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This is the magnificent Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, | 0:00:03 | 0:00:06 | |
which has had rather a turbulent past, | 0:00:06 | 0:00:09 | |
with links to rebels, gunpowder plots and Shakespearean knights. | 0:00:09 | 0:00:13 | |
But today, we're hoping for a slightly more serene experience, | 0:00:13 | 0:00:16 | |
because this is the venue for our valuation day. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:19 | |
Welcome to "Flog It!" | 0:00:19 | 0:00:20 | |
'The castle has been home to the Percy family ever since 1766, | 0:00:42 | 0:00:47 | |
'many of whom were passionate collectors | 0:00:47 | 0:00:49 | |
'and furnished the building with some incredible antiques. | 0:00:49 | 0:00:52 | |
'So with all these wonderful objects, | 0:00:52 | 0:00:54 | |
'it's a fitting location for one of our valuation days.' | 0:00:54 | 0:00:57 | |
We've got a marvellous crowd and they've all had a rummage through their attics and cellars, | 0:00:59 | 0:01:04 | |
looking for unwanted antiques and collectables to put through to auction. | 0:01:04 | 0:01:08 | |
The lucky ones will be going home with a lot of money. | 0:01:08 | 0:01:11 | |
So let's not waste any time. | 0:01:11 | 0:01:12 | |
Let's get our experts stuck into all of those bags and boxes. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
'And our experts today are the feisty lady auctioneer Anita Manning, | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
'and the debonair David Fletcher. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:23 | |
'And Anita is taking no prisoners in her search for the ultimate antique.' | 0:01:24 | 0:01:29 | |
What have you got? Show me your goodies. | 0:01:29 | 0:01:31 | |
'And if at first you don't succeed...' | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
Stand and deliver! | 0:01:33 | 0:01:35 | |
'David is shooting people down, too.' | 0:01:36 | 0:01:39 | |
-I think probably thank you, but no thank you. -That's OK. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
'Let's hope he finds something worthy of a hefty ransom | 0:01:42 | 0:01:45 | |
'later on in the show.' | 0:01:45 | 0:01:47 | |
'Today's programme is packed full of drama | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
'and I'll be telling you a historic tale of kidnap | 0:01:52 | 0:01:55 | |
'and terror as I visit Gibside Pleasure Grounds. | 0:01:55 | 0:01:58 | |
'And we've got our share of deadly items on the show, too. | 0:01:59 | 0:02:02 | |
'But which one will make the most at auction? | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
'These Victorian pistols or these swashbuckling swords?' | 0:02:05 | 0:02:08 | |
Yes, there are a lot of people there, | 0:02:11 | 0:02:14 | |
which means a lot of antiques to value. | 0:02:14 | 0:02:16 | |
It looks like Anita Manning is our first expert today to spot a real gem. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:20 | |
Let's take a closer look. | 0:02:20 | 0:02:22 | |
Beryl, welcome to "Flog It!". | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
You were the very first in the queue this morning, | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
and I thought that you might have something interesting. | 0:02:27 | 0:02:31 | |
This is a lovely plate. Can you tell me, where did you get it? | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
I was a home carer for a lot of years. | 0:02:34 | 0:02:37 | |
I was really attached to this old lady and she left it to me | 0:02:37 | 0:02:41 | |
in her will because I used to wash it and clean it and look after it. | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
She was always telling me to go on holidays. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
Otherwise, I don't think I would have parted with it. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:49 | |
But I've got grandchildren and I'm frightened in case it gets broken. | 0:02:49 | 0:02:53 | |
Tell me what you liked about it. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:55 | |
The colours. It is pretty when it's up. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
Well, the most obvious thing about this plate | 0:02:58 | 0:03:03 | |
are these wonderful colours. | 0:03:03 | 0:03:05 | |
It's called Imari. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:08 | |
It comes from Japan, a little town in Japan called Arita. | 0:03:08 | 0:03:12 | |
It was made 1880s to 1890s for the export market | 0:03:12 | 0:03:19 | |
and it's characterised by these wonderful blues, rust reds, | 0:03:19 | 0:03:26 | |
golds and whites, and the British people loved that type of thing. | 0:03:26 | 0:03:31 | |
I think it is very attractive. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
Now, if we turn it round to the back, | 0:03:34 | 0:03:37 | |
we see a more restrained colour palette here. | 0:03:37 | 0:03:41 | |
The blues and whites with this typical blue circle | 0:03:41 | 0:03:44 | |
around the inside here. | 0:03:44 | 0:03:47 | |
It's absolutely lovely. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:50 | |
If it had been selling 10 or 15 years ago, it would have been worth more. | 0:03:50 | 0:03:55 | |
But this type of item has gone down a little bit in value. OK. | 0:03:55 | 0:04:00 | |
I would like to put it into auction with an estimate of £40 to £60. | 0:04:00 | 0:04:06 | |
-Right. -Would that be OK with you? | 0:04:06 | 0:04:09 | |
-It might go a little bit more than that, Beryl. -Right. -It might go bit more. | 0:04:10 | 0:04:15 | |
-But that is the correct estimate that it should go in with. -Right. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:20 | |
-We could put a reserve of £40 on it. -Yes. -Put a reserve. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:24 | |
If it doesn't get it, you know that it's to come back to you. | 0:04:24 | 0:04:27 | |
Yes. I'm quite happy if it comes back if I don't get the money. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:30 | |
It's been an absolute pleasure to have you here with us. | 0:04:30 | 0:04:35 | |
I've enjoyed it. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:37 | |
'Who would have thought that Japanese plate would have ended up in a castle in Northumberland? | 0:04:37 | 0:04:42 | |
'"Flog It!" certainly attracts the exotic and the wonderful | 0:04:42 | 0:04:46 | |
'and some of our objects aren't what they seem at all.' | 0:04:46 | 0:04:50 | |
Hello, Richard. Have you hurt your leg? | 0:04:50 | 0:04:52 | |
No. This is not really a walking stick. | 0:04:52 | 0:04:55 | |
-Is it not? -No. It's a Sunday stick, as it was called. | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
You could go walking out on a Sunday when golf wasn't able to be played, | 0:04:59 | 0:05:02 | |
and you could use this to hit the occasional golf ball when | 0:05:02 | 0:05:05 | |
people would think you were just out for a walk with your walking stick. | 0:05:05 | 0:05:08 | |
-I have never seen one of these. -Oh, yes. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:10 | |
Now, tell me about golf. You weren't allowed to play golf on a Sunday? | 0:05:10 | 0:05:14 | |
In certain places you weren't allowed to play golf on a Sunday. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:17 | |
The old course at St Andrews was closed on a Sunday, | 0:05:17 | 0:05:19 | |
so if you were out for a walk, you could take this with you as | 0:05:19 | 0:05:22 | |
your walking stick and when no-one was looking, hit a few golf balls. | 0:05:22 | 0:05:25 | |
So you would be in trouble if you saw the minister coming on the opposite side of the road? | 0:05:25 | 0:05:29 | |
Possibly, yes. | 0:05:29 | 0:05:31 | |
So that is when you swung it round and reverted to it as a walking stick. | 0:05:31 | 0:05:35 | |
Yes. Very good. Show us a swing, Richard. You're a golfer, I'm not. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:39 | |
Very good! It is a lovely crafted object. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:45 | |
And it has a little hard wooden face here and little leaded | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
weights behind it as a normal golf driver of that era would have. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:52 | |
-And we have here what I assume must be the maker's name. -Yes. | 0:05:52 | 0:05:56 | |
