Cheltenham Flog It!

'Nothing says Regency quite as well as Cheltenham.

'It's porticoes and pediments everywhere you look.

'The buildings are elegant, uncluttered

'and beautifully proportioned - just like the items we'll be looking for on today's Flog It!'

'As befits a town famous for its healing waters,

'our venue today is Cheltenham's elegant Pittville Pump Room.

'I'm finding lots of exciting things.' Oh, that's fabulous.

'And so are our experts, Adam Partridge and David Fletcher,

'who are busy delving into the bags and boxes brought along by the crowd.

-'For once, Adam reveals more about himself than the item.'

-Where are you from?

-Originally? From Poland.

-I thought so. I'm half Polish myself.

-You are?!

-Yeah.

HE SPEAKS POLISH

Very good!

'And what language is David speaking(?)'

I know a bit about a lot of things and, er, well, a lot about a lot of things

and not much about a few things, let's put it like that!

Just look at this! Hundreds of people.

I can't wait to see what's in all of these bags and boxes.

Someone here has got something that's worth a small fortune.

It could be you, it could be you, it could be you.

The great thing is, we don't know and you don't know yet,

but it's our job to tell you. It's 9:30.

-It's time to get the doors open. Are you ready to go in?

-Yes!

-Yes! Come on, then.

'Cheltenham is at the heart of all things British.'

MUSIC: "Rule Britannia"

'And so are today's items. All of them have been created in Britain,

'except for one. Which of you eagle-eyed antiques experts at home can spot the odd one out?'

'Is it this romantic little trinket box?'

-Have you brought me a Valentine's Day present?!

-Yes!

'Is it this unusual silver object?'

-It shouldn't be a strain to sell it.

-THEY LAUGH

'Or could it be this elegant 19th-century gentleman's accessory?'

-Is it the sort of thing that spooks you, or are you comfortable with it?

-No, not at all.

'First at the table is David with some fancy floral work.'

-Hello, Jean.

-Hello.

-Great pair of vases.

-Thank you.

These are 19th century and they are in the high rococo style.

Do you know what the rococo style is?

-I've heard of it.

-OK.

The rococo style is characterised by all these swirling scrolls.

S-scrolls and C-scrolls, and so on.

It was a style that came from France in the mid-18th century

and was revived again in the early 19th century and these belong to that revival.

How did you come to own them?

They were my father's, who's now given to me,

but they were left to him by his great uncle.

-OK.

-Yes.

Your great uncle would have bought them, he wouldn't have been left them?

-No, no. I think he'd have bought them.

-OK.

-He would have been a man of some means.

-Yes.

-And good taste.

They were made in England.

Now, this type of porcelain gets referred to as Coalbrookdale,

-the factory in the Ironbridge Gorge, which became the Coalport factory.

-Yes.

And what makes me make that connection in particular is this floral encrustation.

-Typical of that factory. I love the views.

-They're lovely, aren't they?

-It's an English landscape, but with a rather exotic-looking mansion.

-Hm-hm.

-Almost a Gothic-style mansion in the background, but typical of the period.

-Yes.

-Which is about 1830 to 1850.

-Right.

There is a bit of damage.

-This vase here has a crack in the lower part of the handle.

-Yes.

-Now, that is a problem.

It's not terminal, but that will put some buyers off, there's no doubt about that.

-Do you've any idea what they might be worth?

-No.

-You realise they're worth quite a bit of money?

-Yes.

Because they're so lovely. Er, I... I would like to come down with an estimate

somewhere in the mid-hundreds.

Three to five, ideally, with a reserve of 300.

-OK.

-They've got to make that sort of money

and, with a bit of luck, they might make more.

I love them so much, um, and I want to sell them.

-I don't think we should be too greedy and over-optimistic.

-OK.

So that to me sounds about right.

'All good things come in pairs.' Oh, look! Two balloons.

-High five?

-Eloise and Imogen.

Eloise, high five? Imogen, high five?

-High five? No, no? No?

-LAUGHTER

The magic's gone.

'As I've been mingling with the crowd, something's caught my eye.'

-What's your name?

-Phil.

-Phil, may I hold this?

-Yes.

Look at that!

That is a spirit level, isn't it? Let's face it. You can see there's two bubbles.

-Now, is this for a shipwright, or is it for the railways?

-Railways.

-OK.

-That is the standard gauge there.

-Of the track?

-Yeah, of the track.

That's the standard gauge. Of course, it was set probably to put a curve in.

-The camber?

-Yes.

I've been into railways for nine years, never seen one before.

-I acquired this about ten years ago.

-How much did you pay for it?

-HE LAUGHS

-Go on, what's it worth?

Is the wife going to listen?! THEY LAUGH

-About £40.

-£40.

-If I said this might be worth double what you paid for it? Would you be happy?

-Oh, yes.

Would you like to put this into auction?

I have a feeling... This is railway memorabilia. Railway memorabilia is big business.

-I'll put it into auction.

-Very big business.

Shall we stick it into auction

-and see if it finds its own level?

-HE CHUCKLES

-That's a good pun.

-I'm very sorry. That was no pun intended.

I mean, it's just a shame that the body of it's not made of,

let's say a Cuban mahogany, or nice old oak.

Unfortunately, it's a stained pitch pine.

Unlike a normal spirit level where there's one bubble,

here, there are two bubbles, with two sets of gauges.

I don't what they're for, unfortunately, I can tell you,

and you probably know, it's stamped BR/W

and it says 1954, but it's made in Birmingham by I&D Smallwood.

Shall we put this into auction with an evaluation of -

the auctioneer's classic, really - £80 to £120?

-Spot on.

-And hopefully double your money. Yeah?

-A reserve of...what do you want? 60?

-Yes, that's fine.

-OK.

-And don't tell the wife.

-Hopefully, we'll have a few surprises.

-If I get £80 to £100, I could go on a world cruise(!)

-No, you couldn't!

'I don't think it's going to be a sleeper!

'Moving along swiftly, let's see what's pulled into Adam's station.'

-I'm very glad to see you at Flog It!

-Thank you. Where have you come up from?

-From South Wales.

-I thought I detected a tinge of a Welsh accent.

-Just a giveaway.

HE LAUGHS Slightly.

This is a lovely pair of scent bottles. Have you used them? Are you a scent lover?

-I'm a scent lover, but not of these bottles.

-Right.

-They were an inheritance from a cousin.

-I see.

-And you decided to bring them along to flog 'em.

-I have.

-They're very nice.

-They are.

-Not tempted to keep them?

No, not at all. Right. And what sort of interior? You have a more modern...?

Yes, very minimalist. They just wouldn't go.

-They just wouldn't go. They're Victorian.

-So I believe.

They're very nice. They're crystal-cut glass, silver mounted.

And the silver hallmarks there are William Hutton & Sons Ltd,

which is a London silversmiths, and they're dated 1897.

So a lovely quality pair of scent bottles.

We have a look there. The lid hinges up

and there would have been a stopper inside there, which, obviously,

-would remove and you see them dabbing with the stopper.

-Yes.

Let's check the other. Also lacking the stopper. Apart from that, they're in lovely condition.

Would the glass and the tops have been made by the same people?

The glass would have been made and William Hutton & Sons

would have applied the silver mounts to the top.

Then retailed them as a pair of scent bottles.

The fact the stoppers are missing is a bit of a problem, but it's not the end of the world,

-because similar ones can be found, replacements can be found.

-Right.

And, one day, they will be reunited with some stoppers of a similar type.

-And be seen as they should be seen.

-But you never notice until they're open.

So they still have the same aesthetic appeal, but not quite there. Any idea what they're worth?

-Not a clue.

-They're worth about £40 to £60 each.

-Oh, right.

So the old 80 to 120 favourite estimate goes on these.

-I think they'll make slightly more.

-Oh, lovely.

-Sound all right?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Put a reserve on?

-Yes.

What do you think, £80?

Do you think, or is it that little bit too high?

-If they make less than 60, it wouldn't be right. Let's put 60 on them.

-I'll go with your advice.

We are now halfway through the day.

We've been working flat out, but it's our first time to take our first items off to auction.

I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours.

Let's find out what the auctioneer thinks, but, more importantly, what the bidders think.

Let's put those valuations to the test.

While we make our way to the salerooms in Malvern to see Mr Philip Serrell,

here's a rundown on what we're taking and why.

'They may not be to everybody's taste,

'but will Jean's flamboyant Coalport vases attract a bidder

'at David's estimate of £300 to £500?

'Could this spirit level be the missing link in someone's railway collection?

'Difficult to put a price on. I valued it at £80 to £120.

'Lynn's crystal-and-silver scent bottles are in sparkling condition and sure to appeal.

'at Adam's estimate of £80 to £120.'

'Here we are at Philip Serrell's auction house in Malvern.'

This is a good sign.

The car park is full, which means, fingers crossed,

the saleroom is packed and, hopefully, everyone's here to bid on our lots.

'Let's hear if Philip agrees with David's valuation of Jean's Coalport.

'I caught up with him on the auction preview day.'

This pair of Coalport vases belong to Jean. She's rescued them from her father's attic.

We've put a value of £300 to £500 on the pair.

-Times change, Paul.

-They're rococo style, though. They look fancy and frilly.

-Jean has been on the phone.

-Has she?

-Which means she's not happy.

-No...

I think she's happy, but she wanted to up the reserve.

Her view, the reason for it, wasn't without foundation.

Her reason was that she had had these valued, or her father had had these valued,

some years back, at up to £800.

And I tried to say to her that I felt that, you know...

They're lovely things, they're nice quality things, but they are out of taste at the moment.

Yes. Out of favour.

-And tastes do change a lot.

-Very much so.

We're finding this in furniture.

-Furniture's 40% of the value it was ten years ago.

-Absolutely.

She wanted to reserve up to £400, which we've done for her.

-OK, you've raised the reserve.

-The estimate is 400 to 600.

-Personally, I think we might struggle with them.

-OK.

The only thing it's got going for it is they are a pair and pairs do sell well.

It doesn't matter what they are, pairs have a look, a symmetry.

They're decorative. Fingers crossed, let's hope Jean's right and I'm wrong.

Watch them go and fly and make 600 quid!

Remember, if you're buying or selling at auction, there's a commission to pay.

Here, the seller's commission is 16.5%, plus the dreaded VAT.

If you're buying something, you must add 18%, plus VAT,

to the hammer price,

so do factor those costs into your sums, won't you?

'Now, let's see how Jean's vases get on.'

Jean, hello. You've been meddling with the valuations, haven't you, since the valuation day?

David here put three to five on them.

-You've upped that now.

-Yes.

-Four to six.

-Yes.

You may have just, just killed it slightly.

-Really?

-Yes.

I don't know. Look, I hope you're right.

I hope we didn't have to change it. If it got £400,

David is still right with his three to five.

-You're the boss, Jean. They belong to you.

-But you can do that.

If you enter things into auction, the day before you can say, "I've changed my mind."

You're entitled to do that. Hopefully, we're going to sell them.

-We'll find out what the bidders think.

-If it gets near...

You can't now, because you've got a reserve of £400.

-You can't keep changing your mind.

-OK!

Right, this is it. Here we go.

Lot number 725.

The pair of porcelain vases. Will you bid me for those.

The pair of them, I'm bid £150 for the two. At 150.

150. 160, 170.

170, 180. 190.

At £200 only. Is there any more at all?

At £200 only. Is there any more at all? At £200.

10 I'll take anywhere.

At £200 anywhere at all. At £200 anywhere?

No? I'm sorry I haven't sold those.

-Even at my 300, they wouldn't have sold.

-No.

-So between us, we didn't do very well.

-No, we didn't!

It's just really all about style and what is the look right now

and people are buying into that.

300 quid today is a lot of money. Money is tight.

-That's the problem.

-Take them home and put them back in the attic.

-They'll come back into fashion.

-Everything has got a cycle.

-Thank you.

-No, thank you.

-We tried our hardest, didn't we?

-You did!

-Despite some meddling going on in the middle!

-THEY LAUGH

'Oh, dear. It just wasn't their day.

'Let's hope we've got the train spotters in for our next item.'

My turn to be the expert now. I've just been joined by Phil and...who's this Phil?

-This is my brother.

-Hi, pleased to meet you. What's your name?

-Malcolm.

-Can you remember the spirit level Phil brought in?

-Yeah, pretty well.

-Have you seen it a lot?

-Yeah.

-OK.

A bit of railway memorabilia really, isn't it?

It's a wonderful thing. I haven't seen a spirit level like it before,

so we're having a bit of a guesstimate on this one, aren't we?

Good luck, Phil and Malcolm. Here we go.

Let's find out what this level is worth.

It's going under the hammer now.

Lot No.336,

as you see it catalogued. Bid me for that, someone.

A real collector's piece if you're into railwayana. Bid me.

Bid me £50 to start.

50 I'm bid. And five, 55. 55, 60. At £60 only, at 60. 60 bid.

At 60, at £60. Does anyone else have a carriage in the room?

At £60, it's your bid, sir.

-We're on the right track, you could say.

-Yeah.

Is there any more at all? At £60, it's your bid, sir.

I think it's a maiden bid. It's opened at 60 and it's selling at 60.

At £60, gentleman's bid, and I sell, then at 60. And done. Thank you.

-Spot on.

-It was, wasn't it?

Look, enjoy the money, and thank you for bringing it in,

because it's quirky, it's unusual, and we love things like that.

Another satisfied customer, only just!

Let's see if Adam can continue the winning streak.

Next up, the scent bottles.

Let's hope we get the sweet smell of success with these, Lynn.

-I'm hoping so, with the top end.

-Hopefully.

-I had to say that.

I beat him to it. Why are you selling them?

You wouldn't be able to fill them with scent these days,

-it would cost too much now. They're not my taste.

-Not your taste, simple as that?

-Yes.

-OK.

-I think these'll fly.

-Do you?

-Yes, I do.

-Do you really?

-I'm confident.

-Are you?

-I think they'll make what we said, I don't think they'll fly.

-But, you know, they're nice enough.

-I'm forever the optimist.

-Good.

The cup is always half full, the cup is always half empty.

-No, I'm just a realist.

-I'll go with you.

I'm probably wrong, but we'll find out because, at the end of the day, it's down to the bidders.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Lot No.546. These are lovely, the dressing table bottles.

£100 I'm bid. At 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150. Lady's bid.

150, 160, 170, 180, 190.

200, gentleman's bid. At £200 only, at 200. Any more?

At £200, and I sell them at 200. And done. Thank you.

-200 quid.

-Thank you.

-£200.

-Not too bad.

-Lovely.

-100 quid each.

-I know.

-Very good.

-I'm very pleased. Thank you.

We've seen an interesting mix of items in our first half,

but not to everybody's taste.

Styles do come and go.

Now, I'm off to see a house that has weathered many changes

over the years.

Remodelling our homes isn't a current trend.

Adding personal touches and restyling is, let's face it, compulsory,

it's part of our DNA.

And this is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

Over the years it's had plenty of home improvements.

This is Canons Ashby and, as fashions changed,

so did the house, both inside and out.

Fortunately, many of the period features have survived,

dating right back to its first owner, John Dryden,

who began building the house in 1551.

For the next 30 years, John Dryden extended the house

as and when money would allow him that luxury to do so.

He started with this peel tower, which dates back to the 1550s.

Now, it looks rather out of place here in Northamptonshire,

but in Cumberland, the Drydens' ancestral seat, it's a lot more commonplace.

You can see architecturally and stylistically it's built more for defence.

It's all these kind of quirky additions

that give the building its character.

You see this here?

Well, this was the original Tudor front door - rather understated,

but that's how things were.

But over the years, as fashions changed, it was considered too dull

and boring, so enter this wonderful, over-the-top,

grand, rococo-style ornamentation, which reflects the period.

And we're talking here now 1708, the Queen Anne period.

Which leads straight into the great hall.

Now, this would have been the social heart of the 16th century house.

All the daily living and entertaining would have taken place in this one room.

The original ceiling height would've gone right up to the rafters,

creating this big, vacuous space, with a mezzanine gallery at one end

and, no doubt, many banquets would've taken place here.

And, of course, there'd have a rip-roaring log fire

to keep this whole room warm and welcoming.

John Dryden was succeeded by his son, Erasmus, in 1584,

who was to be master of Canons Ashby for nearly half a century -

plenty of time to make his mark on the house.

This room's the winter parlour, where the family would retreat for more warmth.

It's a much cosier room, exclusively for family members only.

They would dine around this small gate-leg table,

or take meals in the afternoon, away from the hubbub

and all the servants in the great hall.

Erasmus commissioned all this oak panelling to be put on the walls,

but the most remarkable discovery here in this room

has to be the painted decoration.

This was underneath layers of cream paint

and it was discovered in the 1980s by the National Trust conservators

gradually peeling away and revealing these wonderful heraldic shields

and sort of family crests, if you like.

And up there there's quite a few of the Drydens' family shield, the lion.

But other local families also have their crests up here.

If a family went out of favour, the crest would be blackened out.

This is incredibly rare, it's a wonderful piece of history.

And another first, which I think is a first here in this country,

is this little alcove, this little built-in cupboard.

It's got all the signs of masonic symbolism.

You've got the central eye there, set squares up there,

fluted pilasters, which you'll find in masonic lodges,

and these compasses either side, holding paper scrolls.

Now, that says to me masonic symbolism,

yet Freemasonry in this country wasn't around until 1717,

when the first grand lodge opened in London.

But Freemasonry did make an appearance earlier in Scotland,

where the Drydens originally came from.

So I think... I think that's quite incredible.

That is a little masonic shrine.

What strange ceremonies went on in this room?

If only these walls could speak.

In the next room, the design is in striking contrast.

This is the great chamber, where the family would have entertained important guests.

We're on the first floor level now.

And it also contains the most ostentatious addition to this house.

It was put in by Erasmus, and it's this. Look at this.

A gigantic fireplace of, well, of massive proportions.

It's just not to scale with the room.

But you see, he was a Puritan and he was completely anti-monarchy,

and he thought by installing a statement piece like this

he would be saying, "Well, OK, the royalty, the nobility have got

"the wonderful, fanciful, gigantic things, but how about us?

"The gentry can have it too. Look what I've got."

And it's just incredible, it really is.

But even Erasmus was outdone by his son John,

because he installed this wonderful vaulted plastered ceiling. Look at that.

John succeeded Erasmus in 1632.

He decorated the ceiling with an abundance of fertility symbols -

pomegranates, thistles, lilies and grapes -

hoping for a healthy yield from his recent marriage to his third wife.

It worked - they went on to have nine children in nine years.

This type of high-relief plasterwork seems all the rage,

highly fashionable, and it's set off by this central pendant

which is decorated by women in the form of ships' figureheads.

No doubt that would've supported a great big chandelier.

And if anybody was left in any doubt to who this was all down to,

well, John's left his own coat of arms up there as well. Look.

Now, I couldn't leave here without showing you

possibly one of the most fabulous pieces of furniture I'm ever likely to touch.

And I have to wear white gloves for this occasion as well

because there's this gorgeous cabinet on chest made by Gerrit Jensen,

who was a master craftsman from the Low Countries.

He came to England in 1680 along with many other Huguenot refugees.

They escaped religious persecution at the time.

He made furniture for King Charles II, William and Mary, and Queen Anne.

This is the height of English baroque. It's a brand new style.

Now, if I open this up inside,

let me show you what treats you've got,

because it's even better on the inside.

You see, a fitted interior,

again, with the most wonderful marquetry work.

All of this is cut by hand and glued in,

and all of these veneers are hand-cut.

They're only about three or four millimetres thick.

The inlay is made of box, it's made of yew woods, it's made of holly.

Isn't that just stunning? That is a work of art.

And another reason why this was so new to the country

was because London had just witnessed the Great Fire in 1666.

It devastated the city. Everything was burnt to the ground.

Luckily enough, only half a dozen people lost their lives.

But they had to rebuild London.

We didn't have the stocks, we didn't have the craftsmen,

we didn't have the materials.

In 1667, the Rebuilding Act allowed these refugee craftsmen

to come and work in England.

And as long as they helped rebuild London for seven years,

they were allowed to join the Guild of Craftsmen

and set up in their own right

and work wherever they wanted in the country.

This was the start of something new.

It was the start of the English furniture trade as we know it.

Well, it's been a real privilege to visit Canons Ashby today.

I've thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I've learnt a lot, too, and we've only scratched the surface,

looking at some of the highlighted points here.

But if you're like me and you're passionate about history

and antiques, this place is definitely worth a visit.

Back at our glamorous venue, the Pittville Pump Room in Cheltenham,

the entertainment continues.

And David's found something of the night. It's Gill's mourning jewellery.

The Victorians had a thing about commemorating death.

And I'm certain that this is late Victorian.

It's a watch chain, or more strictly a watch rope, really,

because it's not a chain as such.

And it's the sort of thing a gentleman would have

worn across his waistcoat, suspending a pocket watch,

with the T bar just going through a buttonhole and securing it.

The decoration, the design, is typical of the 1880s, 1890s.

What makes this interesting is the fact that it is almost certainly

- and again I can't prove this - made out of human hair.

And I think you had an inkling that that was the case, didn't you?

-Well, in all probability it was.

-Yeah.

A person would at some stage in their life probably have just cut

a piece of hair off, which they might have given to a friend,

a husband or a wife.

And when that person died, those lockets of hair

were mounted into what became known as mourning brooches,

and presented after the funeral of the deceased

to members of the family.

It's... The whole thing to us today sounds so macabre

and really rather ghoulish.

In a sense, they were far more honest about death, far more frank about it.

They faced up to it in a way that we don't.

I think we could have a little look at the ring,

which is also a mourning ring.

And that is very indistinctly marked,

suggesting it's 9-carat gold.

Do you have a particular reason for selling it?

Is it the sort of thing that spooks you or are you fairly comfortable with it?

No, it doesn't spook me, not at all.

But it was in a box of jewellery that I inherited

from this wonderful lady's jewellery box.

-And all the other jewellery I wear, and my daughters have some.

-Right.

-But that - there's no watch to with it.

-No, quite.

Also, having daughters, no sons, really...

-It's a man's.

-It's a man's thing.

Did you have a particular sum of money in mind?

No, I didn't have anything.

I was just hoping perhaps that there might be enough to plant

something in the garden.

-Right.

-I mean, if there was enough, perhaps it could be a small tree.

-Dear Nancy was such a lovely, lovely lady.

-Right.

And I've fond thoughts of her

and I just thought it would be a nice thing to remember her by.

-That's lovely. And Nancy was the name of the lady who left the...?

-Yes.

I think that's a great idea. So I think this is going to make, as a group, between £30 and £50.

That's fine.

I think the auctioneers would probably prefer

if I suggested there was no reserve.

What do you feel about that?

You're disappointed. We'll put a reserve on it.

-I'd hate to see it go for nothing.

-We don't want to give it away.

We'll put a reserve of £20 on it, then it won't be given away.

From the macabre to the bacchanalian.

Helen, it's very nice to see you here at Flog It! today.

-And you've brought along something really very nice as well.

-Yep.

Can you tell me how you came to own this first of all?

-Well, it's just been passed down through the family.

-OK.

I've never seen anybody use it, it just sits in the cupboard.

-Is there an Irish link to your family?

-My husband's Irish.

-Excellent. That explains it as well,

because it's Irish silver.

So it appeals on a number of levels. Irish silver - very desirable.

And wine funnels - also very desirable.

Think of the amount of wine collectors that you hear about

paying thousands of pounds for a bottle of wine.

They're the people who also buy wine funnels,

as well as silver collectors.

So, we've got the hallmarks there. We've got a Dublin hallmark.

-The maker's William Doyle and the date is 1814.

-OK.

-So nearly 200 years old.

-Mmm.

-And that looks in pretty good order.

One thing that's a slight concern, we've got this embossed decoration,

vine leaves and grapes, very appropriate for the object,

but I just wonder whether perhaps initially this was made

-as a plain object, like many are, then decorated later.

-Right.

But what's in its favour, apart from what we've already mentioned,

is the fact that the strainer is still present,

and the correct one for this object.

Often they lost these and, over the years,

someone else would've found another that fitted,

and they'd stick them back on.

But the hallmarks match on both pieces.

-OK.

-Where does it live at home?

-In a cupboard.

-In a cupboard.

-Ever used it?

-No, never used it.

-Never had a...

-Never seen anyone use it.

-..a bottle with bits of cork and sediment floating about in it?

-No.

-No?

-Too expensive.

THEY LAUGH

-Any idea what it might be worth?

-No.

-No?

-No idea, really.

There's a misconception at the moment that silver is only worth scrap value.

When people have been coming into my auction house,

they've been saying, "Silver's only worth the scrap value," which simply isn't true.

The scrap value of that's probably about £50, you know,

it's not an awful lot.

-Collector's value I would estimate £300 to £500 on that.

-Right.

Which is nice.

I think it's got every chance of doing that,

might even do a bit more.

-But I think we should put a reserve on it.

-Right.

-Which would be £300.

And perhaps give it 10% leeway, if that's OK with you,

-just in case it got to 280, 290.

-Yes, that's fine.

It's a wine lover's thing and it's a silver lover's thing, too.

Let's hope there's an Irish wine-drinking silver collector

-and we're going to be well away, aren't we?

-Yes.

'What are the chances of that?

'But miracles can happen.

'Just look at what's turned up on David's table.'

-Hello, James.

-Hello.

-Have you brought me a Valentine's Day present?

-Yes.

THEY LAUGH

-A little bit early.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Little heart-shaped box. How long have you owned it?

-About 25 years.

Right. OK. And is it a family piece or...?

Well, I got it through my first wife. It was her mother's.

-She collected pottery and porcelain.

-OK.

It's a trinket box, it's by a very well-known potter

called Bernard Moore, who worked with his brother

in the late 19th century in a biggish factory in Staffordshire

and then set up on his own in the early 19th century,

experimenting with objects just like this,

using particularly fancy glazes.

He was particularly interested in glazing.

In many respects, his work copies or imitates Royal Doulton,

particularly in the use of the so-called flambe glazes,

these bright red, flame-like glazes.

And he would've thought of himself, I think, really, as an arts and crafts potter,

working in the manner of William Morris, people like that,

who obviously were around much earlier,

but he kept that tradition going.

I love this because it's embellished that little bit further

with this silver gilt mount,

and that is also in the arts and crafts manner

and just raises it out of the ordinary, really.

It's hallmarked, assayed in Birmingham -

little anchor tells us that.

And the little letter K there tells us that it was assayed

in 1909.

-So it's just over 100 years old.

-Would it be a one-off?

Very good question.

And I think it would certainly have been a one-off, yes.

And Bernard Moore would've been proud of that.

-You know, he wasn't interested in mass production.

-No.

He was interested in small runs of

individually-designed and crafted objects.

There are others, I dare say, so it's not unique,

but it's not produced on a production line.

Do you have any particular hopes for it as far as value's concerned?

No, not particularly.

-I had no idea what it was worth before I came to talk to you.

-Right.

OK.

I would suggest an estimate of £100-£150 with a reserve of £100.

The sale will be advertised on the internet and the catalogues

will go online, so all those Bernard Moore collectors

out there will be queuing up to have a little go at this.

-All right.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-Thank you.

Sadly, it's time to leave Cheltenham.

Can't wait to come back in the near future.

But our experts have now found their final lots to take to the sale room.

Here's a quick recap, to jog your memory,

of what they are and why we're taking them.

Gill's Victorian watch chain,

plaited from human hair is a relic from darker times but quite unique.

David's valued it, with the ring, at £30-£50.

Helen's wine funnel will appeal to silver

and wine enthusiasts in equal measure.

Adam's valued it at £300-£500.

And finally, this heart-shaped trinket box should set

the pulses racing at David's estimate of £100-£150.

We're back in Malvern at Philip Serrell's auction house

for our final three items.

The journey for our owners started at the valuation day,

this is where it ends - in a jam-packed auction room.

I'm feeling really excited and I hope, fingers crossed,

all our owners go home with a big smile on their face and lots of money.

And first up is Gill's unusual mourning jewellery.

-I mean, it looks good, doesn't it?

-I think it looks beautiful.

And it looks like it should be worth an awful lot more money but because

of the hair you've only valued this at 40-odd quid with a reserve of 20.

There's something about it which I don't like, personally.

I really don't. But that's taste and it's an arbitrary thing.

But it's an insight into how life was lived in a previous century.

-Yeah.

-We can't make judgments on these things based on our views today.

-I just hope it doesn't put lots of people off.

-Thank you.

OK, here we go. This is a tricky one.

Lot No.580, as you see it catalogued.

The plaited hair watch chain with a yellow metal mount.

Will you bid me for that lot, Steve, £50? 50 I'm bid.

-At 50, I'll take five.

-They've started at 50.

At £50 only. At 50. Is there any more at all?

At £50 only. At 50. The maiden bid will take it. Any more at all?

At £50 and I sell to the back of the room and done then at 50

and done thank you.

-It's gone.

-That's more like it, isn't it? More than £20.

-I'm glad. I'm delighted.

-So am I. I'm very delighted.

I didn't think it would sell, I really didn't. I didn't think it would sell.

I was confident it would sell. You only had to make £20 when all is said and done.

I know.

# Give me a head with hair

# Long beautiful hair

# Shining, gleaming streaming flaxen, waxen

# Give me down to there... #

Now, David's little gem.

Coming up right now we've got some real quality. I rate this.

It's a heart-shaped trinket box, but it's got that wonderful farm made glaze to it, it's so desirable.

James, why are you selling this? You've had it a long time.

Well, I really thought I'd like to bring it along to Flog It! and see what it would go for.

I'm not attached to it particularly, so I thought I'd let it go.

Put that valuation to the test. They all want to know what's it worth and we're about to find out.

It is those silver gilt mounts that make this piece.

And quality always sells. It looks the part. It looks really good.

Anyway, it's going under the hammer let's watch this.

Lot No 752.

Is this rather lovely Bernard Moore porcelain trinket box.

There it us up there on the screen.

And I'm bid £55 only. At 55. 65. 75. 85. 95.

100. There's the bid and you're out at £100 bid.

Well, it's sold. Now let's see if we can get a bit more money.

120. 130. 130 on the net.

At £130 only. 130. 140.

140 in the room. At £140 only.

Is there any more at 50? 150. Is there any more?

At £150 and done then at 150 and done.

Spot on, David! Spot on!

-A good valuation.

-I'd love to have owned that. Very good.

That little trinket box is a work of art.

Finally, it's the silver wine funnel

Helen's joined by her daughter, Georgie.

Helen and Georgie, good to see you and thank you for bringing your wonderful bit of Irish silver.

We've got that wine funnel and your eyes lit up when you saw that.

Because that says big bucks, as soon as you see the Irish hallmarks you know that.

And the wine thing, you know wine strainers and funnels, it shouldn't be a strain to sell it.

Oh! It shouldn't!

Now, this is real, real quality, isn't it?

Yes. It appeals not just to silver people, Irish silver and the wine fraternity as well

and all of those are wealthy people and don't mind spending money.

No, they don't. Now the condition is superb as well.

And the silver is flying out of the room today. There's a lot of silver.

The trade is in the room behind us.

And they're putting their hands up like mad buying silver.

I have a feeling this may go online to the Irish.

Back to Dublin?

-Yeah, it might well do.

-That would be nice.

-It would, actually.

That's the beauty of having auctions online,

you know you're going to get the maximum price out of something.

-So you never know who is going to buy these things.

-Fingers crossed.

-Good luck both of you.

-It's going under the hammer right now.

This Georgian Irish wine funnel, bid me for that lot, start me at 300.

300 I am bid. 300. 320. 350. 380. 400.

420. 450. 480. 500. 520. 550. I will take 600. 620 is it?

620. At £620. Is there any more?

At 620.

650 on the net.

650. 680.

At 680. In the room at 680.

700.

£700. 720. 720.

It's time to open a bottle!

It is, isn't it?

It will be cheers all round.

At 750.

-Had you any idea at all?

-Absolutely not, no, I'm surprised really.

Three to five, we said it would go on, yeah, and it has.

-There's the bid, £800 bid.

-800.

-They're not finished yet.

The trade's in the room, the trade are buying this, aren't they?

It will go to a collector, surely.

Here is the bid then and I sell at £800 and done, thank you.

-Yes! Nice round figure as well. Is this your first auction?

-Yeah.

OK what's going through your mind right now? Just what?

-How I'd like to come back.

-Yeah.

-I was thinking how much is the handbag!

Thank you both so much for coming in today it has been a wonderful time, it really has.

-Great objects.

-Just hope that goes all the way back home to Dublin.

-To be sure(!)

-To be sure!

Well that's it. It's all over for our owners,

another day in another auction room, but everyone has gone home happy.

We've had some cracking results here, so all credit to our experts,

but also to the man on the rostrum there, Mr Philip Serrell.

He's done us proud and I can't wait to come back here,

but for now, until then, from the Malverns, it's goodbye.

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