Compilation - Knighthayes 39 Flog It!

Today, we're bringing you a special edition of "Flog It!"

from all over the UK.

We're travelling east to west, north to south,

revisiting some of the historic venues from the series.

And, as ever, we're searching high and low for fascinating antiques

to sell at auction, and I'll be here at Knightshayes in Devon...

..a house built thanks to the ingenuity,

determination and spirit of one man, and his name was Sir John Heathcoat,

and he single-handedly transformed the lacemaking industry.

Later on in the programme, we'll be finding out about his achievements

and putting values on your items.

Welcome to "Flog It!".

Knightshayes is an extraordinary Victorian country seat,

set in acres of parkland.

It was owned by the Heathcoat Amory family

and it reflects the success they achieved in the lacemaking industry.

Only three generations of Heathcoat Amory family lived here

before the house was handed over to the National Trust in 1972.

And what a house it is. Just take a look at this.

It really is quite fabulous.

Today, you can wander around the exquisite gardens,

you can indulge in the medieval-inspired interiors

and you can hear the story of how the family started off as farmers

and rose to landed gentry in just two generations.

It really is quite a tale.

And more of that later, but first,

let's see where we're heading on today's show.

We're at one of the finest castles in the whole of the UK -

Herstmonceux in East Sussex.

And Catherine Southern's found some boots made for walking.

My grandfather was a saddle maker

and he decided to make his young two or three-year-old daughter

a pair of boots, and there they are.

At Althorp in Northamptonshire,

we're surrounded by priceless works of art,

but there's nothing buttoned-up about Charles.

This, what appears to be a fairly mundane button, reveals so much.

At Reading Town Hall, Anita Manning's fallen in love

with some heavy metal.

Every bit of this pot is beautifully decorated

-by this master of metalwork.

-Gee whizz.

That's all for later, but first,

we're landing at Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex.

Built in the 15th century, it was, at the time,

the largest private home in England.

James Lewis isn't putting up a fight

when it comes to valuing this incredible collection.

Margaret, tell me about these.

Tell me about your family and what you know about them.

Right, to start with, there was my grandfather, Alfred Harry Cole.

-He went to France and he was at Mons.

-Ah.

And the first battle,

the Kaiser named the men who fought at Mons,

-"This little contempt... Little contemptible army."

-Yes.

And they adopted that name and everybody who fought at Mons,

they decided that they would call themselves the Old Contemptibles -

-hence the badge.

-OK, so for that,

-what we're talking about is this set here and the badge here.

-Yes.

-OK, so who's next?

-My father, Alfred John Cole.

-This is the Second World War now.

-Second World War, sorry, yes.

We've got the Africa Star here. Whereabouts was he?

-He was in Egypt in the desert.

-Ah, the Desert Rats.

And I can tell you a funny story.

Apparently, whilst they were in the desert,

they were issued with clean clothes but were told they couldn't change

into the clean clothes because Montgomery was coming to see them

-a few days later.

-Ah.

-And my father disobeyed.

He said, "It's my time to put my clean clothes on", so he did.

-Good for him.

-And for that,

he had to march for hours with a full pack in the desert.

Very stubborn, my father.

And these are my father's brother, Kenneth Claude Cole.

-He was in the bomb and mine disposal.

-OK.

Let's start with your grandfather.

He obviously joined the army right at the very beginning.

-And we know that because he has the 1914 medal.

-Mm-hmm.

So, the first year of World War I.

And we also have the bar that says, "August 22nd to November, 1914",

which indicates he was actually fighting during that period.

So, we've got the 1914 Star,

we've got the War Medal and we've got the Victory Medal

-and we've got the Military Medal.

-Yeah.

Now, the Military Medal was awarded

for those people who weren't commissioned officers,

-so what rank was he?

-He was just a sapper.

-He was promoted to a sergeant but he said, "I don't want it."

-Really?

And my father did exactly the same.

Well, a lot of people say to be awarded that as a sapper,

you would have had to be even braver

than to be awarded as a commissioned officer.

So, we've got the three that everybody knows -

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, the common names,

named after cartoon characters

that were contemporary to the First World War.

Then, the Second World War medals.

Until recently, there hasn't been a great demand

for Second World War medals,

but they are becoming more sought after.

Then, finally, we have these two.

Now, the General Service Medal is an interesting one because of the bar.

-Yes.

-And it says here, "Bomb & Mine Clearance, 1945-'49",

so it's post-World War II.

The war's finished and he's involved

in clearing all of the unexploded bombs -

-one of the most dangerous jobs in existence.

-Yes.

-I couldn't do it.

-I certainly couldn't!

I wouldn't want to, so an incredible person who's been incredibly brave.

There will be people at home, watching this,

who will be saying, "Why are you selling your family medals?"

And I used to think the same thing.

But the medal collectors will buy these,

they will find photographs of your grandfather

and your father and your uncle and they won't be sitting

in somebody's chest of drawers any more.

They will be framed up with all of that research

and their story will live on.

That is what is so good about medal and military collectors.

-It's the history.

-It's all about what they did.

It's very rare, as well, to see a whole family together,

so I think we should sell them together, as one set.

And do you know, I've gone through all of that

and I've even forgotten what I'm meant to be doing

-and that's putting a value on them.

-We got carried away.

Well, it almost seems insulting

to put a value on something so incredible, but we have to.

Now, Pip, Squeak and Wilfred - those three on their own,

without the Military Medal, are worth between £70 and £100.

Then we've got the Military Medal as well.

That's worth another £200 to £300.

Then we've got these two. Let's add another £300 there - £650.

Another £100 there - £750.

I think we've got between £700 and £900, something like that.

I'm amazed! I really am amazed.

-I'd no idea that they'd be that value.

-All right.

-A little bit stunned.

-Great. Well, I enjoy giving good news.

What a wonderful collection of medals,

which recognises the Cole family's heroic military efforts.

Stately homes, like Knightshayes,

played their part in the war effort too.

In the First World War, Knightshayes gave its entire ground floor over

as a military hospital, giving 75 beds to war-wounded soldiers.

In World War II, Knightshayes accommodated

both British and American soldiers, where they convalesced

and had a bit of well-deserved leisure time to boot.

But tragedy would also hit Knightshayes at the end of the war.

When the pilots left Knightshayes and returned to the airfield,

there was a custom to fly low over the house to buzz it,

in order to cheer up their wounded comrades, and it certainly did.

But tragically, one pilot flew his P-47 Thunderbolt

a little bit too low.

The wings clipped the top of the tree

and it landed in the woodland over there.

Tragically, the plane hit the ground and, sadly, the pilot lost his life.

But the lady of the house at the time, Joyce Heathcoat Amory,

was determined to grow good out of bad,

so she planted up the crash site area into a woodland garden

and, as you can see today,

it still remains an area of outstanding natural beauty.

The next stop on our tour is 75 miles north, in Northamptonshire.

Althorp House, home to the Spencer family for 500 years,

provided a spectacular backdrop for our valuation day.

But Charles Hanson's fancy was taken by something rather more subtle.

MUSIC: Let's Face The Music And Dance by Irving Berlin

I saw you earlier in the queue and it was almost trouble ahead,

because this, what appears to be a fairly mundane button,

reveals so much. I'm really intrigued,

before we get to that story - how did you acquire it?

It was in an old button collection of my aunt.

She died in 1982 and I was allowed to choose things from the house

-and I'm just fascinated by buttons.

-Are you?

-And so I just chose that.

-Why do buttons take your fancy?

What do buttons give you, as a collector?

I don't collect them, particularly,

it's just that there's such history with it.

You can imagine - in fact, you can see things.

A button that was on your granny's dress

when you were, perhaps, three or four, and you recognise it.

-And you can't beat that, can you?

-No, not at all.

The sentiment of that object which you just visually remember.

-That's right.

-Like this.

And what's really interesting is what's on this button.

Obviously, we can see Manchester Church, which today,

-we know as being...

-Manchester Cathedral.

-Correct.

And it's inscribed "Church & King Club".

And what we know is that the first meeting of this new club

-happened on 13th March, 1790.

-That's right.

-And this button was worn by uniformed members of this club.

-Mm.

-Fascinating.

-Yeah.

-At a time when there was unrest.

-Yeah, political party.

-At a time when England was unsure where its future was going.

-Mm.

-We were only a year after the French Revolution.

-Mm.

We were concerned what might happen over the Channel in 1790.

-It was only 15 years before the Battle of Trafalgar.

-Oh, golly, yes.

-So, it really speaks history.

-Yeah.

But, of course, this button also has a link to Northampton.

Well, Spencer Perceval was the only Northampton Prime Minister

and, as many people know,

he was the only Prime Minister to have been assassinated.

-And he was related to the Compton family at Castle Ashby.

-Yes.

And I think that's my connection.

I think that's why I found it in my button box,

because my, oh, great-great-uncle lived at Castle Ashby at that time.

-Isn't it wonderful that a button can colour so much social history?

-Yeah.

And it's wonderful because you can see how, maybe, hands and grease

and grime, over the years, have removed some of the gilt coating.

-Mm.

-And you can see, obviously, on the back,

-what a crude button it is, in that regard, with a single loop.

-Mm.

Fascinating. I think it's a really interesting object.

I think it's fairly rare too.

-It is rare.

-Yeah.

-I've never seen one before.

I've seen a couple retail, do quite well but, of course,

auction, in that market,

it's something which almost needs that line, "Political interest".

-Yes.

-I love it.

-And you're thinking it's time to unbutton and go to auction?

-Yes.

-What's it worth?

-Oh, not very much, I shouldn't think.

-Have a guess.

-I don't know. Um, tenner?

-I would say times it by three.

-Oh.

And if we get the right people, hopefully behind it,

for Queen and country today,

I hope we can guide it at between £30 and £50.

-That's not bad for a button.

-And I truly feel, for what it represents,

we ought to protect it with a reserve at £20,

-to prevent any unrest from you to me.

-OK.

Buttons today just don't have the charm, do they?

Now it's back down south,

where the stunning Victorian town hall in Reading plays host

to hundreds of "Flog It!" followers.

But it's pot luck what our experts will find,

as Anita Manning is discovering.

Betty, welcome to "Flog It!",

and it's wonderful of you to come along.

And it's even more wonderful

for you to have brought along this beautiful pot.

-Tell me where you got it.

-My auntie's place.

When she passed away, it was left in the toilet, of all places.

I said to Raymond, my cousin whose mother had died,

"You left a pot in the ladies' toilet."

"You can have it," he said. So, I had it

-and brought it home.

-ANITA LAUGHS

-Oh, that was a very nice thing to happen.

-Yeah.

-Tell me, did you like the pot?

-Yes and no.

I brought it home and put some cones in it and I had a pot plant in it.

In the end, it went up on the shelf.

I forgot all about it then, until I saw "Flog It!".

I saw a lady bring one in, very small, with a fish on.

I thought, "John Pearson - haven't I got that on my pot?"

And got it and it was "John Pearson", and I thought,

"Perhaps it's a forgery, but perhaps it might not be a forgery."

-It was important to bring it in and to have it checked out.

-Yeah.

Have you had it for a long time?

Must be 10, 15 years ago my auntie's been gone now.

Well, it's wonderful to have this turning up in Reading.

Now, this comes from the late 19th century.

We had the Industrial Revolution,

where things had gone from being handmade

-to being machine-made and mass-produced.

-Ah, yeah.

And there were people who felt

that they wanted to bring back

the skills of handcraft.

Now, this movement was loosely called the Arts and Crafts Movement.

And if we look at the base of your pot,

we can see the signature of John Pearson.

Now, John Pearson was a very, very important figure

in the Arts and Crafts Movement.

In fact, he was one of the founder members

of the Guild of Handicrafts with Charles Ashbee.

-Oh.

-Now, he made his way down to Newlyn.

That was a very famous area for Arts and Crafts,

-but it was also renowned for its copper metalwork.

-Oh.

And John Pearson made this pot in Newlyn

with the copper from that region.

-Oh.

-So, it's quite an important thing.

If we look at the pot, everything has been hand-done,

where we have leaves and flowers,

-with a hand-hammered decoration...

-Oh.

..so that every bit of this pot is beautifully decorated

-by this master of metalwork.

-Gee whizz.

So, it's really an absolute joy to see.

-That's great.

-Selling it - would you be sorry to leave it go?

I don't know. In one way, I suppose I would be,

but I don't think it would interest my son.

I'll see what it does at the auction.

This is the interesting thing. If it was coming to me,

-I would put it in at £500 to £800.

-Yeah.

This is a conservative estimate.

Now, would you be happy to put it in at £500 to £800?

Yeah, I'm going to leave it to you.

-But we will make a firm reserve of £500.

-OK, yeah, all right.

-Let's hope it flies.

-I hope it does.

-I'm sure it will.

I hope it goes to someone who'll appreciate it.

-Thank you for bringing it along.

-Thank you.

Let's hope the Arts and Crafts collectors take the bait.

That's our first three items valued by our experts

and here they are again, just to jog your memory.

The medals, reflecting two generations of military history.

There could be a fight over these in the saleroom.

A tiny button with a big story to tell. Will a collector snap it up?

The Arts & Crafts planter is by a celebrated maker,

but will it raise a pot of gold for Betty?

Our first auction comes from the market town

of Wokingham in Berkshire.

Like all auctions, Martin & Pole charges commission,

so factor that in if you're buying or selling.

Right, the John Pearson pot is up for grabs.

Now, this is quality.

It's signed as well, yes. Why are you selling it?

Well, I might as well say it.

-I'm going to give it between me and my son, half each.

-Ah, that's nice.

OK, well, you know I love it and, fingers crossed,

phone lines are bought, people are online, ready for this,

and it might find its way back to Cornwall.

We're going to find out now. It's going under the hammer.

-Good luck.

-Yeah.

The nice Arts & Crafts copper planter by John Pearson.

Start this with me at £420. 450 anywhere? With me at £420.

-Betty, we're at 450.

-Any more?

450 on the internet. 480 with me.

At £480. Any more?

-500 on the internet.

-Ah!

-Thank you. £500. Any more?

At £500. Any more on the internet?

Tell me now. At £500.

-All done?

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-It's gone. £500.

-500, oh, we just made it.

Only just made it.

-Are you happy with that, Betty?

-Yes, I am.

-Oh, good.

-Look at that big smile. We just got it away, didn't we?

-We did.

Hopefully, it's gone to a museum somewhere,

so everybody can appreciate the skill of Pearson,

because that was just lovely.

Our next auction is two hours' north

in Market Harborough, Leicestershire,

where Gildings are in charge of the sale of the special little button.

Going under the hammer right now, a George III uniform button

belonging to Gillian, who's right next to me. Good luck with this.

-Thank you.

-Great to see you again.

-It's not a lot of money, is it, though?

-No.

-Interesting object, socially.

-And a correlation to Northampton as well.

-Absolutely.

-So, it's got local interest and, fingers crossed,

we're going to find a bidder right here, right now.

Let's put it under the hammer.

The Manchester Church & King Club. Nice little button here. Gilt metal.

-And bidding only £8.

-Oh!

-8, I'm bid. Here, at £8. At 8.

-It's a great curio.

£10. £12.

£12, I'm bid at £12. £15.

£18. £20, I'm bid now.

-You've sold it.

-Yeah, come on.

-With the online bidder now, at £20.

-Online as well. Come on.

-It's £20.

-Selling away to the internet at £20.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

It's selling. That's a good thing to buy online.

They can put that in an envelope and post it, can't they? Well done.

Well done, both of you.

-It's a beauty.

-It's a bit of fun,

but we've all learnt something, that's the main thing.

-It was lovely taking part in

-"Flog It!". Ah.

For our third auction, we're heading to the south coast,

to Rye Auction Galleries in Sussex,

as the military medals go into battle.

Margaret, we are just about to sell your father's,

-your uncle's and your grandfather's medals.

-Yes.

-There's a lot of family history here.

-Certainly is.

-Ready, Margaret?

-Yes.

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

This is a selection of World War I and World War II medals.

And I can start it at 500. At 500.

Do I see 520? 520.

540. 560. 580.

600. 620.

640. 660. 680.

700? 680 here.

-Another bidder? 700.

-Come on, come on.

-At 720.

At 720 now. Do I see 740?

-You were spot-on, James.

-At £720 now. At 720.

It's on the net. Are we all done and finished

-at £720?

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Great! Good.

-720, well done. Well done. Spot-on.

Hard thing to put a price on. Are you going to treat your husband?

-We're going to go on a cruise.

-Oh, good for you, good for you!

That's our first trip to the saleroom complete.

We'll be back later for more auction action.

Now, it's back to Knightshayes in Devon,

to discover how the Heathcoat family's lace business

transformed the local area.

Look at that! Isn't that stunning?

This is the view from the back of Knightshayes,

and the Devon countryside just opened up in front of you.

But the gardens have been designed in such a way

that your eye is drawn to one particular building,

and there it is, look, right in the middle.

That's Heathcoat Fabrics, and without that building,

this one wouldn't exist,

and without the lead of one extraordinary man,

a whole town may not have survived

one of the harshest periods in British history.

The story starts some 200 miles away in Loughborough, Leicestershire,

when Britain was in the throes of the Industrial Revolution.

A farmer's son, named John Heathcoat,

was making waves in the lace industry.

At the age of just 25, he had invented the bobbinet machine,

a device that would change the course

of the lacemaking industry forever.

Heathcoat took the most beautiful and difficult thing

human hands were creating in lace,

and made a machine that could do it for them

in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost.

The Industrial Revolution brought massive change

and not everyone welcomed labour-saving inventions,

like Heathcoat's bobbinet machine.

If progress continued,

would the skilled man not be replaced by machine?

One group of men took the answer into their own hands.

They called themselves the Luddites

and they made it their business to attack factories

and destroy the equipment they saw destroying their livelihood.

The Luddites attacked John Heathcoat's factory

with axe and hammer,

destroying 55 lace machines and putting 200 men out of work.

And it's said the air was filled

with the stench of burning lace for days.

So, what was John Heathcoat to do?

His business and his equipment was destroyed,

his trust in the people of Loughborough was ruined,

and the lace industry was facing a depression.

Remarkably, the young industrialist bought a factory

on the other side of the country in Tiverton, Devon -

a small, deprived town, but one with a history of textiles.

Heathcoat's tenacity and ambition drove him on,

like the very wheels of industry, and with him were his loyal workers,

who had walked 200 miles from Loughborough to Tiverton -

a journey which would have taken around two weeks on foot -

to start anew.

Heathcoat may have lost his machinery, but he retained something

that proved just as valuable - his people.

With his established skilled staff,

he was able to get the business going immediately,

and offered employment to hundreds of local people,

many of whom had been living in abject poverty for years.

As the factory grew, it attracted workers from all over Devon,

and Heathcoat provided them with the amenities they needed to survive.

The town of Tiverton was transformed.

To tell us more, I'm at Tiverton Museum

to talk to museum director Pippa Griffith.

Can you tell me what impact the Heathcoat factory had

on the town of Tiverton in the mid-19th century?

The arrival of the factory meant people could continue their work

in the textile trade, in the lace factory.

It was a huge employer for the town.

At least around 20% of the population

had direct employment from the factory itself.

The factory also had a big impact on housing in the town.

As soon as John Heathcoat arrived, he started purchasing houses

and those houses were quite high-spec for their time -

piped water and so on - and by the later period,

they even had indoor toilets as well, which was a great luxury.

What kind of thing were they making in the factory and for who?

The bobbinet lace is used as the basic lace

that could then be embroidered or appliqued upon.

All of that fabric would have been used

for a number of different purposes - for dresses,

wedding veils were a very well-known product. And, in fact,

the factory has a long history of supplying veils for royal weddings -

Queen Victoria's right through to our own Queen Elizabeth,

when she was Princess Elizabeth, and Princess Diana as well.

John Heathcoat, with his very early machine designs,

which he kept on refining, he learnt French and Italian,

so he could do business abroad. He was always one step ahead.

Throughout the mid-19th century,

Heathcoat led the factory and the town from strength to strength.

He even became MP for Tiverton in 1832. The people loved him.

When he sadly passed away, in 1861, the town's grief was universal.

The shops put up their shutters and for two miles in the street,

as a mark of respect, black cloth was laid,

from his house where he lived in Bolham,

here to St Peter's Church in Tiverton, where he is buried.

He was succeeded by his grandson, John Heathcoat Amory.

The factory continued to prosper into the 20th century

and it was the lifeblood of the town, right up until the 1960s.

Bernard Vickers and his father worked there

for a total of more than 100 years.

It was my life.

I was born, literally, within about 100 yards of the factory,

in one of the houses that Heathcoat had acquired.

People that lived in Tiverton,

the first place you looked for a job was at THE factory.

In my dad's day, it would have been very long hours.

They worked from six till six and then,

if they couldn't read or write, which a lot of them couldn't,

they were expected to go to night school

to learn to read or write in the school

that John Heathcoat had set up.

I was one of those that ran about with little pieces of paper.

It was very friendly, I think.

Families worked there, and it was really a pleasant place to work.

Today, the factory at Tiverton is still in the textiles business,

but it's no longer owned by the Heathcoats.

It was John Heathcoat Amory who built this house in 1869.

His grandfather built a town on lace

and he continued the business in the spirit of John Heathcoat,

an inventor, a businessman and a benefactor.

And what better way to do it than from a big, grand house,

with your factory just visible in the distance?

Back on our trip around the country,

we're touching down again at Althorp estate,

which covers 13,000 acres of woodland, pasture,

and it even has its own deer park.

Christina Trevanion, however,

has no idea who this little sparkler belongs to.

-So, Jill, is this your watch?

-No.

-No?

-No.

-It's not your watch?

-Whose watch is it then?

-Well, it was a mistake.

Oh, really? It's the best-looking mistake I've ever seen!

Mm, I was walking past my favourite jewellers

and I saw it in the window and thought,

"I've never seen anything like that before. It's really nice."

-Yeah.

-"I know somebody that might like that."

-But I wasn't with Jill at the time, I was with someone else.

-Mm.

-And I bought it, gave it to her.

-And she said,

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, thank you!"

-No?

-She just took one look and said, "I like it but..."

-Oh!

Which is why Jill's now on the scene, you lucky man.

CHRISTINA LAUGHS

Quite probably, actually. Yes, quite probably.

Well, I think, as a gift goes, a) it was incredibly thoughtful,

and b) incredibly beautiful. Carl, what was it that you loved about it?

-I just thought it was dainty. It looked very pretty.

-Mm.

And I thought the person I was buying it for would appreciate it,

-but...

-How wrong can you be? Have you learnt your lesson now?

What I learnt was quite an easy lesson -

-you can't choose for a lady.

-CHRISTINA LAUGHS

-A lady needs to choose for herself.

-Her own.

Very, very wise words there, Carl. If you'd bought this for me,

I would have been absolutely delighted

because I think it's an absolute stunner and I would have said,

"Thank you so much, that's a wonderful gift."

Let's take it out of the box.

Looking at it, it just screams art deco, doesn't it?

It screams that 1920s, 1930s era, that opulence.

It's got this wonderful canted, rectangular face,

set with diamonds and these wonderful zigzags

and then the diamond-set strap again, going down there.

And, actually, stamped on the back of this case, it says "Platinum".

Now, platinum, obviously, is one of the most expensive precious metals

that you can buy, so it really is the best of the best.

It's a lovely thing. Little manual-wind lady's cocktail watch.

You can imagine going for cocktails, can't you? Very smart.

At auction, they are popular as dress pieces.

It's a very collectible era and it's a very wearable thing still.

-How long ago did you buy this?

-About 15 or 20 years.

15 or 20 years ago, OK. I think, at auction,

we're probably looking somewhere in the region of maybe £250 to £350,

bearing in mind the diamond weight that's in there

and, obviously, the platinum weight as well.

What's your thoughts about that?

It's fine by me because it's not something I own,

it's something I bought for somebody else but she didn't want it

or appreciate it, so I just kept it.

Adding it to a collection of crystal that I've got,

-it doesn't really suit a collection of crystal.

-No, quite.

-It should be in a watch collection or, preferably...

-Or being worn.

-Being worn.

-Jill, would you wear it?

-I would if it fitted.

-Does it?

-But it doesn't.

-Oh.

-I've got rather large wrists.

Oh, I'm sure we could find a piece of string, maybe, or something.

So, would you like to sell it then, chaps?

I would because I think that I would like to give Jill something,

but not this, because this was for somebody else and so...

So, put the money towards something that...

Towards something that Jill would like.

Such as possibly a visit down to see her lost son

-that she hasn't seen for 46 years.

-Oh, my goodness, wow-ee.

That sounds like a very, very worthwhile thing to put it towards.

-So, if we say estimate £250 to £350, with a reserve of £250?

-That's fine.

-Is that all right?

-That's fine.

-Fantastic. Wonderful.

Thank you so much for bringing it in. It's a lovely thing.

Isn't that a beauty?

On "Flog It!", we travel all over the British Isles

and we're privileged to meet thousands of you

and value your antiques. But it's not just items you bring us.

You share your stories and your memories,

and here's one of my favourites from Herstmonceux in East Sussex.

Take it away, Catherine Southern.

Tony, I cannot tell you how much I adore these boots

that you've brought along to "Flog It!" today.

But the big question is, where do they come from?

Well, my grandfather was a saddle maker

and he decided to make his young two or three-year-old daughter

a pair of boots and he lived next door to a boot maker,

with whom he was great friends.

They obviously got chatting and the boot maker gave him instructions

how to make a pair of boots, and there they are.

And my mother wore those boots

when she was, what, two or three years old,

and they've been in my family ever since my mother died

and I inherited my mother's things.

And I think they're pretty little boots

but they're a bit too small for me.

You mean to say you haven't tried them on?

Let's have a look at your grandfather first of all,

because I think this is such a wonderful photograph.

What is he making here? Is this actually a saddle?

No, it's not a saddle. It is a horse collar

and horses were, of course, used extensively on the farm

in both world wars.

And it's lovely to see that you've got all the tools here

in the background. There's his bench.

You can imagine how these boots were actually made in this workshop,

-can't you?

-I can, yes. He had everything there to make them with.

He clearly had the skill at leather-working in making the boots.

And it would have been wonderful for him to make something like this

for his children - something to be really proud of.

Making things for the horses is one thing,

but to actually make something like this wonderful pair of boots

would be something completely different.

But these, we think, probably date from the First World War.

These date from just after the First World War.

I would say 1918 or something like that, 1920.

The craftsmanship that's gone into them is quite super.

There is a little bit of wear on them.

-She probably hardly wore these.

-Yep, before she grew out of them.

And it's lovely to think that you've looked after them.

It's not something that you've just thrown away.

And these other two odd boots, which I guess were also made for your...?

Yes, unfortunately, I don't have the other pair to them

but they were also in the same container that I got from my mother.

OK, I think, had it just been the boots,

they wouldn't be as important,

but the fact that you've got that wonderful story and the picture

of your grandfather, it really is just fantastic.

Well, I'm reluctant, in some ways, to part with them,

but I've now had to, myself, downsize from a large house.

I don't have the space for them any more.

My children don't have the same association with my grandfather

that I had, so I think it's time to pass them on to someone

who will value them and be interested in them,

-as you and I have been.

-Absolutely.

Well, I think a collector will be interested in them.

-They're a little bit of history, aren't they?

-They really are,

and super that you have the photograph of your grandfather.

Yes, he looks a bit like Einstein, a bit, doesn't he?

He does, actually, doesn't he? Well, he was pretty smart, making these.

He was a pretty smart man.

It's hard to put a value on something like this,

because I think they're worth £1,000.

They're wonderful, sentimentally.

But in terms of what they are really worth

to somebody else at auction, it's a difficult one.

I think that we should probably put an estimate on

of around £40 to £60, which isn't an awful lot.

But I think, if we sell them all together

-and if we can actually copy that photograph as well...

-Yes.

..I think that will really enhance them.

I really hope they will go to a collector,

somebody who can really appreciate the craftsmanship

and the history behind them.

-Yes, thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

You have really, really made my day.

The "Flog It!" trip has nearly come to a close,

and hasn't it been a great ride?

Just time for one last valuation from Reading Town Hall.

Off you go, Nick Davies, the clock is ticking.

Two very similar pocket watches.

They look identical but they're a little bit different.

Tell me how you came about them.

Well, this one belonged to my father, and that was my uncle,

-his brother.

-What did your uncle do for a living? Can you remember?

-No, but he had a good job.

-He had a good job. Was he very important?

-He was a bit important, yes.

-A bit important.

-Mm.

And would he have worn his waistcoat with his pocket watch and chain?

-Oh, absolutely.

-And your dad - what did he do for a living?

-He was a hairdresser.

-A hairdresser.

-A barber.

-A barber.

Well, talking about these watches, similar, as I said -

but, believe it or not, they come from

completely different sides of the planet.

This one's from the good old USA and this one's from Switzerland.

We'll start with the Waltham -

Massachusetts, and exported pocket watches

and wall clocks over to the UK in their droves.

They used to send a lot of the movements

over to the jewellery quarter in Birmingham,

where they'd put them in cases.

Some gold cases, some not gold cases. This is a gold-plated case.

-So, that was your dad's. American, mass-produced, gold-plated.

-Mm-hmm.

Your uncle's come from Europe and this is by a very famous company

and I know you know who it is,

cos you told me when you first came here.

-It's by Rolex.

-Yes.

-So, similar, but very, very different.

The mechanisms are more or less the same.

I'm just going to turn the watches round, OK,

so they can have a look at home. There we go.

This is a gold case as well.

You tend to find, with better quality items,

not only do they take time with the item itself -

whether it be furniture or ceramics or glass -

anything that goes around it, the bases are decorated.

And this has a nice gold case to go round with it.

The dates are very similar. This one I can hallmark and date accurately.

This is 1927. Exactly the same sort of period.

Now, at the front, we've got the gold chain,

which I suspect goes with the gold watch?

-Yes, I think so.

-Yeah, I think so.

So, those two go together and rather handsome they are too.

And as you can see from the front,

-there's not much to pull between them, is there?

-Not really.

Both with Roman numerals, both white enamelled dials.

Obviously, that's got "Waltham" on it

and that one's got the Rolex name on it.

-Shall we talk about a price?

-Yes.

-The difference in price.

Absolutely, yes.

The Waltham, as I said, mass-produced.

You see a lot of them. Also, if you look on the outside,

you can see the gold-plating that's worn.

Another giveaway. That's worth about £20 at auction.

Your Rolex - it's got a little dink in the case there

but, apart from that... I'm being picky, I know. It's my job.

Got to be picky. Apart from that, it's in really good order.

They're both running, they both work.

-That one's probably in the region of £250, £350.

-As much as that?

-As much as that. Big difference, isn't it, between the two?

-Yes.

And, of course, you've got the gold chain on top,

which is probably worth another couple of hundred pounds.

So, all in all, you're talking that little group there - £400 to £500.

£20.

But I suspect that's got more sentimental value

-than that will ever have cos it was your dad's.

-That's right, yes.

Really nice thing, and nice to have the two of them together

and show the difference between the two.

We'll put them together as a group.

I think an estimate of £400 to £500. Happy with that?

-Yes, that sounds good.

-What do you think you'll do with the money?

Well, I've got five grandchildren.

Five grandchildren, so shall we try and get them £100 each?

-That would be good.

-That would be good, wouldn't it?

-It would.

-Then you've got no favourites.

-That's true.

Time's up for all our items,

as we take our final trip to the auction room.

And here's what we're taking with us.

Diamonds weren't Jill's best friend,

but they're sure to make someone else happy.

Less Puss in Boots, more Mum in Boots.

Will anyone walk away with these handcrafted boots?

And we've just got enough time on our hands

to put these two pocket watches to the test.

First, it's back to Gildings in Market Harborough

to see if the bidders want those diamonds forever.

We're all ready now, aren't we? It's great to see you and you, Christina.

Are you ready for this? We've got a lady's diamond watch.

It is stunning. It's so typically 1930s.

But also, on the valuation day, I think I valued the watch

at £250 to £350, or £300 to £500, I can't remember.

But there's been an amended estimate.

-The auction room's been in touch with you, haven't they?

-Yes.

And they've put that up now to a fixed reserve of £500,

so we're looking at around £500 to £750, £800. Who knows?

It could go even higher. Good luck with it. Here we go.

The art deco diamond-set cocktail watch here.

-And the telephones are waiting to come in.

-Oh, good.

-Telephones are waiting.

-That means it should go with the estimate.

At £400. At £400. 420.

440. Here at £440. 460.

-On the telephone - good.

-Telephone bid at 460.

480. 500.

-Hit your reserve. Well done, guys.

-At £500.

Telephone bidder. We're out in the room.

-At £500.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-That was short and sweet. Hit that reserve.

-Yeah.

Well done for putting the reserve up.

-£500. That's good.

-That is good.

-That's exactly what you wanted.

-Yeah.

-And, hopefully, you can use that money wisely.

-Yes.

Next, we're going east to Rye Auction Galleries,

and those charming handmade boots are stepping up to the test.

Just been joined by Tony and our lovely expert, Catherine,

and I'm surprised, actually, that you're selling them,

because I know they're only around £40 to £60.

Well, the children are not keen on them and they're too small for me.

Well, fingers crossed, we're going to find a new home for these shoes.

They're going under the hammer right now.

A nice selection of leather boots. There we go.

Start them at 32. 32 we have.

At 32. Do I see 35?

They're very decorative. 35. 38. 40?

40 on the net. At £40. It's on the net at £40.

Do I see 2? At £40 then. I will sell them.

-At £40 then.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Sold, £40. You were right.

-On the internet. They sold on the internet.

Hopefully, they've gone to, let's say,

a shoe shop or an old cobblers,

where they can use them to display in the window.

-Exactly, attract attention.

-And everyone can enjoy looking at them.

And our final auction is at Martin & Pole in Wokingham,

where the classy pocket watches are out of time.

Lesley, it's good to see you,

and we've got some real treasures going under the hammer.

This is quality. We've got two pocket watches and an Albert chain,

and one of the watches is Rolex. I'm quite excited about this.

-Why are you selling them anyway?

-Well...

-Just in a drawer?

Nobody wears them.

Nobody wants to inherit them later on, somewhere down the line?

-Possibly.

-Let's find out what they're worth.

They're going under the hammer right now, as one lot. Here we go.

The Rolex nine-carat gold full hunter pocket watch

and the Waltham pocket watch and an Albert. Three items in this lot.

Absentee bids on this one. I'll start with me at £400.

420 anywhere? With me at £400.

420. 450. 480. 500.

550. 600.

At £600 now. With me at £600 and selling.

-Any more? All done, at £600.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-And the gavel's gone down.

-That's really good.

-£600.

-We're happy, aren't we? You're happy.

-Yes.

I can see it in your face.

You can split the money between the grandsons now, can't you?

-Split the money.

-Mm.

-Yes.

-And treat yourself.

-Ooh, I don't think so.

Oh, come on!

Well, what a great result for Lesley.

I do hope she treats herself to some of that £600.

Sadly, we're coming to the end of today's show.

We must say farewell to Knightshayes,

a magnificent house and gardens, with wonderful stories to tell,

which plenty of people are enjoying today.

If you've got any unwanted antiques and collectibles you want to sell,

come along to one of our valuation days.

Details of up-and-coming dates and venues

you can find on our BBC website, so dust them down and bring them in.

Until the next time, it's goodbye.