Derbyshire 9 Flog It!

Today we're in Derbyshire, in the heart of the Peak District,

an area rich in industrial heritage.

It's also got its fair share of stately homes.

And we're off to one right now.

Nestled in the heart of the National Park, to find

some treasures of our own. Welcome to "Flog It!".

Admiring its green and pleasant land,

and its quaint towns and villages,

it's hard to believe that the Peak District was

once at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution.

Cotton spinning, silk mills, lead mines, and the early

factories were all borne out of this glorious countryside.

And nestled in the southern part of the National Park

is the magnificent Haddon Hall,

with an estate spanning 3,800 acres of Derbyshire countryside.

But above all, it's beautiful.

And it's our home for today.

I'll be delving into the area's industrial past

later on in the programme, but first,

let's get our experts' noses stuck into all of these bags and boxes.

Mining some treasures of their very own.

Some of the best items,

we'll be taking off to auction later in the show.

And our pair of industrious experts panning the crowds for gold

are chirpy Cheshire lad Adam Partridge...

Nice hat, nice bat. Look forward to filming with you.

..and working the other end of the queue is expert Caroline Hawley.

-A trouser press.

-Yeah.

-Interesting! No trousers in it?

-No.

THEY LAUGH

We've got hundreds of people to get inside this magnificent

medieval house.

Not to mention a team of 40 "Flog It!" crew and six experts,

all working hard behind the scenes,

all ready to make the most of these historic surroundings.

Now which of today's items is going to outperform the rest

by reaching nearly double its valuation?

Will it be this historic watercolour?

Or this flamboyant novelty item?

Or will this die-cast toy lorry be the one to overtake the rest?

Stay tuned and you'll find out later, at auction.

Our experts are here in the Long Gallery,

and they're keeping track on everyone who walks in and out,

making sure they don't miss one historic gem.

It looks like Caroline has found her first item.

Let's take a closer look at what's captured her imagination.

Welcome, David, Rose.

-Hello.

-Tell me what you've brought along today.

We believe it's a drinks dispenser, given to me by my uncle.

But we know no more about it than that.

-Does your uncle happen to be in the RAF?

-Yes, he did.

Right, do you know where he was stationed?

No, I'm not 100% certain. I know he was an RAF lorry driver.

He also belonged to the RAF Association.

This is an RAF drinks dispenser, as you can see.

The RAF badge on the top. We'll lift it off.

And wow, here it is. Fabulous.

Of course, you press here and the drink would come out.

Your drink of choice would come out into the glass.

Then if we lift it up here, you can see in this receptacle here,

that's where you would put the drink.

Put it back in there.

It's wonderful.

And the glasses, everything is in absolutely perfect condition.

-You've not used it?

-No. Never.

-I never quite knew what to clean it with, to be honest.

-Oh, no!

Well, I think that's stood it in good stead.

It's not been worn by excessive cleaning or anything.

It really is a lovely thing.

Originally, it would have been in probably an officers' mess,

I would think. Dates from the 1930s, 1940s.

And it's just the sort of thing that a lot of people would like to

collect today. I could see that in a very modern, trendy flat of...

-Yeah.

-..a young person.

Or in the house of somebody older, like myself.

It's a really lovely thing. So you're happy to sell this, are you?

-Yeah.

-Both of you? I have to ask both of you.

-Yes, we are.

Yes, we are.

Because of the condition, and there's the RAF association,

I think that somebody could really like this.

But we'll put a low estimate on it. £30-£50.

-With a fixed reserve of £30. Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

I think, on the day, it could well do a lot better.

-It just depends who's there.

-Yeah.

-If it tickles someone's fancy,

it could fly. Thank you very much for bringing it.

-That's OK. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

It's great to see something in tip-top condition like that.

Next, Adam seems to be making himself at home here at Haddon.

Here in the Banqueting Hall we've got a lovely cosy location,

in front of a roaring fire.

And what more appropriate object, Michael,

could we have than your novelty table lighter here?

-Yes, indeed.

-What can you tell me about it?

Well, it was my aunt's. My aunt bought it for her husband-to-be

about 73 years ago. We think in Sheffield.

He was unfortunately killed very shortly after they were married.

-In fact, two weeks later.

-In the war?

-In the war. In the Second World War.

And so, she's treasured it ever since.

She passed away three years ago and it became mine.

That's quite a poignant story, isn't it? So he never got to see it?

-No.

-And all the time she had to hang onto

-it as a sort of memory of him, in a way.

-That's right.

I think he's great. I keep wanting to do this, to copy him.

I think he's really, really lovely. And he's a great character.

They were very much in fashion 100 years ago,

and they've come back into fashion in the last ten years or so.

Usually made in Germany or Austria,

and usually made either in bronze or,

as this more common model really, in spelter, which is a cheaper alloy.

Which is a white metal. Whereas bronze is a yellow metal.

They way of telling is easy. If people want to know about this.

You've got more of a tinny ring to it.

But crucially, if you have a look underneath,

people get keys out and scratch them.

It isn't really necessary because, if you look at the rim,

it's this grey-white metal colour.

-And on a bronze figure that would be yellow.

-Mm-hmm.

Also, helpfully, we've got the word "Austria" there,

which confirms our suspicions that it's Austrian.

Cold painted spelter figure.

Most of them were homages or copies of famous pieces by Austria's

most celebrated sculptor of this period, who's called Franz Bergman.

He made lots of novelty bronze and spelter figures.

Nude females and all sorts, Arabs on horseback.

Widely collected. And this is very much in his style.

We've called it a lighter.

Can you show the viewers how this is a lighter.

They're going to think, what do you mean, a lighter?!

It's a table lighter. Please demonstrate.

I doubt whether I can strike it alight because it's empty of fuel.

-I think it was used with petrol.

-Yep.

-And the striker was drawn across here.

-Yeah.

Which ignited this little bit.

Not the safest thing, perhaps, in the...

These days, people wouldn't be allowed to produce these anymore.

Probably for fire risk. But that's exactly how it works.

And it's the sort of thing that would go on someone's desk or

a cigar lighter type of thing, isn't it?

Why have you decided to sell him?

He's been on the window sill now for a number of years.

-And we felt that it was time for him to move on.

-To move on.

-To go to the horizon that he's looking at, perhaps.

-Well, exactly.

Who knows where he's going to end up, because today, in the trappings

of the modern world, the internet plays a massive factor in auctions.

So there's every chance he could go abroad. Perhaps even to the USA.

Because Franz Bergman

and similar figures are particularly in vogue over there.

Have you got any ideas yourself, Mike, as to what it might be worth?

-Not at all, no.

-I think he's probably worth about £100.

-Really?

-Yeah.

And for an auction estimate, I'd like to put either side of that.

Probably £80-£120.

Hopefully he'll make the three figures and a touch more.

-Right.

-If two people get after him we might have £100-£150.

It's a great object. I really like it.

Thank you so much for bringing it in.

And we'll see what it makes at the auction.

If anyone does need a light, I know a man who has got a lot of matches,

back in the Long Gallery.

That's very nice. Who made that?

-I made it.

-Did you really?

-Yes.

-How long did that take you to make?

-Two years.

-Two years!

-Do you see much of him at home? Is he locked away?

-Not a lot. No.

That's what you call a real labour of love.

Back to Caroline now, who's looking at hallmarks.

A lovely tea service, in very good condition.

Mike, how have you come by this?

Well, it's been passed down in the family. It came from my mum.

It was passed down to her by her aunt, who lived in Crewe.

And so, it's sort of a family heirloom.

-Have you ever used it?

-No, no.

-I'm sure I should have cleaned it up for...

-Oh, don't worry.

-..for the occasion, but...

-No. Don't worry about that. It's fabulous.

It's in really good condition.

The ebony handle and knob. There's a silver mark for Sheffield.

1932. And it's a good model.

It's a fairly simple, standard shape and model.

But good-looking, good quality.

And there would have been lots of them

at the time, but they would've also been made in plated-ware as well.

-OK.

-Electroplated ones would have been very much cheaper.

Do you think it was possibly a wedding present? Does that tie in?

Yes, it could well have been.

-I think she would probably have been married about that time.

-Yeah?

She passed away a few years ago now. But that would fit in.

So your aunt obviously mixed in fairly wealthy circles

-to be able to have something like this.

-Yes.

Because it wouldn't be everybody's cup of tea.

-Ah!

-So to speak. We weighed it. It weighs in at 40 ounces.

Which is a good, heavy weight.

-I would put a value on this of £400-£600.

-OK.

-How do you feel about that, Mike?

-Yeah, pleasantly surprised.

-Good.

I was probably expecting in the few-hundreds

but certainly not to that level.

-Good. I like pleasant surprises.

-Yes.

-It's good.

-It makes a change, doesn't it?

-Yes, it does. It does indeed.

We'll put it in for auction at 400-600.

And fingers crossed, it could do a lot better. We'll hope for the best.

Wonderful.

Well, that's reassuring for those of you who don't enjoy doing

the housework. Don't polish your silver.

You've just seen three wonderful items.

You've heard what our experts have had to say.

You've probably got your own opinions.

But right now, let's find out what the bidders think,

as we go over to the auction room for the very first time today.

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

Will it be the novelty RAF drinks dispenser that gets

the juices of the bidders going?

Or will they be more struck by the fashionable Austrian table lighter?

Or will the silver take the shine off both of them?

Stay with us to find out later in the auction room.

It's not far from the beautiful grounds of Haddon Hall

to our saleroom today.

In fact, the village used to be part of Haddon Hall estate.

We're in Rowsley, a village sitting right at the point where the

River Wye flows into the River derwent.

"Flog It!" expert and auctioneer James Lewis is the man in charge

of today's proceedings here at Bamford's Auctioneers and Valuers.

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

Here it's 12.5% plus VAT.

The auction house is packed and ready to go. So let's get moving

with our first lot.

Going under the hammer now,

an Austrian table top lighter in the style of Franz Bergman.

Not a lot of money on this, but it still is very good quality.

-Belonging to Michael. Pleased to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

Why are you selling this?

Well, it's been on the side table for some time now.

And he's been staring into the distance ever

since we've had him, so we thought we'd move him on.

-Nice desktop thing there.

-I like it.

-Quality.

-I like these sort of things.

-I do as well.

Well, it's going under the hammer right now.

Let's see what it makes.

616 - the Austrian novelty table lighter.

As a Native American chief.

-I can start the bidding at £80. 80. 90 now.

-Brilliant.

-We're in already. We got 80 already.

-90. 100. 110.

110. 120. 130.

120 with me. 130 now.

At 120. 130 anywhere?

At 130 online.

Well done, Adam!

140 in the room. 140 coming back. I'm out.

At £130. Anybody else?

At 130.

-Well done. Happy with that?

-Very happy.

-Good.

Good. Job done, then.

The little North American Indian is off to new horizons.

As is our next owner.

Going under the hammer right now, we've got 40 ounces of silver.

And we need top dollar for it,

because all the money is going towards a trip to Brazil.

-Michael, I envy you.

-Thank you, Paul.

-I really do.

Have you been before?

No, it's the first time. It's my 50th birthday next July.

-I'm going to celebrate in style.

-What a way to celebrate!

Flogging the family silver. Great Aunt's silver.

HE LAUGHS

-Don't tell her that.

-You haven't used it, have you, though?

No, it's been sat at the top of the wardrobe for many years.

-Really? At least it's been kept in good condition up there.

-Yep.

It's a good time to sell.

Fingers crossed. Here we go. It's time for tea. This is it.

Lot 45 is the three-piece tea service.

I can start the bidding here at £300 for it somewhere.

-300 bid. 320 now.

-That's great.

320 do I see? £320 now. 320 bid. 340?

360.

380.

-Come on.

-Come on, yes!

-400. And 20.

-This is what we like.

440. 460.

460. 480.

He's got a bid online. Look. Against a bid in the room.

460 standing in the room. At 460. 480 online.

70 if you like.

470 bid. 480 now.

Back in the room at 480. 490 online.

At £480 in the room here.

-All sure? At £480.

-BANGS GAVEL

-Yes. The hammer's gone down. That's a super result.

-Yeah.

How was that for you?

-Very good.

-This is Michael's first auction.

-Yes, it is. Yes.

-Aw!

-There was a bit of tension there, wasn't there?

-It could have gone horribly wrong.

-Yes.

THEY LAUGH

-Are you thrilled with that, Mike?

-Yes, I'm very pleased.

I thought, anything over 300 and we'll be celebrating.

-Well, I think he will be in Rio very shortly.

-Yes.

That fetched a good price.

..at £180. Are we all sure?

Well, so far so good. Things seem to be flying out of here.

Going under the hammer right now, a really quirky item.

An RAF spherical drinks dispenser belonging to David and Rose,

who've just joined me.

-Hello!

-Wow, it's a packed saleroom, isn't it? So exciting as well.

Getting some good prices here today. And I think this is quirky.

And I think this would appeal to the '20th century modern' lovers.

-It's got the look, hasn't it?

-It's got the look, yes.

It's kind of where the market's at, at the moment.

Quirky things that you can't normally find.

-Yeah, it's a cool thing.

-Yeah.

Yeah, it is. Well, let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?

-Here we go.

-Lot 445 is a great thing!

Absolutely brilliant. And I can start the bidding at £40.

40. And five do I see?

At 40. Five. 50. Five. 60. Five.

75. 80. Five. 90. Five. 110. 110 in the room. 120.

120 now. 110 standing in the room. 120 do I see?

At 110. 120. 130.

At 120. Second row here. At 120, lady's bid.

At 120. 130 online.

130 bid. 140. 140 bid.

150. It'll be a talking point. At 140. 150 anywhere?

At 140. 150 do I see? Coming back online. 140. Are you sure?

At £140. Second row. Gavel's raised at 140.

-Yes, £140.

-Well done.

-Excellent.

-It had the look, you know?

It had something about it. It was really good.

Good design, that's what it's all about. And quality.

Well, there you are. Our first three lots done and dusted.

Now there's more to the Peak District than the rolling hills

and bubbling streams.

It's also home to some of the world's oldest factories.

Now while we were here filming in the area,

I had the opportunity to go off and explore one local mill that's

still maintaining the industrial heritage

established by Richard Arkwright some 200 years ago.

The Peak District has a high amount of rainfall compared to the

rest of England and Wales, which certainly adds to its beauty.

And all of this extra water has helped play a major

part in its heritage.

The mills that sprung up across the Derwent Valley in the 18th century

harnessed the natural water power of the Peak District,

transforming British industry.

Today, this part of Derbyshire has World Heritage status,

attracting 0.5 million visitors a year,

to view these iconic buildings.

Nestled in the Derwent Valley, it was here at Cromford that

one of the forefathers of the Industrial Revolution -

Richard Arkwright -

established the first successful water powered cotton spinning mills.

Introducing what we now recognise today as the modern factory system.

This was the first factory to use a continuous process,

from raw material to finished product.

Arkwright built his mill workers' homes,

introduced working hours determined by the clock instead

of by daylight, and patent machinery that massively increased production.

Including this spinning machine called the water frame.

His pioneering work inspired similar factories

all across the United Kingdom. And all over the world.

But he's not the only noteworthy

industrialist from the Peak District.

In the small village of Lee Mills, which is

just two miles down the road from Cromford, is the John Smedley

factory, which has been running continuously for over 200 years.

In 1818, John Smedley - a hosier from nearby Worksworth -

bought the lease on this factory,

which had been operating as a cotton mill.

But it's his son, John Smedley Jr,

who turned out to be the really remarkable man.

I met archivist Jane Middleton Smith at the Smedley factory to find

out more about him.

It's marvellous that you've got your own onsite archive,

because we are literally surrounded by your own heritage.

Yes. I love working here.

-Is that a photograph of John Smedley Jr?

-It is.

It's a photograph of John Smedley Jr as an old man.

-And he served an apprenticeship here.

-He did.

He served an apprenticeship to his father, who was also John Smedley.

And we have his indenture here.

Which he signed in 1818. A seven year apprenticeship.

I guess it's the only way you can really understand a business,

is to work on the factory floor and work your way up, isn't it?

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Cotton spinning, wool combing, wool spinning, it sounds simple

but it's not. You need a long apprenticeship. And he served that.

And he saw his father through some very hard times.

The cotton spinning business...

Well, the cotton business was in the doldrums at that time.

How did he make his fortune then?

He made his money making underwear.

You know, in his early years, when his father was struggling,

he focused his attention on the business.

And he turned the machinery here over from cotton spinning

to wool spinning.

Let's face it, you know, everybody had to wear stuff like this,

-prior to central heating. Just to keep you warm in the house.

-Yes.

Literally. You're not just in the workplace, but in the house at home.

Absolutely. And he, using the frame work knitting machine, could make

fully fashioned garments so that you could fit the curves of the body.

He made his fortune out of that?

-Undergarments?

-Well, we think so. He certainly made a lot of money.

And he became, I suppose, diverted into other interests.

Water played a large part, not only in the creation of his wealth,

but also in maintaining his health.

After being successfully treated for what he thought to be typhus,

by water cures or hydrotherapy,

he became a great advocate of this fashionable treatment of the day.

And built a splendid hydro hotel in nearby Matlock,

offering these water cures.

He became passionately interested in the power of water to cure,

not so much through drinking, but through bathing in it

and having, you know, wrapping yourself in wet blankets...

-Shock, hot and cold treatments.

-He didn't believe in cold water.

He believed in warm water,

so not shocking the body but keeping it warm.

-But wet.

-Sure.

He also found time to write a book about hydrotherapy,

so that treatments could be practised at home.

Some of them are quite unusual.

Give me an example.

His dry rub was - "dry rub over the whole body

"with hands only, covering the body with a blanket, feet on a flannel."

And then you follow number 237. So we'll see what 237 says.

"Chilli paste rubbed over stomach and liver."

I don't quite know what that did,

but it enabled you to do this at home, basically.

-Sure. Yeah.

-And this ran to... This is the 14th edition.

It sounds quite eccentric when we think about it now, doesn't it?

But I guess, looking back on it, these things were sort of the norm

of the day, everybody went to take and try the waters, didn't they?

Absolutely. When I first looked at this I though, this is just so odd.

-Bonkers.

-It is crazy to our eyes.

But it was obviously a huge thing in the pre-modern medicine society.

-Yeah.

-We've just forgotten.

As well as the hotel,

in 1862 Smedley built a castle for his family to live in.

Appointing himself 'architect.'

Riber Castle, sitting on the hill overlooking Matlock,

was a symbol of his success.

-Is this a picture of Riber Castle on the inside?

-It is.

This came in a box with some fancy dress costumes that had been

kept by the family.

In the bottom of the box were these two

photographs of Riber Castle in 1873.

I've never seen an interior of the castle before.

-So this is an exclusive for us, really.

-Absolutely.

These haven't been seen before. And they give you an idea of...

-I think he had certainly eccentric taste.

-He did, didn't he?!

Look at this. I mean, it's almost in the realms of King Arthur,

-looking at this.

-Yes.

Today the hydro hotel is used as the county hall.

And the factory is still in production.

The machines used here today haven't changed all that much

since the era of Arkwright and Smedley.

Although they may be electric, the machines still work the same way.

The whole production process relies on the craft of the people.

The machinists, the seamstresses and the knitters.

Some of whom come from families that worked here

when Smedley first set up shop in the 1800s.

Back now a few hundred years in time to Haddon Hall,

where local early-music group Piva are entertaining

everyone in medieval style.

And they're also dressed in period costume.

THEY PLAY EARLY MUSIC

Yeah, how about that!

Round of applause, everybody. Absolutely fabulous. Fabulous.

Well done. Thank you. Thank you.

History and heritage everywhere. I love these heritage buildings.

We can learn so much from them. If only these walls could talk,

these beautiful oak panels could tell a few stories, I bet.

-We all love a bit of gossip, don't we?

-ALL: Yes!

Yes, and I bet it went on here as well.

Right now, talking about gossip, let's catch up with Adam Partridge,

find out who he's talking to in the gardens, and what he's looking at.

There's a familiar sound of leather on willow at village greens

all around Derbyshire. But the lawn we're on here, I suppose,

is a little more suited to croquet.

Nevertheless, I am delighted to see anything cricket related,

being a huge cricket fan. So, Helen, please tell me,

where did you get it from? Tell me what you know about it.

I bought it at a charity auction about 25 years ago.

And I paid £27 for it.

OK, well, you've got a very good memory for a start.

What attracted you to buy it?

Or was it just some way of supporting the charity?

It was just a way of supporting the charity.

You're not a particular cricket enthusiast?

-No interest in cricket whatsoever.

-OK.

-Hence the reason, I guess, you're selling it.

-That's right.

Well, I do loads of charity auctions,

and I'm very familiar with signed cricket bats.

But this one's rather more interesting than the ones we

see nowadays, because they have all got the current players nowadays.

Of course, this one goes back to 1969.

Where we had the famous West Indies and England series.

I think the West Indies were touring England in 1969.

And I don't think they won, but they had some great names.

And even people who aren't interested in cricket would

surely have heard of Gary Sobers or Sir Garfield Sobers -

one of the great names of cricket of all time.

And the West Indies players. You've got Lance Gibbs,

and also Clive Lloyd who later became the captain of that

wonderful West Indies team that just beat everyone for a decade or more.

Not so good in this series.

They were facing a decent England side, with people

like Ray Illingworth, Tom Graveney and of course Geoffrey Boycott.

All household names.

As were most of the team, including the spinner, Deadly Derek Underwood.

To make matters even better, the back has also got some signatures.

I'm not going to race through them.

But we've got famous teams of Lancashire, Yorkshire

and Surrey of the day. Which is a bit of a bonus on the back.

You can only really display it one way or the other.

The signatures are in good condition.

And by that I mean there's no fading.

Some of these, you see, we handle so many cricket things,

the signatures are all washed out.

You couldn't possibly tell who they were. But that's in good order.

And these hang in offices and boardrooms across the land.

Have you had it on display at home?

-Never.

-No?

-No.

-It did come in a rather dusty box.

-It came in a very dusty box.

-Met you in the queue.

SHE LAUGHS

-The lady in the hat with the bat, wasn't it?

-That's right.

So, I suppose you've seen us here at Haddon Hall and you thought,

-I'll bring along my old bat.

-Yes.

-Value is not incredibly high

because there are quite a lot of these signed things about.

It's more than the £27 you paid, I'm sure.

But I think it's probably the wrong side of 100.

£50-£100.

-OK. Good.

-That sound all right?

-That sounds fine.

Put a reserve on it, no less than 50.

If it doesn't make 50 we'll use it on the auctioneer for being rubbish.

-Definitely.

-No, not really. We won't.

-We will.

-We'll take it home.

Thank you so much for bringing it.

Back to our group of musicians now, to take a quick look at some

of those strange-looking instruments they have with them.

Eric, Tony and Jane, thank you so much.

That was absolutely marvellous. Not only are you great musicians,

but I know you're all instrument makers as well.

Which brings me to, can I ask you what this is called?

Because it sounds like a bassoon but it's not, is it?

You are absolutely right. It's an old bassoon.

-This is where the bassoon starts off life.

-So it predates the bassoon?

It predates the bassoon by about 150 years.

-100-150 years.

-What's it called?

-Its English name, it's called a curtal.

And you simply just... HE BLOWS

You just simply blow into that.

HE PLAYS TUNE

-I love that sound.

-Thank you.

-I really do.

I'd imagine the older these instruments get,

the better they play.

Oh, crumbs! Look at this. Was that a very good lead in?

-That was excellent.

-Do you know what this is called?

-I shudder to think.

-What's it called?

It's called a crumhorn.

And 'crum' is the German or Old English word for bent.

-So they weren't very imaginative.

-No, they weren't.

-This is a bent horn.

-OK.

-And that's exactly what it is.

-How does that play?

-OK.

SHE PLAYS TUNE

That's quite nice.

That sounds like a busy bee. Craftsmanship at its very best.

-Thank you so much. That was great entertainment.

-Thank you.

-We thoroughly enjoyed that, didn't we?

-ALL: Yes.

We've all learned something as well about medieval instruments.

-# Yeah, yeah

-I love that sound

-# Yeah, yeah, yeah

-I love that sound... #

Back to business now with Caroline,

who has spotted an interesting picture with a musical theme.

Jean and Mark, lovely to meet you.

Tell me a little bit about what you've brought today.

Well, it is this cartoon by Gillray.

Done round about 1800 or thereabouts.

My father used to, when we had a holiday,

stop at little antiques shops.

He was mostly looking for Chinese porcelain.

But occasionally, if he saw something else he'd buy it as well.

So I think that's how we got it.

-Well, this is lovely. Absolutely lovely. By James Gillray.

-Yes.

-Very eminent caricaturist.

-Yes.

-And a fabulous subject.

-You've obviously looked at the subject.

-Oh, yes.

The lady on the piano, it says next to it, "Execution!"

She's actually murdering the piece that she's playing.

And the assembled guests are just horrified.

The sound that she's making.

-That's right.

-It's very amusing.

-It's signed at the bottom with this monogram.

-JG.

-JG.

James Gillray. Lovely, lovely piece.

And it looks like it's got a contemporary frame.

-Little bit of damage to the frame.

-Yes.

But generally, a nice piece. Value, do you have any ideas of value?

Some 15 years ago we had it looked at by someone who valued

it between £200 and £300. But...

Right, now I would think, certain things have gone down a little.

It's a popular subject. It's obviously very amusing.

You can imagine someone learning the piano.

-It would be a good present for them, wouldn't it?

-That's right.

-I would value it between 150 and 200.

-Fair enough.

And we'd put a fixed reserve of 150.

-Um, is that OK?

-That would be all right, wouldn't it?

-Yes, yes.

-Are you happy with that?

-Very happy with that.

-And it could well do...

-Give discretion to the auctioneer.

Because if it went for 140 that wouldn't be the end of the world.

No, that's fine. We'll put a discretionary reserve.

-Discretionary.

-150 discretionary.

-That's it.

-Ideal. Superb.

And thank you so much for bringing it along.

-We're glad you found it so interesting.

-Thank you.

I hope there are people in the saleroom who will like that

just as much as I do.

Adam has come back inside now, to get warm by the fire.

And he seems to have found himself some toys.

Roger, it's really good to see some properly engineered toys.

-Mechanical toys, aren't they?

-Absolutely, yes.

These are made by the famous Shackleton Company of Sandbach

in Cheshire. And they made a range of Foden trucks.

Now tell me, how did come to own these?

These were presents from my parents. For birthdays.

Over several birthday, obviously, because of the price of the things.

I was going to say, you've got a catalogue here.

I think it's a Meccano catalogue.

-Yes.

-From Meccano Magazine, from 1952, December.

-Pretty much 60 years ago to the day. And here are your very trucks.

-Yes.

So we've got this tipper lorry, the Foden tipper lorry.

It was the princely sum of 65 shillings.

Now I'm no expert in pre-decimal money. How much was 65 shillings?

-It's 3 pounds 5 shillings.

-What's the average weekly wage, roughly?

-About £5 for a shop assistant.

-So this was almost a week's wage.

-Yes.

-For a shop assistant.

-Yeah.

-It was a very expensive toy of its day.

And also in here, these are all mentioned here, aren't they?

-Yes.

-This is the Foden lorry 59 shillings and sixpence.

And the trailer, 18 shillings just for the trailer.

-Which attaches to the rear of either.

-Absolutely, yes.

-What a lucky boy you were.

-Very lucky indeed. Great parents.

They were properly engineered toys

-so they all do something, don't they?

-Absolutely, yes.

This one is clockwork wind-up and it drives itself.

-Yes.

-And then, of course, the tipper truck.

-Could I have a go on that one?

-Of course you can, yes.

I see it's got the...

Oh, that's great!

Look at that! And it still works so well. Up and down.

Beautifully engineered.

And I think you wouldn't find toys of this quality nowadays.

Now Shackleton toys, as you probably know,

weren't around for a great deal of time.

-I believe they opened in 1939.

-Yes.

-And they had to close

because the metal in wartime was all being used for ammunition.

And then they reopened,

but only quite briefly, for a few years at the end of the war.

-But they were very successful for that period, weren't they?

-Yes.

I think they employed 30 or 40 people. It was quite a big industry.

Away from the nostalgia, can I ask you why you wanted to sell them?

There comes a time to sell things and move things on.

Have you stopped playing with them?

Um...no!

THEY LAUGH

-You're going to have one last wind.

-I must have a wind before I go.

-Before we pack them up for auction.

-Yes.

-Have you got other toys?

-Lots of them. Lots and lots of toys.

-Have you collected toys?

-Yes, I have about 200 dinky toys.

-You could've opened your own toy shop.

I did do. HE LAUGHS

-Did you?

-Yes.

-Where was that?

-It was in Sheffield.

-Wow! How long did you have that for?

-20 years.

-And I bet these never made it into the shop.

-No, they didn't. No, no.

-Too precious.

-If it's any consolation,

-they really will go to a collector who will cherish them.

-Yes.

There's a great demand for Shackleton,

Foden trucks particularly.

I've handled a few of these over the years and when you're

talking about the money side of things, they can be quite expensive.

-Yes.

-I've had some making £300, £400, £500 each.

-Yes.

I'm going to be a bit more conservative with these,

bearing in mind the condition is towards good, but not mint, is it?

-No.

-But at least you've enjoyed them.

-Absolutely.

-I think they'll probably make about £200-£250.

-Right.

-For the two.

-Yes.

I would fully expect them to make more than that

-but I think that's a nice tempter to get people to bid on them.

-Yeah.

I know a couple of collectors, so I'm going to give them

a ring for you and tell them to get along.

Thank you very much, Adam. Thank you.

Adam is right. The collectors will love those.

HORN BEEPS

There you are, we've now found our final three items to

take off to the saleroom.

So it's time to bid farewell to our magnificent host location today

- the historic Haddon Hall -

as we make our way down the road to Bamford's auction rooms.

Here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking with us.

Will all those signatures make that cricket bat

a winner in the saleroom?

Or will the watercolour cartoon draw the attention of the crowd?

Will it be the Shackleton lorry that turns out to be the frontrunner?

And now over to the auction room.

I've heard that one of our items has caused a bit of a stir.

It seems that there might be a question over the

authenticity of this watercolour.

So I chatted to James before the auction to see what he thinks.

A late 18th century watercolour cartoon with

a monogram of James Gillray.

The piano recital. The execution of it, at least. I think this is right.

It looks good to me.

It looks good to me as well. It's lovely being in its original frame.

-That's nice to have.

-Yeah, it's untouched.

But the concern is that Gillray was so famous in his own right,

-in his own day, that you got a lot of fakes at the time.

-Right.

Which is unlike most of the 18th century works

that are faked in a later time.

OK. So it could possibly be a period fake?

This has caused more conversation

and controversy than anything else in this entire auction.

You would, wouldn't you? He would do it to me.

That's antiques for you though, isn't it?

-It is. At least it's got interest.

-My gut feeling is it's right.

-I think so. I hope so. But we'll see.

-OK.

Value-wise, if we are right?

Well, enough people know about it.

The thing is, if it's a copy, an 18th century copy,

-it's worth the valuation.

-Sure. It's still worth the 150-200.

Maybe 250.

-If it's genuine, we'll soon find out. The phones will go mad.

-OK.

My gut reaction is that it's going to make around top end.

Well, we can only wait and see.

First up to bat is the bat.

Going under the hammer right now, we have a cricket bat belonging

to Helen, which was bought 25 years ago for £27.

Hopefully we can convert that to £100 today.

Back in auction.

Good luck both of you. It's going under the hammer right now.

Lot number 587 is the Slazenger cricket bat.

It's signed by the West Indies 1969 team.

And the England '69 team. And Yorkshire, Lancashire and Surrey.

-Good thing.

-Great thing.

We see loads of them but this is a good one.

£45 I'm afraid starts it. 45. 50 now.

50?

With all of the signatures - West Indies. The great West Indies.

50. Five. And 60 beats it. 60, sir?

Yes? 60 bid. 65 now.

-At £60 standing.

-I think that's quite cheap.

-I'm out.

65? Are you in?

-We're not getting bowled over, are we?

-Oh!

Anybody else? At £60. Are we sure?

All done at 60.

-How's that? £60.

-Thank you.

-You're happy, aren't you?

-Very, yes.

We made a profit... Over the years.

THEY LAUGH

It sold. It made more than reserve so...market value, I suppose.

-But not bowled over, you're right.

-We weren't bowled over.

Enough with the cricket puns, let's move on.

The next lot is what all the controversy has been about.

Going under the hammer right now, the watercolour cartoon

belonging to Jean and Mark.

Is it attributed or is it by James Gillray?

We're just about to find out.

-This has caused an awful lot of talking.

-Yes, an awful lot.

I had a chat to James before the sale on the preview day yesterday.

-And we're still not sure.

-The jury's out. The jury is still out.

If it is by the very well known caricaturist James Gillray...

-You're looking at over £500.

-Yes, well over. Into the thousands.

-Up to 10,000.

-Let's hope we can make the top end then. And a bit more.

Here we go, it's going under the hammer.

Lots of opinions on this.

Lots of people have looked at it and come up and decided

whether it is or it isn't.

But there it is. It's certainly period.

I've got two bids on it. I can start at £140.

At 140. 150 do I see?

140. 150. 150 bid.

At 150. 160 absentee. 160. 170 for you.

At 160. 170. 180. 190?

At 180 with me. 190?

At £180. With me at 180. 190 now.

At 180. At £180. Well, that answers all the speculation.

-It does, doesn't it?

-Yes, it does.

-The market has decided.

-At 180. There it is.

-BANGS GAVEL

-It sold. 180.

-Well done. Thank you very much.

It's about what you estimated.

-It is. I'm very pleased we've got that for you.

-Yes, good. Well done.

Worth every penny. Next, something we can absolutely be certain about.

Two Shackleton lorries and a trailer going under the hammer right now.

Belonging to Roger.

And we have had a Shackleton lorry on the show before.

And it did rather well.

Yes, I've seen them do quite well in our place too.

I think it was around 500, maybe £600-£700.

-Somewhere around there.

-There are different models.

-And these have got a little bit of wear to them.

-Yes, they have.

So I think we should get the top estimate. I don't... Hmm...

-OK, we're going to find out.

-Are you saying £500?

It's always a surprise with toys. Yeah, maybe £500.

Here we go, we're putting it to the test.

Start the bidding here at £250.

250. 260 now.

260 in the room first. 260, sir? 270.

280. 290. 300.

You're out at £300. 290. 300 online.

-Better!

-320.

He's got a bid on the book against someone on the internet.

-380 online.

-Brilliant.

-380, are you in?

380. 400. And 20.

-That's more like it.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

£400 absentee bidder.

Go on again. 420 bid.

-440.

-Yes! Hit the five!

460 for you.

-460. 480.

-Oh...

At 460. 480 coming in online again.

480? Two of you hovering.

-At 460. One more.

-They're thinking about it.

-Yeah.

At £460. Gavel's raised.

You're going to miss them. At 460. Are you sure?

You'll not see another set as good as this for a long time.

Hear, hear!

-Oh, well.

-460. Are you sure?

-Come on!

Gavel's going down.

-£460!

-Yes, excellent. Yes.

I tell you what, Roger, I've got two boys, eight and five,

and they don't make them like they used to, do they?

-No, they don't. No.

-Proper engineering.

-They're absolutely lovely.

-It's been a pleasure filming with you.

-Thank you so much for coming in.

-Nice to meet you both.

Well, that's it. It's all over for our owners.

And everyone has gone home happy.

And it's great to see James Lewis on the rostrum.

If you've got any antiques you want to sell, we would love to see you.

Bring them along to one of our valuation days.

Details of up-and-coming dates

and venues you can find on our BBC website.

Or check the details in your local press.

So, from the Peak District, with lots of highs

and lots of lows, it's goodbye.