Muncaster Castle 32 Flog It!

Here's a question for you. Think mint cake, gingerbread and sausage.

Where are we? Yes, you've guessed it, we're in Cumbria.

And these are the magnificent grounds of Muncaster Castle

just outside of Ravenglass, our magnificent valuation day venue.

Welcome to "Flog It!"

As well as the food, fells and lakes,

Cumbria is also home to Herdwick sheep

that have been native to the Lake District for hundreds of years.

In fact, the sheep are credited with shaping this picturesque landscape.

The fells are the backdrop to Muncaster Castle,

which sits on Roman foundations dating back to the first century AD.

Archaeological evidence suggests

there may have been a Roman settlement here,

so, right now, it's time to dig deep and conquer,

because hundreds of people have turned up from all over Cumbria,

laden with antiques and collectibles,

and they're here to see our experts,

to find out the answer to that all-important question,

which is...

ALL: What's it worth?!

Our experts are in the queue

and Caroline Hawley is already discovering some hidden treasures.

I love boxes. Oh, that's a nice thing.

While Adam Partridge has rooted out the more risque.

What sort of postcards have we got?

Always catch my eye, these saucy ones. Do you want to sell them?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, great, let's get a sticker on you.

I'll leave you doing what you do best, on the fiddle.

-See you in a bit.

-LAUGHTER

So, while everyone gets settled,

here's a quick look at what's coming up on today's show.

Caroline is impressed by a silver candlestick.

-Well, you can't get a better maker than that.

-Oh, gosh.

And who knows what will happen on a fun day out?

-Little did you think you'd end up on the telly.

-No way.

-With all of them watching there.

-Yes, I know.

LAUGHTER

As I attempt to make one of these,

we'll explore the rise and the fall of the bobbin industry

in the Lake District.

That's all for later.

Good luck, all of you!

Any one of you could be one of the lucky ones going through to auction

-and hopefully going home with a small fortune.

-That would be nice.

Oh, wouldn't it just? Well, we're going to make a start.

Let's find our first owner, but, more importantly, our first object.

It's straight over to Adam Partridge, who's somewhere in this building.

Well, Anne, we've escaped from that noisy madding crowd

to the serenity of this wonderful octagonal library.

It's hard to better the views out of the window here.

You've got expansive views across the Cumbrian landscape...

And one of the views straight out the window

is this here, in your postcard album, the River Esk.

You must be a local lady, then.

Yes, my mother was born in Ravenglass.

-Really?

-Yes.

And who collected these postcards?

-Most of them by my sisters.

-Really?

Yes, I had three sisters, quite a lot older than me, you see.

So they'd collected these and I took them over.

And were these things that were sent to them,

or were they things that they bought themselves and collected themselves?

Oh, no, reading on the back of the age ones,

the birthday ones, they're all sent from sister to sister.

-Oh, are they?

-Yes.

-How nice.

Yes, quite entertaining to read, some of them.

I bet. I mean, this is the thing with postcards -

they appealed on a number of different levels.

You could learn a lot about people from the snapshots on postcards.

So, they would often be the equivalent of what people would now do in a text message or something.

You know, "I'm leaving now," "See you for teatime,"

and that would be it.

"Stayed here, it was very nice."

And, on that topic, let's have a look.

There's one of where we stayed last night,

which is the main streets.

That's right. My mother was born there.

-Your mother was born there?

-At this...

-At that house there?

-Yes.

And then you've got more ordinary ones like the Blackpool one,

the holiday ones, the souvenir ones, and greetings cards.

-And then there's the miniature railway.

-That's right.

-Which is another big attraction round here, isn't it?

-Yes, oh, yes.

-Underneath it is...

-LAUGHTER

.."A wonderful view from the back side of our digs,"

and you flick it up and out of her bottom comes...

That's probably from my sister.

..comes a pull-out Isle of Wight series of cards.

So, there we are.

That's a lovely selection of postcards in that album.

We could go through them all day.

I'm really enthusiastic about these.

-Then you've got another album here...

-It's falling to pieces.

Which is falling to pieces, but it's been well-thumbed.

You've got a similar selection of humorous and topographical,

and then you've got a whole selection

of smutty, saucy seaside cards here.

Again, they're great fun. Why are you selling them?

Well, they're just in the cupboard, under the stairs...

-on the shelf.

-Yeah.

And, every time you do it out, you take them out,

-you look at them, you put them back again.

-Yes, well, why not?

And, you know, whoever buys them is going to have a lot of pleasure.

-Oh, they'll have some fun.

-They will, they will.

So, the value is not huge,

but I would suggest £80-£120 on the collection,

and I think they might make a little bit more.

Well, thank you, Anne, very much for bringing them in.

It's always a pleasure to see postcards, especially local ones,

and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the auction.

-Thank you.

-Pleasure.

Ah, we love our postcard albums on "Flog It!"

And Caroline is impressed by a silver candlestick.

-Hi, Anne-Marie.

-Yes.

-Why have you brought a soldier to see me?

Well, I must have had it over 20 years,

and it's been stuck in the cupboard for the last ten.

Where did you find it?

I found it in a car boot sale, a local car boot sale.

Do you know,

I hear people all the time that find things at car boot sales.

I don't think I've ever...

Well, yeah, the odd time, but not like this.

-And how much did you pay?

-I think it was £20, might have been £18.

£18, gosh.

Now, what do you know about him?

Nothing. I just know that it's a combat uniform.

Now, one thing - it's silver, solid silver.

-I did think it was just silver plate.

-No, it's not silver plate.

-So, was it as clean as this when you found it?

-No, I cleaned it.

Well, you lucky lady,

I'm going to follow you around to the next car boot you go to.

It's 1973, London.

It's made by Garrard & Company, Regent Street,

-who are jewellers to the Queen.

-Oh, marvellous.

Which is pretty marvellous - you don't get better than that.

So all of which points to a fine-quality item.

It's a Northern Ireland soldier from the Northern Irish conflict.

I think he's probably a bomb disposal person.

-Sadly, there is some damage.

-Yeah.

The top of his rifle here. Do you know anything about that?

It was complete, but I think it was packed away,

and, in between moving, it's been lost.

Has it? You haven't got it anywhere, lurking?

-No, I couldn't find it.

-See, that is going to make a huge difference.

It's bad enough if it was broken,

but if we had it and could reattach it,

it would be better.

-Also it would have had a plaque on the front.

-Right.

That's missing.

-And the plinth has been repainted.

-Oh, right.

So, having said all those terrible things about this soldier,

he's still worth considerably more

than the £18 or £20 that you paid for it.

Now, in great condition, some of them similar to this

have been known to get up towards £1,000.

This, in this condition, isn't going to get anywhere near that.

I would think a realistic estimate for him

is going to be £300-£500.

So, shall we put him into auction with a £300 reserve?

-Yes, please.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yeah.

-And see what happens on the day.

-Yes, marvellous.

-Great. Keep hunting out.

-Shall do.

Historic buildings like Muncaster Castle -

that are privately owned

or, let's say, National Trust properties, or English Heritage -

cannot operate without the help of the volunteers.

Now, I've met up with one, Audrey, who's right next to me now.

You've come back here today, but you worked here for how many years?

-17.

-17.

-And you're now retired?

-Yes.

-What was it like being a volunteer here for 17 years?

-Lovely.

You know, it was home from home, really.

I did enjoy it, and meeting everybody, meeting people,

-I was never bored.

-No.

-And I learned such a lot.

You must know all the artworks in the house as well.

I know quite a lot.

-What's it like coming back today?

-It's lovely.

It's a lovely place, but I haven't got a garden,

so I used to consider this my garden.

Wow, what a view out there, though.

-It's lovely.

-Do you know what?

I was speechless when I first saw that.

-Well, thank you so much...

-Thank you.

..because without people like you,

places like this wouldn't be able to operate.

So, all you volunteers, past and present, thank you so much.

It means we, the next generation,

can get in here, inside, and enjoy it.

That's exactly what we're doing right now.

And let's catch up with our experts

to take a look at another treasure to take off to auction.

As for Adam, he's taking in the views outside.

Margaret, looks like you've picked the best spot

-on the whole of the lawn here.

-I think so, I think so.

It's very nice to see a local chair.

-Yes.

-May I have a look at it?

-You may.

-Thank you very much.

What can you tell me about it, first of all?

-Well, it was given to me by my aunt.

-Yes.

And I believe it's local. She lived here all her life

in Cockermouth and in Keswick.

-Right.

-And all I know is that I think it's a bobbin chair.

Yes, these are all bobbin turned, all the way down here.

All these bobbins, bobbins, bobbins everywhere.

Bobbins here, bobbins there, bobbins everywhere!

A bobbin chair. Yes, that's...

Because they were made because there were so many waterfalls here,

-to use the power of water to drive...

-To drive the lathes.

-Yes, that's right.

-I see.

So it was a very normal thing to do for people.

That's right, and we see this little wing feature

is a nice little stylistic addition.

I don't know what that's for.

I think it's simply for decoration.

But we see these types of chairs

in the counties of Lancashire, sometimes Cheshire,

but this typically a North-country design,

here with the rush seat, and end of the 19th century,

where rocking chairs were extremely popular.

It seems to be fashioned out of beech,

so it wasn't made from expensive materials.

And they're also timbers that are sometimes

slightly prone to a bit of woodworm.

And we do have a little bit of woodworm here.

-I think it's old, so it won't matter.

-I agree.

Do you think the rockers are the same wood?

Probably they are made from ash...

The rockers look like they're made from ash rather than beech.

But that's not unusual for country chairs

to combine a couple of timbers.

So it's a very pleasant thing.

The seating is also in pretty good condition.

I'll just quickly test it, if that's all right.

Yeah, see if you feel it's comfortable.

Oh, yes, it's very solid.

-It holds all my massive 11 stone with no problem at all.

-Good.

-Actually, rushing these seats is quite expensive.

-Very.

So to have that re-rushed would probably

cost more than the chair itself.

-Yes, I think that's true. A lot of work in it.

-Yes.

Why have you decided to bring it along to "Flog It!"?

-Because we've got another identical one.

-Yeah.

But it's stained a dark colour,

and it has no rockers,

-and it's in our kitchen and we like that one better.

-Right.

-So, this is the one that's got to go.

-Yeah, that's right.

-Any idea on value these days?

-Not really. You tell me.

-Well, they're not massively valuable.

-No.

I would expect it should make £80-£120.

-That would be most satisfactory.

-Oh! Very good.

I like that clear-cut answer.

Well, thank you very much for coming along.

It's lovely to see local things,

locally made things, driven by the power of the local water.

And we delve further into the Lake District's bobbin industry

later on in the programme.

Well, there you are, you've just seen them.

Our experts have found their first items to go off to auction.

Right now it's time to find out how good they are.

Let's put those valuations to the test.

While we make our way over to the sale room,

here's a quick recap just to jog your memory

of all the items that are going under the hammer.

There are pages of postcard memories in these three albums.

This silver statue found in a car boot sale was a fantastic find.

And lots of skill has gone into this bobbin turned chair,

so let's hope it turns some heads at the auction.

The sale room is in North Carlisle.

The 84-mile-long Roman fortification

known as Hadrian's Wall runs through the city.

And some locals in the Stanwix area actually live on top of it.

Just across the River Eden

is Thomson Roddick & Medcalf Auctioneers,

and on the rostrum

is Steven Parkinson and John Thomson.

Going under the hammer right now,

three postcard albums belonging to Anne.

-Originally at the valuation day we had no reserve.

-Yeah.

-Anne's been on the phone to the auctioneer since that day.

-What?

-Yes.

-Yes, my daughter requested it.

-Yes, I don't blame you, actually.

-Oh, your daughter requested it.

It's now fixed at £70, but... That's OK.

Always very popular.

We've got loads of them there, some humorous ones,

some local ones, Muncaster in there, all sorts.

Going under the hammer now, Anne. Fingers crossed. This is it.

Starting at 50.

£50 on bid. £50 bid.

55, 60, 65 with Allen. 70, 75.

You didn't need a reserve, you see.

They make their money.

75. 75. Anyone else?

-But only just over it.

-Only just.

-That's all right.

This album of cards. All finished at 75, at 75...

Gosh, £75, only just.

I know, and all those Bamforth ones.

Yeah, all those saucy ones.

-We had a laugh with them, though, Paul.

-Yes, I saw them.

Hopefully the new owners will enjoy chuckling over those postcards.

Coming up next, our item was found in a car boot sale for £20.

Let's hope we can make that £400.

Sadly, our owner, Anne-Marie, cannot be with us,

but we do have that wonderful silver soldier statue,

the bomb disposal expert,

and we have our very own expert.

LAUGHTER

Our fine art expert.

-It's an unusual thing, Paul.

-I've never seen one before.

-No, I haven't.

-Never.

-And it's not everybody's cup of tea.

-No.

We're going to put it to the test right now. This is it.

A silver standing figure of a commando

in his Northern Ireland equipment.

-300 for the garage figure, 300.

-They're opening.

200. 180. 180 bid. 180 bid.

200. 220.

240. 260.

-It's selling.

-280. 300.

£300.

At £300, I'm only offered, at 300.

£300 only, last call.

All done at 300.

All right, £300, right on the reserve.

I think she'll be pleased.

Yeah, so do I.

20 quid to 300 - she's bound to be pleased.

That's what it's all about, isn't it? It's out there,

you've just got to get up early in the morning,

find the right car boot sale, and enjoy yourself and have fun.

Fingers crossed, you could make some money.

Next up, it's the bobbin chair.

Margaret, thank you so much for bringing furniture in.

We love our furniture. We've got a 19th-century rocker.

It's North country, it's full of bobbins,

so it's going to suit the people up here who love bobbins!

Now, I know Adam has put a reserve on this.

-Well, at the time...

-You wanted it, but now, since then,

you've had a chat to the auctioneer, you've taken the reserve off.

-That's right.

-You don't want to take it home - it's here to sell.

We love clients like you.

Well, we don't if it only sells for 25 quid, we don't.

-Well, we get to sell it.

-I know, but it's worth an awful lot more.

Look, good luck, both of you. It's a dangerous game

but I think this will sell around that sort of estimate. Here we go.

Rather a nice provincial rocking chair.

Bobbin turned form.

Let's say for that,

nice comfortable-looking chair, £100.

80.

40 for it, bid.

At £40 I'm bid.

At 40 bid. £40.

-42. 45.

-Worth more than that.

48. 50.

£50.

55. £60.

£60 only.

Are you all finished? At 60?

At 60, at 60, at 60.

Sold for £60.

-LAUGHTER

-Yes, that's all right.

-Better than us taking it home.

-You're happy with that? Yeah, OK,

-you're happy.

-Absolutely.

You know, someone's got a really comfy chair for £60,

-plus commission.

-Yeah.

And that is craftsmanship, and that's really nice.

Well, let's hope our good luck continues

when we come back here later on in the programme

for some more auction action.

Now, buried deep in a wooded valley on the shores of Lake Windermere

is Stott Park Bobbin Mill.

Now, you rarely see wooden bobbins around today,

but back in the 19th century

it was a vibrant, buzzing industry, as I found out.

From the late 18th century up into the 1940s,

Britain's cotton industry had become such a major economic force

that it fostered the saying

"Britain's bread hangs by Lancashire's thread."

Britain had been the biggest cotton cloth producer

in the world since the Victorian era.

In 1860, there were more than 2,500 cotton mills

producing half the world's cotton.

And while thousands of workers

laboured away in the mills to the North,

those in the Lake District had their work cut out supplying the bobbins,

those simple wooden reels needed to retain the yarn.

Millions of them in all different shapes and sizes

were essential for the cotton spinning and weaving machines.

More than 70 mills sprung up throughout the Lake District

during the 19th century.

When Stott Park Bobbin Mill opened in 1835,

near the village of Finsthwaite, it was the perfect setting.

This wood here was grown especially for cutting,

or coppicing, as it was known.

Different species of tree were cultivated in cycles,

such as birch, ash and sycamore.

Harvesting these long great poles before,

they were then turned into the bobbins.

And the water that you can see in here now,

well, that was the engine room.

That was the power that drove the waterwheel,

and then later the water turbines.

So, you can see the mill used its natural local resources,

right on its doorstep - water and wood.

This mill is now the only surviving example

of a bobbin mill in the Lake District.

Today, it is a working museum run by Mick Callahan of English Heritage.

Wow, I love this place. It's so atmospheric. It really is.

Is this exactly what the mill would have looked like

back in the 19th century when things were working at full tilt?

This is exactly what it would have been like in 1835 when it was built.

It changed slightly in 1880.

It was water power, then it was steam power,

and then, finally, we've got electricity put in.

There was 20 men working here,

and six lads at the height of the industry.

And when they were working

they could produce over 250,000 bobbins a week.

-A week!?

-A week. It was a massive industry.

Did you get paid for how many bobbins you made? Was it like that?

It was piecework, they were paid by the gross.

So for every basket or gross, they were paid an amount.

So it's "heads down, see you at the end", really.

Just working every day, as many hours as they could.

-Will you take me through the process?

-Yeah, sure.

-I know this is still working today.

-Certainly.

And I'm itching to have a go.

We can put the machines on, you can have a go.

-So, I'll switch the line shafting on now.

-I'm ready.

Everything starts to spin and turn.

This really is like a window back in time, you know.

I'm loving this, I really am.

-I thought you'd enjoy this.

-It's just great, it really is.

-Right, I want to get started. Can we?

-Come round this way.

Here are some glasses.

-I will show you the first piece.

-OK.

So you put the block in,

get it spinning,

bring the cutter in,

and the cutter from the other side.

Well, that's quick, isn't it?

As quickly as that, you have roughed a bobbin out.

And that's ash, isn't it?

That's ash there. Do you want to have a go?

Yeah, I want 20 goes, please.

Right, you go around in place of me.

So, put it onto this end... No, this end.

Put it on to this end.

That's it.

Bang it on, that's it. Hold that tight, that's it.

Hand on there. Pull it towards you.

-There we go.

-My first bobbin turn. Ready?

Yes, keep it tight, and then go the other way.

Very good. Now, just a little loosen off of it,

and then it just comes off... There you go.

So there is your roughed out bobbin.

It's not very good, is it?

It's rubbish. It is rubbish. Swap it for a better one.

LAUGHTER

Have another go with that one, because that's a smaller piece.

-Right.

-Hold that tight.

Just bring it up to it, pull it in.

Right in, right in, that's it.

Perfect.

There you go.

We'll make a bobbin out of that one.

OK, OK, let's go.

All right, we'll go round this way.

The rough bobbin would have been passed over

to the bobbin master maker for finishing off.

We're now on the finishing machine.

OK.

We just put the bobbin on...

..get it spinning,

and then wind that in.

BLADE SCREECHES

Touch it to one side,

-and then those two cutters there...

-Trim it up?

-..just round off the bobbin.

-Ah!

It's very clever!

There you have a finished bobbin.

That's brilliant. Can I have a go?

-Do you want to have a go?

-Yeah.

-You step in there.

I feel like a kid. This is so magical!

-So, push that up.

-OK.

That's it.

-And then...

-And then you wind that in.

That's it.

MACHINE SCREECHES

Just round off the corners.

SAW BUZZES

Oh, I like that.

There we go. Your bobbin... Just watch your hand.

There you are.

Mind you, that's only one!

How many would one chap make in a day?

2,500 or 3,000. Maybe more,

depending on the size and sector.

-Oh, day in and day out.

-Yeah.

So, that's it, really.

That is just one type of bobbin.

It is, and they made over 260 different

styles and shapes of bobbins in this mill.

Gosh!

Well, there's my bobbin, and I'm proud of that,

but can you imagine what it would have been like working in here

back in its heyday?

Churning out 250,000 of these

every week!

That's tough work.

So, it's not surprising that many suffered from consumption

and dust related disease.

Much of the workforce lived in the nearby village of Finsthwaite,

making this a close-knit community, centring on the mill.

-How do you do?

-Hi.

-Pleased to meet you.

-What a tranquil setting!

-Isn't it tremendous?

-Yeah!

-You're very lucky.

Today, Sophia Martin lives in the house that was previously

owned by the bobbin master.

Over the years, she has been finding out about the people who lived

and worked around the mill.

This house was divided into two.

-When we bought it, it was knocked back into one.

-OK.

-But in the...

In the past, it's been two separate cottages.

This man, John Gibson,

he lived on the right-hand side as we're looking at it.

-And there he is in the bobbin mill.

-Absolutely!

-There he is, standing at his bench...

-Yeah!

..in amongst all that machinery,

and these huge piles of the wood shavings

and things that you've seen.

On the other side, on the left-hand side as we're looking at it,

there was a family called Kerwin.

Both father and one of the daughters worked in the mill.

His daughter, who's in the census when she's only 13,

she's already working as a bobbin borer.

This is not her.

-This is... It's a lad.

-Yeah.

But that's the machine that she would have worked.

So there's been a whole history of people that worked in the bobbin factory,

here, living in this house?

Yes, yes. Yeah.

We were lucky enough to see the factory

actually working before it closed.

We went down there just a few months before it shut,

and they demonstrated the machinery to us and we had a look.

And my mother said to me, "Look at this and remember it

"because you won't see anything quite like this again."

And so we did.

We had a good look at it. Fascinating.

It was the age of plastic that finally killed off

the wooden bobbin industry

in the mid-1900s.

It's so rewarding to know that this tranquil little village

up here in the lakes has been able to hold on to those

memories of a bygone age,

when the buzz of the bobbin mills once

filled the air up here in Cumbria.

The bobbin may be a thing of the past, a little wooden one,

but it's worth remembering it was once a vital commodity

that kept the wheels of the British textile industry spinning.

Back here at Muncaster Castle,

valuations have been bobbing along nicely.

So let's take a look at what Caroline's found.

So, Nancy. Do you live very near here?

-About seven miles away.

-Oh, you lucky lady.

Isn't it gorgeous countryside?

Marvellous.

So is your watch.

Now, what do you know about this?

Well, it belonged to some elderly lady

and I inherited it.

And have you worn it?

No.

Right, well, have you heard of Rolex?

-Oh, yes. I've heard, that's why I knew it was Rolex.

-Right!

It's an excellent make.

It's 9 carat gold.

And it's a lovely watch, you know, with having that make...

the magic R...

something like this, it'll be worth about £100 to £150.

-Well, I just want to get rid of it, you see.

-Right?

-You don't like jewellery?

-Not particularly, no.

So how come you've got all these rings?

That's another thing I inherited.

Right!

Well, there's an awful lot and a real mixed bag!

They are, aren't they?

And you're not tempted to wear them?

Too big.

Are they?

Well, there's such a variety of styles and sizes.

-I mean, here, we've got a 9 carat gold signet ring.

-Mm-hmm.

We've got a 22 carat gold wedding band.

And we've got an 18 carat gold wedding band.

And then we move on here... We've got some something which could

-be almost an engagement ring with a little heart.

-Mm-hmm.

9 carat. And the tiny diamond...

We've got sapphires. We've got everything here!

Absolutely everything!

Now, have you heard the expression 'worth its weight in gold'?

Yes, I have.

Well, some of these are only going to be worth their weight in gold.

-Yeah.

-But, gracious me,

if you're a weighty little 22 carat gold band,

that's going to be worth quite a bit.

-Is it?

-Yeah, it is!

22 carats is worth considerably more than 18,

-which is worth considerably more than 9.

-Mm-hmm.

And then some of these others...

are decorative dress rings.

Not one of them stands out as being worth a fortune.

No, no.

But, collectively,

I would put a conservative estimate

of £200 to £300.

What, for those?

-Yes!

-Oh, struth.

-What were you thinking?

I had no idea at all.

And the watch...

£100 to £150,

and probably put a reserve.

-Would you think so?

-Yes. I want a reserve.

Right, so if we put the bottom estimate,

-which is £100...

-Mm-hmm.

The rings, I don't think we need a reserve on those, you know.

-Well, not gold. I shouldn't think so, no.

-No, I'm sure not.

-So, we'll put them in without reserve...

-Yes.

-..and enjoy the ride.

-Good.

Excellent. See you at the sale.

Right, thanks anyway.

Now, I've gone a bit bobbin-mad here today.

Nora, when I saw you with this bobbin stand earlier, I was...

I was just... I was there. I was in beeline for you!

Thank you so much for waiting for me

because I think this is gorgeous.

We're seeing it in its sort of bare structure,

because, normally, when you look at these, they're full of wonderful

bobbins with colour, different hues all around.

-And I'd imagine, at home, you've got this...

-I've got bobbins on it.

-And it's full of colour, isn't it?

-Yes.

-And they look fantastic -

-they're so decorative.

-Yes.

-And it's on display all the time.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

It's in my study, actually.

This is a good quality one.

This is, sort of, circa 1850.

But you can see all the little turnings. Look, all this is done

-on a...

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-Yeah, look, beautiful.

And you've got a cotton reel turning there,

a flattened cotton reel there, a flattened ball there...

There's a cup and cover under there. See that?

You normally find that on those big tester beds,

big Elizabethan tester beds.

And here, you've got a classical vase turning as well.

Fabulous!

Is this something you're thinking of selling?

-No.

-No.

-It's not for sale.

-It's not for sale?

-It was made by my great, great grandfather...

-Oh, really?

..who was a bobbin turner.

No! Really?

And he lived up in Eskdale at the time,

at the bobbin mill.

-So, this is very important to you?

-Yes, very.

-This is your family's social history.

-Definitely.

If you were to put this into auction,

I think the auctioneer would give you a price guide of around about...

..£400 to £600.

Never.

Mm, in the right place at the right time, yeah.

I can't believe that.

-Good on you. Thank you, Nora!

-Thank you.

Valuations are still in full swing

and Adam's found a fine piece of craftsmanship.

-David, thanks for coming to "Flog It!"

-You're welcome.

And I've already... I'm very keen on these.

I've already taken them off you.

These are lovely things.

Coalbrookdale - a very famous name in cast iron.

What do you know about them yourself?

Where did you get them from?

An old lady, a customer of mine years ago,

when I first moved into a new house... Well, a house,

when we were five years married,

and she gave me those as a sort of house-warming present.

Well, these are lovely.

Why have you decided to bring them along to "Flog It!"?

Well, two of our friends were coming up and said,

"Do you fancy a day out?"

So, we said, "Yeah, of course."

And we had a quick search around the house and...

To grab something!

-Little did you think you'd end up on the telly.

-No way!

-LAUGHTER

-With all of them watching there.

-Yes, I know.

So, here we are.

Very good. Well, they're nice and easy in a way,

because you know straightaway in our job that they're Coalbrookdale

when you look at them.

-And, also, it's marked, quite clearly, on the back.

-Yeah.

So, it's always nice to see that confirmed.

Coalbrookdale in Ironbridge in Shropshire was...

Was a massive centre for production of cast iron works.

Things like this were produced in quite large quantities

out of cast iron, but very decorative indeed,

and quite affordable because, of course,

cast iron was a lot cheaper than the bronze that it's pretending to be.

They're not trying to deceive anyone, of course, it's just been

given this patternation to make it look like bronze.

They're entirely decorative. They don't really

have a purpose as such. You might have them sitting flat,

but I think they're far more effective on the wall

like that rather than... And how did you display them at home?

-Just like that, one above the other.

-One above the other.

-On a fairly plain wall.

-On the wall.

-Yes.

And the decoration... This sort of strolling decoration.

Typical mid-late 19th century Victoriana at its best.

So, there's an awful lot of detail

for not a lot of money,

but I'm sure they'll make what they're worth

when we take them off to the auction in a few weeks' time.

I think they're £100 to £150 between them

-and they should make a bit more.

-Nice.

-How does that fit?

Well, it's our golden wedding this year, so that will go towards that.

OK. Very good, golden wedding.

-Golden wedding.

-Congratulations.

-50 years.

-Well, I hope they'll make a bit more.

I mean, I would suggest a reserve of £100

and let them go and find their own level.

Thanks very much for bringing them and all the best

-for your golden anniversary.

-Thank you.

See you at the auction.

Inside, Caroline's spotted yet another piece of the finest silver.

-Hello, Yvette.

-Hello.

What a lovely object you've brought along.

Tell me what you know about it.

I know very little about it.

It was just something that I found after my mum had died.

It doesn't really do a lot for me.

-Does it not?

-No.

It would have done an awful lot for the person that had it.

This is a wonderful little candleholder.

It was made by Robert Garrard II...

..in 1824.

We've got a fabulous set of marks

and everything is marked with the same marks,

which sounds silly, but sometimes, you know,

they've had a replacement snuffer

or the sconce isn't quite right.

But, if we look at this, we can see...

We'll take this snuffer off...

..and this sconce...

..and the marks are absolutely superb here

because this bottom hasn't been cleaned incessantly.

So the marks are very crisp and fresh.

We've got Garrard's, Panton Street, London.

And we've got here, the lion passant

to say it's British Sterling silver.

And here is the mark for Garrard's -

R-G with the crown above.

Now, that means it's Robert Garrard II, not the first.

It's in remarkably good condition.

And the same marks you will see on the sconce...

-Can you see those there?

-Yeah.

This little snuffer will go here.

-Yeah.

-And that fits in there.

Now, all in all, that really is a lovely thing.

You don't know how far it goes back in your family, do you?

I wouldn't have thought it would have gone that far back.

It's probably something my mum picked up.

Well, that's lovely.

Queen Victoria appointed Garrard's the Crown Jewellers in 1843.

-So, you can't get a better maker than that.

-Gosh!

Honestly, it's really, really...

I wish she was here.

Aw!

It is lovely and it would have been used all the time.

It's a really... You know, you wouldn't really be able to just...

go to bed. You can imagine it's all dark -

-you took that up to bed with you.

-Yeah.

And then you'd snuff it out,

and it's a real pleasure to see it.

Good.

Which brings me to value...

-Mm-hmm.

-Do you have any idea of value?

Nope.

I would think a presales estimate...

£200 to £300, no problem at all.

Right.

And do you want a reserve on it?

Uh, yes, I think so.

-£200?

-Yeah.

And I'm sure that will go to a very,

-very happy person who would be very pleased to buy that.

-OK.

Well, that's it. Our work is now done here at Muncaster Castle,

our magnificent host location.

It's time to say farewell, a sad farewell.

I don't want to go and I don't want to leave that either,

but right now we have unfinished business to do in the auction room.

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

We're going for gold with this collection of rings

and a Rolex watch.

And the skill and craftsmanship of these iron Coalbrookdale plates

should draw in the bidders.

While the silver candlestick holder is bound to shine at the auction.

Back at the sale room in Carlisle, it's all systems go.

Fingers crossed, Nancy.

Your rings are just about to go under the hammer.

-We had a group lot.

-Yeah.

We've split the rings up into two separate lots.

Well, the auctioneer's done that.

They stand a better chance of making more money for you.

And we've got the Rolex coming up.

Fingers crossed the gold prices are high,

and I think this lot is here to go.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

It's going under the hammer now. Good luck.

Quite a lot of bids here. I'm going to start at £155.

At £155...

£155. I think we're selling.

155, 160.

160. 165.

170. 170...

At 180, from you.

190. 190, 200.

-200!

-£200, Nancy, £200!

220, 230.

-240.

-This is good.

240, my lady.

240, all done at 240.

One has gone down!...

-£240, that's a good start.

-It certainly is.

That's one of the three lots gone.

I can pay my fare back.

-Pay your fare back! Travel first class with that.

-Oh!

A quick change of auctioneer and...

lots number two and three are up for you now.

We've got your gold Rolex watch

and we have the three gold rings.

Yeah.

They're here to go.

Yeah, sit tight, could be a roller-coaster ride for you,

and for you at home. This is it.

Ladies Rolex, 9 carat gold watch.

Nice one is this one.

Where should we start with this one? Should be £100, straight in.

100... 80.

-80. 80 bid.

-Right, we're in.

-At £80...

at 80 bid. At £80.

At 85 next, anybody else?

At 80, 85. 85 and 90.

At 90, 90's in the room now, at 90.

95, anybody else?

95... It's on the phone now, 95.

100. At 100. At 100.

110's next.

110, at 110.

120. 120.

130... At 130, 140.

At 140.

-Time flies.

-150 bid.

At 150...

At 150, I'm going to sell.

Make no mistake at £150.

-GAVEL BANGS Brilliant auctioneering!

-Brilliant.

-What's

-he done? 150!

-£150.

-Good.

-That's great, isn't it?

Right, now your three gold rings. Straight away, here they are.

Here we go, we've got two 22 carat gold rings and another. There we go.

I can start the bidding straight with me.

A lot of interest. 80, 90. 100.

At 100 bid, at 100.

110, 120.

120, 130, any of you?

At 130...

At 130's in the room.

At 130. Is that it?

At 130, at 130...

GAVEL BANGS

Three out of three.

That's £520!

Oh, not bad.

-Yeah, you're in the money!

-Oh!

Oh, Nancy, I'm so pleased for you!

Next up, the cast iron plates.

Fingers crossed, David. Good luck going under the hammer right now.

Coalbrookdale, two items.

I mean, it's really, really nice.

Great casting at its best.

-British engineering, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Great foundry.

Why are you selling them, then?

-Well, it's our golden wedding in three weeks' time...

-Congratulations.

The wife and I. The other thing, our best friend, uh,

passed away on Tuesday.

-Oh, so sad.

-So, we're going to donate...

-..a little money...

-OK.

-..if it makes enough, to her charity.

OK, good luck with this. It's going under the hammer now. This is it.

I rather like these,

these Coalbrookdale pierced cast metal circular plates...

Where should we be with these?

Shall we start straight in at 35, 40?

45 and 50 bid.

At £50.

At 50, 55 bid.

At 60, 65.

-70, 75.

-Oh, yeah, they've got a phone line.

-Oh.

-Now they want in.

-75...

90, 95...

100, you're in. At 100.

100, 110, does he want?

At 100, 110.

110, 120...

120. 120.

At 120 bid, 130 on the phone.

Great name, great name, Coalbrookdale.

Do you want 140?

140. At 140.

At 140, 150 is on the phone, still. At 150...

You can have a go on the internet if you want, you know.

-Bang on.

-At 150's on the phone now.

I'm going to sell at 150 and 150...

GAVEL BANGS

-Well done.

-£150. You're both pleased with that.

-Right on.

-The money can go to the cancer charity.

-Yes, yes.

And, of course, treat yourself for the golden wedding.

He's still smiling, and he still in love.

Now we can keep the flame burning with this.

Well, it's the chamber candlestick, with snuffer,

and this, definitely, is not to be snuffed at at £300.

-I know we had a valuation of £200 to £300.

-Yeah.

-Didn't we?

-Yes.

Now, since that time and now, the time of the auction,

-you've had a chat to the auctioneer?

-Yes.

Did he ring you up or did you...

-I phoned him...

-Right.

And he advised it went up a little bit.

OK, so now the new valuation is £300 or £400.

-So, we need to make £300?

-Yeah, we do.

-Well, that's all right, isn't it? Otherwise, it's going home.

-Yes.

And it's a nice thing. I like chamber candlesticks. I like

the whole thing. This one's got a little snuffer so you can put

the candle out. Did you ever use it?

-I'm not that old!

-No, no, but did you ever use it in the house?

-You know, sort of walking around?

-No!

-Power cuts?

-No!

-Aw!

Do you know what, we get lots of power cuts!

-Do you?

-Yeah, we do, so...

-You must live in the country.

We do live in the country and, every time the wind blows, we get

another power cut, so we've got to reserve

-and this would come in very handy.

-It's lovely.

-But anyway, I'm pleased

you're selling it because you brought it in to flog it.

-It's on now.

-Yes.

-Fingers crossed we get that top end.

-Yes.

-Here we go.

-£300 or £400.

-Looks nice.

Chamber candlestick by Robert Garrard, 1824.

Start this at 200 precisely....

At £200 and bid.

Anyone else going on?

220, 240, 260, 280.

-We're going to sell it.

-280...

280, 300, 320.

320. 320...

-340 on the telephone.

-Brilliant.

360 with me. 360 on commission.

360... 380, 400.

-This is more like it.

-400.

-I know you're happy.

400... 420. 420...

I'll finish with the telephone at £420.

GAVEL BANGS

-420, the hammer went down, 420.

-That's really good!

-Well, we're very happy.

-Yeah!

-Yeah.

-I'm very happy.

-Aw.

-Well done.

That's the power of the auction room for you.

Well, that's it. It's all over for our owners.

Another day in another sale room.

And we've thoroughly enjoyed being here in Carlisle today.

All credit to our two auctioneers on the rostrum, they've done us proud.

Our owners have gone home happy

and that's what it's all about.

See you next time.