0:00:02 > 0:00:06If this motion meant this house would fight for liberal democracy,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08it would say so!
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Thousands of orators have entered these gates to discuss the hot,
0:00:11 > 0:00:12controversial issues of the day,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14none more so than the threats of war -
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Vietnam, Ireland, Iraq and, of course, Afghanistan -
0:00:18 > 0:00:20all controversial issues.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23This is definitely the place to get people talking today.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27I'm sure we're going to have one or two debates over what's it worth.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Today's programme comes from Oxford Union.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58These debating rooms provided a mecca for discussion,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00right in the heart of the city centre.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04The Oxford Union has never shied away from talking about conflict.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I'm speaking as a black man from America, which is a racist society.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10And over the years, the question of war
0:01:10 > 0:01:14has proved a controversial topic, time and time again.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Well, tonight, Mr President, we are debating about war.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22The infamous King and Country debate shook Britain to its core,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24but more of that later.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26The union played a crucial role during World War I.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Not only did it send men off to the front line,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but it also stayed open throughout those years.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Political issues were the hot topic of the day, hardly surprising
0:01:35 > 0:01:38given the political activity throughout the world.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And back then, it would have been packed to the rafters
0:01:41 > 0:01:42with an enthusiastic crowd.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44There would have been no lighting or heating,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46but things haven't really changed that much today.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49It's still packed - we've got the enthusiastic crowd -
0:01:49 > 0:01:51it is lights, camera, action.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53The power is, thankfully, back on.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56So, let's see what Oxford has to offer.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Our experts are currently on a recce.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00What are you doing?
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I'm just catching up with what you're up to. Look.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I don't want you anywhere near me.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08First up, it's our silver-tongued "Flog It!" sweetheart, Mark Stacey.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10- Oh, you drank it all?- Yeah.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Who's that? Is that your family album?
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And he's being stalked by our very own secret agent, Will Axon.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Start at the back, work me way up!
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Coming up in today's show,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25we'll get transported back to the fields of the Somme.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26Quite evocative, isn't it?
0:02:26 > 0:02:28You were told to mount your bayonets
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and then you knew it was going to get dirty, didn't you?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34And propaganda posters whip up a fever in the auction room.
0:02:35 > 0:02:3980, 300, and I end at 310.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Well, it's all go. We've got an army of experts
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and an arsenal of antiques to value.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46The perfect ingredients for a battle.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47Let's get started with Mark Stacey.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51He's first to find a real gem and he's right down there,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54in the thick of it.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- Cynthia, time is on us.- Yes.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59You've brought this interesting little collection in.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Now, is there any story to it?
0:03:01 > 0:03:03I was shopping one day and I saw this
0:03:03 > 0:03:08and I thought it would make a nice birthday present for my husband.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12- And in those days, he used to wear a waistcoat.- Oh, of course.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And I thought it would look very nice, you know, in his waistcoat.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- Very elegant.- Yes.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And was the vesta case attached to it?
0:03:20 > 0:03:24No, I added that and I also added the gold sovereign, yes.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26And it's Queen Victoria,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28a nice early shield back sovereign.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Quite unusual to find a 9ct gold vesta case.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I had never seen one before, or since.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I mean, they're normally silver,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38of course. Sometimes gilded.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40There can be all sorts of decoration.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42- This is a fairly plain example.- Yes.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Um...
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The pocket watch is a half hunter.
0:03:46 > 0:03:47I mean, you can see it.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- And he used it and enjoyed it?- Yes.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54I mean, in days gone by, every gentleman would have a pocket watch.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Absolutely.- You know, and dress very smartly and elegantly.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01But people don't wear, men don't wear waistcoats any more, so...
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Well, to be honest with you, I don't even wear a watch any more.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And especially when they put on weight, they can't do the buttons up.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- I hope you're not looking...- No.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15But my son doesn't want it, and they're expecting their first baby
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and I thought, "Why not flog it and give him the money?"
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- That's a lovely idea, isn't it?- So, I'm grandmother for the first time.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23Oh, wonderful!
0:04:23 > 0:04:26It comes down to the gold, really, doesn't it,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28on something like this, unfortunately these days.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32We ought to put the estimate around £900 to £1,200.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- Yes.- Something like that. - That's fine.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And we have to fix a reserve, of course.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40- Yes.- The reserve is normally the low-end estimate, £900.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Let's put it in at that, let's put it in at £900 to £1,200.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- Yes, that's fine.- And we'll put a fixed reserve of £900.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- I'd like a fixed reserve. - That's absolutely fine.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Of course, it might be that when we come to the auction,
0:04:51 > 0:04:55there's been a spike in the gold price and it'll make even more.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59From one dapper gentleman to another, who does still adhere
0:04:59 > 0:05:02to traditional dress, and it looks like Will has discovered
0:05:02 > 0:05:05a fascinating relic from a French battlefield.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Well, here we are, Les, in the Goodman Library and just across
0:05:08 > 0:05:11the courtyard over there is the Oxford Union debating chamber,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13which opened in 1879,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16three years after your bayonet was made.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17That's amazing, actually.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- You surprised me.- Tell me, are you a military man?
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Not at all, no.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23So, what drew you to a bayonet?
