Crowcombe 45 Flog It!

Today, we're on the edge of the

Quantocks in the county of Somerset,

and this place, Crowcombe Court,

was built as a statement of wealth

and a place to entertain.

And that's exactly what we're going

to do - entertain you.

Welcome to "Flog It!" Yes!

Local landowner Thomas Carew built

what we see today,

designed to impress in the English

baroque style.

It was finished in 1739.

His descendants owned it until the

mid-20th century.

The current owners are busy making

their mark on Crowcombe Court,

to ensure it's still

an enticing spot.

We'll be meeting them later on,

but for now, it's time to catch up

with our own queue.

Our crowd have travelled from all

corners of Somerset today,

to get to this magnificent historic

setting.

And I think one or two of you are

going home with a few smiles on your

face, and a lot of money at the end

of the auction room.

I can't wait to delve into all of

these bags and boxes,

and nor can our experts.

But I know there's only one question

on everybody's lips,

which is... CROWD:

What's it worth?

Stay tuned and you'll find out.

We've brought along the people best

placed to answer that question.

James Lewis has gone for real

pedigree.

Hello. You're the star lot, aren't

you?

Yes, you are.

And he's assisted by

Somerset lad Thomas Plant,

who's after a snifter.

It's quite heavy. Once you've got

your gin and tonics on there,

you must have a strong butler, then.

A soap-stand figure has them vying

for attention.

Any similarity, do you think?

James, I wasn't going to be that

rude.

It's time to open the doors and get

on with our valuation day.

As people settle in and unpack,

here's a look at what's coming up

later on in the programme.

Thomas's culinary discovery prompts

a mouthwatering tip.

I slice my sausage open and put

marmalade inside it.

You're a heathen!

James is in

adventurous mood.

I'm going to do something that I've

never done on "Flog It!" before.

Intriguing, James.

And there's excitement at the

auction.

Oh, Thomas!

And I fulfil a childhood dream.

Well, I'm hard at it, shovelling

coal,

fuelling a steam engine on Britain's

longest standard-gauge heritage

railway, and I hope I don't run out

of puff!

Well, everybody's now safely settled

inside the house, and I must say,

this room is rather spectacular -

the Grand Hall.

It really is a place of entertaining

and showing off.

Wonderful architectural

ornamentation.

Hello, everyone.

CROWD:

Hello!

Who's been here before?

Many of you? Yeah, a few hands.

Well, I tell you what, what a

cracking location!

Hopefully, we can learn something

here today.

We're surrounded by history,

but we want to see some of your

history right now,

so it's straight over to

James Lewis's table.

Let's take a closer look

at what he's spotted.

Michael, we see an awful lot of

these oak or mahogany

wall timepieces on "Flog It!",

but not many of them are 24-hour.

No, well, I've actually never seen

another one

and I've been round to many antiques

markets and auction rooms.

And is this something that you've

bought at auction?

No, no, it's not. My parents bought

the house I still live in.

They bought it in 1955.

Right.

And the previous owners left

all their furniture...

Did they?

..in the house.

Everything.

And this is one of the things that

was left.

I guess, in the 1950s,

Victorian timepieces,

Victorian furniture

wasn't worth anything.

Some of the furniture they left is

actually, now, quite valuable.

There was French Ormolu display

cases...

Right.

..which I think are now worth

quite a lot of money.

My brother's got those.

Lovely.

OK, so you ended up with the clock.

What does KCC stand for?

Well, we tried to find out.

I'd always thought it meant

Clock Company.

OK.

But...

Or County Council?

Could be, could be an institution of

some sort.

Kent County Council?

Kensington and Chelsea Council?

You take your pick.

You take your pick.

Could be... But it's the sort of

thing that's very institutionalised.

24-hour clocks generally were used

by either people who had an interest

in clocks, or scientists or

astronomers, that sort of reason.

Because it's quite a busy dial,

isn't it?

There's a lot going on there.

I know

a lot of people, when they first see

it, they can't make out how to tell

the time by it.

It doesn't surprise me. I love it.

Well, let's have a look at the

quality.

So, the case is oak.

The dial is a painted dial, and

let's have a look at the movement.

So we've got a single winding hole

at the front,

which tells us that it's not going

to have a chime,

it's not going to strike.

It's merely going to have a

mechanism for moving the hands.

And inside there, we have a cone

that has a wire around it.

That cone is known as a fusee.

So it's a fusee movement, and that

cone keeps the chain,

the going chain, tight. It means

it's a more accurate time-teller.

So, it's a good movement.

It's

always kept very good time.

Yeah.

But the pendulum is weighted with

lead in the centre,

just to give it that extra bit of

accuracy. So, we've got a

really good quality wall clock,

probably for some institution.

Yeah, it's a really good thing.

Any ideas of value?

I was hoping between £600 and £800.

OK.

Whether that's being a bit

optimistic...

It might make it, but I think if you

put it on as an estimate,

it might put people off.

I mean, I would suggest, and this is

only a suggestion, 4-6,

so if you're happy to have a

reserve at four...

Yeah. OK, when I sell it, I'll

probably go and buy another clock.

Is that what you're going to do?

So what sort of clock are you going

to buy?

Well, I probably won't get one of

these, but perhaps one with 12

numbers on it.

You want another wall clock?

Well, I'd like to, yeah.

So,

you're going to sell the wall clock

to raise some money to buy a wall

clock?

To buy a wall clock.

Brilliant.

Thomas has found himself

a good spot to value

a great example of Danish design.

Tell me about this lovely table.

Well, I was in a house in 1998, and

I was looking to furnish it,

and I bought this off the neighbour

for £20.

Really?

Yeah.

They probably thought,

"Oh, it's this sort of '70s stuff,

not of any great value."

Have you done anything to it?

I just beeswaxed it.

Yeah?

Every now and again, but not

really.

So, it...

It sat in the corner.

It's a lovely... It's Danish.

That's what I thought.

It's teak,

which is good.

Which is good.

And I love this

quarter veneer you've got going on.

It almost looks like a pie, doesn't

it? Slices of a pie.

It's cool, isn't it?

Yeah, it is.

Yeah, you can see it's all the same

all the way round.

yeah, that's a really, it's a lovely

thing.

Now, this is designed by

Soren Georg Jensen,

so Georg Jensen's son.

So it's got a lineage of great

design behind it.

I love the fact that you've got this

swept base underneath.

And it's made by a firm called

Kubus.

It's on the base, so if we just turn

it over...

there it is. Kubus. Danish

furniture of high quality.

And you've got the

Georg Jensen mark there.

I think it is rather, rather good.

Now, at the moment,

modern design is quite popular,

isn't it?

Yeah, that's why I brought it along.

I think we'll put an estimate of

£100-£120 on it,

and reserve it round about 80?

Oh, yeah, lovely.

Yeah, that be a

good idea?

Yeah, that would be brilliant. It's

more than I expected.

I think they are really cool things.

And imagine you were in London, in a

swanky retail environment,

this would be hundreds of pounds.

If we were to sell this, we've got

£100. What are you going to do with

the money? Replace it with a bit of

furniture?

No, I just think a good

day out is going to be done on the

old table.

A good day out!

A good day out,

yeah.

What does that involve, Carl?

I couldn't imagine.

Coming to the

auction and going to have something

to eat and a couple of pints after.

A couple of pints afterwards.

I think £100 will be quite...

suffice for that, wouldn't it?

Yeah, nice day out.

We'll look

forward to seeing you there.

Crowcombe Court contains some

interesting pieces of its own,

all brought here by owners Kate and

David Kenyon.

They didn't inherit the house,

but I'm about to find out how Kate's

ancestry has made it possible for

them to take it on.

How long have you lived here?

We've

been here five years.

It's not long, is it?

It's not a

long time,

but I love the Georgian period.

Yeah.

And I love history, I love old

things.

I tell you what, looking up there,

I mean,

that's quite a property portfolio.

Yes.

Isn't it?

It is.

Can you talk to me about that?

The chap we are looking at here is a

chap called James Morrison,

and I'm a direct descendant

of James Morrison,

and he became the wealthiest

commoner during the 18th century.

He was the son of an innkeeper

and became an 18th-century

entrepreneur.

Really?

He made quite a significant

sum of money.

One of the things he did invest in

was the railroads in America,

which is quite an extraordinary

thing.

And tea clippers, banking, all sorts

of things.

Oh, he was switched on, wasn't he?

He was switched on.

So he then bought properties for a

lot of his family

members, his siblings,

all over the country.

So what we've done here is actually

just shown the direct line from

James Morrison to me,

and the properties that are

significant

to that direct line down.

Right.

So, starting

with Basildon Park...

Basildon, we filmed at Basildon

Park.

Did you?

Yes, yes, we have.

And then down to my father's family

home in Hamptworth,

which is the northern part of the

New Forest, Hamptworth Lodge.

Lovely.

And then down here to

David and I at Crowcombe Court.

I've never seen that done before as

a family tree with a property

portfolio.

I know.

Good for you. Hey, I've arrived!

Well, that was the thing, because

when we first got here,

so many people kept saying to David

and I, "Young couple, big house.

"How are you here? Have you

inherited this?"

Sure, yeah.

"No." I have come from that

background,

which is the home

in the New Forest,

but this is not a

family home as such.

We bought this specifically to run

as a business.

So, what do you owe James Morrison?

I owe James Morrison,

through his entrepreneurial business

management,

the fact that I'm here today,

and I think we need to allow people

to also enjoy it as much as we enjoy

it.

Well, I'm pleased you have,

because we wouldn't be here today,

and we've filled the house - there's

around 600 people roaming around,

all over the ground floor. It's

absolutely fantastic, so thank you

so much.

No, it's our pleasure.

James

Morrison sounds quite a man.

Kate's lucky to have him as an

ancestor.

Now, back at the valuation table in

the Great Hall,

James has spotted a collection

belonging to Rod that's also been

passed down through family lines.

One of the most common questions

people ask me,

when they stop me in the supermarket

and say,

"You're that bloke from 'Flog It!',

aren't you?",

is, "When people have family

medals,

"why do they sell them?"

And I often say,

"Well, it's better to sell them to

somebody who's a military historian,

"who can research them and tell the

story..."

Yes.

"..rather than just chucking

them in the drawer somewhere at

home."

Yes.

Now, Rod, it that what you've

done with these?

Chucked them in a drawer?

Yes,

indeed. Actually they were given to

me as a child, I was probably around

about seven years of age,

and an old gentleman gave me the two

Boer War medals...

Then, later on in life, my father's

medals were in the house,

and those two also ended up

in the teapot.

In the teapot!

Now, the fifth one, I'm not quite

sure where that came from,

because I don't recognise the name

on it.

OK.

The chap by the name of Cave, I

don't know who he was.

And I thought about it,

and decided that perhaps it would be

better if someone had them,

because I don't think my children

would cherish them in any way.

So, we've got three chaps who served

in World War I?

Yes.

We've got the

Silver Service Medal...

Yes.

..that each of them have been

awarded.

Yes.

What was your father's name?

Gamblin. Oscar Harold Gamblin.

Ah, so, that's those two?

That's my father.

Your father's also been awarded the

Victory Medal?

Yes, yes.

There would have also been

a 1914-18 Star somewhere?

Yes, there was. What happened to

that, I don't know.

OK.

It wasn't in the teapot.

Well, they're known as

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred,

they're named after cartoon

characters in the First World War.

Yes, yes.

So, they're relatively

common...

Right.

..as is this one

and this one.

Yes.

So, all those are World War I.

Yes.

But this chap,

he clearly was fairly mature by the

time the First World War came...

Yes.

..because he fought in the

Boer War, as well, in 1900.

That's right. 1900.

And that's the one that I

think is interesting.

Yes, it is interesting.

They're all incredible in terms

of what they would have had to have

gone through to be awarded any of

those in World War I.

Yes.

But this one, for me, I'm a bit of a

South Africa nut.

Yes.

This is the one of financial

interest.

In terms of this one, it's worth

about £10 or £15.

Right.

These two are worth about £30, £40.

Right.

This one and this one

are worth £150.

Right.

Now,

I'm going to do something that I've

never done on "Flog It!" before.

Right.

Now, you've got kids, yeah?

Yes.

The old man who gave you those

doesn't mean anything to your kids.

No, it doesn't.

Nor does this,

because you don't know who it is.

No.

But you never know what your

grandkids and great-grandkids might

think to these. Why not stick them

in a box, take them home,

and keep them? Those two that are

your dad's.

Yeah, I think we will.

You know?

That's a very good idea.

Because the

thing is, once they've gone,

they've gone.

They've gone. I think

you're right.

They're not worth a lot.

No. We'll

keep those.

I'm making that decision

for you.

We'll keep those, thank you.

All

right?

Yes, absolutely.

Let's put those in...

Yep, OK.

..and

let's put £120 to £180.

OK.

That's where the interest is,

that's where the value is,

and you've got your dad's medals

back.

That's lovely, thank you very

much indeed.

Absolute pleasure.

Interesting, James, but I don't

think Rod will regret that decision.

Well, here we are in the ballroom,

where hundreds of people are now

seated.

They're not dancing, you never know,

we might be dancing...

We might do it later.

We might be

later on in the show.

We're just about to go off to

auction, but before we do,

let me just show you this fireplace,

its wonderful architectural

proportions.

It's not fussy and frilly, it's not

baroque,

which suggests it doesn't really

belong here.

And that's right, because this

ballroom was remodelled in 1870,

and it's said that this marble

fireplace

came from Stowe in Buckinghamshire,

and it really is quite striking.

It does sit right here, I've got to

say that,

it's bold, it's symmetrical,

it's got everything you want about a

grand fireplace.

Well, right now, things are getting

hot in the saleroom,

so let's get straight over there

with these three items.

And here's a quick recap of what

we're taking with us.

The unusual 24-hour timepiece.

A great example of modern design,

the Danish coffee table.

And kept in a teapot,

medals from two wars.

We're heading half an hour east

across Somerset to the market town

of Bridgwater,

sitting on the River Parrett.

It's been a busy port and trading

centre in the past,

and hopefully the good fortune will

rub off on us

as we head into the saleroom.

And this is where we're putting our

valuations to the test today,

Tamlyns Auction Rooms in the heart

of Bridgwater.

As you can see, the room's filling

up. In a moment, Claire Rawle will

be getting on the rostrum.

I'm going to catch up with our

owners, because I know they're

feeling really nervous.

Don't forget, if you're buying or

selling at auction,

there is commission to pay. Here

today, it's 15% plus VAT,

but these rates do vary

from room to room.

Right, let's get on with the sale!

And our first lot is one of my

favourites.

It's a 24-hour dial clock.

It belongs to Michael, and it was

left on the wall when your mum and

dad bought their house?

Yeah, they

left it fully furnished,

they left everything there.

Yeah!

Well, how about that?

That's a fixture of fitting I've

never heard of.

Didn't happen to me.

£400 to 600? I think that's spot-on,

I've not seen a clock come on

the market like this for a long

time.

I've seen them before, but not up

for sale.

Fusing movement as well?

Yeah,

great movement, great movement.

And also the key fitted my

radiators.

You can bleed the radiators?

Yeah, I'm really going to miss that.

Will you promise to get me another

one?

I said I'd try.

Anyway,

let's find out what the bidders

think of this clock, shall we?

It's going under the hammer right

now.

197, a 19th century

24-hour wall clock.

Where do I start it?

Well, 320 with me at the moment.

350 anywhere?

At 320, 350, 380 with me.

Great.

That's 400 on the net now.

You've sold it.

At 400. There

anyone else out there?

You all done?

It's going to sell at £400.

It's gone. Gone on the lower end,

but it's gone.

I've got an early Georgian house...

Yeah.

..so I thought I'd put the

money towards getting an

18th-century clock.

Brilliant, good idea!

Perfect.

Good idea, yeah.

I've got

to go and find a radiator key now.

Not a bad start. James was spot on.

Let's see if he was right about our

next lot.

Going under the hammer right now, we

have three medals belonging to Ron.

Sadly, he can't be with us today,

but we do have our expert, James,

and we are looking for a value of

around £120 to £180, somewhere

around there.

Yeah,

something like that.

And hopefully

we can sell at the top end.

Here we go.

Can I start straight in at

£120? At 120?

It's a nice group. 120 I have.

The internet will come in,

140, 140, 150.

160 I have in the room now.

£160, then.

It's a room bid.

Are you all done at 160?

Thank you.

Spot on, spot on.

Well done, James.

They are a good

thing, and, you know, medals,

they've done so well over the last

few years.

They'll be a great investment.

Something I'd be happy to own is

Carl's Danish coffee table.

Great design!

You picked this up how long ago?

20-odd years ago?

Yeah, 20 years

ago, yeah.

I got a couple of nice pieces of

old furniture.

It's all the look now, isn't it?

Yeah.

20 years ago, it wasn't, but now

it's highly sought after.

Absolutely, it's the line and form,

the sort of, the space it takes up.

It looks like it sort of hangs there

in the air.

Yeah.

It's a very good

table.

It's nice.

Very well thought out.

It's nice.

Let's find out what the bidders

think.

It's going under the hammer right

now. Good luck, Carl. Good luck,

Thomas. This is it.

230 is this Danish circular teak

wood coffee table, starting at £100.

Wow!

Oh, straight in at £100!

100, do I see 110 anywhere?

Bid is with me at 100.

At 100.

Come on, come on,

come on!

There's someone bidding in the door.

Yeah.

140, 150.

It's in the room now at 150.

Not bad.

Good design!

Are you all done then at £150?

Yes!

Brilliant. I like it,

because it's a piece of furniture,

and we don't get a lot of furniture

on the show, so thank you, Carl.

And if you've got anything like

that,

bring it in to a valuation day.

But that's a good result for you,

that's a really good result.

Yeah, I'm very happy with that.

Yeah, I would be as well.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, there you are. That's our

first three lots done and dusted,

under the hammer.

We are coming back to the saleroom

later on in the programme,

so don't go away, there could be one

or two big surprises.

Before we go back to Crowcombe Court

to look for some more treasures,

I've been discovering why 200,000

passengers each year

jump on board West Somerset Railway.

SOARING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS

Railway mania was at its most

frantic in British history

in the 1840s.

Businessmen wanted to

boost their trade,

and railways were the perfect

solution.

Backers in Somerset engaged the

railway engineer of the day,

Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

In 1862,

the line between Taunton and the

busy harbour port of Watchet opened.

Within 12 years, this was extended

along the coast, from Watchet to the

seaside resort of Minehead.

And Minehead is where I begin my

journey today,

although I do need to get properly

dressed for my trip.

Well, that's better, isn't it?

Apprentice Paul Martin,

reporting for duty!

The railway was closed down by

British Rail in 1971,

but reopened just five years later,

thanks to local businesses and

enthusiasts who saw the

benefits of a heritage railway for

both commuters and tourists.

Now it has 50 full-time staff and

1,000 volunteers.

Stuart Nellum started as a volunteer

when he was a young lad.

Now he's a driver, and oversees the

very popular train driving training

course. He's my mentor today.

Right, this is where the fun starts.

I get to have a lesson,

and hopefully drive the engine.

We have to start with the basics, of

course, which is the fire first of

all.

Yep.

Which is obviously using the

coal and air to heat the water.

Very crucial to keep an eye on the

water level.

We have two gauges showing you the

water level, and then obviously

we're generating steam,

which you can see by the steam gauge

up there.

I remember from my schoolboy days,

it's not the coal that's important,

it's the water.

It's the water that creates the

steam.

Absolutely.

So you need

to keep that water pressure up.

That's right, there's a huge

reservoir of water that we're

turning into steam, we're just

purely using the coal to do it.

And this?

This is the regulator.

OK.

It's like an accelerator in a

car.

This lets the steam from the

boiler into the cylinders.

The other important one, of course,

is the brakes.

We've got to be able to stop the

locomotive. The brakes run right

through the train,

so every wheel on the train brakes.

When we're at full steam, what sort

of speed will this do?

A locomotive like this will probably

do, sort, of 50, 60mph quite

happily, but on a light railway like

this, we're only allowed to do 25.

This is Ben, who's today's fireman.

Hello.

Hi, Ben, pleased to meet you.

That's a relief, I thought for a

second I was going to be doing all

the shovelling, but Ben's here!

Brilliant! I'll swap places with

you.

Righto.

That's good news!

Well, OK, well, I reckon, by my

watch, we should be leaving the

platform.

Is that about right?

That is, yeah.

Green flag from the guard.

All clear.

Off we go, if you'd like

to blow the whistle.

The platform at Minehead is nearly a

quarter of a mile in length,

which was ideal for the hundreds of

tourists visiting the seaside town,

and it's kept West Somerset on the

holiday map.

Our destination is Bishops Lydeard,

20 miles south-east of here,

and there are ten stations

along the route.

What is it about steam for you?

I think it's a mixture of the

teamwork, the effort,

they just respond.

So everything you put in, you get

back.

How long have you had this

passion?

I've been involved with the railway

for about 20-odd years.

Started as a volunteer, as many

people do, as a young lad,

and it just gives you

a passion to keep it going.

The route must be one of the

prettiest in the UK,

taking in the beaches and the cliffs

of the West Somerset coast.

When the railway was first built,

it played a key role in opening up

this rural part of the West Country,

both to trade and people,

enabling previously little-known

Somerset towns to link with the

developing national network.

This line carried generations of

holiday-makers to West Somerset's

beaches, and served remote villages.

Stuart, what's your favourite part

of the whole journey on the line?

I think two bits, really. One along

the coastline, as you've already

seen.

Yeah.

Along the beach, along the

cliffs.

And then, of course, we go up into

the Quantock Hills,

and it just changes. Every day of

the season, it's different.

Really lucky.

That little red mark up there,

that's what we've got to keep to.

That keeps the steam pressure up,

that tells you,

that's the right level.

This is what I like seeing -

look at that up there!

Ha-ha-hey!

At Washford, three stops into our

journey, my moment has come.

Time for me to take control!

OK?

Green from the guard.

I get to have a go! So, ready?

Gosh, there's a little bit of a

delay, but it cuts in and...

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Well, that's brilliant.

Easy as that!

Off we go!

You can feel the power,

can't you?

Yeah.

How cool is that?

I get to drive this wonderful

locomotive!

My time as a loco driver

was too short.

I had to hand back to Stuart, at the

historic harbour at Watchet.

In 1862, the year the railway

arrived here,

13,000 tonnes of coal were

imported by ships,

using this Bristol Channel port.

The town had its own rail terminus,

to transport goods

unloaded at the docks.

By 1903, the line carried over

63,000 tonnes of freight annually.

It also brought in tourists, and two

hotels opened in Watchet,

along with new shops

and a pleasure ground.

We're just pulling out of Watchet

station,

and here you can see the harbour.

SOARING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS

I guess the teamwork

between you two,

between the fireman and the driver,

is crucial.

You have to have harmony all the

time.

It's very important, because I can't

go anywhere without him.

He basically generates the power

that I use.

So unless I work with him and he

works with me,

it just doesn't work.

So the teamwork, very important.

Well, we're nearly coming towards

the end of our trip today,

and I've noticed how hard the

fireman works,

so at least I wasn't

left to it by myself!

He's sweating. He's not!

Well, the train's now slowing down.

We're coming to my stop.

It's been fantastic!

It's been brilliant! I've thoroughly

enjoyed it - the noise, the steam,

the taste, the smell.

I've got it on my lips as well.

Brilliant. It's taken me back to my

very first trip on a steam train

with my dad,

when I was about ten years old.

Thank you so much. I know you're

going to get a bit of water now.

We are.

What a day it's been.

Fantastic!

Take a trip on a steam train.

150 years since trains first ran

along this line,

it's testament to the likes of

Stuart and the passionate volunteers

that this route is so popular today.

Back at our valuation day at

Crowcombe Court,

it's full steam ahead for Thomas,

who's uncovered a pretty collection,

belonging to Julia.

You've brought along

these jewels here.

Yes.

What do you know about these

jewels?

They were my mother's. She acquired

them about 40 years ago,

when they were living

in the Middle East.

They are very beautiful, but really,

you know, not something

I would wear.

I have worn the earrings and I've

worn the pendant, individually.

Never the ring?

No, not really. I

don't do costume rings.

So, I've divided these up.

What do you think they are?

Amethyst?

They're not.

Well, that is an amethyst. 100%,

that's an amethyst.

Gosh!

That's fine. This is quite an

interesting stone.

Being an amethyst, it's the

birthstone for February, for an

Aquarius.

If you are going out for a drink,

you can wear that stone,

and you won't get drunk.

It's true! Amethyst wards off

drunkenness.

Is that true?

Yeah,

that's why sometimes a bishop's

ring...

Perhaps I'll start wearing

it.

..is always an amethyst.

Ecclesiastical colour.

I see.

Because they're always

on the ecclesiastical wine.

There we are.

No, I'm joking!

They're not, they're not!

But there's a theory. But that's the

whole idea about an amethyst,

and that's in nine carat gold.

Right.

These are not amethysts.

These are made by man.

And they are imitating a very rare

famous stone, called an alexandrite,

which changes colour...

I see.

..between green and pink.

Really?

With natural and artificial

light, so an extra special thing.

These are made in Egypt, or made in

the Far East, mounted in Egypt,

so quite a high carat of gold.

And the, you know, the story is,

these are alexandrites from

Alexander.

Mmm, OK.

They're not.

Right.

But what's great about them is

they've got a different colour,

haven't they?

They're slightly

different, aren't they?

They've got a violet to them...

Yes.

..with a hint of a grey in there as

well.

So, when you wear them, they

slightly change colour...

Yes, indeed.

..between natural and

artificial light.

And that's why we call them

synthetic corundum alexandrites.

So they are copying, they are an

aluminium oxide.

And it's an interesting fake stone.

This was the very first gemstone

I looked into,

when I started studying, I looked

into it with my eye-glass, and bang,

that was my world.

Well, there you are.

It started to change colour, and

things moved,

and light refracted and refracted,,

and I thought,

"If you can do that with a man-made

stone, what's a real one going to be

like?"

Wow, indeed.

So I love them.

Natural ones are worth over £6,000

a carat, for a really good,

strong colour change, like an

amazing stone.

Yeah.

I'm afraid these aren't.

OK, I can live with that.

You can live with that. We'd

sell them as a group.

Amethyst ring, with synthetic colour

change of earrings and a pendant.

This ring here,

worth between £60 and £100.

Really?

Yeah.

OK.

And these each,

they're worth approximately £150.

So you've got £200 there.

OK.

We'd reserve it roundabout

that...

Yes.

..£180 mark.

I mean, it's very nice costume

jewellery, isn't it?

Absolutely, and you don't wear it.

And I don't wear it.

And it's been

in a drawer?

Yeah, yeah.

So you may

as well flog it.

Sat in a drawer, yes, yes.

And buy something you do wear.

Well, this is the point, I would

like to buy something that,

you know, is modern and more me,

that I will wear and cherish and

pass on to my daughter.

Because jewellery is to be worn,

otherwise what's the point?

Good idea.

I loved my railway journey on the

footplate earlier.

Now James has met a man who is just

as enthusiastic about West Country

rail routes.

Now, Ken, looking at

your sweatshirt...

what does it say?

South Devon Railway?

That's right.

You're going to know

a little bit more about this stuff

here than me. You can wear the

expert's hat,

and I'm going to sit and listen,

because there's no point in me

trying to tell you about something

you know more about than I do.

So, go for it, tell me all about it.

Well, the shunting bell sign was, as

far as I know,

comes off a box which would be in a

marshalling yard.

What is a marshalling yard?

Marshalling yard, where all the

trucks are, to keep them out of the

way of...

Oh, OK, so basically a

storage yard for the trucks?

Storage yard, that's right.

And what

is a shunting bell?

It's a bell that was in a box.

When they needed to move the trucks

about, they had to ring the bell

to let people know that they were

being moved.

Ah, so a safety bell?

Yeah, I

imagine that was...

A little bit like a bleeping

reversing lorry these days.

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

Well, we

sell a lot of railway memorabilia,

and I have to say,

there is a massive following for it,

isn't there?

If you've got a GWR clock, and it

just says GWR on it,

the difference that that GWR

makes...

Yeah.

..is from £200 without it,

£800 with it.

Yes.

I mean, it's an incredible

market.

It is, yeah, indeed.

So, here we've

got a chisel with GWR.

That's right, yeah.

Great Western Railway.

And what's this?

That's a tunnel

board from a branch line

down in Devon.

OK, so fairly local,

then.

Yeah.

Relatively local.

Fairly local to me.

What do you

think they're worth?

I can't remember how much

I paid for it all.

I paid for things in

a job lot, you see.

It looks to me, I have to say,

around £40.

Would £40 be all right for you?

Yeah, it would be all right, yeah.

Fine, let's put 30 to 50,

it'll certainly go towards

your next purchase, I'm sure.

Hungry railway workers would have

been glad of our next find.

It's certainly got

Thomas's juices flowing!

So, Joan and Geoff, tell me

about these fabulous, wonderful

sausage plates.

I'm sure you're not meaning that!

No, I absolutely love these!

I can't tell you how excited I am to

see them.

They belonged to my mother's mother,

and my mother left them to me.

So I don't know any more than that

about them.

Were they butchers, your family?

I've got a slight knowledge of a

butcher, but that's all.

OK.

Well, that's good enough for me.

Yeah. So, Geoff, do you like a

sausage?

Oh, I love sausages!

I think, I think you can't be a

human being if you don't like a

sausage.

You can't be a human being without

sausages.

Do you know what I do with my

sausages for breakfast?

When I'm...

You have sausages for

breakfast?

No, but when I'm out, say when I'm

filming here.

Oh, right, yes.

Not every day.

I slice my sausage open and put

marmalade inside it.

You don't!

Marmalade?!

I do!

Only for breakfast, though.

Can't do it at any part of the day,

it has to be breakfast.

You're a heathen, do you know that?

I'm not a heathen!

It's sweet and savoury.

Oh, I'll try it.

So, this man, Mr Harris, was a

massive self-promoter.

He was Victorian,

and he started selling sausages in

London, in Smithfield's,

but also this is Wholesalers of

London Bridge Meat Market.

So he was established there, but he

was a massive self-promoter.

This logo was his logo,

of the Derby winner riding a porker.

And there's this fabulous porker

here, running across the line,

next to the winning post.

And then you've got, "The winner of

the pork sausage derby".

It's all made up

by this wonderful man.

I mean, this man knew how to sell

sausages!

He would be like Richard Branson,

the Victorian version.

"The Sausage King," he was named.

And he sold sausages all over

Britain.

And these were promotional things,

were they?

Well, yes, he would have had them

made.

So, you know, if you wanted your

Harris sausage,

you could have it on your own

Wedgwood plates.

What better than to have a British

banger with your...

on a Wedgwood, on a British

stoneware plate?

That's an 1880s mark, that's from

about 1885.

Really?

Yeah.

Oh!

So they're Victorian.

You're surprised, aren't you?

I am! I am.

I know!

Cos they've only... They're Mum's

sausage plates, been on the wall.

That's Mum's sausage plate.

Yeah. These are lovely, that they've

survived, as well.

It's of a bygone era.

It's of a different age.

Yeah.

It's when Britain was at its sort of

peak in the Industrial Revolution.

It's when people could name

themselves "The Sausage King".

They could be characters. This man

walked around Smithfield and

London Bridge Market, buying produce

to make his sausages,

in evening dress,

with a top hat,

and a diamond pin in his shirt.

I mean, he was a real eccentric.

Yeah, yeah.

What do you think they're worth?

Not

a lot, I shouldn't think.

Well...

They're only sausage plates.

They are only sausage plates.

What do you think, Geoff?

They're

worth what somebody will pay for

them.

Let's put them in at £100 to £200.

Oh, you're joking!

No, £100 to £200.

Yes, all right, my love, yes.

Let's

set the reserve at 50.

Yes, fine.

Let's watch these porkers

fly out!

Yes, right, fine.

Thomas has got us all chomping at

the bit over the sausage plates.

What a super find!

Well, there you are, that's it.

Our experts have now found their

final three items to take off to

auction, which means it's time to

say goodbye to Crowcombe Court,

our magnificent host location here

in West Somerset.

Hundreds of people have turned up

from all over the West Country,

and I know they've thoroughly

enjoyed themselves, and I have, too.

This has been such a fabulous venue,

but right now, as we say goodbye,

it's straight over to the auction

room for the very last time,

and here's a quick recap of all the

items we are taking with us.

Julia's collection of jewellery from

the Middle East.

The railway memorabilia

belonging to Ken,

who taught James a thing or two.

And the sizzlers - plates to promote

the wares of

an exuberant Victorian butcher.

Back to Tamlyns Auction Rooms, where

there's a good turnout,

and fingers crossed there are some

railway fans.

Let's hope we're on the right track

as we join up with Ken and our

expert, James, for the railway

memorabilia.

I like this. We are in the right

area, that's for sure.

West Somerset Railway, I've been on

that, I've been on the footplate!

Woo-woo!

Right along the coastline,

fantastic! Trip of a lifetime!

Look, good luck, both of you.

Thank you.

It's not a lot of money.

Let's hope we get the top end of the

estimate, OK?

Going under the hammer now.

Lot 12, some railway

interest items here,

and this one I have to start away,

I've got £22 here.

At 22. 25, 28.

30 at the back of the room.

32. 35. 38.

No? At 38.

£38.

£38.

At £38, it is, then. Going to sell.

Are you all done?

£38.

Good.

Gone.

Well done.

That's brilliant, isn't it? We're

happy with that.

Phew!

Ken's lot was just the ticket.

Let's see if Julia's collection of

jewellery has the bidders

jumping onboard.

These were your mum's, weren't they?

They were, yes.

So why are you selling these?

Um, well, my mum passed away, and

they are beautiful,

but not something I would

wear very often,

and my daughter isn't really

interested.

OK.

One person who is interested is

Thomas.

Yes.

But not to wear them!

No, not to wear.

Go on.

All at once!

Goes with your eyes.

Absolutely!

Anyway, look, good luck.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Fingers

crossed.

I think they're quality,

and I think we'll find a new home

for them, and they're going under

the hammer right now.

Lot 340, nice group of jewellery

there.

Where can I start?

It is a good group.

I've got 120.

At 120, 130. 140, 150. 160, 170.

180. 180, I have in front.

180, it's sold. We got it away.

At 180, lady's bid in front.

Now it's in the room.

She's got...

She's got a lot for her money at

180.

I think so.

You all done?

It's going to sell at 180.

180.

Sold on the reserve.

Right on

the reserve. Say something!

Bother!

At least you're smiling!

At least we put a reserve on.

Yeah. Absolutely, yeah.

With jewellery and the market, the

market is never wrong.

That's the price today,

they've worked out what all the

gold's going to be weighed,

what it's worth.

What the stones are

worth.

It's been online.

And Thomas knows that's going to be

split up.

You know that, you know that.

I

should probably go to auction,

to buy a piece of replacement

jewellery.

Absolutely.

That's the nice thing.

Get a bargain.

That's the nice thing, and hopefully

you'll get a bargain.

Thank you.

That's auctions for you.

Thomas was right to suggest a

sensible reserve.

Time now to lick our lips as

Geoffrey and Joan's

promotional sausage plates

tempt the buyers.

Wedgwood, just about to go under the

hammer.

A great name in ceramics, but I've

not seen Wedgwood like this before!

I've never seen Wedgwood like this

before! Sausage plates.

Oh, they're brilliant!

They are

fabulous.

Absolutely great.

The condition's brilliant.

Anyway, look, they're going under

the hammer. I'm quite excited about

these.

Let's find out what this lot think.

These are lovely,

the Wedgwood & Co...

Even Claire said they're lovely.

Sausages are the best.

Right, now, well, a lot of other

people like these as well,

so I start these

straight in at £320.

320!

Oh!

Oh, Thomas!

Internet 350, I'm 380.

400.

400!

Oh, Thomas!

At 450, 480 with me.

At 480. 500.

500!

Oh!

At 520. 550.

580 with me.

It's going up!

At 580. Do you want to go 600?

Can I sink into oblivion?

600. I'm 620.

What did you put on these?

All

right, all right,

I've never seen them before, OK?

At 620, the bid is with me.

650. That clears me now.

Room's gone a bit quiet. 650.

It's on the net, then, at 650.

Are you all done? Cos they're

going to sell at 650.

Yes!

650, Joan, Jeffrey, and Thomas!

Oh, Thomas!

Pleasure.

Brilliant.

Thank you very

much.

No...

Paul, thank you very much.

Wasn't that fantastic?

Yes, I can't get over that!

Well, look, you said you were going

to treat the grandchildren.

How many grandchildren have you got?

I've got six great-grandchildren.

Six... No!

Yes.

Wow!

Well, anyway, look, there's a lot of

money there.

I've had this white hair since I was

38, mind.

Is that all the worry?

Well, look, it's a lot of money.

Enjoy it! And the grandchildren,

and the great-grandchildren will be

so happy.

You've been a real star, I hope

you've enjoyed the show.

Thomas, you were spot on there.

You knew something exciting was

going to happen.

He kept that to himself!

I hope you've learned something.

Sadly, we've run out of time.

What a great day we've had here in

Somerset.

Join us again for many more

surprises, but until then,

it's goodbye from all of us.