0:00:05 > 0:00:07We've set our valuation tables up
0:00:07 > 0:00:11inside the stunning, the magnificent St Albans Cathedral and Abbey
0:00:11 > 0:00:14in the city that shares the same name,
0:00:14 > 0:00:15in the county of Hertfordshire.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This church was named after a local man,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20a brave man called Alban, who sacrificed himself
0:00:20 > 0:00:24to save a Christian priest over 1,700 years ago,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and from that day onwards, people have been coming here to worship.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It's the oldest place of Christian worship in the country.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Now, we can only hope that somebody here in this magnificent queue
0:00:33 > 0:00:36has brought along an antique that dates as far back as that.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Well, we live in hope, don't we? Welcome to Flog It!.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03St Albans Cathedral and Abbey stands on the site
0:01:03 > 0:01:08where Alban gave his life towards the end of the third century AD.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Inside, the cathedral houses a medieval shrine in his honour,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and pilgrims still come to worship and pray by it today.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20The building itself has evolved over the centuries,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23which is reflected in its mix of architectural styles,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26from the Saxon period to the Normans,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29through to its great Victorian restoration,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and the building of a 20th-century chapterhouse.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Well, this happy crowd seem eager to get inside to learn more
0:01:38 > 0:01:41about the history of this magnificent building,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and, of course, to meet up with our experts, to pick their brains,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47to ask that all-important question, which is...?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- ALL:- What's it worth?- And if you're happy with the valuation,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- what are you going to do? ALL:- Flog it!
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Right, let's get inside. Come on, follow me, everyone.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Our experts are already hard at work,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and we haven't even got through the cathedral doors yet,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06but James Lewis is already imparting his wisdom.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Lovely shape, isn't it?- It is.- Yeah.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14China is doing very well at the moment. Very well.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And it looks as though Claire Rawle may have spotted her first item.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20That's quite an unusual cribbage board marker, isn't it,
0:02:20 > 0:02:21with the little soldiers in it?
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Don't think it's terribly old, is it?
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It's quite nice, though, isn't it? It's quite fun.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30So, is it round one to Claire, or is James still a contender?
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Hello, James. What have you got there?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It's a boxing programme, Anglo-American.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36- Oh, wow.- All signed. - OK. Boxing, hey?
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- Is this going to turn into a fight, do you think?- It already has.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- HE LAUGHS - Oh, OK.- Do you want to find your own lot? Go on.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Yeah, all right, I'll go up here, shall I?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Whilst everyone pours into the breathtaking nave
0:02:49 > 0:02:54of St Albans Cathedral and Abbey and makes themselves comfortable,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57let's take a look at what's coming up later.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00James comes across an unusual picture...
0:03:00 > 0:03:04- Sand pictures. - Are they sand pictures?- Yeah.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Just feel that.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Oh, yes!
0:03:08 > 0:03:11..and one owner gets some great news.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Were you surprised at the valuation? - Extremely.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I thought they might have been about £100, or something.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Something along those lines.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22And I'll be paying a visit here to Knebworth House,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26a magnificent Grade II Tudor stately mansion,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29probably best known for hosting its rock concerts.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I'm here to uncover a little-known story
0:03:31 > 0:03:33about one of its bravest inhabitants,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Lady Constance Lytton,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38who put her own wellbeing aside to stand up for her beliefs.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45But before that, fortune is smiling on our crowd today
0:03:45 > 0:03:47because they get to queue
0:03:47 > 0:03:50here in the nave of St Albans Cathedral and Abbey,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55and this nave is spectacular, isn't it? It's 85m in length,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57it's the longest nave in the country,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59and that is some view.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I'm in awe of this building. Not just its history,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05not just the tales of bravery I hear,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07but also looking at the images -
0:04:07 > 0:04:10the wall paintings telling a story of Jesus's sacrifice,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12many images of the Crucifixion
0:04:12 > 0:04:16on all of these wonderful Gothic columns.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19James Lewis gets our valuations off to a great start
0:04:19 > 0:04:21with a tale of derring-do.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Alison, I have to say, you don't strike me as being a pipe smoker.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Let's have a look. Give it a go.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- HE LAUGHS - No, it's not you, is it?- No.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- Why have you got a pipe? - It belonged to my grandfather.- OK.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40He was a pipe smoker and he had a collection of pipes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- So, only one left in the family? - Well, yes.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- Nothing as carved as this. Just ordinary pipes, but...- Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Why did he have this, do you know? - No idea. No, no.- OK.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- Do you know who he is? - No, I've no idea.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Well, it looks like an explorer.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01That sort of woollen wrap around his head and the big goggles.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04This guy, I think, is a chap called Frank Wild.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Now, Frank Wild was a great explorer.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10He went on some of the biggest expeditions in British history.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The first one was on board Discovery with Scott in 1901 -
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Scott's first Antarctic expedition.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Then he went with Shackleton in 1908.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- Luckily for him, he didn't go with Scott in 1912.- Right.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Otherwise, he may well have never returned.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30But what he did do was go back on the trans-Antarctic journey in 1914,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and that was, of course, the expedition where
0:05:34 > 0:05:38the ship was caught in the ice and they were out there for two years.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Total disaster, but he made it back.- Right.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- So, that's who we think he is.- Mm.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I've done a bit of research. What do you think to him?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Wow.- That's Frank Wild.- Wow.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Yeah, he had a beard rather than a moustache.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I guess, if they're going to do an image of him,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- they would have him wearing all the kit...- Smartened up, yes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- ..but they would smarten him up. - Yes, yes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03I think that's probably why we're looking at that.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- But I think that image is uncanny. I think it's got to be him.- Yes.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10I've never seen a pipe like it.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13In terms of value, if I said £40 to £60,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- would you be happy with that? - Mm, a little bit more.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- HE CHUCKLES - OK.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- Well, what are you thinking? - 50 to 80?- Yeah?
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- With a reserve of 50.- Are you happy with that?- Yes, that's fine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30- Do you know, I wouldn't be surprised if it made £100.- Right.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't sell at all.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- HE LAUGHS - It's one of those things that,
0:06:35 > 0:06:40- in the right sale...- Yes. - ..I think it would do very well.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- Let's take it along and see if it's the right sale.- OK.- Fingers crossed.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47What a wonderful story.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Now, remember those charming games that Claire spotted in the queue?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It's time to take a closer look.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Richard and Barbara, it's lovely to see you today
0:06:57 > 0:07:00in this magnificent, holy place.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And what have you brought in? Gambling items of vice!
0:07:04 > 0:07:06My goodness, I hope we're not struck down in here.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Cribbage marker boards and some dominoes.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So, you tell me a bit about them. How did you get hold of them?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13We got them in a car-boot.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16We sometimes go to car-boots just to have a look around.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20And we like quirky things, and it's just caught our eye.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22So, how long ago did you find these?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24About three-and-a-half, four years ago.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- What did you pay for them?- £20. - Oh, OK. Reasonable. Well done.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And do you play crib or dominoes? Have you used them at all?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- We do, sometimes, yeah.- Oh, OK. So, you understand crib, do you?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- Not crib, but dominoes. - Yes, I can do the dominoes!
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- So, you've decided now you're going to part with them, or...?- Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- Yeah, yeah?- We've redecorated.- OK.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46They don't really fit in with the decor any more, so...
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Oh, dear!- I know, everybody says it, but it's time, perhaps,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51to move them on to somebody who really will enjoy them.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53They've been cast off. They are very collectable.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Cribbage, as a game, has been around since the early 1600s.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59It's an old game. Dominoes was more a sort of 18th-century game.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01So, both games, actually, have been around for centuries,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and very, very widely played still today.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07But these don't date, actually, from quite that early.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10You're looking at, I think, a set that was probably made in the '70s,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12late '70s, that sort of period.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The dominoes are made out of a type of plastic.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18But what I really like are the little military figures...
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- Quirky.- ..because they are painted die-cast...- Yes.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Right.- ..like the Britain soldiers.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And I think they probably were made to be used with this set.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28And, of course, these little chaps are the markers.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31With crib, you have to move them up and down the board, don't you?
0:08:31 > 0:08:32That's right, yes.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35And then the person that gets back to the beginning is the winner.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So, I think they are actually quite collectable items.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40But how about you, Barbara?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42What do you think they might be worth?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45I think we were thinking somewhere about £40 to £60,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- maybe, for them, hopefully.- OK, OK.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Well, that seems quite sensible. - Yeah, yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It's not a million miles away from what I was thinking.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53I was pitching it a little bit lower -
0:08:53 > 0:08:55maybe sort of 30 to 50.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Would you want to put a reserve on them to protect them on the day,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- do you think, perhaps? - I don't think so, no.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03If someone will buy them at a reasonable price,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- and they'll go to someone who'll enjoy them.- Yeah,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08they will go to a collector. That's very sensible of you
0:09:08 > 0:09:11because I think they'll find their own price on the day at the auction.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I mean, that's what auctions are all about.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14So, if we go forward with that estimate,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17but perhaps leave them without a reserve?
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- That's fine, yeah.- Excellent. It's been a pleasure seeing them,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Now, James has found a decorative piece that is just as pleasing.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31We are here in this magnificent building,
0:09:31 > 0:09:35surrounded by some of the earliest sculptures in stone,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37with wonderful carving everywhere,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40and you've brought your own little bit of wonderful carving,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and I love it!
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- There's one thing about this, Rosemary.- Mm-hm?
0:09:44 > 0:09:48The combination of bronze and white marble
0:09:48 > 0:09:50that tells us a particular date.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55- Any ideas? - I thought it was late 19th century.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- I think it's slightly later than that.- Is it? Oh, right.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03Looking at her, the way her hair is, her features, I think she's 1920s.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Oh, right. Fair enough, yeah.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08When I see marble and bronze together,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I think it's a wonderful, wonderful combination.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12This came from my grandmother.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15- When I was a little girl, I absolutely loved her...- Right.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17..cos I thought she had such a pretty face and lovely hair,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and she was very tactile.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23- When she died, it was left to me.- Oh!- Yeah.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25So, she knew you loved her, at that time?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Yeah, absolutely. Very, very pretty. Very, very pretty little woman.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Have you had a good look over her for a mark, a signature?
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Yeah, I can't find any marks or anything on her at all.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- How long have you had her?- 1963.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Ah. Well, there's a signature.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44- Good grief! - HE CHUCKLES
0:10:44 > 0:10:47And it says G Merlin,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and he's signed it on the marble base,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52which was something that was very fashionable
0:10:52 > 0:10:56in the 1920s and '30s, especially in France.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01And it's an artist that does come up in the salerooms occasionally,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05but comes up in various forms and various sizes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Whenever you're looking at a female form from this period,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11bearing in mind the '20s was quite a risque time,
0:11:11 > 0:11:17they were making lots of nudes and nude dancers, scantily clad,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20the odd bit of material here and there,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23hardly concealing anything.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Those, as I'm sure you can imagine, are the most popular of all of them.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32So, as soon as you've got a bronze and marble combination like this,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35where she's almost pensive,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and, as you say, could almost have been 19th century...
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- Yeah.- ..in her pose,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- then they're not worth such a lot.- Oh, right.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46So, the same artist can command different prices.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51And in terms of valuation, these figures, these busts make,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55week in, week out, £200 to £300, something like that.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Occasionally, they sort of fall at 150,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- but I wouldn't want to see her make that.- OK.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05- So, if we said £180 firm reserve... - Right.- ..would you be happy?
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- Absolutely, yes.- Sure? - Yeah, positive.- Great, let's do it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Yeah, that's great. Lovely. Thank you very much.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14A Flog It! valuation day is a great experience.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Why not come along and find out what your items are worth?
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Now, it's over to Claire's table.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Well, Alan, we're in this ancient historical site
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and what do you bring in? Science fiction!
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- Wonderful! So, were these yours? - They were my son's.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- Right.- And they come from... In the '70s, I bought them.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- Does he know you're here? - He does now.- Oh, OK.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37THEY LAUGH
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Have you got a lot more of these at home?- Yes, a loft full.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Oh, right, OK. I have a sneaking suspicion, though,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- you actually quite like them yourself.- I do, actually.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50The thing is, with toys, they're a very nostalgic thing,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54so people tend to buy into things they remember playing with.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56It does also make you feel rather old
0:12:56 > 0:12:58when suddenly toys you played with
0:12:58 > 0:13:01become collectors' items, I can tell you.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Now, with robots, they really started making robots in the '50s,
0:13:05 > 0:13:09so it's the '50s ones that make far more, whereas you say this is 1970s.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14- Yes.- He's Japanese made, which a lot of them were.- Yeah.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Battery operated, and he does work. - Yes.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- So he wanders forward. Quite fun. Ooh, I say, he's flashing.- Yes.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26But the nice thing is, you have the box.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- Now, the box - not looking too good. - No.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- But you've got the box and it's complete.- Yes.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36There are people that collect robots and people that love Doctor Who.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39So, here we have Doctor Who game,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and you obviously looked after it well because, hey presto,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46- it's pretty well complete, isn't it? - Oh, yes, it is, yes.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49So, we have our silver Daleks and our gold Daleks,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53- all with plungers attached.- Yes.- OK.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56No bits missing, presumably all the counters and things.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And I assume that you just parade them round the...
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- Yes, you go round there. - ..round the track.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03And Doctor Who has been such a cult show for so long.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I mean, I remember watching it when I was quite small, a long time ago.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10So, there is a big collecting market for Doctor Who
0:14:10 > 0:14:12so, again, a very collectible item.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16- You've obviously decided to sell them.- I have.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- I think we need to talk value. - Please.- OK, so the robot.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23He's a little bit later, so he's not going to be hundreds of pounds.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28- I think £60 to £80, £50 reserve. - Mm-hm.- Is that good?
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- Yes, that's fine.- Excellent.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33However, Daleks, I think this is actually quite unusual.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I haven't seen this game before and I certainly haven't seen
0:14:36 > 0:14:40anything so complete as this and, again, it's Doctor Who.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- I think this will be a bit more. - Oh, right.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44- I think it's going to be £80 to £120.- Good God.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And I'd put a £70 reserve on it. Is that good?
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- That's fine, yes.- Excellent. Right, well, I can't resist it.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- Shall I set him going again?- Go on.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- He gets a bit excited.- He does, yes. - Argh!
0:14:55 > 0:14:57SHE LAUGHS
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I'm glad you're having fun, Claire!
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Before we head off the auction,
0:15:01 > 0:15:04there's something I'd like to show you.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17The ancient Romans improved the quality of life for many Britons
0:15:17 > 0:15:20by introducing luxuries and comforts, such as central heating,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23but they also brought lively entertainment too,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26in places such as this theatre.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Verulamium's Roman theatre,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33the remains of which are in St Albans today,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37was built around 140 AD and is unique in Britain,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40as it's the only one of its kind to have a stage.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43All others are amphitheatres.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Roman performers strutting around the stage would have worn masks
0:15:48 > 0:15:53very much like this one. However, that's not an ancient Roman mask.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54It is Romanesque in style,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57but it's a modern creation made by a local theatre company,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01here in St Albans, called Trestle, who have adopted
0:16:01 > 0:16:04the ancient practice of mask-wearing into their performance.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07They've made it their own, they've made it unique.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Trestle is over 30 years old.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19It was formed in 1981 as a touring theatre company
0:16:19 > 0:16:23who worked with masks and other forms of physical theatre.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Nearly 20 years later, they gave up their nomadic existence
0:16:30 > 0:16:34when they moved into this converted hospital chapel in St Albans,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36which they named the Trestle Arts Base.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Trestle are one of the first touring theatre companies
0:16:39 > 0:16:42to create their own home, and they've been here ever since.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51I'm meeting artistic director Emily Gray
0:16:51 > 0:16:53to find out more about the company
0:16:53 > 0:16:58and, hopefully, get my hands on some of their extraordinary masks.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01So, tell me, how do you incorporate
0:17:01 > 0:17:04the ancient performance of mask-using in your work?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Masks were obviously used right back at the beginning of theatre,
0:17:06 > 0:17:10so the Greeks used masks. They used them to seem bigger than life,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- so people could play gods, men could play women.- Sure.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Massive amphitheatres, you could see the characters.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Then the Romans used them. They took them from the Greeks
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and they started making much more stock characters of masks,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29so you'd start to recognise the hero character or the villain
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and that then developed into the 16th-century commedia dell'arte.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- Sure.- So, the half-mask characters,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and they became terribly popular across Europe.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38When we use our masks,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41they're also very, very strong characters that come in.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44And the whole idea of the performance is, it's very immediate.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47It's about engaging your audience. There's no fourth wall there.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48It's the audience and the masks,
0:17:48 > 0:17:53so it's all about eyeballing that audience, improvising with them.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58I like this chap. He's a mohican, sort of, a punk. Look at that.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03- This is Maurice the Mohican. Get his mohican to stand up properly.- Ah!
0:18:03 > 0:18:04THEY LAUGH
0:18:04 > 0:18:08And he is one of our oldest masks, so he's from the early '80s,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- of course the era of punk. - He's brilliant.- He's brilliant.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14He was in a show called Hanging Around,
0:18:14 > 0:18:15which took place on a park bench
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and it had your punk and your Boy Scout and your mod.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21It was very '80s.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24These masks here are from the older shows
0:18:24 > 0:18:27and from the performances, where there's huge detail
0:18:27 > 0:18:29in the character in these.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31These ones are more for our educational work.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34There are eight of these masks, the basic masks,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- and they're very clear expressions, almost cartoon.- They are.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39We all know that this guy is happy.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41And then you get the slightly more complicated set,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44the intermediate ones, who have a bit more going on in them,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- a bit more expression in there. - There's a worried look there.- Yes.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Then we get to the advanced masks,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52so these are more like the show masks.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- That's a bit more getting towards a human face.- I can see that, yeah.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59The most recent ones we've created are actually these ones.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- These ones talk to you, you see. Ha-ha!- Oh, yes!
0:19:02 > 0:19:05So, that's a devil, that's the devil mask.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08I'm pleased you did that, not me.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10For years, we didn't speak as a company, you see.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- It was completely mimed, then? - Yeah, completely. No sound.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Which meant we could travel anywhere and people understood us
0:19:17 > 0:19:19anywhere we went. There was no basis in language.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23But with these half masks, we can look at Shakespearean archetypes,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26we look at the Greeks, we can do storytelling more,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28so these are very fun
0:19:28 > 0:19:31- cos they obviously bring in the voice.- They do.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Alongside Trestle's professional performances
0:19:35 > 0:19:39and their educational work, the company also makes sets of masks
0:19:39 > 0:19:41from their studio in the Trestle Arts Base,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44which are then sold all over the world.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Joseph, who works in the studio, is showing me how they are made.
0:19:51 > 0:19:56We take this resin mould and we put it in the vacuum former.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01So that gets lowered in. Then we take a piece of plastic...
0:20:04 > 0:20:06..heat it up...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13PAUL LAUGHS
0:20:14 > 0:20:18- Then give it a knock on the head so...- Sure.- ..the mould falls out.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And then we'll go over here and cut it out.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30So we do the eye holes and then the elastic holes
0:20:30 > 0:20:34and then that's it done for this...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- And then you get creative.- Mm-hm. - Come on, let's do it.- OK.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Talk me through what happens next.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44What we do next is cut these out
0:20:44 > 0:20:47cos they've not really got a good shape at the moment.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49That's very quick.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- That's taken off all the rough edges there.- Who do you sell these to?
0:20:53 > 0:20:57We primarily sell to schools and drama groups and things like that.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59- All over the world. - All over the world, yeah.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We send internationally as well as the UK.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- And how many of these do you make a day, then?- A day?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- The record's probably about 100 masks in a day.- I'm very impressed.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- Right, I want to decorate one. Can I decorate one?- Sure.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14OK, this is the mischievous mask in the basic set
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- and this is what it will look like when it's finished.- OK.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23A bit more blue.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- How's that?- It looks good.- Is that all right?- Yeah, it looks good.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It's nearly there, isn't it?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34The only thing now we need to do
0:21:34 > 0:21:37is put some elastic on it and it's ready to go.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Right, here's my mask. It's nearly dry.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43I think, before I leave here,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I should give it a test drive, don't you?
0:21:45 > 0:21:49And Emily has kindly agreed to run through one of her workshops.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52So now it's time to dim those lights.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I'm going to pop this on you.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59You're going to look at me, not look at the audience yet.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Here's your hat. Here we go.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06Great. Round I go. And let's see you. Hello!
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Ha-ha! Are you going to say hello to everybody?
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Look at all your audience here. There we go.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14How are you feeling today? Show me in your body how you're feeling.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Oh, look who's here. Look who's here.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Um, so you have been very naughty, haven't you? I know.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25You've really upset her. Are you going to say sorry?
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Oh, look, he's going to say sorry to you. Is that...?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Do you believe him? No.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35You need to apologise, show us that you're really, really sorry.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39And I want to see you being really true to...
0:22:39 > 0:22:44Oh, are you going to have a hug? Oh. Oh, how lovely.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49They could be together. Happy? Good. Oh, you're excited now.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Really happy! Really happy, great, great.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Let's see you together in a final pose.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Looking happy together!
0:22:56 > 0:23:01Oh, careful of him. Careful there. There we go. Hoorah! Well done.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11We've had a brilliant day so far.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17While we make our way over to the saleroom,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19here's a quick recap, just to jog your memory,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22of all the items we're taking with us.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27James believed that Alison's wooden pipe
0:23:27 > 0:23:30may have been fashioned on the intrepid polar explorer Frank Wild,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33but what will the bidders make of it?
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Will the domino and cribbage sets, with their die-cast soldiers,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39march away at the auction room?
0:23:40 > 0:23:45Rosemary's always loved her 1920s marble and bronze bust,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49but now it's time for this pretty lady to find a new home.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Dragged out of the attic, Alan's 1970s robot and Daleks board game
0:23:56 > 0:23:59are sure to exterminate some bids in the saleroom.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06We are staying in Hertfordshire for our sale,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08but are relocating to the small town of Tring,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10which borders the Chiltern Hills.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12As well as attracting visitors
0:24:12 > 0:24:14who want to explore the nearby countryside,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17this pretty market town has another draw -
0:24:17 > 0:24:21the beautiful Victorian Tring Natural History Museum.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Hopefully, the bidders will find our lots as enticing
0:24:26 > 0:24:27as the nearby attractions,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30as we head over to Tring Market Auctions,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33where Stephen Hearn is on the rostrum.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Remember, whether you're buying or selling, at every auction,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40there is always commission and VAT to pay. Here, sellers pay
0:24:40 > 0:24:45between 10% and 15%. First under the hammer
0:24:45 > 0:24:47is the 1920s bust.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Rosemary, good luck. I love Rosemary's lot. It's so pretty.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It's a combination of marble and bronze.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54It's a beautiful, beautiful little bust.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Now, will we get that £200 to £300, and why are you selling it?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I'm selling it because, if it sells,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06I'd like to put money towards an antique cat.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- An antique cat? - I like cats. I collect cats.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10Ooh, a bronze cat? Something like that?
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Possibly. Depending.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- Do you have real cats, as well? - Oh, I have real cats.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- You're a cat lover?- Oh, yes. - Oh! Well, good luck.- Thank you.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- Good luck.- Thank you! - It's going under the hammer now.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26That's a bit different, that one, isn't it? It's a rather nice one.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Inscribed by Merlin. There it is.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Alabaster, probably 1920s, something like that.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37A couple of hundred pounds for it? 200 for it? 150 for it? Yes. Surely!
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Yes? 60? 70?
0:25:39 > 0:25:4280? 90 now.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Yes? 190, we've got.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Are we going to be...? That's 200, we're bid now.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51200, thank you. 210, yes or no? 210, I have.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53220, is it? At 220.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- Getting there. Crawling. - Come on, Rosemary.- And 30?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59And 40? Is it 240?
0:26:00 > 0:26:04And 50 now. Is it going to be 60?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Sure? 250 has it, then.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12- Brilliant, brilliant!- Good. - And you are out. £250, then.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- Yes! £250.- Brilliant.- Mid-estimate.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Do you know, that was beautiful, wasn't it? It was quality.
0:26:17 > 0:26:22- And as we always say on the show, quality always sells.- Mm.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Well done, you.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28That result should go a good way towards an antique cat for Rosemary.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Next, let's see if we can make a decent profit
0:26:31 > 0:26:34for Richard and Barbara on their cribbage and domino games,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38which they bought for £20 at a car-boot sale.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Fingers crossed we get these away top end of the estimate.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42You see, the thing is, there's no reserve.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43I know they're going to sell,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46but I really like to see things with reserves,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47and I know it's an auctioneer thing.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- You're confident, though, aren't you?- Yes, yeah.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Well, they're just quirky items, unusual.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- If you like playing games, it's great, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57We're walking a tightrope here. You know that, don't you?
0:26:57 > 0:26:58Let's hope we get to the other side.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Here we go. It's going under the hammer now.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Right, now we've got a domino stand. Rather nice, those.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08And a cribbage board with the guardsmen.
0:27:08 > 0:27:09Are we going to get 60 for it?
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Or 50? Or 40?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- We've got 40 for it.- Yes!
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- 40? Excellent!- Have we got 50? Yes?
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- 50? I've got 50. And five now, then.- Great.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25If there's no more, then, at £50, then it's going. The room's out.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It's going down and I shall sell it for the £50, then.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Thank you very much.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- £50. Brilliant. Well done. - That's great.- We got the top end.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Who was worried about no reserve? THEY LAUGH
0:27:36 > 0:27:39What a great profit on a car-boot bargain.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Finally, remember that pipe
0:27:41 > 0:27:44which James thought might be the explorer Frank Wild?
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Well, it's time for it to go under the hammer.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- It was your grandad's or your dad's? - Yes, Grandad's.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- It was Grandad's. He collected pipes, didn't he?- Yes.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54- You don't want it any more? You're decluttering?- Yes.- OK.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Anyway, look, good luck, both of you.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57This is going under the hammer now.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03A pipe, the wooden bowl carved as an explorer.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Is he one of the Arctic explorers? There you are.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Are we going to get to £100 for it, or £50?
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Yes, we'll get to 50, won't we?
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Yes. 50, I'm bid, then.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17And five for you? And 60? And five? And 70?
0:28:17 > 0:28:22And five? At £80, we're bid. 85? 90? Five? 100?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24£100, then. 100, I'm bid.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27- Well, this is good.- Yes. - 110? And 20?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29110's got it, then.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32£110. Thank you.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34- Yes! Hammer's gone down 110.- Yeah.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36- I was thinking around 70 to 80. - I think that's a great price for it.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38- 100 - top price, top price. - Very good, yes.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Right, our next lot - well, we've got two lots coming up -
0:28:44 > 0:28:47will suit all you modern-day collectable enthusiasts.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50It's 20th-century modern. We've got a robot, 1970s robot,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and a Daleks board game belonging to Alan, who can't be with us.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Grandad's not here, but we've got the grandchildren,
0:28:56 > 0:28:57Anya and Ashley.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- Yes.- OK, I'd be playing with this robot, if I was you.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02I'd be thinking, "Grandad, I want that robot for later on in life,"
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- because that will look great... - No...
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- Didn't want a robot? - No, I don't want a robot.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I'd go for the robot and not the Daleks game. What about you?
0:29:10 > 0:29:13Definitely Daleks. I'm a massive Whovian.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Right, it's going under the hammer right now.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17We're going to find out what everyone thinks of the robot.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Here we go.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22A battery-operated super robot.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24How about that? £100 for him? 100?
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Or 50? Yes. 60. 70. 80.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Let's go like a robot.
0:29:30 > 0:29:3290. 100. And 10. And 20.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34- Wow.- 30.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37130 for him, then. He's going for £130.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39GAVEL BANGS
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- That went quickly.- Yes!
0:29:41 > 0:29:45One down, one to go. If this one doesn't sell, I will exterminate.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49There you are. War of the Daleks.
0:29:49 > 0:29:5240 perhaps? 30 perhaps?
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Yes! 30 I'm bid for the Daleks. At 30 we're bid now.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Are you going to be 5, sir?
0:29:57 > 0:30:02And 40. And 5. We close at £45. 50 perhaps?
0:30:02 > 0:30:05No? At £45, then.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- Ah! No Doctor Who fans here. - I thought it would have done more.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11But you said you'd like that one.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Yeah, I wish I'd brought money with me now.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16But, hey, you can take it home with you.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Thank you anyway for standing in for him.
0:30:20 > 0:30:21Well, there you are.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24We're coming back here later on in the show, so don't go away.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26We could have that big surprise.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28But before I head back to the valuation day,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30while we're here in the area,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32I took a trip to the beautiful Knebworth House,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34which is about 20 miles from here.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Knebworth House is an architectural masterpiece.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48It dates from the Tudor period,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51though you'd be forgiven for thinking it was built much later,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54as the original 16th-century red brick
0:30:54 > 0:30:57was concealed beneath turrets, domes, gargoyles
0:30:57 > 0:31:00and stained glass in the 19th century,
0:31:00 > 0:31:05which turned this stately home into a Gothic Victorian fantasy.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13But however fascinating the architecture is,
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Knebworth is best known
0:31:14 > 0:31:17as one of the country's premier concert venues.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Over 100 major artists have played here
0:31:20 > 0:31:25since the estate threw open its gates in 1974,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28with kings and queens of pop and rock topping the bill,
0:31:28 > 0:31:32such as the Rolling Stones, Ella Fitzgerald and Queen.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36But I'm not here to admire this architectural treat
0:31:36 > 0:31:39or delve into Knebworth's past rock history.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42I'm here to learn more about a story of one of its past residents.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44In the early part of the 20th century,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Lady Constance Lytton put her own health at risk
0:31:47 > 0:31:50to stand up for what she passionately believed in -
0:31:50 > 0:31:52the right for women to vote.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58During the second part of the 19th century,
0:31:58 > 0:32:02women in the United Kingdom began campaigning for women's suffrage,
0:32:02 > 0:32:07the right of women to stand for electoral office and to vote.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Lady Constance Lytton, who spent her formative years here
0:32:10 > 0:32:13in the sumptuous surroundings of Knebworth House,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16played a vital role in the movement.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18To find out more, I'm meeting Clare Fleck,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22who has been Knebworth's trusted archivist for over 20 years.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26What type of person was Lady Constance?
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Well, she was born into an aristocratic family,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30so very privileged lifestyle.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33And some of the things she'd done would have been quite conventional
0:32:33 > 0:32:35for a young lady, such as her watercolours.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37She did watercolour art.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41She was also very musical. She was a sensitive soul, very shy.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Didn't like the public aspects of her upbringing.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46She played the piano beautifully,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48would loved to have been a professional pianist.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52There's some lovely cartoons by her brother-in-law,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Edwin Lutyens, of her playing the piano here.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56And she loved doing ordinary things.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01She liked to do what she calls in her diaries "house-maiding".
0:33:01 > 0:33:03She loved cleaning, she loved flower-arranging,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07doing the accounts, mending hats, mending her clothes.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09She was a very practical person.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11She didn't like the posh side of life.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15How did Lady Constance get involved in the suffragette movement?
0:33:15 > 0:33:19In 1908, she met the suffragettes
0:33:19 > 0:33:22through helping with the girls' club that she was helping to run
0:33:22 > 0:33:25with a little inheritance of her own,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28and she was invited to go with them to a seaside house for a holiday.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33There were two strong suffragettes there who suggested she join them.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37But she didn't just willy-nilly say, "Yes, that's for me."
0:33:37 > 0:33:39She went away, she read the literature
0:33:39 > 0:33:42and made a conscious decision that, yes, this was a very valid cause
0:33:42 > 0:33:45and that she would join the suffragettes.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47There were two different lines of attack
0:33:47 > 0:33:49in the fight for votes for women.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53The first was represented by the National Union of Women's Suffrage,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56which used only peaceful means of protest,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59whereas the Women's Social and Political Union
0:33:59 > 0:34:03used militant and sometimes even violent means
0:34:03 > 0:34:05to get its message across.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07So, she decided to join the cause,
0:34:07 > 0:34:09but it was a while before she actually signed up
0:34:09 > 0:34:11to the Women's Social and Political Union,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13which was the militant side of the cause.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17Con decided that the militant way was the way she could make her mark.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21But she was never violent in a serious way.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23She'd throw stones at a car or break a window -
0:34:23 > 0:34:25minor violence just to attract attention
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- and ultimately get arrested. - And she did.- She did.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31The first demonstration she went on took her by surprise
0:34:31 > 0:34:33cos it was a very violent business.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36She was pushed and shoved and squeezed by the police,
0:34:36 > 0:34:38and she was not strong herself.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41She had a weak heart and never had strong health,
0:34:41 > 0:34:43so it was really a traumatic experience for her,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45but this is what she wanted.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47She wanted to be involved with the ordinary suffragettes.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- Did she spend time in prison? - Oh, certainly.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Altogether, she had four imprisonments.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54The first time, in 1910, she went to Holloway
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and she wasn't treated as an ordinary suffragette.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59- She was Lady Constance Lytton... - Yeah.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02..so she had preferential treatment, her health was checked,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05so her heart - her weak heart - was identified,
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and she was put on the hospital wing, which she didn't want.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09She had two imprisonments like that,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12and for her third occasion, she took drastic action.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14She went well away from London,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17disguised herself as a working seamstress, as Jane Warton.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21She even rejoined the WSPU as Jane Warton.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23So, when she was arrested there,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- Jane Warton's health wasn't checked.- Mm.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28She was an ordinary prisoner, a third-degree prisoner,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32and went on the ordinary wing. So, when she went on hunger strike,
0:35:32 > 0:35:36she was then brutally force-fed, as the suffragettes were.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39That's what she wanted, but it was a brutal process.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42She had ill-health afterwards, but went on working for the cause.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45She worked in the headquarters of WSPU, went on lecturing.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Even though she felt she was a very poor speaker,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51she really inspired people through her lectures and talks.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53So, how did Constance's story end?
0:35:53 > 0:35:58Did she know that she made a big contribution and a big difference?
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I think she appreciated her part because she wrote a book,
0:36:01 > 0:36:03a very moving book called Prison & Prisoners.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07We've got a copy, which is an account of, it says here,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10"Some personal experiences by Lady Constance Lytton
0:36:10 > 0:36:12"and Jane Warton, spinster."
0:36:12 > 0:36:14- She's got both sides. - Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18It's the story of her part in the "votes for women" cause,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21her prison experiences. It also tells us a lot about her.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23The book, which was very popular -
0:36:23 > 0:36:26the first 2,000 edition was sold out within a week,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28and it was published internationally...
0:36:28 > 0:36:31And, again, it shows us not just prison conditions.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33She can see the best side of anything.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Well, she died relatively young, in her 50s.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41Yes, she was only 53, and I'm sure that the fight that she took part in
0:36:41 > 0:36:43contributed to her ill-health and her early death.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Was she alive to see women get the vote?
0:36:46 > 0:36:49To some extent. She died in 1923.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52In 1918, women over the age of 30 had got the vote,
0:36:52 > 0:36:53- so she did see that.- Yes, yeah.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56In fact, in her book, there's a very touching piece
0:36:56 > 0:36:58written in her own hand, and she says,
0:36:58 > 0:37:02"February 1918. By the Representation of the People Act,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04"about six million women of 30 years of age
0:37:04 > 0:37:07- "obtained the parliamentary vote." - That's brilliant.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09But full suffrage didn't come to women till 1928,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11and, of course, she'd been dead five years by then.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14A sad story, but a wonderful story and a wonderful woman.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19The casket holding Lady Constance's ashes
0:37:19 > 0:37:23rests here in this mausoleum on the Knebworth family estate.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26And from everything that I've learned about Constance today,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29I think the epitaph written here is rather apt.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Just listen to this. "A celestial sense of humour,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36"boundless sympathy, a rare musical talent.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38"She devoted the later years of her life
0:37:38 > 0:37:40"to the political enfranchisement of women
0:37:40 > 0:37:43"and sacrificed her health and her talents
0:37:43 > 0:37:47"in helping to bring victory to this cause."
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Today, Constance is still remembered
0:37:51 > 0:37:54because every year, in March, on International Women's Day,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56a group of women make the journey here
0:37:56 > 0:37:59to pay tribute to Constance's bravery
0:37:59 > 0:38:02and contribution towards the suffragette movement.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Back at St Albans Cathedral and Abbey,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12our valuation day is still in full swing
0:38:12 > 0:38:16with hundreds of people queueing to see our experts.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21And we're not finished with the suffragette theme just yet,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25as Claire has come across a pair of mementos from the cause.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Helen, I love these.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33Now, we've actually seen a lot of religious figures here today,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36but these are from a totally different movement, aren't they?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- Oh, yes.- So, tell me a bit about them,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43- what you know about them. - Well, all I know is that
0:38:43 > 0:38:48my mother-in-law gave them to me about 15 years ago.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50I can't say that I really like them
0:38:50 > 0:38:53cos they're not particularly attractive,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55and I can't find a use for them,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59but I do know that they are meant to be suffragettes.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03They're actually hallmarked Chester 1908,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05which is not long after Emmeline Pankhurst founded
0:39:05 > 0:39:08the suffragette movement in 1903.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10So, very, very much of the period.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12They're made by a very interesting firm
0:39:12 > 0:39:14called Saunders and Shepherd,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17who actually originally mounted mourning jewellery.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19- Whitby. The old Whitby jet. - Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23- And they're little novelty salt and pepper shakers...- Yeah.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25..in the form of two suffragette ladies.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28- They're made of silver. - Yeah.- Solid silver.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30And then you've got like little panels front and back,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32wearing the poke bonnets,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35and the little holes are made in the back of the bonnets
0:39:35 > 0:39:37for the salt and pepper to be shaken from.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- And then you've got some rather unattractive faces in there.- Yes.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Yes. Very simple arms and rather shapeless figures, as well.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Suffragettes, at that time, were depicted in illustrations,
0:39:47 > 0:39:52postcards, anything, as rather ugly, manly women.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Not the sort of feminine, attractive woman
0:39:54 > 0:39:56that would look after her home and her husband
0:39:56 > 0:39:59and not be bothered about things like voting.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02You know, they were depicted as ugly. They were ridiculed.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03They had to go through all that.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05And the boards, front and back,
0:40:05 > 0:40:09actually did have lettering on them, which you can just see.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- But you know what it says, don't you?- Yes.- Yes.
0:40:11 > 0:40:16The salt has "votes for women" written on,
0:40:16 > 0:40:20and the pepper has "I can make it hot for you".
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- I mean, obviously, you've got the pepper making it hot.- Yes.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26But also, it's a reflection on their feeling,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29"Yes, we can make it hot for you. We'll make it difficult for you.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33"We'll make you give us the vote." Because it was a huge struggle.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35So, these ladies represent something
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- that was amazingly important, really, in history.- Yeah.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41However, we need to talk about value.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43They are very collectable.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46They're novelty condiments and there are people who collect them,
0:40:46 > 0:40:47but it's the fact they're suffragettes
0:40:47 > 0:40:49- that's going to give them their value.- Yeah.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I think, easily, we should estimate them
0:40:52 > 0:40:58at 1,000 to 1,500 because the singles will make 700 or 800.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- Fair.- I think that's a very conservative estimate,
0:41:00 > 0:41:01if you're happy with that.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04And I would certainly put £1,000 reserve on them,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06- perhaps with a bit of discretion.- OK.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- It's so unusual to find the pair.- Yeah.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10And they're in good condition
0:41:10 > 0:41:13and they're just so beautifully collectable,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- I really, really think. So, do you think that's good?- I do.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- Worth getting them out of the box for?- I'm surprised.
0:41:19 > 0:41:20- Are you?- Very surprised, yes. - Oh, OK.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23Well, that's always nice when it works that way.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26- Well, let's hope they do something. - I'm sure they will.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Over on James's table, it looks as though he's in for a surprise too.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34- Now, Lesley, this is a real first for me on Flog It!.- Is it, James?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Because what generally happens is,
0:41:36 > 0:41:38I go out in the lines first thing in the morning
0:41:38 > 0:41:40and we look at everyone queueing outside
0:41:40 > 0:41:43- and we delve into people's bags. And I saw you in the queue...- Yes.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48- ..but I didn't see this.- No. - I have no idea what's in this.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52"Miss Clarissa Crancher, June 1844."
0:41:52 > 0:41:53Wow!
0:41:53 > 0:41:58- Oh, look at these. Sand pictures. - Are they sand pictures?- Yeah.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01Just feel that.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02Oh, yes!
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Now, this would have been so fashionable at its time.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09What is this? "Shanklin Chine."
0:42:09 > 0:42:11"Bonchurch Church."
0:42:11 > 0:42:15OK, now, sand pictures were made fashionable
0:42:15 > 0:42:19by a chap called Zobel, who would paint these massive pictures of,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22a lot of the time, farm scenes, cattle, out of sand.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25It's literally, as we did when we were kids,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27get a piece of paper, put some glue on it
0:42:27 > 0:42:29and sprinkle some coloured sand on.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- And that's exactly the way they did these.- Ah.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34- Aren't they brilliant? - Mm.- Right, OK.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37There was a huge fashion for these scrapbooks
0:42:37 > 0:42:42from the late 18th century.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45- Tell me, what's the family history? - None.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50- My mother bought it at a boot sale. - Really?- Yes, about 20 years ago.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52And this, she would have loved it.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56She did love it and, you know, it was right up her street.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58One of the interesting things about these
0:42:58 > 0:43:02is that we look at them today with a very different eye,
0:43:02 > 0:43:05and we look at that and think, "Oh, isn't that amazing?
0:43:05 > 0:43:07"What a wonderful hand."
0:43:07 > 0:43:10But, of course, in the 18th century and the 19th century,
0:43:10 > 0:43:14almost every member of the middle classes was taught how to paint...
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- Oh, right.- ..and how to sing... - Oh.- ..and how to draw.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21It wasn't till the 1920s and '30s, when we had radio,
0:43:21 > 0:43:23that that sort of skill was lost.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27And, of course, today, it's the computer game and telly,
0:43:27 > 0:43:30- so we haven't got very many skills left at all.- No, I'm afraid not.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- Not in this way, anyway.- No.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36- Any idea of value? - None at all. None at all.
0:43:36 > 0:43:41A lot of these are split up and sold as individual objects,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43individual sand pictures.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45But I have to say, in the last sort of ten years,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48there's been a change and an appreciation of this
0:43:48 > 0:43:52as an actual object, so I'm hoping that somebody will buy this
0:43:52 > 0:43:56and actually love it for what it is. In terms of valuation,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59I think there's a lot in there that's really nicely done.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02There are quite a lot of also-rans, as well.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06So, I think, let's concentrate on the good,
0:44:06 > 0:44:08and I think, if we add those up,
0:44:08 > 0:44:13I think that's going to be worth an estimate of 100 to 150.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15May well make 200.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17But I think, if we put a reserve on it,
0:44:17 > 0:44:19- the reserve is going to be £100. - That's fine.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22- That's what I'd recommend, if that's OK with you.- Absolutely fine.
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- Lovely.- Yes, very pleased with that. - Thank you.- Thank you, James.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28Here's another interesting item with Claire.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34- Well, Fran, Martinware - it's not everyone's cup of tea, is it?- No.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36- But I think this is actually quite pretty.- I love it.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39And I do have to correct myself - it's not actually a teapot.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41- I think it's a coffee pot. - Right.- However...
0:44:41 > 0:44:43- So, are you a collector of it? - No, we're not.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46We collect Lambeth - Doulton Lambeth.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49But my husband bought me this about 20, 30 years ago
0:44:49 > 0:44:51because it was very pretty, because it's lovely,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53- because it's got birds on it.- Ah.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- So, you're a bird person, are you? - A bird lover, yes.- Oh, right.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59And, actually, the colour of the glaze isn't that dissimilar, is it?
0:44:59 > 0:45:03- No, it's quite soft. - Yes, yes. It's quite a nice piece.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Do you know much about the Martin Brothers?
0:45:05 > 0:45:07I don't know anything about them at all,
0:45:07 > 0:45:09- except that there were lots of them. - There were four.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13- Very eccentric.- Yes? Ooh! - Extraordinary potters, really,
0:45:13 > 0:45:15and working at a time where art studio pottery
0:45:15 > 0:45:17was really quite in vogue.
0:45:17 > 0:45:21Although this is a fairly conservative item for them
0:45:21 > 0:45:24because they're better known, perhaps,
0:45:24 > 0:45:26in the world of sort of exciting antiques,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29- for the big wally birds. - Big, chunky birds.- Huge birds,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32great beaks, which actually were supposed to be caricatures
0:45:32 > 0:45:34of prominent people at the time,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36although it's not always easy to discern who they are.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38- So, it's made by Martin Brothers. - Yes.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40You can tell that from decoration, but actually,
0:45:40 > 0:45:42it's very clearly marked underneath.
0:45:42 > 0:45:47- They always incised the base in the clay when it was still wet.- Right.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50So, we have a lovely signature there of W Martin,
0:45:50 > 0:45:53and also the date - very clearly dated, actually -
0:45:53 > 0:45:5528th April '82,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57- so there's no doubt about when it was made.- Yes.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Yeah, very, very nicely marked.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03- Worked in salt-glaze stoneware. - Right.- Stoneware is -
0:46:03 > 0:46:05well, as you know, if you collect the Doulton Lambeth
0:46:05 > 0:46:07- because that's the same - it's very hard, isn't it?- Yes.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09And then they throw salt into the kiln
0:46:09 > 0:46:11to give you this sort of overall,
0:46:11 > 0:46:13almost like a luminescent effect on the glaze.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17- It's very beautiful.- It's nice, actually, isn't it? I do like it.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21- Now, the important thing, always, with pottery, is condition.- Yes.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26And, sadly, this does have a hairline crack in the base,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28which, if anybody collecting... The first thing they ask you
0:46:28 > 0:46:31when they want to buy a piece of pottery, "What condition is it in?
0:46:31 > 0:46:32"Has it got any chips or cracks?"
0:46:32 > 0:46:34So, the minute you mention a hairline crack,
0:46:34 > 0:46:35they'll be a little bit, "Hmm, OK."
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Perhaps not quite so excited about it.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40But having said that, you don't see that many pieces on the market.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42They weren't that prolific.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44They really were quite an extraordinary bunch.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47- So, we need to speak a bit about value.- Yes.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50It's always difficult with something with a hairline crack.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52I have sold items before that have been damaged
0:46:52 > 0:46:54and they've done extremely well,
0:46:54 > 0:46:55but I always err on the side of caution
0:46:55 > 0:46:59and just try and keep the estimate sensible.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02- I'd estimate it about 150 to 250. - Ah.
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- Does that sound good?- That sounds lovely. No, that sounds good.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08I think, perhaps, we pitch the reserve just under the 150,
0:47:08 > 0:47:12or maybe 130. Fix the reserve at that? Is that all right for you?
0:47:12 > 0:47:14- No, that's fine.- That's excellent.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18I shall look forward to seeing you. Thank you very much indeed.
0:47:18 > 0:47:21Next up is James, who has come across a great little collection.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Probably the most common thing that is said to auctioneers
0:47:27 > 0:47:30and valuers up and down the country is,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34"It's got to be worth something, it's old."
0:47:34 > 0:47:39And I have to say, the two things don't always go hand in hand.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42You can have something very modern, like a Banksy sketch,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45that can be worth hundreds of thousands,
0:47:45 > 0:47:48and then you can have something that's thousands of years old
0:47:48 > 0:47:51- and worth very little.- OK.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55You've something here, Annie, that is incredibly early,
0:47:55 > 0:48:00but the question is, what's it worth? What do you know about these?
0:48:00 > 0:48:04All I know is that these three bottom coins are all Roman.
0:48:04 > 0:48:09They belonged to my second cousin, as did the other two,
0:48:09 > 0:48:12and I inherited them all when he died.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14I found them amongst his things.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18Somebody told me that the Roman ones were pre-invasion
0:48:18 > 0:48:22which, if that's true, I find quite interesting.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26The oldest is the one that I've never seen before and it's that one.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31- A-ha.- So, that one there is Augustus and Agrippa.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35Now, this was struck after 10 AD.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37Let's turn it over.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40- Have you worked out what it is on the back?- No.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44That is a crocodile standing in front of a tree.
0:48:45 > 0:48:51These are more common in Britain. Maximians. This one and this one.
0:48:51 > 0:48:57They would be 286 AD to 305 AD.
0:48:57 > 0:49:02Both are beautiful castings, really lovely condition.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05Next one, Elizabeth I.
0:49:05 > 0:49:11- It's 1,300 years later than these. - Yes.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14Solid silver and it's what we call a struck groat,
0:49:14 > 0:49:17so it's just been banged, OK.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22And then above her, we have this one, and that's a George III coin,
0:49:22 > 0:49:281797, known as cartwheel because of the thickness of the coin.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32So, value. We've got £10 there,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34bit less there.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36£15 there,
0:49:36 > 0:49:39£50 to £70 there
0:49:39 > 0:49:41and £6 to £10 there.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44All right? So, in terms of an action lot,
0:49:44 > 0:49:46I'd put them all together
0:49:46 > 0:49:49and I would put £70 to £100 on as an estimate.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Are you happy to sell the lot, cos I know that you were saying
0:49:52 > 0:49:56that there was one there that had a bit of sentimental value,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00so would you like to just take the one?
0:50:01 > 0:50:05- Yes, I'm sorry to mess you up. - Go on.- I'm going to keep that one.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Can I ask why that one?
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Because when I was clearing all of my cousin's stuff,
0:50:10 > 0:50:14I'd got a huge drawer and I just picked up the drawer
0:50:14 > 0:50:18and stood it up vertically and I heard the ch-ch-ch-ch,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22and it was this that had fallen down the inside of the drawer.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25I remember it from 14 years ago when I was doing it,
0:50:25 > 0:50:28so I just want to keep it, really.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31I think, for the sake of £10, it's worth keeping it
0:50:31 > 0:50:36but, having said that, I still think we should keep the same estimate -
0:50:36 > 0:50:40£70 to £100, with a £50 fixed reserve, OK?
0:50:40 > 0:50:43And I'm sure they'll do well and, hopefully,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46these little coins will make you a few more pennies
0:50:46 > 0:50:47to buy something else.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50I can't believe how low the estimate is for those coins,
0:50:50 > 0:50:52as they're steeped in history.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57Well, there you are, that's it. Our work is nearly done here.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01Our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction,
0:51:01 > 0:51:04so we have to say goodbye to St Albans Cathedral and Abbey.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06But I tell you what,
0:51:06 > 0:51:09- it's not easy putting a value on an antique, is it? ALL:- No!- No.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12- Our experts are pretty good, aren't they? ALL:- Yes!
0:51:12 > 0:51:15But anything can happen in an auction room, and you know that.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Right now, we're going to put those valuations to the test.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Here's a quick recap of all the items
0:51:20 > 0:51:22that are coming with us off to auction.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27Helen isn't very fond of her suffragette salt and pepper pots,
0:51:27 > 0:51:29so will be happy to see them sell.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36The Victorian scrapbook is crammed full of different illustrations,
0:51:36 > 0:51:39including those interesting sand pictures.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Let's hope the hairline crack
0:51:44 > 0:51:48on Fran's Martinware coffee pot doesn't deter the bidders.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55Finally, the age of Annie's coin collection spans an impressive
0:51:55 > 0:51:581,300 years. Fingers crossed all that history
0:51:58 > 0:52:00will attract the bidders.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08We're back at the saleroom in Tring,
0:52:08 > 0:52:10where auctioneer Stephen Hearn is still hard at work.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14First up, it's that Martinware coffee pot.
0:52:14 > 0:52:18Fran, I want to say good luck, but at the same time,
0:52:18 > 0:52:20I want to say I don't want you to sell it.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23- Why, why, why are you selling this? - Because my husband said
0:52:23 > 0:52:25he would like us to come and do something like this.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28- On Flog It!?- On Flog It!, and do you know, he's just done something.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30- Oh, you could have found something else!- I know, I know.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33This is it. It's going under the hammer.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35200, I have. 210 for you, sir?
0:52:35 > 0:52:39220? 230? 240, I have.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41- 250?- Let's get 350.- 60?
0:52:42 > 0:52:47270? 280? 300, he said. No?
0:52:47 > 0:52:52At £300. At 310. 320 now. 330?
0:52:52 > 0:52:55Don't often get a piece. It's going down.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58I sell for £350, then.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00- You got top money - £350.- Wonderful.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03- It's a good result.- Yes.- Thanks for being such a brilliant sport.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05- Thank you very much. - Because quality, quality, quality.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- Martin Brothers - great London makers.- Yeah.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11Next, let's hope the collectors are in the saleroom
0:53:11 > 0:53:13for that jam-packed sketch book.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17- Leslie, it's great to see you again. - Thank you very much.
0:53:17 > 0:53:18I love the little sketchbook.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20We're just about to sell Leslie's little sketchbook.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- Leather bound, it's got some wonderful watercolours in it.- Yeah.
0:53:23 > 0:53:25- Oh, it's fabulous, isn't it? - It really is delightful.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27- And Mum got this? - From a boot sale, yes.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- About 20-odd years ago? - 20-odd years ago.- Great.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32OK, fingers crossed we get that top end.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34This is going under the hammer right now.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37There it is. 150.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41Make it 60? 70? 80 now?
0:53:41 > 0:53:43At £70. Are you going to be 80?
0:53:43 > 0:53:4790? 100? £100.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Surely one more, sir. No?
0:53:49 > 0:53:52Madam's going to have it, then. I shall sell away from you.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55It's going for £100, then.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58- Sold.- Great.- Well done. Well done. We're all happy.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00- Yes, that's good. Yeah, yeah. - Lovely.- Phew!
0:54:00 > 0:54:03- Job done, James.- Good. Well done. - THEY LAUGH
0:54:03 > 0:54:08It's time to find out if the Roman enthusiasts are in the room.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Right now, we're going to flip. Will it be heads or tails?
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Because we've got that coin belonging to Annie.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15There's about four coins here going under the hammer.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18- Why are you selling the coins? - Because I don't display them
0:54:18 > 0:54:20and I don't really know the history of them,
0:54:20 > 0:54:22so I thought it was time to let them go.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Surely it's got to be a couple of hundred pounds.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26They're going under the hammer right now.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30If you're not here, you can't buy them, so hard luck. Here we go.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35There you are. There's three Roman, I believe,
0:54:35 > 0:54:37and one Elizabethan shilling. What about those?
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Ought to be £100 for those.
0:54:39 > 0:54:4150, 60, 70, 80, 90.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44100 now, surely? 100, I have.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46And 10 for you, sir?
0:54:46 > 0:54:48110. And 20 perhaps?
0:54:48 > 0:54:50Yes. And 30? No more?
0:54:50 > 0:54:54120 then, I'm selling. You're out. It's going.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Yes, it is. You can have another 10.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Ah, 130, there you go, see.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01At 130. I'm awfully sorry. 40?
0:55:01 > 0:55:03No? At 130, then.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- I'm selling at £130. - GAVEL BANGS
0:55:06 > 0:55:08- Brilliant! Better than 70 quid, wasn't it?- Yes.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11Still, not a lot of money for a lot of history.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15- And you've been the proud custodian of these.- Indeed, yes.
0:55:15 > 0:55:20How fascinating! That's real history in your hand. If only it could talk.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Now for our final lot of the day,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26and it's Helen's suffragette salt and pepper pots.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30Great to see you again, and what a find at the valuation day.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32You spotted them. You zoomed straight in.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35- Were you surprised at the valuation?- Extremely.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38I thought they might have been about £100, or something.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40- Something along those lines.- Gosh.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42- That must have been a big surprise.- It was.
0:55:42 > 0:55:44Hopefully, we'll get that £1,500. Hopefully, get a bit more.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46- Yeah, hope so. It's quite scarce to find a pair.- Yes.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49They often come up singly. Well, not even that often,
0:55:49 > 0:55:50- but you see them singly.- Good luck.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- This is exciting, isn't it?- It is. - This should be our star lot.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55This is the big one we've been waiting for!
0:55:55 > 0:55:57It's going under the hammer right now.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00Suffragette peppers.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04They're the right date. I am bid £700 for them.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07720 I have. 750 is bid for it.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10780? £800?
0:56:10 > 0:56:13820, we've got. 820.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16850? 880?
0:56:16 > 0:56:19900, we've got. At £900.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21920? 950, is it?
0:56:21 > 0:56:25980? At 980, they're going to be sold.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27At 980, then, they're going to be sold.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31They go down at £980.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33- Oh!- Oh! It wasn't bad, was it? - But I tell you what,
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- it's better than 150, isn't it?- It is. It is.
0:56:36 > 0:56:38- HE LAUGHS - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41- They were rare.- They were. It would have been nice to see the 1,000,
0:56:41 > 0:56:43- but that's not a bad price, is it? - No.- That's pretty good.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45- That's not a bad price.- It's fine.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47- Thank you so much for bringing them in.- Oh, you're welcome.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53Well, there you are. That's it. It's all over for our owners.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55We've had a marvellous time here.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58And if you'd like to join the show, we'd love to see you.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01Check out our up-and-coming dates and venues on our BBC website
0:57:01 > 0:57:03or our Facebook page, or check the details in your local press.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Come on, dust them down, bring them in,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07we'll flog them in another auction room.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10But until then, it's goodbye from Hertfordshire.