0:05:23 > 0:05:28Well, I go to auctions and I look around for things of interest
0:05:28 > 0:05:33or collectables, and if I can pick it up reasonable, I have a go.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- That's a... I've just had it about a year.- OK.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39The first thing that caught my eye was the condition.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- It really is tip-top, isn't it?- Excellent condition.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44And especially when you've got this leather mount here,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- that would be strapped onto the belt...- That's right.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49..so you could carry it. I'm sure a lot of those have perished.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I mean, you don't often see them with the bayonet.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- No, that would be missing normally.- Exactly.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Well, the bayonet is French, you probably know yourself.- Yes.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59We'll have a look in a moment.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02If I just drag it out here, we can clearly see there on the blade
0:06:02 > 0:06:07that we've got the Saint-Etienne mark there, 1876 is the date.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11That basically translates as, "Made in the armoury of Saint-Etienne,"
0:06:11 > 0:06:14at that date, 1876.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18And again here, you can just see there the little armourer's marks.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20That's the armourer's mark, is it? Ah, yes.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Just to identify who actually made the blade.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Nice tight fit there, isn't it?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29And of course here you've got where you would mount it onto
0:06:29 > 0:06:32the end of your rifle. I mean, quite evocative, isn't it?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34You were told to mount your bayonets
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- and then you knew it was going to get dirty, didn't you?- Exactly.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- How much did you pay for it?- About £45, I think it was, with commission.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- OK.- Round about that figure.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Quite a good deal, I think, especially with this leather mount.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- With the engraved dates, as well. - And the engraving, yes, exactly.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Well, listen, I think you might be able to turn a small profit on that.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- What about putting it in at, say, £40 to £60?- Um...
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Bit of a gamble on the bottom figure, I know.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03- OK, what about, say, £50? - That sounds better.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- Then if we say £50 to £80.- Say that, yes. I'd be happy with that.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12- £50 to £80, and let's fix the reserve at £50.- Fixed reserve, good.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- I'm sure we'll get it away for you.- Good, good.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And before I do go, can I just say how dapper you're looking, Les?
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I mean, I love this waistcoat.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Tell me more about that, where did you get that from?
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Would you like to make me an offer?
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Oh, I don't know if I've got a big enough wedge in my pocket,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- but that's quite something, isn't it?- Yes.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30Now, the build-up to World War I
0:07:30 > 0:07:33coincided with Oxford Union's heyday.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Talented students, like future Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, were
0:07:37 > 0:07:42drawn to this debating hall to talk about unfolding political events.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45And just look what I've discovered in the archives.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48What I have in my hands is a ledger of all the members
0:07:48 > 0:07:51of the union from 1891 to 1948,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54which spans the years of the Great War.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Now, many of the members that were here during that time would
0:07:57 > 0:08:00have gone off to fight on the front line.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03It's quite a poignant document, really, and as I look
0:08:03 > 0:08:07down the list, you can see who was killed or wounded in action.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And there's a chap here,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13died of his wounds, 28th of August, 1915,
0:08:13 > 0:08:14a chap called Lister.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18And there's another one here,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20killed in action, April 1918,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22coming towards the end of the war.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And it just goes on and on and on.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29But it's marvellous, really, that documents like this exist.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32It does give us a window into the past
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and it's an invaluable piece of social history.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37A priceless piece of social history to the union.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44We see a lot of commemorative pieces on "Flog It!" and Mark Stacey has
0:08:44 > 0:08:46found a king-sized example,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50brought in by pottery connoisseur, Claude.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Now, it doesn't take much to work out what you've brought in, does it?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- No. No, it's quite easy to see. - It's a loving cup...
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- It is indeed.- ..by Doulton.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04Now, the interesting thing with the coronationware of Edward VIII
0:09:04 > 0:09:06is that because he was never crowned,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09people automatically assume
0:09:09 > 0:09:12that any items with him on are very rare.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15In fact, it's the other way around.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Because all the potters were already geared up, it was a shock to them to
0:09:19 > 0:09:23have to then produce a load of wares
0:09:23 > 0:09:26to commemorate, actually, George VI.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Yeah.- But we've got something special here, haven't we?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Because this is a great piece of Doulton potting history.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- I mean, we've really got pomp and circumstance here.- Oh, yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36It's all over it, isn't it?
0:09:36 > 0:09:41- All the flags and the royal emblems are there, aren't they?- Absolutely.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43I love the handles,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47with all the different parts of the Commonwealth, the Empire.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Canada, Australia, India,
0:09:49 > 0:09:50South Africa, New Zealand.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53But it's a great, great piece.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Underneath, of course, we've got everything you need to know.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Doulton are very good at marking their wares.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It's a limited edition of 2,000
0:10:03 > 0:10:05and this is marked at 826.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Where did you get it from?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I actually bought it in one of the Commonwealth countries,
0:10:11 > 0:10:12I bought it in New Zealand.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Not at the time?
0:10:14 > 0:10:17No, no, I'm not quite that old. Nearly.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20- I bought it in 1998.- Gosh, what did you pay for it?
0:10:20 > 0:10:24£400... The equivalent of £400 pounds sterling.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26And you shipped it all the way back from...?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- I hand-carried it via Los Angeles, home.- Oh, wow.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- And it survived. - It survived.- Fantastic.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Well, what's it worth today, do you think?
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- You're going to tell me.- No, Claude, look. A man of your knowledge...
0:10:39 > 0:10:43Well, it's worth a minimum of £600.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44Gosh, I'm glad I'm sitting down.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49You know, there have been some that have sold over the last year
0:10:49 > 0:10:53or so, and they've been making between sort of £600 and £1,000.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Yes.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56I think, sensibly, Claude,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00we should put an estimate of £600 to £800 on it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- Yeah, that's right.- Would you be happy with that?- Quite happy.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05We'll have to put a reserve, of course.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- £550?- Yes, fixed.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- Fixed at £550, yeah.- I think let's put a fixed reserve of £550.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12- Would you miss it?- No.- No?
0:11:12 > 0:11:14I bought it to sell, didn't I?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16You're just putting it out there.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Well, listen, I really look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20Thank you.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I've actually looked at it more since we've been sat here
0:11:23 > 0:11:25and studied it than I have before.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Our experts have been working flat out here at the Oxford Union.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34You've just seen the items, you've heard what they've had to say,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36you've probably got your own opinions,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39but right now, we're going across to the auction room to put them
0:11:39 > 0:11:42to the test, and here's a quick recap of what we're taking with us.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Will it be Cynthia's antique pocket watch that appeals
0:11:47 > 0:11:50to the debonair gentlemen in the saleroom?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Or will the bidders be seduced by the history
0:11:55 > 0:11:57behind Leslie's French bayonet?
0:11:57 > 0:11:58And speaking of history,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01we also have Claude's commemorative loving cup.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Will he get the high price he thinks it merits?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Minimum of £600.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08Gosh, I'm glad I'm sitting down.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Our auction today comes from Newbury, near Reading.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21The site of a former RAF base, this place has military connections
0:12:21 > 0:12:23dating back to the English Civil War.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Cruise missiles were situated here during the Cold War,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29which sparked huge protests.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Here's hoping today's auction is a little bit less contentious.
0:12:33 > 0:12:365, 8, 5, 9.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Our auctioneer is a familiar face,
0:12:38 > 0:12:39our very own Thomas Plant.
0:12:39 > 0:12:4170 it is.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Our first item needs no introduction to antique fans,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48but Thomas feels Royal Doulton is currently not in vogue,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51so he's lowered the reserve to £300.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53How long have you had this loving cup?
0:12:53 > 0:12:57I bought it in New Zealand in 1998.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59You get around! And so does the Royal Doulton.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Oh, it does, it travels all over the world.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- And how much did you pay for it?- £400.- £400?
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Yeah, but I should have sold it long ago.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Royal Doulton is in the doldrums, I'm afraid.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09There's no doubt about it,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11the collectors aren't there like they used to be.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13I used to do a bit of antique fairs years ago,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15so it's all stuff that's left over.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18There you go, you've got to do something with your time,
0:13:18 > 0:13:19- haven't you? - You have when you're retired.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- We need £300 to sell this.- I'd like a bit more for it than that.- OK.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Well, let's find out what it's worth,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28let's hand things over to Thomas Plant on the rostrum.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Lot 560, the Royal Doulton Pottery
0:13:30 > 0:13:32commemorative loving cup,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34limited edition for Edward VIII.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35I can start the bidding with me here,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37straight in at £250.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39At £250 against you all.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40Is there any advance at £250?
0:13:40 > 0:13:42£260, do we have?
0:13:42 > 0:13:43At £250 is the bid I have.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44It's not going to sell.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46No, it doesn't look like it's going to sell.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48£250. Doesn't sell.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- He was calling for £250.- Well, there we go another day, another auction.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53We can pop it in somewhere else.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57- You took that well, with a smile on your face.- But I knew...
0:13:57 > 0:14:00And you're right, Mark, Doulton is not what it was.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Not at the moment, but it'll come around again, Paul.
0:14:02 > 0:14:03We've been in this business,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- everything comes round again eventually, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Take it on the chin and reinvest the money
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and hopefully you'll be back in profit.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12I'll find something else to bring.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14I'm sure you will and you've got a good eye.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17You win some, you lose some.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20Will Leslie's bayonet make a late charge in the saleroom?
0:14:20 > 0:14:23He's certainly made an impression on me.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Well, I must say, I'm admiring Leslie's waistcoat.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27I think we could do with one like that.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Well, I said on the valuation day,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30he made me feel somewhat underdressed.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35- Are you a keen waistcoat wearer? - I've got several, yes.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- The last few years, livens things up a bit.- Yeah.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40We're admiring your French bayonet.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42It's a very nice thing, isn't it?
0:14:42 > 0:14:44- It's in good condition.- It is, yes.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And it's nice and complete, with the leather belt strap and so on.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Yeah, it's a good 'un.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52You bought this about a year ago
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- and you paid £40 for it.- Yeah.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56OK, well, we're going to put it to the test.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59We'll test your eye out. I'm sure you're going to make a profit.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Here we are, this is the bayonet, the French bayonet,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04carved and engraved Saint-Etienne, 1876.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07See if there's some militaria buyers.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Start me off here at £35.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11At £35, and £40, £45. And £50,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I have. At £50 it is for the bayonet.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Any advance at £50?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18At £50, you never know, you could run somebody through.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21At £50, they don't...
0:15:21 > 0:15:22At £50 it is.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25That's all right. You probably wiped your face
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- once commissions are off at the end.- Just.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Well, we had some fun, didn't we, with that?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Yeah, exactly, and you can't put a price on that.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Well, the boys' items have hardly set the auction room alight.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Will Cynthia's pocket watch be a bit more incendiary?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- This is a real cracker, I do like this.- Yes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43I'd like to see the top end of the estimate for this.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Why have you decided to sell this, is it something that's in a drawer?
0:15:46 > 0:15:48Because my son doesn't want it
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and my daughter-in-law's just produced my first grandchild
0:15:51 > 0:15:55and I thought I would buy some premium bonds for his...
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- What's his name?- That's him. - Oh, bless!- Isn't he lovely?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02- Oh, isn't he lovely.- His name's Archie.- Look, good luck with this.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Fingers crossed. Mark, you're looking worried.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I am, I never know with these sort of things.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I mean, it is a lovely lot, isn't it?
0:16:09 > 0:16:11It's got the nice Albert chain, as well.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13It's an auction, anything can happen.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Let's find out what Thomas thinks.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Next lot is a 9ct gold open-face pocket watch,
0:16:20 > 0:16:21vesta and chain.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24There we are, with the little sovereign on it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25Really nice looking lot.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Start me here at £700.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30720. 750. 780.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32800, 850.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35880, 900.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37920, at 920 I am.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40At 920 it's in the room. Is there any advance at 920?
0:16:40 > 0:16:41At 920, 950.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44980.
0:16:44 > 0:16:451,000.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Oh, that's better, isn't it?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Go on. 1,100 sir.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- INAUDIBLE - You've very, very sure?- Wonderful.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53There's another bid by the door.
0:16:53 > 0:16:571,050. I have £1,050 against you all.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59At 1,050...
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Well, I think that's a very good result.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- Fantastic.- Very good result.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- And a wonderful start for little Archie.- Yes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Archie's certainly been a lucky boy.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Photography is a way of capturing the most important events
0:17:13 > 0:17:14which occur in our lives.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Each photograph is a little snapshot of history.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And in the 1950s, one man singlehandedly captured
0:17:21 > 0:17:25the rise of an entire counter-cultural movement,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28a movement we know today simply as rock'n'roll.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31I went to London to find out more.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40MUSIC: "Shakin' All Over" by The Guess Who
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I'm a huge music fan and I'm fascinated by how
0:17:43 > 0:17:46powerfully music can express the mood of a nation.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50# When you move in right up close to me... #
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Cheers, thank you.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Post-war Britain was dominated by jazz singers
0:17:56 > 0:17:57and family-friendly acts,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04But within a decade, a rock'n'roll revolution had taken place.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07One man, Harry Hammond, was there,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09in the right place at the right time
0:18:09 > 0:18:11to witness this musical watershed.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14Before the times of paparazzi and press packs,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16it was Hammond who captured the birth of rock'n'roll.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20# Quivers down the backbone
0:18:20 > 0:18:22# I've got the shivers down the thigh bone... #
0:18:23 > 0:18:27These quite remarkable behind-the-scenes pictures
0:18:27 > 0:18:30chart an era of great musical and social change.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34For two decades, Harry Hammond was Britain's leading musical
0:18:34 > 0:18:36photographer, and from the start, he appeared to have
0:18:36 > 0:18:40a knack for putting the rich and the famous at their ease.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43According to Hammond expert, Alwyn Turner,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46his success lay in his wartime experiences.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51During the war, he served in the RAF as a reconnaissance photographer,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55so he was flying over enemy lines, hanging out the side of a plane,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58taking photographs of German and Italian positions in North Africa.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01And I think, because of the length of his experience
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and the intensity of that experience,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06really, he was never going to be fazed by anybody who came
0:19:06 > 0:19:08over from America with star attitudes.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I mean, when he photographed Frank Sinatra,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14there's nothing Sinatra can do to intimidate him
0:19:14 > 0:19:16after he's had that kind of background.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23But being a freelance photographer in post-war Britain wasn't easy.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27Rationing was still in place and cameras were hard to come by,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29but Harry made the best of the situation,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31reclaiming vintage cameras
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and making the bold move away from the studio
0:19:34 > 0:19:36to on-location sessions.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Kate Bailey is currently curating an exhibition
0:19:43 > 0:19:47for the Victoria and Albert Museum, of Hammond's most iconic images.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50So once Hammond worked his way out of the studio set-up,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54he was able to go out on location, meet the jazz musicians,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56backstage, concert venues, in the street, and sell them
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- the images, the photographs that he took of them.- Yeah.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01And he was based in Denmark Street,
0:20:01 > 0:20:03which was the centre for music publishing,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05and he was there at the right time.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09So the NME set up in 1952 and he became their photographer
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and then for the next ten years, he was photographing all
0:20:12 > 0:20:15the jazz musicians and the first of the British rock'n'rollers.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Harry became a familiar face front of stage.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23This put him in a unique position.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26He was able to capture the emerging American acts as they began
0:20:26 > 0:20:28to roll in from across the Atlantic.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30MUSIC: "Big Stuff" by Billie Holiday
0:20:33 > 0:20:36This lovely image of Billie Holiday
0:20:36 > 0:20:38is really quite extraordinary.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41She came over to the Albert Hall in 1954,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45she performed to a crowd of 6,000 people and sadly,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48within four or five years of this photo, she had died.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51But you can't see that in this image.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52You wouldn't know it, would you?
0:20:52 > 0:20:55You see a confident performer, she looks beautiful,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57there's no cracks and she loved the London crowd.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01I mean, the composition's beautiful, the lighting's beautiful.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Everything is so perfect about the shot,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05capturing that one moment in time.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08On the stage, so it's not about them all being posed.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09It's not staged, is it?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12It's capturing them doing what they do best.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15This is a fantastic image of Winifred Atwell
0:21:15 > 0:21:18playing her famous honky-tonk piano.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21She's a really significant black artist,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24she was the first female black artist to get a number one.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- She sold 20 million records.- Wow.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Harry really captures her energy
0:21:28 > 0:21:30and her enthusiasm and her happiness,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34which everyone said, when she performed, it was just incredible.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Getting down there and jamming and having fun.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Yeah, and just sharing this London, with the whole melting pot
0:21:39 > 0:21:42of different music and different styles and all coming together
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and enabling the sort of development of a very clear British rock'n'roll.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48MUSIC: "All Shook Up"
0:21:48 > 0:21:51# Bless my soul, what's wrong with me?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54# I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree. #
0:21:54 > 0:21:58It was clear Harry wasn't just capturing great artists.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00# I'm in love, yeah, I'm all shook up... #
0:22:00 > 0:22:04He was documenting the changing attitudes to black music in Britain.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07This was what rock'n'roll, at its heart, was.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10A pulsating version of African-American blues,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13and it was met with a chorus of disapproval.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15# And who do you thank when you have good luck?
0:22:15 > 0:22:18# I'm in love, yeah, I'm all shook up... #
0:22:18 > 0:22:20But TV was paying attention,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and Harry was asked to take photographs for the BBC's
0:22:23 > 0:22:26first foray into rock'n'roll programming.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30# The Six-Five Special's steamin' down the line... #
0:22:30 > 0:22:34The Six-Five Special shimmied onto our TV screens in 1957
0:22:34 > 0:22:37and it became the template for the iconic music shows that we
0:22:37 > 0:22:40know today, Top Of The Pops and Jukebox Jury.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43This was a show that could make or break a musician
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and filling the audience was a scary new youth faction called teenagers.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And waiting in the wings to take the photographs?
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Of course, Harry Hammond.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54We've had a lot of letters from people asking us
0:22:54 > 0:22:58the difference between rock'n'roll dancing and jive dancing, so we've
0:22:58 > 0:23:01got a couple of rock'n'roll dance experts to come along, Mr Billy Ross
0:23:01 > 0:23:04and Lesley, and they're going to show us how to do the rock'n'roll.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10The Youthquake had arrived
0:23:10 > 0:23:13and Teddy Boys appeared on every street corner.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17In stark contrast, rock'n'roll was dismissed as a passing fad
0:23:17 > 0:23:22by a fearful adult population but not Hammond.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24He photographed everybody and virtually nobody else did.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I mean, he would talk about going to concerts where
0:23:27 > 0:23:29he was the only photographer there.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Rock'n'roll was seen in Britain by the establishment very much
0:23:32 > 0:23:37as a black music at a time when the Empire was starting to crumble.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The first African colonies were becoming independent.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It was the first real start of the wave of immigration
0:23:44 > 0:23:48from the West Indies. Race was a big issue in Britain at the time.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Dangerous music was coming over from America that caused riots
0:23:51 > 0:23:53and trouble in the streets.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56# Nine, ten, eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock rock
0:23:56 > 0:23:57# We're gonna rock.... #
0:23:57 > 0:23:58The first rock'n'roll riot was at
0:23:58 > 0:24:01the Trocadero at the Elephant And Castle,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04this was followed by similar demonstrations all over the country.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Again, the nation was up in arms.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12The title music came up and that was it. Nobody wanted to see the film.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16They just wanted to dance. We just got into the aisles and that was it.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19There was pushing and shoving, next thing you know the seats are up
0:24:19 > 0:24:22in the air, trying to clear the way, trying to make a dancehall out of it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25# We're gonna rock, rock, rock till broad day light... #
0:24:25 > 0:24:26That's how we felt.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29We had nothing else to do and we just went for the music,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32it was just what we wanted at the right time.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35It wasn't just the youth causing trouble in the streets.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Some of the celebrities themselves were questionable role models
0:24:39 > 0:24:42and Hammond was often at close quarters.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44# You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
0:24:44 > 0:24:47# Too much love drives a man insane... #
0:24:47 > 0:24:49On Jerry Lee Lewis' tour of 1958,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53which was the big scandal-ridden tour where it was discovered that
0:24:53 > 0:24:57he was married to his underaged second cousin.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Harry Hammond photographed him on that tour
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and they're extraordinary photographs.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I mean, he catches some of the power of Jerry Lee Lewis backstage.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09But he looks a very dangerous kind of figure that, you know,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12this is not somebody you'd want to meet down a dark alley.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14# Hold me, baby
0:25:14 > 0:25:17# Well, I want to love you like a lover should... #
0:25:17 > 0:25:19From the distance of 50 years,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24it's hard to imagine just how revolutionary rock'n'roll was.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27This is what Hammond's photographs give us, rock'n'roll in the raw
0:25:27 > 0:25:32before it was sanitised and accepted into mainstream culture.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36I think because Harry was pretty much the only person taking photographs
0:25:36 > 0:25:39in Britain at that stage of rock'n'roll,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43his work effectively defines an era in a way that,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46it's very rare for a photographer to be able to do that, where he shapes
0:25:46 > 0:25:49our visual image of what the 1950s was like in British music.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55No-one could've predicted how important rock'n'roll would
0:25:55 > 0:25:58become but one thing is for sure, Harry Hammond was in the right place
0:25:58 > 0:26:02at the right time to capture the seismic cultural shift.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05So the next time you hear some rock'n'roll, put on your
0:26:05 > 0:26:09blue suede shoes, rattle some pots and pans and rock until you drop.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Welcome back to our valuation day venue, the Oxford Union.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18There's still a great buzz in the room,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22plenty more antiques to find to take off to auction.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25So from the best seat in the house, the President's chair,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28to the hot seat in the house, let's catch up with Mark Stacey
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and see what he's up to.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34I adore your elephant. I love it. Where does it come from?
0:26:34 > 0:26:37It's my daughter's actually.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Her husband, who's a glazier, was given it as part payment for some work.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Oh, wow.- So...- I love it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It's basically a silver model of an elephant,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50though is it African or Indian, do you think?
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- Ah, it's the ears, isn't it?- Yes. - It's an African, isn't it?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- The big ears are Indian, no, Indian...- I think it's Indian because
0:26:56 > 0:26:59I think the ears are slightly smaller than in an African.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- They look sort of in-between. - It's an Afro-Indian.- Yeah, OK.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- There we are, we'll call it that. - We'll settle for that.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07I mean, it's great fun, it's not terribly old,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09- it's not an antique item.- No.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12It has got some marks on here which are continental marks,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16it's marked 925 so we know it's sterling standard silver
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- and basically I think the inner body is made of another material... - Uh-huh.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25- ..and then the silver body has been put over the top...- Yes.- ..I think.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27- Yes.- And there's a little bit of damage, isn't there?- Yes.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30On the trunk.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- And she wants to sell it now, does she?- Mm.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Now, were you on strict instructions about how you're going to sell it?
0:27:37 > 0:27:43She wants to sell it but she wants to get as much as she can, obviously.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- We all want to get as much as we can...- Yes.- ..don't we?
0:27:45 > 0:27:49I think this will attract an awful lot of interest.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51- It's very realistically modelled, isn't it?- Mm.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54These type of models don't come on the market very often
0:27:54 > 0:27:58and they're great interior design pieces.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00In terms of value, this is quite a difficult one
0:28:00 > 0:28:02- because when you pick it up, it's very heavy.- Mm-hm.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05So the temptation is to think that the whole thing is absolutely
0:28:05 > 0:28:08solid silver whereas actually what it is
0:28:08 > 0:28:12is a sheet of silver over a composite body.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13Right.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17So it's quite deceiving when you weigh it.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I think, I'm hoping that somebody will fall in love
0:28:19 > 0:28:21and will want to restore it and keep it,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- rather than tear it apart and sell it...- Yes.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28- ..as scrap silver which would be a terrible shame.- Absolutely, yes.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34I think we're looking at £600 - £800 with a £600 fixed reserve.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38- Do you think your daughter would be happy with that?- I think so, yes.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Wonderful. I would hope on the day that two people see what
0:28:42 > 0:28:47- I see in it and it might charge ahead to £1,000 or something.- OK.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50You know, we might get a herd of bidders. Shall I stop all the puns?
0:28:50 > 0:28:52I think so.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Normally on this show, the antiques come to us
0:28:58 > 0:28:59in all kinds of bags and boxes.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04Well, today I've gravitated towards the boxes and they're special ones.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Here they are, there's two of them. They're despatch boxes
0:29:06 > 0:29:10and they're modelled on the ones you'll find in the House of Commons.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13They were given to the house here during the Second World War
0:29:13 > 0:29:15and they're still used today.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16Lovely piece of history.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22One of the most iconic images of World War II
0:29:22 > 0:29:24is the Keep Calm and Carry On
0:29:24 > 0:29:26propaganda poster.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29The poster was rediscovered in 2,000 in mint condition
0:29:29 > 0:29:31and reissued worldwide.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Why I am telling you this?
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Well, just look at what Will Axon has come across.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Well, we've scoured the building to find somewhere
0:29:39 > 0:29:41big enough to be able to display your posters you brought in
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and we've ended up here in the snooker room
0:29:43 > 0:29:45and I think they look rather splendid,
0:29:45 > 0:29:47even though we've had to use the cues to weigh them down
0:29:47 > 0:29:50because they've been rolled up for some time, haven't they?
0:29:50 > 0:29:52Tell me about them. Where are they from?
0:29:52 > 0:29:56These are posters produced in 1944,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59that went up on the London Underground
0:29:59 > 0:30:01and they came into the family
0:30:01 > 0:30:05because my stepfather was an architect who built lots of churches
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and buildings after the war that had been flattened
0:30:08 > 0:30:12and he was actually the surveyor of St Paul's Cathedral
0:30:12 > 0:30:17and I think he must've been given them as a souvenir of his time
0:30:17 > 0:30:22in the Blitz and they've been rolled up since 1944.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24- The series is called The Proud City. - Yes.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28And I was brought up with stories about my mother living through
0:30:28 > 0:30:34the Blitz and I think they convey the feeling of London at that time.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39Buildings flattened but, "Come on, we can rise above all this.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42"We're not going to be done down by the Germans.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44"Londoners can survive."
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And one of the things my mother always talked about in London
0:30:47 > 0:30:51during the Blitz was the flower, the rosebay willowherb.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53And we've got some of that in a couple of the posters, haven't we?
0:30:53 > 0:30:57Coming up out of ground that had been completely burnt,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01- it was also called fireweed.- Ah. - And wherever you'd had a fire...
0:31:01 > 0:31:04- Yes.- ..it will seed itself and grow.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07You've hit the nail on the head, I think, in that they really do,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11sort of, convey that sort of slightly menacing feel
0:31:11 > 0:31:15in one or two of them. I mean, this one here of the Chelsea Power House,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- I mean, it's quite a spooky scene, isn't it?- It's quite scary.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22And even the lamppost there that's been sort of knocked off its axis,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26a wonderful little detail but really conveys that, like I say,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- slightly menacing feel.- Yeah.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31St Paul's, again next to that, the new view of St Paul's
0:31:31 > 0:31:34because that isn't a view we had before the Blitz, was it?
0:31:34 > 0:31:36No, St Paul's was completely surrounded by high buildings.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39You never got a panoramic view of it.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Obviously I am going to have to draw attention to their condition
0:31:42 > 0:31:45because they're in quite poor condition.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48There are some quite serious tears, there's one or two losses,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52there's various folds and the poster collectors are a fussy lot.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53They like them to be pristine.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56It's understandable how they've got in this condition,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59especially if someone hasn't acquired them
0:31:59 > 0:32:01with an idea of putting them away
0:32:01 > 0:32:03as an investment or having the forethought to think,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06"Well, one day these might be worth something." I mean,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08we all know the story about the Keep Calm And Carry On poster,
0:32:08 > 0:32:09- don't we?- Exactly.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12You know, exactly the same except, you know, we just had the fortune
0:32:12 > 0:32:16that that was put away somewhere safely and it didn't get quite as
0:32:16 > 0:32:18badly damaged as some of these have been.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Now the artist, it's Spradbery
0:32:21 > 0:32:25and he was an artist sort of late 19th century into the 20th century.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27He actually was a war artist as well.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Served in the First World War but as a pacifist was in the
0:32:29 > 0:32:35Medical Corps and he used his time also as the official war artist.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41Value wise, a single one in very good condition can make between
0:32:41 > 0:32:44- £100, £150 but that's in mint condition.- Mm-hm.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48I think we're going to have to probably put that kind of value
0:32:48 > 0:32:50on all six because of the condition.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Let's say £100 - £150
0:32:52 > 0:32:55and I would suggest putting a reserve at the 100 figure.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57How do you feel about that?
0:32:57 > 0:32:59I think that would be all right because I'd much rather
0:32:59 > 0:33:03they were owned by somebody or an archive or a library
0:33:03 > 0:33:06that really values them and wants to look at them.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12Here's hoping there's some World War II enthusiasts in the auction room.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17And speaking of World War II, it was the threat of this conflict
0:33:17 > 0:33:21which triggered the most infamous Oxford Union debate of all time.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Now, Oxford Union has witnessed many exciting debates over the decades
0:33:26 > 0:33:29but none more so than the one that took place
0:33:29 > 0:33:32on the 9th of February in 1933.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33The motion was,
0:33:33 > 0:33:37"This house will in no circumstances fight for King and Country."
0:33:37 > 0:33:43And the shocking thing was the motion was carried 275 votes to 153.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45It was the build-up to the Second World War
0:33:45 > 0:33:49and the result caused a national outcry in the press.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Churchill labelled it squalid and shameless and some say
0:33:52 > 0:33:57it even misled Hitler into thinking the British youth would not fight.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59This debate was so powerful
0:33:59 > 0:34:02that it was syndicated around the world in the press.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06It was even restaged for television in 1965 through
0:34:06 > 0:34:09the prism of escalating conflict in Vietnam.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It has been said that this motion is offensive.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16That this motion is a disgrace to the society.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19An antiwar feeling persisted at the union right through the 1960s
0:34:19 > 0:34:23and Senator Robert Kennedy was invited to address the union here
0:34:23 > 0:34:26but he wasn't greeted with a warm welcome.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29Instead, 70 protesters formed an archway just here wielding
0:34:29 > 0:34:34anti-Vietnam placards, the power of the protester.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37The Kennedy debate wasn't filmed but someone who came to our
0:34:37 > 0:34:41valuation day was actually in the chamber to hear Kennedy speak,
0:34:41 > 0:34:42Owen Murphy.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45It must have been the highlight of all debates here back then.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- Was it a packed house? - They were hanging from the rafters.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51A very large number of ladies here and one of something like adulation
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- because he was probably a very... - He was a very good-looking man.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56He was a very powerful man as well at the time,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00influential and he was in the presidential stakes.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Was he a good public speaker?
0:35:02 > 0:35:04I was very impressed by the fluency of it
0:35:04 > 0:35:08- and the comprehensiveness of it. It really was quite persuasive.- Yep.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Well, we've got two very fluent experts down there
0:35:11 > 0:35:13doing their valuations so enjoy the rest of the day, won't you?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- They're good speakers. - Thank you very much, yes.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20Someone else who likes talking is Mark Stacey.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23He's still working hard and has come across a military style pair
0:35:23 > 0:35:28of cufflinks modelled as a kukri, a traditional Gurkha knife and shield.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Thank you for bringing in such an exotic pair of cufflinks.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36- Good, I'm pleased you like them.- Now, where on earth did you find these?
0:35:36 > 0:35:39They've been in my possession for about 40 years, I think.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42My mother gave me them and, in all honesty, I've never worn them
0:35:42 > 0:35:45and they've been in my sock drawer for that time.
0:35:45 > 0:35:47Oh, no.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52Oh, how sad. Well, they're lovely. They're 22 carat gold, of course.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55One of the highest carats of gold.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- Persian, I think.- Really? - And they're dated on the back, 1900.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02And they're modelled as this sort of dagger and shield.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Absolutely wonderful.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Very exotic pair. I wear cufflinks.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12The difficulty with them is this chain mechanism because it's
0:36:12 > 0:36:16much easier just to thread the more modern adjustable ones in.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21- So they've been in your sock drawer, never worn.- Never worn.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- Never loved.- Never loved.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27And I'm not sure they'll be loved again, actually. I suspect
0:36:27 > 0:36:31what might happen, sadly, whoever buys them will melt them down
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- and make them into something more profitable.- That would be sad.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37I'm rather hoping that if they're listed correctly for the auction
0:36:37 > 0:36:41that somebody maybe with a Gurkha background or...
0:36:41 > 0:36:43Might be interested in them.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I think there actually will be in fairness
0:36:45 > 0:36:49because there are specialist shops as well in big cities,
0:36:49 > 0:36:54particularly London, that specialise in gentlemen's attire and of course,
0:36:54 > 0:36:59- classic unusual cufflinks like this often end up in Bond Street.- Right.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03You know, for a nice rich client. Have you thought about the value?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I've looked up on the internet what the scrap value is
0:37:06 > 0:37:07so I've got a rough idea.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Oh, dear. So I can't get away with a low estimate then?
0:37:11 > 0:37:13No, you're quite wise to do that actually.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17- Today we're probably looking at around £300 or so.- Right.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21- Is that what you were thinking? - Yeah, I was thinking 250 - 270.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24- That sort of figure. - I like you even more now, Tony.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28If we could put an estimate of 250 - 350 on them I think there
0:37:28 > 0:37:32will be interest other than just the intrinsic value of the gold.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34So if we put a reserve of 250 on it
0:37:34 > 0:37:36- because you don't want to give them away.- Sure.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39I think there will be quite a lot of interest in them.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- Good.- But I mean if you did get a good price,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- would you try and get something else or?- My passion is pots.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- I readily admit to it.- Ah, you're a pot-oholic.- I'm a pot-oholic.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Why not turn the money into something that you can love
0:37:52 > 0:37:54- and look at and it gives you pleasure?- Mm.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57And it's too big to put in your sock drawer.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Well, there you are.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06Our experts have now made their final choices of items
0:38:06 > 0:38:07to take off to auction.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09For us, it's time to say goodbye to this wonderful,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12atmospheric place, the Oxford Union,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15as we head over to Newbury to the auction room for the very last time.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Stay tuned, there could be one or two big surprises
0:38:18 > 0:38:22and here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Will it be Zena's unusual elephant which entices the bidders?
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Or will the social history of Jaime's propaganda posters
0:38:29 > 0:38:31fire their imagination?
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Come on, we can rise above all this. Londoners can survive.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38And don't forget those Gurkha cufflinks for those
0:38:38 > 0:38:39who like militaria.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Any advance at 50?
0:38:43 > 0:38:45'Thomas Plant's got his gavel in his hand
0:38:45 > 0:38:48'and he's raring to get under way.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51'First to be put to the test is Zena's quirky elephant.'
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- Who have you brought along with you today?- This is David, my husband.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- David, pleased to meet you.- Thank you, Paul.- Do you like the elephant?
0:38:57 > 0:38:58Yes, very nice, actually.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- Why have you decided to sell this? - Well, it's not mine.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03- It's our daughter's.- Oh, OK.- Yeah.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05And it's just sitting there collecting dust
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- and now she wants to sell it. - Well, I'll tell you what,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10- Mark raced towards that when you saw that...- I did.- It was straight out
0:39:10 > 0:39:13- the starting blocks and...- It was, well...- A lot of silver.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15- A lot of silver. - Great deal of silver.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Very nicely modelled.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20Anything can happen in an auction, that's why they're such great fun.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- Ready for this?- Absolutely. - I'm ready.- Let's put it to the test.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25What's it worth? We can find out right now.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Next lot is lot number 60 and this is the
0:39:29 > 0:39:31impressive modern silver elephant.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33I can start straight in at £600 anywhere.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35At £600 I have.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37At £600, is there any advance at 600?
0:39:37 > 0:39:41At £600 is my maiden bid...
0:39:41 > 0:39:45There's a phone line, look, there's a phone line. Could be a trunk call.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49£600 and I sell then. Maiden bid against you all.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- £600.- Ooh, it's gone.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- Yep.- Blink and you'll miss that but it's gone.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57- Yep.- Happy?- Yes.- Very happy.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Any plans how you're going to spend...put it in the bank,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- pay the bills?- We'll go to Ourgate.- Where?- Ourgate.- Ourgate.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08- Have you been there?- No, what is that?- Bottom of the garden.- Oh.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Come on, Mark. Keep up. They say elephants aren't speedy.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Well, that auction certainly was. We're staying with Mark
0:40:15 > 0:40:19now for our next lot, those military style cufflinks.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21I'm not wearing any today and nor's Tony.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Well, Tony's selling his, let's face it.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- You don't normally wear cufflinks, do you?- No, no.- I think Mark does,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- have you got some on, Mark? - I haven't got any on today,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32unfortunately. I cheated today, I've got a button shirt.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34- Your hands behind your... - Hidden away.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37I think it's something all guys should own. I've got a few pairs.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Oh, I've got lots of pairs, Paul, but you're right, I think
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- it's something lovely to own. 22 carat gold.- Gorgeous, gorgeous.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45So remind us how did you come by these?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48I think I must've owned them for about 40 years which coincides with
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- when I started my banking career. - Right, OK.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53- There's a lot of guys here. - There is.- Who knows?
0:40:53 > 0:40:55And here we go, it's going under the hammer right now.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00Next lot is a pair of Middle Eastern 22 carat gold cufflinks.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03There we are, with the kukri and the shield.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Start the bidding with me here, straight in at 240.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07240 I have.
0:41:07 > 0:41:08Straight in.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10240 against you all.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12At 240, is there any advance on 240?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Is there any advance?
0:41:14 > 0:41:15At 240, all done then?
0:41:16 > 0:41:18240 didn't quite make it.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21That's surprising. I thought it would make 250.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23That surprised me as well, I was hoping...
0:41:23 > 0:41:24Really has surprised me.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Well, the scrap value was about 280 actually
0:41:26 > 0:41:29so I'm quite pleased we didn't sell it too fast.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32That's right on the cusp because if someone was bidding 230,
0:41:32 > 0:41:35he was calling for 240 plus commission.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39- Mm.- Plus VAT, it makes it £280, that is the scrap value.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41- And you know what they're worth. - Yeah.- Stick to your guns,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43maybe wear them.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Re-enter them in another sale in maybe six months...
0:41:45 > 0:41:48Yeah, maybe in a specialist jewellery sale.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50What a shame.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Now, last lot of the day will be those World War II posters.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Whom in the auction room will be swayed by a piece of propaganda?
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Thomas has lined the saleroom with them.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03- Six World War II campaign posters. - They look great, don't they?
0:42:03 > 0:42:07They do look great. What I want to know is why are you selling them?
0:42:07 > 0:42:09I actually want to put some money
0:42:09 > 0:42:12into a charity I founded in central Africa.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16We are renovating Africa's oldest ship and she's going to be a clinic.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- That's incredible.- And she's going to steam round Lake Malawi...
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- And that'll save lives. - It will save thousands of lives.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25And hopefully you'll be out there on the maiden voyage, will you?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28- I jolly well hope so, I'm going to buy a new hat.- Wow!
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Hopefully we're going to get top money
0:42:30 > 0:42:32and it's going under the hammer right now.
0:42:32 > 0:42:33This is it. Good luck.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36World War II, The Proud City.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39There we are, from the London Passenger Transport poster series,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41you can see them displayed around the room here.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Spradbery, 1944, some with some damages
0:42:43 > 0:42:45but my, have we got interest!
0:42:45 > 0:42:47160, 170, 180,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49190, 200...
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Well, there is a lot of them, isn't there? There's six.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52240, 260.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55280, 300 and I end at 310.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57At £310 is my bid.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59At £310 I have.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- Come on!- Against you all at 310. - Come on, come on.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03At 320 will buy it. At 310 I have.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05Last chance then at 310.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07Are you thinking about it, sir?
0:43:07 > 0:43:08At £310 against you all.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Last chance.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14- Jaime, the hammer's gone down. Yes! - Yes.- At £310, what a great result.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16- Yes.- Yes.- That surprised us all, didn't it?- Yes.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18- It did, mainly because of the condition they were in.- Yes.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20But they've got real potential,
0:43:20 > 0:43:22- they're sort of museum pieces really.- They are.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- War propaganda, that's what it was all about back then.- Yeah.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27- You know, your country needs you. - Yes.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29What a wonderful way to end today's show.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32We've had one or two great surprises but I think this one tops the lot.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Anyway, well done to our experts,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36it's not easy valuing antiques, it's not an exact science.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38Well done to Thomas Plant on the rostrum,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40our very own "Flog It!" favourite auctioneer.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42See you next time.