0:00:49 > 0:00:52Welcome to the citadel famed for its springs.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55You could read that motto in Latin, couldn't you?
0:00:55 > 0:00:59This was once the most popular spa town in the land.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01With so many guests paying for expensive treatment,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03they needed somewhere to be entertained,
0:01:03 > 0:01:05and in 1903 they got it -
0:01:05 > 0:01:07The Kursaal.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Welcome back to Harrogate, in North Yorkshire.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Kursaal, originally a German word, means "Cure Hall",
0:01:16 > 0:01:20and in Edwardian England it became a byword for healthy amusements.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22And this is where they happened -
0:01:22 > 0:01:26in this grand hall designed by Robert Beale and Frank Matcham,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29who also created one of our former venues, Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Rather less flamboyant,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38but still gilded within an inch of its life,
0:01:38 > 0:01:42this reflects the refinement demanded by its well-heeled patrons.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44And the entertainment never stopped.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47From 7:45 in the morning till late at night,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50there were operatic productions, orchestras, tea dances,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and stars of stage and screen.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Now known as the Royal Hall,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01over the years it's hosted many star-filled nights
0:02:01 > 0:02:04with bands such as the Beatles and Duke Ellington,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06various figures like Ernest Shackleton,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08and diverse political opinion was represented here,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10with meetings held by the suffragettes
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts...
0:02:18 > 0:02:21..and if you were lucky enough to be able to afford a box seat,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24there was one rather wonderful design feature.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27So that nothing could prevent you from mingling freely
0:02:27 > 0:02:30with the guests up and down the promenade here
0:02:30 > 0:02:33and then just popping in to see the entertainment
0:02:33 > 0:02:34down there on the floor,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37you could literally lift up this entire wall.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The Royal Hall underwent a major renovation in 2008
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and is now as splendid as it ever was.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47Owned by Harrogate Council,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50it's been home to lots of crowd-pleasers.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Today our own stars are seated in these elegant niches.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Let's see how they're entertaining our visitors from Harrogate.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So we're in a very, very ornate hall,
0:02:59 > 0:03:02and we look at this, which is a very, very ornate clock.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Yes, indeed. Yes. - Now, before I tell you about it,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08can you enlighten me as to who Mr Johnson was?
0:03:08 > 0:03:14PC John Johnson retired from the West Auckland police force in 1902.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17This was a memento given to him by the local community
0:03:17 > 0:03:20of St Helen's in West Auckland.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23It was passed to my grandfather, passed to my father,
0:03:23 > 0:03:24and now it's in my possession.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Well, it was a very generous present,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28and that is when it would have been made -
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- it was new in 1902.- Right.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- It's French.- Yep. - Have you looked at the back?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Do you know if there's any maker's marks or anything?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37It's Japy Freres - if that's the correct pronunciation?
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Japy Freres, yes, the Japy brothers, produced...
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Very, very prolific makers of movements in Paris.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Very prolific, along with various other factory makers.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48And another...
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Let me just show you...
0:03:49 > 0:03:53the Japy stamp,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55which is just hidden behind the pendulum.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And the giveaway that it is a 20th-century clock
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- is the stamp "made in France".- OK.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04That is something that came in at around that date.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08But what I love about this is you've got the dial centre,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11you've got the bezel, you've got the columns,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13you've got the mercury pendulum,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16you've got everything done in this wonderful multicoloured enamel.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- Right.- This is typical of the French champleve enamel.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22You get a bit of metal
0:04:22 > 0:04:24and, if you like, you scoop it out
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- and then you put in the enamel and fire it.- Right.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Now, at the moment...
0:04:30 > 0:04:34the Chinese particularly like enamel.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36So these sort of clocks
0:04:36 > 0:04:39have done very, very well - A, in the saleroom,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- and, B, retail.- OK.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And this is about as good as it gets,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45because we would normally expect to see these
0:04:45 > 0:04:48in a normal square-section case with glass.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50This is a cut above the average.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52It would walk £3,000 at auction,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54no problem at all.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And retail...
0:04:56 > 0:04:59some people would be asking closer to 6,000.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02- Good grief.- So don't drop it on the way home.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Well, yeah! Thank you.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08We absolutely love it in the family, we really do,
0:05:08 > 0:05:09because it's so clever,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and it shows that the craftsman was so imaginative
0:05:12 > 0:05:13to be able to create it like this.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- I mean, it's a family piece? You just bought it...?- It is, it is.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19My husband's grandfather bought it in the '60s.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20He had an interest in antiques
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and, I think, spotted this and thought, actually,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I'll take another look at that and see how interesting it is.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28My first reaction is, is it Salvador Dali?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- SHE LAUGHS - No, I think it's the work
0:05:30 > 0:05:32of someone very creative who likes a challenge.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34What is extraordinary about it
0:05:34 > 0:05:37is that it hasn't warped since it was made.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41No, which means it presumably was made out of warped wood.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- Yes.- Which is why it's so special.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Let's imagine some little carpenter in some very provincial place,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47possibly up here in Harrogate,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- in about- 1800. Oh, really?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51The late 18th, early... Turn of the century, 1800.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Right, OK. Gosh, how interesting.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Found this wood and thought to himself,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58well, I can't afford a table for home.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- Maybe.- Remember how poor these people were, carpenters.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- Yes, of course. - Basic carpenter.- Yes, yes.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05You know, window-maker, door-maker at best,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07not a veneerer anything like that.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08- Yes.- In a country place.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- I suspect he just had this wood.- Really?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12And thought, well, I CAN do something with that -
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- I'm not going to throw it away or burn it.- No, no.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15It's a great spirit, isn't it?
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Do something with everything you've got.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- It's just so clever.- It is. - I mean, to make it like this.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21- I just want to have a look.- Yep.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- Where do we start? Well, we start with the top.- Yes.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25This wonderful undulation here,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I mean, that alone, you know, as a tray,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31you would have a queue at an antique shop trying to buy it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32And then we go to the legs.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I mean, at first, when I first saw it,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38I thought the legs were all the same and carefully cut, but they're not.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40No, they're all different.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42They're all square, but they're all actually different.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43The handles are later,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46but the handles are probably 18th-century handles.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48I suspect, again, at the time, he couldn't afford handles,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50they'd have been quite expensive handles.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Probably made in Birmingham, even in the 18th century.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55And it would have probably, at the very best,
0:06:55 > 0:06:56had a lock with a little key.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57- Yep.- And that's been lost,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00and very typically and very commonly, had handles put on it.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01But that's part of its charm.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03But the whole thing... You know.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05And when you look at it, you've got the detail here,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07the pegs coming through here at the front,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09the easiest ones to see.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10If that had warped since it was made,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12it would have all cracked open.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- It would have cracked. - But it hasn't. It's just...
0:07:14 > 0:07:17- It's the cleverest thing. - Beautiful, isn't it?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19And I'd like to go and challenge someone today
0:07:19 > 0:07:21to go and make a table like this now.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23To actually try and think of it like that, it's just...
0:07:23 > 0:07:24It's wonderful.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27But, you know, it's an impossible thing to value
0:07:27 > 0:07:30because, you know, in theory it's a piece of 18th-century junk.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- No! No, it's not junk.- Sorry, sorry.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36But in reality, it's the most wonderful table.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39It's got to be, in a shop...
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- I'd pay anything for it.- Ooh! - But £1,250?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Really? Gosh. Well, yes.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49We love it, and we love it for the craftsmanship
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and the artistry and the imagination.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Now, you've brought in this magnificent model
0:07:56 > 0:07:59of a 1/48 scale HMS Royal William.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Very important ship at the end of 18th century,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03and a ship of the line,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06so, a very serious ship and a very serious model.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Did you make it?
