Derby Flog It!

We've got a great crowd here of eager, boisterous owners.

All enjoying the sunshine, aren't you? Yes!

We've got the first signs of some interesting items, we've got a pair of likely-looking experts.

Welcome to Flog It!

Today, we're in the historic town of Derby.

This was once a Roman town, and then later it became a major Viking and Saxon settlement.

And one of the city's most historic and famous buildings is this, Derby Cathedral. Look at it!

And it has one of the tallest towers in the country.

Yet despite that, it's the smallest Anglican cathedral in England.

But there's no time for sightseeing today.

The queue is on its way in, and I'm desperate to see what they've got.

Well, this is our venue for today, the Grand Hall in Derby's Assembly Rooms.

And I've already found some wonderful items,

as have our crack team of experts, Philip Serrell and Michael Baggot.

They're eager to get started, so let's get things under way.

Rosy, Jane, I love the promise of an unopened box.

So let's have a look and see what we've got here.

Wonderful. I don't think the original box, but a beautiful little gold, aquamarine and sea pearl brooch.

So tell me who does the pendant belong to?

It belongs to me.

And it was my great granddad's.

Did it skip you? Did you say...?

Yes, my mum's had it for years in a cupboard and she gave it to Rosy.

Fantastic thing to be given. No chain, but have you ever worn it, or tried to put it on a chain?

No. It's been in the box for years.

-Not your taste?

-No.

-It's strange how jewellery goes in fashion.

At the moment, everyone wants bold, 1950s, modernist jewels, Art Deco.

It's moved away from this fine Art Nouveau work,

which is a tremendous shame, because look at the amount of time and care that has been taken to make that.

Those little aquamarines didn't cost a lot

and the sea pearls were a matter of a few pennies each,

but the quality of manufacture...

And there, just in the top corner,

we've got a little pad stamp for nine carats.

It would have been too fragile to mark this with any assay office marks.

You'd have just obliterated it. So they've just thickened it up there so it will take the impression.

-Any idea how old it is?

-I don't know.

-No.

-Well, it's Art Nouveau, it falls into that period

from 1890 up to about 1905, with commercial production into 1910.

I think this is about 1900, so obviously going back to your great aunt.

That would fit in nicely. It's a lovely thing.

Any idea of the value of it?

-None at all.

-Well, it might surprise you, might shock you, but I think in the region of £80 to £120.

-That's good.

-Was that what you were expecting?

Oh, yeah!

When something is made of gold and gem stones, you expect it to be wildly valuable.

So you sort have to temper your expectations.

As you say, it's been locked away in a cupboard.

So if we put a fixed reserve of £80 on it, and it makes that or hopefully

makes the top end - keep our fingers crossed - what are your plans for the money?

My mum needs a new car, so I'll probably put it towards that.

It might buy a couple of tyres. We'll see what happens on the day.

Peter and Chris, good of you to come to Flog It! What made you come?

Just because we follow the programme and this has been in the loft and it's been the bane of the wife.

-She's wanted to get rid of it.

-Why?

-Just in the way.

-Is this yours?

-It's mine.

-You want to get rid of his childhood.

-Yeah.

-How could she?

-Oh, easy.

-Easy!

She thought it might make some money.

-Really?

-Yeah.

One thing that always intrigues me about these toys...

I mean, this is what?

50 to 60 years old?

I'd say 60. I'm 63 so I was bought it when I was about five or six.

So 1950-ish?

-Yes.

-For something that's 50 to 60 years old it doesn't look like it's been played with.

Well, it has.

-Various bits are broken.

-Sh!

Don't say that!

-They've been paginated.

-Exactly.

But it still looks... If we look at this train unit here, it's a Hornby train.

It's London and North Eastern Railway, isn't it?

-Mm.

-These were produced in the livery of the various railway companies.

And it's clockwork. Does it work?

-I believe so.

-Ready to catch your end?

Ready? If I send it round there I want you to stop it.

-It's got reverse on it, hasn't it?

-Yes.

I want you to prove that reverse works. Ready?

Right. Stop it.

Push that in.

There we go. Look at that. Brilliant.

-Why would you let her bully you into selling it?

-It's just taking up space in the loft.

-No grandsons?

Yes, we've got grandchildren but they don't know anything about it.

It's my son Andy who played with it a little bit but he wasn't allowed to play with it.

My mum wouldn't let him play with it because it was

mine effectively.

That's probably why it's been kept in such good condition.

I think it's a great thing.

Any idea what it's worth?

No, not really. £50, £60. Something like that, I would have thought.

I think you're spot-on, really.

We can put an estimate of £60 to £90 and we'll put a reserve on it of 50.

-Happy with that?

-Very happy.

We'll set off down the line. We hope it's not the end of the line.

We'll go to the auction and get going. Here we go.

Cath, you've made my day. You've brought me a piece of silver.

-Oh, right!

-Can you tell me where you got it from?

This came from my mother-in-law,

who's now died, and it was always in a cabinet in her house.

I don't know

where it came from. I know now it's always been in her house for as long as I've known her.

And then, when she died and we split up the goods and chattels, we ended up with the cup.

Do you think it had a family connection going back, or...?

I thought the initials on it were MW, and I think there was

a connection with a family called Wall,

but I don't think the initials are actually MW when you really study it.

These script initials are usually very difficult to read, but I think it's HMJ.

Those initials don't mean anything.

I've destroyed the family story!

On the other side we've got a lovely - as we should have - clear set of hallmarks, and we've got the maker's

mark, which is SG over EW, which is Samuel Godby and Edward Wiggin.

-Right.

-We've got the lion passant that tells us it's sterling silver.

Right.

We've got the leopard's head crowned which tells us it was assayed in London.

-And we've got the date letter, which is a lower-case r, which is for 1792.

-Wow!

-And the last mark is the duty mark.

-Right.

That was simply to show that the duty, at this time sixpence an ounce, had been paid on this cup.

And it's a lovely, typical two-handled loving cup.

And these were actually hollow, these handles,

-which is why it's not the heaviest thing in the world.

-Yeah.

And we've got a little - there we go -

a little hole just there...

-Oh, yes!

-..on the underside of the handle, and that's so when this

hollow piece of metal is soldered to the body, there's something for the hot air, which expands, to escape...

I hadn't noticed those.

-..otherwise the handle would split.

-Yeah.

It's a very nice thing. On the other side

there's a dent there, and if you feel that with your fingers,

-that's quite thick. If you go down and feel that, that's a little bit thin.

-Oh, it is!

And what's happened there is you've probably had the original

crest or initials of the first person that owned this cup,

and then they've decided to sell it, and so their initials have been

taken off, left a thin patch, which you couldn't re-engrave over.

-So what do you do? You go to the other side and engrave there.

-I didn't realise that.

That and the fact that one of the handles has popped off...

-Mm!

-..is about the only thing against it.

As a piece of Georgian silver, it's got a value.

Any idea of what that might be?

I haven't. No.

Because it's a standard form and because it needs a tiny little

bit of work, it should be £200 to £300 all day long in the saleroom.

So we can put it in for that and put a fixed reserve of £200 on it.

-Oh, right!

-I imagine James - because we're going to James's auction house

in Derby - will be delighted to see it and have it in his sale.

-Right. And would you get the silver polish at work on it before the sale?

-Clean it up?

-People do ask me, "Should I clean my silver before going to auction?" Absolutely not.

-No.

That colour, that sort of grey-blue, shows you that it's been in private

hands for about forty or 50 years untouched, and that's what all the collectors and dealers want to see.

-Oh, right!

-So that will help it, if anything.

-Right.

-But we'll pop it into the auction and hope it does really well for you, Cath.

-Oh, thank you very much!

Who am I talking to? Mother and daughter. What was your name?

-Muriel.

-Muriel. And...?

-Felicity.

Felicity. Right, OK. Well, you're holding this little doll.

It's got a nice bisque head, actually, but I think it's quite ugly. This was yours, wasn't it?

Yes. It used to go on the Christmas tree when I was a child.

-Did it not frighten you?

-No!

My sister and I thought the pinnacle of Christmas was to put the fairy on the top of the tree.

-We thought it was lovely.

-Well, it is a purpose-built fairy.

It's got little wings on the back, hasn't it?

You've got the wand, haven't you?

-We have, but the little star has come off.

-OK.

And it used to be fixed in her hand.

I don't know, I think it was sewn onto her hand. I'm not sure.

So, when did you inherit this?

-I've probably had it about five or ten years.

-Ooh, no, longer than that.

Since my children were little.

Right, OK. So it got passed along, and you thought, "Right, OK, I'm going to decorate the tree for

"the first time," and you put it at the top of the tree...

-Yes, my children didn't like it.

-I bet they freaked out.

-They think it's a bit ghoulish.

-Do you know, I do as well!

If I was six years old and I got up early in the morning Christmas morning and I came downstairs

to open my presents, and as I looked up and saw her at the top of the tree, I'd run a mile!

-I'd go back to bed and hide under the sheet.

-Yes, with her strange eyes blinking at you...

-You don't like it, do you?

-I don't really like it.

She's never actually been on top of the tree any Christmas.

No. I don't blame you. I think she's lovely. She's got a porcelain head.

I mean, I like the idea.

Composite arms and legs. They articulate. She needs dental work, that's for sure! Look at her teeth.

-Dreadful!

-That's really scary.

The fact that the eyes are articulative and they move as well

and flutter, really, really does spook me. But she's in fact German.

She's 1920s, and she does have a value and she is collectable for a doll collector, believe it or not.

But the value's round £40 to £60, and it's not a lot of money.

But I think, because this has been in your family three generations and hopefully it'll pass on again,

I think its social history is worth more.

-So she can come out once a year.

-Yeah. That's it!

-For a few minutes!

-Joan, how are you doing?

-Fine, thank you.

-So, tell me about these, then.

Back in the '70s, I was working

at the British military hospital in Nepal.

-So were you a nurse, doctor...?

-I was a nurse.

-You were nursing.

I was out there partly as a midwife on the female ward, but as a general nurse, as well.

And you clearly loved it.

I saw things medically that I'll never see again.

-I'm not sure - is that good or bad?

-Depends on your tummy.

Oh, no, no, no, we won't go there, we won't go there!

Did you join up to do your nursing, or did you join up to see the world?

I joined up to broaden my medical base.

-And you did that.

-Certainly did. Yeah.

Because you were seeing your varicose veins and your hernias and...

Ooh, careful, careful. People at home haven't eaten yet, y'know!

Let's have a look at these.

So, out in Nepal you bought these stones.

I bought the stones

thinking, "When I get back to Hong Kong, I'll have them made

"into jewellery that I'll wear as a memento."

And I did wear them for a long while, but they've now

been put away in the safe and they don't come out now, I'm afraid.

So we've got

a little amethyst necklace here

-on a gold chain, and then we've got our amethyst earrings here.

-Yes.

And again, a gold set. And these are little peridots, aren't they?

-Little peridots, yes.

-One thing intrigues me with this, right?

-Because I think the value of these, I would recommend that we sell these as one lot.

-OK.

And I think that we can look at an auction estimate of £60 to £90.

We'll put a reserve on them of £60.

One thing that just interests me is that when we started this conversation, you said, "When I

-"was in Nepal, I bought some things there because I wanted to have some memories of my time there."

-Mm.

-And now you don't.

-But I've still got the silver items.

Ah, right, OK. I'll let you off.

I hope someone goes to the auction

-and I hope that someone buys them who will really enjoy them and perhaps who will wear them.

-Mm.

That would be absolutely brilliant, so let's keep our fingers

-crossed and let's hope that they do well at the auction for you.

-Lovely.

For most of us, a wood like this one in Derbyshire

is a place where we come for a pleasant walk for the day,

maybe with the dog, embrace nature and see a lot of wildlife

and hopefully have a nice picnic and then at the end of the day go home.

There's not many of us would think of spending the night here,

especially without a tent, let alone go foraging for food.

But there is one man who does exactly that, and his name is Dave Watson,

and he teaches bushcraft skills here at Spring Wood, and he's promised to show me

how I can live in this environment with just the things that surround me.

Dave! It's great to meet you.

-Hi.

-What's your dog called?

-Jess.

She's beautiful, a collie, how lovely.

So what are the key ingredients I need to survive in the woods?

Well, you need to have a shelter, you need a fire.

Yeah, keep warm.

Some water and some food.

So everything is here around us right now?

Yes. A bit like learning a language, you've got to understand how to interpret it.

-It's all here.

-And you've got to know where to look?

-That's right.

OK, I see you've got some A-frames there. Shall we start

by looking at how to build the home? OK.

Here's one that was done yesterday by a bunch of schoolchildren.

About an hour's work there with obviously lots of them, so perhaps two or three hours for yourself.

Looks nice and cosy, that will keep you warm, so we've got a home established there.

That's obviously the start of it, the superstructure.

-It is, it's very important.

-Let's have a look at that.

So what we've got here is a strong ridge pole,

which we've just stuffed into the ground to find like buffer.

We've got two strong branches, and they're propping it up.

Next, you want some poles to make the frame.

Shall I give you a hand? What happens here?

OK, thick end at the bottom

and then just find a place where it naturally lays.

-So now we need to weather-proof it.

-That's right.

-Next stage.

So we need a few more branches to form like an anchorage, and then we get bundles of bracken,

fronds pointing down, and then it really is a thatch.

And this, if it's done well, really keeps the weather out.

That looks nice and cosy. So we've got our home built.

The next thing is to build a fire in front of it so we can keep warm.

Yes, but for the method we are going to use today, we are going to need some string.

String is another invaluable tool that the woods can provide.

Stinging nettles supply the fibres needed to produce a cord.

The nettles are first stripped, revealing the strong internal fibres.

They're then dried out over a number of hours.

These fibres are then bound using a simple twisting technique.

One of the many uses for this natural string is to create a bow.

OK, here's one that I made last year.

This has been used for making several fires.

-Hopefully it'll do another one for us today.

-What's the next stage?

Well, we've got string, we've got a bit of hazel, which is like a universal drill.

We get that on, a stone as a bearing block.

That pushes the pressure down.

It could be a hard bit of wood.

Then we need something to catch the coal, so we've got a slip of bark.

So put the drill in place and then start off slowly,

making sure it all sort of works.

And look at that.

That's very quick! I didn't think it would be that quick.

Well, I can make it last longer if you want.

No!

I love the smell. Oh, that's wonderful.

We've wafted it, it continues to smoke, so we know we've got a coal,

and then we take the base away,

let the oxygen feed into this,

and then this is going to get bigger and hotter, so I'm not rushing.

Then we've got some dry grass,

in the centre of which I've got some fine tinder,

a bit of rosebay willowherb.

We've formed it very much into the nest,

and then we take this precious ruby, drop that into the centre.

Fold it over.

Some long, drawn out blows.

-Fire!

-Exactly!

-And there we go.

-Oh, dear, look at that.

And then you get fine sticks placed on there.

If the flames look like they're dying down, we can...

Get the oxygen in there.

That is really good, Dave.

We've got a great fire going to keep warm. What we need now is some food.

Dave assures me that in this stretch of woods alone there are enough nutrients to sustain us.

And taking a brief stroll from our shelter, we came across just some

of the wood's edible plants and wild foods.

Even more important is knowing what to avoid.

-Plants like this, the foxglove.

-It's poisonous, isn't it?

Deadly, so you do need to know what you're talking about.

To highlight what a great diversity of wild foods can be found here,

we headed back to camp, where Dave had prepared some other plants.

-Well, the fire looks good, Dave. It has picked up now.

-Yes.

We've talked about what sort of foods are available,

and you went on a forage this morning before I arrived.

-What have you got?

-Well, I've got a few treats.

We've got some of those berries.

We've got some redcurrant, which is out,

and that's lovely and sweet.

-Have one of those.

-Thank you.

Oh, that's beautiful.

What are those?

-Well, this is ear fungus.

-Urgh!

It's quite pleasant, when you chop it up, stir fry it, this is great.

-You can't eat it raw like that.

-Well, you can.

It's like rubber, is it? Ear fungus - where does that come from, a tree?

Yes, it comes from elder, mostly.

-Yeah.

-We've also got some of the wild garlic, the ramsons,

and that grows abundantly in places.

Lovely! That's gorgeous.

What else is in there?

-We've also got some horns, or the shoots of the reedmace, and this is good food.

-Can you eat that raw?

-It's not a good idea, because it comes from a pond.

-Oh, right.

So, it's good to make sure you can neutralise all of the bacteria.

So it's best sort of chopped up and cooked.

It's all about knowledge. The more knowledge you've got, the easier it is to survive.

The more time you put into honing your skills, the less effort it is to do whatever task you want to do.

Point out the difference between survival and bushcraft.

Well, on the surface a lot of skills may appear to be the same,

but the root of them is quite different.

So, in survival you're fighting against the situation,

to get to a better place.

With bushcraft, you're working with your situation.

I can see you love what you doing

and it must be wonderful passing on this knowledge to all people

from all walks of life, kids, city people,

they come here and they develop a new personality, basically.

That's what makes me tick.

Yes, I can see that.

Yeah, I recommend it to anybody, even if it's just for the day.

Come and learn a bit about bushcraft skills.

-Thanks so much.

-Pleasure.

Before we head off to auction room,

here's a quick reminder of what we have seen.

Firstly, there was the little gold and aquamarine brooch that Michael fell for.

But will the price be right for Rosy?

With the stones from Nepal and the chains from Hong Kong, Joan's

earring and pendant set is certainly exotic but will the bidders be allured by the taste of the Orient?

Cath may have fallen out of love with her loving cup, but being solid

silver and with a good pedigree, it should do well at auction.

Finally, this Hornby rail set got Philip's piston going

but will there be a wad of cash at the end of the line?

We're back on familiar territory. This is Bamfords auction house in the heart of Derby

and it's also home to our very own James Lewis who's going to be on the rostrum flogging all our lots.

Philip, Pete, good luck. The Hornby train set, a lovely box set.

It's just about to go under the hammer. Any regrets?

-No.

-A sad goodbye?

-Not at all. Let somebody else enjoy it.

Let's hope we get £90.

-It would be nice.

-It has been played with. It's been used.

Been looked after though.

Yes. But collectors are fussy people.

This could go through the sky, we don't know.

-It would be nice.

-It would be.

If we don't get derailed I don't mind.

It's going under the hammer now so good luck both of you.

Hornby trains. The 201 tank goods set etc.

I can start bidding here at £45. 45, 50. 50 anywhere?

At £45. And 50. 50 and five. 60.

At 55 has it. 60 now?

60 anywhere? At 55 I'm selling.

£60 in the third row.

Selling at 60.

At £60, sir. Five anywhere? At 60.

All the bidding very close indeed.

It's gone now, £60, a good result.

We're chuffed. Choo-choo!

-You're taking the kids away.

-The grandkids away to Majorca to their uncle Andy's.

I thought the Andes were in America.

No. On the end of your armies!

I love this next lot.

It's a two-handled loving cup, it belongs to Cath.

We got the cup but we don't have Cath. We do have her son and daughter-in-law. What's your name?

-Martin.

-And?

-Charlie.

Thank you for being here. Where's Mum?

-On holiday in Siberia.

-Is she? On the phone later, then.

Hopefully with some good news.

-Hopefully.

-We've got a fixed reserve at £200.

We're looking at 200-300.

A nice domestic piece of Georgian silver.

That's what they make, so hopefully there'll be someone here, a member of the trade, happy to pay that.

A packed house. We'll find out any second.

It can't go for a penny under, can it?

-No.

-Strict instructions.

Fixed reserve.

Mum will bash you! Let's not upset her.

Let's hope it sells at the top end.

-Good luck.

-George III loving cup.

Wonderful colour to it.

1792 and two bids on it.

-£190 bid.

-Just short.

190, I can let it go just, I think.

190. 200? 200 is it? At 190 with me, do I see 200?

He'll use his discretion.

190. It says firm. Do you want me to use discretion?

-Up to you.

-No.

-No? At 190, all done.

Oh, that was just so close.

We got strict instructions to stick to the reserve.

Yeah. If that was what Mum wants.

Bearing in mind you do have to pay commission so you will be losing a bit more money as well.

Joan's earrings and necklace are up next with a value of £60-£90.

Joan, you're well travelled because the stone was bought in Nepal.

-Yes, in the '70s.

-The whole thing was mounted

in Hong Kong. Now we're flogging it here in Derby.

I never thought I'd hear you ask a lady if she was well travelled.

-What's wrong with that?

-You can't say that to a lady.

They'll sell and sell well.

-They should do.

-Really well.

-Quality.

Let's find out what they do.

-Going under the hammer now.

-Lot 590 is a nine carat gold pendant,

necklace, conforming earrings, set with the purple and green amethysts.

I can start the bidding here at £50. And five do I see?

At 55. 55, yes. 55 and 60.

60 now. 60 standing. 60 and five?

65. 70. At £65. At 65.

-£65.

-Very good.

That's OK, isn't it? Mid-estimate.

-Happy with that.

-Yes.

What will you spend that money on?

I've got guttering needs repairing.

Stop the leaking.

You've got to get your down pipes sorted.

Next under the hammer is Jane's gold and aquamarine brooch. It's been in the family for a long time.

-How can you bear to part with it?

-It's been in a drawer for years...

-It's the answer we always get.

-The usual answer.

There's no point keeping things in drawers. Move them on

-and get something you want with the money.

-Yeah, spend the money. Did you ever wear it?

Nobody wore it, that I know of.

-You don't want to keep it in the family. Kids don't want it?

-No, they're not interested.

-Let's flog it. That's what we're here for.

-Absolutely.

Let's put it under the hammer right now. This is it, good luck.

Art Nouveau nine-carat gold pendant

set with aquamarines and sea pearls.

And start the bidding, we've got a single bid on it, £60. And five now.

£60. 5. 70. 5.

75. 80 and 5. 85. 90.

Against the commission at £85. 90 now.

At 85. 90 behind?

No. At 85. Lady standing, at £85.

Do I see 90? With you at 85.

-That's a good result.

-That's a fair price.

-£85, Jane.

It's better than putting it

-in a drawer, at least you've got the money to spend.

-Thank you very much.

Spend it on something you're not going to put in a drawer!

-Me and my daughter are going to spend it between us.

-There you go.

Well, that's it. You've just seen our first batch of antiques has gone under the hammer.

We are coming back here later on in the show but right now I'm going

to nip up the road and visit a great British icon.

First, I've got to hail a cab.

MUSIC: "Ghost Town" by the Specials

I've climbed aboard this taxi and we're heading off to the famous brewing town

of Burton-on-Trent.

Here's a few clues as to what I'm going to see.

A quarter of all British people take this on holiday with them.

Travel writer and author Bill Bryson once described it as having

the visual properties of industrial lubricant.

It was a sort of standard part of the ration packs for soldiers during the First World War.

Have you guessed what it is yet?

Of course you have! It's Marmite.

Marmite, that tangy savoury spread. You either love it or hate it.

That famous black jar with the yellow lid, it's so quintessentially British.

Marmite was first developed and produced here in Burton in 1902.

But its connection with the town is more than just coincidence.

The first person I'm here to see today is head of production, Mark.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Pleased to meet you.

It's all going on in there.

I want to know the ingredients for Marmite or is it secret?

There are some secrets. The main ingredient is brewer's yeast.

We collect it from all over the UK and that is the main ingredient that goes into making Marmite

but there are some little bits of tweaking that we do with the product at the end of the process.

I'm afraid that is top secret and you'll never know that secret.

That's obviously hence the connection to Burton and the brewing industry.

Is this the only Marmite factory in the world?

It's not. There are two, one in South Africa and this one in the UK.

We are supplying everywhere in the world except for South Africa for Marmite.

Just standing here talking to you for a couple of minutes is making me feel rather hungry.

The smell in there is absolutely delicious.

It's nice, isn't it? Yeah.

Well, here's a pallet ready to be loaded up on to a lorry.

This one, my word, it's going all the way to Canada.

Well, good luck, Marmite!

The factory here produces 4,000 tonnes of the stuff each year,

that's enough to fill 25 million little jars.

And it's the black glass with the yellow lid, and I've got one here, that makes this product so iconic.

But how did it come to be this way?

I was keen to learn more about Marmite's history.

And how the brand has evolved and changed through the decades.

I was meeting up with packaging and brand expert Robert Opie.

Robert, thank you so much for bringing in,

well, it's a very small part of your collection, I know you've outgrown the house now, haven't you?

Yeah, very much so, and now there is actually a museum

in Notting Hill in London where you can come and see a lot of this.

-Full of thousands of products.

-Thousands and thousands of products!

What I want to know today is, just talk me through a little bit of the potted history of Marmite.

Right, well, in fact the story goes a bit further than 1902, when Marmite arrived.

You can go back to Justin Von Liebig, a great German scientist who

discovered you could extract meat from a cow and put it into a jar.

And he produced Liebig's Extract of Meat, which was on sale in this country in the 1860s.

And at the same time he was also working out,

how can I make brewer's yeast into something which was nourishing?

And he did actually find a solution to that.

So where does the name come from?

Well, Marmite is actually French, marmite, and it's French for a stewpot or stockpot.

And there it is on the front of a label, it is essentially the trade mark.

And it has stood the testament all the way through this wonderful history, there it has remained.

And you see the early pots, these straight-sided pots.

Now, I don't actually have one of the first pots in my collection.

I'm still looking. Somebody, please send me one.

But you can see what it should look like

from the advertisements, thankfully the advertisements give you the clue.

That's how it was right up until 1925, when suddenly they

decided, OK, we're going to do something a bit more special.

Now this new wondrous pot arrived in its own box,

and of course then the box became the firm favourite, it gave you something really exciting inside it.

-Where do you find all this?

-Do you know, you have to keep on looking,

they turn up in people's homes, in shops, all kinds of different places.

I've heard of Oxo cubes, I've seen them, I never knew there were Marmite cubes.

No, well, Oxo cubes arrived in 1910, and towards the end of the 1930s, the Marmite cube arrived.

And you find these wonderful tins - elegant, aren't they?

The trick, though, is to find the contents as well.

And actually in this one you still have the original cubes in there.

How long was that in production?

Not that long because the war arrived in 1939, and that dished it altogether.

We've had the same shaped bottle since the 1920s, has it been the same ever since?

Well, pretty well, yes, but there was a moment in the mid-'70s,

between '74 and '76, when there was a big bottle shortage

and the manufacturers couldn't get the right shape,

so they had to go into something a bit more standard, shall we say,

and ended up with just the straight-sided ones.

It really has stood the test of time, have there been any recent changes at all?

Well, I suppose the one that really upset the Marmite lovers

was when the traditional tin lid went into plastic.

We get so familiar with these things,

and it didn't feel right to have a plastic lid.

I discovered people scooping out from the old jars into the traditional ones.

So that was a traumatic moment.

And recently they've brought out some sort of new flavours, like Guinness.

Yes, well, that was fun, wasn't it? There's nothing like experimenting,

particularly if you connect two great brands together, what fun.

And now you've got the convenience of squeezing it onto your toast.

It's not the same, is it?

Well, I think the next generation will get used to that,

and I think we're now in the squeezy generation, aren't we?

Well, you are a brand expert. Does Marmite really stand out as one of the most iconic?

Undoubtedly, it is one of the classic brands, it's got one of the classic

designs that stood the test of time, it's up there with the leaders.

It's the whole story of a product, and the whole story of a culture, it's part of all our lives, we've

grown up with these amazing brands, and they become part of our lives, we do actually love them.

Well, it's been fascinating to learn a bit more about Marmite's iconic brand.

Who'd have thought a handful of brewer's yeast would give us one of the country's best-loved spreads?

Let's hope that little black pot with a yellow lid is around for at least another 100 years.

Right now it's time for me to join up with our experts back at the valuation day.

So here we've got Lady and the Tramp.

Not lady and the tramp, but Lady and the Tramp!

-Lady and the Tramp.

-Now, you said that, not me!

-That's right!

-Cos these are from the Walt Disney film, aren't they?

-Yes.

-How did you come by these?

-At a garden party, I either won them or got them for a small amount.

How long ago was this?

-This was 20 years.

-So mid 1980s?

Yes.

Right. Cos they're from Lady and the Tramp, which is Walt Disney,

-and Lady and the Tramp would be what, mid-70s?

-I don't know.

-They are by Wade.

-Yes.

Little Wade whimsies and little Wade Lady and the Tramp figures that we normally associate

are very tiny and these are the blown-up versions.

So that is Dashy the Daschund and which one is this one?

We think that's Trusty. He is a Bloodhound, isn't he?

He's a Bloodhound, absolutely.

These things were mass produced and weren't intended to be great quality like Derby, Worcester or whatever.

So why do you want to sell them?

They're on a window sill at the moment.

Or they were, but we put them into a cupboard, because we thought the value of them, in a window sill,

if a grandchild knocks them off, they won't be worth anything.

-Absolutely right.

-So we thought, well, let's dispose.

You know, five years ago, I think these things were probably worth more than they are now.

But the advent of the internet and people selling these things

has meant that it flushes more of them out and the days of high prices for these, in my view, is gone.

Now, we've looked at some auction records this morning and

we've found some figures that, three to four years ago,

these two might have made between £200 and £300.

But I think those days have gone.

If you've got something that's a bit of a kitsch market, which sort of goes up and down on a fad

or a fashion, which I believe these are, then prices of those can fluctuate greatly.

It's my view that at auction you need to estimate these at £80 to £120.

Now, if you have a real result,

it might be

that they might go and make £150 to £200.

I think you might just struggle with them and our 80 to 120 is a good estimate.

You know, the valuation of something, really, is what somebody's prepared to pay for it.

So when we go to Bamford sale room, my guess is we'll find out what these

are worth. And I imagine that we'll all be wrong!

Thank you very much for coming.

-We'll see you at Bamford's.

-Right.

-Right.

Janet, I hope your mantelpiece isn't bare from bringing these in today to us.

No, they're not on my mantelpiece.

They're super things, can you tell me where did you get them from?

-I've had the Naples vases since 1971.

-Right.

And they were given to me partly in memory of a friend who died.

I see, a lovely remembrance. And where did the little pots come from?

They came from another dear friend of mine who died unfortunately some years later,

when she did a swap for some childhood plates in the Victorian age.

Oh, the little Victorian ones, splendid. Let's have a look,

they're lovely little hand-painted vases and hopefully there's a mark on every bit of China that we see.

And it's Limoges Art China, France, which basically tells us all we need to know about them.

I imagine they date to around 1910, 1920.

And it's nice to have a small pair, the gilding's slickly worn there.

But these you describe as your Naples vases, but often in ceramics you will

get different factories imitating wares, and they're certainly Naples style,

which is characterised by these flamboyant over-the-top colours

and this bas relief decoration around the front.

-And it's entirely Grecian and Roman in feel.

-Oh, it is Roman in style?

-Absolutely. So, Naples style...

-But they're not my style, really.

They're not everybody's taste, are they? They're a little bit full-on.

But, erm, they are very interesting.

The one thing I would say is that we've got an exposed rim here, with no glaze on it.

-That would suggest that originally that both had little covers.

-I've never had the stoppers.

No, well, it tends to be that if one gets broken, the other gets put away in a drawer so they look the same.

And then of course they're separated and lost for ever.

You say they're not on your mantelpiece, are they on display at all?

They are actually on the sideboard, amongst a lot of other things!

So you've got a forest of China!

You won't miss a couple of trees out of the forest.

They're attractive things.

The market for them has declined a little bit in recent years.

Yes, I realise that.

Everybody wants Poole Pottery, they want Troika and they want Clarice Cliff.

And they've moved away from the more traditional areas.

But still these have a nice decorative feel.

Did you have any idea what they might be worth?

Well, I wasn't really sure what they were worth.

-Right, it's not fortunes, I'm afraid.

-No, I didn't think it was.

I think the small pair of Limoges vases are worth between £30 and £50.

-Is that...?

-With the wear and the fact that they're not the very best Limoges quality.

But certainly they would appeal to someone,

and we could put a fixed reserve of £30 on those.

The Naples vases are a bit bigger, a bit more imposing.

Even lacking the covers, I think £50-£100 for those.

-Oh, lovely.

-It's a broad estimate because missing their covers, we're not entirely sure what they'll make.

But if we put a fixed reserve of £50 on those as well,

-would you be happy for us to put them into the auction for you?

-Yes.

Splendid, well, we'll do that, and hope that we have French and Italian collectors on the telephone!

-Thank you so much for bringing them in, Janet.

-Thank you.

-Colin, how are you doing?

-I'm fine, how's yourself?

-Yeah, pretty good. And this is your collection?

-It's part of it.

Just one word, really, Colin - why?

Engineering.

-One word, that one.

-And that's it?

-Yeah.

-And it started you off collecting razor blades, razors and shaving accoutrements?

-It did.

I'm not quite sure they're valuable but they're just great bits of social history.

You've got this razor here, and the blades are all labelled,

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

No flies on me, clearly one for every day of the week.

And this one here, it all sort of takes apart, so the brush, the badger's brush fits in there,

top screws on there, that then goes on to there,

-and this unscrews and drops into there. Brilliant, isn't it?

-It's excellent.

And this is absolutely lethal, this thing here, look.

It's a Bakelite case...

Would that ever hurt?

Possibly!

-I've never tried it.

-Haven't you?

-No. You can.

No, it's actually comes as a huge relief to, that, to me, Colin.

I mean, you've got everything here, haven't you?

You've even got this little

lady's one here. I'm not sure what ladies would do with it.

No, we won't go there.

Where do you get razor blades for that from?

-Out of the box.

-They're in there?

-It's a lady's boudoir razor.

-So if she wanted to shave her boudoir...

-I've no idea.

-Oh, right.

-There's a road we don't want to go down.

I'll swiftly put it back in the box then.

Dear me. How long have you spent collecting these?

1975 I started with the first Rolls razor which I found in a little antique shop.

-What did you pay for that?

-Er, £2.

-£2.

-It's beautiful though.

-Beautiful?

-What a piece of engineering.

-Have you ever thought about counselling?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

This is only part of your collection, isn't it?

-It is.

-How many are there in total?

-I would think 40 to 50.

-40 to 50. Why are you selling them?

They've been in the loft space now for quite a long time.

I've not added to it because they seem to be getting rarer,

because people throw them away sooner than save them.

So, I thought, they might go to another home.

Somebody who wants a starter kit for the same thing.

In terms of value I haven't, truthfully,

got a clue what they're going to make, really. I think they're interesting.

I do think they're a bit of a...

let's just say a narrow market.

-Yes.

-Do you want to sell them?

-They've got to go?

-They've just got to go.

-Whatever they make they've got to go?

-Yeah.

Let's put a £20 to £40 come-buy-me estimate on them and I think

that some of the ones you've got I think they'll sell and sell well.

It ought to go well as a collection for someone but I'm just not sure

-how many shaver collectors there are out there in the world.

-Right.

-What we really want is Mr Gillette at the sale.

-This is true.

-Bidding against Mr Wilkinson.

-Yep.

-Right, that'll do then.

Absolutely fantastic, this is what I wanted to see here today in Derby, something with local interest.

-Look at it, it's written all over it, Maurice.

-It is.

-Thank you very much for bringing it in. And Aileen, isn't it?

-Yes.

A station wall clock.

I'd say this is around circa 1880, the late Victorian period.

What I want to know is its story.

How did you come by this?

Well my uncle got it off the station when they pulled the station down.

-Yeah.

-That was some 50 years ago and, of course, with him working as

an engineer in the offices close by for the railway,

the different chaps they got clocks, signs...

-you know waiting room signs.

-All the memorabilia.

-That's right.

-Which is big business, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It really is, it's very collectible.

-Because everything had got to go.

-Oh, it's lovely and I bet it keeps beautiful time.

-It does, yeah.

Fusee movement, you see.

Every weekend I wind it up and give it a polish.

-Eight days?

-Eight days, yeah.

And you have no trouble with it. You know, it just ticks away.

I've got to ask, Aileen, why do you want to sell it?

-Well we thought we could do something with the money.

-OK.

-Something else we might like to do.

-What would you like to do with the money?

Well I'd like to purchase a new television.

-A new telly, a big flat screen one, I guess.

-Then we can see Flog It! Clearer!

Well let's just take a closer look at the movement, shall we?

There we go.

They made 'em simple in those days.

-Oh, yes.

-Look at that.

-Do you want me to move that for you?

Yeah. That's nice, let's just take a quick look at this.

That's access to the...

That's access to the movement.

That's access to the pendulum.

Yes, to adjust the pendulum and here's the pendulum.

Great and you've got the key, fantastic!

OK, now let's have a look at the movement.

The condition's fantastic, isn't it?

-It is.

-You've looked after this, haven't you?

-Oh yes.

-There you go.

There's the fusee movement.

That actually regulates...

..perfectly. I can put this near my microphone and you'll hear this.

RAPID TICKING

There's nothing wrong with that.

It's absolutely lovely and here is the pendulum.

That is your fine adjustment.

-That's right.

-I won't touch it because you've obviously

-worked this.

-It's spot on.

You can move that up or move that down to slow the clock down or speed it up so that it keeps good time.

Well, I would like to think this would fetch, in auction, around £600.

Hopefully a little bit more on a good day with two people bidding against each other.

To get to that sort of figure I've got to say to you we really need

-to catalogue it at 400 to 600 if that's OK with you.

-That's fine.

Is that all right?

How about a fixed reserve at 400?

-Yes.

-Yeah, because I don't want this clock to go for a penny less.

-No.

Right, my next question is...

Can you make the auction in a month's time?

-I don't think we can, we're booked on holiday.

-Oh, you're going away, where are you going?

We're going to north Devon.

Oh, are you. For a couple of weeks or a week?

-Two weeks.

-Oh, lovely.

-Yes, yes.

Off on your holidays. Look, I'll tell you what,

I'll be there

for you. It's in good hands and I'll let you know exactly how it's doing.

-Oh, that's nice.

-Fingers crossed we're going to get that £600, you're

going to get your telly and you'll also have a fantastic holiday.

Thank you very much for taking that trouble for us.

It's auction time again and here's a quick reminder of what's going under the hammer.

Two pairs of matching vases was more than enough to catch Michael's eye.

They've been entered as two different lots, so which pair do you think is going to make the most?

Colin's collection of razor blades has to be unique, making valuing it

practically impossible but with no reserve, it's going to go.

Maurice and Aileen's wall clock is without question my favourite item of the day.

Beautifully made and with that key local interest, I hope it makes the

top end but nothing is guaranteed when it comes to auction.

Finally, Philip may have doted on the dog figurines,

but will the bidders be bitten by their charms?

-Cedric and Jean, great to see you again. Who is the dog lover?

-I am.

-They were yours, were they?

Why are you flogging them now?

I thought someone might like them for their collection as they're rare.

We've got a value of £80 to £120, Philip.

I had a quick chat to James the auctioneer before the sale

and he chuckled and said, this is so typical, these things are selling so well,

compared to anything, let's say, 18th-century porcelain.

-Nonsense, really.

-It is crazy, absolutely crazy.

But there are collectors that want this kind of thing.

-You sell them at your sale room?

-Absolutely.

The pair of Wade Disney blow-up figures, Lady and the Tramp.

We've got three bids,

£70 starts them. 70. 80 now?

80 do I see? 80. 90? 100. And 10.

Look at the price of these!

At 120. 130. New place. 140. 150.

150. 160. 170?

170, shakes his head at 170.

Are you sure? At 160, it's here.

All done at 160. 165 if you like.

At £160, are we all done?

The hammer's gone down at £160.

Can you remember buying them?

-Yes.

-What did you pay for them?

I got them from a white elephant stall

in a garden party and it was about 20 years ago.

And what did you pay for them?

-I can't remember.

-About a pound, I would think.

-A couple of quid. What a good investment!

-I bet it wasn't £160, that's for sure!

If you've got any Wade figures like that, hang on to them or put them into an auction,

because they're making top money right now.

I gather, Janet, you're selling these Naples vases because they're gathering dust.

Well, I've got to downsize because I might have to go into a home.

-Oh, no.

-I'm getting too old.

Well we're all getting a bit old, aren't we?

Every second of every day, unfortunately.

Do you like the vases?

-Ask me another question.

-OK.

-Are they well made?

-Yes.

-Ask me another question.

-Will we get the top end of your estimate?

-Erm...

They're not really my cup of tea but I was given them 40 years ago.

They're not Michael's cup of tea, or mine but I tell you what,

someone will absolutely love them and they'll be in this room today.

Lot 760, the pair of vases...

Sadly lacking their covers but still a good shape to them.

And £50 for them, please. 50?

-£50?

-£50, come on.

40 bid, 40 and 5 now. 40 and 5...

5 and 50. 50 and 5... 55 and 60.

-Oh gosh.

-£55, all done?

At £55 it's with you.

-We've sold them!

-We've sold them, oh good.

£55, Janet.

-That's great, isn't it?

-Yes.

We've got those two Limoges vases.

-Yes.

-What will we get, top end, come on?

I think £40 is a fair price for them.

Happy if we get 40?

-Yes.

-We'd like a bit more but we'll settle for 40.

-Whatever we can get for them.

-OK. This is it, good luck.

The pair of Limoges ovoid ewers.

Nicely decorated, two bids on them, one of 25, one higher.

£30 starts it. 30 and 32 do I see?

32, 35, 38 and 40... 42, 45...

at 42 at the back. 45 now?

At £42... 45 anywhere?

At 42 and selling.

-Yes.

-Yes, good.

-£42.

-We hoped for 40.

-You did.

-And £2 to spare.

-Jolly good.

-That's great, isn't it?

Well we're at the cutting edge because

we've got Colin's razor blades with accessories going under the hammer with a valuation of £20 to £40.

Who knows!

-No reserve?

-Well I'm not actually sure

what these are worth since we don't sell too many razor blades.

-No.

-It's a cut-throat business.

Yeah.

Somebody's going to buy them but I have to say I don't know why.

No and you're going to say it's going to be a close shave.

-It's going to be a very close shave.

-The shaving memorabilia...

The collection of razors, where shall we start that, £20 for it.

£20... 15 if you like.

£15... 10 then.

Who wants it at £10? Anybody want those? £10.

James, you could do with that.

Yeah, I could do with them, couldn't I?

Anybody want them? They're out of fashion.

-Clearly.

-That's the problem. Anybody want them?

£5...

I think this is going to be a Flog It lowest ever.

£5 anywhere?

£5 in the corner at 5, shall we see 6 somewhere?

Give him some competition. 6... at £5 to the left.

All done and selling at £5, are you sure, is that OK?

-Are you all right with that?

-Yes.

£5 in the corner. Anywhere else?

-You're happy though, aren't you?

-I'm happy they've gone.

They've gone to a collector, hopefully.

Hopefully they have, yeah. Somebody who'll start a collection now, who knows.

-Are you going to collect anything else, are you going to buy anything else?

-No.

-Definitely not.

-Definitely not. That's the end of that.

Thank the Lord for that!

Time is now up for Maurice and Aileen's station wall clock.

We've got the clock, we haven't got the couple

they're on holiday but we've got Lorraine, the daughter.

-Good to see you.

-Thank you.

Did you see this little clock as a child in the house?

-Yeah, it was always there.

-Yeah.

-It was always there.

-Kept good time.

Yeah, kept you awake when you slept downstairs.

What did you say to them when you realised they were going to flog this?

-Were you a bit upset?

-They didn't tell me straightaway.

They waited until I noticed.

Then I went, "Oh, right."

You noticed the missing space on the wall and went, "Mum..."

"Where has it gone?"

I know they've been decorating. I thought they'd taken it down for decorating.

I guess they need the money, they want to move on.

We're looking for £400 to £600 and it's going under the hammer.

-Yes.

-OK? Now...

The circular dial station timepiece...

This is a great lot.

And, a lot of interest.

-One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, 11 bids on it.

-Gosh.

-That's a lot.

-The list goes on.

Loads of them and I'll start it at the lower end of the estimate at 400 and see how we go.

At £400 and 20 do I see? At 400, 420 in the room.

420, 440, 460, 480, 500...

500 standing, at 520 seated.

550, 580, 600, 620, 650, 680, 700, 720, 750...

-Crikey!

-This is great.

-800...

-This is really good.

850, 900, 950... Yes?

Go on.

It's the best one I've ever seen. It's worth it.

920 if it helps you.

-At 900 standing...

-Oh, we're on £900. Here...

920 or 50? 920, 950?

950, well done. 980?

980... 1,000, round it up?

Sure? 980, on the phone at 980.

1,000 do I see?

Anybody else?

Yes! Crack, that is a sold sound.

£980, Maurice is going to be so pleased.

That's going to make their holiday.

-It will.

-Get on the phone straightaway.

-Yes, I will.

-Thanks for being a great stand-in.

Yours.

There's not a profit in that.

Well, that's it, it's all over for our owners.

As you can see the auction is still going on around me, people are

bidding as I'm speaking but I've got to say what a cracking day it was.

I wish Maurice could have been here.

He's on holiday in the West Country but his little clock sold for a staggering £980.

You can definitely say time is up and sadly it is for us as well today.

So, until the next time, it's cheerio.

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