W Sealley. It might be Sculley. | 0:05:56 | 0:05:58 | |
But I think it has to be the maker's name. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
I love the fact that it adds a bit of a risk to the | 0:06:01 | 0:06:05 | |
experience of going out for a walk. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:07 | |
It makes it almost illicit to be playing golf. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:10 | |
Whether it was actually banned as such, I don't know. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:13 | |
I suppose you just might have got into trouble for playing on a Sunday. | 0:06:13 | 0:06:17 | |
I think it's great and what a lovely story. | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
Now, this is going to appeal to collectors both of walking sticks | 0:06:20 | 0:06:23 | |
and of course people like yourself who are golfers. | 0:06:23 | 0:06:27 | |
How did you come by it? | 0:06:27 | 0:06:29 | |
It belonged to my mother. She had it for many years. | 0:06:29 | 0:06:32 | |
Although she wasn't a golfer, she was very interested in golf and anything Scottish. | 0:06:32 | 0:06:36 | |
So why are you selling it? | 0:06:36 | 0:06:38 | |
I don't collect any golf memorabilia | 0:06:38 | 0:06:40 | |
and it has been in the cupboard beside my golf bag for many years. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:44 | |
So I thought I would try and flog it to see what I could get for it. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:47 | |
Now, I would be inclined to estimate this in the region of £30 to £50. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:52 | |
If it made £50 or £60, I would not be surprised. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:55 | |
But I can't see it making much more than that. | 0:06:55 | 0:06:58 | |
I think I should say if we're going to sell it at that sort of estimate, | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
if we could sell it without reserve, it's the sort of thing that's going to find its level. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
I mean, there will be collectors all over the world for this sort of thing. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:09 | |
Well, let's hope it comes up to par | 0:07:09 | 0:07:11 | |
and we have a successful sale and if we do, I will see you in the 19th. | 0:07:11 | 0:07:14 | |
That would be great. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:16 | |
'I can't bear all these golfing puns. | 0:07:16 | 0:07:19 | |
'Now, Anita is about to tee-off her next valuation.' | 0:07:19 | 0:07:22 | |
Brenda, welcome to "Flog It!" | 0:07:23 | 0:07:25 | |
It's lovely to have you along in this wonderful setting. | 0:07:25 | 0:07:29 | |
-It's lovely, isn't it? -I like this watch. Tell me, where did you get it? | 0:07:29 | 0:07:33 | |
I bought it from a little antique shop in Berwick about 25 years ago. | 0:07:33 | 0:07:36 | |
-I paid about £30 for it then. -Right. | 0:07:36 | 0:07:39 | |
I see a lot of this type of watch. | 0:07:39 | 0:07:42 | |
It is a lady's fob watch and this one is particularly pretty. | 0:07:42 | 0:07:47 | |
These watches often have damage on the porcelain face. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:51 | |
This one is in perfect condition. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:53 | |
I particularly like the numerals | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
and I also like this lovely gilt decoration, | 0:07:56 | 0:08:00 | |
which goes around the face. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:02 | |
The hands are still there | 0:08:02 | 0:08:04 | |
and again the gilt decoration is repeated in the middle of the watch. | 0:08:04 | 0:08:09 | |
Yes, it is. | 0:08:09 | 0:08:11 | |
So it's very pretty and it's very feminine. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:14 | |
That's what I thought at the time, actually. | 0:08:14 | 0:08:17 | |
-Then you put it in a drawer... -Yes, I put it in a drawer... -..and forgot all about it. | 0:08:17 | 0:08:20 | |
It is Victorian. | 0:08:20 | 0:08:23 | |
It dates from the latter part of the 1800s, early 1900s. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:29 | |
Now, it would have been attached to a long chain | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
which she would have had around her neck. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:35 | |
Or she may have had it attached to a chatelaine, which was a device | 0:08:35 | 0:08:39 | |
she would wear on her belt where she would keep her little watch | 0:08:39 | 0:08:43 | |
and the other little everyday things that she might need. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:47 | |
This little chain here is perhaps not the original chain | 0:08:47 | 0:08:52 | |
-and it's not anything of any great substance. -No. -OK. | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
We have looked at the front of it. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:57 | |
If we turn it around and open it to look at the back, | 0:08:57 | 0:09:02 | |
we can see a mark - 935. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:06 | |
Now this is a continental silver mark. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:09 | |
It tells us that there are 935 parts of silver | 0:09:09 | 0:09:14 | |
per thousand. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
So there's a little bit of base metal in there | 0:09:16 | 0:09:19 | |
and that's just to harden the metal up. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:21 | |
If we look at the back, we see this very nice | 0:09:21 | 0:09:26 | |
chaste and engraved decoration here. | 0:09:26 | 0:09:30 | |
All in all, it's quite a nice little item. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:34 | |
-Do we know if it's working or not, Brenda? -No, I've never used it. | 0:09:34 | 0:09:37 | |
You've never used it? Maybe you felt that you deserved a wee treat. | 0:09:37 | 0:09:41 | |
-We all do, don't we, sometimes? -I completely agree with you! | 0:09:41 | 0:09:45 | |
-Let's think about price. You paid £30 for it... -Yes. | 0:09:45 | 0:09:48 | |
-..and you bought it in a retail situation. -Just a little antique shop. | 0:09:48 | 0:09:53 | |
I would put an estimate of, say, 30-40. | 0:09:53 | 0:09:58 | |
-It will not have increased a great deal in value. -No. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
Perhaps we would put a reserve price of 25. | 0:10:02 | 0:10:06 | |
-How do you feel about that, Brenda? -That's fine. That's fine. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
I think the pleasure that was got from it was when you bought it. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:11 | |
Yes, I think it was, probably! | 0:10:11 | 0:10:14 | |
When you bought it. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:16 | |
I look forward to seeing you at the auction and we'll have some more fun. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:20 | |
Thank you very much. | 0:10:20 | 0:10:21 | |
Well, let's hope Brenda gets a great price for that watch. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:24 | |
Then maybe she can use the money to buy something fabulous, | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
and experience that buying buzz once more. | 0:10:27 | 0:10:31 | |
Now, what's going on on David's table? | 0:10:31 | 0:10:33 | |
-Hello, John. -Hello. -You look as if you're challenging me to a duel. -Yes. | 0:10:33 | 0:10:38 | |
-We're in the right place for it. -Well, indeed, yes. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:41 | |
I don't think I'd be very good at it - I'd run a mile | 0:10:41 | 0:10:43 | |
if anyone threatened me with a sword like this. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:46 | |
Anyway, I can't claim to be a great expert on swords, | 0:10:46 | 0:10:49 | |
-so I'm going to have to be led by you. You obviously collect them. -Yes. | 0:10:49 | 0:10:52 | |
-So you must know a bit about them. -A little bit, just what I've found on the internet. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:56 | |
Is this the extent of your collection or have you got other ones at home? | 0:10:56 | 0:10:59 | |
-I've a few more swords at home. Two or three more. -Right. | 0:10:59 | 0:11:03 | |
So, let's start with this one, which is, presumably, an infantry sword. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:06 | |
An infantry sword, I think, from about 1820, | 0:11:06 | 0:11:09 | |
something like that, the cavalry. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:11 | |
How did you come by this one? | 0:11:11 | 0:11:13 | |
I was working for a pub doing a job and these were in the cellar... | 0:11:13 | 0:11:18 | |
-Right. -..these two, all covered in paint and rust. | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
They were going to throw them out, so I asked if I could have them | 0:11:21 | 0:11:24 | |
and they said, yes, just take them. | 0:11:24 | 0:11:26 | |
I cleaned them up and I found this one was a Percy Tenantry one | 0:11:26 | 0:11:29 | |
and this here, a light cavalry sword. | 0:11:29 | 0:11:32 | |
So this is a cavalry sword not an infantry sword? | 0:11:32 | 0:11:34 | |
-I think so, I'm not so sure. -OK, I'm sure you're right. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:37 | |
Tell me more about that one. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:39 | |
-The Percy Tenantry is from Alnwick Castle here. -Right. | 0:11:39 | 0:11:42 | |
Lord Percy had a dad's army, as you'd say, in the 1800s | 0:11:42 | 0:11:46 | |
in case Napoleon invaded Britain. | 0:11:46 | 0:11:49 | |
-That's all I know about that one. -Thank heavens he didn't. | 0:11:49 | 0:11:51 | |
-He certainly didn't. And this one's the US Navy. -Right. | 0:11:51 | 0:11:55 | |
-And who is this one by? -Horstman & Sons, Philadelphia. -Philadelphia. | 0:11:55 | 0:11:59 | |
-OK. So that one's actually made in America? -Yes. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:01 | |
I mean, this looks to me as if it might be based on an earlier | 0:12:01 | 0:12:05 | |
-pattern, but I'd expect that to be made in the 20th century. -Right. | 0:12:05 | 0:12:10 | |
It has USN on the guard, doesn't it, as you imply. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:14 | |
I guess the most interesting one, bearing in mind where we are... | 0:12:14 | 0:12:17 | |
-Percy Tenantry. -Because it has local interest, doesn't it? | 0:12:17 | 0:12:20 | |
And I dare say they're not uncommon, but have you ever seen one before? | 0:12:20 | 0:12:24 | |
-Never seen one before, no. -I think that will generate some interest. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
Do you have any idea what the market value is? | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
I bought these at auction, this one at auction for £80. | 0:12:30 | 0:12:33 | |
And these two you acquired so they don't stand you at anything. | 0:12:33 | 0:12:37 | |
I mean, as far as you're concerned, are you looking to get your money back, or...? | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
-I would like to get my money back on them, yes. -OK. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
I have a figure of £200 plus in mind for the three of them. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:49 | |
I think they should be sold in one lot, but the auctioneers | 0:12:49 | 0:12:53 | |
may decide to split them up and sell them individually. | 0:12:53 | 0:12:56 | |
-We'll be guided by them on that. -Yes. | 0:12:56 | 0:12:58 | |
OK. So let's go for an estimate of 200-300 and reserve them at £200. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:03 | |
Right, very good. | 0:13:03 | 0:13:05 | |
Fingers crossed there are some bidders on the day | 0:13:05 | 0:13:08 | |
determined to battle it out for those swords. | 0:13:08 | 0:13:10 | |
So, let's get our items over to the auction house | 0:13:15 | 0:13:17 | |
and just to refresh your memory, here's a quick recap | 0:13:17 | 0:13:20 | |
of what we're taking with us. | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
Beryl's Imari plate has travelled all the way from Japan, | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
but will it be flying out of the saleroom | 0:13:26 | 0:13:28 | |
or flying back into Beryl's arms? | 0:13:28 | 0:13:30 | |
Richard's Sunday stick might have once been illicit, | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
but I think David's given it a perfectly respectable valuation. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
You'll have to watch this space to see if Brenda's little timepiece | 0:13:46 | 0:13:49 | |
makes Anita's estimate. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:51 | |
And we are about to find out if David has been cavalier | 0:13:51 | 0:13:53 | |
in his valuation of John's sword collection. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:56 | |
This is where it gets exciting. It's auction time. | 0:14:08 | 0:14:11 | |
Today's sale is taking place at the Boldon Auction Galleries. | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
Hopefully, it's going to be jam-packed inside. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:17 | |
Well, our luck is in. We've got a great turnout | 0:14:19 | 0:14:21 | |
but will the bidders be putting their money where their mouth is? | 0:14:21 | 0:14:25 | |
As auctioneer Giles Hodges takes to the rostrum, | 0:14:25 | 0:14:27 | |
there's no time to waste because our first sale is coming up right now. | 0:14:27 | 0:14:31 | |
This is classic auction fodder, really, Imari plates. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:36 | |
Japanese, lovely. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:37 | |
-£40-£60. Should do that any day of the week. -Good. | 0:14:37 | 0:14:41 | |
-Why are you selling this? -It's big and cumbersome. | 0:14:41 | 0:14:44 | |
-Where's it been then in the house for the last few years? -In a drawer! | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
Still heavy to put in a drawer. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:50 | |
It's shame, really, because it is pretty. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:53 | |
You should have things like that on the wall, in a way. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
-My mum would have that on the wall. -Yeah. | 0:14:56 | 0:14:57 | |
I've got too many pictures of grandchildren and what have you. | 0:14:57 | 0:15:01 | |
Good luck. Here we go, going under the hammer right now. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:03 | |
We have the Japanese octagonal Imari wall plaque. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:07 | |
And I'm bid 20 to start it. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:10 | |
-At 25. 30. -Come on. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:12 | |
35, 40. At £45. | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
On my left. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:17 | |
At £45. 50, anybody? | 0:15:17 | 0:15:19 | |
-Come on. -£45... | 0:15:19 | 0:15:21 | |
-50, I've got the hand. At 50. Five. -That's good. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:25 | |
60. Five. | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
-Someone else is bidding now. £65. -Come on. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:31 | |
At £65 for the last time. | 0:15:31 | 0:15:33 | |
At 65. | 0:15:33 | 0:15:35 | |
That's a good price. That's a very good price. Happy? | 0:15:35 | 0:15:38 | |
You said, 40-60. Yeah, I'm thrilled. | 0:15:38 | 0:15:41 | |
Very good, very good. Well done, Anita. | 0:15:41 | 0:15:43 | |
-It hovered about 40 for a while and then it... -A fresh bidder came in. | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
I'm thrilled to bits. | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
-That's what auctions are all about, and this was your first auction, wasn't it? -Yes. Yes. | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
Well, what a great start. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:55 | |
Next up, Richard's Sunday stick. | 0:15:57 | 0:15:58 | |
I wonder if this will find its way back to Scotland. | 0:15:58 | 0:16:01 | |
Have you done any more research on this? | 0:16:01 | 0:16:03 | |
Yes, I found it was the Church who banned golf on a Sunday. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:06 | |
Well, they didn't ban it, they disapproved of it strongly, | 0:16:06 | 0:16:08 | |
and so the Sunday sticks were invented at the turn of the century. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:11 | |
-A nice thing, though, a nice thing. -Oh, yes, unusual. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:14 | |
I have a mate and he plays golf every Sunday. | 0:16:14 | 0:16:16 | |
If he was prevented from doing that, he'd be furious. | 0:16:16 | 0:16:19 | |
-His world would fall apart. -It would! | 0:16:19 | 0:16:21 | |
I think this will back to Scotland. | 0:16:21 | 0:16:23 | |
-There's a lot of golf memorabilia in Scotland. Good luck. -Thank you. | 0:16:23 | 0:16:27 | |
Here we go. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:28 | |
We have the Sunday stick in the form of a golf club. | 0:16:28 | 0:16:33 | |
I'm bid 40 to start it. At £40. | 0:16:33 | 0:16:35 | |
-45, 50... -That was good. -60. | 0:16:36 | 0:16:39 | |
At £60. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:40 | |
Anybody else left? 65. 70. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:43 | |
-Someone on the phone here. -Yes. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:45 | |
£80. You all done? | 0:16:45 | 0:16:47 | |
£80, and we're away. At 80. | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
85. Just in time on the net. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:55 | |
At £85. All done, ladies and gents. | 0:16:55 | 0:16:58 | |
On the internet, the room's out, too, on £85. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:02 | |
-Yes, that's more like it, isn't it? -That's good. -That's a good price. | 0:17:02 | 0:17:05 | |
-That's a good price. -Someone was serious about that. | 0:17:05 | 0:17:08 | |
-That's going in a collection somewhere. -I hope so. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:10 | |
Thank you for bringing it in. We've all learned something, and that's what it's all about. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:14 | |
Well, it is fast and furious today, | 0:17:18 | 0:17:20 | |
but up next we've got a ladies fob watch belonging to Brenda. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:24 | |
Unfortunately, she can't be here today, but we do have Anita, | 0:17:24 | 0:17:27 | |
-and we're looking for that top end. -Yes. | 0:17:27 | 0:17:30 | |
These little fob watches are quite common, | 0:17:30 | 0:17:33 | |
but this is a particularly pretty one. | 0:17:33 | 0:17:36 | |
The porcelain face is in wonderful condition | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
and it has lovely gilt and silver decoration, so I like this one. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:43 | |
Something a little bit different to catch the bidders' attention. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
Here we go. It's going under the hammer right now, Good luck. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:49 | |
We have a ladies fob watch with a decorative dial | 0:17:50 | 0:17:53 | |
and a little silver chain. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
I'm bid ten to start. | 0:17:56 | 0:17:57 | |
At ten. 15. 20. | 0:17:57 | 0:18:00 | |
Five. Back at the wall... | 0:18:00 | 0:18:02 | |
-We're hoping for about 20-25, aren't we? -40. | 0:18:02 | 0:18:05 | |
Five. | 0:18:05 | 0:18:06 | |
50. £50 to the front row. | 0:18:06 | 0:18:08 | |
At £50. Anybody else left? | 0:18:10 | 0:18:12 | |
-That's good. -We're away at 50. | 0:18:12 | 0:18:15 | |
That's a good result. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:17 | |
They liked it because of the decoration. It was very, very pretty. | 0:18:17 | 0:18:21 | |
-And the watch was very fresh. -Good. | 0:18:21 | 0:18:23 | |
I'm sure Brenda will be chuffed with that result. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:26 | |
They do say in the antiques trade, the auction room is the cutting | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
edge, so it's the perfect place to sell three swords belonging to John. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:34 | |
We've got a value of £200-£300 on these. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:37 | |
I like the naval sword particularly. Why are you selling these? | 0:18:37 | 0:18:39 | |
I've got one or two spare swords at home and I wanted to see. | 0:18:39 | 0:18:42 | |
I came to value them first, just to get the value. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
Hopefully we'll get the top end for you. There's three of them. | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
John is a knowledgeable chap. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:49 | |
He knows more about these things than I do. He helped me through this one. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:53 | |
-Thanks for saying that. -You do. It is a nice little lot. | 0:18:53 | 0:18:57 | |
The US naval sword and two others. | 0:18:57 | 0:19:00 | |
200 bid. 220. 250. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
At 250. 280 now. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
At 250. 280. 300. | 0:19:06 | 0:19:10 | |
320. It's on the phone. At £320 to the phone. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:15 | |
This is good, this is good. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:19 | |
360. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:20 | |
-380. -They're thinking about it. | 0:19:22 | 0:19:23 | |
400. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:26 | |
420. | 0:19:26 | 0:19:29 | |
440. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:30 | |
At 440. It's on the phone. | 0:19:31 | 0:19:34 | |
460, it's on the net. | 0:19:34 | 0:19:36 | |
-The suspense is killing me. -At 460. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:38 | |
480. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:40 | |
-Still on the telephone. -It's gone very quiet. | 0:19:40 | 0:19:43 | |
£480. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:44 | |
Are we all done, do you think? | 0:19:46 | 0:19:47 | |
At £480, and we're... 500. | 0:19:48 | 0:19:51 | |
520 on the phone. 520 on the phone. | 0:19:53 | 0:19:57 | |
At 520. | 0:19:57 | 0:19:59 | |
There's somebody really wants them and they're on the phone. | 0:19:59 | 0:20:02 | |
At £520. We're all done on the internet. The bid is on the phone. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:05 | |
At £520. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
He'll take that. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:11 | |
-520. Well done. -Very pleased with that. | 0:20:11 | 0:20:14 | |
I bet you had an idea it was worth that, didn't you? | 0:20:14 | 0:20:17 | |
About that, I thought, about 400-500. | 0:20:17 | 0:20:19 | |
Now, auctions attract all manner of historical items, including | 0:20:20 | 0:20:23 | |
diaries and personal letters. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
It's amazing how much they can fetch. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
This letter sold for £550 at an auction house in 2010. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:33 | |
And I want to explore the shocking history surrounding it. | 0:20:33 | 0:20:37 | |
It describes a dramatic eight-year ordeal, | 0:20:40 | 0:20:42 | |
and it was written by the Countess of Strathmore in 1785. | 0:20:42 | 0:20:47 | |
This is Gibside - a splendid 18th-century estate nestling | 0:20:49 | 0:20:52 | |
in the countryside, ten miles outside of Newcastle city centre. | 0:20:52 | 0:20:56 | |
It was built to display its owner's wealth and opulence. | 0:20:56 | 0:21:00 | |
But its history reads like a tragedy. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:02 | |
It looks like a fine house, it looks enchanting and inviting, | 0:21:03 | 0:21:07 | |
but for one woman, it must have felt like a prison. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:11 | |
In the beginning it was simply a case of owner, George Bowes, | 0:21:17 | 0:21:20 | |
showing off. | 0:21:20 | 0:21:22 | |
He created these luxurious stables to rival his contemporaries' houses. | 0:21:22 | 0:21:26 | |
Designed an exquisite Palladian chapel for his own burial | 0:21:27 | 0:21:31 | |
and became renowned as having one of the most impressive estates in the land. | 0:21:31 | 0:21:36 | |
All this worked well for him. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:38 | |
But it was when Gibside was passed down to his daughter, | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
Mary Eleanor, that things took a dark turn. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:44 | |
Mary Eleanor was just 11 years old when her father died. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:53 | |
Overnight, she instantly became the richest heiress in the country, | 0:21:53 | 0:21:58 | |
with an estimated worth of around £150 million in today's money. | 0:21:58 | 0:22:03 | |
That is a staggering amount. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:05 | |
It instantly made Mary Eleanor a very desirable young lady, | 0:22:05 | 0:22:08 | |
but it was also the recipe for disaster. | 0:22:08 | 0:22:11 | |
As the years passed she eventually settled on a suitor, | 0:22:15 | 0:22:18 | |
a chap called John Lyon. | 0:22:18 | 0:22:19 | |
They were in love and they got married | 0:22:19 | 0:22:21 | |
but, sadly, the countess was left widowed at the age of 28. | 0:22:21 | 0:22:26 | |
Newly single, she lived in London, enjoying the high life, | 0:22:26 | 0:22:30 | |
where she met a man who would dramatically change her life. | 0:22:30 | 0:22:34 | |
Andrew Robinson Stoney was an adventurer, | 0:22:37 | 0:22:40 | |
conman and despicable rogue. | 0:22:40 | 0:22:43 | |
He had his sights on Gibside | 0:22:43 | 0:22:45 | |
and would do anything he could to snare Mary Eleanor. | 0:22:45 | 0:22:49 | |
Anonymous letters started appearing in a London newspaper, | 0:22:50 | 0:22:53 | |
blackening her name. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:55 | |
Stoney, apparently aghast at these accusations, | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
penned replies in her defence, which were also published. | 0:22:59 | 0:23:03 | |
When the letters continued, | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
Stoney challenged the newspaper editor to a duel. | 0:23:05 | 0:23:08 | |
He lost, and was seemingly fatally wounded. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
Stoney asked to see Mary Eleanor. | 0:23:12 | 0:23:14 | |
He had one final request, | 0:23:14 | 0:23:16 | |
to marry the woman he was prepared to die for. | 0:23:16 | 0:23:19 | |
Moved by this act of kindness, Mary agreed. | 0:23:19 | 0:23:22 | |
They hurriedly made arrangements to wed before Stoney slipped away. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:26 | |
But what would you know? | 0:23:26 | 0:23:27 | |
Shortly after the wedding Stoney made a miraculous recovery. | 0:23:27 | 0:23:31 | |
The duel was a set-up and Stoney had written all the letters himself. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:36 | |
Unbeknown to Stoney, Mary Eleanor had entered into a legal agreement | 0:23:40 | 0:23:43 | |
with her first husband's family, ensuring that the estate | 0:23:43 | 0:23:47 | |
be protected in its entirety for her elder son to inherit. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:51 | |
When Stoney discovered this, he went absolutely berserk. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:56 | |
But, having married into wealth, he was determined to live the life | 0:23:56 | 0:23:59 | |
of a millionaire. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:01 | |
Mary Eleanor afforded him this life of luxury, | 0:24:01 | 0:24:04 | |
because she had a rather generous monthly allowance. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:08 | |
But Stone run up huge gambling debts and, much worse, | 0:24:10 | 0:24:13 | |
he treated his wife despicably. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:16 | |
The statue you can see behind me was built by her father. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:19 | |
It is a representation of Liberty, ironically. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:23 | |
Mary Eleanor was held prisoner for eight years | 0:24:23 | 0:24:26 | |
at the hands of this evil man. | 0:24:26 | 0:24:27 | |
Eventually, after unspeakable torture at Stoney's hands, | 0:24:29 | 0:24:33 | |
Mary Eleanor managed to escape. | 0:24:33 | 0:24:35 | |
She wasted no time in starting divorce proceedings. | 0:24:35 | 0:24:38 | |
But Stoney was not giving up that easily. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:43 | |
He knew that if Mary Eleanor was successful, | 0:24:43 | 0:24:46 | |
he would be arrested for bankruptcy. | 0:24:46 | 0:24:48 | |
As a child, Mary Eleanor would have seen teams of horse-drawn coaches | 0:24:53 | 0:24:56 | |
coming in and out of this stable courtyard, | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
delivering her father's rich guests. | 0:24:59 | 0:25:02 | |
Never would she imagine how one such journey | 0:25:02 | 0:25:05 | |
would be so terrible for her in later life. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
The year after her escape, Stoney employed four thugs to kidnap her | 0:25:09 | 0:25:13 | |
whilst she was out shopping in London. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:15 | |
They forced the terrified countess into a horse-drawn coach | 0:25:15 | 0:25:18 | |
and raced up the country with her friends chasing in hot pursuit | 0:25:18 | 0:25:22 | |
ending up in Streatlam Castle, the Bowes ancestral home. | 0:25:22 | 0:25:27 | |
Here, Stoney puts a pistol to Mary Eleanor's head | 0:25:27 | 0:25:30 | |
and demands she stops the divorce proceedings at once. | 0:25:30 | 0:25:33 | |
But she refuses. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:35 | |
She'd rather die than live a life of hell at Gibside. | 0:25:35 | 0:25:38 | |
With Mary Eleanor's friends in hot pursuit, | 0:25:38 | 0:25:40 | |
Stoney forces her onto a horse. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:42 | |
They gallop off to Newcastle and, from there, | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
they make it over the Pennines. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:46 | |
After 11 days of pursuit, they reached Darlington, where, | 0:25:46 | 0:25:49 | |
thankfully, a local blacksmith recognises Mary Eleanor, | 0:25:49 | 0:25:52 | |
knocks Stoney out and helps her escape. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:55 | |
Divorce proceedings are resumed. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:01 | |
The trial lasts two bitter years, where Stoney does everything | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
in his powers to tarnish Mary Eleanor's reputation. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:09 | |
He even feigns illness to try and win public sympathy. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:13 | |
But at last the countess gets her divorce. | 0:26:14 | 0:26:17 | |
Their high-profile case was ground-breaking. | 0:26:17 | 0:26:20 | |
Back then, divorce was fairly rare | 0:26:20 | 0:26:22 | |
and it was even rarer for a woman to instigate it. | 0:26:22 | 0:26:25 | |
Stoney was arrested for bankruptcy and put in debtors jail. | 0:26:25 | 0:26:30 | |
Finally, Mary Eleanor was free of Stoney. | 0:26:30 | 0:26:33 | |
She retreated to Hampshire to live a quiet life, | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
where she made peace with her estranged children. | 0:26:36 | 0:26:39 | |
Mary Eleanor died in the year 1800, aged 51. | 0:26:39 | 0:26:42 | |
Stoney died in jail. | 0:26:42 | 0:26:44 | |
The estate carried down Mary Eleanor's family tree. | 0:26:46 | 0:26:50 | |
The best-known member of the Bowes-Lyon family | 0:26:50 | 0:26:52 | |
is the Queen Mother, who would have visited Gibside in her youth. | 0:26:52 | 0:26:56 | |
But increasingly, the family were not interested in living here, | 0:26:56 | 0:26:59 | |
and the estate slowly slipped into ruin. | 0:26:59 | 0:27:02 | |
But in 1966, part of Gibside were taken over | 0:27:03 | 0:27:06 | |
by the National Trust, who have brought the estate back to life. | 0:27:06 | 0:27:10 | |
Mary Eleanor's life was far from a fairytale story, | 0:27:11 | 0:27:14 | |
but, undoubtedly, this is a house with a story to tell. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
These days, the grounds are open to the public, | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
but, sadly, the house is a little too run down to explore. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
The grounds are a wonderful place for families to visit. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:27 | |
All the time and money that George Bowes lavished on this estate | 0:27:27 | 0:27:31 | |
all those years ago can now finally be enjoyed and appreciated | 0:27:31 | 0:27:34 | |
in a way that, sadly, Mary Eleanor was unable to do. | 0:27:34 | 0:27:38 | |
After that dramatic tale, it is rather fitting | 0:27:45 | 0:27:48 | |
we're back in our dramatic valuation day venue - Alnwick Castle. | 0:27:48 | 0:27:52 | |
The weather has taken a bit of a dramatic turn, too. | 0:27:52 | 0:27:55 | |
I've taken the opportunity to escape inside and have a closer look | 0:27:55 | 0:27:58 | |
at what Suzy has brought along. | 0:27:58 | 0:28:00 | |
Hello, Suzy. At least we didn't get wet. Everybody ran for cover. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
Right, let's get these out of the box. | 0:28:07 | 0:28:09 | |
What can you tell me about them? | 0:28:09 | 0:28:11 | |
They belonged to a very dear friend of mine's father | 0:28:11 | 0:28:14 | |
and his father gave them to me as a present about seven years ago, eight years ago. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:19 | |
-These are fascinating. -They are beautiful. | 0:28:19 | 0:28:21 | |
These are little muff pistols, designed to be in the muff, | 0:28:21 | 0:28:25 | |
concealed in a little hand muff. | 0:28:25 | 0:28:27 | |
Generally, they weren't used by women, | 0:28:27 | 0:28:29 | |
they were pocket pistols for gentlemen. Tiny little things. | 0:28:29 | 0:28:32 | |
I think a lot of people considered being shot by these | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
was more of a hindrance rather than an injury. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:38 | |
But aren't they lovely? | 0:28:39 | 0:28:41 | |
As you can see, the trigger is concealed | 0:28:41 | 0:28:43 | |
so it didn't catch any fabric from the pocket or the hand muff. | 0:28:43 | 0:28:46 | |
If you pull back the hammer, that will enable the trigger | 0:28:46 | 0:28:49 | |
to drop down there. | 0:28:49 | 0:28:50 | |
Look at that lovely walnut stocks, all cross-hatched | 0:28:50 | 0:28:54 | |
so there's a nice bit of grip. | 0:28:54 | 0:28:57 | |
You can see, look, there is a V with a crown, | 0:28:57 | 0:28:59 | |
so we do know we can date these to the Victorian period. | 0:28:59 | 0:29:02 | |
I would say circa 1850, 1870. | 0:29:02 | 0:29:06 | |
There's a name. Can you see that? | 0:29:06 | 0:29:08 | |
AF Gerding. Do you think these were made for him? I haven't a clue. | 0:29:08 | 0:29:12 | |
The auctioneer may not know, either. | 0:29:12 | 0:29:14 | |
But he'll have people that collect arms and militaria | 0:29:14 | 0:29:17 | |
so we will talk to him the day before the sale. | 0:29:17 | 0:29:20 | |
We'll get a better picture. | 0:29:20 | 0:29:21 | |
These would unscrew and you can see where you put the black powder, | 0:29:21 | 0:29:25 | |
just there. | 0:29:25 | 0:29:27 | |
Not much at all, not much at all. | 0:29:27 | 0:29:29 | |
You load your bullet in there, as well, a little bit of round lead. | 0:29:29 | 0:29:33 | |
Screw the barrel back on. | 0:29:33 | 0:29:35 | |
And there you are. | 0:29:38 | 0:29:39 | |
And they are both working. | 0:29:41 | 0:29:43 | |
-There's been a little bit of damage to this one, can you see that? -Yes. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:48 | |
-Have you any idea of the value? -No, not really. | 0:29:48 | 0:29:50 | |
I think, if they were both in immaculate condition, | 0:29:50 | 0:29:53 | |
you may be looking at around £500-£700. | 0:29:53 | 0:29:55 | |
But I think, because of the condition, | 0:29:55 | 0:29:57 | |
I feel happy if we put them into auction with a value of £300-£400. | 0:29:57 | 0:30:00 | |
-Would you be happy with that? -Yes. -Yes? Happy? -Yes. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:04 | |
-Fixed reserve at £300. -Mm-hm. -And we'll see what happens. | 0:30:04 | 0:30:08 | |
They're marvellous. The nicest thing I've seen today. | 0:30:08 | 0:30:10 | |
Now, still burning through their valuations, over to Anita. | 0:30:13 | 0:30:16 | |
Thank you for bringing along this lovely little suite of jewellery. | 0:30:18 | 0:30:22 | |
Can you tell me, where did you get it? | 0:30:22 | 0:30:24 | |
From my mother just before she died. | 0:30:24 | 0:30:26 | |
It had apparently belonged to her grandmother | 0:30:26 | 0:30:29 | |
-and it's come down through the family. -Are you married, John? | 0:30:29 | 0:30:32 | |
-I am, yes. -Did you wife wear that at all? -No, she didn't. | 0:30:32 | 0:30:35 | |
-She thought it was a bit too flamboyant. -That's right. | 0:30:35 | 0:30:38 | |
A bit ornate for today's taste. | 0:30:38 | 0:30:40 | |
What I find delightful, first of all, is that it's in its original box. | 0:30:40 | 0:30:46 | |
That's always good in the buying of jewellery. | 0:30:46 | 0:30:50 | |
The date, somewhere between 1880 and 1900. | 0:30:50 | 0:30:55 | |
It's made of coral and it's all small pieces of coral | 0:30:55 | 0:30:59 | |
which have together been gathered, | 0:30:59 | 0:31:01 | |
and we can see a little child lying in a bed of flowers and leaves. | 0:31:01 | 0:31:06 | |
Quite a romantic thought. | 0:31:06 | 0:31:08 | |
If we turn it round the back, we can see | 0:31:08 | 0:31:11 | |
there is a brooch or pin mechanism here, so it can be worn as a brooch. | 0:31:11 | 0:31:16 | |
But we also have a hook, so it can be used as a pendant. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:21 | |
We have these long drop earrings | 0:31:21 | 0:31:23 | |
which were very popular in Victorian times. | 0:31:23 | 0:31:26 | |
It's a nice little suite, John. | 0:31:26 | 0:31:29 | |
I like the colour of coral, I think it's beautiful and it's warm. | 0:31:29 | 0:31:33 | |
I quite like the flamboyance of it. I would wear that with a... | 0:31:33 | 0:31:37 | |
I don't know, a yellow jumper or whatever. | 0:31:37 | 0:31:40 | |
-Have you had it valued before? -No. | 0:31:40 | 0:31:44 | |
No. We're not talking about precious stones here. | 0:31:44 | 0:31:48 | |
It is a natural substance. | 0:31:48 | 0:31:50 | |
If it was coming into auction I would put it in | 0:31:50 | 0:31:54 | |
in the region of £50-£80. | 0:31:54 | 0:31:57 | |
It may do more than that, John, that might be a conservative estimate. | 0:31:57 | 0:32:01 | |
-But I think it is the proper estimate to draw the bidding in. -Right. | 0:32:01 | 0:32:06 | |
Would you be happy to put it in with a reserve on the lower estimate? | 0:32:06 | 0:32:11 | |
Well, I would prefer to see the lower end up a bit. | 0:32:11 | 0:32:15 | |
-If that's possible. -It is, of course. | 0:32:16 | 0:32:19 | |
In the end, John, we want you to be happy. | 0:32:19 | 0:32:22 | |
We certainly can put the reserve above the lower estimate, so if we | 0:32:22 | 0:32:27 | |
take the lower estimate up you might feel more comfortable with that. | 0:32:27 | 0:32:32 | |
Yes, I would. | 0:32:32 | 0:32:33 | |
60-80 with a firm reserve of £60. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:37 | |
Right, fine. | 0:32:37 | 0:32:39 | |
-I hope people fight over it. -They will. | 0:32:39 | 0:32:42 | |
I think that it will go at least to the higher estimate. | 0:32:42 | 0:32:45 | |
We might get a wee surprise. | 0:32:45 | 0:32:47 | |
David's in the Great Hall with Heather. | 0:32:48 | 0:32:51 | |
One of your friends obviously went on a lot of holidays if they sent you all these. | 0:32:54 | 0:32:58 | |
-It belonged to my aunt. -They're not yours? -No. -It belonged to an aunt. | 0:32:58 | 0:33:01 | |
-Were you aware that your aunt had this? -Oh, yes. | 0:33:01 | 0:33:05 | |
-As small children, we used to look at them. -Is your auntie still about? | 0:33:05 | 0:33:08 | |
-Yes, she is. -OK. She won't mind you selling them? -No, not at all. | 0:33:08 | 0:33:12 | |
So it won't be too much of a surprise when she sees them on television? | 0:33:12 | 0:33:16 | |
No, no. | 0:33:16 | 0:33:17 | |
OK. We'll have a look at them, page by page. | 0:33:17 | 0:33:20 | |
Right, so far, I must say a bit boring. | 0:33:21 | 0:33:25 | |
Although there is one of Alnwick Castle here, | 0:33:25 | 0:33:27 | |
where we are at the moment, of course. | 0:33:27 | 0:33:30 | |
The Prince of Wales and his wife, Queen Alexandra. | 0:33:31 | 0:33:35 | |
They're a bit more interesting. | 0:33:35 | 0:33:37 | |
But generally speaking they are postcards of views | 0:33:37 | 0:33:42 | |
and although they are saleable they are probably among the least | 0:33:42 | 0:33:47 | |
saleable of all postcards, really. | 0:33:47 | 0:33:50 | |
Why are you getting rid of them? | 0:33:50 | 0:33:53 | |
They have been in the loft, so it is pointless keeping them | 0:33:53 | 0:33:56 | |
