0:00:05 > 0:00:09Today, we're at one of the most romantic buildings
0:00:09 > 0:00:13in the country - Grade I listed Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17which has many fascinating features hidden in its furthest recesses,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20and we'll be looking at some of those later on in the programme.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Our valuation day is at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:00:46 > 0:00:50where the sweeping hills and rugged coastline reveal a past
0:00:50 > 0:00:53that goes back to prehistoric times.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56The fossils of ancient dinosaurs can still be uncovered in the rocks,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59as well as the remnants of early Britons.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02The castle isn't quite that old
0:01:02 > 0:01:06but, nevertheless, it holds its own kind of secrets.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Look at this magnificent setting. Hundreds of people have turned up
0:01:09 > 0:01:11and we're going to be taking over
0:01:11 > 0:01:13all of the formal lawns for our valuations.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15And, of course, fingers crossed,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19one or two of you will be going home with a small fortune in the auction.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21They're here to show our experts their antiques and collectibles,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23some of which have been hidden in cupboards
0:01:23 > 0:01:25or under the stairs for many years.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And if you're happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30ALL: Flog it!
0:01:31 > 0:01:33As our crowds get their objects out,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36our experts have their eyes on the prize.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38But Christina Trevanion doesn't seem to know what to do with it
0:01:38 > 0:01:40once she's got it...
0:01:40 > 0:01:43It probably would help if I opened it, wouldn't it, really?
0:01:43 > 0:01:47..while Philip Serrell has found the model for several objects.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Just hold on just a minute.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52A slight pout. A bit of a pout, look.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57- Like that, out there like that... - Yes.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58That leg like that. It is!
0:01:58 > 0:02:01It's you, isn't it?! When did you model for that?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04That sets the tone for the day.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09And later on in the show... Christina is modelling again.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12- Ooh! - CHRISTINA LAUGHS
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Philip is playing games.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- Look at that little mouse. - I know, he's lovely.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And there are some great surprises at the auction.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Wow!
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Oh!
0:02:24 > 0:02:27And later on in the programme, I'm going back in time
0:02:27 > 0:02:29to find out how you use a tool like this
0:02:29 > 0:02:32to make a building like that.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Our valuation day venue, Highcliffe Castle,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41might look like a medieval stronghold,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44but it's only been here since the 19th century,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48when its great turrets, stained glass and embellishments were taken
0:02:48 > 0:02:53from medieval buildings in France to decorate this vast structure.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55And what a beautiful job they did.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Well, the sun has come out and everybody is smiling
0:02:58 > 0:03:01but, right now, things are going to get a whole lot better.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04We have our first item and it's with Philip Serrell.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And he's found an object with something interesting hidden inside.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Now, that looks, to all the world,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- like you bought a little football, doesn't it?- It does.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17But you and I know it's not that, don't we?
0:03:17 > 0:03:23So, if we just open that up like that... There we go.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27This is a Masonic pendant and, if you look at it,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29these are called the working tools, here, of a mason,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33cos you've got the square and the level and the compasses,
0:03:33 > 0:03:38you've got the columns here, you've got the all-seeing eye just there,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41and you've got all these other symbols and ciphers,
0:03:41 > 0:03:45all of which, in Masonic terms, are very, very emblematic.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46So, Masonry, in this country,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I suppose started off in the 18th century,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51so do you come from a long family of Masons
0:03:51 > 0:03:52or is this something you bought or...?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55No, no, I come from a family of Masons, yeah.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57My father, my grandfather,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00all the uncles that I can think of are Masons.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05- So, every male in your family was a Mason.- Yes, including my mother.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08So, your mum was a Mason. Now, many people don't know
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- that there are, sort of, lodges for ladies, aren't there?- Yeah.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Did your dad wear this?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16No, I can't remember seeing him with that
0:04:16 > 0:04:19because they kept it secret and I used to peek into the briefcase
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and you'd see aprons and gloves and...
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Someone once told me there's an expression
0:04:25 > 0:04:27that Freemasonry is not a secret society,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29- but it's a society with secrets.- Yeah.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32But all that's changing now because there's this great move
0:04:32 > 0:04:35that Masonry should be much more open
0:04:35 > 0:04:39and people should know what's going on, and quite right it is.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43So here, you've got this lovely little Masonic ball
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and perhaps the most important symbol and cipher on it
0:04:46 > 0:04:49is that one up there which says nine-carat gold!
0:04:49 > 0:04:51THEY LAUGH
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- OK, so no more Masons in the family? - No, no.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Not looking like there's going to be any more?- No.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- It's time to go? - It is, it's time to go.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I think, at auction, it's going to make probably £80 to £120
0:05:02 > 0:05:07- and I think I'd probably recommend a fixed reserve of £80.- OK.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- Are you happy with that?- Yeah.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12And let's hope that the auction room is full of Masons,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16all of whom haven't got one of these and are desperate for one.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18As we know on this show,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Masonic memorabilia is highly sought-after
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and I'm sure there will be plenty of eager buyers
0:05:24 > 0:05:26for this mysterious pendant.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Christina's found an object that depicts the kind of people
0:05:31 > 0:05:35who would have been greeted at the doors of a castle like Highcliffe.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- It's such a pleasure to welcome you two here.- Thank you.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- It's Doortje and Jan, is that right? - Yes.- That's right.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Very, very huge welcome to "Flog It!" and to England,
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- cos you've travelled here specially today, haven't you?- Yes.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- And where have you come from? - From Holland.- From Holland?- Yes.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- Just to see us today.- Yesterday.- The south of Holland, yes.- My goodness!
0:05:53 > 0:05:56What an honour to have you here. Thank you so much for coming.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58You have brought, today,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02the most quintessential of English pictures with you.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Where on earth did you get it from?
0:06:04 > 0:06:09Um, we bought it a few years ago in an auction in Belgium.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- And what attracted you to the picture?- The humour.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- The humour in it?- Yes. - It's wonderful, isn't it?
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- And the more you look at it, the more you see, don't you?- Yes.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21So this is a fairly iconic image. I have seen quite a few of them.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23It's by a chap called Charles Johnson Payne,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26who was an artist at the turn of the century. He actually died in 1967.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31- And his most prolific work was between 1900 and 1920.- Mmm-hmm.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34He's more popularly known as Snaffles
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and the reason that he was called Snaffles is cos originally,
0:06:37 > 0:06:42- his logo was in the form of a horse's snaffle, a horse's bit.- Oh!
0:06:42 > 0:06:45So that's how he became known as Snaffles.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46This isn't an original.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49It would be great if it was, but it's not, sadly.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52But he was known for producing these prints,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56so it's a hand-coloured lithograph and it's, effectively, a print
0:06:56 > 0:06:57which has been hand-coloured
0:06:57 > 0:07:00to introduce these highlights of colour.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03We've got this wonderful hunting scene here.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06He was famous for depicting the leisure time,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09the pastimes of the very upper echelons of society.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And this one here, we've got the title here which says...
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I love it! And every one of them, I would imagine,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20has been taken from life, because they're so detailed.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22He's picked up all these wonderful little idiosyncrasies.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26We've got a chap smoking a cigar here, this chap doffing his hat,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29saying good morning, and I think that's glorious.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32He did the sketches and he was famous for these sketches,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and then, originally, it would be Snaffles' sisters
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- who would hand-colour them...- Oh!
0:07:37 > 0:07:40..and pick out all the different colour elements to them
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and have the colours wonderfully balanced.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45You've got the three grey horses sort of equidistantly spaced,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47but one of them is behind,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50this one is really bringing the eye to the centre of the picture,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53as a lovely focal point, and this one is leading the pack,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56so it just creates this wonderful sense of movement.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And I think that's really clever and it was very typical of his work
0:08:00 > 0:08:03that he would use this quite muted palette but very effectively.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05And I think what's even nicer,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08we've got this wonderful description down here.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It says here, "Published April 2nd, 1913,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13"by Messrs Fores, 41 Piccadilly, London."
0:08:13 > 0:08:17At auction, I would say somewhere in the region of £100 to £200.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- How would you feel about that? - Yes, it's OK.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- Would that be all right? - Mmm-hmm.- Splendid.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- And how much did you pay for it, if you don't mind me asking?- 38 euros.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28- OK, so you can't be too disappointed with that.- No.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33- Would you like to protect it with a reserve?- Yes.- £100.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I would suggest a discretionary reserve of £100
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and I'm fairly sure that we'll find it a new home at that.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42I think it's a wonderful thing and thank you so much
0:08:42 > 0:08:44for travelling so far just to come and see us.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- We're truly honoured, thank you. - It was our pleasure.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Yeah, it was our pleasure.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53And here's another interesting item, found by Philip.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58I love these and I love these for a specific reason.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01I have a 31-year-old daughter and, I guess,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05- 30 years ago I bought her one of these.- Oh, right.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Yeah, they're really cool things.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Has this been in your family a long time?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I used it. That's 75 years ago.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15And before that it was my father's, and he was born in 1900.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16That's lovely.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21- Cos this is about...1895, 1905, something like that.- Yes.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And it looks like what it is but it's a little bit more than that.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- Yes.- Shall we see what else it does? - Mm.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30There's a little lever on your side - this one here -
0:09:30 > 0:09:33which I'd like you to flick over.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- So that goes over there.- Yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38- And you've got a potty trainer, haven't you?- That's right.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40So that's the first thing we have.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44- Split there, and probably would have had a small chamberpot in it.- Yes.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Let's push that back over there.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- Now it's my side.- Yes. - This lifts up.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52And it just drops down...
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- like that, so you've got a little trolley.- That's right.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- But that's not the end of it, is it? - No.- Cos we do it one more time.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05That's it. There we are, isn't that sweet?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I spent many happy hours in that.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11You've gone from something that's been in your family all of its life,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- I think...- Yes.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15..and hopefully someone else is going to buy it and it can go on.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- This is the ultimate green business. - Yeah.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22There's a couple of things that date it to 1900.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27If you look at the turnings on these spindles, that's pure 1900, 1905.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32- You see those lines there?- Yes.- In the trade they're called tramlines.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Tramline moulding.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38- And those lines there date it to that same period.- Right.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42It's made out of...probably beech, I would think.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Do you have anyone in the family to pass it on to? No-one wants it?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- Nobody's interested. - No-one wants it?
0:10:47 > 0:10:52- Just collecting dust in the corner. - That's sad, isn't it?- It is.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57In terms of value, and this is what I love about our business,
0:10:57 > 0:11:02- I think this is worth £80-£120, but a fixed reserve of £60.- Yes.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- You couldn't go and buy a new one for that sort of money.- Yeah.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09But it probably wouldn't conform to all sorts of relevant statutes,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11but I think it's a wicked thing.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16The Dorset coast, just a few yards from the castle
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and our valuation day, is famous for the animals and fossils
0:11:19 > 0:11:22that lie hidden in its limestone cliffs.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26And just look what Kenneth has brought me.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It is the footprint of a dinosaur.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Yes, it's the footprint of an iguanodon.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Are you a budding palaeontologist?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I was interested in palaeontology as a kid
0:11:37 > 0:11:40but I was helping my father at my uncle's quarry,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43making tiles, and I was splitting the rocks,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46cos they needed to be split to a certain thickness
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- to make roofing tiles.- Ah, right.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53But when I split it open, I could see a dinosaur footprint.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56My dad said, "Oh, they're no good.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58"You can't use them as roofing tiles."
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Well, I think this is worth an awful lot more than a roofing tile.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Basically, that's the raised section,
0:12:03 > 0:12:05- so that sits on top of this.- Yes.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- And you split this with your chisel...- That's right.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10..straight down there. That's the footprint.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14That's the impression of its toes, so its heel section's missing.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17But you can see it better from that section, can't you,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- which is upside down?- Yes, so that's its foot really, isn't it?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22So, these things, really,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27iguanodons, were on the menu for T Rexes, weren't they?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Cos these were plant eaters. I think this is fantastic.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33It's possibly one of the most exciting things
0:12:33 > 0:12:35I've ever seen on the show.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38The new wave of antique collectors now, it's all about curios
0:12:38 > 0:12:40and things that are different.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I think it's fascinating, absolutely fascinating!
0:12:42 > 0:12:45How much do you think these two sections are worth?
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's about £30-worth of stone.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Yeah, I think you give it a valuation of £200 to £300,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54with a reserve of £180, OK?
0:12:54 > 0:12:58- Yes, most definitely! - Wow, what a find!
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Before we head off to auction, there is something I would like to show you.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13The Royal Corps of Signals have been deployed in every modern
0:13:13 > 0:13:15conflict since the First World War.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20But ask most of us what they do and we'd be hard pushed to say.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I've come to their base to meet Adam Forty, the business manager from the
0:13:23 > 0:13:28museum here, to start to find out who the Royal Signals are.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32The Royal Signals are the men and women of the British Army who
0:13:32 > 0:13:36provide the vital link of communications on the battlefield.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Whether it be ordering logistics, fulfilling the strategy of
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- your commanders, you always need to know what is going on.- Yes.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47So right back into history, whether it be Romans or Macedonians,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50communications were hugely important.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53'Adam has specially set up some pieces from the museum in an ops room
0:13:53 > 0:13:58'to demonstrate some of the early technologies used by the signallers.'
0:13:59 > 0:14:02We've got here a signalling lamp. This is a short range.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06You can see it's got Morse-code tapper and the light comes out.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- So when you're tapping that the light flashes?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12So you can read the signal by torchlight basically.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Yes, generally using Morse code, you can see using this, it's just
0:14:15 > 0:14:19dots and dashes, so that you can send a message over a limited space.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- Next. That looks interesting. - This is.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It's good fun and actually more complicated than it looks.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28You press the button, the light comes in.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32The sunshine's coming onto this. It reflects, and by deflecting this,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35you are, again, using Morse code to send a message.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37- You need a lot of sunlight, though? - You need a lot of sunlight.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Typically, this was mainly used in places like India,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44- and North West Frontier.- Yes, yeah. - Africa, et cetera.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- And the name of this is?- Heliograph. - Heliograph.- The heliograph.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49The amazing thing is the distance they reckon they can
0:14:49 > 0:14:52actually send a signal is up to around 40 to 50 miles.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53That's incredible, isn't it?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Once we'd started to get basic electronics,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00then the battlefield changed in terms of communications completely.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05During the First World War, the signallers had a range of methods of
0:15:05 > 0:15:07communication at their disposal.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Including dogs as messengers.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13But it was the telephone and the wireless that gave them the chance
0:15:13 > 0:15:15to get their messages even further.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20However, now it wasn't just about communicating from commander to men,
0:15:20 > 0:15:25but about how to intercept your opponent's communications.
0:15:25 > 0:15:30The British Army didn't particularly like the idea of wireless.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It was cumbersome.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35The batteries they used were very, very heavy.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So, they tended to rely on line communications.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40And this is the First World War field telephone.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42I love the mahogany box as well.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45It's not even in a bit of metal. A joiner's made that.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46It's beautifully designed.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It looks like something you'd have in your front room, isn't it?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- Yeah.- With line communication, what they realised is,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54they could do both telegraphy over it,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57so they could still use Morse code, but all of a sudden, because of
0:15:57 > 0:16:01- the invention of telephony early on, they could also speak over it.- Yes.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Unfortunately, they didn't realise that the system they used -
0:16:04 > 0:16:08which was a single cable and then used an earth spike at each end,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11where the handset is, to finish and complete that circuit -
0:16:11 > 0:16:14and what they hadn't realised, by doing so,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17the Germans could actually put in their own ground spikes.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Oh, and pick the message up. Gosh.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21So, the first 18 months of the First World War, the German army
0:16:21 > 0:16:23were listening to an awful lot of our messages.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Eventually, by 1916, 1917,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28they invented something called the Fullerphone.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- And this...- I've never heard of that.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32The Fullerphone was actually very famous
0:16:32 > 0:16:34and used right up into the Second World War and later.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And it chops the message up, electronically.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39And only if you have two handsets synchronised together
0:16:39 > 0:16:41will you be able to get the message.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45- The proper message in full. Otherwise it's chop, chop, buzz, buzz.- Exactly.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48'I'm going to get a sense of the work the signallers did during
0:16:48 > 0:16:52'the First World War, laying out telephone cable by using a modern
0:16:52 > 0:16:56'version of a field telephone, which is more robust than the original.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01'The trench we're using dates to the same period and was actually used
0:17:01 > 0:17:05'for practice by soldiers before they went to the front.'
0:17:05 > 0:17:11You can imagine doing this over a long distance, when it's dark,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14in trenches that you're not sure of, under fire,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17it's cold and wet and you're tired.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21I mean, this is easy for me today, but I think it would be hard work.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30This incredible footage shows the men letting out telephone cable
0:17:30 > 0:17:33from wagons, pulled by horses.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Imagine the conditions - cable was constantly damaged by the shells
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and the battle lines changed,
0:17:39 > 0:17:42so the task must have seemed unimaginably mammoth.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- Hello, Paul, can you hear me? - Hi, Adam, loud and clear.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51That's brilliant. It's working.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I've only laid about 100 metres.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57What sort of distances were covered during the First World War?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Well, just to give you an idea, before the Battle of the Somme,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03the British Army laid 50,000 miles of cable,
0:18:03 > 0:18:0643,000 miles above the ground
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and 7,000 miles six feet deep in the ground.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Wow. Gosh, that's a lot of work.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14And that's just for the one...
0:18:14 > 0:18:16That's just for the offensive of the Somme.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18So, you can imagine, over the full period of the war,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21they must have laid hundreds and hundreds of thousands
0:18:21 > 0:18:23of miles of line.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25By the end of the war, the signalmen had grown in number
0:18:25 > 0:18:31from 6,000 at the start of the war to an incredible 70,000 men
0:18:31 > 0:18:34with highly technical skills by the end.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37In recognition, the Royal Corps of Signals was created,
0:18:37 > 0:18:41but it was in the Second World War that things changed again.
0:18:44 > 0:18:49D-Day, the Allied-led invasion of Normandy on 6th June 1944,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53was to be the largest seaborne invasion in history.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55In this war, the name of the game was using
0:18:55 > 0:18:57communications for deception.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Operation Fortitude was the deception plan to convince
0:19:01 > 0:19:04the Germans that the Allied forces would invade at Calais and
0:19:04 > 0:19:07the Royal Signals were part of this plan,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11transmitting false communiques to fool the Germans, and it worked.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17At age 100, John Bowman was one of the men responsible for setting up
0:19:17 > 0:19:21communications in Normandy after the invasion.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23He still remembers those days well.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28What was your role in the Signals?
0:19:28 > 0:19:34Entirely as an operator, which meant as a wireless operator.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39It developed into working at brigade headquarters,
0:19:39 > 0:19:45manning a wireless set, latterly, as one of the operators on the
0:19:45 > 0:19:50brigade command in an armoured command vehicle.
0:19:50 > 0:19:56That was, of course, when it came to operations in Normandy.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00I was the sergeant in charge of that vehicle
0:20:00 > 0:20:02- with three operators with me.- Yeah.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07So, we had four, the four of us with two wireless sets,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11one working forward and one working back, so that there could be
0:20:11 > 0:20:16a conversation from the battalion back to the brigade
0:20:16 > 0:20:20and the brigade back to division at any time they wanted it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25The radio sets were working 24/7, and unlike a telephone now,
0:20:25 > 0:20:30a conversation on the best radio sets could only get about two miles.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Well, that's gone completely now, obviously.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It's so very different.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Thank you so much for sharing your memories with me today.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Yes, well.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It's been a real pleasure listening to one of our heroes.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- I don't know about that. - You really are, you really are.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Because of the contributions of signallers like John,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57the Allies were able to trick the Germans and eventually win the war.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Since then, the technology used by the Royal Corps of Signals
0:21:01 > 0:21:03has hugely advanced.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06With digital communication, they have upped the game again.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Today, communication allows every individual in the theatre of war
0:21:11 > 0:21:15to be connected to HQ and each other, instantly.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19But though they've come a long way, their motto is still as true today
0:21:19 > 0:21:21as it ever was 100 years ago -
0:21:21 > 0:21:24"certa cito", "to be swift and sure".
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Here's a quick recap of the four items we're taking to auction.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38The Masonic pendant, owned by Chris's family,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40who's ready to pass them on.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Doortje and Jan's very British Snaffles print of the hunt,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47brought all the way from Holland.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53The three-in-one chair that's no longer needed by Kenneth
0:21:53 > 0:21:56but should make some family with children very happy.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01And will the buyers be lured by the amazing dinosaur footprint
0:22:01 > 0:22:03uncovered in a quarry?
0:22:05 > 0:22:07On our way to the saleroom at Wareham,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09we had to stop off and show you something
0:22:09 > 0:22:13that's always mystified the locals - the Cerne Abbas Giant.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14It might dominate the area,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17but its purpose is hidden in the mists of time.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21One theory is that it was carved out of the ground by the local priests
0:22:21 > 0:22:25to taunt one of their number who had misbehaved.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Well, there will be no misbehaving at the auction.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29We're off to Cottees,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31where our first lots are about to go under the hammer.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35John Condie is on the rostrum
0:22:35 > 0:22:39and here the commission is 20% plus VAT. It can vary,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42so be aware of that if you are selling.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Our first lot is Chris's gold pendant with Masonic symbols,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50which has been in the family for generations.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52I've got to tell you something, OK.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I wasn't going to but I can't keep it a secret.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59The room is full of Masons. Somewhere in here there's Masons.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I don't know who! THEY LAUGH
0:23:03 > 0:23:08But there's a few in here, so I think we're going to sell it.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11A Masonic nine-carat gold pendant.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I'll start at £50 for that one.
0:23:14 > 0:23:175. 60. 5. 70.
0:23:17 > 0:23:195. 80.
0:23:19 > 0:23:2185 on the net.
0:23:21 > 0:23:2490. 95, two of you.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26100. 110.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28It's going up.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31120 here. 130.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33140. 140 bid.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- It's doing well.- That's good.- Yeah.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37150 now. 150.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41Do you want to come in? 160 now, fresh bidder.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44170. 180 I've got.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47180. 190 now.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Internet bid at 190.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- It's very good, but it's a lovely thing.- It is.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Anyone else want to come in? Your last chance, at 190 then.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59GAVEL COMES DOWN Yes, hammer's gone down at 190.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02That was unique, wasn't it, and it had the secret inside it.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Someone's going to enjoy it and use it.- I hope so.- That's great.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- Maybe another Mason. - Absolutely.- You never know.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And we probably never will!
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Our next lot is the highchair-cum-rocker,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18used by two generations of family.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Look at that, Kenneth, it's right next to us.- Lovely.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Lot number 41, there we are, look.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26They don't make 'em like that any more. They're all in plastic.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Hopefully we want to find some bidders that have some young kids
0:24:28 > 0:24:31right now that have got an eye for a bargain.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- Right, you ready for this, Kenneth?- I am.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- Ready to say goodbye?- Sadly so. - OK, it's going under the hammer.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Start me, then.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44I've got to go in at 35, anyway. £35 for this one, 35.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47At 35. 40 make it.
0:24:47 > 0:24:4840.
0:24:48 > 0:24:4945.
0:24:49 > 0:24:5150. 55.
0:24:51 > 0:24:5360.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57£60. Gentleman in the middle. At £60.
0:24:57 > 0:25:0060 I've got. 65 anywhere?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03It's in the middle of the room at £60.
0:25:03 > 0:25:0565? Anyone else coming in?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Last chance. I'm going to sell at 60, then.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10£60, then.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Well, it's gone, Kenneth.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15You didn't want it any more, so that was its market value,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I guess, here today. Not many bidders wanting a highchair.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20I think whoever bought that,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23they're going to stick a teddy bear in that and put it in a shop window.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24- Thanks, Kenneth.- OK.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28And now it's time for the early 20th-century Snaffles print,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30brought in by a couple all the way from Holland.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Doortje and Jan, it's great to see you again
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and thank you for flying in from Holland.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- We have international jetsetters on this show!- Absolutely.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43And Snaffles is so British, you had to bring Snaffles home, didn't you?
0:25:43 > 0:25:47- That's right.- Have you bought something to replace it yet?
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- Not yet.- Not yet?- Not yet. I will be.- The day is yet young.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Do some shopping here in the saleroom later on.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Anyway, good luck and thanks for coming over
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It's great to see you again. Fingers crossed you go home with a few bob.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02It's the Snaffles print.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Start me at £60 for this lot then.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- 60?- Come on!- Nice print at 60.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Yes, 60 on the net. £60 is bid. - I should hope so!
0:26:13 > 0:26:1665 now. 70. 5.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- It's creeping up, creeping up. - 80. 5.
0:26:20 > 0:26:2385 bid. 90.
0:26:23 > 0:26:265. 95 bid.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- 100 make it?- Come on!
0:26:29 > 0:26:32£95. 95 here.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35100 now, lady in the room. 100.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39110, anyone else? You're out, on the internet.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- £100, lady in the room, at £100. - GAVEL COMES DOWN
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Thank goodness we're sending you home with some money
0:26:46 > 0:26:47for all the effort you've made.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49And you never know, we may see you again.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- If we find something else, yeah. - I really hope so.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56How wonderful to have international "Flog It!" followers.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Next up is that incredible dinosaur imprint
0:26:59 > 0:27:01from the Jurassic coast.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04We are, literally, walking with dinosaurs,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06because we that iguanodon footprint, the cast,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09going under the hammer, belonging to Kenneth.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I think every schoolboy in the county
0:27:11 > 0:27:15is going to ask their parents to buy this for them.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Well, I was expecting some scientist to get a microscope up to it
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and see what he trod in and see if there was any insects
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- or something like that in it.- At least we rescued it from your shed,
0:27:24 > 0:27:25- that's the main thing.- That's true.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29I know the reserve's been dropped to £120. Was that your decision?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Yeah, I just didn't care. I just want it out of the house.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- You just want it to go.- Yeah.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Well, fingers crossed it does two to three plus a bit.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39It's going under the hammer right now.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42We've got the interesting dinosaur footprint.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43£100 for them?
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Yes, thank you very much. A strong voice.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47£100 bid. 100.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- 110.- Wow!- 120.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52130. 140.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54140 bid, on my right. 140.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56150 anywhere?
0:27:56 > 0:28:00- 150.- Come on!- 160?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- 160 now?- Come on, let's get you £200.- 160.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06170 anyone else? I thought these might do a bit better.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11At £160...for the fossil footprints.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14- I'm selling. - GAVEL COMES DOWN
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- It's gone. Are you happy? - Absolutely.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Well, it didn't cost me nothing. It was like a day's work, really.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20- But what a find.- Yes.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23At least you had the pleasure of finding that and uncovering it
0:28:23 > 0:28:26because that was the very first time in millions of years
0:28:26 > 0:28:28that that has been revealed.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30And you can't put a price on that, can you?
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Well, there we are. Three good sales so far today
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and it's nice to escape the mayhem of the auction room.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Now, for the best part,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44an antique expert can work out the history of an object
0:28:44 > 0:28:47by looking at makers' marks, construction methods,
0:28:47 > 0:28:49materials and styles,
0:28:49 > 0:28:52but what if an object is old, and I mean really, really old,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and virtually nothing is known about the people who made it?
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Well, that's where archaeologists come in.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Recently, I met up with some
0:29:00 > 0:29:04to find out more about the prehistoric people of Dorset.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14The British landscape is full of the intriguing remains
0:29:14 > 0:29:19of ancient civilisations - barrows, standing stones and hill forts.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22It's hard to imagine how these prehistoric people lived,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25so how do we discover what they did and why?
0:29:27 > 0:29:30I've come to a place that is dedicated to finding out.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33This is the Ancient Technology Centre in Cranborne
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and all of these amazing structures have been built
0:29:36 > 0:29:38using traditional techniques and methods.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42I'm going to be finding out more about the work that goes on here,
0:29:42 > 0:29:43chatting to some of the experts,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47who are going to introduce me to some of our ancient ancestors.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51First up is John Gale,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53an archaeologist at Bournemouth University,
0:29:53 > 0:29:56who specialises in Bronze Age Britain,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00which lasted from around 2000 BC to 800 BC.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03So, how do we know how these people lived?
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Well, archaeology, as you probably know,
0:30:05 > 0:30:08is all about excavation and survey.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12It's the relationship of what's left, the objects,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14but also the way that the structure is built.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16This roundhouse, for example,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19was composed mainly of below-ground post holes and stake holes
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and, of course, they create a pattern on the floor, so...
0:30:22 > 0:30:24So you're looking at the footprint?
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Exactly, it's the footprint we look at and then we look at
0:30:27 > 0:30:30the features inside the house - the hearth, for example.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34That can be picked up because the burnt soil still survives.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37And then, of course, we'll record the presence of objects
0:30:37 > 0:30:41- in relation to places within the structure as well.- I see.
0:30:41 > 0:30:42Brilliant, isn't it?
0:30:42 > 0:30:46All those little tiny things, those little clues you piece together.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48If you ask any archaeologist why they get into this,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51it's about reconstructing, about telling a tale, telling a story.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53We're really storytellers at heart.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56A lot of things you find are just fragments,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58but I notice you've got a complete pot there.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00- Can I have a look at it? - Yes, of course.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- It's quite rare to find complete pots...- It is.- ..at this age.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08- This is more or less 4,000 years old.- Where did you find this?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I was excavating a barrow site,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13only five miles away from where we're sitting at the moment.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16A barrow site meaning a long barrow?
0:31:16 > 0:31:19A barrow site meaning a cemetery, because in the Bronze Age,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21they tended to construct barrows in groups
0:31:21 > 0:31:24and they are, essentially, monuments for the ancestors.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28And this was contained in a burial pit under a barrow,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- alongside two cremations.- Wow.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36So, archaeologists can tell us what ancient people left behind
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and work how they may have lived.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41But how do we get from these theories
0:31:41 > 0:31:44to the reality of these fantastic buildings?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Paul Grigsby might be able to shed some light.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50He was a builder by trade but now works here,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53bringing his knowledge of construction
0:31:53 > 0:31:54to the recreation of the past.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So how do you start by creating an ancient structure?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59It's all to do with the evidence
0:31:59 > 0:32:02and we looked at Bronze Age houses or hut circles
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and tried to recreate the building as close as we can get it
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- to the same sort of structure that would have been...- Sure.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11So you kind of copied stone from stone.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- The keystones here, you copied that to start with.- Yeah.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17You copied the size and some of these larger stones to build up on.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Yeah, the difficulty then becomes, when you start to build a wall
0:32:20 > 0:32:22and they're estimating about a metre high
0:32:22 > 0:32:25- because of those keystones for the door...- Yeah.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28You've got to try and work out what happens to the stones above that,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31so we looked at other sites. There's about 3,000 hut circles on Dartmoor.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33We looked at lots of other sites
0:32:33 > 0:32:36and it turned out they weren't doing a traditional stone wall job on this
0:32:36 > 0:32:39by knocking the edges off and making everything fit nice and neatly.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42They were working it out like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle, essentially.
0:32:42 > 0:32:43And what covers this?
0:32:43 > 0:32:45We're going to thatch it,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47very similar to the buildings we have onsite,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49which are thatched with wheat straw.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52- And what about tools? - Tools they'd use for this...
0:32:52 > 0:32:54- Obviously, nothing's going to cut the granite.- No.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58But the hazel will be cut with either bronze or stone tools.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- Have you any examples of these tools?- Yeah, they're just here.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- OK, so this is a stone, a flint axe. - That's the earliest?
0:33:06 > 0:33:08That's the earliest.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10We're going back how many thousands of years?
0:33:10 > 0:33:14You're looking at probably 5000 BC for this sort of axe.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16This is a reproduction, so this isn't original.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Someone's created that.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Then we move on to this one, which is a bronze tool.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23It's starting to look more serious.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27Yeah, and again, it's not sharp, though. It's not like a steel axe.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30It's not a sharp thing. You can keep them sharp. You can hone it...
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- Whereas you can't with that. - No, not so well.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35You'd have to take the edge off and start again.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38I was just thinking, you know, on some of that felled stuff there.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- Yeah.- Can I have a go? - You can try.- Which one?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- Um...that would be a better chance. - I don't want to damage it.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46No, you won't damage that.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Let's try it on this.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54That's not bad!
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Look at that! That's brilliant!
0:33:58 > 0:34:01- Can I have a job? - Yeah, got loads to cut!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05So, experimental archaeology takes the theories
0:34:05 > 0:34:08of traditional archaeologists and tests them out,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11seeing what works and what doesn't.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17I'd love to find out more about those ancient tools,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19so it's time to meet Mark Vyvyan-Penney.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24He's a wood carver who makes bronze tools using ancient techniques.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29I can see you're using an odd pair of bellows, bringing up the fire.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31What are you about to do?
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Well, I'm using these bag bellows, which are made of leather,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38to pump air into this furnace, and in the furnace,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42there's a crucible and in that, there's some scraps of bronze.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46- What do you hope to make? - Well, there's some moulds there
0:34:46 > 0:34:49for some chisels and a little axe. It might work...
0:34:49 > 0:34:52- THEY LAUGH - ..it might not.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53Just a second.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- Is it nearly ready? - The metal is ready.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02It's liquid, so I can now pour it into one of the moulds.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04You need some glasses though.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- They wouldn't have had these in the Bronze Age.- No.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09But we've only got one pair of eyes.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12So, there we go. I'm going to pour it into a mould.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21That happened quite quickly. You've got no control over it.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24- Well, you know that it's going to last 11 seconds.- OK.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It's 11 seconds before it freezes. I'm quite pleased with that.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30This was the whole point of the Bronze Age.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33It was this amazing technology that they discovered
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and they went from copper, which is really soft,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- to putting tin with it, which makes it really hard.- Yeah.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Do you belong to a particular group of artisans
0:35:42 > 0:35:45that sort of wear the clothing you're wearing
0:35:45 > 0:35:48and do this kind of thing as a passion and a hobby?
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Yes, I'm in a group called the Ancient Wessex Network
0:35:51 > 0:35:54and, yes, you're right, it is a passion.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57We want to make things from the past.
0:35:57 > 0:35:58We want to make it the way they did.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Will that bronze now be cooling down in that mould?
0:36:01 > 0:36:04- Will you have to break it apart? - Yes.- OK, brilliant.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08- The moment of truth.- The moment of truth, yeah. So, here's some water.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14And if I bring that mould over...over there.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17OK.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20There we go. That's still quite hot. So...
0:36:31 > 0:36:33- So...- Wow.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34So, we've got there...
0:36:34 > 0:36:37It's a bit bent but I can knock that back into shape,
0:36:37 > 0:36:39and there's a chisel.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44That's quite incredible, isn't it? That's brilliant.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Will you be able to use that on some of your carvings?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Yes, it would be very authentic then, wouldn't it?
0:36:52 > 0:36:55What a great way to explore the past,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57hands-on, testing things out
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and becoming immersed in the lives of ancient Britons.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05A place like this really does show us
0:37:05 > 0:37:08how the expertise of people from diverse backgrounds
0:37:08 > 0:37:12can come together to help us advance our knowledge of the past.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15It really is quite incredible.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18So, the next time you go for a walk in the countryside
0:37:18 > 0:37:22and you come across a stone circle or a hill fort, stop for a moment,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25have a good look and think about the people who created them
0:37:25 > 0:37:28and how amazing it is that the remains of those sites
0:37:28 > 0:37:31are still with us today, playing a prominent part of our lives,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34all of these thousands of years later.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Welcome back to our valuation day venue, Highcliffe Castle,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51where down below, our valuations continue.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Our experts are hard at work,
0:37:53 > 0:37:56hopefully unearthing some more treasures to take off to auction.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00But I doubt if anything will date as far back as the Bronze Age.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Let's catch up with the team.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08And Christina is definitely looking to the 1960s for her next object.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12- Sue, I love this Biba coat.- Thank you!- I REALLY love this Biba coat.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17- It is so fab! Where did you get it from?- Well, I'm not sure.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21I know Biba had catalogues out and I know they had a shop in Kensington.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24- Did you ever go into the shop?- Yes, I did.- Did you? What was it like?
0:38:24 > 0:38:29- Black!- Oh, was it?- Black and gold, with very loud music.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32And mirrors everywhere. But you couldn't see the clothes.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35- It was just awesome. - I've heard that.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Somebody said that they had to take the clothes to the window.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41- They saw something in the dark... Do you remember this?- ALL:- Yes.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Oh, ladies! We've got a fashionista pack behind us.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Did you have to take the clothes to the window in order to see them?
0:38:47 > 0:38:50- That's right, yes. - Oh, my goodness, that's wonderful!
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Let's start at the very beginning.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56Barbara Hulanicki started the Biba brand in the mid-1960s
0:38:56 > 0:38:59and it started out as a brand that wanted to bring
0:38:59 > 0:39:02cheap and affordable clothing to the masses in the 1960s.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05And that it did, and it was incredibly successful.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08- Started out as a mail order catalogue.- Yes.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12And then they very quickly built up a fantastic client base
0:39:12 > 0:39:16because it was cheap and affordable but it was stylish, so stylish.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- They opened a shop in Kensington. Is that the one you went to?- Yes.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Oh, fantastic. Then they went on and on
0:39:23 > 0:39:25and they continued with the mail order as well,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- which is really important to the history of Biba.- Yes.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- Cos you didn't have to go to London to own a Biba piece.- No.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33You could get it through the post, effectively.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37If we look at this piece, yes, it's an incredibly stylish piece.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41If we start with the material, it is quite itchy. Was it nice to wear?
0:39:41 > 0:39:46- Not particularly.- Oh, really?- I do remember it being itchy, yes, I do.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- When you wore it, were you fidgeting all day?- Yes.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Did you have Saint Vitus's dance or something?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55- I had to wear it because you just felt so good.- I bet!
0:39:55 > 0:39:56So, a little bit itchy,
0:39:56 > 0:40:00which kind of goes along with that cheap, affordable clothing aspect,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03but just look at it! It's just gorgeous.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Double-breasted. If we spin her...
0:40:06 > 0:40:09This might be a male model, but we'll spin him/ her round
0:40:09 > 0:40:12and we've got, look, acres of material here.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14It is just beautiful, isn't it?
0:40:14 > 0:40:17I bet you swished around London in this, didn't you?
0:40:17 > 0:40:21- Oh, no, on the Isle of Wight.- You swished around the Isle of Wight.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23So I felt very, very fashionable.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25And were you the envy of all your friends?
0:40:25 > 0:40:29- Well, yes, because no-one else had one.- I bet. My goodness!
0:40:29 > 0:40:34It's 1960s, but it has got that sort of Edwardiana appeal, look,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37about it that was very much a Biba style.
0:40:37 > 0:40:38I'm wiffling on about Biba,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41but we'd better just make sure that it IS Biba, hadn't we?
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Let's look at the label. Oh, yeah, perfect.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46So, was that very much the style of the shop as well,
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- this wonderful black and gold? - Yes, it was.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Oh, what to put on it?
0:40:50 > 0:40:54I mean, it doesn't fetch as much as I would hope it to fetch at auction.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Having that name in it, obviously, is imperative,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00otherwise it would be a nice tweed coat.
0:41:00 > 0:41:01I'm going to be modest,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04but I would hope that it would fetch in the region of £50 to £70.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06- That's fine.- A reserve of maybe £50,
0:41:06 > 0:41:08with some discretion, should we need it.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Hopefully, with some internet interest
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and some fashionistas, which I think we've got here...
0:41:13 > 0:41:14- Yes.- ..it might go up.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18That coat really captures an era.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23The 1960s swept aside old ideas about fashion for the elite.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Designers like Mary Quant and Ossie Clark exploded onto the scene,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29making clothes for young people,
0:41:29 > 0:41:32who had the highest income since the Second World War.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35They wanted a modern look that suited their freer lifestyle
0:41:35 > 0:41:37and their taste in music.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40And for the first time, they had a place specially designed for them,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44the high street boutiques, filled with the new modern look -
0:41:44 > 0:41:49colourful clothes in unusual fabrics and the maxiskirt.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Christina's certainly hooked on the Biba maxicoat
0:41:54 > 0:41:56and we hope our buyers will be too.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Now, what would Philip have been doing in the 1960s
0:41:59 > 0:42:03and what's he got at his table?
0:42:03 > 0:42:06So, you brought along this early 20th-century ping pong bat,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09- is that right?- That's right. - What's your name?- I'm Jane.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- Are you from round here, Jane? - I'm local to Highcliffe.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13And you know exactly what this is, don't you?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15I do know it's a Mouseman piece but...
0:42:15 > 0:42:17And we know it's a Mouseman, because we've got a mouse here.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21- I did think a Mouseman paddle but... - Cheeseboard.- Yes.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24The chap who made this was a man called Robert Thompson,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26who came from Kilburn in Yorkshire.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31He was born in the late 1870s and died in the 1950s.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34This is his signature. Everybody knows this is Mouseman.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35Do you know how it came about?
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I think it was something to do with the pews in a church
0:42:38 > 0:42:40- and he used to... - You're getting good, aren't you?
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- How do you know all this? - I'm interested in antiques,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45particularly Mouseman.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47I've heard a little bit about his work,
0:42:47 > 0:42:50so I know he used to put the mouse into the pews.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53- Why did he do that then? - Ah, that I don't know.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Yes! No, let me tell you.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- His first job was the interior of a church...- Ah, right.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02..and he and his workmen were talking
0:43:02 > 0:43:06- and they claimed to be as poor as church mice.- Ah...
0:43:06 > 0:43:08- It makes sense now. - And Mouseman was born.
0:43:08 > 0:43:14We talked about patina and that's got patina by the bucketful.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17And all that patina is is the grease and grime
0:43:17 > 0:43:22off your hand that's just polished that, as time's gone by,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25and it just gives it that lovely colour.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27I would think this is probably 1930s.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Early Mouseman wares have this lovely dark colour.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35- The slightly later wares have a lighter colour.- Right.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38And it's hugely collectible. Have you had this a long time?
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Well, it came to me through a donation to our shop.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44- Oh, so you're fundraising. - We're fundraising yes.
0:43:44 > 0:43:47- This was given to you.- This was given to us by one of our donors.
0:43:47 > 0:43:48Do you know what?
0:43:48 > 0:43:51I think this is going to make you probably over £100.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54- That's good.- Is that good? - That's good, yes!
0:43:54 > 0:43:57I think we should put £100 to £150 on it as an estimate.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00- We'll fix reserve it at £80. - Fantastic.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03- That gives the auctioneer a bit of leeway.- Yes.- Just look at that.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05- Look at that little mouse. - He's lovely.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07I think that Robert Mouseman has made
0:44:07 > 0:44:13- a whole generation of people become unfrightened of mice.- True!
0:44:14 > 0:44:19Christina's definitely not concerned about her next object. Far from it!
0:44:19 > 0:44:21Oh, Barbara!
0:44:22 > 0:44:24You know how to excite a girl. My goodness!
0:44:24 > 0:44:27They say diamonds are a girl's best friend
0:44:27 > 0:44:30and oh, my God, these are gorgeous! Why aren't you wearing them?
0:44:30 > 0:44:34- Well, they're not my style, are they?- Are they not? No?- No.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37- So, in this instance, they're NOT a girl's best friend.- No.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41What we've got is a beautiful pair of diamond drop earrings
0:44:41 > 0:44:44and we've got a rather lovely lady here who...
0:44:44 > 0:44:47- Well, it looks like she's modelling them for us.- She is.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49So, where have they come from? Who is this lady?
0:44:49 > 0:44:53- She is my grandma but she died in 1950.- Right.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57- But she was 75 when she died. - Right, OK.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01So, I don't know how old she is in that photograph
0:45:01 > 0:45:03but she was married three times.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07- They might have been a present from a husband.- Was it third time lucky?
0:45:07 > 0:45:09- Yes, could have been, yes.- Oh, good.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12- Yes.- Even just looking at the box that they're within,
0:45:12 > 0:45:15they really are very beautiful
0:45:15 > 0:45:18- and very beautiful quality, exquisite quality.- Really?
0:45:18 > 0:45:21- Was she an affluent lady? - She loved her jewellery.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24I don't know a lot about her. She lived in London.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27So she was in possibly quite a high society set.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29- She could have been, yes.- OK.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32They are within this box which says, at the top...
0:45:37 > 0:45:39One of the best addresses in London.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42You've got a Bond Street jeweller here, Hunt & Roskell.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46They designed and retailed exquisite pieces, expensive pieces.
0:45:46 > 0:45:48There was nothing about the, sort of,
0:45:48 > 0:45:50standard run-of-the-mill jewellery about them.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52They only did the very best,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56and absolutely typified by this beautiful pair of drop earrings.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Each one a four-diamond drop,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01each one with a brilliant cut diamond,
0:46:01 > 0:46:03so we know that they are 20th century,
0:46:03 > 0:46:05rather than Victorian or earlier,
0:46:05 > 0:46:08because they wouldn't have had the brilliant cut at that point.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10That was only developed in the 20th century.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13They are set in platinum, probably with an 18-carat gold back,
0:46:13 > 0:46:16- although they're not marked, which is quite frustrating.- Oh.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19But they're a good colour, they're a good clarity,
0:46:19 > 0:46:23and all of that is important because it all makes a value for us, OK.
0:46:23 > 0:46:27At auction, I wouldn't hesitate to put an estimate
0:46:27 > 0:46:29of between £800 to £1,200 on them
0:46:29 > 0:46:32and I think a firm reserve at £800.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35- How would you feel about that, Barb? - That sounds wonderful.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41It's over to Philip, with something that would have been familiar
0:46:41 > 0:46:44to many a fighting soldier during the war.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48So, these things that you've brought along, are these family things?
0:46:48 > 0:46:51No, I moved into a bungalow in 1994.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I went into the loft to do some work about three months after
0:46:54 > 0:46:56we were there and these were hidden behind a beam.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59They had obviously belonged to the previous owner,
0:46:59 > 0:47:01so I did the right thing, phoned him up, he didn't want 'em.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03He said, "You can keep 'em."
0:47:03 > 0:47:05- What I love about these is the social history.- Mm.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08- This is a Brodie helmet. - Oh, right.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10The origins of this were in the First World War,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12- but they still used them in the Second World War.- Yes.
0:47:12 > 0:47:15But what I think is fantastic is this, look.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19- "Ration, type K, breakfast unit." - Yeah.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22It's packed by the Beech-nut Packing Company,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25from Canajoharie, wherever that is, New York.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27- Yeah, yeah.- Would this be for American soldiers, do you think?
0:47:27 > 0:47:30I think so, because I did a little bit of research online and
0:47:30 > 0:47:34these were issued to American soldiers in England and
0:47:34 > 0:47:37France when they were, you know, fighting for us.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42- So, these rations have come over from the States with the soldiers, effectively.- That's right, yes.
0:47:42 > 0:47:44And it says here, look, "For security,
0:47:44 > 0:47:47"do not discard the empty can, paper or refuse
0:47:47 > 0:47:48"where it can be seen from the air.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52"If possible, cover with dirt, foliage and sand."
0:47:52 > 0:47:55It brings home to you, really, the harsh reality of war, doesn't it?
0:47:55 > 0:47:57- That's right. Oh, yes.- You know? - Yes.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00What have we got...? Oh, here, look. We've got a list.
0:48:00 > 0:48:05So, this package contains two packages biscuits - energy crackers.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07I bet they were anything but that.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Two cans of ham and eggs.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12I bet they were REALLY nice.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14An envelope of soluble coffee.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17A fruit bar. Well, that might have been OK.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21But it's to be eaten cold or you make it into a jam
0:48:21 > 0:48:24by - cor! - stewing it for three minutes.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26Four lumps of sugar.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29- I mean, that was like gold, wasn't it, in the war?- That's right.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33A packet of four cigarettes and a piece of chewing gum.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36- Yeah.- You can tell the American influence, can't you?- Yes.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40So, they're in there, never, ever been out the packet?
0:48:40 > 0:48:42Never, ever been opened.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Still sealed in the wax wrapper.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46Isn't that just fantastic?
0:48:46 > 0:48:50Well, I would strongly advise anybody who buys these just to
0:48:50 > 0:48:54- leave them that way, cos I don't think they'd taste very good.- Yes.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57The K ration pack distributed to American soldiers and,
0:48:57 > 0:49:01eventually, the British was developed by American food
0:49:01 > 0:49:04scientists for emergency and battle situations.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07It was to be used for only 15 days at a time.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11British soldiers drooled over this ration box.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14They thought the combination of sweets and cigarettes
0:49:14 > 0:49:18to be highly superior to what was on offer by the British Army.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24The "but" comes, for me... is what are they worth?
0:49:24 > 0:49:28You know, because we don't get too many unused Second World War
0:49:28 > 0:49:30breakfast rations.
0:49:30 > 0:49:36- So, I think the helmet's probably worth 20 quid.- Right.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40That could be worth 20 quid and it could be worth 100.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42- You know, I'm guessing.- Yeah.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45If they were mine, I'd estimate them at 60 to 90
0:49:45 > 0:49:47- and I'd put a fixed reserve of 50 quid on them.- OK.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49- How's that feel to you? - That's fine.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Well, let's just hope whoever comes to the auction
0:49:52 > 0:49:54- is on better rations than these. - Yes.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01So now, we have to say goodbye
0:50:01 > 0:50:03to our host location, Highcliffe Castle.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05We've had a wonderful time here
0:50:05 > 0:50:08and I'm sure everybody who's turned up has thoroughly enjoyed it.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10And the weather has just been perfect!
0:50:10 > 0:50:12But right now, we've got to change the tempo.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15We've got some unfinished business to do in the saleroom.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17And here's a quick recap of all the items
0:50:17 > 0:50:19that are going under the hammer.
0:50:21 > 0:50:22The designer Biba coat
0:50:22 > 0:50:25that Sue swished around in during the swinging '60s.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30We've got the classic Mouseman cheeseboard,
0:50:30 > 0:50:32which can't go wrong at auction.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37The World War II helmet and K ration pack used by British
0:50:37 > 0:50:41and American soldiers, which, miraculously, hasn't been opened.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45And a pair of diamond earrings.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48They're not to owner Barbara's taste
0:50:48 > 0:50:50but are they set to adorn someone else's ears?
0:50:52 > 0:50:55We're about to find out, as we head back to the saleroom, where
0:50:55 > 0:51:00John Condie has our next lot, the Biba coat that charmed Christina.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02What a coat! Biba and this is fantastic.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05- Why don't you want to keep it? - It doesn't fit.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06It's been in the loft for 43 years.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09- Why hang on to it in a box, wrapped up?- No.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13That label, that Biba label, people will pick up on it online.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15There are plenty of collectors of vintage clothing,
0:51:15 > 0:51:17especially women's clothing, and they sell well.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20- And it's so wearable, it's so wearable!- It is.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24- I don't think I'm going to cope with this.- You've got to be tough, OK?
0:51:24 > 0:51:26You've got to be strong. It's going under the hammer right now
0:51:26 > 0:51:28and, hopefully, it'll find a new home,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31- This is it. Good luck, Sue. - Thank you.
0:51:31 > 0:51:37Original woollen coat, with the Biba label to the collar, of course.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39I remember shopping there myself.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41CROWD TITTERS
0:51:41 > 0:51:43- So trendy! - LAUGHTER
0:51:43 > 0:51:46I was there, I was there!
0:51:46 > 0:51:50Right, I've got interest and I'm bid £50 straight in.
0:51:50 > 0:51:5350. £50. 55.
0:51:53 > 0:51:5560. 5. 70.
0:51:55 > 0:51:575. 80.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- 5. 90.- Wow.- Oh, it's gone.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02- No!- It's gone well.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06100. 110. 110, I've got.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10110. 110. 120 now?
0:52:10 > 0:52:13120 bid. 120.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15130, anybody else?
0:52:15 > 0:52:18At 120, in the room. You're all out on the net.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21It's selling in the room.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23GAVEL COMES DOWN
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- That hammer's gone down.- I don't know what to say because I'm gutted!
0:52:26 > 0:52:27THEY LAUGH
0:52:27 > 0:52:30- Well done. - I'm really pleased for you.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33- Yeah, no way did I expect that! - Good.- It is fantastic for me.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37- It's brilliant.- Thank you so much.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39We are delighted, really, Christina.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43Double the estimate for the ultimate in '60s style.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45Our next lot is from a craftsman
0:52:45 > 0:52:49whose work has also stood the test of time.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Jane, it's great to see you.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54We're talking about Robert Thompson, Mr Mouseman.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57- And we have a cheeseboard. - I thought it was a table tennis bat.
0:52:57 > 0:53:02It could be. It has a duality to it, yes, yes. He's cheeky, isn't he?
0:53:02 > 0:53:06- He is.- So, this was a charity shop find, I gather.- It is.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08So, fingers crossed, we should get £100 plus for this.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12I'll be really disappointed if it didn't make three figures.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- Well, everything counts to our charity, so...- It does, doesn't it?
0:53:15 > 0:53:17- Whatever we can make.- Every penny.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20OK, good luck, both of you. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:53:20 > 0:53:25Mouseman cheeseboard. Got the typical mouse to the handle there.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27I've got a bit of interest on the book for you.
0:53:27 > 0:53:3050. 5.
0:53:30 > 0:53:3260. 5.
0:53:32 > 0:53:3370.
0:53:33 > 0:53:3575.
0:53:35 > 0:53:3780, I've got to go.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41£80. I've got a gentleman there at 80. £80.
0:53:41 > 0:53:4385, anyone else want to take it on?
0:53:43 > 0:53:47The gentleman there at 80. 85 on the internet.
0:53:47 > 0:53:4990 now. 90.
0:53:49 > 0:53:5395, make it. We're out on the internet. It's 90.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Anyone else? I'm closing it.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58- At £90 then. - GAVEL COMES DOWN
0:53:58 > 0:54:01- Well done. - Fantastic, thank you very much.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02- Every penny helps for that charity. - Yeah.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04- Keep up the good work, won't you?- I will do.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Next up, it's time for the K ration pack and helmet.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11Will the bidders like them as much as we do?
0:54:11 > 0:54:14I'll tell you what, Gino, thank you very much for bringing that in,
0:54:14 > 0:54:16because it is an eclectic mix today.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19It's the only World War II memorabilia in the sale,
0:54:19 > 0:54:23so fingers crossed. That could be a good thing, could be a bad thing.
0:54:23 > 0:54:24But it should be picked up online.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28- It's a lovely lot you have. That ration pack is so cool.- Good luck.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Good luck. This is what auctions are all about. Here we go.
0:54:31 > 0:54:36I've got interest in this. I've got to start at 30.
0:54:36 > 0:54:395, 40.
0:54:39 > 0:54:415, 50.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45£50 bid. At 50.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47£50 I've got. 55 anywhere?
0:54:48 > 0:54:5255, anybody else? I'm going to sell at 50, then. Your last chance.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56Well, £50.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00- You'd think it would go for a lot more, wouldn't you, really?- Yeah.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02I think it's one of those things, isn't it?
0:55:02 > 0:55:04If you buy it, what do you do with it? It's just a talking point.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07- Gino, thank you for bringing that in.- Thank you.- It sold.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10- Philip was spot-on there with the value...- Yes.- ..so good on him.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Great. Thanks very much.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15I'm glad that fascinating reminder of the trials of war
0:55:15 > 0:55:18has found a new home.
0:55:18 > 0:55:19Time for our final lot of the day,
0:55:19 > 0:55:24the drop-dead gorgeous diamond drop earrings, set in platinum.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28- Barbara, your earrings - well, your gran's earrings.- Yes.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29It's time to say goodbye.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32- These are definitely going to sell. - They are.- They're so beautiful.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35- Did you know they were quite valuable?- I did.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39That's why I didn't like them left in the house when I went out.
0:55:39 > 0:55:42- Oh, really?- I sincerely hope you get lots of interest for them.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44They're still so wearable today,
0:55:44 > 0:55:46especially in that white gold or platinum.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49- They're very stylish, aren't they? - Very stylish. Best of luck.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Here we go, this is it.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55Lot 312, the lovely pair of diamond drop earrings,
0:55:55 > 0:55:58set with four lovely graduated diamonds there.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01- I have got interest presale. - Oh, good!
0:56:01 > 0:56:04And I'm starting at 700.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06- Oh.- 750.- Come on.- 800.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10850. 900 on the internet.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12950 in the room, lady's bid.
0:56:12 > 0:56:151,000. 1,100.
0:56:15 > 0:56:161,100, I've got.
0:56:16 > 0:56:181,200, lady's bid.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22- 1,200 there.- Yes. - 1,300 on the internet.
0:56:22 > 0:56:241,300, internet bid.
0:56:24 > 0:56:271,400 on the telephone.
0:56:27 > 0:56:291,400 on the telephone.
0:56:29 > 0:56:311,500 close to me.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34At 1,500.
0:56:35 > 0:56:371,550 comes in over here.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39Ooh, there's a bidder in the room at 1,550.
0:56:39 > 0:56:421,600 here.
0:56:42 > 0:56:43And 50 now.
0:56:43 > 0:56:451,650, it's close.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48- 1,700 do you want to go? - Are you all right?
0:56:49 > 0:56:511,700 here, next to me.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54Anyone else coming in? I'm going to sell.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58You're all out elsewhere. At 1,700 they go.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00GAVEL COMES DOWN
0:57:00 > 0:57:03- Barbara, that's fantastic news! - It is.- £1,700.- Fantastic.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Well over the top end. Brilliant.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07- Brilliant.- Lovely. - You had faith in those, didn't you?
0:57:07 > 0:57:09Oh, they sold themselves.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11They were just stunning, they really were.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14- So, congratulations, that's great. - Well done, you.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16- You're a bit speechless. - I am lost for words.
0:57:16 > 0:57:17- You don't know what to say, do you?- No.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19How about, "What a way to end today's show"?
0:57:19 > 0:57:21I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23We promised you a surprise and we delivered.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25Join us again soon for many more.