Dorset 4 Flog It!

We've got an exciting show for you today from the Dorset coastline,

as I get special access to go out with this lot,

the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

I found out more about the history of these volunteers,

and the vital role they play,

in this bewitching, but sometimes dangerous, coastline.

Welcome to Flog It!

Thomas Hardy said of the Dorset coastline,

"The atmosphere below is languorous and so tinged with azure,

"that what artists call the middle distance partakes of that hue."

But this idyllic place of land

and sea can transform from tranquil to tumultuous in an instant.

We've travelled five miles from the English Channel to our valuation

day venue, Lulworth Castle, where the water has followed us!

And we'll be taking a look at the landscape

and what it's like to live here later on in the programme.

But right now, hundreds of people have turned up to Lulworth Castle.

It is raining outside, so we brought them inside.

But it hasn't dampened their spirits, because here they are,

look, laden with antiques and collectables to show our experts.

If they get a great valuation and you like it,

-what are you going to do?

-ALL: FLOG IT!

And our experts are eager to share their knowledge,

but some items have stumped even wise old Mark Stacey.

Well, I've never seen one of those.

Wow, what on Earth is that?

It could be a rare find.

And fountain of all knowledge David Fletcher

has also got some mysteries to solve.

Some of them are modern, some of them are old.

But the question is, are they silver, do you think?

And that's the joy of antiques.

But, luckily, they have spotted what this is.

-Well, I just found a little cherub.

-Is that a he or she?

I don't know, it's very cherubic.

I think it could be you in your youth, David.

When I was cherubic.

If you say so, David.

And on today's show, David's got some surprises up his sleeve.

You look surprised?

-I'm staggered!

-Good.

And Mark's got some of his own little friends...

And they've all got rather sort of cheeky faces, haven't they?

But which will be the biggest surprise when they go under the hammer?

Lulworth Castle and its estate is set in around 12,000 acres of land.

It incorporates farms, villages and even five miles of coastline.

Later on in the programme I'll be giving a grand view of some of

that land but right now, it's time to get on with our first valuation.

And Mark's got a classic on his table,

but first, he's getting the important stuff out of the way.

-Shirley, how lovely to meet you.

-It's nice to meet you.

I gather, a little birdie tells me, you had a birthday last week.

-Yes, I did.

-Are you going to share it with us?

I don't know whether I should.

Whisper it to me.

-80.

-80 years young?

-Yes.

-Well, you're looking remarkably well on it.

-Thank you.

And thank you for braving the weather

and the temperature today to bring us in a "Flog It!" favourite.

Yes, it is, isn't it?

A piece of CC - Clarice Cliff.

-Yes.

-Now, where's the teapot?

-Got no idea...no idea at all.

-You've never had the teapot?

-No.

-Because it is what we call a little bachelor set.

So this would have been for a single person to have...

-Wouldn't have got much out of that.

-You wouldn't,

-but the teapot would have given you probably one cup of tea.

-Mm.

There would have been a cup, as well, if you wanted it,

in this pattern. But it's so typical, I mean,

you see this, and there's only one designer you can think of, isn't it?

-Yes, that's right.

-Where did you get it from?

-It was my mother-in-law's.

-And you inherited it?

-Yes.

-And do you like it?

Yes, I think it's quite nice.

-But it's very collectable for people who like the Art Deco movement.

-Yes.

We're looking at the jazz age, the mid-1920s, you know,

-everything is changing.

-Mm.

-Modern art is coming in, and you

get these fantastic modern shapes being produced by Clarice Cliff.

And then, very brightly, some people say gaudily decorated,

but I think they're lovely.

I think those bright enamels are really rather exciting to look at.

Yes, I like them. What is that design?

-It's just known as Orange Tree.

-Right.

Strangely enough, I think it might be because the trees are orange.

But we have got a full mark underneath.

Now, sometimes we'll see,

or more often we'll see the word "Bizarre by Clarice Cliff."

-This is "Fantasque"...

-Mm.

..which is another range that Clarice Cliff produced.

And this one is fully marked on both pieces.

-And how old?

-I would have said mid-'20s.

Sort of, 1925 to 1930.

So they're right, bang on,

-for the period for the collectors of this type of thing.

-Right.

Now, money, how much is an old cream jug and sugar bowl worth?

-Got no idea.

-£50?

-Bit more.

-Bit more? £60.

No, come on.

-Bit more.

-Don't play around with me.

-Don't play around with you.

-You've got to get straight to the chase, don't you?

-Yes.

-Well, I think we should put 100 to 150 on them.

-Right.

-With £100 reserve.

-Yes.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes.

And what we hope for is somebody's got the teapot out there

-and wants to match the sets up.

-Yeah, could be.

-And they might bid a bit more.

-Mm.

-It's not bad for an old cream jug and sugar bowl, is it?

-No.

-Shall we let a collector have them?

-Yes.

Lovely, well, we'll have a cup of tea to celebrate after,

but not in a Clarice Cliff teapot.

-No, all right.

-See you at the auction.

-You will.

I'll put the kettle on, in the hope that Mark's valuation is

spot-on and will earn him a cup of tea with Shirley.

And David's found something that's really pleased him,

an unusual collection we rarely see on Flog It!

Beverley, thank you for braving the foul weather

and joining us here today.

Now, you've brought with you a collection of handwritten envelopes,

and I can only really describe

the collection as postal history, for want of a better word.

Erm, is this a subject you're interested in?

No, we came by these albums...

My husband used to work in a large house

in Wareham, and when the owners died, about 15 years ago,

there was a house sale, and these were in a job lot

right at the end of the auction.

The box went for about £5.

My husband immediately was really taken by them,

he's much more into history,

and he said they were a fascinating account of life in the 1830s.

Yeah, what interests me most of all about these letters is that

-none of them have stamps, as such.

-Mm-hm.

Now, the postage stamp didn't come into being until the late 1830s...

-OK.

-..and from that time onwards,

-the person who sent the letter paid to send it.

-Yes.

-Up until this date, the recipient paid.

-OK.

And none of these bear what we think of today as being conventional postage stamps.

-But they all have post office franks on them.

-That's right.

But what also fascinates me is that many of them bear the name,

beneath the address, of a member of the nobility.

William Gladstone, in this instance.

Marlborough, in this instance.

Well, when my husband started investigating,

it seemed that a lot of the envelopes

were addressed to the Baker family...

-Right.

-..and that Mr Baker was a solicitor,

and these were letters of correspondence that he received,

that possibly were then given to his daughters, who cut them out

and, somehow, they then managed to get the signatures

of the people who had been in correspondence with their father.

So this would seem to suggest that the recipients of

these letters, at some stage, brought them back to the originator.

-Exactly, yes.

-I can't prove that.

-No, and I can't.

And neither can you.

I mean, what I find is so fascinating about this,

this is the sort of case which we are faced with all the time, really.

-Erm, the whole issue raises more questions than I can provide answers.

-I know, yes.

-It deserves a week's research, a fortnight's research.

-Really?

-But sadly I haven't got that time.

-No.

What I'm going to do in a moment is put a provisional value on them for you...

-OK.

-..and suggest that the auctioneers very kindly do some homework for us.

Now, if I came up with a figure of £600-£800,

as a collection...

-You look surprised?

-I'm staggered!

-Good. Well...

I'm totally staggered.

-I HOPE I'm in the right sort of area there.

-Really?

Now, if for any reason they think I've overvalued them dramatically,

-or even undervalued them, they will get back to us.

-Yes.

But for the time being, we'll stick with that. We'll keep you posted...

-Thank you.

-No pun intended.

..and I'll see you at the auction.

How exciting! Well, I'm overwhelmed, thank you.

Good, thank you, and I'm really looking forward to the day.

Good, yes, fascinating.

Let's see if the auctioneer can shed more light on these stamps later.

Now, Mark's found a set of objects on which is etched the monarch

who would have ruled over British Guiana when it was still a colony.

-Hello, Barbara.

-Hello.

-And this is?

-Hannah, my daughter.

-Your daughter.

-Moral support?

-Yes, indeed, yeah. Much needed.

She wants to know how much they're worth!

She's got her shopping trip planned already, from the faces, haven't you?

New shoes or something like that?

You've brought in some typical gold bullion coins.

We've got two full sovereigns and two half sovereigns.

Where do they come from, Barbara?

They actually belong to my husband who, erm...they were passed to him from his father.

Other than that, I don't know any more about them, really.

Well, it was a standard coin, of course, in Britain.

These are all from the reign of King George V, so he reigned from 1910-1935.

You can get variations.

You can get...some of them are minted in odd mints,

like Sydney or Perth in Australia,

and some reigns are rarer than others, you know,

if you had a George III or George IV...

Other than that, the price is determined, really,

by the gold bullion price.

At today's prices, we'd be looking at somewhere around the £400-£500 mark...

-Right.

-..for the four coins.

So that's what we would put them in at, with a reserve of around £400.

-Right.

-It should comfortably do something like that.

-Right, OK.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes, that's fine, yeah.

-Well, Hannah's smiling. Look, Hannah's quite happy.

-I know.

You haven't sort of thought of keeping them? Because some people keep them as investments.

Well, they've just been sitting with a few other coins, that we found out

aren't worth very much, so, really, they're not doing anything at all

and I could buy a new dress with the money!

So you're actually going to turn it into a practical use?

Erm, I've got plans to. I don't know what he's thinking.

Ah, well I'm glad you've got plans for it.

Well, let's hope, really, that the gold price rises dramatically before the auction,

-then we'll all be in for a surprise, won't we?

-That would be lovely, we'll look forward to that.

-We'll look forward to meeting you again.

-Thank you, that's really kind.

-You're welcome.

Let's hope Barbara's husband is planning a shopping spree

if these sell well at auction!

The ever-changing landscape, here, shifting through wind

and weather, has inspired artists for generations.

Writers like Thomas Hardy to Victorian landscape painter

Frederick White have all been passionate about the area,

and one man who is in love with it is artist Colin Willey.

Thank you for coming in, Colin, and bringing in some of your work.

I instantly recognise it as Lulworth Cove.

What inspires you about the Cove?

Erm, it's just such a beautiful place.

Every time I come back it looks different.

The sea changes colour, and wearing away the rocks,

and if you look at it from different levels, you know,

you can see the shape of the cove changing.

If you're low down, you're going to get a very thin cove,

then you can view it from quite high up and you'll see the full cove.

And you sell your works to the rich and the famous,

you've exhibited at the Royal Academy,

is it always Lulworth Cove, or is it something different?

Erm, no, I paint all over Dorset.

I've got probably about five or six favourite places

I like to go back to again and again,

Lulworth Cove being one of them,

and, you know, you always find something new,

you see something different that you haven't seen before.

That's always really exciting, when you do that.

Subject matter for a lifetime, really.

-Yeah, well, carry on enjoying it, won't you, because your work is fabulous.

-Oh, thank you.

For our next item, we're travelling from the dramatic coastline of Dorset

to the more tranquil setting of a European city that's famously waterlogged,

and David's brimming with good advice.

-Hello, Marianne.

-Hello.

-Thank you for coming along today.

Now, do you have any Italian blood in your family?

-No.

-No.

-No, not that I know of.

-Not that you know of.

Erm, I ask because this wonderful picture frame is Italian.

Oh.

-You didn't know that?

-No, I didn't.

-No, OK.

I think this could have been made in Venice in about 1880.

-Really?

-The end of the 19th century.

The print it contains dates from that period as well,

-so the frame and the image are contemporary with each other.

-Yes.

What I like about frames like this is they can tell us so much about

decorative styles.

This is in the Rococo style.

Now, the Rococo style is characterised by C scrolls and S scrolls,

-shell motifs like this.

-Mm-hm.

-It first came to England in the middle of the 19th century from France.

-Yeah.

Today, it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Do you like it?

I like it, but I wouldn't have it hanging on my wall, I'm afraid.

Besides, it would pull the wall down, I think.

"I like it but I wouldn't have it hanging on my wall!"

Do you know, I'm inclined to agree with you, really.

For many people it's a bit overblown, really, a bit florid.

What I particularly like about it, and this is important,

is that it's gilt wood, rather than gilt plaster.

Now, fortunately, there is a little bit of damage.

-I say fortunately because it enables us to prove that fact.

-Yes, yeah.

You can see quite clearly the ground wood.

-Now, the gilding is gold leaf.

-Really?

So it's important, as far as its value is concerned, that it

should be gilt wood, as I say, and not gilt plaster,

-and that's typical of what we would expect to find.

-Yes.

-I have got a pair.

-You've got a pair to it?

-Yes, yeah.

-That's great.

-That makes a big difference.

-Yes.

-A pair is always worth three times as much as one.

-One.

That's a fact, which sometimes throws us valuers, but it's true.

I think, erm, what will happen to this is that whoever buys it

will take out the print, throw it away, throw the glass away,

-and put a mirror plate in there. Convert it into a mirror.

-Yeah.

-The image inside, the print, is worth absolutely nothing.

-Nothing.

And, just imagine, this would look magnificent on a mantelpiece

-above a big fireplace in a Victorian house.

-Yeah.

It would look absolutely superb.

We need to think a bit about what its pair are worth.

I would like to estimate them £100-£150, with a reserve of £100.

Erm, not your cup of tea, perhaps not my cup of tea,

but there will be plenty of people out there who would like to own this,

even more, they'll want to own a pair, so I think we'll do all right.

-OK, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Before we head off to auction,

there's something I'd like to show you...

And what a family album it is.

Up there, that's Sir Humphrey Weld,

self-made man and esteemed London official,

followed by Humphrey II, his grandson,

who acquired the Lulworth estate in 1641.

The castle became the family seat,

a grand statement of the family's status - or so it seemed.

After Henry VIII's Reformation of the English Church,

when he broke away from Rome, things became tough for Catholics.

It was illegal for them to practise and the punishments were severe.

They faced heavy taxation and lost public office.

Anti-Catholic feeling was high, and any blatant show of faith

could lead to persecution or even worse, death.

Now, there was just one problem for the Welds - they were Catholics.

In other words, they were flouting the new religious laws.

It was to prove a dangerous position to take.

Humphrey lost his official positions,

and the financial repercussions left him bankrupt.

It was to be a familiar story for generations to come.

Despite these impositions,

the committed Weld family continued to worship secretly

in their own home, something that was fraught with danger,

and over there is a reminder of what was at stake.

This is known as recusant silver, the word "recusant" referring to

Roman Catholics who refused to attend an Anglican service.

Now, this is a chalice, a chalice with a difference.

It's a portable chalice, and I can show you why,

because it actually splits into three separate parts.

I can unscrew the bowl here, reason being,

this could be hidden inside a priest's cassock,

quite secretly, and then, once he felt safe enough,

it could be assembled

and then filled with wine.

Interestingly enough, on an item of silver of this quality,

you'd expect to see an assay mark and maker's initials,

but there's absolutely nothing.

I'd imagine the silversmith refused to identify himself

by stamping his initials in this,

through fear of being persecuted.

And there you are, look at that, a remarkable survivor

and a wonderful piece of history.

GREGORIAN CHANT PLAYS

With Catholicism outlawed, the Weld family lay low for 100 years,

but by the late 1700s, there was a softening of feeling towards

Catholics, and George III brought an easing of sanctions.

King George III visited the Weld family on several occasions,

whilst en route to Weymouth,

and on one particular visit, he gave the family his agreement

that they could build a mausoleum and furnish it as they pleased.

This is what they came up with. In other words,

it was a tacit acknowledgement by the King that they could

use this as a place of worship.

And what an amazing place it is,

a fine Palladian-style chapel,

perfectly symmetrical, complete with an altar

from one of the finest Russian architects of the time.

In 1789, George III visited the completed chapel.

The Welds finally had the approval

they had been seeking for so long.

Just two years later,

an act was passed to allow Catholics to worship freely,

making this the first freestanding Roman Catholic chapel in England

since the Reformation.

It might have seemed like a new beginning for the Welds.

By 1929, 140 years later,

the castle was the home of Herbert Weld,

and decked out in the latest interior designs of the day.

He was facing the same financial struggle that many

owners of grand country estates encountered shortly after

the First World War, but things were to get a whole lot worse.

At 9:30 on the 29th of August, the alarm was raised, as fire broke out,

probably caused by faulty wiring, and rapidly spread.

This amazing footage, caught at the time, shows the force of the fire

as it rampaged quickly through the building.

Different fire crews from the surrounding area rushed to

get here, and at first, they had the fire under control,

but they weren't the only ones on the scene.

Now, look at this, this is just one of many newspaper articles

printed at the time about the fire, and inside, it says

men from the Tank Corps School at Lulworth,

Roman Catholic priests, girl guides, farm labourers

and even schoolchildren helped with the salvage.

And soon, quickly, the lawns of the castle became strewn with

valuable pieces of furniture, pictures and books.

And Herbert Weld, looking on,

must have felt a slight sense of relief,

knowing that his place, and its contents, were about to be saved.

But things took a turn for the worse.

The height of the castle made it hard to access.

The towers acted like chimneys, drawing the fire upwards,

and fatally, the water supply ran out.

For 50 years, the castle remained a ruined shell,

until, in 1983, the Welds proved their staying power yet again,

joining forces with English Heritage,

to make the castle safe.

But what became of the contents?

Well, most of the recovered pieces were lost, due, really,

to a poorly drafted will, but the family are buying back works of art.

There's one piece I'd like to show you.

I'm absolutely in love with this. It's the original 17th-century door

to the original 17th-century hunting lodge.

And here we are, look.

And I like the way it's been hung to the wall,

so you can actually move it around like this.

It almost becomes a piece of sculpture,

but it's incredibly tactile, and it is full of history.

Just think of the people who'd have walked through this door

throughout its lifetime. And here it is, look,

it's a wonderful symbol of the Weld family's survival

through religious persecution and crisis,

and I'm sure, as one door closes for them, many more will open.

And now a quick reminder of what's going off to auction...

We've got Beverley's unusual early postal franks,

but will they be rare enough to send the bids through the roof?

There are the gold sovereigns belonging to Barbara's husband,

which she'd like to swap for a dress.

We have Shirley's lovely duo of Clarice Cliff

in search of a teapot-owning collector.

And Marianne's pair of Rococo frames,

which David and she agreed would make a more appealing mirror.

But what will the bidders think?

30 miles away is the small but perfectly formed town of Sherborne,

named by the Saxons "Scir Burne",

because of the clear stream running past.

Sitting next to pastures and rich lands, it appealed to settlers

from the Romans to the Saxons,

who liked it so much they built a magnificent abbey.

You can still see what's known as the Monks' Conduit,

in other words, their very own, but not entirely private, watering hole.

Well, no wonder the auctioneers, Charterhouse, settled here too,

which is where our objects are just about to go under the hammer.

And on the rostrum today is auctioneer Richard Brummel.

Selling at £280.

Just a quick reminder, if you're buying or selling at auction,

there is commission to pay. It varies from saleroom to saleroom.

Here, today, at Charterhouse, it's 15% plus VAT.

So factor that in to the hammer price, but also deduct that from

the hammer price if you're selling something, because it does add up.

First, it's time for those typical gold sovereigns,

owned by Barbara's husband. But, sadly, Barbara can't be here today.

But we do have our expert, Mr Mark Stacey...

-Thank you, Paul.

-..and you've valued plenty of sovereigns in your lifetime, haven't you?

-Well, we do see a lot of them.

-It's sort of standard fodder in the auction room.

-It is, it is.

And the price, obviously, is reflected in the current bullion prices.

-Exactly.

-So we've put, I think, a relatively safe £400-£500 for the four.

Which means they're going to sell, even if they go to scrap...

-Exactly.

-..because whoever buys them at, let's say, £500-£400

has got to pay commission, which is 15% plus VAT.

If you add that to £500-£400, they will still sell

-because they're tucked slightly under the bullion price.

-We hope.

Anyway, let's put these gold sovereigns to the test. Here we go.

And two half sovereigns, here. A lot of bids here.

I'm straight in at 350, 380, 400, 420, 450.

At 450, 480.

At 480 now. At £480. I sell it at £480. Your last chance.

Selling far away at 480, it sells at 480.

-Yes! Straight in.

-£480, top of the estimate.

£480, in and out.

-There's nothing more you can say, really.

-No. Job done.

And we hope that should at least buy Barbara a dress or two.

In a moment, Beverley's curious envelopes with those early form of stamps on them,

that David really prized, are going under the hammer.

But first, Richard has something to say about the HIGH valuation.

We've reduced the valuation of £600 down to £100,

because now we've had a chance to have a good look at them,

we can see that actually we've only got half the story.

We've just got the front of the envelopes,

the backs have all been cut off.

In addition to that, they've also been stuck down just in the corners,

so, as a result, they're worth a lot less than half a full envelope.

That's a shame, but Beverley's stoical about it.

-Now, you're happy still if you can get £100-£150.

-Yes, absolutely.

OK. Let's put it to the test, it's going under the hammer now.

Straight in here at £50, I have bid now at £50 with me,

at 50, 60, 70, 80, 90,

at £90 I have now, at 90.

£100 is bid, on the internet.

It's an internet bid, at £100 I have bid, at £100.

And 10, 120, competition. Someone else coming in here.

At 120 now, 120. At 120, 130.

At 130, 140. At £140.

Interesting little collection here. At £140 I sell.

Last chance, fair warning, 140.

Hammer's gone down, £140.

-Yeah, well, he knew, didn't he?

-He did, yeah.

He's had a bit more time to do research.

You do get put on the spot at the valuation.

I must say, I'm indebted to the auctioneer for doing the research.

It's just what we hoped he would do, and he's very kindly done that.

-We got the right valuation in the end, and we sold them.

-Absolutely.

And my embarrassment has turned to glee!

David, I wouldn't have done any better.

It's so hard to put a value on something like that.

It was really difficult, yes. No, I accept that.

-But we've had fun, haven't we?

-We've had a lot of fun, yeah.

It happens to the best of us, and proves the point, rare doesn't always mean valuable.

Now, how will David fare with his next valuation?

The pair of Italian pictures, brought in by Marianne

and friend Liz are about to go under the hammer.

I know they're yours, aren't they? I know you're best friends, but look, just there, look.

You're in the right place!

Hopefully, by the time we finish this chat, the hammer will go down

and someone will come along and go, "Yep, I'm having those, taking them home."

-You like these frames, don't you?

-I think the frames are amazing.

They're Italian.

-I think there'll be enough people here who will.

-Yes.

-Hope so.

-And I think they'll make great mirrors. Good luck!

-OK, thank you.

-Good luck, here we go!

They're going under the hammer now.

And I'm straight in there at £70, I have bid now.

70, 80, 90, 100, and 10.

-120, 130.

-Go on!

-140.

-At £140, front right, £140 bid now.

150, 160, 170,

180, 190, 200.

At £200 I have, still seated in the very front row, at £200 I have.

Fair warning, I sell the pair. Selling at 200.

-Yes! That's a good result.

-Thank you.

-£100 each, isn't it?

-Yeah, lovely, thank you.

It's a pleasure. I'm not always confident with my valuations,

-but I knew they'd do all right.

-Yeah.

-It's a decorator's piece.

-Yeah.

David, you're vindicated - a great price!

And those will surely end up on one satisfied customer's wall.

170, David's bid at £170, 170.

We love a bit of Clarice Cliff on the show,

but will this piece live up to its reputation?

We've got a bachelor set.

-Well, not quite, have we?

-No teapot, I'm afraid.

-No teapot.

-Just the cream jug and sugar bowl, but a great pattern.

-Mm-hm.

-A really strong pattern.

Why did you decide to bring it in to sell?

Fed up with it, now?

Like everyone else, you know, you have things for a long time

and then you just decide to get rid of them.

I'm hoping this'll do at least 100.

-You never know, someone might have the teapot...

-Lovely, if...

-It makes the set up.

-Yeah.

-Good for a dealer.

-Yes, it's a good trade lot.

Let's find out what the bidders think

and hand the proceedings over to our auctioneer Richard.

The lovely little Clarice Cliff

Orange Trees and House patterned milk jug

with a matching sugar bowl as well, and I've got a lot of bids here.

-I'm straight in here at £200.

-Oh...

-Someone's got the teapot!

-At 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300.

At £300, I have now.

At £300 I have bid now, at 300.

At 300, 320, 340.

At £340, I have bid now. At 340.

340. Didn't take long to get there.

-No, it didn't, did it?

-No.

Last chance, fair warning, I sell it at £340, at 340.

And that hammer's gone down. That was exciting, Shirley.

-That was a good sale.

-It was, wasn't it?

-Yeah, happy with that?

-I am.

I think you could go shopping with that. Buy something for yourself.

-Don't you?

-I don't know about that.

I'll think about that on the way home.

Go ahead, Shirley, treat yourself!

And now you and Mark can enjoy that nice cup of tea he promised.

Talk to anyone around here that lives near or on the sea, and makes their living from it,

and they'll tell you they have a healthy respect for it.

Well, respect is one thing,

but what about the volunteers who put their lives at risk,

day in and day out, saving people like you and me

that get caught out by the waves when we're swimming or sailing?

Well, I went along to one of the oldest lifeboat

stations along this coastline, in Lyme Regis,

to find out more about the volunteers, their history,

and what it's like to spend a day with them.

Well, I'm on the seafront here in Lyme Regis on a lovely sunny day

with the iconic Cobb just behind me there

in the distance to meet the men and women who provide

the totally voluntary service for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution

and I'm told my day starts right here,

outside this water sports shop, to meet a young chap called Murray.

-Hi, Murray!

-Hi, Paul, all right?

Murray has been volunteering with the RNLI for over two years.

This is the day job, I guess, so that's quite convenient really

because the lifeboat station's just over there

-so you don't have that far to go.

-About a two minute run.

Well, I'm going to spend the day with you so can I follow you around and you show me the ropes?

-Yeah, sure, come on down, I'll show you.

-Should we lock up first?

-Nah, we'll let somebody else bother about that.

-OK.

As a seafaring nation we've always been at the mercy of the waves.

So back in 1824 the charity the RNLI was created by philanthropist

Sir William Hillary to save the lives of those who got caught out by the sea.

Right from those early days, the men and women manning the boats

volunteered their time and the same is still true today,

since its formation, saving more than 140,000 lives.

The Lyme Regis station is amongst the oldest,

with 40 volunteers ready to drop everything when they get the call.

Joining Murray and I is Colin Jones, who has been doing this for 40 years.

What was life like back then, 40 years ago, Colin?

Erm, we had a very, very small station.

We didn't have drysuits, we had, basically, a pair of waders

and it would fill up with water and you were, basically,

-soaking wet in the middle of the winter with the snow.

-And that's no good, is it?

-No.

And also, because we used to push the boat into the water,

we probably couldn't speak for the first ten minutes.

In 1979, Colin put his local knowledge to the test

when he helped rescue a family who were on a small yacht,

the White Kitten, that was in severe trouble.

It was pretty rough.

Strange for that time of year, I had to move out to sea.

We were going in towards rocks so I sailed it out to seawards

for several miles and then set a course and brought it in.

They were firing white parachute flares off the end of the Cobb

-to guide me in.

-Wow.

-To give you an idea of the conditions,

as we came in to the harbour the rudder just snapped off.

-So we were very, very lucky.

-That is some story.

How do you feel when you hear a story like that?

I think at the moment, when you're in the moment,

you do what you need to do.

But to think what Colin went through with the kit that he's got,

we've got it a lot easier.

The boats have come a long way since White Kitten, so it's

pretty inspiring to hear what he went through, that's for sure.

Colin and his crew received the RNLI's bronze medal

for that rescue and Colin's in good company.

Since the lifeboats were launched here, the tally of medals is

one gold, six silver and three bronze for saving dozens of lives.

You've both put your lives at risk, day in and day out when

you get the call, and I know you've seen some difficult situations.

-Why do you do it?

-I've been by the sea all my life.

You get to respect the sea

and people sometimes underestimate its ability to catch you out

and that's why, in a sense,

because we work by the sea, we're willing to go and help them out.

Yeah. And what was your calling?

I windsurf and surf a lot and, erm, I kind of thought,

"Well, I expect somebody else to come and help me out when I'm in difficulties

-"and therefore I should put my hand up and do my part as well."

-Yeah.

And these volunteers certainly do that.

Over the course of one year across Britain

they went out on an average of 23 launches a day, rescuing 23 people

every day and the scenarios they might have to face are limitless.

Surfers in trouble, people cut off from the tide

and boats which have capsized amongst them.

And they wouldn't be able to do that without a lot of hard work

behind the scenes. Crucial to their operations is practice.

Here at Lyme the volunteers have to put in over 200 hours of training

before they become full seagoing crew,

learning boat skills, communications and navigation.

Well, I've been invited on an exercise

and the scenario is somebody has gone overboard, we don't know

the full extent, we haven't got a lot of information but we're getting kitted out.

This is a bear suit, this stops you from, sort of,

sweating like mad and getting too cold.

And then you've got to put these drysuits on.

-There is a sense of urgency, isn't there, guys?

-Yeah.

Let's face it, because speed is of the essence.

OK, go!

We have to get our skates on to try and launch within seven minutes

of our call-out, which would be the optimum response in a real rescue.

Now, that's going some. Gosh, it feels really real now.

Today, helmsman Elliott Herbert commands the rescue.

On land, he's with the town council.

At sea, he's been volunteering for 14 years.

All right, guys, we've been launched now, erm,

for a man overboard off a yacht approximately four miles off.

It's important everyone on board takes a role in the operation

and so I've been given my job for the day.

Once we get into the vicinity, Paul, I want you to keep a good lookout, OK?

OK.

-OK, guys, hold it on.

-Right, here we go.

-Hold it off.

-Elliott, wow, look at the speed of this!

-Here we go.

-Whoa!

An amateur like me wouldn't be able to go out on a real call-out,

known as a shout, but I've been given special permission

to see what volunteering involves.

Now, this really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For the purpose of this practice,

one of the RNLI volunteers is acting as a sailor who has

gone overboard his yacht, with a flare to alert rescuers.

Retrieving him will test the speed and the efficiency of their

rescue operation and it teaches new volunteers about the drill.

How long would you expect to survive the conditions like this?

With the correct equipment you've got a couple of hours.

-Without the correct equipment you've got minutes.

-Minutes.

-Absolutely, minutes.

So it's vital, really, that you guys can get there as quick as possible.

The 40 volunteers at Lyme are in good company.

There are 235 lifeboat stations nationwide

and an incredible 5,600 volunteering year round and I'm honoured

to be joining their company today to be shown how it's done.

OK, guys, so we're coming into territory now.

This is his last known position and, Paul, like I said, keep your eyes peeled now.

Eyes peeled.

Today, for this practice the weather is fine,

but imagine doing an actual rescue in storms or freezing-cold conditions.

There he is, look, there on the port side!

-Murray, Paul, do you want to get up the front, here?

-Yup.

-All right, guys, go on in neutral.

-OK.

Right the way down the boat, Paul. That's it. Are you all right, buddy?

Are you all right?

Ah, well done. Well done.

-Well, we'll get you back to harbour now and we'll get you a cup of tea. Get you warmed up.

-Grab a seat.

I know this was just a practice run but these guys do this

day in and day out for real, saving the lives of people like you and me.

They are the real heroes.

We're back at our valuation day venue, Lulworth Castle,

and Mark Stacey has found a whole crowd of new friends.

Joan One and Joan Two. I don't think I've ever had two Joans. I have now.

You've brought this lovely selection of Chinese items in.

-Are they yours, Joan?

-They're mine, yes.

-And what did you use them for?

For dinner parties. Yes. I didn't always use the 12. Mainly 8.

-But they were always used.

-As names?

-Yes, place names.

-And you've had some lovely dinner parties, have you?

-Oh, yes, yes, we used to.

I'm too old now to have them

but people don't have dinner parties any more, do they?

-Well, not so formal.

-No.

-Much more informal these days, aren't we?

You know. Now, where did you get them from?

-I got them from Hong Kong, they belonged to my mother-in-law.

-Right.

I lived there, we all lived together,

and when she died, of course, we took them over.

-And when was that, roughly?

-In the '60s.

I don't think they would have been made a lot before that, actually,

because they're simply marked underneath -

sterling, Hong Kong - and there's a little maker's mark, which

we haven't been able to find.

I think they probably date to the, sort of, 1940s.

-Yes, well, that's right, yes.

-That sort of period.

-That's right.

-And they're rather charming. Do you like them, Joan Two?

-I think they're very charming.

Now, well, if we have a little look at this figure,

I mean, you can see that they're all really modelled as

little Chinese characters in different agricultural and fishing pursuits.

This one happens to be holding two large forks, I suppose tilling the ground.

-And they've all got rather, sort of, cheeky faces, haven't they?

-Mmm.

And they're rather fun, a little bit of decoration.

I think they would have been made for people

who were ex-pats of visiting...

-Yes...

-the colonies then to take back with them as little

souvenirs and gifts.

Erm, I could certainly see them on my table if I was entertaining.

-I think they'd make everybody laugh and it would get conversation going.

-Yes, oh, absolutely.

Because people would say, "Oh, what have you got?"

And they could say, "Well, I've got somebody carrying milk,"

or whatever it is, do you know what I mean?

It's rather fun.

Have you seen them before? Because I haven't.

-Yes, we have seen them.

-You have seen them?

The Chinese were really good at producing these little

novelty items and normally they're a little bit older,

they go back to the end of the 19th century

or the beginning of the 20th century.

-But it's lovely that you've got a set of 12.

-Mmm.

What do you think they're worth, Joan One?

Well, I'd like to think they're worth £100 or £200.

I'd like to think, but they probably won't be, but they're so lovely!

Do you know, you're quite right.

I'm going to be a little bit meaner than that but only a little bit

because I think we've got to try and encourage the bidding to go on.

Right, yes.

So I'm going to fall back on

-an old auctioneer's cliche estimate...

-Mm-hm...

-which is 80 to 120.

-Right.

-And fix in the reserve at £80.

Because I think that will give them a chance

because at that sort of price maybe you'll find somebody will be

-bidding a bit too enthusiastically...

-Yes.

-..and we might get 120, 140 or something.

-Right.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes, I'd be quite happy.

And hopefully we can find a new home for them.

I'd love to put my name on them but I can't, unfortunately, because I'm not allowed to buy them.

But I look forward to seeing you both at the auction.

-Yes, I look forward to coming.

-See you soon.

Well, as they say, sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind

and with that valuation, I hope we'll lure in the bidders for such charming pieces.

Now, from whimsy to full-blown childhood fantasy.

Terry and Pamela, thank you for coming today.

-It's hardly open-car weather out there, is it, really?

-Certainly not.

But you've brought a coupe, or an open car,

with you and, of course, it's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

I remember it very well.

So, Terry, are you a collector of Corgi toys?

I used to be, yes, yes, until I moved house and I had to...

I got rid of them all because we were downsizing to a flat.

-OK, right.

-Because I had a big house.

-Right.

-My brother gave me this one.

-Oh, OK. So that was part of his collection?

-Yes.

-Right, I see.

So you bought these, your brother and you,

-as adults rather than as boys?

-Yes, yes.

Which explains why it's in such good condition.

I bought Dinky toys and Corgi toys when I was a boy,

a bit before this one was made, I hasten to add, and played with them all.

-So they all got smashed and I think most boys did, didn't they, really?

-Yes, they did.

So it's wonderful to see one in such good condition as this,

and in its original box.

-With the price on.

-With the price. 22/6, yeah.

Yes, that's £1... 2/6...

I can't remember, 12½ pence, isn't it?

So it was £1, 12½ pence.

It doesn't matter because it's worth an enormous amount more

than that now. So you're just thinning your collection out a bit?

It helps the old-age pension, I would say.

And you were happy to see the collection weeded out, Pam, were you?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-It was a whole roomful.

-A whole roomful, right, OK.

I see from the book you've brought along, not the original,

the book itself was written by Ian Fleming, wasn't it?

-I don't know.

-Was it?

-Yeah, the James Bond man.

-Oh, right!

So this was a bit of a departure, really, from his usual,

sort of, genre. And I see that the film starred Dick Van Dyke,

who I just about remember, and Benny Hill, the late, lamented Benny Hill.

-Mm-hm.

-Yes.

-So what a cast that was. Anyway, I'm digressing, really.

We need to think obviously about what it's worth.

Erm, it will help your pension a bit

-but it's not going to send you off on a world cruise, I'm afraid.

-No, no, we realise that.

Erm, but you expected that.

I would suggest an estimate of about 80 to 120, if that's OK.

-Can we have a reserve?

-I think a reserve of £80 will be OK.

-Yes, OK.

-Yes. And let's hope that we have a pleasant surprise. OK?

-Yes.

-So you're both in agreement?

-Yes.

-Good.

-OK.

-If I get £100 I'll buy you a drink.

Oh, I look forward to that, OK! Mine's a pint.

The collectors ought to be out in force for that Corgi toy

in pristine condition,

especially if they enjoy a trip down memory lane, like David and I.

Mark loves a trip down memory lane but on this occasion

he doesn't go quite as far back as the object he's examining.

And very interesting it is, too.

Liz, Carol, nice to see you.

Where did this charming Snaffles print come from?

It came from our father's home and, really,

-we didn't know much about it at all, did we? No.

-Well, he is quite well known.

This is a print, of course, that's the first thing to make clear,

this is a print but it is signed in pencil at the bottom

and Charles Johnson Payne is the artist but he's known as Snaffles.

And he produced a wide range of illustrations for magazines

and periodicals at the time,

from the early part of the 20th century onwards.

And mostly we see lots of hunting scenes and lots of rural life.

This is quite a humorous one.

Obviously we've got a hard-working famer there,

in his fields. It's just obviously harvest time, you know,

you've got everything going on.

And here are the bombers going over, obviously to do their duty,

as it were, and he's shouting after them, erm,

an expression of support with a naughty little word crossed off there.

We don't know what the word is, it's been censored.

Not on this occasion, I have to add, by the BBC.

-This was on the original print.

-Of course. Yes, yes.

We haven't tried to cover any rude words ourselves.

So we don't know what that is.

But it's full of that wartime patriotic spirit.

And they are quite collectable.

Did you know anything about the artist before you found it?

We have, sort of...

It was my son, who's in the Army, and he seemed to know the name.

He said, "I think he did some war paintings."

And so he had a quick look and found a few of his paintings. And that's all we know, really.

Well, he is a very well-known, a very famous artist in that period.

He died in the 1970s, I think.

And these are quite collectable, these prints, now.

It's in the original frame, it looks in good condition

but this has got a good, good feel about it.

They do come up for auction quite regularly so we can gauge the price.

They're normally estimated at around £300 to £500.

Something like that. So I think that would be a sensible estimate and reserve to put on them.

Maybe put the reserve at 300.

Yup. Are we going to go for it?

-Three?

-Yeah, OK.

There's a lot of discussion going on here.

But it's sensible to do it now before the auction.

I was going to say that, yes. Well, we've got another sister,

so we've got to do the right thing.

-I think we are, I think we should get over the £300.

-If we're lucky.

-Shall we go for three?

-Yup.

Three at fixed so we won't go a penny below 300.

-If you're happy we'll meet again.

-Right, OK, thank you.

Some sunny day at an auction house.

Yes, you will,

and hopefully with a nice big sale of this wonderful Snaffles print.

As the current owners of Lulworth Castle,

Wilfrid and Sally Weld, sadly can't be here,

they've asked their gardener Matt

to bring along a piece that survived their turbulent family history.

-Hi.

-What have you got on your lap?

Well, this is a leather-covered tabernacle.

It was originally in a private chapel of Hanwell Castle,

owned by George Berkeley,

who later went on to marry the owner of the estate here,

Wilfrid Weld's aunt Joan.

And when George sadly passed away, Aunt Joan sold Hanwell Castle.

-Right.

-And consequently, this came down here

and it's been here ever since.

So, what are they hoping to do with this?

Do they want to sell it or do they want a valuation, or what?

They want it to go somewhere where it's going to be appreciated

and, yeah, they want to sell it.

I mean, looking at it, you can tell by the grain straight away,

it's a pine carcass.

There's nothing wrong with that,

but it hasn't been built by a cabinet-maker.

It is crude. It's rather elementary.

It's been put together by somebody that's, let's say,

good with their hands, a DIY person, not a professional cabinet-maker.

That is the sad thing about it.

-And it's late 19th-century.

-Ah, right.

Hasn't got a great deal of age, but interestingly enough, the person

who has done the torque leather-work is a professional leather-worker.

Yeah, Mr Weld seems to think it might have

originated from Spain or Italy.

Now, that was going to be my next assumption.

-It's not English, it is continental.

-Right.

And being a tabernacle box, you would straight away say,

-yes, Spain or Italy...

-Uh-huh.

-..for the Roman Catholic Church.

But I do love the trailing grapevine, and fruit.

-I love that foliate work. I mean, it puts a smile on my face.

-Good.

And-and-and, I think if I like it, somebody else is going to like it.

-I think, if we put it into auction with a value of £100-£150.

-Oh, OK.

Fixed reserve at £100, I think you'll...

I think that's possibly more than they were expecting.

Well, then, that's good, we're singing from the same hymn sheet.

-That's OK, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Whatever happens, we'll get it away,

but it won't be enough to get you a new sit-on lawnmower.

OK...that's OK.

It's hard to say goodbye to this place,

especially surrounded by pastoral fields and jagged rocks,

but goodbye it has to be as we're going over to the

auction room for the very last time. Anything can happen, and here's a

quick re-cap of the items we're taking with us.

The delightful 1940s Chinese name-place holders

brought in by the two Joans are set at a price to sell.

Will this sleek as a thoroughbred Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

turn everyone's heads at auction?

There's the religious tabernacle

that's been in the Weld family for generations.

And hopefully the three sisters will get their fixed price of £300

and much more for the Snaffles classic.

First, it's time for the Weld family Italianate tabernacle,

brought along today by Mr Weld.

We had a fantastic valuation day.

-Good, good, I'm very pleased.

-It was just the best.

-So sorry to have missed it...

-Well, we had a big turnout, anyway.

..but I had to take my wife to France for her birthday.

It was expensive, yes.

Obviously, you can remember this little leather-covered box,

-can't you?

-Yes, it was left to me by my aunt,

who was 20 years older than my father, and was also my godmother.

And did you use the cupboard at all?

Oh, not really, no. My wife was...

she kept her gin in it, but...

A gin cupboard, I like that!

Well, look, it's...for me it's like an item of folk art, you know?

It's got everything going for it, let's see if we can find a buyer,

right here, right now. It's going under the hammer.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Here we are.

Little cabinet here,

and I'm straight in at 50,

60, 70, 80, 90.

At £90, I have, now.

-He's out on the book, come on, come on.

-£90, at 90.

Last chance, fair warning.

The bid is with me at 90, at 90...

Not quite there, it's a couple of pounds short.

-Yeah.

-So, it didn't reach the reserve, so we've protected it.

So, it's going home,

or you can have a chat to the auctioneer

and re-enter it into another sale if you want to.

-Yeah, I'll probably do that, yeah.

-OK.

And Mr Weld agreed to sell that after all,

with the proceeds going to a good local cause.

And now it's those name-place holders

with those lovely Chinese characters which would grace any table.

-Belonging to Joan and...Joan as well!

-Yes.

-The Joans are here.

-A right pair.

-They are.

I know you're related but you're also really good friends, aren't you?

Oh, yeah, absolutely, oh, yeah, certainly.

Well, we're going to find out what the bidders think in this

packed saleroom right now. This is where it gets exciting.

Anything could happen. Yeah. We could get that top end.

Or you could be taking them home.

If you take them home, you're going to throw a dinner party

and invite Mark and myself.

Oh! If they don't go, I'll take them home.

And I'm straight in at £50, is bid on that, £50,

here with me at £50 I have. With me the main bid at 50, 60, 70,

80, £80.

Seated at £80 I have now. At £80 I have an away, now.

Seat 80, 90 on the internet,

100 is bid. At £100, thank you, 100.

-At £100...

-On the internet!

-..110 on the internet.

At 110 internet bid gets it, £110 I have bid at 110,

-selling online at 110...

-GAVEL BANGS

-110.

-£110 sold online.

-Much better. That's actually quite good.

-Well, it was nearly the top end, wasn't it?

-Yes, yes, that's fine.

We're happy, Joan's happy, what a big smile! Happy, Joan?

-Yes, very well done.

-Absolutely, yes.

And we are too with a solid sale there.

Now, can we beat that with the truly scrumptious Corgi toy

so many children enjoyed, like me.

One of my favourite lots going under the hammer right now,

purely because I had this toy Corgi car when I was a young lad as well.

It's the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang one. It belongs to Terry and Pamela.

-Terry's not here today, Pamela, is he?

-No, he isn't.

He's left you in charge. OK.

Well, you're in safe hands, we have David here. I had this car.

Do you know, the first thing I did when my mum bought it for me?

-Rip the box apart, threw the box away and played with the toy.

-Of course, yes.

-Do not throw the boxes away, keep the boxes.

-Absolutely.

-Well,

let's find out what the bidders think, shall we? It's here to go.

It's going under the hammer now.

Pretty Chitty Chitty Bang Bang model here and along with the book...

You almost want to sing it, don't you?

..and we're straight in here at £50 I have bid now.

50, 60, 70 and at 80. Room bid at £80 I have, right at the back.

80, 90, 100. At £100, 110.

120, 130, 130 the front row, the very front row at £130 I have.

You're out at the back, the internet outselling,

-front row at 130...

-GAVEL BANGS

-Well!

-That's good, that is more than they're making at the moment...

-Really?

-..so I'm pleased with that.

-Yeah, I'm really pleased.

Good, excellent.

Another good sale and over David's estimate,

it's finally time for the print by famed illustrator Snaffles

owned by the three sisters who've all made it along today.

-Well, look, good luck all of you.

-Thank you!

And I'm sure you're going to have a little bit of a celebration

-later on.

-Oh, yes!

-We've got the champagne ready.

-Have you?

Right, here we go, it's going under the hammer now.

I've got a lot of bids here. I'm straight in here at £200, it's bid.

At 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300...

-We're going to go at 300.

-..320, 350, 380, 400, 420, 450. At 450.

-480, 500...

-We've got the reserve price.

-..550, 580, 600, and 20...

-It's climbing! This is the beauty of an auction, isn't it?

-..650.

-This is where it gets exciting...

-700, you're out, madam.

The internet is out, on the telephone, selling here at £700.

-Your last chance, selling at 700...

-GAVEL BANGS

-Brilliant!

-£700!

-Excellent!

-That's a good result.

-That's a great result, isn't it?

-Yeah!

Well that's a lot of money that you can celebrate with.

There is commission to pay, it's 15% plus VAT,

we all have to pay that but, look, go out and enjoy yourselves, won't you?

-We will!

-Thank you!

-And take care, thank you so much for coming in.

-Thank you!

-Thanks very much.

And that's what we like, a runaway sale!

Fantastic and plenty for the three sisters to share.

-It's in the room and I sell, selling at 300...

-GAVEL BANGS

Everyone has gone home happy and that's what it's all about.

See you next time for more fun in the auction room.