Bedfordshire 9 Flog It!

This is Rectory Hill and it's full of this - flint.

That's because we're in the Chilterns, where this has been mined for millennia.

Down there, that's the valley of Amersham, which has a fascinating history all of its own,

from the burning of martyrs at the stake to the arrival of Metro-land.

More about that later on in the programme because right now,

it's time for a valuation or two. Welcome to "Flog It!"

Today's show comes to you from Bedfordshire,

through which run the Chiltern Hills.

This windswept ridge provided the ideal

conditions for a group of powerless flight enthusiasts,

who, back in 1929, formed the British Gliding Association.

They started launching themselves by elastic

rope into the prevailing winds, off steep sections of the hills.

This attracted huge crowds in the 1930s.

Even the Prince of Wales went along.

Later on, we'll be finding out a bit more about the history

of gliding in the area, but first, it's time to hit the ground

running, nearby at Wrest Park - our valuation day venue.

Wrest Park is an exceptional French-style 19th-century

chateau, set within outstanding grounds here in Bedfordshire.

Now, combine that with the hundreds of people who have turned

up from the Home Counties and beyond, laden with antiques and

collectibles, then I'm sure we're going to be in for a marvellous day.

-Wouldn't you all agree?

-ALL: Yes!

And down in the queue, already racing to put her coloured stickers

-on people with her favourite items, is expert Anita Manning.

-So stylish.

It is, isn't it? My great-great-aunt used to wear it every day.

And hot on her tail is expert Christina Trevanion.

-THEY LAUGH

-Come over here a wee minute.

-Those dulcet tones!

Or is it the other way round?

-No, green sticker.

-Oh, green sticker.

LAUGHTER

-Isn't it gorgeous?

-That is fantastic.

You and I on a Friday night, in Glasgow.

-I thought you might be the kind of girl that would go to cocktail parties.

-Really?

-You're baby-sitting your babies on a Friday night!

-LAUGHTER

We can't all be out on the town, Anita!

But at least we can live the high life today,

here in the glamorous surroundings of Wrest Park.

With the sun shining and the temperature rising,

it's time to get these good folks seated.

Whilst the sun hats are doffed and the parasols get an airing,

let's take a quick peek at what's coming up in today's show.

This is an interesting collection.

While Christina brings to life the spirit of trench humour...

Keep your 'ead still or I'll have your blinkin' ear off!

..Anita's enthusiasm almost backfires on her.

You've made me begin to like the thing now!

I think I might have sold that wee pot back to you.

But will our sellers be glad they did make it to the auction?

-Come on!

-Thank you.

-That's a good result.

THEY LAUGH

You'll just have to wait and see.

The grounds here at Wrest Park contain one of the few

remaining formal gardens from the very early part of the 18th century,

and they provide a wonderful backdrop to our valuation day.

And who knows? Amongst this incredible crowd of people,

we might find some items as old as these gardens.

We've just got to get searching. So, without further ado,

let's hand the proceedings over to our experts at the tables.

Irene, you have brought us

today a 19th-century housekeeper's badge of office.

It's a chatelaine, but can you tell me - where did you get it?

Well, my grandmother gave it to me and it belonged to her grandmother.

Did you know what it was when your grandmother gave it to you?

No, I didn't.

Did you think - is that a fancy necklace or a piece of jewellery?

I wasn't sure what it was.

Well, a chatelaine is something the housekeeper would wear on her

belt, with the little tools and the bits and pieces that she might need.

And if we look at this one, we can see a little pin holder,

we see a needle holder here, and we see a thimble holder here.

What I like about this one is the little aide-memoire to remind her...

It's a little notebook, where she would wrote little notes to

herself to remind her to buy broccoli or whatever.

And a little pencil holder there.

Now, it's quite a lovely thing

and I've seen these in many different materials.

The ones which have the most value are made of silver.

And this one is not made of silver. It's made of a white metal.

When you received it as a gift, Irene, what did you do with it?

Well, I just kept it and looked at it occasionally, but in the end,

I put it in a box and that was it.

You can't wear it as a piece of jewellery

and I don't suppose you go round your house needing

a wee aide-memoire to tell you to darn the curtains!

-So, Irene, value. Do you have any idea?

-No, I have no idea.

Because it's made of a base metal,

I would like to keep the estimate right down low on that.

I'm sure that's the best tactics for this item.

I would put it in at maybe £40 to £60.

-Would you be happy to put it in at that price?

-Yes, I would.

Well, let's hope that the bidders like it as much as I do.

I'm sure there will be interest in this piece of social history.

And nearby, overlooked by Wrest's impressive collection of statues,

is another personal ornament of an entirely different type.

So, Richard, we are

surrounded by these amazing sculptures in this beautiful

garden and we've almost got like a little miniature sculpture

-going on down here.

-I know.

-Isn't it fabulous?

-It's superbly sculptured, that one.

-It really is.

And it's quite sort of different to the jewellery that

I normally see, which is usually very traditional, quite sort

of Victorian jewellery and all that sort of thing,

-but this is by a chap called Germano Alfonsi, is it not?

-It is.

-Who was an Italian jeweller.

-Very well known, apparently.

-In the middle of the 20th century, is that right?

-It is.

So, how have you come across it?

Well, I was on holiday near Naples and we went shopping one day

-and I'd always wanted a crucifix.

-Right.

And I saw that in the jeweller's and I fell in love with it.

-Oh, really? Well, it is really just beautifully done, isn't it?

-It is.

Usually, a crucifix, when you see it, it's just a plain cross with

-Christ on it, but that one is so well modelled.

-It really is.

And it's an excellent weight, as well. And a lovely chain.

The thing for me is sort of wonderfully gritty in its basic-ness.

-You can see every grain of wood on there, can't you?

-You can.

And it is really quite splendid.

-The chain itself has obviously been handmade.

-Yep.

And is incredibly detailed, and what's even better for us

is that we've got a little signature on here, which is

-actually signed Germano.

-That's right.

I don't know a huge amount about Germano,

but I know he did design for stars of stage and screen, did he not?

He did indeed. Yes. Very famous people.

He designed for Sinatra, Sophia Loren, the Kennedys.

-And a few Popes, I think, as well.

-A few Popes, as well.

So his client list really was the ultimate rich and famous, really.

-He was.

-And have you ever worn it?

-Oh, yes.

-I used to wear it quite regularly when I was a little younger.

-Right.

But it doesn't really suit my age.

-So, is it time, possibly, to make it go to pastures new?

-It is, yes.

I would like to see someone appreciate it

and wear it more than I've worn it.

It's really the best that we can expect in that it's 18 carat gold.

-It is, solid gold.

-Solid gold.

And it has got a serious amount of weight to it.

So, at auction, I would expect it to fetch

somewhere in the region of about £800 to £1,200.

-That would be very good.

-Would that be all right?

-It would indeed.

-So, if we set the reserve at £800...

-That sounds fine.

..with an estimate of 800 to 1,200

-and we'll pray for some divine intervention.

-Yeah!

Don't worry, Christina.

With that weight of gold, I don't think you'll need it.

# I can see for miles and miles and miles... #

Now, earlier on in the show, we heard how this area -

and in particular the Chilterns - were involved in the early

days of the sport of gliding and getting it off the ground.

Well, I'm pleased to say I've been joined by two gliding

aficionados, Adrian and Peter. Pleased to meet you both.

-You're going to tell me a little bit more about the heritage of gliding in this area.

-Yeah.

You've got lots of photographs. Where are we going to start?

Let's start with the London Gliding Club, which started in 1930,

formed by a group of very enthusiastic pilots.

They didn't have anywhere to fly at that time.

They explored the south east of the country, came up here

and set off in 1930 from Ivinghoe Beacon, which is in the Chilterns.

-Yeah.

-And this is a lovely picture of the early '30s.

In those days, they weren't using winch launches, they weren't using

aeroplanes, they were using people power to get the glider into the air.

Look at the crowds of people.

Well, it must have been quite a spectacle in its day.

-Even royalty came to watch it because it was so spectacular.

-Did they?

So, what is it that's so special about this area?

Are there certain thermals or something?

We do tend to get more thermals in the centre of the country,

but, of course, that wasn't recognised at that time. That developed later,

when people started really travelling long distances in these gliders.

Before that, it was really the undulations in the hills.

It was the fact that the downs faced the prevailing winds...

-So they could lift.

-Exactly.

Were there any mishaps in those early days of gliding?

Looking at some of these gliders, they're quite primitive.

Gliders crashing at the time were not uncommon.

And the repairman was reputed to be able to make an estimate of

the amount of damage and the cost of repair from the sound of the crash.

-That's fantastic, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Tell me the story about this one.

-Who is that? She looks familiar.

-She is. That's Amy Johnson.

Oh, she was responsible for the first female flight across the Atlantic, wasn't she?

She did several long-distance flights.

She was staying at a local health farm and got bored.

She was a friend of one of the members of the club,

Doc Slater, who was a very famous glider pilot at the time

and probably went flying with him.

This is fascinating history, and thank you so much for sharing

your passion with us, because it's all about this heritage here.

-We love it here. Yeah.

-We do.

Another lady with a sense of adventure is Anita Manning,

and she's sat down with mother and daughter Binny and Adele.

Girls, you've brought me in a little piece of oriental.

Now, oriental is very hot in today's market.

Tell me, how did you come by this one?

It's come through the generations.

A great-uncle of mine was in the merchant navy

and every time he came home, he always brought something with him.

-And it's come to you.

-It came to me, yes.

So, it's come through all these generations

-and there's Adele there, your daughter.

-She doesn't want it.

And you've brought it in to "Flog It!" What's happened?

We picked it out to bring it, but I was a bit dubious about it

because I didn't think it was in very good condition,

but I could see a Chinese mark on the bottom, so I thought...

Maybe that's a way of getting rid of it!

-Yes!

-I mean, it's not something that I would particularly care to keep.

I think it's quite pretty in its way,

but it's not something that I would choose to keep.

I've just had it standing around in a cupboard -

I suppose sentiment more than anything.

-It's not a statement piece, is it?

-No, I don't like it.

Let's have a wee look at it.

It is Chinese and we look on the bottom here,

we can see a Chinese red seal mark.

It's pretending to be an earlier one, but it is 19th century.

The pot itself is decorated with this scene of agricultural workers,

but what they look like are happy gardeners.

And they're harvesting melons. And we have...

They're beautifully hand-painted and decorated.

And they are decorated in the Famille Rose palette, where we

have these pinks and greens and this was a very popular colour

palette that was used in the 19th century.

We have little bronze handles here,

we have some damage on the lid.

When we turn it round to the back, it starts to become, for me,

very interesting.

You have these birds here which I don't recognise.

They have swallows' tails, but they are black,

so they may be an imaginary or a mythical bird.

And we have this wonderful abstract design here, which is based on

these crescents or semicircles, but for me, that is a very modern image.

That's the first time I've noticed...

-I've never looked at it before.

-No. I haven't before.

-It's painted, not transferred.

-It's painted, hand-painted, yeah.

There are objects in our life that we look at every day and, because

they're so familiar to us, we don't really start thinking about them.

You've made me begin to like the thing(!)

THEY LAUGH

They say they want selling.

I think I may have nearly sold that wee pot back to you.

Never mind, it's going to auction, girls.

I know it's very, very difficult to estimate accurately what this

little pot will get.

I think that if we put it in £30-£50,

this pot will find its own level,

but are you happy to take a chance on it and put it in at that price?

-Yes, I'm quite happy, yes.

-It will be interesting to see how it does.

-Very interesting.

-It will be interesting.

-Kevin, what on earth are you wearing?

-It's a shirt that a friend

did for me, made out of all tickets from some early punk rock gigs.

-Have you still got the tickets?

-A lot of the tickets, yeah.

-Cos those'll be worth quite a bit of money now, won't they?

-I'm sure they will, yeah.

-Anyway, you've not come to me with tickets.

-No, I haven't.

-You've come to me with a barometer.

-I have.

Tell me about this. Where's it come from?

Well, it was a present from my gran.

I believe originally it was part of a pair, there was a clock as well.

-Right.

-It's a silver case, and apart from that

-I don't really know anything about it at all.

-OK.

Let's have a little closer look at it.

So we've got a lovely hallmark on the bottom here, which tells us...

We've got the lion passant there, which is the standard for sterling silver.

We've got the date letter Y and the town assay office for Birmingham.

Cos the anchor was Birmingham. Now, Y tells us...

1899 was Z, so 1898 must be Y.

And LE, which is the maker's mark for Lawrence Emanuel.

OK? So we know that that is a sterling silver covered case.

Let's open it up and see what happens inside.

So we've got this lovely, what we call a Goliath travelling...

Basically a pocket watch. This is actually a barometer, in this case,

-but you do get Goliath watches as well.

-That's right, yeah.

And at the moment, it's between rain and change, so I'm a little bit concerned. We'd better be quick.

-I think it might be raining tonight, yeah.

-Do you think?

Oh, my goodness, Kevin. OK, we'd better be very quick.

So really, your main value is not so much in the barometer,

but it's in the case. They do appear on the market quite regularly,

it's not a particularly rare thing.

But having said that, they are quite sought after

-when they do appear on the market.

-Good.

-I mean, what are your expectations?

-I thought perhaps about £100.

-OK.

-Something along those lines.

That sounds sort of slightly top end, as far as I'm concerned.

-I think probably £60 to £100, with a firm reserve at 60.

-Yes.

-What are your thoughts?

-Yes. Yeah.

-Yeah? Are you happy at that?

-Cos I don't use it or anything, and it's been up in the loft for quite a few years.

-What do you mean?

You could put your barometer in your top pocket.

-How could you not use that?

-Be ideal, wouldn't it?

It will tell you your personal weather forecast. Like having Carol Kirkwood in your pocket.

-I mean, it's been in the loft for probably 20 years now.

-Oh, has it?

-It has, yeah.

-Fair enough. Well, I'll tell you what,

-let's find somebody who will appreciate it and love it.

-That's right, yeah. That's it.

And hopefully it will be fair and very dry on the day of the auction.

-Let's hope so.

-Let's hope so. Thanks so much for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

Before we head off to auction, I'm going to explore a local landmark.

Woburn Abbey, built on the site of an old monastic religious house,

has been home to the Dukes of Bedford

for nearly 400 years.

Now, back in the 18th century,

a necessary part of the education of any Duke

would be the grand tour of Europe -

something of a rite of passage

for young male members of the aristocracy.

To experience and study foreign cultures,

which often meant travelling around Europe for two to three years.

And the main highlight of the grand tour was Venice,

a magnificent city floating on the Adriatic.

To the 18th-century visitors,

Venice was a place of wonder.

With a never-ending carnival season,

countless theatres and casinos,

Venice was the city of pleasure.

And one visitors wished to remember.

It was into this world

and the desire for souvenirs

that Canaletto emerged in the 1720s.

The son of a theatrical scene painter,

he turned his back on the family business

to concentrate on the artform of veduta, or view painting,

recording the daily life of the city and its people.

Showing his genius early on, Canaletto quickly found success.

His brilliance brought him to the attention

of travelling foreign visitors, especially the English.

When Lord John Russell, the future fourth Duke of Bedford,

arrived in Venice towards the end of his grand tour in 1731,

he had a meeting with Canaletto's agent.

This meeting led to one of Canaletto's greatest commissions.

The Duke purchased a staggering 24 pictures -

the only grand tourist to buy this number of paintings from Canaletto.

Transported back to Britain by ship,

they eventually went on display here

at the Duke's family seat at Woburn,

where they remain in the same family ownership to this day.

Joining me to enjoy this unique collection

is the chief curator of London's Dulwich Picture Gallery,

Dr Xavier Bray,

who has spent the last 20 years working with old master paintings.

Xavier, this Canaletto dominates the room, doesn't it?

It's a spectacular carnival of Ascension.

Now, we know the Duke went to Venice

to witness this grand civic event.

It really is like theatre on water, isn't it?

It is. A lot of these English tourists

went to Venice especially to witness these great celebrations.

So, what exactly happens?

It's a religious festival.

It's the ascension of the Lord,

when Jesus goes up to heaven 40 days after Easter.

But the Venetians like to mix a bit of fiesta with it.

What they do is that they have this wonderful ornate boat...

The gilded one in the centre of the picture?

Yeah, which is called the Bucintoro.

There is a big sort of pomp as the Doge and Senate climb onto it.

The thing that I really notice, on the right-hand corner,

is that lady there with the fan

laying down in her boat just enjoying the event.

This is what's so great about Canaletto.

He's got a fiesta, a big celebration,

but at the same time he livens it up with anecdotes.

Then you've got a man with another lady with a beautiful parasol

and you just get these wonderful, fluid shadows.

So, he's very much about sensations, texture and light effects.

When you look at Canaletto's work, what do you look at?

What makes a good Canaletto? Why was he so good?

Canaletto was really good draughtsman,

so he would do a lot of preparatory drawings.

What he is very good at is doing architecture,

getting the perspectives right.

He's also very clever. He combines different viewpoints.

And the more you look at it, the more you find details, anecdotes...

He really brings it all to life.

And that's what I think makes him so different to any other

view painters at the time - it's full of life.

So this is an excellent way,

for the Duke to buy into what was happening in the day.

This is buying into the culture of Venice?

Yeah, a bit like postcards, but painted postcards,

which will allow him to relive his experience in Venice

when he's back in London or here at Woburn Abbey.

So, a purchase to remind him of his experiences on his travels,

which can also be said of A Regatta On The Grand Canal,

which shows the one-oared light gondola race.

One of the largest paintings,

it's a fascinating example of Canaletto

at his most decorative.

So, what do we know about Canaletto the man?

Well, we actually don't know that much about what he was like,

in terms of character, but he was incredibly productive.

He was very successful in the 1730s.

He comes to England for 10 years,

lives in Soho, and works for British aristocrats.

King George III wants his works later on

and buys a whole collection of Canalettos.

Even Catherine the Great from Russia is dying to buy his work.

Canaletto today is a big name. He sells for very big prices.

In fact, a well preserved Canaletto in excellent condition

is worth between £3-£5 million at auction today.

There are 24 Canalettos in the collection here.

If you had the chance of taking one home,

which one would you like to live with?

It would have to be this one here,

because it's...

What Canaletto normally paints is a grand Canal -

the main stage of Venice -

but he also does the backstage.

And this is the kind of view that you would really

have to go off the main itinerary.

This is off the canal.

You can see the square looks as if it's just been flooded

and the water has gone, but it's left a bit of a green tinge,

which is probably the algae or something like that.

But it's the fact that you've got the shops,

the laundry hanging out of the windows.

This is the backstage of Venice - the darker side.

An aspect of Venice that only somebody like the Duke of Bedford

would have appreciated and wanted Canaletto to depict for him.

And I gather this is the current Duke's favourite?

It is. It's a good choice.

It shows the Arsenale,

the Arsenal where the shipbuilding of Venice happened.

It's a symbolic view of the power of Venice at the time.

The fact that they dominated the seas,

particularly the Mediterranean.

So, it's a clever choice.

And it's also one of Canaletto's most beautiful views.

He enjoyed a very successful career.

He achieved a lot in his lifetime.

Was he a wealthy man?

We don't think he was. We don't know.

But he lived in a very tiny apartment.

He probably wanted to avoid paying tax,

so declared himself poor in a state of bankruptcy.

-He never got married.

-And he never got married.

He was very much on his own, so he didn't have any children.

I think he was somebody who was dedicated to his art.

He was dedicated to painting Venice.

I think he found solace through what he painted

rather than monetary terms that he could turn into a palazzo

and have musicians play where he has painted,

which is what other painters did do.

He was, I think, more interested in painting

rather than living in style.

So, he is a great artist who lived for his work?

Very much so, yeah.

In retrospect,

Canaletto was very fortunate

to be able to live for his work.

In 1797,

a few years after his death,

Napoleon had the head of his French army surround Venice.

And the Grand Council surrendered.

The Bucintoro, the shining symbol of Venetian government,

was commandeered by the French

and stripped of its gold

before they sent it up in flames.

With war raging across Europe,

the tradition of the Grand Tour

came to an abrupt end.

And without its chief source of patronage,

veduta painting in Venice died away.

Canaletto came into his prime just in time

to capture the last golden days of the Venetian Republic

in all its pomp and circumstance.

And the fourth Duke of Bedford had the courage

and, let's face it, the cash

to make such a brave and timely commission.

And because these three elements came together at once,

this unique collection here at Woburn exists.

And these beautifully crafted pictures

have gone on to inspire generations of artists,

art lovers and writers for nearly 300 years.

We've got our first four items, now we're taking them off to the sale.

So, we've got Irene's chatelaine,

a housekeeper's must-have accessory in the 19th century.

We've got Kevin's late-Victorian travelling barometer.

It's a good-looking piece, so it should do well.

And our third item is this rather sweet Chinese teapot.

Let's hope we get a good result for Binny and Adele in the sale room.

Then there's Richard's heavily worked gold cross and chain,

designed by jeweller-to-the-stars, Germano Alfonsi.

If you head south west from Wrest Park, you'll come to Tring.

Situated at a low point in the Chiltern Hills, known as the Tring

Gap, this area has been used as a crossing point since ancient times.

Now a small market town, it's home to our auction house,

where auctioneer Stephen Hearn is already up on the rostrum.

20, I had. 60 and 70.

At £280, I'm selling. Thank you.

Remember, if you are buying or selling at auction, there is

commission to pay. That's how they earn their living here.

Today, if you're selling something, it's 15% plus VAT,

so factor that in, because when the hammer goes down,

they will deduct 15% plus VAT.

50 at the back, and five?

First up, it's time to see how our Chinese teapot fares.

-Who owns this teapot, then?

-I do.

-It's yours?

-Yes.

-Have you used it?

-No.

-It's nice, though, isn't it? I do like it.

We know it's been in your family for what, 60, 80 years,

-something like that, so we know it's right?

-Longer than that.

Longer than that.

Trying to find something Chinese, 19th century,

is a hard thing to find because they're so good at copying things.

That's right.

Well, this is genuine and it's going under the hammer right now.

-Here we go.

-What about that one?

I think we ought to be looking somewhere round about £40 for it.

40 or 30, we have 20, do we? Yes, we have two, we have five.

There's a chap bidding there, Binny, just there.

At 45, it's down here. Madam, would you like one more? No?

It's going then. I sell at £45.

£45.

You were right, weren't you?

Nice thing, though, so thank you for bringing it in.

It's been a pleasure to meet you.

Don't disappear and put the kettle on. Watch this next lot.

It could fly.

Well done, Anita. Spot on with your estimate there.

Sell at £150.

Going under the hammer right now, we've got

an 18-carat gold pendant and chain in the form of a crucifix,

belonging to Richard, who, sadly, cannot be with us,

but we do have his daughter, Charlotte.

-Now, Dad's on holiday. Where's he gone?

-Somewhere in Norway, I think.

-Hopefully not buying any more jewellery.

-Let's hope not.

This is 800-1,200 we're looking for right now. Here we go.

There we are, the crucifix pendant and chain, 18 carat.

What about that one? 900 for it. 500.

20, 50, 80, 600.

20, 50, 80, 700.

720, 50, 80, 800.

-Brilliant.

-We've done it.

-There you go. Phew!

I sell at £840, then. Thank you.

-You've got to ring him up and tell him.

-I will.

-Phew!

-That will make his holiday.

-Tell him he can't spend it.

-Absolutely!

-Yes.

Glass of Champagne tonight.

Well, some extra spending money on holiday never goes amiss.

Well, the pressure's certainly rising in here,

and right now we're going under the hammer, we've got

a Victorian travelling barometer belonging to Kevin,

who's with me right now, again, in the most magnificent shirt.

-I like that. Public Image Ltd.

-Thank you.

-There were a great band,

-weren't they?

-They still are.

-Are they still together?

-They're still going, yeah.

-Fronted by John Lyndon?

-John Lydon, yeah.

-Lydon. It's Lydon, isn't it?

-Crikey. Johnny Rotten, wasn't it, of the Sex Pistols?

-That's the one.

Anyway, why are you selling the barometer?

It was a present that my gran gave me.

She gave me a load of bits and pieces, but to be honest with you,

it's been in the loft for years and years and years.

-So I thought I might get something for it.

-In the loft!

Well, it's going under the hammer right now.

Let's find out how it does.

What about that one, £100 for it.

80, I am bid 90, 100 we have.

Here we go. £100 straight away.

120. 130. 140.

140. 150, is it, yes or no, sir?

Think about it. 140.

150, you're in now.

150, then.

I sell at £150, thank you, sir.

-Yes, sold!

-Fantastic!

-I do miss the gavel sells.

-I know, me too!

-It's a lot more than I thought it would get.

-£150.

-Brilliant.

-Yeah, very good.

-That's fantastic. Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Wow.

-I can see another shirt coming along, can't you?

-I can as well. THEY LAUGH

And why not? I think you've got a good thing going there, Kevin.

Going under the hammer right now,

we've got a tool belt for a DIY enthusiast.

No, I'm just kidding, but it could be, couldn't it?

It's a chatelaine. It's got all the little things that you need.

Obviously, the lady of the house would wear this, wouldn't she?

Irene, it's great to see you again.

I think this is good value for money. I know it's continental.

-It's French, isn't it?

-Yes.

It's not hallmark silver, but you get a lot for your money.

And it was the sort of badge of office of the lady.

-It would clank as she walked through her halls.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Hopefully we can send you home really happy. Ready? This is it.

Here we go.

There it is. All the tools there.

What about this one? Shall we say £50 to start this one? 50?

30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55,

60, 65, 70, 75, 80.

-£80.

-Yes!

85, 90, sir.

90, I'm bid. 95.

100, we've got it.

No? £100, then, I'm selling.

It's going. Thank you.

It's a good result and we climbed, didn't we?

-We did.

-We did it.

We certainly did, and that's a great result to round up our first

visit to the sale room.

There you are, three lots down, but, more importantly, three happy owners

and that's what it's all about.

Now, just a few miles south of this auction room,

there's a place called Amersham, tucked into the Chiltern Hills.

It's a fascinating market town that tells

the story of the changing faces of rural life.

Sitting pretty in the valley of the River Misbourne, Amersham has

witnessed many extraordinary times in England's history.

But, in the beginning,

it started out simply as an agricultural community,

with the river - now just a stream -

once powering three mills grinding corn.

One of the key features which sets early Amersham

apart from other market towns has to be the number of its maltsters -

an integral part of brewing beer.

The River Misbourne was incredibly clean

and it was ideal for the process of making beer

and, considering there were very few breweries

outside of London in the 18th century, the presence of an ancient

one here says a great deal about the enterprise of its inhabitants.

But it wasn't just beer that was fermenting in the town.

Amersham was also a hotbed of religious fervour and unrest.

The dissenters were part of a group called the Lollards.

They denounced the wealth of the Roman Catholic church

and they wanted the freedom to worship in their own way.

In the early 1500s, during the reign of Henry VIII,

the Bishop of Lincoln started an enquiry into religious

dissent in Amersham and the courts were held to try them as heretics.

The Lollards' main demand was to read the Bible in English

rather than in Latin and, in a spot over there, for their beliefs,

they were led up this hill and burnt at the stake.

From up here, high above Amersham, the flames

and the smoke could be seen by everyone, acting as a warning,

and even the daughters of one of the martyrs

was forced to light the fire herself.

Fortunately, for the people of Amersham,

more peaceful times ensued.

The traditional trades continued and, in particular,

the brewing of beer.

This was in great demand because, from the 1600s,

Amersham became the first overnight stop for stagecoaches

travelling out from London to the Midlands.

Lots of inns catered for the travellers,

a great many of which remain today.

And up and down the high street, you can

still spot numerous archways for coaches.

In the 1700s, as the roads improved, more affluent people

moved into the town - doctors, lawyers, and even a wig-maker -

and they were keen to spend their money to show off their wealth

and update their houses, keeping up with the trends and the fashions.

They updated their Tudor buildings with brick fronts and sash windows.

There's a great example, if you follow me down this alley,

you can just see here the original Tudor building with

all its wonderful oak construction, but if you look here you can

see this Georgian facade has been grafted on to the Tudor building.

The result - some rather interesting architecture.

In essence, though,

Amersham continued as a market town with a weekly cattle market.

As the roads got better, travellers made longer journeys in one day.

The local inn still provided a temporary halt for refreshment,

supplied, of course, by the local brewery.

However, all this came to an end with the arrival of the railway.

For many years, Amersham's main landowner, the Tyrwhitt-Drakes,

opposed the railway being built in the town for fear it would

ruin their view from their seat at Shardeloes Manor.

They eventually relented, but forced the construction to be out of sight,

high on the nearby hillside,

which delayed the coming of the railway by 50 years.

In 1892, the station finally opened.

New Amersham or Amersham on the Hill came into being,

well away from the old town, which is back down there.

Soon, houses and shops began to appear around the initially

isolated station, and, by the 1920s,

Amersham on the Hill was a thriving town.

This rapid growth, which continued into the '30s, was driven forward by

local architects and builders and by an entirely new concept -

Metro-land.

The creation of the Metropolitan Railway, Metro-land's new

housing developments built all along the side of the track,

were designed to encourage Londoners to move out of the city,

yet use the railway to commute,

and a whole range of advertising brochures were designed to

sell to Londoners the notion of getting back to nature, the

idyllic countryside, all within an easy journey to and fro to the city.

# With a thousand little stars

# We can decorate the ceiling. #

A whole new style of housing came to be associated with the railway and

Met houses were built all around the stations on the Metropolitan line,

including Amersham, in typical Met style.

This 1930s building bonanza even inspired

Poet Laureate John Betjeman and, in 1973,

he made a programme for the BBC called Metro-Land.

'Steam took us onwards, through the ripening fields

'ripe for development,

'through Amersham to Aylesbury and the Vale.

'In those wet fields, the railway didn't pay.

'The Metro stops at Amersham today.'

For a while, of course, trade in the old town declined as the

population up on the hill grew, but, ironically, because the lords of the

manor got their way with their view,

those ideals the Metro-land brochure sold to the Londoners - the streams,

the meadows and the characterful cottages - well,

they've all survived here in Old Amersham

because Metro-land didn't arrive, and now its charm

and tranquillity attract new visitors seeking that country dream

and, of course, the perfect pint, which, rest assured,

can still be found here in abundance.

Cheers. Cheers.

Welcome back to Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

The crowds are still flocking in, bringing with them some fascinating

antiques and collectables, not least Christina's next item.

Colin, this is an interesting collection you've brought for me.

Oh, thank you.

We've got postcards of the Great War in here and we've selected a few.

-There's a lot in here, aren't there?

-There's about 95 altogether, I think.

Roughly 95, OK.

They are particularly poignant because they are, as far as

I can see, all of them very much related to the First World War.

Yes, they are.

Not only have you been quite selective in choosing certain

areas to collect,

but you've also branched out into some really quite interesting ones.

We've got representations of portraits, we've got regiments,

-fairly funny examples...

-Comic ones, yeah.

The most, I think,

-interesting one is a print by Bruce Bairnsfather...

-That's correct.

..who was an artist during the First World War.

I've seen quite a lot of these prints, not only on postcards,

but they also did them on china,

so I've seen plates and all sorts of things by him, as well.

This one, I think is wonderful.

"Coiffure In The Trenches" -

"Keep your 'ead still, or I'll 'ave yer blinkin' ear off!"

Yeah, very important, I think.

-Not particularly a coiffure.

-No.

But to find comedy in a situation that must have been so awful...

-Yeah, black humour, really.

-Exactly, yes.

What is it that sort of attracted you to them?

I've always had an interest in the First World War.

It's just fascinating to me. It covers all subjects.

-That's it, really.

-And what can you tell me about this one?

This one, for me, is quite interesting.

-This is signed E Cavell, which is Edith Cavell.

-That's right.

She was a lady who went out to France as a nurse

and she tried to get some of our chaps back to this country.

She was found out and the Germans actually executed her as a spy,

which she wasn't.

She just wanted to get the chaps home again and help them back

and she was actually shot, yeah.

It's really very poignant, because the caption on here says,

"I have seen death so often that it is not strange or painful to me.

"I am glad to die for my country."

-Yeah, very courageous lady.

-Incredibly courageous lady.

-That's right.

-That is really something, isn't it?

And obviously her in much more peaceful circumstances.

-Yes, that's right.

-So, incredibly interesting collection.

-I think at auction I would sell it as one.

-Right.

So I'm going to put a global figure of between £60-£100

-on the collection...

-OK.

-..and with a reserve of £60.

Right, OK.

I would think that they would go for more.

I'm sure that we will get within, hopefully, above that estimate

and I think it certainly provides a fascinating

snapshot into an incredibly important era of our own history.

Back down in the sunshine of the valuation area,

one of our experts is taking this hot weather in her stride.

Davina, give me a flutter.

That is perfect.

Well, it's a very warm day today

and these fans are perfect for keeping us cool,

but for me, the main use of a fan

-is to flirt.

-DAVINA LAUGHS

Very much.

Welcome to Flog It!

Tell me, how did you come by these?

I saw one fan and I fell in love

with just the prettiness,

the femininity of it.

That started it.

So, for about 10 years,

we went to antique fairs and bought fans.

But then we downsized

and put it in a cupboard for 22 years.

Tell me, Davina, what's your favourite one?

I think I've got two.

There's this one, because of the mirror,

and this one here,

because it's lovely when it's shut and open.

So, what we've got here is a sort of stepped building,

-almost like the Chrysler building in America.

-Yes.

And when we open it...

These sticks are made of bone

and we have this lovely organdie here

with little sequins and little pieces of embroidery.

This is a 19th-century fan

and you have more in your collection,

but we have mainly 19th-century

examples here.

The one with the mirrors is silver overlay,

so we have this detail here

and again a hand-painted interior scene.

And, of course, an ostrich feather fan

is always froufrou and fabulous.

So, it's a great wee collection.

Price on them...

I wouldn't say there are any here of high-value.

I would like to put them into auction

with a very conservative estimate...

..of between £100 and £200.

£100 and £200 is probably your best estimate to give.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Absolutely.

I want a reserve, obviously.

-We'll put a reserve of £100...

-Yes.

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

-You will.

And, with any luck, there might be a couple of good-looking blokes

that we can flirt with.

Let's hope so.

Let's hope we have a good result at auction.

Elizabeth, these are absolutely wonderful fun!

-And welcome to "Flog It!".

-Thank you.

Tell me, are these your toys or are they a child's toys?

No, the were my toys which I bought as an adult.

An irresponsible adult.

-How long have you had them?

-About 20 years, I would think, yes.

What drew you to these?

We watched the hunt go out when we lived in the country in Lincolnshire.

And it was a tremendous spectacle, just such an English thing, really -

the tradition. But I just saw it and I couldn't resist it.

-Not everyone approves of hunting.

-No, of course not.

-Is it something you follow?

-No, not at all. Not at all.

I was glad when it was banned.

But it's just part of our history and our heritage.

What we have are really the best.

They're Britains lead figures, started by William Britain

-in about 1893.

-I didn't realise.

He started making these figures

and so on in lead and it was a hollow casting.

Previous to that, lead figures were solid.

-Oh, right.

-But these ones were hollow.

And they're very, very popular.

The most common thing that was made were the soldiers.

And little boys of the late 19th and early 20th century would

have their battalions of soldiers and battles and so on.

But Britains have been making this type of hollow lead casting toy

for a long, long time.

Did you pay a lot of money for them at the time?

Must have been at least £200.

-You've paid retail price for them, Elizabeth.

-Right.

-I would like to put the them in at, say, 60-100.

-OK.

-Would that the all right?

-Yes, that would be fine.

-We know you paid much more, but it was retail price.

-Yes.

That was indulgence.

Thank you again for bringing them along,

-we've had great fun.

-Thank you very much.

There's just time for one more valuation,

so let's catch up with the ever charming Christina Trevanion.

Carol, I think you are the most glamorous granny I've ever met.

-Oh, I'll come again, thank you very much!

-You are! Four grandchildren...

-Yes.

-..and you've brought a bit of bling to my table, which I love,

-really fantastic.

-I like it, too.

-Tell me a little bit about it.

I really thought it was Grandma's.

But it might be a little bit later than that,

it might have been my mother's. I don't ever remember her wearing it.

-So it's a bit of an enigma ring, really, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's a mystery ring.

-It's a mystery, yes, it is.

We'll have a good look at it. It's certainly very beautiful, isn't it?

We've got a few chips in what we call the girdle,

which is the widest part of the stone.

I love the fact that round the setting you've got this

really lovely little heart-shaped carving.

-This is what we call the gallery here.

-Sweet, aren't they?

Very sweet. Very possibly given as a love token.

And we've got this quite unusual band here which is actually

three different types of colour gold.

And if we look at the hoop inside, it tells us pretty much everything

we need to know, and I'd expect to find an 18 carat gold hallmark.

And then we've got a nice hallmark that tells us it is

-a London piece from 1994.

-Right.

-So relatively modern, really.

-Relatively new.

-Maybe it was a love token, do you think?

-Oh, I don't know!

-Ooh!

-Something she never told me about!

If only it could talk!

You never know.

I really like it, and I've had a quick measure of the stone.

-It measures just shy of a carat.

-Oh, right.

Do you have any sort of expectations of value for it?

I don't really have any idea of the value at all.

At auction, I would expect it to fetch somewhere in the region of about £300-500.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Is that all right?

-Yes, that's nice.

I think maybe a reserve of 280, just to give us a little bit of leeway.

And I think it should sell well for you.

Thank you so much, and we'll look forward to the auction.

That's lovely, thank you very much.

The sun came out today and so did the people of Bedfordshire.

And you didn't let us down, did you?

You brought in some wonderful treasures.

We've heard some fascinating stories and tales

and that's what it's all about, this social history behind the item.

But right now it's time to say goodbye to Wrest Park,

our magnificent host location for today,

as we go over to the auction room for the very last time

to put those final valuations to the test.

And here's a quick recap of the items going under the hammer.

There's Colin's postcards with nearly 100 in the collection,

many from the First World War.

I think these will interest the bidders.

Then we've got Elizabeth's set of early 20th-century Britains.

Today, this subject matter is somewhat more controversial

than when they were made. Will this affect the price? We'll find out.

And what about this collection of mostly 19th century fans?

As Anita put it, it's very frou-frou and fabulous.

And the last item is the diamond and solitaire ring.

It's a mystery to Carol where it came from,

but we know where it's going - to the auction, with us.

MUSIC: You Really Got Me by The Kinks

Back at Tring Market Auctions the atmosphere is building

and the temperature gauge is going through the roof.

£650. Thank you.

But auctioneer Stephen Hearn is keeping his cool

as our next lot goes under the hammer.

This item certainly sparkles, I'm sure it's going to light up the saleroom.

It's a diamond ring belonging to Carol.

And we're looking at £300-500.

Originally you were going to spend the money on...?

I was going to buy a coffee-maker for my new kitchen...

-Oh, brilliant!

-But, no -

-I've just learned I'm going to be a grandma again.

-Aw!

-So now it's going as a present for the new baby.

-That's fantastic.

-That's great.

-Congratulations!

-Yes, congratulations.

-Thank you.

Let's put it to the test, shall we? Here we go, it's going under the hammer.

Nice little stone in there, what about 300 for it? 250? 200 bid.

210, 220 I have.

-Come on!

-240, 250. You're in.

260, and 70.

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

280, 290? No?

At £280 and I'm selling down.

280.

£280, thank you.

Sold! £280.

-On reserve.

-Right on the reserve.

It just goes to show that size isn't everything,

it has to be the quality, as well.

Yes, you're right, Christina -

it's about colour, cut, clarity and size.

On this show we're always talking about our great British heritage,

whether it's industrial, whether its architectural

or those lost traditional skills and methods.

But what about toys? Yes, they've got a heritage

and I like to think it all started with this next lot.

Britains figures, William Britain, back in the 1800s.

And, Elizabeth, thank you for bringing in such a wonderful set.

-Thank you.

-It really is.

And it does sum up Edwardian England, doesn't it?

All those outdoor pursuits.

And the good thing is when you're playing a game like that,

-you can let the fox escape all the time.

-Absolutely...

The hounds never catch it up. But look, good luck with this.

I don't think it's a great deal of money,

I would love to see it double the estimate if possible.

I'd like it to go to a good home.

-Fingers crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

Let the chase begin, here we go.

What do we say for this one to kick it off? What about £50 for it? 40?

Yes, we've got two hands going up in the room.

90, £100 I am bid for it, then. £100...

Come on, 100, come on, come on.

100, then, I'm going to sell.

It's going and I shall sell for £100.

-Brilliant! That's a good result.

-Good, good, good.

And you've had some fun with them. You've had a lot of years with them.

-I know you lost a bit of money, but...

-No, no.

-You can't really put a price on that fun, can you?

-No.

Now, on this hot day at the auction

something is telling me Davina's lot

might do quite well.

So, our auctioneer Stephen has slightly upped the estimate.

-We had a reserve at the valuation day of £100.

-That's right.

Stephen the auctioneer has raised that to £150.

So, good luck. We're going under the hammer right now.

Where do we start? 100, 80, 90, 100...

10, 20, 30, 40...

140, 150, 60, 70 for Madam, 80...

Madam has them then. I'm going to sell them.

They're going down at 180.

If there is no further bid, then they're yours

for £180, then...

Well done. Spot on, Anita.

We didn't really need to raise it, did we? But there you go.

Safety. Err on the side of caution.

-Thank you very much.

-£180.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-Thank you.

And following that great result is our last lot of the day.

Thank you.

Going under the hammer right now, we have a collection of roughly

95 World War I postcards collected by Colin.

Since you've been collecting you should be have become a little

bit of an authority by now. You know what ones are the good cards there.

Yes, I suppose you do after a while.

You do get to know the best ones, yeah.

Right, it's going under the hammer, let's put it to the test.

Lot 345, where do we go? Are we going to get 80, 100 for them?

50 for them?

60, 70, 80, 90, 100?

Ten, 20.

-120!

-Fantastic.

-Blimey.

£120, I'm going to sell them, then.

-130.

-Ooh!

140.

150, 160?

170, Sir?

170. 80?

At 170 behind you, then, I'm going to...

170... 180.

180!

At £180.

190, sir?

At the back at 190?

Yes, 190.

-Sounds like 200, doesn't it?

-Yes!

-200, we've done it.

-£200.

At £200, thank you.

£200, sold!

Stephen on the rostrum is doing a brilliant job.

He's got that really friendly approach, "Come on, one more."

-£200, you broke even.

-Yeah, that'll go towards a holiday.

-Going towards a holiday, where are you going?

-Cornwall.

-CORNISH ACCENT:

-Proper job, hey! Proper job.

-Say hello to everyone for me, won't you?

-I will, don't worry.

Quite a few of them pasties, see how we get on.

Cornish pasties, yum!

I can't think of a better way to spend the money, Colin.

There you are, that's it, it's all over for our owners.

As you can see, the sale is still going on, the auctioneer,

Stephen Hearn, on the rostrum, still working hard.

But he's weaved his magic today and he's done us proud.

We've got some happy owners, and that's what it's all about.

If you've got something to sell, we want to flog it for you.

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