Coulson Cash in the Attic

Welcome to the show that sets out to find and auction your hidden treasures.

Today I've come to Leicestershire and in order to set the scene

I've come to the very lovely Claybrook Mill.

The great thing about this place is it's one of the very few water mills left working in the country.

The ideal place to get a sense of what Leicestershire is all about.

It's believed there's been a mill on this site for more than 1000 years

but the present three-storey building dates from the 18th century.

The mill was restored to working order around 20 years ago

and has been run by the Eales family for the past eight years.

Milling is by water power with grain fed into the powerful millstones

to produce flours and award-winning breakfast cereals.

So let's hope I can find plenty of collectibles to whet our buyers' appetites as we go to auction.

I'm about to meet an inspiring lady,

who's also something of an adventurer,

and she's called us in to raise money for a charity which she's incredibly close to.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic I take on a compulsive hoarder.

-I get the feeling you might be in denial.

-Oh, you cheeky thing!

A family battle starts over a tasty looking plate.

I've heard of the War of the Roses but not the War of the Lettuce Leaf!

And there's a fantastic surprise at auction.

I'll do the adding up, I want to check it! I don't believe it!

So let's hope we'll all still be smiling when the final hammer falls.

This delightful bungalow in the heart of Leicestershire is the home of retired teacher, Yvonne Coulson.

Yvonne is a real globetrotter and since retiring she's refused

to put her feet up and has travelled the world helping to set up schools in Third World countries.

Yvonne's daughter Christine has followed her mum's footsteps into teaching

but doesn't quite share the same passion for hoarding.

Her mum's house is full to the brim with collectibles, but Christine has declared that enough is enough.

-Morning, Jonty.

-There you are.

-How are you, squire?

-Very good, how are you?

Very good, sir, very good. Now, this is quite interesting because I've got a combination for you.

Mother and daughter, Yvonne and Christine, but Yvonne by her own admission is something of a hoarder.

Not the first time I've heard that.

But the good news is in amongst it all she has been a collector

-so hopefully you should find enough to keep you busy.

-Shall we get inside?

-Let's get inside and I'll go and find Yvonne and Christine.

-I'll get busy.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I can see the rummaging is all under way.

-Yes.

Nice to see you, Yvonne. You must be Christine.

-Yes, hi there.

-Nice to see you both.

Now why did you call us in if it wasn't plainly obvious to everybody looking at this?

Oh dear, well, I really need to declutter a bit.

But where did it all come from?

It's just grown like topsy.

But I get the feeling that you're something of a hoarder?

Oh, yes, yes.

I don't like to part with anything because it just might come in useful.

-And how do you cope with that? I've got a mother just like this, Christine.

-It's just madness.

There's stuff everywhere. She always thinks, "That'll come in handy,"

and most of the time it never does.

But I do use a lot of this stuff a great deal.

I mean, all of this, I use for my flower arranging.

-I get the feeling you might be in denial.

-Oh, you cheeky thing!

Now, what are you hoping to raise money for with all this?

Well, I work for a charity that sends people out to the Third World to teach

and I've got a school that I'm connected with in Port Elizabeth in South Africa

and I've just come back from a school in Kathmandu.

-In Nepal.

-Yeah.

I would like to send them some money.

Well, it's a fantastic endeavour and terrifically worthwhile.

You're hoping that mum is going to declutter.

I can see the sense of sending money out to those projects is absolutely a brilliant idea.

How much are you hoping to raise?

What would make a difference to those schools?

Well, if we got about £500 that would be 250 for each school

which perhaps doesn't sound a great deal to us

-but in the Third World 250 can go quite a long way.

-Well, who knows.

We might find a lot more than that!

-It would be nice to send them a bit more.

-Yes, you never know what we might find.

-But we'll head for £500.

-A couple of spiders possibly!

You'll meet some of those.

You never know, 500 quid is the target, we may get a bit more.

Jonty is busily rifling through your property, so let's go

and see how we're getting on, yeah?

-A good idea.

-After you, lead on.

-Off we go.

-Off you go.

Raising money for Yvonne's schools is a great idea

and I have the feeling that this retired teacher is going to be keeping a strict eye

on all of us today, making sure no one slacks in the search for hidden valuables.

One man who's hoping to score top marks and become teacher's pet before the day is out

is our very own antiques expert, Jonty Hearndon. Hey, Jonty, what have you found?

Look at these. We've got some, a collection of ceramic figures,

-they're Hummel figures.

