0:00:05 > 0:00:07In over a decade on Flog It! -
0:00:07 > 0:00:11we've valued thousands of your antiques and collectables.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14We've helped you sell in auction rooms all over the British Isles...
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Yes!
0:00:15 > 0:00:18The hammer's gone down. 400 quid.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Give us a hug!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And during that time, we've learnt a great deal about the items
0:00:23 > 0:00:25that have passed through our hands.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28In this series, I want to share some of that knowledge with you.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33So, sit back and enjoy as our experts divulge their trade secrets.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06There are certain things that turn up time and time again
0:01:06 > 0:01:09at our valuation days,
0:01:09 > 0:01:11like items of silver, snuff boxes,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Clarice Cliff, Royal Doulton.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17We love them all, but our favourites are those items that leave us
0:01:17 > 0:01:20puzzled and intrigued.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22An electric shock machine.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23- Oh!- Absolutely fantastic!
0:01:23 > 0:01:28So, today, we're turning detective as we investigate
0:01:28 > 0:01:31our most mysterious finds.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Well, I brought it along for someone to tell me what it was!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Coming up, our experts stumble upon some tantalising secrets.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40So, smuggling.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44That's a very odd-dated inscription.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's the same year and it's different months.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And Philip has some coded words of advice on a specialist area
0:01:51 > 0:01:53of collecting.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57There's the square, the level, the compass, the pillars,
0:01:57 > 0:01:58the all-seeing eye.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04You know, these things are emblematical of the Masonic culture.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11The world of antiques and collectables is full of rare
0:02:11 > 0:02:12and limited editions.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16There are stories of lost works by famous painters
0:02:16 > 0:02:20and it's not unusual for you to bring in to one of our valuation days
0:02:20 > 0:02:24something that we haven't seen before, yet we know all about it.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26But every now and then you present us
0:02:26 > 0:02:29with something that is shrouded in mystery.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35An item with a bit of mystery is always appealing
0:02:35 > 0:02:38if it's something we don't know about or it's something
0:02:38 > 0:02:45that we can't quite see, or if it's something we can't quite understand.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48But you do get the odd mystery item, I suppose,
0:02:48 > 0:02:49where you just don't know what it is.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It's lovely, actually, when that goes into the saleroom
0:02:52 > 0:02:54because the key thing is somebody might know what it is.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It could be incredibly rare.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59When Philip Serrell came across a mystery item,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03he thought it was time to play his own form of parlour game.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06What's in there, then?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Well, I brought it along for someone to tell me what it was!
0:03:09 > 0:03:10It came from my father.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Presumably it came down to him from somebody else in the family.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- Right. - It's always been a bit of a mystery.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17It might still be!
0:03:17 > 0:03:19When I first opened that box, I thought...
0:03:19 > 0:03:21You didn't know what was in there
0:03:21 > 0:03:22and those very strange little objects.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27And it's really, in a way, a process of elimination
0:03:27 > 0:03:29because your first thought is, perhaps it's a game.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Well, it can't be that.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Then you look at the way it is formed
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and it's quite clear that they were darners.
0:03:36 > 0:03:42It is almost like a child's or a miniature sewing accessory set.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46- OK.- Some of these are like sock darners
0:03:46 > 0:03:49or darners for the end of gloves and that sort of thing.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52And these different-shaped eggs and ovoids,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55they're all different darning tools, I think.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00And it was just a really fun thing and I love things that are just
0:04:00 > 0:04:04a bit different and a bit of fun and just a talking point really.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09They're in different boxwood, possibly bits of mahogany
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and I think it's really, really cute.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12You've got marquetry and parquetry.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Both of them are inlaid woods.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Marquetry is basically a picture.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Parquetry is a geometric design.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23The best way to remember it is if you think of a parquet floor,
0:04:23 > 0:04:27it's just wood blocks that are geometrically laid down.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30So, parquetry is a geometric inlay of wood.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- I think it's probably about 1900, 1910.- Mm-hm. Yes.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37I think you can estimate this at auction at £30-£50
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and I'd put a £20 reserve on it and it will sell all day long
0:04:40 > 0:04:42because it's a really sweet little thing.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Are you happy to put that into auction?
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- Yes.- Good man! Thanks for bringing it.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51A 19th-century continental beach parquetry box containing
0:04:51 > 0:04:55a set of miniature marquetry balls and implements. £20. 20 at the back.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Straight in at 20. 20 bid.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- 30. 25, 30. 35, fresh bid. - That's good.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04At 38 at the back of the room then. At £38 bid.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Are we all done and finished? The buyer at the back has it at £38.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12For me, the buyer of that is probably someone who collects
0:05:12 > 0:05:14sewing accessories.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17But, you know, it falls into that treen category
0:05:17 > 0:05:21and treen is turned wood or small, wooden items.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So it could fall into that category or just someone who likes
0:05:24 > 0:05:25a bit of fun.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I've never seen one of those before and I've never seen one since
0:05:28 > 0:05:29and I'll probably never see one again.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31But it's fun, isn't it?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Of course, it's not just an object's function that can be
0:05:36 > 0:05:38shrouded in mystery.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Sometimes the stories behind the items you bring us can be
0:05:41 > 0:05:45utterly intriguing, as Charlie discovered in 2009.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Generally speaking, you wouldn't take a bayonet as being
0:05:50 > 0:05:54a particularly fascinating object to do on "Flog It!"
0:05:54 > 0:05:57because we see a lot of them and they are a standard price.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00But this man wasn't particularly interested in his bayonet,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03it's the fact that he worked at Butlin's
0:06:03 > 0:06:07and his act was to balance this damn thing on his nose!
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- Are you called Johnny Pierce?- Yes. - Is that your real name?- Yes, yes.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- Oh, it is!- Yes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15But, tell me, you're not English, are you?
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- No, I changed it by deed poll. - Oh, did you?
0:06:19 > 0:06:23- I've been over here for 70 years. - Good Lord!
0:06:23 > 0:06:27I'm one of the fortunate people who escaped the Nazis.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- I came from Berlin in 1938. My father sent me to England.- Gosh!
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Just in the nick of time. - It saved my life, yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Out of that story came this amazing ring.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39What have we got in here?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Well, after the war we were living in Tooting
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and a photo album arrived out of the blue with
0:06:51 > 0:06:55photographs of my grandmother and this was inside, slotted in,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58in the book - stuck in there - and it came through.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00So, smuggled in?
0:07:00 > 0:07:01Well, whether it was smuggled, I don't know,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03but it came into my possession.
0:07:03 > 0:07:09We had this wonderful 1910-1920 Belle Epoque era diamond ring.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Let's have a look at it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16It's a very pretty ring set with three good-sized diamonds really
0:07:16 > 0:07:18in the middle.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23I loved the ring, I loved the format of it, the quality of it,
0:07:23 > 0:07:29the shape of it, the fact it had larger stones and smaller stones.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I thought it was charming.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34It's... I have to say, it's extremely beautiful,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37but not necessarily the most commercial
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- in terms of design these days. - Mm-hm.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- People tend to go for plainer rings, single stones...- I see.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48..three-stone diamond rings rather than such intricacies.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51I'd like to put the valuation of 300-400 on it.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53That would be very nice, yes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58With a fixed reserve below which thou shalt not go of £250.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- Yes, fine. - Are you happy with that?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Yes, I would be, my wife would be and the kids would be happy, too.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05We'll put that into the sale
0:08:05 > 0:08:09and you take your balancing act home with you to practise.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14This ring has had an amazing journey
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- and it's come back to the family. - Yes.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18It's going under the hammer now.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The diamond ring is up for grabs.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22The diamond ring. I'll start at 200.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25200, 210, 220, 230.
0:08:25 > 0:08:2640, 50.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31260, 270, 280, 290.
0:08:31 > 0:08:37In a way, I felt slightly concerned that he was selling it
0:08:37 > 0:08:41because this had this story and the story was not going to be
0:08:41 > 0:08:46as important ever again once the ring had changed hands.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48550, 570...
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Fantastic!
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- 600...- I love it! 600.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54£600. At 600. 20 anywhere else?
0:08:54 > 0:08:56At £600 and selling upstairs.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58- At £600. - GAVEL BANGS
0:08:58 > 0:09:01£600. Great, great result, John!
0:09:01 > 0:09:03You've got to be so happy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I'm very happy! My wife, sitting over there, she's happy.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07She's obviously fainted already!
0:09:07 > 0:09:10I'll have to give her the kiss of life!
0:09:10 > 0:09:15I think in this particular instance, the object sold itself.
0:09:15 > 0:09:21I think had the object being related to horrible things that were
0:09:21 > 0:09:26going on pre-war and post-war, it might have added value.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30The fact that that ring had come in this extraordinary way
0:09:30 > 0:09:33into the country was a fascinating story,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36but I don't think it affected the value of the ring at all.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42While John was obviously happy, the joy of that ring for me was not
0:09:42 > 0:09:47in its value at all, but in the tale of its odyssey from Nazi Germany.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50We love your fascinating stories so please keep them coming.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Our experts often have to turn detective to winkle out
0:09:55 > 0:09:57the provenance or history of an object.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And when this mysteriously-shaped box appeared before Michael Baggott,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04he was keen to do some digging.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I love boxes like this, shaped boxes.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It took a lot of work, believe me, to make that box,
0:10:10 > 0:10:11a specialist did it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13And usually for a very good reason,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16so you know what's in it already,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18let's open it up and reveal...
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- that fabulous pendant.- Yeah.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26But being a bit of an anorak, what I also think is fabulous is
0:10:26 > 0:10:31the retailer's name on the top of the box - Henry Tessier.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Tessier - one of the most important firms in the 19th century.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39So this is your mother's - do you know where she got it from?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42It's been passed down from various generations.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I'm not sure who owned it originally.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- It's just come down through the family.- Yeah.- Right.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Now, let's have a look.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56What we've got is the most fantastic garnet, with a little fly,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00but picked out in diamonds and with little ruby eyes,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03so there's a lot of work in this.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05'You get a lot of garnet and gold jewellery,'
0:11:05 > 0:11:11especially with insect motifs on it, in the Victorian period.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13The Victorians loved their symbolism
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and you can see that in the use of images in their jewellery.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21The dragonfly meant courage. The spider, prudence.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24And in the case of this pendant, the fly represented humility
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and a hidden secret.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Intriguing!
0:11:28 > 0:11:32What's interesting is we've also got an engraved date, which is
0:11:32 > 0:11:36LL, 1st August, 1882,
0:11:36 > 0:11:4012th October, 1882.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46And that's a very odd dated inscription cos it's the same
0:11:46 > 0:11:48year and it's different months.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51'Normally, with a piece that is a mourning jewel,'
0:11:51 > 0:11:54you would associate it with the colour black
0:11:54 > 0:11:57and you would see two quite distant dates, hopefully.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59At least 20, 30, 40, 50 years.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04The fact that it was two dates within the same year might have
0:12:04 > 0:12:06meant that it was for an infant.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Or it may have commemorated some other event,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13so I wasn't sure at the time of the iconography of the jewel.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16It is a fairly stunning little pendant.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20I think we've got to put an estimate of £200 to £300 on it
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and a fixed reserve of £200.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- OK.- And it's really worth that all day long.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30How mysterious! I'd love to know the story behind the pendant.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32What did the bidders make of it?
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Good luck to Ed, who can't be with us.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36It's going under the hammer right now.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Well, I can start you here then at 150 on the book. At 150.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43At 150. 160 now? 160. 170.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47180. 190. 200. The book's out at 200. 220 now.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50220 on the phone, if you like. 220. Thank you, madam.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52240, if you like, sir? 240. 260.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- 280.- This is good. It's going to get the top end of the estimate.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01- It deserves to. It's a really finely worked piece.- 340, if you like now?
0:13:01 > 0:13:04340. 360. 380. 400.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- Oh, fantastic. This is very good.- 420. 440.
0:13:08 > 0:13:14- 460. 480. 500.- What do you say? Quality always sells.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- At 500... - GAVEL BANGS
0:13:16 > 0:13:19I wish Ed could have been here, that's all I can say.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- He'd be doing cartwheels. - He would be.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The beauty of that jewel clearly appealed to the bidders.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Sometimes, inscriptions add to an item's value
0:13:27 > 0:13:32and the pendant's mysterious reference to dates two months apart
0:13:32 > 0:13:35might have boosted interest and the sale price.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38We may never know, but it's that mystery which can be
0:13:38 > 0:13:39so alluring to collectors.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44There is one area of collectables where symbolism is key
0:13:44 > 0:13:46to its function.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Jennifer brought in a piece belonging
0:13:49 > 0:13:51to one of the most secretive societies.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It was so covered in enigmatic symbols,
0:13:53 > 0:13:58it was down to David Barby to decipher what they meant.
0:13:58 > 0:13:59It's so intriguing
0:13:59 > 0:14:05because this is quite a valuable item of Masonic regalia,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09in the fact that it's not one of the tokens or the medals
0:14:09 > 0:14:11they would wear, but it is a watch
0:14:11 > 0:14:12in a triangular section,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15which in itself is a Masonic symbol.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Philip Serrell can shed some light on this secret society,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24as he's come across a fair few pieces in his time.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26What makes something Masonic?
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Well, there are all sorts of varying degrees of being a Mason, you know.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And the thing that you're looking for is perhaps the symbols
0:14:33 > 0:14:36and the ciphers and there's the square, the level,
0:14:36 > 0:14:40the compass, the pillars, the all-seeing eye,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44you know...these things are emblematical of the Masonic culture.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It's in silver and inside,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50you've got details concerning where it was made.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It's a Swiss movement, a Swiss case.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55And on this enamel dial,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58you have all these symbols from the Masonic order.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Masonic memorabilia is hugely collectable.
0:15:01 > 0:15:08If you find a glass vase that's got nothing on it, it might be worth X.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11But if you find a glass vase that's got the square, the level,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14and the compass on it, then it might be worth ten times X.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16It adds value.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20- The only defect, as far as I can see, is this cracked glass...- Yes.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24..which you shouldn't have too much difficulty, the purchaser,
0:15:24 > 0:15:25- in replacing.- No.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I think it's a fascinating jewel
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and there are members out there of the order
0:15:30 > 0:15:35and also collectors of Mason memorabilia and I think at
0:15:35 > 0:15:38auction it could realise anything between 120 and 150.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Oh, right.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- But the auctioneer may say, "I want it tucked under 100."- Fine.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Who is going to buy a watch like that? Well, there's three areas.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49There's a museum that collects Masonic items,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52there's an individual that collects Masonic items, or there's
0:15:52 > 0:15:56a horologist, someone who collects watches,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59who perhaps hasn't just got that example, and I suppose
0:15:59 > 0:16:02the other area is, someone just might take a shine to it.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- I have one, two, three, four telephone bids.- Oh, telephone!
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Three commission bids and I have no doubt,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10a certain amount of interest in the room.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12I'm bid on the book £400 only.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14400 straight in.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18420. 450. 480. 500. 520. 580.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21600? 600 bid. Any more in the room?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- At 620. 650.- Oh, Jennifer...
0:16:23 > 0:16:29680. 700. 720. 750. 780.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- 800.- They love it!- In your own time. - A huge learning curve.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33- Who for? You?- Yes!
0:16:33 > 0:16:37- 820?- 820, sir? - At 800, I'm bid. At 800.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39At £800. Any more at all?
0:16:39 > 0:16:44- £800.- At £800 and I sell then at £800 and done.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49- What a wonderful moment! - I'll come again next week!
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Everyone loves a mystery, as this auction proved.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55The reason why it made the money that it did was
0:16:55 > 0:16:58because it was Masonic and in fact,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00I'd brokered a deal for one to a museum
0:17:00 > 0:17:04about three months before this and it was between 600 and £900,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07so it was always going to make that sort of money.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10So, how can you get to the bottom of the mysteries that surround
0:17:10 > 0:17:12some objects?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15For a mysterious or amazing story to add to an object's value,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18it must have a tangible connection.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Ideally, ensure you have some strong provenance, a photo,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24a letter or a receipt.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28An object's original purpose can sometimes remain
0:17:28 > 0:17:30hidden in the mists of time.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32That's part of the appeal.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37So look out for objects which provide a fascinating talking point.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Examine clues like symbols, designs and marks.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Doing your own detective work to unlock
0:17:43 > 0:17:47the story behind an item can be half the fun, so get sleuthing!
0:17:52 > 0:17:54What I love about Flog It!
0:17:54 > 0:17:57is that much as we love them, it's not all about antiques.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Sometimes, the buzz can come from the mysteries that surround
0:18:01 > 0:18:05the things and places all around us and are even in the very landscape.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13I've brought you here to Greatstone, near Dungeness, to show you these.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16They're strange looking concrete structures that lie
0:18:16 > 0:18:20abandoned at the edge of a waterlogged gravel pit here.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Now, they look like early forms of abstract art, don't they?
0:18:23 > 0:18:24But they're not.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29They played a significant part in the history of Britain's defence system.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31After the First World War,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35the biggest threat to Britain's security was from the air.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38What the country needed was an operational edge -
0:18:38 > 0:18:41a way of pinpointing incoming enemy bombers before they reached
0:18:41 > 0:18:43the English coast.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46The old system relied on sight, using spotters with binoculars.
0:18:50 > 0:18:5430 enemy aircraft over the Channel, flying due west.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58But it wasn't effective at night or in bad weather conditions.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02The solution lay with one man, Lieutenant William Tucker.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Tucker had spent much of the First World War in trenches,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09using listening devices to search out enemy locations.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11By the 1920s,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15he'd decided to apply the same listening techniques to the skies.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18The result was a series of concrete structures like these
0:19:18 > 0:19:20along the south coast.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23They reflected the sound waves of incoming aircraft on to
0:19:23 > 0:19:26carefully placed microphones.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30And various sound mirrors survive, dotted along the south coast,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34but this is the only place you can see all three designs side-by-side.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40To explain how they work, I've come to meet Owen Leyshon,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43who is warden for the Dungeness National Nature Reserve.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- Owen. Hiya.- Hello.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Pleased to meet you. Thanks for meeting me here today.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- Well, these are absolutely fabulous. - Brilliant, these sound mirrors.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- Massive.- Yeah.- I love the location as well.- Yeah, very good.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- This is a 20 foot sound mirror. - This is the smaller one.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- This is the smaller one, the first one.- Yeah.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02How does the technology actually work?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Well, it's pointing out into the English Channel.- Right.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's collecting sound waves from the enemy aircraft,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12or potential enemy aircraft, so you had a guy standing where I am,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15with a sound trumpet, pointing back into the 20-foot dish,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17so he's got his back to the sea
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and he would have a stethoscope on and he's moving that
0:20:20 > 0:20:24trumpet around, trying to get a bearing of where the aircraft
0:20:24 > 0:20:25is and, remember, with this one,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- it's very, very... - It's quite vertical.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32- It's vertical, indeed.- It's almost picking up things that are low.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33- That's right.- Not way up there.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37So if the planes were coming in very high, they were in trouble.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40So what they did then is they designed a 30-foot mirror...
0:20:40 > 0:20:42This one here.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45..where they've tilted the dish higher up into the sky
0:20:45 > 0:20:48to get the higher aircraft, if they were coming in,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51and also they had, like, a little room underneath where the listener
0:20:51 > 0:20:55was able to manoeuvre the microphone or the trumpet in the dish,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- so he was out of the elements. - Yeah.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- Can I go and look at the big one? - Yeah, come on.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- That is really amazing. - Very impressive.- How big is that?
0:21:03 > 0:21:05That's 200 feet.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06My word!
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- Incredible size when you get up to it, isn't it?- Very impressive. - 200 feet.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Indeed, yes.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Concave, lengthways, but also vertically as well.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- I can see that when you look at the edges.- Mm.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21How does this one work, then?
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Well, you've got a set of microphones in a big arc
0:21:24 > 0:21:27around the forecourt of this 200-foot mirror
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and you would have had a guy in the office, this window up here,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33but you would have had several people as well, listeners,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36out on the front, and he would have been directing those listeners
0:21:36 > 0:21:39to get the bearings of where the aircraft are coming from.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- Right, so they've scaled up the operation.- They've gone big now, yes.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Exactly. You can certainly say that. Yeah. And was that accurate?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Yes, it was more of an accurate system than the smaller mirrors,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54but the length was still the same, 20-25 miles,
0:21:54 > 0:21:59and it's back to the same old issue - the aircraft got faster
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and so as an early warning system,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05it was becoming quite obvious that it was struggling...
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- Yeah.- ..as time went on in the 1930s.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And also radar came along in the late 1930s.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14So quickly, the range that they could pick up the aircraft
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- was much better than these sound mirrors.- Yeah.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19And they became obsolete quite quickly.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21- Impressive structures, though. - Oh, they are, aren't they? Yeah.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Well, I'm pleased they're here today, do you know that? I really am.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30But these structures do stand as a monument to a man whose work
0:22:30 > 0:22:33was to have a profound effect on the outcome of World War II.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The communications systems that Tucker
0:22:36 > 0:22:40developed between his mirrors and HQ were so effective that it was
0:22:40 > 0:22:43copied by the radar team and led directly to their success.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Like you, our experts are great rummagers in their pursuit of finding
0:22:52 > 0:22:57interesting antiques and collectables and Caroline Hawley is no exception.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01I found this about 30 years ago in a box of junk,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06probably at an auction sale, and I had absolutely no idea what
0:23:06 > 0:23:13it was, except for the fact that the missing part of it was inside it.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Now, this is made of pottery, no maker's mark on it at all,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19it's probably a Staffordshire pottery.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's got a hole at the bottom of it.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It's got a little bit of damage here.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29And if we lift it up, it's got a hinged metal lid, complete with
0:23:29 > 0:23:35holes pierced in the top, and you open it up and it closes like that.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40- So, what is it, Caroline? - So here's the answer.
0:23:40 > 0:23:46It's a toothbrush holder. Taylor's Drug Company Ltd, The Special.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49And by golly it is. It's enormous.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52And it pops into the toothbrush holder, just like that,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56keeping your toothbrush clean and healthy for another day.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Most of the items you bring along to our valuation days
0:24:04 > 0:24:06date from the 19th and 20th century.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09It's very unusual for us to see items that have
0:24:09 > 0:24:11survived from an earlier period.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13So you can imagine my delight
0:24:13 > 0:24:17when I met up with Jo at a valuation day in Melksham, Wiltshire.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- We've got the oldest things here today in the room.- Really?- Yes.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- Oh! I'm surprised! - Something for the purists.- Yeah.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26So, tell me, how did you come across all of these?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Well, they're part of my late husband's collection
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and it was started by a friend of his called Bob Gee.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35And then your husband started collecting.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Yes, either from the river or digging up sort of middens
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- where they... Old rubbish tips, basically.- Yes.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46He collected all kinds of different things, including oil lamps
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and old flat irons, so...
0:24:48 > 0:24:53Bits of animal skull. He just liked collecting.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I love them. I love the onion glass shape. Typical.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58That's why they're called onion glass.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00I love the fact that it's lopsided.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03You could never make these so even because they're all individual.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- They're handmade.- Yes. This one is of bell form.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10That's a nice interesting shape as well. And this one...
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Again, this is early 18th century.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17And this one has its own seal. Now, that's something to look out for
0:25:17 > 0:25:19on any onion glass wine bottle
0:25:19 > 0:25:22because the seal will put more value on it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- Mm-hm.- OK, let's put a fixed reserve on them at £300.- Yeah.- OK?
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- And hopefully, they'll do £100 more than that.- That'll be nice.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32That'll be nice.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36So, off to auction for those rare onion-shaped bottles.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Four, I'm in.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40- It's good.- 450.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41Five. 50.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Six. 50.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Seven. 50.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Eight.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49And the bids just kept on coming.
0:25:49 > 0:25:5016.
0:25:50 > 0:25:5316. 17.
0:25:53 > 0:25:5618. At 1,700 on that phone.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Ladies and gentlemen in the room, anywhere else at 1,800?
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Am I going?
0:26:01 > 0:26:03GAVEL BANGS
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Gosh! That's fantastic!
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I'm ever so pleased for you.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10We were all rather surprised that it was £1,700.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11But I think that was
0:26:11 > 0:26:15because on the day there were people telephone bidding
0:26:15 > 0:26:19and I believe that they were sold to people from the United States.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- He'd have been delighted. - He had a great eye.- Yeah.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25What are you going to put the money towards?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27It's going to Portland Bird Observatory,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30where he was the secretary for 20 years.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33As well as being an avid collector of anything and everything,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Jo's late husband Peter was passionate about birds.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41He dedicated 20 years of his life to the Portland Bird Observatory,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43where he served as secretary.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48The history of the bird observatory is that in the 1950s,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51there were a group of bird enthusiasts who
0:26:51 > 0:26:55realised that this was an important place because of its geography.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57The springtime
0:26:57 > 0:26:58when the birds that have spent
0:26:58 > 0:26:59the winter in Africa
0:26:59 > 0:27:00are arriving in this country,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02we're really the sort of
0:27:02 > 0:27:04first landfall, the first place they spot,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and so things tend to sort of hone in on us.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11One of the people who was involved was a lady called
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Helen Brotherton and she bought the lighthouse in 1960
0:27:16 > 0:27:21and it was opened in 1961 by Sir Peter Scott and from then on,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25it sort of flourished as a bird observatory.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31The real bit of science we get into is the bird ringing,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35the catching and marking birds with individual metal rings.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38That enables us to really pinpoint individual birds
0:27:38 > 0:27:42and find out...the ones we're catching as they're arriving in the
0:27:42 > 0:27:46spring, we're able to find out where they go to later in the year.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50When I sold Peter's bottles,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53it seemed like the obvious thing that I should donate
0:27:53 > 0:27:56the money to the observatory, which was the love of his life.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02I enjoy coming down here very much
0:28:02 > 0:28:04and I enjoyed spending time here with Peter.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08We used to go off and walk round the island and visit the quarries
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and walk along the coastal paths, looking for flowers and birds,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and it was some of the happiest memories of my life.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26Well, how wonderful that those rare
0:28:26 > 0:28:30and beautiful onion glass bottles helped fund such a good cause,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33so the next time you're digging away in the mud,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35make sure you have a good look, won't you?
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Well, that brings us to the end of today's show.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Do join us again soon for some more inside information on Trade Secrets.