0:00:07 > 0:00:09Today I'm at Powis Castle,
0:00:09 > 0:00:13a magnificent, medieval, architectural gem,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15situated just outside of Welshpool,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17close to the Welsh/English borders.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It was originally built as a fortress in the mid-13th century
0:00:21 > 0:00:22by a Welsh ruler.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24However, successive generations have turned
0:00:24 > 0:00:27the castle into a magnificent stately home,
0:00:27 > 0:00:30resplendent with lavish interiors, works of art
0:00:30 > 0:00:33and fine treasures that I'm looking forward to discovering
0:00:33 > 0:00:37later on in the programme. Welcome to Flog It! from Wales.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Today's programme is a little bit different
0:01:01 > 0:01:03from the norm.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05We're taking a tour around the country,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08to revisit some of our stunning valuation day locations
0:01:08 > 0:01:11from the series, where you showed our experts your prized possessions
0:01:11 > 0:01:14and we took them off to auction houses far and wide.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18We journeyed to Cumbria,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21to the stately 13th century Muncaster Castle,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24situated in the picturesque Lake District.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And you turned up in your droves to our valuation day
0:01:28 > 0:01:30at Norwich Cathedral in Norfolk, where Kate Bateman
0:01:30 > 0:01:34disapproved of one owner's treatment of her collectable.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Well, it's sort of a doorstop.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38You use it as a doorstop?!
0:01:38 > 0:01:43We visited the 19th-century purpose-built Bowes Museum
0:01:43 > 0:01:47in County Durham where, in a gallery full of the finest in European art,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51David Harper came across a painting with an interesting story.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55My father, he found it in a skip.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59And our final port of call was the Grand Pier
0:01:59 > 0:02:02at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05where our experts valued your items amongst the amusements.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10But before all that, I'm back in Wales at Powis Castle,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13which today is owned by the National Trust.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17For centuries, many of the families who lived here at Powis
0:02:17 > 0:02:19were keen to leave their mark.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22They had ambitious plans when it came to remodelling
0:02:22 > 0:02:23and updating the castle,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27for instance, in the 1770s, the 2nd Earl of Powis
0:02:27 > 0:02:31had a ballroom installed, complete with minstrel gallery,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35so he could throw a big party and celebrate his 21st birthday.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43But earlier in the 1660s, William Herbert,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45the 3rd Lord Powis,
0:02:45 > 0:02:49was the first person to initiate any major internal redevelopment.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53He was keen for his home to reflect his power and his wealth.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56He completely revamped everything,
0:02:56 > 0:02:58creating a series of state apartments
0:02:58 > 0:03:01designed to impress his guests and visitors,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04so, consequently, Powis turned from a castle
0:03:04 > 0:03:07to a very impressive stately home, fit for a nobleman.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11And later in the programme,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I'll be returning to Powis to admire its remodelled interiors.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21But first we are crossing the border to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24where Thomas Platt hit the jackpot on the Grand Pier.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Roy, tell me, you brought along an Albert chain,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- a sovereign and a gold watch.- Yes. - How did you come by them?
0:03:32 > 0:03:37The watch was my brother's, who's passed on and he left it to me,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and I was going to hand it down to my sons, but they don't want it,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43so they said, "Just sell it and use it on a holiday,"
0:03:43 > 0:03:44which I'm going to do.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- Really?- Mm-hm.- So where did you get this Albert chain?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49This is what we call an Albert chain,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- which one puts on one's waistcoat. - Yes.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54That didn't come from your brother?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- No. No. No, I bought that here in Weston...- No!
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- ..in a little shop and I paid £100 for it.- £100.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02And what about the sovereign?
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- The sovereign, I bought in Belfast. - Yeah?- I paid £150 for that.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08And the fob as well, is that...?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11No, the fob, my partner bought me that, so she did.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- She's all right letting you sell it? - Oh, yes.- Oh, yes.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Let's just start with the watch.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22It's an open-faced watch, 1930s, it's nine carat gold,
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and it's a Dennison case. It's a really good quality case.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32Lovely white enamel face with a second subsidiary dial here.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35You can see it is ticking away, so it is working.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38And it's got "Swiss made" on the bottom there.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42So it's a good, proper, wind-up fob watch, open-face.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Nine carat gold back.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Then you've got this nine carat gold Albert chain,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51or fob watch chain which goes here, and there's the bar,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53which fits into the button here
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and then you put the watch in one pocket and you've got two fobs,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00one here with the tiger's eye, carnelian and onyx,
0:05:00 > 0:05:05and then you've got this sovereign here, which is a George V sovereign.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07It's dated 1917.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It's also got something else, which just makes it more unusual.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15You probably didn't know this when you bought it,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18but just above the date is a very small, little P.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- What do you think that P stands for?- I don't know.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24So, that P on there is the mint mark.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Think of a place beginning with P in the Empire
0:05:28 > 0:05:33- and is a long way away. - Perth.- Yes!- Perth Mint.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35An Australian mint on that.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- So that is a really cool thing, isn't it?- Yes.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Yeah, to have the Perth Mint.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43So that adds a bit of value to the whole thing.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Ottawa is the rarest.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- Yeah?- Bombay is quite rare, but Perth is good.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52So, as a whole, you want to sell it
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- cos you said you want to go on holiday, is that right?- Yes.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- Is it one week or two?- Two. - Two weeks.- Where are you going?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00- Xanthus, the Greek islands. - The Greek islands.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- Now, you're not going to go five-star spa luxury, are you?- No.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Cos I think we've got a week's worth of holiday here.
0:06:07 > 0:06:13I would see this at making between £600 and £800...for the lot.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Happy with that? - Very happy.- Very happy?- Yeah.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Yeah?- Brilliant.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22- Fixed reserve at 500.- Yes. - It's definitely a seller then.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- Very kind, thank you very much. - Thank you.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Roy's pocket watch was certainly fanciful,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40definitely designed to impress.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Now, back here at Powis, the alterations
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and modifications that took place
0:06:45 > 0:06:48in the latter part of the 17th century
0:06:48 > 0:06:50were also designed to impress.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52A series of state rooms collectively known
0:06:52 > 0:06:54as the State Apartment were designed.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57These are public rooms for greeting important
0:06:57 > 0:06:59visitors and guests.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04Each room in the series had to be more impressive than the previous,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06so the higher up the social ladder you were,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08the deeper into the house you got.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10The entrance hall and the grand staircase
0:07:10 > 0:07:12are the first of Powis's state rooms.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17This is what the guests would see first upon arrival.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19It's highly decorated, it's very colourful
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and it certainly does have the wow factor when you look around.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24I don't know what to talk about first,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26but I guess the artwork on the walls.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29This has been completed with a technique known as grisaille -
0:07:29 > 0:07:32it's different shades of grey that make the image
0:07:32 > 0:07:35look like it's three-dimensional sculpture,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38but the staircase is very impressive indeed.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Look at these pineapples, carved on every single one.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44That's symbolic of a warm-hearted greeting,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47that's hospitality at its very best.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Guests would have to climb this grand staircase
0:07:53 > 0:07:56to see the state rooms above, if they were allowed that far.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Of course, when you get to the half landing and you're up this high,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03you're greeted with the most spectacular view -
0:08:03 > 0:08:05artwork everywhere.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08But look at the doors there, beautiful symmetry.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Above them, that's known as a broken swan neck pediment.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13It's rich in detail.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17And as your eyes drift up towards the heavens,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21you're greeted with the most wonderful mural up there.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23If this is the first of the state rooms,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I can't wait see the rest.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Next, we travelled eastwards to our valuation day at Norwich Cathedral
0:08:31 > 0:08:34in Norfolk, where Kate Bateman came across
0:08:34 > 0:08:35an interesting little object.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Hello, Liz. What can you tell me about your lion?
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- Nothing at all, I'm afraid.- Oh. - It's one... I've inherited it.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- It's been in the family all my life.- OK.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Do you have it on display at home, or what you do with it?
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- Well, it's sort of a doorstop. - You use it as a doorstop!
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- Well, it's very heavy, you see.- Well, it is.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- Do you know what it's made of?- No.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Ah, it's a hard stone called serpentine, which is
0:09:01 > 0:09:04this kind of really green, hard, very heavy stone
0:09:04 > 0:09:06and it almost looks like patinated bronze,
0:09:06 > 0:09:08it's got that lovely sheen to it.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11So what do you like about him? You must have liked something about him.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Yes, what I do like, he's very tactile
0:09:13 > 0:09:16and I like his smooth bottom.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18So that's why he's got quite a shiny rump, isn't it?
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- You've been rubbing him.- Yes.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23He is quite nice and he's very smooth and that's part of the...
0:09:23 > 0:09:25- the serpentine is, it makes that lovely, smooth feel.- Yes, yes.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Now, you know what it depicts?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- It's quite an allegorical little lion, this.- Right. No, I don't...
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- No idea?- No, no idea.- Well, he's known as the Lucerne Lion,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and apparently he used to commemorate the massacre -
0:09:36 > 0:09:37it's not a happy story -
0:09:37 > 0:09:39massacre of the Swiss Guards
0:09:39 > 0:09:43right at the beginning of the French Revolution, 1792, an angry mob
0:09:43 > 0:09:46stormed the Tuileries Palace, which is just outside the Louvre,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and killed all the French Guards, or actually the Swiss Guards,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51that were guarding the French Royal family
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- and basically what you've got is the dying lion...- Oh!
0:09:54 > 0:09:58..and this is the Swiss flag and the shield here
0:09:58 > 0:10:01and he's lying on a fleur-de-lis, which is
0:10:01 > 0:10:04like the crushed French monarchy, basically, a symbol of them.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08- Now did you notice he has been injured?- Yes.- Have you ever seen it?
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- He's got, like, a thorn or something in his side.- Oh.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- So he's not a happy lion.- Oh, bless him.- He's probably Continental.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16He's not marked, I've looked everywhere,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18and it would be nice to have a name on it or something,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20but there were quite a few of these produced.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24It's not contemporary to the French Revolution, it's probably Victorian,
0:10:24 > 0:10:25about 100 years later or so.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27So I think he's about the £50-£80 mark.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29He's quite an interesting thing.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31And as you say, I wouldn't use him as a doorstop,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33I'd probably catalogue him as maybe, you know,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35desk item, paperweight...
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Yes, I wasn't sure what to call...what to call him.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- Would you be happy with that kind of figure at auction?- Well, yes.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I mean, I hadn't got a figure in mind so that's fine.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45So, 50 to 80 and maybe a reserve of £40 firm,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48so you don't sell him for less than that.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Yes, that would be good, would want him to...
0:10:50 > 0:10:52I don't want him to just go for nothing.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Well, what would you do with the money if we sold him?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Well, I've taken up doing stained glass.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- I want to a bit more at home so I need some equipment.- OK.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Well, that's a fantastic hobby, and you've got the right place here,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- look at all this inspiration all around us.- Yes, yes.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Would you ever think about something that big?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I think that's a little bit complicated.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- I'm into little figures, not big panes of glass.- You can work up.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Think big! Come on, let's work up to a big window, come on!
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Next we travelled northwards to our valuation day
0:11:23 > 0:11:26at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Caroline Hawley found a quiet spot away from the crowds
0:11:30 > 0:11:33to immerse herself in stories of the Middle East.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- Hello, Sonia. Hello, Deborah. - Hello.- Hello, Caroline.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Thanks for bringing these books along.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Now, are you both avid readers?
0:11:42 > 0:11:48Well, I am an avid reader, and I do collect books,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52but I like... I've got to really like them
0:11:52 > 0:11:56and there's something sort of antiquey about them, or...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59- Well, there's certainly that about these.- Yes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Four volumes of picturesque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07complete with a supplement to it, social life in Egypt,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- from about 1880.- Yes.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12So, where did you come by them?
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I used to have a bric-a-brac... antique and bric-a-brac shop.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19This is years ago, in the Isle of Man.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22And they somehow turned up there, I must've got them
0:12:22 > 0:12:26from the local auction house or something like that.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28And did you try to sell them, or did you decide...?
0:12:28 > 0:12:31No, never tried to sell them, I loved them too much.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33They've had some restoration on them,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35we can see they've got a new spine,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37but it's been professionally done.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Have you done this? Have you had this done?- I had it done, yes.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Which is great, you haven't put a bit of gaffer tape on or anything,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45have you? They've been properly done.
0:12:45 > 0:12:51If we open this one, published by Virtue & Company in London,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and they were edited by Colonel Wilson,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57who did an awful lot of work out in Jerusalem,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Palestine...- Wow!- Oh, yes.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03So, they really are very, very good works on the subject.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- Yes, they are top-notch of their kind.- Oh, they are. They are.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And a lot of people, I think, would be interested in these.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Wood and steel engravings, but they show everything.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14As it says, they show social life.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19There's furniture, there's food, there's dress.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Oh, now look at this one. This is beautiful -
0:13:22 > 0:13:25a daughter of the East. Now, the quality of that
0:13:25 > 0:13:29is amazing, with jewels, headress. Look at the fan she's holding.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- It really is lovely.- And although they're black and white,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34you feel you could touch the fabrics, don't you?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Absolutely, yes.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38And the beauty is that this is still in the book,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and not cut out, hanging on someone's wall.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43This was suggested to me,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48but I couldn't contemplate committing such a crime.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Well, you are very wise, but a lot of people,
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Sonia, did that,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54because purely for monetary reasons,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59they're worth a lot more cut up than they are complete.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Now, value, do you have any idea as to value, either of you?
0:14:02 > 0:14:05- Well, it's difficult.- No, no.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08I'd rather wait for the expert to suggest.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Well, I would think for the lot of them,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15- for the five, £100-£150...- Yes.
0:14:15 > 0:14:21..with a reserve on. And would you be happy with £100 reserve?
0:14:21 > 0:14:25I would like that. They have got to go, cos I haven't the room now.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- Shall we take them to auction, then? - I'm afraid they have to go.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- Oh, don't be afraid!- Let's flog 'em. - Let's flog 'em.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36And that's it for our first lot of items as it's now time
0:14:36 > 0:14:38to find out if they made our owners any money
0:14:38 > 0:14:40when they went under the hammer.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Roy hoped that his pocket watch, Albert chain
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and gold sovereign would sell well so he could
0:14:46 > 0:14:49afford a holiday to somewhere a bit more exotic
0:14:49 > 0:14:52than our valuation day at Weston-super-Mare.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59When Liz brought her serpentine stone lion to our valuation day
0:14:59 > 0:15:01at Norwich Cathedral, Kate Bateman was shocked
0:15:01 > 0:15:04that she'd been using it as a doorstop.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10And finally, at our valuation day at Muncaster Castle in Cumbria,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Sonia turned up with a late 19th-century picturesque Palestine,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Sinai and Egypt books.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22We stayed in Cumbria to sell the books,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26but travelled to Carlisle to Thomson Roddick & Medcalf saleroom,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29where auctioneer Stephen Parkinson was on the rostrum.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Remember, whenever you're buying or selling, at every auction,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36there is always commission to pay and VAT on top.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38- I've got my fingers crossed for you, Sonia and Deborah.- Thank you.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40It's great to see you again
0:15:40 > 0:15:42- and I know you're an avid reader and book collector.- Yes.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45It's hard to let these go, but they're going under the hammer,
0:15:45 > 0:15:47the books on Palestine, we're looking for around
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- £100-£150.- Lovely.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53You've had a long time in the possession of these, haven't you?
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- Yes, I have. - What was the final straw?
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Was it Flog It! that made you sell them, do you think? Or you just...
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Well, it was because I was downsizing, I've moved
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and I had to get rid of some things
0:16:05 > 0:16:07so my daughter said, "Take these books."
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- And they're big, aren't they? - They are big.- Yes, take them.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14OK, it's going under the hammer now. Good luck, everyone. This is it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Rather interesting books here.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Palestine, Egypt, etc, where shall we start with these?
0:16:20 > 0:16:26I can start straight in at 70 bid. At £70, at 70, 75, at 75.
0:16:26 > 0:16:32At 75 and 80, anybody else? At 80, at £80. 85 and 90.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Still, at 90 bid. At 90, 95, 100.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36- At 100 bid.- Yes!
0:16:36 > 0:16:41At 100. At 100, are we all sure? At 100.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43At 100. Is that it now?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45At 100, at 100. 110. I nearly missed you.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47That's it, make sure you wave.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51110. At 110 you are in, I'm out. At 110.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- He spotted a late bidder. - At 110, at 110.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57- Yes.- Good.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00And that was a solid sold sound. Did you hear the desk go...? Well done.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- Thank you. Thank you very much. - Thank you for bringing them in.- Yes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Definitely a fair price for Sonia's books, which were just beautiful.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Next we headed to TW Gaze in Diss in Norfolk,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15but did Janet's stone lion managed to create
0:17:15 > 0:17:17a roar in the saleroom?
0:17:17 > 0:17:21The man we had our hopes pinned on was auctioneer Ed Smith.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Looking at all our lots going under the hammer really takes me back
0:17:24 > 0:17:26to that wonderful valuation day at Norwich Cathedral.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It was such a good time, and, Elizabeth,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- I bumped into you, didn't I?- You did, yes.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33And I saw that little stone recumbent lion and I thought,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36"Oh, that looks so nice," it really does, and a good valuation.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Do you know, we have got his big brother here right now?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Yes, I saw him. I thought mine had grown.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43It was a good job you didn't bring that one in!
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- I don't think I could have carried that on the bus.- No.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It's a great example, it really is. I'd like to see it do the top end.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52I really like this but it's not everyone's taste, you know,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- it's not very useful, but it's lovely.- It is, isn't it?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- It's old-fashioned.- Yeah, but it's kind of like a proper desk toy.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03- It's classy.- It's classy. - It's a bit of class. It's lovely.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Let's put it to the test. Good luck, both of you. Here we go.
0:18:07 > 0:18:08Lovely carving, this is.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13I start in just below guide at £40, for which I have. Who's a two?
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The Lucerne Lion at £40 now. Two, five, eight,
0:18:17 > 0:18:1950, five, 60, five.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21- 75, 80.- That's more like it.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25One more? 85, I'm out. 85 with the lady.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29It's 85 now bid. It there 90? It's the lady's bid at £85.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Is there 90? We'll sell at £85. We go.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Yes! £85. Now that's more like it.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37That's a good result, isn't it?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I'm glad it went over the top estimate.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Yeah, top end. Yeah. - I'm surprised, I must admit.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- I take it you're into stained-glass window making and designing...- Yes.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48..and the money will go towards glass and tools...
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Yes, I want to get a grinder to do it at home, which is quite fun.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- Well, look, good luck with that. - Thank you very much.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57A great result and worth every penny.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Finally, we headed west to Somerset, to Clevedon salerooms
0:19:03 > 0:19:05in the seaside town of the same name,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08where auctioneer Marc Burridge wielded the gavel
0:19:08 > 0:19:10over Roy's mixed lot of pocket watch,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Albert chain and gold sovereign.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Now, I know since the valuation day,
0:19:14 > 0:19:16when Thomas put the reserve on it, we had a reserve of 500,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18you've upped that to 600.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- You're just being a little bit cautious with it.- Yes.- Yeah.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24I don't think it makes a lot of difference. There's a lot of gold.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26There's a lot of gold, there's a lot going on.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- Yes.- And you've got a watch which works.- Exactly, yes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- I was about to say that it works. - Yes.- It's a good lot.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- I think I should have one here. - I do think so.- You know?
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Let's put it to the test, shall we? Are you ready, Roy? Here we go.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45And we're bidding at 520, 550, 580, 600,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I have, 620 anyone else?
0:19:48 > 0:19:53620, 620, 620. 620, 620, 620.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Make no mistake, then, selling on the book
0:19:55 > 0:19:57at £600.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- £600.- £600. Yes.- Brilliant.- Done.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- Job done. That was good, wasn't it? - That was good, yes.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- And you did the right thing, putting the reserve on.- Yes, you did.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- It worked.- Because there was not a lot of competition then,
0:20:10 > 0:20:12if your reserve was at 500, it may have only
0:20:12 > 0:20:13sold at five, or 550.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17- Well done you, Roy.- Congratulations. Put it there. Thank you so much.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19- Well done, Thomas.- Thank you.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21A quick auction, but great result, which
0:20:21 > 0:20:25should go a good way to sending Roy on holiday.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Don't go away, because we'll be returning to the salerooms
0:20:28 > 0:20:30across the country later on in the show.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Now, back here at Powis, it wasn't just the castle
0:20:49 > 0:20:52that was lavishly refurbished and redesigned.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Love and attention was also shown outside to create a garden,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57which is now famous worldwide.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Just look at this, it is so spectacular.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Powis now boasts a multilayered garden,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07with a series of Italianate terraces,
0:21:07 > 0:21:08and to achieve this
0:21:08 > 0:21:11they had to blast into the side of the rock
0:21:11 > 0:21:13that the castle is built on.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Now, that's some early feat of engineering.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24The major overhaul of the gardens was started
0:21:24 > 0:21:28in the 1680s by William Herbert, the 3rd Lord Powis, who was also
0:21:28 > 0:21:32responsible for the character of the state rooms inside the castle.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Some type of terraces were here before,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38though Lord Powis had additional terraces built.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40This was probably done under the direction
0:21:40 > 0:21:43of the English gentleman architect William Wynne,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46who was also responsible for the magnificent grand staircase,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49as Wynne was known to take an interest in the gardens
0:21:49 > 0:21:52of the houses he designed.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Unfortunately, work on the gardens came to an abrupt end in 1688
0:21:56 > 0:21:58when the family fled to France,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00accompanying King James II into exile.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05They returned to Powis in 1703 and work resumed on the gardens
0:22:05 > 0:22:09with the help of a French gardener who'd been working in Holland.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13The result was a mixture of styles when it was completed.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Of course, there was still the fantastic Italianate terraces
0:22:16 > 0:22:18but there was also a Dutch water garden,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20which, sadly, isn't here today.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Later, in 1771, the direction of the gardens changed once again
0:22:26 > 0:22:28with a more naturalistic-looking landscape
0:22:28 > 0:22:33made popular in the 18th century by garden designer Capability Brown.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37And over there, planted up in the wilderness, you can see oaks,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39some of those oaks survive today from that period,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41so that really is nice.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43That is the connection back to the past
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and thankfully these Italianate terraces remained unscathed
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and they really are a joy to behold.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56The following century saw little changed to Powis's gardens
0:22:56 > 0:23:00until a new enthusiasts came along in the shape of Violet,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04the wife of the 4th Earl, who persuaded her husband to let
0:23:04 > 0:23:08her manage and improve the gardens in the early 1900s.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Violet came from the Lane-Fox family,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15a great gardening dynasty from Yorkshire who still continue today.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Violet relocated the kitchen garden,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21made a new formal garden, which was typical of the Edwardian era,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and enriched the planting on the terraces
0:23:24 > 0:23:28in her attempt to make Powis one of the most beautiful gardens
0:23:28 > 0:23:30in Wales and England.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32The gardens here at Powis today are a legacy
0:23:32 > 0:23:36to Violet, as they are managed largely how she left them.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40To find out more, I'm meeting head gardener Dave Swanton.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45So, how loyal are you today for Violet's visions of the gardens?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I would say we are fairly loyal, in the fact we want it to be one
0:23:48 > 0:23:50of the best in Britain, and obviously gardens evolve
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and we bring new plant introductions that weren't available at that time,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- so we're not stuck in history. - No, it is ongoing.- Exactly.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00But obviously, the perfection,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02the high standards of maintenance, we're certainly achieving.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05We get a great view from up here. You can see almost everything.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Can you talk me through the different sections?
0:24:08 > 0:24:09Yeah, we've got four terraces,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11so the top one's tropical effect plantings,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14then we have Mediterranean on the terrace.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17The orangery terrace with double herbaceous borders is fantastic.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18It's starting to look really nice.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It is the right time of the year, isn't it?
0:24:20 > 0:24:24It'll get better and better. You can't go wrong, to be honest.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The big lawn was the site of a Dutch water garden in the 1800s,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31so we'll do patterns on there for the kids to play on, mazes,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and then further down the hill we have Lady Violet's formal garden -
0:24:35 > 0:24:39apple trees, vine arch and poles.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- It looks so pretty from up here. - Oh, it's beautiful!
0:24:45 > 0:24:49There's more to Powis Castle Gardens than just the eclectic mix
0:24:49 > 0:24:53of exotic and domestic plants and shrubs.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57As you wander around, you stumble across wonderful works of art.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00The sculpture of Hercules slaying a many-headed Hydra
0:25:00 > 0:25:04with his club now stands at the far end of the top terrace.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It used to be placed in the lost water garden below,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10alongside the sculpture of Fame and Pegasus,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13which is now situated in the castle courtyard.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Here on the aviary terrace there is a delightful line of lead statues
0:25:18 > 0:25:23depicting shepherds and shepherdesses over the years.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27The lead has mellowed down to a lovely, warm tone.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30But back in the 18th century, these figures would have been
0:25:30 > 0:25:35picked out in bright, chromatic colours as in keeping with the day,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38but it looks like they're enjoying the view.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42During the 1950s, even works of art from inside the house
0:25:42 > 0:25:45were brought outside and displayed in the gardens.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Powis's Caesar busts were placed in handy nooks along the top terrace.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Today, they reside safely back inside the castle.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58The garden art doesn't end with the man-made sculptures
0:25:58 > 0:25:59and statues, though.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Powis's majestic yew hedge is viewed by some
0:26:02 > 0:26:04as a work of art in its own right.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06It towers over the garden
0:26:06 > 0:26:10and its organic shape evokes thoughts of clouds.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13You know, the gardens are famed for their yew trees
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and their box hedges - what's the story behind them?
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Well, the yew trees were planted over 300 years ago,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22designed by William Wynne, planted as topiaries.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- So, quite small.- Yes.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Kept small and then when the landscape movement came,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28they were left to grow into huge trees
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and the Victorians clipped over them
0:26:30 > 0:26:34so these lovely lumps in the hedge here are actually branches
0:26:34 > 0:26:37that have been pruned, rather than a hedge that's got bigger and fatter.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Yes, I see. It almost looks like clouds floating everywhere.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42- It's so magical.- Yeah.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45This must be very difficult to manage, to cut properly.
0:26:45 > 0:26:46How do you do it?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Well, you have to have a head for heights is the first thing!- Yeah.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- But currently, we use a cherry picker.- OK.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55A small cherry picker set-up can reach about 40 metres.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Prior to that, they would have been on ladders,
0:26:58 > 0:26:59so using sickles and scythes.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03We have an old photograph with a gentleman stood on top
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- using a scythe.- It seems there's a lot to do here.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08How big is your team, how many gardeners do you have?
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Well, we have five that are full-time in the garden
0:27:11 > 0:27:13and two in the nursery, growing plants
0:27:13 > 0:27:15for the gardens and plants for sale.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18That's not many, compared to how it would have been in Violet's day.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21No, but they didn't have the machines we use today.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24We have power trimmers, the cherry picker instead of ladders
0:27:24 > 0:27:27and mowers that handle the situation better.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29What is the future for the gardens -
0:27:29 > 0:27:33are you staying loyal to the past or are you planting up for the future?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Well, the past has a big effect on Powis.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39All the structure, but with plantings,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41we've got more of a free hand.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Keeping with the spirit of the place, so how it should be,
0:27:44 > 0:27:50but we can introduce new varieties and more disease-resistant, perhaps.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Fantastic. Thank you very much.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I think you and your team have done a brilliant job.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Everywhere you look, there's something different to see,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59there's vibrant colour and a surprise around every corner.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01- Thank you so much.- Thanks, Paul.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Now, we continue our tour of the country
0:28:18 > 0:28:21as we return to the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24where Jonathan Pratt found an item that wouldn't look
0:28:24 > 0:28:28out of place on the Italianate terraces of Powis Castle Gardens.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29- Hello, Jane.- Hello.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32I hope you had someone to give you a hand carrying this.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35- It is quite bulky, yes! - You brought it here in one piece
0:28:35 > 0:28:39and that's an important thing about pottery and porcelain. is
0:28:39 > 0:28:43that it doesn't have any damage and looking at that, it's a good thing.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44Where did you get it from?
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Well, I bought it around 12 years ago
0:28:48 > 0:28:51because I thought it was so beautiful, so decorative,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53but I don't really know an awful lot about it,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- so I was hoping you would tell me.- You know what it is?
0:28:56 > 0:28:58I know it's Minton jardiniere, yes.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Minton's was a factory, a porcelain factory that started up
0:29:01 > 0:29:03at the end of the 18th century
0:29:03 > 0:29:06and it was a chap called Leon Victor Solon
0:29:06 > 0:29:09who brought to the factory the fashionable styles
0:29:09 > 0:29:11of the Arts and Crafts and this being...
0:29:11 > 0:29:14in this particular that he's introduced a secessionist style.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18This is from the second phase, this dates from around 1908
0:29:18 > 0:29:21and I know that because on the bottom you've got the marks
0:29:21 > 0:29:24and that little mark there with the 8 in
0:29:24 > 0:29:26is what denotes 1908.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29It's interesting in 1908,
0:29:29 > 0:29:31a gentleman called John Wadsworth joined the company
0:29:31 > 0:29:35and he was responsible for some of the design elements of that period
0:29:35 > 0:29:37so it may be that he was responsible
0:29:37 > 0:29:39for the design of this particular vase.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43So, it adds a little bit more history to the object.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- You haven't had it that long. - No, that's right.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50- Why are you selling it? - I recently moved house and, er...
0:29:50 > 0:29:53changed my colour scheme so I now have purple and grey
0:29:53 > 0:29:58- and it just doesn't fit in. - No, it wouldn't, actually!- No!
0:29:58 > 0:30:00- And you used it, you had a flower...?- Yes.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05- Give me a picture, a big...? - It was a very big plant, yes, yes.
0:30:05 > 0:30:06It would have to be.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Like a lot of things, they come and go in and out of fashion
0:30:09 > 0:30:12and they are popular with some and there's an adjustment in price
0:30:12 > 0:30:17and probably 15 years ago, the market was riding quite high
0:30:17 > 0:30:21with the fashion for the Art Nouveau, the decorative arts
0:30:21 > 0:30:25of that period from the late and early 20th century.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28I would have thought at auction, an auctioneer would probably
0:30:28 > 0:30:31want to get away now with an estimate of 250, 350.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- It should make £300, it might make a little bit more.- That would be fine.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38And we'll put a reserve of £250 on it and let's hope it gets there.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- Thank you for bringing us along. - It's brilliant. Thank you!
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Keep watching to see
0:30:44 > 0:30:46if Jane's Minton jardiniere sailed away at auction.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50But first, we are revisiting Norwich Cathedral,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53where a healthy crowd was still packed into the nave
0:30:53 > 0:30:56and another couple of items had caught Kate Bateman's interest.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- So, Margaret and Margaret. A brace of Margarets.- Hello!- Hello!
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Tell me what you've brought in today.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08We've got some objects given to us. We think they're German.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10- We were told they are.- Oh!
0:31:10 > 0:31:14- And that they are quite interesting, so here we are.- What shop is this?
0:31:14 > 0:31:15Charity shop in town.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19- So, these were just donated, they cost nothing, effectively.- No, no.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21They don't cost anything at all.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23And what, if you sell them, are you going to plough the money
0:31:23 > 0:31:27- back into the shop, presumably?- Yes. - We want to finish our building.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29We are building a community building.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Oh, OK, that would be nice.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35They're called Black Forest carvings, so Bavaria, Germany,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37but some people suspect they might be done in Switzerland
0:31:37 > 0:31:39and brought across the border,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41but either way they are known as Black Forest
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and you have a handsome bear with a ring at the end of his nose
0:31:44 > 0:31:49- and this is a really strange thing. It's like a lidded cup.- Isn't it?
0:31:49 > 0:31:52And it has three people on the front, she seems to be playing
0:31:52 > 0:31:57a musical instrument here with two attractive swains listening to her.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00- There is a bit of damage. - A bit, yes.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03He's literally armless and he has lost his foot
0:32:03 > 0:32:06and the poor old bear has lost his paw as well.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09So there's limbs missing all over the place.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Usually, they are made out of walnut or sometimes coquilla nuts.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17It is quite nice. They are turned and nicely carved.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20This is called a stiff leaf border around the outside here.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22And he's got nice fur.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24He's not quite as detailed, but his eyes are nice.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26He's got little inset, like, glass eyes.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- They are glass, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32Price-wise, they are out of fashion a little bit at the moment.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35You're looking at the sort of £40-£60,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37somewhere straddling the £50 mark for the two.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39But they're quite interesting.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42- Presumably any money is going to be good for your community centre?- Yes.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- Anything is good. - Well, do you like them?
0:32:44 > 0:32:47- Would you have them in your house? - I love them.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51I don't know whether they are very useful but they are very decorative.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56I think we will give them a go. How if we put £40-£60 estimate?
0:32:56 > 0:33:00- Do you want a reserve on it?- Yes, please.- What do you think?- 40?
0:33:00 > 0:33:03The damage might kill it a little bit, but we will try it,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06and there will be collectors hopefully that will want it.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- We will give it a go, shall we? - Yes, that would be lovely.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Those two Black Forest carvings really had been
0:33:13 > 0:33:14in the wars.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Back at Powis Castle,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21the antiques and the interiors are in superb condition.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24In the late 17th century, this room
0:33:24 > 0:33:27was known as the great chamber or the saloon.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Once the guests had got past the entrance and grand stairwell,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35this was the first of the state rooms here at Powis.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Every single little surface has been adorned,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41whether the ceiling, the walls or the furniture.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Just look at it. It's rich, it's decorative and the light
0:33:44 > 0:33:46really picks out the gilding.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48The whole room embraces you.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Now, at a valuation day at Bowes Museum, expert David Harper
0:33:52 > 0:33:55found a little item that was highly decorative too.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Well, Jenna, I've got to say that is an absolutely
0:34:06 > 0:34:08delectable picture,
0:34:08 > 0:34:11but it's a bit dwarfed, let's be honest,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13surrounded by this artwork at Bowes Museum.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- It's beautiful.- I mean, this is astonishing.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18- Are you big into art?- I am.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- I watercolour paint.- Do you? I don't do anything like these!
0:34:21 > 0:34:23- Oh, I'm sure you could. - No, I couldn't!
0:34:23 > 0:34:26- I wouldn't know where to start. - Do you do it professionally?
0:34:26 > 0:34:28No, just...amateur.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Tell me the story, when did you get it, how did you come about it?
0:34:31 > 0:34:36My father liked to go to the tip to throw things away initially,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39but then he liked to rummage around to see what other people
0:34:39 > 0:34:44- have thrown away and he found it in a skip.- So, it was thrown out.- Yes.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- And not broken.- Not broken.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49I don't think he ever thought it was anything in particular,
0:34:49 > 0:34:54- just somebody was good at painting cats.- That's interesting.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59I think this is by someone who's particularly good at painting cats.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02You see, I took a photograph and put it into the internet
0:35:02 > 0:35:04and couldn't find anything.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Two weeks ago in the local paper... It is full of houses
0:35:08 > 0:35:10and I look to see what house I'm going to buy
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- when I win the lottery! - We all do that.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16In the back of the paper, there on the antiques page
0:35:16 > 0:35:20were two little pictures of kittens painted with books or something
0:35:20 > 0:35:22and I thought, "That's just like mine,"
0:35:22 > 0:35:26and it had the signature on the corner just like mine.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30- And do you now know the artist?- Yes. Bessie...
0:35:30 > 0:35:31- Bamber.- Bamber.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Bessie Bamber. What a fantastic name.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39- Do you know when she was painting? - The late 1800s to 1910.- Absolutely.
0:35:39 > 0:35:431890 to 1910 she was prolific, so it's not dated,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46but we know it is circa 1900.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51Normally she paints on porcelain or canvas or paper. This is on glass.
0:35:51 > 0:35:52- Yes.- It is very delicate.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56Bear in mind it was chucked out and your dad found it,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00- it's amazing that it's in this state.- It was very dirty.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02The white was very dirty.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03What do you think it is worth?
0:36:03 > 0:36:06It cost you nothing, that is the best way to get anything.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Well, in the paper it said £700 to £1,000...- Did it really?
0:36:09 > 0:36:12..which kind of made me jump for joy.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15- I bet.- But I really don't know.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17£700-£1,000 is a bit optimistic, I've got to say.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22- I think it is 300 or 400, 350, 450. It's that kind of price.- Right.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26- Could we go 350, 450 and reserve it at 350?- Yes.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28What are you going to do with the money?
0:36:28 > 0:36:33- I'm going to take my dog on a holiday to the coast!- Lucky dog.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- I might take my husband, I might not.- No, just take the dog.
0:36:36 > 0:36:37But the irony is marvellous.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39A bunch of cats funding to take a dog on holiday.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41That's brilliant. I love that.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Before we see what happened to our second lot of items
0:36:51 > 0:36:53as they went under the hammer in the auction room,
0:36:53 > 0:36:58I just want to show you the piece de resistance of the state rooms,
0:36:58 > 0:37:01here at Powis. It is this. The state bedroom.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03This is the last in the series of the state rooms.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06Only the most important and distinguished visitors
0:37:06 > 0:37:10would have made it this far to wonder over the opulent decor
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and the furniture, which dates back to the late 17th century.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16The bed itself, well, that's a magnificent four-poster tester.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19That's slightly later, that's late 18th century.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23This bedroom is the only one surviving in Britain
0:37:23 > 0:37:25that retains an architectural feature,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27and I'll point it out to you.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29As you can see, the bed is raised on a platform
0:37:29 > 0:37:32so it's this high off the floor.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34But it is separated from the room
0:37:34 > 0:37:38by this magnificent, decorative architectural balustrade.
0:37:38 > 0:37:39Look at that.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42It's copied from a design of Louis XIV's bedroom
0:37:42 > 0:37:45at the Royal Palace of Versailles in France.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Two important ceremonies took place there -
0:37:47 > 0:37:49the King waking up every morning
0:37:49 > 0:37:51and the King going to sleep every evening
0:37:51 > 0:37:53surrounded by his courtiers.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Well, whatever the inspiration, if it is Continental,
0:37:56 > 0:38:01I don't care, because I am totally blown away by this room.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Let's hope the bidders were equally delighted by our owners' items
0:38:06 > 0:38:09when we headed to the auction rooms across the country.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15Jane had got a lot of enjoyment from her Minton secessionist jardiniere,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19which she brought along to our valuation day at Weston-super-Mare,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21but it was time to find a new home.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26At our valuation day at Bowes Museum,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Janet turned up with her cat painting on glass panel
0:38:29 > 0:38:32by Bessie Bamber, which had been rescued from a skip.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38And finally, the first lot to go under the hammer
0:38:38 > 0:38:40was the two Black Forest carvings
0:38:40 > 0:38:43which were brought along to our valuation day
0:38:43 > 0:38:46at Norwich Cathedral in Norfolk by the two Margarets.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52We stayed in the county to sell the pair when we revisited
0:38:52 > 0:38:56TW Gaze in Diss, where Ed Smith was still on the rostrum.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00OK, Margaret and Margaret.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Your Black Forest carvings are going under the hammer now.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06In fact, the charity's carvings. Who spotted these first?
0:39:06 > 0:39:08- I did.- You did.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12And you thought, "Ooh, I recognise these. I've been watching Flog It!"
0:39:12 > 0:39:16- They're always bringing in things like that.- Is that what it was?
0:39:16 > 0:39:17I collect treen as well.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19You collect treen, so you had a feel for the wood.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22I think you've got a good eye. Let's find out what they make, shall we?
0:39:22 > 0:39:24Lot 151, then.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27We have the Black Forest carved bear with ringed nose
0:39:27 > 0:39:30and the carved treen chalice. What do we have?
0:39:30 > 0:39:34£40. 40. 30, I have.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38Is there a two? It's 30 now. Where is the two?
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Two pieces at £30 now.
0:39:40 > 0:39:4632. 35. 35, I have. 38. 40, I have to be.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48Is there two? It's £40.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51- 42 online. 42 is online. - Well done, online.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- It's going to sell.- £42 now.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Is there five? Selling at £42. Are we all done?
0:39:58 > 0:40:00OK, look, it's £42 for charity.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Good luck with it and good luck in the future, OK?
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- Thank you very much.- Thank you. - We're almost there.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Next we headed to South Lakeland in Cumbria,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12where Janet's Bessie Bamber cat painting
0:40:12 > 0:40:14went up for sale at 1818 Auctioneers.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17On the rostrum was Kevin Kendall.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18I will take 50 on the phone now.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22Something for all you fine art lovers right now.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25An oil on glass and it's a group of kittens and it is exquisite,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28belonging to Janet who's right next to me. Good luck with this.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31And I love the idea of selling this
0:40:31 > 0:40:35- because Janet wants to take your dog on holiday, is that right?- Yes.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38I just wonder how the kittens will feel about funding
0:40:38 > 0:40:42a holiday for a dog, come on! The irony there is ridiculous.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45- I do like cats just as much as dogs. - Good luck with this anyway.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Fingers crossed. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53300, surely all at once. 300. 300.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54Start me at 200, if you will.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58200, somewhere. Somebody start me at 200.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00£200 we'll go. 200. 200.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04I will take 20s. It is a long drag but we will get there. 200. 200.
0:41:04 > 0:41:09220. 220. 220. 220. 220. 220.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13- Losing it.- 220? Not today.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- Oh!- Oh, dear. Oh, it's going home.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19But the dog's still going on holiday, isn't he?
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- Is that OK, then? We haven't ruined the dog's holiday?- No.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Janet should try her luck again as her glass panel was very collectable
0:41:27 > 0:41:31and I know somebody out there would just love those kittens.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Right, time for our last stop on today's show.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37We headed back to Cleveland salerooms in Somerset,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40where Jane's Minton jardiniere was up for sale
0:41:40 > 0:41:43and auctioneer Marc Burridge was still wielding the gavel.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Right now, we've got a great name in ceramics going under the hammer.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Minton. It doesn't get much better. We have the owner as well, Jane,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53and our expert, Jonathan. Why are you selling this?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55Well, I've had it for 12 years now.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57I bought it at auction
0:41:57 > 0:42:00and I have had it in my living room. Now it's time to move on.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03My ears pricked up - bought at auction.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08- So, do you do many auctions?- I love auctions.- Buying and selling?
0:42:08 > 0:42:09Yes, that's right.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12I just love the whole adrenaline rush. It's good, isn't it?
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Let's find out how it goes and we will talk about it afterwards.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16This is it.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Interest here at 160, 170, 180,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24190, 200. 200.
0:42:24 > 0:42:31- 210, 220, 230, 240 in the room. - You could sell at £240.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35260. 260, madam. 270.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40280. 280. 290. 300. No, I'll take 10.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44I'll take a £10 note from him. 310.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Thank you. 320. 320, gone a long way.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- At £310. 20, is it?- 310.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53All done, then, and selling at 310.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57And that hammer's gone down. £310.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00- That's a good investment. - I think so.- Good investment.- Yeah.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04Jane's Minton jardiniere was certainly popular with the bidders.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06What a hotly contested item!
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Well, that's it for today's show.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12I've had a great time exploring the magnificent gardens
0:43:12 > 0:43:15here at Powis and looking at some of the fine art
0:43:15 > 0:43:19and antiques inside the castle's lavish interior.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21And you have shown us your treasures from around the country
0:43:21 > 0:43:24and we have had some fun times in the auction rooms.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26And that is what it's all about on Flog It!
0:43:26 > 0:43:30Join us again soon, but until then, it's goodbye.