-Hummel figures?

They all childlike, so can you see how distinctive they are?

-Yeah, they're quite cute actually, aren't they?

-Where are they from?

Some I inherited from my mother-in-law and some from my mother.

Do you have any favourites?

-These two.

-Were they a birthday present?

Yes, I had these for my birthday.

-Which birthday?

-18th birthday.

Many moons ago, mummy!

You see I can date those so I'm not going to reveal that now.

-But are these very collectible, Jonty?

-They're very collectible.

The history of Hummel figures really goes back to the pre-war period. It's German.

It was Franz Goebel who owned a ceramics factory, was looking for inspiration

and he saw these postcards by Sister Maria Hummel

and they were of these innocent childlike images,

which inspired him to create these figurines,

so it was his association with her that created these figurines.

There's something of the Hans Christian Andersen about them, isn't there?

Yes, there's a gentle innocence about the whole thing.

I've been totting up in my head the sort of rough ballpark we're looking at and very conservatively

we're looking at £100 to £150, maybe more for the collection.

So it's a really good start.

Good, well, there we are then. That's one lot of lots potentially.

-We've made a start.

-We have made a start.

Let's see what else there is. Plenty to see, Jonty.

Good. Let's carry on.

That's a terrific start towards our £500 target.

If Yvonne's kept hold of the Hummel figures since she was 18

I can only begin to imagine what else we might discover in this hoarder's home today.

Yvonne finds some things in the kitchen that she thinks might be of interest,

-if only she could reach them.

-Jonty!

-Ah, you're in the kitchen.

-Yeah, I've got these two jugs

I don't want but there's a third one up there and I can't reach it.

-Shall I get it down for you?

-Please.

That's very decorative, isn't it?

OK, so what have we got here? Let's have a look. So who's this by?

Oh, that's really good news, Susie Cooper.

You can't get better than that. Have you heard of Susie Cooper before?

Well, yes, I don't think she's quite in the same class as Clarice Cliff,

-is she, but she's of the same generation.

-Not far off. Yes, she is of the same generation.

The same type of style.

Now Susie Cooper is very difficult to sum up

because she was around as an influential designer for so long.

She was born in the potteries really at the beginning of the 20th century and died right at the end.

She died in 1995.

She was around for so long so she moved with the times.

She was actually exactly the same sort of generation as my mother then.

No wonder mother got her vase.

It's difficult to put your finger on Susie Cooper

because she just changed her style so much, so she really went from those jazzy Art Deco lines

and then in the '50s she had those polka dot designs

so a complete contrast, but she always had a success.

She always made a success of what she did and she was even given the OBE

for her services to the industry so ball park, probably around £40.

Oh, that's not bad for three bits of pot.

Good, let's leave those there.

-OK.

-Back this way. I'll follow you this time.

Three bits of pot indeed. I don't know but with high hopes

for the Susie Cooper collection

we continued to search Yvonne's charming home for more antiques to take to auction.

There's just so much to see in this treasure trove of a house and in the bedroom Christine thinks

she may have found something that could be Jonty's tipple.

Jonty?

Have a look at this.

-Ah, what have you got?

-What do you reckon?

-A decanter, eh?

OK, so we've got this stylised blue decanter, blue glass decanter,

and if you look at this applied decoration,

that bit of art would be genuine silver and that was literally

just applied, just like a transfer, on to the decorations

so that's not necessarily hand-decorated.

That would be applied, therefore mass produced.

So have we got anything else to go with it?

-There's some little goblets.

-OK.

So these are, now, you can tell instantly that this isn't British.

-Right.

-Because these are little tiny liqueur glasses and in Britain

we just didn't make decanters and liqueur glasses like that,

whereas the whole of continental Europe,

liqueur was much bigger, so you get these tiny little, therefore liqueur

decanters, along with sets, so we have a set of six here

which is very common to see it in that order.

So as far as value's concerned, on a good day we're looking at about £40.

-Excellent.

-Is that OK?

-Great.

-Right, shall we drink to that?

-Cheers.

-Good.

The decanter, I was surprised it was worth so much.

I wouldn't have thought anybody would be interested in it, really.

It's just always been around and well, may as well get rid of it,

get rid of some of the other clutter.

Well, Christie might not have been their biggest fan

but the decanter and glasses have poured another £40 into today's kitty.

Jonty's leaving no stone or cupboard unturned in his search today and we're progressing steadily towards

the £500 that Yvonne is hoping to donate to schools in Nepal and South Africa.

Now looking at all of the stuff here it would suggest that you're quite a passionate collector?

No, not really. I just sort of everywhere I go,

I bring something back and I just don't like to part with things.

You know, I get attached to them so I hang on to them,

but I really think it's time I got rid of a few bits and pieces now.

The lovely thing is that what we're raising money for is a very worthy cause,

but how did you get involved in that charitable work?

Well, in a Saga magazine I saw this advertisement

which is partly Saga Charitable Trusts,

but mainly an organisation called People and Places,

they're down in the West Country, and they send out mature...

-people.

-Mature is a very respectful word, isn't it?

Definitely. Mature. A case of the Victor Matures here.

Mature people

to work in projects abroad and I had been to

a number of countries in Africa but I had been to South Africa before

and the thought of working in a township school

which was my first placement, was really

very, very sort of, it really drew me and I'm really enjoyed it when I went.

And then just recently,

I've done a six-week stint in Nepal.

Yvonne, retirement isn't a word that really suits you, does it?

No, probably not. I shall perhaps slow down as I get really old.

-Or older, older!

-Let's hope it's not for many years to come.

We can't hang around here either. We do need £500, if not a bit more.

Yes, so we need to go and rummage, so get out of that chair and let's go and dig, see what we can find.

I'll consider myself told off then.

That certainly told me

but Yvonne's determination to reach our target today is really evident.

Keen to add to the fund and escape a possible telling-off by our feisty retired teacher, Jonty continues

to search high and low and finds a lovely Art Deco dressing-table set

which Yvonne's mother received as an 18th birthday present.

Made from green coloured glass we're hoping it catches the bidders' eyes

with its price tag of £30 to £50.

Christine is still on her mission to minimalise and has found this Murano glass clown

and bird, which we're hoping will fly off the shelf at auction

with a very reasonable estimate of £20 to £30.

And I'm doing my bit for the search as well.

Another colourful item of Yvonne's catches my eye, but the question is can we take it to auction?

-So you're happy to part with this but you're not sure Christine is.

-No, I'm not sure.

She's mentioned once or twice that she quite liked this.

So she might want to keep it as a memento as you did?

-Maybe.

-Let's give Christine the benefit of the doubt shall we and see what she thinks about it?

Christine? Ah, there you are. Is Jonty with you? Come in, Jonty.

-Hey, you're not getting rid of that!

-Now then, do you want to keep this?

-Yes!

-Are you sure?

-That's like my childhood.

-Why do you want a lettuce leaf?

Because we used to trick everyone, we used to put the lettuce

and little tomatoes, then we'd say, "Would you like a tomato?"

-Jonty, it's a family game.

-She can't get rid of that.

-You've got a family dispute going on.

Yes, yes, yes.

Now, I know that this is made by Carlton Ware.

Carlton Ware were very big in the 1920s and '30s.

They produced some fantastic quality lustreware and some of it is worth a small fortune.

But for my money I love this because it really has that

tactile feel about it and they produced this lettuce leaf design.

I'm pretty sure it's pre-'50s because I can remember trying to get the tomatoes on it in the '40s!

Now you're giving your age away!

But because I've seen it before, it might give you

some sort of indication that this is not top-drawer Carlton Ware.

-All right?

-Yes.

-But we are still talking, because it's in mint condition,

perfect condition - there's no chips or breaks...

-I'm surprised, cos it got used every weekend!

-Yes!

No, it's very robust.

I can't see any chips. You've done very well.

Yes. Come on, I'm dying to know!

-£20-£30.

-Oh.

-I'll give you 20 quid!

That doesn't seem very much, Jonty, to be honest.

Well, we're selling it at auction sale and remember,

the people that will be buying this more often than not will be wanting to sell it on for a profit as well.

So you may see this for a little bit more in a shop.

But it sounds like you're prepared to buy that to stop it going in the auction.

Yeah. I can't believe you're thinking of getting rid of that.

I can see this debate is going to go on between you.

We might have to call in the next member of her family

and see whether she thinks it ought to go to their house or not.

We shall ask the granddaughter what she thinks.

This is gonna be a big family debate, I can see.

All over one lettuce leaf and two little tomatoes.

There you go. Wars have started over less, I suspect.

I've heard of the Wars Of The Roses but not the War Of The Lettuce Leaf!

We'll just have to wait and see. If you bring it to auction, brilliant.

If you don't, you don't.

There's no way I'm gonna let her get rid of that lettuce leaf, not for £20, £30.

That's part of my childhood and no, I can't believe she's even contemplating getting rid of it.

I think the War Of The Lettuce Leaf looks set to continue for some time yet.

But if we can't count on it coming to auction, then we need to keep on

searching for items that we can rely on turning up.

Yvonne seems to have embraced the idea of de-cluttering, for now at least,

and has dug out this lovely oak desk set, complete with two glass ink bottles.

Let's hope it draws attention at the sale with its estimate of £20-£40.

'And I'm hoping this pretty walnut display cabinet will entice

'the bidders at auction as Jonty estimates its value at £40-£50.

'Well, our search is going well today, so I decide to take five minutes out

'to find out a little more about our tireless teacher Yvonne from daughter Christine.'

-It strikes me that you're very close as a mother and daughter.

-We are, yes.

Only five miles away!

-So in geography as well as...!

-Yes, see her daily, really...

-Yep.

..and the kids come round a lot and they stay over, which is always a bonus - babysitter on tap.

She's clearly got the travelling bug.

She never seems to sit still for more than five minutes.

I know. It's incredible. I hope I've got her energy...

Because I haven't got her energy at the moment, but I would love it

to just be able to do all the things she does.

She tires me out just looking at her.

-Yes, she's clearly a bit of a whirlwind, isn't she?

-I know. She just...

I don't know where she gets it from, but I would like it. Maybe she could bottle it!

-Now, the charity work that she does. You must be quite proud of her.

-I know. She's very good, bless her.

She's always thinking of others. She's just generally one of those, you know...

She says, "I don't need anything."

She goes out on these missions, helping all the children in Nepal and what have you.

As you've said, she is clearly always thinking of others, not least those two charities in South Africa

and Nepal, but she's also got you guys in mind for a little treat on the back of this.

What's in store for you?

Ellie, my daughter, is really into drama and dancing

and she wants to go down to London to see a West End show.

I took her last year to see Grease after there was the programme on the television,

and I've said it would be really nice for us all to go down as a treat and see a West End show.

-Brilliant, so she's a little star in the making.

-She is, she is a right little star!

So we're chasing £500.

The hope is that, if we can get any more than that,

-you could have perhaps a whole weekend in London.

-You never know. It would be great!

Let's go and find Yvonne and Jonty and see if the figure is rising.

Excellent.

And rising it is, as our bundle of energy Yvonne

has unearthed a set of miniature china animals which Jonty hopes will fetch a sizable £40-£60.

And meanwhile, out in the garage, I've found part of a dinner service by Alfred Meakin,

which is packed off to auction with a tasty price tag of £30-£40.

We're climbing steadily towards our £500 target, but I hope you don't think

it's playtime quite yet, Jonty, as our retired teacher will have something to say about that.

Ah-ha, I see you found the boys' toys!

-You caught me red-handed.

-Yes.

-There's a wonderful collection of Dublo from Hornby.

-Yes.

-Where is this from?

Originally it was my husband's, but my son has donated it.

It became his train and he's played with it and used it,

but originally it was my husband's, so it probably dates from the late '40s, early '50s.

-So when he was a child?

-When he was a small boy, yes.

So this locomotive here, the Silver King,

was commissioned in 1935 and did the Newcastle-London run.

But I suspect in your husband's case it did more trips round the living room than Newcastle to London!

You can certainly see that with all the chips out of it.

And as far as collecting is concerned - dealers, collectors want things in mint condition,

so our dear old Silver King here may not have very much value to it.

But believe it or not, this collection is really going to add up.

Collectively, we have to be looking in excess of £100.

Believe it or not, we could be up to £200 here.

-Right.

-Do you think Mark would be pleased with that?

-I think he'd be very happy with that.

-That's good.

That is a terrific result, which really gets us on track for our £500 target.

'But Christine and I think we may have found something to really end the day on a high.'

Jonty?

Are you in there?

-Yvonne. Come out into the sunshine.

-What have you got?

Apart from everybody mowing their lawns, I've got something quite exciting here.

Wow, yes, this is Clarice Cliff.

-Wonderful. So we have a large bowl and how many?

-And six small dishes.

Wonderful. You can kind of spot Clarice Cliff from about 20 paces.

First of all, you've got this distinctive cream ground.

But then you've got these very, very jazzy Art Deco, bold, bold patterns and colours.

And is it hand-painted? Because it looks like brush marks.

Yes, that's the great thing about Clarice Cliff.

All these Clarice Cliff, all these Art Deco designs are all hand-painted.

These would have been painted by Clarice Cliff girls, known as the Bizarre Girls. It's what they did.

They went out and they decorated items like this on a daily basis.

Value for this - well, what would you say?

I would think perhaps...about...100.

Well, double it and more. 250, 350.

-Wow-wow-wow!

-Per item or for the collection?

-For the collection.

-That's brilliant. For seven...!

-£250! Are you still sure?

Even more so. I'll end up dropping it and wishing I'd got rid of it!

-For seven bits of pot!

-Fantastic.

-What a wonderful donation, as well.

-Yeah!

It's been a fantastic day's rummaging, Jonty.

Lovely to finish on a high with this, as I say, ubiquitous Clarice Cliff.

It's wonderful. Before I drop it, I'm going to pass the buck to you.

-Oh, thank you.

-I think we can now start to draw things together.

With all of this, this is about 200 to 250, possibly.

Going through all the other items that we've looked at, this is Jonty's conservative estimate.

Bearing in mind you may or may not bring the famous lettuce leaf...

THEY LAUGH

-Don't start...

-We'll wait and see on auction day if that's going to make a guest appearance.

But without it, the grand estimate, Jonty's conservative estimate so far...

We were chasing £500.

It's currently standing at £710.

Good gracious! Oh! Amazing!

-That's superb!

-And of course it could go up with the addition of the leaf.

-Another 20 quid.

-Don't!

-730. Who knows, we could get to £800 on a really good day.

-Wow, wow.

-But remember, we've still got to sell it.

-Yes, yes.

We've had a thoroughly entertaining day with Yvonne and Christine, and from a house

filled with a lifetime of collecting,

I think we've unearthed some real crackers to take to auction.

We've got the 1950s Hornby train valued at between £100 and £200,

Yvonne's collection of Hummel figures

which she was given for her 18th birthday,

valued at between £100 and £150,

and the colourful Clarice Cliff Ware valued at £250-£350.

But doubt remains about the Carlton Ware lettuce leaf, with divided opinions.

Only time will tell if this makes it to auction.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic, I lose out on a bet with Jonty.

-You are the winner.

-Oh, no!

No way!

And there's one very happy customer.

As they say in Yorkshire, I'm right pleased.

But will we have reached our target when the final hammer falls?

It's been a week or so since we helped retired schoolteacher Yvonne Coulson

rummage through her home in Leicestershire for antiques and collectables

that we could bring to Bamfords here in Matlock.

Yvonne is hoping to raise about £500 to split between two schools she's been working with,

one in South Africa and one in Nepal, and if there's any left over,

she's hoping to take the girls in her family on a little trip to London.

So let's hope that today's bidders are feeling flush as we see her items go under the hammer.

There's a fantastic selection of items on show here today,

and the sale room is already filling up with bidders.

I hope they all brought their wallets.

One man with his eye on the money today is our expert, Jonty.

There's just no getting you away from Clarice Cliff, is there, Jonty?

Well, today it's the star of the show.

Well, indeed it is. Well, and what a star Yvonne was, let's face it.

-What a great character, with some interesting bits and pieces.

-That's right.

-Remember those little Goebel figures?

-Yeah!

-They all add up.

I mean, they were just gifts, and collectively, they should do very well.

I'm wondering if that lettuce plate has made it.

-A battle of wills between mother and daughter!

-The Battle Of The Lettuce Leaf.

Indeed it is. Indeed it is. Any ideas?

Erm, yeah, I'm hedging my bets.

I think I know, but I'm not quite sure yet.

Right. A fiver says she brought it.

Really? A fiver says she doesn't.

Right. OK, there you go.

-Well, the gear's here. Let's see if the girls are here.

-Good.

Well, fingers crossed I'm right and the lettuce leaf has been

brought along, because every pound counts towards our £500 target.

But first we need to make sure that Yvonne and Christine focus on selling rather than spending.

-Hello, girls.

-There you are!

-Hello!

-Hello.

-You are not allowed to buy anything at today's auction.

-Oh, no.

THEY LAUGH

Are you excited?

Well, a bit nervous, really, apprehensive, you know?

Will they or won't they go?

-Now, we have a multimillion-pound wager on your lettuce plate.

-Yes.

I'm saying a fiver that you brought it.

And I'm saying a fiver that you haven't.

You are the winner.

THEY LAUGH

No way!

Right.

HE LAUGHS

Well done, Jonty.

A fiver! Well, there we are. So the lettuce plate...

-I am so sorry. You and I are the losers.

-We are.

You're not the loser, because that's going towards your charity.

Yay! There you go! So, only another £495 to go...

and we've got the five hundred quid we're after.

I shall keep that one very safe!

-And I get to keep the lettuce leaf!

-Brilliant. So everybody's happy.

-Yeah.

Well, let's see if all that you've brought today

will go at today's auction, because that's the idea.

-We're chasing £500 for those two schools.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-Let's see how we get on.

-And it's all about to start. This way, guys.

-After Jonty.

Now, remember that if you're planning on buying or selling goods at auction, be aware

that you'll have to pay commission and possible other charges, so check with your auction house.

And as the auctioneer calls the room to order, we take our places for the first lot of the day.

Well, first up we're gonna look at your dinner service with that Art Deco stylised design.

Jonty, what do you think this will make?

Well, because it's a part dinner service, don't expect too much.

If we can get £30 or £40, that'll be great, more even better.

Lot number 140 is the Alfred Meakin marble-pattern dinner service.

Lots of it there, all circa 1930, and £20 bid. 20. And 2?

22, anyone? At £20 with me.

And 2 do I see? At 20.

2. 25. 28. For you. 28. And 30.

-At 28 at the back. And 30 now.

-Come on...!

-At 28.

Anybody else? At £28 it's with you.

All sure?

AUCTIONEER BANGS HAMMER

-£28.

-That'll buy a load of pencils, if nothing else!

-That's the spirit.

28 quid is only just below Jonty's estimate and a solid start to today's sale.

Let's hope that the second lot will buy more than a few pencils, though.

With an estimate of between £40 and £60, the lovely decanter and glasses are next under the hammer.

Liqueur decanter and the little shot glasses as well, overlaid in silver.

And where shall we start those?

Start them at £30. 30. 20, then.

£20? Anybody want them at 20?

Oh, come on! 20 bid. 20. And 2?

22? 22. 25. 25, 28. 28. And 30.

30. And 2? 32. 35. 35, 38.

38. And 40. 40. And 2? £40. With you. Lady just seated.

With you at £40. 42 anywhere?

HE BANGS HAMMER

-That's fine.

-Forty quid.

-That's really good!

Auntie Eve will be jumping around in Heaven! She'll be really pleased!

£40 was bang on estimate, and the girls certainly seemed happy.

I'm hoping the glass collectors, though, are only just getting going

today, as Yvonne's green glass dressing-table set is up next.

Remember, we're hoping for between £30 and £50 from this colourful lot.

Now, next up is yet more Art Deco.

You're having a real Art Deco clear-out.

We've got your ten-piece green moulded glass dressing-table set.

Lot number 160,

the Art Deco ten-piece green moulded glass dressing-table set.

And £20 for it, please. 20.

£20? 15, if you like.

£10.

£10 bid, sir. 12 with me.

And 15 for you.

It's with me at 12. 15, do I see?

15. 18. 20. At...

No, still with me at £18.

20 for you? At £18. And 20 anywhere?

No? It's not enough.

It's not gonna sell. No, sorry, that's not sold.

It's coming home with you.

You wanted that!

I think you're quite happy about that, really.

-Yes.

-Look at the smile on this face. Look.

Yvonne may not be disappointed, but we do need the bidders

to get more excited about our next lot

if we're to get back on track for today's target.

It's the lovely oak desk set, which Jonty valued at between £20 and £40.

Lot 180, Edwardian brass-mounted desk stand.

Pretty little desk stand, there. And I can start the bidding at £20.

And 5, do I see? 5. 30. 5. 40.

£40, do I see? At 35 I have.

38, if it helps. At £35 and selling.

Anybody else? At 35.

-Excellent!

-Not bad! Not bad!

Yes, great!

£35 is a great result, and the bidders clearly thought

that it was worth writing home about.

Let's hope this winning streak continues, as one of our most valuable lots comes up next.

Now, Yvonne, you've spent quite a long time collecting all these bits and pieces.

Are you sure you really want them to go?

Yes, I think so. Yes, yes, I, you know, need the space.

"I need the space", the mantra of somebody at auction.

"I need the space."

Lot number 170, the Goebel figure Playmates.

And 14 altogether, and one, two,

three, four, five bids. And 75 bid.

95. 100 has it. And 10, do I see?

110. 20. 30. 40.

150. 60. 170. 80. 190. 200. And 10.

210, do I see? At...

At £200, fourth row.

At £200. Anybody else?

200. THEY SQUEAL EXCITEDLY

-Brilliant!

-How about that?

-Brilliant!

-I'm surprised.

-Yeah!

You didn't like my little dolls.

I wasn't a huge fan, but somebody clearly is for £200.

How do you think about that?

I'm pleased! Right pleased! As they say in Yorkshire, I'm right pleased.

Wow. £200 is a fantastic result

and 50 quid over Jonty's original estimate.

As our girls get over the shock,

it's time to tot up the total so far.

Guys, we're halfway through the sale.

Of course, we were chasing about £500 for the two schools and maybe you guys having a bit of a day out.

-All those little bits have combined to give us a grand total so far of £303!

-Wow, that's fantastic.

That's amazing. We're more than halfway.

More than halfway. And if we do as well in the second half,

the schools'll get their money and you will get your day out.

-Yes. Excellent. Down to the West End.

-Down to the West End?

-Well, I think right now, it's down for a cup of tea.

-Good idea!

But while the girls get a quick cuppa, Jonty's found an interesting little lot in the sale room.

I love the way you've got such a nose for finding the most bizarre objects.

-What is all this stuff?

-Well, talking about having a nose, these are scent bottles.

-Oh, OK.

Well, most of them are scent bottles, apart from this wonderful little object here.

We've got two mirrors on either side.

It's a gilded construction

with this almost ivoresque handle down at the bottom,

and there's a little pin here.

What is it?

I've absolutely no idea! Is it for burning incense or something?

No, no. And it's not an ice-cream holder as well.

It's a bride's posy holder.

-Oh!

-Flowers go in like so,

and the pin supports the flowers in there. Isn't that lovely?

-And when does it date from?

-It's Victorian, so it's probably mid-nineteenth century.

When I say Victorian, it's Continental.

-It's certainly not English.

-What a wonderful thing.

Were they very popular in England, though, even though they weren't...?

Very unusual to see that. Very unusual.

Quite rare. Not a lot of value, because what can you do with it?

But have a look at all these other objects here.

All these are scent bottles, tiny scent bottles.

They all date from different dates, and come from different parts of the world too.

This one's British, and it's 1780, there or thereabouts. Cut glass.

This coloured one here is Venetian.

So there's all sorts of wonderful combinations.

-So, for the right collector today, this is a fantastic buy, isn't it?

-Well, it's just fascinating.

You go to any sale up and down the country

and you find job lots like this. I always find it fascinating.

Fascinating indeed,

and job lots are definitely worth looking out for at auction,

a top tip from Mr Hearnden.

But we need to get back to work as the second half of the sale gets underway.

As we get into position, Yvonne's miniature animals come under the hammer.

With an estimate of between 40 and £60, let's hope they fetch more than a miniature price.

£30 for them? 30?

20, then? £20, bid. And two, now?

22? 25? 28? 28, and 30? 30, and two?

32, 35? 35, 38?

38 and 40? 40 and two?

£40. At 40, and two anywhere?

42? 45? 48? And 50?

50, and five? And 60?

At £55. All sure? 55.

-There you are.

-How about that?

-That was good.

-Happy with that?

That's amazing!

£55 is a great price and gets the second half of the auction off to a cracking start.

Hopefully, the pretty walnut display cabinet

will also put on a good show today.

With an estimate of between 40 and 50 pounds, it's up next.

Lot 380, the early 20th-century walnut display cabinet.

There we are, thank you. And £30 for it, please? 30?

£30?

30? 20, then?

£20? Who wants it?

No? Nobody wants display cabinets any more?

Nobody wants it?

No, not a bid.

Nobody wants display cabinets any more.

It's going back.

The auctioneer didn't seem too surprised at that,

but it's a disappointing result.

If we're going to make our target,

we really need our next lot to get us back on track.

It's the collection of Hornby trains which Jonty valued at between 100 and £200.

They may have seen some wear and tear through years of play,

but hopefully there will be some train enthusiasts in the room this morning.

110, 120, 130?

At 120, with me. 130, seated. 140?

150 with the card. At 150. 160, 170?

180? At 170 seated, 180 now?

At £170, seated.

-There you go, £170.

-Wow!

-Brilliant.

Well, the bidders were really keen on that lot,

but will they be as enthusiastic about our colourful Murano glass?

