Kidderminster Flog It!

What do an African prince, '60s musicians and carpets -

yes, I said carpets - have in common? It's not a joke, believe me.

It's the Worcestershire town of Kidderminster. Welcome to Flog It!

Lying in the district of the Wyre forest

and surrounded by beautiful, stunning countryside,

Kidderminster has long been famous for its carpet production.

But that's not its only claim to fame.

It's also where the inventor of the Penny Black

and the modern postal system was born.

And the claim to fame doesn't stop there,

because today we're at Kidderminster Town Hall and back in the 1960s,

the stage here played host to many great rock acts,

including The Rolling Stones, The Who,

Tom Jones, Cilla Black, Donovan and of course, The Kinks.

But today, we don't have anybody that musically famous,

but we do have two dedicated followers of fashion -

Kate Bliss and Mr Philip Serrell.

-You don't want to sell it?

-No.

-Right, you can clear off, then!

LAUGHTER

Philip now runs his own auction house in Malvern

but got his start in the trade when he took up

the post of trainee auctioneer at Worcester Livestock Market.

-They normally make 10 to 15,000.

-You're joking! Don't joke!

Hello!

The daughter of an auctioneer, Kate has been a regular fixture

at her dad's sales since she was a toddler, which shows

you're never too young to start in the business.

This is yours, is it?

Well it is now 9.30.

It's time to get the doors open and make a bit of history for ourselves.

Come on, everybody, let's go in!

And what a Flog It! we've got today for you.

The former Mayor and Mayoress of Kidderminster,

come along to the valuation day with a Worcester vase

and reminisce about how they met.

We met here, actually, in the town hall, 1966.

And then there's Stephanie,

who wants to sell her grandfather's clockwork toys.

My grandad, from 1897, remembered them.

That's great, that you can remember that far back.

-I can't remember to 1897!

-No!

Later, we'll find out if our owners were right to flog it.

Yes, hammer's gone down!

-I'm happy, are you happy?

-Yes.

I don't know if I can stand the tension. I'm going to fall over.

And that's all to come. But right now,

Philip's valuing a Worcester vase that's been brought in

by Nigel and Jenny with a special reason -

to be nostalgic about our venue.

-Married 40 years next year.

-Ronnie Biggs didn't get that long, did he?

-No.

-No, but it's a joy.

-It's a joy? What a man, eh? What a testament!

-We met here, actually, in the town hall.

-What was that at, then?

-They used to have the groups...

-Concerts, probably Tom Jones.

-..The Who...

-Manfred Mann, The Who, The Rolling Stones twice here.

-Yeah.

-They couldn't afford the Beatles, they were 1,200 quid.

-Really?

-But the Stones were about 800.

-So you know all this.

-Local historian?

-Yeah.

-Definitely. Very passionate about Kidderminster?

-Absolutely.

I was the Mayor of Kidderminster and Jenny was the Mayoress.

So you're real Worcester people, real Worcestershire.

-I was born in Worcester, yeah.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Well, that's really quite appropriate, isn't it?

-It is.

-Because you know where this was made?

-Yes, yes.

-How long have you owned it?

-I've owned it since 1998.

My father inherited it from his mother

and then I've inherited it from my father.

-So why do you want to sell it?

-Well, I've got lots of other pieces.

-Of Worcester?

-Yes, of Worcester as well.

I had to get a cabinet to put all the stuff in.

I thought cabinets having filled with stuff like this was

old-fashioned, of course.

So you're starting to be old-fashioned now, are you?

-Well...

-He's shaking his head over here!

-It's true. I mean, we've got...

That's not very politically correct, is it?

I know, but we've a cabinet filled with this stuff

and I don't even know what's in there.

-Well, this is a piece of Worcester.

-Yes.

And really, in the 20th century, Worcester was renowned

for its hand-painted wares

and they were the great exponents of the day, really were.

You have the Worcester vase with sheep, that's Harry Davies

and the Worcester vase with cattle, that's Stinton.

And if you get a Worcester vase with blackberries on it,

it's by Kitty Blake and if we spin that round, there indeed,

that's her signature - K Blake -

-and Kitty Blake painted blackberries and autumn leaves.

-It's beautiful.

It's lovely, it's really lovely. And it's quite simple.

-If you look at those circles and dots just there...

-Yes...

That's just a date code and that tells us that this was made in 1937.

Oh, right. Very good.

In terms of value, I mean, these are fairly standard pots

and you can put an estimate on that of £80 - £120.

You can put a reserve on it of £60.

If you have a good day, it might make £150.

If you have a real good day, it might make a little bit more.

-Let's hope it goes really, really well for you.

-All right, thank you.

Yes, fingers crossed.

Now, we get a wide variety of pottery and porcelain

through our doors on valuation days but we also get unusual items

such as the shepherd's smock that Andrew has brought in.

So, tell me its life story and how did you get your hands on this?

Well, going back to the mid-1940s, when I was a young lad,

my mother used to wear it at fancy dress parties

-at the Women's Institute.

-Did she? Where did she get it from?

Well, I believe she got it from her mother because my grandparents,

her mother and father, came from Bromsgrove round here,

and they did tie up some with some land. I believe it was at Cookley.

Right. Presumably this was made then in the 1920s?

It would correlate with your three generations going back...

-Possibly, yes.

-..when it was made.

And it's been beautifully hand stitched.

It's 100% cotton. I don't think it's ever been worn in the field.

I don't think so.

But it has been made for a man.

I can't believe that farmers and shepherds

-would have worn something like this, I really can't.

-Nor me!

-Look, look at this.

-It does suit you!

Does it suit me? Well, I don't know.

I can't see you going down the high street in it!

-I'd get arrested, wouldn't I?

-Yes.

-It's fantastic.

Even the cuffs, when you turn them back,

look at that - little tiny doily motifs.

-All the buttons have been handmade.

-Yes, beautiful.

I find this incredibly hard to value. I'm not an expert on textiles

and I've asked a few of my colleagues here

and we've come up with a figure of £80 - £120.

-Yes, that seems reasonable.

-Put a reserve on it of £80.

-Yes.

-Because it's worth every penny of that.

-I'm sure it is.

I think it belongs in a bygone museum, a local, small museum,

where young children can sort of see

-and appreciate what shepherds would have worn.

-Yeah.

Thank you so much for bringing this in

because it's put a smile on my face. I think it's wonderful.

So, hopefully we'll find a new home

for Andrew's mother's fancy dress outfit.

While over at Kate's table,

Ruth's hoping to find a new home for her father's toys.

We've got our very own war game going on here. Beautifully set out.

Tell me about this lovely collection.

It was bought for my father by my grandfather.

It's just been in the attic for quite a long time

so I thought I'd bring it along today to show you.

So, tell me a little bit about your grandfather.

Did he fight in the world war?

He was in the First World War

and he did get shot in the First World War, too. He survived.

Luckily, he had a prayer book with him.

-And this is exactly what we've got here.

-Exactly.

This is just incredible, isn't it?

-Presumably he was wearing this at the time?

-Yes.

And this is his catechism, his catechism of Christian doctrine,

and this is the actual bullet hole?

-Yes, that's right.

-That incredible, isn't it?

-Yes, it is.

So it's a case of really, literally,

a Christian doctrine or a Christian faith saving his life.

-Absolutely.

-Just incredible!

So, what about the toy soldiers?

Do you know anything about them particularly,

about the maker, or when they were produced?

I believe they're made in England but they are American soldiers.

They are, which is quite interesting, isn't it?

The fact that an English toy manufacturer is producing

things for the American market, if you like.

The manufacturer, you've got the box here,

so you can see quite clearly, is Timpo Toys.

Timpo started production of lead models like this in 1949.

It was a hollow cast production, that was the method,

and we can see on this soldier here, who has sadly copped it,

that they are indeed hollow.

He's lost his head, so you can see right inside there.

But the use of lead stopped in the 1950s,

in 1956, and really paved the way for a huge range of

plastic models which are still produced today, I believe.

And you've got a great little collection here.

They were produced and sold in boxed sets, just like this one here,

usually have six or more

and I particularly like this little unit,

which is a unit in itself, isn't it?

These three pieces - one piece, of course, is the mortar itself

and then you've got the two figures that make up the mortar unit.

That would have been sold as a little set.

And then you've got lots of other different figures

in their fighting stances.

This one's called "firing standing," for instance.

This chap, obviously "crawling."

And I love the detail of the barbed wire.

So, why are you looking to sell it,

if it's something that's been passed down in your family?

It has, yes, but it's been in an attic for quite a while

so just to raise a little cash.

Well, I think what you've got here is a lovely little set.

Sold, I think, or to be offered as one lot.

Because of the condition, I'm going to bring it down a little bit,

but the box will certainly help and I think we could say at auction,

an estimate of £60 - £80 with a reserve, perhaps, of £50,

so they don't go for less than that.

-Excellent. I'm quite surprised, thank you.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

So obviously, you'll want to hold onto this book.

Yes, I'd like to keep that one.

I'm sure, because that's a story which shouldn't be

-forgotten about, should it?

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Sally, how are you, my love? All right?

-Fine, thank you.

-How long have you owned these?

-About 10 years.

-Why?

My uncle died about 10 years ago and when we cleared the house,

-those three were in, so...

-Did you like them?

-I do like them, very much.

-What appeals to you?

I think the pattern on that one's really nice

and I think that one, because it's so old.

I vowed never, ever, ever to do this commemorative ware on Flog It!

-Oh, right!

-Ever, ever, ever.

-Why?

-I don't really like them.

-They don't have great value.

-No.

They're just sort of mass produced little trinkets, really,

but having said that, there's a reason why I've done these

and what I think is lovely

is that this one is Edward VIII, May 12th, 1937.

-He never made it.

-No.

But what I think is just fun on the back, it's got "long may he reign!"

-Bit of a Freudian slip there, isn't it?

-Well it is, really, yes.

You know, this is produced in Radfords in Stoke.

People think this stuff is valuable

-because Edward VIII never went to the throne.

-That's what I thought.

-But of course, it's the next one that's valuable.

-Oh, right.

Because no one knew that he wasn't going to make it,

so they still produced tonnes of it, but they only had about six months

-to get ready for the next lot, the Queen's father, George.

-Right.

And so his commemorative ware is, in a way, more collectable.

I'm going to sell these as one lot.

And this one appeals to me, as I say, because of King Edward VIII

and "long may he reign." That sort of appeals to my sense of humour.

This one, I think, is terrific. VR, as you know, is Victoria.

It is 1897.

Now, she came to the throne in 1837,

so this was the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne.

-I see, yes.

-And what I love about this one

is we've got Victoria, Queen and Empress.

Because in those days, of course, you had the British Empire.

-That's right.

-And this one here, and I love this one again,

this is for Edward VIII, but my showroom's in Malvern

and a great visitor to Malvern, in the '30s era, I suppose,

-was Dame Laura Knight.

-Yes?

And if ever an artist is flavour of the month at the moment,

it's Dame Laura Knight.

And we've got the unicorn, there, and on the bottom

we can see that this is designed and modelled by Dame Laura Knight.

So, I'm going to suggest that you put an estimate of these of £20-£40.

-Right.

-And we'll put a fixed reserve of £15.

-Yes.

-I have seen this mug alone priced at between £40 and £60.

-Right.

And I think it's a real collector's piece and that's where our money is.

-Yes.

-So it's buy one...

-Get two free.

-You've got it in one!

Why do you want to sell them?

They're in the cupboard, they've been there for 10 years,

I don't ever look at them, so I think somebody might get

some enjoyment out of them.

-So you inherited them 10 years ago and now it's time to go?

-Time to go.

-Well, let's hope they do well for you.

-I hope so.

In this vibrant and busy part of Birmingham city centre,

tucked away between all the restaurants and bars,

there's a real historical gem.

Now, it's not just a poignant reminder of this city's past

but of the country's heritage as a whole.

Now at first glance, this might look like

any other ordinary sort of set of terraced houses.

But it's not. In fact, this is incredibly rare,

because it's the last remaining example of a style of living

which has more or less been forgotten about.

Yet at one point in our history, most people that lived

and worked in industrial towns and cities in England

lived in accommodation like this - the back-to-back.

I know what you're thinking,

but our understanding of the term back-to-back

has changed over the years.

It's now applied to Coronation Street-style houses

but it actually refers to something very specific -

these houses weren't just attached to their neighbours on either side.

The back walls were also shared

and one house was built literally onto the back of another.

They sprung up in their tens of thousands at the end of the 18th

and throughout the 19th century.

They were as much a part of the Industrial Revolution

as anything that was manufactured in the factories and workshops

and when thousands of people

flocked to the towns and cities looking for work,

property speculators saw an opportunity

and a building frenzy began.

By 1850, two thirds of Birmingham's population

lived in courts just like this one.

Today, this is all that remains of this once common type of housing.

It was fully restored by the Birmingham Conservation Trust

and the National Trust back in 2000.

Chris Upton was the historian involved with the project.

So, is this typical of most back-to-back courts?

Yeah, sure, in that they're clustered around the yard.

There is one entrance and one exit which could be tricky in a fire.

They're real fire hazards.

And there's 11 houses here, some of them have half a dozen,

some of them have 20, 30 alleyways.

Depending on the plot of land the developer had

and how many houses could be squeezed in on it.

There's another court next door and another one beyond that.

They weren't everywhere. You don't find them in London.

You didn't find them in the North East.

It's that middle bit of the country, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Leeds,

down to Birmingham, was back-to-back living.

It's tenements if you get further north and further south.

What would it have been like in its day?

It was described as living at the bottom of a well.

Because not much light gets in.

And if there was light, it would be full of smog up there, actually.

-In Industrial England.

-Yes, that's right.

In this particular court, how many people live?

At most, 65 is the highest I've found.

Obviously, there's no loos inside,

so there's only three outside loos, for 65 people.

Yeah, they could be death-traps because the water supply

and the toilets were worryingly close to each other.

So, people did pick things up, and once an epidemic got into the court,

it was something that ran around fast.

They were thought of as very unhealthy places.

Even though the people enjoyed living in them.

Can we go inside and have a look?

Yes, sure. This way.

MUSIC: "One Day Like This" by Elbow

Hey, do you know what? It feels like you've landed

right in the middle of the Victorian era.

And we have. In about 1870.

So, how many people would have lived in this particular house?

Well, this was the home of the Oldfield family,

and there was Mr and Mrs Oldfield and their eight children

and a lodger and the lodger's girlfriend. In two bedrooms.

So you had all those people in only two bedrooms.

Where did most of the people come from, to rent these places?

All over the country and abroad.

So there was a Jewish community,

there were quite a few Italians,

a lot of Irish, Scots,

but the majority were from the surrounding countryside.

-Coming from the countryside but wanting to work in a factory.

-Yep.

People were lured to the towns by better wages and guaranteed work.

But the effect on their health was undeniable.

So, what was the average life expectancy?

It's difficult to answer that, Paul,

because it depends very much which street you lived in

and which area you lived in.

In what we would now call the suburbs of Birmingham,

only a mile or two out,

your life expectancy was double what it would be right in the centre.

There were streets in central Birmingham

where half the children would die before the age of five.

National legislation had banned the building of new courts way back in 1870.

And local authorities were encouraged to demolish them.

For cities like Birmingham, it would prove a monumental challenge.

By the end of the First World War,

the city still had more than 43,000 back-to-backs.

In fact, some people still lived in them right up until the 1970s.

A full 100 years after the ban.

Why did it take such a long time to knock them all down, then?

Just the sheer number of them. There were 10,000 courts.

So, you couldn't put that many people onto the housing market at the same time.

Well, thank goodness this one survived.

What was it about this one?

Really, I think it was accident. It was mostly a commercial street,

Hurst Street, and eventually, people forgot what they were.

Have you actually chatted to people that lived here? What did they say?

It's very different if you had a happy family life.

You liked the back to backs. If you had an unhappy family life, you didn't.

So, if the last tenants moved out in the 1960s,

you would have known them and spoken to them.

Yes, interviewed them.

And what were their recollections of the place, then?

They leave with excitement and then very quickly realise

that they've lost something in the process, they've lost

that sense of community, of knowing your neighbours.

So there was a trade-off.

But, to the last couple to move out said

it was like a little palace to us.

Gosh, that felt like stepping back in time.

Thank goodness this court has survived demolition,

because without it, a very important part of our social history

would have disappeared, along with the bricks and mortar.

And thankfully, it now remains a living testament

to how thousands of people would have lived

in industrial towns and cities all over the country.

And it's just as valuable to our heritage as those big stately homes.

Well, everybody is certainly been working flat-out all morning.

It's now time to take our first treasures off to auction.

There's a few gems that we've spotted down there,

so there's going to be one or two surprises later on in the programme.

Our first three lots at auction start with Nigel and Jenny's Worcester vase

which Philip gave a value of £80-£120.

Another 80-120 lot next, and that's Andrew's shepherd smock.

I've never seen one of these on Flog It! before.

And it's in perfect condition,

so I'm hoping for the very best in the saleroom.

Will the bidders see a bargain and potential

in Sylvia's commemorative mugs?

So, it's buy one, get two free. You've got it in one.

And Ruth didn't get a fright from Kate when she said

she wanted to sell her father's toy soldiers.

And she was surprised by the estimate of £60-£80.

There are plenty of cars outside in the car park, so hopefully

inside, it's going to be jam-packed.

And this is where all our items are going under the hammer today.

Fielding's Auctioneers in Stourbridge.

One thing to be aware of at a sale

is that both sellers and buyers pay commission plus VAT.

Check also for any extra costs before you start

putting your items in the sale

or putting your hands up in the auction house.

On the rostrum today we've got Nick Davies.

Let's hope he gets some good results for our owners.

Good luck, Ruth. Going under the hammer right now

we've got the American die-cast toy soldiers.

It could be a good battle for them.

£60-£80. They were dad's, and they were his dad's, I gather.

-I think so.

-And you have two girls?

-Two girls.

-I know why you're selling them!

THEY LAUGH

I do like these, though.

They are a really nice set. You've got the box as well.

Fingers crossed, they're going to do well. Here we go.

We have bids and interest and we can open at £60.

£60, do I see five anywhere else in the room?

60, well, we've sold, haven't we, straight in?

Selling at 60. We're all sure and done at £60, and finished.

First and last, £60.

Just! A little quick skirmish in the auction room for our soldiers.

Are you happy with that, Ruth?

Yes, very happy, £60 is swell.

They might have sold very quickly at the bottom of Kate's estimate

but Ruth goes home a happy customer.

Well, now's your chance to buy a bit of Dame Laura Knight for just £30.

What's the deal? Well, they're three commemorative mugs,

and they belong to Sally.

A lovely lot but, for me, Paul, the one that stands out is the Laura Knight mug

because I think she's such an icon.

And her work is so collectable at the moment.

You can go round an antique fair and see those at £65.

So we have hopes.

Why are we selling? Because they were in a cupboard?

They were in a cupboard, I'm afraid, yes.

-For the last ten years, I gather.

-Ten years, yes.

-Oh, well, they're going to find a new home.

-Well, I hope so.

Here we go, Sally. This is it.

The Coronation mug, and the Dame Laura Knight example.

There we are. There's three in the lot there.

Where do we see the nice Coronation ware?

£15 for it all? 15, anyone?

15, I've got you. 18, anywhere else?

And 18, and 20, and two.

25, 28, and 30, and two, 35, 38, and 40, and two,

Thank you madam. £40.

£40, the gentleman has bid at 40.

We're all sure and done, for the Coronation mugs at £40, all done.

Top end, well done, Philip. £40 to you.

-There is commission to pay, don't forget.

-Yes, I know that, yes.

Have you got any other things you're going to get out of the cupboard?

Yes, I've got quite a few things I could bring.

You're going to bring them along to another Flog It!

Find a bit more by Laura Knight. Maybe some paintings!

Oh, right. I haven't got any paintings. Not any good ones.

I think the paintings would be a keeper.

THEY LAUGH

Andrew's turn next, and it's the first textile lot of the auction

so I'm hoping that doesn't affect its chances.

Well now I think it's time to test the water.

I've just been joined by Andrew.

We've got a phone that's constantly ringing here.

Hopefully, that's coming in on our lot.

It's the shepherd's smock, just about to go under the hammer.

It's beautifully displayed. They've got a tailor's dummy.

It looks great on there, doesn't it? It doesn't look too bad at all.

Condition is very good, and this really belong in a bygone museum.

And hopefully, it's going to end up there.

We're going to find out because it's going under the hammer, now.

Lot eight is an embroidered cotton smock.

Some people thought it might be a shepherd's one.

And we can open this one just below estimate at £70.

Do I see five in the room?

£70 on commission, 75 anywhere else.

£70 with me.

£70 it will be, then. 75, anywhere else? All done and 70?

-Didn't sell it.

-No, we didn't.

It won't go to our museum.

That such a shame, but it was worth holding out for the reserve,

because it's a beautiful piece of family history.

Last, by no means least, is the Worcester vase.

Will it get the local interest it deserves? Let's find out.

I love this next lot. There's a touch of class about it, and so there should be.

-It belongs to Nigel and Jenny, ex-mayor and mayoress. Yes?

-Yes.

I love the berries, I love the blackberries and the brambles.

And I know you love this as well, didn't you? Hmmm?

Why are you selling it?

Well, I inherited it.

But our son Keiran is running in the London Marathon for the first time

and he's running for the Royal British Legion

-and whatever it makes, I'm going to donate it to that.

-OK.

So, he's training for it?

He is. He's running the miles and the country lanes around Bewdley.

Good luck on this one.

You know, her work, Kitty Blake, autumn leaves and autumn fruits,

you can spot it miles away. It's hugely collectable.

This should really do very well.

-And he knows his stuff.

-He does.

-Yes, he does.

Here we go.

The Royal Worcester posy vase,

this is a Kitty Blake sample.

And we've had lots of bidders interested in this.

Lots of interest!

£120 takes all the other commission bidders out, £120. Do I see 130?

130, 140.

That's what I call a really good start.

150 in the room now, which takes the commission bidders out.

Will I see 160 anywhere else?

At £150 and I'm selling in the room at £150, all done...

HAMMER STRIKES

-Yes! Great.

-Gosh!

-Result!

-Thank you, Philip.

My pleasure, my pleasure.

That's exceeded. Thank you.

'Well, that was just brilliant.'

The profits are going to a really good cause,

so Nigel and Jenny were right to flog it.

There you are, that's it. That concludes our first visit

to Fieldings auction rooms here in Stourbridge.

We are coming back later, but right now, I want to show you

a little hidden gem tucked away in the local countryside.

Can you imagine living here? No?

Well, not that long ago, people actually did. You see,

for hundreds of years, this soft sandstone had been carved out

to create homes for people to live in.

The last occupants moved out in the 1950s

but sadly, for 40 years or so,

the caves fell into disrepair

with a combination of natural weathering from the elements

but tragically, a target for vandals. Look at this,

carvings everywhere and bits taken off, but all that changed

when the National Trust undertook a project of restoration,

painstakingly restoring some of the rock houses

back to their original condition as they were in their Victorian heyday.

Kinver Edge lies on the edge of the Black Country

and during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century,

a previously well-established ironworks flourished here.

Thousands of people migrated to the area and some of the people

who worked at the ironworks lived here in the rock houses.

The upper level three stone-faced houses have been completely rebuilt

while the two cave houses show how the rock looked

after it was left by the inhabitants.

There are two more caves like this one on the middle level,

but on the lower level, the restoration is extraordinary.

Edwin Blunt has been site manager here for over 20 years.

They continued to be a popular place for people to live in, didn't they?

They even became a tourist attraction.

Oh, yes. Kinver Edge has always been very popular

for day trips from the Black Country since mid-Victorian times.

The coming of the light railway from 1901 brought incredible numbers

on regular weekends.

The maximum was about 17,000 in one day in 1905, I believe.

-Gosh, that's a lot of people.

-Which is a lot of people

-and they used to sell teas to everybody.

-Did they?

It was part of their additional income,

-for these were ordinary poor families.

-Yes.

And therefore, any possibility of earning extra money,

and with 17,000 visitors in a day, everybody sold teas.

How many houses were actually here? How many rock homes?

At the maximum, we had 11 families living here,

which is about 45 people.

Because of the popularity of the tea rooms and the rock houses

as a tourist attraction, a wealth of photographs and postcards exist

of the outside, but there is a distinct lack of interior shots.

However, the interior of one of the dwellings has been reconstructed

thanks to a painting of Mr and Mrs Fletcher by Alfred Rushton in 1903.

So what was it like living in one of these houses?

Well, generally speaking,

the temperature is quite even throughout the year

so you tend to find that they're cool in summer

and warmer than outside in winter.

And with a good fire going...

-Quite cosy.

-Quite cosy.

Mind you, I saw the well outside,

so they drew the water from the well, there was no running tapwater.

They relied on the wells

until the pumping station was built in about 1920.

-Did they have electricity?

-No, they never had electricity.

-They had no mains drains.

-Right up until the '50s?

-Nothing at all.

-All they had from the 1930s was an outside tap.

-Gosh.

Looking around there, the women were very house-proud, weren't they?

This is a nice des res, put it that way!

I mean, they'd keep the floors swept

and the outsides clean and tidy

and the things that everybody normally did in those days.

I guess if the family got bigger, could they take it upon themselves

to sort of start digging another tunnel to make another bedroom?

-Could they work inwards?

-Well, I don't see why not.

Before 1900, there used to be three cottages in this bottom level here.

After 1900, there was only one family, and they did just that.

-Knocked through?

-They tunnelled between and knocked through

into next door and made it into one house.

There's a really nice feeling

when you walk through the door in one of these cottages.

They kind of hug you. They almost embrace you, don't they?

There's something really nice about it.

The people who lived here were very proud and very happy to live here.

They really enjoyed it

and some of the families lived here for 150 years, the same family.

-Passed down from generation to generation.

-Yes.

-There's no place like home, is there?

-That's it.

Edwin, thank you so much for taking me back in time

and making me feel like I'm in a little holiday cottage, really.

-I've learned something today. Thanks.

-Excellent. You're welcome.

That is so fascinating.

To think that people actually cut their homes into the side

of this chunk of rock. That's so resourceful and so clever.

The Holy Austin Rock Houses take you back in time to a bygone era

with a real twist.

Our team of expert work their way through the queue,

valuing every single item brought in

and Kate Bliss has found an interesting box of tricks

she wants to take a closer look at.

Keith, first of all, tell me about

this lovely little leather case.

I spotted it in this shop in Coventry, an antiques shop.

And that drew my attention, I just liked it.

And when I picked the case up,

I realised there was something in

and the photographs were inside,

and from that point on,

I've just kept them together.

So what makes you bring them today?

Because I've just had them in a cabinet

for probably nearly 18, 20 years.

-I'm moving on, so I guess they've got to move on as well.

-OK.

They look like just a bunch of old photographs at first, don't they?

-Yes.

-What we've got here are known as

cartes de visite, if you like, is the French term.

In English and Victorian England particularly,

they're known as calling cards

-or visiting cards.

-Oh, right.

And this arose in the 1850s in France,

where families who were fairly wealthy had their photographs taken

and they were then transferred onto small cards

and used as calling cards, so when they went visiting,

they left their card with their photograph on it.

That's lovely, isn't it?

Now, just flicking through them,

I see that this gentleman here

has obviously written a lovely message on the back here,

handwritten, "With a brother's love, John Butt."

And it is the Butt family that you see the name appears a lot,

-doesn't it, on the cards?

-Yes, it does.

And this one here is Waterloo, USA,

so here we have some American calling cards

and while we're talking about America,

these ones have really caught my eye.

And what's special about these is,

we have possibly the same gentleman

but in his American Civil War dress or uniform as a soldier,

and on the back here, which is lovely,

"Yours courteously,

"Sir Knight Butt, Apollo Commandery,

"Number 19, Indiana."

Which is lovely, so we can date that precisely

because of course the American Civil War was 1861 to '65

-and that places that exactly in history, doesn't it?

-It does, yep.

These ones, looking through,

are all English, some Coventry,

this rather impressive Victorian lady,

a number of different photographers,

babies here from the family.

But what about value, Keith? Have you any idea?

Not a clue.

Well, it's always the subject

as well as the photographer

-who is of interest to the collector.

-Of course.

And I think these American Civil War ones are certainly of interest.

-I love the personal inscriptions on the back.

-Yes. Very dear.

Having said that, I'm going to be quite conservative.

It's a little bit of an unknown quantity to me

and I think it really depends who we have at our auction.

But I'm going to say with their leather case, I think

they could make anywhere between 40, 60,

-perhaps £80-£100 on a really good day.

-Yeah.

But I think a realistic, conservative estimate would be

£40-£60 to attract those collectors.

Yeah, that would be very good.

Lovely. What did you pay for them?

-About £10, I think.

-About £10. How long ago?

-I would think about 1984, '85, somewhere about then.

-OK.

-Well, we'll certainly try and get you a profit.

-That would be nice.

Isn't it amazing how people bring in

items that originated from all over the world?

Although that's not true of Godfrey's boxing poster.

You couldn't get closer to home than this one.

This is a boxing tournament that took place here.

-Yes.

-In this room.

-Yes.

-In 1928.

-Yes.

So how did you come by this?

Bought it at an antiques fair

about five to ten years ago

and it's been up the loft ever since.

Are you a collector of posters?

No, I collect anything to do with Kidderminster.

What I love about this is the names of these people

and it's all a bit of local history

because you've got Farrier Frank Berwick, who's from Bewdley,

and he was the heavyweight champion of India for six years.

He defeated Gunboat Jack.

I won't say what it says there

because it's not really politically correct, is it?

And then we've got Arthur Holes of Worcester

and then Young Crumpton from Kidderminster fought Reg Roberts

and on it goes, and I love this bit here.

"Ladies cordially invited."

So I think it's absolutely brilliant.

And you bought it primarily because you're interested in local history.

-Yes.

-What else have you got?

-You're unlike to believe, really.

-Really?

-No.

Bricks. I've got crestware...

-You've got bricks?

-Yeah, with Kidderminster on and stuff like that.

Bricks with Kidderminster on. I bet your wife loves you, doesn't she?

If anything, we used to go all over the countryside.

And anything that had Kidderminster on, we used to buy.

I'm not going to ask you what you paid for this.

I'm going to tell you what I think we can estimate it at.

If this came into my sale room,

I'd go...

..£60-£90 estimate, £50 reserves.

-Right.

-If it makes 150, I wouldn't be surprised.

-OK.

-What did you pay for it?

Just over £100.

-So you paid just over £100 for it five years ago?

-Yeah.

And now you're going to perhaps sell it a loss?

Well, things have to...

I've been out of work for 12 months now...

-So it's got to go.

-It's got to go, yes.

So let's keep our fingers crossed

and hope we get a real killer punch

-and somebody pays £150 or £200 for it.

-Lovely, thank you.

So, while we leave Godfrey and Phil

hoping for a knockout performance at auction,

I've hunted out another item which in its day was very useful.

Jan and Dave, what have we got here?

-I haven't seen one of those for a long time.

-It's a moustache cup.

-It is, isn't it?

-Victorian.

-You can see that!

-Yes.

Look at that. And that's where the gentleman would have a sip

and not get his moustache covered in coffee or hot chocolate.

-That's right.

-Well, I never. Look at that.

And that commemorates 60 years of Queen Victoria's reign.

And it's dated here, "1897".

There's a bad chip just there. Can you see there,

-where it's been restored?

-Yes, we had a bit of an accident with it.

Someone with a moustache too bushy pushed it in?

No, not really! No, Dave did.

Actually, because this is damaged, this is only worth around £40-£50.

-Oh, is it, as much as that?

-If...

Here's a little secret, OK?

If this had been '87, ten years earlier,

I think it would be slightly more collectable

because 50 years is a time to celebrate,

50 years on the throne would be worth a lot more money

than 60 years or 70 years or 40 years. Yeah?

So after 100 years, would that be...?

-Well, they'd be dead then, wouldn't they?

-True. Sorry!

-Sorry.

-What do you think of guys with moustaches, then?

-Erm...

-Did he ever have one? Dave, you ever had one?

-No?

-No.

-You don't like them.

Not particularly, no.

What do you think?

Well, I absolutely love them!

Well, there you are. It's a nation divided!

-Thank you.

-Now it's time for tea.

'Well, I stand corrected.

'Maybe the mug could be useful for some men today.'

Well, from something for the dads to something for the kids

and Stephanie's tin figures might be collectables now

but they were definitely toys once.

They've been in my family for as long as I can remember, certainly.

So where have you had them at home?

I remember seeing them when I was a little girl

and being shouted at for playing with them, "Don't touch."

They disappeared then for a while.

My dad this year has gone into residential care,

so I got the task of clearing out the house,

and there they were, in the loft.

-So you've unearthed them after all this time.

-Yeah.

-Have you any idea how old they are?

-I haven't.

I know that my grandad from 1897 could remember them,

so I don't know how old they are.

OK. Well, that's great that you can remember that far back

-so it's passed down to your family.

-I can't remember to 1897!

No! I wasn't suggesting that!

THEY LAUGH

Which is your favourite here?

-Which one do you like best?

-Oh, gosh. Erm, I've got to say,

this one, I think.

-I think there's just something about him.

-That's interesting.

-He's a proper little character.

-He is a proper little character, isn't he?

That's what strikes me about all of these.

They've all got their personalities, their quirkiness, if you like.

But what we've got here are two known manufacturers

and then three, these three figures here,

could be made by a number of different manufacturers.

But let's look at these two quirky figures first,

because these are by the same manufacturer.

-Any ideas what nationality they are, to start with?

-I don't, no.

I really don't know. As I say,

I just remember them from when I was little.

Didn't mean a lot to me then. Don't know.

Well, if you look closely at these quirky characters,

you can see on their hats,

there is a little mark - F and an M.

And they stand, those two initials stand for Fernand Martin,

who was French.

They're never in very good condition, his characters,

because they were made from scrap metal

that was scavenged from the streets of Paris, literally.

And what we've got here is the drunkard swigging his grog,

and he's got very pink cheeks,

which I love, underneath that hat.

And here, the fiddler in his checked trousers here.

He's lost his cloth tunic, hasn't he? But otherwise, he's pretty good.

So those are interesting. Then we have three very different ones here

and if you go a little way across Europe from France,

you come to Germany

and these three are by one of the best-known German manufacturers

of toys at that moment, a company called Ernst Lehmann.

And they only produced novelty toys

and were very well known for producing clockwork tinplate items

just like these,

and one of the characteristics of the toys produced by the firm

were the bright colours they used and the lithographed designs.

We can see that, I think beautifully

on the wheels of this cart here.

You can see the clowns

printed on the wheels there.

My favourite, I think, is Paddy and the pig, as he is known,

-riding here. And he does go, doesn't he?

-He does,

-with a bit of encouragement.

-If I give him a little tweak there.

With a little bit of encouragement,

there he is, riding the pig.

And I think this is lovely.

This is the Lehmann trademark, the insignia,

and we have also on the base

quite clearly dated, "1903"

so this goes right back to that turn of the century period.

-So what about value for this lovely collection?

-I have no idea at all.

-I really have no idea.

-OK, well,

these three are probably going to be less desirable

because of the condition

and because we can't associate them with any manufacturer,

and I would advocate putting three in one lot at auction

-with an estimate of £60-£100 on the three.

-Right.

The Fernand Martin, I think,

are super. I love them as characters.

£60-£80 each.

And the Lehman, this one has an arm missing, unfortunately,

-so that is going to really bring the price down, unfortunately.

-Yeah.

So I'm going to suggest putting that together with the clown

in his cart and the donkey,

and I think that as a lot

should be estimated conservatively at £100-£200.

-Paddy and the pig, however, I think should make £100 on his own.

-Wow.

So I would estimate him probably at just under £100,

70-100 perhaps,

and hope that he certainly makes the £100, if not a bit more.

-So all in all, you've got several hundred pounds here.

-Right.

And I think with the right collectors at the auction,

-they could significantly surpass my estimates.

-Lovely.

I couldn't resist this autograph book,

which contains some truly top-of-the-bill signatures.

Stan, I envy you.

-Really?

-I really do.

You've actually seen the Beatles.

What were the Beatles like and where did you see them?

I saw them at Birmingham Town Hall in June 1963.

They were in a pop concert alongside the Rolling Stones.

It was a double bill, which was incredible, when you think about it.

Did you work at the town hall?

I worked at a steward. It wasn't my job, we weren't paid for it,

we just got complimentary tickets

so I had a chance to go backstage and talk to quite a few people,

and I was able to nip into the dressing rooms and get them to sign.

Wow. Wow. What was it like meeting all four Beatles?

I bet you didn't know what to say, did you?

I didn't have a lot of time, because there were two houses

and as soon as you got rid of the one house,

-you had to pack the next lot in.

-Right.

Were you lost for words? I would be.

I suppose I was in a way, yes.

They were just a bunch of young lads, you know.

The Stones weren't quite so approachable, for some reason,

but the Beatles were very friendly.

You were either a Stones or a Beatles fan, weren't you?

-Which were you?

-I was more of a Beatles person.

You have mentioned the Rolling Stones,

and on the same bill, you were able to nab their autographs as well.

And this is with Brian Jones in the band? In the early days.

Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and of course Charlie Watts.

Roy Orbison is in there, he's a strange character.

-Was Roy Orbison on the same bill?

-No, he came later. I think.,

Well, you've got three names here which any pop rock memorabilia

fanatics would love to get their hands on.

-And now you are thinking of selling them?

-Oh, indeed.

There's a few other autographs in here.

Mainly jazz musicians as well.

-Acker Bilk...

-Acker Bilk.

-Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Springfields.

-There's quite a few in there.

-But it's those three big names, really.

It's the Beatles, Roy Orbison - the Big O.

And of course you have got all the Rolling Stones.

Well, I think this little autograph book is around £3,000-£4,000.

-Well, I would hope so.

-Yeah.

We have seen the Beatles' autographs before on the show,

and they've always managed to do about £2,000.

So I think that's a good price guide for the Beatles.

And the Rolling Stones, as a complete set normally fetch around £800-£1,200.

And I would imagine Roy Orbison alone would be worth

in the region of £80-£120 as well.

So I would like to put this into auction,

-with a valuation of £2500-£3500.

-Yes.

With a fixed reserve of £2,500.

-How do you feel about that?

-Yes, I'll go with that. Yeah.

If we get that top end, what would you do with the money?

Well, I'm a philatelist,

-I collect stamps and I also go to stamp auctions.

-Oh, right, OK.

-So I would possibly buy some decent stamps.

-A Penny Black or two?

I've got one or two of those!

I can't wait to find out how that

and our other lots do as they go under the hammer.

At £40-£60, Kate thinks the bidders will come calling

for Keith's box of cards.

Philip was very excited about Godfrey's poster,

finding it over 80 years after it advertised a fight

in the very hall our valuation day is being held.

Next there is Stan's autograph book.

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison!

Three big A-listers are bound to attract a lot of attention.

Kate split Stephanie's clockwork toys into five different lots

and put her estimates on the conservative side.

The estimates vary from £60-£200.

But auctioneer Nick has his own idea of what the toys could make.

I think this is one of my favourite lots of the sale. As a group.

They belong to Stephanie, they were her grandfather's and he was

born in about 1890, and they have been in the family ever since.

Well, you don't get toys like this nowadays.

Completely different, with all the computer games you get.

-It's all plastic and batteries.

-Plastic and batteries.

-Love the German ones.

-They are great.

I mean, you've got really good examples

of tinplate toys of the period.

As separate lots, each lot, we've got around £80-£100 on them.

I could see the German lot, just those two alone, possibly doing 300.

-Wouldn't surprise me.

-I really could.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

The cart and donkey you see quite a lot of,

-the baker is a little more rare.

-That is quite unique.

It is quite unique.

And Paddy and the Pig, as he is well known, is another rare example.

And the thing is about these three, well, all of them,

there has been no restoration. There has never been repainting.

-No, original paint.

-Original paint. All the mechanisms work.

They are toys, they have been played with.

There will be chips and dinks and small dents.

But in general terms, they are not bad at all.

No, I think they are slightly undervalued.

-As a group lot, easily £1,000?

-I would have thought so. Yes. Easily.

Even with missing clothes and odd arms missing.

They are just great fun and when they are wound up and working,

-they are just great entertainment and they were cutting edge of their day.

-Of course they were. Yeah.

And they have got everything going for them

as regards a good investment,

because you are going to wait a long time to see these again.

And hopefully, we will get over £1,000 for them.

It will be a pleasure to sell them.

We will see what they do a little later.

But Keith is about to find out

if his calling cards are anything to write home about.

Well, we have got £40-£60 on it, Kate.

-Hopefully, it is going to do well.

-Yes, some interesting ones in this.

-So I think the collectors certainly spotted them.

-Hard to value.

Here we go. Putting it under the hammer now.

Some English and some American examples.

Not sure how they got over here!

Featuring the Butt family. Nice examples, that.

Where do we start, £35? 35 anywhere?

No interest at £35?

Nobody coming in at 35 for the calling cards and case?

35...

38, 40 and they're with you, sir.

40? Thank you. 42 anywhere else?

£40, gentleman by the cash office, £40. We all sure and done?

-Yes! Hammer has gone down.

-£40.

-£40.

-We just got them away.

-That will do.

Well, that was by the skin of their teeth as the cards just

reached the reserve.

There is a clue to what is coming up next. I hope it's a knockout.

We've got that lovely boxing poster and it belongs to Godfrey.

-Hello, Godfrey.

-Hello.

-When you brought it along to our expert

Mr Philip Serrell, cos he's Mr sports expert... You are, now, anyway!

You do all the rugby, all the cricket. This is your first boxing.

It's my first boxing, but I love this. It's such a great thing and I think old posters,

they are so evocative and of course, why would you keep that?

They would have just been discarded after the event.

So someone had a lot of foresight to keep that.

-And I think it will do quite well.

-Fingers crossed.

-I hope so.

We are going to find out right now.

A great bit of fun, this one.

Promotional boxing poster at Kidderminster Town Hall.

There we are.

Farrier Frank Berwick and Arthur Holes.

I wouldn't want to cross Farrier Frank, I don't think!

-I'm bid £50 on a commission. Straight off.

-That's good.

Do I see five in the room anywhere?

Nice bit of local interest. £50 I am bid on a commission,

55 anywhere else?

-At £50 for the poster, then? Are we all done?

-£50?

First and last, £50 for Farrier Frank. All done?

-£50. That's good. I'm happy. You happy?

-Yes, very good.

At least we weren't left on the ropes, were we?

I've been waiting FOR this moment. I've just been joined by Stan. We've got the autograph collection.

Not just the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison

-and a few others.

-One or two others, yeah.

Been in the drawer for 47 years, nearly.

We're going to find out exactly what it's worth right now.

The Beatles' autographs with Roy Orbison and the Rolling Stones.

These were consigned by the vendors who was actually

a steward at the Town Hall in 1963.

We can open this one just below estimate at £2,400.

-Anybody coming in at 2,400?

-Come on, we need a couple of phones now.

2,400? 2450?

2,450. 2,500? Says no, I'll go to Claire then.

2,500, Claire would you like to bid? 2550?

-This is a tense moment, isn't it?

-It is, indeed.

-2,600? Claire?

-It's two phones, obviously.

That's why it's taking such a long time.

-I can't actually see what's going on right now.

-2,800?

Says no. 2,700 on Adrienne's phone, 2,700.

Last chance in the room at 2,800. We are all done at £2,700.

Sure and done?

-Hammer has gone down. We sold 2,700.

-That's OK.

-We will settle for that, won't we?

-Thank you very much.

Gosh, that was a big moment, wasn't it?

Because you were really frightened. You were adamant that 2,500 was...

I wasn't too optimistic when I spoke to him,

but obviously, the telephone bids...

-I thought it wouldn't be sold in the room.

-It's gone.

-It's gone.

-It's gone.

I love these tinplate toys.

I know the condition is poor on some of them but who cares, because they are early ones.

A lot of them are quite damaged so I have deliberately pitched them fairly conservatively.

I have seen similar ones at auction making quite a bit more

than our estimate, but because of the damage, I've kept it low.

Let's find out what they slot in the room think, shall we? Here we go.

Lot 734, bidding on the Lehmann clown

and also the baker with a sweep.

We have to open the bidding at 500...

Oh, late bids. Sorry, Late bids for this.

-MAN: That one is £680.

-£680.

Oh, straight in at 680!

£680 for this lot.

-Do I see £700?

-680.

..760, 780, 800,

820, 840, 860, 880,

900, 920, 940, 960, 980...

Wow! ..1,000.

1,050. 1,150. 1,200. 1,250. 1,300.

This is just flying away, isn't it?

-This'll do, won't it?

-This will do! This will do for a start!

-Don't forget there is four more to come!

-Be still, my beating heart.

-And my favourite is the pig later on.

-1,600 there.

-1,700 anywhere else in the room before I go to the phone?

-1,600.

Adrienne, 1,700? 1,800, sir?

1,700 on the phone. Do you want to bid?

1,700. 1,800 in the room, sir?

Thank you very much. 1,700. 1,800? Helen?

£1,700 - on Adrienne's phone at £1,700.

-The hammer is going down at £1,700.

-All done.

That's the first, here is the second.

We open at £400 for this lot, £400.

Do I see 420? 440?

You are out. 420 there, 440 anywhere else in the room?

At 420.

£420 for Paddy and the Pig.

We all sure and done at £420?

£420 Paddy the Pig got.

Yes, we're on a roll, aren't we? Here's the next lot.

This is the chap playing the fiddle. And a bit of interest again.

We are starting at £150 this time.

160 there first, 170, 180, 190, 190...

190, 200, 210?

220? 230.

240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300...

Everyone is in love with them.

Everyone is in love with them.

330 anywhere else in the room?

At £320, all done and finished.

Do you know something, I don't know if I can stand the tension!

I'm going to fall over. OK, that's the first three. There are two more lots.

There he is, he has had a bit of a bash to the face, this one,

but bids and interest all the same.

This is brilliant.

This is a golden auction moment and it's not over yet!

I thought they were something good when I saw them in the queue.

And we open at £200 on the drunk.

210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260?

250. 260, Sir? 270, 280? 290? 300? 310?

320? Says no. 310 nearest me again.

320, he's back. 330. 340.

340, sir?

340. 350? 360?

350, seated in the room. At 350.

Oh, Stephanie, did you ever think they would be worth as much?

-I had no idea. No, I didn't.

-£350.

The hammer has gone down and here's the last of the lots.

We have the two soldiers and the policeman who has lost his arm

-and is naked.

-There's quite a bit of damage on these ones.

-Yes, his arm is missing, isn't it?

-Bless him, yes.

-Bids all the same. And we start at...?

-Huge amount of interest.

-Not amount of interest.

-£2,100.

Straight in at £2,100.

Ha ha, £2,100! Straight in at £2,100.

2,200.

-I'm not joking, listen.

-2,300 anywhere else?

£2,200 for the three figures. At £2,200, all sure and done.

You finished?

£2,200? Do you know something, that has taken us to a total of £4,990.

Just under five grand.

Give us a hug!

Totally gobsmacked. Absolutely gobsmacked.

Nearly five grand for those clockwork tinplate toys.

Didn't matter about the condition,

the collectors loved them - they were so rare.

-What are you going to say? Come on!

-I can't...

I'm speechless!

-I thought they were good, but I didn't think they were quite that good.

-It was the combination.

The damage ones, I mean I looked at them and I thought...

-What do you need in the house? Do you need to money to spend?

-Oh, yes.

-Oh, I can find something!

-You can spend that, can't you?

-Don't you worry about that.

Well, that's it. We have come to the end of our day.

Our owners have gone home. As you can see, the auction is still going on. What a fabulous day we have had.

I can't wait till the next auction.

If you have not been to one, go and visit your local saleroom because you could get addicted.

So from Stourbridge until the next time, cheerio.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd