0:00:05 > 0:00:06Today we're in the northeast,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and on this side of the River Tyne is the town of Gateshead.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And as I cross over the river, that's the city of Newcastle,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16the location for our valuation day.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Welcome to 'Flog It!'.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45This imposing warehouse building that you can see over my shoulder
0:00:45 > 0:00:48has a strong connection to our valuation day venue.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50From 1902 onwards,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54it was used to store all the foreign produce brought to the Tyne by ship
0:00:54 > 0:00:57before being taken on to Blandford House,
0:00:57 > 0:00:59the site of our valuation day.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04This monumental Victorian building dating back to 1899 was once
0:01:04 > 0:01:07a distribution centre for the surrounding cooperative shops,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10but now it's a science and local history museum
0:01:10 > 0:01:12and the site of our valuation day.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Well, let's hope this building's history has as the centre
0:01:17 > 0:01:20of trade bodes well for us later on in the auction rooms today.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22But right now, let's take a closer look at what the 'Flog It!'
0:01:22 > 0:01:25crowd have brought along to the Discovery Museum,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27here in the centre of Newcastle.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28And our queue is growing.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We've got people enjoying the sunshine out here,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33keen to get the lowdown on their items,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and already we've had to move lots of people inside.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39There's a real feeling of anticipation in the air.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43This fantastic crowd here today have come from across the Tyne and Wear,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45all laden with antiques and collectables,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47all hoping they're one of the lucky ones
0:01:47 > 0:01:50to go through to the auction later on.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53And I know two people who can't wait to get their hands on the items.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Having travelled across the United Kingdom to be with us,
0:01:59 > 0:02:01we have out 'Flog It!' antique experts Anita Manning...
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Tell me what you like about it.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06It's all the animals and all the detail around the edges.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08..and Adam Partridge.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- What have you got with you? - I've got some coconuts.- Coconuts?
0:02:12 > 0:02:13THEY LAUGH
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- Would you sell them? - Yes, certainly.- Excellent.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Hundreds of people are making their way to the Great Hall,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23once the canteen for the cooperative workers,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26on the top floor of this impressive conversion.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Our experts, both on and off screen, are here to value the
0:02:29 > 0:02:34wonderfully diverse range of objects that are arriving here in Newcastle.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36In today's show, Adam meets two friends
0:02:36 > 0:02:41who can't wait to swap their carvings for a holiday in Benidorm.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44And Anita discovers a childhood love story
0:02:44 > 0:02:47behind an autographed book of famous signatures.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52First up, it's Adam Partridge, who's raring to go.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55And here he is to tell us more about those interesting carvings
0:02:55 > 0:02:58he spotted in the queue earlier.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- Linda?- Yeah.- Sheila?- Yes. - Friends.- Yes.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- Welcome to 'Flog It!'. - Thank you.- Pleased to meet you.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- Friends for years? - We have been, yeah.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- And how did you become friends? - Met through work.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- And how do you enjoy yourselves? - We like to go out as often as we can.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14- Go to car boots. - Car boots, yeah.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- Go on holiday as well?- Yes, yes.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18- Where do you go?- Benidorm.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Benidorm. We went to Barcelona.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- Anyway, down to the items you brought.- Right.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Who owns what?- That's Sheila's.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28- And those are yours?- Yes.- OK.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Let's start with the coconuts.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34- How did you come to own them?- They were originally my grandfather's,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36but I've had them about 38 years.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Did grandfather travel? Was he a seaman?
0:03:39 > 0:03:42No. I don't honestly know anything about them.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Often they're Burmese or from that part of the world,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48and often they have been brought back by a family member who
0:03:48 > 0:03:51is a seaman. Do they live out on display at home?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Well...they have been in a display cabinet,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57but I've moved house a few times, they're very fragile...
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- They are.- So, unfortunately... - That one's quite badly damaged.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Unfortunately they're too prone to damage, so...
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- Is that why you brought them in? - Yes.- Are they hidden in a box?- Yes.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- And where is the box hidden? - On top of the wardrobe.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10- On top of the wardrobe! - You know, they're no good to me.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- It's wardrobes again.- If somebody else would appreciate them.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Yeah, well, I think they will.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Take the lid off that one and you can see inside the coconut shell,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and they're nicely carved, aren't they?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Very well carved, yes.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26And then mounted on this little turned mahogany bases with covers.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I think they're very nice. I think they're about 100 years old.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- I would think so.- Not worth a great deal, though...- No, no.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- It doesn't matter. - ..because of the damage.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39I'd put 30-50 estimate because that's an encouraging price,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41and hopefully they will go on and make a little bit more.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Brilliant. That's fine by me.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44So, your coconuts...
0:04:44 > 0:04:48And, Sheila, you brought this Chinese puzzle ball here,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50ivory one, circa 1900,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52so perfectly fine in terms of the law,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55which is obviously pre-1947.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58How did you come to own this object here?
0:04:58 > 0:05:03Well, it was given to my boyfriend in a box of Chinese ornaments,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and when I was rummaging through it I found this and thought,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09"Oh, this looks interesting." So straightaway I took it out of there
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- and put it straight in the cabinet. - You said, "I'm having that."
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- Yes, I'm having that. - So it's your now.- Unofficially.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17THEY LAUGH
0:05:17 > 0:05:21You do see them quite often. In fact, most sales you'll see one.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Oh, right.- But quality of carving isn't bad at all.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- Right.- It's not top notch but it's definitely not rubbish,
0:05:27 > 0:05:28you know, tourist ware.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I always marvel at how they got the ball inside another ball,
0:05:31 > 0:05:32inside another ball.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- It's very intricate. - That's what I found intriguing.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- I think there's several balls inside there.- Yeah.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40And it's slightly wonky, you see,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and that's where it's been broken off and re-glued.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46But it's a nice thing, isn't it? Are you going to miss it?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Well, I just brought it as a last minute thing.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I didn't think it was worth anything.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- What about your boyfriend? - It's mine.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57OK, your boyfriend got it from a lady he does work for,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- but it's yours.- Yes. - OK, that sounds fair.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- Yes, it sounds fair to me. - I've now took it off him.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- Well, I'd put a reserve of 50 on that.- Right.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08- Is that all right?- That's fine.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- Estimate 50-80. Might make 100. - Right.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- So we're going to go off to auction with these now.- Right.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15We're going to take them off from you
0:06:15 > 0:06:20and we're going to put these in at £30-£50, no reserve.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Trust in the auctioneer. - Definitely.- Yes?- Definitely.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25We're going to put a 50 reserve on that one,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- just in case your boyfriend goes mad...- He'll not know.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and an estimate of £50-£80.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31He's not going to know...
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- till it comes out on telly in four months' time.- Yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37So, between them, we might get 150 quid, you never know.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39That would be fine. That would be all right.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- Thanks for coming.- BOTH: Thank you.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Isn't it incredible how these amazing items have
0:06:44 > 0:06:47found their way from the other side of the world to Newcastle?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The great thing about a 'Flog It!'
0:06:49 > 0:06:52valuation day is you never know what you're going to find.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Somewhere amongst this massive crowd there's a little treasure
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and, hopefully, we can make some history of our very own,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00right here, right now, on 'Flog It!'.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Let's hand things over to Anita Manning. Could this be the item?
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Joan, I love to see a big chunk of gold sitting on the table.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It's what people want to buy today.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Can you give me a wee bit of background about it?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Where you got it? Who it belonged to? Where it came from?
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Well, it was my grandfather's and he wore it to work every day,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25as I can remember as a small child.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30And he died in the early '50s and left it to my mother,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- who is still alive, but she gave me it about 40 years ago.- Right.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Many people, or many girls, wore them as neck chains.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- Did you do that?- Yes, I did. - In the 1970s.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42THEY LAUGH
0:07:42 > 0:07:45Might have been even the '60s actually.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49But I only wore it a couple of times. Far too heavy for an evening.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Well, you know what it is.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It's called an Albert and it's so called
0:07:54 > 0:07:59because it was a piece of jewellery that was worn by Prince Albert,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Queen Victoria's husband.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It was worn as a watch chain
0:08:04 > 0:08:08and your watch would be attached to this chain.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12You would slip your watch in your little waistcoat pocket
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and the curb link of this chain
0:08:15 > 0:08:18would be visible on the waistcoat,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and it looked very smart and very elegant.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This particular chain is a double Albert,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28where we have two little clips here.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32It's missing a T-bar, but I'm not too worried about that.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Now, this chain is 9-carat gold.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36We know that it's 9-carat gold
0:08:36 > 0:08:42- because it's marked .375 on every single link.- Yes.
0:08:42 > 0:08:50That means that there are 375 parts per thousand of pure gold.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54They would add other metals, just to make it more durable.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58So, we've got that very nice 9-carat double Albert
0:08:58 > 0:09:01and we have a sovereign there,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and this would have been worn as a fob of your Albert,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and that would have hung on the outside of the waistcoat as well.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13It's an earlier sovereign. It's very well worn,
0:09:13 > 0:09:18and this will take away its value as a sovereign,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20but it's 22-carat gold
0:09:20 > 0:09:25and people will take that into consideration when they buy that.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29The other thing that you have here is an Elgin pocket watch,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- and was this also your grandfather's?- Yes.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I can see that it's ticking away.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Your second hand here is moving around the dial.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42- This watch is a gold plated watch. - Yes.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44There is no quality in the plate.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Having said that,
0:09:46 > 0:09:51I feel that we would want to put it into auction as one lot...
0:09:51 > 0:09:56and I would like to put it in with an estimate of about £400-£600
0:09:56 > 0:09:59on the Albert, sovereign and watch - put them in as one lot.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03- Would you be happy to sell it within that estimate?- Oh, yes.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06It's a reasonable amount of money. What would you do with it?
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Well, we're going to Prague in August to see my eldest daughter
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and her partner, so put it towards that.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- A bit of shopping in Prague? - Absolutely.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19THEY LAUGH
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Sounds great.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28While everybody's working hard in here
0:10:28 > 0:10:29I'm going to go down to the basement
0:10:29 > 0:10:31to take a look at the intriguing collection
0:10:31 > 0:10:34that you have to make an appointment to see.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38I'm descending into the basement to meet up with Dan Gordon,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40the curator of the Hancock collection,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45one of the oldest and most extensive collections of taxidermy.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It's quite incredible being surrounded
0:10:47 > 0:10:51by such an array of creatures, many of which are now extinct.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Dan, what's the importance of this collection?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Well, this collection, um, we have records for over a million objects.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59We've got bones and shells,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03we've got insects and historical material
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- as well as modern material, so... - And things that are extinct.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Indeed, yes. We're lucky...
0:11:07 > 0:11:09What have you picked out to show me?
0:11:09 > 0:11:11This is probably the most valuable piece in the collection.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Is that because it's extinct?
0:11:13 > 0:11:14It is, yes.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16This is a great auk.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19This one is doubly important
0:11:19 > 0:11:23because it's actually a juvenile bird.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25And do you know what? This is almost unique.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I think there's one other juvenile bird in the entire world,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31so, it's just such a precious record of what this animal was like
0:11:31 > 0:11:33when it was young and when it was growing.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37You know, in the future, because there's so many extinctions
0:11:37 > 0:11:40these days, taxidermy is really going to be a record,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- a library...- Sure.- ..of life that no longer exists.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46So, really, preserving the animals like this was the way
0:11:46 > 0:11:47that they kept a record of it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50The piece next to it looks typically Victorian.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Yes, this is a piece by John Hancock.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55The namesake of the Hancock collection.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57John was a Newcastle man. He was a natural...
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- He was an ornithologist, wasn't he? - He was. Yes, he was an ornithologist
0:12:00 > 0:12:02and I think that that informed his taxidermy.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05He really understood how the birds moved,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08how their bodies were made up and you can really see that.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It's been fascinating talking to Dan about how the animals here
0:12:14 > 0:12:17have been vital in documenting world species.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Let's head back up into the light now for our next valuation.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Sally, these are a fine collection of trophies you've got here.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- They are.- How did you come by them? - They were my grandfather's.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29He was in the Sudan in the 1920s
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and he was working for the Sudan Plantation Company.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Oh, OK. In what capacity? Do you know what he was doing out there?
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I don't actually... I think
0:12:37 > 0:12:40it was all geographical surveys, really, is what they were doing.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42And he was a polo player, and so...
0:12:42 > 0:12:44These are polo trophies.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46I see. And what was his name?
0:12:46 > 0:12:48- Billy Archdale.- Billy Archdale.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- And did you know him? - No, I never met him.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52He went from the Sudan to South Africa
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- and died in South Africa in the late '50s.- Oh, right.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Well, at first sight,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00it just looks a few bits of silver on a table, doesn't it?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03But I think they tell a story. Everything we see tells a story
0:13:03 > 0:13:07and these, I think, tell a story of Sudan in the 1920s.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10You can imagine these British gents out there working in geography
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and geology, but still maintaining their British customs
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and playing polo, all in their whites I'm sure,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- having a spiffing time. - Pith helmets.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Pith helmets, exactly.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22They still had their little piece of England wherever
0:13:22 > 0:13:23they were around the world.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26These are British silver with Birmingham hallmarks on them all.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- Oh, right.- So they've been made in England
0:13:28 > 0:13:32and then obviously shipped out for that specific event.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34So we've got a range of trophies here.
0:13:34 > 0:13:40This one was 1919, 1922, 1923/4 and 1930.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44These must have been quite popular cos they did them two years running,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46unless they had a special deal from the silversmiths at the time.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- Yes.- So where do they live at home?
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Why have you suddenly decided to bring them in to sell?
0:13:51 > 0:13:53They live in a box under the stairs.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Right. So they're not out on display.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57They're not out on display, no.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Well, I think they have some interest
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and I think the group lot would make probably £200-plus.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05- Right.- But in order to get that,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I'd suggest an estimate spanning that, so 150-250 as a guide price.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11I would put the reserve at 150. They'll make more.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14What would you do with the money? Anything in particular?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16I can't think of anything off the top of my head?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- Any children?- Yes, I have a daughter.- Don't give her anything.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Well, she needs a flute stand so she might get a flute stand.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24That's about a tenner, isn't it?
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Eddie, welcome to "Flog It!", and you've brought along for us
0:14:33 > 0:14:38today a nice little mixed-media work by Emmanuel Levy.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Tell me, where did you get it?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44- I picked it up as payment for a job I did.- What kind of job was it?
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It was just a clearance job. I helped someone move house.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Do you do that as a living? What do you do for a living?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Fundamentally I collect scrap really, but that means
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I do a lot of clearance jobs, I help people when they move house.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56This came out as a part payment,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58as part of a job that I helped someone out with.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- Did you choose it yourself? - Yeah, I did, yeah.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03ANITA LAUGHS I'm quite persuasive!
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Do you like art? Do you like pictures?
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Yeah, I collect art. I do enjoy it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- What drew you to this picture? - Just about everything.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I like the composition. I like all the people.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- I like the thought that it has a bit of history behind it.- Yeah.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Emmanuel Levy was a Manchester artist.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21He lived 1900 to, I think, '96.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23So he lived for a long, long time.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25He studied at Manchester College Of Art,
0:15:25 > 0:15:27where he subsequently taught,
0:15:27 > 0:15:33and he was also an art critic for the Manchester Evening News.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36So he was an artist of some stature.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Now, Eddie, this little work, and it's a crayon work, mixed media,
0:15:40 > 0:15:45it's maybe been added to afterwards. It was done in Paris in 1930.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Now, that was a magnet for artists from all over the world,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and he quite possibly went over there just to be part of the scene.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55I like the style.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58And it might possibly have been a sketch that he did
0:15:58 > 0:16:00when he was on the Metro.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Tell me why you like it.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Well, I know that he was very famous for portraits
0:16:04 > 0:16:06at the time, and I think this looks to me like it's almost like
0:16:06 > 0:16:11a study, isn't it, and no doubt a good one because he's framed it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14But, yeah, it looks to me like some sort of study of the people.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- I find it really interesting.- He's very good with the figures here.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Yeah.- And I think that it is charming because of that.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26But I would be tempted to keep my estimate fairly modest.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29If we put it at £100-£150,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32would you be happy to sell it within that estimate?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I would be happy to put it to auction with that estimate, I think.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39- Would you like a reserve price on it?- Yeah, cos I do like it, so...
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Did you pluck it off the wall to bring along here?- Yeah, yeah!
0:16:42 > 0:16:45There's a space!
0:16:45 > 0:16:46So I would like a reserve of sorts.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Shall we put £100 with a little bit of discretion?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- Yeah, that sounds fantastic.- OK.
0:16:51 > 0:16:58So, £100-£150, reserve £100, with a little bit of discretion.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- And let's hope that it flies away. - Fingers crossed.- Fingers crossed.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04What would you do with the money? Will you buy more art?
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- It's my brother's wedding this year. - Oh, right.- He's getting married.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11So I've got to put something aside for... Possibly a painting for him.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I hope he doesn't like this, though!
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- We'll see.- Oh, well, it's going to auction anyway.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Before we head off to auction, I'm going to explore a local landmark.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34The Angel Of The North, created by artist and sculptor
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Antony Gormley, is a striking piece of public art.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It is absolutely awesome.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But its existence has been met with some considerable controversy.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50The issue for us is what it's always been, is what do the people want,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52and all the evidence that we have
0:17:52 > 0:17:54is that people don't want this statue.
0:17:54 > 0:17:5915 years ago, when the 20m long, 208 tonne Angel
0:17:59 > 0:18:03made its journey from a steel manufacturer in Hartlepool
0:18:03 > 0:18:07to its home in Gateshead, the area was ravaged by unemployment.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11An end to the shipbuilding industry and the huge decline in mining
0:18:11 > 0:18:14had left a chasm of despair in the community.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20So, for many people at the time, art was very much at the bottom
0:18:20 > 0:18:21of their agenda,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and it's during this poor economic climate that Antony Gormley's
0:18:24 > 0:18:27bold sculpture, based on his own body form,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30costing nearly £1 million, arose.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I still think you could spend the money somewhere better than
0:18:35 > 0:18:37what that is, like.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40I know they won't, and they haven't. But I still think you could.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Oh, it was going to be 300 to start with.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49And that wasn't a bargain either.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I think they could spend that money on better stuff than that, like.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Mick Henry, head of Gateshead Council,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57was around in the early days of the Angel.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00What sort of attitudes existed within the council about
0:19:00 > 0:19:03- the Angel Of The North back in the '90s?- There was a sense of risk.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06The Angel was being seen as something very, very controversial,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09so, "Can we do this? Should we do this?"
0:19:09 > 0:19:11And I remember the then leader of the council
0:19:11 > 0:19:14actually called himself a Philistine, an arts Philistine.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16But he was from a mining heritage.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19But he knew that we needed to do something for the future
0:19:19 > 0:19:20for Gateshead.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24So everybody in the council was on board with this, eventually.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27But many people were not won over, and one local councillor,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Jonathan Wallace, who opposed the Angel at the time,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35felt that the money should have been spent on community art projects.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37We are particularly saying nowadays, when money is even tighter,
0:19:37 > 0:19:43would you spend such a huge sum of money on one single piece of art?
0:19:43 > 0:19:49Or would you want to get more art out into the community so that
0:19:49 > 0:19:53individual groups and community groups are actually more involved?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- We- were- doing community project, and if you look
0:19:55 > 0:19:58at the history of Gateshead, it wasn't one thing or the other.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00We were very, very active in community projects
0:20:00 > 0:20:01as well as community art.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04People always think money should be spent on something else,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06and you have to explain that it comes from different purses,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09that we would not have had the money to do other things
0:20:09 > 0:20:10if we hadn't done the Angel.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12It came from private funding, some Arts Council funding,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15and we just wouldn't have got it for other things.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19For its creator, Antony Gormley, the Angel is about many things.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But poignantly, beneath this spot where we stand right now,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24coal miners worked for two centuries.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26And the area's renowned for its shipbuilding.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30So this sculpture marks the region's industrial heritage, making the
0:20:30 > 0:20:35transition between the industrial age and the age of information.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It certainly has an incredibly strong presence.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Some have described it as magical, and even spiritual.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Anthony Gormley said he created an angel
0:20:43 > 0:20:48because no-one has ever seen one, and we need to keep imagining them.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51He felt this spot called out for a feature which would link Earth
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and sky. In some way the pose
0:20:53 > 0:20:57is quite like the Crucifixion, symbolic, perhaps,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02of a modern-day saviour for a disenfranchised generation.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05In an area that has suffered mass unemployment,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and all that goes with that, the Angel does seem to have
0:21:08 > 0:21:13raised morale, and given many people a sense of pride in Gateshead.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15And after all the early outrage,
0:21:15 > 0:21:20one symbolic act by Newcastle United fans marked the turning point,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23the moment when the people of Gateshead and Tyneside
0:21:23 > 0:21:27accepted Antony Gormley's sculpture as their own.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Making it the people's art, as it was always intended.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32NEWSREADER: It was six in the morning.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Wives and children joined in the carnival atmosphere,
0:21:36 > 0:21:37but it lasted just 20 minutes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38The police had been called,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42and as the long arm of the law closed in, the shirt was removed.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44But even the officers got a kick out of it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46It's a tribute to Alan Shearer,
0:21:46 > 0:21:51but it's also really done some good for the Angel.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53I think a lot more people now will like the Angel,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56now it's had a Newcastle shirt on.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02For me, I think it just represents home.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05You know, when you've been away on holiday or away
0:22:05 > 0:22:07somewhere down south, and then you're coming back,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10it's one of the first things you see on the motorway.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13I actually first saw it from the train a couple of years ago
0:22:13 > 0:22:14on the way past.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17And knowing we were coming up here, I said to my husband,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20"Let's actually going see it up close and personal."
0:22:20 > 0:22:22I love it. I just love it. I think it's beautiful.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24I suppose there's just something about it,
0:22:24 > 0:22:29the fact that it's this big, rusty, metal, beautiful object.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33For me, I sort of like associate it with the mining heritage,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and stuff like that, of the north-east.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39They've regenerated Gateshead in all kinds of ways,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and that was about, do we keep on looking... You know, celebrate it,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45but do we keep harking on to ship building and mining,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48which is part of my heritage? Or do we actually try to create a new one?
0:22:48 > 0:22:51And that's what we've been trying to do. The Angel symbolises that.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Even Jonathan Wallace,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57who stood by his opposition in the early days, seems to have had
0:22:57 > 0:23:01a change of heart, and now can't imagine Gateshead without it.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08It would be like Paris selling off the Eiffel Tower,
0:23:08 > 0:23:14and getting rid of it, or New York getting rid of the Statue Of Liberty.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19It's a symbol for that city, and this is now a symbol for our area.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22And despite all the controversy, despite the fact that
0:23:22 > 0:23:26I was involved in fighting it, if you were to take it away now,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I would probably be there at the front,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31in front of the bulldozer, saying, "Over my dead body."
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Already we are halfway through the day and it's time to remind
0:23:44 > 0:23:47ourselves of what we're about to take off to auction.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Will Sheila and Linda's 19th century carvings
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- one ivory and the other two coconut -
0:23:57 > 0:24:01appeal to someone with an eye for the ornate?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Time's ticking on for Joan's Elgin watch.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But given it's 9-carat gold plating,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08it's sure to find its way into someone's pocket.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Emmanuel Levy's pastel sketch of the Paris Metro is sure to
0:24:15 > 0:24:18draw in collectors of the Northern or Manchester school.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22And will Sally's grandfather's very personal polo trophies
0:24:22 > 0:24:25dating back to the first half of the 20th century
0:24:25 > 0:24:28find a new home in the 21st century?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Today, our auction's in East Bolden,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39once known for its thriving coal industry.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42In a region that once unearthed so many riches,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I'm feeling optimistic about today's auction.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Well, it's all calm and peaceful on the outside,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57but inside the Bolden Auction Galleries there's an electrifying
0:24:57 > 0:25:00atmosphere and the sale hasn't even started yet
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and the room is already full of bidders.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05This lot are here to buy, fingers crossed, our lots.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Time to catch up with our first sellers.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I hope we get the top end of the estimate.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13I'm talking about the pastel which is going under the hammer now
0:25:13 > 0:25:15of the Metro, the underground in Paris,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17by Emmanuel Levy, a Manchester artist.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Fingers crossed there's a few phone lines booked from Manchester.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Because the Northern School love their stuff. They really do.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- In fact, I like this. And I reckon you like this.- I really like it!
0:25:26 > 0:25:28So please, please, please, give me
0:25:28 > 0:25:32a really good explanation of why you want to sell this and not keep it.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I don't know. I've got loads of pieces of art in my house,
0:25:35 > 0:25:36and it was one of a selection, to be honest.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- It could have a bit of potential this, couldn't it?- Fingers crossed.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Yeah, it's a lovely little picture, and the subject is charming.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47You're looking at around £120, aren't you? £130 or £140?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- We want as much as possible. - Of course you do!
0:25:49 > 0:25:50We all want as much as possible.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Let's find out what the bidders think of it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- Thank you.- That's what you've come for, isn't it?- Top job.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57The Emmanuel Levy, the pastel, the French underground.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01And I'm bid £50 to start it. At 50, at 55.
0:26:01 > 0:26:0760, five, 70, five, 80, five, 90, five,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10100, 10, 110 bid.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12At £110. Anybody else?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15No? At 120, we're back downstairs.
0:26:15 > 0:26:22At £120, the internet's quiet. At £120. All told, at 120.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- The hammer's has gone down, 120. - Bang on.- You're happy with that?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Yeah, I'm happy with that. It looks like someone nice has got it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32You've got plenty more you can enjoy,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and hopefully you'll get a lot more.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36I gather with your job you do house clearances,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38- and these things come along? - Yeah, every now and again
0:26:38 > 0:26:40something comes up.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Keeping the auction rooms busy, that's what he's doing, isn't he?!
0:26:45 > 0:26:48220, 230...
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Well, our next lot has lived under the stairs,
0:26:52 > 0:26:53but not for much longer.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55It's a collection of silver polo trophy cups
0:26:55 > 0:26:57dating from the early 1900s.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Sally, it's great to see you again. A unique item.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02We've not seen anything like this on the show before,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05connected with polo, so hopefully there's a great market out there
0:27:05 > 0:27:07cos it's a rich man's sport.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Sally, these are your...?
0:27:08 > 0:27:12- Grandad's.- And you've passed me this picture before.- I did.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14- There he is. - Gosh, look at that. What a fine man.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Lovely to see, isn't it? This is the man that owned those trophies.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- Where did he play?- In the Sudan. - Where he won the trophies?
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- Yes.- Oh, how nice.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25There's a bit of sentimental attachment there.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Are you sad to let go of these?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28A little bit, but they sit in the cupboard, so...
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- Under the stairs.- Under the stairs. - What's the point of that?- Exactly.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Give them to a collector, and hopefully there's some here today,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and they're going under the hammer...right now.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39The little bowl and the pedestal cup as well,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42the 60th Rifles polo cup,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I'm bid 220.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47At 220.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50230. 230. 240.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52250. 260.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54At 260 it's with me.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55You're all out. Anybody on the net?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57£260, ladies and gentlemen.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- That's not bad - top end. - At 260.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03And they're gone. Hammer's gone down.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06- £260.- That's not bad.- Yeah, that's not a bad result, is it?- Yeah.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09It's better than being in a cupboard under the stairs doing nothing.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Absolutely.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Well, that was a great way to kick off the auction.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17Let's hope things stay buoyant for our next seller.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Going under the hammer right now, we have Joan's booty of gold.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22And I must say, if you were wearing all of this,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25you'd be dragging it along the road. There's such a lot of gold here.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Double Albert chain, there's a lot of weight there,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30the gold watch, the pendant, the coin.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Whose was this? Not yours, obviously, was it?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34No, it was my grandfather's.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38He must have been a big guy to wear all of that!
0:28:38 > 0:28:41- A man of substance.- Yes, exactly. - He wore it every day.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44- Did he?- For work.- Why are you selling these?- For the money.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45THEY LAUGH
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Hey, do you know? That's a fair answer, isn't it?
0:28:47 > 0:28:49That's a really good answer.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50I've had it a long time.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53I think it will not go to melt because it's too good,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56but obviously we're looking at melt value as a bottom line.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57We've got 4-6.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01You've got to take the weight consideration in.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05It won't just get your weight value. It will be sold as an item,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08and hopefully we will reach our reserve price.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- Yeah.- Fingers crossed.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Yeah, as we always say.
0:29:12 > 0:29:169-carat watch chain and the Elgin pocket watch, the plated one.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18We've got 56.2g.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21I'm bid 300 to start with.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23320. 340.
0:29:23 > 0:29:24360.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27380. 400. 420.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28440.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31At 440. 460.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33At £440.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35460, yes or no, anybody?
0:29:35 > 0:29:39All told at £440.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44- Well, it's gone. £440. - It was good.- That's OK.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- It's within estimate - we're happy. - Yes.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- You're happy as well.- Thank you very much. Thank you, Anita.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Oh, I'm so pleased it did well.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Spot on there, Anita, with that valuation.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57And Joan's got what she wanted - some cash.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00At 220. 230 now.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Coming up, a collection entrenched with history.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07I've just been joined by Sheila and Linda and our expert Adam,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09and we've got a bit of carving going under the hammer.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12- A bit of Chinese carving by you, Sheila.- That's right, yes.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14- Linda, you've got the carved coconuts.- Yes.
0:30:14 > 0:30:15- You are really good friends.- Yes.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- That's why we did the valuation together.- That's right.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20You're holding each other's hand through this
0:30:20 > 0:30:21because this could be a rollercoaster ride.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Do you know what? I think we're going to sell both of these items.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28I think we're going to be all right. I think we're going to be all right.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Benidorm fund.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32- You're up first, aren't you? - Yes, I am.- This is it.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35We've got the little carved concentric ball entwined with
0:30:35 > 0:30:37the dragons on the little pedestal base
0:30:37 > 0:30:39and I bid 20 to start it.
0:30:39 > 0:30:4325. 30...5.
0:30:43 > 0:30:4440..5.
0:30:44 > 0:30:4650...5.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49At 55. 60...5.
0:30:49 > 0:30:5070...5.
0:30:50 > 0:30:5280...5.
0:30:52 > 0:30:5490...5.
0:30:54 > 0:30:55100.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56£100.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Anybody else left?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Just over the top end.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- At £100. 110. - Yes, 110, 110.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07He nods and shakes his head at the back of the room.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09110.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12£110.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13Fabulous. You're happy.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Right, let's see what we can do for you. Here we go.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Here's the next lot.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21The carved 19th century coconuts and stands, with the bases as well.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24We're off again. I have two commissioned bids.
0:31:24 > 0:31:25I've got it started at 130.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27SHE GASPS
0:31:27 > 0:31:29- Good.- 140.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30At 140. 150.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33160. 170.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35- 180. - SHE GASPS
0:31:35 > 0:31:37190. We're in the room, on the left, at 190.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40But it's a pair, Linda. There's a premium on the pair.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43£190. Are we all done, ladies and gentlemen?
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- £190. - At 190.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48Well, I think you came out on top, Linda.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52190. Hey, two happy bunnies here...
0:31:52 > 0:31:55and good friends, so you're obviously going to celebrate
0:31:55 > 0:31:57- together, aren't you?- BOTH: Yes. That's marvellous.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00I really like those coconuts. I'm pleased they made over £100.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02It's a great price.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Thank you. We've really enjoyed everything.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07- Thanks for coming. - Good, fun items.- Yes.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11With the holiday coffer brimming and everything else sold,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13we've had a good first visit to the auction house.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19Our first lots done and dusted under the hammer, and some happy owners.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Now before we return to the Discovery Museum
0:32:21 > 0:32:23to find some more antiques,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26I'm going to take you down the river, where the men and women
0:32:26 > 0:32:30of Tyneside have been crossing this stretch of water for many centuries.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37Like Paris and London, this cityscape is divided by a river,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39and for as long as people have lived beside the Tyne they've
0:32:39 > 0:32:42needed to cross it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46I'm on the Shields ferry, which runs every half an hour and carries
0:32:46 > 0:32:50around 400,000 passengers each year, from South Shields,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54the side I started, over there, across the river to North Shields.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57There are records of passenger boat crossings
0:32:57 > 0:33:01on this very stretch of river dating back to 1377,
0:33:01 > 0:33:06and of horses being transported across here during the 15th century.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Over 500 years later, the people of Tyneside are still making
0:33:10 > 0:33:12the trip across this stretch of water.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17During the 20th century, these ferries would have been packed
0:33:17 > 0:33:20with workers who had to get backwards and forwards.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Nowadays, the ferry is mainly used for tourism and leisure.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25As you can see, it is pretty much empty.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28But back in the day, it would have been jam-packed.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30The ferry could never handle
0:33:30 > 0:33:32the growing demands of industrialisation,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35so during the 19th and 20th centuries,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38numerous bridges began to dot the Tyne,
0:33:38 > 0:33:43becoming the fastest and most popular way of crossing the river.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47It would be impossible to go into detail about all of Tyneside's
0:33:47 > 0:33:51fascinating and innovative crossing points on today's show
0:33:51 > 0:33:54so I'm going to pick a couple of notable bridges,
0:33:54 > 0:33:55one from the last century
0:33:55 > 0:33:58and one from the beginning of the 21st century.
0:34:00 > 0:34:01Between the two world wars,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04the British economy was in dire straits
0:34:04 > 0:34:08and the building of the Tyne Bridge was to be a big morale booster,
0:34:08 > 0:34:12providing hundreds of jobs at a time of mass unemployment.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14The aim was to reduced congestion.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16It took three years to build
0:34:16 > 0:34:19and the men risked their lives in its construction.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22It's incredible that not more than one man lost his life.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28This iconic structure, the Tyne Bridge, is a defining
0:34:28 > 0:34:31mark on the landscape here and the locals absolutely love it.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35When it was opened by King George V back in 1928,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37his speech was all about new beginnings
0:34:37 > 0:34:39and more prosperous times.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44The Queen and I thank you for your loyal and dutiful address.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48It is a great pleasure to us
0:34:48 > 0:34:53to visit Gateshead on the occasion of opening the new bridge.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57It is a worthy testimony which enables the Tyneside town
0:34:57 > 0:35:00to take their full and honourable share
0:35:00 > 0:35:04in the industrial development of Great Britain.
0:35:04 > 0:35:10I pray that with God's blessing, more prosperous times may soon return.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13The bridge was overrun with people when it opened.
0:35:13 > 0:35:1620,000 children were given the day off school
0:35:16 > 0:35:20and everyone was out in force to celebrate their new bridge.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24The building of the Tyne Bridge regenerated the area
0:35:24 > 0:35:25and helped industry.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32The year 2000 saw another iconic bridge grace the skyline.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34The Gateshead Millennium Bridge,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36often called the winking or blinking eye,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39due to its shape and tilting method.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42It was lifted into place in one piece by one of the world's
0:35:42 > 0:35:44largest floating cranes.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47The new bridge once again revived a part of the Tyne that had
0:35:47 > 0:35:52become run down, giving it a fresh and new 20th-century feel.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01I'm on my way to visit the team who operate the Millennium Bridge
0:36:01 > 0:36:03and I've been told the whole thing tilts upwards
0:36:03 > 0:36:05around noon every day, and who knows?
0:36:05 > 0:36:08They might let me push a few buttons.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18- Hi, guys. Hello. Am I just in time?- You are just in time.- Right.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22- What time do you normally tilt the bridge?- 12 o'clock.- 12 o'clock.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24That's for the visitors.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28OK. So how long does it actually take from the closed position
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- to get it open? - It takes approximately four and a half minutes.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- That's not long at all, is it? - It isn't, no, for the size of it.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36So how does it actually work?
0:36:36 > 0:36:38It works on hydraulic rams.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41There are three hydraulic rams this side and three on the other side
0:36:41 > 0:36:46- and basically, the hydraulic pushes it on the axle and it tilts.- Right.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49I expect all the locals have got used to this operation now,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52but when it first opened, I bet there were thousands of people...
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Yes, they were all over the place, to be honest, but now, people know,
0:36:55 > 0:37:0012 o'clock comes and they know when to cross and when not to cross.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02- We get people from all over the world coming still.- Do you?
0:37:02 > 0:37:06- Just to view this?- Again, it is the only tilting bridge in the world.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- That's cutting-edge architecture, isn't it?- It is. Without a doubt.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13- Fantastic.- Do you know, it actually marries in with the old bridges quite well.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16You've got a bit of the ancient and a bit of the modern.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18You've got the new with the old. It fits in perfectly.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- Are you proud of this?- Very. Very. Absolutely brilliant.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Well, I make it about time to open the bridge now,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26so what exactly do you do?
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- Is it push a button? - Yes. We push a button.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31- Can I push it?- You can push it. - Where is it?- Over there.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35This is possibly the most important button I've ever pushed in my life.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36Here we go.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42And here it goes.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Just look how smoothly and gracefully the bridge tilts.
0:37:46 > 0:37:53It's not surprising that it won the prestigious Stirling architectural award in 2002.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55The bridge is lifted regularly
0:37:55 > 0:37:57so passers-by can enjoy the spectacle,
0:37:57 > 0:38:04but it still performs the important function of enabling boats to pass up and down the river.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07The Millennium Bridge crucially connects Gateshead
0:38:07 > 0:38:11on one side to Newcastle in an area where there is now
0:38:11 > 0:38:13an internationally acclaimed cultural centre.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Architect Richard Rogers' Sage building
0:38:16 > 0:38:18is a state-of-the-art concert hall.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21The Baltic art centre exhibits contemporary art
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and the cutting-edge design of the Millennium Bridge provides
0:38:24 > 0:38:27a modern link to this bold new area.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Well, it's clearly a hit with all the local people on Tyneside
0:38:33 > 0:38:35and with people from further afield.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Who could fail to be impressed with this marvellous structure?
0:38:38 > 0:38:42Adding a new dimension to an already iconic skyline.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Welcome back to the valuation day,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53here at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle,
0:38:53 > 0:38:58originally built in 1899 for the Co-operative Wholesale Society.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Just looking at this space, it really is a wonderful example
0:39:03 > 0:39:07of Victorian architecture at its very best,
0:39:07 > 0:39:11with these wonderful floating steel arches spanning this room.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Beautifully decorated with ornamentation.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17This is exactly what you'd find in a railway station of the same period.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20British craftsmanship and Great British engineering.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Next up in this fine room,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Anita spotted an impressive autograph collection
0:39:26 > 0:39:29from all around the world and very close to home.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Heather, Robert.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36Welcome to 'Flog It!' and it's really lovely to have you along.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40You've brought in an autograph book. Now, whose book is it?
0:39:40 > 0:39:42It's my book but both of our autographs.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- There is a few autographs from me.- Right.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- So both of you were autograph collectors?- Yes. Yes.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- Is that what brought you together? - In a way.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54OK.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57It's always fascinating to see the characters
0:39:57 > 0:40:00that are in people's autograph books.
0:40:00 > 0:40:06The most interesting autographs for collectors are the ones that
0:40:06 > 0:40:13have been got by the folk themselves, maybe at the stage door or on an encounter,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17not the ones that were sent out by the agency, because often these
0:40:17 > 0:40:21were signed by the secretary or the cleaner or something like that.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25- But what you've got here are ones that you've collected.- Yes.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Now, I see that we have Stan Laurel
0:40:28 > 0:40:33- and it's at the Grand Hotel, Tynemouth and that's in 1952.- Yes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36And we have another piece of paper here with Stan Laurel
0:40:36 > 0:40:38and Oliver Hardy. What's happening there?
0:40:38 > 0:40:43Well, we were both there separately but we were only 12 years old.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44And we didn't know each other then.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48And Robert had got these two and I got the one
0:40:48 > 0:40:50because he's cleverer than me.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56I love the idea of you two being autograph hunters as kids
0:40:56 > 0:41:00and then coming together and getting married and so on and so forth.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01I think that's lovely.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05So, we have a wee collection here and we have Frank Bruno.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09- Who collected that one?- I think, to be honest, it was my son.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Right, OK. And we've got Richard Nixon here.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Tell me the occasion this was got.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Well, I was on holiday in Switzerland
0:41:17 > 0:41:21and I was at the top of Mount Pilatus and I was in a restaurant there
0:41:21 > 0:41:24and in he came so I went to get the autograph and I might tell you,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- he wasn't very pleased. - What did you say to him?
0:41:27 > 0:41:31I just said, "May I have your autograph, Mr Nixon?"
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- And he just sort of looked at me and glowered.- Really?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36He wasn't very happy but he signed it.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- Were you both movie guys, you know, when you were kids?- Oh, yes.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44- Yes, yes.- And of course, Laurel and Hardy.- I just loved them, yes.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47But of course, was it Laurel who came from Tyneside?
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- Stan Laurel, yes.- Stan Laurel came from Tyneside?- He did, he did.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56- There is actually a statue of him there in North Shields. - That's great.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58- They were so good, weren't they? - They were funny.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02So, these things are all part of your history together
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- and your history as children. - That's right.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Why do you want to get rid of them now?
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Well, the family aren't really interested in them and we're getting on.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Are you getting on? I wouldn't believe that.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15LAUGHTER
0:42:15 > 0:42:16- We are.- You're very kind.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18So we decided to sell them and we thought
0:42:18 > 0:42:22- we would give the money to charity. - Oh, right.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25So pass them on and let some other collector have the pleasure.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27Let some other collector enjoy then, yes.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30There are a lot of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy fans, as well.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Of course. Especially in this area.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35It's very difficult sometimes to give an accurate
0:42:35 > 0:42:38estimate of this type of thing but I would say if it would be in
0:42:38 > 0:42:42the region of a couple of hundred pounds - would that sort of...?
0:42:42 > 0:42:44That's very good.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48So if we estimate it, say £200 to £250,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51would you like me to put a reserve on them?
0:42:51 > 0:42:52Yes, I think so, please. Yes.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56We'll put a reserve, maybe 180, with a little bit of discretion.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- Would you be happy with that? - That's fine, yes.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Well, I hope we get lots of money for your charity.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- And thank you so much for coming along.- Thank you.
0:43:05 > 0:43:06Thanks very much.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09A lovely local story behind that item
0:43:09 > 0:43:14- and here's another piece with a north-eastern history.- Well, David.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16This is a most unusual-looking item.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19I think I've worked out what it is, but first of all,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22can you tell me what you know about it, where you got it from?
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- I bought it from an antique fair several years ago.- OK.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27It's a Durham Light Infantry menu carousel.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30This is the Durham Light Infantry...
0:43:30 > 0:43:33It's the bugle emblem from the Durham Light Infantry.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36So it's a menu carousel, meaning something that would have sat on an
0:43:36 > 0:43:42officers' table with the cards in there, indicating what the menu was.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- Yes.- So have you ever been to a regimental dinner?- No.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47What's your background?
0:43:47 > 0:43:51- I come from engineering that my father was in the Durham Light Infantry during the war.- I see.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53So you picked this up with that sort of,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56- "Oh, Father was in the Durham Light Infantry."- That's correct.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58"There's a piece of Durham Light Infantry."
0:43:58 > 0:44:00And what have you done with it since?
0:44:00 > 0:44:03- Tried to put it on the dining room table...- Tried to.- Tried to.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06The wife didn't exactly like that.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Did you suggest to her that she could do a menu for you every day of the week in there?
0:44:09 > 0:44:12- That would have gone down well, wouldn't it?- I wouldn't be here now.
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- And we just haven't got anywhere to display it.- Where does it live?
0:44:16 > 0:44:21- In the wardrobe.- Oh, no. Everybody is in the wardrobe.- In the wardrobe.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24Goodness me. Well to me, it looks as if it is between the two wars.
0:44:24 > 0:44:30- The style of it says to me '20s, '30s.- Right.- It is very nicely made.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Beautiful quality. Not a nail in there, is there?
0:44:33 > 0:44:35I think it's all dowel pegged. And mahogany.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38- It's mahogany, is it?- Yes, all these mahogany panels.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- But lovely quality thing and it's a good spinner, isn't it? - It is a very good spinner.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45I wondered what sort of thing it has seen in the past.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48I'd love to know what a regimental dinner was like.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Well, my father used to go to them, obviously.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55But I've never been to one and the regiment was disbanded in 1968.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59- 1968, the regiment was disbanded, OK.- Well before then, obviously.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02You're selling it because you've run out of space
0:45:02 > 0:45:04and your wife won't allow it the table.
0:45:04 > 0:45:09- You didn't want to put your foot down?- No! Goodness, no! No, no.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Will she be quite pleased when you tell her that
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- you put it on to 'Flog it!'? - If it goes, she will be.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17Now, interesting item. I don't think that the value is huge.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21- Firstly, what did you pay for it? - Between £30 and £40.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23- It's not a great value. - Well, that's a relief.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25But I think it's interesting of course
0:45:25 > 0:45:28because it's local interest, Durham Light Infantry.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Because I can't recall having seen one before.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34- So, what is it going to fetch?- About the same, possibly.- 30 to 50 quid?
0:45:34 > 0:45:37- Yes.- That's what I thought when I saw it.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39I don't think it's going to be much more than that.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42- Do you want a reserve on it? - £30.- £30?
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- Bit of leeway or leave it fixed 30? - Leeway is fine.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48£30, bit of discretion. And let's give it a whirl at the auction.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51I'm looking forward to seeing how it sells.
0:45:51 > 0:45:52Also, all this talk of food makes you wonder
0:45:52 > 0:45:56what's for lunch so I'm going to have to go, David. Thanks for coming.
0:46:00 > 0:46:01- Jenny, welcome to 'Flog it!'. - Thank you.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03I am absolutely delighted
0:46:03 > 0:46:07to see these two wee chookie birdies sitting on the table.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10They are a pair of little posy holders.
0:46:10 > 0:46:11Tell me where you got them.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13I found them in a car-boot sale.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15A car-boot sale, wow!
0:46:15 > 0:46:17How much did you pay for them?
0:46:17 > 0:46:21I can't remember whether they were £1 or £1.20 each.
0:46:21 > 0:46:22Oh, wow.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24What drew you to them?
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Well, they were unusual, and they're supposed to be a vase,
0:46:26 > 0:46:29but I don't they're much use as a vase.
0:46:29 > 0:46:30But if you hold them,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33it really is like you're holding
0:46:33 > 0:46:34a bird in your hand.
0:46:34 > 0:46:39So, they arrived in your hands in the car-boot sale
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- Yes, yes. And they had to come home. - And you couldn't resist them.- No.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45Now, they are Royal Copenhagen.
0:46:45 > 0:46:46Did you notice that,
0:46:46 > 0:46:51and did you know that Royal Copenhagen was a quality factory?
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I knew that it said Copenhagen on them,
0:46:54 > 0:46:58but I didn't know that it was Royal Copenhagen, until I got them home.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01- I suppose that's...- But that's not why I bought them.- Yeah.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04- You bought them because you liked them.- Yes, because they're lovely.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Royal Copenhagen have been making fine porcelain
0:47:07 > 0:47:10since the middle of the 1700s,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13so they have been going for a long time.
0:47:13 > 0:47:18These particular little birds were designed by Nils Thorsson
0:47:18 > 0:47:23and he was one of the artistic directors in Copenhagen.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27These little birds come from the 1960s.
0:47:27 > 0:47:32And, for me, they speak so typically of the 1960s,
0:47:32 > 0:47:36with this simple stylised design
0:47:36 > 0:47:39and these rather muted colours.
0:47:39 > 0:47:44So beautifully designed, and Royal Copenhagen has been renowned for
0:47:44 > 0:47:47the quality of its design work.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49What kind of birds do they put you in mind of?
0:47:49 > 0:47:51I think they're supposed to be doves,
0:47:51 > 0:47:53but I suspect in this region,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55somebody has brought them back as pigeons,
0:47:55 > 0:47:59because we were, very much, pigeon-fancying country.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Ah, so someone has looked at that and thought,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04"These are nice colourful pigeons, I'll take them home,
0:48:04 > 0:48:06- "to remind me of my own." - Yes.- OK.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Let's have a wee look at stamp here.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14We see the symbol for Royal Copenhagen there.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16And we have the word Columbine here,
0:48:16 > 0:48:19this was the range of wares.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21How long have you had them, Jenny?
0:48:21 > 0:48:23Probably about 15 years now.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26As long as that? Why are you thinking of selling them now?
0:48:26 > 0:48:30Myself and my husband have different ideas about what's decorative,
0:48:30 > 0:48:33and he doesn't like them, so they're in a box.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35- And it's a waste, really. It's a waste.- OK.
0:48:35 > 0:48:42I would put an estimate of 100 to 150 on this pair.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45Would you be happy to sell them within that estimate?
0:48:45 > 0:48:48I think I would, with difficulty.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Although, to me, they're worth more than that.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53But, yes, yes. Some things have got to go.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56- Shall we put a reserve price on them.- Yes.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59- £100?- That seems OK.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03We'll put £100 firm reserve on them.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06If they make more than that they will fly away -
0:49:06 > 0:49:08and we hope that's what happens.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12If they don't make that, they'll fly back to their mum.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Well, Charlie, I'm in suspense. All you going to...
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Are you going to reveal what you've brought?
0:49:22 > 0:49:25Well, I've got a nice table I fetched.
0:49:25 > 0:49:27- Are you going to have a look at it? - OK.
0:49:27 > 0:49:28Oooh!
0:49:28 > 0:49:32- Very nice.- Nice, isn't it?- Isn't that lovely quality?- Brilliant.
0:49:32 > 0:49:33Now, tell me where you got it from.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36- Well, I got it from the second-hand shop.- Did you?
0:49:36 > 0:49:40- Yes.- Locally?- Locally.- How long ago?
0:49:40 > 0:49:42It's be six months ago. I went in the door and there it was, so...
0:49:42 > 0:49:46- Yeah.- I says, "I'll have that." I didn't know how much it was.- Yeah.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50- And he says, "Give us 40 quid for it."- 40 quid?
0:49:50 > 0:49:52- That's all it was. - Where's this shop?
0:49:52 > 0:49:54- THEY LAUGH - What time does it shut?
0:49:54 > 0:49:56It'll be shutting now.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00- Oh. Well, I think that's a great buy.- I think so. It's lovely.
0:50:00 > 0:50:05It's not of any great age but it's lovely quality. Mahogany.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Flame mahogany with the segments here with a box wood line
0:50:08 > 0:50:10and more mahogany banding.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12- Really nice quality. - I like the legs of this.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- Lovely that, isn't it? - Look at those.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- And the quality under here. - Yes. Everything's brilliant.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20You've got a US patent number under there as well.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21Yes, US patent.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24And what I also like is the detail round the base.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Look at the way that's finished.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Oh, look, the banding and everything.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31- It's a very nice quality table. - It's lovely, yeah.
0:50:31 > 0:50:36- And with the...- The legs like... - The four feet as well. And a drawer.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- Drawer. There's a plaque in... - There you go, the plaque.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42- Earl Spencer, first lord of the admiralty.- Yeah.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47It's got a bit of a naval feel to it. And that's the makers, is it?
0:50:47 > 0:50:51- Chapman's.- Chapman And Co. - From Newcastle.- From Newcastle.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54- They were established in 1847? - It was, yeah.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58- But I don't know if they're still going.- I don't know, I'm not sure.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02This one's more like 1974 than 1847, but, you know...
0:51:02 > 0:51:04It's...probably 30-40 years old.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06It's just...it looks like it's quality, that's all.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Beautiful quality. Would have been very expensive in its day.
0:51:09 > 0:51:10- It's brilliant, that.- Yeah.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Auction estimate, I think it's obviously
0:51:12 > 0:51:15worth more than what you paid. I think that was a real bargain.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17You should double your money and a bit more.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- I'm going to suggest an estimate of £100-£150.- Yeah, that's lovely.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23- Is that all right?- Yes.- Is that in line with what you thought?
0:51:23 > 0:51:24Yeah, I was thinking about 150.
0:51:24 > 0:51:30Yeah. I think it should make 150-ish so, hopefully, we're both right.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32But in case there are people there that don't like it
0:51:32 > 0:51:33we should put in reserve on it.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35- Everybody likes it in here.- Yeah.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38- Lovely lass saying, "That's lovely, that."- There'd be nothing worse
0:51:38 > 0:51:41than it making 40 quid and then you saying to me afterwards, "You..."
0:51:41 > 0:51:46- So let's put a reserve on it. - Yeah.- 100 quid?- 100 quid, yeah.
0:51:46 > 0:51:48- Bit of leeway, discretion? - Just a little bit.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52£100 reserve, discretion 10%
0:51:52 > 0:51:54- but I think it'll make a bit more. - Right.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56- That's good.- Keep an eye out for those bargains, Jim.
0:51:56 > 0:51:57You've got a good eye.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59- I will do.- If you had two good eyes you'd be unstoppable.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01HE LAUGHS
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Well, there you are. As you've just seen, our experts have just made
0:52:05 > 0:52:08their final choice of items to take off to the auction rooms.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11So sadly, we have to say goodbye to the Discovery Museum -
0:52:11 > 0:52:12our host venue for today.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15We've had a brilliant time here, and we've learned a great deal
0:52:15 > 0:52:17and that's what's important.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20But right now, let's put those valuations to the test,
0:52:20 > 0:52:22and here's a quick recap of all the items
0:52:22 > 0:52:23that are going under the hammer.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26Heather and Robert's impressive signature collection
0:52:26 > 0:52:29is sure to appeal to an autograph hunter out there.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35It's an unusual item with a lovely Art Deco character,
0:52:35 > 0:52:39so David's menu carousel should be to someone's taste.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43It might be a modern reproduction,
0:52:43 > 0:52:47but Charles' mahogany table should still make good money.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Last but not least - will this be the day
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Jenny's cherished porcelain birds fly the coop?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01We're back in Boldon for our last visit to the auction.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Now, this is pigeon-fancier country,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06and Jenny's hoping her birds will be well-loved.
0:53:08 > 0:53:09Why are you selling these little birds?
0:53:09 > 0:53:12- Just for the day. - Just to enjoy the moment.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15Her husband wants her to get rid of them as well.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18- He doesn't like them. - You've got too much stuff.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19- Yeah!- Oh, OK.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22I think they're great spill vases - something I'd like to own.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Right, I think we've got work to do, don't you?
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Let's put them under the hammer. Let's test this value.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30The pair of Copenhagen Columbine flower vases.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32Plenty of bids.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- Jenny, plenty of bids. - I'll start straight in at £100.
0:53:35 > 0:53:3610, anybody else, now?
0:53:36 > 0:53:37110.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39120.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41130. The bid is upstairs at 130.
0:53:42 > 0:53:43At £130.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47140, anybody? At £130, last chance?
0:53:47 > 0:53:48All done at 130.
0:53:50 > 0:53:54- They're gone. They've flown the nest.- Gone.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Oh, dear! Oh, no. We've got a tear in our eye.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01At least Jenny's birds have found a new coop,
0:54:01 > 0:54:03and right now, David's item is giving the bidders
0:54:03 > 0:54:05food for thought.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08We've got a mahogany octagonal menu holder
0:54:08 > 0:54:11from the Durham Light Infantry, belonging to David.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Any military connections in the family?
0:54:13 > 0:54:15My father served in the 7th Battalion DLI during the war.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Gosh. OK.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- How did come by this then? - I got it at an antiques fair.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22- Can you tell us how much you paid for it?- £30 or £40?
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Well, hopefully we'll get a bit more than that.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Well, it's local, isn't it?
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Relatively local, and military interest.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32So I think this should be the best place to get the right money for it.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34- Yeah.- Properly cabinet-maker made, I think.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37- Typical 1930s?- I think so. - Good luck, with that.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39- Thank you very much.- Good luck.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41We'll find out what it does right now.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45The Durham Light Infantry mahogany table carousel - the menu carousel.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48And I've got commissioned bids.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49We start at £35.
0:54:49 > 0:54:50£40, down?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53At 35. 40, anybody?
0:54:53 > 0:54:5540 right by the door.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56At £40.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Anybody else? 45.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- 50? - I hope this goes to a collector.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04Somebody with connections to the Durham Light Infantry.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07The internet is quiet. All done?
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Hammer's gone down. £50. We're very happy.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12Very happy, indeed.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Thank you for bringing that in. That's a one-off.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- You won't see another, will you? - I doubt it, no!
0:55:17 > 0:55:19Brilliant. Thank you.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21Well, David's made his money back.
0:55:21 > 0:55:26Now, it isn't old but it's a beautiful piece.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29Charles, thank you for bringing that in. I know it's reproduction
0:55:29 > 0:55:32but the quality is there. And it looks jolly good.
0:55:32 > 0:55:34And it's the right size to fit any house.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36If you live in a small flat, a little cottage
0:55:36 > 0:55:38or a new-build, it will look great.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40I think so. It's a handy little table.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42And whilst we try not to put reproductions on the programme
0:55:42 > 0:55:45I think this was a sufficient quality and design
0:55:45 > 0:55:47to be worth coming on.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49- And, you know, in 100 years that'll be an antique, won't it?- Exactly.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52Anyway, it's going under the hammer right now.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54We have the Earl Spencer occasional table.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57A little empire-style one.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03- I have two commission bids. We are straight in at 140.- Oh, yes.
0:56:03 > 0:56:04At 150.
0:56:04 > 0:56:09160. 170...170. 180.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13190. 200. 210.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15220. 230.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18230, the bid is upstairs to the left.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- At £230.- Yes.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26- That's what it's all about, you see? - Lovely.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29That is a useful piece of kit that will become very practical.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32- I think it was quite...quite a bargain.- 40 quid.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36- £40.- Well, there you go.- Not long ago?- Went in here. I seen it...bang.
0:56:36 > 0:56:37- I'm going to have that.- Yeah.
0:56:37 > 0:56:41Even good reproduction has quality.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Our next sellers have delivered us a legendary line-up.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Well, they say the pen is mightier than the sword,
0:56:47 > 0:56:49and we're about to find out.
0:56:49 > 0:56:50I'm joined by Heather and Robert
0:56:50 > 0:56:53and we have a book of autographs with some classic ones in there!
0:56:53 > 0:56:56Laurel and Hardy we've seen before on the show.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59Great to see you both again. Big smiles.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01We've been waiting for this event. Why are you selling this?
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Well, the family aren't interested,
0:57:03 > 0:57:06and were getting on, so we thought we'd sell them
0:57:06 > 0:57:07and give it to a charity.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11OK. We've seen Stan and Ollie's autographs on the show before
0:57:11 > 0:57:13and they've realised around £150-£200.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15So fingers crossed we'll get the top end here.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Well, I'm hoping that we are.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20Both of these guys were avid autograph hunters.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23So let's hope they do well.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27The collection of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy signatures.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31I have one, two, three, four bids.
0:57:31 > 0:57:32I start...
0:57:32 > 0:57:34at 300.
0:57:34 > 0:57:35Yes!
0:57:35 > 0:57:38- £300. - Wow, that's good, isn't it?
0:57:38 > 0:57:41At £300, the maiden bid's going to get it?
0:57:41 > 0:57:43At £300. Is anybody in the room?
0:57:43 > 0:57:46For the first and the last time...
0:57:46 > 0:57:48At £300.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53- You were right. Spot on with the top end of the estimate.- 300.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55You said 280, didn't you?
0:57:55 > 0:57:56- £300.- Fantastic!
0:57:56 > 0:57:58There were lots of autographs in this.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00- You can split it up. - I'm sure that helps.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04A dealer would have bought that, split them up and sold some off,
0:58:04 > 0:58:06got some money back and may be kept two or three for himself.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09- Good for you.- Delighted. - Thank you for bringing it on.
0:58:09 > 0:58:10Thank you. Thanks very much.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13- Thanks, Anita. - Well done, I'm so happy!
0:58:13 > 0:58:16A wonderful outcome for Heather and Robert's charity.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19Well, that's it. The hammer has gone down on our last lot,
0:58:19 > 0:58:22and it's all over. We've had a fabulous time here.
0:58:22 > 0:58:26All credit to our experts, because we have sold everything today,
0:58:26 > 0:58:29and it's not easy putting a value on an antique, as you know.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31So, from this extraordinary part of the country -
0:58:31 > 0:58:35rich in heritage - it's time to say goodbye from the north-east.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38So, until the next time, with plenty more surprises on 'Flog it!'...
0:58:38 > 0:58:40it's goodbye!