0:00:05 > 0:00:08Today, we're at Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12It is a magnificent location that's a product of centuries of
0:00:12 > 0:00:13style and design
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and today, we're going to be finding out the answer to
0:00:16 > 0:00:19a mystery we first uncovered ten years ago,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22regarding one of Britain's most noted architects.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25More of that later. Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:47 > 0:00:52Margam Country Park in South Wales is a unique location that brings
0:00:52 > 0:00:57together architectural styles, spanning more than 800 years.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Its Victorian Gothic revival castle looks straight out of
0:01:00 > 0:01:02the imagination of Bram Stoker.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07It was home to CRM Talbot, who gave his name to nearby Port Talbot.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10His father created this stunning orangery,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14regarded as a masterpiece of 18th century architecture.
0:01:14 > 0:01:19Next to it are the remains of a Cistercian abbey, founded in 1147.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22They all sit happily alongside each other and will be
0:01:22 > 0:01:24the backdrop to today's valuations.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Well, judging by the size of this fantastic crowd,
0:01:29 > 0:01:31we're going to be in for a busy day.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35Who knows what intriguing items are hidden in all of these bags
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and boxes? It's our experts' job to find them.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40This lot are eager to get started, but before we do,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43there's just two important questions - where are you all from?
0:01:43 > 0:01:45- ALL:- Wales!
0:01:45 > 0:01:47- Of course! What do you want to do? ALL:- Flog it!
0:01:51 > 0:01:54We've got a couple of very talented experts today.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56They know good design when they see it.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Mark Stacey is as keen as mustard.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- I don't know what it is. - I think it's a vase. - LAUGHTER
0:02:03 > 0:02:07But Charles Hanson seems to have missed the point of the show.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Oh, it's some money. I could do with some cash.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Thanks a lot. Yeah, cheers.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16But not to be outdone, I've found a few gems myself.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20I was thinking it's time for tea. A lovely tea caddy.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24Well, I tell you what, I'll talk to you later on in the programme.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26- Thank you, Paul. - Right now, get the kettle on.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Time to get everyone organised and seated.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32The queue is making its way around this beautiful location.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Our behind-the-scenes experts will be giving valuations all day
0:02:36 > 0:02:40and our production team are busy managing the crowds.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44They're making sure everyone is seen and we capture everything.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45And action!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And here's just a tease of what's coming up.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Mark is completely in the dark.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I'm afraid we can't tell you anything.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59A car boot buy is a once-in-a-lifetime find.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01This is signed by David Livingstone himself.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Gosh!
0:03:03 > 0:03:06And at Cardiff Castle, I'm in for a shock.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08- This was £30,000. - HE GASPS
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Well, who knows what we're going to uncover today?
0:03:12 > 0:03:15But there's only one way to find out, as we go straight over
0:03:15 > 0:03:21to Mark Stacey's table to take a closer look at what he's spotted.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- And it looks pretty good, doesn't it?- It does indeed.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27He's found a plate with intriguing decoration.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28Marjory, you've brought
0:03:28 > 0:03:30a rather interesting plate,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- which I spotted in the queue. - You did.- What do you know about it?
0:03:33 > 0:03:34Very little.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Nothing at all really, except that it's quite a wacky plate.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38And I like it.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- Have you had it a long time? - We've had it about 20 years.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Really?- Mm-hm. - Where did you acquire it from?
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Somewhere in Wales, in an antiques shop or an antiques centre.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It was at a time when I was travelling around Wales
0:03:50 > 0:03:54a lot and I can never resist a good junk shop or an antiques
0:03:54 > 0:03:56centre and I will have bought it somewhere.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57So you love collecting things.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- Oh, yes. We have a house full of... - Goodies.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03..junk, that some people would call. Or goodies, yes,
0:04:03 > 0:04:04I like to think.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Well, I was attracted by it because I know this pattern.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Well, that's wonderful.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Now, the pattern is known as the Swan Service and it was
0:04:11 > 0:04:16- created by Meissen in the 1730s and 1740s.- Really?
0:04:16 > 0:04:21It was made for the director of the company, Count Heinrich von Bruhl,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25and he amassed a service of over 1,000 pieces.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27- Right.- And after the Second World War, it was split up.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31- And you can find examples in museums.- Mm-hm.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- Now, this is not from that original service.- Right.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36The original service is mainly white,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- sometimes with a little bit of gilding.- Mm-hm.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- But it is embossed with courting swans.- They're courting, are they?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- Well, I like to think so. - They look quite angry!
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Well, I think they do look a bit... Maybe they've had a row!
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Maybe.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And you've got a heron and little insects as well,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- which are rather charming. - Yes, that's sweet.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Sometimes, they used little insects to cover blemishes because
0:04:58 > 0:05:02the manufacturing of porcelain in the 18th century was extremely
0:05:02 > 0:05:04difficult and extremely expensive.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07So if there was a little bit of a blemish,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10rather than destroy the whole plate, they would cover it with
0:05:10 > 0:05:13a little moth or a beetle or a bug of some sort.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16This is probably French, rather than German.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19It's got a funny little mark on the back here,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21which I don't think means a huge amount.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Oh, right. I've tried to find it, but failed.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29It was probably made by a company called Samson in Paris,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31in about the 1880s.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Possibly as a replacement piece for a service.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- Not as a forgery then?- No, no.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Samson produced a lot of copies of early porcelains -
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Worcester, French porcelain, Sevre -
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and it's become collectible in its own right, funnily enough.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Now, there are collectors for this sort of thing.- Mm-hm.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53- But I think we've got to put it in with a sensible estimate.- Mm-hm.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I would probably put it in with an estimate of something
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- like £60 to £100.- Mm-hm.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02And I would hope with the internet that we might get over £100.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Are you happy to put it in and give it a try?- Yes, absolutely. Why not?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- See if we can find any swan lovers out there.- Yes!
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- Well done, you, for finding it. - Thank you.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13I'm sure that those courting swans are going to attract
0:06:13 > 0:06:15attention at the auction.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20But Charles has found something that might be impossible to ignore.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23So, Stephen, we find things in lofts all the time,
0:06:23 > 0:06:27but rarely this size object. This really is something else.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Yes, found in the attic of my grandparents years ago and it's been
0:06:30 > 0:06:35in my mother's loft now for a long time and I'm clearing that out now.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Yeah, just amazing.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40And it's something which I suppose has such history from that
0:06:40 > 0:06:45Great War, 1914-18, and my question is, Stephen,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48is how it came to languish in the attic?
0:06:48 > 0:06:51I suspect because my grandfather used to work on the tugs,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54it might have come from a plane that had come down. I'm not sure.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56That's what I think it has come from.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I think in context, I mean, I'm quite tall, 6ft 1,
0:06:59 > 0:07:05and you see actually how large these propellers are and this must be...
0:07:05 > 0:07:06how tall?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- 9ft?- 9ft, at least. - Frightening, isn't it?
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And it's just actually quite light,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16but what we've got here is a laminated mahogany propeller,
0:07:16 > 0:07:22made by the Sopwith company in around 1917, 1918.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27The actual propeller itself is a 200hp example.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33We see ones slightly smaller, 100, 150, made by Sopwith, and
0:07:33 > 0:07:38almost 5,000 of these were put together and assembled in Bristol.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43We can see we've got a variety of different numbers on here. Here,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48you've got the 200hp Hispano and then another number and
0:07:48 > 0:07:50lettering down below.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Remarkably, it's in such good condition.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58And clearly, it's been and it's seen action by the condition and
0:07:58 > 0:08:00the markings upon here.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Just from this I suppose sort of focal point here, you can
0:08:03 > 0:08:08almost imagine hearing this fly over this amazing landscape, can't you?
0:08:08 > 0:08:13And put into context what it did back in those formative years
0:08:13 > 0:08:15of the Great War.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17What's it worth, Stephen? Any ideas?
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Well, my father was offered something in the region
0:08:21 > 0:08:26of £500 without it even being seen and that could be ten years ago.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31They have made up to £1,000. Some have made 450.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35I feel this one in its condition, it's so good, it's so clean,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I would go in between £400 and £600.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42And I would protect it with a reserve at £400.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Yeah.- And cross our fingers. - Yes, that would be OK.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Hopefully, hold tight, it could take off.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52That is a boy's toy, if ever I saw one. I love it!
0:08:52 > 0:08:56There are crowds of people still eager to get their items
0:08:56 > 0:09:00valued and Mark has found a very baffling object.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Desmond, you've brought this item in to find out where it was made,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06what sort of object it is and a value, haven't you?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I'm afraid we can't tell you any of it.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10- Well, we can tell you some of it. - Right.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It's a really odd thing, isn't it?
0:09:12 > 0:09:16It's almost certainly, I think, Japanese, made in the Meiji period,
0:09:16 > 0:09:21so somewhere between sort of 1870 and about 1920.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Where did you get it from?
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Well, I'm carrying this for a friend who is ill and I said,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29"I'll take it down there and they'll be able to find out what it is."
0:09:29 > 0:09:34- And we've failed.- Mm.- And how long has your friend had it?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- About ten years, I think. - So he hasn't had it long?- No.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- He picked it up somewhere. - London, I think.- London?- Mm.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42And when he bought it, did he not ask what it was
0:09:42 > 0:09:43or did he just find it curious?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46- He just liked the look of it. - Well, I'm with him.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- I think it's a really quirky item. - Yes.- It's odd. We have all looked
0:09:50 > 0:09:53at it and we have tried to do some research and we can't answer
0:09:53 > 0:09:57the question, what on Earth it is. This little section comes out
0:09:57 > 0:10:00of that base, and that base feels as if it might be
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Japanese silver.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06In terms of the... the little device itself,
0:10:06 > 0:10:08it doesn't really open. Someone has tried to force it open,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11but I don't want to do any more than that, cos it doesn't look
0:10:11 > 0:10:12as if it's hinged anywhere.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15You have this three-sail type effect
0:10:15 > 0:10:18on it, with these little circular Japanese mons,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21which are done in gilding.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23In terms of the auction,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25I'm going to keep the estimate low, I'm afraid.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30I would say sort of £50-£80, with a £50 reserve.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- And let's just see what happens. - OK.- Do you think he'd be happy
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- with that?- Yes.- You've spoken to him. If we illustrate that online
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and do a description as I've described,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Japanese Meiji period etc,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44who knows? We might be looking at a real hidden gem.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Looking forward to that.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- But for now, it is sayonara from here, isn't it?- Mm.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Oh, I didn't know Mark could speak Japanese(!)
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It's always fascinating when an object like that
0:10:54 > 0:10:56comes through our doors.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59We need one more item to take to auction
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and Charles has found a wee pig that is far from home.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08Sharon, I often wonder, what is a Scottish pig doing here in Wales?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Ah, mystery.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13- I wouldn't know. - How did you acquire him?
0:11:13 > 0:11:17I bought him in a church fair for £4 about two years ago.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18- Really?- Bargain!
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- You saw him and you thought, ah, I know.- Wemyss.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- Hopefully.- That magical word.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28The factory began in 1882,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31when Karel Nekola and Robert Heron got together
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and they put this factory together.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37The name was based on the local big family,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39the Wemyss family at the castle.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41By 1930, they had stopped
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and the rights to these pigs had been sold
0:11:44 > 0:11:47to a factory on the south coast.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50So, hello, pig.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Let's have a look at you.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55What I love about him first of all is, the ears are in good condition.
0:11:55 > 0:12:01There are a few minor little signs of wear on the tips.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05I love what appear to be almost clovers.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09And I look in the crevices to make sure there's a level of wear
0:12:09 > 0:12:14to suggest this pig's been around 125, 130 years.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18And the body is good, but there's no tail!
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- No.- There's no tail.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21- Sorry about that.- What happened?
0:12:21 > 0:12:24It was like that when I bought it.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27And just in the crevice down here, you can barely see,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- have you found it yet?- My husband found it but I find it hard to see.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35But there is a number as well and it looks like a double-S on the end.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36- Yeah, that is your Wemyss mark. - Yeah.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41So, in that regard, I'm quite happy it does come from the Fife factory.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And if I was to date him,
0:12:43 > 0:12:48I would say that your Wemyss pig would date to around 1900-1910
0:12:48 > 0:12:50at the very latest.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52I like him. How much do you like him?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Well, I like him, but, you know... I'd like to sell him!
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Is it time he goes to a Welsh market?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Yes, I think so.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03We can ask that question, how much is that pig in the window?
0:13:03 > 0:13:05With our problem, he's without the...
0:13:05 > 0:13:06- Waggly tail! ALL:- Waggly tail!
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Exactly, I like that a lot, yeah, yeah.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11I think the tail will affect value.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13But even so, he is commercial.
0:13:13 > 0:13:19And my instinct would be between 150 and 250.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- Right. - Put the reserve at about £120.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- Yes. - Does that figure meet your approval?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Yes, it's more than £4, so it's fine!
0:13:29 > 0:13:33It just... It just shows, doesn't it, what you can still find?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35But he isn't the one with the...
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- ALL:- Waggly tail. - Thank you very much.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Lovely.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42If anyone spots that missing tail, do let us know.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Before we head off to auction,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46there's something I would like to show you.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Since 1948,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56buildings of special interest from all over Wales have been carefully
0:13:56 > 0:14:00taken apart and reassembled on this site near Cardiff.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Every brick, slate and piece of timber is numbered so it can be
0:14:04 > 0:14:06reconstructed exactly as it was.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10The oldest domestic buildings here date back to the 15th century,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13like this traditional Welsh farmhouse from mid-Wales,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17which gives us a glimpse of how people lived in rural communities
0:14:17 > 0:14:19some 500 years ago.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22But the buildings that I've come to see today give us an insight
0:14:22 > 0:14:25into our industrial past.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales
0:14:27 > 0:14:30was a boom town of the Industrial Revolution.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33In 1800, a new terrace of houses was built at Rhyd-y-Car
0:14:33 > 0:14:35for the town's ironworkers.
0:14:35 > 0:14:41But by the early 1980s, the terrace was derelict and facing demolition.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46The National History Museum stepped in to rescue part of the original
0:14:46 > 0:14:48terrace for a unique project.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52The idea was to use the fabric and interiors of these buildings
0:14:52 > 0:14:55to shed a light on the lives of the people who had lived in them.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00What made this so special was the history spanned almost 200 years,
0:15:00 > 0:15:05from the early 1800s when they were first built, right up to 1985.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12Six houses, numbers 17 to 22, were carefully reconstructed here.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14The interior of each house
0:15:14 > 0:15:17represents a specific year in its history,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20and the first one dates to 1805.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25It has one multipurpose room, a small rear bedroom and one upstairs.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I like this. I like this place a lot, actually.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33It's got a good feel about it.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36What strikes me about it is, it's very rustic, yet it's in an urban setting.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40So the couple that originally lived here came from the countryside.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44They moved to the area to find employment in the ironworks,
0:15:44 > 0:15:46like many other people.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48So the furniture they brought with them
0:15:48 > 0:15:50was traditional Welsh furniture.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52It's all handcrafted. It's beautiful.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Now, the fireplace, not only a focal point in this little room,
0:15:56 > 0:15:57but it keeps you warm.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00That's your source of central heating for the whole house.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01You did your cooking on there
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and you boiled up the water to make a cup of tea
0:16:04 > 0:16:06in that massive, great big old iron kettle.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09And if you wanted a bath, well, you had a tin bath.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12That would be hanging up on the outside wall, out back.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15You plonked it down there, filled it up with water,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18heated it up and jumped in it.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22At this time, the windows of the houses didn't open.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26The lack of ventilation meant that disease quickly spread.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Now, a local newspaper article at the time said
0:16:32 > 0:16:35that the streets were in a state of disgusting filth,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38abounding in fermenting and putrefying substances,
0:16:38 > 0:16:43equally offensive to decency and injurious to public health.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Now, due to the lack of sanitation, and overcrowding,
0:16:46 > 0:16:51cholera struck in Merthyr Tydfil in 1849.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56Now, sadly, in Rhyd-y-Car Terrace alone, five people died.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It says here, in the surrounding area,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02884 people also lost their lives.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06The third house in Rhyd-y-Car Terrace
0:17:06 > 0:17:11shows the impact of the Industrial Revolution on people's lives.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17Now, this house dates to 1895 and, as you can see instantly,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19it's completely different.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21It's absolutely full of things.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23This is the Victorian age.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24The era of mass production.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Industry moving at full tilt.
0:17:27 > 0:17:28And it's the first time
0:17:28 > 0:17:30that working-class people could afford things.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Not just practical, functional things, but decorative things,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36as you can see here, look.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Loads of jugs hanging up, polished brasses,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Staffordshire flatback figures. It's all very, very homely.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45But I'd like to hear about
0:17:45 > 0:17:48the actual people who lived in these houses,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50with the person responsible for the project,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53former director of the museum, Dr Eurwyn William.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57What sort of people lived here?
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Well, the houses were originally built for ironworkers,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and they were the creme de la creme of the working class, if you like.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Dangerous occupation but very well paid.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09But from about 1850 to 1860,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12the majority of the men worked in the coal mines.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14So, you know, lower paid,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17so it was a quite difficult lifestyle, I think.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Now, you've got some photographs
0:18:18 > 0:18:20of people that lived in the original terrace.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Can you talk me through some of them?
0:18:22 > 0:18:27Yes, surely. These are two sisters, Bessie and Letitia Thomas.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29These are studio photographs from about 1900.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- So this is 1900?- This is 1900.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35And they lived next door but one to each other, in the terrace,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37for the whole of their lives.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Oh, that's lovely! So they looked after each other?
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Yes, Bessie, number 18, Letitia, number 20.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45And here they are again in 1945.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Oh, look at that!
0:18:47 > 0:18:49This is Bessie, and this is Letitia,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52celebrating the end of the Second World War.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Bessie, in fact,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57she was one of the last inhabitants of the terrace and she was still
0:18:57 > 0:19:00living here in her 90s, in the 1970s.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- Oh, how sweet.- Yes.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07This chap, Tom Davies, from number 17, 9st in weight,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and he was a professional wrestler and a strongman.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- Oh, I see!- Yes, he was professionally known as Saldo.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19My favourite of all the many dozens, perhaps hundreds,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21of photographs we have gathered is this one.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23These are the children of Rhyd-y-Car
0:19:23 > 0:19:25in front of one of the tips which surrounded the terrace.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27That's a lovely group shot.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29This is late Victorian.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31And the donkey is significant,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35because there were so many donkeys used for transport and so on
0:19:35 > 0:19:38in the terrace that, to the rest of the inhabitants of Merthyr,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Rhyd-y-Car was known as Donkey Town!
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Oh, was it? How sweet!
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Look at all those people together.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48One community, looking after each other.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Yes.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55By 1955, Britain was rebuilding itself as a modern post-war nation.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59In Merthyr Tydfil, heavy industry was replaced by manufacturing,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and the terrace reflects this modern era.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06The outdoor shed is now a kitchen with practical, modern furniture,
0:20:06 > 0:20:10which means the sitting room can be used for relaxing and socialising.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18Long gone are the traditional pieces of Welsh furniture, all handcrafted.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21What we have here, mass-produced pieces of furniture.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Still in oak, but lightened up and softened in style.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Not so heavy. Here is the fireplace, look.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28Not that pretty.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31No longer the focal point of the sitting room.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35That space now belongs to this, ta-da!
0:20:35 > 0:20:39The TV set. That is the future.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45The final house in the terrace dates to 1985, which isn't that long ago,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48but it really shows how much this community had changed.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52It doesn't look remotely Welsh.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54We're not in Merthyr Tydfil any more.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57This could be anywhere in the UK.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Look at this. It's full of things you could buy
0:20:59 > 0:21:03on any high street in Britain. We could be in Basildon in Essex.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Look. Fish and chips on the G Plan furniture.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08My mum and dad had an electric fireplace just like that
0:21:08 > 0:21:12with a couple of bars, and if it was really cold, you put both bars on.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16But there's something rather special in the kitchen I want to show you,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18so come through here.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19Right, here we are.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The fully fitted kitchen.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Something we're all familiar with.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26But this is the piece de resistance. This is what I wanted to show you.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Are you ready for this? Here we go.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Ta-da! Look at that.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35No longer do you have a bath in the front room in an old tub.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38You can now have a bath in the kitchen!
0:21:38 > 0:21:40So you can sit in there, saying, "Mum?
0:21:40 > 0:21:42"Make us a cup of tea!"
0:21:42 > 0:21:44She hasn't got far to bring it.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52This terrace could've been knocked down and lost for ever.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I'm so glad it was saved.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Now, compared to a castle or a magnificent stately home,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00it may seem insignificant and uninteresting,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02but the fabric of these buildings,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05the items inside them and the people who lived here
0:22:05 > 0:22:09all have a fascinating story to tell.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11It goes way beyond this terrace.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13These homes are about the story of all of us.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23What a fantastic place.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It's exactly the kind of history that fascinates me.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Here's a quick recap of the four items we're taking to auction.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36The romantic swans service plate is bound to turn heads.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It's chocks away, with the First World War propeller.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47And the mysterious Japanese box has us all puzzled,
0:22:47 > 0:22:48but will it intrigue those bidders?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54And this decorative Wemyss piggy is heading to market.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Today's auction is in Cardiff.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00In the past, this was a busy and prosperous port,
0:23:00 > 0:23:05but today, it has become important as a cultural centre.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Crowds flock to the impressive Millennium Stadium,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11in the heart of the city, to watch Wales play rugby.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14And in the Bay is the striking new Wales Millennium Centre -
0:23:14 > 0:23:18a venue for everything from opera to The X Factor.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23This is where we're putting our valuations to the test,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Rogers Jones & Co in Wales. It is a family-run business
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and I am pretty sure we are going to get some good results today.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The auctioneer is just about to start. Everybody is just browsing
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and, hopefully, they are looking at our lots. I am going to catch up
0:23:35 > 0:23:38with our first owner. Let's get on with the action.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41And don't forget, our sellers have to pay commission.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Today, it is 15% plus VAT
0:23:43 > 0:23:46on items under £2,000.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49But it is less for items over £2,000.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Ben Rogers Jones is on the rostrum,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54so it's time to get started, with our first lot,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56the decorated swan plate.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Serving up for you now, we have some porcelain,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02in the form of a dessert plate, belonging to Marjorie.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- This is a swan plate. Is it a copy of...?- It is.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09I think it's a copy of the famous Meissen swan service.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11It is a copy of the Meissen swan service.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13That is early 18th century. This is...
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I thought, originally, it was a Samson copy, but the auctioneers
0:24:16 > 0:24:19looked up the mark and it is more like Nymphenburg, which is right.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- A lot of these copies were made, but it is cracking.- Beautiful.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Why are you selling this, Marjorie?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Partly because we wanted to come to "Flog It!"...- Oh, really!
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- ..and see you all.- And you got your arm twisted by Mark!
0:24:31 > 0:24:35And also because it has just sat in a cupboard for many years
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- doing nothing. - I think, as a starting point,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- this represents good value for money.- It is.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Single plate, single dishes - anything like that, great value
0:24:42 > 0:24:46for money. Good luck. Let's watch this and enjoy it. Here we go.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Lot 184, probably German.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I am straight in at £70.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53At £70. Is there 5?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55At 70. Where's 5?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57At 75. 80, now.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Is there 5? 85. 90 bid.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02At £90. Is there 5? At £90.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04All done now, at 90?
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- This is good.- Here it goes at 90.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- £90. We have sold.- Good. - Above the estimate.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Above the estimate. Straight in and straight out.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14- That was really quick! - No swanning around!
0:25:14 > 0:25:19What a great start. Those loved-up swans have melted someone's heart.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Next up is a piece of aviation history,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24that First World War propeller,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27which is taking up nine feet on the saleroom wall!
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Well, so far so good. You could say things are flying out of here
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and that is a little clue to what is coming up next.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Yes, it is chocks away. We have got Stephen's propeller
0:25:36 > 0:25:39going under the hammer. Why are you selling this?
0:25:39 > 0:25:40It is a proper boy's toy!
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- Well, it has been in the loft for so long.- Oh, Charles!
0:25:43 > 0:25:45- It's amazing.- It's been in the loft.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49They are very hard to display at home. I have had one.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Had it dropping vertically down the stairwell
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and it looked really nice as you walked up the stairs, to see it.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Did you never fancy putting it on a wall or were you not allowed?
0:25:57 > 0:25:58It was just too big.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02- Did the wife like it?- Erm...no. - My wife didn't like mine, either!
0:26:02 > 0:26:04ALL LAUGH
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It needs that brave person to walk home and say,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10"Look what I've bought and this is where it's going"!
0:26:10 > 0:26:13That's the difficult bit. This is the easy bit. Let's flog it.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19A Hispano-Suiza aviation propeller. And I have got
0:26:19 > 0:26:22200 and... 280, to start.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- We need £400.- Is there 300? At 280. Is there 300 now?
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Are you coming in online?
0:26:28 > 0:26:29300. 320.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Is there 40? At 320.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Is there 40 now? At 320.
0:26:35 > 0:26:36Is everybody done? At 320.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37We are grounded.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41At 320. All done now?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Everybody done?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46- At 320.- There is so much history. - No-go, I'm afraid, for that one.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- I don't believe it.- It didn't sell. - I'm sorry.- It's because,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52do you know why? They are so hard
0:26:52 > 0:26:56- to display at home.- Presentation. - It's presentation, yeah.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58In a modern house, it doesn't really work,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00unless you treat it as a piece of sculpture
0:27:00 > 0:27:04on one white wall. It's there. That is the focal point.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- Oh, well. - Look, there is another day, OK?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08- There is another day. - Back in the attic.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10No. Definitely not back in the attic!
0:27:10 > 0:27:14That is very disappointing. These are hard items to sell,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18but it certainly deserves to be on a wall somewhere.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Next up is the unusual Japanese box.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Our auctioneer does not know what it is, either, so we are still
0:27:24 > 0:27:25in the dark.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Des, good luck. Your Japanese box is just about to go under the hammer
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and, do you know what? Nobody can work out what it is,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35what you put in it, what you do with it!
0:27:35 > 0:27:38For years, they have been trying to find out
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- and I don't know what it is. - No, I don't know.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- Definitely Meiji period, isn't it? - It is interesting.- Very interesting.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Somebody will know and, hopefully, they have picked up on this
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and they are here to buy it or, at least, online. OK. Good luck.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55It's going under the hammer right now. This is where it gets exciting.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59I'm going to start right at the bottom. It starts with me at 30.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01At 35, 40.
0:28:01 > 0:28:035. 50. 5, your bid. 55.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Who's coming in on this now? 60.
0:28:06 > 0:28:105. 70. 5. 80.
0:28:10 > 0:28:115. 90.
0:28:11 > 0:28:145. 100. 10.
0:28:14 > 0:28:1620. 30.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17140. 150.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- It's like a tennis match. - It is. Ping-pong, ping-pong.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21160. 170.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25180. 190.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Have you done, sir?
0:28:26 > 0:28:27190. 200.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- Is there 10? £200.- Oh, it is on the internet.- 210.- 210.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35210. All done now.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37210. Here we go...
0:28:38 > 0:28:40210. That's all right, Des, isn't it?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- Fine. - Anthony will be pleased with that.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45- He will be pleased with that. - He's got a big smile on his face.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47That is what it is all about!
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Either someone knows what it is or they simply just like it!
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Now it's the turn of the Wemyss pig.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56No-one has turned up with his tail yet,
0:28:56 > 0:28:57so will that put the bidders off?
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Why are you selling your Wemyss pig?
0:29:00 > 0:29:04It's not that I've gone off it, it's just sort of, you know...
0:29:04 > 0:29:08I'm waiting to build a wall, and the funds will go towards it.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Right, OK, and that's a really good starting point.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13I tell you what, picking that up for four quid is a bargain,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- even with a bit of damage. You don't care.- It's a great find.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Well, OK, let's try it, shall we, Charles?
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Here we go. This is it.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24This charming Wemyss pig.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27- Bids all over the place, from all over the country.- Hold tight!
0:29:27 > 0:29:30I'm straight in at £700.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- Unbelievable!- Is there 50?
0:29:33 > 0:29:37At 750, at 780, 800 or 9?
0:29:37 > 0:29:39At £800.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Would you like 50?
0:29:41 > 0:29:4350 on the phone.
0:29:43 > 0:29:44850. 900.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47£900. 950, new phone now.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- At 950.- 950.- I can't believe it.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52I can't, actually. Considering the tail is damaged.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- Would you like 11? - Very good spot for £4.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58- At £1,100?- I can't believe that.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Is there 12 now? At £1,200.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01Why not? What's £100?
0:30:01 > 0:30:05- Yeah, why not?- £1,300, at £1,300 for the little pig.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07What did you put on this, Charles?
0:30:07 > 0:30:11- It's a lot of money.- What did you put on it?- 100 to 200.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Because the condition is wonderful.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15At £1,400, have we all done?
0:30:15 > 0:30:17At £1,400, here it goes.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19I can't believe it.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21I really can't believe it.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- What did you put on it? - 100 to 200, and it had legs.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28- Literally.- Amazing.
0:30:28 > 0:30:29What do you think about that?
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- I'm shaking.- That is fantastic! - Well done.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Thank you so much.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38What a fantastic result.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And a great end to our first visit to the auction.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43It's time for me to take the opportunity
0:30:43 > 0:30:44for a look around the area.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Cardiff Castle can be found right in the heart of the city.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Its distinctive Gothic revival architecture
0:30:58 > 0:31:00has made it world-famous.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03But this austere facade conceals one of the most glamorous
0:31:03 > 0:31:06and dramatic interiors in Britain.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Its exuberant decor blew me away when I first clapped eyes on it
0:31:09 > 0:31:12ten years ago.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15This certainly does have the wow factor.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18It looked straight out of the Middle Ages,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22but was actually created during the mid-1800s.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25It was the product of an important creative partnership -
0:31:25 > 0:31:29Gothic revival architect and designer William Burges
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and the owner of the castle, the third Marquis of Bute.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Born in 1827, William Burges was a unique creative force
0:31:36 > 0:31:38in the Victorian era.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42Burges was an eccentric character.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44He was just five feet tall, short-sighted, plump,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48very energetic and he remained a bachelor all his life.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52His obsession with the Middle Ages resulted in rooms like this one -
0:31:52 > 0:31:56the Chaucer Room. The space was not designed to be practical.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58It was all about having fun.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Burges only worked for a handful of affluent clients
0:32:02 > 0:32:07who loved his ornate and extravagant interpretation
0:32:07 > 0:32:11of medieval design. Lord Bute, a wildly rich industrialist,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13had the money and the imagination
0:32:13 > 0:32:15to commission his work for Cardiff Castle.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20But as I discovered, there was more to this story
0:32:20 > 0:32:24than just lavish decoration. William Burges was also commissioned
0:32:24 > 0:32:28to create around 40 pieces of furniture for the castle.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Now, unfortunately, half those pieces were sold off
0:32:31 > 0:32:34in an auction in 1949 by the Bute family,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37when they handed the castle over to the council.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40So, the hunt was on to find those missing pieces of furniture
0:32:40 > 0:32:41and bring them back home.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45These were unique, handcrafted pieces,
0:32:45 > 0:32:50designed exclusively for Lord Bute. Without them, Burges' vision
0:32:50 > 0:32:52of the castle would not be complete.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55But in 15 years, they had only managed to retrieve four pieces,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59including Lord Bute's elaborate bed.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04When I first visited the castle ten years ago, I met curator
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Matthew Williams, a leading authority on Burges,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11who showed me another piece - a beautiful inlaid table.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16I understand this was sold for a fiver in 1949.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Isn't it unbelievable? It is one of a pair, actually.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22This one, we think, was sold for a fiver.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24- The other one was sold for £5.10.- Oh, dear!
0:33:24 > 0:33:26How did you get this one back?
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Well, this was offered to us by a London dealer.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33- So how much did you have to pay for it to get it back?- £70,000.
0:33:33 > 0:33:34Ouch.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38This wasn't just a difficult task, it was also an expensive one.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Matthew had photographs of many of the original items of furniture,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44but where were they?
0:33:45 > 0:33:48So, I'm back to meet Matthew to find out if
0:33:48 > 0:33:52he's found any more missing pieces to the jigsaw, and I can't wait.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56- Do we know where the other one is? - No, we don't...
0:33:56 > 0:33:57There we are ten years ago.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Aged like a good antique since then, I think, don't you?
0:34:00 > 0:34:04You haven't changed at all. I'll tell you what, it's nice to be back.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07Now, let me pause that for a second. Let's just recap, OK?
0:34:07 > 0:34:11The last time I saw you, you had found four of the missing pieces.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12- That's right, isn't it?- It is.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15And you were looking out for some occasional tables.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Well, there were a set of six occasional tables
0:34:17 > 0:34:19that were made for the clock tower,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22in fact we've got a picture of one of them here,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25actually an original picture from 1874 when it was brand-new,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27just finished, but we do have
0:34:27 > 0:34:32a whole trail of where the history of the piece comes from.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Apart from the original photograph,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37you've got the inventory of the castle from 1931...
0:34:37 > 0:34:40- This is really good. - ..and they're mentioned here,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42"A set of six ebonised tables with ivory inlays to match,"
0:34:42 > 0:34:44£200 as a value.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48And we have a record of actually how much they fetched,
0:34:48 > 0:34:50and it wasn't £200.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53The set of tables, they were all selling to different buyers here -
0:34:53 > 0:34:55two pounds two shillings each.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Gosh, that's nothing!
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Absolute buttons.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02By the time of the 1949 auction,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Britain's taste in furniture had radically changed.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Mass manufacturing meant lighter, more affordable pieces
0:35:09 > 0:35:11for the modern post-war home,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15which is why Burges' furniture sold for next to nothing.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19But today, he's one of the most sought-after names in the world.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22There was another piece of furniture you talked to me about,
0:35:22 > 0:35:23that fire screen.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- That was a unique piece.- Yeah. - That was a real one-off.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Tables are a set of six, but the fire screen,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31which you can see in this photograph here of the room,
0:35:31 > 0:35:36perhaps in about 1900, that again was sold off.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39We've got a reference to it in the inventories.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41There's a valuation there of it.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45"Threefold ebonised fire screen with stained glass panels, £40."
0:35:45 > 0:35:47But in 1949, same story,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50here it is - "Lot 28, £5."
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- Isn't that depressing?- Yeah.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55So put me out of my misery, OK?
0:35:55 > 0:35:57What have you found in the last ten years?
0:35:57 > 0:35:59We've found one of the tables.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02- Yeah.- And a big thrill, we actually found the fire screen as well.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- Really?- Yeah.- So you were teasing me all along, weren't you?- Yeah, I was.
0:36:06 > 0:36:07Can I see them, please?
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- They are up in the original setting. - Where they belong.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Matthew and I are heading to the clock tower,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16which houses the summer smoking room.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19This is arguably the most exquisite room
0:36:19 > 0:36:21created by Burges for Lord Bute.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25It features lavish decoration including the signs of the zodiac
0:36:25 > 0:36:30and a breathtaking dome painted with stars and constellations.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Wow. The assault on the senses.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37This is exactly how I remembered it.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39You will never forget this room, will you, as long as you live?
0:36:39 > 0:36:42I think it's one of the best 19th-century interiors in Britain.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44And this was his smoking room, so only...
0:36:44 > 0:36:47This was his summer smoking room.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49- Right.- There's another one downstairs for use in the winter.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52OK, so only his best friends would come up here.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Just for the privileged few, during those six weeks of the year
0:36:55 > 0:37:00that Lord Bute was here, and they would be smoking exotic cigarettes
0:37:00 > 0:37:05and generally drinking and enjoying themselves, telling dirty stories.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07- And there's the table.- Yep.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10It's in a bit of a sorry state, isn't it? Where did you find it?
0:37:10 > 0:37:12Well, this is the interesting thing about it -
0:37:12 > 0:37:15it's in its unrestored state still,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19but what's happened to it in those years since 1949
0:37:19 > 0:37:22until it was rediscovered?
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- How much did you pay for that? - This was £30,000.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25PAUL GASPS
0:37:25 > 0:37:26- In that state?- Yeah.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29It was discovered in an auction somewhere in Wales
0:37:29 > 0:37:31and recognised by somebody who offered it to us.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34- And you had to have it. - Well, we did, didn't we?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36£30,000!
0:37:36 > 0:37:38I like it a lot. I like it a lot.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40And the fire screen, that catches the light there.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42The condition is very good.
0:37:42 > 0:37:43This was very much better.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46We were very pleased to find this in this state because again,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49it could have got severely damaged over the years.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52You can see this yellow glass that we've got here -
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Burges has actually included in the design a salamander
0:37:55 > 0:37:59on each circular panel, which is symbolic of renewal through fire,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02- so he's carefully thought it all out.- Where did you find it?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04This was offered to us by a London dealer.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07He knew it had come from Cardiff Castle
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and so we had to pay 17,000 for it.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13That's not a lot of money compared to that.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16- It was wonderful to have the two pieces back.- It must be.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19- I can see...- I get very enthusiastic about this sort of
0:38:19 > 0:38:22thing, but it's getting harder and harder to find it, so I hope
0:38:22 > 0:38:25that with those few missing pieces you're going to help me with.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27I will do, especially at 30 grand a pop.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34The two pieces have finally been returned to their rightful place,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36just as Burges and Lord Bute envisaged.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43So in the last ten years, the castle has managed to find another two
0:38:43 > 0:38:47of the missing pieces of furniture, that makes a grand total of six.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49There are still a lot more pieces out there. Who owns them?
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Where are they?
0:38:51 > 0:38:54But judging by the condition of that small side table,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57I would guess in a damp garage or cellar somewhere.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58One thing is for sure,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for them and I hope you are too.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Back at Margam Country Park, I wonder if our experts have
0:39:08 > 0:39:12turned up anything as remarkable or rare as a piece by Burges.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16You never quite know what's wrapped up in these bags and packages,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18but it looks like Charles
0:39:18 > 0:39:21has come across a blast from the past at the BBC.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24What an interesting item, Clive and Carol.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27- It's quite scientific, isn't it? - Well, we don't know what it is.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29That was the fascination,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32to find out really what it is or what it was.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Yes, I feel as though I should put on a voice,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- because the BBC...- Yes. - This is the BBC.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42- Yes.- Are you receiving me yet? - Not yet.- Over.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43It's a receiver.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45It's a radio receiver.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48If you look on this top section here, Clive,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52you'll see you've got...what it is.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56It's called the Lissenophone Midget.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01- Yes.- Here's your tuning capacitor, which is in Bakelite.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06You can see on this section here, it says "phones".
0:40:06 > 0:40:12So you would have had an earpiece attached to both of these lacquered
0:40:12 > 0:40:15brass finishes here to pick up and
0:40:15 > 0:40:20- then tune in to BBC Home Service. - OK.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21OK?
0:40:21 > 0:40:26Here you can see your aerial for A would have been fastened here.
0:40:26 > 0:40:33Your earth wire would have linked into here, to actually allow
0:40:33 > 0:40:36the object to work.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39It's in remarkably nice condition.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43My instinct is, without being too precise on date,
0:40:43 > 0:40:49would be to say it's interwar years. So it could be 1920s, 1930s.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51The finish of it's very, very good.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55You've got this lacquered metal section here,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58on this beautiful mahogany body,
0:40:58 > 0:41:01with a very clean yet slightly worn logo.
0:41:01 > 0:41:06- How did you acquire it?- Cleaning out the house when my father died.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07It was in the drawer.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09We don't know where he got it from,
0:41:09 > 0:41:13but he and my mother did quite a lot of house sales so he might've
0:41:13 > 0:41:17had a miscellaneous box and this just might have been part of it.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19OK, what's it worth, any idea?
0:41:19 > 0:41:22As it is, give me a fiver for it and you can have it.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Well, I say, take your fiver,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- I'm going to guide it between 40 and £60.- Wow.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30- Lovely.- I propose a reserve of 20.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34- Lovely.- 40 to 60, let's dial in. - OK. We're there.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37I'm sure a collector will snap that up.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Maybe they can get it working again and who knows what they might
0:41:40 > 0:41:44be able to hear out there on the airwaves.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47- RADIO PIP - 'This is the BBC Home and Forces Programme.'
0:41:47 > 0:41:49But now it's my turn as I catch up
0:41:49 > 0:41:52with Chris, who I met in the queue earlier.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Who owns one of these, then?
0:41:54 > 0:41:55- No-one?- No.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Tea caddies are a thing of the past but I tell you what,
0:41:58 > 0:42:01they're a good thing to collect now, they really are.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06- So how did you come across this one? - A boot sale.- No?!- Yes.- Really?
0:42:06 > 0:42:08- In Port Talbot.- How long ago?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- Four weeks. - I don't believe you. Really?- Yeah.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13How much did you pay for that?
0:42:13 > 0:42:17- Hopefully lots of money. - Well, hubby paid £10 for it.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Ooh, that was a bargain, wasn't it? Wasn't that a bargain?
0:42:20 > 0:42:23This is George III, you know.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- This is circa 1790. - Well, I knew it was pretty old.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31This is really nice. It's a tortoiseshell tea caddy.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Technically, it's not tortoiseshell, it's turtle shell.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Blonde turtle shell, it's been cleaned up.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38But it's absolutely lovely,
0:42:38 > 0:42:41I like the fact it's got a little domed lid to it.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45If I open this up, two compartments,
0:42:45 > 0:42:47who knows why there's two compartments?
0:42:47 > 0:42:51- Black tea and green tea. - Yes, good girl.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Black tea and green tea. Look at that. It's even got its lining.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58That's tinfoil. That's there to keep the tea fresh.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02Incidentally, the word "caddy" comes from the Malay word "kati",
0:43:02 > 0:43:05which is the weight of measure a tea was originally sold in.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Little cubes, "katis". This is where we get the term "caddy" from.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12I like that. I really do like that.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15It looks like there's been evidence of no feet, which is quite
0:43:15 > 0:43:19interesting because most little caddies have little turned feet.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Architecturally, it makes them stand better.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24This one looks to me like it's never had any feet.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27- If this was in much better condition and the market was stronger...- Yes.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30..£400 to £600 any day of the week.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35But the fact that it's turtle shell, there's this Cites issue.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Anything pre-1947 we can sell from an endangered species,
0:43:38 > 0:43:42but after that you can't. That's the cut-off period.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45People are against ivory and turtle shell nowadays but
0:43:45 > 0:43:48there are collectors out there that will buy this still.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52I like it a lot, it's not the best tortoiseshell caddy I've come
0:43:52 > 0:43:54across, it's got a bit of wire work missing here.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56- There's a bit of damage.- Yes.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58- But otherwise that silver can be done.- Yes.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01I think we could put this into auction with a valuation
0:44:01 > 0:44:04of £150 to 250.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- Not bad for ten quid, is it? - Brilliant.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09Now she's feeling guilty, aren't you?
0:44:09 > 0:44:12- That you bought it for a tenner.- Yes, I am.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15A tenner! Wow, Chris really got a good deal there.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Fingers crossed we can improve on that.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Charles has spotted a very impressive clock.
0:44:22 > 0:44:25Margaret and Sue, I feel like saying ding-dong.
0:44:25 > 0:44:31- Bell.- Ding-dong, and what a belle you are, Margaret, and what a handsome clock.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33- Absolutely.- Whose is it?
0:44:33 > 0:44:35- Mine.- And you're Mother?
0:44:35 > 0:44:38- Yes.- Margaret, how many years have you had this clock?
0:44:38 > 0:44:41Oh, gosh, 60, probably 70?
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Yeah. Long time.
0:44:43 > 0:44:47I like it a lot, because we don't often see what we call tavern clocks.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51And if there's ever a clock which is the more commercial today,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53it's the tavern clock.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57- Oh, good.- I also like this mahogany veneer,
0:44:57 > 0:45:00which is rich and quite deep and well patinated,
0:45:00 > 0:45:04within this really nice cushion moulding.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08And you can see the level of age by the dirt within the crevices.
0:45:08 > 0:45:13It's clearly late 18th or early 19th century.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18OK? What concerned me were these square veneer pegs here.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21To me, it's a country-made tavern clock.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24Because these square pegs here
0:45:24 > 0:45:28actually support the pillar movement within.
0:45:28 > 0:45:33It may have been played with a bit, because, to me,
0:45:33 > 0:45:38these ought not be too obvious on the actual face of the clock.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41Right. Mind you, I think it does give the clock character.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43It gives it a life, yeah.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47What I like is this minute finger, which is weighted -
0:45:47 > 0:45:49that's original,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52and I believe this finger, too, is probably original.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56And of course it's something, Margaret, which, in its heyday,
0:45:56 > 0:45:59with your husband, you had to wind up every day?
0:45:59 > 0:46:05- Every day.- Yeah. So it's a fairly simple 30-hour single train movement
0:46:05 > 0:46:08and, looking at the movement back here,
0:46:08 > 0:46:12what excites me is these little bobbins to support the train
0:46:12 > 0:46:17are a treen, or a turned wood, rather than being metal, so, to me,
0:46:17 > 0:46:19if I was to date this,
0:46:19 > 0:46:25I would suggest it's circa 1790, as late as 1815.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29And the giveaway to date is this ivory escutcheon.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32That would be about 1810.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35So, I like it. It needs some TLC.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40So I feel, realistically, we ought to put a fixed reserve on at £400,
0:46:40 > 0:46:45and put a guide price on of between £500 and £700.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48And I hope that meets your approval.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51Yes. It needs to go to a good home.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53Yeah. Shall we shake on it?
0:46:53 > 0:46:56And say, five to seven, reserve at four,
0:46:56 > 0:46:58we'll be going, going, gone.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01That's a great item.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04It makes me think about how many people have looked at this clock
0:47:04 > 0:47:08over 200 years, and kept time by it.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11We've still got one more item to find and I think someone
0:47:11 > 0:47:14has uncovered a historic gem.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16Mark Stacey, I presume.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19Edward, now, you've brought a fascinating book in to us.
0:47:19 > 0:47:20Tell us all about it.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24- I acquired it seven years ago in a car-boot sale.- No!
0:47:24 > 0:47:28I looked down at the floor in a box and there was all these old
0:47:28 > 0:47:30books and this caught my eye.
0:47:30 > 0:47:36And I picked it up, turned a page or two, and I thought, "Ahh!
0:47:36 > 0:47:40- "This is signed by David Livingstone himself."- Gosh.- Signed by him!
0:47:40 > 0:47:44- Of "Mr Livingstone, I presume?" - Yeah, the famous explorer.- Exactly.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48And if we open it, actually, we can see that we've got -
0:47:48 > 0:47:50who had the book - Captain...
0:47:50 > 0:47:52- Yeah, several people have had the book, yeah.- ..Forbes.
0:47:52 > 0:47:57But then you've got this wonderful handwritten inscription,
0:47:57 > 0:48:02"Major General Charles Murray, May," and then there's a little note
0:48:02 > 0:48:07from him, signed David Livingstone, London, 29th of October 1857.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10- Quite old.- It is quite old.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It's amazing, and then as you go through the book there are
0:48:12 > 0:48:16- various lithographic plates.- Yes.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19And you have the title page as well there.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22And you've done some further research, haven't you?
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Yeah, I found out who the person was, Major General Charles Murray,
0:48:27 > 0:48:31and he was a famous general, went back as far as Waterloo.
0:48:31 > 0:48:36- Gosh, really?- And then it passed on to another two people since.- Gosh.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40And these people were just clearing out and hadn't looked at the book,
0:48:40 > 0:48:41- just...- Didn't look inside, yeah.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43Well, the book was in such a bad state,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46I suppose they didn't think it was worth anything.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49- Do you want to know how much I paid? - I'd love to know how much you paid.
0:48:49 > 0:48:50Don't tell anybody else.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53- Well, nobody watches the show, so it's fine.- I paid a pound for it.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56- A pound?- Yes, a pound. - A whole Welsh pound.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59What I find fascinating is that I'm handling
0:48:59 > 0:49:03a book that was written by this famous person,
0:49:03 > 0:49:08- who signed it and presented it to another famous person.- Yes.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12It is good that, as you say, it's not signed to AN Other.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15- Yeah.- It's signed to a person of note, as well.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18And signed, obviously, by Livingstone.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21It is a difficult thing to value, though.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Myself, I think we've got to protect it, so I would suggest an
0:49:24 > 0:49:28- estimate of £1,000 at £1,500, to be honest with you.- Yes, that's OK.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31And we can protect it, of course, with a reserve of £1,000,
0:49:31 > 0:49:34because if it doesn't sell for that you can keep it as an investment.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Quite happy to keep it, yes.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40So you're ready for our own expedition into the jungle world of the auction.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43Yes, certainly, all the way to Cardiff.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47That's an incredible find, and I've a feeling that's going to
0:49:47 > 0:49:49stir up serious excitement.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53Here's a quick recap of the four items we're taking to auction.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58Clive and Carol's BBC receiver, which they found in a drawer.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04The lovely turtle-shell tea caddy spotted at a car-boot sale.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09It's time, gentlemen, please, for Margaret's tavern clock.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16But the biggest discovery of all, David Livingstone's signed book.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Back at Rogers Jones & Co,
0:50:19 > 0:50:21Ben is still hard at work on the rostrum,
0:50:21 > 0:50:23but before we start our first lot
0:50:23 > 0:50:27I want to take a look at the David Livingstone book.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31Published in 1857, the book tells of Livingstone's adventures in
0:50:31 > 0:50:34South Africa over a 16-year period.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38Born in Scotland, he was a Christian missionary,
0:50:38 > 0:50:42explorer and anti-slavery campaigner.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47As one of the first Europeans to penetrate the interior of Africa,
0:50:47 > 0:50:51he famously named Victoria Falls and became a hero of the Victorian age.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57I didn't see this at the valuation day, Mark.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59- I know, it's amazing, Paul, isn't it?- It's fantastic.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02- Some people have all the luck.- Have you got high hopes for this, Mark?
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Well, we've put £1,000-£1,500,
0:51:04 > 0:51:06but how can you value something like that?
0:51:06 > 0:51:08PAUL INHALES DEEPLY
0:51:08 > 0:51:10This we could have a big surprise with.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Whatever you do, do not go away.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16I reckon a lot more than what Mark thinks.
0:51:16 > 0:51:20All will be revealed, but first up, it's the BBC receiver.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24I love this next item. It's not a lot of money.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27It's a real curio, it's a little, tiny radio receiver,
0:51:27 > 0:51:29- but it looks like a piece of sculpture.- Yes.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32- It's got the BBC on it. - It has, yes.- Hasn't it?- Yes.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34I think you're spot-on with the value.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36- Yeah, I hope so. It's a real curio. - Yeah.- A real boy's toy.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39- Of course it is.- Love it.- Something for the desktop, to play with.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42We're putting this under the hammer right now. Good luck.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44- Thank you.- This is it.
0:51:44 > 0:51:49The wooden, brass and celluloid radio receiver, bearing BBC crest.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53I'm straight in at £80. Is there 5?
0:51:53 > 0:51:5585. 90 with me. Is there 5?
0:51:55 > 0:51:58- 95. 100 bid.- Clive, this is good. This is very good.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00- Fantastic!- We never thought.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02- 110 in the room.- One more. It's picking up.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Out online, OK. 110, it's in the room. Is everybody done?
0:52:05 > 0:52:07- At 110, here we go, at 110. - Brilliant thing.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- Hammer's up now.- It's a brilliant thing.- Fantastic!
0:52:10 > 0:52:13- Sold!- 110, that sold. I'd love to have owned that as well.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15- It's just...- Why didn't you say?
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Well, cos we're not allowed to buy things,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20- but I could see that on my desk at home, because it's fun.- It's lovely.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23Yeah, and it's all about the BBC as well, which is brilliant.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26That was a real gem, and a great result.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30Next it's tea-time, with the stylish Georgian caddy.
0:52:32 > 0:52:33Right, it's my turn to be the expert.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37I fell in love with this, and it belongs to Chris, who's looking very colourful.
0:52:37 > 0:52:41- Fingers crossed for this.- Oh, yes. - I think I've pitched this to sell.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43I think this will go, and it's in good company,
0:52:43 > 0:52:45there's two or three other caddies today,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47so hopefully the caddy collectors would have picked this up.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49- Jolly good.- It's a quality item.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52OK, ready? This is it, it's going under the hammer.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57A wonderful tortoiseshell tea caddy, lot 336.
0:52:57 > 0:53:04- Off I go, 340. At 340, is there 60? - Hey-hey! High-five.- Whoa!
0:53:04 > 0:53:08At 360, 380. At £380, is there 400?
0:53:08 > 0:53:12- At 380.- Yeah, I was a bit cautious about the damage.- Yes.- 400. 420.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- Well, it looks as if they've fancied it, yeah.- Is everybody done?
0:53:15 > 0:53:20At 420, last call, then, at 420, here we go.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23420, that was literally straight in and straight out.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25I think he had two or three commission bids left
0:53:25 > 0:53:28- on the high point there.- Maybe, yes. - Up in the high 300s.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32Chris, that's a brilliant result. It was fantastic, wasn't it?
0:53:32 > 0:53:33- Give us a hug.- Big hug!
0:53:33 > 0:53:36- You're right.- Well done.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40That's not bad for a £10 investment. What a brilliant result.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Now it's the tavern clock.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44These were also known as Act of Parliament clocks,
0:53:44 > 0:53:47after a tax levied on clocks by William Pitt,
0:53:47 > 0:53:49the Prime Minister in 1797.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52I've just been joined by Margaret and Susan, mum and daughter,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54and our expert, Charles.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56We're putting that lovely Act of Parliament clock,
0:53:56 > 0:53:58the tavern clock, under the hammer.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00And the value was 500 to 700.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03- Indeed.- The auctioneer has reduced that value.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05He thinks it was a little bit too high.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07- He's put 400 to 600.- Indeed.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11With a reserve at 400, still, but you've upped the reserve to 450.
0:54:11 > 0:54:13So it's gone backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards,
0:54:13 > 0:54:17all for the sake of £50, and I'm pretty sure this will sell.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19- I hope so.- I reckon we'll all be right at the end of the day, don't you?
0:54:19 > 0:54:23- I hope you're right.- OK, here we go, ding-dong, this is it.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26I've got to start, it starts with me at £300.
0:54:26 > 0:54:31At 320 online, 40, with me, 60, 80, 400, and 20.
0:54:31 > 0:54:32We're going to sell it.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- Ding-dong.- 440. 460 on the phone.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- Yes, we've done it!- 480 online.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41- Right, here we go.- 500 on the phone.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42Anybody in the room now?
0:54:42 > 0:54:44550? 600.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47I'm taking two first.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49OK, I won't forget you, sir. 650.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- 700.- 700!
0:54:52 > 0:54:55It's all ticking. It's all ticking.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57800. And 50.
0:54:57 > 0:54:59- Brilliant!- 900.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01- And 50.- Make it the big one.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03- Yes, £1,000!- £1,100.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05The phone is out. £1,100.
0:55:05 > 0:55:06Before it goes, then, all done?
0:55:06 > 0:55:09- £1,100.- £1,100.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12That gavel went down, and that was a sold sound.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14And that's the beauty of an auction.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17- That's why we love them!- Yes!
0:55:17 > 0:55:20I don't think any of us were expecting that.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22It made more than twice its estimate.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26Next up, that historic book signed by one of the greatest names
0:55:26 > 0:55:29'in Victorian history, David Livingstone.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32'I've been looking forward to this.'
0:55:32 > 0:55:35Well, our next item was bought for just £1 at
0:55:35 > 0:55:38a car-boot sale several years ago, yes, just £1.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41It belongs to Edward. Can you remember the day you bought this?
0:55:41 > 0:55:42Were you excited?
0:55:42 > 0:55:44I didn't get too excited at the time,
0:55:44 > 0:55:48- I had to verify whether it was genuine.- Yeah.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51- I thought 99% it was, yes.- And the book's in pretty good condition,
0:55:51 > 0:55:53all the plates are there, there's no pages missing.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56I think this is a... I would totally agree with you, you know,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59we're looking for £1,500, maybe £2,000,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02but this should be in a museum, and if somebody picks up on this
0:56:02 > 0:56:04hopefully we're looking at two to three grand.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07- I don't know, the sky's the limit. - I don't know, Paul.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Who doesn't know the expression "Mr Livingstone, I presume"?
0:56:10 > 0:56:14- We all know it, we were brought up at school on these stories.- We were.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16I mean, it really brought my childhood back,
0:56:16 > 0:56:18that expression, and it really made me tingle when I saw it.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- Yeah, and it's something you'd love to own.- Oh, it's wonderful.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24Hopefully we're going to have this roller-coaster ride,
0:56:24 > 0:56:26and it's starting right now.
0:56:26 > 0:56:27This is it.
0:56:28 > 0:56:32Lot 391, what a wonderful item to have in a saleroom,
0:56:32 > 0:56:34it's been a privilege to look after it for a few weeks.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37The volume of Livingstone's Missionary Travels In South Africa,
0:56:37 > 0:56:39with wonderful provenance.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43- I'm straight in at £1,800.- Ooh! There you go.- Is there 19 now?
0:56:43 > 0:56:45At 1,800, 1,900,
0:56:45 > 0:56:47£2,000.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49- Paul, you were right. - It's a lovely item here. At 2.2.
0:56:49 > 0:56:502.4.
0:56:50 > 0:56:522,600 online.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56- Ooh, yes!- 2,600. Is there 8 now? At 2,600.
0:56:56 > 0:56:592,600, 2,700.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02- 2,800.- 2,800. - Are we going to do the 3,000?- 2,900.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05- We will do the 3,000. We will, we've got to.- £3,000.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09- Yes!- 3,000, and I'm out. At £3,000, it's online.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11At £3,000, is everybody done?
0:57:11 > 0:57:15- £3,000 and here it goes. Hammer's up now.- £3,000.- £3,000...
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Oh, I'm tingling.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21Edward, you must be tingling, that's brilliant. £3,000!
0:57:21 > 0:57:25- Thank you, thank you.- Ahh! - For a pound investment.- £1.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Oh, I'm tingling all over. That is so exciting.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Thank you for making my day. I hope we've made your day as well.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32Join us again for many more surprises,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35but sadly that is the end of today's show.
0:57:35 > 0:57:36Come and join me, you both deserve it.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Dr Livingstone, I presume, how about that?
0:57:39 > 0:57:42- Hopefully it's gone to a museum. - I hope so, yes.- I hope so as well.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46Join us again next time for many more surprises on "Flog It!"