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Welcome to Newcastle, home to these beautiful bridges, | 0:00:39 | 0:00:43 | |
a brilliant brown ale and now a fabulous Flog It! | 0:00:43 | 0:00:47 | |
And hoping to find all those hidden gems amongst those bags and boxes, | 0:00:54 | 0:00:59 | |
we've got two gorgeous experts, | 0:00:59 | 0:01:02 | |
the irrepressible Anita Manning and the delectable Kate Bliss | 0:01:02 | 0:01:07 | |
who has brought in an extra pair of hands to help out! | 0:01:07 | 0:01:11 | |
Hundreds of people are awaiting valuations. First up, it's Anita. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:19 | |
Janet, where did you get this wee monkey? | 0:01:19 | 0:01:23 | |
He belonged to my great-auntie. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
She lived with Grandma and Grandad and she was bed-ridden. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:30 | |
The thing I remember is when she needed attention, a cup of tea or anything, | 0:01:30 | 0:01:36 | |
she knocked on the floor and everybody went running. | 0:01:36 | 0:01:40 | |
-She was a formidable lady. -How did it come into your possession? | 0:01:40 | 0:01:45 | |
When my mum and dad passed away, I found it when we cleared the house. | 0:01:45 | 0:01:50 | |
-When I saw it, I thought, "I remember this from somewhere!" -You were terrified of this? -Yes. | 0:01:50 | 0:01:57 | |
It's such good fun. Do you know what it is? | 0:01:57 | 0:02:00 | |
It's a cane of some description, but I'm not 100% certain of what it would be used for. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:07 | |
-It looks a bit small to be a walking cane. -Yeah. You have sticks which help you in walking. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:14 | |
And you have other sticks which are fashion statements. | 0:02:14 | 0:02:18 | |
-And this is a fashion statement. -Right, OK. | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
It's what I would call a swagger stick and you tucked it under your arm and swanked along the pavement. | 0:02:21 | 0:02:29 | |
Now, it's made of... | 0:02:29 | 0:02:31 | |
It's a lacquered, ebonised stalk here, but the most interesting thing about it | 0:02:31 | 0:02:37 | |
is the handle here | 0:02:37 | 0:02:41 | |
where we have this brass monkey. | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
He's finely moulded, so the quality is there. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:49 | |
There are collectors for this type of thing, Janet, but it's not enormously valuable. | 0:02:49 | 0:02:55 | |
-But it is collectable. -Yeah. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
Did you have it on display? | 0:02:59 | 0:03:02 | |
No. It came from Mum's and then literally went into my loft. | 0:03:02 | 0:03:07 | |
I'm not planning on being bed-ridden for a few years so it wasn't needed. | 0:03:07 | 0:03:12 | |
-So you won't be doing...? -No. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:15 | |
I hope not. | 0:03:15 | 0:03:17 | |
-It's time to pass it on, let it go to a collector. -Exactly. | 0:03:17 | 0:03:22 | |
The value I would put on it would be between 30 and 50. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:26 | |
-Would you be happy to sell it at that price? -Yes. | 0:03:26 | 0:03:29 | |
It doesn't do anything for me, so it might as well move on. | 0:03:29 | 0:03:34 | |
-Let's put a reserve price of, say, £25 on it. -That's fine. | 0:03:34 | 0:03:39 | |
You can't fly to the Bahamas with that money, but it will go to a collector. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:44 | |
-That'll be smashing. -So let's flog it! -Yeah, let's flog it! | 0:03:44 | 0:03:50 | |
We do see quite a bit of Troika on Flog It. It's become very popular as the market has soared for it. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:05 | |
-This is the biggest piece I've seen. -That's what people have said. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:10 | |
-Is it yours? -No, it belongs to my husband. | 0:04:10 | 0:04:14 | |
-And when did he get it? -I think it was the end of the '70s, beginning of the '80s, about that time, | 0:04:14 | 0:04:21 | |
when he was on holiday in Cornwall. | 0:04:21 | 0:04:23 | |
-He purchased it direct from the studio? -Yes. -He was obviously smitten when he saw it? -Loved it. | 0:04:23 | 0:04:30 | |
What did he like about it so much? | 0:04:30 | 0:04:33 | |
He just liked the style of it, the design, the colours and the shape. | 0:04:33 | 0:04:38 | |
The thing about Troika is you do either love it or you hate it. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:43 | |
I have to say, personally, it doesn't do a lot for me. | 0:04:43 | 0:04:48 | |
It's very much influenced by Scandinavian pottery | 0:04:48 | 0:04:52 | |
in the colour of the glazes and the shapes to a certain extent. | 0:04:52 | 0:04:57 | |
Quite subdued colours - browns and greens and blues, | 0:04:57 | 0:05:01 | |
but also the artist Paul Klee's landscape work influenced the designs. | 0:05:01 | 0:05:07 | |
In this piece, which is known, as you know, as a wheel vase, | 0:05:07 | 0:05:13 | |
this design on the front here is typically sort of Aztec | 0:05:13 | 0:05:18 | |
with this tapering motif and stepped motif here. | 0:05:18 | 0:05:22 | |
If we turn it round, we've got what looks like a fireplace on the other side. | 0:05:22 | 0:05:28 | |
So quite striking, textured images. | 0:05:28 | 0:05:31 | |
The factory was actually founded in 1963, | 0:05:31 | 0:05:35 | |
but because the production expanded so much, | 0:05:35 | 0:05:39 | |
they relocated from St Ives, where it was founded, to Newlyn. | 0:05:39 | 0:05:44 | |
Looking at the base, since you can date them from what's on the base, | 0:05:44 | 0:05:49 | |
we've just got "Troika" there, we've got "Troika, Cornwall" and no mention of St Ives. | 0:05:49 | 0:05:56 | |
So that helps us date it and it is from the later location, post-1970. | 0:05:56 | 0:06:02 | |
-You thought he bought it in the late '70s? -Yeah. | 0:06:02 | 0:06:06 | |
And the other thing here is we've got the initials "EW". | 0:06:06 | 0:06:11 | |
That stands for the decorator | 0:06:11 | 0:06:14 | |
and some pieces have come on the market with those initials, "EW". | 0:06:14 | 0:06:19 | |
Some of them you can trace straight away and we know a number of named designers, but EW remains a mystery | 0:06:19 | 0:06:26 | |
so he goes as an unclassified, unknown decorator. | 0:06:26 | 0:06:30 | |
That's all we can say about that particular mark. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:34 | |
So your husband likes it, but why have you brought it along to sell? | 0:06:34 | 0:06:39 | |
It just doesn't fit anywhere in the house. It doesn't go with anything. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:44 | |
We've got a fairly old period house and it doesn't go with anything. It's upstairs in a spare bedroom. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:52 | |
So what about value? You say you've seen it quite a bit on television, so what would you say? | 0:06:52 | 0:06:59 | |
-I would reckon... I don't know. 200, 300? -A couple of hundred? -Yeah. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:05 | |
I think you might have a nice surprise. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:09 | |
I can see this making between £500 and £600 at auction. | 0:07:09 | 0:07:13 | |
I think that would be fairly conservative. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:17 | |
The wheel-shaped vase came in four different sizes | 0:07:17 | 0:07:21 | |
and this is the giant size for obvious reasons at 12 inches high. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:27 | |
It also was made into a lamp base. | 0:07:27 | 0:07:29 | |
It is even more commercial. We're looking at 1,000 to 1,500 for that. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:34 | |
But for something like this, you'll be looking at £500 to £600. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:39 | |
-Very good. -OK? -For £42. I think that's what he paid. | 0:07:39 | 0:07:44 | |
-All that time ago? -Yeah. -It's not a bad return. -It's very good. Thank you. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:50 | |
What a lovely, early vacuum cleaner! How did you come by this? | 0:07:58 | 0:08:05 | |
It was in a loft in a house where a friend was living. This was years ago. And he just kept it. | 0:08:05 | 0:08:11 | |
-Your friend's given it to you to bring in? -Yeah. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:15 | |
-Did you try and use it at home? -Yes. -And it worked? -Yes. -This actually does work. | 0:08:15 | 0:08:22 | |
-Shall we test it? Have you got some tissue paper? -Yes. -Drop a few bits on the floor. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:29 | |
Here I come, doing the Shake 'n' Vac! | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
Look at that. | 0:08:35 | 0:08:37 | |
It must have taken hours to clean the carpets in a Victorian house! | 0:08:37 | 0:08:42 | |
Those buildings were quite big. How many rooms in your house? | 0:08:42 | 0:08:47 | |
-Oh, five. -Five. Fancy using this? | 0:08:47 | 0:08:50 | |
-I'll stick to my Dyson. -Stick to your Dyson! | 0:08:50 | 0:08:54 | |
It's made of tin plate with a lithograph on it | 0:08:54 | 0:08:58 | |
which tells us "Star Vacuum Cleaner". There's a pattern number. | 0:08:58 | 0:09:03 | |
-And "British Made". That's a very unusual sight today. -Yes, it is. | 0:09:03 | 0:09:08 | |
Also we've got the logo here on the top of the bellows. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:13 | |
They're operated by this sleeve which runs up and down the shaft. | 0:09:13 | 0:09:19 | |
The canvas is in superb condition. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:22 | |
-There are no holes and no rot which is great because the vacuum cleaner wouldn't suck up. -No, it wouldn't. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:30 | |
This is definitely very early 1900s. No later than 1910. | 0:09:31 | 0:09:37 | |
Value-wise, if this was in immaculate, mint condition with very vibrant hues on the paintwork, | 0:09:37 | 0:09:44 | |
and it would be museum condition as if brand-new, | 0:09:44 | 0:09:48 | |
-£200 to £300. -Yeah. | 0:09:48 | 0:09:51 | |
But because it is tatty, dented, it has been used, | 0:09:51 | 0:09:55 | |
it'll struggle around the £80 mark, but it will do £50 quite easily. | 0:09:55 | 0:10:00 | |
-Right. -Would you be happy to put it into auction? -Yeah, with a reserve. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:06 | |
-Put a reserve of 50 quid? -Right. -Yeah? -Yeah. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:10 | |
-I hope that somebody collects vacuum cleaners and they want this one. -So do I. | 0:10:10 | 0:10:17 | |
It's an interesting talking point. I love it. I'll carry on cleaning up now. See you at the auction. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:24 | |
-Righty oh, then. -Cheerio. -Bye. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:26 | |
Anita thought this swagger stick topped with a brass monkey was just the thing for a swell about town. | 0:10:30 | 0:10:37 | |
This large Troika wheel vase caught Kate's eye. Susan doesn't want it, so let's hope someone else does. | 0:10:37 | 0:10:44 | |
And I love this old vacuum cleaner, though it won't make much of a dent in my housework. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:51 | |
Today's items are going under the hammer at the Auction Galleries in Boldon. | 0:10:51 | 0:10:56 | |
I've been having a sneak preview. | 0:10:56 | 0:11:00 | |
The great thing about auction preview days is you get the chance to look at all the items on display | 0:11:00 | 0:11:07 | |
and check the lots to make sure there's no damage and alterations, | 0:11:07 | 0:11:12 | |
because if you start bidding and there's no time to look, you don't know what you're buying. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:19 | |
If you don't feel like checking out something, ask the auctioneer. | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
He's your expert. Use his eyes. | 0:11:24 | 0:11:26 | |
That's why you pay them 15 to 20% commission on everything you buy and everything you sell. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:33 | |
This has caught my eye. It's a Regency window seat. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:37 | |
I looked it up in the catalogue, value £500 to £800. | 0:11:37 | 0:11:42 | |
I've seen these for sale in shops at £2,000 to £3,000, | 0:11:42 | 0:11:47 | |
so what's wrong with this one? It's a real snip at £500. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:51 | |
I'll turn it over and have a look. | 0:11:51 | 0:11:53 | |
If you don't feel like doing this, ask the porter or the auctioneer. | 0:11:53 | 0:11:59 | |
If you look at that, the first thing you notice is this item here is known as a central stretcher. | 0:11:59 | 0:12:06 | |
It should be in the middle of the furniture and it's not, | 0:12:06 | 0:12:10 | |
which means this has been cut down, we've lost a third of it. | 0:12:10 | 0:12:15 | |
That's why that's worth £500 to £800 and not £2,000 to £3,000. | 0:12:15 | 0:12:20 | |
In charge of today's proceedings is auctioneer Giles Hodges. | 0:12:22 | 0:12:26 | |
We're about to flog your great-aunt's swagger stick which she used to knock on the floor. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:37 | |
"Bring me up a cup of tea! I can feel a draught!" | 0:12:37 | 0:12:41 | |
I like the monkey climbing up in brass. That's cute. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:45 | |
We've got a valuation of 30, 40, hopefully £50? | 0:12:45 | 0:12:49 | |
-Yes, the wee monkey has a lot of charm. -He has. -People love him. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:54 | |
Let's hope the bidders of Tyne and Wear fall in love with him. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:59 | |
Good luck. It's going under the hammer now. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:02 | |
The early 20th century swagger stick with the ebonised cane handle. | 0:13:02 | 0:13:08 | |
I'm bid 15 to start it. | 0:13:08 | 0:13:10 | |
20. 5. At £25. | 0:13:10 | 0:13:13 | |
30 in the room. At £30, it's against the book. 35. | 0:13:13 | 0:13:17 | |
-40. -Good. -45. | 0:13:17 | 0:13:19 | |
45. 50. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:22 | |
55. 55. Down at the front at £55... | 0:13:22 | 0:13:27 | |
-Wow! -£55. -That's better, that's better. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:31 | |
-That's not bad. -Not bad at all. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:33 | |
It's not a great deal of money, it's not our most expensive item. | 0:13:33 | 0:13:38 | |
I know you're winding me up, so what will you put £50-odd towards? | 0:13:38 | 0:13:44 | |
-I'm going to spend it on biros. I'm not computer-literate and I've been writing a book. -What about? | 0:13:44 | 0:13:51 | |
My husband's a retired dentist and he is now a coach driver, | 0:13:51 | 0:13:56 | |
so it's going to be called An Eye For An Eye, Not A Tooth For A Tooth. | 0:13:56 | 0:14:01 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:14:01 | 0:14:04 | |
Good luck with that. Biros, what a fantastic thing to spend money on! I'm always losing them. | 0:14:04 | 0:14:11 | |
You'd be surprised how many biros I've gone through. It'll be an epic! | 0:14:11 | 0:14:16 | |
My turn to be the expert now and I've just been joined by Christine. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:26 | |
-This next lot we're flogging because it collects dust. -Yes. | 0:14:26 | 0:14:31 | |
-It's that vacuum cleaner with the pump action. -Yes. -Let's hope we get £50 to £70. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:38 | |
440, the British made, tin plate style vacuum cleaner | 0:14:38 | 0:14:43 | |
with pump action. | 0:14:43 | 0:14:45 | |
-I've got two bids on the book. 35 starts it. -Two bids on the book. | 0:14:45 | 0:14:50 | |
35. 40. 5. At £45. | 0:14:50 | 0:14:53 | |
50 now? At £45. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
50 anybody? At £45 and we're away at 45... | 0:14:56 | 0:15:01 | |
He's put the hammer down at £45. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:03 | |
We were one bid away. We needed another fiver to sell that for £50. | 0:15:03 | 0:15:09 | |
Christine, don't look so miserable. You know what that means. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:13 | |
It's going home and you've got to look after it and love it. | 0:15:13 | 0:15:18 | |
-Will you do that? -Yes. -It's a great talking point. | 0:15:18 | 0:15:22 | |
You could chase your husband round and hoover up after him. | 0:15:22 | 0:15:26 | |
-You are married, aren't you? -No. -Oh, well, chase someone around! | 0:15:26 | 0:15:32 | |
Susan, it's nearly time to say goodbye to that gorgeous, massive Troika wheel vase. | 0:15:36 | 0:15:42 | |
-It is a whopper. -It's a belter. | 0:15:42 | 0:15:45 | |
We see a lot of Troika on Flog It, but it is the piece de resistance. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:50 | |
Let's hope we get Kate's top end of the estimate. £600 would be great. | 0:15:50 | 0:15:55 | |
It's not yours. It's your husband's and you've brought him along. Let's give him a wave. | 0:15:55 | 0:16:01 | |
It's going to be a good investment, £40-odd turned into 800? | 0:16:01 | 0:16:06 | |
The fact that it's a giant one makes it more unusual. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:10 | |
This piece was bought new in Cornwall. It's a great example of a niche market which has rocketed. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:17 | |
And it is a good time to sell because it will peak and slightly drop in value. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:23 | |
It's going under the hammer now. | 0:16:23 | 0:16:26 | |
Lot 45 is the giant Troika vase | 0:16:26 | 0:16:29 | |
with the Aztec, geometric designs to the front and the reverse. | 0:16:29 | 0:16:33 | |
I've got phone lines, commission bids. | 0:16:33 | 0:16:37 | |
-500 starts me. -Come on, in at 500. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:40 | |
-£500. 50? 550. -I'm quite excited about this. -600. | 0:16:40 | 0:16:44 | |
650. 700. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
750. 800. | 0:16:47 | 0:16:50 | |
-At £800. Anybody else? -Top end. | 0:16:51 | 0:16:55 | |
At £800 for the last time... At 800! | 0:16:55 | 0:17:00 | |
-The hammer's gone down, short and sweet. £800! -I'm shocked. | 0:17:00 | 0:17:05 | |
-Is that a trip back to Cornwall? -That's a fishing trip in America. | 0:17:05 | 0:17:10 | |
-To America? -Yeah. Not for me, though. -Surely... -I'll get something. It was his vase. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:17 | |
-Why doesn't he take you to Florida? -That's where we're going. -Get the marlin... | 0:17:17 | 0:17:23 | |
-Have a great time. And what a great result, Kate! -Fantastic. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:28 | |
-What did you pay for it in the '70s? -£46? -Yeah, including post and packaging. | 0:17:28 | 0:17:34 | |
-Always invest in quality and it was in great condition. -That's why we sold it. | 0:17:34 | 0:17:39 | |
I'm going to ask you to use your imaginations and travel back in time to late Victorian England. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:50 | |
You're an educated man and you're deciding on what career to choose. | 0:17:50 | 0:17:56 | |
Something that comes with a free house might be a nice proposition. | 0:17:56 | 0:18:01 | |
This is a place where you could happily bring up a family. | 0:18:01 | 0:18:07 | |
It even comes with its own garden, | 0:18:07 | 0:18:10 | |
so when you're not hard at work, you can grow vegetables. | 0:18:10 | 0:18:14 | |
You'd be part of a team making sure everything was polished and functional every night. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:21 | |
You'd be a lighthouse keeper. | 0:18:22 | 0:18:25 | |
It was a job worth contemplating very seriously indeed. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:39 | |
It was safe, it was regular, it was well paid and very well respected, | 0:18:39 | 0:18:44 | |
compared to many other job prospects of the day. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
I'm at the Souter Lighthouse. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:51 | |
For over 100 years it has warned ships away from the Whitburn Steel, | 0:18:51 | 0:18:56 | |
a rocky reef off the coast between South Shields and Sunderland. | 0:18:56 | 0:19:01 | |
With me is Alan Lawless. | 0:19:01 | 0:19:03 | |
-Alan, you look after the lighthouse for the National Trust. When was it built? -It was built in 1871. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:10 | |
It was built by a local jobbing builder under the design of Sir James Douglas. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:16 | |
-I was up the Eddystone Lighthouse at Plymouth Hoe and he designed that. -After he built this one, yes. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:23 | |
-There weren't many architects that designed lighthouses. -Not at that time. -Alan, I envy you. | 0:19:23 | 0:19:30 | |
You've got a smashing location for your office up here. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:34 | |
Yeah. I live five minutes away and come in every day to work. Can't be bad, can it? | 0:19:34 | 0:19:40 | |
Talk about a stress-free life! How many lighthouse keepers were here? There's a lot of cottages. | 0:19:40 | 0:19:47 | |
There's six cottages - four for the lighthouse keepers | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
and one for the engineer looking after the generators. | 0:19:51 | 0:19:55 | |
-The sixth one was for visiting dignitaries. -They had lots of those? | 0:19:55 | 0:20:00 | |
Yes, because we were in the forefront of lighthouse technology. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:05 | |
Compared with the harsh life of a lighthouse keeper based on a rocky island off the coast, | 0:20:05 | 0:20:11 | |
this was luxury, although you were never very far from the office. | 0:20:11 | 0:20:16 | |
All the cottages had connecting corridors which led to each other | 0:20:16 | 0:20:21 | |
and that led to a covered passageway which took you to the base of the lighthouse. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:28 | |
We're now in the engine room. Alan, what is this scientific instrument? | 0:20:36 | 0:20:41 | |
This is the original light source of Souter Lighthouse. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:46 | |
-Because this was the first electric lighthouse? -It certainly was, the first reliable one. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:52 | |
-This is a carbon arc lamp. -How did this work? | 0:20:52 | 0:20:56 | |
We had electricity, but no light bulbs, so they used this. | 0:20:56 | 0:21:00 | |
When you pass electricity through these two carbon rods, you get a bright spark through the gap. | 0:21:00 | 0:21:08 | |
-Magnified in the lens system, you'll see that for 19 miles. -Incredible. | 0:21:08 | 0:21:12 | |
Then came the invention of the lamp? | 0:21:12 | 0:21:15 | |
Yeah. In 1914 we changed to a paraffin lamp because it got too expensive to produce the power. | 0:21:15 | 0:21:23 | |
In 1952 we changed to incandescent light bulbs and I have one here. | 0:21:23 | 0:21:28 | |
Oh, my gosh! Look at the size of this! | 0:21:28 | 0:21:32 | |
-My word! How long would that last? -About six months. It's 4,500 watts. | 0:21:32 | 0:21:38 | |
-So again very, very bright. -That's the biggest lamp I've seen. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:43 | |
-But like any lamp, once you screw it in, it could go instantly. -It has been known. | 0:21:43 | 0:21:49 | |
This would give you a light of one million, 256 thousand candles. | 0:21:49 | 0:21:54 | |
-26 miles you would see this from. -That's a big, big difference. | 0:21:54 | 0:21:59 | |
We're at the top of the lighthouse. This is what it's all about. | 0:22:05 | 0:22:10 | |
It's magnificent. I'm so privileged to be so close to this. | 0:22:10 | 0:22:14 | |
The lens was constructed by the Chance Brothers of the Black Country in 1914. | 0:22:14 | 0:22:20 | |
It has 1,000 pieces of glass precisely placed at the right angle. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:26 | |
And in its framework it weighs four and a half tons, | 0:22:26 | 0:22:30 | |
but the whole thing revolves so smoothly on a bed of mercury. | 0:22:30 | 0:22:35 | |
It's absolutely effortless. Watch this. I can do it with one hand. | 0:22:35 | 0:22:40 | |
Look how smooth...that is. | 0:22:41 | 0:22:45 | |
I'm on the half landing which is basically halfway up the tower. | 0:22:57 | 0:23:02 | |
This is very interesting. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:04 | |
The light from the top of the tower shines down on to these prisms. | 0:23:04 | 0:23:09 | |
These prisms then reflect the light straight out the window. | 0:23:09 | 0:23:14 | |
We've got red glass and clear glass. | 0:23:14 | 0:23:17 | |
If you were a ship out at sea and you were in the waters of the light of the clear glass, you were safe, | 0:23:17 | 0:23:24 | |
but if you were in the waters of the red glass, | 0:23:24 | 0:23:28 | |
you knew you'd be sailing too close to land. It's simple really. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:32 | |
In 1869, there were 22 shipwrecks along this coast alone, | 0:23:38 | 0:23:42 | |
-so really there had to be a lighthouse here. -Yeah. | 0:23:42 | 0:23:47 | |
Every lighthouse has a different flash, so sailors know where they are. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:53 | |
Ours is a one-second flash every five seconds. So as well as warning people, they were used as road signs. | 0:23:53 | 0:24:00 | |
-Technology advanced dramatically over the years. -Certainly. | 0:24:00 | 0:24:04 | |
Before electric motors, the light was clockwork driven. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:08 | |
The lighthouse keeper ran up and down the stairs every hour! | 0:24:08 | 0:24:13 | |
-How long did it take to wind up? -Ten minutes. And 75 minutes to drop from top to bottom. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:19 | |
-What's that building down there? -That's the foghorn. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:23 | |
That's quite loud. It's 121 decibels. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:27 | |
When it's very foggy, the ships still have to know where they are and they'd use the foghorn. | 0:24:27 | 0:24:34 | |
-How far will it carry? -19 miles. -Can we hear it? -Yes. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
FOGHORN BLASTS | 0:24:37 | 0:24:40 | |
Newcastle is about 15 miles away, so I wonder if Anita heard that back at the valuation day. | 0:24:40 | 0:24:47 | |
Denise, this is a sweet little thing, absolutely lovely. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:03 | |
-Where did you get it? -I bought it in 1982, myself. | 0:25:03 | 0:25:08 | |
-A present for yourself? -Yes, a present for myself. I've always liked horses. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:14 | |
I've actually had my own horse, | 0:25:14 | 0:25:16 | |
but I've changed my collection to frogs and this is the only... | 0:25:16 | 0:25:21 | |
the only horsey thing I've got left. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
Let's have a look at it. It is Beswick. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:27 | |
Beswick is one of the good factories. | 0:25:27 | 0:25:31 | |
They were always renowned for the quality of their modelling. | 0:25:31 | 0:25:36 | |
And they always made these little animal ornaments. | 0:25:36 | 0:25:40 | |
You have got dogs, horses, bulls and so on. | 0:25:40 | 0:25:45 | |
-And they are all so accurate. -Yes. | 0:25:45 | 0:25:47 | |
-They also employed the best of designers. -Yes. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:51 | |
If we look at the back stamp, we can see the designer. | 0:25:51 | 0:25:55 | |
It's Norman Thelwell. | 0:25:55 | 0:25:58 | |
He was a cartoonist, interestingly enough, | 0:25:58 | 0:26:02 | |
and they employed him to design this series of ponies with riders. | 0:26:02 | 0:26:07 | |
This funny wee chap, if we look at the expression on his face, there is humour. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:13 | |
-And Beswick was renowned for that type of thing. -Right. | 0:26:13 | 0:26:18 | |
-So you bought it in 1982 new. Can you remember how much you paid for it? -Yes. | 0:26:18 | 0:26:25 | |
I thought it was quite expensive - 29.99. | 0:26:25 | 0:26:28 | |
29.99 in 1982? It was quite a lot of money. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:33 | |
-It was then. -Yeah. | 0:26:33 | 0:26:36 | |
These things are favoured at the moment. Beswick is always popular. | 0:26:36 | 0:26:41 | |
Some say it's the flavour of the month at the moment. | 0:26:41 | 0:26:45 | |
It will have increased in monetary value, | 0:26:45 | 0:26:49 | |
but I would estimate it in the region | 0:26:49 | 0:26:53 | |
of, say, £80 to £100. | 0:26:53 | 0:26:57 | |
-Yes. -Now, Denise, would you be happy to sell it in that region? | 0:26:57 | 0:27:02 | |
-Yes, I would. -Well, let's put... | 0:27:02 | 0:27:05 | |
It's just wrapped up in a box in the cupboard. It's never out on show. | 0:27:05 | 0:27:10 | |
You're better passing it on to a collector, Denise. | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
Somebody that'll make more use of it. It'll match somebody's collection probably. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:20 | |
-They may not have this piece. -You've had pleasure from it? -Yes. | 0:27:20 | 0:27:25 | |
Let's put it to auction, Denise. Let's flog it. | 0:27:25 | 0:27:29 | |
And we'll both have a good look | 0:27:29 | 0:27:31 | |
-and see if there are any frogs in the auction. -OK. We'll do that. | 0:27:31 | 0:27:37 | |
What can you tell me about this elaborate clock? | 0:27:47 | 0:27:51 | |
I've had it since I was a child, but my mum looked after it for me | 0:27:51 | 0:27:56 | |
because it was given to us by a neighbour we used to look after, | 0:27:56 | 0:28:01 | |
-an old lady in a bungalow. -Right. -And I always admired this. | 0:28:01 | 0:28:06 | |
-She gave it to my mum, but when I got married, she said, "You can have that clock now." -Lovely. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:13 | |
I've had it since I got married, but I have nowhere to keep it now. | 0:28:13 | 0:28:18 | |
-Since we moved into the bungalow, it's gone in the loft. -OK. | 0:28:18 | 0:28:23 | |
It's quite interesting. There's quite a story behind this clock. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:28 | |
What do you think it's made of, first of all? | 0:28:28 | 0:28:32 | |
First I thought it was marble, but I thought it would be heavier. | 0:28:32 | 0:28:36 | |
-When you lift it up, it's really light. -So I didn't know what it was made of. | 0:28:36 | 0:28:43 | |
-If it was wood, well, I've never seen wood like that. -Exactly. | 0:28:43 | 0:28:47 | |
I think it probably is wood, but it's lacquered to give it this finish. | 0:28:47 | 0:28:53 | |
It's a shaped wooden case, | 0:28:53 | 0:28:56 | |
then it's lacquered to give the impression of being marble, so it's simulating marble. | 0:28:56 | 0:29:02 | |
And we've got these rather dirty gilt metal mounts applied to it. | 0:29:02 | 0:29:08 | |
What it is essentially is a clock that's very French in design, | 0:29:08 | 0:29:13 | |
but if we turn it round, we can see that in fact it is American. | 0:29:13 | 0:29:18 | |
We've got a really nice label on the back and you can tell a lot from the back of clocks. | 0:29:18 | 0:29:25 | |
Here we go. We've got "Athol, | 0:29:25 | 0:29:27 | |
"manufactured by William L Gilbert Clock Company, | 0:29:27 | 0:29:31 | |
"Winsted, Connecticut" in America. | 0:29:31 | 0:29:35 | |
And in fact Connecticut was a huge centre for clock-making | 0:29:35 | 0:29:39 | |
from the very early 19th century. | 0:29:39 | 0:29:42 | |
And the first movements were wooden | 0:29:42 | 0:29:45 | |
and then they progressed through the 19th century and brass movements were introduced. | 0:29:45 | 0:29:51 | |
This is a fairly basic movement inside. | 0:29:51 | 0:29:55 | |
We can see that it's got a gong inside. | 0:29:55 | 0:29:58 | |
This coil is what the hammer bangs against to give the chime. | 0:29:58 | 0:30:03 | |
It's a basic eight-day movement | 0:30:03 | 0:30:06 | |
with that chime mechanism which is rather nice, | 0:30:06 | 0:30:10 | |
but essentially American, circa 1900, I would say, late 19th century anyway, | 0:30:10 | 0:30:17 | |
but in the style of a very elaborate and expensive French clock of the same period. | 0:30:17 | 0:30:24 | |
You would like to sell it, you've got nowhere for it now? | 0:30:24 | 0:30:28 | |
-That's right. -It ought to fetch £100 at auction. | 0:30:28 | 0:30:31 | |
-I'd probably say an estimate of 100 to 150. -Right. | 0:30:31 | 0:30:35 | |
If two people have the right place for it, it could make that top end. | 0:30:35 | 0:30:40 | |
Even though it's fairly cheaply made in comparison with the elaborate French example, | 0:30:40 | 0:30:47 | |
it's still quite a good looker. | 0:30:47 | 0:30:49 | |
Yes, it is nice to look at. | 0:30:49 | 0:30:52 | |
-I think we ought to whisk it off to auction for you. -Yeah, that's fine. | 0:30:52 | 0:30:57 | |
-I wonder what's in this plastic bin liner? Hi. What's your name? -Mark. -What is in there? | 0:31:01 | 0:31:08 | |
Oh, it's a plaque. | 0:31:09 | 0:31:12 | |
It's... It is a plaque of Mozart. | 0:31:13 | 0:31:16 | |
It's made of cast-iron. That's lovely actually. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:21 | |
-He's got three of them. -Three? -Yeah. -They are also of composers? -Yeah. | 0:31:21 | 0:31:26 | |
Liszt and Brahms. I guess they're part of a commemorative set, 1920s. | 0:31:26 | 0:31:31 | |
Good, heavy casting, nice moulding. | 0:31:31 | 0:31:34 | |
If you've got the complete set, then it adds to the value. | 0:31:34 | 0:31:38 | |
The one by itself, Mozart, I think in a specialist musical sale, | 0:31:38 | 0:31:43 | |
you might be looking at 100, 120, possibly £150. | 0:31:43 | 0:31:48 | |
That's worth hanging on to. | 0:31:48 | 0:31:50 | |
Joyce, when I saw this vase, I was immediately drawn towards it. | 0:31:58 | 0:32:04 | |
What a wonderful shape, what a wonderful lustre glaze! | 0:32:04 | 0:32:09 | |
Where did you get it? | 0:32:09 | 0:32:11 | |
My father bought it many years ago, but I don't know where. | 0:32:11 | 0:32:16 | |
You don't know where. Do you have it on display? | 0:32:16 | 0:32:20 | |
No, it's in a cabinet and it doesn't show very well. | 0:32:20 | 0:32:24 | |
-Perhaps because the colours are slightly darker. -That's right. | 0:32:24 | 0:32:29 | |
OK. It may not be exactly to your taste, | 0:32:29 | 0:32:33 | |
but it will be to many collectors. | 0:32:33 | 0:32:38 | |
-Good. -This is a Royal Lancastrian pot, | 0:32:38 | 0:32:44 | |
made by Pilkington's. | 0:32:44 | 0:32:47 | |
Very desirable factory, very good quality. | 0:32:48 | 0:32:53 | |
We have what I would call an Arts and Crafts shape | 0:32:53 | 0:32:58 | |
with these four handles. | 0:32:58 | 0:33:00 | |
We have the Latin inscription round here, "To the good all things are good." | 0:33:00 | 0:33:07 | |
We have a heraldic shield. | 0:33:08 | 0:33:11 | |
Heraldic lions | 0:33:12 | 0:33:16 | |
and very pretty, decorated flowers. | 0:33:16 | 0:33:19 | |
So it's an interesting vase. | 0:33:19 | 0:33:21 | |
If we look underneath | 0:33:23 | 0:33:26 | |
at the back stamp... | 0:33:26 | 0:33:28 | |
-..we can see the mark for the pottery. -Oh, yes. | 0:33:29 | 0:33:33 | |
And we can also see the monogram here | 0:33:33 | 0:33:37 | |
which is for William Mycock | 0:33:37 | 0:33:40 | |
who was one of the best decorators of that factory. | 0:33:40 | 0:33:46 | |
We also have a date | 0:33:46 | 0:33:49 | |
which is 1918, so we know who made it, | 0:33:49 | 0:33:53 | |
who decorated it and we know when it was made. | 0:33:53 | 0:33:58 | |
Value, Joyce... | 0:33:59 | 0:34:02 | |
-Have you had it valued? -Yes. -What sort of value was on it? | 0:34:02 | 0:34:06 | |
-In 1984, £80. -£80? | 0:34:06 | 0:34:10 | |
Right. Well, it's worth a considerable amount more than that now. | 0:34:10 | 0:34:16 | |
Oh, good. | 0:34:16 | 0:34:19 | |
I would like to put an estimate | 0:34:19 | 0:34:24 | |
of £400 to £600 on it. | 0:34:24 | 0:34:26 | |
-Mm-hm. -I think £400 firm reserve price on it. | 0:34:26 | 0:34:32 | |
-If it doesn't reach that price, we don't sell. -Yeah. That's right. | 0:34:32 | 0:34:38 | |
-Do you feel happy with those arrangements? -Yes, I do. | 0:34:38 | 0:34:43 | |
We'll put it to auction. I'll be there to hold your hand. | 0:34:43 | 0:34:47 | |
You can hold Paul's hand which will be quite nice as well. | 0:34:47 | 0:34:52 | |
So we'll see you at the auction and I'm sure that it will fly away. | 0:34:52 | 0:34:58 | |
Good. Thank you very much. Thank you. | 0:34:58 | 0:35:01 | |
Back to the auction now | 0:35:03 | 0:35:05 | |
and this figure based on Norman Thelwell's comic cartoons might be a big hit with Beswick collectors. | 0:35:05 | 0:35:12 | |
A truly international item, this, a faux marble American clock made to a French design. | 0:35:12 | 0:35:19 | |
What will the Geordie bidders make of it? | 0:35:19 | 0:35:22 | |
The colours of this lustre glaze vase were a bit too dull for Joyce, | 0:35:22 | 0:35:27 | |
but Anita is excited to have found this example of Royal Lancastrian. | 0:35:27 | 0:35:32 | |
Joyce's Lancastrian lustre ware pot. What do you think, Giles? | 0:35:41 | 0:35:46 | |
I love it. It's my favourite lot that's come in through Flog It. | 0:35:46 | 0:35:50 | |
There's a price tag of £400 to £600 on this. It's dated 1918. | 0:35:50 | 0:35:55 | |
The condition is absolutely superb. Joyce has had it in a cupboard. | 0:35:55 | 0:36:00 | |
-Now it's time to go. Will it go? -Definitely. No question at all. | 0:36:00 | 0:36:06 | |
Pre-sale interest has been phenomenal. | 0:36:06 | 0:36:09 | |
-You sound a confident man. -I'm very confident. -Phone bids booked? | 0:36:09 | 0:36:14 | |
We've got phone lines booked and we've got commission bids and we still have a day to go. | 0:36:14 | 0:36:20 | |
We got 600 at the top end from Anita, our expert. What will it do? | 0:36:20 | 0:36:25 | |
I think on Anita's estimate we should do close to £800. | 0:36:25 | 0:36:30 | |
Fingers crossed. This is the one to watch. | 0:36:30 | 0:36:34 | |
-Stay glued to your TV sets. -A perfect collector's piece. | 0:36:34 | 0:36:38 | |
We'll see later if his confidence is misplaced, | 0:36:38 | 0:36:42 | |
but kick-starting the auction is Denise's Beswick pony. | 0:36:42 | 0:36:47 | |
-Why are you flogging this? -I don't save horses any more. I save frogs. | 0:36:47 | 0:36:52 | |
You used to love horses, you had a horse. You sold that. | 0:36:52 | 0:36:57 | |
-Now she collects frogs. -Yes. -And there's a little one on that leaf. | 0:36:57 | 0:37:02 | |
-How many frogs have you got? -Hundreds. | 0:37:02 | 0:37:05 | |
I have silver frogs, Beswick frogs. | 0:37:05 | 0:37:08 | |
She's on the right show cos this is "Frog It"! | 0:37:08 | 0:37:12 | |
What do you think this will do? | 0:37:12 | 0:37:14 | |
Beswick loved humorous subjects and this is a delightful little thing. | 0:37:14 | 0:37:20 | |
Estimated 80 to 100, I think that's about right. | 0:37:20 | 0:37:24 | |
It won't fly through the roof or gallop off into the sunset! | 0:37:24 | 0:37:28 | |
We're going to find out right now because this is your lot. | 0:37:28 | 0:37:33 | |
The Beswick Thelwell pony, the Kick-Start. 40 to start him. At 40. | 0:37:33 | 0:37:38 | |
5. 50. | 0:37:38 | 0:37:40 | |
5. 60. 5. | 0:37:40 | 0:37:43 | |
On the left at 65. 70 now? At £65. 70. | 0:37:43 | 0:37:49 | |
-5. 80. -Done it. -£80, front row. | 0:37:49 | 0:37:53 | |
At £80. All done at 80...? | 0:37:53 | 0:37:56 | |
-Yes, the hammer's gone down. £80, not bad. -Very happy with that. | 0:37:56 | 0:38:01 | |
Is that going towards frogs? | 0:38:01 | 0:38:04 | |
I'll give it to my mum because she paid for a holiday for me to Turkey. | 0:38:04 | 0:38:09 | |
-Bless her! That's what mums are for. -Every girl should love her mum. -I do, yes. | 0:38:09 | 0:38:15 | |
Time is up for Margaret and she's not even here! But her daughter Tracy is. | 0:38:22 | 0:38:28 | |
We have that lovely clock and we want £100 to £150. | 0:38:28 | 0:38:32 | |
-It isn't the most commercial of clocks. -We've seen a lot better. | 0:38:32 | 0:38:36 | |
It's a bit Victorian looking and it's a bit black. | 0:38:36 | 0:38:41 | |
The longcases are selling very well but they're completely different. | 0:38:41 | 0:38:46 | |
We'll have to see how it goes. It might just make it. | 0:38:46 | 0:38:50 | |
-And you don't like this? -No. -You don't want to inherit this. -It's been on the sideboard for too long. | 0:38:50 | 0:38:57 | |
Let's watch it go under the hammer right now. This is it. | 0:38:57 | 0:39:01 | |
This is the early 20th century, | 0:39:01 | 0:39:04 | |
French, faux marble, lacquered bracket clock, the American one. | 0:39:04 | 0:39:08 | |
Bid 50 to start it? 50. | 0:39:08 | 0:39:11 | |
5. 60. 5. | 0:39:11 | 0:39:14 | |
At £65. 70 anybody? | 0:39:14 | 0:39:18 | |
£65. 70 now? | 0:39:18 | 0:39:20 | |
At £65 and we're away at 65... | 0:39:20 | 0:39:25 | |
-It struggled. Just under. -Giles knows his market up here. | 0:39:25 | 0:39:29 | |
In a different auction house there would be a different market. | 0:39:29 | 0:39:34 | |
-So it's worth selling again. -What's going to happen to it? -It'll go on the sideboard again. | 0:39:34 | 0:39:41 | |
This is Joyce's Lancastrian lustre ware from the Pilkington factory. | 0:39:45 | 0:39:51 | |
We've got a valuation of 400 to 600. Let's bring our expert in who found this. | 0:39:51 | 0:39:57 | |
-Anita, you love this. -I'm so excited about it. -I love it. | 0:39:57 | 0:40:01 | |
-Why are you selling it? It is so beautiful. -I didn't like it. | 0:40:01 | 0:40:06 | |
I didn't know that. I had a chat to the auctioneer earlier. | 0:40:06 | 0:40:11 | |
You don't know this either, but he fell in love with it | 0:40:11 | 0:40:15 | |
-and he said he could see it doing 600 to 800. -Oh! | 0:40:15 | 0:40:19 | |
-Lots of interest with three phone lines booked. -Fierce competition! | 0:40:19 | 0:40:24 | |
-This is what auctioneers like. -Yes. -Think of all that commission! | 0:40:24 | 0:40:29 | |
-Yes. -Everyone loves it except for you. What's wrong with it? | 0:40:29 | 0:40:33 | |
I like it more now I've seen it in brighter lights. | 0:40:33 | 0:40:37 | |
It was in the dark. It was in a cabinet like that and there was no lighting. It looked very dull. | 0:40:37 | 0:40:45 | |
-I might want it back. -Joyce, it's too late because it's going under the hammer right now. Good luck. | 0:40:45 | 0:40:52 | |
The Pilkington's Royal Lancastrian vase by William Mycock. | 0:40:52 | 0:40:57 | |
I've got two phone lines booked | 0:40:57 | 0:40:59 | |
and we start it at £500. | 0:40:59 | 0:41:03 | |
-Straight in. £500. -500. 520. | 0:41:03 | 0:41:06 | |
540. 560. | 0:41:06 | 0:41:10 | |
-580. -This is good. | 0:41:10 | 0:41:12 | |
600, Tom's phone. 620. | 0:41:12 | 0:41:15 | |
-He's working it up, 620. -640. | 0:41:15 | 0:41:18 | |
660. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:21 | |
680. | 0:41:21 | 0:41:23 | |
700. | 0:41:23 | 0:41:26 | |
-They love it. -720. | 0:41:26 | 0:41:29 | |
750. 780. | 0:41:29 | 0:41:33 | |
-It's not stopping, Joyce. -800. | 0:41:35 | 0:41:38 | |
At 800, it's Caroline's phone. Anybody in the room? | 0:41:38 | 0:41:42 | |
-820, fresh place. -820! | 0:41:42 | 0:41:45 | |
-850. -Oh! | 0:41:46 | 0:41:48 | |
880. | 0:41:48 | 0:41:51 | |
900. 920. | 0:41:53 | 0:41:56 | |
-920. -950. -950. | 0:41:56 | 0:42:00 | |
-980. -Let's see four figures! | 0:42:00 | 0:42:02 | |
-980, are we all done? -One more! -One more! -At £980... | 0:42:02 | 0:42:08 | |
Bang! That is a "sold" sound. That is £980. | 0:42:08 | 0:42:13 | |
I've got something to tell you. | 0:42:13 | 0:42:15 | |
Just before the sale started, Joyce said, "No-one's looking at my vase! It won't sell!" | 0:42:15 | 0:42:22 | |
-You said that to me. -I did. | 0:42:22 | 0:42:24 | |
When I said, "They're looking in secret," you said, "You're always telling fibs!" | 0:42:24 | 0:42:31 | |
Joyce, I'm so happy for you. That's wonderful. | 0:42:31 | 0:42:34 | |
-What are you gonna put £980, less some commission...? -I don't know. | 0:42:34 | 0:42:40 | |
-What are you gonna spend that on? -I'd like a piece of jewellery. | 0:42:40 | 0:42:44 | |
And the rest, maybe it's too early. | 0:42:44 | 0:42:47 | |
-Thank you very much for coming on the show. -Thank you very much. Both of you. | 0:42:47 | 0:42:53 | |
-Wasn't that wonderful, Joyce? -Yes. | 0:42:53 | 0:42:56 | |
The auction's still going on, but it's all over for our owners. Everybody has gone home happy. | 0:43:01 | 0:43:08 | |
All credit to our experts for getting those valuations spot-on. | 0:43:08 | 0:43:12 | |
Sadly, that's all the time we have. So until the next time, cheerio. | 0:43:12 | 0:43:18 | |
Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2006 | 0:43:37 | 0:43:41 | |
Email us at [email protected] | 0:43:41 | 0:43:44 |