Falmouth 9 Flog It!

Well, it's considered to be

one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

Dame Ellen MacArthur set sail from here

on her solo record-breaking voyage around the world.

And I also come from here. So, where are we?

-CROWD:

-Falmouth!

-Yes!

Cornwall boasts the longest coastline in Great Britain

and has a rich seafaring heritage.

One town where that's most apparent is here in Falmouth.

So much so, it's home to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

The county's maritime heritage is kept here

and today, it's the setting for our valuation day.

Hundreds of people have turned out.

In fact, the whole town has turned up,

laden with antiques and collectables,

all hoping to see our experts to get a great valuation.

And if you're happy with that valuation,

-what are you going to do? CROWD:

-Flog it!

-Is it something you're thinking of selling?

-Yes, I could do.

Charles Hanson is new to "Flog It!",

although he's keeping his job options open.

What's a local Cornish trade down here?

What would I be doing down here if I was living down here?

-Making pasties.

-Making pasties?

-Yes, pasties.

And Caroline Hawley is on the lookout for something that has legs.

Oh, she's pretty, isn't she?

Look, she can do the cancan, can't she? Whoo!

While everyone makes their way through the museum,

let's take a quick look at what's coming up.

It's time to give this old boat a new lease of life.

-Last time you sailed it?

-Oh, 18.

Just before I went in the National Service.

-That long ago?

-That long ago.

-It's been in your loft since then?

-Which is a bit sad, isn't it?

-Oh, crikey!

-Find somebody to use it.

-Absolutely.

And a twist on an old "Flog It!" favourite

is the unusual piece of Clarice Cliff.

But will it live up to expectations?

And today, I'll be delving into the vaults of Falmouth Art Gallery

to share with you a unique collection by a late-19th-century Cornish artist

whose choice of subject matter turned him into a controversial figure.

Well, there's a real buzz here in the museum -

the most wonderful atmosphere -

and we are literally surrounded by boats of all shapes and sizes.

And I've already picked out some of my favourites,

and that is one of them -

a Brazilian fishing raft known as a jangada.

Well, our experts are already hard at work,

so let's now catch up with them and see what they've spotted.

-Marjorie.

-Hello.

I saw this mascot glint out of your bag earlier on today.

And, of course, that motorcar,

of which this mascot came off, was the Riley Alpine six-cylinder?

-No, the Kestrel.

-Oh, was it the Kestrel?

-Yes. The Riley Kestrel.

-Wonderful. Wonderful.

-Of around 1930?

-1938.

-Wonderful.

Wonderful. Tell me how you acquired it.

We had the car that went with it.

Unfortunately, we divorced

-and my ex-husband had the car...

-Yes.

..and could not find this

-and I found it about a year later...

-Yes.

-..in the loft.

-Oh, right.

-Um, so, I've had it still, which is about 28 years.

-Yes.

-So, he might want it back?

-No.

-No. OK.

-No.

-Well, that's good to hear.

-He can't have it back.

-THEY LAUGH

-Fine.

It almost captures high living

at a time when the Depression was happening

-of the late 1930s...

-When there wasn't very much.

..when the war was just beginning

and this wonderful mascot was very much alive and firing.

We worry often about reproductions, but we can tell from your story,

first and foremost, it has good pedigree

and it has good provenance.

It would be a chrome plate or a nickel plate.

There's a huge market. Collectables.

Particularly the new generation, they love buying objects

which capture the history of skiing as well.

And this certainly does that, doesn't it?

Yes, it does, definitely.

-And I would like to estimate it at between 200 and 300.

-Yes.

Have a fixed reserve at £200 and I really hope...

Sometimes, with a market, you need to ignite it.

-I'd rather get bidders competing together...

-Yes.

..and hopefully giving her a good sendoff downhill...

-Yes.

-..or uphill...

-That sounds good.

-..in bidding.

-Is she going, going, gone?

-Yes, I think so.

-Fine.

-Between £200 and £300.

-Yeah, that's lovely.

-Can't wait.

-OK.

-See you at the auction.

-Thank you very much for your help.

-Pleasure.

Well, let's hope it's not an uphill climb.

-Anyone here from Falmouth?

-Yeah!

-Yes!

-Penryn?

-Yes!

-Oh, only the one?

Hey, do you know, we used to play rugby against Penryn.

I went to Falmouth School and, gosh, those tackles went in hard.

I used to go home with some bruises. What about Truro?

PEOPLE CHEER Yes! Flushing?

St Mawes?

-Did you get the ferry across?

-Playing Place!

-Playing Place.

Budock Water! And it just goes on and on and on.

Well, somewhere in this building is Caroline,

and we're going to catch up with her right now

because I know she is looking at a real treasure.

-Chris, Sue.

-Hi.

-Tell me...

First of all, I spotted you in the queue,

-didn't I, with your waistcoat?

-Yeah.

-I adore it.

Tell me about it. It's not Scottish tartan, is it?

No, this is the Cornish national tartan, it's called.

Is it really?

And did you buy that here, then, or have you had it made?

-Um, it was a present from Sue, actually.

-I had it made for him.

-Yeah.

-Did you?

-He has to have...

He's a bit portly around the middle, so...

-THEY LAUGH

-He looks great in it.

-He does.

-Now, we need to talk a little bit about this.

-We do.

Now, Newlyn School, as you know, set up in 1890.

Still going today. Some wonderful copper makers.

This is a pomegranate pattern.

It was one of the things that appealed to me

because it wasn't the usual marine sort of theme which you get.

No, it's not. It's not at all.

And it's generally in very good condition.

However, you have been rather overzealous with your polishing.

No, it wasn't me.

-It was whoever had it before.

-"It wasn't me!" Was it Chris?

-Wasn't me, no.

-It wasn't me. I didn't do it.

I don't want to start a domestic.

But copper is a very, very soft metal, as you know,

and with too much polishing, you can wear through.

-And here, you've got a hole, so that does affect the value.

-Yes.

But there are two pluses, which is good.

One is it's stamped Newlyn under here,

and two is the size. It's humongous.

-It is.

-It's wonderful and I think it's very, very pretty.

Do you use it or have you displayed it?

We've had it on display,

but it was a bit of a whimsical buy on my part at an auction

and, really, I need the funds now more than I need the tray, so...

Right. Well, I don't know what you paid for it,

-but I'll tell you a sort of value...

-Yeah.

..that I would put on it now is 80 to 120...

-Yeah.

-..which would be a safe value.

-Yeah.

And tell me now, what did you pay for it?

-150.

-150?

-We've all done it.

-We have.

I've had lots of them, I tell you. But that is gorgeous.

Thank you so much, both of you, for bringing it along...

-Thanks for looking.

-..and we'll see you soon.

-OK.

-Right, thanks.

-Bye.

It's nice to see some local antiques

and another local trade here in Falmouth is -

I'm sure you've guessed it - sailing.

This particular exhibit is where you can get to hone your sailing skills.

I've picked the pink one. My daughter would love that.

She really would. She'd gravitate to this.

But if we put that in, you can see it...

You can see it work in the wind. There's a breeze.

There's this artificial breeze blowing this yacht about.

How do you know your port from your starboard?

That's one of the most basic navigational terms.

Well, port is left because left has four letters in it

and port has four letters in it.

Starboard is right. That's the easy way to remember it.

Back at the valuation tables, it's all hands on deck,

and I wonder if Charles knows his port from his starboard.

Alan, I was hoping to set sail today

and find something with a maritime flavour here in Falmouth,

-and you hit it on the right spot.

-Lovely.

-Tell me how long you've had it for, Alan.

-Since I was 16.

-16?

-16.

-Goodness!

-In the 1950s, yeah.

And is it something, I suppose, as a young man, you played with?

-It was a boys' toys...?

-Yes.

Used to take it on the bus to the local pond and sail it.

-Did you really?

-In London, yes.

-Yeah? Yeah?

-And it came from London originally?

-It came from London.

The name is Highgate Model Yacht Club...

-Oh, wonderful.

-..which is where I used to take it back and sail it.

-Did you really?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

And it would be, what, 1920s originally?

-Originally 1920s.

-Fine. OK.

There's a date in the hatch here - a rebuilding date -

which tells us it was rebuilt in 1949.

-The last time any work was done on it.

-Wonderful.

I can see in here it says fitted out by a firm in Highgate.

-Yes.

-It's wonderful. So, my ignorance, Alan -

as a young boy, when you were floating this on water,

would you just judge the wind speed and let it sail?

Yeah, you'd look at the wind pattern on the pond

and then set all these different things up

and it was self-steer.

But if you got it right, it'd come back to you.

-If not, you had to run before it got to the other bank.

-Really?

-Fascinating.

-It's handmade, of course.

-Absolutely handmade.

You can see the studded...

-There's little screws there.

-Absolutely.

The deck's in good condition.

Remarkably, Alan, what I like about it

is the condition is so, so good.

What's that note on the end there, Alan?

-That's the original receipt from the owner.

-Really?

You'll see that my father paid three pounds for it.

"Received - sum of three pounds

-"in agreement of the Ten R..."

-Ten Rater.

-"..Ten Rater yacht."

-And this is a receipt from, yes, 1953...

-Yeah, '53.

-'53,

-when your father bought it in a coronation year.

-Yes.

-Well done.

So, for Queen and country, you set sail.

-You're now 75?

-77.

-77.

-Last time you sailed it?

-Oh, 18.

Just before I went in the National Service.

-That long ago?

-That long ago.

-It's been in your loft since then?

-Which is a bit sad, isn't it?

-Oh, crikey!

-Time somebody used it.

-Absolutely. What's it worth?

No idea. Not now.

No, no, I'd be quite cautious in saying to you

-I would like to put it into the sale with a guide price of 100...

-Yes.

-..to £150.

-OK, yes.

-And I feel that's realistic.

-Yeah.

-It's the sort of thing, on a bad day, could make 60.

-Yes.

On a good day, it could make £200.

-Excellent.

-We're going to flog it.

-Thank you.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Can't wait. Going, going, gone.

-Excellent.

Charles is right.

If someone falls in love with it, the model yacht could sail away.

Well, I don't know about you,

but I think there's some real gems there.

Our experts have worked tremendously hard

and now they're going to put those valuations to the test.

We're making our way over to the saleroom

and here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking with us.

It would be great to see this Art Deco car mascot

take pride of place on a car bonnet once again.

It's local and stamped Newlyn,

which could see this copper tray getting a few nods at the auction.

And someone will surely push the boat out

for this lovely sailing yacht.

We're heading the short distance northeast to Lostwithiel

for our auction today.

700 years ago, Lostwithiel was the capital of Cornwall.

Today, it's a quieter and more peaceful town,

except when Jefferys auction rooms are in full swing.

Remember, if you do want to buy or sell something at auction,

there is commission to pay.

Here, it's 15% plus VAT, but do check with the auctioneer

or look at the printed details in the catalogue

because it varies from saleroom to saleroom,

and then you won't get caught out.

And auctioneer Ian Morris is on the rostrum.

Going under the hammer now. I've just been joined by Marjorie

and we've got that Art Deco car mascot

from that 1938 Riley Kestrel.

-What a car and what a mascot.

-Yes, it's lovely.

-You haven't got the car any more, have you?

-No.

-But you've got the mascot! Next best thing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Why have you decided to sell this now?

Um, well, I've had it 27 years in a drawer.

-I see.

-And there really is no point,

and I don't want it to start to deteriorate

-because it's in such good condition at the moment.

-OK. OK.

-This is going to go to a car collector, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I mean, for sure.

I think, Paul, it just captures high living from a high time.

-High society. Hopefully a high price.

-Yeah.

-OK, ready for this?

-Yes, I am.

-Hold tight.

-Hold tight.

-Let's go.

-Let's see what it's worth.

The chrome-plated car mascot off a 1938 Riley.

It's all downhill from here. Can I say £200 to start? 200?

150, I'm bid. At 150. 160. 170. 180.

-180.

-190. 200. 210.

220. 230.

-Brilliant.

-At £230, the bid's with me.

At 230. 240. Are you sure?

-Bid is with me at £230.

-GAVEL BANGS

Yes! Hammer's gone down. 230.

-That's a good result.

-That's OK.

-I'm very happy.

-Yes, I'm quite happy with that.

-I am as well.

-Yes.

-Good.

Yes, she jumped past the reserve with ease.

Now, I wonder how the over-polishing will affect the price of this tray.

Serving up for you right now,

we have a wonderful Newlyn copper tray,

and it's stamped Newlyn as well, so it's got great provenance.

-It's a large piece.

-Very large.

-Chris and Sue, it's great to see you.

Why are you selling this?

Well, we've got a lot of things from Newlyn.

-Newlyn's my mother's home town.

-Mm-hm.

-You can't collect it all.

-No.

-So, is your house bursting at the seams?

-Absolutely.

I'm a bit of a hoarder. I'm not very good at downsizing.

-Well, good luck, both of you.

-OK, thanks.

-Here we are.

Some Newlyn copper going under the hammer.

Embossed tray there, stamped Newlyn to the rear there.

Can I see £100 away? £50 if you say no more.

£50, I'm bid. At £50. 55.

60. 65. 70. 75. 80. 85.

-90.

-Yes.

-Yes!

-£90, a bid to the back.

At £90. I'll take five.

At £90, I'm bid.

-A fiver more?

-We've just done it.

-At £90, then, I'll sell.

-At £90.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yes!

-Yes!

-Got it away. We got it away.

-We did.

Despite it being over-cleaned. THEY CHUCKLE

A fair price, I'd say.

And let's hope it's plain sailing for Alan's yacht

because I'm rather fond of it.

Alan, I absolutely love your 1920s sailing yacht.

We're standing right next to it, actually, here. Look. Showing there.

I think it's fantastic. I really do.

-And I know you've had much fun with it.

-I have, yes.

I think there's a lot of yacht there. I think the condition is superb.

I really do.

I'd love to see that do £300 to £600.

I would love that, but I agree with your valuation.

You've got to start really low

-because this is a hard thing to place.

-Yes.

I know we've said it time and time again,

but fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed it exceeds its estimates.

-I have high hopes for it.

-So do I.

-Ready for this?

-Yes, yes.

-OK, let's put it to the test.

Edwardian 60-inch pond yacht. Nice racing yacht, it is.

-Bids on the books means I'm going to start at £200.

-Oh, wow.

-Good.

-Nice.

-At £200. 220 now.

At 220. 240. 260. 280. 300. 320.

-340. 360. 380. Your bid at £380.

-Wow.

-380 in the room.

At 380. 400.

-420.

-Yes. This is a good one.

-Wow!

-440.

460. 480. 500. 520.

520 there. Is it 550?

550. 580. 600?

600. 620. 650.

-Gracious!

-This is more like it. This is more like it.

-It is sailing away.

-700?

-680 in the room.

-You were being a little mean, I think, Richard.

-I'm mean and keen. Mean and keen.

-700. New bidder.

-At 700. 720. 750.

-Here you go.

-OK, Captain.

750 down the alleyway.

-At £750, I'm bid.

-Somebody wants it.

-780 now?

-At £750.

-£750.

-At £750.

Yes! Ever so pleased.

-That made its right money.

-Somebody wants it.

-Yes.

-They'll look after it cos that's the point.

-And they will cherish it, yes.

-That's the main thing.

-Yeah.

Alan's right. Now it's out of the loft,

let's hope the new owners will have some fun with it.

Well, that's our first visit to the auction room done and dusted today

and some brilliant results and happy owners,

and that's what it's all about.

We're coming back here later on in the programme, so don't go away.

Now, as you know, I love my art. And from my home town of Falmouth,

there was an artist that I very much admired,

but his work was controversial.

He exhibited at the Royal Academy and at the Tate,

but it was the subject matter of his nudes that raised a few eyebrows.

For centuries, Cornwall has inspired some of Britain's greatest artists.

The likes of Constable and Turner

painted life along this coastline on land and at sea.

The 1880s saw a new school of artists emerge in the UK.

Inspired by the French Impressionists like Monet and Renoir,

they were keen to capture everyday life in rural Britain

and were drawn to places like Newlyn

and this picturesque corner of Falmouth.

Being back here on home turf in Falmouth

finally gives me a chance to tell you about my favourite

of this new breed of painters,

a man whose legacy lies with his use of light, colour and human form.

I'm talking about Henry Scott Tuke.

Born in 1858, Henry Scott Tuke's first taste of Falmouth

was at the tender age of two when his parents moved from York.

He showed early signs of talent

and by the age of 16, he had been enrolled

in the prestigious Slade School of Art in London.

Then he travelled,

absorbing the latest European painting techniques

and, whilst in Paris, was encouraged to paint plein air.

You've probably heard our experts talking at the valuation days

when they're looking at a work of art and they say,

"Well, it was painted en plein air."

Plein air is a French expression which means painted while outdoors,

and it was a technique which shaped Tuke's work throughout his life.

Now, I've got a wonderful example of that.

It's called Quay Scamps.

It's a watercolour and it's here and it is absolutely divine.

Just look at this.

You can imagine the scene -

all the young children just jumping off the harbour wall here.

And I've done it myself.

Now, this was painted in 1896

and you can see the technique that he's used.

It is literally, 90% of it, painted while outdoors.

There's a sense of urgency about it.

He really captures a moment

and he captures the way the light plays tricks with colour.

Falmouth, being on the south coast,

it's constantly bathed in sunshine, if the weather's good,

so it's perfect for painting.

Tuke was lured back to Falmouth in 1885.

Later, he would express his fondness for the non-industrialised town

in an art magazine.

"It is something to be thankful for to know of a place in England

"where yet may be found some glamour of the old days of sailing ships

"bringing rich cargoes from strange lands.

"That such a place does exist will be readily admitted

"by anyone who will undertake the troublesome journey

"from London to the south-west corner of our island

"and bring up at Falmouth."

Here, he'd be able to combine his love of painting

with his passion for sailing

and eventually produced a substantial body of work.

More than 270 of Tuke's paintings remain here,

in his home town of Falmouth.

Now, whilst none are currently on display,

I've been given special access to a few

that have been stored in the vaults of the Falmouth Art Gallery.

In keeping with Tuke's plein air style,

he acquired a number of boats - all shapes and sizes -

which he would use sometimes as a floating studio

or a backdrop for some of his paintings,

where he used local people as models.

Now, here, if I pull rack out - number 10A -

all the way to the end here...

This is the fun bit about being in a vault.

I can show you one of Tuke's images.

This is Jack, one of his most popular models,

painted on his Quay Punt Lily in 1886.

And here we are. Look.

What Tuke apparently liked about Jack

was his lack of self-consciousness.

You know, this was a young guy who grew up by the waterside.

I mean, he was at home on a boat and he looked natural on a boat.

He was the ideal model.

Tuke's sister described Jack as a lovable young barbarian

who could look like an angel and behave like a demon.

Out of the 20 works that Tuke recorded

the following year in 1887, Jack featured in 13 of them.

As well as studying Tuke's subject matter,

it's worth noting his style of painting as well.

This is typical of an Impressionist brush stroke.

You can see it's quite loose and it's thick and it's quite coarse.

You have to remember, at the time, other artists were painting

with a more smooth, polished finish.

So, this was completely different. Avant-garde, if you like.

It was the start of Impressionism.

And what we have here is The Missionary Boat, painted in 1894.

Now, can you guess which one the missionary boat is?

I would guess the large one - the three-masted barque.

But I'd be wrong because the missionary boat

is this tiny little one. And that is the missionary -

a Mr Badger from Falmouth -

going out to this large vessel anchored in the harbour.

But it's the attention to detail of anything nautical

that has really grabbed me when I'm up close looking at a Tuke,

a man who obviously loved sailing.

He really was a wonderful maritime artist.

But as well as ships, portraits and landscapes,

Tuke is also remembered for his paintings

of naked young men out in the open.

Over the years, this has caused critics to question his sexuality

and even his morality.

Today's society may question a painter

who focuses so frequently on young, adolescent boys naked on the beach,

but Victorian society gave Tuke the benefit of the doubt.

And quite honestly, you can see why when you look at this, can't you?

It's not at all sexual.

It is sensual and that's what he wanted to capture.

For me, I think this is a play on history paintings.

When you see Greek gods sort of bathed

in all that wonderful sunlight coming through,

turning the skin pigments different shades,

this is what Tuke is capturing.

Now, these lads became his familiar crew

and they earned a lot of extra pocket money doing this.

It was hard to get female models, I mean, let alone in the studio -

that would cost an awful lot more money -

but to get them outside in all weather conditions,

well, I don't think that was possible.

He got to know all of these boys and their parents.

He asked their parents for permission,

they gladly gave it and these guys were paid quite well.

I mean, a lot of people may question his sexuality.

Was he gay?

Well, personally, I think he was, but do you know what?

He kept it to himself. It was no-one else's business.

It had no reflection of what was going on here.

Tuke let his paintings do the talking.

Controversy aside, there is a poignancy to Tuke's nudes.

These young men were painted at the turn of the 20th century

and they represented youth and innocence.

Nobody could have foreseen what was to happen on the horizon -

the brutality and the horror of the First World War -

and the lives of these young men would be changed forever.

Many of Tuke's young models were called up to fight.

And tragically, some met their death on the battlefield.

Sadly, by the time of Tuke's death in 1929,

his work was seen as unfashionable.

Interest had shifted to Post-Impressionism

with the likes of van Gogh and Augustus John,

although there are artists around today

who still look to Tuke for inspiration,

and I don't blame them.

I've come to meet one - a local painter, Andrew Tozer -

who has a strong affinity with those early Impressionist artists.

-Andrew!

-Hi.

-Hi.

-It's looking good...

-Thank you.

-..despite the conditions.

-Yeah.

Plein air - I mean, it sounds wonderful in the summer months,

but, gosh, on a day like today...

But you've captured something.

You've captured that wonderful essence of what's happening now.

You've got the boat there. You've got the greys.

You've got all those different tones. And it's there. I can see it.

What do you enjoy about painting outdoors?

Well, my favourite thing, I find, is actually looking at the colours,

mixing them exactly, then putting them down.

And when you've done it, it's a sort of...

Something magical happens

and it feels like you've seized the part of the day.

-Those colours couldn't have been taken in a photograph.

-No.

It's very specific. These are January colours.

-You wouldn't get these colours in...

-No.

-..February or November.

They're of the moment,

and that is the most addictive thing to doing it.

And you've been influenced by Tuke's work.

I have been really, yeah.

One of my favourite paintings of Tuke's

was this little, small watercolour that he did called Quay Scamps

-of the children jumping...

-I've just been talking about it.

-I had the pleasure of holding it.

-Oh, did you? Oh, wow.

-Yes.

Yeah, very interesting painting

because it's almost as if time has stood still.

You can still go and see the children jumping off the quays

around where I live down in Flushing and Falmouth.

It just seems...

It's a painting that's probably over 100 years old,

but just it seems to be very modern as well.

That's what I like.

Although Tuke's life

and society's appreciation of his work

wasn't always plain sailing,

I believe he will always be remembered

as one of the early great British Impressionists

who took good advantage of his surroundings here in Falmouth

and managed to passionately capture a wonderful moment in time

in this Cornish seaside town.

Back at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall,

the room is rich with antiques and the stories behind them.

And Caroline loves to hear a tale.

-Ellen, hello.

-Hello.

-I am so excited.

-Yeah.

-Bijoux Christian Dior.

-Yeah.

So, tell me how they came into your being.

Well, when I was a little girl, I had two aunties -

one who was very rich...

-She married a millionaire.

-How nice.

-Although he did lose it all.

-Oh. Oh, not quite so nice.

And one who was very poor and didn't have any money at all.

So, every year, the rich auntie who lived in London

would buy totally inappropriate gifts for the poor auntie.

Um, and every year, Auntie Ellen would say,

"Well, I don't know what I'm going to do with these.

-"I'd rather have the money."

-Yes.

So, these presents accumulated in a drawer,

and I used to play with these ones when I was a little girl.

They were never worn. And then when Auntie Ellen died,

I got these. And I've had them ever since,

and they've just sat there.

So I thought I'd bring them along to see...

-Well, shall we have a look inside?

-Yeah.

Beautiful box and this one is my favourite.

-And in mint condition.

-Yeah.

-As you say, it's never been used.

-No, never been used.

They're gorgeous. Christian Dior.

-It's just ordinary base metal...

-Yeah.

-..and paste.

-Yeah.

But there's a mark on them and if you look with an eyeglass,

we can see that they're marked, "Christian Dior, Germany '66,"

-which means this was made in 1966.

-Oh, right. OK.

And it's wonderful.

And this movement on it, sort of trembleuse, as is called,

so when you're dancing or moving,

those little pearls would move with you.

Absolutely fantastic. And the other one.

-This one's my favourite.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-This one's my favourite.

-Yeah.

-But this is gorgeous. Look at that.

Now, the only little bit of damage on this one...

-Can you see the tusks?

-Yeah, it's worn off.

They've been enamelled and it's worn off.

-I bet that's you playing with it.

-Probably. Yeah, probably. Sorry.

I bet that was you playing with it.

-Now, they're only... I say only! ..costume jewellery...

-Yeah.

..but they are made by this wonderful fashion designer,

-Christian Dior, in the original box.

-Yeah, they are.

And I think they would easily get 200 to 300 for the two.

-Wow.

-I do, really.

-Yeah.

And, now, what about a reserve? Would you like a reserve on them?

I think I would because I wouldn't like to sell them for pennies.

-No, no, I would quite agree.

-Yeah.

What about if we put a fixed reserve at 150?

OK. Yeah, that's fine.

-And I think you might be very pleasantly surprised.

-Hope so.

-THEY LAUGH

-Thank you so much.

-You've made my day.

-Very welcome. Thank you. Thank you.

Frenchman Christian Dior

was among the most influential fashion designers

of the late 1940s and '50s

and his work helped to restore the reputation of post-war Paris

as a fashion capital.

His exclusive haute couture collection

screamed femininity and glamour and was worn by Hollywood stars.

Unlike his contemporaries, Dior's costume jewellery was bold

and designed to complement his fashion lines.

Although it was high quality,

affordable prices made it a must-have item.

Now, that's glam for you.

Now, Charles has slipped away to the top of the tower

to look at some oriental artwork.

-Jenny, what a wonderful place to be.

-Yes, it is.

-The lookout point here at the top of the museum.

-Yes.

-I can't believe the views.

-It's incredible, isn't it?

And it's just wonderful to see

what keeps on coming out of these bags and boxes

and out of your very small little case has come this.

-Yes.

-What we've got here

are three most beautiful, very delicate drawings.

What's their history?

Well, I really don't know, to be honest,

because I found them in amongst my mother's possessions

after she died and I have no idea where they came from.

Well, they are, Jenny, they are quite exotic,

and I would say they're also quite well travelled.

What I like so much about them is their vibrancy

and they are, today, so alive, still, in colour, aren't they?

-Yes, they are.

-They really are wonderful.

Have you any idea on country of origin?

-Um, well, possibly Japan, do you think?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yes.

Yeah, they are probably 110 years old.

The main geisha lady on the centre panel.

Flanking her, these two young men looking very sprightly. They are...

-They are on rice paper.

-Mm-hm.

And they are so fragile, you'll make out, Jenny,

on some of the edges, where they're splitting

and that's the nature of the rice paper.

But the reason I like them is they are Japanese and, of course,

following the Treaty of Edo in 1858,

the Western world was opened up to a new generation of calligraphy,

of Japanese artistry,

which flooded in through merchant seamen

and also through travellers.

And they are just a delight.

-What are they worth?

-I haven't a clue.

What are they worth?

If I was going to give them a bit of swagger at auction,

-I would suggest to you a guide price of between £40 and £60.

-OK.

-How does that sound to you?

-Yes, that's fine.

-Fine.

-Yes.

And I'd probably suggest to you we put a reserve on at £40...

-Oh, OK.

-..with a 10% discretion.

So, if someone was to bid £35, £36,

I think we'd give the auctioneer consent to sell.

-That would be fine with me, yes.

-With your blessing.

-Absolutely, yes.

-Fantastic.

-Excellent.

-Can't wait.

-Thank you, Charles.

-Thank you so much.

They should catch someone's eye because they are very colourful.

There are many exhibits here in the museum,

but what I'm sitting on right now

has to be my favourite vessel of all time.

I absolutely love this boat.

She's called the Waterlily

and she symbolises the golden age of style and elegance

while travelling by steam on water.

Her lines are absolutely superb. They really are. And listen to this.

METAL CLANGS She's got an iron hull

which is riveted together.

It's much stronger and more durable than a wooden hull

and she really is one of the oldest survivors of her kind.

The condition is absolutely immaculate.

She was built in 1866 and used on the River Thames,

but I could equally quite see her

being used pottering up the River Fal to Truro,

stopping off at the National Trust house on the way -

Trelissick - for a cream tea.

Now, that would be travelling in style.

Well, before the tide turns,

let's catch up with our experts and see what they can uncover.

With the museum still a hive of activity,

Caroline has spotted another "Flog It!" favourite.

-Julia, Mark, how nice to see you.

-Thank you.

Tell me about this lovely thing that you've brought along.

-Well, this belonged to my grandmother...

-Right.

..and I remember seeing it in a cabinet in her house,

-but not really touched.

-When you were a child?

-Yes.

And then it was passed to my mother and now it's passed down to us.

And do you like it?

-It's not really my style, no.

-What about you, Julia?

-I kind of...

I like the colours in it,

but it just sits in our cupboard and...

And do you know the maker of it?

-Well, we know it's Clar...

-Clarice Cliff.

-Clarice Cliff cos it's on the bottom.

-Yes. Yeah.

We don't really know anything else about it.

Right. Well, it's quite an unusual shape,

this sort of upside-down graduation to it.

-And it's the melon pattern.

-Right.

-Right.

And you can see the melons going round.

It's a lovely, bright, bright colouring,

-and it's part of her Fantasque range.

-Right.

It's basically in very good condition.

There's no chips or hairlines, which is really, really important.

And if we look, it's just got a tiny bit of paint chipped from it here.

-Can you see?

-Oh, yes, yes.

-Oh, yes.

-Tiny bits of paint off it,

which matters a bit, but not hugely.

-Right.

-That's OK.

-OK.

-So, that name - as soon as you hear Clarice Cliff...

-Yeah.

-..it rings bells.

-Right.

-And lots of people collect it.

-Yeah.

-And have you ever thought about the value?

-Not really, no.

-No, not really. We have no idea, to be honest.

-No.

Well, I would think...

A fair estimate for auction would be £150 to £250.

-Right.

-Really? Right.

-And if you want to put a reserve...

Would you like a reserve as a safety net for it?

-I think so.

-Perhaps we should.

-Would you?

-And what would you like to put as a reserve?

-Maybe 100?

-100?

Um, I don't know. I'd want to go a bit higher, I think.

-Would you? A bit higher? A bit higher for Julia?

-Yes!

What do you think, Mark? Lower? Higher?

I mean, is it something that goes in and out of fashion or...

-Yes.

-..is it popular all the time?

Things always come in and out of fashion,

but I think this piece of Clarice Cliff

-will easily be in fashion at the moment...

-OK.

-..and I think it will get its market price.

-Right.

-So, I think maybe if we split the difference...

-Yeah.

..and put a fixed reserve of 120...

-Yeah.

-OK, right.

-Agree.

-How does that grab you?

-That's fine, yeah.

-Yeah? Maybe?

What about you? Are you still wanting it higher?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Well, I guess if it's an auction

and there's people interested in it, it will go up anyway, won't it?

-Yes. Yes, it will. But this stops it from going below.

-Yeah.

-I think it will well exceed that.

-Yes. Yeah, OK.

-Yeah, we'll go for that.

-Brilliant.

-Lovely.

And thank you so much for bringing it along.

I look forward very much to seeing you both

on the day at the auction.

-Yes, lovely.

-Great. Lovely. Thank you.

-OK.

The interesting shape of this piece of Clarice

should certainly be the making of it.

Well, there you are.

Our experts have found their final items to take off to auction,

so it's time to say farewell to our magnificent host location today,

the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

As we head off to the saleroom,

here's a quick recap of all the items we're taking with us.

These Dior brooches will certainly

bring a sparkle to the saleroom.

A bit of the Far East comes to the Southwest

with these three Japanese rice paper paintings.

And Mark and Julia's melon-patterned Clarice Cliff vase

is sure to get a good result.

Fingers crossed.

We're back at Jefferys auction house in Lostwithiel

and Ellen's lovely brooches are just about to go under the hammer.

If you're going to buy costume jewellery,

you've got to buy these lots because there's two.

There's a horse and an elephant brooch.

-They sparkle like anything, don't they?

-They do.

They're so unique. When you talk about costume jewellery, you think,

"Oh, just cheap and tacky." But this isn't.

-I mean, it's £200 to £300.

-Yeah.

-Ellen, they are gorgeous.

-They are.

And you should be wearing them sparkling, you know.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-You've got the face for it.

Well, thank you, but it's not the kind of thing I would wear,

my daughters aren't interested in it.

-They're Christian Dior.

-They are.

-I know. Great name as well.

-I think you'd wear one.

-I would wear them, yes.

I tell you what - I think 50% of the bidders in this room are ladies.

-I'm sure we're going to find them a new home.

-It's on now.

It's going under the hammer right now.

Yes, it's on now. This is it.

Two brooches for the price of one. Can I say £200 away?

150 if you start me.

£100, I'm bid. £100. £100. 110 to get on.

At £100. 110. 120. 130. 140.

150. 160. 160, the bid is with me.

-At 160.

-Come on. We're a bit short.

-170 where?

At £160, I'm bid. 170 where? At 160, then, the bid is with me.

-At £160.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Oh, Jenny!

-£160.

-That's excellent.

-We had a reserve of 150.

-Really good.

-Yeah.

-Cor! You're happy anyway, aren't you?

-I'm very happy, yes.

-I always want to get the top end for our owners.

-I know.

I want you to go home with as much money as possible.

-But, look, we sold it, OK?

-Absolutely. Really happy about that.

I think someone has gone away with a bargain there.

Next up are these rice paper paintings.

-Jenny, fingers crossed.

-Yes.

-We're just about to sell

the Edwardian oriental rice paper paintings

that are going under the hammer right now.

-So, these have been in the family a long time.

-Yeah.

-Your mother had them?

-Yes.

-Where did she get them from?

-I have no idea. I've no idea.

I found them after she had died in the drawer in her dressing table,

so I really don't know.

I mean, popular thing during Edwardian England.

-A lot of those paintings on rice paper came over.

-Yeah.

And I know we had them in my grandparents' family as well,

-so you're not alone.

-They may have been my grandmother's before.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Right, we're going to put it to the test. Ready?

-Yes.

So, good luck with it. Anyway, here we go. This is it.

Three unframed rice paintings.

-£50 away? £30 to start me.

-Come on.

-£20, I'm bid.

-That's a tenner each. That's nothing.

-At £20. £20. 25. 25.

£30. At £30. 35. 35. £40?

£35, I'm bid. At £35. At £35. 35.

-GAVEL BANGS He sold.

-He sold.

-£35...

-Oh, good.

-..he sold.

-That's all right.

-That's OK, isn't it?

-Yes. Yes, absolutely.

-That's OK.

They were within 10% of the discretionary reserve

so they have sold and Jennifer is happy.

Now, how about this Clarice Cliff vase?

I know I've said this 1,000 times before,

but it wouldn't be "Flog It!" without a piece of Clarice Cliff,

let's face it. And that's what we've got right now.

Mark and Julia, thank you for bringing in a lovely example.

I've not seen one of these on the show before.

-No.

-Never. But if you're going to get Clarice Cliff,

-it's got to be a bright colour, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

-It really has.

-And it's a really unusual shape.

Extraordinary shape.

It's not my cup of tea, I've got to admit,

-but I do like that piece.

-Yeah.

And I think it's going to be popular.

-Yeah, so do I. 200 to 300.

-Yeah.

Top end, 200 to 300 - that's what we like to hear.

I know the auctioneer thinks that. He's had a lot of interest.

-Yeah.

-And there's a lot of people that love Clarice Cliff.

We see it time and time again, and it doesn't let us down.

Question is, will it be the lower end or the top end?

We're going to find out right now.

The Clarice Cliff melon-design vase. Shape number 366.

Little rare pattern there.

I have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight bids on there.

-Eight bids on the book.

-Yes.

-I've got to start at £780.

-Yes!

I'm in at 780. At 780. At 780. 800 to get on.

At 780. At 780. 800. £800 in the room. 820 with me. 850.

With you, I'm out. At 850 in the room.

At 850. 880 now? At 850, I'm bid. At £850.

-£850. The hammer's gone down. What a great result.

-Amazing.

-You see, Clarice does the business, doesn't it?

-Gosh!

I bet you wish you went out and collected some more

-when you got that.

-Yeah, I'll think about that now.

Yeah. Wow.

-It had everything going for it.

-It did. It was iconic.

-Yeah.

-It really was just right.

-The design, the colour, the condition.

-Thank you so much.

-Have you enjoyed your time on "Flog It!"?

-Yeah!

-Yes.

What a way to end today's show as well

with a big surprise like that here in Lostwithiel.

-It doesn't get any better, does it?

-No.

It really doesn't. Anyway, see you soon for many more surprises.

And if you've got something you want to sell, we want to flog it for you.