Lot 400, the Murano glass clown...

and the bird, there we go.

And where shall we start those?

£20 for the two? 20?

-Oh, please!

-£20? 15, then?

-Oh, please!

-£15?

10? £10.

Bless you, sir!

12? Yes, 12. 15? 18? One more? Go on!

One more? At £16. 18, anywhere?

18, yes. 20? 20, and two? At £20, thank you, sir.

At £20. Two, do I see?

At £20. Anybody else?

20 quid. Got rid of it.

-How about that?

-And the broken bird.

You were more interested in getting rid of it than the money.

She hates the clown, she hated the clown.

Well, Christine might not have liked them, but the Murano glass figures

added another £20 to today's total, which was bang on Jonty's estimate.

Will our next colourful lot do the same?

This lot is the collection of your kitchen Art Deco jugs, remember?

-Oh, right, yes.

-And I said, you know, sort of 30, £60.

40, 60, that kind of ball park.

So let's see how we go. And £40 bid. And five, do I see?

45? 50. And five? 60. And five?

65, 68, and 70 beats it.

70?! Oh, come on!

Let's have a bit more!

70, you've beaten it. At £70. And five, now? At £70, and five?

Are you sure? At 70.

One more? No? Thinking, chatting?

Just nod, go on. Yes?

At 70, I'm gonna sell it to the right. You'll go home crying.

-70.

-70. There you go.

-What do you reckon?

Not bad for two jugs I wasn't using!

And a tenner over your top estimate, Jonty, so...

I think we're in the money, there.

-Old Susie Cooper did us proud, then.

-She did.

She did indeed. Another £70 to our total is a fantastic result

for what Yvonne called three old pots.

Let's hope the ceramic collectors are only just warming up, though, as our star item is up next.

Jonty estimated Yvonne's collection of Clarice Cliff

at between 250 and £350,

so a big chunk of our target is riding on this one.

-Ready for this?

-Ready?

-This is nail-biting stuff.

Ready? Are you ready?

Lot 410, Clarice Cliff woodland patterned dessert set, six,

with the octagonal serving dish and the side bowls as well.

In really good, bright condition.

Very little rubbing to it.

Good lot and I've got one, two, three bids on it.

I can start it at bottom end estimate, at £250.

'That is a terrific start, and the girls certainly seem happy.'

At 250. 260, now?

260, 270, 280? 280, 290, 300?

320, 340.

-Yes!

-340 has it, in the room.

-360 on the phone.

-Wow!

-360, 380.

360 on the phone, 380, now? £360, a telephone bid.

370, if you like?

360. All done at 360?

-Yes!

-Yes!

-Oh, super!

-Well done! Well done!

Wow, that is fantastic! Yeah!

£360 is a brilliant final result.

What an end to a great day here at auction!

It's time to tot up our total and let the ladies know how we've done.

Well, we've seen all of your items go under the hammer, with one or two exceptions, of course.

You've got a couple of things to take home with you, but the good news

is that that figure of £500 that we were chasing for the two schools

in Nepal and in South Africa, and, of course, your little day out.

My goodness me, have I got a surprise for you.

We wanted 500 quid, we've got £978.

900?! We haven't really, have we?!

-You know you're no good at maths, are you sure you did that right?!

-£978!

-How about that?

-That is fantastic.

-Isn't that just brilliant?

-Who did the adding up? I want to check!

I don't believe it!

It's been two weeks since Yvonne and Christine raised a whopping £978 at auction,

and they've come to London for the day, bringing with them granddaughter Ellie,

Yvonne's daughter-in-law and Christine's mother-in-law.

Today we are celebrating the fact that we made a lovely lot of money at the auction,

which has gone to the two schools in South Africa and Nepal.

And this is a celebratory lunch for all those who've helped me.

Having made almost double their original target,

not only do Yvonne's schools get a fantastic donation,

but she and Christine can take the girls of the family out

-for a slap-up meal.

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

-Cheers!

Having enjoyed some fine food, it's time for the ladies

to dust off their opera glasses and hit theatre land.

The meal was wonderful.

If the performance is even half as good, we shall have a wonderful time.

Yeah, really looking forward to it. Can't wait to see it.

Can't wait to get in there!

It's clear this has been a fantastic day out for the whole family.

We've raised all this money for the two schools in Africa and Nepal,

-and we've had an enormously fun day out, haven't we, girls?

-Yes.

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