Hereford 7 Flog It!

Today we're in the beautiful Malvern Hills, which separates

the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

And trickling through them - you can hear it right now - is this.

Hello, there. Malvern Spring water.

Victorians used this to cure their ills and in medieval times,

it was considered to have magical properties. Today, as you can see,

the locals are queueing up, filling up their bottles and drinking it!

Let's hope some of that magic rubs off on us as we go to the auctions in Malvern.

Welcome to Flog It.

Malvern - famous for hills that look like wedding cakes.

Water that heals the soul.

And auction houses where people come from near and far to flog it.

At £150 and done. Thank you!

But you can't have an auction without lots to sell.

So we're setting our stall up over the county at Hereford Cathedral.

And you can't have a valuation day without some people.

And here they are, the good people of Hereford!

Hundreds have turned out today. We've surrounded the cathedral

and are all carrying the most wonderful antiques!

From a scary-looking hot water bottle...

..to everybody's favourite cuddly bear.

Welcome to Flog It from Hereford Cathedral!

ALL CHEER

Our experts today are a windswept Christina Trevanion

and Adam Partridge, armed with their high-tech identification system.

I'm going to sticker you.

Sorry. There we go.

So you're going to be one of us.

No, no, no, no, no!

And without a hint of competitiveness...

-How you doing? How many have you got?

-Yeah, good.

-It's not a competition but I've got 12.

..they go in search of the best items in the queue

but sometimes I get there first.

-Paul's had a look.

-Has he?

That's all right. Did Paul not give you a sticker for that?

-No. He said he was going to come back with them.

-Oh, well...

'Sorry, Adam. Sticker or no sticker, the guitar's mine.'

Follow me.

Hereford Cathedral opens its doors to Flog It.

It's going to be a busy day.

And in today's show, I get my hands and fingers

on a piece of rock and roll history.

And one of our items sells for ten times its estimate.

Will it be the jewellery left by a Russian tsarina?

Or maybe an early Moorcroft tea caddy?

Or perhaps it's the pristine Royal Doulton coffee set.

All will be revealed when the hammer goes down.

The cathedral has brought the community together over the last 1,200 years

and today, Flog It is proud to be part of that history.

And now that the good people of Hereford are safely seated inside,

let's see what they've brought in.

Our first item is a simple silver case with a controversial past.

I must say, I noticed you straight away in the queue

as you have a very distinctive beard. It's a wonderful beard. Congratulations!

Thank you very much.

What's your name? My name is Johnny Crow.

Johnny Crow. Adam Partridge.

-The bird family.

-The bird family! We were destined to meet, weren't we?

And I think what you have here is something that us birds won't like.

That's right.

-Because it's to do with shooting.

-It's to do with killing.

-It's to do with killing birds.

-That's right.

-At first glance, it looks like a vesta case, doesn't it?

-It does.

But it hasn't got the ribbed bottom.

And you open it up there...

-and inside... Shall we tip them out?

-We will.

You've got these ivory tabs.

-It's called a butt marker, isn't it?

-That's right.

And each one of these tabs is numbered from one to eight.

I'll leave the others in the middle there. You're missing number two.

Missing number two. So do you know how this would have worked?

I think if you were on a shoot or an organised shooting party...

..obviously they're a stand set-up for where you're going to shoot from

and I think you just draw a peg or the piece of ivory

and whichever number you draw, it's corresponding to where you stand with your gun.

-That's how I understand it. Effectively drawing straws for where you're to shoot from.

-Yes.

-How did you come to find it?

-I found it... well over 30 years ago.

In the early '80s, I was having a wander through a wood.

-I just spotted this in a clump of grass...

-Never!

-..shining.

Picked it up, thought, "Oh, I found a Zippo lighter,"

because that's what it looked like to me.

Stuck it in my pocket, took it home, stuck it in a drawer

-and for 20-odd years didn't know what it was.

-Really?

Well, that's a great story.

I thought, "I'll keep hold of it cos it's not eating anything!"

And one day, you know, I might be short of a few bob. Who knows?

You've got the mark there for William Hornby, the manufacturer,

which is a London hallmark. You've looked the date up?

I haven't, personally, no, but I've been told it's 1900.

1900, bang on, yeah.

And these are ivory tabs in there.

Missing number two. That does affect the value quite a lot.

I think it's worth £500 but...

-..number two.

-Yeah.

-And in order to get people bidding at it,

I think I would suggest putting it in quite a lot lower.

-My idea would be 200 to £300.

-Yep, yep.

-Are you still OK with that?

-That's fine. It's a sort of come-and-buy-me.

-Yes. You watch this show a lot.

-I certainly do! Avid!

-So is that OK? 200 to 300?

-That's wonderful.

And if it goes and makes 500 quid, what are you going to do with it?

-I'm going to spend it!

-On what?

Wine, women and song.

Well, it's been a great pleasure talking to you from one bird to another.

I'm really looking forward to this flying at the auction!

If this piece of worked ivory was made AFTER 1947,

it would be illegal to sell due to the ivory laws

but as it was made in 1900, we can safely take it off to auction

for bird man Johnny Crow.

Christina has spotted a sparkler that is far less controversial.

Alex, it's so appropriate that you've brought these

cloisonne items into us today

as making cloisonne is very similar to making a stained-glass window.

-Right.

-We're surrounded by these beautiful stained-glass windows

and it just seems so appropriate that you've brought them in, so thank you!

I don't know if you can see

but the wire work which makes up the decoration

is laid intricately onto the base

and then filled with enamel,

different coloured jewel types of enamel.

So very similar to how you would make a stained-glass window.

-Oh, gosh!

-So, tell me, how did you come across these items?

Mother put up a Russian tsarina

who came to this country with no money,

and paid for her lodgings with the jewellery.

-Did you ever meet her?

-No, no.

-Quite exciting to meet a tsarina, wouldn't it?

-Well, wouldn't it just!

Starting with the napkin ring, which was made by Gustav Klingert,

and bears a mark for pre-1896,

so Victorian times in this country as equivalent,

so nice 19th-century napkin ring there.

We've then got the salt spoon which, very, very sweet little salt spoon.

Again, bears the pre-1896 mark so nice to have those two together.

And then we've got the two what are now brooches.

Didn't start life as brooches but two brooches there.

And really a nice lot.

Really nice lot for a Russian cloisonne collector.

If they were made for the Tsar

or if they were made for any member of the Russian royal family,

they would be marked with a double eagles-head mark.

And sadly, as much as I would love to see that mark on these,

-they don't have it, sadly.

-Right.

So value-wise, your main value is in these two

-and then you've got a little bit of value in these.

-OK.

And I would say adding it all together,

we're probably looking somewhere in the region of about £300 to £400.

-Oh, right.

-So how do you feel about that?

-Absolutely super, yes.

-Yeah? Happy with that?

-I feel a holiday coming on!

-Oh, really?

Oh, God! I hope they make it now!

-Brilliant. OK, so we're happy with that valuation?

-Absolutely.

So if we say 300 to 400, maybe with a reserve of 280 firm...

-OK.

-..just so they don't go for any less.

-I'm sure they'll be queueing up!

-Oh, I hope so.

-I hope so, too!

Here in Hereford Cathedral, you can see examples

of stained-glass windows from the 12th century

right up to the 21st century.

Techniques have changed little

and the old stands with the new in simple harmony.

And talking of harmony...

-Nan, this is a fine bass guitar. Do you play it?

-No.

-Can I call you Nan?

-You can.

-What's Nan short for, then?

-Nanette.

-Nanette!

-That's unusual, isn't it?

-It is.

-But I expect you are a nan to some grandchildren, aren't you?

-I am.

-Two grandchildren.

-What can you tell me about this? Whose is it, then?

This is my husband's.

It came from Birmingham

down to Hereford in 1959.

-Gosh.

-It cost my husband £49, which was a lot of money in those days.

That was a great deal of money.

And I believe he paid for it on weekly instalments.

-So he was a hard-up musician, wasn't he?

-He was!

They're all hard-up, aren't they? They really are! And you're right.

-That was a great deal of money back then.

-It was, yes.

-It really was.

-Did he play in clubs?

-He did.

-He played with Johnny Kidd and the Pirates...

-Right, OK...

-..Alvin Stardust.

-Did he really?!

-So he played with quite a few of the top...

-Top acts.

It's fabulous and it brings back all those wonderful memories for me

of listening to early Kinks music and the Rolling Stones as well,

because they all had one of these.

What do we think it's worth?

-Any idea?

-No idea.

What does HE think it's worth?

Well, he thought round about £300.

OK. OK.

What do we think?

-Higher.

-Higher.

I was hoping to say to you, let's put £300 to £500 on this

-with a reserve of £300.

-That would be fine.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes, I'm happy with that.

-And I'm sure he will be.

-Yeah.

I went to a lot of gigs with him,

saw a lot of fights...

drunken behaviour!

But very much enjoyed it!

Well, that's rock and roll for you!

We are now halfway through our day

so it's off to auction now for the very first time.

This is where it gets exciting. Anything could happen.

And you saw it earlier in the show - the lovely town of Malvern

and Philip Serrell's auction house.

Auction houses are sometimes seen as mysterious and intimidating places.

Well, they shouldn't be. Anyone can attend to buy or sell.

And at most auctions, you can bid online

so you don't even have to leave the comfort of your own home.

And it's even nicer if there's a friendly face to meet you.

-Hello, Mr Serrell!

-How are you? Come in. Good to see you.

-Thank you.

-Let's get inside and have a look.

-Absolutely right!

Being a country auctioneer,

you get into all sorts of nice little places, don't you?

-You meet some lovely people.

-What a lovely job.

-And I always think my job's like James Herriot.

-Yes.

You know, cos I drive around rural Worcestershire, meeting...

-But not putting your hands up things!

-Cows' bottoms, no, no!

-I try and avoid that.

-If I was a young person watching this show

and I wanted to be an auctioneer, how do you go about doing it?

Well, there is a route that you can go down.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, I'm a chartered surveyor.

And they have a faculty of fine art and antiques.

-You and I both know there is no substitute for handling goods.

-No.

So if you are interested, go to as many sales as you can,

go to as many shops as you can, handle things,

and you and I also both know that what we love to do? Talk!

So if you come and talk to us about goods,

-we'll talk to you all day long about them.

-Soak it up like a sponge.

Yeah, and just develop an enthusiasm. Have a passion for the goods and it'll get you through.

And work your way up. Start as a porter, spend a few years doing that,

-try a few general sales on the rostrum...

-Absolutely right.

Buy Mr Philip Serrell a nice Christmas present every so often!

-I'll get you on the rostrum!

-Then you get a big break!

-Anything you like?

-Only just walked in....

'The auction house is filling up and Philip has taken to the rostrum. First up, it's Alex.'

Going under the hammer now. I've just been joined by Alex and Christina

and we have four Russian items. I like these.

Now, the reserve's been slightly changed. The value was...

-Was 300 to 400, yep.

-Happy with that, weren't we?

Happy with that with a reserve at 280, yeah.

-Have you changed the reserve?

-Yes.

-OK. Why did you do that?

-I really felt they were worth a lot more.

-So you've upped it? To what?

-£400.

-OK, so the reserve is right on £400.

We need £400 if these are going to sell.

-Strong market, the Russian market.

-It is, yes.

Anything that's from Tsarist Russia is hugely popular.

These aren't by any particular maker that we can attribute

-or anything like that, sadly, so I'm just...

-Are you a bit nervous?

-A wing and a prayer, I think, is the phrase!

-We all are!

If you are, we are! Well, let's find out what this lot think.

Lot number 484.

The little bits of Russian silver, as you see it illustrated,

the four bits of Russian silver.

And I can start at £230 bid.

-Oh!

-230...

-It's got a bid.

-230.

240. 250.

250. 260. 270.

280. 290. 300. 310.

At 310. The book's out now, at £310.

-At £310...

-Would've sold.

-Any more interest at all?

320. 330.

330.

330. At £330.

The internet's out and the book's out.

At £330. Any more?

At 330. At £330. At 330.

-There's no-one else in the room.

-At £330. Any more?

-No? Well, I'm sorry, I can't...

-It's a no sale.

-Sorry about that.

-No.

-Doesn't matter.

-I just... You know.

You had a hunch, you had a hunch. They would have sold.

They would have sold.

And I say it to my husband every day - I'm right!

-Well, I'M not sad to take them home.

-Good. That's the main thing.

-You're smiling still.

-Yeah.

You could say an item is worth whatever value you put onto it,

so if you want to change your reserve, you can.

Next under the hammer,

we've got our sights firmly fixed on this one -

it's a butt marker, a shooting stick,

which you need when you're out in the field, shooting.

-Did you ever shoot?

-No, I've never shot.

-You've never shot.

We've had these on the show before

and they've made very good money. Good money. £600-800.

Obviously quality varies a lot. I like these.

Do you think we've underdone them at £200-300?

No, that's sensible.

One tab's missing, which is why I'm a bit cautious

and the case is quite plain, you do see them enamelled, fancier ones.

Somebody might have a tab that will fit that, you just don't know.

-Or piano keys.

-Yeah!

Someone who's very clever at making something.

I was attracted to Johnny instantly cos of his beard,

then I found out he was a Crowe and I was a Partridge.

-And I'm a Martin.

-You're a Martin.

That's very good actually.

Right, let's find out, shall we, what the bidders think?

Because it's going under the hammer right now. This is it.

Lot number 447 is the butt marker.

I think this is a really, really lovely lot, this.

Bid me £500.

Bid me £300.

300 I'm bid. At 300.

Straight in at £300.

310. 320.

330. 340.

That's more like it.

360. 370.

380. 390.

-400. 410.

-Here we go.

420.

420. I don't think it's dear at 420. Is there any more?

At £420 and done...

Thank you.

Hammer's gone down.

-£420.

-Nice one. I'm pleased.

-I'm very pleased.

With one marker missing, that's very good.

-I think that's the right money.

-It is, exactly. It's great.

Hey, put it there. Put it there.

You know there's commission to pay, it's 18% plus VAT here,

but you'll get a cheque in the post in three weeks

and that's how it works in auction rooms.

Johnny's off to spend it on wine, women and song.

Next up, rock and roll gran.

Right, Lynette, where is Dennis? Guess what we're talking about?

Yes, we're talking music, that bass guitar,

the Hofner bass guitar that I valued at £300-500.

-It's Dennis's, and he's at home, he's not feeling...

-Very well.

-No.

-Do you know what? I reckon he's got withdrawal symptoms

-because he knows this is the day of the sale.

-Do you reckon?

-Yeah.

-Is it? Am I right?

-Could be.

-He might!

-He's getting rid of his little baby.

-Yeah, he is.

Poor old Dennis. I hope you're watching this. It's going under the hammer right now.

Let's see what we can do for you. Here we go.

Lot number 247 is the Hofner bass guitar.

I think this is a work of sculpture in its own right.

A really lovely thing. Give me £300 straight in.

300 straight in, someone.

£200 I have. At 200. At £200 only.

At 200. 220.

Picking up now. There's someone down at the front bidding.

320. 350. 380. 400.

420. 450. 480. 500.

520. With me.

550?

550. 580.

600.

600. 620.

650. Book's out. At 650.

At £650, any more at all?

-I'm happy with that.

-Yeah, I am. Yeah.

-Top end.

-Very good.

£650 and done then, at 650 and done... Thank you.

-He'll be very pleased with that. Thank you very much.

-That's OK.

It's been a pleasure to meet you.

You'll have to get him a nice stiff drink tonight!

-He's going to be feeling a little bit sad.

-He doesn't drink, Paul.

-Doesn't he?

-No.

-That's not rock and roll, is it?

-No.

-Poor old soul, he's...

-I thought it's sex, drugs and rock and roll.

No. It's definitely not sex, nor drugs, nor rock and roll!

5. 80. 80 bid. £80.

Well, that concludes our first visit to the auction room today.

We are coming back here later on so don't go away

because the atmosphere is electric.

And over the last 10 years on Flog It!,

we've been to many stately homes, royal palaces and castles.

And behind the scenes in those magnificent houses

there's an army of people without whom, life for the rich

would be a lot poorer.

Berrington Hall. Severe red sandstone exterior.

A gigantic, Ionic portico.

Gardens and lake designed by Capability Brown.

A typical country retirement home

for the wealthy, of the late 18th century.

But it wasn't just the rich who lived there.

Today I'm going to be exploring this house through the eyes

of the footman and the maid,

employed to keep Berrington Hall spick and span, from top to bottom.

They're taking me on a journey from the opulence skylights upstairs...

..to the small, dimly-lit corridors downstairs.

Thomas Harley bought this estate

and commissioned the house to be built in 1778.

He moved in with his family of six.

And at their beck and call were 45 men, women and children.

This is the servants' staircase, and it allowed the staff

to get around the house without using the main staircase.

The footman, the housekeeper, the butler and the maid would climb

these stairs tirelessly, accessing the house through hidden doors.

Now, life below the stairs had a strict hierarchy,

very much like life above the stairs.

The housekeeper was the head of staff,

and earned between £20 and £30 per year.

Standing low down the ranks was the scullery maid,

who was usually a girl of just 12 or 13 years old.

She had to get up at five o'clock in the morning to light the fires

for the cook.

And she didn't go to bed until her services were not required,

sometimes 10 or 11 o'clock at night.

Unlike their opulent surroundings,

the servants were encouraged to be characterless and featureless,

dedicating their life to serving their betters

whilst remaining invisible.

Well, I'm here in the boudoir,

where young maids would visit quite frequently, and you probably

associate the word "boudoir" with a rather luxurious bedroom.

But in the Georgian design,

a boudoir was the room where the ladies would retire to after dinner.

To have a chat, powder their noses and, rather less glamorously,

answer the call of nature.

And chamber pots were kept in little cupboards in the walls.

Houses didn't have plumbing until 1897,

so the chamber pots would be passed around to be used

whilst the ladies were having a cup of tea and having a gossip.

And of course, it would be the maid who would take away

the chamber pot. Through the hidden door

and back onto this staircase, the maid would walk.

She was off to do some recycling.

Yes, the Georgians believed in waste conservation too.

In this case, solids to the gardener and liquids to the laundry.

The laundry? Really?

Yes, the liquid content of the bedpan was matured

for a number of weeks, and then used to bleach clothes

because of its ammonia content.

I can't see this practice coming back any time soon.

The footman would be required by the family to be on call

even in the early hours.

So he'd have no time for a wife or family.

He laid in wait at the dining table for breakfast, lunch and tea

and dinner. He attended the fires, washed the wine glasses,

polished the silver and trimmed the lamp wicks.

And his day wouldn't be over

until the last guest had left in the carriage for the evening.

For the servants of Berrington Hall, life was tough.

Having seen Berrington Hall through the eyes of the servants

I realise how this place could not have survived

without their dedication and hard work.

Every inch of stone, slate and marble has been kept

spotlessly clean, every bed sheet washed and pressed

with loving care.

Life could not have been easy during the 19th century as a servant,

but on the plus side, you had a ready-made family

and you had a career which you could pass on to future generations,

guaranteeing your sons and daughters security in life.

Also, the pay was rather low and the hours extremely long,

but at least you had a roof over your head,

a warm meal in your belly every day. And...

..a rather nice front garden.

It's now back to Hereford Cathedral,

which has recently undergone a £5 million restoration project

to create public spaces for all to enjoy,

and doesn't it look peaceful?

And from beauty on a grand scale to something small

and perfectly formed.

You've brought in the most lovely selection of opal jewellery.

Tell me a little bit about it.

Well, they were my granny's and then obviously passed onto my mum.

And when my mother sadly died, they came to me

and they've just lived in a drawer.

-Lived in a drawer ever since? Do you wear them?

-No.

-You don't?

-No.

-Why not?

They're not my birthstone and my mum was convinced that

if they're not your birthstone they bring bad luck, so...

See, opals for some reason have this really bad reputation as being

terribly unlucky unless you're a Libran, which is October, isn't it?

-That's right.

-Which is slightly unjust, really,

because the reason that they have attained

this rather dubious reputation

is that there is quite a large quantity of water

or silica that makes up the composition of the opal.

-Right.

-So when that is obviously dehydrated or is overheated,

then the water tends to dehydrate.

The opal tends to shrink and fall out of its setting.

So before we had microscopes and things, we didn't know that.

So it was just the fact that they kept falling out

of their settings was considered very unlucky.

-I see.

-But it's like anything.

Opal jewellery, as long as you treat it nicely and with care...

-Look after it.

-..and look after it, it shouldn't do that.

Obviously, your family has really looked after these pieces

because we've got no stones missing,

nothing that would seriously concern us.

-No.

-So, date-wise,

this is a Victorian, or looks like a late-Victorian, Edwardian example.

This is slightly later, this tiepin here,

and then this lovely necklace, which is later still, I would say.

Probably more sort of mid 20th century,

something like that. It's set in nine-carat gold,

and it's got this lovely graduated drop of opals at the front.

The brooch itself isn't actually marked.

Although it looks like it's set in gold,

it isn't actually marked, sadly.

But the opal in the middle has got some great fire -

or what we call fire - play of colour in it,

pulling some lovely greens and purples on there.

So was Granny a Libran?

-As far as I remember, yes.

-She was?

-Yes.

So I would have probably been more appropriate for her.

As far as I know, my granny and grandad were a very loving couple

and I think he probably bought them

for Christmas and birthdays and things like that.

-Oh, how sweet! All husbands, take note.

-I know!

THEY LAUGH

-I think we'll probably sell them as a group lot.

-Right.

They do seem to go together, and it seems a shame to split them.

-Well, they have lived together for a long time now.

-Exactly, yes.

So we'll try and keep them together with a group estimate of 200-300.

-Right.

-And a reserve or firm reserve of £180.

-Right.

-How does that sound?

-No, that's fine.

-Are you happy with that?

-That would be lovely.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you.

-Will you be coming to the auction?

-I don't think I'll be able to, I'm sorry.

-Oh, no! That's a shame.

All right, well, hopefully... Keep our fingers crossed

-and do really, really well for you.

-I'll be thinking of you.

-We'll let you know as soon as possible what they make.

-OK, lovely. Thank you.

A room full of people and one dog.

Look at this - a lovely spaniel, here.

And hundreds, or dare I say thousands, of antiques.

And this is the moment I like - walking up and down

the rows of people, dipping in and out of all the bags,

and seeing what has been brought along.

I tell you what, we've got a marvellous turnout.

This is where their journey starts.

-So, Joy, it's coffee time, is it?

-It is, yeah, yeah.

-Already.

-It doesn't look like it's been used very often.

-It hasn't.

It was on show for a short while, and I got rid of the piece of furniture

that it was displayed in, and ever since then it's just been in a box.

That's the thing, you know, with these cased sets,

-you never really get to use them.

-That's right.

It's like that - where do you put it?

-You put it in a sideboard?

-In a cupboard. Shut away.

-In a cupboard.

And you wouldn't ever get to recognise it. I saw you outside, didn't I?

And I said, "I bet that's a coffee set,

-"and I bet it's in perfect condition."

-Yeah.

And there it is. Beautiful Art Deco coffee set, never used.

-Is it Art Deco or Art Nouveau?

-Art Deco.

-It is Art Deco, OK.

-1925, 1930, Art Deco period.

-Yeah, OK.

And a beautiful coffee set in great condition in its original box.

-However, value is fairly limited in a way.

-OK.

-Because of the fact - what do you do with it? Like we've said already.

-Yeah, yeah.

If it wasn't a Deco design,

you be struggling to sell it for much at all,

but because it's that lovely design

and it all appears in good condition, I think it'll sell all right.

Now, let's talk the cash. Presumably you've got a figure in mind.

-I have, actually, yeah.

-Go on, tell me.

-Well, I'd like £100, if possible, for it.

Well, I don't think that's unrealistic.

-No.

-I think that's about its money.

-Yeah, yeah.

-I think you've pretty much valued it bang on.

-OK.

I'd have probably gone 80 to 120 as an estimate myself if I was...

-OK, yeah.

-..just having an estimate at it.

And I'd have suggested a reserve of 80. But we don't want Joy upset.

Like you said, then, perhaps 80 to 100.

-80 to 120?

-Yeah, yeah.

-And put 80 fixed?

OK. OK, then, yeah.

-Well, Joy, it's been a great pleasure talking to you.

-And you, too.

-Fingers crossed for a good result.

-OK. Thank you very much.

Joy thought her coffee set was Art Nouveau, but in fact it was Art Deco.

And here are some tips on how to spot the difference.

Art Nouveau is usually described as flowery

and depicts natural forms with flowing lines...

whereas Art Deco is streamlined, and designers like Clarice Cliff

used hard edges and angular style with intense colours.

So, next time you'll know your Nouveau from your Deco.

Colleen, you've brought me this lovely tea caddy,

-but it's full of potpourri.

-Yes.

-How does that work?

-THEY LAUGH

-That's how it came to me.

-It smells wonderful.

-Yes, still does.

-It doesn't smell like tea.

-No, I know, I know.

-Maybe I should have got rid of it.

-No, it's fine in there.

-Although you wouldn't be able to smell it very much, would you?

-No.

-That is true.

-Wonderful tea caddy with a nice screw lid there.

It's Moorcroft one. William Moorcroft one. Nice and early.

Where has it come from? Where did you get it?

I got it from an elderly family friend who I used to go and visit.

Did her shopping and cooked her the odd meal,

and one day she gave it to me.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Gosh, that's very kind.

-Yes.

This little tea caddy, although it's very unassuming, actually represents

an incredibly important point in William Moorcroft's career.

-Right.

-It dates to about 1910, 1914.

Definitely pre-First World War,

and it was when William Moorcroft was going alone as Moorcroft.

He had left Macintyre. At Macintyre he was artistic director,

and then he bought the company from them, and now he becomes Moorcroft in his own right.

-Oh, right.

-And not only Moorcroft in his own right, but Moorcroft,

if we look at this bottom...

Everything we need to know is on the bottom. "Made for Liberty."

So this was actually made for one of

the best department stores in London

that was packed to the gills with pioneering artisans of their time

during the Arts and Crafts movement.

And lovely design. We've got the open pomegranate design,

with these lovely berries around the top as well,

in these wonderful muted tones

that you would expect of his early work, pre-war.

Tell me, why are you selling it now?

Well, when I heard that Flog It! was coming to Hereford,

I know you love Moorcroft...

-THEY LAUGH

-How did you know that(?)

And it isn't a family thing, so I thought, "That's the thing to take."

And what do you think we might get for it at auction?

I have no idea really, no.

Because it is so early,

and because it has got that magic name on the bottom,

that magic combination of names - we've got Moorcroft,

we've got Liberty - we're going to get, I would imagine,

quite a lot of interest, and it is in such good condition.

I think at auction we're probably going to be looking

-somewhere in the region of £200-300, with a reserve of 200.

-Perfect.

I'm fairly confident it should make that,

-so I'd say a firm reserve of 200.

-Thank you.

-How would you feel about that?

-That's absolutely perfect.

-Brilliant.

-Lovely.

Well, that's it. Our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction,

so it's time to say a fond farewell to our magnificent host location, Hereford Cathedral.

It's been a fun day full of magic, mayhem and marvellous antiques.

But right now, let's head over to the Malvern Salerooms

for the very last time.

At £180, and I sell.

Going under the hammer right now, we have some Royal Doulton.

It's in the form of a coffee set, and it's boxed. It belongs to Joy,

with the valuation of £80-£120 put on by Adam here. Happy with that?

-Yes, I think so.

-Why are you selling?

We're downsizing, and we just never use it. It's in the box.

It is a shame. You know, someone else can enjoy it.

Well, at least it's complete.

And it's going under the hammer right now.

Let's find out what it's worth. Here we go, look.

Moving on to 691. It's the Royal Dolphin coffee set. There we are.

The Royal Doulton coffee set. Give me £100, someone. 100.

100.

40, I'm any bid, at 40. 40 bid.

£40 only, at 40. 40 bid. Is any more at all? Any more?

-We're struggling.

-Yes.

-At 40. 40 bid.

50, 60, 70, 80 bid.

-£80.

-Phew!

Any more? At £80 only. Any more at all?

The bid's with me here at £80 only.

That troughed, then peaked, didn't it?

You're out, at £80, and I sell, then, at £80, and done.

-£80.

-That's OK. It's fine.

-That was a close shave.

I thought, "That's going unsold at 40," for a minute.

-Is that all right with you, Joy?

-Fine, yeah.

-I think that's the influence of a reserve, you know.

-That's right.

Perhaps it might have only made 40 or 50 otherwise.

Yeah, I'm glad I did that.

-It was within estimate. The lower end of the estimate.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Everyone is happy. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Got it away. Thank you very much.

Lucky for Joy, the coffee set made its reserve at the last minute.

Right, next, something for the ladies.

We've got some jewellery, and it belongs to Shirley.

Sadly, Shirley can be with us today - she couldn't get time off work.

But we do have the jewellery, and we have our expert,

-the beautiful Christina here.

-Aww!

-A valuation at £200-£300.

-Yes.

-It's a mixed lot.

-It is a mixed lot, yeah.

There's some really nice things and some not-so-popular things,

so I'm hoping again that the necklace is particularly nice.

-That's really lovely.

-That's very nice.

Is this something that you were attracted to?

Would you wear any of this?

-Oh, I think so. Not a tiepin.

-No, definitely not a tiepin.

-But I do like the necklace, very much. It is beautiful. Very nice.

-OK.

OK, we have a chance, don't we, if you like it?

Well, let's hope that some of the bidders like it.

Got to be fashionable, and that's the problem with jewellery, isn't it?

-Because fashions dictate what is in and what is not.

-They do, yes.

Shirley, I hope you're enjoying this. We are flying the flag for you, and here we go.

Lot number 553 is a nine-carat gold necklace with a fine link chain.

There we are. And I am started at £130 bid.

140, 150, 160, 170.

Confident. Look at that, straight down, bids on the book.

190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240,

250, 260? 250.

The lady's bid, seated, at 250.

260, 270, 280, 290.

290, lady's bid at £290. Is there any more?

-300. 310.

-Oh, brilliant.

320, 330. At 330 at £330.

There is the bid at £330 and done, thank you.

Buyer number 262.

-Yay! Well done, Shirley.

-Shirley will be so pleased that.

-She will.

-I hope she will.

-That was a good result. That was a very good result.

Very good. Cos some people, like I say, are so suspicious about opals,

so I'm really pleased that did well for her. Really pleased. It's brilliant.

That bidder knew what she wanted and she wouldn't give up

until she got it. Next to go under the hammer we've got some Moorcroft.

Lovely little item. In fact, it's a tea caddy. Quite rare.

I've not seen one of these on the show before. In fact,

they are quite rare. I've only seen two in my life.

THEY LAUGH

You could've told me that on the valuation day.

-Colleen, can I tell you what the last one I saw went for?

-Tell me.

-If you went home with £400, would you be happy?

-I'd be very happy.

-600?

-Absolutely.

-800?

-Ecstatic.

-Oh!

-1,000?

-THEY LAUGH

-What would you do at 1,000? You be dancing on this chest.

-Abso.... No, don't tempt me.

-1,200?

-THEY LAUGH

-£1,400.

-Shush! You might be disappointed.

-What if you got 1,600?

-Are you here by yourself?

-No, my husband is here.

Thank goodness for that. You need someone to carry you out, because you might faint.

-Look, the last one made £1,600.

-Did it really? I'm amazed.

Here we go. We're going to find out exactly what it's worth. Watch this.

Go on, look. Watch up there. Can I look?

Lot number 660 is the Moorcroft tea caddy, and I'm told a rare thing.

I'll start at £700. At £700 only. 700. 20.

720, 750, 780, 800.

820, 850, 880,

900, 920, 950, 980, 1,000.

50, is it? 1,050. 1,100. 1150.

1,200. 1,250. 1,300.

-Your husband can believe it, look.

-Can't believe it.

-Because he doesn't know what I told you.

-No, he doesn't.

1,400. 1450. 1,500.

1,600, is it?

-1,600. 1,700.

-Oooh! I just left a nought off, that's all.

You did, you did.

1,600. 1,700, is it? 1,800. 1,900, now.

-2,000, 2,100.

-Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

-2,100. 2,200.

-I might faint.

-No, don't do that!

-2,300, 2,400.

2,500. 2,600.

2,700. 2,800.

2,900. 3,000. 3,100.

At £3,000. Any more?

At £3,000 bid. There's the bid, at £3,000.

-Any more at all?

-Absolutely brilliant.

At £3,000, thank you for coming, sir.

At £3,000, done at £3,000, and done, thank you.

The hammer's going down. I'm tingling.

The whole room is tingling. Colleen, you've got to start dancing. £3,000.

Didn't you say that you'd get on top of that chest of drawers?

-Hello. Hello, there.

-Amazing!

I'm hot!

Wow! You get a surprise every day, don't you?

Even I was shocked at that.

I was expecting maybe £1,600, £1,800, but £3,000.

-It doesn't get much better than that.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

-Absolutely wonderful. Honestly.

-And what a wonderful way to end today's show.

Sadly, we've run out of time, but what a high we've landed on.

And I hope you've enjoyed watching as well.

Join us again soon for many more surprises.

Until then, it's goodbye from the Malverns.

Phew!