RAF Museum, London 13 Flog It!

Imagine this. It's the First World War.

Not only am I trying to fly this aircraft,

but I'm also trying to take photographs of the ground below

to pinpoint the advancing German army,

whilst dodging bullets from a German fighter.

All of this in a flimsy wooden aircraft with no parachute.

Yes, stay with us, we are flying high. Welcome to "Flog It!"

This has been called the birthplace of aerial power.

We are at the RAF Museum at Hendon, in London.

And today, it's opening its hangars to "Flog It!"

The site was developed in 1911 and was known as the London Aerodrome.

It became famous for setting up

some of the first flying schools in the country

and played a key role in the training of pilots

to fly in the First World War.

Today, the museum displays 100 aircraft in all shapes and sizes.

And the star of the show has to be this Lancaster bomber

from the Second World War.

So where better than these historic hangars for our experts to

test their mettle?

Feeling at home beneath the cockpits is our man who loves

a bit of history, Mark Stacey.

Made especially for Harrods.

Joining him with her sights on some treasures

is the queen of the saleroom, Anita Manning.

And already they are competing.

It's a case of handbags at dawn.

Anita, I've found something for you. You love a bag.

SHE LAUGHS

When do they date from, Anita? About 1930, '50s?

1920s, 1930s.

Of course, you don't remember any of those days, do you, Anita?

-Watch it!

-THEY LAUGH

I'm leaving while I still can.

And we've got a magnificent crowd here today,

and some of them have already been stickered up. You have and you have.

So good luck. We may see them later on in the show.

Everybody is laden with antiques and collectables

here to see our experts, to ask that all-important question.

-Which is? ALL:

-What's it worth?

And if they are happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?

-ALL:

-Flog it!

Right, it's chocks away! Let's get to the valuation tables.

Come on, everyone.

There is no time to waste and plenty of room for this crowd,

as they propel themselves past the historic planes.

Coming up...

Anita sees some amazing photos of Hendon back in the 1930s.

-It's made my day.

-Thank you.

Mark's bowled over by an incredible picture.

It's one of the most interesting items I've ever,

ever filmed on a "Flog It!"

And I learn about the ground-breaking work

done by the brave young airmen who risked their lives in the skies.

Good luck, everyone. Fingers crossed.

It could be you going off to auction.

This is where their journey starts, at the valuation day.

The lucky ones go through to the auction room.

We just need to find them. And Anita has made a start.

Here is her first item. And more importantly, our first owner.

Jeffrey, Vivian. Tell me what we've got here.

We've got two albums that were put together by somebody who

was in the Air Force. A Gilbert... His initials were EDP.

And his service number was 801356.

And he worked here at Hendon obviously for some time.

This is his notebook of the workshop

and the laboratory records that he kept.

And at the same time, he took many photos,

some of which were actually

taken inside the hangars that we are sitting in at this very moment.

Tell me, how did you come by it?

Our son is a collector.

So when I said we'd like to go to "Flog It!"...

"Ah," he said,

"I think I've got just the thing hidden away somewhere."

And he turned up with this.

-It's made my day.

-Thank you.

And we can see these marvellous photographs here.

"First flight. Hendon. February 17th, 1935."

-So this may have been the first time that he flew.

-Obviously.

Then if we turn over, we have here some pictures of air displays

and aircraft.

And here we have a demonstration of parachute testing

by Virginia bombers.

-So what we have really is a history of Hendon...

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

..in photographs taken personally

-by a young man who worked here...

-Yes.

..and who was obviously passionate about aviation.

I think he was actually in 601 Squadron.

We don't know much about him but that we think we do know.

And here you can see this hangar we're sitting in...

-This is this hangar!

-It's where we are now, yes.

Airmen's sleeping quarters.

So it was obviously used as a very cold bedroom at some point.

Jeffrey, do you have a connection with the Air Force, with aircraft?

I was a national serviceman.

I did my national service and I was based Northolt.

I was ground crew.

Part of the time I used to marshal the aircraft

and start them with a battery axe,

which you used to insert just behind the propellers.

Then you had to remove it,

by which time, the propellers were whizzing round

and you had to be very careful that you didn't go anywhere near them.

That was quite frightening, I have to say.

-That's where he lost his hair.

-THEY LAUGH

Vivian, did you know him at this time?

No, no, no. A long time afterwards.

This would have been before the Second World War.

And it was really in the Second World War that the Air Force

-came into its own.

-Absolutely.

-If we put it somewhere, say between 100 and 200.

-Right.

-Yes.

It's not often that I'm really lost for words,

and I feel quite moved that you've brought this along today,

so I thank you very much for that.

-It will be interesting to see what happens to it.

-Absolutely.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you again, folks.

-Lovely to have met you.

It's amazing to think our valuation day is being held within

the same walls as those photos dating back to the 1930s.

And Mark is hard at it, and look what he's found.

-Jane.

-Hello.

-You have brought in the most marvellous drawing.

Please tell me where you got it from.

I bought it at an auction about 45 years ago.

So you obviously fell in love with it at the auction.

-I just looked at it and I got it with another.

-By the same hand?

-No.

-Somebody else?

-Somebody else.

We've done a little bit of history on the artist. And...

The hairs at the back of my neck are going up because this guy,

Matthias Buchinger, also known as Matthew Buchinger, was German.

He was born in 1674 without hands or lower legs.

And yet, he painted.

In fact, there was a self-portrait that he drew of himself.

And on close inspection, the curls of his hair were

seven biblical psalms and the Lord's Prayer.

-I don't believe it.

-You wouldn't believe it.

It is said that he painted with his fin-like arms.

-But, I mean, look at the detail of this.

-I know.

And it's so of that period,

that late-17th-, early-18th-century period.

I love these sort of cherubs here.

Including the fat one seated here.

And then you got this very delicate arch with these lovely,

classical columns coming down.

You've got a figure of a bishop here.

And another gentleman or saint here.

I mean, it is just breathtaking.

I love it.

When you bought it, did you know what you were buying?

Was it catalogued properly?

No, I didn't know what I was buying.

In fact, I really think that the other picture was the one I wanted.

-Really?

-This came as an added extra.

So you paid very little for it, I presume, 40-odd years ago?

-I think the reserve was about £60 for the two pictures.

-Gosh!

I mean, you obviously have an eye for these things

because this is 300 years old.

-It's wonderful, isn't it?

-It is.

You know, I think if I was putting that into auction, I would say to

you, "Let's put it in hopefully

"at a tempting estimate of £200 to £300."

Maybe with a reserve of £200.

The reserve can be up to you, fixed or discretionary.

I think a bit of discretion.

Yes, 10%. If we get up to 190 or something,

-it would be a shame to lose the sale on the day.

-Yes.

I'm really hoping, Jane, actually, that people will respond to it

and see what a magical work of art this is.

Hopefully, you know, it might surprise us.

It's one of the most interesting items I've ever,

ever filmed on "Flog It!"

-So I'm thrilled to be part of it.

-Nice.

Buchinger achieved fame in England during the 1720s

as an artist, musician and card player.

His engraved self portraits make

no attempt to hide his physical differences.

And he performed shows for the upper classes, including royalty,

which challenged his audiences' thoughts about a limbless person.

I've left the hustle and bustle of the historic hangar

for a wing of the museum which celebrates the work of

a real pioneer who believed flight was more than just science fiction.

His name is Claude Grahame-White

and he ranks alongside some of the great pioneers of early

aviation, like Sir Tommy Sopwith and Captain Sir Geoffrey De Havilland.

This is a replica of his office.

And it's been painstakingly recreated as a tribute to a man who

firmly believed that planes would one day circumnavigate the globe.

Always a fan of speed and adventure,

he learned to fly in France. And in 1910,

he entered a competition to fly from London to Manchester.

He was beaten by the Frenchman Louis Poulain,

but competing gave him valuable publicity

and he bought a site at Hendon in 1911

and set up a flying school.

He held aerial events that became part of the social calendar,

like Ascot or Henley are today.

Thousands of people used to gather to watch these displays,

the likes of which had never been seen before.

A recording made back in 1954 looking back on his life

shows just how much he believed in the potential of aviation.

Just listen to this.

'We also had meetings at night

'when the planes went up festooned with flashing electric lights.

'We even had demonstrations of bomb dropping a dummy battleship

'erected on the aerodrome.

'But people at that time regarded a flying machine as unlikely to

'be of any use in war, or indeed,

'to influence in any way the future of transport.'

Grahame-White was a visionary.

So much so that his site was commandeered by the Admiralty

for training during the First World War.

White himself flew reconnaissance missions, but after a serious

accident in 1915, his wife banned him from flying.

He later turned his energy to property and speedboats.

Although he did a great deal to show people that aircraft would be

a superb commercial prospect,

he never really gained the recognition he deserved.

But to those in the crowds watching the Grahame-White circus, he proved

to be much more than just a man in his magnificent flying machine.

Back to the here and now, where Anita - like a magpie -

has gone straight for the bling.

-Catherine, welcome to "Flog It!"

-Thank you very much, Anita.

This is an interesting thing that you've brought along here.

It's a retro watch from the 1970s.

Tell me, where did you get it?

It belongs to my mother,

but she got it from her aunt who lived in America,

who died and left her all her jewellery.

Can you remember your auntie?

-Yes, very well indeed.

-Was she a stylish sort of woman?

Yes, she was. Yes.

Clothes, jewellery and so on.

Clothes, jewellery, her husband was an interior designer so...

-Right. It's a Boucheron, which is a French make.

-Right.

This would have been sold in high-end Parisian jewellers

and watchmakers.

We've got a good make there.

-It's also made in 18-carat gold.

-Yes.

And that is the important thing...

-Right.

-..in today's market.

But...I feel that the watch has bags of style about it.

On the surface of it, it appears very, very simple.

It's almost like a bracelet.

But you have this tiny little bark detail on it. And I like that.

The watch face is tiny.

This is a negative aspect because it's very hard to see the time

-unless you are about 18.

-THEY LAUGH

But it still is a watch.

And it is in working order, as I say.

There is a great revival of interest in jewellery from the 1970s.

And I think that this might fall into that category.

So I'm hoping that we are attacking it from two angles here

rather than just the gold one.

I would like to estimate it at 700 to 900

and I would also like to give the auctioneer

a small piece of discretion.

How much discretion do you give them? About 10%?

About 10%.

Yeah, OK.

Listen, I'll be there rooting for it

and hoping that there's '70s gals there.

-Because it is becoming fashionable now.

-Yeah.

But it's a great item. Thank you very much for bringing it in.

Thank you very much indeed.

One happy customer. We'll see if it's time to get out of the flares.

Well, we've certainly been working really hard.

All of these antiques and collectables have been

unwrapped and some of them packed back up again, ready to take off.

We've now found our first three items to go to auction,

but before we close those cabin doors,

here's a quick recap of all the things we are taking with us.

The pride and joy of an RAF serviceman.

The photo album with its history

of Hendon will appeal to those

interested in aviation,

so fingers crossed.

Then there is this incredible illustration by an artist

whose disability was

no obstacle to his talent.

And what about this stylish '70s cocktail watch?

With kitsch from this decade

in vogue again,

we should have some interest.

We were heading south now, across London,

towards the River Thames for our auction today.

We're at Chiswick Auctions

and on the rostrum, in charge of the gavel,

is trusty auctioneer William Rouse.

Remember, if you are buying or selling at auction

there is a commission to pay.

Here at the Chiswick auction rooms, it's 15% plus VAT.

But these prices do vary from saleroom to saleroom.

So check the details. They are normally printed in the catalogue.

Or ask a member of staff because it does add up.

So don't get caught out.

60. Five. 70...

First up, we've got national serviceman Jeff.

Vivian and Jeff, great to see you again.

And I must say, I love the blue. I love what you are wearing.

That is such a good blue colour.

-You're both in blue.

-Well yeah.

-It's a team effort.

-Yes!

We are just about to sell the two photo albums.

It's really the early history of RAF Hendon.

-Some of it.

-Some of it, yes.

This kind of thing is so hard to put a price on. It really is.

We've put £100 on it.

It really is a piece of history and I think the whole story of it,

just absolutely fascinating.

There is research there for somebody to do if they are interested.

Exactly, yeah. Fingers crossed they fly.

Here we go.

Two albums and a training manual.

A lot of interest in this lot, I'm pleased to report.

I'm straight in on £140.

£140 to start.

150 I'll take in the room.

At £140 on commission bid.

Thank you, 150. I've got 160.

170. 180.

190 in the corner of the room.

At 190. Against my commission bid.

190. Are we all finished?

It's selling.

-£190.

-That's good.

-Right.

-Very good.

Well done, and thank you for bringing that in.

It was our pleasure.

Hopefully, that was bought by someone who loves aeroplanes

as much as the serviceman who took the photos.

Now, was Anita right about the '70s revival?

Catherine, good luck. I could say time is up for your little watch.

-Would you wear it?

-It's got bags of style.

-It's from the 1970s and that style of jewellery is coming back in.

-Mm.

But it's got a tiny, tiny, tiny little face.

-You can't really read it.

-It's too small.

We are going to find out what the bidders think now with

this 1970s cocktail watch.

It's going under the hammer. Here we go.

Lot 493, the Boucheron 18-carat gold lady's cocktail watch.

Nice thing.

There we go. What's it worth?

Start me at £500.

550. 600.

-650 is bid in the room.

-650.

In the room at 650.

He's on the phone.

How much are we asking for William?

-Do you like 700?

-Would you like 700?

-Yes.

-That was worth waiting for them.

Oh, the suspense.

-750 is bid.

-Yes!

-Right.

This is good. 750.

800. At £800 on the telephone.

With you at 800.

I think we are done.

-Yes!

-Yeah. £800. Wasn't that great?

-Thank goodness!

What a tense moment that was.

I knew this was going to be a rollercoaster ride today.

420. 440. 460.

Things are hotting up now as our auctioneer, William Rouse, says the

illustration by the German artist Matthias Buchinger is very rare.

This framed picture is a very interesting lot.

I don't think we've ever handled anything quite like it before.

I think the picture is painted in extraordinary detail

and it's amazing. Although it's a very interesting object,

I don't know how commercial it is.

And that's what we're going to find out when the lot comes up.

This is a hard thing to value.

-It's an extraordinary 18th-century pen-and-ink drawing.

-I adore it.

-It's our sort of thing. It's a proper antique.

-It is.

-And I think it's the oldest thing in our sale today.

-Really?

-Almost certainly.

-Yeah. So good luck with that.

Here we go, this is it.

565 is this rather unusual picture.

Start me at £150 for it.

-150 is bid.

-Come on.

-160.

170. 180.

190. 200.

-210.

-Oh, good.

210 there in the doorway. 220. 230.

240. 250.

-In the room at 250.

-(Well done.)

260. 270.

280. 290.

300. 320.

360 on the internet. In the room now at 480.

£400 on the internet. 420 in the room.

440 on the internet.

460 on the internet.

480 in the room.

-520 on the internet.

-I can smile now. This is it.

In the room at 540.

-560.

-Yes!

-580.

Are you all finished and done then?

-£600 on the internet.

-Yes!

At £600. I'm going to sell it for 600.

It goes...

£600, Jane.

That's brilliant, isn't it?

That's just wonderful, isn't it?

Quality always sells, and we sell it time and time again.

You had some quality, you brought it in.

And you've made quite a bit of money out of that, haven't you?

Thank you very much.

No, thank you for bringing us such a unique item to "Flog It!"

3,700 on the telephone.

Some great results there at the auction.

And we'll be back here a little later for more excitement.

140 we go.

There is still so much to discover here at the RAF Museum at Hendon.

Each plane tells a story.

And this iconic symbol of the Second World War -

the Lancaster bomber - was a key player.

The fleet carried out more than 150,000 bombing sorties.

Much of the technology you see here today was developed nearly

three decades earlier out of sheer desperation and necessity.

Then the First World War was upon us.

And new ways of finding and fighting the enemy were called for.

The war effort took to the skies

and it was an often shaky and deadly start.

Contrast the Lancaster bomber that we've just seen,

with all its heavy metal and four engines, with this.

It's incredible to think that this is

the type of aircraft our pilots were flying in 1914.

It's made of wood and it's exposed to the elements.

And there is no sign of any guns to deter the enemy.

In fact, it looks too light to carry any guns.

The era between 1914 and 1918

marks a key turning point in aviation history.

And a new exhibition here at the museum shows what incredible

innovators there were among the early pioneers

during the First World War.

Let's not forget there was still no Royal Air Force.

The design and the development of aircraft was down to just

a few brave men.

Britain's air services were run by two organisations -

The Royal Flying Corps, which was linked to the Army,

and the Royal Naval Air Service.

They were small units with just 1,000 people in each.

Curator Adam Shepherd, who has put the exhibition together,

is here to give me an insight into those incredibly brave men

and their flying machines.

So, who was taking to the sky in those early days?

A wide range of people, really.

People were doing it primarily for fun.

They were daredevils.

They wanted to learn how to fly, see the world from a different angle.

A pioneering sort that could afford to do it.

Oh, yes, yeah, yeah.

It would cost you about £75 to take flying lessons.

-That's about £6,000 in today's money.

-Which is a lot of money.

It's very expensive, yeah.

There was no idea of reconnaissance or battle use or anything like that?

No. It was exciting activity. You did it for the sport, for the joy.

People didn't realise it was going to be something that was

going to be used in a war.

When were aircraft first used for reconnaissance?

Aircraft had been used for reconnaissance

before the First World War, where the first British pilots to

actively go out and seek the enemy were the Royal Flying Corps.

-Mm-hmm.

-They flew over German positions and sent messages back

to their commanders.

We have here a sketch.

It was produced by a reconnaissance pilot at the start of the war.

-Mm-hmm.

-And it shows German positions at Mons in August 1914.

It enabled the British Army to avoid being encircled.

So it's a critical moment at the start of the First World War.

Defining moment for the Royal Flying Corps.

That's where they learned their trade.

And would that literally be put in some kind of canister

-and dropped over the side?

-Yeah, they used streamers.

Little weighted bag with a lead weight in it. They would drop it...

-Fantastic. Hey presto!

-Yeah.

-Early reconnaissance.

-Yeah.

We weren't the only ones in the skies.

The Germans had developed airships, including zeppelins, for air travel.

And with Britain ill-prepared for attack from above,

the Germans turned these airships into bombers.

Air strikes using aircraft

and zeppelins killed more than 1,000 people.

And they cast a menacing shadow.

It was thanks to the efforts of this man,

Lieutenant William Leefe Robinson,

that Britain was able to fight back.

In September 1916, he was flying an aircraft similar to this one, the

BE2, when he downed a German airship that was flying over Hertfordshire.

The bullets he fired set fire to it.

Not only did Robinson win the Victoria Cross for his valiant

effort, but he also proved that aircraft could be

used for a lot more than just simply reconnaissance.

Modifications were made to the plane,

including adding an extra fuel tank.

And with the newly-developed incendiary bullets

capable of igniting the highly-flammable hydrogen-filled

airships, these light planes were turning into fighting machines.

It wasn't just aircraft that were becoming more technically advanced,

pilots were too, thanks to early flight simulators.

And this is a reconstruction of one based on a rocking fuselage

developed by Lanoe Hawker, who learned to fly right here at Hendon.

And I'm going to have a go.

Obviously this is the joystick.

You've got your feet in the pedals here.

Are we ready for takeoff?

I guess we push this little red button to free it up.

And away we go.

Whooo! HE LAUGHS

Actually, it's incredibly responsive!

It may look naive and simple, but it gets you used to banking

and holding a straight line.

And it's, well, it's relatively easy here at ground level,

but could you imagine learning to fly for the first time

and you're doing this 200 feet up in the air?

That is quite frightening.

Pilots found ingenious methods of improving their flying skills.

This archive shows a mock cockpit up a tree.

Now that's what I call a flight simulator.

It didn't stop there. New ways were found to attack the enemy.

Talk me through some of the early weaponry.

Yeah, the Lewis gun was a standard infantry machinegun

used in the British Army. This is an ammunition drum.

These weapons weren't attached to aircraft at the start of the war,

but by the end of the war, they had become standard issue.

Louis Strange was a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps.

He had learned to fly at Hendon.

He decided when he flew across to France at the beginning

of the war that he would fix a machinegun to his aircraft.

-Sensible chap.

-Yes.

So he knew what was going to happen. He was subsequently proved right.

Within a few months, aircraft were strong enough to carry machine guns,

and they were taking machine guns out on fighter operations.

I mean, it was pretty close, wasn't it?

-Yes, yes.

-Quite personal.

-It was, yeah.

They could very much see the whites of their opponents' eyes.

There are many stories of pilots flying next to each other,

-expending all their ammunition, and just waving at each other.

-Yeah.

-It's very moving.

-It's an incredible story, isn't it?

And obviously, the weapons just get more and more advanced.

And you start to have bombs like this.

This is a Cooper bomb. It dates from around 1916, 1917.

-And that weighed the aircraft down even more.

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

You can imagine an early aircraft having one of these fitted.

It wouldn't have got off the ground, really. It was far too heavy.

But by the middle of the war, aircraft were much stronger.

They could carry bigger weapons and bombs like this.

And by the end of the war, bombs are as large as 1,000kg.

It wasn't just the aircraft that were being developed, but the kit

that pilots wore to cope with flying in an open cockpit at altitude.

Lanoe Hawker also designed sheepskin-lined fug-boots.

Even the bizarre was thought of.

Electric flying jackets to keep the pilots warm.

And the Sidcot flying suit made its debut -

an all-in-one design which is similar to what pilots wear today.

The exhibition reveals the huge advances made during the early 20th

century, where flying techniques and aircraft were developed.

On 1st April 1918, the Royal Naval Flying Service and the

Royal Air Corps merged to become the world's first independent air force.

The RAF.

It was a significant milestone in Britain's aviation history,

thanks in part to the young flying pioneers,

their adventurous spirit, and, of course, their sacrifices.

Back to the main hangar now and our valuation day.

Captain Mark is focused on something shiny that takes us

back before the First World War.

-Wendy.

-Mark.

You've brought some wonderful traditional antiques.

And being an old fuddy-duddy, this is what I really love.

This is what makes me very excited.

These are little seals.

These would be placed on a fob chain with a pocket watch.

In the 18th and 19th century, if you wanted to seal your letters for

privacy - we didn't have postage then, of course -

you would melt a piece of wax and then you'd use

a charming little object like this to seal it.

-Maybe with your monogram or your family crest.

-Mm-hmm.

So the person receiving it was,

"Oh, that's come from my friend so-and-so..."

-Right.

-..and would open it eagerly to find out the news.

Now, we've got five in total. None of them are gold.

-Sometimes they are gold and silver.

-Right.

These are a base metal which has been gold-plated.

Tell me, where did you get the seals from?

-They belonged to my late stepgrandfather.

-Mm-hmm.

I was at boarding school

and we used to have to write a letter home every week.

And he used to correct all my spelling and send them back to me.

-So he was a traditionalist?

-He was indeed.

But of course, when I got older, I really appreciated it

because my spelling isn't too bad now.

Oh, good. Mine is atrocious.

You found them just hidden in a drawer, did you?

I found them in a drawer.

And interestingly enough, I found

a little red stick of sealing wax with them, which had been used.

So he obviously had used them at some point.

He must have at some stage. Yes.

-And you had no idea they were there?

-Nope. None at all.

I'm so glad you rescued them from the cold,

dark recesses of a drawer, cos I'm sure you know that there are still

people out there that like these wonderful little objects of virtue.

-Mm-hmm.

-And if you're a collector, like me, it would be wonderful

to have a little bijouterie cabinet where you could display these,

-maybe do a bit of research on them.

-Yes.

-Do you know how old they are?

-No idea.

-I think these are going to date to the mid-19th century.

-Right.

-So we are looking at something around 1850, 1860.

-OK.

-Thereabouts.

And there are some charming examples.

This one particularly is rather nice.

-With the flower and the word...

-To you.

-Oh, that's wonderful, isn't it? So much nicer than an e-mail.

-Yes.

-Makes it very personal.

-Absolutely.

I think if we were putting them into an auction...

-we would estimate them at around £60 to £100.

-OK.

And we would put a reserve of £60 on them.

At least then you know you're going to get a certain amount of money.

And hopefully, there will be a few oddbods out there,

-like myself, who love this sort of thing.

-Mm-hmm.

-And they might just reach 100.

-That would be good.

-Are you happy with that?

-Very happy with that.

-There is no sentimental attachment to them?

-Not really. No.

They've just been sat in a drawer, and it seems such a shame

if somebody might enjoy them.

It's a terrible shame to leave them in a drawer.

-They are beautiful objects that need to be admired.

-Mm-hmm.

And I'm sure there'll be collectors out there

-who will appreciate them.

-Good.

Now Anita's uncovered a treasure that's taking her back in time.

Sarah, this is a lovely wee object. A little christening cup.

I think these are absolutely charming.

And this is an early-20th-century example.

-Tell me, was it part of your family history?

-Very much so.

The original Edgar, as in Major General Edgar Pierpont Putnam,

who is named on the cup, was a major general in the American Civil War.

He met my grandparents sometime in 1899, 1890-something.

-Did they travel in America?

-Yes.

But they met also in Switzerland. He came over to Switzerland.

At that time, my grandmother was pregnant.

And she said, "I do love the name Edgar.

"I'd like, if I have a boy, to call him Edgar."

And he said, "If you call him Edgar, I'm going to be the godfather."

So this was a big American general from the American Civil War?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Let's have a wee look at the inscription.

We've got, "From Major Edgar P Putnam,

"Jamestown, New York,

"to Saunders Edgar Davis. 20th of September, 1902."

-That was my dad's birthday.

-And that was your dad?

-Yep.

This makes it a more interesting object,

the fact that it has that American connection.

It's quite a straightforward christening cup,

although it's very pretty and the embossed work on it is charming.

It's hallmarked for London, 1902, so he must have come over to London...

-Yeah. OK.

-..in 1902 and bought it as a new item.

-Tell me, this is a wee part of your family history as well...

-Yes.

Why is it you are wanting to sell it?

My grandparents aren't alive. My father is not alive.

I asked my children, they are not interested.

I'd rather do some good with it.

I thought half of it, whatever I get, would go to the hospice

so at least somebody gets some good.

-And somebody who really will enjoy it.

-Yes.

What I feel is that whoever buys this will be

interested in the history of it.

And they will be able to find this major somewhere

and someone will have fun doing that research.

Now, charming as it is,

it's not going to make you a huge amount of money.

No, I didn't expect it to.

I would put an estimate of 40 to 60 on it.

-Would you be happy for it to go into auction at that?

-Yes. Yes.

I've had it since 1969, when my dad died,

and it's just been sitting in the cabinet.

-I clean it every so often, as you can see.

-Yes.

-And that's it. You know.

-It's been looked after.

-Yes.

-40 to 60. A reserve of £40.

-OK.

Hopefully, it will take a wee flyer.

I'm happy. Whatever it makes, it makes.

-It was lovely to have you along at "Flog It!"

-Thank you.

Now, here's a rarity uncovered by Mark.

Philip, you have brought in a charger here which represents,

or commemorates, a very important part of English Stuart history -

commemorating William and Mary.

This is a wonderful piece of Dutch Delftware.

-Do you know what Delft is?

-BYSTANDERS:

-Yes.

-No.

Some people are saying yes, some people are saying no.

It's actually a tin-glazed pottery.

The pottery is normal pottery with a tin glaze.

And in Britain and Holland, we call it Delftware.

But in France and other parts of Europe, they call it faience ware.

Or majolica in Italy.

-This, unfortunately, is not English Delft.

-No.

You do get these wonderful charges in English Delft

where you have the pebble-dash chargers,

which are incredibly valuable.

-Yes.

-We'd be looking at £8,000 to £10,000.

-Even more.

-Even more these days cos they are so rare.

-Yeah.

This one is Dutch, but it is a period one,

late-17th-century commemorative.

-I rather like this design.

-Yes.

-It's very stylised.

-The portraits of William and Mary are very stylised.

-Very naive.

Very naive.

That's because when you are painting on tin glazeware,

you have to paint very quickly.

Because it's very porous.

So you haven't got time to paint delicately

like you can on porcelain.

You have to whack it on, otherwise the whole thing will run.

It's beautifully done. I love it.

You bought this, didn't you, some time ago at a London auction house?

I got it at an auction in April 1999.

-Dare I ask you how much you paid for it?

-I think it was about £900.

-Hold it carefully.

-I will hold it carefully.

We'll actually talk about that because if you turn it round,

-you do have a crack going through it.

-Yes.

-Here.

-And there is a little bit of restoration.

-It has been restored.

-Before we bought it.

-Before you bought it.

But, you know, you are looking at something here that was

-produced in the 1680s.

-Mm.

-You know, that is a long, long time ago.

-So it has survived remarkably well, really. Hasn't it?

-Oh, yes.

In an ideal world, actually, you would estimate it,

if you wanted to tease people in, at £1,000 to £1,500.

-But we've had a little confab.

-Yes.

-Haven't we?

-Yes, we have.

And I think you want the reserve a little bit higher than that.

-As Welshman to Welshman, yes.

-As Welshman to Welshman...

-Yes.

Yes, OK. Um...

-I think I'm going to go along with you because I love it so much.

-Yes.

-I think it's worth the try.

-I think someone else will.

I'm sure they will.

-So if we put 1,500 to 2,000 on it with a 1,500 reserve...

-Fixed.

Fixed reserve. Thank you for pointing that out.

My fellow Welshman.

..and we'll give it a go. It is a super thing. It really is super.

-Yes.

-And hopefully, we'll get the right collectors in.

-Thanks very much.

-Thanks for bringing in such a wonderful thing.

I hope, in a museum like this, it will fly at the auction.

LAUGHTER

MARK GROANS

Leave the jokes to me.

The RAF Museum has certainly been an inspiration today.

And we've learned all about the amazing pioneers who braved

the skies. And there is still so much more to see.

Like this, for example. Only one of two Wessex helicopters

that transported the Royal family around.

Introduced into service in 1969, right up until 1998,

they would have carried around the Queen Mother, the Queen,

the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Anne

in VIP soundproofed cabins.

And as well as a ferrying the Royals around,

the crews responded to mayday calls. So they were kept very, very busy.

I just wish we could fly that to the auction rooms.

I know it's only a short hop, but wouldn't it be nice?

Well, the crowds have certainly done us proud here today.

We've had a magnificent time. But before we leave,

here's a quick recap of all the items we are taking with us.

The wax seals may have been made for ordinary people,

but their colour and detail should attract the collectors.

Will the American Civil War links to Sarah's christening cup

boost the bidding?

And we'll be keeping a very close eye on the rare Dutch Delft charger.

So it's back to the auction house.

Commission here is 15% plus VAT.

Wendy's exquisite wax seals are up first.

Our next lot has been in a drawer for 35 years,

but "Flog It!" came along and liberated them.

-Yes, it's those fob seals belonging to Wendy.

-That's right.

At least they were safe in there, because something like this,

-you know, is so easily lost in a big house.

-Yes.

I think these are nice, honest antique ones.

There's no silver or gold ones, but they are what they are

and we've got a sensible estimate, I think, at £60 to £80 on them.

-And hopefully, we'll get the top end.

-Yeah.

-Fingers crossed.

-Here we go. We are going to find out. Good luck.

Five of them in the lot there.

What are they worth? Start me at £60.

60 is bid.

In the room at £60.

Anybody else?

65.

70. Five. 80. Five.

Climbing high, Wendy.

-100. £100. Standing at 100.

-That's very good.

Good.

£100. In the room at 100.

-110 on the internet.

-110.

-110 on the internet.

-Good.

-120 in the room.

At 120... Sold.

-Wow!

-Yes!

-Got them.

£120. Just got an extra 20 quid at the end.

It's very good. I wasn't expecting that.

-We sealed the deal.

-Yes, we sealed the deal. Oooh!

-Oh!

-Sorry, sorry.

-No, that was very good.

Wendy is certainly firing on all cylinders,

but will Sarah's family heirloom tempt the bidders?

-Not a lot of money on this.

-No. It's a very pretty cup.

-So why are you selling it?

-My children don't want it.

-OK.

I offered it to my son, he said, "No, thank you."

My daughter-in-law went, "I'd have to clean it."

Right. Well, we don't want it sitting in a cupboard.

It needs to be on show.

I would like to think that someone who was

interested in the military aspect of it would buy it,

because they would be able to do a little bit of research, find

more about this wonderful military man who won the Medal of Honor.

You never know, it might find its way back to the States.

-It would be nice if it went back to America.

-Yes.

We'll find out what the bidders in West London think right now.

It's going under the hammer.

Lot 351A is a christening mug. What's it worth?

Start me at £30.

30 I'm bid. I thought so, everywhere.

32. 35.

38.

40. 42.

45. Come on. We've sold it.

50.

£50 in the middle of the room.

-55 in the corner.

-Is that it?

£60 in the middle of the room.

At £60. I'm going to sell it for 60.

-Well done, Anita. Spot-on.

-£60. Yeah, that's all right.

Happy with that, aren't we?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-Job done, girls.

It's now time for the Dutch Delft charger.

-We need £1,500 or more for this.

-Yeah.

-It is superb.

-Late-17th century.

-I think it's wonderful.

It's Dutch Delft, of course, rather than English.

-But wonderful colour. Unusual colour.

-Very good colour.

And historically, of course, we got rid of one king

and invited those over, so it's a real piece of British history, this.

Yeah. Fingers crossed the purists have found this

because it is a cracking lot.

They've asked for condition reports, I know that.

Do you know something,

-a lot of people don't get put off by chips on stuff.

-No.

You expect it. It would look a bit weird if that was perfect.

-Particularly Delft.

-Exactly. It's a soft paste.

-It is.

It doesn't matter, the chips

and the knocks aren't going to distract from its value, OK.

-Let's hope.

-This is a great piece. Here we go.

589 is a William and Mary commemorative charger.

-Lot 589. There is lots of interest in this.

-Yes!

I can start this at £1,000. With me at £1,000.

1,100. 1,200.

1,300.

1,400.

-1,500.

-We've done it.

-Yes.

1,600.

£1,600. On the telephone now at 1,700.

-It'd be nice to get a bit more.

-Any more elsewhere?

Anybody else want to come in?

The internet's silent.

At £1,700 it sells.

-Hammer's gone down, Philip. 1,700.

-I'm delighted.

It's a good price in today's market.

-It's a good price.

-So pleased with that.

-That's what we call a proper antique.

-Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for bringing it in.

480. 500.

520.

580 in the room.

Well, there you are, it's all over for our owners.

And what a fabulous day we've had here in the Chiswick auction rooms.

We thoroughly enjoyed being in London

and I hope you've enjoyed watching the show.

So, until the next time, it's goodbye.