0:00:09 > 0:00:13Today, we're at Norwich Cathedral, in Norfolk, where our crowds
0:00:13 > 0:00:17have gathered in one of the largest monastic cloisters in Britain.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23We'll be finding out about the many ingenious ways that medieval
0:00:23 > 0:00:26monks used this incredible space to demonstrate their power
0:00:26 > 0:00:28to the people of Norfolk.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Today, we are holding our valuations at Norwich Cathedral,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58one of the most intact Norman buildings in Europe.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Completed in the 12th century,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04this soaring edifice stood as a reminder to everyone that the
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Benedictine monks who lived here for 500 years held sway over
0:01:09 > 0:01:12the churches and the agricultural lands for miles around.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Even these cloisters, where they quietly worked,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20were designed to send out a strong message - do not disturb.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Well, thankfully,
0:01:22 > 0:01:24we are not so harsh here on "Flog It!".
0:01:24 > 0:01:27And today, all are welcome at the cathedral.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28So as this great crowd of people
0:01:28 > 0:01:30laden with antiques and collectibles
0:01:30 > 0:01:32follow in the footsteps of the monks,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34they are here to see our experts.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37And there is only one question on their minds, which is...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- ALL:- What is it worth?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45It looks like our experts are praying for perfection today.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Ever elegantly attired, Thomas Plant is interested in the dress code.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Look. Breeches, knickers, leggings.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Look at that. Look at her there.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And David Fletcher has found just the thing.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Let's put a sticker on you. There you go.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And you wear it not like that.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04I love a good fez.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06And not like that, either.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08But just like that.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13And as everyone heads inside, here is what is on the show today.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16David has got a bird in the hand.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17It is beautiful quality.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19And has his hands full.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It sits there, slightly cheeky little look on its face,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24a bit like you if I might say so.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28There are sketches that get everyone's heart fluttering.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34And I visit a stately home that has remained untouched
0:02:34 > 0:02:37for over 250 years.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41The owner here portrayed himself as a Roman emperor but, in fact,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44he was Britain's first Prime Minister.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48And I will be finding out all about this great man later on in the show.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Well, the crowds are now safely seated inside the cathedral.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And I must say, look at this for a magnificent turnout.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59But there is something I want to point out,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and it is a modern piece of sculpture.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05And it is right above the crowd, suspended there.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07It is a sculpture in willow
0:03:07 > 0:03:11by two artists and some local students.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14It is their interpretation of what would have been
0:03:14 > 0:03:17suspended in this position during medieval times.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19On High Holy Days,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22the monks wanted to make a big impact on the congregation,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26so they swung a massive angel in this spot, gilded in silver
0:03:26 > 0:03:30and trailing incense to imbue worshipers with God's spirit,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34which is why it was called a censing angel.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Its other purpose was to stifle the odours of the congregation
0:03:37 > 0:03:39because, let's face it, back then,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42most people only had a wash once a week, if they were lucky.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Anyway, thank goodness times have changed, haven't they?
0:03:45 > 0:03:47We are all wonderfully perfumed today.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Let's now catch up with our experts and see who's first at the tables.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55And it looks like Thomas is in fine fettle today
0:03:55 > 0:03:57with a couple of ink drawings brought in by Ian
0:03:57 > 0:04:02and Jackie from the hand of wildlife artist Arthur Wardle.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04So, Ian and Jackie, how have you come by them?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I like pen-and-ink drawings and I've been collecting them.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10At the time I bought these, which was about four years ago...
0:04:10 > 0:04:13A couple of years ago, I suffered a bit of damage to my lounge/diner,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15which meant I had to remodel.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18And my lifestyle grew.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- I thought it was a good time to brighten the place up.- Oh, right.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26- So Jackie is a recent addition to your life?- Last two...
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Two years we have been together. - Two years.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And you don't like black and white?
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- I just think they look a bit dull, actually.- Oh, really?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35His place just looks so cluttered with all this old stuff.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40I did have in my hall and landing as well, between the two areas, 55.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Oh, really? - I am now down to nine, so...
0:04:43 > 0:04:46OK, well, that is quite good of you. Well done, you.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Well, sacrifice, you know. One has to.- Sacrifice, yeah. Absolutely.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53You said you bought them four or five years ago.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54And do you think they are OK?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I do. I think they are excellent.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I mean, he was known for doing his exotic birds,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and here we have an exotic bird in pen and ink.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And the pelicans as well, which are sort of pseudo-exotic.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10- We are looking at an early 20th-century artist.- Yes.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15And these would have been drawn in the 1930s, I would have thought.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17- Yes. - At the height of his sort of career.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20But he did exhibit at the Royal Academy very young.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- He exhibited at the age of 16.- Yeah.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Which is an extraordinary talent.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28So there is definitely a decent hand here to be seen.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I mean, what did you initially like about them?
0:05:31 > 0:05:36I like the simplicity of etchings, the black-and-ink sketches.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- I can understand the line and form. - Yes.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42It gives it a simplicity, a cleanliness.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It is quite masculine to like that.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Hence when you met Jackie... - THEY LAUGH
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- And what have you put in place? - Different coloured decor.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55I love colour. That is why I don't like this stuff.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I love colour.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59There's a lot of grey.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02- Yes. Not 50 shades of... - That is enough of that.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05That is enough of that. We don't want any more of that!
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Do you mind me asking how much you paid for them?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I think it was about £100 for the pair.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- £100 for the pair. - I think around about that.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Well, I think you've done jolly well.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18I believe that if you estimate them at £150, £200 for the pair,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20hopefully, you're going to get your money back.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Well, that would be good.- It has been a pleasure to meet you two.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24A pleasure meeting you.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And we look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- Thank you. - Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31Jackie might call them dull,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35but I think someone will appreciate these lovely sketches.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Now, David has found a bird of a very different feather.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- Hello, Vicky.- Hello.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Now, you are wearing an owl brooch.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46How long have you owned this brooch?
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Well, my cousin gave it to me about seven, eight years ago.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55What happened, when her mum died, my aunt, she gave me this tin.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57So I took the tin home, put it on the shelf
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- and left it for about just over a month or more.- Right.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Opened the tin, turned the jewellery out, and that man had been there.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Out popped this owl, yeah.- She didn't even know that was in there.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- No. So it was a bit of a windfall, really.- That was, yes. Yeah.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Let's have a close look at this.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Now, what we have is a 14-carat gold Continental brooch.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It would be better if it were English,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21in which case it would be 18-carat or probably 22.
0:07:21 > 0:07:27But it is very nice anyway. It has tiger's-eye eyes.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Now, the tiger's eye is a semiprecious stone, which has
0:07:30 > 0:07:32a sort of three-dimensional quality.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36If you were to shine a light into it and just move around the gemstone,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39it has the effect almost of following you around.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43- If we were to melt this, it would melt at about £200.- Right.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46But it is worth a bit more than its melt value,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50mainly because people collect anything to do with owls.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54People collect owls because owls signify wisdom.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Apart from that, they have a sort of stateliness, don't they?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Have you ever seen a barn owl in flight?- Yeah.- They're wonderful...
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- They're lovely. - ..wonderful birds, really.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06So people get quite sentimental about them as creatures.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08I think it is lovely. It is beautiful quality.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11It sits there, slightly cheeky little look on its face,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- a bit like you, if I may say so. - Like me!
0:08:13 > 0:08:15And, you know, people are going to like that.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17People are going to fall in love with it, I think.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20So if we were to estimate it at £200 to £300,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22put a reserve of £200 on it.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- Right.- Would that be all right by you?- Certainly.- Good.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27And what can I say, really,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29except that it has been a pleasure meeting you.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30And a pleasure meeting you.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- You've made us all laugh. - As usual.- As usual.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35So it has been good fun
0:08:35 > 0:08:37and let's hope we have even more fun at the sale.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- Yes, lovely, thank you very much. - I'll see you there, Vicky.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41Yeah, thank you.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Let's see if wise old David is right about the owl valuation
0:08:45 > 0:08:46when it goes under the hammer.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52As our experts keep busy, time to find out about another
0:08:52 > 0:08:55extraordinary feature of the cathedral.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Covering the ceiling here are 1,000 wooden carvings, known as bosses.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Often found in churches,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05they were used to decorate the intersections of the vaulted roof.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But these medieval ones are particularly special,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12as the Vice-Dean of Norwich, Jeremy Haselock, can tell us.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14They are a long way up and I know we can't see them
0:09:14 > 0:09:17clearly from down here, but I know they depict Biblical scenes.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Can you tell me more about them?
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Yeah, well, you start at one end with the act of Creation,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23God creating Heaven and Earth.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Then they work through the creation of the animals, Adam and Eve,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27the story of Adam and Eve.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30We get Noah and the flood. We get Moses and the Pharaoh.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33And then it goes right the way through to the Last Judgment.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35So, in other words, it is the beginning and the end.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- It's the story.- The whole story. - It is the complete story.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I know they are incredibly decorative,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- but they do have a function and a purpose, don't they?- Yeah.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Well, a lot of people would like you to
0:09:45 > 0:09:47believe that they are there as a poor man's Bible.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50In other words, nobody could read, so they could see these images.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53But they'd have to have pretty good eyesight to really pick out
0:09:53 > 0:09:54the details there.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56I know, let's see,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00the people that carved these would have had a bit of artistic licence.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03Would it reflect anything to do with Norwich itself?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Well, if you look at the one of Pharaoh
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and his chariots being overturned in the Red Sea...
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It is very graphic. The sea is red, literally.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12But what you see for Pharaoh's chariot is not what we see
0:10:12 > 0:10:14in Ben Hur or anything like that.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17What you have actually got is a Norfolk farm cart.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19- Really?- So it is what they knew.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22The Last Supper, you know, the bread there that is on the table is
0:10:22 > 0:10:26a sort of loaf that you'd find in a 15th-century Norwich home.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- So it's...- That's lovely.- It is full of homely touches like that.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Very nice, though. Very nice. Thank you for talking to me.- Not at all.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Thank you.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37From the celestial heavens of the Benedictine monks to something
0:10:37 > 0:10:42that reflects the power and the influence of a very different order.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- Well, Rob and Sal, thank you for coming.- Hello.- Thank you.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49You have brought along a Masonic watch in the form of a triangle.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Tell me, who owns it?
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It was my grandfather's. He used to spend a lot of time in the Masons.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56He died when I was six,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58so I didn't really know him that well. My father didn't
0:10:58 > 0:11:01carry on being in the Masons, so we have kept it in the family.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03But it always seemed quite an interesting watch.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05They are fascinating. Have you worn it?
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Have you worn it as a piece of jewellery?
0:11:08 > 0:11:09No. And it is so beautiful.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- It is quite heavy as well, it's quite big.- Yeah.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16And this watch comes from the early 20th century.
0:11:16 > 0:11:17It is in nine-carat gold.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21And it has got what I think is one of my favourite materials.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It is mother of pearl.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28And on the dial, you have the symbols of the Masonic world -
0:11:28 > 0:11:30the Masonic gavel,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33the compass and square,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37the skull and crossbones,
0:11:37 > 0:11:38the all-seeing eye,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42and it has this wonderful quote on the base here.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46"Love your fellow man, lend him a helping hand."
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- Have you ever read that on there? - Yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- Wouldn't that be nice if everybody did that?- It would be.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52It would be really good, wouldn't it?
0:11:52 > 0:11:56And was it given as an award or was it just a bit of jewellery?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59It's not... No, it is not given as a medallion.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00So it is not a medallion.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- You're not a medallion man.- It is not a jewel. It is not a jewel, no.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09It would be a working watch. It is a status symbol.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Why are you selling it?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12I haven't been a Mason.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15My father is not a Mason. We haven't got a Mason in our...
0:12:15 > 0:12:16In your blood, so to speak.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19In our blood, so to speak, so it is just a piece that we have had.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24And just wanted to use the money for something that we can enjoy.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- Absolutely.- Or me.- Or you.- Yes!
0:12:27 > 0:12:30So, the valuation, what's it worth?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35I'm going to be quite bullish and say £1,000.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- I think you estimate it at 1,000 to 1,500.- Uh-huh.- Uh-huh.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Where do you place the reserve?
0:12:40 > 0:12:44I think you place the reserve round about the £900 mark.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49- If you're happy with that, we will go for it.- Yeah.- Yeah?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- OK, great. Thank you.- Thank you for bringing it along.- Thank you.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54But don't go spending all the money.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59I'm not sure, Thomas, it sounds as if Sal has her own plans.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Beyond the main nave are the largest monastic cloisters in England.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10It's here that for 500 years the community of Benedictine monks
0:13:10 > 0:13:12spent their time studying.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16David Fletcher is doing the same with an object given to Jill.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- Hello, Jill.- Hello.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And thank you for coming out into these very picturesque
0:13:20 > 0:13:22but rather cold surroundings.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24They were hardy people, these monks, weren't they?
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Anyway, what you have brought in with you has really warmed me up.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Good.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Now, I love this necklace.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37Graduated pearls, fastened by this sapphire link,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40with a diamond surround.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42The sapphire is pointy.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45In other words, it's a cabochon sapphire.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47But the crucial thing that we really need to think about
0:13:47 > 0:13:51is whether or not these are natural or cultured pearls.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Do you have a view on that?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55- No, only that I'd like them to be the most valuable.- OK.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I'm not surprised.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01It would be nice if they were natural, but they're not.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03They are cultured.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Which does fairly dramatically affect their value.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- Now, are you ready for a little jewellery lesson?- Yes.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13What we do if we want to create a cultured pearl
0:14:13 > 0:14:18is just put any sort of foreign body, really, into a mollusc
0:14:18 > 0:14:21and allow the pearl to build up round it.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24In nature, that happens naturally.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Hence, natural pearls.
0:14:26 > 0:14:27If we're talking about cultured pearls,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29it's something which is achieved
0:14:29 > 0:14:31with a little bit of help from mankind.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I always think the great thing about pearls
0:14:33 > 0:14:36is you can dress them up or dress them down.
0:14:36 > 0:14:37You could wear it with a pullover.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40On the other hand, it looks stunning with a nice black cocktail dress.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42So they are adaptable but, at the moment,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44not as fashionable as they were.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46So I've sounded all the alarm bells, really,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48and I'm now going to give you a valuation.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51And I hope that you don't walk out on us here and now.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54A natural pearl necklace like this might be worth £2,000 to £3,000.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00A cultured pearl necklace like this is worth nearer £200 to £300.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03- That's fine.- OK, you're very philosophical. Thank you.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06OK, let's turn to the second item, which I think the auctioneers
0:15:06 > 0:15:09will probably want to sell as a separate lot.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11I would have thought probably, yes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16And these are seed pearls in a 22-carat gold setting.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20And I think, from the commercial point of view,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the problem with jewellery of this nature
0:15:23 > 0:15:25is it's a little bit too fussy.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30It speaks a bit of that high Victorian style,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- which is not terribly commercial today.- No.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36There is another aspect of the brooch, which we should mention,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and that is the fact that it can be worn as a pendant.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42There is a suspension loop.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44I rather like this sort of thing.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46But there is some market resistance to it, really.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- I would expect this will make between £50 and £80.- Right.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- If we estimate it at that sort of money, we'll do well with it.- Fine.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55But I would urge people
0:15:55 > 0:15:58looking to get into buying and collecting jewellery
0:15:58 > 0:16:00to be mindful of the fact that these things
0:16:00 > 0:16:02can be picked up really quite cheaply.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04I mean, so often people say something's affordable
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and they're talking about lots of money.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09But I think an object like that really is affordable.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13So if you're happy with that and we'll go ahead at that estimate.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15- And I'll see you at the sale.- Thank you.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Before we head off to auction,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21it's time for me to take the opportunity to look around the area.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Take a look at the Norfolk Broads and you'll be forgiven for thinking
0:16:29 > 0:16:32these surroundings haven't changed in thousands of years.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34But you'd be wrong.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38This has been a dramatically shifting landscape for at least 3,000 years
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and it has owed much of its change to two things,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43water and this stuff - peat.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46I'm off to find out how this boggy substance
0:16:46 > 0:16:48has not only changed the landscape
0:16:48 > 0:16:50but the fortunes of the Broads.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53The Norfolk Broads are an incredible phenomenon.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59Six rivers and dykes wend their way for 125 miles through the county.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04The area making up just over 300 square kilometres of Britain's
0:17:04 > 0:17:07largest protected wetland.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I've come to meet education officer Nick Sanderson,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12from the Broads Authority,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15who can explain how this dramatic terrain was formed.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20All is not what it seems.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- No, this is really a man-made landscape.- Yeah.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25So if we go back 4,000 years, it was an area of swampy woodland
0:17:25 > 0:17:28with reeds and sage and things like that.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32And that laid down massive deep peat deposits.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36But if you came forward 2,000 years from then to the Roman times,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40about 2,000 years ago, the place was a great big estuary.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It was underneath the sea.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45And the sea was laying down layers of clay on top of that.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49How deep do you have to dig down in this area to find peat?
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Here, probably one-and-a-half metres.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Now, you've got an auger,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58it's a rod that goes right down.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- Now, that is about eight feet under the ground now.- Yeah, it is.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04And that's filling up with clay and peat.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07So hopefully it's going to show us the change of level.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08Give it a few more twists, then.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11A few more twists and see what we've got. There we go.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Here we go.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18There we go.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Because cutting through clay, if that clay is quite solid,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25- that's hard work, isn't it? - That's right.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27The clay layer is really difficult to cut through.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31But beneath the clay, if I scrape it, hopefully...
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Oh, that's peat, isn't it?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36That's right. We're into peat.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39And these bits of trees that we can see here,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42these were probably buried, I don't know,
0:18:42 > 0:18:451,000, 1,500 years ago.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47And peat has an incredible property,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50that it doesn't really allow decomposition.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52So when you dig it out of the ground...
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- It's as it was. - Pretty much, yeah.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57It's like compressed wood and plant matter,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- which is why it burns so well. - Gosh.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03And fire was exactly what people needed.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07By the 10th century firewood had become scarce.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Peat was a great new fuel,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11which burned hotter and longer than ordinary wood
0:19:11 > 0:19:15and would have been vital to cook and heat their homes with.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19So what time in history did people realise, underneath that clay,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21that peat was a valuable product?
0:19:21 > 0:19:27By sort of the 10th century we do know that peat was being extracted.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31And by medieval times, vast quantities were being extracted
0:19:31 > 0:19:36because people had realised that it could be sold and traded and so on.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41So in medieval times, it was being excavated on an industrial scale.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45But rich landowners and the church controlled the area
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and local tenant farmers had to get permission first to dig for peat.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53They would have had a right of turbary,
0:19:53 > 0:19:54which is the right to cut turfs.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And this is a turf.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58And that's dried out.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Yeah, it's been dried out for a couple of years, really.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05But 400,000 turfs like this a year
0:20:05 > 0:20:09were burnt in the cathedral refectory in Norwich.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10400,000?!
0:20:10 > 0:20:13400,000 blocks like that would have been burnt.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18I'm just thinking of the sort of intensity of people digging away.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20But also horse and cart taking it to and fro
0:20:20 > 0:20:23the cathedral and other great buildings.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25A hive of activity in this area because of peat.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28East Anglia, Norfolk in particular,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30supported a really high population
0:20:30 > 0:20:33for a rural area during medieval times,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35largely because of the peat.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Well, look, I know it sounds like hard work getting through the clay,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and I'm sure it is, can I have a go?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Certainly, yeah.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- And you've got the right tools here? - Well, there's a peat cutter.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Which is what they would have used.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49It's called a becket.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And it would have been used to actually cut the turfs out.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56But this is a bit of an antique, so I think we'll use...
0:20:56 > 0:20:58a conventional spade.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02And if you'd like to just have a go at digging...
0:21:02 > 0:21:04I mean, there's going to be a lot of tree roots here naturally.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Absolutely.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Gosh, that's softer than I thought.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- That's what I thought it'd be like on the first one.- Yeah.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18I broke it.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Well, clearly, with one spadeful,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24just that depth, I'm not going to find peat.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28But it gives me an idea of what you've got to do.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30And it is hard work, isn't it?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- That's a big block. - Cor...!
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Yeah, I wouldn't like to stand there and do that all day long.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Mind you, you'd have great stomach muscles, wouldn't you?
0:21:39 > 0:21:41That's hard work.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Hard grind and excavation went on for 200 years,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48by which time it is estimated locals had dug up
0:21:48 > 0:21:51250,000 cubic metres of peat.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56Which is equivalent to 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools today.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00The result was vast shallow quarries cut into the land,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02on occasion, stretching for miles.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06By the 14th century, the landscape was transformed again.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Once more, water levels rose.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12This time pouring in, flooding into the quarries, creating great lakes,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15what we now call the Norfolk Broads.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Next to the new man-made lakes were marshy pastures,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23perfect for raising sheep.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26And by the Middle Ages, the wool trade in Norfolk was booming.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But there was something else besides the nutrient-rich fields
0:22:30 > 0:22:35that helped transform the area from a backwater to a major player.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Landowners and wool traders realised that, with access to the Continent,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42they could be sitting on a gold mine.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45But how could they get their product to sea?
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Well, the answer was to hire Dutch engineers
0:22:48 > 0:22:50with skills in building dykes.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51Problem solved.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55They created a network of channels linking the rivers to the Broads
0:22:55 > 0:22:57with access to ports like Norwich.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Now the wool could reach ships
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and now the ships could find fresh markets overseas.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Norwich became the second wealthiest city to London.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Wool and farming products were carried up and down the waterways.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16And by the 17th century, all manner of goods were transported
0:23:16 > 0:23:20on distinctive flat-bottomed boats called werries.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25But there was one more change for the Broads.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35By the turn of the 20th century, industry was replaced with tourism,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37as holiday-makers flocked to the area.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40The Norfolk Boards is the largest area in Britain
0:23:40 > 0:23:42for those seeking a holiday afloat.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46You can hire a boat here any time between Easter and October.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49The old werries had almost gone.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52And in their place, pleasure boats were specially designed
0:23:52 > 0:23:54for these shallow waterways.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Hunters Yard, which built some of the first yachts,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00is still going strong today,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04hiring them out to amateur sailors, like Ian Cartwright.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I love these old classic sail boats.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I mean, they are right up my street.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- They are a delight to sail. - Are they?- Yes, they really are.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14They do exactly what you want them to do
0:24:14 > 0:24:17and you get an awful lot of feedback from them.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20They're not hard work, like so many of the other hire boats were.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Do you get a chance to take these boats out much?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Not as much as I'd like.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I have a whole month all to myself every year
0:24:27 > 0:24:31and what I like about them is it's you against the wind and the tide.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33And by the time you come to the end of the day you think,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35"That was a very good day.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37"I have got here without starting a diesel engine,
0:24:37 > 0:24:38"just under my own fair wit."
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Strange to think that Norfolk's unique landscape was built
0:24:46 > 0:24:48on the blood, sweat and industry
0:24:48 > 0:24:49of those early peat diggers.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54And that, in turn, their quarrying came about as a result
0:24:54 > 0:24:56of the thousands of years of the natural ebb and flow
0:24:56 > 0:24:59of one of the most valuable resources -
0:24:59 > 0:25:01water.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Back at the valuation day, let's remind ourselves
0:25:10 > 0:25:13what we're taking off to auction.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16There are Ian and Jackie's
0:25:16 > 0:25:18black-and-white sketches of
0:25:18 > 0:25:19exotic birds by Arthur Wardle
0:25:19 > 0:25:21that Jackie hopes to replace with
0:25:21 > 0:25:23something more colourful.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25The collectors should be delighted to
0:25:25 > 0:25:29get their claws into Vicky's gold owl brooch.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Jill's separate cultured pearl jewellery pieces,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36which should make a good buy for someone.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39And Sal and Rob have high hopes for the Masonic watch
0:25:39 > 0:25:40belonging to his grandfather
0:25:40 > 0:25:42when it goes under the hammer.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48The power of the monks at Norwich Cathedral
0:25:48 > 0:25:53extended to churches right across Norfolk, including those in Diss,
0:25:53 > 0:25:54where our sale is today.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Of the 1,000 churches built in the county,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01an amazing 659 have survived,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05giving Norfolk the greatest concentration of medieval
0:26:05 > 0:26:07places of worship in the world.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11So we have come to TW Gaze in Diss to see
0:26:11 > 0:26:13if our experts' valuations
0:26:13 > 0:26:16will wield some influence in the saleroom.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21On the rostrum today are two auctioneers - Ed Smith
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and Robert Kinsella.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28And here, they have set the commission at 15% including VAT.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32The first lot to go under the hammer is Ian's pair of simple ink
0:26:32 > 0:26:37bird sketches by highly respected wildlife artist Arthur Wardle.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I have a feeling, Ian, that with the restyling that is going on
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- in your house, this wasn't to Jackie's taste.- Not entirely, no.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- Too dull.- Too dull. Arthur Wardle, too dull?!- I know!
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Well... OK, they are ink studies. OK? Pelicans and exotic birds.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54But he specialised in animals, that was his genre.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- And I think he is a cracking artist. - Yeah.- I really do.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Let's just hope there's bird-lovers here.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I think there should be a few twitchers.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04We are going to find out right now.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- Good luck, everyone.- Thank you. - It is going under the hammer.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And on these, I start in here with bids.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13And I start straight in at 120. 120 I have. Is there 30?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16Them two pictures here for 120 now.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18130. 140. 150. 160.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19170. 180.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23180 still with me. If you want to be, 90. It is 180 still with me.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Where is the 90? We will be selling away at £180. Are we all done?
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Hammer is going down.- Yep. - That is a sold sound.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- £180.- That's good!- Well done, Thomas.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Well, that is brilliant, isn't it?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Done!
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Yeah. So what are you going to put that towards? A meal out, I guess.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I don't really know yet cos Jackie hasn't told me.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44THEY LAUGH
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Well, I am sure Jackie has some good ideas.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Next, the early-20th-century Masonic watch,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55the sort collectors clamour for. Sadly, we haven't got Rob.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- He's at work.- No, he's a captain of industry today.- Oh!- Yes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- He didn't want to take the day off, did he?- Absolutely not.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Well, look, you are here. That is all that matters.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07And your watch is here, that is the most important thing.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Now, since the valuation day, Thomas,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12you put in a valuation of 1,000 to 1,500.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Yes.- With a reserve at 900.- Yes.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16You have had a chat to the auctioneer in the last few weeks
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- and you have upped that reserve. - Yes.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24- Which means the valuation now starts at the reserve of 1,500.- OK.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- But it has got to reach 1,500 for it to sell.- Yes.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- Otherwise it goes home with you. - Yep, back under the bed.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- You don't mind that.- No, that's fine.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34- Do you know... Back under the bed? - Yeah.- Has it been under the bed?
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- What is it doing under there? - Well, it's just kind of...
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- In a box under the bed? - Yeah. As good a place as any.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I suppose it is, in a way. Yeah.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Right, Thomas, will it still sell or will it struggle?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Cos that's now at your top end of the estimate.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Well, I think they are quite desirable.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Even the silver ones sell for 800, 900. This is nine-carat gold.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- So you were being cautious? - I was being cautious.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01- It was definitely a seller at 900. - Yes.- Definitely. Here we are.- OK.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06We're going to start at £800. I'll take 50. It's £800 bid.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07Is there 50 now?
0:29:07 > 0:29:11850. 900. 50. 1,000.
0:29:11 > 0:29:141,100. 1,200.
0:29:14 > 0:29:171,300 bid. 1,300 bid now. Is there any advance?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20At £1,300 bid. £1,300 bid.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Is there 1,400 anywhere?
0:29:22 > 0:29:25- Come on. Just two, isn't there? - 1,300 now. Any advance anywhere?
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- 1,300, any advance?- Not selling.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- He didn't sell it. It didn't reach the reserve.- That's fine.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33You are happy with that. You wanted 1,500.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35It was meant to be.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36- OK. We give it a try, didn't way? - We did.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Sal is taking that home,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41but she seems happy to put it back under the bed for now.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Our third lot is Jill's charming pearl necklace and brooch
0:29:47 > 0:29:48made from cultured pearls.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51And Jill has big plans for the proceeds of the sale.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56I'm going out to Australia in the autumn to see my son.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57I've never been before.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Oh, fingers crossed you're going to love that. I've been twice.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01- It's really nice.- To Perth. - Good luck.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Right, we need money to get Jill out to Australia.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08Pearls come in and out of fashion, don't they?
0:30:08 > 0:30:12But I think this particular necklace will sell OK.
0:30:12 > 0:30:13We're selling in two lots.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16The necklace first and then we've got the brooch.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- Necklace first and then the brooch. Ready for this?- Fine.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20Here we go. This is it.
0:30:20 > 0:30:24And on this one, bids are in here at 160.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Taking 170. At 160 as you see it.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Come on...
0:30:28 > 0:30:29160 the bid now. I'll take 170.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31At 170. 180.
0:30:31 > 0:30:32180. 190.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35He's got a bid on the book. He keeps looking down.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37260. 280.
0:30:37 > 0:30:38280 the bid.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39It's on commission at 280.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Is there 300 anywhere? £280 on commission.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Any advance? We sell at 280.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46He's selling at 280. That's OK.
0:30:46 > 0:30:47That's good news.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51We can get in the swing of things now and say, "Beauty, mate!"
0:30:51 > 0:30:54And here's the next lot.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59And I'm going to have to start in at £80.
0:30:59 > 0:31:00I'll take 5.
0:31:00 > 0:31:01£80 the bid. Is there 5 now?
0:31:01 > 0:31:0480 I'm bid. Is there 5 now?
0:31:04 > 0:31:05- 85.- Yes!
0:31:05 > 0:31:0790.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10When the first bid comes in, that starts the rest of it.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12We're £100 the bid. Is there 10 anywhere else?
0:31:12 > 0:31:14At 110. 120.
0:31:14 > 0:31:15120, then.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Still with me on commission at £120.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Are you all done at the back with 120?
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- £120 sold.- That's lovely.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24- That's good, isn't it? - That's excellent, yes.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26That rounds it up to £400.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Oh, your maths is better than mine.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31I think the trade is perhaps stronger for pearls than I feared.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33So I'm delighted.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Well, Jill seems pleased with the nice little nest egg
0:31:35 > 0:31:37for her big trip down under.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Well, our next lot is a bit of a hoot.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Yes, it is that owl brooch belonging to Vicky,
0:31:41 > 0:31:43who is right next to me.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45- I like this.- Good fun, isn't it?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48- Yeah.- Like you, it's good fun. - I know. I always am.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- Well, we are looking for £200 to £300, aren't we?- Right.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Owls, pigs, kangaroos and camels.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56They are the four that do it for the collectors,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58for some unknown reason.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01But owls are top of the list. Here we go, let's find out.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06Run of bids here put me in at 150. I'll take 160 on the owl.
0:32:06 > 0:32:07150 to bid.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10160. 170. 180. 190.
0:32:10 > 0:32:11190 bid. Is there 200 now?
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Yeah, we'll get a lot, look.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16220. 230. 240.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17Carry on.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19- Carry on.- 250. 260.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23270. 280.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25280 at the back. At 280 the bid now.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27290. 300.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Top end of the estimate.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31At the back with you, sir, then at 300. And selling...
0:32:31 > 0:32:33300.
0:32:33 > 0:32:34- Well done, David.- Lovely.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36- Well done, Vicky. Top end.- Yeah!
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Top end - owls are in!
0:32:39 > 0:32:43That is a great result for something Vicky had no idea
0:32:43 > 0:32:45lay nestled in a box of trinkets.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Well, that concludes our first visit to the saleroom today.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53We are coming back here later in the show, so don't go away.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Now, while we were here in area filming,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59I had the opportunity to visit a house in the north of the county.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01And I saw what could be achieved
0:33:01 > 0:33:05when somebody was determined to leave their mark on history.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19In the heart of this 1,000-acre estate in North Norfolk,
0:33:19 > 0:33:21is one of the most remarkable
0:33:21 > 0:33:24country houses in Britain, Houghton Hall.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28As magnificent as any royal palace, it was built in the 1720s
0:33:28 > 0:33:31and remains relatively untouched by time.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32Looking at it,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35you'd think it belonged to a member of the aristocracy.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37But no, it was a politician -
0:33:37 > 0:33:40our first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46Walpole was born in 1676 into a family of Norfolk gentry that
0:33:46 > 0:33:49had owned the estate for generations.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53And at the age of 25, the young Robert followed in his father's
0:33:53 > 0:33:55footsteps into a career in politics.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02The political scene at the time was undergoing a prolonged
0:34:02 > 0:34:04and major upheaval.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08The balance of power was shifting from the monarch to Parliament
0:34:08 > 0:34:11and politicians had divided into rival factions,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14making the House of Commons a tempestuous place to be.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Robert Walpole was adept at navigating these turbulent
0:34:19 > 0:34:22political waters, but it wasn't easy.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24At one time, he was locked up in the Tower of London
0:34:24 > 0:34:28for six months on trumped-up charges of corruption.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Nevertheless, with a nose for finance,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34he quickly rose through the ranks.
0:34:34 > 0:34:39In 1721, he took the position of the First Lord of the Treasury,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43or as it is known for the first time, the office of Prime Minister.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Robert Walpole had arrived.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47To reflect his new power,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Walpole set about building a magnificent country house,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54not only to echo his political status
0:34:54 > 0:34:59but also his notoriously extravagant lifestyle. And this was the result.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Houghton Hall.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04It is a classic example of English Palladian architecture
0:35:04 > 0:35:08inspired by the ancient temples of Rome and Greece.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13But it is when you go inside that you really see the extent
0:35:13 > 0:35:14of Walpole's vision.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22Like all the interiors here at Houghton,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25this grand staircase with its hand-painted wall panellings
0:35:25 > 0:35:28is the work of the up-and-coming architect
0:35:28 > 0:35:32and interior designer William Kent, who was the fashion of the day.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35He was commissioned by Walpole to fit the house out
0:35:35 > 0:35:37at no expense spared,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40and that man really did have talent.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44I can't wait to look around.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47But before I do, I'm going to meet John Marchant,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49the head guide here at Houghton,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53to uncover Walpole's vision of a grand country seat.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00What was Robert Walpole trying to show with the design of this house?
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Well, he was a Norfolk man through and through. This was his home.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06It reflected his rise to power in politics,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09his love of the arts.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12And so he incorporated fine furniture design,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15picture design, fabric design.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17In every one of the state rooms,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19there's a visual reminder of whose house you are in.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Because up on the ceiling or on the mantelpiece or somewhere,
0:36:24 > 0:36:27there will be a motif that represents Sir Robert Walpole.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29"This is my house."
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Usually, it is a garter star.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Sometimes it is an elaborate monogram of his initials.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40And so as you go through from room to room, you get these three aspects
0:36:40 > 0:36:44of his idea behind the construction of the house all welding together.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46We know he was a successful politician
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and a lover of the arts, but what sort of man was he?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52It depends to whom you speak, I should think.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55There are those who believe he was a rogue.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59And others who believe he was a statesman. It puts it in a nutshell.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01And I think if you reflect on the fact that he ran
0:37:01 > 0:37:03the country for 21 years,
0:37:03 > 0:37:0721 years of pretty well unrivalled peace and prosperity,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09that says a lot for the man as a statesman.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13And maybe he cut some corners, maybe he did worse,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17but the record at the end of his life really speaks for itself.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22Time to have a look at some of those features.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25This gladiator strategically framed by the doorway
0:37:25 > 0:37:28led the gaze of his visitors into the stone hall.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32And this spectacular room was the first they would have seen.
0:37:35 > 0:37:39You can just imagine the impact this hallway would've had on the guests
0:37:39 > 0:37:43when they first set eyes on it. It is spectacular.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45It is jaw-droppingly brilliant.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47This is William Kent at his very best -
0:37:47 > 0:37:49striking architectural detail.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52And up there, you can see the family coat of arms.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54There, look, in the ceiling.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57And I think here has to be the centrepiece -
0:37:57 > 0:38:00a marble bust of the man himself, Robert Walpole.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03There, look, in a frieze of Roman emperors.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06So he surrounded himself with the great.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08And here is a nice touch of vanity, look,
0:38:08 > 0:38:10you see the Order of the Garter here,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13look, neatly showing in one of the folds of the toga.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15I like that.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Every room reflects his political manoeuvrings.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22To see how shrewd an operator he was when it came to the economy,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24you must step into the saloon.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Up until the 18th century,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29walnut had been the wood of choice for cabinet-makers.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31But the European supplies were dwindling
0:38:31 > 0:38:34and it was far too costly to import it from further afield.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36So to bolster up these supplies,
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Walpole dropped all the import duties, the taxes on wood imported
0:38:40 > 0:38:44from the colonies such as the West Indies, which introduced mahogany.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47As you can see, look, this is a lovely example of Cuban mahogany.
0:38:47 > 0:38:52Wonderful tight grain. And it lends itself beautifully to being carved.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54And it's exciting to look at.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57So not only did Walpole fit his house out with it, but he also
0:38:57 > 0:38:59introduced that golden age period
0:38:59 > 0:39:03of mahogany for cabinet makers such as Thomas Chippendale.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07The whole house was designed with one thought in mind -
0:39:07 > 0:39:12to impress upon anyone who entered that this was a true seat of power.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16But by the time he died in 1745, at the age of 68,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18his fortunes had changed.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20His extravagant lifestyle
0:39:20 > 0:39:24and spending on this house left him mired in debt,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27forcing his heirs to even sell off the contents of the house.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30It was a sorry end to an incredible life.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Walpole helped sow the seeds of our modern political system.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38After all, he was our first Prime Minister.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41He established Number 10 Downing Street
0:39:41 > 0:39:44as the official residency for the Prime Minister elect.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47But I think his personal legacy definitely has to be
0:39:47 > 0:39:50this magnificent house, Houghton Hall,
0:39:50 > 0:39:52which projects Robert Walpole's image
0:39:52 > 0:39:55of how he wanted to be seen and remembered - a powerful,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59influential man with a taste for the finer things in life.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Back at our valuation day venue, Norwich Cathedral,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10David has come across a fascinating book of local interest.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18- Hello, Jeff.- Hello.- Thank you for coming to "Flog It!" today.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- And you have two books with you. - Yes.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24And I am itching to have a look at what they are all about.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Shall we start with this one?- Yes. That is the Royal Calendar for 1767.
0:40:28 > 0:40:301767.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I am going to thumb through it in a moment, but it strikes me
0:40:32 > 0:40:36as if it is a sort of mid 18th-century Wikipedia, really.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40- Almost, yes. Yes.- It is a book of facts, isn't it?- Yes, it is. Yes.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Well, let's have a little look.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45We start with a calendar
0:40:45 > 0:40:48giving us key events for each month,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51saints days and that sort of thing.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55And then we move on and we find...
0:40:55 > 0:40:57And I think this is amazing.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The anatomy of a man's body.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02But it is slightly more than that because it relates
0:41:02 > 0:41:05- the anatomy of a man's body to the signs of the zodiac.- Yes.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10So we start at the top with Gemini, that is the left shoulder.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13We go around via Leo, Libra, Sagittarius.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15And we end up with the private bits.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19And I'm not going to actually say which sign of the zodiac
0:41:19 > 0:41:20they represent.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24I'll leave that to the man or woman who actually buys this book.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Then they'll find out exactly what I am talking about.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Anyway, that is that.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31We then move on a bit.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33And by complete contrast,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- we have the coats of arms of the dukes of England.- Yes.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38And then we have
0:41:38 > 0:41:42officers of the Navy,
0:41:42 > 0:41:46not only a description of their roles,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49a description of their ranks, but also what they were paid.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- Yes. Fascinating.- How extraordinary.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53And it is interesting, isn't it, that these
0:41:53 > 0:41:55were sort of considered to be key facts?
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- Yes.- These were the things you needed to know.- Amazing.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Anyway, that's finished with that.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04And the second book you have brought in is what?
0:42:04 > 0:42:07White's Directory And Gazetteer for Norfolk.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- OK.- From 1845.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Again, it is a sort of history
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- and a list of every single parish in the county...- OK.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16..with details of the people and everything.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And it goes into some detail. Parish churches.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21About the diocese itself.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24- Yes.- Monastic institutions.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25And so on.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Condition, not great, I'm afraid.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30- I appreciate that.- Um...
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Now, clearly, you want to sell these.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Yes, I'd like... Yes.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39But my view is that you take a philosophical stance, really.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43- OK.- Hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- All right.- And I would like to estimate them at £40 to £60,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49if that is not too disappointing to you.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51A little disappointing, but fair enough.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54- I'll just keep my fingers crossed that somebody really wants them.- OK.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56- We'll hope for the best. - Fine. Thank you very much.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59We are in the right part of the world to sell them
0:42:59 > 0:43:01and let's hope we have a good day.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03While condition is important in books,
0:43:03 > 0:43:07these little gems might find a history buff who's willing
0:43:07 > 0:43:08to overlook the damage.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10Over to Thomas now.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13And he has found someone with strong links to the cathedral.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- Hello, Jennifer.- Hello.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18What are you wearing?
0:43:18 > 0:43:21Is this a cross of St John or something?
0:43:21 > 0:43:24- Yes, it is the cathedral badge. - The cathedral...
0:43:24 > 0:43:27- And does that mean you're...? - I am a volunteer.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29And what does a volunteer do?
0:43:29 > 0:43:32A volunteer, in my case, greets visitors.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34It is a really important job.
0:43:34 > 0:43:35Well, it's enjoyable.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Yeah. Now we have asked what your badge is,
0:43:38 > 0:43:41now we are going to ask you about this lovely, lovely belt.
0:43:41 > 0:43:42Tell me about it.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- I got it by inheriting it.- Yeah.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48- Now, do you have any inclination to where it is from?- No.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51- I would love to know.- OK.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54- Well, it's Japanese.- Japanese?! - Yeah, it's Japanese.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56- Is it?- Yeah.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58And this is enamel work.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00And it is on a base metal.
0:44:00 > 0:44:05So, base metal meaning brass, copper... Not a precious metal.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09And we are looking at Japan in the late Meiji period,
0:44:09 > 0:44:12which is the early 20th century,
0:44:12 > 0:44:14when Japan really opened up
0:44:14 > 0:44:17to the West and goods came out of Tokyo.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22And what you have... Each of these has got a flower and a bird.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26And in Japan, every single one of these flowers has a meaning.
0:44:26 > 0:44:32Most of these meanings are to do with love, fertility, children, etc.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34That is what all these are all about.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Against the enamel work is a texture.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40You can see the texture on the metal to make it
0:44:40 > 0:44:43look like there is a ground to it. Can you see that?
0:44:43 > 0:44:46- Yes.- And then the enamel work is applied on. It is almost like...
0:44:46 > 0:44:48We call it champleve.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50So it is a flat enamel.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Unfortunately, this enamel does crack,
0:44:54 > 0:44:55as you can see.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58So why have you brought it along?
0:44:58 > 0:45:02I can't wear it any more, really, it is too small.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05I mean, I am even surprised you got into it. I mean, it is...
0:45:05 > 0:45:08I think maybe my five-year-old would probably wear it now.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10It would probably go around my thigh!
0:45:10 > 0:45:13Well, yes. And I keep damaging it.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18But I revere it because I have inherited it.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20But I have no use for it any more.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24And I wish somebody else would be able to use it beautifully
0:45:24 > 0:45:28- and gain from it. - I think they will do.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30Now, I think, out of all of these things, with the damage,
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- one has to cut back.- Yes.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37- If it was perfect, it would be worth hundreds and hundreds.- Really?
0:45:37 > 0:45:38Yes, it would.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41But I have to go with our typical auctioneer's estimate
0:45:41 > 0:45:43of £80 to £100.
0:45:43 > 0:45:44- Really?- On this one.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Regarding reserve, I think we have a reserve with discretion.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50So we are not going to give it away. It is a lovely thing.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- Will you come to the auction? - Yes, please.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- Look forward to seeing you there. - Thank you.
0:45:55 > 0:45:56What an unusual piece.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00And that could well pique someone's interest in the Orient.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03We have one more item to find before we go off to auction.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06I wonder who that is going to be. But I tell you what...
0:46:06 > 0:46:08Feeling peckish anyone?
0:46:08 > 0:46:10DOG BARKS
0:46:11 > 0:46:14David has also found something we don't see every day on the show.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21I can't think of anything that contrasts more strongly with
0:46:21 > 0:46:24this magnificent vaulting in this medieval cathedral
0:46:24 > 0:46:29than the simplicity of this amazing mug by Eric Ravilious.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32- And this belongs to you, Terry. - Well, it belongs to the wife, yeah.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34The wife, OK.
0:46:34 > 0:46:35- Well...- It's not mine.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37We have seen in our job hundreds
0:46:37 > 0:46:43if not thousands of commemorative cups, saucers, mugs and so on.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46Each one of which relates to a particular coronation.
0:46:46 > 0:46:50- But very few of those are by Eric Ravilious...- Right.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51..as this one is.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54And very few relate to the coronation
0:46:54 > 0:46:58in 1937 of Edward VIII,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00- which, of course, never took place. - Sure, right, yeah.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03I love the work of Eric Ravilious,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06who I think is one of the 20th century's greatest designers.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09He went to the Royal College of Art,
0:47:09 > 0:47:12where he met a chap called Edward Bawden.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17And the two of them forsook art and studied design.
0:47:17 > 0:47:22And it shows, if you look at this particular object, I think.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26The simplicity of line, the spareness of the decoration
0:47:26 > 0:47:30and so on are all absolutely characteristic of Ravilious,
0:47:30 > 0:47:35who was working, really, I suppose, in a sort of post-Art Deco period.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37And you can see,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41he was influenced by the Art Deco style in its very simplicity,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44in the simple nature of the lines.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48He has taken us one step beyond the Art Deco, I think.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50So I love this very much.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53To tell you the truth, I've always wanted to own one of these,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55but I couldn't afford to buy one.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58I am now going to tell you what I think it is worth.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59But before I do that,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02I'm going to say, will you and your wife miss it?
0:48:02 > 0:48:06- Not really, no. That's the thing, we never really loved it, so...- OK.
0:48:06 > 0:48:10- It is just in the cabinet, and that is where it stays.- OK.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13One thing of course I should have said is that Eric Ravilious
0:48:13 > 0:48:15- designed this for the Wedgwood factory.- Yeah.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19And the Wedgwood factory is a division-one factory.
0:48:19 > 0:48:20By any standards.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22- So that just adds to its appeal. - Yeah.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Now, I think this will generate interest
0:48:25 > 0:48:27throughout the world, really.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32- And I am optimistic this will make £500.- Oh, really? Wow.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34What I'd like to do, if I may,
0:48:34 > 0:48:37is suggest an estimate of 300 to 500,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39place a reserve of £300 on it.
0:48:39 > 0:48:44- Yeah, that's fine.- And I think we can watch it fly away.- Good.
0:48:44 > 0:48:45I agree with David.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47The magic combination of the Ravilious name
0:48:47 > 0:48:51with the Wedgwood factory should ensure this beautiful piece flies
0:48:51 > 0:48:53when it goes to auction.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56Thomas has something in front of him
0:48:56 > 0:48:59that beautifully reflects the boating traditions of the area.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05Colin, tell me about this delightful watercolour you've brought along.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08I actually found it when my father passed away
0:49:08 > 0:49:10in a cupboard in his house.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13I didn't even know it existed.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16- You sound quite Norfolkie. - I am.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18- Born and bred. - Indeed.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21So do you the actual place?
0:49:21 > 0:49:23- This is the Broads. - Yes, the Broads.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26I know the pub, I know the village.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- This is the pub here?- Yes.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30- What's the pub called. - The Horning Ferry.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32Horning Ferry.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34- And the village is? - Horning.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36- In Horning? Still a pub today? - Yes.
0:49:36 > 0:49:37Without the thatched roof.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39I can see it's got a thatched roof.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42- I wonder if they serve good beer in that pub?- They do.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46We've done a little bit of research with this artist,
0:49:46 > 0:49:48W Leslie Rackham.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51And this dates from the early part of the 20th century.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54- He had a yacht called Old Gonester. - Really?
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- Yeah. And this could be his yacht. - Could be.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01He did lots of watercolours of his yacht
0:50:01 > 0:50:03within the Broads,
0:50:03 > 0:50:04So to speak.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08I'm just picturing a good beer, a scotch egg,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10- maybe...- Yes, yes.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13..on your boat, nipping in and out of the pub for more beer,
0:50:13 > 0:50:15with the sun on your back.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- It sounds a good day.- It does, doesn't it? A very god day.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21The thing about watercolours is they do lose a bit of colour
0:50:21 > 0:50:22if they've been in the sun.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Your father, by keeping it in the cupboard,
0:50:25 > 0:50:27has saved a lot of the colour.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30You can still see the blue quite well here.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34And I love the way he's done the reflection of the pub, real skill,
0:50:34 > 0:50:37on the water with the ripple and the light.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40I think this is going to be worth £100 to £150.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43- Would you be happy to sell it at that?- Mm-hm.
0:50:43 > 0:50:44- Yes?- Mm-hm.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46Shall we fix a reserve
0:50:46 > 0:50:48or have a reserve with a bit of discretion at £100?
0:50:48 > 0:50:50I think the reserve at £100.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52You will reserve at £100.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55- No, I think it's worth doing, really.- Good.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57If I was staying longer, I'd go for a pint.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59- But I'm not.- No.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04And now for my favourite part of the show.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08Let's head straight to the auction and see what the bidders think.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10There are Jeff's old history books.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13But will their condition affect the price?
0:51:13 > 0:51:16There is Jennifer's enamelled Japanese belt that conjures up
0:51:16 > 0:51:20the mystery of the Orient at the turn of the 20th century.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23There's the watercolour by W Leslie Rackham of a yacht
0:51:23 > 0:51:27outside the local pub at Horning in good condition.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30And a Wedgwood Ravilious mug designed to commemorate
0:51:30 > 0:51:34Edward VIII's coronation but withdrawn from sale
0:51:34 > 0:51:36when the big day was cancelled.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41So it is back to the saleroom, where auctioneer
0:51:41 > 0:51:43Ed has taken to the rostrum.
0:51:43 > 0:51:47First, it is the two old reference books dating to the 18th
0:51:47 > 0:51:52and 19th centuries that list miscellaneous and fascinating facts.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55- Jeff, fingers crossed, good luck. - Right, hopefully.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Our only books in the sale today. This is quite an odd one.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00We've got two leather-bound books.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02One is the Royal Calendar and one, the history of Norfolk.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05And it is not a lot of money, what, £40 to £60? It's nothing.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Condition lets it down, but look beyond that
0:52:08 > 0:52:10and I think you've got a good investment here.
0:52:10 > 0:52:11Let's put it to the test. Here we go.
0:52:11 > 0:52:17I do have conflicting bids, so I have to start in at £38.
0:52:17 > 0:52:22- 38 I have. 40.- Yes, someone in the room, look. And that lady is keen.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26- 42. 45.- How can you tell?- Look, she is not putting her hand down.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30- OK.- 50 with the lady. Is there a five? Is £50 now.- Determination.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32Is there five? We will be selling at £50.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35- Are we all done?- Check the back, late legs.- New bidder.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37Are you 60? One more, 60.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39- 60.- He's out, she's in.
0:52:39 > 0:52:4160 back with the lady. 60 it is. Is there five?
0:52:41 > 0:52:42We will sell it away at £60.
0:52:44 > 0:52:49- £60. Sold.- Right.- Well done. Great man.- Paul, after all these years,
0:52:49 > 0:52:51- you are still bullish, aren't you? - Oh, yeah.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53I am.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56And I am also feeling bullish about Jennifer's Japanese enamelled belt.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Too tiny for most people to wear today, it is
0:52:59 > 0:53:02a beautiful interpretation of exotic blooms.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05Now, that was great-grandparent's.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- Yes, it was.- So it is a proper family heirloom.- It is.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12Right now, we need a buyer of quality. A discerning person.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17- That hopefully doesn't want to wear it but is going to cherish it.- Yes.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20Here we go. It is going under the hammer right now.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Start me in on this. Start me at £100. 80 to go then.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26£80, someone to start me surely on this. Or 50 then. 50 bid.
0:53:26 > 0:53:3050 bid. Is there five? Five I've got. 55 the bid. Is there 60?
0:53:30 > 0:53:31It's £55 bid.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33Any more anywhere? The belt you see.
0:53:33 > 0:53:3555. 60.
0:53:35 > 0:53:36Five. 70.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38- Five. 80 bid.- How about that!?
0:53:38 > 0:53:4280 is the bid in front now and I am all out. £80 and commission is out.
0:53:42 > 0:53:4680 in front. Any advance anywhere? It will sell. It is at £80...
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Do you know what, I was just sinking down there.
0:53:50 > 0:53:52I was thinking, "It is not going to sell."
0:53:52 > 0:53:55Then all of a sudden, late legs, late bid came in,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58- then a counter bid, then... Wow, £80.- Lovely.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02It would have been surprising if something so beautiful hadn't sold.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Next up, an early 20th century painting
0:54:07 > 0:54:10by local artist W Leslie Rackham,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12brought to us by Colin.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14We're virtually on the Broads.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17You've got this wonderful watercolour by Rackham, a boating scene.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20He loved boats. It would suit somebody who's got a boat.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Everyone's got a boat around here, surely. It's full of water.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25Let's find out how this does. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29I'm starting in here at £75.
0:54:29 > 0:54:3175 I have. Is there 80?
0:54:31 > 0:54:33It's a Rackham for £75 now.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Where's 80. 85. 90.
0:54:35 > 0:54:3795. 100. 100.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Oh, there we are. Sold, easily.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41110 I have. Is there 20?
0:54:41 > 0:54:44It's with commission now at 110 now. Is there 20?
0:54:44 > 0:54:47We're selling at £110.
0:54:48 > 0:54:49Sold. Yes!
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Well done. Well done.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53And I hope that's gone to a good home, as well.
0:54:53 > 0:54:57Do you know, that's great value for money, when you think about it.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59I mean, it's a one-off piece of fine art.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01People pay that for a print or a poster.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05I mean, you've got a piece of fine art by a great artist on the wall
0:55:05 > 0:55:07that no-one else has, because it is fine art, it's one-off.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- It's probably gone to the pub. - I hope so.
0:55:10 > 0:55:11Wouldn't that be nice?
0:55:11 > 0:55:15And now time for our final lot today,
0:55:15 > 0:55:17that rare Wedgwood Ravilious mug
0:55:17 > 0:55:21designed for Edward VIII's coronation that never was.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23And I tell you what, everybody is after it right now.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25- And there is not a lot on the market, is there?- No.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Well, I think I said this at Norwich,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32but I love Ravilious and there are some nice, interesting,
0:55:32 > 0:55:35all sorts of varied things in this sale today,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38but of all the things in the sale, this is what I like best.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39- Really?- And me. It's great.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42Well, we're going to find out what it is worth. Three to five,
0:55:42 > 0:55:44that is about right on this, isn't it?
0:55:44 > 0:55:48Let's hope it gets the top end plus, because he is so sought-after.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50This is the name everybody wants.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52It is going under the hammer now.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56The Eric Ravilious Wedgwood firework display.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Commemorative coronation mug.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00Good interest here.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03We're going to start in at £240. I'll take 260.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06£240 is bid. 260.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10- 280. 300.- There is a phone line. - 320. 340. 360.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13- 380. 400. - It hasn't come in yet.- 440.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15460, and I am gone. At 460 the bid.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17- 460 the bid. It is there 80 anywhere?- Yes, now he is in.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19- 480.- Really?- Yeah.- 500.
0:56:20 > 0:56:22520.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25520 the bid. 520 the bid. Now, is there any advance anywhere?
0:56:25 > 0:56:27I'll take... 550.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30Phone is out.
0:56:30 > 0:56:32Come on, phone. Come on, phone.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35550 is online. 600 is bid.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39600 on the telephone. I need 650 online now. £600 bid.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41Is there 650 anywhere?
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Internet has gone quiet. We're at £600 then.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47It is on the phone. Any advance? Fair warning at £600.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51- Right on, David.- Wow!- £600. Cracking result!- Isn't it just?
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Yes, did you expect something like that?
0:56:53 > 0:56:55Not really.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58- No, 300 or 400. But 600 is marvellous.- Amazing.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59Enjoy it, won't you? Enjoy it.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02And thank you for giving us such enjoyment with Eric Ravilious
0:57:02 > 0:57:05because he is one of the greatest names.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08- One day, Paul, I want to own one of those.- Do you?
0:57:08 > 0:57:09I am going to start saving now.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14I am, too. And what a great end to the show.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19Well, that's it, it's all over for our owners.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Another day in another saleroom here in Diss.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:57:24 > 0:57:26But please do join us again for many more.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29And if you have got anything you want to sell, we want to flog it
0:57:29 > 0:57:31for you. See you next time.