if somebody was interested in them. | 0:33:56 | 0:33:58 | |
There certainly will be, | 0:33:58 | 0:33:59 | |
one or two people will be very interested in them. | 0:33:59 | 0:34:02 | |
Of course, in the days before mobile telephones and texts | 0:34:02 | 0:34:05 | |
and e-mails and things, people did communicate. | 0:34:05 | 0:34:08 | |
You sent one postcard, you probably posted it after you got home, | 0:34:08 | 0:34:11 | |
-and everything was fine. -That's right. -No problems at all. | 0:34:11 | 0:34:15 | |
I wish it were like that today | 0:34:15 | 0:34:16 | |
and that's why there are so many postcards about, really. | 0:34:16 | 0:34:19 | |
But you did draw my attention to this loose pile here | 0:34:19 | 0:34:22 | |
and these are humorous. | 0:34:22 | 0:34:24 | |
Whether you think they're actually funny or not is another matter. | 0:34:24 | 0:34:27 | |
-These are far more saleable. -Right. -I like this one. | 0:34:27 | 0:34:30 | |
He is buying get-well cards. He is a Scotsman, of course. | 0:34:30 | 0:34:34 | |
He says, "Have ye no' one about saxpence? | 0:34:34 | 0:34:38 | |
"It's for somebody no verra seek!" | 0:34:38 | 0:34:40 | |
Terrible stereotype, really. | 0:34:41 | 0:34:43 | |
But anyway, they are going to be worth a few pounds each. | 0:34:43 | 0:34:47 | |
-You won't miss those ones either? -Definitely not. -Especially not. -No! | 0:34:47 | 0:34:52 | |
So, you want to sell them. Have you any idea what they might be worth? | 0:34:53 | 0:34:57 | |
-I haven't, no. -OK. | 0:34:57 | 0:34:59 | |
I think we've got between about £50-£80 here in the collection. | 0:34:59 | 0:35:04 | |
-I would be inclined to put a covering reserve on them and say £30. -Right. | 0:35:04 | 0:35:08 | |
OK. I'll see you at the sale and I'm sure they will be fine. | 0:35:08 | 0:35:11 | |
That's lovely, thank you very much. Yes, thank you. | 0:35:11 | 0:35:14 | |
David may not have been taken by those postcards, | 0:35:14 | 0:35:17 | |
but on the other side of the hall, | 0:35:17 | 0:35:20 | |
Anita's getting very excited about something. | 0:35:20 | 0:35:22 | |
Pat, welcome to "Flog It!" | 0:35:22 | 0:35:24 | |
I absolutely love this wonderful big pot. | 0:35:24 | 0:35:29 | |
Oh, that makes two of us! | 0:35:29 | 0:35:32 | |
Tell me, where did you get it? | 0:35:32 | 0:35:35 | |
It was given from my grandmother when she died | 0:35:35 | 0:35:37 | |
and it was left for me. | 0:35:37 | 0:35:39 | |
-Can you remember it as a wee girl, Pat? -Yes. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:42 | |
Towards the end of the war, I stayed with my grandmother in York. | 0:35:42 | 0:35:46 | |
She used to always have this full of Victorian pennies. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:50 | |
I was allowed to tip them out and drop them in to this lovely vase. | 0:35:50 | 0:35:55 | |
-Did you count them before you put them back in again? -Not always. | 0:35:55 | 0:35:59 | |
I preferred the noise it made as they went in. | 0:35:59 | 0:36:02 | |
Let's look at the item itself. I think it's absolutely beautiful. | 0:36:02 | 0:36:07 | |
It's a big, studio pot. | 0:36:07 | 0:36:10 | |
That means it wasn't factory made or mass-produced. | 0:36:10 | 0:36:14 | |
It was produced in a small studio or workshop | 0:36:14 | 0:36:18 | |
and every pot that they put out was an individual piece. | 0:36:18 | 0:36:23 | |
When we look at the decoration here, we see these almost stylised fish. | 0:36:23 | 0:36:29 | |
Now, what has happened here, | 0:36:29 | 0:36:31 | |
they have made this pattern or this image by scraping out the clay | 0:36:31 | 0:36:37 | |
while it was still wet, to make the lines which form up the pattern. | 0:36:37 | 0:36:42 | |
I love that. | 0:36:42 | 0:36:44 | |
I like the fish motif. | 0:36:44 | 0:36:46 | |
This was fairly typical of this studio or workshop. | 0:36:46 | 0:36:51 | |
It's the studio of Charles Brannam, and this was a Devon factory. | 0:36:51 | 0:36:56 | |
Now, this studio started in about the late 1880s | 0:36:56 | 0:37:00 | |
and continued until the 1920s. | 0:37:00 | 0:37:04 | |
If we look at the base here, | 0:37:05 | 0:37:08 | |
we can see the signature here for Charles Brannam. | 0:37:08 | 0:37:13 | |
And this word here, Barum, is a place in Devon. | 0:37:13 | 0:37:19 | |
It also has a date on it and the date is 1892. | 0:37:19 | 0:37:24 | |
So it's quite an old pot. | 0:37:24 | 0:37:27 | |
That's fascinating. | 0:37:27 | 0:37:29 | |
What did you like about it? | 0:37:29 | 0:37:32 | |
First of all, as you say, the feel and the colours | 0:37:32 | 0:37:35 | |
and as a child, I don't know, it was just so different. | 0:37:35 | 0:37:38 | |
-As a child, can you remember...? -Yes, the fish. | 0:37:38 | 0:37:41 | |
-Sometimes they would scowl at me. -Aha. -Yes. | 0:37:41 | 0:37:44 | |
This one looks like a glowering fish. Where do you keep it? | 0:37:44 | 0:37:49 | |
Up in the attic. | 0:37:50 | 0:37:52 | |
-No wonder that fish is glowering. -No! | 0:37:52 | 0:37:55 | |
Well, I would put a value of between £100-£200. | 0:37:57 | 0:38:02 | |
It's fairly low and fairly wide, | 0:38:02 | 0:38:06 | |
but I think that a collector would be prepared to pay £100 for that. | 0:38:06 | 0:38:11 | |
I think it's certainly worth it. Shall we put it to auction? | 0:38:11 | 0:38:14 | |
-Yes, please. -That's wonderful. | 0:38:14 | 0:38:16 | |
We'll put it in with perhaps a reserve price of £80 | 0:38:16 | 0:38:20 | |
just to protect it. | 0:38:20 | 0:38:21 | |
Let's get that and our other items wrapped up and sent off to auction. | 0:38:21 | 0:38:25 | |
Here's a quick reminder of what we're taking. | 0:38:25 | 0:38:27 | |
I absolutely love Suzy's pistols | 0:38:29 | 0:38:31 | |
and I'm hoping they'll make a real bang at the auction house. | 0:38:31 | 0:38:35 | |
And Anita thinks the vibrant coral jewellery will draw | 0:38:39 | 0:38:42 | |
the bidders in with a conservative estimate. | 0:38:42 | 0:38:44 | |
They might not be David's cup of tea, but he's confident somebody | 0:38:47 | 0:38:51 | |
in the saleroom will have their head turned by this postcard collection. | 0:38:51 | 0:38:54 | |
Whereas Anita has fallen for this Charles Brannam studio pot. | 0:38:58 | 0:39:02 | |
But will the bidders agree and match her estimate? | 0:39:02 | 0:39:04 | |
We're back at the Boldon Auction Galleries in Tyne & Wear. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:10 | |
Giles Hodges is overseeing the proceedings | 0:39:10 | 0:39:12 | |
and he's about to kick off our next lot. | 0:39:12 | 0:39:14 | |
We've got a bit of West Country pottery going under the hammer right now. | 0:39:16 | 0:39:19 | |
I love this, I like Brannam pottery. Were you searching in the | 0:39:19 | 0:39:22 | |
-house and thinking "Flog It!" is coming to town, what can I bring along? -No. | 0:39:22 | 0:39:26 | |
I went to the loft just to enjoy the day. | 0:39:26 | 0:39:29 | |
I thought, I'll take the blue vase. | 0:39:29 | 0:39:31 | |
OK. And you got talked into handing it over to Anita here. | 0:39:31 | 0:39:35 | |
I love this vase. I love the decoration on it. | 0:39:35 | 0:39:38 | |
These big, almost stylised fish. It's lovely. | 0:39:38 | 0:39:41 | |
Let's find out what the bidders think. That's what it's all about. | 0:39:41 | 0:39:44 | |
We can talk until we're blue in the face, but it's down to this lot. Here we go. | 0:39:44 | 0:39:47 | |
A lovely large stoneware vase by Charles Brannam | 0:39:48 | 0:39:52 | |
with the swirled handles and the fish decoration. | 0:39:52 | 0:39:55 | |
I've got two commission bids at 100, starts me straight in. | 0:39:55 | 0:39:58 | |
Yes! Yes! Yes! | 0:39:58 | 0:40:00 | |
Ten will go. | 0:40:00 | 0:40:02 | |
At 100. | 0:40:02 | 0:40:04 | |
110. 120. 130. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:06 | |
140. 150. | 0:40:06 | 0:40:09 | |
160. 170. | 0:40:09 | 0:40:12 | |
180. At 180. It's with me. | 0:40:12 | 0:40:15 | |
Come on. | 0:40:15 | 0:40:16 | |
-190. 200. -Yes, you've done it. | 0:40:16 | 0:40:19 | |
220. | 0:40:19 | 0:40:20 | |
240. Still with me. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:22 | |
At 240. Anybody left? | 0:40:22 | 0:40:26 | |
-At £240. -We'll take that, we'll take that. | 0:40:26 | 0:40:28 | |
At £240 for the last time. | 0:40:28 | 0:40:33 | |
At 240. | 0:40:33 | 0:40:35 | |
Yes! £240. Somebody out there really wanted that. | 0:40:37 | 0:40:40 | |
It's gone, it's gone! | 0:40:40 | 0:40:42 | |
But what a cracking price. | 0:40:42 | 0:40:43 | |
-I'm so pleased. That's wonderful. -Quality always sells, doesn't it? | 0:40:45 | 0:40:48 | |
Quality always sells. Thank you for bringing in such quality from the West Country. | 0:40:48 | 0:40:52 | |
Thank you for having me. | 0:40:52 | 0:40:54 | |
-Have you enjoyed yourself? -I've thoroughly enjoyed myself. -Good. | 0:40:54 | 0:40:57 | |
Well, that certainly made Pat one happy lady. | 0:40:57 | 0:40:59 | |
Going under the hammer right now, we've got a collection of postcards | 0:41:01 | 0:41:05 | |
-belonging to Heather, who is right next to me. Hello. -Hi. | 0:41:05 | 0:41:07 | |
-Is this your first auction? -It is, yes. | 0:41:07 | 0:41:09 | |
-What do you think? -Good. Enjoying it. | 0:41:09 | 0:41:12 | |
A big atmosphere here - it is electric, actually. | 0:41:12 | 0:41:15 | |
Look, great little collection, but we've had some lovely surprises | 0:41:15 | 0:41:18 | |
on the show before with collections of postcards. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:20 | |
Fingers crossed there might be one or two valuable ones in there which will push the price up. | 0:41:20 | 0:41:24 | |
-Hopefully. -It's only the postcard collectors who really know that. | 0:41:24 | 0:41:27 | |
Yes, it is. They know their market very well. | 0:41:27 | 0:41:30 | |
Let's find out what the bidders think. They're going under the hammer now. | 0:41:30 | 0:41:34 | |
Large album of various postcards. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:37 | |
I've got, again, three commission bids. | 0:41:37 | 0:41:40 | |
I will start at £100. | 0:41:40 | 0:41:42 | |
-We'll go in tens. -There you go. -Ten. 120. | 0:41:42 | 0:41:45 | |
130. 140. | 0:41:45 | 0:41:47 | |
150. 160. 170. | 0:41:47 | 0:41:50 | |
180. 180 with me. | 0:41:50 | 0:41:53 | |
Have I missed anybody? | 0:41:53 | 0:41:54 | |
-See, that's a nice little surprise for you. -Very surprising. | 0:41:54 | 0:41:58 | |
190. 200. | 0:41:58 | 0:42:00 | |
Still with me. You're both out. At £200 for the first and the last. | 0:42:00 | 0:42:05 | |
At 200. | 0:42:05 | 0:42:07 | |
That's more like it, isn't it? | 0:42:07 | 0:42:08 | |
-The bidders certainly weren't mean, were they? -Very surprising. | 0:42:08 | 0:42:11 | |
See? There was something in there. | 0:42:11 | 0:42:13 | |
There always is in a postcard collection. | 0:42:13 | 0:42:15 | |
-What a first experience in the auction. -Yeah, definitely good. | 0:42:15 | 0:42:18 | |
-Got the bug? Coming back? -I'll have to come back. | 0:42:18 | 0:42:21 | |
-Do some more decluttering. -Find some more things for sale. | 0:42:21 | 0:42:24 | |
Going under the hammer right now, something really stylish. | 0:42:28 | 0:42:31 | |
Coral brooch and some long drop earrings belonging to John. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:34 | |
They weren't really John's, were they? | 0:42:34 | 0:42:36 | |
I can't see you in them, somehow. They were your grandmother's. | 0:42:36 | 0:42:39 | |
-Great-grandmother. -Great-grandmother's? | 0:42:39 | 0:42:41 | |
-Gosh, they have been in the family a long time. -Yes. | 0:42:41 | 0:42:43 | |
I'm not sure how they came down, but I ended up getting them from my mother. | 0:42:43 | 0:42:46 | |
-I don't think the box has been open for about ten years. -Gosh. | 0:42:46 | 0:42:50 | |
-I love this. -There's not a lot of money here, though. | 0:42:50 | 0:42:52 | |
We've got a reserve of just £60. | 0:42:52 | 0:42:54 | |
Yes. They might do better than that. | 0:42:54 | 0:42:57 | |
They aren't a precious stone, they don't have gold, silver, | 0:42:57 | 0:43:00 | |
-we don't have diamonds. -But they have the look. -They have the look. | 0:43:00 | 0:43:03 | |
-So, hopefully, we are looking for twice that. -Or three times. | 0:43:03 | 0:43:06 | |
Good luck, John. Fingers crossed. Here we go, it's going under the hammer. | 0:43:06 | 0:43:10 | |
We have this Victorian coral brooch with the matching earrings | 0:43:10 | 0:43:14 | |
and in its original box. | 0:43:14 | 0:43:16 | |
And I'm bid 40 to start it. | 0:43:16 | 0:43:18 | |
45. 50. Five. | 0:43:18 | 0:43:21 | |
-It's good, it's bouncing backwards and forwards. -Bid upstairs of 65. | 0:43:21 | 0:43:25 | |
70. Fresh place. 75. | 0:43:25 | 0:43:28 | |
80. Five. | 0:43:28 | 0:43:30 | |
90. Five. 100. Five. | 0:43:30 | 0:43:32 | |
Commission bid, he's working from the book. | 0:43:32 | 0:43:35 | |
120. 125. | 0:43:36 | 0:43:37 | |
130. 135. | 0:43:39 | 0:43:41 | |
140. Five. | 0:43:41 | 0:43:42 | |
They looked expensive, let's face it. | 0:43:42 | 0:43:46 | |
Bid is upstairs. Now the net. | 0:43:46 | 0:43:48 | |
-180. -180! -190. | 0:43:48 | 0:43:50 | |
220. | 0:43:52 | 0:43:54 | |
He's off the book, it's all going on in the room. | 0:43:54 | 0:43:56 | |
It's in the room at 230. | 0:43:56 | 0:43:59 | |
300. | 0:43:59 | 0:44:00 | |
320. | 0:44:00 | 0:44:02 | |
£380. | 0:44:02 | 0:44:04 | |
-Wow, John. -Trying to buy them. | 0:44:04 | 0:44:05 | |
400. | 0:44:05 | 0:44:07 | |
Got £400 on the internet. 420. | 0:44:07 | 0:44:09 | |
It's in the room at 420. | 0:44:09 | 0:44:12 | |
-That's a good price, isn't it? -We've quadrupled it. | 0:44:12 | 0:44:16 | |
At 420. | 0:44:16 | 0:44:18 | |
440. | 0:44:18 | 0:44:20 | |
-Wow. -At £440. You're all out upstairs. | 0:44:20 | 0:44:24 | |
At £440, and we're away at 440. | 0:44:24 | 0:44:28 | |
Yes! £440. | 0:44:30 | 0:44:33 | |
-Wasn't that wonderful? Wasn't that wonderful? -A cracking result. -Yeah. | 0:44:33 | 0:44:37 | |
The thing is, you couldn't ask someone to make them today | 0:44:37 | 0:44:41 | |
at that sort of price - £440. | 0:44:41 | 0:44:42 | |
That's how you can gauge values in a way. | 0:44:43 | 0:44:46 | |
They were worth every single penny of that. Proper quality. | 0:44:46 | 0:44:49 | |
One more sale to go. This is the one we've been waiting for. | 0:44:53 | 0:44:56 | |
Having a chat to Suzy again, and it is great to see you. | 0:44:58 | 0:45:01 | |
We're just about to put the percussion cap pistols | 0:45:01 | 0:45:03 | |
under the hammer, the ones signed Gerding on them. | 0:45:03 | 0:45:06 | |
The jury is still out on were they made for him or not. | 0:45:06 | 0:45:09 | |
Giles has done a little bit of work, | 0:45:09 | 0:45:12 | |
he couldn't find anything else that you and I didn't know. | 0:45:12 | 0:45:15 | |
It's all really down to the bidders. | 0:45:15 | 0:45:17 | |
-I'm quite excited about this. -Are you? -I'm nervous and very excited. | 0:45:17 | 0:45:22 | |
Here goes. This is it. | 0:45:22 | 0:45:24 | |
Lovely lot. A pair of percussion turn-off barrelled pistols. | 0:45:26 | 0:45:30 | |
AF Gerding. | 0:45:30 | 0:45:32 | |
Lovely quality, unfortunately no boxes for them. | 0:45:32 | 0:45:35 | |
I have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, | 0:45:35 | 0:45:40 | |
Ten, 11 bids. | 0:45:40 | 0:45:43 | |
We have phone bids as well. | 0:45:43 | 0:45:46 | |
I can start them off at 850. | 0:45:46 | 0:45:49 | |
Wasn't expecting that as a starting point. Were you? | 0:45:52 | 0:45:56 | |
It's on Caroline's phone. At £900. | 0:45:56 | 0:46:00 | |
900. 950. | 0:46:00 | 0:46:02 | |
1,000. | 0:46:03 | 0:46:05 | |
1,100. | 0:46:05 | 0:46:07 | |
That's 1,100 from Lucy's phone. | 0:46:07 | 0:46:11 | |
Anybody else? | 0:46:11 | 0:46:13 | |
-At £1,100. -It's short and sweet, isn't it? | 0:46:13 | 0:46:15 | |
The internet's quiet, too. | 0:46:15 | 0:46:17 | |
At £1,100 for the last time. | 0:46:17 | 0:46:20 | |
At £1,100. | 0:46:20 | 0:46:23 | |
Suzy, Suzy, £1,100. Bang! | 0:46:23 | 0:46:25 | |
Straight in at £900. You've got some tears! | 0:46:25 | 0:46:28 | |
Oh! | 0:46:28 | 0:46:29 | |
Thank you so much for bringing those in. | 0:46:29 | 0:46:32 | |
That's a lot of money, isn't it? | 0:46:32 | 0:46:34 | |
Whoever's bought them, enjoy them, look after them. | 0:46:34 | 0:46:37 | |
I'm sure they've gone to a good home. | 0:46:37 | 0:46:39 | |
What a wonderful way to end today's show. Are you feeling OK? | 0:46:39 | 0:46:42 | |
-Absolutely fine. -We'll look after you, don't worry. | 0:46:42 | 0:46:45 | |
First aid, please. | 0:46:45 | 0:46:46 | |
We've got tears here in Boldon but, whatever you do, | 0:46:46 | 0:46:49 | |
join us again soon because there's going to be more surprises to come. | 0:46:49 | 0:46:52 | |
-But until then, it's goodbye from us two. -Wonderful. -Yeah. | 0:46:52 | 0:46:55 | |
Thank you so much. | 0:46:55 | 0:46:57 |