0:00:06 > 0:00:08Today we're in Newcastle Upon Tyne,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11one of the country's most innovative centres.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13And this ship I'm standing on, The Turbinia,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16was built just down the road in Wallsend.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17At the time of its launch,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20it was the first ever steam turbine-powered vessel
0:00:20 > 0:00:22and it was the fastest ship in the world.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25And today, we're in the first science museum
0:00:25 > 0:00:26built outside of London,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29and there are many more firsts here.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:52 > 0:00:55The Discovery Museum houses extensive exhibits
0:00:55 > 0:00:58relating to the area's industrial heritage,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01its shipbuilding and coal-mining industries
0:01:01 > 0:01:04as well as exhibitions about its inventors.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Joseph Swan invented the light bulb
0:01:06 > 0:01:08and William Armstrong's work on hydraulics
0:01:08 > 0:01:11led to the first hydraulic-powered crane
0:01:11 > 0:01:14and the mechanisms that power London's Tower Bridge
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and the Swing Bridge here in Newcastle.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23It's fantastic to be in a city with so much drive
0:01:23 > 0:01:24and some wonderful characters up there.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26- Are you having a good time? - ALL: Yeah.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Do you know? It wouldn't be Newcastle
0:01:28 > 0:01:29without the Geordie accent.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33And I've been told that Geordie Ridley's Blaydon Races
0:01:33 > 0:01:36based on the old horse racing sport is the unofficial
0:01:36 > 0:01:38national anthem in these parts.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42And this bell was used by the town crier to start the races.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46So, how about a rendition of Geordie's rhyme. Ready?
0:01:46 > 0:01:48- Here we go. - BELL RINGS
0:01:48 > 0:01:50ALL: # Oh, me lads
0:01:50 > 0:01:53# Ye shud av seen us gannin'
0:01:53 > 0:01:57# Passin' the folks along the road just as they were stannin'
0:01:57 > 0:02:01# All the lads and lasses there all wi' smilin' faces
0:02:01 > 0:02:04# Gannin' along the Scotswood Road
0:02:04 > 0:02:07# To see the Blaydon Races. #
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Well done. Give yourselves a round of applause.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Just like Geordie Ridley's song
0:02:13 > 0:02:17the word has reached far and wide that "Flog It!" is in town,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and people are arriving from across Tyneside and beyond
0:02:20 > 0:02:23to get their antiques and collectables valued.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25And to give them the very best knowledge
0:02:25 > 0:02:28in the world of antiques will be our team of experts.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31Adam Partridge is having a good delve.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- But it's a proper box, look. - Ah, yes. Come on.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Let me get my sticker out straightaway anyway.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And with so much to choose from it looks like Nick Davies
0:02:39 > 0:02:40has already gone a bit dotty.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- I like the tea towel.- Yes, I bet you do.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Isn't that lovely? Look at that.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Beautiful. Made in Newcastle?
0:02:52 > 0:02:54I tell you what, we'll have a look at that later on
0:02:54 > 0:02:57but you're missing your place in the queue right now.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00That's typical. I'm being nosy and holding everybody up.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Right, let's take a look at what's coming up in today's show.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Nick Davies gets seduced by the glamour of Hollywood.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Mae West, Come Up And See Me Sometime.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- Hollywood glamour at its best. - Absolutely.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And emotions run high
0:03:14 > 0:03:18when Adam Partridge discovers a moving letter from World War I.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I mean, I have no connection with the family at all
0:03:21 > 0:03:23and I feel like crying.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Everyone here is moving through this fantastic central space
0:03:28 > 0:03:30which is based on a shopping mall, except,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33here, you shop for knowledge and a taste of history.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37And as our queue moves upstairs to the museum's Great Hall,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Nick is already getting with the programme.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43So, Magenta, what brings you to "Flog It!" today?
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Well, I found this theatre programme amongst my late father's belongings.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- He was in the RAF during the Second World War.- OK.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And it was amongst all the photos and bits and bobs.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54How long ago was that?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- About 20 years.- About 20 years ago.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Can you tell me a bit about what he did
0:03:58 > 0:03:59during the war and how he came by it?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Can you remember or have you been told about?
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Well, he was the machine gunner on an aircraft. Um...
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Unfortunately, they kept quiet about their wartime exploits...
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Absolutely.- ..but I did get the story
0:04:11 > 0:04:14about when their plane was shot down over France.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18- Right.- And when he landed in his parachute he broke his ankle...
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- Right.- ..and he was rescued by the French Resistance
0:04:20 > 0:04:22who hid him in a hollowed out tree.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- Really?- Yeah, so he never got captured.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26He never got captured and they smuggled him back
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- across the Channel and back here. - Yes, indeed. Yes.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- That's so amazing.- I just wish I had more information.- I know.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- I really regret it now.- It's a shame, isn't it?- Yes.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37As the generations tick by, these stories are just so good. So good.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38And yeah, they do get lost.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Well, as we can see, that image, who else? Mae West.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Come Up And See Me Sometime. Hollywood glamour at its best.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- Absolutely.- And we've got a lovely blue ink autograph here
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and it's to Jeff Coats.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- Jeff Coats.- And that's your dad?
0:04:51 > 0:04:52- Yes.- That was your dad?- Yes.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And I think... There we are, "Best wishes. Mae West."
0:04:55 > 0:04:56And it's a Chicago Stagecoach.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58So he was over in the States at this time, was he?
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Apparently so, yes. We don't know many details
0:05:00 > 0:05:04but obviously having a bit of rest and recuperation then and...
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Absolutely.- What a way to go. - What a way to go.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Fantastic. I mean, I love Hollywood. I love all about it.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I mean, James Stewart, my hero. Absolute idol of mine.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17And I've sold various autographs through the history of my work,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19my career.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21But there's little nuances with autographs.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23First of all, it's got a personal signature so...
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- Yes.- ..it's a bit of a downer really...- I understand.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29..because it's obviously dedicated to your father
0:05:29 > 0:05:32but from your point of view and his, wow, brilliant.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35I bet he showed all his mates when he went back home. "Look at this!"
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Um, from a collector's point of view it's a little bit of a downer.- Yes.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41However, the other thing, you're on a great image
0:05:41 > 0:05:43and you could frame it and it would look really nice.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- And have you had a good look through the programme?- Oh, absolutely.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- It's fascinating.- Let's have a little look in here on the front page.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Because she's playing Catharine Was Great,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54or Catherine The Great, I assume.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- Yes.- And it looks like it was written by her as well.- Yes.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Who would believe it?- So it was written by her,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02starring her in a very strong feminine role.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04We've got it dated 1945 in there.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07I think it's towards the end of her career where she was...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I think so, yeah. The movie days were perhaps over
0:06:09 > 0:06:10and she was just winding down a bit.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13That's right. Hanging on to past glories maybe.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- But hey, I would have loved to have met her anyway so...- Absolutely.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17Your dad was a very lucky man.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19I mean, a lovely thing. And we've also got...
0:06:19 > 0:06:23It really comes down to supply and demand but obviously,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Mae West, it's going back in time a bit further,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and the further back in time as well that obviously helps as well.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- But it's a really good example of her signature.- Oh, lovely.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35I would have thought at auction she's probably worth
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- around about £80-£120, somewhere in that region.- Wow.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40- Yeah.- Really surprised.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Yeah? Good. Well, that's good. That's what we like to hear.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45probably put a reserve on it around about 70.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- Think your dad would've been pleased with that?- Yes, I think so.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Bless her for doing it. Thank you very much for coming.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- Thank you.- It's a really good thing to see.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Adam Partridge is upstairs in the Great Hall,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01the space once used as the canteen
0:07:01 > 0:07:03for the cooperative workers
0:07:03 > 0:07:08who were based here between 1899 and 1986.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Let's see what's being served up right now.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Graham, thanks for coming along to "Flog it!"
0:07:14 > 0:07:17And it's always nice to see things of local interest.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- You've got two volumes here of the History Of Newcastle.- Yes.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Where did you get them from?
0:07:22 > 0:07:23From an antiquarian book shop.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- OK.- In Newcastle.- OK.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- How long ago did you...? - About 15 years ago.- Right.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32So, not that long ago. Do you have a collection of antiquarian books?
0:07:32 > 0:07:33I do.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- All local history or...? - Most of it. Most of it.- Right.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- And you're starting to sell this off?- Yes.- Righto.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40So you've got the two volumes here.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42A well-known book by Brand, isn't it?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45But obviously when we're looking at a book
0:07:45 > 0:07:49the main page we want to see is this title page here.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52History And Antiquities Of The Town And County
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Of The Town Of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59This is by John Brand, master of arts of London,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- and that is 1789.- Yep.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05- That makes it the first edition, I think.- First edition.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09First edition, leather bound, with all the maps intact and everything.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Everything's in it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12I'm just going to see...
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Let's show a sample of one of the foldout maps.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17There's a nice example of one.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19How recognisable is that nowadays?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Other than the cathedral, nothing.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- Other than the cathedral?- Yeah.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- But that's a rather nice engraving isn't it?- It is.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Black and white engraving. A good view of Newcastle.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33And both volumes are full of these
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and explanatory texts of the history of this fine city.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39I'm guessing that you paid quite a lot for them
0:08:39 > 0:08:41from a local book-seller.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43- 750.- 750...ouch, yeah.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But you've enjoyed them, you wanted them,
0:08:45 > 0:08:46you've had the pleasure of owning them
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and now it's time to move them on.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49That's right.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Let's be realistic. What's your aspirations...
0:08:51 > 0:08:53What do you think they're worth now at auction?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55I think probably around about the 300.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Yeah, I think we should do that.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01At what price would you rather have them back if you think,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04well, if they don't make...? Would it be 300? Slightly less, 250?
0:09:04 > 0:09:05- 250.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Shall we fix the reserve at 250? - Yeah.- I think that's sensible.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11And we can put an estimate then of 250-350.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- Yeah.- And hopefully...
0:09:13 > 0:09:14Two people get stuck in an auction,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17you might end up drawing a bit more on them.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Um, they are lovely things to own
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and what better place to sell them than the local auction?
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Absolutely, and it's really lovely to have those wonderful,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29original version books on this fitting location.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31While everybody's working hard in here
0:09:31 > 0:09:32I'm going to go down to the basement
0:09:32 > 0:09:34to take a look at the intriguing collection
0:09:34 > 0:09:37that you have to make an appointment to see.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I'm descending into the basement to meet up with Dan Gordon,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44the curator of the Hancock collection,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48one of the oldest and most extensive collections of taxidermy.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It's quite incredible being surrounded
0:09:50 > 0:09:54by such an array of creatures, many of which are now extinct.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Dan, what's the importance of this collection?
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Well, this collection, um, we have records for over a million objects.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04We've got bones and shells,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07we've got insects and historical material
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- as well as modern material, so... - And things that are extinct.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Indeed, yes. We're lucky...
0:10:12 > 0:10:13What have you picked out to show me?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16This is probably the most valuable piece in the collection.
0:10:16 > 0:10:17Is that because it's extinct?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19It is, yes.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20This is a great auk.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23This one is doubly important
0:10:23 > 0:10:27because it's actually a juvenile bird.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29And do you know what? This is almost unique.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32I think there's one other juvenile bird in the entire world,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36so, it's just such a precious record of what this animal was like
0:10:36 > 0:10:38when it was young and when it was growing.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And that's the virtue of having animals stuffed like this,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- taxidermy, isn't it? - Totally.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48You know, in the future, because there's so many extinctions
0:10:48 > 0:10:51these days, taxidermy is really going to be a record,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54- a library...- Sure.- ..of life that no longer exists.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56The naturalists didn't have cameras
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and they didn't have nature films, so, really, preserving the animals
0:11:00 > 0:11:03like this was the way that they kept a record of it.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06The piece next to it looks typically Victorian.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Yes, this is a piece by John Hancock.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- The namesake of the Hancock collection really.- Sure.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- And it really represents... - Really the great master himself.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Absolutely, yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21I mean, this represents the zenith of the taxidermist's art, really.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24John was a Newcastle man. He was a natural...
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- He was an ornithologist, wasn't he? - He was. Yes, he was an ornithologist
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and I think that that informed his taxidermy.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34He really understood how the birds moved, how their bodies were made up
0:11:34 > 0:11:36and you can really see that.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42It's been fascinating talking to Dan about how the animals here
0:11:42 > 0:11:45have been vital in documenting world species.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Let's head back up into the light now for our next valuation
0:11:49 > 0:11:50with Nick Davies.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Well, Christine.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55What brings you here today?
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Well, I actually...
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Um, I'd forgotten about this and I found it in the loft
0:12:00 > 0:12:03with a item I actually was going to bring along to be valued so...
0:12:03 > 0:12:06So you bought something else and this was the last minute...
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Yes, I thought that was probably better than the other thing I had.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11OK. So, how come it ended up in your loft?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14How come a weapon has ended up in your loft?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16SHE LAUGHS Well, I've inherited it really.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19It was originally from my grandmother's house
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- where she kept it in a sideboard... - Right.- ..and I used to play with it
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- and used to pretend to shoot my cousins with it.- Ah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- Had fun with it really.- Excellent.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- So it's come all the way down the family.- Yes.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32You've had a gun in your loft...
0:12:32 > 0:12:33- Yes.- For how many years?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- Oh, could be about ten years really. - About ten years.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- And you decided to bring it down and see what it's worth.- Yes.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's a really nice example of what it is.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45It's about 1790-1800 and it's a flintlock pistol.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's got a disguised trigger in the base,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50so when you pull that flint there the trigger will come out.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53And also a nice little bit of stiff leaf engraving
0:12:53 > 0:12:56right on the end of the barrel which is a really sweet detail.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58There's a bit missing on the base there,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00probably a brass plaque I would've thought,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02maybe with the initials engraved of the owner
0:13:02 > 0:13:07and a really nice chequered walnut grip there which is...
0:13:07 > 0:13:08..quite interesting to hold.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10So it's a really good example of what it is.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12And it's made by a company called Jover,
0:13:12 > 0:13:13J-O-V-E-R, in London.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19- So you're a local Geordie lass? - I am.- With a London gun?- Yes.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- We don't know how it's got up here, do we?- No idea.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Could have come up with a "wa-hey" man?
0:13:23 > 0:13:25"Highwere" man or highway man?
0:13:25 > 0:13:28"Haway" man. THEY LAUGH
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I think it's come via Birmingham cos it looks like it's got
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Birmingham proof marks. But the Birmingham Gun Quarter
0:13:33 > 0:13:36was obviously very prolific at this time period.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38So, what do you think it's worth?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- I haven't really a clue.- No?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I would have thought at auction you're probably in the region
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- of around about £150-£200.- Mm-hm.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Um, I'd probably reserve it a little bit less than that,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52around about the 120 mark.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It possibly would have been one of a pair originally
0:13:55 > 0:13:56in a nice walnut fitting.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Have you got another one hidden in your sock drawer?
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- Not that I know of.- Are you sure? - I haven't found one.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03You haven't found another one. So we'll put it to auction.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Any idea what you're going to do with the money?
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Um, well, my daughter and I
0:14:07 > 0:14:10usually go on an annual trip down to London to see a show, so...
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- Excellent, a nice weekend in London. - Yes.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- Probably a little bit of shopping I suspect.- Oh, yes.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16- Absolutely.- That would go along nicely.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- We'll see you at the auction and see how we get on with the gun.- Lovely.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24We are now halfway through our valuation day which means it's
0:14:24 > 0:14:28time to put those valuations to the test in the auction room.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Fingers crossed we're not too adrift
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and hopefully our items will just sail out, pardon the pun.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Will Mae West's autograph be the star attraction
0:14:38 > 0:14:39after all these years?
0:14:42 > 0:14:4418th-century leather-bound first edition,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46these History Of Newcastle books
0:14:46 > 0:14:49are sure to get the local historians excited today.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55And also from the same period,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Christine's walnut travel pistol.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We're in East Boldon just outside of Newcastle Upon Tyne
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and a stone's throw from the North Sea.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08It's auction time.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13On the rostrum today is auctioneer Charles Hodges.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15At 260.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Whatever you do, don't go away.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19I've got a good feeling about today's sale.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21There's a real buzz in the room.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Now, remember, if you're buying or selling at auction
0:15:23 > 0:15:25there is commission to pay.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Here, it's 17.5% plus VAT
0:15:28 > 0:15:30so factor that in, won't you?
0:15:30 > 0:15:31Because those costs can add up.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34So, do your sums and let's get on with the sale.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36Our first seller has got a name
0:15:36 > 0:15:40that lives up to the iconic autograph she's selling today.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43I'm joined by Magenta Moon.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45And now, we are selling a theatre programme
0:15:45 > 0:15:48signed by Mae West in 1945 which obviously your dad went to see.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- He must have been a big fan towards the tail end of the War...- Hmm.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54..when he was in the RAF. Hard thing to value, Nick.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Yeah, um, autographs, they're always difficult.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Tend to do better in specialist sales
0:15:59 > 0:16:03but there's a few other autographs in this sale so hopefully...
