0:00:05 > 0:00:07Today, we're in West Sussex at Parham Park,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12a magnificent, Elizabethan stately home, and just look at this garden!
0:00:12 > 0:00:13It's full of colour and flavour,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and flavour is what this show is all about today,
0:00:16 > 0:00:20as we visit some stunning locations from around the country,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23uncovering more antiques and treasures you haven't seen yet.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Sit back and enjoy. Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:47 > 0:00:49As you know, we are constantly touring the UK
0:00:49 > 0:00:52in search of treasures with a story to tell,
0:00:52 > 0:00:56and we feel privileged to have been welcomed by so many towns and cities
0:00:56 > 0:00:58across the country.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Many of you have shared your special stories,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04and our experts have delivered numerous surprises.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Today, we travel back to Wales,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Devon, Dorset and Staffordshire
0:01:09 > 0:01:13to see more of the items we discovered on our travels.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16We visited the 14th century Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:01:16 > 0:01:18where one owner was overwhelmed
0:01:18 > 0:01:24by a valuation Mark Stacey put on her amphibian-shaped item.
0:01:24 > 0:01:25- SHE COUGHS - What...?
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Oh, dear, you've got a frog in your throat!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30THEY LAUGH
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Over the border, in South Wales,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35our valuation day was held in the picturesque Margam Country Park
0:01:35 > 0:01:36near Port Talbot.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43And we paid a visit to the grand 19th-century Highcliffe Castle,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46overlooking the Jurassic Coast in Dorset,
0:01:46 > 0:01:47where Christina Trevanion
0:01:47 > 0:01:50came across an item which got everybody excited.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53- Ooh, I like it! Ooh! - GENTLE LAUGHTER
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Give me some oohs and ahs, ladies. I like it. Whoo!
0:01:57 > 0:02:01And finally, hundreds of you turned up for a valuation at Sandon Hall
0:02:01 > 0:02:06in Staffordshire, a luxurious stately home surrounded by parkland.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Well, how about this as a restoration project?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Later on in the show, I explore how, in the 1920s,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17this magnificent stately home
0:02:17 > 0:02:20was brought back to its Elizabethan origins.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23But before that, Philip Serrell was in his element,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27talking about cars at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30- Tony, how are you?- Fine, thank you.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Now, we're all boys at heart, aren't we?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- We certainly are.- What was it somebody once said to me?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37'The only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys.'
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Are you a car man?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- I am.- What's your favourite car? - A fast one. Lamborghini...
0:02:42 > 0:02:47- Lamborghini?- If you're talking about fast cars, or an E-type Jag.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50An E-type Jag? Well, that's an archetypal English sports car, isn't it?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52- Both of these were yours?- Yes.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Perhaps a Christmas present or a birthday present?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Birthday or Christmas. I can't remember, exactly.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Probably in the '50s?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Yes, that one in 1948.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Let's look at this one first, then.
0:03:02 > 0:03:03Let's put that there.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06- So, we've got a woody station wagon, isn't it?- Yes.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10- You say it's made in Italy cos it's got a left-hand... - It's written underneath...
0:03:10 > 0:03:13- Yes.- It's written on the bottom. That's a help, as well, isn't it, really?
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- Oh, look, made in Italy. - Brevettata, yes.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18So, the way it works is we have a clockwork winder here,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22and then you've got this brake here that doesn't work at all.
0:03:22 > 0:03:23No, it's got the key inside.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25How does that work, then?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- It, you...- Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
0:03:27 > 0:03:28MUSIC BOX JINGLES
0:03:30 > 0:03:33That's not a car, that's an ice cream van!
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Then...the two jerrycans in the back.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- PHILIP LAUGHS - It just makes me laugh, this does.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Cos that is... It's an Italian car, isn't it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45And that is just like...
0:03:45 > 0:03:47I'm going to have to turn that off.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50That is just like an Italian ice cream van, isn't it?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Bizarre, that is.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- So, do you remember playing with this?- Not too much.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I mean, this is nearly 60, 70 years old?
0:03:57 > 0:03:59- I tried to look after it. - You do, indeed.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01I think they're really fun things.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And this one, this is Chad Valley, which is British.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06So, we've got an Italian car, which should really be in red,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09and we've got a British car, which should really be in green,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11that being our traditional racing colours.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13You've been very good with this,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- although I can see here... This has been dropped, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18I bet there's some memories with these, are there?
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Absolute wonderful memories.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21So, you've got a Chad Valley toy,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23which I would think is probably '50s.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25And we've got this late '40s Italian toy.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29I think at auction, you'd estimate the two at £40-£60
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and put a reserve on them of, say £35?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35So, are you happy that we put them in with a 40 to 60 estimate?
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- On each?- No, I'd put the two together, I'd sell them as one lot.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42I think they're worth each between £20 and £30.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Mm. I would go a bit more.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46They might make it. Whether you put that much more on as an estimate,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I don't know. I mean, it's entirely your decision.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- What would you like to put on them? - Difficult.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56You see, I think, for the two, you want to look at around 40 to 60,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58perhaps £50 to £80,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but the important thing is that you're happy with what we do.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- OK.- What would you like to do? - Yeah, sell.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Sell them?- Yeah.- Shall we put £50 to £80 on the two
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and let's put a fixed reserve of £45 on the two.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- How's that grab you?- Yeah, OK.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13Right, well, you are a gentleman.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- Thank you very, very much for coming along. Thank you.- Pleasure.
0:05:17 > 0:05:18A smashing little lot
0:05:18 > 0:05:22that would delight those that are boys at heart,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24whereas at Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Mark Stacey found an item that would appeal more to a gentleman.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- Sue, lovely to meet you. - And you, Mark.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34You've brought something which is quite hopping mad in, haven't you?
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- And I love it.- Do you?- Do you?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- No.- You don't like it?- No.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Did you inherit it or something? - No, I didn't.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43My father was a milkman in his latter years,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47and people with boxes of bits and pieces,
0:05:47 > 0:05:49he used to knock on the door and say, "Can I take it away?"
0:05:49 > 0:05:50My mother used to go mad,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53because there was all this rubbish in the shed.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56And that's where it came from, I would imagine.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58So he just liked shiny objects?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00He was a hoarder. In our shed,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04he had boxes and boxes and boxes of rubbish, really.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Well, he obviously had a good eye for some pieces.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Well, I don't know whether he knew that.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10He must have obviously realised there was something about it.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13He gave it to me. He said, "See what you can get for that, gal."
0:06:13 > 0:06:14The Devonshire accent!
0:06:14 > 0:06:17And I've had it for, well, 15 years,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20in the drawer in amongst all the batteries and the pens.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Gosh, I rather wish I was a milkman,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24- cos I'd have loved to have found something like that.- Really?- Yes.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27It's charming. I'll tell you what it is. You probably know, anyway.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29I think it's a cane handle.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- Yes.- And I think it would have fitted on a cane,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- cos it fits nicely in the hand. - Would it have been a lady's?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I think it could have been a lady or gentleman.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39It's beautifully made in silver.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43It's hallmarked. The marks are quite rubbed, so we can't tell the date.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47But I think it probably dates to the late part of the 19th century.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49So it's late Victorian, in my opinion.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- OK.- And it's got these nice sort of realistic eyes in there as well.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- And what are they made of? - I think they're probably glass.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- Oh!- That are simulated to look like eyes.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03I love it. It's been textured to make it look more froglike,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and also to have a firmer grip in the hand.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- It is quite comfortable. - I would love it.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11It would look lovely in my home, but I can't buy it, unfortunately,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and I think there's a lot of people
0:07:13 > 0:07:16who collect walking canes and walking-cane handles.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And if you are a cane collector, of course,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22you might be able to get a stick that you can mount that on to
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and put it in your rack with your collection.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28So how much do you think your silver frog cane handle's worth?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30I would have thought £20 to £30.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32- Well, I'd give you £20 or £30 for it.- Would you?
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- But that would be rather mean. - Really?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Because I think we should put it in with an estimate of 100 to 150.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42- Really?- And maybe put the reserve with 10% discretion,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45so it gives the auctioneer 10% on the day.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48But I wouldn't be surprised if it makes well over 100.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50- Really?- And I think it's going to do quite well.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I think we're going to have lots of people want it.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- SHE COUGHS - Oh, dear, you've got a frog in your throat.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- Very good.- So you're happy to put it in the sale?- I am, I am.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04- Wonderful.- Well, I look forward to seeing the result at the auction.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Thank you.- See you, then.- Bye-bye.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10That cane top was a real little gem.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Let's hope it didn't croak it at auction.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Hundreds of paintings adorn the walls here at Parham in West Sussex,
0:08:19 > 0:08:23depicting famous characters from the Elizabethan era.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Up there is Edward VI, the only son of Henry VIII
0:08:25 > 0:08:27by his third wife, Jane Seymour.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31And here is a magnificent portrait of Henry Frederick,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34the Prince of Wales, in the early 1600s.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37For many years, this portrait harboured a secret
0:08:37 > 0:08:39and it was only discovered when it was X-rayed
0:08:39 > 0:08:42prior to going to America for an exhibition.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The X-ray shows that this brick wall
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and this figure had been painted out completely.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It sort of had this scene of blues and greens behind it.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53You couldn't see any of the wall.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56We know that Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00was hailed as the hope for England in 1611
0:09:00 > 0:09:03when this was painted and this optimism might be symbolised
0:09:03 > 0:09:07in the picture by this winged man, Father Time,
0:09:07 > 0:09:08being led by the prince.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11It's possible Father Time was painted out
0:09:11 > 0:09:14after the young prince's death a year later.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18The artist is Robert Peake, a well-known artist of the day,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20who frequently painted the Royals.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24He has captured the most wonderful detail in the textiles.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25Just look at all the embroidery here.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27It's very meticulous.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Here, the fists grasping the anchor.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31That's the hope of England -
0:09:31 > 0:09:34there will be a good future for this young prince.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38And the father of time, saying, "Yes, there will be longevity."
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Sadly, it didn't happen.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45But this portrait was full of hope and promise at the time.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48At our valuation day at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53a promising item found its way onto Christina Trevanion's table.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55So, David, have you travelled
0:09:55 > 0:09:57by train, plane and automobile to get to us today?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- By foot.- By foot? - We live very locally.- Right.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- Five minutes up the road.- How convenient!- Yes, very.- Wonderful.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Very convenient. And we are standing in the most beautiful
0:10:07 > 0:10:10quintessentially English garden and you've brought us something
0:10:10 > 0:10:13which couldn't have been from further away, really.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- That's right.- This wonderful comport. Look at it. It's fabulous.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18- Where's it come from?- Well, I believe it came from Hong Kong.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21My grandfather worked out there as a deep-sea diver.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23My mother was born out there in 1915
0:10:23 > 0:10:25and she can remember seeing it around her house,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- and I just inherited it.- Right. There's a lot going on in there.
0:10:28 > 0:10:29So, your father...
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- No, my grandfather.- Your grandfather was a deep-sea diver.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35- Working in Hong Kong harbour. - At the turn of the century.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37And I assume he didn't find this whilst he was diving?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40He did not. I'm sure not, no. He probably bought it locally, I hope.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42I think you're absolutely right, yes.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Personally, I would say it dates from about 1910-20.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- Would that sort of marry up with...? - That would fit in.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- She was born in 1915 and she was out there then.- So this is your mummy.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Yes, that's right.- So when did they come back to this country?
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I think she came back when she was about four or five years old.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58OK, all right. So they brought these items back with them
0:10:58 > 0:11:01that they'd obviously loved and lived with out there,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03brought them back to the UK, and were they on display?
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I can vaguely remember it being in our home when she inherited it,
0:11:06 > 0:11:07but the rest of the stuff, I think,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10was just put in storage and eventually was sold.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11- It's a shame.- Oh, my goodness
0:11:11 > 0:11:13I do love it. I just think it's so beautiful.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Just looking at it conjures up wonderful images of the Orient.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Usually you see cloisonne pieces in plates and fairly, to be honest,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24boring pieces, but this is a wonderful comport,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27what we call a pedestal comport or tazza,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and it would've been a really prize possession back then,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32it would have been a very expensive thing to have bought,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34because it's a very expensive way of producing things.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36And there's this wonderful tale of this dragon
0:11:36 > 0:11:38chasing what we call the flaming pearl.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Is that what it is? I didn't realise that.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Yes. This was symbolic of a pearl and you see it a lot.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It's a very, very popular motif used in Japanese and Chinese wares,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48and especially in cloisonne,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52because you get this wonderful sense of all these different colours here.
0:11:52 > 0:11:53It's incredibly intricate.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Can you imagine laying out all these little bits of wire
0:11:56 > 0:11:59into this wonderful cloudy landscape and then surrounded
0:11:59 > 0:12:01by these rather beautiful little petals, flowers here?
0:12:01 > 0:12:05And again, with the wirework design. I mean it is very, very intricate.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Done on a base metal, probably a brass.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09And if we turn it over,
0:12:09 > 0:12:11you can see that that decoration is also conforming...
0:12:11 > 0:12:15- Ooh!- Oh, I like it. Ooh! Give me some oohs and ahs, ladies.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I like it. Whoo!
0:12:17 > 0:12:20It's almost more beautiful from the underside, as well.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22And on this side, we've got two dragons
0:12:22 > 0:12:24chasing a flaming pearl there.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Really good quality piece and I think because it's an unusual shape,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32it may be slightly more desirable than your standard plate.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34Having said that, at auction,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36I think we might be looking at an auction estimate
0:12:36 > 0:12:39somewhere in the region of sort of maybe £40 to £60.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- How would you feel about that? - Yeah, that's fine, yes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Perhaps with a reserve of 40 with some discretion
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- should we need it.- Yes, that's fine.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47- Would that be all right?- Yes, that's fine.- I love it, you love it,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and let's hope that everybody else does, too.
0:12:49 > 0:12:50- All right?- Thanks very much.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53- Thank you so much for bringing it in.- Thank you, my pleasure.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57David's cloisonne dish completes our first three lots
0:12:57 > 0:13:00and we'll see how they performed at auction shortly.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04But first, I am back at Parham House.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Now, before we go off to auction,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07there's something I quickly want to show you
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and it's here in the great chamber.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11It's this marvellous four-poster tester bed -
0:13:11 > 0:13:15the most important piece of domestic furniture in any Elizabethan house.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Now this one, elements of it are Tudor.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Look at that knuckle there.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22There is a pomegranate, it's part of the symbol,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26part of the crest of Catherine of Aragon, so, possibly,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29this could have come from the court of King Henry VIII.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31What I find amazing about this bed
0:13:31 > 0:13:34is the textiles that dress it. It's the decoration.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Look at the embroidery work, it's absolutely incredible.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41The backboard, the bedspread and the canopy -
0:13:41 > 0:13:44that dates to around 1585.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's French or Italian, we're not quite sure.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52But, the curtains, the pelmet and the valance, that's English.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And that flame stitch was very, very popular
0:13:55 > 0:13:58as an upholstery pattern throughout the 17th century.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It's a combination of wool work and silk work.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Look at it, it's perfect. It's retained all that vivid colour.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I just hope it looks like that in another 400 years' time.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Right, here's a quick recap
0:14:08 > 0:14:11of all those items that went under the hammer.
0:14:11 > 0:14:16At Highcliffe Castle, two toy cars motored into our valuation day
0:14:16 > 0:14:18and delighted Philip Serrell.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Whilst in another part of the castle's beautiful grounds,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Christina Trevanion happened upon David's cloisonne dish.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33And finally, at Powderham Castle,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35a silver cane top in the shape of a frog was a hit
0:14:35 > 0:14:38when it hopped onto Mark Stacey's table.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Our first stop was Cottees saleroom in Wareham in Dorset,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49where auctioneer John Condie was on the rostrum.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Remember, there is always commission and VAT to pay at every auction,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56whether you are buying or selling.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01If you want toys with style, look no further than our next lot.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Oh, you made Philip's day, Tony.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04A couple of cars for Philip to play with.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- Why are you selling them?- Well, I've had a lot of fun with them.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- Yeah.- And I would just like somebody else to enjoy it...
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Enjoy it as well. Well, he certainly did
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and I know the bidders will be and, hopefully,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17one happy owner here later on.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19There are ardent collectors of these things,
0:15:19 > 0:15:20so let's hope we do well for you.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Hopefully, we're going into overdrive right now.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25This is it. They are going under the hammer.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28We've got these two interesting clockwork cars.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30The nice estate car with the wood effect sides
0:15:30 > 0:15:34together with the Chad Valley one. Got interest in this lot.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38- Oh, good.- I'll start at £60.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39- Oh, we're off.- £60 straight in.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41At 60, 70, 80, 90...
0:15:41 > 0:15:43My God, it's gone mad.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47100, 120, 140, 160.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50They're loving this. They're loving this, Tony.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53£170 now on the internet.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- It's really good, isn't it? - 170. 180 anywhere?
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Slowed down now after a lot of early bidding.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01You're all out in the room.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02I'm selling it...
0:16:02 > 0:16:05It's gone. £170. I am so pleased.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So am I. You'll be able to hire a car to take you home now.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It's all about style, isn't it, and condition.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14And it had the lot, it really did, Tony.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Thank you so much for bringing those in, you've really cheered us up.
0:16:18 > 0:16:19- Thank you.- Lovely to see you.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21It doesn't get better for boys' toys.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23A smashing result.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Let's hope the bidders were as keen on David's cloisonne dish.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29We stayed at Cottees saleroom to sell it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32David, fingers crossed. Good luck.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34- Why are you selling this?- We had it on display at our other house,
0:16:34 > 0:16:35but we moved fairly recently
0:16:35 > 0:16:37and it just doesn't go with the current decor,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- so we thought somebody else might enjoy it.- OK, OK.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41It doesn't sound like it's a lot of money.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43No, it's a lovely thing,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46but collectors really do like signed pieces
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and the really intricate pieces,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50whereas this is possibly a little bit more of a utilitarian piece,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53rather than a showcase piece so hopefully it will sell.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56It's a nice decorative thing. Great subject. So let's see.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59- OK.- Fingers crossed. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03A cloisonne tazza, we call them,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05decorated with a dragon.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I'll start at £40.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- Commission bid.- That's brilliant.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13- On a commission bid, that's fantastic.- 45 now?
0:17:13 > 0:17:1645. £50 I've got.
0:17:16 > 0:17:1750, 55.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- 60.- Oh!
0:17:19 > 0:17:24£60 I've got. 60. 65? £60.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26With me at 60... Five.
0:17:26 > 0:17:3065. 70. 75. 80. 85.
0:17:30 > 0:17:3285 in the room. Commission out.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34In the room, it is.
0:17:34 > 0:17:3890 - anybody else coming in? I am going to sell at 85, then.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41That's a good result. That's a good result.
0:17:41 > 0:17:42Well done. Well done you, as well.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- That's great.- Thank you very much.- You're very welcome.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And it's travelled such a long way, as well.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- I hope somebody enjoys it.- Do you know what, I think they will,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53because it had the decorator's look and that's what it's all about -
0:17:53 > 0:17:55as a centrepiece, it looks pretty good.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Yes. Brilliant.- Thank you. - Well done.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Finally, we travel to Plymouth to Eldreds auctioneers
0:18:00 > 0:18:04to sell Sue's silver cane top in the shape of a frog.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Wielding the gavel was Anthony Eldred.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Sue, fingers crossed and good luck.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12We're just about to sell that lovely silver frog.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15It's a novelty. It's a walking cane handle and I do like this a lot.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19Sadly, though, our little frog has leapfrogged back in price
0:18:19 > 0:18:22from £100 to £150, which you put on at the valuation day.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27The auctioneer has now said it's worth £60 to £80.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- Well, we'll find out, won't we? - I could quite easily say 80 to 120.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- Yes.- It's going to get there, it's going to get there.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- We're going to sell it. - I hope so. He knows his market.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37He's an established auctioneer.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- I hope I'm right.- Here we go.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43The novelty silver walking cane handle in the form of a frog.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46It's got its glass eyes and I've got a lot of bids on it.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I'm bid £90 for it to start.
0:18:48 > 0:18:49At 90. Five.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51100. And five.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53- 110.- Mark, you are right.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54I rest my case, Paul.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59- 120.- Sorry?- 120.- At £120, in the room now.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- 130.- There's a lot of bidding going on in the room.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04There's a chap down the front, as well.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07150. 160. I'm bid 180.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10190. Any more in the room at 190?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13All finished on the internet at £190, then.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- The hammer's going down. - Crack!- That's a surprise.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19That was a good surprise, considering, as I said,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21that little froggy leaped back in value.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24So you can see, we've all got different opinions
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and different values but, at the end of the day,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29when two or three people in the saleroom really want something,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32the price shoots up, because quality, as we always say,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- quality always...?- Sells.- Sells.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37There we go. Well done. Thank you for bringing that in.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39- Thank you so much. - Oh, that's all right.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Fabulous! We sent Sue home very happy.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Keep watching as there are many more surprises
0:19:44 > 0:19:47at the salerooms still to come.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I'm back at Parham House in West Sussex,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00which is a fine example of an Elizabethan stately home.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05The restoration of old houses back to their original former glory
0:20:05 > 0:20:07is commonplace these days.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08There's even television programmes
0:20:08 > 0:20:12that take you along on the agonising journey of the owners.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Now, imagine you could go back in time to post-First World War Britain
0:20:16 > 0:20:19and you happened upon a 4,000-acre estate like this one,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22with a house like this on it. Would YOU take it on?
0:20:24 > 0:20:28In 1922, Clive Pearson and his wife Alicia
0:20:28 > 0:20:31bought Parham estate for £125,000.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36They had been looking for a home that needed some tender loving care,
0:20:36 > 0:20:43and this Elizabethan manor, built in 1577, certainly fitted the bill.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It was a mammoth undertaking, as it was practically derelict.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51It had a leaky roof, no water mains and no electricity to boot.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58What made this project so special for the Pearsons,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01it wasn't just about repairing and modernising,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04it was about bringing the building back to its Elizabethan origins.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07They both dedicated themselves to doing the research
0:21:07 > 0:21:11which would allow them to be as true to form as possible.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16Working with an architect, Victorian additions were taken out,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20architectural features were uncovered and rooms were rebuilt.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24This was a project that would take the next 40 years to complete.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Today, I'm meeting with the Pearsons' great-granddaughter,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Lady Emma Barnard, who now lives at the house.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Paul, why don't you come into the Great Hall?
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Oh, Lady Emma, this is fantastic.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40It certainly is a great hall, isn't it?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43It's a superb example, this building,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46of Elizabethan architecture, centred around this great hall
0:21:46 > 0:21:48with these lovely high stone mullioned windows.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50The light comes flooding in, doesn't it?
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Such a light room and this is the heart of the house.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Yes, and there's more glass than wall here.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Did your great-grandparents have a love affair
0:21:57 > 0:21:59with Elizabethan architecture before they saw this place?
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Always. And they could never understand
0:22:02 > 0:22:05why people thought of Elizabethan houses as being dark,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09because they are just not. These windows are absolutely superb.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11They were very much looking for a house
0:22:11 > 0:22:14that was in bad need of a lot of love and when they saw Parham,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17they completely fell in love with it and my great-great-grandfather,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20the first Lord Cowdray, simply couldn't understand
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- why they would want to buy a wreck like Parham.- This is history.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26They said, "We want to restore Parham to its glory."
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Because my great-grandfather was a trained engineer.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31He knew exactly what he was doing and he worked with the architect
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and I think my poor great-grandmother got a bit fed up
0:22:34 > 0:22:36from time to time because work progressed very slowly,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39because, of course, he insisted on knowing every detail
0:22:39 > 0:22:41of everything that happened here. For instance,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45they discovered those windows that you see above the paintings.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Those had been covered up for centuries.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49And indeed, I think I'm right in saying
0:22:49 > 0:22:53that there were at least four, possibly five fireplaces
0:22:53 > 0:22:56in front of the one behind you before they found the original.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58When they bought the house, it was pretty much empty,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01to be honest with you, because the previous family,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03for various reasons, had removed
0:23:03 > 0:23:06or sold a lot of the furniture that had been here in previous centuries.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So they had enormous fun collecting.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Of course, they had spies in all the great London auction houses
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and they've bought things which had once been at Parham.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17- They brought them back. - Where they rightly belong.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Yes.- Isn't that nice?- And people would ring them up and say,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23"There's some pictures coming up," or some furniture coming up.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26And they also bought a lot of things which they thought Parham needed,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28or would have been here in the first place.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- Yes.- They bought these wonderful Tudor pictures,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32because it set Parham within the history of England
0:23:32 > 0:23:34and the people who had lived there
0:23:34 > 0:23:36during the centuries it had been built
0:23:36 > 0:23:38so they were remarkable people.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40During the Second World War,
0:23:40 > 0:23:44first evacuees and then Canadian soldiers stayed at the house
0:23:44 > 0:23:49with the family. Then in 1948, after further restoration,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51the family were encouraged, by a friend,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53to open the house to the public.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Not for financial reasons,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58but to share this meticulous restoration with others.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Opening to the public became a family affair,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08with Lady Emma's great-grandmother, Alicia Pearson,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12and her eldest daughter, Veronica, both becoming tour guides.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Up in the Long Gallery, I'm meeting up
0:24:16 > 0:24:19with one of Parham's longest-serving guides, Lindy Kessell.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Lindy, how long have you been a tour guide here?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I've been here 30 years.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I came because a friend introduced me
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and she brought me here for an interview
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and I was given the patter, which Alicia wrote,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34and we still use today.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35And then I had to take a test,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37which was to take a guided tour around the house,
0:24:37 > 0:24:38which was nerve-racking.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- I bet it was.- To say the least!
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- It obviously went well, cos you're still here.- I'm still here!
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I understand Alicia and Veronica carried on being tour guides here.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Yes. Right until they died, in fact.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Particularly Veronica, who always guided up here.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53She loved showing people her house,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56because they didn't know actually she lived here.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Occasionally, she would come clean
0:24:58 > 0:25:00and say who she was, but very rarely.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02She used to sit and watch people coming up through the door
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and she'd count them and by the time you came up in the afternoon,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08she'd tell you how many visitors we'd had up here
0:25:08 > 0:25:10and if anyone was wearing a hat, cos in those days,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12you took your hats off when you came into the house.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15She'd phone down to the entrance hall and say...
0:25:15 > 0:25:17"There's a chap in a hat!"
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Yes, "Can you make sure the gentleman remove their hats,"
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- which was lovely.- She sounds great fun, actually.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Yes, she was a lovely person to work for.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Can you tell me about the Long Gallery we're standing in,
0:25:26 > 0:25:27because that's quite a length
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and you could certainly promenade in that in its day?
0:25:29 > 0:25:31I know it is full of furniture now, but tell me about it.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Well, in Elizabethan times, it would have been empty.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36- Exactly.- It would have been where they got their exercise
0:25:36 > 0:25:38and they would have been able to walk up and down
0:25:38 > 0:25:40when the weather was awful outside,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and, you know, it's 160 feet.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45So what does that rank in the country? Third, fourth?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49It is the third longest in a privately-owned house in England.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The ceiling is modern, designed by Oliver Messel.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54There was nothing in the archives
0:25:54 > 0:25:56when the Pearsons came for the original ceiling
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and so this is what they have left to Parham
0:25:59 > 0:26:01and it was finally finished in 1968.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03For me, it looks very Arts and Craftsy.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06It is. Well, Oliver Messel, and he used his stage designing,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09because although the actual struts are wood,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12the actual bits that are holding the struts together are papier mache,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- which make it lighter. - Yes, it's the attention to detail.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18When you walk around here, it really does embrace you.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21And the furniture hasn't been as curiously curated.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24It looks like it belongs in that place.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25Which is even down to the flowers,
0:26:25 > 0:26:30because Alicia started the tradition of big bowls of garden flowers
0:26:30 > 0:26:32right through the house and they will match the furniture,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34all the pictures.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36There's a piece of furniture down there, the red lacquer cabinet,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39which has got a red and yellow arrangement beside it.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42And the gardeners will bring up between 25 and 30 buckets
0:26:42 > 0:26:45a week of flowers. It's a very much-loved family home.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Although Parham's not purely Elizabethan,
0:26:51 > 0:26:56there is no doubt that 16th-century life has been brought back into it
0:26:56 > 0:27:00through the love, dedication and the passion of the Pearson family.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02And better still, we can all enjoy it today.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Right, it's time to get back to our tour of valuation days
0:27:12 > 0:27:15across the country and over at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Adam Partridge came across a collection
0:27:17 > 0:27:21that had been put together with blood, sweat and tears.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24Tim, how are you doing?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26- Not too bad, thank you.- Good.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28You've brought in a very mixed collection here.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30We've tried to single out some of the items.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32It is all autographs.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35You've collected all of these with the exception of the Baden-Powell.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37With the exception of the Baden-Powell ones,
0:27:37 > 0:27:38which they belonged to my father.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40So your father wrote to Baden-Powell, did he?
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Basically, he wrote to the Scouts Association.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45He said he wanted to join the Scout group
0:27:45 > 0:27:48and they were going to write back to him on that.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50And then he said he wanted to make a magazine up.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Oh, very good. I see, in 1929,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55he was Robert Baden-Powell and, by 1930,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- he is probably getting sick of signing letters!- Yeah.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58So he just had Baden-Powell.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Yes, he certainly did. He cut it down a bit there.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03They're quite interesting,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05because there's an interest in scouting memorabilia.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- It is, indeed, yes. - There's one area of interest.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Then you've got theatre.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10- Yes.- And you attended all these shows?
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Basically, I attended all these shows.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And how would you get...?
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- Apart from...- What was your technique of getting an autograph?
0:28:17 > 0:28:21Waiting at the end of the show in the wherever it was,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24for them to come out of the stage door.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27And then see them personally and say, "Could you sign my programme?"
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Bosh, there you go. And you did very well, didn't you?
0:28:30 > 0:28:31- Yes, I did.- What have we got?
0:28:31 > 0:28:32We've got Jimmy Tarbuck.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36The whole of Dad's Army, is that right?
0:28:36 > 0:28:38- The whole of Dad's Army. - Well, that's a good one, isn't it?
0:28:38 > 0:28:40- Yes.- How long did it take to get that? In one hit
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- or did you have to do...? - No, it was just in one hit.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44It was actually on that same night.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46And then you've got an album full of sport
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and a subject I'm interested in particularly is cricket,
0:28:49 > 0:28:50especially West Indies cricket,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- and that one jumped out at me straightaway.- Yes.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56The West Indies came down to Southampton.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Do you remember it? Did they do any good?
0:28:58 > 0:29:00I can't actually remember much about that game at all.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- It's just the fact I saw it.- That's a highly-prized one, isn't it?
0:29:03 > 0:29:06I got Gary Sobers' autograph, straight on the front of that.
0:29:06 > 0:29:07Yeah, brilliant, well done.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09- And you got a few others. - A few others inside.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11What year was that, then?
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- Late '60s.- Late '60s, isn't it?
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Moving on to another sport, here you've got the Liverpool team.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Back in 1970, when they played Bournemouth.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I suppose the biggest name on there, I'm not a big football aficionado,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- but Roger Hunt.- Roger Hunt.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28He was in the famous '66 World Cup team, wasn't he?
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- That's right, yes.- So, of course, some extra value there, as well.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34So, when did you stop collecting autographs?
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I would say it's around about 30 years ago.
0:29:37 > 0:29:38Gosh, that long ago.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40These go back to the '70s.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43- What made you stop?- I got fed up of waiting outside the stage door.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48Why have you suddenly decided 30 years later after collecting
0:29:48 > 0:29:50- to sell them all off?- They're just sitting around doing nothing,
0:29:50 > 0:29:52put away in the wardrobe.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55You never look through them and think, "What a great day"?
0:29:55 > 0:29:56I don't really look through them.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58I expect them to cause quite an interest at the auction.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01It's quite a tricky thing to value, a little bit.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04The research we've done has led us to think that 300 to 500
0:30:04 > 0:30:07- would be a sensible quote. - Yes, that's a nice quote, anyway.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- Good.- Go a long way, that will do.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11It would. What are you going to do with it?
0:30:11 > 0:30:14I'm going to actually spend it on a holiday for my wife.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Oh, lovely. So the final thing to discuss, really,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19is the reserve price. I suggest we fix it at £300.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22- Yeah, that sounds right. - Any leeway or fix it?
0:30:22 > 0:30:24If it went 280, would you be gutted?
0:30:24 > 0:30:25Yeah, I would be a bit gutted on 280.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27All right, let's put 300.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- I think 300-plus.- 300 fixed and then see how we get on.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32- Yes.- Thank you, Tim, a very interesting collection.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Thank you very much indeed.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Next, we travel to Margam Country Park in South Wales,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41where Mark Stacey came across a local lot.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45Sandra, you've brought in a couple of what look like Welsh quilts.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- Yes.- Tell me about them.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49They were donated to my shop,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51which is Wales Air Ambulance shop in Bridgend.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- This is a charity shop?- Yes.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58It was donated by a customer, who said it's come down in her family,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00at least 200 years old, she told me, so...
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Well, they've certainly got age to them, yes.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06I mean this one particularly, it's certainly 100 years old or more
0:31:06 > 0:31:09and we've got to look back to a bygone era with things like this.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12This was before mass manufacturing.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Often, these were made by families of limited means,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17not just in this country, of course,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19or regionally within the United Kingdom,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21but if you look over to the States, for example,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24they have their own forms of patchwork quilt making
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and this was a way of turning something
0:31:27 > 0:31:29that maybe we'd throw away today,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32but they turned it into something they could use.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36- Yeah.- Of course, it became popular and the authentic ones
0:31:36 > 0:31:40that were made by local families for their own use 200 years ago
0:31:40 > 0:31:43are much more collectable than the later ones.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48There was this tradition of making bed quilts as wedding gifts.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51So for your bottom drawer, in effect.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Sometimes, they were itinerant workers
0:31:53 > 0:31:55who travelled around the country
0:31:55 > 0:31:58and, you know, the person having the quilt made
0:31:58 > 0:32:01would give them strips of fabric and they would sew them together.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Other times, whole families got involved sewing these little strips
0:32:05 > 0:32:08of material together and getting it worked to a big quilt.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10But I love the use of the fabrics.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12When this is all cleaned up
0:32:12 > 0:32:14and the colours are all bright and fresh again,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16it'll look amazing, won't it?
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Yes, it will, definitely, yes.
0:32:18 > 0:32:19You've also got another one there
0:32:19 > 0:32:22which has got a slightly more classical
0:32:22 > 0:32:25and Edwardian and Art Nouveau feel to it.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- Yes.- I think the two of them together would make a nice lot.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29You're very lucky to be donated them.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33Yes, we are. We get some lovely things donated.
0:32:33 > 0:32:38This whole collecting area fits into a sort of folk art, of days gone by.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Now, we just pop to a department store
0:32:40 > 0:32:42and buy whatever we want with stuffed quilts.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45- Yeah.- But this has got a really nice handmade feel about it.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48But how on earth do you value these, I don't know.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50- Have you got any thoughts? - I haven't an idea, no.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53You haven't been on the internet trying to search them?
0:32:53 > 0:32:56I have, but they are mostly patterns.
0:32:56 > 0:32:57Would you be happy and comfortable
0:32:57 > 0:33:01if we put the two of them in together, say, at £100, £150?
0:33:01 > 0:33:03- Yes.- And then just see what happens.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05I mean, I might be completely wrong.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08There may be collectors out there who want to pay 200 or 300,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10but we'll put 100 discretionary reserve on them.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- That's fine.- If that's OK.- Yes, OK. - Just to protect things.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15We don't want them selling for £30 or something.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- But I think they're really interesting.- Definitely, yes.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20Wonderful. Thank you.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23Hopefully, those Welsh quilts didn't stray too far from home
0:33:23 > 0:33:26when they went under the hammer. We'll find out shortly.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32One thing you cannot fail to notice about the portraits
0:33:32 > 0:33:36here at Parham in Sussex is Elizabethan fashion.
0:33:36 > 0:33:37Now, I quite like that.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42That's wearable. But in some of the portraits here it's very, very extreme.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45You'd feel terribly uncomfortable wearing it.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47But believe it or not,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50there were very strict rules of dress code back in Elizabethan England,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54regardless of wealth or status, governing what you could wear,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58the fabric it was made of, and even how you wore it.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Take this portrait, for instance. This is Charles I.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05A young Charles I, painted in 1623, when he was the Prince of Wales.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10Now, even he had to atone to the correct dress attire.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13And here you can see he's wearing a garter just below the knee,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15as he should be wearing, as the young Prince of Wales,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19just to suggest that he is dressed correctly.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22He's following etiquette, even though he's going out for a ride, look.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24He's got riding boots on, he's got spurs,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26so he's just about to get on the horse.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29I like that. But there is something really quite bizarre about
0:34:29 > 0:34:31this picture. That foot is pointing to me, OK.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33It's at a slight angle that way.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37But if I move here, it's actually moved and it is pointing towards me.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It really is pointing towards me. Now if I walk this way,
0:34:41 > 0:34:44look, it's following. That's quite bizarre.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Normally, it's the eyes in a picture that follow you around, but that's spooky.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53There must be something in the pattern of the carpet that throws it backwards and forwards.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58I don't think the artist intended to do that, but I like it.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02And over at our valuation day in Sandon Hall in Staffordshire,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Charles Hanson found a collection that he liked, too.
0:35:05 > 0:35:11Karen, it's great to see you today and I thought you were going to give me a tip! Wow-wee.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13What a tip. Tell me about these coins.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16Well, they're gold sovereigns that have been in the family for many,
0:35:16 > 0:35:22many years. They used to belong to my great uncle and I have memories of him, as a very small child,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26of him coming to my grandmother's house and playing magic tricks, making them disappear.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30- Really?- And then my mother inherited them over 20 years ago and she's
0:35:30 > 0:35:36given them to me and I thought I'd bring them today to see what they were and hear more about them.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38They are gold sovereigns, of course.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42It's a wonderful story and that tale of what uncle used to do with them
0:35:42 > 0:35:45and play those tricks and almost make money appear from nowhere, and,
0:35:45 > 0:35:47of course, if you could make gold sovereigns from water,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51or whatever else in magic, he'd be a very wealthy person.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I think the value's almost twofold.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Number one, you've got great coin enthusiasts who like to buy coins of
0:35:57 > 0:36:00certain dates and that's one aspect we can look at.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03And the second one is of course bullion value,
0:36:03 > 0:36:05and that's watching the gold price,
0:36:05 > 0:36:10because these of course are 22 carat gold, so the purest of the pure, really.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14And you just think it's time now to let them go?
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Yeah, well, I'm frightened, really, if anything happened to me -
0:36:17 > 0:36:20I don't have children - they could get thrown away, or,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24I just think it would be nice perhaps to cash them in and then we can all
0:36:24 > 0:36:28have a treat, my parents, as well, and enjoy them.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- And what would you do, do you think? - Whether it be a little holiday away.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33It's my parents' 60th wedding anniversary this year,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35so I think it can go towards having some treat.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Well, I'm hoping I can give you a big holiday, OK. I'm hoping so!
0:36:39 > 0:36:45Because they are wonderful and the history of the sovereign is embedded in society.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47They first came into existence in 1489,
0:36:47 > 0:36:52but the sovereign as we know today, which was worth traditionally £1,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54- all began in 1817.- All right.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59So those really early sovereigns can fetch up to £1,000 each.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00- Right.- If not more.
0:37:00 > 0:37:08So that aspect of rarity goes far beyond the intrinsic worth of what the bullion content might be.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10What I love about these, Karen, is,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14the only one here, I think, goes back to around 1898.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20And they really date from that Edwardian era just into the reign of George V.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25So we've got ten full sovereigns and we've also got a half sovereign,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27- which is half the size of the sovereign, actually.- Yes.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29So 11 coins altogether.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32These I would value, Karen, as bullion.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34You know, the market is good.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39- Right.- And sovereigns in the wholesale auction market can make anything
0:37:39 > 0:37:46from £160 up to maybe £185 for the more standard types.
0:37:46 > 0:37:55I would like to put these into a sale as one lot with a guide price of between £1,400 and £1,800.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58- Wow. Yes.- It's a big number. - Yes. I'm very happy.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01- It might give you a big holiday.- I'm quite shocked!
0:38:01 > 0:38:06And I think a fixed reserve of 1,400 and let's let these hopefully take off in the saleroom.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09- Wonderful. Thank you very much. - Thanks, Karen, I can't wait.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Thank you.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Our trips around the country have been very fruitful and we've found some marvellous items.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23Before we show you how they fared when they went under the hammer in the salerooms,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26here's a quick recap of all those items, just to jog your memory.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29At Highcliffe Castle,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Adam was impressed by Tim's vast autograph collection,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35many of which had been gathered in the rain.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41It was apt that a couple of Welsh quilts turned up at our valuation day at
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Margam Country Park in South Wales.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48And finally, at Sandon Hall in Staffordshire,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Charles Hanson was delighted when Karen brought in her collection of
0:38:52 > 0:38:5522-carat gold sovereigns.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00First, we travelled to Dorset to Cottees saleroom,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03where auctioneer John Condy was on the rostrum.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Tim's vast autograph collection went up for sale.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- You've collected these since the '70s?- I certainly have, yes.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13I hope a lot of people treasure them as much as you have,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16because I think it is a very good, comprehensive collection.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Yeah. We're going to find out what it's worth right now.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21It's going under the hammer, this is it. Here's your autographs.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Now, we have a selection of autographs,
0:39:23 > 0:39:25including footballers, cricketers.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28I've got interest. I'll start at 200.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31200, 220...
0:39:31 > 0:39:33240, 260...
0:39:33 > 0:39:35280, 300...
0:39:35 > 0:39:37320, 340 now.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39360 bid.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41360.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Spot on, spot on.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46380 anywhere? A big selection of autographs.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47380, 400...
0:39:47 > 0:39:49420, 440 now.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51All that hard work's paying off, in the rain!
0:39:51 > 0:39:54£440, we've got now.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57460 anybody else? Are you all out in the room?
0:39:57 > 0:40:01- It's 440. - Very good.- Yeah, excellent.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Selling at 440, then.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Yes. Hammer's gone down. 440.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07- Well done, you.- Thank you very much.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11- Those days of standing in the rain paid off, didn't they?- I think so, yes.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Next stop was Rogers Jones and Co saleroom in Cardiff, in Wales,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17where Ben Rogers Jones was on the rostrum.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Going under the hammer right now,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22we have those two lovely Welsh quilts belonging to Sandra.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24All the money is going to charity?
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Yes.- Well done. And what a good find, as well.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28Mark, I totally agree with the valuation.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Let's put that to the test right now. Here we go.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34The two lovely patchwork quilts,
0:40:34 > 0:40:36and I have a bid on the book of £60.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37At 60 now.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Five bid. 65. 70 with me.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41And five, and 80.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43- And five and 90. - Come on, a bit more.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46At 95. And I'm out at 95.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47100 bid.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50- Is there ten?- Come on, come on.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52At £100, has everybody done?
0:40:52 > 0:40:53- 110.- 110...
0:40:54 > 0:40:57110 against you. 110...
0:40:57 > 0:40:58This is more like it, Sandra.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Here we go. Lot number one, and £110.
0:41:01 > 0:41:02Yes! Well done.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05And hopefully they're going to stay in Wales, as well.
0:41:05 > 0:41:10And finally, we head to Halls Auctioneers in Shrewsbury to see if
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Karen's gold sovereigns shone in the saleroom.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Auctioneer Jeremy Lamond was in charge of the proceedings.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18- Good luck, Karen.- Thank you.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- Good luck, Charles.- Thank you.- I do think this is a bit of a book price
0:41:21 > 0:41:23one, though, because gold prices do fluctuate.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Hopefully, we'll make them disappear one last time.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- Yes!- No magic here, though.- Yeah, no magic.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32We've seen them on the show before, we've seen the full sovereigns,
0:41:32 > 0:41:36we've seen the half sovereigns, but we haven't seen so many in one lot.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38It's great. And of course, the gold value has gone up,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42- so I'm hoping they'll do quite well. - So now we have a new fixed reserve.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Instead of £1,400, it is now £1,600, so hopefully £200 more.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- Yes.- Here we go. Going under the hammer right now.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Ten sovereigns here and a half sovereign.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56There we are. I can start here at 1,350.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59At 1,350...
0:41:59 > 0:42:00- 1,400. 1,450...- Come on!
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- 1,500, 1,550...- Come on, one more...
0:42:02 > 0:42:04At £1,550 now.
0:42:04 > 0:42:061,550. It's in the room.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08- 1,580.- Yes.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11There's a chap down there in the front, look, buying.
0:42:11 > 0:42:141,650, 1,700... Down here at £1,700.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- Anybody else?- Try 1720.- £1,700...
0:42:17 > 0:42:19- 1,750, 1,800...- Yes!
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Yes? 50, 1,900. 50?
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Good. That's a good price.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27£2,000, the bid is here, and it's against you.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31- One more.- 50.- Yes! - £2,100 against you.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34- Good.- At £2,100...
0:42:34 > 0:42:382,150... 2,200...
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Gosh, this is good. They don't want to let go.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- There's two bidders fighting. - There's a rainbow here, isn't there?
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- Yeah.- A pot of gold either side.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49No? The bid is with you, sir, at £2,300.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52- That's more than what I expected. - Ditto.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54At £2,300, the hammer's gone down.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- That was amazing.- Well done! - That's absolutely brilliant.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59- There is commission to pay.- Oh, yes, yes.- Plus Vat on top of that.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- Everyone has to pay that. - Yes. That's amazing.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06- Thank you so much.- Nevertheless, a little surprise for us, isn't it?
0:43:06 > 0:43:08- A glint of gold.- Yes, yes.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11A fantastic result to finish on.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13I was over the moon for Karen.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Well, sadly, that's it for today's show.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21I've had a marvellous time exploring Parham Park House,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25full of magnificent fine arts and treasures and wonderful gardens.
0:43:25 > 0:43:26Do join us again soon,
0:43:26 > 0:43:30when we have many more surprises, when we put your antiques under the hammer.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33But until then, it's goodbye.