Margam Country 10 Flog It!

Today, we're at Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot.

It is a magnificent location that's a product of centuries of

style and design

and today, we're going to be finding out the answer to

a mystery we first uncovered ten years ago,

regarding one of Britain's most noted architects.

More of that later. Welcome to Flog It!

Margam Country Park in South Wales is a unique location that brings

together architectural styles, spanning more than 800 years.

Its Victorian Gothic revival castle looks straight out of

the imagination of Bram Stoker.

It was home to CRM Talbot, who gave his name to nearby Port Talbot.

His father created this stunning orangery,

regarded as a masterpiece of 18th century architecture.

Next to it are the remains of a Cistercian abbey, founded in 1147.

They all sit happily alongside each other and will be

the backdrop to today's valuations.

Well, judging by the size of this fantastic crowd,

we're going to be in for a busy day.

Who knows what intriguing items are hidden in all of these bags

and boxes? It's our experts' job to find them.

This lot are eager to get started, but before we do,

there's just two important questions - where are you all from?

-ALL:

-Wales!

-Of course! What do you want to do? ALL:

-Flog it!

We've got a couple of very talented experts today.

They know good design when they see it.

Mark Stacey is as keen as mustard.

-I don't know what it is.

-I think it's a vase.

-LAUGHTER

But Charles Hanson seems to have missed the point of the show.

Oh, it's some money. I could do with some cash.

Thanks a lot. Yeah, cheers.

But not to be outdone, I've found a few gems myself.

I was thinking it's time for tea. A lovely tea caddy.

Well, I tell you what, I'll talk to you later on in the programme.

-Thank you, Paul.

-Right now, get the kettle on.

Time to get everyone organised and seated.

The queue is making its way around this beautiful location.

Our behind-the-scenes experts will be giving valuations all day

and our production team are busy managing the crowds.

They're making sure everyone is seen and we capture everything.

And action!

And here's just a tease of what's coming up.

Mark is completely in the dark.

I'm afraid we can't tell you anything.

A car boot buy is a once-in-a-lifetime find.

This is signed by David Livingstone himself.

Gosh!

And at Cardiff Castle, I'm in for a shock.

-This was £30,000.

-HE GASPS

Well, who knows what we're going to uncover today?

But there's only one way to find out, as we go straight over

to Mark Stacey's table to take a closer look at what he's spotted.

-And it looks pretty good, doesn't it?

-It does indeed.

He's found a plate with intriguing decoration.

Marjory, you've brought

a rather interesting plate,

-which I spotted in the queue.

-You did.

-What do you know about it?

Very little.

Nothing at all really, except that it's quite a wacky plate.

And I like it.

-Have you had it a long time?

-We've had it about 20 years.

-Really?

-Mm-hm.

-Where did you acquire it from?

Somewhere in Wales, in an antiques shop or an antiques centre.

It was at a time when I was travelling around Wales

a lot and I can never resist a good junk shop or an antiques

centre and I will have bought it somewhere.

So you love collecting things.

-Oh, yes. We have a house full of...

-Goodies.

..junk, that some people would call. Or goodies, yes,

I like to think.

Well, I was attracted by it because I know this pattern.

Well, that's wonderful.

Now, the pattern is known as the Swan Service and it was

-created by Meissen in the 1730s and 1740s.

-Really?

It was made for the director of the company, Count Heinrich von Bruhl,

and he amassed a service of over 1,000 pieces.

-Right.

-And after the Second World War, it was split up.

-And you can find examples in museums.

-Mm-hm.

-Now, this is not from that original service.

-Right.

The original service is mainly white,

-sometimes with a little bit of gilding.

-Mm-hm.

-But it is embossed with courting swans.

-They're courting, are they?

-Well, I like to think so.

-They look quite angry!

Well, I think they do look a bit... Maybe they've had a row!

Maybe.

And you've got a heron and little insects as well,

-which are rather charming.

-Yes, that's sweet.

Sometimes, they used little insects to cover blemishes because

the manufacturing of porcelain in the 18th century was extremely

difficult and extremely expensive.

So if there was a little bit of a blemish,

rather than destroy the whole plate, they would cover it with

a little moth or a beetle or a bug of some sort.

This is probably French, rather than German.

It's got a funny little mark on the back here,

which I don't think means a huge amount.

Oh, right. I've tried to find it, but failed.

It was probably made by a company called Samson in Paris,

in about the 1880s.

Possibly as a replacement piece for a service.

-Not as a forgery then?

-No, no.

Samson produced a lot of copies of early porcelains -

Worcester, French porcelain, Sevre -

and it's become collectible in its own right, funnily enough.

-Now, there are collectors for this sort of thing.

-Mm-hm.

-But I think we've got to put it in with a sensible estimate.

-Mm-hm.

I would probably put it in with an estimate of something

-like £60 to £100.

-Mm-hm.

And I would hope with the internet that we might get over £100.

-Are you happy to put it in and give it a try?

-Yes, absolutely. Why not?

-See if we can find any swan lovers out there.

-Yes!

-Well done, you, for finding it.

-Thank you.

I'm sure that those courting swans are going to attract

attention at the auction.

But Charles has found something that might be impossible to ignore.

So, Stephen, we find things in lofts all the time,

but rarely this size object. This really is something else.

Yes, found in the attic of my grandparents years ago and it's been

in my mother's loft now for a long time and I'm clearing that out now.

Yeah, just amazing.

And it's something which I suppose has such history from that

Great War, 1914-18, and my question is, Stephen,

is how it came to languish in the attic?

I suspect because my grandfather used to work on the tugs,

it might have come from a plane that had come down. I'm not sure.

That's what I think it has come from.

I think in context, I mean, I'm quite tall, 6ft 1,

and you see actually how large these propellers are and this must be...

how tall?

-9ft?

-9ft, at least.

-Frightening, isn't it?

And it's just actually quite light,

but what we've got here is a laminated mahogany propeller,

made by the Sopwith company in around 1917, 1918.

The actual propeller itself is a 200hp example.

We see ones slightly smaller, 100, 150, made by Sopwith, and

almost 5,000 of these were put together and assembled in Bristol.

We can see we've got a variety of different numbers on here. Here,

you've got the 200hp Hispano and then another number and

lettering down below.

Remarkably, it's in such good condition.

And clearly, it's been and it's seen action by the condition and

the markings upon here.

Just from this I suppose sort of focal point here, you can

almost imagine hearing this fly over this amazing landscape, can't you?

And put into context what it did back in those formative years

of the Great War.

What's it worth, Stephen? Any ideas?

Well, my father was offered something in the region

of £500 without it even being seen and that could be ten years ago.

They have made up to £1,000. Some have made 450.

I feel this one in its condition, it's so good, it's so clean,

I would go in between £400 and £600.

And I would protect it with a reserve at £400.

-Yeah.

-And cross our fingers.

-Yes, that would be OK.

Hopefully, hold tight, it could take off.

That is a boy's toy, if ever I saw one. I love it!

There are crowds of people still eager to get their items

valued and Mark has found a very baffling object.

Desmond, you've brought this item in to find out where it was made,

what sort of object it is and a value, haven't you?

I'm afraid we can't tell you any of it.

-Well, we can tell you some of it.

-Right.

It's a really odd thing, isn't it?

It's almost certainly, I think, Japanese, made in the Meiji period,

so somewhere between sort of 1870 and about 1920.

Where did you get it from?

Well, I'm carrying this for a friend who is ill and I said,

"I'll take it down there and they'll be able to find out what it is."

-And we've failed.

-Mm.

-And how long has your friend had it?

-About ten years, I think.

-So he hasn't had it long?

-No.

-He picked it up somewhere.

-London, I think.

-London?

-Mm.

And when he bought it, did he not ask what it was

or did he just find it curious?

-He just liked the look of it.

-Well, I'm with him.

-I think it's a really quirky item.

-Yes.

-It's odd. We have all looked

at it and we have tried to do some research and we can't answer

the question, what on Earth it is. This little section comes out

of that base, and that base feels as if it might be

Japanese silver.

In terms of the... the little device itself,

it doesn't really open. Someone has tried to force it open,

but I don't want to do any more than that, cos it doesn't look

as if it's hinged anywhere.

You have this three-sail type effect

on it, with these little circular Japanese mons,

which are done in gilding.

In terms of the auction,

I'm going to keep the estimate low, I'm afraid.

I would say sort of £50-£80, with a £50 reserve.

-And let's just see what happens.

-OK.

-Do you think he'd be happy

-with that?

-Yes.

-You've spoken to him. If we illustrate that online

and do a description as I've described,

Japanese Meiji period etc,

who knows? We might be looking at a real hidden gem.

Looking forward to that.

-But for now, it is sayonara from here, isn't it?

-Mm.

Oh, I didn't know Mark could speak Japanese(!)

It's always fascinating when an object like that

comes through our doors.

We need one more item to take to auction

and Charles has found a wee pig that is far from home.

Sharon, I often wonder, what is a Scottish pig doing here in Wales?

Ah, mystery.

-I wouldn't know.

-How did you acquire him?

I bought him in a church fair for £4 about two years ago.

-Really?

-Bargain!

-You saw him and you thought, ah, I know.

-Wemyss.

-Hopefully.

-That magical word.

The factory began in 1882,

when Karel Nekola and Robert Heron got together

and they put this factory together.

The name was based on the local big family,

the Wemyss family at the castle.

By 1930, they had stopped

and the rights to these pigs had been sold

to a factory on the south coast.

So, hello, pig.

Let's have a look at you.

What I love about him first of all is, the ears are in good condition.

There are a few minor little signs of wear on the tips.

I love what appear to be almost clovers.

And I look in the crevices to make sure there's a level of wear

to suggest this pig's been around 125, 130 years.

And the body is good, but there's no tail!

-No.

-There's no tail.

-Sorry about that.

-What happened?

It was like that when I bought it.

And just in the crevice down here, you can barely see,

-have you found it yet?

-My husband found it but I find it hard to see.

But there is a number as well and it looks like a double-S on the end.

-Yeah, that is your Wemyss mark.

-Yeah.

So, in that regard, I'm quite happy it does come from the Fife factory.

And if I was to date him,

I would say that your Wemyss pig would date to around 1900-1910

at the very latest.

I like him. How much do you like him?

Well, I like him, but, you know... I'd like to sell him!

Is it time he goes to a Welsh market?

Yes, I think so.

We can ask that question, how much is that pig in the window?

With our problem, he's without the...

-Waggly tail! ALL:

-Waggly tail!

Exactly, I like that a lot, yeah, yeah.

I think the tail will affect value.

But even so, he is commercial.

And my instinct would be between 150 and 250.

-Right.

-Put the reserve at about £120.

-Yes.

-Does that figure meet your approval?

Yes, it's more than £4, so it's fine!

It just... It just shows, doesn't it, what you can still find?

But he isn't the one with the...

-ALL:

-Waggly tail.

-Thank you very much.

Lovely.

If anyone spots that missing tail, do let us know.

Before we head off to auction,

there's something I would like to show you.

Since 1948,

buildings of special interest from all over Wales have been carefully

taken apart and reassembled on this site near Cardiff.

Every brick, slate and piece of timber is numbered so it can be

reconstructed exactly as it was.

The oldest domestic buildings here date back to the 15th century,

like this traditional Welsh farmhouse from mid-Wales,

which gives us a glimpse of how people lived in rural communities

some 500 years ago.

But the buildings that I've come to see today give us an insight

into our industrial past.

Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales

was a boom town of the Industrial Revolution.

In 1800, a new terrace of houses was built at Rhyd-y-Car

for the town's ironworkers.

But by the early 1980s, the terrace was derelict and facing demolition.

The National History Museum stepped in to rescue part of the original

terrace for a unique project.

The idea was to use the fabric and interiors of these buildings

to shed a light on the lives of the people who had lived in them.

What made this so special was the history spanned almost 200 years,

from the early 1800s when they were first built, right up to 1985.

Six houses, numbers 17 to 22, were carefully reconstructed here.

The interior of each house

represents a specific year in its history,

and the first one dates to 1805.

It has one multipurpose room, a small rear bedroom and one upstairs.

I like this. I like this place a lot, actually.

It's got a good feel about it.

What strikes me about it is, it's very rustic, yet it's in an urban setting.

So the couple that originally lived here came from the countryside.

They moved to the area to find employment in the ironworks,

like many other people.

So the furniture they brought with them

was traditional Welsh furniture.

It's all handcrafted. It's beautiful.

Now, the fireplace, not only a focal point in this little room,

but it keeps you warm.

That's your source of central heating for the whole house.

You did your cooking on there

and you boiled up the water to make a cup of tea

in that massive, great big old iron kettle.

And if you wanted a bath, well, you had a tin bath.

That would be hanging up on the outside wall, out back.

You plonked it down there, filled it up with water,

heated it up and jumped in it.

At this time, the windows of the houses didn't open.

The lack of ventilation meant that disease quickly spread.

Now, a local newspaper article at the time said

that the streets were in a state of disgusting filth,

abounding in fermenting and putrefying substances,

equally offensive to decency and injurious to public health.

Now, due to the lack of sanitation, and overcrowding,

cholera struck in Merthyr Tydfil in 1849.

Now, sadly, in Rhyd-y-Car Terrace alone, five people died.

It says here, in the surrounding area,

884 people also lost their lives.

The third house in Rhyd-y-Car Terrace

shows the impact of the Industrial Revolution on people's lives.

Now, this house dates to 1895 and, as you can see instantly,

it's completely different.

It's absolutely full of things.

This is the Victorian age.

The era of mass production.

Industry moving at full tilt.

And it's the first time

that working-class people could afford things.

Not just practical, functional things, but decorative things,

as you can see here, look.

Loads of jugs hanging up, polished brasses,

Staffordshire flatback figures. It's all very, very homely.

But I'd like to hear about

the actual people who lived in these houses,

with the person responsible for the project,

former director of the museum, Dr Eurwyn William.

What sort of people lived here?

Well, the houses were originally built for ironworkers,

and they were the creme de la creme of the working class, if you like.

Dangerous occupation but very well paid.

But from about 1850 to 1860,

the majority of the men worked in the coal mines.

So, you know, lower paid,

so it was a quite difficult lifestyle, I think.

Now, you've got some photographs

of people that lived in the original terrace.

Can you talk me through some of them?

Yes, surely. These are two sisters, Bessie and Letitia Thomas.

These are studio photographs from about 1900.

-So this is 1900?

-This is 1900.

And they lived next door but one to each other, in the terrace,

for the whole of their lives.

Oh, that's lovely! So they looked after each other?

Yes, Bessie, number 18, Letitia, number 20.

And here they are again in 1945.

Oh, look at that!

This is Bessie, and this is Letitia,

celebrating the end of the Second World War.

Bessie, in fact,

she was one of the last inhabitants of the terrace and she was still

living here in her 90s, in the 1970s.

-Oh, how sweet.

-Yes.

This chap, Tom Davies, from number 17, 9st in weight,

and he was a professional wrestler and a strongman.

-Oh, I see!

-Yes, he was professionally known as Saldo.

My favourite of all the many dozens, perhaps hundreds,

of photographs we have gathered is this one.

These are the children of Rhyd-y-Car

in front of one of the tips which surrounded the terrace.

That's a lovely group shot.

This is late Victorian.

And the donkey is significant,

because there were so many donkeys used for transport and so on

in the terrace that, to the rest of the inhabitants of Merthyr,

Rhyd-y-Car was known as Donkey Town!

Oh, was it? How sweet!

Look at all those people together.

One community, looking after each other.

Yes.

By 1955, Britain was rebuilding itself as a modern post-war nation.

In Merthyr Tydfil, heavy industry was replaced by manufacturing,

and the terrace reflects this modern era.

The outdoor shed is now a kitchen with practical, modern furniture,

which means the sitting room can be used for relaxing and socialising.

Long gone are the traditional pieces of Welsh furniture, all handcrafted.

What we have here, mass-produced pieces of furniture.

Still in oak, but lightened up and softened in style.

Not so heavy. Here is the fireplace, look.

Not that pretty.

No longer the focal point of the sitting room.

That space now belongs to this, ta-da!

The TV set. That is the future.

The final house in the terrace dates to 1985, which isn't that long ago,

but it really shows how much this community had changed.

It doesn't look remotely Welsh.

We're not in Merthyr Tydfil any more.

This could be anywhere in the UK.

Look at this. It's full of things you could buy

on any high street in Britain. We could be in Basildon in Essex.

Look. Fish and chips on the G Plan furniture.

My mum and dad had an electric fireplace just like that

with a couple of bars, and if it was really cold, you put both bars on.

But there's something rather special in the kitchen I want to show you,

so come through here.

Right, here we are.

The fully fitted kitchen.

Something we're all familiar with.

But this is the piece de resistance. This is what I wanted to show you.

Are you ready for this? Here we go.

Ta-da! Look at that.

No longer do you have a bath in the front room in an old tub.

You can now have a bath in the kitchen!

So you can sit in there, saying, "Mum?

"Make us a cup of tea!"

She hasn't got far to bring it.

This terrace could've been knocked down and lost for ever.

I'm so glad it was saved.

Now, compared to a castle or a magnificent stately home,

it may seem insignificant and uninteresting,

but the fabric of these buildings,

the items inside them and the people who lived here

all have a fascinating story to tell.

It goes way beyond this terrace.

These homes are about the story of all of us.

What a fantastic place.

It's exactly the kind of history that fascinates me.

Here's a quick recap of the four items we're taking to auction.

The romantic swans service plate is bound to turn heads.

It's chocks away, with the First World War propeller.

And the mysterious Japanese box has us all puzzled,

but will it intrigue those bidders?

And this decorative Wemyss piggy is heading to market.

Today's auction is in Cardiff.

In the past, this was a busy and prosperous port,

but today, it has become important as a cultural centre.

Crowds flock to the impressive Millennium Stadium,

in the heart of the city, to watch Wales play rugby.

And in the Bay is the striking new Wales Millennium Centre -

a venue for everything from opera to The X Factor.

This is where we're putting our valuations to the test,

Rogers Jones & Co in Wales. It is a family-run business

and I am pretty sure we are going to get some good results today.

The auctioneer is just about to start. Everybody is just browsing

and, hopefully, they are looking at our lots. I am going to catch up

with our first owner. Let's get on with the action.

And don't forget, our sellers have to pay commission.

Today, it is 15% plus VAT

on items under £2,000.

But it is less for items over £2,000.

Ben Rogers Jones is on the rostrum,

so it's time to get started, with our first lot,

the decorated swan plate.

Serving up for you now, we have some porcelain,

in the form of a dessert plate, belonging to Marjorie.

-This is a swan plate. Is it a copy of...?

-It is.

I think it's a copy of the famous Meissen swan service.

It is a copy of the Meissen swan service.

That is early 18th century. This is...

I thought, originally, it was a Samson copy, but the auctioneers

looked up the mark and it is more like Nymphenburg, which is right.

-A lot of these copies were made, but it is cracking.

-Beautiful.

Why are you selling this, Marjorie?

-Partly because we wanted to come to "Flog It!"...

-Oh, really!

-..and see you all.

-And you got your arm twisted by Mark!

And also because it has just sat in a cupboard for many years

-doing nothing.

-I think, as a starting point,

-this represents good value for money.

-It is.

Single plate, single dishes - anything like that, great value

for money. Good luck. Let's watch this and enjoy it. Here we go.

Lot 184, probably German.

I am straight in at £70.

At £70. Is there 5?

At 70. Where's 5?

At 75. 80, now.

Is there 5? 85. 90 bid.

At £90. Is there 5? At £90.

All done now, at 90?

-This is good.

-Here it goes at 90.

-£90. We have sold.

-Good.

-Above the estimate.

Above the estimate. Straight in and straight out.

-That was really quick!

-No swanning around!

What a great start. Those loved-up swans have melted someone's heart.

Next up is a piece of aviation history,

that First World War propeller,

which is taking up nine feet on the saleroom wall!

Well, so far so good. You could say things are flying out of here

and that is a little clue to what is coming up next.

Yes, it is chocks away. We have got Stephen's propeller

going under the hammer. Why are you selling this?

It is a proper boy's toy!

-Well, it has been in the loft for so long.

-Oh, Charles!

-It's amazing.

-It's been in the loft.

They are very hard to display at home. I have had one.

Had it dropping vertically down the stairwell

and it looked really nice as you walked up the stairs, to see it.

Did you never fancy putting it on a wall or were you not allowed?

It was just too big.

-Did the wife like it?

-Erm...no.

-My wife didn't like mine, either!

ALL LAUGH

It needs that brave person to walk home and say,

"Look what I've bought and this is where it's going"!

That's the difficult bit. This is the easy bit. Let's flog it.

A Hispano-Suiza aviation propeller. And I have got

200 and... 280, to start.

-We need £400.

-Is there 300? At 280. Is there 300 now?

Are you coming in online?

300. 320.

Is there 40? At 320.

Is there 40 now? At 320.

Is everybody done? At 320.

We are grounded.

At 320. All done now?

Everybody done?

-At 320.

-There is so much history.

-No-go, I'm afraid, for that one.

-I don't believe it.

-It didn't sell.

-I'm sorry.

-It's because,

do you know why? They are so hard

-to display at home.

-Presentation.

-It's presentation, yeah.

In a modern house, it doesn't really work,

unless you treat it as a piece of sculpture

on one white wall. It's there. That is the focal point.

-Oh, well.

-Look, there is another day, OK?

-There is another day.

-Back in the attic.

No. Definitely not back in the attic!

That is very disappointing. These are hard items to sell,

but it certainly deserves to be on a wall somewhere.

Next up is the unusual Japanese box.

Our auctioneer does not know what it is, either, so we are still

in the dark.

Des, good luck. Your Japanese box is just about to go under the hammer

and, do you know what? Nobody can work out what it is,

what you put in it, what you do with it!

For years, they have been trying to find out

-and I don't know what it is.

-No, I don't know.

-Definitely Meiji period, isn't it?

-It is interesting.

-Very interesting.

Somebody will know and, hopefully, they have picked up on this

and they are here to buy it or, at least, online. OK. Good luck.

It's going under the hammer right now. This is where it gets exciting.

I'm going to start right at the bottom. It starts with me at 30.

At 35, 40.

5. 50. 5, your bid. 55.

Who's coming in on this now? 60.

5. 70. 5. 80.

5. 90.

5. 100. 10.

20. 30.

140. 150.

-It's like a tennis match.

-It is. Ping-pong, ping-pong.

160. 170.

180. 190.

Have you done, sir?

190. 200.

-Is there 10? £200.

-Oh, it is on the internet.

-210.

-210.

210. All done now.

210. Here we go...

210. That's all right, Des, isn't it?

-Fine.

-Anthony will be pleased with that.

-He will be pleased with that.

-He's got a big smile on his face.

That is what it is all about!

Either someone knows what it is or they simply just like it!

Now it's the turn of the Wemyss pig.

No-one has turned up with his tail yet,

so will that put the bidders off?

Why are you selling your Wemyss pig?

It's not that I've gone off it, it's just sort of, you know...

I'm waiting to build a wall, and the funds will go towards it.

Right, OK, and that's a really good starting point.

I tell you what, picking that up for four quid is a bargain,

-even with a bit of damage. You don't care.

-It's a great find.

Well, OK, let's try it, shall we, Charles?

Here we go. This is it.

This charming Wemyss pig.

-Bids all over the place, from all over the country.

-Hold tight!

I'm straight in at £700.

-Unbelievable!

-Is there 50?

At 750, at 780, 800 or 9?

At £800.

Would you like 50?

50 on the phone.

850. 900.

£900. 950, new phone now.

-At 950.

-950.

-I can't believe it.

I can't, actually. Considering the tail is damaged.

-Would you like 11?

-Very good spot for £4.

-At £1,100?

-I can't believe that.

Is there 12 now? At £1,200.

Why not? What's £100?

-Yeah, why not?

-£1,300, at £1,300 for the little pig.

What did you put on this, Charles?

-It's a lot of money.

-What did you put on it?

-100 to 200.

Because the condition is wonderful.

At £1,400, have we all done?

At £1,400, here it goes.

I can't believe it.

I really can't believe it.

-What did you put on it?

-100 to 200, and it had legs.

-Literally.

-Amazing.

What do you think about that?

-I'm shaking.

-That is fantastic!

-Well done.

Thank you so much.

What a fantastic result.

And a great end to our first visit to the auction.

It's time for me to take the opportunity

for a look around the area.

Cardiff Castle can be found right in the heart of the city.

Its distinctive Gothic revival architecture

has made it world-famous.

But this austere facade conceals one of the most glamorous

and dramatic interiors in Britain.

Its exuberant decor blew me away when I first clapped eyes on it

ten years ago.

This certainly does have the wow factor.

It looked straight out of the Middle Ages,

but was actually created during the mid-1800s.

It was the product of an important creative partnership -

Gothic revival architect and designer William Burges

and the owner of the castle, the third Marquis of Bute.

Born in 1827, William Burges was a unique creative force

in the Victorian era.

Burges was an eccentric character.

He was just five feet tall, short-sighted, plump,

very energetic and he remained a bachelor all his life.

His obsession with the Middle Ages resulted in rooms like this one -

the Chaucer Room. The space was not designed to be practical.

It was all about having fun.

Burges only worked for a handful of affluent clients

who loved his ornate and extravagant interpretation

of medieval design. Lord Bute, a wildly rich industrialist,

had the money and the imagination

to commission his work for Cardiff Castle.

But as I discovered, there was more to this story

than just lavish decoration. William Burges was also commissioned

to create around 40 pieces of furniture for the castle.

Now, unfortunately, half those pieces were sold off

in an auction in 1949 by the Bute family,

when they handed the castle over to the council.

So, the hunt was on to find those missing pieces of furniture

and bring them back home.

These were unique, handcrafted pieces,

designed exclusively for Lord Bute. Without them, Burges' vision

of the castle would not be complete.

But in 15 years, they had only managed to retrieve four pieces,

including Lord Bute's elaborate bed.

When I first visited the castle ten years ago, I met curator

Matthew Williams, a leading authority on Burges,

who showed me another piece - a beautiful inlaid table.

I understand this was sold for a fiver in 1949.

Isn't it unbelievable? It is one of a pair, actually.

This one, we think, was sold for a fiver.

-The other one was sold for £5.10.

-Oh, dear!

How did you get this one back?

Well, this was offered to us by a London dealer.

-So how much did you have to pay for it to get it back?

-£70,000.

Ouch.

This wasn't just a difficult task, it was also an expensive one.

Matthew had photographs of many of the original items of furniture,

but where were they?

So, I'm back to meet Matthew to find out if

he's found any more missing pieces to the jigsaw, and I can't wait.

-Do we know where the other one is?

-No, we don't...

There we are ten years ago.

Aged like a good antique since then, I think, don't you?

You haven't changed at all. I'll tell you what, it's nice to be back.

Now, let me pause that for a second. Let's just recap, OK?

The last time I saw you, you had found four of the missing pieces.

-That's right, isn't it?

-It is.

And you were looking out for some occasional tables.

Well, there were a set of six occasional tables

that were made for the clock tower,

in fact we've got a picture of one of them here,

actually an original picture from 1874 when it was brand-new,

just finished, but we do have

a whole trail of where the history of the piece comes from.

Apart from the original photograph,

you've got the inventory of the castle from 1931...

-This is really good.

-..and they're mentioned here,

"A set of six ebonised tables with ivory inlays to match,"

£200 as a value.

And we have a record of actually how much they fetched,

and it wasn't £200.

The set of tables, they were all selling to different buyers here -

two pounds two shillings each.

Gosh, that's nothing!

Absolute buttons.

By the time of the 1949 auction,

Britain's taste in furniture had radically changed.

Mass manufacturing meant lighter, more affordable pieces

for the modern post-war home,

which is why Burges' furniture sold for next to nothing.

But today, he's one of the most sought-after names in the world.

There was another piece of furniture you talked to me about,

that fire screen.

-That was a unique piece.

-Yeah.

-That was a real one-off.

Tables are a set of six, but the fire screen,

which you can see in this photograph here of the room,

perhaps in about 1900, that again was sold off.

We've got a reference to it in the inventories.

There's a valuation there of it.

"Threefold ebonised fire screen with stained glass panels, £40."

But in 1949, same story,

here it is - "Lot 28, £5."

-Isn't that depressing?

-Yeah.

So put me out of my misery, OK?

What have you found in the last ten years?

We've found one of the tables.

-Yeah.

-And a big thrill, we actually found the fire screen as well.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-So you were teasing me all along, weren't you?

-Yeah, I was.

Can I see them, please?

-They are up in the original setting.

-Where they belong.

Matthew and I are heading to the clock tower,

which houses the summer smoking room.

This is arguably the most exquisite room

created by Burges for Lord Bute.

It features lavish decoration including the signs of the zodiac

and a breathtaking dome painted with stars and constellations.

Wow. The assault on the senses.

This is exactly how I remembered it.

You will never forget this room, will you, as long as you live?

I think it's one of the best 19th-century interiors in Britain.

And this was his smoking room, so only...

This was his summer smoking room.

-Right.

-There's another one downstairs for use in the winter.

OK, so only his best friends would come up here.

Just for the privileged few, during those six weeks of the year

that Lord Bute was here, and they would be smoking exotic cigarettes

and generally drinking and enjoying themselves, telling dirty stories.

-And there's the table.

-Yep.

It's in a bit of a sorry state, isn't it? Where did you find it?

Well, this is the interesting thing about it -

it's in its unrestored state still,

but what's happened to it in those years since 1949

until it was rediscovered?

-How much did you pay for that?

-This was £30,000.

PAUL GASPS

-In that state?

-Yeah.

It was discovered in an auction somewhere in Wales

and recognised by somebody who offered it to us.

-And you had to have it.

-Well, we did, didn't we?

£30,000!

I like it a lot. I like it a lot.

And the fire screen, that catches the light there.

The condition is very good.

This was very much better.

We were very pleased to find this in this state because again,

it could have got severely damaged over the years.

You can see this yellow glass that we've got here -

Burges has actually included in the design a salamander

on each circular panel, which is symbolic of renewal through fire,

-so he's carefully thought it all out.

-Where did you find it?

This was offered to us by a London dealer.

He knew it had come from Cardiff Castle

and so we had to pay 17,000 for it.

That's not a lot of money compared to that.

-It was wonderful to have the two pieces back.

-It must be.

-I can see...

-I get very enthusiastic about this sort of

thing, but it's getting harder and harder to find it, so I hope

that with those few missing pieces you're going to help me with.

I will do, especially at 30 grand a pop.

The two pieces have finally been returned to their rightful place,

just as Burges and Lord Bute envisaged.

So in the last ten years, the castle has managed to find another two

of the missing pieces of furniture, that makes a grand total of six.

There are still a lot more pieces out there. Who owns them?

Where are they?

But judging by the condition of that small side table,

I would guess in a damp garage or cellar somewhere.

One thing is for sure,

I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for them and I hope you are too.

Back at Margam Country Park, I wonder if our experts have

turned up anything as remarkable or rare as a piece by Burges.

You never quite know what's wrapped up in these bags and packages,

but it looks like Charles

has come across a blast from the past at the BBC.

What an interesting item, Clive and Carol.

-It's quite scientific, isn't it?

-Well, we don't know what it is.

That was the fascination,

to find out really what it is or what it was.

Yes, I feel as though I should put on a voice,

-because the BBC...

-Yes.

-This is the BBC.

-Yes.

-Are you receiving me yet?

-Not yet.

-Over.

It's a receiver.

It's a radio receiver.

If you look on this top section here, Clive,

you'll see you've got...what it is.

It's called the Lissenophone Midget.

-Yes.

-Here's your tuning capacitor, which is in Bakelite.

You can see on this section here, it says "phones".

So you would have had an earpiece attached to both of these lacquered

brass finishes here to pick up and

-then tune in to BBC Home Service.

-OK.

OK?

Here you can see your aerial for A would have been fastened here.

Your earth wire would have linked into here, to actually allow

the object to work.

It's in remarkably nice condition.

My instinct is, without being too precise on date,

would be to say it's interwar years. So it could be 1920s, 1930s.

The finish of it's very, very good.

You've got this lacquered metal section here,

on this beautiful mahogany body,

with a very clean yet slightly worn logo.

-How did you acquire it?

-Cleaning out the house when my father died.

It was in the drawer.

We don't know where he got it from,

but he and my mother did quite a lot of house sales so he might've

had a miscellaneous box and this just might have been part of it.

OK, what's it worth, any idea?

As it is, give me a fiver for it and you can have it.

Well, I say, take your fiver,

-I'm going to guide it between 40 and £60.

-Wow.

-Lovely.

-I propose a reserve of 20.

-Lovely.

-40 to 60, let's dial in.

-OK. We're there.

I'm sure a collector will snap that up.

Maybe they can get it working again and who knows what they might

be able to hear out there on the airwaves.

-RADIO PIP

-'This is the BBC Home and Forces Programme.'

But now it's my turn as I catch up

with Chris, who I met in the queue earlier.

Who owns one of these, then?

-No-one?

-No.

Tea caddies are a thing of the past but I tell you what,

they're a good thing to collect now, they really are.

-So how did you come across this one?

-A boot sale.

-No?!

-Yes.

-Really?

-In Port Talbot.

-How long ago?

-Four weeks.

-I don't believe you. Really?

-Yeah.

How much did you pay for that?

-Hopefully lots of money.

-Well, hubby paid £10 for it.

Ooh, that was a bargain, wasn't it? Wasn't that a bargain?

This is George III, you know.

-This is circa 1790.

-Well, I knew it was pretty old.

This is really nice. It's a tortoiseshell tea caddy.

Technically, it's not tortoiseshell, it's turtle shell.

Blonde turtle shell, it's been cleaned up.

But it's absolutely lovely,

I like the fact it's got a little domed lid to it.

If I open this up, two compartments,

who knows why there's two compartments?

-Black tea and green tea.

-Yes, good girl.

Black tea and green tea. Look at that. It's even got its lining.

That's tinfoil. That's there to keep the tea fresh.

Incidentally, the word "caddy" comes from the Malay word "kati",

which is the weight of measure a tea was originally sold in.

Little cubes, "katis". This is where we get the term "caddy" from.

I like that. I really do like that.

It looks like there's been evidence of no feet, which is quite

interesting because most little caddies have little turned feet.

Architecturally, it makes them stand better.

This one looks to me like it's never had any feet.

-If this was in much better condition and the market was stronger...

-Yes.

..£400 to £600 any day of the week.

But the fact that it's turtle shell, there's this Cites issue.

Anything pre-1947 we can sell from an endangered species,

but after that you can't. That's the cut-off period.

People are against ivory and turtle shell nowadays but

there are collectors out there that will buy this still.

I like it a lot, it's not the best tortoiseshell caddy I've come

across, it's got a bit of wire work missing here.

-There's a bit of damage.

-Yes.

-But otherwise that silver can be done.

-Yes.

I think we could put this into auction with a valuation

of £150 to 250.

-Not bad for ten quid, is it?

-Brilliant.

Now she's feeling guilty, aren't you?

-That you bought it for a tenner.

-Yes, I am.

A tenner! Wow, Chris really got a good deal there.

Fingers crossed we can improve on that.

Charles has spotted a very impressive clock.

Margaret and Sue, I feel like saying ding-dong.

-Bell.

-Ding-dong, and what a belle you are, Margaret, and what a handsome clock.

-Absolutely.

-Whose is it?

-Mine.

-And you're Mother?

-Yes.

-Margaret, how many years have you had this clock?

Oh, gosh, 60, probably 70?

Yeah. Long time.

I like it a lot, because we don't often see what we call tavern clocks.

And if there's ever a clock which is the more commercial today,

it's the tavern clock.

-Oh, good.

-I also like this mahogany veneer,

which is rich and quite deep and well patinated,

within this really nice cushion moulding.

And you can see the level of age by the dirt within the crevices.

It's clearly late 18th or early 19th century.

OK? What concerned me were these square veneer pegs here.

To me, it's a country-made tavern clock.

Because these square pegs here

actually support the pillar movement within.

It may have been played with a bit, because, to me,

these ought not be too obvious on the actual face of the clock.

Right. Mind you, I think it does give the clock character.

It gives it a life, yeah.

What I like is this minute finger, which is weighted -

that's original,

and I believe this finger, too, is probably original.

And of course it's something, Margaret, which, in its heyday,

with your husband, you had to wind up every day?

-Every day.

-Yeah. So it's a fairly simple 30-hour single train movement

and, looking at the movement back here,

what excites me is these little bobbins to support the train

are a treen, or a turned wood, rather than being metal, so, to me,

if I was to date this,

I would suggest it's circa 1790, as late as 1815.

And the giveaway to date is this ivory escutcheon.

That would be about 1810.

So, I like it. It needs some TLC.

So I feel, realistically, we ought to put a fixed reserve on at £400,

and put a guide price on of between £500 and £700.

And I hope that meets your approval.

Yes. It needs to go to a good home.

Yeah. Shall we shake on it?

And say, five to seven, reserve at four,

we'll be going, going, gone.

That's a great item.

It makes me think about how many people have looked at this clock

over 200 years, and kept time by it.

We've still got one more item to find and I think someone

has uncovered a historic gem.

Mark Stacey, I presume.

Edward, now, you've brought a fascinating book in to us.

Tell us all about it.

-I acquired it seven years ago in a car-boot sale.

-No!

I looked down at the floor in a box and there was all these old

books and this caught my eye.

And I picked it up, turned a page or two, and I thought, "Ahh!

-"This is signed by David Livingstone himself."

-Gosh.

-Signed by him!

-Of "Mr Livingstone, I presume?"

-Yeah, the famous explorer.

-Exactly.

And if we open it, actually, we can see that we've got -

who had the book - Captain...

-Yeah, several people have had the book, yeah.

-..Forbes.

But then you've got this wonderful handwritten inscription,

"Major General Charles Murray, May," and then there's a little note

from him, signed David Livingstone, London, 29th of October 1857.

-Quite old.

-It is quite old.

It's amazing, and then as you go through the book there are

-various lithographic plates.

-Yes.

And you have the title page as well there.

And you've done some further research, haven't you?

Yeah, I found out who the person was, Major General Charles Murray,

and he was a famous general, went back as far as Waterloo.

-Gosh, really?

-And then it passed on to another two people since.

-Gosh.

And these people were just clearing out and hadn't looked at the book,

-just...

-Didn't look inside, yeah.

Well, the book was in such a bad state,

I suppose they didn't think it was worth anything.

-Do you want to know how much I paid?

-I'd love to know how much you paid.

Don't tell anybody else.

-Well, nobody watches the show, so it's fine.

-I paid a pound for it.

-A pound?

-Yes, a pound.

-A whole Welsh pound.

What I find fascinating is that I'm handling

a book that was written by this famous person,

-who signed it and presented it to another famous person.

-Yes.

It is good that, as you say, it's not signed to AN Other.

-Yeah.

-It's signed to a person of note, as well.

And signed, obviously, by Livingstone.

It is a difficult thing to value, though.

Myself, I think we've got to protect it, so I would suggest an

-estimate of £1,000 at £1,500, to be honest with you.

-Yes, that's OK.

And we can protect it, of course, with a reserve of £1,000,

because if it doesn't sell for that you can keep it as an investment.

Quite happy to keep it, yes.

So you're ready for our own expedition into the jungle world of the auction.

Yes, certainly, all the way to Cardiff.

That's an incredible find, and I've a feeling that's going to

stir up serious excitement.

Here's a quick recap of the four items we're taking to auction.

Clive and Carol's BBC receiver, which they found in a drawer.

The lovely turtle-shell tea caddy spotted at a car-boot sale.

It's time, gentlemen, please, for Margaret's tavern clock.

But the biggest discovery of all, David Livingstone's signed book.

Back at Rogers Jones & Co,

Ben is still hard at work on the rostrum,

but before we start our first lot

I want to take a look at the David Livingstone book.

Published in 1857, the book tells of Livingstone's adventures in

South Africa over a 16-year period.

Born in Scotland, he was a Christian missionary,

explorer and anti-slavery campaigner.

As one of the first Europeans to penetrate the interior of Africa,

he famously named Victoria Falls and became a hero of the Victorian age.

I didn't see this at the valuation day, Mark.

-I know, it's amazing, Paul, isn't it?

-It's fantastic.

-Some people have all the luck.

-Have you got high hopes for this, Mark?

Well, we've put £1,000-£1,500,

but how can you value something like that?

PAUL INHALES DEEPLY

This we could have a big surprise with.

Whatever you do, do not go away.

I reckon a lot more than what Mark thinks.

All will be revealed, but first up, it's the BBC receiver.

I love this next item. It's not a lot of money.

It's a real curio, it's a little, tiny radio receiver,

-but it looks like a piece of sculpture.

-Yes.

-It's got the BBC on it.

-It has, yes.

-Hasn't it?

-Yes.

I think you're spot-on with the value.

-Yeah, I hope so. It's a real curio.

-Yeah.

-A real boy's toy.

-Of course it is.

-Love it.

-Something for the desktop, to play with.

We're putting this under the hammer right now. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-This is it.

The wooden, brass and celluloid radio receiver, bearing BBC crest.

I'm straight in at £80. Is there 5?

85. 90 with me. Is there 5?

-95. 100 bid.

-Clive, this is good. This is very good.

-Fantastic!

-We never thought.

-110 in the room.

-One more. It's picking up.

Out online, OK. 110, it's in the room. Is everybody done?

-At 110, here we go, at 110.

-Brilliant thing.

-Hammer's up now.

-It's a brilliant thing.

-Fantastic!

-Sold!

-110, that sold. I'd love to have owned that as well.

-It's just...

-Why didn't you say?

Well, cos we're not allowed to buy things,

-but I could see that on my desk at home, because it's fun.

-It's lovely.

Yeah, and it's all about the BBC as well, which is brilliant.

That was a real gem, and a great result.

Next it's tea-time, with the stylish Georgian caddy.

Right, it's my turn to be the expert.

I fell in love with this, and it belongs to Chris, who's looking very colourful.

-Fingers crossed for this.

-Oh, yes.

-I think I've pitched this to sell.

I think this will go, and it's in good company,

there's two or three other caddies today,

so hopefully the caddy collectors would have picked this up.

-Jolly good.

-It's a quality item.

OK, ready? This is it, it's going under the hammer.

A wonderful tortoiseshell tea caddy, lot 336.

-Off I go, 340. At 340, is there 60?

-Hey-hey! High-five.

-Whoa!

At 360, 380. At £380, is there 400?

-At 380.

-Yeah, I was a bit cautious about the damage.

-Yes.

-400. 420.

-Well, it looks as if they've fancied it, yeah.

-Is everybody done?

At 420, last call, then, at 420, here we go.

420, that was literally straight in and straight out.

I think he had two or three commission bids left

-on the high point there.

-Maybe, yes.

-Up in the high 300s.

Chris, that's a brilliant result. It was fantastic, wasn't it?

-Give us a hug.

-Big hug!

-You're right.

-Well done.

That's not bad for a £10 investment. What a brilliant result.

Now it's the tavern clock.

These were also known as Act of Parliament clocks,

after a tax levied on clocks by William Pitt,

the Prime Minister in 1797.

I've just been joined by Margaret and Susan, mum and daughter,

and our expert, Charles.

We're putting that lovely Act of Parliament clock,

the tavern clock, under the hammer.

And the value was 500 to 700.

-Indeed.

-The auctioneer has reduced that value.

He thinks it was a little bit too high.

-He's put 400 to 600.

-Indeed.

With a reserve at 400, still, but you've upped the reserve to 450.

So it's gone backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards,

all for the sake of £50, and I'm pretty sure this will sell.

-I hope so.

-I reckon we'll all be right at the end of the day, don't you?

-I hope you're right.

-OK, here we go, ding-dong, this is it.

I've got to start, it starts with me at £300.

At 320 online, 40, with me, 60, 80, 400, and 20.

We're going to sell it.

-Ding-dong.

-440. 460 on the phone.

-Yes, we've done it!

-480 online.

-Right, here we go.

-500 on the phone.

Anybody in the room now?

550? 600.

I'm taking two first.

OK, I won't forget you, sir. 650.

-700.

-700!

It's all ticking. It's all ticking.

800. And 50.

-Brilliant!

-900.

-And 50.

-Make it the big one.

-Yes, £1,000!

-£1,100.

The phone is out. £1,100.

Before it goes, then, all done?

-£1,100.

-£1,100.

That gavel went down, and that was a sold sound.

And that's the beauty of an auction.

-That's why we love them!

-Yes!

I don't think any of us were expecting that.

It made more than twice its estimate.

Next up, that historic book signed by one of the greatest names

'in Victorian history, David Livingstone.

'I've been looking forward to this.'

Well, our next item was bought for just £1 at

a car-boot sale several years ago, yes, just £1.

It belongs to Edward. Can you remember the day you bought this?

Were you excited?

I didn't get too excited at the time,

-I had to verify whether it was genuine.

-Yeah.

-I thought 99% it was, yes.

-And the book's in pretty good condition,

all the plates are there, there's no pages missing.

I think this is a... I would totally agree with you, you know,

we're looking for £1,500, maybe £2,000,

but this should be in a museum, and if somebody picks up on this

hopefully we're looking at two to three grand.

-I don't know, the sky's the limit.

-I don't know, Paul.

Who doesn't know the expression "Mr Livingstone, I presume"?

-We all know it, we were brought up at school on these stories.

-We were.

I mean, it really brought my childhood back,

that expression, and it really made me tingle when I saw it.

-Yeah, and it's something you'd love to own.

-Oh, it's wonderful.

Hopefully we're going to have this roller-coaster ride,

and it's starting right now.

This is it.

Lot 391, what a wonderful item to have in a saleroom,

it's been a privilege to look after it for a few weeks.

The volume of Livingstone's Missionary Travels In South Africa,

with wonderful provenance.

-I'm straight in at £1,800.

-Ooh! There you go.

-Is there 19 now?

At 1,800, 1,900,

£2,000.

-Paul, you were right.

-It's a lovely item here. At 2.2.

2.4.

2,600 online.

-Ooh, yes!

-2,600. Is there 8 now? At 2,600.

2,600, 2,700.

-2,800.

-2,800.

-Are we going to do the 3,000?

-2,900.

-We will do the 3,000. We will, we've got to.

-£3,000.

-Yes!

-3,000, and I'm out. At £3,000, it's online.

At £3,000, is everybody done?

-£3,000 and here it goes. Hammer's up now.

-£3,000.

-£3,000...

Oh, I'm tingling.

Edward, you must be tingling, that's brilliant. £3,000!

-Thank you, thank you.

-Ahh!

-For a pound investment.

-£1.

Oh, I'm tingling all over. That is so exciting.

Thank you for making my day. I hope we've made your day as well.

Join us again for many more surprises,

but sadly that is the end of today's show.

Come and join me, you both deserve it.

Dr Livingstone, I presume, how about that?

-Hopefully it's gone to a museum.

-I hope so, yes.

-I hope so as well.

Join us again next time for many more surprises on "Flog It!"