0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm here in the control tower at HMS Heron,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09the Royal Navy's airbase in Somerset.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11It is the largest base in the country,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13with 4,000 personnel stationed here.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16And today, so are we. Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:39 > 0:00:43There is a real art to landing and taking off in naval aircraft.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Nowadays, an aircraft can land horizontally onto their hangers,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51but in the early days, with planes like the Sopwith Pup,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53it was far trickier.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The Navy have only been flying aircraft from ships since 1911.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Although today's aircraft are much safer,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03their crews still face incredible challenges.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Throughout the day,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08there will be aircraft taking off and landing just behind us.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Today's valuations will be taking place inside
0:01:11 > 0:01:13the Fleet Air Arm Museum, which is
0:01:13 > 0:01:15situated on the base here at Yeovilton.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19We've deployed some of our top antique experts on a mission
0:01:19 > 0:01:22to value today's items - Admiral Thomas Plant
0:01:22 > 0:01:25and Commanding Officer Christina Trevanion.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- How long does he go for? Oh. - Well, the longer you wind it...
0:01:33 > 0:01:34How's that?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Good luck.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Somebody here in this queue is going home with a small fortune today,
0:01:41 > 0:01:42and they don't know it.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44It's our experts' job to find those treasures, put them
0:01:44 > 0:01:48through to the auction room, where we will be making somebody's day.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And that's what this is all about.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Today, our fleet of off-screen experts will be commandeering tables
0:01:53 > 0:01:58to bring you the very best insights from the frontline of antiques.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Coming up in today's show,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06Christina gets nostalgic about the glory days of foreign travel.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Can you imagine tripping up the steps
0:02:08 > 0:02:10with your crocodile-skin suitcase? Brilliant!
0:02:10 > 0:02:13And Thomas creates quite a stir in the sale room with a set
0:02:13 > 0:02:16of Fougasse propaganda posters.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- Yes!- Fantastic!- Wow!
0:02:20 > 0:02:23We've got a huge team with us here today at the Fleet Air Arm Museum,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26many are positioned under that stunning Concorde.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Today's valuations are taking place amongst some wonderful examples
0:02:32 > 0:02:34of aviation history.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So, Joe, I am struggling to hold your attention a little bit here,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42you keep sort of longingly looking over my shoulder.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Tell me, have you got a particular attraction to this plane?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Well, yes indeed. My father, in fact, helped to build it.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53- It is an airplane that, as I believe, is called the Fairey Delta 2.- Right.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Which was designed for a world speed record.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- Oh, I see.- And he...
0:02:58 > 0:03:02I think they built two, so this may be one he worked on,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04but certainly he worked on one of them.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09- How exciting!- It's nice to see one in the flesh.- I bet. Wow.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- Back to the antiques.- Indeed.- Sorry.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Tell me about this rather gorgeous travelling trunk
0:03:14 > 0:03:15that you brought in.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It was given to me by my mother, never been able to use it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22It is so heavy, I can barely lift it.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- Gosh, it is quite heavy, isn't it?- It's heavy.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27- And do we know who RVM is? - Sadly, not, no idea.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30The colour of it is like a rich toffee caramel, isn't it?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32It's beautiful.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- Crocodile skin, which is slightly controversial now.- Well, yes.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40But in the 1920s, when this was made, incredibly fashionable
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and suggested a sort of exoticism, really,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45that in that sort of glory days of travel.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48How appropriate that we are stood next to the 1960s version
0:03:48 > 0:03:49of exotic travel,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51with Concorde in the background, it's wonderful.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Can you imagine tripping up the steps
0:03:53 > 0:03:55with your crocodile-skin suitcase?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58When we look inside, it's got all the...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Lift that top up there.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04It's got all the fittings which would originally have
0:04:04 > 0:04:07included everything that you needed for travel -
0:04:07 > 0:04:10glass bottles with tops, with all your potions and lotions
0:04:10 > 0:04:12and powders and all sorts of things.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15- It would have been literally your travelling dressing table.- Right.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20This fabulous watered silk purple interior dates it for us.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21- Oh, does it?- Yes.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The purple is slightly later, so we know that this was certainly
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- a 20th century one rather than a 19th century one.- Right.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Really, a piece of this calibre and this quality,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33we would expect to find a maker's name.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37And we have one, which is great, on this lock of furniture.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Drew & Sons, Piccadilly, London. That doesn't surprise me at all.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43A really premium, quality maker.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Beautiful, beautiful dressing case.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Very sad that it hasn't got the bottles,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50however there is a market for these crocodile-skin cases.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53They are every sort of interior designer's dream, aren't they?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56They're just beautiful. And the colour and the pattern...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58And it's certainly helped in its value by the fact that it
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- is in such excellent condition. - Good.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02And this is obviously helped by the fact that we've got
0:05:02 > 0:05:06the original protective dust cover.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Let's pop that down there. So...
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- Value wise...- Yes. - What are we thinking?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15I don't know, 150, 200, something like that.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Oh, my goodness, you don't need me here at all!
0:05:19 > 0:05:21For a more comfortable estimate, I would say 100-200.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- OK.- Because we do see quite a lot of them.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- We don't see them in such good condition.- No.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- But we do see them with bottles still.- Ah, yes.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- What are your thoughts about that? - That's absolutely fine.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32- Are you sure?- Yes.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- And if we were to put a reserve of 100.- Yes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- So we wouldn't let it go for any less than 100.- No.- Is that OK?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- That's absolutely fine. - And why are you selling it?
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- I can't even lift it!- Oh, really?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46If I was going away for the weekend,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I wouldn't have anything inside it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- You'd have good muscles when you came back.- Absolutely.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Yes.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Imagine how heavy it would've been with all those bottles.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- Yes, yes.- Good Lord, it would have been... Yeah.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59I'd have a nice young man to carry it for me.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Oh, gosh, wouldn't that be nice?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03- And Joe, obviously.- Or Joe.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Brilliant. Well, let's see if we can find a good new home for it.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- Thank you very much, Christina. - Thanks so much for bringing this in.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Wonderfully evocative, that suitcase,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17as is the imposing Concorde.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22While our experts are working flat out at a supersonic pace,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25I thought I'd take a moment to wander down the fuselage
0:06:25 > 0:06:27of this incredible aircraft.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Now, even though it is just a prototype,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33there are sections which really do evoke the glamour days of flying
0:06:33 > 0:06:37on Concorde, the ultimate luxury for those who could afford it.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48The Concorde jet set.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Our next classic item also has a timeless glamour.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- Angie, is that right?- Yes, yes. - And Jerry.- Hello, Tom.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00You've brought along a very nice, I think, bangle.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04- It's a bangle, not a bracelet. Bracelets are loose.- Yes.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Like a tennis bracelet, which is chain-linked
0:07:08 > 0:07:09and hangs from the wrist.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Bangles are fixed and they are hard
0:07:12 > 0:07:14and they don't have a movement to them, so it is a bangle.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Very pretty.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19With aquas, rose quartz, aquas.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24And then in between it are these little naive-cut diamonds.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29So it has got a fantastic... And a great use of stones here.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34It dates from the Edwardian Period, so 1900 to 1920.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It has got a real boldness to it.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39A real sort of showiness.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Normally Edwardian bangles are quite thin, with stones
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and diamonds on either side, but this has real showmanship,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49real pizzazz, real chutzpah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50It has got something going for it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52It is a good-looking object.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55There are a few things which are wrong with it,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57but that is an old piece of jewellery.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01But otherwise, it's a general repair job and shouldn't cost much.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06But extremely wearable today. Is it something you've worn?
0:08:06 > 0:08:10- No, I never have, but my mother wore it all the time.- Why haven't you?
0:08:10 > 0:08:11Is it not your colour?
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Well... I don't know, it just wasn't me.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17And because it moved around my wrist
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and I thought, "It's going to come off and I'm going to lose it."
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Do you have much idea about value?
0:08:21 > 0:08:26Well, I would hope the reserve will be around the 500 mark.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I would want to say between 400 and 600, and fix it at 400.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I think you've got a better chance then.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36If one is too strong, you tend to kill the sale immediately.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- Right.- But like all things in life, it is that risk at £400.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42What are your thoughts?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Well, I'm trying to raise some funds
0:08:44 > 0:08:47cos my granddaughter in America has been diagnosed with leukaemia.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50- Mm, yes.- So I was trying to raise a bit of money to help the family.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Absolutely.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53- So that is why it's being sold?- Mm.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58We've put it at 500 to 700 and with a fixed reserve at 400.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- What do you think about that?- 450?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- Five to 700, 450 reserve, shall we do that?- Yes, let's do that.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10Well done, Jerry. Interjected in well. I think it should make that.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13It is a good-looking item, and I hope it makes a lot more.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17BOTH: Thank you very much.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18A lot of sparkle there.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22The building is full of wonderful treasures here today.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28So, I thought... I love it that you brought me a nice local piece in.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Thank you. Local? That's a surprise.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34- Definitely not very local.- No, no.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36In fact, this bowl has certainly travelled quite a long way.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- Tell me about how you came about it. - Well, it was left to me from
0:09:39 > 0:09:42my parents when they passed on. I loved the depth of it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45- Yes, quite unusual. It's more of a basin...- That's right.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49..I would say, rather than a bowl or a plate. It is very much a basin.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54But if we turn it over, look at this wonderful back here.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57This is very much a Chinese porcelain.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01This sort of pitted gray porcelain is typical of Chinese porcelain,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and this is absolutely what we here in Great Britain were trying
0:10:04 > 0:10:07to replicate in our porcelain and couldn't do.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12With the addition of China clay, in the early 19th century, we did.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15But up until that point, this was like the Holy Grail.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The Chinese knew that and they started exporting it to this
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- country in very much this style. - Right.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23This however is slightly later.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27- This is actually a late 19th, early 20th century example.- Is it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30This beautiful porcelain - there's a white,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33almost translucency to it. And very much hand-painted.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37We can see all the individual brushstrokes, it's really beautiful.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39- Do you like it?- Oh, I like it.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41The only trouble is, it has been in the cupboard for a long time.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Right, OK.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Mainly for safekeeping, I do have a dog that runs about a bit.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Your dog, I think, has got to it before you've noticed it though,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- hasn't it? - I have no idea, I hope he hasn't.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Well, we have got a very, very fine hairline crack
0:10:55 > 0:10:57just on the rim there.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Collectors will not like that, sadly.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03But I think at auction we are going to be looking at a slightly
0:11:03 > 0:11:06conservative estimate of maybe £100 to £200.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08What are your thoughts about that?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Well, I would like to see more £200 than I would 100.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13- Wouldn't we all!- Exactly.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Um...
0:11:16 > 0:11:19150 to 200, with a reserve of 150 would be a...
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Oh, my goodness, you drive a hard bargain.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24- Well, we've got to try. - We've got to try.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27I think that is on the cusp of having a no sale,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29but as long as you are prepared for that...
0:11:29 > 0:11:33An estimate of 150 to 200, and a firm reserve of 150.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37And we'll just hope that somebody really likes it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Really, really likes it.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Well, I must say, everything is turning up here
0:11:45 > 0:11:47today in the world of fine arts and antiques.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48I should say, it's flying in.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51But right now it is going to be flying out -
0:11:51 > 0:11:52straight to the auction room.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55We are ready with our first set of valuations to put to the test
0:11:55 > 0:11:57in the sale room.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And here is a quick recap of what is going under the auctioneer's hammer.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03For those with wanderlust, this Drew & Sons suitcase
0:12:03 > 0:12:05might just be the ticket.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Diamonds, rose topaz, aquamarine, gold.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14If bling is your thing, this exquisite bangle is a must-have.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18And will Arthur's blue-and-white,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22late 19th century bowl bring the Chinese collectors in?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27We've travelled 22 miles to Bridgwater,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30the historic market town divided by the River Parrett.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34In the past, these riverbanks were a rich source
0:12:34 > 0:12:37of clay for the local brick and tile manufacturers.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Later in the show, I'll be meeting some potters who continue to
0:12:42 > 0:12:44work with local materials.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46But right now, it is time to get on with our auction.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48And on the rostrum today, it's Claire Rawle,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51a familiar face on "Flog It!".
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Well, it is the moment of truth for Arthur.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Was he right to stick to his guns with that top-end fixed reserve?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Well, I've got my fingers crossed for both of you.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04We've got this large, 19th century Chinese bowl going under the hammer.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05I love this, absolutely love it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- How long have you had this?- Been handed down to me from the family.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Right, so it means a lot to you.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14I can understand why you want to protect it, you know, with £150.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16If you don't get that, it is going home.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Chinese is incredibly popular at the moment,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20but it is 19th century and we have got some damage there,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23just worries me we are not going to get to that reserve.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25There was a damaged piece just a minute ago,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and that made very good money as well.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I think this will sell. Do you know, I have got high hopes for this.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31I really do. I do.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- Let's put it to the test.- Yeah, the bidders will decide.- They will.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43The large, Chinese, blue-and-white bowl. Nice one there. Lot 252.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- And I have to start away at £100.- I knew that.- At 100.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49At 100. Do I see 110 anywhere?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52At 110. 120. 130. 140.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- Don't worry.- 150.- Yes!
0:13:55 > 0:14:00At 150. Now 160 anywhere? At £150, it is a room bid.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05The Internet is not out. At £150, then. You're all done.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07The bid is in the room. Selling then.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I knew that would sell.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- Well done. Well done, you. - Thank goodness!
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Panicking at the last moment.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15You were confident on the day. Well done as well.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20- You stuck to your guns, £150. It's gone.- I'm pleased.- Brilliant.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Job done, we are all happy.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25If you have got anything like that, we would love to sell it for you.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Bring it along to one of our valuation days.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Details of up and coming dates and venues you can find
0:14:29 > 0:14:31on our BBC website. Log on to...
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Or follow the links, all the information will be there.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39If you don't have a computer, check the details in your local press.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40We'd love to see you.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Angie and Jerry, fingers crossed, it's good to see you again.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53We've got a packed sale room.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Thomas, totally agree with the valuation - £500 to £700.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58We are talking about that wonderful bangle.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Lots of detail and lots of gold. It is quality, Thomas.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02It is superb quality.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It is lovely and the colours work so well on the bangle.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06I think it should do quite well.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09All the money is going towards...? Tell us, remind us again.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Well, Kendall, my granddaughter, has been diagnosed with leukaemia.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14And that is quite costly in the States.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- It will go towards the medical costs. - Yeah, well, good luck with that.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Good luck to her as well. Right, let's put it to the test.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21It's going under the hammer right now.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Let's hand the proceedings over to Claire Rawle.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29Coming on to Lot 12. This is pretty. Nice little gold bangle here at 380.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31At 380, do I see 400 anywhere?
0:15:31 > 0:15:35At 380. At 380. Now 400?
0:15:35 > 0:15:36At 380 it's going to be, then.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39400 on the Internet. 420 with me.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42At 420. Now 450 out there? At 420.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44450 it is. Net bid now.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Internet now.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Slows things down a bit, but frankly it's valuable, isn't it?
0:15:49 > 0:15:53You all done in the room? Selling then at £450...
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- Just got it away. Just got it away. - Good.- But it is gone. It's gone.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00You're happy, aren't you, really? We need the money.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- Yes.- That is what it is all about, isn't it?- It is.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- Well, good luck in Florida. - Thank you very much.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Have case, will travel. Going under the hammer right now,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Jacqueline and Joe's crocodile case. It is absolutely exquisite.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20It is not complete, though, but it has got all its compartments.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23Where did the contents go, do you know? You never had them?
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- It was given to me like that. - And what did you do with it?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- It was in the bottom of our wardrobe. - And that's it. That's its life.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31That's where it's been, but that's why it's in pristine condition.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33- What have we got, £100 to £200? - Yeah.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- The leather case alone is worth that.- You'd hope so.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37And the work involved.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40If you asked somebody to make that today, they'd charge you £500.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Anyway, it's going under the hammer right now. This is it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44342.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49Very nice case indeed. I've got to start away at £85. At £85. At 85.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Do I see 90 anywhere? At £85.
0:16:51 > 0:16:5490. Five. 100.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56In the alcove at 100. 110 on the net. 120 on the net.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58130. Off it goes.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00At 130. 140. 150.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01At 150.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03At 150. 160. 170.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07- At 170. 180.- There's a lot of people that collect these kind of things.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Do you want to come back in...? No, it's going again.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11200 we're up to. 220.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13At 220.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17- 220.- Quality always sells, and it just oozes it, doesn't it?
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- It's beautiful. - Anyone want to come back in? No?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22At 220, then. The bid's on the Internet at 220.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26You all sure? Selling then at 220...
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Well done, £220. Well spotted. Spot on as well, top end of the estimate.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Sheer quality, that's what got that sold.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35- Well, well done.- Thank you.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Hope you enjoyed the "Flog It!" experience.- We have.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40- Yes, we have. - We can die now totally happy.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42THEY LAUGH
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Well, we are literally surrounded by craftsmanship from the past here,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56in the saleroom in Bridgwater, as you've just seen with
0:17:56 > 0:17:59those items that have just gone under the hammer.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01But what about the craftsmanship of today?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Well, I travelled south across the border to Dorset to meet
0:18:04 > 0:18:07a family of potters. Take a look at this.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17It's incredible what you can find tucked away in remote
0:18:17 > 0:18:19parts of the British countryside.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Nestled in the village of Mosterton
0:18:22 > 0:18:24is a small family ceramics business.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27The oldest and founding member is David Eeles.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30And after 50 years...
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Three generations of the Eeles family are still
0:18:33 > 0:18:36here in the village of Mosterton, in Dorset, throwing pots
0:18:36 > 0:18:38and earning a living from their wares.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47David, now 79, focuses on decoration.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51He uses fine oriental brushes and his style is very much
0:18:51 > 0:18:55influenced by early Chinese and Japanese ceramics.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- Hello, David. Pleasure to meet you.- And you.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Thank you for taking time out to talk to me today. Sit down, please.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06- Thank you.- Nearly 80 years old, and like a true artisan,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09still working with your hands.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Why was clay your medium in the first place? What drew you to clay?
0:19:12 > 0:19:14In art school, initially,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17they gave you all these wonderful crafts to try.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20One that came along at the age of about 15 was ceramics,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22and I just got hooked by it.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27I mean, it is such a plastic medium, you can make anything with it.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29- It's very versatile.- Very versatile.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33I've developed a technique of glazes
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and colours over the past 60 years,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39which are mainly based on Chinese work,
0:19:39 > 0:19:44but it means that when you find one that really works, you hang onto it.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46One of the greatest crafts in the world, without any
0:19:46 > 0:19:48shadow of a doubt. I love it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51I'm still doing it and I shall be doing it till my dying day.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52Well, I hope you do,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- and I hope there are many more years to come as well.- I hope so.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58David hasn't always lived in Dorset.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01His formative years were spent in London.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Like many aspiring artists of his generation,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06he attended Willesden College of Arts and Crafts,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09in North West London. It was a thought-provoking
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and inspirational time for the young David,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15who shortly after graduating, married Patricia,
0:20:15 > 0:20:20a fellow student, and set up shop in Hampstead's artist quarters.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Ceramics was their specialism and their pottery soon became
0:20:23 > 0:20:27a thriving part of London's arts and crafts scene -
0:20:27 > 0:20:30their traditional slip pots being sold in some of London's most
0:20:30 > 0:20:32fashionable shops.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35By now, the Eeles family was expanding,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38and so they decided to leave London behind,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41choosing instead a 17th century coaching inn
0:20:41 > 0:20:43for the family-run business.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47What is so unique about the Eeles' ceramic business
0:20:47 > 0:20:53is that it has been, and continues to be, a truly family affair.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Patricia is less hands-on these days, but sons Simon
0:20:57 > 0:21:01and Ben have worked alongside their father since their teens.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Well, your father was inspired by potters from the Far East,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09so I guess you are carrying on the tradition here.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Yeah. All these glazes you see here are all Oriental-type glazes.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16We've got a Shino glaze there. We've got Chun glazes here.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18It's sort of an off-white, nice blue colour.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21That's made up with English materials,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23granites and feldspars from Cornwall.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26We've got a molecular formula that we work to, which is
0:21:26 > 0:21:28the molecular formula of a Chinese glaze.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31- Gosh, you are almost chemists, aren't you?- We have to be, yeah.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34To get good quality glazes all the time, the recipes are all kept,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37all written down, so we get exactly the same recipe each time.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Yep. That's how we do it.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43The Oriental-inspired Eeles family pottery has been making
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Japanese raku-style pots for ten years.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49It is a look that is achieved at the glazing stage,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52and they have kindly agreed to let me have a go.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- Right, the glazing.- OK, Paul, what we are going to do is
0:21:55 > 0:21:57we're going to dip it in the slip and then the glaze.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00So if I do one to show you what to do...
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- So we dip it in here. Just down to the top.- Just to the neck.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06- Just to the neck.- Very gently. - Lift it up and let it drip.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09- Stop it dripping and then you just put it down there.- OK.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13- If you do yours, and then that one can be drying.- OK.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15It is exceptionally porous.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18It is, yeah, it's very porous, so the actual moisture gets sucked out
0:22:18 > 0:22:22- very quickly.- Oh, look, there's a little, tiny bit missing there.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24That's all right, you can go back in again.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26There you go, that's fine. And just drop that down there.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29What we are going to do now, Paul, is we've got to put the glaze on.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31You have a go. Don't do the same mark as you did before.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36That's right. And just hold it there, it will all just drip off.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- That is quite satisfying, isn't it?- Yeah, it is.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- That will be the bit that will go hard glasslike in the firing...- Sure.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- ..and chip off the pot later. - There would go.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48And then it becomes a waterproof vessel - you can
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- fill it up with water, put some flowers in it.- That's right.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Hopefully it all fires well and doesn't blow up in the firing.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55No, it won't.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59While the glaze dries out a bit, there is an opportunity for me to
0:22:59 > 0:23:03catch up with older son Ben by the Chinese-inspired, triple-tier kiln.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Basically, that's an oven for finishing pots,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09and this one takes 5,000 pieces.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Ben, this is incredible.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13A three-chamber kiln, and you helped build this with your dad.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16I did, yes. I was 16, I had just left school.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It was one of the first jobs I had with Father.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21We built it over the winter and it took us
0:23:21 > 0:23:23about three months to build it.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24It's like a giant bonfire,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27but it takes us 35 hours to fire and it uses
0:23:27 > 0:23:31about six tonnes of wood altogether to fire it up all the way through.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34And even after that, it takes four days to cool down,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and it is still hot enough inside to bake a potato.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41You have got a lot of work in there. Is that a year's work?
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Yes, it is. We fire it up once a year.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45We used to do it about twice a year,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48but we do the raku a lot now, so that has sort of taken over.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50But shall we go off and see the raku kiln now?
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- Yeah, cos that's fired up, isn't it?- It is.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58So they are ready to go in now.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01They have been warmed up in the electric kiln
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and they are ready to go in.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06So what we'll do is we're going to pop these in here
0:24:06 > 0:24:08using tongs, because that is pretty hot in there.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11That is about 800 degrees in there. That is the one you did, Paul.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- You can see the bit that you missed the glaze on the top there.- Sure.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16So that is yours. That goes in there.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18So, say, they will be in there for about a half an hour
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and then we'll lift them all out again.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22We have a little digital read around here
0:24:22 > 0:24:24so we can tell what the temperature is in the kiln.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27So that is 633 degrees centigrade.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30So as we've just stoked, you'll see that will start to rise.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I tell you what, it is so cold. It really is cold.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36There is a bitter wind blowing. We are in the middle of February.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37But this is the kind of job, I guess,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40you look forward to doing if you are a potter.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44- In all weathers.- We are all pyromaniacs at heart.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- We love a bit of flame. - What is the temperature, Paul?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- Yeah, that is 1,000 degrees now. - Thank you.- That's hot.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51A quick look in here, Paul.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53See, that's the temperature it is in there. You can see.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Cool, what a white heat. That has got a shiny look to it now.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57I think that is ready to go.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Get them out with these tongs cos it is very hot in there.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Just lift it out and then drop straight in the sawdust.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08And that will catch fire, and then Ben has to put the sawdust on.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11That has gone in the sawdust and, if you see, there is a lot of smoke.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- I can.- And what that is doing is penetrating through
0:25:14 > 0:25:17the cracked glaze into the pot.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19So when the pot is cold, you chip the glaze off
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and you've got that ghosted pattern of smoke into the pot.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23Sure, I understand that.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25And because that sawdust is so uneven and the air gets
0:25:25 > 0:25:28through it, that's how you create those lines, isn't it?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Yeah, it sort of goes just through the glaze,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32so just as much smoke as you can get.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37I can see the appeal of using the raku technique.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40There is something incredibly immediate and gratifying
0:25:40 > 0:25:43about the whole process, and the results are fabulous.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Well, they have cooled down.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48We have given it ten minutes and now for the moment of truth.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52- There we go. Tip it out.- Tip it out.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53There it comes.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- Looking rather black at the moment.- It does, doesn't it?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Looking sorry for itself.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04So you can see now where all the smoke has gone through all the little
0:26:04 > 0:26:08pinholes, into the pot behind and created that smoke pattern.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12There is a little bit of clay here that needs to be washed off later.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15So that will all be washed off. It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:26:15 > 0:26:16That is really clever.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Look at that lovely, strong line through there, Paul, it's beautiful.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21That lovely black contrast.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22And you know this one is yours, Paul,
0:26:22 > 0:26:23cos you got that black bit,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26where you didn't quite get the glaze quite to the top.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Yeah.- I think that is the nicest one of the lot.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29- Oh, you're just being kind.- No.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Beginner's luck in that dip, I think.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34You've got a job. When are you going to come back and do it again for us?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Maybe in the summer.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39It has been wonderful finding out about such a long-lasting
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and successful family business.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46Here is to many more years of Eeles pot-making.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Welcome back to our valuation day venue here -
0:26:58 > 0:27:01situated at the military naval aviation base.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I am stepping inside the Fleet Air Arm Museum now,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05where it is lights, camera, action.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Let's catch up with our experts
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and see what else we can find to take off to auction.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14You've brought along a cotton handkerchief that has
0:27:14 > 0:27:18a name on it, synonymous with nursing. Very important.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21But tell me, how did you come by this?
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Well, it was given to me by a lady called Miss Willit.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And I was going off to do my nursing training
0:27:28 > 0:27:32and she just thought it would be a nice present for me to have.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33And how long did you nurse for?
