Mike Read Cash in the Celebrity Attic

Welcome to Cash In The Celebrity Attic, the show that searches the homes of the well-known,

finds their bits of treasure and auctions it for good causes.

Today I'm meeting one of the nation's best-loved DJs and broadcasters.

You've seen his mop top on Top of the Pops.

He's famous for his work for "charidee".

In the 1980s on radio, he was as much part of breakfast as tea and toast. Do you know who it is?

Read my lips.

I'm on my way to meet top DJ Mike Read.

'Coming up: Mike talks the talk about a home packed with antiques.'

-So how about my Rembrandt?

-In that case we're laughing.

-OK.

'Plus the most novel use ever for a retro biscuit barrel.'

These all seem to be CDs that Mike has either performed on or written.

That won't devalue the item?

'Come auction day, could it be getting too much for this rock DJ?'

-Right, £50-£100 for this.

-Ahh!

-It's a stab in the dark.

'Will he recover by the time the hammer falls?'

Mike Read has been a radio DJ since the 1970s

and he still presents a daily morning show for the West Country,

and now lives in the Cotswolds.

In the 1980s, he's also remembered as the kind-hearted host of the Saturday Superstore.

Joining Mike is his close friend and business partner, Brett Orchard. This station is their brainchild.

-Good morning, gentlemen.

-Hello.

-Lovely to meet you. And you've been dragged in to rummage for the day?

-I'm helping out.

-He's an expert rummager.

-Is he?

I thought I collected a lot of junk...

-We do have a lot in the basement. We'll take you down there.

-How did you two meet?

Through radio, really. We bought a load of radio stations so we're both shareholders.

So we're here with a swan on the surface, pedalling like mad underneath. So, yes.

You're doing Cash In The Attic, so what's prompted that decision?

We're looking to raise money for the Bomber Command Memorial Fund through the Heritage Foundation.

I'm the Vice President. A lot of these old boys are delighted

because 55,000 Allied air crew lost their lives during the war.

-There's never been a memorial. So that's what it's for.

-OK.

-Have you got a figure in mind?

-What's the most that's been raised?

-We did once raise about £10,000, but that was down to one picture by somebody very famous.

-OK.

-How will my Rembrandt do?

-In that case, we're laughing!

-OK.

-Yeah.

-What about if we say £500?

-It's always good to start low. You can't go down from that.

But optimistically I'd be hoping for more than that for the guys.

Absolutely. As Frank Sinatra said, we have high hopes.

-Well, so do I. John Cameron is doing the valuations.

-David Cameron?!

I know. He didn't have anything else to do. Let's go back to the house.

'Our expert, John, is already at the cottage, which Mike only recently moved in to.

'A lot of his stuff is still in storage, following his bankruptcy issues,

'but he now seems to have put all that behind him,

'so we waste no time and it's not long before our expert, John, makes our first find.'

-Aha!

-Lorne, sorry. I've picked an item that's football-related.

What do you think about Cliff Richard and Manchester United?

One musical I did was Cliff The Musical. I wrote it.

Then they said, "We'd like you to be in it," so I toured with it.

And it was the time when Alex Ferguson kicked a boot across the dressing room and hit Becks.

-So we incorporated it into the musical.

-Wow, interesting. You'd sell this at auction?

Yeah, it is a unique shirt. A one-off.

I thought to give it a little more gravitas,

-I have a framed signed picture of Antonio Valencia.

-That's nice and current as well.

-Absolutely.

-And framed things are always nice as gifts for people.

-Great for a Man U fan.

It's signed, authenticated, a big picture and two little ones, great player.

-So that will go with it.

-OK.

In terms of demand, they don't come more popular than Manchester United. Probably the world's biggest club,

it pains me to say. Estimate-wise, I'd start with something conservative to get bidding going.

£50-£100 would start the bidding.

But it's a popular side, international appeal.

And when it gets to the sale room, Mike takes to the rostrum for some hard selling.

He doesn't deserve it. You do. I love you...in a manly way.

We'll have to wait a little longer to see how much they love him.

As the search of Mike's cosy home continues, John spots something revealing one of his many passions.

It's a tennis racquet used in a Cliff Richard charity tournament.

Mike is patron for the Tennis Foundation and regularly plays.

He says this Wilson racquet can go to auction with two VIP passes.

John reckons they could be a smash hit with a £50-£100 estimate.

-Brett, how are you getting on?

-Well, I just found this. It was in pride of place.

-I think we should flog it if it's worth anything.

-Should we check with Mike?

-No!

-What have you got?

-Some CDs. These all seem to be CDs Mike has performed on or written.

-Yeah.

-You don't think it will devalue the item?

-I won't tell him you said that.

This does look interesting.

Looking on the bottom, sadly no mark on it.

But it's the very iconic and famous Wurlitzer jukebox.

I'm guessing it's a biscuit barrel.

-It's all quite crazed. Will it have any value?

-Well, this is iconic.

Although the company goes right back to the 1840s,

first formed in Cincinnati by Franz Wurlitzer. It finished in the '80s.

These are now reproduced. This classic design you can buy new.

-Are you a jukebox man?

-Everybody is a jukebox man, but I've not had one myself.

I'd love to own the genuine thing. At auction they make thousands.

-Is this worth any money?

-Well, if I said £20-£40, I think it's cheap.

I'd buy it at that. If we said that as an estimate, we'll get the bidding going.

-And if we put these in? 10-15?

-I was including them.

-OK.

Of course, Mike's more than happy for all those to be sold in aid of his good cause.

I leave John and Brett to it while I take time out to chat to our smooth-talking host.

How did you get involved in broadcasting?

Some people I knew were starting up a local radio station in the Thames Valley.

It was headed by a wonderful guy called Neil ffrench-Blake. He was married to a Duke's daughter.

He was starting a station and he called me over - I played cricket with him a few times -

and he said, "Right, I want you on my radio station." I said, "To do what? Sing?"

He said, "No, broadcasting." I said, "It's not really what I do."

He said, "I have three reasons. One, you're very English, two, you're mildly eccentric,

"and three, you're a damn good opening bowler." I said, "What's that got to do with it?!"

He said, "I'm starting a cricket team!" So it was really cricketing ability that got me into radio!

So where did it go from there, then?

Well, I started with Steve Wright on day one. So with our names we did the Read and Wright Show.

It just worked perfectly.

At the end of the following year, I auditioned for Radio Luxembourg.

They said, "We'll let you know. We have 2,000 people to see." They called and said, "You got the job."

So I was living in another country that I wasn't expecting and within 10 months I was at Radio One.

Radio One is what the vast majority of people will remember you for.

-What's your memories of it?

-It was fantastic. When I left, the press and the media said,

"Come on, you can spill the beans about how dreadful it was."

But I just had a great time. I can't think of one bad moment. A wonderful time.

-You also did a lot of TV work, didn't you?

-Yeah.

In-between those two major things, almost having two simultaneous careers, radio and TV,

you've also written loads of music, musicals, all your charity work. How do you get the time?

I just have a great enthusiasm for life. I enjoy the things I do.

To me, it's not a chore. I love it.

-Let's put John Cameron under the spotlight and see if he's found anything else to sell.

-Let's do it.

'You won't find anything in there and Mike may want to keep his fire.

'Brett's spotted something that the bidders should snap up -

'an old board game called Steeple Chase.

'Mike says it belonged to his grandparents. They didn't play it much or took very good care of it.

'It's in excellent condition. There's also a 1930s Chad Valley jigsaw puzzle, which IS well-used.

'There's a couple of pieces missing, but they could make £20-£40 at the sale room.

'Mike's obviously still moving in and there's still plenty of space.

'But this colourful work of art caught our expert's eye

'and guess what - it's made by our talented host himself.'

Tell me the background to how you got involved in designing these.

It was a bit of fun, really.

I was at a friend's dinner party and they deal in art. They had some primary-coloured pieces of metal.

I said, "I could do that with Meccano and a screwdriver!"

They said, "But you didn't." I said, "If I came up with something new..." They said, "It's all been done."

And I opened my mouth and said, "Choc art." I don't know where it came from.

So I ended up doing about 35 pieces, I had four exhibitions

-and sold loads of them. It was for fun.

