Herstmonceux 33 Flog It!

Today, we're in Sussex

at Herstmonceux Castle, just outside of Hastings.

This architectural delight was built in the 15th century

and what a marvellous backdrop for our valuation day.

Welcome to Flog It!

Tucked away in the Sussex countryside,

Herstmonceux Castle is a real gem of a building,

whichever way you look at it.

It gets its name from Herst,

which is ancient Anglo-Saxon for "wooded hill",

and the Monceux family,

who were lords of the manor here in the medieval times.

It was built in the 15th century

and it's a beautiful reminder of that era.

Our enthusiastic crowd have travelled from

all corners of Sussex today to this magnificent historic setting,

laden with bags and boxes full of treasures.

They're here to see our experts, to ask that all important question,

-which is... ALL:

-What's it worth?!

Stay tuned and you'll find out.

To help us in our quest to sift through these treasures,

we've asked two of the finest experts to do the digging.

There's lovable James Lewis...

A big cuddly bear. Just like me!

And commanding respect is Catherine Southon.

Doesn't that look better now, with the lid on?

Yes, my Lord!

These are two people who really love their job.

And there's not a moment to lose.

It's quite a long walk from the castle gates

to the magnificent ballroom,

where our teams have got everything in place for our visitors.

And while everyone gets settled,

here's a quick glimpse of what's coming up later on in the show.

Catherine gets a little too attached to one of her finds.

Can I have a receipt?

No, I don't give receipts.

And we have a real howler at the auction.

HE HOWLS

And I get to honour the intriguing story behind today's venue,

Herstmonceux Castle.

Good luck, everyone. Fingers crossed.

We're all safely seated inside now, so there's not a moment to lose.

Let's get on with our first valuation

and it's straight over to Catherine Southon

to take a closer look at what she's spotted and who that lucky owner is.

Christine, there's one name that jumps out at us when we see this

-and it's...

-Moorcroft.

-Moorcroft, of course.

And this is something that certainly came out to me in the queue,

because it is... It is a piece of Moorcroft,

but it is an early piece of Moorcroft

and that's what the collectors want.

Where did you get it from, Christine?

Well, actually, I was clearing out my mother's cupboards

and I'd never seen it before

but it was covered in cigarette smoke, because she smoked,

and I thought, where's this come from?

And I think it must have come from her family.

So when you saw it, did you recognise what it was?

-No.

-Right.

-I didn't know anything about it at all.

I took it out of the cupboard and I thought...

I like flowers, I thought, oh, that's quite pretty,

washed it off, took it home,

then started watching these antique programmes

-and Moorcroft kept popping up and popping up...

-Right.

And I thought, I'll go and have a look at the name on that...

-Ah! Very good.

-..vase.

-And it was Moorcroft, so that's how I came about it.

-Fantastic.

-So then did you like it a bit more when you saw Moorcroft?

-I did!

But I like it myself anyway,

because of the flowers and the design of it.

-Yeah.

-But I've had it for quite a long time, over 30 years, I think.

It's wonderful, because this is an early mark.

The actual pattern on it, which is so pretty...

-It is.

-On this lovely cream ground, is actually known as Persian,

the Persian pattern.

And you can kind of see

where they've got that sort of Persian influence from.

It dates from the 1920s and if you turn it over there,

you've got a lovely clear mark...

-That's right.

-W Moorcroft for William Moorcroft,

and then down there,

you've got the number which actually relates to the shape.

Now, as we look at it, it is perfect.

However, we turn it round...

-I know what you're going to say.

-And what do we see?

There's a tiny chip and I don't know how that got there.

I think it was there when I picked it up.

It's such a shame.

-I know.

-And the problem is when people buy Moorcroft,

Moorcroft collectors, who will love this piece of early Moorcroft...

-I know.

-..because it is quite a rare pattern.

The first thing they're going to ask about is restoration

and they are very picky on any marks, any chips.

Had this been in perfect condition, you probably don't want to hear,

-but I'm going to tell you anyway...

-Right.

Had this been in perfect condition,

I think you would be looking at 1,000 to 1,500,

maybe 1,200 to 1,800.

-Oh!

-I know.

Right. Now, tell me the...

Tell you... Are you...? Do you want to hold on to something?

Hold on to me, hold on to me. Um...

Because of the condition, it really makes a massive, massive difference.

I know.

Really, the price goes right down

and we're looking at more like 400-600.

-Right.

-Shall we flog it?

Oh, yes, please. Flog it.

Fantastic. Thank you, Christine.

-Thank you.

-It's been lovely to meet you.

Back in the ballroom,

it looks like James has sniffed out a real treat for dog lovers.

Alf, when I saw you outside in the queue...

..and I saw that in your hand, I just thought, how fantastic.

There are certain things that when you pick them up

or when you see them,

memories of childhood sort of come flooding back.

And that is exactly what happened for me.

And my grandad used to rip out a cartoon strip from the Daily Mail

and it used to be Fred Basset and that's why I picked it, really.

Because I just thought, what a lovely, lovely thing to have.

And it's inscribed to you.

-Yeah.

-What's the history?

Well, Alex Graham was one of our vice presidents,

at Artisans Golf.

He was my partner and we got talking

-and my wife was organising a dog show...

-Right.

Some friends had a Basset and I said,

could he just whip a Basset on a scorecard.

He came up with that, as simple as that.

-Brilliant.

-That's basically the story of it.

I'm sure you know all about Alex Graham.

He was a Scottish born artist, born in 1917,

sadly died around 1991.

And was most well-known for his work in the Daily Mail

with the Fred Basset cartoon strip.

And he did hundreds of them through his career

of this little Basset Hound called Fred,

and it was based on his own little Basset Hound that he had,

called Frida, I think?

-I think it was...

-Yeah.

This is an original cartoon strip

and it's signed, it's in pen and ink,

and you can see where some of the errors and changes have happened,

where he's used the old-fashioned Tippex to rub them out.

I've never seen one before and the difficult thing is to value it.

But I always end up overvaluing the things that mean something to me.

I think if it didn't make £30, I'd be disappointed

and it wouldn't be worth...

it wouldn't be worth selling it, would it?

So I think if we put a reserve of 30

and an estimate of 30-50,

-would that be all right?

-Yeah.

I mean, it's only sitting in the cupboard at home...

-Is it really?

-Yeah.

It's a perfect thing to have up on the loo wall.

..Nah!

THEY LAUGH

But I think it's absolutely super.

I really like it.

As long as I've made your day.

Yeah, you've really made me smile.

Well done, thank you so much for bringing it in.

-Thanks a lot.

-Great to see you. Thank you.

As a Basset owner myself, I do love those cartoons.

And outside the castle,

Catherine has spotted our final find of the morning.

Well, Chou-chou.

Tony, what can I say?

We have a beautiful backdrop

and then we have some very elegantly dressed people.

You look wonderful, both of you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Very smart.

You're very kind, thank you.

-More important than the objects.

-You look gorgeous yourself!

Well, let's move on to have a look at what we've got here.

We've got some nice pocket watches and a rather smart fob.

Now, you're very elegantly dressed, Tony.

-Yeah.

-Very smart.

-Yes, he says.

-He knows he is, doesn't he?

-That's his hobby.

-Yeah.

Are these something that you would've worn once upon a time?

I used to wear these every week.

-Really?

-Because I always wore waistcoats and suits,

but I, of course, was never allowed

to wear any jewellery or a watch.

-Right.

-Because of my career.

-What was your career, then?

-Grand Prix motorcyclist.

-Oh, I see.

-And in consequence,

you weren't allowed to wear any jewellery or anything.

Wonderful. And I bet you looked really smart.

So, let's go through these one by one.

-Thank you.

-So we've got this nine carat gold pocket watch.

-Yes.

-Let's just have a look at it here, half-hunter pocket watch,

because we've got the little aperture there.

-Half-hunter.

-The important thing is to look at the dial

to see what sort of condition it is.

-Yes.

-The dial there, which is an enamel dial,

we can see there's a couple of little cracks there...

-Yes, yes.

-But generally speaking, it is in quite nice condition.

But for me, the more interesting piece is this little medallion.

-Where did it come from?

-Well, that was won by...

my great, great, great grandmother, erm,

for gymnastics before the First World War.

And, um...

It was handed down to me but I never saw the lady, so it has no actual...

-Value to you.

-..heart value to me.

Because you just turn it over there and you can see it is dated 1910.

-1910.

-And presumably that's her, is it?

-V Horton.

-Yes.

And there she's won first prize.

-Yes.

-And you can see on the top there it says first.

And then moving onto this one,

because I really like the shape of this.

It's about 1920s and just sort of speaks of that era, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

-So where did you get this one?

That was handed down to me

as an heirloom from another auntie.

-OK.

-Because you open it up inside

and I know, cos you mentioned something about Grand Prix...

-Yeah.

-And inside I saw Grand Prix and I was thinking,

"Oh, Grand Prix, as in Grand Prix."

-Grand Prix.

-But it's nothing to do with that.

Nothing to do with me, no.

It's Grand Prix as in Grand Prix, a prize.

-Yes, yes.

-So that's what it means.

-Grand prize, yes.

-Exactly.

And again, this is a nine carat gold pocket watch.

-Yes.

-Now my thoughts are that these have been worn as one by yourself

and I think they should stay together as one.

I would suggest putting them in with an estimate of £300-500

with a reserve of 300, because they're worth that.

-Yes.

-This one...

I love this watch,

but I would suggest 100-150 as an estimate with a reserve of £80.

So how does that all sound to you? Happy to put them into auction?

Well, that sounds perfect to me.

That sounds perfect to me, too.

So, two different, we've got two different lots here

-going under the hammer.

-Yes, thank you.

-Sound good to you?

-Yes, fine, yeah.

-Terrific.

-Thank you, Chou-chou?

-Yes.

-Chou-chou.

Chou-chou. Thank you, Tony.

Thank you, Catherine. And I shall see you both at the auction.

-I hope so, yes.

-Thank you so much.

Two very stylish owners with two stylish watches and chain.

A perfect combination.

Well, this is where it gets exciting.

This is where we change gear.

Our experts have now found their first three items

to take off to auction.

Anything could happen, do not go away.

Fingers crossed, we're going to have one or two big surprises.

We're making our way over to the saleroom and we'll leave you

with a rundown, just to jog your memory,

of all the items that are going under the hammer.

With Moorcroft signed on the base,

that vase should pull in the collectors at auction.

Tony's decided it's time to say goodbye to his fob watches,

which we'll auction off separately.

And I love the Fred Basset cartoon,

but will it be best in show and fetch a good price?

We're heading east now, across Sussex to Rye.

Rising up above the levels of the Romney Marshes,

this picturesque seaside town is home

to our unusual-looking saleroom,

Rye Auction Galleries.

This is what I love to see, an auction room packed full of bidders.

Auctioneer Kevin Wall is already on the rostrum,

the auction is just about to start.

I'm going to catch up with our owners, they're feeling nervous.

You settle down and watch the excitement as it unfolds.

Let's get on with our first lot.

And remember, there's always commission to pay at auctions.

Here, it's 15% plus VAT.

And our first lot of the day is Christine's vase.

Going under the hammer now, one of the greatest names in ceramics,

Moorcroft. And we've got a lovely bit.

Thank you for bringing it in, Christine. Good to see you again.

-Thank you.

-Why are you selling this?

My husband wanted to go on the British Pullman

-and I want to do it for his birthday...

-Oh...

-..so that's why I'm selling it.

-Oh...

We're going from Eastbourne to Bath.

Oh, how lovely.

-How regal.

-Yes. It's lovely.

Oh... He's a lucky boy.

-He is, very lucky.

-He's a lucky boy.

£400 to £600, we should do this.

This is a cracking example.

We should. Lovely colours, nice Persian pattern,

the only thing was there was a tiny bit of damage that I can recall.

-Only a tiny bit.

-We keep saying tiny...

-A tiny bit.

-Tiny.

-Let's find out what the bidders think,

it's going under the hammer right now.

Lot 115 is the Moorcroft cream ground Persian pattern vase.

And I've got 200, 220, 250, I've got 250 here.

280, 300, 320.

350, 380, 400.

At 400 at the back of the room now.

Has the internet gone quiet?

At £400, it's still with you, sir.

At £400, are we all done?

BANGS GAVEL

Yes! £400, we just got that away within estimate.

Four to six, we've sold it.

-Good.

-That's the train journey sorted out for you.

-That's right, it is, yeah, thank you.

-Great.

Next up, it's those fabulous fob watches.

Chou-chou and Tony, thank you so much, and Catherine,

for brightening up the show.

-Look at this.

-Thank you.

-I feel a little bit underdressed.

You all look fabulous today, lots of lovely colours.

-Thank you.

-I love what you're wearing, as well.

-Thank you.

-Right, look, two watches going under the hammer.

-Yes.

-One is the half-hunter, that's going now.

-Mm-hm.

-And the other one is the one with the fob.

-Yeah.

-The one with a lot of money on it. This is it, good luck.

Lot 460 is the George V nine carat gold half-hunter pocket watch

with silver dial. And I start it at 75.

At 75. 80, is it now?

At 75, do I see 80?

At 75 for this one.

At 75, it's a lovely...

-Close, go on.

-Come on!

-Sell it.

Are we all done at 75?

No?

I'm afraid that is unsold today.

Look, I'm ever so sorry, we had £75, we needed five more,

five more pounds to reach that reserve of 80, we didn't get it.

That one didn't sell, it's going home.

Next up, the larger watch with the fob chain.

It's going under the hammer now, this is it.

Lot number 475 is this nine carat gold half-hunter pocket watch,

together with a curb link fob chain and I start it at 220.

220, I've got.

At 220. 230, 240, 250, 260,

270, 280, 290, 300...

-Yes.

-This is good.

320, 330, 340, 350, 360,

370, 380, 390, 400,

410, 420, 430, 440, 450,

460, 470, 480, 500, 520,

-540...

-Up...

-580, 600.

620. 640.

At 620 on my right now.

At £620.

At £620, the bid is on the right.

At £620, you're all done and selling...

Well, look, £620...

-Fantastic.

-Whey!

-Whoo!

We failed with the first but we did really well with the second.

-Yeah...

-We made up for it.

-Thank you. Thank you, both of you.

We're sending you away very happy.

-Yeah.

-Well done.

-Thank you, both of you.

-Thank you.

And finally, can Alfred's signed cartoon

give us something to smile about?

So, who loves Basset dogs?

Well, I do. I've got one and I'm sure many of you have at home.

They're great dogs, they're so stubborn, though

and they are incredibly lazy.

Alf, it's great to see you.

Did you ever get a Basset dog in your life?

Some friends have one.

And aren't they lovely? But I love Fred Basset.

Like you, I grew up reading that cartoon strip.

-Yeah.

-My mum and dad got the paper and I used to collect them

and read them. It's not about the money for me on this.

-No...

-It's about the memories.

-I mean...

-But it's signed by the artist.

We came over for a day out to the valuation and ended up here.

Well, it's good, this is Flog It!

You're getting the whole experience.

Right, we're going to put this under the hammer, a packed saleroom,

all of these bidders out here must love Fred Basset, mustn't they?

-One hopes so.

-We all grew up with him.

Let's find out what it's worth.

Lot 295 is the Alex Graham Fred Basset cartoon strip.

Lots of interest. Erm...

I've got 35, 55, 65, 75,

85, 90, 95, 100...

-Whoa!

-120.

130? 140, 150?

-Wow.

-160, 170.

At 180 now.

At 180, 190?

At 200. 210, 220...

-Oh, brilliant.

-Oh, my...

Everyone loves the Basset.

250. At 250 on the net.

At £250, are we all done and finished here?

Yes! £250 for Fred Basset.

HE HOWLS

And they do do that, Bassets, they're proper hounds.

A-woooo! 250 quid, Alf.

-I don't believe it.

-Have you got any more?

-No.

-THEY LAUGH

I'll have a look round for some more.

-Anyway, thank you very much.

-250 quid.

-What a great result.

Brilliant, isn't it?

Well, there you are,

you've just seen our first three lots under the hammer.

So far, so good. We are coming back here later on, so do not go away.

Before we join up with our experts back at the valuation day venue,

I had the chance to find out the story behind Herstmonceux Castle.

Well, there's no denying it,

Herstmonceux Castle is a stunning, impressive-looking building,

it really is an architectural gem.

It's nearly 700 years old

and it still looks like it's in pristine condition. Today,

it's part of Queen's University in Canada

and students from all over the world come here to study,

but its story is one of great survival.

This is a building lucky to still be standing.

Herstmonceux may look like a fortress

designed to hold back an army, but it isn't.

Look a bit closer and you might spot a few problems.

It's made of brick and has big windows,

neither of which are much use against cannons or siege catapults.

And that's because Herstmonceux was never meant to be a fortress.

The castle was built in 1441 by a wealthy nobleman, Sir Roger Fiennes.

Not only did he want a home that would impress,

but it also had to reflect his taste and his status.

He not only made this absolutely huge,

but he decided to build it out of brick,

which was really unusual because back in Britain at that time

nobody else was building in brick,

so you could say this is the finest build of its kind

since the Romans left a thousand years earlier.

However, few people in the country really knew how to build with brick,

so Sir Roger had to bring in

specialist brick makers and builders from Belgium.

That brought the cost of this ambitious project

to over £1 billion in today's money.

It was a huge success.

Trendsetting Roger made brick-building fashionable.

The size and the style of the castle put Herstmonceux on the map

and inspired the design of other buildings around the country.

For the next couple of centuries,

life for the castle and its owners ticked along fairly smoothly.

Running a castle like this was probably enough of a task.

By the 1600s,

the family name changed by marriage to Leonard

and these accounts from the period give a fascinating insight

into what life was like in the castle

and how the castle ran its financial affairs.

And just reading what they ate gives you an idea of how well they lived.

Apart from the obvious things we've got here

like pork and mutton and beef,

they liked rabbits, they liked squirrel,

they liked blackbird, lark, pigeon.

Lobster, crab, mullet, bass

and it even says here, "maids," "ursers" and "withies",

whatever they are.

And, incidentally,

there is a beer quota here for every single person,

including children, of eight gallons of beer per week.

Now, to be frank with you,

I think the beer would be a lot healthier to drink

than the water back in the day.

Running a castle was an expensive business

and this just goes to show how detailed and careful they had to be.

They kept a watch on every single penny.

Believe me, these are just a few pages from hundreds that exist

in the castle's archive.

Unfortunately, the cost of lavish living in such a grand castle

became too much for the family,

and, by the 18th century, it had to be sold off.

This was bad news for Herstmonceux.

Over the next 60 years, the castle passed between different owners,

slowly becoming more and more neglected.

And, in 1776, all the contents of the castle were sold off.

Fixtures, fittings, fireplaces, everything.

The sale lasted three days

and the eager buyers camped out on the front lawns.

That's the type of dedication to auctions we love to see on Flog It!

But the worst was still to come.

The owners of the castle demolished all the interior walls.

All that was left were these outer walls of Herstmonceux Castle.

It literally was a shell.

A once grand and glorious home was now left as a ruin.

Over the next century, the ivy crept in

and virtually swallowed the ruins.

The elegant gardens became overgrown

and the once great castle became a quaint Victorian tourist attraction.

But it wasn't all over for Herstmonceux.

There was a knight in shining armour

ready to rescue this castle in distress.

It was bought in 1911 by Lieutenant Colonel Lowther.

He was determined to return it to its former glory.

Over the next 18 years,

he set about rebuilding the castle brick by brick.

From just a desolate ruin,

he gradually restored the interior of the building

and then the ivy was stripped away

and the gardens returned to their former Elizabethan elegance.

He did an amazing job when you bear in mind that

all he bought was a shell of a building.

The detail is fantastic.

He fitted out to the interior with fine stone and woodwork.

Most of it from other historic houses across England.

Most impressive has to be this very grand oak staircase,

said to come from a house in Hertfordshire

built for a visit for Queen Elizabeth I.

Now, sadly, Lowther died in 1929 when the restoration of Herstmonceux

was nearly there, but not quite complete.

The challenge of completing Herstmonceux Castle

was taken on by Sir Paul Latham in 1932.

Lavishing a staggering £60 million in today's money,

he finished off the restoration and put Herstmonceux

back on the map, attracting the rich and the famous.

Robert Shanks's father was the farm manager at the time

and they lived on the estate.

Robert, so, did you know the castle as a child?

-Did you get to know it?

-Yes, we did.

It was on our doorstep

and it was only open to the public one day a year

but, as children, we used to sneak over the fence

and have a look at it.

When you saw the scale of it, and all the ramparts and things,

as a nine-year-old, you had to be impressed with it.

And you've got some memorabilia?

Yes, I have.

I've got a visitors' book of the castle.

I would imagine there are some

very important names in this visitors' book.

Well, the one that I think I would go to first -

here we have King George V and Mary,

and we have the future King George VI and Elizabeth

all on one page.

That's quite incredible, isn't it?

Fashion people like Beaton.

Alexander Haig. Look at that.

The aircraft designer and builder Sopwith.

Even the Rothschilds turned up, too.

Look at that. Victor Rothschild's there.

-That's quite a scribble for such a rich man.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's a pity it's not on a cheque, isn't it?

I mean, that's a Who's Who of the day, basically.

-Yes, it is.

-It really is and that's a wonderful,

valuable document of social history.

It really is, isn't it? It's not just a book.

It's got names, dates and places all connected to this fabulous castle.

-Yes, it has.

-That's so precious.

-Yes.

Sadly, those heady days of Sir Latham and his famous guests

didn't last long.

He sold off the castle after the Second World War

and it passed through various owners

until it became what it is today -

a very unique campus for Queen's University in Canada.

Today's students walk the corridors

and study in the rooms of Herstmonceux,

the latest inhabitants of this grand old building.

For a castle that was never meant to be a stronghold,

it's taken all that 700 years of history can throw at it

and it's survived incredibly well, and, looking at it now,

who's to say it's not going to be around for another 700 years?

Back inside the castle ballroom,

people are still flocking in with their antiques,

eager to meet our experts.

And it looks like James has spotted something

that wouldn't look out of place in one of the castle's fine rooms.

Jo, let me take you back 150 years or so to about 1850.

You've just had a wonderful dinner

with all your servants looking after you, serving you at the table,

and the ladies go to one room and the gentlemen to the other

and somebody says, "Shall we get the liqueur cabinet out?"

And the servant would go to their side cabinet, collect this,

we open this up - what a great surprise.

So inside we've got six liqueur decanters.

And we've got a little tray that would be taken out

and...decanter would be taken out,

would top up a couple of very mean little glasses there,

and you would sup away

and I have to say you'd have to have quite a few refills, I would say.

How long have you had it?

It came from my grandfather's antique shop.

He was a fine arts dealer at the beginning of the 20th century.

OK.

It was passed down through my father

and the lock is broken

because my brother and I were left on our own with it one day,

it had no key, so it had to be opened!

-Did you know what was in it?

-No, we had no idea.

So you weren't after a crafty whisky or anything?

I was only about eight.

Let's look at the outside.

We've got emblems of neoclassicism, like the shell.

Fashionable from about 1780.

We've got barber pole stringing.

We've got a mahogany cabinet, lacquered brass handles.

The shells go back to a very ancient form of design,

but if we look at this one, we've got a green ground

and that green is harewood,

and harewood is stained sycamore,

and sycamore holds the stain much better than any other wood.

And if you've got Granny's rolling pin at home,

you smell the rolling pin,

it doesn't smell of whatever you've rolled the time before.

That's because it's probably made of sycamore,

and the grain is so tight that it doesn't absorb smell,

but it also doesn't release colour.

It's a great thing.

Not the most fashionable of objects today, but no, I like it.

I like it a lot. Value...

I think we should put an auction estimate of £100-£150 on it.

That's conservative, but it does take into consideration the damage.

-Is that OK?

-Yes. Will there be a reserve on that?

Shall we put a reserve of £100?

-Yes, please.

-Brilliant.

It'll do that very easily.

Marvellous. Thank you.

Over to Catherine's table now,

and it looks like something dazzling has caught her eye.

Pat, you've brought a beautiful ring,

one of my favourites, an aquamarine, along to Flog It today.

And, actually, it goes very nicely with what you're wearing.

Yes, my favourite colour.

It is a beautiful colour, isn't it?

Now this was actually very popular, this type of ring, in the 1920s.

This is really when it came out, became very fashionable.

Where did you get it from, Pat?

It belonged to my late mother-in-law,

who was quite a character,

and I remember distinctly the day she showed it to me.

Came in with it on her finger and I said, "Oh, Mum, that's a bit gaudy.

-"Where did you get it from?"

-Oh, did you?

-"A Christmas cracker?"

-Did you?!

-Yes! She was quite upset, really.

She said, "It's a real aquamarine."

So when you saw this, what sort of time was this?

30, 40 years ago?

Yes, about...

Well, she died in 1978 so that would have been a few years before then.

-Do you like it?

-I do like it, but it's a bit big

and it's getting a bit tight for me now.

-But it is something that you've worn?

-Oh, yes, yes.

It's just cos looking at it, looking at the marks,

the mark that it's got, it's not an English mark.

-No.

-It's a Continental Mark, and it says on it 14 K.

So this is actually white gold.

-Yes.

-And a really nice cut stone.

I think that's a beautiful cut. It's nicely stepped on the sides.

And it is something that is still very wearable, I think, today,

and the colour of it, it's a nicer colour

rather than the sort of blue-green colour

that you sometimes get with aquamarines.

-This is really quite a nice colour.

-Some of them are much darker.

They are, but I think this is a nice colour.

Are you interested in selling it?

Well, yes, it might as well go. And then I'll use the money, yes.

I think we've got to think about, realistically,

how much it would really make at auction

-and I think that's about £300-£500.

-Yes.

How does that sound to you?

-Yes, that's fine.

-Well, with a reserve of £300.

I think it's still very saleable

-and I think it should make towards the top end of that.

-Oh, good.

-Are you happy with that, Pat?

-Yes, fine.

Well, I'm going to pop it on there.

I think I shall wear that for the rest of the day.

-Shall we leave it there?

-Yes.

Can I have a receipt?

No, I don't give receipts.

Looks like we might have to prise that ring away from Catherine

to sell it. While our experts search for our last item,

I took the chance to find out about the castle's current owner.

Since it was built in the 15th century,

Herstmonceux has been a grand home for many different owners.

But recent history has seen it put to a very different use.

Today it's the Bader International Study Centre

which is part of Queen's University in Canada.

And the reason for the name and it being here is this man,

Dr Alfred Bader.

Bader came to this part of England from Germany in 1938,

aged just 14, as part of the Kindertransport.

This was the rescue effort

that brought thousands of refugee Jewish children to Britain

helping them escape the persecution by the Nazis.

Unfortunately, as the war dragged on,

many of these children were then moved to Canada and Australia

and put into internment camps.

Bader ended up in one of these camps in Canada,

and when he was released in 1941

he applied to various universities to study chemistry.

Queen's, a small university just outside of Montreal,

was the only one to offer him a place.

From here, Bader went on to do incredibly well,

starting his own chemical company with just 500.

And within 30 years, he made it one of the largest in the world,

worth billions -

amazing for a young man who struggled to get into university.

So, in 1993, retired and extremely wealthy,

Dr Bader bought Herstmonceux Castle for £6 million

in the part of England that gave him his refuge,

and handed it to the university that gave him his education -

a wonderful, generous act of kindness

that has helped preserve and keep this magnificent castle alive.

Back in the ballroom, there's still plenty of buyers

and James has found our last item for auction.

Do you like bats?

-Not particularly.

-Don't you?

Well, if you were Chinese, you would.

Because the Chinese word "bat" is "fu",

and the Chinese word for "good fortune" is also "fu".

This symbol, the symbol of the bat,

is something you find all over Chinese porcelain,

metalwork, sculpture, bronzes, and that's the reason.

It means good fortune.

And this is hopefully going to bring you a little bit of good fortune.

It's a piece of Chinese porcelain

that would have been made for the export market

around 1900, 1920.

Is it something that's been in your family that long?

Yes, I would think so. It belonged to my great-grandmother.

And was your great-grandmother a collector?

-No.

-Just something that she acquired?

I suppose could even have bought it new?

Maybe, maybe, yes.

But, interestingly, it's a circular porcelain plaque

mounted with silver-coloured metal mounts,

and these are original with it, which is lovely.

With guilloche enamel on the decoration -

these wonderful turquoise greens and blues.

And what we are seeing is a scene of an elder,

a teacher, teaching a young lady calligraphy.

And we see the long Chinese brush,

and this circular porcelain plaque

is in the style of an 18th-century one.

We see the view through a window, so we got the curtains on the side,

the drapes, and here, the Chinese three-legged censer,

which would have been filled with sand and incense sticks,

filling the air with wonderful smells.

The verse here in Chinese script, I can't read it.

I wish I could.

But it probably relates to the scene

that we see taking place there.

So let's whip it over.

So we've got three strands soldered in the middle.

Very rough unglazed base

that is exactly what you want to see.

Totally untouched.

-Has it been on the wall?

-It was in my grandmother's day, yes.

-But not lately.

-And how long have you had it?

I've had it ten years.

-In a cupboard somewhere?

-In a drawer, yes.

Well, a little piece like that

I think would do jolly well at auction.

Not as well as a year ago,

but still, the market is buoyant, and it's still doing well.

-What do you think it's worth?

-I've no idea.

Would you sell it for £50?

-No.

-How about 100?

I might consider 100, yes.

I think it should make £200-£300, something like that.

It's the sort of piece

that, if the Chinese start bidding online,

and two start fighting against each other,

it could do considerably higher.

That's the hope. Is that all right for you?

-Yes, that's fine.

-Well, let's take it along.

I'm sure it will do well

and it wouldn't surprise me if it made a bit more than my estimate.

OK. Thank you.

Well, our experts have now found in their final items

to take off to auction.

We've had a fantastic time here today at Herstmonceux Castle.

-Have you enjoyed yourselves?

-Brilliant.

-It's been brilliant.

We've all learned a lot, as well.

We've enjoyed the historic surroundings,

but right now our work is done here.

We need to move straight across to the auction room

and here's a quick recap of all the items we are taking with us.

Jo's decanter set oozed style and sophistication.

Will it get the bids pouring in?

Pat's ring is sure to do well in the auction -

if we can get it away from Catherine!

And will the buyers go batty for Jeanette's Chinese wall plaque?

Fingers crossed.

Back at the saleroom in Rye,

auctioneer Kevin Wall is still on the rostrum and still going strong,

working his way through the lots.

Going under the hammer right now,

we've got that wonderful decanter box dated 1850.

I really like this.

I spotted it at the valuation day.

James beat me to the valuation, because I wanted to do that one.

Why do you want to sell this?

It's been sitting wrapped up in the wardrobe.

Aww. Well, at least it's been looked after.

-It's been out of the sunlight.

-Well, yes...

I know there's a tiny bit of damage, but you can forgive it for that.

-There's something about it.

-It's a shame.

You open it up and go, "Oh, this is history."

-Yes.

-What a way to live.

Can you imagine owning that back in 1850?

-Imagine who handled it.

-Yes!

-That's what I think of.

Right, well, we can't debate this any more.

Obviously we want it to go for as much as possible.

Right now it's down to the bidders out there.

Let's get it under the hammer.

Lot 85 is a Georgian mahogany box with strong decanter set.

And I started at 75.

At 75, do I see 80 now?

At 75, do I see 80 here?

At 75, are we all done?

-And finished at 75.

-I'm shocked.

That's not sold, I'm afraid.

I had a feeling it wouldn't.

It was worth so much more than £200!

It can go back in the bottom of the wardrobe.

It was lovely to be here, it really was lovely to be here.

Well, we genuinely loved it, didn't we?

But the bidders didn't.

That's such a shame, but that's the thrill of the auction room.

Let's hope we have a good result with the aquamarine ring.

Right, we've just been joined by Pat and Catherine.

Going under the hammer right now, the aquamarine ring,

popular in the 1920s and '30s.

I like this. I don't know if it's fashionable today,

-but I know you did wear it a bit, didn't you?

-Oh, yes, yes, I wore it.

It was my mother-in-law's, yes.

We've got phones ringing all over the place.

Hopefully ringing the auction house to buy this ring.

We don't know. But look, good luck with it.

I know you want to sell it. You don't want to wear it any more,

-do you?

-No, no.

-And no-one in the family wants it?

-No, no.

It's a beautiful colour and, hopefully... And it looks great,

it does look the business, doesn't it?

So fingers crossed we will sell well.

-You never know your luck.

-You just don't know in an auction, do you?

Anything can happen, as you know.

We putting it to the test right now.

What's it worth? We are going to find out.

Lot 340 is a 14-carat white gold ring

set with emerald-cut aquamarines.

I started at 220, 220.

Do I see 230 now?

Rather a nice big ring now.

230, 240, 250,

260, 270,

280, I've got.

290.

-Come on, we are there, aren't we?

-Almost.

-Almost.

-Come on, one more.

-280 here.

At 280. 290.

Sell, if there is no more bids at 290,

at £290, are we all done?

At £290...

We just got it away, didn't we? Only just.

-You didn't want to take it home, did you?

-No.

-Have you got a sore throat?

-I've got a bad sore throat.

I got so excited, shouting and jumping up and down.

We've had some great results today. It's been a brilliant auction.

Well, we'd better quickly move on to our next lot,

because I don't want to risk losing my voice now.

Right now, a touch of the Orient comes to the south coast.

I've just been joined by Jeannette. Good to see you again.

And we've got our expert James who I know is feeling really excited.

We've got £200-£300 on this Chinese plaque

but this is an auction. Anything can happen, so stay with us right now.

This is getting really, really exciting.

-This has been in the family a long time, hasn't it?

-Yes, it has.

Why have you decided to sell it now?

Because we don't need it, and it's just been in a drawer.

-OK. Well, this is exciting. Ready for this?

-Yes.

Let's put it under the hammer.

Right, lot number 10 is a 19th-century

Chinese circular porcelain wall plaque

and I can start it at...

We'll get rid of my little commissions first, shall we?

200, 250, 350, 450,

500, 550, 600, 650,

700, 750, 800. 800 here.

850 on this one. At 850.

-900.

-This is fantastic, isn't it?

-It's unbelievable, isn't it?

1,000. 1,500?

2,000?

£2,000!

And they are not going to let go.

2,500?

I'm starting to tingle.

-I'm really starting to tingle. Are you?

-Yes!

3,000.

3,500.

4,000.

-Wow!

-4,500.

At 5,000 on the telephone here now.

At £5,000.

The internet is out. All the other phone lines are out.

It's still on this phone line.

At £5,000, all done.

Yes! Well done.

Wow. What a result!

-Well done. I'm so pleased for you.

-Thank you so much.

-Well done.

200-300?

You know, it was just an everyday come-and-buy-me estimate.

-I knew it all along.

-That got everyone excited.

That's auctions for you.

The money is going to charity?

-Yes.

-All of it? Are you going to treat yourself?

No, it's all going to the air ambulance.

You are a real star.

-Brilliant. Well done.

-I hope you enjoyed that.

What a great end to today's show.

It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Join us again in another saleroom soon.

I'm so excited I've lost my voice. But we'll see you again. Cheerio.