Brighton Flog It!

That building is where the very first film was shown outside of London, and the year?

1896. Where are we?

Well, "Flog It!" today comes to your screens from Brighton.

Whether it's a day at the beach or a night at the flicks,

Brighton has always been the place to come for entertainment.

One of the world's first purpose-built cinemas,

the Duke of York's, was opened here in 1910 and it's still showing films today.

We're at the Corn Exchange at the Brighton Dome,

where this very healthy-looking queue aren't just standing in line for popcorn!

Oh, no! Or waiting to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

Oh, no, you see, the pulling power today

are our very own "Flog It!" stars, experts Catherine Southon and Mark Stacey.

Well, let's not hold things up any longer... Action!

-Hello, Jane and Gordon.

-Hello there.

Welcome to sunny Brighton, although it's not quite so sunny today, is it?

-No, it isn't.

-These little ornaments, tell me about these.

Well, we inherited them from my husband's aunt and when she died,

we had to clear the house out and that was one of the things I thought was quite sweet and I kept them.

But they're just sat in a drawer

and I thought, maybe, you know, they could do better.

-So you haven't had them out on view or anything like that?

-No, no, no.

You know what they are, don't you?

Well, cake decorations.

That's right, they're little cake decorations, I'm guessing from the 1920s or '30s,

and I think they're certainly continental, they're not English made.

The type of porcelain they are is generally referred to as bisque.

-Bisque is porcelain, but it's unglazed porcelain.

-Right.

And the Continentals used that much more than British manufacturers did,

and in those days, people made a lot more of their own cakes and they wanted to decorate them.

We've got little dancing figures and some animals over there.

I mean, I quite like the little bear there that's skating.

Looking at them, if you count the little dolls here, we've got seven and the little musicians there,

there are eight of those, so I think they might even have been used as birthday cake decorations

or Christmas cake decorations, that sort of thing.

I don't think people would use them today,

but there are people out there who collect this sort of thing.

You've had them since when?

About 25 years, when my aunt died. I think it was late '81 she died.

-And they've been stuck in a box since?

-In the drawer.

You've never thought about the value?

No, because I didn't think they had a huge amount of value.

Well, I think you're right there, Jane.

If we were putting them into auction, we ought to put them in

with an estimate of something like £30 to £40 and just see what happens.

Now, we might be surprised and we might get £50 or £60 for them. On the other hand,

-we might not get any offers at all, you never know.

-No.

-But I think there will be interest there.

Now, on figures like that, we ask people whether you want to put a reserve on it.

The only thing I have to warn you of course if it's not a reserve,

then if the highest bid on the day was £10 then they would sell for £10.

Well, perhaps rather than let them go for £10,

maybe we should put a reserve on them of some sort so that at least...

-What about £20?

-Lovely.

-Just to protect them.

-Sorry, I didn't ask you.

-How do you feel about that?

-£20 is fine.

We'll put them in at £30 to £40

and let's hope at the auction, they prove to be the icing on the cake.

Teresa and Bruce, thank you very much for coming today

and bringing some lovely Whitefriars. Where did you get this from?

It was a wedding gift in 1968.

I don't know if you know very much about it but it is Whitefriars glass.

That's all we did know, yeah.

That's all we knew and the bricklayer...

This is actually known as the drunken bricklayer and I think we can see why it is known as

the drunken bricklayer,

cos we've got bricks that would have been put one on top of the other,

but this piece has sort of moved out of place, so we've got this abstract form here.

We've also got a characteristic which we find on a lot of Geoffrey Baxter pieces,

this textured glass here.

Geoffrey Baxter, as you may know, was a designer for Whitefriars and he was designing pieces from the 1950s

and he was, in fact, their last designer up until the factory closed, which was in 1980.

This is a rather nice piece as well,

which is known as the coffin-shaped vase, which is pretty nasty.

Not really a very nice piece to be given for your wedding present, I shouldn't think.

Were you given these two pieces together?

Yes, yes.

Something that you like?

They've been wrapped up in the cupboard for years, that's why we've brought them along now.

After you got married, you had them displayed and after that...

Then we moved and then they stayed wrapped.

-Right.

-And they've been wrapped for about 26 years.

These pieces are coming back into fashion.

Whitefriars is now very collectable and lots of people are buying these.

Unfortunately, they often go for the other colours. The meadow green

-was very popular, but what we've got here is more of a smoky green.

-Yeah.

I can see here, as I'm looking at it,

there's two tiny chips on the rim, which will make a difference.

-How does £100 to £150 grab you?

-That sounds fine.

-That's fine.

-You'd be happy to sell it?

-Yes, that's fine, yeah.

It seems really sad that they were a wedding present.

We didn't have them on display or anything, so...

-You've got one another so you don't need Geoffrey Baxter.

-No.

Let's put them in the auction at £100 to £150.

-Thanks for bringing them along.

-Thank you very much, thank you.

Harry, these are absolutely incredible. Tell me the story.

How did you come by these two glasses?

Well, they were given to me just as a present.

They said, "You can have these two glasses," and I've got a few more as well.

-What, like this?

-No, not like that, just ordinary sherry glasses.

-OK.

But they were in it and I was more curious, not the glasses but why there was a hangman inside it.

Yeah, exactly, I would be as well. How long ago were you given these?

Well, about seven years ago, that's all.

Let's start with the weight of that glass. That's incredibly heavy, isn't it?

I'd say this is around about 1850 and this is typical of that period with that lovely,

deep-sliced cutting. You see that sliced cut right through, those facets?

Look at the engraving. That's all done with a very small,

fine wheel offering the glass up

-and that's a trailing vine of barley and hops.

-Oh, now I can see it.

Look how delicate that is and this would have been

predominantly done around the Birmingham area, Stourbridge.

-Oh, yeah.

-Where the glassmakers were.

I think these were

an ale or a mead glass, you know, stronger than beer, you wouldn't drink a lot of it.

They differ slightly but if you're drinking down and you say, "Bottoms up"

and you get to the end and you can look up

and if you look through that, there's a man hanging at the gallows

and another figure at the bottom of this glass as well.

It sort of beggars belief, really.

-It's a bit morbid.

-It is morbid.

Do you think they were given

as sort of one last drink before they hit the gallows?

Well, they could have done!

Or do you think they were sort of local highwaymen

and they were captured and finally left to swing and everybody toasted it?

Well, it's a thing that I can't understand

-why a thing like that would be put in a glass.

-No, nor can I.

I mean, you could have a nice engraving or something, or a picture of a castle but not hanged men.

I think if we put these into auction, we should put them in as a near pair -

obviously, we can't sell them separately, they belong together -

with a value of 200 to 300.

200 to 300?

Pounds.

-Oh, well.

-Are you happy with that?

More than happy, yeah!

That'll pay for my petrol.

What did you think they were worth?

I thought they were worth about £80, £40 each.

I think they're worth an awful lot more than that.

Do you definitely want to sell them?

-Oh, yeah.

-Shall we try and get them into the auction

with a guideline of £200 to £300 and maybe put the reserve at 150?

That'll be fine, yeah, I'd be very pleased with that.

-Hi, Mick.

-Hello there, all right?

-Thank you so much for coming

to see us here in Brighton and you've brought this charming picture of a spaniel in.

Where did you get it from?

The wife's nan died and we were cleaning out the bungalow and there it was

and I didn't want to throw it away, I liked it so I saved it.

Had it been up on the wall or was it tucked in a wardrobe?

-It was in a cupboard.

-Really? So she hadn't had it up for a while.

-No, no.

-Have you had dogs yourself?

No, no. It's just...

I like the picture. It caught my eye and that was it.

If we look at the picture, it's very well done, actually. There's a lot of feeling in there.

When you look at a spaniel, a King Charles or a cocker or a springer spaniel,

they always have those wonderful eyes that make you want to go and stroke them,

and I think she's captured the essence of that really rather well.

-It's beautifully done.

-And it's a beautiful drawing and I think it will be very popular.

Mick, we can see that it's actually signed down there,

"ES Ash, 1937",

and if we take a look at the back, we can see actually the artist's details...

"Enid S Ash - No 2, Flash", so obviously the name of the spaniel

and the price, £4 and 4 shillings,

which was actually quite a lot of money back in 1937, wasn't it?

Then we've got Sussex exhibition, which is also quite nice,

Brighton Fine Art Galleries. People like that.

When you're selling a picture, people like to see that little added provenance to it.

There's a few things that go against it in some ways.

There's a lot of foxing on the surround here,

so I think whoever bought it would want to replace that,

would want to take it out of the frame and remount it and put a more modern frame on it.

Why are you thinking of selling it now?

You quite like it.

I heard "Flog It!" was coming to Brighton.

I thought, a couple of new golf clubs or something.

Well, it's always good to put it towards something else, isn't it?

What you do find with these sort of doggy type paintings

is that you tend to get a lot of private people wanting to buy it.

-It's local as well.

-And it's local as well,

which is great.

In terms of the artist, there's not a huge amount known about her.

I mean, she has sold works before and I think she designed postcards

and things like that, with novelty animal scenes on it.

If I was suggesting a price at auction,

I would suggest maybe around £200 to £300, with a reserve of 180.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yeah, smashing that.

Thank you for agreeing to flog it with us

and I look forward to seeing it in the auction

and I hope I'm not proven barking mad by taking the picture.

What, has Mark lost his head over the spaniel?

It'll soon be time to find out but first, here's a reminder of what we're taking to auction.

Jane and Gordon's cake decorations are finally out of the drawer.

We can only hope they find some bidders with a sweet tooth.

Teresa and Bruce's Whitefriars vases have spent 26 years in a cupboard.

Even with the slight damage, I think people will be pleased to see them.

My choice next - Harry's wonderful heavy Stourbridge glasses

with the mysterious hanging men engraved on the bases.

And finally, Mick's little pastel of Flash the spaniel.

It's so appealing, it's bound to get dog lovers drooling.

We're in Southwick for today's sale,

the home of Worthing Auction Galleries and Scarborough Fine Arts.

I've got a good feeling about this one. I think we're going to get some cracking prices.

For the sale, we've got two auctioneers today,

Andrew Scarborough and Nick Hall,

and I'm after Nick's opinion about those glasses.

-I love these tumblers, there's great weight to them, beautifully cut, beautifully engraved.

-Nice quality.

The belong to Harry. He was given them as a present.

-There's something quite interesting in the bottom.

-Yes, I saw that, yes.

I'm hoping that they do a couple of hundred pounds for the pair,

-possibly maybe a bit more.

-I don't know.

Over to you, it's your round.

They've got an interesting little ditty in the bottom,

they've got the hangman's noose. As we all know, it's for the last drop.

It's just a bit a fun, There's no significance to gallows.

That would make them more collectable if it did.

But dining room furnishings have gone the way of dining rooms.

There's just not that great demand for them.

It's open-plan kitchens, so...

I've got a feeling Nick's talking this one down.

-Oh, dear, this is not a good start.

-They're going to struggle.

I suppose I've got to put my neck in the noose and say they possibly won't sell.

We'll have a good crowd here and we'll do our best.

It's not big bucks but it certainly is big fun. Jane and Gordon's continental cake decorations,

which Mark has put a value of £30 to £40 on. We've got a £20 reserve,

a little bit of discretion as well. They're here to go.

But they have been causing a stir.

-Really?

-Yes, they have!

-Oh, wow!

People have been picking them up and looking at them. That's positive. Happy?

-Yes.

-And all the money is going to charity, I believe?

-Yes, yes.

Can you tell us what charity?

-We're going to support Martlets, our local hospice.

-Martlets?

-Yeah.

-OK, it's a hospice.

-Yeah.

-And where is this?

-It's in Hove now but, you know,

-they always need money.

-They need lots and lots of money.

Let's hope we can raise some money to help you.

I think they're rather fabulous.

-Yes, they are.

-But how do you value them?

I think you've done a pretty good job.

So we'll see what happens.

-Mark's looking rather sheepish.

-I am.

-A bit reticent.

Let's find out, shall we? This is it.

Lot 290 is the group of 1920s, 1930s cake decorations.

Continental lot, there's 18 in there. Dancers and bears, musicians.

What are we going to say, £30?

-30 for them. 20, then. Thank you.

-Yes! We're in.

-We've got £20 there.

-We've sold them!

-£25, the gent.

30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60.

-Goodness!

-Lady seated, at £60 if you're all done. 60, I'm selling.

£60! That's unbelievable, isn't it?

-They really did like them.

-That's fantastic!

£60 towards the charity. Good luck and I hope you raise lots of money as well in the future.

Is it going to be cheers all round?

According to what Nick said, Harry and I might be in a bit of trouble right now.

Our two glasses, the tumblers, the Victorian tumblers,

Nick found out it was literally the last drop,

but he thinks they're going to struggle.

-We had a chat with him earlier and you know what he said - the lower end if at all.

-If at all.

-Yeah.

-I'm not really bothered, anyway.

I knew that. I said to him £75 a glass, I think is cheap.

We've got a fixed reserve of 150. If they don't sell for that, you're better off taking them home.

That'll save me buying two more, won't it?

But let's not think pessimistically.

Look, the room is absolutely jam-packed full of bidders.

Let's hope they find them just as interesting as I did because they are unique.

You can't buy them anywhere else!

I was just curious what they actually were,

why somebody would have a hanging man.

It's just a bit tongue in cheek.

You finish the glass and there you are, there's the last drop.

So it makes sense, doesn't it?

Is this the last straw, Harry's thinking, is this the last straw?

-I wonder.

-It is the last straw, yes.

We're going to find out right now because they're going under the hammer.

Got a nice pair of tumblers here.

Mid-19th century, nicely engraved, good glassware. 100 the pair.

80 bid, thank you, I'll start at £80, £80 I'm offer, £85,

90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125.

-Is that 140? Thank you, 140, 150, 150, 160.

-They're sold.

Just got away on that one.

£150, anyone else coming in?

150, are you sure? 150, I'm selling.

We sold them!

I can't believe it!

-Don't think you can either.

-Well, I had every faith in them

but he said... Just before the sale, I had a chat to Nick

and he said, "They're gonna struggle."

Fashions have changed, nobody's buying glass.

You've got a room full of people here

and half a dozen people really fancied them so it just goes to show

it's so hard to put a value on things.

-And nobody's getting hung nowadays.

-Nobody's getting hung nowadays!

So they won't make any more!

Something for all you dog lovers right now.

It's a pastel of a cocker spaniel with a valuation of £200 to £300 and it belongs to Mick here.

Quality! Are you a dog lover?

I am, yeah, I like dogs.

-Do you have dogs?

-No, I don't.

I just think this captures the cocker spaniel so beautifully.

-It put a smile on my face.

-Oh, it did.

It's got that lovely "come and get me" eyes that a spaniel has.

The begging, sort of doe eyes, but has it got that "come and get me" price, too?

It's a female artist, she's quite well known, it's got a lovely provenance,

it's got the original exhibition label and price on the back of it.

So it's got everything going for it. It just depends whether

there are some dog lovers like you and I out there, Paul.

Why are you selling this, Mick?

I've changed the decor a little bit.

A picture of Wellington Bowl has replaced the dog.

Fair enough, OK. Let's find out what our bidders think, shall we?

The cocker spaniel study.

100 for it. 80, then.

50 for the cocker spaniel.

I think you'll be taking it home.

-It's not selling.

-No, it's not.

55, 60, 65, 70.

Ah, we're slowly in, it's slowly climbing.

-Come on, give this doggy a home.

-85, 90, 95, 100, 110, 120.

-Come on! Yes, this it good.

-130. 130. Unsold.

-Unsold, I'm afraid.

-Mick.

Obviously, the dog lovers weren't here!

They weren't, were they?

I'm the only one and I'm not allowed to buy.

-It's going home. There's another day in another saleroom, though.

-Yeah.

It's a lovely thing.

Make sure you look after it and put it back in another sale.

If I said Geoffrey Baxter, you know what's coming up next.

It's the Whitefriars, a little collection we've got

-that you've put together - wedding present.

-Yes.

Bruce and Teresa, and Catherine, you've put £100 to £150 on this.

-Little bit of damage, just might hold them back.

-Just on the... What's that one called?

-The coffin vase.

-That's the one the damage is on.

There's a little bit of damage, which is a shame,

but the main piece is the bricklayer.

-We should get it away.

-I think it should be top, hopefully.

-Fingers crossed.

-It was a wedding present.

-It was a wedding present.

-Yeah, 40 years married.

-Have you kept many other wedding presents?

-No, only this one.

This is the last to go! Yes, oh, she's the best one, isn't she?

Lot 80, some Whitefriars there.

A drunken bricklayer and a coffin vase.

Two items, both Whitefriars. Where are we going to start? 75.

-85!

-85 offered, 90 new bidder, 95, 100, 110 with you?

-110 seated, £110 seated.

-Oh, it's going up.

£120, this lady standing. New bid at £130, thank you, madam.

£130 in front of me.

-Got £130.

-£130. That's good.

£140 I'm bid here, another new bidder at £140.

-At £140, you all done?

-£140!

-£140, I'm selling.

-That's good.

-Are you happy with that?

-Wonderful, yes, thank you very much.

-So, how are you going to treat yourselves?

-We're going to...

-you say.

-I've got an old school friend in Canada, and her daughter's

getting married, so we're going to spend it, take the money with us and take it towards a trip to Canada.

-That is fantastic!

-The trip of a lifetime.

-Yes, yes.

-Well, we have been before.

-You have been?

-I love the place, love it! It's brilliant.

Well, enjoy it, won't you?

-Yes, thank you very much. Thank you very much

-A second honeymoon!

-Yes!

-Sorry?

-Thank you, Catherine.

-Oh, thank you very much.

-I think we're too old for that!

Just along the coast from Brighton is Shoreham-by-Sea,

a town sometimes considered a bit of a poor relation

to its much more glamorous neighbour. It's surprising

to find out that between 1914 and 1923,

Shoreham beach was described as the British Hollywood!

Now, looking at these deserted beaches,

it seems an unlikely location for one of Britain's premier film studios,

but back in 1914, the beach was home

to one of the greatest collections of theatrical talent outside London.

Actors, set makers, costume designers and everyone working in the busy summer season in Brighton

lived here in a ramshackle collection of caravans, sheds and old railway carriages.

They sort of gravitated here for the summer - it became the place to hang out.

It even had a name - Bungalow Town.

And to find out why, I've come to talk to Helen Poole from the Marlipins Museum.

Helen, so why did they gravitate here?

Well, it all started with a famous musical star

by the name of Marie Loftus, who was performing

in Brighton in 1900 and she came over here, to Shoreham, to have a look around and she fell in love

with the place and she decided to set up a bungalow here,

-and from then on, all kinds of people came along.

-When did the film-making start?

Well, it started about the same time as the First World War ironically.

They started over in the Shoreham Fort, which is just by the entrance to the harbour,

and it was then in the hands of F L Lyndhurst, the grandfather of the famous Nicholas Lyndhurst.

-Yes.

-And he and a colleague set up a film company and built a film studio here and it was

a very large glass building, about 75 feet by 45 feet,

and they built all kinds of other buildings around it -

there was a bit joiner's shop and there was accommodation for the stars and it was quite a complex.

As there was no artificial lighting in those days, all films had to be shot in daylight.

Also, the air in Shoreham was remarkably free of pollution, smoke

and fog, which meant there were more days to film, so at its height, five to six feature-length films

were produced here, in Shoreham Studios, over the summer months.

And attracted by these qualities, in 1920 the studio was taken over by Progress Films, which had a prolific

output doing what the British film industry does best - making adaptations of classic novels.

They did Dickens and Hardy. They did The Mayor Of Casterbridge,

which was really interesting because Thomas Hardy himself, who was the ripe old

-age of 81 at the time, got involved, watching the filming.

-Pity he didn't take part.

-Exactly!

That would have been great fun, and he was absolutely thrilled to bits with the way they'd filmed it,

-and it was quite a bit of kudos for the local people to have that involvement.

-Yes.

-Have any of the films survived?

-Some of them survived in small pieces. We have some of Little Dorrit

and happily we've got quite a bit of The Mayor Of Casterbridge.

DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS

What happened to it eventually? How did its demise come about?

Well, in 1923,

the two cameramen, Stanley and Arthur Munford were coming home

from Shoreham one night, and it was quite a cold night and they got their hot water bottles and went to bed,

and then suddenly realised they were a lot hotter than they should be, and there was a fire and with great

presence of mind, they removed all the film which they'd been storing under their bed,

which was risky to say the least, and hotfooted it out in time to put the fire out.

Then, after that, the heart went out of the business,

and the American film industry was doing so much better than we were,

which is sadly a story that's persisted.

Well, it looks very different nowadays, doesn't it?

Is there anything left to see?

Sadly almost nothing, because in 1940 there was a directive from the government that the whole beach

had to be cleared, because they were frightened of invasion. This happened all down the Sussex coast,

but here all the bungalows were scrapped,

and the big buildings went, and the area was cleared in a fortnight.

Happily, a recent discovery has shed new light on this important part of the history of British film-making.

Photographs, newspaper cuttings and scripts relating to the Shoreham film industry

have been found amongst the belongings of Mavis Clare,

daughter of Progress Films' managing director and young star of The Mayor Of Casterbridge.

They were discovered by Gillian Gregg, Mavis's daughter, who's come to Shoreham's Marlipins Museum

so we can watch the film together and chat about her mother.

It must be really special for you seeing that. Your mum was so young there - how old was she?

She was 16, but it was so exciting for me to discover

that this short version of The Mayor Of Casterbridge still existed,

and to watch my mum, at the age of 16, playing the part of Elizabeth was a very special moment for me.

-Oh, it must be.

-And it was very moving and very emotional, it was a little bit of magic really.

Did your mother tell you stories about what life was like in Bungalow Town

as you were a young child growing up?

Sadly she didn't really, no, she never really told me many stories at all.

She never seemed to want to talk about it.

I did ask her if there were any films in existence, because I'd dearly love to see them,

but was very disappointed when she told me that sadly they'd all be burnt in a fire.

So it was never really mentioned again, but the memories obviously meant a great deal

to her, because she kept this wonderful record and collection of memorabilia,

which was put away for over 50 years.

Boxed, literally, and then obviously you inherited it.

And then I inherited it and I've had it boxed up for over 20 years

and suddenly I found a great deal more out about the days of the filming in Shoreham.

Do you wish you'd asked your mother a bit more about it?

I do now, I do regret that I didn't ask her a lot more about it and get

her to talk about it, because she never really raised the subject.

Isn't it sad that sometimes we find out a bit too late, you know, we never talk about it at the time,

but if anybody is watching this and they do have any information or memorabilia attached to the film

industry down here, in Shoreham, we'd like to know or get in touch with the Marlipins Museum.

I would like to say that it's an absolute delight, great to be here in Shoreham, talking to you

-and reliving those memories once again.

-Thank you.

Well, it's been a real treat coming here today and looking at this beach.

Who could have imagined it had such wonderful stories to tell?

Back in Brighton, our experts are busy putting a value on the family heirlooms

brought into our valuation day. First up, it's Catherine with something off the wall.

Barbara, I love this Black Forest coat hook you've brought along.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-A very nice piece. Where did you get it from?

-It came with house and contents.

-Right.

In 1971. It's been in the loft ever since, 30 years.

So you moved into the house and you saw this?

-That was on the wall.

-And you didn't like it?

-I loved it, but it's out of place.

-It doesn't go in your home?

-Not at all.

-It's actually carved out of walnut and it's beautifully and quite intricately carved.

We can see here all these wonderful alpine flowers and these two lovely birds which are perched on the top,

but as I'm looking across it I can see that there is

-quite a bit of damage, quite a few of the leaves have been broken off.

-Yes, that's right.

Parts of the wood are exposed, so you would expect there to be some damage,

but you can still see its overall appeal, and I think a collector will just go for the rustic charm of it.

-Really?

-And I think it will appeal to many collectors today.

Now, value-wise, do you have any idea what it's worth?

I don't have a clue, don't have a clue, truly.

-Black Forest is very popular, lots of items do come up for auction and do command quite high prices.

-Really?

And I'd like to see this in an auction at around...

let's say £80 to £120.

Really? Gosh! Very good.

-Perhaps with a £60 reserve?

-Lovely.

-How does that sound?

-That's ideal.

So, if it did make that money, what would you put the money towards?

-For that amount I would take my daughter out for several lunches.

-How kind you are, what a kind mummy!

Let's hope it commands the higher end of that, and then you can take her for a nice gourmet dinner.

-I'll see you at the auction, thank you.

-Thank you.

-Hello, Sarah.

-Hello.

Thank you very much for coming to visit us in Brighton. You've brought this nice piece of jewellery.

-Yes.

-Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Well, it was a gift when I was about 10 or 11, from my godmother,

and it's sort of stayed in the box ever since. I don't really like it

that much, but I am intrigued by it, cos it hasn't got any marks on it.

Let's have a look at the piece, because you wouldn't expect to find hallmarks necessarily

on jewellery of this age,

because it's one of the oldest pieces of jewellery that I've seen on the show,

-because it dates to the early part of the Victorian period.

-Right.

-1840, 1845, something like that.

But that's a typical type of setting for that period.

It will be gold and probably 14 carat or something like that.

-Right.

-Then we've got a very simple row of pearls round there and then

-three central garnets, one of which unfortunately is slightly damaged.

-Yeah.

-And then just a little slight bit of reeding on the shank there, around the rim.

-Right.

And it's quite a decorative piece.

-Not a particularly commercial piece for wearing.

-Right.

It's not the sort of jewellery that somebody wants to wear now.

-No.

-Because it's quite an old-fashioned setting.

-It is, yes.

-And tiny, isn't it?

-Tiny fingers.

-Yes, yes.

Having said all that, you've had it for a number of years.

-Yes, quite a few, yes.

-And why have you decided to sell it now?

Well, I've always thought about getting it valued and then I knew

-Flog It were in town, so I though I'd bring it along.

-Wonderful.

-Yeah.

It's nice to see a nice honest early piece of jewellery, but unfortunately the value doesn't reflect that.

-I mean, there are collectors for it, but I suppose, at auction, that's worth around £100 or so.

-Oh, right.

-Something like that.

-Mmm.

-Does that surprise you?

-Yeah, I thought it might be less than that actually.

-Oh, I wish I'd said that now.

I suppose it would be sensible to put a reserve slightly lower than that,

-maybe around the £90 mark, something like that, to protect it.

-Right.

And hopefully on the day, you know, two or three people will want it and it might sail away a bit.

-OK, hopefully.

-How do you feel about that?

-That would be fine.

And if you did sell it, what would you put the money towards? Another piece of jewellery?

Probably, yes, cos I do like jewellery and rings, but not that one.

Betty, thank you very much for coming along to Flog It and bringing along your beautiful Shelley coffee set.

-Now, tell me, where did you get this from?

-It did belong to my mother to begin with

-and then it came through to me.

-Right, OK, so you inherited it?

-I inherited it, yes.

-It is rather beautiful - is it something that you like and you enjoy?

Well, it just sits in the cabinet, it's never been used,

and so I thought I'd bring it along to Flog It.

I mean, I must say it does look to be in absolutely perfect condition.

I really can't see any major damage or cracks, so I don't think

it does look like it's ever been used, which is a bit of shame.

If we turn over one of the pieces, we can see on the bottom

that it's got the name of Shelley, and it's a lovely porcelain coffee set.

What's wonderful about it is that it's got these wonderful pointed handles, they point downwards.

This shape is actually known as the Vogue pattern, but, as you can see,

these handles are sort of filled in and they are rather difficult to hold, and if you've got a hot cup

of coffee, you don't want it to slip out of your hands.

Now, because of this, the shape was impractical, and they then moved on to a different-shaped handle

where it did have the hole through, and this was known as the Mode shape.

I'm not sure about this traditional flower pattern, I just think it's a rather strange

mixture of a very angular, Art Deco trendy shape, and then we've got this very traditional painted pattern.

-Now, do you have any idea of how much it would be worth at auction?

-I think maybe £100, £150.

Well, Shelley is very collectable, and I would probably put this in

-at around £200 to £300, how does that sound?

-Yes, that sounds fine.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes, certainly.

I think we should probably put a reserve on of about £180, but I can see it doing £200 plus at auction.

-Yes.

-So, if it does make a good price, what would you do with the money?

-I haven't decided yet...have to see what it does make at auction first, won't we?

-We will indeed!

-Let's hope it makes the higher end and you can buy yourself something special.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you for coming, and fingers crossed.

I'm certainly hoping for something special at auction.

Let's remind ourselves of what we're taking with us.

Will Catherine be proved right?

Will the collectors get hung up on the rustic charms of the Black Forest coat hook?

The garnet and pearl ring is a nice example of early jewellery,

but is it too old-fashioned to sparkle in the eyes of today's bidders?

And the Shelley coffee set is in perfect condition,

but the strange mix of styles might leave the room lukewarm.

Back at the auction, there are plenty of paintings on offer, and one in particular has caught my eye.

I like this.

I know it's a love/hate thing, art, and probably you're all laughing

your faces off, but there's something about this woman.

I know she's a bit austere and a bit serious. It's typical 1920s,

but I love the pinks, I love that sort of coral-y colour. It's quite striking.

It reminds me of Augustus John, you know, sort of the Bloomsbury set,

it's got that kind of feel about it, and I think it's well executed.

It's not signed. It's an oil on canvas and it's catalogued at £100,

and I've talked to a few of the production team

and they've laughed and said it's probably a couple of quid from a charity shop,

but I can see a value of £100 there and I could see that on my wall.

That's a good, bold brushstroke, a nice broad brush, put on

with confidence and, well, she's not exactly beautiful, but I like it!

Betty, Shelley always sells well.

It's done us proud in the past on Flog It, and I'm pretty sure it's going to do well today, Catherine.

£200 to £300 for this coffee set. It's in immaculate condition. You've never used it, have you?

No, I don't think it's ever been used at all.

The only thing that worries my slightly... It is in mint condition. ..is its contemporary shape -

it's got the angular Art Deco form - but it's a traditional pattern.

If it had a jazzier, more cubic pattern, you'd get a bit more money for it?

-Good luck, Betty. I'm pretty sure we're going to sell this and get some money for it.

-Good.

-Here we go.

Nice Art Deco 15-piece coffee service. What are we going to say?

-£100 to start me.

-Yes, sir!

£100 I'm bid, thank you. £100 offered, any advance at £100?

I'll take £105. £110 with you. £110 I've taken.

£120 now, £130, £140, £150, £160, £170,

£180. £180, on my right.

At £180, anyone else coming in?

At £180, I'm bid on the Shelley.

All done, you're sure? £180 with you, sir.

£180, the hammer's gone down, Betty.

-Yes.

-Happy?

-Yes, I am, yes, thank you very much.

It would have been nice

to make a little bit more - just pinched it, didn't we?

What are you going to put the money towards?

I don't know, I think I might invest in some Premium Bonds and make it a bit bigger.

That's a good idea, actually.

This is real quality, Sarah. I don't know why you're selling it.

-It's a lovely mourning ring, early Victorian, we've got a value of £100 to £150.

-Yes.

-Why are you selling it?

-Well, it's just that it's not a style I like very much -

it's quite old-fashioned - so I've never worn it. So, it's time for it to go.

-You've brought your daughter along, haven't you?

-Yes.

-What's her name?

-Joanne.

-..Joanne, hello.

-Hi. Doesn't she want to wear it?

-No, not her style.

-Not her style.

-More into bling.

-Got to have bling in Brighton.

-Do you have bling? You live in Brighton.

I do live in Brighton, but I'm very shy and reserved, as you know.

Bling-free.

Let's hope we get the top end of the estimate, OK? Good luck.

The Victorian mourning ring,

dated 1840 or thereabouts, with garnets and pearls.

Pretty little ring. Shall we say...£100 for it?

Thank you, £100 for it.

-Yes!

-Yes, please.

£100 it is then on my right.

£110, £120, £130,

£140, £140. On the right at £150, new place.

£160, £170, £180.

At £180, you're all out.

180!

-We're playing darts now. How about that?

-That's great!

Really good. What are you going to do with £180?

I'll probably put it towards another ring.

Some bling for your daughter.

No, for me!

You remember that oil painting I spotted earlier that I thought

looked very Bloomsbury school, sort of Augustus John-ish?

Well, it's just about to come under the hammer.

I'm going to have a little bid on this one and probably go up to about £150, £160 or £170.

It's catalogued at £80 to £100. I hope I get it

within the catalogue estimate, but you know what auctions are like.

You've played the game - let's see how this one goes.

450D, the unframed portrait.

£100 for it.

-£80.

-Thank you, a miserable start, but £80 it is.

-Here we go.

£85, £90, £95, £100,

£110, £120.

£120. On the chair at... Bidder?

£130, £140,

£150, £160, £170,

£180, £190.

At £190 with the distinguished gentleman.

Got it! Sold! Sold to me!

The ugly woman is sold to me! Oh!

I'm so happy. I promised myself £180 and I kind of, well, got it.

This could be lunch out, Barbara and her daughter, or it could be

a short weekend break away,

depending on how much we get for the Black Forest carved coat hook. I love it!

-I love it! I love it!

-It's got you written all over it, hasn't it?

-It has! Yes, it has.

Beautifully carved. There's a little bit of damage, but that shouldn't put people off.

-Little weekend away - where do you fancy?

-Isle of Wight.

-Isle of Wight?

-Providing the weather's nice.

-OK.

We'll do our best, it's going under the hammer right now.

Nice bit of Black Forest carving there, the walnut coat rack.

Always popular, start me at £200.

-Yes, sir!

-£200 bid, thank you.

-Yes!

Did you hear that? He said, "Start me £200,"

-and someone went, "Yes, sir!"

-No!

-Yes!

-£240 now!

-£260, £260 I've taken.

New bidder at £270.

£300 offered, thank you. At £300.

-Any advance?

-They don't mind the damage.

-It's good, isn't it?

-£300 all done?

Well, that was short and sweet.

£300, almost straight in and straight out.

-Barbara, the Isle of Wight, here you come.

-And Deborah.

-And Deborah.

-My daughter.

Your daughter, Deborah. Deborah, you're going to the Isle of Wight!

Thumbs up from Deborah!

Brilliant result, thank you very much. Lovely item.

-Well done. Thank you, Barbara.

-Thank you.

-Beautiful item.

Well, that's it for another day, and all I can say is, what a wonderful

time we've had here by the seaside, and, do you know what, I can't wait to come back to the south coast.

All credit to our experts, they've worked incredibly hard and so too have our two auctioneers.

And of course, I've got my oil painting. Some say she's ugly, but, do you know what, I love her!

Can't wait to take her home, so until the next time, it's cheerio.

For more information about Flog It, including how the programme

was made, visit the website at bbc.co.uk/lifestyle.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]