Manchester 33 Flog It!

Innovation and invention.

Geography and geology. Strength and solidarity.

Just a few of the reasons why this city has such a hugely

impressive claim as the first industrial city in the world,

and its name is Manchester. Welcome to Flog It!

Cotton - a soft, fluffy fibre, but one strong enough to build a city.

Manchester's association with cotton began in the home in the 17th century,

but within 100 years of industrialisation,

Manchester went from being a small insignificant market town

to a booming centre of textile production.

A cottonopolis to be exact.

And later on in the show we'll be finding out how and why Manchester

beat the rest of the world to become the first industrial city.

But first we've got some industrious action of our own.

Our experts have to find the best antiques here in this queue

and whisk them off to auction.

And what better place to hold an evaluation day than

Manchester's very own Museum of Science and Industry.

So who will be the engineers of today's programme?

Oh, yay! Oh, yay! Oh, yay!

Anita and Michael are the experts on Flog It!

Yay!

But it's people and antiques that are the fuel for our fire.

Just look at this!

It's not even 9:30 and hundreds of people from all over Manchester

have turned up laden with unwanted antiques and collectables,

all hoping they're one of the lucky ones hoping to go through to

the auction later on in the show and go home with a small fortune.

Well, I think it's time we got the doors open, don't you?

-Are you ready to go in, everyone?

-ALL: Yes!

Stewards, open the door!

The Museum of Science and Industry, or MOSI as it's known,

charts Manchester's integral role in the Industrial Revolution.

The machines might be large,

but the stars of our show are a little smaller and refined.

Two stunning examples of Scandinavian jewellery

go under the hammer, but can you predict which makes the most cash?

And I find some local art that illustrates industrial Manchester with exquisite simplicity.

I absolutely love this.

This is what it's all about. This is why we're here in Manchester.

Well, this is where the wheels of industry keep on turning.

Everybody is now safely seated inside, so let's get in with it.

Michael Baggott is our first expert to the tables.

Diane, thank you for bringing this lovely casing today.

Where did it come from?

It was given to me in the late '60s

when I lived here before I moved to Australia.

Exactly how far have you come today?

I've only come locally today, but last week I came from Australia.

So you had to plan packing this in the luggage?

Yes, I really wanted to bring something bigger,

but it meant taking out a pair of shoes, and that wasn't on,

so I found this cos it was smaller.

-Small is beautiful, isn't it?

-Definitely.

-So did you watch Flog It!

-in Australia?

-Every day.

-I didn't realise we were international.

-Oh, absolutely. Two o'clock everyday.

-Oh, how luxurious.

-Yes.

Well, thank you for flying over.

I hope it's going to be worth it.

-I can't guarantee. Well, you've had a holiday as well.

-Oh, yes.

I'm here for my father's 95th birthday.

-Marvellous.

-So it's all just tied in nicely.

-Do you know where this comes from?

-No, I thought it was plastic.

-It's got a plastic feel to it.

-Definitely.

But what we've got is a calling card case.

So this would be...

If you went round,

you'd keep your cards in there and you'd leave a card

and it was a whole thing to do with it, but this is Anglo-Indian.

So it's Indian made for the British market.

It's got a sandalwood interior and we've got ebony

and I think we've got bone fitted all around it

and this would have been carved sometime in about...

It's difficult to be precise, but let's say 1870 up to about 1890.

-Oh, really?

-So it's a good 120, 130 years old.

And it's got all this beautiful incised decoration.

And of course when that's done you can't really see it,

so then they black it in

with ink and polish it off. It's lovely.

-We've got a little deity there doing something...

-I'm not sure about him.

I think he's trying to achieve the lotus position.

And enlightenment and wisdom.

The only thing we've got is little bits of damage.

But I mean, it's come from Australia for goodness' sake!

Right. Oh, crikey.

Well, I'm glad you came over for your father's 95th

and not to make a profit on Flog It!

-otherwise I think we'll be in negative equity.

-Oh, right.

-I think we could say conservatively...

-Yes.

-£50 to £80.

-OK.

And put a £50 fixed reserve on it. Would that be all right?

Yes, that would be lovely.

And will you be there at the auction?

Well, it cost me 75 to change my flight, so it'll pay for that,

-so yes.

-So if we were under the 75 mark,

you wouldn't have made it to the auction?

-No.

-No, we'll cover it.

-Somebody has to buy it.

Well, let's hope that the gods are with us on the day.

Diane, it has been a privilege to meet you.

-Thank you so much for bringing this.

-Thank you. It's been lovely.

-Mariel, I can see you're a woman of style.

-Oh, thank you.

And a woman of style would wear this type of jewellery.

Tell me where you got them.

A present from my husband about 35 years ago.

And I did wear them at first, but I haven't worn them for a while.

-Did you like them when you got them?

-Very much.

-Do you know who made this jewellery?

-Georg Jensen.

-That's right.

And you've got a smile on your face where you say those two magic words.

Georg Jensen was one of the most prestigious silversmiths

and silver designers of the 20th century.

Danish, he lived in Copenhagen, he died in 1935,

but they are still making Georg Jensen jewellery.

-And these particular pieces were made in 1971.

-Right.

But they still have that same quality that were his trademarks

-when he was actually making the pieces.

-Right, interesting.

-Yes.

-I mean, what can you say about them?

The simplicity of them is absolutely wonderful.

-You don't wear them any more?

-No, I don't.

-The earrings look a wee bit fiddly.

-They can be.

They do stay on, but they can be fiddly.

-Now, tell me, it was a present from your husband...

-Yes.

-What would he think about you selling them?

-He's fine.

They're mine. He said, "If you want to sell them, go ahead."

And this type of thing is very popular just now.

It fits in with our the modern aesthetic,

the simplicity that many young people look for in their design.

So these will be well fancied in the sale room.

-Good.

-Price...

I would put probably...

..120 to 150, in that region. Would you be happy to sell them at that?

Yes.

-If that's what you think.

-Yep. do you want me to put a reserve on them?

-Well, do you think 120 on the reserve?

-Yeah.

But let's use a little bit of discretion.

-OK, if you think so.

-Let's hope they do very well indeed.

-Thank you.

Thank you for bringing them in.

Now we've seen a lot of Georg Jensen silver on the show over the years.

From a modest brooch...

The hammer's gone down. £190. That was the top bid.

..to a beautiful silver tea set that was valued at £800 to £1,200.

And it sold for a whopping £5,000.

-Goosepimples.

-Good gracious me.

Denmark's Georg Jensen led a wave of 20th century silversmiths

who created simple geometric designs in the very finest quality.

He inspired a generation of makers

and pieces by lesser known designers are now attracting attention in

the sale room for their modern classic look.

And Michael's found one such beauty.

Beautiful necklace and bracelet set.

Where did you get them from?

They were given to me on my confirmation day.

When was that, if you don't mind me asking?

No. I was 14 and it was in 1961.

I notice a slight accent. Where were you from originally?

-Denmark.

-Right.

Cos this has got a very strong look of that Scandinavian school

of jewellery that you find from the 1930s onwards.

If we have a look...

Obviously they're a pair, they're the same design,

and we've got marks here.

We just get a stamp, so we've got..."Sterling.

"Denmark," and then we've got maker's name "NE From."

Yes.

And I think From is a name that we're not very familiar with over here.

We always think of Jensen when we think of Danish silversmiths.

Georg Jensen, yeah.

But actually there was a whole school of silversmiths

making these wonderful, very light, very modern designs.

And to be honest, I've not come across From before.

But he was obviously a very skilled silversmith

and I would think it was made around the date of your confirmation.

It have been two or three years old,

but it's very much a late '50s, early '60s style of jewellery.

-So this was a confirmation gift...?

-It was.

-..whilst you were in Denmark?

-Yes.

-When did you come over to England?

I came over here when I was 19 as an au pair girl.

Was it that that decided you to settle in England?

No. It's the usual story - I met a lovely young man and I fell in love.

So I went home after the year as planned but I needed to come back,

so came back in 1968 and that's when I settled.

-Love will always find a way.

-That's it. It will.

-Marvellous.

Well, the good news is we don't have to worry about bullion values,

the value isn't in the metal.

-Right.

-It wouldn't matter if it was silver, copper or gold.

It's all in the design.

And that's really where the value of Scandinavian silver metalwork is.

And this is so fashionable. And eminently wearable.

As we were setting up, members of the crew would pass..."Oh!"

I think Anita even strained over my shoulder and had a look.

It's a beautiful set. I think it's very commercial

and we should put it into auction at £200 to £300.

-That's fantastic.

-And a fixed reserve of £200.

So if you're happy, we'll put it into the auction at that

and see where it ends up.

Yes, I think that's very nice. Thank you.

That's marvellous. Thank you so much for coming in.

So, can a little no name From match up to the famous Georg Jensen?

Find out in a few moments.

This is every school boy's dream, isn't it?

To come here and look at this. Moving parts, mechanical objects.

This was the Industrial Revolution working at full tilt,

driving their country forward.

Look at the guys watching.

They're all little boys that haven't grown up

still fascinated as ever.

So that's it for our first half,

it's off to auction with our stock of silver.

Anita's put £120 to £150 on

the classic Georg Jensen design.

But Michael's valued the lesser known

but larger From set at £200 to £300.

Who will be nearest on the money?

And lest we forget, jolly Diane who was so keen

to come to the auction she changed her flight to Australia.

I hope there's some wizardry in the

sale room to get her the best price.

Our auction today comes from the pretty village of Knutsford

where the cobbled steps lead to an old school hall

filled with antiques and collectibles.

It's Frank Marshall's auction house and on the rostrum are two men

of exceptional hammer skills - Nick Hall and Peter Ashburner.

Calling all bids right now.

Going under the hammer we have an Anglo-Indian calling card case

belonging to Diane who's just about to fly off to Australia.

-Straight after the auction, aren't you?

-I am, tomorrow.

-You put the flight off, you were due to fly...

-Yesterday.

-I put it off until tomorrow.

-So you could be here with us.

Michael, how about that?

I'm not sure I can handle this sort of pressure for evaluation.

-What do you think, Michael?

-I think it's small and it's postable.

I think we should do £100, £120.

Sticking my neck out there, but I have to, she delayed her flight.

THEY LAUGH

Right. Here we go. Let's put it under the hammer.

Let's find out what it's worth.

The late 19th century Anglo-Indian rectangular card case.

Nice little collector's item. Good little lot.

-A bit of interest as well.

-There we go.

-I have commission bids.

I'm straight in here at 45.

-50. 55.

-Diane, you got your money back.

At 65, I'm in. Straight in at 65.

70 with you, madam. Five against you.

At 75. Try another. 80.

Five. One more. 90. It's £90 in the room.

-At 90 now. Five online.

-There we go.

At 95. Are you bidding, madam?

Round it off to 100, mate.

At £95.

All done and sure? Last chance. 95. Selling away.

We did it.

-You did well.

-Well done, Michael.

-You're in profit.

-Yay.

Well, have a safe trip back to Australia.

-Thank you for the experience.

-Delighted. Delighted it did well.

Diane has more than covered her costs

and is clearly delighted she stayed for the ride.

And now for the first in our battle of 20th century Danish jewellery.

Will the classic Georg Jensen beat the lesser known From design?

Mr Jensen is first to the sale.

Over the years on this show we have seen so many people

that just want Georg Jensen jewellery.

I mean, it's the most wonderful thing you can come across.

It's great 20th century design.

And this is a nice little set. It's got its box, doesn't it?

-It is. Yes, it's boxed.

-Well, there you go.

It's going under the hammer right now.

The Georg Jensen silver brooch and matching clip earrings.

Smart lot. Good classic designer. We're going to go. £100 for the lot.

Surely for the Georg Jensen there. At £100. 80.

The bid's in the room at 80.

-Five anyone?

-There's not many women in the room, is there?

90. Still in? At £90.

Any advance on 90? New bidder at five.

95. 100.

-They know a bit of Georg Jensen.

-120.

120. 120. I'm bid by the fellow by the doorway.

At £120. New bid at 130.

130 now. 130 I bid on my right.

-140. Fresh bidder.

-Someone online now or on the phone.

-Two phones going now at 250. 260.

-Great.

Phones, bidders in the room and we've got the internet.

160. 170.

Still in? 180.

Two phones - 180 and 190.

200. At 200 I'm bid.

200. 210.

Ten now with Niall.

Ten's the bid. Niall's phone at 210. At 210 with Niall

on the phone. Selling away at £210.

-Sold it.

-Good.

-It's gone.

-Oh, yeah.

-I'm pleased with that.

A good result.

Now you can buy yourself something you do like.

The Jensen jewellery smashed the estimate.

Could the From piece make more?

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-You're from Denmark

-and we've got some Danish jewellery going under the hammer.

-We have.

-Yes, Paul.

-I think this is quality, and it really is.

You brought it to the right person. Michael's our silver expert.

Delighted to see. It's got all of those Jensen lines

but by a maker I haven't heard of before.

But hopefully people online will have.

OK. Let's find out what the bidders think right here, right now.

It's going under the hammer. This is it.

Danish silver necklace and bracelet set by Niels Erik From.

Super quality designer piece. In silver. Start me where? £200 for it.

Who's in at £200?

150. 100. Start me somewhere. Where we going to go?

At £100. 100 only.

110. 120. 130. 130 now. You in at 140? 140 I'm bid.

150 I'm holding. 160. 170.

He's pointing to the phones, which is always a good sign.

190. 190 now. 200.

It's on the phone. At £200. Commissions are out.

It's all on the phone. At 200. Nothing online?

-Come on, where's all those Danish bids coming in?

-Just a bit more.

Nothing online. Room's gone quiet.

At £200 on the phone I have. And will sell at 200.

-It's gone. £200. That's OK.

-That's fine.

So there you have it, once again the big name wins out.

But with only £10 difference between them

it proves that lesser-known Danish designers are catching up fast.

And all three of our ladies go home happy,

one to the other side of the world.

There you are, that's the end of our first visit to the auction room completed.

So far so good, but don't go away because we're coming back here

later on where I'm sure it's going to get really exciting.

While we're here in the area filming I decided to head back to

Manchester to find out how the city beat its neighbours becoming

the leading light during the Industrial Revolution.

The Industrial Revolution found its home in Manchester

over 200 years ago and drove the city to become the first

and the largest textile producer in the world.

The story starts in a rural market town 16th century Manchester.

Spinning and weaving sheep wool was a common occupation in the home

and gave many families a livelihood.

By the 17th century silk and cotton were being imported

and the town's reputation for its textile production was growing.

But how could a cottage industry produce the volume of goods

needed to compete on a world stage?

They needed speed, power and new ways of thinking.

In the 18th century there was a lust for development.

Engineers, scientists and laymen all strove to find new ways

to work cotton and transform production.

Men like Newcomen who invented the first steam engine for

pumping water and John Kay, the creator of the flying shuttle,

both key developments on the path to industrialisation.

Steam power was emerging as a transformative tool,

but it needed one important resource - coal.

Coal had been transported from mine to city

by horse and cart for many years.

But as demand increased

so did the need for a better system of delivery.

In 1759, the third Duke of Bridgewater, Francis Egerton,

built a canal from his mine in Worsley to Manchester.

The coal was floated along water in canal boats.

A much faster and therefore cheaper solution

to an ever-increasing demand.

Mills popped up on the waterways around Manchester.

With power now easily available and technology in place to harness it,

production could increase to previously unimaginable levels.

In order to support this booming industry, workers were needed,

and they came in their droves.

In the space of just 30 years the population of Manchester

more than doubled,

all arriving to drive machines like this one, the spinning wheel,

still in working order at the museum today.

Carol, you're the perfect person to demonstrate these spinning machines

working to the general public,

because when you left school you went into the industry, didn't you?

-You worked in a mill.

-I did, yes. I started at 15.

-I started sweeping the floor.

-Working your way up.

Yes, you started at the bottom and worked your way up,

-being trained along the way.

-Noisy environment.

-Very noisy.

Hot as well.

Yes, you needed the humidity because otherwise the cotton would break.

-So it was hot.

-It's quite warm in here and nothing is working.

-Yes, it is.

-Can you start this up for me so I can see it?

I certainly can. I'll put it on for you.

A typical cotton mill would have 60 machines like this one

each spinning over 1,000 reels of cotton at once.

MACHINERY WHIRS

That's quick, isn't it? Very quick.

So, as an operator, you've got to stand back

and watch all these bobbins to make sure nothing is loose on top.

That's right.

In the 1800, when these were working,

working conditions were terrible.

Depending on where you were in the factory, there was lots of dust,

so you breathed that in, so diseases like byssinosis were rife.

And another problem with these machines in the early days,

they would use children to clean underneath them.

Yeah, in and out, underneath.

Well, the machine rolls forward and the children would crawl in the gap.

Highly dangerous. Especially if this is going in and out.

Very, yeah. There were lots of children killed

and seriously injured by these machines. Children as young as five.

And the exploitation of the workers didn't end at the factory gate.

Although the economy was thriving,

the living conditions for the working man sank to a new low.

By the 1830s the situation was so desperate,

a cholera epidemic broke out, killing thousands of people.

Sanitation was virtually nonexistent

and overcrowding so bad that in the Irish slum,

4,000 people lived in just 250 houses.

Life expectancy was genetically lower in industrial Manchester

than it was in its rural counterparts.

And the squalid conditions of the working man

brought international attention.

Leading political thinker Friedrich Engels wrote a damning indictment

of the conditions in Manchester,

claiming workers were suffering greatly as a consequence.

Nevertheless, by the 19th-century

Manchester produced 82% of the world's cotton.

But why Manchester and not London or Birmingham?

Head of collections Jack Kirby, here at the museum,

has got some answers.

Manchester was the key city in the Industrial Revolution

because it combined so many different factors.

It had its location - it was close to the port in Liverpool,

where the cotton came in from abroad and could then be exported out.

It had the landscape, with water flowing through it,

vital for the textile industry for bleaching and dyeing.

And then the famous Manchester rain.

The damp Pennine climate actually helped making cotton

because it kept the cotton fibres together.

So there were all these different factors

and that meant that Manchester, more than any other city,

embodied the Industrial Revolution.

It was the shock city of the Industrial Revolution.

Industrial Manchester continued to grow throughout the early part

of the 19th century.

But as with so many booms, a bust was soon to follow.

The two world wars of the 20th century kept the factories busy,

but with increasing competition from abroad that could not be fought off.

The bright lights of the textile industry plummeted into darkness.

Manchester may no longer be an industrial stronghold,

but it played a hugely significant role in the progress of the country

and led us to the most important age of our modern history.

A legacy that should never be forgotten.

Back at our valuation day at MOSI,

Anita has found a piece of industrial history of her own.

Derek, it's wonderful to be in Manchester

and it's wonderful to have a local item.

-Yes.

-It's a Pilkington plaque.

That wonderful factory in Greater Manchester.

But tell me what your connection with Pilkington is.

Well, both my mum and dad worked there.

-In fact, I worked there myself for about three years.

-What did you do?

I took tiles across the factory on a truck with one wheel

at the front, ready for going into the kilns.

They were all separated.

And you'd be going down the yard and you'd go down a bump and crash -

half of them fell off onto the floor.

SHE LAUGHS

You had to go and get a brush and shovel 'em up!

-Was that deducted from your wages?

-Oh, no. No.

-So, I mean, it's so sad that Pilkington no longer exists.

-No.

No, it's gone.

When you think of the wonderful things that were made there.

Let's look at this plaque. When I think of Pilkington,

I think of these wonderful lustre pieces that they made,

and these things command extraordinary prices in the salerooms.

This is quite a different type of thing.

It's a plaque which commemorates the coronation of King George,

and it was made in 1937.

Can we turn it round and have a wee look at the back

because it's interesting in that it was an edition of 250.

-That is quite a limited edition.

-Yes.

-And this is plaque number 55.

-I see an artist's monogram here. Do you know who this was?

-Yes.

-William Mycroft.

-So he made these 250?

I've got a picture of him.

-Isn't that absolutely wonderful? So this is the artist at work.

-Yes.

-And this is him making one of these commemorative plaques.

-Yes.

-That's a wee piece of Manchester history.

-Yeah.

I found it in the local library when I was going through local history.

I like looking at local history and I came across that.

I thought, "Blimey, I've got one!"

I said to the lady in the library, "I've got one of them at home."

Did your mum and dad work there at the same time as he did?

Yes, they probably did. They were there straight from school.

They may even have been friends with him.

Well, I don't know, but I know...

Well, he lived near me so they might have been. I don't know.

Now, price-wise...

-..I would like to pitch it somewhere between £100 and £150.

-Yes.

-Would you be happy to let it go at that?

-Yes, yes.

-Shall we go for it?

-Shall I put a reserve on it?

-Yeah, you can do.

-Say £100 with discretion?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Well, I'm looking forwards

and I'm so pleased that I had a Manchester item.

-So thank you for bringing it along to Flog It!

-You're welcome.

That's one of the great things about Flog It! - travelling around

the country, we get to celebrate the local history that's been lost.

And it comes in all shapes and sizes.

Joe, I absolutely love this. A bit of Northern school art.

That's what it's all about. This is why we are here in Manchester.

Trevor Grimshaw. And that's a Trevor Grimshaw print as well.

But this is in a original pencil sketch. How did you come by these?

They belonged to a friend of my sister's, who lives in Morecambe.

And all I know about it is he bought it from a car-boot sale

12 years ago and it's been in a wrapper in the attic ever since then.

-And it's not even been mounted or framed!

-No.

I just caught the light here and I can see scratched in there

-"Trevor Grimshaw". Yeah.

-Look at that urban landscape.

That industrial landscape. Look at it!

With those poles and those puddles of water. That sort of turgid look.

-You know, that's what it was all about, wasn't it?

-Yes!

In the smog in the winter months.

Trevor Grimshaw really only worked in black and white -

monochromatic, we call it.

Working in charcoal or just graphite, in pencil.

Known for his northern landscapes. He's up there with Lowry.

You know that, don't you?

Well, that's great. That's brilliant.

-Unfortunately, not as much money as Lowry.

-That's a pity.

-It is for you!

-We're not talking hundreds of thousands here.

-No.

You're looking at sort of large industrial landscapes -

maybe £800-£1,200. He is sought after.

He's very, very sought after. He died in 2001. He was born in 1947.

And sadly, he became a bit of a recluse

-and he died in a house fire at the age of 54.

-Right!

-So he had a short life.

-Hm.

But I'll tell you something - I think something like this,

a little study, quite easily £200-£300.

-Oh, good!

-And we could double that.

-That's good.

-OK? The print, signed Trevor Grimshaw there.

It's been beautifully mounted. It just needs a new piece of glass.

And it's a limited edition, one of eight.

Same kind of thing - northern industrial landscape.

Moonlit again, dusk. I think you could ask £80 to £120 for that.

That's fine.

I'm excited about this.

And I think we should split the lots, because that's a good

entry-level for somebody who wants to collect Trevor Grimshaw.

This, the serious collectors will fight over it.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes, very, yeah.

-I think it's beautiful.

I think it's absolutely beautiful.

That has made my trip to the industrial north, do you know that?

Thank you so much for bringing that here. Thank you.

Well, we really are getting a sense

of Manchester's cultural history here today.

But Anita is casting her net a little bit further afield.

Amanda, welcome to Flog It! This is a wonderful, wonderful venue.

And you've brought me this exquisite little box.

-Yes, lovely.

-Where did you get it?

Um, it was given to me by my great-uncle and my great-aunt,

and I think I was probably about 12.

And all I remember is saying, "Oh, I like that box,"

probably thinking they might give it to me. And they did!

And so I've had it quite a number of years now.

What I like about this little box is the colour!

-Yeah.

-The colour is absolutely mouthwatering.

This wonderful blue, this marvellous deep, zinging blue.

-Yeah.

-But let's look at the whole thing. What is it?

-Where did it come from? It's Japanese.

-Oh, wow.

It would be made probably at the turn of the century.

And it would have been made for the export market.

Cloisonne is a process where little strings of wire

are applied onto a base, and in this case it's a copper base,

and then it's filled with different colours of glaze.

And what we have here, formed by this process,

-are these wonderful, I think these are irises.

-Yes, I think so.

Wonderful irises on the lid.

And on the side panels we've got these wonderful delicate

-fluttering butterflies.

-Yeah, they're really pretty.

-So it's very appealing.

-Yes.

-It would have been a cigarette box.

Uh-huh.

Now, we know that cigarette items are not popular in today's market,

but this is a little box that could be used today for cards.

Oh, yes!

So I'm not worrying too much about its former purpose.

-It's in relatively good condition.

-Good.

-Why are you selling it?

Um, well, I don't use it now.

I did use it for a long time and I loved it being out on display,

and for some reason, I'm not sure why, it got put away in a cupboard.

And in the next 12 months both of my children are getting married,

-which obviously...

-Is expensive!

-It is very expensive.

And one of them is getting married in Slovakia and one of them

is getting married in Australia. So there's a lot of expense.

So every bit will help.

That's right. So rummage around and find what you don't really want.

Absolutely. Yes.

Estimate on it...is not high.

-If we put it in at £50-£70, would you be happy...

-Oh, yes.

-..to part with it at that?

-Oh, yes, I would.

We'll put a reserve of maybe £40.

Yes, I'd like to have some reserve on it.

-I'm sure it will do much better than that.

-Good.

-Thank you for bringing it along.

-Thank you very much.

Well, I have to say everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves

here at the Museum of Science and Industry.

We've found some real gems.

Sadly, it's time to say goodbye as we head over to the auction room

in Knutsford and put those last set of valuations to the test.

And here's what's coming with us.

Derek's plaque is a poignant reminder

of a great Manchester factory and the people who worked there.

This stunning cloisonne piece is sure to attract attention,

but will anyone have a FLUTTER on the butterfly box?

And I fell in love with this simple pencil drawing

and I'm sure the bidders will, too.

And the beautiful print would be a great investment for anyone

interested in Northern Art.

Back at the auction house,

I couldn't wait to show Nick the stunning pencil sketch.

Nick, my favourite item of the whole valuation day,

my favourite lot in the sale.

-I'm not surprised.

-My little Trevor Grimshaw.

-You were the expert? It's on your shoulders.

-It's on my shoulders.

It belongs to a guy called Joe, not for much longer.

It's a great little study. Very much that Lowry school of art.

That's what I said. For me that's as good as Lowry.

Lowry I think went to one of his first exhibitions

and bought three works on spec, so even the greats admired his work.

So we are in good company.

Yeah, I did say to Joe, "Let's put it in at 200 to 300."

I could see this doing 400 and little bit more.

I think you're right. 200 to 300 sounds sensible, realistic.

If anything, conservative. I hope it makes 300 or 400. It should do.

So do I. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, I can't wait for the hammer to go down on this

and see Joe's face.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

But I've got to be patient because there are two lots up first.

Going under the hammer, we've got a Pilkington circular convex dish

commemorating the coronation of King George.

And it belongs to Derek. Not for much longer.

There's a lot of local interest here.

-Why are you selling this, Derek?

-Well, it's not doing anything.

It's just in the airing cupboard on the bottom shelf.

We've got one of the best decorators

and we've got an iconic piece here, so I'm hoping that it will do well.

Fingers crossed. We're going to find out what the bidders think. It's all down to them.

You've heard our experts, let's find out what this lot think.

The Pilkington Royal Lancastrian circular convex wall plaque.

Where are you going to be for this one? £100 and away. 100?

-50.

-50? That's a slow start.

50 I've got. And five. 60.

Five. 70.

Five. 80.

Five. 90.

-It's creeping up.

-£90 I have.

On my right at 90. And five.

Shakes his head. 95 is in the room, not online.

Somebody's trying to bid online. At 95. 100.

And ten, if you like. You're out online.

The bid is in the room. At 110 are we all done?

-120 online. Any advance.

-120.

-All done?

-At £120.

-Hammer has gone down.

-It's sold at 120. That's a good result.

-Good, good, good.

A really good result. Happy with that, Derek?

Yes, I'm happy with that.

Next up, another delightfully decorative design.

Right now we need to raise a fair bit of money.

I've just been joined by Amanda

and we are selling that wonderful little tiny cloisonne box.

Hopefully we'll get the top end, because I think this is quality.

It's a lovely wee box. The colours are wonderful and the decoration.

-It's just so sweet.

-Good luck with that.

-Thank you.

It under the hammer now.

Early 20th century, good Japanese cloisonne double-ended box.

Nice lot, this, and I can start the bidding at 40.

£40 I have. Any advance on 40?

45, 50. 55. 60.

Commission bid of 60. Out online.

65, internet better.

Commissions are out. 65 is online.

Any advance now? 70 in the room.

-Getting higher.

-80 quickly now.

At 75.

80. £80 I'm bid in the room. Both out online. At £80.

The bid is on my left in the room. 85.

Shakes his head now.

85 is an internet bidder.

We all done? Quite sure? At 85.

The hammer's gone down. £85.

-Spot-on.

-It was the right price for it.

-Yeah.

-Are you happy?

-I am very happy.

-Good.

-Every penny helps towards that wedding.

-Yes.

-Look, enjoy them both.

Thank you very much.

And now for the Trevor Grimshaw, bought at a car-boot sale

and left redundant in the loft.

Let's see how much they make.

Joe, when I saw those two little works by Trevor Grimshaw,

I said we were in the right place at the right time.

I had a chat to Nick, the auctioneer,

-at the preview day yesterday. He absolutely loves them.

-Oh, right!

Agrees with the valuation. So we've got two lots.

The first one is the pencil,

the heavy soft pencil sketch with that wonderful telegraph pole

and that industrial landscape showing reflections.

We've got £200-£300 on that

and we've got the signed limited-edition print

which follows, at £80 to £120.

Right, OK. It's packed in here.

-Hopefully someone wants some Northern Art.

-Yes.

-Shall we find out what it's worth?

-Definitely.

-Come on.

It's going under the hammer.

The Trevor Grimshaw - nice little charcoal and graphite.

Signed and dated. Great little artist, Trevor Grimshaw.

Good northern artist. Start me at 200 for this?

Start me at 200. 100. 110.

120. 130, you're in.

140. 150. 60. 170.

-180.

-This is good.

-190. 200.

At 200 here.

-210. He's back. 220.

-He's keen at the back.

-230. 240. 250.

-255.

-255. 260.

At 260, gent in the doorway. At 260.

270, fresh bidder.

280. 280 I'm bid.

290.

300. I'm bid at 300. 320. 340.

340 now. 360.

380.

-I said around 400, didn't I?

-Any advance on 380? 400.

£400 on the phone has it. At £400. Try another. It's a nice one.

420 online.

At 420. We're not there yet.

Oh, this is great. This is what auctions are all about.

It's against you online.

460. They're back in at 460. 480.

I'm bid at 480. Try one more.

Thank you. 500.

520.

-It is that good.

-At 520.

At £520, phone bidder has it. It's against you online.

It's against the room. On the phone at 520. He's back in at 540.

560. 560 I have now. Phone bidder again at 560.

At £560, the phone has it.

It's against you online, against the room. 560 I'm selling.

All done, last chance. I'm selling away...

-560! How about that?

-Brilliant!

-Good first time at an auction.

-Absolutely.

-I've got butterflies. I'm tingling!

That's the effect you get at an auction.

If you haven't experienced it, get down to your local saleroom.

Right, it's the print next.

Limited edition but it's still going to be sought after

because it's personally signed, approved by Trevor Grimshaw.

So that's a good thing. OK, that's coming up now.

Another Trevor Grimshaw.

Pencil, signed, limited edition print, number one of eight.

Where are we going to go? £80 for it? 80? 60?

50? Come on, who's in at £50?

-Thank you. 50 I'm bid.

-The chap bidding on the other one.

-60.

The bid's in the back of the room at £60. Any advance?

Five online. 70.

Five online. Five against you. Don't lose it now. He's in again at 80.

Five here. 90. At £90.

95. Keep going, don't stop now.

-It's going well.

-Yeah, it'll meet the estimate.

-110 now.

110 I'm bid. At 110.

120.

At £120. Against you online. 130. They're in.

Try another in the back. You came all this way.

140, fresh bidder. At 140, the phone now.

At 140. It's against you all, then. On the telephone, at £140.

The phone has it. Last chance. Selling away at £140...

£140! Combined total of £700.

-Wow, what a result.

-That's fantastic.

-Unbelievable.

-I told you it would do well, didn't I?

That's the power of Northern Art for you.

-That's what it's all about.

-Absolutely great.

And your first auction as well. Speechless! Lost for words!

I told you there'd be a big surprise, didn't I?

Thanks for bringing that in. Thank you for watching.

I hope you enjoyed the show.

Sadly we're out of time here in Knutsford, but what a way to end!

See you next time.