-Did you eat the original?

No, the originals are organic. They sort of...melt.

So this... I often say to people, "What is it?" And they go...

It is, in fact, the world. South America, North America, Australia, Africa,

-and there we are there.

-There's Italy.

And the South and North Poles. All made of Liquorice Allsorts.

So I called it It Takes Allsorts To Make A World.

I've never seen one, never sold one. We've got the limited edition.

Number five of only 250. And we've got the title.

I'd be cautious with my estimate. I'd say...

-between £100 and £200 as an estimate.

-Sure.

-But would you be prepared to give it a try?

-Absolutely.

I'll let you two carry on here. I'm going to go and see if I can find the original.

'Who'd have thought it? The UK is three circles of coconut and liquorice. Whatever next?

'A chocolate teapot? Cliff Richard fashioned from aniseed? You think I'm joking.

'My next find is another of his creations - Choc Around The Clock.

'The Roman numerals are chocolate-covered matchsticks.

'Mike assures us this would normally fetch £500, but we'll be selling it at a general sale in Stafford

'and John thinks an estimate of £100-£200 gives it a better chance of taking off.

'So far, by the lowest estimates, we stand to make £340 towards Mike's target

'for the memorial fund.' So how did you get involved with your chosen good cause?

How it came about, the Bomber Command memorial, I'm Vice President of the Heritage Foundation.

Robin Gibb is the President and Davy Graham is Chairman. Davy spoke to the old RAF boys.

There are tributes to everybody except the crews from Bomber Command.

55,000 lost their lives.

He said we should do something. Robin is passionate about that, so he said, "I'll front it up."

Liam O'Connor has done a brilliant memorial. Sculptures of the airmen. Very moving. Not jingoistic,

not triumphant. Just a typical air crew come back, tired, looking for their mates, "Are their planes in?

"We fly again in a few hours." It's that, and it really is absolutely perfect.

We're determined to do all we can to help honour the memory of those dedicated servicemen.

Our host is on the look out for more possible treasures and he comes across a trophy

given to him on I'm A Celebrity back in 2004.

It says it was awarded for the impersonations he did during his time in the jungle.

I'm not sure they went down that well as he was the first voted out!

This appears to be a simple wooden doll, sprayed gold.

For this little memento, John reckons £50-£100.

-What have you found here, Brett?

-I don't know if Mike'll sell these.

I know he still wears them. I found some Mike Read leg warmers

and I've got his favourite shirt, which he obviously wears around the radio station a lot.

It's a Radio One Roadshow shirt. But Mike's very own leg warmers.

The leg warmers. Wow. That takes me back to my youth.

What have you found? You've been raiding the old cupboard.

-Your drawer.

-Before we get to them, put a date on these for us.

They would sort of be around mid-'80s. It would be around the time of the Kids from Fame.

We had them on the programme and people sent in leg warmers.

I had dozens of pairs, wore them for about a week, then I thought, "That'll do."

-Have you got some on now?

-No.

I would guess somewhere '82, '83, '84, '85. Around that period.

-What about this?

-This was a shirt that I wore on the Roadshow.

They were uniform.

If we weren't wearing our uniform, it was like school. Trouble.

These are great pieces of pop and radio memorabilia. I'll say £20-£40.

-My goodness me! Now you're not being conservative at all. You're being...

-Crazy!

-They've got to make that.

Listen, when I saw these, they took me back to my youth. The Radio One Summer Roadshow.

I looked forward to it every summer, down on Portsmouth Common.

-A lot of people like me would love to own these.

-Those could have your name on - well, it's my name.

News just in from The Clothes Show - leg warmers are back in fashion, so they could be a surprise hit.

You know, it's amazing what you find in a DJ's house.

John's eye was drawn to this photo of a familiar face.

It's Tony Curtis in 1997 with his soon-to-be fifth and last wife, Jill Vandenberg.

It's signed by Tony with a letter of authenticity on the back. It was given to Mike by a friend.

John gives it a £40-£60 estimate.

The day is drawing to a close here in beautiful Gloucestershire,

but one more thing has caught our expert's eye.

-You can't have that, but you can have this, if you want it. What do you think?

-Let's have a look.

That looks very interesting. A signed photo of Charlie Drake and a blue plaque. What's the story?

I'm Vice President of the Heritage Foundation and we put up blue plaques. This was put up in 2008.

It's a replica of the one that went on the wall in Twickenham, where Charlie lived in his latter years.

And a picture signed by Charlie there. One of our best-loved and most diminutive comedians.

So this is a lovely piece.

How many of these were issued?

I'm not sure. Not too many. You won't be likely to bump into one at somebody else's house.

-"Oh, you've got a Charlie Drake plaque as well!"

-I've never seen one of these at auction before.

We see them on the front of houses. The awarding of these started back in the 1860s,

originally by the Royal Society of Arts, then London County Council

-and now English Heritage?

-And the Heritage Foundation.

-Yeah, it's interesting.

-If I had to put an estimate on it,

I'd say £100-£200, but it's a guess.

-Right. You've nothing to go on.

-Nothing.

-We've got the photograph. Signed photos of Charlie make £30-£50 at auction.

-Right.

But with this plaque and the frame, I don't really know.

-It's a really nice item and quite a few collectors would love it.

-Good, that's good.

-Hello, gents.

-A wonderful picture of Charlie Drake with a blue plaque.

-What have you put on that, John?

-I've suggested £100-£200.

That'll be jolly handy, then, because you wanted to raise £500

-for your chosen good cause.

-At least.

-Well, the valuations that John has put on the items,

-which is quite conservative, comes to £550.

-Right.

-I think he's being very conservative.

-Do you?

-He's only doing it so I feel much better when it goes past that.

If he went higher and it was lower, I'd be disappointed in him.

Am I that transparent?

-Mike, you quite like an auction.

-I've done loads of auctions. I absolutely love it.

-Fantastic! You can sell a few pieces.

-I'd be delighted to do that.

-OK. The next time we see you both will be at the auction house.

-Fantastic.

-So bring your money!

'Yes, laughs all round. The day we've spent with Mike has been one big, long laugh.

'I can't wait to see what the bidders make of it all.

'This trophy from his time in the jungle for his impersonations could fetch £50-£100.

'Then there's his two prints of Choc Art and Sweetie Art. They'll be sold separately

'but should raise over £200 between them.

'And he's selling that signed Charlie Drake photo with blue plaque.

'Will bidders be his darlings?

'Still to come: is Mike's listener in Gloucestershire pining for him?'

Mike's not there, so the best thing to do was just turn it off.

We left the light on, though.

'But Mike's brought his DJ banter to the sale room.'

Is that a bid or are you blowing your nose? You nearly bought this.

'Will his patter work when the final hammer falls?'

It's been a few weeks since we met Mike Read in Cheltenham.

We had a good look round his items and the best we have brought here to Cuttlestones in Stafford.

Mike's hoping to raise around £500 for his chosen good cause

so let's just hope the bidders feel very generous.

This sale room started specialising in antiques 20 years ago after being an agricultural auction.

What will the crowd here make of Mike's rather unique lots?

-What's it like seeing your own stuff in the auction?

-It's interesting. I keep seeing things I like,

-then realising they're mine.

-Looking forward to today?

-Yes.

With trepidation, yes. You always think that your stuff is really not worth anything.

-Other people's stuff is worth something.

-Will you go up on the podium and auction a few bits?

The problem is not getting me on, it's getting me off again.

We raise a lot of money for charity, but it's problematical trying to sell your own stuff.

If you auction somebody else's stuff, you can say, "Come on!" With your own stuff, you're more self-effacing.

Brett, what's happened with the radio station? Both of you are here.

-We just turned it off. Mike's not there, so just turn it off.

-We left a light on though.

-OK, good.

-People all over the world will be struggling today.

-Shall we get in position?

-We get a position?

-Yeah.

-I know, it's very exciting.

-Good.

'This is really quite different to a charity sale

'which is full of celebrities eager to part with their cash for a good cause.

'Many people here are only buying to make a profit.

'The first lot is the biscuit barrel in the shape of a jukebox.'

I'm going to be extremely peeved

-if they don't mention it's full of fantastic CDs.

-Did we not leave your CDs in there?

-Yeah.

It just says "biscuit barrel" there.

People are not going to know that inside, they have a veritable musical cornucopia.

-What do we want for it?

-We've said £20 to £40. It's not marked.

It's a nice, novel thing. I like it.

-Brett's not so sure.

-Will the CDs make a difference?

-Brett didn't think so.

-They'll lower the price!

Well, let's see what they make.

-And it's got some CDs in there as well.

-There you go.

Some corkers in there. I can start this in at £10.

On the biscuit barrel at £10. Any advance on 10? 12.

14. 16. 18. No?

20, madam? 20, left-hand side.

-We've got 20, our bottom bid.

-Any advance on £20?

22. 24. 26.

28. Says "no".

£28, left-hand side. Any advance on £28? I'll have to sell.

£28...

-£28, that wasn't bad.

-Not bad at all. Are you happy with that, Mike?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm pleased I ate the biscuits first.

'But you didn't share them with us! Only joking! It was a great start.'

The next lot are two board games.

-They're very old. They're from my grandmother's period.

-They look like they're old.

-But people do collect these.

-They do.

One's an old world jigsaw and the other is a horse-racing board game.

It's from my grandmother's youth when board games were basic.

£20 to £40 you've put on that, John.

We're hoping we've got somebody here that wants to re-live their own deprived childhood

and force their children to re-live it with them.

I can start these in at £10.

£10 on the board games. 10. 12. 14.

16. 18. Says "no". £18 with me.

Any advance on £18?

20, bidding's out, centre.

£20, centre. Any advance on 20 on the two games?

No?

Selling for £20...

-Spot-on again!

-Just crept up to our bottom estimate again there.

-It's not a lot though, really, when you think how old they are.

-Not really.

'The jigsaw did have two missing pieces though,

'so we can't really grumble at that result.'

The next lot is one of my favourites - the signed photograph of Tony Curtis. Tell me about this.

-Well, Brett and Tony Curtis were in a long relationship for a while(!)

-Right, OK.

They signed a pre-nup where Brett got the signed photograph of Tony or the house

and he went for the photograph, just as a gentle reminder of happier days, really.

-Tony had quite a lot of my stuff as well, so it was quite a two-way thing.

-Right, OK.

-And now we have the photograph here to sell.

-Yes, back to reality.

-You've got 40 to 60 on that, John.

-It has its ticket of authenticity.

Tony Curtis is one of the greats and having recently passed away,

people know they're going to become harder to obtain.

And a lucky lady there. Signed picture there. Where can I start this?

Couple of bids. I can start at £20.

£20 on the signed picture.

Any advance on £20?

22. 24. Says "no".

-24 with me. £24.

-This is very cheap.

-Any advance on £24?

26. Bidding's out. £26, left-hand side.

Any advance on £26?

I'm selling for £26...

I thought it would have gone for more than that, I must say.

I thought 40 to 60 was about right, but not today.

-We're climbing a hill at the moment, aren't we?

-Yes.

I always say we have to take an overview, rather than focusing on one lot that hasn't sold well.

'That was disappointing, considering the Hollywood calibre of that lot.'

Next up is my favourite lot. It's the leg warmers and the Radio 1 Roadshow shirt.

In the auction house, I came across the album The Kids From Fame,

released in 1982, and they're all wearing leg warmers on the cover.

I'm not too sure if there are many Kids From Fame fans here today

or indeed anyone who will want leg warmers with my name on.

You're quite hopeful because you've got £20 to £40 on these.

-We'll see.

-Optimist!

I can start this in at a tenner.

£10 on the jacket and leg warmers.

12. 14. 16. 18.

-Yes!

-20.

-Yes!

-22. £22 with me, commission bid.

Any advance on £22 then?

On the jacket and the leg warmers?

I shall sell for £22...

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yes!

-I think the stuff I put in was too cheap.

-You need to sell the ones you've got on.

-I should have put in a Monet or...

-I think you're right.

-But the leg warmers sold, £22.

-Absolutely.

-I should've put my Stradivarius in.

'But Mike put the Radio 1 leg warmers in

'and they shimmied off for a pretty good price too.'

-The next lot is the tennis racket from a Cliff Richard tournament. Did you play with that?

-Yes, I did.

It had the players' "access all areas" badges on which I think gives it its provenance.

There are collectors of passes, so it will add value to the piece.

-And we want what for this?

-I've said £50 to £100.

-50 to 100? OK.

Oh, terribly optimistic.

It's the tennis racket from the Cliff Richard Tournament.

And I can start this in at £10. £10 in on the tennis racket. £10.

10. 12. 14.

Says "no". £14 with me. Any advance on £14 in the room for the tennis racket? 16.

18. 20. 22.

Says "no". £22. It's all going in for charity. £22, centre. Couple of quid more, anybody?

£22. Selling then...

24, late bidder. 26.

-Cheeky little late bidder!

-Don't make it sound like it's a lot. A sharp breath on 26(!)

Any advance on £28? And I shall sell for 28...

-Not good. And it did have the passes.

-That's a bit painful.

-It is.

-And that was with the passes.

-Hmm.

-That's not a lot of money, £28, is it?

-No, that's not good at all.

'Mike's lost for words which must be a first.

'I won't put a smile on his face when I tell him the total

'we've made so far towards the memorial for the Bomber Command.'

We've got a bit of a break before the next lots come up which you're auctioning, Mike, which is great.

So far, we've raised...£124,

which isn't very good, really.

Not terribly good, no. I hoped for more.

Whether I picked the wrong stuff or it's the wrong place or people don't have any money, I haven't got a clue.

I would have thought that the tennis racket would have sold for more.

I had high hopes for it, but you never can tell at auctions.

'Never mind. If you'd like to have a go at selling at auction yourself,

'do bear in mind that fees such as commission are added to your bill.

'This charges varies from one saleroom to another, so enquire in advance.

'Mike has taken a wander around the collectables and found something

'that appeals to his musical talent.'

I found this old guitar. It has no name, no brand on it, which is unusual.

It might be home-made. It is a solid block of wood. But somehow, I don't think so.

Obviously, it has a truss rod in there,

so I don't think it's a home-made guitar.

But unusually, there's no name on there.

I can't see that it's going to be very good.

It looks like a late '50s, early '60s bodge-up,

but the fret has got this curvature on it, the fretboard,

which is very odd, very strange for playing chords on and stuff,

but it'll be interesting to see what it's like strung.

I'd sling somebody a fiver for the fun of stringing it up to see what it sounds like.

'A fiver would not have been enough for that guitar as it sold for £18.

'Mike's auction may have been a damp squib so far, but there's plenty of exciting items to come.

'Next up is the first of his Choc Art prints - Choc Around The Clock.

'And Mike tries the personal touch.'

It's all done in chocolate. A lot of them sold for a lot of money, the first time it's been done.

We've had four exhibitions. They sold very well. I did one of the '66 World Cup squad which the FA bought.

Limited edition?

Yes. Don't let that put you off spending lots of money for the charity.

Start this in at £30 on the picture.

Yeah, I'm tempted to bid now.

£30. With me, commission bid, at £30.

Any advance? 32. 34. 36?

Thinking about it. £34 with me.

£34. Any advance on £34 on the picture then?

36, bidding's out. In the far corner at £36. £36 now.

Any advance on £36 on the picture? No?

-< Am I selling that at 36?

-Are we going to sell it at that or not?

< 36 then...

It's better than nothing.

Right, £36.

It's less than we wanted. How do you feel? It's your artwork.

I don't think anyone's spending any money at all here. I haven't seen anything go for more than 50 quid.

The idea of people spending in the hundreds is certainly not happening at this auction.

'Mike's sweet-talking didn't have the desired effect.

'The bidders seem reluctant to part with their money. What does the auctioneer Dave Eglington think?'

Obviously, Mike's quite attached to these pieces that have been produced

and they all look nice when they're hung up in galleries,

but when it comes into a saleroom and people want them on their living room walls, it is a bit difficult.

'When his other Choc Art print, It Takes All Sorts To Make A World, comes up next,

'Mike decides to try a different tack.

'Will this make any difference to the bidders?'

It'd be great on any children's bedroom wall. It'll just lull them to sleep.

Who'll start me off at £40?

£40 for this great piece, very colourful? Is that a bid or are you blowing your nose?

You nearly bought this for having a cold!

Who'll start me on £40? Very colourful, brilliant for a wall. These have been selling at £250-plus.

Who'll start me on £40? 30 then? Do I hear 30? Terrific bargain!

I'd buy this myself for 30, for goodness sake! £30? £30?

Anybody here at £30? Don't let me down. This is for the Bomber Command memorial.

It's a great piece. It took me days to create. Who'll start me on £30?

30 I have. 30 I have. £30 I have.

We're looking for 40. 30 I have.

It's terrific value. The paper alone is worth £30. £30 I have. Are we selling at £30?

Disgracefully low amount, £30. Do we hear a quick 40 anywhere in the room?

You'll regret it if you don't buy it.

We're selling it for 30.

All done for £30? 30.

-Oh!

-Oh, dear.

Good crowd. Good crowd.

'Oh, dear. Such a shame!

'They obviously don't have a sweet tooth in these parts.'

-The next lot is your I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here trophy.

-Very topical.

-Was that good fun?

-Absolutely.

-You didn't faint either.

You're waiting for those dreaded words, "It might be you."

Oh, God, I hope not! I can't stand spiders. Right, £50 to £100 for this, John?

-It's a stab in the dark.

-LAUGHTER

I don't think it'll fetch anything like that.

I think the trophy's going to do OK.

It's very topical. Popular show.

-And who knows, you know?

-Who knows, yeah.

-I've got a couple of commission bids in.

-Great. Got some commission bids.

-And I can start this one in at £16.

-Oh, £16 commission bid(!)

-Come on!

£18, sir. £18, left-hand side.

20. 22. 24.

26. 28.

30. 32.

34. 36.

38. 40.

42. 44. 46.

48. 50.

And 5.

60. Says "no".

With the gentleman there who's now hiding.

-And selling...

-Yes!

-Brilliant.

-We can all faint because we got 50 quid. Ready? On cue!

'A welcome relief and a startling reminder

'that you can never tell what the bidders will take a shine to.

'Mike heads to the podium to try the hard sell with that Manchester United shirt

'with Cliff Richard on the back,

'plus the signed photo of Antonio Valencia.'

Who'll start me off at £50? £50? £50? The Valencia alone would fetch more than this at any charity evening.

Who'll start me off at...? £50 I have on the right.

-Our lower estimate.

-He's a good auctioneer.

-60? This alone on eBay...

-He's certainly a loud auctioneer.

-Yes.

-He's certainly woken up the room!

-Yeah.

80? I've got to look for the subtleties here. 80 I have. 80. £80 I have.

Can I go on forcing the money out of them? Tell me when to shut up.

80. It's got to be worth three figures. It's for charity. £100 I have.

It's against you now, the man standing there.

£100 I have. Was that a move? It was? 120?

120? 110. 110 I have. 110 I have.

Don't let this man get away with it. He doesn't deserve it.

You do. 110 I have. 120 I'm looking for. You'll regret it if you don't buy it.

For anyone who likes Manchester United, this is worth it. 110. 120. I knew I'd convince you.

Don't run away! 120 I have.

He's out of the door like a rabbit. 120 I have. 120 I have.

Are we all done at 120? Going once at 120.

All done in the room at... £140.

Late bidder. Mr 1917. Not when you were born. You're much younger than that.

140. I love you. In a manly way.

£140 I have. £140 I have. It's worth it.

The provenance there for Antonio Valencia. Fantastic. This shirt, one-off.

It's against you now at 140. £140. All done in the room?

Once at 140, twice at 140... Sold. Thank you very much, sir. £140.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-He's great.

-He was superb at that.

-Are you like that when you get auctioning?

-I put the hammer down a little quicker.

We're trying to do 120 lots an hour!

'What a natural! I think the auctioneer should be very worried.'

If he wants to come and work in sunny Penkridge every other Wednesday, he's more than welcome.

I enjoy doing auctions anywhere.

In the business, a lot of us are used to being told, "Get up there and make some money."

That one could have gone for more, but it's quite a good result.

'That was an excellent price. You were saying the bidders here weren't parting with more than 50 quid!

'He's heading back up to the rostrum to work his magic on his final lot -

'the framed Charlie Drake signed photo and blue plaque.'

It's the last time. Don't worry.

Last chance to get your hand on a bargain. Gavel in hand, here we go.

Gavel in hand. Thank you very much.

This is a replica of the blue plaque erected on Brinsworth House

which is where the famous comedian Charlie Drake ended his days.

Along with a replica of the blue plaque which is very rare,

nicely framed, is a photograph of Charlie Drake, one of our best comedians, and signed by Charlie,

making it a very, very rare piece. Who'll start me off at £50 for this?

Who'll start me off at £50 for this?

Charlie Drake, signed photograph and a replica blue plaque. Very rare, this. Who'll start me at £50?

Nobody? £50? This is an extraordinary piece. £50 I have.

We're looking for 60. 50 I have. 50 I have.

£50 we have. 50 we have. We're looking for 60.

I can't believe you're not going for this. Charlie will be looking down, crying,

saying, "Oh, no, my darlings!" £50 I have. £50.

£50 I have. I think we're going to have to sell elsewhere.

Oh, 60 I have down at the front. 60. 70.

-70 I have over there.

-He is getting them to put their hands up.

70 I have. 80. 80. 90.

90 I have. 90. Out at 90.

£90 I have. £90 I have.

We're looking for three figures maybe. £90 I have.

-£90 I have.

-One more!

-We're looking for £100.

A quick 100? A bargain!

This is a fantastic piece. I know we're taking longer on this than we should. £100?

-£100. £100 I have.

-Well done.

-Are we all done in the room at £100?

Once at £100... Your last chance. Twice at £100...

Sold, £100.

-He got there in the end - £100.

-It was really hard work, wasn't it?

He did it and that's amazing.

'Mike worked really hard to get the amount

'he felt that special piece deserved

'and I'm keen to work out how he's done overall.'

-How do you feel about the auction?

-I'd have loved to have got more, but nobody bid much on anything.

There were no high bids on anything.

It's strange. I'm used to doing charity auctions where people are whacking it up into the thousands,

so the harsh reality of people with few notes in their pockets, it's a tough one.

What was your impression, Brett?

We thought we'd do better with those leg warmers which I thought would go through the roof.

-What about the blue plaque?

-I must admit I'd have gone the 200 quid myself on the blue plaque.

-You should've done.

-I didn't want to steal your thunder.

We wanted £500 for your chosen good cause

and the value of everything that's sold comes to £490.

So just a tenner short!

Well, Brett will put a tenner in to make it up to 500 for the charity,

-so we've got our 500. Well done, Brett.

-Thanks, Brett.

I'm such a giver!

Mike has come to the RAF Museum in Hendon, North London.

Together with David Graham, trustee of the Heritage Foundation,

they'll present the cheque to the secretary of the Bomber Command Association, Douglas Radcliffe.

He worked as a bomber wireless operator during the war.

-Hi, Dougie.

-Hi, Mike.

-How are you?

-David, so good to see you again.

When you stand in here by yourself and it's just you and one of the aircraft,

what are the emotions that you feel?

Lucky that you're here.

My pilot and my rear gunner from my first crew are both buried in Germany.

It is awesome, isn't it?

You realise how much you owe these guys, but with the Bomber Command memorial,

people are going to have a permanent memorial to them in Green Park.

Anyway, here you are. Here's a little cheque to go towards it.

Hopefully, we'll be off and running.

Everyone's done a very good job. A lot of people have put into this.

Thank you for that most generous donation. We deeply appreciate it.

-Thank you very much, old friend.

-Our pleasure.

-Good stuff, Dougie.

Mike didn't raise the whole amount he was looking for,

but he did raise a good portion of it towards his chosen good cause.

If you've got a project you'd like to raise money for by selling your collectables at auction,

apply to come on Cash In The Attic. You'll find details at our website.

I'll see you again next time.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011

Email [email protected]