Warren Cash in the Attic

We often inherit pieces that we love but don't really need.

That's the case with the lady I'm about to meet.

Let's hope her heirlooms turn out to be treasure.

'Coming up on Cash In The Attic,

'an unusual 19th-century tea caddy.'

This is a nice box. I don't recall one with three compartments.

'A stunning Qing dynasty bowl gets a surprise valuation.'

Holy smoke!

-Are you surprised?

-I'm shocked!

-Have you changed your mind?

-No!

'And an insight into the mind of an antiques expert.'

When he says he's quietly confident he knows what he's talking about!

'Will we be smiling at the end of the day?

'Find out when the final hammer falls.'

I'm in rainy Berkshire on my way to meet Carol and her friend Joy

to raise some cash in the attic.

'Keen gardener Carol Warren grew up in North Yorkshire

'before moving to the south of England in the 1950s

'where her parents opened a barber shop.

'Carol didn't follow in their footsteps

'and, after working for a diamond company, she sold double glazing,

'which led to a career in interior design.

'Today, Carol lives near Maidenhead in Berkshire,

'where she brought up her family.

'Her daughters have flown the nest and Carol's decided it's time for a clear-out.

'With help from Joy and Cash In The Attic, we hope she can do just that.

'Our expert John Cameron's eager to get started

'so I'll meet the ladies.'

-They had me out rocking.

-Did they?

-Did someone mention rocking?

-Oh, hello!

-How are you?

-Joy and Carol?

-Yes. Carol and Joy.

-You planning an evening out?

-Yes. Windsor theatre's just up the road.

-Why did you call Cash In The Attic?

-Well, I retired in October.

I've got so many bits and pieces around the house, lots of clutter

that I never use except Christmas or whatever.

I thought I'd try and get rid of some of it and have a holiday.

-How much money are you planning to raise?

-Maybe 1,500, if we could.

We've got John Cameron on hand. He's already having a rummage.

-Let's, hopefully, get to that £1,500 mark. Let's get on with it.

-OK.

'Carol's set her mind on that holiday in the sun.

'With a hefty £1,500 target, we need to get to work

'and hope we can find plenty of goodies.

'One man who's not going anywhere, except maybe into the attic,

'is John Cameron.'

-Morning.

-Hiya, guys.

-What have you found?

-An interesting picture.

-It's not your only one by this artist.

-I've got two more.

You've got an expansive landscape and a still life.

-Who's the artist?

-Anne Harcourt.

They belonged to my mother-in-law.

She spoke as if she'd either met her or knew her.

That's all I know. Of the three, that is my favourite.

It's possible that your mother-in-law did know the artist.

They're certainly contemporary.

She may have bought them from the same gallery.

There's a chance she knew her or became a fan of her work,

so bought three different pictures.

I have come across her work,

though there's not a lot of history about her paintings at auction.

Interesting that she can paint in different ways.

Those three paintings are completely different.

She's got the still life down quite well.

She was a member of the Society of Women Artists

and the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers,

so she would have had academic training.

-What about the scene?

-It looks like the south of France.

I'd agree. It's possibly Antibes or Port Grimaud in the south of France.

Let's talk about money.

Carol said it's her favourite. It's my favourite.

Collectively, you're looking at around...

-This could do a bit better.

-I'd like to put a reserve on this one.

-Not the other two.

-That would be your prerogative.

If you stipulate that you want that separated

and you want a reserve of X amount, I'm sure they'll be happy.

You're selling a sunshine scene so you can get into the sunshine.

-You'll have to find something to put on the wall.

-I'll have to wash it.

I'm glad you said that! Come on, plenty more rummaging to do.

'That's a pretty good way

'to kick off our day - let's hope it's a sign of things to come.

'Joyce starts her search upstairs.

'She spots some costume jewellery, including Christian Dior pieces.

'Christian Dior's designs burst onto the world stage in the 1940s.

'Soon, he was the most recognised name in fashion.

'John thinks this collection could fetch...'

Have you got those out for a polish or to send to auction?

Something you can send to auction!

-I was thinking how heavy they were.

-They are.

They are silver, but not solid silver.

They've got these felt bases. Inside there is a resin mixture.

It's put in to give them weight.

I had some candlesticks which were silver.

I did a stupid thing. I cleaned them and they were still a bit damp.

I've got a fan oven, so I popped them on a shelf and put the oven on.

Then forgot about them and came back to find

that the black resin had all gone on the bottom of the oven.

-You've got hollow candlesticks?

-Almost hollow candlesticks!

These are the bigger ones. They can go to auction, certainly.

Looking at the hallmarks,

I would date those to 1918, so we're George V.

They're in a style known as "Adamesque".

They're of octagonal section, but the slender and elegant shape

is a revival of Robert Adam's famous neoclassical style of the 1770s.

After his trips to Pompeii and Herculaneum,

where he studied Roman villas, interior and the architecture.

They've got their detachable drip pans, which is nice.

-These sometimes get lost.

-And it's hallmarked.

They do have the hallmarks, as they should.

Those should correspond with the hallmarks on the base.

They're rather nice items. Good that you've got a pair.

They are in nice condition, no dents and nothing loose inside.

At auction today, I would see no problem in them making...

'Let's hope John's right and the candlesticks shine at auction.'

200. Start me at 150, then.

150 bid. 160. At 160. 160, 170...

'Stay tuned to find out how much they make.

'I've been searching the lounge

'and found this rather attractive silver lined pedestal rose bowl.

'It was assayed in London in 1925,

'and was an item Carol inherited from her mother-in-law.

'John thinks it should fetch as much as...'

Everywhere you look in your house, you see lovely pieces.

-Would you say you're a hoarder?

-Yes. Probably.

I haven't got rid of stuff that belonged to my mother or mother-in-law.

You mentioned your mother-in-law, what sort of character was she?

Very strong-willed.

Used to speak her mind, but I got on extremely well with her.

She thought I was a daughter she didn't have.

She had two sons.

-Are you originally from this area?

-No, I was born in North Yorkshire.

-Wensleydale.

-What did your parents do?

-My father was a barber.

My mother was just a housewife, really.

We came down just before I was 12, to the end of the road here.

-That's a journey and a half.

-It was.

I remember that we sat on a sofa in the back of the furniture van.

The budgie hanging up in its cage. We got very funny looks!

Do you remember your parents having a clear out before the move?

I don't remember. I do remember things my mother did have.

She had wonderful brass and copperware.

Some years later, she sold to - or gave them, I think -

to somebody who had a house in the south of England.

I keep thinking, "I wish I had those now."

How will your two daughters feel about you giving this stuff away?

They won't mind because I've asked them and I know what they do like.

So they will have those anyway.

-When I have gone, things they don't like, they can call Cash In The Attic!

-Course!

-Listen, we've procrastinated long enough.

-We have.

-I've bent your ear enough.

-No! But we've got to carry on.

All right, then.

'Whilst we've been relaxing, John's been working hard in the search.

'He's found three sets of cutlery, bridge pencils and a Vesta case.

'These were more items inherited from Carol's mother-in-law.

'John values them collectively for an impressive...

'There's no shortage of stunning items in Carol's lovely home.

'John's in his element.'

This looks like something to take to auction, Joy. That is interesting.

-Do you know what this is?

-It's a tea caddy.

-You're right.

-Have you ever seen it before?

-Yes. I did think they contained cards.

I see what you mean, definitely.

The caddy developed in the age when tea was prohibitively expensive.

Now they're loved as decorative objects.

This is quite an unusual one in that you've got three caddies.

Each one with a zinc lining to keep them fresh.

I don't recall seeing one with three compartments inside.

This is a nice box, a tour de force in marquetry,

well, parquetry, to be correct.

Marquetry are pictures or patterns.

Parquetry is geometric patterns.

Probably from the 19th century.

Look at the woods. We've got some satinwood.

These corners are probably stained boxwood.

A little bit of damage here and there, nothing major.

-Can that be repaired?

-Yes, it can be repaired.

It's not too difficult.

It's a cabinetmaker's job to do it properly, so it can be expensive.

Value-wise, we should be able to get...

-You think she'll be happy?

-She'll be well pleased. I would be.

-Jolly good...

-And I'm a coffee drinker!

'That's another terrific find and takes our total to just shy of £800.

'With a hefty £1,500 target to reach we've got some way to go.

'So the hard work continues.

'Carol decides to part with her collection of crystal glass

'made by the famous Irish company Waterford.

'The resale value of crystal is a fraction of what it was when new.

'Auction houses are a great place to buy but not great when selling.

'John thinks £50 to £100 is all we can expect for this collection.'

I'm guessing, by the fact that these were hidden, that you're not a fan.

No, they're not my particular choice. I prefer Lladro.

-What's the story behind them?

-My mother had them for years.

I got them when she died.

The only one I like is that one, Melody, I think she's called.

Interesting that that's your favourite.

Do you know that she collected using any sort of theme?

-No. She just liked them.

-People often collect for different reasons.

They'll collect a series or the work of a certain modeller.

There are great modellers from Doulton like Charles Noke,

Leslie Harradine, Mary Nicholl

and a lady that was there for about 40 years, Peggy Davies.

-These, all three of them, are by Peggy Davies.

-Are they?

-So that's why I asked.

-That's a coincidence!

Also interesting that that is your favourite, Melody.

From a series called Teenagers, she's the scarcest of the three.

I'd put the three of them together

at about...

That gets you probably to Llandudno, so let's carry on, shall we?

'Spurred on by that holiday, Carol adds her silver tea service

'to the items heading to auction.

'John thinks it could be of interest to any collectors in the saleroom.

'He gives it a hefty price tag!

'That's what I like to hear.'

Carol?

-You found my boxes.

-I found your boxes.

These would be interesting to send, if you're not too attached to them.

Not really. That was my mother's and that was my mother-in-law's.

-Bought separately? They didn't holiday together?

-No.

That's remarkable that they both bought Limoges boxes,

identical in form and shape.

So, would you be prepared to sell something like these?

-Yes, providing it's a reasonable price.

-We'll come to that.

To most people, it represents high quality decorating on porcelain.

The Limoges reputation goes back to about the 12th and 13th century,

but a different type of enamelling, ground glass mixed with pigment,

painted onto copper bases and then fired so it becomes glass-like.

In the 18th century, there was a craze for hard-paste porcelain.

The Europeans finally discovered how to make it,

first at Meissen, and later at Sevres and in this country.

These are true hard-paste porcelain.

The piece has been put together. They've cut sections of slab.

Then they've been fired and then they're decorated.

-Do they start with a basic colour?

-They start with colours fired at the highest temperatures.

So each time it's fired again, you're reducing the temperature.

If we look at the bottom, the addition of "France"

suggests early 20th century.

Because I like them and they're in good condition,

I'd see no problem with them making...

That sounds good.

-Thank you.

-Well, we're not doing too bad.

-Let's find some more.

'Another great addition towards the luxury holiday

'and our £1,500 target is definitely inching ever closer.'

Come on, ladies. Let's sit down.

-I think we deserve this cup of tea. It's going well.

-Yes. I'm surprised.

You've both found treasures. You have a fantastic relationship.

-We do, actually.

-We're completely opposite.

Chalk and cheese, but we get on extremely well.

-That relationship was born out of work?

-Yes.

In Windsor, we were both working in the same store.

I was in there demonstrating double-glazed windows

and trying to sell appointments.

Joy was the lingerie buyer, known as the naughty knicker lady!

The naughty knicker lady? Are you happy about that?

I went into a local pub. "Oh! The naughty knicker lady!"

My husband got fed up and told them.

I said, "Don't do that. They're good customers."

I'm sure you've got stories about that!

Let's talk about exotic holidays. When did you start going on them?

When my eldest daughter was living with me.

We went to the Caribbean a few times.

Swimming with dolphins, which scared me. I'm a terrible swimmer!

She went to do other things and I thought, "Just cos I'm on my own, I'm still going to go on holiday."

-You're never tempted to go with her?

-Joy doesn't like a lazy holiday.

I'm likely to go to New York or San Francisco or Rome.

-You've got to be busy?

-Yeah.

I'll be out at 9.30 in the morning until six in the evening.

-That sounds like hard work.

-Well, it is.

We need to raise £1,500 to get you that exotic holiday

-that you're not going on and I am!

-He'll go in my suitcase!

-We should get on with it.

-I think we should pack a suitcase.

'We embark on one final sweep of Carol's house

'and I find this stunning Victorian locket in the back of a drawer.

'Carol bought it at auction herself.

'It's lovely, with diamond and heart decoration and a gold necklace.

'John thinks it could fetch as much as...'

-Come and have a look at this.

-Ooh. What have you found?

-I think I'm in time for the Chinese New Year.

-It's very sharp.

-What's the story behind this?

-Um... I inherited it.

-Beautiful detail.

-It's unusual, isn't it?

I presume it's Chinese. It's not English.

-It's a Welsh dragon!

-I never thought of that.

-You got it in special.

-We'll make it a Welsh dragon!

-Looks too vicious.

You were absolutely right. That is a Chinese dragon, a handsome one.

You've got these beautifully cast and applied dragon handles.

And this wonderfully embossed continuous dragon round the body.

That's been worked by hand from the inside.

Then they turn it over and chase all those scales in.

-Have you ever noticed the mark on the bottom?

-I did.

I wondered if it was silver.

It's Chinese export silver.

That name reads Hung Chong, a firm of retailers.

They were based in Canton. They had a place in Nanking and Shanghai.

They were satisfying the demand for Oriental items

driven by the west.

There was a fascination from the 1870s right up until the 1920s.

The late Qing dynasty.

This is a super piece and something we could do with at auction.

-Would you be sad to see that go?

-Not particularly, no.

I like it, but it comes out at Christmas time.

You've got all the silver out.

Would it be full of 2p pieces or £5 notes?

-Joy, what do you think of this?

-It's beautiful.

I'm not a silver person, cos I'm a lazy person.

-Cleaning silver's not your thing?

-No!

-But I think it's lovely.

-What do you think this is worth?

-150?

-What about you, Carol?

I was thinking the same as Joy, but perhaps 200?

Well, I'd be happy to put that into auction

with an estimate of...

-Holy smoke!

-You look surprised.

-I'm absolutely shocked.

-Have you changed your mind, Carol?

-No!

-That's good.

-Wow!

You wanted £1,500 to jet off into the sunshine.

We take the lowest valuations of all the things we've valued.

We could be making in the region of...£2,260.

-Wow. There you go.

-Wow. Isn't that fantastic?

-You can have two holidays.

-I could.

-I could take both of you on holiday.

-Sounds great.

Thank you for finding that bowl, It's been the highlight of the day.

-The other highlight has been meeting you two.

-Lovely meeting you both.

'I've really enjoyed my day in Berkshire with Carol and Joy.

'We can all be thoroughly satisfied with our day's work.

'Carol wants a luxury holiday and, hoping to fund it,

'we have the pair of elegant George V candlesticks,

'the stunning Victorian locket

'left abandoned in a drawer until I found it.

'It could bring at least £300.

'Undoubtedly, our star find, the magnificent Chinese bowl,

'with its own intricately detailed dragon.

'It could make the difference between a bus trip to Llandudno,

'and a first class ticket to the sun.'

'Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

'there's disappointment, as some items fall short of their estimate.'

-They had a great deal.

-They did.

'Whilst others exceed all expectations'

-Brilliant.

-Blew my estimate away!

'Will Carol be able to afford the luxury holiday of her dreams?

'Find out later in the show.'

It's been two weeks since I met Carol in Berkshire.

We discovered lots of interesting items.

She wants to raise at least £1,500 to go on holiday somewhere nice.

I've brought her to Cotswold Auctioneers in Cirencester.

Let's hope there are plenty of bidders when her items go under the hammer.

'This popular auction house has three sales every month.

'With 650 lots on offer today, we're hopeful for a good turnout.

'Our dashing expert John Cameron was at the front of the queue

'and has been making sure all of our items arrived in one piece.'

If it's possible, you're even better looking in Cirencester.

-You say the nicest things.

-I don't remember these.

These two Limoges porcelain boxes come from the exact same period

but Carol was given one by her mother-in-law and one by her mother.

I've got £100 to £200 on them. She has a reserve of £80 on them.

She has got reserves on most items, albeit under my lower estimate.

-But I think there's one item she hasn't brought.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-We need to investigate.

'I hope Carol hasn't left behind one of her higher valued items.

'We'll soon find out, and I see it wasn't the candlesticks.'

-Here you are, ladies. Nice to see you.

-And you, too.

-Saying a fond farewell?

-Yes, I am.

It's a bit sad, but they'll go to a nice home, I'm sure.

You haven't brought one item. What was that?

I didn't bring the Waterford glasses.

Now that Waterford have been taken over and will be made in Italy,

the glass made in Ireland will be worth something in a few years.

-A bit of a hedge fund?

-Yes.

-She's taking this very seriously.

Either for me or for the children.

-You've put a reserve on lots of items. How come?

-On the advice from the auction house.

-I haven't made them too low.

-Good.

-The auction's about to start. We should get into position.

-OK.

-Fingers crossed, eh?

-Yes.

'The missing Waterford crystal puts a £50 dent in our potential takings.

'As they weren't one of our big money items, with a bit of luck,

'we'll reach our £1,500 target.

'We kick off with an item that Joy found in the wardrobe,

'the rather elegant tea caddy.'

£100 to £200. Do you think we'll get it?

We should do. It's unusual, in that you have three separate tea caddies.

You usually get two and a mixing bowl so it should generate interest.

-We're about to find out.

-Here we go.

And I've several bids on the book so I must start at 100, 120.

-With me at 140....

-That's good.

..Are we all done at 140?

160. 180. With me again at 180.

Commission bid, then, with me at £180.

Are you all done? Selling...

180!

'What a cracking start for us in Cirencester

'with the unusual tea caddy selling for £20 short of our top estimate.

'That's the limo to the airport!

'Let's keep the momentum going with the sale of our second item.

'It's the hallmarked George V candlesticks.'

How are you feeling about these?

Excited, actually.

-They're rather nice, I must admit.

-You put another pair in the oven!

To warm them up, dry them off, and the resin melted inside!

-They became hollow candlesticks.

-Why did you do that, Carol?

Stupid!

What shall we say for these? 200? Start me at 150, then.

150 bid. 160.

At 160, lady's bid at 160. 170. 180.

190. 200.

And ten. 220. 230. 240.

250. 260.

Lady seated at 260. 70 anywhere?

All done at 260...? BANGS GAVEL

The taxi back from the airport!

'I don't know what sort of taxis they're travelling in,

'Selling at the higher end of John's estimate.

'Now, the paintings by Anne Harcourt and the auction house has split them

'into three separate lots.

'John valued them collectively. Let's see how accurate he is.'

The first one's coming up now, the panoramic landscape.

Let's see how we do with this one.

Start me at 50 for this. Very handsome. £50? 30, then.

With me at £30. Who's going on? At £30. Five. 40.

With me at 40, again. At 40.

45. 50. 55...

We've got a telephone bid on this.

..At 55. The large landscape at 55. 60 anywhere?

Be quick or I'm selling at 55.

BANGS GAVEL

'Despite the telephone bid, the big landscape sells some way short

'of the £80 John hoped for.

'Will the still life prove more popular?

'John valued it at £30 to £60.

'And it sells mid-estimate for £50.'

Another good result!

'With £105 raised for the two paintings,

'we need the final landscape to raise £75.

'That'll get us John's collective estimate.'

-£90!

-Could be worse.

'It sells for the very respectable £90.

'Our three paintings have raised £195,

'in the middle of John's estimate.

'I think, all in all, that's a pretty good result.'

I'll be sad to say goodbye to three of my favourite ladies.

-Melody, Southern Belle and Valerie.

-You shouldn't be greedy!

You've got a fair point.

-We're after 80 to 120. We should get that for these.

-You would hope so.

A few years ago, Melody alone would have made that.

I don't think 80 to 120 is unrealistic. It's down to the room.

Nice little lot. There we are. Start me at £50.

Start me off. 40, then?

At 40. Who's going on? Five. 50.

Five. 60. Five. 70. Five.

80.

At 80. Seated, at 80. At £80.

Looking for five, now. At £80, then.

Are you all done...?

-You've got space for something else.

-More Lladro.

-No, don't!

'Not quite the bidding frenzy for the Royal Doulton,

'but Carol's happy to finish the first half of the auction

'with another healthy contribution towards the holiday fund.'

OK, half time.

You've done remarkably well. You're after £1,500 for that hot holiday.

That you're going on alone cos Joy doesn't like hot holidays.

You've actually raised £715 so far.

-Really?

-So we're halfway there, almost.

-That's good.

We should recharge our batteries. Have a cup of tea.

-You should find something interesting.

-I already have. I want a closer look at it.

'If you're heading to auction to raise money for something special,

'do remember that fees like commission and VAT may be added,

'so do check with your local auction house first to avoid unwelcome surprises.

'Now, what's the item that's got John all excited?'

I've come to look at this Victorian two-door display cabinet.

It's a typical Victorian piece featuring walnut veneers to the top

and these gilt metal mounts, typical of the French empire style.

It's a very typical Victorian piece.

The auctioneers have put £300 to £500 on this and that's interesting.

For nice antique furniture, it doesn't seem dear.

However, this furniture has been out of fashion for some time.

I've seen pieces like this selling for £100.

It's had a piece out the back and there are scuffs to the veneers.

Either the Cotswolds is a good place to sell furniture

or recession-proof antiques are a sound investment.

People may be coming back and pushing up demand.

If you can get £300 to £500 for this, I'll be quite impressed.

'We don't have to wait long for the Victorian display cabinet.'

680. Bid's in the room now at 680. Against you on the phone.

In the room at 680. Are we all done? I'm selling...

'It sells above its top estimate.

'Could this mean that, in the Cotswolds at any rate,

'antique furniture is certainly very much in demand?'

'Time for the second half of our sale.

'Up first, the pair of Limoges trinket boxes Carol inherited -

'one from her mother and the other from her mother-in-law.'

-Have you put a reserve on these?

-Yes, I have. 80.

-Seems fair enough.

Very fair. They're two nice boxes.

They'll make a nice display in someone's bijouterie cabinet.

-I think they're worth it.

-I love it when you say "bijouterie".

Start me at 50 for these. Very decorative lot. £50.

Start me off someone. £50.

Anyone coming in at 50?

If not, we will move on. BANGS GAVEL

-They didn't sell.

-Didn't get a single bid, which is surprising.

'A disappointing start to the second half of the sale.

'When the bidders aren't there, there's not much you can do.

'They head back to Berkshire with Carol.

'Let's see if we have more luck with the costume jewellery.

'John says he's quietly confident we'll exceed his £50 estimate.

'Let's just hope the jewellery bidders are out in force.'

Start me at 30. 30 bid.

And five. 40.

Five. 50.

Five. 60.

Five. 70. Five. 80. Five.

90. Five. 100. Ten.

20. 30. 40.

And 50. At 150.

On the right at 150. 60 anywhere? At 150, then, standing...

Are we all done...? BANGS GAVEL

-Brilliant!

-Blew my estimate away.

When he says he's quietly confident, he knows what he's talking about.

What's why he's the expert.

'That really is a fabulous result. Three times the lowest estimate.

'Another great contribution to the holiday.

'The next item is something that I found.

'The silver pedestal rose bowl.'

-What's the story behind it?

-I inherited it.

-You've done well.

-Yes. I was very lucky.

We're asking £100 to £200 for this.

It's nice, dated London 1925 and I think it's quite decorative.

Let's see how we get on.

£100 to start me. £100?

50, then?

£50 for the bowl? 50 bid. Who's going on?

£50. Five. At 55.

At 55.

60.

Who's going on now? At £60.

At £60. Five anywhere?

At £60. Are you all done? I'm selling at 60, then...

-That's a bit disappointing.

-That was.

'There was me thinking I'd found something rather special.

'The bidders here didn't think so.

'That's our first real disappointment. More silver up next.

'Let's hope this has more appeal.

'It's the three-piece tea service.

'Carol, possibly wisely, has put a £150 reserve on it.'

Start me at, what shall we say, 200? 150, then?

£100, then? Start me off, someone. We've got 100 bid. At 100.

110. 120.

130. 140. 150.

At 150, seated. 160.

170. 180. 190.

At 190. Seated, now, at 190. Near me at 190.

Are we all done? 190...

Not bad at all.

'It was a tentative start but the tea service sells above its reserve.

'£60 short of our lowest estimate.

'The second half seems to have triggered a change in fortunes.

'I'm worried the bidders may have spent all their money already.

'We have several high valued items coming up.

'First, the Victorian locket,

'which I discovered in the back of a drawer.'

-Remind us about the locket.

-I bought it at auction myself.

-You didn't inherit it?

-No!

-How much did you pay for it?

-300 and something.

-This is one you put a reserve on?

-Yes. I put on 270.

Start me at 200 for this.

200 to start? 150, then?

150 bid. At 150. Who's going on? 150. 160.

170. 180. 190.

200. And 20. 240. At 240...

-It's not going to get there?

-No. It's against the room.

..At 240, anywhere? 240. 260, is it?

At 240, then. Not sold.

-It's a big dent in your budget.

-It is, rather.

-£300 to £400.

-Yes. Never mind.

-Still more to come.

-C'est la vie.

'Carol's looking on the bright side,

'as the locket wasn't sold for less than she wanted,

'but we'll need some high results now.

'Our penultimate lot is the mixed silver items -

'boxed sets of cutlery, Vesta cases and bridge pencils.

'John valued them at £150

'and Carol's put a fixed reserve of £120 on the lot.'

-Don't tell me, you inherited them.

-Not all of it.

-Not all of it! OK!

-The pencils, yes.

-Some were spoons that were mine.

-OK.

-And the Christening set as well.

-Let's hope we get 150 quid.

-I would like that.

What shall we say? Start me at £100. 100 bid.

At 100. At 100. Are you all done?

At 100. And ten. 120.

At 120. 130, is it? At 120 here.

The bid's on the left at 120. At 120, I'm selling...

All done?

Under my lower estimate. I'm disappointed with that.

-£120. That was your reserve?

-Yes.

-They should be happy with that.

-They had a great deal.

-They did.

'So, less than we were wanting for the silver.

'At least the reserve was achieved

'and we have another £120 to add to the holiday fund.

'It's been difficult to predict which items the bidders will go for.

'We're all on tenterhooks to see what they make of our final lot,

'the stunning Chinese silver bowl with intricately carved dragon.

'John valued it at £700 and it has a discretionary £600 reserve.

'Surely, it can't fail to create some excitement in this room?'

500 to start? Very unusual Chinese bowl.

500? 400, then. 400 bid.

At 400. 20 here. 440.

460. 480.

-500. 520...

-He's on the phone.

..560. At 560 in the room now.

At 560. The bid's at 560. At 560, are we all done?

At 560, I'm selling. At 560, then...

560 towards that holiday.

-Yes! Another suitcase to pack.

-Exactly.

'The auctioneer used her discretion

'and let the bowl sell for £40 below its reserve.

'Not the result we were hoping for, but it's been one of those days.

'Some items doing better than expected and others failing to gain interest.

'It's been a turbulent old day at auction.'

You survived your first auction in Cirencester with smiles on your faces.

You are taking two lots home that didn't sell,

which represented quite a chunk of your target.

It is a bit disappointing, but I don't know what the total is.

It's not a little bit disappointing. It's really good news.

You wanted £1,500 for that hot holiday.

-You raised today £1,795.

-That's better than I thought!

-I'd lost track.

-So, hot holiday on your own, then you can take Joy somewhere miserable!

-Thank you, Aled(!)

-It's been fabulous meeting you both.

She can take me to Wales!

I'm not sure they'll let you in. I'll put a good word in for you.

-You have a great holiday.

-Thank you very much. Thanks for your help.

You're welcome.

'It's been a number of weeks since the roller-coaster day at auction.

'Carol's called in youngest daughter Joanna to help further her plans for that luxury holiday.'

-Hello, darling. How are you?

-I'm all right...

'The auction, I thought was great fun.'

Aled was charming and John was a great help.

Aled's quite lucky he escaped!

Mummy's putting him in her suitcase.

'Steady on. Having raised just shy of £1,800,

'the girls head to the high street for exotic inspiration.'

-What are you looking for?

-Somewhere warm.

-Beach and sunshine!

With a beach. On the beach. All-inclusive.

'So, what's the decision? Could she be heading to the Caribbean?'

-I think St Kitts would be different.

-It would, actually.

I haven't been there before.

We'll look at the brochure and see what hotels are what.

I'm jealous now. I want to come.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd