0:00:06 > 0:00:08To my eyes, this beautiful,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11magnificent 17th-century house is a work of art.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15It's an absolute gem and it's built in the Palladian style,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19after the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, who tried to
0:00:19 > 0:00:23recreate the style, the proportions and the symmetry of ancient Rome.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Friends and countrymen, we come to you not from Rome today
0:00:26 > 0:00:29but from Ragley Hall in Warwickshire.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Ragley Hall is a fine house, saved from destruction
0:00:56 > 0:01:00in the 20th century by Hugh, Eighth Marquess of Hertford,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03the father of the current marquess.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08The burden of inheritance tax nearly spelled the end of this
0:01:08 > 0:01:10magnificent house.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11However, in 1958,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15the marquess took the step of opening his home to the public
0:01:15 > 0:01:19and introduced all sorts of inventive income-generating
0:01:19 > 0:01:23attractions to bring in visitors - like waterskiing on the lake.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29That's what I call showmanship.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32The marquess really knew how to make a splash.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35What a fantastic crowd we have here today,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37all waiting expectantly for the doors to open, hoping
0:01:37 > 0:01:41they're going to be one of the lucky ones to go to auction later on.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Thankfully, no waterskiing needed here today.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Hundreds of people have turned up
0:01:45 > 0:01:48from all over Warwickshire and beyond,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50laden with antiques and collectables.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And the great thing about this show is they don't know
0:01:52 > 0:01:53what's in those bags and boxes -
0:01:53 > 0:01:55it's up for our experts to tell them.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And there is only one question on their lips, which is...
0:01:58 > 0:02:00ALL: What's it worth?
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06And who better to provide that information
0:02:06 > 0:02:09than our two erudite experts?
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Christina Trevanion...
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Oh, hello, look at that! That's beautiful!
0:02:14 > 0:02:17..and Will Axon.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I think you've got to trust the man holding the razor, haven't you?
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It's a bit nippy out here and there's no reason to hang about.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26So it's time to get these good folks settled inside.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30While they all find their way through the house to the Great Hall,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33let's take a quick look at what's coming up on today's show.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39As ever, Christina is on the lookout for a star item.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Where is the Faberge egg to go in it?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43- Well, that would be good. - That would be lovely. Yes.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49Will has a celestial find which has down-to-earth origins.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Where did you buy it? A specialist dealer or a book store?
0:02:52 > 0:02:54One of those things you hear time and time again,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56but you don't believe it - it was in a boot sale.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57- No! I don't believe it.- Yes.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01And I find a labour of love
0:03:01 > 0:03:05which has created a corner of heaven at Ragley Hall.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Do you know, I'm lost for words.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15The Great Hall here at Ragley is a feast of baroque plasterwork.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Just look at it - it's quite awesome.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19This technique is known as stucco
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and it's a plaster mixture of lime, gypsum and marble dust,
0:03:23 > 0:03:24all mixed up together.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27And it's perfect for fine, detailed work.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30The ancient Romans developed it to decorate their ceilings
0:03:30 > 0:03:34and it's been widely used in grand country houses like this ever since.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And it does provide the perfect backdrop
0:03:36 > 0:03:38for our valuations today.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And who knows, we might find something as old
0:03:41 > 0:03:42as this Venetian torchere,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44which dates back to 1756.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47If it's out there, our experts will find it.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Christina has already spotted some superb silver.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Philip and Susan, thank you so much for bringing this in.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It's a really rather beautiful little cup, isn't it?
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- Yes.- Where did it come from?
0:04:00 > 0:04:04I bought it in Chipping Camden from a church fete 44 years ago.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Half a crown.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- No!- In old money.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Did you think twice about buying it?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12No, I just liked it. I thought it was lovely.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Susan, did Philip buy this before you got married?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16- He did. - And he was allowed to keep it?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19He certainly was, because I thought it was a beautiful piece.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21I love the colours of it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23They really are, aren't they? They are beautiful.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27It's like a little stained-glass window in itself.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28It's just fabulous.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And the work is what we call cloisonne work,
0:04:30 > 0:04:31as you probably know,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34where you put this wonderful sort of molten material
0:04:34 > 0:04:36into this wire-work detail.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39It's incredibly intricate. It really is stunning.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I would suggest this was probably originally used as an egg cup.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Very big eggs.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Very big eggs. Or potentially as a salt.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50The reason I say salt is we've got this gilded interior,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53so it obviously wouldn't have corroded it.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55It is a piece of Russian silver.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I'd expect to see a really good set of marks on the bottom cos
0:04:58 > 0:05:00the Russians were very good - like the British, when you
0:05:00 > 0:05:02think of the British hallmark -
0:05:02 > 0:05:03were very good at marking their wares.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Let's have a little look and see what we can see.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07OK, great.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09We've got the George and the Dragon town mark there for Moscow.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12So we know it was certainly marked in Moscow.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14We've got the 91 zolotnik mark there,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16which is a mark for silver fineness.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So we know it's of fine silver.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22We've also got a great date there for 1874, which is fantastic.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25And that will be contemporary obviously with the piece.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27It was certainly registered in 1874.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30And then we've got the maker's mark there, which is
0:05:30 > 0:05:33a chap called Viktor Vasilyevich Savinsky.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37And I didn't know that off the top of my head, sadly.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- Very well said.- But great marks.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40And it really certainly helps to
0:05:40 > 0:05:43have those enable to attribute the piece.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48The thing that really slightly bugs me about this is the damage on it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49Yes, I realise that.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53I think it has certainly seen a few good parties, hasn't it?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Collectors of cloisonne
0:05:55 > 0:06:00and small Russian works really want to see things in perfect condition.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03It's a slightly limited market because it is an egg cup,
0:06:03 > 0:06:04or because it's a salt.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07But nonetheless, at auction, I would hope it would fetch
0:06:07 > 0:06:10somewhere in the region of maybe £80 to £120.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12How would you feel about that?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- That's your famous answer, isn't it, £80 to £100?- 80 to 120.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17THEY LAUGH
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Yes, I think... It's a good auctioneer's estimate.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22- I'd be happy with that.- 80 to 120.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Would you like to put a reserve on it?
0:06:24 > 0:06:26I'll go by your advice.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30OK, I would suggest a reserve of £80, with discretion,
0:06:30 > 0:06:31should we need it.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35The only thing I have left to ask you was...
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Where is the Faberge egg to go in it?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- Well, that would be good. - That would be lovely. Yes.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- If only we knew.- If only we knew.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Now that's wishful thinking.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Will also has a very good find. Two rare watercolours.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Derek, tell me, are you a collector of Royal Worcester?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Absolutely not. I know very little about it.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Really? So how come you've got these in your possession?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00When my mother died about ten years ago,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03we were clearing the house, and they just turned up in a drawer.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- I didn't even know she possessed them.- Really?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- It's amazing what you find in houses when you clear them.- No idea.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Did you like them when you saw them or did you think,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- "What's this old tat?" - No, I love them.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14But again, cliche I suppose, what do I do with them?
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Yeah, there is that element.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I mean, in my mind, they are crying out
0:07:17 > 0:07:19to maybe be framed and hung on the wall.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Actually, I absolutely agree with you,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23but they are a bit small for my taste.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- And if I put them on a wall... - Yes, they are a bit small.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I mean, the Stintons...
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I don't know if you've done any research on these,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35but the Stintons were a family who were all employed by Royal Worcester
0:07:35 > 0:07:37to paint on their porcelain.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41So on the vases, saucers, plates, that sort of thing.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Whole tea sets decorated by them.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45They're the pieces that command a premium.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47But at the end of the day, the Stintons were artists.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Absolutely. - They had to practise.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52They probably painted for their own interest as well,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54just to develop their own skills.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56They know their subject well, shall we say.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And that's why, you know, you can believe that those two ducks
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- are taking flight.- Absolutely.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And you can believe the way that pheasant is just protecting
0:08:05 > 0:08:08the female pheasant there, who's just sheltering slightly.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12He's got it dead right. We're not far from Royal Worcester.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- Just up the road. - 20-odd miles.- Exactly.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17So I was hoping that we would get a piece of Royal Worcester.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21- But I wasn't expecting to get watercolours on card.- Close.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23When would you say they were painted?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25He hasn't dated them, but I would have thought
0:08:25 > 0:08:29they are going to be from 1890, sort of, maybe up to 1920, 1930.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32They've probably spent 100 years together - why separate them?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Exactly right. You are quite right.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I think they are probably worth between £50 and £100 each.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41So add those together. I was no good at maths.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43But £100 to £200 would be a sensible estimate.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44Sounds reasonable.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47You know, at the end of the day, you want them to sell.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49So let's put them in with that estimate.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Reserve-wise, you know, I'd say tuck it in just
0:08:53 > 0:08:54under the bottom estimate.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- Say £80.- That's fair.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59I'm pretty sure that, excuse the pun,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02these are going to fly at the auction.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06I love them! They are two little masterpieces.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Talking of masterpieces, I'm taking you off
0:09:09 > 0:09:12to the green drawing room to see something special,
0:09:12 > 0:09:17brought in today by Evie, which she has no intention of selling.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Evie, I absolutely love this! Thank you for bringing it in today.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I tell you what, we've picked the right room to get this.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Beautiful.- It's a Walter Langley. The Newlyn School. Now look.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Do you think the owner of the house should own something like this?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It fits this room perfectly, doesn't it?
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- It's beautiful, isn't it? - Can you see that?
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- Lovely.- Isn't that lovely! It actually gives me
0:09:38 > 0:09:41a good opportunity to quickly look at the back.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- It's never been reframed.- No. - It's got its original label.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49In Pensive Mood by Walter Langley.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51He is my favourite watercolour artist.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56It's an inherited piece from my mother-in-law
0:09:56 > 0:10:01and she inherited it from her uncle.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06- And the uncle did some work for Walter Langley.- Really?!
0:10:06 > 0:10:08And the painting was payment for the work.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- Gosh! They were obviously in Cornwall, were they?- Yes.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Yes, it was some photography work. But I don't know what it was.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- What lovely provenance!- Yes. - Is there anything in writing?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- No. No.- It's a nice story, though. - Nice, yes.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26If you put this into auction today, I think an auctioneer would be
0:10:26 > 0:10:29quite crafty and catalogue this as 8,000 to 12,000.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- He knows he could sell it at 8,000. - Yeah.- At the lower end.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34But you might be lucky.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38It would look great on anybody's wall, wouldn't she?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Evie, I think it's lovely.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I wouldn't sell that if it was mine.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44Over to Christina now,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47who is talking to someone who does want to sell.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Helen, this looks quite exciting.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Where on earth did you get this little delight from?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54I actually got it from an uncle of mine
0:10:54 > 0:10:58who died about five or six years ago.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Right. So you've kept it since then?- Yes.
0:11:01 > 0:11:02And do you like it?
0:11:02 > 0:11:05I do like it. I've never used it.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08And I don't think that my uncle used it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11That would explain why it's in quite such good condition.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13So often you find these that have been used
0:11:13 > 0:11:17and you've got chips around the rim here or around the base.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Or the bee has come off.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- Yeah.- So it's in great condition.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Obviously, these things were made for a purpose
0:11:24 > 0:11:28and that purpose was that it was a honeypot or a preserve pot.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Most appropriately honey because
0:11:30 > 0:11:33it's in the shape of this wonderful bee skep.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And just to check, I am absolutely sure you are absolutely right,
0:11:36 > 0:11:37but let me just check.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40- There we go.- There she is. - Splendid. There's her name.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43That wonderful Clarice Cliff mark on the base there.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47And it's in that typical Clarice Cliff colour palette,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51with these wonderful crocuses - orange, purple and blue.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53They just shout Clarice Cliff, don't they?
0:11:53 > 0:11:55She was so famous for that crocus pattern.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57She was a fantastic woman, really.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01She started out as an apprentice to the Wilkinson Pottery in 1924
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and it quickly became quite apparent
0:12:03 > 0:12:07that she was an incredibly talented potter and painter.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10And in 1927, she moved to the Newport Pottery,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14which is this one here, "Newport Pottery Company, England."
0:12:14 > 0:12:15And she was given her own workshop.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19The fact that we've got this wonderful hand-painted section here,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21which is still in good condition.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- So it is hand-painted? - Yeah, absolutely.- Wow.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26- We've also got hand-painting to the bee as well.- Yeah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28What do you think it's worth?
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I haven't got the faintest idea. I really don't know.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37At auction, I would say probably in the region of £80 to £120.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Something like that. How would you feel about that?
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Oh... SHE LAUGHS
0:12:41 > 0:12:42- Surprised.- Really?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Really, yes. - In a good way or a bad way?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- In a good way. - Good! Phew! You terrified me.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52THEY LAUGH No, definitely. Wow.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56I would suggest 80 to 120 with a reserve of 60 or £70.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58How would you feel about that?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- Quite happy.- Reserve at 60 or 70?
0:13:01 > 0:13:05- I'll go for 70, then.- Go for 70. If we say 70 firm.- Yes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- With an estimate of £80 to £120. - Yes.- Are you happy with that?- I am.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- Great, splendid.- Very happy.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It's a lovely thing. Thank you so much for bringing it in.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17It might turn out to be a different sort of honeypot.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18You never know. You never know.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20THEY LAUGH
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I hope so. Clarice Cliff usually sells well.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Over to Will, now, who's made a flamboyant choice.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Well, Gabrielle, please tell me that the rest of your house
0:13:33 > 0:13:36is decked out in a similar style to your clock garniture.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38- I just wish it was!- Really?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Unfortunately, no - I've got quite a modern house,
0:13:40 > 0:13:44so this is totally out of character with the house.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Clock in the centre, garniture either side,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49very much late 19th century
0:13:49 > 0:13:52with its architectural centrepiece
0:13:52 > 0:13:56and these wonderful ormolu mounts, which is gilded bronze.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It just smacks of quality. Where have you come by it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:05It was inherited from my grandmother on my dad's side and when she died.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09This actually languished in my stepmother's stables
0:14:09 > 0:14:10for quite a few years.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- In the stables?- Yes.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And as my sister and I never inherited anything
0:14:14 > 0:14:17when my grandma died, we said, "Oh, we'd like to have that."
0:14:17 > 0:14:19So that was how it came to us.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20Right, OK - well, that's nice.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25And so it's been given pride of place in your home, has it?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28No - it's kind of gone backwards and forwards between our houses
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and literally stayed in storage.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Let's just have a closer look.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Here, we've got the central dial,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36white enamel, painted with these floral garlands -
0:14:36 > 0:14:38pretty little dial, isn't it?
0:14:38 > 0:14:40You'd be surprised how many dials we see that have been damaged,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43because if you just knock them, the enamelling is very fragile,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45it'll star crack.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46It may even chip off.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- So it's nice that that is in good condition.- Ah.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Having said that, I did notice there is a little bit of damage up here.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- There is, yeah. - Did that happen in the stables?
0:14:54 > 0:14:57No - I don't know when that happened, to be honest.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- Not on your watch. - Not on my watch.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01- Let's blame your sister! - That might be a good idea.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04A lot of clock collectors are very fussy about the movements -
0:15:04 > 0:15:05that's what sells a clock.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- Right.- Have you had a look inside? Have you tried to see who's made it?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Yeah, it's, um...Japy Freres?
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Well done, yes, exactly right. Japy Freres.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18They were a French firm founded in the early 19th century,
0:15:18 > 0:15:19a father and his three sons.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24- They are a well-respected clockmaker for this type of clock.- Right.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Have you had a thought of value?
0:15:26 > 0:15:27What's it worth to you and your sister?
0:15:27 > 0:15:32We did look online and we saw that, you know, really top-notch ones
0:15:32 > 0:15:35in great condition went up to £1,500,
0:15:35 > 0:15:36which got us a bit excited.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- Yeah.- But, you know, looking at it,
0:15:38 > 0:15:43I did think it's probably going to be less than 500 in the way it is.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45We're always telling people on this programme,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48you don't want to overcook something by putting too high a value on it.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I think we'd be doing your sister a favour as well if we sold it,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54because I bet you two have had enough of playing tennis with it,
0:15:54 > 0:15:55backwards and forwards.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Yeah. And she would like the money as well,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59to go and visit our dad in Florida.
0:15:59 > 0:16:00Oh, he's gone for the sunshine?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But as far as value goes, you mentioned under £500.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05I think you're probably right, to be fair,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and I'd like to pitch the estimate
0:16:07 > 0:16:08at, say, £300-£500.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- Yeah.- How does that sound to you? - I think that's about right.- Yeah.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I don't think we want it to go for any less than 300.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16OK - well, that's fair enough.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17At the end of the day, it's your item.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Let's fix the reserve at £300
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and who knows - hopefully, it might be two tickets to Florida.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- You never know.- You never know. - Wouldn't that be nice?
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Well, that would be a good use of the money.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Before we head off to auction,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35there is something I would like to show you.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46Ragley Hall is one of the earliest of England's great Palladian houses.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49It's a feast of the finest workmanship.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52The baroque plasterwork in the Great Hall
0:16:52 > 0:16:54was designed by James Gibbs.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00And James Wyatt's decoration graces a number of the state rooms.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02While several great craftsmen
0:17:02 > 0:17:04have left their imprint on this rather fabulous building,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08there's one name in particular that stands out for me.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11He's responsible for this matching pair of swags
0:17:11 > 0:17:12that you see above the door.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15There's one here, and one over the other door, in the library.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19It says, "Believed to be by Grinling Gibbons."
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Well, I've seen enough of his work
0:17:21 > 0:17:23at Hampton Court Palace, at Petworth House
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and at St Paul's Cathedral to actually say,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30well, look, in my opinion, they are 100% right.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33This is what Gibbons was famous for.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38These wonderful, naturalistic swags and droplets - it's superb.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42And he really does breathe life into wood.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Gibbons, who was born and trained in the Netherlands,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49arrived in London soon after the Great Fire in 1666.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52He brought with him his outstanding craftsmanship,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56flavoured with the new Continental baroque style.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01And for a man of his talents, there was plenty of work around,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05helping to rebuild the city over the next seven years.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06This guy was so prolific,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10everybody in power that had money wanted him.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15Including Charles II, for whom he did so much work
0:18:15 > 0:18:17that he became known as "the King's Carver".
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Though he also worked in marble, stone and bronze,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25it is chiefly for his outstanding virtuoso woodcarving
0:18:25 > 0:18:27that he is remembered.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30From Petworth House to the choir of St Paul's Cathedral,
0:18:30 > 0:18:36his work ranks amongst the best decorative carving of his day,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40and his influence is still alive in the 21st century,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43as woodcarver and restorer Charlie Oldham,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47who is a modern apostle of Gibbons, demonstrates.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50You're working in a lime wood, which is great to carve with,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52because it's light, yet it's very strong.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Yeah - in a way, it's a very bland wood,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57but it's perfect for carving cos the grain doesn't detract
0:18:57 > 0:19:00and you can do very fine little detail on it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Do you draw everything that you're going to carve
0:19:03 > 0:19:04- actual size, sort of, to scale? - Yeah.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Drawing really is the key.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09I mean, I think that's probably what put Gibbons ahead
0:19:09 > 0:19:10of everybody else as well.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11A good draughtsman.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Fantastic draughtsman, yeah, yeah.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15The lines going through the ornament,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18they all tie in and flow beautifully.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20So, you've got your template drawn out on a piece of paper.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23You transfer that over on to this flat piece of lime wood,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and then you're starting to give it a definition.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Yeah. - You've not shaded that in, have you?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I can see that - all you're doing is you're being creative,
0:19:31 > 0:19:32you're creating those shadows.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Here, we are working very shallowly.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36We're just tucking one thing under the other.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39You have to have an understanding of the flower to be able to do that.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- Yes, yes.- Don't you, really? I couldn't do that.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Well, do you want to have a go? - I'd love to have a go.- OK, yeah.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- You talk me through what I have to do.- Right, OK.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48And the tools.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52So we go here, you dig the heel of the tool in.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Yeah - that's very clever, if you can stay on the line!
0:19:56 > 0:19:57PAUL LAUGHS
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- I'll try on that one, shall I? - Yeah.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05I'm not going very deep, cos I'm frightened of mucking it up.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07You don't need to go deep on that. That's good.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Draw them out with pencil. Pencils are a very useful tool.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13There we are - so, we're just giving an idea of the petals, there,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16and we can follow that with the tool.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18I'll watch you do one, very carefully, and then...
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Tuck one bit under another one.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- There you go.- Gosh, hell of a lot of work, isn't it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33- When you look at the garlands in the library...- It is...
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- How long do you think that took him? - It's very difficult to estimate,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38but when you're actually carving,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40time actually goes frighteningly quickly.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45- Yeah, that looks good.- Does it? It's a bit deep, I think.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Shall I just pare that down, there?
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Oh, look, it's taking me back in time.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53LAUGHTER
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Back to the late 1600s, becoming part of history.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00It's not very good, it's rubbish.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01- That's all right.- Is it?
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Yeah, we'll just tuck this next one under.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Do you know what? It looks easy.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10I think that's one of the things about Gibbons.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12- He did make things look easy.- Oh...
0:21:12 > 0:21:16You've actually worked on conservation pieces, haven't you?
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Where was that?
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Yes, Gibbons-style work in Redland Chapel in Bristol.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Yeah, it's quite daunting, the first pieces I did
0:21:24 > 0:21:27were central pieces of the altar panel,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31so I had to model those and then carve them in wood.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36- Wow.- Then got into the foliage and the flower-work
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and then, eventually, carving whole sections
0:21:39 > 0:21:43to replace ones which had been lost over the end.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45You've got some samples of your work that you've brought in.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Let's have a quick look at a couple of them.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49- Mm-hm.- I like the picture frame.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Oh, thanks, yeah - that's one I did after I'd done the Redland Chapel,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57I felt quite fluid with the stuff, so I thought I'd design a frame.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00So it's got all the same elements that we had there.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02That's beautiful. How long did that take to do?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- Well, that's about three weeks' work.- Really?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- It does take a while. - Labour-intensive, isn't it?
0:22:07 > 0:22:09It certainly is, yeah, yeah.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13And I realised just from having that little go how difficult it is.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14It is really hard to do.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17You've got some drawings here and, obviously, these are
0:22:17 > 0:22:19your working drawings for things you've got to carve, yes?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Am I right?- That's right, yeah - so this is a flower,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24- But based on an acanthus leaf. - Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Acanthus leaves are great fun,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28because you can twist them round to anything.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29Exactly, yes, yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32And it's a good example of a repeated pattern
0:22:32 > 0:22:34you see throughout the 18th century, don't you?
0:22:34 > 0:22:36On columns and around doors and pediments.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Yeah, absolutely.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Look, thank you so much for giving a little lesson.- Right.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- Thoroughly enjoyed it. - Thank you.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Grinling Gibbons certainly sets the benchmark
0:22:46 > 0:22:48as far as woodcarving goes,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50and I think it's easy to imagine Charlie's work
0:22:50 > 0:22:52coming from the same workshop.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Right now, we are going off to auction for the first time.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12You've just seen what our experts have found.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14You've probably got your favourites. I've got mine.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17But right now, it is literally down to the bidders.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19We are in the hands of the auctioneer.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Let's get over to Bigwood's and get the sale underway.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Here is a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The Russian silver cup is a beauty so it should shine at auction.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37If I collected Royal Worcester, I know I'd want these beautiful
0:23:37 > 0:23:40watercolours by one of our top artists.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46This ornate clock garniture deserves to be displayed
0:23:46 > 0:23:48on a fine mantelpiece.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50So, hopefully, this is its chance.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55And this little Clarice Cliff honeypot is charming
0:23:55 > 0:23:59and should appeal to the collectors and the non-collectors alike.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05If you head ten miles or so east from Ragley,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08you will come to Shakespeare's birthplace -
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Just on the outskirts, in an old Victorian schoolhouse,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15is Bigwood Fine Art Auctioneers.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Inside the busy auction house, excitement is mounting.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Taking the sales today, we have two auctioneers on the rostrum -
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Christopher Ironmonger and Stephen Kaye.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36And we have something very familiar to kick us off.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38- Well done, Helen.- Thank you.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Without you, we wouldn't have our cliche today.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- THEY LAUGH - You know what I'm talking about.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48Just to jog your memory, it's that honeypot. Yes, it's Clarice Cliff.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50- You've got to have a bit of Clarice Cliff.- You have, haven't you?
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- You have, yes, you have.- Definitely. - OK, so why are you selling?
0:24:53 > 0:24:56I like it, I like the little honeypot, but I've never used it.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's sitting in a cupboard, so I thought, "Well,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01"I'm quite happy to sell it."
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Cute little thing. And I know it will find a buyer.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- And it's so... It just screams Clarice Cliff.- Yes.- The crocuses.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It's just so archetypal of what people want from her.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13It doesn't do anything for me, but I know it does for this lot out there.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15We are going to put it to the test.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Clarice Cliff now. 1930s crocus pattern honeypot.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23£80 bid. Down here at 80.
0:25:23 > 0:25:2690 now. At £80 for the honeypot. At 80.
0:25:26 > 0:25:2890, do I hear?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30At 80 at the front of the room.
0:25:30 > 0:25:3290 on the net. 100?
0:25:32 > 0:25:3590 on the net. At 90. Is it 100 now?
0:25:35 > 0:25:39At 90 on the net. It's going to sell at 90. Is it 100 now?
0:25:39 > 0:25:42At £90. It's going to be sold if you are done and finished.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44BANGS GAVEL
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- SINGSONG:- Clarice never lets us down.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- No.- She doesn't, does she?- No.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- God bless her.- Lovely. - Fantastic, well done.- There you go.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- I am pleased.- Well done, you.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Clarice Cliff is just one of those names that always sells.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01And now for another reliable name.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Derek, fingers crossed and good luck.- Absolutely.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Everybody loves Stinton's work. Especially on Royal Worcester.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11But here, you get a chance to buy on card as works of fine art, Will.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14- I think these will do quite well. - Let's hope so.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Very affordable. Why are you selling them?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I've no interest, really. I still appreciate the work,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20but they've just been lying in a drawer.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Right, let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?
0:26:23 > 0:26:25We are going under the hammer right now.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30James Stinton - Cock And Hen Pheasant In A Landscape Habitat.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And the companion, Mallard Taking Flight.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36They are little watercolours. They are signed. On card there.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39I've got an opening bid of 80 on the book. At £80.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- I bet we'll get there. - Do I hear 90 now?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44At £80. I thought these would cause a bit more interest.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45At 90 on the net.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47At 100 on the book.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49I've got 100 commission.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52120 on the net? At 110 on the net.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54110 on the net. At 110.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55110 on the net.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I'm out and the net is in.
0:26:57 > 0:26:58120 is in.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02At £110. They are going to go at 110. Are we done?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Hammer has gone down at 110. Good auctioneering.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06It's not dear, is it, if you wanted to own a bit of artwork...
0:27:06 > 0:27:10- That's it.- ..by one of the best-known artists in the world?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12No, and I'm sure that if you are a collector
0:27:12 > 0:27:14of Royal Worcester, you'd want to own those.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's another aside to the porcelain. It all makes sense.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- It's just bulks out a collection, doesn't it?- Exactly.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22That was a lucky find for someone.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27And now for something with a definite presence.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Going under the hammer right now, something for your mantelpiece -
0:27:29 > 0:27:31something very showy indeed, a clock garniture,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33belonging to Gabrielle - great to see you again.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36- And who's this?- I'm Lisa. - The sister?- Yes.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- So you're going to split the money. - Yes, we are.- Right, OK.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- Did either of you want to own it? - No, not really.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45It doesn't suit a modern interior, a small house. It's too big.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49- It is.- A great-looking trio, though, and it's complete, so...
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- 300-500, not a lot of money for a lot of lot.- Really.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Will it sell?- I think so - I mean, these type of things now
0:27:55 > 0:27:58are appealing to the decorators' market, you know?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00People may not want a clock on the mantelpiece,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- But they want something to dress the mantelpiece.- Exactly.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04These are perfect for that.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05It's got to be the right setting,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- but you need a tall mantel over that fire.- Exactly.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10We'll find out what the bidders think right now.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Early 20-century French white marble and ormolu clock garniture.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17What about £300 for it?
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Seems like a low start to me, but 250, surely?
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Come on.- 250, I'm bid. 250.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23- 260, now.- Yes!
0:28:23 > 0:28:26£250. 260. 280. 300?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- 300. 320...- He's going home with it, I bet.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30360. 380? 380.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33400? 380, for the gentleman on my right.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35£380.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Is it 400 anywhere else? Going to sell it at £380.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Final warning, finished at 380. Are we done?
0:28:42 > 0:28:43BANGS GAVEL
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Yes, hammer's gone down. We are happy, aren't we? £380.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- Brilliant result.- Brilliant.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50- Thank you for bringing it in. - Thank you very much.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53That's what we like!
0:28:53 > 0:28:56And now we have something rather eggs-quisite.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Philip and Susan, good luck.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02I know it's not a lot of money, but it's a nice little item.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04We are talking about the little Russian silver egg cup.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06If you like to go to work on an egg,
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- you need something like this, don't you?- Definitely.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Do you think it will be acquired by a Russian?
0:29:10 > 0:29:12I don't know. I don't know. I tell you what,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16if it's that one missing one from a set -
0:29:16 > 0:29:17it does come from a set -
0:29:17 > 0:29:19you might find a little bit of interest.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23- Let's hope so.- This is what auctions are all about, isn't it?
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I'm slightly worried now for bringing it up!
0:29:26 > 0:29:27Thanks for that, Paul.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31The yolk will be on me. Ready? It's going under the hammer.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36The Russian egg cup with the blue enamel.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38I've got some bids here on the book.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40I can start at £85.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43- Straight in.- Splendid! Fantastic.
0:29:43 > 0:29:4790. Five. 100. And ten. 120. 130.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48Oooh!
0:29:48 > 0:29:50150. 160.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52I'm going 165. Make it 170.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54I'm out. Anybody else?
0:29:54 > 0:29:56All done at £170?
0:29:56 > 0:29:58£170. Yes!
0:29:58 > 0:30:02- I tell you what, no messing around there.- That's fantastic! Well done.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- Thank you.- Way over the top. - Are you happy?- Yes, I am.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09Perhaps someone has the rest of the set after all.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15That concludes our first visit to the saleroom today. So far, so good.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Three happy owners.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20We are coming back here later on in the show, so don't go away.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23Can you remember earlier on I was telling you about Hugh,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27the waterskiing Eighth Marquess of Hertford, who saved Ragley Hall?
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Earlier in the week, while we were filming in the area,
0:30:30 > 0:30:34I had a chance to look at another of his ideas to bring in the crowds.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36This one is quite spectacular.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46As a boy, Hugh inherited Ragley from his uncle
0:30:46 > 0:30:48after a long period of neglect.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Because of his age, it was held in trust for him.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53But the hall was in a sorry state
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and Hugh didn't have the money to put things right.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Some might have seen it as a poisoned chalice.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03But he fell in love with the house.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06I've always regarded real life as being Ragley.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09School, Army, business,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13anything else was merely a tiresome interruption to real life.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15I always adored it.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18It was touch and go financially, but Hugh was outraged
0:31:18 > 0:31:22when the trustees proposed pulling it down.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24I really was horrified,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28so I did what I'd been told was the rudest thing you could possibly do.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32I sent all my trustees postcards in pencil,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35saying I hoped the subject of the demolition of Ragley would
0:31:35 > 0:31:36never again be mentioned.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Nowadays, it seems extraordinary to think this fine Palladian house
0:31:45 > 0:31:48could have been reduced to rubble.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50But it was thanks to Hugh's steely determination
0:31:50 > 0:31:54and his vision that disaster was averted.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57He obtained grants to help restore the roof
0:31:57 > 0:32:01and opened the house to the public to raise more money,
0:32:01 > 0:32:05trying all sorts of imaginative ways to attract the crowds,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08including the famous waterskiing display on the lake.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12MUSIC: Hit And Miss by The John Barry Seven Plus Four
0:32:18 > 0:32:21We got going and built a ski jump.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25I fell in the first 17 times I went over.
0:32:25 > 0:32:31And we put a flaming hoop over it, with straw, covered in tar,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34you know. Set fire to it and jumped through that.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Thousands of people came.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45And it really was a huge success.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Because at that time, 1960, nobody, or very few people, had ever seen
0:32:49 > 0:32:54waterskiing, unless they had been to the south of France or somewhere.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55It was a new thing.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58And Birmingham flocked in vast numbers
0:32:58 > 0:33:01and cheered every time I fell in, which was quite often.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03And I remember there was one day...
0:33:05 > 0:33:09..after a Whit Monday bank holiday,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13when we'd actually had 7,000 people watching the water skiing.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17I was driving down to the bank that evening with a little
0:33:17 > 0:33:21clerk from the estate office who came as my sort of escort,
0:33:21 > 0:33:22to be safe,
0:33:22 > 0:33:28and as I was driving, I was juggling these leather bags full of money.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33And I said, "Do you realise that we have taken enough money in one day
0:33:33 > 0:33:37"to buy a new motor car?"
0:33:37 > 0:33:39And, gloomy little man, he said,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42"Yes, or Your Lordship could reduce the overdraft."
0:33:42 > 0:33:46Of course I bought the car. I bought a wonderful Daimler Dart.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Despite that moment of extravagance,
0:33:48 > 0:33:51the marquess achieved his ambition of passing
0:33:51 > 0:33:57the house on to his son, who lives at Ragley today with his own family.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01The existence of this beautiful, this magnificent interior,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05which showcases some of the greatest craftsmanship from the 17th and 18th
0:34:05 > 0:34:09centuries, is largely down to his hard work and his resourcefulness.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12So it's hardly surprising, really, that he wanted to
0:34:12 > 0:34:17leave his mark on his ancestral home.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21And it was the flamboyant marquess's idea to add another
0:34:21 > 0:34:23money-spinning attraction -
0:34:23 > 0:34:27an enormous mural that covers the entire south staircase.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Work started on it in 1969.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Called The Temptation,
0:34:33 > 0:34:38it tells the gospel story of the Devil offering Christ the world
0:34:38 > 0:34:42and all its riches if Christ would fall down and worship him.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46Alongside this biblical story, it shows contemporary
0:34:46 > 0:34:51images of Hugh's family, the pets and a menagerie of tropical animals.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55The artist who created this masterpiece is Graham Rust.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58It's a real privilege to meet you. You are a genius.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- Thank you. No. Not at all. - An absolute genius.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02Do you know, I'm lost for words.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04That's the Devil tempting Christ, isn't it,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- with all the riches of the world? - Yes.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09The Devil was saying, "Christ, all this could be yours."
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Which meant that we could more or less put anything that one wanted to.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15- You got the green light, really. - Yes.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17THEY LAUGH
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Had you tackled anything on this scale before?
0:35:20 > 0:35:22No, not at all.
0:35:22 > 0:35:27I'd only really had a couple of mural commissions before.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29- Minute in comparison. - Single walls compared to this.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32I mean, look, the ceilings are adorned here. The balconies.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Everything. Did you have any help doing this?
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- No, I didn't. - This is all your hand.- Yes.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43What we established was that I would be here for one week per month
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- to work.- For how many years? - Which suited...
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Well, it was originally going to be five years
0:35:48 > 0:35:50and it turned out to be 14.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53So you became part of the family, really, didn't you, for a few years?
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Yes, indeed. It was like a second home to me.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59And a lovely home at that.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Do you know, the dog looks real.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05When I walked to the foot of the staircase, I thought the dog
0:36:05 > 0:36:07was real.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11- A dog biscuit sort of balanced there to give the illusion. - To tease.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12To tease. It's exactly that.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15The greatest compliment ever
0:36:15 > 0:36:18was when I was working on those portraits,
0:36:18 > 0:36:23we had a scaffold rail all the way along in front.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27And I stepped back at one point and lost my balance
0:36:27 > 0:36:31and I grabbed my own balustrade, which, of course, was painted.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32PAUL LAUGHS
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Nearly lost my grip. Fortunately, I didn't.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37- You are all right. You are all in one piece.- Still here.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Can we have a tour upstairs? Because it's starting to hurt my neck.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41Let's get higher up.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45Well, you should try painting a ceiling if it hurts your neck!
0:36:49 > 0:36:52I've counted 31 portraits.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Their four children, their godparents
0:36:55 > 0:36:59and very immediate family,
0:36:59 > 0:37:04like Lady Buchanan-Jardine.
0:37:04 > 0:37:10She refused to be included in this unless I painted a UFO.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12So we put it in.
0:37:12 > 0:37:18But it does rather attract a raised eyebrow here and there.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21What does this mural tell us about Hugh?
0:37:21 > 0:37:25He made an enormous contribution to the house,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Ragley, and the estate.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32And I think, partly, that was because of the threat when he was
0:37:32 > 0:37:38a child of losing it that bound him even more tightly to the place.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42And this was his gift to us.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45I think he...
0:37:45 > 0:37:48I think he was pleased with it in the end.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Well, Hugh certainly picked the right man for the job.
0:38:01 > 0:38:06Back in the Great Hall, the valuation day is still at full tilt.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09And Will has come across a real enthusiast.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10Ian, tell me,
0:38:10 > 0:38:15have you come at this book as a book man or a star man?
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Star boy, really.- Really?
0:38:17 > 0:38:20So your interest in the stars has been with you
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- since you were a small lad? - Yes, since secondary school, really.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28I had a maths teacher that looked very much like Einstein.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- What a fine look for a maths teacher.- It was.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And he was totally dedicated to astronomy.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37And he just captured me from a very early age.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39From then on, it's been my hobby.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Yeah, so that's a passion that has stayed with you right up
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- until today? - Right up until today, tonight, yes.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47If the weather is fine, I shall be out there.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48- Really?- That's right.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51It is one of those things that I've always been fascinated with
0:38:51 > 0:38:55because what you brought along today is this catalogue of Reynolds's
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Coloured Diagrams. Hand-coloured diagrams.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02Physical maps, scientific and historical charts and illustrations
0:39:02 > 0:39:04and so on. I mean, I'm just going to have a
0:39:04 > 0:39:07look at one or two of these sheets because rather than them
0:39:07 > 0:39:10being a bound book, they are actually loose leaves, aren't they?
0:39:10 > 0:39:14- They are.- And we've got one here. The phases of the moon.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16This is a transparent diagram.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18So if I hold this up to the light, you can
0:39:18 > 0:39:24probably see crescent moon, first quarter. Full moon. Last quarter.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28And there, in all its glory is, of course, the sun.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31All beautifully presented and in good condition as well.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35Where did you buy it from? A specialist dealer or bookstore?
0:39:35 > 0:39:37It was one of those things you hear time and time again
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- and you don't believe it, it was a boot sale.- No! I don't believe it.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Yes. One of the boots had a collection of astronomical books,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45mostly modern, that I picked up.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48And underneath it, this was there as well.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Brilliant. How much was it at the boot?
0:39:50 > 0:39:53It came as a package. Five books for a pound.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Five books for a pound? That is the deal of the century.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59I think you've done very well there.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Your good luck to be a keen-eyed spotter
0:40:03 > 0:40:07and drawn in by the astronomical books in the first place.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Chart of the heavens shewing - interesting spelling of showing -
0:40:11 > 0:40:14"shewing the stars visible on any night throughout the year".
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- That's quite a bit of kit, isn't it? - It is. It's not too bad at all.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18There is the Great Bear there.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Yes, the Ursa Major, I can stretch to seeing that.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- And that helps you pinpoint the North Star as well.- That's right.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27And then you go star hopping, as we used to in the good old days.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29So once you've got the North Star,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31you know where everything else is in relation to it?
0:40:31 > 0:40:33You pick out the major constellations
0:40:33 > 0:40:36and then you can find your way round the sky that way.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38That's amazing. Yes, the spine is a little bit tatty.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41We've got some staining to the boards.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I mean, would you be happy for it to go at £60 to £80 as an estimate?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- Seems reasonable. - What about a reserve?
0:40:48 > 0:40:51- Is there a price under which you wouldn't sell it?- Um...
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- Perhaps the lower estimate, really. 60.- Shall we reserve it at £60?
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- That's great.- Yeah, because, at the end of the day,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59if it doesn't sell, you can take it home
0:40:59 > 0:41:01and you can boast to all your friends about how little it
0:41:01 > 0:41:04cost you and what a useful bit of kit it is.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Certainly for someone who is gazing up at the stars.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11What a fascinating book. I could spend hours looking at that.
0:41:11 > 0:41:15Nearby, Christina has come across a charming collection.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19What a wonderful little menagerie you've brought to my table.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23I feel like I've got a zoo in front of me here. They are wonderful.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25How did you come by them?
0:41:25 > 0:41:29I had them from my mother and I think she had them from her parents.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Do you know where they got them from?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- No, I'm afraid I don't. - Family legend hasn't travelled down?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36- Family legend, that's right. - What a shame.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38They are, especially this one over here,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40just the most exquisite quality.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42And I really, really hope when I turn them
0:41:42 > 0:41:45upside down I'll see that magic little mark that I'm hoping to see,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48which is by a chap called Franz Bergmann, cos
0:41:48 > 0:41:52he really was the master creator of what we call cold-painted bronzes.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Let's have a little look, see what we can see.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Oh, brilliant. There it is. Fantastic.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59They got the typical Bergmann mark -
0:41:59 > 0:42:02this wonderful shield-shaped cartouche on the bottom here.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04And that just doesn't surprise me at all.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08The quality that has gone on in this piece here is just stunning.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11You can see all the individual teeth.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- And he's got some serious weight to him, hasn't he?- Yes.- Jolly heavy.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Bergmann was working in Vienna.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19He was a second-generation foundry owner.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23And he specialised in not only animals but nudes as well.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26But mainly in these miniature animals.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28And he really is very, very collectable now
0:42:28 > 0:42:30because he was such good quality.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34We call them cold-painted because they basically weren't fired.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36They were painted with dust
0:42:36 > 0:42:39so that's why they are cold-painted rather than fired.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- I see.- And the little Squirrel Nutkin over here.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Have we got a mark on him?
0:42:44 > 0:42:46No, we haven't, sadly. No mark on him.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48So nobody has owned up to making him.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51But again, the detail in that is quite lovely. I wouldn't have been
0:42:51 > 0:42:54surprised to have seen a Bergmann mark on him.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57They all date to about the 1900 period.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00Out of the three, which is your favourite?
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- Squirrel Nutkin.- Squirrel Nutkin. He is your favourite.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06He's lovely, isn't he? And a red squirrel as well,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08which we don't see much of in this country any more.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11At auction, I think we'd probably be looking at putting them as one lot.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14Putting the three in together as a lot
0:43:14 > 0:43:16rather than splitting them up separately.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20And I think your Bergmann piece there will be the star of the lot.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24I think, at auction, as lovely little collector's items,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27I think we'd probably be looking at a collective
0:43:27 > 0:43:30value for the three of maybe £100 to £200.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- Yes.- How would you feel about that?
0:43:32 > 0:43:34- That sounds all right. - Does that sound all right?
0:43:34 > 0:43:36- Would you be happy to sell them for that?- Yes.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39So if we said 100 to 200, what about a reserve?
0:43:39 > 0:43:42Would you want to put a reserve on them?
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Yes, I think I should put a bit of a reserve on.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46- A bit of a reserve on.- Yes.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50- I would suggest a discretionary reserve at £100.- Yes.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53Which usually means about 10%, effectively.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56So if we said an estimate of £100 to £200 with a discretionary
0:43:56 > 0:44:01- reserve at 100.- Yes.- Will you be sorry to see them go, Jill?
0:44:01 > 0:44:06Um, well, in a way, but...
0:44:06 > 0:44:09The young people don't like these nice things, do you know?
0:44:09 > 0:44:13- But I think collectors really will love him.- They should do.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16Hopefully he will roar away for you and make you lots of money.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18Thank you so much for bringing him in.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20- It's been a real pleasure to see them.- Nice to meet you.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21Yes, you too.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24What a charming owner.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31Christina's next choice comes with a good tale attached to it.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34This is a rather wonderful creepy-crawly piece, isn't it?
0:44:34 > 0:44:36Yeah, it's lovely.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Where did it come from?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40It's got a funny story, really.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42My brother-in-law was doing a house clearance
0:44:42 > 0:44:45- and he invited me over to have a look at a few bits and bobs.- Hmm.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48We looked in the garden and found this.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51It was covered in mud and earth,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54and caught my eye. I started dusting it off
0:44:54 > 0:44:56- and that was what was underneath. - Oh, my goodness.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00You've obviously got a fantastic eye for quality.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02You pick it up and it's got some serious weight to it,
0:45:02 > 0:45:04which is always a good sign.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06And this wonderful grasshopper here.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09That is incredibly complicated to make.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12And then the piece de resistance for me,
0:45:12 > 0:45:14if we look at his bottom,
0:45:14 > 0:45:20and on the bottom, wonderful little mark there for Baccarat.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Now, have you heard of Baccarat before?
0:45:22 > 0:45:26I hadn't. Obviously, I did the same as you, turned it over,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29saw that and then researched Baccarat,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32and then found out... I think it's French, is it?
0:45:32 > 0:45:35That's right. You really associate them with a range of paperweights
0:45:35 > 0:45:37they produced in the mid-19th century.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41They still produce them today and they are very, very collectable.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Now, this little chap is quite unusual.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47I find it phenomenal that somebody would have used him
0:45:47 > 0:45:48- as a plant pot, though.- Yes.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51I suppose quite appropriate,
0:45:51 > 0:45:53because you've got this grasshopper here and the flowers,
0:45:53 > 0:45:56and maybe they were thinking, "Well, the floral theme,
0:45:56 > 0:45:58- "we'll continue with that."- Yeah.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01But why on earth you'd put him in the garden, I do not know.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03- A lucky find for you.- Yeah.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- Definitely.- Baccarat made the grasshopper vase
0:46:06 > 0:46:08between 1890 and 1920.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Because it's quite angular,
0:46:10 > 0:46:13it points me slightly towards the later end of that period,
0:46:13 > 0:46:16but then you've got echoes of the Victorian period
0:46:16 > 0:46:19with the grasshopper, which is very symbolic,
0:46:19 > 0:46:21and this wonderful scrolling foliage, which again
0:46:21 > 0:46:24- is very typical of that Victorian period.- Right.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27I just think he's a gorgeous thing,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30but I do think, having spent however many years
0:46:30 > 0:46:34in the garden has taken its toll quite extensively, hasn't it?
0:46:34 > 0:46:37We have got a chip on the front here,
0:46:37 > 0:46:39we've also got chips on the corners,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42and unfortunately, we have got a chip on the top
0:46:42 > 0:46:46which has got a spreading hairline crack down the side.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50It's a very difficult thing to put a value on,
0:46:50 > 0:46:52because glass collectors do want things
0:46:52 > 0:46:55- in absolutely perfect condition. - Yeah.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57So, in perfect condition,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00they can make up to a couple of hundred pounds.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03Unfortunately, it just goes to show how much damage
0:47:03 > 0:47:06really does affect a value,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09but I love the fact that you got him out of a garden,
0:47:09 > 0:47:14and I would really love to see what the market wants to pay for him,
0:47:14 > 0:47:17so how would you feel about putting him in to auction at £30 to £50?
0:47:17 > 0:47:20- Yeah, that's fine.- Would that be all right?- Yeah.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Would you like to put a reserve on him, or shall we see what happens?
0:47:23 > 0:47:25We could put a reserve of 30 on, if you like.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28- Say 30 with some discretion, should we need it?- Yeah.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32And promise me that you will go and spend whatever he makes
0:47:32 > 0:47:35- on another antique.- Definitely. I will.- Good. Brilliant.
0:47:35 > 0:47:38- Thanks so much for bringing it in. - You're welcome.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42It may have some chips but it's better than digging up a potato.
0:47:42 > 0:47:49Over to Will, who has found our last item of the day. And it's a corker.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51Penny, you must have some muscles in your arms
0:47:51 > 0:47:54because you've lugged these from home, have you?
0:47:54 > 0:47:56- With the help of my husband, yes. - Right, I was going to say,
0:47:56 > 0:48:00because they are not what they first seem, are they?
0:48:00 > 0:48:03- They are obviously pictures, but they are not paints.- No.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06Tell me, what do you know about them?
0:48:06 > 0:48:08My mother thought they were from Holland.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11That's what I was told anyway.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15I'm not really sure. I've always just wondered what they were.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18In my mind, there is no doubt that these are Italian.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22- Oh.- Yes. These have been produced for some time in Italy,
0:48:22 > 0:48:26right back to the time of the Grand Tour, where the
0:48:26 > 0:48:28great of English aristocracy,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31perhaps even someone who lived in a house like this,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34would have travelled to Italy to expand their knowledge,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36to learn more about the arts
0:48:36 > 0:48:41and to appreciate beauty through sculpture, plaster casts and so on,
0:48:41 > 0:48:45and to buy souvenirs to bring back with them to furnish
0:48:45 > 0:48:48homes like this that we have the privilege of being in today.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50And they are made of stone.
0:48:50 > 0:48:55They are inlaid sections of stone made up to make a picture.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59The pieces of marble, stone, other minerals that they use,
0:48:59 > 0:49:01they are actually cut to shape.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04- You can imagine them almost like a jigsaw puzzle, can't you?- Yes.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Each piece produced separately
0:49:06 > 0:49:10and then brought together to produce this image.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15These are probably most likely to come from Florence, which is an area
0:49:15 > 0:49:19of Italy that was well known for producing what we call pietra dura.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22Pietra dura literally means hard stone.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25It basically says what it does on the tin.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29What's happened to them, Penny? Do you think they fell off the wall?
0:49:29 > 0:49:31I think that's what happened, yes. Yes.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Because they have got some weight to them, haven't they?
0:49:33 > 0:49:36- They are very heavy.- They are. Which is why I asked about...
0:49:36 > 0:49:39You had a bit of a workout getting them to us today.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43But what I'm pleased to say is that it hasn't actually damaged
0:49:43 > 0:49:45the stone panels themselves.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48I think we're looking, for each picture, around the £50 mark.
0:49:48 > 0:49:50How does that sound?
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Yes. Yes. Yes, well, it would be nice to get more but...
0:49:55 > 0:49:58- It's always nice to get more. - We will have to see.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- But you've got to pitch these things realistically.- Yes.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04- Let's put an estimate on of, say, £150 to £250.- Yes.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08What is the minimum you wouldn't want them to sell under?
0:50:08 > 0:50:12- 100 or so.- Shall we say 100? It's a nice round number. £100.- Yes.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15I think they are not going to struggle at auction.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17I think they are worth £50 each.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20- They are interesting.- They are interesting. They are different.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22They are decorative. And I think that on the day, there is going to
0:50:22 > 0:50:25be an interior designer out there who has got their eye on these
0:50:25 > 0:50:27and just think they are going to look
0:50:27 > 0:50:30perfect in a scheme for my lakeside Italian villa.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32- Imagine that.- Very nice.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34I might even offer to deliver them.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40Let's remind ourselves what we're taking off to auction.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Let's hope the heavenly book about the stars gives us
0:50:45 > 0:50:47a meteoric result.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55This next lot with the Bergmann tiger is one for the collectors.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Following a spell in the garden,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03I think it may well be time for the grasshopper vase to take off.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07In Italian, "pietra dura" means hard stone.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11With these pictures, it's not going to mean hard luck.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19We are back at the auction rooms and the atmosphere is building.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21All eyes are on Christopher Ironmonger,
0:51:21 > 0:51:25who is selling our highly informative first lot.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29This next lot was bought for one pound in a boot sale.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32Let's hope, when it goes under the hammer, it goes out of orbit,
0:51:32 > 0:51:36because it's the astrological book belonging to Ian. And I like this.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38It's full of charts and maps, it's all hand drawn.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41The fact that it was bought at a boot fair, you know,
0:51:41 > 0:51:42I live for things like that.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Get up early, get up the boot fair, find something,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47get it cheap, get it sold and make a tidy profit.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50Let's find out what this lot thinks. It's going under the hammer.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52This is it.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54This is rather interesting.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57Astronomical diagrams.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01I've got an opening bid on the net of £60.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05- OK.- 70 now? At £60 on the net, it's going to go.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07At £60. 70 surely?
0:52:07 > 0:52:11- I thought this would fly. 70. 80 net.- There is no-one in the room.
0:52:11 > 0:52:1490 now. You don't come across these very often.
0:52:14 > 0:52:15And it is in lovely condition.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18Diagrams inside. Very interesting.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20At £80 on the net.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Going to be selling it at 80.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Final warning at 80. Are we done?
0:52:24 > 0:52:27Well done, £80. That was a great buy.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29It is click and buy now in the saleroom.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Most people are buying online.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33- Good for you.- Thank you very much.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35Job done and it's off to a new home.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40And now we need a really good result for our next owner.
0:52:40 > 0:52:41We are on a mission. Fingers crossed.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43I'm with Jill and Christina.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45We are raising money for the air ambulance, a great charity.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48We are selling three cold-painted bronzes,
0:52:48 > 0:52:49made with that lost wax method.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51One of them is definitely a Bergmann.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55One possibly might be. Now, tell me a bit more about the air ambulance.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Why are you raising money for them?
0:52:57 > 0:53:03- Because they took me from my home to the hospital in Oxford.- Did they?
0:53:03 > 0:53:06- Yes. - Were you stranded or stuck or...?
0:53:06 > 0:53:09- I had an acute heart attack. - Bless you.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11But thanks to them, I'm still here.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15- Right, OK, we need to raise money. - Don't we just.- We are on a mission.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17- Best of luck, Jill.- Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19They are going under the hammer now.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22In the manner of Bergmann,
0:53:22 > 0:53:26a suite of three gold patinated bronze animal figures.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30- I've got an opening bid here at £80. - Come on.- £90.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32100. 110.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34110. 120.
0:53:34 > 0:53:35- Splendid.- Lady bid at 110.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37I'm going to sell at 110.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39120. 130.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41140. 150.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43- This is better. - You've got a bidding war.
0:53:43 > 0:53:45190. 200.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47220? 240?
0:53:47 > 0:53:49220 at the table. At 220.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51They are going to be sold.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54At £220... Lady's bid at 220.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58- Yes, £220.- That was very good. - That's brilliant. Yes.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00That's what we wanted.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03The air ambulance does such a marvellous job.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07What next?
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Well, if you like your glass, you'll be familiar with Baccarat,
0:54:10 > 0:54:13and we've got a choice item right now, belonging to Danny.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17- The grasshopper vase found in a garden.- That's right.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19- I can't believe that.- I know.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22- It was a lucky find.- It's not in mint condition, is it?- No.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25It has suffered from its time in the garden...in the compost heap.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28- But the grasshopper loved it!- I bet it did, exactly.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30Where he belongs.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Let's hope it's not compost, if you know what I mean!
0:54:32 > 0:54:34We're going to put this to the test.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Rectangular cast and moulded glass vase,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39fashioned as a grasshopper,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43- got 30 on the net straight off. - Fantastic. Sold!- 30. 40 surely?
0:54:43 > 0:54:45At £30. I'll take 5.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47I'll take 5 if you like.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49I'm going to sell it at £30.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Seems a cheap buy at £30. Is it 5?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55It's going to be sold on the net at £30...
0:54:55 > 0:54:58There you go, £30, sold.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- That's a bonus, isn't it, really? - It is, yeah.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03- Let's go and do a bit more garden-hunting.- That's right!
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- Brilliant. Well done.- Thank you.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10Not bad for a garden find.
0:55:10 > 0:55:15Now we have those fabulous stone pictures made from Italian marble.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18Good luck, Penny. You know what we are talking about.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21There's three of them and they are set in stone.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24It's Italian pietra dura, drawn literally in stone. Lovely pictures.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- Yeah, quality.- I know there is a little bit of damage, but so what?
0:55:27 > 0:55:30I mean, you know, it sums up for me the Grand Tour.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33- It sums up everything like that. - That's exactly right.
0:55:33 > 0:55:34Why are you selling them, Penny?
0:55:34 > 0:55:37I inherited them from my mother and we've got loads of things.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41- Have you?- They don't really fit into the colour scheme that we have.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44- OK.- But I appreciate that they are...- Yeah, they are quality.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48- There is a weight to them. There is an honesty about them.- Exactly.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51- Good luck.- Thank you.- It gets exciting. Let's see what happens.
0:55:54 > 0:55:56A suite of three probably Italian
0:55:56 > 0:55:58late-19th-century pietra dura
0:55:58 > 0:56:00wall hangings.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Straight in at 460 then. 460.
0:56:02 > 0:56:05480. 500.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07SHE GIGGLES
0:56:07 > 0:56:09550. 600. 550 seated.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11The centre of the room at 550.
0:56:11 > 0:56:12- Gosh!- 600 on the net.
0:56:12 > 0:56:13650 in the room.
0:56:13 > 0:56:14650 in the room.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16700 on the net.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18700 on the net.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20750 in the room. 750.
0:56:20 > 0:56:21800 net.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23150. 850 room.
0:56:23 > 0:56:24850 in the room it is.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26This is why auctions are so great.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28900 on the net. 1,000, sir?
0:56:28 > 0:56:311,000 in the room. £1,000 in the room.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33I've got £1,000 in the room and it's selling.
0:56:33 > 0:56:351,100 if you want to carry on now.
0:56:35 > 0:56:361,100 they've gone.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40- Penny, listen to this.- £1,100. On the net at £1,100.
0:56:40 > 0:56:41Is it 12 now?
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Are you sure? You've tried hard.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Wonderful, wonderful.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47At £1,100, are we done and finished?
0:56:47 > 0:56:48The hammer has gone down.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Everyone is happy! £1,100. You see, quality, quality, quality.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53They deserve to make that sort of money.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56- And you've got near enough £1,000 to spend.- Wonderful!
0:56:56 > 0:56:58- That's a great result.- Great result.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00And where do you think you want to go on holiday next year?
0:57:00 > 0:57:03- We planned it.- Italy!- Italy. - There you go.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05- Lake Como or something like that. - Exactly.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08You could buy some more, bring them back with you, pay for the holiday.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10THEY LAUGH
0:57:10 > 0:57:12And what a way to end today's show.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14I promised you a big surprise, didn't I?
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Well, we delivered. How about that?
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Quality always sells. A proper antique.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20If you've got something like that, we'll flog it! See you soon.
0:57:20 > 0:57:21Bye-bye.