0:00:08 > 0:00:12I only have to say to you roundabouts and concrete cows
0:00:12 > 0:00:14and most of you will know what I'm on about.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Today, Flog It is in Milton Keynes.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18Mooo!
0:00:49 > 0:00:50It's hotly debated exactly
0:00:50 > 0:00:53how many roundabouts there are here in Milton Keynes.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Some say there's a mere 300.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Others say it's closer to 1,000.
0:00:59 > 0:01:04But whatever way you look at it, you have to look around and see there are loads of them!
0:01:04 > 0:01:06As for the concrete cows,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09they were a leaving present to Milton Keynes
0:01:09 > 0:01:13in 1978 from the American artist Liz Leyh.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16For works of art, they've had a rough time.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17A couple have been stolen.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22Pranksters have painted pyjamas on them, and some have had to be rebuilt
0:01:22 > 0:01:23after they were beheaded!
0:01:23 > 0:01:26The Mona Lisa didn't have this sort of trouble!
0:01:26 > 0:01:30All of these good people have been queuing patiently outside the venue,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33the Jurys Inn, in the heart of Milton Keynes.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36They're not here to see modern sculpture.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41They're here to chew the cud with our antiques experts Anita Manning and Kate Bateman.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44It's time to get the doors open and see what they've got to say.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Everyone, follow me!
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Inside we go.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01Anita's spotted some plates. But I don't think anybody will be eating off these!
0:02:01 > 0:02:04David, Tina, welcome to Flog It.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09I'm so happy that you've brought us along these wonderful big plates.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Who do they belong to?
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- Me.- All right. Where did you get them, David?
0:02:15 > 0:02:17I inherited them from a great-aunt.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19She lived in Sweden for 40 to 50 years,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22having taught English to Swedish schoolchildren
0:02:22 > 0:02:24and got the MBE for her services.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28- Ah!- So these arrived with me about 11 years ago
0:02:28 > 0:02:30in what was a living will.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32I imagine they're Swiss/Italian.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Could be from the Zizino region of Switzerland
0:02:35 > 0:02:36or northern Italy
0:02:36 > 0:02:40or even a bit further south on the Italian Riviera
0:02:40 > 0:02:43around Portofino, that area.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- You're very good, David. Are you after my job? - I like the geography of Europe.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53- Tina, what did you think of them when they arrived? - I thought they were beautiful.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56I still think that. If we had a high enough ceiling
0:02:56 > 0:03:01and a big enough room to put them in, then we would keep them.
0:03:01 > 0:03:07David, I think you're absolutely right in the geography.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10These are Swiss plates.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12They're from a Swiss factory.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15These would have been the type of items
0:03:15 > 0:03:18that would have been bought by people on their Grand Tour.
0:03:18 > 0:03:25- Oh, gosh.- They date from the late 1800s to the early 20th century.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29They were made over a reasonable period of time.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33We have these hand-painted scenes in the centre.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38Both different scenes and probably from Switzerland.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42We have these high snow-clad mountains,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44the beautiful lakes
0:03:44 > 0:03:47and we have some little figures in boats.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50They are hand-painted. Not signed.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54They would have been done by artisans rather than artists.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56What I like best about them
0:03:56 > 0:04:00is this wonderful border.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04With these almost asymmetric bands
0:04:04 > 0:04:06of embossed flowers.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08They're big,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10they're bonny,
0:04:10 > 0:04:11they're in good condition.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17They were never fine items. They would be made in large quantities
0:04:17 > 0:04:19as souvenirs.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- Production-type thing. - Production-type thing,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24and they still have more quality
0:04:24 > 0:04:30than you would get from production items of today's age.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32So I would like to keep the estimate conservative.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35- OK.- I would like to put them in
0:04:35 > 0:04:39with an estimate of 150 to 250.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44- That sounds fine.- I would like to put a firm reserve of 150 on them,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- with no discretion.- Right.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Now, how do you feel about that? - OK. They're your plates.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- That sounds fine.- Happy?- Yes. - Both of you happy?- Yes!
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- Good. Let's go for 'em. Let's flog it.- Thank you.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06Next is our new girl, Kate, who's found a glamorous little sparkler.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10So, Sadie and Leah, you've brought in this lovely ring.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- What can you tell me about it? - It was my nan's ring.
0:05:12 > 0:05:18I just had it in a jewellery box. My little girl, Leah, used to play in the garden with it.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22In the garden with it? Just to take it out and pretend it's yours?
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Did you ever drop it?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- Lose it?- I dropped it and, um...
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- I found it.- In the garden.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- We had a tub of flowers.- Yeah.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37You are a lucky young lady.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- So you don't know much about it? - No.- You inherited it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44OK. Well, it's a really nice ring. Art Deco.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Sort of like a dress ring.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49It's got lots of diamonds!
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Very sparkly, as you can see, and a central oval ruby.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Date-wise it's about 1920s, 1930s.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00- Have you ever had it valued?- I took it down to my local jeweller's.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04He just gave me a valuation to insure it
0:06:04 > 0:06:06between two and three.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08But he obviously said
0:06:08 > 0:06:12to take it to a proper auctioneer and let them have a look.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- So he wasn't interested in buying it?- No.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Two to three thousand for an insurance valuation is right.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20You'd normally insure it at twice the price
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- that you'd expect to get at a sale. - Yeah.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24And the problem is not a lot of people
0:06:24 > 0:06:27- are going to be able to wear it. - That's it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- It's not something you'd pop down to the shops with?- No.
0:06:31 > 0:06:37No. Not when I found out it was... I'd assumed it was a dress ring.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40I didn't assume it was real diamonds.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43It didn't look like that when we first had it.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45He cleaned it all up for me.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49- OK. So quite surprising to see it shining?- Yes.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52That's why you got to play with it!
0:06:52 > 0:06:56So, if we were to put it into a sale,
0:06:56 > 0:07:01you'd probably expect maybe an estimate of 1,200 to £1,500, something like that.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04A reserve somewhere just below that, so £900 as a reserve.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- Is that the sort of figure you'd sell it for?- Yeah,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10because it's just sitting in a box.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16What would you do with the money? This is your inheritance, if they sell it.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- Don't want to inherit it? Rather get the money?- Yes.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- We'll get another car. - Another car. Fair enough.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25- If you're happy, we'll try and get you a new car. We'll flog it. - Lovely.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Cliff, it's great to see a drum on Flog It,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40being an ex-drummer. I have a drum kit at home and still love to play,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44but wasn't fortunate enough to have a Ringo Starr drum!
0:07:44 > 0:07:47- How old were you when you got this? - About nine.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52- Mid-'60s.- Mid-'60s. This is definitely '64, '66, somewhere around there.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Did it inspire you to take up drumming?
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Afraid not. I was never a Beatles fan.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- Rolling Stones.- Yes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Either one or the other. The Beatles were the good guys
0:08:02 > 0:08:06and the Rolling Stones were the rock'n'roll bad guys, got into trouble.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10The only use it really had was me trying to wear out Ringo's face!
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I'm pleased you didn't cos this is the original skin.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It's got the Ringo Starr signature with his little face on it,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18as you can see.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24- These skins are very good, almost like professional skins.- Really?
0:08:24 > 0:08:27This is a standard 14-inch snare drum. Although this is made
0:08:27 > 0:08:30completely out of plastic,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33it is actually modelled on a metal snare drum
0:08:33 > 0:08:37which Ringo would have used. This is made by Selco in this country.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Ringo would have used a metal-shelled version, in chrome,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44with ten tuning lugs. His drum kit was a Ludwig, an American drum.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Now, what's missing on this is a set of snares.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- I noticed that. - Wires soldered together on a strap.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56There's about 24 of them that run the length of the drum.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59They're held on with string which goes into those two holes.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03If you do that, it tightens them up
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and pulls the snare wires onto the bottom skin
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and makes it sound as if it's a marching drum.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Military side drums. It goes...
0:09:11 > 0:09:13I wish we had some drum sticks!
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Tell you what, we've got some spoons.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I don't know what I can do with spoons, but...
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- See?- Very impressive.- You can actually get something out of this
0:09:28 > 0:09:33- and I think this is a good starting-off instrument. - It's a bit more than a toy.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It's more than a toy. Now, we've sold Beatles guitars on the show.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41I think one achieved around £300 or £400.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45- Have you any idea what this is worth?- I was hoping 150 to 200, along those lines.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48I could say I think you're bang on!
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Pardon the pun!
0:09:50 > 0:09:52If this was in mint condition,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56if it had the stand and original sticks and those snare wires,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59museum condition, you'd be looking for £600 to £700,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03- Cos not many have survived. - I can imagine.- They really haven't.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08If we put this into auction, we'd put it in with a value of £200 to £400.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10A fixed reserve at 200.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13- Happy?- Yes, very. Very happy.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I think it's fantastic and a Beatles fan will love this,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18especially with Ringo there!
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Jill, welcome to Flog It.
0:10:27 > 0:10:32And it's lovely to have that gorgeous piece of Victorian jewellery here.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Tell me, where did you get it?
0:10:34 > 0:10:38My grandmother gave it to me when I got engaged in 1974.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- Did you wear it?- I've never worn it.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- Left in a drawer. - Did it belong to your grandmother?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47I think so, but I don't know anything about it.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- No pictures of her wearing it? - No, unfortunately.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Why haven't you worn it? Is it not to your taste?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Because I knew it was a mourning locket
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and it's big and dark-coloured.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Although I knew it was beautifully made.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03- So it's a bit sort of sombre?- Mmm.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06OK, let's just have a closer look at it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12The case is not marked for gold.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18Very often when a piece was made specially for someone,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21by a jeweller, if it had been commissioned,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24then they would not have hallmarked it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28But the touch of it, the colour of it, the weight of it,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32all these things indicate to me that it is gold.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35The front of it
0:11:35 > 0:11:42has this beautiful banded agate oval on it.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46And we have a gold and enamelled starburst here
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and a beautiful pearl.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51So it's a lovely thing.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53It's a quality item.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I like it very, very much.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Let's open it
0:11:57 > 0:12:01and have a little look inside.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08- Now, do you know who this...? - Afraid I don't, no!
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- He's quite a sombre looking chap. - He is.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15- Could he have been a boyfriend or a fiance?- I just don't know.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16- You don't know?- No.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21And we have the hair whorl here,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25which is typical of mourning jewellery.
0:12:25 > 0:12:32When Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria went into mourning.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35And mourning became a fashion.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- Right.- I would date it
0:12:37 > 0:12:41from about the 1860s, 1870s.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Although these aren't popular as things to wear,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48they are collectible. Price-wise,
0:12:48 > 0:12:54I would put an estimate of 120 to 180 on this locket.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- Would you be happy with that estimate?- Yes.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Let's put it to sale, Jill, but we'll put a fixed reserve
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- of £120.- Yes, that sounds good.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06- Shall we sell it at that? - Yes, please.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- I'm hoping it will go much higher. - Thank you.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Irene, you've brought in this truncheon.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22What can you tell me about it?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Just that my mother owned it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27It used to be her uncle's, many years ago.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32She just kept it and one day said, "It's something you can have."
0:13:32 > 0:13:37- And I thought, "Ooh! Nice!"- You were thrilled to have it as a gift?
0:13:37 > 0:13:39It was nice.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43When you were younger, you never asked questions what it was about.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- Now she's long gone, it would be nice to...- Wish you'd asked.- Yes.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51- Was someone in the family a policeman?- Yeah, my mother's uncle.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- OK. And was that fairly locally? - Oh, yes.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- Round Wolverton, which is in Milton Keynes.- OK.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03It's a late 19th-century policeman's truncheon.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Have a look here. It's quite nicely decorated.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09All these hand-painted things on the front.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10You've got a crown
0:14:10 > 0:14:15and a VR for Victoria Regis cipher.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18And you've got constable, for a police constable,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21with a turned fruitwood handle and you have a bit of string here,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24but it would have had a leather strap for the wrist strap.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27So quite a highly decorative thing,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30as well as a highly effective thing if you're going to hit someone!
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- Do you like it?- I think it's nice, but it's in a cupboard in a box.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38OK, so it's quite hard to display.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Sometimes they have wording on them like where it comes from.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45So you'd have the county or something. This just says constable.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49But you've got the VR cipher, so it's Victorian, pre-1910.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54- Price-wise for auction, do you have any idea what it would go for?- No.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- No idea?- Not at all.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02I would think probably for an auction estimate, you'd put £80 to £120 on it.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- They are quite collectible.- Good. - So you want it to sell?
0:15:05 > 0:15:08What would you say to a reserve of £50?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- Why not?- And an estimate of 80 to 120?- Brilliant.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19In the '60s, Britain was hit by far-reaching cultural changes.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22People tend to think of "Swinging London"...
0:15:22 > 0:15:25the mini skirt, pop music, but at the same time,
0:15:25 > 0:15:31technological advances were having a huge impact on people's working lives.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35While man was walking on the moon,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39here in Milton Keynes a new university like no other was born...
0:15:39 > 0:15:42A university of the air, and some 40 years later, it's now
0:15:42 > 0:15:48Britain's largest university, with over 180,000 students,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and these old RAF huts is where it all started, back in 1969.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59It now has an extensive campus with 3,776 people working here,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02but less than a quarter of them are students...
0:16:02 > 0:16:06That's because I'm at the home of Britain's first virtual university...
0:16:06 > 0:16:08the Open University.
0:16:09 > 0:16:15The OU was founded on the belief that emerging new communication technology
0:16:15 > 0:16:20could bring high quality, degree-level learning to everyone, without the need to attend
0:16:20 > 0:16:24a traditional university campus, and that would give working people, especially,
0:16:24 > 0:16:29a chance to get a better education without having to give up work.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34The idea of distance learning gained momentum in the early '60s when Harold Wilson,
0:16:34 > 0:16:39the then Prime Minister, appointed Jenny Lee as Minister for the Arts.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I was a kind of last resort,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48so he comes to me and he says, "For God's sake, get this thing going".
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Jenny Lee passionately believed higher education should be an
0:16:52 > 0:16:58opportunity open to anyone and she successfully triumphed in September 1967
0:16:58 > 0:17:04when a crucial Cabinet decision was made to work out a comprehensive plan for an open university.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09It is designed to provide an opportunity for those who for one reason or another
0:17:09 > 0:17:13have not been able to take advantages of higher education now to do so.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The scheme was an instant success.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27The OU received 43,000 applications in its first year, and Harold Wilson
0:17:27 > 0:17:31claimed it was the "greatest achievement of his Government".
0:17:34 > 0:17:38In the early years, teaching was done through lectures broadcast on the BBC...
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And we've chosen our scales carefully...
0:17:41 > 0:17:45These programmes were supplemented with correspondence material and study groups.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51The OU's range of courses were also limited to traditional subjects,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55like Maths and Social Science, but over the last 40 years,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00it has diversified into many teaching areas.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Now it offers both degree and non-degree programmes
0:18:04 > 0:18:08and practical courses like Creative Writing and Nursing.
0:18:09 > 0:18:15I met up with Linda Cramer, who is one of their most recent graduates.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19So how did you find out about the Open University and get involved with it?
0:18:19 > 0:18:23I was working in a hospital environment
0:18:23 > 0:18:28many years ago as a Ward Aid, and a sister on the ward encouraged me
0:18:28 > 0:18:31to become a Healthcare Support Worker...
0:18:31 > 0:18:34- She saw the potential in you? - She saw, yes.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37I became a Healthcare Support Worker by getting an access course,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40getting A Levels, and then shortly after that
0:18:40 > 0:18:45the Open University provided the opportunity for me to become a Student Nurse.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48You've qualified as a nurse because of the Open University?
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- Yes, because of the Open University. - That's fantastic.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53How much studying did you have to do a week?
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Hours and hours. Every spare moment, after work or days off, every spare moment.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- Has this changed your life? - Oh, yes, indeed, yes, immensely.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07From becoming a Ward Aid to a Healthcare Support Worker to a Student Nurse,
0:19:07 > 0:19:12I can now proudly say that I am a qualified Staff Nurse.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13And has the pay got better?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15I've yet to receive my first month's pay...
0:19:15 > 0:19:19I'm only brand-new qualified, so that's to come.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- And what do you plan on doing in the future? Will you do another course?- Yes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28I now plan to eventually take a degree with the Open University
0:19:28 > 0:19:30and see how I go from there.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Fingers crossed!- Thank you. - Good for you.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36- Thank you. - You're a very dedicated person and I'm sure you'll achieve it.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37I hope so. I plan to.
0:19:37 > 0:19:43The success of students like Linda has also been helped by the OU's willingness
0:19:43 > 0:19:47to continually embrace new technologies.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Open University coursework is now sent out through DVDs and CDs
0:19:52 > 0:19:57and downloaded from the Internet as podcasts, so it's all very up to the minute.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00These new computer-based tools have consigned the once-popular,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03late-night TV lectures to the past,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06but the Open University hasn't abandoned television altogether.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It's now gone into partnership
0:20:09 > 0:20:13with the BBC on some of its landmark educational programmes,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15like the Fossil Detectives...
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Lenny's Britain...
0:20:24 > 0:20:26and Coast.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31The OU's ability to harness new communication technologies has
0:20:31 > 0:20:34allowed it to reach out to people from all over the world and now,
0:20:34 > 0:20:40in its 40th year, it continues to look to the future.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Since its opening, the Open University has given
0:20:43 > 0:20:47hundreds of thousands of people the chance to access an education...
0:20:47 > 0:20:51something they probably wouldn't have had, and quite interestingly,
0:20:51 > 0:20:56the amount of students that have enrolled recently under the age of 25 has dramatically increased.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58It's probably due to the fact that
0:20:58 > 0:21:01a course here costs less than a third of a conventional
0:21:01 > 0:21:05university, so it's a great way of avoiding those student debts.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Let's refresh our memories, with a look at the first batch of items
0:21:14 > 0:21:16on their way to the auction.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20David's hand-painted plates originally came from Switzerland.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24They've got to sell today - they're too heavy to carry home!
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Even Leah agrees that Kate's exquisite Art Deco diamond ring
0:21:27 > 0:21:31is much better off in a sale room than in the garden!
0:21:33 > 0:21:35Beatles memorabilia sells well,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38so no reason for me to bang on any more
0:21:38 > 0:21:42about the value of the Ringo Starr drum.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47And the Victorian mourning locket may not be the height of fashion,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51but it's quality - and you know what I always say about quality.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54And the decorative Victorian policeman's truncheon
0:21:54 > 0:21:58is so beautiful, the bidders are bound to find it arresting!
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Today's sale comes from the heart of Woburn
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and today's venue is the Old Town Hall.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07For years, this has been owned by Flog It favourite Charlie Ross.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10It's been taken over recently by Jasper Marsh, also an auctioneer,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13but he's using Charlie's talents today on the rostrum.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Let's go inside.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28We've seen plenty of these on the show, a Victorian police truncheon.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31They make cracking money if dated and in great condition.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34This one's condition is superb. We've got £80 to £120 on it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38It belongs to Irene here, possibly for not much longer.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- Who have you brought along? - My husband, Ed.- Hi.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Cracking, cracking item. How did you come across this?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47It was my mother's uncle's.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51I wonder if someone was in the police force in the family?
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- I wish I knew. - Let's hope you're right, Kate.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57The condition, as you say, is great.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59So it should sell pretty well.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04You're right, if it had been dated, or a warrant number on it.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- Or name of a place.- Name of a place.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09You could attribute it to a local police station.
0:23:09 > 0:23:14- Wow, you're looking at £400 to £500. - And upwards.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Lot 577 is a Victorian constable's truncheon.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Impressed maker's mark, Parker.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26In fantastic condition. £50, I'm bid. Five.
0:23:26 > 0:23:2960. Five. 70.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Five. 80.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Five. Your bid. 85 on my left. 90. Five.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36100. And ten.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38120?
0:23:38 > 0:23:39120. 130?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44120. Your bid in the back, standing.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46£120. Selling.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49At one hundred... 30.
0:23:49 > 0:23:5240. 150? 140 in the back, then.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56At £140!
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- That was like a game of table tennis!- That's really good.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05- Really nice.- What are you going to put the money towards?- A holiday.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- Well, we're going to Norfolk. - We like Norfolk.- Right.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13- We take the pets with us!- What have you got?- A border collie and a dog.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18- A cat, sorry!- A collie and a cat. "Border collie and a dog"!- Sorry!
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Can't take me anywhere!
0:24:20 > 0:24:24- Congratulations.- Thank you. - Well done.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33You know those moments when I say credit to our experts, they were spot on?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Well, it could go horribly wrong now for us.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39We've got Cliff and the Ringo Starr snare drum.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42A lovely bit of retro 1960s plastic.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46But unfortunately, the auctioneer didn't agree with my valuation.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49He didn't know what planet I was on
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and he's too young to understand The Beatles.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56I'm just hoping the room's full of Beatles fans. Spot any?
0:24:56 > 0:24:58There's a lot of bald heads!
0:24:59 > 0:25:03The circle Newbeat snare drum.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Circa 1964.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10A Beatles promotional drum. There it is.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Ringo Starr.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18And I'm bid £110. 120, anywhere? At 110.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20And 20.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22130. And 40.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24150 and 60. No.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26£150 now.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28160. It's not your bid.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29At 150. All done?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32At 150.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Any more bids? All done?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37At £150. One more?
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Come on, one more.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Can't be done, I'm afraid, ladies and gentlemen. We move on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46We got it to 150 in the room. Put it in a specialist music sale.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49There were no other instruments here.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- Just a few old violins. - I'll take your advice.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56- Smashing.- Thank you. I'm really sorry it didn't sell.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Next up, two beautiful hand-painted plates.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06They're quite large, from the 1800s, and belong to Tina and David.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Great to see you. You look absolutely fabulous!
0:26:08 > 0:26:13- They've been in the family. They were your aunt's...- Great-aunt's. - Lots of memories?
0:26:13 > 0:26:18- Yes.- Originally, Anita, we had a valuation of 150 to £200.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Fixed reserve at 150.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23We decided that at the valuation day.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Since then, David's done some research.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32He's put the reserve up. It's not 150 any more, it's now 250.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37These plates may well do 250 or more.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42A low estimate doesn't jeopardise the price.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46- It's more of a "come and buy me". - It encourages the bidding.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Where did you do your research? How did you come by the price?
0:26:50 > 0:26:55Some of these plates, a lot smaller, are selling for 1,500 US dollars.
0:26:55 > 0:27:02- They're for sale at 1,500 dollars. - Whether they get that. - Not selling at.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04You have to be really very careful.
0:27:04 > 0:27:10You think you can do the research on the internet, but it is limited for the private person.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It's going under the hammer. Good luck!
0:27:13 > 0:27:15A pair of Swiss earthenware chargers,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18each centrally decorated with figures in boats
0:27:18 > 0:27:20on a lake with mountains beyond.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Within a broad band of floral panels.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28The reverse each signed "Toon".
0:27:28 > 0:27:29And I'm bid
0:27:29 > 0:27:35220 to clear commissions.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36220.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38240, now? 220.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40240.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42240 here. 250.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44260. 260.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- Well done.- It's on my right, now. Selling at 260.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49270 elsewhere?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52£260 to my right. All finished
0:27:52 > 0:27:56at £260. Done and selling
0:27:56 > 0:27:59at 260.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00260.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04260. Just over reserve. Well done.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Sadie and Leah, we've been waiting for this for a long time.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Is it exciting? Not only a day off school, but a day in an auction room.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17- Have you been in one before?- No.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22You can't see a lot at your height, but it's all going on at that end.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Charlie Ross is on the rostrum, selling all our lots.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Hopefully, this little ruby ring - we've got a value of 1,200.
0:28:29 > 0:28:35- Yes, just over 1,000.- Just over £1,000 is coming hopefully your way.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Ruby and diamond ring
0:28:38 > 0:28:39in an Art Deco mount.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Beautiful lot.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Bid 650, 700. 50.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47At 750. 800 now.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50At 800. I'll take 20 if it helps you.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Bid's at 800. And 20 now? Say now.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54At £800.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58You're all out seated at 800. And 20 is it, now?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01At £800. Any more bid?
0:29:01 > 0:29:03All done at £800.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06No more? At 800 it is.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Can't be sold, ladies and gentlemen, at £800.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15We had a fixed reserve of 900 and I'm pleased you protected it with that.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20- You don't want to give it away.- No. I don't think the jewellery dealers were here.
0:29:20 > 0:29:25It's a stand-alone piece in the room. There's no other diamonds or gems here.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- OK, we'll take it home, Leah. - It's got to go home!
0:29:28 > 0:29:31- I'm so sorry!- That's OK. Thank you, anyway.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34The good news is that, after the auction,
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Sadie accepted a private offer of £750.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42So she'll be able to buy that much-needed car after all.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Let's hope this isn't a sad moment. It's a Victorian mourning locket.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54It's Jill's and has been in the family a while.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57But you've decided to sell this now
0:29:57 > 0:30:00because you want to put the money towards a new addition.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04We've just had our first grandchild, called Isobel.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09It's easier to sell it, because this was a special present to you.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12When we got engaged, my grandmother gave me this, 33 years ago.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16A long time. It's hard to sell things people give you as presents.
0:30:16 > 0:30:22But in this case, selling it because of a new addition to the family,
0:30:22 > 0:30:23I think is wonderful.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26It's such a lovely thing and it's in perfect condition.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30You haven't worn it. It's been in a drawer.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34I think if you don't like it, it's the time to sell it.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39I think it might be to today's tastes. It's a big chunky piece.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41It's of beautiful quality.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Does that mean we'll get the top end of the estimate?
0:30:44 > 0:30:47I don't know, Paul. We'll have to wait and see.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49What are you looking for secretly?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52120? 50?
0:30:52 > 0:30:54150 would be very nice.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57But the market will determine.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58Fingers crossed.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01A gold, pearl and enamel pendant,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04circa 1880. Late Victorian pendant.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I can start that at 85. 90. Five.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11110. 120. 130.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13140. 150.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16- 160. 170.- This is good.- 180.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18190.
0:31:18 > 0:31:19200. And 20.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21240. 260.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26280. 300.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30320. 340.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32- 360.- A lot of money!- 380.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Are you taking instructions? 380.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39400? No.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42380. You're out on the stairs. 380 in the middle of the room.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45At £380. All done?
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Selling at £380.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51- Yes!- Excellent!- Now, quality...
0:31:51 > 0:31:54- ..always sells.- Quality. Condition.
0:31:54 > 0:32:00And I was right. I thought that it might be to today's tastes.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02- And also...- A big chunky piece.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- And also a "Come and buy me..." - Well.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- "Come and buy me" valuation! - I can be a bit like that.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10- Excellent!- Canny lass!
0:32:10 > 0:32:14- I'm really pleased.- You've got to be pleased with that! Wow!
0:32:14 > 0:32:16I'm feeling hot over that one!
0:32:16 > 0:32:21- Lovely.- That's going to be put towards the christening funds.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- Definitely.- A bank account. - Lovely nest egg, yes.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26Fantastic. Thanks for coming in.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- Well done. That was marvellous! - Thank you!
0:32:34 > 0:32:37Roald Dahl, what a legend!
0:32:37 > 0:32:38Is there anybody
0:32:38 > 0:32:41who has grown up over the last 50 years
0:32:41 > 0:32:45who can imagine their childhood without the BFG...
0:32:45 > 0:32:47James and the Giant Peach...
0:32:50 > 0:32:51..or Matilda?
0:32:54 > 0:32:59These are just some of his classic and much-loved children's stories.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08And this big blue building here couldn't be anything else but the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Amanda Concay runs the Roald Dahl foundation
0:33:11 > 0:33:15which is also based here. That's her office by the sign on the first floor.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19She can remember him reading her bedtime stories.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23Sounds absolutely fascinating, so let's have a chat with her.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28Let's hear Amanda tell us her story about Roald Dahl.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33I grew up in the village we are now, in Great Missenden,
0:33:33 > 0:33:39and this is where Roald Dahl lived and spent most of his adult years
0:33:39 > 0:33:41and where he wrote all his children's books.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44As a child, our families were friends.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47I was in the same class as his second child, Tessa.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51Roald did the morning lift to school, my mother did the evening.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54We certainly stayed in each other's houses, had sleep-overs,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56so our lives were pretty interlinked.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Was he good fun to be with?
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Yes, he was very imposing.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03He was very tall, six foot five,
0:34:03 > 0:34:08so he seemed a giant when you were a child and I think he hoped he was the Big Friendly Giant.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Do you have any fond memories of him?
0:34:11 > 0:34:16He always wanted to take that bit of childhood fun a bit further.
0:34:16 > 0:34:21So midnight walks are something that children talk about, and fantasise about,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23but generally they don't happen.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28But he would get us up in our pyjamas and say, "We're going for a walk."
0:34:28 > 0:34:31And he would take us down the road to this tunnel
0:34:31 > 0:34:34and he would tell a story under there.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36It could be about anything,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39the stars, witches, foxes, anything.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43So that was just completely magical and different.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46When Amanda started working at the foundation,
0:34:46 > 0:34:49she had no idea what a huge and lasting success
0:34:49 > 0:34:52Dahl's children's books would turn out to be.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57Roald was the first one where there were signing sessions,
0:34:57 > 0:35:00where there were author visits,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03and boy, did the kids like to meet him!
0:35:03 > 0:35:05You're not frightened of me, are you?
0:35:06 > 0:35:08They're all sort of funny and nice.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Better than the other people's books.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14The amazing thing is, for example,
0:35:14 > 0:35:19Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is Penguin Books' best-selling book of all time.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22You're in publishing yourself,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26so can you sum up why he was such a successful writer?
0:35:26 > 0:35:29It is hard to say what makes somebody take off in this way,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32to become part of the popular culture.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36There's nothing old-fashioned about Roald Dahl. He's contemporary.
0:35:36 > 0:35:40Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was written over 40 years ago,
0:35:40 > 0:35:43but it still feels very contemporary.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47They're nearly all moral tales, in one way or another.
0:35:47 > 0:35:53Um, and the child is generally the hero.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58At least the good children win and the bad children get their come-uppance.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Talking of Charlie again, what happens to the horrible children?
0:36:02 > 0:36:05They all end up going down the chute.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07The Oompa-Loompas get rid of them.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10But we know Charlie is a good boy.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14Nasty things happen but out of those, people either get punished
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- or good people get rewarded.- Yes.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19So out of the dark comes good.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25It's hard to think of Roald Dahl without thinking of his long-term working partnership
0:36:25 > 0:36:27with illustrator Quentin Blake.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30I think The Enormous Crocodile just shows how well
0:36:30 > 0:36:35the combination of the two talents worked.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40- Children can identify with that. - Here is a crocodile that eats children.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42But he has huge teeth.
0:36:42 > 0:36:48But somehow, they're funny. There's something amazing about the combination.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50In this book, Revolting Rhymes, for example,
0:36:50 > 0:36:55here's a great thing when the prince chops off Cinderella's sister's head.
0:36:55 > 0:37:01"What's all the racket?", Cindy cried. "Mind your own biz", the prince replied.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Poor Cindy's heart was torn to shreds.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06"My prince", she thought.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09"He chops off heads."
0:37:09 > 0:37:12- That is so funny. - This is a great example, isn't it?
0:37:12 > 0:37:17- Look at her face.- Yes, her face. It's not ghoulish, it's just funny.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20I can have lots of people killed
0:37:20 > 0:37:23but they won't be killed in a conventional way.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25You can't have them shot
0:37:25 > 0:37:30or chopped up or anything like that. It's just straight.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35I'm quite prepared to have them killed in the most grizzly possible way,
0:37:35 > 0:37:40like having little boys from Eton pulled out of the windows
0:37:40 > 0:37:42and eaten by giants.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Bones crunched up and everything.
0:37:44 > 0:37:50Or a child falling into a chocolate-making machine
0:37:50 > 0:37:51and coming out as fudge.
0:37:51 > 0:37:57That's fine, as long as there is a whopping great laugh at the same time.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01He always said it's got to be fun. The books have to be funny.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03And that came to him naturally.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07He had the whizz-popping giant
0:38:07 > 0:38:10in George's Marvellous Medicine
0:38:10 > 0:38:16where he describes the granny as having a mouth like a dog's bottom.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18- That's very creative! - You only have to say that,
0:38:18 > 0:38:23you only have to say it and you laugh, but no-one else would write it. But he did.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27I understand he said, or he disliked anyway,
0:38:27 > 0:38:31beards, museums and speeches.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34What would he have made of the museum downstairs?
0:38:34 > 0:38:38One has to remember he would have been 92 had he been alive now.
0:38:38 > 0:38:43He said those things when museums were quite stuffy places.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48The great thing is, we've been able to create the museum and story centre
0:38:48 > 0:38:51at a time when museums can be really good fun.
0:38:51 > 0:38:56They can be very interactive. I think you'll find when you see the museum
0:38:56 > 0:38:59that it really lives up to him and his books
0:38:59 > 0:39:01and it's a great fun place.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04So that's exactly what I did
0:39:04 > 0:39:08and Amanda was right. The children were having a scrumdiddlyumptious time.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12But the final word should be left to the great man himself
0:39:12 > 0:39:14who'd have been very at home in the museum.
0:39:16 > 0:39:21'Most adults have forgotten how children are thinking.
0:39:21 > 0:39:27'And I certainly see myself totally on the side of children.'
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Back at the valuations, Anita has found some playful Clarice Cliff.
0:39:41 > 0:39:48Clare, Clarice Cliff was one of the leading ceramicists of the 20th century.
0:39:48 > 0:39:54People either love or hate her work.
0:39:54 > 0:39:59- What do you think of it? - These, I think, are hideous, really.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03That's a word that my father described them as, "hideous".
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Indeed. Tell me, where did you get them from?
0:40:06 > 0:40:10They were given to my grandparents as a wedding gift.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12I think that was in 1936.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16Then my mum's always had them on the shelf in the kitchen.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18That's where I remember seeing them.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Then Mum and Dad brought them over this time last year
0:40:21 > 0:40:25and said, "Get rid of them. See what you can do with them."
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Well, if we turn them up and look at the back stamp,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31we see the magic name, Clarice Cliff.
0:40:31 > 0:40:37Now, Clarice made a wide range of goods
0:40:37 > 0:40:40and some of them are more collectible than others.
0:40:40 > 0:40:46We have some very rare patterns that go into the four figures
0:40:46 > 0:40:48and are highly sought-after.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Now, these are not the top-of-the-range Clarice Cliff.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57They're from the series "My Garden" series.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01So-called because you have this wonderful handle,
0:41:01 > 0:41:05which is a band of flowers.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09A fairly common, a fairly ordinary pattern,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12it was very popular in its day.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15They were made in the 1930s.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Because they were popular, they made a large amount of them.
0:41:19 > 0:41:24So they weren't rare, and in today's market, that brings the price down.
0:41:24 > 0:41:31- I would estimate them between £100 and £150.- OK.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36About £50 each. Now, they might go a little higher
0:41:36 > 0:41:38than the bottom estimate,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41but you're not going to go to £200, £250.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43I would love it to happen!
0:41:43 > 0:41:45I think my dad would, also!
0:41:45 > 0:41:48- So would you be happy to sell them? - That would be good.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52We'll put a reserve of £100 to protect them
0:41:52 > 0:41:56and we'll hope they'll be very well fancied on the day.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01- I hope so.- Clare, shall we flog them?- Go for it!- Let's go for it!
0:42:07 > 0:42:12So, Steve, you've brought in this bizarre, rather large, animal.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16It's an elephant and a tiger. What do you think about it?
0:42:16 > 0:42:20Um, I like it. It's just gathering dust, really.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I've had it in the loft. I inherited it from my gran,
0:42:23 > 0:42:25but I've got nowhere to display it.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29And if the little 'un knocks it off, it would be quite upsetting.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33Ah, you've got a young child that might break it into pieces.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37- Does your wife like it? - Yeah, she likes elephants.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42She'll be sad to see it go, but if it gets broken, she'll be even more gutted.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Do you know anything about it? The maker, or...?
0:42:45 > 0:42:48It's got on the bottom it's a Beswick. I've nothing else to go on.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52I know it's from my gran's cos I've seen it since I was young.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Yes, Beswick is the mark, an English maker.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56It's fairly modern, 20th century.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01But they make quite a lot of these animal models - cows, sheep and things.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04They also do a series of wild animals, of which this is one.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09They do this model in various sizes, a small, medium and large, and this is the large.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13You've got a big bull elephant being attacked by a tiger.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17So quite a violent theme to go on your mantelpiece!
0:43:17 > 0:43:20It's really nicely modelled.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24You can see the detail in the hide of the elephant, the face on the tiger.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Also, Beswick bits always get broken off.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31So whenever I see one, I think, "It'll have a break on the trunk
0:43:31 > 0:43:33"or the tusks always come off.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35"You get chips on the legs or the ears."
0:43:35 > 0:43:38But this is remarkably good condition,
0:43:38 > 0:43:40considering it's been kept in the loft!
0:43:40 > 0:43:44- It didn't cost you anything. - No.- Any idea as to value?
0:43:44 > 0:43:49I've got no idea. As far as I'm concerned, it's more sentimental.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52There are lots of Beswick collectors out there.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55But it means nothing to them in terms of sentiment.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59It's, "Is it one of a number that were produced and how rare is it?"
0:43:59 > 0:44:05But the condition's great. For an auction value, you'd put £150 to £250 on it.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07- Better than I thought. - More than you thought?
0:44:07 > 0:44:10- So for that kind of price, you'd be happy to sell it?- Yes.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14The estimate for the catalogue is 150 to 250.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17I would suggest a lower reserve of £100.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21But you can make that discretionary so the auctioneer has a chance to sell it.
0:44:21 > 0:44:22- OK with that?- Yeah.
0:44:31 > 0:44:38Gladys, when I saw you in the queue I knew you were a woman of taste...
0:44:38 > 0:44:41- Did you?- ..and style!
0:44:41 > 0:44:47And I wasn't surprised when you brought out this piece of Poole Pottery.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51I think that it is absolutely wonderful.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Tell me, where did you get it?
0:44:54 > 0:45:00I bought in 1960 or just turned down at Poole Pottery,
0:45:00 > 0:45:03the pottery itself.
0:45:03 > 0:45:08I've always been interested in ceramics and pottery because
0:45:08 > 0:45:12in the late '30s I worked with Henry Moore but that was on sculptures.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16- So you have an artistic background? - Absolutely!
0:45:16 > 0:45:22Apparently it was detected from the age of ten that there was artistic talent in me,
0:45:22 > 0:45:24and my art mistress at school pushed me.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29I went into the LCC in London
0:45:29 > 0:45:33and won a scholarship for five years to go to Chelsea
0:45:33 > 0:45:38and that's how I was under Henry Moore and there was also Barbara Hepworth there
0:45:38 > 0:45:42- and John Piper and Graham Sutherland.- Wow!
0:45:42 > 0:45:46I just heard all these artists' names mentioned, how wonderful,
0:45:46 > 0:45:48- and you've worked with them? - I worked with them.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51Barbara Hepworth didn't really like me - she was jealous...
0:45:51 > 0:45:54because Henry Moore, he was older than me,
0:45:54 > 0:45:59and I was very, very young and I worked in a room on my own with him.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03- Did he fancy you?- He did, he did!
