0:00:05 > 0:00:09Parham Park in West Sussex dates back to the 16th century
0:00:09 > 0:00:11and throughout its history,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15only three families have left their mark on this historic building.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Like so many of the stately homes we come across
0:00:17 > 0:00:22in our valuation days, they all have something to tell us about our past.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Today we're going to be showing you some of the fantastic locations
0:00:25 > 0:00:28we've recently visited as we've uncovered some more treasures
0:00:28 > 0:00:31from our grand tour of the country.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34Sit back and enjoy! Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Today's show is a little different from the normal.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00We've been touring the country
0:01:00 > 0:01:05and we revisited some of our busy valuation days from this series.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09Our experts listen to the stories about your treasures,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12valued them, and we took them off to salerooms around Britain.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13100 bid.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Today we go back to Margam Country Park in Wales
0:01:18 > 0:01:22which houses the longest Georgian orangery in Europe.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26At the valuation day, Catherine Southon
0:01:26 > 0:01:28was captivated by this painting.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29You just want to pick up this child
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and give him a little bit of a cuddle, don't you?
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And we do love to be beside the seaside.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Highcliffe Castle overlooking the Jurassic Coast in Dorset
0:01:38 > 0:01:41was a stunning setting where Philip Serrell
0:01:41 > 0:01:43got some DJ-ing lessons.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45What sort of music is your thing then, Keith?
0:01:45 > 0:01:49It's the old mirrorball with the '70s, Dancing Queen.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- Are you a bit of a Travolta man? - I have been known in a white suit.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56We also visited the glorious Powderham Castle in Devon.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Dating back to the 14th century, it's been a stronghold
0:01:59 > 0:02:02for the Courtenay family for more than 600 years,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07and it was here that a well-known GI got Claire Rawle all shook up.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10- You know, he was so sexy.- He was. - He sort of brought something
0:02:10 > 0:02:12to the music world that was quite different.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14I'll leave that word for you, I don't know.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Yeah, yeah, well, that's fair enough!
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And I'll be taking a tour around Parham House
0:02:19 > 0:02:22and admiring the antiques, as well as finding out
0:02:22 > 0:02:26about the part this country home played in the war effort.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27During the Second World War,
0:02:27 > 0:02:3130 schoolchildren from Peckham in South East London
0:02:31 > 0:02:34were evacuated to this large country house in Sussex.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It must have been a culture shock.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Later on in the programme, I'll be talking to one of the evacuees
0:02:40 > 0:02:44to find out what it was like being a city kid on a country estate.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50We started our valuations at Powderham Castle in Devon.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51In these grand surroundings,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Will Axon uncovered an item of real quality.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Well, Brian, Sue, welcome to Flog It!
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and this rather wonderful venue we're sat in.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04We're sat in the dining hall at Powderham Castle -
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and look around you, I mean, the linen fold and the carving,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- it almost looks medieval, doesn't it?- It's wonderful.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Would it surprise you that this room was only finished
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- about nine years before your hip flask was produced?- No!
0:03:16 > 0:03:17Is that a fact?
0:03:17 > 0:03:21- I see it's monogrammed. Family connection, perhaps?- No.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23We inherited it about a year ago from my cousin,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25who sadly passed away,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and he was quite a collector of all sorts of things,
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and this is part of the collection
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- which we thought we would move on. - Yes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:33He had a good eye, I think.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36And I'm assuming you've inherited that good eye. Has he, Sue?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Tell me, what does he collect at the moment?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Well, he doesn't really collect anything at the moment,
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- but he has got a good eye.- Has he? - And he watches all the programmes.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49- Oh, good.- And he says, "Yeah, 60 to 100," and he normally gets it right.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50Oh!
0:03:50 > 0:03:53So I've got a bit of competition here, have I, about the estimate?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Well, listen, I'll tell you a little bit about the actual flask itself.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Hallmarked 1869, silver and silver gilt,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02it's layered with a thin coating of gold.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Similar to the top, as well,
0:04:04 > 0:04:06although I can see that the gilt has rubbed off that top.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It's obviously been well used, shall we say?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11But what really interested me
0:04:11 > 0:04:14was this sort of monogrammed engraving on the front,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17- and this almost like a sort of coronet above it.- Yes.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21- I mean, that, to me, smacks of someone of some import.- Yes.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26- No ideas who that could be? - None at all.- No.- No, no.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27I mean, it's nice in the fact
0:04:27 > 0:04:30that whoever had the right to use this monogram
0:04:30 > 0:04:34would probably be looking for fine quality pieces,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38accessories, perhaps this was part of a nicely fitted leather case
0:04:38 > 0:04:42with a whole range of dressing pieces and so on.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Tell me, Brian, where do you see this at?
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- I did run it through a saleroom. - Have you?- Yes.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- But it's still here. It didn't sell?- It didn't sell.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- The estimate on it was between 100 and £150.- OK.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57To be honest with you, he's not 100 miles out there
0:04:57 > 0:04:59with that estimate, 100 to £150.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I could quite see it at that. But who knows what happens on the day?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Yes.- It's a strange psychology, auctions.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08In that, if it looks overpriced, people tend not to bid.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- If it looks attractive, then people tend to get carried away.- Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14And then they'll stand there with their bidding arm in the air
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- and they're all happy.- Maybe we ought to put some alcohol in it!
0:05:16 > 0:05:21- Exactly. Well, I was going to ask - has it been used?- Not by me.- No?
0:05:21 > 0:05:22No, no.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Well, listen, it's interesting, bearing that fact in mind,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29- that it has been exposed to the market at some stage.- Yes.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- So we're going to have to take that into account.- Sure.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34What I would say to you is - do you want to take it home?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- Or are you happy for it to...? - No, no.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Quite happy for it to find its level. Yes, indeed.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Listen, I'm going to be perhaps a little bit cheeky,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44but I'm going to slash that original estimate
0:05:44 > 0:05:45and I'm going to say to you -
0:05:45 > 0:05:48can we put it in with an estimate of say 50 to £100?
0:05:48 > 0:05:52A nice, wide estimate. And I would fix the reserve at that £50.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53- Right.- And I think this time around,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55you will be leaving it at the saleroom.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Well, let's do it. - It'll find a new home.- Yes.- Yeah?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- OK.- Are you happy with that, Sue? - That'll be good, yes.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- If you have to pass it by? - Very good, yes.- Yeah?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04And what's the money going to go on?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- Are you going to maybe buy something else that you do like?- No.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09The money will go to cancer charity,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13which is sadly what my cousin died of.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Well, that gives it a more sort of rounded finish, doesn't it?
0:06:16 > 0:06:17It's gone full circle.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- Well, listen, Brian, Sue, all that's left to say is cheers!- Cheers.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- And I look forward to seeing you at the auction.- You will.- Yes, indeed.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25Chin-chin. Bottoms up.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Our travels then took us to South Wales and Margam Country Park,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34near Port Talbot, where Catherine Southon happened upon a moving tale.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Joan, this picture almost speaks for itself. It's beautifully painted.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44We've got this lovely little boy, sitting here on his chair,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47holding his favourite toy. Perhaps he's about three or four.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51There must be a great story behind this and I would love to hear it.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Well, it's a lovely story, actually,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56because this little boy's name was Ernst
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and he was of a Jewish family
0:06:58 > 0:07:02and they fled Germany just as Hitler was taking power.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- Right.- And they took all their wealth to South Africa.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Years later, when Ernst grew up, as a young man,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11he went into the textile industry, where he met my grandad.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So, were they friends throughout their lives, or...?
0:07:14 > 0:07:16How did you get the painting?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20They stayed friends throughout their adulthood then,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and eventually Ernst moved to Cardiff and so did my grandad,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25sharing a flat together.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- Sadly, Ernst died before my grandad.- Right.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- He left all his wealth to my grandad.- Right.
0:07:29 > 0:07:35When my grandad died, he left the flat to my sister and myself.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- So, did you know him? - I didn't know Ernst, no.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Just all the stories that my grandad told us.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44I did put him on the wall at one time,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47but as my children are getting older, I asked them,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49and no, they don't want anything to do with it,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and he's now living under my bed.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Oh, gosh! Is he?
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- Don't put Ernst under the bed, after all he's gone through!- Yes!
0:07:55 > 0:07:57We can't hide him under the bed!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00So I thought I'd bring him along today,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02see if I can get any information and whatever.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Well, I haven't been able to find out
0:08:04 > 0:08:06a huge amount of information for you, I'm afraid,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09because we've looked up these initials and we've drawn
0:08:09 > 0:08:11a bit of a blank, which is such a shame.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12Well, I tried at one time,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- and I couldn't come up with anything either.- Did you?- Yeah.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18It is a shame, because it would have been wonderful to uncover the artist
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and find out who he was, because he was clearly a very good artist.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25This is something that people will get excited about at auction
0:08:25 > 0:08:27because it's a charming piece.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31The colours, the blues in the little almost sailor-type scarf
0:08:31 > 0:08:35that he's wearing is really super. The eyes are so beautifully painted.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37You just want to pick up this child
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- and give him a little bit of a cuddle, don't you?- Yeah.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40Cwtsh, in Wales.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42- Aw, a little cotsh. - A cwtsh.- A cwtsh.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46- Well, he doesn't deserve to be under the bed.- I know, bless him.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Let me tell you that, Joan.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50He's absolutely stunning, isn't he? But doesn't fit into my, erm...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Doesn't fit into your lifestyle.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54No, and I will be sorry to see him go,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- because he's absolutely beautiful. - Charming.- Charming.- He is beautiful.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Well, what's it worth? is the question.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And I think if we knew the artist,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03it would be easier for us to work out.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08It was painted in 1906, so this is when he was only a few years old.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13- But I think we should easily make £200-300 on it.- Oh, thank you.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18I'm going to put a reserve of £160 and we'll see what happens.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Thank you so much for bringing Ernst along.- Thank you.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23And it's been lovely to meet him and lovely to meet you.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- And his little dog.- And his dog. - And his dog, yes.- Thank you.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30I'm glad Joan got her painting out from under the bed.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It was too good to hide away.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Back in West Sussex, I've made a rather fine discovery.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Now, here in the Great Parlour at Parham,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43there's something I want to show you, and it's this -
0:09:43 > 0:09:48it's an ironbound walnut travelling chest and it dates to around 1650,
0:09:48 > 0:09:49and it's known as a bargueno.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52It literally is a travelling chest, as you can see.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Handles on either side.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And it's on its original stand, which I really like.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59But this kind of piece of furniture
0:09:59 > 0:10:02was a portable piece of kit and they date right back to the Middle Ages
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and you could get everything inside this travelling chest.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Wait till I open it.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11By virtue of pulling these little scallop shells out,
0:10:11 > 0:10:12which are known as lopers,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15you find them on bureaus in the 17th and 18th century, as well.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19Now, it has fall front. This has two purposes.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21It not only protects the interior,
0:10:21 > 0:10:28but also it acts as a perfect writing surface,
0:10:28 > 0:10:33so you can stand here or have your scribe stand here with his quill
0:10:33 > 0:10:37and write for you - but look at that. Little drawers everywhere.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39It's like a facade of a city.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Look at this, with wonderful classical columns.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44It has everything you want -
0:10:44 > 0:10:49and look, gilded little piece to pick out the scallop shells inside,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52suggesting it's been on some historical tour.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Ebony, ivory, black and white setting off against each other.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Isn't that beautiful? And it is a fruitwood.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02It's walnut, so it is susceptible to a little bit of worm,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04but you can forgive it that,
0:11:04 > 0:11:06but it's the patina that I particularly like.
0:11:06 > 0:11:11The years and years of polishing and caressing.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15It was meant to be picked up by two burly guys with iron handles
0:11:15 > 0:11:18either side here, loaded on to the back of a horse and cart
0:11:18 > 0:11:21and off you went, and then you'd set it up wherever you desired.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25To have something like this on its original stand, well,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28that's just highly sought after. Not many exist.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31This house is just full of magnificent treasures,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34but right now, we need to look at some more treasures of our own,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38so let's go over to our expert for our next item.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41And as we continue our journey around the country,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43it was at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset
0:11:43 > 0:11:45that Philip Serrell met Keith.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- Keith, I've got to ask you something.- Yeah, what's that, Phil?
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Have you had a nice, relaxing, quiet day?
0:11:52 > 0:11:54- Not particularly, no. - Why's that, Keith?
0:11:54 > 0:11:57It's because I probably spent about six hours and more
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- waiting to see you, Phil. - Has it been worth it?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01- I think it has.- Excellent!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- To see the main man! - There's my man!
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Now, Keith, a little bird told me that at the weekends, you're a DJ.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09That is correct.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I'm past my sell by date, but that's the sort of thing I do.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And what sort of music is your thing then, Keith?
0:12:14 > 0:12:17It's the old mirrorball with the '70s, Dancing Queen.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- Are you a bit of a Travolta man? - I have been known in the white suit.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- I think it's time to move on, don't you?- I think so.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I think we'd better sort this out, hadn't we?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- Where have they come from? - I bought them at collectors' fairs.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27I like going to toys fairs.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29It's stuff I couldn't afford when I was young.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33My parents couldn't afford to buy me it and when I saw them,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35I bought it - and there's other things as well.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36I'm a bit of a collect-a-holic.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38What you said then is actually quite poignant.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40You probably didn't realise you said it.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43But you go and buy things that your parents couldn't afford to buy you.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Yeah. - So, what attracted you to these two?
0:12:45 > 0:12:48My father was on the railways, so that probably got me.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52- That's where it comes from. These are Hornby.- They're Hornby, yeah.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- Hornby 00.- Yeah, that's true.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57And Hornby was really prevalent in between the war years, wasn't it?
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- Yeah.- From about 1920 to 1938.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02I mean, there's an expression with toys, isn't there? Mint and boxed.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05That's correct. And they're boxed, but, yeah, sort of mint,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06but the box is not really mint.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10But I think they're in jolly good condition, aren't they?
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- Yeah.- So, when did you buy these? - These were bought ten years ago.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15So, if you bought these ten years ago,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17why do you want to sell them now?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Because I'm trying to declutter some of what I've purchased
0:13:20 > 0:13:25in the past and most stuff, when I buy it, I try and buy it good.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27So, when I get rid of it, it's still in a good state.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29The only thing is that the value now
0:13:29 > 0:13:32probably won't be as good as what I paid for it originally.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- It's not what it was, is it?- No. - Isn't that just lovely?- Yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I think that at auction, I would offer these two as one lot.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39That's I wanted to do, yeah.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41If you hadn't told me you bought them ten years ago,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I would tell you 60 to £90 for the two, reserve them at £50,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46but I don't know what you've paid for them.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- Is that what you say now? - That's sort of what I'm thinking.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- Yeah, I would go with that. - Would you?- Yeah, definitely.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- So we put 60 to 90 on them as an estimate.- Yeah.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58And we'll reserve them at £50. Now, you can tell me what they cost you.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I think one of them might have cost me around £80 at the time,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03which would have been a lot of money.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06But the thing is, and what people forget about this business,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- is you've owned this for, what, ten years?- Yeah.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10I've had the pleasure of looking at it,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13I've not really had it up and running too much,
0:14:13 > 0:14:15but hopefully they're still working.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17They've been shoved away for a little while now.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19The thing is, Keith, at least if you sell these
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- and realise some money, you can reinvest it.- I will do.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It will go back into buying something else.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- Well, that's great - and I hope they do well for you.- Yeah.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29Thank you.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Well, I must say,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39everybody has been working flat out all over the country,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41looking for some real treasures,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44but here, in the West Room at Parham,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47I have made a bit of a discovery myself.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50It's a rather curious looking scientific instrument.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53It's beautifully made. It's made of Cuban mahogany.
0:14:53 > 0:14:54It's known as a waywiser,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57and the word comes from the German word "wegweiser"
0:14:57 > 0:15:00meaning something to show you the way,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and that term was also given to what we now call the trundle wheel -
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and this is a trundle wheel, basically.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09It measures the distance between two points.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13This particular example was made in 1790 by G A Adams,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16a London maker to King George III -
0:15:16 > 0:15:19and I love this brass scientific dial.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21It really is a proper gentleman's piece,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24with an outer circle of Roman numerals.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28One hand which points to either - listen to this -
0:15:28 > 0:15:31poles, yards, chains, or furlongs.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Right, it's now time for us to go over to the auction rooms
0:15:34 > 0:15:36to see how our experts' items fared -
0:15:36 > 0:15:40and here's a quick recap of what went under the hammer.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43At our valuation day at Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Brian and Sue brought along this high quality hip flask.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54And this portrait of a young boy was valued by Catherine Southon
0:15:54 > 0:15:56at Margam Country Park in Wales.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Keith, the DJ at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06brought along his Hornby train set
0:16:06 > 0:16:09and was hoping for some light at the end of the tunnel
0:16:09 > 0:16:11when it went to auction.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Remember, whether you're buying or selling, at every auction,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22there is always commission and VAT to pay.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25In the maritime city of Plymouth,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28auctioneer Anthony Eldred was the man on the rostrum,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31testing the market for the hip flask
0:16:31 > 0:16:33that Will spotted at Powderham Castle.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37I've just been joined by Brian and Sue,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39and going under the hammer right now, we have the hip flask.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41It's really good quality.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I like this a lot and it should do the top end.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45And we're in the right area for a hip flask, aren't we?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Yes, hunting, shooting, fishing, across the moors.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- Have you ever used one? - No. Have you?- No.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54Do you know something? My wife's got one.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- That's cos she's married to you.- No!
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- I just take the bottle. - Yeah, exactly.- Here we go.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Victorian silver mounted glass hip flask - and £50 bid for it.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06At £50. Five, if you want it.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08At 55. And 60. Five.
0:17:08 > 0:17:1070. And five.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13At £75. I'm bid 80 now online.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Oh, that's good.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19At £90. Bidding's on the net. At £90.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20I estimate around 100.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22BANGS GAVEL
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- That's good. 90's better than 50. - Exactly. Absolutely.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- Thank you very much. - Thank you, Paul.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31We then made tracks to the auction house at Wareham in Dorset.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34John Condie was the man with the gavel.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Did the bidders get steamed up over the Hornby train set?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41We have something for the boys right now.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43No wonder Philip picked this lot.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- It's a Hornby 00 gauge train set belonging to Keith.- Here it is.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It's going under the hammer right now.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Goods train set. In their boxes, there.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I'm straight in at £50.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56£50 bid. 55. 60.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Five. 70. Five.
0:17:58 > 0:18:0180. £80, commission bid.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04At 85. Anybody else? £80, then.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07We're going to sell at 80.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Going at £80.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11BANGS GAVEL Are you happy with that result?
0:18:11 > 0:18:14I am happy with that result, because there are other items
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- in the auction that I'm interested in.- Really?- And Flog It!,
0:18:17 > 0:18:18it's always inspired me to buy.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So, there we go.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22So glad we were able to help you, Keith.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Next stop, Wales, to Rogers Jones & Co saleroom in Cardiff.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Ben Rogers Jones was the auctioneer.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35And going under the hammer was the portrait of Ernst.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Joan, fingers crossed.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Something for all you fine art lovers, it's an oil on board.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It's a young three-year-old boy painted in the early 1900s.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- It's been under Joan's bed for a long time.- It certainly has, yeah.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52- Why?- Nice and tidy.- Where should it be?- It should be on the wall!
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I know. My children are not interested in it.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57- And it's such a shame. - Wish we knew who it was by.- Yeah.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Provenance is what it's all about,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02but we always say on this show - quality always sells.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05This is quality. Good luck. This is it.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10This charming portrait at £150, it is to sell. At £150. At 150.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Is there 60 now? 150.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- 60 anywhere?- Oh, come on!
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- At 150. I have on commission. - It's gone commission.- He's selling.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20He's got a commission bid.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- 160 in Ireland.- Oh, good. Oh, in Ireland.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Is there 70? At 160. At 160. Is there 70? £160.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31All done, here it goes at 160.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32- BANGS GAVEL - 160.- Gone.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- It's gone.- Not a lot of money, but it's gone.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I was hoping for a bit more on that.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I think you'd rather have the money than stick it back under the bed.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- I certainly would.- Exactly. It's doing nothing under the bed.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- And someone's going to enjoy that. - Yes, yes.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Thank you for bringing that in.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47And I hope you enjoyed the whole Flog It! experience.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I certainly did, yes. Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Well, that's it for our first three items,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but we'll be returning to valuation days and salerooms
0:19:55 > 0:19:58across the country later on in the show.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Back in East Sussex, Parham House has stood proudly
0:20:08 > 0:20:10since the Elizabethan era,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12and, during World War II,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15it played an important role in the war effort,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17when the estate welcomed some new arrivals.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27On the 1st of September 1939, German troops entered Poland.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Whilst in Britain, millions of children boarded trains
0:20:32 > 0:20:35that would separate them from their families.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Codenamed Operation Pied Piper,
0:20:40 > 0:20:46this was the mass evacuation of more than three million children.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Two days later, war was declared on Germany.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I can't imagine what that must have been like,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02being sent away from your family and the world you know
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and being put into the hands of complete strangers.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Parents having to send their children away,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11not knowing when or even if they would see them again.
0:21:14 > 0:21:1730 of the evacuees came from Peckham in South East London
0:21:17 > 0:21:19and were brought here to Parham House.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23One of those evacuated was Ron Callon.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27He was nine years old when he arrived with his younger brother.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33Today, he is 85 and has come back to Parham House to share his memories.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Ron.- Hello, Paul. - Hi. It's a pleasure to meet you.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Tell me, what were you feeling, the first time you arrived here
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- with your brother? - Excited, obviously.
0:21:45 > 0:21:46Scared, as well?
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Coming down the hill in the coach, we couldn't believe
0:21:50 > 0:21:53that we were coming to a situation as big as it is.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57And, obviously, all the kids on the coach were getting more excited,
0:21:57 > 0:21:58- the more they saw of it.- Yeah.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00And we came into the courtyard,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03they couldn't believe that they were going to live in house like this.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Wow, yeah. And just look it at it.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08The youngsters got far more excited, cos when we arrived,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Mr and Mrs Pearson was outside and the two girls.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13There was only two girls then at the time.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17There was a big barrel of apples and all these kids got off the coach
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and they just went berserk. Instead of going for the apples,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22they went for the fountain behind them.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- Did they?- Yes, to fiddle about with the fish.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28And they suddenly realised there's a barrel of apples there,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31so they had them and they were eating them all the time.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35And the Pearson family, they were laughing their heads off.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38The family, the Right Honourable Clive Pearson and his wife,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Alicia, and their three daughters took on the role of teaching
0:22:42 > 0:22:45the evacuee children the ways of the countryside.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50In an attempt to get them to eat vegetables,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54they were given their own plots and tasked with growing their own.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- Churchill made a statement - Dig For Victory.- Yeah.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01So, the Pearson family decided they'd do their bit,
0:23:01 > 0:23:06so along the wall, we had all the plots and each child had one,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09so there was 30 plots, and they had all the same types of things,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11they couldn't grow a lot
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- because there wasn't a lot of room on there.- Yeah.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18So, we grew lettuce, cabbage, carrots, potatoes,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- things that you use every day. - Sure. Yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23And we enjoyed it - and from there on in,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25I've been gardening all my life.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- So, it did change your life a bit. - Oh, definitely.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30This started you off on to gardening.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I like flower gardens, I do them.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I've had allotments in the past,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36but I've now got a nice vegetable patch, as well.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- Such a change from Peckham. - Very much so. Couldn't get more.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Ron's bond with Parham has continued over the past 75 years,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and he has returned to visit on special occasions.
0:23:51 > 0:23:52Today, he still remains in touch
0:23:52 > 0:23:55with the Pearsons' great-granddaughter,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Lady Emma Barnard, who lives at the house.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06- How lovely to see you.- Lovely.- Ron! - CHUCKLING
0:24:08 > 0:24:12the Great Parlour in the main house was turned into a classroom,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15and the children lived in the servants' quarters.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Come through from the Great Hall,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and I think you might remember this room, Ron.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- Oh, very much so. Yes. I learned a lot.- Has it changed a bit?
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I tell you what, you can evacuate me right now.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30LAUGHTER This is smashing, isn't it?
0:24:30 > 0:24:31It's beautiful!
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- And this was your classroom. - It was, yes.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36And I enjoyed every moment of it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38How did your great-grandmother feel
0:24:38 > 0:24:40about children running around the house -
0:24:40 > 0:24:42or were they only allowed to have a certain part?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Well, they actually couldn't have the run of the whole house
0:24:45 > 0:24:48because my great-grandparents had taken in a lot of people
0:24:48 > 0:24:50who were waifs and strays from the war.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52So, 30 evacuee children and then old governesses
0:24:52 > 0:24:55and a few old aunts and funny people like that,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57so I think you had, Ron, this classroom,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and then you were allowed to have lunch and dinner in a dining room.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02They had the run of the estate.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06And my great-aunt Veronica trained them to come to a dog whistle,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and she had various signals,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12so one was you can go away now, doot-doot was come back,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and then there was a third whistle, which was - come back immediately!
0:25:16 > 0:25:18And of course, it was the only way
0:25:18 > 0:25:20that she could get the boys in from outside,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22was to stand outside and give the whistles.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- It's just a great idea.- She was very persuasive, your auntie.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- Oh, she was very strict.- Yes.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31But she loved the little boys, they loved the children.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Of course, the children had only come with 24 hour rations,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and practically the clothes they stood up in,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40so they weren't equipped for country life. So one of the things that...
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Your first Christmas present, I think, were dressing gowns.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44- Dressing gowns and slippers. Yes. - Aw!
0:25:44 > 0:25:46And all the children got dressing gowns and slippers
0:25:46 > 0:25:48and some of the little boys, I remember her saying to me,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51were so excited about having dressing gowns for the first time
0:25:51 > 0:25:52that they never took them off,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55so they ran around for weeks wearing these dressing gowns.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Yes, some of the youngsters, they used to come to school in them.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Instead of an overcoat, they came in their dressing gown.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- It sounds like it was an adventure for you.- Oh, fantastic.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05A children's paradise. It really was.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08For a boy from a deprived area of the city,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11suddenly life was good, but even here,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14he was unable to escape the devastating effects of war.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- You must have had mixed emotions when the war was over.- Very much so.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- You returned to your parents.- I had some not very nice experiences.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27My elder brother, he was 16, he'd just finished his naval training
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and he came to see us, and two days later,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33we heard that he'd got a ship at Portsmouth called the Hood
0:26:33 > 0:26:35and of course, that was the last time we ever saw him,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- when he came, cos he was killed on the Hood in 1940.- Mm.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43The death of Ron's brother Billy just two days after his visit
0:26:43 > 0:26:46to Parham may have been the catalyst for a further tragedy.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49We've still got the letters,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52asking my father to give him permission
0:26:52 > 0:26:54to go to sea before he was 17.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Unfortunately, he gave him permission to do so,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and of course, that's the last time I saw him.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It's believed that Ron's dad could never forgive himself
0:27:03 > 0:27:06for signing the permission for his 16-year-old son
0:27:06 > 0:27:09to go to sea, and, soon after, he too died.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Which the family believe was caused by a broken heart.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21The fact that Ron would never see his elder brother or father again
0:27:21 > 0:27:25has made his time at Parham all the more poignant.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Memories always keep coming back. It's like coming back to home.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- Yes, it's lovely to have you back. - Yes.- It's always lovely.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39From September 1940 to May 1941, London was heavily bombed,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41and more than one million homes,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45including Ron's in Peckham, were flattened.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51Around 40,000 civilians were killed and 46,000 more seriously injured.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56But thanks to places like Parham House,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00millions of children like Ron were kept safe during the war years.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09The children stayed here at Parham for three years,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12until the War Department requisitioned the house
0:28:12 > 0:28:14for the Canadian Army in 1942.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17The evacuees were then rehoused locally.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21They weren't reunited with their parents until the war ended.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Ron's experience here at Parham in this large country house
0:28:24 > 0:28:28changed his life and everything he's done since then
0:28:28 > 0:28:30has been inspired by his time here.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Now, it's time to continue our journey around the UK,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40where we cross the border from England into Wales,
0:28:40 > 0:28:43to our valuation day at Margam Country Park
0:28:43 > 0:28:45and tapped into Mark Stacey's Oriental wisdom.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51- Sharon and Fiona.- Yes. - Sisters.- Yes.- Yes.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56- Tell me about this wonderful pot. - It belongs to our father.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59It's kept in the living room, up on top of a high cupboard.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01So, it's lucky it's surviving.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03- Do you like it?- Some days.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06- Yeah.- It's out of sight, you can't always see it.- No.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08We've got things in front of it.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10- So you've got a lot of clutter in your house.- Yes, my mother has.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13In my mother's house, yes.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14And do you know anything about it?
0:29:14 > 0:29:17It belonged to my father's grandmother,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and it's come from Annan in Dumfriesshire,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23where my grandmother lived, great-grandmother,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27and it was kept on the dining room table in front of a window.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30- Oh, wonderful. Well, of course, it's not Scottish.- No.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- You know that, don't you?- Yeah. - It's Chinese.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37This pattern is known as Cantonese Famille Rose.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42Now, the Famille Rose bit comes from this lovely, delicate shade of pink.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45And we call it Cantonese because all this type of ware
0:29:45 > 0:29:49was exported from China via the port of Canton,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- so it's always referred to as Cantonese.- Ah.- Famille Rose ware.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56It's very difficult to date, because it's been going for a long time,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59but I think this is probably mid to late 19th century,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02and the amazing thing about it, it's travelled quite a lot,
0:30:02 > 0:30:03from China to Dumfries, to Wales,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05but it's still in very good condition.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- So you've been very good, looking after it.- Never touch it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09You're not allowed to touch it?
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Not allowed to touch it till this weekend.
0:30:11 > 0:30:12Well, I think it's lovely -
0:30:12 > 0:30:14and it's got the very typical panels of figures,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17as I mentioned, and birds and butterflies,
0:30:17 > 0:30:18with branches of flowers.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20And it's this lovely Chinese shape,
0:30:20 > 0:30:22and the Chinese market is still quite buoyant at the moment.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24And particularly for this pattern.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28- Have you got any idea what your little plant pot is worth?- No.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32We should put it into auction at 200 to £300, with a £200 reserve.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35- Will Dad be happy with that?- Yes. - I think he'd be very happy.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38And I think it might fly, you know.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- Will he share some of the proceeds with you?- No.
0:30:41 > 0:30:42- No!- Oh, that's not fair, is it?
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- You've had to sit here and put up with this.- I know.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- Shame him into it now.- Yes, come on, Dad! They need a percentage.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51I'll see you at the auction.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- Thanks.- Thank you.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56As you know, beautifully designed furniture is my thing,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59so I thoroughly enjoyed our valuation day
0:30:59 > 0:31:00at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Lesley and Alison, thank you so much for bringing some furniture in.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06I mean, this really is my passion.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08And it's a wonderful stick-back chair.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Now, you're sisters, so this has been in the family a long time,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13so who owns it right now?
0:31:13 > 0:31:14It's actually our mother's.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17It was our father's chair, and he sat in it all the time.
0:31:17 > 0:31:22And we think before that, it was actually our grandfather's.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24We don't know where it came from,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27but it's always been in the house and it's always been sat on.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Oh, it's had a lovely history, it's been in the family a long time.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32I mean, this type of furniture
0:31:32 > 0:31:34was typical of the working rural classes
0:31:34 > 0:31:36throughout the 18th and 19th century.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38This particular one is a West Country stick-back.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39A lot of this is steam bent.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Now, stick-back chairs, you can have a comb-back,
0:31:41 > 0:31:44which has got a straight shoulder, or you can have a hoop-back.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Obviously, we have the hoop-back.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49The arm is made in three parts. One section there,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53one section here and a lap joint into another section there.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56So, it's relatively easy to make - but by the late 18th century,
0:31:56 > 0:31:57the turn of the 19th century,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01these were being mass produced all around the Slough area,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03where the trees grew, the elm and the ash,
0:32:03 > 0:32:04they loved that chalky soil.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06So that was the centre of mass production.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09That's why they're coined the Windsor chair.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13They weren't really made in Windsor, there's nothing to do with royalty,
0:32:13 > 0:32:14it's just that they were made in that area.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Now the definition of a Windsor stick-back chair means,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20all the components are socketed into the seat.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23When I mean socketed in,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26exactly like the hammer shaft into the head of a hammer. OK?
0:32:26 > 0:32:29So you start with the elm seat.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32It's cut out to resemble a saddle, so it's nice and comfy.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35The elm has a wild, ambiguous grain.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38It's interlocking, it never runs straight.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41That's ideal for punching loads of holes in.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43If I turn it over,
0:32:43 > 0:32:45you can see this chair has lost a little bit of height.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48If you look at this ring turning here,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50it's short by about two inches
0:32:50 > 0:32:53because these chairs really stood on stony floors
0:32:53 > 0:32:55and muddy floors in workers' cottages,
0:32:55 > 0:32:57and they've rotted over the centuries.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00But it's a lovely example of a West Country stick-back,
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and I love it to bits.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04It's got a lot of history, thank you bringing it in.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Now you want to know the value, don't you? Any idea?
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Not really, no.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12We've had no expert ever look at it.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- One person sort of said possibly 100.- OK.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Well, given its condition
0:33:18 > 0:33:21and the fact that it's lost a little bit of height, has devalued it.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23I'm going to say £200-£300.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28A reserve at £200. With a 10% discretion. It's beautiful.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- So thank you so much for bringing it in.- Thank you. It's great.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35Our travels know no end.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37In the pretty setting of Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:33:37 > 0:33:41Claire Rawle's spotted an American army recruit
0:33:41 > 0:33:43who's signing up became an international event.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45# I'm all shook up. #
0:33:45 > 0:33:48Well, Peter, a photograph of the King.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51It's really good, as well. It's a brilliant image.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52So what can you tell me about it?
0:33:52 > 0:33:56All I can tell you is that my wife had a pen pal in Germany
0:33:56 > 0:33:58called Reinhard, and they were writing to each other
0:33:58 > 0:34:00in their teens,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03and Elvis suddenly got conscripted and went to Germany
0:34:03 > 0:34:05to do his national service,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and when you see his pose he was signing autographs.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Oh, I see, so, he's actually looking down.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12He was looking down to sign autographs,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14and that's when Reinhard took the photograph.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16- So he was very relaxed.- Yes.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Then he went away and got it developed and then came back
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- at a later date and got Elvis to sign it.- Yes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Of course when we look at the back we have the signature there.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27He has only just got there, as well.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29- Yeah.- Everybody wanted Elvis.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30- Yeah, he was so sexy.- He was.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33He brought something to the music world that was quite different.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35I'll leave that word for you, I don't know.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36Yeah, yeah, well, that's fair enough!
0:34:36 > 0:34:38So then what happened to it?
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Then in 1980 she decided that for curiosity
0:34:41 > 0:34:43she sent it to Sotheby's to get a price on it,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45which they gave her a rough price
0:34:45 > 0:34:48and authenticated that it was an original
0:34:48 > 0:34:51which we have a letter for and then she put it away.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Unfortunately, I lost my wife two years ago,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56and I was clearing out all the bits and pieces,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00and in her bra and knicker drawer was this of Elvis.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Where else would you keep it?! Really, yes.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Excellent, so you saved him. I particularly like it.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09I think it's a lovely image of him. So the friend took the photograph?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- Her pen pal.- Yes, yes.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- So it's a completely private taken photograph...- Yes.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16It's lovely because he's not posing,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18he's not really looking at the camera, is it?
0:35:18 > 0:35:20It's a really individual portrait.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23There were a few others but I haven't been able to find them.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25They weren't signed. That was the only one that was signed.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27- That was the only one that was autographed?- Yes.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Oh, right. The great thing with anything autographed,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33especially by somebody of this magnitude, is you do need history.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36- Yes.- So first thing a buyer will ask you when you're selling this,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39how did you get it? How did you know this is where it came from?
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- You've got cast-iron provenance. - It's 100% genuine.- Yes, exactly.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Very often... I mean, OK, you've got the Sotheby's letter,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49- but it is you that has the provenance.- Yes.- And the history.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Sometimes purchasers will say, could I have
0:35:51 > 0:35:54a letter from the vendor, maybe sort of backing it up.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55That's something you'll have to think about.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59- I think it should be estimated at £70-£100.- Yeah, that's fine.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01- Does that sound fine? - Yeah, that's fine.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05I'd put the reserve at just under the bottom estimate, about 65.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- 65's fine.- I think that actually would make a lot more than that.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09- You just never know. - That's absolutely fine.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11- If you're happy with that? - Absolutely fine.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12- That's good, is it?- I'm happy.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14I think we need to get him out into the open,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16and a collector will treasure that.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Have you got any ideas what you're going to put the money towards?
0:36:19 > 0:36:20I'll take my mother-in-law out for a meal,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22because I'm looking after my mother-in-law.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Well done. Excellent. That's lovely.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27- I look forward to see how it goes. - I'll be there.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- It'll be interesting to see what reaction it gets.- Yeah, that's fine.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31Thanks for bringing it in.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- It's a lovely story, as well. Thanks, Peter.- You're welcome.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37That our final item and we'll see how it fared
0:36:37 > 0:36:39in the saleroom shortly.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41But before that, I'm back at Parham House
0:36:41 > 0:36:45where there's something rather fun at the bottom end of the garden.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Now I just had to show you this magnificent Wendy House
0:36:50 > 0:36:53which was built into the side of the garden walls here.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55It's beautiful, it's like a mini cottage.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58I love the fact it's got a gallery up there.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01This was built by Clive Pearson in the 1920s
0:37:01 > 0:37:03for his three daughters to play in.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Sadly, there's no time to play today.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08It's over to the auctions now and here's a quick recap
0:37:08 > 0:37:11of all those items that went under the hammer.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13At Margam Country Park in Wales,
0:37:13 > 0:37:18Mark Stacey felt that this Cantonese flowerpot had plenty of promise.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25As you probably well know my love of wooden furniture
0:37:25 > 0:37:28makes this stick-back chair found at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset
0:37:28 > 0:37:30my favourite.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38And kept in a knicker drawer, a signed picture of Elvis
0:37:38 > 0:37:39in his Army uniform
0:37:39 > 0:37:42from our valuation day at Powderham Castle in Devon.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Right then, back to Wales and Rogers Jones & Co saleroom
0:37:51 > 0:37:55in Cardiff. Ben Rogers Jones was on the rostrum.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57Sisters Sharon and Fiona were excited
0:37:57 > 0:38:00about selling their dad's flowerpot.
0:38:02 > 0:38:03Well, if you want quality,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05just look at this next lot going under the hammer.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08It's a jardiniere on stand, and it is Famille Rose.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10I think this is superb.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Sharon and Fiona, I'd be keeping this, but I guess...
0:38:13 > 0:38:16- Who owns it out of you two sisters? - Our father.- Your dad?
0:38:16 > 0:38:18OK, look, good luck.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20What are we going to get for this, do you reckon?
0:38:20 > 0:38:23- We'd like to get 200.- No...
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Look, it's a very buoyant sale so far.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29I mean, we should get the top end for this, at least.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31This is it, good luck, girls. It's going under the hammer.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35The Canton Famille Rose planter with stand.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- I've got 150 to start.- Wow! - We've started.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40£150, is there 60 now?
0:38:40 > 0:38:44At 150. Who's coming in? 160, 170.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45170 with me.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47180, 190. 200.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49At £200 online.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51- That's better.- We've got 200. We've got the reserve.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53I was hoping for more than this.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54£200 is online.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Anybody else now? £200.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Online now. Everybody done, fair warning to you all at £200.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02BANGS GAVEL
0:39:02 > 0:39:04We just got it away.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Just got it away.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07I thought that might do a bit better, Paul, didn't you?
0:39:07 > 0:39:10- Yes, I did.- I really did.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12It's what people are prepared to pay on the day, isn't it?
0:39:12 > 0:39:13Exactly, yeah.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16You've summed it up, that's what an auction is all about.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18If you had somebody else that was prepared to push them,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20you just don't know what's going to happen, do you?
0:39:20 > 0:39:22We got there.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25And they weren't the only sisters selling off the family heirlooms.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27When we headed to Wareham in Dorset,
0:39:27 > 0:39:29John Condie was the auctioneer,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31and sisters Lesley and Alison
0:39:31 > 0:39:34were hoping for a good return on the stick-back chair.
0:39:37 > 0:39:38It's just about to go under the hammer.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40That was my valuation £200-£300.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- It's great to see you again, sisters, Lesley and Alison?- Yes.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47- Are you having any regrets?- No.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51- This is a good decision, is it? - Hopefully it'll go to be loved.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52- It'll be loved. - Do you know what?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55I thought you may have changed your minds.
0:39:55 > 0:39:57I thought I bet you withdraw it or change your mind.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00I wouldn't blame you, because it is such a beautiful piece,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- it really is.- If we go home with it, we'll be happy.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05- If it sells, we'll be happy. - Good luck.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08I'd be really happy if it sells for over the £300 mark,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10because it's worth every penny.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Hopefully the bidders will agree, as well.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Let's find out exactly what it's worth right now.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18A nice Windsor chair, stick-back, there.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Off we go, I'll start at £100 for it.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24100. 100. 110. 120.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26130. 140.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28150. 160.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30170. 180.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32180 here. 180.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35180 bid. At 180.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36190 make it.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40£180, then. Anyone else coming in for the nice little Windsor chair?
0:40:40 > 0:40:41180.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Oh, come on.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44BANGS GAVEL
0:40:44 > 0:40:46Oh...
0:40:46 > 0:40:48Gosh, it should've gone.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Look, it's gone, anyway. It's gone.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52It has. We're pleased.
0:40:52 > 0:40:53Thank you for bringing it in.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55We hardly see any furniture, and, for me,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58that was the best moment of the day, seeing that lovely chair.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- Thank you so much. - No, thank you very much.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02It's been a great day. Thank you.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Auctioneer John Condie used a little discretion,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07as the stick-back chair sold just under the reserve.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Next to our final stop of the day which was back in Plymouth
0:41:12 > 0:41:14and for auctioneer Anthony Eldred,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17it was a little less conversation and a little more action
0:41:17 > 0:41:19with Peter's photo of Elvis.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22There's something poignant about looking
0:41:22 > 0:41:24at an old black and white photo of Elvis.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27He was, in his day, the most sexiest man on the planet, wasn't he?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Are you selling this for any reason,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31or you'll just let a collector have it?
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- Just let it go. - It's signed, as well, isn't it?
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Yes.- I think whoever buys it has got to mount it
0:41:37 > 0:41:40so at the back there's a bit missing
0:41:40 > 0:41:41- so they can turn it round.- Exactly.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44It's such a nice thing, isn't it?
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Right, it's going under the hammer.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Hopefully we've got some Elvis fans here. He's big all over the world.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Surely he's going to sell down here in the West Country. Let's find out.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55This signed photograph of Elvis Presley
0:41:55 > 0:41:57and £50 for that one.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00At 55, 60, 65.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03A lot of bidding on the internet. I'm bid £180 for it.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Oh, it's great.
0:42:05 > 0:42:06200.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10The face, he's just sulking. He's got that broodiness about him.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- Sultry.- Mmm.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14240. 250.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16In the room then at £250.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20- 250. This is good. This is really good.- Brilliant.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21260 online.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- 270.- I can't believe it.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25- At 270.- I can.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31At £300.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33At £300.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Quickly online if you want it.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36At £300.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38300 quid! That's a good result.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39320.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43At £320. I'll sell it at 320.
0:42:43 > 0:42:44BANGS GAVEL
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Such a lot of money - it was a tatty photograph, as well,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48but, gosh, that's really cheered me up.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50It's made my day. I hope it's made yours, as well.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Peter, I know it's made yours. Look at that grin.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Thank you so much for bringing that in.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59£290.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01BANGS GAVEL
0:43:01 > 0:43:03That's it for today's show.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07I've had a wonderful time exploring the treasures here at Parham Park
0:43:07 > 0:43:09and finding out about their fascinating wartime stories,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and you've shown us your treasures from around the country
0:43:12 > 0:43:15and we've had some great fun in the auction room.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18So join us again soon for many more surprises when those antiques
0:43:18 > 0:43:19go under the hammer.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Until then, it's goodbye.