0:00:40 > 0:00:43Today the Antiques Roadshow is returning to the Isle of Anglesey.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45And overlooking the Menai Straits,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Plas Newydd has been home to the Marquesses of Anglesey for 200 years.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52And each has made his mark on the house.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00In 1898, Henry Cyril Paget became the fifth Marquess of Anglesey,
0:01:00 > 0:01:02known as "The Dancing Marquess".
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Henry's flamboyance would have made Liberace look like a wallflower.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10And he adored amateur theatricals,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13and would always make sure his role required
0:01:13 > 0:01:15several jewel-encrusted costumes.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21His spending was on an epic scale.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23During the '60s, after he inherited the title,
0:01:23 > 0:01:28he spent what today would be the equivalent of £14 million a year.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Now, not even his riches could withstand that level of assault.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38By June 1904, he was bankrupt.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40To pay his creditors, a massive sale was organised
0:01:40 > 0:01:45of the family's art and antiques. There were 17,000 lots.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47These are just some of the catalogues.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Everything was up for grabs.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Even his pet dogs, and their little silk jackets.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Henry, meanwhile, retired to Monte Carlo,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58where just a year later, aged 30, he died.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02The era of mad excess was over.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05His cousin Charles, who succeeded him,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07introduced more sober measures to the house,
0:02:07 > 0:02:11such as the installation of central heating and additional bathrooms.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But he also commissioned a rather important painting.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20In 1936, Rex Whistler was commissioned to create this mural
0:02:20 > 0:02:23here in the dining room, something that would compete
0:02:23 > 0:02:26with the house's stunning views of the Welsh mountains,
0:02:26 > 0:02:27and this is the result.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Partly North Wales coastline, partly pure fantasy.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And it's full of in-jokes and conversation pieces,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37like Windsor Castle here, derelict and crumbling,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40to reflect the abdication crisis that was going on at the time.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44The man shown sweeping the street is Whistler.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49And the little boy with a fishing rod is the Sixth Marquess' son.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53But this tale has a tragic end.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55When Whistler took leave of the family,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58it was with the intention of returning soon.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01He painted a burning cigarette in the mural
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and told the Marquess he would smoke it when he returned.
0:03:04 > 0:03:05He never did.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Whistler, like many others, went off to war.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13But on the 18th July, 1944, on his first day of action in Normandy,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16he was killed by a German shell.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20And Whistler's witty mural was to remain unfinished.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28I wonder what other stories we'll hear today at the Antiques Roadshow.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36When I saw you coming towards me earlier, I thought you were
0:03:36 > 0:03:42carrying a really nice cabinet for a table, for jewellery or miniatures.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46But when you came closer, I noticed that it had a little brass tap.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Tell me, what do you think this is?
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Well, my father has made a research on it,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and I think it's a fishing cabinet.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56But we're not quite sure.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59My father fished on the Dovey River
0:03:59 > 0:04:03- in mid-Wales. That was his hobby.- Right.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08- And an antique collector, as well? - He had an eye for antiques.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- He saw this as unusual.- I'll be honest, I've asked my colleagues.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15None of us have ever seen anything quite like it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17- And it is a little bit Heath Robinson, isn't it?- It is.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20It's obviously a multi-drawered box,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23but it's got a few tricks, hasn't it?
0:04:23 > 0:04:26And I think we've got to go straight to the lid.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Because hidden up here is a lid within a lid.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35And inside here you have a metal-lined little tank,
0:04:35 > 0:04:40which presumably, with the fishing theme, is for live bait.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- That's right, yes. - And it's got quite a big capacity.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47There's a tube running round the bottom, which comes up
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and then down again.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And I note on this side there's a little,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55sort of outlet for the same pipe.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58And I think that is probably to attach a pump,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01to pump air into your tank,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04to keep the bait active.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Because, you know, if the water was warm,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09your live bait would go all drowsy.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12So when it came to fishing and putting that bait on a hook,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15you didn't want it all sort of limp in the water, did you?
0:05:15 > 0:05:20You want it to, you know, get the fish. So, it's absolutely ingenious.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Even the drawers are metal-lined.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- And...- Air vents.- Air vents for whatever you were keeping in here.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30And no doubt you didn't just have live bait.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35You had your lures, your hooks, your lead weights, all the things.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36It's made of pine.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40- It's painted to look like oak. - Oak, right.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42And what date is it?
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Date-wise, I think around the late Victorian era.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49About 1880, something like that.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52It has this lovely patina and wear and tear
0:05:52 > 0:05:54that I just think gives it so much character, doesn't it?
0:05:54 > 0:05:55It does, yes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- It's a real Victorian thingamajig, isn't it?- It is.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02People fish all over the world.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I know wealthy clients who have their own fishing rooms.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11They're looking for paintings, accoutrements, the best rods
0:06:11 > 0:06:14to deck out their fishing room and their rod room.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- I think they'd love this. - Would they?- Yeah.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19I'm going to say at auction that would go in
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- with a £500-£800 estimate.- Right.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Maybe make over 1,000.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Oh, right. OK.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28For a pine box, that's not bad.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29HE LAUGHS
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I know very little about chess.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- And clearly, this is a chess clock. - Yes.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40So, just explain to me how long do you get to do a move,
0:06:40 > 0:06:41or is it not like that at all?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43In usual tournaments,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46each player would get two hours for all the moves.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So, when you make a move, your clock's going.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52As soon as you've made your move, you press your side of the clock.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56It stops your clock from working and sets your opponent's clock.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Looking down here the clock on the left,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03you can see its little pendulum bobbing away.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And, then, presumably, when that move is finished, it goes like that.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09And that starts the one on the right bobbing away, as well.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- That's right, yeah. - So, where did you get it from?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Well, we were having a clear out at the chess club
0:07:14 > 0:07:19and we found it just left lying on old shelves.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21It was won as a prize, I believe,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23many years ago by some members
0:07:23 > 0:07:25of the chess club who are no longer with us.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28So, it actually belongs to Wigan Knights Chess Club.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Well, I think it's a great thing to find.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Now, let's just have a look further down on this cast-iron plate.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It's signed Fattorini & Sons,
0:07:35 > 0:07:41and they were a very, very large firm in Bradford.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44There is the back saying Bradford.
0:07:44 > 0:07:50Now, most of the items that I've seen Fattorini retail
0:07:50 > 0:07:53are things that came in from the United States.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56And I have no reason to suppose that this isn't American,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00especially made to be retailed by Fattorini's.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02What sort of date would they have used timepieces like this?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04We're not really sure.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07We're thinking around 1885, 1890, something like that.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Fits in absolutely perfectly with what I consider to be
0:08:10 > 0:08:14the date of manufacture on this.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16I have to be honest here, I haven't seen one before.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Have you done any research on it at all?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Well, I tried to do a bit of research.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24I actually posted a picture of it on the English Chess Forum
0:08:24 > 0:08:27and I got an e-mail from someone offering me £50 for it,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30and he offered to pay the postage as well if I would sell it to him.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Doesn't sounds terribly generous, does it?
0:08:32 > 0:08:37I know that there are massive collectors of chess clocks.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39But I haven't really handled anything this early before
0:08:39 > 0:08:45and I just love seeing those pendulums bob away.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47When one stops, the other starts. I think it's great.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50There is a little crack straight down the middle of that glass,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52but that's a very, very easy repair.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It's worth your while doing.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Somebody somewhere is going to give you in the region
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- of £1,000 for this. - Oh, right, right.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03- So, is that reasonably good news? - Yeah, that's not bad at all, yeah.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I think the next game that you play should use
0:09:07 > 0:09:08this old mechanical clock,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10cos I think it's great.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Well, this is the sort of jewel that would have been worn
0:09:17 > 0:09:19in a house like this. But with you,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22- it's got a different history, doesn't it?- It has a bit, yes.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Tell me all about it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Well, I think it's my great-great-grandmother's,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29although there could be a couple of extra greats in there,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31give or take a few.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35And it was always called, in my family, the Havelock Diamonds.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37That sounds rather smart. And why the Havelock Diamonds?
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Because it was General Havelock's,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43and when he went on campaign in Afghanistan and India in the Army,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45he wanted something of his wife's
0:09:45 > 0:09:48to remind him of his wife while he was away. And every night,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- apparently, he slept with it under his pillow.- Oh, gosh.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- And, sadly, he died of dysentery. - Oh!
0:09:54 > 0:09:56So, as he was dying, he was holding this, apparently, and said,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00- "Give it back to my wife and tell her I love her."- Oh, my goodness.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02THEY SPEAK OVER EACH OTHER
0:10:02 > 0:10:03Sorry, you didn't expect that?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05No, I didn't, but it's highly affecting
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and it's what jewellery is all about.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08It's always intensely personal.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12It's worn very close to the person and it's given by people
0:10:12 > 0:10:14in a situation like that and it's wonderful.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16In a funny way, it's saying all of that.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18There is some amatory significance here with the bow above,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20the true lover's knot.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- but it's an odd concept to take it away.- It is.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I mean, a piece of handwriting or a photograph
0:10:24 > 0:10:26would have been more conventional.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29But it was the piece of jewellery that his wife loved
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and he thought that would remind him of her, really.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35What date is that? Help me with that.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Well, I think he died about 1850,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- I'm not certain, but that sort of date.- Interesting.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Sometimes these provenances get a little bit romantic
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and it may be a little bit later than the date you've given me.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- Yes, it might be. - The point is, like all relics,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51it's not the authenticity of the relic,
0:10:51 > 0:10:53it's the belief in the relic that really counts
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and whether it's grounded in fact or not,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58this is a stunning piece of jewellery.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It's undoubtedly an English jewel.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02We know that from the handwriting of it,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04the autograph character of it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- It's been mounted in gold. - Is it gold?
0:11:07 > 0:11:08And silver in the front.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Ah, that explains it.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It helps me date it because this is the bricks and mortar
0:11:13 > 0:11:17of jewellery and how we recognise things from certain periods.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It's late 19th century and it's a perfectly beautiful thing
0:11:20 > 0:11:22doing what it ought to do in the sunlight.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Diamonds and sunlight have an affinity, they refract the light,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29they break it up into the constituent parts of the rainbow
0:11:29 > 0:11:30and it's doing it, isn't it?
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Yes, it's beautiful. It's stunning.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36It looks better than I've ever seen it looking today!
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Usually, it's sitting in a safe
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and it comes out for weddings in the family.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Well, that's lovely. When will the next one be?
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Next May, my son's getting married, so that'll be nice.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46That will be lovely.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Diamonds are forever and this is forever.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54I might be cold-blooded enough that it was worth about £5,000 or £6,000.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Right!
0:11:56 > 0:11:58It doesn't really matter, the value,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01it's just a nice story in the family. But, gosh...
0:12:01 > 0:12:03It's one of the most touching stories I've ever heard
0:12:03 > 0:12:06in my life in jewellery and that's not nothing, as they say.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07It's lovely.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17- My cousin was clearing the house and actually put it in the bin.- No!
0:12:17 > 0:12:22My mother said, "Well, I like this, could I take it home?"
0:12:22 > 0:12:25- So you know who it's by? - It is Moorcroft, isn't it?
0:12:25 > 0:12:27It is. It's a mid-1920s piece
0:12:27 > 0:12:31and it's in a pattern called Moonlit Blue.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33It's a lovely example.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- You wouldn't throw it in the bin today, would you?- No, I wouldn't.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Quite right because if you were to throw it in the bin,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41you'd be throwing £1,000 away.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Right. Oh, right...
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Oh, yes, thank you.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Have you had it long?
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's been in the family as long as I can remember.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54It's lovely, it's a little bronze oil lamp in the Roman style
0:12:54 > 0:13:00with a moon which represents the lunar goddess, Diana, the Huntress.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- Where do you keep it at home? - It's always been on the mantelpiece.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Oh, really, just sitting on the mantelpiece?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08So, it's been in the family 100 years that you know of?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- At least, yes.- Well, it's about 2,000 years old.- Is it really?
0:13:11 > 0:13:13- Yes, it is.- Gracious me!
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's actually Roman, possibly first century,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and it's such nice condition
0:13:18 > 0:13:22that I think something like this is easily £1,000.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Goodness gracious me.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Maybe as much as £1,500.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Thank you very much indeed.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30So, you've got your lamp but there's a catalogue.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33What's the connection between the two things?
0:13:33 > 0:13:39The catalogue is of an auction of the estate of Sir Winston Churchill.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- Is the lamp in it?- The lamp is in it.- Shall we have a look?
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Lot number 27.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Oh, here we are. The Chinese celadon crackleware vase table lamp.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50- Five pounds.- Yes.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52We've got the lamp, we've got the catalogue,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55but is there any further proof that this is the same one?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Yes, there is a sticker on the base.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Oh, right, shall we have a look at that first?
0:14:00 > 0:14:04- OK, so, this is actually the original lot label?- Yes, it is.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Right, that makes things quite different.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10If that was Mr A N Bloggs' lamp, it's worth £20 or £30.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14- Do you know how much of a difference that piece of paper makes?- No.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- About £2,000.- Goodness me! That's amazing.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Simply because it was Winston Churchill's.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27What an intriguing piece of furniture.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29There's clearly quite a lot to look at
0:14:29 > 0:14:31so let me start with the easy one,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34the Sarah Grevile,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and then, the date, 1676.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38Have you had it since then?
0:14:38 > 0:14:46No. It came into my family in about 1930 when my great aunt bought it.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49We always referred to it as a prie-dieu
0:14:49 > 0:14:52and she bought it from a house sale at Mostyn Hall.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55The only information we have about it is a photograph of it
0:14:55 > 0:14:57in the auction catalogue.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Other than some research that we've done,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02we don't really know that much more about it.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Yes, it's called, as you rightly say, a prie-dieu.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10That means so you can pray to God. The French for "praying to God".
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I have never seen this before
0:15:12 > 0:15:17in this type of what is ostensibly a hall side table. Let me show it.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Underneath here, we have, to my astonishment,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22the kneeling part, the kneeler.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24So, down there, kneeling, praying like that.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26I think that's fascinating.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27It's really a first for me.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29That's what so intriguing about the Antiques Roadshow.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31It doesn't matter how long you do it,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33you always see something you've never seen before.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It's a convenient piece of furniture.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37It's normally something that would stand in the hall
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and you can imagine it with umbrella stands and things.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42But this is made for a small, private devotional use.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I don't think it was made for a church.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47It could have been a convent or something that, that's possible.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50If only you could tell us more about its history.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53But the date says 1676.
0:15:53 > 0:15:58I hate to tell you that this sort of furniture didn't exist in 1676.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I think that's one question that we have always had as a family,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05whether or not this really was a 17th-century piece of furniture,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08or whether it was a Victorian reproduction.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11There were two things that have intrigued us.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Who was Sarah Grevile and really, how old is it?
0:16:15 > 0:16:16That's why we are here.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Did you find out anything about Sarah Grevile, did she exist?
0:16:19 > 0:16:21We believe so.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23My great aunt bought the piece from Mostyn Hall
0:16:23 > 0:16:27and tracking backwards to Sarah Grevile,
0:16:27 > 0:16:34who married somebody called Fulke Grevile in 1665 or thereabouts.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36- So, it ties up?- Yes. - That's fascinating.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It's so rare to get that sort of history or provenance
0:16:39 > 0:16:42because I would have thought the answer is,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46probably made for the Mostyn family to celebrate Sarah Grevile,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49let's say a 200th anniversary or something like that.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It may well have been for that sort of reason.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54You see this type of carved furniture in the Victorian era.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57But it's not reproduction because it didn't exist.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59It's a Victorian imagination of 200 years later.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02So, in terms of value, you've probably guessed already,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- it's not going to set the world alight, I'm afraid.- No.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08- £500.- Yes, OK.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10But it was very interesting to find out
0:17:10 > 0:17:13what we wanted to find out about it,
0:17:13 > 0:17:14which is, what is it and how old is it?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And you've done that, so thank you very much.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23We have a great tradition of Eisteddfods in Wales,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25every region has them.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27It's a huge competition,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30mainly of poetry and all sorts of arts, music...
0:17:30 > 0:17:36And I was rather intrigued to see that today you've brought
0:17:36 > 0:17:40a silver chair from the national Eisteddfod.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44Could you perhaps tell me a little bit more about it?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47This chair was won by my grandfather, John Ellis Williams,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50in 1916, so it's just coming up to its centenary.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54I understand it was for the Aberystwyth Eisteddfod
0:17:54 > 0:17:56which would be quite an important one
0:17:56 > 0:17:58because, obviously, Aberystwyth has been a major centre
0:17:58 > 0:18:00of learning in Wales, as it still is today.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04It is a huge competition where they have many thousands of entrants,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and everybody enters their prose or their poetry under
0:18:08 > 0:18:09a nom de plume, as such.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12So, the big reveal is when the prize is actually announced.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13That's right.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15And is this the original manuscript?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17That's right, yes.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19That's the manuscript of the ode that he won it with.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21It's about Ystrad Fflur,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24which is a ruined monastery quite close to Aberystwyth.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26And this "Eldon", presumably that's his nom de plume?
0:18:26 > 0:18:28That's right.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31And, in fact, it's a name for my uncle, as well.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32He was born a few years later.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Oh, right, so he was obviously named after that.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Are you the present custodian of this?
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Well, all of these items are actually held by different members of the family.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- We've had to bring them all together today from different homes.- Right.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46So, we don't regard any of us as owning them individually,
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- they sort of move around. - As the family.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50And this, obviously, this is your grandfather here.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52- This is him, yes.- OK.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55We associate Eisteddfod chairs with being actual, proper,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59the bardic chair... It's a large wooden chair.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03They vary enormously in style and quality from year to year.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Obviously, this is very interesting in that it is a silver example.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11It is made by a Sheffield medallist who made things on commission.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15But it is tradition that was used quite a lot in medieval times,
0:19:15 > 0:19:20giving small silver chairs the winners of the Eisteddfod.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I know as it's a family piece you're probably not going to be
0:19:23 > 0:19:26unduly worried about price on it.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29But, I think if it were to come up for auction,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33you're probably looking at somewhere in the region of maybe
0:19:33 > 0:19:36- £2,500, £3,500.- Gosh, really?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- Something like that for it.- Wow.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Well, thank you.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41Pleasure.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Here we are today in these fabulous surroundings.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50There's a hubble and bubble, the background noise is wonderful.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51We're all enjoying it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53And we take that for granted.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57But what I'm not able to do today, with you, is take that for granted.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Because here I am with two people who are deaf.
0:20:01 > 0:20:02It's a learning experience for me,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05and, actually, one that I'm really, really pleased to be able to do.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07I'm hoping I can learn a great deal,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and even perhaps learn some sign language from this.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Actually, one thing I've already found out is that that works well!
0:20:13 > 0:20:14HE LAUGHS
0:20:14 > 0:20:17But let's talk about what we've got in front of us here,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21because this is a collection that's very pertinent to you two.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Can you explain a little bit about it?
0:20:23 > 0:20:28Well, I've been collecting deaf-related memorabilia now
0:20:28 > 0:20:30for maybe 10 years.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Partly because I'm interested in deaf history.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39Helen, myself and Ethan were part of a deaf historical
0:20:39 > 0:20:43re-enactment group. So, we like going to meet deaf people,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46deaf schools or where there's deaf festivals to explain a little bit
0:20:46 > 0:20:51about our history and what deaf people were like in the old age,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- whether it was the 17th century or more recently in the 1930s.- Right.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57And along the way,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01I've sort of collected books, posters,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03ear trumpets and hearing aids.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04That's a fascinating idea.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I don't think many people would actually stop to consider
0:21:07 > 0:21:11how people with that sort of disability managed to get through
0:21:11 > 0:21:14life in the 16th, 17th or 18th century, for instance.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Well, there's quite a bit of research which I've done.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Some of the most famous references are by Samuel Pepys in his diary
0:21:20 > 0:21:22where he describes his boss,
0:21:22 > 0:21:26George Downing, who Downing Street is named after,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- having, say, deaf informers in his pay.- Right.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33And Samuel Pepys describes in one of the fires of London,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35not the Great Fire,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38but one of the many fires that happened, how a deaf boy actually
0:21:38 > 0:21:41came to the tavern with Samuel Pepys
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and he was relaying the story in sign language.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48And George Downing, who was Pepys's boss, was fluent in sign.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51And was interpreting it back for Samuel Pepys's benefit.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Sir George Downing was born in Kent in the Kentish Weald
0:21:55 > 0:21:57in the 17th century.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01And it's believed that at that time there's evidence that there was
0:22:01 > 0:22:03a large deaf community in Kent.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06It was genetic deafness, and that's where he learnt to sign
0:22:06 > 0:22:08because he grew up with a lot of deaf people around him.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10That's what we believe.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12That's absolutely fascinating, I have to say.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15We've got one book here that's part of your collection.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I've had a look at this, and it's called
0:22:17 > 0:22:20The History Of The Life And Adventures Of Mr Duncan Campbell.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Now, I know that Duncan Campbell was a Scottish soothsayer.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26He was deaf.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28And this is an account of his life.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30And this was written by Daniel Defoe, wasn't it?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Yes, they think it's Daniel Defoe.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34It seems to be generally accepted that it is.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Other things you have in the collection, of course,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39are some early hearing aids and some ear trumpets.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I particularly like this one, this is a French hearing trumpet.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46It's faux tortoiseshell, early 20th century,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and, in fact, actually, it works remarkably well.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54It really does pull in that ambient noise.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58So, obviously, you've accumulative some fascinating material
0:22:58 > 0:23:00associated with deafness.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's the first time I'd ever seen a collection like this.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05The book, I think, is worth around about
0:23:05 > 0:23:09£200 or £300, as a fourth edition.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15The hearing trumpet, around about £150-£200.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19You've got lots of ephemera, I know, that is very interesting, as well.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23But I think what we have here is worth, cumulatively,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25around about £1,000.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28There's just one thing I'd like to say to you before the finish,
0:23:28 > 0:23:29and that's...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Here we are at one of the most beautiful locations
0:23:41 > 0:23:44we've ever been to, overlooking the Menai Straits
0:23:44 > 0:23:45looking at the Welsh hills,
0:23:45 > 0:23:50and you've come in with a magnificent picture today.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Two hours ago, I was called over to your queue in Miscellaneous.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59- You showed me a photograph on your camera of this painting.- Yes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02And you wondered whether it was worth bringing it in.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04- And you went home to get it.- Yes.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08It's made my day, seeing it. It's absolutely fantastic.
0:24:08 > 0:24:09It's by Montague Dawson,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13who's probably one of the best 20th-century marine painters.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15But it's a very early work by him.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- Is it?- Yes, it is. - I didn't realise that.- It is.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- It's early '30s.- It is early '30s.
0:24:21 > 0:24:22So, how did you acquire it?
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Well, my husband's great-grandfather,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28he bought it in 1935
0:24:28 > 0:24:33from the National Gallery in Birmingham.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35And then my husband's inherited it since then,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and he's had it for the last 24 years.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40And you've kept it in wonderful condition.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Montague Dawson, he was born in the 1890s.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46He was in the Navy during the First World War,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- and then, afterwards, he took up painting full-time.- Right.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53And what I find with marine artists which is interesting,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57all the good ones, they actually sail and understand the sea.
0:24:57 > 0:25:04In this picture, you can see that just by the way it's been painted
0:25:04 > 0:25:09broad strokes here, Dawson really, really understands the sea.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12And he gets the movement of the picture.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- And he painted right up till 1973, when he died.- Yes.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19And his later work is of clippers, which you see a lot of.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22But my favourite period is this period, the 1930s.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Well, we believe there's also two in Buckingham Palace.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- Prince Philip's Bluebottle. - That's right.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34- And he was a favourite of the royal family, as well.- Yes.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39I love the way that the boat has rounded the racing buoy, there.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40They're trying to make it go faster
0:25:40 > 0:25:43so they're hauling up the sail to get extra speed.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45There are the others trying to catch up.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48But what is so special about this is the colours
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and the foam on the bow of the boat, the racing yacht.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- And it is so real.- Yes, it is, isn't it?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57And that's what I love about this, it's got everything going on.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- It's fresh.- I mean, even the men look like men!
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- The figures, they look real, don't they?- They are.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- The best I've seen on this type of picture.- Yes.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08It's got everything I would ever want in a Dawson.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And if this came up for sale,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14I would expect this to make
0:26:14 > 0:26:16£40,000-£60,000.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18SHE LAUGHS
0:26:19 > 0:26:21That's fantastic!
0:26:21 > 0:26:23I'm speechless.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24Thanks for going home to get it.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25It's all right.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29So, my fortunate photography did do good in the end.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31It was very good photography.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Freda, you worked as a land girl
0:26:56 > 0:26:58- here during the Second World War. - I did, yes.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- And how old were you when you came? - 20.- 20. So, a slip of a thing!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I had my 21st birthday here.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- And how old are you now, Freda? - I'll be 93 in August.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And what did you think when you came to Plas Newydd?
0:27:10 > 0:27:15I was first given the job of hand-milking eight Guernseys
0:27:15 > 0:27:17in what is now the tea room.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The aim of the Marquess of Anglesey, number six,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23was to build a herd up for the war effort.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And we ended up milking 110 -
0:27:26 > 0:27:31mostly shorthorn cows at the home farm.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- This is you here, as a land girl. - That's me.- What a gorgeous picture.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37I did the poultry, as well, so he's a Muscovy duck.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40They get quite tame as long as you feed them.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41And he would follow me everywhere.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46- And these are your breeches, are they?- They are, yes. My best ones.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47These are your best ones?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Because they're in pristine condition, aren't they?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53- So, when did these get worn? - When I went out on my day off.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56We were allowed to take Friday off one week
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and have Monday the following week.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01And as long as you paid your own fare,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05you could go home for a long weekend about every three or four months.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- How many years did you work here? - Four years, I would say.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11- Nearly, anyway.- And happy years? - Oh, very. Very, yes.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15- We were very well looked after. - Any romances, Freda?
0:28:15 > 0:28:19I was married while I was here, but to an old friend,
0:28:19 > 0:28:20an old school friend.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24He was a Spitfire pilot, and whilst I was here...
0:28:26 > 0:28:29..I got the telegram that he was missing in action.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31And, fortunately, he was all right.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33His aeroplane wasn't.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35So, we were a week before we knew he was all right.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38- That must have been an anxious time. - The Angleseys were so kind to me.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42And we got married shortly afterwards by a special licence.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44But, of course, I was still here.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48And there's no-one else left that I can share these memories with.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- I'm delighted to be here.- We're so glad you shared them with us.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53- Thank you so much. - It's been lovely.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Well, what a fabulous property, fabulous backdrop,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04and an utterly gorgeous-looking ring on the table. How did you get this?
0:29:04 > 0:29:09It was left to me by my grandma, who handed it to my mum
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- and then handed it to me. I've only had it recently.- Right.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15It's absolutely stunning, it really is.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17And in the sunlight it looks extraordinary.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20- I'm sure you're aware it is a diamond.- Yes.- Yes!
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Says it all, doesn't it? With all the way that the light's
0:29:23 > 0:29:25shining on it, the sparkle we're getting from it.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26It really is extraordinary.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30The cut of the stone is what we refer to as an "old-cut" stone,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33which can date it to round about the Victorian period.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Now, obviously that's quite a long period of time,
0:29:35 > 0:29:39- but I date it to around about the 1840s, 1850s for the diamond.- Mm.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43But the actual mount - it has been remounted at a later date,
0:29:43 > 0:29:45and this was a fashionable thing to do,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48and your grandmother probably wanted it to be more in keeping
0:29:48 > 0:29:53with the time and put it into much more of a 1930s mount
0:29:53 > 0:29:55with these lovely diamond-set
0:29:55 > 0:29:57shoulders, as well, which is fabulous.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59And I've had a chance to have a good look at it
0:29:59 > 0:30:01with our jeweller's loupe,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04which magnifies everything that's going on by ten times -
0:30:04 > 0:30:07so it's quite exciting, looking inside the diamond -
0:30:07 > 0:30:10and also had a chance to gauge the size of it.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14So, the approximate weight of it is round about four carats.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17So, that's a good size for the diamond.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21The colour of it, even in this light, we can see that it's drawing
0:30:21 > 0:30:24some colour, which means it's got a little bit of yellow coming off it.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Now, I think that's not a bad thing
0:30:26 > 0:30:28when you're wearing it against your skin.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Some colour suits some people more than a very white stone.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36But those who love their white diamonds are looking at the top end
0:30:36 > 0:30:38of the colour scale, and this is lower down.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And then, of course, there's the clarity that we have to look at,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43and that's the condition of the ring.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Inside the stone, which I can see with the lens, there are some
0:30:45 > 0:30:48flaws in there which, again,
0:30:48 > 0:30:50do have an effect on the value.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53And also, it's a little bit chipped around the edge.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57It's a stone that's been well loved and worn.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Of course, jewellery is meant to be worn.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03So, I've kind of talked it down a bit, haven't I, really?
0:31:03 > 0:31:06But, obviously, value is the emotional side for you.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- It won't be sold, anyway. - No, well, that's good,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11because it's good to keep these things in the family.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15But you might like to know that at auction somebody would be
0:31:15 > 0:31:17prepared, for this style of ring,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21because the potential is there to cut it maybe slightly smaller,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25but improve that clarity by taking away those flaws,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28we've got the potential of somebody paying, I would say,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30between £8,000 and £10,000.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34- Well, that's very nice. Thank you. - My pleasure!
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Wow. This is a real objet de vertu, an "object of virtue".
0:31:42 > 0:31:44French.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48It's a beautiful sort of imitation Chinese lacquer
0:31:48 > 0:31:52called vernis Martin,
0:31:52 > 0:31:57a process developed by the Martin family in the 18th century.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Is it something you've had since the 18th century?
0:32:00 > 0:32:04I wouldn't have thought so. It came out of my great-grandparents' house
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- in New York.- Oh, right. So, it's come from America.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- Yeah. My mother gave it to me. - So, it's very sentimental.- Yeah.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13It's nice, because it's my great-grandmother, so...
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Because it's got things inside it.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20- There's a broken mirror in there and a little inscription.- It says,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24"Pocket Book belonging to Esther Bull, 1742-1783."
0:32:24 > 0:32:27Yeah. And that's about the date.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29- This is late 18th century.- Mm-hm.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32It's a beautifully painted thing.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35It's got other little memories in it. This is an ivory...
0:32:36 > 0:32:40- ..little plaque. It's a sort of aide-memoire.- Mm-hm.
0:32:41 > 0:32:47"My beloved mother departed this life Monday the..."
0:32:47 > 0:32:52- "7th"? - "..of February, 1797." Wow.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54It's got scissors and a knife,
0:32:54 > 0:32:59and it's got a lace-threading pin in gold.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- Oh, right. - That's gold, that is.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06So, would you like to know the sort of value of a piece like this?
0:33:06 > 0:33:09- For insurances, yeah.- For insurance purposes, a piece this good,
0:33:09 > 0:33:14in this kind of condition, I think would be worth between
0:33:14 > 0:33:18£2,000, £2,500, maybe even £3,000...
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- Gosh.- ..to a collector. It's very special.- Goodness.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23It's in remarkable condition.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25- Mm-hm.- And it's stunning.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- Oh, well, thank you very much.- And thank you so much for bringing it.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29A pleasure.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33So, there are two things that immediately strike me
0:33:33 > 0:33:36about this clock. Firstly, it's incredibly wide, isn't it?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- It is, yes.- And secondly, Joseph Willman of Bangor
0:33:40 > 0:33:43is obviously a very local maker. What do you know about him?
0:33:43 > 0:33:46He's my three times great-grandfather, and he's
0:33:46 > 0:33:51actually from, we think, Rothenburg in the Black Forest in Germany.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57- So, when did he come to the UK?- He came to the UK via Ramsgate in 1846.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01I assume he came straight to Bangor. He met and married a lady
0:34:01 > 0:34:06from Bangor in 1849, and they had seven children
0:34:06 > 0:34:10- and lived here until he died in 1891.- Right!
0:34:10 > 0:34:14Well, let us have a look, because you probably know from your
0:34:14 > 0:34:18research that there were two Willmans around this time.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- There was Sebastian, wasn't there? - His brother.- Right.
0:34:21 > 0:34:27And then Joseph, who was certainly still working in the late 1870s.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- Yes. - Got a big painted dial here.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34But I want you to note that this rolling moon doesn't actually roll.
0:34:34 > 0:34:35- It's a dummy. - Yes.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Now, on an earlier clock one would have seen this rolling around
0:34:39 > 0:34:42and it would have been a great decorative thing.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- The case is really pretty ornate, isn't it?- Yes.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49I mean, for something that's probably as late as 1870.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54We've got these lovely free-standing fluted columns and then the similar
0:34:54 > 0:34:58fluted pilasters, giving the effect of a double column,
0:34:58 > 0:35:02the sort of thing we saw much more regularly in the Liverpool area,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04to make it much more impressive.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06And then running down we've got, again,
0:35:06 > 0:35:12matching massive freestanding fluted columns flanking the trunk.
0:35:12 > 0:35:17But note these really pretty unusual for this period
0:35:17 > 0:35:21gadrooned patera that have been applied to the case right
0:35:21 > 0:35:26the way down to a massive roundel on the plinth there.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31Absolutely typical with the quarter-cut veneers of mahogany,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and there you can see the carcass underneath. That's a soft wood.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- That's a pine carcass.- Right.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40- And you can see where little bits of veneer have come off.- Yeah.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Had you always been looking for one of these clocks?
0:35:43 > 0:35:46I started the family history in 2005.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50And immediately we found out that there was a watch and clock maker
0:35:50 > 0:35:53in the family, my husband said it would be lovely for me to own one.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54And we did look.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59And when we moved onto the island the local auctioneers had put
0:35:59 > 0:36:01in the newspaper for sale
0:36:01 > 0:36:03a long-case Joseph Willman of Bangor clock.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- So you had to buy it, didn't you?- Well, yeah!
0:36:06 > 0:36:09My husband had to buy it, anyway!
0:36:09 > 0:36:11- Can I ask what he paid?- Yes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15He paid about £800 with the fees and everything,
0:36:15 > 0:36:16and then we had somebody look at
0:36:16 > 0:36:19the balances and things like that for us.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Well, as I've been telling all long-case clock owners,
0:36:22 > 0:36:27over the last three years the prices have tumbled down for anything
0:36:27 > 0:36:30what I would call mid-range and below, and that is this,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32- because it is a late clock.- Yeah.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36You probably paid a fair price at the time,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38and if you put it back into auction,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42you'd probably see £500 or £600 only.
0:36:42 > 0:36:47But it doesn't matter. You were chasing this as part of your family.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Joseph Willman, there he is.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51And how far are we from Bangor?
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Well, probably about seven miles away from Bangor right now.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56So, it's local and it's family.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- The price is not important. - No, it isn't.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06This is one of my favourite objects.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10It's small, it's scientific and it's perfect. It doesn't get much better.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12A pocket sundial. Do you love it?
0:37:12 > 0:37:14- Love it! - SHE LAUGHS
0:37:14 > 0:37:15What do you like about it?
0:37:15 > 0:37:18I love the fact it's got some scratchings there
0:37:18 > 0:37:22and you can see how it's changing its colour over time a little bit.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25- It's quite a beautiful piece. - Now, it's in its original box,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28but I'm going to discard that for a moment, because I want to get at it.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33So there's the box with its lovely red velvet interior.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35And a lot of people made these dials. It was actually
0:37:35 > 0:37:38invented by a man called Butterfield,
0:37:38 > 0:37:43who was working in Paris in 1700.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47And they're known as Butterfield dials, after him.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49But you were going to say, "Hang on a minute,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53"it doesn't say 'Butterfield' on it," which it doesn't.
0:37:53 > 0:37:59This is made by a man called Duhamel, Duhamel a Paris.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I think what everybody discovered was that it was such a popular
0:38:02 > 0:38:06little bit of kit that they all jumped in on the act.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10The date of this may be 1710, 1720.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Certainly, he was working at that time.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17OK, that's what I've got to say about it. What's your story?
0:38:17 > 0:38:22I've come to North Wales to help some family members with
0:38:22 > 0:38:26their property, and we've discovered this in the attic, cleaning it out.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29And we've done quite a few loads to the tip,
0:38:29 > 0:38:30and, luckily, we spared this one.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33We don't know when it was bought or where it was bought.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35I had no idea what the item was.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- I thought we'd come to the Roadshow to find out.- Well, isn't that great?
0:38:39 > 0:38:42This is what a lot of travellers would have had.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47On the back - I'm just going to turn it over - we can see a whole
0:38:47 > 0:38:51lot of capital cities and big towns in Europe,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55and alongside is a number. Any idea what that might be?
0:38:55 > 0:38:59- No!- Good. Right answer! It means I can now look clever.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Alongside each of these towns and cities is the latitude.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Here you are, you're actually in Marseille, OK?
0:39:08 > 0:39:14And you say Marseille is at 43 degrees latitude.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18You need to alter the little bird on the gnomon
0:39:18 > 0:39:24so that his beak goes to 43, which is the right angle.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29You then point that compass to north,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33and we should be able to read off the time in Marseille.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35And here it is, reading it off, at half past two.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38There's a time difference between us and Marseille,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- so I'd say that's bang on. - I think you're right.- Absolutely.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46So, there we go. It works, it's perfect. Nothing to go wrong.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50It's not like some clock that runs out of wind or battery.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52It's just a fabulous object.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57What I love about this is the fact that it's in its original case,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00it has everything there, it's untouched, nobody's been at it
0:40:00 > 0:40:04with the silver polish, which so often happens, unfortunately.
0:40:04 > 0:40:05And I would put it at
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- between £1,200 and £1,800 on any day of the week.- OK!
0:40:08 > 0:40:12- Fabulous, fabulous object. Thank you for that.- Thank you!
0:40:15 > 0:40:17This item begs the question
0:40:17 > 0:40:21"When is a magazine rack more than just a magazine rack?"
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Well, for me, it's when it's been handled by one of the greatest
0:40:24 > 0:40:29designers of the 20th century and one of my absolute all-time
0:40:29 > 0:40:32favourite designers, Piero Fornasetti.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36So, I have to ask, why is it here between us in this garden? Tell me.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Well, my partner
0:40:39 > 0:40:44and I bought it about eight years ago in Aberystwyth in a shop that
0:40:44 > 0:40:48recycles furniture, and they were delivering some new items,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51and we saw it there and we said, "Oh, can we buy that?"
0:40:51 > 0:40:54And we got it for a couple of quid.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- You're joking. - Yeah, a couple of quid.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01It's never me, you know! It's never me!
0:41:01 > 0:41:05Did you recognise and know who it was?
0:41:05 > 0:41:08I didn't, but John did, sort of vaguely recognised it
0:41:08 > 0:41:11but wasn't quite sure. And we thought, "Well, why not?"
0:41:11 > 0:41:14You thought you'd just pay and take your chance and work it out later.
0:41:14 > 0:41:21- Yeah.- We do also have the most clear, fantastic mark to the bottom,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24clearly saying, "Fornasetti - Milano, Made In Italy".
0:41:24 > 0:41:28So if anything were in doubt, that's the final. Don't lose that.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30There's something about Fornasetti.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34There's something about the way he handles his design,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36the way he approaches things.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40It's about trickery and trompe l'oeil and being clever and witty
0:41:40 > 0:41:44and looking at things from so many different angles.
0:41:44 > 0:41:51As a designer, his real rise to fame happened in the early 1950s.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54He had an association with the great architect Gio Ponti,
0:41:54 > 0:41:59and his work and his career just rocketed.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02In fact, over his career, he's credited with making
0:42:02 > 0:42:06over 11,000 different designs and objects.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10His mind was just never-ending.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13And he would take all kinds of elements from architecture,
0:42:13 > 0:42:17the sun, the moon, ancient history, women's faces,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20whatever it would be, and he would play with them.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24And they would turn into the most glorious household objects.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28So, this magazine rack is a lovely example.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31It's in a pattern called Libri.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33The Libri range, to do with books and bookcases,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36was first launched in 1954.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39This, for me, looking at it,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41- is absolutely bang-on original. - Excellent.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It is an early, early example.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47And, yes, it's a little bit knocked, it's a little bit scuffed,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49it's been used.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54But the Fornasetti purists will like that.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And, personally, I think you'd be hard pushed to replace this
0:42:57 > 0:43:00either with a specialist dealer or in a specialist sale
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- for much less than £800-£1,200. - Right.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06- That's incredible. - HE INHALES SHARPLY
0:43:06 > 0:43:09That's made quite a profit, hasn't it?
0:43:12 > 0:43:16I was told that it was a death mask from a First World War soldier.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18There is a date on the back.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22- But...he looks a bit happy to me. - SHE LAUGHS
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Well, he does, and do you see, it's got KG,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27which is for Keller & Guerin?
0:43:27 > 0:43:30It's German, Keller & Guerin.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- I called him Ken. - You called him Ken!
0:43:32 > 0:43:35Well, it was actually Keller, but, you know, Ken's fine.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39And I would think this is probably of somebody famous in Germany.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41I don't think it's anything to do with the war.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45But it is dated 17/1/1916.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47And people do collect death masks.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Because it's very, very unusual,
0:43:49 > 0:43:53I would say it's worth between £400 and £500.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Wow.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Wow! So, Ken done well.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Ken has done well, yes!
0:44:00 > 0:44:04- He'll still hang in the kitchen. He'll have pride of place.- Good.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- And have you done any homework?- No.
0:44:07 > 0:44:14- No? Cor!- I thought, "Why should I do it when you've got experts?"- I see!
0:44:14 > 0:44:18OK. Well, they all belong to the same sort of period.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21These are all late 18th century. OK?
0:44:21 > 0:44:25So, you're probably looking around about £80, £80.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29With this one, you're probably nearer 200 or 300.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33And your teapot, which has survived intact, remarkably, is, again,
0:44:33 > 0:44:35if I want to buy that,
0:44:35 > 0:44:37I'm going to guess around £300 or £400 for it.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43It's a great, great fossil, I have to say. I love it.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47I see ones like this that I think come from Wyoming rather than China.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50Actually, this one's got a lot of patination to it, as well.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54It's also got a lot of relief to it. Often, they're quite flat,
0:44:54 > 0:44:58and this one's left a lot of sort of meat on the fish!
0:44:58 > 0:45:00- It's a really, really nice one. - How much do you think?
0:45:00 > 0:45:02- HE SIGHS - Quite a lot of money.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05- I think so.- Fossils like this have really rocketed.- I think so.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09- You reckon it's touching £1,000? - I think it's 1,200.- I love it.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Well, on the table here we've got three items which
0:45:15 > 0:45:19I selected from a large album that you brought to me a little earlier.
0:45:19 > 0:45:25I chose a photograph of a young man in an RAF uniform...
0:45:25 > 0:45:29I chose this photograph, which appears to be of the Apollo 11 crew,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32and I chose this drawing of the Apollo-Soyuz mission with
0:45:32 > 0:45:35the two spacecraft linked up,
0:45:35 > 0:45:40- American-Russian space mission of 1975...- That is correct, yes.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43..which has a signature here.
0:45:43 > 0:45:44Could you start off by telling us
0:45:44 > 0:45:47a little bit about what these three items are?
0:45:47 > 0:45:49Yes. Well, these, as you say,
0:45:49 > 0:45:54are part of a collection which was amassed during the teenage
0:45:54 > 0:45:58years of our son, who, from the age of about six,
0:45:58 > 0:46:02was obsessed with aircraft and everything associated with it.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Living at RAF Valley, we used to see the Hawk aircraft
0:46:05 > 0:46:10and the helicopters flying over, and it became his ambition to join
0:46:10 > 0:46:12the Royal Air Force, which he eventually did.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15So, the young man in the photograph here is your son.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Yes, that's correct. Mark.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20Mark Philip Jones, who was an acting pilot officer
0:46:20 > 0:46:22when that photograph was taken.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26But one of his interests was collecting
0:46:26 > 0:46:30the autographs of the various mission members,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33and he wrote, through Nasa, to many of them
0:46:33 > 0:46:38and obtained a large number of particular autographs.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42Particularly proud of the Apollo 11 one,
0:46:42 > 0:46:44with Buzz Aldrin and Collins,
0:46:44 > 0:46:47and, of course, Neil Armstrong.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- Neil Armstrong here. - Yes, that is correct.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51And later on,
0:46:51 > 0:46:55he entered into communication with a number of the astronauts,
0:46:55 > 0:46:58and he sent a drawing of the Apollo-Soyuz mission
0:46:58 > 0:47:03to Deke Slayton, who was a member of that mission,
0:47:03 > 0:47:07and he got the drawing back from him
0:47:07 > 0:47:09with a little bit of a commendation
0:47:09 > 0:47:12on it and also mission patches.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17So, we have a large variety of items which could be of interest.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20He eventually decided that he wanted to join the Air Force.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24He wanted to fly, but, regrettably, he couldn't because of his eyesight.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27So, he decided that engineering would be the thing.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30And he had an RAF scholarship and, regrettably,
0:47:30 > 0:47:32going to start his second year,
0:47:32 > 0:47:35he was killed in a road traffic accident.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37But these are very important to us.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40Whether they have any value or not we don't care,
0:47:40 > 0:47:45we just feel that it's worthwhile bringing it along for you to see.
0:47:45 > 0:47:46Well, I'm glad you did.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49I mean, it's a remarkable story of a young man,
0:47:49 > 0:47:54- and a young man with a real sense of purpose, I think...- Yes.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57..slightly a man on a mission, wanting to achieve something,
0:47:57 > 0:47:59and he obviously achieved a huge amount
0:47:59 > 0:48:03- in what must have been a relatively short life.- Yes. He was 19.
0:48:03 > 0:48:05And this is a photograph taken by...
0:48:05 > 0:48:08- Was this taken by you? - It was taken by me, yes.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11He had come back from his commissioning
0:48:11 > 0:48:13ceremony at Cranwell,
0:48:13 > 0:48:17went into his bedroom, came back with his uniform on, said,
0:48:17 > 0:48:19"Right, Dad, take a photograph of me."
0:48:19 > 0:48:22- And this is it.- And that's it.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Well, I picked it out partly because I love the photograph,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27but also on the back is a signature.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29And that's not his signature.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32No, that is Buzz Aldrin.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Later on, Mark actually met Buzz Aldrin, and he had that
0:48:36 > 0:48:42photograph with him, and Buzz very kindly countersigned it for him.
0:48:42 > 0:48:47It's quite remarkable. And it also gives it very firm provenance.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50Often, the question with signed space material is simply,
0:48:50 > 0:48:55"Is it real?" But what's superb here is how personal they are.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58It links it directly to an individual,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01- and in this case, a very special individual.- Yes.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Does it have a commercial value?
0:49:04 > 0:49:07I suspect you're probably not interested in that at all.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09- Not while we're alive.- No.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11But since it's the Roadshow, people like to hear
0:49:11 > 0:49:14whether these things have value.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19- This is part of a collection of about 40 items I counted up.- Yes.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22And many of those are signed photographs,
0:49:22 > 0:49:27and just one of these on its own is going to be worth a fair few
0:49:27 > 0:49:30hundred pounds, maybe well into the thousands.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33This particular one, which is the Apollo 11 crew,
0:49:33 > 0:49:36is the photograph that everybody wants, of course.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39I think putting all of them together, I think
0:49:39 > 0:49:41we're reaching a value of between £4,000 and £5,000.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Which is gratifying,
0:49:44 > 0:49:48because it is our intention to leave the collection
0:49:48 > 0:49:51to Mission Aviation Fellowship
0:49:51 > 0:49:55for them to benefit from the proceeds of its sale.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57I think that's a wonderful idea.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59And thank you very much for sharing these
0:49:59 > 0:50:01and sharing the story with us here.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Thank you very much. I do appreciate it.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12This is about the punchiest punch bowl I've certainly seen today,
0:50:12 > 0:50:15probably ever seen in Chinese silver. It clearly is Chinese.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17I'm sure you can tell that from the decoration.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20What I'd like to know is what does it mean to you? Do you use it?
0:50:20 > 0:50:23It's not used at all, no, and it's kept away in a cupboard.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27- We don't even display it.- You don't? - No.- So, how did you come to have it?
0:50:27 > 0:50:32A very, very close family friend was very close to me dad,
0:50:32 > 0:50:35and after her husband had passed away,
0:50:35 > 0:50:37my dad looked after her for many years,
0:50:37 > 0:50:40and he received it about 20 years ago as a thank you.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Well, a wonderful thank-you present!
0:50:43 > 0:50:45You've got every conceivable type of Chinese iconography
0:50:45 > 0:50:47embossed into this bowl.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50It's so vast that there's plenty of room for everything.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52There are gods of good fortune,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55there are buildings and beasts
0:50:55 > 0:50:56and mountains and mist
0:50:56 > 0:51:00and a Buddhist lama, and you've got Immortals on it.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04- There's virtually everything. - It's fascinating, it really is.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08This has been made about 100 years ago, just a little bit more.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10- Oh, right.- And it's made for the European market.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13It wouldn't have been made for Chinese people at all.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16It's a European tradition, drinking punch.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20The most extraordinary thing about it is its sheer monumental size.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23I can give an indication of it. It weighs a tonne!
0:51:23 > 0:51:26As you've probably already worked out!
0:51:26 > 0:51:29The mark on the bottom is a man called Wang Hing,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32who was arguably the best silversmith of his generation.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36He was supplying silver to the foreign market.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38But it's always very good quality,
0:51:38 > 0:51:41and this is the very best quality I've ever seen by him.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45The decoration is beautifully rendered.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49As we go round the bowl, some of the animal figures and the buildings
0:51:49 > 0:51:52and the people on it are gorgeously chased
0:51:52 > 0:51:55in very skilful silversmithing.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57Is any of this making you feel like getting it out of the cupboard
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- and perhaps putting it on the table? - Yeah, this weekend!
0:52:00 > 0:52:02- THEY LAUGH - A few straws!
0:52:04 > 0:52:06Fill it up with something strong and give everyone some.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Plenty to go round.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Over the last two or three years, the market really has softened
0:52:11 > 0:52:13quite a lot and things aren't making the money they used to.
0:52:13 > 0:52:18But this bowl is so big and so well decorated and so heavy
0:52:18 > 0:52:22and so monumental, if it came up for auction it would make
0:52:22 > 0:52:24somewhere in the order of, say,
0:52:24 > 0:52:26£8,000 to £10,000.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Wow.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36That's amazing. It really is.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45- Wow.- It's a lot of punch.- It is!
0:52:45 > 0:52:48It is a lot. But it does mean a lot to me dad.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51I don't think he'd even part with it for twice that amount.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53- Well, let's get it out, get some punch in it and celebrate.- Yeah.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55Definitely!
0:52:57 > 0:53:00- Sunlight and gold. Look at it. It has to be gold...- Beautiful.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03..looking like that, doesn't it? What a wonderful, wonderful object.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05- And it's a gold box, isn't it? - Yeah.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08But the gold box is secondary to its real function.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11But let's look at the box bit first, because that's really the key,
0:53:11 > 0:53:15literally the key, to what we're going to see next,
0:53:15 > 0:53:17because inside we see a key.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21But it is a box, and inside we can see the name of the supplier,
0:53:21 > 0:53:25and he's JM Badollet & Sons of Geneva.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29And that's sometimes a clue, to people who know about these things,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31that this is going to be an automaton.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33- And you know it is, don't you? - Yes. I do.
0:53:33 > 0:53:34Let's look at the outside for a second.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37This is blue enamel on gold, and there are diamonds.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40These are lilies of the valley, each set with rose diamonds,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43and they're returning the light in the most wonderful way in the sun.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46This is made for an exotic clientele.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51This is the sort of thing that maharajahs and sultans
0:53:51 > 0:53:54and Chinese emperors wanted to own,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56and it was made in Geneva. 1820.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00And they made a speciality of making export ware of toys,
0:54:00 > 0:54:01and this is a toy for a grown-up.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Have you enjoyed playing with it?
0:54:03 > 0:54:07I've only actually seen it work four times now,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09- because I'm too scared to actually wind it up.- Ah!
0:54:09 > 0:54:12And I wound it up earlier and I think and pray
0:54:12 > 0:54:15and hope that it's going to work for all of us!
0:54:15 > 0:54:17- Probably not!- Rather an exciting moment. Shall we give it a go?
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- Yeah, definitely. - Absolutely. Here we go.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22- Oh! Look at that. - BIRD TWITTERS
0:54:29 > 0:54:31LAUGHTER
0:54:31 > 0:54:35- Perfect!- Isn't he marvellous? And he's made of hummingbirds' feathers.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37- I didn't know that! - And his beak is of ivory,
0:54:37 > 0:54:38and he's got little ruby eyes.
0:54:38 > 0:54:42And it's a miracle of craftsmanship and clock-making skill, really.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Inside, there are little bellows and pipes.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49And the leather has to be so subtle and so pliable that they're
0:54:49 > 0:54:53made of chicken skin, not of leather itself, but chicken skin bellows.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57- Wow.- It's a massively complicated piece of machinery,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01and it's an evolution of mechanism that's awe-inspiring, isn't it?
0:55:01 > 0:55:04It's amazing that it's lasted, really.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06And it's a child-like joy for everybody.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08I think everybody enjoyed that, really.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11It takes us back to something in our dim and distant past
0:55:11 > 0:55:14that is highly evocative and magical in every sense of the word.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16And who wouldn't want it?
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Well, I can tell you that the whole world wants it,
0:55:19 > 0:55:22- and they want it really, really badly.- Really?
0:55:22 > 0:55:25And consequently, it's an extraordinarily valuable object,
0:55:25 > 0:55:27dizzily valuable.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29And I can tell you, with every confidence,
0:55:29 > 0:55:31that it's worth £35,000.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33AUDIENCE GASPS
0:55:33 > 0:55:36- Wow! - SHE LAUGHS
0:55:36 > 0:55:38It's amazing! Beautiful.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40I'm not going to say
0:55:40 > 0:55:43I'm not going to sell it, because we probably will.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46- It'll break your heart, won't it?- Wow!
0:55:46 > 0:55:50- I'm too scared to own it.- You've owned it for a long time.- Yeah.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54- How long? - Well, my aunt died nine years ago,
0:55:54 > 0:55:58and she had it since 1966.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02She left it to my mother, and so it goes down to me. It's mine now.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06And it is beautiful. I don't know what to do with it now! But wow!
0:56:06 > 0:56:09- Shall we make him do it again? - Yes, please.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11And then you must try and tell me what it really feels like
0:56:11 > 0:56:15- when you hear the bird singing. - OK.- Here we go.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17BIRD TWITTERS
0:56:17 > 0:56:20It's magical to see it, it really is, you know?
0:56:20 > 0:56:22- HE CHUCKLES - I'm going to cry now!
0:56:22 > 0:56:24SHE LAUGHS
0:56:24 > 0:56:25- Oh, goodness me!- I think- I- am!
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- Absolutely beautiful. - Brilliant.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Remember I told you at the beginning of the programme
0:56:37 > 0:56:39about the Fifth Marquess of Anglesey,
0:56:39 > 0:56:42that fabulously flamboyant, spendthrift character?
0:56:42 > 0:56:46I was hoping something of his would turn up today, and lo!
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Here it is. Do you remember, I told you he loved his amateur theatricals?
0:56:49 > 0:56:53And here is a poster from one of his productions, the Gaiety Theatre.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55That actually was the chapel!
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Anglesey Castle. He decided "Plas Newydd" wasn't grand enough,
0:56:58 > 0:57:00so he called it "Anglesey Castle".
0:57:00 > 0:57:01In June - June 2nd, 1902.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05"The Marquis of Anglesey's Company, Aladdin."
0:57:05 > 0:57:09He played Prince Pico, but also, look at this,
0:57:09 > 0:57:12"The Butterfly Dance by the Marquis of Anglesey".
0:57:12 > 0:57:14He was known as "The Dancing Marquess".
0:57:14 > 0:57:17It was obviously a fabulous production. And, of course,
0:57:17 > 0:57:19we've put on our own production here today at Plas Newydd.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22I'm not sure it's up to these glamorous standards,
0:57:22 > 0:57:23but I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26From the whole Antiques Roadshow team, until next time, bye-bye.