0:00:04 > 0:00:07This pretty little market town has a certain English charm about it,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10yet it lies in the Wye Valley, in Wales.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Welcome to Flog It! from the border town of Monmouth.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44There's been a settlement on this site since the Roman conquest
0:00:44 > 0:00:46and from that time onwards,
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Monmouth has passed back and forth
0:00:48 > 0:00:52between the English and the Welsh far too many times to mention.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57But today, Monmouth is most definitely in Wales,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00being the county town of Monmouthshire.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Later, I'll be exploring the incredible landscape of this region
0:01:04 > 0:01:08and discovering how it became a landmark on the tourist map.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11But first, there's quite a queue gathering
0:01:11 > 0:01:14at Monmouth comprehensive school.
0:01:16 > 0:01:17What will we see today?
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Royal Worcester porcelain, from England, or Welsh dressers?
0:01:21 > 0:01:24Our experts, Mark Stacey and Charlie Ross,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26are here to represent both sides of the border.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Mark, a local boy from the valleys,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and Charlie, the quintessential English gentleman.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Let's hope it doesn't all end in a battle.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42But first, we start with another old foe of the English, the French.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49Idwal, this is a real trip down memory lane for me.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Oh, the Babar stories are wonderful. I've been fanning through these.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59I can remember being read from these books 50, er, years ago
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and I looked through a few of them
0:02:01 > 0:02:05and I recognise so many of the actual pictures,
0:02:05 > 0:02:10not just Babar himself, but some of the characters in the books.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13It's terribly exciting for me. How did you get hold of them?
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Many, many years ago, I worked for a motoring organisation,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and in those days, I was on a motorcycle and sidecar.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26- Yeah.- And one day between Raglan and Usk...- Yes.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28..in one of the lay-bys, all these were thrown out.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31- No!- Of course, I looked through them...- Yeah.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33..collected them up and took them home.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37The original author, Jean de Brunhoff, was French.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39- So I understand, yes.- Born in 1899.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41These are dated...
0:02:41 > 0:02:451934, 35, 36, 37 and 38.
0:02:45 > 0:02:4938's interesting because I thought he died in 1937.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53- Presumably, they were just published the year after.- Possibly. Yes.
0:02:53 > 0:02:59So to have five in a run, at the end of his life, I think it's very
0:02:59 > 0:03:03exciting and they were translated into lots of languages, obviously.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Published by Methuen's.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11And I just think the illustrations are wonderful.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15- Yeah. They are very nice.- And I can remember that as whatever I was,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18four, five-year-old, looking at this picture.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21"The country of the elephants faded from sight.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26"The balloon glided noiselessly along in the sky.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29"Babar and Celeste, his wife, admired the view.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33"What a wonderful journey. The air was warm.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35"A light wind blew.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40"And there was the sea, the great blue sea."
0:03:40 > 0:03:41- It's just fantastic.- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44I'd just like to stay here and read them all.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- There is one other image, look at that.- Yeah.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51I remember that so well. This particular volume
0:03:51 > 0:03:55is about their trips round the world and where they went.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57And they set off in this balloon,
0:03:57 > 0:04:02and the thought of two elephants in a basket on a balloon...
0:04:02 > 0:04:05- is just such a wonderful image, isn't it?- Yes. Yes.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And they visit the most wonderful places.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11It's beautifully written and because the size of them is so good,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14it's visually wonderful for children.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17And apart from anything else, they've got a value.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I think that these volumes are worth over £100.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24- Are they?- Yeah. I do. I think we'll estimate them at £100-£200
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and I think there'll be no shortage of people wanting to buy these.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31If I were allowed to buy them, I'd buy them myself,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34but I'm not because I think my mother threw them all out.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35Whether she put them on that lay-by?
0:04:35 > 0:04:39You want to ask your mother, did she dump them on the roadside?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50- Hello, Jean. Hello, Ron. - Hello.- Good morning.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Nice of you to come and support us here at Monmouth.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- This is your box, Jean?- Yes. - And what's Ron doing here?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58He's come with me today to keep me company.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- He's your friend?- Yes.- Wonderful. - Yes.- To hold your hand?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- Yes.- Something like that. - I promise I'll be gentle.- OK.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08You've brought this fabulous little box. Tell me about it.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10It belonged to my late mother-in-law,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so I don't know much about it except it's a little trinket box.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I thought I would bring it along.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- Do you like it? - No. Not particularly.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21I think it's quite fun. I don't think it's terribly old.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- I don't think we're looking at a great antique here.- No.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28What I like about it is somebody's taken the idea of this tortoise
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and has made a box. This is not tortoiseshell,
0:05:31 > 0:05:36this is carved wood simulated to look like tortoiseshell,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38so we don't want viewers complaining
0:05:38 > 0:05:41that we were doing tortoiseshell, because we're not!
0:05:41 > 0:05:42- No.- But it is wonderful.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46When we open it up here, we've got a little bit of information there
0:05:46 > 0:05:49which we'll come back to. Then this little handmade...
0:05:49 > 0:05:51- did you do this, Jean?- No.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I'm sure this isn't the original puller, but you pull that up and
0:05:54 > 0:05:58then there's a little well inside, where you've got all this rather nice
0:05:58 > 0:06:02sort of geometric parquetry work there, as well, which is rather nice.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I think what lets it down is the quality of the hinges
0:06:06 > 0:06:09and the quality of the face, but this is very decorative,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13the interior of it. And I notice you've brought in a little snippet
0:06:13 > 0:06:20from a magazine, or newspaper, saying that one of these boxes,
0:06:20 > 0:06:26a similar box, made £145 in a sale fairly recently,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- which I think is a damned good price. - It is, isn't it?
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- And I don't think we're going to match that.- No.- But you never know.
0:06:33 > 0:06:39In the sale room, if two people really want it, then they will.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42My own gut feeling, to be honest with you, is sort of £50-£80.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46I think if we put it in at £50-£80, it shows people it's there to sell
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and hopefully that will attract a few bidders and we'll make
0:06:50 > 0:06:54slow and steady progress right up and over the 100, hopefully.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Would be nice.- What do you think about a reserve?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Seeing the advertisement there, I thought about 100, but whatever.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- If you want to put a reserve, we need to put it at 50.- Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Is that all right? Are you happy with that?
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Yeah.- Yes.- Yes.- And so why have you decided to sell it now?
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Well, to declutter a little bit.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15- And have you got a lot of things to declutter?- Yes.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Wonderful. Thank you so much for bringing it in.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Christine, you've made my day.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Have I?- You've brought along a tiny
0:07:29 > 0:07:31little pocket globe which I think,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34if I can do that to show everybody,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36is absolutely stunning.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- It is, isn't it?- Oh, yes. How did you come across this?
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Well, it belonged to my aunt and she gave it to my daughter
0:07:44 > 0:07:49in the early '80s when she was housekeeper to an architect in Newport.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51And I think it came from his house.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54He either gave it to her or when he died they cleared the house
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and she had lots of bits and pieces and it could have been among those.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01- Property of a gentleman, a sort of a learned scholar.- Oh, he was. Yes.
0:08:01 > 0:08:07This is a wonderful scientific piece and it will be owned by somebody that was a scholar, a professional.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It spins on its axis, as you can see there.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14And it's a terrestrial globe, you can see... you've got
0:08:14 > 0:08:20the whole world there... and here, you've got the lunar cycle with the four seasons.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It's just beautiful.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Let's start with the case because that is so special.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It's got its original
0:08:29 > 0:08:34little clips that holds it shut and its original hinge.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38For its age, the condition is very, very good.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Next thing to look for on the little globe is a maker's name.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Now, the best globes you can go for, dating from the 18th century, are either the Carys or the Newtons.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Now, do you know which one this is?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- It's a Newton's.- Is it?- Yeah.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Well, let's have a little look at that and find... There it is.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- 1818.- Newton's new terrestrial globe.
0:08:58 > 0:09:021818. That's fantastic, isn't it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Early part of the 19th century.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07The condition of this is very, very good, actually.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It's starting to peel a bit there, in a few places.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The varnish is peeling. Could that be restored?
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Yes. That can. The globe itself isn't damaged.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19And these little transfers are all gauze which are stuck on.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I just think it's wonderful. The stories this could tell.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26I know. You're making me sorry that we've decided to part with it.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30- Well, do you want to change your mind?- No.- Do you? I mean, you can.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36I've thoroughly enjoyed looking at this and musing over it and having the pleasure of sort of holding it.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41- No. We won't change our mind. We will flog it.- Why do you want to sell it?