0:27:33 > 0:27:38- Over 30 years.- Do you miss it?- Yes, I do.- What kind of nurse were you?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41General nurse in general practice.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42You must have seen all types.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45You get your favourites.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47But then you get really fond of them.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50This matron at the school, she was a descendent?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Yes, she was a great niece of Florence Nightingale's.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58- Great niece of Florence Nightingale. - Just in the forefront, wasn't she?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00A bit of a firebrand, a bit of a leader.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I think she was a great innovator in nursing methods
0:28:04 > 0:28:08and she set up a nursing school in St Thomas's.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11She was one of these celebrities we all knew about.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- And we still talk about her today. - Yes.
0:28:13 > 0:28:19So we've got Nightingale, 1865, on this silk handkerchief.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22It is quite big for a lady's handkerchief, isn't it?
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- It could have been a table centrepiece as well.- Mm.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27If you think about it, it doesn't have to be a hanky
0:28:27 > 0:28:31cos of this very pretty Honiton lace border around it.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Where has it been in your house?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Just in a drawer, wrapped up in tissue paper.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39I think it has got a bit of value.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43- Right.- You know, she's a bit of a cult figure, isn't she?- Yes.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47And if you have got the right people and the Internet
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and the right collectors, I think this could go for hundreds.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54And obviously, the provenance is the important factor in all of this.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57In my eyes, I would have thought this is worth at least £200.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01200 and 300, and we could put a discretionary reserve at the 200.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- Is that all right?- Yes, that's fine.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- I like it. - That's more than I expected.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10I think you've got to find the right people. I think it is quite special.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Finding the right buyer is key to any piece going to auction,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and some will have a wider appeal than others.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Take a look at Christina's next find.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25It might not be everyone's cup of tea.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27So, I hope you are not afraid of heights.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30I'm clutching your teapot here because we are perched up here.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32There's a wonderful view with everything behind us.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Tell me where it has come from.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It was my mother's, and she may have got it from my gram, I don't know.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40Do you know if there were originally any other pieces with it?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43- No, I only know that piece. - It certainly tells us what it is.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47I mean, I think even without having to look at its bottom, I think
0:29:47 > 0:29:49a good guess is this particular style,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53- especially these palmetto leaves, tell us that it is Doulton.- Mm-hm.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56And we have got the nice mark on the bottom here which proves
0:29:56 > 0:29:58it for us, which is quite an early Doulton mark.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02We've got artists' marks ER and HHH.
0:30:02 > 0:30:03We've looked up a few of those,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05they don't seem to be any of the big names.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08When you have got Barlows, you can add a few notes onto the end of it,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11but sadly, nothing we can attribute to any of the famous artists.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Doulton actually originally started by producing sewer
0:30:14 > 0:30:16pipes in the late 19th century.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20- Which is what this material was... - Made of.- Exactly.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23So often people think they have got items made from sewer pipes,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25which isn't necessarily the case. Don't worry,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27you haven't got a sewer-pipe teapot.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Doulton was very instrumental in encouraging
0:30:29 > 0:30:32artists from the local Lambeth School of Arts to producing
0:30:32 > 0:30:36these wonderful ornamental wares and he very much encouraged them,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39which is why we get some really wonderfully wacky Doulton
0:30:39 > 0:30:41pieces just like this.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43But I think the thing that strikes me
0:30:43 > 0:30:46about it is this wonderful shell design.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49It's just really beautiful.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52- Do you like it?- Yes, I love it. - It's rather sweet, isn't it?
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- I do love it.- Just a bit unusual. - It's a different and it's tactile.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- It is, absolutely. Do you sort of want to...?- Yeah, feel it.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Yeah, exactly.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02I think that is a wonderful thing about Doulton is that it does
0:31:02 > 0:31:04throw some rather unexpected things that you.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06And it is very much of its time.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09- The Victorians were wonderfully eccentric.- That's right.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11I am slightly concerned.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- There should be a little lip, as in a normal teapot spout.- Yeah.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19Some person has obviously chipped it on the end and had it ground down.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Unfortunately, that will affect the value.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24And then we have also got a couple of other little chips
0:31:24 > 0:31:26just on here as well.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28So I think at auction...
0:31:30 > 0:31:32..we are probably looking somewhere in the region of
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- maybe £60 to £100, how would you feel about that?- That's fine.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39So if we put an estimate of 60 to 100,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- and then perhaps if we put a reserve of £50 firm...- That's right.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46And we'll hope that it doesn't fall off this very precarious table
0:31:46 > 0:31:49up here on this wonderful balcony before we get it to the auction.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52While our valuations are going on around me,
0:31:52 > 0:31:54I thought I'd take the opportunity
0:31:54 > 0:31:56to have a quick look around the museum.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Everywhere you turn, you are surrounded by aviation history.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Just take a look at this, a wonderful old piece of aviation art.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09It was salvaged from the side of a Firefly, of 1772 squadron,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12which flew in the Pacific during the Second World War.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14It was shot down by the Japanese.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Thankfully, the pilot, Chris Maclaren,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21and his observer, Wally Prichard, survived.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24And this panel was rescued and kept as a memento.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25Isn't that lovely?
0:32:25 > 0:32:28And there it is signed, look, Chris and the observer, Wally.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31And I love the way these two characters have been portrayed,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35almost as a comic caricature of Popeye and Bluto.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Aviation art is thought to have begun in the German
0:32:38 > 0:32:41and Italian military at the beginning of the 20th century.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47It appears like tribal markings for those going into battle,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49and the tradition continues today.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Take a look at this, for instance,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54a relatively recent piece sprayed with stencil onto
0:32:54 > 0:32:58the side of a Lynx helicopter, which was flown during the First Gulf War.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03It's in the style of a musical artist from the 1900s, Flory Ford.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Others are more sinister.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09I wanted to meet a modern-day aviation artist here,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12at Yeovilton, but no-one could be found.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16It seems these unofficial markings are considered the military
0:33:16 > 0:33:18equivalent of graffiti
0:33:18 > 0:33:22and often those behind it want to remain anonymous.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24The Banksy syndrome.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Let's hope Thomas has more luck identifying the artist
0:33:27 > 0:33:28behind our next item.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35Robert, tell me. You have brought along these propaganda posters.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37How did you come by them?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Well, I bought a collection of books from an elderly
0:33:39 > 0:33:43lady about 15 or 16 years ago, took the books home,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46put them in the loft and three or four years ago,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49I got them out to start sorting them out to sell. And in amongst them,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52I found an envelope, and it had these lovely posters in it.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Wow, fantastic.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56So are you in the book trade?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Yes, I had my own bookshop in Bournemouth for 12 years.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Retired five years ago.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05And now I sell a few books on the Internet, second-hand,
0:34:05 > 0:34:10- just to supplement my passion.- These are by this man called Fougasse.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14- Cyril Kenneth Bird is his real name. - OK.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18- Fougasse was his pen name, I suppose, so to speak.- Right.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20The interesting thing about Bird, the artist,
0:34:20 > 0:34:23was that he was in the First World War.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25- Right.- And he was at Gallipoli, so that hideous battle.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29- And it was quite rare for a Brit to be in Gallipoli, an Englishman.- Yes.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30He was badly wounded and injured out
0:34:30 > 0:34:35and then I suppose he turned to cartoons, convalescing, and drawing.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- He was editor of Punch.- Right. - And these are of World War II,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- cos we can see Adolf here, can't we?- Yes, we can.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43- Adolf Hitler, there he is there. - Yes.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- And you've got Herman Geren.- Yes.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50- The two ladies in the '40s, lipstick and rouge.- Yes.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Having tea, Russian tea. And don't forget, "Walls have ears,"
0:34:55 > 0:34:58and there is Adolf there, in this repeating pattern.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00It has got a real
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- humour to it.- Yes. - So it was making the public aware.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05- Yes.- But in a humorous way.- Yes.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I think they're worth between four and £600.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- I think they are.- Right.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13- Because they are in such good, clean condition.- Thank you.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15I would reserve them at roundabout three,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19with a little bit of discretion, but I think that will be fine.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22You've got the militaria interest, decorative appeal
0:35:22 > 0:35:23it's quite funny, quite good.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25I mean, they're good lavatory pictures.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28- True.- Do you know what I mean? They are, aren't they?- Yes, they are.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31They are. And I quite like them.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34- So anyway, that is what I would say. - Well, thank you, that's very good.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39- I'm very pleased with that. - Now, if we achieve the £400,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42what do you want to do with that money, buy more books?
0:35:42 > 0:35:46No, I've got plenty of books at the moment.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49My wife and I now are both retired, we enjoy the sunshine,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52so I think it will go towards the cost of two airline tickets.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- Oh, well, who doesn't enjoy the sunshine?- That's right.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57And if all goes well at auction,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Robert should be able to buy a couple of airline tickets.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Being surrounded by planes certainly makes you want to jet off
0:36:03 > 0:36:05to warmer climates.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09Well, that's it.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12What a marvellous time we've had here at the Fleet Air Arm Museum
0:36:12 > 0:36:14and HMS Heron.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17But before we leave the military base for the last time today,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20here is a quick recap of what we are taking with us to the auction room.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Careless Talk Costs Lives.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Fougasse's iconic propaganda posters should resonate
0:36:26 > 0:36:27with the collectors.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35With such a popular name attached to it, someone is bound to reach
0:36:35 > 0:36:38deep into their pockets for this silk handkerchief.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39And it is certainly quirky,
0:36:39 > 0:36:44but will Angela's Royal Doulton teapot find a new home?
0:36:46 > 0:36:49It's not just the selling that auction houses do.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Before they can advertise their wares,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54they need to be sure of their authenticity.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57I caught up with auctioneer Claire Rawle, who had been getting
0:36:57 > 0:37:01a bit twitchy about that Florence Nightingale handkerchief.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Thomas got excited about this, he put £200 to £300 on it.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08This was given to Liz when she started her nursing career by a
0:37:08 > 0:37:11great-niece of Florence Nightingale, so the provenance is there.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Looking at that signature,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Thomas was led to believe it belonged to Florence Nightingale.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Right. Well, actually, there are quite a lot of letters
0:37:18 > 0:37:20and things archived of Florence Nightingale's.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22In fact, we've sold some here.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24So it was quite easy to check the writing,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and it is not her signature.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30Does that differ greatly from Florence's signature?
0:37:30 > 0:37:31It does in certain key areas.
0:37:31 > 0:37:32The N is quite similar,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35but it is once you get to the end of the signature.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37If you look at a lot of documents
0:37:37 > 0:37:40and letters with her signature on it, then I think once you
0:37:40 > 0:37:43get around the G and the end of the signature, it's not, it's just...
