0:00:10 > 0:00:13Today, we're in Essex, and later on in the programme,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16I'll be investigating one of the county's darkest stories -
0:00:16 > 0:00:20that of the Witchfinder General and how, even centuries later,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24people still claim to see unexplained things in this area.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26TWIG SNAPS
0:00:26 > 0:00:27(Did you hear that?)
0:00:29 > 0:00:31- HE LAUGHS - Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:53 > 0:00:56'We'll be back following the story of the Witchfinder General
0:00:56 > 0:00:57'later on in the show,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'but now it's time to head to today's valuation day location.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'This is the impressive Layer Marney Tower,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06'just a few miles away, near Colchester,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09'Britain's oldest recorded town.'
0:01:09 > 0:01:13The house was built in 1518, and throughout the centuries,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15it's welcomed everyone from royalty to this lot -
0:01:15 > 0:01:18the great and the good of the surrounding area,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21hundreds of people who have turned up for our valuation day,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23laden with antiques and collectibles.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24They're here to see our experts,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and there's one question on everybody's lips...
0:01:27 > 0:01:29ALL: What's it worth?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'We've got the crowd. They've got their items.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37'All we need now are our experts.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40'And we've got Elizabeth Talbot and Philip Serrell.'
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Elizabeth. What have you got? Oh-ho-ho! Look at that!
0:01:44 > 0:01:46- How much have you paid him? - Oh, £1,000, £1,500, that's worth.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49What would you get for that? £2,000? £3,000?
0:01:49 > 0:01:53'Oh, that's priceless, Phil! Or do I mean worthless?
0:01:53 > 0:01:57'So, as everyone makes the way to the sunshine in the garden,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59'here's what's coming up.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'Today, we've got a spectacular Clarice Cliff coffee set
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'and a beautifully modelled bronze of an Alsatian dog.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13'Both have some damage. Now, the question is, will it hold them back?
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'Well, we'll find out later.'
0:02:16 > 0:02:20This magnificent building was designed and built by Henry Marney
0:02:20 > 0:02:24as what he'd hoped would be a grand castle on a rather large scale.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27But sadly, he died before his plans were completed,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31although, he did manage to oversee this wonderful, magnificent facade
0:02:31 > 0:02:35throughout his lifetime, which I am rather impressed with.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Now, I wonder if we'll be suitably impressed
0:02:37 > 0:02:39with our experts' first find.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Let's catch up with them.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44'Philip's eagle eye has provided us with our first item.'
0:02:45 > 0:02:47- Warm, innit?- It's very warm.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- Very, very, very, very warm. - Extremely warm.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50What have you brought, then?
0:02:50 > 0:02:54I've brought these glasses that belonged to my mother-in-law,
0:02:54 > 0:02:55who passed away just before Christmas.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59- Right. - We found these just in a drawer.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I just brought them along today because I didn't know what they were.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04- These are lovely, aren't they? - They're beautiful.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- Do you know what they're called? - Uh, luminettes?
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- Lorgnettes.- Lorgnettes.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Which is derived from the French,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12which is "to squint or sideways look".
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- OK.- And they were really, really popular.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Sort of at masquerade balls and that side of thing,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19when you just want to... See, they're quite becoming.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- These are an improvement, aren't they?- Not for me, they're not.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23Oh, right, OK.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- Say it the way it is, Jillian.- Yep.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28They're probably turn of the last century,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32and the real key to these is whether they're gold or not.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- Right. - Cos there's no hallmark on them.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35If they're unmarked gold,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38they're going to just top the scales at £100.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- You'd sort of estimate them at £80 to £120.- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45And if they are not gold and they're plated,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47- they're sort of 15 to 30 quid.- Yeah.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49We don't have a gold testing kit here.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I can't say whether they're gold or not. I think they are gold.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- The but comes if they AREN'T gold. - Right.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57- Do you still want to sell them? - Well, yes. Yes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Well, what about this, then? If we ask the auctioneer to test them...
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Yes.- ..and if they're gold, they put £80 to £120 on them,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and if they're plate, we put 15 to 30 quid on them.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- OK.- Are you happy with that? - I'm happy with that.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10There you are. That'll be exciting, to get to the auction
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- and find out what's what and where's where, won't it?- OK.- Good stuff.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'Fingers crossed that Philip is right.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22'It's me next, with something truly nostalgic.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:26I must say, I'm rather thrilled to be joined by Peter
0:04:26 > 0:04:28with Concorde memorabilia.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32I think this plane is so iconic. It's marvellous.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35And I just wish I had the chance to fly on it.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37- Did you ever fly Concorde? - No, I didn't.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39I always wanted to. It was my wife's dream.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41But I paid for the tickets,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and during the course of paying for the tickets,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47there was a crash in Paris, and now we never did get there.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49I got the money refunded,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and after that, got a nice letter turn up saying
0:04:52 > 0:04:55that some memorabilia was going to be introduced - would I like it?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Well, the thing is, now it's in the cupboard.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I've got ten great-grandchildren, two at university,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02one's training to be a solicitor,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04one's at Brighton training to be an engineer,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and they need some money to be helped,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10and now they've got to pay £9,000...
0:05:10 > 0:05:12So I thought, "You can't split it up."
0:05:12 > 0:05:13So, they could do with the money
0:05:13 > 0:05:16rather than what they could do with the memorabilia,
0:05:16 > 0:05:18although every one of them would like to own it.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I bet they would. I bet they would love to own this.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21- I mean,- I- would love to own it.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24I think this is as good as it gets for modern collectibles.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26This little model is fabulous.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28It's been signed by the chief Concorde pilot
0:05:28 > 0:05:31when Concorde was taken out of retirement - Mike Bannister.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33He had a lot to do with Concorde.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36I've seen these models on the market for sale
0:05:36 > 0:05:39at around about £150 without the signature.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So, hopefully, the signature will nearly double that sort of money.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- I'd like to think £200 to £300.- Yes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47But you've got a lot of other things here.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I particularly like these. Look at that.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I'd like to walk around with this. "This is my boarding pass!"
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- Keep one.- But unfortunately, it doesn't fly any more.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- I can't keep it!- Keep one of them. There's more.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58No, no, no, no, no.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02We're putting them into auction as one lot, if that's OK with you,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04because I don't think this collection will be split up.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I think somebody that's interested in Concorde
0:06:06 > 0:06:08will want to buy the whole package.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Any idea of how much the complete package is worth?
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Because you've got an album there with photographs and cards
0:06:16 > 0:06:20with commemorative stamps, all signed by the British pilots.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22You've got boarding passes - unused.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And you've also got some wonderful medals.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I think anything what will help my children at university
0:06:28 > 0:06:30will be a bonus.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Can we put it into auction with a valuation of around £200 to £300?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- Yes. - And see if it really does fly away?
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- Yes.- I mean, hopefully, this will fly away literally.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- That's a good expression. Yes. - Did you...
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I can always remember watching TV in 2003 - it was November -
0:06:44 > 0:06:46seeing Concorde make its last journey,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49passing over Bristol and over Clifton Suspension Bridge.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Can you remember that on the news? - Yes, I think I do.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Wasn't that fabulous? And as a young boy, I grew up in Cornwall,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and we lived in Falmouth,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and at about 3:30 or 4:30 every afternoon,
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Concorde would fly over,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and once he'd got about three or four miles out to sea,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06you'd hear this huge, great big boom.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09It would go supersonic then. Cos it flew subsonic over land.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And it went, pow! And we went, "Yep."
0:07:12 > 0:07:14You could set your watch by it. Those Concordes.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19'I wish I could have been one of the lucky 2.5 million passengers
0:07:19 > 0:07:22'who flew supersonically on Concorde.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26'Concorde's fastest transatlantic crossing
0:07:26 > 0:07:28'was on 7th February in 1996,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31'when it completed the New York to London flight
0:07:31 > 0:07:37'in an unbelievable two hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39'Just a few years on,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41'the memorabilia associated with something like Concorde
0:07:41 > 0:07:45'is very collectible and a really good buy.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50'I very much doubt if it will go down in value as time goes by.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59'Well, it is a hot day, so I'm not surprised by Philip's next choice.'
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I could do with one of these! Have you got a nice cold one?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- I'll treat you to one later. - Really? You're up for it!
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Tell me all about this, then, Gloria.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11My brother-in-law, Bill, was in the Merchant Navy
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and he was involved in the bottle drop in the Atlantic Ocean.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Bottle drop. Which bottle drop, what bottle drop?
0:08:17 > 0:08:18- Guinness.- Guinness.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23It was to celebrate the bicentenary, from 1759 to 1959.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27So, we've got, "Special bottle drop, Atlantic Ocean,
0:08:27 > 0:08:33"to celebrate and commemorate Guinness's bicentenary, 1959."
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- That's cool, isn't it?- Yes.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39So, your brother Bill was entrusted with this
0:08:39 > 0:08:43in a freighter, in the Atlantic, in 1959,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46to throw that overboard.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- That one didn't get thrown overboard.- And he didn't.- No.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Actually, I think there were two.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52I think his wife has got one as well.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55You're not seriously suggesting to me
0:08:55 > 0:08:59that a merchant sailor stole a bottle of Guinness?!
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Oh, well, I'm sure a few others disappeared as well!
0:09:03 > 0:09:04So what is... What's inside?
0:09:04 > 0:09:09It's a letter of authenticity and it asks the recipient of the bottle,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11once they've broken it open,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15to contact Guinness and claim that they've actually found one.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I've no idea how many of them have been recovered.
0:09:18 > 0:09:19It would be really interesting
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- to find out, wouldn't it? - It would be, yes.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- Presumably there was never any booze in it?- No.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25I can't understand why your brother pinched it, then!
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Now, he was a good drinker!
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Sh! Don't tell anybody that!
0:09:29 > 0:09:32So, these were the original message in a bottle, weren't they?
0:09:32 > 0:09:33Yes, they were.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34And, I mean, it just strikes me,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- what a great bit of advertising, isn't it?- It was an ideal one.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Really cool thing, a bit of fun. What's it worth? Who will buy it?
0:09:41 > 0:09:42Well, do you know what?
0:09:42 > 0:09:44There is a big area of memorabilia
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and you've got the toucans that Carlton Ware did
0:09:47 > 0:09:49and you've got the lamps and all those sorts of things
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and they are very, very collectable and they are sought-after.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I've never ever seen one of these before,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57so it's a real guess job as to what it might be worth.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59It wouldn't surprise me if it made 10 quid
0:09:59 > 0:10:01and it wouldn't surprise me if it made 30 or 40 quid.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- I think you'd pitch it somewhere between those parameters.- OK.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- How does that sound?- That's fair.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07It's time to go, isn't it?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Well, it's a family heirloom, but it's been stored away,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14so, yeah, I thought we'd just see what it fetches.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Absolutely right.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Well, let's hope Guinness is good for you!
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Yeah, thank you!
0:10:22 > 0:10:24'Now over to Elizabeth in the garden,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28'who has found something for dog-lovers.'
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Mandy, you've struggled in with a very, very heavy dog today.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- Yep.- But handsome brute nonetheless. What can you tell me about him?
0:10:35 > 0:10:40It belongs to my mum. She was given it by her aunt about 30 years ago.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- Right.- And that's all I know.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45She wants to sell it because everybody in the family wants it.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- Ah, she's being diplomatic? - Yeah, everybody likes it
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and there's an argument over who's going to get it.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Right. What particularly do you like about your dog?
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I love him. He's just got a lovely face to him
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and he's very well moulded and he looks really nice.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Has he got a name? Has he been given a name in the family?
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- My daughter's named him Jimmy. - Jimmy! That's nice.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I notice the condition of the base, the marble base,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07has obviously suffered a little bit.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08Is that a historic kind of...?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10That's always been like it, far as I know.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12But the nice thing - it's still on its original base,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and the reason that that's important is it does tell us on the front
0:11:15 > 0:11:18the name of the sculptor, the artist, who originally modelled it,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and the title.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So, the name of the sculptor was Chiparus,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and he was very well known in the early part of the 20th century.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31He was born in Romania, but then travelled to Italy in 1909
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and spent some years there before moving to Paris,
0:11:34 > 0:11:35and he was studying under
0:11:35 > 0:11:38some very highly regarded sculptors of the day,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and by 1914, he was putting on his own exhibitions
0:11:41 > 0:11:46of high-quality bronze sculptures, which attracted a lot of attention.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51He started off by... I think children were his early subjects,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53but of course, by the 1920s,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57he was very much at the forefront of the Art Deco era.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- So, all the ladies? - The ladies and the dancers, yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01- OK, yeah. - So, you're familiar with those.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04His animal sculptures are not so well known.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06In a way, I think the figural ones
0:12:06 > 0:12:08tended to be what people remember him for.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11But this is a "chien policier", the police dog,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and you get the feeling he really kind of knew this dog.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- It's such a good study of a dog, isn't it?- Mmm.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18- He's handsome, isn't he?- Yeah.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20The condition it's in is a shame,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22but as I say, to my mind, it's the fact
0:12:22 > 0:12:25that it's in original, you know, untouched, unrestored condition,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27which will show the genuineness of this piece.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31He became so famous, so popular and his works became so valuable
0:12:31 > 0:12:35that over the last two or three decades, there have been copies
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and, you know, spurious figures coming onto the market.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41So it's all, you know, original, honest,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and that's exactly what collectors want.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45So, I would say that...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47a realistic pre-auction estimate in this condition
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- would be somewhere in the region of £200 to £300.- Oh, right, yeah.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- But if we put a £200 reserve on it...- Yep, that's good, yeah.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- ..and then your mother's got peace of mind.- Yep.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And it's been well worth your carrying it through.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- Yeah. Thank you very much.- Thank you for bringing it in. It's lovely.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06It's time for me to take the opportunity
0:13:06 > 0:13:08for a look around the area.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23At a staggering 1.3 miles long,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25this is the longest pleasure pier in the world
0:13:25 > 0:13:29and it has stood here in Southend for nearly 200 years,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32but unlike many other piers, this was built
0:13:32 > 0:13:36for purely practical reasons and had a huge impact on the town.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47In 19th-century Britain,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50visiting the seaside was a popular weekend activity,
0:13:50 > 0:13:55but Southend was missing out on all of this for one very simple reason.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57It had nowhere for the passenger ships
0:13:57 > 0:13:59to set down their cargo of travellers.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02William Heygate, a resident of Southend,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06was frustrated at seeing passing trade sailing by
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and on to other towns like Margate and Clacton,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12where docking facilities were better.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16He and other businessmen pushed for a pier to be built in the town.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22In 1830, Southend's first-ever pier was built.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24It was constructed entirely of wood
0:14:24 > 0:14:27and it stretched 600 feet out into the sea.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34But that was still too short to allow ships to dock at low tide,
0:14:34 > 0:14:37so over the next few years, it was extended
0:14:37 > 0:14:39and it became the longest pier in Europe.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44It even had its own resident, a chap called William Bradley,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47who lived on the end of the pier for over 20 years,
0:14:47 > 0:14:51in a small cottage which served both as a home and a lighthouse.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54He was even a one-man lifeboat rescue service
0:14:54 > 0:14:58who saved dozens of people and he was awarded medals
0:14:58 > 0:15:01from the Royal Humane Society and they RNLI for his bravery.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Towards the end of the 19th century,
0:15:04 > 0:15:06the Bank Holidays Act came into effect.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10It essentially forced people to take time off work,
0:15:10 > 0:15:11something that would have been
0:15:11 > 0:15:14unheard of for poor people at the time.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Soon, thousands of day-trippers,
0:15:20 > 0:15:22especially from the East End of London,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24were boarding steamboats and heading to the coast
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and, being the closest destination to the capital,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Southend was in a prime location and, at its peak,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34the pier was handling 26 passenger ships every day.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40The pier was proving more popular than anyone predicted
0:15:40 > 0:15:41and the sheer volume of traffic
0:15:41 > 0:15:44really took its toll on the wooden structure,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46so a new pier was built in 1890,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50constructed of iron, at a cost of £70,000,
0:15:50 > 0:15:55which, in today's money, equates to 4.1 million.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Something was needed to get people from one end to the other,
0:16:01 > 0:16:06so the ingenious Victorians built a railway to ferry visitors around.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The new pier and railway were a huge success
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and, by the 1920s, business was booming.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24When World War II broke out in 1939,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28the Royal Navy took over the pier and closed it to the general public.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33The pier and the surrounding area were renamed HMS Leigh
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and it became the control centre for all shipping
0:16:35 > 0:16:39going in and out of the Thames for the duration of the war,
0:16:39 > 0:16:43but at the end of the war in 1945, the pier reopened to the public
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and, a few years later, it reached its heyday,
0:16:45 > 0:16:49with visitor numbers topping a staggering seven million each year.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53What are you going to do at Southend, Eunice?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56We are going to have a lazy day and we are going to sit
0:16:56 > 0:16:58at the end of the pier and watch the seagulls feeding
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and we are going to have our lunch there.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- A picnic lunch?- Yes.- Are you?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06What are you going to do, Beryl?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09I'm going to watch the sea birds, same as Eunice,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11and I'm going to look at the sand
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and see if I can collect some pretty shells.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29However, the success of the pier was not to last.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Disaster struck in the 1950s,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36when the pier pavilion was destroyed by a major fire.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40And things went from bad to worse.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43During the 1960s, cheap package holidays became popular
0:17:43 > 0:17:46and the number of people visiting the seaside went down.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49The pier began to decline and, along with that,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51the structure started to decay.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58With yet more fires and the closure of the railway for safety reasons,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01the council proposed shutting the pier.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06But public outcry from the people of Southend prevented it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13People like Peggy Dowie, who set up the Southend Pier Museum in 1989.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Peggy, why does the pier mean so much to you,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19because obviously you've put this museum together?
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Well, like so many people of my age and also even younger,
0:18:23 > 0:18:28they've grown up with it and it's part of your life.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30It is mine.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33And it's not just a structure for going out to sea,
0:18:33 > 0:18:37it's a living thing and everybody across the world loves the pier.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39You were a Southend girl, born and bred?
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Born and bred, very proud of it too. - I bet you are, yes. And this is...
0:18:42 > 0:18:45As you say, this is a major part of Southend's social history.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47It's the heart of Southend.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50You've done a terrific job putting this museum together,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53you really have, and I love these old coaches and trams.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I think this one is brilliant! The toast-rack tram!
0:18:55 > 0:18:59- It's brilliant!- You can tell why they call this the toast-rack!
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Well, this dates back to, what, 1890?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Was this horse-drawn or was it electric?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- No, electric. The first electric tram on any pier.- Wow!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10State-of-the-art at the time. Where did you find that?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13We found it in a garden, being used as a chicken shed.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I can't imagine this as a chicken shed!
0:19:16 > 0:19:19We were told about it and the guy gave it to us
0:19:19 > 0:19:22provided we bought him a shed of the same size
0:19:22 > 0:19:27and then we restored it with the help of the local woodwork college
0:19:27 > 0:19:31and they had great fun repairing it, restoring it,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35every bit of authenticity has gone into it that's possible
0:19:35 > 0:19:39because for all the years that it was laying in the garden,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42it was quite rotten in places, but it survived!
0:19:42 > 0:19:45And you've done a magnificent job of restoring it.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Yes, it's been a wonderful project.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Well, Peggy, I'm going up on the pier now.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I'm going to get down to the far end and take a look at the coastline.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52Lucky you.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54Nice to meet you. Thank you.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The good news is that, in recent years,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06the pier has been restored to its former glory
0:20:06 > 0:20:11and it has well and truly put Southend back on the holiday map.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The English poet John Betjeman said of Southend,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17"The pier is Southend, Southend is the pier,"
0:20:17 > 0:20:19and I can't help but agree with him.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Surrounded by people and antiques - that's what this show is all about,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39and I can guarantee, we're going to have one or two surprises right now,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41because our experts have made their first choice of items
0:20:41 > 0:20:43to take off to auction.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44You've heard what they've had to say.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46I've got my favourites, and I know you have too.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48But let's put it to the test in the saleroom.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Let's see what the bidders think,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53and here's a quick recap of all the items going under the hammer.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56'The lorgnettes will be worth a decent amount
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'if they are gold and not just gold-plated.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'We will find out at the auction house.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05'And I'm hoping that Peter's Concorde memorabilia
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'stirs some memories in the saleroom.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12'And the bronze police dog by Chiparus
0:21:12 > 0:21:14'is bound to have broad appeal.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'I'm hoping that Gloria's commemorative Guinness bottle
0:21:19 > 0:21:21'stirs some memories in the saleroom.'
0:21:26 > 0:21:29For today's auction, we've left Colchester
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and travelled to Rayleigh, which is just a few miles down the road.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And I tell you what, the car park looks busy,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36so hopefully, it's going to be packed full of bidders
0:21:36 > 0:21:38going crazy for our first set of items.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And this is where all the action is taking place -
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Stacey's Auction Room.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47'And the man in charge of the proceedings is Mark P Stacey,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50'who's sharing the rostrum today with his brother Paul.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53'Before we look at the sale, let's find out
0:21:53 > 0:21:56'if the glittering lorgnettes are really gold.'
0:21:57 > 0:22:01I like these. I think they're very good quality.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Jillian's folding spectacles.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Now, Philip was unsure whether they were gold or not on the day.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09There's no hallmarks. But he couldn't test them.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12If they weren't gold, he was looking at sort of £15 to £30 for a plate.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15If they were gold, around £80 to £120.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Good news, Paul - we've tested them, and they are gold.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- They've come out as being nine carat.- Brilliant.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22So, with that in mind, £80 to £120 it is.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25OK. How do you go about testing something like that?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- A tiny, tiny little bit of acid. - Just literally drop a little bit on?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Just a little bit on. If it comes up red, then we know it's gold.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32OK. OK. Well, look, good luck with those.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- Has there been any interest? - A little bit.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- I'm hoping they'll do sort of the top end.- OK.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Who's likely to buy that? A collector of spectacles, or...?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Generally, a collector will buy those.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I don't think anyone's going to go to the optician's and buy them.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- So, I think, in the main, it'll be just the collector, yeah.- OK.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50'Well, that is good to know.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53'It makes the estimate £80 to £120, then.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57'And they are first up, so let's see how they do.'
0:22:59 > 0:23:02OK, all you ladies with a squint, this next one's for you -
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Jillian's lorgnettes.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06- I hope I pronounced that right. - You did.- "Lorn-YETS".
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Folding spectacles.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- We had a look at them at the preview day yesterday.- Yeah.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I can remember at the valuation day you were unsure
0:23:12 > 0:23:14if they were gold or not, and you gave us a couple of valuations -
0:23:14 > 0:23:16£80 to £120 if they were gold.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18He's tested them - did a little acid test.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- Oh, right.- You can test them with a drop of acid.- And?
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- It turns red - they're gold! - Oh, brilliant!
0:23:22 > 0:23:24So you're bang-on - £80 to £120.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- But these will definitely go to a collector.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30They really will. And hopefully there's a few right here right now,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33because it's going under the hammer. This is it. Good luck. Here we go.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38Lot 141. A pair of 19th-century spectacles, as catalogued.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Three commission bids.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Must start the bidding to clear the book at £95.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45< Trading at £95. £100 anywhere?
0:23:45 > 0:23:47£105.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49£110. I am out. At £110.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53£115 is a new bidder. Against you. £120.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56£125. £130.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58£135. £140.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01£145. £150.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04£155. £160.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06< £165. Oh, gosh!
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- When they hold their card up, they mean to buy it, don't they?- Yeah.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11< £180. £185.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14£190. £200.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16< £210, please, sir?
0:24:16 > 0:24:17(£200!)
0:24:17 > 0:24:22On my left at £200. Fair warning. Last chances, then, please, at £200.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- £200!- That's just made ME squint.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- Yeah! - THEY LAUGH
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Isn't that a brilliant result? Absolutely brilliant.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Quality! And quality always sells.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37If you've got anything like that, we would love to see it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Bring it along to one of our valuation days.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41And you can pick up details in the press
0:24:41 > 0:24:44or check our website - bbc.co.uk/flogit.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Follow the links. All the information will be there.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48- And thank you so much for coming in.- Thank you.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51- Enjoy the money, won't you? - Rosebushes.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- Oh, you're going to plant up rosebushes?- Rosebushes, yes.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- Are you a keen gardener?- Oh, yes.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- The "Flog It!" rose. - "Flog It!" rose. - You can plant a "Flog It!" rose.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03'Next, we have Mandy, who has a common predicament.'
0:25:04 > 0:25:06What we have here is a family heirloom -
0:25:06 > 0:25:09it belonged to Mum, but the kids are squabbling over it.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11So it's got to go under the hammer.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13I'm talking about that lovely bronze dog.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15- Mandy, it's good to see you. - Thank you.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17- So, you've got an older brother? - And a sister.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19And a sister. So, I can understand you've got to split the sum.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- Yep.- And I think that's the fair thing to do, don't you?
0:25:22 > 0:25:24I mean, you must see this a lot as an auctioneer.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Yeah. It's kind of a sad scenario, but at the same time,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29there is a solution to it which should satisfy everybody,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31if that's the way they choose to do it.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32So, hopefully it'll be a happy ending.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Fingers crossed we've got a big audience for this.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38A gilt bronze in the form of a German shepherd.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Lovely bronze there.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Commission bids, two of them. Must start the bidding at £150.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46£160 anywhere? Thank you, sir. £160. £170.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49You're bidding £180. £180. £180 now.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Are we all done at £180? Commission bid's at £180.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Against you. One more, sir?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- £180. £190.- Yes. Keep going. - £190 with you.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58The far back at £190. Coming on the phone at £190.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01£200 on the phone. Telephone bid's at £200. Against you, sir.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05You finished? At £200 now. Fair warning at £200.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- £200. Thank you for that.- Just!
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- That was a close one, that was.- We are on a knife edge here, aren't we?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- I mean, we are on this one, let's face it.- Very much so.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18- That close, but we got it away. You're happy.- Yep.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20And the family's happy. It can all be divided up.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Once commission is taken out, which is 20%, inclusive of VAT here.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Everyone's got to pay it.- Yep. - Then we can divide that up.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29- Thank you for coming in. - Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35This is where it gets exciting,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37this is where we put those values to the test
0:26:37 > 0:26:38and here we are, right in the saleroom.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Yes, the message in a bottle. It was by Guinness, wasn't it?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Or was it by The Police? Let me think.
0:26:43 > 0:26:44That was The Police!
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I got there eventually, I worked it out.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Lots were dropped, 150,000. I wonder how many survived.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52How many were drunk!
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Let's find out what the bidders think. Here we go.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Moving now to Lot 570.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02We have a brown glass Guinness bottle, celebrating the bicentenary.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Shall we say about £10 to start with?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07£10 for it, 10 I've got, thank you.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- We are in, someone in the room. - £10 is bid.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Any advances now?
0:27:10 > 0:27:11A £10 only.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13The opening bid of 10. Are we all done now?
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Last opportunity, I shall sell to you, sir, then, at £10.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It's gone.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21Opening maiden bid of £10, straight in.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- That's just about a pint for both of us, isn't it?- Yes.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- It is, actually, isn't it? - PAUL LAUGHS
0:27:27 > 0:27:30No, actually, a pint for you and a half for Philip and myself,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- how about that? - I don't like Guinness.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Don't you like Guinness? - I've never tried it.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Then it definitely is a pint for you and me.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38It was a bit of fun, though, wasn't it?
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Thank you so much!
0:27:39 > 0:27:45That is a really interesting and quirky item and a first for us.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Well, I've just been joined by Peter, our next owner,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and it really is chocks away for us.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53I'm talking about that Concorde memorabilia,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and we're looking at £200 to £300.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Good luck with this. I think there's been a lot of interest.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Let's find out what the bidders think. Here we go. Look, Peter.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Let's watch it fly. This is it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Lot 640. Lovely collection of Concorde memorabilia.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Bids clearing at £100. £110 anywhere?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12£110. £120.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14£130. £140.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17£150. £160. £170.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19£180. £190.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23£200. £210. Your bid, sir, down the middle at £210.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28£220 anywhere? Selling, then, at £210.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Yes! £210. We just got it away.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33That was close, but it sold within estimate.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40'Nice to see a young bidder, and he looks so pleased with what he got.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Very happy with the price that I paid.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Probably would have gone higher. Really, really wanted it.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48And I thought, because it was such an iconic aircraft,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51it'd be a privilege to own a piece of history.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54'That's great. He's over the moon.'
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Done at £40?
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Thank you. £42. £42 in the room again...
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Did you know that Essex holds a rather dubious record?
0:29:02 > 0:29:06Back in the 1600s, more so-called witches
0:29:06 > 0:29:09were caught, tried and executed in this county
0:29:09 > 0:29:12than anywhere else in the UK, and much of it was down to one man.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15I went to Manningtree, which is just a few miles up the road,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17to find out more.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29'This is beautiful north Essex, a landscape of big skies,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32'meandering rivers and quaint villages.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37'But this peaceful rural idyll has a dark and disturbing history.'
0:29:39 > 0:29:42SHOUTING
0:29:43 > 0:29:47The 17th century was a turbulent time in our history.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48There was a violent civil war
0:29:48 > 0:29:51and clashes between Catholics and Protestants.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53And amongst all the chaos,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56old fears and superstitions about witchcraft and sorcery
0:29:56 > 0:29:58began to resurface
0:29:58 > 0:30:02and Essex became the epicentre of a witch-hunting frenzy.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09'Between the years of 1645 and 1647,
0:30:09 > 0:30:13'over 100 suspected witches were tried and executed,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15'a gruesome record that made the county
0:30:15 > 0:30:18'the most prolific killer of so-called witches
0:30:18 > 0:30:19'in the British Isles.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22'One man in particular became notorious
0:30:22 > 0:30:26'for his involvement in the witch hunts - Matthew Hopkins.'
0:30:28 > 0:30:33Matthew Hopkins was born in around 1620 in Great Wenham, in Suffolk.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34As a young man, he moved here,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37to the small market town of Manningtree in Essex,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40which was at the heart of the Puritan community
0:30:40 > 0:30:42in the east of England.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Now, at the time, witchcraft was a crime,
0:30:45 > 0:30:49and Hopkins saw the opportunity to forge a new career hunting witches.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52He essentially took the law into his own hands,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55and his search for suspects started right here.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00'Hopkins claimed to have overheard women in Manningtree
0:31:00 > 0:31:03'discussing their secret meetings with the devil,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07'and in 1645, he had the elderly widow Elizabeth Clarke imprisoned
0:31:07 > 0:31:10'on suspicion of witchcraft.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Hopkins employed methods of torture,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14such as sleep deprivation and starvation,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17to extract confessions.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20At Elizabeth Clarke's trial, he swore on oath
0:31:20 > 0:31:24that he witnessed four animals, allegedly possessed by demons,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26visit her during his interrogation,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30and as a result of Clarke's ordeal, she admitted to all the charges.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33She was found guilty and hanged.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37'Hopkins' gift for interrogation and persuasion
0:31:37 > 0:31:39'made him a compelling figure,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42'and to add weight to his authority as an investigator,
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'he gave himself the title of Witchfinder General.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49'He even claimed to have been appointed by Parliament.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52'This soon meant he was in high demand
0:31:52 > 0:31:54'in towns throughout the east of England,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'all of which were willing to pay handsomely
0:31:57 > 0:32:00'to rid them of supposed witches.'
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Many of those he accused were held here at Colchester Castle.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06It looks pleasant enough today, surrounded by flowers.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08It's a wonderful tourist attraction.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11But back in the 17th century, this was a corrupt jail,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14and the prisoners were kept in appalling conditions.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17And for those who fell victim to Hopkins' accusations,
0:32:17 > 0:32:22this was a place of terror, hell and desperation.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Now, this is Mistley, just a short distance from Manningtree,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37where Hopkins lived.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Now, local legend has it this lake was used by Hopkins
0:32:40 > 0:32:43for his infamous "swimming trials".
0:32:43 > 0:32:46'Suspects were tied up and thrown into the water.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49'If they floated, they were guilty of witchcraft,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52'at which point, they were taken away and executed.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57'If they sank, they were hauled out and subjected to a formal trial.'
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Either way, if Hopkins accused you of something,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02the outlook was pretty grim.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06'I met up with Professor Malcolm Gaskill
0:33:06 > 0:33:10'of the University of East Anglia, expert on the history of witchcraft,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13'to find out more about Matthew Hopkins.'
0:33:13 > 0:33:16What gave Matthew Hopkins his authority?
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Well, he didn't really have any authority.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Some people said that he had the authority of Parliament,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23but, really, this was during the English Civil War,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and the world was turned upside down and the law had been disturbed,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28and he just took it upon himself, really.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31And in those times, it was possible to do that.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Did he have a particular type of victim that he would go for?
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Well, they tended to be the most vulnerable members of the community.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40So, the poor and the elderly.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43People that couldn't defend themselves and speak up?
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Yeah, absolutely. And especially women.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46But when we say "his victims",
0:33:46 > 0:33:48of course, it actually took quite a lot of people
0:33:48 > 0:33:52to accuse somebody of witchcraft for it to be successful legally.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56So it wasn't just him - he was basically feeding on the suspicions
0:33:56 > 0:33:59and the anxieties of all the local people around him.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01What do you think his motives were?
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Well, people even at the time,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06his critics said that he was just motivated by the lust for money.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11Some people said it was actually a kind of a perversion on his part.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14But I think if we understand the context of the time -
0:34:14 > 0:34:16he was the son of a godly clergyman -
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I think actually, as unpalatable as it might seem,
0:34:19 > 0:34:21he thought he was doing the right thing
0:34:21 > 0:34:24and it was a sincere crusade against what he saw
0:34:24 > 0:34:27as the spread of the devil and of evil in these parts.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33'But how did Matthew Hopkins meet his own end?'
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Some people believe that Hopkins himself was actually subjected
0:34:36 > 0:34:38to the same tortures and punishments
0:34:38 > 0:34:40that he'd inflicted upon the witches,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42you know, at the height of his campaign.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44But it's actually said he was brought to a pond -
0:34:44 > 0:34:46probably this one here -
0:34:46 > 0:34:50and was thrown into the water to see if he'd float or if he would...
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- Go straight to the bottom? - ..sink, yeah.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54You know, and then was hauled out, or drowned.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57There's different versions of the story you find in folklore.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59- Why was HE subjected to it? - Well, I don't think he was.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01There's no evidence that he actually was.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03He probably almost certainly died of tuberculosis,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06just kind of faded away, but it makes a better story.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Do you think, because there's no definite conclusion, really,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10to what happened,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12do you think that's why this story and other stories like this
0:35:12 > 0:35:15- continue to get told? - Yeah, definitely.
0:35:15 > 0:35:16The stories that we have inside us
0:35:16 > 0:35:18need a beginning and a middle and an end,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and I think, given the sense of injustice
0:35:20 > 0:35:22of what happened round here,
0:35:22 > 0:35:23the, sort of, local trauma
0:35:23 > 0:35:26of so many people being arrested and executed,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28there's a very strong need to tell the story in a certain way,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31and I think that explains why there are so many legends,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and also why there are so many ghost stories associated with round here -
0:35:34 > 0:35:37both ghost sightings of Hopkins and also of his victims.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40- Well, I'll keep an eye out. - Yeah, do that! - THEY LAUGH
0:35:42 > 0:35:45'Whatever the truth behind the stories, there is no doubt
0:35:45 > 0:35:47'that in just three short years,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49'Hopkins' career as Witchfinder General
0:35:49 > 0:35:52'destroyed many innocent lives
0:35:52 > 0:35:55'and tore families and communities apart.'
0:35:55 > 0:35:58And what about the final part of the legend?
0:35:58 > 0:36:00Well, like the truth about his death,
0:36:00 > 0:36:02this place is more ordinary and less dramatic
0:36:02 > 0:36:05than a storyteller would have hoped for.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09These are the overgrown foundations of Mistley Heath Church,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11where, it is believed, Hopkins was buried.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16It's unlikely that the truth about Hopkins's death will ever be known,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19but as we've just seen, from the simplest foundations,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21rich folk history can build.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25And I'm sure you'll agree it's a fascinating yet gruesome story
0:36:25 > 0:36:28which is going to be told for generations to come.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Welcome back to our valuation day
0:36:42 > 0:36:44here at the magnificent Layer Marney Tower,
0:36:44 > 0:36:45just outside of Colchester.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47As you can see, it's still in full swing,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50hundreds of people waiting to see our experts,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52hoping they're going to be one of the lucky ones
0:36:52 > 0:36:54to go through to the auction later on.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56So let's now catch up with Elizabeth Talbot.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It's not as though we need any more light shedding on today,
0:37:00 > 0:37:01on this bright, sunny day,
0:37:01 > 0:37:03but you have brought a lovely light fitting.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05What can you tell me about it?
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Well, I spotted it when I was on holiday in Dorset,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10and I used to have a very old listed cottage,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12and I just fell in love with it,
0:37:12 > 0:37:13thought it was very ornate and pretty,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16and thought I'd buy it for my cottage.
0:37:16 > 0:37:17I do buy a lot of items,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20and I just thought it was really lovely and original.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22And did you instate it, install it in your cottage?
0:37:22 > 0:37:24We did actually fix it to one of the beams,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26but we didn't actually wire it up.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28- OK.- So we didn't actually have it working.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31So it looked as though it could have possibly shed light, but didn't. OK.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33So, did you actually have it rewired at all?
0:37:33 > 0:37:35No, that was like that when I bought it. Yeah.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39Cos obviously, what we have here is a late Victorian brass...
0:37:39 > 0:37:41what was originally a gas-fired light.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44It would have hung from the ceiling, as you say,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47and it has sort of a swivelling, gimballed end here
0:37:47 > 0:37:49so it could be slightly adjusted,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53and then the flow of gas would have been, obviously, operated
0:37:53 > 0:37:55from the little stop-cap there.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58But on and off would have been used by operating the pulley,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01sort of, the seesaw pulley on the chains there.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04In more recent times, it's been converted to electric
0:38:04 > 0:38:06for usage in modern houses.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09And the only other comment I'd make is that the shade,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12which is very pretty in its own right, is more of a 1930s type.
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Yes. I didn't think it was the original.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16- But it complements it. - It just looks pretty on there, yeah.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19So, have you have you no place for it in your current abode?
0:38:19 > 0:38:22No, cos unfortunately, I had to give up my cottage that I lived in,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and I've moved to a more modern house, which it doesn't suit at all.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- Suit it at all?- No.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29And also, to be fair, you need a degree of ceiling height
0:38:29 > 0:38:31to allow that to fall from the ceiling
0:38:31 > 0:38:33and not bang your head on it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35I mean, certainly, architectural features such as this
0:38:35 > 0:38:37which have been reclaimed from old properties
0:38:37 > 0:38:41and converted, made good so they can be put to modern usage are popular.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43So, the market at the moment
0:38:43 > 0:38:45is still very receptive to things like this.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47Having said that, this model is not rare.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49They were produced in vast quantities.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52And so it's not a scarcity, it's just a very nice example.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55And have you an idea of value? Or do you remember what you paid for it?
0:38:55 > 0:38:59I think I might, about 15 years ago, have paid about £35.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01- But I've no idea what the value is today.- And that was for a shop?
0:39:01 > 0:39:07That was, erm, yeah, a little gadget, sort of antiquey second-hand shop.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09So, when it comes to value, realistically,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11we should be looking at an estimate of about £30 to £50,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14which is the kind of value you paid for it when you bought it,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15but from a shop.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17I think if you bought this from a shop now,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19you'd be paying another 50% to 100% on top of that.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22So, it has gone up in real terms - it's just that to sell it at auction
0:39:22 > 0:39:24is slightly different from buying from a shop.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- But if you're happy with that valuation...- Yeah, that's fine.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30And if we put a reserve on it at the lower end, at, sort of, £30?
0:39:30 > 0:39:32- £30, yeah, that's fine. - Do you want that firm or...
0:39:32 > 0:39:34- No, that can be discretion. - Discretion? OK.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36But hopefully, we won't need it.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40And, yes, thank you so much for bringing it along. It's been lovely.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Now, Philip is next and he is displaying his creative flair.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52I'm just getting him in frame, just getting him in frame.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- Hi, I'm Philip. How are you? - Hi. George.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00George, good to see you, George. If you are going to have a camera,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02- this is the one to have, isn't it? - It is indeed, yes.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Ernst Leitz.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08The Leica camera, it is the Rolls-Royce of cameras, isn't it?
0:40:08 > 0:40:10It is indeed, yes. You can't get better.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14Well, no, you can't. And you can date them by the serial number here.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- Have you looked up the date? - Yes, we have.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19We've placed it sort of just before the 1940s, '35 to '40.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- This is pre-Second World War. - Pre-Second World War, yes.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24I just think they are a really good thing.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27I think it was Oskar Barnack who designed these cameras pre-1920s,
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- but have you owned this since it was new?- No, when I was about 16,
0:40:31 > 0:40:33my grandfather and grandmother were going to go to America
0:40:33 > 0:40:35and I said, "You need a decent camera,"
0:40:35 > 0:40:37and we went out and we bought this together
0:40:37 > 0:40:39and I had to teach him how to use it and...
0:40:39 > 0:40:41And when did you buy it? '60s?
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- '50s, '60s, something like that. - 1960s, something like that.
0:40:44 > 0:40:45What did it cost you?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48I really have no idea, I can't remember.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- Were you into your cameras? - I was into cameras,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52I used to enjoy developing my own films.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54That's why I convinced them to buy this -
0:40:54 > 0:40:56so I could develop the films when they got back.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00- A bit of a hidden agenda, really? - Yes, so...- You got it to buy you...
0:41:00 > 0:41:03And hopefully, one day, it might be passed down to me!
0:41:03 > 0:41:04- How sneaky is that?! - Looking ahead!
0:41:04 > 0:41:08It's funny because I was recently going to buy a camera
0:41:08 > 0:41:10and I was looking at the modern equivalent of one of these
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and somebody said to me, "You will pay £500 for the camera
0:41:13 > 0:41:15"and £1,000 for the name," because it is THE best name.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18So, why, now, do you want sell it?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Well, purely because film is so hard to get, it's all digital,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25they've killed it, and I believe Kodak have also gone out of business
0:41:25 > 0:41:27as well, because people aren't buying the film.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30That sounds to me like you are a dinosaur, sir.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- And this is called progress! - Yes, quite.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- No, but I agree with you. - It is, it's all digital now.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37- You lose all the old arts, don't you?- Yeah.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41You still get digital cameras where you can adjust and fiddle,
0:41:41 > 0:41:42but most people just leave it on auto.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46So, what you're saying, really, is that THAT is the craftsman's camera?
0:41:46 > 0:41:49- It is.- I've recently sold some Leica cameras
0:41:49 > 0:41:51and they are massively collectable,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53so in a way, you can put £1 - £2 on it
0:41:53 > 0:41:56and it will still make what it's worth.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Having said that, we're not going to do that.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03I think we need to put £200 - £400 as a broad estimate on it,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06put a fixed reserve on it of £200. Are you happy with that?
0:42:06 > 0:42:07Yes, yes, of course.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11It's better than sitting in the back of a drawer.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13George's camera was made in Germany
0:42:13 > 0:42:16just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Ernst Leitz, a German Protestant and owner of the Leica firm at the time,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24helped many Jewish people escape from persecution.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28They trained up Jews known to be at risk as sales staff
0:42:28 > 0:42:30and obtained exit permits
0:42:30 > 0:42:33and sent them to safety to work in their showrooms overseas.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35It is believed that
0:42:35 > 0:42:37they saved hundreds of people from the Holocaust
0:42:37 > 0:42:40and the Leica Freedom Train, as it is known,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43can be compared to the famous Schindler's List.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59While our experts are hard at work,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01I'm also on the lookout for items of furniture.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03My passion is wood.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05I love it in the cut and felled form,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07but also in the living, organic form.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10And here is a wonderful example of - can you guess what this tree is?
0:43:10 > 0:43:11It's a tulip tree.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14They can only flower after ten years of first planting them,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18and I'd say this one is around about 150 years old.
0:43:18 > 0:43:19But tulipwood is a wonderful veneer
0:43:19 > 0:43:23used throughout the 17th century on fine pieces of furniture,
0:43:23 > 0:43:26which really, really does correlate with such a magnificent house.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28I wonder if we can find anything made of tulipwood here today.
0:43:28 > 0:43:29Who knows?
0:43:32 > 0:43:36'Back over to Philip, who has found something rather sweet.'
0:43:37 > 0:43:39- How are you, Anne? - I'm very hot today.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- Very, very hot? - But it's a lovely day.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Well, this is an ideal day for strawberries and cream,
0:43:44 > 0:43:46- and we've got the old sugar sifter, haven't we?- Yes.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48How long have you had this?
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Erm, nearly 60 years, cos it was a wedding present.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53It's a beautiful thing. Why have you made up your mind it's time to go?
0:43:53 > 0:43:57Because it's not very practical for today's living, really.
0:43:57 > 0:44:01We don't use it. We used to use it quite a bit. But not any more.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04- That's dining in style, isn't it? - Well, yes.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08- Now, do you know what these hallmarks mean?- No, I don't.
0:44:08 > 0:44:10- If we look there...- Yep.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12..that P is a date code,
0:44:12 > 0:44:16- which I think is around 1910, something like that.- Right.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18- That's a leopard's head.- Yep.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21And that tells us that this was assayed in London.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25There were assay offices in Sheffield, Birmingham, London,
0:44:25 > 0:44:28and that's where, to prove that something is silver,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31you sent it to the assay office, you had to pay for it,
0:44:31 > 0:44:33and they stamped it just like this,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- and that's basically your hallmark to say that it's silver.- Right.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41So if you turn it up, on the bottom, it's got...
0:44:41 > 0:44:45"Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company, Regent Street, London."
0:44:45 > 0:44:47- Right.- You don't want better than that, do you?
0:44:47 > 0:44:49- Oh. Well, that sounds good. - That is the best.
0:44:49 > 0:44:50They were set up in 1880,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53and I think in 1952, they merged with Garrard,
0:44:53 > 0:44:55so you've got the best retailers' name.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58And they were the best. This is a wonderful quality thing.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01- Oh, right.- So, now, we've got to decide what it's worth.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- This has an intrinsic value as an item.- Yes.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07But almost in a way, the base price of this
0:45:07 > 0:45:09- is the scrap value of silver.- Mmm.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11- So, what we do...- Yep.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13..is we get some scales out...
0:45:14 > 0:45:18..and we just put that on there... like that.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20I think they've given me the heaviest elastic band in the world.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24- Oh, right.- OK? And then we just get that up there like that, look.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28I thought it was about 9oz, but the old scales are showing up at 10.2,
0:45:28 > 0:45:30and it always pays to be a little bit cautious.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34So, you know, it's between, I would say, roughly 9 and 9½ ounces.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38I don't think my hands are that steady when I'm supporting it, so...
0:45:38 > 0:45:40- But it gives us a clue. That's the point.- Yes. OK.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42- 9oz. There we are.- OK.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45And we know that silver is very roughly
0:45:45 > 0:45:48about £10 an ounce at the minute - between £10 and £12 an ounce.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52- Oh. Right.- And I think an auction estimate for this is in the...
0:45:52 > 0:45:56and this is a base price - is £80 to £120.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58Might make £100 to £150.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02But I do want £100 for reserve.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05Right. Here's the simple question. Do you want to sell it?
0:46:05 > 0:46:06- Well, yes.- Right.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10Then how about if you put an estimate on it of £100 to £150
0:46:10 > 0:46:12and you put a reserve on it at £100,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15but you give the auctioneer 10% discretion?
0:46:15 > 0:46:19- OK.- All right? So that he's got £10 he can play with if he wants to.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22But I think...I'd be disappointed if he needed it,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24cos I think that's a really stylish thing.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26- Yes. It's a lovely shape. - It is, yeah.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30I think our silver sugar sifter is going to go to auction
0:46:30 > 0:46:32and we're going to get the sweet smell of success.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Good. I hope so.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38'It's a good-quality item, so there's no reason why not.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42'Now over to Elizabeth, who's also found something stylish.'
0:46:42 > 0:46:44- Reenie, hello.- Hello.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47You've made a real highlight for my day today
0:46:47 > 0:46:49by bringing in this lovely Clarice Cliff.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52What is the history behind this set?
0:46:52 > 0:46:56Well, my husband, his brother and sister bought it
0:46:56 > 0:47:00for their mother's and father's silver wedding.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- And when was that?- In 1932.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- Really?- Yes. - And where did they buy it from?
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- From the Ideal Home Exhibition.- OK.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11So, they were buying very fashionable things in those days
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- to make a very special present. - Mm-hm.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17I suppose the family have lost any idea
0:47:17 > 0:47:19of how much they paid for it at that time?
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- I don't know. - No, they wouldn't know.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25- So, you have inherited it through the family?- Yes. Yeah.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28- And do you like it? - REENIE CHUCKLES
0:47:28 > 0:47:30Well, we've always looked after it.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Well, I used to let the children play with it.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35- Oh, did you? - THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:47:35 > 0:47:37So, like a little tea set to have a bit of a play with?
0:47:37 > 0:47:40- But do you like it, though? - Yes, we like it, yes.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43- It's different, yes. - It's definitely different.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46We've always kept it, you know, in a cabinet.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50Well, they were obviously buying it in a very important era,
0:47:50 > 0:47:53both in terms of Clarice Cliff's own career
0:47:53 > 0:47:55and also in terms of the height of fashion
0:47:55 > 0:47:58that she was producing for at that stage.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03So, what we have here is a set which is called the Bonjour shape,
0:48:03 > 0:48:06and the pattern, very appropriately for today,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08is called the Summer House pattern.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12- Oh, yes?- And it's part of the Fantasque range that she made.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16But what's important about this from a collector's point of view
0:48:16 > 0:48:18is the angular elements to it -
0:48:18 > 0:48:20so, the handles,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23the solid, blocked-in, triangular handles on the cups,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26this amazing triangular-section spout,
0:48:26 > 0:48:28and of course, the handle on the coffee pot,
0:48:28 > 0:48:30which is also triangular.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33And all these elements to the milk jug and the sugar basin
0:48:33 > 0:48:37all reflecting this very Art Deco feeling that was introduced
0:48:37 > 0:48:41in all of the high-end design in the 1920s and '30s.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Now, they were buying this in 1930...?
0:48:43 > 0:48:47- Well, as far as I know, in 1932.- Yes. OK.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48So, that would tie in beautifully.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50Now, I can't help noticing that,
0:48:50 > 0:48:53probably through the play of the children, I don't know,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55there are one or two little hairline cracks and chips.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57That's the trouble. I'd let them play tea parties.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00Well, all I can say is that it's kind of a shame,
0:49:00 > 0:49:02but it adds to the story, it's all part of its history.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04You've brought it along today
0:49:04 > 0:49:07because you decided that it's time to part with it?
0:49:07 > 0:49:12- Yes, in a way.- And have you any idea of its potential value?
0:49:12 > 0:49:14- Do you know what it might be worth? - Not really.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17I know they were worth a good bit a year or two back,
0:49:17 > 0:49:19but not quite so much now.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22You're quite right. Things have settled down and come backwards a little bit.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24There was such an explosion of interest
0:49:24 > 0:49:26and the values were so high two or three years ago,
0:49:26 > 0:49:29it kind of had to give way a little bit.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31But I think it's just the elements of distress
0:49:31 > 0:49:33which are visible on some of the pieces
0:49:33 > 0:49:37which will keep that value, sort of, reined in a bit.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39I think that we should really be looking
0:49:39 > 0:49:43at an open market value at auction of between...
0:49:43 > 0:49:46I'd have thought £800 and £1,200 for it.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48- Mm-hm.- Um...
0:49:48 > 0:49:50It is a very specialist market.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53There is enough here, I think, to draw a lot of attention,
0:49:53 > 0:49:58and despite the damage, I would hope it would make that sort of money.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- Yes.- So, we place a reserve on it at £800,
0:50:01 > 0:50:03if that's all right and suitable for you.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07- Yeah.- Hopefully it will make somewhere above £800.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09- Yes, OK.- Wonderful.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10Well, thank you so much for packing it up
0:50:10 > 0:50:12and bringing it safely to us today.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- It's lovely to see it.- That's all right. We've enjoyed ourselves.
0:50:15 > 0:50:20'What a lovely lady, and I like the design. It's rather chic.'
0:50:21 > 0:50:24What a fabulous day we've had here at Layer Marney Tower.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29We have found some real gems worthy of such historic settings,
0:50:29 > 0:50:31and I know everybody's thoroughly enjoyed themselves, haven't you?
0:50:31 > 0:50:34But right now, we've got some unfinished business,
0:50:34 > 0:50:36so it's time to say goodbye to Layer Marney Tower
0:50:36 > 0:50:38as we head over to the auction room for the very last time.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42And here's our experts' choices to be put under the hammer.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46'Elizabeth spotted this converted gas light fitting,
0:50:46 > 0:50:47'which is highly decorative.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52'Philip is hoping for the sweet smell of success,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55'and I think he will get it from this silver sugar shaker.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59'We have this cracking Clarice Cliff coffee set,
0:50:59 > 0:51:01'which should bring the collectors out in force.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05'The classic Leica camera is very likely to be snapped up.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12'We're back in Rayleigh, at Stacey's Auctioneers,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15'where today's sale is taking place.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18'Before the auction started, I had a chat with auctioneer Mark
0:51:18 > 0:51:20'about Reenie's coffee set.'
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Now, you know I'm not a big Clarice Cliff fan,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27but when I see this, I kind of like it,
0:51:27 > 0:51:30because I know it's rare - the Summer House pattern.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32And you don't see this every day of the week.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35Lovely coffee set. There's a tiny bit of damage.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37We've got £800 to £1,200 on this.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40- And this was bought at the Ideal Home Exhibition in 1932.- Really?
0:51:40 > 0:51:43So, you see, it's got great history. It's got everything going for it.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45I agree with you, Paul. Great pattern.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48One problem I do have is the lid - it's not the right lid.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50If you have a look at it and have a play around with it...
0:51:50 > 0:51:53- LID JIGGLES - Yeah, far too small, isn't it?
0:51:53 > 0:51:55And it's also got an orange band.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58So, it should be a yellow band, as the same as the saucers.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- We didn't pick up on that. - So that's a little bit of a problem.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04But in saying that, it's a rare pattern, it's still going to sell.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06We've got a huge amount of collectors for this Clarice Cliff,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09and it's going to make £1,200 plus.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11So, despite the wrong lid,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13- it's going to do the top end of our estimate?- No problem.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15OK, if it had the right lid, what, £1,800, then?
0:52:15 > 0:52:18I would hope so, yeah. Yeah. But it makes a big difference.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20It does, doesn't it, actually?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22- Unless you're colour-blind. - HE LAUGHS
0:52:23 > 0:52:25'We didn't spot the problem with the lid,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28'but it sounds like it's still one to watch.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31'First, though, we have the light fitting up for sale.'
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Going under the hammer right now,
0:52:33 > 0:52:35we've got a vintage converted gas lamp.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38It belongs to Carol, who, I think, has got a good eye for detail.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41- Haven't you?- Yeah.- And you've bought a lot from old salvage yards.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45I have. I had an old cottage and was always on the lookout for things.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47- Yeah. And it's great fun, isn't it? - I love it, yeah.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51- Elizabeth.- Yes? - Is this a difficult thing to sell?
0:52:51 > 0:52:53You need the right person with an eye for it, as were the case.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55If you've got the spot for it,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57it's a perfect original feature for an interior.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59So it might prove difficult,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01but at the money, it's a good buy, for an original.
0:53:01 > 0:53:02It's a good buy for the money.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05But as Elizabeth said, we need somebody with imagination.
0:53:05 > 0:53:10< A brass gas lamp as catalogued. £20 to start.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13£20 is bid. £22. £25.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17At £25 now. Any advances? £25 for the last time.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Are we all done at £25?
0:53:19 > 0:53:21- £28.- Oh!- Just. Ooh! We're going to do it.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24- We need £30, don't we? - Dealer's discretion.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26£28 now and selling.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31- It's gone.- Good. Well done. - You've decluttered, haven't you?
0:53:31 > 0:53:34It doesn't suit the house. It's best sold to a collector.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Good. I'm glad somebody will have use for it.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40'Well, that's right - if it's not being used or enjoyed, move it on.'
0:53:41 > 0:53:42140...
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Right, going under the hammer, well,
0:53:47 > 0:53:48we've got that wonderful Leica camera
0:53:48 > 0:53:51and I am standing next to a man, George,
0:53:51 > 0:53:52who was born with quality,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54he was born with the eye, weren't you?
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Because at the young age of 16, you knew quality when you saw it.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59- That's right.- You persuaded Grandad to buy it.- I did, yes.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Anyway, we're going to find out what the bidders think.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03Here we are, this is it. Good luck.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07We come to the Leica camera as catalogued.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08I have two commission bids.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11I must start the bidding, to clear the book, at £210.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14- The bid is at 210. - That's good.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16210, 220 anywhere? 220 on the internet.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18230 is back with me.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20240, 250.
0:54:20 > 0:54:21My bid, on the commissions.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23Against you, internet bidder.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25At £250, fair warning, then,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27it's a commission bid and I shall sell.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Hammer is going down.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- Did it. It's gone. You're happy, a happy man.- I'm very happy, yeah.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- At least it's going to a home that can appreciate it.- Yeah.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39Do you know, I think that's iconic. I'd like that on a shelf at home.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41- It's a piece of sculpture as well. - Oh, gosh, yes.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42- It doesn't get much better than that.- No.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45Great result!
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Going under the hammer right now, we have a silver sugar shaker.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52It's Edwardian, but it's in the Queen Anne style,
0:54:52 > 0:54:54and it belongs to Anne, who I know is feeling a little bit nervous,
0:54:54 > 0:54:57because this is your first auction, isn't it?
0:54:57 > 0:54:58- Really, it is. - An antique auction.- Yes.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00But look, fingers crossed we get this away.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03- Cos this is for charity. - All the money's going to charity?
0:55:03 > 0:55:04Can you remind us which charity again?
0:55:04 > 0:55:08- Farleigh Hospice, near Chelmsford. - OK.- For a very dear friend.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10OK. And are you involved with this charity?
0:55:10 > 0:55:12No, I'm not, but she was,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14and raised thousands of pounds on sponsored walks,
0:55:14 > 0:55:16and we lost her last year.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18- Oh, that's sad. - I hope it does really well for you.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Yes. Good luck, both of you.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25< We have a Queen Anne-style silver sugar sifter, as catalogued.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28< Commission bids, I have. Must start the bidding at £80.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31£85 anywhere? Are we all done, then, at £80 only?
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Cheap lot. And I shall sell, then, at 80 pou...
0:55:33 > 0:55:35£85, thank you. £90.
0:55:35 > 0:55:36£95. £100. £110.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40£120. £130. £130 on the commission, against you at the back.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43That was a nice little climb. Very quickly.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45Last chance, then, please, at one hun...
0:55:45 > 0:55:48Come again? £140. New bidder. I'm out.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Commission bid's now at £140. £140 on my left.
0:55:50 > 0:55:54At £140. Hammer's going down.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56- That's a good result. - I think that sold well.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- Good-looking thing, though. - Got a good result?
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- Yes, I'm pleased.- £140. Happy? - Yes, I am.- Good, good.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05'A good amount of money for the hospice. I am so pleased.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08'Now here's Reenie with her lovely coffee set.'
0:56:09 > 0:56:13Well, I know we always say it, but Clarice Cliff doesn't let us down.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15It is one of our old favourites,
0:56:15 > 0:56:17and we've got a lot coming up for you right now,
0:56:17 > 0:56:18hopefully for you to enjoy.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20We could have a surprise.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22It belongs to Reenie, and not for much longer.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24- It's great to see you!- Yes.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26It's that wonderful Summer House pattern.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28Why are you selling it, anyway, Reenie?
0:56:28 > 0:56:30It's just a matter of making more space.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34OK. Hopefully, we're going to get that top end plus a lot.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36- I hope so.- Oh, I think we will. - Do you reckon?
0:56:36 > 0:56:39Well, Clarice always does the business, and you know that.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41I was just a bit hesitant, cos a bit damaged.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43You know, if I was bidding...
0:56:43 > 0:56:45It's better to be cautious. Better to be cautious.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Good luck, Reenie. This is it. We're over there, look.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52We come now to the Clarice Cliff Summer House pattern coffee set.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54Lovely set, it is, too,
0:56:54 > 0:56:58and to prove it, I have one, two, three, four, five commission bids.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01- Wow. - I must start the bidding at £950.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05Straight in at £900. Well, it's gone.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08£1,000 on the internet. £1,050 is bid.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10Against you, internet bidder.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12£1,100.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15£1,050. £1,200, I will take, internet bidder.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Thank you. £1,200.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19- £1,250 is back with me. - Top end of the estimate now.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20£1,250 now. £1,250.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23£1,300 if you like. £1,300 is bid.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25£1,350 back with me.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Commission bid's at £1,350.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30£1,400 if you like, internet bidder. Have you finished?
0:57:30 > 0:57:35It's here with me on the commissions, then, at £1,350.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37£1,400. New bidder in the room. £1,400.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- That was... That was late legs! - Sneaky!
0:57:40 > 0:57:45£1,500. I'm out. It's in the room now at £1,500.
0:57:45 > 0:57:47Any advances? Are we all done?
0:57:47 > 0:57:50The hammer's going down.
0:57:50 > 0:57:52- Whack! £1,500. - APPLAUSE
0:57:52 > 0:57:56Just over the top end of the estimate. We did it.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58- The auctioneer was right. - He was right, yes.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00He was confident he'd get that away, despite the damage.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02You see, it doesn't pay to restore things.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04It doesn't matter if it's damaged.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06Just put it into auction and let somebody else have the problem.
0:58:06 > 0:58:11Well done, you. 20% commission here, including VAT.
0:58:11 > 0:58:13- So, you'll get a cheque in the post in a month.- Yes.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16- Happy with that?- Yes.- You've got to be over the moon, haven't you?
0:58:16 > 0:58:18I know your son's here with you looking after you,
0:58:18 > 0:58:21so, look, take care and thank you so much for coming in.
0:58:21 > 0:58:22Oh, she's off already!
0:58:24 > 0:58:28'Well, she's off to celebrate with the family, and why not?'
0:58:28 > 0:58:31Well, that's it. The hammer's gone down for the last time
0:58:31 > 0:58:34for us here in the east of England.
0:58:34 > 0:58:37It's not easy putting a value on an antique, as you've just seen,
0:58:37 > 0:58:39but I think our experts did rather well.
0:58:39 > 0:58:41I hope you've enjoyed today's show.
0:58:41 > 0:58:43We've thoroughly enjoyed being here in Essex.
0:58:43 > 0:58:45So until the next time, it's goodbye.