Rodford Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic.

This is the show that hunts down the hidden treasures around your home

and then helps you sell them at auction.

Today I'm in Witham, near Chelmsford, in Essex.

This is Braxted Park, and behind me is this impressive Georgian manor house

that has been the ancestral home to the Clark family for more than 250 years.

There is an immense four-and-a-half- mile wall surrounding the park, which itself spans 2,000 acres

and is used for game shooting and weddings.

Well, not far from here is the picturesque Essex village of Wickham Bishops,

and that's where I'm heading next.

Well, we've come to this pretty part of Essex to meet a retired couple

who've called in the Cash In The Attic team

to help them downsize in more ways than one.

'Coming up on today's Cash In The Attic, our expert James does his best to roll back the years.'

-What are you up to, James?

-Oh, you've caught me.

-'And to charm the ladies.'

-Are you admiring the orchids?

Well, I'm afraid my interests lie in something a little bit older.

'And when it comes to auction, things really start to get passionate.'

And they're called mignonettes, which is French for "little darling".

So let's hope this little darling fetches lots.

'But will everyone be smiling at the end of the day? Find out when the final hammer falls.'

This detached, four-bedroomed house is home to retired couple Fred and Cilla.

Cilla, or Cid to her friends, is not only a keen gardener,

but has a passion for golf, horse riding and other country pursuits,

which she shares with her husband, Fred.

Together, they've decided to call in Cash In The Attic to help reduce their carbon footprint.

-A-ha, good morning, James.

-Hi, Lorne.

Well, it's sport, sport and more sport today. Golf, fishing, all sorts.

You know, real country pursuits.

Great. Listen, they don't call me Mr Hole In One on the golf course for nothing.

-Oh, really? Are you good at golf, then?

-Shh! Don't tell anybody.

I bet you're good at the 19th hole.

Well, let's go and see what antiques they've got.

-I can imagine you sinking them down there!

-You are so right!

Never mind the course, let's just get to the 19th.

Ah, good morning. There you are then.

-Hello.

-Enjoying the good weather?

-Yes, it's lovely!

Now, you've obviously called us in, so we're here and ready for action.

I understand you've got some lovely antiques for us to have a look at, is that right?

Er, yes. We've just downsized and we want to get rid of...

We've got so many pieces that we just want to get rid of it.

So, Fred, what are you looking to spend the money on and how much would you like to raise?

We want to change the wife's car for a Mini, really.

We're looking to raise about £2,000 if we can, which would be nice.

OK, so we need to raise £2,000 so that you can downgrade your car to something a bit more economical,

in which case we may have to leave the gardening for a while and do a bit more hunting for antiques.

-Do you fancy that?

-Yeah, very good.

-Shall we start in the house?

-Good idea.

-Come on then.

'Fred and Cid own lots of fabulous antiques,

'but this house isn't as big as some of their previous properties,

'and they haven't got room for them any more, which is why they called us in.

'Already our expert, James Rylands, who's been in the antiques trade for nearly 30 years,

'thinks he might have uncovered a country classic.'

Ah, morning, James. I told you you'd be spoilt for choice, didn't I?

-Hi, morning.

-Hello.

Just been admiring your picture.

Isn't it fantastic? Where did it come from?

It was my cousin Imelda's, my dad's cousin.

And she had it.

She put it into auction, and I said I would like it.

And she got it for me back from the auction, cos I liked it.

So she put it in, you said you liked it and she got it out again for you?

-Yes.

-How lovely.

-Cos it's local, isn't it? Ipswich.

-Absolutely, yup.

Well, you're absolutely right, Cid. It is a local artist.

It's Edward Robert Smythe, who was very much based up in that part of the world, round Ipswich.

But what I love about him is that he actually lived to be the ripe old age of 89.

And he encompassed the entire 19th century. Born in 1810, died in 1899.

And during the 1840s, he was very much associated with what we call the Norwich School.

I just think it's lovely. It could only be England, couldn't it?

You are so right. Completely brilliant. He's observed it beautifully. It's got everything.

We've got the nice horses.

Wonderful sky, and that is such an English sky.

It's rather like one of our weather forecasts at the moment.

Sunny periods. You can see the sun on the clouds and then do you see the storm coming along just up there?

So really, really typical of its time.

Fred, do you like this picture?

I like all his paintings.

I learnt to ride when I was four, and when I first did all right,

I bought a horse,

so we ended up with a lot of horse paintings, really.

I think it's probably fair to say that this sort of subject matter

is probably not quite as popular as it was,

but, nevertheless, it's just such a great image, it's a good size, it's got everything going for it.

Painted on canvas, as well, and I would think we're probably looking between £800 and £1,200.

-Mm-hm.

-So, Cid, are you happy for it to go to auction?

-Oh, yes.

Come on, let's see what else we can find. This way.

'Well, that's a fantastic start, but we've still got a long way to go

'towards our £2,000 target, and so we need to search the house from top to bottom.

'But who's going to stumble across the next item to help our new car fund blossom?'

Are you admiring the orchids?

Well, I'm sure your orchids are very rare and very beautiful, Cid,

but I'm afraid my interests lie in something a little bit older,

and that's your table underneath! So where did it come from?

I really do not know, James.

I can't remember. It could have been Burford when we were down there

and we bought a few bits of stuff, but I really can't remember.

Well, I think it's wonderful. It's also very useful, and I'm just going to show you why.

Get rid of that. Nice, circular, mahogany top.

But what does it for me is, if I just have a gentle feel underneath here...

-Whey-hey!

-Yes, it's lovely, isn't it?

Isn't that? That's very practical.

Basically, what it is, it's what we call a tilt-top table.

It's George III in date, so it's probably made early in the 19th century,

-so let's say 1800-ish, and it's called a birdcage tilt-top table.

-Is it? Oh, because of the...?

That's right. Because you've got these nice, turned columns on here,

and that's what gives it the name.

And...very useful bit of furniture because you can imagine a couple of bachelors having supper round it,

something like that, or even one person,

and then going off and maybe playing a few hands of cards.

-But I think people now use them as occasional tables.

-Yes.

I love it because it's such a nice, solid, solid mahogany.

And you have to remember that mahogany was a very expensive wood in Georgian times.

Only the wealthiest could afford it.

This actually had to be imported from a long, long way away,

and that made it expensive.

Now, having said all of that, in terms of value, I would think we're probably looking at...

£150, £250.

Mm, yes. No, I would have thought it would be worth more than that.

A few years ago, it would have been worth a lot more, but fingers crossed, as I say, £150, £250.

Let's hope for the best.

'So that's another useful addition towards our target.

'But the hunt must continue if Cid's going to get her new car.

'James thinks this painting of a Porsche rally car

'by sporting artist Dion Pears could be worth £300-£500.

'Fred used to be a sports car enthusiast, and bought it from a car dealer.

'But now he's happy to trade it in for their new motor.

'Fred and Cid only moved into this house six months ago.

'When their children were growing up they had a much larger property,

'but as the kids flew the nest, they downsized and bought and sold a business.

'So I'm keen to find out how they eventually ended up here.'

Hello. You're taking a bit of a rest? Leaving James to do the work.

-Yes.

-Don't blame you. I wanted to ask you...

-I understand you've been married for over 40 years, is that right?

-38.

-38 years.

-Seems like 40, 40-odd.

So was it love at first sight, Cid?

Yeah, I quite fancied him then. I dunno about now, but I did then.

So how many children have you got, then?

-Two. Boy and a girl.

-What are their ages?

Natasha's 35. And Freddy's 31.

So, Fred, I understand you've had quite an interesting career.

-So tell me about that.

-I was a Lloyd's broker.

I was a member of Lloyd's from 1972 to '94,

and it was quite exciting at the time.

So when you came out of Lloyd's what did you decide to do then?

One of the children was starting school locally,

and this wonderful little cottage on the lake in Braxted Park was up for rent,

so we moved there and we loved it.

Just a little while later,

the pub came up for sale, so we ended up running it ourselves.

-That's quite hard work, isn't it?

-Seriously hard work.

-So what did you decide to do?

-We decided to sell it.

-And here we are.

-So how did you find it being a pub landlady, then, Cid?

I enjoyed it. I loved the social bit. I love meeting people.

Erm, but it was 24/7.

It was very... Even on my day off I was cleaning the kitchen and doing different things. But I loved...

I miss the people. I do.

But it's nice to be free again.

It's lovely. And getting the house sorted out.

OK. Well, I think we'd better get back in and see whether Mr Rylands

can get his head out of the antiques and give us some valuations.

'Well, while we've been chatting, James has been hard at work.

'But it's Fred who hunts down these two handsome oil paintings,

'which are part of their collection of country sports memorabilia,

'and are valued at £150-£250 the pair.'

James, what do you think about this desk?

Well, it's a nice little desk.

So, Cid, where did it come from?

We bought it in an antiques shop in Leigh-on-Sea in the '80s.

1980, I think.

Do you know what sort of desk it is?

It's called a pedestal desk, isn't it?

That's right. It's a pedestal desk.

Just as Fred puts you on a pedestal, so this is a pedestal desk.

It's Victorian, it's mahogany.

But I tell you what I really like about it, Cid, is the actual size of it.

Because it's actually nice and small, and much more suitable for modern houses.

And I tell you what, if you look at the drawers,

the linings are made of mahogany as well, which is always a really, really good sign.

And on the side here, you can see the dovetails, which is where the cabinetmakers made them.

-But also, do you see that?

-Mm.

That tells me that the handles have been changed.

Originally, this would almost certainly have had

little, turned, wooden handles, which sort of went out of fashion at the end of the 19th century.

And then someone has put these brass handles on instead.

But it sort of works as a whole.

I think the important thing with a desk like this is it's incredibly useful.

And it's just right for a modern-day laptop.

The other thing with it, of course, is that it's got this wonderful, tooled, leather top,

which is a replacement. It's not the original.

But the quality of it is good. You've got this nice sort of silver,

gilt decoration on the top here.

Now, what is something like this worth?

I would think for a pedestal desk like this, I would think we're

probably going to be looking about £300-£500, something like that.

Well, that's fine. That will go in the kitty, won't it?

Well, Cid, sadly we haven't got time to sit and write a few letters on this,

-because we've got lots more to find.

-Yes.

-So lead on!

It's a nice piece, but got nowhere to put it, so it's got to go.

'This charming miniature French carriage clock, valued at £120-£180, has to go, too.

'The house is yielding up some fantastic collectables,

'but James and I have got a hunch there could be some hidden treasures at the bottom of the garden.'

Oh, tally-ho!

Fred, this is amazing. Hang on, let's get it outside where we can have a good look at it.

Wonderful.

Well, Fred, you'd better talk me through this one.

Well, we had a beautiful pony, my daughter did,

and I thought it would be nice for her to show side-saddle.

And she found this saddle.

In fact, it was the Queen's saddler who actually restored it.

It looks to be in pretty amazing condition, I must say.

I have to say, James, it looks very uncomfortable.

Historically, the idea of a girl or a lady astride a horse, sort of legs like that...

I'm afraid, not very nice. Not polite.

And certainly, if you were a well-born lady, you rode side-saddle.

But if you actually look at this, it's amazing,

because you've got these two pommels here

and when you get on it,

your right leg hooks over this and then tucks underneath the second pommel.

And that's the only means you've got of actually staying on the horse.

So it actually required real skill to sit on one of these.

Thank goodness nowadays ladies are allowed to ride astride a horse, as you said.

It basically seems to be all here, and actually in very good condition.

We also had an outfit made by Weatheralls at the same time,

but we haven't found that yet. It's somewhere.

Oh, with the side-saddle skirt?

-Yeah.

-Oh, wow. How interesting.

Well, I think the other thing is, when trying to think about value on something like this,

it's not like it's an antique, because whoever buys this will actually buy it to use it.

They cost thousands new.

-I would think something like this is probably £500 or thereabouts.

-Wow.

But if you outweigh that against the cost of buying one new...

And this is perfectly serviceable.

So what do you think about James' valuation?

It would be nicer if I could sell the habit and the side-saddle together, really.

Do you think you've got much chance of finding it before the auction?

I'll certainly have a thorough search and see what I can do.

We'll wait and see on the day of the auction then whether

you do bring this with the riding outfit, which will be great to see.

The hunt is on, as they say in your riding circles.

Yeah, but the hunt needs to move back into the house. Come on.

'So we'll have to wait till auction day to see if Fred decides to put this Victorian saddle into the sale.

'But this brass standard lamp and shade is definitely going under the hammer,

'and we've got another £80 closer to the £2,000 Fred and Cid need for their new car.

'While Fred and James carry on looking for ways to declutter the inside of the house,

'I want to find out what keen gardener Cid is hoping to do with the outside.'

Ah, it's just glorious, isn't it?

-Gorgeous.

-Glorious out here.

I can see what attracted you to it, I must say.

This garden is lovely. What other plans have you got for it?

I want to finish off down the back and put a bog garden in,

because we get so much rain and so much water here.

But I mean, you are used to managing a lot larger places than this, aren't you?

One of your places had 25 acres.

We don't want anything big any more. We're getting old, aren't we?

We're sort of coming down. This is perfect now.

We can stay here for a few years, it'll be ideal.

Well, 25 acres, it can't all be garden.

That's just impossible, isn't it?

There were fields and there were paddocks. The gardens were big,

but I loved it. I spent my time in the garden. I loved it.

So what do you think you might do in the future?

I want to play more golf, and, yes, enjoy myself, really.

I might get a job later on, but at the moment I'm just trying to get the house sorted out.

Now you're pretty good at golf. So how did you get started on that?

It was Fred that wanted me to play. I played tennis and I loved that.

And I said, "I don't want to walk round the golf course."

And then he bought me some lessons and said, "We're going to La Manga."

And that was double-booked, so we ended up at Hanbury Manor

and played for two days there, and got a bug, like it always does, and I love it.

So what about the new car then?

Are you excited about that?

Erm, yes, it will be a lot better economically, won't it?

Yes, it will be a lot easier.

OK. Well, we're not going to get you a new car if we carry on sitting out here, are we?

Shall we go and see if the young lads have done anything yet?

Yes, let's go and have a look.

'Well, they've been busying themselves rooting through

'the mementoes Fred and Cid have acquired over the years.

'And the search has thrown up this beautifully bound book

'of hunting and horse racing prints by the artist Charles Johnson Payne,

'better known as Snaffles.

'Cid brought it back in the '80s,

'when she saw it advertised in Country Life magazine.

'It could fetch £80-£150,

'which will be music to Fred's ears.'

What are you up to, James?

Oh, you've caught me! I was actually just having a 1970s moment, pretending that this was a guitar.

I thought it might be worth a few bob.

Well, after I've played it and signed it, maybe it will be, Fred, you just don't know.

Anyway, let me put that back down there, safe and sound.

James, I wonder if you could have a look at this for us.

Oh, that's a monster, Fred, it really is. Where did it come from?

Erm, another thing from Lloyd's, really.

There was a broker and it was one of his hobbies,

carriage clocks, and he used to sell them sometimes.

OK. You know what sort of clock it is?

Yeah. French, about 18...

-Late 1800s.

-That's it. But I'll tell you what's unusual about this one is it's an oversized carriage clock.

Usually they're about six-and-a-half, seven inches high.

This one's probably, with the handle up, about ten inches high.

And on the front, on this nice, silver dial,

I can just see the remains of a retailer's stamp,

but the maker is actually on the back.

If we look on the inside, there's a nice circular movement, which,

again, is unusual for a carriage clock to have a circular movement.

Usually they've got rectangular plates.

And the proper maker's name, EM & Co.

And that stands for Eugene Maurice & Co.

And they were probably one of the top four or five carriage clock makers

in France in the 19th century.

So it's by a good maker. And it's in what we would call a corniche case.

And that describes these columns on either side.

It's a one-piece brass case with the handle.

Originally, it would actually have had a carrying box to go with it.

Actually, somewhere we've got some cases.

Whether I've got one for that one or not I can't remember.

-Well, you go and have a look for it.

-I'll try and find them. Cid might know where they are.

Well, in a way, this ticks every box.

It's quality. Everything shouts quality about it.

What it doesn't tick, sadly, now is demand.

They have actually come down in value.

So I think on this now, the value on this would be, conservatively, probably £250-£400.

Yeah, that's good. That's good.

Anyway, time is ticking away and we've got to find some more things.

-Yeah.

-So lead on.

'So the oversized carriage clock can join the miniature version in the auction.

'Putting this oak occasional table into the sale

'should bolster the car fund coffers by another £30-£50,

'whilst also freeing up a bit more space in the house.

'We're nearly running out of time and we've managed to sniff out some fantastic items.

'But there's one more set of pictures that, up till now, Cid's been keeping under wraps.'

James, what do you think of these?

Oh, fantastic.

We've got a set of four.

You've got four of them! God, they certainly fill a space, don't they?

-Amazing.

-What have you found, guys?

Well, look at this. Set of four of these hunting prints.

Where do they come from?

I went for a nice lunch in a lovely restaurant and there was a picture gallery round the corner,

and I saw them.

And we had a huge hall and landing and that's where we put them.

Fantastic! Let's just have a look.

Yeah, here we go.

Painted by John Sturgess.

And then over here, we've got, "London, published July 23rd, 1878,

"by GF McQueen, Marlborough Street, London".

So, fantastic to have a set of four of them.

I mean, John Sturgess is quite a well-known artist, Victorian artist,

and he specialised in hunting scenes and animals.

And the thing with him was, he spent a lot of time and effort actually studying how the animals moved.

How horses moved. Studying their anatomy.

Because I'm sure some of the other horse pictures that you will have seen, early ones,

they've got the horses galloping with all four feet off the ground,

which, of course, isn't actually how they do it.

They've always got one foot on the ground at least.

But he got it absolutely right.

They really are very naturalistic.

OK, hunting's banned but it's still...a popular subject.

Maybe not as popular as say ten or twenty years ago.

That's for sure. They were very much in-vogue then.

As far as value is concerned,

I would think that we'd be looking at round about between £400-£600.

So about 100 quid each which, for the space that they actually cover

-on the wall, it's actually not a lot of money really, is it?

-No.

So how do you feel about them going to auction for around £500?

Well, I thought they might go for a little bit more,

-but we haven't got the room to put them up, have we, Cid?

-Yeah, yeah.

So they'll have to go.

Now, you wanted £2,000, didn't you?

So that you could hopefully downscale your car

from a gas guzzler to a smaller version.

-Well, the value of everything going to auction comes to £2,660.

-Oh, really?

-That's very good.

Bu, of course, if you do decide to bring the saddle,

that will boost the value up to £3,160.

So let's just hope you can find that outfit that goes with it

and the saddle and the outfit comes along too.

-Looking forward to seeing your items there?

-Yeah.

OK. Well, we'll see you at the auction house, then.

Fred and Cid's desire to declutter has thrown up some fantastic items.

Packed up and ready for auction are...

this mahogany tilt-top table, which should go for £150-£250.

A stunning oversized French carriage clock, which although

not quite as fashionable as it was, should still sell for in excess of £250.

The ER Smythe country scene on canvas, valued at £800-£1,200.

And finally, the high-quality, Victorian, leather side-saddle,

which should fetch between £500 and £700,

if Fred decides to bring it along on the day of the sale.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic...

things are hotting up in the saleroom.

I can start straight in at £420.

-Oh!

-£420.

-Brilliant! Fantastic.

But Fred and Cid are proving hard to please.

-I think that's quite a good price, but you don't look very happy, Cid.

-Yes... No, I am.

And I do my best to calm their auction nerves.

So you didn't need to worry about the reserve

-or the estimate at all, did you?

-No.

Will they be satisfied with their sales when the final hammer falls?

Now, it's been a few weeks since we visited Fred and Cid at their

lovely Essex home, where we found some really high-class antiques

and some lovely paintings,

which we've brought here to Hampshire auction house in Andover.

Now, remember, they're looking to raise around £2,000 so Cid can get a more economical car.

Let's hope that today, the bidders are feeling enthusiastic and help us reach our target figure.

There are some serious-looking bidders in the saleroom

and our expert, James Rylands, is normally pretty spot-on with his valuations.

So with a bit of luck, we'll soon be well on our way to a good result.

-Ah, James, hello.

-Morning.

-This is a beautiful carriage clock, isn't it?

It's my favourite, and do you know what?

-They've put it on the front cover of the catalogue.

-Have they?!

That's marvellous! As you can hear, it's still working.

Even if the time's slightly wrong!

Now, they did have some lovely items, Fred and Cid.

Carriages clocks, the paintings, all these really traditional and high-quality antiques.

But the market's changed quite a lot in recent years, hasn't it?

The way the market is now, you're right. Because it's the best and the rest.

With this clock, I don't think we're going to have any problems, because it's a good example.

OK, well, we need to raise £2,000, so the pressure's on, isn't it?

Yeah, £2,000 - it's more than a week's pocket money

but we have got to get Cid her new car.

Yes, absolutely. Come on.

With the saleroom filling up, it's time to catch up with Fred and Cid, who are taking one last look

at the pieces they're selling, before they go under the hammer and off to new homes.

-Morning, Cid.

-Hello, Lorne.

-Hi, how are you?

This is a lovely item, isn't it?

-How do you feel about it going today?

-Yes.

I love this table, I really do, but... Yes, it's lovely.

Cid's a bit sad, I think.

-We want a tip-top price for it.

-Yes, we do.

-Let's hope so.

I'll tell you one thing I haven't been able to spot so far

and that's the side-saddle. Is that here?

I haven't managed to find the habit yet, so I thought

we'd pull it out and wait until I find it and then have a go.

Cos I think the two will sell better.

-What do you think, James?

-I think that's actually the right decision because, let's face it,

whoever bought it, I think, would want the riding habit to go with it, so your call, but the right decision.

-Are there any that you've had second thoughts about at all, Cid?

-This table, I love. Erm...

-And the Snaffles book, really.

-Right.

-Have we got a reserve on the Snaffles?

-We have. We've got £150.

At the end of the day, Cid, I think that's a reflection

of just how much you like it, so if it goes, great. If it doesn't, back home.

OK. You've got a lovely home to put them back into!

Let's see what we can make, anyway, in the meantime.

-The auction's about to start. Shall we get in position?

-Yep.

-Follow me round, then.

So Fred's decided to leave the side-saddle at home, but that

could make the £2,000 target a bit more difficult to reach.

Remember, if you'd like to buy or sell at auction,

you will have to pay commission and possibly other charges,

so do check with your local auction house for more details.

Let's hope Fred and Cid's first lot makes its estimate.

Lot 25A. 19th-century, circular,

one-piece top mahogany, tip-top table.

-Have you been tempted to put a reserve on this one?

-Yes, I have.

150, I think they've put on it.

£150, so the bottom end of the estimate.

That's sensible because, let's face it,

it's a nice Georgian piece of furniture and it's useful.

Let's hope someone else thinks so.

I can start straight in at 100. I'll take 110.

-So the opening bid is £100.

-120.

130. 140. 150.

160. 160. 170. 170...

At 180. 180. 190.

No? At £180. Do I hear 190?

190 I have.

At 190. 200?

I can see someone bidding in the room as well.

190. I'll take 200. £190, then.

It's with you at 190, sir.

190, then, I'm taking.

£190! I think that's quite a good price

but you don't look very happy, Cid.

Erm, yes. No, I am.

At £40 over the reserve, that's a great start to the auction.

But with £2,000 needed to get Cid that new car,

we're going to have to hope that all our items reach their valuations.

Next up is the smaller of Fred's two brass carriage clocks.

And they're called mignonettes, which is French for "little darling".

So let's hope this little darling fetches lots.

120-180 and quite rightly.

We've got a reserve of 120 on this, haven't we?

Yeah, I think it needs that protection.

OK. Hopefully somebody'll be interested.

Time's ticking away. Here it comes.

And what shall we start on this?

I'm straight in at £140. I'll take 150.

-That's good. Good.

-Do I hear 150 on the lot?

At 140. 150 I have.

-Good, he's got some competition.

-160. 170.

At £160 with me. I'll take 170 on the lot.

At 160, then. It's worth 170. It's got to be worth that easily.

At £160, then.

£160.

What do you think of that, Fred? Has it come through your hands?

Yeah. No. Yeah, not bad. Not bad. Not bad.

Once again, James' valuation is spot-on.

The bidding isn't quite as aggressive as we'd like.

Let's hope the saleroom livens up for our next lot.

Lot 45A. Lot 45A.

Victorian mahogany pedestal desk with tooled leather insert,

-above nine drawers, on casters...

-Ideal for a laptop.

Well, I have to say, I think it reminds me of myself.

It's just small and petite.

What we don't want is a small, petite price, because estimate, 300-500.

Now, I think we've got a reserve of £200 on this, I think.

That's sensible. We certainly don't want it to drop below that,

so let's see where we get it to.

It's a very nice item, this.

We've got quite a bit of interest and I'm straight in at £200.

-I'll take 220.

-Well, we start at the reserve.

At £200 only. Do I hear 220 on the lot?

At 200 only. I'll take ten, if it will help anyone.

At £200, then.

-What do you think about that?

-Well, yes, it's...

-Got to go, hasn't it?

-Got to go, yes.

You know what, Cid? I think it's actually a sign of the times.

So, the desk hasn't reached its estimate

and has only just achieved its reserve of £200.

Let's hope our next lot lights up the saleroom.

Nice item, this.

Again, I can start straight in at 60 and I'll take five. At £60 only.

Do I hear five? Five I have, and 70. And five, sir?

80 here. Five, it's yours.

85, I'm out. Do I hear 90?

At £85 only. Do I hear 90 on the lot?

£85, then, sir.

-Are you happy with that price that we've got?

-Yes, it's got to go.

-OK, right.

The brass standard lamp and shade has reached its estimate.

So we're back on track towards our £2,000 and that new car.

Circular, pie-crust edged, walnut, two-tier occasional table.

That was from your relations, is that right?

Yeah, my grandma and my mother and father afterwards. Yeah.

Are you looking forward to it going today or is it a bit of a problem?

-No, not at all.

-No?

-No, cos it helps empty out me mother's house as well.

We've got an estimate of £30-£40, so let's just see how we get on.

Nice lot, this. What shall we say?

I can start the bidding at 20. I'll take two. At £20 only.

-£20.

-Do I hear two on the lot?

Two I have. And four. And six.

Now at £24. I'll take five, if it will help.

25 I have. At £25. Do I hear six?

-25.

-At £25 only.

I'll take six on the lot. It's worth that any day of the week. £25, then...

-25. Well...

-£25?

-It's OK.

It's not brilliant, but it's OK.

We know it's a lot less than it would've been worth

a few years ago, but it's sold and that's the important thing, isn't it?

It seems that Fred and Cid's antiques

aren't exciting the bidders.

That total of £2,000 is suddenly looking a long way off,

which means there's a lot riding on the set of four horse-racing prints,

about to go under the hammer.

-Now, unfortunately, both the subject and the size may go against them, James.

-It's true.

I mean, smaller houses, subject not as popular as it was,

but what we really want, Fred, is for someone to be a bit tipsy in the audience.

Do what you did!

I don't think we've got a reserve on these, because you can't really have them back.

-They are huge. Let's hope they fetch the estimate.

-OK.

What shall we start? Straight in at 300?

I'll take 320. 320 I have. 340. 360.

At £360. then. At 360. Do I hear 380?

380 I have. At 380...

-There's a bit of bidding in the air.

-That's good.

-400?

At £380, then. On my right at 380.

-Are you pleased with the 380?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Yes? Cid?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

-That's good. Yes.

So that's another lot that's sold for just under its estimate,

which means we're still a long way off our target.

Since we're already at the halfway stage,

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

We're only halfway through the sale, but adding up what we've made so far,

given the fact that you want £2,000.

Just, at this point in time, we've made £1,040.

-There we go.

-That's good.

-We've still got a few things to go, Cid.

-Yeah.

-We're halfway there. Yeah.

I think what's strange sometimes at auction is, individual items selling can be a disappointment

but when you look at the overall figure, generally,

it's always more or less within the price you're expecting.

But it's always nice to make a bit over estimate

and if we're going to top £2,000, we really want our lots to start flying out of the saleroom.

But as our experts always say, quality sells,

so everyone's got high hopes for our next item.

OK. Lot 240A. Lot 240A.

A large, brass-cage, French carriage clock supported by classical columns

with bevelled plates and silver chaptering.

Next up is my favourite.

And also the front cover of the catalogue.

And it's your oversize French carriage clock.

I love this. It just oozes quality.

I have to say, we've got an estimate of £250-£400

and I think we have got a reserve of 250 on it.

So I really hope this goes on and makes a lot.

A lot of interest here. Phone bid.

I can start straight in at £420.

-Whoa!

-£420 is the starting bid.

440, I'll take.

INAUDIBLE

440 I have. That's me out at 440. Do I hear 460?

It's gone a bit quiet, hasn't it? 440 it is. At £440.

£440.

That was good. That was nice.

As James predicted, the carriage clock has been the star

of the show so far.

The auction room is hotting up. Let's hope we can carry on

getting top dollar for the remaining items.

These oil paintings of hunting scenes

will hopefully have our bidders chomping at the bit.

We've got 150-250 for the two.

They're about two foot six by two foot,

so they're good, and they're hand-painted and things like that.

Let's see how we get on with these.

Nice items, these. I'm straight in at £100. I'll take 110. At £100 I have.

At £100. And 110 I have. 120. 130.

At £120 with me. 130 I'll take.

130. Finally, 140 here.

150, it's yours. 150.

I'm out on commission at 150.

Do I hear 160? At £150, then.

It's very cheap for that.

At 150, then.

£150. Now, that's just bang-on the bottom estimate.

How do you feel about that price?

-Er, disappointing, in a way, I should think.

-Mmm...

-There you go. It's all space, isn't it?

-Mmm.

So that's another lot that's sold for its estimate, but no more,

which means we're still a long way off our target.

Behind the auctioneer, the Porsche rally car painting

has pride of place, but will it get the bidders' pulses racing?

At 250 only.

-Well, it was cheaper than a Porsche, wasn't it?

-It certainly is! Absolutely.

-Yes.

So that's another lot gone.

But it sold for £50 under estimate.

But that will all be forgotten about

if the country scene by ER Smythe does the business.

Lot 250A. 250A.

19th-century oil on canvas country scene attributed to ER Symthe.

This is a beautiful painting. It's traditional,

very English, but it's stunning, isn't it?

It is, and by a good Norwich School painter of the time - Symthe -

and estimate, £800-£1,200. I think we've got a reserve on this, haven't we?

700, I think.

Well, here we go. Let's see what it makes.

It's quite a nice item, this. Lots of interest.

I'm straight in at £500, £600, £700.

I'll take 750. At £700 I have.

On commission at 700. No interest?

At £700, then, I'm selling.

£700, so it's bang-on your reserve.

-Yes, I think that's gone quite cheaply, really, for Symthe, don't you?

-Yeah, I do.

But they say "attributed to Smythe", what's the difference?

They can't say it's definitely him?

Yeah, I think when it says, "attributed to"...

You have to bear in mind this one was not signed.

It just had the title plaque on the front of the frame.

So it means they think it's by him, but can't definitely say so.

So the fact it's difficult to be 100% confident

that it's a genuine Symthe has kept the price down.

Still £700 is not to be sniffed at.

So far, Fred and Cid's hunting memorabilia has all sold,

but hasn't gone above estimate, so I can't help wondering

how much interest our final lot will generate.

Limited edition folio of illustrations by Snaffles.

Published 1983, with foreword by HRH Princess Anne.

-Snaffles prints are very popular.

-They are. He's well-known.

Not as popular as they were because of the hunting subject matter.

But this is a limited edition one with a foreword by Princess Anne,

who's a very keen horse lady.

I am straight in at 160. I'll take 170.

-180 here. 190.

-190.

At 190, I'm out on commission.

-200 in the room. 220.

-220.

-240. 260.

-260.

280. 300.

-£300.

-320. 340.

-340.

-360. 380.

-380.

400.

-420.

-420.

Doesn't he look happy on the phone? 440.

No? At 420. I'll take 440.

At £420, then.

£420. That is...

-So you didn't need to worry about the reserve or the estimate at all, did you?

-No. That was good.

Selling for an incredible £340 over estimate,

it looks like we've saved the best till last.

Maybe the royal connection made the difference.

It's time to find out exactly how much money we've made.

Right, now you wanted £2,000 so you could get a more economical car, didn't you, Cid?

-Any idea what you might have made, Fred?

-I haven't got a clue.

-I haven't added it up yet. It's too quick.

-What about you, Cid?

I don't know. Erm, we did, what, 1,000 in the first?

I don't know if we have done...

You've done a bit better - you've made £3,000.

-Really? That's brilliant.

-That's jolly good.

-That is good. That is good, hmm.

-There you are. On our way!

And we haven't got to take anything back.

-No, that's the good news as well, isn't it, hey?

-That is good.

With the proceeds of the sale in the bank,

today, Fred and Cid are off to test-drive a new car.

Although some of the items didn't go for what we really wanted,

we did get quite a bit towards our new eco-friendly car.

Hello, Matt.

-Good afternoon.

-Hello, Matt.

-Good afternoon. You OK?

-Fine.

-Got your car ready. Do you want to come outside and have a look?

-Lovely.

It does look nice, doesn't it?

-It does look very smart.

-There we go.

Cid seems to have made her mind up that this is the car for her.

Lovely. Lovely to drive.

Now they've settled on their new motor, Fred and Cid have decided

to treat themselves to a day out with the extra cash they made.

-All right.

-Hello.

What better place for a keen gardener to head off to

on a summer's day than London's world famous Kew Gardens?

With hundreds of species of rare plants to discover

and over 200 acres to explore, Fred and Cid can really stretch their legs

before heading back home to Essex.

We've had a great day. This place is just stunning.

Beautiful. The views are wonderful up here.

Had a great day.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd