0:00:02 > 0:00:05St John's Minster is the local parish church here in Preston.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Although this building is Victorian,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11there's been a church here on this site ever since the seventh century.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13The city has a long and interesting history
0:00:13 > 0:00:16so I've got high hopes for all the objects turning up today
0:00:16 > 0:00:19when we open the church doors. Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:19 > 0:00:22MUSIC: "Flog It!" Theme
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Preston has had city status ever since the year 2002
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and it's a place bustling full of people.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Yet today it seems pretty empty. Where are they?
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Well, I can tell you because they've all turned up at St John's.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59This is the end of the queue for our valuation day.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Hundreds of people are here with smiles on their faces, the sun is out.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04It could be you going home with a small fortune.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08They've come here to ask our experts that all-important question, what's it worth?
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Believe me, they're going to find out.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Stay tuned because we could have one or two surprises here.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18Our experts are headed up by James Lewis and David Fletcher.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23I can tell you it's nearly time to get the doors open, so let's get on with the show.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25What have we got? This is some sort of ceremonial chain.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Our experts James and David are already searching
0:01:30 > 0:01:31high and low for hidden treasures.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33What do you think?
0:01:33 > 0:01:36And it looks like there's already a discussion going on.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38I like these. I think they're underrated. Yeah.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41This particular one has a bit of damage there. Oh, blimey.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Sorry, guys. Zero.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50'It's a jam-packed big-money show today...
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'but can you guess which of these items
0:01:53 > 0:01:57'will receive a shock valuation of over a thousand pounds?
0:01:57 > 0:02:01'Will it be a pilot's watch?' I think it's absolutely outstanding.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03'A Lalique vase?'
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Look at that, isn't that lovely?
0:02:06 > 0:02:09'Or an ivory walking stick?'
0:02:09 > 0:02:10The quality really is very good.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Still climbing. I knew we liked this lot. It's a rare one.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15How much?!
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'Stay tuned as there are more than a few surprises on their way.' Sold.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It's time to open the doors.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Well, we've managed to get half of that massive queue inside the building.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36This is where the action really starts because someone here
0:02:36 > 0:02:40has got something that's worth a small fortune and it might be you.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43They don't know it yet. That's the beautiful part of the show.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45It's up to our experts to find it
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and it looks like David Fletcher has made a great start.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Let's take a closer look at what he's spotted.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Good morning, Barry. Morning. Good morning, Jill. Morning.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01So, Barry said he was going to buy you a new car and he bought you this?
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Tell me about it.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04It belonged to my late father.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07He used to repair bicycles when he retired.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12It was given to him in part payment for the repair of this guy's bicycle.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And how long ago do you think that was?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17About 40 years ago.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Why are you selling it? Jill, do you have any say in this?
0:03:19 > 0:03:21It's been stuck in the loft
0:03:21 > 0:03:24so we're trying to get rid of everything.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27He hasn't been allowed to have it on the mantelpiece? Definitely not.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Poor old Barry. So it's got to go? It's got to go.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33OK. I think this is lovely.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36A very saleable little thing, really.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Do you know who manufactured it, Barry?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41I believe it's by Bing of Germany.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You're absolutely right.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48The BW monogram is the Bing mark
0:03:48 > 0:03:53and very helpfully it says Germany so we know that's the case.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57Bing were one of the foremost manufacturers of tinplate toys
0:03:57 > 0:03:59of this type.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It would have been bought in about 1925 new
0:04:02 > 0:04:05by really quite wealthy, doting parents.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And it's a Ford Model T...
0:04:10 > 0:04:11..in blue which is strange.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14He said, "You can have any colour as long as it's black."
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Exactly. That's what Henry Ford said, didn't he?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Well, obviously Bing chose to ignore it.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24It's obviously had a radiator cap of some sort which has gone.
0:04:24 > 0:04:31And at the back, the spare wheel has been re-fixed.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It must be said, it's a little bit rusty too
0:04:34 > 0:04:37which will put a few people off.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Have you any idea what it might be worth?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43No, no idea. Not a clue.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46I would estimate it at 100 to 150.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49OK. I would be inclined to put a reserve
0:04:49 > 0:04:53at the lower end of that estimate, if you're happy, at ?100. Fine.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And I'm sure it'll sell well.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Just look what has turned up for me to see.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Emma, thank you for coming in today.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06I know you are the curator of history at the local museum.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09You've brought some wonderful exhibits to show us,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12explaining the history of the guild of this famous city
0:05:12 > 0:05:15because it's the only city left with a guild that's celebrated today.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20Yes, it is. At one point, lots of merchant towns around Britain
0:05:20 > 0:05:22would celebrate a guild every 20 years,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25but the guild organisations were abolished in the 19th century
0:05:25 > 0:05:30but Preston, in 1842, decided to continue with its guild tradition.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33That makes it the only town in Britain to still celebrate a guild.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Let's look at this first. This is the oldest object
0:05:37 > 0:05:41we have at the Harris Museum in Preston. Is it dated?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43It's from 1762.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46It's an official record of the guild of that year.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49This records the sort of events that went on.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Amongst the famous people who visited that year,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56well, soon to be famous, were Richard Arkwright, the famous inventor
0:05:56 > 0:05:58of the water frame. Let's look at this.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00A wonderful piece of fine carving.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03This is a guild object from 1952.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07It's a replica of the clock tower of Preston's famous town hall
0:06:07 > 0:06:09that was designed by George Gilbert Scott.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13It went round the world to New Zealand, Canada, America.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17And people would send their wishes to Preston.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20So inside these wonderful scroll holders,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24are examples of the friendship scrolls that went round the world.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29And it got signed. This started in 1952,
0:06:29 > 0:06:31it's something that's still going on today
0:06:31 > 0:06:35but now we have digital scrolls so we try to modernise it now.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39But this is still an important object. Lovely. It's a lovely thing.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50James has found a more traditional antique over on his table.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Anne, are you a social drinker?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Yes. Ah, good.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Because the idea of this is a loving cup
0:06:59 > 0:07:05and you would take it, drink from it and pass it.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08The next person would take the other handle, take it, drink and pass it.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So if you'd didn't mind other people's spit, it was great.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15But other than that, not really the thing for me, I have to say.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16So is it something you use?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Is it something you've drunk from in your time?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23No, I've never drunk from it but it was used
0:07:23 > 0:07:25by my husband when he was a boy...
0:07:25 > 0:07:30Was it? ..for the FA Trophy in blow football.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Blow football?!
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Yes. My word! Now that is not a Preston accent, is it? No.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39So where are you from and where is this from?
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I'm from Melbourne in Australia
0:07:41 > 0:07:46and that has come from my husband's great-grandmother in England.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Not down your line? No. This is a rather interesting thing
0:07:50 > 0:07:53because the hallmarks are in lovely, crisp order
0:07:53 > 0:08:01but having this made at the time it was made which is 1799
0:08:01 > 0:08:03is a little bit like somebody today saying,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07"I know, I'm going to have woodchip wallpaper."
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I mean, it was as out of fashion as that. It really was.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15This is a loving cup in the style of a porringer.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19This half-fluted decoration and this spiralled girdle
0:08:19 > 0:08:23up towards the collar is very much in an earlier style.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25But the handles give it away.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29This scroll handle with a plated thumb piece there
0:08:29 > 0:08:32are very typical of the late 18th century
0:08:32 > 0:08:35but genuinely it's a very interesting thing
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and it will appeal to a loving cup collector
0:08:38 > 0:08:41and I would put an auction estimate of...
0:08:41 > 0:08:44250 to 350.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50Now, I think it's worth ?320. I think that's what it'll end up selling at.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But we need to protect it with a reserve.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55If it doesn't make 250, I think you ought to hang on to it,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58because if it makes less than that, somebody's going to take it,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01melt it down and scrap it. That would be a crying shame.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I really hope the loving cup gets fought over in the saleroom
0:09:05 > 0:09:10for its craftsmanship and not just its silver value.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Anne, at first sight, this looks like sheer quality.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16There's only two glass manufacturers that can achieve this kind of work
0:09:16 > 0:09:19and that's Galle and Lalique. It's beautiful.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Both French. And let's turn it upside down.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24I'm looking for the R Lalique sign
0:09:24 > 0:09:28which tells us it's made by his factory and in his lifetime.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32This actually says Lalique, France. It's made after his death. Yes.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Had you seen that mark before? It's so faint, you can hardly see it.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40When I first got it, no, I didn't know what it was.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44But I was washing it one day and saw the marks and thought,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46"Oh, there is something written there."
0:09:46 > 0:09:51I'm quite lucky, I've got quite good eyesight still at my old age.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Look at that, isn't that lovely? Look at the deer here.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01I'm looking for any little imperfections, restorations, cuts,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03because that will affect the price
0:10:03 > 0:10:07because people that collect Lalique are very, very fussy.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09You'll notice I'm doing this all the time. Yes.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11All I'm doing is feeling the rims
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and making sure there's been no chips and it's not been ground down.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18And it is very, very good, isn't it?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21So, what's its story? How did you come by it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Well, it must have been at least 15 years ago,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27my husband and I went to see my mum and dad.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31We went into the kitchen and that was sat on the shelf.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33And I said, "Oh, that's lovely."
0:10:33 > 0:10:36She said, "You can have it if you want it." Cor, you're lucky!
0:10:36 > 0:10:38So she didn't know what it was either.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42She would have said if she'd known what it was.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Well, I think this is really, really nice.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Made in the 1930s, possibly '40s.
0:10:48 > 0:10:54Now, Rene Lalique really wanted people to own pieces of his glass, glasswares of his.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57So it was his idea to have these mass produced.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59This is moulded glass, you know that? Yes.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02So that every household could own one.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05So this is not the best you're going to find.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08I looked online at some auction results
0:11:08 > 0:11:13where one of these has sold recently so I've got a pretty good idea
0:11:13 > 0:11:15of what you're going to get for that.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18If you're happy, I think we should put this into auction
0:11:18 > 0:11:21with a value of ?400 to ?600. Oh!
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Because one recently sold in auction for ?600. Oh!
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And I can only find one little nick on that
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and I can see it cos the light is catching it here. It's just there.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35But that's nothing to be bothered about, really.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38That's a lovely surprise. Thank you.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Great to see a piece from a respected name like Lalique.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Over with David is another antique of quality.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Hello, David. Hello .
0:11:50 > 0:11:53You look a pretty sprightly sort of chap. Not the sort of fellow
0:11:53 > 0:11:56who needs to come in here with a walking stick.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Not yet. Not yet!
0:11:58 > 0:12:01This I think is just a miniature walking stick
0:12:01 > 0:12:05carved to show off the skills of the craftsman who made it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10And the quality really is very good.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12If we look at this dragon for example...
0:12:12 > 0:12:14They're all intertwined.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20Exactly. And then the handle just finishes in a sort of lotus flower,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24I think, with a bat which is a curious motif.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28The time it must have took. Time was cheap, wasn't it?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30That's the thing. They spent a long time making these.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35Mind you, they'd have carved it a jolly sight quicker than you and I would
0:12:35 > 0:12:39if we sat down with our Stanley knife and had a go.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40I wouldn't attempt it!
0:12:40 > 0:12:42So how did you come by it?
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I bought it at a local car boot. Long ago? About 12 months ago.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I hardly dare ask how much you paid for it.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53I gave ?40 for it. ?40. So it wasn't a steal, was it?
0:12:53 > 0:12:54No. No.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59I think you'll get more than that for it. Do you collect antiques? Er, I do.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Anything from the 19th century. Right.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07I don't think you're going to make a vast profit, but I think you'll make a good turn.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13I would be inclined to estimate it at ?100 to ?150.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18So after your commission, you'll, with any luck, just about double your money.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Double the money, yes.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24'Research reveals the stick is Japanese and, thankfully for owner David,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28'it's antique ivory, worked before 1947,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32'so, therefore, it's legal to sell. So now we have four items
0:13:32 > 0:13:35'ready to take off to auction.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'Barry's toy car came from his father,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'who'd received it in part payment for fixing a bicycle.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45'With an estimate of ?100 to ?150, that's not a bad trade.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50'Anne's loving cup caught James's eye.' My word!
0:13:50 > 0:13:55'And the silver price alone makes an attractive estimate of ?250 to ?350.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59'And I was taken with Anne's Lalique vase. It's in good condition
0:13:59 > 0:14:05'and I'm hoping it gets the ?400-?600 at auction it deserves.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09'Finding an ivory walking stick at a car boot sale must be a dream find.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13'It's most likely late 19th or early 20th century,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18'ornately carved and more than worth its ?100 to ?150 estimate.'
0:14:19 > 0:14:23This is where we up the tempo. I am excited because it's auction time.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Let's get inside and catch up with our owners.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28And this is where we are, Frank Marshall in Knutsford.
0:14:28 > 0:14:3170, 5. 80, 5. 5 here.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34This lovely old building has two salerooms.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39Downstairs for the furniture and larger items and upstairs for smaller items and collectables.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42That's where our auction is taking place today.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Fingers crossed it's going to be jam-packed full of bidders.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49560 I have. 'With auctioneer Nick Hall ready with gavel in hand,
0:14:49 > 0:14:54'let's put Barry and Jill's Model T Ford car in front of the bidders.'
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Where's this car been all these years? In the loft. In the loft!
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Wrapped in newspaper. Everything's up in the loft!
0:15:02 > 0:15:06I was going to throw it away, actually. No?!
0:15:06 > 0:15:10He said, "No, you mustn't do that it's worth something." You can't do things like that!
0:15:10 > 0:15:13There are collectors will pay dearly and, hopefully,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16we're going to find out. It's going under the hammer. Good luck.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Lovely thing, '20s, '30s Model T Ford, sedan version.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24A nice little model vehicle this.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Start me at ?100 if I could, a ?100.
0:15:26 > 0:15:3180? 60? 50 I'll take, it's a start. It's low.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34It's too low, but it's 50, 5. 60. Now we're in.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Five, sir, in the doorway? You're out in the room. 5 online. 70.
0:15:38 > 0:15:4175. 80. 80 online.
0:15:41 > 0:15:4380 online. It's OK, isn't it?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And 5 against you. At 90.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It's chugging along. ?100. The bid's online at 100. Don't stop there.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53There's ?100. The bid's online. The book's out. You all done?
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Are you sure? I'm selling online at ?100 all done.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Finished now. It's going.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Sold 100. That's great,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01considering you were going to throw that away!
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Yes! Well make sure you have a good old look
0:16:04 > 0:16:06what's in the loft next time. We will.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09We've got other bits and pieces. Put it into auction.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'I can't believe Jill nearly threw it out.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18'With our next lot, James guessed Anne's loving cup would make ?320
0:16:18 > 0:16:23'at the valuation day, but how close was he?' I'm selling.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Why are you selling it? It's just been in the cupboard.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Not enjoying it, not looking at it?
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Not looking at it, no. OK. I love it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36It's a bit of Georgian silver in its classic form, something that really is undervalued today.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41But the scrap value for silver has forced the values of Georgian silver up.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45It's that melt value again. I'm hoping it'll make more than that. Let's hope so.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Ready for this? Yes. Here we go, this is it.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51We'll push on now with the Georgian hallmarked silver.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54A nice little tin-handled cup. Where are we going to go? 200 for it?
0:16:54 > 0:16:59200 start me. Thank you. 200 I'm bid. 210 against you. 220 now.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01230, 240, go 250.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03At 250.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07It's getting there. It's getting there. It's getting a smile.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12To the right, 260. Fresh bidder. 270 now. 270 here. 280.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14290. At 3?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16300. 310.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21To my right at 310. Bid against you, sir. At ?310 all done.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Selling at 310.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Happy with that? Yes I am.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And that was a lovely thing,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30as well. We talk about melt and scrap values
0:17:30 > 0:17:32but that wasn't going to be scrapped.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33That was lovely.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38'And James's prediction was only ?10 off the exact total.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40'He knows his stuff.'
0:17:43 > 0:17:48Can you remember that Lalique vase I valued earlier in the programme? It's about to go under the hammer
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and I been joined by Anne, its owner. We've got ?400-?600 on this.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Had a chat to Nick the auctioneer, earlier. He said, "Love it.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00"Love the pattern." He would be a little bit cautious and put 3 to 5 on it. Right.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Hopefully, his 3 to 5 is like my 4 to 6 and it may end up being ?400.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10A nice bit of Lalique glass. Nice condition, signed, as well.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13A good little lot this. May I say 400 for it?
0:18:13 > 0:18:15?400 anywhere? Start me at 400.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Start me at 3. Start me at 300.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Come on, get the ball rolling at 300.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Who's going to start me at ?300? This nice, signed, Lalique vase.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28A good size, good pattern, lovely condition. 300 anywhere? Surely?
0:18:28 > 0:18:29Nothing online?
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Nothing online. I'm amazed. We can't let it go.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36One last call. Start the bidding at 300 or we'll move on. Yes or no.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Unfortunately, sadly, no sale.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42It's going home. But you don't mind,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44because you're the one that said to me,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47"I don't want anything less than ?400 with discretion."
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I'm quite happy to take it home. OK.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Give it some love and I know you won't put it in the cupboard.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Oh, no! You'll look at it.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58'The specialist glass collectors just weren't there.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01'But, still, it's a great piece.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:06With this next lot we're hoping to turn ?40 into ?100-plus, maybe.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08It's a car-boot find and it belongs to David.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11It's that little, tiny, ivory-carved walking stick.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13That's right, yes.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Very nice find. Very nice find. I thought it looked all right!
0:19:16 > 0:19:21It's in good company because there are a lot of Oriental artefacts here, so buyers are here.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23It's been found and hopefully they'll find this one.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Late 19th, early 20th-century Japanese carved ivory walking stick.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29What are you going to bid me?
0:19:29 > 0:19:30?100?
0:19:30 > 0:19:34?100 anywhere? 100 I have, thank you, to my right on the phone.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38110. Right at the back, against you, 110.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39200 I'm bid.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Well, bong! What a big jump. 200.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44At 220. The bid's on the phone at 220.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45230 I've got.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50Thank you. 230 online. 240. 240 now. At 250.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53250 now. 300 back on the phone again.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56They're fighting this out, aren't they? Yes.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Your ?40 is going a long way now.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Back on the phone at 350 now.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04380. Back online at 380 now.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06At ?380. Online again.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10400. Phone bid is in at 4. Yes, no?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13At ?400. Nothing in the room. The room's out. 400.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17420 online. Just when you thought you'd got it! Back online. 420 now.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20440 now. 460. Thank you.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24500. At ?500.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26This is walking out, isn't it?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Hammer's hovering. At ?500, last call. 520.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31How much?! HE LAUGHS
0:20:31 > 0:20:33At 520. Shakes his head.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Back online it is at ?520. All out in the room.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Bid's online. Phone's gone.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Selling at ?520.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42HE BANGS GAVEL
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Put it there. I take my hat off to anybody that can turn 40 quid
0:20:46 > 0:20:49from a car boot sale into ?520.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51That's seriously good going. It is, isn't it?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54...5. 70. 70 bid.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57That completes our first visit to the auction room today.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00We are coming back later on in the programme, so don't go away.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03We could have one big surprise for you.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07You know I'm a big fan of furniture. So while I was up here in the area,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I took a trip to Leighton Hall.
0:21:09 > 0:21:10Does it ring any bells?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Well, all will be revealed.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13Take a look at this.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Set in the heart of the beautiful Lancashire countryside is Leighton Hall.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36This is no ordinary country house. Granted, it's absolutely stunning on the outside,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40but it's the design classics inside that I'm interested in.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47'There have been records of a manor house on this site since 1246.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50'However, with 26 owners in its history,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53'Leighton Hall has seen some changes over the years.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56'We're here to pick up its story from 1822,
0:21:56 > 0:22:01'when it was sold to one Richard Gillow, who knew exactly how to furnish it.'
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Most people would have heard of the name Gillow
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and his association with fine English furniture.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Robert Gillow set the company up in 1730 in nearby Lancaster
0:22:14 > 0:22:16and he would design the pieces of furniture.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20And his team of highly skilled craftsmen would passionately make them up.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25I must say we are talking a seriously important and respected business here.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Most grand houses and stately homes in the United Kingdom would have owned one or two of his pieces.
0:22:30 > 0:22:37But no-one could get exactly what they wanted more than members of the Gillow family themselves.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40'New owner Richard was grandson of company founder Robert
0:22:40 > 0:22:46'and, by the 1820s, the Gillows' family business had done so well,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50'he was able to retire early to live with his wife Elizabeth and their children
0:22:50 > 0:22:52'at his new country home.'
0:23:00 > 0:23:04You don't have to get very far inside this magnificent house,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08which is a super example of Georgian Gothic revival,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11to see that Richard did really well.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Underneath this cantilevered staircase,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17there is the most wonderful example of a bit of Gillow craftsmanship.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21It's called the daisy table because of its shape and design.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25The jury is out as to what purpose this served.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29I believe, along with a lot of other people, that it was a card table
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and, maybe, you were dealt your hand, you sat here.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36If you lost your money or you lost, you folded your cards,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39but you also folded the little flap you were sitting at.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And that folds down by virtue of moving this wooden knee
0:23:42 > 0:23:45on this hinge, which is also made of wood,
0:23:45 > 0:23:52tight into the side rail of the table and then this leaf just drops down.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57When everybody was out, it would make another rather interesting shape,
0:23:57 > 0:23:58an octagonal shape.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03Others believe it may have been a dining table for Richard's kids,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06because he did have a brood or 14,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11but it doesn't really have the wear and tear of a small dining table.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14Nevertheless, it is a lovely example.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21There are architectural and design details everywhere I look,
0:24:21 > 0:24:23from floor to ceiling.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25That's beautiful, isn't it?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27The most wonderful fanlight
0:24:27 > 0:24:31which just floods a central pool of light into the dining room.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33Now, I really am spoilt for choice here
0:24:33 > 0:24:37because there are wonderful examples of Gillow furniture everywhere.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40But I guess, really, I should just point out
0:24:40 > 0:24:42some of the obvious to you.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Here on the floor, that's caught my eye because
0:24:44 > 0:24:46that's a little cellarette.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51These were portable wine cellars, and they were always made this size
0:24:51 > 0:24:53because they had to be moved around.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Look at that. This one's on castors.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58If I open this up, let's see what's inside.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59Yes, look, there's the booze.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01There's some spirits and some red wine,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03all standing up in little compartments.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05I have seen these lined in lead
0:25:05 > 0:25:09so you can throw some ice in there to keep your white wine cool.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Now, dining chairs everywhere.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17The first thing I do with a chair is pick it up by the seat here,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20get hold of it firmly, and you can feel the weight of this.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Again, the finest mahogany. A little tiny detail, look at that -
0:25:23 > 0:25:25that's known as a C scroll.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29It's very delicate, it softens the whole thing.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31And if I turn it sideways, can you see?
0:25:31 > 0:25:36The section of the back actually runs right into this sabre leg,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38the back leg.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39Now look at the curl on that.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43The section of wood that's cut from, that's one solid piece of wood,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46let's say, three inches thick,
0:25:46 > 0:25:51three feet in length by a good 14 inches in width.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Look at the waste wood involved in taking that shape out.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57But again, you see, that's a sign of quality.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59That's what Gillow is all about.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02But I guess the most obvious thing is the imperial dining table.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07This was designed by Richard Gillow's old firm,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12and it was made for his new house, Leighton Hall.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15He also designed a table very similar to this one
0:26:15 > 0:26:16back in the year 1800,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20and it had a telescopic action which you could unwind from one end,
0:26:20 > 0:26:25so the table would come apart in the middle, allowing you to drop
0:26:25 > 0:26:29separate leaves in, which would be around this width,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32four or five you would take from a cabinet from the wall
0:26:32 > 0:26:33and drop them in.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35So you could make the table a lot longer or,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38if you didn't need the space, bring the table back in.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Quality throughout.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Although there is so much to see in all the rooms,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51it's all functional furniture, still in use today.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54And that's what makes for a welcoming and beautiful house to live in.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Isn't that lovely? You can see the mountains of the Lake District
0:26:59 > 0:27:02from this elegant yet very homely drawing room.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I must say, the whole house really does embrace you
0:27:04 > 0:27:07when you walk into it. It's got the most incredible feel.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11So this is a very good room to talk about the different furniture designs
0:27:11 > 0:27:14that have influenced the Gillow designs over the years.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And if I show you here, look, a typical side table here,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21typically English, typically Gillow, wonderful straight, clean lines,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24great proportions, great symmetry, architecturally perfect.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Here is its French counterpart. The straight lines, where possible,
0:27:29 > 0:27:30have been softened and curved.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Tulip woods and fruit woods - it's playful, it's feminine.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39It's sort of frivolous. And here is a combination of the two.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43You can see a games table made of tulip wood and kingwood,
0:27:43 > 0:27:48but it's got softened lines to it, yet it remains English.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Leighton Hall has been passed down through the years
0:27:54 > 0:27:57to the descendants of Richard Gillow.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It now belongs to his great-great-great-grandson.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05And I met Suzie, his wife, in the hall's music room.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08So what's it like living in such a lovely house
0:28:08 > 0:28:10surrounded by beautiful things?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12It's wonderful, it's a huge, huge privilege.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14I really married it,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18so I've had the job of looking after it for over 40 years now.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21And were you and your husband ever sort of taught to look after
0:28:21 > 0:28:22these wonderful pieces?
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Did you go about it the right way or did you sort of...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28No, we didn't, I'm afraid, because he was brought up here.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32So he was a little boy, rattling around, crashing into the furniture,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and we just get on with the family life here.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Obviously, we take as much care of it as we can,
0:28:38 > 0:28:42and hopefully we'll hand it on to another generation.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44But it does look marvellous, doesn't it?
0:28:44 > 0:28:48And the fact that it's lived in and used... People do respond very well to that.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53The visitors who come, the overriding thing we hear is,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56"It's so nice to see a house that's lived in."
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Do you feel you have a duty to tell everybody about the Gillow dynasty?
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Well, certainly people who come to the house, because what they come for
0:29:03 > 0:29:07mostly is the furniture. They know a little bit about the Gillows.
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Do you know something?
0:29:08 > 0:29:11The more you look at the pieces, the more you keep learning.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Well, this is what's so wonderful, because after 40 years,
0:29:15 > 0:29:18every single day somebody I show round the house
0:29:18 > 0:29:21will tell me something. And it's you today.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24THEY LAUGH Thank you for letting me look. It's a pleasure.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33This has been a real treat for me today to see such a full
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and interesting private collection of Gillow furniture
0:29:36 > 0:29:38still in its family seat.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41And those design classics look as good today as they did
0:29:41 > 0:29:42when they were first made.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46And they fulfil their function.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48They've been used, and are still being used,
0:29:48 > 0:29:53by the family today. It just goes to show quality lasts.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58Leighton Hall is quietly all about good taste and quality.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06'Let's catch up with our experts back at the valuation day.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12'Over at David's table, Gary's timepiece has caused a stir.'
0:30:13 > 0:30:17This is my Eureka moment. I've been waiting for it for a long time!
0:30:17 > 0:30:22A clock, manufactured by the Eureka Clock Company Ltd.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25What can you tell me about it?
0:30:25 > 0:30:27It was left to me by my father,
0:30:27 > 0:30:32about 15 years ago. I'm not too sure where he got it from.
0:30:32 > 0:30:37He was a builder so it could have been something he got as a payment,
0:30:37 > 0:30:38part of a payment of a job.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43It was a piece we used as decoration really.
0:30:43 > 0:30:44Well, at least it's right twice a day
0:30:44 > 0:30:47which is something, I suppose. Yes!
0:30:47 > 0:30:50If you look at it, to all intents and purposes,
0:30:50 > 0:30:57it looks like a Georgian mantel-clock, but it is a modern battery-powered clock.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02This particular model dates from the first ten years of the 20th century.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06A man called Powers invented a battery-driven clock
0:31:06 > 0:31:10in America in the late 19th century.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13And in the early 20th century,
0:31:13 > 0:31:18the Eureka Clock Company developed clocks that look like this.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22And if we turn it round, we can see...
0:31:24 > 0:31:29..what's going on in here. There's an absence of a clock movement
0:31:29 > 0:31:31as we know it.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35What we have is a section devoted to housing the battery,
0:31:35 > 0:31:41and these wires pass a current which causes this part
0:31:41 > 0:31:45of the action to rock backwards and forwards,
0:31:45 > 0:31:48forming the pendulum effect.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Now, if you're interested in clocks, you're going to want to own something like this
0:31:52 > 0:31:56because it plays an important part in the development
0:31:56 > 0:31:59of the manufacture of clock movements.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02I think it would really sell quite well.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Have you any idea what it might be worth?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07Not really, no.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10We can expect it to make something in the region of 300 to 500.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12And if you were happy with that,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15I suggest we go ahead on that basis
0:32:15 > 0:32:20with a ?300 reserve. Yes. Have you got any plans for the money?
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I just got married last year so it'll be going towards...
0:32:23 > 0:32:27We're moving into a new house so it'll go towards decorations.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30And what does your new wife think of it?
0:32:30 > 0:32:34She likes it but it wouldn't fit in with the decor she has planned.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38So it's not going to cause an early marital argument if you sell it? No!
0:32:38 > 0:32:42Well, good luck with the marriage, and good luck with the clock sale! Thank you very much.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55'James is over at his table with Denise and a bit of silver.'
0:32:55 > 0:32:59Denise, you have timed this to absolute perfection
0:32:59 > 0:33:04because what you have is a very simple piece of Chinese silver.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09Nothing exciting at all, not early, not necessarily rare,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13but the market for Chinese anything at the moment
0:33:13 > 0:33:18is really fabulous, all right?
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Where did you find it?
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Well, it belongs to a friend of mine. They've just recently got married
0:33:23 > 0:33:27so they've had two houses to put into one, and they had this big pile
0:33:27 > 0:33:31of stuff in the living room and I said I was coming to the programme
0:33:31 > 0:33:33and they said, "Take something from here."
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Right. I chose that. That's what you picked?
0:33:36 > 0:33:38And where did they get it from?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Well, he's travelled quite a lot
0:33:41 > 0:33:44so I'm assuming he bought it abroad, but I don't know where.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49The marks are really nice and clear but I can't read them.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Can you read Chinese? No, but my son took it into the local
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Chinese takeaway. Ha! Yes?
0:33:57 > 0:34:00And he said that he thought that they meant it was silver. Yeah.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03And he said something about the symbols around the edge as well.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07And what did he say about the symbols? He said that they meant
0:34:07 > 0:34:12health, wealth, peace... Longevity. Happiness. Yeah.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16The reason why the Chinese market is so good at the moment is
0:34:16 > 0:34:22because, under Chairman Mao, nobody was allowed to own anything early.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Anything looking back to the imperial past was either destroyed
0:34:26 > 0:34:32or buried, or sold and shipped out very quietly and very quickly.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34But now, of course, China's opened up to the West,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38it's the fastest growing economy in the world,
0:34:38 > 0:34:43and at the head of every business is a very wealthy businessman
0:34:43 > 0:34:47who wants to buy back anything early and anything Chinese.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51OK. Not just early, anything really pre-communist China.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54So I can tell you that, maybe ten years ago,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57if you were to try and sell this, it might have made ?20.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Yeah. Something like that. It's now worth around ?100. Right!
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I would say ?80 to ?120.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07It will certainly make ?100 to ?110, something like that.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11It might, if they get carried away, make a little bit more.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15So, at ?80-?120, do you think your friends will be happy? I think they will, yeah.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18You know, they've picked exactly the right time to sell it,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and you've picked a very fashionable thing to bring. Thank you.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24'Let's hope the Chinese bowl brings the wealth
0:35:24 > 0:35:28'and happiness it suggests when it goes up for sale.'
0:35:28 > 0:35:31That looks interesting. It matches what I'm wearing.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33THEY LAUGH
0:35:33 > 0:35:36'Over with David, it's great when we get something quirky in,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40'today brought in by Enid and Bob.'
0:35:40 > 0:35:42I thought you'd brought along two photographs,
0:35:42 > 0:35:46but on closer inspection, although they were originally photographs,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50they're actually printed on pottery.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53And they're tiles, aren't they? Yes.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57I've never seen anything like this. I mean, I've seen hundreds,
0:35:57 > 0:36:02if not thousands, of tiles, but never portrait tiles like this.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Did you take them out of a fireplace surround? No, I got them like that.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09They came like that? Wrapped in a bit of brown paper. Right.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Did you inherit them? Yes, they came from my father's brother,
0:36:12 > 0:36:17and they had just been in a box for 25-30 years. Unappreciated.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20It's sad, isn't it? It is, yes.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24When you get them out and look you think, "They are quite nice."
0:36:24 > 0:36:27This is Kitchener and this is Jellicoe.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31Both, I think, in pre-First World War uniform.
0:36:31 > 0:36:36I think it's fair to say that Lord Kitchener represented the Army
0:36:36 > 0:36:40and Admiral Jellicoe represented the Navy.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Jellicoe was heavily involved with the Boxer Rebellion
0:36:43 > 0:36:45right at the beginning of the 20th century,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49and I suspect this tile dates from very soon thereafter.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52But if we turn them over we get a massive clue,
0:36:52 > 0:36:58and that is a "ceramic," spelt with a K, unusually,
0:36:58 > 0:37:05"copy Of Bassano's portrait of Lord Kitchener by Carter's of Poole, November 1914."
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So what I was saying about the portrait
0:37:08 > 0:37:10being pre-First World War is borne out there, really,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13because obviously this is dated November 1914,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17the month the First World War started, of course.
0:37:17 > 0:37:25And Mr Bassano was a society portrait photographer - aristocrats, important people.
0:37:26 > 0:37:31And Mr Carter, who established the Poole pottery in, I think,
0:37:31 > 0:37:37the 1870s, obviously considered that there was a commercial opportunity here.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40I've never seen anything quite like them before.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44If you were a fan of Poole pottery, you would want to own one of these...
0:37:44 > 0:37:47It's something different. ..because they're quite important, really.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50I think they're worth about ?30-?40 each.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Strictly speaking, they're not a pair.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56They're two, I think, from a series.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59So we should sell them together in one lot.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Given that they're worth about ?30 or ?40 each, in my view,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06I suggest an estimate of ?60-?100
0:38:06 > 0:38:10and a reserve just below the bottom estimate of ?50?
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Whatever, yes.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16It's nice to find something out about them. We didn't know anything.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Good. I look forward to seeing you at the sale, then.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23SHE CHUCKLES
0:38:25 > 0:38:30'Those tiles would make an unusual fireplace surround, wouldn't they?
0:38:30 > 0:38:34'James is asking personal questions of April over at his table.'
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Are you short-sighted or something? No.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Need a big watch, do you? No!
0:38:39 > 0:38:42What on earth are you doing with that?
0:38:42 > 0:38:47Well, years ago, my mother had a chap that fancied her
0:38:47 > 0:38:49and wanted to go out with her. He kept asking her out
0:38:49 > 0:38:53but she kept refusing. He was a watchman.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55He used to fix watches.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59Unfortunately, when Mother died, when I was only 21,
0:38:59 > 0:39:06he passed on not long after. Ah. And the family came round of the gentleman that owned the shop
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and said, "We have a little box here for your mother."
0:39:09 > 0:39:12I said, "Unfortunately Mother had passed on."
0:39:12 > 0:39:16And they said, "Well, you might as well have the box."
0:39:16 > 0:39:23I was just 21 and I put it in a box in the attic and forgot all about it.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Is that where it's been? Yes.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28OK, it's a very interesting watch.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32Do you know much about it? No, nothing. OK.
0:39:32 > 0:39:39Well, let's go back 60 years into the middle of the Second World War.
0:39:39 > 0:39:46At night, squadrons of bombers are coming over from Dresden.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50If you were in one of those dark, noisy planes,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53looking at your watch wouldn't be easy,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56especially not if it was underneath your flying suit.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00So if you were an observer in one of the planes,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04you would need a watch that would go over your flight suit.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08And this is what you would have worn.
0:40:08 > 0:40:14It's by a factory just outside Dresden and it's incredibly rare.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17I've seen them in books. I've never handled one.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20This is a first for me.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25The hands are, I think, still fluorescent. You can just see, look.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29Oh, yes. It's just glowing slightly.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34If we take the back off, all the information is on the back panel.
0:40:34 > 0:40:40Lange and Sohne. They're the makers.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43And to start with, they didn't make many. No?
0:40:43 > 0:40:44The ones that they made,
0:40:44 > 0:40:48I think the life expectancy of somebody in one of the bombers...
0:40:48 > 0:40:51wasn't long. You know, it was months.
0:40:51 > 0:40:57So the majority of them ended up... Didn't survive.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02A couple of loose cogs there, so it needs a bit of work,
0:41:02 > 0:41:03but not very much.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07What do you think it's worth? I've no idea.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09What do you think?
0:41:10 > 0:41:15A couple of hundred. Sell it for a couple of hundred? Yes.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21You'd be making a big mistake. Why?
0:41:21 > 0:41:25It's probably worth a couple of thousand pounds. You're joking!
0:41:25 > 0:41:27SHE LAUGHS
0:41:27 > 0:41:30I didn't expect that.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33It's a fantastic watch. Oh, I am pleased.
0:41:33 > 0:41:39If we put 1,000-1,500 on it, ?1,000 as a reserve.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43Wow. I think it's absolutely outstanding.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44Oh, I am pleased.
0:41:44 > 0:41:49Well done. You've made my day. Well done for finding it. You've made my day. Oh!
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Just five miles from Preston, the historic Salmesbury Hall
0:42:04 > 0:42:08in Lancashire dates back to the 14th century
0:42:08 > 0:42:10and over the years, it would have been a significant estate,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12with many mouths to feed.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16It was crucial that most of the food came from the hall's estate,
0:42:16 > 0:42:19which is why this is the perfect setting for me to explore
0:42:19 > 0:42:23the county's food heritage, starting with something traditional.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Lancashire hotpot is a firm favourite amongst the county's residents
0:42:30 > 0:42:34for sustenance and good old-fashioned comfort food.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38Many families will have their own recipe that's been handed down over the generations.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43But it's still being made here, at the hall, by the resident chefs
0:42:43 > 0:42:45using produce as locally as they can source.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Now, the ingredients may vary around the country
0:42:48 > 0:42:52but a proper Lancashire hotpot, a traditional one,
0:42:52 > 0:42:56is comprised of four ingredients, four basic ones.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01You've got lamb, potato, carrots, and onion.
0:43:01 > 0:43:06Historically, meals needed to be high in calories
0:43:06 > 0:43:09to sustain Lancashire's industrial workers and miners
0:43:09 > 0:43:11throughout the working day.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Another traditional Lancashire dish, known for its simplicity
0:43:15 > 0:43:18and convenience, is butter pie, also known as prater pie,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21and it's got a simple potato and onion filling.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23It was popular as a football match snack
0:43:23 > 0:43:25with Preston North End fans.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28WHISTLING AND APPLAUSE
0:43:30 > 0:43:33Local sweet treats include Chorley cakes and Sad cakes
0:43:33 > 0:43:37which originally used up bits of leftover pastry to make a dessert,
0:43:37 > 0:43:39served up with Lancashire cheese.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45There's still a huge value today in using local and simple ingredients,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48so before I start cooking, I need to go foraging.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Although Salmesbury Hall does have its own lambs and pigs here today,
0:43:53 > 0:43:59they are strictly pets. The two pigs here, Ozzy and Elvis,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01eat up all the kitchen scraps so that's good.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Nothing but the best for them.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06I expect they're named after Elvis Presley and Ozzy Osbourne.
0:44:06 > 0:44:07HE LAUGHS
0:44:09 > 0:44:11There's lots of chickens running around as well
0:44:11 > 0:44:14so let's see if we can get any fresh eggs.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Open up here... Oh, yes!
0:44:16 > 0:44:20And I tell you what, they don't get much fresher than this!
0:44:20 > 0:44:24This reminds me of collecting eggs at home with my little boy, Dylan,
0:44:24 > 0:44:28from our chickens. That's a decent-size egg.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31And they're going to come in very useful later.
0:44:35 > 0:44:40'One enthusiastic advocate of local produce and recipes
0:44:40 > 0:44:42'is food writer and cook Philippa James,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46'who's going to show me how to easily turn simple ingredients
0:44:46 > 0:44:49'into something delicious.'
0:44:49 > 0:44:51You're going to cook me something today
0:44:51 > 0:44:53and it's vegetarian. It is, specially for you.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55A special dish for Lancashire, Lancashire tortilla.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Is this a traditional Lancashire dish for vegetarians?
0:44:58 > 0:45:03It isn't but a lot of the traditional ingredients and recipes from the area
0:45:03 > 0:45:06were based on ingredients that were cheap and easy to find.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08What goes into the tortilla?
0:45:08 > 0:45:12We're going to be using local eggs, we've got local cheese, butter,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15cream, local potatoes and spring onions.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18That's why we're in the herb garden, we need to get some herbs.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21How much do you want? Another bit more
0:45:21 > 0:45:24and I'll just grab some parsley from round here.
0:45:30 > 0:45:31CHICKEN CLUCKS SOFTLY
0:45:31 > 0:45:35Right, where do we start? We're doing a Lancashire tortilla
0:45:35 > 0:45:38so first, we need to get some butter in the pan.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42If you'd like to get some of the eggs we got from the nesting box,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45there's a dish there to put the shell in.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51I'm going to sling in some spring onions.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54This is really easy cos you just snip the ends off.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58And Ozzy and Elvis eat everything, all the scraps from the kitchen.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01They're great, aren't they? Would you like to put in a bit of black pepper?
0:46:01 > 0:46:04I just love cooking for people.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07I have a need to feed people wherever I go, I force-feed people!
0:46:08 > 0:46:11I'm going to add in some potatoes to there as well.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14I've taken it off the heat for a moment because it is so hot today.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17A layer of those, just to cover the bottom of the pan.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19That's now taken the heat down
0:46:19 > 0:46:22in the pan already. I'll pop these over the base.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26People think Lancashire's rainy but look at it today, isn't it glorious?
0:46:26 > 0:46:30I'm going to be using some Lancashire cheese in a minute.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34We get the rain in the autumn and winter, then the starches in the grass turn to sugars.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35That's where we get sweet milk from.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39Are we going to grate some of that... Yes, I was going to ask.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Would you mind grating some for me? What sort of food do you like?
0:46:42 > 0:46:43Omelettes!
0:46:44 > 0:46:48That'll be the omelettes! I'm an expert on omelettes, believe me.
0:46:48 > 0:46:49I ask my wife, "What do you want for supper?"
0:46:49 > 0:46:51She says, "Not another omelette!"
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I'm going to turn these now, in the butter.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57So both sides get some butter on them. They're just being caramelised.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01That's it, yes. Is that about enough cheese for that? That's great.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03The next ingredient is our eggs.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06I'm going to pop those in, there you go.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Right, listen to that sizzle.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Run that round the pan like that. That's the trick of an omelette,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16isn't it, so it doesn't stick. Also, if you seal everything in,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20it's getting a little collar round the edge. It's easier to open out
0:47:20 > 0:47:22and take out of the pan. Absolutely.
0:47:22 > 0:47:23Can you see that hot-air balloon
0:47:23 > 0:47:25shape in the middle? I pat it down.
0:47:25 > 0:47:26Let the egg run back under.
0:47:26 > 0:47:27These balloons have nowhere else
0:47:27 > 0:47:29for the air to go that's trapped in there.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33So get the egg underneath. Yes, this is where you get your layers forming.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36We'll put in some cheese next, now we've turned it down.
0:47:36 > 0:47:42So, we'll put that back on. If you could pick some of the thyme you got
0:47:42 > 0:47:45and just sprinkle some over for me, just break the leaves off.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47This is where your flavour comes from.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49Every time you make this dish, you could change it.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53You could put sunblush tomatoes in there, finish it with basil.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Every dish can be slightly different. Do you want me to slice these?
0:47:56 > 0:48:00If you don't mind. Food and the provenance of our food is important.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04You can grow a tomato in a pot. You can go out and pick them. I've just had one!
0:48:04 > 0:48:06There you go, whizz those in there.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10Right, so I'm going to fold it over.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It should, hopefully...
0:48:12 > 0:48:13Go on, go for it.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17You hope it's the right colour underneath! Perfect, look at that.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20We're ready to go now, this looks really good. Thank you.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Exceptionally good. We'll put some of this on a plate.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Cut that in half cos that's a meal for two, isn't it? It is.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30It's economical, people don't realise. Quick and easy, made in about eight minutes.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34People say they haven't time to cook, this is quicker than a microwave meal. There's no excuse,
0:48:34 > 0:48:38you can grow a lot of the herbs and all of the salad in window boxes
0:48:38 > 0:48:41and in growbags, a little plot if you've got one, as well.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44You can see, in the middle, the tomatoes you put in.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48Did you make the dressing? I did, it's simple, just three ingredients.
0:48:48 > 0:48:49Mustard. Mustard, honey
0:48:49 > 0:48:54from the bees here, the hives. You've got bees? There are bees at Salmesbury... White wine vinegar.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Finish off the dish with a little bit of snipped parsley.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00The wind is doing a good job of blowing it around. There you go.
0:49:00 > 0:49:04This is the good life. I'm ready to have a taste, here we go.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06So simple.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09So tasty. This is the best omelette I've ever had.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11That's a lovely meal.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17We sometimes take the food we eat for granted
0:49:17 > 0:49:22but there's a lot of history and wisdom that goes behind the dishes that we've grown up eating.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Circumstances and economy have dictated the creation
0:49:25 > 0:49:27of traditional meals
0:49:27 > 0:49:32and they can teach us something, just like Philippa has shown us, that by going back to basics,
0:49:32 > 0:49:36and using locally sourced food that's affordable,
0:49:36 > 0:49:39you can create a very tasty dish.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42Hopefully, that's made you feel rather hungry.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44What are you eating tonight?
0:49:53 > 0:49:56'So, how do you think our experts' valuations went?
0:49:56 > 0:49:58'There's only one way to find out. We're off to auction
0:49:58 > 0:50:00'and here's a quick reminder of what we're taking.'
0:50:02 > 0:50:05The Eureka clock piqued David's interest.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10'Denise brought in her neighbours' Chinese silver dish.
0:50:10 > 0:50:15'So they'll be delighted with james's estimate of ?80-?120.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17'Those military-themed Poole pottery tiles
0:50:17 > 0:50:20'were an unusual find for David
0:50:20 > 0:50:24'and he's given them a value of ?60-?100 a pair.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30'And April's pilot watch was the star item of the day, here at St John's in Preston.
0:50:30 > 0:50:35'But will it make its estimate of ?1,000-?1,500?
0:50:35 > 0:50:37'It's now time to find out.'
0:50:43 > 0:50:45'We're in Knutsford for the auction,
0:50:45 > 0:50:46'for judgment time on our lots.
0:50:46 > 0:50:52'Standard seller's commission here is 15%, including VAT.'
0:50:52 > 0:50:54With you, sir, at ?170.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59'Now, next, will the bidders deliver a Eureka moment for Gary?'
0:51:00 > 0:51:02Good luck with this.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05We're looking at ?300 to ?500, it's going under the hammer right now.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Early 20th-century Eureka Clock Company,
0:51:08 > 0:51:10mahogany and brass.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14Electric timepiece, good little quality lot, lot of interest.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18I can start the bidding on commission, straight in at...300.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Wow. You're right.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23Any advance on 300, where's 20? 20 with you on the phones,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25340 I'd take, 340.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27But it's not job done, it's still going on.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30380 with me, at 380, 400, 420,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32440 the phone, 460 I have.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34A phone line, that's encouraging.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38480, 500, 500 now. 520.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40Book's out. With you on the phone. On the top estimate.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42Someone else in the room, late legs.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44520, back of the room, 520.
0:51:44 > 0:51:46Bidding on the phone, 540.
0:51:46 > 0:51:47540 now, 560 here.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49At 560 now, any further bids?
0:51:49 > 0:51:51He wanted it!
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Selling now, at ?560.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Great result. Got to be pleased with that! Very pleased!
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Just over the top end of the estimate.
0:52:00 > 0:52:01Well done.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03'What a good result!'
0:52:09 > 0:52:12It was brought in to the valuation day by Denise who's right here,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15but in fact it's owned by Graham, a friend of yours. Yes.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18Pleased to meet you, Graham. Hello. A lovely thing. An item of quality.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21I've got to say you've hit the market at the right time right now.
0:52:21 > 0:52:26Why are you selling this? I'm trying to squeeze two houses into one.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31I recently got married. Ah! Right, OK. Downsizing, in a way.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Cherry-picking the best items to keep.
0:52:34 > 0:52:39Or maybe the best items to sell to raise some money? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe!
0:52:39 > 0:52:46The late 19th/early 20th century Chinese silver bowl.
0:52:46 > 0:52:4980 for it. Thank you. ?80 bid. Any advance on 80?
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Five against you. 90.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Five. 100. 110. 120. 130.
0:52:55 > 0:52:56It's racing up quickly.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00150 I have. 160. 160 online it is.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02New bid at 170. Thank you.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05180. 190. 200.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08210 now. 220. 220 now.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12230. 240 here. 250.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16The gent's bid at 250 now. At ?250, selling.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21?250. That was very good, wasn't it? Double our top end. Happy?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Very, very happy. That'll help. It certainly will.
0:53:24 > 0:53:28'Well done, Denise, for spotting that silver bowl's potential.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30'Something more unusual now
0:53:30 > 0:53:34'with Enid and Bob's photographic ceramic tiles.'
0:53:34 > 0:53:39I've not come across these before so today I have learned something.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42What have you done with them? Nothing? Nothing, yeah.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46I think it's about time you put them under the hammer, in that case.
0:53:46 > 0:53:51Not literally. Of course not! Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Two early 20th-century
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Carters of Poole rectangular earthenware portrait tiles,
0:53:56 > 0:53:58nicely depicting Lord Kitchener
0:53:58 > 0:54:02and Sir John Rushworth of course, Jellicoe.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05?60 anywhere, someone? 50. 35, I have.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08At 35. And 40.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Most of the bidders in the middle of the room. Seated at 50.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14Five standing. 55. Bidding online. 60 here.
0:54:14 > 0:54:1865. Back in the room. 70.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20Five with you, sir. 75 now.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24They're historical pieces, really. Yes.
0:54:24 > 0:54:2690 bid. 95.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28Come on, make 100. 95 in the room.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30Finished online. With you, sir.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32All finished. Yours.
0:54:32 > 0:54:33It's gone. ?95.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Top end of the estimate. Well done, David. You must be happy with that.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Yes, thank you very much. Thank you for bringing them in.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43We've all learned something today and that's what it's all about,
0:54:43 > 0:54:45really. It is. Bit of knowledge. Yeah.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48'Right on estimate there,
0:54:48 > 0:54:55'but now it's time to see whether April's pilot watch matches up to its big estimate.'
0:54:55 > 0:55:02Time for April's watch to go under the hammer. Big bucks. ?1,000-?1,500.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06Had a chat to Nick the auctioneer. He'd have been slightly more cautious.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08Not much more cautious! No, no!
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Is this your first auction? Yes.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13What do you think? Sum it up for me.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17Lots of people and noise. Buzzing. Yeah. Great atmosphere. Fingers crossed,
0:55:17 > 0:55:19it's going under the hammer right now.
0:55:19 > 0:55:23This is what we've been waiting for. Hopefully a big surprise.
0:55:23 > 0:55:28Rare, oversized, stainless steel navigator's watch.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31In reasonable condition. Had a lot of interest presale.
0:55:31 > 0:55:37I'm going to come straight in flat at ?1,000. ?1,000 bid with me.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40And 50. 1,100.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42(Straight in at 1,000.)
0:55:42 > 0:55:45At ?1,200. 1,250. 1,300.
0:55:45 > 0:55:481,400. And 50.
0:55:48 > 0:55:511,550. 1,600. And 50.
0:55:51 > 0:55:581,700. And 50. 18. 1,850. 1,900. And 50. 2,000.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01And 50. 2,100. 2,100.
0:56:01 > 0:56:052,150. 2,200. 2,250.
0:56:05 > 0:56:112,250 online. I've got 2,300. 2,300 on the phone.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13April, do you need a seat?
0:56:13 > 0:56:17Are we going to go 2,400? 2,300. Really?!
0:56:17 > 0:56:21I've got 2,300. Come on, bid it up. 2,300 on the phone. 2,400.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23They're loving this, aren't they?
0:56:23 > 0:56:262,600. The bid is at 2,600.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29It's against you online. At ?2,600...
0:56:29 > 0:56:34I've got 2,700. 2,800. Still climbing. At 2,800.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37Oh, James, this is wonderful, isn't it?
0:56:37 > 0:56:40At ?2,800. 2,900.
0:56:40 > 0:56:45Come on. Round it up. 3,000. I knew we liked this lot. It's a rare one.
0:56:45 > 0:56:52April, this is stunning. Isn't it? Good on your mum.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55At ?3,000, going once. For 3,000 going twice.
0:56:55 > 0:57:00Last and final call, at ?3,000 online I sell.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02?3,000!
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Come here! Gosh!
0:57:05 > 0:57:09Well done. Well done. I told you there was going to be a surprise.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12We left it till the end. I hope you enjoyed the show.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14Sadly we have run out of time in Knutsford.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18But what an end and what a day! You can always learn something.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Join us again next time for many more surprises.
0:57:20 > 0:57:24Until then... Thank you. ..it's goodbye from all of us.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27MUSIC: "Flog It!" Theme
0:57:54 > 0:57:54I love you.
0:57:54 > 0:57:55It's all under control.
0:57:55 > 0:57:56Just when you think you've got it all sorted...
0:57:56 > 0:57:57I love you.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59It's all under control.
0:57:59 > 0:58:00This is really good of you, Pam.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02I know.
0:58:02 > 0:58:03Mum, this is Dean.
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Are you all right?
0:58:05 > 0:58:08..things don't turn out quite as you'd expected.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12This isn't over.
0:58:13 > 0:58:14I don't know what to say.