Margam Country Park 53 Flog It!

Today, Flog It! is literally on top of the world

in a unique location.

This is Margam Country Park, just outside of Port Talbot,

and it's been inhabited for over 4,000 years.

It's literally brimming with history.

This is where the ancient collides with the modern.

More about that later on in the programme,

so stay tuned and welcome to Flog It!

For today's valuation day,

we've travelled over the impressive Severn Bridge,

and along the M4 to South Wales.

Arriving at Margam Country Park, near Port Talbot.

Here, our ancestors ancient and modern have left their mark.

There are the remains of an impressive medieval monastery.

This Georgian Orangery is the longest in Britain,

and just up the hill is a remarkable Victorian Gothic castle.

All of this lies in the shadow of a symbol of our modern

industrial heritage - the Port Talbot steelworks.

They each have one thing in common - they are big, bold and ambitious.

Well, our crowds have already started to gather outside

the magnificent Orangery.

We may not find something that is 4,000 years old,

but hopefully, carefully wrapped up in all these bags and boxes,

there's some intriguing treasures for our experts to muse over.

And if our owners are tempted by a favourable valuation,

what are you going to do?

-ALL:

-Flog it!

We have a pair of dynamic and stylish experts to carry out

today's valuations. Mark Stacey...

-That's really nice. Do you know what it is?

-A flowerpot.

LAUGHTER

..and Charles Hanson.

-Did you get dressed in the dark?

-I thought, we're beside the seaside.

-I love the jacket.

-Well, I think it goes. Doesn't it go well together?

You need new glasses. You need new glasses.

Get out of here.

And if our location bares all the hallmarks of

imagination, ambition and ingenuity,

then that's exactly what it takes to film one of our shows.

Our team of cameramen, researchers and stewards

are making sure everyone is where they need to be

and that we capture everything.

And they are all keen to get started.

And while they're getting ready,

let's see what's coming up on today's show.

Charles meets someone who drives a hard bargain.

She wanted £3.

-And you negotiated?

-I did. Yeah.

-I like his style.

And Mark has a shock at the auction.

-1,300.

-When is it going to stop, Paul?

Well, I don't think he is. Would you like a seat?

Well, I've really been looking forward to this one.

And we couldn't come to Wales without bringing a Welsh expert.

So here he is. Our very own Welsh boy, Mark Stacey.

John...this has got to be one of the nicest sugar casters I've seen

for a very long time.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-It's an object of beauty.

-Have you had it long?

-50 years.

-Really? Where did you get it from?

-Bought in a house sale.

-Did you? Locally?

-Yes, Cardiff.

-Did you used to go round a lot of house sales for

-things like that?

-Oh, I did. We worked for an auctioneer for

-many years.

-Oh, did you? Were you an auctioneer yourself?

-No.

What did you do in the company?

-Transport man.

-Oh, did you?

Well, you've obviously had an eye on you for the odd gem.

-Yes.

-Didn't you?

-Yeah.

Do you know much about it?

No, it was just with the other objects.

And I was there and I thought, oh, that's nice.

-Silver?

-It is silver.

It's hallmarked. Fully hallmarked.

We have a nice, clear set of hallmarks here.

And the makers mark, as well. Hallmarked in Birmingham.

-Birmingham.

-In 1919.

Oh, before I was born.

And it's by Blanckensee & Son.

And it's a really handsome thing.

If you look at the design of it,

you could almost be mistaken that it was 18th century,

because it has a really classical design do it.

From this little flame, pineapple finial,

down to the sort of husk bands here and those lovely

classical swags.

And these extraordinary little appliques on the side there.

-Yep.

-And it's very nice baluster shape.

It's silver gilt. It's really very, very good quality.

I can see you haven't used it because it needs bit of a clean,

-doesn't it?

-Yep.

-So you've had it for 50 years, you've never used it.

-No.

-And it just sits in a drawer.

-In a cabinet.

-Does it?

-It's time for it to go.

-Well, yeah.

How much do you think it's worth?

-150?

-You know your stuff, don't you?

You know your stuff. I think we should put the estimate at

100 to 150, if that's OK with you.

-Yeah.

-And it's almost the perfect weather today for it, isn't it?

-If we had some strawberries and cream.

-Oh, Wimbledon.

-Wimbledon.

-Hey!

-We could actually sprinkle our sugar on there and we'd be away,

-wouldn't we?

-Wahey.

-Well, I love it and I think it will do very well.

And we'll put a reserve of £100 on it,

and we might sprinkle some success for you.

LAUGHTER

Hopefully there will be someone with a sweet tooth at

the auction. But, not to be outdone,

a very dapper-looking Charles Hanson has found someone with an equally

colourful outfit.

-Albert.

-Yeah.

-You're a stylish man.

And you brought in this interesting object here.

-Tell me how you acquired it.

-Car boot sale.

-car boot?

-Yeah, local car boot sale, in Swansea.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-£2.

-£2? It's wonderful what you can still find on this great antiques

trail. And for £2 you've bought something which is very much in now.

It wasn't 20 years ago,

but it is today very reflective of changing tastes.

-OK.

-And the new collectors, the iconic, shall we say,

cleansed homes, who want minimal, this is what they want to buy.

-OK.

-It cost you £2.

-£2, yeah.

-I can't believe this.

What we've got here is something, Albert, that's quite cutting edge.

An object which represents an industry on the island of Murano.

-OK?

-OK.

-This is a Venetian glass ornament that reflects centuries of

-style and design...

-Right.

-..which came together in the 1960s.

OK? And what I love about this

is you've got an angel here,

on angelfish.

-Right, yep.

-Which really is so evocative of innovation.

You've got aventurine, which is this gilt-speckled glass.

And the Italians in the 16th century developed a technique

called facon de Venise, which is a type of opaque,

white design we saw in wine glasses, on the stems.

And here you've got this in the fins of the fish.

When you saw it for that nominal sum...

I thought it was expensive cos she wanted £3.

-And you negotiated?

-I did. Yeah.

-I like his style.

That's car boot, you've got to negotiate.

-Early morning start.

-5:30.

-5:30.

Something unusual and I liked it because I've got a fish tank at home

with tropical fish and I had it next to the fish tank.

So you didn't just buy it...

-I was going to put it inside the fish tank.

-Really?

-Yeah, as an ornament. Yeah.

-As an ornament?

-Yeah.

What I like about this also, is the fact you've got some good

wear on the base, which to me suggests it's no reproduction.

-It is 1960s.

-Yep.

-But what you've got is an object which really rides

high in terms of technical abilities.

And, almost like Troika, it was off the radar 20 years ago

and could have been bought cheaply.

How recently did you buy this?

-Erm... Four months ago.

-You didn't?

-Yeah.

-It just shows what's lurking in the deep at a car boot sale.

-Yeah.

-I'd be happy to put this into a sale for you,

with a guide price of between £70 and £100.

-Very good.

-Does that meet your approval?

-Definitely.

-Is there investment potential for auction?

-Yeah, more auction money.

-Excellent. Thanks so much. Wonderful object.

-Thank you.

-A delight to see you today.

-Thank you very much.

Ou experts are hard at work and while they continue

to uncover those gems, there is something I want to show you.

Well, you couldn't fail to notice this magnificent backdrop

behind me here for our valuation day.

The Orangery. It's considered to be a masterpiece of 18th century

architecture. Many of Britain's great stately homes

have orangeries. Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth, Kensington Palace.

But this is the longest, and it's considered to be

the finest in the UK.

Today, the building is used for corporate events and parties,

and no longer houses exotic plants.

But the exterior is just as it was when it was built.

Thomas Mansel Talbot inherited the Margam estate in 1768.

He wanted a building that would showcase his wealth

and display his collection of exotic fruits.

His limes, oranges and lemons.

The building was completed in 1790 and it took seven years to create.

It's 327ft long and there are 27 of these huge tall windows

to let in as much light as possible.

I absolutely love this building. It's simply understated.

It's elegant, yet there is just enough detail

to keep it interesting.

Now, I wonder if our experts have found anything

as interesting as this at the valuation tables.

Let's now join up with them.

I think Mark has found something that would look right at home

in the orangery.

Mary... Why have you brought this jug in to share?

Well, the jug belonged to my grandmother

and I must admit I'm not that keen on it, if I'm honest.

-You don't like it?

-No.

-Is it too brash for you?

-I think so, yeah.

-Well, it is quite bold, isn't it?

-Mmm.

-I mean, there's no prizes, I'm afraid,

for guessing who produced this jug.

Of course it's faithful Clarice Cliff.

I actually really like it.

I think it's a great shape and it's a really, really bold pattern.

You can really see these thick oranges and reds.

And as a Clarice Cliff collector, that's what they want to see.

And this ground is quite interesting.

This sort of mottled-brown ground.

It's known as cafe au lait.

It's probably made maybe around 1928-1934, something like that.

So it's right in the middle of that Art Deco period.

There is a slight flaw to it that I've noticed while we're filming.

There's a slight hairline crack on the interior.

But I don't think that will worry us too much, to be honest with you.

I think we should keep the estimate reasonable,

particularly with our slight hairline crack.

So if we put £80-£100 on it.

And we'll pop the reserve, say, at 60, just to protect it.

-Would that be OK with you?

-I think it's lovely.

Gosh, I didn't think you'd say that.

LAUGHTER

This pot has probably never seen the light of day in the last 20 years.

-Has it not?

-It's been locked away in a cupboard.

Oh, well, that's great.

-You've brought it out for the world to see.

-Great, yeah.

And that's fantastic, because we'll put it into auction

and somebody who buys this is going to love it,

because you clearly hate it.

It's true.

Well, look. All I can say is thank you, Mary, for bringing it in.

You've been such a good sport.

-Right, good.

-I'll look forward to seeing you into the auction.

-Me too.

-You might get a surprise.

Now, while our experts are hard at work uncovering

some fascinating items, I've been exploring the equally fascinating

history of Margam Country Park.

These are the ruins of the medieval Cistercian monastery,

which dates back to 1147.

This room I'm in right now is the chapterhouse.

It's only one of two chapterhouses to be built

in Britain with 12 sides.

The monks mined coal and hunted deer on the land here for 400 years.

But when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries,

this site fell into disrepair.

It now provides the most spectacular backdrop for our Flog It!

valuation day. And right now we're going to be putting

those valuations to the test.

So here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking to auction.

John's elegant sugar caster has been unused for far too long.

Albert's angelfish was a car boot sale find.

And the Clarice Cliff jug, love it or hate it,

that name always attracts attention.

How will it fare with today's bidders?

Our auction is just up the road, in Cardiff, a city steeped in history,

which has undergone a major makeover in recent years.

Here, old and new, ancient and modern sit alongside one another.

The old docks have been revamped,

and now this area is home to the National Assembly of Wales,

and the Wales Millennium Centre.

It's now time to put our experts' valuations to the test,

and this is where we're doing it - Roger Jones & Company,

one of the oldest auctioneers in Wales.

It's a family run business and they know their stuff.

I'm going inside to catch up with our owners,

because I know they're feeling nervous right now.

You sit tight, it's going to be a good day.

The sun is shining, everyone's happy.

Let's get on with our first lot.

Today's auctioneer is Ben Rogers Jones.

The commission here today is 15% plus VAT on items under £2,000,

but less for items over £2,000.

First up is the sugar caster.

It's such an elegant thing, surely someone would love this item

in their home.

If you want classical style and decoration,

then look no further than John's sugar caster.

This is fantastic, isn't it?

-I mean, it really... It's got style, hasn't it?

-It's wonderful, Paul.

-It's going to sell.

-It's going to sell, isn't it?

-It's going to sell.

I saw a lady looking at this and I said,

"Are you selling or buying today?" She said, "I've come to buy this."

And I said, "What?" And she pointed at your sugar caster.

-Oh, that's good. That's good.

-So we look out for a lady in the room.

-Fingers crossed it goes to the lady in the room. OK?

-Yes.

Here we go, this is it.

Lovely, quality ballista sugar caster.

I've got interest in this one as far as 220.

-£220.

-Straight in!

-30, 240.

-Maiden bid.

-South Africa. 260, online at 260.

-270.

-Yes, she's bidding, she's bidding, she's down the front.

-I'm ever so pleased.

-280. Anybody else now?

-Oh, she's pulled out, Paul.

-No, no, no. She's bidding again.

-Oh, she's back in.

-290.

-She's determined to get it, isn't she?

300. Saudi Arabia, is it? £300 in Saudi Arabia.

-At £300, in Saudi Arabia.

-Saudi Arabia!

-At £300.

-We've gone global.

-It's gone to the royal family.

-£300.

At £300, is everybody done?

That's going to Saudi Arabia, £300.

Oh. That's a brilliant result.

-You see, it's quality, quality, quality.

-Yeah.

Sadly, that lady lost it, but do you know what?

Every auctioneer loves an under-bidder.

Because you need someone pushing it up!

What do you always say, Paul?

-Quality...

-Always sells.

Well, someone in Saudi Arabia is going to be delighted with that.

I wonder who it is.

But what a great start for us.

Next up is the Murano glass angelfish,

one of those car boot sale finds we all wish we had spotted.

Yes, it's that Murano glass.

It's that paperweight belonging to Albert.

Were you ever a tropical fish fan? Did you...

-Yeah, I have got tropical fish.

-You have? Got any angelfish?

-Two.

-Oh, you're missing one in a minute

because this one's going to definitely sell.

It really is. It's a good hobby, isn't it?

Watching the fish, as well.

-It's relaxing.

-Cleaning the tank out.

-I love it.

-Yeah, I like it as well. It's good. It's good.

-Well, we like our fish.

-Yeah, yeah. And it's so modern,

yet it also is the evolution on from Venetian glass.

-Yes.

-From those years ago. So it's a great lot.

-Yeah.

It's got today's look, it really has.

And hopefully we're going to find a buyer for that right now.

Good luck. This is it.

The wonderful Murano glass.

-Loving this.

-Aquarium paperweight.

I've got a low bid to start with, but let's see where it takes us.

It starts at £30. At £30, 40, 50.

Is there 60? £50, against you now.

Is there a 60? At £50, 60 in the room.

Is there 70? At £60, where's 70 now?

And £60 to my right.

-In the saleroom itself, at £60.

-That's OK.

-Cost you £2.

-£60, the hammer's gone down.

-I'm happy with that.

You are, aren't you? That'll get you a lot of fish.

LAUGHTER

Yeah, I'm well pleased with that.

-Yeah, good return on £2.

-Absolutely.

Albert's pleased with that result.

His early morning start at the car boot sale certainly paid off.

And now it's the turn of that classic Flog It! name.

The Clarice Cliff jug.

It wouldn't be Flog It! without Clarice Cliff,

and Mark managed to find a bit.

It was the bright colours. Marie, thank you for bringing it in.

And you look fabulous today, as well.

Now, do you like Clarice Cliff?

-No.

-Do you know, I'm not a big fan of it, actually.

But, look, some people love it and there's a big market for it still.

And Mark, you're sort of... You're attracted to this, aren't you?

I like some patterns. I think that this is nice and bold.

And I like that cafe au lait glaze.

And you know what we always say. Clarice never lets us down.

And I'm sure with a £100 price tag, this one's not going to let us down,

Marie, at all. It's not, is it?

-No, of course not.

-You looked a little bit worried then.

No. I'm not worried at all.

I think it's going to be... Your expression, top of the estimate.

Top of the estimate. Here we go.

It's going under the hammer.

First off, a couple of items of Clarice Cliff today.

I've got 60 to start.

-At 60, is there 70, 80, 90, 100, 10 20, 30.

-It's gone.

-Oh, oh.

-130. Are you coming in on the phone?

130 is online. 140.

140 now, on the phone.

150... 160 on the telephone.

On the telephone, anybody in the room?

160. Fair warning, then.

£160. The telephone has it, at 160, here it goes.

-Yes.

-160.

-Hammer's gone down. Keenly contested.

-So lots of people like big fruit.

-They did.

LAUGHTER

What a great price, twice Mark's original estimate.

Marie may not have loved it, but someone else obviously does.

Well, that's our first three lots done and dusted under the hammer.

So far, so good.

It's now time to return to our valuation day venue, Margam Park,

to look for more antiques and treasures to put under the hammer.

But before that, I want to find out a little bit more about the history

of the place.

It's fascinating how history is such a dynamic process.

What one generation does lays the foundations for those to follow.

In 1951, Port Talbot earned its place in the history books

when it opened the largest steelworks in Europe -

the Abbey Works.

'And to mark this great day in industrial history,

'a Welsh dragon, forged in the steel of Margam,

'was presented to the Chancellor.'

Ever since, this monument to industrialisation

has dominated the skyline.

It was the envy of the world, I think, of the steel-making world.

Those who wanted to work would have a job,

that was what it came down to at the end of the day.

But its presence here has its roots in the Margam estate,

and the Talbot family.

When Thomas Mansel Talbot died, the Margam estate was passed to his son,

Christopher, who was known as C.R.M. Talbot.

He was only ten years old, but by the time he came of age

he had romantic ideas for the 34,000-acre estate

and he set about building this fantastic castle

in the Gothic revival style.

Work began in 1830, and it was completed ten years later

at a cost of over £2 million in today's money.

He was so rich he was referred to as the wealthiest commoner in Britain.

Now, whilst he certainly enjoyed the traditional Victorian pursuits

of the landed gentry, such as hunting, shooting and fishing

on his extensive estate, he also embraced the

exciting and dynamic spirit of the Victorian age -

the Industrial Revolution.

And that passion led to what we can see over there.

The world-famous Port Talbot steelworks.

Talbot leased his land to collieries, copper and ironworks.

But he soon realised the key to success was to improve

access to the area.

In 1836, he lobbied for an Act of Parliament to construct a new

floating dock at Aberavon to import and export materials.

This is the site of the original dock that was created,

and as a result of C.R.M. Talbot's support and financial input,

the town was first given the name Port Talbot in his honour.

Then, in 1848, he helped to create a railway line

that connected this region directly to London.

For the first time, raw materials and goods could be transported

to Port Talbot by sea and rail.

In the early 1900s, two new steelworks were built

near the docks,

making it one of the most important industrial hubs in Britain.

But after the Second World War,

Britain entered a brand-new era of consumerism.

The steel industry needed to modernise to meet up

with the demand and Port Talbot was at the very heart of that.

The Abbey Steelworks that you can see behind me

became the most ambitious industrial project after the war.

And it became renowned worldwide as the largest,

most modern steel plant in Europe.

In the post-war years, steel was vital for consumer goods,

cars and ships.

Port Talbot was seen as the perfect location for this ambitious project.

Five million tonnes of sand had to be shifted

to prepare the vast new site.

It ran two over 3.5 miles, with 75 miles of railway track.

When it opened, it would produce one million tonnes of steel per year.

Professor Louise Miskell is an expert in industrial history.

So how significant was the steelworks here at Port Talbot?

It was built at a time when Britain had just come out of the war.

There was a big emphasis on post-war reconstruction

and steel was probably the most important industry in Britain

that symbolised the kind of rebuilding of the British economy.

-Yeah.

-And I think the interesting thing about it

was that it was built to produce strip steel for the

automotive industry and for the big, booming consumer appliances.

So when the steel company in Wales, who ran this works, were

investigating strip steel, they went to America.

They looked at the latest technology for strip steel...

-Sure.

-..that the Americans had developed in the interwar period.

And they imported it here, so that Britain could produce, basically,

wide strip steel for the car industry,

for the consumer industry and, you know, it became the...

really the sort of flagship of British post-war reconstruction.

It really put Port Talbot on the map in a global sense, I think.

-Yeah. And that is big volume, isn't it?

-That's right.

The Abbey Works was soon the largest employer in the area,

with some 18,000 employees at its peak.

Port Talbot earned the nickname, Eldorado, because it had the most

highly paid industrial workers in the country.

Men like Jeff Lewis, who joined the works aged 15.

When you were talking about the national average wage at the time,

I'm talking about, it was £11 a week.

It was £21, £22 a week in Aberavon,

which obviously was a big difference.

But the high wages reflected the dangers

workers like Peter Richards faced.

Stinking place with acid fumes, dust, noise.

As far as fumes were concerned,

that did cause some concern because your teeth would go black.

Your lips would go black.

Sparks flying everywhere, tremendous noise and dust.

They weren't as health-conscious then as they are now.

16-year-old apprentice Jim Bevan had a shock on his first day

when he followed his supervisor onto the gantry.

I think it was about 90ft high,

and they were pouring steel down below.

And all of a sudden he walked onto this central beam and, not thinking,

I walked after him.

And I looked down and I dropped on all fours

and I crawled all the way across.

It's frightening. If you've never been in that environment before,

it's very frightening.

The social side of life at the Abbey Works became an important outlet for

workers. It had its own rugby teams, cricket teams and even a choir.

All these people were on a shift,

and they would become your best mates.

And we used to organise Christmas dos, nights out, trips,

and that's how you became closer and, you know,

became very good friends.

Port Talbot became a boom town during the '50s and '60s.

There were shops, cinemas,

and in 1961 the first casino in an industrial town opened its doors.

'Here, the steelworkers are the best paid in Britain.

'They live high in a style not normally associated with the Welsh.'

That was a revelation in enjoyment.

All the top stars would come to town.

Les Dawson came here, he started off. Johnny Mathis came here.

They all came to...to the casino.

These were all new things which people my age

had never experienced before.

Well, at 20 years of age and you've got money in your pocket...

You know, things are good, aren't they?

But the boom times didn't last.

During the '70s and '80s,

increased competition meant cutbacks and job losses.

Today, the privately owned steelworks employs less than

4,000 people, but it's still the largest steel manufacturing plant

in Britain.

For the workers, who were there in its heyday,

there are happy memories.

Everything seemed to be happening at the same time.

It was a great time to be alive, it was a great time to live.

Our age was right and we had this fantastic workplace on her doorstep.

-You couldn't go wrong.

-It paid for everything that I've got today.

Erm... I've had a good standard of living.

All my life, my family have had a good standard of living.

I'm very grateful for it.

My whole life has been in steel, if you like.

Either fighting for the boys,

working with them, playing with them.

You know, I can't say any more. That's my life.

But what of C.R.M. Talbot at Margam Castle, what is his legacy?

Well, of course, the steelworks that we can see here were all built

long after he had died.

But I think the importance of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot

is that he really gave Port Talbot momentum,

because he was responsible for developing lots of the transport

infrastructure - the roads, the railways -

that gave Port Talbot its locational advantage over other competitor

steel-making locations.

So really, without him starting all that,

a lot of what you see in modern-day Port Talbot today probably wouldn't

have existed as soon as it did.

Today, the steelworks face an uncertain future.

Whatever lies ahead, C.R.M. Talbot would surely be proud

of what has been achieved here.

Back at our valuation day, there are still lots of people

waiting to get their items valued.

Our experts have certainly been industrious,

and now it's over to Charles, who's found something

that would be right at home in Margam Castle.

Now, I presume you're a lady of some distinction.

Well, I'm not sure about that.

I try to be, but I'm really not sure.

You look to me a lady of etiquette.

I don't know what my friends would say about that.

Oh, and I'm sure that you've used this contraption.

-I've never used it.

-Oh, Maureen.

-Where was it found?

-It was found in my aunt's house

while we were cleaning it out.

Let's have a look.

And what we've got here is a very nice late-Victorian

horn-handled, silver-collared crumb scoop.

And it really captures the high Victorian.

And we can tell from this anthemion detail on the terminal here,

and this nice chased foliate ornament, and the fact,

you're quite right, it's dirty.

Yes, it is. I didn't know whether to clean it or not.

Well, you haven't.

We can see on the back here

we've got the mark for electroplate, so we know it's post 1870

when electrolysis really replaced Sheffield plate.

And, of course,

on this delightful collar here,

we can see the all-important hallmark.

And I can see it was made by Allen & Darwin, in Sheffield,

in the year our great Queen Victoria

celebrated her diamond jubilee.

What year was that?

Oh, now you've put me on the spot.

I've no idea.

This was made in the year 1897.

-Oh, there we are.

-So maybe when we celebrated the diamond jubilee

and served cake and tea, this may have been used

to clean the crumbs up.

-And this really reflects high society.

-Lovely.

It's something which I would put a guide price of between £25 and £30.

And, with your blessing, we will sell it on the day.

-Yep.

-I think, to a collector, it represents really good value.

It's a shame this isn't silver. If this was silver,

it would be worth more like 150.

If it makes nearer £40 or £45, I might say one thing.

-Crumbs.

-Crumbs. Exactly, haven't we done well?

-We have.

-Here's hoping.

I have to say, I loved that crumb scoop.

Now it's the turn of Mark Stacey

who's spotted a very intriguing plate.

David, one of the things I wanted to see in Wales at a Flog it!

is some Welsh porcelain.

And you've brought a lovely Nantgarw Swansea porcelain plate in.

Where did it come from?

My grandmother had it, I've been told, as a wedding present.

-Gosh.

-She was working in service.

-And in about 1900, I believe.

-Right.

She died, she left it to my uncle.

He died, and he left it to myself and my son.

-He said...you know.

-And you don't collect porcelain yourself?

No, and it's kept in a box in the attic. And I thought, you know...

Well, it's a very interesting factory.

I mean, it was one of the best Regency porcelain manufacturers.

I mean, the firm itself was set up

in the early part of the 19th century,

round about 1813, I think.

And they pumped a lot of money into producing the most exquisite

hand-painted porcelain.

And they employed some of the really top painters at the time,

particularly with the floral subject -

William Billingsley, Thomas Pardew, people like that.

This is a later one. This is from the 1820s period, I think.

It's a little bit heavier on the moulding.

-Yeah.

-And you've got this rather sort of candyfloss pink,

-haven't you?

-Yes.

-As the background with these flowers.

But the little painting in the centre is quite interesting.

-This black and white painting.

-Yes.

-The sad thing about it is its condition.

-Yes. I realise that.

-When we turn it over, you can see...

-Yes.

It really is in quite bad condition.

-But it is marked Nantgarw...

-Yes.

-..which is an interesting thing.

We've done a little bit of research and we can't come up with anything

like this. I have seen plates in the past painted in black and white with

things like the Three Graces, which has sold for a lot of money,

-but they are from known servers...

-Yes.

-..which makes a difference.

-Yes.

-And you want to sell it.

-Yes.

-And how much is it worth, do you think?

-Don't know.

-So you don't know how much it's worth.

-No.

And I don't know how much it's worth.

Because the condition is the key factor.

Now, it could turn out to be an extremely rare piece,

painted like this, in which case, collectors will forget the damage

and just want to own it.

But I think it is a historical piece and I think we have to reflect

-some sort of estimate on it.

-Yeah.

-So I would probably say...

£50-£70, something like that, because of the condition.

-Yeah. Yeah.

-And we'll put it into auction and have a go.

Now, did you want a reserve on it?

Well, I would... 50 or something.

Put some sort of reserve, I'll leave that to you.

Well, shall we put a £40 reserve fixed on it?

-OK, yeah.

-Just to protect it.

-Yes.

Now, hopefully you know all the collectors will be there.

It's a piece of local Welsh history.

-Yeah.

-And will stand in its favour.

I thank you for satisfying my quest to find a piece of local

Nantgarw Swansea porcelain.

Let's hope it flies in the salesroom.

Well, thank you very much.

It's damaged, but it's a great name,

so fingers crossed it does well at auction.

While our experts continue,

I'm heading up the hill to the castle created by C.R.M. Talbot.

It may look straight out of medieval times,

but Talbot was a man who embraced the new and inventive spirit

of the Victorian age.

One of the inventions which particularly intrigued him was

described as "painting with light". It was, of course, photography.

His cousin was William Fox Talbot, the inventor of the

positive/negative photographic process we still use today.

But Talbot encouraged other Welsh pioneers of photography

to come to the Margam estate.

John Dillwyn Llywelyn was his wife's brother.

He was a regular visitor here,

recording the castle grounds and ruins.

And one of his friends took the first ever recorded daguerreotype

here in Wales in 1841.

And this is it. Took on this very spot, standing right here.

A brand-new invention, this was ground-breaking in its time,

so here we have a new invention for a new house.

How about that?

Time to get back to our experts to find our final item of the day,

and Charles has discovered a very romantic tale.

-Stephen and Marjorie.

-Hello.

-Aren't we in the most gorgeous of backdrops?

-Yes, it's lovely.

-We are.

And of course, talking about passion, I suppose romance.

This book has quite a lot to go on

with regards to your story thus far.

Yes, we were married in Bath Abbey. This is a book of etchings of Bath.

-52 years ago.

-Really.

-And this is a book of 24 etchings

-of various places in Bath...

-Yes.

-..including the abbey.

And here we are, Etchings Of Bath,

a series of 24 plates by Fred E Ellison.

And the next...

-Oh, I say.

-And this is Bath Abbey, yes.

Oh, isn't that wonderful?

Ellison of 1886.

-Yes.

-And the actual quality of this

plate etching really is so crisp.

-Yes.

-Mm.

-Importantly, sadly we

often do see them cut out and framed

and mounted for wall space.

-Yep.

-And furthermore, they lose their colour and freshness

because of daylight.

But what is lovely about these is the fact that they very much

-have been kept within...

-It's been on a bookshelf.

-Absolutely.

That will be the Abbey porch.

-Yes.

-And that's where the photos are taken.

-Wonderful.

-And the book came a few years after...

-Yes.

-..your marriage.

It was found in a... I can't remember exactly where.

In a bookshop or an antiques fair somewhere, I can't remember.

-But you're still going strong.

-Yes.

-Yes, just look at me.

There we go. So, why is it time to ditch the book?

Well, you were coming today and we thought, what can we take?

-Yeah.

-And it's time we started ditching a few things.

-We have a house full, crammed full of...

-Yeah.

-..bits and pieces.

-Time to declutter, eh? I don't blame you...

-That's what they say.

..one bit. It's a lovely book and on the market today, it is a book,

because it is so clean and so market fresh with those plates in

superb condition, I would guide it to fetch between £70 and £100.

-OK.

-And I'll put a reserve at 70 with perhaps 10% discretion

to protect it. And hopefully elegant society in Cardiff, via Bath,

will celebrate what you have achieved in your long happy marriage

-and buy this book.

-We hope so.

-And we'll all be in heaven.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks very much.

Well, that's it.

Our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction.

It's good timing as well, as it starts to rain

and the umbrellas go up. It's been a busy, productive day.

Let's hope it pays off in the saleroom.

And here's a quick recap of all the items that are going...

..under the hammer.

Maureen's silver-plated crumb tray is straight out of a bygone age.

David's grandmother's Nantgarw plate has been hidden

in the attic for years.

And the book of etchings from Bath has a romantic back story,

but now it's heading for the auction.

Back at the saleroom, Ben Rogers Jones is holding the fort

on the rostrum.

First to go under the hammer is the crumb scoop.

We've got that crumb scoop that Charles valued belonging to Maureen.

-Yep.

-Did you use this?

-No, I've never used it.

I lost my aunt in March and cleaning her house out,

-we found that in a drawer.

-Oh, I see, OK. You found it in a drawer.

-I could use this today. My kids are messy eaters.

-Yeah.

It's the height of fashion all those years ago.

-It's etiquette.

-We used to use them. Do you use one now?

We used to... You didn't use one!

Yeah, well, my grandparents may have done.

It's just the height of sophistication.

Yeah, I know. And I say bring back the crumb scoop.

And you can buy one right here, right now, for £25.

That's what we need. It's going under the hammer.

Age of elegance crumb scoop by Allen & Darwin.

£40, nice item.

£40, with a Victorian horn handle.

£40. 20 it starts at, is there 5?

-Come on.

-Is there 30?

-Silver, silver as well.

-£30.

Against you in US at £30. 35 in America, is there a 40?

40 in the room. Is there 5?

5 back in the US. Is there 50? At 45...

At 45, Stateside, at 45.

Is everybody done? £45.

£45!

£45, well done, Charles.

Do you know, I find it astonishing that people in the States can buy

something that big from here in South Wales and get it posted

-over there - job done.

-Absolutely right.

Someone in America is going to enjoy that.

-Yep.

-Better than being in the bottom of the drawer, isn't it?

Yes, exactly.

It's not a big price, but it's heading far from home.

I hope the new owner has a butler.

Next up, it's the book of 24 etchings.

Stephen is here, but what has happened to Marjorie?

Stephen, it's good to see you again. Where is your wife?

-Well, she's in the background here, waiting.

-Oh, she's here.

She's spending the money that we're trying to...

Oh, I see, she's browsing. Hoping to buy something.

-We've just bought something, actually.

-Good for you.

Going under the hammer, right now, we've got that book,

24 etchings of buildings in Bath.

It's going under the hammer and hopefully we get the top end of

Charles's estimate.

361a, I've got 50 to start.

At £50, is there 5?

At 50, where's 5 now?

At 50, 55, 60.

5. Is there a 70 now?

65 in the cap.

OK, by the door 65 out left.

Has everybody done? At 65, here we go.

-£65, he sold it.

-Just on discretion.

-Yeah, just on. That's fine.

-70 was a moderate estimate.

-Yeah.

-That's OK.

-Just got that one away.

-Yes, thank you very much.

-That's OK.

Hopefully it goes towards what your wife's just bought.

Yes, nearly. Nearly.

That just sneaked in under the reserve.

Maybe we're too far from Bath to get

a big price, but at least it sold.

But now it's the turn of the Nantgarw plate.

That's certainly a name that resonates in Wales.

David, good luck. Fingers crossed. Should be lots of local interest.

Nantgarw, a great name in Welsh pottery.

Very good and an unusual pattern. I've never seen it.

-And it's going under the hammer.

-It is damaged, sadly.

-But...

I don't think that will hold. I don't think that'll hold the value

-back.

-It shouldn't. We're going to put this to the test. Ready?

-OK.

The only piece of Nantgarw in the sale.

I'm straight in, off I go at 110 to start with.

-110, 20.

-Straight in at 110.

30, 40, 50. 160, Peter's phone.

170, David's.

180, 190...

200. 220.

There's three telephone bids on there.

-260. Peter...

-And what did you put on this, Mark?

You want to come back with 280? 280.

-Can you remind us?

-£50-£70.

-50-70.

300. I'll take 2, won't forget you, David.

£300. 320, 380.

David, now, you're too slow. 380 is there. 400?

-£400.

-400, Catherine.

420. 440, Catherine.

These are serious Nantgarw collectors.

-Yeah, they are.

-460.

-David.

-It is the greatest name in Welsh pottery, isn't it, really?

Yeah. It's one of the greatest names in British pottery

-because it lasted so long.

-Yeah.

Is that 50? 550, 600.

650.

-Mark...

-700.

-700.

-Well, I think I...

Can you remind us what you said earlier?

I think they left a nought out of my estimate,

and that's the problem with the catalogue.

800, David.

-That's very good, that's money I got out of it.

-Love it.

-1,600.

-£1,600.

-1,600.

When is it going to stop, Paul?

Well, I don't think he is - shall we have a seat?

2,000. 2,200. 2,400.

Everybody done? Catherine's phone. Anybody in the room for this one?

At 2,400, here it goes. At 2,400.

We sell at 2,400.

-Grand, grand!

-Thank you so much.

Gosh, I've got so hot. I've got so hot.

Thank you for bringing that in, because...

-What was it again?

-50-70.

THEY LAUGH

Who'd want to be an expert on this show?

I tell you what, you've got to know your onions,

but I'm with you on that one.

I'd have probably said about the same.

But Nantgarw is such a top name, isn't it?

That was from an important service, wasn't it?

-Without a doubt, without a doubt.

-It had to be.

Good for you for hanging on to it for all that amount of time.

That's the beauty of auctions and what a way to end today's show.

It took us all by surprise and hopefully it took you by surprise.

Join us again for many more in the future, but until then

it's goodbye from Wales, and what a day we've had.