0:37:43 > 0:37:45I mean, it is obviously hand written,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48of that date. That's like a laundry mark, really.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- But it is not her signature. - It's not hers, no.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Anything that has her personal connection is worth a small fortune.
0:37:54 > 0:37:55Yeah.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59And because of this new information, Claire has amended the valuation.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01What have you put on this now?
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Well, we are down to £80 reserve, so 80, 120,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07which with the family history, I think we stand a chance of getting.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Well, you never know what is going to happen in an auction,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12so let's get on with it.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16Right, Liz's handkerchief, or should I say Florence Nightingale's.
0:38:16 > 0:38:17I had a chat to Claire.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20She has reduced the valuation to £80 to £120.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22And she believes great provenance,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25and that is what it is all about, but not her signature.
0:38:25 > 0:38:26Well, good luck with this anyway.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Hopefully you can get the top end plus a little bit more.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30It is going under the hammer now.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Linked to Florence Nightingale.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Well, you've read the history, it does come from the family.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38And I've got 55 here to start it away.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41At 55. At 55. Do I see 60 anywhere?
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Bid is with me at 55. At 55.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46At 55. 60. Five?
0:38:46 > 0:38:4870. Five?
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Go on, one more. You know you want it.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54- At 75.- Claire is doing her best, isn't she?- She is, isn't she?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57No! You call that a tissue?
0:38:59 > 0:39:0175, it is still with me. 80 if you want it.
0:39:01 > 0:39:0475. Are you sure? You all done?
0:39:04 > 0:39:08- Well, sadly, it is not going to sell at that.- Tried her best.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09- Tried our best.- Thank you anyway.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12It is one of those difficult things on the valuation day.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15It is so immediate, you don't get too much time to research.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18If it was Florence Nightingale's, I'm sure it would have flown away.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20I think, Liz, you're meant to keep this.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23It has got a family connection and it was given to you
0:39:23 > 0:39:24- because of your nursing career.- Yes.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Maybe hang onto it for a little while.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Perhaps I'll give it to a museum, I expect, send it to London.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31That's a good idea.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38Angela, good luck, good luck.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41We've got a bit of damage on this, a bit of grinding down.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43I'm talking about the Doulton Lambeth stoneware teapot,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45which is just about to go under the hammer.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- Why are you selling this? - Because I'm afraid I will break it.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53- Are you really?- Yeah.- Sturdy old stuff, stoneware.- Is it?- Yeah.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- It's durable, that's what it was made for, you know.- Absolutely.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- A bit of use.- Yeah.- Anyway, look, it's going under the hammer now.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02The Royal Doulton Lambeth stoneware teapot,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05with the seashell decoration to it, lot 272.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08And I have to start away at £42. At 42.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Do I see five anywhere?
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Bid's at 42. At 42, now five.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15At £42, now five. At 42, now five.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19At 42. At 42 it is, then. 45.
0:40:19 > 0:40:2348. 50, sir? 50 I have. I've got 50 here.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Do you want to go five at the back?
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Five at the back. At 55. Are you sure? At 55.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Right at the back of the room, then, at £55. You all done?
0:40:31 > 0:40:34It's going to sell at £55.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Well done, the man at the back there.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- That's gone.- He must like it.- Yes!
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Brilliant, I love it.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Well, Angela's teapot found a new home.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49And straight from the home front, Robert came across these posters,
0:40:49 > 0:40:53hidden among some old books he'd bought.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I think they could generate quite a stir.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57Careless Talk Costs Lives.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59You know what is going under the hammer right now.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03They belong to Robert, and I think these are highly collectible,
0:41:03 > 0:41:04I really do.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Why are you selling them?
0:41:06 > 0:41:07Well, I've had them a long time.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09They came in a book collection that I bought
0:41:09 > 0:41:11- and they have been in the drawer. - Very nice.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Look, they're going under the hammer right now. Let's put it to the test.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Here it is.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18A set of eight.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Careless Talk Costs Lives series by Fougasse.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Nice series, this,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25and I have actually had quite a bit of interest in them.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29So I am going to have to start them
0:41:29 > 0:41:30at 400.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Straight in and we've sold.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38At £480. At 480, do I see 500?
0:41:38 > 0:41:41500. I've got to go 550.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42So I am now looking for 600.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45At 550, now... 600 on the telephone.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49At £600 on the telephone. At 600, looking for 650
0:41:49 > 0:41:51if the other telephone is going to do anything.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55At £600 on the telephone here. At 600.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Are you all done now? Internet's... No, 650 on the Internet.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01At 650, looking for 700.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03700 on the telephone.
0:42:03 > 0:42:07At £700. 750 on the net. At 750.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11800 on the telephone. At £800.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13At £800. Now 850.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18At 800 is on the telephone. All out on the Internet. He's hovering.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22At £800 on the telephone. You all done out there?
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- At £800.- £800!
0:42:25 > 0:42:27At £800...
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- Yes!- Fantastic!- Wow!- Fantastic!
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- Thank you, thank you.- Wow.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34It doesn't get much better than that, does it?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37- It really doesn't.- Wonderful.- Thank you so much for bringing those in.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39- Thanks for giving me the opportunity. - How about that!
0:42:39 > 0:42:42What a way to end today's show here, in Somerset.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43I hope you have enjoyed it.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45I told you there was going to be a big surprise, didn't I?
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Join us for many more, but until then, from all of us, it's goodbye.