0:00:02 > 0:00:04For over 900 years,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07this beautifully decorated church has dominated its surroundings.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Its long history is reflected in a mixture of architectural styles that
0:00:11 > 0:00:12make up the building.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16From the Norman period, right through to its great Victorian restoration.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18There's even a recent addition.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Carved in stone is the head of the late Queen Mother,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25there in the west porch, which sits comfortably alongside all
0:00:25 > 0:00:28the other carvings over the centuries.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30So, what is this special place?
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Well, today the show is coming from the magnificent
0:00:33 > 0:00:36St Albans Cathedral and Abbey.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39It really is so special. I feel like I'm in heaven.
0:00:39 > 0:00:40Welcome to Flog It!
0:01:04 > 0:01:08St Albans Cathedral and Abbey in Hertfordshire is a striking church,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12which is packed to the rafters with beautiful decor and art.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16From its many ceilings, which are both painted and ornately carved,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19to its glorious stained-glass windows, the intricate
0:01:19 > 0:01:22high altar screen, this cathedral really is a stunner.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28We're hoping this crowd have brought along an abundance of antiques and
0:01:28 > 0:01:32treasures that have the wow factor and I can tell you this lot are
0:01:32 > 0:01:34champing at the bit to get inside,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37because they want to ask that all-important question, which is...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- ALL:- What's it worth?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41And if you're happy with the valuation, what are you going to do?
0:01:41 > 0:01:44- ALL:- Flog it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46MUSIC PLAYS
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And to help put a value on Hertfordshire's antiques
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and collectables are our experts, Claire Rawle and Jonathan Pratt,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57and it looks as though Claire has already spotted something of interest...
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Oh, right, cor, that's a magnificent one, isn't it?
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Lovely brass and very large carriage clock type, isn't it?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04Can I sticker you? I rather like that.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08..whilst it's Jonathan himself who is causing a stir in the queue.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10How are you?
0:02:10 > 0:02:13All the better for seeing you!
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- Gosh, he's blushing, isn't he? - No, I don't... It's hot out here, isn't it?
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Right, time to get back to the antiques and collectables, Jonathan.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24So, let's get this show on the road.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27While everyone gets inside and makes themselves comfortable,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30here's a quick look at what's coming up later.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Landing on our tables is a beautifully carved Arts & Crafts
0:02:34 > 0:02:35bowl with a fabulous pedigree.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39It's got quite an interesting history, hasn't it, this one?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42All associated with George Bernard Shaw.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44And there are some happy owners at the auction.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- Brilliant, yeah. - A good night out on that.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48You will, I bet you... I bet you will.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And I'll be taking the short trip north from St Albans to this
0:02:53 > 0:02:57medieval cave that lies beneath the streets of a small town called Royston.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00The walls are adorned with many religious figures,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03but who carved these images is something of a mystery.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Everyone is taking their seats here in the nave at St Albans Cathedral
0:03:10 > 0:03:15and Abbey, which lays claim to being the longest nave in England and one
0:03:15 > 0:03:19of the longest in Europe, at a whopping 85 metres.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Well, I think this space is absolutely fabulous, warm and embracing.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Believe it or not, this nave didn't look like this back in the medieval period.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34These subtle stone walls would have been brightly coloured,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38adorned with many wall paintings depicting biblical scenes,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42and it's said that one pilgrim of the period entered the cathedral
0:03:42 > 0:03:46and when he saw this, he fell to his knees and thought he'd arrived in heaven.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52Let's hope Jonathan is also in paradise with his first valuation.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So, Elizabeth, you've brought this mirror along for me.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56- Yes.- Do you know anything about it?
0:03:56 > 0:03:59All I know is it belonged to one of my grandparents and it came,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01I thought it came, from my grandmother's house.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Why are you selling it?- Well, it is just always stood down the
0:04:04 > 0:04:06side of the cupboard as far as I can...
0:04:06 > 0:04:09My mother died 12 years ago and it's just stayed there.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I hadn't liked the colour of the surround,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15so it didn't go with anything where we lived, so, um,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I like the actual design, but not the colour.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19I haven't put it up on the wall.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- It's never hung on the wall in 12 years.- No, exactly.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24I don't remember it hanging on my mother's wall, either.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Well, age wise it's late 19th century, OK?
0:04:27 > 0:04:28It's very much in the Arts & Crafts style.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33It's handmade, hand beaten, which was very much the sort of ethic
0:04:33 > 0:04:35of the Arts & Crafts movement.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38You've got this planished ground, hand beaten ground,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and then raised flowers.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43There's a symmetry to it, which gives you that sort of
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Arts & Crafts, more than like an Art Nouveau.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It's very much more English Arts & Crafts.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50These little panels here, these little cabochons, little bosses,
0:04:50 > 0:04:51are glazed pottery.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Normally it's Ruskin pottery. Very much of the time.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56It's quite nicely made, actually.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It's very simply made. You see these and you think of Newlyn,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02where there was a big sort of industry down there,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05or up in the Keswick School, who did a lot of this sort of thing,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08or the magic name would be Liberty's, if you could find that,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10but it's not Liberty's, I'm afraid.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11It would be great if it was.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14But style wise, it's very nice, late 19th century.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18I think at auction, it's going to be worth between £100 and £150.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19OK.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- How does that sound?- I thought it might be more.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Yeah, it could be a little bit more.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I could be a little bit more generous, I could say £150 to £250.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31I wouldn't want to go too much more than that.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- It could make more than £200.- Right. But we'll put a reserve of £150 on
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- it and let's see what happens at the auction.- OK.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Thank you very much.- Thank you very much, see you then.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45What a beautiful Arts & Crafts mirror to get us started,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and it would seem that school is very much in vogue today.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Robert, you've brought in this beautifully carved Arts & Crafts
0:05:53 > 0:05:57style wooden bowl. It's got quite an interesting history, hasn't it, this?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59So tell me what you know about it.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Um, all associated with George Bernard Shaw.
0:06:01 > 0:06:08- Right.- He died in the 1950s and his effects were auctioned off and my
0:06:08 > 0:06:11mother attended the auction and purchased this.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19George Bernard Shaw saw out his days in Hertfordshire at Shaw's Corner,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22which isn't a million miles away from St Albans.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Shaw was hugely famous in his own lifetime and was known as a
0:06:26 > 0:06:30socialist propagandist, literary critic and prolific dramatist,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32whose work includes the play Pygmalion,
0:06:32 > 0:06:37which was later adapted into the popular musical, My Fair Lady.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Shaw was the only person to win both the Nobel prize
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and an Academy Award.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48Goodbye, goodbye all of you.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50The interesting thing is that on the side, here,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53we've got a raised cartouche with initials carved into it and you
0:06:53 > 0:06:55believe they're the initials of his wife?
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- CPT?- Yes, Charlotte Payne-Townshend.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02As soon as I saw it I thought, wow, that's just beautiful.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Things at the moment from the Arts & Crafts era
0:07:04 > 0:07:05is just going crazy.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09People love it. Of course, Bernard Shaw himself had quite
0:07:09 > 0:07:12a tie, he was friendly with William Morris,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and, of course, his wife was also a member of the Fabian Society.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19They eventually married, I think I I'm right in saying, about 1898.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22The interesting thing is that this bowl is very, very much from that
0:07:22 > 0:07:27period, so it would be really nice to think it was something that was
0:07:27 > 0:07:30crafted specifically for her at about that time.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33It's very... Well, I say typical, it is very much a one-off piece,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36but this sort of naturalistic work, lovely flowing lines,
0:07:36 > 0:07:37plants and things there.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Their idea was to go back to very naturalistic,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44very pure ways of making things and very natural items that had appeared
0:07:44 > 0:07:46in history hundreds of years before.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50So it just ties in really well with the Arts & Crafts movement.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51It's got a few splits on it.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54That's where the wood has just dried out over the years,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56which I think is part of its character, really.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57I don't see it as being a huge problem.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59The only thing I'm slightly...
0:07:59 > 0:08:02A bit of a query, it's got a lip on the inside.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Usually that means there would have been a cover,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09however I think it stands alone as a lovely decorative piece.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12We need to talk about value which is quite difficult, because it has a
0:08:12 > 0:08:16good history, a very good connection, a very interesting connection,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18so it would be lovely to know who actually carved it.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It's somebody with some skill, because it's beautifully carved.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I think a sensible estimate would be £300-£400.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- But we could see it make a lot more. - So my mother did the right thing?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29I think your mum did, didn't she?
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Yes. She obviously had a good eye.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I would suggest putting the lower end of the estimate as a reserve.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- If you're happy with that? - I'm fine with that.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Excellent. I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- Yes.- And see what everyone else thinks about it.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Earlier in the programme, I was telling you that during the medieval
0:08:55 > 0:08:59period, this cathedral would have been a blaze, a riot of colour,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01looking down the nave right now and seeing all the stonework.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06You would've seen wall paintings covering them with bright chromatic hue.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It was storytelling at its best, but sadly during the reign of
0:09:09 > 0:09:13King Henry VIII and the reformation, all of these wall paintings were
0:09:13 > 0:09:14covered up with a whitewash.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18They weren't rediscovered until, well, over 300 years later.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23Sadly the process of removing this lime based whitewash destroyed a lot
0:09:23 > 0:09:26of the detail and the colour in the storytelling,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29but you can still make out some of the images.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32If you look up here, you can see a representation of Christ.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Of course, this story was very important to the Christians during
0:09:36 > 0:09:37the medieval period.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And here, on this pillar, another very important man,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44a local man, Alban, who sacrificed himself to save a Christian priest.
0:09:44 > 0:09:51He became the first martyr in this country and the cathedral is named after him.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55What fascinating wall paintings.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Right now an impressive piece of art has found its way to Jonathan's
0:09:58 > 0:10:00valuation table.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Tony, what have we got here?
0:10:02 > 0:10:03This is a wonderful little autograph book.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Yes. On the first page, there, you'll see a drawing made by
0:10:07 > 0:10:11Dame Laura Knight in 1950 when I was a kid.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16She was staying in the same hotel at Colwell that my mother and my sister
0:10:16 > 0:10:20and I were staying and that's the picture she drew.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25She must have had a word with my mother and maybe she was asked to
0:10:25 > 0:10:27draw a picture, but I mean she drew it willingly,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and as you can see, it's very good.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33You get autograph books and they're full of autographs and it's always
0:10:33 > 0:10:35wonderful when the person does embelish it.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37For her to have drawn you this figure here,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39which is very much the subject she was dealing with...
0:10:39 > 0:10:44She was very much known for her work with theatre and circus
0:10:44 > 0:10:47performance and things like that, so she's drawn this French clown,
0:10:47 > 0:10:49the sort of Pierrot type clown.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52You can see it's done continuous line.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54She is a collectable artist now.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57She was the official artist for the Nuburg trials
0:10:57 > 0:10:58after the Second World War.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- Yeah.- Do you remember her being there with you doing this?
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Yes. She drew it whilst we were watching.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09She would've been in her early 60s in 1950.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10She signed it Laura Knight.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12But at this time, also, she was a dame.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14A dame is pretty much the highest accolade.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18It's the female version of a knighthood.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- Yes.- She has just signed it Laura Knight,
0:11:20 > 0:11:23which is kind of humble in a way.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Because she's an artist, she doesn't want to be...
0:11:25 > 0:11:28From what one remembers, she was extremely pleasant.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31That is really nice to hear.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35Because it's drawn into a book like this, it is a work of art rather
0:11:35 > 0:11:39than an autograph, so I'm looking at it as a signed work of art,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42so it's very astute of your mum to say,
0:11:42 > 0:11:43"Would you mind doing a drawing, as well?"
0:11:43 > 0:11:45I think that is really brilliant.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47I notice also in here that...
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The other page there is the women cricketers who were having their
0:11:51 > 0:11:54fortnight in Colwell as well at the time.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58The signatures there are Myrtle Maclagan and Betty Snowball.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I think both played in the first-ever women's Test
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- and that was before the war.- Right.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Molly Hyde, who is at the top there,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08she was the England ladies captain at the time.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09It's an interesting collection.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I think there is a great interest now in ladies cricket.
0:12:12 > 0:12:17My advice would be, and I hope you don't think I'm going to willingly destroy...
0:12:17 > 0:12:18if you decided to sell,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23we get this page removed and sold as a separate lot.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- Would you consider that?- Absolutely. - I see this as a piece of modern art.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31I see this as something which will ultimately, one day, be hanging on a wall.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34My feeling, this is probably worth about £150-£200.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38I think that probably, that little group, is about £40-£60.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I think confidently a reserve of, let's say,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44£140 on the Dame Laura Knight and sell the ladies cricket team
0:12:45 > 0:12:47without reserve and see what happens.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- That's absolutely fine.- Fantastic.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53I am very pleased to have seen such an exciting object here at St Albans.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- Thank you very much for bringing it along today.- You're welcome.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04We're having a fantastic time here at St Albans Cathedral and Abbey and
0:13:04 > 0:13:08our experts have already found some amazing things, so it's time to test
0:13:08 > 0:13:11their valuations as we pay our first visit to the auction room.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Here's a quick reminder of the items we're taking with us.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Elizabeth's Arts & Crafts mirror has stood by the side of a cupboard
0:13:20 > 0:13:24for the past 12 years, so now it's time to find a wall for it to hang on.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Purchased at an auction of George Bernard Shaw's effects,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32it appears Robert's beautifully carved wooden bowl bears the
0:13:32 > 0:13:34initials of Shaw's wife.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39Finally, Tony's drawing of a French clown by Dame Laura Knight,
0:13:39 > 0:13:40is a superb piece of modern art,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and let's not forget the lady cricketers autographs,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45which were also in the same book.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55We are staying in Hertfordshire to sell our items but we're heading
0:13:55 > 0:13:59west from St Albans to Tring Market Auctions based on the edge
0:13:59 > 0:14:02of the Chiltern Hills in the small town of Tring.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Gosh, there's about three salerooms all working at once.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12There's the collectables here, we've got the antiques here.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14In a moment, Stephen Hearn's getting on the rostrum.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16I'm going to catch up with our owners.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Fingers crossed. Don't go away. We could have one or two big surprises.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20Let's get on with it.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Remember, whether you are buying or selling,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28there's always commission and VAT to pay at every auction.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Here, if you're selling, the rate is between ten and 15%.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Stephen Hearn is on the rostrum wielding his gavel,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38so it's time to test the first of our valuations.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Tony, thank you so much for coming along to our valuation day.
0:14:43 > 0:14:44It's great to see you here today.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Tony brought along that wonderful autograph book with the ladies
0:14:47 > 0:14:50cricket team plus Dame Laura Knight which Jonathan valued.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52You kind of valued it in two lots.
0:14:52 > 0:14:53I did originally, yes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57The auction has decided to sell it as one lot with the album because if
0:14:57 > 0:15:00one of those lots like the ladies cricket team didn't sell, it would
0:15:00 > 0:15:04be very hard to send back to you in half, wouldn't it?
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Hey, it's going under the hammer right now.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Give me £150 for it.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12100 for it. 100.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16At ten, 110. 120, 130, perhaps?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Yes. 130. £40, now? No?
0:15:20 > 0:15:24130, it's going to sell at £130.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27- Thank you.- Well done, sold. Thank you for bringing that in.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31It's been a real pleasure for myself and Jonathan to muse over that.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33That's nice, isn't it?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38There was no danger of Tony having to take that item back home.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Next under the gavel is that fabulous Gothic wooden bowl
0:15:42 > 0:15:47which we believe has the initials of George Bernard Shaw's wife carved on it.
0:15:49 > 0:15:50Why are you selling this, Robert?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Well, I fear that in a few years' time it may have disintegrated.
0:15:57 > 0:15:58Woodworm is eating away.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00That is as good a reason as any.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Let's see if we can make that £300.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09What about £500 for it? No? No £500?
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I thought we were going to start there. 400? 300?
0:16:13 > 0:16:14Anybody got £100?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16£100?
0:16:16 > 0:16:2320, 120, 50, 80, 200, 220.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25250?
0:16:25 > 0:16:30No? 220, then, at £220.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33- Didn't sell.- That is a shame. - Sorry about that.- Don't worry.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37- I don't like these moments. It's awful.- No, no.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39But at least we protected it with the reserve.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42That's the safe thing to do. It hasn't gone for nothing.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It's still yours. There is another day in another auction.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Absolutely.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Finally, Elizabeth's Arts & Crafts mirror has made it onto a wall.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I like the copper work. I like the enamel. Why are you selling it?
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Because we haven't had it up on the wall since I inherited it from my
0:17:02 > 0:17:05mum 12 years ago. So I took a look at it and I thought,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07"Well, perhaps I ought to sell it".
0:17:07 > 0:17:08It doesn't quite suit the decor.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10- That's right.- No. I think this is going to find a new home.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12I like the look of it. Good luck, both of you.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14It's going under the hammer right now.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Let's find out what it makes.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19What about a couple of hundred for that one? Or 150 for it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22100 bid. Yes, 100 we have.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24120, is it? 130.
0:17:24 > 0:17:2640. Two of you want it.
0:17:26 > 0:17:2750. Thank you.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- Brilliant, it's sold.- 160, 70, 80.
0:17:31 > 0:17:3390. It's got to be two, hasn't it?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36£200 now. And ten, is it?
0:17:36 > 0:17:40No. It's going then, I shall sell. For £200, then.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- Thank you.- I was going to say the gavel's gone down but he's not using
0:17:44 > 0:17:45a gavel. The pen's going down.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Sold. Elizabeth, it's gone, £200,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and what we always say is quality always sells.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- Absolutely.- And when the porter was holding that up,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55that bevel caught the light and it shimmered everywhere.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And that was a sign of good quality. That's going to find a new home.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- Good.- So thank you for bringing that in.- It's a pleasure.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04£200 now, ten, is it?
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Well, there you are, that's our first visit to the auction over with,
0:18:07 > 0:18:08with some great results for our owners.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Now, we're coming back here later on in the programme.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Don't go away.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15But before we head back to the valuation day to look for some
0:18:15 > 0:18:17more treasures to put under the hammer,
0:18:17 > 0:18:18I want to show you Royston Cave.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22It's a mysterious site that's baffled people for centuries.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33This is Royston,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36a small market town close to the border of Hertfordshire and
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Cambridgeshire, which, for centuries, has kept a secret.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45To visitors, Royston looks similar to any other small English town.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50But unlike other places, buried almost 30 feet below its streets,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54is a site that has been a mystery to people since it was first discovered
0:18:54 > 0:18:56nearly 300 years ago.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Britain has many fabulous historical sites that tell us about our history
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and the people who have lived here.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Now, one site you may not have heard much about lies behind this rather
0:19:07 > 0:19:09unassuming wooden door.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13It leads underground to a cave which poses more questions than it has answers.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Royston Cave is a man-made chalk cave, unique in Britain for the
0:19:21 > 0:19:25numerous medieval carvings it has on its walls,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29with similar carvings found in Central Europe and the Middle East.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Well, here we are.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37Oh, wow! Once you enter the cave, it really is quite special.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40It's magical. There's something about this place.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Looking at all the carvings on the wall, all the imagery.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Look at this, it's bell-shaped and it's all man made.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Sadly, no historical records exist of who made this cave and what its
0:19:51 > 0:19:56purpose was for, but that hasn't stopped historians and academics
0:19:56 > 0:19:59over the years coming up with all sorts of theories.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03In 1742, the cave was discovered by accident,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05half full of earth and debris.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Unfortunately, the soil was discarded
0:20:07 > 0:20:11which means we have no way of dating the origins of the cave
0:20:11 > 0:20:13with today's technology.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Luckily, we are left with the wonderful carvings
0:20:15 > 0:20:18that help to try to interpret the mystery of the cave,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21and recent research carried out on some of the costume
0:20:21 > 0:20:26and armour carvings date them as far back as the mid-14th century.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Most of the carvings show Christian religious symbols,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32images such as the crucifixion of Christ,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34or the image of St Christopher,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36the patron saint of travellers.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Now this figure is believed to be St George, the patron saint of England.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43And there he is, look, a proud man,
0:20:43 > 0:20:44sort of holding his broadsword up in the air,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46a symbol of strength and power.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48At the top of the sword,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51that's believed to be the 12 disciples with Jesus Christ
0:20:51 > 0:20:56and the one squeezed in there, the small one, that's Judas.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Now this young family, look here,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02that could be Jesus Christ with his parents, Mary and Joseph.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05I particularly love this horse.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07I think that's beautiful, it really is.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11And here, this is a good one, look, it stands out.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13St Catherine with the Catherine wheel.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15She's holding the Catherine wheel up in the air.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19And here, the crucifixion of Christ with onlookers and mourners.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23With the large amount of religious carvings on the wall,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25many historians have speculated
0:21:25 > 0:21:28the cave could have been a secret hideout
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and a meeting place for worship for a group of knights
0:21:31 > 0:21:34who were part of the first Crusades to the Holy Land.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36They were the Knights Templar,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38a powerful religious and military group
0:21:38 > 0:21:43that quickly spread across Europe, often described as warrior monks,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47who protected pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land from attack.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Records from the 12th century tell us the Knights Templar
0:21:50 > 0:21:53had a base nine miles up the road,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56and they would have visited Royston to sell their produce here
0:21:56 > 0:22:00in the markets. Now, I like that theory of the Knights Templar.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I believe in that one.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03But there are many other theories
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and you will have your own if you visit, as well,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09because once you get down here in this cave,
0:22:09 > 0:22:10your imagination runs wild.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It could be a dungeon!
0:22:12 > 0:22:14It could be a secret meeting place.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15It could be a Masonic Lodge.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18It could be some kind of folly that a hermit has created.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Who knows? But all of these wonderful stories
0:22:22 > 0:22:24have made this place flourish.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Not only has Royston Cave baffled many people,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30it has also influenced them, too.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Liz Beardwell is a local artist and for over ten years,
0:22:33 > 0:22:38she has been making prints that echo the carvings found in Royston Cave.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Our surroundings here in the cave,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43all of these carvings in the wall that have been cut into the chalk
0:22:43 > 0:22:45have inspired your work.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Yes. It's interesting how it is kind of, almost a parallel process.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52You've got the solid chalk walls.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57You're carving into it with a knife, a chisel, whatever the artist used.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00And in lino printing, or wood, you're doing the same thing,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04you're carving in and shaping out that figure.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Well, I haven't seen your work yet and I'd love to,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09but I'd also love to have a go, if you don't mind showing me.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Yes, should be good.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11- Come on.- OK, let's go.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18We've walked the short distance to Royston Museum
0:23:18 > 0:23:21to see how Liz makes her cave prints.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25What we've got here is a piece of lino that I use.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I've already started cutting it,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30so we've got the figure of St Christopher beginning to appear.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31And what I need you to do
0:23:31 > 0:23:34is start cutting round the head to make it stand out more.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35OK. Do you trust me?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Here goes. I see you've got some lines I can follow
0:23:40 > 0:23:43and it is very much like cutting into the chalk, isn't it?
0:23:43 > 0:23:44- It is, yes.- Chiselled in.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Carving round the figure, getting the features out.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49And getting that lovely, deep relief.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Exactly, and the ink is going to stay on the top bit
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and where you cut out, it's going to stay white.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Yes. I have done this a couple of times before.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I can see that, actually.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- I kind of like it.- Yes.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03It's really good working with a tool, isn't it?
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Yeah.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- That's really nice. - It's not too bad, is it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- And then...- And the head's really coming out now, yes.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Well, I've added a few lines.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12- Yeah.- And I'm sure you'll work on that later.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15But this one, this is one you prepared earlier,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and I know you're going to print off of that one,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19so I'll let you run through the process.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Excellent, yes.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26First of all, we have to get the right amount of ink.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28This is the first time this has been inked up,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31so it might not come out so well the first time.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32So if you just roll it.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34This is going to be the first time you've seen this.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Yeah, there you are, you see. You see how the image is appearing.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Yeah. Oh, this is exciting.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Yeah.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Do you know what? That looks fabulous.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46What are we going to print it on?
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Well, we've got an even more fabulous thing to print it on.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50It's right here.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53This is a Columbia press.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- Go on, then. - We put the lino on there
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and then you are going to put a piece of paper
0:24:57 > 0:24:59nice and square on the top.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02That's right. This comes down, keeps everything together.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06You have to wind this handle through so if you'd like to do that.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Oh, that runs so smoothly.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It is a fantastic press.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14And it locks into place?
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Yeah, then you pull that across.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21That's it, and then just put it back again.
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Easy, isn't it?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- Shall I lift this up? - Yes, just lift that up.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29If you just lift up the corners.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30- Very carefully.- Yeah.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Oh!
0:25:33 > 0:25:36- No!- No, it's probably fine, absolutely fine.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- There you are. - Brilliant, look at that!
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Made on a Columbia press.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42That is fantastic, isn't it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:44- Yes, aren't you clever?- No, you are.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45- Aren't you clever?- Well...
0:25:45 > 0:25:48It looks a lot better in print than it does in the lino, doesn't it?
0:25:48 > 0:25:51And that's inspired by the Cave.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53- Absolutely. - What, what is your theory?
0:25:53 > 0:25:58I like the theory that it was used to store butter and cheese
0:25:58 > 0:26:03for the market but, then, when the Templars fell out with the Priory Church,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05they started using it as a...
0:26:06 > 0:26:07..chapel. You know,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10you feel it's a special place and I think I like the Knights Templar.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12- I like that.- Well, do you know what?
0:26:12 > 0:26:15I agree with you. And I'm sure there are many, many other theories.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16- Yes.- Liz, thank you very much...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- It's been an absolute pleasure. - ..for showing me around today.
0:26:19 > 0:26:20Yeah, thank you.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26In all likelihood,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29we will probably never know who made Royston Cave
0:26:29 > 0:26:30and all of those carvings,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33but with all the mystery surrounding the Cave,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I'm pretty sure it will continue to attract more theories
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and inspire more people like Liz.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47It's now time to find our final three items
0:26:47 > 0:26:49to take off to the sale room,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52as we pay our second visit to St Albans Cathedral and Abbey.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Back in the nave, as you can see,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59there are still hundreds of people waiting for a valuation.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Are you having a good time?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- Yes!- Well, look, you're nearly at the front of the queue
0:27:03 > 0:27:04so, hopefully, one or two of you
0:27:04 > 0:27:06are going to go home happy and very rich,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09if you go through to the auction later on.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11It's time to find out what other treasures
0:27:11 > 0:27:13our experts have uncovered.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21Over on Claire's valuation table is a collection of paintings.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Noreen, these little cat pictures,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27they're ever so sweet but they're not everyone's cup of tea, are they?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Are you a cat person? - No, dog person.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Oh, right. So you're not terribly fond of these?
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Not particularly.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37They are sweet but not a cat person, no.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41So how come you've actually acquired them if you're not a cat person?
0:27:41 > 0:27:45My mum bought them in the '70s in an antique shop in Scotland
0:27:45 > 0:27:46and at that time, she said,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48"These are valuable, take good care of them".
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Right. So there's five children in the family and I'm the only girl.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55And it's not the kind of thing a boy wants, so I ended up with them!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58OK, well, don't be... Don't be too worried.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00They're actually quite popular.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Do you know who, anything about the artist at all?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Do you know anything about them?
0:28:04 > 0:28:07No, I did have a search on the internet and couldn't find anything.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11OK. Well, they are signed with a monogram, BB, Bessie Bamber,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13who actually came from Birkenhead.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17She worked in the early 20th century, sort of 1900, 1910,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and she specialised in painting cats, kittens,
0:28:20 > 0:28:22and occasionally puppies.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25And the other thing she specialised in is painting on glass
0:28:25 > 0:28:27because these are all painted on opaque glass.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Yes. So if you dropped them, there'd be no picture.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32- Exactly.- It would break.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35She used to make a lot of money, like thousands.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38She used to be very, very expensive.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Like a lot of things, it's coming back a bit.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45However, there is a very strong market for all things feline.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48- Oh, wow.- You know, a lot of people, they are not all doggy people,
0:28:48 > 0:28:50lots of people like felines.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54And actually, I think Bessie captured the character of cats
0:28:54 > 0:28:56and so people that like cats will very often look at a picture
0:28:56 > 0:29:00and think, "Oh, that looks like my cat, I must have it".
0:29:00 > 0:29:03And painting on glass will also bring things to life.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04There has been...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06It was a big fashion for painting on glass in the 19th century.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08The Chinese did it very well much earlier.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11But you get this sort of wonderful background, and this, sort of,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- almost lifelike... I mean, they do, don't they?- They're very lifelike.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Yeah, they're very lifelike, which, if you don't like cats,
0:29:17 > 0:29:18is really quite frightening, really.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24So, I'd put the pair in at 300-500.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27I'd put that one in at 300.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31And that one at about 150-180.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32I'd use lower estimate as the reserve,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34but there's no point in overcooking them.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37- No.- I think they'll do well because they're cats.
0:29:37 > 0:29:38- Yes.- So if you're happy with that?
0:29:38 > 0:29:43- Yes, I am.- Good, OK, I'll see you at the auction.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45I think they'll make a purr-fect present for someone.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46A purr-fect present!
0:29:46 > 0:29:49MUSIC: The Lovecats by The Cure
0:29:49 > 0:29:50Oh, very good, Claire.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Next, Jonathan is examining a piece of jewellery brought in by Pauline.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59- This is a family thing, is it? - Yes, it is.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02My mother inherited it, I presume, from her mother.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04How far back do you think it goes in your family?
0:30:04 > 0:30:06- Well, pre-1900 certainly. - Oh, good, do you really think so?
0:30:06 > 0:30:07Oh, it must be, yes, yes.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10- I mean, that's the age of the piece, as you well know.- Yeah.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12It dates from the late part of the 19th century.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14There's a great deal of popularity
0:30:14 > 0:30:17for this kind of star type of emblem.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18It's meant to be worn as a pendant.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22You've got this little bail here and then this little fitting below,
0:30:22 > 0:30:24which is in gold, grain set,
0:30:24 > 0:30:28with little seed pearls on the radiating points
0:30:28 > 0:30:30- and a little diamond in the middle. - Yes.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33What I love about jewellery like this,
0:30:33 > 0:30:35you often see them just loose in a jewellery box,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and what I love about it is you've got the original case for it.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39She has the box, yes.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41And it's a nice case at that -
0:30:41 > 0:30:45you know, little gilded edge on the top of it, leather. So nice quality.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I like the colour of the interior. It's very a la mode,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and it's cut out which I think is always a very nice thing.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54You know, they cut out the velvet interior to fit it,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57- so you know it's original cos it fits it.- Yes.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59You often see this sort of thing for watch cases and larger jewellery,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- but it's quite nice to see it for a little piece like this.- Yes.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05It's not terribly big but beautifully made.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06So what one looks for...
0:31:06 > 0:31:09On the back here, we've got in a rectangle, 15 -
0:31:09 > 0:31:1015 carat gold.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14- And it was used for better quality pieces of jewellery.- Mm.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17And then we've got a maker's stamp on there as well.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19- And obviously you know, because you've seen this...- Yes.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24..you've got a very tiny little pin which I think is really sweet.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26So what you can do is open the pin up,
0:31:26 > 0:31:30- slide off the bail and then you can wear it...- Yes.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32..just as a little star brooch.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34It's more saleable as a pendant, really,
0:31:34 > 0:31:35because that's more wearable today.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Ladies will wear a necklace rather than a brooch so much.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41But it's just lovely condition, beautifully presented.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Why do you want to sell it?
0:31:43 > 0:31:46It's been sitting in a drawer, in the box, for years and years.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I've worn it two or three times.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52I think it needs to go to somebody who will wear it and use it a lot.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56When we come to the value of it, I think it's worth about £100.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01- Right.- I would suggest an estimate of 80 to 120, a reserve of £80.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05And I think in the auction, because it's so nicely presented,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07because it's such a nice condition
0:32:07 > 0:32:09compared to the other ones of similar antique jewellery,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11it would be the one that everyone wants to go for.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- Excellent, thank you.- But I love it. Thank you for bringing it along.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- Thank you very much.- Next stop, auction.- Next stop, auction.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Unlike the wall paintings I showed you earlier,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29which were slightly hard to make out and faded,
0:32:29 > 0:32:31these nave screen statues are brightly coloured,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34and they give you a good idea of how the cathedral
0:32:34 > 0:32:37would have been decorated back in the medieval period.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39However, they aren't centuries-old.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44Instead, they were made recently and were installed in 2015.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47And it's believed they are the first coloured statues
0:32:47 > 0:32:50to have been restored to a medieval screen
0:32:50 > 0:32:53since the Reformation in the 16th century.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55The statues are of seven martyrs,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58four of which have local connections,
0:32:58 > 0:33:01and include St Alban, who the cathedral is named after.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03And the other three are modern martyrs
0:33:03 > 0:33:05and include St Elisabeth Romanov,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07who was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12It took five years from start to finish to complete the statues.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15The painting alone took five and a half months
0:33:15 > 0:33:19and the colour palette used was taken from the faded wall paintings.
0:33:19 > 0:33:20These martyrs are made of stone,
0:33:20 > 0:33:24but the nave screen wouldn't support the weight if they were solid,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27so they've individually been hollowed out.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29The martyr on the end, Dietrich Bonhoeffer -
0:33:29 > 0:33:32around 14 stone has been hollowed out from him.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35He was a Lutheran pastor who opposed the Nazis,
0:33:35 > 0:33:37and he was thrown into a concentration camp.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40But you have to admire the exquisite detail.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43When you look at them, they are so lifelike.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45And I admire this attention to detail
0:33:45 > 0:33:48because I've been told that Dietrich was taken to a local optician
0:33:48 > 0:33:51to be measured up for those spectacles.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Now that's attention to detail.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59And back over on the tables, Claire is focusing in on a collectable.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04Jenny, it's lovely to see you here today,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06and thank you so much for bringing your clock in.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Now, here we are, standing in this wonderful cathedral,
0:34:09 > 0:34:11which dates from the 11th century.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12Very, very ancient.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15And your clock, really, is a comparative newcomer.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18It's really quite modern in comparison but it is 19th century,
0:34:18 > 0:34:22- which is actually quite old, isn't it, really?- Yeah.- Yes, yeah.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25So it's rather magnificent and actually, it's very heavy, isn't it?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- It's very heavy.- Very heavy.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30So you obviously staggered in with it today. Tell me a bit about it.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33- What's the history? - Well, my father-in-law bought it,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35and then he gave it to my husband.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38I think we've had it for about 35 years,
0:34:38 > 0:34:40but we've never had it out!
0:34:40 > 0:34:42- Oh, really? - It's always been put away.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44What, you've never actually had it out working at all?
0:34:44 > 0:34:47- No, never, never.- Really? What, do you just not like it or...?
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Well, we did, but my husband just liked clocks
0:34:49 > 0:34:52but he never seemed to put it out. He just put it away.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- OK.- So I don't know. So I got it out today.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- Sort of dragged out from the cupboard?- Yeah.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00But I think it's actually quite magnificent.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- It's obviously in the design of a carriage clock.- It is, yes.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Strictly speaking, it's known as a timepiece rather than a clock
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- because it doesn't strike.- Right. - It's purely telling the time.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13It doesn't do anything fancy, like ring bells or gongs or anything.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16But it absolutely sings quality, doesn't it?
0:35:16 > 0:35:18- It's a lovely, lovely thing. - Yes, it's very nice.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21It really is and I'll tell you what's also really nice.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23This is a brass case that's been lacquered,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27- and the colour it's sort of acquired over the years is wonderful.- Yes.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30I like also the handle with this simple,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33almost like sort of palmette casting there.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Another sign of quality in clocks is the bevelled glass.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40You've got the lovely bevelled glass panels, which is part of its weight.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43- Yeah, yeah. - A lovely silvered dial
0:35:43 > 0:35:45with beautiful engraved decoration on it.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48And then you've got the retailer's name.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50- That's right, yeah. - So Martin & Co.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52- It has a very good movement in it. - Yes.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55- It has what's known as a chain-driven fusee...- Yes.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57..and the chain would control the spring
0:35:57 > 0:35:59and only allow it to release steadily,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02- so it made it much more accurate. - Right.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Chain-driven, again, more expensive than the gut-driven ones.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08- So it was an expensive clock in its day.- Right.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11The clock market is a little fickle at the moment.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Yeah, I understand.- There's a lot of clocks that aren't selling anything
0:36:14 > 0:36:17like they used to, partly because there are fewer and fewer people
0:36:17 > 0:36:19who will put them right if they go wrong.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Had you got a figure in mind at all?
0:36:22 > 0:36:25- I thought about £500.- Yeah.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28- But they say it might go a bit lower.- Yeah.- But I don't mind.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33I think a sensible estimate at auction would be 300 to 400.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- OK.- So we're not that far away. - No, we're not. No, that's fine.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So if you're happy with that, we'll put a fixed reserve of 280 on it.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40- Yeah, please. - I shall really look forward
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- to seeing you at the auction. - Yeah, OK, thank you.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And, yeah, I think it'll do very well indeed.
0:36:46 > 0:36:47- Oh, good. I hope so.- Yeah.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Well, there you are. That's it. Our work is nearly done here.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction
0:37:02 > 0:37:05so we have to say goodbye to St Albans Cathedral and Abbey.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08But right now, we're going to put those valuations to the test.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Here's a quick recap of all the items
0:37:10 > 0:37:13that are coming with us off to auction.
0:37:16 > 0:37:17Noreen isn't much of a cat person,
0:37:17 > 0:37:21so it's time for her collection of Bessie Bamber paintings on glass
0:37:21 > 0:37:23to find a new home.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28Star-shaped, 15 carat gold with seed pearls and a diamond in the middle
0:37:28 > 0:37:32and if that wasn't enough, Pauline's pendant boasts its original box.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36And, finally, we are selling Jenny's carriage clock,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39which is brass lacquered with silvered dial, bevelled glass
0:37:39 > 0:37:43and a good movement, so it really has it all going on.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54To test our three final valuations,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56we're heading back to Tring Market Auctions.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04First under Stephen Hearn's gavel is those glass paintings.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Well, if you like your pussycats, your little furry friends,
0:38:08 > 0:38:10you're going to love our next three lots.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13They're all by Bessie Bamber. Beautiful works of art.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15They belong to Noreen, who sadly cannot be with us,
0:38:15 > 0:38:20but we do have our expert, Claire, and her best friend, Margueritte.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22And you've known her for about 10, 12 years or so?
0:38:22 > 0:38:25- Ten years, yeah.- Yeah, wow.- She was my neighbour and is my best friend.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- And she's on holiday, I gather? - She is.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29- Where's she gone? - She's gone to Scotland.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Right, OK, so you're here, standing in for her.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Do you like these?
0:38:33 > 0:38:34- Honestly?- Honestly.
0:38:34 > 0:38:35- No.- No, you don't have to do.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Well, that's the great thing about art. It's so subjective.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39It's an arbitrary concept.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41What I like, you may not like and vice versa.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43And I'm sure there's plenty of you out there
0:38:43 > 0:38:45that do love these little pussycat pictures.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Right, let's find a new owner for these cats, shall we?
0:38:48 > 0:38:51The first picture is going under the hammer right now.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54What do we say for this one?
0:38:54 > 0:38:56250 to kick it off. 200 for it, then.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58150, I'm bid for it.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00160, I have. 180, I have.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02200, I'm bid. 220.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04And 50. And 80, is it?
0:39:04 > 0:39:07At 280. 300.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08At £300 then, it's going.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09We're selling.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11I shall sell for £300.
0:39:11 > 0:39:12Thank you.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14- Excellent.- First one.- Well done.
0:39:14 > 0:39:15- First one down. - Good start, isn't it?
0:39:15 > 0:39:18- You'll be able to tell her later on, you can ring her up.- Yes, I will.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Right, now we have three kittens playing.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23100 for it. 80 for it. 90, 100.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25And ten has it. And 20.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27And 30 has it now.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29140. 150.
0:39:29 > 0:39:30- Thank you very much.- Well done.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32- £150 then.- Just!
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Down it goes then for the £150.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36Thank you, sir.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Brilliant auctioneering, Stephen. Two down, one to go.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41Again, the subject is kittens.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44There we are. What shall we say, £400 this time?
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Or three, or two?
0:39:46 > 0:39:47150, thank you.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50- 150 then.- Right, we're in.- 160.- OK.
0:39:50 > 0:39:5270, 80. 190 I have now.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54£200. And ten?
0:39:54 > 0:39:56210 we have now.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57220.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59230.
0:39:59 > 0:40:0040, 50.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Yeah. 60, 70.
0:40:02 > 0:40:0480. 90.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06At 290... 300.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- Sold. - You've got to go over the top.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10At £300, then.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11- Thank you.- Brilliant.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15That's £750, all at the lower end, but all sold.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16- That's the main thing.- Yeah.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- Yeah.- You can get on the phone and tell her.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Yeah. Yes, yes, I will.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24I'm sure the new owner of those Bessie Bamber paintings
0:40:24 > 0:40:27feels like the cat that got the cream.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Next under the gavel is Pauline's star-shaped pendant.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34It's got everything going for it.
0:40:34 > 0:40:35Why are you selling it?
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Because it's been sitting in a drawer,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39it's been in its box in a drawer and it's not been used.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41- OK, and you don't wear it? - It's not been worn at all, no, no.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- It was my mother's.- Brooches fall in and out of fashion, don't they?
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Anyway, look, this one's going under the hammer right now.
0:40:47 > 0:40:48Let's find it a new home. Here it goes.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51What about that one?
0:40:51 > 0:40:53100 for it, or 50 for it.
0:40:53 > 0:40:54Yes, 60 I have.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55- 70 bid.- We're in.- 80 bid.
0:40:55 > 0:40:5890 bid. 90, I'm bid for that one, then.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59£100 now.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Going, then, to sell at £90.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Thank you.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08- Spot-on, Jonathan.- There we are - did it.- You said 80 to 120.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- That was nice and quick as well. - It was.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13It was, actually, wasn't it? Blink and you'll miss that.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14- Well done.- Thank you very much.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- Well done.- And thank you, Jonathan. - You're welcome.- Thank you.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19# We're gonna rock around the clock tonight... #
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Now for our final lot of the day.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27# We're gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight. #
0:41:27 > 0:41:28Well, tick-tock, time is up.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30No, don't disappear, don't go away, keep watching.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33We're just about to sell Jenny's mantel clock or carriage clock.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- It's a bit of both, really, cos it's quite a large one.- It is.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38But I'll tell you what, it's got the look.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Now, why are you selling this?
0:41:40 > 0:41:42I've got two boys and I can't split it.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44- No.- So it's going. - It's got to go.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46It's going under the hammer right now,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49and I'm sure it's going to find a new home.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Right, very good clock.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53I don't know, where shall we start?
0:41:53 > 0:41:55£300, shall we start, for it?
0:41:55 > 0:41:57Yes. I've got it. I thought you'd like that.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59300 we're bid, then?
0:41:59 > 0:42:00320 is it? Yes?
0:42:00 > 0:42:04350. 380. 400.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05420, I have it.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08And 450. 480. 500 now.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11You're out. 520, we have it.
0:42:11 > 0:42:12Are you 50?
0:42:12 > 0:42:13600, he says.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15620. 50?
0:42:15 > 0:42:17At £650, then.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20- Jenny, £650.- Yes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21- Ooh!- Amazing.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24720, is it? 720.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26Ding-dong! THEY LAUGH
0:42:26 > 0:42:27780.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- 800.- He's on the phone.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32You see, they love this cos it's oversized, it's so unusual.
0:42:32 > 0:42:33850.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35880 now.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36880. 900.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38920, is it?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Yes, and 950.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42980 now?
0:42:42 > 0:42:44£1,000. I've got £1,000.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46£1,000. I'm shaking, I'm shaking!
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Worth £1,000!
0:42:48 > 0:42:4920?
0:42:49 > 0:42:511,000 in the room, then.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52At 1,000, I'm going to sell.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55There's someone on the phone - is the phone still in?
0:42:55 > 0:42:56Give you time? No?
0:42:56 > 0:42:58At 1,000, it's yours, sir.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00£1,000! Boom!
0:43:00 > 0:43:01The pen's gone down!
0:43:01 > 0:43:03He doesn't use a gavel, he uses a pen,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06but the pen is mightier than the sword, isn't it? How about that?
0:43:06 > 0:43:09- Lovely.- Jenny, fantastic, isn't it? - Yes, brilliant.- Brilliant, yeah.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11- Have a good night out on that. - You will! I bet you will!
0:43:11 > 0:43:14I bet you will! THEY LAUGH
0:43:14 > 0:43:16Oh, thank you for being a big star on our show.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19- Thank you, thank you very much.- What a wonderful way to end today's show.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21I hope you've enjoyed that big surprise.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23It certainly took us for one, didn't it?
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Ooh, I'm still tingling! That's what auctions are all about.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Join us next time but, until then, from Tring,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30it's goodbye from all of us.