Guildford 24 Flog It!

# Here in my car I feel safest of all

# I can lock all my doors

# It's the only way to live In cars... #

I'm in pole position at the birthplace of British motor racing

and it seems I've got my transport sorted out.

All we need to do is race over to our valuation day venue.

Zoe, hit the gas!

CAR REVS

Welcome to Flog It!

We'll be back at Brooklands Museum later on in the show.

But for today's valuations we're in Guildford,

the county town of Surrey.

Its imposing cathedral stands almost 156 feet tall

and it's a true product of 20th-century architecture.

And today, it's home to Flog It!

Well, we've got a marvellous turnout today. Spirits are high.

Who knows what we're going to find? This is where it gets exciting.

Hundreds of people have turned up,

all wondering what their antiques and collectables are worth.

But when they get to the saleroom, the lucky ones, I know what they're going to be doing.

-What do you want to do?

-CROWD: Flog it!

And looking out for all of those important auction items

are our invaluable experts.

We've got the much sought-after Mr James Lewis.

-This is my granddaughter.

-Hello, granddaughter.

Oh, she's much nicer than your jug.

LAUGHTER

And the priceless Catherine Southon.

Looking good, if I do say so myself.

So, as our experts head to the starting blocks

for a busy day of valuations, here's what's coming up on the show...

We've got gold, silver and brass,

but which will come first in the auction?

Will it be this antique brass figure?

This large silver watch?

Or this mystery item made of gold?

Find out later on.

Well, lots of people and lots of antiques.

Now, this section of the cathedral is our research area.

All the items here and their owners

were spotted by our experts earlier on, the on-screen experts.

We have half a dozen off-screen experts behind the scenes,

working away, doing all the preparation and the research

for those items because, let's face it, it is a busy day.

Our experts are at the tables.

Let's now catch up with him and see what they're looking at.

First up is James Lewis.

Jane, I think it's lovely to see here in a 20th-century cathedral

-that the art of laying brass into stone hasn't died.

-Yes.

Of course, it's an art and a tradition

that goes way back in time with ecclesiastical art.

And here we have a lovely early example.

-I think this is 14th century.

-Really?

-Very early indeed.

Normally, you see a brass rubbing in a frame like this.

But here, in this instance, this is the piece of brass

-that would have been in the floor of a church or a cathedral.

-Wow.

And under there, you would find the remains of an important knight,

landowner or, in some cases, royalty. How did you come by it?

My mother must have got it from an auction, probably back in the '50s.

She used to collect all sorts of weird and wonderful things. And this is one.

And it was just hanging about home for years and years

and when she died I inherited it and I had it hanging up at home.

But, you know, the children don't want it and I thought, well,

I'd like to know more about it.

Only the very wealthy and the very rich

-were able to commission a piece like this.

-Really?

We have the pointed shoes,

we have the very stylised hair,

we have the standing in prayer,

the sword.

This chap is...he's a knight, he's a sir.

He's somebody who would have been almost certainly known to

-probably the King of England...

-Really?

-..in his day.

-Good heavens.

-He's an important chap.

And here at the bottom, we have a bull.

We see him with his pointed horns there.

This was probably an element of the family coat of arms.

-So, what's it doing in a rather flimsy frame?

-I know!

-It's not a very good frame, is it?

-Set into concrete?

I know. I've no idea.

Probably because in the Second World War,

-we lost an awful lot of churches to the German bombings.

-Yes, yes.

And as the churches were destroyed,

we had to look at them and say, "Is this possible to rebuild?"

-And a lot of the time, it just wasn't.

-No.

And people would go in, they would salvage what they could, rescue

what they could, and think, "What on earth am I going to do with it?"

I know, great idea - let's set it into concrete!

But at least it's still here and not ended up in landfill.

-I tend to love these early things.

-Yes.

But there are very few auction-goers who seem to agree with me

and I think they are really great value.

-They don't make thousands.

-No, I don't suppose they do.

I've seen pieces of ceramic here today that might make £1,000

and I would rather have one of these than ten of those. He's just super.

So, what's it worth?

-£200 to £300.

-Yes.

-I think.

-Yeah.

If somebody's prepared to put their money up for it,

then they'll certainly love it.

-In the right place it would look fantastic.

-It would look great.

-Absolutely.

-Well, thank you so much for bringing it in.

-Not at all.

-Thank you.

-You've made my day.

And I really do hope that it makes a lot more than I've said. We'll see.

-OK. Well, many thanks.

-Thank you.

# Not your stepping stone... #

A fascinating piece of brass work there.

Over to Catherine Southon,

who's found something that's a long way from home.

Karen, I love your silver purse.

Your Russian silver purse, I should say.

That little mark down on the bottom,

that tells us that it's a Russian silver purse.

It's so slim and elegant.

There's not a huge amount to it, but I just think it's so stylish.

Where did you get this from?

I just found it in a box in the attic when we were clearing out one day.

No idea where it came from. Must have been lurking.

-So, a family piece?

-Possibly, possibly. I don't really know.

How can something like this,

something as precious, something as beautiful, just be lurking?

I don't know. It was very grubby when I found it.

-Oh, really?

-It wasn't nice and shiny.

I never find anything lurking like this.

Silk lined, really fine quality.

So often these are frayed or dirty or damaged.

The date of this is 1900.

You can imagine this lovely slender shape, this is what I love -

a lady putting this into her bag when she goes off,

perhaps to the opera or something like that.

I mean, it's quality in every single sense.

It's not something that you would just leave in a box.

It's something you'd probably want to shout about.

I think you'd be quite proud to open it.

I love the way that it's been engraved on the outside.

Beautiful pattern here.

And you've got a rather stylish cabochon jewel there,

an amethyst jewel.

-Karen, have you ever used it?

-Never.

-No? It's not really practical, is it?

-Definitely not.

-You couldn't get your credit cards in it today, could you?

-You're right there.

And to be honest,

you couldn't get an awful lot of coinage in there, could you?

You'd probably get a few little pennies in there

and that's not going to buy you an awful lot today.

-The value of it, I would suggest, £150 to £250.

-OK.

-How does that sound to you?

-That sounds great, yes.

-Would you be happy to sell it at that price?

-Would be, yes.

-Shall we say £130 reserve?

-OK, OK.

And 150 to 250 in the estimate.

-Right.

-And see what happens.

-Yes.

-Now, I understand you can't make it to the auction?

-That's true.

-I've just booked a holiday.

-Oh, well.

-Never mind.

That's quite exciting.

I will do my very best for you

-and try and get a good price for you at the auction.

-Thank you.

-Thanks very much, Karen.

-Thank you.

-Super piece.

-Lovely, thank you.

-And it won't lurk at the auction.

-Good, I'm pleased about that.

I've come away from the hustle and bustle of the main event

to show you this.

I've got a little bit of peace and quiet down here,

because this is absolutely stunning.

To the people of the cathedral,

this banner is known as the Lieutenant Charleston banner

and it's made by a lady called Irene Charleston in memory of her brother

who lost his life fighting on the front during the First World War.

And Irene was more than able to tackle something like this

because she worked as a professional embroiderer

for the renowned company of William Morris,

a true promoter of the Arts and Crafts movement.

And we know about William Morris on this show.

We've come across a lot of his work.

This is absolutely divine and it's not lost any of its colour.

Its detail is absolutely exquisite.

Irene worked in her spare time, the odd hour she could put into this.

It took her, in total, 25 years to complete.

Now, you could say that really is a true labour of love.

I wonder what else our experts can find.

Let's now catch up with them

and see what else we can take off to auction.

Back to Catherine now, who's found another item made of silver.

-Cynthia, what a delightful water jug.

-Yes.

-I do like this.

-I'll tell you what I like about it.

-Yes?

I do like the fact that we've got a nice big lump of silver,

-but I like the handle.

-I love the handle.

-The handle is charming, isn't it? Fruit wood.

-And it feels gorgeous.

It does, doesn't it? You just want to pour straightaway.

When you say fruit wood, what sort of fruit? Or don't you know?

-Just fruit wood?

-I don't know what sort of fruit wood,

but the colour of it makes me think

that it's definitely a fruit wood, and the grain of it.

Why we haven't gone for a fruit wood finial, I'm not quite sure.

But this is sort of like an ebonised finial.

But it's in the Regency style.

Where did you get it from?

My mother-in-law died just before Christmas

and when we were clearing out her place

we found it wrapped up in a sort of cosy in a cupboard.

-So, do you think it was a family piece?

-I think so, probably.

I think it was probably her mother's before her.

But your husband doesn't remember ever seeing it?

I haven't asked him!

Criminal! Criminal!

Let's just have a closer look at it.

Because we've got a hallmark, a nice clear hallmark,

and we can identify the maker, Lambert & Co, and we can

-identify that it was assayed in London and date it to 1900.

-Right.

But it's of the Regency style.

-I just think it's delightful.

-I think it is.

Have you any idea of value?

Well, we've just had it valued for probate at £300.

£300? Right.

I mean, it should scrap, because it's a good, heavy weight,

at around 220, that sort of figure, I would say.

So I would suggest perhaps putting an estimate on,

-a saleroom estimate on, of 250 to 350.

-Right.

It's an attractive piece, so I think it won't just sell for scrap.

It should be sold as a nice piece of silver.

And then perhaps with a £220 reserve, how does that sound you?

-Um... Can we have 250 reserve?

-250 reserve?

-Is that all right?

-Yes, of course.

250 - it's a family piece, I think that's sensible.

-250, 350?

-Yes.

-Are you happy to see it go?

You're not tempted to use it, Cynthia?

No, no. I'd have to clean it!

THEY LAUGH

-That's a good point. OK, Cynthia, I shall see you at the auction.

-Right.

-Hopefully we'll have success.

-Thank you very much, Catherine.

Quality, quality, quality - that's what we're always looking for

and we've found some right here today.

Let's put that first batch of antiques under the hammer

and hopefully we'll have one or two surprises.

Here's a quick recap of what we're taking to the auction room with us.

We've got that Russian purse brought along by Karen.

There's the brass figure which belongs to Jane.

And we have Cynthia's silver jug.

For today's sale we've left Surrey

and travelled to Toovey's auction rooms in West Sussex.

Now, let's just hope the bidders here are as enthusiastic

as our experts were back at the valuation day.

This is where it gets exciting. Anything can happen!

'And the man with the gavel today is auctioneer Rupert Toovey

'and he's made some fascinating discoveries about one of our items.'

Our knight in shining armour.

Right, this belongs to Jane and I remembered at the valuation day,

-James Lewis was very excited about it.

-I understand.

And he said it's 14th century. I had my doubts.

I said, "James, I think it's new. I think it's sort of 1950s, 1960s."

I think you're absolutely right. But it's the most wonderful thing.

These are made as facsimile copies. There's no intention to deceive.

No, sure.

I have never, and none of my team, have ever seen one of these before.

It's the most marvellous thing.

Apparently they cast them from the original brasses using resin,

but also with powdered brass.

-So it looks like brass.

-And it feels like brass.

-And it ages like brass?

-And it even tarnishes.

Isn't that just fantastic?

And this exact brass, this is in the chancel at the church in Sandon.

-What's his name?

-John Fitz Geoffrey.

-Well, there we are.

Isn't that wonderful? He died in 1480.

This particular knight had six daughters

and a wife who also had memorial brasses there, too.

Isn't that fantastic? And this brass...

-How many, six daughters?

-Six daughters.

Do you know, if I was Jane, I think I'd withdraw this and keep it.

I wouldn't blame her, actually. It's such a wonderful story, isn't it?

Oh, dear! So, what's the new valuation, Rupert?

We've put 80 to 100, because it's a fabulous decorative object.

-Well, good luck with that later on as well.

-Thank you.

I can't wait to talk to Jane about this.

You can see what Jane thinks of that new information in just a moment

but before that, let's get things started with our first lot.

Going under the hammer right now

we've got a Russian silver purse belonging to Karen.

Unfortunately, she cannot make it to the auction today,

but we do have Catherine Southon, our expert, and of course,

that lovely silver purse with stylised foliate decoration.

I mean, it's a nice piece. £150 to £250.

It's lovely.

It's beautiful, it's elegant, but it's not practical, is it?

You can't get your cards in there today, Paul!

No, no, but will we sell it, do you think?

I hope so. I want to give her some really good news.

OK, we're going to find out right now - it's going under the hammer.

We have a multitude of conflicting bids

and the lowest we can start here is £170.

-We sold it.

-We've sold it.

£170? 180.

190. 200?

190 here. £190.

190!

£190, on commission at £190, and against the room. Fair warning.

£190.

-Great, it's gone. Karen will be so happy.

-She will be really pleased.

-£190.

-She will be very pleased.

I'm glad we sold it because I was a bit worried. But I'm very pleased.

Job done.

So, Catherine's valuation was right on the money.

Time to see how James does with that brass figure.

Jane, it's great to see you again, and James,

because we've got some news for you both.

Rupert's done some research and he's found out that, in fact,

it's a very, very, very good copy.

Brass has been put into the resin to make it feel and look like brass,

and age with that sort of patination you'd expect,

but in fact, it was made in the 1950s or '60s.

It's not easy doing research into something like that.

He's done really well to find out what village it came from.

Well, at least he's had a few weeks to look.

-Really, we only have a few hours on the day, so...

-Hours? Hours?

Maybe 20 minutes on the day. We try our hardest. It is very difficult.

-It can be.

-It's a shame.

So, we have a revised estimate now of £80 to £100.

So, has it changed your plans about selling?

No, not really. We've got nowhere at home, really, to hang it.

My parents had it, I remember, in the house.

Let's put it under the hammer, then.

-Ready?

-Let's see what happens.

-Here we go.

It's this marvellous monumental memorial plaque.

It's a replica, a fantastic replica from the mid-20th century

of John Fitz Geoffrey of Sandon in Hertfordshire.

What a marvellous object. And we're opening the bidding here at £80.

At £80 here? And five. 90, and five.

100. 100 now? 110, can I see?

At £100, here with the book at £100.

Is there any advance? £100.

Is there any advance on 100? Marvellous object. £100. £100.

It's gone, Hammer's gone down at the top end of the revised estimate.

Well, I think for a bit of 1950s resin, that's pretty good.

-I think that's pretty good as well.

-Yes, it's not bad, is it?

But it's the story it tells, really. And the local interest.

And thank you for bringing that in, because, you know,

-it really got us all going as well.

-It caused a conundrum.

Yes, it did, yeah. And that's the beauty of antiques.

-You know, it's all subjective and it's opinions, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

So, it seems the buyers agreed with our auctioneer

and that piece wasn't quite what it seemed at first sight.

But there's no question about our next lot.

This has got a bit of style, hasn't it?

Well, I think it's got a beautiful fruit wood handle.

It's quite elegant and it's nice and heavy,

but it's just not that fashionable.

-Not everybody's cup of tea, is it?

-No, no, that's right.

I just hope that this isn't bought for its weight and goes to melt.

But so much of it now is bought and sadly melted down.

-But fingers crossed.

-We've got 250 to 350.

Yes, I know, I know. Is that too much?

I don't know.

There's a lot of weight there and I was sort of valuing it

on the weight, so, I don't know. Hopefully...

-We're going to find out.

-We'll see, we'll see.

-Good luck, both of you.

-Thank you.

-This is it.

It's a lovely thing. Opening at £220.

At £220, the lowest we can start.

250. 270. 300. Yes?

-We've done it.

-Oh, that's surprising.

£300 now, in the room. At £300.

Is there any advance on £300?

Fair warning, 300.

-Oh, brilliant!

-Thank goodness for that.

-I was worried.

-We were slightly worried, but it's gone.

-It's gone.

And the good thing is, £300 plus the buyer's premium here,

which is 27% including VAT, means that coffee pot will not go to melt.

-No chance.

-That will be saved for somebody's collection.

-Oh, that's good.

-Because it takes it above that melt threshold.

That's much better.

Somebody will lose money if they try and scrap that.

-Well, that's good.

-So, the buyer is going to look after it.

-I'm glad somebody's going to use it.

-Yes, they will. Don't worry.

-Good.

We've seen a lot of people here today experience the thrill

and the excitement of buying and selling in the auction room

but right now I'm just about to head back to Surrey

to Brooklands Museum to experience a different kind of adrenaline rush,

that of motorsport past, present and future.

The year was 1907. Edward VII was on the throne.

Number Ten was occupied

by the little-known Henry Campbell Bannerman

and the upper classes of Great Britain had a new obsession -

motorsport.

-COMMENTARY:

-'Here come the cars.

'And he wins the race!'

I'm here at what was

the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit, Brooklands.

It opened in the very same year, 1907,

and for the next 30 years it was the venue for hundreds of races

and the track was absolutely huge - 2.75 miles in length,

100 feet in width and in sections it was banked, as you can see,

30 feet in the air to allow the drivers

to take these bends at even greater speeds.

Scary stuff.

The track's golden years were in the 1920s and '30s,

when thousands of spectators would gather to watch

the fastest cars of the day break record after record.

'The track is now home to a museum

'and I'm going to meet its director, Allan Winn.'

So, why was Brooklands built and who came up with the idea?

It was Hugh Locke King who actually owned this land,

a very wealthy landowner who was a very keen motorist himself.

He went to the Coppa Florio race in Sicily in 1905

and he found there were no British cars competing, no British drivers.

When he asked the question, it was simply that

there was nowhere in the UK

where you could legally develop and operate a fast motor car.

So, he came back with the idea if he built a test track,

the manufacturers could then develop fast cars capable of more than 20mph,

which was the national speed limit at the time, and this was

real ground-breaking stuff -

running motor racing on a closed circuit.

This was the first place in the world where it happened.

So, they had to learn everything from scratch.

And in fact, when they set up motor racing here,

because there was no role model,

they based everything on the rules of horse racing,

which is why to this day you still have a clerk of the course

in charge of a motor racing circuit

and the cars get assembled in the paddock before they go out.

-That all came direct from horse racing.

-Gosh, I never knew that.

And, indeed, before 1914,

all the drivers wore their own coloured silks.

You know, it proved to be a very inaccurate way of identifying

cars going at high speed

so they very quickly adopted big racing numbers as well.

Back in its heyday you're looking at cars going round that track,

I would say bombing around that track, at over 100mph,

no power steering, no helmets, absolutely nothing.

Dangerous stuff, surely? Lots of accidents?

There were quite a few accidents,

but over the 32 years that the track was open in total,

there were about 15 people killed at the track.

It was dangerous. It was bumpy. The cars were very fast.

This car here, for instance,

lapped at an average speed of 143mph in 1935.

Now, that is seriously fast.

So, if you had a big accident, you would get seriously hurt or killed

if you hit something going at that sort of speed.

But it wasn't just the men

who risked life and limb pushing the limits.

The circuit was about to play

another major part in the history of motorsport.

A group of female drivers decided they, too,

wanted a piece of the high-speed action

and the Belles of Brooklands were born.

Away from the track, the suffragette movement were campaigning

for the right for women to vote, while here at Brooklands,

the female drivers were finding it hard

to be accepted behind the steering wheel.

One male official commented, "Well, you don't see lady jockeys

"so it would be wrong to see a lady behind a steering wheel."

But despite all this, they carried on competing,

although they were kept apart from their male counterparts.

This is the ladies' reading room,

and it's where they would prepare before races and relax between them.

These comfy surroundings are a huge contrast to the girls

who used these rooms, often covered in grease and dirt after a day's racing,

like Kay Petre,

one of the most successful female drivers of the era.

She actually broke the lap speed record here at Brooklands three times.

The Brooklands Belles were later banned from racing

by the governing body at the racetrack.

But that didn't stop them from taking part in the sport they loved.

Undeterred, the Belles bypassed the ban

by racing at other unofficial meetings.

Their determination would eventually pay off

and a whole new chapter of female motorsport would begin.

By 1932, the Belles were reinstated and officially recognised.

Not only were they back on track but this time,

they were competing against the men.

But despite all this, all eyes were on one competition -

who could be crowned the queen of speed?

By 1935, Kay Petre and her rival Gwenda Hawkes

were both hardened drivers and seasoned racers.

Both drove powerful machines

and in a tit-for-tat battle to be the fastest,

they each broke the speed record a number of times

before Hawkes finally reached 135.95mph and won the title.

It's a track record that still stands today.

Unfortunately, that would be

one of the last great battles to take place on the track.

In 1939, World War II came along

and an aircraft factory was built right on the finishing straight.

As you can see, it's still here today.

This is the finishing straight.

Over the years, much of the track has been built over

and it's really disappeared.

But there are sections that are still open

and I'm going to experience it today with a very special driver.

She started racing go-karts aged just nine.

She got her professional racing licence aged 13.

And now, aged 19, she's a professional driver.

This is Zoe Wenham,

and she's one of the best female motor racers in the country.

Thanks for meeting up with me here today.

It's such a historic place of motorsport.

-Look at this! What does it feel like for you ?

-It's incredible.

In ten years of motorsport, I haven't been and visited yet.

-I've read loads about it in the books.

-So this is a first?

Absolutely. It's great to stand on the ground.

We've heard about the Brooklands Belles.

Has their story inspired you?

Yeah, they raced cars and their ABS traction control was very basic,

and in skirts and silk tops.

It's just incredible and it's such an inspiration with our modern-day cars.

Well, we have a car from that era -

a 1932 MG M-type Midget, and it feels warm.

You've taken this out for a ride already, haven't you?

-Just a little bit of practice.

-What was it like?

-It was incredible.

Well, can we have a go around some of these bends? Do you mind?

-We can try.

