Bowes 21 Flog It!

MUSIC: Flute Concerto No 2 in D Major by Mozart

What do you do when you have a big collection of fine art and antiques

and nowhere to put them?

Well, the answer is, you build a museum

and that's exactly what John and Josephine Bowes did in County Durham,

back in the 19th century.

Welcome to the Bowes Museum and welcome to "Flog It!"

The exterior of the Bowes Museum looks like a French town hall

and the reason for this is that Josephine Bowes was French,

so they designed and built it in the French style,

using metric measurements

which must have confused the local builders no end.

John, who was the illegitimate son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore,

had met Josephine, an actress, in Paris.

They fell in love, married

and set about indulging their shared love of collecting.

And we can see the fruits of their passion here at the museum -

the hundreds of paintings, the collection of fine French furniture

and all manner of fascinating objects from all over Europe.

But now, it's time to get to the front of the building,

where a large queue is eagerly waiting.

Could there be anywhere more appropriate for our experts

to make their valuations

than this temple of fine art and antique collecting?

Hundreds of people have turned up,

laden with their own antiques and collectibles. Yes, look!

And, hopefully, one or two will be going home

delighted with the news of what our experts will have to say

and you might make a small fortune in auction - but not you, madam!

But right now, there's only one question on everybody's lips,

-which is... CROWD:

-What's it worth?

-Stay tuned and you'll find out.

Preparing herself to provide the answers

is auctioneer Elizabeth Talbot.

This is lovely. A little Bunnykins bowl.

And that is just the sort of weather I'd love to be having now.

That's beautiful. We'll have a look inside.

And joining her today

is knowledgeable antiques expert Paul Laidlaw.

-Very pleasing, very pleasing. And...

-CLEAR RINGING

..no problems with that at all.

Well, we can't keep the people waiting.

The crowd is already making their way up through the museum

to the valuation tables and later on, we'll be exploring

more of the fabulous collections housed in the Bowes Museum.

But first, let's have a look at some of the things that are coming up

that give today's show a European flavour.

-We have Russian silver.

-It's been in pride of place in the cabinet?

-No.

THEY LAUGH

-It's been wrapped in tissue in the attic.

-Oh, has it?

Paul Laidlaw has a rare Italian find.

-I tell you what, it's a scarce object.

-Really?

These do not turn up so very often at all.

And I find myself converted to the beauty of handmade lace from Venice.

And the museum here has many rare and early examples in its collection,

like this one. It's a beautiful deep collar of raised needle lace.

We've set up our valuation tables in one of the fine picture galleries

and here we are, surrounded by fine works of art

from artists from all over the world. It's quite incredible.

But there's one artist I want to point out to you.

Up there, those large 19th-century French landscapes

are by Josephine Bowes herself.

She was an incredibly talented artist. They're beautifully executed.

There is one picture which stands out for me, though,

and it's the great British bull up there.

That's definitely not Josephine's taste,

more the taste of her husband, John.

But right now, we're interested in the taste of our experts.

Let's take a closer look at what they've found

at the valuation tables.

Elizabeth is starting us off

with a piece of silver which is a long way from home.

Lovely to meet you.

Thank you so much for bringing your lovely little cup.

-Tell me what you know about it.

-Well, it was a family item.

It belonged to my grandfather first and then my mother

and when she died, it passed on to me.

And you've treasured it and prized it, have you,

-and it's been in pride of place in the cabinet?

-No.

THEY LAUGH

-It's been wrapped in tissue in the attic.

-Oh, has it?

Hence, probably, why it's in such lovely condition.

It's really pristine, isn't it? What do you know of it as an object?

Well, until I came here, I didn't have a clue what it was

-and I was told it was a Russian vodka cup.

-Mmm-hmm.

Yes, it is Russian, very distinctively Russian.

One of the factors which makes it so distinctive

is the way it's been decorated.

-First of all, the view on it is of the Kremlin.

-Right.

Which is a bit of a giveaway. But this black on silver -

this is a very specific form of decoration

which the Russians prize themselves in.

-It's called niello work. N-I-E-L-L-O.

-Yeah.

It's a combination of sulphides of copper, silver and lead

which makes this rich black colour

which they can rub into a surface which has been predecorated.

-Oh, right.

-It makes the engraved decoration stand out,

almost like a lined drawing, an engraving.

That makes it very distinctive.

It was made between about 1899 and 1917. It's that sort of period.

That would be about the time

my grandfather had his business in Berlin

-where he was a master jeweller.

-Really? Oh, wow.

And he had a big shop in Berlin,

so it might have been amongst his stock there.

I think it's lovely and I really like it.

We don't see so very much Russian artefacts in this country.

-There are pockets of it, but always lovely quality.

-Yeah.

-Presumably, you have little idea of its actual value.

-None at all.

Generally, there is a huge collectors' market

for Russian silver and, of course, Russia and its economy,

being as strong as it is, there is a lot of interest

from the homeland of people looking to buy back

or to collect their own traditional artefacts,

so it's a good time to be selling it, I think.

Do you want to guess what it might be worth?

No idea, really. Not at all.

I would think that it would be worth in the region of about £150-£200,

-would be my estimate for auction.

-Goodness, yeah.

-That's not a bad price.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah.

-OK?

In which case, if we place a reserve on it for you.

£150 reserve, estimate of £150-£200 and we'll just see.

If it's protected with a reserve, it'll just find its feet.

-Thank you.

-It's good of you to come in. Thank you.

-Thank you.

In such splendid condition, we should have a good shot at selling that.

Paul, next, who has also come across some family items.

Hi, Ann, Chris, how are you? You come armed.

There's got to be a great story behind these objects.

The ceremonial sword was brought home from the Second World War

-by my dad. He was in the Royal Navy on landing craft.

-I see.

-Before the war, he was trained as a telegraphist...

-Yes.

-..and he worked on a newspaper.

-Right.

He volunteered for the air force but they put him in the navy

because he could do the Morse code.

He was over the moon about that. He wasn't!

-I think he was seasick most of the war.

-Yeah.

Anyway, somehow he came by this when he was in Italy

and he brought it home with him at the end of the war

and it's been in our family ever since.

But most recently, just on the shelf.

Most recently on a bedroom shelf, really.

-I don't know where else you're going to put your dress dagger.

-Yeah.

-As far as I know, it's a ceremonial sword.

-Absolutely is.

So, that's that, but a generation before, someone earned these medals.

These belonged to HIS father, my grandfather,

who was a stetcher-bearer, a medic, in the First World War.

Wonderful. Two generations.

We have, here, the British War Medal and Allied Victory Medal.

Anyone that served in the First World War

would be entitled to these, so we can imagine

the hundreds of thousands, millions that circulate, OK.

What I like about the Victory Medal is this fabulous ribbon here

bears the colours from all the flags

of the allies during the First World War.

It's a poignant remembrance, so far as I'm concerned.

-Now, I did hint on huge numbers that are out there.

-Yeah.

And all of the corps of these, the non-regimental - the artillery,

-the engineers, the medical corps - they're pretty unloved.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Everyone respects what these represent

but there are a great deal out there and they command modest sums.

This little pair here, medical corps, get £20-£40 in auction.

And there's nothing you or I can do about that. That's the going rate.

Look, the guy survived the war, which is lovely,

and one of his sons survived the Second World War,

applying for the RAF, ending up landing craft.

Well, it could have been invasion of Sicily,

and at some point, he probably traded this

-for cigarettes or whatever.

-Yeah.

I thought I remember him saying he won it at a card game, but...

There you go. No, that's entirely plausible. What is it?

Well, it's actually a pre-war

Italian air force cadet's dress sidearm,

represented here by the crossguard modelled as wings.

-I tell you what, it's a scarce object.

-Really?

These do not turn up so very often at all

and there's a very healthy demand for such.

Value-wise, I'd suggest £150-£200 under the hammer,

-which is a pretty healthy little sum.

-Yeah.

I'm hoping that you would like to take this to auction

-and see what comes of it.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-And the medals, likewise?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

-Well, two separate lots, I'd advise that for sure.

Different markets, different collector base.

£20-£40 on our medical corps Great War pair, £20 reserve.

And the dagger, £150-£200's our estimate, £150 reserve,

and we are aiming for the sky. We hope for good results.

-Sounds good.

-That's great, thanks.

Won in a card game. What a good story!

Now, we step back in time to the style of the 1940s.

Thank you so much for coming in and bringing a beautiful brooch,

which we will talk about in a little while,

but I must, first, acknowledge your wonderful attire.

-I think your outfit's stunning.

-Thank you.

-Is this how you always dress?

-It is, yes.

-I just enjoy this era immensely.

-Well, you wear it very well.

-It's lovely.

-Thank you.

-You obviously appreciate jewellery as well.

-Yes.

Which is why we have in front of us this little brooch.

So, what is the story behind your brooch?

Well, it was from a neighbour when they were clearing the house

and they know I enjoy jewellery and I do appreciate the piece

-but it's not from my era, obviously.

-But nonetheless, it's very pretty

and it does date from the late Victorian period.

It isn't hallmarked but stylistically,

it dates itself quite precisely to the late 19th century.

I would strongly assume that that is gold.

I think, if it were tested, it would prove to be gold and it is set

with this lovely little fly with turquoise, ruby and small diamonds.

The Victorians loved their insect-related jewellery.

I know other eras did as well,

but certainly the Victorians loved it.

This is a bar brooch which could be worn on a collar or a tie.

It could be used in different ways or on a lapel it would look nice.

It is a very wearable piece of jewellery

and looks surprisingly modern

because the simplicity of the bar sets the fly off nicely.

If you were to sell it, would you then be reinvesting it

-in your collection of something else?

-Definitely.

Is that a silly question?

-Do you have any idea of value at all?

-Not really sure.

-No?

-No.

Strangely enough, bar brooches are not as valuable as they once were

and as one might expect they would be,

but I think that for a piece that's that pretty and works that well,

it should fetch in between £80 and £120.

-So, would you be happy to sell at that level?

-That would be fine.

So, if we put it in auction at £80 to £120

and protect it by a reserve of £80 at the bottom end?

-Yeah, that would be fine.

-Fixed or with discretion?

-With discretion.

-OK, the auctioneer will get as close as he could,

but just for the sake of not selling it,

just one bid beneath, he'd let it go.

-But I still think you outshine it, I'm afraid.

-Thank you.

You have my vote.

What a glamorous look.

Now, I'm not sure about Paul's next choice though.

Catherine, tell me about them. Where do these hail from?

Well, I inherited them. They've been in the family for...

They must've been in a cupboard for 100 years.

These are uncommon. They're strange!

Yes, and this one, if you twirl it around, it makes music.

-Can we? Does it?

-Yes, yes!

Yes!

-TWINKLING MUSIC-BOX MUSIC PLAYS

-Oh, my word!

-Yeah.

Yeah, I get it and I see the mechanism.

There are teeth on the end of that handle.

-It's striking a comb....

-Yes.

-..on the inside of her drum-like body there.

-Uh-huh.

And I've got to say,

-is that a whistle on the end of the handle?

-Oh, I don't know!

-Oh, if it is I...

-That's what it looks like to me.

-Yes!

Now, what can I tell you about her?

I concur on age

because we are certainly into the tail end of the 19th century.

Right, right.

I've referred to bisque-headed dolls previously,

and I can tell you that this is an early composition.

-A plastic, OK?

-Mm-hm, mm-hm.

-This is quite modern technology in its day.

-Right.

Arguably less expensive than a porcelain head.

However, there are refinements.

She's got glass eyes, an open mouth and teeth,

and those are high-end features on any doll of this time.

She is refined, and she was not inexpensive.

Now, I mean, so if this is a... Can you trace this to an ancestor?

Um, possibly.

-It's a guess that... It's my guess, it's probably German.

-Right.

Er, because my great-great-grandfather

was a businessman who exported, er,

textile machinery to Germany and had a factory there as well

and I suspect he brought it back for his, er...

children or his granddaughter.

Now her friend... Well, if this little girl is a rich girl,

on the other hand, I think we're looking

at the other end of the social spectrum here.

Er, a black lady in her original dress,

and it looks like what she'd be wearing

if she was West African or West Indian,

with the head wrap,

but a Victorian printed textile band decorating the dress

and she is made of...

-she's fabric-stuffed.

-Uh-huh.

Yeah, but, look, little black glass bead eyes

and the wee pursed lips stitched on.

I think she's utterly charming

and I'll wager she is as rare a survivor as her upmarket friend,

because I suspect she wasn't overly expensive...

-100-odd years ago.

-Yeah.

What do they do for you? Do you like them?

Absolutely nothing.

I could see £100-£200 in these.

That's not a lot of money and you're getting, in my opinion...

-rare dolls.

-Yes.

-Are they definitely going?

-Yes.

-Yeah?

Because I have no use for them or no desire to keep them.

-I'd say, if you get north of 80...

-Mm-hm.

-..we're in business.

-OK.

-But I'm hoping for £1-200.

-Really? Mm-hm.

-Sound OK?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Catherine, it looks like we're in business.

And bye-bye, the dolls.

I really hope Paul is right with his valuation.

It's time for me to take the opportunity

for a look around the area.

The Battle of Towton was the key conflict in a series

of gruelling campaigns that dominated medieval England

during a 30-year period known as the War of the Roses.

They were so called after the red rose of the House of Lancaster,

and the white rose, the emblem of the House of York.

These were two warring lines of the same royal family, the Plantagenets.

Henry VI, the ruling king at the time of the battle,

was the head of the House of Lancaster.

Having lost most of England's territories

in France in the mid-1400s,

he suffered periods of mental illness,

which made him unfit to rule as the King of England.

However, he was married to Margaret of Anjou,

who was a strong, fiery character

described by Shakespeare as "the she-wolf of France".

It was Margaret who raised the army of Lancastrians

to fight the Yorkists, but what drove her to this march to war?

Well, the reasons are quite complex,

but basically it boils down to the fact

that she wanted her son to be heir to the throne and rule the country.

Standing in the way of her ambition

was the tall, good-looking, 19-year-old Edward,

head of the House of York, the white roses.

He was the cousin of King Henry VI,

and, having been backed by Parliament,

he had a legitimate claim to the crown

and was marching north from London.

In 1460, the English Parliament passed an Act of Accord,

letting York and his line succeed Henry to the throne.

They recognised the legitimate right the family had,

so they declared Edward the King.

With two living Kings, the whole country was now divided

between these two branches of the Plantagenets.

Almost every man of noble birth had gathered his men

and was preparing for battle.

Edward was here at Pontefract,

with his army of tens of thousands of men,

on his way to secure his throne

by victory over his rivals in battle.

In the medieval times,

it was the only sure sign of the will of God.

On the 28th of March, 1461, a bitterly cold day,

Edward and his army set off north from here,

to meet the Lancastrian troops.

So, the scene was set

for one of the bloodiest battles in English history.

To find out more, we have to visit the site of the battle itself.

Which is situated near the village of Towton in Yorkshire.

I'm meeting up with the archaeologist Tim Sutherland,

who, over 500 years after the event,

has been unearthing extraordinary discoveries that tell us more

about this monumental moment in British history.

Tim, can you tell me what happened on the 29th of March, 1461?

-Right, we've got Yorkist army coming up from London.

-Yeah.

And they're arriving from the south. They appear on that horizon there.

-Yeah.

-And the Lancastrians coming on this horizon from York, basically.

And when they meet here, they clash hand-to-hand,

but before that, there's an arrow storm,

an arrow engagement where the...

the two armies are significantly far apart,

where they can only attack each other by arrow.

SOUNDS OF BATTLE

But the wind is in the faces of the Lancastrians,

it's blowing from the south, as it is today.

-What that means is that...

-They had the advantage.

-The arrows from the Yorkists are actually going further.

-Yeah.

And they can actually put them inside the Lancastrian army,

whereas the Lancastrians are shooting their arrows south

and they're falling short.

What that means is,

the Yorkists have already got an significant advantage.

Officially, the death toll is 28,000,

which is almost inconceivable.

BATTLE SOUNDS INTENSIFY

And then, towards the end of the battle,

we get the Duke of Norfolk arriving behind us here

and arriving on the flank of the battlefield.

-And of course the Lancastrian army see this...

-Yeah.

And then they think, "Right, that's it, I'm off,"

and then they're starting to flee.

Then, of course, it's basically a massive big drop into a river.

And so, of course, people would have been tumbling down into the river,

and, although it's only a very narrow river today,

you'd be wearing massive padded jacks and armour

-and this, that and the other.

-Yeah, and leather.

-So trying to cross a swollen river...

-Mm.

..would have been a nightmare.

-Ugh.

-So again, a significant number of people get killed.

-Gosh.

So, Edward and the Yorkists won the battle.

What have you found and is this dig still going on?

Literally, over the last few days,

-we've been finding teeth.

-Teeth.

Teeth. Human teeth.

After it's been ploughed for the first time in a year,

we start to find human teeth.

And if it's too muddy, and the mud's too sticky,

then, of course, it sticks to the teeth

and any other artefacts and we can't see anything.

-Yeah, what about arrowheads?

-We found, significantly,

I mean, these are very, very rare on the medieval battlefield,

in fact, they're unique in England,

and when you find them in the ground, they look like that.

That doesn't look, I wouldn't look at that and say it's an arrowhead.

No, it doesn't look like an arrowhead.

And it's only when you analyse them closely,

-and these have been chopped in half and then polished.

-OK.

And you can see how they've been made.

They used to think that they fire braised,

-fire welded them in a blacksmith's forge.

-OK.

What we're finding now

is these have actually been welded together with copper alloy.

It's manufactured in a completely new way,

and every time you have a battle,

you need hundreds of thousands of these arrowheads.

So, of course, you've got to replenish them

and what we're tending to believe now

is that this is an early form of mass production.

Right, it's a factory system,

-not by a professional blacksmith then, but...

-No.

..probably by several different people.

Once they're out of the soil, they don't last long.

So we've incorporated these into the plastic

so we can preserve them and analyse them,

but, once they're out of the ground,

they literally might last a year before they crumble into dust.

With your hard work and your colleagues' work,

this must have added an awful lot of gravity

to the battle here at Towton.

I think why this is important, is that

we've introduced new concepts to medieval battlefield archaeology.

Er, we've discussed and proven

that medieval arrows were manufactured in a different way.

We've managed to work out that you can actually find

physical evidence of a medieval battle.

Everyone thought that was impossible before,

but we managed to prove it,

and so, by studying this landscape, we can actually pick out things,

answer the right questions and hopefully provide some answers.

The sheer scale of the battle,

and the fact that the outcome saw one king of England

and his line replace another,

makes the Battle of Towton of the greatest importance.

Edward went on to be a good ruler

and the country benefited under his reign,

but, looking at the amount of bloodshed,

one can only be thankful that democracy

has replaced the rule of the sword.

The auction is beckoning.

But before we go, let's have another look at what we're taking with us.

The silver shot glass is from Russia.

Let's hope the bidders are going to love it.

These two dolls are not my taste,

but I recognise they are unusual.

And they are therefore likely to appeal to the collectors.

Two military lots next - medals from the First World War...

..and a rare ceremonial dagger, dating from the Second World War.

And our last lot is the elegant gold brooch which has a lot of style,

just like its owner.

We're heading west, across the Yorkshire Dales,

to the glorious South Lakeland,

which is home to Eighteen Eighteen Auctioneers,

a business that has been going since -

yes, you guessed it - 1818.

Remember, if you are buying or selling in an auction room,

there is commission to pay. Now here, at Eighteen Eighteen Auctioneers,

it's 20%, including VAT.

But these commissions do vary from saleroom to saleroom,

so check the details. It's all printed in the catalogue.

If you're unsure, ask a member of staff.

Don't get caught out when that hammer goes down.

And we have two auctioneers looking after us today -

David Brookes and Kevin Kendal.

And we have a dazzling start to our sales.

Right now, I'm going to take you straight back to the 1940s.

Here we go. Look at that.

-Here's Beverly and doesn't she look fabulous?

-Stunning!

You always look great, I've got to say that.

And now, it comes to your brooch,

so it's a wonderful thing and I think this is gold, don't you?

-I do.

-It's got some pretty stones on it.

Yes, it has and it's beautifully crafted. The finishing is all nice.

It's not just a piece of cheap costume jewellery.

A lot of effort and skill has gone into making it.

And I guess, if you sell this,

-the money's all going towards more costumes, is it?

-Definitely.

Let's put it under the hammer. Here we go.

Yellow metal bar brooch with a fly motif.

Rather nice, set with ruby, turquoise and diamonds.

£100 if you like for it. £100, surely. Start me at 80 then.

-£80, thank you, sir.

-That's good.

80 bid. 80 bid. 5 anywhere?

I've got one bid at 80 only. I'm looking for 5s now. 5 anywhere?

£80, the one and only bid. I'm going to sell then.

Are you all done this time? At 80.

HE BANGS GAVEL

-Maiden bid.

-Maiden bid. It's gone at £80.

-That's fine.

-That's OK.

-That's money in the bank for more clothes.

-It is, yes.

-Simple as that.

I wonder what Beverly will buy with the money.

Next, we have two lots steeped in history.

Going under the hammer right now,

something I've never seen on the show before. I think this is quite rare.

It's a wonderful Italian dress dagger.

Paul, our expert, found this and it belongs to Chris and Ann.

Now, Ann cannot be with us today, Chris. Where is she?

She's up in Newcastle. She's recording an album for a charity.

But hopefully, if anything goes on the dagger,

-it will go towards the production costs.

-Brilliant!

I like stories like that and I like this dagger.

-It's a very rare thing.

-Yeah.

It's the only one I've seen come on the market in donkey's years.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

It's going under the hammer right now.

Italian air cadet's ceremonial dagger.

Can I start then at £110 for a start. 100? I'll start at 80 then.

£80 we'll go. £80 bid.

Any interest on the net? 85. 90. 5. 100 now.

100. 110 anywhere? 100.

I'll take 10s anywhere. £100.

Are we all done this time? No, at 100.

This is reserved. I'm afraid we're going to have to pass that today.

Gosh, that's a blow. But we have two lots

and all the money from the medals is going towards production costs.

Fingers crossed with that as well.

Here we go. Let's find out what they're worth.

The First World War medal pair.

What can I ask for this for a start? £20.

£20, thank you. £20, straight in on the net. 22.

-There's no reserve on these, is there?

-No.

-25.

-Come on, this is more like it.

-28.

Hugely undervalued, these. 28. 28. 30 anywhere? 28.

-£28, going this time then.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Hammer's gone down at £28.

-You need the money.

-Yeah.

-That's on the money.

I think the dagger, too obscure. Find yourself a specialist...

-Militarist.

-And I think you'll beat your expectations, OUR expectations.

-Smashing. Yeah, well, it's worth doing.

-Yeah, all is not lost.

Get it into a specialist militaria sale, as Paul says,

and, hopefully, the proceeds will go towards those recording costs.

That's great. That's great. Hopefully. Thanks very much.

What a shame the dagger didn't sell.

But it was worth protecting with a reserve.

Now, here's a rare lot.

Catherine, it's good to see you again, and good luck today.

Going under the hammer right now, we have those two dolls, 19th century.

-One is French, one is African.

-Yes.

I think there's a connection between both.

The African one could be Mozambiquean, something like that.

It's got that French connection.

I personally find dolls spooky... PAUL L LAUGHS

..but I know there's a lot of collectors out there.

-That one's particularly spooky, given the...

-Very much.

HE ROLLS HIS TONGUE

Not for me. But, as I said, there's a lot of collectors out there.

-Fingers crossed they're here.

-Yes.

-Good luck.

-OK.

It's going under the hammer right now.

The vintage jester, and also the other doll in the lot there,

-start me 50.

-We've got a fixed reserve of 80.

-Mm-hm, mm-hm.

Any interest at £50?

-Thank you, £50 in the doorway.

-Yes, £50.

-£50 we have bid at the back.

-No.

-No.

55 on the internet.

Bidding 60.

-65 on the internet.

-Come on.

£70 in the doorway.

No further interest, £70.

It's against you at 75.

Do you want to bid 80?

-Thank you, £80.

-We've got it.

-Oh, got it, good.

£80 in the doorway.

In the doorway, 80, and we will now sell at the £80...

GAVEL BANGS

Good auctioneering. Good auctioneering.

Cor, that was close, wasn't it?

Right on that fixed reserve of £80.

Brilliant.

They've gone.

But they made it, which is the main thing.

The next lot may be small but it is in immaculate condition.

Good luck. We're just about to sell the Russian shot glass.

-It's been in your family a little while.

-Yes.

It's good quality, isn't it, hence the value.

The Russian buyers do buy quite heavily

-and they will like this kind of thing.

-Hopefully.

-We're on the internet.

-Hopefully, they'll pick up our reference.

-It's easily postable in bubble wrap and a little box.

-Yes.

So it's got everything going for it. Let's put it under the hammer.

Russian silver vodka shot glass.

Again, various commissions.

I'm going to have to start the bidding at 130, 140...£150.

-Ooh.

-Straight in.

-With me at 150.

-Straight in and sold.

160, 170, 180. Commission's out. 180 in the room.

190 on the internet. 200 in the room.

220 on the internet. 240 in the room.

240 in the room. Have we finished? It's your bid, sir, at 240.

-I don't think there's anything going.

-In the room here at £240.

-Hey, worth toasting that one.

-Brilliant. Better than I thought.

Well, you know why, don't you?

That was quality and we keep saying it on the show.

-Our experts always say it. Quality always...

-Sells.

That's the end of our first visit to the saleroom and so far, so good.

Some happy owners and that's what it's all about.

We are coming back here later on in the programme, so don't go away.

There could be one or two big surprises.

But right now, it's time to turn our attentions

to one of the Bowes Museum's most recent collections

and what a treasure trove it is!

MUSIC: Gnossienne Number One by Erik Satie

In 2006, the Bowes Museum was given

a world-class collection of antique lace.

It had been collected over 50 years

by father and son Anthony and Arthur Blackborne,

19th-century lace dealers.

The museum accepted the gift with delight

because it fitted in extremely well

with their already quite extensive textiles collection,

which was put together by the museum's founder, Josephine Bowes,

who collected textiles throughout her life.

Things like seat coverings like this,

which were being ripped off because fashions changed.

She was buying them up and hanging onto them.

She also bought lace from dealers

but nothing like the quality of the Blackborne collection.

Blackborne & Co was founded in 1850

during an expansion of the lace market,

caused by the growth of the middle classes.

The firm's shop in the West End of London was ideally located

close to the fashionable shopping areas.

The firm commissioned new lace

and remodelled historic lace for fashionable wear.

The Blackbornes also acquired a huge collection of old patterns

and earlier examples of lace for study.

Both father and son worked at creating a market for old lace

in the newly developing antiques trade.

Lace-making is thought to date back as far as the 16th century

and the museum here

has many rare and early examples in its collection,

like this one, and this is a very good starting point.

It's a beautiful deep collar of raised needle lace,

thought to be Venetian, circa 1660 to 1680.

It looks just like the lace collar

shown on this portrait of Maria Anna van Berchem,

the daughter of a rich Italian family living in Antwerp.

The painting, dated 1660,

is part of the collection here at the Bowes Museum,

and it's extraordinary that something as fragile and intimate

as this collar can survive intact for so many centuries.

But what's even more impressive has to be this next piece.

I never thought something like this would get my pulse racing.

Lace doesn't really do it for me,

but that is divine. Look at the detail.

It's superb. This is an English cavalier's piece.

It's a gentleman's cloak band, circa 1635.

It would be very expensive in its day,

the equivalent of, let's say, an expensive car today,

a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley.

And this is just an accessory of clothing over the shoulders.

But what I find fascinating about this is it's English lace,

it's beautifully hand-worked and this is in mint condition.

It's just a wonderful series of geometric patterns

and some of it's quite repetitive but it's really pleasing on the eye.

And there is speculation that this was once worn by King Charles I.

Certainly, in this 17th-century portrait of him,

he is wearing something very similar and this collar is top quality,

so it may well have belonged to the king.

What is rather exciting,

not all of the 7,000 pieces have been unpacked

and further researched.

So, in a rare opportunity,

I'm going to delve inside one of the so far untouched trunks

with the help of the museum's keeper of textiles, Joanna Hashagen.

So, here we are, in one of the storerooms

where we've put some of the lace trunks.

It's all gents' clothing, isn't it?

-Tunics, officers...

-That's it, yeah.

-So, the boys' room.

This is one of the menswear wardrobes,

but this just happened to be a space,

-because we're still sorting them.

-OK.

These are the last remaining trunks of all the collection.

-Go on, open it up. Have a look.

-Right, it's very old.

-It's a lovely leather-bound trunk.

-It is.

Probably Anthony Blackborne's, who started the business in 1850.

So, here we are.

And it's just full, jammed full, as most of the trunks were,

of bundles of lace.

We've started cataloguing the whole collection

-and we're up to 7,000 pieces, we think.

-Sure.

-And here's another, what do you reckon?

-200 or 300, I would say.

-I reckon so, too.

-Just laying flat like that.

This is part of the shop stock that was left over

after the Second World War. Their main collection is on show.

But, together with this and the study collections,

it's one of the largest collections of lace in the world.

Incredible. What happens next?

We then look at this collection. We take it out of the trunk

and start cataloguing it,

select some for conservation and for going on display

or for study collection, they go into drawers for access.

-So, for us now, it's off to the conservation room.

-That's right.

-OK.

Here we are, the next stage. It all looks quite impressive.

I absolutely love this.

I'm gravitating towards this. I want to wear it!

A man's cravat and it's pure baroque, these swirling forms.

It's Venetian needle lace, between 1670, 1690, perhaps.

But what we've done here, which is so exciting,

is that we've taken the cravat end

-and we've reformed it into how it looked originally.

-Right.

And Luca Costigliolo, who is a theatre designer,

has helped us with this. We've looked at portraits.

So, we've made it look as it was when it was worn,

which just means so much, than flat bits of lace, doesn't it?

-And a parasol there.

-Now, this parasol, yes, hasn't been conserved.

This is a 19th-century, about 1860s,

rather grand parasol for a lady to carry,

but it's made of 17th-century Venetian needle lace,

the same as the cravat. Because in the 19th century,

it became really, really fashionable to wear these heavy laces

and so, Arthur Blackborne had a workshop

actually remodelling very high quality lace

which was so expensive in its own day.

-Great thing to do - recycle it.

-Yes, exactly, yes.

So, it still had a real value, even in the 19th century.

Can I talk values, sort of approximate values with you?

One of the best examples I have is of Queen Charlotte's dressing table

which was adorned with lace cos lace was used for furnishing as well.

-Sure.

-So, you can imagine how expensive it must have been

to have yards of it, you know.

And there's a painting of her with her lace dressing table,

which is French needle lace, and in there,

there's a bill of 1762 which says that the lace cost £1,079.

But the mahogany dressing table underneath it,

-which was made by the royal cabinet maker, William Vile...

-£10?

No, £5, 5 shillings.

Gosh, and there's me dreaming

of being a wonderful royal cabinet maker.

-You need to be a lace maker!

-Yes, yes. I'm so tempted to put that on.

Look at it. It works well with that colour! Thank you for your time

-and I think you've done a terrific job here.

-Thank you.

For many centuries, handmade lace

ranked alongside the most precious jewellery

as the ultimate status symbol.

So, having seen some of the exquisite examples

on display here at the Bowes Museum,

I'm hoping the next time you and I look at a work of art,

an oil painting on the wall, we not only notice the jewellery,

but we understand and appreciate the values of lace too.

Back to the picture galleries,

where we are still finding some great items.

Let's get over to our experts and see what they've found.

And it's time to catch up with Elizabeth.

So, David, we have here a Rolex watch.

It's the pinnacle of watch names, very collectible.

Tell me the history of it, please.

I bought it in Singapore in 1969 from... It was a NAAFI shop.

-It cost me £53.

-Did it really? A lot of money in those days, I guess.

-It was a month's wages.

-Yes.

-So you were serving at that time, were you?

-Royal Marines.

-Right.

So, was that a treat for you to buy that?

Well, I was going diving out there at the time

and if you'd got to have a diving watch,

you either bought a Rolex or an Omega,

which were the two top watches, the decent diving watches at the time.

So I went and bought myself one.

My goodness, so although it was a luxury good,

-you bought it to utilise as a watch.

-As an everyday watch.

-I wore it every day.

-You've obviously worn it quite a bit

because my only comment would be the condition of it is not quite...

It's had a new face and a new bevel on many years

-cos I done rock climbing and it gets damaged on the rocks.

-Good for you.

I lost a strap cos I used to put a cloth strap on

for the military years and I lost that

so I just put a replacement strap on many years later.

It complements it quite well, I have to say.

It's lost the bezel from round the outside

and then a bit of damage on the glass, as you would expect,

but apart from that, it's very collectible.

It's been a good watch that I've worn since '69.

And when David bought his watch,

it would have looked something like this.

Rolex, obviously, a fantastic name, in terms of watches,

as you pointed out. Established in 1905

and one of the best Swiss manufacturer of watches,

certainly in the 20th century.

Because of the cult status, they hold as superb timepieces,

but they are also very wearable still

and people do like that vintage look.

They like to invest in something which maintains the value,

that is still worth quite a bit today.

So, you haven't worn it for a little while, then?

No, I don't know whether it stopped keeping good time or not,

but it's worked ever since I put it on

and I took it into a jeweller's shop two years ago.

I thought I'd get it done up again and he said, "I can't touch it."

-You've got to send it back to them.

-It's got to go back to them

and they said that'll cost £1,000

but it will be worth about £8,000 afterwards,

so I put it back in the drawer.

Until we came along and you think you'll now call it quits.

I saw "Flog It!" was coming, cos we watch it all the time,

so we brought a few other trinkets and we've had a day out today.

Well, it's been lovely to see you.

So, we're looking to liquidise the asset you have here

-and put it at auction.

-Yes.

For the reasons we've discussed and the condition it's in,

obviously it won't be worth the £8,000.

That's after restoration and so on,

but there have been other precedents set,

so we can trace the likely interest and I think, at the moment,

in that condition, it wouldn't be unfair to suggest

-a price of between £3,000 and £5,000.

-Right.

-Well, I was hoping to get £4,000 at least for it.

-Right.

But you don't think that would make £4,000?

I think if you suggested an estimate of £4,000 and upwards from there

at the moment, in that condition, it would probably frighten people off.

-So, £3,000 to £5,000.

-£3,000 to £5,000 would be sensible.

-Yep.

And a fixed reserve of £3,000 on it to safety-net it.

-Yes, that's fine.

-We'll see you at the auction.

-OK, thank you.

-Nice to see you. Take care.

-Thank you.

That's what I call a well-loved watch.

Over to Paul now,

who has found something that brings back a bygone era.

Pat, Mike, hi.

You have got an astonishing collection of photographs

of stars of stage and screen, back in the day.

-How do you come to own such a collection?

-I inherited it.

-Right.

I think it must have been my paternal grandmother

-that started the collection.

-Yeah.

-I know she was very keen on theatre and music hall.

-I see.

-I never knew her. She died before I was born.

-Right.

I found these in an old shoe box among Mum's photographs

and I gathered them together in the albums.

So, we're looking at the 1920s and either side

and your grandmother, I guess, would have seen some of these celebrities.

-Must have done. Dad was born in 1917.

-Yeah.

And he remembers going to music hall and theatre with his mum.

Where is this? Is this the Northeast?

No, it would be in Surrey or Hampshire, that sort of area.

-That's where they lived then.

-Do we know how many there are?

-Go on.

-About 130.

-Yeah.

-130?

-Yeah, I think so.

-That is good going.

-They knew how to take a photograph then.

-Anna Neagle.

-Yes.

-Anna Neagle.

Now there's a name I recognise. That looks signed, doesn't it?

I've come across this technique before.

While you can see an impression that you think was made by a pen nib,

-it is, nevertheless, a printed process.

-Right.

-Right.

Very sophisticated and would certainly catch the unwary

and you wouldn't want to have

a signed portrait of Audrey Hepburn, back in the day,

and then find out it was one of these sophisticated reproductions

which are inferior by far.

That's a little insight into how careful we have to be

in this field of autographs.

Talking about Audrey Hepburn and the later stars,

Vivien Leigh, that looks like. Late 1940s.

If that had been signed in her hand, there's a lot on its own.

However, we've got, going back,

-a whole load of people that most people have never heard of.

-Sure.

-Yes.

-And I think, under the hammer, they're not worth £1 a card.

-No.

My estimate would be a cautious,

though likely realistic, £40 to £80 for the collection.

-Would you part at that?

-I would, yes.

-Yeah?

-Would you like a reserve?

-I'm not bothered about a reserve.

-You'll let them go.

-Yeah.

-£40 to £80's our estimate.

I think they'll do that - if the gods are with us, even more -

-and I can't wait to see what happens on the day.

-Grand.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Now it's to a tea set, currently being valued by Elizabeth.

-Hello, Clare.

-Hello.

Thank you for bringing this lovely shiny tea set.

What's the history behind it?

It was given to me by my mother for our 25th silver wedding anniversary

and her husband bought it for her 25th, for their wedding anniversary.

-Yes?

-So she passed it on to me. Now I've no use for it.

-OK.

-You don't serve your tea in this every day?

-No, no.

-So, you're looking to sell, then?

-Yes.

-Do you know who it's by or the date of it or anything?

-No.

Nothing at all. The great thing about silver is in most cases,

when it's English silver, it's possible to be very precise

about when it was assayed, tested and passed

as being full of sterling silver and normally we find out who made it

and the date it was assayed,

so it gives you a good, big package of information.

The marks on yours indicate that it was assayed in 1965

but it was made by JB Chatterley & Sons Ltd

and that was originally John Bishop Chatterley & Sons,

who was established in about 1880 in Birmingham.

But this one is mid-20th century in date,

so we're getting quite late, in terms of production of tea sets.

And it looks as though both your parents and yourself

have not really used it very much

and it's been kept in wonderful crisp, clean condition.

No, it's never been used, hardly.

-Well, it's all the better for that now.

-Yeah.

So, if you were to sell it, what would you do?

Would you buy something else?

It's our 40th wedding anniversary next month,

-so we'd like to go away somewhere.

-Oh, congratulations.

-So, keep the wedding theme going but in a different format.

-Yes.

Oh, that's lovely. I mean, it is good.

It borrows strongly from the 18th century Georgian style of tea sets

that we find from 200 years earlier. It's quite heavy gauge silver,

so quite a decent weight to each of the pieces, which is nice.

But, like yourself, most people in the market these days,

wouldn't buy it to use it. Value will reflect that though -

that the demand will not be for the usage of it,

but more for the aesthetics of it.

I would think that, currently,

you'd be looking at a realistic open-market value

-of about £250 to £350 for the set.

-Yeah.

Which, compared to where it was a few years ago,

is weak and a bit disappointing,

but that's very much reflective of the 21st century way of living.

People just... We don't drink tea in a leisurely way any more

out of nice things like this.

Would you be happy to put it for auction at £250 to £350?

That's fine.

The silver market can fluctuate up and down within a week or two.

The markets are forever changing,

so if the silver prices continue to go up,

-it might be that you make a little bit more.

-Right.

That's a fair assessment, as it stands, at the moment,

and we'll try our hardest to get as much as possible. Is that OK?

-That's lovely.

-Wonderful. Thank you very much for coming in.

-Thank you.

Back to Paul, who has found something right up my street.

Enid...

..what are you doing, bringing me a bugbear?

-Well...

-Does that mean anything to you?

-No, it doesn't, not at all.

-Well, we'll go into that later.

I am nutty about your nut.

Where did you get that?

My sister gave it to me 30-odd years ago, she was a district nurse

and one of her old ladies gave it to her as a memento and a thank you,

and my sister doesn't particularly like quirky things,

she gave it to me,

and it's been in my lounge ever since.

Did it come with any story? Was there an explanation?

No, nothing, nothing about it at all.

-Just a bizarre, carved... well, coconut.

-Yes.

-This much anyone would know.

-Yes, yes.

Yes, it's a coconut.

-And we could call this scrimshanked, I dare say.

-Yes.

You know, you know, scrimshawed...

-sailor work, let's say.

-Yes.

-Tusks and so on.

-These are the Royal arms, of course.

-Yes.

We've got the Imperial crown, and this is a Georgian crown,

and we've got our lion and our unicorn.

So in a sense, we're thinking,

"OK, is it official in some way?"

-Right, yes.

-"What's the story?"

It says David Stewart...

-..10th, Roman numeral...

-Yes.

-..10th band, Jamaica...

-Yes.

..1793.

Well, that's exactly where we'd expect this to come from,

..and I said "bugbear" at the off. Well...

that little chap there...

-Yes.

-..the little grotesque mask, is a bugbear.

-Is it?

-He's like a wee haggis, isn't he?

-Never known.

It's a generic flask.

Oh, is it?

-It had a plug.

-Oh, right!

-A turned, wooden...

-Yes?

-..bung.

-Yes?

-It was never really practical.

-No?

-It's to give it a function.

-Yes?

A bugbear's a mythical creature,

-and this is a Caribbean islands' little craft.

-Is it?

-Carving these coconut husks.

-Right.

-It wasn't done by David Stewart.

-No?

David Stewart would have thrown, I doubt a guinea,

-but a penny or whatever...

-Yes?

..at a local artisan and said, "Can you personalise it for me?"

-Oh, right.

-As a little souvenir...

-Yes, yes?

..to bring back home.

Yes, what a story.

-Isn't it, just?

-Yes, what a story, yes.

-He was over there for a reason in 1793.

-Yes?

Now this much I know from my history.

10th, when you see 10th, that's almost certainly his regiment.

-Is it?

-And this will, he will be a military man.

-Oh, right.

At this time, there was a slave rising...

-Was there?

-..in Jamaica...

-Yes.

-..and we would, of course,

send troops out there to quell that uprising.

-I see, yes.

-Horrible aspect of Empire.

-Yes, yes.

Now, I've looked this up a little bit.

-He comes up straight away.

-Oh, does he?

He is recorded in official lists

-of the movement of officers and so on.

-Amazing!

If he's in the Indies in 1793,

-if he was a young man at 20...

-Yes?

..at 40, he could've been fighting Napoleon, could he not?

-Oh, yes.

-What became of this man?

-Yes, yes, yes.

All day long,

that's worth £200 to £400.

Right, yes.

-Not a stratospheric sum.

-No.

-That's a lot of money for a coconut.

-It is, it is, yes.

If we get somebody hankering after material to the 10th Regiment...

-Yes?

-..well, if it was my cup of tea,

-I'd fight you in the streets for it.

-Yes, I know.

So, um, it's got real potential,

but I can assure you, we'd be pretty unlucky not to see

-£200 to £400 for that under the hammer.

-Right, OK.

Off to the auction. Bye-bye, bugbear.

I never knew what it was called.

Never knew. That's lovely.

And now for my favourite part of the show.

Here's what's going under the hammer.

First, we have the Rolex watch,

which looks like it really has lived.

Followed by the albums containing photos

of the stars of the stage and silver screen.

It may only be a coconut,

but the carving on it transports us back to the 18th century.

It is a unique piece.

And we round things off elegantly with the Edwardian silver tea set,

fashioned in the Georgian style.

We're heading back to the Lakes and the auction house

for our final selection of items.

Looking after our first lot is auctioneer David Brookes.

Going under the hammer right now, we've got that wonderful photo album

showing the stars of stage and screen from the 1920s,

belonging to Pat and Mike. Good to see you both again.

These have been in the family a long time.

Yes, they were my paternal grandma's.

Is this something that the dealers will pick on

for one or two specific photographs in there?

There's a lot of value in, let's say, four or five items,

-rather than the generic book.

-Without a shadow of a doubt.

Some of these stars have stood the test of time,

so there's a few that make the album.

Yeah, fingers crossed. It's going under the hammer right now.

The selection of vintage postcards. Celebrity interest.

-Start me at 40 then, please. £40?

-Right, we're in.

-Thank you sir.

-Bidder in the room.

-42. 45.

48. 50 now.

55. In the room at 55.

60. 65. 70.

75. 80 on the internet.

85 in the room. Have we finished?

90. 95, room bidder.

It's against you on the internet. We have 95. 100 now.

110. 110 in the room.

In the room at 110. They're having a think.

120 now on the internet. No? Thank you anyway.

120 here on the internet.

And we will sell if no further interest at 120 to the net buyer.

-Hammer's gone down. £120.

-Ooh.

-Good result.

-Yeah, good result.

One or two there that thought, "There's something interesting,

"I'm going to invest and take a chance on it."

-It was a good valuation.

-That's terrific. Thank you so much.

Well, good stuff.

Job done. Time now for the Rolex watch.

But will its poor condition hold it back?

There's only one name in watches, as far as I'm concerned,

as far as you're concerned. That's the Submariner, it's the Rolex.

-Classic.

-Are you going to replace it with anything?

-I don't think so.

I've got a mobile phone now.

-Oh, yeah, everyone tells the time from their phone, don't they?

-Yep.

I tell you what though, people are buying Rolexes

and they're paying good money for them and it's still working,

so there you go, that's the great Swiss movement in it.

Let's find out what it's worth right now. Here we go.

Rolex Submariner.

Now, this has seen 20 years' service in the Royal Marines,

hence its condition, but it'll scrub up very nicely.

Start me at 2,000 then somewhere.

2,000. We'll come right back, we'll take a bit of time.

Start me at 1,500 online. 1,500 bid.

1,500. 1,600.

16. 17. 1,700 now. 1,700.

1,700. You're out on the internet.

1,800. 1,900 now.

1,900 bid. 2,000 bid on the net. 2,000 bid.

2,000 bid now. 2,200.

2,200. Is that 4 online? No.

2,200. Are you all done this time, then?

At 2,200. We are reserved. The best bid was £2,000 on the internet

but we have instructions not to sell. Sorry.

I'm pleased you put a reserve of £3,000 on it, you know.

-Well, it was worth...

-Oh, gosh, it's worth the top end of that.

It's worth the 5, they just didn't want it today.

It's one of those things. That's auctions for you.

-It's been a day out.

-Yeah.

-Thank you for bringing it to the valuation day.

-My pleasure.

What a good sport. Time for some refreshments.

Cup of tea, maybe, but don't rush to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

This tea's courtesy of Clare here and Elizabeth, our expert.

We have a silver tea set for you going under the hammer.

-Have you got fed up with cleaning it?

-Yes, I don't clean it much.

-No!

Do you know what, everyone that comes on the show

that wants to sell silver says exactly the same thing.

No-one wants it any more, do they? It's going under the hammer now.

A four-piece silver tea set. 1965. Have various commissions.

I'm going to have to start the bidding with me at 250, 280...

Straight in, sold. Top end.

350. 380. At £380 bid.

400, 420.

450. 480.

500. Commission's out. 500 in the room.

-That's very good.

-That's good.

-In the room at 500.

Any interest on the internet? In the room here at £500. Going.

The hammer's gone down at £500.

-I told you it was a good time for people to buy, didn't I?

-Yeah.

They see something in that which means if they sit on that

for ten years, that will be a good investment for them.

There's a lot of silver there. You've got to be pleased with that.

I'm very pleased with it, yeah. It's great.

That's brilliant. And who knows, they may even drink tea from it.

Going under the hammer right now,

possibly my favourite lot of the whole day,

it's the oldest in the saleroom as well,

it's dated, it's Jamaica at 1793.

It belongs to Enid, and it's that wonderful carved coconut.

I was really jealous when I spotted this, because I love it!

-It's real history.

-Let's hope, yeah?

I think this is going to go to a collector, right here, right now.

Here we go.

The 18th-century carved coconut.

I rather like this piece myself, actually,

but I've got to start the bidding with the commission here at £120.

-The auctioneer said he liked it as well.

-Oh, good.

Get to you on the internet.

130, 140 with me.

-You're bidding 150, 160...

-Oh, come on, come on!

-170, 180.

-He's got a bid on the book, look.

-190.

-Commission bid.

-200.

220 in the room.

220 in the room, 240, thank you.

260, 280.

300, I'll come back to you, David.

320...

No? 320 on one phone.

-Are you bidding, on the other phone?

-Come on. Yes, of course you are.

-It's going to do 400, come on, it's got to.

-You bidding, on the phone?

Make your mind up time, 360, thank you.

380, 400.

420.

-This is more like it, isn't it, Enid?

-Absolutely.

-440...

440 against the internet.

We're going to the other phone at 460.

-Yes. Good man.

-Nice!

480.

500, I've taken, in the room.

In the room with 500, I'll take 50s.

500 in the room.

550. Make no mistake at £550 and going...

£550, Enid.

The bidders weren't shy on that coconut, were they?

-That was very good, yes.

-Wow!

-Yes.

-Happy?

-So pleased.

-He's happy. I'm really happy.

-Yes, yes, so am I.

-Yeah.

-What a day and what a great way to end today's show.

-I know, yes.

What are you going to spend all the money on?

Oh, I don't know, I haven't thought yet.

You don't know yet, haven't thought about that, too excited.

Sadly, that's all of the time we have for today,

but I told you there's going to be one big surprise.

We thoroughly enjoyed being in Kendal,

and join us soon for many more surprises in the saleroom,

but, until then, it's goodbye from all of us.