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Only Anita could ask that question!
0:46:05 > 0:46:07And I'll answer it truthfully.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10Yes, he did have a soft spot for me, I don't know why...
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Because, Gladys, you are still a good-looking bird!
0:46:14 > 0:46:19You're both a couple of stunners, aren't you? And here's another bonnie wee lass as well!
0:46:22 > 0:46:27I've always been interested in art. I love it.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29I mean, I just love this plate.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33Why do you want to get rid of it?
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Because I've gone more modern.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38You see, when I bought that at the beginning of the '60s,
0:46:38 > 0:46:40it was very modern.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43You see, there's an interesting point here.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47- You bought it in the '60s because it was bang up-to-date.- That's right.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50And if we look at the pattern and the colours of this plate...
0:46:50 > 0:46:52- It was the colour that attracted me...- Yeah.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57- These things are typical of what the Poole Pottery was putting out... - Absolutely...
0:46:57 > 0:47:00In the '60s. They were so '60s...
0:47:00 > 0:47:02- they were modern, abstract... - Absolutely were.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06They were hip, the thing that people
0:47:06 > 0:47:10of style and taste, like yourself, would buy.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Now, Gladys, I've chosen this item
0:47:12 > 0:47:15because I really like it, I really love it, as you have.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17Well, I loved it, yes.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20But I'm afraid I'm going to have to estimate fairly low
0:47:20 > 0:47:24because there is some damage and restoration on the edge here...
0:47:24 > 0:47:28- That's true.- So we're having to ca' a wee bit canny.
0:47:28 > 0:47:35Now, I'm going to put an estimate of £20 to £30 on it, with a reserve of £20.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39Would you be happy to sell it at that?
0:47:39 > 0:47:42Yes, I would, although to be honest,
0:47:42 > 0:47:45- I thought it might have gone a little bit higher.- Yeah.
0:47:45 > 0:47:50Let somebody buy it and let them have the pleasure that I've had with it.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53But I'll tell you something,
0:47:53 > 0:47:59for your performance we should be adding a series of zeros after that!
0:48:07 > 0:48:12So, Jan, you've bought this mysterious box here. What's inside? Let's have a look.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16- Ah! Scent bottle. - Yes.- What can you tell me about it?
0:48:16 > 0:48:22Well, I bought it from an antiques fair, about five or six years ago,
0:48:22 > 0:48:28and I was looking to buy some powder compacts, which is what I used to collect at the time,
0:48:28 > 0:48:34and I walked past a stand and I just saw it and thought I've got to have it, just loved it.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- An impulse buy?- Absolutely an impulse buy, yes.- It's lovely.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39I mean, do you know anything about age or...?
0:48:39 > 0:48:41I think it's Victorian.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45I spoke to the person who sold it to me and
0:48:45 > 0:48:49- she thought it was about 1886.- OK.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51She would've got that from the hallmark,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54it's clearly marked up and that's great from my point of view as
0:48:54 > 0:48:59it tells me the maker who made it, and tells you the year...1886.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02What's nice about it is this maker - SM,
0:49:02 > 0:49:04is quite a well-known maker...
0:49:04 > 0:49:05- Sampson Morden.- OK.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09He's one of the better late Victorian makers of scent bottles,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11and this is a really nice example.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14Over-wood body, it's an overlay, so it's a glass body
0:49:14 > 0:49:18and then over-painted with glass and then refined. Right.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22You've got a silver gilt, so silver covering gold-plate mount.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25It's a really lovely thing. Why are you selling it?
0:49:25 > 0:49:32Well, I've done my compact collecting now and I'm now collecting '50s things,
0:49:32 > 0:49:35and I'm decorating a room at home and I want to buy a '50s lamp,
0:49:35 > 0:49:40one of these tall lamps, and so I need to get some money, basically.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44So, a one-in, one-out policy? You can't buy something till you get rid of this?
0:49:44 > 0:49:46- Absolutely.- So it's here to sell? - Yes.
0:49:46 > 0:49:52For auction, I'd probably put an estimate of £300 to £400 on it.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55- OK.- Is that the sort of price you'd be happy to sell it for?
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Yes, yes, I think so. That sounds fine.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02What you would do is put a reserve on it to make sure it doesn't sell for too little that you'd be
0:50:02 > 0:50:07gutted on a very quiet sale day. What's the least you'd take for it?
0:50:07 > 0:50:12Um...I wouldn't want to sell it for sort of less than £250.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15OK. Well, that's below the low estimate, so what you could do
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- is put a reserve at £250 and make that a firm reserve.- OK.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21And then the estimate in the catalogue would be £300 to £400.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26It's got a really good chance of selling at that. If we can get you enough money for a lamp,
0:50:26 > 0:50:30- that would be a good result. - That would be brilliant.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34Time to have a final look at what is on the way to the sale room.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Luckily, not everyone shares Clare's low opinion of Clarice Cliff!
0:50:37 > 0:50:40I'm sure these jugs will soothe a new owner.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47The Beswick collectors will love the condition of Steve's elephant and tiger.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Anita loved Gladys' stylish pottery plate.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52It may have been made in the '60s
0:50:52 > 0:50:54but it's the height of fashion right now.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Janeane brought her Victorian scent bottle from an antiques fair,
0:51:00 > 0:51:02which is slightly the wrong way round of doing it,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05but it's in great condition so it should do well.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11First up, those Clarice Cliff jugs.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15Clare, good to see you again. You've brought the kids here?
0:51:15 > 0:51:19I've got Joshua. He's four. And Rachel, who's 16 months.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22Wow! First time on TV. Lovely. The jugs, do you...
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- No. Hideous.- Do you like them?
0:51:25 > 0:51:29I like Clarice Cliff. I think it's very cheering.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31- Yes.- It's lovely in a kitchen.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Hopefully, we'll get around £100 to £150.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37- You're flogging their inheritance! - Not really!
0:51:37 > 0:51:40No? What does Rachel think, I wonder? Hey, Rachel?
0:51:42 > 0:51:45Oh, she's bidding. You just bought something!
0:51:45 > 0:51:49A pair of 1930s Clarice Cliff jugs
0:51:49 > 0:51:51of cylindrical tapering form,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54each decorated with streaked orange and grey glaze
0:51:54 > 0:51:58with moulded floral loop handle.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02Bid 65 to clear commission. 70 I'll take.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05At 65 for the pair. 75. 80.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07Five. 90.
0:52:07 > 0:52:0890 bid. Five now?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11At 90. And five. 100.
0:52:12 > 0:52:17100 elsewhere? Bid's at 95. May I say 100, sir?
0:52:17 > 0:52:2095 is the bid, then. At 95.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23All finished at 95? 100 now?
0:52:23 > 0:52:25At 95, then.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29I'm afraid, ladies and gentlemen, we are one bid away. Not sold.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32I just don't believe that. One bid.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35We just needed a little prayer there. Rachel,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38one bid away. So close!
0:52:38 > 0:52:42- So close.- But Mum and Dad set the reserve.- They did, yes.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51We've seen plenty of Beswick on the show before, but nothing like this.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56A tiger on the back of an elephant. It belongs to Steve, not for much longer.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00It's in good company. Have you seen the amount of Beswick in the room?
0:53:00 > 0:53:04- There's a lot.- I'd say there's about 300 lots there.- Yeah.
0:53:04 > 0:53:08So the collectors are going to be here. I think they'll snap yours up.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11- Do you think it'll get top end? - It'd be nice if it did.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14It's unusual, not the normal thing people go for.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16But I think so, yeah.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I had a chat with the new owner of the sale room, Jasper.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22He kinda liked it. He said he wouldn't give it house room
0:53:22 > 0:53:25but it will do mid-estimate. So we're pretty safe.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Lot 65 is a Beswick elephant and tiger.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32Large group. 50 bid. Five. 60. Five.
0:53:32 > 0:53:3470. Five.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37No? At 70. Five now. 75 in two places. 80.
0:53:37 > 0:53:4080. 90, may I say? 90.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Your bid at 90.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Make no mistake, I'm selling at 90 in the front row.
0:53:46 > 0:53:48Anybody make it 100? And 100 I'm bid.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51And ten, sir? Pipped at the post. 110.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53120? No? 110 your bid.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Front row. All done at £110.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Yes. Nice work, Charlie Ross.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01- £110, Steven.- Not bad.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04- Good, isn't it?- Yep.- Better than something collecting dust
0:54:04 > 0:54:07and breaking in a few weeks' time.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08Who's getting the money?
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Um, I dunno, really.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Take the girlfriend out for a meal, I suppose.
0:54:13 > 0:54:17- Treat her. Something special.- She'll hold you to that! It's on camera!
0:54:21 > 0:54:25Right, got to sort myself out. I'm surrounded by very stylish women.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28I've got Anita and Gladys next to me.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Behave yourself!
0:54:31 > 0:54:34And we've got some Poole Pottery going under the hammer.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36£20 to £30 is not a lot of money.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40I'm going to give it to my good friend, Mike, to give to his
0:54:40 > 0:54:44- well-known charity.- And what's that?
0:54:44 > 0:54:48Well, he does a lot for Willen Hospice, Milton Keynes.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50OK. Nice local charity.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54Gladys is a star!
0:54:54 > 0:54:56She was wonderful.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00And it's not a big, pricey thing and there is a wee bit of damage
0:55:00 > 0:55:02which you repaired yourself?
0:55:02 > 0:55:03I did myself, yes.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06I didn't make a bad job of it, did I?
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Gladys was irresistible!
0:55:09 > 0:55:11- Well, she is now, isn't she? - Oh, thank you!
0:55:11 > 0:55:15Fingers crossed. Let's raise as much money as possible, OK?
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- It's going under the hammer. - It's for charity.
0:55:17 > 0:55:22A Poole Pottery charger, decorated with spheres and swept bands of
0:55:22 > 0:55:26orange, caramel and black on a mottled ground.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30£30. £20. I'm bid £20.
0:55:30 > 0:55:31Ooh, we're in.
0:55:31 > 0:55:34- Yes! - Chap down the front is buying it!
0:55:34 > 0:55:36For nothing. Try 22.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38£20, one only bid on my left.
0:55:38 > 0:55:4322 anybody? Last chance at... Is that a bid?
0:55:43 > 0:55:49£22, 24, sir. 26 now. 28, £30...
0:55:49 > 0:55:52- Ooh, nice work, Charlie Ross! - 28 on the left here.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54At 28, all done?
0:55:54 > 0:55:56Aah, well done!
0:55:56 > 0:55:58- Oh, good!- £28! Good result!
0:55:58 > 0:56:00Spot on estimate, as well!
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Well, all the money is going to charity.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04That's right and I'll add...
0:56:04 > 0:56:06I'll double it up for him.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21We've got some real quality for you right now. I know Kate fell in love with this.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23It belongs to Jan, possibly for not much longer.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Gorgeous little scent bottle in immaculate condition.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30- Who are you with? Who is this?- This is my sister, Carol.- Hi, Carol.- Hi.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33So, do you both jointly own this? Was this something from the family?
0:56:33 > 0:56:35- No, it's mine. I actually bought it. - Oh, did you?
0:56:35 > 0:56:37About seven or eight years ago, yes.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40Right, and how much did you pay for it? Can we ask?
0:56:40 > 0:56:42Just over £700...top end. I know!
0:56:42 > 0:56:46- Ooh, dear!- But that was retail, so that was a fair price.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49- Yes, it was.- We're looking for £300 to £400 here, aren't we?
0:56:49 > 0:56:51- I hope it will do better... I love it.- OK.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- Could it do seven?- On a good day. It's a good day in the saleroom.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59If two people really want this, you don't know what's going to happen! This'll be exciting!
0:56:59 > 0:57:04The Victorian smoked glass scent bottle.
0:57:04 > 0:57:05Enamel decorated.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Bearing hallmarks for 1886.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13And I'm bid £340...
0:57:13 > 0:57:15- OK, well, it's sold.- Yes.
0:57:15 > 0:57:19360 I will take. At 340, 360 now.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23At 340, the bid's with me.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26350, 360, 380?
0:57:26 > 0:57:30380, 400...
0:57:30 > 0:57:31420, 440...
0:57:31 > 0:57:35This is more like it, isn't it?
0:57:35 > 0:57:41440, still with me. 440 commission bid. At 440.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43460, 480...
0:57:43 > 0:57:45- I'm liking this!- This is nice.
0:57:45 > 0:57:50At 480 then. The bid's here with me at £480.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53- All done.- Excellent, brilliant.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55The hammer's gone down really sharp, then, at £480.
0:57:55 > 0:57:56That's nice. I'm pleased with that.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00- So will you reinvest the money back in the antiques trade?- Yes.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03I need to buy a 1950s lamp for one of my rooms at home
0:58:03 > 0:58:08- or if I I can't find one, a coffee table...- OK.- ..something like that. - That's half the fun, isn't it?
0:58:08 > 0:58:14Just going to the antique centres and the auction rooms and simply have fun days out shopping,
0:58:14 > 0:58:18- because you can learn so much. - Absolutely.- Well, good luck. - Thank you very much.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26We've had a great time at Woburn. Until next time, cheerio!
0:58:51 > 0:58:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd