Basingstoke 2 Flog It!

STEAM BLOWS

RINGING, HORN BLARES

This is a military lorry that was built in 1916, that carried

provisions to and from the front line during the First World War.

Only 5,000 of these beautiful old vehicles were made,

only a handful survive. Today, we are at Milestones Museum

in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

And later on in the programme, I'll be finding out more about

incredible objects like this and how they have survived against the odds.

Welcome to "Flog It!".

Today we are in Basingstoke,

a town that has seen tremendous change in 900 years.

In 1086, it was recorded as having 200 people,

but by the mid-19th century, factory workers had flooded

here in their thousands.

Then, after the Second World War, the overspill policy set up to

reduce overcrowding in London brought 75,000 people to its door.

New housing estates, modern businesses

and roads sprung up, replacing the old Victorian high streets.

But not altogether.

Well, as you can see,

those high streets haven't entirely disappeared in Hampshire

because, at our valuation day venue here at Milestones Museum

in Basingstoke, the shops and the streets have been recreated!

And look at our wonderful queue today.

And judging by the size of this, they are raring to go

and hoping to earn a few bob themselves.

So if you're happy with your valuations,

what are you going to do today?

All: Flog It!

Our experts are off to a good start,

with Nick Davies feeling his way into history.

It is a bit like pass the parcel, this one. There we are.

While James is getting a real taste for the past.

It is a wax bobbin.

And judging by this crowd, James, there will be more

curiosities for you to get your teeth stuck into later.

-Do you know what this is?

-I don't, no.

-I bet you know what it is.

-You know what it is.

-Trust you to find a lovely little

-bit of jewellery.

-It is sweet, isn't it?

-Beat me to it.

-Beat you to it.

-Damn!

-Carry on.

Now, boys, there's plenty more to go around on the show today.

There's a painting that's won James's heart.

She is a stunner.

And a clock that's got Nick's heart beating faster.

It is just little details that show quality.

But which object will get our blood pumping at auction?

"Flog It!" Yeah, we did it.

So, as I'm getting everyone settled in,

I can't help but notice where we are.

London Road? Well, not really.

This museum recreates the high streets of Hampshire,

and I've just got time to visit its backstreets.

The museum has brought together shops and businesses

and exhibits which represent 200 years of technological

and domestic advances in Hampshire.

For instance, this Victorian street is laid with cobbles, but

if you look closely, these cobbles are actually end grain of wood.

You can see it, look. Hard oak.

And if you pull up half the streets in London,

get rid of that tarmac, that's what you find underneath.

And turn this corner and we move into an early 20th century

street, replete with bike shop. Look at that.

And - follow me -

the local inn, a pub.

-Hello there.

-Hi, there.

Right, I might have a coffee for now and a pint later on.

I do hope our experts say sober today, as we kick off with our first item.

And first off the block is James, who is definitely keeping it teetotal.

Graham, let me take you back to a time when spice,

exotic fabrics, wonderful smelling aromatics and teas

were some of the most expensive things you could possibly buy.

And were only the things for the rich.

Because what we have here is a piece of

Oriental porcelain, made when

porcelain, in the UK and Europe,

was still...

a dream away from being made.

And this is the Kangxi mark,

the little leaf mark that was used between 1662 and 1722.

A mark that was also reused later in the 18th century.

And this, I have to say, is a bit later.

It is late 18th-century, or mid-18th-century.

-And it is a tea caddy.

-OK. I thought it was a scent bottle.

-Oh, no.

-It is almost certainly for tea.

-Right.

At a time when tea was more expensive,

per pound, than gold.

And when only the very richest people in the land could afford it,

-which is why it's so small.

-All right, OK.

Tell me, where did you find it?

-How did you come to have it?

-Erm, this was a possession of my uncle in Holland,

-who in fact was Indonesian and worked...

-Oh, OK!

-And served in the Indonesian or Dutch army in the Second World War.

-OK.

And just before. And from what I remember as a child,

he was a bit of a collector of various items, including some china.

So, whether he brought that over from there or whether he

-bought it in Holland in a second-hand antiques shop, I don't know.

-OK.

That's interesting for two reasons.

The first is that it was the Dutch East India Company that was

the major trading company in the 18th century.

-Yeah.

-But the Dutch East India Company had ships going to India, China,

all over the Far East,

and bringing all those spices and treasures and silks back to Europe.

Now, this certainly came from China back to Holland

-because the mounts on there are Dutch.

-OK, right.

So, we've got an 18th-century Chinese porcelain tea caddy.

I think at some stage there may well have been some damage.

And because the porcelain was so treasured and so valuable,

-they've put Dutch mounts on it in the 19th century.

-OK.

It's a difficult thing to value because without taking all those

mounts off, it's hard to say what the condition is like underneath.

Having said that, in good order, it would have been a valuable piece.

But it isn't. It's damaged. So...

-£60-£100.

-Yes, I think that's...

-Is that OK?

-Yes, that's fine. Thank you.

-And in terms of reserve, £60.

-Yep.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah.

-Well, fingers crossed it'll do well and see you at the auction!

-OK, thank you very much, James.

All right.

A lovely example but will that damage affect the price at auction?

Our crowds today are seated in this recreated

early 20th-century high street, filled with the kind of shops

we're used to seeing in many of our old towns.

# Dancing in the street. #

I'll tell you what I miss, everybody. The old ironmongers.

-Who remembers those shops? ALL:

-Yes!

Yeah! Every town and village had one, didn't they?

-Have you got one near you?

-Erm, not an ironmongers, no.

-Yes, we do!

-Lincoln's.

-Do you?

-Lincoln's.

-And you support it?

-Yes, definitely.

And you can get anything in there, like a letterbox, door knocker,

-tin of paint, broom...

-Absolutely everything. Cake making stuff.

-Candles?

-Fork handles!

-Fork handles! Ha-ha-ha!

I was getting to that one! She robbed my line.

The Two Ronnies would be pleased to know the hardware store is

still alive and well.

Over to Nick now, who's found some collectables that might have

been bought on any Edwardian high street.

Three well loved dolls, brought in by David.

So, where have they been? Tell me a bit of history about them.

-Erm, well, my mother was born in 1915.

-Right.

And we believe that they were her childhood dolls.

She died about 15 years ago.

And we found them in a suitcase in the loft.

So, they haven't seen the light of day for many years.

Well, your dates are spot on.

I mean, the main girl here is this lovely lady in front of us.

Lovely but tired!

She is an Armand Marseille doll, so she is a German doll.

And, with all dolls, heads are of paramount importance.

The head is made out of bisque china,

so, any damage there and really, the rest of the doll suffers greatly to collectors.

OK, she's got model numbers on her back.

She is stamped A and M, which is Armand Marseille.

German bisque-head dolls were made prolifically at the beginning

of the 1900s.

They were turning out 1000 heads a day at their peak

-in Armand Marseille.

-Gosh.

And where the factory is, in southern Germany,

the clay was really good for this type of ceramics.

She is a common-sized model. She is a 390 model.

And that's one of the larger ones.

And also on the back of the head is the number 12, which is

the size of the head. So, they did the same model in graduated sizes.

If we tilt her back, her eyes will close, and she's got little

teeth showing in her mouth, which is quite a nice detail.

This chap over here is completely different.

His eyes are fixed and painted.

So, she is a better quality doll than he is. Do you like her?

-Not particularly.

-Not particularly? Do you like him?

-Not at all.

-We're going for three in a row. Do you like HER?

-Not really.

Not really either. Oh, dear! Oh, dear.

Well, listen, I reckon we can find really good homes for them

because there are collectors for these type of things. And yes, the wigs are a little bit dodgy.

They need a little bit of TLC and little bit of care.

So, what I'll do is put a value of 100-150 on the three dolls.

-Most of your value is in the large Armand Marseille doll.

-Right.

-OK?

This little French doll here is quite sweet as well.

-He's probably the least valuable of the three. Are you happy with that?

-I certainly am.

As Nick says, there's a market for old dolls.

But let's see if the bidders are troubled about their careworn condition.

It seems James's next lot, brought in by owner Nicola,

has definitely won his heart!

-Erm, she is a stunner, isn't she?

-She is beautiful.

-She's very, very pretty.

-Yes.

And she's typical of this sort of rather risque picture that

you would find around the Art Nouveau period.

It's sort of almost Pre-Raphaelite in style, with these doves

courting at the top and another pair here bathing at the bottom.

-It's all about idealised beauty.

-Yes.

-And symbolism.

-And it is very beautiful.

-She is.

-Yeah.

In terms of a subject matter, nude women are always great.

But then we start to look down here.

-Lutyens.

-Yeah.

Now, Lutyens, an artist who was a great friend of Edwin Landseer.

He was the father of Lutyens, the architect

and he was also famed for painting horses.

-But I don't think he's as good at people...

-No.

-..as he is at animals.

No.

And you tend to find that people that collect animal subjects

-don't necessarily also collect portraits and nudes.

-No.

But then you have to think, well,

if we've got a picture of a person, what is the best selling

type of a picture of a person, if we were going to have one?

-And that is...

-A nude.

-Nude, young female.

So, it's a really difficult balancing act to come to a value.

Some of his works sell for lots and lots of money.

Horse subjects, good horse subjects, command thousands of pounds.

-HE SIGHS

-What does a nude make?

There's a lot of dodgy aspects of this part of the body.

The face seems to have the most finest detail.

Yeah, typical again of that sort of Pre-Raphaelite style of painting.

-So, where did you find her?

-I didn't exactly find her.

It was my mother's.

She left me her entire collection of all sorts of paintings

and photographs. And I gave most of it to family members.

And, erm, I was left with this, which was my favourite. Of course.

So, why are you selling it now?

We've had it for seven years

and it doesn't really go with our decoration in the house.

But it's been nice to look at it for seven years.

And now, it's time for it to move on to someone else that wants it.

Yeah. Oh, it's a very good way of looking at it.

OK, I think we should put a conservative estimate on her.

And I think we should put 300-500 on her as an estimate.

-300 reserve and see what happens.

-Yeah.

-Are you happy?

-Yeah, very happy.

-Super.

Well, I've just popped in to the boozer, as you do.

But in this one, I don't have to fight my way to the bar.

But there is an interesting story to tell here.

Because, back in 19th-century Basingstoke,

brewing was big business.

There were 50 pubs to a population of only 6,000 people.

Now, while the factory workers were a thirsty old lot,

there were some that didn't approve.

The Salvation Army preached temperance.

And they were determined to save the people of Basingstoke from booze.

This sparked a backlash from the townsfolk, who ended in rioting.

They even went as far as to smash the windows of the Gazette newspaper

for supporting the Sally Army in their articles.

And looking at this pub, it's easy to see who eventually got their way.

Well, hopefully our experts will get their way with their valuations,

as we're off to auction for the first time today.

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

There's Graham's mismatched 18th-century oriental tea caddy.

That could do well if the Chinese buyers are out in force.

We have David's dolls, the finest of them by maker Armand Marseille.

All a bit shabby but will they be chic enough for the collectors?

And there's Nicola's much-loved nude portrait by highly regarded

painter of horses, Charles Lutyens.

Our auction today is in Winchester.

And in Anglo-Saxon times, it was the capital of England.

And The Great Hall of Winchester Castle contains a medieval

imagining of King Arthur's Round Table.

It was later decorated by Henry VIII,

with the ornately painted names of the knights.

It all goes to show, recreating the past isn't a modern phenomenon.

Well, let's hope we're making some history for ourselves today

here at Andrew Smith and Son. Our lots are just about to go under the hammer.

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

Don't go away, we're going to have some fun!

Today, the Seller's Commission is 18%, including VAT.

Something you mustn't forget to check when you're selling.

And looking after us here are two auctioneers.

Nick Jarrett and Andrew Smith, who's first up on the rostrum.

Starting us off with that damaged 18th-century Chinese tea caddy

with the Dutch mounts.

-Graham, it's belonged to you for a few years.

-Yes.

What have you been doing with this?

-It's basically been sitting in a cupboard.

-In a cupboard.

In a cupboard, glass framed cupboard.

Oh, I see, appreciating it.

Yes but slowly got pushed towards the back, I think,

-and forgotten about.

-OK. It's got some later mounts on it.

-Yeah.

It's not a lot of money. £60, £80, hopefully, that sort of thing.

No, but it's the sort of thing that sometimes just goes crazy.

Is one of those speccy things, as they say in the trade. Speccy!

We're going to find out right now. Let's speculate.

It's going under the hammer.

We're up to commission bids here. I'm going to start the bidding at

-£90...

-That's top end, straight in!

95, 100, and 10, 120, 130...

140, 150, commission bids out, 150 in the room. Is there 160?

At £150 and selling, is there 160?

180 on the net, 190, 200, and 20.

240. 260. 280...

300? At £280 then, any more?

At £280, selling on the net, if you're all done, last time...

£280, the hammer has gone down.

It is all about opinions at the end of the day, isn't it? Let's face it.

But by the time they've paid commission,

that's up in the mid-300s.

-Well done you!

-Thank you very much!

And well done for looking after it is well!

What a great start!

That buyer was obviously happy to overlook the damage to pick up

a taste of the Orient. Will the bidders be as kind to our next lot?

The well-used dolls brought in by David.

The best of the three being by the highly sought-after German

doll manufacturer Armand Marseille.

This time, our auctioneer is Nick Jarrett.

-They were your mother's and you found them up in the loft?

-My mother's childhood dolls.

So, she would have loved these. And she's obviously treasured them and put them up in the loft.

-I don't know about treasured them but they were certainly up in the loft.

-OK.

-They've been played with.

Oh, have they? Slightly, slightly worn...

Girl's hair's cut, that type thing.

OK, heads at £100-£150 valuation.

Because otherwise, you could normally say, "Right, easily, £120, £150 per doll. Couldn't you?

Sure, sure. They've had a hard life.

They've had a hard life. Good luck!

-And I'm sure we'll find a new home for them.

-Well, let's hope so.

-Ready for this?

-Yes, indeed.

-Here we go.

The Armand Marseille doll here, in fact, there's three in the lot.

I have to start you here at, erm, £55... 60, can I say?

-At £55, 60, is it? 60 on the phone. 65, 70.

-We are nearly there.

-And five... 80...

-That's our reserve.

-And five... 90...

Still going.

£90 then. At £90, on the phone, I'm out here.

At £90 then on the phone then, at £90, have you done?

Yes! The hammer's gone down at £90. I was getting slightly worried there.

-When you mentioned condition...

-Yeah...

-But a good valuation.

Well, they've sold, that's the main thing. They've got a new home.

Your mum would be pleased. You must be pleased?

Well, we'll be taking the family out for a nice meal, I think, on that.

-Fantastic.

-Good on you!

Will our next lot be owner Nicola's meal ticket?

Time to find out, as the oil on canvas nude,

by famous painter Charles Lutyens, goes under the hammer.

Nicola, I like this.

And we've all heard of the famous architect Lutyens.

-This artist is his father, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Charles.

-Yeah.

-I think it's good.

-Yeah.

-I think it's really good.

Hopefully, it will find a new home today

because I don't think £300 is a lot of money for that.

Let's find out what the bidders think. Here we go.

Now, we have the commission bid here.

-Commission bid...

-I'm going to start the bidding at...

-Erm, £300...

-We've sold it. Straight in!

At £300 and selling...

320 up at the top. 340, 360...

360, my commission bid's out. 360 in the room. 380 on the net. 400.

It's £400 in the room.

420...450 now on the net.

470...500...520...

570 now on the net. Is there 600?

-Yes.

-600, we have.

-(Ah, good!)

-650.

670...

-This is good, this is good.

-Yeah, I'm a bit nervous now.

-At £670 on the net, we are going to sell at...

-Yes.

-700 we have now.

-720.

720...750?

At £720.

If you're all done, at £720, for the very last time...

-Yes! The hammer's gone down.

-Great!

-Thank you for bringing that in.

-Flog it!

-Yeah, we did it!

It just shows, it might have been an unusual subject but the name

was enough for that sale to raise the roof.

Lots of happy customers so far

and still some more objects to come later on in the show.

Now, you know, a lot of our high streets have

changed beyond recognition over the last 50 years, with those small,

family-run businesses being replaced by those big chain stores.

Now, back in our valuation day venue, Milestones Museum,

they've recreated some old high streets.

Earlier, I went behind the scenes to see how they've rebuilt

the past, brick by brick.

As the Industrial Revolution raged during the 19th century,

in Hampshire, the population was drawn to the towns and cities.

Along with these newcomers came an explosion of commerce.

This changed the profile of the high street from market-based hubs

to prolific shopping streets, serving every need.

By the turn of the century, the high street was absolutely thriving.

You could get anything on it.

There was a general store, the Co-op, that sold boots and shoes,

tea, chocolate, soap, clothing, furniture.

There was an ironmonger's, if you wanted to post your letter,

you visited the post office.

And if you want the latest hat, well, you popped in to the milliners.

These shops at Milestones Museum,

have been inspired by the kinds of businesses that would've

existed in towns across Hampshire,

from Victorian times to the mid-20th century.

Others are representations of the original premises.

As Jo Bailey, head of collections at Hampshire Cultural Trust, explains.

So, what shops are based on real shops and businesses?

Just around the corner from here, GW Willis & Son's,

that was a faithful copy of the original.

Not least because some of the timber work was pulled

out of a skip in the 1990s and has been reinstalled into the museum.

Gosh! Well, it looks so authentic.

-Have you used photographs to recreate the facades?

-Yes, we have.

We've got collections, huge collections of photographs

from the towns of Hampshire in our collections, that we can use.

-So, it's as authentic as it can be.

-Yes, yes, it is.

Time's stood still when you take a walk down the high street here.

-And I imagine these shops would have served the local community.

-Yes, yes.

I mean, during the Victorian times,

Hampshire's towns were growing rapidly.

The middle classes were getting much bigger,

there were factories opening up in the towns.

So, lots of people who used to work on the farms were

moving into the towns as well. And all becoming customers.

A lot of the work here has relied on volunteers

and curators to bring these shops back to life.

The ironmonger's being one example.

A Basingstoke family-run business established in the late 19th century,

it served the new influx of people.

Even though many businesses disappeared with the town's

redevelopment after the Second World War, Kingdon's survived up to the 1970s.

One of those who has been working on it here is volunteer

and history lover Bob Applin.

Bob, I'm pleased to say I am old enough to remember

ironmongers like this. My dad used to take me.

But you can remember this actual shop. Where was it?

-It was in the marketplace in Basingstoke.

-Yes.

-A prime site.

And it was the premier ironmonger's in the town.

The thing I do remember about the shop is the characteristic smell.

-Mm...

-Paraffin mixed with the smell of dog food or animal feed.

-Yes.

-And I'll tell you what else, oil, the smell of oil.

-Yes.

You know, because they sold oil as well.

In those days, it was those cans that squirted out. Dad had loads of those.

-Yes.

-But I'm so pleased that this is still here.

And it's thanks to dedicated volunteers like you.

Because places like this wouldn't survive without you guys.

Bob and the team are busy fitting out this shop.

But there's even more to the museum.

There are over 4,500 domestic appliances here, including 200 irons,

52 kettles and 11 washing machines. That's a lot of housework.

Where does this stuff come from?

Well, lots of the sort of social history stuff,

the sort of everyday stuff, has actually come through

donations from members of the public.

Back 100 years, but those orderly things are actually very special

to people because they bring back some really lovely memories.

-The nostalgia aspect to it...

-We can all relate to it.

Our grandmas and grandads had it, didn't they? And mums and dads.

Yes, we hear that comment all the time.

You know, "Oh, I used to have one of those and I'd forgotten all about it."

It's not a museum that's all about kings and queens.

There are lots of those that do that very well.

But what we do here is about the history of everyday life.

And that's why they call this a living museum.

It's also a place that celebrates its successful home-grown industries.

Two names to conjure with are Taskers,

a company which was at the forefront of the 19th century steam engine development,

and Thornycroft, which built commercial vehicles in the 20th century.

Eventually, the businesses closed.

But like the high street, it wasn't all over.

It seems that these local companies had the foresight to see

that their items had a value as pieces of social history.

And as early as the 1940s, Taskers deliberately started to

track down pieces from all over the country.

And when Thornycroft closed down,

they gave this huge great big gantry crane, you can see it up there,

look, it's got huge big orange girders,

they gave all of that plus their documents to the museum.

It seems that families who invested in their businesses wanted to see

this stuff preserved, rather than just memories, lost forever.

BRASS BAND PLAYS

Now, I love the story of this piece.

As well as commercial vehicles, Thornycroft

also build high-end cars from 1903 to 1912.

And this was the Rolls-Royce of the day.

And it cost a king's ransom as well. £400.

Especially to the man who owned this, the local vicar,

who had a salary of £120 a year.

But he got his comeuppance when he was caught "en flagrant delit".

Now that is basically caught in the act with the housemaid.

CAR HORN PARPS So, off went the car. It ended up in America!

I don't know what happened to the vicar!

But anyway, the car came up for auction in 1993,

Sotheby's sold it to the museum.

And it came here and it underwent a wonderful restoration project

with the rest of the vehicles here.

And I think they have done a tremendous job, they really have.

£400. Whew!

Museums like this, with the significant

contribution of local people, do more than preserve the past.

They keep a community's memory alive.

And there's one vehicle here that epitomises that.

This military lorry, known as a 'J' Type, and built by Thornycroft

in 1916, took men and ammunition to the front line during the First World War.

5,000 of these lorries were made,

so it's even more incredible that only a handful have survived,

not only the First World War but also the intervening 100 years.

And that's thanks in no small part to a dedicated team of experts

and volunteers here at the museum, who have rebuilt this engine

and other parts of this wonderful lorry, screw by screw. OK, guys.

-Crank it up!

-Fingers crossed!

ENGINE WHIRRS Now, that's what I call people power!

And now, it's time to go back to our valuations for more people power,

as we look at some of the objects you've brought us.

And Nick has found something that's about much more than its face value.

How did you come by them, first of all?

-Erm, they were my late husband's.

-Right.

-He used to collect coins with my late father-in-law.

-OK.

My late father-in-law used to help him collect them

-and he created these albums and dated...

-Very particular!

Absolutely. He was a very particular man.

-All dated, all with the monarchs on them.

-Yes.

-It's fantastic.

-And you've got some really interesting little bits and pieces, as we flick through.

-Very.

One caught my eye - this one here, which is a Cartwheel Halfpenny. It's 1797.

And the reason why I like this coin, it's from my neck of the woods,

Birmingham, and it was mass produced at Soho House by Matthew Boulton, the great industrialist.

And it's a really good example of that period coinage.

And he's started putting this raised edge round the outside,

so the shape became absolutely die-cast.

And he was producing these in their MILLIONS at the time.

When you think wages were pennies, these were your wages.

So, we'll pop that one back in there.

I wouldn't want to get told off for putting it in the wrong place!

-SHE LAUGHS

-But not only all these, as your husband was very organised,

we've also got more of the same.

But these are slightly more valuable

because a lot of these are silver examples.

And again, we go into Victorian and onwards.

Now, with your silver coins, there's two dates.

Do you know what the dates of importance are for silver coins?

-Pre-1947?

-Brilliant. Pre-1947. And?

-The other one I don't know.

-Pre-1921.

-Oh, right.

So, pre-1921, the content of the coin is all silver.

Between '21 and '47, half content,

after that, nickel.

-And you've got shillings in here, and sixpences.

-Yeah.

And you told me you did something with one of the shillings, was it?

-No, the old half-crowns.

-Half-crowns.

What did you used to do with a half-crown?

Come on, Chris, spill the beans.

I used to use it as a plug.

You used to use it to stop the water going down the sink?

Stop the water going down the sink.

Well, if you have money like that, why not use it?

But we go right the way through all this era,

and we come right the way up to 1970,

-and then right up to more or less modern-day.

-That was the year...

-The reason with that one is that's the year we got married.

-Yeah?

-Ah, and that's got the special purple velvet round it as well.

-Yes.

-Oh, how sweet. That's lovely.

-Yes.

So we come to value, really, don't we?

-Valuing money - you'd think it would be very easy.

-Yeah.

-I would put these in at £150-£200. OK?

-Yeah.

But let's make sure they're covered

and we'll put a reserve on at £100 just to keep an eye on them, OK?

Yep, yes, yeah.

-Excellent.

-Can I ask you just one question, please?

Yes, fire away. You don't have to put your hand up.

Can I take the 1970 one?

-I think that's a really, really good idea.

-Because that's special.

Yes, special memories.

-Yes, and I won't use it as a plug.

-No. Good.

-No.

The objects you bring us hold such unique memories,

and it's especially nice when they connect to your family history, too,

like this oil painting I've spotted in the crowds.

-And who's it by?

-Margaret Lindsay Williams.

-A Welsh artist?

-A Welsh artist, yes.

-Yes.

-I think she died in 1960 or the early 1960s.

-Uh-huh.

Here's a picture of the lady, my aunt, great-aunt.

Aw, aw, and who...? What else is in there?

-Who's that?

-That's my great-grandfather.

He's a bit battered.

-He's seen a bit of sun damage, hasn't he?

-Yes.

-And water damage.

-Yeah.

He looks a bit like Captain Mainwaring.

I'd say these are worth around £1,500-£2,000.

-Oh, wow.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-So do look after them, won't you?

-Yes.

But this lady's not for turning,

and being such precious family heirlooms,

they're going home with her,

but what a pleasure to see something by such a distinguished artist.

MUSIC: September by Earth, Wind & Fire

James is ready to open up more family memories

with a box brought in by Julie.

There is something about this that is the work of a cabinet-maker

who is experimenting and loving his veneers.

What's the history?

Well, my great-grandfather made it,

-and I never met him...

-OK.

..but my grandmother had it,

always in her room, on the sideboard,

-in the middle, always locked.

-OK.

I never knew what she had in it,

because if you asked, it was always "private papers".

-Oh, really?

-Yes.

-Oh, gosh.

-So, I've known it for a long time.

We always say 30 years is a generation,

so he would have done this around 1870-1880.

-Yes.

-So that ties in.

Great.

So we've got a casket that, from the outside, looks almost official.

It's the sort of thing people were given silver boxes inside,

and given freedom of the city.

Fantastic quality.

Round the outside here we've got ebony - the very dark wood.

Then next to that, we have a satinwood,

and then we've got a boxwood,

and then mahogany and satinwood around the outside,

more ebonised wood there, so it's a redwood that's been stained black.

So, a really interesting box, OK?

And we open it up.

Got a detachable tray.

Baize-lined, and velvet underneath,

and a velvet-lined interior.

It's not sectioned for jewellery.

It's not divided for tea.

In the cover, we've got two vacant squares.

-Mm-hmm.

-Almost for two names.

Maybe a marriage piece.

I'm guessing.

Anyway, it's 1870.

It's lovely quality, but this is just a box.

It's not for any particular purpose.

There are tea caddy collectors.

There are snuffbox collectors.

There are tobacco box collectors.

So, although it's lovely quality,

it won't actually appeal to any of those specific collectors,

and it's worth £80-£120.

Oh, right.

I would say, reserve of £70.

If it makes more than £120, I think that's a great result.

-I still think it'll do well.

-Yeah, thank you.

-Is that all right for you?

-Yes, that's fine.

A mysterious box indeed,

but let's see if the bidders value it for its craftsmanship.

MUSIC: Our House by Madness

Nick certainly seems to appreciate the piece Dulcie has brought in.

Look what we have in front of us -

a beautiful Tudric pewter clock.

Tell me about it. How come it's here?

Erm, I lost my grandmother 29 years ago...

-Right.

-..and it was in her belongings.

-So it was inherited down to you?

-Yes, yes.

-Stylish grandmother?

-Must have been.

-No.

-No?

-I'll tell you the story.

-My grandmother was a housekeeper for two spinsters...

-Right.

..a lady doctor and a headmistress.

-OK.

-When they both died,

the family took what they wanted

and they asked my grandmother,

would she like to get rid of the rest and choose what she wants?

-And she chose this?

-Yes.

Well, this dates from the Art Nouveau period, obviously,

-so it's 1910, somewhere around that era.

-Yes.

It's designed by Archibald Knox for Liberty,

and if you look underneath,

we've got the marks all here on the base -

a Tudric stamp, and a model number as well.

But the thing I really like,

if you turn it round and have a look,

look, they've even put a little hole there to keep the key.

That's for the key.

-It's just little details that show quality.

-Yes.

So, I've told you what I love about it. What do you like?

-Erm...

-Not your taste?

-Not your style?

-No, no, not really.

-You've surprised me.

-No, I find it...

-I find it quite dull.

-Quite dull?

-Yes.

-Well, I mean...

-Maybe the colour.

Yeah, you can polish pewter up and make it look like silver.

Oh, I thought you weren't allowed to touch it.

-But I'm with you.

-Yeah.

-Things like this are best left alone.

-Mm-hmm.

-People...

It's very easy to polish up, but you can't polish down,

-as everybody knows.

-Yes.

-Well, it's working. It's in great condition.

-Yes.

-I think it will interest a lot of buyers.

-Yes.

Erm, I would at auction put it up for sale around about £400-£600.

-SHE GASPS

-Oh, my goodness.

-Obviously you're pleased with that.

-Wow, I should say.

So we'll reserve it just below the £400,

-if that's OK with you...

-Yes. Gosh, of course.

..and I think we'll be able to find it quite a nice home.

-Oh, thank you very much indeed.

-That's a pleasure.

-Wow.

Dulcie's mantel clock was part of a range designed

exclusively for Liberty of London,

one of the first department stores at the turn of the century.

Called Tudric, these pewter pieces were

made by a range of designers including Archibald Knox,

and they came to define the Art Nouveau style.

Tudric was the must-have item of the day for those who could afford it,

and they are still highly sought-after,

so Dulcie's piece could clock up a good price

when it goes under the hammer.

Well, what a fantastic day we've had here at Milestones Museum,

with echoes of the past around every street corner.

Sadly, it's time to say goodbye to this wonderful host location,

as we head over to the saleroom for the last time, so let's hope

our experts haven't led us down any blind alleys with their valuations.

It's time to put them to the test.

Here's a quick recap of all the items going under the hammer.

There's Chris's collection of coins,

minus the one from 1970, that

she's hoping will make her a mint.

Also, Julie's cabinet-maker's box,

whose purpose has been lost in the mists of time,

but could be put to great use.

And Dulcie's saying goodbye to her classic Art Nouveau clock,

but will it cause a stir at auction,

as she hopes?

Back at the saleroom,

auctioneer Nick Jarrett is about to sell our next lot.

It's the beautiful inlaid wooden box,

lovingly constructed by Julie's grandfather.

He must have been a great craftsman.

-Yes, must have been.

-Great craftsman.

Why are you selling this? It's a family heirloom.

Well, it's stuck in the wardrobe,

and it doesn't really go in a modern home.

-You've got other things.

-Yeah.

We've got other things, other boxes as well.

-Oh, other boxes?

-Yes.

-Well, of course, you would.

If he made things all the time. Well, good luck with this.

-Thank you.

-It's a nice thing. It's a really nice thing.

One of the best apprentice things I've seen.

-Lovely quality veneers.

-Thanks.

Good luck. We're putting it to the test. It's going under the hammer.

Lovely thing there,

and I've got a few bids.

I'm going to have to...

In order to clear other bids,

I have to start you at £80,

and I'll take five on that.

85? 95.

100.

95, bid on the side here at £95.

Bid it in somewhere?

£100 on the net.

110. 120.

130.

140.

-Come on.

-Come on.

It's 130, then.

In the room at £130.

At £130, then,

last chance at 130...

-It's gone.

-That was good.

-It was good.

That was all right, wasn't it?

-Great.

-I'm happy with that.

-Yeah, me too.

-Nice thing, nice thing. Talented family.

Now, will Nick be on the money with his valuation for our next item?

Guess what's coming up next? Yes, you've got it right.

Chris's coin collection.

-These are your late husband's, aren't they?

-Yes, they are.

I know he was collecting when you first met him

-and he carried on collecting.

-Yeah.

-There's a lot there.

There's about... I think there's about 400. I'm not sure.

So you must have learnt a lot about coins over the years as well.

How to spend them.

-Let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?

-Yes.

Here we go. This is it.

Start me at 150. £150.

150.

150, here we have it.

-Straight in at 150.

-That's good.

At £150, and we are selling.

Is there a 160?

We've got 240.

It's all happening on the net.

-200 and...

-40.

240 now on the net.

-That was a big jump, wasn't it?

-That is a big jump, that is.

-God.

At £240, are you done?

Anyone in the room that wants to come in at this point,

now is a good time.

At £240, we're about to sell.

Last time.

Well, I'm pleased with that. We got the top end, didn't we?

-We did. Thank you very much.

-And that was well worth it.

-Good.

-Well done, Chris.

-That's good, thank you.

-You can afford some plugs now.

-I can, yeah.

Finally, it's time for that early 20th-century Tudric clock,

that Nick said was by Archibald Knox,

but sometimes objects aren't always what they seem,

and auctioneer, Andrew Smith, has been doing a spot of research.

We found out that, actually, this was designed by David Veasey,

not Archibald Knox.

Now, the two worked together designing for Liberty.

I think this may have a slight effect on value,

because the serious Archibald Knox collectors

aren't probably going to be interested,

but I don't think they'd have been interested anyway,

cos the condition is not great,

so I think for anyone with an interest in Liberty,

in Art Nouveau, they're still going to be there.

They're still going to be bidding, so hopefully,

we will get the right result on the day.

Now that's ironed out, let's get on with the sale.

-I can understand it's not everybody's cup of tea.

-No.

-I can, I can understand that.

-Yes.

-What are you into?

Erm, little ladies.

-Porcelain ladies.

-What, sort of, Royal Doulton figures,

-and things like that?

-Coalport and...

Yeah, I think they're pretty.

-You know, they're nice to look at.

-Colourful.

-Thank you.

Well, I tell you what, if you sell this

and you get the right money for it, you can buy two or three of those.

-I could buy a few more.

-You could, couldn't you? Here we go.

It's going under the hammer right now.

This is the Liberty Tudric pewter mantel clock

and we've had good interest here.

We have two commissioned bids with me.

I'm going to start the bidding at £450.

Is there 470 in the room?

720 to the internet.

-720?

-720.

-Some person online.

-It's just jumped.

£720, then, on the net at 720.

At £720, we are about to sell.

If there's anyone in the room who wants to

put their hand up at this point,

it's a good time.

At £720, and selling, then.

-820.

-820 on the net, now.

-Oh, no.

-Now that's better, isn't it?

£820, and selling on the net.

Are you all done?

-920.

-£920.

-Oh, my knees are shaking.

-Oh...

£920. We are selling, last time...

-970.

-900... There's a bit of gamesmanship going on here.

970, now, on the net.

Make it 1,000.

At £970,

for the last time, at £970...

-Hold me up.

-Get in there.

£970, Dulcie - that's incredible, isn't it?

That's a good result,

and that's a great way to end today's show, isn't it?

On a high like that.

Well done, Dulcie. I hope you've enjoyed the show.

We've thoroughly enjoyed being here,

so until the next time, it's goodbye from all of us.