Ely Flog It!

You won't find a better backdrop than this for a "Flog It!" valuation day.

Welcome to Ely Cathedral.

We've got an enthusiastic crew waiting to go inside and a real treat for you

because we've got Tony Pearson, the Pied Piper, to lead them in.

Take it away, Tony!

HE PLAYS PIPES

We've got hundreds of people to get inside but there should be no shortage of room.

900-year-old Ely Cathedral has all the space you could need.

This stunning building, with its unique octagonal wooden tower

and stained-glass lantern windows, is the most beautiful setting.

As people start to unpack their boxes and rummage through their bags,

our experts are eager to get stuck in and spot some real gems.

Today we're joined by the heavenly Elizabeth Talbot

and the worshipful Charlie Ross.

And while they're checking out the best items, we have time to look ahead.

And later, I'm trotting off to the centre of British horse racing

to find out where this great sport began.

It's said that 95% of all male bloodlines

in thoroughbred racehorses can be traced to this one horse.

That's throughout the world, to this one horse.

Back at Ely Cathedral, we're all set for a great day, judging by what Charlie's found.

David and Angie, you've brought a figure each for me, have you?

-Well, my mother had them and when she died, I inherited them.

-Did you?

You probably know all about them.

A little bit about them.

Tell us who made them.

Freda Doughty for Worcester.

Absolutely. These are two months of the year.

-They are.

-There's another ten!

-That's correct!

-I hope so!

-I hope so.

You've got two of these months.

Are these duplicates that you're trying to get rid of?

-No, this is the only two months we've got.

-Right.

Because I don't collect the months. I collect the days of the week.

I know why, because there's less days of the week.

-Actually, there's 14.

-14 days of the week?!

There's the boy and girl of each.

-You're going to sell these...

-And hopefully collect the other seven.

-Are the days of the week still produced?

-No.

-So rather like these, you've got to hunt around?

-That's right.

What do you have to pay for a day of the week?

We've paid about £100 for one, which is not too bad.

Do you check out the prices of the months of the year as well?

-We don't, actually.

-I was going to ask you what they were.

Oh.

That's why you've come here!

So we've got two of the months here. We've got May here,

and November.

If we turn it up, we get all the information we need.

The Royal Worcester, modelled by Freda Doughty

and there's the May. Probably 1960s, in terms of date.

But good colours and no damage.

-If these are chipped, you can say goodbye to almost 80% of the value.

-Really?

Because you can restore them, but it's very expensive

and once they're restored, they've lost the majority of...

That's right, yes.

-I can understand that.

-But I suppose that's a more valuable one,

insomuch that there's more to it.

-Yes.

-If people were going to buy an individual one...

That's the most popular one.

It's no good hoping we'll get £100 each for them.

-No.

-Because I'm afraid we're not.

There might be two people out there like you that are collecting these,

-but to be honest, we're going to be looking at more like £50 apiece.

-Really?

There's no danger in putting them together, because they're likely to be bought by the same person anyway.

-Yes.

-Someone collecting these. So if I was to put them in at 100 to 150?

-Yes.

-Would you be happy?

Fixed reserve at 100.

Thank you for bringing them and I wish you the best of luck in finding the next ones.

There might be a day of the week at the auction.

-That would be a result.

-It would be.

And hopefully it'll come up after these, so you'll know how much to spend on it.

Thank you very much indeed.

Wendy, I really appreciate what you've brought today.

What's the story behind it?

The story as far as I know is that the ladies in large houses with cooks

couldn't get flour to make their game pies because of the Napoleonic Wars.

Right.

And so Wedgwood made these dishes that looked like a game pie,

and these were brought to the table

with the game already cooked inside it, as far as I know.

How have you come by it and what brought you to bring it today?

I used to work in a little lock-up shop that was next to a little antiques shop

and I used to have coffee with the lady owner,

and she used to show me anything interesting she had

and as soon as she told me the story of this, I just had to have it.

It is what is generically known as a game pie dish,

and there were several factories that produced these

and the most famous were Wedgwood, and also Majolica, made from the Minton's factory.

This one is by Wedgwood. This very characteristic cream ware

is called cane ware, and cane ware is a type of stoneware

which Josiah Wedgwood himself invented

with the sole intention that it would be appropriate for being ovenproof.

That, together with the mark which is on the bottom which tells me it's Wedgwood,

dates the game pie dish to early to mid-19th century,

so it's possibly itself slightly later than the story from which it emanates

but certainly a very early 19th century, early Victorian piece.

But it would originally have had a little cane ware liner

to go inside as well.

And around the outside reflects the intricacy of pastry cooks

who could make shapes and patterns on actual pastry.

And then the glorious lid, which has the little rabbit handle and these trophies of game,

birds, ducks and the hares and rabbits around the outside, which all adds to the flavour.

I notice by taking the lid off that this has had historic restoration.

-You say you bought it...

-..in the '70s.

Looking at this, it's had two little repairs to the rim and these have been quite neatly done

but I think, given the passage of so many decades, what was neat restoration then

is beginning to discolour slightly and show up in a way it wouldn't have done several years ago.

Although it's a shame it's damaged, the fact that people can see the genuineness of the condition,

it's not restoration which makes it look as if it's perfect.

A collector can see that it's genuine and therefore that counts for a lot.

You say you bought it in the '70s. Now you're looking to sell it?

-Yes.

-Why is that?

I've recently married and I have to downsize my possessions,

so I decided reluctantly that it was to go.

-And you paid how much for it?

-I paid £30 at £1 a week.

-Lovely. Have you got any idea what it might fetch?

-No, not at all.

Given the fact that it isn't complete and there's a little bit of restoration,

it would sell for between £50 and £100 at auction at the moment. And would you like a reserve on that?

-Yes, whatever you think.

-If we put £50 with auctioneer's discretion on it,

then you've got the peace of mind that it'll be looked after.

Thank you. I think you'll have a successful sale.

Jonathan, you've been rummaging in a drawer somewhere, I suspect.

This has been in a drawer now for three or four years.

Before that, it was goodness knows where,

but it belonged to my grandfather and I do remember as a small child him wearing this.

-Oh, did he wear it?

-Oh, yeah.

-Did he talk about it?

-No. I know very little, apart from the fact it's from Geneva.

-Yeah.

I was hoping you could tell me more about it.

I'm sure we can. Let's start further away from me on the chain.

The coin is a £2 coin and it's dated 1887.

And we believe that was the year of his birth.

So that might have been a christening present.

-Could have been.

-And the chain is lovely.

That is nine-carat gold,

whereas when we come to the watch, I think that's 18-carat gold.

I don't think there's anything more to be said about that guard chain.

No doubt your...grandfather, was it?

-Yes.

-..wore that chain holding the watch in position and that went through the lapel.

-That's right.

-And a bit of a bonus to have the £2 gold coin on there.

This is a pocket watch of a certain type. Geneva, as you say.

And it's called a hunter, which is entirely enclosed, for obvious reasons.

If you went hunting and you had a glass face

and you fell off your horse, it would smash. If you had a hunter, it wouldn't.

We should be able to press the end, and look at that.

Subsidiary dials for the date, sweep second hand,

and here, I do believe, a stopwatch. Isn't that fantastic?

Also it has a button on the side here, which no doubt you've noticed.

Yes, isn't that the timer?

That is. It's called the repeat.

-Ah.

-And a repeat can either be hour, it can be half-hour...

A really smart watch, the poshest of posh, would be a minute repeat.

-Ah, right.

-And if I press the button here,

with any luck, we'll hear a little chime.

-WATCH CHIMES

-Can you hear that?

I can hear that, yes.

It's a beautiful tone. Do you know how old it is?

-I was going to ask you. I've no idea.

-It's about 1910.

-OK.

So, you're looking at 100 years old.

Frankly, it's as near as mint as you can get.

The other thing I particularly like about it - isn't that unbelievable workmanship?

Because you've got not only the movement to work it, you've got the second hand,

all the subsidiary dials all contained, with the most wonderful workmanship.

-Value.

-Go on.

Right, now, there are two ways of looking at this.

One is selling it all together, and I wouldn't advise that,

because I think that a pocket watch collector

will attach no great importance to the coin,

and vice versa - somebody that would collect gold coins

wouldn't want a pocket watch. So I think we're going to separate those.

I think that the value of this is between £400 and £600.

And I would suggest an estimate of 400 to 600.

We would definitely put a reserve on this item

and I would suggest 400 to 600, fixed reserve 350.

And the watch, I would say 500 to 700.

Again, a fixed reserve, just pop it in below the bottom estimate at £450. Would you be happy with that?

I think that sounds fair to me, yes.

-What were you thinking when you walked along to Ely Cathedral this morning?

-In the rain.

I suppose I was thinking, as one lot, I was thinking maybe about £1,000.

