Isle of Wight Flog It!

This has got to be the perfect way to travel to a valuation day, on the famous Gypsy Moth IV.

I'm going to tell you a bit more about this historic vessel later,

but right now it's off to the marina, just over there.

Welcome to Flog It! from the Isle of Wight!

The waters around the Isle of Wight are a haven for water sports enthusiasts and beginners alike.

Windsurfing, kayaking and kite surfing are just

some of the popular sports that people flock to this island for.

Then, of course, there's sailing.

The regatta that takes place every year in Cowes now claims

to be the biggest international yachting event in the world.

And diving into the crowd today at our nautical location, the Cowes Yacht Haven, are our two experts,

Kate Bateman and Will Axon, hoping to navigate their way to all

the quality items and avoiding all the tat!

And the crowds are flooding into place with items of all shapes and sizes.

But who'll have the gems that will be whisked off to auction?

Here's a clue as to what's coming up.

Joan shows off her celebrity friends and Sue's little bowl creates an emotional roller coaster.

First, there's good news.

39p? That was a good buy!

Then there's bad.

There's a hairline crack just there.

But starting us off today is Will. He's a little baffled

about how Fiona and Eileen got hold of these boys' toys.

Who do these belong to and why have you brought them along to us today?

They belong to my partner, Clive.

He's at work so he's asked us to come along.

This is Eileen, Clive's mother.

OK. So you brought the mother-in-law!

-I did.

-You're both most welcome, and you've brought with you today some Matchbox Series toys.

-These are things that your partner had as a child?

-Yes.

They're in very good condition.

He's had them boxed up, has he, in the loft?

-They've been boxed up in my loft.

-Has he got his own loft to fill up?

-Yes.

-But you let him fill yours up!

I've still got all the rest of his toys boxed up in my loft.

Let's go back to what you've brought in today.

These are Lesney Matchbox Series.

When you first think of, say, toys and die-cast cars particularly, you think of Dinky, don't you?

That's the main manufacturer and they're the most collected.

But Lesney was a firm that was set up in the late '40s, really in competition with Dinky.

They really hit

the sort of peak when they produced in 1952

a scale model of the Coronation coach.

It was such a success that it prompted them

to bring out this series, the Matchbox Series.

The whole idea was you've got miniature scale models and they were presented in these cardboard boxes.

Have you any idea of value? Has your partner had them valued in the past?

-No.

-You don't remember what you paid for them originally?

No. Shillings and pence.

Well, for this little group here...

What have we got? We have the fire station in its box, which is nice.

And the fire station itself looks to be in very good condition.

You've got four various fire vehicles at the front, together with their four boxes,

which again are in reasonable condition, fair condition.

If I said to you I suspect they're going to

be worth in the region of £60-£100 at auction, would that surprise you?

Is that something you thought they might be worth?

-Didn't think about it at all, to be honest.

-Really?

You just want them out of the loft, don't you?

OK. Shall we reserve them at £50 just to protect them?

-That would be good, yes.

-Let's reserve them at £50.

What's the reason? Is it your partner who's decided to sell these or is it you?

Or perhaps Eileen.

It's Clive who decided to get shot of them.

We're hoping to move soon so we haven't got the space.

So you've gotta move. You can't take them with you.

Eileen, you want them out of your loft,

so you brought them to Flog It! today. That's what we're here for!

-Thank you.

-Fingers crossed.

Mike, it's good to see you. You look like a seafaring chap.

Well, I was.

-Living on land now?

-Living on land now.

What have we got here?

An aneroid barometer

and a ship's clock.

They were given

to my godfather, who was Captain Angus George Brown.

Right, OK.

You have here his master's ticket, which is the equivalent of a...

-Driving licence.

-Yes.

That's a copy of it.

It's fairly unique because on the

extreme left-hand side it also states that Captain Brown

is entitled to act as the skipper of a square-rigged sailing vessel.

Not only of a motor vessel but of a sailing vessel.

-That's right.

-He was a good seaman.

Fantastic.

Excellent. This is dated 1913.

That's when he got his ticket.

Is it plausible that these two bulkhead instruments have come from...?

Came from a yacht that he served on as a captain.

-Which yacht, do you think?

-I suspect it was the Jeannette, owned by Sir Harry Livesey.

What a lovely piece of history.

Also, what quality instruments!

Absolute quality. Let's look at the eight-day clock.

Made by Negretti and Zambra of London.

They started making these instruments around the 1850s.

They were known back then in their catalogues as, "philosophical instruments".

Obviously for the academic!

They're beautiful instrument makers.

Rich man's instruments.

Very expensive in their day.

-Renowned worldwide.

-Absolutely.

How much have you spent on this? You had it restored.

-97 quid.

-It means a lot to you.

-Have you been using this as a clock in the house?

-Yes.

It was on the boat and, when I went ashore, it's been my main timepiece.

Aww, how lovely.

Also, a matching size, a ship's barometer, bulkhead barometer.

It's really nice to have the pair together.

Are you sure you want to part with these?

Yes, I do. I'm 80 now.

Time is getting slightly shorter.

I'd hate these just to go anywhere.

-And when I snuff it, they will go anywhere.

-Don't talk like that!

That's why I'm here today.

I hope they stay on the island actually.

-I hope they will.

-Value.

Can we put them into auction as a pair with the ticket, copy of the ticket, with a value of £200-£300?

-Yep.

-Fixed reserve at 200.

-Fixed reserve.

-Yes? I know you've spent a bit recently.

Spent exactly half that.

So £200-£300, fixed reserve at £200.

Whoever buys them will get a bit of provenance because we know what vessel they came off.

And both instruments are still working perfectly.

All credit to such a good maker.

So. David and Judith, you've brought me

a sweet little piece of Clarice Cliff. What's its history?

Well, it was my mother and father's.

They kept it under the stairs.

What?!

I was working away at the time and one day Judith called in on them when they were preparing to move.

She just had it in her hand and she said, "D'you want this?

"Otherwise it's going in the bin."

I thought, "I'm sure that's Clarice Cliff."

Looked at the bottom and it said it was?

Yes, so we've had it for 25 years.

-Do you use it?

-I don't like it.

It must run in the family!

Well, I quite like it.

There are plenty of collectors that do.

Let's just take the lid off.

It's a sugar bowl, with sugar nips for your sugar lumps.

It's quite strange to have metal on top of the ceramic.

You'd think it would damage it but it doesn't seem to have made a lot of difference.

There are a few chips on the rim, but that's more to do with the thickness of the paint.

It tended to always be very thick and chip anyway.

So we see this on pieces that haven't got metal on.

It's quite a sweet little thing.

Obviously on the bottom you've got the Clarice Cliff marks.

"Bizarre Fantasque", which is the series for Newport Pottery.

The design is hand-painted.

It's the oranges and lemons pattern.

For an estimate, I'd probably say somewhere between £80 and £120.

Is that the sort of figure you'd be happy to get?

I wouldn't like to see it go for less than 100.

You could reserve at 100 and put an estimate at £100-£150, if you like.

That means obviously if it doesn't reach £100, it's not sold.

-You'd be happy with that?

-Yes.

-We'll put it into the sale. Ever been to an auction before?

-No.

First-timers - brilliant!

It'll be exciting anyway, whether it goes or not.

I think it should go, so I'll see you there.

Looking forward to it. Thank you.

Well, Miriam, thank you for coming along today to Flog It! here on the Isle of Wight.

Tell me, are these both yours? Have you been engaged twice, perhaps?

No. This one is my mother's engagement ring

and she unfortunately died many years ago.

This is my engagement ring.

But unfortunately my fingers have got somewhat fat

and I don't carry it. The idea is that my two nieces will inherit the rings,

but really and truly, they're not that interested.

They've got their own rings. Now, if we can do it this way,

I can just split the whole thing and they get whatever there is each.

Well, that's quite a sensible way to do it, isn't it?

Because, I suppose value-wise

they're going to be in a similar ballpark figure as rings.

I'll just get my loop out of my pocket here so I can have a closer look.

-Let's take this one. This is the one that belonged to your mother.

-Yes.

So, if we have a look at this. This is a nice sort of flower-set

diamond ring, of course, as you probably know.

These look like nice clean stones in this flowerhead setting.

And the ring itself is gold.

So if I have a look here for the hallmark,

it should tell me that it's 18 carat gold.

And your mother's engagement date was...?

1929.

Got the receipt to prove it.

Of course, you've brought along the original receipt for that ring.

This is from a jeweller's in London and we can see 10 and five paid in 1929.

I was really pleased to find that, actually.

Was it something you just came across?

It was amongst all their papers when we cleared them out after they died.

So that's nice. We've got that. And then we move on to yours.

-And you were engaged in...?

-1959.

You're very good with all your dates. Well done.

This is now a solitaire diamond, this one here, in a claw setting

with these sort of pierced shoulders there. And it's platinum.

It's on a platinum ring.

Quite different, though they are both diamond rings.

Have you got an idea of what you think they might be worth?

Well, for insurance purposes, they were valued at £500 each.

But I'm quite sure that they're probably nearer £150-£200.

-Something like that.

-I think you're spot on.

I mean, I could have handed it over to you from the start.

I think around £150 each is about right.

-You want them to sell, don't you?

-Yes.

So if you put them at £200-£300 for the two,

I think they're bound to find buyers

and hopefully £300 plus would be the plan.

Sort of money you would be happy to sell them at, do you think?

Yes, I think so.

See you on the day and fingers crossed for you, Miriam. Well done.

So now it's time to head off to the auction room.

Here's a quick reminder of what's cruising into the sale.

Clive is ready to let go of his childhood by putting this Matchbox fire station and trucks up for sale.

They were brought in by his wife and mother, who are also happy to see them go.

You're not interested. You just want them out the loft, don't you?

Judith stopped her in-laws binning this sugar bowl, not because she liked it,

but because of the Clarice Cliff name.

And I think this little pot deserves an appreciative owner.

And local boy, Michael, was keen to tell me all about the life

of the ship's clock and barometer that he got from his godfather.

I suspect it was a Jeannette and it was owned by Sir Harry Livesey.

I estimated £200-300 for these fascinating pieces of local maritime history.

And completing our first catch are these gold and platinum diamond engagement rings.

Any money raised will be split between Miriam's two nieces.

For today's sale, we've headed south on a very breezy day to Island Auctioneers in Shanklin.

And with our auctioneer, Warren Riches already on the rostrum,

it's time to see what will happen to the sugar bowl that nobody loved.

Judith and David are our next two owners

and possibly not for long because going under the hammer right now,

it's that all-time Flog It! favourite, Clarice Cliff.

I think it's here to sell, do you know that? £100-£150 now.

Are you a Clarice Cliff fan? Would you have it at home?

I'm not. I love it to go into a saleroom, but it's just not for me.

-I don't like that kind of thing myself.

-Nor me.

-But you like Troika.

-Yeah.

-Oh, I like Troika.

LAUGHTER

-Each to his own.

-It would be boring if we all collected the same stuff.

But there's lots of collectors who like it.

Millions of people love Clarice Cliff, and hopefully we've got

half a dozen here because it's about to go under the hammer.

Clarice Cliff Bizarre patterned sugar bowl with plated lid.

Showing at the back there.

Good condition. Someone start me at 75. 75 with Tim. 80, can I say?

80. And five. 90. And five. And 100.

And five.

It's 100. 100 at the back.

All done at 100?

A bid of £100 at the back of the room. All done and selling.

Just got it away.

Clarice didn't let us down, once again. We're all happy with that.

It's found a new owner. Someone's going to love it.

What are you going to do with £100?

Enjoy!

55 and 60 and five.

And 70.

Going under the hammer right now, two engagement rings.

They belonged to Miriam. One was yours and one was Mother's.

That's correct, yes. Mum's ring, I used to try on as a child.

Dressing up?

And I always swore it was going to be mine.

And then she had the effrontery to have it enlarged, so it didn't fit me any more, as a child.

Hey, that's clever. We've got £200-£300 on the rings.

That's right. There's two rings.

One's platinum, the other 18 carat solitaire diamond, decent sized stone.

-Sounds good value.

-Exactly.

Solitaire diamond ring, over a quarter of a carat, together with

-a nine stone cluster ring in an 18 carat setting.

-Here we go, Miriam.

130. 130.

140 anywhere?

130, 140, 150.

160. 160. 170. 170, 180.

-Yes!

-190.

-There's someone in the room, Miriam.

180. 190 anywhere? 180 then.

All done at 180. Selling at 180...

190 behind.

195? 190 then with the gentleman.

At 190, all done and selling at 190?

Yes, well they've gone. We just got them away. Well done, Will.

-Within estimate.

-Yeah, just.

That's all right. I'm quite happy with that.

Right, it's my turn to be the expert now and next up is the nautical clock and barometer.

Michael, thank you for bringing it along. £200-£300.

Fingers crossed we're going to get the top end of that because they are quality.

So hopefully they won't leave the island and they'll be re-used again.

-Even better.

-Here we go. Look.

It's going under the hammer now.

Negretti and Zambra eight day ship's clock

with separate second hand, together with a matching

compensated barometer.

And it's also with a certificate of competency.

-Nice lot. Someone start me at...?

-110.

-110 here. 120 anywhere? 120.

130. 140. 150. 160.

-170. 180.

-More!

190. And 200.

210.

It's 200 on the stairs.

210 anywhere? Selling at 200, on the stairs.

That's £200, less commission, of course,

but what will you put the money towards?

-Grandchildren, I suppose.

-Lovely.

-How many have you got?

-Five.

-Wow!

-How many have you got?

-None!

-Time yet.

Next up, we've got the Matchbox fire station and trucks. We've got that in the sale.

We've also got Eileen here, but unfortunately Fiona's missing.

-Where is she?

-She's working today.

-She couldn't get the day off.

-No.

-At least you can make it.

We've got Will, our expert. We're looking at £60-£100.

That's right. You brought them in on the valuation day.

They belong to your son, I believe, didn't they?

Fairly good condition,

so let's give them a go.

Matchbox series fire station, together with

the fire chief's car, his truck, another truck

and the chief's new model.

-Someone start me at £50.

-30.

30 here. And five. 40. And five. 50. And five. 60. And five. 70.

70 behind.

70 in your new place. And five.

80. And five. 90. And five.

100. 110. 120. 130.

-140. 150.

-Hey, this is good!

Selling at 150.

-£150.

-Fantastic!

That's good news, isn't it?

And you're definitely going to keep that then!

Well, listen, that was a really good price.

They've done really well here. They've got a few other toys in which is good.

Always brings the buyers in, but that's a great price.

-Really well done.

-I never expected that. That's terrific.

-Makes the rest left in your loft worth a bit more now, doesn't it?

-Thank you very much.

Well, how about that? So far so good.

That concludes our first visit to the auction room.

Before I head back to the valuation day to find some more antiques to put under the hammer,

I'm going to need one of these because I'm going to take a trip on a very special boat.

On 28 May 1967 Sir Francis Chichester, aged 65,

cruised into the history books, when he sailed into Plymouth Docks on Gipsy Moth IV.

He had just become the first person to sail solo around the world with only one port of call.

As well as breaking many records, this achievement turned him into a national hero.

Coming up - I get the chance to sail in that record-breaking yacht, the Gipsy Moth IV.

And this is the actual vessel which spent 226 days at sea on that epic historic voyage.

Sir Francis Chichester had a history of daring solo adventures.

As a young man, he crossed continents by plane as a pioneering aviator.

His interests moved from the sky to the sea and soon he was claiming many solo sailing records.

But it wasn't until he neared retirement that he set off

to circumnavigate the world solo in this very special boat.

The Gipsy Moth IV now resides in the Cowes Marina and that's where I caught up with Richard,

an experienced sailing instructor, who had sailed the Gipsy Moth many times.

Hi, Richard. Pleased to meet you.

-Can I come on board?

-Yeah, come on.

Before we could set sail, Richard was keen to fill me in on the amazing life

of this unique vessel

and how she could have ended up as scrap.

So, what was the story? How did she arrive here?

Well, when Sir Francis Chichester finished his round-the-world trip,

he donated the boat to the country, to the nation.

And she was then based in London, next to the Cutty Sark.

I saw her with my dad at Greenwich.

And she just fell into disrepair a bit and the trust that owned it

were looking for somebody to take the boat on,

so we bought the boat from them for £1 and a gin and tonic and then...

-She must have been bad.

-She was.

There was a hell of lot of rot.

You could pretty much stand here and see the ground underneath, right the way down through the boat.

Because she'd been sat there for a long time.

We spent about 300,000 on her to get her restored over six months.

Sir Francis had Gipsy Moth IV designed

specifically for the challenge, and she was built in Gosport.

She's an iconic yacht, using pioneering construction techniques

available in the 1960s,

combining traditional materials of wood

with the newest materials of the time, aluminium and plastic.

After four years of preparations,

the Gipsy Moth IV was ready to set sail.

Shall we take this opportunity to look at his living quarters?

Yeah, absolutely.

'The boat today still has many of the original features

'that allowed this large vessel to be sailed single-handedly.'

So he'd have read all his charts here?

Yeah. This is the chart table area, so what we have here

is a lot of the original instruments that he had on board.

This is his radio that he used to communicate with the rest of world.

So he would report in with that.

But there's a bit of a cheat in that we have a lot of modern equipment hidden away in here.

Now you've got GPS!

Yes, all mod cons.

This is a VHF radio which does a similar thing to what this does.

Was he in charge of the spec when this boat was being built?

Yeah, there was a lot of things that he got involved with

which maybe weren't so good, but the boat has got two loos

and has six berths.

His wife played quite a role in it as well.

She kind of had visions of using the boat as a cruising boat when they got back.

Oh, right. Which makes sense, really.

Yeah, she designed the galley area and all that sort of stuff.

Well, it is a decent sized galley. I mean, you could see yourself cooking here.

-I like the fact everything is on a gimble.

-It has to be at sea.

This is a good size.

There's quite a lot of room in here. For one person.

There's a lot of original features here.

This is the original Primus stove that runs off paraffin.

The galley layout is exactly the same.

These are all the original taps.

There's an interesting bit about this whole area here.

That wasn't there when we took the boat over.

What he actually had was a chair that he sat in and it gimbled like this,

so he could sit there with a little table and he had a barrel of beer underneath the floor.

-He made it home, didn't he?

-Yeah, absolutely.

Well, that was what life was like back then for Sir Francis Chichester,

but let's go back up on deck and talk about life today.

Well, she's not just a floating museum. You use her.

-What for?

-Absolutely. We use her all time.

She's based here at the UKSA and what we do is we do personal development through maritime training.

-It's an academy for sailing.

-We do a lot of youth work.

The main use for the Gipsy Moth was to go and take her around the world

with some of these younger people to experience the Sir Francis Chichester experience, which is now completed.

She's now based back in Cowes and we take her out chartering.

And we also use her with kids.

-That's so exciting. You must feel really proud of this vessel?

-Absolutely.

I know we can't put her on to sail today as it's a bit blowy, but can we at least have a potter?

Absolutely. I think what we'll do is just go out into the river

-and have a little cruise around and show you what she can do.

-OK.

We're under way.

-Do you want to have a steer?

-Yeah.

When Chichester neared retirement, he was diagnosed with cancer,

but that blow didn't dampen his adventurous spirit.

He began to plan a voyage of a lifetime.

To circumnavigate the world, single-handed.

Sir Francis Chichester set off from Plymouth on 27th August 1966.

Many thought he would fail.

In the 1960s, when it was almost unthinkable for anyone

to sail solo around the world, Chichester established the record

for the fastest voyage around the world by any small vessel with just one stop.

Gosh, just think, Sir Francis Chichester back in the '60s was doing this single-handed.

He broke the mould of what the a solo sailor could achieve

and threw down a gauntlet to future generations of sailors.

Many have taken up the challenge and, aided by technical advances,

the current record stands at 57 days, held by French sailor Francis Joyon.

Great feeling to think I'm actually at their helm of Gipsy Moth IV.

I never thought in my life I would be doing this.

After 226 days at sea, Gipsy Moth IV, with a defiant Chichester at the helm, sailed into Plymouth.

He'd done it!

Upon his return, Sir Francis Chichester was a national hero.

Newspaper reports from the day quote crowds of 250,000 turning up to welcome him home.

Sir Francis Chichester's epic voyage on Gipsy Moth IV

was a milestone in the history of world sailing

and definitely deserves a special place in all our hearts.

It's so fitting that Chichester's boat here still continues

to give future generations the experience on the sea, training sailors to follow where he led.

There's still plenty of action back on dry land

at the Cowes Yacht Haven,

where Kate's getting carried away with the fairies.

Sue, tell me what you've brought in.

This is a piece of Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre.

I bought it

10 years ago in a charity shop for 39p.

39p! That was a good buy!

-It certainly was.

-What possessed you?

It was just so pretty and I'd never seen anything like it before.

It was just so unusual.

Yeah, it's fantastic. I mean it's the word of the moment.

Fairyland Lustre, Wedgwood is the main proponent of that,

and it's transfer-printed, hand-painted and decorated in gold and it's really sweet.

I mean, you've got all these pixies and elves and gnomes and goodness knows what all over it.

And on the bottom you've got the name and the patent number.

So, Wedgwood. It's actually designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones,

who did this particular pattern and she's one of the more collectable people.

So, you liked it. Bought it in a charity shop. Do your family like it?

Well, my daughter will be very upset

because she always thought I was going to leave it to her.

But I think it's too nice just to sit in a box.

-Is that what you do with it? You don't display it? What a shame.

-In a cupboard.

-So you're happy to sell it. Any idea of value?

-Absolutely not.

It's not a piece of rubbish, but I don't know what it's worth.

I've had a look at it and a couple of the other valuers

have had a look at it and we can't decide on a price either.

Because nothing really similar has sold.

I'm going to go with my really conservative estimate, which I think is between £100-£150.

A reserve of perhaps £90, a bit of discretion for the auctioneer, so make it a discretionary reserve.

I'm hope I'm wrong and the other valuers are right, cos they value it a bit higher than I do.

But we'll let the auction decide. Are you happy to let it go?

-Not happy but...

-We'll wait and see. All right, fingers crossed.

Joan, what a wonderful selection you've brought in today to show us,

and I'm not going to pretend that I recognise these people that you've brought along,

but I do recognise one, and that's this chap here at the front.

Now, that Norman Wisdom, isn't it?

-That's right.

-Who's this beautiful companion of his?

-That's me.

No! Really? That was you and Norman?

Yeah, in the '50s.

-You were obviously quite close there.

-We were at a party.

At a party, excellent, and what was your job working in the shows?

I was in the wardrobe, and I was a dresser.

Right, so you had access to all the sort of backstage

and all the sort of changing of costumes, which can be quite hectic.

It is very hectic, yeah.

Looking down here,

you've got others of Norman here,

and again they're signed also.

Those at the front

are from the ice show.

Oh, yes, look,

they've got skates on as well,

and it's a camel on ice, and there's Norman at the front, look.

And again, is this also the ice show?

-What date was that, for example?

-That was in the '50s.

In the '50s, yes. This one here as well, we move on to...

Well, after I went to the ice show, I got a job at the London Palladium,

and Norman Wisdom got me a job there,

and did the variety shows, which was Johnnie Ray and...

That's where these programmes come from,

this is a Royal Performance

Variety Show programme.

And again you've collected a pile of photographs which are nearly all signed, aren't they?

-Most of them are, yes.

-Most of them are signed in pen, which is what you want as a collector.

And then I move over to here, this is different.

This is from the Cunard liners, the Queen Elizabeth.

That's right, the first one.

-And this one here.

-Yes, my brother was a steward on the boats,

and he got the autographs from Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Todd.

Well, I saw here, Elizabeth Taylor I know, Michael Todd is...

She was married to him before she was married to Richard Burton.

And then we've got Bill Haley on that one.

Bill Haley, that's a very sought-after signature as well as Elizabeth Taylor.

-Yeah.

-I would thank, value-wise, if we put a figure on the whole collection of £200-£300,

-would you be happy with that?

-Yes, I would.

-Yes?

-Yes, I would.

-Shall we put a reserve...on them?

-Yes, yes, please.

You'd like a reserve at that bottom figure - with a bit of discretion perhaps for the auctioneer?

So 200 with discretion. And is there any reason for selling them?

I mean, it's part of your life, isn't it?

Yes, but then it's not my children's memories, they don't want them.

They're not interested in them.

No, not really. So I thought I'd just have some money to...

And you're going to hold on to that one, aren't you? You should get that framed.

If that was my mum dancing with Norman Wisdom, I'd want a copy.

-Martin!

-Yes, Kate.

This painting caught my eye. Tell me a bit about it.

Well, it's a painting which my grandfather purchased in about the mid-1930s.

It was then handed to my father, and then it was handed to me,

and it's a painting which has actually survived the last war.

Right. What happened to it? It was bombed or...?

It was stored in a wardrobe on the third floor of a house,

and then the property was bombed.

The wardrobe and the frame were destroyed, and the picture survived.

Ah-ha! So, yeah, it's come a long way, and you've brought it here today, and what else do we know?

-It's got a signature, William Banks.

-William Banks.

And also there's a label verso, so you can just about read that.

You can read on the back, "The hero of the encounter by William Banks from Edinburgh,"

and it's about the late 1800s.

-Late, so 1890 something.

-1890, yes.

OK, and it's obviously these two cavaliers regaling this poor serving girl with their antics,

and he's drawn her a little picture about what's going on and how he defeated his enemy.

It's not great condition in the sense of the paintwork, there are some bubbling up bits.

But it also looks like it's been cleaned.

That's correct, yes. No, I had it professionally done.

It's a good job, I have to say, and if it's survived that long,

it's in pretty good shape for what's happened to it.

I mean, there's not very many areas of paint loss, it is just this area here with that raised section.

It's beautifully painted, if you look at the faces and the fabric

here, I mean, I love paintings, so this has really made my day.

Why do you want to sell it?

I have nowhere to put it, nowhere to display it properly.

-I would like to, but I have nowhere.

-It would go back in a wardrobe?

It would go in the wardrobe to store.

So what were your thoughts on price?

-About the...£250 for reserve and anything upwards.

-Upwards for that.

OK, so if we maybe put the estimate a little bit higher,

-sort of £300-£400 estimate and the reserve at 250 as a firm reserve, we'll try it at a sale.

-Yes.

'And as I keep an eye out for a gem,

'Will has already found a duo.'

So, Robin, you brought in two very different pieces

of Poole pottery for us. Are they both yours?

No. This one's mine and that one's my nephew's.

He's asked me to sell it. He lives on the mainland.

Oh, he lives on the mainland, not on the island.

-Not on the island. No.

-So he's come over on the ferry for us to have a look at and sell for him.

-Yes.

And you own this one here.

-I own this one here. Yes.

-OK. Well, let's have a look at them now.

This one's going to be the later example.

So we'll look at the earlier example here.

This is a typical Poole charger, typical colours.

Designed by Truda Carter.

And if we turn it over, let's have a look at the back which tells us more about it.

We can see here a rather interesting stencil. We've got W T L & S...

1939 and the date.

So I suspect that I've seen these before and these are chargers that

-have been produced and commissioned by a firm called Lamb & Sons.

-Yes.

These were pieces that they were having produced and stencilled on the back and given away as -

-shall we say? - corporate gifts.

-Yes.

How's it come to be in your nephew's hands?

Has he got a connection, perhaps, with someone who was presented this?

No. I believe he bought it at a boot sale.

Did he? Well, we hear that a lot on this programme.

Any ideas what he paid for it?

Wouldn't have been any more than about £50, I should imagine.

Well, you're suggesting that he may be a bit tight or a bit mean...

-Knowing Michael, yes.

-Really.

-Well, he's done well if he bought it for that.

-Yeah.

And we move on to this one here, the later Poole vase.

This one here, I don't know hardly anything about it.

-I found it in a skip.

-Did you?

-Yes.

You've done well cos I mean the condition looks good, as well.

It is. It's beautiful.

It's bright. It's brash.

It's this sort of flaming oranges and reds with this almost,

-It's almost like... They're like mistletoe leaves.

-It does look like that. Yes.

I think it's sort of mistletoe and then you've got the middle berries, that sort of thing.

-So there's going to be at least 50 years between them.

-Yeah.

-Same firm.

Do you have any idea which one's going to be worth more?

I'd imagine that one there is going to be worth more than this.

I mean, generally, when you're in this sort of business, the older the better...

unless you are talking about specific 20th century designers and signed pieces.

And what sort of value does your nephew expect it to be valued at?

-I don't really know.

-No.

-He just said, "Sell it."

-Did he?

-Yes.

-I might come in really low, then.

But I would say that the Poole charger, on its own,

is going to be worth in the region of £100-£150.

-Do you think he would give us the go-ahead with that?

-Yes.

-Good.

-And then the Poole vase which is your find...

-Yes.

..what I'd like to do is put it with the charger.

Makes an interesting lot. Two pieces, perhaps, for the price of one, so it's bound to find a buyer.

-Do you think he wants a reserve or shall we just let it make what it makes?

-Just what it makes.

Oh, he's my kind of guy. I like that. As an auctioneer, we like no reserve.

Puts a bit of pressure on me, though, cos I'm hoping it's not going to go for less than £100.

So it's down to what it's going to make on the day.

I predict 100-£150, but we shall see.

Come with me for just a few minutes up the road

to meet an award-winning artist whose paintings prove small IS beautiful.

The story of miniature paintings dates right back to the 1500s, but their popularity really flourished

in the 17th and 18th centuries when they became fashionable with the monarchy.

They were the photographs of the day and, traditionally, a king

would receive these small portable paintings from far and wide in order to choose a prospective wife.

Rumour has it that King Henry VIII was very pleased

by a miniature of Anne of Cleves, but when he met his fourth bride in the flesh,

the King felt that the royal artist had flattered Anne a little too much.

Painting miniatures is by no means a dying art.

I'm here, today, to meet Elizabeth Meek. Hi, Elizabeth.

-Hi, Paul.

-Great to see you.

'President of the Royal Miniature Society, she's been painting miniatures for over 20 years.

'But her career as an artist very nearly didn't happen.'

-Incredible. Really good. Big fan of your work.

-Thank you.

So, did you go to art school?

What made you become an artist?

As a child, I was just passionate about drawing all the time.

I spent most of my childhood drawing to the detriment of my schoolwork.

And I had said I wanted to go to art college but it was just not possible

so I went to be a nurse in London,

but I still had that need to draw and I spent all my off-duty days making

my colleagues sit down and sit for me so I could sketch them and draw them.

And finally, after about six years of nursing, I decided that I really did want to be an artist.

That was what was inside me, although I loved being a nurse,

so that's what I did and just taught myself and worked doggedly.

The detail is absolutely incredible.

You've obviously got great eyesight.

What attracted you to becoming a miniature portrait artist?

My drawings were always larger than paintings...

but always quite detailed. I've always gone for some more detailed work, that's just my natural bent.

And it just happened that I was in a bookshop one day and I saw a book on sale.

It was reduced from 45 to £5 and I just bought it cos I thought it would be a bargain.

And I was flicking through it, it was all about miniatures.

I'd never heard of miniatures.

Knew nothing about the history and it was from that moment,

I thought, "Gosh, I'd love to have a go at these."

And were you successful? Did it happen straightaway for you?

I discovered the Royal Miniature Society and within two years,

I was exhibiting with the Royal Miniature Society.

And then started winning awards pretty well after that.

After two years, you were winning awards!

I probably, overall, won about... I'm not quite sure, but about 20 awards for my miniatures.

-Unbelievable.

-Now I'm President of the Royal Miniature Society.

So having gone from a completely self-taught unknown,

I ended up being the President.

That is an incredible achievement, isn't it?

-Is a lot of your work now commission-based?

-Yes.

Most of my work is commission-based. It's my bread and butter.

I usually have a backlog of people waiting for me to do their commission.

And do most people want the portrait done in the traditional manner

like these in an old acorn frame, you know, head and shoulders?

It varies. Some people like to have the little ovals.

I can do slightly larger ovals.

-I can do rectangular.

-Three-quarter length.

-Whatever they want.

-Talk me through some of these because you've travelled a lot.

-I've travelled a fair bit.

Actually, this was the first miniature I ever did.

-Oh, really?

-Yes. I was in Rhodes and she was sitting right at the back of this sort of cafe place

selling old tablecloths and I just thought she had the most wonderful little old apple face.

-Oh, she has!

-Yeah.

-So round, but it's just so happy.

And just a really happy face and I just thought she was absolutely stunning.

So these two were actually in my first miniatures.

He was a swimming pool attendant where I used to go swimming.

-Incredible.

-This man was a very interesting man.

When I lived in London, he was always dressed in the most extraordinary clothes

and he was a great character, so I asked if I could do his portrait.

-You capture the very essence of the moment.

-That is the most important thing for me.

I don't want a photograph.

-I want to capture the personality and character.

-Yeah.

And when I'm doing my commissions, that for me, is absolutely imperative that I spend a bit

of time with people, just discovering who they are and what they're about.

And do you go out and about on the island here, finding subject matter?

When I go out on my walks for a bit of a recce for a subject,

I'm looking for a really interesting face, people who are wearing vibrant clothes,

anybody that captures my interest at that moment.

It may not capture other people's and they may not see what I'm seeing but just somebody that I want to paint.

So let's start the process off, where does it all start with a miniature?

I start by going in my studio which is my sacrosanct place which I don't really like people going in.

And I put my classical music on which gets me nicely calm and relaxed

and I sit down at my easel.

And take my Ivorine and my very small brush.

I use tiny, tiny brushes, four noughts, and lay on my paints.

And have my magnifying glass. I've only actually just started using a magnifying glass all the time.

With old age, the eyesight's going a bit.

I'm very, very careful in my studio not to create any dust.

That is one of the things that is most detrimental to your miniature.

I would probably just make somebody sit for an hour and a half, something like that, maximum, cos they've got

to sit absolutely dead still and that's quite hard.

My portraits take about 90 hours.

When a client comes to you for a commission, what do they want, what do they ask you for?

They want, obviously, a very good likeness, but sometimes they want to be flattered a little, too...

so, softened, shall we say?

-Can I have a look at the studio?

-Yes. Of course.

-So, come this way.

-Very nice.

Very nice.

I pinched the dining room but that was the best room for me.

-It's got good natural light.

-It has. Yeah.

-What's on the easel? What are we looking at here?

That's one of my favourites.

-OK.

-And it's won me awards.

This one was a guy I saw in Tunisia and it's just never worked for me. It's very flat.

The colour's not right. I struggled with that one and it shows. I've never exhibited that anywhere.

So this is kind of a good example of what you think is a great sitting and one that you're not happy with?

Yes, and I was very unhappy. I've never exhibited that anywhere.

I'm sure you don't have many that you're not happy with.

I don't have many but there's the odd one or two and I mean, you can't create a fantastic one every time.

-No.

-It just doesn't happen.

-But as long as you're sort of relatively happy...

-Consistent.

-Yeah.

-These are definitely antiques of the future.

-Oh, definitely.

And we have massive collectors, but, of course,

there are the antique miniatures which go like hot cakes, as I was told by somebody at Bonhams.

And they sell out at their auctions.

And one recently went for 1 million.

-And who was that of?

-It was a George Washington.

So the sitter is very important, as well.

I think it is. Yes. Possibly.

-Have you had any famous clients lately?

-I've done work for the Prince of Wales,

-Princess Michael of Kent.

-Were you nervous when you were painting Prince Charles?

I was excessively nervous, yes, but he was very, very nice.

He was very reassuring and he understood.

-He was happy, was he?

-He was very happy. Yes, he was.

Good for you. I would be as well, I think.

I think you're a remarkable talent, you really are.

Elizabeth, thank you for showing me around your house and your studio.

It's been a real pleasure and an eye-opener.

Elizabeth's incredible skill and patience has enabled her to capture the most exquisite miniatures,

a technique that dates back some 500 years

and hopefully that legacy is now going to last another 500 years.

And it's now time to return to the auction and here's what we're taking with us.

Martin's painting survived a war, safely stored in a wardrobe,

and I'm confident this William Banks oil painting won't bomb at auction.

And it will be accompanied by Joan's maritime and Palladium memorabilia.

Now, that's Norman Wisdom, isn't it?

-And who's this beautiful companion of his?

-That's me.

Joan is hoping her famous friends will take the saleroom limelight.

We're selling this duo of Poole pottery belonging to Robin and his nephew.

Will thinks the charger is the star that will get this pair sold.

And finally, Sue's excellent find, the Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre sugar bowl.

It's bound to make her a profit on her 39p outlay.

But back at the saleroom, it's not all good news, as the auctioneer has spotted something.

I picked up on something that your experts didn't.

There is a small hairline in it, so under normal circumstances I would have said

that the valuation was spot-on, but there's a hairline crack just there, if you can see it.

Oh, yeah, I can see it.

-And as you know, that's going to halve the value, I should think.

-So have you told her?

I did, I rang her up and gave her the bad news,

but she's still going to get a good return on her 39p, so we're guiding it now at £50-£80.

Right, OK, so fingers crossed we'll get that top end still and it's going to sell.

I must show you this. It's so exciting. We're on an island.

We're surrounded by sea.

There's lots of maritime history here. And look what I've spotted.

I'll show you...

Hasn't that got the wow factor? It's called a sailor's valentine.

This sailor would have been on a voyage,

maybe taking two or three months at sea on a big old tea clipper.

And he's collected these seashells to relieve the boredom over those three months.

He's made up this diorama for his sweetheart back at home.

Condition is fantastic.

You'd expect to pay something between £1,500 and £2,000

for a diorama like this, circa 1850. It's beautiful.

Now, let's get the sale started.

First up, an old Flog It! favourite. A bit of Poole pottery.

A vase and a plate and the motto here is, don't skip it,

put it in an auction room because it is worth money.

-And that's exactly what you've done, haven't you?

-Yes. I have.

Yeah. Well, done to you, Robin.

We've got a valuation of £100-£150.

That's right. We've got sort of an earlier charger and then a later Poole vase

which is a bit more sort of modern and a bit more stylish, but again, we've gone for a no reserve

cos things you find in a skip don't owe you anything so you might as well get what you can for them.

This is classic recycling.

You can't get greener than antiques really, can you, cos it's not second-hand,

it's fifth, sixth, seventh... 20th-hand even.

Good recycling. And somebody's going to take pleasure in this.

Decorative Poole pottery plate with marks to the base, dated 1939,

together with a Poole pottery vase. Two bits together.

Nice lot. Someone start me at 40. £40, anywhere?

40 bid. Two, can I say?

40 in the centre and 42. 44. 46. 48.

50. Five. 60. Five. 70. Five.

80. Five. 90. Five.

100. 110. 120. 130. 140.

One more?

One last one. You said that last time. 140. 150.

-Yes.

-In the centre and selling at 150.

Top end. £150.

-Satisfied with that.

-Got to be, haven't you?

-Yes.

-Classic recycling.

-That's what the antiques industry is all about, isn't it?

-Yes.

55. And 60. Five.

Right, time to break the news to Kate. Kate, at the valuation day,

we had a value of £100-150, and since there's been a detection of a hairline crack,

which has reduced the value, and I know the auctioneer's talked to you about this.

So now we've got a value of around about £50-£80, but I still think

-this will do what you originally wanted, Kate.

-Well, I hope so.

It's nice to have a perfect piece, but it's still a rare pattern

and a great designer, so we'll wait and see.

Small Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre sugar bowl

designed by...Daisy Jones.

Someone start me at £40.

40 here, two can I say?

42, 44, 46, 48.

50, five...

55, 60, five. Nice piece of lustreware, 70...

Look, someone's holding their card up, they're not putting it down.

80, madam, and five, and 90...and five.

And 100, madam.

110, 120. One more, 120. 130, sir?

-Yes!

-140, madam. 150, 160, 170, 180.

-It's flying, isn't it?

-170, then.

180, new bidders, 180, 190, 200.

200 at the back, 210, 220. 230, 240.

250, 260.

270, 280. 290, 300.

310, 320? 320, yes, 330?

-I might need a taxi.

-It's right at the back with you, madam, at 320,

and selling at 320, all done?

At 320, all done.

-Wow!

-Yes! Fantastic, £320, Sue!

You see, we didn't need that revised estimate all along, did we?

Just imagine if it didn't have a crack.

-It was a good job by the auctioneer!

-It was, wasn't it?

-Unbelievable.

As you said, away with the fairies!

This next item about to go under the hammer is a cracking bit of memorabilia.

It's been collected by Joan, and you were a wardrobe dresser

-at the London Palladium.

-That's right.

Seen it all, heard it all, can tell us a few stories but not on camera.

But you met lots of stars, lots of autographs,

and we've also got the menu from the QE, the Queen Elizabeth I.

-And the Earl's Court ice show as well.

-Yes, with Norman Wisdom.

We've got £200-£300. There's a lot there.

Autographs can sometimes be a little tricky to sell.

They need to be in the right sale with the right people, but I've seen autographs

make well into the hundreds.

Photographs from the Royal London Palladium and Earl's Court,

some signed, including Johnnie Ray and others.

Someone start me at £100. 100 here with Tim, 110 anywhere?

100 here with Tim, 110 can I say?

It's at £100, then.

All done at 100? All done at 100.

I'm afraid that's not reached reserve.

It needs a specialist sale, really.

There are specialist auctioneers who just sell autograph material,

go on the internet, have a look at one of those and just contact them direct.

We thought about taking them to America, especially the Elizabeth Taylor one.

A different market, it's on their doorstep if you take them to them.

Oh, that's a shame, I was hoping for a new shed.

Oh, dear!

If you don't have any luck searching for the right auction,

get in contact and we'll help you find that auction.

Oh, right, fine, thank you very much.

Going under the hammer right now, a late Victorian painting by William Banks.

It belongs to Martin, and all the money is going towards little Sam. Tell us all about little Sam.

Little Sam is a rescue dog from the RSPCA,

and he was in a dog fight and he lost his leg.

Is he a little dog?

-He's a medium-sized dog, weighs about 10 or 15 kilos.

-What is he, then, a terrier or something?

He's a terrier cross, a black and tan terrier cross.

And it just goes towards his vet bills.

Well, thank goodness you've rescued him. You obviously love animals.

We've got £300-£400 on this wonderful bit of artwork

with a fixed reserve of 250.

Yeah... It's a good example of late Victorian painting.

-I don't know if it's everybody's taste at the moment, but we'll wait and see.

-Well, hopefully.

We've got a packed auction room, I think this could sell.

Late 19th century oil on canvas.

Painting by William Banks.

Friend being served wine by housemaid.

Lot 100, we've got interest level.

150, we've got 150 here, 160 can I say? 150, 160, 170, 180?

180, 190, 200?

200, 210, 220, 230, 240.

-240, 250, 260...

-We've sold it.

270, 280, 280? Yes, 290, 300, 310.

-Yep.

-Yep, 320...

320, yes, 330, no. 320. On my left, 320, 330, phone bidder?

330.

330, yes, 340, 350.

350, yes, 360?

-Oh, brilliant.

-Keep going, phone bidder.

380? 390.

Yep, 390, 400, Bob.

410... 420.

430. 440.

440? Yep, 450. 450, 460. 470.

480. 490.

500. 500, yes, 520.

540. 560.

-This is great!

-580, 600.

620, 640.

660. No, he's out. It's 640 to the phone bidder.

£640 to the phone bidder, are we all done?

Selling to the phone at 640, all done?

Yes! How about that? £640!

Unbelievable! If little Sam was here right now, he'd be wagging his tail!

-What a great result! Happy?

-Yes.

-Great.

We've taken care of some vet bills.

Thank you for finding that, Kate. I hope you've enjoyed today's show.

There's plenty more to come on Flog It!, but from the Isle of Wight, it's cheerio.

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