0:00:05 > 0:00:07We're off on our travels again,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11crisscrossing Britain as we help you to discover the history and value of
0:00:11 > 0:00:13your unwanted antiques.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14And that's not all.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Today, I'm at Coughton Court in Warwickshire.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23This house played a key role in the notorious Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Today, there's going to be fireworks.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Welcome to "Flog It!"
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Coughton Court was implicated
0:00:56 > 0:00:59in an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and, with it, the King.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It was from within these walls of the gatehouse tower that a group of
0:01:04 > 0:01:06radical Catholics watched and waited
0:01:06 > 0:01:09for news that could change the course of British history forever
0:01:09 > 0:01:12or seal their death warrants.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14We'll be finding out more about that and the house
0:01:14 > 0:01:16later on in the programme.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21But before that, we have some travelling to do.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25We're off on a trip around Britain to revisit some of our stunning
0:01:25 > 0:01:27locations from this series.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's another chance to see those great venues
0:01:30 > 0:01:35and discover some of your treasures, brought in for our experts to value.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Come on, everyone.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Wolverhampton Art Gallery proved a wonderful backdrop
0:01:39 > 0:01:41for our valuation day.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43But David Harper discovered some people
0:01:43 > 0:01:46have strong feelings about colour.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48I don't like blush.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I like the other Worcester.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55In Morecambe, Lancashire, we spent the day at The Platform building,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58once part of the town's old promenade station.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01And Charles Hanson was in the mood for waxing lyrical.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06They really capture an age of sophistication,
0:02:06 > 0:02:11when eloquence in dress was at the height under Victorian England.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15And we were thrilled by the response we got in Grimsby,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18our valuation day in the Minster.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Christina Trevanion discovered what gave a diamond ring its sparkle.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Did you leave that in a washing-up bowl overnight?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Yes, yes! Yes!
0:02:28 > 0:02:30And in the magnificent cathedral in St Albans,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Jonathan Pratt discovered a unique item.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I'm not even sure what it is. I thought it was very unusual.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- I'm not wrong there, am I? - You're not wrong about that, no.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And that's where we're heading first.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45But for now, James Lewis is chatting to Pam
0:02:45 > 0:02:48and it looks like he's in need of refreshment already.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Well, Pam, it's time for tea.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53I wish it was, you know!
0:02:53 > 0:02:55I think it's time for my Pinot Grigio.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58I would just like a few scones...
0:02:58 > 0:03:00I don't need scones. That's the last thing I need.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Oh, no, no. Actually I can make scones, I could make you some.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I should have brought some today.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Oh, dear, but they say, you know, that tea drinking is coming back.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Ten years ago, you would never have believed it.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12No, no, no. It's Downton Abbey, you realise.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14It's got to be something to do with it.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17- Definitely Downton Abbey, yes.- But this is a lovely teapot, isn't it?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Is it a family thing? - Oh, very much so.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23It's been passed down from my mother to me and I'm lucky enough to have
0:03:23 > 0:03:26another silver teapot, and one is enough for me.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Exactly, you only need one, don't you?
0:03:28 > 0:03:30- Only need one, yes. - Blimey, OK, well, let's have a look.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33So, what we've got here is a Chinese figure on the top.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37There were various times in which Chinese figures were popular.
0:03:37 > 0:03:4018th century and the Chinese Chippendale period,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43then again in the 1840s with the Chinese Chippendale
0:03:43 > 0:03:46or Rococo revival, and you look at its shape,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48you look at the fact that it's embossed with flowers,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50which can sometimes be done later.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- Yes.- So we should be looking somewhere between 1830 and 1850.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Right.- OK, so, let's turn it over.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59We've got a lion, lion passant,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01everybody knows that means it's silver.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04The leopard's head is the mark for London.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- Right.- He hasn't got a crown.- Oh.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10The leopard lost his crown in 1821, so we know it's after then.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13- Then at the bottom here we've got the head of Queen Victoria.- Right.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So we now know it's after 1837.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20And we've got the mark for Joseph and Albert Savory.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26They started making around 1835, but we've got a date letter,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29gothic E there, upper case, and that's for 1840.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31So, it's London, 1840.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34So, there we go, so it's a good thing.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35What's it worth?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Silver prices have plummeted,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41but tea drinking has become more fashionable
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and I'm hoping that this will survive the melting pot...
0:04:44 > 0:04:47But if you'd sold it five years ago, it would have been melted,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49because it would have been worth more as a lump of silver
0:04:49 > 0:04:50- than as a teapot.- Oh, yes.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53I think now it's worth £100 to £200.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Right.- And I think it'll end up making around 160.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Right, so that's that reserve you want me to have?
0:04:58 > 0:05:01What would you like as a reserve? Your teapot, I want you to be happy.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- I know, but I need to be guided by somebody like you.- OK.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05If we put 150 on it.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- Yes.- We could put 150 to 200, it's more of a natural estimate.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- Right.- Would you be happy with 150?
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Well, I would be, yes. I mean, I'd like more, obviously.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Of course, yes, so would I, I hope it will make more.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Yes. Well, somebody will have pleasure
0:05:16 > 0:05:18pouring afternoon tea in that.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19They will.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23If it doesn't make that then take it home and make a pot of tea.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Drown your sorrows with some Earl Grey.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30I love that teapot. Hopefully, it will sell well.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Now we're travelling to Wolverhampton Art Gallery,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39where David Harper is excited about a pot.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Well, I tell you what, Brian and Pauline,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- this museum is a place of contrast, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49We've got this massive, modern structure behind us
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and then your wonderful piece of Worcester right in front of us,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54which I think, Pauline, feels quite at home
0:05:54 > 0:05:56here in Wolverhampton Museum, doesn't it?
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- Yes.- Tell us about it.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I don't know where I got it from. I've had it many years.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I don't like blush.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I like the other Worcester, Stinton and all those, really.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Right, so you're a bit of a Worcester man, then, are you, Brian?
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- 40 years.- 40 years?
0:06:12 > 0:06:1540 years picking up bits and pieces
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- all over the Midlands.- Wow.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Off people when they used to give it away.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26- How many pieces does he have at home?- Oh, crates full.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29We cover Worcester on these programmes vary often.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Of course you do.- I mean, it's such a big brand in this business.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35- Yes.- Founded in, as you know, 1751.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Ancient company, and if we look at this piece, this is the blush ivory.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Let's see if there's any damage and see how it rings, Pauline.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- Rings well.- I'm sure it will. - Does it?
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- You're looking worried. - I'm sure it will. Yes.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- OK, here we go. Ready?- Yes.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53POT RINGS CLEARLY
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- Perfect.- Nothing wrong in that. - No, nothing at all.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59A good ring, that is very good, no big cracks or damage.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04We spin this over and we can see it's marked Worcester, England.
0:07:04 > 0:07:05So we know that England
0:07:05 > 0:07:08was introduced to pottery and porcelain in 1891,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11so it doesn't predate that.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- We've got ten dots underneath the England.- That's right.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19Add that on to 1891, this was made in 1901.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- The end of the Victorian reign. - Mm-hm.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25But the height of the British Empire.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28You'll find these in Australia, in Africa, in India,
0:07:28 > 0:07:29all over the place,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33because Worcester was a big moneymaking machine.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36But I bet you this hasn't moved very far away.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38It's probably remained in the Midlands, I guess.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I should think so, yes. I should think so.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Well, listen, you're the expert here.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43You've been doing it for 40 years.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45What's it worth in today's market?
0:07:45 > 0:07:49I should think three, but I've been told less than that.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51- Ooh, I think less.- Yeah. - What do you think, Pauline?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I'm not really sure, not really sure at all.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59OK, well, I reckon if we're going to be sensible, we'd go 200 to 250.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- OK.- And I'd like to really give it a bit of discretion as well,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06so maybe reserve it at 180.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Yeah.- OK, we'll go there. - Are you happy with that?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- Yes.- Are you sure?
0:08:10 > 0:08:11No!
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Hey, listen, you never know, the way the market is,
0:08:15 > 0:08:16get yourself 180 for this
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and buy something in the auction that is going UP in value.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Yes, of course. Yeah, yeah.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And if you know what that is, you will let me know, won't you?
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Yes, I will, yes!
0:08:27 > 0:08:28Let's hope the jardiniere
0:08:28 > 0:08:31does really well when it comes up for auction.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Now, time to take a quick break from our valuation days,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38as I want to show you something special I found on my trip
0:08:38 > 0:08:41to Coughton Court in Warwickshire.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Religion is very much at the heart of the Throckmortons
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and it always has been.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51A number of the women in the family took holy orders,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53including Elizabeth Throckmorton,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56who lived here in the early part of the 16th century.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59She became the last Abbess of Denny in Cambridgeshire
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and she held position until the convent closed
0:09:02 > 0:09:06during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09This little oak panel is from the door of the abbey itself.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12It's what's known as a dole gate.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15The word dole is still used today and I'll explain what it is.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19You see this panel here, it's hinged, it would open up.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Loaves of bread and other food would be passed out to the needy
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and this is where we get the expression on the dole,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29people who have fallen on hard times and need a charitable hand-out.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I think this is a priceless piece of our social history
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and indeed the family's history.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39The outer panels here are beautiful and are carved with the Tudor rose,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43the Sacred Heart and the Beaufort portcullis,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47representing Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51The Latin panel on the hinged central doors can be translated as,
0:09:51 > 0:09:56"May God preserve Dame Elizabeth Throckmorton, Abbess of Denny."
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Elizabeth and two other nuns moved back to Coughton
0:09:58 > 0:10:00to live with her nephew.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02It's not really known for sure
0:10:02 > 0:10:03what she brought back from the convent.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07This dole-gate panel was found in a cottage nearby and brought
0:10:07 > 0:10:08back to the court.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Well, from something so simple and humble to something very grand now.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16We're going straight over to Grimsby to catch up with Christina,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18who's talking to a lady called Linda.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Now, Linda, that looks very promising.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Look at that! Wow!
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- It's beautiful, isn't it? - Oh, it's just a stunner.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Look at that!
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Beautiful sapphire and diamond ring.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46- Yes.- Now, tell me, where has this come from, Linda?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Well, about 30 years ago on my birthday,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I had a card from my great-aunt
0:10:52 > 0:10:58and in the card was this wrapped up in a little piece of tissue paper,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01inside the card through a normal post.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- No?!- Yes, about 30 years ago.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08So, when you opened the card and you saw that, what did you think?
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Well, it didn't look like that, it was very dirty,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14obviously very well-worn, and she'd put in the card that
0:11:14 > 0:11:18it no longer fitted her finger, would I like her sparkle?
0:11:18 > 0:11:20And something about it...
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I just dropped it into a cup of washing-up water
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and the next morning it came out and I thought, "Oh, that is pretty."
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- You left it in a washing-up bowl overnight?!- Yes, yes!
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- But something... - Linda, that's fantastic.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Yes, and so I took it to the jeweller's to have it made bigger,
0:11:36 > 0:11:41because it was so pretty, and the jeweller just said to me,
0:11:41 > 0:11:47"You do realise it's real?" And I'd got no idea at all that it was real.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It is an absolute stunner, I mean, look at it sparkling in this light,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53it's got these wonderful three graduated diamonds
0:11:53 > 0:11:56and then it's got this wonderful surround
0:11:56 > 0:11:59of individually cut sapphires,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02which are all calibre-cut, or square-cut sapphires,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06which have all been cut to go in that surround there, and then,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10even better, we've got another surround going round the outside.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12I would say it might be French.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- Right.- There are no marks on the back, sadly, so we can't tell,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- because I think the marks have been worn away.- Worn off, yes.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23I mean, to me, it just screams
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Art Deco.
0:12:24 > 0:12:29It's 1920s, 1930s, incredibly stylish.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- Right.- And very in vogue right now,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36and what's absolutely magic for me is that if we turn it over,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38this carved gallery on the back here,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and you just don't get that on modern workmanship.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47This has all been hand-carved, it is just stunning.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49And honestly, I want to melt, I really, really do.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's beautiful.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54And I think at auction it would be very, very popular.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Very popular. There are two things that we need to consider.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58We've got a little sapphire missing here.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- Yes.- And the second thing is the hoop at the back, as you can see,
0:13:02 > 0:13:03is very thin.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Whoever buys it will have some maintenance work to do on it.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- Yes.- But I think if you were to sell it,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12I would expect an auction estimate of £1,000 to £2,000.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14- Right you are.- Now, we want to protect it with a reserve.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18- Yes.- And I would suggest a reserve of £1,000.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- Is that all right?- Yes, that's fine.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Thank you so much for bringing it in.- It's a pleasure, thank you.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30That little gem of a ring is the last of our first batch of items
0:13:30 > 0:13:33and now it's time to find out if they make our owners any money
0:13:33 > 0:13:35when they go under the hammer.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42At St Albans, Pam brought in a stylish silver teapot.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46Pauline and Brian have fallen out of love
0:13:46 > 0:13:48with their Royal Worcester jardiniere,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52which they brought to the valuation day at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55And finally, at our valuation day in Grimsby Minster,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Christina loved Linda's sparkling diamond ring.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12We've travelled to Tring Market Auctions in Hertfordshire,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16where Pam's teapot is up for sale, and Stephen Hearn's our auctioneer.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18150, 60, 70...
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Remember, whether you're buying or selling,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24at every auction there is always commission and VAT to pay.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Right, it's time for tea.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30No, don't disappear to the kitchen,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34we're selling Pam's silver teapot, and what a beauty it is, isn't it?
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- Oh, it's beautiful. - Why are you flogging it, then?
0:14:36 > 0:14:37Because my daughter...
0:14:37 > 0:14:39My lovely daughter's getting married next year
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and she wants me to have a hat and an outfit.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Right, so it's going towards the wedding fund.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45- I think so.- And it haemorrhages money for mums, doesn't it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- You're going to be paying for everything, darling.- It does!
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Yes, I know, look, good luck, though. It's going to be a great day.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Let's find out what it's worth, shall we?
0:14:52 > 0:14:54It's going under the hammer now.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57There we are, nice one, ought to be 180, you know.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58150 for it?
0:14:58 > 0:15:00120 I've got.
0:15:00 > 0:15:01130 I've got.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03140. 150, is it?
0:15:03 > 0:15:04Yes, 150.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05160.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09You're out, then.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10At £150.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13It's gone. And I've got to say how wonderful you look.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15And I'm sure you'll look very glamorous on the wedding day.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- I will.- With your new hat on and shoes!
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- Thank you very much. - Hats and heels.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22It's been a lovely experience, thank you very much.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23- Thank you.- Pleasure.
0:15:23 > 0:15:2690 I have now. £200. And ten.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29From Tring, we're heading 140 miles north-west
0:15:29 > 0:15:31to a former clock factory,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34now Trevanion and Dean Saleroom in Whitchurch, Shropshire,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36where Aaron Dean's holding the gavel.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40And selling at 150, there's no advancement at 150.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Pauline and Brian, you are big Worcester collectors, aren't you?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47You know your stuff, 40 years, yeah. How many pieces have you got?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- Too many.- Too many.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- OK, we're selling your lovely big jardiniere here today.- Yes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Right now. Why are you selling this?
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Why do you want to get rid of this if you're still collecting?
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- Because we've downsized in property. - OK.- So the big stuff's got to go.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04But we're fortunate because there's two small pieces here by Stinton,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06so that one may pay for the other, you see.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Ah, reinvesting, always trading upwards.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So, we need £200 right now.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Here we go, let's do it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Very good example here.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19160 to start there, please. At 160, please, at 160.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21160 we have. 170.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- Come on.- 180.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25At 180, on the telephone, it is at 180.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27At 180, thought it might have made more.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Against you all in the room, it is at £180, 180.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Sold at 180, then.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34180, little less than what we thought.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Disappointed, but never mind.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38- Is that enough?- Yes.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- You can make the difference up. - It has to be.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Finally, we're travelling east to Golding, Young and Mawers
0:16:46 > 0:16:48in Lincoln, where auctioneer Colin Young's in charge
0:16:48 > 0:16:50of selling Linda's ring.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Right now we're going to make the saleroom sparkle with an Art Deco ring.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58It's diamond and sapphire, belonging to Linda.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I love this. It's a lot of money and I love the story,
0:17:01 > 0:17:03it arrived in the post, didn't it?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- Yes, yes.- Wrapped up. - Yes, in my birthday card.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08And no-one knew how much it was worth!
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- Great birthday present, though. - Well, I know!
0:17:11 > 0:17:12Well, good luck with it.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- Hopefully you're going home with over £1,000.- Best of luck.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Let's hand the proceedings over to Colin Young on the rostrum.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19You just need to look at the image
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- and see what a fabulous ring we're selling here.- Oh!
0:17:22 > 0:17:23Who's going to start me at £1,000?
0:17:23 > 0:17:24Good build-up.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27800 to go then, 800. Five if we must, then, five's over there.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29Right, we're in.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30£500 bid. At 500. At 550 now?
0:17:30 > 0:17:33At £500 bid. On the right at 500.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35550. 550, 600.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38600. 650. 700.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40650 bid.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42700. 700. 750 now.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44750. 800.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46850. 900.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48950. 1000.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- We've sold it.- At 1,100 bid.
0:17:50 > 0:17:521,200 anywhere else now?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54At 1,100, are we all done?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Selling in the room at £1,100.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Yes, £1,100.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01How do you feel, darling?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Is that all right?- Oh, a bit upset. - I know!- Bless you!
0:18:05 > 0:18:06It's gone, it's gone.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- You didn't wear it, did you? - No, no, I didn't.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11It was too precious, it was in the safe at home all that time.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12It was, it was.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14But I loved owning it, I really did.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And thank you, Auntie Kay.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Ahhh!
0:18:19 > 0:18:22We'll have more auctions later, but before that,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I want to take you back to Warwickshire
0:18:24 > 0:18:26to look at how one family's faith
0:18:26 > 0:18:30shaped their fate and fortune for generations.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Coughton Court has been home to the Throckmorton family
0:18:45 > 0:18:48for over 600 years and their Catholic religion
0:18:48 > 0:18:50has always been very important to them,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54so much so that there's not one but two churches here on the estate.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57And these two churches tell a remarkable story
0:18:57 > 0:19:00of the family's struggle to maintain and be true
0:19:00 > 0:19:04to their religious beliefs throughout the darkest of times.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09This is the Anglican church of St Peter's.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14The church used to be Catholic, as did the country, but in 1534,
0:19:14 > 0:19:19King Henry VIII became head of his own Church and everything changed.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22St Peter's became part of this new Church of England
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and was confiscated from the family.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Things got even worse when Henry's daughter was crowned Elizabeth I.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36She reigned with a firmly Protestant fist and it was on her watch that
0:19:36 > 0:19:38being a Catholic became a dangerous game indeed.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Under Queen Elizabeth, Protestant worship was law.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Disobeying this law was punishable by hefty fines, or even prison.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Catholicism had been the religion of the people,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but now it could only be practised in private.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Families like the Throckmortons became enemies of the state.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02And it was here in the tower of Coughton Court
0:20:02 > 0:20:05that the Throckmortons would hold their Mass in secret,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08keeping a watchful eye over the countryside beyond,
0:20:08 > 0:20:10looking out for anybody trying to catch them out,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13practising the forbidden faith.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16And here in the tower is this huge painted canvas,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19the Tabula Eliensis.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24This was a protest document which displayed the shields of Catholic
0:20:24 > 0:20:26families imprisoned by the Government
0:20:26 > 0:20:29when religious persecution was at its height.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It would have been dangerous to have owned something like this,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34let alone have it on display.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36It's a bit faded now.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39You can just make out some of the armorials and coat of arms
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and faces and if you look closely along here
0:20:42 > 0:20:46you can see the coat of arms of Thomas Throckmorton,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49who spent long periods of time in and out of prison.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55But the risks of actually preaching Catholicism were far greater.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01Any priest caught saying Mass was almost guaranteed a grisly end.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03So Catholic families like the Throckmortons
0:21:03 > 0:21:05would have to make sure they were hidden
0:21:05 > 0:21:07when the Queen's men came knocking.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11And here's how they did it.
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Here's Coughton Court's priest-hole.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Follow me and I'll show you down here. This is rather clever.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18When the alarm was raised, evidence was hidden
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and the priest led here and lowered into the priest-hole.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25This is clever because it's a double-height priest-hole,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27so if the Queen's men were searching around and they saw this,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31they lifted the hatch up and the chamber was empty,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33hopefully they wouldn't search any further.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Because there's another trap door underneath this one,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and that's where the priest would be hiding.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Now, the punishment for sheltering a priest could be death.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Now, luckily enough, Coughton's was rather expertly done.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50That wasn't rediscovered for another 200 years.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55They found not only bedding down there, but a folding leather altar.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Thankfully, no skeletons.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02The Throckmortons went further than just refusing to be Protestants.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05They actively plotted to replace Queen Elizabeth
0:22:05 > 0:22:08with her Catholic cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11For which Francis Throckmorton was put to death.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16But it was another more explosive plot
0:22:16 > 0:22:19that really put Coughton Court on the map.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25On the morning of the 6th of November 1605,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28a messenger on horseback came thundering towards Coughton Court
0:22:28 > 0:22:30from London to deliver the news that a plan
0:22:30 > 0:22:33to blow up the Houses of Parliament had failed.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35The message was from Robert Catesby,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37the ringleader of the Gunpowder Plot,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39who was now fleeing for his life.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46So what role did Coughton play in this catastrophic conspiracy?
0:22:46 > 0:22:47After the death of Elizabeth,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50the new King James III had promised
0:22:50 > 0:22:53to be more tolerant towards the Catholics.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57However, when he actually took the throne he was anything but.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Feeling betrayed, the Catholics decided
0:22:59 > 0:23:01the time had come to take action,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03and so the potting began.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Coughton Court was to play a big part in the plan.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Robert Catesby was born into the Throckmorton family,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and with the help of his friends, plus a few Throckmorton cousins,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17they planned to spark an uprising.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19The idea was to blow up the Houses of Parliament
0:23:19 > 0:23:21on the day of its opening in 1605,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24killing King James and the ruling classes,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and then kidnap the King's daughter,
0:23:27 > 0:23:28bring her back here to Warwickshire,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30where she would be proclaimed Queen of England,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34and the Catholics would seize control.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Coughton Court was rented by one of Catesby's men,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40under the pretence of holding a hunting party.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43But his actual purpose was to oversee the royal kidnap.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Coughton would then be an important Catholic stronghold
0:23:47 > 0:23:49in the rebellion to come.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53The cellar under the House of Commons was packed with explosives,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56in preparation for the 5th of November.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00But the fuse was never lit, because a certain Guy Fawkes,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02who was guarding the gunpowder, was discovered.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Here in the drawing room, an anxious group were waiting.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Some of the most prominent Catholics in the country,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12all hoping the King would fall,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15so they could restore a Catholic monarch to the throne.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19But these dreams were soon dashed.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21When the news reached Coughton,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25a priest in the group exclaimed, "We are all utterly undone!"
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The plotters were eventually rounded up and either killed on the spot
0:24:31 > 0:24:33or captured to be executed later.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37New laws were passed. Catholics no longer had the right to vote.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40They weren't allowed to become Members of Parliament.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43These laws would remain in place for over 200 years.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45As a result of the Gunpowder Plot,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49public opinion turned against the Catholics more so than ever.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52They were traitors to King and country.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01And things got worse for the Throckmortons in the years to come.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05In 1688, King James II was overthrown
0:25:05 > 0:25:09by the Protestant William of Orange from Holland,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11and anti-Catholic riots swept the country.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Coughton was caught up in the violence,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17being targeted by a local mob.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19The entire east wing was set on fire,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and the family chapel was burned to the ground.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27But the Throckmortons were undeterred
0:25:27 > 0:25:29and they continued worshipping,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31creating a chapel here in the saloon.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35The family would participate in the service from up here in the gallery,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39while the rest of the household were below.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Slowly but surely, things changed for the better.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46By 1829, Catholics could worship freely once again.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Sir Robert Throckmorton took his seat in the House of Commons,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53as the first English Catholic MP for 200 years.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55The ban was lifted at last.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Now, the family could finally display the relics of their faith
0:26:03 > 0:26:07that they'd been forced to keep locked away for so long.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14But it's here we see just how far
0:26:14 > 0:26:17the Throckmortons' religious journey has come.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21In 1855, Sir Robert Throckmorton built this church,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25the Catholic Church of St Peter, Paul and Elizabeth.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30So, 300 years after being kicked out of St Peter's by Henry VIII
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and having to pray in private to keep their religious beliefs alive,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36the family could once again pray in a church.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40And they still do to this very day.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42So, we're back where we started
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and we can see how the Catholic fortunes of the family
0:26:45 > 0:26:47have come full circle.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57We'll be popping back to Coughton later on,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00but for now we're returning to St Albans Cathedral,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02where the crowds are still packed in
0:27:02 > 0:27:05and Jonathan Pratt's found a first for "Flog It!"
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Well, this is a bit of an oddity, John, isn't it?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14It is, yes. I'm not even sure what it is myself.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Where's this come from?
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Well, I went to an auction about 30 years ago
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and I wanted to buy one thing, but that went over my price limit
0:27:21 > 0:27:23and I came away with that instead,
0:27:23 > 0:27:24because I thought it was very unusual.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27- I'm not wrong there, am I? - You're not wrong about that, no.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Just out of chance, do you remember what they catalogued it as?
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Yes, it said a coronation plinth, possibly for the coronation in 1837,
0:27:35 > 0:27:37but there's no proof of that.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39No. As an auctioneer, as a valuer,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42you have to look at these things and try and look at what the evidence is
0:27:42 > 0:27:44and then work out what the materials are and put them together.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48- Yes.- You've got the crown and the sceptre, Holy Bible there,
0:27:48 > 0:27:49sitting on a little cushion.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Need to try and understand what this material is that it's made of.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- I thought it was wood, but... - Well, I don't think it's wood.
0:27:57 > 0:27:58We've got a chip on here,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01which suggests this is like a plaster or something.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04You know, under here, you see, where all this paper is,
0:28:04 > 0:28:09this looks right for sort of late 19th century or so...
0:28:09 > 0:28:12It's very dry, sort of like a gouache-type paint,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and it's been sort of veneered to decorate that.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And then the other thing would be to look underneath at the bottom.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21This looks like a fairly seasoned piece of wood,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23which might be 19th-century.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25The gilding on the foot... This looks...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28This is what gilding should look like and that looks all right.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31This painting here on the crown, starting at the top,
0:28:31 > 0:28:33it's very much like gold paint, so it's, you know...
0:28:33 > 0:28:34- Right.- It's not gilding.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37I'd say it's been restored at some point.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39It has, I think, its origins in the 19th century,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43not at the early part of Victoria's reign, but middle to late.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44- OK.- I think once upon a time
0:28:44 > 0:28:47it was all gilt like this and it had a glass dome
0:28:47 > 0:28:49- and was all very special, and for what purpose I don't know.- OK.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52But then I think that's really what my job's all about.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Half the time, there are things that you find that,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56without a crystal ball, you're never going to know.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Today, the market is led by curiosities
0:28:58 > 0:29:00and it's led by decorative objects.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03- Right.- If I were to say to you... I think the value, go this way...
0:29:03 > 0:29:05I think the value of it now is probably,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08looking at the condition and things I'm uncertain about...
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- Yes.- ..I think probably it's worth between £80-£120 at auction.- OK.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Well, that's double what I paid for it, so that's fine.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Right. Well, that's not a bad return.
0:29:16 > 0:29:17- That's good.- I think 80-120.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Which is what we call auctioneer's favourite, but I think £80 to £120,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23maybe a £70 reserve, and...
0:29:23 > 0:29:25- Someone will love it. - Someone will love it.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26- Did you love it? - Yes, I had a copy made of it,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29so even when it's gone, I've got a copy. So...
0:29:29 > 0:29:30And who made the copy?
0:29:30 > 0:29:33My father made it, he used to work in a film studio, so...
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- OK.- ..he got the property department to make me a copy, a bit bigger.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38But it hasn't got a crown and sceptre.
0:29:38 > 0:29:39So probably with the money...
0:29:39 > 0:29:41I'll sell it, I'll buy a crown and sceptre.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- What more could you want? - What more could you want?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48What an unusual item.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Let's hope it gets the bidders intrigued at auction.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55But before that, we're heading to Morecambe,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58where Charles Hanson is being his usual charming self.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Isabel, you look a lady who likes to dress well.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07- Am I correct?- Well, yes, but I've never worn those.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11- Why?- Because I didn't know they existed until about ten months ago.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- You just found them? - I found them under my mum's bed.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15You didn't!
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- What do you think of them?- I like them, I think they're very pretty.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- What are they?- Buttons?
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Yes, they are, and they really capture
0:30:22 > 0:30:24an age of sophistication.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29When eloquence in dress and etiquette was at the height
0:30:29 > 0:30:30under Victorian England.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34If you look closely, they are pressed silver.
0:30:34 > 0:30:40We know they were made in Birmingham in 1900 because
0:30:40 > 0:30:42they are so well defined in the metal,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44I need not put my eyeglass to them.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48There's an anchor. And this carries date letter A.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- Right.- And A defines the year 1900.
0:30:52 > 0:30:57You've also got the mark here R&W, for Reynolds & Westwood,
0:30:57 > 0:31:02and the all-important lion passant, which means the alloy of silver
0:31:02 > 0:31:05is 92.5% within copper.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08- So it's a very high purity of silver.- Good.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11And when it comes to silver generally across the world
0:31:11 > 0:31:14English silver is the most pure.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17And what I like about them is the fact that they are in
0:31:17 > 0:31:19what we call the Neo-Rococo style.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- Right. - The Victorians revived styles,
0:31:21 > 0:31:26and if you look closely you'll see all these C scrolls.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28They're pierced as well.
0:31:28 > 0:31:34If I hold it like that, you'll see the rays of light going through.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35They're frivolous.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37They're fanciful.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38They were almost black when I found them.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40- They weren't!- They were.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42I polished them, but only the once.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Yeah, and that's why they've kept such clarity and detail.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46Yes, probably. Yes.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50Because the more you rub silver, the more you rub hallmarks away.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55And of course the weight and the detail, which collectors look for.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58I'd like to place a guide price on them, with your blessing,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01of between £60 and £90.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- OK, yeah.- And I'm fairly fixed in my opinion,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09but we can place a reserve on at £60.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10- Good.- So, with your blessing...
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- Yeah, that'll be fine. - They're not sewn on there, are they?
0:32:13 > 0:32:15- No!- They can go to auction.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17I'm sure somebody might have the perfect outfit.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21- Mm.- Thank you very much for coming in today.- Thank you.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23Those buttons were quality items.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24Hopefully, they'll do well.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Finally, we're off to Grimsby Minster,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32where Michael Baggott has spotted a rodent in the building.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Doreen. You've brought me a rat on a hat.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42- I certainly have. - Where did you get your rat on a hat?
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Well, my dad brought it home after the war.
0:32:45 > 0:32:46And he brought it home
0:32:46 > 0:32:49because it reminded him of me because I was a little girl,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51he used to call me Mouse.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Oh, right, right, I see.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56What we've got is a little bamboo hat,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58or a little rush hat tied up.
0:32:58 > 0:33:03Mr Rat's got to it and he's been gnawing through the top of it.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Now, we don't particularly like rats in this country,
0:33:07 > 0:33:13but in Japan, if you've got rats, you've got rats because you're
0:33:13 > 0:33:16abundant with crops, so actually they're a sign of good luck.
0:33:16 > 0:33:21- OK.- Now, if we turn it over, it's beautifully carved out of ivory,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23and we've got this beautiful cord,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and a little retaining ring for the hat,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and what's clever there is we've got that ring
0:33:29 > 0:33:32and then we've got a space where it lifts there,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35which is effectively giving us two holes,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38and that's a clue as to what this is for.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40And it's what we call a netsuke.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44Now, if you were in Japan prior to 1874,
0:33:44 > 0:33:49when they banned feudal dress, you would be wearing your costume.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51- Yes.- Pocket-less.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Tied together with a big sash.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55So where did you put everything?
0:33:56 > 0:34:01You had little... And they're called sagemono, or hanging things,
0:34:01 > 0:34:04that you would tuck under your belt.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06- Yes.- On a cord.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10And they're all secured when they come through with a toggle.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14And the cord has to pass through that toggle through two holes,
0:34:14 > 0:34:16and that's what this netsuke does.
0:34:16 > 0:34:23- Oh.- It's carved anywhere between about 1820 and about 1860.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25- Really?- So, as a piece of ivory,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27we know there are legislations with ivory.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32This is 100 years within those legislations.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35- Yeah.- And also it's a beautiful work of art.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38There is one downside, though.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Had you noticed before today?
0:34:40 > 0:34:44- No.- At some time, Ratty's had a blow.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Cracked along there and he's been glued back on.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Now, for most pure collectors of Japanese works of art
0:34:51 > 0:34:53that's a complete no-no.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55That spoils it.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57But he's absolutely charming.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Have you any idea what it might be worth?
0:34:59 > 0:35:05- Not really.- At auction, if we were to put £100-£150 on it...
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- Oh, really? - And a fixed reserve of £100.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Because he's super quality.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16- Yes.- I mean, the sad thing is, I think he's so charming
0:35:16 > 0:35:19that in perfect condition everybody would have wanted him,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21and he might have been...
0:35:21 > 0:35:24£500, £600, £700.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27But condition with Japanese works of art is everything.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32- I see.- But it's still a beautiful thing, and I hope the little...
0:35:32 > 0:35:35the little rat which was a mouse to you and your father,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38- we'll find him a good home. Promise.- Thank you.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49Well, that's it for our last lot of items
0:35:49 > 0:35:51and we'll see how they fare in auction shortly.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53But before that, I wanted to show you
0:35:53 > 0:35:55this rather stunning Kingwood Cabinet.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58It's known to the family as a Mass cabinet.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01We already heard that the family were unable
0:36:01 > 0:36:03to celebrate Catholicism publicly,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07they had to do so in secret for some 200 years.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Now, if I open up this cabinet
0:36:09 > 0:36:11and look deeper, there's more to it.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16You can see the beautiful book-match Kingwood veneers.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19And look at this, a wonderful fitted interior.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22There's another door to open.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24And this takes you virtually into another world.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Look at this. This mirrored interior here,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30which looks a lot deeper than it actually is.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32There's an illusion in there, which is wonderful,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36it makes you actually travel deep into this cabinet.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Now, this could be used as an altar.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41And let me show you something in the fitted interior.
0:36:41 > 0:36:46If I just take a couple of these little tiny drawers out.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Now, that one is that deep.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50If I pull this one out...
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Look at the depth of that one.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54That tells me something.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59That tells me that if I pull something in here...
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Look at that, there's a little tiny box on a slide.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07That went behind that draw.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12There you could hide away religious artefacts and reliquaries
0:37:12 > 0:37:14to use for Holy Communion.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18I think that is rather stunning.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19The condition is superb
0:37:19 > 0:37:22and these wonderful book-match veneers, as you can see,
0:37:22 > 0:37:27all of these are just cross sections of small branches, all hand-cut.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32Planed down by hand to a thickness of around about 1.5 millimetres,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and then glued precisely to mirror and echo each other.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And it speaks volumes of the craftsmanship.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Back in the day, that would have cost a great deal of money.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Today, it's probably worth a small fortune.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45And right now we're going to find out
0:37:45 > 0:37:48exactly what our pieces are worth over in the auction rooms.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50And here's a quick recap, just to jog your memory,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52of all the items going under the hammer.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00At our valuation day in St Albans Cathedral,
0:38:00 > 0:38:02John's regal plinth baffled everyone.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Charles loved Isabel's silver buttons
0:38:06 > 0:38:08when he spotted them in Morecambe.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13And finally, Doreen has big hopes for a little Japanese netsuke,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15valued in Grimsby Minster.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Remember, it's old ivory, so perfectly legal to sell.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29So, it's time to sell.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31And first we're returning to Tring Market Auctions
0:38:31 > 0:38:33for John's unusual plinth.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Two of you want it. 50...
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Auctioneer Stephen Hearn's still on the rostrum.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Going under the hammer now, one of my favourite lots of the day.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45I fell in love with this coronation plinth.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47It's a proper decorator's lot.
0:38:47 > 0:38:48- And I know you won't miss it.- No.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Because you've had a copy made of it.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Well, I loved it so much I had a copy made, yes.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Dad's done that, look. Oh, it's gone.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58- It's over there.- It's over there. - Oh, there it is. It was behind me.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Yeah, my father worked in a film studio,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02he got the property men to make it out of spare bits of wood.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04- Yeah.- So now I've got that forever for me.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Good, good luck. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08Here we go.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09How about 100 for it?
0:39:09 > 0:39:1150 for it? 40?
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Five. 50. Five.
0:39:13 > 0:39:1560. Five, sir?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17At £60, then, going...
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Surely one more? No.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20- Are you sure?- It's amazing.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Down, then, for £60.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Leave that one, thank you very much.
0:39:25 > 0:39:26No, he's not going to sell it.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29He was asking for 60, he said we'll leave that one.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31OK. That's fine.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33I can love it for a bit longer.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Do you know what? I'm shocked. Absolutely shocked.
0:39:36 > 0:39:37Well, look, now you've got two.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I've got two now, yeah. I was thinking of making that one into a coffee table.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42That's a good idea. That's big enough.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46- And then you can put the other one on top, you see.- That's it! Yes.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52Next we're travelling to Silverwoods in Clitheroe,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55where auctioneer Wilf Mould's the man of the moment.
0:39:55 > 0:39:5790 is on the books. 95 in the room.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00He is about to sell Isabel's buttons.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03I never thought I'd say this, but the next lot I absolutely adore.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06I really do, believe me, and I'm not a button person.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10- Would you wear them, Paul?- No, they're not for a guy, are they?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Unless you went back in time to sort of, you know, the late 1600s.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16They've got that Rococo style to them, nice and fussy,
0:40:16 > 0:40:19but I think they're brilliant. Absolutely... Yeah.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22And I tell you what, if I was a girl I'd buy these.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24- Good.- And I'd sew them onto a jacket or blazer or something.
0:40:24 > 0:40:27Because I think they're fun. So who's going to buy these buttons?
0:40:27 > 0:40:30Let's find out. There's not many women in the room, is there?
0:40:30 > 0:40:32- No.- Hopefully they'll go online to a collector.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35We're going to find out right now. This is it.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Right, this set of six silver buttons.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Who'll start me at, what, £70 for these?
0:40:39 > 0:40:41£70? Or 60, then?
0:40:41 > 0:40:42- Come on.- 60, and be quick.
0:40:42 > 0:40:4435. 35, 38, 40, £40.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47£40. 42. 45.
0:40:47 > 0:40:4945. 48 and 50.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51£50. 55. 60 this time.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54£60 is in the room.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- Good.- £60 from the lady.
0:40:56 > 0:40:5765 from anybody else.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Who wants these? I'm selling away at £60.
0:41:02 > 0:41:03That's a good round figure, isn't it?
0:41:03 > 0:41:05£10 a button, everyone's thought.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- We're pleased, aren't we? - That's fine. Yes.- They've gone.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- Yes.- And it was a pleasant find, wasn't it?- It was.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14I think Isabel was happy with that.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Now, for our final item, we're returning to Lincoln,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20but this time John Leat is wielding the gavel,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23and hoping to make a good price for Doreen's little netsuke.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28It may be small, but it's extremely beautiful.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29I'm talking about Doreen's netsuke.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31It's going under the hammer right now.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Not a lot of money, around £100-£200,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36but did you hear what Michael said?
0:41:36 > 0:41:38In good condition maybe 600.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41- Yeah.- That was cruel, wasn't it? - That's a tease.- Twisting the knife.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43That is a tease, but do you know what?
0:41:43 > 0:41:45The carving, the rope work is superb.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47So, fingers crossed. Ready for this?
0:41:47 > 0:41:48- Yes.- I'm going to enjoy this.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Let's hope for top money on this, because it's exquisite.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54It's going under the hammer now.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Nice little quality carving, this one, and I'll start it at £80.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59At £80 here with me. £80, on the commission with 80.
0:41:59 > 0:42:0290. 95. 100.
0:42:02 > 0:42:03And ten. 120.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04130.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05140.
0:42:05 > 0:42:06150.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08160 on the internet, 160. Anybody else that wants it?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11150 on the internet.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13180 now. 180 on the net. Anyone else...?
0:42:13 > 0:42:14180, yes, come on.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16On the internet, 190.
0:42:16 > 0:42:17At £200 on the internet.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Anyone else at two? At 220 now. At 220 on the internet.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Anybody else at 220? At 220?
0:42:21 > 0:42:23Are you all done? I'm going to sell it.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25£220, all done, then?
0:42:25 > 0:42:29- Yes, £220.- Fabulous. - And that was a real work of art.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32It's a brilliant price, but I still think that was a bargain.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34But that's just the market, the way it is.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36I'm thrilled with that.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37Brilliant. Brilliant.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Oh, good, and thank you for bringing it in, as well.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40Thank you.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Well, that's it for today's show.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54I've had a marvellous time here at Coughton Court,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58learning all about the house and the family's ups and downs.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00And we've also had our downs and ups
0:43:00 > 0:43:03in auction rooms across the country.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06I was particularly pleased with Doreen's Japanese netsuke.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08That was a little gem that did particularly well.
0:43:08 > 0:43:09If you've got something like that,
0:43:09 > 0:43:12bring it along to one of our valuation days.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15So, until the next time, it's goodbye.