0:00:05 > 0:00:07Today, we're in the seaside town of Morecambe.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10It's bright and breezy and very cold - not the ideal weather
0:00:10 > 0:00:13to get the bucket and spade out, but that doesn't bother us.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Welcome to "Flog It!"!
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Morecambe Bay, it's a vast area of stunning views.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42It's this natural beauty that attracted the first tourists
0:00:42 > 0:00:46in the 1850s, when the railways arrived and our venue, the Platform,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48was part of that holiday boom.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Built in 1907, it started life as a railway station,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55when millions of people came to Morecambe for their holidays.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59These days, the station has become an elegant venue for shows
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and events like our "Flog It!" valuation day.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Our crowd's already starting to gather and somewhere in all of these
0:01:06 > 0:01:09bags and boxes, there's some real treasure for our experts to find.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12The lucky ones will be going off to auction and going home with a small fortune.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Who's it going to be?
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Well, stay tuned and you'll find out.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18It could be you, you, you or you.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21And to help us find those antiques to flog are our dogged experts,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Catherine Southon...
0:01:23 > 0:01:25- Are you selling her?- No.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I don't blame you. I don't blame you.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30..and Charles Hanson.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I'm going to give you one of my green stickers,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and say I would like to identify these later.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Inside, our dedicated team of cameramen, researchers, stewards,
0:01:39 > 0:01:40are doing their final check,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43making sure everything is where it needs to be,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and that we have a great valuation day.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47There's not a minute to spare.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49- Are you ready to go in? ALL:- Yes!
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Come on, then, let's get on with it!
0:01:53 > 0:01:55While everyone gets seated and comfortable,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58let's see what's coming up later on in the programme.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Charles shares one of his top tips for buying antiques.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I think it's always right place, right time.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Well, yes. Yes.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Catherine's find brings plenty of smiles at the auction.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11That's cheered you up, hasn't it?
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- Oh, yes.- Brilliant. - I'll come and see you again.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17You should have bought more of them at the time.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And I discover the rags to riches story of Eric Morecambe,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22the town's most famous son.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24- HORN TOOTS - Look at that, eh. Remember that?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Oh, do I remember? We used to use that in the act.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28- Of course we did. - Come on, do the gag.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30- What's the difference between... - SINGLE TOOT
0:02:30 > 0:02:31- And...? - DOUBLE TOOT
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- I don't know, what is the difference? - SINGLE TOOT
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Well, as you can see, everybody is now safely seated inside,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42so it's time to get on with our first valuation
0:02:42 > 0:02:44and it's over to Catherine Southon.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Jenny, it's lovely to see you here on "Flog It!", thank you very much
0:02:47 > 0:02:50for coming along and thank you for bringing along your collection
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- of World War I postcards.- Yes.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57So, first of all, we've got some nice little embroidered postcards
0:02:57 > 0:03:01and these are the sort of things that soldiers would have sent back
0:03:01 > 0:03:03to their sweethearts.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04- Yes.- But who did these come from?
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Have these come through the family to you?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09No, they haven't. When I got married in 1971,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12I came up from Oxford and went into an unfurnished flat
0:03:12 > 0:03:14on Morecambe promenade, this is 1971.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17The estate agent said, "If there's any stuff you don't want,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21"clear it out", but these two volumes I didn't have the heart to,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26because it was obviously a love story between Gordon Atkinson
0:03:26 > 0:03:28to a Miss Gladys Barker.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31So, these two albums, am I right in saying, that they were just left
0:03:31 > 0:03:33in this house that you moved into?
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- Yeah, just left.- I mean, you've got a huge collection here.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- Yes, all from him.- All from him? - Yeah, yeah.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- But we know nothing about him?- No.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So, is he writing these postcards throughout the First World War?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Is it just for a year or so?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50No, this goes from 1915 right through to 1919, after the war.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51- After the war. - So he stayed in France.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55So we have no idea whether he ended up with Gladys?
0:03:55 > 0:03:56No, I'd like to think he did.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57I'd like to think he did.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00My goodness me. Let's have a little flick through.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I'm amazed that each one is written on.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Turn up any, it'll say, "Fondest love, Gordon."
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Wouldn't it have been lovely to know what happened to them?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I'd like to have known what he looked like, to be honest. Or her.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11Yes, but we shall never know.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15But it wasn't just these postcards that were sent,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17it was these as well.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19We've got some which had sort of humorous scenes.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Yes, a classic, English, ironic humour.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25It sounds to me, Jenny, like you've had a couple of really good evenings
0:04:25 > 0:04:28sitting in front of the fire and going through the whole lot
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- and having a really good read. - Yes, yes.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35And I'm so pleased that someone who hasn't been connected with these,
0:04:35 > 0:04:36yet, you have kept them.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38This one is quite interesting.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42A photograph here, well, a postcard, really, of all these soldiers,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and it says there on the back, "A few of our fellows."
0:04:45 > 0:04:48And that's dated 1917.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Yes.- I've only known of these for five minutes and
0:04:51 > 0:04:53I feel quite attached to them. I mean, you've had them even longer
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- but you are happy to get rid of them now? - Yeah. I think they can go now.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Well, I think it would be nice to put an estimate on of, sort of,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02- £60 to £100.- Really?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- £50 reserve.- Yes.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09I hope that there's a couple of old romantics at the auction
0:05:09 > 0:05:12who feel the same way as us and that they make good money.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15- Thank you so much. Thank you, Jenny.- OK, thanks.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20Time now for Charles to catch up with Len, who he met earlier.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Now, you've brought along two walking sticks.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- I have, yes.- Are you a collector?
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Well, just starting, sort of thing.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Where do you find your walking canes? Do you go to antique fairs?
0:05:29 > 0:05:30Auction houses?
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- Car boots.- Car boots?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Car boots, charity shops.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I don't go to pay top dollar for them.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38These weren't from charity or car boots, were they?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40They were from charity shops.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41- They weren't?!- They were, yes.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43May I have a look at one?
0:05:43 > 0:05:44- Yes.- What's this made of, Len?
0:05:44 > 0:05:45I'm not quite sure about that.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- Malacca.- Malacca.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Malacca, malacca.- Malacca, malacca. - And it's a cracker.- Yeah.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Where does malacca come from?
0:05:51 > 0:05:52- The Orient?- Sumatra.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57- Yeah.- And they've been making canes from malacca for over 300 years.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02We then look at this handle to the cane and what's really lovely is,
0:06:02 > 0:06:07first of all, we've got these quite obvious Japanese or Chinese figures,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- which are repousse - or embossed - in relief.- Yes, yeah.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14And here we've got this Japanese elder with what appears
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- to be Japanese script as well. - Yeah, yeah.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21And what's lovely is a very indistinct monogram.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And I think it reads HRT.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And that would have been the owner's initials, and that Gothic type
0:06:27 > 0:06:33- of script would date this to around 1885.- Yeah.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34OK. Shall we do a swap?
0:06:34 > 0:06:35We can, yes.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39This one also is beautifully made in what appears to be
0:06:39 > 0:06:43blackthorn of some type, an oriental hardwood, very dense.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And what I like so much is that wonderful colour,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51which has been built up over the oily retreat of sweat
0:06:51 > 0:06:54that's created that wonderful colour, and I love that collar,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56there, as well. Not silver, but that...
0:06:56 > 0:06:57It's got a nice finish to it.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01That serpent just gives it that exotic feel and that would certainly
0:07:01 > 0:07:04indicate to me a date of around 1885.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- Were they expensive when you bought them?- No, no.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08So, how much was this one?
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Oh...2.50, that one.
0:07:10 > 0:07:11- £2.50?- £2.50.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- You're joking?- Yeah.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15It's amazing, and this one must have been more.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16No. £2.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I like your style. I think it's always, right place, right time.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Well, yes. Yeah, yeah.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I wouldn't dream of paying £100 or anything like that..
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Amazing. I admire you.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- What are they worth? - I don't know. Tell me.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Well, I would say your £4.50,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34you could multiply it by 20.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35- And a bit more.- Ah!
0:07:35 > 0:07:39And I'd be very happy to put these into an auction
0:07:39 > 0:07:43with a guide price of £100 to £150.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45That sounds good to me.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Are you happy?- Yeah.- I bet you are. No, well done, you.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50And I would probably put a reserve on, at the bottom estimate,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54at £100 and, hopefully, they might just walk away.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I should have brought more. I've got more at home.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Have you really?- Yeah. - I can't believe it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It sounds like Len could have an auction all to himself.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Meanwhile, has Catherine found a collection with Eastern promise?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Richard, Gail,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12this is a very colourful collection of accessories that you have brought
0:08:12 > 0:08:15to "Flog It!" today. Where did you get them from?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Well, I inherited them from my father and aunt,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22both of whom were the children of missionaries in China
0:08:22 > 0:08:25at the turn of the century, through to the 1930s.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28And this has all been, then, handed down to you?
0:08:28 > 0:08:29It has, yes.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31And where do you think they got all these from?
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Do you think they got them from the locals?
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Yes, almost certainly they were given by the locals,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37who didn't have two pennies to rub together.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40So, these were love gifts to them.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You've got some really lovely Chinese accessories.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46The first thing one may think when you see shoes like this, indeed,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49is that they were used for children - but they weren't.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52They were more for adults and their feet would have been bound...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Yes, to restrain them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- ..as young children, to get into... - To get into those.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57..something like that.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00So, these shoes have all been... They came back, when, in the '30s?
0:09:00 > 0:09:04They came back in the '30s from China with a box full of things like this.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06And this has just been sat in the same box...
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- I mean, have you looked through it as the years have gone by?- Yes.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Yes, we've had Chinese folk look at it and, of course,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14it comes from their history, so they've been very interested.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Very interesting to see.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- And you've got a spectacle case here as well.- Yeah.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- What's your favourite piece? - I love the waistcoat.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- And you, Richard?- And mine as well, for sentimental reasons.- Yes, yeah.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Well, I think, looking through it, one of my favourite pieces
0:09:27 > 0:09:28are these little shoes.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- I think they're wonderful.- Yes.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33I'm especially interested in these because of the little
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- cat motifs at the front.- They are lovely, aren't they?- Yes.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Now, do you know why cat motif?
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- No, we don't.- No.- Well, the cat is known in Chinese culture
0:09:41 > 0:09:45to bring good fortune, so perhaps that's why you would have the cat
0:09:45 > 0:09:47on the front of the shoes,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51but I just think it gives them such great character, I really do.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Well, I think, overall, this is a really interesting collection.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I think a lot of Chinese buyers would be interested in it.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Now, it's something that you want to sell?
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- It's been in your family a long time.- Mm-hm.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04It has, but I'm not sure the next generation,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08who live in a different world now, would be interested in having it.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- Right.- We feel that some people will be interested enough
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- to want to buy them.- Absolutely.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I think, let's put it together as a nice little collection,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17a nice group, selling it all together.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I wouldn't put a particularly high estimate on first of all,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22but I would put say 80 to 120
0:10:22 > 0:10:25as a nice sort of come-and-get-me estimate.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- Right.- I suggest that we do protect these
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- with a reserve of £70 at least.- Yes.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I think let's put 80 to 120, 70 reserve on,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- and I think we could well be surprised.- I'd be happy with that.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Thank you very much indeed for bringing them along and thank you
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- for sharing your family history. - Thank you, Catherine.- Thank you.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44What a find!
0:10:44 > 0:10:48You know, it never fails to amaze me what turns up.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Next up, it's Charles, who's being served up an unusual little dish.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- How are you, Steven? - Fine, thank you.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I feel like your lobster, giving it all that.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- Mm.- Quite literally.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Tell me about this great object.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05I bought it on a car-boot sale, it was either '89, or '90
0:11:05 > 0:11:06and I paid £20 for it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10- 1989?- 1989 or 1990.- Or 1990.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I gave £20 for that.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14What drew you to this object?
0:11:14 > 0:11:16- Well, I had some plates from Greece...- Yes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I saw this and I thought, "That's going to look nice above the cooker.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Yes. What I love about this is its three-dimensional form.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23I know, yeah.
0:11:23 > 0:11:29And just by lifting it up we can see how realistic that lobster is.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31What's it made of?
0:11:31 > 0:11:32Porcelain, I think.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33It's pottery.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- And, in fact, it's a lead glaze earthenware.- Oh, right.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40OK. And I dream that one day I would find an original
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- of these.- Oh, right.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46If this was original and dated to the 1550s...
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- A very important man called...- 1550?
0:11:48 > 0:11:50If only.
0:11:50 > 0:11:51Hold that thought.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- Bernard Pallisy was a very important man...- Mmm.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57..who was born circa 1510,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00who died in the late 16th century.
0:12:00 > 0:12:06And he evolved this style of decoration on pottery in mainland
0:12:06 > 0:12:09France in the mid-16th century.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14If this was a genuine article, and was by the Pallisy School
0:12:14 > 0:12:16of the mid-16th century,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20it would be worth between 50 and £70,000.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Look at me.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24If only. If only.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30And our great Victorian friends revived the great Renaissance
0:12:30 > 0:12:32in the late 19th century.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35So I would date this marvellous lead glazed earthenware
0:12:35 > 0:12:38to around 1890.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41So when you bought it back in '89, was 100 years old.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Does that surprise you?- Yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47So when I turn it over, what we can see on the back
0:12:47 > 0:12:50is the fact it has been pierced for hanging.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54And with this old wire we can see, you have quite rightly
0:12:54 > 0:12:56had it on your wall,
0:12:56 > 0:12:58in your kitchen for display
0:12:58 > 0:13:01but there are no markings whatsoever.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05We have got a very continental underside with this spun glaze.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- Yeah.- And that's a real Portuguese code
0:13:09 > 0:13:12to the fact it is continental.
0:13:12 > 0:13:18And I'm 90% sure this is Portuguese from around 1890
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- with this majolica ground.- Yeah. - Fashion, though.
0:13:20 > 0:13:25Now Victoriana is slightly out, the dust-gatherers are not so in.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28We like the more minimal but to some collectors
0:13:28 > 0:13:31it really is a joy. What's it worth?
0:13:31 > 0:13:33Well, I was thinking £150.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Look at me. How much?
0:13:35 > 0:13:37- £150, I was thinking. - I like your style.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I like your style.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44I mean, some Americans were quoting 499.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46You are quite right.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51And one thing I will mention - it is the Americans who do like
0:13:51 > 0:13:54this very outrageous design.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I would like to guide it at between 50 and £80.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- Yeah.- It might make 100.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05And I propose we put a reserve on at £40.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10And I feel that is going to engage the buyer to really compete
0:14:10 > 0:14:13for this object which, for its age, although not original,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16is in mighty fine condition.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Let's hope there's some Americans at the auction.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21The Americans are there, exactly. Thanks a lot, Steven.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25That plate feels quite at home here in seaside Morecambe.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26While everyone is busy here,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I'm off to do something completely different.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Canals, mills and weaving,
0:14:43 > 0:14:47these have been part and parcel of Lancashire life for hundreds of years.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49In fact, the first mill for cleaning
0:14:49 > 0:14:52wool was built around here in the 13th century.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55At that time weaving was carried out by farmers
0:14:55 > 0:14:58to earn a little bit of extra cash.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Other people did it at home to make extra clothes when they needed them
0:15:01 > 0:15:04but it wasn't until the 17th century
0:15:04 > 0:15:07that people started to weave as a full-time job.
0:15:07 > 0:15:08By the early 18th century,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Burnley was an industrial town with a thriving wool trade.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17But it was still done at home, and usually involving the entire family.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19However, when cotton and mechanisation arrived,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23it brought about the end of the domestic weaving system.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Machines like the spinning Jenny, Arkwright's mule
0:15:26 > 0:15:28and of course the steam engine
0:15:28 > 0:15:31heralded the birth of the factory system.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Very quickly, Burnley and Lancashire as a whole
0:15:37 > 0:15:40became the weaving capital of the world.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47By 1914, over 8 million yards of cotton
0:15:47 > 0:15:49were made each year in Lancashire.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52That's 65% of the world's cotton,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56processed here in the region and then shipped back out again.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And it was by far Britain's biggest export,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02and in every sense of the word, part of our national fabric.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10At one time, this square mile of Burnley had hundreds of mills
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and over 100,000 looms.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15The population of the town was only 70,000.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17There was a lot of weaving going on.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19As the 20th century moved on,
0:16:19 > 0:16:24other countries like India, China and the USA started to catch up,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27using new machinery to make cheaper cloth.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Britain failed to keep up,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32and the industry went into an almost terminal decline.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Sadly, there are very few working mills left today in Lancashire.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42But in Burnley, there is one mill that's still weaving.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46John Spencer's, based in the same building for over 150 years,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49has been family run since the 1860s.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- David, hello. - Hello, nice to see you.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57David is the sixth generation of his family running the mill,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00but their start in weaving was far more humble.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03My family are like many families,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06where we'd have been weaving in cottages out in the country.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10And in the 1860s, when the Industrial Revolution started,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12they would have just rented half a dozen looms,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15then as the business grew, they'd take on more looms and
0:17:15 > 0:17:17eventually would have enough looms to build their own weaving shed.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20- So, basically, started with nothing. - Started with nothing.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22It's a good success story, isn't it?
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It's been very difficult over the 30 years that I've been here
0:17:25 > 0:17:28to see the mills around closing, and it's been really quite distressing
0:17:28 > 0:17:31to see what's happened to what was once a great textile town.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Yeah, and I've been in many traditional mills
0:17:34 > 0:17:37that aren't working now, but I've not seen a contemporary one working.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41- Can we go and have a look around? - Yeah, come and have a look.- Thanks.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Well, it looks familiar.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Lots of thread, lots of bobbing, very futuristic.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00But what's going on here?
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Well, here, we're making a warp, which is the threads
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- that run down the length of the fabric.- Yeah.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07So that's the first job that we have to make.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11- A typical cloth might have 4,000 or 5,000 threads in the warp.- Gosh!
0:18:11 > 0:18:14And we've got to take 4,000 or 5,000 threads off individual combs
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- that you can see here...- Yeah.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19..and then run them all together, get the pattern right
0:18:19 > 0:18:22so that all the stripes are in the right place,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and then we run those onto our warping machine here.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27This is mesmerising.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30I mean, it really is so clever.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32But I guess it hasn't really changed, has it?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35No. The principles have been the same ever since somebody put
0:18:35 > 0:18:39two sticks between a tree and started to put threads backwards and forwards.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43For me, that's the beauty of weaving -
0:18:43 > 0:18:45it's a relatively simple process.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47All of these long threads, called the warp,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51are put on a huge roller, ready to be woven.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53And this is where the magic happens.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56On the loom, another thread is passed to and fro,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58creating a weave, and the cloth is made.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05Before the 18th century, this was all done laboriously by hand.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Now, a key part of weaving during the Industrial Revolution was this -
0:19:09 > 0:19:11the flying shuttle.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Patented by John Kay in 1733,
0:19:14 > 0:19:19this enabled the weaver to work a lot faster as that shot across.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21He could earn a lot more money.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24But even this is now obsolete today.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27That thread, that weft thread, is sent backwards and forwards
0:19:27 > 0:19:30by virtue of two gripping arms, like a crocodile
0:19:30 > 0:19:33which catches the thread and moves it backwards and forwards.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37It is so clever and so quick, just watch it go.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42These looms are great for making plain cloth
0:19:42 > 0:19:44or fairly simple patterns.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46When it comes to weaving more intricate patterns,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48then David has to use a more complicated machine.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56This is it.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00The Jacquard loom, created in 1801 in France by Joseph Marie Jacquard.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03This is an intricate piece of kit.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09On this machine, we can control every single thread
0:20:09 > 0:20:12across the whole width of the fabric.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15The Jacquard machine can lift and drop every thread at will,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17so that we can create a picture.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20This is a little bit of fun that we were having for you, today.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I see that!
0:20:23 > 0:20:27The Jacquard machine works on the same principle as the pianola,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30using predesigned punchcards that a needle can drop through,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32creating a pattern.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Some of the technology it uses is considered to be
0:20:35 > 0:20:39a precursor to the earliest computers.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Weaving is one of mankind's earliest craft skills.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47Woven fabric has been found that dates as far back as 9,000 years.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49It's an integral part of our lives.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52We all wear clothes that have been woven.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Now, as fast and amazing as these machines are,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59weaving hasn't really changed that much.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03It's still one thread passed over or under another thread.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It's a timeless skill, it really is.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It's a technique that just has not changed.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And there's something very reassuring about that.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Well, there you are. We're having a fabulous time here in Morecambe,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26but right now, we've got some business to do in the saleroom.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27Here's a quick recap of all the items
0:21:27 > 0:21:30that are going under the hammer.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Will those albums from the bottom of the basement
0:21:33 > 0:21:35get top price in the saleroom?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Let's hope the two walking canes from the boot sale
0:21:40 > 0:21:41run at the auction.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45And those Chinese shoes may be small,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47but we'd love them to be a big hit.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And Steven's seafood plate is a great catch for us,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and is bound to hook the buyers in at auction.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02We're heading east but only to the other side of Lancashire for our
0:22:02 > 0:22:04auction, in the town of Clitheroe.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Our lots will be going under the hammer at Silverwoods,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09where Wilf Mould is in charge.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11The saleroom is filling up.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I'm going to catch up with our owners. Any minute now,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15the auctioneer's going to be on the rostrum.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Let's get on with our first lot.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19There's always commission to pay in an auction room,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22so factor that in if you're buying or selling.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23Going under the hammer right now,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26we've got two fabulous postcard albums belonging to Jenny,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29and we normally have good surprises with these.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- But I like the story that you found them in a dry cellar.- Yes.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35Did you want to do any detective work and try and trace families?
0:22:35 > 0:22:39It's typical, it's something you think to do tomorrow...
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- You know, tomorrow and tomorrow... - And put it off and you never do.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44..and put it off. And then, at the end of the day, I thought,
0:22:44 > 0:22:45"Someone will be collecting these."
0:22:45 > 0:22:47I think they're going to sell at £60-odd.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- There's a reserve of 50, isn't there?- There is.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51They're going to sell. Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53It's going under the hammer now.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57This album of 292 postcards
0:22:57 > 0:23:02and then you've got an album of 180 souvenir postcards.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07And we'll start these again on interest at £38.
0:23:07 > 0:23:0838, looking for 40.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I have 38, 40.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Two, five, eight, 50.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Five, 60. Five, £70.
0:23:15 > 0:23:1975. 80, five, 90.
0:23:19 > 0:23:2195, 100.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23And ten. 120.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24130.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26At £120 on the front.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27130. 140.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- Oh, my goodness me! - 140 now, if you like.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I have 130 bid on screen.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32140 is bid.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34150 now. 160, if you like.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36At 150 then.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37Are you all quite sure?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39At £150.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41It's going at 150...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- Well done. 150, I think that's the right value.- I'm surprised!
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- That's the right value. - That's fantastic.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There's local history there. There's so much history in those albums.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51That's a great start to our auction.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Hopefully, that bodes well for our next item.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Going under the hammer right now,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59we have that classic Palissy majolica plate.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I mean, it is lovely, isn't it?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- But they do collect a lot of dust when they're on the wall.- Oh, yes.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Did you have to dust this one a lot?
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- Never.- Never?- I never touched it, just stuck it on a wall!
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- So why are we selling today? - Because I've changed kitchen.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12OK, so it doesn't suit a contemporary style.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15It doesn't suit my kitchen at all. I've gone very modern.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17What they say with these plates is, the more of the creepy crawlies,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19the better, the higher the value.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Because obviously, the work's gone into it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23But also, all the creepy crawlies are in good condition,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26there's no knocks or nibbles, so hopefully we'll have a good sale.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Fingers crossed. It's not a lot of money for such a lot of work,
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and it's going under the hammer right now.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36We come now to this majolica Palissy-style wall plaque,
0:24:36 > 0:24:37nice thing again, is this.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41And I shall start this one immediately at £28.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42- 28.- Oh, come on.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It went really quiet, like...
0:24:44 > 0:24:4630. 32.
0:24:46 > 0:24:4835. 38.
0:24:48 > 0:24:5040. £40. 40 and two, now.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53At 40 in the room, looking for 42.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55At £40, come on, they don't crop up that often.
0:24:55 > 0:24:5742 there. 42. 45.
0:24:57 > 0:25:0048. At 48 from the lady at the back.
0:25:00 > 0:25:0248. 50 now.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- £50. 55. 55.- Yes!
0:25:04 > 0:25:0860 again... 55 at the back of the room, there.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09All done at £55, no more?
0:25:09 > 0:25:11All done at 55.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14And it's gone down. £55, that's a good result.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- £20, you paid for that, didn't you?- £20, yeah.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- 25 years ago, that's a lot of money, actually.- It was.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22And the good thing is, it's been on the wall out of harm's way,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- and that's the best thing for those little plates, isn't it?- Exactly.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- Thank you for coming in. - OK.- Good job.- Cheers.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It just goes to show, it's worth looking after things.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Can we keep up the pace with those walking sticks?
0:25:36 > 0:25:38I've just been joined by Len and in a moment, we're putting those
0:25:38 > 0:25:40two walking canes under the hammer.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Bought for a total of - Charles, do you know this...?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44- £4.50.- Yeah, £4.50.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- Could you do that?- No way.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Do you do a lot of this, sort of buying and selling?
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Well, I look around shops and see what's going in car boots, yeah.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- And you're always learning and that's the main thing.- Oh, yes, yes.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57- We find that, don't we?- Absolutely.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Len's got very discerning eyes so we've gone in quite strong
0:25:59 > 0:26:02with the reserves. I'm hoping we can just hit the 100.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Look, let's find out what the bidders think,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06because I think you're on the money here, I really do.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Good luck, this is it.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10You've got the two items in this lot.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13You've got a very nice root stock walking cane
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and you've got the Chinese malacca walking cane
0:26:15 > 0:26:17with a white metal, decorative pommel.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And again, interest on the pad.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21I shall start these at £65.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24- Come on.- 65, 70.
0:26:24 > 0:26:25- Five, 80.- Here we go.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Five, 90. Five, 100.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- They're walking out. - 100 is bid in the room.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31110 from anybody else?
0:26:31 > 0:26:34I have £100, two good sticks here.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36110, 120.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37130.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39At £120, then...
0:26:39 > 0:26:41All finished at 120.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43£120. Well done, Len!
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Will you reinvest that in some boot fairs
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and some antique markets and some antiques shops?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- I don't think so.- Probably go towards a holiday.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Oh, good. OK. Well, all right. Look after yourself, then.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Yeah, thank you very much.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57No doubt, you'll be back out at the car boots.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Oh, definitely, yeah.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00When the weather picks up.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04A spot-on valuation by our expert.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Let's hope we have a good result with that Chinese collection.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Richard and Gail, it's great to see you again.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Fingers crossed, OK? It's a mixed lot, this one.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15It really is. I mean, you've got something for everybody,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Chinese collectors, cos we've got spectacle cases, we've got little watches, as well...
0:27:19 > 0:27:23- Shoes.- But everything's Chinese, and we've got a really nice selection, so...
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Yeah, and I'm pleased you didn't decide to split them up,
0:27:25 > 0:27:30- and I think the auction room's agreed with you, because otherwise they would've done it anyway.- Yes.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32And we're looking at 80 to £120.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- Good luck, both of you. - Thank you.- Thank you. - Going under the hammer now.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39This collection of Chinese curios,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43which are mainly silk embroidered shoes for bound feet.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Nice little mixed lot for you there.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50And we shall start this straight on at £48.
0:27:50 > 0:27:5248, 48 and 50 now.
0:27:52 > 0:27:5350 is online.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- Halfway.- 55, 60 now. 65.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Looking for 70.
0:27:58 > 0:27:59£70 is on the screen.
0:27:59 > 0:28:0175 now. 80 is bid now.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03£80 - and five from anywhere else?
0:28:03 > 0:28:0685. 90, all online at the moment.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- £90...- That's what we need.
0:28:09 > 0:28:1195. I'll take 100.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- And 100 is bid. 100...- Good. - 110 now.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15110, 120.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17130. 130.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19- Ooh, it's going up!- 130, 140 now.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21140. Anybody else?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24- 150...- Internet's in on it.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25- Brilliant.- That's good.- 160.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27I'll take 170. At £160...
0:28:27 > 0:28:31- It's a steady climb, but it's going in the right direction.- It is...
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Anybody in the room? All done at 160. Online, then.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35At 160...
0:28:36 > 0:28:38Fabulous. Fabulous.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Well over the top there. Well done, Catherine.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42That's a hard one to put a value on.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43- It was a hard one. - Yes, cos it's such a...
0:28:43 > 0:28:46- Yeah.- But I'm pleased for you. I think that was a good result.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49- Yes.- And thank you for bringing such gems in, as well.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- OK.- Yeah, they really were good.- Mm.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54All done at 170.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Well, there you are.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59That's our first four items under the hammer, done and dusted.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02We're coming back here later on in the show, so do not go away.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Before we return to the valuation day to find some more treasures,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I want to find out more about one of Britain's biggest comedians,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11who was a Morecambe boy in every sense of the word.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19This modest house in Morecambe
0:29:19 > 0:29:23was the birthplace of John Eric Bartholomew. He was born in 1926
0:29:23 > 0:29:28and he went on to form the greatest comedy duo on British television.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31He was also regarded as the funniest Brit of the 20th century.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35You may know him better by his stage name, Eric Morecambe.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37He took his surname from his beloved hometown
0:29:37 > 0:29:41and he went on to become the funny bloke of Morecambe and Wise.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43How you teamed up first, whose idea was it?
0:29:43 > 0:29:45- Shall I answer that?- Please do.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- His mother, actually.- Yes.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50- His mother? - His mother, Eric's mother. - Could take a long time, this.- Yes.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52LAUGHTER
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Tell him the story. And let me interrupt and get a few laughs.
0:29:55 > 0:29:56LAUGHTER
0:29:58 > 0:29:59Like so many people,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I grew up laughing at the antics of Eric Morecambe.
0:30:02 > 0:30:03The Morecambe and Wise Show
0:30:03 > 0:30:07became one of the most watched programmes on British television.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10But how did the boy from such humble beginnings in Morecambe
0:30:10 > 0:30:14go on to be one of the biggest names in comedy?
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Morecambe was a thriving resort,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18attracting millions of holiday-makers,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21who flocked to the theatres dotted around the town,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23the largest of which was the Winter Gardens.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26It was the ideal place for Eric's talent to be spotted
0:30:26 > 0:30:28at a very early age.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Eric's eldest son Gary
0:30:30 > 0:30:33has documented his father with several books
0:30:33 > 0:30:35dedicated to his life and career,
0:30:35 > 0:30:40including how Eric's mother played a pivotal role in shaping his future.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43She'd seen her husband work for the council all his life
0:30:43 > 0:30:46and it was literally down the mines, or digging roads,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49and she wanted more than just that for her son.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53And noticing that he had some kind of talent, it was worth pushing.
0:30:53 > 0:30:54That's how she felt.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56And that began with talent competitions, locally,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58and he went from there.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04By the time he was 13,
0:31:04 > 0:31:07Eric was regularly performing in theatres around Morecambe,
0:31:07 > 0:31:12like this one. In fact, he performed on this stage many times.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16He won so many times that he actually was barred from taking part
0:31:16 > 0:31:20for a short while to give the holiday-makers a chance of winning.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24His natural comic genius soon caught the eye of scouts and agents
0:31:24 > 0:31:26and he was booked on a big show to tour the country,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30and that's where he met, in 1940, Ernest Wiseman,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34who we know as Ernie Wise, another comic genius,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36a child prodigy.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Both men were conscripted into military service
0:31:39 > 0:31:40during World War II,
0:31:40 > 0:31:42but joined forces soon after
0:31:42 > 0:31:44and started performing as a double act,
0:31:44 > 0:31:48touring the country and becoming known as Morecambe and Wise.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Thank you, thank you. Who's come on?
0:31:51 > 0:31:53- Oh, it's us. - LAUGHTER
0:31:53 > 0:31:55- Good evening. - All right, darling? Working?
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Oh, you're up there, are you?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59Oh, where have I gone? That's the wife.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Eric and Ernie weren't just talented comedians,
0:32:03 > 0:32:06they were bright young men with vision, and forward-thinking.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09They realised variety theatre was on its way out
0:32:09 > 0:32:11and television was the future,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13and that's where they wanted to be.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18Eventually, in 1954, they got their big break -
0:32:18 > 0:32:22their very own TV series, Running Wild, on the BBC.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26Sadly, it was broadcast live, so no footage survives.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Unfortunately, it didn't go down very well.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33I remember all the write-ups, all of them...
0:32:33 > 0:32:34Psychologically damaged...
0:32:34 > 0:32:37"How dare they put such mediocre talent on television?"
0:32:37 > 0:32:40First man, "Is that a television in the corner?"
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Second man, "No, that's the box
0:32:41 > 0:32:43"they buried Morecambe and Wise in last night."
0:32:43 > 0:32:46- Did you feel very depressed afterwards?- Oh, yes.- What happened?
0:32:46 > 0:32:48We said, "That's it, we're not going on television again."
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Our career, we said, is in ruins. We didn't even have a career then.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54But they weren't deterred.
0:32:54 > 0:32:55They went back to the stage
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and carried on doing what they knew best,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01biding their time, honing their skills, refining their act,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04and rebuilding their reputation.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Within weeks, they were billed to appear at Manchester,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09and they went down a storm there,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12and that sort of gave them their confidence back.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15And they realised for the very first time
0:33:15 > 0:33:17that TV always plays into your favour.
0:33:17 > 0:33:18You can't go wrong with TV.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Because they were billed as these great comics of television,
0:33:22 > 0:33:24type of thing. So it was wonderful, yeah.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26The hard work and talent shone through.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Eventually, they got another shot at television, and this time,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32they grabbed hold of it and didn't let go.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35From then on, Eric and Ernie really took off.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37And with success and fame came wealth,
0:33:37 > 0:33:40and Eric splashed out on the car he always dreamed of, a Rolls-Royce,
0:33:40 > 0:33:44and this is the model, a 1971 Silver Shadow.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Mike, pleased to meet you. You were his chauffeur.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- I certainly was.- Mike drove Eric around in this very car,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52still in pristine condition today.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55So, how did you get to be Eric's chauffeur?
0:33:55 > 0:33:58I got to be Eric's chauffeur when he was at the BBC,
0:33:58 > 0:34:00and when the contract was finished,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Eric came to me and asked me to be his full-time chauffeur.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06- And you just jumped at the chance? - Almost, yes.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09After about two or three seconds, I said, "Yes, please."
0:34:09 > 0:34:11And then I was Eric Morecambe's chauffeur.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12- Can we go for a spin?- Of course.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15- Along the seafront? Come on, then. - Yeah, yeah.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18- Let me do it, sir.- Oh, thank you very much.- There we are.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Oh, it smells good, doesn't it?
0:34:21 > 0:34:24- Oh, the leather.- You can smell... still smell the leather.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Ah!
0:34:26 > 0:34:27Ah, this is fantastic.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35What does it feel like, driving the car now? I know Eric's not here,
0:34:35 > 0:34:37but do you sometimes think Eric's in the back still,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39whenever you're in this car?
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Yeah. When you drive it, all those memories come back from years ago.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Sure. Every time I saw Eric on TV, especially in interviews,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49he was really jolly and happy and he always had a smile on his face.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52But you must have known the real Eric. What was he like?
0:34:52 > 0:34:54He always worried about how it was going to come out
0:34:54 > 0:34:55when it came out on television.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59That was the first thing he asked me and asked everybody else was,
0:34:59 > 0:35:01"Is it OK? Was it better than last time?"
0:35:01 > 0:35:04And that was the pressure, really, of being on TV.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- Yeah, forever the perfectionist. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Oh, yeah, he was his own critic, as I say.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Everything had to be absolutely right.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Eric and Ernie worked incredibly hard
0:35:18 > 0:35:20to make their comedy seem effortless and natural.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24And the hard work and the stress of it all, staying at the top,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26took its toll on Eric.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31In 1968, aged just 42, he suffered his first heart attack.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34It was obviously a massive blow,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37but Eric wasn't going to let it affect him.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Eric and Ernie were now established stars on television,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43and after Eric's health was back on track,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46they recorded some of the greatest comedy ever,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51with the stars of the day queueing up to be guests on their show.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Now I'd like to introduce to you the greatest star
0:35:53 > 0:35:57we've ever had on the show. The one and only Sir Laurence...
0:35:57 > 0:35:59- He can't come. - LAUGHTER
0:36:04 > 0:36:06# Yeah, yeah, yeah... #
0:36:06 > 0:36:11I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14At the height of their success in the 1970s,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show
0:36:16 > 0:36:18was about the biggest thing on TV.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22An incredible 28 million people, including me, tuned in to watch it.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26That's about half the population of the UK.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29It was no longer a TV show, it was a cultural event
0:36:29 > 0:36:32that certainly proved the critics wrong.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36When you're getting in the 20 millions of viewers,
0:36:36 > 0:36:37you know, it's a big thing.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40People were literally defining their Christmas Day
0:36:40 > 0:36:41on the quality of the show,
0:36:41 > 0:36:45and when you do a great Christmas show, next year, what do you do?
0:36:45 > 0:36:48It has to be at least another great show, if not better.
0:36:48 > 0:36:49That was a lot of stress,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52particularly on my father, because he was the renowned funny man,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55the glue for the show, and he was carrying that burden,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and that was a real strain on his health.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01In 1979, Eric suffered another heart attack
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and needed a seven-hour bypass operation.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06- Seriously, how are you feeling? - Great.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08- What's the doctor's verdict, though, you've got to...?- Very good.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Very good. I'm not really here at the moment, I am a recording.
0:37:12 > 0:37:13LAUGHTER
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- He's going to rest. - I've got to rest.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17- For several weeks.- For a couple of weeks, is it?- Several.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20You've obviously got to take it easy for a bit, though, presumably?
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Well, if I can get a bit, I'll take it easy, yes.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- LAUGHTER - Intensive care unit, please.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27See you. Bye-bye.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Eric and Ernie continued to make their TV series
0:37:32 > 0:37:33for the next few years,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35but obviously at a much reduced rate.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Eric finally slowed down
0:37:37 > 0:37:40and took time out to write a couple of novels,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42but sadly, in 1984,
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Eric Morecambe passed away after suffering another heart attack.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48He was only 58.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54His funeral was attended by the biggest names of the day.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Ernie Wise, Eric's partner for 43 years,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00described his death as the final curtain.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04And I can remember that day well.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06It was a terrible loss to the nation.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11There was a real sombre mood in our house.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14My mum and dad were really upset. They never missed an episode.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16It was like losing a relative, really,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18because he was always on our TV sets.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22This statue of Eric was unveiled by Her Majesty The Queen
0:38:22 > 0:38:25as a mark of respect to a comic genius.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27People from all over the country come here
0:38:27 > 0:38:31to have their photograph taken with Eric in the classic pose.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34There's his binoculars, cos he was a keen twitcher,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37looking at all the birdlife out there in Morecambe Bay.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40And for me, Eric Morecambe was very much like his comedy.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43He was clean, he was innocent, he was intelligent.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45He never upset anybody.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47He just wanted to make people laugh.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Time now to get back on with our valuations at the Platform.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57There's still plenty of bags and boxes full of treasures,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01and hoping to bring some laughter and sunshine to one lucky owner
0:39:01 > 0:39:03is Catherine Southon.
0:39:03 > 0:39:04John, good to meet you.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09- Thank you.- You've brought along a rather nice diamond cluster ring.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Can you tell me a little bit about it, please?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14I got it from a shop, it was about 30 years ago.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16And I bought it for my wife.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19And was it for an important time in your marriage?
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Not really. It was close to 25 years,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25- but I was working away and she wanted a pressie...- Right.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27..so I took her out to the diamond shop.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29And this is what she chose.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32- That's correct.- Was it the biggest, shiniest ring in the shop?
0:39:32 > 0:39:34- I think it was, yes. - So, where did you meet your wife?
0:39:34 > 0:39:36- At school.- At school.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Yeah.- Gosh, so you've been together all that time?
0:39:39 > 0:39:40- Yeah.- So, 30-odd years ago,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43this is sort of early '90s, about that sort of time?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Diamond cluster rings were very fashionable.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Cluster rings today aren't so fashionable, but nevertheless,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51this is still a jolly nice example.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Do you know how many diamonds you've got there?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Not the number of, but I know I've got 2.19 total carats.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Right, OK. And do you remember what you paid for it,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- if you don't mind me asking? Back then?- £1,100.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Right, so that was a significant investment, then.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- That was a lot of money. - A lot of money, then.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Let's just have a look at this ring. I'll take it off the little cushion.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- The diamonds are still sparkling... - Yeah.- ..and still look good.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20And you've got here an 18-carat gold shank.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24Now, the price that you paid, which was over £1,000,
0:40:24 > 0:40:25you were buying retail...
0:40:25 > 0:40:29- Yes.- So you are spending, sort of quite high value, really.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32And buying from a diamond shop, so you were really paying top dollar.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35We are now talking about sending this off to auction
0:40:35 > 0:40:38and you've got to think that the price will be reflected in that.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40So you wouldn't be looking at £1,000,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42you'd be looking at lower than that.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Also, thinking about the fact that, as I said before,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48cluster rings aren't as fashionable as they once were,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52I think value on this, you're looking at about 600 to £800.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- Uh-huh.- How does that sound to you? - That's fine.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57- Are you happy to sell at 600 to 800?- Yes, that's fine.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59We can put a £600 reserve on.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01- That would be ideal. - You'd be happy with that?
0:41:01 > 0:41:04- That would be ideal, yeah. - But this has been with you,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06or with your wife, for such a long time.
0:41:06 > 0:41:07Why is it now the time to sell it?
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Well, it's time for myself...
0:41:09 > 0:41:13I've got two sons, but that's...
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It gives me a problem, maybe, what son will get the ring.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21- Right, OK.- And so on, so I'd rather move on now
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- rather than after I've passed away.- Right.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Your wife is no longer with us.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28- No, she's passed away, almost six years ago.- Right.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Right, OK. So let's try and sell this ring
0:41:31 > 0:41:35and perhaps, you know, enjoy the time with your sons, as well.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37And hope that it does very well at auction.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Thank you so much for coming along.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- Thank you. Thank you very much. - Good luck.- Cheers.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44We're still finding some great items.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48It looks like Charles has found some Eric Morecambe memorabilia.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Ann, I was hoping today
0:41:51 > 0:41:55- to come across something which would bring me sunshine...- Yes.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00And to come across this 1963 season Show Time pamphlet
0:42:00 > 0:42:03signed by the great men themselves, Morecambe and Wise.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04Tell me how you acquired it.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I was on holiday with my parents in Blackpool,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10we were staying at my auntie's, and we always went to the pier show.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13And that year, it was Morecambe and Wise.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18- How famous were they back in '63? - Not as famous as they became.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22I suppose for me, when the great Mr Morecambe died in '84,
0:42:22 > 0:42:24I was only eight.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Wow!- So I never got a chance to really see...
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- No.- ..him and his great wingman.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- How good were they? - Oh, they were brilliant.- Why?
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Because they had the ability to make you laugh
0:42:34 > 0:42:37without having to tell a joke.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39They were funny.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- It was the way...- Yes. - ..they just interacted, I suppose.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44- Yes.- So, this was Blackpool.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47What I can see straightaway is here we've got the autograph
0:42:47 > 0:42:50of Eric Morecambe just here - there he is, looking very youthful.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54- Yes.- And beside him, the great Mr Wise.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- Show Time, a show of the stars.- Yes.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59- It's just wonderful. And is it complete?- Yes.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01What do you remember about the show?
0:43:01 > 0:43:03I remember standing outside, waiting for them to come out.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07It was so thrilling that we could actually speak to them.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- A bit like yourself, you know. - Get out of here. I'm a humble man.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14And do you feel it's now time to say au revoir to this little...?
0:43:14 > 0:43:18- Yes.- Why?- Because it was in my autograph book in a dark trunk
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and I know there are collectors that will appreciate it.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24There really are. What's this autograph here?
0:43:24 > 0:43:27It's Matt Monro's. He was also on the programme.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29He was really well known.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- Was he?- He was a really well-known ballader. Yes.- Was he?- Singer, yeah.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35- And that's him here?- Yes. - Matt Monro. Wow.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38- But did Morecambe and Wise really stand out for you?- Yes.- As a talent?
0:43:38 > 0:43:40- Oh, yes.- And of course, what's lovely,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43we've also got here the running order of that programme,
0:43:43 > 0:43:45on that evening.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Oh, it's tremendous. I think it's wonderful condition.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50- Apart from the back...- Yes. - ..which obviously was stuck down.
0:43:50 > 0:43:51That will affect value somewhat.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54But the autographs, particularly, are nice and clear.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57- Yes.- And the fact that you were there on that very night...
0:43:57 > 0:43:59- Yes.- That's provenance.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04- Yes.- And pedigree is so important to say, Ann, as a 14-year-old,
0:44:04 > 0:44:07saw the hands that signed the pamphlet.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11What's it worth? Well, its auction market value today
0:44:11 > 0:44:14is between 60 and £90.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16- Goodness me.- So, it will be a real pleasure...
0:44:16 > 0:44:18- Yes.- ..to give it a send-off.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22- Yes.- And with your blessing, we can put a reserve on, maybe at £50...
0:44:22 > 0:44:24- Yes, that's fine.- If that meets your approval?- Yes.- Happy, Ann?- Yes.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28- On that note, thanks a lot. - Thank you.- Thank you. Pleasure.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30And finally, it's time now to tick off
0:44:30 > 0:44:32Catherine's last find of the day.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34Michael, welcome to "Flog It!"
0:44:34 > 0:44:36- Thank you.- And what have you brought with you today?
0:44:36 > 0:44:38What I've brought is this Rolex watch,
0:44:38 > 0:44:41which I've had since the 1950s.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43So you bought this back in the '50s.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45Where did you buy it from in the '50s?
0:44:45 > 0:44:48I bought it from a shop in Kuala Lumpur.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51And what were you doing in Kuala Lumpur, may I ask, in the '50s?
0:44:51 > 0:44:52I was in the RAF.
0:44:52 > 0:44:58And I was posted to Kuala Lumpur and I ended up being an instructor
0:44:58 > 0:45:00at Malayan Auxiliary Air Force.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03How old were you, if you don't mind me asking, in the '50s?
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Well, in 1956, I'd be 20.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08So this then was a bit of a special thing to then go out and buy.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Yes, I mean, Rolex watches have always been a status symbol.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15- Yes, absolutely. - So, erm, that's why I bought it.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17You're clutching something there. What's in the envelope, sir?
0:45:17 > 0:45:21That's the receipt from the watch dealers,
0:45:21 > 0:45:25which tells you that I paid 200 Malayan dollars.
0:45:25 > 0:45:26Do you know how much that was then?
0:45:26 > 0:45:30- About £25.- Was that a lot of money for you back then?
0:45:30 > 0:45:31It was when you were on RAF pay, yes.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33- Right.- It took a bit of saving up, yes.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36A bit of saving up. Can I hand that back to you for one second?
0:45:36 > 0:45:38- Thank you.- And what's the other piece of paper
0:45:38 > 0:45:41- that you've got there? - This is the Rolex guarantee,
0:45:41 > 0:45:43which has the number of the watch on it.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Now, that's quite crucial, to have the number on the watch
0:45:46 > 0:45:49because as soon as we see Rolex watches,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52alarm bells start ringing straightaway and we think,
0:45:52 > 0:45:53it's going to be a fake.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57But the main sort of period that they started faking Rolex watches
0:45:57 > 0:45:58was in the '70s and the '80s.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01But looking at this, and looking at it quite closely,
0:46:01 > 0:46:05I can see that there's numbers between the lugs here.
0:46:05 > 0:46:10- Yes.- And these numbers here equate to the numbers that you've got...
0:46:10 > 0:46:15- On the watch...- Written, not only on the guarantee there but also...
0:46:15 > 0:46:18- Also on the receipt.- On the receipt there, so that all does match up,
0:46:18 > 0:46:19which is a nice sign.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22The fact that you bought it in the '50s and looking at it,
0:46:22 > 0:46:25the fact that you've got the numerals here,
0:46:25 > 0:46:27and it all seems to match up, is good enough for me.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28So, why are you thinking of selling it
0:46:28 > 0:46:32because this is so important to you? It's got a lot of history behind it.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Well, yes, it has, but as I said,
0:46:34 > 0:46:37I eventually bought another watch and it hasn't worked
0:46:37 > 0:46:41since about, erm... 1965 or something like that.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44- Gosh, right, so quite a long time. - So it's 50 years since it worked.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47If you are willing to sell it, my feeling is
0:46:47 > 0:46:53put a reasonable estimate on of £200 to £300, with a £200 reserve.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57I hope it will do very well indeed because it's got Rolex on the watch,
0:46:57 > 0:47:02it's got Rolex on the guarantee, it's got Rolex on the receipt,
0:47:02 > 0:47:04and even on the envelope.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07- Yes.- So I'm thinking this will probably do well.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09We've just got to get it to work again.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11- Very good.- Michael, are you happy with that?
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Yes, I'm very happy with that.
0:47:13 > 0:47:14Well, it's been a pleasure to meet you
0:47:14 > 0:47:17and sharing your stories and let's hope we do well
0:47:17 > 0:47:19with this little gem. Thank you very much indeed.
0:47:19 > 0:47:20Thanks very much indeed.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22A "Flog It!" valuation day is a great experience,
0:47:22 > 0:47:26so why not come along and find out what your items are worth?
0:47:26 > 0:47:29It looks like an interesting collection has just parked
0:47:29 > 0:47:31on Charles's table.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34- Hello, Marlene.- Hello. - What a wonderful collection.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Yes, it's been collected for a while,
0:47:36 > 0:47:39but mainly it was my husband's collection and I just found
0:47:39 > 0:47:42a few tucked away and so I thought it would be a good opportunity.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46- You don't, Marlene, look an oily mechanic type.- No!
0:47:46 > 0:47:48- No.- But your husband was?- Yes.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50You know, anything unusual.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52- Your husband's name was?- Peter.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55Peter put a wonderful collection of car badges together.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56There's 13 here.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58At home, have you still got the fleet of classic cars?
0:47:58 > 0:48:02- Oh, no!- Look at me, Marlene, right? That's a shame.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06It's amazing how in the last 20 years the sector of interest
0:48:06 > 0:48:11in vintage, classic cars really has revved up into fifth gear.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15- Yes.- The market now for accessories of this sort of vintage,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18yesteryear car badge is now so popular.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20When was your husband collecting these?
0:48:20 > 0:48:23Well, we both collected in an old car boot
0:48:23 > 0:48:25- or an indoor thing on a Saturday. - Car boot?
0:48:25 > 0:48:27So we collected things from when the kids were little,
0:48:27 > 0:48:30- you know what I mean?- Have you a favourite here of car badge?
0:48:30 > 0:48:31I don't know if it's my favourite,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34but I'm intrigued with that one because of the crown.
0:48:34 > 0:48:35The Crown Coronet? Yes.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38Yeah, and because Peter's been out and gone...
0:48:38 > 0:48:41I think he used to sneak out to auctions when I was...
0:48:41 > 0:48:45- Did you allow him to go out? - Pardon?- Did you allow him to go?
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Oh, he would... Yeah, he'd definitely go.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51But these are wonderful. Credit to his passion for collecting.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56I think when we look at them, what I look for is colour and vigour
0:48:56 > 0:49:00of the badges which almost reflects certain decades in style.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Yeah, some of them have a nice finish with them.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06Yes, and, of course, they would shimmer on the grill of your car
0:49:06 > 0:49:09and historically they're interesting.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11We know the AA established in 1905.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15They began to issue badges in this chrome plate,
0:49:15 > 0:49:16in this metallic finish.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20Some, of course, have oxidised, corroded.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23We have some enamel losses on this one here.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26- Would that be enamel at the back of that, do you think?- No, no...
0:49:26 > 0:49:30- Oh, no, the enamel on the top, yeah. - It's what we call Champleve enamel.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34It's been filtered in, into like a pool or a reservoir
0:49:34 > 0:49:38and when it's been knocked, that pool of enamel has fallen out.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42- Oh, I see. So it makes a channel. I hadn't realised that.- Absolutely.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46But the really early ones would date to 1906.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50None of these are really pre-1906 because by 1911,
0:49:50 > 0:49:54- we had the winged car badges come in.- Yeah, on the top.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58So these are after 1911, as are these down here.
0:49:58 > 0:49:59What are they worth?
0:49:59 > 0:50:01I... I'm asking you that.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Are you feeling revved up?
0:50:03 > 0:50:04Oh, yeah, raring to go.
0:50:04 > 0:50:09Hold tight, OK, there's a bend coming up on my estimate.
0:50:09 > 0:50:10I would say we'll put a reserve on
0:50:10 > 0:50:12in case we don't get what we feel they're worth.
0:50:12 > 0:50:17They must be worth plus £10 each, times by 13 is...?
0:50:17 > 0:50:20- I'm not going there because it's 13...- Oh, sorry.
0:50:20 > 0:50:21It's 130.
0:50:21 > 0:50:28So I propose fixed reserve 120 with a guide between 120 and 150.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31- OK.- Is that steering you in the right direction?
0:50:31 > 0:50:33- Yeah. Oh, yes.- I'm sorry. Shall we go?- Yeah.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36- Hold tight.- OK.- To auction we go. Thanks, Marlene. Can't wait.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38- Thank you.- Thank you. - Thank you very much.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40That's a lovely little collection.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Well, you've just seen our experts have now found their final items
0:50:44 > 0:50:48to take off to auction, which means sadly we have to say goodbye
0:50:48 > 0:50:52from the Platform here in Morecambe. It's time to say goodbye, everybody.
0:50:52 > 0:50:53Give that camera a big wave.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57We have some unfinished business to do in the auction room.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59That's where we're going right now,
0:50:59 > 0:51:01to put those valuations to the test
0:51:01 > 0:51:05and here's a quick recap of what's going under the hammer.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07We're hoping the bidders simply fall in love
0:51:07 > 0:51:09with all the diamonds in that wonderful ring.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15Will the comedy duo of Morecambe and Wise's signatures
0:51:15 > 0:51:17raise some serious money at auction?
0:51:19 > 0:51:21We're hoping that Marlene's car badges
0:51:21 > 0:51:25are getting everyone revved up and bump up the prices in the saleroom.
0:51:25 > 0:51:28And surely the time is right to be selling that Rolex.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32Keep watching and you'll find out soon.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34Back at Silverwoods saleroom,
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Wilf Mould is in full flow on the rostrum.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39And it's show time, as Ann's musical programme
0:51:39 > 0:51:41is about to go under the hammer.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Now, since the valuation day, you've decided to cancel the £50 reserve.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48- OK.- So there's no reserve, it's going. It's definitely going.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50- Yes.- Good on you, because we wanted Morecambe and Wise memorabilia,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53we really did. It sums up the whole area, doesn't it?
0:51:53 > 0:51:56- Yes.- And you were 14 years old when you met them.- Yes.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59Well, look, fingers crossed, these go to a good home
0:51:59 > 0:52:01and they're going under the hammer right now.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05We have the North Pier Pavilion programme, signed, more importantly,
0:52:05 > 0:52:07by Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10Now, who will start me at £80 for this one?
0:52:10 > 0:52:13- 80 from any of you?- Come on. - 50, then. 30, if you like.
0:52:13 > 0:52:15- Come on.- At £20.
0:52:15 > 0:52:1722, anybody else?
0:52:17 > 0:52:19With the two autographs on it.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22At 22 and 25 from anybody else then?
0:52:22 > 0:52:23- Come on.- At 22 and 25.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25It's got that local pedigree.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27£22 now, I'm going to sell.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31- It's gone.- Make no mistake at £22...
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Well done for reducing the reserve.
0:52:33 > 0:52:34- Yes.- That means we got it away.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36Quite right. It is the right place, Paul, to sell it.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38- It definitely is. - But the market didn't call it.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Thank you for bringing that in because it made our show.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44We needed something like that, Morecambe and Wise memorabilia.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47It didn't make as much as we'd hoped but it was the memories of meeting
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Morecambe and Wise that were priceless for Ann.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54Next up...
0:52:54 > 0:52:56I tell you, there's a lot of badges here,
0:52:56 > 0:52:58- but you do need a chrome bumper for them.- Absolutely.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00- Ah, you've got to have a chrome bumper.- Oh, have you?
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Well, they wouldn't look right on a modern bumper, would they,
0:53:03 > 0:53:06some of those badges? They're just so gorgeous.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09I think he had a good eye and this type of thing is well sought after
0:53:09 > 0:53:11- at auto sort of sales. - They do, Paul.
0:53:11 > 0:53:12- They have a nostalgia to sort of... - Yes, they do.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15- ..happy driving over the years.- Exactly.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Put them on the old classic cars and off you go.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Good luck, everyone. This is it.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25A collection of 13 vintage car badges
0:53:25 > 0:53:31and we have interest on phones and on the book at £75 with me.
0:53:31 > 0:53:3375 and 80 now.
0:53:33 > 0:53:3485 online.
0:53:34 > 0:53:3690. 95.
0:53:36 > 0:53:37100. 110.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39120.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41We're in top gear now, look at that. We've shifted up.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44130 on the phone. 130. 140 from anybody else?
0:53:44 > 0:53:47At £130. I'm looking for... 140's online now.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49- 150?- Hold tight.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51160 now.
0:53:51 > 0:53:52At 150 on my left here.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54160. 170.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56- 180 this time.- Come on!
0:53:56 > 0:53:59At £170 and 180 anybody else?
0:53:59 > 0:54:01All done at 170?
0:54:01 > 0:54:03Yes, hammer's gone down.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06£170. Good stuff.
0:54:06 > 0:54:07- Peter did a good job there.- Yeah.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10- You'd be proud of him, yeah? - Yeah, I am.- That's really nice.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12And they'll go to a great home, another collector.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15And hopefully those badges will be on a chrome bumper somewhere...
0:54:15 > 0:54:19- One day.- ..who's got the right classic for it.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21An auction is a fantastic experience.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24You never know what's going to happen.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26John, good luck. Let's hope this next item
0:54:26 > 0:54:28sparkles in the saleroom and lights it up.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30It's that diamond cluster ring.
0:54:30 > 0:54:31I know you bought it in the '80s,
0:54:31 > 0:54:35you paid the proper retail price for it. Just over £1,000.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38The problem that we have today is they're just not fashionable.
0:54:38 > 0:54:39But would this be bought and split up, then?
0:54:39 > 0:54:42- For earrings and...- It could possibly be bought and split up.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44- That's the thing.- Yeah. We need top money.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Let's hope it sparkles. Here we go.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49Lady's 18-carat gold and diamond cluster ring.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Who will start me at, what, £700 for this ring?
0:54:52 > 0:54:54- 700...- 700 would be nice.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56600 quickly. Five.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58400. 400. 420 now.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01At £400. 420 from any of you?
0:55:01 > 0:55:03At £400 and 420, I'd take, 420
0:55:03 > 0:55:05for this ring.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07- Where's 420 for it?- It's struggling.
0:55:07 > 0:55:08It is really struggling.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11- Yeah, yeah. It is. - Are you all quite sure at 400?
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Well, I'm very sorry, folks, but...
0:55:13 > 0:55:15We are not selling it. I'm very sorry, John.
0:55:15 > 0:55:16You're right, it is the fashion.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Fair enough. What would you advise?
0:55:18 > 0:55:22I would suggest just keeping hold of it and probably not doing anything
0:55:22 > 0:55:24with it for a while because the thing is, you never know,
0:55:24 > 0:55:26something like that may well come back into fashion
0:55:26 > 0:55:28but there's a lot of diamonds there
0:55:28 > 0:55:30and you shouldn't just let it go for £400,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33- which is what they were asking. - Right.- It's a nice ring
0:55:33 > 0:55:35and you paid a lot of money for it so I would keep hold of it.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38It was a shame about John's diamond ring
0:55:38 > 0:55:40but that's sage advice from Catherine.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42And now, time for the final item -
0:55:42 > 0:55:46will Michael's stopped Rolex make the auction tick?
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Well, I'm a big fan of our next lot.
0:55:48 > 0:55:49I like my watches.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52- Why are you selling this one? - Partly because it doesn't go.
0:55:52 > 0:55:53But I got tired of it.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56Look, it's a good watch. It is a man's watch,
0:55:56 > 0:56:00but the fashion for women nowadays is to wear bigger watches.
0:56:00 > 0:56:01So there's a big market,
0:56:01 > 0:56:03so I think this is going to sell
0:56:03 > 0:56:05and I think 200 to 300 is a great pitch.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07The important thing is all the numbers matched up...
0:56:07 > 0:56:09- They correspond.- Yes.- And that's what people like.- Yeah.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11So, fingers crossed we get the top end plus.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13- Hopefully.- Yes, that's what we want.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Time is definitely up now.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16It's going under the hammer and this is it.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20It's the Rolex Oyster perpetual gentlemen's wristwatch.
0:56:20 > 0:56:21Has its original receipt.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24It also has its original guarantee card.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27And I shall start at £600.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29£600, straight in.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31700 online.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34- 800 now.- Oh, my goodness me.
0:56:34 > 0:56:351,000 on the internet.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38£1,000. 1,200 now, jumping up.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40£1,400.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Wow!
0:56:42 > 0:56:441,400. 1,500, I'll take.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46This is a come and buy me, isn't it?
0:56:46 > 0:56:48It was a bit of one.
0:56:48 > 0:56:50And they are on the phones and they are going up.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53£1,500, on the telephone.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55All done at £1,500...?
0:56:55 > 0:56:59Yes! Hammer down. £1,500!
0:56:59 > 0:57:03- Put it there, Michael. - Well... £1,500.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05Thank you so much for bringing that in.
0:57:05 > 0:57:06That's cheered you up, hasn't it?
0:57:06 > 0:57:09- Oh, yes.- Brilliant. - We'll have to do this again.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12You should have bought more of them at the time.
0:57:12 > 0:57:13Look, it's a great way to end a show.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16We needed a big surprise and we certainly got one today.
0:57:16 > 0:57:17- Oh, yes.- 200 to 300?
0:57:17 > 0:57:19No! £1,500.
0:57:19 > 0:57:20I hope you enjoyed that
0:57:20 > 0:57:23and come back for many more surprises, but until then,
0:57:23 > 0:57:24it's goodbye from all of us.