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Well, my daughter has no children and there's nobody to pass it on to.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50She likes it but we decided maybe now's the time to flog it.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And the money will go in a new kitchen and bathroom.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Which brings us to the value of this little one really, doesn't it?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Yes.- Any idea? - I have a rough idea, yes.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Go on, hit me with it.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06I think, maybe, 600-800.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09£600-£800 would comfortably sell it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:15- OK.- I think we should put a valuation of £800-£1,200.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20- Really?- Yes.- That's amazing. - But let's have a £700 reserve.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22A fixed reserve at £700.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Yes. Lovely. Do they advertise them on the internet, as well?
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Yes. It's on the internet so it'll get worldwide,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31global attention.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Michael, I've seen some charm bracelets on Flog It! over the years,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45but I think this is the best one I've ever seen.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49- That's nice.- For variation, quality and interest.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Where did it come from?
0:10:51 > 0:10:56- Well, it belonged to my late wife's auntie.- Right.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00And because there were so many grandchildren and nephews
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- and nieces, they raffled it off. - You raffled it off?
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- Yeah, between the family.- Yeah?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09And my wife's name was pulled out of the hat.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14- So, that's how we came about it. - Did she ever wear it?- My wife?- Yes.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- No, no. My auntie used to wear it. - Have you ever counted the charms?
0:11:18 > 0:11:23I think there's about 40 of them. There or thereabouts.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27I've picked out two in particular which I particularly liked.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31This one here which is a Continental charm, Art Nouveau style
0:11:31 > 0:11:36with lovely enamel flowers on it and a little pearl drop.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It's French or German and, individually,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43- I would think worth £30-£40 just on its own.- Yes, yes.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46And there is another little one here.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It was a brooch once and somebody has converted it or at least taken
0:11:49 > 0:11:53the pin of the back of it and just put it on here for show.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55But in the middle of the blue enamel here,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57we have seed pearls around the outside,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59in the middle, we've got a diamond.
0:11:59 > 0:12:06- Yes.- Again, you don't find diamonds studded into charm bracelets.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10And, of course, the more usual ones, animals - always popular,
0:12:10 > 0:12:15jet planes, which tells you that some of them aren't Victorian.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20- No, that's right. Very true.- Two padlocks.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25The main chain itself is nine carat. So, a more ordinary gold.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29There are one or two of higher carat value but not many,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33most of it is nine carat. What made you think of bringing it along today?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- We just thought, it's never going to be used...- No.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39..so somebody might want it.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Yeah. When you were in the queue, did you think to yourself, this is worth X, Y, Z?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- I didn't have a clue.- Not a clue?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49- If it made £100...- You'd be happy.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I'd be reasonably happy.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54So if we said to you 350-450...
0:12:54 > 0:12:56I'd be very happy. Very happy.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00- Very happy, indeed. - Good. Well, I shall watch for the smile on the sale day.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- That's right.- Thank you for bringing it. It's no good leaving it in a box, is it.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05Well, no. No.
0:13:06 > 0:13:12So now it's time to get our first lots off to the auction room in Cardiff.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16But before all that, I've taken a leisurely trip outside the town
0:13:16 > 0:13:19to explore the breathtaking Wye Valley,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22one of the most dramatic river landscapes of Southern Britain.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24This beautiful valley winds its way
0:13:24 > 0:13:28through five counties, crossing the borders of England and Wales.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Today, much of this landscape
0:13:30 > 0:13:34is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39Last year, around a million people visited the Wye Valley and with this
0:13:39 > 0:13:43spectacular scenery, it's easy to understand why, isn't it?
0:13:43 > 0:13:48Over decades, this whole region has attracted artists and poets alike.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50But what makes this place so special,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54and who were the first people to discover and appreciate its beauty?
0:13:56 > 0:14:01The answer takes us back to the 18th century and the first tourists who explored this area.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Amongst them was a man called William Gilpin, an English clergyman and a schoolmaster,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10whose visit helped put the Wye Valley on the tourist map.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15In a century when the educated classes favoured a sightseeing tour of European landscapes,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Gilpin wanted to introduce to them what was on offer in their own backyard.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Incredible scenery just like this and you don't have to travel far for that and he promoted the word
0:14:25 > 0:14:30by producing illustrated guides, or tours, as they were known, based on his own experience
0:14:30 > 0:14:34of travelling across Britain and his passion for the landscape.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39And the first of his chartered journeys started right here on the banks of the Wye.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44In the summer of 1770, Gilpin arrived in the market town of Ross-on-Wye,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46hired a covered rowing boat and three men to navigate him
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and embarked on a two-day journey down the river, which took him through
0:14:50 > 0:14:55a section of the valley known as the Wye Gorge, with its steep wooded banks, scenic viewpoints,
0:14:55 > 0:15:01like this one from Symonds Yat Rock, and historic landmarks such as Goodrich and Chepstow Castle.
0:15:01 > 0:15:07It was, and still is, perhaps, the most scenic stretch of the valley.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Gilpin wasn't the first to go on what was known as the Wye Valley Tour.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16People had been taking boat trips along the river since the 1740s,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19but his book Observations On The River Wye
0:15:19 > 0:15:21popularised the journey for the very first time.
0:15:21 > 0:15:28It was published in 1782 and is arguably the first guide book in British history.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Through the decades that followed, people would flock here to the area,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33armed with copies of the book,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38take a boat trip and literally follow his itinerary along the river.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43One of the key stops of the tour was the awe-inspiring Tintern Abbey.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Built as a Cistercian monastery in the 12th century, the abbey was in ruins
0:15:47 > 0:15:51by the time of Gilpin's visit, but he found it a very enchanting piece of scenery.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55And on behalf of the local museums in Chepstow and Monmouth,
0:15:55 > 0:16:02Andrew Helm came to meet me and tell me more about William Gilpin and the Wye Valley tour.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04What was Gilpin trying to achieve with his book?
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Basically, his aim was to give people guidance
0:16:07 > 0:16:11on how to actually appreciate landscape and to record it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- His name is associated with the picturesque.- Tell me about that.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17The picturesque wasn't a term that Gilpin coined,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20it was certainly around at the time, but Gilpin's take on the picturesque
0:16:20 > 0:16:23was essentially that which would look well in a picture.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27He wanted people to look at the landscape as if it was being painted.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31So they would sit in their tour boat and paint a picture of what they were seeing.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35But he had very definite rules about what was picturesque.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Gilpin was particularly keen on the deep gorge of the Wye Valley because
0:16:38 > 0:16:44it gave you the natural frame for a picture, so you had side screens, you had the river as the foreground
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- and you have the view disappearing into the distance.- You had a vanishing point.- That's right.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51And this suited his theory extremely well.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54How was it received? It must have been a limited audience.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Well, it was a limited audience.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It was the well-heeled, the middle class, aristocracy.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The king had a copy of his manuscript version of the Wye Tour.
0:17:02 > 0:17:08He moved in those circles and he was known as a sort of an academic who was interested in landscape
0:17:08 > 0:17:12and picturesque, and the theory of art and so on.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14He was a good communicator.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- He was the one who got it down on paper.- Yeah.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19And circulated among his friends. And then it was published.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23It turned into a book 13 years after he'd actually been on the Wye Tour
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and it was as a result of his book that lots of other people came.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Yeah. So was the valley and the landscape entirely picturesque in the late 18th century?
0:17:30 > 0:17:35It's probably not what we'd think of as picturesque, because the whole valley,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40from just above Monmouth down to Tintern, was a hive of industrial activity.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Iron-making and iron-forging was going on all along the river.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48They were building ocean-going ships as far up the river as Monmouth,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51so it was very heavily industrialised,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54but this wasn't seen as a disadvantage by the picturesque tourists.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56It all added to the fun of what was going on.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Yeah. We're sitting in the ruins of the abbey and it's so beautiful and still, here.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Gilpin arrived here on his second day of the tour. What did he make of it?
