Althorp 28 Flog It!

Althorp in Northamptonshire has been part of the landscape since 1508,

and farming is in the blood of the Spencers, who own it.

A couple of hundred years ago, cattle would come grazing,

right up to the house,

and a young lad would be employed to stop them from licking the windows

and damaging the paintwork.

Well, let's hope our fantastic crowd behave themselves today,

and they don't need MOO-ving on.

Welcome to "Flog it!".

The Althorp estate covers 13,000 acres

and includes a deer park, pasture, woodland

and some impressive old oaks.

It was the landscape that brought the sheep-farming Spencers here.

Collections inside the house reflect the family's livelihood

and the love of country pursuits.

There'll be a chance to explore later on in the show -

but, for now, it's time to greet the crowd.

Look at this - what a queue!

It's almost stretching right around to the stables there.

I tell you what, Althorp is not a bad place

to be spending the day, is it?

I know we're going to have a cracking time, aren't we?

-Yeah!

-Yes, that's right.

Hundreds of people have turned up -

it's time our experts got stuck into all of these bags and boxes.

Who knows what we may uncover?

And, of course, the question on everybody's lips is...?

-ALL:

-What's it worth?

Stay tuned and you'll find out.

And, keen and eager, we have our experts.

Charles Hanson is dressed appropriately

in shoes made in Northamptonshire -

and, look, he's found some more...

Are they my size?

-Doc Martens.

-Doc Martens. Made in Northampton.

Look at the size of those soles, hey?

..and joining him is Will Axon...

-I hail from Newmarket, so I've got a soft spot for horses.

-Horses, yes.

They've got a soft spot for me, as well.

Usually get kicked in the shins.

..and they're jockeying for position.

I'm one step ahead of you, Charles.

Has this man been stickered already, or not?

No, I'm just inspecting his lunch.

Oh!

How do you rate this spear?

-What do you think of it?

-I think it's quite interesting.

I tell you what, why don't I give you a sticker,

and we'll find out inside, sir?

-Lovely.

-Lovely. Thanks, Charles.

-You're a gentleman. Thank you.

Time to open the doors and get this lot inside.

There's plenty of space, so the crowd's wriggling its way

through the passageways and into the state rooms.

As the people settle down and unpack,

here's a preview of what's coming up in today's show.

Will is tempted to take up a new hobby...

It almost makes me think I should get myself a metal detector, really.

Charles is on the offensive...

My styles have changed over the years.

That top to me says 19...

-I don't know, '70s?

-Yes!

Sorry, OK, um...

-Keep digging, keep digging.

-Sorry! No, sorry...

..and we create a bidding war at auction.

1,500, 1,600.

And I'm out at 1,700. 1,800.

Wow.

Now, you know I love my shoes - and Northamptonshire is shoe central,

so, later on in the programme, I'm going to be finding out

about the weird and wonderful when it comes to footwear.

Well, everybody is now safely seated inside -

it's time to get on with those all-important valuations,

and we are going straight over to Charles Hanson,

and I think he's got something that could give us a real surprise

in the auction room.

It's a claret jug brought in by Neville.

Do you enjoy a drink?

I love wine.

-Do you?

-Especially red wine.

I'm almost tempted to say this object is fit for purpose.

Did you inherit it, did you buy it?

No, it was a present.

48 years ago.

I lived in Cardiff,

-and I met my wife in Cardiff...

-Wow.

..and just before we got married,

my old landlady gave me this as a present.

And the three of you...

wife and this all together, still?

-Yes.

-Very nice. That's a good sign.

-Yes.

And I like it because this really is an object which has great style.

-You like it?

-Yes, I do.

It's an unusual shape.

Very unusual shape.

We don't use it, obviously, for purpose,

but I like the shape, and I like the patterns on it.

I like it because, obviously, the market today is all about style,

all about certain decades.

If I said to you, the Paris Metro and those great whiplash designs -

and this jug, really, was based on that influence of design.

It is German Art Nouveau, or German Jugendstil.

-Ah, I've seen that term.

-Exactly -

and this would date, Neville, I suppose to around 1900, 1905 -

and I love the sinuous, naturalistic...

..curvaceous lines.

And its hint of use, you can see, is in the berries...

-Yes.

-..of the fruiting vine.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-It is.

-But you've never used it?

-Never used it for wine, no.

-No.

-Not been tempted to?

-No.

-What a shame.

-It would take a nice sort of Spanish brandy, though.

Oh, really?

If we turn it upside down we'll see,

what we look for, particularly in objects like this -

we obviously first of all hope it might be silver, OK?

There's no hallmarks whatsoever in that regard.

On the bottom, we can see, Neville, there's this all-important mark,

-which is WMF...

-Yes.

..and that was a leading German factory of an industrial type

called Wilhelm Metallwarenfabrik.

You've also got a mark here confirming it is silver plate -

and what I like is the fact, yes, you've cleaned it well,

you haven't been to excessive, have you?

No, I've been very careful cleaning it.

In fact, my wife's cleaned it for 46 years.

-Has she really?

-I cleaned it once last night!

But I was very, very gentle with it.

Well, you haven't done a bad job.

What I quite like, you'll see, just in crevices,

you'll see a bit of dirt.

-Yes.

-Which is OK.

It's got that hint of, "I'm original and I am 120 years old."

I would say, in the market today,

this was probably performing a little stronger a few years ago,

but I will still happily value this today,

with a view to it going to auction, if you are in agreement, Neville,

with a guide of between 150 and 250 -

and I think it has got legs.

Well, four in fact.

-It has four legs.

-Exactly!

Will that meet your approval?

Well, yes.

We haven't got the use for it now,

-and we haven't got the space for it, so...

-We'll put a reserve at 150,

with maybe 10% discretion,

-and give it a good send-off.

-Good.

And on Will's table,

there's a real gem owned by Marina.

What a cracking ring you've brought along today.

-Not bad!

-Where's this come from?

Well, it was my mother's.

I've had it about 40 years.

And it's just too big to wear,

I just thought I'd like something sensible that I can wear.

Yeah, because it does stand quite proud, doesn't it?

-It certainly does.

-When you're wearing it -

which, for some people, is a problem.

I mean, as far as quality goes, it's a cracker, isn't it?

Beautifully made, with some precious stones.

We've got emerald and diamonds and unmarked gold -

but pretty certain it's going to be 18-carat gold, the mount,

-even though it's unmarked.

-Is it?

-I'm sure it is, yeah.

-Do you think it was handmade?

-Yes, without a doubt.

-I always thought it might be handmade.

-Exactly.

If you look at the mount itself, it's really intricately worked,

-isn't it? With sort of piercing, engraving.

-Mm.

The work is just superb.

And then you've got these little, almost fleur-de-lys type mounts

-on the shoulders.

-That's what I was attracted to.

It is beautiful -

and then, you know, there's no denying

that you've got one big emerald in there, as well,

which is emerald cut -

that's how we describe the cut when it's that shape.

-Emerald cut.

-Emerald cut.

And then you've got the little diamonds around the edge,

which are old-cut diamonds,

which, again, helps us decide that it's almost certainly 19th century.

So, I mean, the thing with jewellery is it is affected

-by changes in fashion.

-Yes.

Some jewellery comes into fashion, out of fashion,

-you know how it works.

-Yeah.

And, I think, with this piece,

we are probably slightly caught in that trap

that it isn't hugely fashionable, really.

No, that's what's always bothered me.

But, that said, there are people

that specialise in antique jewellery,

and I think they would be - I think they would be interested by this.

Just because it's different enough, it stands out,

and - classic combination, isn't it?

-Emeralds and diamonds.

-Yes.

So, I would suggest an auction estimate,

we are looking £800-£1,200.

-You happy with that?

-Yes, yes.

And I think we should reserve it, certainly.

-Oh, yes!

-I'm not going to try and twist your arm for a no-reserve.

-No.

Let's go for that bottom figure. £800 - and shall we fix it at 800?

-That's fine.

-Yeah?

-Yes.

What will you do with it?

Are you going to replace it with a more wearable piece?

I would like to buy myself something like that, an emerald.

-Oh, yes - look.

-Art Deco.

-An Art Deco ring to go with the other side.

-So, I see, again,

emerald, diamonds - but this time probably in a platinum setting,

-white metal.

-Yeah, I prefer the white setting, yes.

Exactly. Well, listen, I tell you what,

even without that ring and your new Deco,

-you're going to look 1 million.

-Ooh, lovely.

Althorp is buzzing.

As our experts get on with their work,

I'm off to find out more about the Spencer family.

Now, this is the Sunderland room, and I must show you this -

it's just across the corridor

from where all the action is taking place,

where the valuations are happening.

Now, this room really does sum up

the third Earl Spencer, John Charles.

When his wife died he found consolation

in farming and stock breeding.

He was never happier than when he was outside -

and look at the walls,

they are literally adorned with wonderful images of bulls.

And here he is showing off one of his prize bulls.

Look at that. Taking the money for it and selling it.

Isn't that a lovely image?

But his interest did help the family.

His father was a very passionate book collector,

but, unfortunately, he left his son with debts to the tune of £300,000.

Now, rather than sell off his father's prized book collection,

he decided to breed bulls and sell them,

and that was successful -

it helped pay the debt and keep the estate going.

So much so that it enabled his brother Frederick

to inherit the estate solvent.

So, Althorp was in safe hands.

So you could say it was down to the third earl.

Otherwise, Althorp could be a very different place.

Back to the valuation tables,

and Charles has uncovered a tiny but perfectly formed sewing kit

belonging to Anne.

Are you a seamstress, do you enjoy sewing?

-I do.

-Good.

-I do sewing, lace making.

Did you inherit this object, or did you...?

Yes, I found it in my mother's sideboard...

-..when she passed away.

-I love it, because the quality is exquisite -

-and I can almost tell straightaway because, OK, it's not marked...

-No.

..but this type of eagle head, this type of pommel handle,

and the type of chased vibrant ornament, to me, it's very Parisian.

-Mm!

-It's quite flamboyant, Anne.

-Right.

-So, it's French. OK? French circa 1880, 1890.

Ladies, as part of their noble education...

-Would have done...

-..were creating samplers,

were sewing, it's a wonderful art, isn't it?

-My mother never embroidered, so it's not...

-No - but you do.

-Yes.

Do you know what each utensil does,

-what its actual practical purpose is?

-I can only guess,

but I think this was perhaps for when people did broderie anglaise.

-Yes.

-You had to part the threads so you didn't break them.

And when we talk about broderie anglaise,

explain to me what that is.

It's embroidery round a hole, basically.

So that would part the threads, rather than break them,

-so you wouldn't have it running back or doing anything.

-No.

That's what I think that was for.

I agree. I love that mushroom handle.

This object in the middle, I love.

This is different altogether.

This unscrews...

..and inside there's a very tiny...

Absolutely.

..little hook - and this will fit in there.

And then, with that little tap on the side,

you can then tighten it and use it like that.

Again, you've got a very small point on this end.

But isn't it ingenious?

But what really, to me, sets it off,

and we think of the eagle's head of France, is this lovely case here.

-The bodkin case.

-I love it -

because, again, what's lovely, Anne, if you take it out, you'll see...

there's no imperfections,

the quality of these heads, again, are really well chased.

-It's a screw opening, isn't it?

-Yes.

And if you open it up, you'll see within...

Arthritis stops you holding...!

You're doing a great job, you're doing a very good job.

-And there we are.

-It's a bodkin.

Exactly. So, of course, a needle case, little bodkin case,

and it's a real delight.

It's interesting, Anne, it isn't hallmarked.

-No.

-I've had a look over it, I'm very happy,

-almost certainly it would test as being silver.

-Silver.

And what's wonderful is it's complete.

It's complete, everything's there.

-What's it worth?

-No idea.

No, I think you'll be quite surprised.

Because it's novel and because it's so complete,

I would like to give it a guide price of between £80-£120,

and with the right online wind blowing to American enthusiasts.

Or somebody from France.

Exactly - or maybe a French lady

wishing to recreate the work this would undertake,

I hope it might make just a bit more.

-Oh, lovely.

-Would that be OK with you?

-That would be nice.

-Fantastic.

-Very nice.

Well, I must say Althorp's proving an inspirational place.

This magnificent oak staircase was sourced from trees on the estate

and guests that have stayed here over the years

have praised it for its magnificent scale -

and it really is quite dramatic.

Well, talking about drama,

we're going straight over to the auction room right now

because our expert have found their first three items

to be put under the hammer -

so here's a quick recap of what we're selling.

A wedding present from a landlady -

the beautiful Art Nouveau claret jug...

..the eye-catching emerald and diamond ring...

and an impressive late 19th-century silver sewing kit.

We've headed north half an hour by car

across the border into Leicestershire

to the town of Market Harborough,

once a thriving market town.

Let's hope its reputation rubs off on us

and there's some brisk business to be done inside.

On the rostrum today we have two auctioneers -

Mark and Will Gilding...

..and our first lot is the French sewing kit belonging to Anne.

Now, she cannot be with us today because she's on holiday

-celebrating her golden wedding anniversary...

-That's correct.

-..in the Caribbean.

-Wow.

This is her daughter, Jude.

-Hello.

-Well, golden wedding anniversary -

and still happily married.

Still, very, very... They didn't flog each other, so...!

They didn't!

How can you put a value on that?

Do you like this little set?

-It's lovely.

-It is, isn't it?

It was my nan's.

It's top end in that sewing requisite market.

What's it worth? Let's find out.

Late 19th-century three-piece white metal set of sewing requisites

in a nice case, as well.

Super condition.

Bidding opens at £50.

60. 70. 80. 90.

100. 110. 120. 130,

130 in the room, at 130 standing.

At 140 online, at 150, 160.

Oh, they love it. They love it.

180. 190.

200. 210 online, at 210.

220 in the room.

-Yeah, online's done it.

-Yeah.

230. 240.

All right!

240, standing on at 240.

Your turn - 250 on the internet, at 250.

260. £260 I'm bid now. At 260.

Where have you gone, internet? I'm waiting for you.

It's 260 in the room.

Fair warning, online - 270 online.

280 in the room.

At 280.

We'll stay in tens, internet, I don't mind, it's 280.

280 in the room, then.

Last chance. 290.

I'll wait for you, now - it's 290 online.

300, thank you, at 300.

-Wow!

-Very good, the auctioneer.

-Great.

300.

Internet's disappeared, by the looks of it, so, with 300 in the room,

thank you for your bidding and away at 300.

£300.

GAVEL BANGS Thwack!

-Fantastic!

-Brilliant!

-Thank you very much!

-Oh, that was worth it, wasn't it?

-Great, yes.

Get on the phone and tell mum and dad, they'll be so happy.

That's great, thank you.

Trebled expectations.

-Brilliant.

-Yes. What do we say Charles, what sells?

The big Q, Paul. Quality!

Now I've found a kindred spirit from the same part of the world as me.

Marina, good luck.

Good luck - and what part of Cornwall are you from?

I'm near Padstow.

Near Padstow, oh, nice part, I like the north coast.

I was born just outside Padstow.

So, is there a bit of sentimental value here?

A little bit, but she never wore it, I never saw her wear it,

-so I don't think...

-OK.

-It's not really sentimental.

OK, well, look, good luck, good luck.

-Here we go.

-Here we go.

A large emerald and diamond cluster ring,

and going to open the bidding here at £500.

At 500, 500, 550.

At £550. 600. 650.

At £650.

At £650.

At 650. 700. And 50.

£800 standing, thank you, at 800.

Straight in front, £800 bid at 800, do I see 50 anywhere?

At £800 here, I'm selling at 800.

Aww.

-It's gone anyway.

-It's gone.

-It's gone.

Sorry we couldn't get any more.

-No, it's all right.

-We tried, we tried.

Well, at least someone saw it and loved it and bought it

-and took it home and will wear it, maybe.

-What do they say in Cornwall?

-Um...

-A proper job.

-A proper job, yeah.

It found its market - and now for Neville's claret jug.

You were given this what, 48, 46 years ago,

-somewhere around there?

-46 years ago.

-For a wedding present.

-Yes.

-I think that's quite nice, actually -

so you're selling this because it's still in its box,

you've never used it, you don't want to use it.

-Exactly. Yes.

-Well, I don't blame you.

We've downsized, as well,

so we haven't got room to display it properly.

OK. It's going under the hammer right now.

Claret jug here by WMF, and lots of interest.

110, 120, 130, 140, 150,

160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220.

230 I'm bid in the room.

At 230.

230 I'm bid on my right now at £230.

Do I see 40?

240 with the internet, at 240.

250 in the room, at £250.

250 now with the room bidder at 250.

Internet, where are you? 260.

270 now in the room, at 270.

270. 280.

It's £290 bidding in the room.

Fair warning. 300 - new bidder at 300.

320. 340.

360.

A shake of the head, then - at 360.

-Wow.

-To my right at 360,

still in the room and standing tall at £360.

-Yes!

-Yes! Fantastic.

-That chap did buy it.

-That chap there.

-Good, very good.

Cheers all round!

Cheers!

Well, there you are - three lots under the hammer,

three more to come later on in the show

when we come back to the auction room.

Before we go back to our valuation day venue, Althorp House,

I'm putting my best foot forward

to uncover some little-known facts about footwear.

MUSIC: Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees

Northampton, a town that knows shoes.

For centuries, this area has been world-renowned

as a centre for shoemaking,

home to some of the most famous names in footwear.

Small wonder, then, that Northamptonshire is a shoe Mecca -

and nowhere is this more evident

than at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery,

which boasts the largest shoe collection in the world.

The whole history of footwear is represented here,

from the earliest, simplest foot coverings

of the Ancient Romans and Egyptians

right up to the 21st-century sports shoe

made from the latest hi-tech synthetic materials.

And alongside the trainers, military boots,

clogs and wellies that represent familiar, practical footwear,

there are some exhibits that are rather less conventional.

# What's that sound

# I like that sound

# I love that sound

# It's the sound of my shoes. #

Well, they say you should never judge someone

until you've walked a mile in their shoes -

but I don't think it's possible to take one step in those.

It's obvious when we look at some of the extraordinary shoes here

that there's a lot more to footwear than simple practicality.

But that's not a new phenomenon -

shoes have played a symbolic role in human culture

for thousands of years.

High heels are a great example.

Among the earliest records are in Greek plays,

where platform shoes were used

literally to elevate the main characters,

and, ever since then, they've fallen in and out of fashion

many times over the centuries.

Usually, the fashions had functional origins.

In the late medieval age,

fixed-soled chopines kept clothing out of the filth of unpaved streets,

and gradually became teetering status symbols

for the wealthy.

Perhaps the most disturbing expression of status

comes from China,

where, for nearly 1,000 years,

the tradition of binding women's feet to keep them small

was practised.

The idea was a foot no longer than three to four inches.

And to achieve this, girls as young as four would have their toes broken

and compressed back into the arch of the foot to arrest growth.

The so-called lotus feet

made it extremely difficult to walk,

demonstrating the elite status of a woman who didn't need to work.

Shoes also appear as a reoccurring themes

in traditional stories and fairy tales -

sometimes as sinister or powerful objects.

Cinderella's glass slippers emphasise her delicate feet

that her ugly sisters desperately try to emulate

by cutting off their toes.

In Hans Christian Andersen's The Red Shoes,

a spoilt girl is condemned to dance forever

as a punishment for her vanity.

Red shoes have been potently seductive for centuries,

evoking power, sex, danger and death.

To find out more about our fascination

with strange and wonderful footwear,

I'm meeting Rebecca Shawcross,

the museum's shoe resources officer.

Rebecca, there's such an incredible collection of shoes here.

-There's something for everybody.

-There is indeed.

I mean, we do have a collection that's just about 15,000 strong.

Wow! I love my shoes, I really do,

and I've been walking around today and I'm thinking, "Gosh,

"I wish I could buy them all! I wish they were available in a shop!"

You've picked out a few in front of you.

So, why did you select these ones?

Well, these are interesting for various reasons.

One is, we have the concealed shoes,

which are shoes that have been hidden in buildings...

-Right, OK.

-To ward off evil spirits.

They're usually incredibly well worn,

but the idea is that the wear is a good spirit that goes into the shoe,

and it's kept there because they're sort of container-shaped,

and once hidden in a building, say by a chimney -

I mean, these were found in a chimney -

then that good spirit will ward off any evil spirits

that may want to harm the house and its occupants.

They're very powerful things.

-Yeah.

-Some people don't like talking about them.

That looks like... What is it, a Victorian shoe?

Well, these ones are actually about 1640.

-Oh, really early, then.

-So, really early ladies' shoes...

Gosh, Charles I, somewhere around there.

So, yeah, amazing survivors.

OK, that one looks quite comical, with the big, long toe.

Yes, this is a replica of a medieval poulaine.

Now, both men and women wore short versions,

but men took it to extreme, and this is...

this is still quite short, relatively speaking,

but men had the very long-toed versions.

One, it's a sign of status...

You could see them coming around a corner five seconds before

-their body came round the corner!

-Exactly!

I mean, really, really difficult to go upstairs -

-but you probably didn't work, so...

-No.

But also, it's a sign of the wearer's masculinity.

The longer the toe, the more manly you were thought to be.

You put that well, didn't you?!

Let's look at this one.

You're bringing us up to - what, the 1980s?

You can buy that now.

-Oh, can you? So, that's current.

-Yes, really, but these are...

Can you walk on something... heel-less like that,

-with a big, raised sole?

-Yes, they're balanced.

You can feel quite secure.

But these are up-to-date.

But there is nothing new in shoe fashions at all.

Things just keep coming round again and again and again.

These were very popular in the 14th century.

This is what I would term a platform shoe.

-It is, really, isn't it?

-I mean, it has a heel,

but it is what, you know, in shoe terminology, is a platform.

And, really, there's only eight or nine types of shoe

which everything is based around.

What is it about shoes that are so alluring?

You know, everybody has to wear shoes,

and I think, throughout history, they've been a really great way

of showing the wearer's personality,

their status, their sexuality.

People who are obsessed by trainers, which I see a lot,

so they have a particular brand that they wear...

So you can sort of show off who you are.

And even people who say to me, "I'm not really interested in shoes.

"I just wear them because they're practical,

"you have to keep your feet warm," et cetera,

they're still saying something about themselves,

because you choose your shoes.

Shoes are commonplace,

yet there are uncommon examples of them all around us.

They can represent freedom or oppression,

power or powerlessness...

..protest...

..or protection.

A well chosen shoe can allow us to exhibit who we are.

They can also help us to live up to a fantasy -

to literally step out of yourself and become someone else.

MUSIC: Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees

Time to kick off those heels and get back to the valuations at Althorp,

where Charles has honed in on some real craftsmanship

belonging to Lydia.

-I love these vases.

-Thank you.

Are they a family heirloom?

No. Well, sort of.

They came with me when I left home.

-When you left home?

-To go to university.

-Back in the...

-'70s.

'70s. Yeah, back in...

OK, that's perfect,

-cos it puts into context perfectly when they were made.

-Ah!

And, of course, there's that infamous name Whitefriars,

or that factory, which goes...

People forget that Whitefriars, or James Powell and Sons,

goes as far back as the 17th century.

-Oh, really?

-The factory in London

was founded in the 1680s,

but over the 19th century,

James Powell and Sons became a more important name

with the Gothic revival in the late 19th century,

and then the 20th century was born,

and, really, Whitefriars began to move,

following the 1951 Festival of Britain.

A fine man called Wilson

employed a man called Geoffrey Baxter in 1954,

and he looked at certain forms,

he looked at, almost, mouldings of nails and barks

-and these really peculiar exterior finishes.

-Mm.

In 1967, he introduced these different shapes.

-For example, the television vase, which this is.

-Ah!

Gorgeous - and by 1969, he'd perfected colours

like kingfisher blue, indigo and also pewter.

So, this is your pewter television vase of circa 1969.

And this one, again, same sort of period,

in this crystal-clear finish,

in almost this icicle form, of the same period,

and it's wonderful, because they've got their ground pontils.

They're just beautifully made.

They're so tactile, aren't they?

They're so refined.

So, now, where is it in your home?

-In a cupboard.

-Why?

Have you gone minimal?

-My styles have changed over the years.

-I mean, that top, to me,

says 19...

I don't know, '70s?

Sorry. OK...

But...

Keep digging! Keep digging!

Sorry! No, sorry...

I thought I was being clever!

Sorry about that. Anyway, let's move it on...

I love them. I think they're really, really creative.

I think the market today,

we know, online, there are so many collectors

who find favour with these objects, importantly -

and we look at the rims, we look at the corners,

we just feel around particularly this area, make sure it's smooth,

which these objects are.

So, I'm pleased to say, they're in tip-top condition for their age.

We would love to market them and see you at the auction with them

and I would like to put a guide price on the two together,

with your blessing,

of between £70 and £100.

-Mm.

-Is that OK with you?

-Yes, that's fine.

-And I would propose...

Let's put a reserve at 60 -

but I'm very happy they're going to race away.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much, Lydia.

-Thank you.

-And thanks for coming.

-Thank you.

You're an antiques expert, Charles, not a fashion critic!

Now, I just can't resist what Sue has brought along.

I love your little collector's cabinet.

-It's gorgeous!

-Thank you.

It's slightly naive and tatty, but that's why I like it!

-It is!

-How did you come by it?

It was found in the attic of our property,

-some while after we bought it, so...

-How long ago was that?

Well, we've been there for 35 years, so...

but I've had it in the kitchen for about 15 or 20 years,

-just sitting there.

-Have you ever thought of adding to it?

Because there's three... There's three empty drawers in the bottom.

I haven't, actually,

because it's someone else's collection,

and I've got all the children's little bits that they collect,

but I just left it as it was.

-Is lovely, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It really is, and times have changed.

-Yes.

30 years ago, I think, you know,

-people would have gladly left this in the attic.

-Yes, yes.

Now, natural history has never been bigger.

It's so on-trend right now.

Everybody wants it -

from taxidermy to skeletons, to fossils, to crystals,

minerals, seashells.

You name it, everyone wants it.

It's a good amateur collection.

-It wasn't owned by an academic back in 1880.

-No.

I don't know... It looks like there's three initials there.

-Yes.

-ADG or something, and it's 1880.

-That's right, yes.

So, this is scratch built.

-It's got a lovely natural scumble-glaze paint to it.

-Right.

It's got its original paintwork.

All the drawers, everything's been made by hand,

-by an untrained cabinet-maker, yeah?

-OK.

It's kind of cobbled together.

That's why I don't think it was owned by an academic.

-No.

-I think it's shells that you found on the British coastline,

because they're all rather small,

but you've got lots of minerals here,

you've got lots and lots of little bits and pieces of fossils...

-Yes.

-..but it's wonderful.

-It smacks of a bygone era, you know?

-Yes. Good!

Good for you. Now, I think, if we put this into auction

it's worth £60 of anybody's money.

-I'd be happy with that.

-Would you?

-Yes, yes.

-Let's put an auction...

And to someone who's got an interest in it, as well.

Yeah - let's put an auction estimate of £60 to £80,

-with a reserve of 50...

-OK, yeah.

..and, hopefully, it'll find a new home

-and somebody that'll carry on collecting.

-Yes.

Well, as you've seen, we've taken over the whole house.

There are people everywhere - in fact, the queue is so big now -

we're halfway through the day, and look,

it's still winding out the main front door.

We found two items and we need one more to go off to auction -

who's that lucky person going to be? We're just about to find out.

Will's meeting Adam, a genuine treasure hunter.

It's something I found when I was a boy.

-You found it?

-Found it with a metal detector.

-No!

-Did.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Best thing you found? Or have you found other things?

No, it was just a passing phase.

It was in Mum and Dad's back garden, actually,

in Far Cotton, in Northampton.

-So, pretty local to here, really?

-Two or three miles, yes.

That's a lovely touch, isn't it?

Found not far from here.

-It was buried.

-Did they know it was there?

-No.

-How funny.

Did you think you had found maybe the Lost Ark?

-No - I didn't really know what it was...

-Face down?

-I just knew it was too good to be in the ground.

-Yeah, exactly.

So you dug it up - and tell me, what did you do with it then?

Did you take it into the house and show your mum and dad?

Yeah, everybody had a look at it.

It's spent... All of the time it's spent with me,

either in the loft or the garage,

-it's been in the shed...

-Really?

These are great things for putting in sheds. A lot of the time you can

patch up the old, rotting woodwork in the shed

with a few enamel signs and old barns and garages, of course,

you see them - because they were made to advertise

a wide variety of things from engine oil

through to pneumatic tyres,

right down to chocolate, as we have here.

I love it. What do you like about it?

The colour. The colour is beautiful.

-It's good, isn't it? A nice deep blue.

-Yeah.

Just the condition of it, really.

Well, the condition is very good.

It's got a few chips and scraped here and there around the edge,

-which - that wasn't you with your spade?

-No, no.

That happens - because these were designed

to be attached to buildings, for example,

to advertise what was for sale inside,

and when they are taken off the wall,

they invariably lose a little bit of enamel here and there -

and you mentioned the colour. This deep blue.

-I mean, it's held its colour really well, hasn't it?

-It has, yeah.

That's the whole reason why they use vitreous enamel for these signs,

because if that had been blue paint,

buried in the ground however many years ago,

-that would have be faded, wouldn't it?

-It would.

Whereas this is still nice, deep, bold -

and the juxtaposition, here,

with the white, as well, really makes it stand out -

which was the name of the game.

You wanted to catch people's tension.

The other way they've done this is with this rather fun sequence

of pictures here of the little boy.

What have we got here? We've got desperation, poor lad, look.

No-one's looking after him.

Pacification.

Aye-aye, he's heard a rustle, maybe some chocolate paper.

Expectation - he thinks something's coming his way.

Acclamation - he seems happy about that -

and then, of course, the whole reason, "It's Fry's". Realisation.

Happy face. It's trying to sell it to the consumer, isn't it?

Because Fry's, as a firm, actually dates from mid-18th century,

but it wasn't until about 100 years later

that they made the first chocolate bar,

as a sort of commercial venture.

So, it's got a lot of history and a lot of pedigree.

Down at the bottom here, we've got Fry & Sons here, Bristol.

Again, that's where they had their factory.

Later, they merged with another big chocolate manufacturer

and their factory was near Bristol,

and then, here we've got "Chromo, Wolverhampton".

Now, Chromo was one of two big firms making enamel signs,

and for the collectors, the more decorative the better, really,

and I think you've ticked a few boxes with this one.

If I said to you I would put this into auction today

with an estimate of 1,000-1,500, what do you think to that?

-Happy days.

-Happy days, isn't it?

-Not bad for digging around in the back garden.

-No. No, no.

Why don't we fix the reserve at £1,000?

Does that sound like a nice round number to you?

-Yeah, that's fine.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yeah.

-What's the money going towards?

Who knows? Just put it in the bank.

Go and buy yourself something nice.

It's incredible that survived so well stuck in the ground.

Well, there you are, that's it,

our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction,

which really does bring the day to a close here at Althorp House.

We've had a marvellous time, haven't we, everybody?

-Yes. ALL:

-Yes!

We've thoroughly enjoyed looking at the house and the estate

and we've learned so much.

Right now, we're going over to the auction for the last time

and we're putting those valuations to the test.

We're going to find out, what it's worth?

Here's a quick recap of all the items going under the hammer.

The retro vases which decorated Lydia's student room

in the 1970s...

my favourite, the cabinet of fossils and shells...

..and, dug out of the Northamptonshire soil,

the enamel advertising sign.

As we return to the saleroom, it's all eyes on our auctioneers.

Lydia's vases are first to tempt the bidders.

So, why are you selling?

It sat in a cupboard for 30-odd years.

-In a cupboard?

-Mm.

-Not catching the light.

-Ohh!

-No, no.

-Anyway, think of the money.

-I will.

-Hopefully, we'll get the top end,

and we'll move on - buy something you do like.

Absolutely.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

It's going under the hammer right now.

The pewter-colour Whitefriars-style clear glass vase, the two pieces.

Whitefriars always popular, isn't it?

Bidding opens here at £60.

£60 I'm bid, then, for the two pieces here, at 60.

65 at the back.

70 here. 75. 80.

-Yeah.

-85. 90.

-Good.

-95 with the lady, at 95.

I'm all out here, it's 95 at the back.

£100 over there.

Fresh bidder here at 100.

You're out on the side.

£100, fair warning, then,

selling in the room at 100.

-Yes! £100.

-Lovely.

-Spot on. Well done.

-Fantastic.

-What are you going to dig out the cupboard now?

-I'll have a root in the attic.

-Do, won't you, and join us again.

And now, time for my favourite - Sue's cabinet of fossils and shells.

Didn't it look great on the staircase?

It did, yes - nearly made me change my mind.

I know it did. I know it did.

You know, but it's flavour of the month,

and decorators love this kind of thing,

and anybody that's starting a collection on shells

will love this. Let's find out what the bidders think.

Here we go, it's going under the hammer now.

Collectors cabinet, collection of rocks and minerals,

interesting little lot there.

380 and let's start, shall we, at £40?

£40. Opening the bidding at 40.

-£40...

-Look, straight in.

42. At 42. 45. 48. 50.

Room bid 50.

50. Here in the room at 50.

Five. 60.

£60 bid.

Five. 70.

Five. 80.

Mm!

Fair warning in the room, the room bid is £80.

£80 online. At £80 - are there any further bids?

Quite sure, then - finished and sold at 80.

-Top end, wasn't it?

-Yes, it was top end, yes that's very good.

-Got it right.

-Yes.

-Well done.

Thank you for bringing that in, because that made my day, there.

-Really did.

-Thank you.

I'm so pleased that did well.

Now, fingers crossed for Adam's chocolate sign.

It's big, it's graphic, it's colourful, it's pictorial,

-it's just great. Love it.

-It's a lot of money, isn't it?

It's a large amount of money.

Hopefully, we'll get the top end, which is even more exciting.

Anything can happen in an auction, can't it?

-It can.

-And that's why we're here,

that's why it doesn't have a price tag on it.

Let's find out who else loves chocolate.

It's going under the hammer now.

Fry's chocolate sign, the enamel sign, of course,

plenty of presale interest in this one.

And I open the bidding here at £800.

At £800, my bid.

50. 900. 50. 1,000. 11. 1,200.

My bid 1,200. 1,200. 1,300. 1,400.

1,500. 1,600.

I'm out, at 1,700.

Here's the bid standing at £1,700.

1,800.

-Wow.

-1,850.

-Wow!

I'll take at 1,850. 1,900.

2,000.

And 50.

2,100.

And 50.

2,200.

£2,200.

A valiant effort, £2,200 here at Denise's telephone, 2,200.

At £2,200, are we all done?

Quite sure?

They don't come up that often - at 2,200.

-2,200.

-And 50.

-Yeah!

-2,250!

-Come on, he's had another one. Can't let it go.

2,300.

And 50.

£2,350 here standing in the room at 2,350.

2,400.

2,400!

For something you dug up.

And 50.

£2,450.

2,500.

We've been in this position before - make sure you're certain this time.

£2,500.

Denise's telephone has the bid at £2,500.

Are we all done?

-Yes. Whoo!

-Well done.

-Put it there. Well!

-Well done, buddy.

I'm shocked. I'm shocked!

-That's a lot of money.

-2,500 for a dug-up enamel sign -

that's an expensive bit of chocolate.

-How are you feeling?

-Very good.

Yeah, I bet you are!

I bet your head's going, "Ooh, what can I spend that money on?"

-I'll have to ask.

-You'll have to ask permission from the wife,

she's over there.

She knows what it made, unfortunately!

What a way to end today's show.

That was just absolutely fabulous.

I've learned something, I hope you have -

and that's what this show's all about.

That was a great document of social history.

-Thank you, Adam, for bringing that in.

-Pleasure.

Join us again for many more surprises,

but until then, from Market Harborough, it's goodbye.