Hornblower Cash in the Attic

Hello. Welcome to the show that finds treasures in your home and helps you sell them at auction.

I wonder how many of you started collecting several years ago

and now find everything's taken over your home.

That's exactly what's happened to the lady I'm meeting today.

But she's hoping her passion will bring her some cash in the attic.

Coming up on Cash In The Attic:

Jonty finds some ostrich fans and makes a promise he may regret.

Now I've got two, I can do a fan dance.

Oh, absolutely!

Come on!

And he's rather taken with a French art nouveau bust.

Lots of young maidens always had this wonderful simpering look.

At auction, he certainly bowls over our maidens.

That is wonderful! I can't believe that!

Find out what happens later in the show.

Yours, sir.

I'm in the tiny village of Alstonefield, Derbyshire.

It's really beautiful. I'm about to meet a lady

who thinks an old frock is twice as good as a new one.

She's hoping that some of those old frocks and other bits and pieces

will help raise enough money to treat a good friend to a splendid outing in Bath.

Nottie Hornblower and her husband Chris

have lived in this beautiful 17th-century farmhouse

for more than 30 years.

Nottie began collecting vintage clothing

before she moved to the farmhouse.

12 years ago, she converted the old barn next door

into a costume museum

to exhibit all her wonderful dresses.

Two of her good friends, Coralie and Pat, help run the museum.

They also lend a hand with fashion shows and costume talks.

They're here today to help us.

There'll be time to have a look around the museum later.

But first stop is the farmhouse.

I'm hoping our expert Jonty Hearnden will make a head start

armed with his 20-plus years of knowledge about antiques.

A-ha!

Nottie Hornblower!

I've been dying to say that!

It's such a fantastic name, it really is.

-And you are?

-I'm Coralie, Nottie's neighbour.

-You live just there?

-Yes.

-You're so lucky. This is a beautiful part of the country.

-Hmm.

-Why have you called in Cash In The Attic?

-I'd like to take my friends, Coralie and Pat,

down to Bath to the costume museum.

Cos I've never been

and they've never been.

We'd love to stay in a nice hotel

and go to the museum the next day.

Because they both help me in different ways

in connection with my museum, so it's a little thank you to them.

-I think they'll enjoy it.

-How much money do you think you'll raise?

I'd like to raise £500.

-£500. Do-able?

-I hope so.

-Yes?

-It would be great.

-Have you rummaged round Nottie's place before?

-Never. But I'm looking forward to it!

It's very exciting. You'll find out all sorts you didn't know!

OK, girls, let's get going. £500.

This house is truly wonderful.

It's so cosy, even the cat can't resist a nap on the sofa.

Every room is filled with all sorts of fabulous pieces

that Nottie has collected over the years,

adding character and charm.

Just as I thought, Jonty's made himself at home, and is already giving the china a once over.

-A-ha! Here he is.

-How are you doing?

-Fine, thanks.

I'm pleased you're in here. Would you look at the dress on the chaise longue?

This one here? OK.

-Wow! Look at that! Isn't that amazing?

-Isn't it?

-Isn't it fantastic?

-It feels so wonderfully heavy.

-That's all the...

-Silver beads.

Not only have we got this wonderful diamante decoration on the front, but it's similar on the reverse.

So where did it come from?

I bought it about 12 or 15 years ago from auction.

I paid about £150 for three.

I think it's absolutely charming.

Date-wise, we're looking at about 1925, 1932.

So it's always late 1920s because it was only by 1925

that the Roaring Twenties really hit the big scene.

-Is that kind of flapper time?

-Absolutely. Flapper girl.

They wore all sorts of bits and pieces, didn't they?

They wore fantastic head-dresses, feather boas, long cigarette holders.

It is a bit provocative, isn't it, just how see-through that is.

-Yes.

-All the layers that you'd have to wear underneath.

-Or not, as the case may be!

Possibly not!

-It's very House of Eliott.

-It's absolutely charming.

I think this is wonderful.

As far as auction value is concerned,

it's certainly worth putting into the sale.

And I think

this is worth between 100 and £150.

That's absolutely fine, but I'd like a reserve of 100 on it.

That's a great start, actually. But we've much to do. So put the dress down

and let's find something else. Come on.

And so we begin our search for anything else that might cause a bit of a stir at the sale.

I spot this early 20th-century silver-plated tea set

and a pair of solid silver candlesticks.

Nottie bought these at an auction three years ago.

She had them on show until recently,

when she decided the room they were in was too cluttered.

They should hopefully fetch 35 to £80.

If it's a bit more living space she's after,

then I'm sure Jonty will have some ideas.

Ah, there you are hiding.

I'm looking through this chest of drawers.

-What about the chest of drawers itself?

-I never thought about that.

-It's a possibility.

-How long have you had it?

-About 1968.

-You remember that?

-Yes, it was the year I got married.

-OK.

-A friend's aunt sold this to me for £15.

-OK.

Let's have a look at this particular piece of furniture in detail.

This is a mid-19th-century Victorian pine chest of drawers.

I've noticed on the front here

there's a few markings or paint marks

which is where it has been stripped.

I think it was white.

I think we had it stripped.

These were made by very good craftsmen indeed.

If I just was to open a side drawer here,

-have a look down the side. Can you see those lovely hand-cut dovetails?

-I can.

-Extraordinary.

-I've not studied it before.

-The quality is second to none.

The only thing missing on this piece is you would have had bun feet on here.

But that's fine because it still looks very comfortable as it is.

Price for this, I would put 40 to £60 on it.

-Still happy to see it go?

-Yes.

Coralie is busy rummaging for things to take to the sale.

But Jonty has found an impressive walnut-veneer writing box

and Edwardian school writing slope in elm.

The walnut box was a typical household item of the period.

It was used to store everything you need for writing letters.

The slope would have been used in a school. They're valued at 20 to £30.

I can start the bidding here at £20.

But will they fetch the price we're looking for?

One more? Seems cheap for the two.

-Come on!

-32.

-That's good.

We'll find out how much they make later in the show.

Nottie's home offers us plenty more places to rummage

as we track down pieces to take to auction.

So far, we stand to make £195

based on Jonty's estimates, less than half our target.

So we decide to broaden our search out into the costume museum.

Nottie's interest in vintage clothing

started when she was working in a charity shop.

She came across a huge variety of second-hand clothes

and after a while was able to spot a real quality piece.

She's amassed a huge collection that includes outfits and accessories

dating from 1790 up to the 1970s.

Well, this is it, is it?

-Yes, this is the costume museum.

-It's so cute, it really is!

-This is an old hay barn.

-Yeah, I can see that, yeah.

Good gracious, Nottie, this is a revelation, it really is!

I thought you'd be surprised.

Wonderful. What are these, Victorian?

And Edwardian.

How wonderful. And you must be Pat?

-That's right, Jennie.

-Busy at work?

Yes, it takes quite a long time to dress these models.

-When does this date from?

-It's about 1952.

Pat, have you worn any of these?

Yes, I get roped in when there are shows near where I live in Nottingham.

But I don't like being a Victorian, Jennie.

I don't start enjoying it until about the '30s onwards!

The Victorians are hard work!

Lots of hooks and eyes and buttons and bows!

It's so extraordinary here. When did it all start?

I opened on June 2, 1997.

But the collection has been amassed over 35 years.

-What made you do it?

-It's like a drug.

I just absolutely adore costume, vintage costume.

Do you get involved in the history?

That's my favourite bit. I love hearing Nottie tell the stories

and who wore the outfits before they came to the museum.

Where have most of the costumes come from?

I'd say 70% have been donated.

30% I've actually bought at auction

or off dealers or charity shops.

But I do love going to auctions.

-But sometimes I pay far too much for things!

-I'd love to spend hours looking round,

-but we should try to find something to take to our auction.

-Yes.

-Good idea, Jennie.

-Let's go this way.

It's so fascinating.

Coralie and Pat have been extremely supportive over the years

which is why Nottie is keen to treat them to a trip to Bath

and a visit to the fashion museum there.

We need Jonty's advice on what's most likely to raise the cash

in this specialist attic.

Remember I told you that thing about Jennie?

Just keep it to yourself. What are you trying to play here?

You've got glasses on. No, look this way.

No, look this way.

It goes...

PLAYS DISCORDANT NOTES

-What are you up to, young man?

-I'm having a conversation.

-I didn't know you'd snuck in here.

-What an amazing building!

-Fantastic.

I wanted to look at these beautiful fans.

I must have had that one about 18 years or so.

-Is it British made?

-Yes, it has to be British made.

There's a lot of British tradition when it comes to fan making.

If you look at the actual supports here to the fan,

if you look closely,

it looks like tortoiseshell.

It has a lovely transparent feel to it. But that's resin.

It's imitation tortoise-shell. Date-wise, 1920, 1930.

But that's really very beautiful.

And there's another one here as well. A wonderful contrast to the black.

It's slightly larger. But look at those beautiful white ostrich feathers.

So where was this one from?

It came in a job lot. It said in the catalogue, "ostrich feathers".

There were three or four fans, all very similar,

three feather boas and three feather capes.

-How much did you pay?

-For the job lot, £30.

-Whoa! That's fantastic!

-I know. It was my lucky day!

-Pat, what do you think of them?

-They're beautiful.

It's a shame we don't get to use them these days.

Because they're in such perfect condition, like your beautiful dress,

enthusiasts, like you, will want to buy these.

We're looking for the two, 30 to £50.

Oh, that's absolutely brilliant!

Now I've got two, I could do a fan dance!

Absolutely! You said it! Come on!

Come on!

These are my club fans - Derby County, black and white!

You're going to wish you didn't say that!

Actually, it's a relief we don't have time for Jonty's fan dance!

Even though it's apparently the talk of Oxfordshire!

Our search around the museum has only brought in an extra £30.

So we still have much work to do. But perhaps Coralie's next find will help.

In the kitchen, she's spotted these 20th-century marble scales.

They would have been used in a cheesemonger's or delicatessen

and should hopefully make 15 to £25 at auction.

I spot a great piece in the dining room, a 19th-century American wall clock.

It's not in great condition, though, so Jonty estimates 50 to £70.

We still have quite a way to go if we want to give Nottie that trip to Bath.

We need to keep up the hunt for more quality pieces.

But it looks as if our expert has a proposition for our host.

Now, Nottie, I've found this really attractive dress ring.

It's probably Edwardian, maybe a bit earlier than that.

In a drawer. I was wondering if this is an object we can sell.

-Yes. Yes, I think so.

-If we take a closer look - I'll pop it back in the box.

We've got six cut amethysts, lovely pink amethysts.

But surrounding those are these tiny little pearl stones.

The actual setting, the clasp, everything you see here

is all 9-carat gold.

I've found something else. Let me give that to you.

Also in the drawer were these two lovely ladies' hat pins.

Same sort of age as the ring. Late 19th-century, early 20th-century.

The one at the back here has that lovely horseshoe for good luck.

The other one, if you look very closely,

is a very, very tiny sapphire.

-Oh!

-Probably the smallest sapphire I've ever seen.

But that's what that is.

So if we put these three items in together, because they're all gold,

we're looking at 80 to £120 at auction.

-Wow, that's fantastic.

-Good, isn't it?

Let's find some more goodies.

I'm still scouting around for more antiques

to top up our fund for that trip to Bath

and Jonty's digging under the bed

where he discovers an interesting little lot.

It's a Meakin art deco tea set.

The Alfred Meakin Company was set up in 1874,

producing ironstone china and white granite-ware.

In the art nouveau period, they also manufactured patterned tiles

and in the 1950s created dinnerware used on the London to Edinburgh railway service

pulled by the Flying Scotsman steam locomotive.

Jonty values the tea set at 15 to £40.

Nottie loves the farmhouse, but it's not just her husband she shares it with.

As Coralie knows only too well!

So you two have been neighbours for how long?

I've lived here eight years.

I've lived here 31 years.

I've heard there's some strange things about this house.

I used to hear dreadful noises. I couldn't explain them

and things disappeared.

I used to get in the car in the night and drive to my mother's.

I was so scared.

-Have you actually seen a person?

-Yes, I have.

I was sleeping in the attic room and my mother-in-law was in another bedroom.

And the door opened about five in the morning.

And I thought she was asking me if I wanted a cup of tea.

There was this figure in white. I sat up and said, "No, thank you."

And it just disappeared.

-Good gracious!

-I did come to terms with it cos I was sick of things disappearing.

So I marched up there - I think I'd had a drink -

and I said, "OK, I've had enough of you. Where have you put my brooch?"

And from that day, I've had no problems.

Coralie, do you find the house spooky?

Not really, no. I like it.

It's a very, very, um...warm, warm atmosphere in here.

I know you're very keen on the museum of costumes.

You do some of the modelling.

When Nottie asked me to model for her, which I do occasionally,

it's just such a privilege to wear some of these costumes.

They're so elegant.

And it's just lovely to bring them to life.

What about this day out in Bath, then? What will you be doing?

We're definitely going to the museum.

I've wanted to go there for at least 30 years,

and we're thinking about going to try the baths as well.

Have this wonderful treatment which is healing and therapeutic.

-Don't forget the champagne!

-No, we're definitely having champagne.

You're not getting champagne and you're not getting to the museum unless we get back to work.

Come on, ladies. Off we go.

'Champagne and hot baths.

'Sounds fantastic! I'm a little spooked about the ghost, though!'

Jonty's still looking for frills and feathers to go with the fans.

Maybe he is going to do that dance after all!

But there's no stopping Nottie as she produces this 1870 framed sampler

that she bought at auction a few years ago.

Samplers were made in the 18th and 19th centuries

by schoolchildren and cultured ladies

as a way of practising the alphabet and numbers.

They were then used as decorative items.

Jonty reckons it'll make double numbers in the sale at 20 to £50.

-Jonty, what do you think of this?

-Can I have a look?

A head of a maiden. Young girl.

-Where's this from?

-I think she came from a friend

who goes to France and has her own antique business and she buys from flea markets and things like that.

"Le Jour", we have imprinted on the back there.

"The day".

Yes, she's art nouveau French, so she's about 100 years old.

The French loved art nouveau.

Much more so than we did in Britain.

They embraced art nouveau much more than we ever did.

That's what we're looking at here.

It's free-flowing.

Lots of young maidens always had this wonderful simpering look

and it's very saleable.

It creates the effect. Now this is made of terracotta.

All the decoration you see on the outside here is all hand painted.

-Do you like it?

-I do. I do very much. Think she's saleable?

Yes, she is definitely worth putting in to the auction sale.

I like the fact that she has her head at a slightly jaunty angle.

That will endear a lot of people to her.

The other great thing is it's not chipped or broken in any way.

That happens to terracotta.

Value, I think she's worth 80 to £100.

-Fantastic.

-Good.

-Great.

-Wonderful. Well found.

-OK.

So the French maiden is off to the sale room.

We're hoping she'll bowl the bidders over!

With our rummage coming to an end, we search for anything to guarantee money in the sale

so the girls can head off to Bath for a weekend of pampering

and that trip to the fashion museum.

I have to say that the ghost has been good to us today.

But we're lucky it didn't spot Nottie's next glittering find!

-Jonty, look what I've found.

-I say.

-Look at that. Is that a sovereign there?

-I think it is.

Wow. So where's this from?

Mother bought it for me in the 1960s.

The sovereign is dated 1909

so it's an Edwardian sovereign. Solid gold, 24-carat gold.

But the mounting itself, there's a mark here that says 9-carat gold.

There we have the king himself on the front.

And of course a 9-carat gold necklace as well.

That's very nice. What else have we got here?

It's a little medal of some description.

On the front here we've got a stag

in a small ringed enclosure.

I've turned it around. I see it says J.Bilbie. Does that mean anything to you?

-Yes, it's my grandfather.

-Oh, right. OK.

-So this would have been a medal and it's Marhay CC...

-Marehay.

-..Cricket Club.

-Yes, he was a great cricketer.

"Junior Champion, 1910".

I find that fascinating because that is 9-carat gold.

To actually win something solid gold was a prize worth having.

It's fascinating that somebody would win a medal that...

There you are. We were wondering where you'd got to.

We've got a gold necklace there with a sovereign in the middle.

Wow!

And grandfather's cricket medal.

We'll put the two together at auction. 100 to £150.

That's very good!

If I take Jonty's bottom estimates for everything, add on £100.

You wanted £500 to take Coralie and Pat down to Bath

to the costume museum. It's lovely. I've been and it's very nice.

-Do you think we've made it?

-Yes. Let's hope so.

-I hope so.

-OK. Add that £100 to Jonty's other estimates.

We reckon, actually, you should make £585.

-Great.

-Brilliant.

-That's very good.

That's a relief.

I think, ladies, you could have quite a night out, and a day out, for that.

Indeed. Plenty of champagne!

Absolutely!

I'm starting to get a good idea about what this trip is all about!

I'm hoping the pieces we have on offer will raise that much-needed £500 or more on the day.

Among the items going off to the sale room

are the 9-carat dress ring and two gold hat pins

that Jonty found rather charming.

He gave them an estimate of 80 to £120.

And there's the French terracotta bust of a maiden that Coralie found.

Jonty valued it at 80 to £100.

And the 1920s beaded dress that brings back memories of risque flapper girls.

With any luck it should bring us another 100 to £150.

Still to come on Cash In The Attic:

there's disappointment with the framed Victorian sampler.

-Cheap. That was cheap.

-Very cheap.

But Nottie is delighted when her gold items go under the hammer.

Oh, wow!

Fabulous!

Find out how all her lots do when the final hammer falls.

It's yours. Well done.

What a joy it was to discover that costume museum.

And we made some great finds too in Nottie's fabulous farmhouse.

Today we've brought everything to Bamber's Auctions at Matlock in Derbyshire.

Remember, Nottie wants to raise £500

so that she can take two friends to the Bath costume museum

and have a glass or two of champagne along the way.

Let's hope the bidders here are feeling generous

when her items go under the hammer.

This Derbyshire sale room holds regular fine art, antique and general auctions.

It's a magnet for collectors and dealers in the area hoping to spot a bargain.

Nottie's items have been here for a few days to allow them to be viewed.

-Hi, there.

-Ah, Jennie, my number one fan! I can tell!

I tell you, I don't envy your task today cos it must be quite hard

to put a true value on something like this

in what is essentially a general sale.

It is tricky, but having said that, I've seen fans of a similar quality sold before.

These are very good quality, in perfect condition.

That's why I put 30 to £50 on them.

-Just like that lovely dress.

-The flapper dress, yes. I've noticed

there aren't many others around. Is that a problem?

It's the only dress in the sale

which for me is a bit of a concern

cos we don't have like-minded lots in the sale

which means will it attract the right buyer?

Having said that, there's always somebody out there

or who views sales like this

with an eye for a beautiful dress.

-Let's see if they've arrived.

-OK.

It doesn't take us long to find Nottie, Coralie and Pat.

It seems all eyes are on that sparkling 1920s dress.

-Good morning, ladies!

-Morning, Jennie.

-How are you?

-Nice to see you and your lovely dress!

-It's gorgeous.

Have you put a reserve on your dress?

Yes, I have. I put £100.

How are you feeling generally about the auction

-now that you can see some of your items on display?

-Well,

I do feel a little bit nervous.

-You've got your girls here to support you.

-Yes, I have.

-OK.

Nottie's been to auctions before, on the look-out for costumes.

But it's an unusual experience for her to be a seller, and not buyer.

I wonder if she can resist the temptation to splash out today?

The first of her lots is the French terracotta bust

which Jonty really liked

and priced at 80 to £100.

This is a recent purchase, yes, Nottie?

-It's about two years.

-OK.

It came from France.

-Have you put a reserve on it?

-80.

I'll start at £55. 60, now.

55. 60, do I see?

At 55. 60? 60 and five.

70. Five with me. 80.

At 75 it's with me. Do I see 80 now?

At 75. Do I see 80?

At 75 it remains with me. Do I see 80?

No? That's not sold.

Unsold! So close!

So close.

That's a bit of a blow, and not a good start to the day.

Maybe Nottie's next offering,

the early 20th-century silver candlesticks and tea set

will be more to the bidders' tastes, at 35 to £80.

Where are these from?

The tea set and candlesticks came from a local sale room.

-What was it about them that you liked so much?

-They were quite regal.

I envisioned me sitting there, pouring tea!

-Do you remember what you paid for them?

-Something, only about 25.

We're going to make a profit, I hope. Fingers crossed.

Let's see how we go.

I can start the bidding here at £30, and two do I see?

At £30. Two, now?

At 30 and two. 32. 35. 38.

35 absent bid. 38 in place.

At 38. 40 and two.

At £40 with me and two now?

At £40. Absentee bid. At 40.

£40.

-Brilliant.

-That brought a smile to your face!

She likes to see a profit!

Just over Jonty's lower estimate.

I hope that bodes well for the rest of the day.

Next up is the 9-carat gold jewellery.

The sapphire ring and the hat pins.

We're hoping for 80 to £120.

Nice little lot. I have three bids.

One of 44, one of 58,

and one higher.

So £60 starts us. £60 and five do I see?

At 60. And five.

70 with me. And five?

It's against you. At 70 with me and selling.

At £70. 75, do I see?

-70.

-Just under.

-That's OK.

£10 under Jonty's estimate this time.

But Nottie's still very upbeat and looking positive.

Her next lot to go under the hammer are the writing slopes,

priced at just 20 to £30.

I can start the bidding here at £20. Two do I see?

At £20 and two now. 22. 24. 26.

At £26 for the two. 28 here.

At 28 and 30. 30 and two?

One more? Seems cheap for the two.

Really? At £30 to the left.

At 30.

-Come on!

-32.

-Good.

At £32 it's here. 34 for you?

34 behind now. 34. 36.

Seems reasonable at that. At 34. Any advance? At £34.

Yours, sir.

That's a very satisfactory result

and another good one for Jonty.

I remember him promising us a dance with some ostrich feather fans.

He's missed his chance, now,

as they may be about to be snapped up.

I'm intrigued to see how these do, your fans, which are gorgeous.

I'm just a bit worried they may not find someone who'll buy them in this marketplace.

They're the right colours for the area.

I hope a Derby County supporter finds them!

One's black and one's white.

£30 at least, then.

Start the bidding here at £30. 30. And two do I see? For the two of them.

At £30 and two now. £30. 32.

35. 38. 40.

£38. It's the lady's bid to the left.

I'm selling at 38. 40 do I see?

At £38. Any advance?

Do you want 40?

-40, yes. 42.

-Got there, just!

41, then?

41.

42.

No?

At £41 to the left.

At 41? Lady's bid at £41 is against you.

Sure? At 41 and selling.

It's yours. Well done.

With a pound to spare!

Another promising result there.

Nottie looks as if she's enjoying being on this side of the sale!

Her next lot is something she bought at auction a couple of years ago.

The marble scales.

She had them restored. Jonty valued them at 15 to £25.

I'll start the bid at low end at £10.

12 do I see? 12, sir. 15. 18. 20.

22. 25. 28.

Shakes his head at £28.

28, new place. And 30. And two. 35.

-38.

-Ooh!

-Another shake of the head at 38.

-Brilliant.

40, now? 40 do I see? 40.

The lady's bid now at 40.

And two with me, and five.

45 for you?

One more? You might get it. 45. 48.

Sorry. 48 and 50 now.

At £48.

It's with me at 48. And 50 anywhere?

£48. Are you sure?

At 48.

-Brilliant.

-That's great!

-That was brilliant.

-Yes.

-Good find, Coralie.

That's the first item today to exceed Jonty's top estimate.

Let's find out how we're doing.

-Have you enjoyed it so far?

-I have, yes.

-Yes.

Right, we're trying to make £500 for you today.

We didn't sell the bust, which is a bit of a blow.

You've actually made 233, so you're not far off.

-Ooh, that's not bad at all.

-It's not bad.

-No.

Now, if like Nottie, you have a special reason to raise some cash,

and are thinking of heading to auction, remember that commission and other charges may apply.

So check the details with the auction house first.

A general auction like this is an ideal place to find valuable antiques

on sale for reasonable estimates - if you know what you're looking for!

Our antiques hunter has spotted something that could make a fine investment.

-What have you found?

-Hi, Jennie.

Essentially, I'm looking at here a bookcase

that's an office filing cabinet, essentially.

-It's a very posh filing cabinet!

-Well, it is.

These were created and patented by the company Globe Wernicke in 1899.

It was known as their elastic bookcase!

Does that mean you could add to it if you wanted to?

-All these sections here stack on top of one another.

-It's fantastic.

-You could use that now for DVDs or anything.

-Absolutely perfect.

Now, when I was first in the business, the auction game,

these were absolutely the flavour of the month.

Everybody wanted to buy them. When there's rapid inflation in any market,

there's usually a fall down the other side.

So now they're much more, I would suggest,

much more affordable now.

I'll give you 40 quid for it!

Well, fine, but it's worth a lot more than that.

-What's it worth?

-In the catalogue, it's estimated between 80 and £100.

I think it's a bit more than that.

Really, in the catalogue, it should read 100 to 150.

-That is amazing. That's wonderful.

-Now,

a lot of people think their garage door is a modern concept.

Up and over. Have a look at this.

-Oh, my...

-That's up and over! How about that?

-Brilliant.

-I'll shut it up cos it's time to get back to the auction.

It is. Come on. Very nice, though.

Well, Jonty wasn't far wrong.

The bookcase topped the auction estimate and his.

It sold for £180, which just goes to show

that well-cared-for pieces of furniture are still popular.

We're hoping that Nottie's last six items will prove attractive here

and help her raise the £270 she still needs

to pay for that special trip to Bath.

We have that wonderful flapper dress with a reserve of £100,

and the gold jewellery coming up later.

But her next lot is the art deco Meakin tea set

priced at 15 to £40.

-Were you aware there were a few chips and breaks on it?

-No, I wasn't, actually. No.

I put 15 to £40, a big wide estimate,

because of the damage, but I'm sure it'll sell.

I only paid about £10, I think, for it.

I can start the bidding at £15, and 18 now.

At £15 and 18?

18, sir. 20.

And two beats it. 22 seated.

At 22. 24 now.

-Ooh!

-At £22 and four do I see?

At 22. It's with you.

-£22.

-That's OK.

-Good. It's a profit.

-She's a happy lady!

-Double your money!

-A big profit!

A good start, then, to our second half.

I reckon Nottie's already thinking about the bubbly in Bath!

Next, the pine chest of drawers that Jonty thought would do well and raise at least £40.

It's a good thing and I've got one, two, three, four, five bids on it

all very similar. The lowest one is 45.

The under-bidder is 65. £70 starts it and five do I see?

-At £70 and five pounds?

-I can't believe that.

Brilliant.

Very close as usual. At £70.

75? Thinking? No?

At £70 it's against you.

£70. Any advance?

Brilliant. 70 quid, just like that. How about that?

Brilliant. Absolutely.

Another great result there.

£10 over Jonty's top estimate.

The Victorian sampler is up next.

It's a lovely piece, so I hope it makes its 20 to £50 estimate.

When did you buy it, and how much did you pay?

I bought it about five years ago and I paid £25 for it.

Right. So we're looking for an investment return.

And £20 is bid. At 20 and two now? £20 and two, do I see?

At 20 and two. 22.

25. 28. £28 and 30 now?

30. 30 with me and two?

With me at 32.

Absentee bid at 30. 32 do I see?

At £30. It's with me at 30.

Any advance?

Oh, cheap. That was cheap.

Very. Very cheap.

We couldn't double your money, I'm afraid.

-But it's sold.

-That's right. Bargain.

-How are you feeling?

-I'm OK about it. I only paid 20.

I thought it might have fetched a bit more.

You never know how things are going to turn out at auction.

Now it's time for my favourite item,

that dazzling 1920s beaded flapper dress.

OK, it's the big one. It's the dress.

For which you are demanding at least £100.

It's got a reserve because it is in very good condition. It's worth that.

Ladies, gut instinct. Is it going to sell?

I hope so. A phone bidder, maybe, on the line from Bath!

It's a great lot. The beading and the work that's gone into that, it's fantastic.

I've one absentee bid, and a telephone as well.

Telephone bidder. That's good news.

I'll start it at the absentee bid. Two telephones.

At £60 with me and five do I see?

We've got two phones. 65 for the first phone.

65. 70. Five.

80. Five.

90. Five.

-100. And ten?

-You're away!

No.

You're out. At £100 it's with me. 110 at the back? No? At £100.

Absentee bid against both phones.

At £100. Great for a party.

Anybody else? At £100 and selling.

Oh, disappointing!

We got it away but we needed more, really.

Nottie was certainly hoping for more

but it did reach her reserve.

Maybe she's just a bit sad to see it go.

We're nearly at the end, now. Just two more items to go.

Let's see how we do with the American wall clock.

We're hoping for at least £50.

It's lovely. I'm surprised you're parting with it.

It lived upstairs in my husband's study.

Every time you walked on the floorboards, it would ding!

-So it annoyed you?

-It annoyed him, I think!

So it's time to get rid of, yes?

50 to £70 is my estimate.

Ready?

Nice lot. I've got one, two, three bids on it. £65 starts. It's 70 now?

At £65. 70 do I see? 70.

70, sir. 70 and five.

80. Against you.

-£75 against you on the left.

-Brilliant.

-At 75

and 80 now? One more?

You're one more?

At 75. Any advance.

Yes! Great!

That's brilliant, cos it cost nothing.

£5 over Jonty's top estimate.

That's a fine result and Nottie looks thrilled.

But no time for celebrating just yet.

The last lot up today is the gold sovereign and medal.

Can we make £100 or more?

We've almost saved the best till last. It's a lovely gold sovereign.

-How do you feel about selling it?

-I'm not worried. I've never worn it.

My mother bought it 40 years ago and it's just lain in a box.

You're selling just at the right time. Gold is selling very well.

It's going up. Let's see what happens, OK?

I can start the bidding at £100.

100. 110 do I see?

At £100. 110, sir. 120. 130.

140. 150.

-160 on the set.

-Listen!

-170.

At 160 here. 165. Alf?

165. 170.

175. 180.

-Ooh, isn't it... I can't believe it.

-190.

195.

200.

200. 210.

And more.

Top of the stairs at £200. Are we all sure?

At 200. Any advance?

Oh, wow! That's fabulous!

We've got there!

Jennie!

-That's brilliant!

-Oh, girls!

We've got there!

We've arrived in Bath!

That's a fantastic result and a brilliant end to our day here.

No wonder Nottie and her friends are delighted!

Do you think you've made your target?

Er... I think we might have done and sneaked in there.

At the start of the day you wanted £500 to go to the costume museum in Bath.

-You've actually made £730!

-You're joking!

Oh, wow!

I can't believe it!

Pat!

Jennie, isn't that great!

Jonty, thank you!

That is wonderful! I can't believe that!

It's absolutely fabulous!

We're going, girls. We're on our way!

The Georgian town of Bath is famous for its sweeping crescents and Roman spas.

But it has something slightly less well known, that Nottie has long wanted to visit. The fashion museum.

It's a great shame that Pat can't join us, but we'll try and enjoy the day anyway.

We'll take her a memento back.

Nottie and Coralie head straight for the dressing up area

where they get to feel the romance and glamour from the age of the crinoline underskirt.

-Come on, Coralie. Try this on.

-Do I have to?

Oh, you don't mind. Go on! Step into it.

Why, Miss Scarlett!

Ooh, look at that!

Absolutely wonderful!

You shall go to the ball!

So has this museum lived up to Nottie's expectations?

It was a great experience.

I loved it. Really loved it.

-Now we're going to the spa to have our glass of champagne.

-Absolutely!

-Or two!

-Or three!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd