Lincolnshire 48 Flog It!

Today I'm scaling the dizzy heights of Lincoln Cathedral,

once the tallest building in the world.

More about why I'm up here a little bit later on in the show

but, right now, let's see if our experts can find

some real heritage with their feet firmly on the ground.

Welcome to Flog It!

Not only will we be scaling the heights of the cathedral today,

we'll be reaching dizzy altitudes in the saleroom

with a sale that astounds us all and fetches one of Flog It's

top ever prices.

I'm looking for 10,000.

10,000...

-I can't believe that.

-Missed something really big.

And, from the high figures in the auction room

to the high society in Lincolnshire.

Our valuation day takes place in a rather salubrious location.

Today's mansion is the very impressive Normanby Hall,

which sits on an estate that dates back to the Tudor times,

once owned by the Sheffield family, who certainly know

how to choose a good location

because they once owned the land in The Mall in London,

which has now become Buckingham Palace.

Well, the Hall is now part of a country park which is open to all

and thank goodness for that, because it looks like all of Lincolnshire has turned up.

What a fabulous crowd we have here today.

The sun is shining, there are smiles on people's faces

and I think it's time to get everybody seated and get on with the valuing.

So, come on in.

We're making the most of the beautiful gardens

where our experts are getting ready to pick up their favourite items and whisk them off to auction

but who will find the one that fetches that amazing value?

Michael Baggott is first to find something that catches his eye.

What have you got tucked under your arm?

I say!

-Are there any more of these at home?

-Er, no.

And ringing the bell for the ladies is our very own Caroline Hawley.

-It is heavy.

-Really heavy.

-Yeah, in brass alone, it's worth a bit of brass.

-Is it?

And they're already fighting over who saw it first.

Put that saw down, Michael, and no-one will get hurt.

Yes, I think your arm would fall off if you tried to saw, or chop.

-I'll have a go.

-You'd have a go?

There's a tree over there. There's a tree over there, Caroline.

-It's a big one!

-Get chopping.

In its heyday, the Normanby estate included around 10,000 acres of land

and, judging by our queue, we could be dealing with as many items today.

The crowds are certainly building up here today,

right in front of the Hall, which was built in 1820

for Sir Robert Sheffield by the architect, Robert Smirke,

better known for his work on the British Museum.

Fingers crossed, we're going to find some real historical artefacts of our very own, right here today.

Well, yes, we most certainly will, but can you spot which of these items

sells for tens of thousands of pounds,

after bidders around the world get themselves into a bit of a frenzy over it?

Will it be these beautiful, and original, set of Russian dolls?

This collection of tribal artefacts?

Or this rare Thonet bentwood chair in fantastic condition?

We have to confess, even our experts didn't recognise the item's potential originally,

so you'd be skilled if you could spot today's star find.

THEY LAUGH

Back at our valuation tables, Michael's got his hands on the saw

and this time it could be dangerous.

-Well, Graham, it shouldn't take too long to get through this table.

-No.

Not with this beast here.

-I'd hate to see the toolbox this came from.

-I can't carry it.

Tell me, where did you get this crazy thing from?

It was being thrown out in a pub in London about 40 years ago.

-Thrown out?

-Thrown out, yes.

I asked the manager if I could have it and he said, "Yes."

Oh, well done you for saving it.

Can you remember which pub in London it came from?

It was City Pride in Liverpool Street, Bishopsgate.

-So there was nothing in the name of it to...

-Absolutely no, nothing in there.

There were just different items, antiques hung on the wall,

old mirrors and that sort of thing.

-Anything a bit quirky to raise a giggle?

-Yeah.

They decided this had seen out its use and was going in the skip?

-Were you working at the pub at the time?

-Yes.

You thought, "No, I shall save the saw!"

-Do you have an interest in tools, or woodwork?

-I'm a joiner by trade.

-Oh, so this was absolutely...

-It was an element.

-You couldn't see it in the skip, could you?

-No, no.

It's just a wonderful thing. This, of course, is an advertising sign.

-Right.

-We've got the name here, Spearior.

-Yeah.

Which is, of course, Spear and Jackson.

The blade is aluminium

and the fittings are all beautifully turned brass.

I think it's entirely possible this dates to about 1920, up to 1930.

As old as that?

And it's incredibly collectable.

There are collectors of tools now which I don't think 40 years ago there really were.

I think we'd be safe at

-£200 to £300.

-Flipping heck!

And we'll put a fixed reserve of say 150 on it.

But you've done a wonderful job, really, actually looking after this for 40 years.

-You've got a lot of pleasure out of it.

-Yeah, we've had some laughs.

-And I'm sure somebody else...

-I just hope the manager's retired that forgot he's given me it.

He was going to throw it away, wasn't he? He's got no complaints.

It was 40 years ago!

I think there's going to be a tool collector that's...

This might be their Holy Grail for their collection.

Thank you for bringing it in. It's given me a laugh today.

-Good.

-It really has, Graham. Thank you very much indeed.

Well, Michael certainly enjoyed getting to grips with that giant saw

but I found something a little easier to handle.

Peter, I like this a lot and I've seen these before.

It's a cordial flask. The last one I saw was covered in wax.

Somebody had stuffed a candle down the top

and used it as a candle holder.

How long have you had this?

We've had it since my parents died about five years ago

but it's been in the family, certainly for my father's lifetime,

probably beyond that, I would guess.

-The family, going back a few generations, is Irish.

-Right, OK.

So, erm...

-I guess it's come from that side.

-It's come from the family, yeah.

-Erm, Daniel O'Connell, Irish politician.

-Irish politician, yeah.

-Roman Catholic.

-Yeah.

-He campaigned for Catholics to sit in Parliament.

-Yeah.

He also campaigned the repeal of the Act of Union

-between Great Britain and Ireland in 1827.

-Yeah.

Which, I think, dates this to the very late 1820s, or early 1830s.

-Yeah.

-Why do you want to sell it?

It's been in the garage five years. We haven't looked at it.

I don't think anyone in the family is particularly interested in it.

Let it go to somebody who appreciates it more than we do.

-A collector?

-Yeah, yeah.

You see, I like this kind of thing.

I'm very passionate about country pottery

and this is the sort of basic as it gets, really. Staffs pottery.

This is not for the upper echelons, these things were affordable

and they were knocking them out, you know, in their thousands.

-I've never seen one with that pattern on...

-No, nor have I.

-..on the jacket.

-Nor have I. I think this is quite rare.

-Yeah?

Mm, I do. I've only seen a couple before and they've been in very good condition

-and they've made around £400.

-Yeah.

But I've not seen them with the spots on the jacket.

-Nevertheless, it's the condition.

-Yeah.

There is a chip on his nose, as you can see.

You can forgive that, you know.

-But it's the back I'm worried about.

-Right.

There's not only a hairline crack running right through the vessel,

-there's also...

-A bit missing.

Otherwise I'd like to say £300 to £400 quite easily.

OK.

-I think if we put it in at £200 to £300.

-Yeah, OK.

-And put a reserve at £200.

-Right.

-On a good day, you know, we are going to get that top end.

-OK.

Excellent.

The experts are still unearthing treasures in the back garden

but I'm off for a wander around this beautiful estate.

Lincolnshire is famous as an agricultural county,

producing over a quarter of the nation's vegetables

and Normanby Hall has a pretty spectacular vegetable patch,

all of its own.

The gardening team here, under the supervision of the head gardener,

only grow heritage fruit and vegetables,

keeping true to the garden's Victorian principles.

Thank goodness they've moved on from the Victorians' method

of keeping the pests at bay, nicotine and drops of arsenic everywhere,

but, I must say, they have restored this garden back

to its former glory. It's a delight and a joy to walk around.

When the Sheffield family lived here, exotic fruit and vegetables

would have been shown off with great pride at dinner parties

but like many others around the UK, this garden was conscripted

into the Dig For Victory campaign during World War II.

During the war years, British food imports were halved

and by 1943, over a million tonnes of vegetables were being grown

in gardens and allotments across the country.

You can't beat growing your own fruit and veg,

just cultivating it and watching it grow

and then having the satisfaction of picking it and eating it.

I'm going to be cheeky now and pinch a raspberry.

Look at that gem, look at that, wonderful and soft.

Mm, quite sharp and tangy, as well.

Just one more!

HE LAUGHS

Back on the lawns, our experts are enjoying the fruits of their labours.

On Caroline's table are two beautiful dolls

who are full of themselves, and that's not an insult.

So, Alice, tell me

how did these lovely Russian dolls come into your possession?

Well, my great aunt got them when she was about five and, erm,

they were brought back by her uncle from Russia,

-who was in the Navy and he used to travel the world.

-Right...

-And about three years ago she decided to give them to me.

-Lucky lady!

-So where do you keep them?

-Nana keeps them.

-Nana keeps them, right.

-So tell me, Pam, do you like them?

-I do like them, yes.

-It's the history involved with them.

-Yeah.

When you see them, you know,

the thought of children playing with them is just charming.

Yeah. They're beautifully made, hand-painted, softwood,

-and can you see on the bottom here, Made in Russia?

-Yeah.

That Made in Russia puts them into the 20th century.

So they date from after 1900.

How many dolls are there?

-12.

-12!

-Can we take the top off and have a look?

-Yeah.

Oh, look!

There she is, look, how colourful.

And another one.

And another one!

They're beautiful and they've hardly been played with at all, have they?

I think the top one's been fiddled around with a bit.

Yes, that's because this will have been outside, on display,

and it's just, there's no damage at all,

-but it's just slightly worn, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-But I think we'd all be slightly worn if we were over 100 years old, wouldn't we?

-Yeah.

-Do you have any idea of value?

-No, no.

What about you, Alice, have you thought about the value of these?

I've thought about it but I can't guess.

Right, let's see if we can shed some light.

I would think they are probably worth between £40 and £60.

-How does that sound?

-It sounds really good, yeah.

It does sound really good. Good.

-And to be safe, let's put a reserve of £30.

-Yeah.

-And sell them, are you happy with that?

-Yeah, I am.

-Brilliant, we'll do that. Great.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much, Pam and Alice. Thanks for coming.

Well, our first three items are good to go so it's time to head off to auction

and here's a quick recap of what we're taking with us.

Alice's beautiful Russian dolls are just too precious to play with

but will they find an owner to admire them at auction?

Will Peter's Staffordshire incarnation of Daniel O'Connell

find some fans in Lincoln?

Or, will it be Graham's advertising sign that goes against the grain

and cuts through the estimate in the saleroom?

We've travelled south to the Roman city of Lincoln,

a heritage lover's dream.

Time has stood still amongst the cobbled streets

and the Tudor houses, all overlooked by the magnificent Norman cathedral.

We've brought our expert selection of historic items along,

where auctioneer Colin Young is on the rostrum

and today's sale is live on the internet.

The seller's commission here is 15% plus VAT

so make sure you factor that in

if you're planning to buy anything on the hammer price.

Will any of these items be the one that surprises us all

and goes for thousands?

First up, it's Alice, selling something at auction for the very first time.

We need to sell these Russian dolls

because the money is going towards the upkeep of the horse?

-A saddle.

-A saddle.

-And tell Paul what colour saddle?

-Either pink or purple.

-No!

Oh, no, don't! You don't want a pink or purple saddle.

-It's a grey horse.

-Oh, is it?

-Pink, and then it will stand out.

-Yeah.

Oh... I don't know what to say about that.

I didn't know they sold pink saddles, Alice.

Well, look, if that's what you want, then fingers crossed,

-Hopefully your dreams will come true.

-Yeah.

I think it's a first we've had a set of Russian dolls on the show before

so fingers crossed, it's all going to come good.

-Eh? Eh?

-Yes.

Right, let's put it to the test, shall we,

that's what it's all about.

Do you know what, if this doesn't sell,

I'm going to be mortified for you.

Lot number 345...

This is it, look at the auctioneer.

..hand painted Russian dolls.

There we go, who's going to start me at...

start me at the highest first, 100. 100...

All right, start me at the smallest, then.

Start me at ten and we'll get on. Ten? Ten bid, ten bid, 15 do I see?

Ten bid, 15 now, surely. 15, 20 bid. 25 bid.

30, 30 bid, 35?

35 bid, 40, 40 bid, five. 50, 50 bid, five? No.

£50 bid, five bid, 60. £60 bid and five?

At £60 bid, five anywhere else now?

At £60 bid, let's slow it down and two, if you like.

At £60 bid, two bid, five, 65.

68 bid. £70 bid. At £70, two do I see now?

72 bid, 75 bid, 78 now?

At 75 bid, eight as a last call now.

75, are we all done?

At 75, last call...

-That was a good result, £75.

-Yeah.

80, again, do I see? At £80 bid, two anywhere else now?

At 80, are we all done, everybody's out in the room now?

You're out on the net, we're selling on the book this time, at £80.

GAVEL FALLS

Look, you, big smiles.

Look at the camera, look at that wonderful smile.

Look, I hope you get your pink saddle, OK?

Fingers crossed, you get it. Don't be disappointed if it's a brown one.

HE LAUGHS Thank you!

Great result for Alice and a possible start for an auctioneering career.

The Irish gin flask is next.

Hopefully the bidders will fall in love with this like I did.

-We are looking at £200-£300.

-Yeah.

-Have you had any second thoughts about this?

-No.

I think if it doesn't sell, we'll probably give it to a museum or something.

It's got that look about it, it's got that quality about it,

which should go to a bygone museum. It's got everything right about it.

-It's the spots.

-It's the spots. That could be a really good thing.

We just need the buyers here - the bidders to fall in love with it,

take it home and cherish it.

This is the 19th-century Irish reformed stoneware flask.

What shall we say? Who's going to start me at a couple of hundred?

£200 for it, 200. 150 to go, surely? 150 anybody?

150. 100. £100 bid already. 110, making it 110, 120. 120?

130. 140 now, 140.

At 140. 150. 150 on the net. 150.

160. 170. 170. At 170. 180 now - 180, do I see?

No, 170. Are we are all done at 170? Done and finished. 170!

I'm afraid I have to withdraw that then, ladies and gentlemen.

Well, we were a few bids out there. I think he was calling at 170.

We were two bids away really from selling it.

So we know we're in the right ballpark figure. It just wasn't our day today.

Yeah, I think I'll go and contact a local museum and see if they're interested in it.

That's a good call and very generous of you as well.

Let other people appreciate it, because it is rare,

-but it's just not everybody's cup of tea.

-No. Yeah.

It's solved the problem of you asking me

what I was going to do with the money!

And now for something pretty unusual.

Advertising signs are making a resurgence. There's a comeback now.

-Everybody wants them.

-That's nice!

I particularly like those early advertising signs.

I've not seen a large saw like that before.

Obviously it was on display in a tool monger's shop,

or it could have been hanging up on the wall, looked really nice.

I think you'd have had that as a centrepiece to a display,

and all the actual saws coming off - all the different ones.

-It's got all sorts of possibilities.

-Yes. Fingers crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

-Good luck. This is it. It's going under the hammer now.

Who's going to start me at, erm, start me at £200 for it?

200? 200 for the saw?

150 to go then, surely? 150?

100? £100? £100, anyone?

-It's not good, is it?

-No tool collectors here today.

£100 bid. Ten anywhere else, surely? And £100.

At £100, anybody else going to join in? At £100, bid. Ten now, surely?

At £100 bid. Ten now? Ten. 120, I've got. 130. 140 now.

140 bid. 150.

150 bid.

There we go. Tool collectors.

-Lord be praised, they're everywhere.

-Yeah.

150. 150. At 150, we're on the market and we're selling!

-Just!

-Just - skin of the teeth. It's a difficult thing to value.

-Maybe if it had been in the tool sale with other tools, it would have done 200.

-That's it.

But the tool collectors found it online and they bid online.

-That's where they wanted to be.

-You can't get a saw for it now.

You can't, no. Not for the teeth per inches to that one!

I just hope it wasn't bought by someone with a really big tree they're going to have to cut down,

because they'll be disappointed when they get it in the post.

It's the hammer I was looking for! It suits the size.

There you are, that completes our first visit to the saleroom today.

We are coming back later on in the programme.

Now, you know I love a good restoration project.

Almost a decade ago, I came across one of the toughest jobs of all,

repairing an 800-year-old stained glass window in Lincoln Cathedral.

Well, almost ten years later, we are back in the area.

I thought I'd pay it a visit in situ,

and see it in all its former medieval glory.

But this time from a different angle, dangling 100 feet from the ceiling on a rope.

Take a look at this.

During the 12th century, Lincoln was considered to be

one of the wealthiest cities in the country.

And its cathedral really showcases the city's importance.

This glorious place of worship was built from around 1185 onwards,

and it's one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture

you will find in Britain.

For nearly 300 years its middle tower was the tallest building

in the world, succeeding the Great Pyramids.

Today it stands as a glorious reminder

of Lincoln's historical past.

It's a city packed with history. Roman arches,

medieval architecture and ancient waterways show off a rich past.

After the Battle of Hastings,

William the Conqueror built Lincoln Castle as his northern stronghold,

and the cathedral once owned land

stretching from the Humber to the Thames!

Now when John Ruskin, the leading art critic and social commentator of the Victorian era,

described this as the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles,

worth any two of our other cathedrals, he was possibly right.

Because behind this great facade

is one of the most gorgeous Gothic buildings in Britain.

The building of this current cathedral continued

long to the 13th and early 14th century.

The beautiful pointed arches on the inside

were at the forefront of Gothic architecture

and became a signature style for the period.

It allowed more space, more light and larger windows.

Now one of the real wonders of this cathedral is the Dean's Eye -

a large stained glass window over 800 years old.

Almost a decade ago, I came here to meet up with

some of the extraordinary craftsmen and craftswomen

who've been involved in the project of restoring the window back

to its former medieval glory.

When I was here in 2003,

the cathedral was five years into a unique project,

restoring the medieval stained glass window that dominates the north transept.

In the 1980s it was noticed that the whole 800-year-old window was curving outwards,

probably as a result of southerly winds creating a vacuum

on the outside of the window.

It was decided that 77 panels of medieval glass

should be restored and replaced, adding a layer of protection

to ensure it would last a further 800 years.

The cathedral's team of stonemasons and glaziers were at the forefront of this project,

using traditional methods to delicately return the window to its former glory.

The panels of glass, consisting of thousands of individual pieces,

had to be restored, ranging in size from about 30cm to about four feet!

Germany is at the forefront of stained glass restoration.

Last time I was here, I met German glass specialist Thomas Kupper,

who was brought in to lead the project,

restoring and repairing the beautiful medieval window panels.

This looks almost complete now,

will you be responsible for replacing it back into the Dean's Eye?

Yes, we will be. It's a very exciting project,

and we're going to be there in two or three years' time.

When the Dean's Eye is complete, I'll come back and see it.

-You must do.

-I will do.

-It will be a glorious piece of work.

Almost a decade later, here it is, in pride of place in this magnificent cathedral.

I'm so glad I've taken the time to come back here,

because that is just stunning!

It took 17 years and £1.5 million

to restore the Dean's Eye back to its former glory.

And a whole host of people have worked on this, from historians, architects, archaeologists,

stonemasons, glaziers, leadworkers -

they've all played their part in this unique restoration project.

But it's from the inside that you can see this beautiful glass

up there in all its glory.

Stained glass windows were often called the poor person's Bible.

Painted at a time when a large part of the population couldn't read or write,

the individual roundels are designed to tell a biblical story

and these 16 round windows depict angels, bishops, kings and biblical characters.

With the topmost roundel showing Christ as judge.

And you can imagine how, in the 13th century,

constructing this window was an incredible achievement,

with no illuminated tables for the artist to work on,

each section would have been set out on a workbench,

and when the jigsaw puzzle was finally completed and the light

finally shone through the window, it must have been a glorious surprise.

Today I am back to meet Thomas and admire the modern restoration

of this medieval masterpiece.

Here it is in place, I can't believe it. Wonderful!

It is absolutely magnificent.

The thing is, we've been up there working for almost 20 years -

day in, day out - putting the glass in, conserving it on the bench -

but once the scaffolding came down, and the day came for the grand opening,

it was just amazing to see all in its glory.

-You were a proud man?

-Oh, yes! The whole team was proud.

Before I go, I really want to get a close look at the hard work

that's gone into this magnificent window,

but it's going to mean some work on my part.

I'm looking forward to this, but I'm kind of...

It's with trepidation, really!

I want to get up there and see it,

but I don't really want to do the process of getting up there.

A specialist rope team working behind the scenes at the cathedral

has been rigging these ropes down from the roof for the last few hours, to get me to the top.

I've got a cameraman going up on another rope just over there,

and he's going to be following all the action.

I've got a camera on my head, as well.

And we also have a camera mounted up here.

And what we will see is the Dean's Eye in all its glory.

That's what it's all about.

-Oh, you're looking good!

-LAUGHTER

Wow! I'm about halfway up. It is...just incredible!

The symmetry is unbelievable!

I never realised this would be...so difficult.

It is immense! It's absolutely...immense!

A protective eye on the face of the cathedral,

the window was designed to face northwards, to ward off the Devil.

And if you think it's a spectacle now,

imagine what it must have looked like in the Middle Ages,

when most people lived in a single storey building with little

more that slits for windows.

Well...I've done it.

Wow!

I never would believe, in a million years,

it would look as fabulous as that.

That is strikingly marvellous.

All credit to everybody who has worked on this restoration project,

it is just incredible.

What a fantastic thing to say you've worked on -

preserving our heritage for many more generations.

And to think - this is 800 years old, and it looks as good as new.

And it only needed an MOT after 750 years!

I'll remember this day for the rest of my life!

That really was one of the most incredible things I've done on this show.

But with my feet firmly back on the ground,

we're back at Normanby Hall on the hunt

for our own precious antiques and collectibles destined for the saleroom.

Michael's first at the table - full of weaponry.

Could it contain that item worth tens of thousands?

-Anne, you're obviously not a lady to be messed with.

-No, not at all.

Not with all these lethal weapons on the table in front of me.

Erm, they don't look like the sort of things you'd have gone out

and bought intentionally.

No. A friend gave them to me.

A family member had brought them back from Africa some years ago,

so they'd been handed down to him.

That's good. That's what we want to hear.

Because there are two sorts, broadly, of tribal artefacts.

The first type is items made for use.

-The others are those made for the tourist market.

-Right.

So, this group, to me, has a look of functionality about it.

We've got two shields.

This might be cowhide -

-I know the Zulus had large cowhide shields like these.

-Right.

This obviously is a fighting shield, as well.

We've got a carved, dug-out handle on the back.

And that's good, because you'd think with later ones, they might have added to them.

They'd have the ability to hammer or to strap on a handle.

Whereas this is integral carving.

And we've got the most important thing - we've got colour on all these things.

When you get a bit of wood and carve it, it's very plain and dry.

You might paint it - this has been painted red and white -

but as you handle it, the grease off your fingers, the muck, the grime builds in

and you get this lovely colour where you'd naturally handle it.

We've got the two short spears - two fighting spears,

and we've got the throwing axe - and again, it's not over-elaborate.

If you were making this as a tourist piece,

you might do a bit more carving.

-It's just carved there for grip.

-Right.

All good points.

-We've got this gourd.

-Gourd?

-Gourd - a calabash.

-Right.

Which is a double gourd you'd use to carry your water in.

Which, of course, in Africa is an immensely important thing.

And again we've got all the discolouration

around the mouthpiece where it would be making contact.

So this is good.

I mean, dating this stuff, even when you're an expert in it, is hard.

Difficult.

I would think we were safe saying it's about 1890 to 1900.

-Gosh.

-I certainly don't think it's any later than that.

Now, when you're friend gave you these things, did you not

think to put them up on the wall in a large display of tribal artefacts?

Absolutely. That was my intentions, but because of the spears,

I was quite worried.

Because I've got young grandchildren,

so we've popped them in the cupboard and that's where they've been.

Did your friend, when he gave them to you, give you an idea of value?

Not at all. Haven't got a clue.

You haven't got a clue?

So, right, erm... The weapons aren't greatly valuable.

I think this - the shield - and the calabash are the nicest things.

-As a group, let's put them in at £200 to £400.

-Really?

-Yep, yep, yep.

-Gosh!

And we'll but a reserve on that at a sensible but not unrealistic level - say £150.

-Yeah. Yeah.

-But, yeah, tribal art is a very difficult thing to value.

So a nice broad estimate reflects the fact that you're saying,

"Well, it's really up you what you think it's worth,"

-and they'll make your bids accordingly.

-OK.

Out of the cupboard, into the saleroom. Happy with that?

Yes, very. Thank you very much.

Don't have to worry about any malicious grandchildren

-chasing you with a spear.

-Absolutely not.

-Excellent.

-Thanks very much for bringing them in.

-Thank you. That's great.

An intriguing mixture of objects, and Michael's right.

They are tricky to value.

Let's hope there's a buyer in the saleroom that spots something

that catches their eye.

Now to the front of the house where, at the end of the day,

Caroline is ready for a sit-down.

This is wonderful.

Tell me how you came by it and what you know about it.

I know that it's a Thonet chair

because it's got its original label underneath

and I understand that Thonet, or his ancestors,

invented the bentwood chair.

That's correct. In 1840, he invented the patent for steam-bending beech

into what is known as bentwood chairs.

It wasn't until we got home that we actually found out it collapses.

Let's have a look. Watch your fingers.

It folds up and the label, yes, as you correctly said,

the Thonet label, Wien. Vienna.

The seat and the back are done in Bergere work,

which is the cane work. No breaks at all.

As you know, once there's a break, the whole thing tends to unravel,

but it's in remarkably good condition.

What date would you say it is?

I would think it's possibly 1920, 1910-20. That sort of period.

What did you pay for it?

I actually paid £6.

-Oh, boy!

-Six, seven years ago.

-That's a good price.

That is a very good price.

I would put an estimate for auction of £100-150,

so your £6 has performed very well.

So, if we put a reserve of possibly just under that, maybe £80,

-discretionary. See what happens, are you happy with that?

-Very happy.

-Excellent, good.

-Shall we go and flog it?

-We will!

-After I've had a sit-down.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

Well, we found all our items to take off to the saleroom and after

a fantastic day of valuing,

our crowds have left the magnificent Normanby Hall.

Which, sadly, we have to say goodbye to right now

as it's off to auction for the very last time in Lincoln.

Here's a quick recap of what's coming with us.

One of our items is worth a small fortune

and goes for 100 times more than the estimate,

but will it be Anne's collection of tribal artefacts

liberated from the bedroom cupboard?

Or will Pauline's bargain £6 chair shock us all

and send her away with a handsome profit?

Back in Lincoln, there's a real buzz in the saleroom

and Colin Young has had a huge amount of interest.

First up, we have the beautiful bentwood chair.

While Pauline is on her holidays,

good friend Lesley is here to see it go under the hammer.

-It's a nice chair.

-It is and what makes it especially nice

is the name. It's a Thonet.

Without the name, it's just an ordinary bentwood chair.

Thonet, I'm hoping it's going to push it up.

Ready to put it to the test?

Here we go, let's put it under the hammer.

Who's going to start me at £100? A very rare chair, this. 100.

80 to go. £80. 50. £50, anyone?

£50 bid, at 50. 5 anywhere else?

At £50, 5, surely?

Now do I see at 55, now 60? 60 and 5, do I see 65, 70?

A lot more than the six quid you paid for it.

Come on again, surely one of you now.

We're up to 75. At 75, on the market on that basis.

Let's keep rolling.

There's two of you hovering, surely you're going to come in now.

At 75 bid, a very rare Thonet chair.

Any more now at 75, are we all done?

At £75.

Yes, he sold it! £75, he's used discretion on the reserve.

£75, you've got to get on the phone and tell her.

-She'll phone me tonight.

-It's fantastic!

-I'll follow you next time.

-She'll find some more.

-Brilliant.

Sometimes it's worth setting a discretionary reserve,

let the auctioneer make his mind up,

and that's not bad for a £6 investment.

Well, the tension is still running high in the saleroom

and people are lined up on the telephone.

Auction houses are unpredictable and this feels like something big.

Going under the hammer right now

we have a little group of ethnographica.

You're probably thinking, "What's he going on about?

"What's ethnographica?" Anne can tell us.

-Who have you brought along?

-This is Lewis.

-Shake my hand, how old are you?

-11.

-You're on your school holidays right now?

-Yes, he is.

-Enjoying them?

-Yes.

You're one of the reasons why Anne is selling her ethnographica.

We're talking about tribal art, aren't we? African tribal art.

Quite dangerous African tribal art. It's lovely stuff.

It's a very interesting field.

I think you have to be a specialist really to appreciate it.

-I just love the group of items.

-It's a nice little sensible group.

We see a lot of this on the programme over the years

and a lot of it goes back to its country of origin.

We see a lot of Aboriginal artefacts, Maori artefacts,

Polynesian and all of these cultures are buying their history back

and putting it in museums. They are paying top money for it.

Good luck, this is it. Look at the auctioneer up there.

Lot 145 showing now, this is the tribal art, the African spear,

axe or hatchet. A very fine group lot, this.

I think we ought to get straight into this

because we've got all the telephones...

Telephones! Promising.

Who's going to start me first, straight in, £500?

500, who's first?

500, bid at 500, 550.

Do I see 550 from Australia? 600 bid.

£600 bid from Australia.

650 now. 700, 750, 800 now.

At 850, 900. 950 bid.

950 again. 1,000 bid, 1,100 now.

At 1,000, 1,100 now do I see?

1,100 on the telephone, 1200, 1300.

1,400 do I see now?

We're up to 1,500, 1,600, 1,700 now.

1,800 bid. 1,900.

At 1,900, there's three people there just waiting to go.

We're at 2,100 bid.

2,200, I'll come back to the phones in just one moment.

2,400, 2,500, 2,600, 2,700.

UK bidder this time. 2,800 back in Australia.

At 2,800, 2,900 do I see now?

At 2,800, 2,900, and 3,000.

3,200 may I see now? Thank you.

3,400 now. 3,400 anywhere else now?

At 3,200, are we all done?

3,400 on the phone.

3,400!

3,800 bid. 4,000 now. Thank you, sir.

Lewis, it's £4,200!

4,600. 4,600 now. 4,800 bid.

5,000 bid. 5,000 now. 5,500.

You thought this was a bit of junk, didn't you, really?

I'll need a cup of tea in a moment, Paul.

Hey, listen, it hasn't stopped. 5,600.

5,800 now, 5,800. 6,000 bid. 6,200.

6,500. Is anybody going to bid 7,000?

7,000 anywhere else?

6,800 bid, 7,000 now.

-£7,000!

-This is crazy!

-Anne, have you got any more of this at home?

-No, sorry.

-7,400 now.

-7,500 I'm bid. That'll do.

-This is crazy.

7,800. 8,000.

Let's keep rolling. 8,200, 8,500. 8,800.

£8,000... It's £9,000!

Michael, we've missed something.

Top it up to 10,000 now.

I'm looking for 10,000.

10,000 bid. 11,000 may I see now? 11,000 bid.

11,000 on the telephone and 12,000.

13,000. It's not unlucky, 14 now.

It's not for the vendor.

15 do I see now? 15,000. 16 now.

16,000, 17,000.

17,000. 18,000. 18,000. 19 now.

19,000. 20,000.

-£20,000!

-22,000?

22,000. 24 now. 26. 26,000.

28,000.

At 28,000. £30,000 may I see now?

30,000, 32 now.

At £30,000, my original telephone bidder.

£30,000.

Is there anyone else now with 32,000? At £30,000.

Going once. Going twice.

Your last chance on the internet for 32,000.

Third and final time. Sold. £30,000.

£30,000! Lewis, high five!

£30,000. That is absolutely incredible!

-I'm shaking.

-Wow!

We were hoping for 200-300.

-I thought that might have been ambitious.

-200-300 was ambitious.

-We've just got £30,000.

-I can't believe it.

Missed something really, really big.

Got to go and have another look at that in a minute.

When I left home, I said, "I bet we get the lower end."

You were looking at the 150.

I'm flabbergasted, I really don't know what to say.

Apologies, to start with. I'm so sorry.

We can't be an expert on everything

and I thought I'd given it my best shot, but there's something in there.

Possibly one of them was made of gold and covered in wood.

We've all learned this is what antiques is about.

-Believe me, we've all learned something today.

-I can't believe it.

I just can't believe it. Not in a million years.

What an unbelievable result.

A complete shock for Anne and for all of us.

It's incredible, isn't it?

Absolutely incredible.

You were shocked as well. We all were.

-No-one saw this coming. 30,000.

-You really couldn't.

This was one of those areas where it comes in,

it's been looked at, it's been estimated, we've catalogued it.

The market decides.

It turns out the winning bid came all the way from Australia

where an eagle-eyed curator at Sydney's Primitive Art Museum

spotted this shield on the auction website

and recognised it as Aboriginal Australian.

Shields like this were first used for ceremony and combat.

Often brought to the UK by settlers who colonised Australia

in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Nowadays they are rare and valuable pieces of Australian history.

The good thing is, that's found its way back to its homeland.

Back to Australia, to a museum for the next generations to appreciate.

I know Anne is a very, very happy lady.

A few days later, we caught up with Anne

now that the good news had a chance to sink in.

On the day of the auction, it was like I wasn't there,

to be honest with you. I couldn't see anybody.

It was the strangest feeling I've ever had in my life.

Now I know it's Aboriginal

and the story that's unfolded is absolutely marvellous.

I feel very proud indeed that it's gone back to its homeland,

where it should be.

I'd recommend anybody to do it because who knows,

you might have hidden treasure there like I did.

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