0:00:03 > 0:00:06We're in the home of some Flog It! favourites today.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Moorcroft, Wedgwood, Spode and of course, good old Royal Doulton.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12You've guessed it. We've come to the Potteries.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Welcome to Flog It! from Stoke-on-Trent.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Now, the reason this area developed as a world leader in ceramics
0:00:53 > 0:00:55is due to what lies beneath my feet.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Underneath all these cobbled stones around here,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02and indeed the whole of the local area, lies good, thick, rich clay -
0:01:02 > 0:01:06ideal for throwing all sorts of vessels, like pots and vases.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12There's also an abundance of lead and salt, which is used in the glazes to decorate the vessels.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15And with all the local coal mines, it's no wonder that
0:01:15 > 0:01:19when the potteries first opened up, those kilns were kept hot.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Now, that sounds like a fantastic use of local resources.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Well, we've got our own Flog It! resources with us today,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31in the shape of experts David Barby and James Lewis.
0:01:31 > 0:01:37They're keen to get their hands on some local pottery, and I think they could be lucky.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42Well, we've got a great queue here today, loaded with bags and boxes full of treasures,
0:01:42 > 0:01:48and if they agree with David and James's valuation, then it's off to the auction room to...
0:01:48 > 0:01:50ALL: Flog it!
0:01:56 > 0:01:59David's the first expert to the table with a local find.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Elaine, you were telling me a few moments ago that your family
0:02:04 > 0:02:08has got some involvement with the Stoke-on-Trent pottery industry.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13- Yes, that's right.- And this refers to this particular tile, doesn't it?
0:02:13 > 0:02:18Yes. My late husband's father was an engraver.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22- Right.- And we presume that's where this came from,
0:02:22 > 0:02:29- but he said it was a Minton tile, but no mark.- Did he work for Minton?
0:02:29 > 0:02:32No, he was an individual engraver.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35He'd got a workshop of his own.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37So he would engrave this design...
0:02:37 > 0:02:42- I would imagine so, yes. - ..for replication on Minton blanks.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44- Yes, yes.- That's quite interesting.
0:02:44 > 0:02:51What I do find interesting is the whole development of tile industry at Stoke-on-Trent.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54It was so important, the industry, in the 19th century.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- Yes.- And Mintons was at the head of it.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00- This is an engraving on the top?- Yes.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06It's a transfer design, and I note when I look at this, there's a sort of mark all the way round.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- Yes.- Why is that?
0:03:09 > 0:03:10It was in a frame,
0:03:10 > 0:03:15a wooden frame, which absolutely disintegrated. It was so...
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- Woodworm?- I've no idea.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- It just fell apart.- Yes, yes. It was so old, apparently.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24This belonged to your father-in-law?
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- Yes.- He had it hanging on the wall? - I don't know. I never knew him.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32That's interesting. If he'd have done something which he was very proud of,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34he would bring an example home
0:03:34 > 0:03:38and hang it on the wall and say, "This is my work."
0:03:38 > 0:03:41That's right. Yes, that's right. Could well have been.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- I think so.- Could've been. - This type of tile,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47the elongated tile, would be put into a fireplace.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- There would be two of them either side of the grate.- Yes.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Then you'd have simple tiles either side of them, so I think
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- this is where it came from, or was intended originally as a fireplace tile.- Yes.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02The design itself is of a sort of classical inspiration,
0:04:02 > 0:04:07rather whimsical, rather fey and not exactly in today's fashion, is it?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- Not at all. Not at all. - It is slightly over the top.
0:04:10 > 0:04:11It is, yes.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16So the market will be for somebody like ourselves, in that age group...
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- Right.- ..who would want it as a decorative object on the wall.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- Yes, yes.- Or it will sell to a tile collector.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Now, Elaine, I'm going to suggest that when we put this up for sale
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- at the auction house, we're not going to have a reserve.- No.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33I think the value is somewhere between £40 and £60, but I think
0:04:33 > 0:04:35it's got to run in the sale room,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39and hopefully there's going to be somebody there that collects tiles
0:04:39 > 0:04:43and wants a tile from the beginning of the 20th century, when this was produced...
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Yes.- ..to fill in a blank that he might have in his collection.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- You're happy with that?- Yes, I am.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- Hello.- Hi. - Tell me, are you a nosologist?
0:04:58 > 0:05:03No. I don't know anything about snuff at all.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- A nosologist is a snuff-taker.- Yes.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08The early name for a snuff-taker.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12And of course, what we've got here is a little Georgian snuff shoe.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14These were carried by ladies and gentlemen.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18But more often, the shoes were table snuff boxes
0:05:18 > 0:05:23- because of course, the lids are quite loose and you wouldn't want a pocket full of snuff.- No.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27But snuff-taking really has been in fashion in England from the late 1500s,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30when snuff-taking started,
0:05:30 > 0:05:35and throughout the 1600s and 1700s, very, very popular.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39It really died out in the 1920s, but having said that,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41snuff-taking is coming back into fashion.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Aah.- Imagine you're in a pub, and what do you have?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- You have nicotine and a pint in a pub?- Yes.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50That's what most people used to have, but you're not allowed any cigarettes.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- Have to go outside. - You wouldn't with this.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55You can have your fix of nicotine with a snort of snuff
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and a pint of beer, and you don't have to leave the pub.
0:05:58 > 0:06:03- Yeah.- So there are still snuff mills around the country,
0:06:03 > 0:06:08- and they are showing signs of renewed interest in snuff-taking.- Yes.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12This, I suppose, was made around 1780, 1800.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15All decorative.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20And I suppose this is copying the stitching off the shoe.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24You can pretty much date the shoe by the fashion and the design on it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Also, of course, ladies took them, and ladies had these snuff shoes.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31It was as much a lady's habit as it was a gentleman's habit.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36George III's wife, Charlotte - Snuffy Charlotte, as she was known - was a great snuff-taker,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and almost 100 years before that,
0:06:38 > 0:06:43- Queen Anne was patron of the British snuff-taking society.- Oh, right.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46It's always been a controversial subject, but always been something
0:06:46 > 0:06:50that has been enjoyed by the working class and the upper class.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- Perhaps I should start the habit again, then.- Have a go!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Where has it been? Where do you keep it?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58We've had it for about 15 years now, just in the cupboard.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02It was in a skip that my husband was working on the house at the time,
0:07:02 > 0:07:03and he brought it home.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08- It really wants cleaning now, but it was even dirtier then.- My goodness!
0:07:08 > 0:07:11We just wiped it over and just kept it in the cupboard.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14- It's amazing what people throw away.- Yeah.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16But it's a good thing. I really like it.
0:07:16 > 0:07:23And I suppose the value, £50 to £80, something like that, and it'll do well.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25- OK.- Definitely want to sell it?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Yes, yes.- Why not keep it in a little drawer and enjoy it.- No, no.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31We'll sell it and put the money towards a holiday.
0:07:31 > 0:07:32It doesn't take up much space.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35- I'm not convincing you, am I? - I'm sure. I'm sure.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Lorraine, I think this is absolutely fantastic. I love it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50It caught my eye from across the room.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55It really is. For me, it's a piece of sculpture now. It's got everything going for it.
0:07:55 > 0:08:01It's really tactile and it's incredibly naive. It's a hobby horse in the form of a tricycle.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Late-Victorian, circa 1890, and it's definitely continental.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Where did you get this from?
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- I bought it in France.- You did.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Bought it in Lamont, in an antique shop.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15How long ago?
0:08:15 > 0:08:16About seven years ago.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18And I just loved it. I still do.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23It's got the look... If this had been restored, it would have lost its naive charm for me.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26There's something here that says "heart and soul".
0:08:26 > 0:08:31It's got an essence to it, which, well, if you look...
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Half its head is missing on this side.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38- Yes.- It's had an awful lot of abuse, because this is a chain-driven tricycle.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44The chain's round there on the back axle, and it's driven by the handlebars up there.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48That's taken a lot of abuse. That's why the horse's neck has fallen off, and that's cast metal.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50But for me,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54that whole side of the horse looks Picasso-esque.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59- Yes.- If you can imagine a Picasso picture or a sculpture,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03you start to see something in it, and it just is quite incredible.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06I can see beauty in this, and I'm thinking people
0:09:06 > 0:09:10could be thinking, "He's gone mad." But there's something here.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14If this was in perfect condition, something like this hobby horse,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16a Victorian hobby horse like this,
0:09:16 > 0:09:22would fetch around £800 to £1,200, but it would have to be in very, very good condition.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26For me, this is going to go to a decorator, an interior designer,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30and he's going to use it as a prop on the floor in a magazine shot.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Why do you want to sell this?
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Because it's so raw.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37You haven't had it that long.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39It exudes beauty, to me.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I do love it, but it hasn't...
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I've got nowhere to actually put it,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48and it was actually living out in the barn, which is sacrilege, really.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50That's terrible. And I do love it.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51I really, really love it, but...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Do you mind me asking how much you paid for it?
0:09:54 > 0:09:59- I paid 200.- You paid £200. - So I really liked it.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I think we'll get you your money back.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03- OK.- I'm pretty sure we will.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08I think we should put this in to auction with a value of £200 to £300.
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- You paid £200, so we're going to put a £200 reserve on this.- Right. OK.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- That's got personality and that's what's going to sell it.- Right.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19He said!
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Rosemary, people at home, looking at this, would not be criticised
0:10:31 > 0:10:37for thinking these were pretty modern, because they are so fashionable, aren't they?
0:10:37 > 0:10:43They are so contemporary. You can imagine any young lady in the street today wearing something like that.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46I love them. They really are good things. But they're not modern.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49They're 100 years old, approximately.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51They're Art Nouveau in style.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55They're in blue, green and yellow, and they're enamelled onto silver.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00- Yes.- So 1900 to 1910. Little suspension chains there,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03with another silver chain link support there.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07They are really very, very nice things.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09How did you come to have them?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- I bought them at an antiques fair. - Did you? How long ago?
0:11:12 > 0:11:17- About 10 or 12 years. - Do you remember what you paid? - I can't, I'm afraid.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20That lets me off the hook, then.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25The artist and the silversmith that is most well-known for this sort of work is Charles Horner.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29He was working in the Midlands and in London around that sort of time.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33But these aren't marked. There isn't a lion, there is no English hallmark on them at all.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I think they are English, although they're not hallmarked.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40- So legally, we have to call them silver-coloured metal.- Yes.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44But really, there's no value in the silver content of these.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46It's purely in how pretty they are as a necklace.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52- I see.- Even though they are greatly fashionable things, they don't make a fortune.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57- No.- But if we were to put £100 to £150 on the two, would that be OK for you?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- That would be fine.- Lovely, because I think they are super.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Having bought them 12 years ago, why do you want to sell them?
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- Well, I've got better jewellery. I like Arts and Crafts.- Oh, do you?
0:12:08 > 0:12:10It's a little bit earlier.
0:12:10 > 0:12:16Yes. I started by buying a big dresser and went on from there.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- So not just the jewellery, it's the whole...- The whole lot.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22With these, they might not be Arts and Crafts,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26but if they're not going to be Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau is the next best thing.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30- Yes.- And they're going to do very, very well.- Lovely.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Well, I don't know about you, but I think we've just seen some real gems.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And now it's time to put those valuations to the test.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48And our experts normally get it right, don't they?
0:12:48 > 0:12:52- ALL: Yes! - But things could go wrong, that's why we go off to auction.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57So while we make our way over there, here's a quick rundown of the items we're taking with us.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Elaine's Minton tile is a nice local item made by a family member.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06With no reserve on it, it could be a bargain buy.
0:13:06 > 0:13:13This snuff box was a lucky find in a skip, so let's hope the bidders sniff it out in the sale room.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I really love the naive look of this hobby horse.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19It's just the sort of decorative item I would love to own.
0:13:19 > 0:13:25Rosemary prefers Arts and Crafts jewellery to Art Nouveau, so it's time for her pendants to go.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29They don't have a hallmark, which may just put the bidders off.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Today our auction comes from Knutsford at Frank Marshalls,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and on the rostrum we've got Flog It! favourite Adam Partridge
0:13:41 > 0:13:44hopefully doing us proud and selling all our lots.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Are you a fan of contemporary sculpture?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Why do you ask me that?
0:13:55 > 0:14:00Because you're looking at a wonderful piece for only £200.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02You're trying to sell it to me?
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Do you know, when this came in, I had no trouble
0:14:04 > 0:14:09telling who had valued it and who had been attracted to it.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I fell in love with this. I just think it's so naive.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14When you look at it, it's so Picasso-esque.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18You know, there's something quite raw about it.
0:14:18 > 0:14:24It belongs to Lorraine, and she paid £200 for this in an antique shop in France. It is French.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Mid-Victorian, and I think it's...
0:14:27 > 0:14:30I think it's got the look and it's worth £200, Adam.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33- OK.- OK. - Keep telling yourself that, Paul.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- You know it is.- Yeah. ADAM LAUGHS
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- Well, yeah. It's not quite all there, is it?- No.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43But it is decorative in a rustic, charming sort of way.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It's got a chance, hasn't it, Paul?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- Because it's got interiors appeal to it.- Yes.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53If you're dressing a room with a horse theme - there you go.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55But is it two hundred quid's worth, is it?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- Two to three hundred. Yeah! - Yes, OK.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- You're happy with that?- I am.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02OK. Well, I hope it proves right.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Something for the ladies right now.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12A bit of Art Nouveau jewellery, It's stunning.
0:15:12 > 0:15:18Belongs to Rosemary, possibly for not much longer, with a valuation of £100 to £150.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- Who've you brought along?- Richard.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Richard, pleased to meet you.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26- What do you think of this piece of jewellery?- Beautiful. - Stunning, isn't it?
0:15:26 > 0:15:27It caught James's eye.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31- You like that sort of Deco period. - It's got a real style to it.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33It appeals to the youth of today too.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Why are you getting rid of them?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36They're so fashionable.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Well, I wanted a Flog It! experience.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Ooh, you're getting that, aren't you, in the sale room today?
0:15:43 > 0:15:47You've been well looked after, anyway. This is it, we're going under the hammer now.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52601 - Art Nouveau Charles Horner-style enamel pendants
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and another smaller example. Lot 601.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57Lovely things, these, lot 601.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Start me at £100, please.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01£100... I need £80, then.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06£80 on the Art Nouveau jewellery there. 80 bid. £80, take 5. At 80.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Any more now at 80? All done... 5.
0:16:09 > 0:16:1090. 5 now. 95.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Is there 100? At £95, any more?
0:16:13 > 0:16:17At 95... 100 online, £100.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20110's on the phone. Any more on this lot at 110?
0:16:20 > 0:16:22- Yes! £110.- Great!
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- It was short and sweet, the Flog It! experience, wasn't it?- Yes!
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Blink and you'll miss that one!
0:16:27 > 0:16:32MUSIC PLAYS
0:16:34 > 0:16:39Next up, Elaine's tile. There's no marks, there's no maker's name, but we do know it's Minton, don't we?
0:16:39 > 0:16:43- Yes, we do.- Yes, we do.- Yes. - And it's catalogued at £40 to £60.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- That's right. - Hopefully you get the top end,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47we will get the top end of that estimate.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51I hope so. What I like about it, it came from Stoke-on-Trent,
0:16:51 > 0:16:55this part of this wonderful industry, late 19th, early 20th century, of tile manufacturing.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00- Yes, that's right. - And your husband's grandfather was an engraver.- Was an engraver.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- He was a lithographer. He drew onto stone.- Yes.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- That's right.- And then he took the image from the stone.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10- Yes, yes.- Great little story. It's a wonderful package, really.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- I think it's excellent.- Yes. - Fingers crossed, OK?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14- Yes.- Let's hope we get £60-plus.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- Well, I hope so. - You never know, do you?- No, no.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Next lot, 295, is a pressed dust rectangular tile.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Girl holding flowers. £40.
0:17:24 > 0:17:2640.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30£40. Start me £40. £30 for the tile.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34£30 for the pressed dust tile. Anybody?
0:17:34 > 0:17:38£20 for the tile. Don't be surprised.
0:17:38 > 0:17:4220 bid. 5 now? 30. £25.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45£25. Any further at £25.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Sold it.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54- £25.- It's OK.- That'll buy my after-dinner coffees in Menorca.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Is that where you're off to? - In May, end of May, yes.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- Oh, lovely. - That'll just pay for those.
0:18:00 > 0:18:08MUSIC PLAYS
0:18:08 > 0:18:10I've been looking forward to this.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I'm feeling slightly nervous because I had a chat to Adam before the sale
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and he said, "When this arrived in my sale room,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18"I knew who valued it."
0:18:18 > 0:18:25He said, "You!" I said, "I know, I'm a big fan of sort of sculpture and that is so Picasso-esque."
0:18:25 > 0:18:29- He doesn't rate it.- I don't care, because I still like it.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- I know you do, I know, I know. - It won't make any difference.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36You won't be cycling it home - it's too precious.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39It's going in the boot of the car. It's going under the hammer now.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Next lot is 171.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Late-Victorian hobby horse.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46What a lovely rustic bygone that is.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50Lot 171. Who'll start me at a couple of hundred pounds. 200?
0:18:50 > 0:18:53£200.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54- £100?- My poor horse!
0:18:54 > 0:18:57£100 bid. Take 10. At £100 - not all bad, you know.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00£100 all bid, all done. Take 10.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160. - It's going up.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06160 in the room now.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08160. Any more now? 170. 180...
0:19:08 > 0:19:11No... 170. Any more now at 170? At 170.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Any more at 170.- Come on... Close.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15- Yeah.- A couple of bids more.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Well, I'm afraid we can't sell it.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21I've got firm instruction not to go any less than 200.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Oh, I'm so sorry.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- Do you know what...- I don't mind.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29- It's going back to a loving home. - Yes.- Enjoy it.- Yes.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32MUSIC PLAYS
0:19:36 > 0:19:40That is a cracking tan you've got. Have you just got home from holiday?
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- Yes, last Wednesday.- Where from? - Cape Verde.- Oh, the Canaries.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Look at that tan, James.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- Only sunbathed. - Just sunbathed... I can see that.
0:19:48 > 0:19:54Well, at a pinch, at 50 to 80, coming up next is that lovely little snuff shoe. I like the valuation.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56It's priced right.
0:19:56 > 0:20:03It's not the best we've ever seen, but it's a lovely little item and he is our snuff expert.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06He can't resist. Every time. He just can't resist.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Lot 32. The Georgian tree novelty snuff box in the form of a shoe.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15What a sweet little item there. I can start with a bid of £45 and take 50.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17£45. 50 now.
0:20:17 > 0:20:2155, 60, 5, 70, 5, 80, 5, 85 here...
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Any more now. £85, you're all done, then.
0:20:24 > 0:20:2790? And 5. 100?
0:20:27 > 0:20:31I've got 105. 110? 110's on the phone. 120 comes next.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34£110 on the phone. Any more on this lot at 110?
0:20:34 > 0:20:38All done. 110 on the Georgian snuff shoe, at 110.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42- Great.- £110.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47- It's a good result, isn't it? Holiday fund?- Yes, definitely.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Top up the tan.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50That's right.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08This pineapple I'm holding costs a couple of quid today.
0:21:08 > 0:21:14But back in the 1700s, this would have set you back the equivalent of £5,000. Yup!
0:21:14 > 0:21:18A lot of money, wasn't it? Certainly a rare and expensive commodity.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Brought back on very large sailing vessels
0:21:21 > 0:21:24from the Tropics, and they certainly were a status symbol for the rich.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27They had large estates and they would employ
0:21:27 > 0:21:30teams of gardeners to cultivate things like this under glass.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Pineapples were just one of many plants grown here at Tatton Park Estate.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42It's been the home of the Egerton family since 1598,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46and as the family fortunes flourished, so did their gardens.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Sam Wood, the gardens manager, is going to tell me more
0:21:49 > 0:21:54about the plants and the fruit that were grown here in the expensive glasshouses.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Sam, what a great glasshouse.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04It looks and feels brand new. Is it a reconstruction of the original?
0:22:04 > 0:22:08It is. It's rebuilt on the original foundations.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12And we've taken great care to try and make sure it's authentic.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I can see what you're growing - pineapples.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20Yeah. Well, of course, this is what the house was built for
0:22:20 > 0:22:22and the plants are planted in pots
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and you have to remember that pineapples only fruit every third year.
0:22:26 > 0:22:31- Ah, I never knew that. So what year are you looking at?- Year two now.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Obviously, I mean to the family and the growers -
0:22:34 > 0:22:37very fashionable and exotic, but what do the outsiders think?
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Nobody actually knew what to do with them. They were a bit wary of them.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Some people thought they might be poison.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49Other people thought that they were a great status symbol, because if you grow pineapples,
0:22:49 > 0:22:54you're obviously somebody who could afford... It's a full-time job growing pineapples.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59So they would also take them to dinner parties just as exhibits.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- Never use it, just taking it around, showing it off.- Right.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09And there were records of servants being murdered for the pineapple.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14And of course, pineapple growers don't have any fingerprints.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19- It removes your fingerprints.- That could be very useful, couldn't it?
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Because it eats your flesh away. So they are flesh-eating pineapples.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26You have to remember that's why we keep them here enclosed.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29You've got a tray with a pineapple behind you.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- Are you going to show me something? - Yes. So we can propagate pineapples
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- today and they're pretty tough to cut.- Can we do this at home?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Yes, you could.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43- So all you do is you'll take the top off your pineapple. - Which you would do anyway.
0:23:43 > 0:23:49As you would anyway, and then to trim off all of this stuff around the edge here.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55So we've got like a little plug here, and then the next thing is
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- you really want to try and get some of these leaves off.- Why?
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Because this is where the thing is going to root from, eventually.
0:24:01 > 0:24:07- You take it off, strip all this off, and get to the bottom of it.- Is that about...?- That's about right.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And then you finish off by just trimming that down a little bit more.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Yes? And then that will probably do it, you know?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17And then all we need to do is get a pot
0:24:17 > 0:24:23- and crock it up, and then simply stick it in like that.- Is that compost?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Some compost which is fairly well drained
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and it needs to be watered and then just kept moist
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and then it will grow. They make a good foliage plant, as well.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35- Yes, it's very decorative, isn't it? - Yes.
0:24:35 > 0:24:41It wasn't only pineapples that the Egertons liked to show off to their guests.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Orchids were an incredibly popular trend of the time.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Here at Tatton, we had 25 houses just of orchids. I mean, that was the...
0:24:53 > 0:24:56But what did they do with them, the family here?
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Well, they simply just kept them. They used them to decorate the house.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04They used them to impress people. They put them in a show house.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09And they were just so popular and I suppose the flower of the aristocracy.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11Yes.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17One last glasshouse for me to visit is the biggest on the estate.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22It was built in 1860 and designed by Joseph Paxton, famous for the Crystal Palace.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27It's a very impressive home for an exotic collection of ferns.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Oh, this is spectacular, Sam.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I think you saved the best for last on my list.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41So many different shades of green.
0:25:41 > 0:25:47There's ferns everywhere. There's a lot of them. Ferns were so popular, weren't they?
0:25:47 > 0:25:51They were around that time, yes. A lot of ferneries in the big houses.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Made to impress people.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57This is a fantastic piece that was built originally to house
0:25:57 > 0:26:01these tree ferns that one of the Egerton family was bringing back.
0:26:01 > 0:26:08Randall Egerton was a Royal Naval guy and he brought these ferns back when he was in Australia and New Zealand.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11They were only about nine inches high.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15And you know, the great visionary as all these people were,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18they would never have seen them grow to the height they are now.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20And these are still the original plants
0:26:20 > 0:26:24and the great thing about tree ferns is that when they grow to the roof,
0:26:24 > 0:26:30you simply decide what size you want the next one and saw it off, and put it in the ground and it grows again.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Cos most of the root's on the outside of the stem, so some of these have been to the roof twice.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- Already.- Cut back down, and you've got to remember
0:26:38 > 0:26:44that the last Lord Egerton used the space for other things as well.
0:26:44 > 0:26:49He was a great collector, so he collected things like tree frogs in here. Poison tree frogs.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54And snakes, just wild in here, so it was kind of a real adventure place.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58It was an adventure playground, really, for the aristocracy.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59What a remarkable achievement.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04- And this is your office.- Yes. - So to speak!
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- I think you're a lucky man, Sam. - So do I.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I thoroughly enjoyed my little visit to Tatton Park.
0:27:18 > 0:27:24And it's inspired me to go out and buy a pineapple and start growing one at home.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Right now, it's straight back to the valuation day.
0:27:33 > 0:27:40It's still very busy at the Kings Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, and David has found something he really loves.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Sheila, these are absolutely fabulous.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46You think so?
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- Yes. Where on earth did you get them from?- Bingley Hall.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Was that an antique fair?
0:27:52 > 0:27:57- Yes.- Do you remember how much you paid for them?- I can't remember.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It's a good while ago.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02They are beautiful. Why were you first attracted to them?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Because I like pink and green.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- Interesting colour combination. - They're lovely.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12They are lovely. What I like about them is the sheer quality.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- And they are Worcester porcelain. - Yes.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18When you consider that Worcester, along with Derby, is probably the only factory
0:28:18 > 0:28:24that is still in production from when it started in the 18th century, right through to now.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Consistent, consistent quality.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31It's the decoration, the pink and green in the form of roses
0:28:31 > 0:28:37against that hedgerow background which is absolutely unbelievable.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40All painted by hand.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43It's like...having a painting
0:28:43 > 0:28:46in your house. A still life.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Instead of a thing on a canvas, this is on a porcelain object.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53- Yes.- Why on earth are you parting with it?
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Because I'm moving home.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59- You're downsizing.- Yes. - I've just gone through that.
0:28:59 > 0:29:05- It's very, very difficult knowing what to keep and what to part with. - It is, yes. It is.- The date.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08The date's 1910.
0:29:08 > 0:29:14- I was looking for a signature on these, because it's most important to have a signature.- Yes.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16And I found one.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19The signature here is not a name that I recognise.
0:29:19 > 0:29:25From here, it looks very much like it could be either a G or an S.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28T-A-U-N-T.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30S or G Taunt.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34- The very fact that it's signed puts it into a different category.- I see.
0:29:34 > 0:29:41So I think we're looking at round about £240 to £300.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- All right.- How does that sound?
0:29:43 > 0:29:45That sounds very good.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- I hope you get that price.- Yes.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52The auction house will want to tuck the reserve and we ought to put a reserve on these...
0:29:52 > 0:29:54- Right.- ..under the estimates.
0:29:54 > 0:30:00So I think we should put a reserve of £200.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01- Right.- Would that be acceptable?
0:30:01 > 0:30:05- Yes, thank you.- I hope the Worcester collectors are looking at them.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07I hope so as well.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Liz, Yvonne. Wow, what a thing to find.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19They really are great. Tell me about them.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22They were my dad's. My dad's passed away.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27I have two brothers who both want them and causing a bit of
0:30:27 > 0:30:31friction in the family and so my mum decided to put them to auction.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Best way, because if they want them, they can buy them.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38- Exactly, yes.- Well, what do you know about the pistols themselves.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- Very much?- Absolutely nothing.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46Of course, handguns today are such a controversial subject, but I don't see these as weapons.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49I see these as pieces of history.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53These go back right to the times of the Napoleonic Wars.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58The early 19th century. But these weren't military issue.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03These would have been owned by a gentleman of title, somebody of quite important status
0:31:03 > 0:31:09because the maker, I don't know if you know anything about him, but if we have a look here,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Franz Ulrich.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17He was probably the best gun-maker in Switzerland of the 19th century.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21- He was known as the Forgotten Master.- Right.- Fantastic.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25What you would have to do to actually fire this pistol
0:31:25 > 0:31:29is prime that little pan there, the gold pan, with powder.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33And then you would close that down,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36you would bring the hammer back and that contains the flint.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40The flint, as you pull the trigger, fires,
0:31:40 > 0:31:48the steel pan lifts, the spark of the flint hitting the steel pan goes into the air with the gunpowder.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53So that's fires and it ignites the gunpowder in there and fires.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56And you have to do that every time you fire.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- You could be dead. - You could be dead by then!
0:31:59 > 0:32:05- What do you think they're worth? - Haven't got a clue. - What do you think?
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- 400?- No idea.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13- I think we ought to put £1,500 to £2,000.- You're joking!
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Lovely. Yes, that's fine.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19- That should stop them fighting, shouldn't it?- It will do, yeah.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Now, I think it's important that we protect them with a reserve.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25Weapons are quite a specialist market.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29With a lot of other things, they'll find their own market.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32With these, they're fantastic, so we must protect them.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Just in case the right buyers aren't there on the day.
0:32:35 > 0:32:42So let's put a reserve of £1,200, put that firm, and if they don't make that, then have them back.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47- Right. That's great. It could be pistols at dawn.- It could be.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Phil, looking at all these used ticket stubs,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56you're obviously a big music fan and so am I.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Look, Dr Feelgood, Joe Walsh...
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Gosh, everybody's in here, but what has caught my eye
0:33:02 > 0:33:05are these two little posters, they're like flyers really.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07I guess these would have been used
0:33:07 > 0:33:09in shop windows, local stores
0:33:09 > 0:33:11around the venue to promote the gig.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Jimi Hendrix, and it says it all because that sums up
0:33:14 > 0:33:16the Seventies with that sort of purple haze.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- Psychedelia.- Yeah, exactly.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22- There's no date on it. Do you know what date it was?- I think it's 1970.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24And he was playing in Oklahoma.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26You've got an American accent,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29- I guess you grew up in Oklahoma. - That's where I'm from, yeah!
0:33:29 > 0:33:33- So what brought you over to the UK then?- My wife.- Your wife?
0:33:33 > 0:33:35- You married an English lass? - Yeah.- Aaah!
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Did you get to see Led Zeppelin?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- No, I didn't. I was a bit young at the time.- You look a bit young.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43I grew up playing the drums and I still listen to John Bonham
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and try and copy all his sort of licks and his moves and his sound.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50- The question is, were you any good? - No, I was rubbish!
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Again, no date.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56I think that's also 1970.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01Right. Great band, but I don't think our auction is the right one for you.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05It's a general antique auction. I think what you've got here, rock
0:34:05 > 0:34:09and pop memorabilia, needs to go to a specialist musical memorabilia
0:34:09 > 0:34:12sale, where you'll find a bigger audience, and I'm pretty sure
0:34:12 > 0:34:17this one is worth around £80 to £150, and so is that one.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19So that's not bad, is it?
0:34:19 > 0:34:23For flyers that were just sellotaped to the shop window, and what I like
0:34:23 > 0:34:25is the fact that you've looked after them,
0:34:25 > 0:34:29you've put them behind perspex on a clip frame,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32so it's kept them from being bent and screwed up and ripped and torn,
0:34:32 > 0:34:36so good for you, because condition is so important.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38MUSIC: "Haiti" by Arcade Fire
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Bill, Lillian, we've come all the way to Staffordshire,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47the heart of the Potteries in England,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50and what do we find? Worcester! Anyway, there we go.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53A bit of Worcester for us, and, obviously, out of its area,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56but one of the most famous factories of all time.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59- Indeed.- Are they family pieces? - They were my father's, actually.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02My father was a pottery manufacturer and he used to work
0:35:02 > 0:35:06as a chief chemist for Wedgwood before the war, and he formed his own collection
0:35:06 > 0:35:10of Wedgwood pieces, and also from other companies,
0:35:10 > 0:35:16but as I think things have moved on, these tend to not be on display,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18and it seems a terrible shame, really.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Worcester is so well known for its fruit-painted porcelain,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24and here we've got three very good examples.
0:35:24 > 0:35:28Albert Shuck is the artist for these two, and this one, you don't see as
0:35:28 > 0:35:33much of this - this is by Bagnall but all around the same sort of period.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36Worcester is very easy to date, and if you look at this mark here,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38you see three purple circles,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41or puce circles, and on either side of that there are a series of dots.
0:35:41 > 0:35:47The three interlinked circles were 1932,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49and then you add a dot for each year.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52You've got nine dots, that's 1941.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56That's quite unusual, really, because you wouldn't see British
0:35:56 > 0:36:00people buying porcelain in the middle of World War Two,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04but we've got a little telltale giveaway here - Buenos Aires.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07We've got a Buenos Aires retailer, so this was made in Worcester,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11has gone over to Argentina, has been sold in Argentina...
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- And come back again!- Back to Stoke!
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Well, there we are, so that's got a bit of interesting history about that one.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21You do get factories who are transfer-printing these pieces
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and then hand-painting little bits over the top,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28but these are all hand-painted, so these are very, very sought after.
0:36:28 > 0:36:29This one is the best.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33The softness of the painting of those wonderful grapes, you could almost
0:36:33 > 0:36:35eat them, a real feel to them.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39Now, values. Any ideas?
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Not really. We've never had them professionally valued.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45OK. I'm gonna put them as a group.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49- OK.- And that will give the auction room that ability to
0:36:49 > 0:36:53split them up if they want to, it depends on their own client base.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55We'll say £80 on this one.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00The larger one, I think, is worth around £120.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03This one, £200 to £300.
0:37:03 > 0:37:09- Right.- So, if we say an estimate of £400 to £500 on them, as a three?
0:37:09 > 0:37:11That sounds very good.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13- Could we put a reserve on them?- Absolutely.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17As a group, let's put 400 on them. So what are you gonna do?
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Buy a great big piece of fantastic Wedgwood to replace them with?
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Oh, I don't think so, actually,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25because I'm a model railway enthusiast, so I may very well buy
0:37:25 > 0:37:28- something for the collection. - Fantastic.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Well, Worcester is something that we just can't get enough of.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34- Yes.- That's good news.- Lovely.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Let's take them along and see how we do.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- Yes, thanks.- Thank you.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45- Pam.- Yes.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48I can't say I like dolls.
0:37:48 > 0:37:54I'm not fascinated by them, but what appeals to me is the way that they're dressed.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58If I see a doll that's in the original costume,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01then I think it's obviously a great deal more interesting.
0:38:01 > 0:38:09- Now, this one dates from the end of the 19th, just turning into the 20th century.- Oh.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Does it have a family history?
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Just a little bit.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19We actually got this from my mother who was given it by a great auntie, a good many years ago, and as much
0:38:19 > 0:38:24as we understand, she was actually given this by the Jessop family that she used to work for.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28- The Jessop family is who? - Well, they sort of own
0:38:28 > 0:38:32the Jessop stores in Nottingham and my aunt worked for the old Miss Jessop
0:38:32 > 0:38:36as a cook and housekeeper for a good many years
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and on her retirement, she actually acquired this lovely gift.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41It is a beautiful little object.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47It's in its original box here, and this label, which says "The Grand Toy Shop"
0:38:47 > 0:38:52is an original box, which is very good. Always toys in original boxes is a bonus.
0:38:52 > 0:38:53I'm just going to take...
0:38:53 > 0:38:58you don't mind...this little girl out so we can have a look at it.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03Not only is it the original costume, but when we look at it, also the hair at the back,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06which is natural hair
0:39:06 > 0:39:13is also dressed in the manner of a young girl round about 1890, 1900.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17The costume is decorated with this machine lace
0:39:17 > 0:39:21and then we have these little buttons added to the front.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26I would imagine her feet were also embellished with the same
0:39:26 > 0:39:29- buttons, because there's one there, but it's lost its colour.- Yes.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31So that's all she had on her feet.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35- Little buttons.- That's all we've ever seen on her feet, yes.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38The other detail I like, lovely little glass eyes,
0:39:38 > 0:39:44painted feature, typical of a French doll of the late 19th century.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49This would have been used possibly as a...
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- doll's house occupant. - I was wondering that.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57- It's the right size to go inside. - A doll's house. Yes.
0:39:57 > 0:40:03- So she would have had miniature furniture, drinking vessels, and she would have been quite at home.- Yes.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08But obviously she never got that far, because she was always kept in this little box here.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Lovely element of social history.
0:40:10 > 0:40:15First of all, how it was acquired by the Jessop family and then passed on to your great aunt.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- Why are you selling it? - It's just stuck in a drawer.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21It is a shame and Mum, before she died last year,
0:40:21 > 0:40:26she was actually looking at selling it, so I know that's what she wanted us to do anyway.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30- We'd like it to go to somebody who can actually really appreciate it.- And collect dolls.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33And who collects dolls, yes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37I think there's going to be a good market for it. Let me think in terms of price.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43A minimum of 40. Between £40 and £60, I think,
0:40:43 > 0:40:47but you might get a surprise, coming on close to £100,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51- so let's just keep our fingers crossed.- Lovely. Thank you.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Now, cast your mind back a few hundred years.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03The year is approximately 1610.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06James I is on the throne and Sir Walter Raleigh is in the Tower of London,
0:41:06 > 0:41:13but here, in Cheshire, work has just finished on the home of one William Moreton III.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22Little Moreton Hall is one of the finest examples of Elizabethan
0:41:22 > 0:41:25timber-framed manor houses in England.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Work on the house started in the early 16th century
0:41:29 > 0:41:31and extended over future generations.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35It's a stunning display of medieval craftsmanship.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38It's a half-timber-framed house,
0:41:38 > 0:41:42built on a stone foundation, and each storey was built
0:41:42 > 0:41:46at different stages. The infill of the wood is plaster and lath.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Now, originally this, in Elizabethan times,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51would have been a lovely golden ochre colour, quite vibrant.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55It was the Victorians that painted everything black and white.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57They even painted all the oak beams black! But look at it!
0:41:57 > 0:41:59It really is fantastic.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01The more wood, the more money you had.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05It was something to show off, and all of this is held together
0:42:05 > 0:42:09with wooden pegs, massive great big wooden pegs, driven into the mortice
0:42:09 > 0:42:13to hold it tight when the wood was still green, in its fresh
0:42:13 > 0:42:17state, because all this would have been felled from the local forest.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Here is a typical example of the pegs, look,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22that hold the whole thing together.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25They're known as "trenails". Treenails.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37And when you get into the cobbled internal courtyard,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39you get greeted with a 360-degree
0:42:39 > 0:42:43panoramic view of architectural delight. Just look at it!
0:42:43 > 0:42:47You get wonderful ornamentation all around the doors and windows.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49It's so typical of a Cheshire build.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53I love the quatrefoils, with hand-carved balustrades.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55It's another detail that just catches your eye.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Moving right up, you've got the leaded windows
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and these windows must have been so expensive in their day.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04It's another way of showing off extreme wealth,
0:43:04 > 0:43:06and that takes you up to the eaves, where you
0:43:06 > 0:43:09see these great big bulbous drop pendants, all hand-carved again.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11Wonderful!
0:43:11 > 0:43:14And here, look, the carpenter has even put his name,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18"Rycharde Dale, carpeder, made thies windovs by the grac of God,"
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and the date was 1559, and it's still standing!
0:43:22 > 0:43:25They really did know their trade.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32The house was acquired by the National Trust in 1938,
0:43:32 > 0:43:34and David Watts is the property manager.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37He's the chap we need to find to have a quick chat to
0:43:37 > 0:43:41about the history of this magnificent house and its lucky owner.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53- Hello.- Hi, Paul. - Pleased to meet you.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56I've gotta say, absolutely mind-blowing, isn't it?
0:43:56 > 0:44:00And I know it sounds corny, but who would live in a house like this?
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Well, the Moretons were wealthy landowners
0:44:02 > 0:44:06who came into the area, we think, around the 13th century.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10The family itself had wealth through corn mills,
0:44:10 > 0:44:16ironworks, timberworks, and primarily the land itself,
0:44:16 > 0:44:20and they wanted to show their wealth to everybody else,
0:44:20 > 0:44:23and each generation wanted to add their special part to the hall.
0:44:23 > 0:44:28Fantastic bay windows, magnificent ranges of glass.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31It's one of the best examples I think I've ever seen.
0:44:31 > 0:44:32It's a beautiful house.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36I want to show you another room, with fantastic decoration.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37OK, after you.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Take a look at this, Paul.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46Gosh, look at that? Tudor wallpaper.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48- It's fantastic, isn't it?- Yeah!
0:44:48 > 0:44:51It was fashionable in the 1570s
0:44:51 > 0:44:56to about 1600 to use painted panels, and here we've got the Moretons, who
0:44:56 > 0:45:00really are into fashion and wealth and wanted to express that wealth,
0:45:00 > 0:45:06and John Moreton got the panels painted. We think that you'd probably
0:45:06 > 0:45:11get travelling craftsmen who would come round and paint the stories
0:45:11 > 0:45:15onto the paper, and then, of course, it's pasted onto the wall itself.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18Incredible! Have you depicted what the stories are telling?
0:45:18 > 0:45:19Is there enough there?
0:45:19 > 0:45:22It's the story of Susannah And The Elders.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25So, come on, tell me about that.
0:45:25 > 0:45:31Susannah was the beautiful wife of a businessman and she was admired,
0:45:31 > 0:45:34shall we say, by a couple of elders in the town,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37and they went into her garden
0:45:37 > 0:45:39and she refused their advances.
0:45:39 > 0:45:44She is then actually put on trial and is about to be stoned to death for adultery,
0:45:44 > 0:45:45but our hero, who is Daniel,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48- who was actually in the far corner... - The chap up there?
0:45:48 > 0:45:54That's the chap - steps in and asks them to look again at the evidence,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57- and, in fact, it's the two elders who are then put to death.- Wow!
0:45:57 > 0:46:00- Look at that!- But it's a fantastic piece of historic wallpaper,
0:46:00 > 0:46:05and you get little details, like the wolf's head on the frieze.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09That's the Moreton coat of arms.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Now, interestingly, of course, the fashions change.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15The fashion becomes, let's put wooden panelling on instead.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18And what do the Moretons do? They replace it with that.
0:46:18 > 0:46:21By virtue of putting the panelling over that, it has protected it.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25- Of course.- Obviously, the condition of that, it's been saved by the panelling,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28but, overall, the house is in remarkable condition.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31It's a very solid structure.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34- It's a wonderful house.- And I like the fact that you've kept it
0:46:34 > 0:46:38quite sparse inside because the space has the beauty as well.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40It makes you appreciate the architecture.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44In many ways, our collection is the building itself.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48- Yeah, it's one big antique, isn't it?- It is, it's wonderful.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02Well, not only is it a delight to look at, but Little Moreton Hall
0:47:02 > 0:47:06is a masterclass in Tudor woodwork and carpentry,
0:47:06 > 0:47:10a perfectly preserved piece of medieval history.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19It's now that time in the show where we head off to the sale room
0:47:19 > 0:47:22and here's what's coming with us.
0:47:22 > 0:47:23David loved this pair of Worcester vases.
0:47:23 > 0:47:30The fine quality and the pretty hand-painting is bound to catch the eye of a discerning bidder.
0:47:30 > 0:47:35Liz is hoping the bidders will stand and deliver a good price when her pistols go up for sale.
0:47:37 > 0:47:43This doll has been left in a drawer for years and now it's finally out in the light of day.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46I think it could do well for owner, Pam.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49And, finally, there's something for everyone with Bill and Lillian's
0:47:49 > 0:47:54collection of Worcester. Let's hope the collectors are out in force!
0:48:02 > 0:48:04I've been joined by Bill and Lillian.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Now, we've got three lots, haven't we? The first lot,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10the smallest one, is £80, the second lot is about £120 and £200.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14- £200 to £300 for the pedestal cup. - That's right.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18And we've got a total valuation of about £400 to £500 here.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21We are selling them separately, but all the money, I just read in
0:48:21 > 0:48:24my notes, is going towards the model railway, is it?
0:48:24 > 0:48:27- Well, not...- I think he's had second thoughts about that.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29Second thoughts!
0:48:29 > 0:48:31- You mean you have?- I had a subtle
0:48:31 > 0:48:34reminder that it is our 25th wedding anniversary this year.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36That's more important than a model railway!
0:48:36 > 0:48:38- I think so. - Cracking items these, James?
0:48:38 > 0:48:40Yeah, great.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43When we took them in on the valuation day we talked about splitting them up
0:48:43 > 0:48:45- or putting them together.- We did.
0:48:45 > 0:48:46And I thought Adam would split them up.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49It's the right thing to do, I think, but, you know, there are
0:48:49 > 0:48:53- lots of people here today and they're gonna do very, very well.- Good.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56Well, fingers crossed and here's the first going under the hammer.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58367 is Royal Worcester bowl painted
0:48:58 > 0:49:04with fruits, by Albert Shuck, lot 367, little footed bowl there. £80.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08£80. 50, 50 bid, 5 now.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11At £50, 5, 60, 5, 65 bid.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14Any more now? 65.
0:49:14 > 0:49:1970, 5, 80 now, 80 bid. 85.
0:49:19 > 0:49:2285 online. Any more on this lot?
0:49:22 > 0:49:2885. Any further? The bid's online this time at £85 on the first.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32£85. That's good, that's good.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34First one down. Here's the next.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Worcester bowl painted by Albert Shuck again.
0:49:36 > 0:49:38Lovely bowl, 368. Start me at £100.
0:49:38 > 0:49:4380 bid, 5, 90, 5, £95, any more?
0:49:43 > 0:49:47£95, 100 bid, 10, 110, take 120 now.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52120, online at 120, any more? 130?
0:49:52 > 0:49:55- 140. At 140.- It's good.- It is.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58Are you all done at 140? 150.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Any more at 150? All done?
0:50:00 > 0:50:06160, 160, keep going, 160, any more now at 160?
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Hammer's up then at 160, we'll sell at 160. 170...
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Gosh, that was late in!
0:50:11 > 0:50:14- 170 bid.- We like it, though!
0:50:14 > 0:50:16- We do!- Any more now at 170? 180?
0:50:16 > 0:50:19At 180. Last chance. It's now at 180, we're gonna sell...
0:50:19 > 0:50:22190. At 190.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Any more at 190?
0:50:24 > 0:50:27At 190, 200. 200, any more now?
0:50:27 > 0:50:31- Good heavens!- At 200. 210.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36LAUGHTER
0:50:36 > 0:50:39- 210. Are we done at 210?- I think so.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43I think we're done at 210. All done at 210 and we sell this one at £210.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47How super! Second one down.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49That's good news. Here's the last one.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53This is the third one, 369, by William Bagnall, painted
0:50:53 > 0:50:56with fruits. I'm bid 110. Take 20.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00110 only, 120 now, 120.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03130, 140, 140.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05150, 160, 170. 170 bid.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Any more now? 180.
0:51:07 > 0:51:13180 now, 180. 190... We've got the same thing happening again. 190?
0:51:13 > 0:51:15- Got a bid.- 200?
0:51:15 > 0:51:17At 200. Any further now at 200?
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Are you all done now? £200, we sell this one...
0:51:19 > 0:51:23- 210.- 210.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25All done and selling at 210?
0:51:25 > 0:51:28Last chance at £210.
0:51:28 > 0:51:33- Yes!- Yes, very good, very good. - Fantastic! That's all three
0:51:33 > 0:51:38- sold, that's £505. - Yes, very good, very good.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42Well, they were spot on, really, with the £400 to £500, weren't they?
0:51:42 > 0:51:43Got the top end of the estimate.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- Yeah.- Very good, James. - And it just shows you, doesn't it,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49by varying how people can bid, there's bidding in the room,
0:51:49 > 0:51:54there's bidding on the phone andbidding against each other on the internet - fantastic!
0:51:54 > 0:51:57- You were dead right, dead right. - Absolutely spot on.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01Congratulations to James, and enjoy the wedding anniversary.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03- Yes, yes. - I'm sure we will, sure we will.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15Well, Sheila is downsizing so they've got to go.
0:52:15 > 0:52:20These two Worcester Edwardian vases valued at £240 to £300 are up for sale right now.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23David, you did the valuation, you like these.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Yes. They're glamorous, blowsy pieces. I think they're good.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30They're the epitome of the Edwardian period.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33- Yes, they're very pretty. - Rather beautiful.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38Let's hope we get you the top end, because I know you're moving to a smaller place.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42It just sort of haemorrhages money, moving. It really does, doesn't it?
0:52:42 > 0:52:46- Yes.- Oh, I've just moved. Yes. We downsized.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50I might say we've got 40 packing cases still to unpack after a year.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54Yes. I've got some boxes from six years ago.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Living in mayhem, I don't know.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00Fingers crossed. Let's hope we get 300.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Pair of Royal Worcester quarter length vases.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05Painted with roses by Gertie Taunt.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07What a lovely name. Gertie Taunt.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11I can start with interest at a 200 and 210 bid. Is there 220?
0:53:11 > 0:53:17210 is bid. 210 bid. 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, no...
0:53:17 > 0:53:19270. Any more now? 270. Any more now?
0:53:19 > 0:53:23270. Are you all done?
0:53:23 > 0:53:25280, 290. 300.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30At 290, 290. Any more now?
0:53:30 > 0:53:32At £290.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34We're going to settle for that.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36Very nice.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39- That'll come in very handy. - Lovely, thank you.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44- Oh, bless.- What about Paul?- Aw.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54We're in for an interesting duel right now,
0:53:54 > 0:53:59because it's the pair of little hand pistols belonging to Liz. You brought your mum along.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03Hello, Betty, are you OK? You've been looking forward to this?
0:54:03 > 0:54:06- Yeah.- Let's hope we can get the top end of James's estimate.
0:54:06 > 0:54:11You've got £1,500 to £2,500 riding on this.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16This is going to solve the problem, isn't it? With the two boys. Yeah?
0:54:16 > 0:54:19- What did you say, Betty? - I'll be glad to get rid of them.
0:54:19 > 0:54:24You'll be glad to get rid of them. Do your sons keep saying, "Can I have them, Mum, can I have them?"
0:54:24 > 0:54:30- Badgering you.- Lots of banter.- Is there? Are they all happy, though, it's going into auction?
0:54:30 > 0:54:34- Yes.- Well, let's hope we get the best price. Shall we?
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Fingers crossed. Here we go.
0:54:36 > 0:54:41204. Fine pair of pistols
0:54:41 > 0:54:43by Ulrich in Bern. Swiss pistols here.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Lot 204. They're lovely.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Who'll start with £1,500?
0:54:48 > 0:54:51I'm bid 1,000 and I'll take 50.
0:54:51 > 0:54:52£1,000, take 50.
0:54:52 > 0:55:00All done then at £1,050. 1,150. 1,250. 1,350.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04£1,350, now. 1,450. 1,550.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06Your bid of 1,550. I'll take 1,600.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10At 1,550 the bid. 1,550.
0:55:10 > 0:55:111,600 and 50?
0:55:11 > 0:55:151,600 in the room now. £1,600 - any more on these?
0:55:15 > 0:55:18Any advance now on £1,600?
0:55:21 > 0:55:26- Gone. Wow.- Just got away, didn't we? Just over the bottom end.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- Brilliant, thank you.- You're pleased with that?- Yeah. They're gone.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34Betty, you've got to treat yourself to a bit of lunch.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39- We're going on the Orient Express. - Are you?- Yes.- Oh, that's brilliant!
0:55:39 > 0:55:41- Just for a day.- Oh, how lovely.
0:55:47 > 0:55:53Next up, we've got a cute little doll with original box and original clothes.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55We're looking for around £50 to £60.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57It belongs to Pam. Never been played with.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00- No. Absolutely not. - The condition is superb.
0:56:00 > 0:56:07- It was a gift, wasn't it?- It was. - Why do you want to sell this?- She's sitting in a box, doing nothing.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11The box is actually getting crumpled so we thought it was time to sell.
0:56:11 > 0:56:16That's what caught David's eye. Is the condition of the box, the original clothes. It sets it apart.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21Even down to the hat. Immaculate condition, and the way the hair is dressed is all original.
0:56:21 > 0:56:26That'll boost the price. I've confident that the price should exceed what we put on it.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Let's hope we're in for a surprise. Good luck.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32155. The French bisque-headed doll with blonde hair.
0:56:32 > 0:56:33A small one there.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35All bisque in original box.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39Let's start with a bid of £50, shall we? £50 is bid. Take 5.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41Are you all done at £50?
0:56:41 > 0:56:455, 60, 5, 70, 5, 80. 5.
0:56:45 > 0:56:4890. 5, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150,
0:56:48 > 0:56:52160, 170, 180, 170... Who's going on?
0:56:52 > 0:56:58- 170!- 180, 190, 200, 210, 220,
0:56:58 > 0:57:00230, 240.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03Ooh, this was a "come and buy me", David.
0:57:03 > 0:57:10260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 320, 340,
0:57:10 > 0:57:12360, 380,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16400, 420, 440, 460.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19460 on this phone. Is there 480 now?
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- Goodness me!- 480, 500, 520.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27What is so special about this? It's not just the condition.
0:57:27 > 0:57:32- French doll, perfect condition. - 560, 580,
0:57:32 > 0:57:35600, 620.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37600 on this phone...any further now?
0:57:37 > 0:57:40At £600. At 600...any more?
0:57:40 > 0:57:44Are you all done then? At £600.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50- I feel like applauding.- Fantastic.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53£600. What a wonderful surprise!
0:57:53 > 0:57:58- Cute little doll we thought would go for 60.- Yes, that's right.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02Condition, condition, condition, that's what it's all about.
0:58:02 > 0:58:06Bit of commission to pay, but what will you put nearly £600 on.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09Well, the doll belonged to my great auntie and she needs
0:58:09 > 0:58:13a new memorial stone now, so we always said we'd put the money towards a new one,
0:58:13 > 0:58:16so we're very, very pleased at that amount of money.
0:58:16 > 0:58:22- Oh, bless you Pam. David, what a special day.- It really is.
0:58:22 > 0:58:26Tears in Pam's eyes! She's obviously so happy. That's all for today's show.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29We've thoroughly enjoyed being here in Knutsford.
0:58:29 > 0:58:32So, until the next time, it's cheerio.
0:58:40 > 0:58:43Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd