Weston-Super-Mare 2 Flog It!


Weston-Super-Mare 2

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Weston-Super-Mare 2. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

In 1927, this building, the Winter Gardens, was opened as a venue to entertain the townsfolk

0:00:070:00:13

and the holidaying masses that came to this resort of Weston-Super-Mare,

0:00:130:00:18

but today this glamorous building is going to be packed full of antiques,

0:00:180:00:23

because Flog It! is in town.

0:00:230:00:26

Over the years, the Winter Gardens has played host to dances, concerts

0:00:480:00:52

and orchestras, and it's even featured

0:00:520:00:54

in the movie Remains Of The Day.

0:00:540:00:57

Let's get inside and see if today's headliners, Anita Manning

0:00:570:01:00

and Michael Baggott, our two experts, have drawn the big crowd.

0:01:000:01:05

Well, the Pavilion Ballroom is already packed out, and it looks

0:01:050:01:09

as if we're in for quite a performance today.

0:01:090:01:12

Later I'll be visiting Tyntesfield, a historic property

0:01:120:01:16

that was rescued from the gavel at the eleventh hour.

0:01:160:01:19

It even got to the stage where they called in London auctioneers Sotheby's and Christie's

0:01:190:01:24

to come down here and catalogue the entire contents of the house.

0:01:240:01:28

Over at the Winter Gardens, it's our job to hunt out

0:01:280:01:31

valuables to go under the hammer, and Michael is already stealing the limelight with his first find.

0:01:310:01:36

Valerie, thank you for bringing this very interesting dish in today.

0:01:360:01:40

Before I tell you anything about it,

0:01:400:01:42

can you tell me, where does it come from?

0:01:420:01:45

Well, my father would have bought it about 1945, '46.

0:01:450:01:49

He used to go round the antiques and collectables shops in those days

0:01:490:01:53

and he bought it there, and we've had it in the family ever since.

0:01:530:01:57

Did he have a passion for early ceramics?

0:01:570:01:59

No, no. He was interested in all things.

0:01:590:02:02

Oh, marvellous, marvellous - true antiquarian collector!

0:02:020:02:06

Yes, indeed, yes.

0:02:060:02:07

The first time I saw this, my heart nearly stopped.

0:02:070:02:11

-Unfortunately, it wasn't what I thought it was.

-Yes?

0:02:110:02:15

To all intents and purposes, this appears to be a Majolica dish.

0:02:150:02:19

-Yes.

-Now, this isn't the Majolica that we're familiar with that's made by Minton's and Wedgwood.

0:02:190:02:24

-No.

-This is the original tin-glazed earthenware that those designs and feel were based on.

-Yes.

0:02:240:02:31

The shape of this dish should be 1580 to 1600,

0:02:310:02:37

if not a little earlier, and this decoration around here is basically

0:02:370:02:43

-grotesques, and when you think of grotesques, you think of grottos.

-Yes.

0:02:430:02:49

But what basically happened is in the middle of the 16th century, there were excavations

0:02:490:02:55

-in Nero's Palace in Rome.

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

-And as they dug down into the "grottos",

0:02:550:03:00

-they uncovered the fabulous decoration on the walls...

-Ah, I see.

0:03:000:03:04

..which were these Bacchic and classical figures with very fine leaf-scroll work, and of course,

0:03:040:03:09

-that is a Roman hanging lamp, that is a Roman vase.

-Oh, I see!

0:03:090:03:14

So all of this decoration, people went mad in Italy at the time.

0:03:140:03:18

-Oh, I see!

-They were enthralled by it.

-Yes.

0:03:180:03:20

And this is typical of what a Majolica dish of that period would look like.

0:03:200:03:26

Unfortunately, she was the first thing to strike a chord of worry,

0:03:260:03:32

because the originals are very stark and geometric and completely in profile.

0:03:320:03:38

Now, this with figure, we can see the curls rolling down, and the necklace

0:03:380:03:42

and the locket, which is more in keeping with a Victorian lady.

0:03:420:03:46

The next thing we have to do is turn it over,

0:03:460:03:49

and we've got a factory mark there, which I'm not familiar with.

0:03:490:03:54

-The finish here, this pancake glaze isn't all that it should be.

-Right.

0:03:540:03:59

It should be a little bit paler, and there should be slightly more marks

0:03:590:04:03

coming through, so I think this falls into this category

0:04:030:04:08

-of an 1850s-1860s Italian copy meant to deceive.

-Yes.

0:04:080:04:13

-I hesitate to say what it had been worth were it right.

-Oh, well...

0:04:130:04:20

we won't worry about that.

0:04:200:04:22

-I'll have to tell you, it would have been about £15,000 to £20,000.

-Yes!

0:04:220:04:27

Have you got any ideas what it might be worth as a 19th-century copy?

0:04:270:04:31

No. I've been vaguely told it could be £350 to £500.

0:04:310:04:37

I think it's certainly in that area.

0:04:370:04:39

I think if we were to put it into auction, we would put an estimate of £300 to £500.

0:04:390:04:45

-Yes.

-And we put a reserve of £300, possibly with a little auctioneer's discretion if it creeps up

0:04:450:04:50

to that figure, but it's certainly a lovely thing.

0:04:500:04:54

-Thank you, yes.

-But why now have you decided to sell it?

0:04:540:04:57

Well, I'm getting to the stage where I need a bit of money, I'm afraid!

0:04:570:05:02

We've enjoyed it, we've loved it, and I do admire the artistry, but...

0:05:020:05:07

-The work is fabulous.

-There you are, yes.

0:05:070:05:09

It's time to move on, but we'll put it in the auction and hope it does very well for you.

0:05:090:05:14

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you for bringing it along.

0:05:140:05:17

It's turning out to be a really busy day at the Winter Gardens, and the ballroom is still filling up.

0:05:170:05:23

Mary, welcome to Flog It!

0:05:260:05:27

-Thank you.

-It's a delight to have you along,

0:05:270:05:30

and it's also lovely to see this pair of Worcester jugs.

0:05:300:05:35

-Yes, they're nice!

-I love Worcester.

-So do I.

-When you see it,

0:05:350:05:38

you know that it's always quality.

0:05:380:05:41

Tell me, where did you get them?

0:05:410:05:43

Well, they were my grandmother's, and I expect she had them

0:05:430:05:46

as a wedding present, so they've been in the family for,

0:05:460:05:50

well, nearly a hundred years, I suppose.

0:05:500:05:53

I see. Well, why are you wanting to sell them?

0:05:530:05:56

It's the usual case that my daughter won't want them,

0:05:560:05:59

the grandchildren won't want them, so I thought I'd sell them and then I'd give the proceeds to my daughter.

0:05:590:06:06

-Good idea.

-She'll be thrilled, yes!

0:06:060:06:08

That's wonderful and that's the thing to do if you don't love them or don't have them on display.

0:06:080:06:14

Yes. Well, I've got lots of other bits at home.

0:06:140:06:16

Oh, I see, a Worcester collector?

0:06:160:06:18

-Yes, yes.

-So you've kept perhaps the best pieces?

0:06:180:06:23

I have, yes.

0:06:230:06:24

Well, I mean these are still very bonny. They aren't actually a pair.

0:06:240:06:29

-No, I realise that.

-They are two different types of vases.

-Yes.

0:06:290:06:32

But Worcester, these vases are hand-painted, so each one is an individual work on its own.

0:06:320:06:40

-They look nice together!

-Yes, well, they're from the same mould.

0:06:400:06:44

I particularly like this very sweet handle with the rosette here.

0:06:440:06:50

I think that's a lovely part of it.

0:06:500:06:52

Well, let's look underneath.

0:06:520:06:56

Now, I had a wee glance at these earlier on, and we have the back stamp for Royal Worcester here,

0:06:570:07:03

and we have, as you probably know as a collector of Worcester, you will be able to date it

0:07:030:07:08

from these little dots on either side of the back stamp,

0:07:080:07:15

-so we can date these from 1903.

-Mm.

0:07:150:07:19

Little Edwardian vases, pretty, nice quality.

0:07:190:07:24

Price...now, what do you think?

0:07:240:07:27

-I was hoping for about £100.

-Well, I think that's fair enough.

0:07:270:07:31

-To estimate it, probably £100 to £150.

-Oh, well, that would be nice.

0:07:310:07:37

Yes, that would be nice, but they are not exceptional pieces.

0:07:370:07:41

-No, no, I understand that.

-They're fairly standard Worcester.

0:07:410:07:45

I would feel that a reserve of about £80 might be the most reasonable.

0:07:450:07:50

-Yes, I'd like a reserve.

-We'll put a reserve on it of £80, if you're happy with that.

0:07:500:07:55

-I'm happy with that.

-Let's hope that they do well at the auction.

-Yes.

0:07:550:07:59

£100 to £150, reserve of £80, but let's hope it goes much further than that.

0:07:590:08:03

We'll see, won't we?

0:08:030:08:05

Well, Carl, there's no need for me to tell you what it is...

0:08:120:08:15

it's a banjo!

0:08:150:08:17

No, it's a lovely bed-warming pan.

0:08:170:08:20

-Has it been in the family a long time?

-Yeah. My great-grandma had it,

0:08:200:08:24

and then my nan had it, and she had it displayed as an ornament, and then my mum had it

0:08:240:08:28

displayed as an ornament as well, and then I took it on, and unfortunately, it's not been on display, so...

0:08:280:08:34

So where has it been, tell me?

0:08:340:08:36

-In the shed!

-In the shed! Shame on you!

-I know, I know.

0:08:360:08:39

It's really, really quite incredible to think that these bed-warming pans

0:08:390:08:45

-were used in the mid 1600s.

-Yeah, it's a long time ago.

0:08:450:08:49

Well, this one's not that early - it's sort of around 1780, somewhere around there.

0:08:490:08:54

You'd have got the servants to put hot coals in here from the fire,

0:08:540:08:58

run that upstairs, put it straight underneath the blankets and warm the bed up,

0:08:580:09:04

-and once it's warmed the top of the bed up, you normally put it underneath the bed.

-Oh, I see.

0:09:040:09:09

So it just sort of gives a little more heat throughout the night.

0:09:090:09:12

What lets it down, unfortunately, is good quality ones would have had a lovely walnut or fruitwood handle

0:09:120:09:19

with some nice rich turnings on the shaft.

0:09:190:09:22

This one is quite crude.

0:09:220:09:24

It's of ash, and somebody has stripped it, because they've stripped it of its patina.

0:09:240:09:29

The decoration is nice. All this is punch-work - somebody sat there

0:09:290:09:34

with a hammer and a punch and punched that out.

0:09:340:09:37

The good ones, towards the end of the 16th century, would have had this lovely

0:09:370:09:42

sort of riddle work, armorials put on it.

0:09:420:09:45

-The collectors want those ones.

-Yes.

0:09:450:09:47

Sadly, this doesn't fall into that category. Any idea of its value?

0:09:470:09:52

-No, not really.

-If we put this into auction, I would expect to get around £40 to £60.

0:09:520:09:57

-That's fine.

-It's not a lot of money for a lot of history.

0:09:570:10:01

But at least, if I sell it, somebody will appreciate it.

0:10:010:10:04

And put it on the wall, not in the shed.

0:10:040:10:06

-It's not appreciated at home, so...

-Let's put it into auction with a value of £40 to £60

0:10:060:10:12

-and let the auctioneer use discretion at the lower end on the 40, OK?

-OK.

0:10:120:10:16

I'm hoping it will get the top end plus a bit more, but you never know with auctions, you just don't know.

0:10:160:10:21

It's a gamble, but we're going to find out, that's for sure!

0:10:210:10:25

Anne, what a pleasant rural setting.

0:10:310:10:35

That's idyllic, what a lovely place. I wonder where it is?

0:10:350:10:39

Tell me, where did you get this picture?

0:10:390:10:42

I got it from a lady who lived next door to me and I used to look after her and take care of her,

0:10:420:10:49

so she let me have the picture.

0:10:490:10:51

-But this is a lovely picture.

-It is.

-These figures pull me into the picture immediately.

0:10:510:10:56

And you've got the little dog. So you've got a very pleasant group of people here.

0:10:560:11:01

We're pulled into the picture, and then the eye starts to wander round

0:11:010:11:05

and look at this lovely countryside, hills in the background there,

0:11:050:11:09

these wonderful trees and a very pleasing skyline.

0:11:090:11:14

A wee bit of damage along here...

0:11:140:11:18

a wee bit of staining, but that's not bad, it's not too bad at all.

0:11:180:11:23

And if we look at the back of the picture - let's turn it round here...

0:11:230:11:27

..we can see that it's Walter H W Foster,

0:11:290:11:34

and the subject is Hambledon in Surrey.

0:11:340:11:38

My initial reaction to it would perhaps be in the region of...

0:11:380:11:43

..£250 to £350, in that sort of area.

0:11:440:11:48

Would you be happy to sell it

0:11:480:11:51

-within that estimate?

-Yes, yes.

0:11:510:11:55

So if we say £250 to £350

0:11:550:11:58

-with a firm reserve, a firm reserve of £250.

-OK.

0:11:580:12:04

-Shall we go for it?

-Yes.

0:12:040:12:06

Anne, what would you put the money to?

0:12:060:12:09

It would help to pay for a trip to Florida for my family.

0:12:090:12:13

That's lovely. Are you all going together as a family?

0:12:130:12:16

-Yes, yes, yes.

-Wonderful!

0:12:160:12:18

Well, let's hope it's sourced.

0:12:180:12:20

We need it!

0:12:200:12:23

Chris, thank you for making my day today and bringing along

0:12:280:12:31

almost my thing in the world - silver spoons. I couldn't believe it

0:12:310:12:35

when I saw you in the queue with these. Now, tell me,

0:12:350:12:37

how do you get such a wonderful assortment of spoons?

0:12:370:12:40

-Just rummaging in auctions.

-Rummaging in auctions? Yes.

0:12:400:12:45

Through piles and piles of spoons, knives and forks and everything else.

0:12:450:12:49

-You must be a very good rummager...

-We try.

-..to get these together.

0:12:490:12:53

The star of the show is this wonderful, large example.

0:12:530:12:57

And I can tell you where it was made before looking at the hallmarks

0:12:570:13:01

by one feature. Do you know what that feature is?

0:13:010:13:04

-The rat tail.

-The rat tail.

-Yes.

-It's a late fiddle pattern spoon

0:13:040:13:08

and you only get rat tails on English silver up to about 1750.

0:13:080:13:15

-Mm.

-Then the rat tail goes away.

0:13:150:13:17

-And even in Channel Island silver to about 1770.

-Right.

0:13:170:13:22

But for some peculiar reason that nobody knows,

0:13:220:13:25

it persists on Irish flatware.

0:13:250:13:28

Without much doubt I can tell you that's Dublin.

0:13:280:13:30

And if we look at the marks, we've got the date letter for 1822,

0:13:300:13:35

so it's George IV.

0:13:350:13:37

Rather curiously, we've got two maker's marks.

0:13:370:13:41

And that's something you also get with Irish silver.

0:13:410:13:44

You get a maker's mark, in this case LK,

0:13:440:13:46

but then you get a retailer's mark and that, in this case,

0:13:460:13:51

is TWY with a plus sign which is for Edward Twycross.

0:13:510:13:55

-And you get his mark on quite a lot of flat ware at this period.

-Right.

0:13:550:14:01

Then we rush from Dublin,

0:14:010:14:04

closer to home, and we've got this lovely Exeter pair of sugar tongs.

0:14:040:14:09

And they were made in Exeter in 1835

0:14:090:14:12

and they were made by a man called John Stone.

0:14:120:14:16

And we can see here, we've got lovely period initials on the bow.

0:14:160:14:20

They're wonderful things. Then we're north of the border to Glasgow

0:14:200:14:25

and we've got a set of six teaspoons here.

0:14:250:14:28

They're from 1836. And we finish off and we're back over to Ireland.

0:14:280:14:33

We've got a pair of spoons from Dublin, but this time 1885.

0:14:330:14:38

-So you've encapsulated all the parts of the UK, nearly.

-That's right.

0:14:380:14:42

And nearly the whole of the 19th century.

0:14:420:14:45

Um, any idea what this as a group at auction is going to be worth?

0:14:450:14:50

-Maybe 50 plus.

-Maybe 50? Yeah.

0:14:500:14:52

I think that on its own is £20 to £30 because it's Irish.

0:14:520:14:57

Those, bizarrely, are only about £10.

0:14:570:15:02

That set of six is nice, being Scottish.

0:15:020:15:05

They're about another 20 to 30. And those two are probably 10 to 15.

0:15:050:15:10

-So if we put it all together and say £50 to £100...

-Yes.

-..to excite interest.

0:15:100:15:15

Oh, that's fine.

0:15:150:15:16

And if we set a reserve at £50 on them so, you know,

0:15:160:15:20

if it doesn't make that on the day, you can take them home and maybe

0:15:200:15:24

pin them on a map of where they've come from over the British Isles. But thank you so much for bringing them.

0:15:240:15:30

-Hopefully the silver buyers will be there on the day.

-Fingers crossed.

-Fingers crossed.

0:15:300:15:34

What a marvellous day this is turning out to be here in Weston-Super-Mare.

0:15:390:15:43

We've found our first batch of items to take to auction but which will be the stars when the hammer falls.

0:15:430:15:49

Well, before that all happens, let's quickly remind ourselves of what's going under the spotlight.

0:15:490:15:54

Valerie's Majolica style dish

0:15:540:15:56

was a Victorian copy but it didn't stop Michael from admiring it.

0:15:560:16:01

The first time I saw this, my heart nearly stopped.

0:16:010:16:05

Unfortunately, it wasn't what I thought it was!

0:16:050:16:07

Mary's Worcester jugs have been in the family for years,

0:16:070:16:10

but she wants to sell them and pass the proceeds on to her daughter.

0:16:100:16:14

Will Anne's inherited painting of a rural scene

0:16:140:16:17

add funds to her holiday pot?

0:16:170:16:20

I thought Carl's bed-warming pan was hot property

0:16:200:16:23

and I'd like to see a bidder rescue it from the shed at £40 to £60.

0:16:230:16:28

-Not a lot of money for a lot of history!

-At least if I sell it,

0:16:280:16:32

somebody will appreciate it.

0:16:320:16:33

And Chris's silver spoons took Michael on a journey across the British Isles.

0:16:330:16:38

With an estimate of £50 to £100, where will they go next?

0:16:380:16:42

And this is where all our items will end up, the Clevedon Sale Rooms.

0:16:450:16:49

It's a packed house.

0:16:490:16:50

Let's hope we're going to get some cracking prices!

0:16:500:16:53

Wielding the gavel this morning is Mark Burridge,

0:16:530:16:56

and the first item to go under the hammer is the Majolica style dish. It belongs to Valerie.

0:16:560:17:02

-I shall miss it!

-Ooh!

0:17:020:17:04

Why do you want to sell it, then?

0:17:040:17:05

It's just standing there, that's it, isn't it? I will pass it on.

0:17:050:17:10

-You can't withdraw it now, it's a bit late, isn't it?

-No, no.

-£300 to £500, though.

0:17:100:17:15

-That would be very useful.

-It would be, wouldn't it?

0:17:150:17:17

-That's what we've got on it. I like it!

-It's a beautiful thing.

0:17:170:17:21

-It is, it is gorgeous, and the condition is so good.

-Yes.

0:17:210:17:26

Fingers crossed we get the top end of that estimate.

0:17:260:17:28

And lot 280 is the Italian Majolica dish there,

0:17:280:17:33

it's lot number 280 and £280 my bid on the book.

0:17:330:17:37

£280 straight in!

0:17:370:17:39

£300. 300 on the phone, 320...

0:17:390:17:43

340, 340, 360, 380, 380, 400, 420?

0:17:430:17:49

No? 420, thank you, fresh bidder in the room. Anyone else 440?

0:17:490:17:55

Selling then, make no mistake, on £420.

0:17:550:17:59

It's gone. £420, Valerie!

0:17:590:18:02

Lovely! Very useful, very useful.

0:18:020:18:04

What are you going to do with that?

0:18:040:18:06

-Keep it in the savings...

-Oh...

0:18:060:18:08

-My niece has to have half of it because it's a bit of her inheritance.

-Yes.

0:18:080:18:12

-So she'll have half.

-All right. That's generous of you.

0:18:120:18:15

-Thank you very much.

-It was one of the nicest bits of ceramics I've ever seen on Flog It!

0:18:150:18:19

Well, this oil painting going under the hammer belongs to Anne,

0:18:250:18:29

and we've got a valuation put on by Anita of £250 to £350.

0:18:290:18:33

Good artist, exhibited RA over a dozen times, so the artist has form!

0:18:330:18:39

-And that's going to sell it!

-And people like that.

0:18:390:18:41

Yes, they'll like that, won't they? Anything with a RA initial

0:18:410:18:45

makes things sell. That's the provenance and that's what the collectors look for.

0:18:450:18:50

Lot 140, Walter Foster's oil there,

0:18:500:18:55

Hambledon in Surrey.

0:18:550:18:58

Full title and signature is what people like.

0:18:580:19:01

What can we say for lot 140?

0:19:010:19:03

150, 60 here, 170?

0:19:030:19:06

170 now, 170 now, 170 now, 170 now. Thank you.

0:19:060:19:11

170 in the room, 180 on the book, 190, 190, 190, 200, and now 10.

0:19:110:19:18

-210, 220, 230...

-Oh, it's going.

0:19:180:19:21

230, 240, 250, 260, 260

0:19:210:19:25

260. Sat down at £250, anyone else?

0:19:250:19:29

All done then at £250.

0:19:290:19:33

Got that away, got that away, what a great result!

0:19:330:19:37

-It is a lovely little picture.

-Oh, yes, yes.

0:19:370:19:40

What are you putting the money towards? There is commission to pay.

0:19:400:19:44

Yes, yes. Going for holidays.

0:19:440:19:45

Just putting it into a holiday fund?

0:19:450:19:47

How lovely, well enjoy it, that's a good result, isn't it?

0:19:470:19:51

I'm here with Chris. Remember the silver?

0:19:550:19:57

We're selling that at £50 to £100 because we want to buy hat pins!

0:19:570:20:03

-Hat pins!

-What's that all about? Do you collect?

0:20:030:20:05

-Charles Horner, yeah.

-Oh, only... Only the best make, Michael!

0:20:050:20:09

-Fingers crossed!

-If you collect anything, only collect the best!

-How many have you got?

0:20:090:20:13

-11.

-11?

-And a pair of gold ones as well.

0:20:130:20:18

All right, OK. Nice collection!

0:20:180:20:20

We've got to get you up to 12 today then, haven't we?

0:20:200:20:23

-You took the words out of my mouth!

-Even numbers!

0:20:230:20:25

Lot 540, we've got the silver as in the catalogue there.

0:20:250:20:30

50 I'm bid on the book, five now, 55, 55, 55.

0:20:300:20:34

£50 on the book, and five, five, five we look.

0:20:340:20:36

At £50 a maiden bid, five, five, five, anyone else?

0:20:360:20:39

All done selling on £50 then.

0:20:390:20:44

-Got away at the lower end.

-Oh, just, didn't we!

0:20:440:20:47

It's a start, though, it's a start, OK.

0:20:470:20:49

You had to get rid of them, didn't you?

0:20:490:20:51

-Oh, well yes, because I don't collect them.

-No, no. It's...

0:20:510:20:54

You go the right sale room, you will find a Charles Horner hat pin for £50 so we'll do it that way!

0:20:540:21:00

Right! I'll send you to buy one!

0:21:000:21:02

-Good luck, anyway.

-Thank you.

-Thank you for coming in.

0:21:040:21:07

Things have been a bit hot and cold right now but this one certainly is going to be

0:21:140:21:18

bang in the middle - it's going be lukewarm, because it's Carl's bed-warmer.

0:21:180:21:22

Now, we said on the day, didn't we, we've got a reserve of £40

0:21:220:21:26

but we've relaxed that because you don't want to take this home?

0:21:260:21:29

-No.

-You've made up your mind?

0:21:290:21:31

I would be taking it home if it didn't sell

0:21:310:21:33

for anything under £40, but that's your decision, because I know what you're going to do.

0:21:330:21:39

Put it back in that shed, aren't you?

0:21:390:21:41

Unfortunately, yeah, unfortunately.

0:21:410:21:43

Well, fingers crossed, OK, someone is going to love it.

0:21:430:21:46

And lot 20 is the engraved copper warming pan there,

0:21:460:21:49

lot number 20. Who's got £10 to start me?

0:21:490:21:52

£10, £10, £10, £10. Ten bid, 12 now, will you?

0:21:520:21:56

12 will you, 12 will you? Maiden bid of £10, who's got 12?

0:21:560:22:00

All done. Are you all done?

0:22:000:22:01

-All done and selling on £10 only, then.

-Oh...

0:22:010:22:04

Well, you're not taking it home!

0:22:040:22:06

-No, but...

-But you're not going home with much money, either!

0:22:060:22:12

-No, no, unfortunately!

-A tenner!

0:22:120:22:14

It was worth the experience. I enjoyed the experience.

0:22:140:22:16

I've just been joined by Mary and we've got some quality going under the hammer, and we say on Flog It!,

0:22:210:22:27

if you want to invest in antiques, invest in quality, condition, good name, this lot has got the lot.

0:22:270:22:33

There's a premium on this - Worcester jugs, £100 to £150.

0:22:330:22:37

-We've got a fixed reserve at £100. You've just upped that?

-I did.

-I don't blame you.

0:22:370:22:42

If they're going to sell at £80, they were going to sell at £100 anyway.

0:22:420:22:45

-Yes, hopefully.

-Protect them, protect your interest.

0:22:450:22:48

Why do you want to sell them?

0:22:480:22:50

I just wanted to come to Flog It!, actually!

0:22:520:22:54

-Have a bit of a gamble!

-Yes!

0:22:540:22:58

480, the two Royal Worcester jugs,

0:22:580:23:00

-both the same shape there, 1903, what can we say, 55 with me?

-Oh!

0:23:000:23:05

£60, will you, in the room?

0:23:050:23:08

-Good start.

-60, five, 70, five, 80, five, 90, five, 100. Now ten.

0:23:080:23:15

-110 behind you, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160...

-Oh, my gosh!

0:23:150:23:21

£150 behind you, madam. 160 is it?

0:23:210:23:24

All done at £150 then.

0:23:240:23:28

-Yes, top end of the estimate!

-Excellent!

-Worth the gamble!

0:23:280:23:31

-Good valuation.

-The quality came through.

0:23:310:23:34

-Good valuation as well.

-150! My daughter's sitting over there!

0:23:340:23:38

-That's a nice result.

-Yes! I'm so pleased!

0:23:380:23:41

Anything else you'd like to bring in future?

0:23:410:23:44

-Lots of things!

-We'll see you, details in the local press, don't forget.

0:23:440:23:48

-We're coming to an area near you soon and we'd like to see you!

-Yes.

0:23:480:23:52

Later I'll be back in the auction room, when I find myself outnumbered two to one...

0:23:520:23:58

-I think you look great!

-I'll be wearing it again tonight!

0:23:580:24:01

-He's a bonny laddie!

-He looks a bonny laddie!

0:24:010:24:03

It's a good job he's married, he could be going home to Glasgow as husband number four!

0:24:030:24:08

This magnificent country house, Tyntesfield, lies just up the road from Weston-Super-Mare

0:24:150:24:20

in a small village called Wraxall, and just looking at its facade,

0:24:200:24:23

it is an architectural triumph - the detail is superb,

0:24:230:24:26

but behind closed doors, it's a property with a difference.

0:24:260:24:31

Not only is there an insight into Victorian family life,

0:24:310:24:34

but there's also a genuine piece of conservation work in progress,

0:24:340:24:40

and it's the side of a National Trust property we rarely, if ever, get to see.

0:24:400:24:46

The story of the house begins in 1843 with William Gibbs.

0:24:460:24:51

He made his fortune from importing guano, solidified bird-droppings,

0:24:510:24:56

from South America, to be used as fertiliser.

0:24:560:24:58

The great wealth he accumulated enabled William to purchase

0:24:580:25:02

a Regency property, which was on this site.

0:25:020:25:05

William Gibbs re-modelled the house into the ornate Gothic revival building which is in evidence today.

0:25:050:25:12

At its height as a family home, Tyntesfield would have been a grand, thriving property

0:25:120:25:17

with a host of staff working in the house and on the surrounding land.

0:25:170:25:22

It had its own farm, slaughter house and even a quarry.

0:25:220:25:25

In 2001 with the death of Lord Wraxall, William's great grandson,

0:25:270:25:32

Tyntesfield as a family home sadly came to an end.

0:25:320:25:36

Lord Wraxall, who was a reclusive bachelor, lived here all alone

0:25:360:25:40

and he bequeathed the mansion to 19 of his family members,

0:25:400:25:45

giving them instructions to sell the estate, the land, the house and all its contents.

0:25:450:25:53

As one of the last intact Victorian grand houses,

0:25:530:25:56

the National Trust had a considerable interest in the property,

0:25:560:26:00

but not the funds to secure the purchase.

0:26:000:26:03

So, with the clock ticking away,

0:26:030:26:05

they launched a vigorous campaign to raise the £25 million required.

0:26:050:26:10

It even got to the stage where they called in Sotheby's and Christie's

0:26:100:26:14

to come down here and catalogue the entire contents of the house,

0:26:140:26:18

give everything lot numbers ready to be auctioned off.

0:26:180:26:23

But at the eleventh hour, with considerable donations from the general public, private donations

0:26:240:26:30

and even a promise from the Heritage Lottery Fund,

0:26:300:26:33

the National Trust were able to buy Tyntesfield for the nation

0:26:330:26:36

so we could all enjoy it but in a first for the National Trust,

0:26:360:26:40

they decided they wanted to renovate the property to its former glory,

0:26:400:26:44

but not behind closed doors - they wanted the doors open immediately

0:26:440:26:49

so we could all enjoy the conservation work in progress and watch the whole thing unfold.

0:26:490:26:56

I've come to talk to Sarah Schmitz, who is the House Manager here,

0:26:560:27:00

to find out a little bit more about this unique project.

0:27:000:27:03

Sarah, thank you for meeting up with us this afternoon.

0:27:030:27:07

-Hello.

-What I've seen so far I'm very impressed with.

0:27:070:27:09

This is what you expect from a National Trust property - it's magnificent!

0:27:090:27:13

Absolutely! It's big with lots of gold and beautiful furniture

0:27:130:27:17

and things like that but it's not really how a lot of the house looks.

0:27:170:27:21

It's really a work in progress,

0:27:210:27:23

so whereas in many places the National Trust might perhaps close the house down

0:27:230:27:27

to complete the project works, what we're trying to do here is to do it on display so that people can see

0:27:270:27:33

what we're doing and be involved and engage - that's what's important to Tyntesfield.

0:27:330:27:37

Can we have a little tour?

0:27:370:27:39

Yes, certainly. Come on through.

0:27:390:27:41

Our first stop was Tyntesfield's grand library.

0:27:410:27:45

Well, it certainly looks different in here.

0:27:470:27:50

Why did the National Trust choose this particular house for this unique project?

0:27:500:27:54

Something to do with timing, really, through having so many donations,

0:27:540:28:00

over 70,000 people donated to the Trust to save Tyntesfield.

0:28:000:28:04

There was a lot of interest.

0:28:040:28:06

-I guess you want to see how your money is spent.

-Absolutely!

0:28:060:28:09

So open the doors up, let them in and let them enjoy it and they'll keep coming back!

0:28:090:28:14

Yes! Our vision for Tyntesfield is about access, involvement and engagement,

0:28:140:28:18

it's about doing as much as we can for as many people as we can.

0:28:180:28:22

What kind of condition was it in when the National Trust took this over?

0:28:220:28:26

It was the favourite haunt, a country haunt of the ancestors of Lord Wraxall, so although some bits

0:28:260:28:33

were covered up and some things were closed down and so on, and areas were off-limits,

0:28:330:28:38

-the house wasn't completely kind of dead and quiet and full of cobwebs and spiders.

-Where did you start?

0:28:380:28:43

For the Trust, in this property, it's been looking at the risks

0:28:430:28:47

and priorities. So, for instance, putting enough lighting in

0:28:470:28:50

so that people can see when they come to visit.

0:28:500:28:54

Keeping on top of the woodworm and things like that!

0:28:540:28:56

Yes, woodworm and a significant moth population, all that side of things,

0:28:560:29:00

the things that kind of growl at us, more often.

0:29:000:29:03

What are some unusual items that you've uncovered?

0:29:030:29:06

Well, all sorts of things still come to light, even now while the inventory team are working.

0:29:060:29:11

In the basement recently we came across some theatre sets

0:29:110:29:16

and we're hoping to maybe use them in the future. We don't know yet.

0:29:160:29:20

-It must be so exciting for the National Trust members to see this.

-Yes.

0:29:200:29:24

-It's fascinating!

-We think so, and we like everyone else to think so.

0:29:240:29:29

What a beautiful ceiling! What was this room?

0:29:310:29:34

Believe it or not, it's the dining room.

0:29:340:29:37

We normally display it with a dining table and dining chairs.

0:29:370:29:41

However, in the move of collections we have to designate spaces for storage

0:29:410:29:46

-while other rooms are cleared.

-It would be nice for the public

0:29:460:29:49

to see the conservation works, see all this storage racked up,

0:29:490:29:53

sort of organised chaos, but also come back

0:29:530:29:56

-and see it come to light, see it come to fruition and see that gorgeous dining table.

-Yes, indeed.

0:29:560:30:02

It is a beautiful dining table and it will come up out of storage just like everything else

0:30:020:30:07

with the end of the project, part of the attraction of a historic house

0:30:070:30:11

is that close proximity to the objects,

0:30:110:30:13

it's seeing them in context, it's not just about a set of vases

0:30:130:30:17

or a set of beautiful tablecloths or anything like that,

0:30:170:30:21

it's about seeing them perhaps in the way they were used and feeling the ambience around them.

0:30:210:30:25

So you won't mind cross-pollinating with things from the 1960s

0:30:250:30:29

and '70s with things that the family collected from Queen Anne to George I?

0:30:290:30:34

Definitely not, no.

0:30:340:30:36

-It's part of the family history, the accumulation of each generation on top of each other.

-I like that.

0:30:360:30:42

I'd like to think that you can hear the echoes of the people

0:30:420:30:45

that sort of laughed and danced drank and so on in here,

0:30:450:30:47

or maybe ate their dinners at the tables and had banquets and so on.

0:30:470:30:53

It's part of imagining the people that were here and the families and servants and so on.

0:30:530:30:58

So far, has it been a success?

0:30:580:31:00

Very much so, yes. We've managed to pass our half million visitor mark last season and we're looking to

0:31:000:31:07

really expand on that successfully this season and engage with lots and lots more people in what we're

0:31:070:31:12

trying to do, so we think it's been a success thus far and we think it will continue to be in the future.

0:31:120:31:17

I think it's a wonderful project.

0:31:170:31:19

It shows a lot of initiative and I think you're going to succeed.

0:31:190:31:23

Thank you!

0:31:230:31:24

Welcome back to our valuation day here at the Winter Gardens.

0:31:320:31:35

There's still so many people which means lots of antiques to see,

0:31:350:31:39

but right now let's catch up with our experts

0:31:390:31:41

and see what else they've found.

0:31:410:31:43

Over at Michael's table, David is keen to discover

0:31:430:31:47

whether his lucky finds have any history to them.

0:31:470:31:51

So how did you get them?

0:31:510:31:53

I was working on a house, oh, about 40 years ago, we were re-roofing it.

0:31:530:31:58

-Oh, OK.

-And the lady's husband had died a few years before,

0:31:580:32:02

and in the attic was his workshop.

0:32:020:32:04

We noticed there were some quite nice bits and pieces in there

0:32:040:32:09

so we said, "Is there anything in there you want?"

0:32:090:32:11

She said, no, she just wanted to empty the room,

0:32:110:32:14

so we agreed to clear out the room and not charge her.

0:32:140:32:17

And, you know, we would make our money on what we found in there.

0:32:170:32:21

These wonderful things were part of that.

0:32:210:32:23

-We've got B for brandy, G for gin and R for rum.

-Yeah.

0:32:230:32:27

So have you had a chance to look at them and look at the hallmarks?

0:32:270:32:31

At the time I did,

0:32:310:32:32

and realised they were, you know, 1808 I think it was, is it?

0:32:320:32:36

These are fully marked for Birmingham.

0:32:360:32:39

-And with Birmingham wine labels at this period, you always get a full set of assay marks.

-Yes.

0:32:390:32:44

-In this case the JW is for Joseph Willmore.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:32:440:32:47

-He made all sorts of small work.

-Uh-huh, yeah.

0:32:470:32:50

He made boxes, caddy spoons, all manner of things will bear his mark.

0:32:500:32:56

And he's quite a large firm.

0:32:560:32:57

We've got the date letter for 1807, 1808 on those.

0:32:570:33:00

-Yeah.

-So they're a pair.

0:33:000:33:03

Then we get this one, you had trouble identifying it?

0:33:030:33:06

Because there's no town mark, I couldn't work out the date letter.

0:33:060:33:10

Small articles at this time don't necessarily bear the town mark

0:33:100:33:16

-and you get stud marking. The maker is JS.

-Yeah, I got that.

0:33:160:33:19

-There are a couple of makers, it's probably Josiah Snatt.

-Uh-huh.

0:33:190:33:23

He was also a caddy spoon maker.

0:33:230:33:25

And that's for London 1812.

0:33:250:33:28

Oh, right. So that really confirms what I thought then,

0:33:280:33:31

maybe that one had been made up to go with the other two.

0:33:310:33:35

Well, this is it. Even though these are made

0:33:350:33:37

in Birmingham and this is made 100 miles away in London,

0:33:370:33:41

it's still got exactly the same script.

0:33:410:33:43

-Yes.

-So someone has obviously bought these

0:33:430:33:46

-and four or five years later...

-Yeah, decided to have a...

0:33:460:33:49

..commissioned that. So have you had any idea of value of them?

0:33:490:33:52

Not really, no.

0:33:520:33:54

They've just been stuck in a drawer, I haven't looked at them for the last 30 years.

0:33:540:33:58

Good lord. Is that why you've decided to part with them?

0:33:580:34:02

What's the point of sticking them in a drawer? Somebody will love them.

0:34:020:34:06

-Well, there's either a wine label collector, of which there are many.

-Yeah.

0:34:060:34:10

-Or there's somebody with three decanters.

-Well, yeah!

0:34:100:34:14

That's right.

0:34:140:34:16

-I think we should put them into auction for £70 to £100.

-Yes, yes.

0:34:160:34:21

Because they are interesting but fairly standard.

0:34:210:34:24

Put a fixed reserve of £70 on them, and on a good day they'll make over the £100 mark.

0:34:240:34:28

So if you're happy to do that?

0:34:280:34:31

-Yeah, yeah.

-Thank you so much for bringing them in.

0:34:310:34:34

Excellent. Lovely. Thank you very much.

0:34:340:34:37

-Jean, you've heard the old saying "diamonds are a girl's best friend"!

-Yeah!

0:34:400:34:46

This is a pal that I would really like to have! I like diamonds.

0:34:460:34:50

I'll sell it to you!

0:34:500:34:53

And I think this is a gorgeous one. Is it your own ring, Jean?

0:34:530:34:57

Well, it is mine but it was given to me, you know.

0:34:570:35:00

An elderly friend gave it to us, so...

0:35:000:35:03

-Was it a lady or was it a gentleman friend?

-A lady!

0:35:030:35:07

-Have you worn it?

-No, no, not at all.

0:35:070:35:10

Are you not into diamonds?

0:35:100:35:12

Well, it would only fit my little finger anyway, it's a bit small.

0:35:120:35:15

It is actually quite a small ring.

0:35:150:35:18

It would have to be resized for most people.

0:35:180:35:21

-And it's quite thin.

-It's quite thin, it's been well-worn.

0:35:210:35:26

Now, we have measured this diamond and we have

0:35:260:35:30

0.70 carats in it so it's between a half and three-quarters of a carat.

0:35:300:35:37

When we look at diamonds, there are several things which we have to take into consideration -

0:35:370:35:43

size, clarity and cut.

0:35:430:35:47

The cut of this is a round brilliant.

0:35:470:35:51

It indicates that this is probably from the beginning of the 20th century,

0:35:510:35:58

so it's quite an old diamond.

0:35:580:36:02

The clarity of it, we have quite a big inclusion.

0:36:020:36:07

Yes, I've been told that.

0:36:070:36:10

And that's going to hold it back a wee bit.

0:36:100:36:12

Difficult to see with the naked eye, but once you look through it with a magnifying glass,

0:36:120:36:18

you can see this inclusion, but it's still quite a desirable item.

0:36:180:36:23

Now, it was given to you by a friend.

0:36:230:36:26

Is there a wee bit of sentiment, do you feel sort of...?

0:36:260:36:28

Well, not really because it's a long time ago

0:36:280:36:31

-when she gave it to us and she said "If you want to sell it, do."

-Yeah.

0:36:310:36:37

If we wanted the money, sell it.

0:36:370:36:39

Price-wise, I would estimate it possibly £450 to £650.

0:36:390:36:47

-That's fine.

-Would you be happy to sell it at that?

0:36:470:36:51

-Yes.

-We'll put a firm reserve of £420 on it.

0:36:510:36:53

-Well, I'll be at the auction to hold your hand.

-Oh, lovely!

0:36:530:36:58

And let's hope that there are plenty of women there who fancy having

0:36:580:37:04

-a nice substantial diamond like that.

-Let's hope so!

0:37:040:37:08

Maureen, thank you for bringing this wonderful collection of tiles along.

0:37:150:37:21

Can I ask you, where did you get them from?

0:37:210:37:24

Well, they were in the house.

0:37:240:37:25

My mother-in-law had them and she said they came from a washstand.

0:37:250:37:31

Ah, well, I can believe that because there's two things with these.

0:37:310:37:36

Firstly, we've got an odd number.

0:37:360:37:38

If you see them in a fireplace you usually have four and four

0:37:380:37:42

or five and five, so you always have an even number of tiles,

0:37:420:37:45

so it's highly suggestive that they were in a wooden frame, probably running

0:37:450:37:49

along the back as a splashguard and they are, of course, Minton tiles

0:37:490:37:55

and all we have to do is turn them over and there we've got the Minton globe back stamp

0:37:550:38:02

and emblazoned Minton's Chinaworks, Stoke on Trent.

0:38:020:38:07

And they really were the premier quality of tile manufacturers

0:38:070:38:12

and often artist/designers would buy their blanks and at home decorate them.

0:38:120:38:18

In this case we've got the various biblical scenes

0:38:180:38:22

that would have been popular in the late Victorian period.

0:38:220:38:26

I don't know if you ever noticed in the speckling by the water jug, we've got the initials IMS

0:38:260:38:34

and the I should be a J

0:38:340:38:37

and it's for J Moyr Smith, who did a lot of the aesthetic designs.

0:38:370:38:42

-Really you would hope for something a little bit more upbeat.

-Yes.

0:38:420:38:46

We've got turning the water into wine, and I'm all for that!

0:38:460:38:52

Gets a plus.

0:38:520:38:53

And then we've got probably the most risque -

0:38:530:38:56

Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden

0:38:560:38:59

and Eve seems to be taking it slightly better than Adam,

0:38:590:39:04

and then, of course, we've got various scenes from the life of Christ.

0:39:040:39:10

Now, have you ever given any thought to what they might be worth?

0:39:100:39:14

No. In fact, this is the first time I've really looked at them.

0:39:140:39:18

They were in a cupboard in my mother-in-law's house when I knew about them.

0:39:180:39:23

-She died 13 years ago at the age of 97...

-Good grief!

0:39:230:39:29

And I remember her saying to my husband, "don't forget the tiles in the back sitting room cupboard"

0:39:290:39:35

and then they came and they went in yet another cupboard

0:39:350:39:38

where the electricity meter is and they just sat there.

0:39:380:39:42

Fabulous! I mean, the severe biblical nature of them will hold them back

0:39:420:39:47

-to probably a restricted market of simply tile collectors that want these designs.

-Yes.

0:39:470:39:54

And I would imagine that this is seven from maybe a series of 12.

0:39:540:40:00

I think they're worth between £10 and £15 each.

0:40:000:40:05

That's about their level.

0:40:050:40:06

Had they been polychrome or scantily-clad ladies or even Shakespearean scenes, which he did,

0:40:060:40:13

or seasons, then they might have been sort of £30 to £40, so I think if you're happy,

0:40:130:40:18

we'll put them into the auction for £60 to £100, put a fixed reserve of £60

0:40:180:40:24

and, you know, if you get two tiling enthusiasts that really want them,

0:40:240:40:28

they might make £120, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.

0:40:280:40:32

-Yes, I'm happy.

-Splendid, and see how they do on the day.

-Thank you.

0:40:320:40:36

Mike, I was so excited when I looked at these lovely little figures.

0:40:440:40:53

Tell me, where did you get them?

0:40:530:40:55

My father got them about late '40s

0:40:550:40:59

and happened to be walking past the shop, spotted them and went back in and bought them.

0:40:590:41:04

I wonder what he paid for them, all those years ago. Do you know?

0:41:040:41:09

Well, a figure of around 45, something like that.

0:41:090:41:12

45 shillings?

0:41:120:41:14

Well, it could have been, especially the wages then!

0:41:140:41:17

-So, they were obviously passed down to you?

-Yeah.

0:41:170:41:22

Let's look at them closely because something of this quality deserves to be looked at closely.

0:41:220:41:30

Do you know who the carver was?

0:41:300:41:32

-Yes. Ferdinand Preiss.

-Yes, that's excellent, excellent!

0:41:320:41:36

Well, he was one of the most prestigious ivory carvers

0:41:360:41:42

of the Art Deco period.

0:41:420:41:45

I would date these from maybe 1915/1920.

0:41:450:41:51

His figures are highly prized.

0:41:510:41:54

If we look at them, they're on an onyx base

0:41:540:41:58

and the quality of the carving is so fine

0:41:580:42:03

and so beautiful and so precise.

0:42:030:42:07

We have a little girl figure here holding a box, possibly Pandora's box

0:42:070:42:13

and we have the little boy who is holding a ball.

0:42:130:42:19

Now, if you look at the beautiful features in their face and the wonderful hair,

0:42:190:42:25

we can really see the quality of the carving

0:42:250:42:29

in these figures. If we look at the back,

0:42:290:42:32

we see his signature here...

0:42:320:42:35

F Preiss.

0:42:350:42:37

They are in beautiful condition, the artist is highly-prized.

0:42:370:42:43

You can understand why I'm delighted!

0:42:430:42:46

Now, why do you want to sell them?

0:42:460:42:50

Well, my children are grown-up and neither of them are interested as such.

0:42:500:42:55

I would put an auction estimate of £1,500 to £2,500 on them.

0:42:550:43:02

I think that's a reasonable and perhaps conservative estimate

0:43:020:43:07

and we'll put our reserve price on them,

0:43:070:43:10

a fixed reserve of £1,200 but we want them to get more.

0:43:100:43:15

-I hope so!

-I hope so, too!

0:43:150:43:17

I love them, I love them!

0:43:170:43:18

Now, from family treasures to a treasured collection,

0:43:190:43:23

I'm off to play with some rather large toys over in Bristol.

0:43:230:43:26

As a boy I loved tractors, and do you know what? I still do today.

0:43:360:43:40

They're clunky, they're cumbersome, they're Steady Eddies, they get the job done.

0:43:400:43:44

If you look at the front of any tractor, you can see

0:43:440:43:47

they've almost got the expression of a little face.

0:43:470:43:50

They've got their own characters, that's why I love them.

0:43:500:43:53

And they're full of nostalgia.

0:43:530:43:55

Show me a boy who doesn't like tractors and I'll show you where you can catch a bus to the moon.

0:43:550:44:00

This is wonderful.

0:44:000:44:02

Do you know, a lot of us don't have anything to do with the land.

0:44:020:44:06

People don't know where their food comes from.

0:44:060:44:08

We don't get involved with planting or picking.

0:44:080:44:11

Maybe the odd pick your own during the summer season, getting the strawberries,

0:44:110:44:15

and if you haven't done that, it is quite back-breaking.

0:44:150:44:19

So spare a thought for the humble farmer

0:44:190:44:22

before one of these things came along.

0:44:220:44:25

People have long cultivated the soil.

0:44:290:44:31

Before the industrial revolution, farming was limited to the physical endurance of man

0:44:310:44:36

and his beast of burden. The horse, the ox and the weary farmer

0:44:360:44:41

toiled relentlessly over a crop

0:44:410:44:43

until steel and mechanical engines were available to the masses.

0:44:430:44:47

By the late 1800s, farm labour had become mechanised

0:44:470:44:52

and for the first time, increased production meant smaller human endeavour.

0:44:520:44:57

At last, a tireless alternative to sheer muscle power was available to food producers.

0:45:020:45:07

By 1910, the gasoline engine had pushed steam engines aside.

0:45:070:45:12

These machines were smaller and a lot more affordable and, of course,

0:45:120:45:17

the model for the tractor that we love and know today emerged.

0:45:170:45:21

There's been many revelations in farming machinery,

0:45:210:45:24

but none have enabled man to take such a leap forward

0:45:240:45:27

in harvesting our food as the way the old tractor has.

0:45:270:45:31

And today I've come here to meet a man in Bristol

0:45:310:45:34

who's got a fantastic collection of tractors.

0:45:340:45:36

His name's Keith Sherrell and his tractors date back to the early part of the 20th century.

0:45:360:45:42

And he said to me in this field...

0:45:420:45:44

about now. Hope I've got the right field. Yeah, any moment now.

0:45:440:45:49

-ENGINE APPROACHES

-Ah, there he is.

0:45:490:45:51

-Keith?

-Hello. Are you Paul?

-Yes, I am.

0:45:580:46:01

-How are you? Sorry I'm a bit late.

-That's OK.

0:46:010:46:03

-You've come to see my tractors?

-I have, yeah.

0:46:030:46:06

-Well, we'll walk on down the shed then.

-OK.

0:46:060:46:09

-Good drive up?

-Yes. Yes.

0:46:090:46:12

Keith has been working the land ever since he can remember.

0:46:130:46:16

If you're born into an agricultural family,

0:46:160:46:19

tractors and machinery are an integral part of growing up.

0:46:190:46:22

Keith started collecting his own agricultural machinery in 1966

0:46:220:46:26

and has now an impressive collection that's open to the public.

0:46:260:46:31

Oakham Treasures is the result of his appreciation for the utilitarian charm of the mechanical workhorse.

0:46:310:46:37

What an incredible space, Keith. It's a great warehouse, massive.

0:46:400:46:44

How big is it?

0:46:440:46:46

About 20,000 square feet.

0:46:460:46:48

-How many tractors have you got in your collection?

-About 60.

0:46:480:46:52

You are a passionate man about your farming equipment. What's the dateline of the tractors?

0:46:520:46:57

Anything from about 1920 up to 1976.

0:46:570:47:02

-So this is one of the earliest, this is 1920.

-'20, yeah.

0:47:020:47:06

It's a solid lump, isn't it? So is that the birth of the tractor?

0:47:060:47:10

Yes. Previous to that, it was the steam engine type.

0:47:100:47:13

So you're always out on the hunt?

0:47:130:47:15

Always on the hunt for something different, unusual.

0:47:150:47:18

You've got tractors from all over the world.

0:47:180:47:21

Yes. Plenty from America, Australian...

0:47:210:47:25

-Some big Aussie ones.

-Some big Aussie ones.

0:47:250:47:28

Beautifully displayed, the really are.

0:47:280:47:30

Oh, I've just spotted my favourite one, that grey Massey.

0:47:300:47:33

-That's a mid-1950s, isn't it?

-Yes.

0:47:330:47:36

I saw one for sale, the farmer was selling it, I had to ask my wife

0:47:360:47:39

but she said no, so I had to let the chap down.

0:47:390:47:42

-Well, I didn't use to ask my wife, I came home with it.

-I can see that!

0:47:420:47:45

-I think there's a lot more through there, isn't there?

-Yes.

0:47:450:47:49

Wow, incredible.

0:47:490:47:50

-That's unusual.

-This is a bit of a special.

0:47:570:48:01

It was a war-time tractor on airports and aerodromes.

0:48:010:48:06

It's stripped back to the bare essentials. It's small and squat.

0:48:060:48:10

It was basic, and that's what just made it unusual

0:48:100:48:13

to the one which is next to it which is an agricultural.

0:48:130:48:17

-Same make.

-Same make.

-You can see the difference, can't you?

-Yes.

0:48:170:48:20

-That's designed for the fields.

-Yes.

-So these came into their own during the war.

0:48:200:48:24

-We had to produce food...

-Yes.

-..for the war effort.

0:48:240:48:28

For those who lived through World War II, it's a different world now

0:48:280:48:33

to the one that existed during Hitler's ransack of Europe.

0:48:330:48:38

That was a time of rationing, and the steel used for arms and munitions was in short supply.

0:48:380:48:43

The humble tractor came into its own.

0:48:430:48:45

Mottoes like Dig For Victory provoked a spirit that united the nation.

0:48:450:48:49

As 5 million British men were called upon to serve their country and fight abroad

0:48:490:48:54

a hole in the labour force emerged.

0:48:540:48:57

Around 80,000 women were drafted in to become farm labourers,

0:48:570:49:01

driving tractors and harvesting crops.

0:49:010:49:05

They worked the fields and managed the machinery,

0:49:050:49:07

taking the place of the men who were away fighting.

0:49:070:49:10

For many the smell of a tractor still brings back intense memories

0:49:100:49:14

of a time when they were called to work the land for the good of the nation

0:49:140:49:18

and the pride they felt for having served their country.

0:49:180:49:21

This one's interesting, this International.

0:49:250:49:28

It's a bit special to me because there's a photograph of me with my father on it

0:49:280:49:32

when I was about five years old,

0:49:320:49:34

and that's probably where it all started.

0:49:340:49:37

-Would your father be proud of this collection?

-Oh, I think so, yes.

0:49:370:49:41

There is just so much here to see. I could spend all day here.

0:49:410:49:44

Well, I've definitely rediscovered my love for tractors.

0:49:440:49:48

The next time you're stuck behind one on a small country road,

0:49:480:49:51

why not just sit back and marvel at all they've done for you.

0:49:510:49:56

Over at the auction room, what will Mark Burridge make of those figures?

0:49:590:50:02

They belong to Mike and he inherited them from his father who bought them

0:50:020:50:07

in Bristol in the '40s and paid £45 for them.

0:50:070:50:11

It's a nice story because they hadn't been on the market before then,

0:50:110:50:15

they do appeal to modern tastes, very good name, Ferdinand Preiss.

0:50:150:50:19

It's got everything you want in an investment piece -

0:50:190:50:22

-condition, maker's name and fresh to the market.

-And fresh to the market.

0:50:220:50:26

It was a lot of money back then in the '40s, £45!

0:50:260:50:29

£45 would have bought you a very good motor car, if not a deposit on a house!

0:50:290:50:33

Probably a third of a house, I think!

0:50:330:50:35

A third of a house, yes!

0:50:350:50:37

Will we get the top end?

0:50:370:50:38

We have had interest and I think we may well have telephone bidding on this lot.

0:50:380:50:43

-Great, great!

-It's the best lot in the sale.

0:50:430:50:47

At the moment, best lots are selling very well.

0:50:470:50:49

And it's on the front page of the catalogue, which is undoubtedly going to help.

0:50:490:50:53

Also going under the hammer today is Jean's diamond ring.

0:50:530:50:57

Will it find a new best friend in the sale room?

0:50:570:51:00

Well, this is a pal that I would really like to have!

0:51:000:51:03

Next, those silver bottle labels. David hasn't looked at them in 40 years.

0:51:030:51:07

With a reserve of £70, he hopes someone will take a shine to them.

0:51:070:51:12

And Michael is praying that someone will splash out £60 to £100 on Maureen's Minton washstand tiles.

0:51:120:51:19

Now it's time to put our final round of valuations to the test.

0:51:190:51:24

But will Michael be on the money with the wine labels?

0:51:240:51:27

Let's find out.

0:51:270:51:29

David, now is the time of reckoning. We've got a packed auction room.

0:51:310:51:35

We've got three silver Georgian bottle labels going under the hammer.

0:51:350:51:38

I've seen these do well before. People collect these so hopefully,

0:51:380:51:42

that room is jam-packed, there's some collectors out there,

0:51:420:51:46

and Michael put our estimate of £70 to £80?

0:51:460:51:49

-70 to 100, it's come hither. I've seen them do more.

-So have I.

0:51:490:51:52

Really they should make £40 each, but there are such a number of wine label collectors.

0:51:520:51:57

-Yeah.

-There's a whole circle of them.

0:51:570:51:59

Yeah, the wine label circle,

0:51:590:52:01

so we just need one or two members today and they could fly.

0:52:010:52:05

-How did you come by these?

-I found them up in a loft 40 years ago now.

0:52:050:52:10

-There weren't lots of wine labels, were there?

-No, no.

0:52:100:52:12

You've hung onto them for 40 years.

0:52:120:52:14

-You've enjoyed them?

-Yeah.

0:52:140:52:16

They've been in a drawer most of the time.

0:52:160:52:18

t least you've kept them safe.

0:52:180:52:20

I haven't got a decanter to hang them on.

0:52:200:52:23

They'll look the part in the right place and let's hope

0:52:230:52:26

today's the right place to sell them. Here we go.

0:52:260:52:28

The three silver decanter labels there

0:52:280:52:33

and interest with me starting with 70 on the book.

0:52:330:52:35

Give me 80, 80, 80 now.

0:52:350:52:37

80, 80, 80 now. 80, 80, 80.

0:52:370:52:39

80, 90, 100, bid's still with me at £90.

0:52:390:52:45

Give me a hundred bid.

0:52:450:52:46

-Oh, go on.

-With me then and selling, make no mistake.

0:52:460:52:49

All done at £90.

0:52:490:52:50

-£90.

-£30 each.

0:52:500:52:53

That's not bad, is it? Mid-estimate there.

0:52:530:52:55

-You've got to be happy with that.

-Oh, yeah.

0:52:550:52:58

-Don't forget there's a bit of commission to pay.

-Yeah.

0:52:580:53:01

It's going to go towards a holiday in north Scotland so...

0:53:010:53:04

-Wonderful.

-Visiting the Orkney, Shetland islands.

-Lovely, lovely.

0:53:040:53:08

Well enjoy that, won't you?

0:53:080:53:10

Yeah, exactly. Every little penny helps.

0:53:100:53:13

-Exactly.

-That's what we say.

0:53:130:53:14

This really is a sparkler... £450 to £650...

0:53:200:53:25

-and you've never worn it!

-No!

0:53:250:53:27

It's too small! Oh dear, that's just such bad luck, isn't it?

0:53:270:53:31

The diamond's not too small - it's nearly three quarters of a carat!

0:53:310:53:36

Ooh, we could do something with that!

0:53:360:53:38

Do you think it'll get remounted, or bought by the trade?

0:53:380:53:41

I think it probably will.

0:53:410:53:43

But the diamond there is a good size and it's in nice condition.

0:53:430:53:47

Well, let's hope it goes this time. We have tried before.

0:53:470:53:50

-Have you, in auction?

-Yes.

-Yes, and what did it reach?

0:53:500:53:53

I've forgotten. It was a long time ago!

0:53:530:53:55

It was a long time ago! Times have moved on, now!

0:53:550:53:58

Here we are in Clevedon, we've got a packed house, so fingers crossed we're going to get that top end.

0:53:580:54:03

600 is a solitaire diamond ring, what can we say there?

0:54:030:54:07

-I've only got £400 to start me. 400...

-Good!

-400.

0:54:070:54:11

Give me £300 then. £300, nice solitaire ring there, £300?

0:54:110:54:17

Doesn't look like you want it today.

0:54:170:54:20

I'm sorry, we'll move on, then.

0:54:200:54:21

-Aw!

-There's me saying "times have moved on"!

0:54:210:54:25

Aw, I'm so sorry.

0:54:250:54:27

That's all right.

0:54:270:54:28

We haven't got the value wrong, though, have we? The price is right?

0:54:280:54:32

I think the fact that it was a small shank may have influenced private buyers.

0:54:320:54:39

It wouldn't have influenced trade but the private buyers, if a lady tries it on and it doesn't fit her,

0:54:390:54:44

does she want to go and get the shank changed? That may have influenced it.

0:54:440:54:48

Oh, well.

0:54:480:54:49

Next up, the Minton tiles...

0:54:550:54:57

great name, great lot and they belong to Maureen.

0:54:570:55:01

They're worth at least £12 each and we've got seven of them.

0:55:010:55:04

-Yes.

-Hence, Michael...

0:55:040:55:05

-Hence the estimate!

-Hence the estimate!

0:55:050:55:08

Minton is such a good name. The only trouble is the subject matter being biblical.

0:55:080:55:12

-Yes.

-Even though it's biblical, they managed to get some scantily-clad ladies in

0:55:120:55:16

-so there's hope, isn't there!

-There is hope!

0:55:160:55:19

Lot 100, seven blue and white Minton tiles

0:55:190:55:21

biblical scenes, lot 100, interest here.

0:55:210:55:25

£90 on the book, 100 in the room, ten with me, 20, 30, 40, 50, 50...

0:55:250:55:33

Gentleman here at £140, selling on £140 then.

0:55:330:55:38

Yes, that got our blessing!

0:55:380:55:40

-£140, Maureen!

-Wow!

0:55:400:55:43

Surprised!

0:55:430:55:45

I think there was a higher force at work here today!

0:55:450:55:49

Mike and Anita have been looking forward to this.

0:55:540:55:56

It's the Preiss figures about to go under the hammer.

0:55:560:55:59

We've got £1,500 to £2,500.

0:55:590:56:02

It's down to the bidders in the room.

0:56:020:56:04

Hopefully we've got some phone lines as well and there's some bids on the book.

0:56:040:56:08

And the photograph on the front!

0:56:080:56:10

-And of course he's done us proud, yes, with a picture on the catalogue.

-Yeah.

0:56:100:56:14

I've got to say,

0:56:140:56:16

I'm being surrounded by the Scottish clan!

0:56:160:56:20

You're ganging up on me!

0:56:200:56:22

-You're not Scottish, are you?

-No.

-What's the connection? Have you got... What clan is this?

0:56:220:56:27

-Campbell of Argyll.

-Right, OK.

-But my grandmother was a Thompson.

0:56:270:56:31

-Oh!

-And that's where it ties in. There's a set to the Campbells.

0:56:310:56:37

And do you dress like this often?

0:56:370:56:38

-I wore it last night!

-I think you look great!

0:56:380:56:41

-I'll wear it again tonight!

-He's a bonny laddie!

0:56:410:56:43

He is! It's a good job he's married,

0:56:430:56:45

he could be going home to Glasgow as husband number four!

0:56:450:56:49

580, you've got the two Preiss ivory figures, both signed.

0:56:490:56:55

Not been on the market since the vendor's father

0:56:550:56:58

bought them in 1945, so they haven't been about before.

0:56:580:57:03

What can we say, who will start me, please £1,500?

0:57:030:57:06

£1,000 here, £1,100, 1,200,

0:57:060:57:10

1,300, 1,300, 1,400 in the room.

0:57:100:57:14

1,500, 1,600, 1,700,

0:57:140:57:19

-1,800, 1,900...

-More!

-2,000, 2,100.

0:57:190:57:25

£2,000 in the room, 2,100 sat down,

0:57:250:57:28

2,200, 2,200 fresh bidder, 2,300, 2,400, 2,500, 2,600...

0:57:280:57:34

-Oh, strong bidding in the room.

-Yes!

-2,800, 2,900, £3,000.

0:57:340:57:37

£2,900 in the room, sat down.

0:57:370:57:39

£3,000, anyone? At £3,000, fresh bidder.

0:57:390:57:42

3,100? 3,100?

0:57:420:57:45

Are you all done, then?

0:57:450:57:47

Selling on £3,000.

0:57:470:57:50

-Yes!

-Yes!

0:57:500:57:52

£3,000! Mike!

0:57:520:57:54

-Well, done, Dad!

-Well, done, Dad!

0:57:540:57:57

Yeah, what a clever dad, eh?

0:57:570:57:59

-Oh, that was...

-And well done for you for looking after them as well! Anita, a great item as well...

0:57:590:58:04

-Oh, thank you!

-Perfect valuation!

0:58:040:58:06

I hope you've enjoyed today's show.

0:58:060:58:08

What a wonderful end, and obviously quality always counts.

0:58:080:58:11

If you've got something like that, we want to see it, so from Clevedon until the next time, it's cheerio.

0:58:110:58:16

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:58:350:58:39

E-mail [email protected]

0:58:390:58:41

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS