Kilmarnock Flog It!

Today we've come north of the border to Ayrshire,

which was once the engine room of Scotland's industrial revolution.

Welcome to Flog It from Kilmarnock!

This once remote and sleepy part of the country

sat on a wealth of local natural resources

and from the mid-17th century onwards, mills and factories sprung up all over the area.

And as the city grew as an industrial centre, its workforce needed entertaining.

So in 1863, this distinctive red sandstone building,

the Palace Theatre, opened as a concert hall.

Well, there's a great show in town today and all these players

are hoping to take centre stage with their prized possessions.

Our two leading stars are David Fletcher and James Lewis, spot-on experts here.

Well, it's now 9.30, it's time to get the doors open,

get the show on the road and as they say, let's raise the curtain!

In today's programme, auctioneer Anita Manning shows us all is not what it first seems.

This picture came in with a non-reflective glass.

We couldn't see any detail with that glass on and I wish people wouldn't do that.

And I learn a thing or two about some rather special locals.

So I spent a lot of time thinking why Scotland, and Ayrshire in particular,

had such an influence on world for innovation.

But right now, Act One is under way at the Palace Theatre and James has mixed feelings about his first item.

Jack, it is so nice to see a local picture here in Kilmarnock.

-Are you local?

-Darvel, ten miles away, where Alexander Fleming was born, the inventor of penicillin.

And that, of course, is the area of the most wonderful salmon fishing

and lovely rivers and great otter country as well, of course.

Yes, a lot of otters.

So tell me, how did it come to be in your family?

I owned a trout fishery, Regal Fishery up at Drumclog.

And an old fisherman brought it in, just the bare canvas.

And it had been lying in his garden shed for years.

Years and years, just lying.

And he brought it in and he said, "There's a picture if you want to put it on your wall."

Well, we sold the fishery and I kept the painting.

That's not a salmon, is it? I'm not good on my fish.

-No, that's a grayling.

-This is by quite a good artist, A Roland Knight.

Signed down at the bottom right hand corner there.

It's titled, The First... The First Lesson.

And of course this is a female otter bringing back the catch, teaching the baby otters how to catch fish.

Now, Roland Knight was a very well-known fish painter.

If you have a look at the head of the grayling here,

you'll see that wonderful detail.

And the grayling is painted beautifully.

But I have to say, I don't think the otters are painted as well.

On some of the otter pictures, the fur glistens,

you can see the water in the fur and the oils in the fur.

-I was hoping it was worth quite a bit of money.

-Yes, I mean, it's a good artist.

But having explained about the difficulty of the subject matter,

I'm hoping I'm not going to disappoint you here.

Probably, at auction, £300-£500, something like that.

-Is that quite a bit of money?

-No.

-No!

I think it's a beautiful painting.

What I'd like to see, before it goes to the auction,

is this frame taken off and probably left in just the canvas itself.

It's been reframed, put behind glass,

and it isn't really doing it any favours.

So if we put a reserve of £300 on there, are you happy with that?

Yes. OK.

Fantastic. Well, fingers crossed, let's hope so.

I do like it, you know.

And I think fishermen will like it.

If you've got a few contacts in the fisheries, maybe you've got somebody

who might like a picture of an otter catching a grayling!

-So I see you've brought me in a vase...and a bowl.

-Indeed.

So, Bryn, what can you tell me about these vases?

Well, I emigrated with my wife to South Africa

and when we were setting up house 50 years ago,

we happened to see these on sale in the main street of Durban.

-And we immediately took a fancy to them.

-Right.

They were made in the Wedgwood factory in the 1930s

and they were designed by a man called Keith Murray,

who trained as an architect.

He was immensely influential, really.

Presumably, you knew a bit about Keith Murray when you bought them?

Or did you just buy them...?

No, I didn't know a thing about them.

I discovered they were by Keith Murray

when I saw one of them on Flog It.

Right, OK. Without us, you wouldn't have known that?

-No, I wouldn't.

-They're very popular today.

I have to err a bit on the conservative side,

because it is true to say that this green, this turquoise colour,

is not the most commercial colour.

I think they would have done better had they have been

in that rather nice stoneware, sort of sandy colour that he sometimes used.

I would consider this vase at auction today to be worth between £120 - £160.

The bowl is, I think, slightly less saleable at say, £100 - £140.

And I would suggest a reserve of £120 on this and £100 on that.

How does that sound to you?

When I saw the item on Flog It and saw it sold,

it sold for I think £300 for one of them.

It might have been signed, which is important.

Or I may have got the valuation wrong.

Yes. I hope you are wrong!

Not a lot of people say that to me!

What will you do with the money?

Well, I'll use it for making a trip to Norway.

I have relatives over there.

Well, don't book your flight yet!

Let's hope that I'm wrong and they sell for a lot more.

Anne, thank you so much for coming along today because you put a smile on my face.

You've brought what I would call traditional purist antiques

and there's nothing better than a snuff bowl, for me.

These, ideally, were put in the pocket,

a waistcoat pocket, and taken out to have a pinch or two.

And obviously to lay on the table to impress your guests

and you could pass it around and everybody could have a pinch.

And this is very nice as well. Again, local. Look at that thistle.

I would put this at the same date, early 1800s.

What can you tell me about this?

Again, it's horn. How would you pronounce it, a "kwech"?

-"Quaich".

-Quaich? Little drinking vessels.

Some of the Scandinavian ones are quite large.

This is actually made in Edinburgh. I can tell by the hallmark.

I don't know who the maker is.

But this was made in the early 1900s.

So what can you tell me about them? How did you come by them?

I inherited them from... a cousin of my mother's.

And she had got them, I think, from a brother-in-law

or a cousin who grew marrows.

-So they've been in the family a long time?

-That's right.

-And this one was obviously awarded to him.

-Yes.

-And it's dated.

It's wonderful, it's from the Horticultural Society.

And it says, "For the best marrow grown. 6th August 1816."

So we can instantly date this. I think that's gorgeous.

It's just a shame about that little bit of damage, isn't it?

Now, does gardening run in the family?

It does a bit, yes.

-Are you a keen gardener?

-Yes, I was.

-You were?

-Yes.

So it's all overgrown a bit, is it?

Yes, it is.

Are you offering?!

I'll come round and do it! How about that? With my strimmer!

It would take a lot more than a strimmer, I'm afraid!

Had you any idea of value?

No.

-No.

-OK. I think as a group lot,

we could put them in with an estimate of £150 - £250.

And they're going to find their level somewhere in the middle,

-I think.

-I see.

-How do you feel about that?

-That's fine.

-Happy?

-Yes.

-Why d'you want to sell them now?

I'm kind of past my best! And nobody's interested in them.

No, you're not!

What are a fabulous pair of French Grecian maidens doing here in Kilmarnock?

Well, I'd have to ask myself that.

-No, no. I went along to the antique fair in Edinburgh...

-Right.

..which I go to every couple of months and I bought them there.

-OK, how long have you had them?

-Five years.

OK. So why are you flogging them now?

They've been on my wall five years, I thought it would be nice to get something different to look at.

Fantastic. Well, I love them.

I have to say they're really wonderful quality

and I'm sure you've seen the signature down at the bottom here.

I have indeed.

F Barbedienne for Ferdinand Barbedienne,

and Ferdinand Barbedienne was a sculptor

but he actually started in France as a wallpaper designer.

-Really?

-And he was a trainee saddle maker as well.

-Wow.

So he was from the start having made saddles and then going into interior design and wallpaper making

his influence really was on the overall look rather than

on the actual sculpture, he was an interior designer.

-Right.

-So it was something that always has what we call "the look"

and these are typical of his work.

They're influenced by ancient Greece,

they're made probably 1840 to 1860 and they're wonderful quality and as you say,

they're just wall plaques, and they're lovely, I think they're great.

So tell me, are you a massive collector of antiques?

The house is stuffed full of antiques and bits and bobs and we say to the children that all the stuff

is their inheritance and they say, "But, Mum. It's a load of rubbish."

It's all about investment, and getting the money back that you paid, so what did you pay for them?

Paid £160 for them.

Well, we need to get you that money back...

-Yes, please.

-And I think we'll do that quite easily.

I would put an estimate of 180 to 250 with a bit of discretion,

-then fingers crossed it might do even better.

-Yes.

-Is that all right?

-Yes, please.

Brilliant. Let's see what happens.

-Hello, Dan.

-Hello, David.

Well, this is every schoolboy's dream!

-Absolutely.

-Tell me, were you a schoolboy when you acquired it?

Yes, I was. I was only about six or seven when I got the original set.

It was a birthday present.

And I added some bits and pieces in the years after that.

It looks as if you hardly ever played with it.

Well, it is probably more used than it looks, but I was one of these sad children

that put everything back in the boxes once I'd played with them!

-Very irritating!

-Indeed!

-I was completely the opposite, I'm afraid.

All my Dinky toys and Corgi Toys got smashed to pieces.

What's in this little paper bag in the front of the box?

That was something that was in the original goods set

-and it's still in the original envelope there.

-Gosh.

And all it is, is...

a very small...lamp.

It's even got a little lens, hasn't it?

Yes. So it's perfect in every detail.

Now, you've obviously grown up with it, but in spite of that, you're happy to sell it?

Yes. I mean, I think there comes a time when you've got to look at these things and say,

well, it's almost 50 years old, I'm a bit older than that, and maybe this is the time to flog it!

There does come a time in your life when you have to finally grow up, you're right! And move on.

That's right.

You're not going to make a fortune, I'm sure you know that.

But there are a great many plus points, mainly relating to the condition.

And of course, and this is imperative to a collector,

all of it is in its original box. Quite a bit of potential here.

So I'd be thinking in terms of £50 - £100 as an estimate.

Let's hope it makes more than that.

But you've looked after it very carefully.

You've protected your investment and I hope we get a good result for you.

Thanks very much for that. Let's hope it doesn't hit the buffers!

I'm sure it won't. Full steam ahead!

All on board then for our first items from Kilmarnock.

Let's have a quick reminder of the stars we're taking to auction today.

James thinks there's something a bit fishy about the detail

in this painting, but owner Jack hopes other anglers will love it.

Bryn found his Wedgwood pieces in South Africa.

David thinks they'd do better if they were signed.

He valued them at under £300.

Let's hope that I'm wrong and they sell for a lot more.

I hope you are wrong!

Not often that people say that to me!

I valued Anne's two snuff bowls and quaich at £150 - £250.

And this Hornby train set was bought by Daniel with his pocket money.

But now he's outgrown it.

It's almost 50 years old, I'm a bit older than that and maybe this is the time to flog it!

And finally, James loved Rita's two bronze plaques

by sculptor Ferdinand Barbedienne.

James valued them at £180-250 but at auction will the bidders have their own ideas?

We'll do battle in the auction room later.

But first we're off to visit a collection

any knight would be proud of.

This is Dean Castle Country Park on the edge of Kilmarnock town.

At the heart of these stunning grounds is the magnificent historic castle itself.

But it's the collection, a wonderful collection,

that I've come to see today that's housed inside the castle.

The armoury here at Dean is a magnificent collection.

It was brought together by just one man

and it provides a fascinating insight

into the realm of knights in shining armour

and the conflict throughout the Middle Ages.

Late on in the 19th century

Dean Castle was inherited in a terrible condition

by the eighth Lord Howard de Walden, Thomas to his friends.

The eighth lord was a great benefactor to history.

Not only did he bring this evocative castle back to life

but he also established the glorious collection I am here to see.

And thanks to the generosity of his son, the castle and armoury

was donated to the people of Kilmarnock for all to enjoy.

My guide to this incredible collection

is museum officer Linda Fairlie.

-This suit of armour is an Italian suit and it has...

-16th century?

-It is 16th century and it's very light, it's light in weight.

-Yeah.

There's not a lot of weight in that one. The breast plate is very light.

So how did the eighth lord amass such a wonderful collection?

-How did he put it together?

-Well, he had the help of a dealer in London.

His name was Joubert and Joubert advised him on the weaponry to buy.

He had a great deal of knowledge himself and he wrote books on armour

but Joubert was certainly the dealer in London who was of most help to him.

How much is in the collection?

There's in excess of 250 items in the collection.

90-odd swords, there are helmets,

there are suits of armour, lots of decorative pieces.

It's not like a military collection where there are lots and lots

of the same type of thing, it has a whole variety of examples.

-And you can see how it's developed over the centuries as well, can't you?

-Yeah.

-Not only as a cutting edge weapon but also as a piece of protection.

-That's right.

Conflict in the Middle Ages was dominated by the knight in shining armour.

Forward.

Battledress in various forms had been used throughout recorded history

but only in the Middle Ages did the developments in metalworking

enable sheet armour to be widely adopted.

An arms race followed, with conflict spurring

great innovations in design of armour

and soon it became just as important

outside the realms of conflict.

Armour was a huge status symbol,

the equivalent of a sports car or luxury yacht.

Elaborately decorated and beautifully crafted,

style became important as fashion dictated trends.

Beauty and craftsmanship is abundantly evident in the Dean's collection

and, for Linda, it is this that is most interesting.

You've selected some pieces, Linda, for us to look at.

What interests you most about these?

I think these ones are interesting.

The piece we looked at earlier, the armour, is a lightweight suit that would be worn on parade.

This one is exceedingly heavy, it's at the other end of the spectrum

and it's early to mid-17th century.

It's Hungarian, originally this would have been bright blue.

It would have been polished steel and then heat treated

and it would have ended up being almost peacock blue with all the gilding,

it just would have been amazing.

There's this sense that you can't move in this sort of armour and you really can,

they're so well made that the articulation on them is wonderful

and you can move quite freely, really.

One thing that does interest me is the gun.

-Can I pick that up?

-Yes, you can.

-Can you tell me about this?

-Yes, this is a really interesting piece.

It's beautifully decorated, it's a rifle carbine,

it dates from about 1660 and the interesting thing about this

is that it's one of the few English pieces that we have in the collection.

The collection is mainly European.

-Yeah.

-Italy, Germany are the main, but there are one or two notable exceptions and this is one of them.

-It was made by Hughes...

-Hughes, it says here.

-Yes.

-Wootton Bassett. It says it here and it says it...

That's incredible, that's near me in Marlborough, in Wiltshire.

Yeah, yeah. And he is known only to have made five weapons.

Two pairs of pistols, and they are in Copenhagen and Vienna museums,

-and this is the only rifle carbine that we know off.

-It's beautiful.

-It's a beautiful piece.

-Look at the craftsmanship and the detail.

-Yes.

-It is a work of art. And the bat extends?

-It does indeed.

There's a little button just here and with any luck it will just pull out and that allowed it the carbine...

Goes into the shoulder.

-The carbine was used on horseback.

-Yes.

And it's not as long as a flintlock rifle as such,

smaller than that and it can be turned into a pistol as well,

so the muzzle can screw off and it turns back into a pistol.

This is possibly one of the nicest guns I have ever held.

-Yes, it's beautiful, really beautiful.

-It really is.

Thank you so much for showing me round.

This is just a small part of it and there is so much more to see.

-There is indeed and it was my pleasure.

-Thank you.

And this is where all the auction action is taking place today.

Great Western auction rooms in Glasgow.

Already the house is filling up. People are browsing.

Let's hope they're going to be bidding on our lots later on.

But before the action gets underway, let's have a quick chat with today's auctioneer -

everybody's favourite, Anita Manning.

And she's got some bad news about Jack's otter painting.

She's spotted some damage which could affect the value.

