0:00:12 > 0:00:14This is Firle Place in East Sussex.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16It's a deceptive building.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19There's more to this house than meets the eye, as is the case
0:00:19 > 0:00:23with many great, historic sites we visit on Flog It!
0:00:23 > 0:00:26Today, we're on a grand tour of the country to celebrate
0:00:26 > 0:00:28some of the treasures we've uncovered
0:00:28 > 0:00:30at our valuation day locations.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57We are taking a tour around the country on today's show to revisit
0:00:57 > 0:01:01some of our stunning valuation day locations from this series,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03where you brought along your antiques
0:01:03 > 0:01:06and shared the stories behind them.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And then we took them off to auction houses far and wide.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Our travels took us to Staffordshire in the middle of England
0:01:14 > 0:01:16to Sandon Hall.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Surrounded by parkland, it's been in the same family
0:01:18 > 0:01:20for nine generations.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24We also headed south to the Jurassic coastline of Dorset
0:01:24 > 0:01:27to Highcliffe Castle, where Philip Serrell had some good news
0:01:27 > 0:01:28for one owner.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33I found a pair of these online.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Gosh.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35And they made £1,200.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37What?
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- You're joking.- No. - LAUGHTER
0:01:39 > 0:01:41It's just been sitting in the drawer.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46We also visited the beautiful Margam Country Park
0:01:46 > 0:01:48near Port Talbot, in South Wales,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50where hundreds of you queued for a valuation.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And, finally, sitting in a commanding position,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59overlooking the River Ex in Devon, we explored Powderham Castle,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02where Mark Stacey was taken by a handcrafted love token.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06- We build a really romantic picture. - Mm.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09- Are you a romantic person? - Very.- Are you?
0:02:09 > 0:02:10- I'm not.- No?- No.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11LAUGHTER
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- But I do love this. - It's really sweet.- This is charming.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23But, before all that, I'm back here at Firle Place in East Sussex,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26which is much more than just a beautiful home.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29It houses an incredible collection of artwork.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32At its heart, there is a Tudor core,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35but each generation of the Gage family has left their own mark,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37which is reflected in the building.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42And we'll be returning here later to have a good look
0:02:42 > 0:02:46at some of the glorious treasures and antiques housed inside.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49But first, let's look back at some of the wonderful valuation days
0:02:49 > 0:02:54from this series, starting at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56where Philip Serrell came across some treen.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- Christine, how are you, my love? - Fine, thank you, Philip.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03You tell me about these two bits. How long have you had those?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I've known them for about 40 years.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And I can trace them back through the family to about 1900.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11This is the bit I love.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- LAUGHTER - I just think that's such a sweet
0:03:13 > 0:03:15little double-sided mirror.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19You've got this sort of ordinary...plate here.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And then you've got these seven...
0:03:22 > 0:03:25..little sort of miniature plates inside.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- I think they're absolutely fantastic.- Yes.- Probably...
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- ..in mahogany, with boxwood and ebony.- Right.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34And I just think it's a really, really lovely thing.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35And then we've got the old nutcrackers.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39What are your hopes that the two might make?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41I haven't got a clue, really. You know?
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Perhaps up to 50. Er...
0:03:42 > 0:03:45As much as that? Up to 50 for the two?
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- Yeah.- Well, let's just work out what these are first, shall we?- Yeah.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- Well, I think they're Scandinavian. - Right.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- OK. And I think they're made out of yew wood.- Uh-huh.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58- And they're quite primitive, with all this carving along here.- Yes.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Yeah.- You've got this sort of tree of life on here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And you've got what looks to be a figure there and a figure there.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07It might be Adam and Eve, I don't know.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10But what's also interesting is you've got some initials there.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12That looks like it's H.F.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14- Oh!- Now, very often,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16things like this
0:04:16 > 0:04:20would have been carved as a love token.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23- Really?- So, if you got married, or you had a sweetheart,
0:04:23 > 0:04:24you'd carve this.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- And this is you and her underneath the tree of life.- Right.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31And your initials are there and her initials are there.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33And it would have been given as a love token.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36And you've got a little...
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- stylised squirrel just there.- Yeah. Yeah, I think it's lovely.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42He's quite sweet. You've got a bit of damage - there and there.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Are these two things that you just want to get rid of, just sell...?
0:04:46 > 0:04:47- Yes. - And it wouldn't change...
0:04:47 > 0:04:50If I went, I think they might get thrown out!
0:04:50 > 0:04:52You think they'd get thrown out, do you?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54And you were hoping to get sort of...
0:04:54 > 0:04:5630 to 40 for those.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58And perhaps 10 or 15 for these. That sort of region?
0:04:58 > 0:04:59- Something like that, yeah. - OK.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I found a pair of these online
0:05:02 > 0:05:04that sold within the last 18 months.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- Gosh.- Yeah.- Gosh.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08And they made £1,200.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10What?
0:05:10 > 0:05:11- You're joking.- No.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- It's just been sitting in the drawer. - LAUGHTER
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Now, you've got to take a bit of sense with this, right?- Mm-hm.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- That could have been a specialist sale.- Yes, true.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Or there might have been a unique...some unique selling point.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28So, I think you need to be very careful how you estimate them.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I would sort of put them in at £200-£400, as an estimate.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- Right.- And I would probably give the auctioneers a reserve
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- of £200 and offer them a little bit of discretion.- Right.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41But I think they're probably...
0:05:41 > 0:05:43late 18th/19th century.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Really?- They're decorative.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47It's almost folk artsy and that's what people want.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Yes, I thought it looked a bit that way.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53So, I think £200-£400 is sensible for them.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- But I think they're absolutely lovely.- Thank you.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58It's been a bit of a pleasant surprise for you, I hope.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00An absolutely wonderful surprise!
0:06:03 > 0:06:04What a cracking find, Philip!
0:06:08 > 0:06:10At Margam Country Park in South Wales,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Catherine Southern found another handmade item.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Chris, what have we here?
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- Well, I was hoping you were going to tell me.- Well, well, well!
0:06:19 > 0:06:21First of all, I can see straightaway,
0:06:21 > 0:06:26from the naive quality and the way that this has been made,
0:06:26 > 0:06:31this is a Napoleonic prisoner of war work of art.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Good.- And they were in horrendous conditions.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And they were making all sorts of objects
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- out of what they could find. - Mm-hm.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43And here we've got a little box.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45The end of it actually looks a bit like a book end,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47- like a spine of a book.- Yes.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50But I think it's actually for dominoes.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52- Yes.- That's probably what it was made for.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54So, where did you get it from?
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Locally in a boot sale for £1.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Did you?- Yes. - CHRIS LAUGHS
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- Do you often go to boot fairs? - Yes, yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Well, you've certainly picked a very nice piece.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07May I ask what drew you to this?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Because it's not everybody's cup of tea.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11It's not really that pretty, is it?
0:07:11 > 0:07:14No, it's the little roundels here, I think.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- The little roundels on the top? - Yes, yeah.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And they are actually...
0:07:18 > 0:07:20tortoiseshell, which you probably... Did you know that?
0:07:20 > 0:07:24- Well, I wasn't sure. - Yeah.- I thought maybe.- Right.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Now, first of all, as I look on the top...
0:07:26 > 0:07:30I've seen hundreds of pieces of prisoner of war work.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33And it's the naive quality that jumps out at you.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35And also often these circles.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- I mean, they decorated them with whatever they could.- Mm-hm.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And they've just printed that, pushed that in here
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- to give it that little dent. - Yeah.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45And, as you open it inside,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- you can see there the hinge that it's got is just very basic.- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53And lots of nails around the inside
0:07:53 > 0:07:55for the roundels of tortoiseshell.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57But I think inside here, once upon a time,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59you would have had a nice little set of dominoes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- That'd have been marvellous.- That would have been lovely, wouldn't it?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- And they all would have been carved and made out of bone.- Yes.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09The bone that they used would have been mutton bone or cow bone.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Yeah.- Whatever they could find. - Mm-hm.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13This sort of thing would have been sold.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15They would try to sell this for whatever they could get.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- I see.- So, we've got a piece of social history, Chris.- Yes.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- That was bought here for- £1. Yes.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- And you're happy to sell it at auction?- Oh, yes, I am.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Well, I would put...
0:08:27 > 0:08:30We've got a few bits of damage to it, but I would put
0:08:30 > 0:08:32£50-£80 on it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- Fantastic. - With a reserve of £30.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- Great.- How does that sound to you?
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- Super.- That's not bad for £1, is it? - No. Very good.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- I'll tell you what, next time you go, Chris...- Mm?
0:08:43 > 0:08:46- ..can I come with you? - Oh, you can come any time!
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- Thank you very much indeed. - OK.- Thank you.- You're welcome.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Made during the Napoleonic wars, we were able to take Chris's box
0:08:53 > 0:08:57to auction, as it predated the 1947 cut-off
0:08:57 > 0:09:01for the sale of worked items that are made from endangered animals,
0:09:01 > 0:09:02such as tortoiseshell.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Back in East Sussex, I found something very exciting.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Well, I've popped upstairs to the drawing room
0:09:13 > 0:09:16here at Firle Place, because there's something I want to show you
0:09:16 > 0:09:18and it's something I'm desperate to see as well.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The majority of the furniture here in this room is French,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24apart from two cabinets. One of them is there.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26And here is its other pair.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30They are by Thomas Chippendale and I just love Chippendale's work -
0:09:30 > 0:09:33England's greatest craftsmen and cabinet-maker.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37And these were built in his London workshops in St Martin's Lane
0:09:37 > 0:09:41in 1777 and they are known as the Panshanger Cabinets.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Named after the house
0:09:43 > 0:09:45they originally came from in Hertfordshire.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49And they rank among the few pieces of named furniture in England.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So, that is quite an accolade.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I'm a big fan of these, because the proportion,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55the architectural detail, the craftsmanship,
0:09:55 > 0:09:57everything is just so good!
0:09:57 > 0:09:59It doesn't get any better than this.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01But let me just point out some of the detail
0:10:01 > 0:10:04of why Chippendale's work is so sought after.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Look at the wonderful exotic inlays here.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10All of these would have been hand-coloured, dyed in hot sand.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12It's starting to lose its colour.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14There are traces of reds and green here.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17But, nevertheless, look at the woods, all the veneers.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Wonderful Cuban mahogany.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21You've got some ebonies, the dark wood.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23And some satin woods lightening it all up.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26So, there's all sorts of exotic flavours going on.
0:10:26 > 0:10:27And all of this wood
0:10:27 > 0:10:30would have been brought back from the Caribbean.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Incidentally, the cavetto sides...
0:10:32 > 0:10:34well, they're not just for show.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35If I open that out, look.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38A concealed bookcase as well.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41That's just so good!
0:10:41 > 0:10:42It really was a must-have piece.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43And here we are, look.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45There's two of them with full provenance.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48And it's Thomas Chippendale. And they're named.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51It doesn't get any better, does it? I'm tingling.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Over at Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Claire Rawle came across a little item
0:11:00 > 0:11:03that had also been crafted with attention and care.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Hello, Trish. It's good to see you here. Beautiful day, isn't it?
0:11:07 > 0:11:09- It is lovely.- And you've brought this sweet little chap along.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11He's a little silver goat pincushion,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13so tell me a little bit about him.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Well, he was my grandmother's, as far as I can remember.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18I can remember seeing it on the side in her house.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21- So how long have you had him? - About 20 years, I think.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- OK, and decided now to perhaps part with him?- Yes.- OK.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Well, he's really sweet. He's a little pincushion.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28You can just see on his back,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31he's got that little raised bit with some material in it.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- I don't know if he's ever been used as a- pincushion. I'm not sure.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I wouldn't be surprised. My grandmother was quite a sewer.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Oh, OK, so it probably was,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and also it was probably bought for her, perhaps, with that in mind.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- Yes.- But it could also be a needle cleaner.- Oh, right.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48You see on his back he's got that bit of material,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- covering a very hard inside?- Yes.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53It feels like he might have got some sort of gritty sand inside him.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55It's quite important, if you're doing hand work,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57to keep the needle sharp and clean,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00otherwise it damages the material it goes through.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02It's beautifully marked.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04It's got a Chester hall mark for 1909,
0:12:04 > 0:12:06so he's a little Edwardian piece.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10He's by a firm called Adie & Lovekin, who,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12although they were London-based, they also had items
0:12:12 > 0:12:16assayed in Chester, and they were great makers of sewing novelties,
0:12:16 > 0:12:21so these little pincushions, more commonly seen, actually, as pigs.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Seen a lot of pigs pincushions.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26You get all sorts of animals, but I think he's rather unusual.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30His coat is detailed, his horns are beautiful, and what's more,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33they're still there. They haven't got broken off or damaged.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34He's not been squished at all,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37which is probably partly because he's small.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40He's quite tough, because a lot of them, their legs get squished.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42So, it's time for him to go, is it?
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- Find a new home?- Afraid so.
0:12:44 > 0:12:49Right, OK. Well, I think he'll sell well, because he's a novelty item.
0:12:49 > 0:12:56- He's quite tiny. I'd like to put an estimate of 80-120 on it.- Right.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58- With, I'd suggest, a firm reserve of 80.- Yes, that would be...
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I wouldn't like to see him make any LESS than 80.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- No, that would be great.- Does that sound good?- That sounds brilliant.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- And I shall look forward to seeing him being sold.- Yes.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Thanks very much for coming in today, Trish.- OK.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Well, that's it for our first three items,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15so it's time to find out how they performed at auction.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Going under the hammer was Chris' little box,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23made by a Napoleonic prisoner of war, that she brought along to
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Margam Country Park in South Wales...
0:13:29 > 0:13:33..two beautiful pieces of treen, admired by Philip Serrell,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset, a folk art nutcracker,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38and a double-sided mirror.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45And, finally, Trish's goat-shaped silver pincushion, which was
0:13:45 > 0:13:49in immaculate condition, trotted along to Powderham Castle in Devon.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Our first auction was Rogers Jones And Co Saleroom
0:13:55 > 0:13:57in Cardiff in Wales.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The man in charge of proceedings was Ben Rogers Jones.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Remember, whether you're buying or selling, at every auction,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07there is always commission and VAT to pay.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We had our fingers crossed with Chris' little box,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13which she bought for £1 at a car-boot sale.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Would it attract the bidders?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- Chris, it's great to see you looking really colourful.- Thank you.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22We're just about to put that prisoner of war box, the bone box,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- under the hammer.- Yes.- Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27- I've got high hopes for this. - Have you?- Yes.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I mean, the American market used to be really strong for this,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32they used to buy it, but...
0:14:32 > 0:14:35- It's so hard to value!- It is now. - You cannot put a price on it, can you?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38You cannot do your comparables. There's no book price.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- No.- This is where it's hard to be an expert.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Yep. We'll just have to wait and see.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Come on, then, Chris. It's going under the hammer. This is it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Right, yeah.
0:14:46 > 0:14:52- Interest as far as lot 335 starts with me at £90.- My gosh!
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- A good start.- You're... - 110. 120.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58120. 130. Is there 40?
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- £130.- Ooh, this is lovely.- At 130 now. At 130, is everybody done?
0:15:02 > 0:15:07- At 130, here we go now.- Lovely. - Last call, then, 130...
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- Great price. Good price. - She's shocked!- I am!
0:15:12 > 0:15:14I am!
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I'm just thinking of the hours and the work and the sentiment
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- that's gone into that.- Yeah, I know. - What it was all about.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- You've got to think about that, haven't you?- Yeah.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Thanks for bringing that in, and well done.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26What a great return on Chris' initial outlay of £1
0:15:26 > 0:15:28at a car-boot sale.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Next, we travel to Dorset, to Cottees saleroom,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36to test the market for Christine's nutcracker and double-sided mirror,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40which Philip Serrell had put together as one lot.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44- Wielding the gavel was John Condie. - 40, anyone else?
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I absolutely love this next lot coming up.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I'm a big treen fan, and so is our expert, Philip,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50who's standing right next to me.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Christine, thank you for bringing this in.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The Scandinavian nutcracker's late 18th century -
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I'm pretty sure they're late 18th - there's a little bit of damage,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01but incised with detail, decoration...
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I never expected them to be worth anything, really.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08- So it's a nice surprise. - It's very much a surprise, yes.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Well, we've got two to four.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Hopefully, we can break that - we can CRACK that.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14- Let's hope they go CRACKERS. - Yeah!
0:16:14 > 0:16:15Hopefully, someone will shell out £500.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17You never know, it could go on and on and on,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20but they're going under the hammer right now.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24I've got these unusual nutcrackers and the little mirror.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Who's going to start me at £200?
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- Yes.- 200 bid, thank you. 200, I've got.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35200. 200. 220 now? 220.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38240. 260.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41280. 280.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42300, make it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45300, 320 now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47320. 320.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Action on the internet, 340 now. 340. You're all out in the room.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56And elsewhere. Closing at 340...
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- Well done, Philip.- Brilliant. - Spot-on.- That's good.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- We're happy with that.- Yes, very happy.- We're really happy with that.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04If you've got something like that,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06bring it to one of our valuation days.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- YOU could be going home with the money.- Yeah.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- Very pleased with that, yeah. - Yeah.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Well, thank you for bringing that in.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15A fantastic result for Christine.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Finally, it was the turn of Trish's little goat, as we headed
0:17:18 > 0:17:21to Plymouth, to Eldred's Auctioneers, where Anthony Eldred
0:17:21 > 0:17:23- was on the rostrum. - 120, 140.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Well, I've just been joined by Trish, and going under the hammer
0:17:27 > 0:17:30right now, we have that gorgeous little silver goat pincushion.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34It is a real cutie. I've not seen a pincushion with a goat before.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36- Right.- No. Have you seen the goat before?- No, never.- Never.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- Never seen a goat. - Why are you selling this?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- It's been in the family a long time. - It has, but...- And it's cute.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43For my son's wedding, that's what it's going towards.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- Ooh, yeah, that haemorrhages money, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- Fingers crossed, OK? - Yes, absolutely.- Here we go.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Let's hope for £200. This is it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56Lot of interest, lot of bids. I'm bid £260 for this.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Yay! Straight in! Well over the 200.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Two... Are you bidding? At 270.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05280. At £280, then.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08290. 300. And 10.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11I'm bid 330.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12- Gosh.- 340.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14350.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18360. At £360.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Any more in the room at...
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- £360. That's fantastic. - That's amazing.- Yeah.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Out on the net, then, at £360. Bidding's in the room.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I'll sell at 360.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Well, that's brilliant.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Well, I'm delighted with that. Thank you very much.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34You must be, mustn't you? Oh, well, enjoy it, won't you?
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Thank you very much indeed.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39A great price which should hopefully go some way towards paying
0:18:39 > 0:18:41for the wedding celebrations.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Back in Sussex, around 30 miles away from Firle Place,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56is the Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre which is set
0:18:56 > 0:19:01across 36 acres within the South Downs National Park.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03For more than a century, this place was
0:19:03 > 0:19:07a quarry and one of the largest limeworks in the region.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11From the 1840s right up to the 1960s, chalk was mined here,
0:19:11 > 0:19:15burnt in the kilns to make lime for use in the building trade and
0:19:15 > 0:19:16for agriculture.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Today, it's a museum that not only remembers the past,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22it brings the past alive.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29The Heritage Centre celebrates the local crafts and industry that
0:19:29 > 0:19:32has shaped this part of the south-east.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37Around 550 volunteers help to keep the museum going.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Many are retired and take up the opportunities to learn new
0:19:40 > 0:19:44skills, while others want to share and pass on their knowledge
0:19:44 > 0:19:45and craftsmanship.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51There's all manner of different types of industrial heritage here,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55encompassing telecommunications, printing, steam-powered engines.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59There's craftspeople such as carpenters, stonemasons,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03blacksmiths and they're all working together to give something back.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15My name's Cliff and I came here with my granddaughter about
0:20:15 > 0:20:17ten years ago.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I thought it was a wonderful place to come to and I do things with a
0:20:20 > 0:20:23hammer and chisel and it's nice for children to be
0:20:23 > 0:20:26able to come here, see me working with
0:20:26 > 0:20:30a hammer and chisel and sometimes they come and do their own letters.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42My name's Ian and when I retired, I wanted to do something
0:20:42 > 0:20:46different and, really, this is returning to my childhood.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48As a kid, I lived on a farm,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52I worked with wood and I love and enjoy working with wood.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Using the old hand tools and showing people, showing people that
0:20:56 > 0:21:00it can still be done the way it was done and it still works.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10What I love about this place is it has brought people like Cliff and Ian together,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13trades that would normally be quite solitary are now working
0:21:13 > 0:21:17side-by-side and just tucked away here in the corner is Wayne Jones.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20His passion is for making the traditional longbow,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24one of man's most ancient hunting and war-making weapons.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Let's go inside.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Wayne specialises in making primitive longbows which are based
0:21:31 > 0:21:36on the oldest longbows in existence dating back to over 4,500 years.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40His customers are re-enactors and archery enthusiasts.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- Wayne. Hi.- Hello.- Hello.- Hi.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- I can see you're working on a longbow.- Yes.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49This has been our main arsenal, really,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52our only real weapon from the 1300s, isn't it?
0:21:52 > 0:21:53It would've been a hive of industry.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56Men like you, hundreds of them, turning out bows.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Many, many people were involved in the bow-making.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02They had their own guild so they were on social status
0:22:02 > 0:22:04with the blacksmiths,
0:22:04 > 0:22:06so considered quite craftspeople
0:22:06 > 0:22:08People who made bows were bowyers,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11people who made arrows were fletchers and they were two
0:22:11 > 0:22:13separate professions.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17If you were wealthy during the time of the Hundred Years War,
0:22:17 > 0:22:18you'd have a yew bow.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21If you were your standard conscript soldier,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Army issue bow would probably be in ash or elm, because they were
0:22:24 > 0:22:26cheaper and a bit quicker to make.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Yeah, what have you got behind you?
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Is this the start of it? You sort of select the timber.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34This is my starting point. It's an ash stave.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And the bow is on this side of the branch.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Once we've taken the bark off, then with an axe,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I'm going to rough out the rough shape.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47We're not really bow making, we're just doing basic carpentry at the
0:22:47 > 0:22:50moment, roughing out a shape and when it starts to bend on the
0:22:50 > 0:22:54floor - this one still has a little bit more work to go -
0:22:54 > 0:22:56then that's called floor tillering.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59When I'm happy with it bending on the floor and it starts to
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- vibrate when I hit it with the axe...- Then you start to shape it.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Then I'm going to put a string on it and I'm going to start
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- shaping it properly. - Yeah, it's getting there, isn't it?
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- You can still see this is quite heavy.- That's a lot of work still.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13But it's... From our original piece, we've probably spent...
0:23:13 > 0:23:15This is the end of day one.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17How long have you taken to get it to this stage?
0:23:17 > 0:23:20That one has probably been...
0:23:20 > 0:23:23three to four days of solid work.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- It's a lot of work, isn't it?- Yes.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28This one would take me 100 hours from complete start to finish.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- Yeah, yeah.- So if you can pull that one up for me...- Yeah, I'd like to.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33..then I can have a look at how it's bending.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35It feels good. It feels really good.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37So just pull it back, but don't let go of the string,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40because then the bow will potentially break.
0:23:40 > 0:23:41So that's looking quite good to me.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44There's a lot of movement in the tips as you pull it.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- So if you just keep pulling it, it's quite strong, isn't it?- Very.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Yeah, so that one is about a 45lb draw weight at your length.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53So that should shoot an arrow about 100 yards?
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Yes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57At least 100 yards.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59- Well, me, because I'm not a good archer.- Aww.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03That is fantastic. Well done, well done.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05You're happy, aren't you?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- I have the best job in the world, making bows.- I think you do, yeah.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Teaching people how to make bows.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12I can't wait to have a go, you know that.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Well, work with this and get this one nearly finished
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and you can find me a bow that I can have a go on.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18- OK.- All right, OK.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Wally Robson, a member of the National Field Archery Society,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30has come along to teach me how to shoot a traditional longbow.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41So, you just draw it up, aim, and shoot. Simple.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- Not bad at all!- Simple.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- Would you like to have a go? - Yes, please.- OK.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50- Right, the red cock feather.... - The red feather towards you.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- Yeah, OK. In there?- In there.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- And then just slightly down... - Yeah, so it's down. That's fine.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58That will shoot low, so aim a little bit high.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Oh!
0:25:03 > 0:25:05It's OK, it's in the bank, we'll find it.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07It's gone in the bushes!
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- That was two feet higher than the target.- It was.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12You've got to shoot a bow a couple of times to get the feel of it.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15- Do you know what? It was dead straight.- Oh, it's a nice arrow.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- It flew nicely. It was a lovely shot.- Right.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- Good shot!- Yes! Yes! - Beautiful shot.- Look at that!
0:25:29 > 0:25:31That works for me.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I think, in a few months, with a bit of practice,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36I just might hit the bull's-eye, but it just goes to show,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39these traditional bows are fantastic.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50It's now time to continue our tour of valuation days round the country,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and over at Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Mark Stacey came across an item with a secret.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Carol.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Do tell me where you got this intriguing frame from.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05I found it in the house that I'd bought with the contents.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07- So you bought a house and the contents.- Yes, yes.- OK.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- A long time ago?- Four years, coming up for four years.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- Oh, so not long, OK. - No.- And you found this...
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- On the desk in the study. - Oh, wonderful.- Yeah.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And so you thought, "Well, this is interesting,"
0:26:18 > 0:26:20- and you had a little look through it.- Yes, I did.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22And you saw that little picture on the front and you thought,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24"Well, that's nice."
0:26:24 > 0:26:26But then you discovered something hidden in the back.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Yes, I opened it and there was something in the back.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- Well, can you show us what you found, Carol?- OK.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- So, that was what was behind it. - That looks like a bit of paper.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- Is that meant to excite me?- Well, there's something inside the paper.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- There's some writing on it. - Oh, shall I have a look?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Please do, please do.- So this was just tucked in the frame?
0:26:42 > 0:26:44- Yes, yeah. - Well, it looks jolly old paper.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It is, I think it is.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Oh, so it's AFM to somebody or other,
0:26:49 > 0:26:521793-1845.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Oh, gosh, what's this? So, this little...
0:26:57 > 0:27:01This tiny little black and white monochrome embroidered on silk
0:27:01 > 0:27:05was embroidered by Mary Marsden between...
0:27:05 > 0:27:10She was born in 1773 and died in 1845.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12So it's quite old, isn't it?
0:27:12 > 0:27:14It certainly is.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16We have to remember, going back to this age,
0:27:16 > 0:27:21that a lady of middle class or upper class,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- this was part of her education... - Oh.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25..learning sewing stitches.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29You often find samplers where they wrote things from the Bible,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- and this goes right back to the medieval times.- Mm.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And what I quite like about it is this is hidden away in that frame,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39so it's kept all its colour
0:27:39 > 0:27:41and its freshness.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44And it's minute, isn't it, the stitches?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Isn't it? It's so exquisite.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51I mean, if you think this was probably made around 1800, 1810,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53so it's 200 years old
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and it's almost as fresh as the day it was made.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57I know. It's very pretty.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00And I wonder whether it's been hidden away for a reason,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03whether it was a little love token or something like that.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Oh, it could have been, couldn't it?
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- Because it's almost like it could have been in a brooch.- Yes.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09And the Georgians liked that sort of thing,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13they often had little love messages that they'd hide in things.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15I'm not sure why you'd want to give someone a landscape
0:28:15 > 0:28:17as a love present, but who knows at the time?
0:28:17 > 0:28:18It might be a special place.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It might be a special place where they met, exactly.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23We're building a really romantic picture.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26- Are you a romantic?- Very.- Are you?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- I'm not.- No?- No.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30- But I do love this. - Oh, good, it's really sweet.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34I think it's charming, and I think collectors would like it as well.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- Oh, good. - But now you want to flog it?- Yes.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- How much is it worth, do you think? - Mm...
0:28:40 > 0:28:44- Don't know.- I don't think it's worth a huge amount, sadly.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46I think if I was putting it into auction -
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and it's a guess, really, rather than the estimate -
0:28:49 > 0:28:51I would probably say £40-£60.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- Oh, that's good, actually. - Is that good?- Yeah, that's good.
0:28:54 > 0:28:55Oh, I should have said £30-£40.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Oh! I would have been disappointed.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01Oh, no. Well, I don't want to disappoint you. £40-£60, then.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- Not bad.- Shall we put in a reserve of 30 just to protect it?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06- That would be nice.- Because we don't want to give it away for nothing.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08No, not with the work that went into it.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Exactly, and the whole story of it.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13But I hope we have a romantic ending of the auction, anyway.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15- But you'll still love me anyway, won't you?- Oh, absolutely.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17Thank you, Carol.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18You old softie, Mark!
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Next, at Sandon Hall in Staffordshire,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25David Fletcher made a timely discovery.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30- Hello, Joan.- Hello, David.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Now, we have a nice little assemblage here of
0:29:33 > 0:29:36late 19th-century, early 20th-century things.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38It looks to me as if you might have inherited them,
0:29:38 > 0:29:40am I right in thinking that?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43- Yes, they all belonged to my father. - OK.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46And did he inherit them?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- I think he inherited the watch from his father.- Right.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50I think, in both cases,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53it was a 21st birthday present from the parents.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- And do you remember your dad wearing it?- Oh, yes.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58Right, OK. Every day?
0:29:58 > 0:29:59- No.- No, right.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01- High days and holidays. - That's right, yes.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04I think, really, what we've got to think about
0:30:04 > 0:30:06- is what their total value is.- Yes.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11- The watch itself is, I'm sure, silver.- Yes.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13We will just have a little look to make sure.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Yes, it is. It has the leopard's head,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19which tells us that it was assayed in London,
0:30:19 > 0:30:24- and a capital A, which tells us it was assayed in 1876.- Yes.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26So late Victorian silver watch.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Start with the good news - it's silver.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35The bad news is that the face is cracked and...
0:30:35 > 0:30:38- I hadn't noticed that. - Well, the enamel has got split.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40I mean, it's so often the case with a watch of this age,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43especially if it's being used, like your father used it.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46I notice it's going, which is something, but -
0:30:46 > 0:30:50and this is a big "but" - they are just not fashionable today.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52It really means it's probably worth not much more
0:30:52 > 0:30:54- than about £20 or £30, really. - Oh, dear.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56I thought it was more than that.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58But, well, let's think about the chain,
0:30:58 > 0:31:03which is nine-carat gold with a cornelian fob.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06And this, I suppose,
0:31:06 > 0:31:08has a value - I haven't weighed it -
0:31:08 > 0:31:09but of about £100.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11- That would be a melt value.- Yes.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13So it's all adding up. We're getting there.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17And did your father put it in this little holder
0:31:17 > 0:31:19when he went to bed at night, do you know?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- Yes, I think the watch did live in there.- Right.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24This type of ware is known as Mauchline Ware.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28It was manufactured in Mauchline in south-west Scotland.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29We see lots of this.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The decoration is nearly always transfer printed
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and quite often you find it on a tartan background,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38as if to sort of celebrate its Scottishness.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42And the factory burnt down in 1933, I think,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44so it wasn't made after that date.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47And I think this is probably worth another £20-£30.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49So if you're happy, Joan,
0:31:49 > 0:31:50we'll go ahead on that basis.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55- £100-£150 as an estimate.- Yes.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- But can we make the reserve £80? - That's fine. Thank you very much.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00See you at the sale.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04Back at Firle Place,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07I'm looking at the gem of the house's art collection,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11a other large group portrait of a well-to-do German family
0:32:11 > 0:32:14painted by the renowned artist Sir Anthony van Dyck.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Deborah Gage, a descendant of the Gage family,
0:32:17 > 0:32:19has kindly come along to tell me more.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24How did they get this in the building?
0:32:24 > 0:32:25A very good question.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28- It comes into the largest door on a diagonal.- Oh, right, OK.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31I was wondering if it was framed in situ.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Well, actually, the frame comes off it, which helps it.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- It does, doesn't it?- Absolutely. - So, let's talk about Van Dyck.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39I mean, one of the greatest painters of the 17th century,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- court painter to the king. - To Charles I, absolutely.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Though inspiration, of course,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47would have been the great Venetian paintings of the previous century,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50and so essentially what you have here is
0:32:50 > 0:32:54a formal statement in a formal setting of a family's grandeur.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58But what sets Van Dyck apart are the touches that he adds
0:32:58 > 0:33:02- of the secret glimpses and smiles of one another.- Yes, exactly.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05- It breaks down...- Those barriers.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09..those barriers, the overwhelming grandeur of these very rigid,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11formal statements.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18It's a balance with the colour and the elegance
0:33:18 > 0:33:21and the wit throughout the composition.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And of course, Van Dyck would have painted this in real life.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26He would have done some preliminary sketches,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30which were really for pose and costume, and then the family,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33he would have painted straight onto the canvas with the family
0:33:33 > 0:33:35- in front of him. - I love this character here.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38This is the young heir looking down
0:33:38 > 0:33:41in a very arrogant fashion at his sisters.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- "It's all going to be mine one day!" - Exactly.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46And this is his elder sister,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49who is carrying a rose so that...
0:33:49 > 0:33:51You know, which a sign that she has become betrothed
0:33:51 > 0:33:54- and about to be married. - It's lovely.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56It's the freshness and the incisiveness
0:33:56 > 0:34:00of his paint strokes throughout the entire canvas.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03I wish I could paint like that.
0:34:03 > 0:34:04Wouldn't we all? Wouldn't we all?
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- Thank you so much for talking to me today.- Great pleasure.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Thank you for coming to see the portrait.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12Right, time to our final valuation before we head off to
0:34:12 > 0:34:14salerooms across the country.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17And we paid a visit to Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:34:17 > 0:34:20where Adam Partridge met up with a mother and daughter duo.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Well, we see a lot of silver on this programme,
0:34:24 > 0:34:28but it's very nice to see a piece of Chinese silver. Now, you're Midge.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32- I am.- And that's short for Margaret. - It is.- How did that arise?
0:34:32 > 0:34:36- I've got three older brothers. - Oh, and so you were the midgie one.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37- That's it.- I see!
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Now, how did you come to own this Chinese silver bowl?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43- My mother. - Your mother passed it to you?
0:34:43 > 0:34:47- My father worked in Singapore. - Oh, right.- And my mother was there.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51And when Singapore fell, she evacuated with her children
0:34:51 > 0:34:53and somehow, that came too.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56- And you were one of those children out of Singapore as well?- Yeah.
0:34:56 > 0:34:57Well, I was born in Australia,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01- because she evacuated in February and I was born in March.- I see.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04- And my father was taken prisoner of war.- Gosh.- Yeah.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- Interesting history. - And that survived.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Well, well, well. So it's seen some travel.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- It's seen some movement.- Yeah.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Do you like it?
0:35:13 > 0:35:15I do like it, I do like it.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18- What about you, Julia? - It's not my taste.
0:35:18 > 0:35:19- Not your taste?- No.- No?
0:35:19 > 0:35:21No, I do, it's got something attractive about it.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25- It is, it's nicely worked. - It was always used as a rose bowl.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Well, I think that's what its function was, yeah,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30but it could lend itself to fruit or all sorts, but a rose bowl...
0:35:30 > 0:35:34But Chinese silver was made in quite large quantities for export,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38end of the 19th century, 1900s, and that sort of date.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41And there were a number of different makers that made
0:35:41 > 0:35:44these sorts of things. It doesn't have a hallmark as such.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47What we've got on this one here, it's got the mark of Cheong Shing
0:35:47 > 0:35:49on the bottom, if you can see that.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53It was one of the prolific Chinese silver makers of the period.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56And, as often in Chinese art,
0:35:56 > 0:35:58we have dragons.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01- Are you a dragon fan, Midge? - No, not particularly.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- Not particularly!- No.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06We always look at dragons now and count the claws
0:36:06 > 0:36:10because a five-clawed dragon is an Imperial Dragon -
0:36:10 > 0:36:13only the Emperor's dragons could have five claws.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- Oh, we've only got four. - You've only got four, that's right,
0:36:16 > 0:36:21- so that means it's not tens of thousands of pounds.- A shame.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It's an attractive thing and a collectable thing.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Any idea what estimate I'm going to put on it?
0:36:29 > 0:36:30500-800.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33I think that's slightly hopeful, but I think it'll end up there.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37But I was going to slightly suggest a bit less. A bit less.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42- I was going to say about four. - Four to six. Thank you, Julia.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45400-600 would be the estimate that I suggest you put on it
0:36:45 > 0:36:46to attract people to bid on it,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and I would think it might make the figures that you're talking about.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51So, what would you reserve it else?
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I would put a 400 reserve, estimate of 400-600,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- and then let the bidding happen and watch it go.- See what happens.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00- Yeah, exactly. So, shall we go for it?- Yeah, go for it.- OK.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03See you at the auction and thank you very much for coming.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05- Thank you.- Lovely, thank you.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Well, that's it for our last three items and we'll see how
0:37:09 > 0:37:11they sold in a moment.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13But before that, I'm back at Firle Place,
0:37:13 > 0:37:16where there's a very special room I just have to show you.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21It's a private sitting room for one of the ladies of the house.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25There are two objects in here which I need to point out.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Firstly, the feathered fan on the mantelpiece
0:37:27 > 0:37:30and this cashmere shawl over this daybed.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33They once belonged to Queen Victoria.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36They were given to a royal lady-in-waiting
0:37:36 > 0:37:38and eventually came to the house through marriage.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41But it's incredible to think that Queen Victoria actually owned
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and used both of these items and here they are.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Well, enough musing over that - let's go over to the salerooms
0:37:48 > 0:37:52right now to see how our experts' valuations fared.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55And here's a quick recap just to remind you of all the items
0:37:55 > 0:37:57that went under the hammer.
0:37:59 > 0:38:00At Sandon Hall in Staffordshire,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Joan brought along her inherited silver pocket watch
0:38:03 > 0:38:06with Mauchline Ware stand, nine-carat gold chain and fob.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12At Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Adam Partridge was delighted by Midge's Chinese silver bowl
0:38:15 > 0:38:17decorated with dragons.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22And finally, at Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26Caroline revealed the secret note and embroidered silk
0:38:26 > 0:38:28hidden in her small picture frame.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36We stayed in the county of Devon to sell Caroline's lot but relocated
0:38:36 > 0:38:38to Plymouth, to Eldreds auctioneers,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41where Anthony Eldred was wielding the gavel.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44Now, our next lot, I absolutely love.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46It's one of my favourites.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48It's a pretty little Georgian needlework.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50And that's what this show is all about.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52I love seeing things like that, so thank you very much
0:38:52 > 0:38:54for bringing it in, because it's a real joy.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57That's a proper antique and a proper piece of history.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58The fact that it's been hidden,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- it would be nice for it to come out, wouldn't it?- Yeah, oh, yeah.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Exactly, yeah. It's got a new life, a new lease of life.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05- And that's what antiques have. - Absolutely.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07They go around and around and around.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08There's nothing greener than antiques.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11- Anyway, fingers crossed. Ready?- Yeah.- This is it.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Charming little thing, and I'm bid £30 for it...
0:39:15 > 0:39:16Right, it's gone.
0:39:16 > 0:39:1735.
0:39:19 > 0:39:2138, 40.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23At £40, then. Finished?
0:39:23 > 0:39:24At £40...
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Against you all in the room, I can sell it at 40...
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- £40.- Aww.- That's a bargain, don't you think?- Yes, it was.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Look, it's gone. It's gone. You didn't mind selling it.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- No, honestly, no.- You were happy with the fixed reserve of 30.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41- Oh, yes.- It made £10 more than that. - It'll go towards something good.- OK.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43- Enjoy, won't you? Enjoy. - Thank you very much.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Next, we headed to Shrewsbury to Halls auctioneers,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50where Jeremy Lamond was on the rostrum.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Going under the hammer right now, we have a late Victorian
0:39:55 > 0:39:57gents pocket watch belonging to Joan,
0:39:57 > 0:39:59who's just joined me, and who is this, Joan?
0:39:59 > 0:40:01- This is my husband, Philip. - Hi, Philip.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04- Hey, did you take an interest in the watch?- Not really, no.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08- It's just old-fashioned.- Old-school. None of the relatives want this.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11No, I think the trouble is they need to wear a waistcoat to use it.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Yeah. But do you know what? I like that look.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15- I like the waistcoat and the pocket watch.- I do, yes.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- It'll come back, it'll come back. It's in good condition.- Oh, yes.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Oh, indeed. - It's in very good working order.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21Yeah, and that's the main thing,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23so it's not going to put the buyers off.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Fingers crossed they're here today and it's going
0:40:25 > 0:40:26under the hammer right now.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29Who's going to start me? £80.
0:40:29 > 0:40:3180. Where's £80?
0:40:31 > 0:40:3380 on the internet immediately, £80.
0:40:33 > 0:40:3590. In the room at 90.
0:40:35 > 0:40:3790 in the room.
0:40:37 > 0:40:3995, 100.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42At £100, bid's in the room. 110 on the net.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45At £110, it's an internet bid. 120 now.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46Not exactly flying away, but...
0:40:46 > 0:40:49At £120, the bid is outright.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52At 120, 130 where?
0:40:52 > 0:40:55At £120, selling it, then, at £120.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57All done at 120?
0:40:57 > 0:40:58120. Hammer's going down.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Oh! Great.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- 140, 150.- Fresh legs.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07£150. At 150. Selling, then, at 150.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09It's with you at £150.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12Hammer's gone down, £150.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It nearly went down on 120,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17we had a fresh bid, then back to the original bid, and then again.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- So that £30 makes all the difference.- It does.- Yes.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Yeah, £150. Brilliant result. Thank you for bringing it in.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- Well, thank you very much. - Thank you.- Pleasure.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28It's been a super occasion. I've really enjoyed it.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Let's hope the bidders were as keen on our final lot -
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Midge's Chinese silver bowl.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40It went under the hammer at Cottees saleroom in Dorset,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44where auctioneer John Condie was in charge of the proceedings.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Well, sadly our next donors, Midge and Julia,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50cannot be with us today, but we do have their Chinese export
0:41:50 > 0:41:52silver bowl and our expert Adam Partridge.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Let's find out what it makes. Good luck.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57We'll start at £200.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00200, 300,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02400,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04500 at the moment.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09600, 650,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12700, 750,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15£800 now.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17£800 on the internet.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19850 on the phone?
0:42:19 > 0:42:20No?
0:42:20 > 0:42:23£800, internet bidder.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- 800. Well, I wasn't far...- 850 now. - Oh, it's still going.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29£850.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32900.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- 950, anybody else?- Yes.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36950.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Make it 1,000...
0:42:39 > 0:42:41..or else you're out.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43- It's 950, then...- Yes.
0:42:43 > 0:42:451,000 now.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47- 1,000.- 1,000!- Mm.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50Closing it, then, at £1,000.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52It's going, 1,000...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Last chance. Going...
0:42:56 > 0:42:58That's bonkers, that really is bonkers.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01I'm so pleased I witnessed that. I wouldn't believe it.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02They're going to be so pleased.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04- They're going to be very, very pleased.- I'm sure they will.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08- I wish they were here to see that, I really do.- Yeah, great result.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Midge was over the moon when she found out how much
0:43:12 > 0:43:15her Chinese silver bowl had sold for.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Well, that's it for today.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19I've had a wonderful time here at Firle Place,
0:43:19 > 0:43:22a house with so much history and so much treasure.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25I've certainly learnt a lot and I hope you have too.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27So, join me again soon for many more surprises
0:43:27 > 0:43:29as those antiques go under the hammer.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31But until then, it's goodbye.