It's going to estimate at 800 to 1,200.

We'll see if we can get up to that 1,000 for you.

-Thank you for bringing them along.

-You're welcome.

That's our first crop of collectibles from Ely Cathedral,

and for our auction today, we're crossing the border into Lincolnshire.

It may look empty right now, but in a few hours, this auction room

will be buzzing. We're the guests of Batemans Auctioneers in Stamford.

Tension is already building. Will our experts be on the money?

We're going to find out in just a moment, but first,

here's a quick recap to jog your memory

of all the items that are going under the hammer.

These Royal Worcester figurines were brought in by David and Angie.

Charlie seems to be cheating with his valuation.

I was going to ask you what they were worth.

That's why you've come here!

Wendy's hoping her Wedgwood pie dish will be game for its £50 to £100 estimate.

And Elizabeth sees nothing wrong with the damage.

Although it's a shame it's damaged, the fact that people can see the genuineness of the condition,

it's not restoration which makes it look as if it's perfect.

And surely no-one can resist Jonathan's gold hunter watch and chain.

Charlie is supremely confident.

It's going to estimate at 800 to 1,200.

We'll see if we can get up to that 1,000 for you.

Well, auctioneer David Palmer is getting warmed up,

and the bidders are ready to buy,

so here's our first item under the hammer.

Next up, some real quality.

It's a top name in ceramics, Royal Worcester.

A couple of figurines that belong to David and Angie.

You are collectors big time.

Well, not big time, but we do collect them.

But you're selling off now.

We're selling off the ones we're not collecting.

These are the months and we collect the days of the week.

Let's hope we've got the right figure on these.

Are we looking at the top end?

I think so. There are always collectors for these.

How long have you been collecting?

Ooh, six years.

Do you buy in auction rooms?

Yeah, we go to auctions, yeah.

So you know the value of these better than I do.

-What are they worth?

-100 to...!

100 to 150!

Yes, that's about right.

-They told me what they were worth on valuation day.

-Yes, we did.

We're going to find out what the bidders think, because it's down to them now.

It's going under the hammer.

The Royal Worcester figurines,

modelled and numbered as stated in the catalogue.

Interesting little figurines. Start me at £50.

50 I'm bid. At 50. 5. At 55 now. Take 60, if you will.

60. 65.

70. 75. 80. 85.

-90. 95.

-Someone's really keen in the back row.

-100, seated.

At 100. Net, you're behind me.

110. 120 in the room.

At 120. We're in the room at 120. Net, you need to go 130. 130. 140.

Net, go 150. In the room at 140. Net, you are out. Anyone else now?

I sell, then, at £140. In the room at 140.

Internet, you're out at 140.

Good result. Top end.

-Thank you very much.

-Great pleasure.

-Thank you, Charlie.

-Good luck with your further collecting.

-Thank you.

You're all out down here.

Serving up now, a bit of quality.

It's Wedgwood and it's a game dish.

Belongs to Wendy.

It's early, mid-19th century, and I think it's going to do quite well.

I like it. And I know you love this, Elizabeth, as well.

-I particularly like this.

-You gravitated towards it.

You more often see them in the larger size and it's just such a...

-You want to take it home.

-I shall be sorry to see it go.

That's my next question - why are you selling it?

I've recently married again and two homes into one won't go, so reluctantly...

-You've got to downsize something.

-I have.

-OK, well, good luck.

-Thank you.

We're going to find out. The room is full of bidders.

Let's hope they stick their hands up.

The Wedgwood game pie dish

in terracotta, with the little rabbit finial. Rather a fun bid.

£20 to start. 20 straight in. 20, I'm bid. 20. 22.

25. 28. At 28, now, I'll take 30.

Is that it? At £28. 30. 2.

At 32. 35. 38.

40. 42. 45.

At 45. On the stairs. At 45, now.

Sell, then, at 45. You're out down here.

-Just!

-With the lady there at £45. Shall I sell on the stairs, then?

All done at 45. Directly above the former owner, at 45.

Well done!

On the stairs.

Just got that away.

Tasty little number. Yes, just about, yes.

-Well, it all helps, doesn't it?

-It does.

It all adds up. Every penny counts.

-And good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Congratulations on the wedding.

-Thank you.

-Looking forward to your new life.

-That's right. Thank you.

The auctioneer used his discretion there for the game pie dish.

Now for the watch and chain. They've been divided into two separate lots, just as Charlie wanted.

You're out and you're out.

I've just been joined by Jonathan, who's about to renovate the garden.

-Indeed.

-Fingers crossed, if we get top dollar for this £2 Victorian coin with chain.

We've got £400 to £600 put on this by our expert, Charlie, here.

And we're quite excited about this.

We're going to find out what a Victorian £2 coin is worth!

-Fingers crossed.

-Exactly. I think all the talking's over.

What are you secretly expecting? Have you done a bit of research?

-Yes, I'd be happy with 400 or 500.

-OK.

The nine-carat gold T-bar and chain, with £2 coin pendant.

100 to start. 100. 120. 150. 180. 200. 220.

-250. 280. 300. 320.

-A couple of commission bids.

350. 380. 400. 420.

-Go on.

-450. 480. 500.

-And 20. 520. 550.

-Ooh!

-550 now. 580.

-This is great.

580. In the doorway at 580 and I sell in the doorway.

At £580, is that it? At 580. All done at £580?

You're out down here at 580?

-Yes! £580. Well done.

-Top end of estimate!

Top end. And congratulations.

And now it's time to sell that 18-carat hunter watch.

We've got £500 to £700 put on by our expert, Charlie. Real quality.

Quality always sells. I love this. Why are you selling it?

Well, it's been in the drawer and I never look at it

and I think, "Well, I've got a whole load of stuff to buy for the house."

-It's quality.

-It's fabulous, and it's a stopwatch as well.

-It's got everything going for it.

Useful for a sprinter like you.

It's going under the hammer now. Good luck.

The large 18-carat gold cased pocket watch, showing there.

Rather a nice one. An interesting watch.

Put it in at what? 200 to start?

Yes? 200, here. 200. 220.

At 220, 250. 280. 300. 320.

350. 380. 400. 420.

At 420 now. This side, at 420.

New money. 450. 480. 500.

At 500. 520.

-Oh, good.

-Over here at 520. This side, then.

-This is great.

At 520. 550. 580.

-600. 620.

-We're getting there!

-At 620 now. Back in front.

At £620. This side.

At 620. 650. 680. At 680.

It's got everything going for it.

Anyone else? Done, then, at 680. Nothing on the net? Done at 680.

Hammer's gone down. That's top end of that valuation.

Well done, Charlie. And you're happy with that?

Very happy with that. What's the money going towards?

Don't forget, there is commission to pay.

-I have to buy a washing machine.

-Oh, do you?

-You can't live without a washing machine. No-one can, can they?

-No!

How can you want a washing machine instead of a gold pocket watch?! Oh, dear!

What an excellent result for Jonathan, netting over £1,200

or his chain and watch, and could we be in for some more surprises?

I'm tingling. Getting excited.

And actually, you've just made my day come alive.

There's absolutely no doubt that this is the highlight of my day.

-Did you inherit it?

-I can't remember if we dug it up in the garden when I was a child.

-Dug it up?!

In Britain, there's an incredible 15,000 thoroughbred racehorses in training.

This place, the Jockey Club Gallops in Newmarket, just south of Ely,

is one of the biggest training centres of all.

There's around 2,500 horses regularly working out on these gallops every morning.

And the man who can tell me more is John Maxse, Jockey Club director of communications

and a regular work rider in Newmarket.

It's a great morning, John. What's going on?

What we've got here is horses working up what's known as Warren Hill.

It's probably the most popular, most used, bit of gallop in all of the country.

These gallops are fantastic, aren't they?

And they're all going uphill, so it works the horses' back end a lot.

Yes, there's a gentle incline for the first three furlongs or so

and then it gets quite steep towards the top end. This gallop here is just under five furlongs long.

Most races are much longer, but they'll canter them here

just working them, and the incline is just perfect

for getting a horse to really exercise.

When they come past us, just on the crest of the hill,

they'll begin to blow and make that noise

-which shows their lungs are getting a proper workout.

-Look at that.

I tell you what, you've got a fantastic office, haven't you?

It's not a bad view.

I like the suit, as well!

It's not like this every day.

And this is really... My work brings me to Newmarket on a regular basis and when I'm here I ride out,

which is no bad thing, and also gives you the chance to talk to the staff and the trainers.

I'm jealous! I really am.

The thrill about riding these horses here, the nice ones are like sitting in a nice sports car.

Even when you're only going at half speed, you know you've got something underneath you

with an awful lot more to give, and the smoothness of the way

they travel and the feel they give you, it's tantamount to that,

and that's where the passion and the buzz comes from.

John's hillside office overlooks the town of Newmarket

where the Jockey Club was founded 250 years ago.

The original building has changed over the years, because of a fire and modernisation.

Today, it's not just for official meetings.

It's also a stunning venue for weddings and banquets.

Some parts have been restored to look exactly as they did in the 1700s.

What's this used for?

This is the coffee room.

We're actually on the very same site that the original coffee room,

-when the Jockey Club first came to Newmarket in around 1750, was founded.

-Gosh.

-This is where everybody met?

-Exactly.

The Jockey Club first met in London, but the aim was always to come and base themselves up here in Newmarket.

They were racing fanatics and this is where the best racing was.

And so they moved here and they set up a coffee room on this site and they would use these booths here

to get to know each other and to wager on the matches they were going to be challenging.

Fantastic. Love the booths. Let's take a closer look.

So, going back to the 1700s, we would be a couple of wealthy

racehorse owners sitting here, wagering a bet with each other?

Absolutely. I think much plotting was done, much gambling was done in these booths.

For example, I might have been opposite you and said, "My horse is faster than yours."

You would have clearly said, "No, he's not."

We would have arranged for a match, for you to ride your horse against mine,

which would have taken place on the Heath.

When the Jockey Club came in, a degree of order

-got brought in to the way in which those races were conducted.

-Right.

They said where the races had to be start, what weight should be carried...

It shaped race horsing worldwide.

Absolutely. The term Jockey Club is used all around world,

from Hong Kong to America and Australia.

Formerly, that would have been as the governing body for the whole sport.

Now, actually, the Jockey Club has no central governing or regulatory role in horse racing,

but it is the largest and most influential commercial body in the sport.

The Jockey Club's current patron is the Queen, and other royals are,

or have been, members, including some from overseas.

And a few other familiar faces have contributed their services over the years.

Horse owners have also contributed. They've donated the most incredible collection

of famous and valuable paintings, which line the corridors.

Walking through the corridors, you pass many trophies and bronzes and paintings.

It is, literally, the history of racing right here in this building.

I've got to show you this, because this is by Sir Alfred Munnings,

an Edwardian artist, who had one eye.

He's got to be my favourite artist of all time.

This is a study of a larger oil painting just back there,

and it's painted in Manton, which is just on the Marlborough Downs near where I live, and look at that.

It's a working study. He did this in the field, of this horse.

You can see here his little detail where he's saying, "Right, I need slightly higher neckline there."

I need to add some blue, which he's done.

It's captured a bit of blue light.

Dated October 23rd, 1920, Manton.

And there's another Alfred Munnings up there.

If I could own anything in the world, I think it'd be that oil painting.

There's something about Munnings' work. It's slightly loose

and impressionistic, but it's just full of life and vitality.

Master brush stroke, put on with confidence.

And now we enter the Morning Room and, literally,

you're greeted with oils adorning the walls everywhere you turn.

Works by Stubbs, Sartorius.

It's as good as it gets in here.

But what I'd like to show you is this, this is by Stubbs.

Possibly one of the greatest horse artists of all time.

This is a picture of Eclipse, saddled and ready to race at the Four Mile Stables.

Not only was that a very successful racehorse, but also a successful stallion because it's said

that 95% of all male bloodlines in thoroughbred racehorses

can be traced to this one horse. That's throughout the world, to this one horse.

The horse lives on, because here is one of its hooves, if you like that kind of thing.

But on the top, it's been engraved with the same image that Stubbs

has put on the canvas. It's unbelievable.

I've run out of time here at the Jockey Club,

but if you love horses, there's plenty to see here and a museum to visit.

Right now, it's back to the valuation day. Who knows?

We might be able to find some equine treasures of our own.

Let's join up with our experts.

And Elizabeth is ready with our first item.

Some rather colourful jewellery.

You've bought a veritable treasure trove of micro-mosaic here, Helen.

It's not uncommon to find one, but it is uncommon to find a little collection.

-What's the story behind these?

-They belonged to my aunt, a friend of hers used to buy them for her.

I think she picked up one or two herself from second-hand shops.

OK, I've had a quick look through and it strikes me that most of them seem,

stylistically, to come from about the 1950s, maybe 1960s.

They're Italian in origin, some of them actually souvenirs from Roma, from Rome.

Did she travel around and abroad, then, or...?

-No, I think they were all bought in this country.

-OK.

Micro-mosaic is a form of decoration making teeny-tiny miniature mosaics out of cut pieces of glass.

Very much in the tradition from Roman times, when mosaics were used for walls and other ornamental items.

It was very popular for use in jewellery.

The Victorians loved it, and it was very much

something which was created into souvenir jewellery brought back from the grand tour.

One on its own is quite nice, but when you see such a lot together,

-you can appreciate all the different designs and patterns.

-Yes.

-Do you have a favourite?

It was one of those still in the box.

I've always liked that one best.

Right, and is it the colour combination you like?

No, I think it's the filigree around the outside.

Yes, sets it off nicely.

It's nice to see you've a couple here set in ivory, pierced ivory.

You've got several in gilt mounts, then these three novelty ones,

which are charming, the musical instruments.

-This one was my aunt's favourite.

-This one?

-Yes, I think she was really pleased when that one was found, because she used to play the cello.

-Ah.

That really is exquisite, isn't it?

It's got little filigree work and little curled gold wiring in the middle on that one.

I think it's rather magical to have so many together.

The Victorian 19th century examples are the ones which make the most money these days.

We've seen them sell on "Flog It!" quite successfully in the past.

They were your aunt's, but you're now looking to sell them?

Nobody in the family would be interested in them

and although I can appreciate them, I really don't like them.

-You don't wear them?

-No.

That seems a shame. I'd rather somebody had them who's going to appreciate them, really.

-I think, realistically, as a collection sold together, they'd sell for around £70 to £100.

-Really?

-Yes, I'd have thought £70 to £100.

-Gosh. I didn't expect that much.

-Did you not?

-No. I don't know really what I thought.

I'm pleased it's come as a nice surprise!

Would you like a reserve on them, or do you just want to see how the market takes it?

I'll be guided by you.

If you're happy at £70 to £100, but we don't want to give them away.

If we put a reserve of £50 on, that gives them a chance to sell,

but realistically. So, what will you do with the money?

There's myself and a cousin on that side of the family, so we thought

we'd have a family meal out if we got something for them.

At £50, you should have a good meal, £70, an even better one!

Fingers crossed and we'll try our hardest for you.

-Let's look forward to an exciting day at the auction.

-Yes.

Right, I spotted this in the queue earlier, about four hours ago.

-Have I got in front of me three young art enthusiasts?

-Yes!

-Let's start, what are your names?

-Florence.

-Hetty.

-Stacey.

-I know two of you are sisters, but I've forgotten which ones.

-Us two.

-I'd have thought you two.

-Yes, everybody thinks that!

Who owns the painting, Hetty?

-My mum.

-And does she like it?

-She loves it.

She says it's something like Picasso would paint.

It's Picasso-esque-ish! You could say that.

She thinks it is Picasso. I was like, no!

-Where is Mum today?

-She's at work.

-So, she sent you along?

-Yes.

-Where did she get this?

-Bognor Regis, in a car-boot.

-How much did she pay for it?

-£1.50.

-Really?

I'm tingling. Quite excited.

Actually, you've just made my day come alive.

Gosh, I'm shaking, because look.

-It's not signed or dated.

-No.

And I know you said Picasso-esque and I agreed with you, in a jokey manner,

but this is early 20th century and it's in the style of, or it could very well be, Bloomsbury School.

-Have any of you heard of the Bloomsbury School?

-No.

It's 20th century. Modern. British.

Numerous artists were part of that, people like Duncan Grant,

Vanessa Bell, writers like Virginia Woolf, Augustus John,

one of my heroes, I'd love to be able to paint like him.

They didn't want to conform to the Victorian period and how art

was portrayed as photography, so perfect.

They were slightly more French-influenced,

in the way that everything had to be looser and more impressionistic.

This is very much like that.

I had the pleasure of filming a "Flog It!" just outside Tunbridge Wells

at a house called Charleston House.

It was a house the Bloomsbury School actually went to on the weekends and partied in the summer seasons.

Of course, they went wild!

They painted everything.

They painted all the panels in the doors, in the wardrobes, the chests of drawers. They painted everything.

This could very well be a panel from a piece of furniture, that's a very good thing for you.

Because if it is, it's not worth a fiver, it might be worth five grand.

-Wow.

-That's unbelievable.

-That is.

-But it's not signed or dated, but when you look at

the furniture down there, the way it was mottled out and blocked out was identical to this.

I'm more convinced about the background than the actual model.

But if you let me, on your behalf, go down to Charleston House,

do some research, ask some other art colleagues what they think,

you can start to get a picture of who painted her.

-We've got to do some detective work.

-Yes.

And I shall see you, fingers crossed, at the auction with...some good news.

With no true provenance, the truth behind this painting will be tricky to confirm.

It will all come down to a simple judgement.

Will the Bloomsbury School experts believe it really is a panel from Charleston House?

From an item with no clear story to one that's so well-marked,

Charlie has no problem pinning down who made it.

There's absolutely no doubt that this is the highlight of my day.

Jack, Jane and Megan, isn't it?

-That's right.

-All three. Jane, are you the spokesperson?

-Yes.

-You are. Do you know what you've got here?

-No, not really. I had a quick look last night on the internet.

-Did you?

-I'd never looked at the back of the plate before.

-Where was it at home?

All the silverware and anything breakable went away when I had children eight years ago.

It's been there for eight years.

-Did you inherit it?

-I can't remember whether it came through my mum's family

or whether we dug it up in the garden when I was a child.

You dug it up? I can't believe it!

-I'll check with my sister, but I think that's where it came from.

-Extraordinary.

You had a peep on the back, did you?

Yes. Yesterday was the first time.

-What name did you find?

-Omar Ramsden?

-Yes.

-Never heard of him.

-What's it made of?

-Silver.

-It is indeed. Do you know what date it is?

-I don't.

-Do you know anything about Omar Ramsden?

-No.

He was born in 1873, died in 1939,

and was one of the great 20th-century silversmiths in this country.

I'd like to think that I knew this was Omar Ramsden before I turned it up, this enamelling.

-See this wonderful enamel colouring?

-Lovely green.

-He worked in silver and enamels.

-And it has this beaten effect. Can you see?

-Yes.

It's very typical of Omar's work.

And the date of it is 1935. And it's hugely collectible.

I'm going to turn it over, just so we get all the info here.

The lion tells you it's silver.

The leopard's head tells you it was made in London.

The monarch, George V, and the date letter for 1935.

It's even got Omar Ramsden and the OR mark on it.

Frankly, it couldn't be better. What's it worth, Jack?

-I don't know, £500 maybe?

-£500, you think? What do you think?

Having a quick look on the internet, I'd hoped maybe £200.

-This is worth over £1,000.

-Pfft! What?

That was a funny noise, Jack!

-This is worth, in my opinion, certainly £1,000 to £1,500.

-Wow!

-Jack, why is Mum selling?

-Well, we need the money

-because our car is going completely useless at the moment.

-Oh, no.

And we're going to use funds for a holiday in the Lake District.

Oh, lovely. Tremendous.

-So, mend the car and then you'll be able to go to the Lake District.

-Yes.

-So you're happy for us to put it into auction?

-Yes.

-And we'll put a reserve of £1,000 on it.

-Lovely.

With luck, it'll go to the top end. It's the nicest thing today.

-Excellent.

-Thank you very much.

That's three more items ready to be packed up and sent to auction.

Here's a quick reminder of them.

The Omar Ramsden dish from the 1930s is a really classy item and that should have the bidders queuing up.

Helen's hoping her collection of micro-mosaic jewellery

will sparkle at auction and make £70 to £100.

And the girls' Picasso-esque painting, we've done our research here and spoken to the experts.

I'll be breaking the news to them about its real value in just a moment.

We've returned for the auction, so let's hope

colourful auctioneer David Palmer can weave more of his magic for us.

Going under the hammer now is a collection of jewellery.

It belongs to Helen, some lovely things here. I love the micro-mosaics.

We're looking at £70 to £100, put on by our expert, Elizabeth.

Why are you selling them now? A lot there.

I know, but they've always been in the box and nobody in the family particularly liked them.

-I'm never going to wear one.

-You would?

-I would.

Some I don't like, but some of them are charming. A really nice selection.

Since I've been looking at them, I've got more interested.

-Too late now! It's far too late now!

-I did keep one out on the day.

-I know, Elizabeth told me. That was wise.

-I think it's a nice memento.

A lovely little collection of brooches, 23 in all.

Nice little collection, put them in at £50. 50, I'm bid. 50, 55. 60, 65.

-70, 75. 80, 85.

-They've gone.

-I know, yes.

-90, 95.

100 here, 110. At 110, 120. 130, 140, 150?

Go on, one more! At 150, 160, 170.

On the net, 180? 180 on the net. 180. Back with you, 190. 180 here.

Madam, how badly do you want them? Tell him.

LAUGHTER

180, still over here at 180.

You're out down here. At £180, still with the net.

180, 190.

Oh, I'm ever so pleased with this.

I think it's the micro-mosaics.

200. 210. 220.

220, 230.

Helen, we might need a seat at this rate!

250, in the room. It goes in the room at £250.

Net, you've got to go to 260. All done?

At £250, I sell here. Goes at 250...

That was lovely. A sweet result, £250.

-I'm pleased, are you pleased?

-Yes.

It's going to be a very nice meal out now!

-Thank you so much for coming in and showing us those, because that was a great result.

-Excellent.

It's good to see you all again, Flo, Hetty and Stacey, isn't it?

-That's right.

-I did some research with the oil painting.

I thought it was maybe from Charleston, painted on a piece of panel,

which is what the artists did there for their weekend retreat in East Sussex.

We sent images down to the curator and some of the experts down there,

-they came back with some good news and some bad news.

-Right.

-What do you want first?

-Bad first!

-Yes, bad.

Bad news is it's not from one of the known artists, from that particular group.

So, it's not worth five grand, but it's in the circle of, and of the period, so it's a follower,

but we can't put a name to it, so we can't give it that provenance to give it a heavyweight value.

But they've given us a price guide of £200 to £400.

That's the good news, it's worth more than a fiver, which is what

-Mum paid for it, or something like that, wasn't it?

-£2.50!

That is good news, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Ready for this?

-Yes.

Because I don't think we can say any more on that.

It's literally down to the bidders in the room.

-Good luck, girls.

-Thank you.

-Here we go.

The Bloomsbury School oil on panel portrait. Nice little study.

Start at £100. Straight in, 100? 50, then. 50, I'm bid, 55.

60, 65. 70, 75. 80, 85.

-85, she's a good-looking woman. At 85. 90. 95, 100.

-Come on.

110, 120. 130. 140.

-150. 160. 170.

-Keep going!

180. 190.

200. At £200 now, it's against you.

At £200, all done at 200?

That's good. We did say 200 to 400, didn't we?

-Yeah.

-We had fun researching that.

What's the money going to go towards?

A car, I think. A new car.

-For you?

-Yes.

-And for Mum.

-For Mum as well.

You're going to share it?

-Yes.

-And have driving lessons and just generally use it and run it into the ground?

-No!

Megan and Jack, it's great to see you all again.

The Larkin family. And I think Mum and Dad bought the best thing

in on the day. They really did. That's quality.

If you're talking Omar Ramsden, this is as good as it gets, Charlie. It really is.

Both the silver and the enamel work is wonderful.

Particularly the enamel work.

So, why are you selling this?

Why is Mum selling this?

It was in a box, which has been away for eight years.

I put them away when the children were born. We haven't had it out since.

-Just in case.

-Just in case.

Sticky fingers. We've got a valuation of 1,000 to 1,500.

Can we see this doing two grand?

I think the estimate is right. I would say that, wouldn't I?

-It's sensible.

-It's come-and-get-me. If we'd put 2,000 to 3,000 on it, we'd have frightened people away.

If people think they're going to buy for 1,000, 1,500, they'll go an extra bid or two.

Good luck, OK? It's going under the hammer now. This is it. Here we go.

The George V

silver dish by Omar Ramsden.

I've sold Omar Ramsden in the past, he usually goes quite well.

Should have a number of phone bids.

-That's a good indication.

-Let's start straight in at £1,000.

At 1,000, I'm bid. Take 1,100 now.

1,100, 1,200. 1,300, 1,400. 1,500.

1,600. 1,700.

At 1,700. 1,800.

1,900.

-We've done it.

-2,000.

-Yes!

2,100. 2,200.

2,300, you're both out down here? 2,300. 2,400? 2,400 this side.

-This is great, Jane.

-2,500?

2,500. 2,600?

Look at the action pose. 2,600. 2700? 2,600.

Where are the other two phones now?

I'll sell on the phone with the bid. At £2,600, are you sure you're done?

-Yes! The hammer's gone down. £2,600.

-Thank you.

-That's fantastic.

-Very pleased.

-OK, Jack, do you know where all the money's going?

Have Mum and Dad decided?

To my bank.

-The Jack bank!

-On a holiday, maybe.

Yes, big family holiday.

Thank you so much for bringing such quality in.

Quality always sells. If you've got anything like that, we want to see it.

We're running out of time here,

so from all of us here, cheerio until the next time.

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