0:00:02 > 0:00:03Imagine this. It's the First World War.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Not only am I trying to fly this aircraft,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08but I'm also trying to take photographs of the ground below
0:00:08 > 0:00:11to pinpoint the advancing German army,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13whilst dodging bullets from a German fighter.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17All of this in a flimsy wooden aircraft with no parachute.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22Yes, stay with us, we are flying high. Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:43 > 0:00:47This has been called the birthplace of aerial power.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50We are at the RAF Museum at Hendon, in London.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54And today, it's opening its hangars to "Flog It!"
0:00:54 > 0:00:59The site was developed in 1911 and was known as the London Aerodrome.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01It became famous for setting up
0:01:01 > 0:01:03some of the first flying schools in the country
0:01:03 > 0:01:06and played a key role in the training of pilots
0:01:06 > 0:01:08to fly in the First World War.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13Today, the museum displays 100 aircraft in all shapes and sizes.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17And the star of the show has to be this Lancaster bomber
0:01:17 > 0:01:19from the Second World War.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22So where better than these historic hangars for our experts to
0:01:22 > 0:01:25test their mettle?
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And feeling at home beneath the cockpits is our man who loves
0:01:28 > 0:01:31a bit of history, Mark Stacey.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Made especially for Harrods.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Joining him with her sights on some treasures
0:01:35 > 0:01:38is the queen of the saleroom, Anita Manning.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39And already they are competing.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42It's a case of handbags at dawn.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Anita, I've found something for you. You love a bag.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46SHE LAUGHS
0:01:46 > 0:01:50When do they date from, Anita? About 1930, '50s?
0:01:50 > 0:01:521920s, 1930s.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Of course, you don't remember any of those days, do you, Anita?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58- Watch it! - THEY LAUGH
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I'm leaving while I still can.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And we've got a magnificent crowd here today,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09and some of them have already been stickered up. You have and you have.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12So good luck. We may see them later on in the show.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Everybody is laden with antiques and collectables
0:02:16 > 0:02:19here to see our experts, to ask that all-important question.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21- Which is? ALL:- What's it worth?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And if they are happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26- ALL:- Flog it!
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Right, it's chocks away! Let's get to the valuation tables.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Come on, everyone.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33There is no time to waste and plenty of room for this crowd,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37as they propel themselves past the historic planes.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Coming up...
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Anita sees some amazing photos of Hendon back in the 1930s.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48- It's made my day.- Thank you.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Mark's bowled over by an incredible picture.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55It's one of the most interesting items I've ever,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57ever filmed on a "Flog It!"
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And I learn about the ground-breaking work
0:03:00 > 0:03:05done by the brave young airmen who risked their lives in the skies.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Good luck, everyone. Fingers crossed.
0:03:11 > 0:03:12It could be you going off to auction.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15This is where their journey starts, at the valuation day.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18The lucky ones go through to the auction room.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20We just need to find them. And Anita has made a start.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24Here is her first item. And more importantly, our first owner.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30Jeffrey, Vivian. Tell me what we've got here.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34We've got two albums that were put together by somebody who
0:03:34 > 0:03:40was in the Air Force. A Gilbert... His initials were EDP.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44And his service number was 801356.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48And he worked here at Hendon obviously for some time.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50This is his notebook of the workshop
0:03:50 > 0:03:52and the laboratory records that he kept.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And at the same time, he took many photos,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57some of which were actually
0:03:57 > 0:04:01taken inside the hangars that we are sitting in at this very moment.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Tell me, how did you come by it?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Our son is a collector.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09So when I said we'd like to go to "Flog It!"...
0:04:11 > 0:04:12"Ah," he said,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15"I think I've got just the thing hidden away somewhere."
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And he turned up with this.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- It's made my day.- Thank you.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And we can see these marvellous photographs here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29"First flight. Hendon. February 17th, 1935."
0:04:29 > 0:04:33- So this may have been the first time that he flew.- Obviously.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Then if we turn over, we have here some pictures of air displays
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and aircraft.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44And here we have a demonstration of parachute testing
0:04:44 > 0:04:45by Virginia bombers.
0:04:45 > 0:04:51- So what we have really is a history of Hendon...- Yes.- Yes.- Absolutely.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54..in photographs taken personally
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- by a young man who worked here... - Yes.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01..and who was obviously passionate about aviation.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I think he was actually in 601 Squadron.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We don't know much about him but that we think we do know.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09And here you can see this hangar we're sitting in...
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- This is this hangar! - It's where we are now, yes.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Airmen's sleeping quarters.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19So it was obviously used as a very cold bedroom at some point.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24Jeffrey, do you have a connection with the Air Force, with aircraft?
0:05:24 > 0:05:26I was a national serviceman.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31I did my National Service and I was based Northolt.
0:05:31 > 0:05:32I was ground crew.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Part of the time I used to marshal the aircraft
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and start them with a battery axe,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41which you used to insert just behind the propellers.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Then you had to remove it,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45by which time, the propellers were whizzing round
0:05:45 > 0:05:49and you had to be very careful that you didn't go anywhere near them.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51That was quite frightening, I have to say.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54- That's where he lost his hair. - THEY LAUGH
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Vivian, did you know him at this time?
0:05:56 > 0:05:59No, no, no. A long time afterwards.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02This would have been before the Second World War.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06And it was really in the Second World War that the Air Force
0:06:06 > 0:06:08- came into its own.- Absolutely.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13- If we put it somewhere, say between 100 and 200.- Right.- Yes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16It's not often that I'm really lost for words,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19and I feel quite moved that you've brought this along today,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21so I thank you very much for that.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- It will be interesting to see what happens to it.- Absolutely.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- Thank you so much.- Thank you again, folks.- Lovely to have met you.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32It's amazing to think our valuation day is being held within
0:06:32 > 0:06:37the same walls as those photos dating back to the 1930s.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40And Mark is hard at it, and look what he's found.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45- Jane.- Hello.- You have brought in the most marvellous drawing.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Please tell me where you got it from.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52I bought it at an auction about 45 years ago.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55So you obviously fell in love with it at the auction.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- I just looked at it and I got it with another.- By the same hand?- No.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01- Somebody else?- Somebody else.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05We've done a little bit of history on the artist. And...
0:07:05 > 0:07:08The hairs at the back of my neck are going up because this guy,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Matthias Buchinger, also known as Matthew Buchinger, was German.
0:07:12 > 0:07:19He was born in 1674 without hands or lower legs.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20And yet, he painted.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24In fact, there was a self-portrait that he drew of himself.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28And on close inspection, the curls of his hair were
0:07:28 > 0:07:31seven biblical psalms and the Lord's Prayer.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- I don't believe it. - You wouldn't believe it.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It is said that he painted with his fin-like arms.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- But, I mean, look at the detail of this.- I know.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41And it's so of that period,
0:07:41 > 0:07:45that late-17th-, early-18th-century period.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47I love these sort of cherubs here.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Including the fat one seated here.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And then you got this very delicate arch with these lovely,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55classical columns coming down.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58You've got a figure of a bishop here.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And another gentleman or saint here.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05I mean, it is just breathtaking.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I love it.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09When you bought it, did you know what you were buying?
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Was it catalogued properly?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12No, I didn't know what I was buying.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17In fact, I really think that the other picture was the one I wanted.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Really?- This came as an added extra.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23So you paid very little for it, I presume, 40-odd years ago?
0:08:23 > 0:08:28- I think the reserve was about £60 for the two pictures.- Gosh!
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I mean, you obviously have an eye for these things
0:08:31 > 0:08:34because this is 300 years old.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- It's wonderful, isn't it?- It is.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41You know, I think if I was putting that into auction, I would say to
0:08:41 > 0:08:43you, "Let's put it in hopefully
0:08:43 > 0:08:46"at a tempting estimate of £200 to £300."
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Maybe with a reserve of £200.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54The reserve can be up to you, fixed or discretionary.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55I think a bit of discretion.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Yes, 10%. If we get up to 190 or something,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- it would be a shame to lose the sale on the day.- Yes.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06I'm really hoping, Jane, actually, that people will respond to it
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and see what a magical work of art this is.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Hopefully, you know, it might surprise us.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15It's one of the most interesting items I've ever,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17ever filmed on "Flog It!"
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- So I'm thrilled to be part of it. - Nice.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Buchinger achieved fame in England during the 1720s
0:09:24 > 0:09:27as an artist, musician and card player.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29His engraved self portraits make
0:09:29 > 0:09:32no attempt to hide his physical differences.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And he performed shows for the upper classes, including royalty,
0:09:35 > 0:09:40which challenged his audiences' thoughts about a limbless person.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I've left the hustle and bustle of the historic hangar
0:09:43 > 0:09:47for a wing of the museum which celebrates the work of
0:09:47 > 0:09:52a real pioneer who believed flight was more than just science fiction.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54His name is Claude Grahame-White
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and he ranks alongside some of the great pioneers of early
0:09:58 > 0:10:04aviation, like Sir Tommy Sopwith and Captain Sir Geoffrey De Havilland.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06This is a replica of his office.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10And it's been painstakingly recreated as a tribute to a man who
0:10:10 > 0:10:14firmly believed that planes would one day circumnavigate the globe.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Always a fan of speed and adventure,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20he learned to fly in France. And in 1910,
0:10:20 > 0:10:24he entered a competition to fly from London to Manchester.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27He was beaten by the Frenchman Louis Poulain,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30but competing gave him valuable publicity
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and he bought a site at Hendon in 1911
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and set up a flying school.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39A recording made back in 1954 looking back on his life
0:10:39 > 0:10:43shows just how much he believed in the potential of aviation.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Just listen to this.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47'We also had meetings at night
0:10:47 > 0:10:52'when the planes went up festooned with flashing electric lights.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56'We even had demonstrations of bomb dropping at a dummy battleship
0:10:56 > 0:10:58'erected on the aerodrome.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02'But people at that time regarded a flying machine as unlikely to
0:11:02 > 0:11:05'be of any use in war, or indeed,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09'to influence in any way the future of transport.'
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Grahame-White was a visionary.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14So much so that his site was commandeered by the Admiralty
0:11:14 > 0:11:17for training during the First World War.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20White himself flew reconnaissance missions, but after a serious
0:11:20 > 0:11:24accident in 1915, his wife banned him from flying.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29He later turned his energy to property and speedboats.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Although he did a great deal to show people that aircraft would be
0:11:33 > 0:11:35a superb commercial prospect,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39he never really gained the recognition he deserved.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43But to those in the crowds watching the Grahame-White circus, he proved
0:11:43 > 0:11:47to be much more than just a man in his magnificent flying machine.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Back to the here and now, where Anita - like a magpie -
0:11:57 > 0:11:59has gone straight for the bling.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- Catherine, welcome to "Flog It!" - Thank you very much, Anita.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08This is an interesting thing that you've brought along here.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12It's a retro watch from the 1970s.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Tell me, where did you get it?
0:12:14 > 0:12:15It belongs to my mother,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18but she got it from her aunt who lived in America,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21who died and left her all her jewellery.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Can you remember your auntie?
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Yes, very well indeed. - Was she a stylish sort of woman?
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Yes, she was. Yes.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29Clothes, jewellery and so on.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Clothes, jewellery, her husband was an interior designer so...
0:12:33 > 0:12:38- Right. It's a Boucheron, which is a French make.- Right.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44This would have been sold in the high-end Parisian jewellers
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and watchmakers.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We've got a good make there.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- It's also made in 18-carat gold. - Yes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56And that is the important thing...
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- Right.- ..in today's market.
0:12:58 > 0:13:06But...I feel that the watch has bags of style about it.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10On the surface of it, it appears very, very simple.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13It's almost like a bracelet.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18But you have this tiny little bark detail on it. And I like that.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22The watch face is tiny.
0:13:22 > 0:13:27This is a negative aspect because it's very hard to see the time
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- unless you are about 18. - THEY LAUGH
0:13:30 > 0:13:32But it still is a watch.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And it's in working order, as I see.
0:13:35 > 0:13:42There is a great revival of interest in jewellery from the 1970s.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46And I think that this might fall into that category.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50So I'm hoping that we are attacking it from two angles here
0:13:50 > 0:13:53rather than just the gold one.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57I would like to estimate it at 700 to 900
0:13:57 > 0:14:01and I would also like to give the auctioneer
0:14:01 > 0:14:04a small piece of discretion.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07How much discretion do you give them? About 10%?
0:14:07 > 0:14:08About 10%.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09Yeah, OK.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11Listen, I'll be there rooting for it
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and hoping that there's '70s gals there.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Because it is becoming fashionable now.- Yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20But it's a great item. Thank you very much for bringing it in.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Thank you very much indeed.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25We'll see if it's time to get out of the flares.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Mark's alighted on a colourful vase, but it's not all it seems.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35Jill, Ray, you've brought in a wonderful vase to show us.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- Mm-hmm. Thank you.- Very interesting, where did you get it from.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43From my mum. She inherited it from my great aunt
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and then when she died, Mum gave it to me.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- Oh, wonderful. And you've loved it? - I don't think she liked it much. No...
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- You don't like it?- No! - You don't like it?
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Doesn't fit in with your home at all.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I love it. I love the simplicity of it
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and when I first saw it, I thought, "This is by Della Robbia."
0:15:00 > 0:15:04A very small factory based in Birkenhead in Liverpool
0:15:04 > 0:15:07who produce this wonderful sort of Art Nouveau, arts and crafts,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10handmade, beautiful pottery.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13But, since looking at it, we've discovered it's by
0:15:13 > 0:15:17an Italian artist with the most wonderful name -
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Giovanni Carlo Valentino Manzoni
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Right.- Now, he started in Turin
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and he travelled over Europe and America and settled
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- in Chelsea in London.- Oh, really?
0:15:30 > 0:15:33And he was a neighbour of Conrad Dressler
0:15:33 > 0:15:36who co-founded the Della Robbia factory.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- Oh!- So, there is a connection there with Della Robbia.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44It didn't work out and Manzoni started his own business
0:15:44 > 0:15:49producing wonderful, simple patterns like this, which I love.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51And this is dated as well. 1896.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55That's just after he left the Della Robbia factory.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59It's almost Grecian. I think it's wonderful.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02I know you don't, but I absolutely love it.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- Ray, what do you think of it? - I love it.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07You love it?! Then why are you letting her sell it then?
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- It's Jill's item, so...- It's mine.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- You know? Lady's choice.- Well, I think that's so magnanimous of you.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18- There's a little bit of damage, somebody's bashed it a bit there. - Mm.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20But, of course, if you turn it round,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- You don't see it at all.- No. - It's like magic.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It was there, now it isn't.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Now, you've got to be realistic because the market fluctuates for these.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31My gut feeling
0:16:31 > 0:16:35is a wide estimate of between £100 and £200.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And fix a reserve of £100.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40So we won't sell it below £100
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and hopefully that will attract the right bidders.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- Yeah...- What do you feel about that?
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- Yeah, that would be great. - Would you be happy with that? - Yeah, definitely.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I love this piece and I've learnt a lot about Manzoni
0:16:52 > 0:16:55so, if I... If nothing else, I can go away having learnt something.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- You could buy it! - If only I was allowed to,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I would happily buy it, but, sadly, I'm not.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08And, now for a piece of local interest.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25The great and the good and the not-so-good
0:17:25 > 0:17:28are all buried here - people from all walks of life.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31There are philosophers, artists, poets,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35authors, buried alongside bare-knuckle fighters,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37punks and even one of the great train robbers.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39There are no class distinctions here.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44People who may never have met in life now lie side by side in death.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51This is Highgate Cemetery in North London.
0:17:51 > 0:17:57There are 53,000 graves housing 170,000 people here.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01It was opened by the London Cemetery Company
0:18:01 > 0:18:04in 1839 to meet a huge demand
0:18:04 > 0:18:07for more space to bury the dead.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Highgate is on a hill, and in the 1830s,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13this whole area was on the outskirts of London,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16away from the burgeoning population.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Now, the census records show us in 1801,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22the city had a population of nearly 1 million people.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26But, by 1841 with the movement of the Industrial Revolution
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and everything moving full-tilt at such a pace,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31that population had doubled
0:18:31 > 0:18:34making London the largest city in the world.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37In the poorer areas, there was overcrowding
0:18:37 > 0:18:41and poor sanitation - a perfect breeding ground for diseases
0:18:41 > 0:18:44like cholera, typhoid and scarlet fever.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48And, in those days, there was no health service.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51In 1840, 125 people were
0:18:51 > 0:18:54dying in London each day.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57England's capital was bursting at the seams,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59both with the living and the dead
0:18:59 > 0:19:03and the city's graveyards couldn't cope with the mounting number of dead.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05So, a solution had to be found.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The answer was more places of burial.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Highgate was one of eight cemeteries
0:19:11 > 0:19:13set up within a ring around the outskirts of the city.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I'm meeting up with Ian Dungavell
0:19:26 > 0:19:30of the Friends of Highgate Cemetery Trust to find out more.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35So, how did the Cemetery operate?
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Well, it was a private company, so it was set up to make a profit.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43You had to sell the most prestigious graves for the biggest price,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46so they were in prominent positions around the front of the paths.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- And...- Sort of small architectural statements in themselves?
0:19:50 > 0:19:54They were, and they're actually quite individual, so there's all sorts of different styles around.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57You would have a grave which suited how you saw yourself in the world,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01sometimes even with your address on it to show what sort of classy person you were.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And then there's the second round,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05so these are people that had less money,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08those are still private graves, but row upon row of them.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13If you were a commoner, you could be buried in graves 30-feet deep,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- put below paths.- So, that's one on top of the other.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- And...- And then below a path?
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Below a path, so you got trodden on as well.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22THEY LAUGH
0:20:22 > 0:20:24It was all about money. So, they crammed them in,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and, eventually, when the Cemetery was full, they ran out of space,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30they ran out of money, they locked the gates and went bankrupt
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and then the Cemetery was taken over
0:20:32 > 0:20:34by a charity and we look after it today.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39The Cemetery is on two sides. The West Side was used first.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42However, it filled up so quickly,
0:20:42 > 0:20:46that within just 15 years of Highgate opening,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48the owners bought more land to the East
0:20:48 > 0:20:51which almost doubled the Cemetery's size.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56Like all cemeteries, Highgate has its fair share of architectural statements
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and famous people, and, indeed, many
0:20:58 > 0:21:01of these tombstones tell their own story.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03For instance, this is the largest
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and grandest of all the privately-owned monuments.
0:21:10 > 0:21:16It's an exceptional family tomb with breathtaking design and poignancy.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Just look at this.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23It was commissioned by Julius Beer, a newspaper owner
0:21:23 > 0:21:26for his little daughter Ada, and there she is there,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29who sadly died at the age of eight from scarlet fever.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32No expense was spared. This is a
0:21:32 > 0:21:35real show of love and tenderness.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48But it wasn't just the wealthy who were given symbolic tombs.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52I like the dog, the faithful dog guarding the tomb,
0:21:52 > 0:21:53whose tomb is that?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55That's the tomb of Tom Sayers who is
0:21:55 > 0:21:59the most famous Victorian bare-knuckle fighter.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02This was the largest working-class funeral of the 19th century.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07And Lion followed the hearse in his own carriage as the chief mourner -
0:22:07 > 0:22:11It was a really amazing sight. Over 100,000 people lining the route up from Camden Town.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And I'd imagine this was frequently visited back in the day?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16It certainly was. It's always been
0:22:16 > 0:22:18one of the most visited graves in the Cemetery.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22And, on the day of the funeral of course, there were thousands of people around...
0:22:22 > 0:22:24What did they do?!
0:22:24 > 0:22:26They were making all sorts of noise, sitting on graves,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29it caused quite a scandal at the time because it was like
0:22:29 > 0:22:31the working classes had invaded
0:22:31 > 0:22:34the most famous middle-class Cemetery of the country.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Class was no obstacle.
0:22:36 > 0:22:41Money was key and that's why there's such a diverse mix of people here.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44From the revolutionary socialist Karl Marx
0:22:44 > 0:22:47to the great train robber Bruce Reynolds.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52And each grave reflects the achievements of those in them.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Do a lot of people want their own graves personalised?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57I think it's always about the person
0:22:57 > 0:22:59rather than having a catalogue design
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and one of the most interesting ones we've got of the modern period
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- is the artist Patrick Caulfield. - Yes, I know him.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08His monument is a great big slab of stone with the letters
0:23:08 > 0:23:11D-E-A-D, dead just punched through.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13It's really very striking.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15That's very simple. It's quite minimalist.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18It's absolutely unique, there's nothing else like it anywhere else.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21It's also nice to reflect on our own mortality and it's
0:23:21 > 0:23:24hard not to think about how you're going to be remembered
0:23:24 > 0:23:26as you're walking along the paths here.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29I think you're right, actually. I do question my own when I'm walking around.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32I'd like to end up here, touch wood.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33THEY LAUGH
0:23:33 > 0:23:38- How much does it cost?- Well, it depends whether you're going to be full buried or cremated, so...
0:23:38 > 0:23:42- I want a proper one.- A proper one... Oh, £10,000, £15,000,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45but, it's Location, Location, Location, isn't it?
0:23:53 > 0:23:58This Cemetery is probably one of the most famous in the world.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Its history, its architecture, the people that are buried here
0:24:02 > 0:24:04make it a fascinating place to visit.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07But the story doesn't end there.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's more than just a tourist attraction.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14It's a peaceful place, a place of contemplation and reflection.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25We've got our first four items, now we're taking them off to the sale.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28But before we close those cabin doors,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31here's a quick recap of all the things we are taking with us.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35The pride and joy of an RAF serviceman.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37The photo album with its history
0:24:37 > 0:24:39of Hendon will appeal to those
0:24:39 > 0:24:41interested in aviation,
0:24:41 > 0:24:42so fingers crossed.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Then there is this incredible illustration by an artist
0:24:46 > 0:24:48whose disability was
0:24:48 > 0:24:49no obstacle to his talent.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53And what about this stylish '70s cocktail watch?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55With kitsch from this decade
0:24:55 > 0:24:56in vogue again,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58we should have some interest.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01There's the colourful vase from an Italian designer.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07We're heading south now, across London,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10towards the River Thames for our auction today.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11We're at Chiswick Auctions
0:25:11 > 0:25:14and on the rostrum, in charge of the gavel,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17is trusty auctioneer William Rouse.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Remember, if you are buying or selling at auction
0:25:19 > 0:25:21there is a commission to pay.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Here at the Chiswick auction rooms, it's 15% plus VAT.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28But these prices do vary from saleroom to saleroom.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31So check the details. They are normally printed in the catalogue.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Or ask a member of staff because it does add up.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36So don't get caught out.
0:25:36 > 0:25:3760. Five. 70...
0:25:37 > 0:25:41First up, we've got national serviceman Jeff.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Vivian and Jeff, great to see you again.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46And I must say, I love the blue. I love what you are wearing.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48That is such a good blue colour.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50- You're both in blue.- Well, yeah.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- It's a team effort.- Yes!
0:25:52 > 0:25:55We are just about to sell the two photo albums.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It's really the early history of RAF Hendon.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59- Some of it.- Some of it, yes.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03This kind of thing is so hard to put a price on. It really is.
0:26:03 > 0:26:04We've put £100 on it.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09It really is a piece of history and I found the whole story of it
0:26:09 > 0:26:11just absolutely fascinating.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14There is research there for somebody to do if they are interested.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Exactly, yeah. Fingers crossed they fly.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17Here we go.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Two albums and a training manual.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24A lot of interest in this lot, I'm pleased to report.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I'm straight in on £140.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30£140 to start.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32150 I'll take in the room.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35At £140 on commission bid.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Thank you, 150. I've got 160.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41170. 180.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43190 in the corner of the room.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45At 190. Against my commission bid.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48190. Are we all finished?
0:26:48 > 0:26:49It's selling.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- £190.- That's good.- Right.- Very good.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Well done, and thank you for bringing that in.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55It was our pleasure.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Hopefully, that was bought by someone who loves aeroplanes
0:26:58 > 0:27:01as much as the serviceman who took the photos.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Next up, Jill and Ray, the husband
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and wife who don't always share the same tastes.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Divided opinion here.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- It's got to go.- It's mine, anyway, so...- You've put your foot down.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15We've got to go, definitely got to go.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Let's fine out what the bidders think right now, here we go.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Nice vase, in good condition, and, what's it worth?
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I'm bid £65, not enough, £70, I'll take in the room.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30- It's a start, if we get it.- Come on! - 65, 70, 75.
0:27:31 > 0:27:3380, 85.
0:27:33 > 0:27:3590, 95.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40- Bid on the internet.- Was it? - £100 on the internet, at 100.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43110 on the internet. 120.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46120 on the internet for it at 120.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Anybody in the room? No?
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- At 120 on the internet... - It's going to be selling.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55GAVEL BANGS
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- He sold it, didn't he?- 120.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Bit disappointed. I would like to have made it near the 200.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03- But that's the market, I suppose, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05The current market for them.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Could have done a bit more, but, look, it's gone within estimate.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Great news for Jill who has finally got this out of the house.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Now, was Anita right about the '70s revival?
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Catherine, good luck. I could say time is up for your little watch.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23- Would you wear it? - It's got bags of style.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28- It's from the 1970s and that style of jewellery is coming back in.- Mm.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31But it's got a tiny, tiny, tiny little face.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33- You can't really read it. - It's too small.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35We are going to find out what the bidders think now with
0:28:35 > 0:28:36this 1970s cocktail watch.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38It's going under the hammer. Here we go.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Lot 493, the Boucheron 18-carat gold lady's cocktail watch.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Nice thing.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45There we go. What's it worth?
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Start me at £500.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49550. 600.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- 650 is bid in the room.- 650.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54In the room at 650.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57He's on the phone.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59How much are we asking for William?
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Do you like 700? - Would you like 700?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06- Yes. - That was worth waiting for them.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Oh, the suspense.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- 750 is bid.- Yes!- Right.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12This is good. 750.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15800. At £800 on the telephone.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16With you at 800.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18I think we are done.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- Yes!- Yeah. £800. Wasn't that great? - Thank goodness!
0:29:22 > 0:29:23What a tense moment that was.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I knew this was going to be a rollercoaster ride today.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28420. 440. 460.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Things are hotting up now, but what about our next lot?
0:29:31 > 0:29:33This is a hard thing to value.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37- It's extraordinary, 18th century... - I adore it.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40It's our sort of thing, it's a proper antique.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43It is a proper antique and I think it's the oldest thing in our sale today.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- Really?- Oldest, certainly.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47So, look, good luck with that, here we go, this is it.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51565 is this rather unusual picture.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53Start me at £150 to go for it.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56150 is bid, 160.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00170. 180. 190. 200.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02- 210.- Oh, good.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06210, there in the doorway. 220. 230.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08240. 250.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- In the room at 250.- (Well done.)
0:30:10 > 0:30:13260. 270.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15280. 290.
0:30:15 > 0:30:16300. 320.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19360 on the internet. In the room now at 480.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23£400 on the internet. 420 in the room.
0:30:23 > 0:30:24440 on the internet.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26460 on the internet.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28480 in the room.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- 520 on the internet. - I can smile now. This is it.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33In the room at 540.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- 560.- Yes!- 580.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Are you all finished and done then?
0:30:38 > 0:30:40- £600 on the internet.- Yes!
0:30:40 > 0:30:42At £600. I'm going to sell it for 600.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44It goes...
0:30:44 > 0:30:45£600, Jane.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47That's brilliant, isn't it?
0:30:47 > 0:30:49That's just wonderful, isn't it?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Quality always sells, and we sell it time and time again.
0:30:52 > 0:30:53You had some quality, you brought it in.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56And you've made quite a bit of money out of that, haven't you?
0:30:56 > 0:30:57Thank you very much.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01No, thank you for bringing us such a unique item to Flog It!
0:31:01 > 0:31:033,700 on the telephone.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Some great results there at the auction.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08And we'll be back here a little later for more excitement.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10At 140, we go.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20There's still so much to discover here at the RAF Museum at Hendon.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Each plane tells a story.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25And this iconic symbol of the Second World War -
0:31:25 > 0:31:28the Lancaster bomber - was a key player.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33The fleet carried out more than 150,000 bombing sorties.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39Much of the technology you see here today was developed nearly
0:31:39 > 0:31:43three decades earlier, out of sheer desperation and necessity.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46Then, the First World War was upon us.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50And new ways of finding and fighting the enemy were called for.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52The war effort took to the skies
0:31:52 > 0:31:56and it was an often shaky and deadly start.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Contrast the Lancaster bomber that we've just seen,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07with all its heavy metal and four engines, with this.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09It's incredible to think that this is
0:32:09 > 0:32:13the type of aircraft our pilots were flying in 1914.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17It's made of wood and it's exposed to the elements.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20And there's no sign of any guns to deter the enemy.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24In fact, it looks too light to carry any guns.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29The era between 1914 and 1918
0:32:29 > 0:32:32marks a key turning point in aviation history.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36And a new exhibition here at the museum shows what incredible
0:32:36 > 0:32:39innovators there were among the early pioneers
0:32:39 > 0:32:40during the First World War.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44Let's not forget, there was still no Royal Air Force.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47The design and the development of aircraft was down to just
0:32:47 > 0:32:49a few brave men.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Britain's air services were run by two organisations -
0:32:53 > 0:32:56the Royal Flying Corps, which was linked to the Army,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58and the Royal Naval Air Service.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01They were small units with just 1,000 people in each.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Curator Adam Shepherd, who has put the exhibition together,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08is here to give me an insight into those incredibly brave men
0:33:08 > 0:33:10and their flying machines.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12So, who was taking to the sky in those early days?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14A wide range of people, really.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16People were doing it primarily for fun.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17They were daredevils.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21They wanted to learn how to fly, see the world from a different angle.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23A pioneering sort that could afford to do it.
0:33:23 > 0:33:24Oh, yes, yeah, yeah.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It would cost you about £75 to take flying lessons.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30- That's about £6,000 in today's money.- Which is a lot of money.
0:33:30 > 0:33:31It's very expensive, yeah.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35There was no idea of reconnaissance or battle use or anything like that?
0:33:35 > 0:33:39No. It was exciting activity. You did it for the sport, for the joy.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42People didn't realise it was going to be something that was
0:33:42 > 0:33:44going to be used in a war.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46When were aircraft first used for reconnaissance?
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Aircraft had been used for reconnaissance
0:33:48 > 0:33:51before the First World War, where the first British pilots to
0:33:51 > 0:33:54actively go out and seek the enemy were the Royal Flying Corps.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59- Mmm-hmm.- They flew over German positions and sent messages back
0:33:59 > 0:34:00to their commanders.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02We have here a sketch.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05It was produced by a reconnaissance pilot at the start of the war.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09- Mmm-hmm.- And it shows German positions at Mons in August 1914.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12It enabled the British Army to avoid being encircled.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14So it's a critical moment at the start of the First World War.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Defining moment for the Royal Flying Corps.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18That's where they learned their trade.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21And would that literally be put in some kind of canister
0:34:21 > 0:34:24- and dropped over the side? - Yeah, they used streamers.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Little weighted bag with a lead weight in it. They would drop it...
0:34:28 > 0:34:30- Fantastic. Hey presto!- Yeah.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- Early reconnaissance.- Yeah.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38We weren't the only ones in the skies.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42The Germans had developed airships, including zeppelins, for air travel.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46And with Britain ill-prepared for attack from above,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49the Germans turned these airships into bombers.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Air strikes using aircraft and zeppelins
0:34:52 > 0:34:55killed more than 1,000 people.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57And they cast a menacing shadow.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01It was thanks to the efforts of this man,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05that Britain was able to fight back.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11In September 1916, he was flying an aircraft similar to this one, the
0:35:11 > 0:35:15BE2, when he downed a German airship that was flying over Hertfordshire.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18The bullets he fired set fire to it.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Not only did Robinson win the Victoria Cross for his valiant
0:35:21 > 0:35:24effort, but he also proved that aircraft could be
0:35:24 > 0:35:28used for a lot more than just simply reconnaissance.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Modifications were made to the plane,
0:35:31 > 0:35:33including adding an extra fuel tank.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36And with the newly-developed incendiary bullets,
0:35:36 > 0:35:40capable of igniting the highly-flammable hydrogen-filled
0:35:40 > 0:35:45airships, these light planes were turning into fighting machines.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51It wasn't just aircraft that were becoming more technically advanced,
0:35:51 > 0:35:55pilots were too, thanks to early flight simulators.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59And this is a reconstruction of one, based on a rocking fuselage
0:35:59 > 0:36:04developed by Lanoe Hawker, who learned to fly right here at Hendon.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06And I'm going to have a go.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Obviously, this is the joystick.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11You've got your feet in the pedals here.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Are we ready for takeoff?
0:36:13 > 0:36:16I guess we push this little red button to free it up.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17And away we go.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Whooo! HE LAUGHS
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Actually, it's incredibly responsive!
0:36:23 > 0:36:27It may look naive and simple, but it gets you used to banking
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and holding a straight line.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34And it's, well, it's relatively easy here at ground level,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37but could you imagine learning to fly for the first time
0:36:37 > 0:36:40and you're doing this 200 feet up in the air?
0:36:40 > 0:36:43That is quite frightening.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47Pilots found ingenious methods of improving their flying skills.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50This archive shows a mock cockpit up a tree.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Now that's what I call a flight simulator.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56It didn't stop there. New ways were found to attack the enemy.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Talk me through some of the early weaponry.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Yeah, the Lewis gun was a standard infantry machinegun
0:37:04 > 0:37:07used in the British Army. This is an ammunition drum.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10These weapons weren't attached to aircraft at the start of the war,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13but by the end of the war, they had become standard issue.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Louis Strange was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17He had learned to fly at Hendon.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20He decided, when he flew across to France at the beginning
0:37:20 > 0:37:23of the war, that he would fix a machinegun to his aircraft.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24- Sensible chap.- Yes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28So he knew what was going to happen. He was subsequently proved right.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Within a few months, aircraft were strong enough to carry machine guns,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35and they were taking machine guns out on fighter operations.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37I mean, it was pretty close, wasn't it?
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- Yes, yes.- Quite personal. - It was, yeah.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43They could very much see the whites of their opponents' eyes.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45There are many stories of pilots flying next to each other,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- expending all their ammunition, and just waving at each other.- Yeah.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52- It's very moving. - It's an incredible story, isn't it?
0:37:52 > 0:37:54And obviously, the weapons just get more and more advanced.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57And you start to have bombs like this.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01This is a Cooper bomb. It dates from around 1916, 1917.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- And that weighed the aircraft down even more.- Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07You can imagine an early aircraft having one of these fitted.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10It wouldn't have got off the ground, really. It was far too heavy.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13But by the middle of the war, aircraft were much stronger.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16They could carry bigger weapons and bombs like this.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21And by the end of the war, bombs are as large as 1,000kg.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24It wasn't just the aircraft that were being developed, but the kit
0:38:24 > 0:38:29that pilots wore to cope with flying in an open cockpit at altitude.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Lanoe Hawker also designed sheepskin-lined fug-boots.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Even the bizarre was thought of.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Electric flying jackets to keep the pilots warm.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41And the Sidcot flying suit made its debut -
0:38:41 > 0:38:46an all-in-one design which is similar to what pilots wear today.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50The exhibition reveals the huge advances made during the early 20th
0:38:50 > 0:38:55century, where flying techniques and aircraft were developed.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59On 1st April 1918, the Royal Naval Flying Service and the
0:38:59 > 0:39:04Royal Air Corps merged to become the world's first independent air force.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06The RAF.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10It was a significant milestone in Britain's aviation history,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13thanks in part to the young flying pioneers,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17their adventurous spirit, and, of course, their sacrifices.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28Back to the main hangar now and our valuation day.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Captain Mark is focused on something shiny that takes us
0:39:31 > 0:39:35back before the First World War.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36- Wendy.- Mark.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40You've brought some wonderful traditional antiques.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43And being an old fuddy-duddy, this is what I really love.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45This is what makes me very excited.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47These are little seals.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50These would have be placed on a fob chain with a pocket watch.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54In the 18th and 19th century, if you wanted to seal your letters for
0:39:54 > 0:39:57privacy - we didn't have postage then, of course -
0:39:57 > 0:40:00you would melt a piece of wax and then you'd use
0:40:00 > 0:40:03a charming little object like this to seal it.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- Maybe with your monogram or your family crest.- Mmm-hmm.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08So the person receiving it was,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10"Oh, that's come from my friend so-and-so..."
0:40:10 > 0:40:13- Right.- ..and would open it eagerly to find out the news.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Now, we've got five in total. None of them are gold.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- Sometimes they are gold and silver.- Right.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21These are a base metal which has been gold-plated.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Tell me, where did you get these seals from?
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- They belonged to my late stepgrandfather.- Mmm-hmm.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29I was at boarding school
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and we used to have to write a letter home every week.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35And he used to correct all my spelling and send them back to me.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- So he was a traditionalist? - He was indeed.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41But of course, when I got older, I really appreciated it,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43because my spelling isn't too bad now.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45Oh, good. Mine is atrocious.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47You found them just hidden in a drawer, did you?
0:40:47 > 0:40:48I found them in a drawer.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50And interestingly enough, I found
0:40:50 > 0:40:53a little red stick of sealing wax with them, which had been used.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55So he obviously had used them at some point.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57He must have at some stage. Yes.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00- And you had no idea they were there? - Nope. None at all.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04I'm so glad you rescued them from the cold, dark recesses
0:41:04 > 0:41:08of a drawer, cos I'm sure, you know, that there are still
0:41:08 > 0:41:11people out there that like these wonderful little objects of virtue.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- Mmm-hmm.- And if you're a collector, like me, it would be wonderful
0:41:15 > 0:41:18to have a little bijouterie cabinet where you could display these,
0:41:18 > 0:41:20- maybe do a bit of research on them.- Yes.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23- Do you know how old they are? - No idea.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27- I think these are going to date to the mid-19th century.- Right.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32- So we're looking at something around 1850, 1860.- OK.- Thereabouts.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35And there are some charming examples.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36This one particularly is rather nice.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- With the flower and the word... - "To you."
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- Oh, that's wonderful, isn't it? So much nicer than an e-mail.- Yes.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44- Makes it very personal.- Absolutely.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47I think if we were putting them into an auction...
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- we would estimate them at around £60 to £100.- OK.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54And we would put a reserve of £60 on them.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57At least then you know you're going to get a certain amount of money.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00And hopefully, there'll be a few oddbods out there,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- like myself, who love this sort of thing.- Mmm-hmm.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- And they might just reach 100. - That would be good.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- Are you happy with that? - Very happy with that.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- There's no sentimental attachment to them?- Not really. No.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12They've just been sat in a drawer, and it seems such a shame
0:42:12 > 0:42:14if somebody might enjoy them.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16It's a terrible shame to leave them in a drawer.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- They're beautiful objects that need to be admired.- Mmm-hmm.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21And I'm sure there'll be collectors out there
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- who'll appreciate them.- Good.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Now Anita's uncovered a treasure that's taking her back in time.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36Sarah, this is a lovely wee object. A little christening cup.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39I think these are absolutely charming.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42And this is an early-20th-century example.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47- Tell me, was it part of your family history?- Very much so.
0:42:47 > 0:42:52The original Edgar, as in Major General Edgar Pierpont Putnam,
0:42:52 > 0:42:58who is named on the cup, was a major general in the American Civil War.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03He met my grandparents sometime in 1899, 1890-something.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- Did they travel in America?- Yes.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09But they met also in Switzerland. He came over to Switzerland.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12At that time, my grandmother was pregnant.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14And she said, "I do love the name Edgar.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17"I'd like, if I have a boy, to call him Edgar."
0:43:17 > 0:43:20And he said, "If you call him Edgar, I'm going to be the godfather."
0:43:20 > 0:43:26So this was a big American general from the American Civil War?
0:43:26 > 0:43:29- Yeah, yeah.- Let's have a wee look at the inscription.
0:43:29 > 0:43:34We've got, "From Major Edgar P Putnam,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36"Jamestown, New York,
0:43:36 > 0:43:42"to Saunders Edgar Davis. 20th of September, 1902."
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- That was my dad's birthday. - And that was your dad?- Yep.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48This makes it a more interesting object,
0:43:48 > 0:43:52the fact that it has that American connection.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56It's quite a straightforward christening cup,
0:43:56 > 0:44:01although it's very pretty and the embossed work on it is charming.
0:44:01 > 0:44:06It's hallmarked for London, 1902, so he must have come over to London...
0:44:06 > 0:44:10- Yeah. OK.- ..in 1902 and bought it as a new item.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14- Tell me, this is a wee part of your family history as well...- Yes.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Why is it you're wanting to sell it?
0:44:16 > 0:44:19My grandparents aren't alive. My father is not alive.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22I asked my children, they're not interested.
0:44:22 > 0:44:23I'd rather do some good with it.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26I thought half of it, whatever I get, would go to the hospice,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28so at least somebody gets some good.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30- And somebody who really will enjoy it.- Yes.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32What I feel is that whoever buys this will be
0:44:32 > 0:44:35interested in the history of it.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37And they will be able to find this major somewhere
0:44:37 > 0:44:41and someone will have fun doing that research.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Now, charming as it is,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46it's not going to make you a huge amount of money.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48No, I didn't expect it to.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53I would put an estimate of 40 to 60 on it.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- Would you be happy for it to go into auction at that?- Yes. Yes.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59I mean, I've had it since 1969, when my dad died,
0:44:59 > 0:45:01and it's just been sitting in the cabinet.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- I clean it every so often, as you can see.- Yes.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07- And that's it. You know. - It's been looked after.- Yes.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11- 40 to 60. A reserve of £40.- OK.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14Hopefully, it'll take a wee flyer.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16I'm happy. Whatever it makes, it makes.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- It was lovely to have you along at Flog It!- Thank you.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Now, here's a rarity uncovered by Mark.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31Philip, you've brought in a charger here which represents,
0:45:31 > 0:45:37or commemorates, a very important part of English Stuart history -
0:45:37 > 0:45:39commemorating William and Mary.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43This is a wonderful piece of Dutch Delftware.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45- Do you know what Delft is? - BYSTANDERS:- Yes.- No.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Some people are saying yes, some people are saying no.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49It's actually a tin-glazed pottery.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52The pottery is normal pottery with a tin glaze.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55And in Britain and Holland, we call it Delftware.
0:45:55 > 0:45:59But in France and other parts of Europe, they call it faience ware.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01Or majolica in Italy.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- This, unfortunately, is not English Delft.- No.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06You do get these wonderful chargers in English Delft
0:46:06 > 0:46:09where you have the pebble-dash chargers,
0:46:09 > 0:46:11which are incredibly valuable.
0:46:11 > 0:46:15- Yes.- We'd be looking at £8,000 to £10,000.- Even more.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17- Even more these days, cos they are so rare.- Yeah.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21This one is Dutch, but it is a period one,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23late-17th-century commemorative.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27- I rather like this design. - Yes.- It's very stylised.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30- The portraits of William and Mary are very stylised.- Very naive.
0:46:30 > 0:46:31Very naive.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34That's because, when you're painting on tin glazeware,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37you have to paint very quickly.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39Because it's very porous.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42So you haven't got time to paint delicately,
0:46:42 > 0:46:43like you can on porcelain.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47You have to whack it on, otherwise the whole thing will run.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It's beautifully done. I love it.
0:46:50 > 0:46:53You bought this, didn't you, some time ago at a London auction house?
0:46:53 > 0:46:55I got it at an auction in April 1999.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59- Dare I ask you how much you paid for it?- I think it was about £900.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01- Hold it carefully. - I will hold it carefully.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04We'll actually talk about that, because if you turn it round,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07- you do have a crack going through it.- Yes.- Here.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10- And there is a little bit of restoration.- It has been restored.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12- Before we bought it. - Before you bought it.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15But, you know, you are looking at something here that was
0:47:15 > 0:47:20- produced in the 1680s.- Mmm.- You know, that is a long, long time ago.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- So it has survived remarkably well, really. Hasn't it?- Oh, yes.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27In an ideal world, actually, you would estimate it,
0:47:27 > 0:47:31if you wanted to tease people in, at £1,000 to £1,500.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34- But we've had a little confab. - Yes.- Haven't we?- Yes, we have.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37And I think you want the reserve a little bit higher than that.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41- As Welshman to Welshman, yes. - As Welshman to Welshman...- Yes.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Yes, OK. Um...
0:47:44 > 0:47:47- I think I'm going to go along with you because I love it so much.- Yes.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49- I think it's worth the try. - I think someone else will.
0:47:49 > 0:47:50I'm sure they will.
0:47:50 > 0:47:55- So if we put 1,500 to 2,000 on it with a 1,500 reserve...- Fixed.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Fixed reserve. Thank you for pointing that out.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00My fellow Welshman.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03..and we'll give it a go. It is a super thing. It really is super.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06- Yes.- And hopefully, we'll get the right collectors in.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09- Thanks very much.- Thanks for bringing in such a wonderful thing.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12We hope, in a museum like this, it will fly at the auction.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14LAUGHTER
0:48:14 > 0:48:16MARK GROANS
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Leave the jokes to me.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29Edward, Flog It! can be great fun,
0:48:29 > 0:48:34especially when wonderful things like this are brought along.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Now, tell me, how did you come by it?
0:48:37 > 0:48:41Well, it was a present to my son, via my brother-in-law.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44And the boy is now 43.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46He's not playing with it any more?
0:48:46 > 0:48:50He's got a better one to play with.
0:48:50 > 0:48:51A human one.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54- What about grandchildren, are they not interested in it?- No.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58The youngest one actually got scared of it once,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01- because of the firing action that it does.- Ah, right.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03And didn't want to know.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05Now he's eight, we haven't tried again,
0:49:05 > 0:49:07- so I said, "Ah, well, that's it." - Just leave it. OK.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11Let's have a look at it, because it's a great thing.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14This was made in Japan in the 1960s.
0:49:14 > 0:49:19Now, Japan has always made wonderful tin-plate toys.
0:49:19 > 0:49:23They made them prewar, and then post-war.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26And they always had a certain quality.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30These toys in Japan were made for the European
0:49:30 > 0:49:32and the American market.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36So they were influenced by what was happening in Europe
0:49:36 > 0:49:38and in America at that time.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41So we see great interest in robots and science-fiction
0:49:41 > 0:49:44and so on in the European market.
0:49:44 > 0:49:49- And this one was actually called the Attacking Martin.- Really?
0:49:49 > 0:49:52- Can we have a look at it attacking? - Well, if you like. Yes.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Switch it on, baby!
0:49:55 > 0:49:57WHIRRING
0:49:59 > 0:50:01RATTLING "GUNFIRE"
0:50:01 > 0:50:08I can see why these grandchildren might have been frightened by it.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11It's in perfect working order.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15- Tell me, did you ever have a box for it?- No, unfortunately not.- OK.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17- Your son's grown up...- Yes.
0:50:17 > 0:50:22..his mind's on other things. Your grandchildren are scared of it.
0:50:22 > 0:50:23So you want to pass it on.
0:50:23 > 0:50:27Good condition, but no box.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30In auction, I would say
0:50:30 > 0:50:35we would probably be looking at, say, £50-80.
0:50:35 > 0:50:40And the fact that it's working and that it is a super piece,
0:50:40 > 0:50:43I'm sure that it will draw a lot of interest.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46But we'll put a reserve on it, if you're happy with that.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49We would put the reserve in at £50.
0:50:49 > 0:50:54Shall we let him attack the auction?
0:51:04 > 0:51:07The crowds have certainly done us proud here today.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09We've had a magnificent time. But before we leave,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12here's a quick recap of all the items we are taking with us.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16The wax seals may have been made for ordinary people,
0:51:16 > 0:51:19but their colour and detail should attract the collectors.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Will the American Civil War links to Sarah's christening cup
0:51:24 > 0:51:26boost the bidding?
0:51:26 > 0:51:28There's the feisty robot - you wouldn't want
0:51:28 > 0:51:30to get on the wrong side of him!
0:51:32 > 0:51:36And we'll be keeping a very close eye on the rare Dutch Delft charger.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40So it's back to the auction house.
0:51:40 > 0:51:44Commission here is 15% plus VAT.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47First under the hammer is Edward's Japanese robot.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50Do you know, if I was selling the robot right now,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52I'd have him on the rostrum with me. Wouldn't you?
0:51:52 > 0:51:54You would, you definitely would.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Yeah! I'd let him distract me.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02- You'd let him put his fist down and go, "Sold."- That's the way to do it.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04That's the way to do it.
0:52:04 > 0:52:09The wonderful thing about this is that it's still working.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12It's still there and it's still great fun.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14It looks great. It's sculptural.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16This is going to find a new home today and it's time for you
0:52:16 > 0:52:19- to say goodbye.- Let's hope they're going to enjoy it.- Yeah.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Oh, they will, they will. A collector will snap this up.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24Hey, it's your lot now, good luck, it's going under the hammer.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- Let's find out what the robot's worth.- Excellent.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30The 1960s Japanese, battery-operated, tin-plate robot.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34- Come on, come on, I want to see this do really well.- Yeah, me too.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38With me at 40. 45. 50 here.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43Selling already, at £50 on the book with me, and five I'll take, please.
0:52:43 > 0:52:4755 commission, but it's now beaten. On the web at £55. 60 we need.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52For £55 then, are we finished? All done at 55, I think we are...
0:52:52 > 0:52:5455.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57It's gone. Did he have a name, did you ever give him a name?
0:52:57 > 0:53:00- No, I didn't.- Aw.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Maybe his next owner will give him a name.
0:53:03 > 0:53:08Do you know, I hope the next owner has him on a desk in the office.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10I hope he's on the desk, near the phone.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14So, Edward's a happy man, and his robot has a proud, new owner.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19Our next lot has been in a drawer for 35 years,
0:53:19 > 0:53:21but Flog It! came along and liberated them.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24- Yes, it's those fob seals belonging to Wendy.- That's right.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27At least they were safe in there, because something like this,
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- you know, is so easily lost in a big house.- Yes.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32I think these are nice, honest antique ones.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34There's no silver or gold ones, but they are what they are
0:53:34 > 0:53:38and we've got a sensible estimate, I think, at £60 to £80 on them.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40- And hopefully, we'll get the top end.- Yeah.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44- Fingers crossed.- Here we go. We're going to find out. Good luck.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Five of them in the lot there.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48What are they worth? Start me at £60.
0:53:48 > 0:53:4960 is bid.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51In the room at £60.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Anybody else?
0:53:53 > 0:53:5465.
0:53:54 > 0:53:5770. Five. 80. Five.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Climbing high, Wendy.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- 100. £100. Standing at 100. - That's very good.
0:54:02 > 0:54:03Good.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06£100. In the room at 100.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10- 110 on the internet. - 110.- 110 on the internet.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12- Good.- 120 in the room.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14At 120... Sold.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16- Wow!- Yes!- Got them.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18£120. Just got an extra 20 quid at the end.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21It's very good. I wasn't expecting that.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25- We sealed the deal. - Yes, we sealed the deal. Oooh!
0:54:25 > 0:54:28- Oh!- Sorry, sorry. - No, that was very good.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Wendy's certainly firing on all cylinders,
0:54:31 > 0:54:35but will Sarah's family heirloom tempt the bidders?
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- Not a lot of money on this. - No. It's a very pretty cup.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40- So why are you selling it? - My children don't want it.- OK.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43I offered it to my son, he said, "No, thank you."
0:54:43 > 0:54:45My daughter-in-law went, "I'd have to clean it."
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Right. Well, we don't want it sitting in a cupboard.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49It needs to be on show.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51I would like to think that someone who was
0:54:51 > 0:54:55interested in the military aspect of it would buy it,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58because they would be able to do a little bit of research, find
0:54:58 > 0:55:04more about this wonderful military man who won the Medal of Honor.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07You never know, it might find its way back to the States.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09- It would be nice if it went back to America.- Yes.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12We'll find out what the bidders in West London think right now.
0:55:12 > 0:55:13It's going under the hammer.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16Lot 351A is a christening mug. What's it worth?
0:55:16 > 0:55:17Start me at £30.
0:55:17 > 0:55:1930 I'm bid. I thought so, everywhere.
0:55:19 > 0:55:2132. 35.
0:55:21 > 0:55:2238.
0:55:22 > 0:55:2440. 42.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26- 45.- Come on. We've sold it.
0:55:26 > 0:55:2750.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29£50 in the middle of the room.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32- 55 in the corner.- Is that it?
0:55:32 > 0:55:34£60 in the middle of the room.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37At £60. I'm going to sell it for 60...
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- Well done, Anita. Spot-on. - £60. Yeah, that's all right.
0:55:40 > 0:55:41Happy with that, aren't we?
0:55:41 > 0:55:43- Yeah. Yeah.- Job done, girls.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50It's now time for the Dutch Delft charger.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- We need £1,500 or more for this. - Yeah.- It is superb.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55- Late 17th century. - I think it's wonderful.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57It's Dutch Delft, of course, rather than English.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00- But wonderful colour. Unusual colour.- Very good colour.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02And historically, of course, we got rid of one king
0:56:02 > 0:56:06and invited those over, so it's a real piece of British history, this.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Yeah. Fingers crossed, the purists have found this,
0:56:09 > 0:56:10because it is a cracking lot.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13They've asked for condition reports, I know that.
0:56:13 > 0:56:14Do you know something,
0:56:14 > 0:56:16- a lot of people don't get put off by chips on stuff.- No.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19You expect it. It would look a bit weird if that was perfect.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22- Particularly Delft.- Exactly. It's a soft paste.- It is.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24It doesn't matter, the chips
0:56:24 > 0:56:27and the knocks aren't going to distract from its value, OK.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29- Let's hope.- This is a great piece. Here we go.
0:56:29 > 0:56:33589 is a William and Mary commemorative charger.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- Lot 589. There's lots of interest in this.- Yes!
0:56:36 > 0:56:40I can start this at £1,000. With me at £1,000.
0:56:40 > 0:56:411,100. 1,200.
0:56:41 > 0:56:431,300.
0:56:43 > 0:56:451,400.
0:56:45 > 0:56:46- 1,500.- We've done it.- Yes.
0:56:46 > 0:56:481,600.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50£1,600.
0:56:50 > 0:56:52On the telephone now at 1,700.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54- It'd be nice to get a bit more. - Any more elsewhere?
0:56:54 > 0:56:56Anybody else want to come in?
0:56:56 > 0:56:58The internet's silent.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00At £1,700 it sells...
0:57:00 > 0:57:03- Hammer's gone down, Philip. 1,700.- I'm delighted.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05It's a good price in today's market.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07- It's a good price. - So pleased with that.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09- That's what we call a proper antique.- Thank you very much.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11Thank you so much for bringing it in.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13480. 500.
0:57:13 > 0:57:14520.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17580 in the room.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Well, there you are, it's all over for our owners.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22And what a fabulous day we've had here in the Chiswick auction rooms.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24We thoroughly enjoyed being in London
0:57:24 > 0:57:27and I hope you've enjoyed watching the show.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29So, until the next time, it's goodbye.