0:00:02 > 0:00:07We're on the south coast in Bexhill-on-Sea. It's got all you'd want from a seaside resort -
0:00:07 > 0:00:11the beach huts, the spectacular views, the sunshine,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15the promenade, a stick of rock if you fancy it,
0:00:15 > 0:00:20but none of those are the main attraction today because we are in town. Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:39 > 0:00:43With many seaside towns located on the south-east coast,
0:00:43 > 0:00:49it's no surprise they were favourites with the Victorians and the Edwardians.
0:00:49 > 0:00:55Even today, they still retain much of their original charm and style. And Bexhill-on-Sea is no exception.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Like any seaside town worth its salt, Bexhill has a pavilion
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and a rather splendid one.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05It was opened in 1935 and was the dream of the 9th Earl De La Warr.
0:01:05 > 0:01:11It's the first Modernist building in Britain, built using different techniques and materials.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15It's called the De La Warr Pavilion. I'm now at the front of the queue.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Our experts are looking for the best antiques to take off to auction.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Hoping to spot a dream item are lead experts Michael Baggott...
0:01:23 > 0:01:29We may bring the gin out at about two o'clock. Hang around. I'll be looking for you then.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31And David Fletcher...
0:01:31 > 0:01:35- Walking sticks, OK. Do you do a lot of walking?- Well...- No.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43And to help our experts out, we've got a couple of basset hounds to sniff out the real gems.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48- So are you all ready to go inside, everybody?- Yes!- Come on then.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54Amongst all these bags and boxes, there is sure to be something with a good pedigree.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Provenance or a good brand name is so important when valuing antiques,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01but are the following all they claim to be?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04This Mappin & Webb silver bowl,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07this painting by G Dillon
0:02:07 > 0:02:09or this jumbo Dunhill lighter.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18All will be revealed later on in the programme,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21but it's Michael who's forecasting great things with our opening valuation.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Anne and John, thank you for coming in.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28This morning it was overcast and rainy. Now the sun's crept through.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I could have done with one of these, couldn't I?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Now, where on earth did you get something
0:02:34 > 0:02:37as peculiar as a weather forecaster from?
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Well, it was my father's.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44It was given to him by Sir Percy Hunting of the Hunting aeroplane.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46And he said to him, "Oh, Les..."
0:02:46 > 0:02:51cos he was head gardener, my mother was housekeeper, "..put it in your potting shed."
0:02:51 > 0:02:54- In the potting shed?- Yeah.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59When my father died, my mother said, "Oh, you have that, John," so it was given to John.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- And do you like it?- He loves it. - It fascinates me, absolutely.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06It fascinates ME. I've never seen one before!
0:03:06 > 0:03:11It's something we've kept, sometimes it's been stored, other times I've had it on the desk,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14used it very often.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- So you need a barometer reading? - Yes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21- So have you got a barometer at home? - Two at home.- You've got two?
0:03:21 > 0:03:25- To get the minutes.- So you've got the accurate reading for it.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28There are probably barometer collectors that will go, "Oh, it's another one of those,"
0:03:28 > 0:03:31but I've never seen one of these before.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32The very good thing
0:03:32 > 0:03:35and the thing I noticed when I first saw it this morning,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38was the name Negretti and Zambra,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and they really are the best makers of barometer.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43They are the Rolls-Royce name.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45If you didn't know what it was
0:03:45 > 0:03:48by looking at it, you've got all the paperwork.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Very fortunately.- There we go.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53You basically get your barometer reading
0:03:53 > 0:03:56and then you get where the wind is coming from.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Set it on the wind strength and the minutes and just read it off.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04And then as you go down, there we go, settled fine weather.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- That will do for today.- Absolutely.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Stormy, much rain. I do hope not for this evening.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The last couple of days we've had rain and that forecast it absolutely accurately.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19- So you use this?- From time to time. We have a weather vane at home, so I know the direction of the wind.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24You do need other utensils and scientific instruments to use it,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26but when you do put it into action...
0:04:26 > 0:04:28It is very accurate.
0:04:28 > 0:04:34- It does what it was supposed to do when it was made 90 years ago.- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40I mean, it was not cheap. I think we've got on here 45 shillings.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45That was a heck of a lot of money. It was over £2, when £2 was more than a week's wages.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51I mean, it is a valuable instrument.
0:04:51 > 0:04:58So I think we would be sensible at saying £300 to £500 as an estimate,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01a fixed reserve of £300, and then you'll have to look up
0:05:01 > 0:05:05the weather in the newspaper or online like everybody else!
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- I know!- Yes.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08Thank you very much.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I think it's one of the most interesting things I've
0:05:11 > 0:05:13seen on Flog It! for a very long time.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Hello, Dylan.- Hello there.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21What can you tell me about your clock?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Well, I like it very much. We think it's '20s or '30s.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31I bought it in a jumble sale in North London just before my children were born.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36We had a lot of fun with it. It helped teaching them to read the time.
0:05:36 > 0:05:42They liked to read the lettering. We went through the story on it. Paid a shilling.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- OK. Of course, it wasn't new then.- No.
0:05:45 > 0:05:51It would have been made, I think, as you suggest, probably in the 1920s or 1930s.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53More likely the 1930s, I think.
0:05:53 > 0:05:59- It's in the High Art Deco style. - Yes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03It's interesting that you should have brought this to us here today
0:06:03 > 0:06:09because the building we're in, the De La Warr Pavilion, is a classic Art Deco or Modern Movement building
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and this is very much of the same time with the same characteristics.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- Yeah. - I love this very simple lettering.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21It was a lot of the simplicity in the design that I was attracted to.
0:06:21 > 0:06:28It's obviously made for a nursery. It has a nursery rhyme on it - Old Mother Hubbard.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32We all know the rhyme, so I won't repeat it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Underneath the figure 6 is the word "foreign".
0:06:35 > 0:06:37"Foreign", that's right.
0:06:37 > 0:06:44And I think that suggests that the case itself, which is china, would have been made in Germany.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Yes, I agree.- We'll have a quick look at the movement.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Which I'm afraid is not going.
0:06:51 > 0:06:57It's a very simple movement operated on this main spring here.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01- No bells and whistles, probably French.- Yeah.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03But it does the job.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10- Now, we need to discuss its value, really. Have you any thoughts on what it might be worth?- Not really.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16- But I know what I would like as a return.- What would you like? You're a very shrewd businesswoman.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20I would like at least a minimum of £50.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25I thought you were going to say 500! I think we're in the same area.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28It's got all those characteristics we discussed,
0:07:28 > 0:07:34but above all, it's in the Art Deco style and it speaks of its period.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38For all those reasons, I think someone will give us £50 for it.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42- Right.- So I'm happy to go with a £50 to £80 estimate.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46- Right, that's good.- And you'd like a reserve putting on it, presumably?
0:07:46 > 0:07:53- I think I would.- £50?- A £50 reserve would be good.- We're in agreement. - Yes.- Shake on that. OK...
0:07:53 > 0:07:58So an item that's a bit different and quite charming to start us off.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02However, Michael has spotted something a bit more grown-up.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Margaret, you've brought my favourite thing - silver spoons.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09They're lovely in their case. Where did you get them?
0:08:09 > 0:08:12I know very little about them. My mother gave them to me.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16She had been given them by an elderly neighbour.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19I was going to say - we've got the maker's name here.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23That's Sverre Nielsen, Oslo. There isn't a Norwegian connection?
0:08:23 > 0:08:29- No, but she was a great traveller. - Ah! She may have picked them up in Norway and brought them back.
0:08:29 > 0:08:35Because they're Norwegian, they don't have a date letter code struck on them.
0:08:35 > 0:08:41You do see these predominantly from about 1925 up to about 1935.
0:08:41 > 0:08:48But what I haven't seen before and what is wonderful are the different scenes on the reverse of the bowls.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53- They're beautiful, aren't they? - They're Norwegian scenes, pure Norwegian.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55We've got sort of a winter Alpine-scape.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00We've got a chap going along on a reindeer,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02the Viking ship, of course.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06The lovely thing about these is the bowls have first been engine-turned,
0:09:06 > 0:09:11- so they've got this lovely pattern and very bright silver.- Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13They are breathtakingly beautiful.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18- Why have you decided to bring them in to Flog It?- They sit in a drawer.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24- Although they're very pretty, I don't have any emotional attachment to them.- There, you see.
0:09:24 > 0:09:32I'm an odd person. I would have them in a drawer and occasionally look at them. That would be enough for me.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35The value isn't great, but if I put it in perspective and say,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39were these a set of six English coffee spoons,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43fully hallmarked in sterling silver, they might be £25.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47- All right.- But I think these are so attractive,
0:09:47 > 0:09:52I'm going to break all boundaries on coffee spoons
0:09:52 > 0:09:59- and say they've got to be £120 to £180.- Wow!- If you're happy, we'll put a fixed reserve of that on them.
0:09:59 > 0:10:06We'll take them along to the auction where everyone will disagree with me, but we'll give them a go.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17For me, there's always a surprise at every valuation day and today, I've come across this.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20It's a box, but it's not full of paperwork.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It's full of the French army...
0:10:23 > 0:10:27circa early 1800s, fighting the Battle of Waterloo.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Here's the French artillery.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33They're lead soldiers, hand-painted. It brings back lots of memories
0:10:33 > 0:10:37because I used to collect lead soldiers and paint them by hand.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41I belonged to the Kingston Military Modelling Society when I was 15
0:10:41 > 0:10:46and I played war games with these old colonel types. Aren't they beautiful?
0:10:46 > 0:10:52I love finding items like that, but right now, let's get back to the valuations.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- Hello, Tracy.- Yes.- And Amy?- Hi.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57This is amazing. I love it.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01I saw you standing in the queue with a collection of walking sticks.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05This one caught my eye. I was amazed to see it really
0:11:05 > 0:11:08because I work and live in Bedford
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and this is signed or at least it has the inscription,
0:11:12 > 0:11:14"JP White of Bedford".
0:11:14 > 0:11:18JP White was a very well-known Bedford person.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- We didn't even know it was on there, did we?- No.
0:11:21 > 0:11:28Why would you? I'm making a massive assumption and that assumption is that this is the same JP White.
0:11:28 > 0:11:34He was a furniture designer and cabinet maker who was born in, I think, 1855.
0:11:34 > 0:11:41- Oh.- And he set up a works in Bedford called the Pyghtle Works in 1896.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The inscription is on a silver band
0:11:44 > 0:11:50and the silver band is hallmarked "Birmingham, 1905".
0:11:50 > 0:11:56- Oh, right.- I am so tempted to say that this belonged to that JP White.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- It would be good if it is. - Of course, I can't prove it.- No.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05But to anyone interested in furniture history, this is a piece of wooden gold dust.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10It's fascinating. What do you think the handle is made of?
0:12:10 > 0:12:16- We didn't know what that was. It's not amber.- It's not any form of stone.- I don't know either.
0:12:16 > 0:12:22I think amber is a good shout and I think it's meant to simulate amber.
0:12:22 > 0:12:28- It's more resin.- Exactly. It's a resin or a composition material. - That's what I thought.- Yeah.
0:12:28 > 0:12:34So, as I say, this caught my eye and I so hope that I've made the right connection.
0:12:34 > 0:12:40- I could be barking up completely the wrong tree. So you're happy to sell it?- Yes, we are.- Yeah.
0:12:40 > 0:12:46- Now, I think we've got to keep our expectations low.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51So I would suggest a "come and get me" estimate, really, of £20 to £30.
0:12:51 > 0:12:57- Right.- And a covering reserve of £20.- That's good.- I wouldn't like to see it given away.- No.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It's a Bedford walking stick, I'm a Bedford man, I'm feeling tired.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07- I'll walk off and get a cup of tea and a biscuit. See you at the sale. - Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:13:07 > 0:13:13Well, the day's hardly started, David! But while you take a break, we'll soldier on.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18Helen and John, thank you for bringing in this wonderful, wonderful jug.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22How did you acquire it? Was it passed down through the family?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25No, it was left to me by an old lady I befriended.
0:13:25 > 0:13:32She lived next door to me and when she died, she left me her cottage and all the contents.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36The jug was one of the things in the cottage.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39That's fantastic. Was it a particular favourite of yours?
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Not really. I didn't think much about it at all.
0:13:42 > 0:13:48- That's just been on the landing, on a chest of drawers for all these years. - How do you feel about it, John?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Well, I like it because of the military history.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54I quite like military history.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00I thought this was the Battle of Sevastopol. It has the redan and the fortifications.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03We've got the widows on this side
0:14:03 > 0:14:06with "Royal Patriotic Fund".
0:14:06 > 0:14:08But there we've got the scene of battle.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12You've researched all that, so it's Sevastopol in the Crimean War.
0:14:12 > 0:14:18The Crimean War, 1854, and there's a small date on the bottom that says "1855".
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- We'll have to look at that now. - It's very small.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- We've got almost everything we need to know.- Yes.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27"The Royal Patriotic Jug.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32"Published by Samuel Alcock & Company."