-It's a two-seater.

-We can try.

-Let's go!

Wow!

Zoe currently competes in the GT Championship

and this is a very different type of car to the one she's used to.

She was given a lot of instruction earlier on

and she got to grips with it in no time.

So, what do you normally drive every day?

-I've got the Volkswagen Polo.

-Have you? Right, OK.

And what do you normally race with?

I've got a Ginetta G50, which is a modern-day car,

3.7 litre V6 engine.

Wow, that's big. That's totally different to this.

Is motorsport still considered a man's world?

Slightly, yes.

The mainstream people don't actually class it as a female sport.

-So, how do you feel about that?

-They treat us all the same, to be honest.

What do you hope to achieve in your career?

-To be able to take part in Le Mans 24-hour race.

-Wow, gritty stuff!

-Yeah, lots of professional motorsport.

-Well, good luck.

There you are.

Although racing here at Brooklands has since long gone,

its spirit still remains,

and the achievements of drivers from the past

still continue to inspire a new generation to go faster and faster.

And right now, I need to get back to Guildford Cathedral

to join up with our experts

to see what else can we find to take off to auction.

-Any chance of a lift, Zoe?

-Absolutely.

-Let's go there in style!

Welcome back to Guildford Cathedral,

where our valuations are still in full swing.

We're having a marvellous day here but right now, it's time to

catch up with our experts and find out what they're up to.

And it looks like Catherine has spotted a real gem

and she's just down there.

Robert, I don't know about you but I do like a glass of champagne.

-Are you a champagne drinker?

-I am and always have been.

And you've brought me along a champagne swizzle stick

for dipping in your champagne,

giving a little swizzle and getting rid of your bubbles.

I don't know about you, Robert, but I like bubbles in my champagne.

I mean, that's the whole point of it, at the end of the day, isn't it?

In many ways you're right.

I agree with you, I prefer them.

But I think the ladies of the 19th and 18th century,

rather than get the champagne up their nose

or going over their dresses,

liked to disperse them somewhat and that became the style.

-Not so much now.

-Nowadays, it's just a novelty, isn't it?

-Absolutely, yes, it is.

-So, where did you get this from?

From a friend who gave it to me in 1990, roughly.

We'd rather enjoyed champagne, particularly Krug.

Ohhh!

But, of course, those were the days

when I was working reasonably successfully.

Right, OK, so you were a bit of a champagne drinker 20-odd years ago?

I was, yes.

It's a bit of fun, isn't it? It's a novelty piece, really.

It's something you could have when you've got all your friends round,

having a dinner party or a drink, cheese and wine, or what have you,

and you have a glass of champagne.

It's a talking point, isn't it?

This is nine-carat gold, as you may know.

It's stamped here. And it's quite nice quality, it's engine turned.

-But, at the end of the day, it's a bit of class, isn't it?

-Yeah, maybe.

-Not for you any more?

-I think not, no.

-Time to move on. Well, ish.

It must be quite sentimental to you.

Quite special as a friend gave it to you.

-Are you sure you're wanting to sell this?

-Well, yes, I think so.

It's not going to be a huge amount of money.

I'm not going to dazzle you with a big figure.

-I would say £70-£100, how's that?

-Lovely, to buy a bottle of Krug.

BOTH LAUGH

I like your answer, that's perfect! OK, let's put it in the sale.

£70-£100, with a £70 reserve because it was a gift,

so I think we need to protect it. Are you happy with that?

-I'm very happy with that.

-And I tell you what, if you get your champagne,

-can I have a glass as well?

-Well, of course you can! THEY CHUCKLE

An interesting and unusual find for Catherine there.

Now, over to James, who's got his hands on something rather colourful.

Rosemary, about eight or nine years ago, I was in China

and I walked into a factory where they were making various things.

And in one room, you could hardly see the group of about 30 women.

And it was a factory producing cloisonne like this.

And the room with all the dust, full of all these ladies,

none of whom were wearing a facemask,

they all had pumice stone and they were polishing the cloisonne.

I said to the people there, I said,

"Gosh, your breathing must be atrocious."

And the guide said, "Yes, the average life expectancy

-"of somebody doing cloisonne work is about 30 years."

-Is that all?

-Crumbs.

-So, that's what I always think when I see this.

-Are you a collector?

-No.

-Have you inherited it?

-I've inherited it, yes.

-OK. So, who owned it?

-My grandfather, yes.

He actually owned an antique shop,

so when my husband and me first got married,

he gave me that as a gift, really.

-It's not a bad gift, it's lovely.

-That's it, really.

-This is Japanese cloisonne.

-Right.

They made it in Japan and China

but this one was something that was made for the export market.

You've got a brass handle,

and the core metal that it's laid onto is brass.

We start with a layer of brass, then you get a bit of brass wire,

and you shape it into maybe a flower head,

part of a butterfly wing

or a leaf, and you stick it to the surface of the box.

Then you take your powder

which is ground stone or glass

and you heat it and as you heat it,

it melts and it flows

and it forms a pattern inside that wire.

And different colours for different parts.

And then is the pumice stone part.

Get that pumice stone and you rub it away, causing this dust,

and you get down to the wire. And the work that's involved...

-It's a great deal of work.

-It's huge work.

It really is. It's probably a cigarette box, I would imagine.

I did wonder, actually, whether it was a cigarette box

or for perhaps sweetmeats or something like that.

We weren't sure, really.

-It's got a mark in there.

-Yes. Apparently it says "golden balls".

-Does it, really?

-You're winding me up!

-No.

-Golden balls?

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?!

Why would it say "golden balls" in there?

That's what they said it translated to, two different people said that.

-Really? Independently?

-Independently.

-All right.

-OK.

-I believe you, I think. But I'm not quite sure!

But what's it worth?

Lovely condition.

I would think, and I know this is a bit predictable,

it's the auctioneers' favourite,

but I think it's about right for it - 80-120.

-I knew you would say that.

-Did you?

-THEY CHUCKLE

-Mind you, you never know.

-You never know.

Golden balls might be the difference.

They might...it might be the difference!

And I found a couple of people who agree with James's estimate.

Don't wake the baby. Oh, hang on a minute, one's just stirred.

Let's find out what they're saying.

80-120.

Back to Catherine now, who's found an unusual timepiece.

We're in a very vast cathedral here, Jean,

and all of a sudden, we have this rather large,

very sizeable timepiece.

-Where did you get it from?

-Well, it originated from my grandfather

and then it was left to my mother and then my mother gave it to me.

But I've never seen it on show.

Right, the thing that I can see straightaway

is that it's incredibly chunky.

-Mm-hm.

-I mean, it's serious, this, isn't it?

-It's chunky. Is it heavy?

-Very heavy.

I'm going to let you hold it for the whole time we're standing here!

Now, your grandfather had it, but you said you don't remember it being on show,

but it's not something that you can very easily display.

Can I just have a look over here?

There we are. This I can immediately see is replaced.

So, it would have stood up on your mantelpiece or, perhaps,

next to your bed. But it's just such a heavy piece, isn't it?

But you can see why that's broken off,

because it is chunky and very sizable.

So do you have this on display in your house?

I don't. It's been in the wardrobe since my mother gave it to me.

-It just doesn't fit in.

-Right, OK, can I hold...

-Can I give you the case?

-Yes, certainly.

And I'm going to take out this massive pocket watch.

You can't really call it a pocket watch,

-but it's in the style of a pocket watch.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yes.

Now, this is silver, and we know that by the hallmarks underneath.

This tells us that it was assayed in Scotland

and we have got initials down here of H and I

for Hamilton & Inches of Edinburgh.

They were a company that was founded in 1866

and they're actually still going today, which is wonderful. So, that's really nice.

And we can see that the date letter there is Y and it dates to 1905.

-This, on the other hand, is not silver.

-Right.

This is actually plated. It would be super if it was silver,

but sadly, it's not.

This is in a little tired condition.

It's got a chip on the enamel, which is a bit of a shame,

but nevertheless, it's a good-looking thing.

-It's quite solid, isn't it?

-It is pretty solid.

Why do you want to sell it?

Well, it's in the wardrobe at the moment, and I'd like a holiday in Jersey

so that would be quite useful to put it towards something.

-Why Jersey?

-I love Jersey.

My niece lives there and I've been going there for 15 years.

-It's my favourite holiday spot.

-Right, well,

this really reminds me of the whole Alice In Wonderland thing.

The size of it really makes me think of the rabbit.

So, shall we see if we can do something magical

and sell this and make you a fortune

-and whisk you off to Jersey?

-That would be nice.

I would put an estimate on this of 150-250 with a £100 reserve.

Would you be happy with that?

I would be happy with that. That would be fine, Catherine.

It would be nice if it made a little bit more but we'll see what we can do.

-OK.

-Lovely, I'll see you at the auction. Good.

-I look forward to it.

Well, that's it! We're all done and dusted here.

A big thank you to the hundreds of people who have turned up

with their antiques and collectables

and our marvellous venue for today, Guildford Cathedral.

We're off for our second trip to the saleroom

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

Let's hope the champagne swizzle stick will pop some corks.

There's that early-20th-century enamel box.

And, fingers crossed, the bidders have big pockets for that watch.

Well, this is what I like to see, an auction room full of fine art and antiques.

Remember, if you're thinking of going to an auction,

you have to register and you have to pick up a paddle in order to bid

and don't forget, there is commission to pay.

It varies from saleroom to saleroom,

so check the details in the catalogue,

or if you're unsure, ask the auctioneer.

Going under the hammer right now, something from the '70s

and I wouldn't necessarily say '70s when I think of this.

It's a champagne twizzle stick, belonging to Robert.

Are you still knocking back the champagne?

-A bit, but not quite as much as I was.

-Not so much.

-Right, well, let's put it to the test, shall we?

-Absolutely.

See what it makes.

And we're opening the bidding here at...£85.

£85, can I see the 90? Conflicting bids on the books here at £85.

At £85, 90 going to see? At £85 and 90 and five for 100? 95 here?

At 95 against the room?

At 95, all done?

-At 95! 95.

-GAVEL BANGS

95 and the hammer's gone down!

-That's a good result. Are you happy with that?

-I am.

-And I'm going to enjoy a lunch on Worthing front.

-Brilliant.

-Very nice, with champagne.

-Fish and chips.

-Fish and chips and champagne.

-Now, that...that is style, isn't it?

-Yes!

So, Robert's going home happy and hopefully,

someone will be enjoying a glass or two with that swizzle stick.

Next, we've got the enamel box.

It's exquisite, the quality is superb.

It's a two-lidded box separated with a little brass handle.

Cloisonne, Japanese. Who have you brought along with you?

-My husband, Roy.

-Roy, pleased to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

You've got to talk her into not selling this, really.

I think it's absolutely delightful. Would you sell this, James?

-I don't know. I don't know. I think I might.

-Yes.

Why are you selling it?

We've got quite a few bits and pieces at home,

and quite honestly, too many.

-Good luck, both of you.

-Thank you very much.

-This is it.

And opening this lot at £70. At £70 and five? And 80 and five?

At 80 now. At £80 with the book at £80, can I see the 85?

At £80 and five again, now, in the chair. Thank you, madam.

At £85, can I see the 90? 85 for the lady, here?

At £85, are we all done?

-£85 and selling? 85.

-GAVEL BANGS

Gosh, that went cheaply, didn't it? £85.

Well, there we are, what could be done?

-Tried our hardest.

-I know you did.

I guess there was just not many people in the room

-bidding against each other.

-Never mind, it did at least go, didn't it?

A real bargain for one lucky bidder. Let's get on with our final item.

And time's up for that large pocket watch.

-I mean, it's massive, isn't it?

-It's huge.

-It really is.

I've never seen anything like that before,

-with a silver travelling case.

-Absolutely stonking.

-As soon as you see that, everyone says "wow".

-It's very unusual.

I don't think we'll come across another one for a long time.

-That's why I like it.

-No, I love it. I think it'll do well.

-Good.

We're going to find out right now, good luck.

This is it, we're putting it to the test.

And we're opening the bidding here at £350.

At £350, with conflicting bids. At £350.

£380, 400, 420. 450, 480. 500, 520.

550, 580, 600, 620?

At £600 here? £600.

-Six!

-£600.

-No!

Catherine!

£600 on commission. At £600, fair warning, 600.

-Yes, the hammer's gone down. £600!

-We just... We didn't...

-I didn't expect that at all.

-That was amazing.

-£600!

I thought it would probably do about three or four,

but I didn't think 600!

It was unusual, and you won't find another one for a long time.

-Well done, that's brilliant.

-Good for you.

-Thank you.

That gave us a surprise. I told you there was going to be one.

Well, that's it. It's all over.

Lots of highs and lots of lows for our owners.

The thrill and the excitement of the saleroom.

If you want to experience some of that,

your journey starts at one of our valuation days.

Details of up-and-coming dates and venues,

you can find on our BBC website,

or check the details in your local press, because, fingers crossed,

we're coming to a town very near you soon and we'd love to see you.

But for now, from West Sussex, it's goodbye.