Wiltshire 54 Flog It!

This is Tory.

It's a stunningly beautiful spot

overlooking Bradford on Avon, in Wiltshire.

And later on in the programme, I'll be going down there, in the tiny,

narrow streets, discovering some hidden historic gems.

But first, we need to do some valuations in a rather more

well known place.

Welcome to "Flog It!"

Set within 900 acres of Capability Brown landscaped gardens,

our valuation day venue today is Longleat,

famous the world over for its stunning stately home

and ground-breaking safari park.

In 1541, the site was purchased from Henry VIII £53.

And ever since, Longleat has been the home of the Thynne family.

Some 14 generations later, the current owner, the Seventh Marquess

of Bath, continues to reside in the private apartments in the house.

For one day only, Lord Bath is sharing his magnificent house

with us as a backdrop for our valuation day.

And I feel sure we are going to find some wonderful treasures here,

worthy of such a historic setting.

But before we get started, there is

one question on everybody's lips, which is...

ALL: What's it worth?

In the queue, are some noble peers of the antiques world -

-the Honourable Michael Baggott...

-Oh, that's marvellous.

..and squire about town, David Fletcher.

-How many of those have you got?

-I've got the pair of them.

-The pair of them.

-60 years old.

And it seems, David has kindly set Michael up.

-That's not York silver, I don't suppose, is it?

-It isn't.

I know, I've written a book about these things.

I knew you had, Michael.

Of course, there are plenty of other books on York silver, too.

Now, it is time to get everybody settled in.

Although it is still early, the temperature here is already rising.

But it is not just the weather that is putting us

under pressure today because we've got some highly cherished objects.

-Was it a wonderful surprise?

-I sat and held it all evening.

And it can be very difficult to let them go.

-With a reserve of £400 on it.

-Yes.

-Good!

But sometimes those brave decisions...

I can come straight in at 2,500.

..really pay off.

Woo!

Find out later how it climbs.

There will be valuations taking place in the house

and in the grounds today.

But how about we start in the topiary garden with a rather

beautiful Wedgwood lustre bowl?

Where did it come from?

It came from an antiques fair in Brockenhurst, in New Forest.

And we bought it about six, seven months ago.

That's not a long time ago. So, who did it appeal to?

You, Hillary?

He liked it and I went and bought it when he sort of wasn't looking.

-Oh!

-As a surprise.

-A surprise!

-I didn't see this till I got home.

-And was it not a wonderful surprise?

I sat and held it all evening.

Right.

Now, that poses a question immediately,

why have you brought it along?

We keep changing our antiques, so...

Oh, so it's sell this and then Hillary will

go around the fairs again and surprise you with something else.

-We like antiques, so...

-That's marvellous.

-Well, it is marked underneath.

-Yeah.

-Which is always a great help.

And we've got that marvellous name, Wedgwood.

But what is more typical are these wonderful, lustre glazes -

midnight blue and this vibrant orange.

And if we look inside, we've got

this beautiful repeated border of cranes, all highlighted in guilt.

A slightly darker red running around, which is most effective.

And it is the colours that we associate with

Wedgwood lustrewares.

-The famous name, of course, is Daisy Makeig-Jones...

-Yeah.

..that did the Fairyland lustres.

But what probably isn't as appreciated is that they also

did a range of wares that didn't feature fairies,

that have animals and exotic birds on them.

And these are lustres, but we can't call them Fairyland lustres.

The good thing is, these are exactly the same quality.

To my eye, they are as beautiful.

We've got all of these, I think, kingfishers

and other birds running around, all highlighted in gild,

and then all the different lustre colours.

I mean, incredibly beautiful thing.

How much did it cost seven months ago at the antiques fair?

-What did you have to pay?

-They said £50, but I bought it for 40.

-Oh, you beat them down!

-Yeah.

I think you did a very good job.

Now, there is one problem, isn't there?

Yes, I knew that when we got it.

-There is a hairline crack with a little flea bite.

-Yeah.

You would look for a long time to spot that.

So to my mind, it doesn't detract a great deal from it.

But if you are a collector, it matters.

So, it does affect the price.

Um...

I think £80 to £120, just because of the old chestnut,

but it is a worth about that money in its damaged state.

Perfect,

300 to 500,

-£400 to £600. So, you know...

-Yeah.

-You've got an eye for quality there, David.

-Yeah.

-But let's be cautious.

You paid 40. Let's put a reserve of £60 on it.

That would be OK.

So you're not going to lose money whatever happens.

And hopefully, you can be around

an antiques fair with the proceeds and find something else...

-I'll replace it.

-..as wonderful.

-Yeah.

Then bring that back to "Flog It!" and make a profit.

We'll see you every year.

And why not? Sounds like a great plan to me.

There is a real holiday atmosphere here today,

as our experts bring all kinds of treasures out into the sunshine.

And whilst they are kept busy,

how about we take a look inside the grandeur of Longleat House,

where David has been presented with a suitcase to inspect,

rather like at Customs.

Right, let's open it and have a look.

We'll have a good old rummage, shall we? What have we got first?

This is a top.

It is sort of lined here with what looks like a bit of jet to me.

Probably from Whitby, I shouldn't wonder.

And this looks to me as if it dates from about 1890

-towards the end of the 19th century.

-Yes.

-It belonged to my great-great-grandmother.

-Right.

She was born sort of roundabout 1826.

-Passed away, I think, 1899.

-OK.

-Was a widow when she died.

-OK.

So these might have been the clothes she wore to commemorate

-the fact that she had been widowed.

-I think so, yes.

-Very, very black, aren't they?

-Yes.

That's the jacket.

Then we have a skirt that is part of the same costume, the same design.

That has a velvet panel.

That's been set into the back, presumably, of the skirt,

hasn't it?

And again, this amazing beadwork.

And what do we have here? We have a photograph.

This is a photo of my great-great-grandmother.

This looks as though it might have been taken when she was,

what, in her 50s?

So probably in the 1870s, perhaps before she was widowed

and before she acquired these black costumes.

So that puts all this into context,

which makes it even more interesting, I think, really.

A very informal, rather jazzy straw boater almost,

with an ostrich feather.

Much more light-hearted, much less formal.

-Next we have this parasol. And this was hers as well?

-Yes.

I won't put it up because I'm a bit superstitious about putting

umbrellas up indoors,

but it has an ivory handle and was manufactured

by Sangster's, I see.

-And it is called a park parasol.

-Wow.

So that was for promenading in the park, I daresay.

-It is a suitcase full of social history, isn't it, really?

-Yes.

It is the history of your family expressed in the clothes they wore.

And we get down... I won't go down any further,

but we start to get amongst the whiteware. Gloves...

Good heavens, all sorts of things in here.

I would've thought we've probably got...

I don't know, £60 or £70 worth in here.

£100 with a bit of luck and a following wind.

-And put a reserve of £50 on?

-Right.

-Just so they don't get given away.

-Yes, yes, I wouldn't like that.

I think it is important to protect them.

Absolutely, that is what reserves are for.

Now, one of Longleat's first visitors was Elizabeth I in 1574.

And like her, we couldn't leave the majesty of Longleat House

without exploring a bit further.

This is the state drawing room,

designed as a sitting for the Fourth Marquess' Italian pictures.

The windows are kept shuttered to protect some of the most important

artefacts in Longleat's collection.

And at the end of the room, are a set of double doors.

Now, this is the other side of those doors, as you can see, right here.

And they were built for one reason only.

In 1663, King Charles II and his wife, Queen Catherine,

came to visit, with their entire court.

So they were built so the King

and Queen could view all of the visitors below in the Great Hall.

Now, it seems like a lot of work

because they only stayed for one night,

but when you consider this whole house was rebuilt to impress

Queen Elizabeth I, it wasn't too much to ask.

And speaking of too much to ask, it always amazes me and delights me

the length people will go to bring items to our valuation days.

Whether they be large, heavy or, in Chris and Sally's case,

rather unwieldy objects.

What can I say?

Thank you for struggling in with this enormous piece of...

I suppose most people would consider it scrap.

Uh, yes.

-Is that how you both feel about it?

-I'm afraid so, yes.

It was given to me by a colleague who bought the whole sign.

He wanted the one finger that pointed towards Frome.

He knew I lived on the road that pointed towards Devizes,

and he presented it to me.

And it has just sat beside the house for the last 20 years.

-And do you love it?

-No, I dislike it.

And it is like Chris says, it has stayed by the side

of the house all these years, gathering weeds around it.

And every now and then, we have to get rid of the weeds.

I'm sure there's somebody out there who will love it.

-It has accrued character over the time that you've had it.

-Yeah.

When you were given it, did you have any idea of when it was made?

No idea at all.

Now... I've been pondering over this and I keep getting flashbacks to

Will Hay in Ask A Policeman, and the signs are very similar to this.

We'd be sort of 1930, 1935.

But then, it is a style that persisted. So...

It could be 1950, at a push.

-Yeah.

-But it is certainly...

I think it is certainly that early period of motoring.

-And how apt for today.

-That's what we thought.

-You know?

-I've come down that road today.

-That's right.

-We virtually live on it.

-You live on it, I've driven down it.

I mean, you can't get more local than this.

That's the nice thing, this will go to a local sale room.

That's what we thought.

I think 20 years ago, your friend was rather forward-looking,

cos people didn't buy things like this 20 years ago.

-They weren't fashionable. They were scrap.

-Yes.

That's what you would do with them.

Now, there is this whole vogue,

-which I don't wholeheartedly agree with, of shabby chic.

-Yep, aha.

-Yes.

And you can almost see this in a beautifully turned out

-apartment as a feature.

-Yeah.

I think the only thing against it,

it doesn't have any functional purpose.

-No.

-Unless you fill in that and in use it as a plant pot.

-Yes.

-But that is a big plant pot for a very small plant.

-Yep.

-Um... Any ideas of value?

-Absolutely not at all.

Um, I can honestly say, I don't have a clue either.

-It is a guesstimate, not an estimate.

-Yeah.

-£50 to £100.

-Gosh!

-Probably... Yep, that's more...

£50 reserve, and if two people battle it out to £200,

in this climate, where odd things make odd amounts of money,

-it wouldn't surprise me at all.

-That's fine.

-You'd be very glad to be rid of it?

-BOTH: Yes.

Otherwise it is going to sit behind the house for the next 40 years.

-Shall we put the reserve at £40?

-Yes, I think so.

Let's put it in at £40.

I don't want to carry it home, to be honest.

No! I think it was quite a Herculean task to carry it to "Flog It!".

Thanks again, Chris and Sally, for bringing it along.

Well, it's it has been a morning of surprises and discoveries.

Our experts have now found three fantastic items, so it is time

to put those valuations to the test in the sale room.

And here's a quick recap, just to jog your memory,

of all the items going under the hammer.

Beautifully decorated with hummingbirds and kingfishers,

will the Wedgwood lustre bowl fly in the sale room?

Correctly displayed, Doreen's collection of 19th century

costumes and paraphernalia should attract the eye of the bidders.

And I'm sure our sign won't lose its way, even if

it was a guesstimate by Michael.

Northeast of Longleat is the town of Devizes.

One of its landmarks is Wadworth Brewery, founded in 1875.

Their famous Shire horses still make daily deliveries in the town,

and I even gave them a hand myself back in 2009.

Another family-run business in the town is Henry Aldridge & Son,

our auction house for today.

Whatever you do, don't go away, this could get very, very exciting.

But do remember, if you are thinking of selling something or

buying in auction, there is commission to pay.

Here, it is 18%, and that includes the VAT

and all the other little, hidden extra costs.

But factor that sum into your costs, won't you? Because it does add up.

Right, let's get on with the sale.

There is a good crowd in the sale room,

with Alan, our auctioneer, already reeling in the bids.

And there is no time to lose.

First up, it's that brightly coloured lustre bowl.

-You spotted it, you bought it.

-Without him knowing.

£40, I think that was a good buy. Why are you selling it?

You only bought it recently. Are you just trying the market?

I'm into clocks, and I want a nice clock, so...

-I'll put the money there.

-OK. Sensible.

-And a day out.

-OK.

Well, let's find out with the bidders thing, shall we? Here we go.

Wedgwood lustre hummingbirds.

Anyone want to pinch hit at 60?

50?

-I'll take 40.

-Come on!

25.

30.

35.

40.

At 35, the young lady at the front.

40 anywhere else? So cheap it's frightening.

40. Five?

47.

50.

52.

55.

-57.

-It's climbing, isn't it?

62.

At £60, at £60.

At £60... Am I done?

-That's a profit.

-Yep.

That was more difficult than climbing up the sheer face

-of Everest, wasn't it?

-It was.

-Oh, dear!

-But we got there in the end.

Next up, Doreen's costume,

on which there has been a change of plan to maximize their potential.

Originally valued as one lot,

we have now split them into three, each has a value of £25 to £35.

They won't be bought to be worn,

but what a fascinating insight into the way people lived.

-This is social history, isn't it?

-Of course it is.

It wasn't so long ago, and people dressed like that.

That is what is all about, really.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

It is going under the hammer now.

A lady's mourning gown.

20, I've got. 20, I've got. 30. 40.

50. 60. 70.

-£At 60 in the middle.

-Good start.

I shan't dwell.

It is yours at 60, my love.

Done, £60. First one.

Here's the second one.

Cotton skirt, blouse...

It goes on and on and on.

45. 50.

55. At £50. At £50.

Is there five? I shan't dwell.

At £50, am I all going?

That's good. One more to go.

Hopefully, around that figure is well.

You have the lady's straw bonnet,

a lovely Victorian parasol...

Oh, Brian, you do look sweet.

You do.

25, I've got. 30. Five. 40.

Five. 50. Five. 60.

At £60. 65?

At £60 at the back of the room. At £60, is there 65?

I shan't dwell.

-At £60...

-Another 60.

-That's good, isn't it? 60, 50 and 60.

-Yes, yes.

That is a fantastic result.

-I'm pleased.

-Well above estimate.

And I'm glad the auctioneer split them up,

he did the right thing for us there.

-Yes.

-£170. Commission to pay, everybody has to pay that,

but otherwise, that is a good day out for you, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Paul. Thank you, David.

Thank you.

Well, we are really motoring along here, which means we are now

heading in the right direction for our next lot.

-It has got lots of character.

-Yes.

And people like quirky, unusual things.

And good grief, we are in the right place to sell it, aren't we?

-Oh, we are. Yes, we are.

-We don't want to take it home.

-No, I bet you don't. It is a bit heavy, isn't it?

-A bit.

-Yeah.

And you have kind of a fallen out of love with it, I can see that.

-But at least you didn't repaint it.

-No.

-I mean, that was the worst thing you could do.

-Right.

Cos I've seen plenty of these repainted and they just look

like reproductions.

But at least this one looks like it is a little bit of folk art now.

It looks tattered, but it is going

to look good in someone's home. Here we go.

I've a letter from Wiltshire Council, says,

"Can we have our sign back, please?"

40, I've got. 40, I've got. 50.

60. 70.

-They're fighting over it.

-90.

-Good.

-I don't believe it.

-At £90.

-It's brilliant.

-£90.

100.

110. 120.

130. At 120.

At £120, am I all done?

Fantastic!

I mean, you couldn't make that for £120, though, could you?

With the amount of metal there.

-I think that is a great result.

-Yeah.

It just goes to show, something of local interest always sells well.

-We are in the right market for.

-We are, I just worry

if we're going to start a crime wave for Wiltshire road signs.

-Yeah, but it's the old ones.

-It's the old ones, yeah.

-And legally obtained.

-Yes.

Well done, you two, for hanging onto that for such a long time.

Thank you.

Well, that is the end of our first visit to the sale room,

some happy owners.

Now, just down the road from here, due west a few miles,

you get to the town of Bradford on Avon.

It is overlooked by millions of tourists who flock to its larger

and more famous neighbour, the World Heritage City of Bath.

But I think they're missing out, because in Bradford on Avon,

you can discover 800 years of history within just a few streets.

If you know where to look.

Set in a valley with the winding river at its base,

Bradford on Avon got its name from the broad ford across the Avon.

And this crossing points is still at the heart of the town today.

Replacing the earlier ford, this stone bridge was

built in the 13th and 14th century by the Normans.

On the south side of it, you can

see the two pointed arches with the wonderful ribbing going

through the tunnel - wonderful Gothic architectural features.

The original bridge, this bridge actually, did not have parapets,

so many people crossing over the water ended up falling in it.

Luckily, it was widened in the 18th century.

And today, it still remains busy as it is the town's only road

bridge across the Avon - a task it has been performing

for more then 700 years.

Now, if you're wondering what that little stone building is on the

bridge just there, well, here's the key for it,

so let's go and investigate.

Originally a chapel intended to give travellers an opportunity to

pray for a safe journey, it later became a prison,

where local drunks and troublemakers were left overnight to cool off.

Well, you wouldn't want to be slung in here, would you?

Look, there's the original cast-iron bedstead that the prisoners

would have been shackled to - you can see where the rings are -

with just enough slack to come over here,

to do the business.

And I would not want to be downstream of that.

Looking down on the river, are an abundance of mellow stone buildings,

giving the impression of a pretty sleepy Wiltshire town.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

The Bradford on Avon you see today was shaped by industry,

a manufacturing town from the 16th century onwards.

Bradford on Avon developed as a centre for the wool industry,

which kept it busy for hundreds of years.

Most of the buildings on this hillside are rows of 17th

and 18th century terraced houses, once home to spinners and weavers.

Everyone worked from home. It was a cottage industry.

And the majority of dwellings, like this, were always

built on the side of a hill to allow maximum sunlight

to come flooding in.

Now, if you look closely, on the top floor, you can

see the windows are wider up there.

That is where the looms were situated.

The more sunlight, the more hours you got in.

Now, in the 1700s, you could earn quite a decent wage as a hand

loom weaver, but nothing nearly as much

as the merchants who sold the cloth.

They were known as clothiers and they were the middlemen

between the weavers they employed and the tailors they sold to.

Daniel Defoe, who visited Bradford on Avon in the early

part of the 18th century commented, "It was no extraordinary

"thing to have clothiers worth £10,0000 to £40,000 a man."

Now, that is the equivalent

of around one to five million pounds today.

And the evidence of their wealth can be seen all over Bradford on Avon.

That house was once owned by a clothier.

And it was the clothiers who were best placed to take

advantage of the changes the turning of the 19th century brought.

Thanks to such inventions as the spinning jenny, the Industrial

Revolution brought mechanisation to textile manufacturing.

Wool weaving moved into purpose-built mills,

which used water to power the looms.

The clothiers became factory owners,

but the power looms replaced the work of many handloom weavers,

and the large gains in productivity with cost cutting machinery

meant those who had opted for factory employment

were on breadline wages.

Looking at that super view,

walking past this pretty row of houses,

which were built for the cloth workers,

it is hard to comprehend that during the mid-19th century, this area

was one of the worst industrial slums in Wiltshire.

Many of these houses were split into two,

with one two-roomed house entered from the front here

and the other two-roomed house above,

entered from the street behind,

with often around ten people living in each of them.

It was terribly overcrowded.

There was no mains water.

Water was gathered from a well below and carried up this steep hill.

And of course, drainage was an open cesspit, which often overflowed.

It's hard to imagine, with this place being so beautiful today.

The truth of the matter was that by the early 19th century,

cloth manufacturing in Bradford was in decline.

The larger industrial centres in Yorkshire are were producing

cheaper, more affordable cloth.

And eventually, the wool trade died away in the South

and the mills closed down.

In the 1800s, the outlook was bleak.

But salvation came from an unexpected quarter.

In 1848, Stephen Moulton, a good friend of Charles Goodyear,

set up a rubber factory right here, and Bradford on Avon became

the birthplace of the rubber industry in this country.

Large mills were taken over

and the rubber plant became the main employer in the area for decades,

manufacturing everything from tyres to wiper blades.

Millions and millions of rubber washers were made.

And this, in turn, led to another revolution

here in Bradford on Avon - a transport revolution,

which was started in the 1960s, and it's still going strong today.

Dr Alex Moulton,

the great-grandson of the rubber pioneer, joined the family company

after the Second World War and went on to design

the rubber suspension system for the new Mini car.

And judging from this footage...

TYRE SCREECHING

..I think he did a pretty good job.

He then took the same principles in rubber suspension

and applied them to bicycles.

In 1962, the first Moulton bicycle was born,

smashing the myth that small wheels meant slow wheels.

This new take on the classic bicycle became an icon of the swinging

'60s, seen as a minibike to go with miniskirts and Mini cars.

The bicycle building factory was started in Bradford on Avon,

and they are still being made here today.

And they have kindly lent me one of their bicycles

so I can make the most of the of the Kennet

and Avon cycle route, which goes right through Bradford on Avon.

And having walked and peddled my way around the town, it is

clear to see that not only is the history of Bradford on Avon

preserved in its beautiful architecture, but also, I'm glad

to say, it's manufacturing legacy looks to have a safe future, too.

Welcome back to Longleat, where scores of people are still

arriving, bring along their precious possessions to receive a valuation.

Now, earlier we talked about the wonderful Shire horses

and the draymen who still deliver barrels of beer,

and it's a profession the owner of these Staffordshire figurines

knows all about.

Ted, what can you tell me about them?

The only thing I know about them,

that I was given them back in '62, from a chap called Charlie Barnes.

-He were my driver.

-Was he?

-And what did you do? You unloaded barrels?

-Barrels, yeah.

I loaded 'em up in the morning. Load 'em up, sent 'em off.

-Put up the empties.

-So you were drayman.

-That's it, I were a drayman. 35 years.

-Really?

And did you down a pint or two during the course of the day?

Oh, yeah. Wednesdays was the worst day, I used to drink ten to 12 pints.

-But other days, you'd get six, eight pints a day.

-Really?

-I never put no weight on, no matter what I done.

-I can see that!

It was all that humping those barrels about.

-Yeah, that's what it was.

-It kept you fit.

-Now, these would have been made in about 1880, 1890.

-Yeah.

-In Staffordshire.

-Yeah.

They're not marked, they could have been made in any

one of a huge number of kilns

-that were making this sort of thing.

-Oh, yeah.

And people decorated their cottages with these.

They're humble objects, really. They were made for the mass market.

And I think we can tell, really,

-by virtue of the fact they are so slim, front to back.

-Yeah.

Do you like them?

-I don't, no.

-So, you won't be sorry to see them go?

-No.

-They've been wrapped up ever since I had 'em.

-OK.

-Never had them out once?

-No.

They've always been wrapped up cos I was frightened I might drop 'em.

OK. They depict a really rather bizarre sort of subject -

these girls wearing plumed hats

sitting on sheep.

Well, I mean, where does that come from?

With these sort of rather strange reddy-brown markings.

They look, in some senses, more like spaniels than they do sheep.

And then surrounding the girls and the sheep, in each case,

is this fruiting vine.

So it is a mixture of iconography which comes from all

-sorts of backgrounds.

-I see.

Now, we need to think about what they are worth.

-I really don't want to raise your hopes too high.

-I ain't worried.

-You're not worried, good.

-What you say, I'll be happy with.

-All right.

Well, that's very accommodating.

Um, I reckon these will make somewhere around about £30.

-Yeah, that'd be all right.

-Good. You're a star.

-And I think we should sell them without a reserve.

-Yeah, that's OK.

What I get with them, I take the young lady for a beer after I finish.

-For a pint or two of Bass.

-Yeah, that's it.

-Good for you.

-But only a pint or two.

-Oh, yeah. I can have two and give her a Shandy.

THEY LAUGH

Let's head over to Michael now,

whose table is weighed down by a set of three family Bibles.

They're superb, old-looking books.

If we have a look inside,

that's always promising. We've got a lovely period bookplate.

And that would be for the original owner.

And that's because when they were made,

they were expensive books and you needed a mark of ownership.

So, is that your family crest?

-Have they been in your family for generations?

-I would like

-to claim it, yes, but no.

-No.

-So, how did you come by them?

-My mum's neighbour passed away,

so her daughter was going to throw them in the skip.

-So she saved them from the skip.

-She saved them from the skip.

-And then we was over at my mum's one day...

-Eight years later.

And she was going to throw them away, so we rescued them again.

And the only reason she didn't was because she couldn't lift them

to chuck them in the bin.

Thank goodness for a nice, heavy volume!

It's very nice, actually.

We've got an inscription here - William Vigor, 1767.

And if we look at the front piece there...

There we go, the Christian's Family Bible - the Old and New Testaments.

And there is the date of publication - 1767.

So Mr Vigor, whoever he was, obviously bought them

absolutely brand-new.

The bindings would have been in absolutely full calf,

full tooled in gild, the most expensive bindings.

And one factor is, if we leaf through this, it is

always expensive to put illustrations into a book.

It is much easier just to do the plain text.

The artist has to engrave it, it has to be done separately.

And there are lots of illustrations in this book,

lots of lovely engravings. This one,

we've got the tribute money from Matthew.

And each one, funnily enough,

is inscribed or dedicated to a different bishop.

Which is a nice touch, with the bishop's arms there.

And then if we turn over, we've got one more there.

And we've got the Wise Men's offering.

I wonder how much they'd offer for these?

Have you decided to sell them so you don't get tempted to put them in the

-skip as well?

-No, we don't want them to get damaged anymore.

No, they're quite damaged now.

We just don't like people leafing through them, to be quite honest.

-Condition is an issue.

-Yeah.

Because to restore these books would be more money than

they would be worth once they were restored.

-Yeah.

-People do collect Bibles, particularly in America.

I think that's where these will probably have the best market.

And somewhat depressingly, were they in pristine condition,

we might be looking at many hundreds of pounds.

Because it is a nice early edition.

I think, with all of this damage and staining,

we have got to be realistic and say £50 to £100,

and hope that from there,

two or three book collectors think,

"Well, we'll go on a little from that."

-Yeah.

-But that's the way to pitch them to get the best price for them.

-So, if you are happy, we'll put them into the auction for you.

-Yeah.

The auctioneer will put them on the Internet

and the world will see them.

That is quite a big market to sell to.

And we'll see if we can catch ourselves a bidder.

Meanwhile, I've been catching up with some members of the crowd.

It really is a family affair here today at Longleat,

because this is Lucy, a member of our production team,

who works really hard on "Flog It!",

but her mum and her aunt and uncle have come along to have a valuation.

-Haven't you?

-Yes.

-What have you got?

I've got a ring I bought at an antique shop in Brighton,

so I thought I'd just bring it along to have it valued today.

They say it is old, but whether it is or no, I don't know.

And I was also left a ring, which I would like to get valued as well.

Oh, that is beautiful! Hey, Lucy, have you got your eyes on that one?

Three sparklers. Look at that.

There is an old price on the box of £220, but it wasn't long

before John, one of our jewellery experts, brought them up to date.

Um, it being in a platinum mount as well,

you are probably looking at auction

something in the region of about 1,800 to 2,000.

Oh, right!

-But I'd give you that price for.

-Yeah(!)

A lovely heirloom to keep hold of. Now, let's head over to David.

Here we are, in the lee of this great family house

that has been handed down from generation to generation.

And, Jane, we're looking at an object that belongs to you,

which also has been handed down from generation to generation.

-What can you tell me about it?

-Well, it came from my great aunt's family.

It was just found, eventually, when we cleared the home.

I've no idea who used it or why they would have had it,

-I just thought it was a very beautiful thing.

-I love it.

And it is quite an important thing, by Longines.

And it has this little secondary dial in the middle,

which is adjustable.

And if you were to line up the knot there,

on the 12,

you can record the passage of time

elapsed by tracking the appropriate hand.

Um, it has an additional importance in as much as this particular

type of movement was invented by man called Weem - W-E-E-M -

who was an American airman.

-Mm-hm.

-And he specialised

in developing navigational aids like this.

So, it would have been used by an aviator.

What I love about it is it's almost in original condition.

The case is silver, continental, with import marks for 1929.

The leather is original and, look,

-even the buckle has a silver hallmark.

-Yes.

-So the buckle is hallmarked, wow!

-It's a wonderful quality, isn't it?

Amazing, absolutely amazing.

You've decided to sell it, and I am very thrilled that you have,

because I think this is really going to do quite well.

Um... My view is that we should estimate it at £400 to £600.

Now, watches that are very similar to this have made considerably

more than that in the past 12 months,

and I am optimistic it will do better than that,

but I think that that is a sensible estimate.

But we don't want to estimate it too high

-and we want people to know that it is for sale.

-Lovely, thanks.

So, can we go ahead on that basis - 400 to 600 as the estimate

and place a reserve of £400 on it?

-Yes.

-Good!

A reluctant yes, but I think you'll have a nice surprise,

I really do.

Well, we'll have to wait and see, but not for much longer.

We've certainly had a marvellous day here at Longleat House.

Valuations have been going on left, right and centre, all over

the place, keeping our experts very, very busy.

But they have now made their final choice of items to

take off to the Devizes auction room, so here is a quick

recap of all the items that are going under the hammer.

There is Ted's Staffordshire figurines,

a gift from his wagon driver back in 1962,

and wrapped up ever since.

These illustrated family Bibles were saved from the skip,

not once but twice, so let's hope they find a new home.

And I think David's estimate on Jane's aviator watch

is a real come-and-buy-me!

Definitely one to watch, if you excuse the pun.

So, it is back to the hubbub of the Devizes auction house,

where the sale is in full swing.

Are you bidding, sir?

So, let's get cracking with Ted's Staffordshire figurines.

Why didn't you have them on display?

Well, I didn't want to damage them! Cos I thought they'd chip...

That's pottery meant to be enjoyed by the masses, it was mass-produced.

It is Staffordshire, but it was affordable.

It was honest and there was no pretence about it.

I think we should get around, hopefully, £40 to £60 for this.

Well, I hope so, Paul.

They're not selling as well as they were.

We're going to find out what the bidders think right now.

It is down to them to decide.

75 is the pair flat backs.

£35, £40?

-Yeah, that's a good starting figure.

-£30 to start me?

20, I've got. 25. £20 on the maiden bid.

20. 25. 25.

30. 35.

It's so low...

Is there five? At £30...

-£30.

-I'm pleased.

-Happy?

-Yeah, good. Thank you very much, gentlemen.

-Job done.

Going under the hammer right now, a set of three family Bibles,

dating back to the late 1700s,

belonging to Kim, who is right next to me.

Good luck with these.

I know this kind of thing is really, really hard to sell.

-I expect Michael has explained that at the valuation day.

-Yeah.

But I think, because of the age...

The quality, the market in America...

I mean, they are more valuable when they are signed by the author,

but these aren't, but we'll see what we can do.

But I think they are good, you know. They are the best I've seen.

If you polish them up, they look very tasty on a bookshelf.

20, get me away?

20, I've got. They're all three of them, remember. 20, I've got. 30.

40. 50. 60.

-70? At £60.

-They're gone.

-Yeah.

-At £60...

-Sold.

-Yeah.

Miracles do happen.

That was quite nice.

-I'm pleased they've gone.

-Yeah.

-Tricky thing to sell.

Well done, you've been hanging onto them for such a long time.

And now for our final lot of the day -

that rather special aviator's watch.

Let's see if it gives Jane that nice surprise David promised

her at Longleat.

Well, what we want to know is where has it been all this time?

-I did have it by my bed for a little while.

-So at least you could see it.

-So I could use it and listen to it.

-It has got quite a large dial,

so it'd be quite a practical clock to have.

It has, and I think it is very beautiful. I love the figures on it.

-But anyway...

-You're going to miss this, aren't you?

I am going to miss it a little bit. But there we go, it's sensible.

Too late to change your mind. Thank heavens.

A very lovely little pilot's watch.

It looks like there is a phone line.

-Can you see that?

-Oh, yes.

Various bids on the book,

and I think I can come straight in at...

2,500.

-Woo!

-At 2,500. At 2,600.

At 2,600.

2,700.

2,700.

-I'm shocked!

-I am.

-Speechless?

3,000 with me, Doug. 3,100 with you.

No? At 3,000 with me.

Right. 3,100.

Phone line's come in now.

3,300.

-This is bonkers!

-3,400

3,500. 3,600.

3,650?

-I am going to get the Mickey taken out.

-You are.

All my mates, they'll all be ringing me up, saying,

"You got that wrong, David."

3,800? 3,800.

3,900?

3,900 on this phone. Is there 4,000? Are you back?

I've got a grandfather clock that needs mending, and I thought a

few hundred pounds might do that, but... I can do a bit more now.

4,100. 4,050.

4,100.

4,150?

At the back, 4,100.

Are we ready?

And we're away...

-Done.

-4,100.

The hammer has gone down, it is a big sold sound.

I am over the moon for you. I really am.

So pleased I didn't value that one.

Hey, but that's auctions for you, that's the way it goes.

-Now, you have got a long case clock to restore and repair.

-Yes.

So, I'm really good, I'm really glad about that.

And lots of spending money to treat the rest of the family members,

yeah? That is a great return. And I hope you've enjoyed the show.

Sadly, we've run out of time here in Devizes, in Wiltshire,

but what a wonderful way to end.

Do join us again in the future for many more surprises.