0:00:06 > 0:00:10Today we're in the wonderful setting of Dunster Castle, in Somerset.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13A former motte and bailey castle, now a country house.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Here in the library, you can see the centuries of history that
0:00:19 > 0:00:21have passed through the castle,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23a castle that's dominated the landscape
0:00:23 > 0:00:25ever since the Middle Ages.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27And, of course, if you relish discovering the chronicles
0:00:27 > 0:00:31of days gone by, like I do, then sit back and enjoy as we bring
0:00:31 > 0:00:35together the very best finds and auctions from around the country.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Welcome to Flog It!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Dunster is located on the sweeping hills of Exmoor National Park.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10And as you know, "Flog It!" travels the length and breadth of Britain
0:01:10 > 0:01:15in search of exceptional stories and objects to take off to auction.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Today we have a real treat in store as we bring you
0:01:20 > 0:01:22some of our best finds.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25We'll be visiting Birmingham, Southall,
0:01:25 > 0:01:29Edinburgh and Wallasey.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32And I'll even be taking you on a tour of the country's largest
0:01:32 > 0:01:34public library.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Cicero said a room without books is like a body without a soul.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42And I can't help feeling that "Flog It!"
0:01:42 > 0:01:46benefits from a bit of literature, too. So, on today's show...
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Thomas Plant judges a book by its cover as he values three
0:01:52 > 0:01:55leather-bound books dating back over 200 years.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Adam meets his ceramic nemesis.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03I've had egg on my face before with majolica, on this very programme,
0:02:03 > 0:02:08when I underestimated some. So I'm going to try not to do that again.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12And I find a fascinating funeral invite, from many years gone by.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20I can't wait. I can't wait for the auction day. I really can't.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Prepare yourself for a show filled with jeopardy.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Can you guess which of our items sells for four times over
0:02:28 > 0:02:31the estimate, and which doesn't sell at all?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33It's going to be a thriller.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Before we start today's valuations,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39let me just show you what I found in the Dunster library.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41The books that line these shelves
0:02:41 > 0:02:43are a fascinating insight into the lives
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and interests of the Luttrells, who have lived here for over 600 years.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And if you take a closer look, you can see there's a book on
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Eton College there, where many of the male members were educated, and
0:02:53 > 0:02:58here we've got the Diary Of Samuel Pepys, written in the 17th century,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02but they became a bestseller in the 19th century. I like this touch.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Look, something from the 1950s. James Bond. Live And Let Die.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10There really is a fascinating world to discover here.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I can highly recommend it if you get the chance to come and visit.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Right now, it's time to get on with those valuations,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and fingers crossed, we can make some history of our own.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25First up, Birmingham's museum and art gallery.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Thomas Plant has already navigated the territory...
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and found an 18th-century collection of books...
0:03:32 > 0:03:35on one of Britain's greatest explorers.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37And if you don't know who this is,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41perhaps you should be in the market for these books.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Hello, Nick, how are you?- I'm fine, Thomas. How are you?- So...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47What do you know about Captain Cook?
0:03:47 > 0:03:51He discovered, or went all round Australia, mapped it.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Shipwrecked.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- I don't know about that, yeah? - Oh, yes, shipwrecked.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Deliverance Bay, up past Port Douglas.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02What I know about Captain Cook, I learned from my school days,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05so I've not, sort of, gone forward with it.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- But today you've brought along three books from a possible volume of six.- That's correct, yes.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- Where did you get these from?- My uncle died and we cleared his house.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17- Oh, really?- And found a few books. These are three of them. - They're leather bound.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- Yep, that's why I like them. - Yeah, they're lovely.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- They are in slightly distressed condition.- Very distressed.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I think "very" is putting it mildly, isn't it?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28They are the Voyages round the World: Performed by Royal Authority.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Captain Cook's first, second and third voyages,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33undertaken for making new discoveries.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And these are dated 1790.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- Quite a way after he started his little journeys, didn't he?- Yeah.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Sort of 1768.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- Yeah, that's it.- I like the plates in them. They are interesting.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48This one here is rather nice.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51"The distressed situation of the success between the fire of the Spanish fort,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53"Umata, and the ship in the harbour."
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I mean, you know, it's obviously very well-written and
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- quite interesting.- Yep. And there's some nice maps.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03There are some lovely maps. There are some fabulous maps.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Why have you brought them here today?- To flog them, basically.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- Because they're just sitting there? - They're just sitting in a cupboard
0:05:09 > 0:05:14- and someone might be able to do something with them.- They do need some rebinding, etc.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17And having only three out of the six will affect the value.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21- Have you an idea of the value? - No.- No.- No.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24If you had the six in good condition, it would be worth,
0:05:24 > 0:05:25- you know, £100 a book.- Yeah.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Because they're in poor condition, I'd be really cautious.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Say, just about £100.- That's quite a lot of money for three books.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33It is quite a lot of money for three books,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35but I think you need to be conservative and put them in
0:05:35 > 0:05:40at, sort of, 80 to 100, with a discretion reserve at, sort of, £70.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- Are you happy with that?- Yes, I am. - So, auctioneer's estimate.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Watch them go and make £500.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Those are books worth investing some time in.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Our next item dates back to the same era as Cook himself.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Well, rather the brand of ceramics does.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Over to our expert, Adam Partridge, who's making himself
0:06:03 > 0:06:07comfortable in Hopetoun House, on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15We really should be outside on the lawns having a lovely Scottish
0:06:15 > 0:06:19afternoon tea. Strawberries, Scottish strawberries, of course...
0:06:19 > 0:06:25- Yes.- ..cream and sugar, in these beautiful Wedgwood majolica dishes.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- Yes.- What can you tell me about them, Christine?
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, a friend was emptying her mother's house,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and I was helping her. We had three boxes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37One for what she was taking home, one for charity
0:06:37 > 0:06:39and one to go to the rubbish.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41And she handed me these out of a cupboard and said,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- "Put these in the rubbish."- Oh, right.- And I said, "No, you can't."
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- And she went, "If you like them, keep them."- And do you like them?- Yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- There was a hesitation there! - Yes, well.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I like them, but what use are they?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Well, yes. I mean, ideally, strawberries and cream.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Of course, the strawberries would go in the main section here,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and then you've got these little aperture recesses
0:07:05 > 0:07:07for cream and for sugar.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- They're by the famous Wedgwood factory.- Yes.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14And then majolica, as you know, which is the name of this
0:07:14 > 0:07:19glazed earthenware of this type. They date to 1879 exactly.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24- I thought that.- We can tell that from the marks on the back.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26You've got the Wedgwood mark there.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28And then you've got this registration mark here,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31which is the Victorian registration lozenge.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35And we've worked that out to date them to 1879.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38There are a few notable manufacturers of majolica
0:07:38 > 0:07:41from the potteries. Wedgwood was one, Minton was another.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44George Jones was another. And they're quite collectable.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48In fact, I've had egg on my face before with majolica, on this
0:07:48 > 0:07:51very programme, when I underestimated some.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54So I'm going to try not to do that again.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Most of the time, you see some sort of damage -
0:07:56 > 0:07:59it's very vulnerable - and I don't think there's any damage at all.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Which is really quite unusual.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I like the way they've picked out the strawberry details
0:08:04 > 0:08:07either side, and it's beautifully done.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Any idea on what you think they're worth?
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Well, um, I thought because they were a pair,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- they might have been worth about £500.- 500.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Well, I think that may be slightly optimistic.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Slightly.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- I would have thought 300 to 500 estimate.- Right.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- And they might make that.- OK. - Sure?- Yes, you're the expert.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31Well, I hope so.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36- £300 reserve?- Yes. - Yes. Any leeway or not?
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- Would you take 280 or not? - I'd take 280 rather than...
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You would? So let's give him 10% leeway or so.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- OK.- If they make the 500 you hope, what would you do with that?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- My daughter's getting married next year.- Oh, congratulations.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- So it's going in the wedding fund. - Excellent. That'll be lovely.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Fingers crossed for a sweet result at the auction.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58- Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you.- Pleasure.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Let's hope for Christine's sake Adam's on the money with his valuation today.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Over to the rather splendid Southall Minster now, where our resident
0:09:08 > 0:09:12magpie Mark Stacey has spotted something rather nice.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Rachel, you've brought this lovely pocket watch in to show us,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21but I want to find out a bit more about you first. Are you local?
0:09:21 > 0:09:25- I am, yes.- From Southall? - Yes, I was born in Southall.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28I was married in the minster, and christened, and so was my mother.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- What, in this very church?- Yes.- How wonderful.- We go back a long way.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- So you go back several generations here?- Yes.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38- This is a family piece, is it? - It is. It was my grandmother's,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and it may well have been her mother's before that.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42It might well have been your great-grandmother's,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- because we have looked up the hallmark. It's 18 carat gold.- Yes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- And it's hallmarked for 1849.- Yes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52So it goes right back to the mid-19th century.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56And it's by quite an interesting firm, Bensons,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00who were founded with Samuel Suckley in 1847.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- They were quite a prestigious maker of this type of item.- Yes.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- So the quality's very good. - Yes.- It's a lady's pocket watch.- Yes.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I mean, how would she have worn it?
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Well, maybe on a chatelaine for a lady.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- Of course, a gentleman would have had it in his waistcoat pocket.- Yes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21And it's beautifully chased on the outside here,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- and you see the little cartouche in the middle there?- Yes.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27That's what we call a vacant cartouche.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30That simply means that nobody's put their initials
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- or their family crest on it.- No.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34So if somebody did want to buy this,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and have it as an ancestral item,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40they could put their little monogram or their family crest
0:10:40 > 0:10:42or motto in there.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45And it's beautifully chased, on the front here,
0:10:45 > 0:10:50with little Roman numerals, with its engine-turned design.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53And it's just a very nice, quality little item.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- Yep.- You've looked after it very well.- Yes.- It seems to be working.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- You've got the original key with it.- I have, yes.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04- But the value is limited, because there's a lot of them around.- Yes.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07- And the perennial problem of, what do we do with it?- Yes.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12- But I feel a sensible estimate is £200 to £300.- As much as that?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- Oh, I think so.- Oh! - Just for the gold, really.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19But I think, because it's got a good name and it's a good age,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- I think it might go to a collector. - Yes, I would like to think so.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I would hope so, I really would.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- Because it is a super example of its type.- Yes.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31- But I would like to put a reserve also on it, of £150.- Yes.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Fixed, so we won't sell it below that fee.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36No, I wouldn't like it to just...
0:11:36 > 0:11:38No, we don't want it to go for nothing, do we?
0:11:38 > 0:11:42- No. Thank you very much.- Thank you for bringing it in.- Thank you.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45It looks like Rachel may have timed that sale just right.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50But now, can you imagine how delighted Adam Partridge was
0:11:50 > 0:11:54when he came across this wonderful collection of Edwardian postcards
0:11:54 > 0:11:57on our visit to Hopetoun House in Scotland?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Hundreds of people here at Hopetoun today, aren't there?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- There is indeed, yeah. - Absolutely hundreds.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- And there's hundreds of postcards in this album as well.- Indeed, yes.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Fascinating, it looks to me a sort of Edwardian Art Nouveau
0:12:11 > 0:12:14design on the cover, and it's absolutely laden with postcards.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17How did you come to own it? Where did you get it from?
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I actually found it in my dad's loft, and I believe it was his
0:12:21 > 0:12:24- grandmother and great-grandmother that collected them.- I see!
0:12:24 > 0:12:27So, the album has been in the loft for a number of years.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I'm glad you brought them along today,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31because there is a lot of interest in postcards.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- I mean, these were collected 100 years ago.- Yeah.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36But the majority, you see, are views of places.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38We've had a bit of a look through,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and there's absolutely loads of Scarborough in here.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42There is indeed.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46- So, it gives you an interesting profile of your family history, doesn't it?- It does indeed.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48And some of them will have a little note on the back -
0:12:48 > 0:12:52"Stayed here, see you next week," that sort of thing. "Had tea here."
0:12:52 > 0:12:56So, the first one I've singled out, a nice local one here, on the Clyde.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59It's obviously down the Clyde on the old steamers.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Very good, sort of takes you back to the day, doesn't it?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05This is a very famous man, isn't it? Duncan Napier.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- A very famous former resident of Edinburgh.- He is indeed, yeah.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12I think he is who Napier University is named after.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We'll move along to the next one that we've got.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Along here.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17Well, all of these are Edinburgh,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20kind of tourist things that you'd have picked up on a trip to
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Edinburgh, but apparently a popular card is this Princes Street Gardens.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- And this bandstand, I believe, is still there?- Still there, yes.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- Familiar with the place? - Yes, oh, aye.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And then, let's have another look over here. Now, this one.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- This handwritten one. - This is an interesting one.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Shall I take it out for a minute?
0:13:39 > 0:13:43It says on it, "If you have any to spare, please send it.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47"I have had a glorious time in this delightful place that I have
0:13:47 > 0:13:52"only my return ticket left. How can I dodge the landlady?
0:13:52 > 0:14:00- "Excuse the card, it's all I can afford."- So, this is 1915.- Yeah.
0:14:00 > 0:14:08July 1915. We are at war, and it's a very basic piece of card,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12and this, well, rascal, by the sound of it,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15is writing to his friend James Simpson,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18telling him he's going to run off from his landlady, isn't he?
0:14:18 > 0:14:23That's a nice personal glimpse that isn't one of these manufactured cards.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25So, all in all, we've got, what, 200 or 300 cards in there?
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- I think there's over 500.- Over 500? Wow, OK.- Yeah, yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Well, a lot of the topographical ones, in value terms,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38are quite common, and they are sort of 50p to a couple of quid each.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41- Yeah.- Then, some of the other ones are going to be a few pounds each.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43They will find their value at auction, but we need to put
0:14:43 > 0:14:46them at an estimate that's going to be relatively enticing.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50- And I think around the £200 mark as an estimate.- Yeah.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- What do you say, 150 to 250 estimate?- Yeah, yeah.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- Put a reserve of 150?- Yeah, yeah.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Because I think if you don't make that...