This picture came in with non-reflective glass.

Yes, James did the valuation with the glass on.

-And he hoped you'd take it off.

-It was the best thing to do.

We couldn't see any detail with that glass on, and I wish people wouldn't do that.

With the glass off, the signature is much clearer.

And we also can see the damage much more, that's the only thing.

You can see where they haven't got the varnish quite right.

There has been an area here which has been damaged

and it's been repaired and over-painted badly.

Yes. I can see them, there's one there and one there.

I think the damage is going to make a little bit of difference.

What would you put on it if it came in?

Perhaps 200 - 300.

With looking at maybe 180.

But the thing is, Paul, when something is in mint condition,

-the pistols are packed.

-Of course they are.

When something isn't quite right, then it's difficult to estimate accurately.

We'll find out what the bidders make of holey otter in a moment.

But first up, it's Bryn's Wedgwood vase and bowl and the auctioneer has decided to sell them as one lot.

The Keith Murray is just about to go under the hammer. Quality. A bit of Wedgwood.

It fits so well in a minimalist interior and people are into minimalist.

-Have you got a minimalist interior?

-Halfway!

-Halfway!

-Having a good declutter, are you?!

-That's right!

We've got £220 - £300.

I guess that's the fixed reserve of 220. Best of luck, that's all I can say.

Let's hope we get the top end of David's estimate, because it is a sought-after name.

We're going to find out right now, this is it.

508, a wonderful Keith Murray lot, ladies and gentlemen.

It's the vase of ovoid shape with this wonderful horizontal groove,

both in this wonderful green.

Can we say £400? 400?

300? Start me at 200 for the two.

200 bid. 210, 220, 230, 240.

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

£300, it's with you, sir, at 300.

Any advance on £300?

Any advance on 300? All done at 300?

Spot on! Well done, top end of the estimate.

You were right.

There's commission to pay, what are you going to put the money towards?

A trip to Norway, to visit family.

-Who's out there then?

-I've got nieces and nephews out there.

Have a great time in Norway. Thank you.

It's a great place, Norway. I've been there.

Next, the moment of truth for the otter painting.

I've just been joined by Jack, and hopefully this will be a good catch.

I know you're in the middle of building your trout ponds right now, aren't you?

-Starting up another fishery.

-Uh-huh.

Why are you selling this? This would look so good, promoting the farm.

I bought it just to see, and then I was talked into it by James.

Oh, he twisted your arm? He does that.

-I quite like it, I'm not...

-He normally says no reserve as well, but I think he let you off lightly.

We got three to five.

There's been a bit of damage on it.

I had a chat to Anita before the sale started, and she feels the damage might hold it back a bit.

I think it still looks better without the glass.

Oh, for sure. It's a good piece.

It's a great subject, but I didn't like all of it. OK.

Let's see what the bidders think.

Let's see if we can reel them in!

Lot 401, A Roland Knight.

One of the most prestigious English painters of fish and fishing scenes.

Here, we have an oil on canvas, The First Lesson. Can we say £500?

500? 300?

Start me at 200?

150, then? 150 bid.

Any advance on 150?

160, 170, 180, 190, 200.

Any advance on 200?

210, 220, 230, 240, 260.

Any advance on £260?

All done at 260? Not sold.

No. Fixed reserve at 300.

It was just, I think, that little bit amateurish for them.

The six airgun holes in it wouldn't have helped.

Was it? Airgun pellets? Shot through?

-It was shot five or six times with an airgun.

-Who did that?

The fella I bought it from, his son, when he was a little boy, it used to lie in his hut and he shot it.

Naughty boy! All these shooting, hunting, fishing types!

Next up we've got a clockwork train set, a Hornby one belonging to Daniel.

I love this, you've had this since you were six or seven.

Why have you decided to sell after 50 odd years?

It was just something that...

Kids today aren't interested in the likes of clockwork train sets,

so now's the time to maybe try and sell it, and use the money for something else.

What I like about this is that it's a pocket money collection, you formed it on your pocket money?

What an investment, we hope, it's turned out to be.

-We're going to find out. Good luck, both of you. Here we go.

-Thanks.

Lot 316, a Hornby goods train set, number 30,

with level crossing, water tank, signal arm, etc.

£200 for the Hornby? 200, 150?

Will you start me at 100? £50, then?

50 bid. 60, 70.

There's quite a few people in the room, David. They're eager.

All done at £70? 80, fresh bidder.

85, I'll take five. All done at 85?

Yes! £85, top end of the estimate. That's great.

I think you can go and start another collection now, something else.

Something more grown up!

Time to take the bull by the horns, it's my turn to do a valuation.

We've got the two snuff mulls belonging to Anne, with a valuation of 150 to 250.

-They've been in the family for a long time?

-Yes, they have.

-But you've decided to sell them?

-Yes, along with the quaich.

Which I had trouble pronouncing!

-Hopefully we're going to find a buyer here today.

-We'll see.

179, ladies and gentlemen, a lovely lot comprising of

a George III horn and agate snuff mull.

Another white metal-mounted snuff mull

and a silver and bone quaich with Edinburgh marks.

I'm holding bids, ladies and gentlemen,

and I'll start the bidding at £140.

150, 160, 170, 180,

190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240,

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

Do I let my jaw drop?

No, not yet, save it!

Don't peak too soon, Anne!

330, 340 on the phone.

345, back in.

A canny fiver there.

350.

It's on the phone at £350.

All done at 350?

All done at 350? 350.

Now you can let your jaw drop!

-I think that's a great result, don't you?

-That's a good one.

-A bit of a surprise.

-It was.

-There's some commission to pay, as you know, that's auctions for you.

-And the insurance.

-And the insurance.

-What will you do with the rest?

-Put it in the bank.

-Right, Rita, are you ready for this?

-Absolutely

-It's the moment of truth.

The bronze plaques are going under the hammer.

We've got 180 to 250 on them. Will we get that top end?

If we get top end we've done really well.

-OK.

-I think sort of 200, 220's about the mark for them.

-OK.

-But, you know, who knows?

-Great auctioneer.

-Yes.

She's great. From Glasgow, you see.

She is, isn't she? Yeah.

We're going to find out what Anita can do for us.

Let's see some magic. Good luck.

Lot 583, a beautiful pair of cast bronze wall plaques.

Now they're by Ferdinand Barbedienne

and they're depicting two classical maidens.

Start me at £200, £100 apiece.

Start me at 200. One bid, one bid.

110, 120, 130, 140.

150, 160, 170,

180, 190, 200, 210,

220, 230, 240, 250,

260, 270,

280, 290, 300...

-These are my things?

-Sorry?

-These are mine, aren't they?

-These are yours, yes.

-20,

330, 340, 350, 360, 370...

-370.

-380, 390, 400.

Get me a chair.

420, 440, 460, 480, 500...

-It's frightening now.

-It is, isn't it?

520, 540. £540.

Any advance on 540?

All done at 540, 540.

£540. The hammer's gone down on Rita's plaques.

What do you think of that?

-I'm speechless.

-Cor. So am I. I think James is.

You know, you often see great results, but that,

I just cannot see that amount of money in those plaques. Fantastic.

Do you know what it was? It was our bonny Glasgow girl, Anita Manning,

-on the rostrum don't you think?

-She's very good.

-We should give her a round of applause.

-We should, shouldn't we?

So far, so good, and when we come back James has some good news for one owner.

Of all the things I've seen on Flog It! for the last couple of years,

this is one of my favourites. I love it.

Kilmarnock is at the heart of Ayrshire, a proud historic region of south-west Scotland.

It's got a beautiful, rugged landscape but it also hides a wealth

of invention, creativeness and industry.

And whatever the field, be it art, music, politics, sport, literature,

Ayrshire has created some of the world's best innovators.

To find out more, I've come to the magnificent Dick Institute,

Kilmarnock's majestic Museum and Art Gallery, which is currently housing

an exhibition celebrating key innovators who were born, lived or worked in Ayrshire.

Just some of the world famous names to come from this small region

are Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin.

John Boyd Dunlop, inventor of the pneumatic tyre.

Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet, and that famous freedom fighter, Robert the Bruce.

To add a modern twist to the exhibition, the museum commissioned

photojournalist Kieran Dodds to take a fresh look at just some of the innovators.

How did you get involved with this?

I've been working as a photojournalist for the last seven years, and I saw the advertisement

looking for an artist to do a work on Ayrshire innovators.

So I suggested doing a series of large-scale portraits

of people in Ayrshire who have changed the world, basically.

I spent a lot of time thinking why Scotland, and Ayrshire in particular,

had such an influence in the world for innovation.

I was looking into the past, there's a great tradition of warriors, leaders and fighters

from this area, and I think that's because it's a hard land

to work and live in, a harsh environment.

If you've been working there and some guy comes up from down south

and tries to get your land, or to rule over you, you're not going to give it up easily.

So a very independent and passionate spirit.

You've done past and present.

Trying to transport the audience back to see things

that aren't there any more, but have a profound impact on our society.

Great photos.

I get this one straight away, John Dunlop and the tyre.

He was watching his son playing on a bicycle,

without any tyres, and he came up with that idea.

Exactly right. I had this idea of trying to show the impact of a pneumatic tyre

in the world today, so from the large wheels of the jumbo

down to the little tricycle that the girl's on.

I get the narrative now with the little girl. Where is that?

It's down in Prestwick Airport, which is just a few miles away in Ayrshire.

It's the only place you get 747s, the big jumbo jets, landing in Scotland,

so I had the idea of getting a child underneath this jumbo jet.

Took a bit of convincing, the guy at Prestwick.

This girl, she's the daughter of one of the cargo handlers there, and she was great, just sat on the bike.

It's lovely in that bright pink like that, with that whole industrial backdrop to it.

-It's just sort of...

-Softens it.

-It comes out, doesn't it?

Who's this lady playing football?

This is Rose Riley, she was the first Scots person ever to win the World Cup,

and she was captaining Italy at the time, though she's got no Italian blood whatsoever.

How did she manage to play for Italy, then?

When she was a child, I think seven years old, a scout came

-from Celtic to sign her up, sign

-him

-up, they thought it was a boy.

But then she couldn't play football in Scotland,

so she went to France and played for Reims.

-Professionally?

-Yeah, played for a women's team there.

-And then she was signed up by AC Milan and wore the number ten shirt.

-Gosh.

And she won two Serie A out of four, and then they asked her to captain Italy in the World Cup.

-What talent! How did you find her?

-She's known locally, and so you just ask around and people mention her.

She was inducted to the Scotland football hall of fame, so she's recognised at a national level.

I just phoned her up and she said, "Come round for a cup of tea."

In fact, she's living round the corner from this pitch, and it was on this pitch that she played as a girl.

So she's gone full circle, all around Europe...?

And she's given away all her trophies and just living in the town in Ayrshire she grew up in.

-She looks happy, doesn't she?

-Yeah, she's a good footballer.

I spotted this on the way in as well, the chap with the racing bike, who's he?

This is Graeme Obree.

He, from an amateur from a backwater in Ayrshire, managed to break the world one-hour cycling record

-with a bike that he had made from parts from his washing machine, among other things.

-Really?

This bike here, he had welded together from other bikes.

He just cuts and pastes and puts things together.

He was quite reluctant at first to have his photo taken,

and when I got there I wasn't quite sure what shot I was going to do.

I wanted to get this kind of idea of putting everything together.

I like the way it's been framed with the graffiti. Did you do that on the wall?

-That wasn't me, not guilty!

-Artistic licence?

It was just perfect, actually, for the idea of cutting and pasting.

Graeme Obree summarises the idea of fighting against the status quo.

He started cycling on bikes that he had modified himself,

and when he broke the world record he was then banned, or his bike design was banned.

-Really?

-Yeah, by the authorities.

Again, he epitomises the warrior spirit and he just built

another design and went for the record again and broke it.

-Did he?

-Yeah, incredible guy.

I guess it really does sum it up, the warrior spirit, it's alive today.

And it's still very much there, innovative and pioneering,

turning ideas into something that's successful.

In its own way, Kieran's original approach to his photography

has carried on that Ayrshire innovators tradition.

Back to the Palace Theatre, and James is ready with his next valuation.

Katie, it just wouldn't be Flog It! without a bit of Clarice Cliff?

-No, that's why I brought it.

-You've made my day. A family thing?

From an aunt, yeah.

I liked it, and she gave it to me.

We have talked so much about Clarice Cliff over the years,

but just as a brief reminder,

the reason why she was so important was because,

after the First World War,

the men had been killed in such vast numbers,

it left vacancies in the work force for women

to start taking on roles that they never had before.

And Clarice Cliff took advantage of just that.

In around the 1920s, she started designing wonderful colours,

wonderful designs, very bright,

and, in a way, the art-deco movement was a rebellion

against the depression of the First World War.

So it really had its time, and it worked perfectly.

When it comes to the price for Clarice Cliff...

it varies greatly from design to design, shape to shape,

and also important is condition. Use them?

-No, I've never used them.

-Really?

Dust them and put them back in the cupboard.

Since Flog It! was coming here today, I thought, "Well, let me take my Clarice Cliff, see how it goes."

So, tell me, do you have any ideas of value?

-I thought maybe about £100?

-Spot on.

-Good.

Let's put an estimate of 100 to 150,

it's got that little bit of damage

under the cover there,

that chip there, and the crack in the basin, but it's a good design

and the teapot and the sugar basin, of course,

are the most sought-after pieces, along with the milk jug.

You'd get only one teapot, of course, one milk jug,

one sugar basin but maybe six, eight or 12 cups and saucers.

Those are the pieces that people really want.

So, 100 to 150 estimate, and I'm sure they'll sell.

Somebody will like them.

What are you going to do, spend the money at the auction?

Maybe, if something takes my eye.

-Let's do that, and see what happens.

-Super. Thanks very much, James.

Tim, may I have a look at your walking cane?

-Certainly.

-Every fine gentleman should have a stick.

-They should.

-Does that look better? Does it suit me?

-Absolutely.

Tell me its history. How did you come by it?

Well, it's actually my mother's. She's had it for years and years and years.

I remember playing with it as a boy but that's all I know about it

apart from it's having little secrets in it.

There are little secrets and we shall reveal them in just a moment.

-It's actually a Malacca cane.

-Right.

-A lot of the good quality canes were made of Malacca, it's a tropical cane, basically.

-Right.

A good straight grain, easy to work with, and this is circa 1920s.

-Right.

-It's not a great deal of age but it was at the time when the Edwardians were hunting

and shooting and fishing and just really pondering around the countryside, dressed up...

-Right.

-Enjoying themselves. Anyway, I can't wait to do this.

-Carry on.

-So we'll take this off because inside the cap there is...

This is the little surprise. I'll use my finger here, look,

very carefully...

to reveal a little, tiny...it's like a stirrup cup, really, isn't it?

-Look at that. So you can take a wee tot...

-Yeah.

..out on a frosty morning, in the winter.

And where do you get the whisky from? Well, the flask is inside the cane, isn't it?

Yeah.

I'm astonished at the size of the flask, actually.

-Here we go. It's still got its original silver stopper with cork, making it watertight.

-Yeah.

Because you don't want to lose any of that whisky, do you?

-Look at that.

-It'll keep you warm on a winter's morning.

How about that?

-Everything is in such good condition. Isn't that lovely?

-It is, yes.

Have you any idea how much this is worth?

Haven't a clue.

Well, because it's complete, these flasks usually break and they go missing.

And they get replaced with all sorts of things.

I think we could put this into auction with a value of £100 to £150

but I wouldn't be surprised if it made a little bit more.

Mmm...yeah.

-Were you surprised with that?

-Yes, I was actually.

Because it doesn't look quality from the outside.

The components are all there and it's totally original.

-That's where the value is.

-OK.

-The collectors would like to own this. We'll put a fixed reserve on

-at £100 if you're happy.

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Do you want to sell it?

-Yeah.

I'll see you at the auction room and I think I'm ready to go now, I think that's rather smart.

-Thank you, Tim.

-Thank you.

-Hello, Candice.

-Hi there.

Now, did you bring this in on the bus?

-No, no, thank goodness not! Just brought it up in the car today.

-I gather it's your birthday today?

-Yes, it is.

-Many happy returns of the day.

I won't ask you how old you are. You're a lot younger than I am.

Now, I love this, I think it's great.

A cabinet, glazed on four sides,

and designed to advertise a particular chocolate-maker.

The decoration would be acid-etched

from behind. You'd blank out the rest of the sheet of glass, you'd apply acid to that bit

which shows through the glass, and this lettering and these images would come up.

The base has been carved, and this would have been filled

with a compound which would then have been gilded,

so that would have shone out really nicely.

I must say, it's been through the wars a bit.

It was in my grandfather's store at the back of his garden,

and basically he stored paint tins in it, it had screwdrivers, you name it, it was buried underneath it.

It's actually in remarkably good condition, given what it's been through.

My mother had one of these, so I know roughly what they're worth.

It was in much better condition, and she sold it by auction recently for £120.

Sadly, I don't think you're going to get £120 for this one

because of the damage, because of the unhelpful Formica,

so I think we're going to have to keep the estimate down a bit.

I'd suggest a figure of 50 to £80. Does that sound OK to you?

That's all right, because it was going to end up in a skip. That's basically where it was going.

Anything's better than nothing.

OK, so we'll go with an estimate of 50 to £80.

-I'd like to put a reserve of £45 on it, if that's OK with you?

-That's fine.

That's great, I look forward to seeing you at the sale.

-Enjoy the rest of your birthday, won't you?

-Thank you very much.

-All the best.

James has another painting, but this one's got him really excited.

Joan, tell me, what's this Canadian picture doing just outside Glasgow?

It was found in a skip.

-In a skip?

-In a skip where my husband was working.

No! Where?!

In Ayr, a big hotel was getting modernised.

Everything was to be thrown out.

So he asked if he could have it, so he got it and that was it.

You don't often get an auctioneer that's speechless, but my goodness.

-That's the dead honest truth.

-I just can't believe what people put in a skip.

But I have to say, this painting...I love it.

-I absolutely love it. Do you?

-No.

-No?

It's signed R Pilot and 28.

Robert Pilot was one of the most famous Canadian artists of his time.

After World War One,

when Robert Pilot returned from fighting in Europe,

he was asked and invited to join the Group Of Seven,

which is THE big name when it comes to Canadian art.

The Group Of Seven are what people always talk about in Canada as almost the forefathers of their art.

That's when Canadian art really came into its own,

-so he really is a very, very important artist.

-Wow.

-OK?

It's a lovely picture that really has taken its influence in the Impressionist movement.

We're talking about something that's blocks of colour

applied to give impressions of buildings,

some with palette knife, some with brush,

and this tug, I think, is just perfectly positioned in the river.

Wonderful, absolutely love it.

-I still don't think much of it.

-You still don't?

-No. It just doesn't do anything for me.

So if somebody had come to your house yesterday

-and offered you 50 quid for it, would you have taken it?

-No.

Well, I think it should be worth 600 to £1,000.

Wow, wait till hubby hears that, that's brilliant.

It's a great picture. I absolutely love it.

And of all the things I've seen on Flog It! for the last couple of years, this is one of my favourites.

From a skip! It's not bad.

What a surprise for Joan on her skip find, the landscape by R Pilot.

And that's not the only gem we're taking to auction.

When birthday girl Candice found this cabinet,

it was full of her grandfather's old paint tins and tools.

David valued it at 50 to £80.

Every fine gentleman should have a stick.

-Does that look better. Does it suit me?

-Yep.

Tim's walking cane with secret drinking flask and mini glass should appeal to the Scottish bidders

And never used but often dusted, Kate's selling this pretty pair -

a Clarice Cliff teapot and sugar bowl, valued at £100 - £150.

And at the auction, that's the first lot going under the hammer.

-Now, you've had these a long time, haven't you?

-Yes.

-Were you surprised at the valuation James put on?

-Yes.

-Hopefully we'll get you £150.

That would be nice, wouldn't it?

It's a field that anybody can collect, from £20 right the way up to £10,000.

It's got a good entry level. So, hopefully, the collectors are here.

We're going to find out, Kate.

All the talking's over with, it's now time for some auction action, here we go.

Lot 478.

Clarice Cliff daffodil shape teapot and sugar bowl. Can we see £200?

200, 150. Start me at 100. Start me at 100 for the Clarice Cliff. 100?

80, then. 80 bid. Any advance on 80?

90, 100, 110, 120...

Steady climb.

130, 140...140...

150 with me. I'm holding bids.

The bid's with me at 150.

160, fresh bidder.

With you, sir, at 160. Any advance on 160 for Clarice Cliff?

All done at 160? 160.

Yes! You've got to be happy with that, Kate?

Top end of James's estimate.

There's commission to pay, but hopefully there's a bit of spending money there, isn't there?

-Yes, indeed.

-Or is it going to pay some bills?

-No, no.

-Treat yourself?

-Treat myself to something.

-Good for you.

I tell you what, I love chocolate. I could do with this cabinet as well because I eat tons of the stuff.

It's a Fry's chocolate display cabinet and it belongs to Candice.

You found this in your father's shed?

My grandfather's shed.

Just down the back of his garden, he had almost like a workshop,

and he used to put everything in this building.

It was just full of screws and nails...?

Everything he's collected over the years, basically.

We got a valuation of 50 to £80 on this.

I think the thing about this, Candice, we know the condition

isn't great, but if you collect advertising memorabilia,

little beer jugs or cigarette advertising things,

where better to put them than in a display cabinet like this?

-I think that's where it'll end up.

-It's going under the hammer now, good luck.

Lot 300, a Fry's chocolate display cabinet

with the etched glass front panel.

Start me at £100? 100?

50, then? 50 bid. 60, 70, 80...

-This is a good start.

-Goodness me!

-100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150.

-£150!

-My goodness me!

Any advance on 150?

160, fresh bidder.

Any advance on 160? 170...

Gosh, it's going on. It's to do with potential, isn't it?

Someone's seen the potential in this.

180, 190, 200.

£200, any advance on 200?

All done at 200, 200.

I can't believe that!

-That really is good.

-My valuation was so low,

-I do apologise!

-You were just slightly under!

It was that damage that put me off, but it didn't matter.

It obviously didn't put anybody else off.

You've got to go home and tell your grandfather.

-He'll be really pleased.

-He will, won't he? £200.

-It's something he's kept for years.

-What will he do with the money?

It's going towards his house, we're renovating it for him.

-You are?

-Yes, I am. I'm helping, anyway, I'm not doing it all!

-Thank you so much for coming in, and good luck with all the DIY.

-Thank you very much.

If you ever get stuck for something to drink out of you should be buying this next lot, it's a walking stick.

-Yeah, and it belongs to Tim. Well, Tim's mother in fact.

-Yeah.

It's a wonderful walking cane with a little secret surprise and it's just great.

I had a little chat to Anita off screen before the auction started

-and she said it is such a fun item...

-Yeah?

When it arrived at the auction room straight from the valuation day

-with the couriers she ran round to the pub which is next door and showed the landlord...

-Right.

-And he fell in love with it so hopefully he's going to be buying it.

-It should be good.

-I think that's a great thing for a landlord to have, don't you?

-Yeah.

Lot 250. Now this is a 19th century Malacca drinking flask cane.

It is an unusual and rare item.

Will you start me at 100? 50 then? 50 bid.

60, 70, 80, 90, 100,

110, 120, 130.

-130.

-It's sold, isn't it?

-Yeah.

With Ian at 130 for this rare cane.

Any advance on 130.

-Come on, we'd like a bit more.

-Any advance? 140, back in.

150.

With Ian at 150, any advance on 150? All done at 150, 150.

-Hammer's gone down.

-Spot on.

-I think Mum would be pleased.

-Spot on.

-£150.

-Yeah.

-That's not bad is it?

-Yeah.

And hopefully the landlord did buy it.

Next up we've got a wonderful oil painting, value 600 to £1,000.

It belongs to Joan, we've got the painting, but unfortunately Joan hasn't turned up yet.

But it's a lovely thing and it was found on a skip.

How green can that be? Proper recycling.

Fantastic! What a thing to find.

Lovely quality picture, very small, only about the size of that. But lovely detail.

These New World pictures are really doing well, anything Australia, New Zealand, Canadian.

It's just about to go under the hammer, I hope Joan walks in any second now,

because she's going to miss it. Here we go.

Lot 385, ladies and gentlemen,

Robert Wakeham Pilot, 1898 to 1967.

Canadian artist, an oil in panel,

I'm holding bids, I'll start the bidding at £500.

It's with me at 500.

-Not sold yet.

-550, 600...

Now it is!

650, 700.

750, 800.

850, 900.

-We're going to do it.

-950, 1,000.

1,025 with Lala, 1,050 with me.

-1,100.

-This is good, this is very good.

-This is exactly what we wanted.

-1,150 with Lara.

-1,200.

-Joan's missing this.

1,250. 1,300.

I'd like to be there in the mix, wouldn't you?

Geeing it along a bit.

Any advance on 1,300?

1,350, fresh bidder at 1,350.

1,400, 1,450.

-This is great.

-1,550.

1,600. 1,650.

1,700, 1,750.

1,800, 1,850, 1,900.

-£1,900...

-Wow!

We're on the phone at £1,900.

Any advance on 1,900?

Are we all done at 1,900? 1,900...

-Yes!

-I just wish Joan was here to see that.

That's a very, very good result.

As you said, James, New World art is hot right now.

Those guys were on the phone from Canada, they know all about it.

We don't, but luckily enough we do now.

-Gosh.

-Lookout for that name, Pilot.

It's a great result for us, and it really sums up Bonny Scotland.

Marvellous! See you next time.

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