0:08:07 > 0:08:09No, my father made it.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13He researched the ship,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16went down on his bicycle from Yorkshire
0:08:16 > 0:08:21to go to the Greenwich Maritime Museum
0:08:21 > 0:08:25to see which ship would test his skills.
0:08:25 > 0:08:26So he chose this ship.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32It's made out of a lime tree which was felled and the hull...
0:08:32 > 0:08:34That was used for the main bit.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39He also used ivory piano keys for the window frames
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and, when he ran out of those,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44he got some bone from a butcher
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and cut that into the windows.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50How many...? I mean, it must have been thousands of hours
0:08:50 > 0:08:52but how many years did it take?
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Well, he started it in the 1950s,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and it took him probably about 30 years to do it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58And his last thing that he wanted to do
0:08:58 > 0:09:01was actually to do the rigging
0:09:01 > 0:09:03but, unfortunately, he passed away
0:09:03 > 0:09:07before he could realise that ambition.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09So, a lifetime's work but, to appreciate it,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- you just have to look at the detailing.- Yes.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Wonderful stern-carving.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16You walk down here, it's got companion ways.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18All these cannons, all cast by him?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Yes, everything.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23And belaying pins, belaying rails,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27capstan, even the ship's bell.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Yes, that's brass.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31And then this magnificent figurehead of the double horse.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34So, you know, I can understand it was a lifetime's work.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Yes, and he didn't have a lathe to do it on. It was...
0:09:37 > 0:09:39All made by hand.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- Because here, also, is a figure of Wellington.- Yes.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- So he would have made this by hand?- Yes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50He used lead for that, which he heated up on the fire.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53What a wonderful story. Was he a professional engineer, or...?
0:09:53 > 0:09:56He was a fitter in a woollen mill.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58So this was his passion.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00It was, yes. Yes.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- Now, he spent 30 years making this.- Yes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07I'm sure it's the last thing in the world you'd ever want to sell.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11- Exactly.- Because it's really a testament to him,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and he was your dad, you know.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But if you had to commission somebody to build this,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19you would be talking about tens of thousands of pounds.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23At auction, we would be talking a figure between £4,000 and £6,000.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Thank you.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32What's your involvement with this poster?
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Well, I went straight from modelling
0:10:35 > 0:10:38more or less into the world of film.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42I was cast in about four or five of these Carry On films in my youth.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45So you are a Carry On girl?
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- You bet! - THEY LAUGH
0:10:48 > 0:10:49And you were in Carry On... Up The Khyber.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51I was in Carry On... Up The Khyber.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I have to say, there is a lady lounging across this cannon who...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- It could be me.- It could be you.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Well, of course, looking at these posters,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02they have become as iconic as the films themselves.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- Yes.- And I think there's this huge amount of nostalgia,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08which is, of course, something you were part of.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11You were working with all these great names of British comedy.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14And the posters now seems to be a bit of a nostalgia trip
0:11:14 > 0:11:17for anybody who has such a passion for these.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And what you've got here is a UK one-sheet.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Now, when any film was issued,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25there were various sizes and formats of movie poster
0:11:25 > 0:11:28that would be used in different parts of the theatre.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31But this one, in portrait, is what we call a one-sheet.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- The artist of this was a chap called Renato Fratini.- Mm.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39And he was known for doing these really fantastic
0:11:39 > 0:11:41sort of comic characterisations of the whole team.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44There was a lovely story attached to this,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47because it was gifted to me by the late Jeremy Lloyd,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50that wrote all those marvellous, marvellous films,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53including 'Allo 'Allo,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55and that makes it even more special.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So you had real happy times of working on these films?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Oh, I had a marvellous time, yes.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02It was like being on holiday for six weeks
0:12:02 > 0:12:05each time we shot one of the films, absolutely.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- Carry On... Up The Khyber is one of the popular ones.- Yes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11And a one-sheet Carry On... Up The Khyber today
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- is going to be worth around £300.- Aw.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16But, for me - someone who loves Carry Ons -
0:12:16 > 0:12:19well, you know what, you can keep all your Bond girls,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21I've met a Carry On girl!
0:12:21 > 0:12:22SHE LAUGHS
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Well, this is a wonderful collection of Russian playing cards.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And each of the cards, which are not only numbered,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37but they have little maps in the centre.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39These cards actually represent
0:12:39 > 0:12:4282 provinces of the Russian Empire
0:12:42 > 0:12:46which had been existing, I think, it's 1856.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48After the Crimean War,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52but it's the great period of Russian imperialism.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Buffalo Bill brought the image
0:12:55 > 0:12:59of what people thought the Wild West was meant to look like,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01and did all these tours
0:13:01 > 0:13:03all around America, all around Europe.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05So you've had it hanging in your pub?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08In one pub for 20 years, and the second pub for 10.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I just love it. And when I had the pub, it was fine.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Now I don't have the pubs any more -
0:13:13 > 0:13:16I wouldn't say it's irrelevant, but it's under the bed.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18And so how much did you pay for it?
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- £25.- OK.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23This is one of Moscow,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26with what people wear in Moscow here.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28And, as you say, on the back,
0:13:28 > 0:13:29the major cities.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Yes, the major cities.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Which are listed down here. I can't see the Kremlin.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35That's because the Kremlin...
0:13:35 > 0:13:37At this time, the Kremlin had been made from wood.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Yes.- Before the fire, you remember?- Oh, I see.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43I think that's the Kremlin, you see?
0:13:43 > 0:13:45They are incredibly rare.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47I've only ever seen them individually before,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50but to see such a large collection...
0:13:50 > 0:13:54You've got somewhere between £3,000 and £4,000.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55Wow.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59They're not that uncommon, to find a signed photograph.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02It's nice that it's signed with his real name, Cody,
0:14:02 > 0:14:03and then Buffalo Bill.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07At auction, easily £1,000.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Very good. Very nice.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Well, this is like the beguiling of Eve, isn't it?
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Here is a serpent in front of us.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Now, what's the story of the serpent?
0:14:21 > 0:14:22Erm, it belongs to my mother.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25She was left it in a will about 55 years ago.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- Yes.- And she wore it as a young lady.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- Yes.- Went dancing in it and it fell off,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35so that's why it's been left in its box in the safe.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Yes. Well, it's in remarkably good condition for a serpent,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41and it's almost hissing with emblematic meaning, this.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43The snake biting its tail
0:14:43 > 0:14:45is a very ancient emblem of eternity,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48it's called the ouroboros - the eternally renewing circle.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50And the fact it's gold, it's incorruptible.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54And these are all metaphors for love.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And the colour blue - something borrowed, something blue -
0:14:57 > 0:14:59says the same thing.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Combine it with diamonds, it's forever love.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Very conveniently, yours is dated 1845,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07but it may be more significant,
0:15:07 > 0:15:11because I've gone out of my way to say that it's an emblem of love,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13but it's more than that, actually.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16It's probably a very sophisticated piece of mourning jewellery.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19So, mourning is love beyond the grave,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21and here, very tragically,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25- we see four little windows with human hair in the back.- Yes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And every one has an initial in front of it
0:15:28 > 0:15:30with the same initial at the end
0:15:30 > 0:15:32and I don't think there can be a shadow of doubt
0:15:32 > 0:15:36that these are references to infant mortality.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- Really?- Which was absolutely rife in 1845.- Mm.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's all about art, all about symbolism.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43And, with a tinge of tragedy,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45we'll probably never, ever know who these people are.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- No.- And so it's jewellery saying everything
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and saying nothing at the same time.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53It's awe-inspiring, really.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56So how would they get the little windows in there?
0:15:56 > 0:16:01I think possibly the jewellers were incredibly competent at that time
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- and they would saw out with a file and make a little window.- Right.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07What you couldn't do is go near the enamel, because that would break it.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12- Yes.- It's completely articulated, to allow it onto a woman's wrist
0:16:12 > 0:16:13and it's in superb condition.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16And also, significantly,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19there's some very substantial diamonds in the head of the snake.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23And this points towards a very high-status family, really,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25who could afford such a thing -
0:16:25 > 0:16:28and I'm sure your mother values that enormously
0:16:28 > 0:16:30and everybody else would value it enormously,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34and so I think it's worth £8,000 to £10,000.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Really? As much as that? Ooh! Goodness.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Well, that's a lot.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42- It has beguiled us all, not just you.- Yes!
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Absolutely. But not with mammon, but with sentiment,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47and that's really marvellous.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Some First World War cartridges. What can you tell me about them?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Well, they're not cartridges,
0:16:53 > 0:16:55they're bullet punchers.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56- They're bullet punchers?- Yes.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58OK, so when we open them,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00inside we have...
0:17:00 > 0:17:02a little fork...
0:17:04 > 0:17:05..in there...
0:17:08 > 0:17:09..A knife.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12And not only a knife,
0:17:12 > 0:17:13we also have...
0:17:13 > 0:17:16a little spoon.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18So tell me, what's the history of these?
0:17:18 > 0:17:20My grandfather made musical instruments
0:17:20 > 0:17:21before the First World War.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And then during the war he was in munitions,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26he was based at Armley in Leeds,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28so he didn't fight.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30And because he made musical instruments,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33my guess is that he was using his skills
0:17:33 > 0:17:35in order to hand-file these,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37so he made them himself.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40These are actually Russian shells
0:17:40 > 0:17:41and they were made...
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Basically, the Russians were unable to pack them themselves,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48so they were actually filled in the UK and in France
0:17:48 > 0:17:50for the Russian army.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52And, obviously, as he worked in the munitions factory,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54he would just have obviously took a few of them
0:17:54 > 0:17:56and just fashioned a little cutlery out of them.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Commonly we see things that were made in the trenches
0:17:59 > 0:18:01in the First World War by the soldiers
0:18:01 > 0:18:03out of the big shells, you know,
0:18:03 > 0:18:04engraved with various scenes and things.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06But I must admit I've never seen anything
0:18:06 > 0:18:08so precisely engineered as these,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11and they're absolutely gorgeous.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13So presumably you feel a really strong connection with these
0:18:13 > 0:18:15as they were made by your grandfather?
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Yeah, yes. You just feel that, erm...
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Well, you can see the skill in them
0:18:20 > 0:18:23and you've got something physical, even though he's no longer around,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27you've got somebody who has made something themselves,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29and they'll stay in the family.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- Yes, so he's left a legacy, basically.- Yes.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33He was obviously incredibly skilled.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I think they're gorgeous, I love them.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37If they were to come up for auction,
0:18:37 > 0:18:39you'd be looking at probably somewhere in the region
0:18:39 > 0:18:41of £300 to £400 for them.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44That's lovely, thank you.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Do you know how old this is?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Quite old.- How do you know that?
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Well, it looks old, doesn't it?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Yeah, but, you know...
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It's been in the family for about 60 years,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00but I should think it's older than that.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Yeah. Have you tried to find out?
0:19:02 > 0:19:05I have and I've forgotten.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06It was a long time ago!
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It's about 17th century,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11something like that?
0:19:11 > 0:19:12It has got some clues on it.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- If we turn it upside down...- Yes.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- We've got these marks on the base here.- Yeah.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Which, if you look them up, it'll say Da Ming,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- which means "great Ming", as in Ming Dynasty.- Yeah.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Jiajing, which is the name of the Emperor,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and Nian Zhi, which means "made in".
0:19:30 > 0:19:32So, made in the Jiajing Reign of the great Ming Dynasty.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I love this type of vase.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- Of course, what you need to know is when was that chap on the...- Yes.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44..throne. He reigned from 1522 to 1566.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- Wow, really?- So, actually, it wasn't 17th-century,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49it's 16th century.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51The time of Henry VIII.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52But is it a real one?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Well, we've got these wonderful Ming-style scrolls
0:19:56 > 0:19:57and they're a bit blurred.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Everything about it, looking closely,
0:20:01 > 0:20:02is what you would expect to find
0:20:02 > 0:20:04on a genuine Ming vase.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I think it's a lovely thing, I love this sort of porcelain,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10it's the first bits of blue-and-white
0:20:10 > 0:20:12which made their way into Europe.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- Yeah.- The Medicis had porcelain of this reign in their collections,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and so did some of the kings and princes of Europe.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21So, a wonderful thing to see.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23So, you've got a Ming vase.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28- You want to know what it's worth? - Yes, I do.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29- That's why you came, isn't it?- Yes!
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Not altogether, no.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Well, you have got a Ming vase,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36it's perfectly genuine, it's a lovely piece.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- Here's the problem.- No.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43We've got a crack running round the centre.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45It's been made in sections,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48and that is where the two bits were joined together.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50So, at the luting line, there's a crack.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Because of that, we're looking at £800.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Not £4,000.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57- Oh!- I'm sorry.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Oh!
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Never mind, I love it anyway.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07No-one's ever offered me a pair of stockings
0:21:07 > 0:21:09on the Roadshow before today, so this is a first.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11So, this is your marvellous
0:21:11 > 0:21:15stocking- and sock-making contraption.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Show me how it works, first of all.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Well, it's deceptively simple once it's threaded up.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It has 80 latch needles,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27they were invented in 1849,
0:21:27 > 0:21:32and it takes the yarn and creates loops and knits.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36So even today knitting machines use this principle.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38So each stitch is laid
0:21:38 > 0:21:40as it goes round.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Into the open mouth of the hook.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It's ingeniously simple,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- but at the same time fiendishly complicated, isn't it?- It is, yes.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52And how long does it take to run up a sock or a stocking, then?
0:21:52 > 0:21:55In the hands of an expert - and I'm not an expert -
0:21:55 > 0:21:57someone who can close the heel
0:21:57 > 0:21:59and turn the heel,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02probably five or ten minutes to make each sock.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04And this dates from about, what, 1910, something like that?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Yes, around 1910.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09They are quite collectable, particularly in the States,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12where they have a conference every year for sock-knitters.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14That is a conference I'd like to attend!
0:22:16 > 0:22:19This is a sampler, it happens to be a rather nice one.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23An early one, 18th-century, I'm sure, by its style.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Silk on linen, but it employs a technique
0:22:26 > 0:22:29that I've rarely seen used before in samplers.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31But you know a bit about its history, don't you?
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Yes, this particular sampler
0:22:34 > 0:22:37was sewn by my great-great-grandmother...
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- Yes.- Marion Black.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41She was born in 1776
0:22:41 > 0:22:45and, I believe, she may have stitched this
0:22:45 > 0:22:47when she was about 16 years old.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50That's interesting, because the word "sampler"
0:22:50 > 0:22:52comes from the French "essamplaire",
0:22:52 > 0:22:55which means to copy or to imitate,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57and young girls stitched these things
0:22:57 > 0:23:00to show their proficiency in needlework
0:23:00 > 0:23:03to make them ready to run households.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05So I think, if she was born in '76,
0:23:05 > 0:23:09this is properly done no later than 1786.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Right.- And, erm...
0:23:12 > 0:23:14what's unusual about this
0:23:14 > 0:23:18is that it's got raised and cut silk work
0:23:18 > 0:23:22to emulate a mown lawn, here in the front there.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25And I've never seen that before, and I think that's really remarkable,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and it gives it a three-dimensional effect.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30And the way it's arranged is really charming.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The colours are so fresh, you know,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35the blue of the roof and the red of the door,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and the berries and flowers on the tree there.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41But it has a reasonable value, for all those reasons.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45And something like this, from this date and this fresh
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and this condition, would be in the region
0:23:48 > 0:23:51of £1,000 to £1,300, £1,400.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Well, that's very nice.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55I shall continue to treasure it.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56It's as charming as it gets.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- I mean, it's proper folk art, isn't it?- It is, it is.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It's a real tribute to the maker and the skills of little girls and...
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- Exactly.- ..what young girls could be expected to do.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Exactly. A little girl like this age could have done something like this.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- They were as young as five and six. - Yes.- How old are you?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15You're eight. So you could easily have done this
0:24:15 > 0:24:17if you lived back in Georgian times.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19That's quite a thought.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Well, the world is full of love and sentiment,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and this was really true during the Victorian period as well,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28which is where this necklace dates from.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30How has it ended up in your collection?
0:24:30 > 0:24:31My father-in-law gave it to me.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34What a lovely gift. He obviously adored you.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- I hope so. - Yeah, definitely, definitely.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- It's something that you wear a lot? - A lot, all the time.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Good, that's brilliant.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Well, it's a Victorian necklace,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45round about the 1840s,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48when jewellery really was the height of fashion
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and this whole idea of interpreting love messages through jewellery
0:24:52 > 0:24:54was extremely important as well.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56And with the hearts,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58that's an obvious symbol of sentiment.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01But what we also have on these lovely little hearts
0:25:01 > 0:25:02are various colours.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03So we've got turquoise,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06which is seen as the true colour of the forget-me-not flower,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and then you can associate that
0:25:08 > 0:25:10with the hidden message of "don't forget me",
0:25:10 > 0:25:11which is absolutely gorgeous.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The necklace is gold
0:25:14 > 0:25:16and it's what we call a snake link,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19and when you move it, it slithers along like a little snake.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22That lovely sort of tactile feel to the Victorian jewellery
0:25:22 > 0:25:24which really sums it up, it's fantastic.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26And what's that stone?
0:25:26 > 0:25:30The pink one there is either a pink sapphire or a tourmaline,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33it's a little bit difficult to tell in the heavy setting of the mount.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Now, as far as value's concerned,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37collectors love this sort of look.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41At auction, somebody would pay in excess of £2,000 for this.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Right. Thank you very much.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46My pleasure. Keep on wearing it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- I will.- Good.- Don't you worry.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Our impostor this week is based around our national pastime -
0:26:04 > 0:26:05drinking tea, of course.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07John Axford, you set us this challenge,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10you are our ceramics specialist - and an Orientalist, as well.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12So we have four tea bowls, I must call them.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- That's correct.- They're not tea cups, they don't have handles.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Cups have handles, yes.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Three of which are 18th-century Chinese...
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Yes.- And the impostor is?
0:26:21 > 0:26:25English. So they all date from round about 1750.
0:26:25 > 0:26:291740, 1750. But one is an English one.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Now, the thing about drinking tea at that time
0:26:32 > 0:26:34was it was a very refined activity,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- because tea was so expensive and so precious.- Yes.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40You've got to remember, in 1740, the time of Hogarth,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44both porcelain and tea were extremely expensive.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48I mean, tea was so expensive that it was locked away in caddies.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50It's not until you get to the 19th century,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52you start getting these great big teapots
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and great big teacups,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56and people start sloshing it around a bit.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59So, four tea bowls, three Chinese - which is the English one?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Here are some hints from John.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07This porcelain tea bowl was made for an Irishman called Nicholas Langton,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and depicts his coat of arms.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12But would he have commissioned a Chinese maker to produce this,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15or would he have relied on a English maker?
0:27:17 > 0:27:18This tea bowl dates from around 1750
0:27:18 > 0:27:22and features a beautifully enamelled image of lovers in a garden.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26Is it the work of a Chinese craftsman with years of experience,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29or has an English painter managed to replicate the technique?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Could this tea bowl, from around 1755,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38represent an Englishman's view of a Chinese scene,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40complete with a water buffalo?
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Or is it a genuine piece
0:27:41 > 0:27:43that was made in China and shipped over
0:27:43 > 0:27:45for tea-drinking aficionados?
0:27:47 > 0:27:49This elegant tea bowl
0:27:49 > 0:27:51depicting a European gentleman
0:27:51 > 0:27:52dates from around 1740.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55But is it the work of a Chinese or an English potter?
0:28:00 > 0:28:02The history of porcelain is a fascinating one,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and my understanding of Chinese porcelain in particular
0:28:05 > 0:28:06is that what made it so special
0:28:06 > 0:28:08is its fineness and its transparency.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10So is that what I should be looking for?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12It's certainly one of the things.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15Some Chinese porcelain is extremely fine, if it's very thinly potted.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Other times it can be more thickly potted
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and, if it's fired at a lower temperature,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21it will be less translucent.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24So it is one of the features, but it doesn't necessarily help you.
0:28:24 > 0:28:2618th-century Chinese porcelain,
0:28:26 > 0:28:28compared with 18th-century English porcelains,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30tends to be a more glassy material.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33It's harder, it's known as hard-paste porcelain,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and when it breaks, you get a sort of colloidal fracture,
0:28:36 > 0:28:37like glass breaks.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41There was great demand, wasn't there, for porcelain in Britain?
0:28:41 > 0:28:44In the first half of the 18th century, it was a craze
0:28:44 > 0:28:46and, of course, tea drinking was so fashionable
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Chinese tea wares poured into the country and, of course,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52factories set up in England, in London, in Worcester,
0:28:52 > 0:28:54in Derby and in Staffordshire,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56to compete with these markets.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00It's a very tricky one, because as far as I was concerned,
0:29:00 > 0:29:02transparency was the name of the game -
0:29:02 > 0:29:03you've now told me now it's not necessarily
0:29:03 > 0:29:05about their transparency.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06Folks, any ideas?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- You've had a look. - Second from the left for me.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10You think this is the impostor?
0:29:10 > 0:29:13You think that's the impostor?
0:29:13 > 0:29:14You think THAT'S the impostor?
0:29:14 > 0:29:16- Yes.- Well, you are no help at all.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18And at the back there, you think it's this one?
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Oh, brilliant. Well, that's a whole heap of help.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25I mean, I had a quick look and I held them up to the light.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28This is beautifully fine, I think, this one.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32The crosshatching and the design on here
0:29:32 > 0:29:34is just so...
0:29:34 > 0:29:37beautifully done.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40I wonder if this is English.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44This is the plainest. But compared...
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Oh, I'm tying myself up in knots here.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- I'm going to go... Who thought it was this one?- Me.- Right.
0:29:49 > 0:29:50Loving you, madam.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53I'm going for this one being the impostor,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56because it's less transparent and it has less detail on it.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00Therefore, I think that is the English impostor.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01You're entirely wrong.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03ALL: Aw!
0:30:03 > 0:30:06The impostor, in this case...
0:30:06 > 0:30:10- is this one.- Oh!
0:30:10 > 0:30:13But when you hold this up, it's so fine and delicate.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14It's lighter than all the others.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18This was made at the Worcester factory in about 1755,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21only a few years after the factory opened,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23and it is trying to look like Chinese porcelain
0:30:23 > 0:30:25and it's doing a really very, very good job.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27It's doing an excellent job.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30So, which of these is the most valuable, John?
0:30:30 > 0:30:32This is the most valuable piece.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34- Erm...- What, because of rarity?
0:30:34 > 0:30:35Because of rarity.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Chinese porcelain was made for the export market
0:30:38 > 0:30:39in very, very large numbers.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Shiploads arrived back here.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Worcester porcelain, which is copying it, is far rarer,
0:30:46 > 0:30:47and Worcester collectors,
0:30:47 > 0:30:49particularly in the UK and in America,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51what they want is the pieces from the very earliest years
0:30:51 > 0:30:53of the factory.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55It's worth maybe £600.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I've got it wrong again. You were a fat lot of help!
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Oh, you were right, were you? Oh, right, madam.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03I'm going to go have a cup of tea, I reckon.
0:31:07 > 0:31:08This reminds me so much of my childhood,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and I'm sure there are plenty of viewers, too,
0:31:11 > 0:31:12who will look at this lot
0:31:12 > 0:31:14and say, yeah, I used to play with one of those.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17But there's something very, very different
0:31:17 > 0:31:19about this collection of Corgi die-casts
0:31:19 > 0:31:21on the table here.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22Tell me a bit about them.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Well, Corgi toys had...
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Their main plant was in Swansea...
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- Yep.- But also in Northampton.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32That factory was where we made most of the components
0:31:32 > 0:31:34to go to the Swansea factory.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38Well, sometimes there was perhaps something wrong with them.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42There were 3,000 women putting toys together
0:31:42 > 0:31:44and maybe they would send a message -
0:31:44 > 0:31:46well, we can't fit the wheel on that particular model,
0:31:46 > 0:31:48have a look at it.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Well, the idea was
0:31:50 > 0:31:52to have that model -
0:31:52 > 0:31:54as this one is - held together with...
0:31:54 > 0:31:56- It's been assembled...- Yes.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59But it's not been completed by spinning over these things here.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02- The rivets have not been sealed off. - The rivets have not been made.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- And you call that spinning over? - Spinning it over, yes.- Right, OK.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08The idea was, that, well, we'd looked for the component
0:32:08 > 0:32:10and check it for assembly.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13What was your position at the plant up in Northampton?
0:32:13 > 0:32:14I was the general manager
0:32:14 > 0:32:16You were the general manager? OK.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18So what you're saying to me is that all these examples
0:32:18 > 0:32:23with elastic bands around them were basically unique reference models.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26- Absolutely.- But, also, we've got a selection here at the front
0:32:26 > 0:32:29that have got some very unusual finishes on them.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30These are Huskies, most of these.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32- They are.- I've never seen these with these finishes.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35When they were deciding what colour to make this,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37mainly for the American market,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41the director would say to me, "Right, I want ten in that colour,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43"I want ten in that colour, I want ten in that colour."
0:32:43 > 0:32:45And we would just send them to him.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47- Yes.- It was always a big nuisance, really,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- to upset a big paint plant to do ten of...- Yes.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52He said he wanted them, so we made them.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54And we put them out and he said, "No, no, no."
0:32:54 > 0:32:56And, "Right, this is the one we're going for."
0:32:56 > 0:32:59So, how to choose the colour for the model.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00So what you're saying is
0:33:00 > 0:33:03that just maybe six, eight, ten of these were made?
0:33:03 > 0:33:06- That's right.- And what happened to the ones they didn't want?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08Well, I have two girls at home,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10but I had a lot of children who used to live nearby
0:33:10 > 0:33:11and I used to take them home.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15They would never go into boxes, they would never be assembled,
0:33:15 > 0:33:16so I used to give them to local kids.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Do you realise what you're sitting on here?
0:33:19 > 0:33:20Yes, they're...
0:33:20 > 0:33:22unique, aren't they?
0:33:22 > 0:33:23- Well, they're rare.- One-offs.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Absolutely. You've got one-offs, rare editions.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Of course, these reference ones were one-offs,
0:33:29 > 0:33:33and actually I'm totally flummoxed,
0:33:33 > 0:33:38because I never expected to be shown such rare Corgis.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Have you got any more?
0:33:40 > 0:33:44I've got 200 or 300, probably, of all sorts.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45200 or 300?
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Yes, probably, yes.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49I'm meant to surprise you, you're not meant to surprise me.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53I think there's probably -
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and I'm just going to globally value this lot on the table for you -
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I think there's probably around about
0:33:58 > 0:34:02£1,500 to £2,000 worth of cars on this table.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07- Yes.- But if you've got 200-300 more...
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- There's quite a few of them. - I can't really do the maths.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12So what you have got is something quite important.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15- Yes, they are. - And very important to collectors.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Well, my grandchildren have got their names on many of them already.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20- THEY LAUGH - Oh, well, that's lovely.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23You've brought me in a little book
0:34:23 > 0:34:26which is, sort of, over 350 years old
0:34:26 > 0:34:29and it's a sort of very early guide
0:34:29 > 0:34:32that travellers could take with them
0:34:32 > 0:34:35to understand how to behave, what to appreciate,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37all that sort of stuff.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39It's a lovely little thing. Do you look after it?
0:34:39 > 0:34:40- Yes, indeed.- I do.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- Where do you keep it? - With my other books, actually.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- OK.- But it's all protected, obviously,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49because it's quite old. I've just treasured it.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51If we just open it up here to the title page,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Instructions And Directions For Foreign Travel,
0:34:54 > 0:34:58- and it's written by a chap called James Howell.- OK.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Who was born at the end of the 16th century
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and died in the, sort of, later 17th century.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08- OK.- You've got a second edition, this is actually a second edition...
0:35:08 > 0:35:10- Ah, OK.- It was first published in 1642.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- OK.- And this is dated 1650.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16And Howell worked in a glass factory
0:35:16 > 0:35:19and he did a lot of travelling, mostly throughout Europe.
0:35:19 > 0:35:20He was a great linguist,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24who wrote other books on grammar and language and things like that.
0:35:24 > 0:35:25And in this little book,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28he's sort of trying to tell would-be travellers
0:35:28 > 0:35:30how the best way to go about things is.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32You haven't used it?
0:35:32 > 0:35:34- No.- So how did you get it?
0:35:34 > 0:35:35Actually it's from my father,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39and I think it's been handed down in the family, to my father
0:35:39 > 0:35:42and, of course, he's not with us now, so hence I've inherited it.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45- OK.- Yes, I think it's been in the family a long time.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51On this page here, this is a portrait of King Charles II.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- Yeah.- With his date of birth.
0:35:53 > 0:35:5529th of May, 1630.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58It was quite a risky thing. At that time, that particular time,
0:35:58 > 0:35:59the interregnum,
0:35:59 > 0:36:05between 1649 when Charles' father King Charles I had been executed,
0:36:05 > 0:36:10and 1651 when Cromwell defeated Charles II and then took over.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13To pin your sort of colours to the mast, as Howell is doing here,
0:36:13 > 0:36:17bigging up the monarchy, was quite a risky thing to do.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21But what I think is the loveliest bit about it
0:36:21 > 0:36:25is the fact that he has a bit here at the end
0:36:25 > 0:36:28when he says that when an Englishman comes back after travelling abroad,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32"When he hath observed all this, at his return home,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36"he will bless God and love England better ever after."
0:36:36 > 0:36:39And I think that still holds true today.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40It does.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- It's rare.- Yes.- Doesn't come up on the market very often.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48- OK.- And if it came up for sale,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52I think it would make certainly £1,000-£1,500.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Wow.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56- Might even do more.- Really?!
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- Yes.- It's such a tiny little book.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- I know. It's a super little thing. - Thank you.- Yeah.- Great.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Rarely on the Antiques Roadshow do we actually feature tools,
0:37:05 > 0:37:07and I think that when you consider
0:37:07 > 0:37:10these potentially made some of the furniture that we've featured,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12I think it's time we had some tool time.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14I think it's a good idea as well!
0:37:14 > 0:37:17- You clearly love them. - Oh, I do.- Why?
0:37:17 > 0:37:22To me, they represent the pinnacle of English furniture-making
0:37:22 > 0:37:24and, without tools like this,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27we wouldn't have the Chippendales and the Hepplewhites,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31they wouldn't have been built to as good a standard
0:37:31 > 0:37:33had these not existed at that time.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37People look at these tools that may have been their grandad's
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and they've found in the shed,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42and they'll go in the skip or they might go to a sale room,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46but, really, they're artefacts of our history
0:37:46 > 0:37:49of the great furniture that we've got now.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Because they are works of art in themselves.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55You're quite young - why tools, for you?
0:37:55 > 0:37:57I actually makes saws.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01- Oh, OK.- Yeah, I actually reproduce saws from this era...
0:38:01 > 0:38:05- Wow!- For special commissions for people.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08I use the same tools,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11the same techniques that would have been used
0:38:11 > 0:38:12250 years ago to make these.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16How long would it take you to make a saw like this?
0:38:16 > 0:38:20Between 25 and 30 hours, depending on the design.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22It's the quality of them,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and you just don't get that... any more.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27You don't get something...
0:38:27 > 0:38:30A tool which was made for a craftsman of the mid-18th century
0:38:30 > 0:38:33which would be used throughout his life.
0:38:33 > 0:38:34This is my favourite one.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36When you see the blade on this one,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39you can see, this would have - correct me if I'm wrong -
0:38:39 > 0:38:42this would have been out there
0:38:42 > 0:38:44and then they've re-sharpened it over years
0:38:44 > 0:38:46where they've actually now had to go round a little bend.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50And that to me just sums up how important these were to that person,
0:38:50 > 0:38:52how expensive they were,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55and it then creates a beautiful object in itself.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57They've got maker's marks on them -
0:38:57 > 0:38:59have you researched the makers into the these?
0:38:59 > 0:39:02I have, yeah, with quite some depth.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05Most of the saws that are on the table
0:39:05 > 0:39:08actually were made in Sheffield.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11And this one in particular
0:39:11 > 0:39:15is probably one of the early examples of a Sheffield saw.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18And the maker, John Kenyon,
0:39:18 > 0:39:23was the first Sheffield saw-maker outside of London,
0:39:23 > 0:39:27and this dates from about 1760.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30And that would make these pretty rare as tools?
0:39:30 > 0:39:33They do, especially saws of this size.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35They're very rare survivors.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37There's now sales, or auctions,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39purely of tools.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41I think on the table here
0:39:41 > 0:39:45you've got between £3,000 and £3,500 worth of saws.
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Crikey!
0:39:47 > 0:39:49That's quite unbelievable, yeah.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Well, what appears to be a very harmless little watercolour
0:39:55 > 0:39:56of a ship at sea
0:39:56 > 0:39:58hides some deeper meanings.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00Where did you get it?
0:40:00 > 0:40:03I actually bought it online.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I'd noticed it and was interested, like you say,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10because of the hidden... Hidden story in it.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14That was what amazed me when you pulled it out of your carrier bag.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Because there are thousands of little cut lines
0:40:18 > 0:40:20which allow the picture itself
0:40:20 > 0:40:22to actually dome out
0:40:22 > 0:40:24in a beehive form.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26In fact, we often call them beehives -
0:40:26 > 0:40:28and underneath,
0:40:28 > 0:40:29there is a little watercolour.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31And it's quite hard to reveal.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34You have to bring it up, and then, as you tip it,
0:40:34 > 0:40:39you can see how the paper sort of concertinas
0:40:39 > 0:40:42in a very much a sort of a beehive way.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45And look at that.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48The kneeling slave, chained,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52with a quote from Isaiah,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56"Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away."
0:40:56 > 0:41:00It does date to probably the 1820s
0:41:00 > 0:41:02and, of course, it was 1833
0:41:02 > 0:41:07that slavery was fully abolished in Britain.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- Would it be the sympathetic person doing this?- Yes.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14Yes. People whose consciences were constantly being pricked
0:41:14 > 0:41:18by the continuation of, obviously, an appalling trade.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21So it makes this really
0:41:21 > 0:41:22quite an important piece.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25And on the Roadshow we see a lot of Valentine cards
0:41:25 > 0:41:26in this style -
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I've never seen a slavery one,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31and neither have any of my colleagues.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33So, you paid...?
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I paid £15.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36£15.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38That's very good.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Well, it's worth £500-£800.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44No! Really? Oh, my goodness.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47That has totally surprised me.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Thank you.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56If I had a time machine,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00I'd think, let's go to Harrogate in the 1930s, or the 1920s.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03It must have been a fantastic place. Are you a Harrogate person?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07No, I've lived in the area since the 1960s but, funnily enough,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10my grandfather was offered the job as stationmaster
0:42:10 > 0:42:13in Harrogate in the 1930s and he turned it down for Ipswich.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15We're looking at a railway poster.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17He was handling posters on a daily basis,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19but he didn't keep any.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21They had no value. They'd been stuck up,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24there was spares kept in the attic, and whenever he wanted scrap paper
0:42:24 > 0:42:26they'd be torn up into foolscap sheets
0:42:26 > 0:42:27and he'd use them for his homework.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- Think of what he tore up.- Exactly. - It doesn't bear thinking about.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31- It's frightening.- Yeah.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34The great era of the railway posters was the 1930s.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37There was a mass of railway posters about Harrogate
0:42:37 > 0:42:39because it was such an important place.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43There were Pullman trains coming daily in and out of the town,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46there were great hotels, there was the royal baths,
0:42:46 > 0:42:49you know, it was a fantastic place at that time.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52I'm not saying it isn't now, but it was very different.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Do you know the background to this poster?
0:42:55 > 0:42:58I don't. I've been told that it's quite significant that it should say
0:42:58 > 0:43:01London and North Eastern Railway of England and Scotland.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Yep. Because I think it's an export one.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08We were saying to people, "Come to Harrogate".
0:43:08 > 0:43:09We were also saying to people in Europe,
0:43:09 > 0:43:13and in particularly North America, "Come to Britain".
0:43:13 > 0:43:16And therefore this was for the North American market.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19And so it's focusing on Britishness,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Englishness, the baths, the riding,
0:43:22 > 0:43:24the style, the elegance.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27There'd be no point at all in saying England and Scotland
0:43:27 > 0:43:31if it was being used in England and Scotland.
0:43:31 > 0:43:32This would have been on display
0:43:32 > 0:43:36in some office in Manhattan, some travel company,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39seducing people to come and find the best of Britain.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41Because it's a very rare one.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42- Yes?- I don't know that I've ever seen it,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45and I have seen lots of Harrogate posters.
0:43:45 > 0:43:49So, it's unusual. It's an export model, which makes it more unusual.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52It's a wonderfully evocative image of where we are.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54- I would think it would be about 2,000.- Oh!
0:43:56 > 0:43:58But we'll be keeping it, won't we?
0:43:58 > 0:44:01- Great image.- Yes. Thank you.- Thank you.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06This clock has been on the Roadshow before, hasn't it, in 19...?
0:44:06 > 0:44:08- 1982.- And we've got the ticket to prove it.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10- Look at that.- Uh-huh, yes.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12My father actually made this clock
0:44:12 > 0:44:14and he brought it in to get some advice
0:44:14 > 0:44:16about how we could perhaps get it to work with a pendulum.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19And he showed it to Arthur Negus, who was very impressed,
0:44:19 > 0:44:22he thought it was a lot older, didn't realise my dad had made it,
0:44:22 > 0:44:23set it down on the table
0:44:23 > 0:44:27and then accidentally knocked it off and it fell on the floor.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30- The cover came off and... - So he damaged it?- Yes, he did.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33It's been restored since, but he was very apologetic.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- I'm sure he was! - He said, "I'm very sorry."
0:44:37 > 0:44:38My dad said, "Well, don't worry,
0:44:38 > 0:44:40"at least I can tell the grandchildren
0:44:40 > 0:44:42"that Arthur Negus dropped my clock."
0:44:42 > 0:44:44And here they are today,
0:44:44 > 0:44:45these are the grandchildren.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48So, girls, now you can tell your grandchildren
0:44:48 > 0:44:50- that Arthur Negus dropped this clock.- Wow.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56Look what's turned up at the same time -
0:44:56 > 0:44:59two Austrian cold-painted bronzes.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03- Brilliant, eh?- A dachshund. - Yeah.- And a carpet-seller.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05A North African carpet-seller.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07We know who they're by, don't we?
0:45:07 > 0:45:08I'm sure it's Bergman.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12I wasn't expecting to see such an explosion of colour.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15It's actually an oil painting on board,
0:45:15 > 0:45:20and the signature reads Angelito Antonio, 1963.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22I know nothing about it.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25It's the only antique I've got, that's why I've brought it.
0:45:25 > 0:45:26OK. Well, it's a lovely little thing.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28Very desirable, it's a dachshund,
0:45:28 > 0:45:30people love dogs, they love dachshunds.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33This one dates from around about 1900, 1910.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35- What about yours, Ronnie?- Same.
0:45:35 > 0:45:36Exactly the same sort of date.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Great polychrome on this. Great cold-painting.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41The colours are still quite fresh and nice.
0:45:41 > 0:45:42Where did you get yours?
0:45:42 > 0:45:45It was given to my husband and I when we got married,
0:45:45 > 0:45:47by my mother-in-law.
0:45:48 > 0:45:53Antonio is an artist who's still working today in the Philippines,
0:45:53 > 0:45:56so this is a long, long, long way from home.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00Can I ask, what drew you to the picture?
0:46:00 > 0:46:03It just looks very Picasso-esque
0:46:03 > 0:46:07and modernist, cubist-type. I love it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11The whole ethos of Cubism was to portray three-dimensional forms
0:46:11 > 0:46:15using lots of facets and planes on a two-dimensional surface,
0:46:15 > 0:46:20which is exactly what Antonio has been inspired to do here.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Well, I'm going to go first on value, OK?
0:46:23 > 0:46:25- OK.- How does £400 to £600 at auction grab you?
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Wow!
0:46:27 > 0:46:30I thought you were going to say about £40.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31No. It's a lovely little thing.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Certainly worth in that sort of ballpark.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- Your turn, Ronnie. - This one's not a dog,
0:46:36 > 0:46:37but it's still a popular subject,
0:46:37 > 0:46:41and this one is £600 to £800 in value.
0:46:41 > 0:46:42Wow. That's fantastic.
0:46:42 > 0:46:43So, as an early work
0:46:43 > 0:46:47by one of the Philippines' most well-known artists today,
0:46:47 > 0:46:51it's probably worth around between £1,000 to £2,000.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Wow. I didn't think it would be that much.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01I found it when I was clearing out my late sister's house.
0:47:01 > 0:47:02This, and a few dress rings,
0:47:02 > 0:47:06where in a bin liner in a box in the bottom of one of the drawers.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09And I just thought it was a very attractive thing,
0:47:09 > 0:47:10and I saw the maker's name,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13was able to look at that on the internet.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15- Mm-hm.- Someone has since told me
0:47:15 > 0:47:17that they think the hallmark is 1826...
0:47:17 > 0:47:18So you've done a little research?
0:47:18 > 0:47:20A little bit, yes.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22But I know very little, other than that.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24- And you haven't had it running?- No.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26No, I don't have a key to make it run.
0:47:26 > 0:47:27And I'm a bit wary of...
0:47:27 > 0:47:30That's a good reason for not running it - "I have no key."
0:47:30 > 0:47:32I'm a bit wary of over-handling it.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34Fair enough. Well, you're right about the name.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37It's a magic name. Parkinson & Frodsham.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41London, of course. And it's numbered 1230.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- Yes.- Let me see if you're right about the hallmark...
0:47:44 > 0:47:46which certainly should be
0:47:46 > 0:47:48inside the back of the case.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51And you're absolutely right.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55The London marks with the big I of 1826.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58- Wow.- So, those two bits of research have paid off.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Did you discover much about Parkinson & Frodsham?
0:48:00 > 0:48:05I saw that they had been responsible for ships' chronometers.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07- Mm-hm.- And that they supplied the ship's chronometer
0:48:07 > 0:48:09for Darwin's Beagle expedition.
0:48:09 > 0:48:13So, do you think that this could be a pocket chronometer?
0:48:13 > 0:48:14Have you looked inside?
0:48:14 > 0:48:16Only to the extent that I've looked at the workings,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19but as a non-expert, that doesn't mean a great deal to me.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21Let's just flip open the top.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24There we go. And you can see there...
0:48:25 > 0:48:27..a wonderful signature.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29And I can tell you straightaway it is a pocket chronometer.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Wow.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35- Wow!- A very, very accurate movement indeed.
0:48:35 > 0:48:39- I can also tell you, just looking here...- I wonder why.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41..that this spring detent,
0:48:41 > 0:48:44that's the bit under there, is lacking,
0:48:44 > 0:48:47and your balance has got a broken pivot.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50- Right.- So I'm really glad you didn't have the key
0:48:50 > 0:48:53and I'm really glad you didn't try to make it run.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Now, the 24-hour dial
0:48:56 > 0:48:59is one of the things
0:48:59 > 0:49:03that Parkinson & Frodsham did for chronometers
0:49:03 > 0:49:05that were sidereally rated.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09Now, sidereal time is more accurate,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12if you like, than solar time.
0:49:12 > 0:49:13I won't explain any more than that,
0:49:13 > 0:49:15because it will go on for far too long.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17You've mentioned the Beagle.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20I would put it to you
0:49:20 > 0:49:23that this was a chronometer of importance.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26- Oh.- And it would be well worthwhile
0:49:26 > 0:49:30finding out from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich
0:49:30 > 0:49:33if there are any details of this particular chronometer,
0:49:33 > 0:49:35and whether it went on expeditions,
0:49:35 > 0:49:37or whether it was used for naval use.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41- Wow.- This is a very good item.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43That's amazing. That's incredible.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Thank you. I had no idea.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49It's a great object. I love the dial.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51OK, there's a little bit of hairline cracking down there
0:49:51 > 0:49:54but, fundamentally, it's got a lot of potential.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- Wow.- At the moment, in its current condition,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00which is a little bit iffy,
0:50:00 > 0:50:02we would be talking about £3,000 to £4,000.
0:50:02 > 0:50:07- Right.- If the detent and the balance and everything had been perfect,
0:50:07 > 0:50:09and the dial hadn't been cracked,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12we'd be talking 6,000 to 8,000.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14- Gosh.- Now, if we can find evidence
0:50:14 > 0:50:16that it's been on superb expeditions,
0:50:16 > 0:50:18it just goes on and on and on.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21Because it's to do with the provenance.
0:50:21 > 0:50:22But all that matters is,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24I'm really glad you rescued it from the bag of rubbish.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26From the bin liner. Yeah, absolutely!
0:50:26 > 0:50:27Thank you. That's wonderful.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33I've heard about you.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35People have been telling me all day,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38"There's a lady walking round with a really nice vase
0:50:38 > 0:50:41"that she's wrapped really badly in a bag
0:50:41 > 0:50:44"and telling everybody she can't stand it."
0:50:44 > 0:50:46- Is this you?- Yes.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Go on, then, spill the beans. What are you on about?
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Well, it's been sitting on my bedroom windowsill
0:50:53 > 0:50:55for about 20 years.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59- OK.- I was given it by my great-aunt. And, yeah, that's about it.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01I don't really like it!
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Have you ever noticed any writing on it?
0:51:03 > 0:51:06- Erm...- Just there, for instance.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Can you read that?
0:51:08 > 0:51:09"R Lalique, France."
0:51:09 > 0:51:11"R Lalique, France."
0:51:11 > 0:51:13Have you ever heard of Rene Lalique?
0:51:13 > 0:51:15I've heard of Lalique.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18So, Rene Lalique is the greatest glass designer of the 20th century,
0:51:18 > 0:51:22and his work falls into several categories,
0:51:22 > 0:51:24but the principal ones are
0:51:24 > 0:51:29the "R" pieces - R Lalique, which predate his death in 1945 -
0:51:29 > 0:51:31and the "not R" - just the "Lalique" pieces -
0:51:31 > 0:51:33which post-date his death in 1945.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35So, this is R Lalique,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39so it's a Rene piece, it's called Marguerite,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41which is a form of daisy.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44- Right.- It was designed in 1923,
0:51:44 > 0:51:46and it's mould-blown,
0:51:46 > 0:51:48by blowing in a pipe
0:51:48 > 0:51:50into a pattern mould,
0:51:50 > 0:51:54and then the centres of the flowers
0:51:54 > 0:51:55are then stained,
0:51:55 > 0:51:59in order to give it greater depth and its greater quality.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00It's not only a vase.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02It also works as a lamp.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05You could put a clamp on here
0:52:05 > 0:52:06and have a...
0:52:06 > 0:52:08So, it's a lamp or a vase, depending on what you like.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12So, this old bit of rubbish
0:52:12 > 0:52:15that has really seen better days...
0:52:15 > 0:52:18Because somebody hasn't really been looking after it very well.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21That's probably because they don't like it.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24But to somebody who appreciates it...
0:52:25 > 0:52:27..it would be worth
0:52:27 > 0:52:30between £1,000 and £1,500!
0:52:32 > 0:52:34- Oh, my gosh.- So you can chuck it back in your old bag,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37and continue treating it like a load of old filth if you like.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40But, on the other hand, you might consider it,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43at 1,500 quid, to be worth looking after, you big nitwit!
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Wow. That's amazing.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48- That's incredible. Thank you.- You're most welcome.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51It's been a real pleasure telling you!
0:52:54 > 0:52:58We have one of these famous cliches in the art world, which goes,
0:52:58 > 0:52:59"I met this bloke the other day
0:52:59 > 0:53:02"who says he bought a genuine Picasso
0:53:02 > 0:53:04"in a house-clearance sale."
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Where did you buy this?
0:53:07 > 0:53:08A house-clearance sale.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11And who do you think it's by?
0:53:11 > 0:53:12Picasso.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16OK. So, am I right in thinking you're from Germany?
0:53:16 > 0:53:19Yes, we are. We came especially to see you here in Harrogate.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Well, we're deeply flattered.
0:53:21 > 0:53:22Let's see if we can help.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Now, how did you come across this drawing?
0:53:24 > 0:53:26My wife and I, we don't really get the chance
0:53:26 > 0:53:28to do the big summer holidays any more
0:53:28 > 0:53:30because we're both very busy people.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32But we love to drive,
0:53:32 > 0:53:34so we take two, three days' drive,
0:53:34 > 0:53:36you know, different countries.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38And we were to the south of Paris,
0:53:38 > 0:53:42and my wife spotted a large estate,
0:53:42 > 0:53:44they were looking like there were loads of people,
0:53:44 > 0:53:46loads of things going on,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50and we stopped, and we bought a beautiful 1930s Lalique plate,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52a little oil painting
0:53:52 > 0:53:56and a box of, I suppose, miscellaneous frames,
0:53:56 > 0:53:59and paid about 50 euro for the box.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01I suppose you can tell where this story's going.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03So the box contains...
0:54:03 > 0:54:05- Yes.- This.- When we came home,
0:54:05 > 0:54:07I just went through the frames and everything
0:54:07 > 0:54:10and I thought, "Hmm, this looks interesting."
0:54:10 > 0:54:13And I thought, I'll give my husband a call and I say,
0:54:13 > 0:54:16"I've seen this painting and it's got a signature, Picasso.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18So, is it or not? I don't know.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21So the first thing is, then, you set eyes upon this,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24this object from a box which you paid 50 euros for,
0:54:24 > 0:54:26and you see the Picasso signature
0:54:26 > 0:54:28and, of course, looking at the drawing itself,
0:54:28 > 0:54:32you can understand how it could be a Picasso.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- Yes.- I mean, it's got that wonderfully spare line.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38It looks like a work of the, perhaps, 1920s.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40- They look like ballerinas, don't they?- Yes.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43And there's a lovely simplicity in the line.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45You know, he manages, whoever the artist is,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47to achieve a lot by saying very little.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51- Yes.- And that, of course, is a characteristic of Picasso.
0:54:51 > 0:54:52Have you done some research?
0:54:52 > 0:54:56Because he is, of course, working in the mid-1920s with the ballet.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Yes, this is a picture of him that we found,
0:54:58 > 0:55:02with his wife, arriving in Monte Carlo
0:55:02 > 0:55:03in March 1925.
0:55:03 > 0:55:04Following the ballet?
0:55:04 > 0:55:06Following the Ballets Russes
0:55:06 > 0:55:09before they went to Paris for the summer season.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Excellent. So, we're getting Picasso into the scene of the crime,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14so he's around 1925,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16and you have a photograph to prove it.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Now, you've got, with it,
0:55:19 > 0:55:23a photocopy from a book on Picasso drawings.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27Yes, this is a book from 1956, Balletzeichnungen.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30A friend of a friend found this for us,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32and it details all of the drawings
0:55:32 > 0:55:38that Picasso did, in the 1920s, of ballet.
0:55:38 > 0:55:42And lo and behold, ours appears.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45So this is... So this is rather astonishing.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47So, in that box, that magic box
0:55:47 > 0:55:50that you've bought for 50 euros,
0:55:50 > 0:55:51you have found a drawing
0:55:51 > 0:55:53that relates to what Picasso was doing in the mid-'20s,
0:55:53 > 0:55:58you now find a book with what appears to be your very drawing
0:55:58 > 0:56:00illustrated as a work by Picasso.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04Yes. Obviously, it would almost be too good to be true,
0:56:04 > 0:56:08so we have another friend of a friend in Berlin,
0:56:08 > 0:56:11and we showed it to them to say, "We have this,
0:56:11 > 0:56:14"could you please give us an indication of what this might be?"
0:56:14 > 0:56:20And they are saying it is a 1920s paper
0:56:20 > 0:56:22with 1920s India ink.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25I mean, that's the crucial thing - that it's not a print,
0:56:25 > 0:56:28but then it could well be an Indian ink drawing
0:56:28 > 0:56:30of the type that he used.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33- Yes.- So... So, this is looking really good.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35I mean, you're convinced - and I have to say,
0:56:35 > 0:56:37from where I'm standing it does look like a drawing -
0:56:37 > 0:56:39you have a drawing, the drawing is illustrated,
0:56:39 > 0:56:40you've got the provenance.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Of course, you know what you've got to do next, don't you?
0:56:43 > 0:56:46I mean, there's only one way to get a Picasso through
0:56:46 > 0:56:48and that's to go to the Picasso family
0:56:48 > 0:56:50and get the stamp of approval.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54And, as I'm sure you know, that is no easy task.
0:56:54 > 0:56:59Sometimes they say yes, and sometimes they say non.
0:56:59 > 0:57:00If it's by Picasso -
0:57:00 > 0:57:02and it's looking good -
0:57:02 > 0:57:04it's worth £60,000 to £80,000.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Well, Picasso Institute, here we come.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11Well, be prepared.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17You know, there are names that you dream
0:57:17 > 0:57:19might turn up on the Antiques Roadshow,
0:57:19 > 0:57:22and Picasso has to be right up there.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24What an incredible find -
0:57:24 > 0:57:25and what a story.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28We're all hugely excited.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31From the Antiques Roadshow team, in Harrogate, bye-bye.