0:14:57 > 0:15:01- There's no point giving them away, is there?- No, that's right.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03And if they make £300 or £400, which they could do,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05what would you put that towards?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Well, my parents are 90 and 91 respectively,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13- and it's their 65th wedding anniversary this year.- Oh, wow!
0:15:13 > 0:15:17So, I think the money we acquire from selling the album will go
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- to maybe a wee celebration for them. - Oh, lovely.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Well, that's a great reason, then, isn't it?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- Yeah, yeah.- Thank you very much for bringing them along, Douglas.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- Thank you. - And I look forward to seeing the bidders get stuck into them
0:15:28 > 0:15:30- at the auction. - Thank you very much.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Before we head off to auction,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34there is something I would like to show you.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Welcome to the Lady Lever Art Gallery
0:15:50 > 0:15:53here on the Wirral in Merseyside.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56This gallery contains one of the finest collections
0:15:56 > 0:15:57of art in the world.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00It's all down to one man, William Hesketh Lever,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03so I've come here today to find out how the son of a grocer
0:16:03 > 0:16:08became one of the most renowned collectors of art this country has ever seen.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18When William Hesketh Lever joined the family grocery firm,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21he decided to focus on one product, household soap.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25At a time when soap was cut to order from a single block,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29he decided to market pre-wrapped bars under a brand name
0:16:29 > 0:16:34and began manufacturing soap himself in 1886.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36The popularity of his branded soap
0:16:36 > 0:16:39meant he was soon employing thousands
0:16:39 > 0:16:43and the success of the company made Lever very rich.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52One of the reasons Lever's soap sold so well was
0:16:52 > 0:16:55because he understood the importance of marketing,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59which was a relatively new concept in late Victorian Britain.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03He would look for images that were appealing, thought-provoking
0:17:03 > 0:17:05and familiar to promote his products,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09and he found these images in contemporary British paintings of the day.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13He would go to art exhibitions and galleries in London
0:17:13 > 0:17:18to buy pictures which would appeal to the housewives who were his core customers.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Now, this is one of his first purchases,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24and it's titled The Wedding Morning.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It shows a young bride preparing for her wedding day
0:17:26 > 0:17:29and you can see she's just adjusting her veil,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33surrounded by well-wishers and curious onlookers.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39Lever then had the image reproduced as an advertisement,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42substituting the clock on the mantelpiece
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and the cup and saucer on the table for bars of Sunlight Soap.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It was so successful he repeated this formula with other contemporary
0:17:49 > 0:17:53paintings, always adding that all-important brand name.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Lever started collecting art purely for business reasons
0:18:02 > 0:18:05but it did give him the taste for collecting,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09so as he grew richer, he started buying for pleasure.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12As a newly rich Victorian businessman,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16he was no art connoisseur, so he stuck to safe ground,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20only buying works of other contemporary artists he admired.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Luckily enough for Lever, he had an incredibly good eye.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30He collected paintings by some of the most successful artists
0:18:30 > 0:18:33of his time, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti,
0:18:33 > 0:18:34and thanks to Lever,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38the gallery's collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings is world-famous.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Lever now had the confidence and the means
0:18:49 > 0:18:52to move beyond the realms of Victorian art,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54to explore the history and the breadth
0:18:54 > 0:18:56of British artistic achievement.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Now take this wonderful Georgian portrait by Romney, for example.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Lever recognised its beauty instantly
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and you can see why, can't you? When Romney painted this
0:19:11 > 0:19:14back in 1784, he was London's most fashionable portrait painter.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19His assured draughtsmanship shows a relaxed, elegant mood
0:19:19 > 0:19:20which you can see.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23There's an understanding between artist and sitter.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28Now, Lever paid £12,000 for this back then,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32which equates to around about £1.2 million in today's money,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35but it was this purchase that shot Lever
0:19:35 > 0:19:37into the top league of art buyers.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Lever transformed from a casual buyer into a serious collector.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46As his business grew, so did his wealth.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50He had enough money to buy some collections outright.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57When one of the best collections of Wedgwood came to the market,
0:19:57 > 0:20:03Lever had none, so he bought the lot. It cost him £17,000.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07That's about £1.7 million.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12Today it's regarded as the best collection of Wedgwood Jasperware in the world.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Soon, Lever's artistic daring knew no bounds
0:20:26 > 0:20:30as the purchase of this incredible statue demonstrates.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33I absolutely love this, it takes my breath away.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38It's late 19th century and it's by the French sculptor Ferrary.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41It depicts the ancient story of Salammbo, who sacrifices herself
0:20:41 > 0:20:44to the gods in the form of a serpent, which you can see entwined
0:20:44 > 0:20:49around her, in order to save her own people from an enemy army.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51But this is no virtuous piece.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54The sculptor has made this both sensual and erotic.
0:20:54 > 0:21:00Just look at the expression, it is clearly one of absolute ecstasy.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03This is a work of passion.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Clearly not a purchase for the faint-hearted.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14But if there's one piece that shows just how far Lever's taste had come
0:21:14 > 0:21:18from paintings of girls in frocks, then I guess it's this one.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22Not just because of its size, which I have to say is absolutely immense,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25but because of the classical subject matter.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28The Daphnephoria is by Lord Frederick Leighton,
0:21:28 > 0:21:34and it depicts an ancient Greek festival that celebrated art and beauty.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Leighton's drawing of the picture expresses his belief that art
0:21:37 > 0:21:40is of central importance to society.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Leighton wanted to educate the ordinary working class man
0:21:43 > 0:21:46by exposing him to great fine art like this.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49That's possibly why Lever bought the painting.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53He wasn't daunted by the subject matter. He agreed with it.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Lever wanted to share his collections with the public.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02He felt he needed a purpose-built gallery to display
0:22:02 > 0:22:05the many imposing works he now owned.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08The construction of the Lady Lever Art Gallery,
0:22:08 > 0:22:12named after his late wife, duly commenced and was formally
0:22:12 > 0:22:18opened in 1922 by Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's daughter.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Lever built this gallery to give everyone the chance to see
0:22:24 > 0:22:29the incredible collection he put together during his lifetime.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32He believed art should be an inspiration to everyone.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34And how right he was.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Let's remind ourselves what we're taking off to auction.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Nick's books have been given a fair estimate,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59considering their condition,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01so I'm hopeful they will sail away at auction,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04just like Captain Cook himself.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11But has Adam put a fair estimate on the majolica pottery this time?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Christine's daughter certainly hopes so,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16as the proceeds of the sale go to her wedding fund.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Will Douglas's substantial collection of Edwardian postcards
0:23:23 > 0:23:26get the bidders' stamp of approval?
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Let's hope he can make a good contribution to his parents' anniversary party.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Gold prices can fluctuate week by week, but I'm sure
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Rachel's 18-carat beauty will fare well under the hammer.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47First stop, we're off to the Midlands
0:23:47 > 0:23:51where auctioneer and expert Nick Davies is on the rostrum,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and about to sell those Captain Cook volumes.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Well, hopefully.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Going under the hammer right now, the oldest thing
0:24:00 > 0:24:03in our "Flog It!" sale, dating to the late 18th century,
0:24:03 > 0:24:05in fact, 1793,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09leather-bound volumes of Captain Cook's voyages of discovery.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12And they belong to Nick. Now, these were Uncle Dennis's, weren't they?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- That's correct.- Tell us about Uncle Dennis, and how he got them.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17I think he must have had them from school days, probably,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19the condition they were in.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Do you think he had thumbed through them?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Mind you, the actual prints are really good,
0:24:23 > 0:24:24- and the images?- Absolutely.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27And there's very little foxing inside the pages,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- that's the browning spots. - That's it.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30What do you think we'll get, then,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34- on this voyage of discovery today?- Not a great deal.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36If you get a 50, you'll be doing really well.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- I don't know if there's any buyers. - You'd be happy with £50?
0:24:39 > 0:24:40- Yes, yes.- OK, here we go.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43The three volumes of Captain Cook voyages,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46a bit of damage to them, but interesting books all the same.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- £150.- Ooh!
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Wow.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Do I see £160 anywhere else in the room?
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- A £150 for Captain Cook's travels. - Someone's got the other three.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00At £150, maiden bid, on commission, will take them then
0:25:00 > 0:25:03at £150, we're all sure now at £150...
0:25:03 > 0:25:08- Sold.- Wow! There you are.- There's so many surprises in an auction room.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10You can't guarantee anything, can you? You really can't.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- We all thought that might struggle, didn't we?- Yeah, I did!
0:25:13 > 0:25:18There you go. Somebody knows something we don't know.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- Well done. Thanks for bringing that in.- Thank you, yeah.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Nice to have it auctioned.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25A positive result there,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29but £150 is a good deal for such a lot of history.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36And now, over to our expert and auctioneer Anita Manning
0:25:36 > 0:25:39to put that Wedgwood pottery estimate to the test
0:25:39 > 0:25:40in her Glasgow auction room.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Going under the hammer now, two majolica strawberry dishes,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and we've seen these on the show before, and they always do well.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53This pair belongs to Christine, but not for much longer.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56I think you've got the right man. He learnt a lesson once on "Flog It!".
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I did. A few years ago we had a pair of George Jones examples.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- Yes, great maker's name, that. - In Leicester.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03They were damaged, and I put them on at £80 to £120
0:26:03 > 0:26:05and they made about a thousand quid.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07These are a different story. Don't get your hopes up.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09No, they are different. They're not George Jones.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11But when I saw these at the valuation day,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15do you know who I thought of? Dear old David Barby. He loved majolica.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18He'd wax lyrical over those, and it reminded me of David,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- and I miss him terribly. I really do.- We all do.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23He taught me so much about pottery, and I didn't know anything.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26He was a big fan of majolica. And of strawberries and cream, actually.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28THEY LAUGH
0:26:28 > 0:26:29- Good luck with these, OK?- Thank you.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34And hopefully Adam's spot-on this time. Here we go. This is it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38A pair of Victorian Wedgwood majolica pottery three division
0:26:38 > 0:26:41strawberry plates. Can we see £500?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44£500? £300?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Will you start me at £200?
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- 150 then?- It's frightening, isn't it?
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- Nobody wants them!- It's fine.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56160, 170, 180, 190, 200.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02- Here we go. We're going upwards and onwards...- 220, 230, 240, 240.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06£240. Any advance on 240?
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Any advance on 240?
0:27:09 > 0:27:12No! I can't believe this.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Not sold.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- It's all right.- They are going home, it doesn't matter.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20We didn't undersell, that's the main thing.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- They were protected with a reserve. - They were.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25And they are worth that, so if you ever sell them again...
0:27:25 > 0:27:26I'll take them to my new house.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- OK.- ..don't sell them for less than £300.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31They've had a nice outing on "Flog It!".
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Adam hasn't had much luck with his majolica valuations.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41First underestimating, and now overestimating, it seems.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45But it just goes to show how much the ceramic market can fluctuate,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and the importance of selling at the right time.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Will Douglas be able to put on a nice bash
0:27:52 > 0:27:56for his parent's 65th wedding anniversary?
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Expert and auctioneer Anita Manning
0:27:58 > 0:28:01is putting his postcard collection under the hammer
0:28:01 > 0:28:03at her Great Western auction rooms.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Well, they say every picture tells a story.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08And I'm sure there's quite a few in this Art Nouveau album
0:28:08 > 0:28:10belonging to Douglas.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14We always have a lot of surprises with postcard albums.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17And it's really hard thing to value, isn't it? I mean, it really is.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Yeah, because they're always generally quite mixed.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22As with many albums, there are a lot of the usual suspects,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24in a way, lots of Scarborough if I remember...
0:28:24 > 0:28:26That's right, Scarborough and Brighton.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29- But there are enough...- But these are views of social history,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- and some of these places have changed so much.- They have.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34People buy into that window of the past
0:28:34 > 0:28:35and that's what this is all about.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Let's put it to the test, here we go.
0:28:37 > 0:28:43Lot 255 is the Art Nouveau album of postcards.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Can we say £300, 200?
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Start me at £100 on the postcards, 100 bid.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Any advance on £100, any advance on 100?
0:28:54 > 0:28:58110. 120, 130, 130, 140, 150.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02160, 170, 180, 190, 200.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- 210. 220, 230.- Getting there.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09235.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11- Yeah.- I'm surprised.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15I've 240 on the books. 250, I'm out.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20And we're in the corner, at £250. Any advance on 250?
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- I thought they might have made a touch more.- 250, 250...
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- £250, the hammer's gone down, that's a sold sound.- Thanks very much.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30- Happy?- Yeah.- I'm happy as well. Thank you for bringing them in.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Yeah, it's a good result, really, top of the estimate,
0:29:33 > 0:29:34can't ask for more than that.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I'm sure Douglas's great grandmother would be more than happy
0:29:37 > 0:29:39to know her postcard collection
0:29:39 > 0:29:43went on to fund such an important family occasion.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45What a lovely idea.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50And now let's see how that gold pocket watch does
0:29:50 > 0:29:54at Mellors And Kirk auction house in Nottinghamshire.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59- Rachel, I bet this is a sad moment, isn't it?- It is.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03We are flogging Grandma's watch, and she was a real Victorian lady,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- wasn't she?- Very.- A great spirit.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07- You brought some photographs. - Yes.- There she is, wearing...
0:30:07 > 0:30:09That's Grandma, that's Great-grandma.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13And Great-grandma's got the watch on. Oh, dear.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- This is your social history, do you know that?- It is.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21- Well, I have increased the reserve. - You've done what?- I'm sorry, Mark.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- OK, so what was the reserve?- 150. - OK. And you've put it up to...?
