Weston-super-Mare 28 Flog It!

We have a fabulous sandy beach, sunny weather

and great company - all the ingredients of a fun day out.

So have you got your bucket and spade packed?

Because we are on Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier.

Welcome to "Flog It!".

THEY CHEER

Today's Grand Pier is the third version of this seaside icon.

Originally built in 1904 as a promenading pier

complete with theatre and bandstand,

it transformed itself into an amusement pier in the 1930s

after fire destroyed the pavilion.

When it reopened in 2010 following a second fire,

thousands of people queued,

all eager to be the first on the new pier.

Well, there may not be thousands here today

but there's definitely hundreds,

and they are all laden with antiques and collectables

and they are all eager to be the first inside to see our experts,

to be one of the lucky ones to go through to auction,

because they want to...

Flog it!

Who better to help them than today's experts?

But it looks like Catherine Southon

is planning to sit around on the job.

That's a bit of quality, that is. Nice seat, nice and comfortable.

At least Jonathan Pratt is on the right track.

Maybe as a team they can stitch something.

In, round, through, off.

-In, round, through, off.

-In, round, through, off.

But let's hope they don't tie themselves in knots.

And it's time to find out, as we put their knowledge to the test.

With the crowds taking their seats,

here's a quick peek at what is coming up later in the programme.

He got the world's height record during this time.

That is amazing.

They sold 380 million records.

Is it going to be Money, Money, Money?

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

Later on in the show, I will be getting hands-on on the beach,

finding out how you create something like this

from this.

Well, as you can see, we are surrounded

by entertainment machines. There's penny slot machines everywhere.

There's even a ghost train over there. And looking at this lot,

I think we could be in for a jolly good ride today.

-You going to have fun?

-Yes!

-Yes, that's what it's all about.

Well, right now we are going to join up with our experts to see

what we can find to take off to auction.

Sharon, is this somewhere you come too often?

-Only every once and a while with the kids.

-Oh, I can imagine.

-Go mad on the rides.

-Now, I saw this pig in the queue.

I saw his little snout sticking out of the bag and as soon as I saw it,

there was only one name that I thought of, and that was Wemyss.

I thought he has got to be by Wemyss.

But then as he came out further and I turned him over,

I was really shocked to see Moorcroft.

I have never ever seen a Moorcroft pig and I was speaking

to my colleagues and they said they have never seen one either,

so I think they are quite unusual.

The thing is, as we turn around and look at him,

we can see that there's a mark there, an arrow mark,

so that dates him actually to the '90s.

So he is a fairly modern pig. What drew you to him?

I just loved the decoration,

I used to collect pigs and, well, he's gorgeous.

He is gorgeous. And did you know he was Moorcroft?

No, I didn't. I just saw the decoration and I liked him,

so I bought him.

-So, where did you get him from?

-I got him at a car-boot sale.

-Did you?

-I did.

-And may I ask, how much did you pay?

£7.25.

-And how long ago was this?

-It was about 15 years ago now.

That was pretty good.

My husband thought I had overpaid, so he wasn't so thrilled.

Well, you can tell your husband you definitely didn't overpay

because he is a very handsome little fellow.

He has got this wonderful rich fruit on his back

and that is something we see quite often with Moorcroft.

And this pattern is actually called Temptation,

-which I think is rather nice.

-Well, I was tempted.

You were tempted as well, weren't you? Fantastic.

-And you paid £7...

-25.

-25.

Now, was he in perfect condition when you got him?

No, he had a slight little nick in his ear there,

but other than that he was pretty good.

Well, he's not too good now.

He has slightly gone through the wars.

He has got poorly ears.

If we can see there, he has had one of his ears chopped off

and it has been stuck back on again. And that is such a shame.

-I know, but I still love him.

-How did that happen?

My father was fixing an old clock that I've got.

He put the pig on the chair, the dog jumped on the chair

and the pig bounced off, hit the wall and broke.

Oh, what a shame. I bet you were heartbroken.

I was, but I still loved him,

so I just glued him back together and he went back in his spot.

Well, I think you're going to be even more heartbroken when

I tell you that an identical one to this was sold recently at auction...

-..in perfect, perfect, perfect condition for £900.

-Ouch.

That is a big difference from your £7.25.

-Yeah.

-Oh, if only.

Now, with a pig like this, I would really drop it right down.

I would probably put it at £100-£200,

but I could see him making more the top end of that.

Right.

Now, can this little piggy, or rather big piggy, go off to market?

-Yes, I suppose so.

-Are you happy to sell at that?

-Yes.

I think we should protect him with a £100 reserve

because he is quite precious to you.

-Yeah.

-You are filling up already!

Well, let's wait to the auction. Let's take him off to the auction

-and hopefully we will do well for you.

-OK.

-I guarantee we will get your £7.25 back.

-Thank you.

-Thanks, Sharon.

Guarantees are risky, Catherine, but I think you are safe with that one.

Can I have a look at your pink bucket?

-No.

-Oh, go on, please.

-No!

-Aww...

You don't have to flog it.

So, Monica, you have brought me a curved bit of wood.

I have.

How have you come by this interesting object?

-It is a family heirloom, actually.

-Oh, is it?

-Yes.

In the late 1890s there was a lot of people from Somerset

emigrating to Australia to make their fortunes.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah. And my father's brother went and I don't think

he ever saw him again, actually,

and he sent back this original aborigine boomerang.

-When you send it, isn't it meant to come back?

-No, it didn't come back.

-They used to send us back food parcels.

-Very good.

Now, when we look at wood,

there are ways of determining how old it is in the sense

of the patination and the type of grain and all that sort of thing.

So, you know, we can see this is obviously quite an old

piece of wood and it certainly would date from around that...

You know, about 100 years old or more.

So what you are saying, around 1890, sort of fits in.

It is obviously a very hard wood and it is very thin.

It's an aerofoil so it is flat-backed and curved on the top.

-Obviously it gives it the lift.

-Right.

It has been chucked a couple of times.

Yes. When I was a teenager, I used to try to make it come back to me.

-I never could. And it wasn't damaged then, actually.

-Was it not?

-No.

It only got damaged, unfortunately, in the last couple of years

-when I moved house.

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

We used to make them as kids.

We used to get plywood and then try and make them,

and then go out into the fields and see if we could make it come back.

It was quite good fun.

It's a very clever piece of engineering, really.

-Before the aeroplane.

-Mm.

They understood how to make something stay in the air.

So, it's quite interesting, but you have got this label

on the back which I think possibly, possibly the label,

with better light and... You know, you might be able to work it out.

But it looks like it says "made by the aboriginal" and after

the word aboriginal there is a word which I think might be "tribe of"...

-and then that bit in the middle, which is a bit dirty.

-I know.

And not decorated in any way.

It is not a souvenir in the respect of the ones that today

you go over and you buy one from Sydney or something -

this is obviously one that has been used and made for the use.

Totally different quality to it.

The value in all these types of artefacts can be enhanced by,

you know, more detailed knowledge of where the object came from,

-in that respect.

-Yeah.

But I think as an original piece from the late 19th century,

admittedly a little bit of damage, I think it is still saleable.

I think if we had a conservative estimate of between £50-£100...

That would be very good, actually.

OK, so £45 reserve, £50-£100.

It is a broad spectrum but we don't know what it might do.

And it may take off and...

It would be lovely if it went back to the aborigines, wouldn't it?

Let's hope it returns a profit for you.

Yeah, thank you very much. Yes, thank you.

Now, from one early form of flight, we are joining Catherine

outside for a tale of magnificent men in their flying machines.

-David.

-Yes.

I homed in on these super medals in the queue

because they have so much history behind them.

The more you look at them, the more information you get from them

and it makes them so exciting.

So, first of all, we have got two aviation medals

and they both relate to a chap called John Armstrong Drexel.

Now, he was an aviator pioneer.

This is going back to 1910.

Now, I believe that in 1910, in August,

there was this big event happening for over a week up in Lanarkshire.

They had 17 aviators from seven different countries who all

came over to Lanarkshire all to compete against one another

for the highest altitude

and the greatest distance.

Now, John Armstrong Drexel, the American,

he got the world's height record during this time

of 6,595 feet.

And there we have it.

There we have a bronze medal which he achieved during that week.

That is amazing.

This one is the gold competitor's metal and we have got...

Everyone would have had that.

Everyone would have had one of these,

but I would like to know where you got them from.

-Are you connected to the Armstrong Drexel family?

-No.

-No.

My father left them to me in his effects when he died 15 years ago.

He was a butler by profession,

and every year during the '50s

he went to an estate in Scotland for the shooting season.

-Right.

-And as far as I'm aware,

he was given these as a tip.

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

Whether it was Armstrong Drexel himself

or a relative or something like that...

So you have got no idea who gave it to him.

No, I don't really know any more than that.

-That's amazing, though. But what a tip to have.

-Yes.

I mean, I think these must be incredibly rare, I really do,

and I think there is so much history behind them.

There's so much information there, I think people

who are interested in aviation history will be fascinated by these.

I would probably put for the two £300-£500,

but it really wouldn't surprise me if they just really took off.

Honestly, it wouldn't, because to own something like this

is a real treasure.

It is a real piece of aviation history

and I think the fact that you got them through your father

and he had them as a tip is just a wonderful story.

What a great tale of record-breaking daring.

Now, here's another top fact for you.

Did you know Weston-super-Mare is home to one of the country's

top seaside attractions? They have been around longer than the pier.

Yes, I'm talking about these guys, the donkeys.

Seaside donkey rides started in Victorian times and have been

available on Weston-super-Mare's beaches since 1886.

They are so popular,

in recent years they have been immortalised in 40 painted statues

around the town and voted in the country's best seaside attraction.

Well, there you are, our experts have been working flat out.

We have now found our first items to take off to auction.

I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours,

but right now we are going to let the bidders decide.

Let's put those values to the test in the saleroom.

And here is a quick recap of what is going under the hammer.

Bought for only £7.25,

Sharon's Moorcroft pig must surely bring home the bacon.

Monica is hoping her boomerang won't be returning

once it goes under the hammer.

And will the sky be the limit

when David's aviation medals go to auction?

For today's sale, we have travelled 12 miles up the coast to Clevedon.

It has been a popular seaside town since the Victorian age and is

home to the only functioning Grade I listed pier in the country.

The Clevedon salerooms are buzzing and Marc Burridge, the auctioneer,

is on the rostrum with the gavel in hand.

Remember, there is commission to pay,

it varies from room to room. Here today, it's 15% plus VAT.

And now it is time for our first item.

Sharon, good to see you again.

-Get ready to say goodbye to your ceramic pig.

-OK.

That little Moorcroft piggy.

Your husband said you paid too much for this pig.

-It cost you seven quid.

-That's correct.

-It was nothing.

-I know.

-He obviously doesn't like it, you see.

He does like it, he just thought it was a waste of money.

Let's find out what this Moorcroft pig is really worth. Here we go.

Nice piece. 65, 70 now.

70, 70, 70.

70, 70, 70. 75.

80, sir. 85, 90, 95, 100.

100. 100.

It's £95.

100, thank you. Now 110, 110, 110.

£100 bid in the room and selling on £100.

Make no mistake on the 100...

-Just.

-Little piggy tested the market and he survived.

-That was a test.

-You had fun out of him.

-I did, yeah.

-You had lots of fun. You didn't pay much.

-No.

-Big smiles on your face.

-Give him a wave, go on.

-Bye!

Well, that piggy sold at market.

Let's see if the boomerang does as well.

Going under the hammer right now, we have a boomerang.

Let's hope it doesn't come back on us.

It's here to sell, Monica, and you look fabulous.

-Look at this, the turquoise.

-Love it.

I hope it makes lots of money.

-It could be a big surprise, couldn't it?

-Yes.

-Could be.

Well, I hope so, yes. It would be nice, yes.

But you are happy to sell it, you want it to go?

-Yes, I think so now, yes.

-OK, right.

We are going to do our best. Ready?

This is what we have been waiting for, this is it.

Australian aboriginal returning boomerang.

It's 19th century.

What can we say? £50, start me, someone. £50.

-30, 40, 50 on my book.

-Good.

-60 now, 66.

-Commission bid.

5 if it's easier for any one of you. 55 bid. 60? 60 bid.

65 in the door nearest me. At £60.

Any advance on the 60?

You all done? And selling at £60, then.

£60.

Fingers crossed that does go to Australia where it belongs.

It would be really good, wouldn't it?

-To some museum where generations can enjoy it.

-That's right.

Thank you for bringing it in and thank you for looking

so colourful. She's brilliant.

That's a great result for Monica.

Let's see if our next lot reaches new heights.

Fingers crossed, David, absolutely love this next lot.

We have got some aviation medals for a competition that was

held in 1910 and I love the altitude thing.

-I mean, that's high, isn't it?

-Yes.

-6,500-odd feet back then.

-I think he was sort of well in advance of anything else.

-Had to be,

I was just about to say that, and very, very, very brave. Very brave.

This could go sky-high.

We are putting it to the test now, under the hammer.

John Armstrong Drexel, his 1910 medallions.

-And I have interest here...

-Oh, he's got interest.

-..at 200.

210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260.

-260 now. 260, 260.

-Still need to go up.

270, 280, 290, 300 with me.

310 now. It's with me on the book and selling at £300.

Any advance on 300?

-He's going to sell it.

-On £300...

-Sold, £300.

-I'm so glad we protected them at 300

because they are worth that, definitely.

-Happy?

-I am quite happy with that, yeah.

-Great tip, then, in the end, wasn't it?

-It was a great tip.

Yeah, well put.

A marvellous piece of aviation history from the precarious days

of experimenting with flying and aeroplanes.

Before we find some more treasures back at our valuation day

on the pier, I want to take a trip down memory lane and find out

more about some of my favourite childhood beach activities.

I grew up by the sea, splashing in the water

and playing in the sand, but there have always been other

beach entertainments to delight us too.

Now, everyone knows this chap -

yes, Punch.

And together with his friends, they have been entertaining

children for years and they have been firm favourites.

It is almost pantomime with puppets.

But its origins can be traced back to 16th century Italy

with traditions of commedia dell'arte.

Yes, that's the way to do it!

Commedia dell'arte was a form of touring street theatre

featuring stock characters portrayed by masks.

Punch is an Anglicisation of Punchinello,

a subversive servant character in a commedia.

He became increasingly popular in Britain in the 18th century.

But it wasn't until the 19th century that he

developed into the form that we recognise today, with glove puppets

and the additions of characters like his wife Judy and Toby the Dog.

Ho-ho-ho! Hello!

Hello, boys and girls!

Hello!

Hold him still with one hand!

These shows became hugely popular with adults and children alike

and became a mainstay of seaside entertainment

throughout the last century.

I'm here to meet a man who can tell me

more about how these characters have captured our imaginations.

He's called Paul and he is in here.

-Paul?

-Hello!

-Hello.

Let me shake his hand. Hello, Mr Punch.

Can you do the funny voice as well?

-RASPING VOICE:

-That's the way to do it!

How long have you been a Punch and Judy man?

Professionally, for ten years, but I have been doing

Punch and Judy on and off since I was seven years old.

-Gosh, really?

-Yeah.

-Who else have you got down there?

-Down here we have...

-Let me have a look.

-Yeah. We have Judy.

Mr Punch's wife. There's Judy. Say hello, Judy.

There we go, there's Judy.

Everybody's favourite, we have the crocodile.

-Make it snappy!

-Yeah.

But originally there was no crocodile

in the Punch and Judy show.

It was only when it came back over in the Victorian times that they

brought a crocodile in to the show. So, yeah, we've got a crocodile,

but we can also bring some other characters in.

This is Toby the Dog.

-Is he a new character?

-No, no, no.

No, he's very old.

Originally it used to be a live dog

-and they used to keep the dog by the side of the show.

-Gosh, really?

-Yeah.

-So, how has it changed over the years?

-Or has it changed over the years?

-Not really.

It's still slapstick comedy.

You've still got Punch, Judy, the baby, the policeman

and the sausages, but it has changed with the politics of today.

You have got different characters which you can put into it.

For instance, you could have, say,

the boxing routine back in the '50s and '60s.

You used to have two boxers,

they used to come out halfway through and do a boxing routine.

We can change that now with a pair of boxing kangaroos.

Different showmen use different puppets.

When Star Wars was pretty big they brought

a Darth Vader into the Punch and Judy show.

You can make it topical to the years as well.

Paul, thank you very much for talking to me today.

I'm going to leave you, but please bring back some memories for me

of just a little bit of the performance.

-OK, will do.

-Thank you.

Oh-ho-ho, that's the way to do it!

Brrrrrr!

Sausages!

Whoops!

Now I'm in trouble!

Wow, where is he? He's not over there, he's not over there.

So where is he?

Where is he? Where?

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Brrroh!

Punch and Judy is performance entertainment,

a one-off holiday treat like the donkey rides along the beach.

But for me as a child, it was the beach that gave me

hours of fun playing in the sand.

Things have come a long way since the simple sandcastle.

Nowadays, there are some amazing sights

as mucking about on the beach has literally become an art form.

Sand sculpting is thought to date back as far as Egyptian times,

with sand versions of the pyramids created before the real thing.

Sadly, though, the full story of the art is lost in, well,

the sands of time.

But what we do know is it's popular the world over

and can date its origins to at least the 19th century.

These photographs are believed to be the work of Philip McCord,

an American sculpting between 1890 and 1910,

who has been dubbed the father of sand sculpture.

But Weston-super-Mare has its own history of sand sculpting,

dating back to at least 1906.

That is a tradition that continues today,

with the annual sand sculpting festival held here on the beach.

This year is very special because it's celebrating

its tenth birthday, taking a look back at some of the themes

over the previous years, like fairytales and fun and games.

But what I really want to know is how they do it.

Where do you start with all these huge pieces?

So I'm catching up with this year's project manager.

This is fantastic. It's mind-blowing, it really is.

I mean, look at the sheer scale of it.

Where do you start with something that size?

Well, technically, this is how we start off.

The first step, you get four bits of wood together in a block

and we call it the form, and then you layer it inside with

a layer of sand and water, sand and water.

And then you pat it down with a great big electrical machine

called a whacker, which is a metal plate which vibrates it

-all down so it is compacted really, really tightly.

-Yeah.

Then you add another block on top and you do exactly the same with

the second form, just like this one here took about six or seven forms.

-There's a good tonne of sand there, isn't there?

-There's a lot there.

On the site overall, we use 500 tonnes of sand.

Wow! And is it just literally sand and water?

Sand and water, that is all it is.

With Weston beach sand we are quite lucky, actually.

Because it is irregularly shaped it locks together really well

and it is quite silty as well.

How many sculptors will be working here?

It took 15 sculptors the space of eight days, mainly,

-to carve the whole park.

-It is quite a big site as well.

Yeah, it's not small.

I love the aboriginal man with the map of Australia.

-Yeah, he's brilliant.

-That is fantastic.

You wouldn't think that is in sand.

You wouldn't think most of it was in sand.

Gosh, look at this, the diver swimming through the coral reef.

That's fabulous.

Now I'm off to join Rachel Stubbs,

who is putting the finishing touches on a tea party.

-Hi, Rachel.

-Hello.

How long have you been sculpting in sand and how did you get into it?

I have been carving in sand for about three years now.

-I started when I was about 15.

-What is it about sand?

Why do you like working in sand? Because really it doesn't last.

You are not really leaving a legacy, are you?

It is sad when you see piece demolished or something,

but also that is what we love about it, to know that we

can create something but then it will be gone

and it will be a part of the beach again or part of nature again,

and that's a really nice aspect of sand sculpture, I think.

-Are you going to let me have a go?

-Yes.

How do you start? What do you do?

Because this one is quite small we are just going to go for this one.

-Just go for it.

-Just do it, yeah.

-So, if you want to just take a tool and have a go.

-Oh!

Would you just patch that up with a bit of wet stuff like that?

Yeah, we would just add that back on.

You do have to have a very light touch, don't you?

Yeah, yeah, it is quite a delicate medium to work in.

I'll do a big cherry.

-I can kind of get the feel of it, though.

-Mm-hmm.

Yeah, you are doing quite well.

Well, I will just finish this little cherry off

and make it a little better.

It's not so much about messing around in the sand for me

as don't mess it up.

But no matter what level you are,

everyone loves to play around in the sand.

It is part of the fun of the beach and that will continue to

endure for as long as that tide continues to turn.

Welcome back to our magnificent host location,

the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare.

It is time to catch up with our experts to see what else

we can find to take off to auction.

And Jonathan has found a real one-off that is bringing back

some childhood memories for him.

Jodie, what have you brought along here?

It is four puppets that were made for my 21st birthday.

Abba. As you can see, they are dressed in their Waterloo costumes.

-Yeah, it's fantastic.

-They were made specially by someone who works

at the Pelham Puppet factory.

So were you a fan of Abba many years or...?

-Since about the age of nine I am, and I was.

-And you still are?

I had a massive collection, I did have,

and I have recently been selling off the whole collection.

-This is one of my big pieces to sell off to move on.

-Yes.

Well, Pelham factory were very famous for making their puppets.

Based in Marlborough in Wiltshire and the chap, Bob Pelham,

set up the factory pretty much the end of the war, 1947,

-and it ran through until 1999 and then it folded, it closed.

-Yeah.

And so you have had these made since then.

-They were made in 1999, actually.

-Well, there we are.

And they were made by David Leech, who was one of the puppeteers,

one of the puppet makers there. They are great fun, aren't they?

Now, I'm sure you already know the value of what the old

Pelham Puppets would be.

The witch, the donkey and all those sorts of things.

-This is a different, totally different thing.

-Yep.

-Because this is a one-off, isn't it?

-They are, they are.

They are individual to me at the moment.

-So, did you know David Leech?

-My mum is friendly with him.

She was a big puppet collector.

It was her hobby and my hobby was Abba,

so the two hobbies came together for my 21st birthday.

But it was a long time ago, so I'm ready to move on.

-It can be that long ago, surely.

-It was, it was.

They formed in 1972, which was the year I was born.

I think one of my first records I ever got was

Voulez Vous or Super Trouper.

I got one of those one year and one the next, I think,

for my Christmas presents. So I was a bit of a fan.

What we have to think of here is the connection with Pelham is very good

and obviously they produced a certain quality,

which everyone knows.

But it is not in Pelham Puppet boxes, it is a commission,

and we can't refer to them as Pelham Puppets for that reason, I think.

-But their provenance...

-We can link them.

Absolutely, that is exactly right.

The value comes in in sort of rock and pop memorabilia, really.

And there is a big following for Abba still.

I mean, they've sold 380 million records worldwide.

-And you bought two.

-Yeah.

I think I probably had more than that, actually.

They're brilliant objects and no-one else can come across these things.

No, definitely not.

First time at auction, so when it comes to the value it's a very

difficult thing to try and ascertain. What shall we say?

-I would be happy with £300.

-You will go £300.

-So if we said £300-£400, reserve of £300...

-OK.

What are you going to do with the money?

I'm thinking of maybe a little trip to Sweden,

see if I can find one of them.

-Well, you might do.

-I'm looking for Benny.

He is your favourite, is he?

Benny is your favourite? Is it going to be Money, Money, Money?

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

And with all these arcade machines and rides,

it is Money, Money, Money that keeps the pier running.

I am off to see Matthew Cheek,

the man responsible for keeping all of these machines oiled with money.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE THEME PLAYS

-Hello, Matthew.

-Hello.

-Pleased to meet you.

Gosh, look at all this, Matthew. Bags of money.

-How much is in this room?

-I can't you that, it's a secret.

-It is a lot of money.

-How long have you been working here?

-Overall, 24 years.

-Gosh!

I haven't always been doing this part of the job

but I started back in 1991, just working on the rides, and

gradually worked my way up to the top floor, handling all the money.

-Have you ever run out of money?

-Yes, we did, actually.

-That must be a good day for the pier.

-Recently over Easter.

It's bad when you run out of money

but it's a good sign cos it means you are doing a lot of business.

But, yeah, Easter weekend we were struggling.

And who sorts all this money out? Do you?

-Oh, no, no, we have machines to do things like this.

-Where is that?

Come over this way, sir.

And this is it, this is the machine that does all the counting

and sorting for us.

I thought it would be a lot more complicated than that.

It's actually very simple. It works on a very simple principle.

Would you like a demonstration? We have a bucket here.

Oh, look, there's some 20ps...

Some 20s, some 2s - there's a whole mixture there.

What do you do? Just throw it in there or...?

-You just sling it straight in.

-There we go.

-Go on, then.

-OK.

I've never had a bucketful of money before.

COINS CHIME

-Love the sound of that.

-There it all is, ready to go.

We just start it up and tip it through there.

And there, finally, we get a full bag.

That is £129.90.

In what, five seconds?

-It's easy, isn't it?

-It's easy. Apart from the changing the bags.

On a busy day, when we count all the 2p machines together,

I might put £5,000 or £6,000 of 2ps through there.

250, 300 bags.

-So that is all you do, all day long.

-Pretty much, yeah.

Count money, bag money.

Wow.

Penny machines have been a mainstay of pleasure piers and arcades

since they first appeared in the early decades of the 20th century.

And it is fascinating that almost 100 years on we are still

being entertained by the same amusements.

Now, what has Catherine found?

Welcome to "Flog It!", Brig -

-what a great name, wonderful name.

-Thank you.

Where have you brought these beautiful pieces of silver from?

They belonged to my grandmother.

-Right, so they have been handed down through the family?

-Yeah.

-First of all, this beautiful tea caddy.

-It's gorgeous, isn't it?

It is really smart. It is a jolly nice piece.

I love, first of all, the simplicity of the reeded decoration,

which you also have on the top as well.

So it is a nice simple decoration, a nice shape, and as you open it up

-what is superb about it...

-It's lovely, isn't it?

..is this wonderful caddy spoon in the lid.

I really like that, I think that's something very special.

I am amazed that this spoon has been kept in there

and it hasn't been lost and it hasn't been replaced.

But I checked on this and it has got exactly the same hallmark

-on this as on that.

-Wonderful.

So just to make doubly sure that they do match, we have a look

at the initials and we see that this one has got GU and we also have that

as well on the tea caddy itself, on the body of the tea caddy itself.

GU, which stands in for George Unite -

a wonderful silversmith who was making pieces

in the early 20th century.

Lots of small pieces, often tea caddies,

spoons and this sort of thing.

But this is a really nice, quality piece.

Was tea ever kept in it, do you think?

I don't know, I have no idea.

I doubt very much that my grandmother put tea in it.

-So perhaps she might have put little trinkets in there.

-Maybe, yes.

But I would like to move onto this little piece as well

because I think the shape of that is delicious.

-I love it, I think it is just marvellous.

-It is very cute.

It is a lovely little cream jug and the shape is beautiful,

and this lovely hammered design.

Now, out of the two, which one do you think is earlier?

I have no idea. Honestly, I know nothing about silver.

Well, this one is 1912, as we said earlier.

-This one is a bit later - this one dates from 1926.

-OK.

But the shape of this, the handle is quite Art Nouveau

and I love the way that this has all been hammered.

It is almost like an Arts and Crafts design.

But it has just got a really sweet, cute feel to it.

-I love it.

-We have got a couple of initials on this

but I'm afraid I haven't been able to find out who it is by.

-But I would definitely date that to 1926.

-OK.

Value on that, I would suggest putting that in at about £60-£80,

with the firm reserve of £50.

This one I love and I would suggest putting £100-£200 on it

-with a firm reserve of £100.

-Very nice.

-Are you happy with those estimates?

-Yes, lovely. I had no idea.

Well, I think the important thing to say is that we need to put these

as two independent items

because they are worth something by themselves and they shouldn't be

-just grouped together for a dealer to buy as scrap items.

-Lovely.

-Thank you for bringing them along.

-Thank you for talking to me.

It has been lovely to meet you.

What beautiful craftsmanship.

And now it is over to see what Jonathan has discovered.

So, Louis and Jo, you have brought about this wonderful watercolour.

-When did you get it?

-1962.

-OK.

-First year I went to work, 15.

-15 years old, you went and bought a watercolour.

-Yeah.

Yeah, well, I looked in the window and fell in love with it.

What was it that you fell in love with?

The tone and the colour,

-and when you look closely, the detail in the figures.

-Yeah.

-But I have always wondered where it was.

-OK.

-In Italy, I guess.

-Yeah, that is the interesting thing, you see,

because it is an iconic scene.

This is St Mark's Square in Venice.

-The blueness in the brickwork, in the stonework...

-The tints.

..you can almost imagine the water reflecting off the Grand Canal,

and that is where you are getting this colour.

So it is actually really quite an accomplished watercolour artist.

This chap is a chap called Eugenio Benvenuti, so an Italian artist.

In the late 18th and early 19th century there was this great fashion

for well-to-do people to do their Grand Tour and they would

go out to historic places in Italy and visit and bring back souvenirs.

He painted from 1881 to about 1950s,

1957, thereabouts.

I think this is probably early 20th-century,

so probably no later than the Second World War, I would have thought.

Jo, what is your opinion? I mean, do you like this picture?

I like it but it has been there a long time.

OK, so to get to the value, obviously.

The watercolour market isn't as popular as it was

20 years ago, let's say.

There aren't 15-year-old boys going out

-and buying watercolours at the moment.

-Not too common.

But it's not in bad condition, not foxed, not too faded.

I think realistically we are looking at £80-£120.

What reserve would you suggest?

OK, I sense a little disappointment.

There is a similar one that sold for £120.

I recommend a reserve at £80, then, to protect you at that level.

-A firm reserve?

-A firm reserve of £80.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-And once we have got it sold, Jo,

what are you going to do with the money?

I would like some Moorcroft or Lalique, possibly.

Moorcroft or Lalique. OK, fantastic.

Well, I'm glad you like it. It is a beautiful picture.

Thank you, Jonathan.

Well, sadly we are running out of time here

from the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare.

We've had a fabulous day

but right now I'm taking this over to the auction room.

And here is what is going under the hammer.

Will it be Jodie's Waterloo when her Abba puppets go up for sale,

or Money, Money, Money?

And Louis is hoping his Grand Tour watercolour,

bought when he was just 15, will prove to be a real investment.

And will Brig's 20th-century silver jug

and tea caddy be turning heads at the auction room?

Now, time for our last visit to the saleroom and it is buzzing.

Let's hope the bidders like our first item as much as I do.

I have certainly got visions of the Grand Tour.

Yes, I have just been joined by Louis and Jo

and we have a wonderful watercolour. I love this.

Topographical and very, very collectable.

Why are you selling this?

Well, my tastes have broadened.

I have gone into oils, swords and cigarette cases and Jo

likes her ceramics, so, yeah.

Since you have been able to go online to auctions...

You are accessing everything.

Mind you, you know, the Grand Tour broadens your horizons.

When I first saw it I thought it was such a nice thing

and the quality of the painting is very obvious.

-The light is brilliant on it.

-Yeah.

I like anything connected to the Grand Tour. I love that whole thing.

-Ready for this?

-Yes.

-Will we get the top end?

-Let's go.

We're going to find out right now.

Lot 120, the watercolour there of St Mark's Square, Venice.

A nice old view there. I have 55, 60, 60, 60, 60.

65 here, 70, 5 here,

80, 5 here, 90, 90, 90.

-No, I'm selling on £85.

-85.

All done on the 85.

-Hammer's gone down, £85.

-All right.

You have had that a long time, haven't you?

-You but that when you were 15?

-Yes.

-How much did you pay for it?

-15 guineas.

-15 guineas!

-A good investment.

-£15.75 today.

Short and sweet, but Jo and Louis are happy with the result.

Now, can we bring smiles all round with our next lot?

Going under the hammer right now,

two items of silver belonging to Brig.

We have the jug coming up first and we have the little caddy,

my favourite of the lots, the little tea caddy. Oh, I love that.

Why are you selling now?

-Because they have just been sitting in a drawer.

-Not doing much.

And my kids aren't interested in them, so that's it.

If I was one of your kids, I'd definitely have the caddy.

-Me too!

-That's nice, isn't it?

-We'd argue over that one.

-I agree with splitting them up.

We are looking for around £60-£80 for the first lot, £100,

-maybe £120 for the second.

-It would be nice. We'll see.

Let's see if they like it, shall we?

It's going under the hammer right now.

Lot 400, George V Arts and Crafts-style silver cream jug there.

1926.

I have interest on the book at £50.

And 5, 55.

-55 and 60, and 5, and 70 and 5.

-There we are.

75. With me at £70.

And 5.

With me and selling, then, at £70...

-Mid estimate.

-That's good, I'm happy with that.

That's a good start. Now, how will the tea caddy fare?

And 415, the oval silver tea caddy there.

I'll start on the book again at 100,

110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160...

-It'll find a good home.

-170 here, 180 now.

180 now. 180 now, bid's with me

and selling again on £170...

-£170, that's a good result.

-That is a good result.

-Very good result.

-Yes.

-Very good.

-Happy?

-Yes, very happy.

A good day out, wasn't it? Really good day.

Good day at the valuation day, great day in the auction room.

-Thank you so much for bringing your treasures in.

-You're welcome.

Another good result - a grand total of £240 for Brig's silver.

Now, will it be Money, Money, Money with our next lot?

If you are an Abba fan you will love our next lot belonging to Jodie.

We have got the four Pelham Puppets. Well, made by a Pelham puppeteer.

Why are you selling these? Have you fallen out of love with Abba?

I still love Abba but the time has come to move on.

It is space in the house, children in the house...

Do you walk around the house listening to Abba music?

-Is it on the stereo all the time?

-Absolutely all the time.

It makes you feel good. I mean, it is great songwriting.

-It is good songwriting.

-It is my childhood.

We are looking at £300-£400, I believe, for the four characters.

Will I get to Sweden?

I don't know, I don't know.

We're going to find out. Ready?

It could be hej da! This is it.

I have interest on the book and do we have a telephone?

-Oh, thank you, we have a telephone.

-Brilliant, competition.

So, starting at 260, 270, my bid.

280, 280, 280. 290, 300.

300, 300 on the phone.

320, my bid. 340, 340, 340 on the phone.

360 now.

360 now. 360, anyone else?

It's 340 on the telephone.

360 in the room, 380, 380, 380 bid.

400 bid. 420, 420.

It's against the phone.

-It's in the room, then, at £400. Anyone else?

-Come on.

Selling at 400, then...

-They've gone. What a great result.

-That is a good result, isn't it?

-Happy? You got to be happy with that.

-That's £100 for each person.

-Yeah.

-The winner takes it all.

You took my line!

MUSIC: The Winner Takes It All

Back of the room 90, anyone else? Selling at 85...

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

As you can see, the sale is just about to come to an end.

We have had a fabulous day here in Weston-super-Mare.

I hope you have enjoyed the show.

See you again soon for many more surprises from auction rooms

to come all around the country.

But until then, it is goodbye.