0:18:04 > 0:18:10Two things upset him. First of all, the abbey was surrounded by the dwellings of beggars,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13people who acted as guides to the abbey,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18but they were regarded by Gilpin as a bit of a mess, really.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21They took away from the picturesque of the abbey.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The other thing he didn't like was the regularity of the ruins
0:18:24 > 0:18:26because he thought they were a bit too well formed,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30so he advocated taking a hammer and bashing down some of these gable ends,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34particularly that one there, cos he thought it was just not picturesque enough.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36Just a bit too perfect.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Just a bit too perfect.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I think it's stunning.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45Tourists weren't the only people drawn to the Wye Valley in the 18th century.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50This landscape was a source of inspiration to many artists and poets.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56Gilpin's book inspired many people to come to the area.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Turner, a famous artist, was among them.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01He came twice in the 1790s to paint Tintern Abbey.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Why do you think people are drawn here? What is it about the place?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08It's got wonderful pastoral fields all round it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11The river's running by. There are birds in the sky.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And wonderful woods and trees surrounding.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17So it's an incredibly peaceful place.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22Driving down the Wye or floating down the river, you come round the corner and see Tintern Abbey
0:19:22 > 0:19:26and you think, "Wow". It still has that ability to knock your socks off.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27It's just beautiful.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Andrew, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me today.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Sadly, the Wye Valley boat tours of earlier years no longer exist today.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48And visitors that come to the area are more likely to explore on foot with a rucksack or by car.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51But what we can appreciate and take in and marvel at
0:19:51 > 0:19:57is this magnificent scenery that drew Gilpin here some 240 years ago.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08This is where all our items are going under the hammer,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11the Anthemion Auction Rooms here in the centre of Cardiff.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13On the rostrum is auctioneer Ryan Beach.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16What will Ryan make of that globe?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19It's lovely. It really is fantastic quality.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21The nice thing is it's that bit smaller.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25It's about two inches across when they're usually another inch bigger.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28The only concerns, as far as the condition's concerned,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31if you look closely at it, you'll see patches.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35But the fact that it's got a little bit of wear, I think, is one of its virtues.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37It's been used. It's been loved.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41If that was in pristine condition, it would look like a reproduction.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44It would. I mean, it certainly gives it charm, but again,
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- collectors want things in as best condition they can.- They're fussy.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50I mean, it's the sort of thing that will go to a private collector.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- Let's hope the phone lines are booked.- They are.- Good luck.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Also going under the hammer today,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Idwal found his Babar books in a lay-by
0:20:58 > 0:21:00and Charlie couldn't help wondering
0:21:00 > 0:21:03if they were his own childhood copies.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05My mother threw them all out.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07Whether she put them onto that lay-by...
0:21:07 > 0:21:11You want to ask your mother, did she dump them on the roadside?
0:21:11 > 0:21:18Mark thought that Jean's tortoise box was worth less than she had hoped at £50-£80.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Will it come out of its shell at the auction?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Charlie was charmed by Michael's bracelet
0:21:22 > 0:21:23and gave it a healthy estimate.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26If we said to you 350-450...
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I'd be very happy. Very happy.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33First up, it's Jean's wooden tortoise box.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- Packed auction room. - Oh, yes. Very busy.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37I just hope we get the top end. Lovely tortoise.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Lots of work in that. So why are you selling the little fellow?
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- I'm decluttering.- Decluttering. What do you think of it, Ron?
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- It's nice, but Jean said it's got to go.- So it's got to go. - It's got to go.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52Trying to get rid of rubbish, really. Rubbish.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- It's not rubbish rubbish, is it.- No.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Just decluttering. - It's a bit of fun.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02- Yeah.- But I think it'll appeal to collectors or dealers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06It's a nice little saleable lot. Hopefully, we'll get at least the £50.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Lot number 501. Tortoiseshell box in the form of a tortoise.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Lot 501.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Numerous commission bids, here. Start me straight in at £95.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Ooh.- 95 I have to start. £95.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19- Yes.- At £95. 100, is there anywhere?
0:22:19 > 0:22:23£95. 95. 100. And ten.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- We've got over 100.- 140. 150.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29At £150. Back with me with 150. £150.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Are we all done, then? At £150.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Yes. Hammer's gone down. Well, that certainly wasn't slow off the mark.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- It wasn't, was it. Brilliant.- 150.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Wonderful, isn't it?- Yes.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Quality always sells.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Charlie and I have just been joined by Idwal in the nick of time.
0:22:54 > 0:22:59We've got five Babar The Elephant story books going under the hammer, from the 1930s.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02- This is a lovely story, you found them in a lay-by?- I did.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- I guess they weren't worth a lot of money then, were they?- No. No.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10- But they are now worth in the region of £100-£200, which is the valuation we put on.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13They're great stories. And the colours are so good.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Condition's good. Somebody'll have a lot of fun with them.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20Lot number 622 is The Story Of Babar. Five in the set here.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23£100 I have to start. £100. 110.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- 120. 130. 140.- They're going well.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29At 150. At £150.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Are we all done, then? £150.- Yes.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Sold. £150, in and out, virtually.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- Yeah.- Lovely things, though. Good illustrations.- Very nice.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Good for you for looking after them all that time.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46They've been in a box in the attic for ages.
