0:00:04 > 0:00:08MUSIC: God Save The Queen by Sex Pistols
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Today we're very excited to be in the UK's capital city
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and during its 2,000-year history, London has witnessed plague, fire and war.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20It's also played host to everything from the Great Exhibition of 1851
0:00:20 > 0:00:21to the Olympic games.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24It's home to 12 palaces, 46 universities
0:00:24 > 0:00:26and around eight million people
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and today, it welcomes Flog It!
0:00:58 > 0:01:01London is a global city with a world-wide reputation
0:01:01 > 0:01:04for the arts, commerce, fashion and, of course, heritage.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Today, we really are in a place that tries to preserve history
0:01:12 > 0:01:13for future generations.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15We've taken up a residency at London Zoo
0:01:15 > 0:01:19and I must say, once you're inside the zoo, it feels a world away
0:01:19 > 0:01:21from the hustle and bustle of the city outside.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24It's a modern zoo with a wealth of history.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It participates in breeding programmes for more than 130 different species,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30many of which are under threat.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I'm rather hoping today that the antiques we find
0:01:32 > 0:01:34are equally well-preserved.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Founded by Sir Stamford Raffles, the zoo started life in 1828
0:01:41 > 0:01:45so that fellows of the Zoological Society could scientifically observe
0:01:45 > 0:01:47exotic wildlife.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Over the years, the Society's fellows have included Charles Darwin
0:01:51 > 0:01:53and David Attenborough
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and these days, people can study over 18,000 animals.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Today, of course, our experts are studying something else altogether
0:02:01 > 0:02:07as our Flog It! crowd have brought along their antiques and collectibles to be valued.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11So will Thomas Plant find a rare species in his midst?
0:02:11 > 0:02:12What have you brought here?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14In inherited this from my late father
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and I'm told it's ancient Ecuadorian art.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21How old do you think ancient Ecuadorian would be?
0:02:21 > 0:02:23It's about 2,000 years old.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Look how marvellous it is, isn't it? Beautiful, isn't it?
0:02:26 > 0:02:30And will an exotic breed of collectible come out of hibernation
0:02:30 > 0:02:31for Catherine Southon?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I'm just going to go and do a little bit more research.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Can I come back to you in a moment? I promise I'll bring it back!
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Our headquarters for today is the zoo's Prince Albert Suite,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50where Catherine's established herself centre stage.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Let's see what she's picked up for her opening number.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Helen, welcome to Flog It!
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Now, this is a rather interesting copper charger you've brought along today.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Can you tell me about it? Where did you get this from?
0:03:04 > 0:03:08We got it from a local auction in our home town in Ringwood.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Right, OK. So you're often going off to auctions, are you, buying things?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We go and have a look round, yeah.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Is this more of a recent interest or have you always bought things?
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Well, it was the television programmes that started us off. Oh, really?
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Oh, well, that's very good.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25I'm glad that we've made you interested in this
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and got you up and delving in all the boxes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32So was this part of a lot or was it just one item?
0:03:32 > 0:03:36It was just in a cardboard box underneath the table in the auction
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and we wanted the water jug out of it, a blue VAT 69,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and this was part of the box.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45So the water jug you kept. Mm-hm.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48But why aren't you keeping this? It's a lovely piece.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50If I have it much longer, I'm going to have to clean it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55That's dreadful! Mind you, I'm with you on that, I have to say.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Now, when you got home and you had a good look at this,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00what did you think about it?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Well, we thought it had some weight
0:04:02 > 0:04:06and we saw the HW and they were on the internet
0:04:06 > 0:04:08and they were fetching some money.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12You homed in straight away on the initials right at the bottom here,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15which are HW for Hugh Wallis.
0:04:15 > 0:04:21Now, Hugh Wallis, he worked during the Arts and Crafts movement,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24so he's working in that sort of Arts and Crafts movement,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28which is when people went back to the time when everything was handmade.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32It's been hammered, it's got that lovely effect all around here
0:04:32 > 0:04:37and the nice engraving in the centre, with this nice floral motif.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41It just tells you, it screams, what the whole movement was about, the whole Arts and Crafts movement.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43So what about the battering? Does that matter?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Yes, that's something that I was going to come on to.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48That does worry me slightly.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52I think, in perfect condition, we'd probably looking at around the ?100 mark.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Oh, my goodness! Yes.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57But... Oh, yeah, OK. ..and there is a big but,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00it has been bashed about quite a bit
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and there's quite a lot of staining going on around here,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06so I think we need to bear that in mind when thinking about the estimate.
0:05:06 > 0:05:12I would put ?40-?60 on this. Yes. With a ?30 reserve. Right.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Would you be happy to sell it that? I would.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19I think that's a pretty good return on your ?15 box, don't you? Yes, I do.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22And bearing in mind you've got other items as well. Yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Now, I understand you can't come along to the auction. Is that right?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29No, we're already booked on a ferry to go to Belgium
0:05:29 > 0:05:34and do the antique flea markets. Oh, I was out there recently.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37So you go out there and buy from the flea markets?
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Yes, we take our camper van out there.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41They happen on a Sunday,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44so you have to spend at least three Sundays and...
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Well, I wish lots of success with your next finds.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Thank you very much. I've gone red!
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Music to my ears - Helen's a paid-up member of the Flog It! club
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and has turned her telly viewing into a productive and pleasurable hobby.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Well, I must say, antiques are certainly on the bill today
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and I absolutely love what Thomas Plant has just spotted.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Let's take a closer look.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19So, Lorraine, you've come along with some candlesticks. I have.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23Tell me, how did you come by them? I inherited them. Did you? Mm.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26From a lady I house-kept for. She left them to me in her will.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Such a very handsome gift.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Do you use them? Do you have candle-lit suppers?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34No, I don't! No? No.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38You're not like Mrs Bucket? I'm definitely not like her, no.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I don't use them at all.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42And you know they are solid silver? No. They are.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47I knew they were silver because I've seen the hallmarks. Yeah.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52These are made in Birmingham, only in the 1960s, actually - in 1961 -
0:06:52 > 0:06:53and they are solid silver.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56They're not the oldest candlesticks ever to walk this earth
0:06:56 > 0:06:58but they are extremely handsome
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and I think we can describe them as handsome rather than pretty
0:07:01 > 0:07:02because they're quite Stoic,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06these fluted, Classical columns on these stepped bases
0:07:06 > 0:07:11and then these very decorative, what we call Corinthian capitals.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13What are they worth to auction?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16If they were going to be 18th-century,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19we'd be able to put four figures on them.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21These are not. These are 20th-century
0:07:21 > 0:07:24but I still think they hold quite a good value for you
0:07:24 > 0:07:27and silver being such a strong market at the moment,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30because silver is sold for weight.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31We don't want to sell them for scrap
0:07:31 > 0:07:33because they're much better than that.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37I would say we should put these in at ?400-?600.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Oh, that would be brilliant, yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43I think so. I never expected that at all.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I think we fix the reserve at three
0:07:45 > 0:07:49and it makes sure that they're bought by somebody
0:07:49 > 0:07:52who wants to use them... Yeah. ..as a pair of sticks,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55not a scrapper who's going to melt them down.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Do you know what I mean? I do know what you mean.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01I think, because of the story you've told me, they deserve better. Yeah.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03But I think that's the fairest way.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I've given you the valuation and the clouds have parted.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Sun's out. And the sun's out and they look marvellous,
0:08:10 > 0:08:11they look absolutely wonderful.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14So we'll see you there at the auction? You will indeed.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16I look forward to it. Me, too, me, too.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20# We've walked together We're walking down this street
0:08:20 > 0:08:24# But I just can't get enough I just can't get enough... #
0:08:24 > 0:08:26As well as being the very first scientific zoo,
0:08:26 > 0:08:31London Zoo opened the first reptile house in 1849,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33the very first aquarium in 1853
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and the very first insect house in 1881,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41so you can see it's been pioneering in many different ways.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Well, you've just seen our experts be pioneering.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Their first choices of items are going off to auction,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48so why don't we put them to the test?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50You've heard their opinion, you've probably got your own.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But let's find out the opinion of the bidders.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03We're off down the road now to the leafy suburb of Chiswick
0:09:03 > 0:09:04for today's auction.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Well, any moment now the auction is just about to start.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12The auctioneer William Rouse is on the rostrum.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Our owners are here, we've got our items,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16so let's get on with the show.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20?100, fresh bidding. ?100. Shaking his head, there.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22?100...
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Right, and now something for all you Arts and Crafts lovers.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28We've got a Hugh Wallis copper charger. We have that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Unfortunately, we do not have Helen - she's on holiday -
0:09:31 > 0:09:34but we have Helen's sister, Julie. Hello, there. Hello.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Can you remember this copper charger from years ago?
0:09:37 > 0:09:40No, they bought it in an auction recently. Did they? Recently? Yes.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Oh, so she's trying to turn a quick profit. I didn't know this.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48?15 for a job lot. That's right. It was in a box of...
0:09:48 > 0:09:50She's got a keen eye, hasn't she? Yes, yes.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52A bit of Manchester school. Well.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Does she take you out shopping with her? No. They live too far away.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00They live down in the New Forest. I think I ought to move down.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01I think so, don't you?
0:10:01 > 0:10:05The next time you go and stay, say, "Come on, let's go shopping at car boots."
0:10:05 > 0:10:09They love car boots and things. They have a great time.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Let's put it to the test. This is it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16145, an Arts and Crafts copper tray.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17It's worth ?20 for this, surely?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I'm bid 20. 22, 25.
0:10:20 > 0:10:2328, 30.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25?30 I'm bid. 32, here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27In front of me, then, at 32. Jolly good.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Anybody else? At ?32. 32.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34That was close, wasn't it? That was close. Yes.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37But at least you don't have to carry it home.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40And she hasn't got to polish it. She hasn't got to clean it.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42You will tell her? I will. Say, "It's gone."
0:10:42 > 0:10:45But only just. That's lovely. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
0:10:46 > 0:10:5195, 100... What a bargain for such a lovely example of British Arts and Crafts.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Selling...
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Fingers crossed, Lorraine.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Let's hope we light up the saleroom with this next lot.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Can you guess what we're talking about? Yes, you can remember.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Those lovely candlesticks. Yeah.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04They're quite new, aren't they? 1961.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But they've got that Georgian style, Corinthian capitals. Very nice.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12But you didn't use them in your flat, did you? No, I didn't. I've never used them.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Is that because there's no dining room?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16I haven't got a dining room, no.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18It's a thing of the past really, dining rooms.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24Big houses, obviously, yes but most people put their kitchen into their dining room. That's right.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27It's all down to this lot now, the bidders. Let's find out what they think.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31?250, this pair of Corinthian candlesticks.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32Nice lot. 250, I'm bid.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34260, 270.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37?270 for the candlesticks.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39At 270. It's not quite enough.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43At ?270. 270, then, with me. 270.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Didn't reach the reserve. No.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Never mind. It's a shame, isn't it?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49There's a lot of silver, there. There is a lot of silver.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Maybe I was a bit strong on my estimate.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56I actually don't mind taking them back home. Good. I really don't.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02That concludes our first visit to the sale.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04We're coming back later on. Don't go away.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Before we look for more antiques,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08I'm going off to explore a building
0:12:08 > 0:12:11that houses the UK's first museum gallery
0:12:11 > 0:12:14dedicated to British architecture
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and the building is pretty stunning itself. Take a look at this.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34South Kensington in the heart of London
0:12:34 > 0:12:38hosts an exceptional area of cultural and architectural history,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41born out of Victorian success.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44There's a fascinating story behind every building here
0:12:44 > 0:12:46on Exhibition Road.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Welcome to the Albertopolis.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54I'm here today to focus on one particular building
0:12:54 > 0:12:55and its architectural history
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and that's the magnificent Victoria and Albert Museum.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05Using ?186,000 worth of profit from ticket sales
0:13:05 > 0:13:08to the hugely popular Great Exhibition,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12the Kensington land was bought up for the museum development.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Prince Albert himself designed the first temporary iron buildings
0:13:16 > 0:13:18in 1856,
0:13:18 > 0:13:24which were much derided as ugly and like monster boilers.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Joined up with a brick house on the site,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30it was built to house what would become a world-class collection
0:13:30 > 0:13:34dedicated to the arts and sciences.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39And there are examples of decorative arts and references to the Classics throughout the building.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Now, this is the original entrance to the museum and it is mighty fine,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46used right up until the turn of the 20th century.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48It's built of red brick and terracotta,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51with a mosaic infill for ornamentation.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Without the extensions, this would have been a rather grand facade
0:13:54 > 0:13:57for the residents of Kensington to enjoy.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Despite having to keep things modern where possible,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06some reconstruction of original decoration gives visitors an idea
0:14:06 > 0:14:08of what the museum would have looked like,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12and the V have a continuing plan of restoration,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17in conjunction with creating modern spaces fit for the 21st century.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22The original collections at the museum mainly addressed the decorative arts
0:14:22 > 0:14:25but over the years, the architectural reserves have grown and grown,
0:14:25 > 0:14:30from drawings to scale models, even to full-size complete rooms.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34I'm particularly enjoying looking at this modern scale model
0:14:34 > 0:14:38of the whole of the cultural area, the so-called Albertopolis,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42which grew up around the original earlier buildings like the V,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44which you can see in the centre.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It just goes to make you appreciate actually how lucky we are
0:14:47 > 0:14:51to have such wonderful institutions here for all of us to enjoy.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Now, what else has been saved in the architecture rooms?
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Abraham Thomas is a curator in the museum's architecture department,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03who work alongside RIBA,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05the Royal Institute of British Architects,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07in safeguarding the drawings, models and designs
0:15:07 > 0:15:10of the world's most famous buildings.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I must say, Abraham, there's a wonderful collection here.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21There are even drawers full of archived plans
0:15:21 > 0:15:23that people can pull open and have a look at.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26But can you show me something that's specific to the V's own architecture?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Yeah, well, I guess this here shows where it all began.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33This is the Crystal Palace and the Great Exhibition of 1851,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37the brainchild of Henry Cole, our first-ever director,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and Prince Albert.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The Exhibition was really intended as a space
0:15:41 > 0:15:44for the world's best contemporary manufactures,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46so it was intended to inspire British designers
0:15:46 > 0:15:48and to develop taste within the country.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51The collections that formed the V at the beginning
0:15:51 > 0:15:55really came from this exhibition and existing schools of design.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I guess this was really one of the very first museums
0:15:58 > 0:16:03where the majority of the population came to look at the wares that you could buy. Absolutely.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Yeah. Six million people in six months,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08three times the population of London at the time, yeah.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10I absolutely love this.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13When you see that stone facade, you can see it's a statement of intent,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15the importance of what's going on inside.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17It's a wonderful drawing.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19It's just so bold and dynamic
0:16:19 > 0:16:24and really a seduction tool to persuade the client to go ahead with this extension.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28And there's Queen Victoria above the arch, with Albert below.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31It's a shame that she died just before this was completed in 1909.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35She'd managed to lay the foundation stone in 1899
0:16:35 > 0:16:37but it wasn't completed until ten years later.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41That's some good 50 years after the original building works. Yeah.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Originally, it was going to be called the Albert Museum
0:16:43 > 0:16:45but it was changed at the last moment.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Yes. Victoria was very sad when the Great Exhibition closed
0:16:48 > 0:16:51because that was Albert's vision,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54so for her it was very appropriate that this became the Albert Museum
0:16:54 > 0:16:58but of course we felt that it had to be the Victoria and Albert Museum.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00What about future plans for the museum?
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Well, we have phase two of our FuturePlan programme of gallery refurbishments
0:17:04 > 0:17:07and a key part of that is restoring the South Courts,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10which we're hoping to reveal to the public again.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12There's this wonderful architectural space above
0:17:12 > 0:17:14which we hope to reveal over the next ten years or so.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Thank you for showing me round. That's all right.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19I can't wait to see that. It's very exciting.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Well, I hope my little tour of the V today
0:17:36 > 0:17:38has given you inspiration to come here
0:17:38 > 0:17:41but also to check out the architecture of any building
0:17:41 > 0:17:42before you go inside it,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46because in many cases, the architecture is a work of art in itself.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49And here, for this magnificent building, one of the finest in the world,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53we have to thank Prince Albert and his forward-thinking team.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57What they've done is they've left a legacy for future generations
0:17:57 > 0:18:00to enjoy and be inspired by.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06# Now, I'm the king of the swingers Oh, the jungle VIP... #
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Back at London Zoo, we're still rifling through the antiques
0:18:10 > 0:18:12brought in by today's crowd
0:18:12 > 0:18:15and Catherine's next item rather stood out.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Janette, it's lovely to see you. Pleased to meet you. Pleased to meet you.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25And you are looking incredibly colourful. Thank you.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27And we've got a nice sunny day outside
0:18:27 > 0:18:31and then we've got a very wintry picture.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Tell me about this. Do you like it?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Not very much because it's quite plain
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and it just sits in my spare room doing nothing.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42No-one goes in there? No. No-one looks at it? No.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46I'm not a paintings expert but I know the name.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Signed right at the bottom there, Jacques Deperthes.
0:18:49 > 0:18:55I would date this probably to about 1967, 1968.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58He was a French realist painter
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and he used to go out and paint these quite bleak landscapes,
0:19:02 > 0:19:05often painting quite simple, rural scenes.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10We've got some very strong vertical and horizontal lines going on here.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13There's not an awful lot going on but I love that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I think the simplicity is absolutely beautiful here.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20And do you know what I also love about it?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23It's the fact that you just look at it and you want to put on your hat,
0:19:23 > 0:19:27you want to put on your scarf and you just want to jump in
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and make footprints all along here.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33It's just... It's got so much atmosphere there.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36For me, it's a really lovely picture.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38But it doesn't do it for you, Janette? No, no.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Because I hate the cold weather. You hate the cold.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42I really hate cold weather.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46But going back to the name, Jacques Deperthes,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48he's quite a well-known artist
0:19:48 > 0:19:55and his paintings at auction do vary from ?400 right up to ?4,000,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58so it's a difficult one to gauge
0:19:58 > 0:20:01but I'd be happy to put in auction with an estimate of ?800-?1,200.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Oh, that's... I can't believe that.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Is that nice? That sounds very nice. Does that sound good? Very nice.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10And with a reserve of ?600. Yes, that will be fine.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14I just can't believe it could be worth that much.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I can't believe it. You sound very excited. Yeah, I am!
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Well, I do hope that it sells for that because, as I say,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24the prices are between 400 and 4,000.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28That's a very wide gap and I'm not quite sure how to gauge this
0:20:28 > 0:20:33but I think ?800-?1,200 would probably be a good place to start.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Let's hope at the end of the day there are people there and they recognise the name,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39recognise how beautiful the picture is
0:20:39 > 0:20:43and it makes you some money. Good luck. Thank you very much.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I'll see you at the auction, Janet. We'll see what happens.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50# Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow
0:20:50 > 0:20:54# Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow, we can stay all day
0:20:54 > 0:20:56# We're going to the zoo, zoo... #
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Thomas has been a roving expert all day long.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Of all the animals in the zoo, I wonder which one he's chosen
0:21:01 > 0:21:03for his next valuation.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08We have vultures behind us. Here we are with gold and silver coins.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Tell me, why have you brought along this album of coins?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Where did these come from? They were my late mother's.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19I found them in her attic and she was a great collector of stamps and coins
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and cigarette cards
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and I just came across them and saw that there were so many of them
0:21:25 > 0:21:27and that some of them have been labelled, as well.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29And what did you think when you found them?
0:21:29 > 0:21:33First of all I thought, wow, what a lot of coins.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35And then as I began to look through,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37I thought how old some of them were
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and how worn some of them are
0:21:40 > 0:21:42and the variety, as well, that's there -
0:21:42 > 0:21:45florins and shillings and sixpences.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47The other interesting thing - I don't know if you know this -
0:21:47 > 0:21:51is that some of these coins are silver, some of them are half silver,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54some of them are cupronickel. I didn't know, I didn't know.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59It's quite an interesting fact that all silver coins before 1919
0:21:59 > 0:22:02were all solid silver - the silver ones. OK.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05We're in 1919, we'd just finished the Great War at that time.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07We went to half silver, then,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10because it cost quite a lot of money to make coins out of solid silver.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14And then we come to the end of the Second World War, 1946,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17as when we stop putting any silver in coins at all.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20They go from half silver to just cupronickel.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But what we've got here is we've got the monarchs
0:22:23 > 0:22:27dating from, you know, the 20th century.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Believe it or not we can say that because Queen Victoria died in 1901
0:22:31 > 0:22:33and this is her Jubilee head.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35So we've got two Victorian crowns.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37We don't have Edward VII here.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41And then we go to George V, there. George VI
0:22:41 > 0:22:44and then we've got Queen Elizabeth.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47These two coins, do you know what these are?
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Half sovereigns? These aren't halves, these are full sovereigns.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Are they? Yeah, these are full sovereigns. 7.9g of solid gold.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58They've got the old Victorian head on them.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02One is dated 1896 and the other one is dated for 1900 again.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06And of course, with the price of gold, these have tremendous value.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So you've got quite a lot of coins here.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10We've got to come to a value.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13What do you think this coin collection is worth?
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Have you got any idea? No, I have not. None at all.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20If I said, "I'll give you ?350," what would you say?
0:23:20 > 0:23:25It's quite good. I think they're worth a bit more than that. Right.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28These are worth ?400 just on their own.
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Oooh! OK.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34This coin, the double florin, is worth about ?40 on its own. OK.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37And then you've got these crowns here. These are silver crowns.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40These are worth at least ?25 each
0:23:40 > 0:23:43but you haven't just got these three, you've got more here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48So I think you've got an album here worth at least ?500-?700.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Wow. Including the sovereigns.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54You've got to fix the reserve at 500. Mm-hm.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57How does that grab you? That's pretty good, yeah.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Did you expect to find something like this? No, I didn't, no. Not at all.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Has it gone down through the generations, to be a collector?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Her dad was a collector of stamps and things.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10My grandfather was a collector as well. But you two aren't? No.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Only of clothes and shoes. Well, naturally!
0:24:13 > 0:24:14LAUGHTER
0:24:18 > 0:24:2045, 50.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22?60.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24The auction house has divided the collection of coins,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28separating the more valuable gold sovereigns into a single lot.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Unfortunately, we don't have Mum but we do have Holly. Hello.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37So where is Mum? Mum's a teacher, so... What subjects?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39She teaches year one. She's a primary school teacher. OK.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Did she teach you when you were a kid? She wasn't a teacher back then.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Because that's typical. My father was a teacher
0:24:45 > 0:24:47but thank goodness I didn't go to the school that he taught at.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I had no friends because Dad was a teacher.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Right, first up, Holly, this is it. Here's the sovereigns.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59235 is a gold sovereign and another one mounted as a pendant
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and I've got a bit of interest and I'm in at ?350.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06I'll take 370. With me at 350.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08370.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10400.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11420.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14450 is the next bid. 420 there.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18Come on, this is good. At ?420 for the two sovereigns.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22At 420. 450 in the room. Just in there.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Late bidder. Late bidder. That's good.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29Marvellous. Right, one down. ?450. Here's the second lot.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Lot 236, an album of British coins, various coins in the album.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35What are they worth? ?30 for these?
0:25:35 > 0:25:3830 I'm bid. 32, 35
0:25:38 > 0:25:4238, 40, 42, 45, 48, 50.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45It's all the old boys bidding, as well. The old collectors.
0:25:45 > 0:25:4765, 70.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49?70, then. Nearer to me at 70.
0:25:49 > 0:25:5175, there.
0:25:51 > 0:25:5480, 85.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57They're still keen. That chap wants them, the chap with the beard.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Nearer to me at 90. Anybody else?
0:26:00 > 0:26:03At ?90, I'm going to sell them.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I'm happy with that. You've got to be happy with that.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Are you going shopping with that money or is Mum?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Probably both of us. We'll fight over it.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12You've got to let her know, haven't you, first. Yes.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I don't have to.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I'm going to sell it then. At ?90, it's going.
0:26:18 > 0:26:19Thank you very much.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Now for our final item, Janette's painting.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24This is definitely the one we've all been waiting for,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27the Jacques Deperthes painting belonging to Janette, here.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Why are you selling this? This is a keeper, if you ask me.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32It hangs in my spare bedroom
0:26:32 > 0:26:36and I've got 16 grandchildren and they're just going to ruin it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39They ruin everything. Do they? Crayon all over it. They'd draw on it.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Well, you'd think it was quite safe on the wall.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I know they'll stretch up and get to it. It's too big.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48That's the only downside. The size? Yeah.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It is on the large side. You need a big room for a large painting.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Yeah. But it is fantastic. It's got the look, hasn't it?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58It's got a wonderful look. Yeah. Has it?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Yeah, it has. She's not convinced.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Look, there's a packed auction room here, full of bidders, OK?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07I'm sure there's some commission bids and some phone lines booked.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Let's find out, shall we? Let's put it to the test.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Lot 360 is this oil painting, the winter scene.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Lots of interest in it, I'm glad to say. A good thing.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18And where shall we start? ?500, I think.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22550 I'll take. At ?500. 550.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24600. And 50.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27?650.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30?700 now. We've sold it, anyway. It's gone. We want a bit more.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32750 I'm bid, then, in the corner at 750.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36At 800 if you like. At ?750 I'm going to sell it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38At 750... 800.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40850.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44900. ?900 here, then. Shaking his head.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47At ?900, then. Fresh bidder. At ?900 I'm going sell it.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50900, then. That was a good result.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52?900. I can't believe it.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54You did not need to lower the reserve, did you?
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I could not believe it. It's marvellous.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59MUSIC: Let's Dance by David Bowie
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Well, that's it, it's all over for our owners.
0:28:08 > 0:28:09The auction is still going on
0:28:09 > 0:28:11but we've had some great results today
0:28:11 > 0:28:15and everybody has gone home happy - that is what it's all about.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20If you've got anything you want to sell, bring it along to one of our valuation days
0:28:20 > 0:28:22and you can pick up the details on our BBC website.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Until then, it's cheerio from everybody here
0:28:25 > 0:28:27at the Chiswick Auction Rooms.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00We've got a wild week of adventure planned, UK-style...
0:29:00 > 0:29:03..from soaring eagles...
0:29:03 > 0:29:05to hungry puffins
0:29:05 > 0:29:07and foraging bats.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Join us to celebrate our own home-grown wilderness.