0:30:24 > 0:30:27To 200, because I feel, because of the history...
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- I don't think that will affect it. - ..and all the detail on it.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32You don't appreciate it until somebody points it out,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35what quality you've got.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38It IS quality, isn't it? Well, I think we'll find a home for this.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- A loving home, OK?- Yeah. - That's the important thing.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44We're putting it to the test now. Here we go.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47And £150 for this lot, I'm bid.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51And 60, 170, 180, 190, 200, 220,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54250, 280, 280, anywhere?
0:30:54 > 0:30:56At £250, all done.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00280, I'm bid online. 300. 320.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02- There's a bidder online. - £300 a room bid.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04You're out online. 320, you're back in.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09320, 350, 380, 380 for it.
0:31:09 > 0:31:16At 380 I'm bid. 400? £380, selling online at £380.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20- Well, that was a good result. - £380. Yeah.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- That makes the difference, doesn't it?- It does.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Sell it for that amount of money, you can be forgiven.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27Sell it for 200 quid, it's kind of like, well, actually,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29should I have sold it?
0:31:29 > 0:31:32There's a chance there might be a private collector out there.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Well, I'd like to think it's going to a collector. That was my concern.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- It was more than the scrap value. - Yeah. Thank you very much indeed.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40And thank you for bringing
0:31:40 > 0:31:43those little wonderful documents of your own social history,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- because that really is a window back in time, isn't it?- It is.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56Now, at a time when many local libraries are closing down,
0:31:56 > 0:32:01one city decided to buck the trend by building a new library.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13This is Birmingham's spectacular new library.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Love it or hate it, you can't ignore it. It's huge.
0:32:16 > 0:32:17It's almost monumental.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22As you approach this building, you can't take your eyes off it.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26It's totally audacious. The design is unique.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27And now I'm up close,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31those interlocking circles remind me of that fine filigree work
0:32:31 > 0:32:34that the silversmiths achieved on their items of virtue
0:32:34 > 0:32:37back in the 18th century, which we see turn up in our valuation days.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42But it's also like shiny, glittering...wrapping paper.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45And these are presents stacked on top of each other,
0:32:45 > 0:32:46all waiting to be unwrapped.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48This is the perfect gift to Birmingham.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53The interlocking metal hoops decorating the outside
0:32:53 > 0:32:55reflect the city's heritage,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59the black rings represent its industrial gasometers,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and the silver and gold, its famous jewellery trade.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13The circle motif continues inside, with the cavernous central space
0:33:13 > 0:33:17designed around a series of interlocking rotundas.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Ooh, and look at this. Even the lights are circular.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26I like that, because it softens the severe edge of the architecture.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30And radiating out from that central rotunda are the book shelves,
0:33:30 > 0:33:35just fanning out so they catch the daylight from these big windows.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37There's ten floors here with over a million books,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39so there's plenty to read.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Moving around the library is like a voyage of discovery.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46This futuristic concept has everything,
0:33:46 > 0:33:50from the latest e-book to the oldest book printed in this country,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53which is on display in the library's exhibition space.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Thank you very much.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Gosh, look at this. Come on in.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Obviously I'm not allowed to touch, but what a privilege.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06That book there, that's William Caxton's Cordiale,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09first printed in 1479.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13I believe only 200 were printed. Only three survived.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16This is one of them. It is exceptionally rare.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18It's all in old English,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22and it's still so clear, considering it's well over 500 years old.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26By printing this, what Caxton has done is, he's standardised
0:34:26 > 0:34:30the English language in print for the very first time.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32That's why this book is so important.
0:34:32 > 0:34:33Another book I must show you,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37printed a few years later in 1482, is this, Cosmographia.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40That is beautiful pen and ink work, but coloured in.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43And the colour is still there, all these years later.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46It's by Ptolemy. He was a Greek philosopher.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49What he's done here, he's challenged those early
0:34:49 > 0:34:53medieval maps, and it's a bit of a mathematical equation.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55But what I find interesting are all the images of the angels,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59sort of blowing the wind across this globe.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01But it is to scale. You can make out Europe,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03you can make out the continent.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06I just don't know how he worked that out all those years ago.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08What a clever chap.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13But what do the locals think?
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Well, I asked award-winning jazz musician Soweto Kinch,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20who grew up in the city and gave us an impromptu performance,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23what he thinks this library has to offer local people.
0:35:27 > 0:35:28You kind of grew up in Birmingham,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32so you must have gone to that old library, the sort of concrete,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35brutalist structure, with no windows, in the '60s and '70s.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37- Did you?- I certainly did, yeah.
0:35:37 > 0:35:42And I remember its huge, imposing concrete frame very, very well.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44I think this new library has reacted
0:35:44 > 0:35:45to some of the criticisms of the old.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49It does feel like a more integrated place, a less foreboding place,
0:35:49 > 0:35:50less of an ode to concrete.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52If you just look at the way the circles
0:35:52 > 0:35:55kind of represent a new attitude towards integrating
0:35:55 > 0:35:58multimedia and different arts into the learning process.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I remember queues of people lining up to get into the library
0:36:01 > 0:36:03on its first opening day.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06I remember a comedian, John Simmit, saying to me in the queue,
0:36:06 > 0:36:08"There's so many people here queueing up
0:36:08 > 0:36:10"to get into the library in Birmingham."
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It kind of pooh-poohs the myth that we're not a city
0:36:12 > 0:36:14full of intellectuals, you know?
0:36:14 > 0:36:18SAXOPHONE ECHOES AROUND BUILDING
0:36:18 > 0:36:22This is one of the most incredible buildings I have ever been in.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26It's world-class architecture. Please come and see it for yourself.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28It's got a feel-good factor about it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33It inspires you, and you want to stay. Clever, clever Birmingham.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Woo! All right.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58From one hive of activity and learning to another
0:36:58 > 0:37:00of Birmingham's greatest buildings.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Thomas Plant is in the city's museum and art gallery,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06where he discovered Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10- Roger.- Hi.- Hi.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Are you a medal collector, or is this part of your family history?
0:37:14 > 0:37:16No, I'm a medal collector.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21- I've been interested in medals since about 1970.- Really?
0:37:21 > 0:37:23And what got you interested in medals?
0:37:23 > 0:37:27It was my late father-in-law who bought medals back
0:37:27 > 0:37:29from Germany after the Second World War.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31That's what started the interest.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33Obviously, 2014,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36so it's 100 years since,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40the start... The commencing of action in Europe.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45And there will be a huge interest within the First World War.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Normally you'd just see those three.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Sometimes they're called Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51That is correct, yes.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56But the real names are the Victory, British War Medal and 1415 Star.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And do you know the story and the history about the Military Cross?
0:37:59 > 0:38:03I do know that when it was instituted,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06it was obviously instituted for the First World War.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08You had the Military Cross which was given to the officers
0:38:08 > 0:38:11under the rank of major, I believe,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and then you've got the military medal
0:38:13 > 0:38:15which was given to the ordinary ranks.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19What's lovely about this is that you have all the details of the action.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22The reason why
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Captain Thomas Henry Batty was awarded the Military Cross.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Yes, that is correct. He was awarded as a second lieutenant.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30- As a second lieutenant?- Yes.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33The thing that's interesting about the group is that he obviously
0:38:33 > 0:38:36went in as a private ordinary soldier,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and he must have received a battlefield commission,
0:38:39 > 0:38:42and then obviously he won the MC...
0:38:44 > 0:38:47..supporting a company that's lost all its officers.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49He would have been massively respected by his men.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51I would imagine so, yes.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54- Because he's gone through the ranks, been through the ranks.- Exactly.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56You've got a number of things going for you here.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00It's a regiment. Not a corps. Which is great.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Because you get people who collect regiments. Lovely group.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07It's cork mounting, it's called, isn't it?
0:39:07 > 0:39:09- Yes, that is correct.- Cork mounted. It's well displayed.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12- Quite a lot of people just polish them, don't they?- That's right.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16- Or put them in silver dip, it's best not to do that.- It is best.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19You bought these how long ago?
0:39:19 > 0:39:211976.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24I can't remember whether it was £250 or £300. I can't remember.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28- It's quite a lot of money then, isn't it?- Well, it was, yes.- So...
0:39:28 > 0:39:30You made an investment 38 years ago,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33and today they are still worth a lot of money.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36- And I would have thought an estimate of £2,000 to £3,000.- Oh, yes.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Definitely. What do you want to do about a reserve?
0:39:40 > 0:39:43You could put a reserve, say £1,800?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- Fixed at 1,800.- Minimum, yes. - I think that's very sensible.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50A little bit of discretion, £1,800. I think these could do quite well.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- Let's hope so. We'll see. Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57- Pleasure to meet you.- OK, thank you very much.- What a fabulous item.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Let's hope it does well at auction.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03The next item is quintessentially British and it's our very own
0:40:03 > 0:40:07English gent, Mark Stacey, who spotted it back in Southwell.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Sue, we've had a fantastic turnout and you've brought in
0:40:12 > 0:40:15a really exciting and quite rare piece of Beswick pottery.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16- Did you know that?- No!
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Well, I'm not a Beswick aficionado, as they say,
0:40:20 > 0:40:24but I do know this example was made in two forms.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29The more common form is a black duchess holding a pie.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33- And the rare form is holding a bunch of flowers.- Right.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34Where did it come from?
0:40:34 > 0:40:35It came through my mother,
0:40:35 > 0:40:40who inherited it from one of her relatives.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43So, the original person who bought it might have bought it new
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- in the sort of 1950s? - I would think so, yes.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- Which is when it was made.- Yes.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53When the first one of these came on the market, about, I suppose,
0:40:53 > 0:40:5515 years ago or something,
0:40:55 > 0:40:59it was such a rarity that it made really quite a lot of money.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02But of course, like a lot of these collectable ceramics,
0:41:02 > 0:41:06once one is discovered, other people say, "I've got one, I've got one."
0:41:06 > 0:41:08So they've become a little more common,
0:41:08 > 0:41:10but they're still quite rare, actually.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13- Oh.- I mean, they're quite simply made, really.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15They are all hand-painted.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18And underneath you've got a little mark here,
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Beatrix Potter, Duchess, and then F Warne And Company Ltd.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25And then Beswick, England.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30Now, interestingly, for those people who are fanatics about Beswick,
0:41:30 > 0:41:32all this is in gold.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35- Can you see it?- Yes. - It's a sort of goldy colour writing.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39The later ones are in brown.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42And they were later taken over by Royal Albert,
0:41:42 > 0:41:45and you see some figures made by the Royal Albert factory.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50But this is a nice early mark, which dates it to the 1950s, 60s.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Which, again, is a nice confirmation of the period of it.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Everything seems in good condition.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59It might surprise you to know that...
0:42:00 > 0:42:02..if my memory serves me right,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04and I've got it right on this occasion,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08I think this little figure is worth around £500-£700.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Oh, gosh!
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- It's quite a lot, isn't it?- It is, for something as small as that.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15- For a little Beswick figure.- Yes.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20They used to make a lot more than that, they used to make over 1,000.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22But the market has dropped a little bit,
0:42:22 > 0:42:27but I'm sure there's collectors out there that would like that.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29And would pay quite a bit of money for it.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31You look as if you're quite pleased to hear that.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33I am, I'm very pleased, thank you very much.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- So you're going to be happy to flog it?- Yes.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37I think we should talk about a reserve.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Because I don't think we should put it in without a reserve.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44- I would say, if you're happy with this, a reserve of £400 on it.- OK.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48To protect it. If we can't get that, I think it's worth hanging on to.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- Right. - But if we can get £400 or more,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55- I think we're in the ballpark of the collectors' market.- OK. That's fine.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57- You happy to do that? - I'm very happy to do that.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00If it does very well, I'll expect a bouquet of flowers from you.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02SHE LAUGHS
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- Thank you very much for bringing it in, Sue.- Thank you, thank you.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10And now, off to another stunning location,
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Hopetoun House, where James Lewis has been rather greedy
0:43:13 > 0:43:16and has two items on his table.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Hazel, I can honestly say I have never seen two more
0:43:21 > 0:43:24inappropriate objects to be paired together.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29- Well, they are connected, in that they both had the same owner.- OK.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31And who was the owner?
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Well, the owner was a distant relative of mine,
0:43:33 > 0:43:37and that was his christening mug.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40And he later in life became a chauffeur, and I've only realised
0:43:40 > 0:43:45today that that is actually a clock from a vehicle.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48- I always thought it was a ship's clock.- Ah, OK!
0:43:48 > 0:43:51So today, when somebody told me it was a car clock, that made
0:43:51 > 0:43:56perfect sense because he became a chauffeur in the early 1900s.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00A chauffeur in the early... What sort of period are we talking?
0:44:00 > 0:44:03We're probably talking about 1910, 1915.
0:44:03 > 0:44:08- So, this was his christening mug. - 1880.- So he was christened in 1880.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11- So he would have been working in his 30s in 1910.- Yes, probably 30s.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13- Around that sort of area.- Yes.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16OK. Which shall we start with? Let's start with the christening mug.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19- Let's start with that.- That comes first chronologically.- Yeah.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23I mean, that is a lovely, lovely mug. Look at the marks underneath.
0:44:23 > 0:44:28We've got a mark for William IV,
0:44:28 > 0:44:30a thistle.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31The Edinburgh mark.
0:44:31 > 0:44:37- And the Gothic capital B for 1833.- Right.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41So this is considerably earlier than you thought.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44We've got these scrolling foliate designs,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47with a stylised flower head at the end.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50And then these stiff acanthus leaves at the bottom,
0:44:50 > 0:44:53which is exactly what you'd expect to see on a pedestal
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- of a piece of furniture of the same date.- OK.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59So that really ties in nicely. Good example.
0:44:59 > 0:45:00So let's go on to this.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04So this would have been made and then attached to the dashboard,
0:45:04 > 0:45:05and...
0:45:07 > 0:45:09..it's a pocket watch.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Yes, I only found that out recently as well.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Of course, a normal pocket watch, when it's hung that way,
0:45:15 > 0:45:17- has the 12 at the top.- Of course.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20So of course, it couldn't possibly have been anything other than
0:45:20 > 0:45:23something that was made for this type of thing.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26It's got a winder. Now pre-1900,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29- all pocket watches were key wound.- Right.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33So the fact that it's got a winder pretty much tells you of its period.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35Do you have any idea what sort of vehicle it would have been in?
0:45:35 > 0:45:37No idea.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42But anybody who had a chauffeur and actually owned a motor car
0:45:42 > 0:45:46- in that period would have been incredibly wealthy.- Yeah.
0:45:46 > 0:45:52For the christening mug, that's going to be worth £70 to £100.
0:45:52 > 0:45:53Right.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57- £40 to £60 for that. And I think it's a bit of fun.- Yes.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00- Is that all right for you? Are you happy?- I think that's probably
0:46:00 > 0:46:02- all right, yes.- Good.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04- Let's just see what happens. - Thank you very much.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09Very different items, but similar values.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12And I wonder which will do best under the hammer.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14And now for something quite unusual,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17which I spotted at our valuation day in Wallasey.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23John, that looks pretty grim. Are you the bearer of bad news?
0:46:23 > 0:46:26- I hope not!- No, I don't think you are, actually. But I love that.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31I really do. It's macabre, but it's so interesting because it's so old.
0:46:31 > 0:46:36What we're looking at is an invitation to a funeral in 1688.
0:46:36 > 0:46:41- Now that's 320-odd years old. - Yes.- How did you come by it?
0:46:41 > 0:46:44It was left to me by my father,
0:46:44 > 0:46:49who found it in a house he was clearing in Bridlington in Yorkshire,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52- about 25 years ago.- Right. Did you grow up in Yorkshire then?
0:46:52 > 0:46:54- I did, yes. - So you're not a local chap?- No.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56- Who mounted it on a piece of card? - My father did.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00- Dad.- I think to preserve it as much as anything.- Yeah.- It's fragile.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02Yeah, you could see.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04In a way that's devalued it,
0:47:04 > 0:47:07- but at least it's kept it together in one piece.- That's right, yes.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09I'm going to read this out. This is quite interesting.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12"You are Defired to Accompany the corps
0:47:12 > 0:47:16"of Mr Samuel Reddington, late Deceased, from the Dwelling House
0:47:16 > 0:47:21"of Mr Charles Beardoe, by Fishmongers Hall on Sunday next,
0:47:21 > 0:47:26"being the Fifth of April 1688.
0:47:26 > 0:47:28"At Four of the Clock in the afternoon
0:47:28 > 0:47:33"precisely, to the Parish Church of St Michael, Crooked Lane.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35"And bring this Ticket with You."
0:47:35 > 0:47:38Now, I think this is London.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40- Fishmonger Hall is in London. - Yes, yes.
0:47:40 > 0:47:42I don't know where St Michael's Church is, Crooked Lane.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44I've had a look on maps,
0:47:44 > 0:47:47- and I think the church was probably lost in the Blitz.- Do you?
0:47:47 > 0:47:49- So you've done a bit of research? - Just a little bit, yes.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51But not a lot.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55I like the fact you've got the sands of time within the cherub
0:47:55 > 0:48:00wings above the skull. Look at this guy here, look. The skeleton.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02He's got a shovel, so he's the grave-digger.
0:48:02 > 0:48:03Again,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07with another timepiece holding it up saying,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09"Your time is nearly up."
0:48:09 > 0:48:13This was block printed, wooden block printed.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15I mean, the condition does let it down.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17In perfect condition, I've seen these things sell
0:48:17 > 0:48:21for around about £400 to £600, because they are very, very rare.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24I'd like to put an estimate of...
0:48:24 > 0:48:26I know it's going to sound mean, £80 to £120.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29- But it's going to get people interested.- It's fine.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32And I think a couple of bidders might fight this out.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36- Happy to put it into auction with a value of £80 to £120?- Definitely.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38OK, well, I can't wait.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42I can't wait for the auction day, I really can't. Thank you so much.
0:48:42 > 0:48:43Thank you.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46And now a quick reminder of what's going off to auction.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51Roger's World War I medals should attract collectors,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55so let's hope we hear more than just a pip and a squeak at auction.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01And Beswick pottery is a good staple of the auction room.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03And this is a rare breed of Duchess cat.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06The market has dropped off recently,
0:49:06 > 0:49:08but the buyers are still out there.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15John's funeral invite is a hard item to value, but I'm hoping
0:49:15 > 0:49:18it will have a fitting sendoff and go over the estimate.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25And let's hope Hazel can have a celebratory drink after she sells
0:49:25 > 0:49:28her William IV christening mug
0:49:28 > 0:49:30and that rather unusual car clock.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39First up, back to our Midlands auction house
0:49:39 > 0:49:41where Nick Davies is on the rostrum again,
0:49:41 > 0:49:43hoping to sell Roger's medals,
0:49:43 > 0:49:47who's planning to use the money for a trip to the German dams
0:49:47 > 0:49:50to see some history first-hand.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Going under the hammer right now, we've got a fabulous group
0:49:54 > 0:49:57of medals, and one is the Military Cross that belongs to Roger.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59And we are just about to sell them,
0:49:59 > 0:50:01with a valuation of £2,000 to £3,000.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04The sale room's done their homework, we've all done our research.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07- Let's hope we get that top hit. - Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I'm quite excited.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Well, I'm...quite apprehensive.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14This is a roller-coaster ride for our experts and for you at home,
0:50:14 > 0:50:17but we can enjoy this. Here we go.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20The medal group, on top of the cabinet there. All framed.
0:50:20 > 0:50:25Where do we start on this one? Bid's with me at 1,600. 1,700.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28- I'll look for 1,800 in the room. - Wow!
0:50:28 > 0:50:311,700 with me, 1,800 anywhere in the room?
0:50:31 > 0:50:36- At £1,700 it will be. 1,800. Anyone coming in?- We need 1,800, don't we?
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- £1,700, I'll stay here with me.- No.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43Are we all sure and done? At £1,700. All done and finished.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47- Hasn't got it.- Never mind. - What are you going to do, Roger?
0:50:47 > 0:50:48Take them home.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51- Take them home.- I'll take them home and put them back on the wall.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53The space is still there.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57What a shame. Thomas was right to be worried there.
0:50:57 > 0:50:58Sometimes you can just feel
0:50:58 > 0:51:01when something isn't going to sell in the room.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05But the medals definitely deserve their £2,000 estimate, so I hope
0:51:05 > 0:51:10Roger puts them to auction again soon and books his trip to Germany.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Next up, over to Anita Manning's auction room,
0:51:13 > 0:51:16as we sell Hazel's christening mug.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20Good luck, Hazel. Fingers crossed for this. You're up next.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23We've got two lots, which James split up on the day, didn't you?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26We've got the silver christening mug and that little car clock,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28which I really like, actually.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31And I love the story about clocks, you know, in the dashboards,
0:51:31 > 0:51:32weren't really around then,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35so this one you could actually mount on your dashboard.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37So, how did you come across these? Remind us.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40- They belonged to my mother's second cousin's father.- Gosh!
0:51:40 > 0:51:43Good job you said that! I'd have mucked that up!
0:51:43 > 0:51:45It was his christening mug and his clock
0:51:45 > 0:51:49when he was a chauffeur in the early days of car driving in Edinburgh.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Right. That makes sense.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53A chauffeur's clock. Well, well. See?
0:51:53 > 0:51:56You learn something every day on "Flog It!"
0:51:56 > 0:51:59And that's what it's all about. Fingers crossed we get the top end.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02- Happy with that?- Absolutely, yes. - Let's go for it. Ready?
0:52:02 > 0:52:04Here we go, this is it.
0:52:04 > 0:52:09Lot 190 is the William IV christening mug
0:52:09 > 0:52:13and I can start the bidding at £60.
0:52:13 > 0:52:1760 with me for the Edinburgh christening mug.
0:52:17 > 0:52:1960, 70, 80,
0:52:19 > 0:52:2390, 100... 100 on the book.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27- 130. The book is out. - Never lets us down, does she?- No!
0:52:27 > 0:52:31- 130. With you, sir, at 130. - That's top money for that.- Yeah.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35Any advance...? 140, fresh bidder. 140.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39150. 160.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41160.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44With you, madam, at 160. All done at 160?
0:52:44 > 0:52:46All done at 160. 160.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50- Hammer's gone down. £160. That's the first.- Excellent.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54I'm quite excited about the clock. I think it's quite unusual.
0:52:54 > 0:52:55Here we go.
0:52:55 > 0:53:01Lot 241 is the vintage white metal eight day automobile clock.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Can we say £80?
0:53:04 > 0:53:0780? 60? Start me at £40.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09£40? 40?
0:53:09 > 0:53:11- 40 with me.- OK, we're in.
0:53:11 > 0:53:1340. 50.
0:53:13 > 0:53:1660. With you, sir, at £60.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19Any advance on £60? All done at £60.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23- £60?- Short and sweet, isn't it? Yes. Hammer's gone down. £220.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25That's brilliant!
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- That's not bad, is it? - No, I'm quite happy with that.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30Going to put it towards a set of bagpipes.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32I'm learning to play the pipes!
0:53:32 > 0:53:36- So, how about that? - Oh, I pity the neighbours!
0:53:36 > 0:53:37BAGPIPES PLAY
0:53:37 > 0:53:39A respectable result there.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Now, how will our Beswick pottery do?
0:53:44 > 0:53:47Our next item belonging to Sue is that Duchess figure,
0:53:47 > 0:53:49a Beatrix Potter figure.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51I have to say, in the 13 years of "Flog It!",
0:53:51 > 0:53:55- I think we've sold about four or five of these...- Wow.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59..throughout our history, and they've all made good money. Yeah.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02So they are about, but they're the ones to collect, aren't they?
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Duchess with the flowers. We're putting it to the test right now,
0:54:05 > 0:54:06it's going under the hammer, this is it.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13£400 for this lot, I am bid. At 400, 42o for it?
0:54:14 > 0:54:16420, 450, 480, 500,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20550, 600, 600 I'm bid. 650 for you.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23At £600 against you online.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27At £600, commission bid, and selling, fair warning...
0:54:27 > 0:54:30At £600. I sell...
0:54:31 > 0:54:35- 50, in the nick of time, £650 online.- Online!
0:54:35 > 0:54:38That was good, the internet was coming in, it's a bit slow.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40£650...
0:54:41 > 0:54:44- £650. That's good.- That's not bad.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46That's not bad is it, mid-estimate.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48- A little above.- Yes.- Happy? - Very happy.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50- Good.- I think, I'm pleased with that, actually.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53- Because you didn't have a clue, did you, on the day?- No.
0:54:53 > 0:54:55That makes it even more fun for you, doesn't it?
0:54:55 > 0:54:58- And you still got other things, haven't you, other figures?- Yes.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02What a good result.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04But now, it's finally my turn.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Will John's historic funeral invite get the auction
0:55:07 > 0:55:09crowd in Liverpool interested?
0:55:09 > 0:55:12I know it's a little bit grim, belongs to John, not for much
0:55:12 > 0:55:15longer because this should fly away, like I said at the valuation day.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18I had a chat to Adam at the auction preview day yesterday
0:55:18 > 0:55:21and he said he's never seen anything like it, so it's pretty rare.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23It's pretty rare.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25And thanks to you, it's been cherished and looked after.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29- Yes, it's 326 years old.- Incredible. Absolutely incredible.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33I'd like to see £200 plus. We've given it a cheeky £80-120.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37- Let's see what happens. Ready for this?- I'm ready.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39- Let's do it! Here we go!- Thank you.
0:55:39 > 0:55:45It's a 17th century funeral invitation, dated 1688.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48And I'm already up to £200, already.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50At £200. I'll take 10 now.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55At 210 online. At 220 bid. 220. 230.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58- At 240 bid. At 250. - It's amazing!- 250.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Online at 250. 260.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06At 280. 280. Open-mouthed all round! Look at you all!
0:56:06 > 0:56:08300. At £300.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11At £300. At 300. A rare thing.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14Brilliant!
0:56:14 > 0:56:15You won't find another.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19At 340. 360. 380. 380 bid.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23At 420. At 420. The funeral invite.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26At 440. 440 now.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31- At 440. 440. Any advance?- Brilliant! - Are we all done?- It's fantastic!
0:56:31 > 0:56:35Anyone in the room? We're selling online, then. At 460, a new place.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37At 480.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Still going. 480. 500.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42- £500.- Wow!
0:56:42 > 0:56:45At 500. Where will you find another? 520 bid.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48520, we're still going on the funeral invite.
0:56:48 > 0:56:53At £520, are you all done? Last chances. At £520 we sell.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57HE BANGS GAVEL
0:56:57 > 0:57:01- Yes! £520!- Wow!- Wow! Well done!
0:57:01 > 0:57:03Thank you so much for bringing that in.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06- You're a happy bunny, aren't you? - Oh, yes!- He's hopping!
0:57:06 > 0:57:09- Ooh, this is exciting!- A new fishing rod.- A new fishing rod for you!
0:57:09 > 0:57:12I was just about to say - what are you going to spend the money on?
0:57:12 > 0:57:15Well done, you. And what a way to end today's show, here in Liverpool.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18We had that wonderful little invite to a funeral.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21I told you we'd have a big surprise and I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24So, until the next time, it's cheerio from all of us.