0:00:02 > 0:00:04Hello and welcome to Cash In the Attic,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07the programme that searches for antiques and collectables
0:00:07 > 0:00:11to help their owners realise a dream or fund a special project.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15It's always very sad when one has to downsize because of bereavement
0:00:15 > 0:00:18but when you go in for the final declutter,
0:00:18 > 0:00:23it's very poignant to find out what the family can bear to part with and what they can't.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47Coming up on Cash In The Attic, the lady of the house has little time
0:00:47 > 0:00:50for our expert's football fads.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53A big favourite of mine, star of England and Manchester United,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Sir Bobby Charlton.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And the daunting face of this Victorian actor
0:01:00 > 0:01:02sends shivers up our spines.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05It's often believed that the character Dracula was based
0:01:05 > 0:01:07on Henry Irving.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- You can see why, can't you? - Very sinister.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12We ask her the crucial question - which is better,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Lord Olivier or a Sunderland ware plate?
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Why are they homing in on that and not on Laurence Olivier?
0:01:19 > 0:01:23- I couldn't quite see...- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26There's only one way to find out - be there when the hammer falls.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Now, today I'm near Chichester
0:01:30 > 0:01:34on what would have been the site of a magnificent Roman palace.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37In fact, when you look at the symmetry of the gardens,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41the Romans built the trenches in which the box trees are planted.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Now, the man who lived here - I had to write this down -
0:01:44 > 0:01:48is Tiberius Claudius Togidubnus. Quite a name.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52But I'm off to meet Joy Cheshire who lives just down the road.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57This garden may not be quite as extensive as those at the Roman palace
0:01:57 > 0:01:59but it really makes an idyllic setting
0:01:59 > 0:02:02for the charming rectory in West Sussex.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It's been Joy's home for more than a decade.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Even so, the time has now come for her to leave.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11A few months ago, she very sadly lost her husband, David Cheshire,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14a well-respected author, theatre historian and collector
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and the place simply isn't the same without him.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21She needs help sorting through all the porcelain, paintings,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24furniture and books that they collected over their long marriage
0:02:24 > 0:02:27before she can even consider downsizing.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29She's also very keen to fly to Australia
0:02:29 > 0:02:31to visit her half-sister Suzette,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35with whom she was reunited just a few years ago.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Joy has two grown-up children, a son, and a daughter, Ellen,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and Ellen is helping us out today.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44We're all depending on our valuer, John Cameron,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48who has more than 20 years' experience in antiques.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So while he makes a start in the parlour, I meet our hosts.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Well, Joy. I find you in the middle of your record collection.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57- Very good. Very nice to see you. - How do you do?
0:02:57 > 0:03:02- We were so looking forward to meeting you.- My daughter Ellen. - Hello.- Nice to see you.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06So, Joy, yours is a very interesting story,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08a very interesting set of circumstances,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11but why did you call in the Cash In The Attic team?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Yeah, because, I lived here 11 years with David,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16which was just brilliant.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19And so slowly we're getting rid of the things,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22passing them on to other people who will enjoy them, I hope.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Our expert's going to have the most wonderful time today.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26You've got so many different things.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Yes, from lollipop wrappers to records and CDs, DVDs,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34the really quirky next to the real sublime,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37so this is a real mix of stuff that we've been having to go through
0:03:37 > 0:03:38and find homes for.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Well, John's already rummaging along your bountiful shelves
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and in the drawers, finding all sorts of things,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- so would you like to come and meet him?- Yes, that would be great.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Joy hopes to make £1,000 at auction to pay for her trip Down Under
0:03:50 > 0:03:53to visit her half-sister, Suzette.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57With luck, John's already laid eyes on some valuable mementoes
0:03:57 > 0:03:58that could just get us started.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Ooh, you found the royal mugs.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03How many mugs do you have here?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- I don't know.- There's about 24, 25 of them here,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08starting from Queen Victoria
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and going right up to Queen Elizabeth II.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15Nice collection. One or two interesting items amongst them.
0:04:15 > 0:04:16It's an amazing collection.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20- Are you the guilty person in terms of collecting?- Not really.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22I'm not even a royalist. THEY LAUGH
0:04:22 > 0:04:25David started work up in Stafford, which is near Stoke-on-Trent,
0:04:25 > 0:04:30so they were just in the market and he bought one or two if they were really cheap.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And that's what he did during the rest of his life.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36He just happened to be somewhere and he saw one
0:04:36 > 0:04:39and it was like 30 pence maximum, he'd buy it,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and we'd stick them up above the picture rail
0:04:42 > 0:04:46But they grew until they went all the way along the picture rail.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Well, my favourite two have to be these.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The colouring's the same. They're made about 17 years apart.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57These are both by Royal Doulton. They're transfer printed,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00this one for the coronation of Edward VII,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04this one here to celebrate the end of the First World War.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We've got all the names of the different allies here
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and there we are, Britannia, there - "Pro patria", for country.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13You've got one or two very common examples.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I wouldn't cherry pick. I'd say put the lot in and see what happens.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20So are they very collectable? Will they sell at auction?
0:05:20 > 0:05:23And the third question is, how much do you think we might get?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Well, the majority of them are quite common -
0:05:25 > 0:05:2820, 30, 40, 50 pence, the sort of things you see in charity shops,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32but you do have some from earlier in the 20th century.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34I'd put them together. I'd put £40-£60 on them as an estimate.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- On the lot?- Yes. And then see where you go from there.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Joy, I may not be able to drink out of Queen Victoria's mug
0:05:41 > 0:05:44but at least I can make the tea, so let's head this way.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45'And I'm good at it!
0:05:45 > 0:05:47'A very respectable figure to start our search.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50'It's our host who makes the next discovery,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'an oil painting of the actor Laurence Olivier
0:05:52 > 0:05:54'in his Shakespearean role as Coriolanus.
0:05:54 > 0:06:00'On our expert's advice, she pairs it up with another picture of the acting lord
0:06:00 > 0:06:02'in character as Hamlet.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05'Together, they could bring in £50-£80
0:06:05 > 0:06:10'And I find a very attractive plate. showing the tea clipper Red Jacket,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13'named after a famous Native American chief.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16'She was built in the USA and launched in 1853.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20'The plate was made by Adams pottery of Staffordshire.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23'and we think it should be worth at least £20.'
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Well, Joy, it's lovely, enjoying the sunshine
0:06:27 > 0:06:29in your gorgeous garden
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and I'm beginning to get a picture of David,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34just having had a look at this accumulator man
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and some of the things he's collected.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Tell me what kind of a person he was. Was he a real character?
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I suppose he was and certainly, at the funeral,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48the stories people were telling made him suddenly become larger than life.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52So how big did his collection of various things become?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Well, when they took away the books the other week,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56there were over 14,000 books.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And where do you think this passion came from?
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Was it his upbringing or did it just develop over the years?
0:07:02 > 0:07:04I don't really know.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06He came from a village in Northamptonshire
0:07:06 > 0:07:10and he was a clever boy,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12you know, like the first in the village to get the 11 plus,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14the first in the village to go to grammar school,
0:07:14 > 0:07:15all that sort of thing.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17But he got very much attached to the theatre.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21So how difficult is it for you, doing this downsizing
0:07:21 > 0:07:25and getting rid of a lot of stuff that he put so much passion into?
0:07:25 > 0:07:31I think it is probably the best displacement activity
0:07:31 > 0:07:32that I could have.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I don't want to live here without David.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Ellen said I said that the day after he died and that is quite true.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And then I found other reasons not to stay here -
0:07:41 > 0:07:44too big a house, couldn't afford it, all the other things.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I just threw myself into placing the library and the archive
0:07:48 > 0:07:52and the ephemera collection and the other bits and bobs.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Well, Joy, I have so loved hearing about your husband, David.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And we're enjoying looking at some of his things today
0:08:00 > 0:08:02but I think we'd better get cracking.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06- We need £1,000...- Yeah. - ..to get you to Australia.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It sounds as if David was a really fascinating man,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12very respected as an expert in his field
0:08:12 > 0:08:16and, of course, very much missed by those who knew and loved him.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I'm pleased that John and Ellen have kept up the search for items
0:08:19 > 0:08:22that should have lots of appeal at auction.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It seems appropriate that our next find relates to David's interest
0:08:25 > 0:08:27in the long history of British theatre.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31John? They're unusual.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- Oh, yes.- Gosh. Do these ring a bell?
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- Yes, well, there's a clue at the bottom. Sir Henry Irving...- Ah!
0:08:38 > 0:08:42- ..as various characters he must have played.- Oh, right.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- So are they watercolours, John? - They are indeed
0:08:45 > 0:08:46and each one has been signed.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51Have a look at the detail. The treatment of the costume is quite remarkable.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55And looking at the face of Henry Irving, he looks quite menacing.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57He's really captured the character.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02There must be a story about this awful face.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I believe that at the Lyceum Theatre, where he was so well-connected,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07the manager there was Bram Stoker
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and it's often believed that the character of Dracula
0:09:10 > 0:09:12was based on Henry Irving.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- And you can see why, can't you? - Very sinister.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19When you look at the face, there is a touch of the Peter Cushing there.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24But looking at the signature, it's not an artist I know. J Winship.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27I don't know that name.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29They are dated as well and each one is titled,
0:09:29 > 0:09:30we can see the character.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32I think that this may well be somebody
0:09:32 > 0:09:35attached to the actual theatre production,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38either in costume or in set design.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- So do you think Mum will be happy for these to go?- I think so, yes.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43- OK. What might we get for them, John?- They're nice.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47I do think they'll appeal to a certain sort of person.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50There must be a lot of theatre collectors, though?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Absolutely. It's a case of marketing them
0:09:52 > 0:09:54but without any further research,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58I'd put an estimate of £400-£600 on them.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- That seems quite healthy, Ellen, doesn't it?- It does.- All right.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04We'll see if they sell, if they are to be or not to be.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Well, £400 makes a huge difference to our potential auction takings
0:10:08 > 0:10:11but will the bidders be quite so generous?
0:10:11 > 0:10:13We're on 310. 320, 330.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17340, 350, 360.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19This could be an exciting sale.
0:10:22 > 0:10:28Ellen's found another picture of Sir Henry Irvingdated 1899
0:10:28 > 0:10:30and signed by Ernest Moss.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Also, a colour print attributed to J Beaumont
0:10:33 > 0:10:37and a ceramic gilt bust, stamped 1876.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40'With luck, this second lot of Irving goodies
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'should bring in £250-£300.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45'Also winging its way to auction
0:10:45 > 0:10:48'is this 19th century Japanese dinner service
0:10:48 > 0:10:54'which Joy's grandfather collected during his time working as a ship's engineer for P&O.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57'John gives it a £70-100 price tag.'
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Have you found anything interesting? - Well, there's this here, yes.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- Is there just the one of them? - No, there's a pair.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- This one's here. - Is that one named as well?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- Er, no. No name on this one. - Just this one here.- Yes.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- What do you know about them? - Well, I've seen them for years.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16They were originally at my grandma's.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Well, they're of a type of pottery known as Sunderland lustreware,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21copper lustreware,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23and these were made throughout the 19th century
0:11:23 > 0:11:26in large quantity in the Sunderland area.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31And you often see vessels - jugs and mugs with this decoration on.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33That one's not named, this one is.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37This one is the Bretagne. She's quite an important vessel.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41She was a French ship and I think she had some distinguished service
0:11:41 > 0:11:43out in the Crimean War.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- There's a bit of damage but it's on the one that's not named.- Right.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I think the value is in this one here
0:11:49 > 0:11:52but even with the damage, I'd still be hoping for £100-£200 for them.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- Oh, right.- Do you think that's good? - I think so.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Well, don't hang them back up, I'll take these.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01We'll get them wrapped up but there's lots of rummaging to do,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05so you don't have permission to go to shore just yet. Come on.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09He's masterful, you know. And John goes on to make the next find,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11again with a nautical theme.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13The dining room windows are lined with model yachts
0:12:13 > 0:12:17that David and Joy collected over the years.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Pricing them at £80-£120,
0:12:19 > 0:12:23John hopes someone else will fall in love with them as well.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27And I wonder if Joy has struck gold with more theatrical memorabilia.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Hello, Joy, these look interesting. What are they?
0:12:32 > 0:12:34These are two statues, obviously. Laurence Olivier.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- Are you old enough to remember him? - I remember Olivier.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42- But who's this one?- This is Joan Sutherland, magnificent lady.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- The Australian soprano? - That's right.- There's not a great deal of age to them.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48They're made of resin. They're reproductions.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51But if you have a look on the back of this one,
0:12:51 > 0:12:52and I know I've seen that one,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55we've got a signature on here - Sedlecka.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Have you noticed that before? It's Irena Sedlecka,
0:12:57 > 0:13:03a Czechoslovakian-born sculptor born in around about 1928
0:13:03 > 0:13:05and is known for this sort of work.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10She fled the old communist regime in about 1967,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13came to this country and she also worked in America.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But she did win the Lenin prize for sculpture
0:13:17 > 0:13:20before she left the old Soviet Union.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22But she also had some rather interesting commissions,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25people like Freddie Mercury.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30- There's a huge life-sized sculpture in Montreux...- Oh, fantastic. - ..of Freddie Mercury.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33And a big favourite of mine, star of England and Manchester United,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Sir Bobby Charlton.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37JOHN LAUGHS
0:13:37 > 0:13:38So if I was selling these today,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I'd put an estimate, probably, of £80-£120 on them.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44- Oh, yes, yes. I'd love that. - Excellent.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46In the immortal words of Freddie Mercury
0:13:46 > 0:13:52and in keeping with the theatrical theme, the show must go on, so we must keep rummaging.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Ellen has found a print called Popularity and is a representation
0:13:56 > 0:13:58of all the stars of Edwardian music hall,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00dating back to 1903.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04It's also signed in pencil by the artist, Walter Lambert.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08John thinks it could bring in £60-£80.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Well, our day near Chichester is drawing to a close
0:14:11 > 0:14:16but on the landing a delightful print catches my eye.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18- Come and have a look. - OK, what have you found?
0:14:18 > 0:14:20It's an interesting lithograph
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- and I'm sure you've seen in it many, many times, Ellen.- I have, yes.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27Well, I did notice it on the way past. I'm a big fan of Sir Stanley Spencer
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and it's a nice lithograph.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34What I like about him is his passion for his village where he grew up in Berkshire, Cookham.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39I read somewhere once that he was introduced to a head of state,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42it may have been China or Russia, somewhere like that,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45and he introduced himself as, "Hello, I'm Stanley from Cookham."
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- And...- Lovely, that.- Brilliant.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Primarily known as a primitive, a surrealist,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56his work draws comparisons with Gauguin, the post-impressionists.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58But his work is quite distinctive.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01He was primarily a religious painter.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03He painted Biblical scenes and miracles,
0:15:03 > 0:15:07things like the loaves and the fishes, things like that.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09He did landscape work, which was popular commercially,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12but his passion was the religious pictures.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14He always used the people from Cookham.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17They were his own interpretations of these things
0:15:17 > 0:15:20using modern people from his village of Cookham.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- So they were ones doing the miracles.- They were.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26So obviously highly collectable but what value would you put on this?
0:15:26 > 0:15:31This limited edition lithograph I would estimate at £300-£500.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34You wanted £1,000 to go to Australia to meet your half-sister, Suzette.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36If the estimations work out right
0:15:36 > 0:15:41you've got £1,450.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44- Right. Spending money.- So, Ellen, half a ticket!- Half a ticket.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46- Maybe I could go... - Maybe we could make a bit more.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- We look forward to seeing you at auction.- Thank you very much.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Wow, this bodes very well for Joy's travel plans.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Fingers crossed, she'll soon be waltzing with Suzette, her sister,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00if not Matilda, with the help of these items going to auction.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05One of the most distinguished actors to grace the British stage, Sir Henry Irving,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07seen in five original watercolours.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10We're looking for £400-£600.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14We have high hopes for the Sunderland lustreware plaques.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18It should be worth at least £100 to militaria collectors.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22And what about that lithograph,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25showing the artist Sir Stanley Spencer's family with a dog?
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Will this one make its £300 asking price?
0:16:31 > 0:16:33'Still to come on Cash In The Attic,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37'it's never easy to keep track of a packed auction.'
0:16:37 > 0:16:39I'm busy looking to see who's bidding
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and he's moved on. What did it go for?
0:16:43 > 0:16:48And what's this? Could things be taking off in more ways than one?
0:16:48 > 0:16:51So is that business class? No, it's not business class.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53It's not enough for business class.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Find out at the final crack of the gavel.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04What a fascinating day we had at Joy's cottage,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07which was absolutely full of atmosphere
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and full of things for us to have a look at.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12So we picked out the creme de la creme
0:17:12 > 0:17:14in the hope that we can raise at least £1,000
0:17:14 > 0:17:16to send her off to Australia in style
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and we brought them all here to the Chiswick Auction Rooms
0:17:19 > 0:17:21in West London.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24All we need now are bidders who are prepared to part with their cash.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Joy and Ellen sent their mementoes here in good time for viewing
0:17:28 > 0:17:31but as many relate to the theatre,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35I hope the specialist buyers turn out.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38John's with me as we find them checking the Sunderland lustreware.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42So here you are clutching onto what I think are very unusual.
0:17:42 > 0:17:43Aren't they, yes?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46They've just been around and we've taken them for granted.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51And, of course, all important, we've got to get the £1,000.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- Absolutely.- That's the goal. - To see your half-sister.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Best of luck. I hope you get the money.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- Let's follow John.- Thank you. - Thank you.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01The auctioneer is already cracking on with the sale
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and Joy's first lot under the hammer
0:18:04 > 0:18:07is the plate that I found tucked away in the spare bedroom.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09John, do you think this is the kind of thing
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- that will appeal in the room today? - Well, I love anything maritime,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16so I think it's worthy of a single lot on its own.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19It's a nice plate with a good tea clipper on there.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21At £20-£30, it should sell.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24£20 for it. £10 for it.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26£10, £10 for it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Give me a bid of £10 or I'll pass the lot. Not a good start for you.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32No-one's at £10, then? £5 for it?
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Oh, dearie me. We'll pass that lot.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- Did he sell it at all? - He didn't get a bid on it.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- Nothing, nothing. - So it's going home with you.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Uh-oh. Not the start we were hoping for
0:18:43 > 0:18:45and I hope this won't augur badly for us
0:18:45 > 0:18:48with three more ceramic lots still to come.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54For instance, this large collection of mugs valued at £40-60.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58They're worth £50. Start me, please. £30, the whole lot.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01£30, at £30, give me 32, at 32, 35.
0:19:01 > 0:19:0535, 38, 40, 42.
0:19:05 > 0:19:0845? 45. 48? 50?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Five. 50 bid. At £50. At £50. Take five. All done?
0:19:12 > 0:19:15At £50. We're going to sell at £50. It's your last chance. Gone.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Right in the middle of John's estimate.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23And I hope their new owner enjoys them as much as Joy and her lovely husband David did.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27We have the first of his theatrical memorabilia up next,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31with the oil painting of renowned actor, Lord Olivier.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35£50?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38£30? £30, I'm bid. I'm bid £30. Thank you.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41At £30 on the chairs. At 30. Bang me 32. Bang me 32.
0:19:41 > 0:19:4432, 35? 35. 38?
0:19:44 > 0:19:4538. 40?
0:19:45 > 0:19:4842? At £40. A bid at £40.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50New bidder. 42. 45?
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- 45, you're back in. 48?- Good.- Mm. - 50?
0:19:54 > 0:19:58At £48. Are we there? At £48. Take 50. At £48. At £48. Sold.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- So you're not dissatisfied, then?- No, no.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The little pot is slowly but surely building up towards Australia.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Well, it's not a bad result, and the modern statues of Lord Olivier
0:20:07 > 0:20:11and opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland quickly follow.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Bidding so far is at 75. It's your bid, sir, at 75.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Who'll give me 80? At 75 in the blue, you've got them.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Selling just under John's estimate of £80.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27'I was bowled over by the mementoes that she and David had gathered
0:20:27 > 0:20:33'and this collection certainly brought a great deal of charm to their dining room.'
0:20:33 > 0:20:36We've got one pond yacht and three static models.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Now, we've got £80-£100, it's only £20 apiece.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- And are they very collectable? - The early ones are.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44They can go for thousands of pounds.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46These are purely decorative.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47£100. £50.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52£50 for the four boats. £40. I'm bid £40. At 45?
0:20:52 > 0:20:5345, 50?
0:20:53 > 0:20:5555. 60, five, 70.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Five? 70 bid, at £70. Take five. At £70.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03£70. Out of the door at £70 and sold.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- So that was pretty good, wasn't it? - Yeah, yeah, fine.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- 70, John, yeah? - Not bad. Just a bit under.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I would like to have done a bit better.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13There's no pleasing our John. That seemed like a fair result to me
0:21:13 > 0:21:15and I'm sure Joy and Ellen would agree
0:21:15 > 0:21:18We're halfway through the sale and we've made £243 so far.
0:21:18 > 0:21:24Remember, though, we're looking for £1,000 for Joy's plane ticket.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26So, it's onwards and upwards.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Now, if you have a holiday or a special project in mind
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and you'd like to try selling some of your items in this way,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36it's worth bearing in mind that auction houses charge various fees,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38such as commission.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Your local sale room will advise you on all these extra costs.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Joy's next lot is another rare print from her husband's collection.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It shows music hall stars of the Edwardian era.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51At 42, 45, 48.
0:21:51 > 0:21:5450, 55, 60.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Five? No. One in the corner at £60. At £60. Take five. At £60.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Are you all done? At £60 and going. Are we out? £60.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Bearing in mind this is your first auction, isn't it funny how it seemed to stick
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and then it just took off?
0:22:06 > 0:22:11I'm busy looking to see who's bidding and he's moved on.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- What did it go for?- £60.- 60.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I quite understand, Joy. I've been doing this for years
0:22:17 > 0:22:20and I still can't always tell who is bidding on what.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22But not a bad result for the painting.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Unfortunately, the same can't be said of the Japanese dinner service.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28It takes up an entire table at the auction.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32John said £70-£100 but the bidders have other plans.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33Pass that lot.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I hate it. Another no sale, so disappointing
0:22:36 > 0:22:39but at least Joy will be able to sell it on another day.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Now, what will the buyers make of the Sunderland lustreware plaques?
0:22:46 > 0:22:48£50? A bid at £50. At £50. I'll take 55.
0:22:48 > 0:22:5055. 60? Five?
0:22:50 > 0:22:5470, five. 80, five, 90, five.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57100, 110, 120.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58130, 140, 150.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02160? At 160 and going. 160.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04People would come to the house and say, "I like those,"
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and I'd think, "Why are they homing in on that and not Laurence Olivier?"
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- I couldn't quite see...- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15We can always count on John to remind us of our favourite sayings
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and as we come to our next lot, he may have a point -
0:23:18 > 0:23:23two 19th-century pictures and a bust of the actor Henry Irving.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26£100 to start me for these three bits. £100 I'm bid.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30I'll take 110. £100 in front of me. I'll take 110.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31110, I'm bid. 120.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34130? 130, 140, 150.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35150, 160, 170?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38The bid's here at 160. There's a bid at 160, that's as far as I can get.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40160 and going. All done?
0:23:40 > 0:23:43At 160 and gone.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44It's all right.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- Another Irving lover is out there somewhere.- Exactly.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And the Irving lover will love what you've had over the years.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Perhaps the bidders find Irving's face just a little too daunting
0:23:54 > 0:23:55to raise big bucks.
0:23:55 > 0:24:00But I wonder if we dare to tempt fate with another Irving collection?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03It's a set of five Victorian watercolours
0:24:03 > 0:24:06which John valued at £400-600.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10400? And 10. 420.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12430, 440.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14450, 460.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16470, 480.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19- 490, 500.- It's good. - Thank you, bidder.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22At £490. At 490. Take five now. At 490. Are we done?
0:24:22 > 0:24:26At 490, your last chance. All done? At 490. All out and gone?
0:24:26 > 0:24:31So 490, is that business class? No, it's not enough for business class.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Lovely! Joy's starting to get excited
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and with each sale, her trip to Australia flies even closer
0:24:38 > 0:24:40towards becoming a reality.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Let's hope the final sale clinches it.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Joy and her husband David bought this picture in 1964,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48a limited edition by the artist, Sir Stanley Spencer.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Well, it looks like there's telephone interest in this.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55£200 for it. I'm bid £200. 300?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57400? 500.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58600, 620.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01640. 660.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03- 680?- That's the flight already.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06660. 660, we're selling. All done?
0:25:06 > 0:25:10At £660 are we done? Your last chance. It's going at 660 and gone.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- Thanks. It's your bid and going. - Wow! Well done.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- What a surprise!- Fabulous!
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- Such a surprise.- So at least you know you're going to Australia, now.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Well, it's obvious that Joy has done extremely well
0:25:22 > 0:25:23during the last two sales,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26when the bidders went mad for her beautiful artwork.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Her original target was £1,000 to pay for a flight to Australia,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34so just how close have we come to making it?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37We knew that there were some very important items to come
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and I'm so thrilled to tell you that your final total
0:25:40 > 0:25:45- is £1,773.- Goodness.- Oh, my gosh.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47That's fantastic.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49What bumped it up? Those two big items?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51- Those marvellous paintings. - The Stanley Spencer.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- Oh, thank you. - Maybe, Ellen, you can go as well.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Maybe I can go. I think I'll be in steerage, though.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04A few weeks have gone by since the auction
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and the house is looking just that little bit less cluttered.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Now's the best bit. Joy's excited to be choosing some outfits
0:26:10 > 0:26:12for her trip Down Under.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Oh, well, it just has realised the dream and more!
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Because I was looking to see how much to get to Australia
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and it was round about £700, £800
0:26:25 > 0:26:30and I've got it to go and see this sister that I only found,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33what, four years ago, on the other side of the world.