown in, because this is papillon.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- What's papillon? - Butterfly.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Butterfly, it's called papillon.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12The effect is the butterfly effect by Loetz,
0:27:12 > 0:27:17they are Austrian/Bohemian glass makers.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20This dates to pretty well 1900,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23the style is Art Nouveau in capital letters,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28and it's a peach. I mean, this stuff is popular and anybody who says,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31"Why is that the case?" should have surgery, actually.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Or at least go and buy some glasses.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39It's a beauty and 1900 Loetz, papillon effect and
0:27:39 > 0:27:42well, your kind of "found in the loft" is, at auction,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44£600 to £800.
0:27:44 > 0:27:45Wow.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47SHE LAUGHS
0:27:47 > 0:27:50That's very, very nice indeed, I'm shocked.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- Sorry!- It would benefit from some washing.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Yeah, OK!
0:27:55 > 0:27:57THEY LAUGH
0:27:57 > 0:27:58I'll do that as soon as I get home.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01You'd better, because I'm coming round later to check ya!
0:28:03 > 0:28:06There are a thousand reasons for coming to Scotland,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and one of them is of course going in search of Robbie Burns,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10and I've found him already.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14It's wonderful. A two-verse poem or song completely in his own hand.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19- Yes.- Is this yours?- Yes, it is, it's my dad's and he left it to me.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23My wife's no' dusted it for a long time
0:28:23 > 0:28:27but it's been there hanging up and I quite enjoy it -
0:28:27 > 0:28:28it's something unusual.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32It's certainly something unusual. He is, he's the national poet,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35but an original manuscript by Robbie Burns,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I find that really exciting.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40In fact, I was so excited, I was just a little bit worried
0:28:40 > 0:28:42that what I was looking at behind the glass
0:28:42 > 0:28:44perhaps wasn't an original -
0:28:44 > 0:28:46perhaps, it was some kind of copy, so good is it.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49His hand is so bold, the signature's just perfect.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52I was looking at it and thinking, "Is this a copy?"
0:28:52 > 0:28:55But I've looked at it pretty closely -
0:28:55 > 0:28:57the ink sits in the paper just right,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00it sits over the folds absolutely perfectly.
0:29:00 > 0:29:01Do you know anything else about it?
0:29:01 > 0:29:07Well, I was told it was from Burns to his editor and that's all I know.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09My mother sent it a long time ago to be framed
0:29:09 > 0:29:12and I don't know anything else about that much.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- So, since then, it's sat on your wall, you've enjoyed it.- Yes.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Do me a favour and give me a quick rendition of some of it.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20I could read it, but it wouldn't sound as good.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Don't sound as good for me.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24"O Betty will break my bread,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26"And Betty will brew my ale,
0:29:26 > 0:29:28"And Betty will be my love
0:29:28 > 0:29:29"When I come over the dale".
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- Thank you very much.- Welcome.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34He even gives us a lovely little sideline here -
0:29:34 > 0:29:37he says "This is all that I could ever get of this song,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41"but it's comparatively common in Ayrshire when I was a boy".
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Takes us right back to his boyhood and that's tremendous.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47I think at auction this would have
0:29:47 > 0:29:49- to make between £8,000 and £10,000. - Oh, dear!
0:29:49 > 0:29:52CROWD CHUCKLES
0:29:54 > 0:29:56That's a bit of a fright, is it not?
0:29:58 > 0:30:03You'll look after it a wee bit better now. Thank you very much.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04Thank you very much.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18As we've seen over the years on this programme,
0:30:18 > 0:30:19the antiques world can be a tricky place
0:30:19 > 0:30:22when it comes to cunningly-made fakes,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25and tea caddies are a particularly challenging area.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Take a look at these late 18th century,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32early 19th century tea caddies supplied by our expert, John Foster.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36Can you spot the rogue in our Rogue's Gallery?
0:30:36 > 0:30:39He'll be taking us through the pitfalls in a moment,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41but here are some clues to help guide your decision.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46First, we've an 18th century caddy
0:30:46 > 0:30:50veneered in ivory with turtle-shell banding.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54But have these cracks been artificially added to suggest age?
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Next, a George III sarcophagus shape,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02opening to reveal a fitted canister interior,
0:31:02 > 0:31:04but is the condition too good to be true
0:31:04 > 0:31:07for a caddy that's nearly 200 years old?
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Next, a mahogany caddy with the front inlaid
0:31:12 > 0:31:15in the form of a fine country house.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18But does the naive inlay suggest someone has tried to embellish
0:31:18 > 0:31:21what was once a very plain example?
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Finally, a Sheraton-period octagonal tea caddy
0:31:27 > 0:31:30decorated with delicate urns and floral bouquets.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34But is the quality of the painting good enough
0:31:34 > 0:31:36for such a high-status piece?
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Tea caddies are one of my favourite things
0:31:41 > 0:31:43when they're brought along to the Roadshow,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46they just speak of such a time when having tea was such a ceremony
0:31:46 > 0:31:49and they have locks on because tea was so precious, wasn't it?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Tea was hugely precious and a massive status symbol.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I mean, you can see from the quality of the caddies that it was kept in.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I mean, 'caddies' is an interesting term in itself,
0:31:59 > 0:32:00it derives from the actual amount,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03a catty, which was just over a pound of tea
0:32:03 > 0:32:05which fits in pretty much one of these.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09And if you are anyone of note, you had your tea in your big house,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11but you didn't have it locked away in the kitchen,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14like we do now, you had it on the sideboard,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16on show, to show how wealthy you were.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Why are they so difficult, though, when it comes to spotting the fakes?
0:32:20 > 0:32:21It's a good question.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Basically, they are actually quite easy to make.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27You've got all the materials that you could ask for
0:32:27 > 0:32:31in old pieces of furniture which actually aren't worth very much,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34and there's a huge desire to make them,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37because, like you, everyone loves them.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38But what should you be looking for
0:32:38 > 0:32:40if you're thinking of buying a tea caddy?
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Well, there's various things. And my...
0:32:43 > 0:32:46"Always," I say to people, "go with your gut instinct,"
0:32:46 > 0:32:48and, before you go and buy anything, just check it out -
0:32:48 > 0:32:51go to museums, go to the best retailers,
0:32:51 > 0:32:53have a look and don't be afraid to ask questions
0:32:53 > 0:32:55and see exactly what's going on.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58If you look at these, handling them,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01you pick them up, you handle them and you just open it
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and you can see that's an interior
0:33:03 > 0:33:06that hasn't been touched for 200 years.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Everything about this, it just screams at you,
0:33:09 > 0:33:10and it's one of those things
0:33:10 > 0:33:13where people don't use their gut instincts enough.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18OK, now, that is the one that I was going to say was a fake,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20so I'm just quickly changing my mind. Erm...
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Oh, you've thrown me now.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- Shall I give you a few more clues? - Yes, go on.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28When you have an ivory one,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31if you see how beautiful that is,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34this pique work is, you know,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37just a touch more than they usually bother to go to.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40But then this is looking a little bit forced,
0:33:40 > 0:33:43you've got this cracking in here, which is very easy to do.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47And these are the size of a piano key,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50so they would strip old pianos and then use them to make it.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53You could say, "Well, actually, that isn't the size of a piano key
0:33:53 > 0:33:54"so maybe this one is all right."
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Then I'll give you another clue just to throw you off even more.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02This one, a beautiful country house, obviously incredibly wealthy owner,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06why would they do...? Actually, you can see here,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10you've got lots of filler in there, it's very naively done.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Is this just an ordinary tea caddy that someone has said,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16"Right, for very little outlay, I can make this into
0:34:16 > 0:34:19"a very expensive box, because these are so hot at the moment."
0:34:19 > 0:34:22So someone would take an ordinary box and then put this on afterwards?
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Oh, yeah, and you have to be so careful,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28and that's why I say, "Never expect a bargain in this."
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Pay the right price and buy from the right people,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- and you'll probably get the right box.- And this one?- This one...
0:34:36 > 0:34:38..these spoons are later.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Oh.- So these are Edwardian silver spoons.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43So, again, don't be thrown by that.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Is this marquetry just too good to be true
0:34:46 > 0:34:49on a box which is...? Tea was used in daily use.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Well, now, I've no idea.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54It's tricky, it's such a minefield.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Anyone got any ideas?
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- The fake amongst this lot?- This one.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- You think this one?- Yeah.- No?
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- That one?- Yes.- Well, that's the one I thought was the fake,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- so I'll go with that one.- OK.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10You're absolutely, annoyingly, right.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12FIONA CHEERS
0:35:12 > 0:35:14CLAPPING
0:35:16 > 0:35:17I really thought I'd get you,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19but you went with your gut instinct
0:35:19 > 0:35:20and that's what you should do.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22No, but how much of a fluke is that? I mean it really is.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24It never occurred to me to think about piano keys.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27If it had, I'd probably have gone for this one.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Well, this one, actually, is interesting because this box,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33like I said, and I wasn't trying to throw you off,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35it is absolutely period.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37But what they've done, they've actually embellished this
0:35:37 > 0:35:40to make it look sort of Thomas Sheraton period,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43painting all this, but a box that's two hundred years old,
0:35:43 > 0:35:45the paint would be worn and chipped,
0:35:45 > 0:35:48and then they've done an awful polyurethane lacquer over it.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50This would be lovely French polishing
0:35:50 > 0:35:52and the painting would be over the top.
0:35:52 > 0:35:53Certainly, when I saw the painting,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55I just thought that looks too good to be true.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56It is too good to be true,
0:35:56 > 0:36:01and on a box of this quality of that period,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04this painting should be stunning, which this isn't.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06So this is an original box of its time -
0:36:06 > 0:36:09late 18th century, early 19th century,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11but then all that embellishment has been put on afterwards.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Yes, probably in the last 20 years.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Well, I must say, I think they're all beautiful,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18absolutely beautiful and it would make having a cup of tea
0:36:18 > 0:36:19much, much more of an event
0:36:19 > 0:36:21getting your tea out of one of these.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24And if you are thinking of buying a tea caddy,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26be very careful, because it is really hard to spot the fakes.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Have a look on our website for some information...
0:36:35 > 0:36:38I'm sure most people will have a memory
0:36:38 > 0:36:42of Diana, Princess of Wales's funeral in 1997
0:36:42 > 0:36:45and you, perhaps more than others, because you were involved.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Now, I'm going to involve you now,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50to explain what you're doing,
0:36:50 > 0:36:53because today, on this particular occasion,
0:36:53 > 0:36:55you are interpreting for your parents.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Yeah, that's right, it's something that I don't normally do
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- and so, obviously, I grew up in the community.- Yeah.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02And that's where I learned how to sign,
0:37:02 > 0:37:03but then I trained as an interpreter
0:37:03 > 0:37:05and I work professionally as an interpreter.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Right, OK, well, we're grateful to you to make all this happen.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10It's my pleasure.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14You were involved as a signer, as an interpreter,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18at the service, and just out of interest,
0:37:18 > 0:37:24I know that the viewing audience for the funeral itself
0:37:24 > 0:37:27was nearly 33 million people in the UK.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Were your parents part of that audience?
0:37:31 > 0:37:33"Yeah, we watched it on TV. Very much so.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36"Watched the whole thing. It was very emotional,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38"all the way from nine o'clock right through the whole day.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42- "Incredibly emotional for us, like everybody."- Yes, yes, exactly.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44So tell me your involvement,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46because you have, obviously,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49an entrance ticket for the funeral,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51so tell me the story.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Well, Diana was the patron of the British Deaf Association.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- She could actually sign a little bit. - Could she?
0:37:58 > 0:38:01For the last three years before her death,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03I was the interpreter for the Association's
0:38:03 > 0:38:06first deaf Chief Executive Officer,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10so I met her a few times and then, obviously, when everything happened,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13they received, I think, ten invitations
0:38:13 > 0:38:16so they appointed two interpreters, myself and my wife,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18to accompany the eight deaf people to the funeral,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21so we went along as interpreters for the those guests.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26And did you know what people were going to say?
0:38:26 > 0:38:27- Had you had a script?- No, no.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Everything was very confidential.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31We received that order of service when we arrived
0:38:31 > 0:38:33and we had a very rough idea of some of the songs
0:38:33 > 0:38:34that were going to be sung,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37and the hymns. They sent us those in advance
0:38:37 > 0:38:39and my wife and I alternated throughout the whole service,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41taking about ten minutes each.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46I have to say a big thank you to the woman
0:38:46 > 0:38:48that Diana worked with in the nursery.
0:38:48 > 0:38:49We were put in a block together,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51which would have been terrible for the interpreting,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53but they agreed to swap with us
0:38:53 > 0:38:56so we went into the front row opposite the deaf people
0:38:56 > 0:38:57so that they had good line of sight.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03- It worked well?- It did. It worked well in the end, yeah.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Nerve-racking, though.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Nerve-racking, and I was going to say, not only nerve-racking
0:39:08 > 0:39:12but also, I could imagine, quite emotional,
0:39:12 > 0:39:18because if you knew Diana as a patron of your charity,
0:39:18 > 0:39:23to actually then be involved in the funeral must have been tough.
0:39:23 > 0:39:24- Definitely.- Was it tough?
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Yeah, it was tough. As interpreters,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29you often have to deal with emotional things that are going on,
0:39:29 > 0:39:35but there was a lot going on that day, as you said, you can imagine.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39Meeting her before her death I think just made it all the more poignant.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Quite, quite and your parents sitting at home watching,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46did they actually see you doing your thing?
0:39:48 > 0:39:51"Yes, just little quick grabs that we saw,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54"and the next day, when I went to work,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56"one of the people that I worked with...
0:39:56 > 0:39:58"I worked at Doncaster School for the Deaf,
0:39:58 > 0:40:02"and the next morning my boss said, 'If you look in the papers here
0:40:02 > 0:40:04"'you can see a photo of your son.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06"'Here he is', and there's quite a lot of photos,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10"so all the staff and the kids at the school were saying
0:40:10 > 0:40:12"'I can't believe your son was there.'"
0:40:12 > 0:40:16- "I've kept all the cuttings, yes." - Brilliant, brilliant.
0:40:16 > 0:40:22So these objects - it's still our history, it's recent history.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26Anything, somehow, that Diana, Princess of Wales touches
0:40:26 > 0:40:30has this fairy dust on it, almost,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32and I'm absolutely certain that these will be
0:40:32 > 0:40:36hugely treasured in the future.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42It seems slightly crass to put a value on her funeral items,
0:40:42 > 0:40:45but I know that they will have a value.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48There are a lot of people out there who would love
0:40:48 > 0:40:53to own these pieces, so I think let's say a figure of around
0:40:53 > 0:40:59£250, £300 for these and I hope, in a way, they're not worth more.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Well, we've decided we'll keep them in the family.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06We have a daughter we'd like them to be passed on to
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- so they knew that we were there. - Exactly.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- That's the important thing. - Exactly, you were part of the day.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Absolutely.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- Thank you.- Thank you very much. - "Thank you."
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I think this is so beautiful.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22It's the most beautiful sculpture, I love the serenity of it.
0:41:22 > 0:41:23It's just sublime.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Now, the sculptor - do you know anything about him?
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Pilkington Jackson, 1925.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Well, I didn't know anything about him.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37I had the sculpture for some years
0:41:37 > 0:41:42before I thought of looking at the back and seeing the signature there
0:41:42 > 0:41:45and the date and, as far as I remember, I think I'm right in saying
0:41:45 > 0:41:49he had something to do with the Wallace Memorial in Stirling.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51I don't think he did the Wallace Memorial,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53- as far as I know.- No.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56But I do know he did, in terms of monumental sculpture,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58the Bruce at Bannockburn.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Maybe that's what I'm confusing it with.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04That huge, wonderful sculpture which he did quite late in his life.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06He only died in 1973.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- Oh, right.- But what I find fascinating about this man,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12apart from the sheer magical beauty of the sculpture,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15he was somebody, and I always find it very poignant
0:42:15 > 0:42:17when somebody like him served in, I think,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19the artillery in the First World War
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- and then served again in the Second World War.- Wow.
0:42:22 > 0:42:23And I find that particularly moving,
0:42:23 > 0:42:26that somebody had to do that twice in their life.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30In the inter-war period, he did a lot of war memorials,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32so as a soldier, a fighting soldier,
0:42:32 > 0:42:36he contributed towards the graves or the memorials of these men who died,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- which I think is incredibly poignant.- Yes.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41It's nothing to do with this sculpture,
0:42:41 > 0:42:43but there's a serenity about this.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47I know he did one sculpture called The Dawn in 1925.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Is she Dawn? Is she just waking up, revealing herself to the world?
0:42:51 > 0:42:54- Well, she could be.- She could be.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58I didn't know anything about that at all,
0:42:58 > 0:43:02and she's just been in the family for a long time
0:43:02 > 0:43:06and I've always loved her.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09In fact, I'm going to be precise and say she must be Dawn,
0:43:09 > 0:43:10because I've only just noticed -
0:43:10 > 0:43:12the sun.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14- Oh, wow.- This is the sun rising, this is Dawn.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16She's waking up, the day is waking up.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Here she is, the beautiful new day, standing on the world.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21There's a lot of meaning in this.
0:43:21 > 0:43:22She's beautiful
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- and she's valuable.- Right.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26What are we going to put on her for value?
0:43:26 > 0:43:31Well, I don't have a clue, to be honest.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33More than £10.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Well, you're just about the figure I was going to say,
0:43:37 > 0:43:39but I was going to add three noughts.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40Oh, wow.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42- £10,000.- Really?
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- Definitely.- Ooh...
0:43:44 > 0:43:45Thank you.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51Occasionally on the Roadshow, we come across
0:43:51 > 0:43:53an absolute bombshell of a piece,
0:43:53 > 0:43:57but I find small collectables, when they're really good,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00just as exciting as something very spectacular
0:44:00 > 0:44:02and you've brought along a collection
0:44:02 > 0:44:05of very pretty Vesta cases,
0:44:05 > 0:44:07or old match cases,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10called Vesta cases after the Roman goddess Vesta,
0:44:10 > 0:44:13who was always depicted by a burning fire.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17But what started you off collecting these cases?
0:44:17 > 0:44:18Well, I'm afraid it was my mother.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23She collected some silver Vesta cases
0:44:23 > 0:44:25and she gave them to me before she died
0:44:25 > 0:44:29and then I decided I would just...
0:44:29 > 0:44:31I didn't want to build up a big collection,
0:44:31 > 0:44:35so I just decided I would go for a few really nice ones.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38You've got a very good eye, because on the table here
0:44:38 > 0:44:40we've got some really stunning ones.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44The earliest Vesta cases appeared in about 1840,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47but towards the end of the century they really took off
0:44:47 > 0:44:50in all sorts of different shapes and forms
0:44:50 > 0:44:52and the ones which are most sought after
0:44:52 > 0:44:56are very much like the ones you've brought here, the enamelled ones.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58So these two here are French ones,
0:44:58 > 0:45:03late 19th century, enamelled on metal.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05This one here, from what I can see,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09appears to be unmarked but it symbolises the naughty '90s
0:45:09 > 0:45:12with lots of naked ladies, very popular subject.
0:45:12 > 0:45:17I suspect that could have been made in Vienna, possibly France,
0:45:17 > 0:45:19but beautiful case.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22But the real Rolls Royces of the collection
0:45:22 > 0:45:25- are these three in front. - Oh, I see.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28Mainly because they're made by one great maker.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31- Do you know who that is? - Sampson Mordan?
0:45:31 > 0:45:35That's the one. He started off by making propelling pencils
0:45:35 > 0:45:37- in the 1820s.- I see.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39But the firm grew and grew and grew,
0:45:39 > 0:45:45and he diversified in the 1870s and towards the end of the century,
0:45:45 > 0:45:50they became probably the best company for making Vesta cases.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53Now, let's have a look at this one in particular,
0:45:53 > 0:45:57because the painting on this is absolutely superb.
0:45:57 > 0:46:02Beautiful quality. Every Vesta case has to have a strike plate there.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05They would have contained the old wax matches,
0:46:05 > 0:46:09- not like the wooden ones we have today.- OK.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12It's got a typical lid which is sprung,
0:46:12 > 0:46:14so it will actually spring shut
0:46:14 > 0:46:19and it's marked on the front here SM & Co, Samson Mordan and Company,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22and the date letter for 1898
0:46:22 > 0:46:24and that was really the sort of golden period,
0:46:24 > 0:46:28from about 1885 up to 1910.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Produced some fabulous cases like that.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Where did you get these from?
0:46:34 > 0:46:36All over the place or in auctions or from dealers?
0:46:36 > 0:46:41No, no, I used to work abroad and I had to come to London on business
0:46:41 > 0:46:45once a year, at least once a year, and I would take the opportunity
0:46:45 > 0:46:48each time of just wandering around the antique dealers
0:46:48 > 0:46:51looking for the nicest enamel case I could find.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55Can you remember, for example, what you might have paid for this one?
0:46:55 > 0:47:00That was quite expensive, actually, and I know my wife is near at hand
0:47:00 > 0:47:04and I shouldn't really say it, but I think it cost be about £1,200.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08- Right.- And that was about 1994.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12- OK.- That was the last one I bought out of these six.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15And what about the one with the scene?
0:47:15 > 0:47:18I think that cost me 240.
0:47:18 > 0:47:23Well, I think it's probably time to just update those valuations a bit,
0:47:23 > 0:47:27because I think that is well over £2,000 now.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33This one is so beautifully painted, I think that's close on 2,000.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37This one, I think you could probably add a nought
0:47:37 > 0:47:39- on the price you paid for it. - Really?
0:47:39 > 0:47:43Yeah, it's incredibly rare and that's what the collectors want.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45- They want the rarest.- I see.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47And that is amazingly rare,
0:47:47 > 0:47:50and this is also a very good one worth over £1,000
0:47:50 > 0:47:53and I think, if we add them all together,
0:47:53 > 0:47:57we're approaching at least £8,000, what's on the table.
0:47:57 > 0:47:58Fantastic.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06- As far as we know, it's a Seven Ages of Man clock.- Right.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08- Might be Royal Doulton.- Right.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12- I inherited from my nanny in 1978. - Yeah.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14And we've had it on our mantelpiece
0:48:14 > 0:48:15until we didn't have a mantelpiece
0:48:15 > 0:48:17and, sadly, it's been in a box ever since.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21- We had it repaired, so it does work. - Yes.
0:48:21 > 0:48:22And it's really a bit ugly, really.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25My children didn't like it very much.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28I think the back's prettier, but we'd like to know more about it
0:48:28 > 0:48:31because we've never seen anything like it.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33OK, now you think it's Royal Doulton.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36Let's just clock that straight away, shall we?
0:48:36 > 0:48:41Because there is the mark of the Doulton factory
0:48:41 > 0:48:43and quite difficult to see,
0:48:43 > 0:48:47but that looks like a date code for somewhere around the 1880s.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49The whole text of the Seven Ages of Man
0:48:49 > 0:48:52is from Shakespeare, it's from As You Like It.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54Just take me through the seven ages of man.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58Well, it starts with the birth, and growing up,
0:48:58 > 0:49:02- going to school, I think this is the lovers here.- Yep.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04This is the scholar again.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07Certainly the soldier by the time we get to the top.
0:49:07 > 0:49:08He looks as though he's wounded here.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12Well, that follows the Shakespeare very, very closely.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14And, obviously, growing old
0:49:14 > 0:49:17and, sadly, coming to a timely end, I suppose.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21Yes, on the stretcher, he's off to the next stage.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Beautifully done by Doulton
0:49:24 > 0:49:26and there the story might end,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- but there's something a little bit more to this.- Oh, right.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32We actually know who the artist is.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34- Uh-huh.- Have a look just there.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Oh, there's a little signature.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38- There is a little monogram. - Monogram, yes.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41- And it says "GT".- Oh.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43George Tinworth -
0:49:43 > 0:49:46very humble origins. He trains at the Lambeth School of Art,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48he's talent spotted and Henry Doulton
0:49:48 > 0:49:49puts him in a corner of the factory
0:49:49 > 0:49:52and he says, "See what you can do,"
0:49:52 > 0:49:57and he's there for the best part of, I think, 40 years
0:49:57 > 0:49:59and all the Doulton that you see,
0:49:59 > 0:50:03all of the arty Doulton, really stems from the success
0:50:03 > 0:50:06that this man made of Doulton as an art factory.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09- It's worth something to a Doulton collector.- Yes.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13It's worth something to a clock collector
0:50:13 > 0:50:15and, in particular, it's worth something
0:50:15 > 0:50:17to a George Tinworth collector.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21But I like the back, and I think you perhaps should show the people this,
0:50:21 > 0:50:24the other side, because it is quite pretty on the other side.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27I think most people would prefer the other side.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- You prefer this side? - Yes, personally.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33All right, we'll value it for this side then.
0:50:35 > 0:50:38This side, if we had nothing else,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- a clock like this... Let's say the clock was in there.- Yes.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45This would be worth in the region of
0:50:45 > 0:50:50- £150-£250, OK?- Yes, fine. - Shall we leave it at that, then?
0:50:50 > 0:50:54No, I certainly think it's probably worth more!
0:50:54 > 0:50:55This...
0:50:59 > 0:51:04..well, I think it's probably somewhere between £5,000 and £8,000.
0:51:04 > 0:51:05Oh, no!
0:51:06 > 0:51:08It came here on the bus.
0:51:10 > 0:51:11Carefully wrapped.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15Well, in the immortal words of Henry Sandon, "It can go back in a taxi"!
0:51:19 > 0:51:21So the reason that I've dragged you here
0:51:21 > 0:51:23in front of the camera this afternoon...
0:51:24 > 0:51:26..with three Mickey Mouse watches
0:51:26 > 0:51:28is because I've always, always loved that phrase,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30"Oh, it's just a Mickey Mouse watch"
0:51:30 > 0:51:33and years ago, when I used to work for an auction house
0:51:33 > 0:51:36and someone brought in a watch and the joke was,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39"Oh, it's OK, it's just a Mickey Mouse watch".
0:51:39 > 0:51:41But nowadays, the joke is slightly on the other foot,
0:51:41 > 0:51:44because they're just a little bit more revered than they used to be.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46How did you come by these?
0:51:46 > 0:51:48Well, I've had them for quite a while
0:51:48 > 0:51:51and I think this one I got from my dad.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55I think he had it years and years ago
0:51:55 > 0:51:56and because I had that one,
0:51:56 > 0:51:59the other two I've just kind of picked up on my travels,
0:51:59 > 0:52:04car boot sales, and I can't really remember how much I paid for them.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06It wouldn't be a lot because I never got
0:52:06 > 0:52:07a lot of pocket money in those days.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Because they're Mickey Mouse watches!- Yeah, exactly.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11But I just really liked them.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14I liked the fact that they're different
0:52:14 > 0:52:18and the wee centre seconds goes round
0:52:18 > 0:52:20and I've got their boxes, which I think is really nice,
0:52:20 > 0:52:23but apart from that, I can't really tell you much more about them,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27although I think they're maybe 1930s. That's about it.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30Well, I think you're spot on. They are 1930s,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32but I think the point to note about them
0:52:32 > 0:52:35- is that the manufacturing company is Ingersoll, you knew that.- Yes.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Do you know anything about Ingersoll?
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Well, I always thought they were a British company
0:52:40 > 0:52:42and I always thought they made watches in Britain,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45but I see that these are obviously Walt Disney
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- and they've got "Made in USA" on them.- That's right.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50So I was a bit confused.
0:52:50 > 0:52:52They've taken many turns in their history
0:52:52 > 0:52:55but when they first started in the early '30s,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57they had this contract with Disney
0:52:57 > 0:52:59which proved to be very satisfactory,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02and just how satisfactory, I'm going to ask you.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04How many, do you think, how many wrist watches,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07Mickey Mouse wrist watches, do you think they made?
0:53:07 > 0:53:08Oh, millions, probably.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12- Exactly, 30 million of them. - Wow, wow.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14- It is an extraordinary number.- Yes.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16And, of course, they made other Disney cartoon characters
0:53:16 > 0:53:18and Goofy and so on, and so forth.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19Give us a guess as to how much
0:53:19 > 0:53:21you think they sold them for in the 1930s?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Well, because they probably were for kids at the time,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27they wouldn't have been expensive. I've no idea.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30Well, actually, they were reasonably expensive.
0:53:30 > 0:53:31- They were about 3 each.- Right.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34- So they were quite expensive.- Wow.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37- Still, they're relatively cheap and cheerful watches.- Yeah.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39If we took one of these movements out,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42they are cheap and cheerful, there's no question about it.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45And the phrase "Mickey Mouse" which I used earlier,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48most of these watches were used by children as their first watches
0:53:48 > 0:53:50and most of them have been chucked out
0:53:50 > 0:53:53and despite 30 million of them being made,
0:53:53 > 0:53:56there are very few of them around, especially with their boxes.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01- That's what we like to see, so you've done good.- OK.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05You've done very well. So let's put a value on these three watches.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Firstly, the wrist watch with its original box,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12- and that's going to be worth around £150 to £200.- OK.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16- The simple pocket watch is worth between £300 and £400.- OK.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19And the pocket watch with the fob is worth around £500.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Wow, fantastic.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23So, in total, if we put them all together,
0:54:23 > 0:54:25we've got a figure approaching £1,000.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29I'm absolutely delighted.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32I'll pass them on to my wee boy
0:54:32 > 0:54:34for him to treasure as well.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38The skill of a goldsmith, the skill of a lapidar,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40the skill of an enameller
0:54:40 > 0:54:42is the same, whether they're making jewellery
0:54:42 > 0:54:48or objets d'art and this beautiful box is just wonderful.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Now tell me, why did it catch your attention?
0:54:50 > 0:54:52How did it catch your attention?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Well, it was actually on an online auction down in England
0:54:55 > 0:54:58and I just thought there was something really unusual
0:54:58 > 0:54:59about it being rock crystal,
0:54:59 > 0:55:03because I don't really see so many of these sort of items like this.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05So you look at auctions a lot online?
0:55:05 > 0:55:07- Yes, it's a bit of a hobby.- Really?
0:55:07 > 0:55:10I like to see if I can get a nice little bargain now and then.
0:55:10 > 0:55:11- Really?- Yeah, I do.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15And does it show you... Was it all bright and sparkly
0:55:15 > 0:55:17and in 3D before you bought it?
0:55:17 > 0:55:19- No, it wasn't at all. - Did you see it?
0:55:19 > 0:55:23I think they described it as just being glass, a glass box,
0:55:23 > 0:55:27and I knew it had something unusual about it with the designs on it
0:55:27 > 0:55:31and things like that, so I couldn't really see much of the silver.
0:55:31 > 0:55:32I knew it was silver underneath.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34I had a sneaky feeling it might be that,
0:55:34 > 0:55:36so we actually polished it all
0:55:36 > 0:55:40to reveal the beautiful enamel on the surface, all the lovely colours.
0:55:40 > 0:55:41So how much did you pay for it?
0:55:41 > 0:55:45I actually paid about £32.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48- £32 for this!- Yes, yes, so I thought at that price
0:55:48 > 0:55:51it was something special.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52- Special at £32?!- Yes.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56I suppose you can afford to take a chance at £32,
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- that's what you thought.- Yeah, yeah.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03Well, this is rock crystal which is of the quartz family
0:56:03 > 0:56:07and you can see the inclusions inside the stone.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09They're natural inclusions, there are no bubbles.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13If you saw bubbles then you would know it would be glass.
0:56:14 > 0:56:20Now back in about 1850 in Vienna in Austria,
0:56:20 > 0:56:25there were a group of goldsmiths who also did a lot of enamelling work,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29- sort of in the Neo-Renaissance style.- Uh-huh.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32And this is in the Neo-Renaissance style...
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- ..and there's Viennese marks inside. - Mmm...
0:56:38 > 0:56:44- So this is dating this from about 1860-1870.- Right, OK.
0:56:44 > 0:56:45But there was one person...
0:56:47 > 0:56:50..that was really the head of this -
0:56:50 > 0:56:52Hermann Ratzersdorfer.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56He was the leading enamellist in Vienna at the time,
0:56:56 > 0:56:58and he did Neo-Renaissance work
0:56:58 > 0:57:02and, in fact, he exhibited in the 1851 Great Exhibition in London.
0:57:02 > 0:57:03Yes.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07I'm just going to open the box now to see the detail of the carving
0:57:07 > 0:57:10of this rock crystal. I mean, look at that.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11It is superb, isn't it?
0:57:11 > 0:57:13It is superb, and you can see the inclusions
0:57:13 > 0:57:15in the rock crystal as well,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18and you've got a different type of style of enamelling going round,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21very, very reminiscent of the Renaissance style.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25£32?
0:57:25 > 0:57:27I just can't believe that.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32If that was in the right auction...
0:57:34 > 0:57:37..I think you're going to be looking at
0:57:37 > 0:57:40between £4,000 and £6,000.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42No.
0:57:44 > 0:57:45Really?
0:57:47 > 0:57:50Enjoy it and well done! Well done.
0:58:00 > 0:58:01Choked me.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08While we've been filming here today,
0:58:08 > 0:58:10you may have noticed a sign in the back of some of our shots,
0:58:10 > 0:58:14"There will be no miracles here", and wondered what that's all about.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17Well, it's an installation by a Turner Prize nominee
0:58:17 > 0:58:19and it's deliberately placed here in Edinburgh,
0:58:19 > 0:58:21the City of Enlightenment,
0:58:21 > 0:58:22and it's a message about the triumph
0:58:22 > 0:58:26of reason and intellect over superstition
0:58:26 > 0:58:28and hopefully we've applied some of our intellect
0:58:28 > 0:58:30to some of the objects that we've seen today.
0:58:30 > 0:58:32From Edinburgh and the Antiques Roadshow team,
0:58:32 > 0:58:34until next time, bye-bye.