0:00:05 > 0:00:08Meet Oakham. He's a rare Suffolk Punch horse.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10They're known as Suffolks for short.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13And if you haven't guessed where the show is coming from today,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15the clue is in the name.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17And I don't mean Oakham. Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:41 > 0:00:43Today's valuations come from Ickworth House,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46which I'm sure you've guessed is in Suffolk.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Ickworth is an Italianate palace built for the extravagant
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Hervey family - the Marquesses of Bristol.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54Created in 1795,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57the Hervey family were surrounded by a community of staff
0:00:57 > 0:01:01and villagers, who made the estate a self-sustaining
0:01:01 > 0:01:03way of life for nearly 200 years.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Now a Grade I listed building, the National Trust look after
0:01:12 > 0:01:15the house and the estate for all of us to enjoy today.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17And they've certainly got their work cut out today.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We've got a wonderful crowd that have turned up,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21laden with antiques and collectibles,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24all hoping they're one of the lucky ones to go through to the auction
0:01:24 > 0:01:25later on in the programme.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29But before that can happen,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32our two experts have to get busy with those stickers.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34I'll give you a yellow sticker.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Can we have a look in your bag, see what we've brought along?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- What colour are you, yellow? - Yellow today, look.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42I can see more than four or five yellow stickers from here.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44I've been up early.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46We've got the ever-eager Will Axon...
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Right, the late arrivals at the back of the queue.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51What was it, lie-in today, was it, this morning?
0:01:51 > 0:01:53What have we got? Come and show me your treasure.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56And the equally industrious Adam Partridge.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Anyone fancy a pinch of snuff?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00THEY LAUGH
0:02:00 > 0:02:01- Go on, then.- No chance!
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Today "Flog It!" have the run of Ickworth,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07with valuations taking place within the West Wing,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12inside the splendour of the rotunda and amongst the Italianate gardens.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18So, what are we waiting for? Let's get everybody in.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26On today's show we've got two unloved items.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31He saw it and took a bit of a gamble on it,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33and paid far too much, I think.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36You've brought along this lovely glass vase.
0:02:36 > 0:02:37Whatever you say. SHE LAUGHS
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- You don't like it?- I don't like it.
0:02:40 > 0:02:4150, I'll take five.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44But which one will raise the roof over in Yorkshire?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Yep.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47LAUGHTER
0:02:47 > 0:02:50He's just wanting to steal the show, isn't he?
0:02:51 > 0:02:53You'll just have to wait and see.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Fingers crossed, everybody. I hope you have a great day.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04As you can see, everybody's safely seated inside the West Wing
0:03:04 > 0:03:08which, at one stage, was used by the Hervey family to play squash in.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10The Fourth Marquess installed the court.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Right now it's time to catch up with our experts
0:03:12 > 0:03:13and get on with the valuing.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18And talking of the Marquess of Bristol, we are
0:03:18 > 0:03:21heading over first to the elegant surroundings of the rotunda,
0:03:21 > 0:03:25where the Hervey family are watching over Will Axon in the dining room.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Colin, I've been reliably informed that the Fourth Marquess,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33who is hanging on the wall down behind us there,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35had a Wolseley Super Six in his garage.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38But I think what he should have had is the old Mercedes Kompressor.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I mean, it's quite a bit of kit, isn't it?
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- Yep.- Tell me, are you a toy collector?- Yes, I do like my toys.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48I go to the car boots and have a look about. Get what I can.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- So you're a car booter? - Yeah, definitely.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55- Ever gone to auctions to buy?- No, I haven't been to auctions yet.- OK.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58My initial thought was that it was a Schuco clockwork car.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59But it's not.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04- I suppose it's pronounced Gescha. - Yeah, Gescha.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09The firm was established in Germany, in Nuremberg, circa 1923.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11That sort of period. As we always say with toys,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15the box is as important, almost, as the toy that's in it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17So, you've got the original box, which is nice.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Let's call it a little bit scuffed.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21It's certainly not in mint condition, is it?
0:04:21 > 0:04:25Let's open it up and see what's inside.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- Look at that, the car inside is in lovely condition.- Yeah.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And I see here as well in the box we've got the original key,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34that's always nice to have as well.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38This is a bit of fun as well. The old sort of starting grid.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Yeah, a pit board starting grid. - Yeah, pit board starting grid.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43With a few names there, probably F1 drivers of the time.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- At the time, yeah. - Campbell - that's Malcolm, I think.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Is it Donald's father?- Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:53Fagioli, we all know an Italian racing car driver, don't we?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I imagine he would have been in the Ferrari, not the Mercedes.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- Yeah, I should imagine so. - We know you got it from a car boot.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01I'm going to be cheeky and find out how much you paid for it.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- Tell me, go on.- The grand sum of £5. - Oh, dear, a bluey.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- You had to pull a bluey out, did you?- Yeah, a bluey out, yeah.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I did try and knock them down but they weren't going to have it.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I would say, on your fiver, let's stick a nought on the end.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- How do you think a sort of £50-£80 as an estimate?- Yeah.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- Yeah, you happy with that? - Yeah, 50 to 80.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- Let's reserve it at that £50, yeah?- Yeah.- Good.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- I tell you what, does it work? - Yeah, it works fine. It's fine.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Let's have a look. Hang on, let me get this key.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30If I give it a wind up...
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I won't wind it up too much because what I don't want it to do
0:05:33 > 0:05:35is go flying through that door, into the library
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- and knock over the priceless vase. - Nor do I.- Exactly, yeah.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It's still yours, you are liable for this. I'm doing it under duress.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Let's pop her on the carpet and off you go, Mercedes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47TYRES SCREECH
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Phew! No damage caused.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52It's a bit more dent-proof over in the West Wing,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56where Adam has found some reassuringly robust silverware.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03- Well, Jackie, what a lovely set of bonbon dishes here.- They are.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- Now, tell me, where did you get them from?- They were my grandmother's.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09But they've been in the family for a long time.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- They have, haven't they? I think they are delightful.- Yes.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- And they're nice quality, as well. - They are unusual.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18They're very nicely worked. I'll just pick one up.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Some of these are paper-thin.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23These ones, I'm putting force on them there
0:06:23 > 0:06:26and they're not bending an inch. So they are quality.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29They are nicely worked, pierced and embossed.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32They're by a decent firm of makers.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36There's a D&F on the bottom, which stands for Deacon and Francis.
0:06:36 > 0:06:43Which was a Birmingham manufacturer. The date letter there is for 1891.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Right.- They are lovely. And you've got a set of six.- Yes.
0:06:45 > 0:06:50- In the original case. Do you use them at all?- No. No.- Why not?
0:06:50 > 0:06:52The occasion doesn't really arise to put them out now.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I think you've put your finger on it there
0:06:54 > 0:06:56because people don't really use them.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And you're not going to think, oh, I must get those out the side board,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02those six silver dishes, and fill them up with things.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Which is a great shame. It would be nice to get them out.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07You need other things to go with them.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- You know, beautiful glasses, beautiful china.- You're quite right.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But clearly, they have
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- some sentimental value as well, don't they?- They do.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17- Down to the price, then.- OK.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20We've had our off-screen valuers look at them.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- They've told me £150-£200.- Mm-hmm.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- Definitely.- Not enough, is it? - No, no.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- I think they'll make about £300.- OK.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- How does that fit with your expectations?- Yes, that's better.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Better?- Much better, yeah.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39I'd like to put an estimate of £200-£300 to encourage interest.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- What do you think about that? - Yep, that would be fine.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45What's the very minimum you think you'd take for them?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- 250.- Yeah, I think that's sensible.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50In which case, we'll have to put the bottom estimate at 250
0:07:50 > 0:07:52because you cannot mislead people. £250-£300.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57- And they go on the internet?- Oh, yeah. Photographs on the internet.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- I shall make sure of it.- Good.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01What would you do with the money if it made £300?
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Well... My son is getting married next year.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Oh! Congratulations!- Yeah, so...
0:08:07 > 0:08:12- A trip up there, I guess.- OK. A wedding next year.- Yes.- Very good.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- And you're happy about that, I presume?- I am, yes.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- Good choice, has he made a good choice?- Oh, yes, she's lovely.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20I'll be very happy to call her daughter-in-law.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Oh, good! What a lovely story. And thanks very much for coming.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24- You're very welcome.- OK.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Now, behind the cameras on a evaluation day,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31there's a whole team of "Flog It!" crew making it all happen.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34But what happened behind-the-scenes in a stately home?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39The history of Ickworth isn't just restricted
0:08:39 > 0:08:41to the grand rooms upstairs.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45We all know life was just as busy below stairs.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Where I am now would have been the busiest part of the house.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53It connects the main kitchen to all the little service stations
0:08:53 > 0:08:55that you can see here.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Stations were preparing food, game cupboards, dough bins,
0:09:00 > 0:09:04dairy areas, cold storage, you name it, it's all here.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08You can just imagine, can't you, scullery maids, chambermaids,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13footmen - all under the watchful eye of the housekeeper and the butler.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17So, in an orderly fashion,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20let's make our way to the sunshine of the pleasure grounds.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Well, Georgie,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28we're standing in this wonderful garden before this 18th-century
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Italian-inspired rotunda, which is quite something, isn't it?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34And you've brought along something that's been
0:09:34 > 0:09:37inspired by a culture on the other side of the world.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Why don't we open it up
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and show everyone at home what you've brought in today.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45A rather special, I think, travelling easel clock.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Where does it come from?
0:09:47 > 0:09:50We only found it when my parents passed away
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- and we had to sort the place out. - Yes.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55We found it in the wardrobe or drawer, I can't remember.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58So it's never been out on display, you don't remember it?
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- Don't remember it at all.- No?
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- Do you have any idea where your parents got it from?- No.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04The only thing I could think of is that
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- it's possibly from their parents. - OK.- My grandparents.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Because it's actually got a rather good pedigree, shall we say.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We've got a mark here on the inside of the cover -
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Callow of Mount Street in Mayfair. Really top-class retailers.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I mean, you're talking, you know, this is where
0:10:21 > 0:10:25the moneyed folk went to buy their goods.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28And then, the clock itself, it's certainly striking, isn't it?
0:10:28 > 0:10:31I mean, this is what we call chinoiserie decoration,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35inspired by the sort of Western interpretation of Chinese designs,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39very popular around the time of this clock, circa 1920, should we say.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44You've got this shagreen background. Shagreen is ray skin.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It's an expensive material - it's a sign of quality.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Then you've got this rather fine lacquering.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53You can see it's almost proud of the surface, it's 3D.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57That's just a building up of layers of lacquer
0:10:57 > 0:10:59that takes some time and certainly skill.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Then you've got this faux bamboo border.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Which, again, is just a little touch that lifts it above the rest.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Georgie, your parents obviously didn't think much of it,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- cos they had it tucked away.- Mm-hmm.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Tell me, do you like it?
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- I'm not sure, really.- You haven't made your mind up?- No. No.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- Maybe when I tell you what it's worth.- Possibly.
0:11:20 > 0:11:21SHE LAUGHS
0:11:21 > 0:11:23I'm going to try and see
0:11:23 > 0:11:27if I can get it into sale with an estimate straddling that £200 mark.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- OK.- Could we say £150-£250 as an estimate?- Yes.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32- You're happy with that?- Yep.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Let's have a bit of confidence on my valuation
0:11:35 > 0:11:39- and fix the reserve at 150, what do you think?- Yep, that's fine.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Georgie, it's really nice for you to bring this along to us today.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46All that's left now is for Elizabeth to do her job on the rostrum
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- and hopefully get it away at the auction.- Yeah.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51- Georgie, thanks very much. - Thank you. Thank you.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02I was very pleased to see our next item walk through the doors.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Tracey, thank you so much for bringing a piece of furniture in.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- We brought it in for you. - Thank you!- That was the whole idea.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15We just don't see enough! Please bring furniture in
0:12:15 > 0:12:17because this is the only piece we have here today.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I'm absolutely in love with it as well.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23I think this is a little treat and if I just go like that,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26you can see it flattens out into a good working surface.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29But if you do this...
0:12:29 > 0:12:30and put that up...
0:12:30 > 0:12:33you've got a lectern or a little easel.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36It's portable, you can fold it up.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40It's almost like a little bit of campaign furniture.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Right, I like this, I'm off!
0:12:43 > 0:12:45How long have you had this?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48I've only had it about six months. Because we live in a modern place,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50I'm not allowed to have furniture like this in the house.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53So I buy stuff, photograph and measure it and everything
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- and then I sell it on to buy another piece.- 1930s, I would say.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59It's made by Hatherley in Gloucestershire.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Now this design was patented by Charles Allen Jones
0:13:03 > 0:13:06in the 1880s, this whole geometric bracing.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08And you can see it in Hatherley stepladders.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Do you know the good old Victorian stepladders?
0:13:10 > 0:13:15Well, I've had a couple of those myself, just to look at and monitor kind of thing.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16My dad has one as well!
0:13:16 > 0:13:21Sadly, we don't have it any more but it had exactly the same thing, made of English oak.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23I think it's faultless as well, it's had a lot of use, it's nice
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and dry, but look at the top.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Somebody has put something here that's stained the oak. I like that.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33That's part of this table's use and social history.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35It's got character and personality and I'm sure,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39with a bit of polish, this will look absolutely beautiful.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Well, I think that's superb and just look at the lines on that.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- Yes, it's classic, I think.- That's 20th-century modern at its best.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50- How much did you pay for this? - £20.- Is that all?- Oh, yes.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52I think you could easily double your money at auction.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- That would be great. - Would you like to sell this?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Yes, I need to sell it and buy the next piece.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00OK, well, let's put this into auction with a valuation
0:14:00 > 0:14:03of maybe £40 to £60 with a reserve on at £40.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07- That would be great.- I'm sure you'll get that and hopefully you'll get the top end because somebody
0:14:07 > 0:14:10that loves design will absolutely love playing with this.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16It's time for me to take the opportunity
0:14:16 > 0:14:18for a look around the area.
0:14:27 > 0:14:33In 1908, a Scottish barrister called Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie
0:14:33 > 0:14:37inherited the village of Thorpeness on the Suffolk coast.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Originally a small fishing hamlet,
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Ogilvie decided to carry out an extraordinary experiment -
0:14:45 > 0:14:49to transform Thorpeness into a fantasy holiday destination.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57His vision was to create a place of dreams with whimsical architecture,
0:14:57 > 0:15:02fairy-tale features and unique elements I'll be exploring later.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Here, people could enjoy a traditional English holiday
0:15:05 > 0:15:09in surroundings that would stimulate the adults
0:15:09 > 0:15:11and fire the imagination of the children.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Ogilvie had holiday homes built in the Jacobean
0:15:15 > 0:15:17and Tudor revival styles,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and they're all furnished with everything a holiday-maker
0:15:20 > 0:15:24would require for the perfect wholesome break.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Tennis courts, a golf club,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30a church and even a pub were all centred around the boating lake.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Today, the Ogilvies still have a strong presence in the village
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and Glencairn's great-grandson, the current Glen Ogilvie,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40is a font of knowledge about this enchanting place.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48His idea was to have a village where there was something for everybody,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and he's famously quoted as having said, "If children are happy, parents
0:15:52 > 0:15:56"have a holiday," and I think that's as true today as it was back in 1910.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58It certainly was with our children
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and indeed with our grandchildren now.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04At the heart of the village,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08the Meare is an enormous boating lake covering over 60 acres.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12But this is not a natural lake. It's completely man-made
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and was designed by the creative Ogilvie to be full of make-believe
0:16:16 > 0:16:19features inspired by Charles Dickens
0:16:19 > 0:16:24and a friend of the family, JM Barrie, of Peter Pan fame.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The construction of the lake started in 1911
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and was completed two years later in 1913.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35It was dug out all by hand by local men, some of them local fishermen
0:16:35 > 0:16:37when they couldn't get off to sea,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41but it's nowhere more than three feet deep, so it's safe for children,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44although we've had hundreds of wet muddy children,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47including me, my children, my grandchildren...
0:16:49 > 0:16:53In August 1912, the very first regatta took place on the Meare
0:16:53 > 0:16:57and continues to this day as an annual tradition, in the same
0:16:57 > 0:17:01way that many of the families who come here for their holidays
0:17:01 > 0:17:04have been doing so for generations.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07But there's one particular tourist attraction in the village
0:17:07 > 0:17:12that I've come to take a closer look at today, and you can't miss it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13You can spot it a mile off.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Seemingly floating over the rest of Thorpeness,
0:17:18 > 0:17:23one can see what appears to be a cottage lodged in the trees.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26But all is not quite as it seems.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Back in 1923, Ogilvie built a steel water tower to provide
0:17:31 > 0:17:33a basic water supply to the Thorpeness village.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37The result was, well, a great big blot on the landscape, something
0:17:37 > 0:17:40horrible on the horizon that you could literally see for miles away.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43He didn't know what to do with it but there was a solution.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47A friend of his, Mrs Mason, actually said, "If you turn
0:17:47 > 0:17:52it into a house, I will live in it." and that's exactly what happened.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54There is the end result.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59With the help from an architect,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Ogilvie carried out an ingenious disguise.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04The tank was clad in wood
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and even fitted with windows to make it look like a small house.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11And the supporting steel structure was boarded in to provide
0:18:11 > 0:18:14unique living accommodation below the tank.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18It really is The House In The Clouds.
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Hi, are you Sylvia?
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- Yes, I am. - Oh, pleased to meet you.- Hello.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24- Hello Paul, do come in.- Thank you.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27The Ogilvie family sold the property to Sylvia Le Comber
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and today it's a private residence.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34And as a special treat, I've been invited in to have a look around.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- It's nice and warm.- It is nice and warm. And the kitchen's...
0:18:38 > 0:18:41So, this is the first room we come to, really, which makes sense,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44doesn't it, the kitchen and the dining room, because,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46let's face it, you wouldn't want the kitchen on the top floor,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49- carrying all your shopping upstairs, would you?- No.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- So, Mrs Mason was the first person to live here.- She was.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Yeah, how long ago was that?
0:18:55 > 0:19:00She moved in in 1923 and I think it was '39,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04might have been '40 when she moved out. The war caused it.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Yeah, and when did you move in?- Erm, '77.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- And you've had lots of happy years here?- We certainly have.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Can I have a guided tour, can we start climbing some stairs?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Please, go ahead. - OK, I'll follow you.- OK.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20The House In The Clouds's first incumbent, Mrs Mason,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22was an interesting character.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24A published children's author,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Mrs Mason lived here with her four children.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Come in, Paul, to the drawing-room, here.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36- And...- This is a nice room.- Mm. - It's very arty and bohemian.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37First impressions, anyway.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This is some of Mrs Mason's work.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45There is The House In The Clouds poem, number one.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48"The fairies really own the House, Or so the Children say".
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Do you think this is a real, sort of, family house,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53where lots of children can have fun?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Oh, yes, oh, it is like magic to children,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58it's quite amazing how it has that effect.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Well, this was obviously built for Mrs Mason, you know,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05designed for her to live in, that's why it has that fairytale quality.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10Mr Ogilvie, when he built it, he built it for her
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and he called her his lady of stairs and starlight.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Now, isn't that lovely?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Yeah. And there's plenty of stairs here, I would imagine.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And starlight.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Was it always called The House In The Clouds?
0:20:22 > 0:20:28Oh, no, it was the intention to be called The Gazebo,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30but she said that was a hideous name, she said,
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- "This is my House In The Clouds". - It's a much better title, isn't it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- Let's face it.- Fits it perfectly.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- Well, this is the first floor explored, can we go higher?- Yeah.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Right, you've got your walking boots on.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48There are five bedrooms in the house, all leading off the main staircase
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but it's what's above them that I'm interested in.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Here we are. I always run up these stairs.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Oh, I love this.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00Absolutely love this.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05So, are we now standing inside what would have been the water tank?
0:21:05 > 0:21:10- We are. 50,000 gallons of water, when I moved in.- That's a lot of water.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- Yes.- You wouldn't want a leak, would you?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15You wouldn't, but it was very, very solidly built.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18It was in four-foot steel panels, bolted together,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21but it didn't stop Hitler from getting at it.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25It was during World War II that disaster struck.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31In June 1944, Germany launched its latest weapon against Britain.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35The V1 flying bomb, which delivered a tonne of high explosive
0:21:35 > 0:21:38each time one hurtled to the ground.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43Anti-aircraft guns were redeployed to East Anglia to intercept them.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Enemy aircraft over the Channel.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48One was sighted over Thorpeness by the Royal Artillery
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and the anti-aircraft gun fired. It missed the bomb
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and hit the water tower.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58The shell entered the house on the south-east corner
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and punctured the tank.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- It went in one side and out the other side.- It missed its target but got the tower.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08Presumably, a big flood. Was somebody living below at the time?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Oh, yes. There were three Miss Humphreys living in the house.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13One of the Miss Humphreys was terribly sick
0:22:13 > 0:22:19and the other two Miss Humphreys had to get her down and out.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Anyway, the ladies actually did get their sister down...
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- And out of the house? - ..and out of the house safely.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27- Happy ending.- Thank goodness.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29So how did they get the tank out,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31did they have to chop it up in bits up here?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Oh, no, no, it had been very, very well maintained
0:22:35 > 0:22:40and so we unbolted it, we took them down on the pulley.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45- I'll tell you something, that's some height. You've got to have a head for heights.- Yes, you have, yes.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47It's making me feel a bit dizzy, looking down there.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51- Especially when it moves. - Yeah, I can feel it wobbling now.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54And, of course, you can hear the wind, can't you?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- It just really does give this building a battering.- Yeah.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01- So what's it like in a thunderstorm? - Oh, it's magic.- Is it?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- It's electrifying, I mean, quite literally.- I'll bet it is!
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Yes, you see it out to sea and sometimes it's not even raining,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10it's just a whole body of light comes around you.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- It is wonderful.- Wow.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Thank you so much, Sylvia, for showing me round your house.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16It's been a great pleasure.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19It's not just a House In The Clouds, I think it's a house of dreams,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- as well.- A house of dreams and fun, yes.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Up until 1914, the Fourth Marquess employed over 50 staff
0:23:37 > 0:23:39here at Ickworth House.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Before we head off to auction,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I want to show you one of the two back staircases
0:23:44 > 0:23:48that the servants would have used to move around the house unseen.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Hip baths were still used in the bedrooms right up until 1910.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56The servants had to carry hot and cold water
0:23:56 > 0:23:58up and down these stairs to service them.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Nowadays the stairs are still in use by the National Trust staff
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and, of course, me. But right now, we're heading off to auction.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Here's a quick re-cap of what's going under the hammer.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12I'm sure this 1950s clockwork racing car will get off to a flying start
0:24:12 > 0:24:14in the auction room.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Adam disagreed with the off-screen valuation
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and put a higher estimate on these bonbon dishes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Let's see if he's right.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Georgie's travelling clock truly is a work of art.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Will it bring in the chinoiserie collectors?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37With this metamorphic table, there's a chance for someone to own
0:24:37 > 0:24:40a piece of great 20th-century design.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46We've jumped over the county boundary into Norfolk,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50to the historic market town of Diss, for today's auction at TW Gaze.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55There's already a good crowd browsing the saleroom.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58But before the bedlam of the auction, I caught up with
0:24:58 > 0:25:02today's auctioneer, veteran "Flog It!" expert Elizabeth Talbot.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09I've got one particularly favourite lot that I want to show you, really.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- OK.- It's the bright red Mercedes sports car.- Oh!
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- And it's not your one parked outside.- Mine's a green one.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- It's this one here.- Oh, yes.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I think that is tremendous.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23And I think it's a bargain at 50 quid.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25I think this is a little gem, actually,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29because not only is it in lovely condition, and with its box,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32but I have never seen one personally with its little scorecard.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- I think for a collector that is just...- It's a must-have.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- Yeah, absolutely. - That's a must-have.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Colin paid a fiver for that.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42I'd like to buy that for a fiver. I really would.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- I'd give him a profit right now. - Yes, it's a super little piece.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Albeit 1950s, but I think there's a nostalgic thing about it.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I think increasingly there's a lot of coverage about 1950s racing
0:25:51 > 0:25:54memorabilia at the moment. And that fits beautifully into that era.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58- And it looks iconic, doesn't it? It really does.- Yes.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59Yeah, well, good luck with that.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Now it's time to see how Colin's little gem fares
0:26:02 > 0:26:04as the auction gets under way.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Unfortunately, Colin is a bit poorly today,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11but his car is in pole position.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Vroom, vroom, we're all revved up, aren't we?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15- Yes, ready to go.- It's just a shame Colin cannot be with us.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17He couldn't make the sale
0:26:17 > 0:26:19but we do have his little red Mercedes sports car.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- A sweet little thing. - It's boxed, it's complete.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23And if it was mine, I wouldn't be selling it.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Now, it's sweet, isn't it?
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- I wouldn't mind scaling it up for the real thing. Imagine that. - PAUL LAUGHS
0:26:30 > 0:26:33This is lovely. A boxed 1950s German clockwork Mercedes Kompressor.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Start me at 50.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- 50 straight in.- Oh, good.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Gallery at 50. I'll take the five.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Surely must go further than that.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47At £50. Where's five?
0:26:47 > 0:26:5160. Five. 70.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57£70, looking for five now.
0:26:59 > 0:27:0370 in the gallery. At 70. Any advance on £70?
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Anybody else can join in at 70. It's a lovely collector's item.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- Gone. £70. - He'll be pleased with that.- Spot on.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- Well done, Will.- Thank you. I hope he gets better soon.- So do I.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I hope he enjoyed his little moment watching it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23Well, it was certainly a healthy profit for a £5 outlay.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28How much 21st-century interest will there be for a silver set from 1891?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- Good luck, Jackie.- Thank you. - Every penny will help.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35All the money's going towards some flights up to Scotland
0:27:35 > 0:27:37- for your son's wedding. - That's right.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Congratulations. I think it's going to be a brilliant day.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- We're selling six silver bonbon dishes.- Yes.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Adam has just said we should get £50 per item.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49- Yes, I think so. They're a proper matching set, in a case.- Boxed.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Very nice. If they don't sell today, I'll be amazed.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56We have a set of six silver bonbon dishes
0:27:56 > 0:27:58with pierce and scroll detail.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03There's good interest here. I start at £160.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06They're worth more than that.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10170, 180. 190, gallery. 200.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12210. 220.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16230. 240.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19250 now in the gallery. It's 250 above.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23The gentleman has bid at 250. Are you all done?
0:28:25 > 0:28:27It comes as a bit of a shock, doesn't it?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It's fast and furious in an auction room.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31It's like... Blink and you'll miss it.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35- Yeah.- OK, we're £50 short of our golden target of £300,
0:28:35 > 0:28:37- but, look, they have gone. - They have gone.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39And that's the main thing.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- I think we valued them right on the money there.- Sure.
0:28:44 > 0:28:50Right, now it's my turn to be the expert in this jam-packed saleroom.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Going under the hammer we've got that wonderful metamorphic table
0:28:54 > 0:28:56that I valued, belonging to Tracey.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Unfortunately, he's not very well, so he can't make it today.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Fingers crossed you get well soon.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02I hope you enjoy watching this because Elizabeth
0:29:02 > 0:29:05is on the rostrum and, fingers crossed, she's going to sell it.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09We're looking for round about £40. Here we go, this is it.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11And now I'm feeling nervous!
0:29:12 > 0:29:16The early to mid 20th-century oak metamorphic table converting
0:29:16 > 0:29:19to an easel. Very clever piece of furniture.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20- This is a good piece. - I do hope you're right.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22I have interest on the sheet shown here
0:29:22 > 0:29:25and I start at lower end of estimate
0:29:25 > 0:29:27at £40. 40, I'll take two...
0:29:27 > 0:29:28Straight in at 40!
0:29:28 > 0:29:30This is lovely at 40, now I'm looking for two.
0:29:30 > 0:29:3242... 45... 48...
0:29:32 > 0:29:3350... Five and 60...
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Oh, great! Tracey will be pleased.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39I'm just taking the gentleman further behind, sir. 65 and 70...
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Five and 80.
0:29:42 > 0:29:43They love it!
0:29:43 > 0:29:4785, new bidder. 90... Five, 100... 110... 120...
0:29:47 > 0:29:50130... 140... 150.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54I'm now out. It's in the room at 150, I'm looking for 60.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57It's by the door at 150. Any advance?
0:30:00 > 0:30:03£150 and that hammer's gone down!
0:30:03 > 0:30:06That's a great sale and I hope you enjoyed that moment
0:30:06 > 0:30:09watching this at home, Tracey. That's a good result.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Up next is Georgie's superb travel clock from the 1920s.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Why are you selling this?
0:30:17 > 0:30:20I found it when we were sorting out Mum and Dad's place.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25- It's been sitting in the drawer ever since.- Fingers crossed, here we go.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31The early 20th-century Callow of Mount Street in Mayfair
0:30:31 > 0:30:33chinoiserie travel clock.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40I start at £100. 110. 120. 130. 140.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41150...
0:30:41 > 0:30:42Right, we're in.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47At 150, a quality piece. 160. 170. 180.
0:30:47 > 0:30:52190. 190 in the middle. 200 in gallery. 210.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54220. 230.
0:30:54 > 0:31:00Downstairs at 230. Where's 40? It's 230, middle bid. Any advance on 230?
0:31:00 > 0:31:02- 240, new bidder. - New bidder altogether.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04260.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07300. Fine, £300.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11£300 in the middle bid now. £300. The lady's out.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Any advance on the £300?
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Yes, hammer has gone down! £300. Top end.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21- Well done.- That's good. Well done, you, for bringing it.- Yes.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23- Goodness me.- That was a nice surprise, wasn't it?- It was.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25£300, nice round figure.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28She thought she was going to take it home. I told you no, it's away.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- George, it's gone.- I know. Ooh!
0:31:33 > 0:31:36I think George can't quite believe it. A great result.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43That's it, that concludes our first visit to the auction room today.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45We are coming back later on in the programme.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Now, the wonderful thing about salerooms like this is,
0:31:48 > 0:31:50we're surrounded by fine art and antiques.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55It's all here to be sold. Which means it gets a new lease of life.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57It's not consigned to the past.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00And that's exactly what a group of volunteers are doing with
0:32:00 > 0:32:03a very important part of Suffolk's regional history.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06And it also plays a major part with Ickworth's history, as well,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08as I found out. Take a look at this.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20When the First Earl of Bristol inherited the Ickworth Estate
0:32:20 > 0:32:23in 1701, the Italianate palace hadn't been built.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26At the time, the family could only afford to enhance the park
0:32:26 > 0:32:28and create the walled garden.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34When eventually the family did find the funds to start building
0:32:34 > 0:32:36the house - nearly 100 years later -
0:32:36 > 0:32:39they chose a site much further up the hill.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Quite a distance from the walled garden,
0:32:41 > 0:32:46whose produce was needed to feed the family, staff and guests.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51The head gardener would telephone the cook
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and the housekeeper daily to find out what produce was required
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and also, what colour dinner service was going to be used.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Then he would pick the appropriate vegetables
0:33:01 > 0:33:05and fruit and the right coloured flowers to match the dinner service.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10And all this would be sent up to the house. How did it get there?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Well, with the help from a very hard worker.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19And that hard worker was a Suffolk Punch horse called Kitty.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23In the 1920s, Kitty hauled produce from the walled garden
0:33:23 > 0:33:25up to the house every day.
0:33:25 > 0:33:30Fred Astridge, whose uncle worked in the gardens, remembered Kitty well.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36She was the most gentle creature that you could ever wish to meet.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40And she became virtually a 15-year friend of mine. I loved her.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44And I never failed, when I walk through the garden, to stick
0:33:44 > 0:33:47a couple of windfalls in my pocket, walk round Kitty's paddock,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50and Kitty knew straightaway when I was there.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53She'd come and push her muzzle into my pocket.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55I used to take the apples out and give them to her.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Suffolk Punch horses, or Suffolks for short, hold a unique
0:33:59 > 0:34:02place in the history of the county after which they are named.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07Once in widespread use, today they are extremely endangered.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Their survival status - critical.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17The Suffolk Punch Trust in Woodbridge is trying to safeguard
0:34:17 > 0:34:20the future of this unique animal.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23And the chairman, Philip Davies, has invited me to see
0:34:23 > 0:34:26some of the work they do with the horses.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30What makes this breed, the Suffolk Punch,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32a standout from other heavy horses?
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- Why are they so different? - This extraordinary history.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39They've been bred on this farm for 250 years. That's quite exceptional.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43The other thing is, in East Anglia they really fit into the countryside
0:34:43 > 0:34:46because so many people had fathers or grandfathers who worked with them.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49So it's really rather more than a horse in this area.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51It is an icon of this countryside, really.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Yeah. That's quite unique, isn't it,
0:34:53 > 0:34:55having an unbroken chain for 200 years?
0:34:55 > 0:34:59- It's completely unique. - Nothing compares to it, does it?- No.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02As well as being used for farm duties,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05the breed were also used for laying roads
0:35:05 > 0:35:09and pulled non-motorised commercial vans and buses,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13some examples of which the Trust have rescued for posterity.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15However, there is one missing today.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18- Tracey, thanks for the lift. - No problem.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Tell me a little bit about the work you do with the horses on the farm.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27The work that we do ranges from the traditional farm work...
0:35:28 > 0:35:34..right through to doing cart rides, cos we have the public in.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38- How many are there on the farm?- We have 15 at the moment. 15 Suffolks.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41We are expecting, hopefully, fingers crossed,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43another four to arrive with us.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45It's nice making a connection with them
0:35:45 > 0:35:49- when they're foals, watching them grow up, isn't it?- Oh, yes.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53- Then starting to school them. - Personally, you can't beat it.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57You can really, really see them change, develop their characters.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Not one horse is the same.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Generally they have great natures. They are gentle giants, aren't they?
0:36:03 > 0:36:06- Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree.- Are you?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08You've got the odd bad one, have you?
0:36:08 > 0:36:12It really does come down to the amount of input that goes in
0:36:12 > 0:36:13when they're young.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17They need to be used to you, they need to be used to being handled,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20which is how you can work with these horses
0:36:20 > 0:36:23as quietly and as calmly as we are
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- without getting hurt.- Yeah.
0:36:26 > 0:36:27- They're too big.- Yes, they are.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29THEY LAUGH
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Suffolks are actually one of the oldest breeds
0:36:32 > 0:36:36of carthorse in the world, with the longest written pedigree.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39And by the time of the First World War, the Suffolk Punch was
0:36:39 > 0:36:44one of the most popular work horses in East Anglia.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47All Suffolk foals were registered in stud books,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50such as this one from 1880.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54Creating a stud book is a practice that continues to this day.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56This is quite interesting.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59There are quite a few volumes here of stud books for different years.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04Look at this. A nice, weighty book. Plenty of horses. That's 1940.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08But look at the difference to 1960. Look.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11There's nothing there, virtually. From the Second World War,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14the numbers of Suffolk Punches spiralled into decline.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20And it was because of this. During the 1950s and 1960s,
0:37:20 > 0:37:24almost all of the Suffolk Punches were replaced by the tractor,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27and in particular, its hydraulic lifting gear.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30You see, with horses, when you finished ploughing the field,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32you had to pull the plough back to the farmhouse.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35If you went over country tracks and rough terrain, you had to
0:37:35 > 0:37:38manually lift the plough, put it on the cart and pull it.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41With a tractor, you just raise the lifting gear.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44And off you trundle. It is hassle-free.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Or I should say, harness-free.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49So it raises the question,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52what does the future hold for the Suffolk Punch?
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Tracey, I can see you're putting a plait in the horse's tail.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00- Are you getting ready for a show? - Yes. Yes, I am indeed.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Now that their farming days are predominantly behind most
0:38:04 > 0:38:08of the Suffolk Punches, what is their main use today?
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Believe it or not,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12there's an awful lot of people who have now got into forestry work.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14- Yeah. - Where they're using the horses...
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- To get into areas where you can't get a tractor.- Exactly.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19They're obviously much, much kinder on the actual ground
0:38:19 > 0:38:21than what a tractor would be.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Not only that, the other thing that has actually proven to be
0:38:24 > 0:38:28quite popular is that they're becoming ridden horses.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31There is no reason you can't ride these horses.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34You just need to take into consideration their build
0:38:34 > 0:38:36and what they're able to do.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39They're designed to be the weightlifters
0:38:39 > 0:38:40as opposed to the athletes.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- That's the way, really, you should think about it, isn't it?- Yes. Yes.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- Look, good luck with that. - Thanks very much.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48I can see that's going to take a good, what, half an hour.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Yes, well, I'll be here for a little while longer
0:38:51 > 0:38:54cos I've messed it up because I kept looking at you. THEY LAUGH
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- I'll let you get on with it. Thanks for a lovely morning out.- Thank you.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58Thanks very much indeed.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09The Suffolk Punch is an important part of this country's heritage.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11And it's marvellous to see the love the local people have
0:39:11 > 0:39:13for these gentle giants.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16And I'm sure, left in their capable hands, there's going to be
0:39:16 > 0:39:18a bright future for the Suffolk Punch.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Welcome back to our valuation day, here at Ickworth House.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31As you can see,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34hundreds of people are still waiting here for a valuation.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Let's now catch up with our experts
0:39:36 > 0:39:39and see what else we can find to take off to auction.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44Will Axon has headed back inside the rotunda to find
0:39:44 > 0:39:46a fitting setting for his next item.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Angela, here we are in the wonderful dining room at Ickworth House.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Surrounded by these large artworks hanging on the wall.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Let's just scale it down a little bit to what you've brought in
0:39:59 > 0:40:00to show us today.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04You've brought in two, I think, charming 19th-century pictures.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Very different but equally charming.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Tell me what you know about each picture.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Well, they've been in the family for many, many years.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15- I just remember growing up with them.- Yes?
0:40:15 > 0:40:21Now I find that they don't fit in with the present modern-day
0:40:21 > 0:40:23accommodation I have.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- Right? - I think it's time to pass them on.
0:40:26 > 0:40:32They are just the sort of slightly quirky, genuine pieces that I like.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34So let's start up at the top here.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37We've got this charming little 19th-century silk work picture.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Originally, when I first saw it, I thought
0:40:39 > 0:40:41it was a little pen work on the silk.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45- But I looked closer and it's all hand-stitched, isn't it?- Yes.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48We've got the old rural family group there with the dog,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50making their way perhaps to market
0:40:50 > 0:40:52or perhaps on the way back.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Slightly sort of romanticised early 19th-century image.
0:40:55 > 0:41:01Underneath we've got this very, sort of bacchanalian scene of cherubs
0:41:01 > 0:41:06and fauns getting drunk and cavorting in the garden.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08I noticed in the corner there...
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- Here's a rotunda! - You've got your own little rotunda.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14Wonderful that that echoes everything about the building
0:41:14 > 0:41:17that really stands out and makes it special.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19They're just good, genuine items
0:41:19 > 0:41:21and, to be honest with you, the sort of thing that
0:41:21 > 0:41:24I would perhaps put my hand up at an auction for.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26- They're not worth a fortune.- No. - But I like them.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I think they're sweet.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32I would say maybe the little needlework is worth £20 or
0:41:32 > 0:41:38something like that. Right. Probably £30 for the little plaster cast.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40- Right.- I would like to think that for the two
0:41:40 > 0:41:43we should be looking anywhere in the region of £50-£80.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Right.
0:41:45 > 0:41:51- Well, I'm revamping my patio.- Ooh! - So I need every penny.- Yes.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55- So anything I get from the sale... - Yes, will go towards that.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- Absolutely.- We are agreed at £50-£80. Let's reserve them at 50.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01- With a bit of discretion.- Yes.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04- Rather than not sell them for the sake of a bid.- Sure.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08And hopefully we'll be able to put a few pots
0:42:08 > 0:42:14- and plants towards your patio fund. - Yes, that would be very good.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Back in the West Wing, the crowds are still streaming
0:42:18 > 0:42:22and our off-screen experts are busy valuing all manner of items.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Look at that, it wouldn't be "Flog It!"
0:42:26 > 0:42:27without a Pelham puppet, would it?
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- What's your name?- Lindsay. - How long have you had the puppet?
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- Probably all my life.- Have you?
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Probably since I was about five or six.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37- Did you give him a name? - I don't think so, no.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39- I can't remember when I was that age. - He's great, isn't he?
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- He is fantastic.- He's in very good condition, actually.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46- It is, isn't it?- Yeah, it looks to be an early 1960s one.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51It was Bob Pelham who started making puppets in 1947.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55All the early puppets were made from recycled materials
0:42:55 > 0:42:57often found in scrapyards.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00From their factory in Marlborough, in Wiltshire, they produced
0:43:00 > 0:43:04more than 9 million puppets over a period of nearly 40 years.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08And today, Pelham puppets have become very collectable.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14I think that fella is great. I really do. Have you got the box?
0:43:14 > 0:43:19I don't know, I may have. I can't find the box. It could be at home.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- The box is worth 30% of the value of this puppet...- Is it?
0:43:22 > 0:43:23..if it's in good condition.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Value-wise, with the box in good condition,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28this fella is worth about £150-£160.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31- Thank you. - Because he is in great nick.
0:43:31 > 0:43:32Thank you.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35I'm sure Lindsay will have a good search
0:43:35 > 0:43:37when she gets home for that all-important box.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Adam is sat with another "Flog It!" expert.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47- Jan, I believe this isn't your first time on the programme.- It isn't, no.
0:43:47 > 0:43:48You've come back for more,
0:43:48 > 0:43:51so the first experience must have been all right.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55- It was fine.- Was it? How long ago was it?- At least ten years.- Was it?!
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Actually, it was back in 2002, Jan.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01I'm selling at £275.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06- Superb. Hat-trick. What a hat-trick. - Great.- That's brilliant.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09'Gosh, that takes me back.'
0:44:09 > 0:44:11We're back in the area and you thought you'd give it another go.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12I certainly do, yes.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15So you've brought along this lovely glass vase.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19- LAUGHING: Whatever you say...! - You don't like it?- I don't like it.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Why don't you like it, what's wrong with it?
0:44:21 > 0:44:25- Um, I don't know. It's a bit garish, isn't it?- A bit garish?
0:44:25 > 0:44:28- It's nothing that I would put out on show.- No.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30How did you come to own it?
0:44:30 > 0:44:35I think it belonged to my husband's great-great-aunt.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38- It ended up with you, did it? - I don't think anybody else wanted it.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- It's lovely quality. It's Bohemian glass.- Oh, right!
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- Which is now the Czech Republic area.- Right.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47But we refer to these as Bohemian glass.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51- It's end of the 19th century. So, over 100 years old.- Right.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56- And super quality.- Amazing. - Overlaid to get that effect you see.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59That milky effect on the top.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03And with these gilded, decorated panels.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05But it's super quality. It's a really nice thing.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08- But there's no marking on it. - There's no marking on it.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12But in our terms, it doesn't need a mark cos it's written all over it.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14- Is it growing on you yet?- More.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16THEY LAUGH
0:45:16 > 0:45:20- Clearly, you're on the table here, it must be worth something.- Hmm.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22I'd have thought £100-£150.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26- Right.- Which is presumably a bit more than you thought.- I've got no idea.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29- I had no idea.- Do you want a reserve on it or...?- No.- No?
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Great! I like that. You are definitely going to flog it, then.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36- Yeah, OK.- It'll definitely make 80 whatever happens.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39And it could go on and make a bit more than 150,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42- but I reckon we're about right with the estimate.- OK, that's fine.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45That's great, thanks for coming. What would you do with the money?
0:45:45 > 0:45:48- Give it to my grandchildren. - How many have you got?- Five.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Right, so split it between them. They can do what they want with it.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53- Yep.- Very good.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56Maybe Jan's grandchildren could start their own collection
0:45:56 > 0:45:58with the money.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03Now, over in the Italianate gardens is another example
0:46:03 > 0:46:05of fabulous craftsmanship.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07Just looking at this box when I spotted it in the queue,
0:46:07 > 0:46:09it smacks of quality, doesn't?
0:46:09 > 0:46:12And here we are in front of Ickworth House,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15and you can just imagine the Third Marquess, in the 1870s when this
0:46:15 > 0:46:19was produced, going through his correspondence and paperwork.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Tell me, how have you come by this?
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Is this something that's come to you through the family?
0:46:24 > 0:46:25It's my son, actually.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29As a sideline, he likes to buy little old wooden boxes to refurb
0:46:29 > 0:46:32and sell on cos him and his girlfriend are trying to get
0:46:32 > 0:46:34a deposit together for a house.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- Which, as we all know, is quite a task.- It is.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39- That's a lot of boxes he's going to have to refurbish.- Definitely.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43He saw it and took a bit of a gamble on it and paid far too much, I think,
0:46:43 > 0:46:46and his girlfriend wasn't very pleased.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49So when they heard you were coming here today,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52she asked me if I would bring it on his behalf.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- And see if we can get his money back?- Exactly. Yeah.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Let's open her up and have a look inside.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00What first strikes me is the condition.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04I mean, it's almost as good as the day it was produced, isn't it?
0:47:04 > 0:47:07We've got marks here - Patent ABC - dispatch box.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10And we've got a wonderful mark here from the retailer.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14We've got Jenner & Knewstub. They were "to the queen."
0:47:14 > 0:47:17So you are talking really top-end retailers.
0:47:17 > 0:47:22We've got various loops here to perhaps hold pens, rules and so on.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Nibs.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27If we open this up, this flap folds down nicely.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30We've got a little aide-memoire here for taking notes,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33as well as a little blotter here for writing letters and so on.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35It's been well used, look.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39- That's probably authentic to the box itself, isn't it?- Fabulous.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41And a nice touch here. Look at that.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44The quality of that sliding across.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48And then you've got these rather nicely...with gilt tooling,
0:47:48 > 0:47:49index cards.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Either for correspondence or invoices, that sort of thing.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56Your son obviously took a shine to it. How much did he pay for it?
0:47:56 > 0:48:01- £200.- OK, well, I think he has paid fair money for it.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04Because that's the kind of level I see it at.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07- I see it at about £200-£300. - Oh, wow!
0:48:07 > 0:48:09We'll fix the reserve at £200.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11Elizabeth is obviously going to take her commission
0:48:11 > 0:48:14so it might end up with him making a small loss.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17But all we need is two people on the day to really fall in love with it.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20And who knows, it could make top estimate.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22In which case, he's quids in and he can go back
0:48:22 > 0:48:24to his girlfriend and wave the 20s in her face,
0:48:24 > 0:48:26and spend them on himself.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Adam's about to get a bit of religious education.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33Damaris. Your name is Damaris?
0:48:33 > 0:48:36- It is.- Damaris, that's a very unusual name.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- It comes from the book of Acts in the Bible.- It's a biblical name.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Damaris was a follower of St Paul.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46- Have you met any others? - I met one once, I taught one once.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50Where did you get this copper from?
0:48:50 > 0:48:53When I was first married, which was in 1964,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57we wanted a coal bucket and we went to the local market.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00- Where was that, then? - In Clitheroe.- Clitheroe!
0:49:00 > 0:49:03- Are you a Lancashire lady? - Yes, I'm from that area.- Very good.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06We saw this, but, of course, it was all black and horrible
0:49:06 > 0:49:09and I didn't realise what it would look like.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Yes, it's come up beautifully, hasn't it?
0:49:11 > 0:49:15- I've cleaned it ever since.- Have you? - I've always cleaned it, yes.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17- Do you remember what it cost you? - I do.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19That's a Lancashire lady for you.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21- Dare I tell you? - All right.- Ten shillings.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25- That's not that much, is it? - No, 50p.- 50p!
0:49:25 > 0:49:28- It was a lot then, though. - Of course it was.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30I wanted to know, really, how old it was.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Well, that's an easy one, really,
0:49:33 > 0:49:35because of the style of decoration to it.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38It's very much the Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts style.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41- I thought it was Arts and Crafts. - Yeah, it's sort of 1900s...- Yes.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43..where this was very popular.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47You've got these stylised flower heads and these
0:49:47 > 0:49:49spades from club suits, aren't they?
0:49:49 > 0:49:53There are a number of designers that made these sort of things.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55There was Voysey and Benson
0:49:55 > 0:49:58and there was the Newlyn school of copper.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59Yes, I wondered about that.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02- Have you seen any markings on it when you've been cleaning?- No.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06- You'll be more familiar with this than anybody. - No, I've never found a marking.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08I think it's going to be indeterminate as to
0:50:08 > 0:50:11where it was made but it's very likely to have been made
0:50:11 > 0:50:14in the Cumbria's metal workshops.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15It might be Keswick?
0:50:15 > 0:50:20It's certainly an Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, 1900s coal bucket.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23So, cost ten shillings. Today's value?
0:50:23 > 0:50:26One man I talked to thought it might be 80 to 100.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29I think it'd make a bit over 100, really
0:50:29 > 0:50:31but 80 to 100 is about the right estimate.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34- How would you feel about that? - Yes, that's all right.- Is it?
0:50:34 > 0:50:37I've found out something about it and that's really why I brought it.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41Well, that's right and if it makes a good price, 150, 160...
0:50:41 > 0:50:44- Even better.- It would, wouldn't it?
0:50:44 > 0:50:46I'll buy something I like that I don't need.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49- Something you like, that you don't need.- Like a piece of jewellery.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53- A luxury item?- Yes.- Very good. Lots of people are going to like that.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03That's it. As you've just seen, our experts have now made their final
0:51:03 > 0:51:06choice of items to go off to the auction,
0:51:06 > 0:51:09which means it's time to say goodbye to Ickworth House,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11our wonderful valuation day venue.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13We've been surrounded by heritage and history.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16It's been marvellous to be here. Have you enjoyed yourselves?
0:51:16 > 0:51:19- ALL: Yes!- Yes, and we've all learned so much as well.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21And that's what it's all about.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23But right now it's time to say goodbye,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26as we head over to the auction room in Diss.
0:51:26 > 0:51:27And here is what we're taking with us.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31There's the Arts and Crafts copper coal bucket
0:51:31 > 0:51:35found in Clitheroe market for ten shillings.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38I'm sure there will be interest in the saleroom
0:51:38 > 0:51:42for the 19th-century silk work and those cavorting cherubs.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45It isn't to Jan's taste,
0:51:45 > 0:51:49but this glass trumpet vase is superb quality.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52And campaign writing boxes originally travelled abroad
0:51:52 > 0:51:54with their serving officers.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57Let's see how much mileage this one has at the auction room.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Welcome back to Diss, where auctioneer Elizabeth Talbot
0:52:04 > 0:52:08is conducting the bids from the front of the house.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Going under the hammer right now, we've got a 19th-century mixed lot.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14A wonderful little silk work and a plaster cast belonging to Angela,
0:52:14 > 0:52:18who's just joined me right now in a packed saleroom.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Hopefully, we'll get around £80, top end. Fingers crossed, here we go.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27The late 19th-century framed plaster plaque.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29And the associated embroidered silk landscape.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32There we go, that's pretty pieces there.
0:52:32 > 0:52:33Starting at 50.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37£50, surely. Come on!
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Nice romantic collectables there. 30, I'll take.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Come on, where are you at £30? 30. 32.
0:52:45 > 0:52:4835. 38. 40, gallery.
0:52:48 > 0:52:5142. 45. 48. 50.
0:52:51 > 0:52:5450. Now where we started at 50. I'm looking for five.
0:52:56 > 0:53:0155 is gallery. 60. Five. 70. Five.
0:53:01 > 0:53:0575 is now centre gallery. At 75, looking for 80.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07Are you all done at 75?
0:53:09 > 0:53:11Yes, the hammer has gone down!
0:53:11 > 0:53:14- That's a good price. Well done. - Happy with that.- Brilliant.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16- That's a very good price. - Very good estimate there!
0:53:16 > 0:53:21- We get it right sometimes.- Anyway, that was good. That was successful.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23- Yes.- Happy with that? - Very happy. Yes.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28That will certainly help towards Angela's patio fund.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34From the back garden to Central Europe with Jan's Bohemian glass.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38- I don't like it. - I was just about to say that.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41- There is a clue there, isn't there? - It's an acquired taste.- No reserve.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45- If someone doesn't like it and they want to flog it...- No reserve.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48- Don't hold back. - If suddenly you find out it's worth a couple of hundred pounds,
0:53:48 > 0:53:51why would you want a reserve? You want to flog it. Get it sold.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54- Yes.- Absolutely.- I really admire that.- Do you?- Yeah.- Good.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00The late 19th, early 20th-century Bohemian glass trumpet vase.
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Beautiful gilt decoration for this.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03See, she likes it.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07Elegant vase. Interest on the sheet shown here.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10I'll start at £55. Bids are in at 55.
0:54:11 > 0:54:1460. Five. 70. Five.
0:54:14 > 0:54:1680 in the room. At 80, I'm out.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24- Come on, come on. A few more bids. - £80.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26At £80, back left, any advance on £80?
0:54:30 > 0:54:33Jan, it's gone. It's gone at the lower end.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36A bit disappointing, but nevertheless, you didn't like it.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Let somebody else enjoy it.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41The danger was that if it struggled and you took it home,
0:54:41 > 0:54:45- it'd probably end up getting damaged or smashed, wouldn't it?- Probably.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50And as we know, Bohemian glass isn't to everybody's taste.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57Going under the hammer right now we have a very stylish
0:54:57 > 0:55:00copper coal bucket belonging to Damaris.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03Now, you bought this copper coal bucket in a black
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- and tarnished condition.- I did, yes.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10- Lots of love has gone into cleaning that.- 49 years.- Gosh!
0:55:10 > 0:55:13- Because once you start cleaning it you've got to keep doing it.- Yeah.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Let's face it.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It has a touch of sort of Keswick school meets Newlyn school about it.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22That lovely applied metal thing that went on in the early 1900s.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24I think that's what singles it out as a valuable thing
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- rather than a 20-quid copper thing. - Exactly.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30There's a bit of punched detail as well. Repousse, as they say.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34Look, good luck. We're putting this to the test right now. Here we go.
0:55:35 > 0:55:41Lot 140 next, interest on the sheet shown and I start here at just £65.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45At 65. Where's 70? 70. Five.
0:55:45 > 0:55:4780. Five.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50£85. Bid at 85.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52Any advance?
0:55:54 > 0:55:56It's gone.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59- It's gone.- Sadly not at that top end that we were all hoping.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01- But it's gone.- No more brassing.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04No more cleaning! I think that's the good news here.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06That's the moral - no more cleaning.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08Yes, that's fine, I'm quite happy with it.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12I'm sure our last lot of the day will be something to
0:56:12 > 0:56:14write home about.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17Right now we are ready to do battle with our campaign writing box
0:56:17 > 0:56:19belonging to Mandy, who's with me right now.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22- It's your son's, really, isn't it? He collects.- Yes.
0:56:22 > 0:56:23We know the story, of course,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26that he's in trouble with the missus for spending £200.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- So fingers crossed we'll get his money back.- Here we go.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32- There's enough people here.- Let's get the young lad out of trouble.
0:56:32 > 0:56:33THEY LAUGH
0:56:34 > 0:56:38The late Victorian Jenner & Knewstub campaign writing box.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40This is lovely.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43I'll start at a very low £75...
0:56:43 > 0:56:44Gosh, that's low, isn't it?
0:56:44 > 0:56:48£75 is bid. At 75. Now I'm looking for 80.
0:56:48 > 0:56:5180 bid. 85. 90. Five. 100.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54110. 120. 130.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56140. 150. 160.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59170. 180. 190.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02- 200.- He's out of trouble. - And I'm out.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04It's now £200 in the room. I'll take the ten.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08- £200 I have. Is the phone coming in? - 210.- 210 is bid.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12220. 230. 240.
0:57:12 > 0:57:13250. 260.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15He's either got phone or the internet.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17270. 280.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21290. 300. I'll take 20.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24320. 340.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26- What's his name?- Damon.- Damon.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29360. 400. 420.
0:57:29 > 0:57:30- Here we go.- My goodness me!
0:57:30 > 0:57:34- He's going to be so pleased. She's going to be so pleased.- Good.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36Any advance on £420?
0:57:36 > 0:57:37Yep!
0:57:37 > 0:57:39- Oh, made me jump! - LAUGHTER
0:57:39 > 0:57:41440?
0:57:41 > 0:57:43460.
0:57:43 > 0:57:47In the room at 460. Any advance on £460?
0:57:47 > 0:57:48Yep!
0:57:48 > 0:57:50LAUGHTER
0:57:50 > 0:57:53He's just wanting to steal the show, isn't he?
0:57:53 > 0:57:57- Is that 70 or 80?- 470.- 470. 480.
0:57:58 > 0:57:59- Round it up again.- No.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02480 in the room. I don't believe him.
0:58:02 > 0:58:03LAUGHTER
0:58:03 > 0:58:06480 standing in the front very patiently. At 480.
0:58:06 > 0:58:08Any advance on £480?
0:58:08 > 0:58:12£480. We turned up for battle and we won the fight.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17- Damon, you've got talent, mate. He's got some talent, hasn't he?- Yes!
0:58:17 > 0:58:18Oh, my goodness!
0:58:18 > 0:58:21He's going to be so pleased. She's going to be so pleased.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23- Thank you.- That's great.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27I suggest he puts the money towards buying more little boxes to do up.
0:58:27 > 0:58:30You can tell her that. THEY LAUGH
0:58:30 > 0:58:31I hope you're watching
0:58:31 > 0:58:33and I hope you've enjoyed the show because certainly
0:58:33 > 0:58:36we've come to the end of our day here in the auction room in Diss.
0:58:36 > 0:58:39And what a wonderful way to end. Everybody's happy. We're happy.
0:58:39 > 0:58:41Join us next time for many more surprises.
0:58:41 > 0:58:44But until then, from Diss, it's goodbye.