0:00:05 > 0:00:07We've set our valuation tables up
0:00:07 > 0:00:12inside the stunning, the magnificent St Albans Cathedral and Abbey
0:00:12 > 0:00:14in the city that shares the same name
0:00:14 > 0:00:15in the county of Hertfordshire.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17This church was named after a local man,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20a brave man called Alban, who sacrificed himself
0:00:20 > 0:00:24to save a Christian priest over 1,700 years ago,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27and from that day onwards, people have been coming here to worship.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It's the oldest place of Christian worship in the country.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Now, we can only hope that somebody here in this magnificent queue
0:00:33 > 0:00:36has brought along an antique that dates as far back as that.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Well, we live in hope, don't we? Welcome to Flog It!
0:01:00 > 0:01:03St Albans Cathedral and Abbey stands on the site
0:01:03 > 0:01:08where Alban gave his life towards the end of the third century AD.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Inside the cathedral houses a medieval shrine in his honour,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16and pilgrims still come to worship and pray by it today.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20The building itself has evolved over the centuries,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23which is reflected in its mix of architectural styles,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26from the Saxon period to the Normans
0:01:26 > 0:01:29through to its great Victorian restoration,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and the building of a 20th-century chapterhouse.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Well, this happy crowd seem eager to get inside to learn more
0:01:38 > 0:01:41about the history of this magnificent building,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and, of course, to meet up with our experts, to pick their brains,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47to ask that all-important question, which is...?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- ALL:- What's it worth?- And if you're happy with the valuation,
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- what are you going to do? ALL:- Flog it!
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Right, let's get inside. Come on, follow me, everyone.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Our experts are already hard at work,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and we haven't even got through the cathedral doors yet,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06but James Lewis is already imparting his wisdom.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10- Lovely shape, isn't it?- It is.- Yeah.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14China is doing very well at the moment. Very well.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And it looks as though Claire Rawle may have spotted her first item.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20That's quite an unusual cribbage board marker, isn't it,
0:02:20 > 0:02:21with the little soldiers in it?
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Don't think it's terribly old, is it?
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It's quite nice, though, isn't it? It's quite fun.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30So, is it round one to Claire or is James still a contender?
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Hello, James. What have you got there?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34It's a boxing programme, Anglo-American.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36- Oh, wow.- All signed. - OK. Boxing, hey?
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- Is this going to turn into a fight, do you think?- It already has.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- HE LAUGHS - Oh, OK.- Do you want to find your own lot? Go on.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Yeah, all right, I'll go up here, shall I?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Whilst everyone pours into the breathtaking nave
0:02:49 > 0:02:54of St Albans Cathedral and Abbey and makes themselves comfortable,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57let's take a look at what's coming up later.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00James comes across an unusual picture...
0:03:00 > 0:03:04- Sand pictures. - Are they sand pictures?- Yeah.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Just feel that.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Oh, yes!
0:03:08 > 0:03:11..and one owner gets some great news.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Were you surprised at the valuation? - Extremely.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I thought they might have been about £100 or something.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Something along those lines.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22And I'll be paying a visit here to Knebworth House,
0:03:22 > 0:03:26a magnificent Grade II Tudor stately mansion,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29probably best known for hosting its rock concerts.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I'm here to uncover a little-known story
0:03:31 > 0:03:33about one of its bravest inhabitants,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Lady Constance Lytton,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38who put her own wellbeing aside to stand up for her beliefs.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45But before that, fortune is smiling on our crowd today
0:03:45 > 0:03:47because they get to queue
0:03:47 > 0:03:50here in the nave of St Albans Cathedral and Abbey,
0:03:50 > 0:03:55and this nave is spectacular, isn't it? It's 85m in length,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57it's the longest nave in the country,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59and that is some view.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I'm in awe of this building. Not just its history,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05not just the tales of bravery I hear,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07but also looking at the images -
0:04:07 > 0:04:10the wall paintings telling a story of Jesus' sacrifice,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12many images of the Crucifixion
0:04:12 > 0:04:16on all of these wonderful Gothic columns.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19James Lewis gets our valuations off to a great start
0:04:19 > 0:04:21with a tale of derring-do.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Alison, I have to say, you don't strike me as being a pipe smoker.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Let's have a look. Give it a go.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- HE LAUGHS - No, it's not you, is it?- No.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- Why have you got a pipe? - It belonged to my grandfather.- OK.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40He was a pipe smoker and he had a collection of pipes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- So, only one left in the family? - Well, yes.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- Nothing as carved as this. Just ordinary pipes, but...- Yeah.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Why did he have this, do you know? - No idea. No, no.- OK.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- Do you know who he is? - No, I've no idea.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Well, it looks like an explorer.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01That sort of woollen wrap around his head and the big goggles.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04This guy, I think, is a chap called Frank Wild.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Now, Frank Wild was a great explorer.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10He went on some of the biggest expeditions in British history.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14The first one was on board Discovery with Scott in 1901 -
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Scott's first Antarctic expedition.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Then he went with Shackleton in 1908.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- Luckily for him, he didn't go with Scott in 1912.- Right.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Otherwise, he may well have never returned.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30But what he did do was go back on the trans-Antarctic journey in 1914,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and that was, of course, the expedition where
0:05:34 > 0:05:38the ship was caught in the ice and they were out there for two years.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Total disaster, but he made it back.- Right.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- So, that's who we think he is.- Mm.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I've done a bit of research. What do you think to him?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Wow.- That's Frank Wild.- Wow.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Yeah, he had a beard rather than a moustache.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I guess, if they're going to do an image of him,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- they would have him wearing all the kit...- Smartened up, yes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01- ..but they would smarten him up. - Yes, yes.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03I think that's probably why we're looking at that.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- But I think that image is uncanny. I think it's got to be him.- Yes.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10I've never seen a pipe like it.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13In terms of value, if I said £40-£60,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- would you be happy with that? - Mm, a little bit more.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- HE CHUCKLES - OK.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- Well, what are you thinking? - 50-80?- Yeah?
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- With a reserve of 50.- Are you happy with that?- Yes, that's fine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30- Do you know, I wouldn't be surprised if it made £100.- Right.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't sell at all.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- HE LAUGHS - It's one of those things that,
0:06:35 > 0:06:40- in the right sale...- Yes. - ..I think it would do very well.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44- Let's take it along and see if it's the right sale.- OK.- Fingers crossed.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47What a wonderful story.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Now, remember those charming games that Claire spotted in the queue?
0:06:50 > 0:06:53It's time to take a closer look.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Richard and Barbara, it's lovely to see you today
0:06:57 > 0:07:00in this magnificent, holy place.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And what have you brought in? Gambling items of vice!
0:07:04 > 0:07:06My goodness, I hope we're not struck down in here.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Cribbage marker boards and some dominoes.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So, you tell me a bit about them. How did you get a hold of them?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13We got them in a car-boot.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16We sometimes go to car-boots just to have a look around.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20And we like quirky things, and it's just caught our eye.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22So, how long ago did you find these?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24About three and a half, four years ago.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28- What did you pay for them?- £20. - Oh, OK. Reasonable. Well done.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And do you play crib or dominoes? Have you used them at all?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Widow, sometimes, yeah.- Oh, OK. So, you understand crib, do you?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37- Not crib, but dominoes. - Yes, I can do the dominoes!
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- So, you've decided now you're going to part with them, or...?- Yeah.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- Yeah, yeah?- We've redecorated.- OK.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46They don't really fit in with the decor any more, so...
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Oh, dear!- I know, everybody says it, but it's time, perhaps,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- to move them on to somebody who really will enjoy them. - They've been cast off.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53They are very collectable.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Cribbage, as a game, has been around since the early 1600s.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59It's an old game. Dominoes was more a sort of 18th-century game.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01So, both games, actually, have been around for centuries,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and very, very widely played still today.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07But these don't date, actually, from quite that early.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10You're looking at, I think, a set that was probably made in the '70s,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12late '70s, that sort of period.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15The dominoes are made out of a type of plastic.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18But what I really like are the little military figures...
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- Quirky.- ..because they are painted die-cast...- Yes.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- Right.- ..like the Britain soldiers.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And I think they probably were made to be used with this set.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28And, of course, these little chaps are the markers.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31With crib, you have to move them up and down the board, don't you?
0:08:31 > 0:08:32That's right, yes.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35And then the person that gets back to the beginning is the winner.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So, I think they are actually quite collectable items.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40But how about you, Barbara?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42What do you think they might be worth?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45I think we were thinking somewhere about £40-£60,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- maybe, for them, hopefully.- OK, OK.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- Well, that seems quite sensible. - Yeah, yeah.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It's not a million miles away from what I was thinking.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53I was pitching it a little bit lower -
0:08:53 > 0:08:55maybe sort of 30-50.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Would you want to put a reserve on them to protect them on the day,
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- do you think, perhaps? - I don't think so, no.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03If someone will buy them at a reasonable price,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- and they'll go to someone who'll enjoy them.- Yeah,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08they will go to a collector. That's very sensible of you
0:09:08 > 0:09:11because I think they'll find their own price on the day at the auction.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I mean, that's what auctions are all about.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14So, if we go forward with that estimate,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17but perhaps leave them without a reserve?
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- That's fine, yeah.- Excellent. It's been a pleasure seeing them,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22and I look forward to seeing you at the auction.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Let's hope the Lord's on our side
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and they march away at a tremendous profit!
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Hope so.- Excellent. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Our crowd are in luck today, as they are being entertained
0:09:32 > 0:09:35by some of the tour guides who work at the cathedral
0:09:35 > 0:09:38who have come dressed in historic costumes.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Stephen, who is clad as a monk of the Benedictine Order,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45is showing me one of the church's most prized possessions.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- Tell me about this one.- Well, when bishops in the Church of England
0:09:50 > 0:09:53started bringing crosiers back in in the 1800s,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56this was probably the second or third crosier in England
0:09:56 > 0:09:57- to be reintroduced.- Gosh.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It's quite controversial these days
0:10:00 > 0:10:03because the head is made of a complete piece of ivory,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06and so it has to be certified as one of those, you know, survivors.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10But Thomas Claughton, the first bishop of St Albans, 1877,
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- brought this in, gave it to all his successors.- Gosh.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16And it's the one that, when a bishop retires,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18he lays this up on the altar,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and when the next bishop comes, he picks it up again and moves on.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23It's a very symbolic part of the role.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25And it must be a real honour to hold it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- It is.- Can I have a go, please? - Go on. It's a wonderful feel.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Gosh, there's some weight to this. - Do you feel like a bishop?
0:10:32 > 0:10:34I do feel like a bishop, yes.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And I'm off. Bye-bye, guys. THEY LAUGH
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Isn't that a work of art?
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Back on the valuation tables,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46James has found a decorative piece that is just as pleasing.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52We are here in this magnificent building,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55surrounded by some of the earliest sculptures in stone,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58with wonderful carving everywhere,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and you've brought your own little bit of wonderful carving,
0:11:01 > 0:11:02and I love it!
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- There's one thing about this, Rosemary.- Mm-hm?
0:11:04 > 0:11:08The combination of bronze and white marble
0:11:08 > 0:11:10that tells us a particular date.
0:11:10 > 0:11:15- Any ideas? - I thought it was late-19th-century.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- I think it's slightly later than that.- Is it? Oh, right.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24Looking at her, the way her hair is, her features, I think she's 1920s.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25Oh, right. Fair enough, yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28When I see marble and bronze together,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31I think it's a wonderful, wonderful combination.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32This came from my grandmother.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35- When I was a little girl, I absolutely loved her...- Right.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37..cos I thought she had such a pretty face and lovely hair,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39and she was very tactile.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- When she died, it was left to me.- Oh!- Yeah.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So, she knew you loved her, at that time?
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Yeah, absolutely. Very, very pretty. Very, very pretty little woman.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Have you had a good look over her for a mark, a signature?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Yeah, I can't find any marks or anything on her at all.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- How long have you had her?- 1963.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Ah. Well, there's a signature.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- Good grief! - HE CHUCKLES
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And it says G Merlin,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and he's signed it on the marble base,
0:12:10 > 0:12:12which was something that was very fashionable
0:12:12 > 0:12:17in the 1920s and '30s, especially in France.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21And it's an artist that does come up in the salerooms occasionally,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25but comes up in various forms and various sizes.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Whenever you're looking at a female form from this period,
0:12:28 > 0:12:31bearing in mind the '20s was quite a risque time,
0:12:31 > 0:12:38they were making lots of nudes and nude dancers, scantily clad,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40the odd bit of material here and there,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43hardly concealing anything.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Those, as I'm sure you can imagine, are the most popular of all of them.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52So, as soon as you've got a bronze and marble combination like this
0:12:52 > 0:12:55where she's almost pensive
0:12:55 > 0:12:59and, as you say, could almost have been 19th-century...
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- Yeah.- ..in her pose,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- then they're not worth such a lot.- Oh, right.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07So, the same artist can command different prices.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And in terms of valuation, these figures, these busts make,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15week in, week out, £200-£300, something like that.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Occasionally, they sort of fall at 150,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20- but I wouldn't want to see her make that.- OK.
0:13:20 > 0:13:26- So, if we said £180 firm reserve... - Right.- ..would you be happy?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- Absolutely, yes.- Sure? - Yeah, positive.- Great, let's do it.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Yeah, that's great. Lovely. Thank you very much.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37We've had a brilliant day so far,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39and our experts are still working flat out,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42but they have found their first three items to take off to auction,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44as you have just seen.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I've got my favourites, you've probably got yours.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50While we make our way over to the saleroom,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52here's a quick recap, just to jog your memory,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54of all the items we're taking with us.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59James believed that Alison's wooden pipe
0:13:59 > 0:14:03may have been fashioned on the intrepid polar explorer Frank Wild,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06but what will the bidders make of it?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Will the domino and cribbage sets, with their die-cast soldiers,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11march away at the auction room?
0:14:12 > 0:14:17And finally, Rosemary's always loved her 1920s marble and bronze bust,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21but now it's time for this pretty lady to find a new home.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29We are staying in Hertfordshire for our sale,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32but are relocating to the small town of Tring,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34which borders the Chiltern Hills.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35As well as attracting visitors
0:14:35 > 0:14:37who want to explore the nearby countryside,
0:14:37 > 0:14:40this pretty market town has another draw -
0:14:40 > 0:14:45the beautiful Victorian Tring Natural History Museum.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Hopefully, the bidders will find our lots as enticing
0:14:49 > 0:14:51as the nearby attractions,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54as we head over to Tring Market Auctions,
0:14:54 > 0:14:56where Stephen Hearn is on the rostrum.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Remember, whether you're buying or selling at every auction,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04there is always commission and VAT to pay. Here, sellers pay
0:15:04 > 0:15:08between 10% and 15%. First under the hammer
0:15:08 > 0:15:10is the 1920s bust.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Rosemary, good luck. I love Rosemary's lot. It's so pretty.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19It's a combination of marble and bronze.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22It's a beautiful, beautiful little bust.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Now, will we get that £200-£300, and why are you selling it?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I'm selling it because, if it sells,
0:15:29 > 0:15:34I'd like to put money towards an antique cat.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- An antique cat? - I like cats. I collect cats.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38Ooh, a bronze cat? Something like that?
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Possibly. Depending.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- Do you have real cats, as well? - Oh, I have real cats.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- You're a cat lover?- Oh, yes. - Oh! Well, good luck.- Thank you.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- Good luck.- Thank you! - It's going under the hammer now.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54That's a bit different, that one, isn't it? It's a rather nice one.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Inscribed by Merlin. There it is.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Alabaster, probably 1920s, something like that.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04A couple of hundred pounds for it? 200 for it? 150 for it? Yes. Surely!
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Yes? 60? 70?
0:16:07 > 0:16:0980? 90 now.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Yes? 190, we've got.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Are we going to be...? That's 200, we're bid now.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18200, thank you. 210, yes or no? 210, I have.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20220, is it? At 220.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23- Getting there. Crawling. - Come on, Rosemary.- And 30?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26And 40? Is it 240?
0:16:27 > 0:16:31And 50 now. Is it going to be 60?
0:16:31 > 0:16:33Sure? 250 has it, then.
0:16:33 > 0:16:39- Brilliant, brilliant!- Good. - And you are out. £250, then.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- Yes! £250.- Brilliant.- Mid-estimate.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Do you know, that was beautiful, wasn't it? It was quality.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49- And as we always say on the show, quality always sells.- Mm.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50Well done, you.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55That result should go a good way towards an antique cat for Rosemary.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Next, let's see if we can make a decent profit
0:16:58 > 0:17:01for Richard and Barbara on their cribbage and domino games,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05which they bought for £20 at a car-boot sale.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Fingers crossed we get these away top end of the estimate.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09You see, the thing is, there's no reserve.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10I know they're going to sell,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13but I really like to see things with reserves,
0:17:13 > 0:17:14and I know it's an auctioneer thing.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- You're confident, though, aren't you?- Yes, yeah.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Well, they're just quirky items, unusual.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- If you like playing games, it's great, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24We're walking a tightrope here. You know that, don't you?
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Let's hope we get to the other side.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Here we go. It's going under the hammer now.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Right, now we've got a domino stand. Rather nice, those.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And a cribbage board with the guardsmen.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Are we going to get 60 for it?
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Or 50? Or 40?
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- We've got 40 for it.- Yes!
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- 40? Excellent!- Have we got 50? Yes?
0:17:44 > 0:17:48- 50? I've got 50. And five now, then.- Great.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52If there's no more, then, at £50, then it's going. The room's out.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55It's going down and I shall sell it for the £50, then.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Thank you very much.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00- £50. Brilliant. Well done. - That's great.- We got the top end.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Who was worried about no reserve? THEY LAUGH
0:18:03 > 0:18:06What a great profit on a car-boot bargain.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Finally, remember that pipe
0:18:08 > 0:18:12which James thought might be the explorer Frank Wild?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Well, it's time for it to go under the hammer.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17- It was your grandad's or your dad's? - Yes, Grandad's.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- It was Grandad's. He collected pipes, didn't he?- Yes.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21- You don't want it any more? You're decluttering?- Yes.- OK.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Anyway, look, good luck, both of you.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24This is going under the hammer now.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30A pipe, the wooden bowl carved as an explorer.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Is he one of the Arctic explorers? There you are.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Are we going to get to £100 for it, or £50?
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Yes, we'll get to 50, won't we?
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Yes. 50, I'm bid, then.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And five for you? And 60? And five? And 70?
0:18:44 > 0:18:49And five? At £80, we're bid. 85? 90? Five? 100?
0:18:49 > 0:18:51£100, then. 100, I'm bid.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- Well, this is good.- Yes. - 110? And 20?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56110's got it, then.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59£110. Thank you.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01- Yes! Hammer's gone down 110.- Yeah.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03- I was thinking around 70-80. - I think that's a great price for it.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- 100 - top price, top price. - Very good, yes.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Well, there you are - our first three lots under the hammer
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and some happy owners.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17We're coming back here later on in the show, so don't go away.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19We could have that big surprise.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21But before I head back to the valuation day,
0:19:21 > 0:19:22while we're here in the area,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I took a trip to the beautiful Knebworth House,
0:19:25 > 0:19:27which is about 20 miles from here.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Knebworth House is an architectural masterpiece.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41It dates from the Tudor period,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44though you'd be forgiven for thinking it was built much later,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46as the original 16th-century red brick
0:19:46 > 0:19:50was concealed beneath turrets, domes, gargoyles
0:19:50 > 0:19:52and stained glass in the 19th century,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57which turned this stately home into a Gothic Victorian fantasy.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05But however fascinating the architecture is,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Knebworth is best known
0:20:07 > 0:20:10as one of the country's premier concert venues.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Over 100 major artists have played here
0:20:13 > 0:20:17since the estate threw open its gates in 1974,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20with kings and queens of pop and rock topping the bill,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24such as The Rolling Stones, Ella Fitzgerald and Queen.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28But I'm not here to admire this architectural treat
0:20:28 > 0:20:31or delve into Knebworth's past rock history.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35I'm here to learn more about a story of one of its past residents.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37In the early part of the 20th century,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Lady Constance Lytton put her own health at risk
0:20:40 > 0:20:42to stand up for what she passionately believed in -
0:20:42 > 0:20:45the right for women to vote.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50During the second part of the 19th century,
0:20:50 > 0:20:55women in the United Kingdom began campaigning for women's suffrage,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59the right of women to stand for electoral office and to vote.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Lady Constance Lytton, who spent her formative years here
0:21:02 > 0:21:05in the sumptuous surroundings of Knebworth House,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08played a vital role in the movement.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10To find out more, I'm meeting Clare Fleck,
0:21:10 > 0:21:15who has been Knebworth's trusted archivist for over 20 years.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20What type of person was Lady Constance?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Well, she was born into an aristocratic family,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24so very privileged lifestyle.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27And some of the things she'd done would have been quite conventional
0:21:27 > 0:21:30for a young lady, such as her watercolours.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32She did watercolour art.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35She was also very musical. She was a sensitive soul, very shy.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Didn't like the public aspects of her upbringing.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40She played the piano beautifully,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43would loved to have been a professional pianist.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46There's some lovely cartoons by her brother-in-law,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Edwin Lutyens, of her playing the piano here.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And she loved doing ordinary things.
0:21:50 > 0:21:55She liked to do what she calls in her diaries "house-maiding".
0:21:55 > 0:21:57She loved cleaning, she loved flower arranging,
0:21:57 > 0:22:02doing the accounts, mending hats, mending her clothes.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03She was a very practical person.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06She didn't like the posh side of life.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09How did Lady Constance get involved in the suffragette movement?
0:22:09 > 0:22:13In 1908, she met the suffragettes
0:22:13 > 0:22:17through helping with the girls' club that she was helping to run
0:22:17 > 0:22:19with a little inheritance of her own,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23and she was invited to go with them to a seaside house for a holiday.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28There were two strong suffragettes there who suggested she join them.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31But she didn't just willy-nilly say, "Yes, that's for me."
0:22:31 > 0:22:33She went away, she read the literature
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and made a conscious decision that, yes, this was a very valid cause
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and that she would join the suffragettes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41There were two different lines of attack
0:22:41 > 0:22:43in the fight for votes for women.
0:22:43 > 0:22:48The first was represented by the National Union of Women's Suffrage,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51which used only peaceful means of protest,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54whereas the Women's Social and Political Union
0:22:54 > 0:22:57used militant and sometimes even violent means
0:22:57 > 0:22:59to get its message across.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01So, she decided to join the cause,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03but it was a while before she actually signed up
0:23:03 > 0:23:05to the Women's Social and Political Union,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08which was the militant side of the cause.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Con decided that the militant way was the way she could make her mark.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15But she was never violent in a serious way.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17She'd throw stones at a car or break a window -
0:23:17 > 0:23:20minor violence just to attract attention
0:23:20 > 0:23:23- and ultimately get arrested. - And she did.- She did.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26The first demonstration she went on took her by surprise
0:23:26 > 0:23:27cos it was a very violent business.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30She was pushed and shoved and squeezed by the police,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32and she was not strong herself.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36She had a weak heart and never had strong health,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38so it was really a traumatic experience for her,
0:23:38 > 0:23:39but this is what she wanted.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42She wanted to be involved with the ordinary suffragettes.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- Did she spend time in prison? - Oh, certainly.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Altogether, she had four imprisonments.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The first time, in 1910, she went to Holloway
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and she wasn't treated as an ordinary suffragette.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53- She was Lady Constance Lytton... - Yeah.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56..so she had preferential treatment, her health was checked,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59so her heart - her weak heart - was identified,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and she was put on the hospital wing, which she didn't want.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04She had two imprisonments like that,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and for her third occasion, she took drastic action.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08She went well away from London,
0:24:08 > 0:24:12disguised herself as a working seamstress, as Jane Warton.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15She even rejoined the WSPU as Jane Warton.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17So, when she was arrested there,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- Jane Warton's health wasn't checked.- Mm.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23She was an ordinary prisoner, a third-degree prisoner,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and went on the ordinary wing. So, when she went on hunger strike,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30she was then brutally force-fed, as the suffragettes were.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34That's what she wanted, but it was a brutal process.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36She had ill-health afterwards, but went on working for the cause.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40She worked in the headquarters of WSPU, went on lecturing.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Even though she felt she was a very poor speaker,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45she really inspired people through her lectures and talks.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47So, how did Constance's story end?
0:24:47 > 0:24:52Did she know that she made a big contribution and a big difference?
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I think she appreciated her part because she wrote a book,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58a very moving book called Prison & Prisoners.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01We've got a copy, which is an account of, it says here,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04"Some personal experiences by Lady Constance Lytton
0:25:04 > 0:25:06"and Jane Warton, spinster."
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- She's got both sides. - Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It's the story of her part in the "votes for women" cause,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16her prison experiences. It also tells us a lot about her.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18The book, which was very popular -
0:25:18 > 0:25:21the first 2,000 edition was sold out within a week,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23and it was published internationally...
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And, again, it shows us not just prison conditions.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28She can see the best side of anything.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Well, she died relatively young, in her 50s.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35Yes, she was only 53, and I'm sure that the fight that she took part in
0:25:35 > 0:25:37contributed to her ill-health and her early death.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Was she alive to see women get the vote?
0:25:40 > 0:25:43To some extent. She died in 1923.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46In 1918, women over the age of 30 had got the vote,
0:25:46 > 0:25:48- so she did see that.- Yes, yeah.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50In fact, in her book, there's a very touching piece
0:25:50 > 0:25:52written in her own hand, and she says,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56"February, 1918. By the Representation of the People Act,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59"about six million women of 30 years of age
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- "obtained the Parliamentary Vote." - That's brilliant.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03But full suffrage didn't come to women till 1928,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and, of course, she'd been dead five years by then.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08A sad story, but a wonderful story and a wonderful woman.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13The casket holding Lady Constance's ashes
0:26:13 > 0:26:17rests here in this mausoleum on the Knebworth family estate.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20And from everything that I've learned about Constance today,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I think the epitaph written here is rather apt.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Just listen to this. "A celestial sense of humour,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30"boundless sympathy, a rare musical talent.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32"She devoted the later years of her life
0:26:32 > 0:26:35"to the political enfranchisement of women
0:26:35 > 0:26:38"and sacrificed her health and her talents
0:26:38 > 0:26:41"in helping to bring victory to this cause."
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Today, Constance is still remembered
0:26:45 > 0:26:49because every year, in March, on International Women's Day,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51a group of women make the journey here
0:26:51 > 0:26:53to pay tribute to Constance's bravery
0:26:53 > 0:26:56and contribution towards the suffragette movement.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Back at St Albans Cathedral and Abbey,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08our valuation day is still in full swing
0:27:08 > 0:27:11with hundreds of people queueing to see our experts.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16And we're not finished with the suffragette theme just yet,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20as Claire has come across a pair of mementos from the cause.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Helen, I love these.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Now, we've actually seen a lot of religious figures here today,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32but these are from a totally different movement, aren't they?
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Oh, yes.- So, tell me a bit about them,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38- what you know about them. - Well, all I know is that
0:27:38 > 0:27:43my mother-in-law gave them to me about 15 years ago.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46I can't say that I really like them
0:27:46 > 0:27:49cos they're not particularly attractive,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and I can't find a use for them,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55but I do know that they are meant to be suffragettes.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They're actually hallmarked Chester, 1908,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01which is not long after Emmeline Pankhurst founded
0:28:01 > 0:28:03the suffragette movement in 1903.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05So, very, very much of the period.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07They're made by a very interesting firm
0:28:07 > 0:28:09called Saunders and Shepherd,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12who actually originally mounted mourning jewellery.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- Whitby. The old Whitby Jet. - Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18- And they're little novelty salt and pepper shakers...- Yeah.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21..in the form of two suffragette ladies.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23- They're made of silver. - Yeah.- Solid silver.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26And then you've got like little panels front and back,
0:28:26 > 0:28:27wearing the poke bonnets,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30and the little holes are made in the back of the bonnets
0:28:30 > 0:28:32for the salt and pepper to be shaken from.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- And then you've got some rather unattractive faces in there.- Yes.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Yes. Very simple arms and rather shapeless figures, as well.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Suffragettes, at that time, were depicted in illustrations,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47postcards, anything, as rather ugly, manly women.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Not the sort of feminine, attractive woman
0:28:50 > 0:28:52that would look after her home and her husband
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and not be bothered about things like voting.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57You know, they were depicted as ugly. They were ridiculed.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59They had to go through all that.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01And the boards, front and back,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05actually did have lettering on them, which you can just see.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- But you know what it says, don't you?- Yes.- Yes.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12The salt has "Votes For Women" written on,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and the pepper has "I Can Make It Hot For You."
0:29:16 > 0:29:19- I mean, obviously, you've got the pepper making it hot.- Yes.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22But also, it's a reflection on their feeling,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24"Yes, we can make it hot for you. We'll make it difficult for you.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29"We'll make you give us the vote." Because it was a huge struggle.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31So, these ladies represent something
0:29:31 > 0:29:33- that was amazingly important, really, in history.- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37However, we need to talk about value.
0:29:37 > 0:29:38They are very collectable.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41They're novelty condiments and there are people who collect them,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43but it's the fact they're suffragettes
0:29:43 > 0:29:44- that's going to give them their value.- Yeah.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48I think, easily, we should estimate them
0:29:48 > 0:29:53at 1,000-1,500 because the singles will make 700 or 800.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- Fair.- I think that's a very conservative estimate,
0:29:55 > 0:29:57if you're happy with that.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59And I would certainly put £1,000 reserve on them,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01- perhaps with a bit of discretion.- OK.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04- It's so unusual to find the pair.- Yeah.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05And they're in good condition
0:30:05 > 0:30:08and they're just so beautifully collectable,
0:30:08 > 0:30:12- I really, really think. So, do you think that's good?- I do.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14- Worth getting them out of the box for?- I'm surprised.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- Are you?- Very surprised, yes. - Oh, OK.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18Well, that's always nice when it works that way.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21- Well, let's hope they do something. - I'm sure they will.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Over on James's table, it looks as though he's in for a surprise, too.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30- Now, Lesley, this is a real first for me on Flog It!- Is it, James?
0:30:30 > 0:30:31Because what generally happens is
0:30:31 > 0:30:33I go out in the lines first thing in the morning
0:30:33 > 0:30:35and we look at everyone queueing outside
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- and we delve into people's bags. And I saw you in the queue...- Yes.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43- ..but I didn't see this.- No. - I have no idea what's in this.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47"Miss Clarissa Crancher, June 1844."
0:30:47 > 0:30:48Wow!
0:30:48 > 0:30:54- Oh, look at these. Sand pictures. - Are they sand pictures?- Yeah.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Just feel that.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Oh, yes!
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Now, this would have been so fashionable at its time.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04What is this? "Shanklin Chine."
0:31:04 > 0:31:06"Bonchurch Church."
0:31:06 > 0:31:10OK, now, sand pictures were made fashionable
0:31:10 > 0:31:14by a chap called Zobel, who would paint these massive pictures of,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18a lot of the time, farm scenes, cattle, out of sand.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20It's literally, as we did when we were kids,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23get a piece of paper, put some glue on it
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and sprinkle some coloured sand on.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- And that's exactly the way they did these.- Ah.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29- Aren't they brilliant? - Mm.- Right, OK.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32There was a huge fashion for these scrapbooks
0:31:32 > 0:31:37from the late 18th century.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41- Tell me, what's the family history? - None.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45- My mother bought it at a boot sale. - Really?- Yes, about 20 years ago.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48And this, she would have loved it.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51She did love it and, you know, it was right up her street.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53One of the interesting things about these
0:31:53 > 0:31:57is that we look at them today with a very different eye,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01and we look at that and think, "Oh, isn't that amazing?
0:32:01 > 0:32:02"What a wonderful hand."
0:32:02 > 0:32:06But, of course, in the 18th century and the 19th century,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09almost every member of the middle classes was taught how to paint...
0:32:09 > 0:32:13- Oh, right.- ..and how to sing... - Oh.- ..and how to draw.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16It wasn't till the 1920s and '30s when we had radio
0:32:16 > 0:32:19that that sort of skill was lost.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22And, of course, today, it's the computer game and telly,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25- so we haven't got very many skills left at all.- No, I'm afraid not.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27- Not in this way, anyway.- No.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31- Any idea of value? - None at all. None at all.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36A lot of these are split up and sold as individual objects,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38individual sand pictures.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41But I have to say, in the last sort of ten years,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43there's been a change and an appreciation of this
0:32:43 > 0:32:47as an actual object, so I'm hoping that somebody will buy this
0:32:47 > 0:32:51and actually love it for what it is. In terms of valuation,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55I think there's a lot in there that's really nicely done.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57There are quite a lot of also-rans, as well.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01So, I think, let's concentrate on the good,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04and I think, if we add those up,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08I think that's going to be worth an estimate of 100-150.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10May well make 200.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12But I think, if we put a reserve on it,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- the reserve is going to be £100. - That's fine.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17- That's what I'd recommend, if that's OK with you.- Absolutely fine.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- Lovely.- Yes, very pleased with that. - Thank you.- Thank you, James.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26Every year, thousands of visitors flock to St Albans Cathedral
0:33:26 > 0:33:28to admire the art, architecture and the history
0:33:28 > 0:33:30of this awe-inspiring building,
0:33:30 > 0:33:35but the cathedral also boasts an unusual tourist attraction.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37I couldn't leave St Albans
0:33:37 > 0:33:39without sharing with you the story of Humphrey.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester, died in 1447.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45He was the brother of Henry V.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48History will remember him as a brave man
0:33:48 > 0:33:50who fought on the front line against the French
0:33:50 > 0:33:52in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Humphrey lies in a tomb down there,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59and I'm going down there to take a look for myself.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Gosh, it's difficult to get down
0:34:03 > 0:34:08because the treads on the steps are so uneven.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Well, poor old Humphrey's body
0:34:10 > 0:34:14was brought down here soon after his death,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18and then forgotten about until 1703,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21when some building work was taking place in the area
0:34:21 > 0:34:23and they discovered the crypt.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25When they opened the lid of the coffin,
0:34:25 > 0:34:29they saw Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33There he was in an amazing state of preservation.
0:34:33 > 0:34:34Everything was there.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37And further more, the coffin was full of a sticky liquid.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40He'd been embalmed, preserved, pickled!
0:34:40 > 0:34:43This soon became a tourist attraction
0:34:43 > 0:34:47and thousands of people visited dear old Humphrey down here.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50That is the reason for the wear on these treads -
0:34:50 > 0:34:55thousands of people would have come up and down this staircase
0:34:55 > 0:34:58in awe looking at this body.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00They were coming down here and they were dipping their fingers
0:35:00 > 0:35:03in this brown, sticky mess. And furthermore,
0:35:03 > 0:35:06some people were even stealing poor old Humphrey's bones.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Well, enough was enough.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12The trap door was finally sealed up in 1872.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16They had to seal it up before poor old Humphrey disappeared.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21All that's left of him now is his skull and seven bones.
0:35:21 > 0:35:22Poor chap.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Having emerged back into the light of the cathedral's nave,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30it's time for our final valuation with Claire.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36- Well, Fran, Martinware - it's not everyone's cup of tea, is it?- No.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- But I think this is actually quite pretty.- I love it.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40And I do have to correct myself - it's not actually a teapot.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43- I think it's a coffee pot. - Right.- However...
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- So, are you a collector of it? - No, we're not.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48We collect Lambeth - Doulton Lambeth.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51But my husband bought me this about 20, 30 years ago
0:35:51 > 0:35:53because it was very pretty, because it's lovely,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- because it's got birds on it.- Ah.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- So, you're a bird person, are you? - A bird lover, yes.- Oh, right.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01And, actually, the colour of the glaze isn't that dissimilar, is it?
0:36:01 > 0:36:05- No, it's quite soft. - Yes, yes. It's quite a nice piece.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Do you know much about the Martin Brothers?
0:36:07 > 0:36:08I don't know anything about them at all,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- except that there were lots of them. - There were four.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Very eccentric.- Yes? Ooh! - Extraordinary potters, really,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17and working at a time where art studio pottery
0:36:17 > 0:36:19was really quite in vogue.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Although this is a fairly conservative item for them
0:36:23 > 0:36:26because they're better known, perhaps,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28in the world of sort of exciting antiques,
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- for the big wally birds. - Big, chunky birds.- Huge birds,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34great beaks, which actually were supposed to be caricatures
0:36:34 > 0:36:35of prominent people at the time,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38although it's not always easy to discern who they are.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40- So, it's made by Martin Brothers. - Yes.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42You can tell that from decoration, but actually,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44it's very clearly marked underneath.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49- They always incised the base in the clay when it was still wet.- Right.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52So, we have a lovely signature there of W Martin,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55and also the date - very clearly dated, actually -
0:36:55 > 0:36:57the 28th of April '82,
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- so there's no doubt about when it was made.- Yes.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Yeah, very, very nicely marked.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- Worked in salt-glaze stoneware. - Right.- Stoneware is -
0:37:04 > 0:37:07well, as you know, if you collect the Doulton Lambeth
0:37:07 > 0:37:09- because that's the same - it's very hard, isn't it?- Yes.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11And then they throw salt into the kiln
0:37:11 > 0:37:12to give you this sort of overall,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15almost like a luminescent effect on the glaze.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19- It's very beautiful.- It's nice, actually, isn't it? I do like it.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23- Now, the important thing, always, with pottery, is condition.- Yes.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27And, sadly, this does have a hairline crack in the base,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30which, if anybody collecting... The first thing they ask you
0:37:30 > 0:37:32when they want to buy a piece of pottery, "What condition is it in?
0:37:32 > 0:37:34"Has it got any chips or cracks?"
0:37:34 > 0:37:35So, the minute you mention a hairline crack,
0:37:35 > 0:37:37they'll be a little bit, "Hmm, OK."
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Perhaps not quite so excited about it.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42But having said that, you don't see that many pieces on the market.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44They weren't that prolific.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46They really were quite an extraordinary bunch.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- So, we need to speak a bit about value.- Yes.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52It's always difficult with something with a hairline crack.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I have sold items before that have been damaged
0:37:54 > 0:37:55and they've done extremely well,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57but I always err on the side of caution
0:37:57 > 0:38:01and just try and keep the estimate sensible.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04- I'd estimate it about 150-250.- Ah.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- Does that sound good?- That sounds lovely. No, that sounds good.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I think, perhaps, we pitch the reserve just under the 150,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14or maybe 130. Fix the reserve at that? Is that all right for you?
0:38:14 > 0:38:15- No, that's fine.- That's excellent.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18I shall look forward to seeing you. Thank you very much indeed.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Well, there you are, that's it. Our work is nearly done here.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32so we have to say goodbye to St Albans Cathedral and Abbey.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34But I tell you what,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- it's not easy putting a value on an antique, is it? ALL:- No!- No.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- Our experts are pretty good, aren't they? ALL:- Yes!
0:38:40 > 0:38:43But anything can happen in an auction room, and you know that.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Right now, we're going to put those valuations to the test.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Here's a quick recap of all the items
0:38:48 > 0:38:50that are coming with us off to auction.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Helen isn't very fond of her suffragette salt and pepper pots,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57so will be happy to see them sell.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04The Victorian scrapbook is crammed full of different illustrations,
0:39:04 > 0:39:07including those interesting sand pictures.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12And finally, let's hope the hairline crack
0:39:12 > 0:39:16on Fran's Martinware coffee pot doesn't deter the bidders.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24We're back at the saleroom in Tring,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27where auctioneer Stephen Hearn is still hard at work.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30First up, it's that Martinware coffee pot.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Fran, I want to say good luck, but at the same time,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36I want to say I don't want you to sell it.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Why, why, why are you selling this? - Because my husband said
0:39:39 > 0:39:41he would like us to come and do something like this.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44- On Flog It?- On Flog It! And do you know, he's just done something.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46- Oh, you could have found something else!- I know, I know.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49This is it. It's going under the hammer.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52200, I have. 210 for you, sir?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55220? 230? 240, I have.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- 250?- Let's get 350.- 60?
0:39:59 > 0:40:03270? 280? 300, he said. No?
0:40:03 > 0:40:09At £300. At 310. 320 now. 330?
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Don't often get a piece. It's going down.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14I sell for £350, then.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- You got top money - £350.- Wonderful.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- It's a good result.- Yes.- Thanks for being such a brilliant sport.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22- Thank you very much. - Because quality, quality, quality.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- Martin Brothers - great London makers.- Yeah.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Next, let's hope the collectors are in the saleroom
0:40:27 > 0:40:29for that jam-packed sketch book.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33- Leslie, it's great to see you again. - Thank you very much.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34I love the little sketchbook.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36We're just about to sell Leslie's little sketchbook.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Leather bound, it's got some wonderful watercolours in it.- Yeah.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- Oh, it's fabulous, isn't it? - It really is delightful.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- And Mum got this? - From a boot sale, yes.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46- About 20-odd years ago? - 20-odd years ago.- Great.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48OK, fingers crossed we get that top end.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50This is going under the hammer right now.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54There it is. 150.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Make it 60? 70? 80 now?
0:40:57 > 0:40:59At £70. Are you going to be 80?
0:40:59 > 0:41:0390? 100? £100.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Surely one more, sir. No?
0:41:05 > 0:41:09Madam's going to have it, then. I shall sell away from you.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12It's going for £100, then.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- Sold.- Great.- Well done. Well done. We're all happy.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- Yes, that's good. Yeah, yeah. - Lovely.- Phew!
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- Job done, James.- Good. Well done. - THEY LAUGH
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Now for our final lot of the day,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25and it's Helen's suffragette salt and pepper pots.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Great to see you again, and what a find at the valuation day.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30You spotted them. You zoomed straight in.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- Were you surprised at the valuation?- Extremely.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36I thought they might have been about £100 or something.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- Something along those lines.- Gosh.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40- That must have been a big surprise.- It was.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Hopefully, we'll get that £1,500. Hopefully, get a bit more.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45- Yeah, hope so. It's quite scarce to find a pair.- Yes.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47They often come up singly. Well, not even that often,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49- but you see them singly.- Good luck.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- This is exciting, isn't it?- It is. - This should be our star lot.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53This is the big one we've been waiting for!
0:41:53 > 0:41:55It's going under the hammer right now.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59Suffragette peppers.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03They're the right date. I am bid £700 for them.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06720, I have. 750 is bid for it.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08780? £800?
0:42:08 > 0:42:11820, we've got. 820.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14850? 880?
0:42:14 > 0:42:17900, we've got. At £900.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20920? 950, is it?
0:42:20 > 0:42:24980? At 980, they're going to be sold.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26At 980, then, they're going to be sold.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30They go down at £980.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- Oh!- Oh! It wasn't bad, was it? - But I tell you what,
0:42:32 > 0:42:34- it's better than 150, isn't it?- It is. It is.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36- HE LAUGHS - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40- They were rare.- They were. It would have been nice to see the 1,000,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- but that's not a bad price, is it? - No.- That's pretty good.
0:42:42 > 0:42:43- That's not a bad price.- It's fine.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- Thank you so much for bringing them in.- Oh, you're welcome.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Well, there you are. That's it. It's all over for our owners.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54We've had a marvellous time here.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56And if you'd like to join the show, we'd love to see you.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Check out our up-and-coming dates and venues on our BBC website
0:42:59 > 0:43:02or our Facebook page, or check the details in your local press.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03Come on, dust them down, bring them in,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05we'll flog them in another auction room.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08But until then, it's goodbye from Hertfordshire.