0:00:04 > 0:00:07Today, "Flog It!" is coming from the English Riviera.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Yes, we're down on the Devon Coast - a magnet for holidaymakers,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13and home to England's biggest fishing port.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16So will we land a prize catch? Let's go and see.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39The English Riviera
0:00:39 > 0:00:42is the name given to this stunning area of coastline
0:00:42 > 0:00:45which comprises three towns - Torquay, Brixham and Paignton.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50Historically all three were fishing ports, but today only Brixham remains in action.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Later on, I'll be going sailing on an old fishing trawler
0:00:54 > 0:00:58which helped put the fishing industry of Brixham on the map.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03But before we go all fishy, let sail across the bay to Torquay where our experts Philip Searle
0:01:03 > 0:01:09and new boy David Fletcher are trawling the Flog It! queue outside the Palace Hotel.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Will they net a valuable catch?
0:01:11 > 0:01:15- I could have been one of The Three Musketeers! - Let's get inside and find out.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21The people of Torquay have turned out in droves
0:01:21 > 0:01:26and Philip has the first catch of the day with Helen's Dinky toys.
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Helen, how are you doing?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30- Fine, thank you.- Are you a Devonian? - No, I'm a Midlander.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32- Where from? - West Bromwich, initially.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34- West Bromwich? - Aldridge, Walsall way.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Coming down here on the M5,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39the number of caravans was unbelievable
0:01:39 > 0:01:43and, as we're in Torquay, I thought "We've got to do a caravan, haven't we?"
0:01:43 > 0:01:47So I picked up this little beauty here which is a Dinky's toy,
0:01:47 > 0:01:55four-berth, model number 188, complete with a little opening door here, which I think is great.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And then we've got two Corgi toys.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02We got a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE coupe,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07complete with spare wheel and a little suitcase ready-packed for our holidays.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And I love this. This is a Mark 1 Cortina.
0:02:11 > 0:02:17I remember Dad bought one of these, brand new, a Mark 1 Cortina, 1960-something or other.
0:02:17 > 0:02:23- Why do you want to sell them? - They're just sitting in my cupboard doing nothing.- Really?- Yes.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27- Are these yours?- Yes. I used to love playing with them as a child.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29I have to say you were very good.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32- You played with both these? - Oh, I did a lot, yes.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36The thing about toys is they've got to be mint and boxed, and these are mint and boxed.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39- I always put everything away. - You were careful with your toys. - Yeah.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43I'm intrigued as to why a pretty girl goes and plays with boys' toys as a child.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- I had a Sindy doll as well, which I loved just as much.- I'll let you off.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Anyway, down to value. We'll sell them as one lot.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55I think if we put a £40 to £60 estimate on them, right?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- Right.- With a £30 reserve, how does that sound?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- Low!- Low?!
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- Go on, what do you reckon? - I just thought...
0:03:05 > 0:03:09I don't know, I would have thought they would be about £40 each.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- We need to protect your interests with a reserve.- All right.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16If you want to put a slightly higher reserve on them, I don't mind.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19But here's an expression I always use -
0:03:19 > 0:03:24a reserve is a price below which you will not sell the item.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- It's not what you think it will make.- No.- OK?- Yes.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30This hasn't got the box.
0:03:30 > 0:03:3250 to 80, call it 60 to 90.
0:03:32 > 0:03:38If you want to reserve them between 30 and sort of £40, £45, I don't have a problem with that.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- OK.- So what do you want to do, boss?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42- £40 reserve?- £40 reserve.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44I'll put a 50 to 80 estimate on them.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- Great, yeah.- Are you happy with that? - Yeah, absolutely. - I don't want to be told off!
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Would I dare?- Oh, I don't know! You're a star.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58RATTLING
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Now, this, Isabel, is a most striking thing.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02How long have you owned it?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- All my life.- You've owned it all your life, have you?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Yes.- Did it belong to your parents? - It did, yeah.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11What it is we're discussing
0:04:11 > 0:04:16is a cold-painted, Austrian bronze.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21The nature of the decoration is such that it's applied to a bronze figure
0:04:21 > 0:04:26without firing, hence the expression "cold-painted".
0:04:26 > 0:04:31The result is that you get this rather attractive mat finish.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35It's by a very well-known sculptor,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38name of Franz Bergmann,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42who was born in the 1860s and lived until the 1930s.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46It is actually marked on the back with a B.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I've never noticed that.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52That is actually impressed, or moulded I should say,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56into the cast that was taken from the mould.
0:04:56 > 0:05:04- Yeah.- It depicts, doesn't it, a noble warrior who seemingly died
0:05:04 > 0:05:09in one of those north African colonial wars or skirmishes -
0:05:09 > 0:05:11that's a good word for it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16What I think is so amazing about it, really, is its dignity.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I mean, the dignity that you can sometimes find in death -
0:05:20 > 0:05:22beautifully, beautifully moulded.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27You sometimes find that Bergmann signed these works
0:05:27 > 0:05:30with his surname spelt backwards.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Right!- Do you know why he did that? - No.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Well, he did it because he was Jewish
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and he was concerned about being persecuted,
0:05:39 > 0:05:45so you do sometimes find bronzes like this, signed "Nam Greb" -
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Bergmann backwards.
0:05:47 > 0:05:54- Oh, right. - I must say that objects like this are very collectible, really.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57I think if we sold this at auction -
0:05:57 > 0:06:01WHEN we sell it at auction, I should say - we would expect it to make
0:06:01 > 0:06:03between £300 and £500.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And it could even make just a little bit more than that.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Do you like it as an object?
0:06:09 > 0:06:11- I do, but I wouldn't have it out.- No.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12It beautiful thing,
0:06:12 > 0:06:16but I understand what you're saying about the subject matter, really.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Well, as I say, I think if we estimate it at 300 to 500
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and put a reserve on it of £300,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25preferably with a little bit of discretion - say £280?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- OK.- Would that be all right?- Fine.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30OK? We'll do our best for you.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42- HUSKILY:- We're having such a fabulous day here in Torquay.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Hundreds of people have turned up and I feel like I've probably spoken
0:06:46 > 0:06:49to almost every single one of them. That's why I'm losing my voice.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53But I have bumped into June here, who is looking absolutely fabulous.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I think you're clutching something quite valuable in there, aren't you?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Let's have a look inside your purse.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Oh, look at that. A wonderful amber necklace!
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- Have you worn it much?- I used to have hair that colour, Paul,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12so I used to wear it then and it used to look pretty good.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15But, as one gets older, one's hair colour changes.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- I think you'd look pretty good with this on still.- You reckon?
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Of course I do!
0:07:20 > 0:07:25This is timeless. It's amber and it's millions of years old.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26It really is.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It's fossilised tree sap, basically.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35If you've got any insects trapped in it when it was a sticky liquid...
0:07:35 > 0:07:38There might be something in there.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40If you haven't got little insects,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44then look for pine needles or bits of moss that get trapped in this liquid.
0:07:44 > 0:07:51It's commonly found in the Baltic, the beaches of Poland, but it does get washed up in this country.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- Really? - Yes, it does on Southwold beach!
0:07:53 > 0:07:55I've been amber hunting
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and I actually interviewed a chap on "Flog It!"
0:07:57 > 0:07:59who collected amber from the beach.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01When it's washed up,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05- it's sort of like a rough pebble.- Yes.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08A funny little, odd-shaped pebble,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12but you have to polish it and cut into these facets like this.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14But let's see what it looks like.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19Shall we put it on? Yes, there we go! Look at that.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And it still looks fabulous, doesn't it? Give them a twirl!
0:08:27 > 0:08:33- How much did you pay for that? - It was about £200 about 20 years ago.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34You'll get your £200 back.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I just think it's stunning.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39I really think every woman would like to own that.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41There you are - that's the way. The big one at the bottom.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Why don't we put it into auction with a value of...
0:08:45 > 0:08:50- £200 to £400?- Oh, excellent. - You need two women who try it on
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- and look as great as you do with it on.- Oh, thank you!
0:08:53 > 0:08:55I'm surprised you want to sell it.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I know, but it's sitting in the cupboard
0:08:57 > 0:08:58and I don't wear it any more.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- OK, see you at the auction. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03I look forward to it. Thank you.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Barry and Malcolm, hello.- Hello.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Welcome.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Now, you brought with you three silver spoons.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15What can you tell me about them?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Not a great deal.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21They have always been at our parents' house, just in the cutlery drawer.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23- We used to use them every day. - Really?
0:09:23 > 0:09:27It was just part of the household cutlery.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Well, they are a bit worn.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32They're silver, as I'm sure you know.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Two of them are relatively clearly marked,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41although I must say it's difficult to distinguish the date letter.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46I think these would have been manufactured in the 1730s or 1740s.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- As old as that?- Indeed.
0:09:48 > 0:09:56Assayed in London and made by a silversmith whose initials were JJ.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01I think that stands for John Jacobs, who was active at that time.
0:10:01 > 0:10:07The third spoon has even more indistinct marks
0:10:07 > 0:10:10and I really can't attempt to give that a date or a manufacturer.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14They're a typical Georgian pattern.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19They have a dog-nose finial, which I think speaks for itself.
0:10:19 > 0:10:24But the most significant thing about them is that they have been Victorianised.
0:10:24 > 0:10:30Now, the Victorians believed that unless anything was highly decorated, it wasn't old,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and these would have been really quite plain.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38So, not content with the fact that they were - let's say 1860 -
0:10:38 > 0:10:42150 years old nearly, they wanted to make them look even older.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47So they had a go at them and they've chased up the handles.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52They've gilded the bowls and then repousse decorated them,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54which means they've been hammered from behind
0:10:54 > 0:10:59with images of a goddess, Ceres.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03And she holds the cornucopia containing fruit.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07That's significant because they are fruit spoons
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and that's why the bowls have been gilded,
0:11:09 > 0:11:16because the acid in the fruit juice would have caused the silver to corrode.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Why are you thinking of selling them?
0:11:19 > 0:11:25Well, we were musicians about 30 years ago and we've started writing
0:11:25 > 0:11:29and we're going to book some studio time, so hopefully...
0:11:29 > 0:11:34- You'll put this towards your expense?- Yeah, we're selling a few items and going for a studio.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36So you're making a comeback?
0:11:36 > 0:11:41- Yeah.- You haven't thought of using them and playing them perhaps?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Well, we used to play them!
0:11:43 > 0:11:45There were six originally!
0:11:45 > 0:11:50I've never actually met anyone before who played the spoons, but there is some potential there.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52They're not going to make the earth.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58They're not fabulously expensive, it must be said, and I think you have to bear in mind
0:11:58 > 0:12:03that in some people's eyes they've been damaged by the fact they've been Victorianised.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I would have thought each one was perhaps worth about £15,
0:12:07 > 0:12:13- and I would estimate them at £40 to £60.- OK.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15And we'll put a reserve of...
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Shall we sell them without a reserve?
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- Are you happy with that? - Well, we can do, yes.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Every little bit will help towards your comeback, isn't it?
0:12:24 > 0:12:28We've seen our first batch of items and now it's time to head west
0:12:28 > 0:12:35from Torquay along the Devon coast to the naval town of Plymouth for today's auction.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40And this is where all the action is taking place today - Eldreds Auctioneers & Valuers.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The room's filling up. The auctioneer's just about to start.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47But before he kicks off, here's a quick reminder of all the items we're hoping to sell.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Philip was surprised by Helen's minted and boxed Dinky toys.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I'm intrigued as to why a pretty girl goes and plays with boys' toys as a child.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I had a Sindy doll as well, which I loved just as much.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00David was impressed with Isabel's Austrian bronze warrior figure,
0:13:00 > 0:13:05but she just keeps it in a drawer so it's time to find it a new home.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Shall we put it on? Yeah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11'I absolutely loved June's amber necklace and it seemed I wasn't the only one.'
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Give them a twirl!
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Barry and Malcolm are hoping to raise funds towards their musical comeback
0:13:19 > 0:13:22by selling their Georgian silver spoons. Will they be successful?
0:13:22 > 0:13:27Let's find out as the spoons are the first of our items going under the hammer,
0:13:27 > 0:13:32and the boys are pinning their hopes on auctioneer Anthony Eldred, who's on the rostrum.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Next up, Barry and Malcolm's three silver spoons.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37There are a couple of choice ones here - the London ones.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- I really liked those. They were Mum's?- Our mother used to use them.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46We used to use them in our house, for dishing the jelly out, etc.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Next, three Georgian dessert spoons.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Dishing the jelly - I like that!
0:13:53 > 0:13:56£30 bid for them. Against you all at 30. At £30.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58Two if you want them.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00At 32, 35, 38, 40...
0:14:00 > 0:14:0442, 5, 8... At £48 now in the room.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Quite sure at 48, then?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Well done, a good valuation.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14So a little bit towards the studio time, guys,
0:14:14 > 0:14:18because I know that's what you're putting the money towards. Doing some recording?
0:14:18 > 0:14:19Half an hour or something!
0:14:22 > 0:14:25330 at the back.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Next up, some Dinky toys and something for all you caravan lovers.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Well, you either love them or you loathe them.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- You don't want to be stuck behind one, that's for sure.- No, no.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41- Especially not that one. - Let's talk value. Some Dinky toys fly through the roof.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I've never valued a caravan.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46No, I haven't, and it was a bit of a sort of a suck-and-see job,
0:14:46 > 0:14:51but I just thought they'll appeal to the collector and, you know, fingers crossed.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57I mean, the car's even got the little suitcase and spare wheel and everything inside it, so...
0:14:57 > 0:15:01It's ready to go. Let's find out. This is it.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Next are three Dinky toys. There they are.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- A caravan in that lot. Several bidders.- Oh, good.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07I am bid £65.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Against you all in the room at 65.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Eight anywhere? You finished at 65?
0:15:11 > 0:15:1368 and 70?
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Five. And 80?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Five. And 90?
0:15:18 > 0:15:21At £90, then.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Well done, Helen, £90!
0:15:26 > 0:15:29That proved to be a very good investment over the years.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Yeah. I played with it a lot as well, so I got the enjoyment out of it.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Gosh. You see, the power of the caravans.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I'm really pleased with that. I think that's a good price.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42- That's good, I'm pleased with that. - Thank you.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Right, and now for our next lot. Unfortunately, Isabel can't be with us today,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55but we do have the cold-painted bronze and our expert David.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59We've got a valuation of £300 to £500 on this.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03What I want to know is, is he dead or is he asleep?
0:16:03 > 0:16:08- Because I don't know. - In my view, he's dead. I think he's very dead.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13Anthony had described him as being sleeping, probably to make it a bit more commercial, I suspect.
0:16:13 > 0:16:20- I think so.- But anyway, he's been immortalised, so whether he's dead or asleep, he will live forever.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22But he has been in Isabel's drawer for a long, long time.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27She wants to sell him and I think we've got the perfect market - a packed auction room,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31people are waving like mad, bidding on everything, so this should fly away, shouldn't it?
0:16:31 > 0:16:34- Absolutely. - It's going under the hammer now.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39Lot 132, the Austrian cold-painted bronze after Bergmann...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Fingers crossed for Isabel.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46North African warrior, £240 starts that. At £240, 50 if you want it?
0:16:46 > 0:16:48At 240, 250, 260,
0:16:48 > 0:16:5170, five, 280.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56At £280 now, £290, £300, and 10?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59320, 330, 340.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01At £340, still seated.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03At 340, then.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06- Yes, spot on, David. - Well, I'm pleased.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08I'm pretty sure she will be.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- Good.- You've got to get on the phone and give her a call.- I will do.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Remember the amber necklace?
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Well it's just about to go under the hammer, and here's June.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26You can also remember the round of applause she got because that was great, wasn't it?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Everyone was going, "Yeah!" - It was so embarrassing.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- But you looked fantastic, and you do today as well.- Thank you very much.
0:17:31 > 0:17:37If you like amber, this lot's for you. We've got £200 to £400 on this.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39I don't know what the feeling is in the room,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43I haven't talked to anybody, I haven't seen it viewed at all.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45So fingers crossed. That's all I can say.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- Absolutely.- We're going to find out.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49I don't think we can talk about it any more, can we?
0:17:49 > 0:17:51- It is down to this lot. - Wait and see.
0:17:51 > 0:17:59On next to lot 489, which is a long necklace of 45 graduated, faceted
0:17:59 > 0:18:05orange and amber beads, and I'm bid £200 for them. Five, if you like.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07At 205, anywhere? And five. 210.
0:18:07 > 0:18:1015, 220? Five.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14At 225, 230, 240,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18250, 260, 270,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22280, 290, 300.
0:18:22 > 0:18:28And 10? 320, 330.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34At £330 on the telephone against you in the room. At £330.
0:18:34 > 0:18:40- That's a sold sound. £330. - Not bad.- Not bad?
0:18:40 > 0:18:43- I'm quite happy with that.- Not bad at all.- Very happy with that.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- We were hoping for that. - Well...- And we got it.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Thank you. I'm very happy about that.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52And your husband is really pleased as well.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54There is commission to pay.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56He thinks he's going to spend some of that, you know?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Does he? Oh, he's got another think coming, hasn't he?
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I think we'll have a bit of fun with that, anyway.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05I bet you will. You look like a fun sort of girl, that's for sure.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Well, there we are. Some great results so far.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17We are coming back to the auction for some more action later on in the show,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20when we'll be selling another of Philip's finds. But what is it?
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Now I know that you know what it is.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- Yes.- But I'm willing to bet that a lot of people at home don't know what it is.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32Well, you've got about ten minutes to figure out what it might be.
0:19:32 > 0:19:39Right now I'm heading back to the fishing port of Brixham to find out a bit more about its chief industry.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Brixham is the biggest fishing port in England, and the fishing industry
0:19:58 > 0:20:01has been at the heart of its economy for hundreds of years.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05Now, a staggering £18.5 million worth of fish is traded each year
0:20:05 > 0:20:08from that busy fish market over there.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13Now, not only does Brixham hold the accolade for the largest fishing port, it's also built its reputation
0:20:13 > 0:20:19on developing pioneering fishing techniques which have been adopted by the industry the world over -
0:20:19 > 0:20:22hence its nickname, the mother of trawling.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34It was over 400 years ago when Brixham first started the fishing method of beam trawling.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39This is when a fishing net is attached to a beam, which then drags in the water behind the boat.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42The technique was first used on wooden sailing boats
0:20:42 > 0:20:47and later adopted by motorised commercial fishing vessels.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51And to find out more about beam trawlers, I've come to talk
0:20:51 > 0:20:56to Bill Wakeman, who was a fisherman for 42 years, and now he's involved in a heritage project
0:20:56 > 0:21:01to bring these wonderful wooden vessels back to the town and restore them to their former glory.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05What better way to learn about fishing? I can't wait to hop aboard.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06- Bill.- Hello, Paul.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Lovely to meet you. Welcome aboard.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09What a beautiful vessel!
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- Ah, she's beautiful, ain't she? - Can I get aboard?- Course you can.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37This is the Vigilance. She's a 78 foot sailing ketch,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and she's one of the last wooden fishing vessels built in Brixham.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43In her heyday, she'd have had a beam for fishing.
0:21:43 > 0:21:50Now that's gone. Today she sails the seas to give visitors a taste of Brixham's fishing history.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54We're lucky enough to have a sizable crew, but when the Vigilance used to work as a beam trawler,
0:21:54 > 0:22:00she would most likely have had a crew of just three men and one boy.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02And today it looks like I'm the boy!
0:22:06 > 0:22:08That's good for your stomach muscles.
0:22:10 > 0:22:17Just let the jib out now, so that's gonna catch the wind, it's gonna turn us around and off we go.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20How fantastic is this?!
0:22:34 > 0:22:36What's her top speed?
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I should say you should be able to get about 10 knots out of her when it's really going.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41That's some going.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- That's shifting along. - That really is, isn't it?
0:22:43 > 0:22:46So what year does beam trawling date back to?
0:22:46 > 0:22:50The earliest records, I think, is the early 1600s.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Folklore has it that beam trawling first started by accident
0:22:54 > 0:22:58when a fishing boat from Brixham got caught in an awful storm off the coast of Grimsby.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03The captain dropped the sail into the sea to try to stabilise the vessel.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08There was that much wind, they were dragging the trawl back and they were fishing at the same time.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12Which is... which is how it all started, really, isn't it? That's beam trawling, in a way?
0:23:12 > 0:23:16- And when they did haul it up, they were full of Dover soles.- Wow.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20And the people in Grimsby wanted them to try it again, they did it
0:23:20 > 0:23:23two or three times, and that's how Grimsby started, and Hull.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25What a lovely story.
0:23:25 > 0:23:32Brixham's fishermen went on to perfect this method, which has become part of the town's history.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- It was an ideal place with the tide here to be able to tow a beam.- Yeah.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41And they spread the beam trawl with these old sailing trawlers right the way around England.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45And that's basically the birth of commercial fishing, in a way?
0:23:45 > 0:23:52Yeah. Cos every little port would have their own little fleet of boats just to supply the local demand.
0:23:52 > 0:24:00There was that much fish being landed with these type of boats that, like you say, it became commercial.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05And with Brixham, once the railway came here, the fleet increased tenfold.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08On a personal note, you were a fisherman.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11I mean, that's a hard grafting job, isn't it?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15It sounds romantic on days like this, but it's dangerous work.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20Fishing's a strange thing. The amount of times that I was gonna pack it in the next day, or when you got in...
0:24:20 > 0:24:22If anything was ever gonna go wrong in fishing it would be about
0:24:22 > 0:24:27two o'clock in the morning, blowing a gale, sleet, that sort of thing.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31You'd think to yourself... You've smashed the trawler up, you're on deck, mending the net,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34freezing cold hands, you'd think, "I've had enough of this, that's it."
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Next morning, sun comes up, cup of tea in your hand,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40nothing to beat it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46But that's the way it is. Fishermen are literally the last hunter-gatherers.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49It's the only job where you've got to go out and hunt for what you get.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- And you don't know what you're gonna get, do you?- You don't know what you're gonna get until you come back.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Get her round, get her round.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01More, more.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10What a day!
0:25:10 > 0:25:11The tradition of beam trawling
0:25:11 > 0:25:16continues to play a large part in the lives of the Brixham fisherman,
0:25:16 > 0:25:22and contributes to the 10,000 tonnes of fresh fish and crustaceans that land on Brixham's quay annually.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27So the lifeblood of the fishing industry doesn't just end, does it, with catching the fish?
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- It's got to be sold?- Yeah. Yeah. You've got a fish market here.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34You had the old fish market here years ago, in the days of the sailing trawlers.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36They had to move it because of hygiene.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40It's a new-ish building on the end of the quay, and they're operating all the time.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42What time does it open in the morning?
0:25:42 > 0:25:47In the mornings, for auctioning the fish, it's anything from six o'clock to seven o'clock.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50You say auctioning the fish, it's actually auctioned off, is it?
0:25:50 > 0:25:52There's no set price?
0:25:52 > 0:25:57No. Its price on demand, sort of thing. If it's in demand, it'll make good money.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02It's the same as any ordinary auction, like yourself, your sort of thing.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04And the guy with the deepest pockets wins, at the end of the day?
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The one with the biggest demand. If he's got an hotel or big supplier
0:26:08 > 0:26:11up in London or one of the big cities that's got to have fish,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14they'll really push it, even if they break even on selling it.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Well, Brixham's been a fishing town for centuries, really, and I hope it carries on to be.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- Can you see that happening? - There'll always be fishing here.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Like you say, it's been here for centuries.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29The first recorded thing on paper was around about the 1200s, when there was fish being landed here.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31But fishing goes up and down.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36Cuttlefish years ago, you used to put it through the scuppers and dump it over the side, nobody wanted it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:43Then somebody found a market on the Continent, Mediterranean areas, you can't get enough of it now.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- Incredible, isn't it? It's fashions again.- Yeah.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47- Look, Bill, thank you so much. - It's a pleasure.- It's been a great
0:26:47 > 0:26:54- insight into the life of a fisherman down here, especially taking out a beam trawler like this.- Pleasure.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- And thank all the crew as well. Bye, guys!- Bye, Paul!
0:27:05 > 0:27:11It's still a packed house back at the Palace Hotel in Torquay, and a mystery box has caught Philip's eye.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- How are you?- Fine, thank you.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Do you know, people from Torquay have just turned out in droves. It's been marvellous, hasn't it?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- Yes, lovely, yes.- Do know the thing I love about doing Flog It?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21- What's that?- Well, A, you meet different people...
0:27:21 > 0:27:25- That's right.- I've met people from Darlington, from all over today.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And then people bring something like this along, right?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30And I've got no idea what's in there.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33- No.- And it's clearly a mahogany box,
0:27:33 > 0:27:37and we've got a brass inlaid plaque there.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39But the first thing that this tells you, this is a really
0:27:39 > 0:27:45- lovely quality thing, cos if I just hold that up there, there are these dovetails down there.- Oh, right.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47And they are so beautifully made.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Now, you know what's in here, don't you?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Yes.- Shell we have a look?
0:27:52 > 0:27:55That's marvellous.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59And it's a set, isn't it, of measuring rulers for an architect or draughtsman to use.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Sometimes they're made out of bone, out of ivory.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04These are made out of boxwood. They're actually...
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Each one is a different scale.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09You can see this one's marked 80.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- Right.- And the next one is marked 60. - Oh, yeah.
0:28:13 > 0:28:19So each one of these will be a different scale, so that when you're in your office, drawing your really
0:28:19 > 0:28:26- accurate plan, you would use these for different scales for drawings that you were producing.- Right.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28And, do you know, life's changed so much, you know?
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Cos the computer will do all this for you with the right programme,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- so all these have become redundant. - Yeah.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38And they're actually quite collectible. Not hugely valuable...
0:28:38 > 0:28:43- No.- And I would think these date to end of the 19th, early part of the 20th century.
0:28:43 > 0:28:49If we look here, this set is produced by Stanley's of London.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50Now, these are boxwood rulers.
0:28:50 > 0:28:56- And if we lift each one up, you can see it just says here, Stanley's. - Yeah.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59But I suspect they're probably not all by Stanley's.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02You see, there's a foreigner.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04- That one's made in New Street in Birmingham.- Right.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Let's have a look here.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Here's another one from Birmingham.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And there's another one.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18So what that tells us is it's a composite set,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22because there are some missing, and these three have been added in.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23And how long have they been in your possession?
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Well, it was my dad's.
0:29:26 > 0:29:32It was given to him by his boss, and they were the boss's dad's.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Was your dad a draughtsman?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36No, my dad was a gardener.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41- Gardener?!- Mmm-hmm. And he worked for his boss for years.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42And was he a draughtsman?
0:29:42 > 0:29:45- No, but his father was.- Oh, right.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47- So that's where it originated.- Yeah.
0:29:47 > 0:29:53- I think if you put these into auction we can put a 30 to 50 estimate on them.- Right.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57We can perhaps reserve them at £25.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02- Right.- Where the strength of selling these today is the Internet.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07And going through a good auction room, which we are, they'll put them on the Internet and you'll find from
0:30:07 > 0:30:12that that you'll have collectors from all over who collect this sort of thing and they're out there.
0:30:12 > 0:30:14But I think you've got to estimate them at about £30 to £50.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19It'll create interest and when they go on the Net, they'll make what they're worth.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28John, this is every schoolboy's dream, isn't it?
0:30:28 > 0:30:29It is really.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34We have in front of us a Hornby railway set
0:30:34 > 0:30:41designed and manufactured to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of our present Queen in 1977.
0:30:41 > 0:30:49It's dated 1976, so the Jubilee Year was a year later than the year of manufacture.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54We'll start by taking off the box which is
0:30:54 > 0:30:58a little bit damaged, frayed at the edges.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00That reveals a liner inside
0:31:00 > 0:31:06illustrating a diesel locomotive Isambard Kingdom Brunel
0:31:06 > 0:31:11which is appropriate for this part of the world because he built the Great Western Railway,
0:31:11 > 0:31:15which brought me here yesterday, or at least its successor did.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17This is in much better condition.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21But the next layer of the cake is even better.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24It's true to say it's never been out of its box.
0:31:24 > 0:31:25That's right.
0:31:25 > 0:31:31I think what's fun about this is the fact that we obviously have a period diesel locomotive and we have
0:31:31 > 0:31:38examples of the sort of advertising that was fashionable at the time. Why did you buy it?
0:31:38 > 0:31:44We were going to set up a railway system in our loft for the children, but we never really got round to it.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46I can see that.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Were you buying it for them or were you secretly buying it for yourself?
0:31:49 > 0:31:56A bit of each. I have two boys and I was interested in trains.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Why are you selling it?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01We're downsizing and we want to get a bungalow, so
0:32:01 > 0:32:04we've got to get rid of some of the stuff that's stuck in our loft.
0:32:04 > 0:32:11I think from the financial point of view the most amazing thing about this is the condition.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Can you remember how much you paid for it?
0:32:13 > 0:32:15£68.
0:32:15 > 0:32:21That's interesting because I don't think it's going to make a lot more than £68 today.
0:32:21 > 0:32:30But to look on the bright side, if you had spent £68 on a TV set in 1977, it'll be worth nothing today.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Let's hope you get your money back and to that end I'd suggest
0:32:34 > 0:32:41an estimate of £60-100 and a reserve of £60. Are you happy with that?
0:32:41 > 0:32:46- I'd have thought a bit more. - So you're a bit disappointed? - I am, really.
0:32:46 > 0:32:53All I can say is that things come in and out of fashion, tastes change.
0:32:53 > 0:33:00I think today if you had £100 to spend on a model railway, you'd probably treat yourself
0:33:00 > 0:33:06to a single locomotive that was a little bit earlier than this and invest your money in that.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Let's hope we have a pleasant surprise, who knows? We may do.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13I hope that you do turn out to be satisfied in the end.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16- We'll see what happens.- We'll do our best for you. Thank you very much.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Rose, this plaque is exquisite, it's beautiful!
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- Is it?- Stunning, it really is!
0:33:27 > 0:33:31I wish I had the talent to paint something like that!
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- Yes.- It's definitely a religious scene.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- Yes.- Tell me a little bit about its history.
0:33:36 > 0:33:42I inherited it approximately 30 years ago from an elderly lady
0:33:42 > 0:33:48and she was a housekeeper, must have been in quite a nice house,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52and she was given, obviously, certain items from the house
0:33:52 > 0:33:57and I think this has got to be one of them because she wouldn't have had this herself.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59What have you done with it? Have you had this on the wall?
0:33:59 > 0:34:01I've had it on the wall. I took it off this morning!
0:34:01 > 0:34:06So there's a little dust mark, a little square one!
0:34:06 > 0:34:09I saw that Flog It! was coming and I said to a friend of mine
0:34:09 > 0:34:14I think I'd love to go, so she said, "What would you take?" I said, "I'll take the miniature."
0:34:14 > 0:34:16Well, I'm pleased you brought this in.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20I'm going to take a closer look, actually, just turn it around.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22If you look...
0:34:22 > 0:34:30right in the crack, there, where the frame meets the image, you can see there's a slight curve on it.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Now you can tell instantly that's a porcelain plaque, yeah?
0:34:33 > 0:34:39It's not painted on board, or card, or anything like that, or a piece of tin.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41That's quite a thick plaque.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44The beautiful thing about painting on porcelain plaques
0:34:44 > 0:34:48is the fact that it's not like a canvas or a paper, there's no grain,
0:34:48 > 0:34:54so the brushstroke almost vanishes, so you can see hardly any brushstroke. Can you see that?
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- I can, yes.- It's just so fine, and look at the folds in the linen.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Do you see the shadows around the headscarf where it's coming around?
0:35:00 > 0:35:02That's just incredible, isn't it?
0:35:02 > 0:35:08If you can see, very closely, look, right in the middle, there, an O,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13and that's an Otto, so he's Otto... Wustlich or something like that!
0:35:13 > 0:35:21God, my bad pronunciation of German, and it's dated 1843.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Gosh, that's minute, isn't it!
0:35:23 > 0:35:26You think how can he paint his name so small but of course he can,
0:35:26 > 0:35:30because he's painted those lips so beautifully and the eyes and the little eyebrows.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34Even the darkness under the eyes, you know, it's very...
0:35:34 > 0:35:37The eyes have got tremendous expression, haven't they?
0:35:37 > 0:35:42Now I've looked on the Internet and I've looked up to see what's sold before.
0:35:42 > 0:35:49Now he did have a larger plaque that came up for auction in America with
0:35:49 > 0:35:54- a 3,000 to 4,000 estimate on it, but it failed to sell.- Oh!
0:35:54 > 0:35:58So it doesn't give us a price guide really, because this is a small one
0:35:58 > 0:36:02and it's got a religious connection which slightly devalues it...
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Because it's not everybody's... No.
0:36:04 > 0:36:09It puts a lot of the market off so there's less competition. I still think it's worth...
0:36:12 > 0:36:15..£400 to £500, I really do,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18but I would like to ask you if we could put it into auction...
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Yes, by all means.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24..with a valuation of £200 to £400.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I don't want to start the bidding at 400...
0:36:26 > 0:36:30I want it to do more than 400, but I need it to start a bit lower
0:36:30 > 0:36:33so people feel they're in a chance of buying this.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I look forward to the sale.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- Joanna, how are you?- I'm very well.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48I've been doing Flog It! for a long time now and you see all sorts of things, but very occasionally,
0:36:48 > 0:36:51you see something that really does excite you.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53I know that you know what it is.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58- Yes.- I'm willing to bet that a lot of people at home don't know what it is.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Let's let you tell them.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03OK, it's a cheese coaster.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06You'd put a full cheese in here
0:37:06 > 0:37:11and then you'd push it up and down, along the refectory table,
0:37:11 > 0:37:15and people would help themselves to cheese as it goes up and down.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19- Don't get too good here because I'm supposed to be the expert!- Sorry.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23You're spot on. It's a cheese coaster or a cheese truck.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25It's made in mahogany.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28A lot of these originated from the 18th century.
0:37:28 > 0:37:36I think this is a little bit later than that and I think it's probably from around 1825-1835.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40There are key signs as to why I think that. If you look here,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43that's called a bell push moulding.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Because it looks just like a bell push.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52- Absolutely.- These columns here are called cluster columns.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57If you think of that Regency period which is about 1810-1815,
0:37:57 > 0:37:59we've got hairy paw feet.
0:37:59 > 0:38:05Not you and I, but hairy paw feet are typical of that period.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10A lot of these, over the time, split
0:38:10 > 0:38:16and you can see just down here we can see a split running down there.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18One reason is modern central heating.
0:38:18 > 0:38:23If you're going to keep things like this at home, always put a bowl of water under a radiator,
0:38:23 > 0:38:27because the water comes out of the bowl.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29And the other reason is the shape of the thing.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32It's almost under stress and pressure with
0:38:32 > 0:38:36its arc shape. Can you see that split along there?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39It was like that when we got it, of course.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Why do you want to sell it?
0:38:41 > 0:38:43We've run out of cheese.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49Do you know, that's a good answer. I like that.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Why do you want to sell it?
0:38:51 > 0:38:55It's really hard to display in a house.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01It's our golden wedding anniversary year, so we thought we'd
0:39:01 > 0:39:06try and raise a few funds, go and visit our daughter in Australia
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- for Christmas. - Do you have any expectations?
0:39:09 > 0:39:14Well, I hoped it would be about £200.
0:39:14 > 0:39:19- Ten years ago, that would have been between £600 and £900.- Wow!
0:39:19 > 0:39:25I think today you can estimate it at £300 to £500.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29We can put a reserve of £250 on it.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31Give the auctioneer 10% discretion.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34- But I think it's absolutely lovely. Are you happy with that?- Very.
0:39:34 > 0:39:39Thank you for bringing it. It won't get you all the way to Australia, but it'll get you on the way.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40Thank you so much.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46Now time for something that inspires a bit of travel.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Tucked into a corner of Devon and looking every inch like it
0:39:54 > 0:39:58belongs in a fairy tale, is A La Ronde in Exmouth.
0:39:58 > 0:40:04Built in the 1790s, this home was created for two spinster cousins, Mary and Jane Parminter.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06If you look closely, you can see it's rather unique.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10There's something so fascinating about this. It's got 16 sides.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12It's a cross between a home and a little temple.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17It's raised on a platform so it's got uninterrupted views of the estuary there, the River Exe.
0:40:17 > 0:40:24It's absolutely stunning, but the ingenious thing is, it lets the sun in from every single angle.
0:40:24 > 0:40:29You see, as the sun curls around the day, it floods the building with natural light.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34Back in the 18th century, Exmouth was the choice locale of the rich and fashionable.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37It was a magnet for the cousins who sourced the best land they could
0:40:37 > 0:40:40in a most desirable location with a remarkable view.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Here, they set about building their fantasy home.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48A La Ronde is a stunning realisation of what must've been quite a wacky idea,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51but what inspired them to build this in a time when,
0:40:51 > 0:40:57architecturally speaking, classical revival with its clean, formal lines was the order of the day.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Well, the answer is a holiday in the sun.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03You see, what you see here is the result of having your senses stirred
0:41:03 > 0:41:08and your mind seduced by wonderful architecture steeped in religious history.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13You see, it was the done thing back in the 17th and 18th century to escape the bad weather of England -
0:41:13 > 0:41:15a bit like it is today, really -
0:41:15 > 0:41:20and do a grand tour of Europe, taking in all these wonderful things.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24Basically, it's an awful lot of souvenir shopping for our two intrepid explorers.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Typically, it was the male family members, the young bucks,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31who were sent to experience everything Europe had to offer.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34They returned home one to three years later, full of
0:41:34 > 0:41:39gusto, knowledgeable about every art form and in the ways of the world.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46Now, it's one thing to embark on a grand tour if you're male for a couple of years, but quite another
0:41:46 > 0:41:50if you're female, single and travelling for ten years.
0:41:50 > 0:41:51That's a long time.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56I've come to meet Trevor Adams, a volunteer here at A La Ronde,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59to find out more about Mary and Jane's history.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- Hello, Paul.- Hi, Trevor. Thanks for meeting me.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- Have a cup of tea.- Thank you. Good timing.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09- It's just started to rain outside. - Yeah, we're better in here, I think.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11We're in the tea room below the house.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16This was the staff accommodation underneath here, and the kitchens of the house, and the two ladies
0:42:16 > 0:42:20wouldn't have come down here very often. They lived on the floor above.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24- So they had some staff as well, did they?- They had about three staff.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Gosh. What were Mary and Jane like?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Jane was a very strong lady.
0:42:28 > 0:42:39She was independent, she was skilled in languages, she knew a lot about travel, she was talented musically.
0:42:39 > 0:42:45Mary was regarded initially as being very much under the influence of Jane.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Obviously they were very wealthy. Were they independently wealthy?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54The family came from North Devon, and they were traders,
0:42:54 > 0:43:00and they were trading in sugar and tobacco and wines.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05Mary in fact inherited a lot of money from her mother's side of the family.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09They left in 1784 and they came back in 1794. It was ten years away.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12- A long time.- It was a long time.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- And Mary, when she left, she was only 17.- Gosh that's young.
0:43:15 > 0:43:20She had just been orphaned and she was a ward of Jane, who was her cousin,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24- and Jane was 34 when she left. - Well, they must've kept diaries.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Do you know where they went and how they went about it, throughout Europe?
0:43:28 > 0:43:32Yes. They started obviously from London.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34'June 22nd, 1784...
0:43:34 > 0:43:39'set off from London at 5.30am, passed through Greenwich, breakfasted at Dartford.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41'Very fine, pleasant country.
0:43:41 > 0:43:45'Onto Rochester, the river very pretty. June 23rd...
0:43:45 > 0:43:47'arrived Calais half past three.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52'A most charming passage. Sick twice but did not spoil my enjoyment.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55'Went to des Angers, walked around.'
0:43:55 > 0:44:00We know in detail where they went as far as Dijon, but then
0:44:00 > 0:44:06it gets a bit blurred because the diary that they completed
0:44:06 > 0:44:11was put for safe keeping in World War II into a county record office,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14and it got destroyed with bombing, unfortunately.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19But fortunately there was a transcript of the first six weeks, so we know the first six weeks.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23We've got great details of them
0:44:23 > 0:44:30getting involved in various local things, going to plays, descriptions of churches, the museums, the towns.
0:44:30 > 0:44:37'A very pleasant, large city with 16 churches, a most elegant cathedral with a beautiful pulpit.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41'We saw the King, a corpulent man, not strikingly agreeable.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44'The Queen is tall and elegant-featured.
0:44:44 > 0:44:50'The playhouse is quite superb, the ceiling most delicately painted.'
0:44:50 > 0:44:55As well as documenting their travels, Mary and Jane Parminter also gathered an extensive
0:44:55 > 0:45:01collection of souvenirs from every leg of their European grand tour.
0:45:01 > 0:45:07Upstairs here, every part of every room is packed with artefacts from their decade of collecting.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13And there are literally hundreds and hundreds of them.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25So you've been on your travels for a few years and you may have purchased some fine art
0:45:25 > 0:45:29and some sculpture, but also lots of curios, things that grab your attention.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33It's a spur of the moment thing. But what do you do when you back home?
0:45:33 > 0:45:34Well, here is the answer.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38It's a cabinet of curios. It's jam-packed.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43There's something in here for everybody, and there's no better way to spend a wet-and-windy afternoon
0:45:43 > 0:45:49than sitting in here, reminiscing, bringing back all those memories of your travels and your adventures.
0:45:49 > 0:45:55Many of these souvenirs can help us trace Mary and Jane's journey across Europe,
0:45:55 > 0:45:57like this purpose-built table,
0:45:57 > 0:46:00set with a fan that can only be purchased
0:46:00 > 0:46:03at the base of the explosive Mount Vesuvius.
0:46:03 > 0:46:08This table, very much like the one over there housing the fan, was also built in 1802.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11That's eight years after they returned from the grand tour.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13This was built in Exmouth.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15Now, the clever thing about this is, the top surface
0:46:15 > 0:46:21has been inset with most wonderful semi-precious stones, foreign coins,
0:46:21 > 0:46:22and lots of miniature reliefs
0:46:22 > 0:46:27of Roman emperors and classical figures. It's absolutely ingenious.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29This must've taken hours to do
0:46:29 > 0:46:32but it really does show a great artistic flair.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34Now, this, to me, is a most sensible way
0:46:34 > 0:46:38of displaying your little curios brought back from the grand tour,
0:46:38 > 0:46:42rather than stick it in a shoebox and put it away in a cupboard.
0:46:42 > 0:46:43That's so clever.
0:46:49 > 0:46:55Jane and Mary were travelling at a time when photography just didn't exist in the world.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59The 18th-century equivalent of a picture postcard was to have work produced by an artist.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03One such chap, Piranesi, who was based in Rome,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06produced work specifically for the grand tour market.
0:47:06 > 0:47:12And looking around at the numerous sketches, they must've had quite a time.
0:47:13 > 0:47:19It's not just the contents of this 16-sided house that have their heart in Europe.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22The architectural design does too.
0:47:22 > 0:47:26The benefits of this extraordinary shape can be best appreciated from here,
0:47:26 > 0:47:30the central octagonal around which all the rooms are formed.
0:47:30 > 0:47:36Cleverly, it allows light to flood into every room throughout the day,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38showing off the collection to its best advantage.
0:47:38 > 0:47:40And true to the spirit of the tour,
0:47:40 > 0:47:43the cousins got the idea from Europe too.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48The story in the family is that it was based on a church in Ravenna
0:47:48 > 0:47:53in Italy, San Vitale, and that is an octagonal church,
0:47:53 > 0:47:56and it's very finely decorated with mosaics.
0:47:56 > 0:48:05As I say, the story is that they wanted that design incorporated into A La Ronde, and you've got here
0:48:05 > 0:48:07the mock mosaics, you've got the shell gallery,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11which really looks like mosaic from ground level.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15You've got the decorations of the feathers in the feather frieze,
0:48:15 > 0:48:19real feathers, and that's supposed to be based on a European design.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23And did they live here happily ever after? Is it a great ending?
0:48:23 > 0:48:25Oh, there's a great ending.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29Jane was the older of the two and she died well before Mary.
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Mary, she set up a charity...
0:48:31 > 0:48:35a local school that she built and financed the children
0:48:35 > 0:48:38and the school teacher, and they built a small church of their own.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40- Oh, lovely.- Yeah.- Lovely.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44- And Mary lasted on till she was 82. - Did she?- Yes.
0:48:44 > 0:48:48So what happened to this house and the wonderful collection
0:48:48 > 0:48:51that belongs here once both cousins died?
0:48:51 > 0:48:54Well, Mary left this very long will.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57There was a lot of money involved in her will.
0:48:57 > 0:49:03In today's money terms, she left cash bequests of nearly a million pounds.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07- Wow.- And there was a lot of land,
0:49:07 > 0:49:12property and so on that she dispensed in the will as well.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14An unusual part about the will,
0:49:14 > 0:49:19and this perhaps illustrates their independence, is that the will states
0:49:19 > 0:49:23that the inheritance was to be to the nearest unmarried kinswoman.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25They only wanted it to stay in the family,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29and they wanted it to stay in the female line of the family.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33And in fact, people who married after they inherited
0:49:33 > 0:49:35should have given it up. Most unusual.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55Time for our final trip to the auction where Jan's scale rules
0:49:55 > 0:49:59will be going under the hammer and I think this is a wonderful lot.
0:49:59 > 0:50:06John is downsizing, so his Hornby train set just has to go, which is a pity, as he's never used it.
0:50:06 > 0:50:13We were going to set up a railway system in our loft for the children, but we never really got round to it.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16I thought Rose's porcelain plaque was exquisite
0:50:16 > 0:50:20and hopefully the religious subject matter won't put the bidders off.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Joanna is selling her cheese coaster
0:50:22 > 0:50:24to raise funds to visit her daughter.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28It's a fantastic piece, but will the damage let it down?
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Before we see it sell, I'm going to find out
0:50:32 > 0:50:35what our auctioneer thinks of the cheese coaster.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40This is a cracking cheese coaster,
0:50:40 > 0:50:42one of the best I've seen for a long, long time.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46It belongs to Joanna and she's selling it because she wants
0:50:46 > 0:50:49to raise some money to visit her daughter in Australia.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52We've got £300 to £500 on this.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55George IV, it's a lovely example.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57I think it's a very sensible estimate.
0:50:57 > 0:51:04If it was in really tip-top order, it could be 800 to 1,200, even.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07You might get halfway to Australia on that one, I think.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11- Has there been any interest? - We've had some interest in it.
0:51:11 > 0:51:15With furniture and works of art often you don't know until the day of the auction.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19- We're confident we'll be able to get it away within that estimate.- OK.
0:51:27 > 0:51:32We're working on the right lines now and next up we've got Jan's set of scale rules.
0:51:32 > 0:51:39Beautifully presented in a lovely box, made by Stanley and we've got a value of £30 to £50.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Very, very nice.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43Who was the draughtsman?
0:51:43 > 0:51:47It was my dad's boss's father.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50- It goes right back. - How long have you had them?
0:51:50 > 0:51:5420 years. Dad died 20 years ago and they were passed down to us.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Such a useful thing to have.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00They're redundant now, computers have replaced them.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Yes, I know, but isn't it nice to actually be hands-on
0:52:03 > 0:52:05with something like a scale rule?
0:52:05 > 0:52:09And if you're planning something like jigging the bathroom around
0:52:09 > 0:52:10or doing a bit of garden design
0:52:10 > 0:52:12and you can measure it out in feet and inches
0:52:12 > 0:52:14and you can use those scale rules
0:52:14 > 0:52:17to scale it down on a piece of paper and be practical with them.
0:52:17 > 0:52:23Next, a set of boxwood scales and rules all in a mahogany case.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- Let's hope the figures add up. Here we go.- Several bidders.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30I'm bid £30 for them.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33- That's a good start.- 2, 5, 8.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38At £40. Still against you all.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40All done at 40.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Spot-on evaluation.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45Not a lot of money unfortunately.
0:52:45 > 0:52:51That's all right. We're going to put it towards my dad's plaque in the cemetery for renewal.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55It all helps. Every little penny helps.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57- Thank you, Jan.- Thank you.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09John is downsizing so the Hornby Railways set just has to go.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11- It never made it up in the loft, did it?- No.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15One of those jobs that never gets done.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17I've got a few ongoing jobs like that at home.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22We've got a valuation of £60-£100.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24I hope it'll do well.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27It's in superb condition, it's never been out of its box.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30That's so important with something like this.
0:53:30 > 0:53:32Condition is so important for the collectors.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Thanks to you it never got played with.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38So if anything we should be getting top money right now.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Let's see how we do.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Next is the Silver Jubilee freight electric train set.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47£50 starts that one. At 65.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Take eight.
0:53:49 > 0:53:54At £65 at the back. 68, £70 and two.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57At 72. In front of me.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00All done at 72. Last chance?
0:54:00 > 0:54:02Quite sure at 72?
0:54:02 > 0:54:05That's a good result. Happy?
0:54:05 > 0:54:08I'm happy with that. A good day out.
0:54:15 > 0:54:16..sell it.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Rose, I think this little plaque's wonderfully decorated, beautifully painted.
0:54:20 > 0:54:26- It's quality.- Good. It's very pretty.- It is!- Yes.- It is.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28We can't really talk any more, we can't speculate.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32It's now down to this lot in the room, isn't it, and hopefully, fingers crossed...
0:54:32 > 0:54:35- Somebody wants it.- Yeah, there's a phone line booked for it.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37That's what I'm hoping.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40Next is the 19th-century German porcelain plaque.
0:54:40 > 0:54:47It is signed and it is dated, 1840-ish, and at £180 starts that.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51At 180, 190, 200, and ten, 220, 230,
0:54:51 > 0:54:56240, 250, 60, 270, 280, 290. 300.
0:54:56 > 0:55:01310, 320, 330, 340, 350...
0:55:01 > 0:55:03- I can't believe it!- 370.
0:55:03 > 0:55:09At 370, then, at the very back. At £370.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- That's...- Ever so pleased with that... £370!- That's good!
0:55:12 > 0:55:15Quality always sells,
0:55:15 > 0:55:17simple as that,
0:55:17 > 0:55:21- and that was perfect, absolutely perfect!- I'm really pleased!
0:55:29 > 0:55:34Well, so far, so good. You could say we're coasting along, which brings us nicely into our next item.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38I've just been joined by Joanna and the Big Cheese!
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Did you like that?
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Not a smelly cheese.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46But this coaster is beautiful.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49It made Philip's day and mine, actually.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52Why are you selling this now?
0:55:52 > 0:55:59It's difficult to display in a house and we just had it poked under a table for years.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02That's a shame because it should be viewed at table height.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Do you know what I'd do with it?
0:56:04 > 0:56:08I know it's impractical to put cheese in it, but you could fill it full of fruit.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09A quirky fruit bowl.
0:56:09 > 0:56:16- We've tried all sorts of things and we love it, we're very fond of it.- It didn't work for you.- No.- Right, OK.
0:56:16 > 0:56:21You've got two people who would love to own it, but unfortunately we can't, but I know
0:56:21 > 0:56:25there are plenty of people here in the room that are going to stick their hand up, so let's watch this.
0:56:25 > 0:56:31On next to Lot 39, which is the George IV mahogany cheese coaster.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Quality.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36I'm bid £260.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39280, 300, 340,
0:56:39 > 0:56:42360, 380, 400.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46And 20. 440,
0:56:46 > 0:56:51- 460, 480...- This is more like it!
0:56:51 > 0:56:52500 and 20.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56540, 560,
0:56:56 > 0:57:00580, 600, and 20.
0:57:00 > 0:57:01Not a Stinking Bishop, is it?
0:57:01 > 0:57:06640, 660, 680, £700.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08And 20.
0:57:08 > 0:57:12740, 760, 780,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16800 now...and 20.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18At £820.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21Any more at £820?
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Yes, roll that out. £820.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Wonderful. Amazing.
0:57:27 > 0:57:32- They absolutely loved it, Philip. - I think the Philly was a bit light there.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36What are you going to do with that? Don't forget, there's commission to pay.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40Well, we're going to Australia for Christmas to see our daughter and grandchildren.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44- What part of Australia? - Northern New South Wales, Queensland.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48We've been many times, but my husband is coming, too,
0:57:48 > 0:57:52and this will upgrade us from cattle class to cattle plus.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54Travelling in style.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Thank you for bringing in such a quality item.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07That's it. It's all over. The auction has just finished,
0:58:07 > 0:58:11all our owners have gone home and the highlight for me had to be
0:58:11 > 0:58:14the massive great big smile on Joanna's face.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18The cheese coaster coasting its way to £820.
0:58:18 > 0:58:22Quality always sells and I hope you've enjoyed the show.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25We've loved making it, so until the next time, from Plymouth,
0:58:25 > 0:58:28down in the West Country, it's cheerio.
0:58:47 > 0:58:50Subtitling by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:50 > 0:58:54E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk