0:00:05 > 0:00:08There's nothing like a stroll by the sea,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11feeling the breeze in your hair and the sun on your face.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14That's why millions of us visit the seaside each year -
0:00:14 > 0:00:17but today, this lot are here for a totally different reason
0:00:17 > 0:00:20because "Flog It!" is in Weston-super-Mare!
0:00:20 > 0:00:21PEOPLE CHEER
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Our venue today is the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49which has been a fixture in the town for more than a century,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53providing entertainment and memories for countless visitors
0:00:53 > 0:00:55and holiday-makers alike.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Originally built in 1904 as a promenading pier for the Edwardians,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02it's drawn the crowds with musical interludes from the bandstand
0:01:02 > 0:01:06and a whole range of entertainments in the theatre -
0:01:06 > 0:01:08but today, it's a modern pleasure pier
0:01:08 > 0:01:12offering crowd-pulling attractions from dodgems to penny machines.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17In short, all the fun of the seaside pier under one roof...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21..and it's a big roof because that pavilion can hold 400 million
0:01:21 > 0:01:23of these - sticks of rock.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25- There you go. Don't eat it all at once.- Thank you!
0:01:25 > 0:01:27And here's another statistic for you -
0:01:27 > 0:01:29hundreds of people have turned up today
0:01:29 > 0:01:31laden with bags and boxes here to see our experts
0:01:31 > 0:01:33hoping to get a great valuation -
0:01:33 > 0:01:36and if you're happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- ALL:- Flog it!
0:01:39 > 0:01:43On the valuation tables today, it's Jonathan Pratt...
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Does that work? Doesn't really...
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Harry Potter! Thank you very much.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52..but will he have the magic touch, like fellow expert, Thomas Plant?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Look at that. Isn't that beautiful?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58But he's got his eye on another Thomas find.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I can imagine going to my London club...
0:02:01 > 0:02:05- I guess you are a member of a London club.- No, I'm not!
0:02:05 > 0:02:09- At least he's getting it back out of his pocket.- Yes.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12- He'd have been off down the pier! - I like it so much.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15But before Thomas makes off with all the goodies,
0:02:15 > 0:02:16let's get the show under way...
0:02:18 > 0:02:21..and as the crowds take to their seats for our main event,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25here's a quick preview of what's coming up on today's show -
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and we've got some real treats.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30That in itself is a nice little saleable object as well.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33- You are a risk taker, Simon. - Yes.- Brilliant.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36But which one will run away at auction?
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It's gone really quiet here.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41- On the phone as well.- Yes.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- Hold my hand, I'm shaking. - This is really good.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48And later on in the programme, I'll be going back in time
0:02:48 > 0:02:52when I find out about the history of the great British seaside holiday.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Piers have traditionally been about entertainment
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and this one is no exception.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Where there was once a theatre and a bandstand, well,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12that's been replaced with stomach-dropping rides,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15a ghost train and penny slot machines. All the fun of the fair -
0:03:15 > 0:03:17but there's no time for playing around today.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19We have got some serious work to do.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21We've got to find some fine art and antiques
0:03:21 > 0:03:22and send them off to auction.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24So, let's catch up with Thomas Plant.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26- Bridget...- Yes.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Thanks very much for coming to "Flog It!" today -
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and you've brought something which I have to say,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35I love this type of stuff. I absolutely drool over it.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37If I see it, I have to buy it.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38Tell me, how did you come by it?
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I bought it in a car-boot sale about two years ago
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and it cost £10.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47If I was at that car-boot sale, it would have been mine.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53This is a mother of pearl and olive-wood diorama
0:03:53 > 0:03:54- of the Last Supper.- Yes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57It's got on here, "Jerusalem".
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- So, these were made in the Holy Land...- Right.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05..either Palestine or Israel, it depends on the date -
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- but these are pilgrim pieces.- Right. - So, did you know any of this?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12No, I've never seen one before ever.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14So, that's what attracted me to it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Really? Did you haggle?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- I think it was 12 and I knocked him down to ten.- To ten.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Right, OK. And where's it been?
0:04:23 > 0:04:25In my house on a desk.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27OK.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31So, the scene, as you know, is the Last Supper.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34There's Jesus and his disciples.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38And I love the fact on the back we've got the olive wood here,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40which is quite a hard wood and takes a great polish -
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and I think this is probably 1920s.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- Oh, right.- Yes.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48With these items, I know they're made for pilgrims
0:04:48 > 0:04:50which is a tourist market.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55You go there on the Grand Tour, you visit Jerusalem, beautiful city,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57and this is something you'd buy to take back
0:04:57 > 0:05:01to remind yourself of your trip.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03So, right, estimate, Bridget.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- I love it and I think it's worth £40-£60.- Right.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Now, I know you paid £10 for it. I don't want to give it away,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- but I think we'll reserve it at 30. - Right.- Are you happy with that?
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- Yes, I'm happy.- Will you come to the auction?- Yes.- Brilliant.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20- Now, although I love it, I won't be buying it.- Oh, right.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22I'm not allowed to bid on anything.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27So, it is delightful but it's beyond my reach this time!
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Never mind, Thomas, at least you got to admire it.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Now, what treasure is hiding inside Chris and Nesta's box?
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- I've got a hydrometer set here that belonged to my father.- Yes.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44He was a science teacher. I don't know whether he used it or not.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Was he a chemistry teacher? - He was a chemistry teacher, yes.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- OK.- He actually taught me, as a matter of fact, as well.- Oh, really?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Did you follow suit then and become a chemist?
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- I became a science teacher as well, yes.- A local teacher?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Yes, I did 25 years here in Weston-super-Mare,
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Worle Comprehensive.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- What's your surname? - Cudlip.- So, Mr Cudlip?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- They used to call me Cuddles. - Cuddles!
0:06:08 > 0:06:11There's going to be a whole host of people at home now,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13"I remember Cuddles!"
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- Probably, yes. - So, did you meet through school?
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- Yes, we met through school. I used to teach there, as well.- Fantastic.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23We ended up on duty on a Friday together and the rest is history.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27- The rest is history. - You're local celebrities. I love it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29That's a lovely story.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- And so, he might well have used this...- He might well have.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34..but the age of it, I think, is much earlier than that.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- It's into the 19th century.- Really?
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And the box itself, lovely mahogany box with a brass plaque
0:06:39 > 0:06:41in the top, there, which explains what it is.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43It's a Sikes hydrometer.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And, erm, it's a scientific instrument that would have
0:06:46 > 0:06:49been used for weights and measures.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52The London distillers and brewers needed a way to measure
0:06:52 > 0:06:55the alcoholic content of spirits and beers
0:06:55 > 0:06:57so they can work out what to tax it.
0:06:57 > 0:07:04Erm, in 1802 they had a competition to make a more accurate instrument.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05I didn't know that.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08It was a Bartholomew Sikes,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11of the name, that won the competition.
0:07:11 > 0:07:12- His name's on there? - His name's on there.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16So, just the box alone gives you a sense of the history of it.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18There we are. I love all this.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21I love this silk interior and the way that it ages.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24You just can't fake a piece of silk like that. It's really difficult.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27And so, you've got the float and these little weights.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29And obviously you test it in the glass jar.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31But there's an absence here of an object.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Obviously, a thermometer would have sat in that spot.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Unfortunately, it's got broken over the years. I don't know when.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39I imagine by the time they'd actually thought
0:07:39 > 0:07:42about replacing it, there might have been an improved model
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and things had moved on, and it just became a collector's item.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Well, let's get to the crunch, then, and talk about value.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Complete sells. It needs to be complete to get the very best money.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I think it's a nice object. I think it's got a nice history around it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58- My feeling is, it's probably worth between £30-£50. OK?- Right.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- That'll be fine, yes.- Brilliant.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03OK, so if we put it into sale, I would suggest, perhaps,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06a reserve... If we say around the £25 mark,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08that sort of around what we call discretion as auctioneers.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It gives us a little bit of leeway,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13it gives a little chance to encourage the bidding
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and hopefully, push it through the top of the estimate.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18- That'll be fine.- Thank you. - Brilliant.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20- Thank you for bringing it along. - Thank you.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28While our experts are hard at work, I'm going to have a little play.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Ever since I was a lad that high, my dad brought me on the dodgems -
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and do you know what? As an adult, I still can't resist them.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37All the fun of the fair!
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Thomas may not have time to enjoy the rides,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46but he's found something to bring a smile to his face.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- Steve.- Hi, Thomas.- Hi.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52You've brought along a collection of miscellaneous items in bone
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and ivory and vegetable ivory.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Tell me, what's the story behind them?
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Well, I got this out of an old friend of mine who passed.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I basically had to buy the contents of his house
0:09:06 > 0:09:09to keep my word to him about letting some of his friends
0:09:09 > 0:09:12have some of the pieces - and this was in a box.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16So, you're a man of your word and you sort of looked after the family?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- Well, that's what I've tried to do. - Well done you.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22There's a real mixture of items. Let's just quickly go through it.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- OK.- These two items here are ivory. - OK.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28They are 19th century, they are pre-'47.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- These are OK to sell.- OK.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- All of these items here are made out of animal bone.- Right.- Bone.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Probably cow bone, something like that.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Now, this little number here is not made out of any animal substance,
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- but it's from nature.- Nature?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48It's vegetable ivory.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- Vegetable ivory?- Which is nut.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- Oh, OK.- Coquilla nut, to be precise. - Never heard of it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- Well, a nut you find in the tropics.- OK!
0:09:56 > 0:09:58It's very good for sewing-related items.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- So, you put your needles in there. - It's a needle case?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Yes, a needle case.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Now, you've got something on here which I've...
0:10:07 > 0:10:10wanted to see for some time.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13It's the little telescope there.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15- Telescope?- Yes. If I pick this up...
0:10:16 > 0:10:18..and I look in it through here...
0:10:20 > 0:10:23..it's got something on it and it's called a Stanhope...
0:10:24 > 0:10:28..and that means it's a lens with a really miniature picture on.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32You bring it up to your eye and it fills your eye, the picture,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35and in it is a naughty scene!
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- A photograph of a naughty scene, Steve.- OK!
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I would have thought it was just a top off something else.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42No, no, it's a naughty scene -
0:10:42 > 0:10:46but that, even on its own, is worth £30-£40.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- It's extraordinary, isn't it? - It's amazing. I'm tempted to look.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53THEY LAUGH
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- Have a look. - I've got to now, haven't I?
0:10:58 > 0:11:00HE CHUCKLES
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- Yes, I think we won't describe what's going on...- No!
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- OK, where do you think this is from? - I don't know.- OK.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10You've got these wonderful frogs and animals.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13You've got a mole and we've got a frog -
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and it's a sort of, it's a shoehorn,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17it's your bog-standard shoehorn
0:11:17 > 0:11:20for putting on your lovely leather shoes -
0:11:20 > 0:11:22but it's got more to it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24It's Japanese.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27It's Meiji period. So, it's from 1860 to 1900.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It's called shibayama...
0:11:32 > 0:11:37..which is the work of ivory with inlaid mother of pearl, lacquer...
0:11:37 > 0:11:39It's a beautiful thing.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41That's the thing that caught my eye.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The attention of detail, it's amazing.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48So, I see this, with all the different aspects,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50at £150-£200.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- Wow.- I'd reserve it at £100.- OK. - Gives it a fighting chance.- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Tell me, are you going to make the auction?
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- Unfortunately, I can't. Going on holiday.- Somewhere nice, I hope?
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- To Kos.- Oh, lovely. In the Greek islands.- A bit of sunshine.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Oh, you'll have a great time.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Hopefully, when you return, we might have some happy news for you.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- That would be nice.- Will you be sending a representative?
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I'm hoping my daughter will come down.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- It'll be a pleasure to meet your daughter.- Lovely.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- We'll look after these, anyway. - Thank you.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24As Thomas mentioned, the two ivory pieces were made
0:12:24 > 0:12:27well before the 1947 regulations
0:12:27 > 0:12:32that govern the sale of animal products, so they are legal to sell.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Right, Philip, what have you got here?
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Well, it's a nice little cake stand, isn't it?
0:12:39 > 0:12:41It's a lovely little cake stand. It's not a mirror -
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I've seen them hanging on walls as mirrors before.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- There is a lot of this type of cake stand...- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48..but this one has a little bit more age.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Before we talk about it a bit more, why have you got a cake stand?
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- It was passed down to me from my father.- OK.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Yeah, he was in the baking trade in his early days,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59and he used to do it in his spare time -
0:12:59 > 0:13:01make wedding cakes and christening cakes.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- Really?- Yeah. - So, it was his hobby?- Yeah.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05How many years ago are we talking about?
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Well, he died in 1968.- Right.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- So, he was baking as a hobby in the '50s and '60s?- Yeah.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Absolutely brilliant, he was.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15It's exactly what it's for - it's to show off,
0:13:15 > 0:13:18and it has to be quite an impressive cake to be shown off by it.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20You stand it on the mirror and you have your tiers above...
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Three or four tiers, yeah.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25If your dad was baking, what was your mum doing?
0:13:25 > 0:13:27She was obviously making cakes, as well.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- So, it was a bit of a family thing. - Yeah, yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- He'd decorate, she'd bake. - That's right, yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- That's a nice story.- Yeah. - I like that.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Often, the age is hidden, anyway, by the plating process.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39You've got, obviously, the mirror here -
0:13:39 > 0:13:41and I kind of like this stippled effect,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44when it's starting to pull away, and it gives it the vintage age,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46because otherwise, with a new mirror in it,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48it could have been made yesterday.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- Well, yes.- So, you've got... - I've left it as it was.- Yeah.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54And if we flip it over...
0:13:55 > 0:13:58- Heavy, isn't it?- It is, yeah.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- Good solid ball feet.- Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Mark here is "JD & S" and "EP" on the end -
0:14:06 > 0:14:07so, the EP is for the electroplate,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09The JD & S is James Dixon & Sons.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13They made silver and silver-plated wares, and it all ties in,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15because the quality of these feet
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and the whole plating is very, very good.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Yeah.- And that's a nice little extra touch, you see?- Oh, good.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24On the whole, we've got something which is very useful,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- you know, well-made...- Yeah.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I've never seen one plated so well as that, you know?
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Well, the plating is really important.
0:14:32 > 0:14:33I mean, it's a simple process,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36it's just metal in a vat of silver nitrate solution,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38but, you know, it depends on how long they leave it in there.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42The extra cost would be more silver, and you leave it in there longer,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45as the silver thickens up. So, you're right -
0:14:45 > 0:14:47and certainly, with polishing, and this would need to be cleaned,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50you'd start to see the nickel reveal through areas,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- and it's not doing that at all.- No.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53So, I think it's a pretty smart thing.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Have you thought about value at all?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Not really - as I say,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I've had it covered up in the loft for several years,
0:15:01 > 0:15:02and as this came along,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04I thought I'd bring it along and get it valued.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- I think between £60 and £100.- Yeah.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10- If you're happy with that? - Yeah, yeah.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- And let's put a £55 reserve - just one bid below the 60...- Yeah.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- ..and we can gently coax people in. - Yeah, yeah.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19The whole thing is like, you know, once you've got them on there,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21you reel them in, and they pay a little bit more.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Next stop is the auction.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Good.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Before we head off to auction,
0:15:28 > 0:15:30there is something I would like to show you.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Even on a dull, murky day, there is something special about the seaside.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45The sea mist shrouding the coast
0:15:45 > 0:15:49just adds to that magical atmosphere.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53When you think of the seaside, you immediately conjure up images
0:15:53 > 0:15:56of children playing in the sand, building sandcastles,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59sticks of rock, fish and chips, a ride on the donkey -
0:15:59 > 0:16:02there's one just back there - and, of course, the pier.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06For me, the most iconic symbol of any British seaside town -
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and we all love to have a walk on the pier.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Now, here in the South West, on this stretch of coastline
0:16:12 > 0:16:16of North Somerset, there's three piers within the space of 12 miles,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20and each one of them, in their own way, tells a fascinating story
0:16:20 > 0:16:25of great British engineering - and the seaside holiday in its heyday.
0:16:26 > 0:16:27The first pier to be built
0:16:27 > 0:16:30along this stretch of the North Somerset coast
0:16:30 > 0:16:32was Birnbeck, in 1867.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34It's Weston-super-Mare's first pier.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Following closely on its heels, and just 11 miles away,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Clevedon Pier opened on Easter Monday in 1869,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46making Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier the last to be built.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49The story of these three piers tells the rise and the fall
0:16:49 > 0:16:52of the British seaside pier.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57The flurry of pier building along Britain's coastlines was due in part
0:16:57 > 0:17:00to some significant social and economic changes of the time.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Holidays were once the preserve of the upper classes -
0:17:03 > 0:17:05they could afford to travel anywhere -
0:17:05 > 0:17:06but, for the working classes,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09that really happened in the middle of the 19th century
0:17:09 > 0:17:12with the coming together of the railway network,
0:17:12 > 0:17:13enabling cheaper travel.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17Now, combine that with the Factory Act of 1850
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and the Bank Holidays Act of 1871,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23giving workers the right to time off -
0:17:23 > 0:17:26all of a sudden, there was a brand-new captive holiday market.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And the seaside was definitely the place to go.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45The Victorians believed that having a dip in the cold, salty water
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and breathing in the invigorating fresh air
0:17:48 > 0:17:50had restorative health-giving qualities,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and this, in turn, gave rise to the golden age of pier building,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57as seaside towns up and down the country
0:17:57 > 0:17:59capitalised on this new wave of tourism.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Piers began popping up all over the country.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Around 80 were built between 1854 and 1904.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It was the first golden age of the seaside resort,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and the South West was quick to make its mark.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Birnbeck was the first of the three piers to be built
0:18:19 > 0:18:23along this coastline, and it's unique among piers
0:18:23 > 0:18:27as it's the only one to link the mainland to an island.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33This 1,040-foot pier was opened to a fanfare in 1867,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36with the day being declared a bank holiday.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Paddle steamers brought day-trippers across the Bristol Channel
0:18:39 > 0:18:41to enjoy the delights of the pier,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45which included fairground rides, cafes and a water chute.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49It's really hard to imagine now, when you look at Birnbeck,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52that it was once a successful and thriving business.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55To find out more about its illustrious history
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and how it fell into such a state of disrepair,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I've come to meet up with historian John Crockford-Hawley
0:19:01 > 0:19:02to find out more.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- Hi.- Hello!
0:19:12 > 0:19:15John, it's in a sorry old state now, looking at it today,
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- but it wasn't always like that. - No, indeed.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20I mean, in its heyday, it'd be nothing to have six ships
0:19:20 > 0:19:25waiting to unload passengers - 15,000 people a day on the pier.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- 15,000...- 15,000. - ..people a day!- Yeah.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- That's incredible, isn't it? - It was THE place to come.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- It was big business. - Oh, huge business, yeah.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35So, what happened to it once the Grand Pier was built?
0:19:35 > 0:19:37What was the competition like?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Its livelihood was there so long as the paddle steamers came in.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Right - and that's basically just to off-load and on-load passengers.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- Yeah.- That's how it made its money.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Well, it was partly that and the amusement arcades
0:19:49 > 0:19:52until the Grand Pier opened, and that was the competition.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57This place really began to decline as a pier of entertainment.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58What turned its fate around?
0:19:58 > 0:19:59The change in tourism.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- The English were going to Spain for their holidays...- Yeah.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04..the Severn Bridge opened,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06which meant people could come to Weston-super-Mare by car,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and, to make matters worse,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Wales began to allow people to drink on a Sunday.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13So they didn't come over from Wales to have a pint!
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Paddle steamers would come on a Sunday,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17people would have a drink here, then go back to Wales.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20The stories of Cwm Rhondda being heard in mid-channel
0:20:20 > 0:20:24as the last ship went home - you know, it's legend.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26- All that changed.- Aww.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30- It's sad to see it like that. - Yeah.- It really is.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32What's your opinion on what's going to happen to it?
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Well, if nothing is done, she's going to fall into the sea.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- You can see that, can't you? - That'll be the end of her.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42But it's owned by a businessman who wants to get planning permission
0:20:42 > 0:20:46to build flats on there and flats on the landward side...
0:20:46 > 0:20:48and there's the big issue.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Do you allow it to be destroyed, visually, for its economic future,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57or do you say, "Goodbye, old girl, off you go into the sea"?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Sad as it is to see Birnbeck Pier today,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06it's worth saying that without it,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09it's highly unlikely this pier would have been built.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12By the end of the 19th century,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Birnbeck over there was making so much money
0:21:14 > 0:21:16that the great and the good of Weston-super-Mare,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19just there, looked out across the water and thought,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21"Yeah, we want some of that."
0:21:21 > 0:21:24So, plans were drawn up and finances put in place
0:21:24 > 0:21:25to build a brand-new pier,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28smack bang right in the middle of town.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30The Grand Pier opened in 1904 -
0:21:30 > 0:21:33a relative latecomer, really, to the game.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36It was quite an undertaking -
0:21:36 > 0:21:40constructed of more than 4,000 tonnes of ironwork,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and over a quarter of a mile of decking -
0:21:43 > 0:21:44but, in order to attract visitors,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47it went down a different route from its neighbour.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49What made it special
0:21:49 > 0:21:52was the 2,000 seater Pavilion Theatre and bandstand,
0:21:52 > 0:21:57offering the crowds an alternative type of entertainment -
0:21:57 > 0:22:01but things weren't plain sailing for the Grand Pier.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Tidal problems meant steamers couldn't dock there.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08However, the Grand Pier's location did prove to be an advantage
0:22:08 > 0:22:12over its neighbour, as it was right in the heart of Weston.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17In the end, it was the Grand Pier that flourished,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20becoming a successful purpose-built pleasure pier in the 1930s,
0:22:20 > 0:22:25moving with the times. Its success was mirrored by Birnbeck's decline.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27While the Grand Pier went from strength to strength
0:22:27 > 0:22:29in the following decades,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33the Birnbeck fell into a greater state of disrepair,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36finally closing to the general public in 1994.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42But out of the three piers along this 11-mile stretch
0:22:42 > 0:22:44of North Somerset coastline,
0:22:44 > 0:22:48my favourite has to be the graceful elegance of Clevedon Pier.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Unlike its neighbours, Birnbeck and the Grand Pier,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53it wasn't a place of entertainment,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56but rather a functional landing jetty.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It provided a new, fast route to Wales by steamer.
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Before the pier,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06travelling to Wales by train meant a much longer journey.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10New transport links hastened the pier's demise as a commuter route,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13but luckily it was able to capitalise on holiday-makers
0:23:13 > 0:23:15with paddle steamer day trips.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Fast forward 100 years or so,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21and Clevedon remains very much a tourist attraction
0:23:21 > 0:23:23at the centre of the town.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27This small stretch of North Somerset coastline
0:23:27 > 0:23:30sums up the fate of this great British icon.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Here we have Clevedon Pier - it's gone down the heritage route -
0:23:33 > 0:23:35and then you have the Grand Pier at the Weston,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38a hugely successful business model,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42offering millions of visitors seaside fun and entertainment.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45And then its neighbour Birnbeck, that sadly lost out
0:23:45 > 0:23:49in the ebb and flow of history, and its fate looks very much uncertain.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02We're off to auction for the first time today
0:24:02 > 0:24:05and we're going to put our experts' valuations to the test.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Here's a quick recap of everything that's going under the hammer.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Philip's cake stand reminds him of his father
0:24:12 > 0:24:14baking wedding and birthday cakes -
0:24:14 > 0:24:16but will he be celebrating at the auction?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Will these naughty but nice ivory, bone and nut pieces
0:24:20 > 0:24:23find favour with the bidders?
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Bridget picked up this 1920s diorama at a car-boot sale
0:24:27 > 0:24:30just because she liked it -
0:24:30 > 0:24:33but will she be smiling when it goes under the hammer?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And it's the bidders who'll be the measure of success
0:24:36 > 0:24:38for this scientific collectable.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41We're heading a short distance up the road to Clevedon
0:24:41 > 0:24:43for today's auction.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46The seaside town is mentioned in the Domesday Book,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50but didn't develop into a resort until the Victorian era.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Let's hope our items attract bidders at the Clevedon Salerooms
0:24:54 > 0:24:58where auctioneer Marc Burridge is on the rostrum.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00And remember there's always commission to pay -
0:25:00 > 0:25:03it varies from room to room,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05but here today it's 15% plus VAT.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07..And selling at £60 then...
0:25:07 > 0:25:10And now it's time for our first lot.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Going under the hammer right now
0:25:12 > 0:25:14we have a small collection of ivory items.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17They're all pre-1947, they're legal to sell.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19There's a little Stanhope - a naughty one, Thomas tells me.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Unfortunately, Steve cannot be with us,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24he's on holiday in Greece right now. But his daughter Diane is here.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- You look great.- Thank you. - It's Diane, isn't it?- It is.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Look at you, all in blue and Thomas has got blue trousers on.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Petrol blue.- Petrol blue. Is this a new colour?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- Do you love fine art and antiques? - I do, yes.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38It's a really good lot because you've got sewing-related items.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39You've got shoe putter-on-ers,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41you've got apple corers, loads of different things -
0:25:41 > 0:25:45- and different materials from ivory to vegetable ivory.- Fingers crossed.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46OK, let's put it to the test.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50We've got an interesting collection here. Japanese ivory shoehorn.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53£100 to start.
0:25:53 > 0:25:5470 here. 80.
0:25:54 > 0:25:5680 now, 80.
0:25:56 > 0:25:5880 then, 90. 100.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00100. At £90. 100.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03There. 10 here. 20.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Against you. 120?
0:26:05 > 0:26:09It's with me. I'm selling at £110 then...
0:26:09 > 0:26:13110. Hammer's gone down.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- Did it. I think Dad will be pleased. - Yes.- He'll be pleased.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- I was worried for a moment it wasn't going.- Yes, so did I, actually.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- Well, no, I think that market has changed because of the...- Ivory.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- The ivory, the feeling behind it, and it has dropped in value.- Yes.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32But they have sold, and I'm sure Steve will be delighted.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Let's hope Chris and Nesta's hydrometer does as well -
0:26:35 > 0:26:37or maybe even little better.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- It's great to see you.- Thank you. - Good to see you.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44- I've been told you can see Weston Pier from your house.- We can.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48- Is that right?- Yes.- And we can see the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- Gosh. On a clear day. - On a clear day.- On a clear day.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I think we'll find a new home for this,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58- it's just the thermometer missing. - Yes. That's a shame.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59But it's a nice thing.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Nice thing - the sort of collectable people like.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It's nicely small, and there's the academic interest.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- There's plenty of people out there who'll buy it.- Yeah.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07It's a good fun thing -
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and we've seen them on the show before and they sell.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12So, fingers crossed this one will as well. Here we go.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Miniature Sikes hydrometer. I have interest on the book here.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Starting at £30. I'm bid 35.
0:27:20 > 0:27:2235. 35. 35?
0:27:22 > 0:27:2335. And 40. And 5.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25And 50. And 5.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27And 60. And 5?
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Against you at the back of the room.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31It's with me at £60.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33No 5, 5, 5? Anyone else?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Selling, make no mistake then, on the £60...
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Sold it, £60. Hammer's gone down. That's a good result.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44- Above the top estimate, wasn't it? - Yeah. Well done, Jonathan.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- Thank you.- Good valuing skills there, I think.- Definitely!
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Well done, Jonathan, you were spot on the money there.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Now, can Thomas match that, or did he let his love for dioramas
0:27:55 > 0:27:58colour his judgment?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Bridget, good luck and fingers crossed.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03We, hopefully, are going to turn Bridget's car-boot buy of £10,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07that wonderful diorama of the Last Supper all in mother of pearl,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09into £60 plus, Thomas.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- Well, I hope so. - It was your estimate!
0:28:12 > 0:28:15The thing is, I have a bit of a soft touch for these things.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- So do I - I like dioramas. - And I like mother of pearl.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I mean, I love mother of pearl.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22That's it. You're going to embellish it a bit more?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24No, I just love the way the light plays across it.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- It's lovely, isn't it? - It carves so well, and the detail...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- Why are you selling it? - Just de-cluttering the house.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Everyone seems to be de-cluttering. Is everyone going minimalist?
0:28:31 > 0:28:35This is it, let's get that top end. Here we go.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Olive wood, table picture there of the Last Supper on an easel stand.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41£25 here. 28 now? 28?
0:28:41 > 0:28:43- There's a lot of work.- Yes.
0:28:43 > 0:28:4528, 28.
0:28:45 > 0:28:4630 on the book.
0:28:46 > 0:28:4932. 32? 32. 32?
0:28:49 > 0:28:53With me, against you all in the room. But selling on the £30 then...
0:28:53 > 0:28:57- £30.- Right.- I was expecting a bit more.- I was.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01- I would have liked a bit more. - I was expecting a bit more.- Right.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- We did our best. And I think £30 is a good result. Happy?- Yes.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06It's the start of the de-cluttering
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- and that's what it's all about, isn't it?- Yes.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11- Have you felt a cathartic release yet?- No.- No?
0:29:11 > 0:29:12A weight...
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- We would have done if it was £100! - Yes, we would have done.
0:29:18 > 0:29:2070. 70. 5.
0:29:20 > 0:29:2380, sir? 5. 90...
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Going under the hammer right now, we have Philip's cake stand.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29- In fact, your wedding cake was on this, wasn't?- It was on there, yes.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32I wonder what that would be worth right now, if we can flog that!
0:29:32 > 0:29:35But anyway, we've got a silver-plated cake stand.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36It's all the rage with the Bake Off, isn't it?
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Absolutely all the rage, yes -
0:29:38 > 0:29:39and what wedding cake doesn't look best
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- presented on something like that? - Yes.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- Good luck with this...- Thank you. - ..because I like this a lot,
0:29:44 > 0:29:46and I think you'll find a new home for this very quickly.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49- Hope so, anyway.- Because there aren't that many around, are there,
0:29:49 > 0:29:50- that look as classical as this? - No, that one -
0:29:50 > 0:29:52you can see the ageing, see the quality of that one.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Here we go. Let's put it to the test.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57And lot 75, silver-plated cake stand,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00on the ball feet... Three bids with me,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02- and I'm starting 55.- Three bids!
0:30:02 > 0:30:0465. 75.
0:30:04 > 0:30:0785. 95.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09100, will you?
0:30:09 > 0:30:12100, will you? 100, will you?
0:30:12 > 0:30:16All done then at £95...
0:30:16 > 0:30:17HAMMER TAPS
0:30:17 > 0:30:19The hammer's gone down! Fantastic.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22- Straight in and straight out, you see, that was in demand.- Yeah.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26Quality! And what do we always say? Quality always sells.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27I hope you enjoyed that as well.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37Now, after all that excitement, I think I need a bit of a break,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40and what better place to relax than looking at the waves
0:30:40 > 0:30:43and breathing in the invigorating sea air?
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Did you know the British invented the seaside holiday?
0:30:46 > 0:30:48And as we're in the area,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51I was keen to find out more about this great tradition.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Holidays are always special times,
0:30:59 > 0:31:03full of great memories we want to keep and share.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06And it's this urge to record those precious moments that has left us
0:31:06 > 0:31:12with a unique visual record of the history of our seaside holidays.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17What could be nicer than spending time by the sea? I love it.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I grew up in Cornwall surrounded by the sea.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22There's something about the smell and the sound of the waves
0:31:22 > 0:31:24that makes you feel better.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27It was the restorative health-giving properties of the sea that
0:31:27 > 0:31:32provided the kick-start to the Great British seaside holiday.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35And Weston-super-Mare was no exception.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Doctors began extolling the virtues of sea bathing
0:31:38 > 0:31:42and even drinking sea water in the 18th century.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45And in 1789, King George III tried it in Weymouth
0:31:45 > 0:31:48and the fashion was set.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51As the nearest coastal parish to Bristol and Bath,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Weston-super-Mare saw an upsurge in visitors as the
0:31:54 > 0:31:58fashionable followed the king's lead and headed to the seaside.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01But it wasn't until the 19th century that the increased popularity
0:32:01 > 0:32:04of sea bathing saw Weston-super-Mare
0:32:04 > 0:32:08grow from a small fishing village to a Victorian seaside resort
0:32:08 > 0:32:11of nearly 20,000 people.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16The first hotel in Weston opened in 1810, to be followed by many more.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20And then the town published its first guidebook in 1822,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24which really made Weston-super-Mare a holiday destination.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27The main attraction was still the potential health-giving
0:32:27 > 0:32:29properties the area could bring.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33As well as sea bathing, spa bathing was still popular
0:32:33 > 0:32:35and Weston had its very own on Knightstone Island.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40But this was still the preserve of the rich Victorians
0:32:40 > 0:32:42as they were the only ones who could afford to travel,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and stay in those smart hotels and visit the spa.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50All that changed with the coming of the railways
0:32:50 > 0:32:54in the mid-19th century, and now, more people could afford to travel.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Combine this with the Factory Act of 1850,
0:32:57 > 0:33:00which gave workers the right to time off.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Suddenly, more and more people
0:33:02 > 0:33:05could enjoy the Great British seaside holiday.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07And just like other seaside towns
0:33:07 > 0:33:11around Britain, Weston's Victorian entrepreneurs
0:33:11 > 0:33:13were keen to draw in the visitors,
0:33:13 > 0:33:16to capitalise on this potential new source of income.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19They built Birnbeck Pier for entertainment,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22and they also upgraded the seafront to provide a magnificent
0:33:22 > 0:33:25two-mile stretch of promenade.
0:33:26 > 0:33:31Weston-super-Mare was now becoming a Mecca for thousands of tourists,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35with many day trippers on work outings or bank holiday getaways.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38And when visitors wanted a record
0:33:38 > 0:33:41of this exciting new experience, they bought a postcard
0:33:41 > 0:33:44and sent it to family and friends back at home.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Nowadays, these images have become a visual document
0:33:47 > 0:33:50of our social history of a bygone era.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54And through these old postcards and later moving images,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58we can see how Weston-super-Mare developed as a resort.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02With the influx of visitors came new attractions to entertain them.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05A theatre and a new pier were built right in the heart of the town,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07and the Grand Pier, as it became known,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11gave its visitors the feeling of walking on water!
0:34:11 > 0:34:15While other attractions included boating and from 1886,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18donkeys on the beach.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21And looking at it today, it's hard to imagine
0:34:21 > 0:34:24the town as anything other than a popular holiday resort.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28To find out more, I've come to talk to local historian Sharon Poole.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38How did it really become a holiday destination
0:34:38 > 0:34:40for people outside the area?
0:34:40 > 0:34:42Weston was one of the very first seaside resorts to have a railway,
0:34:42 > 0:34:46in 1841. And of course, once Weston had the railway,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50it was very easily reached down from Birmingham, Bath and Bristol.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- Exactly. Where all the big factories were.- Yes, that's right.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- Yes.- And from Wales across the water on the paddle steamers
0:34:56 > 0:34:59because Wales, of course, was dry on a Sunday, they could come over...
0:34:59 > 0:35:01- And have a drink.- More than one.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03And often miss the boat back.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06And of course, we've got these three miles of beautiful, sandy beaches.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09And because people started coming here in greater numbers,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13the villagers were very quick to capitalise on the influx of visitors
0:35:13 > 0:35:17and people would even move out of their house to let it for the season
0:35:17 > 0:35:18and move in with friends.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21And they soon started to build hotels and inns,
0:35:21 > 0:35:22again, to capitalise.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25- So, it just got there first, really, didn't it?- Yeah, yeah.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27When was Weston's heyday?
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Probably twice in the last century.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Certainly around 1900 when we had the second pier built -
0:35:33 > 0:35:35the Grand Pier - and people would just flock
0:35:35 > 0:35:37in hundreds of thousands.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40And then after the war, once the restrictions ended,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42they were free to take holidays again, they had more leisure,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44more people owned a motor car
0:35:44 > 0:35:47- and they could come on coaches and cars.- Mmm.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49And by then, the resort had an open-air lido
0:35:49 > 0:35:51with high diving boards,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54designed to offer good, clean fun for the masses,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57putting Weston-super-Mare firmly on the map.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02I think Weston reinvented itself as a day tripper...
0:36:02 > 0:36:05- Short-stay.- ..paradise. Short stays, long weekends
0:36:05 > 0:36:06and out of season.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Why were the shorter stays popular here?
0:36:09 > 0:36:12I think, partly, because Weston never had a holiday camp.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Mainly, because we just don't have the land to build one
0:36:14 > 0:36:16on the seafront and we never did.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19So, I think that's why people come and stay in bed and breakfast.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Those are the sort of people it attracted.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25But even without a holiday camp, towns like Weston-super-Mare
0:36:25 > 0:36:27still attracted the crowds.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30Our love of the seaside drew us to the coast for those lazy days
0:36:30 > 0:36:34on the beach, splashing around in the sea.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36But just along the coast from Weston-super-Mare,
0:36:36 > 0:36:40there was space for the newest holiday experience.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Holiday camps around the coast arose from our love
0:36:43 > 0:36:47of the seaside. They offered a different kind of break.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50With everything thrown in from accommodation to food
0:36:50 > 0:36:54and entertainment, they became the destination.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Holiday villages, like this one here at Burnham,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59are the latest incarnation.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01The chalets and the entertainment that we recognise today
0:37:01 > 0:37:04are down to some big names in the 1930s and '40s,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08such as Harry Warner, Billy Butlin and Fred Pontin,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11who opened the first camps around the coast.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Hi-de-hi!
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Ho-de-ho!
0:37:16 > 0:37:20Hello, everyone. This is Beryl, your Radio Butlin announcer,
0:37:20 > 0:37:23wishing you a very good morning.
0:37:23 > 0:37:30The time is now 7:30, and breakfast for our first sitting campers
0:37:30 > 0:37:33will be available at 8:15.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37It was more than just the beach. It gave people organised fun!
0:37:37 > 0:37:42Tug-of-war for the houses of Gloucester and...
0:37:42 > 0:37:44- # ..Holiday rock - Holiday rock
0:37:44 > 0:37:47- # Do the holiday rock - Yeah, holiday rock... #
0:37:47 > 0:37:50With fairground rides to entertain the children
0:37:50 > 0:37:53and for Mum and Dad, the chance to make new friends
0:37:53 > 0:37:55and let their hair down,
0:37:55 > 0:37:59they became the place to go for the all-in family holiday
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and by the 1950s and '60s, their convenience made them
0:38:03 > 0:38:05the choice for many.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Nearly 100 years after its rise, the Great British seaside holiday,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13in all its guises, was confirmed as a family favourite.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15# ..Go-go-go to the holiday rock
0:38:15 > 0:38:17# Yeah! #
0:38:17 > 0:38:20No matter whether it's under canvas, in a B&B, chalet
0:38:20 > 0:38:23or a hotel, or even in a caravan,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26we all love to be beside the seaside and share our
0:38:26 > 0:38:29favourite family memories of fun in the sand -
0:38:29 > 0:38:32something we've got the Victorians to thank for.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Welcome back to our magnificent host location today -
0:38:45 > 0:38:48the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51As you can see, there are still hundreds of people here.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53Fingers crossed, we're going to have one or two surprises
0:38:53 > 0:38:55when this next batch goes under the hammer.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Let's catch up with our experts and see what treasures
0:38:57 > 0:38:59they can uncover.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05So, Stella, no questions what we've got here.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Obviously, it's a microscope. It's a brass microscope at that,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10and it dates from the 19th century.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12How did you come by it?
0:39:12 > 0:39:16It belonged to my father, and he's decided at 84
0:39:16 > 0:39:18that he's going to travel the world and, consequently,
0:39:18 > 0:39:22he's left it in my capable hands. I don't like it, so it's...
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- So, whilst he's away, you're going to sell it?- I am, yes.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Did he use it?
0:39:27 > 0:39:31Not really. He just played with it. You know, as men do.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Well, it's marked down here "Baker" in London.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Little bit worn down there, but it was used, you know.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41You've got various wheels which adjust the platform height.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46You've also got a whole raft of other lenses in the drawer here.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49This little stand is to channel the light on to the object,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51cos you're working in, often, in dark rooms or
0:39:51 > 0:39:53in a room with a window,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55and you want to use the light that's coming to you for the best.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58It is quite a nice example, and the box gives away its age
0:39:58 > 0:39:59a little bit too.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02You've got this mahogany veneer case which sort of looks
0:40:02 > 0:40:04- early Victorian.- Mm-hm.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07And I think, because it's lacquered brass
0:40:07 > 0:40:09and the way it's presented, it probably dates from about 1840.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11And then you've also got these as well.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15We have a variation of all kinds of bugs, butterflies,
0:40:15 > 0:40:19and apparently they were collected by...
0:40:19 > 0:40:21I believe his name was Mr Holland,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25who travelled South Africa and African mainland
0:40:25 > 0:40:29to explore and bring back some of the goodies.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31And so, was it this chap who gave it to your father?
0:40:31 > 0:40:35No, he brought it back. He then died and his brother
0:40:35 > 0:40:38decided to sell it at auction. So, he sold it and my dad bought it.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39Well, the idea being, obviously,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41that people who were very inquisitive
0:40:41 > 0:40:44could, you know, using the microscope,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46take "tissue from the ear of a mouse"
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- and find out what it looks like under intense magnification.- Yeah.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52But there's trays and trays of them in here.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55So, that in itself is quite a nice little saleable object as well.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58This alone is probably worth £30-£50.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01I suggest we have an estimate of £250-£350
0:41:01 > 0:41:04with a bit of discretion on the estimate, maybe.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06- Put a firm reserve of 230 on it, for example.- OK.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- How does that sound? - Sounds great.- Sounds great.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10How would that help you out?
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- Oh, I think it will go towards a holiday in Greece.- In Greece.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- Lovely.- It's our favourite place. - Yeah.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Well, it's a nice object. It's a good example of it
0:41:19 > 0:41:20and I think it'll sell well.
0:41:20 > 0:41:21Thank you very much.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Simon, very good to see you.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- Yes.- How are you? - I'm very good, and yourself?
0:41:30 > 0:41:31Not bad, not bad.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Tell me, you don't sound very...
0:41:33 > 0:41:35How should I say it?
0:41:35 > 0:41:37..from Somerset.
0:41:37 > 0:41:42No, I live in Somerset. I live in Weston, but I'm from Vancouver.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44I moved out to Vancouver when I was a child
0:41:44 > 0:41:47and then came back out here.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Tell me about the pictures you've brought in today.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51Where did you get them from?
0:41:51 > 0:41:53I got them from a jumble sale actually.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- In Weston-super-Mare? - In Weston-super-Mare.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58- So, not very long ago?- About 18 months ago approximately, yeah.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00- And how much did you pay for them? - You won't believe it.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- 20 pence.- 20 pence!
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- So, 40p.- Yes.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- It's a big investment there. - Yes, it was, yes.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10- Do you know what they are? - No, I don't.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11I have absolutely no idea.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14So, you didn't know what they were when you bought them
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- for 20p each?- The reason I bought them was cos they looked like
0:42:17 > 0:42:21they were going to be thrown away, and I looked at the faces on them
0:42:21 > 0:42:24and they're so well done. I thought, "This person must have talent.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26"There's got to be something there."
0:42:26 > 0:42:29And where do you think they're from?
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- I think they're Italian. - Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33And date?
0:42:34 > 0:42:3618th century?
0:42:36 > 0:42:38No, I think we'd be pushing it at 18th century!
0:42:38 > 0:42:40- 19th century.- 19th century, 1800s.
0:42:40 > 0:42:46So, they're what we would call sort of Grand Tour watercolours.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- We have the mountains.- Yeah.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51The foothills of the Alps, we have a city in the background.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53- We have a family scene.- Yes.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Husband and wife with their children.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03- And they are just so romantic. - Yeah.- And evocative.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07And this sort of 1820s, 1830s Grand Tour.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11- Right. OK.- If you were a British gentleman...- Yeah.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14..and you were sort of the third son...
0:43:14 > 0:43:19I think the first joins the Army, the second joins the church
0:43:19 > 0:43:23and then the thirds get sent away round Europe to experience life.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27- I see.- This is something you'd bring back as a souvenir piece.- I see.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29And look at the clothes they're wearing.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31- They're, you know, they're colourful.- Yes.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34Sumptuous, really, and the cloak the little boy's wearing.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36- He's not an urchin.- Yes.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38- You've got an eye, Simon. - Oh, thank you.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39HE LAUGHS
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- 20p?- Yes.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42Now, you... Were they framed?
0:43:42 > 0:43:44They had some glass on them
0:43:44 > 0:43:46with black frames that were falling to pieces.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48I put them in those.
0:43:48 > 0:43:50And how much did these cost you, the frames?
0:43:50 > 0:43:53- I got those at a jumble sale as well.- Oh, really?
0:43:53 > 0:43:54THEY LAUGH
0:43:54 > 0:43:58- You're a frequenter of jumble sales, are you?- Yes, I am.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01So, you've decided to bring them along to "Flog It!" today
0:44:01 > 0:44:02because you thought it was a good idea?
0:44:02 > 0:44:05- I just wanted to find out what they were.- Yeah.
0:44:06 > 0:44:08And here you are, thinking about selling them.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11- Yes, well...- I think they're...
0:44:11 > 0:44:13- You're going to do well for your investment.- Do you think so?
0:44:13 > 0:44:16- So, the frames, how much were they? - Probably under a pound, I think.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18So a grand total of 40p!
0:44:18 > 0:44:21- We probably got the frame for under a pound.- Yes.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23I mean, they're a great thing.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27- I think we should put £150 on them, 150, 200.- Right, OK.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31- What do you think about reserve? £50?- No.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33I don't think I want to put a reserve, cos I want them
0:44:33 > 0:44:35to go to somebody that appreciates them.
0:44:35 > 0:44:36I love that.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39- You are a risk taker, Simon. - Yes, I am!- Brilliant.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42I'm going to really look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:44:42 > 0:44:43Yes, I look forward to it, yes.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46That's a great buy from Simon.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48Fingers crossed his auction gamble pays off.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Now, Jonathan's found some sporting memorabilia to remind us
0:44:52 > 0:44:55of a real success.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58Well, here's a bit of, uh...bit of history.
0:44:58 > 0:44:59It certainly is.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03We've got a 1966 World Cup Championship towel.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05We've got a mascot and we've got two...
0:45:05 > 0:45:07We'll have to call them beer glasses, won't we?
0:45:07 > 0:45:08How did you get them?
0:45:08 > 0:45:10I got these from my brother, late brother.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12Came originally from my father.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16Went to my little brother and then I acquired them myself, you know.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19- And was he a big football fan? - No, he wasn't, funnily enough.
0:45:19 > 0:45:20- Oh, really?- He was a musician.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22How did he come by getting these?
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Well, my dad, I think, wanted him probably to be a bit more sporty,
0:45:25 > 0:45:26a bit like himself,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29and being his first son, you know, I think he was like,
0:45:29 > 0:45:31"Right, let's go, football," you know, so he acquired these.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33THEY LAUGH
0:45:33 > 0:45:36In an effort to try and draw him away from music and playing music,
0:45:36 > 0:45:37or listening to music?
0:45:37 > 0:45:38He actually played.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41- He played?- Classically, and guitar. - Oh, really? Oh, gosh.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44- He's not going to be interested in football at all!- No, far from it.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47- And so you've got it and you do like football?- I do like football.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- Were you around in 1966?- No.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52- A bit before my time. - A bit before your time.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54It's a bit before my time as well.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55But obviously we know all about it,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58and so you know this chap here is World Cup Willie.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03He was the first-ever mascot for a World Cup.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06And it's very sort of traditionally British, the lion, you know,
0:46:06 > 0:46:07and there he is on the towel.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10It's nice to see them and people hang on to these things,
0:46:10 > 0:46:12but if you give them to a child, they're going to use the towel,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15you know, and this is coming from a son who is obviously more
0:46:15 > 0:46:17interested in classical guitar, he's not using it at all,
0:46:17 > 0:46:19so it's actually in pretty good condition.
0:46:19 > 0:46:20So, you want to sell it.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22What do you want to do with the money if you sell it?
0:46:22 > 0:46:25- I want to get a bike.- You want to get a bike? A mountain bike?
0:46:25 > 0:46:28- A racing bike?- A racing bike, yes. - All right, so you're a fitness man?
0:46:28 > 0:46:31Yeah, yeah, I love to run and cycle and swim.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33Well, let's see if we can try and help you along the way.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37As a little group, I think we're looking at about £100-£150.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39- Right.- How does that sound?
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- It's good, yeah.- It's a wheel of a bike, to start with.- Yeah.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44- THEY LAUGH - Better than the one I've got!
0:46:44 > 0:46:46And I think, you know, if you had a reserve of 90
0:46:46 > 0:46:48then you've got a little bit of play at the bottom.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52- £100 to £150 estimate.- Yeah.- And...
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- start chanting and hoping that this will take off.- Yeah.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57That sounds really a good idea.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05- Hi, Lynette.- Hiya.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08You don't sound like you're from North Somerset, do you?
0:47:08 > 0:47:09No, I'm from Wales.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13- You're from Wales. And you've brought this Hohner accordion.- Yes.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16Now, tell me about it. How did you come to own it?
0:47:16 > 0:47:18It's my uncle's.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21And he left it to me when he died.
0:47:21 > 0:47:22And...
0:47:22 > 0:47:25I've had it about 20 years.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27And what have you done with it in those 20 years?
0:47:27 > 0:47:30- Nothing.- Nothing?- It's been in the box...- It's been in the box?
0:47:30 > 0:47:33- Yeah.- And it's got the original case, hasn't it?- Yes.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35And do you remember your uncle playing it?
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- Yes, a little bit.- A little bit.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40- They look very complicated, don't they?- Yes.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43It's made by Hohner. Now, do you know anything about Hohner?
0:47:43 > 0:47:46- No, I know it's German, that's all.- Yeah, yeah.
0:47:46 > 0:47:51Matthias Hohner was very, very well-known for making harmonicas.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54And him and his wife and his assistant
0:47:54 > 0:47:56set up in the mid-19th century in Germany,
0:47:56 > 0:47:59and in their first year, they made 650 of them.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03Just the three of them, making these harmonicas.
0:48:03 > 0:48:04It created a huge business.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07I mean, I don't know anybody who plays the harmonica now,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09but we see them quite a lot at auction.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11He also made accordions.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14And this is in remarkable condition.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17- You said you remembered your uncle playing it?- Yes.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21- Has anyone else played it since? - No.- No.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24I'm not going to play it, because it will make a racket.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26I have no idea.
0:48:26 > 0:48:30But what I know, it's got it on here, a Double-Ray,
0:48:30 > 0:48:32and it's also got this name here, Black Dot.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35And I'm presuming, because this here is a black dot here.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Greater minds and greater musicians than me
0:48:39 > 0:48:41- will tell you what that black dot does.- Yes.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45This is unusual, having the eight keys here.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49Normally, they have 12, and these are the bass keys, I know that.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52So, this is in great condition.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54Now, when it comes to value...
0:48:54 > 0:48:57I mean, I think a wide estimate. £60-£100.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01I would like to reserve this at 60.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03- OK.- Are you happy with that?- Yes.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07I think that's sensible. And we've also got the bill of sale.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11- And this is... Is this your uncle buying it? Was this his name?- Yes.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13- 1941.- Yes.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17- Midway through the Second World War. - That's right.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19Do think he entertained the troops with it?
0:49:19 > 0:49:21- No, I don't think so.- No?
0:49:22 > 0:49:26- Was he in a protected position at work?- Well, he was in the mines.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- Oh, well, he was protected.- Yeah. - They couldn't fight, could they?- No.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32- I mean, that must have been quite a big thing, really.- Yes.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36So, you probably wanted to go and support your country,
0:49:36 > 0:49:37- but you had to...- Yeah.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41- ..be working, really, in the coal mines.- Coal mines, yes.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Gosh. And so he would have played this
0:49:43 > 0:49:45- within the coal mine social club? - Yes.
0:49:45 > 0:49:47Yeah?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49I think that's a really interesting story.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53- Well, I look forward to seeing you at the auction.- Right.- £60-£100.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57- Fixed reserve at 60 and we'll go from there.- OK, then.
0:49:57 > 0:49:58- OK.- Thank you very much.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Well, sadly it's time to say goodbye
0:50:08 > 0:50:11to the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14Our experts have found their final items to go under the hammer,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16so we have to say goodbye.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18But I'll see you in the auction rooms,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21and here's a quick recap of our experts' final choice.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24I'm going to hit the road to the Clevedon Salerooms.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Will it be sweet music at the auction
0:50:31 > 0:50:33with Lynette's accordion?
0:50:33 > 0:50:37Jonathan was taken with this 19th-century brass microscope.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39But will his valuation pass muster
0:50:39 > 0:50:41when it comes under scrutiny
0:50:41 > 0:50:42in the saleroom?
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Picked up at a jumble sale for only 20 pence each,
0:50:46 > 0:50:48surely Simon's two Grand Tour paintings
0:50:48 > 0:50:51will go the distance at auction.
0:50:51 > 0:50:54And will Dean be netting a surprise or scoring an own goal
0:50:54 > 0:50:56when his World Cup souvenirs
0:50:56 > 0:50:58go under the hammer?
0:50:58 > 0:51:01So, time for our last visit to the auction room.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05Let's hope it's full, as Lynette has come all the way from south Wales.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08Years ago, you could have got the ferry, couldn't you?
0:51:08 > 0:51:09- Got dropped off at the pier.- Yeah.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12We're just about to sell the accordion.
0:51:12 > 0:51:13And we talk about provenance on the show,
0:51:13 > 0:51:16- this has got its original bill of sale, hasn't it?- It has.
0:51:16 > 0:51:171941, £6.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- Which was a lot of money back then! - It was, wasn't it?
0:51:20 > 0:51:22- And it's in amazing condition. - Yeah, yeah.- Yeah.
0:51:22 > 0:51:23- Did you ever play it?- No.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25- Who played it, then?- My uncle.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28Not for me. Drumming or guitar for me.
0:51:28 > 0:51:29Oh, you're a musician, aren't you?
0:51:29 > 0:51:31- Yes.- You've got it in you.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34I tell you what, there's a few musical instruments here,
0:51:34 > 0:51:35so you're in good company.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Let's do it. Here we go, Lynette.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39Black Dot accordion,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41there it goes with its case.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45I have interest, again, on the book. At £55,
0:51:45 > 0:51:4765, will you?
0:51:47 > 0:51:51- 65. 65 in the room... - We want more, don't we?- Yes.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Yeah. It's in good nick.
0:51:53 > 0:51:5575, 80, 80 now.
0:51:55 > 0:51:5780, 80, 80, anyone else?
0:51:57 > 0:52:00All done, then, selling at £75.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03- That's good.- Yeah. - We're happy? We're smiling?- Yeah.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05- £75.- I think that's a result. - I do, as well.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09Thomas hit just the right note to bring a smile to Lynette's face.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10230, 240...
0:52:10 > 0:52:12It's full steam ahead in the crowded saleroom,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15with lots flying out of the door.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18But how will Simon's two bargain buy watercolours fare?
0:52:19 > 0:52:21And he paid... Just remind them.
0:52:21 > 0:52:2220 pence.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Were you shaking when you handed the 20p over?
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Were you going, "Gosh, they're going to change their mind any minute"?
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Yeah, I was wondering if somebody might come up, yes...
0:52:30 > 0:52:33And say, "Well, actually, we made a big mistake. They're £200."
0:52:33 > 0:52:3420p?
0:52:34 > 0:52:36- Never happens to me. - Doesn't happen to me either.- No.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39They're worth an awful lot more than 20p though, aren't they, Thomas?
0:52:39 > 0:52:41They are because they're lovely scenes.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44OK, you've only had them a year. Why do you want to sell them
0:52:44 > 0:52:46- if they're so cheap? - Well, I actually didn't want them.
0:52:46 > 0:52:48THEY LAUGH
0:52:48 > 0:52:51I just saw them, and I thought they were so lovely
0:52:51 > 0:52:54and they were going to throw them away and I thought,
0:52:54 > 0:52:55- "No, you can't be doing that."- OK.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Well, that's good, you've rescued them.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00You're going to let somebody else love them and appreciate them
0:53:00 > 0:53:02- and I'm sure we will find a home for them.- Yes.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Happy with the value?
0:53:04 > 0:53:07Yeah. Simon's put no reserve on them.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09- That's right. - They're there to go.- Yeah.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12So, we'll have to wait and see.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Dangerous game, but if you've only paid 20p for them...
0:53:14 > 0:53:17OK, here we go. Let's put it to the test, this is it.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Country folk in landscape.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Who will give me £100 to start?
0:53:21 > 0:53:23£100, will you?
0:53:23 > 0:53:24£100, will you?
0:53:24 > 0:53:26£100 I have, thank you. Now, ten.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29110. 110.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30110, 120.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32- On the phone as well.- Yeah.- 120.
0:53:32 > 0:53:33120.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35120, 130.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37130. 130.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39It's on the phone at £120.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42130, anyone else?
0:53:42 > 0:53:43Are you all done then?
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Selling at £120.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50Three happy guys here. £120.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52- That's a good result. - That's very good.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55You've got a good eye. It means you can now go with confidence
0:53:55 > 0:53:58to those car-boot sales and jumble sales and buy more.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00- Yes.- Are you going to carry on doing the 20p buys,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02or maybe you might go for £2?
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Well, I might go a bit more at the Sea Cadets
0:54:04 > 0:54:06because that's where they came from.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11What a great return on 40 pence!
0:54:11 > 0:54:15Now, will that World Cup memorabilia prove a winner?
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Don't go away because right now we're putting Dean's
0:54:17 > 0:54:19football memorabilia under the hammer.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Yes, 1966, the World Cup.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25And I have to say, I was six years old and I watched that with my dad.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27What memories! It's good to be old!
0:54:29 > 0:54:33- I was too young.- I know you are! But this is good entry-level
0:54:33 > 0:54:34for World Cup memorabilia.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36It really is.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38If, for instance, it was a World Cup football jersey,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Bobby Moore's or Nobby Stiles'.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43Nobby Stiles' sold recently for 140,000 in auction.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46So, you know, sporting memorabilia is big business.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49This is a good starting point and the money's going towards...?
0:54:49 > 0:54:50A bike, basically. To keep me fit.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52- To keep you fit.- Yeah. Keep me young.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55Well, there you go! Right, OK, let's see what we can do.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Let's see if we can hit the back of the net.
0:54:57 > 0:54:58It's going under the hammer.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02Got the 1966 World Cup items there.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05A soft toy, pint glasses.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Who's got £50 to start me?
0:55:07 > 0:55:09£50 to start me.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11£50 to start me?
0:55:11 > 0:55:13£50 surely?
0:55:13 > 0:55:14- Come on.- Nope?
0:55:14 > 0:55:16£50 anyone?
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Not today. OK.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20That was a rebound, wasn't it?
0:55:20 > 0:55:22- Gosh.- Off the post, absolutely.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24What can I say, it's an own goal.
0:55:24 > 0:55:26Look, you'll get that bike, OK? Hang on to this.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28- It just wasn't the right sale at the right time.- Yeah.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30- That's all I can say.- No worries.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31We tried our hardest.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34That's really disappointing. Really disappointing.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35Surprising.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38What a shame! But maybe in a different saleroom in another day,
0:55:38 > 0:55:40Dean will hit the back of the net.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45Up next is our final lot and one of my favourites.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48Going under the hammer right now, we've got a Baker microscope
0:55:48 > 0:55:51boxed with slides, and I fell in love with this, Stella,
0:55:51 > 0:55:52at the valuation day.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55This is a real gem. Love it to bits.
0:55:55 > 0:55:56Why are you selling it?
0:55:56 > 0:55:59Because I just don't have room for it any more.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02It's just in the way. We never open the box, and therefore
0:56:02 > 0:56:04what's the point? Somebody could love it.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Leave it open and it looks like a piece of sculpture.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08I mean, it's a proper academic's piece, I know,
0:56:08 > 0:56:10but it is fun as well, isn't it?
0:56:10 > 0:56:13Absolutely. I mean, it's the early part of the 19th century
0:56:13 > 0:56:15- and it's like a period of discovery. - Yeah.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17They're so different now, microscopes,
0:56:17 > 0:56:19so it's a piece of history.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22Very decorative and sculptural qualities, but the box, shut,
0:56:22 > 0:56:23- is just a box.- Yeah.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26And someone's going to enjoy this right now because we're selling it.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30Hopefully you'll enjoy the top end if we get that. Here we go.
0:56:30 > 0:56:31Got a couple of phones.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Here we are.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36Quite a bit of interest with me on the commission bids.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38I'll go 200, 220,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41240, 260.
0:56:41 > 0:56:42260.
0:56:42 > 0:56:43260, 280,
0:56:43 > 0:56:45300.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47320, my bid...
0:56:47 > 0:56:48340.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50340, 360...
0:56:50 > 0:56:52380, 400...
0:56:54 > 0:56:58420, 450, 480 against the phones?
0:56:58 > 0:57:00480? 480 on the phone.
0:57:00 > 0:57:01500 my bid.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03- 520.- My hands are shaking.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05This is good. This is really good.
0:57:05 > 0:57:06550 bid.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07580.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11Boxed? Complete?
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Done then at £550.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15Selling at 550.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16- Sold!- Thank you!
0:57:16 > 0:57:18Oh, that is amazing!
0:57:18 > 0:57:21- Honestly, amazing. - That's brilliant, isn't it?
0:57:21 > 0:57:23240, 250.
0:57:23 > 0:57:24260.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26Seven in the room, thank you.
0:57:26 > 0:57:27Yours, sir.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30As you can see, the sale is just about to come to an end.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34We have had a fabulous day here in Weston-super-Mare.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36All credit to our experts, they were on the money.
0:57:36 > 0:57:38I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41See you again soon for many more surprises from auction rooms
0:57:41 > 0:57:42to come all around the country.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44But until then, it's goodbye.