Bridges Cash in the Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Attic, the show that searches your home looking for hidden treasure

and then we take it to auction to raise money for something you want to spend it on.

Today, we meet a couple who have decided they're going to get rid of all their stuff

and raise the money so they can buy some more stuff.

So it's going to be pretty interesting.

'Coming up on Cash in the Attic.

'The lady of the house is a very persuasive woman.'

-How did she convince you to take part?

-She didn't. I just did it! LAUGHTER

'And her husband's unique childhood method of labelling his trains

'might have harmed their value.'

-You vandal!

-I decided to scratch along the side, I don't know why.

-Because you were a boy.

-Yes.

-Hm.

'At auction, why's our expert Jonty eating humble pie?'

I missed it. I hold up my hand.

'All will be revealed when the hammer falls.'

Today, I've come to Essex to meet Peter and Sherry Bridges

and their friend Linda.

'Two years ago, Sherry was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

'To help ease the symptoms, she regularly practises the Chinese martial art tai chi.

'She's married to Peter and they have one son, Nick, aged 25.

'The couple live in this large four-bedroom detached house, complete with swimming pool.

'Just as well it's a chilly day, otherwise we'd probably

'be sat beside it rather than looking for valuable items inside.

'On hand to help with the search today is their good friend Linda, and with me is Jonty Hearnden,

'who has 30 years' experience in the antiques trade.

'While he makes a start, I can smell something brewing in the kitchen.'

Coffee. Ah! That's all it takes. Black coffee and I'm away.

-So you've called in Cash In The Attic.

-Yes.

-Jonty is your expert today. I've let him loose having a rummage, if that's OK.

-Fine.

What do you want us to find?

We've got lots of things to get rid of. We want to downsize.

This house is far too big, and also, now we're retired, is expensive,

so it's not practical.

We want a cosy little place to have fun in.

-How did she convince you to take part?

-She didn't, I just did it! LAUGHTER

Took the words right out of my mouth. In other words, "You are attending and that's it."

-It's going to be fun.

-I know, I'm enjoying it at the moment.

-There you go.

-Even more if there's more money.

Talking of money, how much are you looking to raise?

500 in an ideal world, for me, would be lovely.

Then we could go to antiques shops and auction rooms

and choose our own stuff when we finally get our cottage.

Any more, I would like to donate to Parkinson's.

Right. Is that part of the reason why you want to downsize?

It's definitely part of the reason. This is too much work. I want something cosy,

comfortable, easy to manage.

OK, we need to make £500 and a bit more,

so Parkinson's can get some of that money.

Linda, you're a friend. Is this taking friendship a step too far?

-That's what I said!

-LAUGHTER

£500, let's get cracking and see what we can find. You two follow me.

If you can track down Jonty, that would be great. Through the door and down here.

'They bought their house five years ago with Peter's elderly parents,

'so they could look after them in old age.

'They've both since died, but the place is still full of their possessions,

'many of which have been in the family for generations.'

There you are, Jonty. I wondered where you got to.

-I've seen the light already.

-Ah!

-LAUGHTER

-In fact, I've seen three lights.

-I love the base on that.

-Fantastic.

-Isn't that wonderful? So substantial.

-Are these things Peter's parents left?

-Peter's mum's. She bought them from her nephew,

who is in the antiques business.

Did she buy them together, or did they pop up at different times?

They probably popped up at different times, that one and the darker one behind,

but the other one here is mine. That's a present from her.

By definition, these lights will have been created, or invented,

in the middle of the 19th century,

because kerosene was discovered in the mid-19th century.

-Before that, it would have been whale oil, etc, etc.

-Oh!

Of course, they went out of fashion when internal lighting by gas or electricity became commonplace.

-Are we selling all three?

-Yes.

-OK.

We'll have to put the three in together,

and I would put an estimate between £50 and £75.

I think that's relatively conservative,

but they will all sell very well.

-Are you happy?

-Yes, I'm very happy with that.

-OK.

-It all adds up.

-Absolutely. Quite.

-Let's see what else we can find.

-Good.

-Come on.

'Jonty seems confident the bidders will like those three.

'Hopefully it's a sign that Sherry's mother-in-law's taste will continue to appeal.

'In their morning room, Peter has spotted a large fruit bowl, complete with stand.

'It used to belong to a great aunt and was passed on to his mum.

'Sherry has been using it to put plants in.

'It seems to have survived the experience as it's in good condition.

'It's made by the popular Japanese company Noritake,

and gets a £20-£40 estimate for the saleroom.

-How are you doing?

-I've found these.

-Is it cocktail time?

-Looks like it!

-Cheers. There's nothing in there!

-No.

JONTY LAUGHS

I think these were Peter's great-grandparents',

but I don't know what they're for.

When you say great-grandparents, we're talking late 19th century?

-A bit earlier, I would think.

-Really? OK.

Let's have a look at these. Looking at the style.

Have a look at those very closely.

Look at those clean lines.

-These would have been made between the two world wars, so 1920, 1930.

-Oh, really?

So they're not 19th century.

Look at those lines. Those clean lines are art deco.

They threw away those busy designs of the 19th century.

So they look very, very clean and very, very stylish.

It inspired a generation, from architects to clothing

and, of course, to interiors.

-They don't really look like drinking vessels?

-No.

I'm just not sure what on earth they are.

One thing I can tell you is they're not 19th century.

The material they've used here is not silver. They're silver-looking,

but these are silver plate. So they're a white metal.

I think they're wonderfully fun. They're fantastically stylish.

I don't think were talking much value. We're looking at £20-£40.

Simply because I don't think they're identifiable.

'But when they get to the saleroom

'will there be any art deco fans there?'

£20. Do you want 22 in the doorway?

-40 I'm bid now.

-THEY GASP

42, do you want? 42.

£60.

'We'll have to wait a little longer to find out how high that bidding goes.

'As the search continues, going by Jonty's lowest estimates so far,

'we stand to make just £90 when we take the things we've found to the saleroom.

'So we have a long way to go to reach that £500 target.

'In the dining room, Peter has come across an old carriage clock,

'which is still in good working order.

'It has the number 1754 on the back,

'but this isn't the date, as the first was made in Paris in 1810.

'This one belonged to Peter's maternal grandmother

'and is over 100 years old.

'It's made by Matthew Norman,

'a respected Swiss manufacturer of luxury mechanical carriage clocks.

'The estimate for auction is £100-£150.

'And I have spotted a pocket watch in the bedroom that also still works.

'It was given to Peter's father when he was in the Irish Guards during World War II.

'The case is stainless steel and comes complete with the original box.

'This could appeal to both horologists are militaria collectors

'and gets an estimate of £30-£40.'

-I've found a pair of vases.

-Oh, yes! Yes, Granny's, obviously, I think.

They've been in the family for years, in her house in Romford.

Do you know what part of the world they are from?

I don't, to be honest, because Gran never went anywhere abroad,

but she had two brothers who were in the forces.

I can only assume they were brought back for their mother, maybe.

That's very interesting.

But these vases, I would suspect, have never travelled out of the UK.

-Oh, right.

-Because they're British.

-Right.

But they're inspired by oriental designs.

If you look at the shape, this sort of moon-flask shape, is very oriental.

If you look at the decoration on the front,

-and on the back, as well, it's inspired by oriental designs.

-It makes you think of that.

If you look closely, we've got the butterfly and the flower here

and also the sort of grass seed and the flower head. They're very British.

-Oh, right.

-So...

-That's a surprise. I wouldn't have thought that.

These glazed ceramic vases, clay, as you can see, slightly chipped on this one, sadly.

-They were very fashionable, I suppose, from 1860 onwards to 1890. Big fashion.

-Quite old, then.

This was a movement called the aesthetic movement,

and they were inspired by the oriental clean line and look.

-I assume this is perfect?

-I think it is.

That one looks in pretty good condition. Very attractive.

-I think you're looking still around the £50 mark.

-Right, OK.

-Let's be bullish, 50 to 70.

-Lovely.

What a shame that's chipped.

-It Is. It's a great pity because I would have put a lot more on them. I think they're lovely.

-Oh!

'Sherry wants to start afresh with the furnishings

'when they downsize to their new home.

'They hope to find an old cottage full of character, something they've always wanted

'in the 41 years they've been married.'

So how did you two meet?

-At school, would you believe, in the early '50s.

-Right.

Was it love at first sight?

Not really, no. I didn't like Peter when I first met him.

He chased me more than I chased him.

We had two or three break-ups and the final one,

I'd gone my own way and I was getting an education by this stage.

Then, out of the blue, a letter arrived at home and that was from her ladyship

saying "Why don't we give it another go?"

I ummed and aahed as long as it took to open the envelope and fold it again.

I rushed to her place and said "We'll go out." There we are.

41 years later we're still here.

You were diagnosed with Parkinson's. Tell me about that.

I think the tremor was the first thing,

that usually is the thing that triggers it for you to go to the doctor.

When I did, it all came about. That's two years ago.

I'm on tablets, which are brilliant, and it's early stages

and it's holding it at bay, but it would nice to get settled because it's progressive.

You don't know how progressive, how quickly.

Where does the tai chi come into this?

Tai chi has kept me sane and saved my life, really,

because I had to give up work and give up driving

and there was no way I could just be at home all the time, because I'd go mad.

I was recommended by somebody to try tai chi,

and it's been the best thing I've ever done.

Fabulous, because it's good for you, but mentally it's good for you, as well.

It's been quite hard on you, Peter.

It hits you like a brick.

My first concerns were was she capable here on her own and the straight answer is yes.

But, if there is an accident, there's a problem,

so it was the catalyst that made me wake up and say, "Time to retire."

It makes you rethink totally what's important and what matters.

It's having the time with friends. Our friends have been fabulous.

Without our friends, we wouldn't have got through these last two years,

and that shows you what's important.

And we've had a great life and we're still having a great life.

'What a great relationship they have. Obviously built on very solid ground.

'And something I find in the garage confirms to me that Peter is a big kid at heart.'

Jonty, Peter, are you there?

-Yes, hello.

-Ah!

I'm guessing, Peter, this is yours because, look.

-In pencil it says "Peter."

-It does.

-Has your handwriting improved? I hope so!

-Progressively.

You've looked after this, because it's got the key to wind it up,

it's got the instructions and the original tissue paper.

-Those were the days we had to look after things properly.

-Absolutely.

It looks like it's in pretty good condition.

But there is one thing here, Peter.

We've got a streak down the side here. What happened there?

-I'm afraid that was me.

-You vandal!

Because I decided to scratch along the side. I don't know why.

-A boy's thing.

-Because you're a boy! Hm.

-What sort of date are we talking about?

-Early '50s, probably.

'54, '55. Just around starting school.

It might have been first Christmas present after I started school.

-What else did you have with this?

-I had some other trucks.

-There were cattle trucks. There's one there with a cable drum on it.

-Can we have a look?

There was another six, but where they've gone, I really don't know.

-That's lovely.

-That's in very good condition.

-I think that's quite unusual, isn't it Jonty?

-It is.

It's really very nice to see it in such great condition.

This is a wire cable on the back of this flatbed truck,

which is absolutely superb.

-This is the clockwork version. This reverses, this locomotive.

-It does.

It just needs winding up. There are forward and reverse gears

that are working on it. There's a speed controller.

-Um... And there you go.

-We need to put the two in together,

because the same buyers will be buying these two items.

So, collectively, in our hands, we're looking at £40-£60.

That's amazing, when you think.

I wouldn't know what my dad paid for that, but it was shillings.

-Excellent. Let's pack these away and see what else we can find.

-Full steam ahead!

PETER LAUGHS

'No, don't encourage him, Peter! Sherry is certainly firing on all cylinders in the lounge

'in her attempt to find something.

'In the breakfast room, Linda has come across some nice pieces.

'There are three Japanese enamelled plates decorated with pheasants

'and also a small collection of green Wedgwood, known as jasperware,

which is famous for being unglazed and having cameo detail.

'They belonged to Peter's mum and they think she bought these for herself as a treat.

'The estimate for this lot, £20-£30.

'And Sherry's searches have unearthed this pair of figurines

'that she says have been in the family for over 100 years.

'It's an elderly couple, each holding a bowl of fruit.

'They were made in the late 19th century on the Continent and are bisque china,

'which is porcelain that has not been glazed, but left in its natural matte state.

'This technique was used for figurines and dolls' heads,

'as it closely resembled the texture of human skin.

'They belonged to Peter's grandmother,

'and the estimate is £30-£50.'

-A-ha, Peter, do you play?

-Hello, Jonty. Unfortunately, I don't.

JONTY LAUGHS

-Whose are these, then?

-They were my father's.

Obviously, from the war he became a policeman

and immediately he was seconded in, he started playing

and played well throughout Essex, Suffolk.

Over the years - he went on to his mid-70s - and when we moved here

he was in his 90s and they disappeared up into the loft.

-And they were dug out a few months ago.

-OK.

Where they'd come from, what he paid for them, I don't know.

They're made of lignum vitae, which is a dense, tropical timber.

Just feel the weight of that. Isn't that amazing?

-No good playing near a pond, would it?

-JONTY LAUGHS

Sink like a stone, wouldn't it?

But bowls like this, very desirable, very collectable.

All of a sudden, they're not just an instrument that is used for a game,

they are literally now bought, like this, as decorative objects.

I can understand it. In a nice, old cottage it would look very nice.

-Absolutely.

-Oh, right.

-Bowls have literally gone back millennia.

They discovered that the ancient Egyptians used to use round stones

to throw at some form of skittle.

If you think about it throughout Europe, the French have boules,

almost every culture has some form of bowls.

But they're worth putting in the auction sale.

We're looking at £20-£30.

They should sell for more than that, but if I can put that estimate on them,

then watch the hands go up in the room.

'The name of this evergreen tree means "wood of life" in South and Central America,

'where it is found, because it was believed to contain medication to cure almost every ailment.

'I wonder if it would help cure Jonty's puns!'

How long have you two been friends?

We met at school when we were about seven, because I didn't start till junior school,

and we've been friends ever since.

How have you managed to stay in touch over the years?

Well, we've just... You know, it's just really social, more than anything,

because we're not close in living.

-We see each other a lot - barbecues, weddings.

-Phone regularly.

-How important have your friends been to you?

-Very important.

We're lucky that we've got a lot of long-standing friends,

and without help and support in all sorts of ways,

I don't think we'd have got through half of what we've done.

Linda, what do you think about this idea of moving from here?

Definitely. They bought this house for the right reasons,

to look after Pete's mum and dad, and, quite soon afterwards,

Pete's dad died and Pete's mum went into a home.

It's a big thing for Sherry and Peter to look after now.

-Yes, like Jonty!

-LAUGHTER

-Shall we go and check on him?

-Poor Jonty!

'We're hoping to help in a small way by working out

'which of the many possessions they have around the house might do well at auction.

'Jonty's attention has been drawn to a painting in the lounge.

'It's an oil on canvas in a gilt frame.

'Sherry spotted it in a restaurant

when they celebrated her 30th birthday and really liked it.

'So Peter wasted no time and bought it for her there and then.

'As the artist is an unknown amateur, the estimate is £20-£30.'

Guys, I noticed this really handsome clock as I came in earlier.

Is it for sale, or is it a recent acquisition?

The history was that my grandfather's father owned it originally and he sold it.

Which is back in Somerset.

My grandfather found it, actually, in a shop one morning.

Went in to make a purchase of it and carried it all the way back.

It was up two hills, which was known as Three Mile Hill,

across 18 acres, which was the fields, and down Three Mile Hill.

-He was gone a whole day...

-Wow.

-..to get it.

It's been in the family ever since.

-Do you know where it was made?

-Haven't got a clue.

-It's from Vienna. This is a Viennese wall clock.

-Oh!

-It's Austrian.

-I didn't know that.

This particular style of clock, the way you see the pendulum here

and also the weights and also this style of casing.

-This very rectangular form.

-Yeah.

And at the top, the enamel dial,

so it's always kind of off-centre.

The pendulum is a large part of the display of the clock.

But I think a clock in this condition,

-which is relatively good condition, will be £200 to £300.

-Oh, right.

-That's lovely.

-That's fine.

-That's amazing.

No wonder my grandfather walked 14 miles!

-And up six hills and down six hills. But fair play.

-A well-travelled clock.

-Absolutely.

-Shall we tell Lorne the good news? Where are the girls?

-Where are you? There you are.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

We've been finding other bits and pieces,

but I don't think there's anything suitable for auction.

I have a clock here for you for £200 to £300 at auction.

That's good. That should help us rather nicely.

I hope so.

You wanted to raise £500, didn't you?

For you to spend on furniture and bits and pieces.

And if we raise any extra, that would go to the Parkinson's charity.

Well, the value of everything that's going to auction

-comes to £600.

-No!

-Well, well.

-Oh, wow!

-So there's at least £100 for the charity, which is what you wanted.

-They may have a bit more.

-Let's hope so.

-Are you pleased with that figure? I take it you are.

-Thank you so much.

-That's wonderful.

-The next time we see you and your lovely things will be at auction.

-Lovely.

We'll see you there, guys.

'We got there in the end, and I am keen to see how Sherry and Peter's possessions do,

'including the late-18th-century carriage clock

'that belonged to Peter's grandmother. It's still working well

'and should tempt the bidders with its estimate of £100-£150.

'And those art deco goblets or vases,

'which came from Peter's side of the family.

'They have slight damage, but should raise £20-£40 at auction.

'The Victorian walnut Viennese wall clock

'that Peter's grandfather carried for miles on his back.

'Fingers crossed it'll make at least £200 on the day.

'Still to come on Cash In The Attic,

'we have differing opinions about those goblets.'

-I told you they were nice.

-They're horrible.

No, they're very nice.

'And I don't hold back with my thoughts about the bisque figurines.'

If there was anything so out of fashion at the moment, it's probably these things.

'Stay with us and watch the hammer finally fall.'

It's been a few weeks since we visited Sherry at her home in Essex.

She had a lot of inherited items, so we selected the best

and brought them here to Chiswick Auction Rooms in West London.

Remember, she wants to raise £500,

so let's hope the bidders today are feeling generous.

'Sherry and Peter's possessions have been here for a few days now

'to give them a chance to be viewed by potential buyers.

'The only thing that's not made it is Peter,

'who's looking after their elderly dog.'

-Good morning, ladies.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-They look good in here.

-Lovely. Nice and clean.

-So husband's at home?

-Husband is at home looking after Sade.

-Right.

-But did he send the train along?

-He did send the train along.

And he is genuinely at home. He's not sulking about letting it go?

-He was at home just now. I phoned him!

-All right, then.

-Are you looking forward to today?

-Very much so. Very excited.

Very excited. Slightly apprehensive that we won't get anywhere, but...

-That doesn't happen, does it, Jonty?!

-Oh, no.

-Never?

-Are auctions a new experience for you?

-Very new. Never before. Certainly won't be the last.

-Really?

-No, I love it. Absolutely love it.

-It hasn't even started!

-The whole atmosphere is wonderful.

-What about reserves?

-No.

No, no reserves. Happy to let it go, thank you.

All right. Let's see if you're still as keen on auctions after the event. Come on, then!

LAUGHTER

'The first of Sherry's lots to come up is the pair of silver goblets or vases

'decorated in an art deco pattern. The estimate is £20-£40.'

I think they're stunning.

I would love them. I think they're beautiful

and I think they fit very nicely in any home today, which you can't say about

all furniture that comes up at auction.

-So what do you think?

-I don't like them at all. I think they're quite, um...

-Not very nice to look at. Not my cup of tea.

-OK.

That's what makes the world go round. If we liked the same thing,

it would be a bit boring.

On the screen. What are they worth? £10 for these, please. Decorative lot. I'm bid 10.

20 I'm bid. OK, £20. Do you want 22 in the doorway? 22.

-40 I'm bid.

-THEY GASP

42, do you want?

42. £60. Do you want 65 in the doorway? 65.

£80 I'm bid.

85.

90. Five.

100.

110.

120.

-130.

-I told you they were nice!

-They're horrible.

-No, they're not, they're very nice.

170. 180.

-190.

-Good grief.

I like them a lot more now!

220. 230.

-240. 250.

-We're on.

-240.

-What?!

No, 260 nearer to me.

Are you all done at 270? Where's he gone?

270 in the doorway. At 270.

-At 270.

-You're joking.

At £270, in the doorway at 270. Are you all done?

-270. 323.

-£270!

I think they might have been silver!

They're absolutely stunning, aren't they?

Really beautiful, and there's a pair of them.

-I'm so...

-One thing is certain is that they are silver. I missed it.

I hold up my hands, but they're obviously silver, so well done, you.

-And what were you going to do with them?

-Put them in the bin.

'That's just incredible. It goes to show

'that even our experts can be misguided on rare occasions.

'We don't have much time to recover from that amazing first sale.

'The large Noritake fruit bowl with stand quickly follows for £20-£40.'

-What have you been using this for?

-A plant pot.

-A plant pot.

-As you do.

-As you do.

-OK, so where's the plant gone now?

-It died.

-Oh, dear!

-THEY LAUGH

What's it worth? £10 for this, please. £10, surely?

Nobody. £10 I'm bid. Thank you. £12 there. £14.

£14. Anybody else?

At 14. 319.

£14.

-That's disappointing.

-If you'd known it was going at £14, would you have kept it?

-No, I don't think so.

-It's done its job, has it? Well, the plant's died!

LAUGHTER

'Considering that was Noritake,

'a highly-regarded manufacturer, I'm surprised it didn't do better,

'but it's good to see Sherry is staying positive.

'The four bowling woods are next to come up.

'They belonged to Peter's father, who was captain of the team

'when he was in the police force in the 1960s.

'£20-£30 is what we'd like for them.'

Sometimes you see these in magazines,

all in a great, big glass bowl, or something.

I was talking to Peter about just that.

They're actually sold as decorative objects, not necessarily for their original use.

Because they're lovely, spherical objects carved out of solid timber. Lovely things.

There we go, £10, please. 10 I'm bid.

At £10. 12.

14. 16. 18. 20.

22. 24. 26.

28. 30.

Two. £32 standing. At 32. Anybody else? 34.

36.

Is that a yes? 38.

40.

Next increment is five. 45. 50.

No? £50 standing with the gentleman at 50. Anybody else at £50?

£50. 291.

I'm really pleased about that.

I did price them to sell, but, at £50, that's a great result.

'They were certainly a hit here.

'I wonder if the winning bidder is a bowler?

'Now it's time for the three Japanese enamelled plates,

'plus the six pieces of green Wedgwood jasperware.

'We're hoping they'll make £20-£30.'

-Where was the collection from?

-The collection was Peter's mum's.

I would've thought she collected them herself. I think I may have bought some for her.

-But you forget.

-Yeah, sure.

-She probably had some as presents and bought some.

The plates, I don't know. I should think they're handed down.

A little bit of interest in the lot. I'm straight in at £25. With me at 25.

That's good. Straight in.

£25. 28. 30 with me. £30 still with me.

-That's good.

-£30 for the jasper.

I'm going to... 32. 35.

38 in the doorway.

Against commissions at £38.

It goes 38. 220.

-Great.

-£38. That's a bit more than I thought we might get.

I'm really pleased about that. Really pleased.

'Maybe they're going to another collector.

'Certainly a good result for us.

'Now it's the sale of those glass oil lamps.

'Two of them were Peter's mother's and one was Sherry's.

'The estimates for the three is £50-£75.'

I must admit, if you don't mind me saying,

I think being in the auction room enhances it.

Seeing them together, on that beautiful desk almost puts them in situ,

-if you know what I mean.

-Yes.

-So we want how much for these?

-I put £50-£75 on them.

If you break that down, that's not a lot per lamp.

And our lamps are in pretty good condition,

so I'm hopeful, again, we might do very well.

And a bit of interest in it. I've got a bid of £50. 55 I'll take.

55. 60. Five. 70. Five. 80.

Five. 90. Five. 100.

Oh, no!

-110.

-Good grief!

£100, are you all done?

110 against commission.

110 in the doorway. £110 it is. 110.

-182.

-£110!

-Would you have bid that much for them?

-No!

I tell you what. I think we should take you two to auction everywhere we go.

You've obviously got that lucky touch.

Fabulous. I can't believe this. It's wonderful.

'The bidders really like Sherry's stuff.

'Her mother-in-law obviously had an eye for quality.

'Now it's the turn of the oil painting

'Peter bought Sherry for her 30th birthday.

'It's in a gilt frame, but the artist is unknown.

'Will it fetch the £20-£30 we're hoping for?'

£10 for it. Surely £10? £5 for it.

£5 I'm bid. Thank you.

Anybody want to bid £6? Seven. Eight.

Nine. Ten.

12. 14.

£14 it is, then. At 14. Anybody else?

At £14. It goes, then. £14.

'Well, at least it's sold and it's brought us to the halfway stage.

'I'm keen to see how we're doing so far.' Well, let's be honest.

I think I can safely say that was the most dramatic start. What about you, Jonty?

-I was flabbergasted in a wonderful way.

-Thank you.

You know you've made quite a lot of money,

bearing in mind you want to make the £500.

I wish I could say we've done it already, but we haven't quite.

We've banked £496.

-Oh, my!

-So we're £4 short of your target at the moment.

OK? Already.

And we've got other lots coming up this afternoon.

We've got the brass carriage clock, the Minton moon flasks and the walnut regulator.

So I think we need to look at houses with a bit more land.

Come on.

'If you've been inspired by Sherry's progress here and would like to have a go at selling at auction,

'bear in mind commission and VAT will be added to your bill.

'This charge varies from one saleroom to another, so it's always worth enquiring in advance.

'Sometimes we say that restoring a damaged piece before taking it to auction is worthwhile,

'but only if the job is done well.'

That is a beautifully coloured piece of furniture.

-Not as in painted, but the hue is fantastic.

-Really nice colour.

-Good enough to eat.

-Yes. That's why people love walnut furniture.

Pieces of furniture like this are a minefield.

In the catalogue it reads as a mid-18th-century piece of furniture.

Now, essentially, what you're looking at from a design perspective,

it is mid-18th century.

Walnut was the flavour of the time.

The beautiful veneers of walnut,

and, at that time, everything was hand-cut,

which means they were thicker than machine-cut veneers.

So that's what I am looking for.

I've just opened the door here and can you see the veneer?

-Cor, that is thin!

-That's thin. For my money, that's too thin.

-Right.

-OK?

What happened, certainly in the latter part of the 19th century

and early part of the last century, the 20th century,

there was a big revival for this kind of furniture.

What a lot of people did was actually restore old pieces of 18th-century furniture.

That's what I think has happened here.

What sort of difference does that make to people buying?

It makes a huge difference as far as price is concerned.

In the catalogue, it reads between £2-3,000, which is still fine.

If this was absolutely spot on,

then you're looking at £10-£20,000, depending on the colour, depending on a lot of things.

-But it's still a beautiful piece of furniture.

-It is.

But I can't get all my shoes in there!

'That cabinet didn't do too badly, reaching £100 over its top estimate.

'So, an example of how it's still possible

'to pick up beautiful furniture at auction for good value prices.

'The pair of 19th-century continental bisque figurines

that belonged to Peter's grandmother are next to come up.'

I have to say - and I can say this because I know we're friends -

if there was ever anything so out of fashion at the moment, it's probably these things.

And I really don't know why.

It's a very good question.

It's not that they're not decorative, good condition,

but you're right, they're just not flavour of the month.

What are they worth? £10 the lot, please.

£10 for the two bisque figures, surely. Nobody wants them for £10?

Two bisque figures for a tenner. Nobody wants them for £10? I'm bid 10. Jolly good.

£10, thank you very much.

'So, bingo, we've passed Sherry's target.

'That's her spending money sorted.

'Whatever she makes now will make surely make a welcome donation

'towards her Parkinson's disease charity.

'What a shame Peter's not here,

because it's now time for his Hornby train and carriage.

'They're up for £40-£60.'

The key to this is they're in their boxes and very well looked after.

Unfortunately, Jonty, as we know well, do children do that today?

ALL: No.

264A.

I really hope this does well for Peter. I really do.

I can sell it for 25, and 28 I'll take. 28 everywhere.

30 further back. 32.

One of the carriages is quite unusual.

It'll be interesting to see if anyone's picked up on that.

50?

£50 further away. Anybody else at £50?

55, you're bidding? 55. 60.

Far left at £60. At £60 it goes.

£60!

-That's amazing!

-I think the original price is on there somewhere.

It's not £60.

Something and six! It was always something and six.

-Do you think you he'll be happy?

-I think he'll be thrilled.

-Yeah? Good.

-Thank you.

-He'll be chuffed. Just like a train.

-THEY LAUGH

'Yes, we'll let that one pass, Jonty,

'as it was quite a good effort.'

'We're so delighted with how the day is going.'

The next lot is the Swiss-made, chrome, military-issue fob watch with a black face.

-This is quite interesting, isn't it, Jonty?

-Yes, it's really early 20th century.

So did it see active service in the First World War? Not quite sure.

It could well have done,

but Peter feels his father was awarded it for some sort of service of his own.

Although it may have been passed down from his father.

£10 the lot, please. £10 I'm bid in the distance.

Are you bidding 12? 12.

No? 14. 16.

18. 20.

22.

No? 22 further away it is.

At 22. 25 up there.

-Fresh bidder.

-SHERRY GASPS

28.

28 down below.

28. Are you all done? 28.

30 upstairs.

32.

At 32. It's going to go.

-32.

-Disappointed about that.

-Yes, that's a bit disappointing.

I'm quite happy. I mean, I've got a cause and every bit helps. So I'm not disappointed at all.

I'm having a wonderful time, thank you. LAUGHTER

'Sherry obviously knows she's made her target,

'but she's just as keen to make as much money as possible

'for her charity, and another timepiece goes before the bidders.'

'It's the 19-century Swiss brass carriage clock, which, yes,

'belonged to Peter's grandmother.'

This must be very old. I know it's 1745,

so it must have come through the ranks of the Bridges family.

-The Bridges dynasty!

-I didn't realise it was that early.

-No, it's not.

Carriage clocks were always made in the 19th century.

Oh, it had an age on the back.

That's probably a serial number. A lot of people get confused by that.

So if you've got something that says 1900 and something,

or 1800, or even 1700, they assume it's a date.

It's more often or not a serial number.

The brass clock. £50 for it, surely? The brass clock.

Nobody want it for 50? £40. £40, anybody?

No interest at £40. I'm going to pass at 40. £40 I'm bid upstairs.

I'm going to sell it for £40. Are you all finished at 40?

At £40 it is. £40 on the first bid. £40 sold. 216.

-That's a disappointment.

-It is.

-That's a bargain.

Hm.

-We don't want people getting bargains at our expense, do we?

-No, we don't!

'What a shame it didn't fetch more,

'as it was still in good working order.

'The sale of the two enamelled vases is coming up now,

'with an estimate of £50-£70.'

-What's the background to this? Is this Peter's family?

-Peter's family again, I'm afraid.

-I think Gran was a hoarder.

-I remember my grandmother keeping everything.

You didn't throw things away, you simply put them to another use,

or you kept them for when they might be needed.

-So that generation was the original recyclers.

-They were.

I put 50 to 70 on them.

But it's such a great pity we've got little chip on one of the flasks,

because without that, they'd be worth considerably more.

I'm glad to say I've got interest. I'm straight in at £40.

-£40.

-They are pretty.

50. 5. £55 I'm bid.

55. 60, if you like.

At £55 they are. Are you all done?

£55 they go.

55.

Are you upset about that, Jonty?

I think they're lovely things. The aesthetic movement design on them. A pair.

But with the chip, it put everybody off in the room, sadly.

-But we got them there. We got them sold. Wonderful.

-Yes, thanks.

It's brilliant.

'It was within estimate, and Sherry is certainly not disappointed.'

Right, you know what's coming up next, because it's just behind us.

-It looks great up there on the wall, doesn't it?

-It does.

-Has it left a bit of a space in the hallway?

-It has left a big gap.

Peter's had to paint it! LAUGHTER

-It's a very nice example. We've got £2-300.

-It really is a good example.

The more I look at it, the quality is all there to be seen,

so I'm hoping we'll get that away.

And there we go, start me at £100 for the wall clock.

£100 for the wall clock, surely?

£60 to start me. I'm bid 60. 65.

65. 70.

5. 80.

-Come on.

-90.

5. 100.

110.

-120.

-Yes, go on.

-130. 140.

150.

150. In the room at 150, in the middle. At £150.

160. Fresh bidding.

160. There at 160.

At £160 in the beige jacket.

-160. I'm going to sell at 160. 235.

-160.

-It's a little less.

-It's OK. It's OK.

-Are you happy with that?

-It's OK.

-Wave goodbye.

Peter's glad it's not going home, otherwise there was no point in painting the wall!

-Gosh, what a day we've had. We've had highs and a few lows.

-It's been fabulous.

-Gosh.

Really exciting.

You know you've done quite well, considering you wanted £500. But, actually, you've banked...

-£853.

-SHERRY GASPS

Really?

-Yes, really.

-I can't believe that.

-My goodness!

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

-Thank you.

-Well done, my darling.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-They're all your items.

-I can't believe it.

-Are you going to come back to auctions?

-Definitely.

I can't wait to get the cottage now, so I can go and have a look. Wonderful.

'A few weeks after the auction,

'Peter and Sherry visit an estate agent to find out

'if there were any characterful cottages on their books.'

-Trying to find cottages.

-A ten-mile radius. Closer, even, still.

-Let's look and see what we've got.

-I'm looking for a wood burner,

-um, a small garden.

-Exposed beams. Older the better.

'They're taking a look around a possible new home to see what kind of furniture they'll need to buy.'

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, yes.

Yes, this is lovely.

-Just couldn't be better.

-Yes, very cosy, this. Oh, look, Peter,

exactly what I want.

'And Sherry's obviously caught the auction bug.'

I'm looking forward to going for my new furniture. I can't wait to go to another auction and antiques places.

It's so exciting and I loved every minute of it.

What a great result for Sherry.

It goes to show how thrilling auctions can be.

If you've got antiques and collectables you'd like to sell via auction,

why not apply to come on Cash In The Attic?

You'll find more details at our website.

And I'll see you again next time.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd