Reading 32 Flog It!

Today, we've come to the historic town of Reading, in Berkshire,

and I'll tell you what it looks like -

the whole town has turned up.

Look at this. Hundreds of people.

We haven't even opened the doors yet and I've already lost my voice,

I'm so excited.

Our magnificent venue today is this grade II listed building,

the town hall, which is situated right in the heart of the town.

And I'll tell you what, hopefully one or two of you are going to go

home very rich. They're here to see our experts,

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

what's it worth?

And if you're happy with the evaluations,

-what are you going to do? ALL:

-Flog it!

Welcome to the show.

Reading's town hall was built in several phases

between the late 1700s and the late 1800s,

and was constructed from locally made red and grey bricks

and terracotta panels.

The front facade, designed in 1875,

is a fine example of Victorian Gothic architecture.

Today, the town hall is a busy hub and has spaces

for exhibitions and lectures,

a cafe and it houses 11 galleries which make up Reading Museum.

The town hall also has a Victorian concert hall which opened in 1882.

And it's the concert hall where we're setting up our valuation

tables today and I'm sure this lot are keen to get inside

to test the acoustics and open up all those bags and boxes

and get on with those valuations.

Let's hope our experts are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Helping to put a value on the antiques and collectables

of Reading, we have Anita Manning...

I mean, I think that's terrific.

..and David Harper.

I say, look at that. And the box matches the gloves.

And the banter has already started.

Don't believe a word she says.

-By my watch, it's 9.30, isn't it?

-Yes!

It's time to get the doors open and get this magnificent crowd

comfortably seated inside the Victorian concert hall.

-So are you ready to go inside? ALL:

-Yes!

Follow me. Come on.

Whilst everybody finds their seat and starts to unpack their bags and

boxes, let's take a look at what's coming up later on today's show.

Anita comes across a fashion accessory from a bygone era.

-This quality of fan would have been used at the balls...

-Wow!

..of rich, wealthy, sophisticated people.

And David also finds an item of exceptional quality.

That sends shivers up the back of my spine.

And I take a trip to an unusual type of museum called a herbarium,

where I unearth some intriguing artefacts and tales of adventure.

Plant collecting was a risky business.

Many plant collectors ended their life in the field.

But first, Anita gets our valuations under way

with an item of a very local connection.

-Rosemary, welcome to "Flog It!"

-Thank you.

Now, I spotted this little presentation trowel in the queue

outside the town hall, across from Somerset House

and here is a little trowel

which was presented to Lady Somerset

on the laying of the foundation stone for that building.

-Yeah.

-How much luckier can you get?!

It's wonderful.

It says, "Presented by Frederick Sainsbury,

"architect to Lady Edward Somerset

"on the occasion of her ladyship

"laying the foundation stone, Somerset House, Reading,

"20th of August 1929."

Now, Rosemary, what is your association with this?

Where did you get it?

Well, my father worked for Herbert Blagrave, who owned Somerset House,

from when he left school to when he retired.

He was a sort of secretary accountant for him.

He used to do his books for him and when the building was sold and they

were clearing out the basement and everything, my father found that.

Let's look at the object.

The body of the trowel is made of silver and it was made in 1929

-in Sheffield.

-Oh, right, yeah.

The handle is made of ivory.

Again, that would have come from the 1920s,

so well before the 1947 mark.

Now, these things would have, perhaps,

been able to have been bought off the shelf and then engraved.

And they were...

It was a little memento of the occasion,

but what I liked about this one, when I looked at the back,

I could see that this edge was scraped.

It was the first brick!

So, Lady Somerset obviously went through that process

of scooping the cement and laying the brick.

And I think that's a quite charming thought.

My valuation on it would be, sort of, 80 to 120.

-Would you be happy to...

-Yes, yes.

..let it go?

What it is, is a little bit of Reading's history,

so we'll put a reserve of, say, £80,

give the auctioneer a little discretion

and hope that there might be a little land battle over this trowel.

-That would be nice, yeah.

-Thank you very much, Rosemary.

Thank you.

Although Rosemary's trowel has an ivory handle,

we are able to send it to auction as it complies with the regulations

around the sale of ivory, as it was worked before 1947.

Next, something amusing has caught David's eye.

Vicky, this is a very cheeky, funny picture.

It makes me smile.

-Does it really?

-Yeah, doesn't it make you smile?

No, not so much.

When my mum left it to me, she said,

"You'll have to sort it out now, won't you?"

What does she mean, "Sort it out"? Get rid of it?

Well, she loved it... Well, probably.

She loved it, my granny loved it, but I don't love it the same.

You don't love it? How could you not fall in love

with those gorgeous little creatures?

That's the reason, I think. It is a bit too sweet, isn't it?

Aw! No, it's lovely.

People love cats and dogs, but I love the fact that you

can trace it to your mum and to your grandmother.

So, how far back in time can it go?

I think that's about it,

because my grandfather was a Dutch Jew

and I think he came to this country

just before the First World War and then,

at the beginning of the Second World War,

they had a big house in Victoria, in London,

and this was one of the pieces in it, so I understand.

Does it go any further back than that in your mind?

Not as far as I know.

I have tried to have a look online, but I couldn't really find very much

-about the artist.

-You've got a great big signature here -

Adrienne Lester.

You'd think that you plug that into a search engine,

everything will come out.

Well, the thing is, when this was painted,

about 1890, 1900, photography, for example,

-was in the very early days...

-Yes.

..and incredibly expensive, so there were stacks

of jobbing artists making a career out of painting

pretty wall fillers on commission and on a commercial basis.

And Adrienne Lester falls into that category -

a British artist making a living out of painting, specifically cats.

-Right, yes.

-And there's no great record of her exhibiting at any

highfalutin museum or gallery.

She was a jobbing artist, but I think a really good one.

-That fits, doesn't it?

-It does fit, but I think it does make me smile

-and the two kittens here...

-Oh, good.

..are hilarious, because, to me, there's no fear in those eyes.

They're thinking, "Who do you think you are?

"What are you doing? Go away!"

-Yeah, that's typical cat, isn't it?

-They're brilliant.

-Typical cat.

-"Go away, you silly dog."

Silly dog. And this character thinks he's some kind of ferocious lion.

So it's a lovely thing.

The frame itself - nice, in period.

-Bit of a missing bit there.

-It's in my pocket...

-No way!

-..the missing bit.

When did you damage that, then?

This morning, moving it between the chairs.

Well, you know what? Just a little bit of glue might come in handy.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Value today - if I said to you 200-300 in auction,

-would that be horrible to you?

-No, that would be wonderful.

-Would it?

-Absolutely.

-You really don't like it, do you?

No, there's nowhere for it to go.

-Well, if you've got some glue...

-Yes!

-..let's do it.

Not with me, not with me! Thank you very much.

-We'll find some.

-Thank you.

All our experts are off to a cracking start with two solid

valuations under their belt, so I thought I'd sneak off

to the Reading Museum to have a look around at some of their treasures

and as I mentioned earlier, the museum, along with a concert hall,

is situated inside the town hall.

Reading Museum opened its doors in 1883 and its first bequest was

a collection of objects from around the world.

Today, the museum has around 400,000 objects in its collection and the

focus is on acquiring items with a local connection

that tell the history of the town and its people.

This is Aldermaston Pottery, which is based around eight miles from Reading.

The pottery was set up in 1955 by a Berkshire man,

Alan Caiger-Smith, arguably one of Britain's greatest potters.

He originally trained as an artist and he believed that the decoration

was integral to the piece, and you can see why, can't you?

Just look at this. Not only perfect shape and form,

but exquisite colourways and detail. I mean, that really is art.

What a skilful potter.

Just look at the scale of this piece!

Again, Aldermaston Pottery.

Now, that must have taken some firing

and the thickness of the clay! That's incredible.

If you catch the light right when you look at the glaze on this,

you can see it's iridescent.

That type of pottery is called lusterware.

We see a lot of it on the show.

Aldermaston Pottery experimented heavily with the types of clay

they used, the types of pigment, the types of glaze

and firing techniques and they have actually mastered the art

of tin glaze and lusterware and that is a fantastic example.

It's nearly as big as me!

Back over in the concert hall, Anita is admiring a piece of pottery, too.

Veronica, I am delighted to see this item, because it is linking Reading,

where we are, and Scotland, where I come from.

Now, Reading is famous for biscuit making

-and biscuit tins and barrels.

-Yes.

And Scotland is famous for curling.

And this biscuit barrel is in the shape of a curling stone.

Where did you get it?

I was helping a friend clear out an old lady's house

and there were a couple of things I liked and she let me have both.

Tell me why you liked that.

The shape, and I like ceramics.

When I looked at it in the beginning,

I couldn't tell what it was made of, but on closer examination,

if we look at it, it is a ceramic.

-The ceramic looks like granite...

-Yes.

..and we have this silver mount on the top.

It is hallmarked and it's 1895,

so a nice early mark there.

We have the ebony handle. Have you used it for biscuits?

Oh, no. Display only.

The hinge is damaged.

-It just needs clipping back over.

-Not serious damage. No, no.

The appeal of this biscuit barrel

is going to be its novelty value and its shape.

It's a big lump of a thing.

-I feel to put it in at £100-200...

-OK.

..is probably our best policy.

-We'll put a fixed reserve of £100 on it.

-OK, yeah.

I mean, I'm dying to see what it gets.

-It's such a gorgeous, gorgeous sight.

-Yeah.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you for bringing it along.

Thank you.

We've had a fantastic day so far here in Reading's town hall.

Our experts have now found their first three items

to take off to auction.

You've just seen them, you've heard what they've had to say,

you've probably got your own opinions,

but right now, let's find out what the bidders think.

Here's a quick recap just to jog your memory

of everything we're taking with us.

Dated 1929, Rosemary's silver presentation trowel

is heading under the hammer

and, fingers crossed, both cat and dog lovers will be fighting it out

for Vicky's painting by Adrienne Lester.

And, finally, let's find a new home for Veronica's biscuit barrel,

shaped like a curling stone.

We're staying in Berkshire for our sale today, but we are relocating

to the market town of Wokingham to Martin & Pole.

Remember, whether you're buying or selling at auction,

there's always commission and VAT to pay.

Here, the rate if you're selling is 15% plus VAT.

Well, this is what I love to see, a packed auction room,

hundreds of bidders and some great items

just about to go under the hammer.

Auctioneer Matt Coles is already on the rostrum

and the first of our lots is going under his gavel -

the painting by Adrienne Lester.

-Vicky, you find this a bit sweet, don't you?

-Yes.

It's a bit chocolate-boxy, but you love your cats and dogs.

-I do love cats and dogs.

-You do?

-I know you love dogs.

-I do, I do.

We just need to find cats and dog lovers in the room right now.

-It's going under the hammer. This is it.

-Hope so.

-Good luck.

£150 anywhere for this lot? 100, then? 100, I have.

-Thank you.

-We're in at 100.

-It's in the room at 110.

120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200.

-And ten.

-Wow!

-At 210 in the room.

-Any more? Are we all done? 220 on the internet.

-Come on!

One more?

At 220 on the internet now.

-Any more? 230 now.

-Good.

-In the room.

At 230, then, in the room. Are we all done at 230?

-OK!

-Brilliant!

-Kind of mid-estimate. That's OK.

-Thank you so much.

Well, you didn't like it, did you, anyway?

I didn't want it on my wall, no.

-Somebody else obviously does, so that's great.

-Marvellous.

-Thank you for coming in.

-My custody's ended now.

It has, hasn't it?

But there's a chance for you to go out to an antiques

fair, another auction room, an antique shop

and buy something else and invest in it.

I think my husband's just bought one of the granddaughter clocks, so...

Oh, really?!

You see, you can't keep your hands to yourself in an auction room.

Let's hope the bidders put their hands up in the air now

for Rosemary's presentation trowel. It's heading under the hammer.

-It's got great provenance, this has.

-I know.

A bit scratched underneath, but obviously that's from where

the cement was from touching the bricks.

I wonder how many courses she actually laid!

-Not just the odd one.

-Not many!

It's a wee piece of Reading's history.

Oh, it's great. Let's find out what the bidders think. Here we go.

Lot 360A. Start this with me at £60.

65, anywhere? At £60.

We all done at £60? 65, 70.

With me at £70 now.

Any more? With me at £70. At £70, then.

£70. We had a reserve of 80 with discretion. 10% discretion,

so I don't... I think we're a couple of pounds away.

-Yeah.

-Never mind.

-I think...

Never mind. Maybe you were meant to hang onto it.

That's it, or I'll give it to the museum, I think.

Give it to the museum, give it to the museum.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Good idea.

-Yeah.

Finally, Veronica's biscuit barrel is going under the hammer.

Our next lot takes me right back to the valuation day because I saw this

and I thought, "Oh, I love that!"

I thought it was a genuine curling ball,

then I realised it was a biscuit tin and I thought, "Yes!"

It's not a tin, it's a biscuit barrel.

-It's a biscuit barrel.

-It's made of porcelain and silver.

-Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

-Very important.

I knew that! I didn't really.

I just sort of said a biscuit tin,

but what I'm saying is I think this is really, really, really nice.

I could do with a biscuit barrel like that.

I wouldn't put biscuits in it. I'd just look at it.

I think it's really nice. Anyway, we're going to find out

what the bidders think. Here we go.

Start this with me at £85. 90, anywhere?

90, 95 on the internet.

110, 120, 130,

140, 150, 160, 170.

At 170 on the internet. 180, 190. 210.

At £210 now on the internet. 220, 230.

-Any more at 230? 240, 250.

-Come on!

260, 270. 280, 290.

Those bids come in really quick, don't they?

At 290. Anyone in the room want to join in?

At £290. At £290...

-Great result, great result.

-That's good.

-I'm happy with that.

-Yeah.

-Me too.

And someone's going to be happy with that when they get

their hands on it, that's for sure.

Well, there we are, our first three lots under the hammer

done and dusted. Some happy owners and some good results

and we're coming back here later on in the programme, so do not go away.

Fingers crossed we get a big surprise.

Now, earlier on in the show, I was admiring the Aldermaston lusterware

at Reading Museum.

While we were in the area, I had the opportunity

to check out another museum with an altogether

different type of collection.

This beautiful botanical garden is called the Harris Garden and

it's situated on the University of Reading's Whiteknights campus,

which is about two miles outside the centre of the town,

and is named after Professor Tom Harris,

who was a distinguished paleobotanist

and keen amateur gardener who taught here.

Reading is only one of a handful of universities

fortunate enough to have its own botanical garden

and, as you can imagine, it's a great teaching aid

for those students who want to study biological sciences.

The university also has another valuable resource,

a museum called a herbarium,

which helps with the study of plants.

To find out more, I'm meeting Dr Alistair Culham,

who is an associate professor of botany

and is the curator of the herbarium.

Alistair, I've heard of a herbarium, I've never been in one before.

-OK.

-So what will I expect to see? What's it all about?

So a herbarium is basically a place where the world's

plants are brought together.

People gather plants over many years, they preserve them

by pressing them and drying them, and the technique used

hasn't changed for centuries.

And we have about 300,000 specimens that are used very actively.

About half of our collection is used every year in teaching and research.

Well, I'm keen to get inside. Can we go and have a look?

Of course we can, Paul. Let's go.

The University of Reading's herbarium

was established in the year 1900,

though it contains many specimens which date back much further.

Its hundreds of thousands of plants come from all over the world,

with large collections from Europe, the Mediterranean and South America.

The specimens were gathered through the centuries by plant collectors.

What drove them? Did they want fame and fortune from it?

A lot of what was driving the botany

of the 16th, 17th, 18th century

was the colonisation of the world by Europeans,

so one of the perhaps biggest historic botanical exchanges

was the discovery of the Americas by Europe.

Europeans took wheat, barley and other cereals to South America

and we got back cocoa, coffee, rubber, maize,

but also tobacco and cocaine, of course.

So there was big money involved in botanical discovery and many

expeditions were funded specifically to find new plants that would help

the expansion of European empires.

We have quinine to control malaria from South America.

The British couldn't have expanded in India

without treatment for malaria - their soldiers were dying.

So a plant from South America allowed the British dominance

and management of India for a long period, because

-they could treat their soldiers against malaria.

-Incredible.

-Incredible, isn't it?

-So botany...

-It's vital.

..fundamental to the entire history of the world.

Today, aside from academic study,

the herbarium's collection of pressed plants has many other uses.

For example, DNA can be extracted from its modern specimens

and forensic analysis of the collection

has been used to assist in a murder investigation.

The fact that the herbarium has such a wealth of specimens

to draw from is thanks to those intrepid plant collectors.

Plant collecting was a risky business in terms of health, but also

sometimes the natives being head-hunters, if it was Borneo.

So collectors were travelling in difficult conditions.

Many plant collectors ended their life in the field.

Sometimes they fell out of trees.

One plant collector very famously -

Odoardo Beccari -

used to save climbing up trees by shooting plants out of them.

Other times people were picking plants that turned out to be highly

poisonous, so it's a risky thing.

But this specimen here is collected by a very famous biologist.

This specimen was collected in Borneo by Alfred Russel Wallace.

He, along with Darwin, came up with the idea of the evolution

of speciation through selection.

-Natural selection.

-Natural selection. Exactly.

Darwin and Wallace together revolutionised the idea

of how we understood species.

Wallace, at the time of his life, was probably much more famous

than Darwin, but the Darwin legacy has grown

and grown and grown.

Independently of Darwin, Wallace had come up with the theory

of natural selection and had written to Darwin to share his thoughts.

Darwin, who had also been working on the theory,

was encouraged by his friends to quickly get his book on

The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection

into print and it was published in 1859.

Today, it is Darwin who is remembered

as the father of the theory of evolution.

Wallace was the big traveller.

He travelled in South America, in Borneo,

in other bits of the world.

Darwin, of course, famously had the voyage of the Beagle,

but that was really his only major expedition.

Wallace spent most of his life in the field

and in the end, his health suffered for that.

His discoveries were fundamental.

Not only did he co-discover or invent the idea of evolution through

natural selection, he was the one that proposed the ideas

of biogeography, the understanding of why plants and animals

occurred where they did,

and his name is commemorated in something called the Wallace Line,

which marks the difference between the fauna of Asia

and the fauna of Australia.

The work of the courageous plant collectors of the past,

such as Wallace, is still continued at the University of Reading today

as new specimens are continually being added to the herbarium.

The university also cares for living collections,

live plants, which they look after on campus in three huge greenhouses

which contain around 250 different species from around the world.

And, before I go, I just want to show you one of my favourites.

We've all been fascinated by carnivorous plants and there's

several different varieties here.

That's a great example of a Venus flytrap.

This also is a carnivorous plant

and it's known as a sarracenia.

In fact, if you look closely, a fly's just gone at the top.

Now, the fly will work its way down that tube.

There's lots of little hairs that let it go in one direction down,

but they won't let it go back up, and around this section here,

there's a load of liquid which will gradually digest the fly.

There he is. Look, there's the bluebottle.

He's just had a lucky escape, but I think that fly's days are numbered.

He's not going to get out of here.

But that's brought back some boyhood memories for me

of playing around with those lovely Venus flytraps.

Welcome back to our valuation day and the concert hall in the heart

of Reading. Let's now join with our owners

to see what other treasures we can find to take off to auction.

Who's that lucky owner going to be? Let's find out.

Right, well, Geraldine and Richard, you are now showing me something

I absolutely adore.

Classic cars are one of my big passions.

Please, also tell me that you've played with these cars...

-No.

-What?! Never?

-No.

-That is the first time they've been out the box.

When we were sorting out the house to move...

-Right.

-..he found them up in the loft.

It's come from my father. I didn't even know my father had them.

When did you find them?

-We only moved...

-November.

-..November.

-OK.

And we've been in the house since I was four years old.

Hang on a moment! So these have been in the loft for,

-I'm guessing, 40 years, then?

-Well, I don't know.

-I don't know how old they are.

-How many have you got?

-16, there is.

So what we have here, then, are 16 boxed cars

from the 1960s made by Victory Industries.

-Do you know anything about them?

-BOTH:

-No.

We don't know anything.

Well, this was a company formed during the Second World War

called Victory. You know, apt name. They were making electrical parts

for the Ministry of Supply - that's how they started their business.

But then in the '40s, about 1948, three years after the war,

they start producing toys.

Now they move into cars and this VIP Raceway system,

-which is very much like the Scalextric.

-Yep.

But they're producing racing cars of the day, which are just delicious.

Generally they were sold in twos, so you'd buy the track,

you'd get a Cooper and you'd get a Lotus.

But you've got 16 cars. Have you got loads of track as well?

-No.

-That's the only track?

-That's it, yeah.

-I don't get it!

I'd love to know more about this story here, Geraldine.

Well, I didn't even know Dad had it.

Well, I mean, they're in remarkable condition, but if you just have...

I know it sounds very strange, but just have a sniff of that.

-A sniff?!

-Yes.

-Oh, it smells smoky.

-It smells burny.

-Yes.

That's what this track will smell like when it's going crazy.

You've got a big race on, you've been playing for hours,

your finger's aching by pulling that trigger continually,

you smell that burn. It's wonderful.

It's taking me back, but you don't like them.

Well, I like them, but it just seems a shame

that they're going to sit in boxes and no-one ever play with them.

All right. I don't know whether they'll be played with now.

I think you can get them working, but the market now today for classic

cars, particularly from the '60s and iconic brands,

is absolutely enormous.

-So have you done any research into the value?

-BOTH:

-No.

I would pitch it at 400-500 for the collection

with discretion on the 400. So they might make 350.

-I'll go with that.

-Would you be happy with that?

Yes. It's no good us keeping it.

What would you do with all that money?

-I think I'll put it towards a new knee.

-A new knee?!

That's a great investment.

Those racing cars got David hot under the collar

and Anita has found just the thing to help.

Heather, it's fabulous. Where did you get it?

Well, it's actually not mine. It belongs to a friend of mine.

I met her dog-walking and she's actually looking after my dog today

-so that I could come here.

-All right.

When I left the dog this morning, she said,

"Oh, if I'd have known, I might have come along."

And I said, "Well, I can take an item for you,"

and the next thing I know, she had her head under the stair cupboard

and out came this box.

She briefly told me that it was given to her mother by a doctor

and that she used to work for the doctor as a domestic.

Her mother died about 22 years ago.

And it's been in a cupboard under the stairs...?

Pretty much. Yes, she says it's never been out the box.

It's absolutely beautiful.

Now, fans have really been around since the beginning of time.

This is a folding fan which came from China to Europe in the 1700s

and these became very, very fashionable.

-Yes.

-They were not just to keep you cool.

-A bit of a fashion accessory.

-They were a fashion statement.

-Right.

And this type of fan, or this quality of fan,

-would have been used at the balls or big fairs...

-Wow.

..of rich, wealthy and sophisticated people.

-Wow.

-There was a language of flirtation

that grew up around the fan.

So you could chat a bird up, and men used them as well...

You could chat a bird up using movements of the fan

and the bird could answer you back.

"Yeah, OK." Or, "No," or whatever, using the fan.

-Just the fan.

-So as well as being beautiful objects, some of them,

they were parts of our social history.

This particular example is exquisite.

This has been made by a craftsman for a wealthy client.

Right.

It has been contained in a beautifully made lacquered box.

It is an oriental box and it's an oriental fan

and these were exported to Europe.

Now, it's in good condition and it dates from 1830,

that type of period.

Let's look at this beautiful work of art.

The sticks, which is the word we use for the end of it,

has been delicately carved in ivory.

-Oh, it is ivory.

-It is ivory.

-We did wonder if it was.

This is 19th century ivory, not 20th century.

The fan itself is made of silk

and it has been beautifully embroidered.

It's got some gorgeous colours, hasn't it?

Everything about this fan is beautiful.

-It is.

-A couple of tassels hang from the base,

which I would say is probably silver.

So what we have is quality and condition.

Everything about it is just marvellous.

It's fantastic.

For it to go to auction, probably an estimate of £300-500

would be the correct estimate to put on it.

-Yes.

-Heather, thank you.

-Thank you.

This has... It's been a pleasure looking at that.

That's another interesting item found by Anita.

And back over in Reading Museum,

I've come across a whopper of an object.

And it's this, the Bayeux Tapestry.

This work of art shows the events leading up to the Norman conquest

of England and it culminates in the 1066 Battle of Hastings.

At over 70 metres long, it depicts 626 human figures,

190 horses,

35 dogs, 506 other birds and animals

and 33 buildings and 37 ships. Phew!

But, of course, this isn't the original.

That's safely housed away in Bayeux, in Northern France.

This is a full-sized Victorian copy made by 35 ladies

from the Leek Embroidery Society in Staffordshire in 1885.

I think they've done a superb job!

The idea of a replica came from Elisabeth Wardle.

She was an accomplished embroideress.

Now, her husband was a silk dyer, so he supplied all the yarns

to make this look absolutely authentic

and, believe me, every stitch, every bit of detail is.

But there's one little difference, however.

If you look at this crouching man here in the corner.

In the original, he's naked.

Now in true Victorian style, his modesty has been protected.

It looks like he's wearing some long johns!

Now, believe me, this tapestry has travelled.

It's been exhibited all over Britain.

It went to America and then to Germany

and then it was bought for the town by a former mayor, Arthur Hill.

What a piece of art! I mean, it really is.

And the way it's been displayed here is fantastic.

Everybody can actually see the whole story of the Norman Conquest.

Back in the concert hall, we need one more item

to take to auction and it looks as if David has spotted something.

-Right, well, Jenny, hello...

-Hello.

-..and welcome to "Flog it!"

-Thank you.

That is a very small but quite a neat, little box.

-Yes.

-What do you know about it?

-Nothing at all.

It's been in my mother's cupboard for a few years and

when she died, I had it and it's been in my cupboard ever since.

So, basically, what you're saying is it's all down to me to tell you

-everything that I might know.

-That you might know, yes, please.

-So you're not helping at all, are you?

-I'm sorry!

-No, all right.

OK, well, if you look on the inside there,

there are some nice silver hallmarks.

-So it is solid silver...

-Yeah.

-..which is good.

It's gilded on the interior, so effectively it's gold-plated.

-Yeah.

-That's just purely for anaesthetics, just to look pretty.

The way it's constructed is rather neat.

You've got that engine-turned decoration.

Can you see on the base?

And then a little blank cartouche, which would have been there to put

someone's initials.

It's never been initialled. And then very floral in its decoration

around the outside edge and then we have a Jasper stone top.

-Jasper?

-Jasper stone, that speckled stone.

-Oh, right.

So it's a precious stone,

something that humans have coveted for literally thousands of years

and no doubt when that was made, it would've been quite important

to the person that had it made as a gift.

It's a box for what use, would you suggest?

-Pills?

-Yeah, pills. I think it could be a pillbox.

-It could even be a small little snuffbox.

-Yeah, it could be.

It's just an interesting box.

So, go back to the hallmarks.

I can tell you that that hallmark is a Birmingham mark.

That's the anchor, that's the most common mark,

but it's made by a company called Nathanial Mills.

-Yeah.

-A fantastic company, Jenny.

These are silversmiths that were founded during the George II period

in the 1740s.

-One of the best silversmiths Birmingham has ever seen.

-Really?

Bearing in mind Birmingham has produced

probably the most silversmiths the world has ever seen

from any one town and this is by one of the very, very best.

-Oh, right.

-Nathanial Mills. It sends shivers up the back of my spine.

-Oh, right.

-Lovely thing.

I can tell you, looking at that date, that was made in 1832,

two years after the Georgian period.

This is William IV is on the throne.

A completely different era.

Anyone from that time would not recognise the world as it is today,

yet that thing hasn't changed one iota.

-It's incredible.

-It is.

-So that should not be in a cupboard.

That needs to be in the hands of a really appreciative collector.

-Yeah.

-A value for a little silver pot like that -

you can buy them for 50 quid.

Because of the name, the condition and its size and beauty,

-300-500.

-Good grief!

-Nice.

-Nice, yeah.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-It is nice.

-It will go towards my holiday.

-Would it?

-Where would you go?

-Australia.

-Well, you'll get there, won't you?

-Definitely.

-You might not get back, but maybe you don't want to.

Maybe the weather's too good. Do you want to reserve it at 300?

-Yeah, reserve it at 300.

-We'll reserve it at 300.

-All right. Excited?

-Yes.

-Brilliant.

I'll see you in auction.

Well, our work is nearly done here.

We've had a fabulous time here in the town hall in Reading and the

concert hall has provided a glorious backdrop for our valuations,

but our journey isn't over just yet.

We've got our final visit to the auction room

and here's a recap of all the items we're taken with us.

Geraldine and Richard's

16 boxed classic cars from the 1960s

are motoring off to the auction.

Heather brought in a 19th-century silk Chinese fan on behalf

of her friend and it also comes with its own lacquered box.

And finally, David was delighted with Jenny's solid silver box

with a Jasper stone top.

So let's hope the bidders will be, too.

Back at Martin & Pole, auctioneer Matt Coles is still hard at work.

First under the hammer, it's Geraldine and Richard's collection

of boxed classic 1960s cars.

-Now, these were your dad's, weren't they?

-They were, yes.

It doesn't look like they've had a lot of use, does it?

-No.

-No, it does not, which is a shame, but fantastic -

-the fact that they're in their boxes.

-Well, we didn't know they were there.

-No, you didn't, did you?

-No, we didn't know they were in the loft.

Lots of fun, lots of fun and I'm sure these will be highly contested

in the sale room. OK? We're going to find out right now.

-Let's put these valuations to the test.

-Yeah, go on, then.

Lot number 360A.

-Your first auction, isn't it?

-Yes, I've never been to one before.

She's really concentrating now. Have you noticed?

Start this with me at £280. 300, anywhere?

300. 320, 350 on the internet.

-Come on!

-£350. Any more at £350?

380 on the internet now.

At £380. I'll be selling at £380.

-400 on the internet now.

-Yes!

-At £400.

-All done?

-Just.

-Going home happy.

You got a result. Well done.

-Thank you for bringing those into the valuation.

-Thank you.

-Now we need to spend it.

-Yeah, now you can spend it.

That's the fun bit.

Next up, the silk fan brought in by Heather.

Although the sticks are made from ivory, they were worked before 1947,

so the item complies with regulations

around the sale of ivory.

Well, things are definitely warming up in here.

What we need right now is a...?

-Fan!

-Thank you very much.

-Do you like this fan?

-It's beautiful.

-Yeah.

It's not yours, is it? It is Susan's, your friend.

-Suzanne, yes.

-Suzanne, and she's walking the dogs now?

-Yes.

-Because she's very camera shy. She didn't want to come on TV.

-That's why you're doing it.

-Yes.

-OK.

I've never seen one boxed like this before in great condition.

This is exquisite. It's absolutely lovely.

It's been in that box really since the mid-1800s.

-It doesn't look as if it's been used...

-No, I don't think it has.

..and that's what the collectors want.

Nice little lot, this one. Lot 420A.

Start this with me at £250.

-260 anywhere?

-Oh, come on!

At 250, 260, 270, 280, 290.

-300 with you now.

-Right, we've got it. We've got it at 300.

Offers at £300. 320.

-Yes! On the internet.

-£320 now on the internet.

We all done at £320?

-Gone down.

-That's it, that's it.

I'm sure she'll be pleased with that.

-Suzanne will be pleased?

-She will. She's going on a safari.

Dogs will be pleased... She's going on safari, is she?

Yeah, so she'll be pleased with that.

Finally, we are selling Jenny's silver box with a Jasper stone top.

-It's a lovely thing.

-It is, yeah.

-A really nice thing.

-Quality.

-Yes.

-And you're raising money for, remind us?

-Australia. Going to Australia.

-A trip to Australia.

-Yes.

-OK. To see anyone?

-Yes, my sister-in-law. My husband's sister.

Right, OK. And what part of Australia is that?

-Cairns.

-I know Cairns. Yeah, just north of Brisbane.

-That's right.

-Yeah, lovely. Come on, bidders, fight it out.

-Let's hand the proceedings over to the auctioneer.

-OK.

-Here we go.

Start this with me at £250. £260, anywhere?

260, 270, 280, 290, 300.

-With you now at £300.

-Come on.

Any more at £300. 320 on the internet.

-Any more? 350.

-Good.

In the room. 380, thank you.

-400.

-400, good.

-In the room.

£400.

So at 420 on the internet.

-Go on, telephone!

-It's on the internet at £420.

-450 on the telephone.

-Yes!

At 450 on the telephone now.

480 on the internet.

500 on the telephone.

One more? 550, thank you.

-Oh, it's gone 550!

-550!

£550. 600 is the next bid.

-600.

-God!

£600!

Yes? £600 on the telephone, then. Are we all done? 600.

-Yes! Well done. Really good result.

-I'm pleased with that.

-I bet, I bet.

-Yeah.

-That... That really is a return ticket.

-£600, it's something like that.

-I'm going to New Zealand as well, so...

-Oh, right. Well, double that one, then.

-Yeah!

-You need two of those.

-Yes!

-You nearly got one flight sorted.

-Yes.

-That's OK, isn't it?

-Look, enjoy that, won't you?

-I will.

-Enjoy it.

-Well done, David.

-Thank you.

-A good spot, that.

-Thank you very much. It was good.

-It's just a lovely thing, isn't it?

Well, there you are. That's it. It's all over for our owners.

As you can see, the sale is still going on,

but what a cracking day we have had here.

If you'd like to take part in the show,

details of up-and-coming dates and venues

you can find on our BBC website,

or check our "Flog It!" Facebook page for a change.

If you can't do that, then check the details in your local press,

because, fingers crossed, we're coming to an area very near you soon.

So dust them down, bring them in and we'll flog 'em.

It's goodbye from Wokingham.