Cracknell Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic, the programme that hunts for antiques and collectables in your home

and then sells them with you at auction. Today I'm in County Durham.

This area is credited with being the birthplace of the railways,

because it was here in nearby Darlington in 1825

that the very first steam locomotive made its maiden journey at a remarkable 12 miles an hour!

And before we go full steam ahead to our rummage location, we've stopped off at nearby Redworth Hall,

a magnificent Jacobean mansion.

It was owned by the same family for hundreds of years

and was once the site of bloody battles in the Civil War.

But in the 20th century, it was converted into a luxury hotel.

Throughout history it's attracted royalty and the aristocracy.

But recently it's been a favourite haunt of a different kind of royalty - millionaire footballers.

Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic - a family with an appetite for antiques.

I used to take them off the dressing table and chew them a little bit.

Our expert has food on his mind.

Didn't Napoleon say that his army should march on their stomach? Yes.

Mine is making some funny noises. You need some food, John!

And we're served up some successes at auction.

That's brilliant! That's great! I didn't think it would come to that.

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

I'm meeting a lovely lady who used to have her own antique shop,

so her house should be a veritable treasure trove.

This cosy house in the historic town of Darlington is home to Margaret Cracknell and her daughter Karen.

Margaret's late husband was in the armed forces and the couple moved house numerous times,

living all over the world.

But since Karen and grandson James moved in with her a year ago,

they are running out of space for their combined possessions.

Angela, how are you? I'm very well, John. We've got a crack mother and daughter team to meet this morning.

So what do you know about them? Mum used to have an antique shop, so she knows a bit about the business.

So hopefully we'll find a few gems today. Well, you go and look for the gems, I'll go and meet the mum. OK.

Karen, Margaret... Hello, Angela. You're talking about your grandson here?

Yes, we are. He's a gem, you know, he really is.

Now, I gather, Margaret, that you used to be in the antiques business yourself, didn't you? That's right.

In a very small way. I just dealt with porcelain.

And it was a small shop, but it was a little gem for me because I enjoyed it.

It went off very well and the villagers liked it. This was up in Scotland?

In Drymen, near Loch Lomond. So you must've been brought up around beautiful things and antiques?

Yes. I've grown up with antiques. I love antiques.

And we have done antique fairs, the odd boot sale, which are great fun.

It's been a great part of my life.

So now, why have you called us in?

Mum's had large houses and she's downsized and downsized,

so she's got rid of a lot of things already. But it's now that you really want to empty your cupboards.

I want rock bottom actually. I don't want any more!

So have you helped your mum buy some of these things over the years?

Um... Well, I've been present at times, but mainly... Antique shops?

We've done the antique fairs and sometimes the odd boot sale.

Dad was a good partner for that, because he used to do all my buying and stuff, so he was good at that.

And how much do you want to raise? About 500. That would be fine.

And what are you going to spend it on, Margaret?

Well, I've got a sister-in-law that's really been thoughtful and kind since my husband died

and I would just love to give her a nice treat. And she's got the same interests as me, art and things.

And she doesn't know nothing about it yet, so... So this will be a surprise? Yes. I hope so.

It'll be a lovely surprise. She has been so kind. And it'll be nice for them to spend some time together.

So ?500 is the target. I think we've got our work cut out, so shall we get started? OK. Come on. Thank you.

Treating sister-in-law Dorothy to a day out sounds like a very worthwhile cause.

And with Margaret's background in antiques, we should have a veritable feast of treasures to choose from.

And we've got our expert on hand. John Cameron is based in Portsmouth,

but has driven all the way across the country to lend us his years of experience as a valuer.

John... Good morning. This is Margaret and Karen. And I see you've got an armful of babes there.

It's not the first time you've caught me with dolls on my arm(!) Where did these come from, Margaret?

The oriental ones come from Kuala Lumpur as we lived there for a while. They must be over 50 year old.

That's interesting as a lot of the great European doll manufacturers did make oriental dolls.

And that was due to fashion again.

There was a huge fascination with oriental styles from the 1870s right up until the 1930s.

We see a lot of oriental porcelain, a lot of lacquer, Japanese prints.

And children even started to play with oriental dolls.

So these could quite easily have been European examples.

Did you play with them when you were a little girl, Karen?

Yes. Unfortunately, I did use to take them off the dressing table and chew them a bit.

They're a bit worse for wear. Is that all she did? Chew them? Yes.

Their noses and things. Thank God you're here to tell the tale today!

And you haven't done too much damage.

Fascinating history about the dolls, John, but what would their 21st-century price be at auction?

If I were putting these into auction, I'd keep them together.

There's no individual huge value. I'd put them in at ?40 to ?60

and see where we go from there. Hopefully, it would be upwards.

Pleased with that? That's good. And maybe if you hadn't chewed their noses off? It's my fault again!

But what a nice start to your ?500 target. Yes. Let's see what else we can add to the pot. Come on, guys.

'?40 for the dolls is a cracking start to today's search.

'But with a ?500 target, our expert wastes no time in getting down to the business of rummaging.

'Straight away this heavy cut-glass decanter catches his eye.

'It has a lovely silver top.

'And John gives it a sparkly ?60-?80 price tag.

'In the living room, Karen spots our first piece of porcelain today.

'It's a soup dish and plate made by Royal Worcester who have been producing bone china since 1751.

'John estimates its value at ?30 to ?40.

'Meanwhile, Margaret and I have spotted something that I hope will really excite our expert.'

John, look at this wonderful collection of porcelain figurines.

May I see? Bonaparte and his generals.

I'd say they're German.

German porcelain. And 19th century.

It's very similar to Sitzendorf or one of the German factories like that from Bavaria.

They do look grand with all the gilding on their epaulettes and on their medals. Absolutely fantastic.

Well, collecting-wise, they'd be very popular,

because they'd not only appeal to collectors of porcelain figures,

but also the Napoleonic Wars in general provide such a diverse area for collecting.

And also for people with a fascination in one of the most important periods of French history.

The one person that is missing from this team, though, is Josephine,

because the French soldiers believed that she was their lucky talisman

because while Bonaparte was married to her, he never lost a single battle.

So, John, bearing in mind that they are French and have such an association with French history,

how much do you think we might get for them in a British auction house?

I think they should have no problem, seven of them together, making about ?150 to ?200. Oh, brilliant.

?150, Margaret, a great deal to put in the pot. Your sister-in-law is going to have a great day out.

That's lovely. Good. Now, didn't Napoleon say that his army should march on their stomach? Yes.

Talking of which, mine's making funny noises. You need food, John. You've got to look after the troops.

We better get you in the kitchen!

'That was a brilliant find. And our lovely lady heads off to give John a snack and a cuppa to keep him going.

'We've made a good start towards the ?500 for their day out.

'But before settling in this pretty village near Darlington,

'our retired antique shop owner has lived all over the country and the world. I'm keen to find out more.'

Margaret, after a lifetime of travelling around the world with your husband,

you've settled in a lovely village community in England. It must be lovely to put down roots.

Yes. And hopefully I'll never have to move again. How many times did you move in your life?

Oh, it must've been 35.

Really, I mean, I can't tell you... But sometimes there's been houses, three or four in the same area.

But the places... We've done most of Britain. You know, we've lived in most of Britain. We've lived abroad.

And Germany. This is because your husband was in the army? Yes.

Is that why you've got so much sort of military memorabilia in the house? Well, it could be, yes,

because my husband loved carvings. And he just bought a lot of carvings.

I mean, we haven't got half as many now as we did do because of downsizing all the time.

But he was the culprit for some things and I like the ceramics.

Now, your husband Robert died last year, didn't he? Yes. How long were you married? 54 years, yes.

And you had four lovely children? Yes, four lovely children, so I've not missed out on anything.

And had a happy life. But you miss him dreadfully, don't you? Yes, I do, very much, yes.

But your sister-in-law Dorothy has been a particular help to you, hasn't she? Absolutely.

She's been such a stalwart as far as feeling as though there's someone else there that cares,

so that was lovely for her to be like that. And she has lost her husband, so she knows what it feels like.

She's a lovely person anyway. We're going to raise money to give your sister-in-law a surprise day out.

Shall we see what else we can find? OK.

'Dorothy was clearly a big support to Margaret over what must have been a very difficult year,

'so I can't think of anything better than raising money for them to have a day trip together.

'I hope the others have been busy.'

John? John, what do you think about this?

Oh, a sampler? Yes.

It's an interesting piece and they tend to have information on them about the maker and the date.

And we can see here at the bottom,

"Elizabeth Brown finished this work, August 1847." That's lovely.

Samplers like this were very popular in the 19th century and earlier.

You do see 18th century and 19th century samplers. And they tended to be produced by young ladies.

And the word "sampler" comes from the Latin "exemplum", meaning "an example to follow".

It was considered a real skill to be able to produce this.

And you can understand why collectors really do covet good quality samplers, can't you? Yes.

Condition of samplers - very important. Right.

The two biggest sources of damage to a sampler - sunlight.

And we can see the colours in this are pretty good. Oh, right.

Never hang it in direct sunlight. Always keep a sampler on a shaded wall and the colours will last.

So this has been looked after. And the other thing is the moth larvae which will eat away.

So there's no moth in here. Good. And the colours are pretty good,

although it's quite a plain sampler.

Value-wise, I think we ought to be looking at ?60 to ?80 for it. Yes.

But somebody might push it over 100. With current demand considered, that's where I'd pitch an estimate.

So what do you think? Yes. I think that's another one for the auction. Yeah? Great. Great news.

Good find, but we're not there yet. Let's see what else we can turn up. OK.

?60 for that pretty sampler.

That's a cracking find. I think Karen has inherited her mum's eye for antiques.

She also spots these ceramic figures in the hall.

John hopes they could bag us a tidy ?25 to ?45 when they go to auction.

And we'll also be sending this collection of Welsh china.

Margaret's eye for ceramics is doing us proud

as John values it at ?50-?80.

And in the living room, John spots yet another interesting looking piece of porcelain.

Margaret? Karen? Come here a second.

I want to talk to you about this little cream pot, this little porcelain cream pot.

Oh, yes. So you're the porcelain buff, aren't you? Well, I try to be. So what can you tell me about it?

It's Meissen by the swords on the bottom. It's a really pretty colour.

I don't know whether it's hand-painted or not,

but it does look like it.

It's not a transfer print. That's hand-painted.

It's pretty. There's real skill and artwork gone into that piece.

And that's very typical of a fashion in the rococo period in the 1720s and '30s.

This scene of this courting couple with their musical instruments

is very typical of the French artist, Watteau.

Again, the little moulded finial of the flower rose at the top there,

all very typical. This is a very typical Meissen piece.

This little intertwined handle here, like little branches intertwined there, again, very typical.

Damaged there. But I think even in this condition it should make about ?30 or so.

So, Margaret, can we sell it? Oh, yes, I think so. Now, Mum, are you sure you'd like to get rid of it?

You have enjoyed it. Well, I've had my time with it, so it can go. All right. Are you happy with ?30?

Yes, that could be all right. Well, if you're happy with it then, yes.

'I'm glad Margaret's willing to let that piece go as every pound counts towards our ?500 target today.

'Whilst Margaret and John carry on looking for saleable treasures, I catch up with daughter Karen.'

Karen, you and your mum are quite a team as you were a great support to her during her bereavement.

But she's been a great support to you because after your divorce, you and your son moved in with your mum.

How did your mum take to having a six-year-old running around?

Well, to begin with, it did break the peace and quiet.

But Mum has melded into it now and I don't think she'd be without him. She just absolutely adores him.

And he brings a lot of life and a lot of fun into the home.

And they do spend a lot of time laughing.

And generally, the different generation gap,

Mum is James's playmate, really, now. So that's how it's ended up.

So he loves having Granny around? Absolutely, yes.

We really have turned out to be quite a good team, actually.

We've had adjustments to make, but we've made them and come up tops.

Karen, it also sounds as if your mum and dad were a terrific team. Yes, they were. First class.

They really, really were. They just lived for each other. And they knew each other inside and out.

And what they wanted to do were the same things and they wanted to please each other.

They had a wonderful life together and they were very close, so it has been a huge change recently, yes.

Well, let's get back to work and see what else we can take to auction

to give your Auntie Dorothy that special day out. Lovely.

'Having three generations under one roof really works here. It's lovely to see a family that's so close.

'We're nearing the end of today's search but are still hard at work on the hunt for collectables.'

Margaret, I'd like to ask you a few questions about this box,

because it's interesting to know what other people know about something.

They often give you some history, so come on. Well, really, it was a present to me.

It was a Christmas present that my son bought me.

And I don't know where he got it from, really. You know, that's all there is to it. There's no history.

OK. Have you any idea about its age?

Well, I should think it's heading on for a century, would you think so? It's a bit older than that.

And I'll tell you for why. Do you know the wood?

Is it rosewood? It is indeed. It's rosewood. And that was a timber much used in the Regency period,

in the period of about 1820-1830, around the time of George III and the transition to George IV.

Now, the other thing I find interesting about that is this brass inlay. It's rather nice, that.

It is indeed. Again, a very typical feature on Regency furniture.

And a feature that was popularised by a very well-known cabinetmaker called George Bullock.

But it has suffered knocks. Some of the brass work is lifting up.

And some of the veneers have chipped here and there. So it is a piece that's due for restoration.

But it is a Regency writing box.

Value-wise today, well, I'd put this into auction with an estimate of about ?50 to ?80.

I'd be hoping it makes ?100. But I think ?50 is a tempting estimate. That's fair enough. Exactly.

So what do you think? Can we sell it? You can. That's all right, yes!

?50 to ?80 is certainly a price tag to write home about. Quick work, folks!

We've left no stone unturned and no cupboard unopened in our rummage.

And I'm pretty impressed with our haul so far.

Margaret digs out a collection of linen from an almost forgotten cupboard.

There are tablecloths, some dating from Victorian times.

And John values them at ?30 to ?50.

I spot this lovely pair of vases produced by a factory in the Gouda province of the Netherlands.

The area is famous for its distinctive style of pottery.

We're hoping that these vases will capture the bidders' imagination.

We're on the home stretch for today's rummage, but John has got one last lot up his sleeve.

Well, I don't think I've seen so many handkerchiefs in any one place.

This is a collection that would rival even somebody like Tom Jones,

who's probably had his fair share of hankies and other things thrown at him on stage over the years.

But I'm intrigued to know, how did this collection start?

Well, just by, first of all, finding a couple of pretty textiles, more than hankies.

I just thought of them as textiles, the era of where they come from and what year and all that.

And there's a lot of handkerchiefs from the First World War that they sent their wives instead of cards.

Embroidered with their insignias and their badges and so on on top of them. Yes, that's right.

People don't use handkerchiefs as much as they did. Once upon a time, every gentleman wore a handkerchief.

And they were often used as a kind of a language. What you did with the handkerchief could signal...

You picked one and dropped it. What did that mean? Do tell me.

The boyfriend picked it up and there you were. Oh, I see!

That's what that meant. I think it did. What on earth have you got here, John? This looks fantastic!

Well, we have got a fantastic collection of handkerchiefs. God only knows how many are here!

But I'll have to go through these if I'm to value them. How many do you think are here? About 300 to 400.

I forget now. I did count them at one stage.

They're wonderful. What do we think they're worth, John, if we take them to auction?

Let's all have a stab at what we think they might be worth. Angela?

Oh, my gosh! Phew!

Perhaps someone would be prepared to pay...

..?40 for them? Karen? Well, it's difficult to say as nobody really knows and it depends who's there.

I would say 30 to 40. Yes. Margaret? Good starting block.

Come on, put your money where your mouth is!

You honestly think they're going to make more than that, don't you?

Well, to me, it's a personal thing, but 30 to 40 is fine.

Well, the thing is, whatever you get for these handkerchiefs, it's going to be a bonus,

because I can tell you that taking John's lowest estimate on everything that he's looked at today,

we reckon that you should be able to make ?555.

Wow! That's good! Which means you're on your way to a great day out with Dorothy. Oh, great.

But depending on what we make on the handkerchiefs, this little treasure trove of textiles here,

whatever that makes is going to be a bonus on top, which means, um...

We'll just have to wait until the hammer comes down. Lovely!

'Our rummaging in Margaret's home has given us a fantastic selection of items to take to auction.

'Our rummaging in Margaret's home has given us a fantastic selection of items to take to auction.

'We've got the 19th-century sampler, valued at ?60 to ?80,

'Margaret's collection of dolls with a combined estimate of 40 to 60.

'And the Napoleonic busts,

'which we're hoping could bag us a massive ?150 to ?200 at auction.

'But we have to wait until the sale

'for John to reveal his valuation on the handkerchiefs

'and see whether we were right with our guestimates.

'Still to come on Cash In The Attic - our expert feels that his neck is on the line.'

I hope that we get that target for them or I may face the guillotine.

'And there are some tense moments.'

Not a lot of money. Not a lot of money at all.

'But John wins our ladies over.'

You're so clever, John. No, I'm not. You're too kind, Margaret.

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

Don't you just love Margaret and Karen? What a great mother and daughter team they are!

And they do have some lovely items, which we've brought from their home in Darlington down the A1

to Thompsons Auction Rooms here in Harrogate.

Now our goal today is to raise ?500,

so that Margaret can give her sister-in-law a very special treat.

It's her way of saying thank you for the great support that she gave her

after the death of Richard, Margaret's beloved husband of 54 years.

So there's an awful lot riding on those items today when they go under the hammer.

'I'm losing my voice, but nothing will hold me back from our sale.

'And John Cameron spots me checking out one of my favourite lots.'

Ah, there you are, Angela. Hi, John. Napoleon and his team.

They look as if they're lined up, ready for battle, don't they?

They look splendid up there. And you were rather impressed with them. I was.

Not only do they need to do battle today, but so do we. We really want to do well for the family today.

Well, they were fantastic. And I do hope we get that target for them

or I may face the guillotine.

The sampler was wonderful. Yes, it had reserved its colours nicely.

It was a decent sampler, a good example. I still can't get over that amazing collection of handkerchiefs.

I've never seen anything like it. There was so much in there, it was difficult to put a value on it.

She had some lovely commemorative examples, Victorian and Edwardian, so I'm hopeful for those.

Not only was it difficult to put on a price, we had to guess how much they'd go for. Will you tell us?

Patience, Angela. Let's wait till the Cracknells are here, shall we? OK. Let's go and find them.

'Well, I've got high hopes for those handkerchiefs. We've got a fantastic variety of lots here today,

'but how will Margaret and Karen feel when they go under the hammer?'

Hello, Angela. Hello. How do you feel seeing all your lovely things now in a public auction room?

Yes, but it's time they did go.

It's a bit cluttered in my house, so you can see that it would be a relief to get rid of some of them.

Now, John kept us all in suspense about those handkerchiefs,

as we've never seen anything like that before, and we had to guess how much we thought they were worth.

So are you going to put us out of our misery, John? I've actually got no idea what they're worth.

But we have to come up with an estimate and I've gone for ?80 to ?120. Never? That's a surprise.

Fantastic. I did take the liberty of taking a white one out just in case I need it for a surrender.

Well, you did right there because you know what I'm like! I do. That's why I took it out!

Let's see what everybody is prepared to pay for your lovely things as the auction room is filling up.

Shall we take our places? Oh, yes.

?80 for the handkerchiefs - that's a fantastic valuation.

I'm not sorry we were all wrong with our guestimates. If you're thinking of buying or selling at auction,

remember that commission will be added to your bill. So always check with your local saleroom first.

The bidders are ready and waiting.

The auctioneer is ready. And we've found a spot with a great view of the action, so it's all systems go.

First up is Margaret's collection of Victorian linen which we're hoping will raise ?30 to ?50.

Start me at ?20? 20 we have.

25, do I see? 25. 30.

35. 40.

No? Standing at the back at 40. Do I see...? 45.

50. No? 50 with you, sir. 55 anywhere else?

Gentleman's bid at 50. Are we all finished now at ?50?

Right in the middle. Right in the middle of your estimate, John. That's fine. Oh, that's great.

?50 is a solid start for our sale today. With a ?500 target to reach,

I hope the bidders have plenty of cash and are willing to dig deep.

It's our first porcelain lot up next, the pretty Meissen jug,

which John estimated at ?30.

Lot 120 is the late Meissen lidded jug. This is as found. Start me at ?20? ?10?

?10 somewhere? 10 we have. 15.

20, madam? 20. Good.

25. Gentleman's bid at 25. Do I see 30?

Gentleman's bid now at 25. 30, new bidder.

No? Lady's bid now at ?30. Are we all finished now at ?30?

John, on the button.

Our expert's valuations are certainly proving accurate so far.

Let's hope it lasts as our ceramic figures come under the hammer.

John valued them at ?25 to ?45.

Start me at ?20?

?10? 10 we have. 15 do I see?

Lady's bid now at 10. Do I see 15 anywhere?

In the middle of the room at 10. Are we all finished now at ?10?

?10. ?10! Not terribly good, but it does... That's all right.

?10 is a disappointing result for those ceramic figurines.

But Margaret isn't too downhearted.

I just hope the porcelain collectors get a bit more excited about the rest of our lovely lady's pieces.

But next up is the Royal Worcester soup plate and bowl.

Lot 150 is the Royal Worcester soup dish and plate.

Start me at ?20? ?10?

Five pounds? Five we have. 10.

15, madam? No? Gentleman's bid at 10. Do I see 15 anywhere?

On my left at ?10. Do I see 15?

Your bid, sir, now at ?10.

?10, I'm afraid. Not a lot of money.

Not a lot of money at all. No!

Another ?10 result.

Our strong start has dwindled somewhat.

Have we got our work cut out here today?

Maybe our delicate, Victorian sampler

will manage to get the bidders back on-side.

John estimated its value at ?60-?80.

Embroidered sampler dated 1847, lot 140. Start me at ?50?

?20? 20 we have. 25 do I see?

Lady's bid now at 20. 25. 30.

35. Your bid, sir, at 35. Do I see 40 anywhere?

Gentleman's bid at 35. Are we all finished now in the room at ?35...?

Oh, that is cheap. That's very cheap. It is. Disappointing.

But that's the thing with auctions. They're always so unpredictable.

With just one lot left before the half-time total,

we have no idea what will happen next.

Well, we're into battle, Napoleon at the head of his troops.

And what we want is a cracking good price for this, isn't it? It is.

Are you not sad to see him go because you're fond of Napoleon?

I do really like him. You have a soft spot for him? I have!

What do we reckon, John? Well, we're looking for ?150 for them or more if possible. But let's see how we go.

Start me at ?50? ?50?

50 we have. 60 do I see?

60. 70. 80. 90. 100.

110. 120.

130. 140. 150.

On my left at 150. Do I see 160? New bidder - 160.

Good. New bidder - we like that.

180. 190. 200.

No? 200 seated. Do I see 210?

Gentleman's bid at 200. Are we all finished now? Seated at ?200...

Excellent. ?200. Brilliant! Do you know how much you paid for them?

I think it was 150 or something. We did pay a lot for them. But it's still profitable, isn't it?

Fantastic.

What a relief! ?200 is a triumphant result for the Napoleonic busts.

And it's a great way to end what's been a rather up and down morning.

Half-time at the auction. This is where the girls come out with the pom-poms... No, it's not.

No, this is where I tell you how much we've made. And so far what you've made is ?335.

So we are over the halfway mark. And as I say, lots of nice things still to come.

But as it is the halfway point, why don't we put our feet up for five minutes? What will you do, John?

I'm going to see a little lot I spotted as I came in. I'll tell you about it when we get back. OK.

As we head off for a cuppa, Margaret's passion for porcelain is obviously rubbing off on John.

And keeping with the theme of tea,

I was delighted when I spotted this fantastic little example of early English porcelain production.

What an absolute cracker, in tip-top condition,

which is marvellous when you think how much abuse a teapot can get.

Given the amount of boiling hot water that goes inside a teapot, this is in perfect condition.

And the age? This little beauty is 250 years old. This is a piece of Worcester porcelain.

It's not marked, so how do we know that? Worcester is very distinctive.

There's peppering around the edge. That's a classic Worcester sign.

And also the pooling of the glaze in the corners as well,

that bluish tinge, is another classic Worcester feature.

Estimate in the catalogue - ?150 to ?200. I think that's great.

If you bought this from a specialist dealer, I'd be surprised if you had much change out of ?400 or ?500.

A real classic example from one of Britain's best porcelain producers, the Worcester teapot.

'The second half of the auction is already underway.

'I hope the luck of the Napoleonic busts rubs off on our other lots.

'Margaret's rosewood writing box is first under the hammer.'

Margaret, tell me about this lovely Victorian rosewood writing box. It's such an elegant piece.

Well, my son bought it for me for a Christmas present.

And with downsizing and everything, I haven't anywhere for it, really.

I'm sad for it to go but I have enjoyed it while I had it.

320 is the Victorian rosewood, brass-inlaid writing box.

Start the bidding here at ?30. 35 do I see?

35. 40. 45. 50.

My bid's still at 50. Do I see 55 anywhere?

My bid now, commission bid at ?50. Are we all finished now at ?50...?

Oh, well. Brilliant, ?50. That's good. Good price for that. Yes.

It's a good start to the second half and we're pleased with that result.

We've another china lot up next

and with a ?50 to ?80 estimate it's an important item for us.

Our porcelain sales have proved unpredictable. How will this fare?

Margaret, as well as appreciating fine china,

you like bright colours too, because we've got this collection of Welsh china coming up now,

described in the catalogue as "Gaudy Welsh China". Exactly.

Lot 330 is the collection of Gaudy Welsh China.

I'm 25 bid. 30 now?

My bid here at 25. Do I see 30? So interest in it already.

30. 35. Still my bid here at 35. Do I see 40?

Are we all finished now at ?35...? BANGS GAVEL

Not bad. What was the price?

?35 is 15 under estimate. Margaret doesn't seem too disappointed.

But we do need the bidders to be a bit more flash with the cash

for the rest of our lots.

Will the dolls take us closer to our ?500 target?

Now, Margaret, are you braced for this? Oh, I know.

It's the dolls coming up now and I don't think you really want to part with these, do you? Not really.

They've been with me for a long time. All the children wanted to play with them and I didn't let them.

So they've been my little dolls. Well, we've got a ?40 to ?60 price tag on them.

If they go for that, will you be happy? All right. Yes. All right. Yes, that's not bad.

Well, let's see what they do. Yes.

Collection of English, German and oriental dolls, lot 340.

Lot 340. Start me at ?20? ?10?

10. 15. 20.

Five. 30. 30 with the lady.

35 anywhere else? Lady's bid now at 30. Are we all finished now? In the doorway at ?30...

BANGS GAVEL 30. 30.

Oh. Oh...

Never mind. It's fine.

Margaret's putting a brave face on things.

?30 may be only ?10 under estimate,

but it was really tugging at her heartstrings to let them go at all.

I really do wish they'd made a bit more money for her.

And things don't get any better

when the pair of Gouda vases fail to make the bidders dig deep.

Are we all finished now at ?10...?

Selling well under their ?30 to ?40 estimate.

With just two of our items left today

and a big chunk of our target still outstanding, it's fingers crossed.

OK. Next up is our nice, heavy, cut-glass decanter with the silver-mounted top.

Really nice thing, this. And I know new, these are ?150, ?200 easily.

And you quite like this decanter, don't you? I do like the decanter. I think it's a really nice piece.

So how do you feel about your mum getting rid of it? It's up to Mum. There's plenty more in the cupboard!

I am 30 bid. 35 now? My bid here at 30.

35. 40. 45.

50. 55. 60.

Still my bid here at 60. Do I see 65?

Commission bid now at 60. Are we all finished at ?60...?

Oh, that was all right. That's fine, yeah. ?60, which was the bottom end of your estimate, John.

So you were once again right on the nose. You're so clever, John. No. You're so kind. That's the problem.

The decanter sale has cheered us up immensely,

topping up our fund by ?60. Let's drink to that.

It's almost the end of the sale

and the collection of handkerchiefs are last to go under the hammer.

And I for one can't wait to see how they do.

John, you put them in at between ?80 and ?120. Is that because you think there may be people

who collect the particular handkerchiefs that are tucked away in that pile?

Well, I didn't want to over-price them or under-price them.

Let's hope they've been displayed in two boxes, so that people would have had a good look through them.

Start the bidding here at ?30. 40 do I see? My bid here at 30. 40 we have.

50 now? Lady's bid at 40. Do I see 50?

50. 60. 70.

80. (80!) 80 still on my left.

90 do I see? On my left at ?80. Are we all finished now at ?80...?

Oh, well. Well done. That was good. That was a bit of luck there. Yes.

As opposed to method in my madness, if I'm honest. That was good.

?80 is a good final result.

After such a mixed day at auction,

it's time to see how we fared overall.

Margaret, I think it's an absolutely wonderful thing that you're doing,

this very special thank you that you're giving to Dorothy

for being so close to you after your husband's death.

Have you worked out exactly what you're going to do with the ?500?

Yes. I'd like some to go to Butterwick. They helped my husband in his last days, which was really nice.

That was a hospice? A hospice. And then the rest I would like to give Dorothy a nice day out.

And my daughter. Well, that's what you were going to do with ?500.

So what do you think you'll be able to do with what you've made, which is ?600?

Wow! That's brilliant! That's great!

Oh, I didn't think it would come to that. That's brilliant.

Well, it did. So that's a wonderful donation to the hospice.

Yes. And a great day out for you, your sister-in-law and your auntie!

Yes, that's right. That's brilliant.

Well, it's a few weeks since Margaret and Karen raised a fantastic ?600 at auction.

And today they're taking Dorothy for a surprise day out in Yorkshire.

Welcome. Thank you. Welcome. Hello.

So we're at Ripley Castle for a start. And then we're going to look round the castle and the gardens.

And then off to Harrogate to the tearooms for a nice cream tea.

The ladies share a keen interest in history, so waste no time in getting a guided tour around the castle.

Do you see the writing on the back of the wall? Yes.

That's very important because it helps to date it for us.

They also both love art and paintings, so a stroll around the gardens provides inspiration.

They're so hard to paint, though, Dorothy, those things. They are very hard to paint. I know, I tried it.

After a history and culture-packed morning,

the three ladies head off to Bettys Tea Rooms for a slap-up meal.

The tea rooms welcome more than one million customers every year.

Margaret's keen to treat Dorothy to some of the famous teas and cakes.

It's been great to bring Dorothy out today because she does appreciate it. She's a lovely person.

She's been such a comfort to me. And if I could do more, I would, you know, because she's worth it.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2009

# Blue skies, smiling at me... #

It was a war between two different ways of life -

a war of ideas, a war of shadows.