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Good.- ..we'll draw some people in. - OK.- Nice thing.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07- Right, ready for this?- Yes. - Let's put it to the test.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Here we go. Let's hand things over to Charles on the rostrum.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Got a theatre programme autograph by Mae West.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Chi...Chicago Stagebill, 1945.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And I've opened bids of £30 to start me.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22At £30.
0:16:22 > 0:16:2435. 40.
0:16:24 > 0:16:2645. 50. 55.
0:16:26 > 0:16:3060. 65. 70. 75.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- In the room, downstairs at £75. - We're on that reserve, aren't we?
0:16:33 > 0:16:3580, anybody?
0:16:35 > 0:16:37At £75 for the last time.
0:16:38 > 0:16:4080. 85.
0:16:40 > 0:16:4290. 95.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- 100.- This is good, isn't it? - Excellent.- 100 to the left.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Anybody else left?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49At £100 and all done?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52At £100. And we're away at 100.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54- GAVEL BANGS - Well, it's gone and I'm happy with that.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- Mid-estimate.- So am I.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- Me too.- £100. Thank you so much for coming in.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- Thank you.- Well done, Nick. - Yeah, it was good. Good result.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02- Spot on.- Really pleased.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05A lovely item there from one of the silver screen's most glamorous
0:17:05 > 0:17:08and enduring stars Mae West.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11From Hollywood to Newcastle,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14these 18th-century leather-bound book are pure quality.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Belonging to Graham Hill who's with me right now.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19I'm excited about this. You were looking there then.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21You were lost in thought, weren't you?
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Yeah, I was looking at the other lots.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- You're nervous, aren't you? - Yeah.- We're a couple away.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Now, I know you paid big money for these, didn't you?
0:17:27 > 0:17:31First editions, little bit tatty on the covers
0:17:31 > 0:17:32but you can forgive that, can't you?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Because everything is intact, maps, pictures, pull-outs,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38nothing rebound. A nice, genuine, honest set.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- Yeah, and we're talking around, what, 17...?- ..84.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44OK, 1784. Proper antique, that's what I say.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Look, time is up. I'm getting a cue now. This is it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Your lot is coming up right now, so, good luck.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55I'm bid 140 to start them.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57140. 150. 160.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01170. 180. 190. 200.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04220. 240. 260.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07At 260, front row. 280.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10300. 320. 340.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12360. 380.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15380, front row. You're out, sir.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16- 380, it's the top estimate.- £380.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19At £380 for the first and the last.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24At £380. And we're away at 380.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29£380, definitely local interest there.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31- You just knew they'd sell in the room.- Yeah, exactly.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32Good valuation, Adam.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Thank you very much.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36And now it's time to sell Christine's antique pistol
0:18:36 > 0:18:38which we know is perfectly legal to sell
0:18:38 > 0:18:42as it's no longer recognised as a firearm.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43- It's a nice thing, actually, isn't it?- Yep.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- Did you not want to keep it after rediscovering it?- Um...no.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I mean, it's pointless just keeping it in the loft
0:18:49 > 0:18:52so hopefully somebody would be, you know,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54interested in having it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56- It's in really good condition, this one.- Wonderful condition.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Been kept in the loft. Hasn't seen the light of day apart from...
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- It's been out of harm's way, hasn't it?- It has, yeah, yeah.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Are you confident with the top end?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- I think we're in with a good shout. I really do.- Yeah.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07Purely because of the condition?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Yeah, because of the condition. It's nice with the hidden trigger
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- as well.- Yeah.- It's a nice little twist to it.- Yeah.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15So, hopefully, hopefully...
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Auction, you never know.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Good for you for looking after it. Right, let's put this to the test.
0:19:19 > 0:19:20Here we go.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22A flint and box-lock travel pistol.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Jover Of London.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28I have one, two, three commissions bids.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- I start at 240.- Wow.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33- At 240.- There we go.- Great start.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35At 240. 250.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37260. 270.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39In the room at 270.
0:19:42 > 0:19:43- 280.- Hanging onto that.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45290.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48At 290, it's in the room.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50300.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52320.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54It's against you on the internet. It's 320.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56340.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58At 340, it's online.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01At £340. The room is quiet.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04At £340.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- GAVEL BANGS - We'll take that. That's bull's-eye,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08- isn't it? £340.- Absolutely.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10- A nice little surprise.- Yeah.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- Condition. You see, condition always counts, doesn't it?- Absolutely.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- It really does.- Yeah.- Absolutely.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17- Well done, you.- Very chuffed.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20And well done to Nick too for spotting that one.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Well, that was fast and furious.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25That concludes our first visit to the sale today.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28We're coming back here later on but it's wonderful to be surrounded
0:20:28 > 0:20:32by fine art and antiques and looking at the beautiful craftsmanship.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34While we were in the area filming I thought I'd check out
0:20:34 > 0:20:38a local artist who has left an incredible legacy
0:20:38 > 0:20:41both nationally and internationally.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45His name is Thomas Bewick and he lived just west of Newcastle.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04This is the view that Thomas Bewick grew up with.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07He was born here at Cherryburn in August 1753.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10And for me, seeing this place for the first time in my life,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12it's utterly captivating.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14I am so in love with it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17So it's hardly surprising that Bewick's early years
0:21:17 > 0:21:18were so influential.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Wood engraver and naturalist Thomas Bewick
0:21:24 > 0:21:28revolutionised print art in Georgian England,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and some would say he was Northumberland's greatest artist.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41His parents, as well as Cherryburn itself and all of its farm animals,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44were hugely important to Bewick.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46He was the eldest of eight children.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49He helped out with the livestock, he often assisted the milkmaids
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and by the age of 13 he even had his own flock of sheep.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02And it was here by the fire that Thomas Bewick
0:22:02 > 0:22:04did some of his first illustrations.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08With no paper, he used bits of charcoal to draw on the hearth.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Clearly, from early on, Bewick the artist was trying to get out.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22He was constantly in trouble as a young boy,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24playing truant from school.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25Instead of attending,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28he'd go roaming around his beloved Northumberland countryside.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32THEY CLUCK
0:22:32 > 0:22:34Because of his lack of interest in school
0:22:34 > 0:22:36he was sent to be tutored by the local vicar.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Fortunately, his father recognised a passion,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42an interest in drawing, so he sent the young 14 year old
0:22:42 > 0:22:45on a seven-year engraving apprenticeship to Newcastle.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It was the end of his childhood.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52And leaving Cherryburn was incredibly hard for Bewick,
0:22:52 > 0:22:53who wrote in his memoirs,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56"I can only say my heart was like to break,
0:22:56 > 0:23:01"and as we passed away, I inwardly bade farewell to the whinny wilds,
0:23:01 > 0:23:05"the Mickley Bank and to the Stob-Cross Hill,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08"to the water banks, the woods and to particular trees."
0:23:09 > 0:23:11During his apprenticeship,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Bewick showed great aptitude towards wood engraving.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17But on the weekends he would think nothing of walking the 11 miles
0:23:17 > 0:23:19home back here to Cherryburn.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Thomas' beloved home is now looked after by the National Trust.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30I've arranged to meet up with Shona Branigan
0:23:30 > 0:23:34who teaches wood block printing to members of the public here,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and she's also going to talk me through Thomas Bewick's
0:23:36 > 0:23:37way of working.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40THEY CLUCK
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Right, well, what he did was he actually worked on boxwood
0:23:45 > 0:23:46which is this kind of wood.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48- Yeah, a dense grain, isn't it?- Yes. - Very hard work.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50It takes a few hundred years to actually grow to this width.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54That's also why I suppose most of his images were really, really small because...
0:23:54 > 0:23:56A tiny piece of wood. It doesn't get much bigger.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- It doesn't get a lot bigger at all. - Now, the tools used
0:23:58 > 0:24:02look like metal engraver's tools used to engrave sheets of copper.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Yes, they're exactly the same that are used.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06He made his own tools when he was an apprentice,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08and yes, they are exactly the same.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- They all have slightly different shaved edges...- Mm-hm.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12..which will give you different marks,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- either thin marks or slightly... - Do little jobs, yes.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18It's an incredibly absorbing thing to actually spend your time doing
0:24:18 > 0:24:21cos your whole world kind of comes down to this little piece here.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Yeah. And I've noticed with these blocks, look,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26that you're working from the sort of dark-to-light technique,
0:24:26 > 0:24:27- is that right?- That's exactly it, yeah.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32So you cover the block dark and then you start to gauge away...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34- Yes.- ..producing the white line?
0:24:34 > 0:24:35That's right. You actually...
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Yeah, this is one of Bewick's original wood engravings.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Everything that's removed from here will print white
0:24:40 > 0:24:43because the ink sits on the surface of the block.
0:24:43 > 0:24:48- And he's done different things to sort of show distance.- Sure.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50You can get different relief by sanding the block down
0:24:50 > 0:24:51in totally one place, can you?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54In different parts, he's lowered the surface from the rest of it...
0:24:54 > 0:24:57- I can see that. Yes.- ..which means that it'll hold less ink
0:24:57 > 0:25:00in the printing press. And then when the print...
0:25:00 > 0:25:02If you see this particular print from this block,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05that section there is lowered and it's got a grey tone to it.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08- It has, hasn't it? Which is a little bit lighter.- Yeah, that's right.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12Shona, I take it there was no printing equipment here at the house
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- during Bewick's lifetime.- Yes.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17When the house was taken over as a museum in the late 1980s
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- all of the printing equipment was donated...- Right, OK.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22..by a printer, which is great though because it means that
0:25:22 > 0:25:25having the printing facility here we can actually print Bewick blocks
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and have prints to sell to the public.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29He would love the fact that his work's still being printed
0:25:29 > 0:25:31and sold to people.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34And also to print other people's wood engravings as well
0:25:34 > 0:25:35and keep the craft alive.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Bewick's visits back to Cherryburn
0:25:44 > 0:25:47became less frequent when his father died.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Poignantly, it was at this point that he began his own work,
0:25:51 > 0:25:56Quadrupeds, a book that deals with 260 mammals from around the world.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58It reached a wide audience and it gave him
0:25:58 > 0:26:00some celebrity within his own lifetime.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05The Quadrupeds book was Bewick's first personal work
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and he pursued with a real passion.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10This was the Age Of The Enlightenment, or
0:26:10 > 0:26:13The March Of Intellect, as Bewick called it.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And he was very much part of intellectual and philosophical
0:26:16 > 0:26:18discussions of the day.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20There was a growing interest in the natural world,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24fuelled by the voyages of the great explorers of the time.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Bewick worked closely with these men, who would bring back animals
0:26:28 > 0:26:31for him to draw, such as monkeys and a platypus,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33often preserved in the ships run.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Bewick relied on taxidermy to make many of his illustrations.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41And what's also remarkable about Bewick's work is,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44he made information about the natural world available
0:26:44 > 0:26:46to the wider population.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Up until Bewick's time, having access to the beautifully-printed
0:26:50 > 0:26:54illustrations was very much the preserve of the upper classes.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57So, when all 1,600 copies of the first edition
0:26:57 > 0:26:59sold out within a month,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Bewick was instrumental in getting them on library shelves
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and starting a wider circulation.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08This would have pleased Bewick greatly,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10not just because his book was an outright success,
0:27:10 > 0:27:15but because he was a very affable chap with no airs and graces.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18His background had put him in contact with people
0:27:18 > 0:27:23from all walks of life and he was so happy to share his illustrations.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25And every engraver that has come along since has stopped
0:27:25 > 0:27:28and looked at his work in awe.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Welcome back to the valuation day here at the Discovery Museum,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Newcastle's science and local history museum
0:27:42 > 0:27:44where there's a great atmosphere.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Adam Partridge is down there somewhere
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and I've just been told by one of our researchers
0:27:51 > 0:27:53that he's spotted a real gem,
0:27:53 > 0:27:54so let's go down and join him.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- Well, hello, Liz, how are you? - Fine, thank you, Adam. And you?
0:28:01 > 0:28:04I'm really pleased to see you at "Flog It!" today
0:28:04 > 0:28:09because this is a great example of real history of your distant family.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Yes. Who were actually related to my husband
0:28:12 > 0:28:16through his aunt who married into that family.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Right.- So, they're quite distant relatives
0:28:18 > 0:28:22and as far as we know, there's no-one alive today
0:28:22 > 0:28:24connected with any of this.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- So, there is your reason for selling?- Exactly.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Well, we've had a bit of a look through already
0:28:29 > 0:28:33and it appears to be the tale, mainly, of two Richards.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34It is, yeah.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37We've got World War I here.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Richard Smithson, who was killed in action, was he not?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- He was, in France.- In France.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47And this letter here is just so poignant.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49I mean, if you imagine... This is Smithson.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53- Do you think that's his wife or his mother?- Mother I believe. Yes.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Well, all the mothers out there, grandmothers, wives watching...
0:28:59 > 0:29:01..imagine getting a letter like this.
0:29:01 > 0:29:0426th July, 1918. "Dear Mrs Smithson.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07"I must write and offer you my deepest sympathy
0:29:07 > 0:29:10"in the death in action of your son Gunner RA Smithson.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14"His comrades were able to bring his body down to a little cemetery
0:29:14 > 0:29:18"beside a farm, away from the battle area in a beautiful valley
0:29:18 > 0:29:20"covered with vines.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23"After the service, a comrade sounded the last post
0:29:23 > 0:29:25"and a cross made by a friend was erected.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31"Many French soldiers and those of another Allied nation
0:29:31 > 0:29:34"stood round and paid their last respects to a brave man.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39"He was killed instantaneously and painlessly
0:29:39 > 0:29:42"on Sunday morning, 21st July.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47"And at 7:15 PM that day, as the sun was setting over the hills,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51"I conducted the last service in sure and certain hope
0:29:51 > 0:29:52"of a glorious resurrection.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58"May the good father comfort you and yours in your bereavement."
0:29:58 > 0:30:00- And that's from the chaplain.- It is.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03I mean, I have no connection with the family at all
0:30:03 > 0:30:07- and I feel like crying now. How does it make you feel?- It does.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11It has emotional effects on you because it's so poignant,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- not just from the First World War. - I know.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15It's still happening today.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18There he is. There's the brave man who died for our country,
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- for freedom and honour. - Yeah. A young man.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- And then we move on to...- Yes. - ..another Richard Smithson.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25And this is World War II.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27And we believe Richard was named after his uncle.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31- And did he come back safely?- He did.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33And he's earned this group of medals
0:30:33 > 0:30:38here from the Second World War. These are relatively common medals.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40- Obviously, to have five of them... - Yes.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44It kind of doesn't feel appropriate to talk about value now
0:30:44 > 0:30:46but I suppose it is a show called "Flog It!"
0:30:46 > 0:30:48which is about selling your stuff.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Therefore, we're going to have to throw an estimate at them.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54I would suggest £50-£100.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58- Seems nothing, doesn't it? - I know, but...
0:30:58 > 0:31:00I think that's about the right level.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03And I have a feeling that, because they're being sold locally...
0:31:04 > 0:31:06..then they'll make the right price anyway,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09but I think a reserve probably would be appropriate because it's not...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13..the difference between the money, it's just it feels
0:31:13 > 0:31:15they should... Whatever happens they should be worth £50.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- Yes.- So, that's put that as a reserve. Thanks for bringing them.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21And I feel that you've done the right thing really,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23because now, if they went to a local museum,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25or a local school, or a collector or something like that,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29people are going to really enjoy looking at that as we have today.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- I hope so. I hope so. - And learn a lot too.- Yeah.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37However many times we see First and Second World War memorabilia
0:31:37 > 0:31:40on the show, it never ceases to move me.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43The incredible stories we hear.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45We really have taken over every square foot
0:31:45 > 0:31:47of this historic venue today,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50and now, away from the main hall, let's catch up with Nick.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Let's take a closer look at what he's spotted.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57- So, Lillian, welcome to "Flog It!". - Thanks.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- Come far today?- Not far, just the other side of the river.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03Just the other side of the river. And you've brought with us,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05- I believe your father's pocket watch, is that right?- Yeah.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09It was given to me by my father. It was handed down.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11And where did he get it from? Do you know?
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- I believe his father, but I don't know anything past that.- Right.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18- My dad was a train driver...- Right. - ..so, you know,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20I didn't know whether he would've used it
0:32:20 > 0:32:22when he was at work or whether he just kept it.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26- I know it was special to him because he bought the chain for it.- Right.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27There hadn't been one.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Right, so it was special from his dad really, coming down the line,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32which these things often do.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35I mean, it's a nice example of what it is.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37It's a gold-plated
0:32:37 > 0:32:39crown wind pocket watch.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43It's probably going to be around 1910-1915, possibly even 1920.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45They were producing up to that late.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Made by Waltham,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50who were a great American company based in Massachusetts.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52They were fairly mass produced.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54They shipped a lot of movements over to this country
0:32:54 > 0:32:55and they were putting cases
0:32:55 > 0:32:57in the Jewellery Quarter in Hockley
0:32:57 > 0:32:58in Birmingham.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00Um, the nice thing about it,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02even though it's a gold-plated one,
0:33:02 > 0:33:03it's nice, clean dials.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05And dials are really everything with this.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Once you start getting cracks through them it's very expensive
0:33:07 > 0:33:10and probably really not worth repairing.
0:33:10 > 0:33:11But it seems to be running.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16I've set it to time as well and it seems to be running quite nicely.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18- The chain, however, is gold.- Hmm.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21OK? So this is nine carat, what we call rose gold,
0:33:21 > 0:33:22and it's the alloys they mix with the gold
0:33:22 > 0:33:25so you get a nice coppery tinge to it.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27And the fob is also gold.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29It's hanging off the edge.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31The swirl fob has got two stones on it which is typical.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34You've got bloodstone on the one side which is this green stone
0:33:34 > 0:33:36with the red flecks in it, the bloodstone.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40And the other side, it's just a plain brown stone which is called
0:33:40 > 0:33:43cornelian or carnelian, from wherever you come from.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46There's always disputes about scone and "scon"
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and carnelian and cornelian.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51But really nice example. Any idea on value at all?
0:33:51 > 0:33:54I haven't. I've never even thought about, you know,
0:33:54 > 0:33:57whether I would value it or sell it or do anything with it.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Yeah, I mean, most of your value is in the chain
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and the fob rather than the watch, ironically.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04The watch itself is probably worth about £20 or £30.
0:34:04 > 0:34:05They're not uncommon.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07You see a lot of them.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09The chain, however, being gold,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13it's probably worth a couple of hundred, £250. £250, I would say.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- Maybe even get 300 on a good day. - Really?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- And with your little fob as well. - Really?- Yeah.- Gosh.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22When I see this, a lot of people have left jewellery that they don't like,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24often sell it and buy a piece that they like that they'll wear.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27- Yes, that's a good idea. - It's a very good idea.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Thank you for bringing it down. I'll see you at the auction.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33- Fingers crossed, I think we'll be all right.- That's lovely.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35So, as time ticks on on Lillian's watch
0:34:35 > 0:34:39it's time for us to travel upstairs for our final valuation today.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Well, Charlie, I'm in suspense. All you going to...
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Are you going to reveal what you've brought?
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Well, I've got a nice table I fetched.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- Are you going to have a look at it? - OK.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Oooh!
0:34:51 > 0:34:55- Very nice.- Nice, isn't it?- Isn't that lovely quality?- Brilliant.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Now, tell me where you got it from.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- Well, I got it from the second-hand shop.- Did you?
0:34:59 > 0:35:03- Yes.- Locally?- Locally.- How long ago?
0:35:03 > 0:35:05At least six months ago. I went in the door and there it was, so...
0:35:05 > 0:35:09- Yeah.- I says, "I'll have that." I didn't know how much it was.- Yeah.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13- And he says, "Give us 40 quid for it."- 40 quid?
0:35:13 > 0:35:15- That's all it was.- Where's this shop?
0:35:15 > 0:35:17- THEY LAUGH - What time does it shut?
0:35:17 > 0:35:19It'll be shutting now.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23- Oh. Well, I think that's a great buy.- I think so. It's lovely.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28It's not of any great age but it's lovely quality. Mahogany.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Flame mahogany with the segments here with a box wood line
0:35:31 > 0:35:34and more mahogany banding.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- Really nice quality.- I like the legs of this.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- Lovely that, isn't it?- Look at those.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- And the quality under here. - Yes. Everything's brilliant.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43You've got a US patent number under there as well.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44Yes, US patent.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48And what I also like is the detail round the base.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49Look at the way that's finished.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52Oh, look, the banding and everything.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- It's a very nice quality table. - It's lovely, yeah.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59- And with the...- The legs like... - The four feet as well. And a drawer.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02- Drawer. There's a plaque in... - There you go, the plaque.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- Earl Spencer, first lord of the admiralty.- Yeah.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10It's got a bit of a naval feel to it. And that's the makers, is it?
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- Chapman's.- Chapman And Co. - From Newcastle.- From Newcastle.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18- They were established in 1847? - It was, yeah.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- But I don't know if they're still going.- I don't know, I'm not sure.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25This one's more like 1974 than 1847, but, you know...
0:36:25 > 0:36:27It's...probably 30-40 years old.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29It's just...it looks like it's quality, that's all.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Beautiful quality. Would have been very expensive in its day.
0:36:32 > 0:36:33- It's brilliant, that.- Yeah.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Auction estimate, I think it's obviously
0:36:35 > 0:36:38worth more than what you paid. I think that was a real bargain.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40You should double your money and a bit more.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44- I'm going to suggest an estimate of £100-£150.- Yeah, that's lovely.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- Is that all right?- Yes.- Is that in line with what you thought?
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Yeah, I was thinking about 150.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53Yeah. I think it should make 150-ish so, hopefully, we're both right.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55But in case there are people there that don't like it
0:36:55 > 0:36:57we should put in reserve on it.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58- Everybody likes it in here.- Yeah.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01- Lovely lass saying, "That's lovely, that."- There'd be nothing worse
0:37:01 > 0:37:05than it making 40 quid and then you saying to me afterwards, "You..."
0:37:05 > 0:37:09- Na.- So let's put a reserve on it. - Yeah.- 100 quid?- 100 quid, yeah.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11- Bit of leeway, discretion? - Just a little bit.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15£100 reserve, discretion 10%
0:37:15 > 0:37:17- but I think it'll make a bit more. - Right.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19- That's good.- Keep an eye out for those bargains, Jim.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20You've got a good eye.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23- I will do.- If you had two good eyes you'd be unstoppable.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24HE LAUGHS
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Well, what a marvellous time we've had here at the Discovery Museum,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35our host location, for our valuation days.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37We've been surrounded by fine art and antiques
0:37:37 > 0:37:39and great advances in science.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41We've learnt a lot about local history
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and also history that has shaped this nation.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48But right now, we need to make some history of our very own.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50We're going over to the Boldon Auction Galleries
0:37:50 > 0:37:51for the last time today.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53And here's what's going under the hammer.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56A moving collection of World War I and II memorabilia
0:37:56 > 0:37:59should appeal to a collector.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03It's only a matter of time for Lillian's gold watch
0:38:03 > 0:38:04and weighty chain.
0:38:06 > 0:38:07It might be a modern reproduction
0:38:07 > 0:38:11but Charles' mahogany table should still make good money.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Back in Boldon, our auction room is packed
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and auctioneer Charles Hodges is on the rostrum
0:38:18 > 0:38:20ready to sell our next lot,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23a collection of World War I and II memorabilia.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- Elizabeth, fingers crossed. Good luck.- Yes, please.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28We've got some medals going under the hammer
0:38:28 > 0:38:29from the First and Second World War.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32We've seen lots of surprises on medals before, haven't we?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34- We have.- Now, I know since the valuation day
0:38:34 > 0:38:36you've had a chat to Giles,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and he's put the estimate up to £80-£100, which is about the same.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42- Yeah, they'll make what they're worth, won't they?- Exactly.- Yeah.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- But there is a new fixed reserve at 80 and not 50.- OK.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46Well, we'll see what happens. I think they'll make that.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51- So, we're really selling a story here, not medals.- That's right.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54OK, well, look, good luck, both of you. And I'm sure they'll do well.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56They're going under the hammer now.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58A collection of World War I and II memorabilia
0:38:58 > 0:39:01and ephemera, including the medals.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04And on bid 50 to start me.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07At £50 for the lot. At 50. At £50.
0:39:07 > 0:39:0955, anybody else now?
0:39:09 > 0:39:12At £50. Anybody else? At 50.
0:39:12 > 0:39:1455. 60. 65.
0:39:16 > 0:39:1970. 75. One more will do.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22At £75. And we're not going to do it.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25At £75, ladies and gents.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- 80. At £80.- ALL: Oh!
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- Just in.- Just.- At £80.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34All done at £80 for the final time.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Internet's quiet too. At 80.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39- Only just.- Only just.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41You wouldn't have minded if they only went for 50.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- No, no.- You were happy with Adam's valuation.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46And to tell you the truth... To tell you the truth,
0:39:46 > 0:39:48I sometimes think... And you know this, you're an auctioneer,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51very experienced. ..it's better to pitch that value lower.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- Yeah, exactly.- Get everybody interested.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Everybody wants to own it. If you pitch it at its right value,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- people...- Puts it off a bit. - Puts it off with it.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03It just scraped through but worth every penny and more.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Now, will our next lot get a tick from the bidders?
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Going under the hammer right now, a pocket watch and chain.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- And I think all the value's in that gold chain. Don't you, Lillian?- Yes.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16And who have you brought along with you? Hello, what's your name?
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- Lara.- Lara, who's this? - Lara's my daughter.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Right. Eh, this is your inheritance then.- Yes.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21ALL CHUCKLE
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Do you know what? I'd say to Mum,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26"Sell the watch and keep the CHAIN."
0:40:26 > 0:40:28- THEY LAUGH - Did you think about that?
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Well, no, I thought maybe I'd buy something that I like better.
0:40:32 > 0:40:33OK, OK.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- You weren't going to wear the chain, were you?- No.- Not your style.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37Let's hope we get the top end, OK?
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Good luck, both of you, because someone wants to go shopping.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43It's going under the hammer now.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45I'm bid 200 to start with.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48220. 240. 260.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51280. 300.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54At £300. The bid is upstairs.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- That's what we wanted. - At £300, anybody else?
0:40:57 > 0:41:01At £300, ladies and gentlemen, I shall conclude at 300.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- BANGS GAVEL - Happy all round.- We are.- Yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06Absolutely...
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Treat yourself to some clothes, shoes, whatever you want.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Buy a nice... A little bit of jewellery. Just so you can wear.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16However Lillian and Lara spend their money, good luck to them.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21Now, our last item, it isn't old but it's a beautiful piece.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Charles, thank you for bringing that in. I know it's reproduction
0:41:23 > 0:41:27but the quality is there. And it looks jolly good.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29And it's the right size to fit any house.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31If you live in a small flat, a little cottage
0:41:31 > 0:41:33or a new-build, it will look great.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34I think so. It's a handy little table.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37And whilst we try not to put reproductions on the programme
0:41:37 > 0:41:40I think this was a sufficient quality and design
0:41:40 > 0:41:41to be worth coming on.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44- And, you know, in 100 years that'll be an antique, won't it?- Exactly.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Anyway, it's going under the hammer right now.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49We have the Earl Spencer occasional table.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52A little empire-style one.
0:41:53 > 0:41:58- I have two commission bids. We are straight in at 140.- Oh, yes.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59At 150.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04160. 170...170. 180.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07190. 200. 210.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10220. 230.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12230, the bid is upstairs to the left.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- At £230.- Yes.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- That's what it's all about, you see? - Lovely.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24That is a useful piece of kit that will become very practical.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- I think it was quite...quite a bargain.- 40 quid.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30- £40.- Well, there you go.- Not long ago?- Went in here. I seen it...bang.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- I'm going to have that.- Yeah.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Even good reproduction has quality.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36Well spotted.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Well, Charles has more than quadrupled his money.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41A savvy man with an eye for a bargain.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45Well, that's it. It's all over for our owners,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and what a fabulous day we have had here.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51A few highs and a few lows but that's what auctions are all about.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Full of surprises and it never changes.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55So, from this extraordinary part of the country
0:42:55 > 0:42:58with its riches past, present and in the future,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01it's time for us to say goodbye from the Northeast.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So, until the next time, from all of us here, cheerio.