0:00:04 > 0:00:05Today we're in Cumbria,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and Muncaster Castle is the magnificent setting
0:00:08 > 0:00:10for our valuation day.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13John Ruskin, the Victorian art critic and writer,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17once described this view as "the gateway to paradise".
0:00:17 > 0:00:20On a day like today, you know what? I totally agree with him.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23You can follow the Esk Valley all the way through to Scafell Pike -
0:00:23 > 0:00:26look - England's highest mountain.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Today we're hoping for one or two highs ourselves in the auction room.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Welcome to "Flog It!".
0:00:55 > 0:00:58The Lake District here in Cumbria is a national park
0:00:58 > 0:01:02of mountains, lakes and valleys covering around 900 square miles.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Over the centuries, this scenery has inspired writers, poets,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10artists, walkers and climbers alike.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16There are 16 lakes in the area, with Windermere being the largest
0:01:16 > 0:01:18and Wastwater the deepest.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Now, I didn't want to frighten anybody, but did you know that
0:01:23 > 0:01:24this castle is considered to be
0:01:24 > 0:01:27one of the most haunted buildings in the country? Did you know that?
0:01:27 > 0:01:31- ALL:- Yes!- Anyone frightened?- No! - That's what we like to hear.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34And it didn't put them off from turning up laden with antiques and collectables.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36They're here to see our experts
0:01:36 > 0:01:39to ask that all-important question, which is...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41What's it worth?
0:01:41 > 0:01:42Stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46And talking of our experts, James Lewis is here,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and he's got castles on the brain.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's a castle ice bucket in a castle.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- SHE LAUGHS - It's a...
0:01:54 > 0:01:57I can't think of anything more appropriate to find here than that.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01And he's teamed up with Adam Partridge,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03who has a taste for the Orient.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Those are quite smart. They are Japanese.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- They're Japanese?- Yeah.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09And they're lacquered.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Lacquered, not knackered!
0:02:14 > 0:02:15While everyone gets seated,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19here's a quick look at what's coming up on today's show.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Some may find today's show a little spooky.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26ALL EXCLAIM
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And there's a few surprises at the auction.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Well, this is good.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34£80.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35Oh, fresh bidder.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Are we all done?
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Well done. There you go.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42What's the link between this portrait,
0:02:42 > 0:02:47this chestnut tree, and tomfoolery? Well, I'll tell you later.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52But first, let's get inside and get this party started.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57We have literally taken over every room in this castle.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Hundreds of people everywhere. There's such a wonderful atmosphere.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Right now, we've got to find some treasures worthy
0:03:03 > 0:03:06of such a magnificent surrounding. So let's make a start.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07Let's catch up with one of our experts
0:03:07 > 0:03:09to find that first important item.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16James has brought the first item home to roost.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- Josie, my daughter, is seven.- Yes.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22And we have pet hens at home.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24- That's right.- Pet chickens.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- And she has a pull-along toy almost identical.- She has?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Yeah?- It was probably made two or three years ago.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- Yeah.- And that was made in Germany
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- about 1910, 1920. - Yeah, that's right, yeah.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40But it wasn't that one
0:03:40 > 0:03:41that I thought was such fun.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- It was this one here.- That one?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46And when I saw you outside in the lines with this,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I just could not resist.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Just look at that.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- Isn't he brilliant?- Oh, he's lovely.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Isn't he just great fun?
0:03:56 > 0:04:01- Look at him. I could just play with that...- All day.- ..all day. Yeah.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04He's kept his colours well as well, hasn't he?
0:04:04 > 0:04:08The great thing is, this one is a good little toy.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13And he is by Lehmann - good German maker. Early 20th century.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Probably around the same sort of period as the hen and chick.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Tin plate, so made in sheets of tin...- Yeah, that's right.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22..and stamped out,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- and then just put together very cheaply.- Oh, yeah? Oh.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Up until about the Second World War, Germany were leading the way,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- and then Japan took over. - That's right. Yeah.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34But he's great. Tell me, are these things you played with as a kid?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37No, we weren't allowed to.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- They were always in a display cabinet in them days.- Oh.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42You could look, but you did not touch.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- That's not much fun as a toy, is it? - I know. No good at all.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47So who did they belong to?
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- That one belonged my uncle. - How old would your uncle be today?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53111.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55- And his birth would be in May, so he'd be 112.- Aw.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And I'm just a spring chicken. And I'm 82.
0:04:59 > 0:05:0182. Well done. Fantastic!
0:05:02 > 0:05:06What are they worth? The chicken and the cart,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- £25, £35.- Yeah. Uh-huh.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12But the Lehmann monkey, he's got to be 50 to 80.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Yeah, that's right.- 60 to 100.- Yeah.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19So let's put £60 to £100 on them. Two together in one lot.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- And reserve of 60.- Lovely.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- And if they don't make that, I will be stunned.- Yeah.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- They will.- They will? - They'll sell.- Yeah, yeah.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Leave him with me for the rest of the day.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Leave him for the rest of the day! Get up to mischief!
0:05:32 > 0:05:35He's not going to be packed up ready for the auction until later.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38James, you cheeky monkey!
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Time for a bit of fresh air, I think.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Well, it's a glorious day here, Alison, here at Muncaster.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- Couldn't be nicer.- Couldn't be nicer. What a wonderful view here.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50But look at that behind us.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Yes, isn't it something, eh? Something special.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I can't see that it gets any better than that, does it?
0:05:55 > 0:05:56No, it doesn't at all.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59You've brought something of local significance, haven't you?
0:05:59 > 0:06:02John Peel, the famous huntsman. There he is there.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04What you've got, if I may,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07is the Royal Doulton commemorative for John Peel.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They made a series of these sorts of commemoratives
0:06:10 > 0:06:11probably in the 1920s.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13And you can see the handles
0:06:13 > 0:06:15fashioned as a fox's head above a whip
0:06:15 > 0:06:17to show it's hunting.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19And there's the famous man himself.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- He must have been a very popular character.- Apparently so, yeah.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Let's see. This is nice, because it's got loads on the bottom.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29And, of course, the famous song. D'ye Ken John Peel?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But this is very good, because it tells us all about him.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34"The hardy huntsman of the Cumberland fells.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36"Beloved of his compatriots. 'Birds of a feather.'
0:06:36 > 0:06:38"Born on November 13th...
0:06:38 > 0:06:42"and died on the same day, November 13th, 1854."
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Now, this one, as you can see again,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Royal Doulton, the famous factory. "This is number 37."
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- And 500 made.- Mm-hm.- Very nice.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- And have you had it on display?- I had it on display for quite a while.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- Yeah.- Then, like everything else, you think, "I'll have a change."
0:06:55 > 0:06:58It got put in the cupboard. It's just a bit chunky, really...
0:06:58 > 0:07:01That's it. And they're not as popular as they used to be.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- Maybe not.- So values have maybe dropped a bit
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- in the last 10, 20 years on these. - OK.- Any idea what it's worth?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- £200, £300?- Yeah... - Something like that?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Well, I think if it was perfect, it would be.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I think with the ear damage, you've got to be a bit more conservative.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I think it's going to be somewhere between £100 and £200.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23- Mm-hm.- Hopefully more, of course. - Mm-hm.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- So, reserve-wise, I would probably suggest 100.- OK. Right.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30And an estimate of maybe 120 to 180.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- Yeah, OK.- That should hopefully pull them in to bid on it
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and we'll hopefully get the 200 or so.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Put a fixed reserve for 100 or something like that?
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- Yeah, I think that's a good idea. - That's a fair thing.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I'm pretty sure it will sell well. If it made a couple of hundred,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45would you put it towards anything specific?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Well, yes, a little family holiday. - Have you got grandchildren?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Two grandsons.- Very good. - Four-year-old, seven-year-old.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- How nice to have a grandmother to take them on a holiday.- Yeah.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- Yeah. Look and listen, other grandmothers!- Yes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03# D'ye ken John Peel with his coat so gay...? #
0:08:03 > 0:08:06John Peel was a Cumbrian huntsman who was immortalised
0:08:06 > 0:08:10in the 19th-century folk song D'ye Ken John Peel?,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12meaning, "Do you know John Peel?"
0:08:12 > 0:08:15# D'ye ken John Peel when he's far, far away
0:08:15 > 0:08:17# With his hounds and his horn in the morning...? #
0:08:17 > 0:08:19He was known to be a tough huntsman.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21He would set off at daybreak
0:08:21 > 0:08:25and cover more than 50 miles over some of the bleakest fells.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Years after Peel's death
0:08:27 > 0:08:30the song suddenly became a hit in London dancing rooms.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33# ..in the morning! #
0:08:39 > 0:08:43There you are. Now, while our experts are working hard downstairs,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46I've nipped up here into this bedroom
0:08:46 > 0:08:48because I want to show you something.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51This particular room is renowned for its paranormal activity.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53There's a lot of spookiness going on up here.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Lots of people have felt a chill and they've seen ghosts,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59particularly in this room.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02In fact, this was the bedroom of Margaret Pennington,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05who died here in 1871 at the age of 11
0:09:05 > 0:09:10of what was described as "screaming fits", probably high fever.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Now, I have a compass.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16It's on a phone, but it does the same thing.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It tells us where north is. And north is over there.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21But when I move a compass around,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25you see, because it picks up electromagnetic fields...
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Now north starts spinning. Now, that is spooky.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31A compass shouldn't do that. You can walk around anywhere
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and north has always got to be over there with a compass.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Yet, strangely enough, in this room, north is all over the place.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I'm feeling rather chilly. I'm tingling, in fact.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I'm going straight back downstairs right now
0:09:44 > 0:09:46to catch up with our experts.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54It looks like James has his own unearthly visitor.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57That thing, is it alive or dead?
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Well, we're not sure.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- It's pretty horrendous. - She's not very pretty, is she?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Just look at that. This is meant to be for a child.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- But look at that face as it raises...- No, don't.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- I mean... - HE LAUGHS
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- That is...- She's from a horror movie, isn't she, really?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15That... Have a look at what we're talking about here.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Close your eyes, and I want a genuine reaction.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20ALL EXCLAIM
0:10:21 > 0:10:23LAUGHTER
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Well, there we go.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Glad you agree!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Poor thing.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36I'm sorry. I feel I've been really so rude about the doll.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38THEY LAUGH
0:10:38 > 0:10:41But, no, it's a great, fun talking point.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43One of the famous "Flog It!" questions is,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45why are you selling it?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47I don't have to ask, do I?
0:10:47 > 0:10:50None of the family will sleep in the house.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- They just don't like her in the room.- I'm not surprised.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55If we take the doll out,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and behind its head we've got a series of marks.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02There we are. Armand Marseille, German bisque-head doll.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04About 1910 in date.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08And the thing that I find amazing is that these were designed
0:11:08 > 0:11:11for children to sleep with and to be comforting.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It's anything but.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15But the bed itself is brilliant.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19It's a classic model, 1860, 1870,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- of a Victorian mahogany half-tester bed.- Yeah.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26It could have been used as a salesman's prop,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29to be taken from house to house - "This is what we make" -
0:11:29 > 0:11:31and obviously, deliver full-size versions.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- But these are very popular for doll and teddy bear collectors.- Right.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Dolls like that are not as popular as they once were,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42- but miniature furniture has a really good following.- Right.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46So I think we should probably sell the doll with the bed.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49I think we should put £100 to £150,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53with the idea that we should probably get towards the 200 to 250.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- OK.- Would you like to put a reserve on it?- No.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I think the family would just like her to go to
0:11:59 > 0:12:01somebody that might enjoy her.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03I don't think that's possible!
0:12:03 > 0:12:04THEY LAUGH
0:12:04 > 0:12:08I think, let's cover her up with a nice big sheet
0:12:08 > 0:12:09and pretend she's not in there.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16# Got myself a crying, talking sleeping, walking, living doll... #
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Well, we're now halfway through our day.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Our experts have found their first items to take off to the saleroom.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I've got my favourites. You've probably got yours.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27But right now let's put those values to the test.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Anything can happen in an auction room.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33This is where it gets exciting. So stay with us.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Here's a quick recap just to jog your memories of all the items
0:12:36 > 0:12:38that are going under the hammer.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44James has high hopes for the tin toys,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47if we can prise them out of his possession.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52The Royal Doulton John Peel jug could appeal to the collectors
0:12:52 > 0:12:54and locals alike.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58We can only hope that this porcelain doll
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and mahogany bed catch someone's eye.
0:13:01 > 0:13:02They had better,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05because Deborah definitely doesn't want to take them home.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15We are heading north to Carlisle for our auction today.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20Dominating the city for the past 900 years has been Carlisle Castle,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23which apparently has a few ghosts of its own.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27They include a king, a caretaker and two medieval soldiers.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32We, however, are a few minutes down the road
0:13:32 > 0:13:35at Thomson, Roddick & Medcalf saleroom
0:13:35 > 0:13:39and are hoping for a different kind of phenomena.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42So all eyes are on our two auctioneers, John Thomson
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and Steven Parkinson.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45At 150 on the telephone.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48You can have a go on the internet if you want.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50At 150. That's yours.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Remember, if you are buying or selling something in an auction room,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56there is commission or a buyer's premium to pay.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00Now, here it's 15% on the hammer, plus VAT.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03So do factor that in, because it does add up.
0:14:03 > 0:14:04You don't want to get caught out.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06Make no mistake. At £150.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Going under the hammer right now, Josie's tin toys.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Lots of fun with these at the valuation day.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- And I have to say, you look so healthy.- Thank you very much.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17You look really happy and healthy.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Is it the sea air up there or something?- Yes. Sea air.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24- Lots of gardening? - Yes. I love my gardening.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27- Get into trouble, but never mind. - You get yourself into trouble? Why?
0:14:27 > 0:14:30There's a lot I can't do now, since I had my accident,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- so I go to do it and somebody helps me.- Oh, bless you.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Look, these toys have been in the family for 80 years,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38and we're going to sell them right now. Here we go.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Rather fun. It's a German Lehmann tin plate figure.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Tom, the climbing monkey, and another there.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48£20 I am bid. £20.
0:14:48 > 0:14:512, 5, 8, 30.
0:14:51 > 0:14:532, 32.
0:14:53 > 0:14:5735. 38. 40. 42.
0:14:57 > 0:15:0145. 48. 50. 55.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02- Come on.- 55.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05This will all help pay for a bit of gardening, won't it?
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Anyone else? 65. 70. £70.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11All done. Nobody else? 75. £80.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13- 80 bid.- Fresh bidder.
0:15:13 > 0:15:1685. 90. £90.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18At 90. Last call.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20At 90. At 90. At 90.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22- Good result.- Very good.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- £90.- Thank you very much. - That's going to help out, isn't it?
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- I'll go and buy something for the garden.- It will, won't it?
0:15:28 > 0:15:33Well, Josie, that's better than the toys gaining dust in a drawer.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36380. 400. 420.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39All finished at 420?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Next up, the Royal Doulton commemorative jug.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Alison, your John Peel jug is just about to go under the hammer.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48It's time to say goodbye. This one will go. Local interest.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51- It's got to go.- It should do. - It should do, shouldn't it?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54The market for these things has gone down in recent times,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56but you'd still hope it'd make £100.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58I'm not a big fan of these Doulton kind of things.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00- No? They're all right.- Nor you.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But this one is a little bit different. It's more colourful.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Slightly more interesting.- It is, really.- Isn't it? Ready for this?
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- I'm ready.- OK, let's enjoy the moment. Right, here we go. Tally ho!
0:16:11 > 0:16:15This is a nice one. John Peel one, just for this area. Perfect.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Quite a lot of interest in this.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I'm going to start straight in at the 100 bid.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21I thought he was going to say three.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24110. 120. 120. 130. You're in now.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28At 130 in the room. 130. 140. 150. 150 on the net.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31160. 160. They're going mad. 170.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34180 if you like. 180. 182 in the room now.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38At 180. 190. 190. 200. At 200 in the room.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- 220, 240.- This is good.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- In the room now.- End up in a local house.- 260, in fact.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46260 on the net. You're out, are you? At 260. Are you sure?
0:16:46 > 0:16:50At 260 we're going to sell. At 260.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Bang on. 260. That's not a bad price, is it?
0:16:53 > 0:16:54- That's not a bad price.- I'm pleased.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Yeah. I think that one was a little bit...
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Had a little bit more going for it than...
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- It had a bit of damage, too.- Yeah. - Just a smidgen.- Who did that? You?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- SHE COUGHS Yes.- I'm afraid so.
0:17:06 > 0:17:07330. 340.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10You can't hide anything from me!
0:17:10 > 0:17:14At £380. Are we all done at 380?
0:17:14 > 0:17:15That's yours.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Right, our next lot. It frightens the life out of me.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Thank goodness it's here to be sold.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22It's the doll in the tester bed. It's an Armand Marseille.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It's a great make. A German bisque-headed doll.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27It belongs to Deborah, who sadly cannot be with us today,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29but her husband, Andrew, can,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- who I'm sure will be glad to see the back of it.- Absolutely, yes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- Won't we?- Wonderful.- It's not a blokes' thing, is it, James? No.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- James gravitated towards this. - Horrible.- I don't like it.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It's going under the hammer right now.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45There are a lot of doll collectors out there and you know who they are.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49What may I say for that? £80 or 50?
0:17:49 > 0:17:5350 bid. 55. 60. 5. 70.
0:17:53 > 0:17:5675. 80.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- £80. Anyone else? At 80.- £80. - At 80. At 80.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04I thought you'd get extra for the bed. But look...
0:18:04 > 0:18:07The bed's worth it! But...I don't know.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Do you think that doll's put people off?- Yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I don't like the articulated eyes.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13- No.- Blink, blink, blink, spooky, spooky, spooky.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Well, there you. That was fun.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Our first lots done and dusted under the hammer.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29We are coming back here later on in the programme, so don't go away.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32We could have that big surprise I promised you.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Before we return to Muncaster Castle to find some more antiques
0:18:35 > 0:18:39to put under the hammer, I'm going to be doing a bit of sleuthing,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41finding out about Tom Fool,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44a jester who may have been up to no good.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Muncaster Castle has been home to the Pennington family
0:18:56 > 0:18:58for more than 800 years.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Today they share it with visiting tourists
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and, some would have you believe, ghosts.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06DOOR CREAKS
0:19:06 > 0:19:10One of these unearthly residents could be Tom Skelton,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12also known as Tom the Fool.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16He was the jester here around the turn of the 17th century
0:19:16 > 0:19:20and his antics may well have given rise to the term "tomfoolery".
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Well, it's up to you to decide
0:19:25 > 0:19:27if there is any truth in this old chestnut.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31But legend has it that Tom Fool would regularly sit
0:19:31 > 0:19:34under this very tree here at Muncaster Castle,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36taking in the views.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And weary travellers would come up to him
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and ask him for directions to London.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44But for some poor souls, instead of directing them across the river,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47he sent them straight down there into the quicksand.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Now, I don't imagine they found that very funny at all.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54But apparently that wasn't the worst of his misdeeds.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03This painting is a portrait of Tom Skelton, alias Tom Fool,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and it shows a man of position and authority -
0:20:06 > 0:20:11not normally a look associated with a jester in a cap and bells.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14To try to understand how Tom could have two very opposing roles
0:20:14 > 0:20:18in the castle, I'm meeting with owner Peter Frost-Pennington.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Peter, as jesters go, he doesn't look that funny, does he?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26He certainly looks a bit disreputable.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I'm not sure I'd invite him along to any children's parties these days.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31But he was the fool here.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And he was meant to be in charge of the place for a while.
0:20:34 > 0:20:35And he certainly entertained the visitors.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37It must be quite a privilege.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Surely this is quite rare to have to have hired help
0:20:39 > 0:20:42having a full-length portrait here on the wall.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Well, it is an extraordinary portrait,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47because the...servants never got painted.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50And he was a servant. But we think it's a parody portrait.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53This is the fool. He was the idiot. He was the one everyone laughed at,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and yet he's painted as if he's a great lord and master.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- Is this his last will and testament?- Yes.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01This, they say, is his last will and testament.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04It is written in doggerel rhyme. And it's interesting,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07cos it says "all his living is in good strong beer".
0:21:07 > 0:21:10And he is painted warts and all with his big beer belly
0:21:10 > 0:21:12bursting out over his belt.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14And it also says, "When I am bury'd, then my friends may drink.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17"But each man pay for himself, that's best I think."
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- I saw that!- And that's because he's a servant.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23- He can't afford the beer.- Sure. - Everyone had to pay for themselves.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26But he wants a big party when he goes and no-one is to forget him
0:21:26 > 0:21:27and we certainly don't forget Tom.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32During the 15th and 16th centuries,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35the court fool played an important role.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38They were the political satirists of their day,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and the only ones in court who could tell the monarch
0:21:40 > 0:21:44what an idiot he was and still keep their heads.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Up here in Cumbria, Tom Skelton was far enough
0:21:47 > 0:21:49from the royal court in London
0:21:49 > 0:21:52not to worry about his own head.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57But legend has it he did have something to do with someone else's.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59The story goes that there was a young lady of the house
0:21:59 > 0:22:01called Helwise Pennington,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04which I think suggests a little bit what her character was like.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07She was engaged to be married to the next posh guy down the road.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11And unfortunately, she fell in love with a young carpenter.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13And this carpenter was a bit silly,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15cos he was boasting about his conquest,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18saying, "I am Helwise Pennington's boyfriend."
0:22:18 > 0:22:21But news of the affair got to his...her fiance
0:22:21 > 0:22:23and it all got a bit embarrassing.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27And Tom was asked to sort the situation out, cos it was very wrong
0:22:27 > 0:22:29that this servant was having an affair
0:22:29 > 0:22:31with a young lady of the house.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34So the story goes, he lured the carpenter to a bedroom near here
0:22:34 > 0:22:37on pretence of meeting Helwise, his girlfriend,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39kept him drinking - plied him with strong cider -
0:22:39 > 0:22:42at which point Tom picked up his hammer and chisel,
0:22:42 > 0:22:43chopped his head off with it
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and dragged the headless body downstairs.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Even today, we have visitors sometimes say,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50when they're standing looking at his portrait,
0:22:50 > 0:22:52they hear footsteps behind them.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54And they expect someone to be standing behind them.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57They turn around to see, and there's nobody there.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59And some authorities think it's not footsteps,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01it's the thud, thud, thud, thud
0:23:01 > 0:23:04of Tom dragging the headless body downstairs.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06THUDDING
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Peter, I believe there's a chance that you and your family think
0:23:14 > 0:23:18that Tom inspired the fool in Shakespeare's play King Lear?
0:23:18 > 0:23:22Yes. We believe Shakespeare spent some time in the north-west of England
0:23:22 > 0:23:24as a jobbing actor before he made the big time.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26And of course he picked up all the folk tales
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and met some of the personalities,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30whether he met Tom or knew the story of Tom...
0:23:30 > 0:23:33And that crucial scene in King Lear is of the stupid king
0:23:33 > 0:23:34who's lost his kingdom,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38wandering around on the blasted heath accompanied by the fool.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42And the fool isn't really a fool. The fool is the clever one.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43And the king is the stupid one.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47So it's just exactly what Tom's saying in that portrait.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49"I'm meant to be the idiot, but you lot in government,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51"you're the real idiots of the piece."
0:23:51 > 0:23:54And I think Shakespeare is really good at going, "I'll keep that."
0:23:54 > 0:23:56- Put quill to paper. - Put quill to paper.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59"And I'll ferret that away and make a play out of that."
0:23:59 > 0:24:03I keep saying it and no-one's told me off for it, so maybe it is true.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13So powerful are the myths surrounding Tom Fool
0:24:13 > 0:24:15that his legend is still alive today.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Each May, Muncaster Castle holds a competition where entertainers
0:24:24 > 0:24:28from around the world compete to be crowned the Fool of Muncaster.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32The title is currently held by Abigail Collins.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33LAUGHTER
0:24:33 > 0:24:35- PUTS ON ACCENT:- Look at you.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38You're a burning hunk of man love, darling. Hello!
0:24:38 > 0:24:41You have to love a man you can just wipe clean!
0:24:41 > 0:24:44- SHE SPITS - Yes, look, just a bit of Windolene.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46You want to try this? I think it's very good.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48'I've always been naughty,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51'playing tricks since I was a small child.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:54And that's where I really feel the spirit of Tom Fool.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57The whole idea of tomfoolery, buffoonery,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00is something that... I still play tricks now,
0:25:00 > 0:25:05and I don't think I'll ever stop playing tricks and doing gags.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08OK, so I make quick transformation for you.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Hold your horses, people. Here I go!
0:25:11 > 0:25:14When I go to come out, there'll be nobody here.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16LAUGHTER
0:25:16 > 0:25:18What makes a good fool?
0:25:18 > 0:25:22For me, what makes a good fool it's important to distinguish
0:25:22 > 0:25:25the difference between fooling and clowning.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27You see it very clearly in Shakespeare
0:25:27 > 0:25:30between the idea of a natural fool, a clown.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32The clown doesn't know that the clown is stupid,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and that's why the clown is funny.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Whereas the fool in Shakespeare is witty and cynical
0:25:38 > 0:25:41and they're there to pull people down
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and to shine the mirror up to human nature.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45So that's the difference.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49I suppose the modern equivalent of fooling would be stand-up.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53We see it in sitcoms. The fool never really disappeared. Here I am!
0:25:53 > 0:25:55SHE LAUGHS
0:25:55 > 0:25:56- CROWD:- Three!
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Oh, my gosh!
0:25:58 > 0:25:59CHEERING
0:25:59 > 0:26:01SHE SHOUTS
0:26:01 > 0:26:03APPLAUSE
0:26:03 > 0:26:05It's good. Yes, you like it now?
0:26:05 > 0:26:06LAUGHTER
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Just a little kiss.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09LAUGHTER
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Are we having enough? Do we want to see more?
0:26:13 > 0:26:17'For me, being a female fool, it's a really important role,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20'because the fool is there to challenge social mores
0:26:20 > 0:26:24'and to push the envelope. And that is always what I do.'
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I hope that I never tip it too far over the edge.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28But for me, that's where...
0:26:28 > 0:26:31The fun is always where you get the tension in a performance
0:26:31 > 0:26:33and working out how far you can take it.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35LAUGHTER
0:26:35 > 0:26:39You know, it takes years of abuse to get a body like this, boys and girls. I know.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40- HOOTER - I know.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It seems the legacy of this fiendish fool will be kept alive
0:26:48 > 0:26:50in a way that many of us can enjoy.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54But with tales of chopped-off heads and creeping ghosts,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58you can rest assured I won't be sleeping in the castle tonight!
0:27:05 > 0:27:09# If you wanna come back it's all right, it's all right
0:27:09 > 0:27:12# It's all right if you wanna come back... #
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Back amidst the fun and commotion of our valuation area
0:27:16 > 0:27:18people are still flocking to the tables,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20keeping our experts very busy.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24The grand hall is now an off-screen valuation area.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26But through here in the library...
0:27:27 > 0:27:31..Adam Partridge is just about to start one of his valuations.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34So let's take a closer look at what he's talking about.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39How did these Japanese panels end up in deepest Cumbria?
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- They belonged to my husband's grandfather...- Yeah.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44..who was in the Navy.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And I know that he was out in Shanghai.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Whether he was in the Navy during the war or before the war, I don't know.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- You don't know what years he was in service?- No.- No.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Well, these were brought back by traders,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00merchant seamen, Navy people, as souvenirs of the time.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04This style of decoration with this relief applied work
0:28:04 > 0:28:06is the Shibayama style,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09which was actually derived in the 18th century.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14And you see really exotic Shibayama panels in ivory and mother-of-pearl
0:28:14 > 0:28:15and very, very fancy inlays.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20And these are basically later ones that were made for export.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24- So these would have been made around 1900 or thereabouts.- Right.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28So they're literally cheaply made, even though they are very ornate.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Your ones are in bone rather than in ivory.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34So any elephant lovers will be happy to own these anyway.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Typical scenes of daily life are depicted in them.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41And of course the very famous Mount Fuji in the background,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45which is depicted in so many... Japanese art and things like that.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49- Do you like these? - Yes, yes. But they've been...
0:28:49 > 0:28:50wrapped up in a drawer.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54I saw that ancient paper that you've got them wrapped in.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56- And so they're not on display? - No, no.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59There's nowhere to hang them, really.
0:28:59 > 0:29:00So why have you decided to sell?
0:29:00 > 0:29:02You like them but you don't display them?
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- Presumably they take up too much room?- I'm hoping to go to Australia.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08- Are you? - My family is over in Australia.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12So you're going to go and join them. It would be lovely to get out there.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Now it's down to the gritty bit of the value.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I think they are going to be about £50 a pair.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Right. OK.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23So maybe £100 to £150 for the lot.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- Uh-huh.- I think that's about the money, really.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27I don't think they're going to make much more.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31And we should put a little reserve on them at 80 just to stop them.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33- Um... - You're looking uncomfortable.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35- A bit higher?- Well...
0:29:35 > 0:29:39- I'm trying to get you...them sold for the best price.- Yeah.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- We can't put it up to 90? - We could put it up to 90.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46OK, let's put 100 with discretion, so that means 90.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- OK.- Estimate 100 to 150.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52And if they stop at 80, don't let me say "I told you so".
0:29:52 > 0:29:53No.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Let's hope we can help Jean with her trip to Australia.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Back on the home front, James has uncovered a set of instruments
0:30:04 > 0:30:06that are not for the faint-hearted.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13It's about 100 years since the beginning of the First World War.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17And I have to say when I see things like this...
0:30:18 > 0:30:22..I'm just so glad I live today and not then.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27Because this is the most gruesome set of instruments
0:30:27 > 0:30:29you can possibly imagine.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33We see a lot of field surgeon's kits.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36But they didn't seem to have changed an awful lot
0:30:36 > 0:30:41from the Napoleonic Wars through to this stage here.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45All that we haven't got is a saw to chop someone's leg off.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48- Now, these belong to you, don't they?- That's right.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51How did you come to have these in your possession?
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Pretty much by chance, really.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55I bought a box of military books.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58And this just happened to be in amongst it.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Dorothy, you know a little bit more about these things, don't you?
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Yes. I was a nurse from the '50s.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08And how did the equipment charge from the First World War?
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- The scalpel.- The scalpel. Now they're disposable.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Before, we just put them on the end.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- But they... That's beautiful, I think.- Beautiful?- I do.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- I think that's probably saved lots of lives.- Gosh.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23That's...Spencer Wells forceps for opening the wound
0:31:23 > 0:31:25or for tying off a vein or an artery.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28And that could be used for opening a wound.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32But I think the most beautiful thing was this small case
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- with the needles in.- Needles, gosh.- That's lovely, that.
0:31:36 > 0:31:41It will be interesting to know whether it was German or British.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42As far as I know, it's German.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46And it seems to be, you know, of its time the best kind of quality.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Wonderful quality. The one major difference to the tools
0:31:50 > 0:31:52that were being used 100 years earlier,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55they realised the importance of keeping them sterile.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Yes, yes.- Because 100 years earlier they would have been
0:31:58 > 0:32:01in a brass-bound mahogany box.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- When you lift it open, it would be velvet lined.- Yeah.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09And these tools, I guess, when they were still fairly dirty
0:32:09 > 0:32:12- would have been slotted back in like this.- Yeah, yeah.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16That's not exactly the most ideal sterilised condition,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19whereas here, of course, they're wrapped up in something you can boil.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22- They can go in there. - And go in there.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25So, what's it worth? I think it has a limited market.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28I don't think it is early enough to have a great following.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33But First World War stuff is now becoming more and more sought after.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36So 30 to 50?
0:32:36 > 0:32:37£40 to £60?
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Something like that.
0:32:39 > 0:32:40Let's put £30 on it.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- I think it's good value at £30. - I do as well.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45I think it's a good talking point.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48- I still don't think it's beautiful. - Oh, I do. I think...
0:32:49 > 0:32:53Well, Dorothy and James will have to agree to disagree on that one.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56But while we're on the subject of saving lives,
0:32:56 > 0:33:00I found a box here in the house with a fabulous story to tell.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Now, I've spotted something in the library and I am fascinated by it.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Another great piece of family history.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11It's a medicine chest belong to the fifth Lord of Muncaster,
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Josslyn Pennington.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17He fought against the Russians in the Crimean War in the 1850s.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19And he took this medicine chest with him.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22It's quite a comprehensive piece of kit
0:33:22 > 0:33:24that any field surgeon would be proud of.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26And it's full of glass bottles containing ointments
0:33:26 > 0:33:30and tinctures, and it's got a pestle and mortar. It's got syringes.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32I'm absolutely fascinated by some of these glass bottles.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35Look. Laudanum. That's all gone.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38There's all sort of tinctures here,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40potions and cures.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Look at this. Little, tiny iron.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47You could heat that up and seal some wounds on the skin.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49It sounds pretty gruesome, doesn't it?
0:33:50 > 0:33:54A staggering 250,000 British and French men
0:33:54 > 0:33:58lost their lives during the Crimean War due to disease.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02It was during the three years of the conflict that Florence Nightingale
0:34:02 > 0:34:05revolutionised the treatment of soldiers and paved the way
0:34:05 > 0:34:11for yet further advances in how we care for our sick and wounded.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14It was on this battlefield that the fifth Lord Muncaster
0:34:14 > 0:34:16had a narrow escape.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I want to show you this. There's his cap that he wore.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25He was in the 90th Rifles.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29And he stuck his head up a parapet to look out at the Russians.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33And some Russian took a shot at him. Look at that. That's a bullet hole.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Went right through his cap, right through his hairline.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37Thankfully, he survived that
0:34:37 > 0:34:41and he went on to live right through to his mid-80s.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43There's a happy ending!
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Now, Adam is back out in the sunshine.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53It's a glorious day here at Muncaster, isn't it?
0:34:53 > 0:34:54It's perfect, perfect.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59And a very famous factory of porcelain you've brought along.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01What can you tell us about it? Where did you get it from?
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Well, it's probably been in the family,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06I don't know, 40 or 50 years.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09My father bought it actually in Switzerland.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11He had offices in Zurich.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13So he's bought it maybe from an antiques shop over there.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17- I think so.- Obviously by the very famous Meissen porcelain factory.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19One of the finest porcelains of the world,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21arguably THE finest porcelain,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24although perhaps the Crown Derbys and Worcesters and Mintons
0:35:24 > 0:35:26of this world might argue, as might Sevres and various others.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- I'm sure they would. - But one of the top names.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31- It originated in about 1710.- Mm-hm.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34And they made lots of figures like this
0:35:34 > 0:35:37throughout the 18th and 19th and 20th centuries.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41And they are characteristic for their blue crossed swords mark.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45That famous blue crossed swords trademark underneath.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And we've got the shape number there as well.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52So why have you decided to bring it along to "Flog It!"?
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Oh, well, it's actually sat in the back of the cupboard
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- or a display cabinet. It's been there for such a long time.- Yeah.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02My eldest daughter is hoping to go to Australia on a sports tour.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06So really it was to help fund, hopefully, her trip to Australia.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09So turn that dusty old ornament at the back of the cabinet
0:36:09 > 0:36:13- into something that...- Not so nasty. - Dusty, not nasty!- Dusty, dusty!
0:36:13 > 0:36:16I said "dusty", not "nasty"! I wouldn't say that. I'm not that bad!
0:36:16 > 0:36:20I think it's quite pleasant. It's not my taste, really.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23But it's very nicely modelled. I can certainly appreciate them.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27The main famous modeller of these was Kandler in the 18th century.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31I think this is a 1900s or slightly later version
0:36:31 > 0:36:34of the very famous Meissen figures.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36If that was a period one from the 1770s,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39- it'd be worth thousands of pounds. - Oh!
0:36:39 > 0:36:41- But I'm afraid I don't think it is.- It's not.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43But look at the quality of the faces...are very nice.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46When you are looking at these things, the faces are beautiful.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47They're absolutely beautiful.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50And the colour. I love the colours of them. They're gorgeous.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Sadly, the more I look at it, I see quite a bit of damage.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Little bits... Lots of little bits on the end.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58You can see these white bits showing.
0:36:58 > 0:36:59- He's lost an arm here.- Hm.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Maybe he was meant to be like that.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Yes, perhaps. Yes. Yes, of course.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06He was probably meant to be...
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- "This is what happens when you bite your nails."- Yes, severely!
0:37:09 > 0:37:13- In good order I can imagine it making £500.- Uh-huh.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17- Because of the damage, I think we have to bring it right down.- Oh!
0:37:17 > 0:37:21- Perhaps as low as 150 to 250.- OK.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23I think it will find its level
0:37:23 > 0:37:25and hopefully it will be a bit more than that.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27But I think that should be enough to entice people to bid.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- But there's a lot to put right. - It's still a beautiful thing.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33It is a beautiful thing. Shall we put a reserve on it - £150?
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- That's good, that's fine.- We don't want it really going for any less.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40- No less.- And hopefully it will go on and make a little bit more.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Let's hope we can make plenty of money for your daughter's sports tour.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44That would be nice.
0:37:48 > 0:37:49Well, there you are, that's it.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Our experts have now found their final items.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55So it's time for us to say farewell to Muncaster Castle,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58our magnificent host location today. It's really done us proud,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01and the hundreds of people who have turned up.
0:38:01 > 0:38:02But right now it's time for us
0:38:02 > 0:38:04to head off to auction for the last time.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07And here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10See you in Carlisle.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Bye-bye, everyone. Bye-bye!
0:38:19 > 0:38:22These early 20th-century Japanese panels
0:38:22 > 0:38:24show everyday life in Japan.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27But how will they translate back here?
0:38:27 > 0:38:32Will it be touch and go for this First World War field surgeon's kit?
0:38:34 > 0:38:35It's a top name,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39so hopefully we'll get a top price for this Meissen statue.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49We're back in Carlisle, and the auction room is in full swing.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53360. 380. 400. 420.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56All finished? Thank you, sir.
0:38:56 > 0:38:57Going under the hammer now,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00four Japanese inlaid panels belonging to Jean.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03All the proceeds need to get you off to Australia.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05It's a lot of money, isn't it, getting there?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07It's a long way. It's a long flight.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Will we get top money for this? Is it too touristy?
0:39:09 > 0:39:13- I don't think they're going to be easy things.- No.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16I don't wish to be pessimistic, just realistic.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- I think if we sell them, we should be pleased.- Really happy.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23They're going under the hammer right now.
0:39:23 > 0:39:29897 is these rather nice Shibayama panels. What may I say for these?
0:39:29 > 0:39:30150 or 100?
0:39:30 > 0:39:32£50?
0:39:32 > 0:39:3640. 40 I'm bid. At £40 bid.
0:39:36 > 0:39:402. 5. 8. 48.
0:39:40 > 0:39:4350 on the net. 55.
0:39:43 > 0:39:4555. 60. 65.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49- 65. £65, all finished. - I don't think they're going to go.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51- No.- They're struggling, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:39:51 > 0:39:5575. Last chance. 75. At 75.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57I'm sorry, they're just a little short of the reserve.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59- They're not sold. - We're sorry about that.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01They haven't gone, have they?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Well, thanks for giving us the pleasure of looking at them.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- No. I hate to say...- I brought my bag with me, anyway, to take...
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- Oh, did you?- Yes, I came prepared.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12What a shame.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15But souvenirs like this made for the export market
0:40:15 > 0:40:18don't tend to make the big money.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Now let's hope we don't have a horrid end
0:40:21 > 0:40:24to this field surgeon's kit, which is up next.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27- Dorothy and Stephen, good luck with this.- Thank you.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29I think it's quite gruesome, I really do.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- It's lovely.- But it's a field surgeon's kit, possibly German,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34from the First World War. Going under the hammer right now.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Good luck with this, James. - Thank you.- This is it.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40What may I say for this?
0:40:40 > 0:40:4330, 20? Never know when you'll need it. 20 bid.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46£20. 20 bid. 22. 25.
0:40:46 > 0:40:4828. 28. Anyone else?
0:40:48 > 0:40:5028. 30. 30. 30.
0:40:50 > 0:40:55- Yes, come on. It's worth 30. It's worth...- It is.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59At 30. At £30 only. All done.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01- Selling.- At 30. Sold.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05- It was a bargain.- It was a bargain, wasn't it?- It was, it was.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Dorothy is thinking, "I would have taken it home
0:41:07 > 0:41:11"and operated on a leg of lamb, on a Sunday roast!"
0:41:11 > 0:41:13Ha! Well, that's another item sewn up.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Are we all sure? At 380. Are we all done at 380?
0:41:19 > 0:41:21That's yours.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Going under the hammer we've got a great name in porcelain - Meissen.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26We have seen it on the show before. We've got a cracking piece.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Fingers crossed we get the top end of Adam's estimate.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33- It's a group of figures, isn't it? - Yes, yes. A beautiful thing.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35It's beautiful to look at with the young children.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39- Been in the family a long time? - 50-odd years, something like that.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44- Are you a massive fan? Not really, no.- No.- Nor am I, unfortunately.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46But there are a lot of collectors out there.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48I'm not sure you should call it a cracking figure.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Is that the best choice of words for it?
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Look, there's a tiny bit of damage.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54But when you look at the detail and all the figures,
0:41:54 > 0:41:55there's a lot going on.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58Hopefully, someone will like to own this piece.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00It's a very smart piece of porcelain.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05Yeah. I'd rather have that than a cup and saucer in Meissen.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Right. Here we go. Let's sell it.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Start here. The bid is with me at...
0:42:12 > 0:42:14At 320.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- What?- We're going to start at 320.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- 340.- Here we go. THEY LAUGH
0:42:20 > 0:42:23400. 420. 420. 420.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25- It's like we set you up, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27460 bid.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30At 460. 480, anybody? At £500?
0:42:30 > 0:42:32Would you believe that?
0:42:32 > 0:42:36520. It's still going. At 520. At 520 bid.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40At 520. At £520. Are we all done? All sure?
0:42:40 > 0:42:42£520.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45£520! Well done.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Well, there you go. There's always a surprise.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51- I told you there'd be one. - Just getting my disclaimer in.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53"It may not sell."
0:42:53 > 0:42:54That's amazing. That is amazing.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56- Thank you.- Thank you for bringing it in.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59And what a way to end the show. We're totally baffled.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01So was our auctioneer, Steven.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03He said, "I can't believe it." But the hammer went down.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05- And you're going home with the money.- I'm very happy.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08It doesn't get any better than that. I hope you enjoyed watching.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10It's goodbye from Carlisle!