Wiltshire 22 Flog It!


Wiltshire 22

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LineFromTo

I'm here in the heart of London, where later on in the programme,

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I'll be showing you

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some of the hidden work by one of our greatest architects,

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Sir Christopher Wren.

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But right now, it's time for me to catch up with the rest

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of the team at our valuation day, so I better get my skates on.

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Welcome to Flog It!

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Today's valuations come from Longleat, in Wiltshire.

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A 16th century Renaissance palace, Longleat House

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was built by Sir John Thynn, a political player in the Tudor court.

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A well read man, he started a book collection at Longleat,

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which has been growing ever since.

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Nearly five centuries later,

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it is one of the largest private book collections in Europe,

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with over 40,000 volumes catalogued within seven libraries.

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But today, it is

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the volumes arriving outside the house that we're interested in.

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And here, on the beautiful east side of the house, bathed in the morning

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sunshine, the crowds are already gathering in their numbers.

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Somebody here is going to go home with a small fortune today,

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so don't go away.

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It is up to our experts to find that hidden gem

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and take it off to auction.

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And it is a responsibility our two experts,

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Michael Baggott and Claire Rawle,

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enjoy immensely, as they get to meet all the local characters.

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My family might have used these planes here.

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-We don't know.

-Oh, that is marvellous.

-We don't know.

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I'll get Paul to come and have a look at that.

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That is right up his street.

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And he's not wrong. Thank you, Michael,

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I'll have a look at that tool box later on in the show.

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There are certainly plenty of treasures to go around.

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-Oh, you've got quite a selection.

-A Longines and an Omega.

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-Oh, OK.

-But I've got a gold one here but no name on it.

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I like this one, sort of like a jumbo watch.

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Which reminds me, we can't keep our Flog It! fans waiting.

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It is time to get cracking with those valuations.

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And on this glorious day,

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where better to set up than in the gardens here at Longleat?

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Whilst our crews get their cameras ready,

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here is what is coming up on today's show.

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Barbara is shocked to discover the value of her Beatles signatures.

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-As much as that?

-This is, of course, if they are all genuine.

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But when the autographs are sent to the auctioneer's experts,

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the jury is out.

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One said...

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I wouldn't like to say no,

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but equally, I wouldn't like to say yes.

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So are they are or aren't they genuine?

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Well, find out when the bids come in later on in the show.

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Well, everybody is now safely seated,

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so it is lights, camera, action.

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This is where the action is taking place today, outside, right here.

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So let's now catch up with our experts

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and join up with Michael Baggott.

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He has spotted a real gem.

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So, Wendy, I absolutely love your rat. Is it something you've bought?

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-No, my twin sister bought it many years ago.

-Marvellous.

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-At a car-boot sale.

-You're joking! At a car boot?

-Yeah.

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And she only paid a couple pound for it at the most.

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-So, did your sister give it to you?

-Yeah.

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Well, she had about five at the end,

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and they all come to me.

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-Did she know what she had bought?

-Oh, yes.

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-So, she knew it was a netsuke?

-Yes.

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-Yeah.

-Something like that she told me they were.

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This is not the best netsuke in the world, but it is a very nice one.

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-Thank you.

-And it is Japanese.

-Oh.

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And for people that don't know what netsukes are, they're the

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toggle that you would use to secure an inro or a sagemono.

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And sagemono just means various hanging things.

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Now, it is basically...

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When the Japanese wore Japanese dress and not Western suits,

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you had no pockets.

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So everything that you needed as a gentleman or a lady was

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suspended from the obi, from the band.

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And this little toggle would slip through

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-and stop anything falling on the floor.

-Oh.

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Netsukes are carved in different materials.

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The best ones tend to be carved ivory.

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That isn't necessarily so, but wood,

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a nice little exotic hardwood like this, is easier to carve.

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What wood is that?

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That is going to be something like a tropical rosewood.

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-And if we look, we can see the two little holes in the base.

-Yeah.

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And that is where the cord for the inro or the purse or

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pouch would have passed through.

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And what is really nice is we've got that little signature there,

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-that two-character signature of the artist who carved it.

-Oh.

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And the detail is quite nice. It is not very fine.

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The very fine ones of these, you will have the hairs of the rat

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picked out and it will almost come alive in your hand.

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But this is a lovely, middle-range example of a netsuke.

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In terms of date, we are looking towards the end of the 19th century.

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So we are 1880 to 1900.

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Any ideas of what it might be worth now?

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-No, none at all.

-Let's say £30 to £50.

-Oh!

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-And let's say a fixed reserve of £30.

-Oh, yeah.

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So it is very much entry-level.

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The only problem with these is that in the last ten or 15 years,

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-there has been massive modern copies.

-Yeah.

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And they have sort of flooded the market

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and people are a little bit wary about them.

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-But that's right as rain. You now, that is 120 years old.

-Oh, my God.

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-If it's a day.

-Yeah.

-So, if this one does well,

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you'll have to find out the other three.

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I'll have to find the others out again, yeah.

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-Thanks very much for bringing this in.

-Thank you. Thank you very much.

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Now, I wonder what Wendy's other netsukes are like,

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originally a functional piece of wood, as Michael said,

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to hold in place items hanging from the sash of a kimono.

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By the late 18th century, these exquisite animals were being

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carved up by artists Masanao and Tomotada.

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Now, highly sought after, a world record was broken in 2010

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when this 18th-century ivory netsuke made

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£265,000 at auction.

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So, dig them out, Wendy, you never know what you've got.

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Hi, Marin. Now then, you've brought along two whips -

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a hunting crop and a switch whip. What is the history behind them?

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Well, that was my father's hunting whip.

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And I don't know really where he acquired it from.

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The crop was given to me by an elderly gentleman.

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My father was captured at Dunkirk during the war,

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in a German prison of war camp.

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And a fellow officer's father came to see my mother, I suppose

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to discuss the prisoner of war situation, sending passes and so on.

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And I was about 18 months or two years old,

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and I picked all my mother's carefully grown green tomatoes...

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-Oh, brilliant.

-..which she was cultivating and presented them

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to this elderly gentleman.

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And thereafter, he remembered every birthday and Christmas until he died.

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-That was one of the presents that he gave to me.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Oh, wow.

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-So it probably came from his family, then.

-It might have done, yes.

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-I don't know where he got it from at all.

-Your dad was a prisoner of war.

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-He came back all right?

-He did. He certainly did.

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I met him for the first time when I was about five and a half.

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-He'd seen me as a baby...

-Right.

-..before he was captured.

-That's amazing.

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Now, with the hunting crop,

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obviously, it's a fairly standard design.

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We can see on the bands here, they are silver,

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and it dates from the Edwardian era, it's about 1906.

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-This part, the T-piece, is used for closing gates.

-Yes.

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-This is actually made of antler.

-Oh, is it?

-It is always made of antler.

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And then it is just crisscross carved, very traditionally,

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cos it gives you a surface to grip with.

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And then a leather band here and a leather-plaited thong.

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And as you see, it has lasted for years.

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-And as long as it is cared for, it will go on for more years.

-Good.

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This is Victorian, so a little bit earlier.

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And then very much used as a switch stick.

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And very often ladies, when they road side-saddle, they used this

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in the hand on the side where your legs weren't.

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You'd switch on the shoulder of the horse, cos this,

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in its day, would have been... You know,

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if you were a lady, you would've ridden side-saddle.

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-Not many road astride at that time.

-No, I suppose they didn't.

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I don't think it's hallmarked anywhere.

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We've searched and searched.

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But these lovely little silver mounts here,

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very typically Victorian with the scrolling foliage.

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And it has got a little name at the top. And this is so pretty here.

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Little mother of pearl, little handle.

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And it is engraved with a thistle. Are you responsible for the damage?

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Unfortunately, yes.

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But I think that just got damaged in the loft,

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-where they've been sitting.

-Oh, right.

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It's not good for either of them,

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so I think the time has come to flog 'em!

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-SHE LAUGHS

-As they say.

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I think... I'm tempted to say... You could either sell them together,

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-cos they go to the same sort of buyer.

-I think they should, yes.

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So, if you're going to do that, I'd suggest an estimate of 80 to 120.

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-Great.

-How does that sound?

-Excellent.

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-I would put £80 on them as a reserve, perhaps with a bit of discretion.

-Fine.

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We'll look forward to seeing you at the auction.

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And I shall look forward to being there.

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Now, on what is possibly the hottest day of the year,

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lots of people are taking advantage of a bit of shade underneath

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the lime trees, and it is also where I can catch up with Nick and Moira

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and that marvellous tool chest.

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So, tell me a little bit about this. I guess you're the man to do that.

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-These were yours, were they?

-No, these were my father's.

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And I am led to believe that he'd done his apprenticeship in a small

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village just outside of Warminster

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and a lot of the tools were used and some of the joinery work was

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actually in Longleat at the moment,

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so there is a connection between these tools and Longleat.

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-Right. So what trade did you take up?

-I'm a carpenter.

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-You are a carpenter as well? You followed Dad in his footsteps?

-Yeah.

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-You must have used some of these planes.

-I've tried.

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I tried using the big one at the bottom, what they call a triplane.

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I find it far easier to get the router out

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and run it down or go down to the DIY shop.

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-To be married to a carpenter is pretty handy.

-Oh, yes.

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-Your house must be in tiptop condition.

-Oh, yeah.

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-Built-in wardrobes?

-Yes.

-Best of everything?

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Everyone else's house is.

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Just look at the fruit wood, look at what you are using there.

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Some of those planes are beautifully made.

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-I would say some of these date back a good 150 years.

-Yeah.

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What catches my eye are this sort of thing.

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You know, the little side rebate planes where you can actually

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put a groove on the side of the wood.

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-And there is lots of varieties of moulding plane there.

-One like that.

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Yeah. And I mean, that's lovely, isn't it?

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-Look how beautiful that is. Look how beautiful that is.

-Yeah.

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Have you any idea what sort of value all of these planes are?

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I don't know.

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£150, £200 perhaps.

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I'd say you are about spot on.

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If I had to put a value on this, I'd have said £100 to £200.

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You are looking at about £6-£8 per moulding plane.

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Again, the same sort of money with the big jack planes.

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The box itself, the tool chest,

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well, that's worth a good £60 to £80 as well.

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A fixed reserve at 100. Hopefully, we'll get that top end.

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-Yeah.

-And I'll see you both in the auction room?

-Will do.

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-Yes, thank you.

-We'll see you there.

-Good luck.

-BOTH: Thank you.

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Well, I'm really glad Michael spotted that item in the queue,

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exactly what I'd like to get my hands on.

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And back in the main area,

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another person capitalising on an early queue discovery

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is Claire Rawle.

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-Hello, Jean.

-Hello, Claire.

-I feel really quite honoured today,

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cos you've come a long way here, haven't you?

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Well, I have, I've come from London.

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-But it was just nice to get some fresh air...

-Yeah.

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-..and be out of London for a couple of days.

-You're making it a holiday?

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-You're staying here?

-Just for a couple of nights, yes.

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-Excellent, well done. Anyway, to business.

-Yeah.

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So, we have a selection of wristwatches

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and pocket watches, all from sort of different eras as well.

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So what can you tell me about them?

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I can't really tell you an awful lot.

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I know that the larger one was my grandfather's.

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In fact, I think both of the pocket watches were.

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I don't know how old they are.

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And I'd be really quite interested cos recently my uncle died.

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Right.

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-So I've really got no-one to ask.

-Oh, OK.

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-So, were the wristwatches your uncle's, then?

-Yes, they were.

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-This one is Victorian, the large, the sort of jumbo sized watch.

-Yes.

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And then you've got the more standard.

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Again, both open-faced pocket watches.

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Then of course, you move into wristwatches,

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because wristwatches only really turned into wristwatches

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at the beginning of the 20th century.

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This is a nine-carat-cased one,

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and this is the earliest of the wristwatches.

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And as you can see,

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it looks a little bit like a pocket watch still,

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because it has got this very clear open face

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and it is quite a thick case.

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And the earlier ones did tend to look still a little

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bit like the pocket or the fob watches that you saw at the time.

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The two at the end here are much more recent.

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We've got two very good makes - Longines and Omega.

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And the two of those could date from

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maybe sort of the '70s, into the '80s.

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-Oh, that recent?

-Reasonably recent.

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Oh, I didn't realise they were that recent.

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Yeah, but modern collectibles and still desirable

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because people always like retro styles.

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These are much more collectible, whereas those are more practical.

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So you've got quite a mixture of ages and styles.

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So, you've obviously decided...

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You've dumped them out of a drawer somewhere, haven't you?

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-You decided the time has come.

-That's exactly it.

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And also I'm going to be moving flats in London

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-in the next couple of months.

-Yeah.

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And I really wanted the money to go to buy something nice,

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-to remind me of my uncle, who was my favourite uncle.

-Oh, that's great.

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That's much better, isn't it, than having watches just sitting,

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hidden away. As a group, we're looking at £300 to £400.

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And quite a lot of that value is actually in the two more

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modern wristwatches.

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It's not always age that defines value,

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-it's whether something can be worn and used.

-Used.

-Yeah.

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-So if you are happy with that...

-I am, very much so.

-Excellent.

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Well, I'll look forward to seeing you at the auction.

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And I really hope that they sell well and you will be able to

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then buy something great

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-to remember your uncle by.

-Something really nice, yes.

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In a quiet corner of Wiltshire, just outside of Trowbridge,

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is one of the oldest river swimming clubs in the country -

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the Farleigh & District Club on the River Frome.

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-Rob.

-Hi.

-Hello.

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-Great day for this.

-Absolutely, you got the right day.

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Brilliant.

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Giving me a guided tour is Rob Fryer,

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club chairman and river swimming devotee.

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This is brilliant, absolutely brilliant!

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And there is a lot of people here.

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If you weren't privy to this little swimming club being here,

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you wouldn't know it existed, would you?

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No. For a long time, it was a bit of a secret. But it's got out now.

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And I see you've got some facilities.

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You've got some port-a-loos and some... Well, a little changing hut.

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-Our pavilion, I'll have you know.

-It's nothing like a pavilion.

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I tell you what, I was expecting a bush to change behind,

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so it is better than nothing. How long has that been there?

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It goes back to the 1930s, when the club started.

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-So it is a bit of our original property.

-Yeah.

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I guess that's what it's all about - getting back to basics.

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-That's the kind of show we are, really, we are pretty basic.

-Yeah.

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It was back in 1930 that local landowners, the Greenhill brothers,

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invited some casual swimmers to start a club on their land.

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Soon, changing huts were built and diving boards erected.

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There was camping nearby, too, and even a club flag.

0:16:270:16:31

So the 1930s were a bit of a heyday for this club.

0:16:350:16:38

That is when it was started.

0:16:380:16:40

-What happened during the Second World War?

-The Second World War...

0:16:400:16:43

Cos the first thing is, you weren't allowed to visit the...

0:16:430:16:46

-The coast, no.

-You couldn't go to the coast.

0:16:460:16:48

-So you had to come here if you wanted to swim, or some other place.

-Yeah.

0:16:480:16:53

And, of course, a lot of our guys signed up.

0:16:530:16:57

And 12 of them never came back.

0:16:570:17:00

It's easy to imagine,

0:17:000:17:02

those young men leaping carefree from the boards.

0:17:020:17:05

It's much harder to imagine them as infantry men under fire,

0:17:050:17:08

or killed, serving in the Home Guard, like James Burkett,

0:17:080:17:11

or lost in action, like Ted Hamilton, a Swordfish pilot.

0:17:110:17:15

So, in 1947, the club erected a memorial spring diving board

0:17:190:17:23

dedicated to their fellow members who had lost their lives.

0:17:230:17:27

Sadly, this diving board, along with the three-tier board,

0:17:320:17:36

had to be dismantled back in the 1990s,

0:17:360:17:38

thanks to modern health and safety regulations.

0:17:380:17:42

Fortunately, the story doesn't end

0:17:440:17:46

with these forlorn reminders of times past.

0:17:460:17:49

Alongside these diving boards, the club put up a plaque naming

0:17:490:17:53

the 12 members who were killed in action.

0:17:530:17:56

Now, at some stage, we don't know the date, the plaque disappeared,

0:17:560:18:00

assumed missing forever. That was until recently

0:18:000:18:04

a blackened piece of metal was found in the river.

0:18:040:18:08

And it scrubbed up rather nicely.

0:18:090:18:11

It is now in pride of place on the side of an ancient stone barn,

0:18:110:18:15

just a few yards upstream, at Stowford Manor Farm.

0:18:150:18:18

Rob then organised a re-dedication service,

0:18:210:18:24

as he felt the memory of the men deserved a ceremony.

0:18:240:18:28

It is wonderful that your members have strong ties with

0:18:300:18:33

the club's history, with what happened in the past,

0:18:330:18:35

but also what is happening today.

0:18:350:18:37

And what was it like being at that service?

0:18:370:18:39

I have to say, it was very emotional.

0:18:390:18:41

Because we were wearing our club T-shirts

0:18:410:18:44

and we felt we were representing our 12 dead members.

0:18:440:18:49

And 12 living members had to each read

0:18:490:18:52

one of the names of the deceased.

0:18:520:18:54

And we finished the service up

0:18:540:18:57

and we dedicated it with our club song -

0:18:570:19:00

With Me Farleigh.

0:19:000:19:01

It's clear to see Rob's passion for the club and for wild swimming, but

0:19:030:19:07

to fully understand and embrace it, I think I need to plunge in myself.

0:19:070:19:12

-Not too bad.

-Not too bad, he's says! Not too bad? It's freezing!

0:19:160:19:20

It's refreshing.

0:19:270:19:29

I think we can go in...

0:19:290:19:31

HE LAUGHS

0:19:310:19:32

It is cold!

0:19:320:19:34

HE LAUGHS

0:19:340:19:36

Actually, do you know what?

0:19:390:19:41

If you keep moving, it is really refreshing.

0:19:410:19:45

This is wonderful.

0:19:450:19:46

The water is very dark and it feels very cold,

0:19:560:19:59

even through my wetsuit, but once you get used to it, there is

0:19:590:20:02

a wonderful feeling of connecting somehow with nature.

0:20:020:20:05

It really does feel like you are escaping the real world, doesn't it?

0:20:140:20:18

Well, yeah. What it is, is it's you're...

0:20:180:20:21

You're escaping from materialism, and this is the real world.

0:20:210:20:27

Mm. This is how nature intended it.

0:20:270:20:29

People say, why do I like wild swimming?

0:20:290:20:32

Well, I actually learnt to swim in a river, the River Cherwell,

0:20:320:20:36

and I just wonder why people want to swim in concrete pools.

0:20:360:20:40

It was after the war when new municipal swimming pools sprang

0:20:400:20:45

up across the country that clubs such as this went into decline.

0:20:450:20:49

By the early 1990s, Farleigh & District

0:20:490:20:52

was one of the few river swimming clubs remaining.

0:20:520:20:55

Fortunately,

0:20:550:20:57

there has been a resurgence of interest in swimming

0:20:570:20:59

in the great outdoors of late,

0:20:590:21:00

thanks in part to a clean-up of Britain's waterways

0:21:000:21:03

and a number of recent publications about wild swimming.

0:21:030:21:07

The club now attracts people from far and wide,

0:21:090:21:12

and membership has soared.

0:21:120:21:14

But is the locals who make the most of the river.

0:21:140:21:17

It's just like a piece of heaven here.

0:21:200:21:23

You just feel wonderful. Your skin and your hair feels lovely.

0:21:230:21:27

It's really nice to come, you know, among the fresh air and water

0:21:270:21:31

and wildlife.

0:21:310:21:32

And it is a lovely place to relax and just unwind and lose yourself.

0:21:320:21:36

You know, when you go swimming in a pool,

0:21:390:21:41

it sort of becomes part of your weekly exercise,

0:21:410:21:44

which in turn, becomes part of that sort of day-to-day,

0:21:440:21:48

getting down with a life routine.

0:21:480:21:50

It's stressful.

0:21:500:21:52

Whereas here, swimming in the river, embracing nature,

0:21:520:21:55

sort of framed by foliage

0:21:550:21:57

and water rushes with a canopy of trees carving over like that,

0:21:570:22:02

well, you just get rid of all those urban constraints

0:22:020:22:05

and enjoy life, live it to the maximum.

0:22:050:22:07

And just embrace everything. I feel invigorated.

0:22:070:22:10

I'm freezing cold, but I tell you what, I feel fantastic!

0:22:100:22:13

Please check out a local river swimming club near you.

0:22:130:22:17

As long as it is run properly, it is going to be safe.

0:22:170:22:19

And I tell you what, you're going to have so much fun.

0:22:190:22:22

So, back in the water to keep warm.

0:22:220:22:24

Well, right now, it's time for us to take our first trip to

0:22:410:22:44

Devizes' Auction Rooms, to put those valuations to the test.

0:22:440:22:47

You've heard what our experts have had to say, well,

0:22:470:22:50

it's now time for the bidders to decide exactly what it's worth.

0:22:500:22:53

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

0:22:530:22:56

There's Wendy's wooden netsuke

0:22:580:23:00

that's round 120 years old and bought for only a couple of pounds.

0:23:000:23:04

There's the whip and the riding crop.

0:23:070:23:09

Marin has decided she wants to flog 'em!

0:23:090:23:11

So, let's hope they trot off with a new owner.

0:23:110:23:14

Hopefully, the bidders will appreciate this tall chest

0:23:160:23:19

as much as I do.

0:23:190:23:21

And Jean came all the way from London for her valuation,

0:23:240:23:29

so let's hope she gets a good result.

0:23:290:23:31

We've headed just a few miles northeast to the market town

0:23:390:23:42

of Devizes in the heart of Wiltshire,

0:23:420:23:44

where today's auction is happening.

0:23:440:23:47

It's already filling out with browsers and bidders.

0:23:470:23:50

And wielding the all-important gavel is auctioneer Alan Aldridge.

0:23:500:23:54

40.

0:23:540:23:55

Well, it looks like the bidders are taking to their seats.

0:23:570:24:00

The auction is just about to start. Whatever you do, don't go away.

0:24:000:24:03

This could get very, very exciting. But do remember, if you are

0:24:030:24:06

thinking of selling something or buying on auction, there is

0:24:060:24:09

commission to pay. Here, it is 18%.

0:24:090:24:11

That includes the VAT and all the other little, hidden extra costs.

0:24:110:24:15

But factor that sum into your cost, won't you, because it does add up.

0:24:150:24:19

Right, let's get on with the sale.

0:24:190:24:21

And in this crowded saleroom,

0:24:210:24:23

let's hope our first diminutive lot wasn't hard to spot.

0:24:230:24:27

Going under the hammer right now

0:24:290:24:30

we have a little netsuke belonging to Wendy.

0:24:300:24:33

-It was a car boot find and it's been kept in a...

-Drawer.

-Shame!

0:24:330:24:37

Some of these can be worth, as we know, an awful lot of money.

0:24:370:24:41

It's a lovely 19th-century rat.

0:24:410:24:43

-I think it is just amusing and it will find a home today.

-Yeah.

-Right.

0:24:430:24:46

OK, we're going to find out if this rat can run up a drainpipe

0:24:460:24:49

right now, it's going under the hammer.

0:24:490:24:51

A netsuke in the form of a rat. Give me £35 for him.

0:24:510:24:56

25 to start me.

0:24:560:24:58

Ten to get me away.

0:24:580:25:00

Ten I've got. I've got ten. I've got 15.

0:25:000:25:03

At £15. At 15. Is there 20? At 15, is there 20?

0:25:030:25:06

20. 25.

0:25:060:25:09

30.

0:25:090:25:11

At £25. What about 28?

0:25:110:25:16

-At 28.

-£28.

-Yep.

-29.

0:25:160:25:19

At £28. At 28. At 28...

0:25:190:25:22

£28, and that hammer has gone down. That is a sold sound.

0:25:220:25:26

He used a bit of discretion.

0:25:260:25:27

You know, it was a car boot find and it was a gift, so cost you nothing.

0:25:270:25:31

-It'll buy my grandchildren some ice cream on holiday.

-That's perfect.

0:25:310:25:35

Well, I couldn't think of a better way of spending your money, Wendy!

0:25:350:25:38

I've just been joined by Marin. And I think these are quality.

0:25:410:25:44

Fingers crossed we sell them, 80 to 120.

0:25:440:25:46

I don't think it is a lot of money. Are you happy to sell them now?

0:25:460:25:49

-Oh, yes. Yes. I hope they'll whip up a bit of enthusiasm.

-Oh!

0:25:490:25:53

-We hope so. Anyway, we are in the right area.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:25:530:25:57

And they're lovely, actually.

0:25:570:25:58

-I mean, it isn't a high price, is it, for the two of them?

-Not at all.

0:25:580:26:01

It is absolutely nothing. Let's find out what the bidders think.

0:26:010:26:04

To a nice bid, please.

0:26:040:26:06

Let's have £100 for them.

0:26:060:26:07

50, start me.

0:26:070:26:09

-That's a big drop, wasn't it?

-40, get me away.

0:26:090:26:12

40, I've got.

0:26:140:26:15

40, I've got. 50? At £50. Is there 60?

0:26:150:26:18

At 50. It's not quite enough. I need a little bit more.

0:26:180:26:21

-Come on.

-At £50. Is there 60?

0:26:210:26:23

I'll take five if anyone would like it.

0:26:230:26:26

-Not enough.

-Didn't sell it.

-No.

0:26:260:26:29

We were in the right area, I just don't know why

0:26:290:26:32

-that hasn't gone.

-It should have done.

0:26:320:26:36

Auctions are so unpredictable.

0:26:360:26:38

The next lot is the one I valued.

0:26:380:26:41

-Michael, it's great to see you again.

-Thank you.

0:26:410:26:43

Michael brought in those wonderful carpentry tools in that

0:26:430:26:46

lovely box, which really belong at Longleat, don't they?

0:26:460:26:49

That is definitely true.

0:26:490:26:50

Every time I think of these lovely, old, artisan tools,

0:26:500:26:52

I think of things made with precision and love and discipline.

0:26:520:26:55

Anyway, let's find out what the bidders think,

0:26:550:26:58

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

0:26:580:27:00

A very nice carpenter's pine box,

0:27:000:27:03

containing 13 tri-moulding planes, etc.

0:27:030:27:08

Start me at £150 for it.

0:27:080:27:10

100 to get me away? 50. 40. 30.

0:27:100:27:14

30 I've got. 30, I've got 40.

0:27:140:27:17

45. 50. 55?

0:27:170:27:19

60. 65?

0:27:200:27:22

70. 75?

0:27:220:27:25

80. 85?

0:27:250:27:27

-We're selling, aren't we?

-90.

0:27:270:27:29

92?

0:27:290:27:31

95. 100.

0:27:310:27:34

What about 98?

0:27:350:27:36

Go on, then, at 98.

0:27:380:27:39

At £98...

0:27:390:27:41

Is there 100 anywhere else?

0:27:410:27:44

Sold. £98. Well done, you.

0:27:440:27:47

-And well done, Alan, on the rostrum as well.

-Yeah, very good.

0:27:470:27:50

-Happy with that?

-Yes, I think so.

0:27:500:27:52

Those little tiny moulding planes will be on display

0:27:520:27:55

-on a shelf somewhere.

-I think so.

0:27:550:27:57

Hopefully, in a craftsman's workshop.

0:27:570:27:59

Or a nice olde-worlde pub.

0:27:590:28:01

Yes.

0:28:010:28:03

Great idea, Michael.

0:28:050:28:06

Now, let's hope we can raise some funds with our next item

0:28:060:28:10

so Jean can buy something special to remind her of her favourite uncle.

0:28:100:28:14

We're looking at £300 to £400.

0:28:160:28:18

You could say time's up. It is for Jean because...

0:28:180:28:20

Hey, you're selling the watches.

0:28:200:28:22

But this is Jean's first ever visit, Claire, to an auction room.

0:28:220:28:26

-Exciting.

-About time.

-It's really exciting.

-It is, isn't it?

0:28:260:28:30

-I'm loving it, yeah.

-Great.

-And it's noisy, it's really loud in here.

0:28:300:28:33

There is a cracking atmosphere and things are flying out the door.

0:28:330:28:36

We'll find out what the bidders think.

0:28:360:28:37

Here it is, going under the hammer.

0:28:370:28:39

Very interesting little lot of watches. Five items in total.

0:28:390:28:43

And should be somewhere around about £350, £400.

0:28:430:28:48

350, start me?

0:28:480:28:50

Three to get me away.

0:28:500:28:52

Two? 150.

0:28:520:28:55

150 I've got. 150 I've got.

0:28:550:28:57

175.

0:28:570:28:59

Two.

0:28:590:29:00

225.

0:29:000:29:01

250.

0:29:010:29:02

-275. Three.

-Great.

0:29:020:29:05

325. At 300.

0:29:050:29:08

Is there any more?

0:29:080:29:09

£300...

0:29:090:29:11

-Yes! The hammer's gone down.

-Well done, yeah.

-Claire was spot on.

0:29:110:29:14

-Great valuation.

-She certainly was.

-Happy with that?

-Certainly am.

0:29:140:29:17

-Thank you.

-Good.

0:29:170:29:18

And now you can say, on your first visit to the saleroom,

0:29:180:29:21

you had a great day out on Flog It! and you sold something.

0:29:210:29:24

-Oh, I certainly can. It's been fabulous.

-Thank you.

0:29:240:29:26

And you're going home with a bit of money.

0:29:260:29:28

Aren't you right. That's fabulous, thank you very much.

0:29:280:29:30

25. 30.

0:29:300:29:32

35.

0:29:320:29:33

At £30 on my left.

0:29:330:29:35

Well, that's our first visit to the auction room done and dusted.

0:29:370:29:40

Now, in this series, we're taking a look at famous people

0:29:400:29:44

throughout history who were born in the places where we visit.

0:29:440:29:48

So today, I'm going to be finding out about one of our greatest

0:29:480:29:52

architects, who was born just a few miles down the road.

0:29:520:29:55

I'm, of course, talking about Sir Christopher Wren.

0:29:550:29:58

Behind me is one of the most famous buildings to dominate

0:30:170:30:20

the London skyline - St Paul's Cathedral.

0:30:200:30:22

Its dome has been a symbol of our capital city for centuries,

0:30:220:30:26

it's even survived the Blitz.

0:30:260:30:28

And below it, some of the country's greatest events have taken place.

0:30:280:30:31

But what about the man who designed it?

0:30:310:30:33

Well, believe it or not, Sir Christopher Wren isn't only

0:30:330:30:36

just responsible for this spectacular building,

0:30:360:30:38

his name is all over this city.

0:30:380:30:41

And today, I'm here to explore some of his hidden treasures.

0:30:410:30:45

Wren was born just a few miles from today's valuation day

0:30:470:30:50

location in Wiltshire in 1632.

0:30:500:30:53

But it is here, in London, that his legacy would be most prominent.

0:30:530:30:58

He designed and redesigned some of our greatest buildings,

0:31:000:31:04

including Hampton Court Palace,

0:31:040:31:07

the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

0:31:070:31:10

But he had no formal training as an architect.

0:31:100:31:13

Back then, architecture was basically a rich man's hobby,

0:31:130:31:17

a series of mathematical calculations the educated

0:31:170:31:20

would use to create their visions.

0:31:200:31:22

Now, whilst Wren had designed a few buildings elsewhere,

0:31:220:31:26

it was an event that took place in the city of London that would

0:31:260:31:29

secure his name in history.

0:31:290:31:31

The Great Fire of London in 1666

0:31:330:31:36

destroyed over two thirds of the city.

0:31:360:31:38

That was over 13,000 homes and buildings.

0:31:380:31:42

Officially, the death toll was just six people.

0:31:430:31:46

But without any real knowledge of who lived where,

0:31:460:31:48

it was more likely to be hundreds or even thousands.

0:31:480:31:52

Wren was a favourite architect of King Charles II

0:31:530:31:57

and the obvious choice to lead a rebuilding programme.

0:31:570:32:01

Within two weeks of the disaster, he had surveyed the damage

0:32:010:32:05

and was already drawing up plans to rebuild the city.

0:32:050:32:09

He was soon involved in scores of other new projects across London.

0:32:090:32:13

Including this, the first of my hidden gems - the monument

0:32:150:32:19

to the fire itself, the event that led to the most prolific period

0:32:190:32:23

in his life.

0:32:230:32:24

Now, it stands 202 feet away from where the fire first started

0:32:240:32:29

and it rises 202 feet into the sky,

0:32:290:32:33

exactly the same height as it is the distance.

0:32:330:32:35

Now, that tells us

0:32:350:32:36

that Wren really cares about the finer points of detail.

0:32:360:32:40

And there's also a tube station named after it.

0:32:400:32:43

The fire the monument commemorates was so devastating

0:32:460:32:49

because housing regulations weren't really enforced back then.

0:32:490:32:53

Cramped, wooden, thatched-roofed houses stood side-by-side

0:32:530:32:57

and were engulfed when the fire took hold.

0:32:570:33:00

The fire that started here in Pudding Lane made people

0:33:020:33:04

realise just how dangerous the buildings in London were.

0:33:040:33:08

And Wren became part of the team that reformed

0:33:080:33:11

the standard of buildings -

0:33:110:33:13

out went the thatched roofs, in came slate,

0:33:130:33:16

out went the clapperboard wooden buildings, in came brick and stone

0:33:160:33:21

to make London a much safer place.

0:33:210:33:24

But Wren's work had other surprising consequences.

0:33:240:33:27

The rise in new housing led to a rapid growth in industry -

0:33:270:33:31

furniture makers, potters

0:33:310:33:33

and metal workers were all in high demand, replacing what was lost.

0:33:330:33:38

He realised that it wasn't just homes that needed rebuilding,

0:33:430:33:46

Wren is reputed to have built a pub on this site.

0:33:460:33:51

Legend has it that upstairs he built an office from which

0:33:520:33:55

he could observe the work at nearby St Paul's.

0:33:550:33:59

And downstairs, the workers who were rebuilding the city could

0:33:590:34:02

enjoy a sup of ale when their work was done.

0:34:020:34:05

It is a claim to fame this pub is making the most of,

0:34:050:34:07

and who can blame them?

0:34:070:34:10

Wren was building a community, not just grand facades and ornate,

0:34:100:34:14

decorative buildings.

0:34:140:34:16

He realised that people needed more than that.

0:34:160:34:19

Including places to worship.

0:34:220:34:24

Over 87 churches were destroyed during the fire

0:34:240:34:27

and Wren constructed over 50 new ones.

0:34:270:34:31

And this is one of his creations - St Mary Le Bow

0:34:310:34:34

in the heart of the city.

0:34:340:34:36

And it's where the phrase "Born within the sound of Bow bells"

0:34:360:34:40

actually originates from.

0:34:400:34:41

And I've arranged to meet the rector, George Bush, to find

0:34:410:34:45

out about the tower that Wren built.

0:34:450:34:47

It's an incredible work of architecture and engineering,

0:34:510:34:55

that tower. The west face of the church is quite austere,

0:34:550:34:57

-but when you look up and see the tower, wow!

-Yes.

0:34:570:35:00

It is likely that Sir Christopher Wren,

0:35:000:35:02

who was working here from 1671 to 1680,

0:35:020:35:06

it's likely that he was very involved in the design

0:35:060:35:10

and building of the tower,

0:35:100:35:11

possibly rather less so in the facade of the church.

0:35:110:35:14

You can see that, it is quite noticeable.

0:35:140:35:16

-I mean, that is on a par with St Paul's, that tower.

-Yes.

0:35:160:35:20

It is his second most ambitious project.

0:35:200:35:22

-Yeah.

-And it is the second most expensive project.

0:35:220:35:25

Why is this church so important to the city?

0:35:250:35:27

The medieval church on this site had a tower,

0:35:270:35:30

and in that tower, was a bell,

0:35:300:35:33

Bow bell, and that rang out at nine o'clock every evening

0:35:330:35:38

to indicate to the apprentices

0:35:380:35:40

and everybody else in the city that the working day was over.

0:35:400:35:43

And the sound of that bell was picked up at all the gates,

0:35:430:35:46

and then the city settled down for the night.

0:35:460:35:50

So, if you were born under the sound of that bell,

0:35:500:35:54

-you were a true Londoner.

-If you could hear that bell...

-Yeah.

0:35:540:35:57

..that meant that you were Londoner.

0:35:570:35:59

To be born was an even greater blessing,

0:35:590:36:02

to be born within that sound.

0:36:020:36:03

Resonating throughout our history, that's incredible.

0:36:030:36:07

I didn't know it was from this church.

0:36:070:36:08

You think it is in Bow, in East London, but this is Mary Le Bow.

0:36:080:36:12

Cos this was right at the centre of the city, in the middle

0:36:120:36:15

of Cheapside, which was the main trading street in the city.

0:36:150:36:19

That's where the hub of the city was.

0:36:190:36:20

Absolutely, the centre of the city.

0:36:200:36:23

-And obviously, the bells still ring out today.

-Yes, and a new tower.

0:36:230:36:26

In Wren's tower, we now have 12 bells,

0:36:260:36:29

which are wrung very regularly for services and celebrations.

0:36:290:36:34

So thanks to Sir Christopher Wren's enduring architecture,

0:36:340:36:37

Londoners can still live and work within the sound of Bow bells.

0:36:370:36:42

His legacy stretches far and wide over this great city.

0:36:430:36:47

And if you ever visit London, you'll probably be closer to

0:36:470:36:51

a building designed by our most famous architect than you think.

0:36:510:36:56

Welcome back to Longleat, where the sun is still shining bright

0:37:060:37:10

and people are beating a path to the valuation tables here,

0:37:100:37:13

in the beautiful gardens.

0:37:130:37:15

-Having a good time everyone?

-ALL: Yes!

0:37:190:37:21

Hey, look, fingers crossed, it could be you or you going home

0:37:210:37:24

later on in the programme with lots of money!

0:37:240:37:27

They could have that hidden gem.

0:37:270:37:29

But right now, let's catch up with Claire,

0:37:290:37:31

who has indeed found a hidden jewel.

0:37:310:37:34

Hello, Sue and Debbie. It is lovely to see you. You look glorious!

0:37:340:37:37

Well, you've brought along something so pretty today.

0:37:370:37:40

-It really is glorious.

-Yes, we love it.

-So, shall we have a look at it?

0:37:400:37:43

-Yeah.

-So, if we look in here...

0:37:430:37:45

And there it is, a little piece of treasure.

0:37:450:37:48

That is so, so pretty.

0:37:480:37:49

So, obviously, it is an amethyst and seed pearl set in nine carat with

0:37:490:37:53

a chain, but what can you tell me about it?

0:37:530:37:56

It belonged to my husband's aunt.

0:37:560:37:58

And when we were tidying up the house, we found it. I've loved it.

0:37:580:38:01

-I've worn it a couple of times.

-Oh, right.

0:38:010:38:04

-And only yesterday you found the actual box.

-Yes.

-Oh, really?

0:38:040:38:07

I've kept it out of the box

0:38:070:38:08

and I suddenly found the box to put it in.

0:38:080:38:10

-Just sort of sitting around in a drawer somewhere?

-Yes.

-Exactly.

0:38:100:38:13

-Tidying up.

-Yeah.

-It's lovely.

0:38:130:38:14

And I love the combination of the sort of amethyst with

0:38:140:38:17

-the little seed pearls.

-Yes.

-Very, very Victorian.

0:38:170:38:20

And as I say, it is set in nine carat gold

0:38:200:38:23

and a nine carat chain in there.

0:38:230:38:25

And at the back of it, if we just have a little look at it.

0:38:250:38:28

Then you've got the brooch. It has got a brooch pin.

0:38:280:38:30

Yes, I've worn it as a brooch.

0:38:300:38:32

Yes. It is a brooch or a pendant. So, they're very often...

0:38:320:38:36

You know, this is a good multipurpose jewel, then.

0:38:360:38:38

It is the sort of thing that could be worn.

0:38:380:38:41

But also there are collectors of jewellery that actually

0:38:410:38:43

just like it displayed in boxes.

0:38:430:38:45

-I mean, it is just so beautiful.

-It is.

0:38:450:38:47

-It is dainty with not being too big.

-Yes.

0:38:470:38:49

But on the other hand, it's not so dainty that, you know,

0:38:490:38:52

you feel it's lost when you wear it.

0:38:520:38:54

Right, though, I understand you've got the link, haven't you, at home?

0:38:540:38:57

-Yes, a link which goes just to the chain.

-That's right.

0:38:570:39:00

Cos it needs something that means that it can hang on the chain.

0:39:000:39:03

So it's quite important to get that bit with it before we auction.

0:39:030:39:06

-I found it on the carpet this morning.

-On the carpet?

0:39:060:39:08

Right, OK. Just glad it didn't go up the Hoover, I guess.

0:39:080:39:12

Good, so we'll get the link with it so it can hang on its chain.

0:39:120:39:15

Now, I think it will actually sell very well.

0:39:150:39:17

I think you're going to be looking close to £300 for it.

0:39:170:39:20

-Mm!

-Really, I'd say an estimate of three to 350 on that, very easily.

0:39:200:39:25

-Fantastic.

-And I'd put a reserve,

0:39:250:39:27

just perhaps pitch it under the 300, perhaps at 280.

0:39:270:39:31

I really wouldn't like to see it go for any less than that.

0:39:310:39:33

-No, I think the same actually.

-Yeah.

-Are you happy with that?

-Very happy.

0:39:330:39:37

Excellent. Good.

0:39:370:39:38

I shall very much look forward to seeing you at the auction then.

0:39:380:39:41

Now, while the valuations continue apace,

0:39:440:39:47

why don't we take a few minutes to do some exploring inside?

0:39:470:39:50

Longleat House opened to the public in 1949.

0:39:540:39:57

But before that, you could often look at stately homes

0:39:570:40:00

by appointment.

0:40:000:40:02

During the 18th century, it was common for butlers

0:40:040:40:07

or housekeepers to show visitors around the house.

0:40:070:40:11

Now, on one occasion, the Second Marquis was here,

0:40:110:40:14

in the Green Library, looking at some books, as you do.

0:40:140:40:17

He heard voices close by coming towards the library.

0:40:170:40:20

He didn't want to be sociable, so he hid in a gap,

0:40:200:40:24

a void in the bookcase.

0:40:240:40:25

He squeezed in there and hid in there.

0:40:250:40:27

He didn't want to see anybody.

0:40:270:40:29

Now, in big old houses like this,

0:40:290:40:31

it was quite common for spaces like that because walls got

0:40:310:40:34

moved around and room sizes got altered, creating these voids.

0:40:340:40:38

However, on this occasion,

0:40:380:40:41

the couple that were in here gravitated towards this

0:40:410:40:44

side of the library,

0:40:440:40:45

noticed there was just a little, tiny gap in the bookcase like that.

0:40:450:40:50

He hadn't pushed it too... And they pushed it open, they were curious.

0:40:500:40:54

And they looked inside, and there he was, the Second Marquis.

0:40:540:40:57

That must have been so embarrassing for all parties concerned.

0:40:570:41:01

Well, I expect the Second Marquis was particularly red-faced.

0:41:020:41:06

What a great family legend.

0:41:060:41:08

And now, back outside in the gardens, there are some more

0:41:080:41:11

rosy cheeks, but that is thanks to all this sunshine we are enjoying.

0:41:110:41:15

Barbara, thank you for bringing in this unassuming looking album.

0:41:180:41:23

It doesn't look great at the start of it. But if we open it up...

0:41:230:41:27

-Well, that gives it away, doesn't it?

-Yes.

-The Beatles!

-Oh, yes.

0:41:280:41:31

So, this is your autograph album?

0:41:310:41:33

Well, yes, I collected various autographs over the years.

0:41:330:41:37

As I was an Army wife and we moved around a lot,

0:41:370:41:40

I put them into an album to keep them safe.

0:41:400:41:43

So, are these autographs that you yourself got or were

0:41:430:41:47

they given to you?

0:41:470:41:49

The Beatles and the Cliff Richard one were given to me

0:41:490:41:53

-by my very first boyfriend...

-Oh, lovely.

-..many years ago.

0:41:530:41:57

-He had a member of the family who worked for the BBC.

-Oh.

0:41:570:42:01

So he was enamoured of me

0:42:010:42:04

and so he thought I would quite like the autographs.

0:42:040:42:06

-To prove his love.

-Yes.

0:42:060:42:08

And we've obviously got,

0:42:080:42:12

from the Beatles here, we've got

0:42:120:42:13

Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison.

0:42:130:42:16

And then on a separate one, which usually it's on a separate one.

0:42:160:42:20

-"Love to Barbara, from John Lennon."

-Yes.

0:42:200:42:22

I am not an expert by any means in autographs.

0:42:220:42:25

And the one thing I think we've come to realise over

0:42:250:42:28

the years on Flog It! is that sometimes these

0:42:280:42:32

signatures are acquired genuinely,

0:42:320:42:35

somebody passes a book or a piece of paper into a dressing room,

0:42:350:42:38

but it is not actually that person who signed it.

0:42:380:42:41

Right. Yep.

0:42:410:42:43

-So I think what we have to do is give these to the auctioneer.

-Mm-hm.

0:42:430:42:48

And he will call in a specialist who will be familiar

0:42:480:42:51

with the genuine signatures and how they're done.

0:42:510:42:54

Your story is promising.

0:42:540:42:57

Because, you know, it's a BBC connection.

0:42:570:43:00

You could see someone taking a quiet moment

0:43:000:43:02

and just getting the signatures from them

0:43:020:43:05

rather than in the humdrum of a concert or something like that.

0:43:050:43:08

-So, there's hope.

-Well.

0:43:080:43:11

Of course, we have got a dedication there.

0:43:110:43:13

-They are always better when they are just the name.

-Yes, of course.

0:43:130:43:16

Because then they can be for any person.

0:43:160:43:20

I think the other autographs, and with them Cliff Richard,

0:43:200:43:24

is collectible. But he's been going for a long, long time.

0:43:240:43:28

He has done an awful lot of autographs.

0:43:280:43:30

And we have got The Shadows. And of course Cilla Black.

0:43:300:43:34

These, I think, are a matter of fives, tens, 15s of pounds.

0:43:340:43:39

But they add to the history, because it is your album that you

0:43:390:43:43

collected and it shows the continuity.

0:43:430:43:46

Beatles signatures, any idea of the value?

0:43:460:43:49

Not a clue.

0:43:490:43:50

I think we'd be cautious and say £800 to £1,200,

0:43:500:43:54

-and put a reserve of 800.

-As much as that?

0:43:540:43:57

That might be on the low side on the day.

0:43:570:44:00

-Wow.

-But 800 to 1,200 certainly.

0:44:000:44:02

-This is, of course, if they are all genuine.

-Yes, of course.

0:44:020:44:05

And of course, there is...

0:44:050:44:07

You can sort of have a middle ground that two might be right

0:44:070:44:11

and one might be signed by somebody else.

0:44:110:44:13

There's a whole degree of grey in between.

0:44:130:44:16

But we will leave that to the auctioneer.

0:44:160:44:18

But as four genuine Beatles signatures, 800 to 1,200,

0:44:180:44:22

-no problem at all.

-Wow.

-Fixed reserve of 800.

-Mm-hm.

0:44:220:44:25

But, I mean, this is your...

0:44:250:44:27

your life and your autographs,

0:44:270:44:28

why have you decided to part with it now?

0:44:280:44:30

Well, I've had them for... What, it must be nearly 50-odd years now.

0:44:300:44:36

Um...

0:44:360:44:38

They don't do anything, they are just stuck in a drawer.

0:44:380:44:40

I've got the memories.

0:44:400:44:42

You've got the memories, you don't need the notes of paper any more.

0:44:420:44:45

No. And I think, obviously, gradually,

0:44:450:44:47

they start to deteriorate a little bit.

0:44:470:44:49

No, I think we are all right.

0:44:490:44:50

Pencil is best for autographs as long as you don't rub it.

0:44:500:44:53

-Thank you so much for bringing them in.

-My pleasure.

0:44:530:44:55

-Hopefully, we'll have a favourable result on the day.

-Thank you.

0:44:550:44:59

The big question is, are those Beatles signatures genuine?

0:44:590:45:02

Keep watching to find out.

0:45:020:45:04

Now, from the glamour of the pop world to the charm of a bygone era,

0:45:040:45:08

when people still used calling cards.

0:45:080:45:10

Well, hi, Sandy.

0:45:140:45:15

You've brought along this silver salver or card tray, take your pick.

0:45:150:45:20

Salver, I'm not sure exactly what it is.

0:45:200:45:22

Yeah, well, I'd call it a card tray.

0:45:220:45:23

I expect salvers to be that much bigger.

0:45:230:45:25

-Right.

-So tell me a bit about it, where has it come from?

0:45:250:45:28

Well, I don't actually know very much about it at all.

0:45:280:45:31

My mother used to go to this little antique shop round the corner

0:45:310:45:35

-many, many years ago and buy things.

-Yeah.

0:45:350:45:38

And this is one of the items that she just put away.

0:45:380:45:41

She never showed it or displayed it.

0:45:410:45:43

And I actually have not displayed it, as you can tell.

0:45:430:45:45

I've not cleaned it.

0:45:450:45:46

So you're not overly enamoured with it either, then?

0:45:460:45:49

-I'm afraid not.

-Right.

0:45:490:45:50

Obviously, she'd bought it and then she decided that she'd keep it

0:45:500:45:53

-for the future, but she never did anything with it.

-OK.

0:45:530:45:55

So you've inherited it and kept it in the cupboard ever since.

0:45:550:45:58

-Yeah.

-Well, it is a nice thing. I like it because it is quite plain.

0:45:580:46:02

It is very much made in the Georgian style

0:46:020:46:05

and it's very clearly marked on the back. So if we just turn it

0:46:050:46:09

over, it has got a Birmingham assay mark and it dates from 1939.

0:46:090:46:13

Right.

0:46:130:46:14

And look, you've got a silver mark, the year mark and the maker's mark.

0:46:140:46:18

And it is all nicely...

0:46:180:46:19

-Obviously, it hasn't been over polished over the years.

-No.

0:46:190:46:21

So it is very well marked indeed. It is a very nice, plain item.

0:46:210:46:25

You do base the value a bit on weight. And we have weighed it.

0:46:250:46:28

And it's nine troy ounces.

0:46:280:46:30

I don't know what that means.

0:46:300:46:33

It's not hugely heavy, but it is a good chunky piece.

0:46:330:46:35

So, based on its weight and its style, I'm thinking at auction

0:46:350:46:40

-you're looking at about between £70 and £100.

-All right.

0:46:400:46:43

-I don't know if that sounds about right to you.

-I don't mind.

0:46:430:46:46

-I'll go with whatever you say.

-OK.

0:46:460:46:49

And I think a reserve of £70, a fixed reserve of 70,

0:46:490:46:52

-if you are happy with that.

-I'm quite happy.

-And it should do fine.

0:46:520:46:55

-Wonderful.

-Have you got any idea what you might buy in its place?

0:46:550:46:58

-Just probably put it in the holiday fund.

-Sounds good.

0:46:580:47:03

Well, thanks for bringing it along, it's a lovely thing.

0:47:030:47:05

-As I say, it should sell very, very well.

-Wonderful.

0:47:050:47:08

-I'll see you at the auction, then.

-Wonderful.

0:47:080:47:10

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:47:100:47:12

It really is hotting up here in the formal gardens,

0:47:120:47:15

and Ray and Michael have both sensibly got their sun hats on.

0:47:150:47:19

Ray, thank you for bringing in these two mysterious-looking pots.

0:47:200:47:25

Where did you get them from?

0:47:250:47:27

I was on a study tour in around about 2005 in China,

0:47:270:47:32

in a place called Kuning, up in the mountains.

0:47:320:47:34

And I came across them in a museum,

0:47:340:47:37

which was rationalizing its collection.

0:47:370:47:38

These caught my eye, so I bought them.

0:47:380:47:40

-So you bought them from the museum?!

-Yeah.

-In China.

0:47:400:47:43

It all bodes well, doesn't it?

0:47:430:47:45

If we look at them, they're in the form...

0:47:450:47:48

I think they're trying to be archaic vessels.

0:47:480:47:51

And in this case, we've got these little lion masks, we've got

0:47:510:47:55

all this detail of the piercing of the dragons chasing

0:47:550:47:58

the flaming pearl, trying to achieve immortality.

0:47:580:48:01

The lion is well done.

0:48:010:48:04

And the little toads are well done.

0:48:040:48:07

But it starts to fall down a bit round the collar.

0:48:070:48:10

And you've got this ostensibly old piece of soapstone.

0:48:100:48:15

But when you look at the insides,

0:48:150:48:17

-that looks like it has been done by a Black & Decker.

-Ah.

0:48:170:48:21

The Chinese, it has to be said, are the greatest culture

0:48:210:48:25

in the world for producing, let us say, copies of earlier things.

0:48:250:48:30

And I think what you've got here are two pieces

0:48:300:48:33

that are purporting to be 19th century.

0:48:330:48:37

But when you look in detail, that collar could be stamped

0:48:370:48:41

out of a sheet by a machine with some regularity.

0:48:410:48:46

And when you start to see concretions and discolorations,

0:48:460:48:51

but then you see bright bits of solder,

0:48:510:48:54

then the alarm bells ring.

0:48:540:48:56

It is at this point, because I don't want to crush you, Ray,

0:48:560:48:59

I'm going to ask you what you paid for them.

0:48:590:49:02

Uh... £5 each.

0:49:020:49:04

Thank goodness for that. Thank goodness for that. That's great.

0:49:050:49:09

-Yeah.

-That's fine, it doesn't matter.

0:49:090:49:11

I don't think that these are tremendously old.

0:49:110:49:15

I think they're, at best,

0:49:150:49:18

-1930s or '40s.

-Oh, OK.

0:49:180:49:21

They're still Chinese and they're still decorative,

0:49:210:49:23

so they have a value. If we say £50 to £100 for them,

0:49:230:49:28

and put a reserve at £40, that is still showing you sort

0:49:280:49:31

-of a four-fold return on your investment.

-Indeed.

0:49:310:49:34

And they may go on from there. I mean, we might be surprised.

0:49:340:49:37

But I think if you are offered any more of them,

0:49:370:49:40

-I think just stick at £5.

-Yes.

0:49:400:49:41

And maybe don't go up to six.

0:49:410:49:43

Well, my instinct was right.

0:49:430:49:45

But lovely to see them. Thanks so much for bringing them along.

0:49:450:49:48

-Thank you for telling me the story.

-A pleasure.

0:49:480:49:50

Well, what a marvellous day we have had here at Longleat House,

0:49:570:50:01

our magnificent venue for today.

0:50:010:50:03

Everybody has thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

0:50:030:50:05

But right now, it's time to put our last set of valuations to the test.

0:50:050:50:09

We have some unfinished business to do in the auction room, so here

0:50:090:50:13

is a quick recap of all the items that are going under the hammer.

0:50:130:50:16

We've got that sparkly amethyst and seed pearl necklace,

0:50:160:50:20

which can also be worn as a brooch.

0:50:200:50:23

And here is a tongue twister, it is Sandy's silver salver,

0:50:260:50:30

or card tray, which is much easier to say.

0:50:300:50:33

Ray's not worried these pots haven't a great age -

0:50:380:50:40

bought for just £5 each, I'm not surprised.

0:50:400:50:44

And to end it all, it's the exciting autograph album.

0:50:460:50:50

Michael's estimate is conditional on the autographs being genuine,

0:50:500:50:54

but are they? Well, we'll have to wait and see.

0:50:540:50:57

The auction is still going strong in Devizes with plenty

0:51:020:51:05

of flurries, nods and winks to keep Alan, our auctioneer, very busy.

0:51:050:51:09

And next under his hammer is that really good-looking

0:51:090:51:12

piece of adaptable jewellery.

0:51:120:51:14

I take it Debbie cannot be with us today.

0:51:170:51:19

-No, Debbie is doing a personal training course today.

-Oh.

0:51:190:51:22

-She's very upset about not coming to see this.

-Oh.

0:51:220:51:25

-Does she want to become a personal trainer, then?

-Yes.

0:51:250:51:27

Oh, good luck to her. A lot of money here.

0:51:270:51:29

We are looking at £300 to £400?

0:51:290:51:31

-It's quality.

-Lovely thing, don't you think?

-Oh, I do, yes.

0:51:310:51:34

And as you say, lovely quality. It should, I think, sell easily.

0:51:340:51:37

And you know what we say, quality always sells.

0:51:370:51:40

Let's find out what the bidders think, here we go. This is it.

0:51:400:51:43

Edwardian amethyst and seed pearl

0:51:430:51:45

brooch-pendant with a 20-inch chain,

0:51:450:51:50

up around 400 quid.

0:51:500:51:52

Who has the 400?

0:51:520:51:53

350.

0:51:530:51:56

Three to start me.

0:51:560:51:57

250 to get me away.

0:51:570:51:59

250 I've got. 250, I've got 275.

0:51:590:52:01

-It took a long time to get in, didn't it?

-It did.

-At £300.

0:52:010:52:04

320. 320.

0:52:040:52:06

350. At 320.

0:52:060:52:09

Not going to dwell on it.

0:52:090:52:10

£320...

0:52:100:52:12

-Well done, Alan, good auctioneering.

-Yes.

-320.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:52:120:52:16

-That's good.

-We're happy?

-Yes.

0:52:160:52:18

-You best get on the phone.

-I will do. Thank you very much indeed.

0:52:180:52:22

And I hope Debbie is happy with that result, too.

0:52:230:52:26

Ray, we're just about to sell your incense burners,

0:52:270:52:29

brought all the way back from China, on a trip in 2005.

0:52:290:52:32

-That must have been a wonderful trip.

-Wonderful.

0:52:320:52:34

-First time you've ever been?

-That was, yeah.

0:52:340:52:36

-You've been back since?

-That's right.

-Oh, you love it then.

0:52:360:52:39

-Yeah.

-Architecturally, strong-looking

0:52:390:52:41

-and decorative.

-Exactly. That is exactly what they are.

0:52:410:52:44

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

0:52:440:52:46

Hopefully, we can get them away.

0:52:460:52:47

Oriental incense burners, both decorated with Chinese themes.

0:52:470:52:51

Somebody start me at £40 for them.

0:52:510:52:55

20, get me away.

0:52:550:52:57

Ten, I've got. 20.

0:52:570:52:59

30. 40.

0:52:590:53:01

£40 at the very back.

0:53:010:53:03

45 anywhere else? At £40.

0:53:030:53:06

At £40, is there five?

0:53:060:53:07

At £40. All going...

0:53:070:53:09

-45.

-Just. There were go.

-50?

0:53:090:53:13

At 45 for timing...

0:53:130:53:15

Well, the extra fiver helps. £45.

0:53:150:53:18

-You were right.

-Yeah.

0:53:180:53:20

Well, it pays for my Charity Shield tickets for tomorrow.

0:53:200:53:23

THEY LAUGH

0:53:230:53:24

Well, that's a great return on £10 and a fun way to spend it!

0:53:240:53:29

Going under the hammer right now

0:53:310:53:33

we've got a 20th-century silver salver.

0:53:330:53:35

It is not a lot of money, it belongs to Sandy.

0:53:350:53:37

-In fact, this was your mother's, wasn't it?

-It was.

0:53:370:53:39

It's good quality English silver.

0:53:390:53:41

-Is this valued on the scrap?

-It is a bit, I'm afraid.

0:53:420:53:45

It is a bit with this.

0:53:450:53:47

-We want the top-end of the estimate, whatever happens, don't we?

-Well...

-Indeed.

0:53:470:53:50

-That would be nice.

-Shall we find out what the bidders think?

-Well, yes.

0:53:500:53:53

-Wonderful.

-It is going under the hammer now. This is it. Look, that's your lot.

0:53:530:53:56

Hallmarked silver salver, somewhere around about £75.

0:53:560:54:00

75.

0:54:000:54:02

60 I've got. 60 I've got. 60 I've got. 65. At 60.

0:54:020:54:06

65. 70.

0:54:060:54:08

70. At £70, is there five anywhere else? At £70.

0:54:080:54:12

All going...

0:54:120:54:14

Gosh, that was... I tell you what, hammer action or what?!

0:54:140:54:17

Yeah.

0:54:170:54:20

-So, it's gone. Happy?

-Yes, very happy.

-Good.

0:54:200:54:23

It never has to be polished by you

0:54:230:54:25

and you don't have to put it back in the attic.

0:54:250:54:27

Thank goodness for that.

0:54:270:54:28

Well, it is certainly a nice little sum to go into Sandy's holiday fund.

0:54:280:54:33

Now, I couldn't wait to find out

0:54:330:54:35

if those Beatles autographs were genuine, so on the preview day,

0:54:350:54:39

just before the auction, I caught up with auctioneer Alan.

0:54:390:54:42

-Have you done your research?

-Yes, Paul.

-And?

0:54:420:54:45

What we do, we have a couple of chaps who we use for advice.

0:54:450:54:49

-We sent them to those chaps.

-Yeah.

-They came back as no.

0:54:490:54:54

Now, we use three fellows.

0:54:540:54:57

Two definitely said no,

0:54:570:54:58

one said,

0:54:580:55:01

wouldn't like to say no,

0:55:010:55:02

-but equally, wouldn't like to say yes.

-OK.

0:55:020:55:05

So...

0:55:050:55:07

Lennon, definitely wrong.

0:55:070:55:09

But maybe the others.

0:55:090:55:12

But only a very small maybe.

0:55:120:55:14

So, you've revised the estimate, the new figure is now what?

0:55:140:55:18

-150 to 250.

-OK. Reserve at?

-With a set reserve, 150.

-OK.

0:55:180:55:23

Because there are still some good names in there.

0:55:230:55:25

There are some good other names, but also,

0:55:250:55:27

if somebody makes up their mind that they are the Beatles,

0:55:270:55:29

-they could still make £500, £600, £700.

-Yes.

0:55:290:55:32

But by putting the secretarial, it is up to the buyer to decide.

0:55:320:55:36

So, you are calling them secretarial, meaning someone

0:55:360:55:40

backstage was passed these,

0:55:400:55:41

they signed them, passed them back out the door.

0:55:410:55:44

-Exactly.

-Looks like The Beatles signed them, but they didn't.

0:55:440:55:46

-That is exactly what it is.

-So the onus is on the buyer, yeah.

0:55:460:55:49

Well, good luck. Good luck with that.

0:55:490:55:51

Let's hope that we do get some high notes there.

0:55:510:55:54

Well, although the auction house think Barbara's Beatles

0:55:540:55:58

signatures are probably not genuine, which is a real shame,

0:55:580:56:01

at the end of the day, it's still down to the bidders to decide.

0:56:010:56:05

What went through your mind when Alan rang you up and said,

0:56:080:56:11

"Look, you know, in our opinion,

0:56:110:56:12

"those autographs aren't signed by The Beatles?"

0:56:120:56:16

Well, it was disappointing, I don't mind admitting.

0:56:160:56:20

-But, you know, you have to accept these things in life.

-Sure.

0:56:200:56:23

But we still have a renewed valuation of £150 to £250 because

0:56:230:56:27

of the other artists involved, and there are some good names there.

0:56:270:56:31

I think so, yeah.

0:56:310:56:32

Hopefully, we can get the top end of the revised estimate.

0:56:320:56:36

-I'll keep my fingers crossed.

-Ready for this?

-Yes.

-Let's do business!

0:56:360:56:39

It's going under the hammer now.

0:56:390:56:40

All the others in there are all proper autographs,

0:56:400:56:43

but we think The Beatles ones are secretarial.

0:56:430:56:46

But at the end of the day, you have got to make up your mind.

0:56:460:56:48

I've got a few bids on my book.

0:56:480:56:50

And I will come in at...£300.

0:56:500:56:55

That's more of a yes, isn't it?

0:56:550:56:57

320. At 300. 320.

0:56:570:56:59

320. 340. 360.

0:56:590:57:03

380. 400.

0:57:030:57:05

420. 440. 460.

0:57:050:57:08

480.

0:57:080:57:10

500. 520.

0:57:100:57:12

540. 560.

0:57:120:57:15

This is good. Whatever comes of this, this is very good so far.

0:57:170:57:20

570?

0:57:200:57:22

At 560.

0:57:230:57:25

Against you all, with me at 560...

0:57:250:57:28

-That is a good result.

-Oh, wow!

-That is a very, very good result,

0:57:280:57:31

considering that revised estimate.

0:57:310:57:34

-You know, it blew that out of the water.

-That's tremendous.

0:57:340:57:36

And as Michael said, you know, it is more of a yes or erring

0:57:360:57:40

on the side of caution that one of those autographs might be right.

0:57:400:57:43

-Because one alone is worth £500.

-I know there are roller-coasters

0:57:430:57:46

at Longleat, I didn't expect one today at auction.

0:57:460:57:49

-Well, you must be pleased with that.

-Oh, I'm absolutely thrilled.

0:57:490:57:52

-You know, was prepared to... OK, if I was lucky to get 150.

-Yes.

0:57:520:57:56

Which would have paid for my piano to be tuned.

0:57:560:57:58

Now I can pay for that

0:57:580:57:59

and put some money aside towards my trip to Australia.

0:57:590:58:02

-Fantastic! Well, enjoy it, won't you?

-I will.

0:58:020:58:05

What a brilliant result. You never can tell what's going to happen.

0:58:050:58:10

Well, there you are. What can I say? Job done!

0:58:120:58:14

It's all over for our owners, and they've gone home happy.

0:58:140:58:17

That's the main thing. And one or two big surprises.

0:58:170:58:20

I hope you enjoyed today's show.

0:58:200:58:22

If you've got anything you want to sell,

0:58:220:58:24

we would love to see you.

0:58:240:58:25

Bring it along to one of our valuation days.

0:58:250:58:27

Details of up-and-coming dates

0:58:270:58:29

and venues you can find on our BBC website.

0:58:290:58:31

Or check the details in your local press.

0:58:310:58:34

Dust them, down them, bring them in.

0:58:340:58:35

But until then, from Devizes, in Wiltshire, it's cheerio.

0:58:350:58:39

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