Bedfordshire 32 Flog It!

Welcome to Woburn Abbey.

I've come here today to see a collection of paintings

by a world-renowned artist.

Who am I talking about?

Well, here's a clue.

Yes, it's a Canaletto.

And just through there is the most famous room

full of Canalettos in the world.

We'll be looking at that later on in the show.

But, right now, we need to find some antiques and collectables

all of our own.

Welcome to Flog It!

Full of international flavour,

this stunning manor house is Wrest Park,

home to our valuations today.

A French-style chateaux, built at the end of the Georgian era.

Inside can be found rooms full of Eastern promise.

We'll come back to that a bit later on in the show,

because there's a queue forming around this building

which mustn't be kept waiting.

The sun is shining, there are smiles on everybody's faces here.

Hundreds of people have turned up

and lined the terrace for us today.

From all over Bedfordshire and beyond,

carrying their unwanted antiques and collectables.

Some of these items may have come from countries

from far-flung corners of the globe.

But the one thing they do have in common

is if you're happy with the valuation,

-what are you going to do?

-ALL:

-Flog It!

And it's a good job, too.

Because already rifling through the queue

is our intrepid antique explorer Anita Manning...

Do you wear it? Where did you get it? Have you used it?

..who always asks the right questions.

-Do you like cats?

-I do. I love cats.

-Has this one got a name?

-No.

And the man with all the answers

is "Flog It!" new boy David Harper.

Yeah, 19th century.

Got a bit of African tribal art going on here, haven't we?

But can he keep up with Anita Manning?

A military gentleman, a military gentleman.

-Really?

-I was.

David was a Boy Scout.

Yeah, but I was barred.

On that note, I think we'd better get a move on.

Let's get this raucous bunch down to the formal gardens,

where we'll be holding our valuations today.

All under the watchful gaze

of Wrest's impressive collection

of 18th century statues.

And I think the pairs of lovers

are rubbing off on our experts today,

because they've got one thing on their minds...

For me, the main use of a fan...

is to flirt.

If it makes 200,

you're taking me out on a date. How's that?

But how do our items fare at auction?

-It was close, wasn't it?

-That is absolutely astonishing.

And will Pat have to go on that date?

-You're a bit in shock, aren't you?

-I am.

Well, look at that for a valuation day backdrop.

It doesn't get any better than this.

So, let's get this show on the road

and catch up with our experts to see what they've uncovered.

And, as Anita loves her diamonds,

she's very happy to have sat down with Janet.

Tell me, where did you get it?

My late husband gave it to me

about 15 years ago as a birthday present.

He liked to buy me nice things.

I think he got as much pleasure out of giving them to me

as I did in wearing them.

So, it was lovely.

-Did you choose it? Did he choose it?

-He chose it for me.

He always had very good taste and he knew what I liked, so that was good.

-Expensive and nice things.

-Yes.

Tell me, do you wear it now?

I used to wear it, but I haven't worn it for a while,

because I don't have the occasion to wear that type of thing.

It's really very much

a going-out-to-posh-places thing, isn't it?

-That's posh stuff.

-Yeah. ANITA LAUGHS

It's lovely. Now, I've had a wee look at it.

It's set in either platinum

-or a high carat white gold.

-OK.

And we have...

both baguette diamonds

and round brilliance

-of various different sizes.

-OK.

I think cumulatively

we've probably got over two carats there.

Diamonds are always beautiful

and diamonds are always in fashion.

Yes. OK.

I would put an estimate of, say, five to seven

on the brooch

and we would put a reserve price of maybe 450.

But I would like a bit of discretion on that 450,

-if you're happy with that?

-Yeah. Thank you.

Will you be sad to see it go?

I will, because it was a special present,

but I need a new lawnmower.

-Oh, right.

-How boring is that? But there you go.

-Needs are as needs must.

-I know, I know.

So, we'll keep our fingers crossed with that

-and I hope that it will do very well.

-Thank you.

-I'm delighted that you brought it in.

-Thank you very much, indeed.

-It's a lovely thing to look at.

-Thank you.

And now from one beautifully crafted item to another.

-Well, Pat, they say that size isn't everything?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Well, actually, I think it probably is, because that...

Look at that little diddler!

What do you know about it?

-Not a lot.

-Is that why you're here?

-Yes.

Well, thanks for being helpful.

DAVID CHORTLES

Any idea what it's made from?

I think it's ivory.

Absolutely right. It is ivory.

Now then, ivory, of course, is a contentious issue.

It's something that...

..we all believe should not ever, under any circumstances,

-be used today.

-Yes.

But this object comes from a different time.

Can you get your mind around

how someone has sat down

and carved that by hand?

It's very difficult to believe that anybody could do that.

Yeah. It is very intricate and incredibly skilled.

-So, how long have you had it for?

-About 40 years.

-OK. And do you know what it was made for?

-No.

Pat, you've had 40 years of research.

I'm now going to give you a clue.

So, we open the lid. You hold that there, Pat.

And then we have little mother-of-pearl counters.

For what, Pat?

-Gambling?

-Gambling. Thanks for the assistance there.

So, it's Chinese...

it's very exotic...

-made around 1850 to 1890.

-Really?

I think it was made for us in Hong Kong

-during the early days of our ownership of that territory.

-Mmh.

And it's something that a gentleman about town

would own and carry it with him,

because gambling was big business.

And there are accounts through the 18th and 19th centuries

where people lost their homes,

-like this...

-Yes.

..because of things like this.

Literally estates were lost overnight,

and gained,

because of little objects like that.

So, you've had it for 40 years. How did you come about it?

I was given it by a lady that I knew.

I used to do her hair for her.

So, do you look at it? Do you have it on display?

-It's in the cabinet, on display.

-OK.

Now, the market for ivory, I've got to tell you, is on the slip down.

It's going to be an example of how cheap antiques really are.

It's going to have to be £40-£60.

-It might make...

-Really?

-I know. It's not much, is it?

-You thought it was worth more, didn't you?

-Yes, I did actually.

Well, that's good. I like to build them up and then drag them down.

Right, shall we reserve it at 40?

-Uh-huh, yes.

-So, you're happy to take it home if it doesn't sell?

-Or do you want it just to go?

-No. If it doesn't sell, I'll take it home.

OK. 40 to 60 and reserve it at 40.

If it makes two hundred, you're taking me out on a date. How's that?

Don't agree to anything Pat.

You don't know what it might make at auction.

The crowds are still flocking in

and bringing all sorts of items with them,

including some very cute collectables.

Oh, what a lovely teddy. Is he yours?

-My brother's.

-Has he got a name?

-No.

Awww! Shall we give him a name right here, right now?

-Yes.

-What shall we call him?

Any ideas what we can call teddy?

Let's christen him today!

Not Paul, no. There's a better name than Paul.

-FLOGGER:

-Gilbert!

-Sorry? Fred Bear.

Someone said Gilbert. Who said Gilbert?

Gilbert. I like Gilbert. Do you like Gilbert?

-Do you like Gilbert?

-Yes.

-Gilbert the bear.

Look at that. Welcome to Flog It!

MUSIC: Spectrum by Florence And The Machine

You've got to have a name.

And the more well-known, the better.

As Anita can testify with her next find.

Val...

Royal Doulton is one of the best of the factories.

And this is a wonderful large example

of Doulton's work

in the first half of the 20th century.

It is called a Dickens jug.

But tell me first of all how you came by it?

It belonged to a great friend of my mother's

and when she died, my mother had it

and when my mother died, I had it.

-Right. Do you like it, Val?

-I don't particularly like it, no.

-Tell me why you don't like it.

-I don't like the colours...

-Uh-huh.

..and I just find it a bit...

-..dark.

-Yeah.

I can imagine a child finding that scary.

With what appears like hundreds of faces on the jug.

I've spent quite a lot of time trying to work out

which figure was which.

-So, it's given you a bit of fun, hasn't it?

-Yes.

Well, let's have a think about it.

All of these faces here...

are characters in Dickens' novels.

If we turn it up and have a look at the back stamp...

..we can see that we have three banners

with lists of Dickens characters in them.

And it's interesting to try to guess

-which ones are which.

-Yes, it is.

Now, we have a little bit of script here.

The script reads, "Keep my memory green."

Yes.

What that is is keep my memory fresh.

So, by designing this jug,

the owner of the jug

is continually reminded

of the wonderful Dickens characters.

Now, this jug was designed by Charles Noke,

who was one of the Royal Doulton's

most prestigious designers.

Just as Charles Dickens painted so wonderfully

the characters in his books,

so Charles Noke designed the characters on this jug.

So, I think that it's really quite a lovely thing.

Would it have been decorative or would it have another use?

It would have been a decorative jug.

You wouldn't have used that for anything.

I would like to put it into auction

with an estimate of 100 to 150 on it.

-Would you be happy with that estimate?

-Yes, I would.

We'll put a reserve price of perhaps 80 on it.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes. I wouldn't want to go below that.

I absolutely love it...

and, in this jug, I have great expectations.

And I would like a little more.

Well, you never know, Val, your wish might be granted.

Charles Noke is highly regarded

and viewers might be interested to learn

that his inspiration for this pattern

came from Robert William Buss's painting Dickens' Dream,

showing the author surrounded by the characters he had created.

Buss died before he could finish it in 1875.

With this history attached,

I'm sure Val's jug won't fall on hard times in the saleroom.

But before we make our way there,

let's have a quick reminder of the items we're taking with us.

We've got that pretty diamond brooch

that Janet is hoping to trade in

for a much more practical lawnmower.

Then there's Pat's oriental ivory counter box

made in the 19th century.

It complies with the international CITES agreement on trade.

But is David right about ivory prices decreasing?

And our third item is that Royal Doulton Dickens' Dream jug,

designed by Charles Noke.

With all those famous names attached,

it's sure to attract lots of interest from the bidders.

We're heading 20 miles south east

as the crow flies to our auction today.

This takes you straight through one of Europe's largest wildlife

conservation parks,

Whipsnade zoo,

home to around 70 different species of bird,

as we found out back in 2009.

But we can't hang out with our feathered friends today,

because waiting for us at Tring Market Auctions

is auctioneer Stephen Hearn.

And going first under his hammer,

or should I say pencil,

is Janet's glamorous diamond brooch.

It's from the '40s. It's absolutely stunning,

but we do know brooches sometimes struggle.

This is where the jeopardy comes into the auction room.

-It's so exciting. We've got a big caratage in that brooch...

-Yes.

..so, that's going to help us.

-But we have no big significant single stones...

-No.

..but cumulatively it's absolutely divine.

-We're going to put that to the test. Ready?

-OK.

-Here we go! This is it.

A white gold diamond floral spray brooch.

I want about 500 for it.

300 bid, then. 320, 350. Are you 80, sir?

At 380, 400 now. 420, is it?

We're getting closer.

420, 450.

At 450, sir has it, then. I'm selling.

At £450, then. Thank you.

-We've sold it for £450.

-That's great.

-It was close, wasn't it?

-It was.

But it climbed and it climbed and it climbed.

It doesn't really matter. It's gone. That's the best thing.

-OK. Happy?

-Yes, thank you.

-Well done.

I hope that means Janet can get her much-needed lawnmower.

Now, there's been a change of plan on our next item.

Pat has increased the reserve.

At £40-£60,

put on by David at the valuation day,

you have upped that valuation.

-You cheeky monkey.

-She wasn't happy. Were you, Pat?

-No.

Go on, get stuck in.

She was going to give you a telling off on the day.

-I could send it coming.

-I think you're both right.

I'm going to sit on the fence with this.

Let's put it to the test right now.

What about £70 for those? 50? 40 we bid, then.

40, I have. 5, 55, 65, 70, 5, 80...

Blimey, it's doing well.

5, 90, 5, 100...

£100! It's got to 100!

And 10. At £110, then.

At 110, it's going down nice and slow...

For £110, then...

-You've got a new career, Pat.

-Have I?

You didn't need to worry, did you?

-You see, you let the market decide. £110.

-Lovely.

-That's fantastic, isn't it?

-Fantastic.

-You're a bit in shock, aren't you?

-I am.

Shocked, but clearly pleased.

Now, auctioneer Stephen Hearn likes our next lot so much

he's upped the estimate

from £150 to £300-£400.

So, when the auctioneer rang you up and said, "Look, Valerie,

"I think we should say £300-£400,"

did you go, "Stephen, I love you.

"You've made my day. And now I'm not going to sell it,

"because it's worth so much. I've changed my mind." Did you?

I do think about whether I should sell it,

but I don't like it, so...

Do you know what? I don't like it, either. Do you like it?

-I think it's absolutely fascinating.

-But you wouldn't want to own it?

-I would have it, yeah.

-I'd have the 400.

-And so would Valerie, wouldn't you?

-I would.

-Yes.

He's obviously confident, he knows his market.

He obviously knows the collectors around here.

We're going to find them right now, because it's going under the hammer.

This is it.

We have a very colourful Royal Doulton Charles Dickens' Dream jug.

I'm nervous. I'm trembling for you, Valerie.

What about £300 for it. 200? 200 we bid for it, then.

At 210, 220, 230. Are you 40?

At 240, 250, 260,

270, 280, 290...

300...

At £290...

I'm going to sell at £290. Thank you.

Hang on... Yes!

Sold to the gentleman over there. £290.

-Thumbs up. That's very good.

-Ah, that was excellent.

That's more than their original estimate.

-Oh, rub it in. Go on.

-Much more.

Our experts don't always get it right, Val.

As we know, it's not an exact science.

I'm just glad it did so well.

Auctioneer Stephen Hearn working his magic on the rostrum.

Three lots down, three more to go.

So, do not go away.

Now, not far from here is a place called Woburn Abbey.

You must have heard of that.

But did you know it contains the largest collection

of Canaletto paintings on display anywhere in the world?

Now, I went along on a voyage of discovery to find out more -

why such a collection ended up there and why Canaletto was considered

to be one of the finest landscape painters of his time.

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

has been home to the Dukes of Bedford

for nearly 400 years.

Now, back in the 18th century,

a necessary part of the education of any Duke

would be the grand tour of Europe -

something of a rite of passage

for young male members of the aristocracy.

To experience and study foreign cultures,

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

And the main highlight of the grand tour was Venice,

a magnificent city floating on the Adriatic.

To the 18th-century visitors,

Venice was a place of wonder.

With a never-ending carnival season,

countless theatres and casinos,

Venice was the city of pleasure.

And one visitors wished to remember.

It was into this world

and the desire for souvenirs

that Canaletto emerged in the 1720s.

The son of a theatrical scene painter,

he turned his back on the family business

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

recording the daily life of the city and its people.

Showing his genius early on, Canaletto quickly found success.

His brilliance brought him to the attention

of travelling foreign visitors, especially the English.

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

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

he had a meeting with Canaletto's agent.

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

The Duke purchased a staggering 24 pictures -

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

Transported back to Britain by ship,

they eventually went on display here

at the Duke's family seat at Woburn,

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

Joining me to enjoy this unique collection

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

Dr Xavier Bray,

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

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

It's a spectacular carnival of Ascension.

Now, we know the Duke went to Venice

to witness this grand civic event.

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

It is. A lot of these English tourists

went to Venice especially to witness these great celebrations.

So, what exactly happens?

It's a religious festival.

It's the ascension of the Lord,

when Jesus goes up to heaven 40 days after Easter.

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

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

The gilded one in the centre of the picture?

Yeah, which is called the Bucintoro.

There are bits of pomp as the Doge and Senate climb onto it.

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

is that lady there with the fan

laying down in her boat just enjoying the event.

This is what's so great about Canaletto.

He's got a fiesta, a big celebration,

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

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

and you just get these wonderful, fluid shadows.

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

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

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

Canaletto was really good draughtsman,

so he would do a lot of preparatory drawings.

What he is very good at is doing architecture,

getting the perspectives right.

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

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

He really brings it all to life.

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

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

So this is an excellent way,

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

This is buying into the culture of Venice?

Yeah, a bit like postcards, but painted postcards,

which will allow him to relive his experience in Venice

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

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

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

which shows the one-oared light gondola race.

One of the largest paintings,

it's a fascinating example of Canaletto

at his most decorative.

So, what do we know about Canaletto the man?

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

in terms of character, but he was incredibly productive.

He was very successful in the 1730s.

He comes to England for 10 years,

lives in Soho, and works for British aristocrats.

King George III wants his works later on

and buys a whole collection of Canalettos.

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

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

In fact, a well preserved Canaletto in excellent condition

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

There are 24 Canalettos in the collection here.

If you had the chance of taking one home,

which one would you like to live with?

It would have to be this one here,

because it's...

What Canaletto normally paints is a grand Canal -

the main stage of Venice -

but he also does the backstage.

And this is the kind of view that you would really

have to go off the main itinerary.

This is off the canal.

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

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

which is probably the algae or something like that.

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

the laundry hanging out of the windows.

This is the backstage of Venice - the darker side.

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

would have appreciated and wanted Canaletto to depict for him.

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

It is. It's a good choice.

It shows the Arsenale,

the Arsenal where the shipbuilding of Venice happened.

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

The fact that they dominated the seas,

particularly the Mediterranean.

So, it's a clever choice.

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

He enjoyed a very successful career.

He achieved a lot in his lifetime.

Was he a wealthy man?

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

But he lived in a very tiny apartment.

He probably wanted to avoid paying tax,

so declared himself poor in a state of bankruptcy.

-He never got married.

-And he never got married.

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

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

He was dedicated to painting Venice.

I think he found solace through what he painted

rather than monetary terms that he could turn into a palazzo

and have musicians play where he has painted,

which is what other painters did do.

He was, I think, more interested in painting

rather than living in style.

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

Very much so, yeah.

In retrospect,

Canaletto was very fortunate

to be able to live for his work.

In 1797,

a few years after his death,

Napoleon had the head of his French army surround Venice.

And the Grand Council surrendered.

The Bucintoro, the shining symbol of Venetian government,

was commandeered by the French

and stripped of its gold

before they sent it up in flames.

With war raging across Europe,

the tradition of the Grand Tour

came to an abrupt end.

And without its chief source of patronage,

veduta painting in Venice died away.

Canaletto came into his prime just in time

to capture the last golden days of the Venetian Republic

in all its pomp and circumstance.

And the fourth Duke of Bedford had the courage

and, let's face it, the cash

to make such a brave and timely commission.

And because these three elements came together at once,

this unique collection here at Woburn exists.

And these beautifully crafted pictures

have gone on to inspire generations of artists,

art lovers and writers for nearly 300 years.

Welcome back to our valuation day here at Wrest Park

in the glorious formal gardens.

We've already found and valued hundreds of antiques,

so right now it's time to catch up with our experts

to find some more treasures to take off to auction.

And, as you can see, I'm still surrounded by hundreds of people,

so we do have our work cut out.

I think we'd better get on with it, don't you?

Let's hand the proceedings over to our experts.

And down by the long water overlooking the 18th-century

Baroque pavilion, David Harper has found a beautiful spot for a chat.

Oh, Lilian, this is right up my street.

Isn't it gorgeous?

I think it's... I love the shape of it.

-It's a very good shape and suits the house just perfectly.

-Absolutely.

-Do you love it?

-I do like it very much,

but I can't find a place in the house to put it,

so it's been in a cupboard.

-No!

-Yes!

-It's a gorgeous thing.

-You know that it's Chinese...

-Yes.

-Where did you buy it from?

-In an auction room.

-Right.

-A job lot.

-Oh, right.

-So you got other things with it? OK. When was that?

-35 to 40 years ago.

-OK. How much did you pay for it?

-I can't remember.

-I know it wasn't a lot.

-No, no.

-No more than about £28 or more for the lot.

-For the lot.

Well, I just think it's absolutely delicious.

I love the colours, I love the shape of it -

it's a hexagonal shape,

which is much rarer

than the typical baluster vases.

The cobalt blue is just delicious,

the decoration is gorgeous - look at that terribly elegant lady.

-Just like you, Lilian.

-LILIAN LAUGHS

She is elegant. That's what I liked about her.

She's the centrepiece, but look around the outside edge.

Can you see that decoration there?

Can you see what that is?

All the way down the side of the body.

Ah.

Oh, you've never spotted him?

-No.

-It's a bat.

Now can you see him?

I can see now, turning it that way round.

-But I couldn't see it the other way.

-No? Well, there you go.

The bat in Chinese culture is an incredibly auspicious creature

representing good luck, long life, happiness...

-Never realised they were bats.

-Well, there you go.

Now, what about the condition? What do you think about that?

-Well, it's pretty poor. Is it?

-It's not great.

Hmm. But it's very old.

What date do you feel it is?

I think it's quite, quite old, but I couldn't really say.

About 17th-century?

Well, I'd like to think it was 17th-century.

That says, in Chinese, made during the Kangxi period.

Which is, rule of thumb, 1660 to 1720.

So, you're bang on in its date.

But Chinese markings are notoriously difficult,

because the Chinese, for centuries,

have marked pieces with earlier character marks,

as a sign of reverence to their long gone ancestors.

So, it's very complicated. So, there we have it.

I'm going to have to describe it, to be safe, as 19th century

with an earlier mark.

It could make a few hundred,

but I think I'd like to get it in at 50 to 90.

Which still leaves you profit, I believe.

Does it not?

-Does it?

-Oh, yes.

-Ah, well, there you go.

Your face dropped, that's all.

What do you want? £1,000 or something?

Well, I'll accept £1,000.

-Well, you know what? Odder things happen every day.

-Yes.

-OK.

-Shall we go have some fun at the auction?

-Why not?

-How exciting.

David was quite right when he said the Chinese vase suited Wrest.

If we take a quick break from the valuations

to peek inside the house, I'll show you why.

Now, since the 1930s, most of the rooms on the upper floors

here at Wrest have been used for offices.

Very few original features remain.

However, something very special did survive

and it's just in here.

And just look at this! Isn't it spectacular?

I'm surrounded by hand-painted Chinese wallpaper

and it really is quite tremendous to be standing in here

taking in all of this.

Now, this room was originally all boarded over

until curators of the English Heritage

pulled some of the boards away to reveal this.

They knew what was there, but they hadn't seen the whole room.

And here we are with a view of 360 degrees,

taking in this whole story.

Family records suggest this was first hung in 1792

in the original house on this site,

and then rehung in the new house here in the 1830s,

where it's been ever since.

It was the height of luxury, it was the height of expense

and everybody wanted a flavour of the East.

It was the thing to have.

There really is a whole story of Chinese life being told here.

Everybody at work.

There's the butcher there,

there are some men hunting and smoking a pipe,

birds of paradise, exotic plants...

things that people in England didn't know about and they were hungry for.

I'm so pleased this has survived

for everybody to see today.

Back down in the sunshine of the valuation area,

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

Davina, give me a flutter.

That is perfect.

Well, it's a very warm day today

and these fans are perfect for keeping us cool,

but for me, the main use of a fan

-is to flirt.

-DAVINA LAUGHS

Very much.

Welcome to Flog It!

Tell me, how did you come by these?

I saw one fan and I fell in love

with the prettiness,

the femininity of it.

That started it.

So, for about 10 years,

we went to antique fairs and bought fans.

But then we downsized

and put it in a cupboard for 22 years.

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

I think I've got two.

There's this one, because of the mirror,

and this one here,

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

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

-almost like the Chrysler building in America.

-Yes.

And when we open it...

These sticks are made of bone

and we have this lovely organdie here

with little sequins and little pieces of embroidery.

This is a 19th-century fan

and you have more in your collection,

but we have mainly 19th-century

examples here.

The one with the mirrors is silver overlay,

so we have this detail here

and again a hand-painted interior scene.

And, of course, an ostrich feather fan

is always froufrou and fabulous.

So, it's a great wee collection.

Price on them...

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

I would like to put them into auction

with a very conservative estimate...

..of between £100 and £200.

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

-Would you be happy with that?

-Absolutely.

I want a reserve, obviously.

-We'll put a reserve of £100...

-Yes.

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

-You will.

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

that we can flirt with.

Let's hope so.

You don't have to wait until then, Anita.

I'm sure I can rustle you up

a couple of dapper gents right now.

Love that hat!

Well, Rod, I can safely tell you that is a very posh cup and saucer.

And exactly the kind of cup and saucer

that the owners of a property like this would use.

-Do you know much about it?

-Not a lot, no. I know it's Meissen.

I presume it's a Victorian period.

And I suspect it's a one-off display item.

I can't imagine anybody having a tea set,

but they might have done. I don't know.

Well, listen, that was designed to use.

-To drink what?

-I don't know.

It's a little large for tea, because tea was a very expensive item.

-Not tea or coffee. That was designed to drink chocolate.

-Right.

Isn't that lovely? The big fashion for drinking chocolate

began in the 1600s.

Incredibly expensive. All these chocolate houses

and coffee and tea houses opened up all over London

and the finest, grandest people

would have drunk those drinks

out of Meissen tea cups and saucers.

Now, then, dating this stuff is terribly difficult.

The marks, the crossed swords, change over time.

That design certainly was made in the 18th century.

But that particular piece, I believe,

is a very late 19th century.

It could even creep into the 20th century.

That's the thing I didn't know - was it early or was it late?

-It's late, but it's still Meissen.

-Yes.

Damage? A little damage.

A little bit of damage, unfortunately.

And, Rod, I've got to tell you,

in this business with porcelain,

damage can really kill it.

Oh, yes, yes. I'm aware of that.

There's one major problem here, before we get onto my assessment.

That originally would have had a little cover decorated

just the same on the top to keep the chocolate warm.

So, there's a problem.

But that explains something -

my grandfather wasn't a wealthy man.

He was a railway guard on the LMS.

Therefore, it's very surprising that in his collection

there would be something of this stature.

So, where did that come from?

Well, what used to happen was on a particular train,

there was always a first-class compartment.

There was a gentleman who always had a top hat,

a very expensive gold watch

and he always left his Connoisseur magazine on the seat.

Grandad used to collect them and he'd read them

and there was the knowledge to go and sort the porcelain out.

That is fantastic.

And the top was missing,

therefore he was able to buy it at a very inexpensive price.

He probably paid no more than three shillings, half a crown.

How long have you owned it for?

I've owned it for about four or five years.

The trick to selling at auction is to be brave

and to estimate it sensibly to give the buyers a bit of hope value.

And I instinctively would go 40-60, 50-70.

It's cheap...

..and it might make more and it might not.

-Happy with 40-60?

-Absolutely.

-Going to just let it go?

-That's right. Yep.

I like your style. Thank you. I'll see you at the auction.

All right, then. Jolly good. Thanks a lot.

MUSIC: Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon

Well, what a marvellous day we've had here at Wrest Park.

Everybody has thoroughly enjoyed themselves, haven't you?

-ALL:

-Yes!

-Glorious surroundings, as well.

A wonderful historical backdrop.

Just look at that as a view.

But, sadly, it is time to say goodbye

to this wonderful historical setting

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

and put those final valuations to the test.

Here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer...

There's the Chinese vase.

Will the bidders love it as much as David Harper does?

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

As Anita puts it, "It's very froufrou and fabulous."

And finally there's Rod's Meissen cup and saucer.

A very conservative estimate by David,

this could be the one to watch.

Back in the saleroom,

auctioneer Stephen Hearn is still wielding that pencil.

And the next lot under his graphite

is Lillian's Chinese vase.

-Very nice piece.

-Really?

-Yes.

I don't think there's a lot of money on this.

I can see this doing a bit more.

We were talking about this, weren't we?

We think it's got legs, potentially.

It's the shape, is quite a rare shape.

Architecturally, it stands well. That's what it's all about.

-Right, let's put it to the test, shall we? Happy?

-Yes.

Right, let's flog it. Here we go.

Now, we have got the baluster vase.

What about that one?

I think £100 for it.

50, 60, 70, 80, 90...

Going to be 100, is it?

-At £90...

-£90!

-Really?

100. 100, I bid.

At 100, then. It's yours, Sir.

For £100, thank you.

£100 and it sold!

Gone! That's all right, isn't it? Even with a little chip.

You know, I'd be a little bit dubious

if it wasn't chipped for 19th-century.

You'd be asking questions, wouldn't you?

Thumbs up!

I'm really glad Lilian's happy.

Now, on this hot day at the auction

something is telling me Davina's lot

might do quite well.

So, our auctioneer Stephen has slightly upped the estimate.

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

-That's right.

Stephen the auctioneer has raised that to £150.

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

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

10, 20, 30, 40...

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

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

They're going down at 180.

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

for £180, then...

Well done. Spot on, Anita.

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

Safety. Err on the side of caution.

-Thank you very much.

-£180.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-Thank you.

And, finally, it's time for our very decorative last lot of the day.

For our next lot, sadly our owner Rod can't be with us.

But we do have the item. It's that Meissen cup and saucer.

We had a valuation originally of, what, £40-£60?

40-60. Yup. It's a "come and buy me" valuation.

We had a revised estimate from the auctioneer

-at £120-£160.

-OK.

-He obviously knows his local market.

-And he likes it.

There it is. A nice piece of Meissen, it carries good weight.

-There's a lot of work in it.

-Oh, I know.

I think we ought to start somewhere around about 150 for it.

100 for it. What about Sir?

Yes. 120...

150, 180. Are you 200?

Wow!

220, I have it.

250, 280, 300, 320...

Ooh!

320, 350...

-Phone lines.

-Phone lines.

350...400 in the room.

400 is bid. 420 now.

No?

420, then. I'm going to sell it for £420.

What a great result. £420.

Well, it just goes to show...

That is absolutely astonishing.

But fantastic! Fantastic.

Shall we give him a ring?

You know, I think you should.

I think you should say, "I slightly undercooked that."

Yeah, but my defence is

"come and get me," bring them in, get them bidding, Paul.

That's the trick.

Well, if it was a "come and buy me," it definitely worked,

making ten times its original estimate.

I think that's going to be a very nice surprise for Rod.

Well, there you are. That's it.

It's all over from Tring Market Auctions

and we have some very happy owners.

I hope you've enjoyed today's show.

Now, if you've got something you want to sell,

we want to flog it for you. Bring it along to one of our valuation days.

Details of up-and-coming dates and venues can be found on our website.

Just log onto...

Follow the links. All the information will be there.

We'd love to see you dust them down and bring them in.

And keep an eye on your local press, as well.

But, until then, goodbye from Tring Auction Rooms.