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Today, "Flog It!" is literally on top of the world | 0:00:04 | 0:00:07 | |
in a unique location. | 0:00:07 | 0:00:09 | |
This is Margam Country Park, just outside of Port Talbot, | 0:00:09 | 0:00:12 | |
and it's been inhabited for over 4,000 years. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:16 | |
It's literally brimming with history. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:17 | |
This is where the ancient collides with the modern. | 0:00:17 | 0:00:20 | |
More about that later on in the programme, | 0:00:20 | 0:00:22 | |
so stay tuned and welcome to Flog It! | 0:00:22 | 0:00:26 | |
For today's valuation day, | 0:00:48 | 0:00:50 | |
we've travelled over the impressive Severn Bridge, | 0:00:50 | 0:00:53 | |
and along the M4 to South Wales. | 0:00:53 | 0:00:55 | |
Arriving at Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot. | 0:00:55 | 0:01:00 | |
Here, our ancestors ancient and modern have left their mark. | 0:01:00 | 0:01:03 | |
There are the remains of an impressive medieval monastery. | 0:01:03 | 0:01:06 | |
This Georgian Orangery is the longest in Britain, | 0:01:08 | 0:01:10 | |
and just up the hill is a remarkable Victorian Gothic castle. | 0:01:10 | 0:01:15 | |
All of this lies in the shadow of a symbol of our modern | 0:01:15 | 0:01:18 | |
industrial heritage - the Port Talbot steelworks. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:22 | |
They each have one thing in common - they are big, bold and ambitious. | 0:01:22 | 0:01:26 | |
Well, our crowds have already started to gather outside | 0:01:28 | 0:01:31 | |
the magnificent Orangery. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:32 | |
We may not find something that is 4,000 years old, | 0:01:32 | 0:01:35 | |
but hopefully, carefully wrapped up in all these bags and boxes, | 0:01:35 | 0:01:39 | |
there's some intriguing treasures for our experts to muse over. | 0:01:39 | 0:01:42 | |
And if our owners are tempted by a favourable valuation, | 0:01:42 | 0:01:46 | |
what are you going to do? | 0:01:46 | 0:01:47 | |
-ALL: -Flog it! | 0:01:47 | 0:01:48 | |
We have a pair of dynamic and stylish experts to carry out | 0:01:51 | 0:01:55 | |
today's valuations. Mark Stacey... | 0:01:55 | 0:01:58 | |
-That's really nice. Do you know what it is? -A flowerpot. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:01 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:02:01 | 0:02:03 | |
..and Charles Hanson. | 0:02:03 | 0:02:04 | |
-Did you get dressed in the dark? -I thought, we're beside the seaside. | 0:02:04 | 0:02:07 | |
-I love the jacket. -Well, I think it goes. Doesn't it go well together? | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
You need new glasses. You need new glasses. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:13 | |
Get out of here. | 0:02:13 | 0:02:14 | |
And if our location bares all the hallmarks of | 0:02:14 | 0:02:17 | |
imagination, ambition and ingenuity, | 0:02:17 | 0:02:20 | |
then that's exactly what it takes to film one of our shows. | 0:02:20 | 0:02:23 | |
Our team of cameramen, researchers and stewards | 0:02:23 | 0:02:26 | |
are making sure everyone is where they need to be | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
and that we capture everything. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:31 | |
And they are all keen to get started. | 0:02:31 | 0:02:33 | |
And while they're getting ready, | 0:02:35 | 0:02:37 | |
let's see what's coming up on today's show. | 0:02:37 | 0:02:39 | |
Charles meets someone who drives a hard bargain. | 0:02:39 | 0:02:42 | |
She wanted £3. | 0:02:42 | 0:02:44 | |
-And you negotiated? -I did. Yeah. -I like his style. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:47 | |
And Mark has a shock at the auction. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:50 | |
-1,300. -When is it going to stop, Paul? | 0:02:50 | 0:02:53 | |
Well, I don't think he is. Would you like a seat? | 0:02:53 | 0:02:55 | |
Well, I've really been looking forward to this one. | 0:02:57 | 0:03:00 | |
And we couldn't come to Wales without bringing a Welsh expert. | 0:03:00 | 0:03:02 | |
So here he is. Our very own Welsh boy, Mark Stacey. | 0:03:02 | 0:03:06 | |
John...this has got to be one of the nicest sugar casters I've seen | 0:03:08 | 0:03:13 | |
for a very long time. | 0:03:13 | 0:03:15 | |
-It's beautiful, isn't it? -It's an object of beauty. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:18 | |
-Have you had it long? -50 years. -Really? Where did you get it from? | 0:03:18 | 0:03:22 | |
-Bought it in a house sale. -Did you? Locally? | 0:03:22 | 0:03:25 | |
-Yes, Cardiff. -Did you used to go round a lot of house sales for | 0:03:25 | 0:03:27 | |
-things like that? -Oh, I did. We worked for an auctioneer for | 0:03:27 | 0:03:30 | |
-many years. -Oh, did you? Were you an auctioneer yourself? -No. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:33 | |
What did you do in the company? | 0:03:33 | 0:03:35 | |
-Transport man. -Oh, did you? | 0:03:35 | 0:03:37 | |
Well, you've obviously had an eye on you for the odd gem. | 0:03:37 | 0:03:39 | |
-Yes. -Didn't you? -Yeah. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:41 | |
Do you know much about it? | 0:03:41 | 0:03:43 | |
No, it was just with the other objects. | 0:03:43 | 0:03:46 | |
And I was there and I thought, "Oh, that's nice." | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
-Silver? -It is silver. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:51 | |
It's hallmarked. Fully hallmarked. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:53 | |
We have a nice, clear set of hallmarks here. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:56 | |
And a maker's mark, as well. Hallmarked in Birmingham. | 0:03:56 | 0:03:59 | |
-Birmingham. -In 1919. | 0:03:59 | 0:04:02 | |
Oh, before I was born. | 0:04:02 | 0:04:03 | |
And it's by Blanckensee & Son. | 0:04:03 | 0:04:07 | |
And it's a really handsome thing. | 0:04:07 | 0:04:08 | |
If you look at the design of it, | 0:04:08 | 0:04:10 | |
you could almost be mistaken that it was 18th century, | 0:04:10 | 0:04:14 | |
because it has a really classical design do it. | 0:04:14 | 0:04:18 | |
From this little flame, pineapple finial, | 0:04:18 | 0:04:22 | |
down to the sort of husk bands here and those lovely | 0:04:22 | 0:04:26 | |
classical swags. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:27 | |
And these extraordinary little appliques on the side there. | 0:04:27 | 0:04:32 | |
-Yep. -And this very nice baluster shape. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:34 | |
It's silver gilt. It's really very, very good quality. | 0:04:34 | 0:04:38 | |
I can see you haven't used it because it needs a bit of a clean, | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
-doesn't it? -Yep. -So you've had it for 50 years, you've never used it? | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
-No. -And it just sits in a drawer? | 0:04:44 | 0:04:46 | |
-In a cabinet. -Does it? | 0:04:46 | 0:04:48 | |
-It's time for it to go. -Well, yeah. | 0:04:48 | 0:04:51 | |
How much do you think it's worth? | 0:04:51 | 0:04:53 | |
-150? -You know your stuff, don't you? | 0:04:53 | 0:04:57 | |
You know your stuff. I think we should put the estimate at | 0:04:57 | 0:05:00 | |
100 to 150, if that's OK with you? | 0:05:00 | 0:05:03 | |
-Yeah. -And it's almost the perfect weather today for it, isn't it? | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
-If we had some strawberries and cream. -Oh, Wimbledon. -Wimbledon. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:10 | |
-Hey! -We could actually sprinkle our sugar on there and we'd be away, | 0:05:10 | 0:05:13 | |
-wouldn't we? -Wahey. -Well, I love it and I think it will do very well. | 0:05:13 | 0:05:17 | |
And we'll put a reserve of £100 on it, | 0:05:17 | 0:05:19 | |
and we might sprinkle some success for you. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:21 | |
HE LAUGHS | 0:05:21 | 0:05:23 | |
Hopefully, there will be someone with a sweet tooth at | 0:05:23 | 0:05:26 | |
the auction. But, not to be outdone, | 0:05:26 | 0:05:28 | |
a very dapper-looking Charles Hanson has found someone with an equally | 0:05:28 | 0:05:32 | |
colourful outfit. | 0:05:32 | 0:05:34 | |
-Albert. -Yeah. -You're a stylish man. | 0:05:35 | 0:05:37 | |
And you brought in this interesting object here. | 0:05:37 | 0:05:40 | |
-Tell me how you acquired it. -Car boot sale. -car boot? | 0:05:40 | 0:05:43 | |
-Yeah, local car boot sale, in Swansea. -Yeah, yeah, yeah. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:46 | |
-£2. -£2? It's wonderful what you can still find on this great antiques | 0:05:46 | 0:05:52 | |
trail. And for £2 you've bought something which is very much in now. | 0:05:52 | 0:05:57 | |
It wasn't 20 years ago, | 0:05:57 | 0:05:59 | |
but it is today very reflective of changing tastes. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:02 | |
-OK. -And the new collectors, the iconic, shall we say, | 0:06:02 | 0:06:07 | |
cleansed homes, who want minimal, this is what they want to buy. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:12 | |
-OK. -It cost you £2? -£2, yeah. -I can't believe this. | 0:06:12 | 0:06:14 | |
What we've got here is something, Albert, that's quite cutting edge. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:18 | |
An object which represents an industry on the island of Murano. | 0:06:18 | 0:06:23 | |
-OK? -OK. -This is a Venetian glass ornament that reflects centuries of | 0:06:23 | 0:06:28 | |
-style and design... -Right. -..which came together in the 1960s. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:35 | |
OK? And what I love about this | 0:06:35 | 0:06:37 | |
is you've got an angel here, | 0:06:37 | 0:06:38 | |
on angelfish. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:40 | |
-Right, yep. -Which really is so evocative of innovation. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:45 | |
You've got aventurine, which is this gilt-speckled glass. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:49 | |
And the Italians in the 16th century developed a technique | 0:06:49 | 0:06:54 | |
called facon de Venise, which is a type of opaque, | 0:06:54 | 0:06:57 | |
white design we saw in wine glasses, on the stems. | 0:06:57 | 0:07:01 | |
And here you've got this in the fins of the fish. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
When you saw it for that nominal sum... | 0:07:05 | 0:07:08 | |
-I thought it was expensive cos she wanted £3. -LAUGHTER | 0:07:08 | 0:07:13 | |
-And you negotiated? -I did. Yeah. -I like his style. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:15 | |
That's car boot, you've got to negotiate. | 0:07:15 | 0:07:18 | |
-Early morning start. -5:30. -5:30. | 0:07:18 | 0:07:21 | |
Something unusual and I liked it because I've got a fish tank at home | 0:07:21 | 0:07:24 | |
with tropical fish and I had it next to the fish tank. | 0:07:24 | 0:07:27 | |
So you didn't just buy it... | 0:07:27 | 0:07:29 | |
-I was going to put it inside the fish tank. -Really? | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
-Yeah, as an ornament. Yeah. -As an ornament? -Yeah. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:33 | |
What I like about this also, is the fact you've got some good | 0:07:33 | 0:07:36 | |
wear on the base, which to me suggests it's no reproduction. | 0:07:36 | 0:07:40 | |
-It is 1960s. -Yep. -But what you've got is an object which really rides | 0:07:40 | 0:07:44 | |
high in terms of technical abilities. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:47 | |
And, almost like Troika, it was off the radar 20 years ago | 0:07:47 | 0:07:51 | |
and could have been bought cheaply. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:53 | |
How recently did you buy this? | 0:07:53 | 0:07:56 | |
-Erm... Four months ago. -You didn't? | 0:07:56 | 0:07:59 | |
-Yeah. -It just shows what's lurking in the deep at a car boot sale. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:03 | |
-Yeah. -I'd be happy to put this into a sale for you, | 0:08:03 | 0:08:06 | |
with a guide price of between £70 and £100. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:10 | |
-Very good. -Does that meet your approval? | 0:08:10 | 0:08:12 | |
-Definitely. -Is there investment potential for auction? | 0:08:12 | 0:08:14 | |
-Yeah, more auction money. -Excellent. Thanks so much. Wonderful object. | 0:08:14 | 0:08:18 | |
-Thank you. -A delight to see you today. -Thank you very much. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
Our experts are hard at work and while they continue | 0:08:21 | 0:08:25 | |
to uncover those gems, there is something I want to show you. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:29 | |
Well, you couldn't fail to notice this magnificent backdrop | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
behind me here for our valuation day. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:34 | |
The Orangery. It's considered to be a masterpiece of 18th century | 0:08:34 | 0:08:38 | |
architecture. Many of Britain's great stately homes | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
have orangeries - Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth, Kensington Palace. | 0:08:41 | 0:08:45 | |
But this is the longest, and it's considered to be | 0:08:45 | 0:08:48 | |
the finest in the UK. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:51 | |
Today, the building is used for corporate events and parties, | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
and no longer houses exotic plants. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
But the exterior is just as it was when it was built. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:02 | |
Thomas Mansel Talbot inherited the Margam estate in 1768. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:06 | |
He wanted a building that would showcase his wealth | 0:09:06 | 0:09:09 | |
and display his collection of exotic fruits. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:12 | |
His limes, oranges and lemons. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:14 | |
The building was completed in 1790 and it took seven years to create. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:19 | |
It's 327ft long and there are 27 of these huge, tall windows | 0:09:19 | 0:09:25 | |
to let in as much light as possible. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:28 | |
I absolutely love this building. It's simply understated. | 0:09:28 | 0:09:32 | |
It's elegant, yet there is just enough detail | 0:09:32 | 0:09:35 | |
to keep it interesting. | 0:09:35 | 0:09:36 | |
Now, I wonder if our experts have found anything | 0:09:36 | 0:09:39 | |
as interesting as this at the valuation tables. | 0:09:39 | 0:09:42 | |
Let's now join up with them. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:44 | |
I think Mark has found something that would look right at home | 0:09:44 | 0:09:47 | |
in the orangery. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:49 | |
Mary... Why have you brought this jug in to show us? | 0:09:49 | 0:09:53 | |
Well, the jug belonged to my grandmother | 0:09:53 | 0:09:55 | |
and I must admit, I'm not that keen on it, if I'm honest. | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
-You don't like it? -No. -Is it too brash for you? | 0:09:58 | 0:10:01 | |
-I think so, yeah. -Well, it is quite bold, isn't it? | 0:10:01 | 0:10:04 | |
-Mmm. -I mean, there's no prizes, I'm afraid, | 0:10:04 | 0:10:06 | |
for guessing who produced this jug. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:08 | |
Of course, it's faithful Clarice Cliff. | 0:10:08 | 0:10:09 | |
I actually really like it. | 0:10:09 | 0:10:12 | |
I think it's a great shape and it's a really, really bold pattern. | 0:10:12 | 0:10:16 | |
You can really see these thick oranges and reds. | 0:10:16 | 0:10:20 | |
And as a Clarice Cliff collector, that's what they want to see. | 0:10:20 | 0:10:23 | |
And this ground is quite interesting. | 0:10:23 | 0:10:25 | |
This sort of mottled-brown ground. | 0:10:25 | 0:10:27 | |
It's known as cafe au lait. | 0:10:27 | 0:10:29 | |
It's probably made maybe around 1928-1934, something like that. | 0:10:29 | 0:10:34 | |
So it's right in the middle of that Art Deco period. | 0:10:34 | 0:10:38 | |
There is a slight flaw to it that I've noticed while we're filming. | 0:10:38 | 0:10:42 | |
There's a slight hairline crack on the interior. | 0:10:42 | 0:10:46 | |
But I don't think that will worry us too much, to be honest with you. | 0:10:46 | 0:10:49 | |
I think we should keep the estimate reasonable, | 0:10:49 | 0:10:52 | |
particularly with our slight hairline crack. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:54 | |
So if we put £80-£100 on it. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:56 | |
And we'll pop the reserve, say, at 60, just to protect it. | 0:10:56 | 0:11:00 | |
-Would that be OK with you? -I think it's lovely. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:02 | |
Gosh, I didn't think you'd say that. | 0:11:02 | 0:11:04 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:11:04 | 0:11:06 | |
This pot has probably never seen the light of day in the last 20 years. | 0:11:06 | 0:11:09 | |
-Has it not? -It's been locked away in a cupboard. | 0:11:09 | 0:11:12 | |
Oh, well, that's great. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:13 | |
-You've brought it out for the world to see. -Great, yeah. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
And that's fantastic, because we'll put it into auction | 0:11:16 | 0:11:18 | |
and somebody who buys this is going to love it, | 0:11:18 | 0:11:20 | |
because you clearly hate it. | 0:11:20 | 0:11:22 | |
It's true. | 0:11:22 | 0:11:23 | |
Well, look. All I can say is thank you, Mary, for bringing it in. | 0:11:23 | 0:11:26 | |
You've been such a good sport. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:27 | |
-Right, good. -I'll look forward to seeing you into the auction. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
-Me too. -You might get a surprise. | 0:11:30 | 0:11:32 | |
And here's another interesting item. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:37 | |
And it looks like Charles is in the mood for a holiday. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:40 | |
Sometimes, to me, a happy holiday is finding something that just has that | 0:11:41 | 0:11:47 | |
within its make-up. And these badges have that, don't they? | 0:11:47 | 0:11:52 | |
-Tell me about them. -Yes, well, I was a Butlin's Redcoat in 1967. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:57 | |
I collected a few badges on the way | 0:11:57 | 0:11:59 | |
and at the end of the season I had 96 different ones. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:02 | |
So, back in the '60s, you were a Redcoat at Minehead. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:05 | |
I'd always dance. | 0:12:05 | 0:12:06 | |
And I did magic, so put that down on my form, and they said start May 21. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:11 | |
And these badges are part of your story. | 0:12:11 | 0:12:14 | |
And it's a lovely collection. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:16 | |
I can see Skegness Butlin's. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:19 | |
There's only one of Blackpool, which is very rare. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:22 | |
And then we've got three Christmas ones. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:25 | |
And then we've got Scottish ones | 0:12:25 | 0:12:28 | |
and Eire, Ireland. | 0:12:28 | 0:12:30 | |
When was the golden age for Butlin's? | 0:12:30 | 0:12:33 | |
'60s, early '70s. | 0:12:33 | 0:12:35 | |
But then people started feeling they had jobs, they had a car, | 0:12:35 | 0:12:38 | |
they had the money and in came the foreign holiday and then... | 0:12:38 | 0:12:41 | |
I always think I'd make a good Redcoat. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:43 | |
-You could do, yes. -Would I pass? | 0:12:43 | 0:12:44 | |
-You would have no bother! -Definitely. -Thanks a lot, yeah. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:47 | |
-Thanks a lot. And that wasn't preprepared, was it? -No. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:50 | |
Thanks a lot. | 0:12:50 | 0:12:51 | |
There's another badge here | 0:12:51 | 0:12:53 | |
which was a benefit of a second week at Butlin's. I mean, what a luxury. | 0:12:53 | 0:12:58 | |
How many badges are here? | 0:12:58 | 0:13:00 | |
There's 96 different ones. | 0:13:00 | 0:13:01 | |
96. My value with a view to auction would be between £50 and £80. | 0:13:01 | 0:13:07 | |
-Is that OK with you? -Yes, fine. -Fantastic. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:09 | |
I think we'd put a reserve on of maybe, say £40, | 0:13:09 | 0:13:13 | |
just to protect them, and hopefully we'll see a good sale. | 0:13:13 | 0:13:17 | |
Richard Burton was a man with a magnetic charm | 0:13:26 | 0:13:28 | |
who lived a jet-set lifestyle. | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
He became famous as Hollywood's most highly-paid actor | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
and infamous for his weakness for alcohol and women. | 0:13:34 | 0:13:38 | |
But his roots lie in a humble village in South Wales, | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
more used to producing coal miners than movie stars - Pontrhydyfen. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:45 | |
I have loved Richard Burton as an actor | 0:13:48 | 0:13:50 | |
ever since I can remember. | 0:13:50 | 0:13:52 | |
It's that distinctive voice, it was like velvet. | 0:13:52 | 0:13:54 | |
The characterful face and the intelligence. | 0:13:54 | 0:13:57 | |
For me, it was the complete package. | 0:13:57 | 0:13:59 | |
No other actor could ever get anywhere near him. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:02 | |
And I've never been here before to Pontrhydyfen, | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
so coming here is really special | 0:14:05 | 0:14:07 | |
because I want to know how he got from here | 0:14:07 | 0:14:09 | |
to becoming a world-famous star and what this place meant to him. | 0:14:09 | 0:14:14 | |
I've turned to the BBC archives | 0:14:16 | 0:14:18 | |
to see what Richard Burton himself had to say. | 0:14:18 | 0:14:21 | |
I really don't know what to say about my race. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:25 | |
I'm so proud of them and I love the Welsh with a passion | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
that's almost idolatrous, | 0:14:29 | 0:14:31 | |
but particularly the South Welsh are the people I know best | 0:14:31 | 0:14:34 | |
and particularly the mining class. | 0:14:34 | 0:14:36 | |
His story began here. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:39 | |
He was born Richard Jenkins and he was born in this house | 0:14:39 | 0:14:42 | |
on 10 November in 1925. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:45 | |
He was the 12th child of Dic and Edith Jenkins. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:48 | |
Sadly, when he was two years old, | 0:14:48 | 0:14:50 | |
his mother died shortly after giving birth to her 13th child. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:54 | |
He went to live with his sister, who was known as Cis. | 0:14:54 | 0:14:57 | |
I still think of her as a mumma | 0:14:57 | 0:15:00 | |
because I don't remember any other mumma. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:02 | |
I stayed with her for the next 11 to 12 years. | 0:15:02 | 0:15:05 | |
His family struggled for money | 0:15:08 | 0:15:10 | |
and Richard was determined to change his life. | 0:15:10 | 0:15:12 | |
He found a mentor at secondary school, | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
drama teacher Philip Burton, | 0:15:15 | 0:15:17 | |
and declared his intention to become an actor. | 0:15:17 | 0:15:21 | |
His voice was dreadful at the time and his speech, | 0:15:21 | 0:15:23 | |
he spoke Welsh at home. | 0:15:23 | 0:15:26 | |
He spoke Welsh at home | 0:15:26 | 0:15:27 | |
and he spoke English with a very strong Welsh accent. | 0:15:27 | 0:15:31 | |
So, he said to me, "Change them." | 0:15:31 | 0:15:33 | |
Philip Burton gave Richard elocution lessons | 0:15:33 | 0:15:36 | |
to hone the voice that was to become world-famous. | 0:15:36 | 0:15:39 | |
I was submitted to the most ferocious discipline | 0:15:39 | 0:15:42 | |
because I did my schoolwork during the day, | 0:15:42 | 0:15:45 | |
and at four o'clock, I then started with Burton. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:48 | |
That generally went on till ten. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:51 | |
That student room became a room of terror. | 0:15:51 | 0:15:55 | |
But the hard work paid off. | 0:15:55 | 0:15:57 | |
Richard changed his name to Richard Burton | 0:15:57 | 0:16:00 | |
in honour of his teacher and guardian. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:02 | |
Armed with that voice, great looks and his acting talent, | 0:16:02 | 0:16:06 | |
he was spotted by Hollywood. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:07 | |
His marriage to Elizabeth Taylor sealed his superstardom, | 0:16:07 | 0:16:11 | |
but he didn't forget his roots. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:13 | |
He used his new-found wealth to take care of his family, | 0:16:13 | 0:16:17 | |
using his first big pay cheque to buy a house | 0:16:17 | 0:16:20 | |
for each of his siblings. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:22 | |
It's not my profits. I give it away. | 0:16:22 | 0:16:26 | |
Give it to my family. | 0:16:26 | 0:16:28 | |
The fact that I was able to take care | 0:16:28 | 0:16:32 | |
of a certain amount of people has given me some pleasure, | 0:16:32 | 0:16:36 | |
the fact that I had the power to do it. | 0:16:36 | 0:16:39 | |
As a child, Richard Burton always used to come to this street | 0:16:39 | 0:16:42 | |
to visit his sister Hilda, | 0:16:42 | 0:16:44 | |
and later on in life when he was a huge star, he always returned. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
I've come here today to meet Hilda's daughter Sian, | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
who still lives here. | 0:16:50 | 0:16:51 | |
Hopefully she's in. She's got to be in. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:56 | |
-She knows I'm coming. Hello! -Hi, Paul. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
How lovely to meet you. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:00 | |
-Come on in out of the rain. -OK. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:02 | |
I just noticed this photograph is taken in this very room. | 0:17:04 | 0:17:07 | |
There's Richard leaning against the fireplace like most blokes do. | 0:17:07 | 0:17:11 | |
You've given the fireplace a bit of a makeover. | 0:17:11 | 0:17:13 | |
A little bit of a Sian makeover. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:15 | |
That's it, darling. And that's my mother there. | 0:17:15 | 0:17:18 | |
Uncle Rich, of course. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:19 | |
And Cis and Elfed then took Uncle Rich in as a two-year-old. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:23 | |
Yeah. How important was his family and his need to provide for them? | 0:17:23 | 0:17:27 | |
Oh, I think it was THE most important thing | 0:17:27 | 0:17:30 | |
because they'd gone through such poverty, really, growing up | 0:17:30 | 0:17:34 | |
that when he had money, | 0:17:34 | 0:17:36 | |
he didn't want them to go without anything in life. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:39 | |
-Gosh, he's got such a kind nature. -Yeah. -Such a kind nature. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:42 | |
Something very special happened to you when you were 13. | 0:17:42 | 0:17:45 | |
Tell me about that. | 0:17:45 | 0:17:46 | |
Well, I don't know if my mother would call it special, | 0:17:46 | 0:17:48 | |
but I was a very naughty girl. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:51 | |
And a teen and 20 club opened in Port Talbot | 0:17:51 | 0:17:54 | |
and I spent most of my school days there rather than in school, | 0:17:54 | 0:17:58 | |
so I was caught mitching. | 0:17:58 | 0:18:00 | |
And then Uncle Rich phoned, and he was in London with Elizabeth. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:04 | |
And mother said, "I can't deal with this child any more. | 0:18:04 | 0:18:08 | |
"You're going to have to do something with her." | 0:18:08 | 0:18:10 | |
So, he said, "Put her on a train. Send her up to London." | 0:18:10 | 0:18:13 | |
So, my punishment was going to London, | 0:18:13 | 0:18:15 | |
being met at Paddington Station by Gaston, the chauffeur, | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
and taking me to The Dorchester Hotel, | 0:18:19 | 0:18:23 | |
going up to the terraced suite and then going to meet Elizabeth, | 0:18:23 | 0:18:26 | |
you know, for the first time. | 0:18:26 | 0:18:28 | |
That's not punishment, is it? | 0:18:28 | 0:18:29 | |
Not at all. I loved it. But I did start going to school after that. | 0:18:29 | 0:18:33 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:18:33 | 0:18:35 | |
What did this place mean to him? | 0:18:36 | 0:18:38 | |
Why did he keep coming back throughout his life? | 0:18:38 | 0:18:40 | |
He did feel a lot of hiraeth, we call it in Welsh - | 0:18:40 | 0:18:44 | |
a longing for Wales - | 0:18:44 | 0:18:46 | |
and he used to love just coming into the house and then | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
he'd sort of relax and say, "Oh, now we're speaking Welsh," you know. | 0:18:49 | 0:18:54 | |
-Yes. -And then with all the family, we only spoke in Welsh with him. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:58 | |
Burton returned to the village to visit his siblings, | 0:18:58 | 0:19:01 | |
but also his father, known as Dic Bach, | 0:19:01 | 0:19:04 | |
a miner less likely to be found at home than in the local pub. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:09 | |
Richard's father was known as a hard drinker. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
This pub, The Miners Arms, well, | 0:19:13 | 0:19:14 | |
this place was like a second home to him. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:17 | |
He was always in here. | 0:19:17 | 0:19:18 | |
But Richard also had his own drinking issues. | 0:19:18 | 0:19:21 | |
And there was one period in his life | 0:19:21 | 0:19:23 | |
where he nearly took things too far, | 0:19:23 | 0:19:26 | |
when his elder brother Ifor sadly fell and broke his neck | 0:19:26 | 0:19:30 | |
whilst staying at the Burtons' home in Switzerland. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:32 | |
Later, he died as a result of his injuries. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:36 | |
Richard was devastated and the drinking escalated. | 0:19:36 | 0:19:41 | |
He revealed how serious his drinking became | 0:19:41 | 0:19:44 | |
after his brother's death on the Michael Parkinson show. | 0:19:44 | 0:19:47 | |
Well, there was a second or two, I think, | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
perhaps about a year ago, | 0:19:51 | 0:19:54 | |
when I didn't fancy much staying alive. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:58 | |
Really? | 0:20:00 | 0:20:02 | |
You contemplated suicide? | 0:20:02 | 0:20:03 | |
-Oh, no. -LAUGHTER | 0:20:03 | 0:20:06 | |
No. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:07 | |
No, I wouldn't kill myself in the ordinary sense of the word. | 0:20:07 | 0:20:10 | |
I wouldn't take pills or drugs or anything really in that sense, | 0:20:10 | 0:20:14 | |
but you can, of course, drink yourself to death. | 0:20:14 | 0:20:19 | |
-Mm. -And that's really rather pleasant. | 0:20:19 | 0:20:21 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:20:21 | 0:20:24 | |
It's better than falling on a sword. | 0:20:25 | 0:20:27 | |
There was an awful guilt in Uncle Rich. Ifor was the one. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:34 | |
He always looked up to Ifor. | 0:20:34 | 0:20:35 | |
Ifor was always the better rugby player. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:39 | |
His physique was fantastic and he was really like a father figure. | 0:20:39 | 0:20:44 | |
Burton lived the glamorous life of an international superstar, | 0:20:46 | 0:20:50 | |
travelling all over the world, | 0:20:50 | 0:20:52 | |
constantly photographed and scrutinised, | 0:20:52 | 0:20:54 | |
yet he always returned to the village. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:57 | |
No matter how much his life changed, this place didn't. | 0:20:57 | 0:21:00 | |
But why did he love it so much? | 0:21:00 | 0:21:02 | |
Quoting James Joyce, he once said, | 0:21:02 | 0:21:05 | |
"Every man is searching for the place he belongs to." | 0:21:05 | 0:21:08 | |
ALL SING | 0:21:08 | 0:21:10 | |
It is, in my case, the place where I came from, which is Pontrhydyfen. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:14 | |
Richard Burton died in 1984 at the age of 58 | 0:21:16 | 0:21:21 | |
of a cerebral haemorrhage. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:22 | |
He was buried at his home in Switzerland, | 0:21:22 | 0:21:25 | |
but his friends and family, | 0:21:25 | 0:21:26 | |
including his new wife, Sally Burton, | 0:21:26 | 0:21:29 | |
held a memorial service to pay tribute to him | 0:21:29 | 0:21:32 | |
in the place he loved so much. | 0:21:32 | 0:21:35 | |
He's remembered here in the graveyard | 0:21:35 | 0:21:37 | |
of Jerusalem Chapel. | 0:21:37 | 0:21:39 | |
And here is the Jenkins family gravestone. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:45 | |
His mother and father are buried here. | 0:21:45 | 0:21:47 | |
It's in quite an amazing and poignant spot, | 0:21:47 | 0:21:50 | |
overlooking all of the village. | 0:21:50 | 0:21:52 | |
It's a wonderful resting place, | 0:21:52 | 0:21:54 | |
and it's quite a poignant moment for me as well to see this. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
There's an inscription on it and it's written in Welsh, | 0:21:57 | 0:22:00 | |
and it reads, "Seren Cymru a'r byd," | 0:22:00 | 0:22:03 | |
which translates to, | 0:22:03 | 0:22:05 | |
"star of Wales, star of the world." | 0:22:05 | 0:22:08 | |
Now, here's a quick reminder of what we're taking to auction. | 0:22:18 | 0:22:21 | |
Donald's collection of Butlin's holiday camp badges | 0:22:23 | 0:22:26 | |
from all over the UK. | 0:22:26 | 0:22:27 | |
John's elegant sugar caster has been unused for far too long. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:33 | |
Albert's angelfish was a car boot sale find. | 0:22:35 | 0:22:39 | |
And the Clarice Cliff jug, love it or hate it, | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
that name always attracts attention. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:44 | |
How will it fare with today's bidders? | 0:22:44 | 0:22:47 | |
Our auction is just up the road, in Cardiff, a city steeped in history, | 0:22:50 | 0:22:54 | |
which has undergone a major makeover in recent years. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:58 | |
Here, old and new, ancient and modern, sit alongside one another. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
The old docks have been revamped, | 0:23:01 | 0:23:03 | |
and now this area is home to the National Assembly of Wales, | 0:23:03 | 0:23:07 | |
and the Wales Millennium Centre. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:09 | |
It's now time to put our experts' valuations to the test, | 0:23:09 | 0:23:13 | |
and this is where we're doing it - Roger Jones & Company, | 0:23:13 | 0:23:15 | |
one of the oldest auctioneers in Wales. | 0:23:15 | 0:23:17 | |
It's a family-run business and they know their stuff. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:20 | |
I'm going inside to catch up with our owners, | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
because I know they're feeling nervous right now. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:25 | |
You sit tight, it's going to be a good day. | 0:23:25 | 0:23:26 | |
The sun is shining, everyone's happy. | 0:23:26 | 0:23:28 | |
Let's get on with our first lot. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:30 | |
Today's auctioneer is Ben Rogers Jones. | 0:23:32 | 0:23:34 | |
The commission here today is 15% plus VAT on items under £2,000, | 0:23:34 | 0:23:40 | |
but less for items over £2,000. | 0:23:40 | 0:23:44 | |
First up is the sugar caster. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:45 | |
It's such an elegant thing, surely someone would love this item | 0:23:45 | 0:23:48 | |
in their home. | 0:23:48 | 0:23:50 | |
If you want classical style and decoration, | 0:23:51 | 0:23:53 | |
then look no further than John's sugar caster. | 0:23:53 | 0:23:56 | |
This is fantastic, isn't it? | 0:23:56 | 0:23:58 | |
-I mean, it really... It's got style, hasn't it? -It's wonderful, Paul. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:01 | |
-It's going to sell. -It's going to sell, isn't it? -It's going to sell. | 0:24:01 | 0:24:04 | |
I saw a lady looking at this and I said, | 0:24:04 | 0:24:05 | |
"Are you selling or buying today?" She said, "I've come to buy this." | 0:24:05 | 0:24:09 | |
And I said, "What?" And she pointed at your sugar caster. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:11 | |
-Oh, that's good. That's good. -So we'll look out for a lady in the room. | 0:24:11 | 0:24:14 | |
-Fingers crossed it goes to the lady in the room. OK? -Yes. | 0:24:14 | 0:24:17 | |
Here we go, this is it. | 0:24:17 | 0:24:18 | |
Lovely, quality ballista sugar caster. | 0:24:18 | 0:24:21 | |
I've got interest in this one as far as 220. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:27 | |
-£220. -Straight in! | 0:24:27 | 0:24:30 | |
-30, 240. -Maiden bid. -South Africa. 260, online at 260. | 0:24:30 | 0:24:36 | |
-270. -Yes, she's bidding, she's bidding, she's down the front. | 0:24:36 | 0:24:38 | |
-I'm ever so pleased. -280. Anybody else now? | 0:24:38 | 0:24:42 | |
-Oh, she's pulled out, Paul. -No, no, no. She's bidding again. | 0:24:42 | 0:24:45 | |
-Oh, she's back in. -290. -She's determined to get it, isn't she? | 0:24:45 | 0:24:48 | |
300. Saudi Arabia, is it? £300 in Saudi Arabia. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:53 | |
-At £300. -Saudi Arabia! -At £300. | 0:24:53 | 0:24:55 | |
-We've gone global. -It's gone to the royal family. -£300. | 0:24:55 | 0:24:59 | |
-At £300, is everybody done? -Oh, don't... | 0:24:59 | 0:25:01 | |
That's gone to Saudi Arabia, £300! | 0:25:01 | 0:25:04 | |
Oh. Oh! | 0:25:04 | 0:25:06 | |
That's a brilliant result. | 0:25:06 | 0:25:07 | |
-You see, it's quality, quality, quality. -Yeah. | 0:25:07 | 0:25:10 | |
Sadly, that lady lost it, but do you know what? | 0:25:10 | 0:25:13 | |
Every auctioneer loves an under-bidder. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:15 | |
Because you need someone pushing it up! | 0:25:15 | 0:25:17 | |
What do you always say, Paul? | 0:25:17 | 0:25:19 | |
-Quality... -Always sells. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:22 | |
Well, someone in Saudi Arabia is going to be delighted with that. | 0:25:22 | 0:25:26 | |
I wonder who it is. | 0:25:26 | 0:25:27 | |
But what a great start for us. | 0:25:27 | 0:25:29 | |
Next up is the Murano glass angelfish, | 0:25:29 | 0:25:32 | |
one of those car boot sale finds we all wish we had spotted. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:35 | |
Yes, it's that Murano glass. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:38 | |
It's that paperweight belonging to Albert. | 0:25:38 | 0:25:40 | |
Were you ever a tropical fish fan? Did you...? | 0:25:40 | 0:25:42 | |
-Yeah, I have got tropical fish. -You have? Got any angelfish? | 0:25:42 | 0:25:45 | |
-Two. -Oh, you're missing one in a minute | 0:25:45 | 0:25:47 | |
because this one's going to definitely sell. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:50 | |
It really is. It's a good hobby, isn't it? | 0:25:50 | 0:25:52 | |
Watching the fish, as well. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:53 | |
-It's relaxing. -Cleaning the tank out. | 0:25:53 | 0:25:55 | |
-I love it. -Yeah, I like it as well. It's good. It's good. | 0:25:55 | 0:25:58 | |
-Well, we like our fish. -Yeah, yeah. And it's so modern, | 0:25:58 | 0:26:03 | |
yet it also is the evolution on from Venetian glass. | 0:26:03 | 0:26:06 | |
-Yes. -From those years ago. So it's a great lot. -Yeah. | 0:26:06 | 0:26:09 | |
It's got today's look, it really has. | 0:26:09 | 0:26:11 | |
And hopefully, we're going to find a buyer for that right now. | 0:26:11 | 0:26:13 | |
Good luck. This is it. | 0:26:13 | 0:26:15 | |
The wonderful Murano glass. | 0:26:15 | 0:26:18 | |
-Loving this. -Aquarium paperweight. | 0:26:18 | 0:26:20 | |
I've got a low bid to start with, but let's see where it takes us. | 0:26:20 | 0:26:23 | |
It starts at £30. At £30, 40, 50. | 0:26:23 | 0:26:27 | |
Is there 60? £50, against you now. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:30 | |
Is there a 60? At £50, 60 in the room. | 0:26:30 | 0:26:33 | |
Is there 70? At £60, where's 70 now? | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
And £60 to my right. | 0:26:36 | 0:26:38 | |
-In the saleroom itself, at £60. -That's OK. -I'm happy. -Cost you £2. | 0:26:38 | 0:26:41 | |
-£60, the hammer's gone down. -I'm happy with that. | 0:26:43 | 0:26:45 | |
You are, aren't you? That'll get you a lot of fish. | 0:26:45 | 0:26:47 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:26:47 | 0:26:49 | |
Yeah, I'm well pleased with that. | 0:26:49 | 0:26:52 | |
-Yeah, good return on £2. -Absolutely. -Yeah. | 0:26:52 | 0:26:55 | |
Albert's pleased with that result. | 0:26:55 | 0:26:57 | |
His early morning start at the car boot sale certainly paid off. | 0:26:57 | 0:27:01 | |
And now it's the turn of that classic "Flog It!" name. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:04 | |
The Clarice Cliff jug. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:06 | |
It wouldn't be "Flog It!" without Clarice Cliff, | 0:27:06 | 0:27:08 | |
and Mark managed to find a bit. | 0:27:08 | 0:27:10 | |
It was the bright colours. Marie, thank you for bringing it in. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:13 | |
And you look fabulous today, as well. | 0:27:13 | 0:27:15 | |
Now, do you like Clarice Cliff? | 0:27:15 | 0:27:17 | |
-No. -Do you know, I'm not a big fan of it, actually. | 0:27:17 | 0:27:20 | |
But, look, some people love it and there's a big market for it still. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
And Mark, you're sort of... You're attracted to this, aren't you? | 0:27:23 | 0:27:26 | |
I like some patterns. I think that this is nice and bold. | 0:27:26 | 0:27:29 | |
And I like that cafe au lait glaze. | 0:27:29 | 0:27:31 | |
And you know what we always say - Clarice never lets us down. | 0:27:31 | 0:27:34 | |
And I'm sure with a £100 price tag, this one's not going to let us down, | 0:27:34 | 0:27:37 | |
Marie, at all. It's not, is it? | 0:27:37 | 0:27:39 | |
-No, of course not. -You looked a little bit worried then. | 0:27:39 | 0:27:42 | |
No. I'm not worried at all. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:43 | |
I think it's going to be... Your expression, top of the estimate. | 0:27:43 | 0:27:47 | |
Top of the estimate. Here we go. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:48 | |
It's going under the hammer. | 0:27:48 | 0:27:50 | |
First off, a couple of items of Clarice Cliff today. | 0:27:50 | 0:27:53 | |
I've got 60 to start. | 0:27:53 | 0:27:54 | |
-At 60, is there 70? 80, 90, 100, 10 20, 30. -It's gone. | 0:27:54 | 0:27:58 | |
-Oh, oh. -130. Are you coming in on the phone? | 0:27:58 | 0:28:02 | |
130 is online. 140. | 0:28:02 | 0:28:04 | |
140 now, on the phone. | 0:28:04 | 0:28:06 | |
150... 160 on the telephone. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:10 | |
On the telephone, anybody in the room? | 0:28:10 | 0:28:12 | |
160. Fair warning, then. | 0:28:12 | 0:28:14 | |
£160. The telephone has it, at 160, here it goes... | 0:28:14 | 0:28:19 | |
-Yes. -160. -Whoa! -Hammer's gone down. Keenly contested. | 0:28:19 | 0:28:21 | |
-So, lots of people like big fruit. -They do. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:24 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:28:24 | 0:28:27 | |
What a great price, twice Mark's original estimate. | 0:28:29 | 0:28:32 | |
Next up, the Butlin's badges. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:35 | |
This is a first on "Flog It!". | 0:28:35 | 0:28:36 | |
We've never sold a collection, or had a collection, | 0:28:36 | 0:28:39 | |
of Butlin's badges on this show. | 0:28:39 | 0:28:41 | |
They belong to Donald, who is right next to me. | 0:28:41 | 0:28:43 | |
Did you get into collecting badges because you were a Redcoat, then? | 0:28:43 | 0:28:46 | |
Well, yes. | 0:28:46 | 0:28:48 | |
I didn't know I had so many until the end of the season | 0:28:48 | 0:28:51 | |
when I put them together, and they've been in a tin ever since. | 0:28:51 | 0:28:54 | |
And now you want to sell them. OK. | 0:28:54 | 0:28:56 | |
They capture a moment. | 0:28:56 | 0:28:57 | |
They do. Not a lot of money, but here we go. | 0:28:57 | 0:29:00 | |
This lovely Butlin's... Wonderful collection. | 0:29:00 | 0:29:03 | |
I'm straight in at £70. | 0:29:03 | 0:29:05 | |
A bid, sir? Five, I've got £80. | 0:29:05 | 0:29:08 | |
Five, and 90. | 0:29:08 | 0:29:09 | |
Five, 100. | 0:29:09 | 0:29:10 | |
£100. Is there ten? | 0:29:10 | 0:29:12 | |
110, your bid. | 0:29:12 | 0:29:13 | |
Before you, 120, 130, 140, 150. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:16 | |
-£150... -This is fantastic. | 0:29:16 | 0:29:18 | |
-Wonderful. -£150! | 0:29:18 | 0:29:19 | |
-Yep. -I won't forget you, sir. At 180. | 0:29:19 | 0:29:22 | |
-Get that coat back on. -200. 220. | 0:29:22 | 0:29:24 | |
£220! | 0:29:24 | 0:29:26 | |
240, 260. 260. | 0:29:26 | 0:29:29 | |
At 260 online. | 0:29:29 | 0:29:30 | |
Just a happy facet of history, | 0:29:30 | 0:29:32 | |
but the public... The sun's shining on us. | 0:29:32 | 0:29:34 | |
Yes, and it's still going strong. | 0:29:34 | 0:29:35 | |
At 280, 280, 300. | 0:29:35 | 0:29:38 | |
-300. -Wonderful! | 0:29:38 | 0:29:40 | |
Is there 20? At £300. | 0:29:40 | 0:29:42 | |
At £300. | 0:29:42 | 0:29:44 | |
Yes! | 0:29:44 | 0:29:45 | |
-£300. -Well done. | 0:29:45 | 0:29:47 | |
That was a great price. I mean, there were a lot of badges there. | 0:29:47 | 0:29:50 | |
And good on you for collecting them. Good on you. | 0:29:50 | 0:29:54 | |
It's great to see Donald's collection fetch such a good price. | 0:29:54 | 0:29:57 | |
It's obviously brought back holiday memories for someone. | 0:29:57 | 0:30:00 | |
So far, so good. | 0:30:01 | 0:30:03 | |
It's now time to return to our valuation day venue, Margam Park, | 0:30:03 | 0:30:06 | |
to look for more antiques and treasures to put under the hammer. | 0:30:06 | 0:30:09 | |
But before that, I want to find out a little bit more about the history | 0:30:09 | 0:30:12 | |
of the place. | 0:30:12 | 0:30:14 | |
It's fascinating how history is such a dynamic process. | 0:30:14 | 0:30:16 | |
What one generation does lays the foundations for those to follow. | 0:30:16 | 0:30:22 | |
In 1951, Port Talbot earned its place in the history books | 0:30:25 | 0:30:29 | |
when it opened the largest steelworks in Europe - | 0:30:29 | 0:30:32 | |
the Abbey Works. | 0:30:32 | 0:30:33 | |
'And to mark this great day in industrial history, | 0:30:35 | 0:30:37 | |
'a Welsh dragon, forged in the steel of Margam, | 0:30:37 | 0:30:40 | |
'was presented to the Chancellor.' | 0:30:40 | 0:30:42 | |
Ever since, this monument to industrialisation | 0:30:43 | 0:30:47 | |
has dominated the skyline. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:48 | |
It was the envy of the world, I think, of the steel-making world. | 0:30:49 | 0:30:52 | |
Those who wanted to work would have a job, | 0:30:52 | 0:30:54 | |
that was what it came down to at the end of the day. | 0:30:54 | 0:30:56 | |
But its presence here has its roots in the Margam estate, | 0:30:56 | 0:31:00 | |
and the Talbot family. | 0:31:00 | 0:31:02 | |
When Thomas Mansel Talbot died, the Margam estate was passed to his son, | 0:31:02 | 0:31:06 | |
Christopher, who was known as CRM Talbot. | 0:31:06 | 0:31:09 | |
He was only ten years old, but by the time he came of age | 0:31:09 | 0:31:12 | |
he had romantic ideas for the 34,000-acre estate | 0:31:12 | 0:31:16 | |
and he set about building this fantastic castle | 0:31:16 | 0:31:19 | |
in the Gothic revival style. | 0:31:19 | 0:31:22 | |
Work began in 1830, and it was completed ten years later | 0:31:22 | 0:31:27 | |
at a cost of over £2 million in today's money. | 0:31:27 | 0:31:31 | |
He was so rich, he was referred to as the wealthiest commoner in Britain. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:36 | |
Now, whilst he certainly enjoyed the traditional Victorian pursuits | 0:31:36 | 0:31:39 | |
of the landed gentry, such as hunting, shooting and fishing | 0:31:39 | 0:31:43 | |
on his extensive estate, he also embraced | 0:31:43 | 0:31:45 | |
the exciting and dynamic spirit of the Victorian age - | 0:31:45 | 0:31:49 | |
the Industrial Revolution. | 0:31:49 | 0:31:50 | |
And that passion led to what we can see over there. | 0:31:50 | 0:31:53 | |
The world-famous Port Talbot steelworks. | 0:31:53 | 0:31:56 | |
Talbot leased his land to collieries, copper and ironworks. | 0:31:57 | 0:32:01 | |
But he soon realised the key to future success was to improve | 0:32:01 | 0:32:04 | |
access to the area. | 0:32:04 | 0:32:06 | |
In 1836, he lobbied for an Act of Parliament to construct a new | 0:32:08 | 0:32:12 | |
floating dock at Aberavon to import and export materials. | 0:32:12 | 0:32:16 | |
This is the site of the original dock that was created, | 0:32:18 | 0:32:21 | |
and as a result of CRM Talbot's support and financial input, | 0:32:21 | 0:32:25 | |
the town was first given the name Port Talbot in his honour. | 0:32:25 | 0:32:30 | |
Then, in 1848, he helped to create a railway line | 0:32:31 | 0:32:35 | |
that connected this region directly to London. | 0:32:35 | 0:32:38 | |
For the first time, raw materials and goods could be transported | 0:32:38 | 0:32:43 | |
to Port Talbot by sea and rail. | 0:32:43 | 0:32:45 | |
In the early 1900s, two new steelworks were built | 0:32:45 | 0:32:49 | |
near the docks, | 0:32:49 | 0:32:50 | |
making it one of the most important industrial hubs in Britain. | 0:32:50 | 0:32:54 | |
But after the Second World War, | 0:32:55 | 0:32:57 | |
Britain entered a brand-new era of consumerism. | 0:32:57 | 0:33:00 | |
The steel industry needed to modernise to meet up | 0:33:00 | 0:33:02 | |
with the demand and Port Talbot was at the very heart of that. | 0:33:02 | 0:33:06 | |
The Abbey Steelworks that you can see behind me | 0:33:06 | 0:33:08 | |
became the most ambitious industrial project after the war. | 0:33:08 | 0:33:12 | |
And it became renowned worldwide as the largest, | 0:33:12 | 0:33:14 | |
most modern steel plant in Europe. | 0:33:14 | 0:33:17 | |
In the post-war years, steel was vital for consumer goods, | 0:33:19 | 0:33:22 | |
cars and ships. | 0:33:22 | 0:33:24 | |
Port Talbot was seen as the perfect location for this ambitious project. | 0:33:24 | 0:33:29 | |
Five million tonnes of sand had to be shifted | 0:33:29 | 0:33:32 | |
to prepare the vast new site. | 0:33:32 | 0:33:34 | |
It ran to over 3.5 miles, with 75 miles of railway track. | 0:33:34 | 0:33:39 | |
When it opened, it would produce one million tonnes of steel per year. | 0:33:39 | 0:33:45 | |
Professor Louise Miskell is an expert in industrial history. | 0:33:45 | 0:33:49 | |
So how significant was the steelworks here at Port Talbot? | 0:33:50 | 0:33:53 | |
It was built at a time when Britain had just come out of the war. | 0:33:53 | 0:33:57 | |
There was a big emphasis on post-war reconstruction | 0:33:57 | 0:33:59 | |
and steel was probably the most important industry in Britain | 0:33:59 | 0:34:03 | |
that symbolised the kind of rebuilding of the British economy. | 0:34:03 | 0:34:06 | |
-Yeah. -And I think the interesting thing about it | 0:34:06 | 0:34:08 | |
was that it was built to produce strip steel for the | 0:34:08 | 0:34:12 | |
automotive industry and for the big, booming consumer appliances. | 0:34:12 | 0:34:17 | |
So when the steel company in Wales, who ran this works, were | 0:34:17 | 0:34:20 | |
investigating strip steel, they went to America. | 0:34:20 | 0:34:22 | |
They looked at the latest technology for strip steel... | 0:34:22 | 0:34:25 | |
-Sure. -..that the Americans had developed in the interwar period. | 0:34:25 | 0:34:29 | |
And they imported it here, so that Britain could produce | 0:34:29 | 0:34:32 | |
wide strip steel for the car industry, | 0:34:32 | 0:34:34 | |
for the consumer industry and it became the sort of flagship | 0:34:34 | 0:34:38 | |
of British post-war reconstruction. | 0:34:38 | 0:34:40 | |
-It really put Port Talbot on the map in a global sense, I think. -Yeah. | 0:34:40 | 0:34:44 | |
The Abbey Works was soon the largest employer in the area, | 0:34:44 | 0:34:48 | |
with some 18,000 employees at its peak. | 0:34:48 | 0:34:51 | |
Port Talbot earned the nickname, Eldorado, because it had the most | 0:34:51 | 0:34:55 | |
highly paid, industrial workers in the country. | 0:34:55 | 0:34:59 | |
Men like Jeff Lewis, who joined the works aged 15. | 0:34:59 | 0:35:03 | |
When you were talking about the national average wage at the time, | 0:35:03 | 0:35:07 | |
I'm talking about, it was £11 a week. | 0:35:07 | 0:35:09 | |
It was £21, £22 a week in Aberavon, | 0:35:09 | 0:35:13 | |
which obviously was a big difference. | 0:35:13 | 0:35:15 | |
But the high wages reflected the dangers | 0:35:15 | 0:35:18 | |
workers like Peter Richards faced. | 0:35:18 | 0:35:21 | |
Stinking place with acid fumes, dust, noise. | 0:35:21 | 0:35:27 | |
As far as fumes were concerned, | 0:35:27 | 0:35:29 | |
that did cause some concern because your teeth would go black. | 0:35:29 | 0:35:33 | |
Your lips would go black. | 0:35:33 | 0:35:35 | |
Sparks flying everywhere, tremendous noise and dust. | 0:35:35 | 0:35:39 | |
They weren't as health-conscious then as they are now. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:42 | |
16-year-old apprentice Jim Bevan had a shock on his first day | 0:35:42 | 0:35:46 | |
when he followed his supervisor onto the gantry. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:49 | |
I think it was about 90ft high, | 0:35:49 | 0:35:52 | |
and they were pouring steel down below. | 0:35:52 | 0:35:54 | |
And all of a sudden you walked onto this central beam and, not thinking, | 0:35:54 | 0:35:58 | |
I walked after him. | 0:35:58 | 0:36:00 | |
And I looked down and I dropped on all fours | 0:36:00 | 0:36:03 | |
and I crawled all the way across. | 0:36:03 | 0:36:06 | |
It's frightening. If you've never been in that environment before, | 0:36:06 | 0:36:09 | |
it's very frightening. | 0:36:09 | 0:36:11 | |
Port Talbot became a boom town during the '50s and '60s. | 0:36:12 | 0:36:16 | |
There were shops, cinemas, | 0:36:16 | 0:36:18 | |
and in 1961 the first casino in an industrial town opened its doors. | 0:36:18 | 0:36:23 | |
'Here, the steelworkers are the best paid in Britain. | 0:36:25 | 0:36:28 | |
'They live high in a style not normally associated with the Welsh.' | 0:36:28 | 0:36:31 | |
That was a revelation in enjoyment. | 0:36:32 | 0:36:35 | |
All the top stars would come to town. | 0:36:35 | 0:36:37 | |
Les Dawson came here, he started off. Johnny Mathis came here. | 0:36:37 | 0:36:41 | |
They all came to...to the casino. | 0:36:41 | 0:36:44 | |
These were all new things which people my age | 0:36:44 | 0:36:48 | |
had never experienced before. | 0:36:48 | 0:36:50 | |
Well, at 20 years of age and you've got money in your pocket... | 0:36:50 | 0:36:54 | |
You know, things are good, aren't they? | 0:36:54 | 0:36:56 | |
But the boom times didn't last. | 0:36:56 | 0:36:58 | |
During the '70s and '80s, | 0:36:58 | 0:37:00 | |
increased competition meant cutbacks and job losses. | 0:37:00 | 0:37:04 | |
Today, the privately-owned steelworks employs less than | 0:37:04 | 0:37:07 | |
4,000 people, but it's still the largest steel manufacturing plant | 0:37:07 | 0:37:12 | |
in Britain. | 0:37:12 | 0:37:13 | |
For the workers, who were there in its heyday, | 0:37:13 | 0:37:16 | |
there are happy memories. | 0:37:16 | 0:37:17 | |
Everything seemed to be happening at the same time. | 0:37:17 | 0:37:20 | |
It was a great time to be alive, it was a great time to live. | 0:37:20 | 0:37:22 | |
Our age was right and we had this fantastic workplace on her doorstep. | 0:37:22 | 0:37:27 | |
-You couldn't go wrong. -It paid for everything that I've got today. | 0:37:27 | 0:37:30 | |
Erm... I've had a good standard of living. | 0:37:30 | 0:37:33 | |
All my life, my family have had a good standard of living. | 0:37:33 | 0:37:36 | |
I'm very grateful for it. | 0:37:36 | 0:37:39 | |
My whole life has been in steel, if you like. | 0:37:39 | 0:37:43 | |
Either fighting for the boys, | 0:37:43 | 0:37:45 | |
working with them, playing with them. | 0:37:45 | 0:37:48 | |
You know, I can't say any more. That's my life. | 0:37:48 | 0:37:51 | |
But what of CRM Talbot at Margam Castle, what is HIS legacy? | 0:37:54 | 0:37:59 | |
Well, of course, the steelworks that we can see here were all built | 0:37:59 | 0:38:02 | |
long after he had died. | 0:38:02 | 0:38:04 | |
But I think the importance of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot | 0:38:04 | 0:38:07 | |
is that he really gave Port Talbot momentum, | 0:38:07 | 0:38:10 | |
because he was responsible for developing lots of the transport | 0:38:10 | 0:38:14 | |
infrastructure - the roads, the railways - | 0:38:14 | 0:38:16 | |
that gave Port Talbot its locational advantage over other competitor | 0:38:16 | 0:38:20 | |
steel-making locations. | 0:38:20 | 0:38:22 | |
So really, without him starting all that, | 0:38:22 | 0:38:24 | |
a lot of what you see in modern-day Port Talbot today probably wouldn't | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
have existed as soon as it did. | 0:38:28 | 0:38:30 | |
Today, the steelworks face an uncertain future. | 0:38:30 | 0:38:33 | |
Whatever lies ahead, CRM Talbot would surely be proud | 0:38:33 | 0:38:37 | |
of what has been achieved here. | 0:38:37 | 0:38:39 | |
Back at our valuation day, there are still lots of people | 0:38:43 | 0:38:45 | |
waiting to get their items valued. | 0:38:45 | 0:38:48 | |
Our experts have certainly been industrious, | 0:38:48 | 0:38:51 | |
and now it's over to Charles, who's found something | 0:38:51 | 0:38:54 | |
that would be right at home in Margam Castle. | 0:38:54 | 0:38:57 | |
Now, I presume you're a lady of some distinction. | 0:38:57 | 0:39:01 | |
Well, I'm not sure about that. | 0:39:01 | 0:39:03 | |
I try to be, but I'm really not sure. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:05 | |
You look to me a lady of etiquette. | 0:39:05 | 0:39:08 | |
I don't know what my friends would say about that. | 0:39:08 | 0:39:10 | |
Oh, and I'm sure that you've used this contraption. | 0:39:10 | 0:39:14 | |
-I've never used it. -Oh, Maureen! | 0:39:14 | 0:39:17 | |
-Where was it found? -It was found in my aunt's house | 0:39:17 | 0:39:20 | |
while we were cleaning it out. | 0:39:20 | 0:39:22 | |
Let's have a look. | 0:39:22 | 0:39:23 | |
And what we've got here is a very nice late-Victorian | 0:39:23 | 0:39:28 | |
horn-handled, silver-collared crumb scoop. | 0:39:28 | 0:39:33 | |
And it really captures the high Victorian. | 0:39:33 | 0:39:37 | |
And we can tell from this anthemion detail on the terminal here, | 0:39:37 | 0:39:43 | |
and this nice chased foliate ornament, and the fact, | 0:39:43 | 0:39:47 | |
you're quite right, it's dirty. | 0:39:47 | 0:39:49 | |
Yes, it is. I didn't know whether to clean it or not. | 0:39:49 | 0:39:51 | |
Well, you haven't. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:53 | |
We can see on the back here, | 0:39:53 | 0:39:55 | |
we've got the mark for electroplate, so we know it's post-1870 | 0:39:55 | 0:40:01 | |
when electrolysis really replaced Sheffield plate. | 0:40:01 | 0:40:05 | |
And, of course, | 0:40:05 | 0:40:06 | |
on this delightful collar here, | 0:40:06 | 0:40:09 | |
we can see the all-important hallmark. | 0:40:09 | 0:40:13 | |
And I can see it was made by | 0:40:13 | 0:40:14 | |
Allen & Darwin, in Sheffield, | 0:40:14 | 0:40:17 | |
in the year our great Queen Victoria | 0:40:17 | 0:40:20 | |
celebrated her diamond jubilee. | 0:40:20 | 0:40:24 | |
What year was that? | 0:40:24 | 0:40:25 | |
Oh, now you've put me on the spot. | 0:40:25 | 0:40:28 | |
I've no idea. | 0:40:28 | 0:40:30 | |
This was made in the year 1897. | 0:40:30 | 0:40:32 | |
-Oh, there we are. -So maybe when we celebrated the diamond jubilee | 0:40:32 | 0:40:37 | |
and served cake and tea, this may have been used | 0:40:37 | 0:40:40 | |
to clean the crumbs up. | 0:40:40 | 0:40:41 | |
-And this really reflects high society. -Lovely. | 0:40:41 | 0:40:45 | |
It's something which I would put a guide price of between £25 and £30. | 0:40:45 | 0:40:50 | |
And, with your blessing, we will sell it on the day. | 0:40:50 | 0:40:53 | |
-Yep. -I think, to a collector, it represents really good value. | 0:40:53 | 0:40:58 | |
It's a shame this isn't silver. If this was silver, | 0:40:58 | 0:41:00 | |
it would be worth more like 150. | 0:41:00 | 0:41:02 | |
If it makes nearer £40 or £45, I might say one thing. | 0:41:02 | 0:41:07 | |
-Crumbs. -Crumbs. Exactly, haven't we done well? | 0:41:07 | 0:41:11 | |
-We have. -Here's hoping. | 0:41:11 | 0:41:13 | |
I have to say, I loved that crumb scoop. | 0:41:13 | 0:41:16 | |
Now it's the turn of Mark Stacey, | 0:41:16 | 0:41:18 | |
who's spotted a very intriguing plate. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:20 | |
David, one of the things I wanted to see in Wales at a "Flog it!" | 0:41:21 | 0:41:26 | |
is some Welsh porcelain. | 0:41:26 | 0:41:28 | |
And you've brought a lovely Nantgarw Swansea porcelain plate in. | 0:41:28 | 0:41:32 | |
-That's right. -Where did it come from? | 0:41:32 | 0:41:34 | |
My grandmother had it, I've been told, as a wedding present. | 0:41:34 | 0:41:38 | |
-Gosh. -She was working in service. | 0:41:38 | 0:41:42 | |
-And in about 1900, I believe. -Right. | 0:41:42 | 0:41:45 | |
She died, she left it to my uncle. | 0:41:45 | 0:41:48 | |
He died, and he left it to myself and my son. | 0:41:48 | 0:41:51 | |
-He said, "Do what you want," you know. -And you don't collect porcelain yourself? | 0:41:51 | 0:41:55 | |
No, and it's kept in a box in the attic. And I thought, you know... | 0:41:55 | 0:41:59 | |
Well, it's a very interesting factory. | 0:41:59 | 0:42:01 | |
I mean, it was one of the best Regency porcelain manufacturers. | 0:42:01 | 0:42:05 | |
I mean, the firm itself was set up | 0:42:05 | 0:42:08 | |
in the early part of the 19th century, | 0:42:08 | 0:42:09 | |
around about 1813, I think. | 0:42:09 | 0:42:11 | |
And they pumped a lot of money into producing the most exquisite | 0:42:11 | 0:42:15 | |
hand-painted porcelain. | 0:42:15 | 0:42:17 | |
And they employed some of the really top painters at the time, | 0:42:17 | 0:42:21 | |
particularly with the floral subject - | 0:42:21 | 0:42:23 | |
William Billingsley, Thomas Pardew, people like that. | 0:42:23 | 0:42:27 | |
This is a later one. This is from the 1820s period, I think. | 0:42:27 | 0:42:31 | |
It's a little bit heavier on the moulding. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:33 | |
-Yeah. -And you've got this rather sort of candyfloss pink, | 0:42:33 | 0:42:38 | |
-haven't you? -Yes. -As the background with these flowers. | 0:42:38 | 0:42:40 | |
But the little painting in the centre is quite interesting. | 0:42:40 | 0:42:44 | |
-This black and white painting. -Yes. | 0:42:44 | 0:42:47 | |
-The sad thing about it is its condition. -Yes. I realise that. | 0:42:47 | 0:42:51 | |
-When we turn it over, you can see... -Yes. | 0:42:51 | 0:42:54 | |
It really is in quite bad condition. | 0:42:54 | 0:42:59 | |
-But it is marked Nantgarw... -Yes. -..which is an interesting thing. | 0:42:59 | 0:43:02 | |
We've done a little bit of research and we can't come up with anything | 0:43:02 | 0:43:06 | |
like this. I have seen plates in the past painted in black and white with | 0:43:06 | 0:43:10 | |
things like the Three Graces, which has sold for a lot of money, | 0:43:10 | 0:43:13 | |
-but they are from known services... -Yes. -..which makes a difference. | 0:43:13 | 0:43:16 | |
Yes. | 0:43:16 | 0:43:18 | |
-And you want to sell it? -Yes. | 0:43:18 | 0:43:20 | |
-And how much is it worth, do you think? -Don't know. | 0:43:20 | 0:43:22 | |
-So you don't know how much it's worth. -No. | 0:43:22 | 0:43:24 | |
-And I don't know how much it's worth. -No, no. | 0:43:24 | 0:43:26 | |
Because the condition is the key factor. | 0:43:26 | 0:43:29 | |
Now, it could turn out to be an extremely rare piece, | 0:43:29 | 0:43:31 | |
painted like this, in which case, collectors will forget the damage | 0:43:31 | 0:43:35 | |
and just want to own it. | 0:43:35 | 0:43:37 | |
But I think it is a historical piece and I think we have to reflect | 0:43:37 | 0:43:41 | |
-some sort of estimate on it. -Yeah. -So I would probably say... | 0:43:41 | 0:43:45 | |
£50 to £70, something like that, because of the condition. | 0:43:45 | 0:43:47 | |
-Yeah. Yeah. -And we'll put it into auction and have a go. | 0:43:47 | 0:43:51 | |
Now, did you want a reserve on it? | 0:43:51 | 0:43:53 | |
Well, I would... 50 or something? | 0:43:53 | 0:43:56 | |
..put some sort of reserve, I'll leave that to you. | 0:43:56 | 0:43:58 | |
Well, shall we put a £40 reserve fixed on it? | 0:43:58 | 0:44:01 | |
-OK, yeah. -Just to protect it. -Yes. | 0:44:01 | 0:44:02 | |
Now, hopefully, you know, all the collectors will be there. | 0:44:02 | 0:44:05 | |
It's a piece of local Welsh history. | 0:44:05 | 0:44:08 | |
-Yeah. -And that will stand in its favour. | 0:44:08 | 0:44:11 | |
I thank you for satisfying my quest to find a piece of local | 0:44:11 | 0:44:14 | |
Nantgarw Swansea porcelain. | 0:44:14 | 0:44:16 | |
Let's hope it flies in the salesroom. | 0:44:16 | 0:44:18 | |
Well, thank you very much. | 0:44:18 | 0:44:20 | |
It's damaged, but it's a great name, | 0:44:21 | 0:44:23 | |
so fingers crossed it does well at auction. | 0:44:23 | 0:44:26 | |
While our experts continue, | 0:44:26 | 0:44:28 | |
I'm heading up the hill to the castle created by CRM Talbot. | 0:44:28 | 0:44:33 | |
It may look straight out of medieval times, | 0:44:34 | 0:44:36 | |
but Talbot was a man who embraced the new and inventive spirit | 0:44:36 | 0:44:39 | |
of the Victorian age. | 0:44:39 | 0:44:41 | |
One of the inventions which particularly intrigued him was | 0:44:42 | 0:44:45 | |
described as "painting with light". It was, of course, photography. | 0:44:45 | 0:44:48 | |
His cousin was William Fox Talbot, the inventor of the | 0:44:48 | 0:44:51 | |
positive/negative photographic process we still use today. | 0:44:51 | 0:44:56 | |
But Talbot encouraged other Welsh pioneers of photography | 0:44:56 | 0:44:59 | |
to come to the Margam estate. | 0:44:59 | 0:45:01 | |
John Dillwyn Llywelyn was his wife's brother. | 0:45:01 | 0:45:04 | |
He was a regular visitor here, | 0:45:04 | 0:45:06 | |
recording the castle grounds and ruins. | 0:45:06 | 0:45:09 | |
And one of his friends took the first ever recorded daguerreotype | 0:45:11 | 0:45:14 | |
here in Wales in 1841. | 0:45:14 | 0:45:17 | |
And this is it. Took on this very spot, standing right here. | 0:45:17 | 0:45:21 | |
A brand-new invention, this was ground-breaking in its time, | 0:45:21 | 0:45:24 | |
so here we have a new invention for a new house. | 0:45:24 | 0:45:27 | |
How about that? | 0:45:27 | 0:45:29 | |
Time to get back to our experts | 0:45:31 | 0:45:33 | |
and Charles has discovered a very romantic tale. | 0:45:33 | 0:45:36 | |
-Stephen and Marjorie. -Hello. | 0:45:37 | 0:45:39 | |
-Aren't we in the most gorgeous of backdrops? -Yes, it's lovely. -We are. | 0:45:39 | 0:45:43 | |
And of course, talking about passion, I suppose romance. | 0:45:43 | 0:45:46 | |
This book has quite a lot to go on | 0:45:46 | 0:45:49 | |
with regards to your story thus far. | 0:45:49 | 0:45:52 | |
Yes, we were married in Bath Abbey. This is a book of etchings of Bath. | 0:45:52 | 0:45:58 | |
-52 years ago. -Really? -And this is a book of 24 etchings | 0:45:58 | 0:46:04 | |
-of various places in Bath... -Yes. -..including the abbey. | 0:46:04 | 0:46:08 | |
And here we are, Etchings Of Bath, | 0:46:08 | 0:46:10 | |
a series of 24 plates by Fred E Ellison. | 0:46:10 | 0:46:14 | |
And the next... | 0:46:14 | 0:46:15 | |
-Oh, I say. -And this is Bath Abbey, yes. | 0:46:15 | 0:46:17 | |
Oh, isn't that wonderful? | 0:46:17 | 0:46:20 | |
Ellison of 1886. | 0:46:20 | 0:46:21 | |
-Yes. -And the actual quality of this | 0:46:21 | 0:46:24 | |
plate etching really is so crisp. | 0:46:24 | 0:46:27 | |
-Yes. -Mm. -Importantly, sadly, | 0:46:27 | 0:46:30 | |
we often do see them cut out and framed | 0:46:30 | 0:46:33 | |
and mounted for wall space. | 0:46:33 | 0:46:36 | |
-Yep. -And furthermore, they lose their colour and freshness | 0:46:36 | 0:46:40 | |
because of daylight. | 0:46:40 | 0:46:41 | |
But what is lovely about these is the fact that they very much | 0:46:41 | 0:46:46 | |
-have been kept within... -It's been on a bookshelf. -Absolutely. | 0:46:46 | 0:46:49 | |
That will be the Abbey porch. | 0:46:49 | 0:46:51 | |
-Yes. -And that's where the photos are taken. -Wonderful. | 0:46:51 | 0:46:54 | |
-And the book came a few years after... -Yes. -..your marriage. | 0:46:54 | 0:46:58 | |
It was found in a... I can't remember exactly where. | 0:46:58 | 0:47:01 | |
In a bookshop or an antiques fair somewhere, I can't remember. | 0:47:01 | 0:47:04 | |
-But you're still going strong? -Yes. -Yes. -Look at me. | 0:47:04 | 0:47:08 | |
There we go. So, why is it time to ditch the book? | 0:47:08 | 0:47:11 | |
Well, you were coming today and we thought, "What can we take?" | 0:47:11 | 0:47:14 | |
-Yeah. -And it's time we started ditching a few things. -Is it? | 0:47:14 | 0:47:16 | |
-We have a house full, crammed full of... -Yeah. -..bits and pieces. | 0:47:16 | 0:47:20 | |
-Time to declutter, eh? I don't blame you... -That's what they say. | 0:47:20 | 0:47:23 | |
..one bit. It's a lovely book and in the market today, it is a book, | 0:47:23 | 0:47:28 | |
because it is so clean and so "market fresh" with those plates in | 0:47:28 | 0:47:33 | |
superb condition, I would guide it to fetch between £70 and £100. | 0:47:33 | 0:47:37 | |
-OK. -And I'll put a reserve at 70 with perhaps 10% discretion | 0:47:37 | 0:47:42 | |
to protect it. | 0:47:42 | 0:47:43 | |
And hopefully, elegant society in Cardiff, via Bath, | 0:47:43 | 0:47:48 | |
will celebrate what you have achieved in your long happy marriage | 0:47:48 | 0:47:52 | |
-and buy this book. -We hope so. -And we'll all be in heaven. | 0:47:52 | 0:47:55 | |
-Thank you very much. -Thanks very much. | 0:47:55 | 0:47:57 | |
A spot-on valuation by our expert. | 0:47:57 | 0:48:00 | |
Now let's find our final item of the day. | 0:48:00 | 0:48:03 | |
Carol, you brought in a wonderful pair of candle sconces. | 0:48:03 | 0:48:06 | |
I love them. How long have you had them? | 0:48:06 | 0:48:09 | |
I've had them now 21 years, | 0:48:09 | 0:48:11 | |
but my husband had them a long time before that. | 0:48:11 | 0:48:14 | |
Yeah. Are they hanging on the wall in pride of place? | 0:48:14 | 0:48:16 | |
-No, always been in the case... -No?! -..after my husband died in 2003. | 0:48:16 | 0:48:21 | |
-So, you haven't had them on the wall? -No. | 0:48:21 | 0:48:23 | |
-You don't like them? -They're too heavy. -Too heavy. | 0:48:23 | 0:48:25 | |
You know, to put... We only live in a flat. | 0:48:25 | 0:48:27 | |
-They're quite big. -Yeah. | 0:48:27 | 0:48:28 | |
-You need a nice big... -Big room. -..entrance or something for them. | 0:48:28 | 0:48:31 | |
And yet he kept them. | 0:48:31 | 0:48:32 | |
-He only had a little place, but he had them on the wall. -Did he? | 0:48:32 | 0:48:36 | |
I think they're wonderful. I don't think they're terribly old. | 0:48:36 | 0:48:39 | |
-They probably date to the sort of 1930s, 1950s or something. -Yeah. | 0:48:39 | 0:48:44 | |
That's not the point of something like this. | 0:48:44 | 0:48:46 | |
These are incredibly decorative, and it's lovely to have a pair. | 0:48:46 | 0:48:50 | |
And people collect owls. | 0:48:50 | 0:48:52 | |
My mother always used to tell me birds are... | 0:48:52 | 0:48:55 | |
-Unlucky. -..unlucky. -Well, some birds... | 0:48:55 | 0:48:57 | |
-That's my mother, see. -No, no, she's right. | 0:48:57 | 0:49:00 | |
Some people do think birds are unlucky, | 0:49:00 | 0:49:02 | |
particularly things like peacocks, | 0:49:02 | 0:49:03 | |
but I think wise old owls are quite lucky. | 0:49:03 | 0:49:06 | |
-Unusual, aren't they? -Very unusual. | 0:49:06 | 0:49:09 | |
Very quirky and you'll go a long way to find another pair of these. | 0:49:09 | 0:49:13 | |
I'd love to own them, but I can't. | 0:49:13 | 0:49:16 | |
-No. -So, you've decided it's time for them to...? | 0:49:16 | 0:49:18 | |
Yeah, well... | 0:49:18 | 0:49:20 | |
If he's looking down, he'd be happy to know that they've gone to a home. | 0:49:20 | 0:49:23 | |
I think they'll go to a very good home, | 0:49:23 | 0:49:25 | |
and there'll be several people who'll want to buy them. | 0:49:25 | 0:49:27 | |
Might surprise you, actually. | 0:49:27 | 0:49:29 | |
I'm going to be conservative because I want them to fly, | 0:49:29 | 0:49:33 | |
so I think if we put £100, £150 on them for the pair... | 0:49:33 | 0:49:36 | |
-Fine, yes. -..and I wouldn't be surprised | 0:49:36 | 0:49:38 | |
if they get above the top estimate, you know, | 0:49:38 | 0:49:41 | |
and then you can buy something that you enjoy. | 0:49:41 | 0:49:44 | |
-I'll buy something in memory of him then. -Absolutely. | 0:49:44 | 0:49:46 | |
-Something you can look at and enjoy. -Yeah. | 0:49:46 | 0:49:49 | |
-Thank you so much for bringing them in, Carol. -Thank you. | 0:49:49 | 0:49:52 | |
Well, that's it. | 0:49:54 | 0:49:56 | |
Our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction. | 0:49:56 | 0:49:59 | |
It's good timing as well, as it starts to rain | 0:49:59 | 0:50:01 | |
and the umbrellas go up. | 0:50:01 | 0:50:02 | |
It's been a busy, productive day. | 0:50:02 | 0:50:04 | |
Let's hope it pays off in the saleroom. | 0:50:04 | 0:50:07 | |
And here's a quick recap of all the items that are going... | 0:50:07 | 0:50:10 | |
under the hammer. | 0:50:10 | 0:50:12 | |
Mark loved this pair of unusual owl candle sconces. | 0:50:12 | 0:50:17 | |
Maureen's silver-plated crumb tray is straight out of a bygone age. | 0:50:18 | 0:50:22 | |
David's grandmother's Nantgarw plate has been hidden | 0:50:24 | 0:50:27 | |
in the attic for years. | 0:50:27 | 0:50:28 | |
And the book of etchings from Bath has a romantic backstory, | 0:50:30 | 0:50:33 | |
but now it's heading for the auction. | 0:50:33 | 0:50:35 | |
Back at the saleroom, Ben Rogers Jones is holding the fort | 0:50:38 | 0:50:42 | |
on the rostrum. | 0:50:42 | 0:50:43 | |
First to go under the hammer is the crumb scoop. | 0:50:43 | 0:50:46 | |
We've got that crumb scoop that Charles valued belonging to Maureen. | 0:50:46 | 0:50:49 | |
-Yeah. -Did you use this? -No, I've never used it. | 0:50:49 | 0:50:52 | |
I lost my aunt in March and cleaning her house out, | 0:50:52 | 0:50:55 | |
-we found that in a drawer. -Oh, I see, OK. You found it in a drawer. | 0:50:55 | 0:50:58 | |
-I could use this today. My kids are messy eaters. -Yeah. | 0:50:58 | 0:51:00 | |
It's the height of fashion, all those years ago. | 0:51:00 | 0:51:03 | |
-It's etiquette. -We used to use them. Do you use one now? | 0:51:03 | 0:51:05 | |
We used to... You didn't use one! | 0:51:05 | 0:51:07 | |
Yeah, well, my grandparents may have done. | 0:51:07 | 0:51:09 | |
It's just the height of sophistication. | 0:51:09 | 0:51:11 | |
-Yeah, I know. -And I say bring back the crumb scoop. | 0:51:11 | 0:51:14 | |
And you can buy one right here, right now, for £25. | 0:51:14 | 0:51:16 | |
That's what we need. It's going under the hammer. | 0:51:16 | 0:51:19 | |
Age of elegance crumb scoop by Allen & Darwin. | 0:51:19 | 0:51:23 | |
£40, nice item. | 0:51:23 | 0:51:25 | |
£40, with a Victorian horn handle. | 0:51:25 | 0:51:28 | |
£40. 20 it starts at, is there 5? | 0:51:28 | 0:51:31 | |
-Come on. -Is there 30? -Silver, silver as well. -£30. | 0:51:31 | 0:51:35 | |
Against you in US at £30. 35 in America, is there 40? | 0:51:35 | 0:51:38 | |
40 in the room. Is there 5? | 0:51:38 | 0:51:40 | |
5 back in the US. Is there 50? At 45... | 0:51:40 | 0:51:43 | |
At 45, Stateside, at 45. | 0:51:43 | 0:51:45 | |
Is everybody done? £45. | 0:51:45 | 0:51:47 | |
£45! | 0:51:47 | 0:51:49 | |
£45, well done, Charles. | 0:51:49 | 0:51:51 | |
Do you know, I find it astonishing that people in the States can buy | 0:51:51 | 0:51:54 | |
something that big from here in South Wales and get it posted | 0:51:54 | 0:51:57 | |
-over there - job done. -Absolutely right. | 0:51:57 | 0:51:59 | |
Someone in America is going to enjoy that. | 0:51:59 | 0:52:01 | |
-Yep. -Better than being in the bottom of the drawer, isn't it? | 0:52:01 | 0:52:04 | |
Yes, exactly. | 0:52:04 | 0:52:05 | |
It's not a big price, but it's heading far from home. | 0:52:06 | 0:52:10 | |
I hope the new owner has a butler. | 0:52:10 | 0:52:12 | |
Next up, it's the book of 24 etchings. | 0:52:12 | 0:52:15 | |
Stephen is here, but what has happened to Marjorie? | 0:52:15 | 0:52:17 | |
Stephen, it's good to see you again. Where is your wife? | 0:52:19 | 0:52:21 | |
-Well, she's in the background here, waiting. -Oh, she's here. | 0:52:21 | 0:52:24 | |
She's spending the money that we're trying to... | 0:52:24 | 0:52:26 | |
Oh, I see, she's browsing. Hoping to buy something. | 0:52:26 | 0:52:28 | |
-We've just bought something, actually. -Good for you. | 0:52:28 | 0:52:31 | |
Going under the hammer, right now, we've got that book, | 0:52:31 | 0:52:33 | |
24 etchings of buildings in Bath. | 0:52:33 | 0:52:35 | |
It's going under the hammer and hopefully we get the top end of | 0:52:35 | 0:52:38 | |
Charles's estimate. | 0:52:38 | 0:52:39 | |
361a, I've got 50 to start. | 0:52:40 | 0:52:43 | |
At £50, is there 5? | 0:52:43 | 0:52:45 | |
At 50, where's 5 now? | 0:52:45 | 0:52:47 | |
At 50, 55, 60. | 0:52:47 | 0:52:50 | |
5. Is there 70 now? | 0:52:50 | 0:52:51 | |
65 in the cap. | 0:52:51 | 0:52:53 | |
OK, by the door, 65 out left. | 0:52:53 | 0:52:55 | |
Is everybody done? At 65, here we go... | 0:52:55 | 0:52:57 | |
-£65, he sold it. -Just on discretion. -Yeah, just on. That's fine. | 0:52:57 | 0:53:01 | |
-70 was a moderate estimate. -Yeah. -That's OK. -Just got that one away. | 0:53:01 | 0:53:05 | |
-Yes, thank you very much. -That's OK. | 0:53:05 | 0:53:07 | |
Hopefully, it goes towards what your wife's just bought. | 0:53:07 | 0:53:10 | |
-Yes, nearly. -Nearly! | 0:53:10 | 0:53:12 | |
That just sneaked in under the reserve. | 0:53:12 | 0:53:15 | |
Maybe we're too far from Bath to get a big price. | 0:53:15 | 0:53:18 | |
But now it's the turn of that striking pair of candle sconces. | 0:53:18 | 0:53:21 | |
They look really impressive hanging on the wall at the saleroom. | 0:53:21 | 0:53:25 | |
Carol, I love this next lot. | 0:53:25 | 0:53:26 | |
We've got the pair of owls going under the hammer. | 0:53:26 | 0:53:29 | |
The candle sconces, they are fantastic. | 0:53:29 | 0:53:31 | |
-And I know you fell in love with them. -I think they're adorable. | 0:53:31 | 0:53:34 | |
And having a pair as well, Paul. | 0:53:34 | 0:53:36 | |
-You've got £100 of these. -Oh, it's nothing. | 0:53:36 | 0:53:38 | |
It's absolutely nothing. Can we please have £300? | 0:53:38 | 0:53:41 | |
That's what I would love to think, wouldn't you? | 0:53:41 | 0:53:43 | |
I'd love them to make that, Paul. | 0:53:43 | 0:53:45 | |
Good luck. Ready, everyone? Let's watch this. Here we go. | 0:53:45 | 0:53:48 | |
These lovely owl sconces. | 0:53:49 | 0:53:52 | |
-Oh. -A hoot. -I bet you said that. -Oh, they are a hoot. | 0:53:52 | 0:53:55 | |
Straight in I go at £80. At £80. Is there 90? At 90. | 0:53:55 | 0:54:01 | |
I'm jumping to 400. | 0:54:01 | 0:54:02 | |
THEY LAUGH Hey, did you hear that? | 0:54:02 | 0:54:05 | |
-Eh? -400. -Never! -400, yes. | 0:54:05 | 0:54:09 | |
Where's 20 now? At 400. At £400. | 0:54:09 | 0:54:11 | |
-Can't believe it. -Yeah. -Is there 20? | 0:54:11 | 0:54:13 | |
Have you all done? This is 400 online, the bid. | 0:54:13 | 0:54:16 | |
At £400. Everybody done? | 0:54:16 | 0:54:19 | |
-Yes! -£400. -Mark said it. | 0:54:21 | 0:54:24 | |
-Straight in. -You said it. -What did he say? | 0:54:24 | 0:54:27 | |
Why didn't he say 400 at the valuation? | 0:54:27 | 0:54:29 | |
No, he said they'd fly off the handle, didn't you? | 0:54:29 | 0:54:31 | |
-Straight away. -They would at £100 starting blocks. | 0:54:31 | 0:54:34 | |
-Well, you've got to tease them in, Paul. -Just believe it. | 0:54:34 | 0:54:37 | |
He'd be wishing you two all the best, | 0:54:37 | 0:54:40 | |
looking down and seeing those owls going to a home. | 0:54:40 | 0:54:43 | |
-If it wasn't for you coming here... -Thank you for bringing them. | 0:54:43 | 0:54:46 | |
..they would've always been in the box. | 0:54:46 | 0:54:48 | |
Yeah, well, thank you for bringing them, and as Mark said, | 0:54:48 | 0:54:50 | |
without people like you, without you, we wouldn't have a show. | 0:54:50 | 0:54:53 | |
If you've got something like that, we would love to flog it. | 0:54:53 | 0:54:55 | |
Now it's the turn of the Nantgarw plate. | 0:54:55 | 0:54:57 | |
That's certainly a name that resonates in Wales. | 0:54:57 | 0:55:01 | |
David, good luck. Fingers crossed. Should be lots of local interest. | 0:55:01 | 0:55:04 | |
Nantgarw, a great name in Welsh pottery. | 0:55:04 | 0:55:06 | |
Very good and an unusual pattern. I've never seen it. | 0:55:06 | 0:55:09 | |
-And it's going under the hammer. -It is damaged, sadly. -But... | 0:55:09 | 0:55:12 | |
I don't think that will hold. I don't think that'll hold the value | 0:55:12 | 0:55:15 | |
-back. -It shouldn't. -We're going to put this to the test. Ready? -OK. | 0:55:15 | 0:55:18 | |
The only piece of Nantgarw in the sale. | 0:55:18 | 0:55:20 | |
I'm straight in, off I go at 110 to start with. | 0:55:20 | 0:55:24 | |
-110, 20. -Straight in at 110. | 0:55:24 | 0:55:27 | |
30, 40, 50. 160, Peter's phone. | 0:55:27 | 0:55:31 | |
170, David's. | 0:55:31 | 0:55:32 | |
180, 190... | 0:55:32 | 0:55:34 | |
200. 220. | 0:55:34 | 0:55:37 | |
There's three telephone bids on there. | 0:55:37 | 0:55:39 | |
-260. Peter... -And what did you put on this, Mark? | 0:55:39 | 0:55:41 | |
You want to come back with 280? 280. | 0:55:41 | 0:55:42 | |
-Can you remind us? -£50 to £70. -50 to 70. | 0:55:42 | 0:55:45 | |
300. I'll take 2, won't forget you, David. | 0:55:45 | 0:55:48 | |
£300. 320, 380. | 0:55:48 | 0:55:51 | |
David, now, you're too slow. 380 is there. 400? | 0:55:51 | 0:55:54 | |
-£400. -400, Catherine. | 0:55:54 | 0:55:55 | |
420. 440, Catherine. | 0:55:55 | 0:55:59 | |
These are serious Nantgarw collectors. | 0:55:59 | 0:56:01 | |
-Yeah, they are. -460. | 0:56:01 | 0:56:02 | |
-David. -It is the greatest name in Welsh pottery, isn't it, really? | 0:56:02 | 0:56:06 | |
Yeah. It's one of the greatest names in British pottery | 0:56:06 | 0:56:08 | |
-because it lasted so long. -Yeah. | 0:56:08 | 0:56:10 | |
Is there 50? 550, 600. | 0:56:10 | 0:56:12 | |
650. | 0:56:13 | 0:56:15 | |
-Mark... -700. -700. -Well, I think I... | 0:56:16 | 0:56:19 | |
Can you remind us what you said earlier? | 0:56:19 | 0:56:21 | |
I think they left a nought out of my estimate, | 0:56:21 | 0:56:23 | |
and that's the problem with the catalogue. | 0:56:23 | 0:56:25 | |
800, David. | 0:56:25 | 0:56:26 | |
-That's very good, that's more money I got out of it. -Love it. | 0:56:26 | 0:56:29 | |
-1,600. -£1,600. -£1,600! | 0:56:29 | 0:56:34 | |
When's he going to stop, Paul? | 0:56:34 | 0:56:36 | |
Well, I don't think he is - shall we have a seat? | 0:56:36 | 0:56:38 | |
2,000. 2,200. 2,400. | 0:56:38 | 0:56:40 | |
Everybody done? Catherine's phone. Anybody in the room for this one? | 0:56:41 | 0:56:44 | |
At 2,400, here it goes. At 2,400... | 0:56:44 | 0:56:48 | |
We sell at 2,400. | 0:56:48 | 0:56:50 | |
-Grand, grand! -Thank you so much. | 0:56:50 | 0:56:52 | |
Gosh, I've got so hot. I've got so hot. | 0:56:52 | 0:56:54 | |
Thank you for bringing that in, because... | 0:56:54 | 0:56:57 | |
-What was it again? -50 to 70. | 0:56:57 | 0:56:59 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:56:59 | 0:57:01 | |
Who'd want to be an expert on THIS show? | 0:57:01 | 0:57:04 | |
I tell you what, you've got to know your onions, | 0:57:04 | 0:57:06 | |
but I'm with you on that one. | 0:57:06 | 0:57:07 | |
I'd have probably said about the same. | 0:57:07 | 0:57:09 | |
But Nantgarw is such a top name, isn't it? | 0:57:09 | 0:57:12 | |
That was from an important service, wasn't it? | 0:57:12 | 0:57:13 | |
-Without a doubt, without a doubt. -It had to be. | 0:57:13 | 0:57:16 | |
Good for you for hanging on to it for all that amount of time. | 0:57:16 | 0:57:19 | |
That's the beauty of auctions and what a way to end today's show. | 0:57:19 | 0:57:22 | |
It took us all by surprise and hopefully it took YOU by surprise. | 0:57:22 | 0:57:26 | |
Join us again for many more in the future, but until then, | 0:57:26 | 0:57:28 | |
it's goodbye from Wales, and what a day we've had. | 0:57:28 | 0:57:31 |