Compilation 10 Flog It!

Breamore House in Hampshire dates back to the 16th century

and, today, every room in the manor offers an insight

into a forgotten world.

Now, here in the great hall,

the room still retains much of its original character,

from the portraits on the wall...

to the original entrance of the manor house.

It really does take you back in time.

Now, on today's show,

we're going to be looking at some of the best finds

and the most exciting valuations

that we've come across from our travels around the country.

Now, most of you probably won't have the luxury of sitting

on an 18th-century chair like this,

covered in silk, but, please, do sit back and enjoy.

Welcome to Flog It!

Flog It! has travelled across the country

in search of exceptional stories and objects to take off to auction.

Today, we have a treat in store as we bring you some of our best finds.

Our journey has taken us to Lulworth Castle in Dorset,

originally a 17th-century hunting lodge,

Wrest Park, a Grade-I-listed house in Bedfordshire,

Chiddingstone Castle in Kent, which can be traced back to Tudor times.

Our journey begins at Gloucester Cathedral

and Philip Serrell is at the table.

Keith, how long have you had that?

Only about six months. Six to eight months. Only six or eight months!

Yes. Where was it before that? It was in an auction.

Oh, you bought it! Yes. Which county did you buy it in? Gloucestershire.

And was it catalogued separately or in a box of stuff?

It wasn't even in a catalogue.

It wasn't an auction that did that type of thing.

It was just in a box of stuff. Yes. Three of them together.

And how much did you pay for them?

A whole ?14.

Do you know anything about paperweights? A little bit.

Probably know a bit more now, don't you? Well, yes.

I've got a feeling that I'm about to become completely superfluous.

No, no, no. So what have you found out about it? I think it's Clichy.

Why do you think that?

Because the book says Clichy signature, Clichy,

is the little roses. Yep.

And I found three in there.

Right. The Clichy factory, in France,

set up, I suppose, in the early part of the 19th century.

I think they finished just after the middle part of the century, really.

And I would think this probably dates from about 1850.

And the roses that you refer to, if we look,

you've got that white rose that's almost tightly clustered, isn't it?

Beautiful. And you've got another pink one there, haven't you?

You've got the odd little blemish just here.

Just the odd slight nick and bruise

and the thing with these, you know,

if you are a collector of these things,

you are looking for them to be absolutely perfect.

What made you buy them?

I like good workmanship and that just looks the part.

In terms of value, I would say this one and two others

are probably worth ?14,

because that's what you paid for them.

You can't argue with that, can you?

I'm hoping you were going to do something different.

Do you think I might do something different?

I mean, you've read the books, tell me what you think they're worth.

I couldn't find one that size or that exact pattern, so...

Well, I think... 80-100.

Oh, what a man! He's written 80-100!

Well, isn't that the auction...? The auctioneer's friend. 80-120. Yes.

I think it'll make ?100-150.

We'll stick a reserve on it of ?80 for you.

I just think it's a really interesting thing.

You paid ?15 for three?

14. ?14 for three!

I'm going to start following you around.

Lucky, aren't I?

That's not luck.

That's called hunting out a good deal.

Bedfordshire and Wrest Park is our next port of call,

where Christina Trevanion has found a collection that

she really is taken with.

Sharon and Rob, you have brought me possibly one of the most

fascinating things I've ever seen on Flog It!

We've got all these slides here in this slide viewer,

where did they come from?

They're my grandad's. Right. My dad had them in the loft.

And my son was having to do a history project... Right.

So my dad was finding a few things out,

to say about his great-granddad and that's when we

first saw them. So, how long ago was that?

About six months ago - he was doing his project...

Oh, so, really recently, then? Yeah. Oh, wow, OK.

I mean, they are all related to the First World War.

Is there a family connection with somebody that fought

in the Great War? Yeah, my grandad. What part did he play in the war?

Do we know? No, I know that he was 15 when he forged his

birth certificate, cos he was unhappy at home. Oh!

So he was very young. He was 15 when he went to war?

Mm. Oh, my goodness. Yeah.

He got torpedoed at sea...

And he was buried alive...

And cos he was in a trench...

And... So he was at sea and then he was in a trench?

Yeah. Oh, God, so the Navy and then...

He's been through it, yeah, he's been through it all.

Oh, my goodness. And then he couldn't speak for a year. Gosh.

I mean, it always amazes me hearing these types of stories

and especially looking at some of the images that we've got here...

The absolute horror that these

young men went through.

The reason why we've got two images here...

is because you would have put your slide

here... Unfortunately, we have got a bit missing here... Mm.

And that would have held one of these cards in place.

And then you would be able to see these images in 3D.

So, before that you would have seen these images, potentially,

in newspapers but seeing it in 3D must have been incredible.

Some really unbelievably fascinating scenes that I've never seen before.

We've got some pictures of the King in here,

we've got munitions factories,

and here, this one, which unfortunately is in

quite bad condition, we've got a Zeppelin

shot down near Colchester.

Even with the back broken,

towers above a nearby farmhouse.

My granny, who, bless her, was 104 last week... Wow...

..remembers seeing a Zeppelin flying over the South coast

and that sort of first-hand history is all going to be lost to us soon.

But hopefully, these sorts of things will keep it alive. Yeah.

And I think there is certainly a resurgence of interest

in the First World War and quite how important

it was. There are a few which are

in slightly poor condition. Yeah.

I think, unfortunately, your slide there... Yes.

..which is the Perfecscope...

Ain't so perfect any more, is it?!

I know. Sadly. And me dad couldn't find the...

The slider, there, yeah.

The slider there. But nonetheless, you can still them

and I think, really, the main event is not so much

the slide viewer, it's the topic... Yeah. ..of these slides,

which is so important. And we've got approximately 65 in total here.

I am going to be quite modest on my

auction expectations because it's a very difficult

collectors' market and I'm just hoping that

this resurgence of interest in the Great War

will help to sell them.

I would suggest an auction estimate in the region of

150-200 and hope that it might

go higher. Yeah.

How do you think Dad would feel about that?

Cos they're Dad's, aren't they...? Yes.

They're not yours. Oh, no, they're my dad's, yeah.

I mean, he's asked me to bring them here to get them

valued for sale, so, yeah, I think he'd be... OK.

So, if we said an estimate of 150-200 and a reserve of 150 firm.

Yeah, I'm sure that would be fine. Yeah.

Super. For me, personally, I think they are utterly fascinating,

I really do and I thank you very much

for making the effort to bring them in.

Cos it's been, certainly, a great lesson. Thank you.

It's really not a lot of money for such

an amazing historical archive.

Next stop is Chiddingstone Castle in Kent,

where Claire Rawle has found something small for the pocket.

This attracted me because it's so clean and so simple

and it's got a good name on it.

I just love it, but what can you tell me about it?

I don't know anything about it whatsoever.

I found it in my dad's belongings when he passed away.

I believe it came from my stepmother's side of the family

and when she died,

she left all the jewellery to me, so here is the watch.

Now, it's got a good name on the front of it. Benson's of London.

Now, Benson's, in fact, were a watchmaker, a very good watchmaker,

but they were bombed out in the first war

and, so, rather than continue making watches,

they then became a retailer of good quality clocks and watches,

so that's always a good sign if you've got Benson

on the movement or the dial.

The thing that really stands out is that it's got no damage on it.

Very often they have cracks on it or scratches or marks.

It's in a very unfussy nine-carat gold case

and, if we turn it over,

we can open up the case and you can see the movement working away there.

It's a little lever escapement working away happily.

Probably will continue to do that for many, many years.

You've got hallmarks on the case just inside here,

which show that it was actually made in London, 1942,

so during the Second World War.

It's just a collectable watch.

It would look lovely in somebody's cabinet.

Nice quality movement which is still working away.

Nothing fancy about it.

If you want to be really picky, it's got a tiny, tiny little dent

in the case, which collectors always ask about, but it's not vital.

So, you obviously made the decision now that you want to sell it. Yes.

And I think it is actually quite a desirable object.

Not hugely valuable, because obviously the gold will have some value,

but it will make more than just the price of scrapping the gold.

My feeling is it is between ?150 and ?200. That much? Yeah. Oh.

Yeah, it should do, because the gold does make quite

a lot of difference to it, the dial is in lovely order...

It is just a really attractive watch.

But I think, also, put a reserve on it,

perhaps just bring that under the low estimate -

say, 140 as a reserve?

Yes. Just protects it on the day, if that's all right.

I think that's best. Good. So, are you happy with that?

Yes, I'm quite happy. Brilliant. I think it will do well

and I shall look forward to seeing you at the auction.

I will look forward to seeing you, too. It's been a pleasure. Thank you.

Thank you.

Time stands still for nobody and that's true on "Flog It!",

because we are off to Wrest Park near Luton,

where David Harper has found an unusual item.

Now, Eunice, they say that every gentleman should have

a collection of walking canes. Now, does that apply to ladies?

This is your walking cane. Do you have a collection?

Well, we have some, but not old ones. OK. So, tell me about that one.

It came from my brother's house.

I can remember it when I was a child,

but I took no interest in it, of course. Right.

It just came and it's been sitting in my cupboard. All right.

Do you ever use it? No. Oh, come on! Well, you can't lean on it, can you?

Why not? It's perfectly steady.

That's you, that, you're just operating it badly. Look, look.

Oh, no, I see what you mean, yeah.

It's a bit wibbly-wobbly, isn't it? Mmm.

It doesn't feel very sturdy, does it? No.

But, actually, right down the middle of it is a metal rod,

so you shouldn't be afraid to use it. Now, you have a hold of it.

Just have a feel of it. Isn't it tactile? Doesn't it feel lovely?

It is kind of sharp, isn't it? Do you know what it is made from?

Well, I thought it was a backbone. It is a backbone, vertebrae. Mmm.

Yes, I know.

It doesn't seem to bother you at all. Are you not irked by it?

Not really.

People have brought these things to me for years and I've made them

hold them, just like you, and I've made them stroke them,

and then I've said, "It's a vertebrae,"

and they go, "Ah!" and they drop it.

You are unshockable. So, do you know the story of these things?

No, not really. Well, it harks back, really, to the 18th century.

You've got to think of these whaling ships, the seamen out at sea.

Now, they've got jobs to do,

but they've also got an awful lot of waiting.

Like this lot - you're all waiting, aren't you?

They're all waiting, you see?

Now, while you are waiting, you have got to implore yourselves

to do something, and that is what Scrimshaw means - to waste time.

That will date to when, do you think? I don't know, really.

Shall we open it up to the audience?

1800s.

Yeah, it is in the 1800s,

so, 19th century. So it has got some age, hasn't it?

I didn't realise it was as old as that. Yeah, absolutely.

Look at the antler handle, look at the wear.

The colour itself here isn't silver, sadly,

so it is not the finest quality in the world,

because a really good one would have, in between each vertebrae,

maybe a piece of ebony or polished, darker or lighter,

to get the contrast bone.

So, this is a pretty sturdy, useful...

I don't want to call it common, but I am going to. Yes!

It's a bit on the common side, yeah.

So, what is it worth? Not much.

Guess. 150. He's bought it.

There you go, well done. Thank you so much!

I wish there was more like him around, don't you? So do I!

It is cheaper - I think 30 to 50, sadly.

Get yourself to the auction, you might just have a buyer.

What are we going to do? Are we going to put it in? Yes, we will.

Yeah? 30 to 50? Yes. Get this guy's number. Yes, I will. Yeah.

You might get yourself a date, there you go. Marvellous. Thank you.

From the ridiculous to the sublime,

and the beautiful rooms of Breamore House.

I'm still relishing the fine art and antiques that are on display.

There are masterpieces such as this -

The Coming Of The Storm by David Teniers The Younger.

It shows a village feasting outside an inn with dark clouds approaching.

But there are no clouds on our horizon.

Before we head off to auction, over to Hampshire to uncover

some more remarkable history in an unexpected place.

The beautiful, unspoilt Beaulieu River is

unusual for being one of the few privately owned

rivers in the world.

King John gave it to the monks of Beaulieu Abbey in 1204

and it has belonged to the family of the current owners of the

estate since the time of Henry VIII.

So, you may be surprised to discover

that this idyllic rural spot

known as Buckler's Hard, the "hard" meaning

the gravel running down to the low-water mark,

is the maritime centre of the river

and it's played a remarkable part in

British naval history.

Three of the sailing ships that took part in the British

victory at the Battle of Trafalgar against the combined

fleets of the French and Spanish navies

were built on these very launch ways -

the 36-gun Euryalas,

the 74-gun Swiftsure,

and the 64-gun Agamemnon,

affectionately known to her crew

as Eggs and Bacon, one of Admiral Nelson's favourite vessels.

And he'd written of her earlier,

"She is without doubt the finest 64 in the service

"and has the character to sail very well."

So how did this quiet backwater,

Buckler's Hard, find itself in the naval history books?

It might never have been without the ambitions of John,

the second Duke of Montagu, who early on in the 18th century

had grand plans to build a splendid port for

sugar coming from the West Indies.

It was to be called Montague Town

and an 80-foot-wide street was built

down to the quay.

But that's as far as it got.

The French put a stop to it by claiming the islands

in the West Indies for themselves,

the ones the duke had his eye on.

So, no sugar reached here.

All the duke was left with was a rather wide high street

and a few cottages.

But the duke, being an enterprising chap,

wanted to make use of his extra-wide high street,

it had ideal access to get big elm trees and oak trees

down here. And the river at this point is exceptionally deep.

The ground was hard and it was sheltered -

it was ideal for boat-building,

so the duke leased it to some shipwrights

and in 1744 a contract was drawn up with the Navy.

Then began 100 years of shipbuilding here

at Buckler's Hard.

It is thought that around 100 Naval and merchant ships were

built here. Of course, there were no

power tools available to the men who built these ships.

So it was a slow process.

A ship could take two years to construct.

It must have been an amazing spectacle

when, at the height of its activity,

five of these magnificent ships were all being built

in the shoreline launches, towering over the cottages behind.

In the early 19th century, wooden shipbuilding sites

in the country fell into disuse

and Buckler's Hard became a sleepy backwater again.

But good news - the traditional skills of shipbuilding

are on their way back to here and the man in charge of doing this

is Nat Wilson.

Hi, it's Paul, a pleasure to meet you. You too.

I'm so jealous, I love all of this, look at it!

It's fantastic, isn't it? This is your work space? Yes.

And here you are boat-building!

Well, I've never seen an oar being made,

so hopefully you'll let me have a go... Absolutely. ..and give me some lessons.

But first of all, tell me about the boat-building here. This is all about working

with big heavy timbers - the likes of HMS Victory

and HMS Warrior and it's teaching people how to handle

big lumps of timber, how to work with them

with the old tools like the...

Traditional skills and methods. Absolutely, yeah.

Well, I know you are working on an oar here and I

can see you've got some laminated parts... Yeah. ..for the blade.

So, talk me through what you are doing.

We are basically shaping the blade and then we are turning

the shaft from a square into a circle.

We mark it out so that once this is cut down,

that distance will end up the same as that distance

and that distance... OK. ..so it will be an

octagon all the way around. I see what you are doing.

And then you re-mark it and take off the corners.

So that one has been roughed out as an octagon. Yeah.

Needs cleaning up a bit and then

we proceed taking off corners until you end up with

a round... And how long would it take to make one oar...

from start to finish? Half a day. I can make a pair in one day.

Gosh, that's quick going, isn't it?

Well, once they're glued up and ready to go.

Can I have a go at that?! Of course you can.

Can I use the draw knife? You can indeed, yeah.

I'll flip it round.

All yours. OK.

So, start facing...

this way and draw in or...? Yes.

That way. Oh...

That's where you have to flip and go back the other way.

Go back against the grain, yeah.

In fact, the grain is quite kind in this direction.

Gosh, it's a satisfying feeling.

It is and it's very quick as well.

Shall I turn it around and...? Yeah, yeah, reposition it to

make it comfortable. It really does want to tear.

That's the joy of wood, it's never exactly as you want it.

You've done that before. I have done.

Did you sign up for a course? Yes, I have done it before, actually!

I was just about to say - you know, fresh wood shavings -

it doesn't get any better than that smell

but we're outside, so we can't actually smell them.

LAUGHTER

That's lovely, isn't it? So, I can see how the process works now.

Just literally, taking the square into a round

by taking off sections of the corner each time. Yeah.

So how do you shape this section?

That section - we use this wonderful little thing

called the bolo plane? A what?

A bolo... A bolo plane, OK.

This again is something that all the students make, it's

what I make... And you made that yourself? 25 years ago, yep.

But that's curved in both directions,

which means we can scoop in... That's clever.

..and create that shape. That's very clever.

Look at that. That's dished out beautifully.

You're a very skilful man. No, it's just lots of practice.

Well, it's really encouraging, you know,

to know that there are people with the skills that you have,

that are passing them on because that's so important

with these traditional skills because a lot of them are being lost. They are. But we are

doing our own little bit to bring them back again. Well, look, good luck with that

and good luck with the school here. Thank you very much.

It's been a real pleasure in having a go.

Seeing these magnificent warships being built here

is a thing of the past,

but it's heartening to know that the traditional skills

and methods that built our maritime history

are still alive today.

Now, in a moment, we are going to be putting

our experts' valuations to the test,

but before that, remember - there is commission to pay

if you are buying or selling, and these rates do vary

from saleroom to saleroom. And there is VAT to add on top of that,

so do your sums before the sale starts.

Right, here is a quick recap of what is going under the hammer.

This paperweight was bought with two others for only ?14.

Surely it is going to turn a profit!

It is gold, it is honest and it is in fashion,

so will this watch find a new owner?

This collection of First World War slides

offers a poignant view of the past.

And will dem bones appeal to a walking-stick collector?

Our first auction is in the Cotswolds,

just outside Cirencester at Moore Allen Innocent,

with auctioneer Philip Allwood on the rostrum.

Going under the hammer right now, we've got

that wonderful French paperweight. This is quality -

if you collect paperweights, you have got to own one of these -

it's a Clichy. It's great to see you, Keith.

Who have you brought along with you? My wife, Sue.

Sue, pleased to meet you.

Why weren't you at the valuation day? It was raining. Oh, come on!

So I stayed at home and did the ironing.

We were inside in a beautiful cathedral! I know, I know.

I'm surprised you don't want to keep this. Surely you like this!

It's not actually my ideal thing, so, no, I don't...

It's not jewellery, I can't wear it. Ah, right, OK.

It's going under the hammer now.

It's the Millefiori-style paperweight there.

Nice quality one, there. Who'll start me at 100?

100?

150 to get on.

At ?30 a bid only, then. At ?30, 5, anyone else?

At ?30 for it. At ?30, 5, 40, 5,

50, 5, 60, 5.

70... Yeah, we'll get there.

At 75, 80 if you like, sir. At ?75. Got to be cheap at 75.

80, if you like. 80, there. At ?80. Thank you, it's on the net.

Thank you, at 80. 5, if you like now, sir.

At ?80, it's on the net, here. 5, if you like, now.

At ?80, it's on the net.

Here selling, you're out on my left, at 85 on the net. 90, now.

At ?85, 90. At ?90, it's on the net still at ?90. 5 anywhere, now?

At ?90. You're all out in the room.

At ?90, it's selling here, on the net here at 90...

It's sold. 90. I'm happy. A good return on 14 quid.

That was, actually, yes. When you look at it like that...

I was thinking, "Oh, it's got to do 150 quid,"

but it was a brilliant return on ?14,

and you've still got the other two items.

That gives Sue and Keith some money to play with.

Now over to Tring Market Auctions,

where Stephen Hearn is selling those fascinating slides.

Rob and Sharon, good luck, this is the moment we've been waiting for.

65 slides of the Great War.

Of national importance. So hard to put a value on.

I'm really nervous. So am I. I'm nervous for you. Thank you.

I wouldn't like to do that.

You have to understand, it really is a hard thing to value.

Cos as much as they are incredibly important,

and obviously, the feelings that they evoke -

you sort of think, what do you do with them now?

Hopefully, somewhere in your mum and dad's loft

or in your loft, you've got other things from the Great War... Quite a cheery soul, isn't he?!

LAUGHTER

No, I wouldn't sell them. I wouldn't sell them

if my grandad... And he had quite a life, didn't he?

He was torpedoed, he was buried alive. Yeah.

Survived it, though. He did. Fingers crossed, we get that

?150-?200, because I think it's worth a great deal

more than that. Good luck. Thank you. Best of luck.

These are rather interesting, these are.

You've got some of the Boer War,

you've got some of the stereoscopic viewers.

And as well, you've got some of the First World War in here.

A very interesting collection there.

What about a couple of hundred for them?

150 for them. 100 for them bid.

100, I'm bid. 100 is bid. Come on, come on. 110.

120 is bid. 130 and 40.

And 50 and 60. Oh, here we go.

Lots of interest.

At ?160, then, I shall sell.

They're going, then, down they go for ?160...

Well, they've gone. Good valuing, well, good estimate.

In the room as well. In the room. Fantastic. Well done. Happy?

Yeah. Good. Good. Thank you for bringing those in as well.

Yeah. Great pictures. It was such an honour to see them.

Just really, really fascinating, so...thank you.

It just goes to show, it's worth digging around in drawers

or your attic, to see if you've got any hidden treasures.

And now on to Surrey,

to Ewbank's Auctions just outside of Guildford,

and Tim Duggan is our auctioneer.

Going under the hammer right now,

a gold pocket watch belonging to Norma.

What has happened to you since we last saw you?

Look at this down here, look. I've joined the Beckham Club. Oh, no!

I've broken my metatarsal. How did you do that? Not playing football.

No, out of the chair. Oh, dear. No!

I got out of the chair, turned, and my leg went underneath me.

Oh, I bet that was painful. Yes. Oh, poor you, poor you.

Look, we won't let you stand for too long.

Your lot is just about to go under the hammer. Enjoy this moment.

Ready? Here we go, this is it.

The nine-carat gold Swiss open-face pocket watch, there. ?100 for it.

?100...

100 is bid. 110, 120, 130, 140.

140, 150, 160, now.

Looking for 160 online, who wants it? Keep going.

150 in the doorway now, 160 if you want it.

I have 150, looking for 160 now. 160 bid, 170, sir?

Oh, that's...

That's good. 170 anywhere?

At ?160, are we all done? Selling, then, at ?160...

Yes! That was a good day out, wasn't it? Yes, very. Well done, you.

Thank you so much for coming along, and I hope you get better soon.

Oh, I will. Go home and put your feet up.

Poor Norma! She is a brave soldier, coming to the auction.

Next, Tring Market Auctions north of London, where Stephen Hearn

is selling a lot of old bones for us.

Well, I must say, on this show we do have the luxury of selling lots

of strange and weird and wonderful objects,

and we've got one right now.

It's a shark vertebrae from the Victorian period with a horn handle.

Yes, you've guessed it - it's Eunice's walking stick.

Good to see you again. And who have you brought along with you today?

This is my husband, John. John, pleased to meet you.

What do you think of the walking stick? A bit bendy. A bit bendy!

It was a bit bendy on the day, wasn't it, Eunice?

We had a bit of fun with it, actually.

These things are hard to find, aren't they?

They really are, they really are.

A lot of people actually don't like them

because of what they're made from. They get a bit irky, don't they?

Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?

Good luck, both of you. Here we go. And good luck, David. Thank you.

This is rather interesting,

the Victorian shark vertebrae walking cane.

There you are, with a horn handle.

I hope we're going to get ?100 for it. 55?

40, 5, 50, 5, 60... One more, at ?60...

5, 70? No? At ?65, you have it.

Selling in the room. Yes, it is.

At ?65, then. A bit more. Thank you.

?65. I don't believe that! Top end. That's fine. Well done. Happy? Yeah!

It's gone to a new home and hopefully a collector, as well.

Are you surprised? I am. Very.

I expected about ten.

There's always a buyer for something, and that was a quirky

item from the Victorian period, and that was worth investigating. Great.

Great result - top end of the estimate.

We will be coming back to the auction houses later on

in the show, but now, something for the furniture enthusiasts.

Breamore is an example of an unspoilt country house

nestling in glorious settings.

Inside, it is brimming with antique furniture which has been collected

by nine generations of the same family,

and that makes it pretty special.

But for someone who has had a passion

all their life for British furniture,

I'm going to indulge myself and share

some of the best bits with you.

Among these treasures is a collection of marquetry,

containing examples from both England and the continent.

I have invited one of the top experts in furniture conservation

and marquetry in the country, Yannick Chastang, to tell me more

about some of the finer pieces.

We start with an example of marquetry.

This English long-case clock is the earliest piece in the room,

dating from around 1700.

What is marquetry as compared to inlay?

How do you do it? Where did it all start?

Well, marquetry is only a surface decoration that is applied

on top of a solid wood carcass. This long-case clock,

as you can see, is made of solid oak

and on top of it they have applied this very, very fine veneer.

And you can actually see the thickness, can't you? You can.

Unfortunately, the clock is slightly damaged at the top.

It's broken here and you can clearly see the veneer

is only covering this solid oak underneath.

So, veneer can be made of wood, can be made of metal,

but it is basically one to two millimetres thick. OK.

And these veneers, they're cut into floral shapes.

They cut them into floral shapes,

they cut it into animal shapes or floral patterns,

as you can see here.

By hand, with this...? By hand with this little frame saw.

The frame saw you have here is fitted with a very, very fine blade

and because of the size of the blade,

it enables you to cut and carve into the wood.

And that is the main difference between marquetry and inlay -

marquetry is entirely cut using a piercing saw.

Would this have been done by, let's say, an English craftsman

or would this be a French or continental worker, a Dutch worker?

Well, England is not really well known for producing

marquetry in the 17th century. No.

It is quite likely that a piece like this one was made by a Dutch

or possibly a French immigrant,

so it is one of the rare examples of English marquetry.

What is interesting, as well, is the colour of the marquetry.

What you're missing here is the bright and colourful wood

when it was first made. Yes.

I've got here an example of maple - English sycamore or maple -

and, as you can see, it is very bright white.

And in contrast with the black ebony wood coming from Africa or India,

you can clearly see this very, very bright contrast.

It creates a lovely silhouette, doesn't it? Exactly. It really does.

It would have been the most wonderful, colourful piece.

You are looking at a work of art. Not only a scientific instrument

which tells you the time, but you are buying a work of art,

aren't you? Oh, yes. So, the finishing is an interesting point

because, obviously, sandpaper wasn't invented at the time.

So rather than using sandpaper...

I know you have got something interesting to show me.

He has got a fish. So, you sand it with a fish.

You sand it with a fish. You sand it with a dogfish, to be precise.

So...

So, that's... This was what was around in the early 1700s.

Dogfish has very, very coarse skin. It is. It is quite spiky.

If you run your finger one way, it is like hundreds of millions

of little barbs, and it is catching my finger now,

so that feels like a rasper to me.

Can we put it on there and see that?

Yes, you can just sand a bit off of mine here.

Look at that. Look at what it has taken off.

Taking off the wood.

And of course, if you go to the tail of the fish, the sandpaper is finer,

so that is how you get from coarse to very fine sandpaper.

And that is how you flatten that so there are no undulations.

And when you run your fingers down there, it is like a sheet of glass.

Exactly.

From the English long-case clock,

we move on to the most decorative of all the pieces here.

Now, here we have a Dutch walnut armoire circa 1740.

This is inlaid. Talk me through this - how is it done?

All of the individual flowers, all of the little elements -

the birds, the flowers, the leaves,

they have been inlaid into the walnut background.

So, the walnut background was first applied on the surface

of the wardrobe or the armoire... Veneered on itself.

Veneered on itself, a plain walnut - no decoration at all.

And then, using this tool that is commonly known

as the shoulder knife -

mainly because it rests on your shoulder when you use it.

It is a very, very, very sharp knife

and by having this long handle resting on your shoulder,

you have great control of cutting into the wood...

Very fine detail. Very fine detail.

Because they are very small pieces to be cut, to inlay,

with such a big knife.

And it is quite a coarse tool, but when you're very good at it,

you can get some really fine work like you see here.

Someone in the workshop would have spent all day long

cutting little flowers like this one.

So, you would have had, in the workshop, a stock of pre-cut flowers...

You know your pattern.

You know you need a bird, you know you need a water lily

or whatever flowers you need,

then you moved into your chest of drawers,

extract a flower like this one,

you locate it on to the place you want to inlay it,

mark very carefully the outline,

remove it for a while and then, using the shoulder knife,

just cut the outline until you have created this cavity.

Do you know, that would drive me boss-eyed, doing that, if I had to.

Well, it does me. I've been doing it for 20 years,

and I don't really enjoy it all the time!

It's very, very long work, that's what you have to...

For me, it is a bit too feminine, it is a bit too pretty-pretty

and it is over-busy, but this was the flavour of the month.

This is what the Dutch gave us.

Very nice. Not for me, prefer the clock,

but also, we have another example - we've got some French work. Yes.

Slightly more geometric. And that's for me. That's for you?

Because I'm French. Well, let's go and have a look at that.

Well, you are bound to love this,

but what we are looking at is more bold, geometric shapes.

And the technique obviously differs with this, as well. Yes.

We are looking at a piece of parquetry, and parquetry,

strictly speaking, is veneered, but of geometrical pattern,

as opposed to marquetry, where you've got all the flowers and...

It is organic. This is very mathematical. Exactly.

It is very precise and it is geometric.

And it is very Baroque, it's French.

1740? 1730, 1740,

with gilded bronze, gilt ormolu, as you call it in English,

and with a wonderful pattern of veneer.

However, what we have lost here is the colour of the veneer, yes.

Because the gold - bright yellow gold, bronze...

And on the background of it, of course, if you want to set

the colour of the gold, you need some bright and colourful wood.

So you can see here the dark kingwood. Oh, yes.

Look at the gold handle against that. Exactly, gold against dark.

Rich. And then on the little border,

you just have a little piece of tulipwood.

Tulipwood is a nice veneer, isn't it?

Tulipwood is a nice veneer, it is now unfortunately endangered.

It comes from South America

and, like many of the timber from South America...

All these exotic timbers.

..we have to be careful in their use, so we tend to reserve them

for restoring or conserving pieces -

we don't use them for making furniture.

In its day, another show-off piece

with all of these exotic materials from all over the world.

You can imagine, extremely expensive piece of furniture.

Gilt bronze, gold-plated bronze...

The French got it right, didn't they?

They really did, though, didn't they? I would agree with that.

I like this. I much prefer this to Dutch furniture.

It's opulent, but I like it.

Thank you very, very much for talking to me today,

because it has been a real joy.

I've learnt a lot and I hope you have at home, as well.

On to the Dorset coast and Lulworth Castle.

Where Mark Stacey is examining a recently purchased bargain.

Cain... Yes. Lovely to meet you. And yourself.

You've brought this rather interesting bowl in.

Tell me where you got it from.

From Allington Lane - a car-boot sale in Fair Oak - ten pence.

10p!

Gosh. What attracted you to it?

I thought it was a piece of Delft. Delft pottery?

That's what I thought. Well, I can see that

cos it's quite heavy pottery, isn't it?

And you've got quite a lot of flaking, which does happen

on Delft pottery. It's not, actually, it's from a completely

different region - it's from the Persian area.

This type of ware, we refer to as Iznik pottery.

Now, that's normally because of these colours,

the turquoises, the blues, the reds.

What we really want to find is pieces that date from

the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.

That were produced in the Anatolia region,

in what is now the Persian Gulf.

And Turkey. That whole Arab area.

This, I think, is probably late 19th century.

It's got these rather nice arabesque motifs on it,

and the stylised flowers. All hand-painted, of course.

And there is a little bit of fritting on the edges.

And we turn it over and we've got this continuous

frieze of flowering branches,

which is really quite Chinese in inspiration.

So there's obviously a lot of

Chinese porcelain coming around into Europe and Asia.

And the Arabic countries, so they've started to

have a bit of an influence on that.

And it's not marked, which you expect.

I have to say, if it was an early piece, it would be

worth an awful lot of money.

But as a decorative, sort of late 19th-century piece...

You only paid ten pence for it, didn't you? Yeah, that's true.

What would you hope it to be worth?

Oh, thousands and thousands!

LAUGHTER

Well, maybe Turkish lira. Probably, yeah.

Which is about 10p or something.

But it's worth more than 10p.

I think if we put this in to auction with an estimate

of something like ?40-?60...

Right. And just have fun with it.

Yeah. Because you just might find two or three buyers

on the internet who will think - "I really like this..."

And it could give us a real surprise on the day.

Yeah. Happy with that estimate? Yeah, well, I was

hoping it was going to be worth...

a lot more but... Well, we're all hoping for more,

even Paul Martin hopes for top of the estimate all the time,

you know. I think, had it been earlier, the colours

would have been much more vibrant - I mean, really vivid blues

and greens and reds. This is why I'm valuing it as a

later piece because of the muted colours.

But you know, it is a good interior design piece,

it will fit into a modern apartment

as well as an antique house.

So there's a good chance that it might make a bit more

than our estimate. Let's just hope so. Fingers crossed. Yes.

As you only paid 10p for it, what do you think

about a reserve? Are you happy to just let it

go and have a bit of fun? Yeah, just let it go.

I think so. Cain, thank you so much, lovely to see you. And yourself.

Cheers, thank you.

Of course, we all want top dollar

if we can get it.

We have been roaming the country to find the best items to take

to auction, so it is a timely return to Wrest Park in Bedfordshire,

where Anita Manning has discovered something impressive.

Max, it is lovely of you to come along for our valuation day today

and you have brought along this fabulous, fabulous clock.

But it is not the sort of thing I would have expected a young guy

like yourself to have. Tell me, where did you get it?

It was left to my father about six months ago through family

and, unfortunately, about three months ago, he passed away himself,

so it has now come to me.

It is just a nice, big, shiny clock that looks like it's worth

a lot of money and I thought I would come and see you today, Anita.

Max, is it a big responsibility as well? Oh, it is too much for me.

I'd like it, I'd like to keep it for the next 30, 40 years,

but I am just not that responsible. It would get broken, unfortunately.

Yeah. Well, it is the type of clock that needs a big, grand space.

It wouldn't have sat on a modest mantelpiece, it would have sat

on a grand marble mantelpiece

with a fabulous mirror up above.

The clock dates from about the 1880s and 1890s. It is a London clock.

It is a clock of substance and quality.

If we look here, we can see that it has

three different chiming tunes here.

Here we can go slow or fast and here we can have silent or chime.

The clock is in an ebonised case.

Now, the Victorians loved all things black, and with the death

of Albert, Queen Victoria's husband,

and Queen Victoria in mourning for many, many years,

black became a fashionable colour.

What they did was they would ebonise wood.

They ebonised many, many things.

This was the height of fashion,

these wonderful, wonderful ormolu mounts.

Now, this clock was retailed by

Goldsmiths Silversmiths of Regent Street in London

and again, what that is doing is it is telling us

that it was a clock of the highest quality. Oh, fantastic.

So, what you've got here is something quite wonderful.

It is also in very, very good condition.

Do you know if it's working? I believe it is working, yeah.

It's just, we didn't wind it up in case it frustrated people

when it came here today, really. It's just...

As you can see, with the three chimes, it's...

I've had a look in the back, the mechanism is wonderful.

It's also very clean, so I would imagine that this clock

will still be in working order after all these years,

such is the quality of the mechanism.

Now...

Price.

Oh, talk to me, Anita!

I would estimate this...

?1,500-?2,000.

Are you happy with that?

Could we say 1,600, with a bit of discretion?

Yeah, we can go for that. Fantastic.

So, we will put it in, ?1,600-?2,000,

we'll give the auctioneer a little discretion on it

and I'm sure it is going to do very, very well for you.

Yeah, thank you very much. I hope so, as well.

I'll be there to hold your hand. Brilliant. Yeah, brilliant.

Thanks again. Thank you very much.

It's hands all round, then.

But now it's time to leave Wrest Park and head 90 miles south

to Chiddingstone Castle, where Claire Rawle meets Bill.

Well, you'll see what I mean in a moment.

Mary, you have this quite extraordinary character with you.

This is Old Bill, who has been in my family ever since I can remember.

Certainly something I grew up with as a child and, I have to say,

was used as a doorstop, and a very effective doorstop. Yes.

It is only recently that I have looked into more details

about this and found that, actually, it is a car mascot.

Yes, indeed it is, yeah.

I always wondered why there was a screw thread in the middle. Yes.

Well, of course, Bruce Bairnsfather created this character, Old Bill,

who depicted life in the trenches in the First World War.

Bairnsfather himself did serve in the war - he signed up

at the beginning of the war - and so he was really drawing on his own experience.

And he made these wonderful characters which,

in a light way, didn't make fun of the situation -

they actually brought the situation to life

without being too horrific.

It was this sort of curmudgeonly old character who got into scrapes

and things. Of course, it was published as a cartoon in

the Fragments From France,

which came out with the Bystander magazine.

I've heard of that, yes.

Yeah, you find the actual magazine itself with these cartoons

and then he became a tremendous character.

Old Bill sort of epitomised the old soldier that seemed to get

away with, you know, shells going off right, left and centre,

and he was still in his shell hole. It is cast in brass

and you are quite right that that screw would have fitted

through the bonnet of an old car, and then you fastened it on.

So, you've got a double collecting market on this -

you've got the automobilia enthusiasts,

but also the collector of anything to do with Old Bill,

because the Fragments From France magazines, they do sell very well,

and then there were postcards of him, as well,

so there's quite a market for it.

So, he is actually quite desirable.

Do you have any idea what sort of car he would have...?

No, I don't think it was any particular car

because he wasn't a brand name,

he was purely a mascot that you would put on your car.

They are very collectable

and I think he will sell very well at auction.

My feeling is probably an estimate of ?100-?150.

If you wanted to put a reserve of 90 or 100 on him,

I think that would be a sensible price, just to protect him. Yes.

I would maybe estimate him at 100-150, so...

Yes, I would be very interested.

And have you got any idea what you might put the money towards?

Something perhaps in memory of my father,

who reminds me, somehow, of him.

Oh, that's good, that's nice. Excellent.

I shall look forward to seeing you at the auction.

Yes, yes, it will be very exciting.

Thank you so much for coming today and I will see you then. Thank you.

What a great character, and still very popular in the saleroom.

Our final stop is Lulworth Castle in Dorset,

where Catherine Southon concludes our valuations.

Renee, welcome to "Flog It!". Thank you.

And thank you for bringing along this lovely box, even though

it is in rather tired condition. Where does it come from?

Well, my mother-in-law used to work for a lady

and her husband used to be the gardener, as well,

so when she died, she had a lot of things left to her, you know. Mmm.

This was one of them, and it needs a bit of tender loving care.

It looks like she's gone at it at some stage

with a scouring pad or something.

I don't think Mother-in-law did it.

No, but perhaps... The lady that owned it.

That owned it once upon a time.

I mean, it's just really badly scratched and damaged.

This is all Champleve enamel and it is not really too bad.

There are a few little scratches here and there,

but there is no chips or real damage to it.

The main damage is really to this gilding, but this can be regilded.

It is such a shame, because, once upon a time,

this would have been something very, very special.

Let's just open it up.

Inside...

Because there is a name there - Alfred Duclos, a very French name,

and it's turn of the century.

It's probably about 1900, maybe late 19th century.

I mean, if she had a piece like this,

can you imagine what was inside it?

She probably had some really nice jewellery or something like that.

Possibly. It is a lovely casket, isn't it? It's a statement piece.

Not something that you use now? No, no. You don't put your gold in it?

No, it is just stuck in the bottom of the wardrobe

and we just want to get rid of the junk.

I mean, it is a super piece, it really is.

The decoration is all over. I wouldn't call it junk, by the way.

You wouldn't? No. Well, I would.

I really wouldn't call it junk, because it was really...

Once upon a time, this was a very super

and a very special piece. Was it? Absolutely. Right.

I think if this was in perfect condition,

you'd probably be looking at a couple of thousand pounds. Yes.

This is not in brilliant condition, as we've said,

but I do think that this can be rescued.

I think that someone will buy this at auction

and I think they will do it all up.

I think they will regild it and they will put this back into

not quite the original condition,

but more...in much better condition than it was.

Auction-wise, we don't want to put too high a price on this. No.

I think we should suggest ?400-?600. How does that sound to you?

Very good. Does that sound all right?

Better than sitting there doing nothing.

Absolutely, I think so.

Let's put it in - 400-600 with a 300 reserve

and it might just surprise us.

The enamel work is lovely and it is all there, it's all intact.

It's just the case. Yes.

I will see you at the auction and see what happens,

because I just don't know on this. Thank you very much.

Will we get the surprise we want?

That'll be the one to watch in the saleroom.

Well, we have already seen some wonderful items on today's show,

but here at Breamore, I am literally surrounded by treasure

everywhere I look.

This has captured my gaze,

this wonderful oval mantel mirror in the Rococo style.

Well, right now, we're going to find out

if our experts' valuations are a true reflection of their price

as we head over to the auction room.

Here's a quick recap of all the items

that are going under the hammer.

It may not be early Delft, but this bowl has the look.

And with no reserve, it's going to go.

Max's clock is magnificent and looks like a show stopper to me.

How could Old Bill not be anything but popular in the saleroom?

And this casket could be made to look fabulous,

but will the right buyer be there on the day?

Charterhouse Auctioneers in Dorset is where our first

sale is being held.

Auctioneer Richard Bromell is on the rostrum

selling our car-boot find of the day.

Going under the hammer right now, we have a bowl,

it cost ten pence in a car-boot sale, we're hoping to

get around ?60 the top end for it.

It belongs to Cain, sadly he can't be with us today

but we do have the item and we do have our expert,

Mr Mark Stacey. Hello, Paul. Will it get that top end?

I don't know, it's a lovely thing. It is, isn't it?

He thought it was Delft. He did. But I think it's late, don't you?

Yes, I do. It's not that early...

But the colours are nice, the pattern's good.

It should make 40-60, I think. It should do.

I like the arabesque pattern. I love it.

It sort of attracts your eye. Here we go, ready, Mark?

Fingers crossed for Cain, this is it.

Iznik bowl here, comes straight in at ?25, I have bid now.

25, 30, 5, 40... That's a good in.

Over the lower end, anyway.

50, on the internet.

At 50, 60. ?60 and away now.

70, it's on the internet. Oh, the internet...

On the internet, here it going away...

And selling at 70, last chance at 70...

The hammer goes down, yes, ?70. Not bad.

I wish we could do that every day of the week.

I'd love to, Paul. We'd be happy, wouldn't we?

We would be, yes. But we can't, we can't!

It's just not possible!

Well, I hope you enjoyed that little moment, Cain.

Mark will be on the phone, won't you?

I will...

And I'm sure Cain will be delighted.

MUSIC: Call Me by Go West

Now let's head back to the Ewbank Auctions in Surrey.

Auctioneer Tim Duggan is on the rostrum

and he's selling our friend Old Bill.

Going under the hammer right now is something for the boys.

It's a car mascot, it is Old Bill, created by Bruce Bairnsfather

and it belongs to Mary.

Now, I saw one of these on "Flog It!" about 12 years ago

and Philip Serrell did the valuation.

It hasn't gone up a lot since then,

but every time I see this little car mascot with the scarf wrapped

round his neck, I always think of Philip Serrell. Oh, really?

If Philip grew a moustache, he would be Old Bill. Good thing.

Anyway, let's put it to the test. Claire, I know you like it.

This is it.

We've got Bruce Bairnsfather there, the Old Bill brass car mascot there,

the character wearing the battered tin helmet there.

And I go in at ?50 now,

55, 60, 5, 70, 5, 80, 5, 90, 5.

100, now. 110, 120, 130, now. Looking for 140 anywhere.

140 online now. With you at 140. 150 anywhere?

At 140 online now, looking for 150 anywhere.

150 bid now, the battle is online now. Looking for 160 now.

It's reached its money now, this is what they're worth. Looking for 170.

At 160 online now, 160.

Selling, then, online at 160...

That's a good price. I've never seen them higher than that, Mary.

Goodness. That was good. Good for you for hanging on to it. I'm delighted.

Well, thank you for bringing it in, you put a smile on our faces, Mary.

Yes, thank you. Thank you.

Great result for a doorstop! Well done, Old Bill.

And now on to Dorset and to beautiful Sherborne,

where the casket is being sold by auctioneer

Richard Bromell at Charterhouse Auctioneers.

Fingers crossed, Renee.

There's a bit of damage, but hopefully it won't hold it back.

Catherine, good luck. You love this. I do love it.

We're talking about the late-19th century casket.

It's all newly-decorated and it's just great.

It's beautiful, it's just the condition. Someone...

I think someone in the trade will buy that

and they'll buy their own work.

That is something to restore, it definitely is,

and it's achievable, isn't it? Oh, yeah, it can be regilded.

It can look good again.

It's just a shame it's not going to be the original look.

Never mind. Well, I think this will go, it'll definitely go,

whether or not at the top end is another thing.

We could have a surprise cooking.

It's an auction, anything can happen.

That's why we love them. And it's going under the hammer right now.

19th-century gilt brass Champleve enamel casket here.

The Alfred Duclos. And straight in at ?200, I have bid.

With me at ?200, I have now. Straight in.

260, 280.

300. At ?300, it's a room bid, room bid at ?300, I have.

The bid is far away, at ?300 I have.

At ?300, the internet, you're out.

It's in the room and I'm selling at 300...

It's gone. You were right, Catherine, it was the damage.

Went on the reserve.

We looked at four to six, but it went on the reserve.

A restorer is going to buy that and buy his own work. Fair enough.

But at least it lives another day and someone's going to enjoy that.

That's right. Is that OK? Fine. Sorry we couldn't do any better.

That's all right. It was the damage, wasn't it? It was.

Hopefully the new owner will restore it to its former glory.

Time to end our journey, and where better than Tring Market Auctions

and auctioneer Stephen Hearn?

Well, so far, so good.

Now, if I said triple fusee movement, London mantel clock,

a variation on chimes, what am I talking about? Yes, Maxwell's clock.

And he's right here with our expert, Anita. And what a showy piece.

Oh, yeah, definitely.

Why have you decided to sell this, if we do sell this?

Unfortunately, because I'm not responsible enough to keep it

for another 50 years, really.

I'd love to, but it's just a bit too much, really, isn't it, you know?

Yeah, a nice family piece, though, a nice family piece,

and I know it's been viewed and handled heavily.

Yeah, well, we're hoping for great things. Fingers crossed.

We're going to find out right now. It's going under the hammer.

This is it.

There it is, what a grand clock it is. Where shall we start on it?

?1,000 for it.

?800. Yes, we have it, thank you very much. 800, I'm bid for...

It's amazing how low it goes before it starts to go back up

in the right direction. ?1,000, I'm bid, 1,050, 1,100. 50.

1,200, we have. 50, 1,300, 1,350.

I'm 1,400 now.

At ?1,350... 1,400, is it?

Phone line. At 1,350...

14, now.

At 1,350... 1,400, we're bid. 1,450, we're bid.

Right, we've got a fight on between a person in the saleroom

and a person on the phone.

?1,450. Ah, I have a new bidder. At ?1,500.

?1,550, now.

At ?1,550...

1,600, we have now.

We've got our reserve. Selling, then, it's going to be sold.

It's going, then. I sell for ?1,600, then.

Thank you. Oh!

Just. Thank you very much. That's OK. It was a lovely piece.

Thank you so much for bringing it in.

Thank you for having us, it's been fantastic. Been great fun.

That was exciting, wasn't it? Yeah, it was. My heart was beating.

A bit touch and go there, wasn't it? That was close.

Thank goodness for that last bidder.

Maxwell, thank you so much for bringing that in. Thank you.

What a wonderful day to end the show here. I hope you've enjoyed it.

Join us again for many more surprises to come.

But until then, it's goodbye.