0:14:32 > 0:14:36They were great potters in Stoke and specialised in transfer-printing.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41And we've got the date. I wish everything was this accommodating!
0:14:41 > 0:14:43"January 1st, 1855."
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And we've even got here the designer.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50So we've got this wonderful scene, albeit sad,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- but it is to elicit sympathy, isn't it?- Yes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57You've got a particular interest in this because of your profession?
0:14:57 > 0:14:59My profession... I'm a potter.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05I taught pottery at the local art school for 25, 30 years, at Eastbourne.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10And so as a technical piece, it's wonderful.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- You can see its cast down here. You can see the seam lines.- You can.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20It has this soft gold and this beautifully soft, modulated, decorative rim here,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24so it's a real exemplar of its kind and I loved it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:31- So marks out of ten?- It ticks all the boxes, so I think it's a ten out of ten number for...- It's a ten.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35That's from a pottery tutor. You can't get any better than that.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38We'll have to have you do all our pots in future!
0:15:38 > 0:15:44It is a super thing. So if it goes up at auction, John, will we not see you and you'll be at the back,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46trying to buy it back?
0:15:46 > 0:15:51- I don't think so. - We have bid against each other. - We have in the past.- Have you?
0:15:51 > 0:15:55That's fraught with difficulties. Always stay together at an auction.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58An early flirt with divorce.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03- Any ideas what it's worth?- Well, I thought it was less than £100.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08Wallet, wallet. Wallet, chequebook, it's in here somewhere.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10I mean, I'm not a potaholic
0:16:10 > 0:16:14and I prefer 18th century to 19th century,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18but this does it all for me. I think this is a fabulous jug.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22The military connections help enormously as well.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26- Let's put it in at £300 to £500. - Wow!
0:16:26 > 0:16:31Put a fixed reserve of £300 on it. If it doesn't make that, put it back on the dresser.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- Are you happy to sell it?- Yes.
0:16:33 > 0:16:39- It won't lead to the potential for a divorce?- We're both happy.- My wife tells me I'm happy.- Both smiling.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44That's great. That's good enough for me. Thank you very much for bringing it in.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46And it's good enough for me.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58He penned one of the nation's most popular poems
0:16:58 > 0:17:03and his stories have entertained children ever since 1894,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and today he remains the youngest person ever to be awarded
0:17:06 > 0:17:09the Nobel Prize for Literature.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10And this was his home.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14This delightful, charming, 17th-century cottage,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17called Batemans, lays claim to being the place where Rudyard Kipling
0:17:17 > 0:17:20wrote many of his most famous works
0:17:20 > 0:17:23and today I've got the opportunity to look around
0:17:23 > 0:17:26to see what inspired him to write such magical pieces.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Kipling's popularity was huge,
0:17:34 > 0:17:39considered to be one of the first in the modern cult of celebrity.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41His audience was enormous.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Best known for his poems and tales set in India,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48he created unforgettable characters such as Mowgli the man cub
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and Baloo the bear, which bring back such wonderful childhood memories
0:17:52 > 0:17:55for me and possibly for millions of other people.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories were undoubtedly
0:17:59 > 0:18:02his best-known and bestselling works.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05But he was a prolific writer.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10He penned in excess of 1,000 poems and around 42 books,
0:18:10 > 0:18:15many of which contain short stories which he was regarded as the master of.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Much of his writing was influenced by his travels.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32He journeyed around the globe visiting Malaya, Burma, China,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Hong Kong, America, Europe and Africa.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39He loved visiting new and exotic countries
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and coupled with him being born and raised in India until he was six,
0:18:43 > 0:18:48all of these foreign visits and experiences undoubtedly nourished his rich imagination.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00There are few countries around the world that Kipling hadn't visited
0:19:00 > 0:19:02but as his celebrity grew,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and especially after the tragic death of his eldest child,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07he craved a sanctuary.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10He shied away from public life and harked after a place where
0:19:10 > 0:19:14he could be private and inspired and allowed to write,
0:19:14 > 0:19:19and this charming, delightful house became that place.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23The family moved here in 1902 and Rudyard Kipling
0:19:23 > 0:19:25described Batemans as
0:19:25 > 0:19:28a real house in which to settle down for keeps
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and he wrote, "We loved it ever since our first sight of it."
0:19:38 > 0:19:42The rooms, described by him as untouched and unfaked,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44remain much as he left them,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48and the cabinets are still chock-a-block with knick-knacks from his travels
0:19:48 > 0:19:52including the most important room in the house.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57The room's laid out exactly how he left it,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00giving us a fascinating insight into how he worked
0:20:00 > 0:20:04and we know he worked mainly in the mornings, a solitary writer,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06and when he wasn't sitting at this desk writing,
0:20:06 > 0:20:11he'd be pacing up and down the room, humming to himself,
0:20:11 > 0:20:18or he might be laying on this oak day-bed in a trance-like state!
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Presumably searching for inspiration.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25And we also know he was a messy writer.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The room had to be cleaned two or three times a day.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Just take a look at this Algerian wastepaper basket.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36It would be full to the brim, in fact, overflowing,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39with screwed up drafts that didn't make it
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and just literally thrown into that litter bin.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Two walls are lined with an extraordinary
0:20:48 > 0:20:50and eclectic collection of books.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54There are history books, novels, Bibles, maps, beekeeping,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58rat-catching, agriculture and a number of magic books.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Used as tools and certainly not treated as sacred objects,
0:21:02 > 0:21:05he'd rip out pages and write in the margins,
0:21:05 > 0:21:07all to help his creative process
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and to squirrel away ideas for another time.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17His earlier hits, classics like the Jungle Book, the Just So Stories and Kim,
0:21:17 > 0:21:21were written before he moved here to Batemans,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24but he did write some classics right here at this very desk
0:21:24 > 0:21:25for 30-odd years.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Things like Puck of Pook's Hill and If.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32This whole place is one big time capsule.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It really is, it's as if he were still here
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and I can imagine him pacing up and down this room,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40searching for inspiration.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52"The children looked and gasped.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55"The small thing, he was no taller than Dan's shoulder,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58"stepped quietly into the Ring.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01"He pointed to the bare, fern-covered slope of Pook's Hill
0:22:01 > 0:22:06"that runs up from the far side of the mill-stream to a dark wood.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11"Beyond that wood, the ground rises and rises for 500 feet,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15"till at last you climb out at the bare top of Beacon Hill, to look over
0:22:15 > 0:22:19"the Pevensey Levels and the Channel and half the naked South Downs."
0:22:22 > 0:22:26It's difficult to overstate Kipling's popularity and fame,
0:22:26 > 0:22:27the Paul McCartney of his day.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32If he were alive, his celebrity would dwarf the likes of JK Rowling.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36But for someone so famous, there's surprisingly little film of him surviving
0:22:36 > 0:22:42and this footage of him addressing the Canadian Authors Association in the 1930s
0:22:42 > 0:22:45is the only known recording to include his voice.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51For it is with us as it is with timber -
0:22:51 > 0:22:57every knot and shake in a board reveals some disease or injury
0:22:57 > 0:23:00that overtook the log while it was growing.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Many of Kipling's works are still in print.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12If you've got a spare £50,000 and you'd like to spend it,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16maybe you should buy his anthology.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18These were published posthumously but remarkably,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21he signed the pages before he died.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26Only 525 sets were published, each containing 35 volumes,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and the leather-bound edition, like these ones,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32are known as the Sussex edition.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37In 1936, at the age of 70, Rudyard Kipling sadly passed away.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38He was a global name.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42He amassed ten times more money than Charles Dickens.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45He rubbed shoulders with the great and the good,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
0:23:48 > 0:23:52but more importantly, he'd left a legacy of tales and stories
0:23:52 > 0:23:56and poems which are just as popular today as they were 100 years ago.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08We've got our first four items, now we're taking them off to the sale.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Michael thought the conditions were right to value
0:24:11 > 0:24:13this brass weather forecaster.
0:24:14 > 0:24:20David found that the cupboard certainly wasn't bare when he found this Art Deco children's clock.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Michael spotted six silver spoons with the most wonderful enamelled Nordic scenes.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Suave and sophisticated, David found the quintessential gentleman's accessory,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39a lovely rosewood walking cane.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42And finally, Michael went potty for this patriotic jug,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44commemorating the Crimean War.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51So we've travelled a few miles up the coast to another seaside town -
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Eastbourne.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55But someone who can't afford to take it easy is today's auctioneer,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Paul Akillios.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00So with a packed saleroom, let's get this show on the road.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04I think this one could fly away, Dylan, hopefully.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- I hope so.- And you got this in a jumble sale?- I did, yes.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- And all the kids learnt to tell the time from it?- Yes.- That's lovely.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17- How much did you pay for it? - One shilling. - Well, we're bound to make a profit.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22- It's going under the hammer now. Let's see what the bidders of Eastbourne think.- Yes.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27Transfer-printed with Old Mother Hubbard scene. Nice one there.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Due to conflicting bids, we'll start this at £50.
0:25:30 > 0:25:31At 50. 5...
0:25:32 > 0:25:36- We're in at 50.- Good. - At £60. I'll take 2 if it helps?
0:25:36 > 0:25:3762. 65. 68. 70. 5.
0:25:39 > 0:25:4280? No, 75 is yours.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46At 75. Anybody else? 80 bid on the internet now.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Do you want 5 in the room? 85 is bid.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51At 85. 90 on the net. At 90. And 5 in the room.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- Come on.- It is a bit of Art Deco.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Yes.- Rounds it off at 100. Is there 10?
0:25:57 > 0:26:02At 110 in the seat. 120, sir? 120. 130, will you...?
0:26:02 > 0:26:05140 now? 130. 140, internet. 150?
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Yes, this is good.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10At 140, selling to the net then...
0:26:10 > 0:26:12£140 and the hammer's gone down!
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- Very good indeed.- That's more like it. I knew that one would fly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- It just had something about it. - I'm so pleased.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'And hopefully, it'll teach another generation to tell the time.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26'Next up, Margaret's silver spoons.'
0:26:26 > 0:26:30It's a packed saleroom. It's a good time to sell silver.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34At 120 to 180, they're there to be bought - £20 each.
0:26:34 > 0:26:40You've heard what our experts have had to say. Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's down to them. Good luck.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46And where are we here? Who's got £80 to start those?
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Can I see 80 for those? 80 bid on the net. And 5.
0:26:50 > 0:26:5290? At £85. 90 is bid.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53And 5. 100, sir.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56- 110 bid.- Easily...- 120 now?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59At 110 only. At 110. Is there 20?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02At £110 only. 120 anywhere else? 120 is bid now.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Is there 30? At 120 only. Anybody else then? At 120.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10All done and I sell it on that bid of 120 now...?
0:27:11 > 0:27:13£120. Happy?
0:27:13 > 0:27:17- Yeah, that's OK. - It could have done a bit more.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- It could have done a bit more. - I'd have gone 130, 140, 150...
0:27:20 > 0:27:25They were beautiful, but they're of a period and style that people don't collect yet.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- If you've got a spare £120...- That was a bargain.- ..buy those spoons.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Not for now, but in 10, 15, 20 years' time
0:27:33 > 0:27:37because the quality is there, that's the most important thing.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41'Well, someone did get a bargain, but that's the gamble of the saleroom.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44'It's Amy and Tracy's walking cane next.'
0:27:44 > 0:27:49And I can see, Amy, a bidding card. Look at this. Let's take a look at the number.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56We are selling a walking cane, yeah, I know there are a lot in the saleroom.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- You want to now buy some more?- Yes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:06- I thought we'd broken you of the habit.- No.- It gets under your skin, this collecting thing.- I love it.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- We both do.- Yeah.- I know what it's like.- This is a nice one.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13It's of particular interest to me because it bears the name "JP White"
0:28:13 > 0:28:18who is a very well-known furniture designer. He had his own manufacturing works in Bedford.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23- Let's hope there are Bedford bidders online.- We'll find out now.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25You have the rosewood walking cane,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29the floral, embossed silver collar, engraved "JP White, Bedford".
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Again an unusual one there.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35And double bids here. We start at 50 and 5 and 60's bid.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38At £60. I'll take 5 from you?
0:28:38 > 0:28:395. 70. 5. 80. At £80.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Anybody else then? 5.
0:28:43 > 0:28:4490. 5. 95 it is.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51At 95. 100? Anybody else coming in? Are we all done on that bid...?
0:28:51 > 0:28:57The hammer's gone down, sold. You were spot-on with your enthusiasm.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- I feel very proud of my home town. - That is a lot more.- Fantastic.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04- £95.- That's really good. - Shopping money?- Yes!
0:29:04 > 0:29:09- We're going to spend it straight away!- These girls can shop!
0:29:09 > 0:29:14'I love results like that and they say you've got to speculate to accumulate.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17'And I know that's just what Amy and Tracy will do.'
0:29:17 > 0:29:20We've got a Royal Patriotic Jug just about to go under the hammer.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25It's a bit of Crimean War memorabilia. Very important time in our history. Hello, John, Helen.
0:29:25 > 0:29:31- We've been joined by Michael. - I fell in love with this. I saw it at a distance.
0:29:31 > 0:29:37I might have over-egged it, but it's super. It deserves to make that money.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42- I'm sure it's worth £300. Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?- Yes.
0:29:42 > 0:29:48It is all down to the bidders. Let's find out what it's worth. It's going under the hammer now.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Royal Patriotic Jug with a transfer-printed decoration,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55commemorating the Crimean War.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57We'll start at 150 here with me.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01At 150. Is there 160 anywhere? At 150 only.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03160's bid on the net. 170, is it?
0:30:03 > 0:30:05170's bid. 180, is it?
0:30:05 > 0:30:09170 has it. At 180 on the net now. At 180.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11190 it is. At 190. 200, is it, on the net?
0:30:11 > 0:30:13At 190. 200 is bid. At 200.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16220 I'm bid. At 220. 240, is it?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19At 220 now. 240 I'll take? 240 on the net.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23At 260 in the room. At 260. 280 do I see?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26At £260. Is there 80 anywhere? At £260 only. Anybody else at 260?
0:30:26 > 0:30:31- At £260 now. Are you all done? - Where are those hands?
0:30:31 > 0:30:32280 back in on the net. At £280.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35It's on the internet at £280.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39I'll take a chance and sell it at £280. Is there 300 anywhere?
0:30:39 > 0:30:43- At £280 anywhere else? - He'll sell it. Sensible decision.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47280 then. On the net then at 280 and I sell it...
0:30:47 > 0:30:51- He's sold it. Is that OK?- Yeah. - Just below.- Well, OK.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56If I tell you that's more than I think any Alcock jug has ever made, that's quite a good result.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57That's fine.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Is it the right climate to sell a weather forecaster?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06I hope the money comes pouring in for this next lot.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10It's the best name, it's the best example and it's got everything.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13It's in its fitted case and it's with the original instructions,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17- so if you're going to buy one... - It doesn't get better than that.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Are you excited? Oh, come on! Are you nervous?
0:31:19 > 0:31:20Yes!
0:31:20 > 0:31:23- Is this your first auction?- Yeah.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Hopefully we'll get the top end and you'll be going out
0:31:26 > 0:31:29for a slap-up meal tonight, finish off the day in style.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33Here we go, it's going under the hammer. This is it. Good luck.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37We move to the Negretti and Zambra patent weather forecaster.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Has the benefit of the original instructions, and bid me on that lot.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46We've had a bit of interest and we start this at £210. At 210.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49I'll take 20s from you. At £210 only. Is there 20 anywhere?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53At £210. Do I see 20 anywhere else?
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Anyone else coming in. All done on that bid of 210?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Not sold.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01At least we protected that with the reserve.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02Yeah.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04That's the good thing about the reserve.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08I might've got carried away with the quality and the fact that I love it.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10But I do think it's worth that,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12so maybe if it goes into a sale with other barometers,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15somebody will see the immediate appeal.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18It's a quality scientific instrument.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Have another go at it some other time.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Maybe on another day there'd be a brighter outlook?
0:32:33 > 0:32:39Over the years on the show, I've got quite used to visiting Grade I listed buildings,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41but today, I'm actually visiting a battlefield -
0:32:41 > 0:32:46one of 43 battlefields that are now protected by English Heritage.
0:32:46 > 0:32:52Arguably, the field I'm standing in is the most significant battlefield this country has ever seen
0:32:52 > 0:32:58because 1,000 years ago, two great armies clashed against each other - the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02And the outcome would change the face of Britain for ever.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05And the year was 1066.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15The battle only lasted one day, but it was an epic.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19It was the largest, closest-fought battle in Medieval Britain
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and became the most famous battle in English history.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26I am, of course, talking about the Battle of Hastings.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46It all began with the death of Edward the Confessor.
0:33:46 > 0:33:51The Bayeux Tapestry depicts Edward on his deathbed, pointing to Harold Godwinson,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53entrusting England to his care.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01However, there was another claimant to the English throne - William, Duke of Normandy.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09When Duke William heard that Harold, in his view, had seized the crown, he was absolutely furious.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15William's claim rested on the spurious premise that Edward had offered him the throne
0:34:15 > 0:34:20and that Harold had sworn under duress to accept William as king.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24However, this didn't bother William. He was an arch opportunist.
0:34:24 > 0:34:29He thought he had right on his side and the endorsement of the Pope,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32so he decided to avenge with arms.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39While William waited with his ships and men for favourable winds to England,
0:34:39 > 0:34:44King Harold had his own problems - he was being invaded by Vikings.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49They'd landed on the north-east coast and overrun the city of York.
0:34:49 > 0:34:55Harold reacted quickly, marching his troops 200 miles from London to Stamford Bridge in five days.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00The battle was fierce, but decisive. Harold was triumphant.
0:35:06 > 0:35:10Meanwhile, on the coast of France, the Normans were on their way.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15Carried by a favourable breeze, they landed on the south coast and, with Harold's army up in the north,
0:35:15 > 0:35:21they met no resistance. But King Harold soon marched south to confront the Normans.
0:35:25 > 0:35:32Although the Normans were seasoned fighters, they were about to face an army as large as their own,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35some 5,000-7,000 strong.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39When William heard that Harold's men were camped six miles north of Hastings,
0:35:39 > 0:35:44he marched his troops to confront them. Right here where I'm standing.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48I wonder what went through their minds when those two armies met
0:35:48 > 0:35:53on that Saturday, 14th of October, 1066.
0:35:53 > 0:35:59Each side arranged their battle formation. William had foot soldiers in front with arrows and crossbows,
0:36:00 > 0:36:05with more powerful foot soldiers in the second rank, wearing chain mail.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Finally, William himself rode with the cavalry of knights.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14Harold drew up his army taking the high ground.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18His formation was very different as the English fought on foot.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23His men were already exhausted after two forced marches and a major battle,
0:36:23 > 0:36:28so Harold had no choice but to fight defensively, forming a shield wall,
0:36:28 > 0:36:33as he waited for reinforcements to swell his ranks.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38When the order for battle was given, the English army were here and the Normans down there
0:36:38 > 0:36:42on the lower ground.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44They took the initiative and advanced.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52The English hurled all manner of missiles down upon them,
0:36:52 > 0:36:57but again and again the Normans came back, wave after wave.
0:36:57 > 0:37:03But they couldn't penetrate this solid shield wall. It was the most marvellous form of defence.
0:37:03 > 0:37:09The Normans failed to break the English shield wall and it struck fear into William's foot soldiers.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Terrified by this ferocity and facing an extremely steep slope,
0:37:14 > 0:37:19William's Bretons to the left of the battle line turned and retreated.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23Some of the English broke ranks to pursue them, only to be cut down and slaughtered
0:37:23 > 0:37:27when they found themselves isolated from the main English force.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34As the battle went on, no side was giving any quarter.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39Confusion and alarm rose amongst the Normans when one of William's horses was killed
0:37:39 > 0:37:42and it was assumed William was, too.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47But he wasn't. He rushed towards his men, took his helmet off, held his head up high and said,
0:37:47 > 0:37:53"Look! I am alive and, with God's help, I shall conquer!"
0:37:53 > 0:37:59By early afternoon, both sides had been fighting continuously for hours at full pelt.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Already hundreds of men had died when William had an idea.
0:38:03 > 0:38:10Seeing that the English had been lured from the shield wall earlier, when his left flank had turned tail,
0:38:10 > 0:38:16he staged fake retreats. They'd be chased, then wheel around and slaughter their pursuers.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25The plan worked, but it didn't thin out the English army enough.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29With light beginning to fade, William made one final push.
0:38:29 > 0:38:35He ordered his bowmen to fire their arrows high into the air so they rained down on the English.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39What happened next was one of the most famous moments in British history.
0:38:42 > 0:38:48An arrow seemed to strike King Harold. Legend has it it hit him in the eye.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53Finally, the English wall had broken. The Normans found Harold and hacked him down.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04So it was all over. Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon king, was dead.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08This stone marks the spot where he's thought to have fallen.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12William, Duke of Normandy, was now King of England.
0:39:12 > 0:39:20To commemorate those who fell and his victory, he built an abbey here on this site on the battlefield.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Just standing here today, it's really thought-provoking to think
0:39:24 > 0:39:29of the thousands of men who died in a fierce battle on that one day.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31It's a battleground that's not only infamous,
0:39:31 > 0:39:38but which has brought about the biggest political and cultural upheaval in a thousand years.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42For that reason alone, this site is well worth protecting.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57So time to forward wind and travel a few miles back to our valuation day in Bexhill-on-Sea.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01We're still battling to get through as many valuations as possible.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04It's Michael who triumphs first.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09Ella, thank you for bringing in this stunning little cup.
0:40:09 > 0:40:16- Can you tell me - how did you acquire it?- It was given to my husband I think in the '60s.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21Before I knew him. His boss was Jewish, the story goes,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26and it belonged to his daughter and my husband said it was
0:40:26 > 0:40:31the equivalent of a Bar Mitzvah cup, only for the daughter.
0:40:31 > 0:40:38- She married out of the faith, he got rid of all her things and gave that to my husband.- Good grief.
0:40:38 > 0:40:44It's interesting that you say it was the equivalent of a Bar Mitzvah.
0:40:44 > 0:40:50You get a lot of secular items produced
0:40:50 > 0:40:56that are then purchased and might have an inscription in Hebrew, to be used as a Kiddush cup
0:40:56 > 0:40:58or a ceremonial vessel.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02Certainly all British silver should have a hallmark on it.
0:41:02 > 0:41:08- We've got the maker's mark. M&W. - Mappin and Webb. - You can work that out.
0:41:08 > 0:41:15We've also got the Sheffield town mark and we've got the date letter for 1904.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18So we're slap bang in the middle of the reign of Edward VII,
0:41:18 > 0:41:24but more importantly we're in the crucible of English Art Nouveau.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29You've got this hammer finish or planishing. This was introduced, this finish,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32by people like the Guild of Handicraft.
0:41:32 > 0:41:39They would finish everything and hand work it, so it would have all these dimples.
0:41:39 > 0:41:45Ironically, because it was so popular, firms like Mappin's produced wares
0:41:45 > 0:41:49- that were mechanically planished. - Yes.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55So far from being wrought by hand, it's actually machine-done, but made to look as if it's by hand.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00What certainly does require a great deal of skill is the stem.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04I think it's absolutely wonderful as an example of Art Nouveau silver.
0:42:04 > 0:42:10- Why have you decided to bring it in and part with it today?- Because I'm getting rid of all my silver
0:42:10 > 0:42:18- and collecting pots because they don't need cleaning.- Is it a nightmare to polish?- It is, yes.
0:42:18 > 0:42:25All these little bits here. It was black. I gave it a quick clean this morning to bring it down.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Right, well.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32I don't think I'd get fed up polishing it if it was mine.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34We have to think in terms of value.
0:42:34 > 0:42:40I think we need to put it into auction for £250-£350.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43It's the nicest cup of its type I've seen.
0:42:43 > 0:42:51- And put a fixed reserve of £250. Is that in line with what you were thinking?- I had no idea,
0:42:51 > 0:42:56but I'd like somebody to appreciate it who will clean it.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Well, I'd appreciate it and clean it, but I can't buy it, sadly.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05It's been an absolute joy to see. Thank you for bringing it in.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10I don't blame Ella for not liking all of that polishing - she's not the only one!
0:43:10 > 0:43:15- Hello, Sue.- Hello.- This is quite a lighter.- A bit dirty!
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Well...I was going to say you could have given it a clean!
0:43:19 > 0:43:24But it doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter at all. It's by Dunhill.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29- Yeah.- It's really, of its type, as good as things get, really.
0:43:29 > 0:43:36You know, if you wanted, in the 1930s when this was made, a top-of-the-range show-off lighter,
0:43:36 > 0:43:40- you bought one of these. - As early as that? - Yeah, it dates from the '30s.
0:43:41 > 0:43:46- So does it have a story? - Not one that I can remember.
0:43:46 > 0:43:51It's been in a drawer for so long, 20 years probably.
0:43:51 > 0:43:57- It could have come from my father, but I really don't know.- It just sort of appeared one day?- Yes!
0:43:59 > 0:44:02- Are you going to miss it?- No.
0:44:02 > 0:44:09I'm not surprised, really. I love these things because they speak of their period,
0:44:09 > 0:44:15they evoke the 1930s. They evoke conspicuous consumption.
0:44:15 > 0:44:21You can imagine a well-to-do chap lighting his cigar from one of those, you know.
0:44:21 > 0:44:26They are high-status objects. Have you any idea what it might be worth?
0:44:26 > 0:44:30- I said a fiver!- A fiver, OK.
0:44:30 > 0:44:36I think it's worth a bit more. I think it's going to make between £60 and £100.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40- That is a surprise. - Is that good news?- Yes.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44Very pleased to hear that. I think we should put a reserve on it.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48- Do you?- Well, what's your view? - I don't want it.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53- OK, get rid of it.- Get rid of it. - We'll sell it without reserve.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- Yeah.- Why don't we? It'll make its money.- You reckon?
0:44:56 > 0:45:03- We'll estimate it at £60-£100. Let's go for it!- Definitely. Definitely flog it!
0:45:03 > 0:45:10So another item dating to the 1930s, just like our fabulous valuation day pavilion.
0:45:10 > 0:45:15Time for one last valuation now and it might be a bit special.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20Tony, thank you for bringing in this interesting picture today.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24- Is it a family thing? - No, I bought it at auction
0:45:24 > 0:45:29- about six months ago. - Oh, recently?- Yes.
0:45:29 > 0:45:36- Did you buy it because it appealed to you? "I'll put that on my wall." - Yes, I liked the image. Yes.
0:45:36 > 0:45:41A very naive image, I suppose, of fishermen on a beach.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44So when you bought this, what did they describe it as?
0:45:44 > 0:45:50Just a painting by G Dillon and describing the scene on the picture.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- It's comprehensive in a way.- Yes.
0:45:53 > 0:45:58I saw this this morning and I'll be honest - I thought it had a naive charm,
0:45:58 > 0:46:02but I didn't think it was a dramatically important thing,
0:46:02 > 0:46:07- but we have this marvellous process to look up artists' names.- Yes.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10- G Dillon is Gerard Dillon.- Yes.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15- He was born in 1916 in Belfast. - Right.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19Mainly scenes of solitary men
0:46:19 > 0:46:23- because I don't think he was a terribly happy soul.- Oh, right.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27We now have a problem, though.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Is it genuine?
0:46:30 > 0:46:36- I'm not an expert in paintings and I'm certainly not an expert in Gerard Dillon.- Right.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40But there are people who are experts in Gerard Dillon.
0:46:40 > 0:46:46So now we come down to the most important question of value.
0:46:46 > 0:46:48Yes.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53If it isn't right, you still had a good buy at £50.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58It's a decorative oil painting. It might be worth £100 or £200.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00Good.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03- If it's right...- Yes.- ..we could put a nought on what you paid.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- 500.- Right.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10Right, good.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14- But we wouldn't stop there because we'd put another nought on. - Oh, right.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19A conservative estimate would be £5,000-£10,000.
0:47:19 > 0:47:25- Excellent.- So if you're happy to leave this with us,
0:47:25 > 0:47:29- we will seek those expert opinions. - Right.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32And with our fingers crossed and a fair wind,
0:47:32 > 0:47:38we will place it into the auction with a £5,000 reserve, a £5,000-£10,000 estimate,
0:47:38 > 0:47:42- our fingers crossed and we'll see where it ends up.- Fantastic.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46- Are you happy with all that? - Certainly!
0:47:46 > 0:47:52- You bought it to go on the wall. You don't want to put it back? - Not for £5,000!- Certainly not.
0:47:52 > 0:47:59- Well, we'll see how it turns out. - Yes.- As I say, it's 50/50 at the moment.- Yes.
0:47:59 > 0:48:04But it's really intriguing and this is what the world of antiques is about,
0:48:04 > 0:48:06- investigation and discovery.- Yes.
0:48:10 > 0:48:11- Hello, June.- Hello.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13Are you a cricketer yourself?
0:48:13 > 0:48:16No. I support cricket, though.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Which county do you support?
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Kent and Sussex.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I suppose living here, you have to support both.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Yes, I've lived in both counties.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26Both counties. Right. OK.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30I love cricket. I played a bit. Not terribly successfully.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34I've scored two half centuries in my life.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38At my last innings in the summer, I was bowled by my nephew for one.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40I think it's time to hang my pads up.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Enough of me. Let's talk about some great cricketers.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46Tell me how you came by this bat.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50My husband did a paper round in his youth in a village,
0:48:50 > 0:48:54and the lady's husband had died
0:48:54 > 0:48:58and she knew he played cricket all his life so she gave it to him.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Fantastic. What a wonderful present.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Yes.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04I mean, this is a galaxy of stars here.
0:49:04 > 0:49:09It's been signed by what are simply some of the greatest names in cricket
0:49:09 > 0:49:11as I'm sure you know.
0:49:11 > 0:49:17On the face, we have the autographs of the Australian 1938 side.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Captained by Don Bradman.
0:49:21 > 0:49:27In that season, he scored 13 centuries and scored 1,000 runs.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32Beneath him, Stan McCabe, and beneath him, Bill O'Reilly,
0:49:32 > 0:49:36- who, as I'm sure you know, was a bowler.- Yes.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40On the reverse side, we have even more autographs.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44Gloucestershire captained by Wally Hammond.
0:49:44 > 0:49:48And here we have Yorkshire captained by Herbert Sutcliffe.
0:49:50 > 0:49:51So...
0:49:52 > 0:49:54- You're a cricket fan.- Yes.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59And this is a wonderful cricket bat. You'll probably not see a better one.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Why are you thinking of selling it?
0:50:02 > 0:50:04- Well, my children don't want it. - Right.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07And I thought, well, it will just lie around
0:50:07 > 0:50:10so somebody who appreciates cricket
0:50:10 > 0:50:14and would like to have it might as well have it.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17How old are your children?
0:50:17 > 0:50:19- 50, 48, 47...- So they're grown-up!
0:50:21 > 0:50:22OK!
0:50:23 > 0:50:29Cricketing memorabilia generally is collected, as you might imagine, very avidly.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32I think this is going to make between £300 and £500.
0:50:32 > 0:50:37I would like to suggest a reserve, really, just to be on the safe side
0:50:37 > 0:50:39of, say, 270.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42- Shall we make that fixed?- Yeah.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Jolly good. OK. And I'll see you at the sale.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- Right.- Howzat?- Very good!
0:50:49 > 0:50:52I think we have used all the cricketing puns
0:50:52 > 0:50:54so here's what's going under the hammer.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59David was bowled over with this autographed cricket bat.
0:51:00 > 0:51:06Michael took a shine to this Mappin and Webb silver bowl.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10David is sure this Dunhill lighter will spark some interest.
0:51:10 > 0:51:16And, finally, subject to additional research, we may have discovered work
0:51:16 > 0:51:18by Irish artist Gerard Dillon.
0:51:18 > 0:51:25So we've moved back up the coast to Eastbourne and we've got some news on Tony's painting.
0:51:25 > 0:51:31The saleroom is still heaving, which can only be a good thing for our lots.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35We've got Ella.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Quality! Look at you!
0:51:37 > 0:51:41And I knew I could put you with this Art Nouveau silver bowl.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45You can almost place owners with their objects. Quality.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50We're looking at £250-£350 on a good day.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55It's a regular name, but the quality is exceptional. It's really a little masterpiece.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00I think we'll have a buyer for this. Do you know that? I think we will.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Going under the hammer right now.
0:52:05 > 0:52:11The Mappin and Webb Art Nouveau silver bowl with naturalistic stem and planish decoration.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13It's Sheffield 1904-05.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16There it is. With me at 160.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20I'll take 70 from you. At 170. It's bid on the 'net. 180?
0:52:20 > 0:52:25- We want to see more than that. - At 180. Is there 90?
0:52:25 > 0:52:28- Oh, come on!- 180. 190. 200 now.
0:52:28 > 0:52:34- You have to see past the weight of it to the quality.- 220 bid. 220.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38- At 220. 230 do I see? - This is more like it.- At 220 only.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Sounds cheap to me. 30 anywhere?
0:52:40 > 0:52:45At £220 only. All gone on that bid of 220?
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Selling it... I'm not selling it, actually!
0:52:48 > 0:52:53230 I'll take. It's not being sold at 220.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57Gosh, I can't believe that. Just shy. Two more bids.
0:52:57 > 0:53:03- Literally.- I'm glad it didn't go at the bottom end. It was worth more than that.- It's a shame.
0:53:04 > 0:53:10Ella, I'm ever so sorry. I feel like we've let you down, but we protected it with a reserve.
0:53:10 > 0:53:15- If you put anything into auction, stick a reserve on it.- Yes.
0:53:15 > 0:53:20- It's going home.- Yes.- You'll maybe have to put it in another saleroom, maybe in six months' time.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Something for all you cricketing fans.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Right now, an autographed cricket bat
0:53:31 > 0:53:33with a value of £300-£500 belonging to June.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35I love the story involved in this.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39Your husband did a paper round and he was given this cos he was a great cricket fan.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41You've had it all these years.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45There's not a lot of other sporting memorabilia here, so fingers crossed.
0:53:45 > 0:53:50- Fingers crossed.- I think this has universal enough appeal.- OK.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53Is it touch and go, or is it a boundary?
0:53:53 > 0:53:55We'll find out what the bidders think
0:53:55 > 0:53:58because it's down to them, and here we go.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Now we move to the autographed cricket bat.
0:54:00 > 0:54:07And due to conflicting bids, we'll start this at £270.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10270, 280, 290. 300 I'm bid. At £300.
0:54:10 > 0:54:15310 bid. 320. At £320.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Commission bidder has it at 320. You're out in front.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21At 320, 340, 350, 360, is it?
0:54:21 > 0:54:24350. No, 340. 340. 340 holds the bid.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28I'll take 50. 340 it is. At 340. On commission at 340.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31You're out in front now at 340. All done?
0:54:31 > 0:54:33£340.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36It knocked someone for six!
0:54:36 > 0:54:40I'm not very good at puns, I'm afraid, but I had to get one in.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42I don't know, you've not done badly.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44Hopefully, our next lot will set the bidders on fire.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46You shouldn't clean this up,
0:54:46 > 0:54:49- whoever buys it will keep it like it is.- Really?- Yeah.
0:54:49 > 0:54:55And it's not a great deal of money. We're only looking at £60-£80, which is nothing for a Dunhill.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58Let's hope we can top £100.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03The Dunhill silver-plated jumbo lighter. Nice thing.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07What a nice one it is, too. I'll start this at £40
0:55:07 > 0:55:09and I'll take 5 from you.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12At £40. Is there 5? 45 on the internet. 50. And 5.
0:55:14 > 0:55:1660. 60.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18At £60 I've taken in the room.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21£60 in the room. 5 on the net?
0:55:21 > 0:55:25At £60. Double bids there. One on the internet, one in the room.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29- The bid is in the room at £60. - Spot on estimate.
0:55:29 > 0:55:3465, back in on the internet. At 65.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38Try one more. 70 it is. At £70 in the room.
0:55:38 > 0:55:42Two people now getting stuck in. This is what auctions are about.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47Fair warning on the internet. I sell it, room bidder, on 70.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Those two last bids took it up to a respectable £70.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55- A respectable £70.- Very nice. - Well summed up, Paul.
0:55:55 > 0:56:01It's time to reveal if Tony's painting IS actually by Irish artist Gerard Dillon.
0:56:01 > 0:56:06I've certainly been looking forward to this one for quite some time.
0:56:06 > 0:56:13This is where it's opinion versus opinion. Is it or is it not G Dillon, the Irish artist?
0:56:13 > 0:56:21- I've just been joined by Tony. - Hello.- We'd like to think it was. We sent it off to Bonhams.
0:56:21 > 0:56:27And...in their opinion, it's not by the Irish artist G Dillon.
0:56:27 > 0:56:33- They even sent it to a lady in Ireland who is writing a book... - On G Dillon.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37She knows the family very well and, in their opinion, it's not.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40This is the most important thing. On the day, I didn't know.
0:56:40 > 0:56:47- I'm not a specialist in that. - Tony, we have to be seen to be doing the best.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51- We sent it to the best in the country and, in their opinion... - It's not..
0:56:51 > 0:56:55But it's here today and now it gets interesting.
0:56:55 > 0:57:02- Everybody has their own opinion. - Yes.- We only need two people who feel that it's right,
0:57:02 > 0:57:07right enough for them to bid, and we could see a very handsome return on your money.
0:57:07 > 0:57:14I think we leave this to our bidders in the room. Let's find out exactly what this is worth right now.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19G Dillon. Figures carrying a boat, by the look of it.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- 240 I'm bid. I'll take 50. - Good grief.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27- 240. 250. 260 with me. - Straight in at 240.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31260 on commission. I'll take 70.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34- 270. I'm out. - Someone's having a go.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38Is there 80? 270 it is. 280. 290.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41- You're in!- 320.
0:57:43 > 0:57:46340. 360.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49- Great.- 380. 400.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51420?
0:57:51 > 0:57:56No, 400 has it. At £400. I'll sell it on that bid, then.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Are we all done at 400?
0:57:58 > 0:58:02- He's sold it at £400. - Wow. Fantastic.- Well, I never.
0:58:02 > 0:58:08- Someone's taking a gamble. Two or three people were prepared to. You must be delighted.- Thrilled!
0:58:08 > 0:58:12Considering you just bought it down the road. There you go.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15You can never predict an auction.
0:58:15 > 0:58:20We've had a fabulous day here. I know Tony's made up - he's made a big profit.
0:58:20 > 0:58:24Hope you enjoyed our surprises. Cheerio.