0:23:46 > 0:23:4760.
0:23:49 > 0:23:5020...
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Next up is a gold charm bracelet.
0:23:52 > 0:23:57There's 40 charms on this and it was valued by one charmer here, Charlie Ross.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It belongs to Michael. £350-£450.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06- It's a great time to sell gold right now because the scrap value is right up there.- Yeah.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08But these certainly won't be scrapped.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11They're quite precious. Happy with the valuation?
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- 350-450.- Yeah. Very good.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18I'd like to see it do top end. But actually, some of those charms are really beautifully, beautifully made.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- Yeah.- And as you said, there are 40 of them.- Yeah.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- So I think top end.- OK. Top end.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25That's what we're looking at. £450.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Let's find out what this lot think.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Lot number 71 is a nine carat yellow gold charm bracelet,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33set with approximately 40 charms here.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Lot number 71. £260 I have to start.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40£260. At 270. 280. 290. 300.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41310. 320.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Back with me at 320. 330. 340.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49- 350. Takes me out at 350. Far back, it's 350.- We've sold it.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53370. 380. 390.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58400. 410. 420. 430. 440.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00450. 460. 470.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02- Fantastic.- At £470.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05The gentleman sees it, at 470 now. At 480, fresh bidding.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09At 480, gentleman standing, at 480 now. 490, fresh bidding. 500.
0:25:09 > 0:25:16And ten. 520. At 520, back with the gentleman at 520. At £520.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Are we all done, then? At 520...
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- Yes. At £520.- Brilliant.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24- There is commission to pay here. - Yeah.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27But what are you going to put that towards?
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Towards a holiday.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Oh, catch the sun, somewhere.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- Exactly. Yeah. - Where do you fancy going?
0:25:33 > 0:25:34I don't know. Anywhere.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- Ask the missus.- Yeah. - Let her choose.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- Top end, there. - I'm pleased with that.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- Brilliant.- Over the top end. - Very good.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Well, now it's my turn to be the expert
0:25:56 > 0:26:02and next up it's the Newton's pocket globe which I valued at £800-£1,200. What a lovely thing.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04- You made my day bringing that in. - Did I?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06How have you been feeling over the last month?
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Looking forward to this moment?
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Yes. Looking forward to it.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13The day of reckoning, isn't it?
0:26:13 > 0:26:14It's up to this lot now and not us.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Lot number 567 is the pocket globe.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Newton's terrestrial one. Lot number 567.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26Numerous commission bids here. Start me straight in at £850.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27- 850 I have to start.- Straight in.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31£850. 880 is that? 880. 900.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34920. Clears my book at 920. 950.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37980. 1,000 standing. And 50.
0:26:37 > 0:26:411,050. 1,100, please. 1,100.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45- 1,150. 1,150.- That's great.
0:26:45 > 0:26:481,200, please. 1,200. 1,250.
0:26:48 > 0:26:541,300. 1,350. 1,400. 1,450.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- Oh, I can't believe that.- 1,550.
0:26:57 > 0:27:001,600. 1,650.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Two dealers have locked horns, here.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05My daughter'll be over the moon.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- 1,700 on the phones. Anybody out? - 1,750.- 1,700 here.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12- 1,750.- I'm tingling. I'm tingling.
0:27:12 > 0:27:181,800. 1,850. 1,900. 1,950.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22At 2,000 on the telephone, here.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24- 2,000.- At £2,000. At £2,000.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Are we all done, then? At £2,000.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Wow.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33That's absolutely marvellous, isn't it?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35I never dreamt it would get that far.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Gosh, it's got to be a world record for a little pocket globe like that.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44- I thought if we reached the 1,000 we'd be, you know, doing well.- Wow.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47The money's going towards a new kitchen for your daughter.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52I mean, it's going to get most of that kitchen, isn't it, most of the base units and wall units.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Yeah. That'll be good.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- Does she know you're selling this today?- Oh, yes, yes.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00She gave it to me to sell. She didn't want to come herself.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Oh, what a moment.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05What a special moment.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Get on the phone and tell her now.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10What a great day. What a great ending, as well.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12We've had the best time ever in Cardiff.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14It's great to be back here in Wales.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18I hope you've enjoyed watching the show, plenty of surprises for you.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Do watch again because there's more to come.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23So from Cardiff and everybody here, it's cheerio.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd