0:00:08 > 0:00:10Like Rip Van Winkle waking up from a deep sleep,
0:00:10 > 0:00:13"Flog It!" has come to Sandon Hall in Staffordshire
0:00:13 > 0:00:14to shake it from its slumber.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18We're throwing off the dustsheets to reveal some forgotten treasures
0:00:18 > 0:00:21and uncovering some stories within this great historic house.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Welcome to the show.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Tucked away amongst 4,000 acres
0:00:49 > 0:00:51of beautiful Staffordshire countryside,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Sandon Hall has been home to the Earls of Harrowby
0:00:54 > 0:00:56for nearly 300 years,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59during which time they've distinguished themselves
0:00:59 > 0:01:03in the fields of politics, banking and the military.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07The Second Earl of Harrowby,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09a distinguished officer in the Crimean War,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12was awarded the Order of the Garter by Queen Victoria,
0:01:12 > 0:01:14one of the highest orders offered by the Crown.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17The motto can be seen on these magnificent gates,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20which translates to shame on him who thinks evil of it.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Well, today, hundreds of people have turned up here at Sandon Hall
0:01:24 > 0:01:26laden with antiques and collectables.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And, of course, on "Flog It!", we have our own motto, which is...
0:01:29 > 0:01:33- CROWD:- What's it worth? - Stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Scanning the crowd and hoping for a big surprise
0:01:41 > 0:01:43are experts Christina Trevanion...
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Ooh, I love this bit. It feels a bit like Christmas, doesn't it,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48when you're unwrapping things? What have you got?
0:01:48 > 0:01:51..and master chef David Fletcher.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53There we are. Result.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Egg and bacon sandwich for breakfast.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Later on in the show,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01David is transported back to childhood...
0:02:01 > 0:02:06I defy any man not to be moved by a collection like this.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09..I discover the unbelievable story
0:02:09 > 0:02:12of a British prime minister defending his honour...
0:02:12 > 0:02:15It's quite incredible to think one of these pistols
0:02:15 > 0:02:17was held by William Pitt.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20..and there are some unexpected results at the auction.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I knew there was going to be a surprise.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I didn't think it would be that one. I really didn't.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29But now it's time to get everyone seated
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and ready for our first valuation.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Well, everyone is now safely seated
0:02:34 > 0:02:37inside this magnificent, historic building.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39We've literally taken over all of the ground floor.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40There's so much to see.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44But right now, we need to find some items to take off to auction,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and it could be any one of you here in this room. Fingers crossed.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- Having a good time? CROWD:- Yes! - Well, it's just going to get better.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52We need our first item and here it is.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55It's straight over to Christina Trevanion's table.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58First up, it's a classic piece of pottery.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Kim and Nick, are you Moorcroft collectors?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04I've got a few bits of Moorcroft, but more because I like it
0:03:04 > 0:03:06as opposed to being a collector of it.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08I just... The odd piece, that's all.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12And is it particularly sort of early pieces that you look for generally
0:03:12 > 0:03:14or just any pattern that you like?
0:03:14 > 0:03:15I go more by what I actually like.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Obviously, Moorcroft's good quality, but I just... I like it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21That's why I tend to buy it. I'm a bit of a hoarder.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23- Ooh, is he?- Definitely. - Is he?- Yeah, definitely.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25- What's he like to live with?- Awful.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- Oh, really? - THEY LAUGH
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- 28 years, I've stuck this.- No.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- I'm only 42, really. - SHE LAUGHS
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- Almost three life sentences, I've been through.- Oh, my goodness.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I think I need to provide some marriage guidance counselling.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- Kim, it's all right. It's all right. - SHE LAUGHS
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Brilliant. And do you like the Moorcroft?- I like it, yeah.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Does he go and buy at auctions and things
0:03:46 > 0:03:47and come home with sort of funny things
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- that he hasn't told you about? - Yeah.- Really?- Yeah.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- You little pickle. - I buy from everywhere.- Brilliant.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55- So, where did the bowl come from? - It came...
0:03:55 > 0:03:57About five years ago, I bought that
0:03:57 > 0:03:59from a local chap who does house clearances.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01He's got a little shop where he sells stuff off
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and I bought it from there. I just liked it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Didn't know a great deal about Moorcroft at that time.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- Just liked the bowl. - Have you done any research on it
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- since you've had it?- None at all. - So, you just love it as a piece.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I can quite see why you love it. If we look a bit more at the bowl,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17it's decorated in what we call the anemone pattern.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20These lovely sort of white and pink and blue blooms here.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24This one's agate, so it's lovely green and blue graded ground here.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26They did them against various different backgrounds.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29You have white, pink, red, flambe backgrounds,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32so this is a particularly lovely colourway.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33And the way that it has been tube-lined
0:04:33 > 0:04:36with this design is just typical of Moorcroft, isn't it?
0:04:36 > 0:04:39You see this style of design and pattern and you think,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41"It's got to be Moorcroft."
0:04:41 > 0:04:44And, of course, when we turn it over and look at its bottom...
0:04:44 > 0:04:46And there we go.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Oh, look at that. This is what I loved about it.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52The green squiggle is a signature from William Moorcroft
0:04:52 > 0:04:55who established the factory in the early 20th century.
0:04:55 > 0:04:571913, I think he set it up.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00"Moorcroft", obviously impressed into the body there.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01And then this wonderful label,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04which we really don't see very often. Sometimes...
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Do people peel them off, do they? - People, A, peel them off
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and B, sometimes, you see, on Moorcroft, "Potter to the Queen.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12"Potter to Her Majesty the Queen."
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Which was given to them in 1928, which is when this bowl dates to.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17But you don't often see this wonderful
0:05:17 > 0:05:21"W Moorcroft Handmade Pottery Registered Number 784,"
0:05:21 > 0:05:24which I think is the number of this particular bowl.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27So, to see that and to still have that is really quite lovely.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30It just sets it apart slightly for a Moorcroft collector.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34The only downside - and it's just a very, very tiny downside...
0:05:34 > 0:05:36If I was being hyper, hyper critical.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40..is that Moorcroft collectors do prefer vases rather than bowls
0:05:40 > 0:05:42because, obviously, vases are easier to display.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Obviously, a bowl, it has to be displayed quite low down
0:05:45 > 0:05:47in order to see the pattern.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49So, that would be my only hesitation, really.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53That's going through my mind when I'm thinking about a value for it.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Nonetheless, it's a nice, early piece
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and at auction, I think that a sensible auction estimate on it
0:05:58 > 0:06:01would be somewhere in the region of £100 to £200.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- What are your thoughts about that? - Sounds fine to me, yeah.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- What did you pay for it? Do you mind me asking?- No.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- I think it was over £100.- Oh. - I can't remember exactly.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- Somewhere around that figure. - About £100.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- Somewhere around £100, yeah. - So, if we were to put 100 to 200,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18with £100 possibly discretionary reserve,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- would that be all right? - Yeah, that's fine.- Splendid.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22So, do you think he'll use the money
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- to go and buy some more antiques maybe?- No.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- SHE LAUGHS - I have space to put something else.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29- Oh, really? - THEY LAUGH
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Antiques should come with a warning -
0:06:33 > 0:06:35they're highly addictive.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- Hello, Chris.- Hello there.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Now, they say you can tell a man's age
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- from his collection of Corgi Toys.- Yeah.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46But, of course, I don't know that these were actually your Corgi Toys.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- No, they weren't mine. They were my brother-in-law's...- OK.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- ..who died a few months ago.- Right.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57- And I knew of the collection, but I'd never seen it.- Really?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And my brother-in-law knew I was interested
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and he left them to me to dispose of as I wished.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05Did you collect them when you were young?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07I did, and if they were here now,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- the condition wouldn't be as good as these are in.- No.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- But I'm a designer.- Oh, right, yeah. - I'm interested in design.- OK.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Particularly sort of period designs such as these.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20- I just find the whole...the style of that era fascinating.- Yes.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I mean, not only the design of the cars themselves,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- but, of course, the packaging too. - Yeah, the packaging.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27In a way, there's as much sort of nostalgia
0:07:27 > 0:07:31which attaches to that as to the cars themselves.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33I gather this is part of a larger collection.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Yes, it is.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37And that you want to sell some of the collection.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- Maybe, at a later date, you might want to sell the rest of it.- Mm.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42So, how many individual models
0:07:42 > 0:07:45would you say we're going to unload at this time?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- I think there are around 23 here today.- OK.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Well, these probably comprise some of the more interesting.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54The Kit one here is particularly rare
0:07:54 > 0:07:56because it's never been built.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- Right.- So it's still there ready and waiting for somebody to assemble...
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- OK.- ..which is quite nice. - There it is.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03- There are the contents for a petrol station.- Mm.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06As you say, unassembled.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- I quite like this one here...- Yes.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11..because you feel like you're driving it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13DAVID CHUCKLES
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- You're turning a steering wheel on the top...- Yes.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21- ..which links to the front wheels. - That's right.- Wow.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22I really, really do like that one.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- And I love this little Dinky Toy here.- Mm.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- We're going to Dinky Toys away from Corgi Toys.- Yes.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- It's got the split-screen as well. - A split-screen Morris Minor.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- Wow.- Yeah, it defines the period, doesn't it?- It does indeed, yeah.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- Mm.- Fantastic. And, you know, there is a boy inside every man.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43- Yeah.- And I defy any man in his... I don't know.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48- ..late 50s or 60s not to be moved by a collection like this...- Mm. Yeah.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50- ..because it stirs all sorts of memories.- It does.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But what I have to say, Chris -
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- they are all in fantastic condition.- Mm-hm.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Um, they haven't been played with.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59We need to talk about value.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I'm not going to go into individual values now,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06and there are several more boxes, as we've discussed,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- which we'll include in this lot.- Yeah.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12- But I'd like to go with an estimate of 300 to 500.- Yeah.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14- Um, put a reserve of £300 on them...- Mm-hm.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17..which I think really is just a covering estimate.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19They are just so collectable.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And in today's market,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24which is not really as straightforward as it used to be,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- it is collector's items that are continuing to do well.- Right, OK.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- And I'm sure we'll have a good day. All right?- Thank you very much.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33# Rolling down the road at eight miles a gallon... #
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Quality and quantity.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Chris's collection certainly ticks all the boxes.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43# I don't feel so guilty about eight miles a gallon... #
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Here's an interesting story for you. Look at the portrait over there.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49That's Spencer Perceval, OK?
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Now, the First Earl of Harrowby was a politician for some 50 years
0:09:52 > 0:09:55serving under a succession of prime ministers,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57including his friend Spencer Perceval.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Perceval came into office in 1809,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02but if you look closely at this portrait of him,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05you'll notice that his face looks slightly pale and washed out.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08That's because it was painted posthumously.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Spencer Perceval has the dubious credit
0:10:11 > 0:10:13of being the only British prime minister
0:10:13 > 0:10:16to have been assassinated while in office.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20To the shock of the nation, the prime minister was shot dead
0:10:20 > 0:10:25in the lobby of the House of Commons on the 11th of May 1812.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28The assassin was John Bellingham,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32a British merchant who had run up debts in Russia.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Feeling let down by the government,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37who refused to compensate him for his losses,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39he sought his deadly revenge.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Perceval's body stayed at Number Ten Downing Street
0:10:42 > 0:10:45for five days while this portrait could be painted.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48He was propped up in that chair.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I've been told the eyes show a little bit of life.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Well, that's because his sister sat in for them.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00And right now, we're going to sit in on one of our experts
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and catch up with what else they're sending off to auction.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11What a wonderful collection of medallions we've got here.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It's almost like looking...
0:11:13 > 0:11:15This one, particularly, is like looking at the view
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- here at Sandon Hall. Isn't it wonderful?- The arch. It's wonderful.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- It's very palatial, isn't it? - I've only just noticed that.- Yeah.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- It's beautiful.- Great place to be.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Tell me a little bit about these medallions.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Well, I inherited them within the last 18 months,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31when the lady I'd been looking after died
0:11:31 > 0:11:35- and left me everything to clear the contents of her house.- Oh, my gosh.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38And these belonged to her stepfather
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and they were just dusty and in a box.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45This medallion here, which I find particularly fascinating,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47is basically a medal for craftsmanship
0:11:47 > 0:11:51- for boot and shoe repairing. - That's right.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53It says, "Boot and Shoe Repairing Competition,"
0:11:53 > 0:11:58and it's signed, or it's engraved, "CFS Starling, 1940."
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- That's right, yes.- Do we know who CFS Starling was?- Yes, yes.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06He was the stepfather of the friend that I looked after.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Did he have any connection with boots and shoes?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Oh, he was a repairer, so he was obviously a very talented man.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Obviously. To get a medallion for something,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- it's not necessarily something that we see a lot of these days.- No, no.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19There are prizes or commemorative medallions.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22It would have been, like these two later ones that you've brought in,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25which are smallholder championship medallions,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27it would have been in a really beautiful, fitted,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- morocco leather case originally.- Yeah.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31And then, moving on to this little silver coin
0:12:31 > 0:12:34that we've got here, this is particularly beautiful.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Again, if we look at each side, we've got "Queen Consort...
0:12:36 > 0:12:41"Alexandra Queen Consort" and then on the front, really... It's here.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44..we've got "Edward VII Crowned August 1902."
0:12:44 > 0:12:47So, it's a most wonderful Silver Coronation medallion there...
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- I like that, yes. - ..which is so detailed.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I mean, you can almost see every little hair
0:12:51 > 0:12:53in his beard, in his hair.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55You can almost sort of feel the gems and jewels
0:12:55 > 0:12:57in the crown and coronet there.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01So, really, I mean, the smallholder championship medallions
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- aren't necessarily as interesting. - No.- They're quite a lot later.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Who was the smallholder champion? Was it Mr Starling?
0:13:07 > 0:13:09I think it must have been.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- He was a breeder of show rabbits.- Ah.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15He got Clarice into show rabbits when she was eight years old
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- and she did that until about ten years before she died...- Oh, gosh.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20..which is how I met her in the '70s. I don't know...
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It would probably have something to do with that, wouldn't it?
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I think it's a really interesting little collection. Fascinating.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Obviously, it's so important that you've got that provenance -
0:13:29 > 0:13:30where it's come from -
0:13:30 > 0:13:32about Mr Starling and his achievements as well.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Yes.- It's really quite splendid. And that's why provenance
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and making sure that we communicate to the people
0:13:38 > 0:13:39where we got these things from.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- But to get those stories and that history...- Yes, exactly.
0:13:42 > 0:13:43..is so important.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Probably, at auction, then, not going to have a huge value,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49I don't think. But I think there is a market for it
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- and I think we're probably looking somewhere maybe £30 to £50.- OK.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- Something like that. How do you feel about that?- Yeah, that's fine.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57As long as someone will appreciate them because...
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Well, that's it. And I think that's the key to it, isn't it?
0:14:00 > 0:14:04For them to go to a home where they will be appreciated by a collector.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06- Yes, they're not worth a huge amount...- That's right.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- ..but to a collector... - They are.- ..they're invaluable.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11And they will be looked after for generations to come.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Thank you for bringing them in and sharing that wonderful story.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- It's been a pleasure.- That's OK. Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Well, we're certainly finding the treasures here today
0:14:30 > 0:14:32worthy of our magnificent surroundings.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34We've got three items to take off to the sale room
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and we're going to put those valuations to the test.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Here's a quick rundown, just to jog your memory,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41of all the items we're taking with us.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Nick's bowl is a beautiful example
0:14:45 > 0:14:48of classic Moorcroft that would adorn any collection.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52And this colourful array of classic toys
0:14:52 > 0:14:54has universal appeal
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and is bound to make a buzz in the sale room.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00And finally, Linda's medallions.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02They may be small in size,
0:15:02 > 0:15:03but they're big on history.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Today, we've travelled across counties
0:15:14 > 0:15:16to Halls auctioneers on the outskirts of Shrewsbury
0:15:16 > 0:15:20for our auction, where we're assured of a warm welcome
0:15:20 > 0:15:21from the proprietor.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Jeremy Lamond is our auctioneer today
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and the commission here is 19% plus VAT.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Nick and Kim, good luck.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37A great name in ceramics going under the hammer right now.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- Moorcroft, it's a lovely bowl, you love Moorcroft...- I do.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- ..and you don't like Moorcroft.- No.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Why did you buy it?
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Did you want to upset her on purpose?
0:15:45 > 0:15:47That's a good reason, but...
0:15:47 > 0:15:49that wasn't the particular reason in this case, no.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51I just like quality, that's all.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53Yeah, it is quality, it is quality, you've got a good eye
0:15:53 > 0:15:55and you paid the right money for it,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57so hopefully we can get the right money back.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Fingers crossed. - Fingers crossed. Here we go.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Lot 210. I can start this one at £100.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10At £100, anybody else at £100? 110 now.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12- Oh, 110. - £110, the bid is in the room.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15At £110, it's your bid at 110.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17All done, selling at 110.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19GAVEL BANGS Yes, the hammer's gone down.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- There we go. Moorcroft bowl. - Just.- Just.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- Just.- You're happy.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- We are happy, yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29We would like a bit more money.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32I've already spent the money on another piece of Moorcraft anyway.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- Oh, you haven't.- I have. - Oh, he's a wind up, isn't he?
0:16:35 > 0:16:36- No, he's not.- Oh, isn't he?- No.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42He's a fully paid-up antiques addict, that's what he is.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Going under the hammer right now - four medallions belonging to Linda
0:16:48 > 0:16:50who is moving, you're downsizing.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- I'm downsizing.- And you're looking forward to a bungalow.- I am.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54So you live in a house at the moment.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56House at the moment, going to a bungalow,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58but just around the corner, 400 yards.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Oh, so you love...you love where you live,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- that's the main thing, isn't it? - Yes, well, family are there.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Oh, that's nice, isn't it? Why are you selling these medals?
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Well, because they've been packed away in a drawer
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and nobody's looking at them.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Nobody's appreciating them and I want them to be looked at and loved.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16It's the start of a big clear-out, isn't it?
0:17:16 > 0:17:17It's the start of a big clear-out, yeah.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It'll pay for the decorating and what you've got to do...
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Well, it will pay for the solicitor's fees.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24I tell you what, it haemorrhages money, doesn't it?
0:17:24 > 0:17:26And the stamp duty and it just goes on and on and on and on.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- Well, good luck and let's see what we can get.- Thank you.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- Happy with this?- Best of luck, Linda.- Here we go.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Lot 65. There they are
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and I can start at £25, at 25.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38That's good, that's good. More.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41At 25, I'll take 30. At £25.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- I'm going to sell then at 25. - Blimey.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45GAVEL BANGS
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- Made the bid, no reserve.- £25. - Could've been a tenner.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53- Good luck with that 25 quid. - It's another drawer emptied.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Yeah, 25 towards the solicitors. - Yeah.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Oh, look... Look, you're positive and you're upbeat
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- and that's the main thing.- Yes. - And you enjoy life, so...
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Absolutely.- And you know what?
0:18:03 > 0:18:05It's a new passage, it's a different thing going on,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- so it's good, isn't it? - Very exciting, yeah.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Well, let's hope they go to a good home.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Next, it's Chris' car collection,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17which the auctioneer split up into five lots.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Well, good luck, Chris.- Thank you. - Fingers crossed we get top money.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24There's some cracking ones here. Ready for it?
0:18:24 > 0:18:25- I'm ready.- Here we go.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Lot 276, a collection of Dinky and Corgi toys.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Who's going to start me at £140?
0:18:32 > 0:18:34At £140 bid on the internet.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37150, 160, 170, we all finished then?
0:18:37 > 0:18:40At £170, 170.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41GAVEL BANGS There's the first one.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- Good.- It's a good start. - It's a very good start. 170.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Lot 277.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49The Dinky Muir Hill Loader,
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Corgi Bentley Continental
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Sports Saloon,
0:18:52 > 0:18:53etc, etc.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58At £120. At 120, 130, £130 now, 130.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02140, 150, the bid is in the room at £150.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Selling to a room bidder at 150.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08GAVEL BANGS 150. Two down.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Lot 278, the Corgi Major toys,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Priestman Cub Luffing Shovel
0:19:13 > 0:19:14complete, etc.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17£100. At 100, 110 where?
0:19:17 > 0:19:18At £110.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20There's someone in the room bidding.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22120, 130, 140, 150.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26At 150 all done then. At 160, new place.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28160, at 160.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- GAVEL BANGS - 1069 - 160.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Lot 279, the Corgi,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34No. 468 London Transport
0:19:34 > 0:19:35Routemaster Bus, etc.
0:19:35 > 0:19:3750 for the three.
0:19:37 > 0:19:3850 bid, at 50 I'll take five.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Five on the internet.
0:19:39 > 0:19:4160, 60.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Bid's in the room at £60. All done at £60.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- GAVEL BANGS - So far so good.- 280.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49The Corgi Heinkel Economy Car,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Austin A60 Motor School Car, etc.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53Five in the lot.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55What about £100 for them?
0:19:55 > 0:19:57£100. 110.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59On the internet. 120, 130 on the internet.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03140, 150, internet bids 160, 170.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05£170 now on the net.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09180 on the net, 190 on the net, against you 200, at £200.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- 210, 220. - This is good.- Yeah.- This is good.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15220 in the room. The bid's in the room at 220. At 230.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17240, 250, internet.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22260, at 260. Internet, yes or no?
0:20:22 > 0:20:25270, 280. At £280, room bid.
0:20:25 > 0:20:30- Fantastic.- At £280 all finished then? At 280, 290...
0:20:30 > 0:20:34- Ooh.- 300. £300, yes?
0:20:34 > 0:20:3720. 340. At £340.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Still with you at £340.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42All done then at 340.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44GAVEL BANGS
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Yes, hammer's gone down. That's five out of five, that's £880.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- Fantastic.- That's really good.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Well done, you, congratulations, thank you for bringing those in.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I'm delighted, the last lot made more
0:20:56 > 0:20:57than I estimated the whole lot at.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00That's probably why they split them into the different...
0:21:00 > 0:21:02- Yeah, he did good job, actually. - He did us proud.- Yeah.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05A terrific result.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Well, that's our first three lots under the hammer,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13we are coming back to Halls later on in the programme, do not go away.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16The thing I love about antiques is not only do they tell us
0:21:16 > 0:21:18a story about the past,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21but also they tell us something about the people who own them.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Now, back at our valuation day venue, Sandon Hall,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26there's a wonderful collection of objects
0:21:26 > 0:21:28which can give us a real insight
0:21:28 > 0:21:32into the dramatic and colourful life of one of its earliest owners.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50This small and rather unremarkable watercolour portrait
0:21:50 > 0:21:53is of Dudley Ryder, the first Earl of Harrowby
0:21:53 > 0:21:54and the owner of Sandon Hall,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56back at the turn of the 19th century.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58It was painted in the early 1800s,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01when Ryder was in his 40s
0:22:01 > 0:22:05and at the very peak of an extraordinary political career.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Born in 1762, Dudley Ryder, the first earl,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12lived through one of the most turbulent times in British history.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15SOLDIERS FIGHT AND SHOUT
0:22:15 > 0:22:17The rise of Napoleon after the French Revolution
0:22:17 > 0:22:20resulted in a war with Britain
0:22:20 > 0:22:23that would last for nearly 20 years,
0:22:23 > 0:22:25putting enormous pressure on the government,
0:22:25 > 0:22:26particularly the first earl,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29who was the foreign secretary at the time.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31So, what do we know of Dudley Ryder's life
0:22:31 > 0:22:33during this period?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36There are clues scattered throughout the house.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41Firstly, there's this portrait of William Pitt the Younger,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45so called because he was England's youngest ever prime minister,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48taking office at the tender age of 24.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Secondly, there's this letter from Pitt to Dudley Ryder.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05And this pair of duelling pistols.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Now, individually they don't mean much,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10but put them all together
0:23:10 > 0:23:12and they tell an extraordinary story,
0:23:12 > 0:23:16which puts Ryder at the very centre of English politics.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19But to understand how all of these items are related,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22we need to go back in time to 1798.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Britain's long war with revolutionary France
0:23:29 > 0:23:33was an expensive drain on the government's resources,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35so when the prime minister, William Pitt,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37agreed to a request for more funds,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40the leader of the opposition, George Tierney,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44accused him of being reckless with the country's finances.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48A heated debate followed, leading to the very unusual situation
0:23:48 > 0:23:52of the prime minister having to defend his honour in a duel.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56It was then that Pitt wrote the letter to Dudley Ryder,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58his friend and member of his cabinet.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01"Dear Ryder, if you find five minutes,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04"I should be much obliged to you if you would come here,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08"if possible before dinner, if not as soon after as is possible,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12"on a matter on which I know I may trust to your friendship
0:24:12 > 0:24:14"and which does not admit of delay."
0:24:14 > 0:24:17When they met, Pitt asked Dudley Ryder to be
0:24:17 > 0:24:19his second in the duel,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23a request usually reserved for the dueller's best friend.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27One of the roles of the second was to provide the pistols
0:24:27 > 0:24:31and these are the very pistols that Dudley Ryder took
0:24:31 > 0:24:35to Putney Common in South London at dawn the next morning.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Many people said the duel
0:24:36 > 0:24:38was slightly unequal,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41because Pitt was very thin and Tierney was very fat,
0:24:41 > 0:24:43thus making him a larger target.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It's reported Pitt fired twice, once at his opponent
0:24:47 > 0:24:50and his second shot into the air.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Fortunately, neither man was injured and they retired
0:24:53 > 0:24:55with their honour intact.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Alone, these three items are interesting,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03but put them together and they are exceptional.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Their provenance, which relates their story together,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09imbues each item with much greater meaning.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Sandon Hall is still home to the first earl's descendants.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I met up with Conroy Ryder, the eighth earl,
0:25:21 > 0:25:26to hear more about his ancestor's eventful life.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29That time, the first earl was foreign secretary
0:25:29 > 0:25:32and after the end of the battle, the Duke of Wellington
0:25:32 > 0:25:34wrote his dispatch to the government.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37One of his staffers set off to London...
0:25:38 > 0:25:42..with the standards, which had been captured from the French.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45They arrived at about 10 o'clock in the evening.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48He went to Downing Street to deliver the message
0:25:48 > 0:25:50and was told that there was nobody there,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52that they'd all gone to dinner with Lord Harrowby,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54who was the foreign secretary, as I mentioned,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57in his house in 44 Grosvenor Square.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59So off he went with a growing pride...
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Swelling the streets.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03Yes, you can imagine the excitement.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I mean, this was the end of a very long war.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08So, this great throng went off to Grosvenor Square
0:26:08 > 0:26:10and there they found the cabinet
0:26:10 > 0:26:15and he was able to rush into the house shouting, "Victory!"
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Now, there's a rather lovely story,
0:26:19 > 0:26:26because my late grandfather remembered, as a very young boy,
0:26:26 > 0:26:32an extremely elderly aunt who was a child in that house on the night
0:26:32 > 0:26:34when the announcement was made.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36And, because it was a family home,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40she was woken up by a great rumpus downstairs
0:26:40 > 0:26:42and rushed out from the nursery bedroom
0:26:42 > 0:26:44right up to the top of the house
0:26:44 > 0:26:47and looked down through the stairwell
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and saw all these old men, the old cabinet members
0:26:50 > 0:26:54dancing around the house shouting, "Victory! Victory!" and celebrating.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- Wow. - And it's just rather a lovely...
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- What an image. - ..sort of memory
0:26:59 > 0:27:02that links back to the battle.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05He lived an incredibly long life into his 80s, didn't he?
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Yes, indeed.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10And, in fact, it was rather a sad end, I mean,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14he could've lived much longer, but in December 1847,
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Lord Harrowby's favourite granddaughter, Charlotte Mary,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21was standing too close to an open fire.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Her dress went up in a sheet of flames, she was very badly burnt.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29He had tried to help put the fire out
0:27:29 > 0:27:31and got quite badly burnt himself.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35She sadly died a few days later.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38He was inconsolable, he loved this girl.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Maybe the shock from that, who knows,
0:27:41 > 0:27:47but he contracted pneumonia and died on Boxing Day a few days later.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Dudley Ryder, the first earl of Harrowby, died as he lived -
0:27:51 > 0:27:52dramatically.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54What an extraordinary life.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Back at the valuation tables,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11David delves into some more recent history.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Hello, Marjorie.- How do you do, sir?
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Wolves autographs - 1946, 1947.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Yes, they belonged to my late husband who was a football,
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Wolves football...
0:28:22 > 0:28:24- Fanatic.- Yes, he was. Yes. - He was a fanatic.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Right, how old would your husband have been then?
0:28:27 > 0:28:28- Born in 1931.- 1931.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32- In which case, he would have been 15...- Right.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34..when he went to collect those autographs.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- Yes.- Remarkable, really, a 15-year-old lad.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Yeah, him and his brother used to cycle to Wolves
0:28:39 > 0:28:41more or less every Saturday.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Well, good for him.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45And are they all football autographs?
0:28:45 > 0:28:49No, there's some film stars, some radio stars.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Well, I see you've tagged some, shall we make our way through them?
0:28:53 > 0:28:55The first one is football, as it happens.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Stoke City, Stanley Matthews...
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Right. The great Stanley Matthews.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The great Sir Stanley Matthews, a Staffordshire legend.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07Played for Blackpool as well, of course. And who is this?
0:29:07 > 0:29:09That looks like Deborah Kerr. Is it? OK.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13Famous for that speech seen with Burt Lancaster.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16- Correct.- What was the film called From Here To Eternity?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18That's right. It was great that film.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20That was very naughty, wasn't it?
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Well, it was a naughty film in them days.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23So, we've already got a mixture, haven't we?
0:29:23 > 0:29:26We've got film stars and footballers
0:29:26 > 0:29:31and you've tagged this one here which is...
0:29:32 > 0:29:34- ..Leonard Cheshire.- Correct.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Gosh, so, that's a military one, I suppose we could call it.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Royal Air Force, of course
0:29:39 > 0:29:41and founder of the Leonard Cheshire Homes.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44So, we've got a really good little collection here
0:29:44 > 0:29:49from a wide range of backgrounds.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53Now, I don't think any of them are big, big stars.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58But your husband, bless his cotton socks, collected all of these.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00- Correct, yes.- He must've worked jolly hard to get them.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02I think this is a great little collection.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Now, you're obviously happy to sell it...
0:30:06 > 0:30:08- Yes.- ..otherwise you wouldn't have agreed to that.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Do you have any hopes or expectations as to...?
0:30:11 > 0:30:12None whatsoever.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17- Let's go with an estimate, an auction estimate of £50-£80.- Right.
0:30:17 > 0:30:22- And I think we should put a covering reserve of say £30.- Right.- OK?
0:30:22 > 0:30:24- Yes, that'll do.- Jolly good.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Well, I look forward to seeing these sold. They are...
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Well, many of them are of local interest, which is great.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32And I'm sure they'll do well for you.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- All right, then. - See you at the sale, bye.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37- Thank you very much.- Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- Aww.- Excellent.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50She's enjoying herself. Look, enjoy the rest of the day.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Button, thank you for coming in. All dogs welcome.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Now, for another local speciality.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01I think they're utterly charming, I really do.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04We've got a set of four Royal Doulton figurines here,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07which were produced by Royal Doulton about 1988 onwards.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13And they are depicting a time that I can't really get my head around.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I mean, it was the evacuation period of the Second World War, wasn't it?
0:31:16 > 0:31:18- Yeah. - Where children were sent away
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- so that they weren't, basically, during The Blitz...- Yeah.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23..they weren't in any sort of danger and you can see
0:31:23 > 0:31:25on their little faces, I mean...
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- Sadness.- ..they're looking very, very sad to go away.- Yeah.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31And then, a couple of years later, they're coming home
0:31:31 > 0:31:33and they get to see their cat and their dog
0:31:33 > 0:31:35and they are just utterly charming, aren't they?
0:31:35 > 0:31:36Yeah, they are nice, yeah.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Now, Verna, you're obviously far too young to remember The Blitz...
0:31:40 > 0:31:43- Oh, I don't know about that, I remember it well.- Do you?
0:31:43 > 0:31:47Yeah. I had a little girl come to live with me with her mother.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49- They were evacuated.- Oh, really?
0:31:49 > 0:31:50And they stayed with us.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52I'd be about three
0:31:52 > 0:31:54and I can't really remember how long they stayed.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58My vivid memory is of...she wore a beret.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00- Oh, how exotic.- Yeah.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02And I always wanted it off her,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04so I had it and caught nits into the bargain.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- CHRISTINA LAUGHS - Oh, no.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10- Head full of nits. - No, really?- Yeah.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12That's the price you pay for wanting a beret.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15- Yeah. - CHRISTINA LAUGHS
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Everything that we really need to know is on their bottoms.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20So, let's turn them upside down and see what happens.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22So, we've got here, they've got their title.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25This one, particularly, is The Girl Evacuee.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27It's got an HN number here, which is basically the model number.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Yeah.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32So it's HN3203 and it tells us it was modelled by Adrian Hughes
0:32:32 > 0:32:36and issued in a limited edition of 9,500.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39And this one, this particular one is number 5462.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42So, it's a relatively late one in the whole run of it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45But, nonetheless, it says here 1988, Royal Doulton
0:32:45 > 0:32:48and we've got a really nice Royal Doulton mark here as well.
0:32:48 > 0:32:49- Yeah.- The green, printed mark,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52which is the traditional lion on top of a crown
0:32:52 > 0:32:54and then that lovely, circular mark there.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Now, Royal Doulton were known for producing figurines
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- and they are very collectable...- Yeah.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00..which is obviously great.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04The market does fluctuate for them, though, it really does
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and it's quite important that they are all marked as firsts,
0:33:07 > 0:33:08which they are.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10If they were marked as a second,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13then this would have a little dot or a scratch
0:33:13 > 0:33:15through this centre here.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Now, I've checked every one and none of them is marked as a second,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20so that's really good news, really good news.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Normally, you see just these two, I haven't seen these as often,
0:33:24 > 0:33:26the coming-home type.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28- So, it's really nice to have those as well.- Yeah.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32But people aren't buying ornaments as much as they were doing,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- so we do have to take that into account.- Yeah.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38I mean, if I were putting a value on them as a group today,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40I would be looking at putting a value
0:33:40 > 0:33:43of maybe £200-£300 for the whole group, OK?
0:33:43 > 0:33:45- What's your thoughts about that? - A bit low, really.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48OK, have you had them valued before?
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- Only when my sister passed them on to me.- Right.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55The lady valued them at 400. That was for just one set.
0:33:55 > 0:33:56And when was that?
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Well, that would be about 14 years ago.
0:33:58 > 0:33:59Yeah, so, I mean, that's absolutely right.
0:33:59 > 0:34:0214 years ago the market for this sort of thing was very,
0:34:02 > 0:34:03very buoyant.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05And it is a different marketplace today,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07so I would suggest if you do want to sell them,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10we need to maybe just readjust those figures slightly.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13- I mean, I think if we were to put an estimate of £300-£500...- Yeah.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- and a reserve of £300...- Yeah. - ..how would you feel about that?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- I'd feel all right with that. - Would that be all right? Yeah?- Yeah.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24So if we say £300-£500, a reserve of £300 firm, I really,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26really hope that we get there for you. You never know.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28- Keep everything crossed. - Keep everything crossed.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31I think it's been a wonderful story, it's been great to meet you.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34- You haven't still got nits, have you?- No.- I won't stand too close.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Well, I've heard a lot of stories on "Flog It!",
0:34:38 > 0:34:41but that one takes the biscuit.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44Well, I wasn't kidding when I said we've taken over the whole house.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48The room I'm in right now, the great hall, this is now our research area.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52A holding bay for potential owners who will hit the screens later on.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It could be you going home with lots of money, fingers crossed.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58All the hard work is done here by off-screen valuers,
0:34:58 > 0:35:01so our experts on-screen can hit the ground running.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Now, we need one more item to take off to auction
0:35:04 > 0:35:08before it gets exciting and this is it.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10David Fletcher meets a pioneering woman
0:35:10 > 0:35:13from the world of motor sports.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18You have brought in with you today a watch, or a chronograph,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20which speaks for itself, and something here
0:35:20 > 0:35:23which I find rather more confusing.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25I see that it's marked Monte Carlo.
0:35:25 > 0:35:29- Monte Carlo to me suggests motor rallying.- Indeed.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30Tell me a bit about it.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Well, in the late 1950s, early 1960s,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38my husband and I did a lot of motor rallying in various cars -
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Morgans, Sprites, Sebring Sprites, etc.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And it wasn't very easy to get timing equipment,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47so, the navigator relied on these.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51So, my husband actually cut off the corner there to mount it
0:35:51 > 0:35:55on the dashboard, so that it was in front of the navigator
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and then the second one I bought for him as a gift
0:35:59 > 0:36:00which is also a stopwatch.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Right, did you drive as well?
0:36:02 > 0:36:04- Yes, I did.- So, you were a rally driver yourself?
0:36:04 > 0:36:06- Yes, I was. - As well as a navigator or...?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- I didn't do much navigating.- No, OK.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10- So, you had someone to navigate for you?- Yes.- Right.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- There weren't many ladies...- No. - ..if I can call myself one.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- It was unusual...- Yes.- ..they were nearly all male drivers.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20And what a great car to be driving, a Morgan, I mean,
0:36:20 > 0:36:21I love Minis too, but a Morgan...
0:36:21 > 0:36:25I drove Minis, my husband...he had a couple of Morgans built.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30- Right.- I drove Sebrings, Sprites and Minis...
0:36:30 > 0:36:32- Gosh.- ..rather a lot.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- How glamorous. - Looking back, I think it was.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37- And very exciting.- I think so, yes.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40It was, but one didn't realise at the time.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- Anyway, this was made by a Swiss manufacturer, Heuer.- Yes.
0:36:43 > 0:36:49And the original design was patented in the 1930s,
0:36:49 > 0:36:51but I think this is going to be later than that.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I'm sure it is, because it was new when I acquired it.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56So, I think we can probably assume that this is going to be
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- mid-'50s, would you say? - Yes, yes, yes.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01So, it's 60 years old
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and it's a beautifully designed object, isn't it?
0:37:04 > 0:37:08- I like it.- I mean, clearly, it was meant to be read
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- and understood in quite difficult circumstances...- Yes.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14- ..if you were hurtling along a bumpy track at 60mph.- Not easy.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19It had to be clear and it is, I think it's beautifully designed.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23- The numbers are, obviously, luminous and they've just faded a bit.- Yes.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26So, that's a bit of a problem.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29This one, I'm not sure who made this.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31- We never have known.- No.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It would be nice to think it was also by Heuer, but I'm not...
0:37:34 > 0:37:36The story was that it was a sample watch.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- A sample watch.- Yes.- Right, OK. - Yeah, I don't know.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43No. It has conventional hours and minute hands.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45You've got three additional dials.
0:37:45 > 0:37:51You've got the day, the month and the number of the day of the month.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54And, of course, it's a stopwatch, as well.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59- So, value, let's go for 150 to 200 as the estimate.- Yes.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And can I suggest a reserve at the bottom estimate
0:38:02 > 0:38:04- with 10% discretion?- Yes.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- OK, so, effectively that's 135. - Yeah.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09Jolly good, I'm sure we'll have a great sale
0:38:09 > 0:38:11and I look forward to seeing you on the day.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13I hope so, I hope so. Thank you.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Well, what a day we've had here
0:38:22 > 0:38:24in a house full of history and treasure.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Everybody has thoroughly enjoyed themselves
0:38:27 > 0:38:29and as you've just seen, our experts have found their final items
0:38:29 > 0:38:33to take off to auction, which means it's time to say farewell
0:38:33 > 0:38:36to Sandon Hall as we head over to the saleroom for the last time.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41And here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking with us.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Marjorie's autographs are a who's who of sportsmen
0:38:45 > 0:38:47and entertainers from the '40s and '50s.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Verna's little evacuees are perfect examples
0:38:51 > 0:38:55of Royal Doulton's masterful art of the figurine.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59And rally driver Val's two timepieces
0:38:59 > 0:39:02have been dusted off for one more lap of the track.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08So, zooming back to the auction house in Shrewsbury
0:39:08 > 0:39:11where our next item is about to go under the hammer.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17- Marjorie.- Hello, sir. - Your autograph albums.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Do you have a favourite signature in there? Stanley Matthews, I bet.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24- Well, no, the Wolves. - Oh, the Wolves?
0:39:24 > 0:39:26- Yes, yes.- I don't know any famous...
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Derek Dougan, he was a Wolves player.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- Billy Wright.- But that was a bit earlier, wasn't it? Was he in there?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- I don't think he's in there, no. - No, he's not in the book, but...
0:39:34 > 0:39:37- But your husband was a Wolves fan, wasn't he?- Yes, yes, he was.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Well, let's hope there's some football fans here today.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- There's other autographs, it's not all football, is it?- Oh, yes.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46- There's some film stars and radio stars.- Great, OK.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49So, it's a mixed lot and they're going under the hammer right now.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Lot 190, four autograph books from the 1940s.
0:39:55 > 0:39:5740, 50, £60.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- At 60, I've got five, 70...- Finally.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04- £80 here. At £80.- That's brilliant. - 90. Commission's out at £90.
0:40:04 > 0:40:09- It's on the internet at £90. At £90. - All done at £90.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12- GAVEL BANGS Oh, what a good result.- Great.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Yeah, we had a fixed reserve of £30, we had to make that
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- and we busted through it. - We did, yes.- 90 quid.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Fantastic.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23And now, for Verna's poignant story in porcelain.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Now, I'm not normally a big fan of Royal Doulton figures,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28but I do like these.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31We've got the evacuees, we have the two going away from home
0:40:31 > 0:40:33and two coming back with their bags.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35It's so sentimental, it's so poignant
0:40:35 > 0:40:38and the condition is so good and their firsts, aren't they?
0:40:38 > 0:40:41They are, yeah. The condition is mint.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Just really endearing figures, aren't they? Really sweet.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47We need a reserve of £300, but I'm sure they'll blast through that,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50cos I've not seen these come on the market before, especially four.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Well, we're internet bidding, so let's hope so.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- Yeah, fingers crossed. Ready for this?- Yeah.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55Let's enjoy it, here we go.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Lot 220, there they all are.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04At £220. At 220, 240, 260, 280.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07- At £280.- Come on, one more to get to the reserve.
0:41:07 > 0:41:12- At 290. At £290 it is.- Go on. - 290. Any more?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14At 290.
0:41:14 > 0:41:15Not today for those.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18- Ohh.- Ohh. - I can't believe that.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- Well, they are worth that so... - Yeah.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23I'd put them in a drawer for another day.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- Aw.- Just wasn't the day, that's auctions for you.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28- Just wasn't the day.- Yeah.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Sad face, happy face.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33Verna's little evacuees are staying home for the meantime.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39And finally, it's rally driver Valerie's well-travelled timepieces.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Hold on tight, Valerie. Every rally driver will need one of these -
0:41:45 > 0:41:47a good watch and a stopwatch.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49- Hm, I mean, this is quality, isn't it? It really is.- I hope so.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53I like the Heuer. Why are you selling these?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55- I have no use for them. - They're just in a drawer?
0:41:55 > 0:42:00But my daughter, I promised her she can have a new stopwatch...
0:42:00 > 0:42:01..if I sell them.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04And therefore she may take the interest of rallying up again,
0:42:04 > 0:42:07which we hope. I hope.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08- Oh, it would be nice, wouldn't it? - Yeah.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11- Keep the family tradition going? - It would be nice.- Fantastic.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Well, let's find out what the bidders think.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15They're going under the hammer right now.
0:42:16 > 0:42:17Now, Lot 105.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Good lot here and various commissions.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24£450, £550, £650, £700.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26- We can start at £700.- £700.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- 750 on the net. 800 on commission. 900.- (£900.)
0:42:30 > 0:42:341,000 with me. 50. 1,100.
0:42:34 > 0:42:3750, 1,200, 50, my commission's out
0:42:37 > 0:42:39and you're in at 1,250.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44Are we all finished then? At £1,250.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47GAVEL BANGS Hammer's gone down. £1,250.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- That was a surprise, wasn't it? - I think so.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- You weren't expecting that much, were you?- No. No.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53I could see that in your face.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56I should get a very good, new stopwatch now.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58There was so much interest, everybody wanted it,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00cos quality always sells.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02What a way to end today's show. That was absolutely brilliant.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Well done David, well done, Valerie.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08Join us again for many more soon, but until then from Shrewsbury,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11it's goodbye from all of us.