Blackpool 5 Flog It!

Today, we're in one of the UK's most popular holiday resorts.

This building is 110 years old,

it has a tower, it has a world-famous ballroom,

and for one day only, it's home to Flog It!.

So roll up, roll up, can you guess where we are today?

Of course you can. We're in Blackpool. Welcome to Flog It!.

Blackpool has been popular since the middle of the 18th century,

when it became fashionable to escape the cities and visit the coast.

But it was in the 1840s that things really took off

when the railway connecting the industrial parts

of northern England opened the town up to the masses.

Its population exploded as a result,

expanding more than 60 times in just a century.

And I'm certainly looking forward to this today.

All the locals have turned up, laden with antiques

and collectables, all hoping for a favourable valuation.

-Are you eager to go inside?

-ALL: Yes!

Well, let's get in and get the show on the road.

And hoping to build expectations today are our experts.

-Anita Manning is on the search.

-Where's Paul?

Where's James?

And James Lewis is hoping that he doesn't slip up.

Tell me about these. How long have had them?

-Been in the family long?

-About two days.

On the show today, it's his versus hers.

Which of these items does best when they go under the hammer at auction?

Will it be this classic gents' wristwatch

or this ladies' diamond and pearl necklace?

Find out a little bit later on.

Today's valuations are taking place in the world famous Tower Circus

and James Lewis has found something that's a long way from home.

Irene, about 130 years ago, in Paris, there was a jeweller who

was obsessed with making very fine pieces of art jewellery in glass.

That jeweller was Rene Lalique.

By the 1930s, he was making big pieces of monumental glass,

architectural pieces, even car mascots.

And today, his factory is still making work.

He's probably the most famous glass-maker of all time. Tell me,

how did you get a piece of Rene Lalique

-here onto the Flog It! tables?

-Car boot.

-No!

-Really, car boot.

-Really?

-Yeah. I didn't know...

-You didn't find Lalique in a car boot?

-I did.

I didn't know it was Lalique when I bought it.

-If I like anything, I'll buy it.

-It's a win-win in that case.

-Yeah.

And I keep it for a while and admire it and...

Well, if we turn it over, here underneath, just there,

-we've go the Lalique signature.

-Very small, isn't it?

-Very small.

Engraved with a little engraving tool.

The earlier pieces are often stencilled R Lalique.

After he died, they just purely used the word Lalique.

R Lalique as well.

But this piece is probably 1970s, something like that,

and it's known as the Fern bowl. The Fern pattern bowl.

And it has a very polished interior

and the frosted leaf on the outside that Lalique is very well known for.

Being a modern piece, it's not hugely valuable,

but what did you pay for it?

I think about a fiver.

-Well, you're going to see a profit on that.

-Well, that's something.

If we put an auction estimate of £100-150, would that be all right?

-Yeah.

-You'd be happy with that?

-Yeah.

-Great.

We need to protect it with a reserve.

Let's put £100 reserve on it.

If it doesn't make that, you can try on another day.

-But it should certainly make £100.

-Right, that's fine.

-Well done.

That is a car boot treasure.

-Thank you.

-Well found.

A car boot find worth celebrating

and Anita's found just the thing to get the party started.

Dave, welcome to Flog It!.

I see you've brought a bottle along

and all these people are looking for a party.

I know! Course they are!

Now, everybody likes a wee tot of whisky.

Tell me where you got this and tell me why you've brought it along.

I opened a bar and I found it, this were in Tenerife,

and I found it in a box of rubbish.

-All right.

-It was black and full of grease.

-I washed it and that's what came out.

-Were you never tempted to open it?

No.

-No? Are you not a whisky man?

-Yes, I love a drop of whisky.

A drop of malt.

A drop of malt. Well, you've said a very important word there.

When we look at whisky, what we're really looking for is single malt.

We're looking for the best of the distilleries, Springbank and so on.

This bottle is quite different.

This is a blended whisky, so we're not in the same

region as the very fine and expensive whiskies.

But what we've got here is John Haig and Company, a good maker,

and we've got this iconic shape.

This is Dimple whisky and it's in this fabulous bottle which has the

dimples on the front and the side, so it's an attractive looking lot.

We're reckoning on it being 50-60 years old.

How long have you had it, Dave?

About 30 years.

Um...

Price-wise, I would like to keep an estimate fairly modest on this.

We could put it into auction with an estimate of 80-120.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yeah, let's give it a shot.

Let's give it a shot. My only concern is that it is a blend.

So 80 to 120, reserve £80 and give the auctioneer a wee bit discretion.

It'll find its own level, won't it?

-Let's hope it makes the bidders happy.

-Yeah, exactly.

As our experts continue looking for items, I've been taking

a look at some of the history of this magnificent Circus.

One of the most famous names associated to the

Blackpool Tower Circus is that of the clown Charlie Cairoli.

He was born in Milan in 1910.

He made his first stage appearance as a clown at the age of seven.

Ten years later, he made his professional debut

alongside his father, who was also a clown, on stage in Paris.

Charlie was a very good dancer and musician

and he quickly secured a permanent place within the circus.

In 1938, the Cairolis came to England to take

part in a pantomime in Birmingham and that's where his talents

were spotted by the Blackpool Tower Circus.

They offered him a summer season the following year.

However, war broke out.

Charlie was arrested and deported to the Isle of Man

because he was born in Italy, but he soon proved his French citizenship.

They released him and he went around the UK performing to all the troops.

He later returned to the Blackpool Circus

and earned himself the title of the longest-running performer.

He was here for 40 years and he retired in 1979.

And I'm just about to meet his son, Charlie Jr.

Charlie, pleased to meet you.

I thought that might be a comic handshake for a minute,

one of those that goes...like that.

Tell me all about your father. What was he like?

Well, he was just like a dad, but it was strange cos he was a clown.

He was always practising jokes at home.

If he had a hosepipe in his hand on Sunday,

somebody was going to get wet!

He used to like going fishing as well. You were always getting pushed in the water. Oh, you slipped!

Why do you think he became so popular?

I think it was just the time.

After the war, when everybody started to coming away on holidays,

people came to Blackpool for two weeks.

-And he was just a popular character.

-Did you perform with your dad?

I did nine years.

I started as an apprentice, I was just the stooge getting all the buckets of water,

and I gradually progressed to doing the white-faced clown.

-You've got to be pretty fit to be a clown.

-It is a hard life.

But it's a great life because things happen,

like if a child laughs,

my father used to say - when a child laughs, it's like a crystal bell.

It's an actual pure sound.

LAUGHTER

-It's been great to talk to you.

-Lovely to meet you, mate.

-Enjoy the rest of the day with us.

-I certainly will. It's a great building.

Some fascinating family history there.

Back to the valuation tables where James has found a very important collection.

Who did these belong to?

These ones belonged to Uncle Archie,

and these once belonged to Uncle Jack.

Uncle Archie and Uncle Jack, OK. Let's start with Uncle Archie.

Now, let's have a look at these.

The great thing about First World War medals

is they were all named on the edge.

And here we have his name, Everitt, of the Leinster regiment.

-So it's an Irish regiment.

-Yes.

So we've got three service medals,

that were awarded to everybody who fought in the First World War.

And here we have a bar at the top that says,

5th of August to 22nd of November, 1914.

So, your Uncle Archie actually served in the First World War

from the beginning.

And he was involved in the retreat from Mons,

which was the first major retreat,

a tactical retreat by the Allied forces,

trying to draw the Germans in, trying to wear the Germans out, in a way.

But then what's even more interesting is if we go

all the way to the end, your Uncle Archie didn't finish

at the end of the First World War, because here we've got an RAF medal!

He changed from Leinster to the RAF!

And here we've got, for long service and good conduct,

George V medal.

So we're talking about somewhere before 1937,

it was George VI after 1937,

and he's been awarded a George V medal, so we know that was awarded

before then. So it looks as if he didn't serve

in the Second World War. Is that right?

Well, when he was in the RAF and he came out of the recruiting office

in Liverpool, he was one of Monty's drivers.

-Field Marshal Montgomery?

-Yes!

Interesting.

Because he's quite a senior chap, with a lot of experience,

-to be a driver, isn't he?

-Yes.

-Interesting.

So, this chap - who's that?

That was Uncle Jack, my mother's brother.

So Uncle Jack served in the Second World War,

he served all over the place, looking at this.

Served in Italy, he served in Africa, we've got the war medal,

defence medal and the 1939-45 star.

The thing to say about those is that they are all service medals.

They all say, "I was here and I did this."

He was a soldier who undoubtedly did very brave things

during his time, he just hasn't been recognised for it.

So, therefore, as a group, they are not going to be hugely valuable.

So I would put the second with the first and put them together

as a group and I reckon if we put an auction estimate of £200-£300,

and a reserve of £200.

But the great thing about medal collectors, people say to me

all the time, "How on earth can people bring their parent's medals

"or their family's medals and sell them?"

And I say genuinely, because the person that buys them

will have a massive interest in military history,

they will be on the internet, they will research,

they will know Uncle Archie's inside leg measurement

by the time they've finished, they really will!

And his story will live on.

So I'm a great believer that, if they're sitting in the drawer,

let them go. Let them go to somebody who will research and find out

and let their story live on. Thank you so much for bringing them in.

-Wonderful history.

-Thank you.

Well, after a busy morning here in the circus,

it's time for our first visit to the auction room.

This is where we put our experts' valuations to the test.

Have they been clowning around? We're just about to find out.

Here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.

There's the Lalique bowl bought at a car-boot sale.

David is hoping the bidders raise a glass to his bottle of whisky.

And there's the collection of military medals.

Well, we haven't had to travel too far for our auction today.

Just along the coastline is Lytham St Anne's.

Enough of the bracing sea air, let's get inside the sale room.

In charge of proceedings is auctioneer Jonathan Cook.

I caught up with him on the auction preview day

and he had an update on one of our items.

We had a value of £100-£200 with a fixed reserve of £100 on this

-but I know Irene's been on the phone to you.

-Sure.

She's upped it to around £200 firm.

Right. Fixed reserve at £200.

Yeah. Unfortunately, it's not the nicest item, in my opinion.

I've seen a lot better.

We've seen a lot of Rene Lalique on the show and it's always sold well,

-but this one...

-Just a frosted leaf bowl, I think at £200...

That's all its money.

It's all its money. You've got to rely on a private wanting that

cos it'll never go to the trade.

-Good luck.

-I'll do my best.

-It's all down to you now!

-I'll do my best!

Originally, James put a fixed reserve of £100 on this.

-Totally agreed with that.

-Yep.

But you've come along to the sale room just before the auction...

I never thought I'd find another one at a car boot...

-No.

-..so I thought I'll take a chance.

He's a good auctioneer, they have Lalique in the cabinet

so they do have good Lalique buyers here.

But with a conservative estimate...

-But no, it might be the right move.

-I think it is the right move, James!

Well, I'm not going to argue!

-Take a chance.

-Exactly, that's what it's all about.

Life is all about taking a chance.

Right now, we're going to take one big gamble, this is it.

Lot 120, Lalique signed frosted leaf bowl,

signed and etched, bids there at 180, 190, £200 bid.

Any advance on 200? 220, 240.

260 at the back, 280 with me.

300 and I'm out. Gent's bid at £300. Any advance on 300?

Back of the room, then, at £300, are we all sure at 300?

No further interest, £300...

You see, you didn't need to change your reserve at all.

With my estimate...

-Well done!

-Thank you so much.

What a great result, what a great result. Well done, you.

Off to another car-boot sale?

-Maybe.

-To invest in a car boot!

From an item found at a car boot to one that was found in a pile of rubbish.

Our next lot, what can I say, it's over 60 years old,

it was found in the rubbish 30 years ago by David, in a bar in Tenerife.

-Fancy throwing that away!

-I was amazed.

And I'm amazed that you never bothered opening it!

No, I was tempted to but I never did,

I thought, no. It's... If you open it, you spoil it.

-Yeah.

-If you open it, you have to drink the whole bottle!

And you get a massive headache then!

Let's put it to the test.

It's all down to the bidders here. Let's find out, good luck.

Lot 449. Dimple old blended Scotch whisky.

Big bottle, 1.75 litre, unopened.

Bid's there at 40 on the net, any advance in the room at £40?

Any advance on 42?

44. At £44. 46. Any advance on the phone?

48. At £50.

-Any advance on 50?

-He's struggling.

-Because it's that blended whisky.

At £50 then, any further interest, all sure? £50...

-Ah!

-Not sold.

-Not sold.

-It doesn't matter.

You know what, you've had that for 30-odd years,

it doesn't matter if you have it for 40-odd years.

Maybe you should just have a drink,

maybe it's meant for you to have a drink. You never know, do you?

-Invite a few friends along.

-What we'll have to do,

we'll get the bottle, open it, we'll need about three boxes of straws.

A reminder that not everything that goes under the hammer will sell,

but hopefully David will have a great night

when he gets that whisky home.

Time to move along now for our next lot.

Going under the hammer right now, a collection of World War I

and World War II medals belonging to two uncles from the same family -

Ruth's family, who's right next to me.

-One served in the First World War and one served in the Second.

-Yes.

-And you've got photographs of them there.

-I have.

-So, who is this chap?

That's Uncle Jack that served in the Second World War.

There's Uncle Jack, look.

-And that...?

-That's Uncle Archie that served in the First World War.

-Uncle Archie, how about that?

-Oh, there he is, yeah.

That's the one that served in the Army and the RAF.

-Both very brave men.

-Yeah.

Now, hopefully, we're going to find a new home for them, Ruth,

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

-Mm.

OK? Here we go. Let's find out what they're worth, shall we?

We know they're priceless,

but let's see what someone is prepared to pay.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Lot 492, World War I, set of four medals.

All with paperwork, showing there.

Bids of 170, 180, 200, 220.

240, 260.

280, 300.

At £300... 320 on the net.

Any advance on 320? At £320...

The bidding's online, it's not in the room.

At 320, then, are we all finished at 320?

All sure at 320, sell away at 320...

Hammer's gone down. Ruth, they've gone. £320. Is that OK?

-Yeah.

-They've gone to a collector.

-Yeah, lovely.

-Do you want those photographs to go with the medals?

-Yes.

-I think that's a really good idea. You brought those along to give to the auctioneer?

-Yes.

And that just makes the provenance so watertight, it really does.

Well, that concludes our first visit to the auction room today.

So far, so good. We are coming back later on in the programme.

Don't go away, there could be a big surprise.

Now, many of you know, I am a great horse lover.

We have four at home and they really have shaped our history.

Not just as an early means of transport,

but also in the world of sport and in the world of fine art, but also on the battlefield.

When you think of the First World War,

it's the acts of great bravery and sacrifice that come to mind -

the many casualties and unsung heroes who battled it out

in appalling conditions in the trenches.

But not all the brave comrades stood on two feet.

In fact, some six million horses

and mules were drafted in to do some of the most backbreaking work

during the Great War, as it was known back then.

So I have come here to the National Army Museum to take a closer look

at some of the fascinating stories behind history's

greatest real-life warhorses.

The use of horsepower in warfare stretches back thousands of years,

and it was often one side's biggest advantage over the other.

The more horses an army had, the better its chances of victory.

Before machine guns and army tanks and air power,

horses provided height, strength and power.

Also, companionship.

But, during the 16th and 17th century,

the British Mounted Cavalry were a force to be reckoned with.

The light cavalry were used for reconnaissance and pursuit,

whilst the heavy cavalry - big men on big horses - used their muscle

and brawn to overwhelm enemy units with shock charges.

Today's most famous military commanders would carefully select

their warhorse to lead them to victory.

And here in the museum, the horse selected for battle

by Napoleon Bonaparte is still standing.

Here he is, the skeleton of Marengo, Napoleon's favourite charger,

named after the French army's victory at the Battle of Marengo in the year 1800.

There are many stories about this magnificent charger,

but it's widely believed he was rode by Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

After the French army's defeat by the English army

and the allied forces, Marengo was brought back to England

and shown off around the shires.

He was a huge success. That's why he's here in the museum.

The Battle of Waterloo may have been fought and won on horseback,

but not all famous cavalry charges have ended in victory.

The ill-fated Charge Of The Light Brigade in 1854 resulted

in a devastating human and equine death toll.

The cavalry charged in the wrong direction, straight towards

the Russian lines, and 475 horses were killed.

The Light Brigade, as an operational force, was almost wiped out.

One horse, belonging to Lieutenant Percy Smith,

is believed to be one of only two horses to have survived

the whole charge without injury.

And, unbelievably,

Lieutenant Smith charged at the Russian army without a weapon.

It was the sheer speed and power of the horse that took it right through

those lines, crushing the soldiers below as it just leapt through.

But the role of the warhorse was to change radically during the First World War.

The introduction of long-range weapons, such as artillery and machine guns,

meant that cavalry regiments no longer had the upper hand.

So, instead of being used in battle, the horses were put to other uses,

proving themselves a vital part of the war effort.

Instead of fighting on the move,

troops were now holed up in trenches for months on end.

With train lines damaged, roads badly damaged

and mud preventing vehicle access,

it was an opportunity for horsepower to triumph once again.

Hundreds of thousands of horses were drafted in to carry medicines,

food and ammunition to the troops, and haul big guns to the front line.

When war broke out, the British Army had nowhere near enough horses,

so the vast majority of those sent to the Western Front were

actually civilian work horses from farms and cities.

And, as a horse lover,

I can't imagine how traumatic that must have been for the owners,

never knowing where they were

or even if they'd ever see them alive again.

As war progressed, 469,000 horses

and mules were taken from the countryside

and shipped to Europe in cramped and often difficult conditions.

But still even more were needed, so thousands were brought in

from America and Britain's Empire colonies.

The important job of looking after the horses was that of the farriers,

blacksmiths who had received extra veterinary training.

One of these men was Albert Driscoll,

and we had a chat with his grandson Sandy.

He would know how to keep the horses calm, how to talk to them,

how to treat them, how to stroke their muzzles, etc.

They would be seeing sights that they wouldn't like.

Horses are sensitive animals, the same as human beings are.

As well as caring for the horses,

the farriers often had a more distressing role to play.

A horse can't live with three legs, for example,

so a horse with a badly damaged leg would have to be put down.

And that was the job of the farriers, to do that.

And because of their deep love of the horses...

..they would find it very, very difficult to do what

they had to do, so they would do their best to keep the horses alive.

I honestly can't even imagine how somebody would feel

in that sort of situation.

But I do know he was always very, very proud of his horses and his men.

And his battery.

This monument in central London recognises the sacrifices

made by horses and other animals in conflicts around the world.

The British Army used more horses and mules

during the First World War than at any other campaign in history.

By the start of the Second World War, machinery was doing

the heavy lifting and the horse's role was reduced dramatically.

The Army today has fewer than 450 horses in its service, but the

legacy of the skill and endurance of the real warhorses lives on.

So, the next time you pass a war memorial,

spare a thought for these fellas - man's other best friend.

Welcome back to Blackpool.

I'm outside in the fresh air on the prom

while our experts are working very hard in that building over there.

Let's go inside and catch up with them and see what they found.

And it seems Anita has found some colourful ornaments.

Marguerite, I believe that you are a mad collector.

Yeah, completely bonkers.

-And passionate about glass.

-Yeah, yeah. I have been collecting...

Probably the first piece I bought was about 25 years ago.

And this was really glass for the masses, I suppose,

because it was at the time that blown glass was very expensive

and pressed glass, they could imitate things in a cheap fashion.

Yeah, uh-huh. I see that lovely wee smile on your face, of enthusiasm.

You're getting burned up here.

Now, what we're going to do is change hats. So you're the expert...

Oh! SHE LAUGHS

Tell me about this wonderful glass here. Tell me which factory.

It is all made by a factory called Sowerby, which is in the Northeast.

And they were one of the top factories, really.

There was a lot of glass made in the Northeast.

When would this have been made?

These were probably about 1880s, something like that. Yeah.

-It's like an exotic stone.

-Yeah.

They called it malachite, this particular finish.

And the other thing that is quite interesting is

the chemicals that they used.

They used things like arsenic and ammonia to colour

some of the glasses, and the best glass workers didn't live very long.

They were paid quite a lot, but they didn't live very long.

And what about this piece here?

And this is another piece, and this has a lozenge mark on it.

And it's great, because you can tell which factory,

you can tell the actual day, the batch number and year it was made.

-And this one is about 1870s.

-Oh, right.

-I think you're really good at this.

-No, I'm not!

-Are you after my job?

I couldn't do it as well as you!

No, I think you have been absolutely wonderful.

Do you have a lot of glass, Marguerite?

Yes, I've probably got, oh, hundreds of pieces, maybe.

Well, I love these, and I think it is interesting in that they are part

-of their times and they were, perhaps, as you said, a poor man's glass.

-Yeah.

But they are colourful, they are beautiful,

and I love in particular this lovely malachite finish.

I think these are fabulous.

We can put them to auction, but in auction,

-this type of moulded glass does not get high prices.

-Yeah, yeah.

We have to make our estimates modest.

I would like to put this little group in...

erm, say, 20 to 40,

-to make it low and wide to invite the bidding.

-Yeah.

Now, are you happy with that?

Erm, I'd like a reserve on them and then maybe see...

I mean, I'm hoping that we get somebody in who is a collector

and then, you know, it pushes the price up.

-They'll like these pieces.

-Yeah, yeah.

-They'll like these.

-So we can put a reserve of the lower estimate on those.

-Yeah.

They might do well, but getting rid of all this stuff,

will that tug at your heartstrings?

Oh, I have to admit, it will do a bit, but I might find another piece!

Fingers crossed there will be some glass collectors

who are just as keen as Marguerite at the auction later on in the show.

Over now to James Lewis, who is calling time on our next item.

Brian and Maureen, I have to say,

I don't even own a wristwatch any more.

I haven't owned one for years. Do you know why?

I always leave them in hotel rooms.

I go around doing Flog It! or wherever, staying overnight

in a hotel. I pack my shirts into a bag and always forget my wristwatch.

And the reason why is because I had one of those about 15 years ago and I lost it.

-Right.

-It's not the same one, is it?

-You haven't found it in a hotel room somewhere?

-Don't think so.

Where did you find it?

-It was in a box, wasn't it? Box of stuff.

-We inherited it, we think.

I think perhaps from my father,

because it is the sort of thing he would have worn.

-OK. You don't remember your father wearing it?

-No.

-No, I don't.

-No, but...

-It's the sort of thing that might have been saved for best.

You know, going out to a dinner party, something like that.

The strap is gold-plated.

It's the original OMEGA strap, and that would wear quite thin

if it was used on a daily basis.

It is known as the OMEGA Constellation,

which is a wonderful title.

And, in a way, it harks back to some of the history of OMEGA.

Originally, it goes back to the 1840s.

But OMEGA in this form was well known for being

-the watch that NASA used to go to the moon with.

-Oh, right!

So your father would have been in very good company.

Now, if you have a look at the dial,

it's telling nine o'clock at the moment.

A good tip is that whenever you're selling a watch,

you do that with it.

You make it smile.

So you do ten past eleven, or ten past ten, or ten to two,

so that the hands are doing this.

And it's a proven fact that when you photograph a watch smiling,

it makes more than if you photograph the watch saying twenty past seven,

looking like a downturned mouth.

I mean, it's all psychology.

It's probably a load of nonsense,

-but my old boss used to swear by it.

-Seems to work!

Fingers crossed it won't just be the watch smiling in the saleroom.

Hopefully, you will be too.

I reckon that should make...

£200 to £300.

-BOTH: Really?

-Yeah.

-Good Lord.

-Good news?

-Good news, yeah!

-Excellent news!

-Brilliant, brilliant.

-Wonderful.

-Would never have thought it.

-It is a good thing, all right?

-Thank you very much.

-Yes, thank you.

-So we need to protect it with a reserve.

-Right, OK.

-£200?

-With discretion. Let that auctioneer have a bit of flexibility.

-Yeah.

You have auction fees to pay as well, but £200, and see how it goes.

-Great.

-Yeah, thank you.

So, two items already found to take off to auction.

We need a third to make it a complete set.

I wonder what it will be.

Jean, you have brought something along to Flog It!,

which I have fallen in love with.

I want to tell you that,

as well as loving that, I love being here in the Tower

and in the circus ring.

You come from round about.

Do you come here to look at the circus, do you visit,

have you visited before?

I think this is the first time I've been in Blackpool Tower.

Isn't that awful?

How long have you lived here?

Since 1963.

Oh, no!

Can you see now what you've missed?

Yes. Yes, yes.

It is quite beautiful.

Well, I love this wee piece.

Can you tell me where you got it?

A gentleman gave it to me,

a friend of the family's.

And he had been ill at home,

and my mum and dad nursed him through pneumonia.

And I think it perhaps was a thank-you.

-That's very nice.

-Cos he gave it to me. Yes.

To me, it's the essence of style,

it has a French look about it...

It's just "ooh la la".

It's wonderful. But let's look at it

a wee bit more closely.

I've examined it with my glass,

and I can't see a hallmark.

But in a piece like this

I'm sure that it's

18-carat white gold or platinum.

Mm.

We have some lovely diamonds here.

Yes.

We have one here,

this is the largest one -

it's not a huge diamond,

but a big diamond would not be appropriate

for a delicate piece like that,

so it's in fitting with the style.

And we have two

smaller ones here,

quite pretty,

and then we have two lines

of diamonds up here.

They're very nice diamonds.

We have a lovely pearl drop here,

and a little pearl at the chain.

It's a beautiful piece,

it would have been the late 1800s,

it would have been worn by a woman of style.

Did you wear it when you were a young girl?

-Very rarely.

-Very rarely.

-I haven't worn it.

-I mean, it is a young girl's piece.

-Yes.

And I'm not a young girl.

It's lovely.

-Have you had it valued before?

-No.

-Have you an idea of value?

-No. None.

-Nothing in your head?

-Nothing in my head.

-OK.

-As much as possible.

Well, I'm an auctioneer and as much as possible

-is what I like to do!

-Obviously.

What I can say at the moment is that

-jewellery is hot.

-Yes.

I would like to put this in with an estimate of £200 to £300.

Would you be happy to sell it within that estimate?

Yes, because it's not doing anything at home, so...yes.

Well, I think if it's not your taste,

and it's been in your possession for a good couple of years...

Yes. Thank you(!)

-Shall we put a reserve on it?

-Oh, yes, please.

I think estimate

£200 to £300,

reserve £200.

The auctioneer has a little bit of discretion.

-But I'm sure it'll do well.

-Right.

Great combination -

diamonds, gold...

A girl's best friend!

..pearls.

-Thank you for bringing it along.

-Thank you very much, thank you.

MUSIC: "Diamonds" by Rihanna

Well, there you are. What a wonderful time we've had here at the Tower Circus in Blackpool,

everybody has thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

But right now we have to say goodbye,

because we're heading down the coastline to Lytham St Annes.

We've got some unfinished business in that auction room to do,

and here's a quick recap of the items we're taking with us.

We've got Marguerite's collection of pressed glass.

And which of these makes the most -

the gentleman's wristwatch...

..or the lady's diamond and pearl necklace?

Welcome back to the auction room in Lytham St Annes,

where we're hoping that our big-top items will fetch big-top prices.

However much they make, remember there is commission to pay

if you're buying or selling at auction.

Here, it's 15% plus VAT.

It varies from saleroom to saleroom - if you're not sure,

check the details in the catalogue or ask the auctioneer.

So, let's get under way with our first lot -

the pressed glass collected by Marguerite.

Is this the start of downsizing now,

or are you selling some things just to literally grade upwards...?

Yeah. I really want to be a bit more specific, and perhaps get some quite unusual items.

-Different colours...?

-Yeah. That I can display.

I've got some pieces like lions and some animal pieces

-and if I can get some more of those, that'll be quite nice.

-OK.

So you're not downsizing at all?

-You're just swapping.

-A collector never really stops, do they?

It's in the blood. Once it's there, you cannot stop.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Let's put these to the test, shall we?

Let's find out what they're worth.

Lot 40. Collection of malachite pressed glass items.

Four of them in total.

Bid's there. Lots on interest. Lots of commissions.

-Interesting.

-Good.

-60...

-60!

We can start them at 60. 65. 70.

At £70. Any advance on 70?

75. 80. At £80. Any advance on 80.

At £80. Are we all sure at 80?

Any further interest? £80. 85. 95. 100.

-Wow.

-At £120. Any further interest?

At 120. Are we all done at 120?

30. 140.

Maybe a collector.

At £160. Any advance on 160?

-170. 80.

-I think it's the style, it's quite unusual.

At 180 then. Sell away at 180.

All finished at £180.

That hammer's gone down.

-Great.

-180!

-How much did you pay for those?

Um, not as much as that. Just some of the pieces were about £20 or so.

-Oh, you did pay £20 per piece.

-Yeah.

-So that was a great investment.

-Yeah.

-It's obviously paid off.

Good luck with the rest of the collection.

Thank you ever so much, thanks.

-Well done.

-Thanks.

-That was a surprise, wasn't it?

-That was great.

A fantastic result there. Our next lot is the diamond necklace.

Let's see if it can shine.

-We like this.

-Beautiful.

-It sparkles.

Why do you want to sell it? Why aren't you wearing it?

Well, I've hardly worn it.

I've had it about 70 years and I've hardly worn it at all.

Why was that?

Well, I always felt I had to be beautifully dressed in a ball gown

-or something like that.

-You could have got away with it.

-You could have got away with it, Jean.

-I like you!

Let's find out what the bidders think.

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

Elegant diamond and pearl pendant and chain. Set in platinum and gold.

Circa 1920s.

-Bid's there at 140.

-Straight in at 140, Jean.

At 160. 170. At 170. 180. At 190.

At 190. 200. 220. 240. 260.

This is very good.

No bids in the room.

At £280. Any further interest? At 280.

At £280, are we all done at 280?

300. 320.

320. In the room at 320.

At £320.

At £320, are we all sure? 340.

At 340 on the telephone. 360 on the net.

380. At £380. Any advance on 380?

At £380. On the telephone at 380.

All finished. All sure at 380.

Yes, the hammer's gone down!

-Isn't that wonderful?

-That was a good auction experience.

-Thanks very much indeed.

-That's what it's all about.

People getting carried away and bidding each other up.

-Someone else will wear that lovely little pendant and enjoy it.

-Yes.

And that's what is really beautiful about our industry.

It's all recycled and re-appreciated, isn't it? Pre-loved.

-We're very green.

-We are.

Time's up for our final lot of the day.

It's the wristwatch belonging to Brian and Maureen.

-Have you got a watch on today?

-I have.

Gosh, that's a big face on that.

You need one when you've got eyes like mine.

Why are you selling the OMEGA? That is a lovely watch.

Well, it's been sat in a drawer in a box for ages.

-But why don't you want to wear it?

-It's just not my style.

Bond wears one!

I don't think I look like James Bond.

Gorgeous watch, though. Wonderful Swiss timepiece.

I'm hoping it will do 250 to 350,

somewhere around there, realistically.

Lot 62. OMEGA gent's chronometer automatic wristwatch.

Bid's with me at 240. 260. At £260.

Any advance? 280. 300.

320. 340. 360. 380.

400. 420. 440. 460.

460 with me. Any advance on 460?

At £460. On commission at 460.

480. 500.

One more, it's yours.

At £500. 520, if it helps.

520 in the room. Gent's bid at 520.

At £520. Are we all sure at 520?

Gent's bid in the room at 520.

How about that?

-Brilliant.

-£520!

Quality always sells, and we say it time and time again on this show.

There you go.

-How about that?

-Didn't realise we had that sat in the wardrobe.

Well, that's it. Sadly, we are running out of time here,

we're coming to the end of the show.

The auction's finished and everyone has gone home happy,

that's what it's all about. If you've been bitten by the bug

and fancy seeing what your antiques are worth, we would love to see you.

Bring them along to one of our valuations days

and hopefully we're coming to a town very near you soon.

But for now, from Lancashire, it's goodbye from all of us.