Clacton Flog It!

This Essex town developed from a small village into a seaside resort in the late 19th century

and it became the perfect place to take a dip in the English Channel.

Welcome to Flog It! from Clacton-on-Sea!

Today we've rolled up at Clacton's Princes Theatre.

A wide range of events goes on in here from youth theatre

to classic seaside entertainment

with big stars like Danny La Rue - he IS a big star! -

and Ken Dodd. So we should fit right in, shouldn't we?

And helping me hunt out the weird and the wonderful today are experts Will Axon and Elizabeth Talbot.

Elizabeth's enthusiasm for antiques started in childhood, often found at auctions and fleamarkets,

scrabbling under the tables to find treasures.

And Will remembers his mother having a good eye for spotting gems.

Will claims this skill has rubbed off on him.

And later in the show, I'll be exploring this, the tallest Tudor gatehouse in England

'and meeting the lucky man who calls it home.'

Fabulous house you've got!

-We're very lucky!

-The whole thing oozes history.

But first, Elizabeth has been quick to find her first item.

She just needs the owner Maureen so she can put her talent to the test.

Ah, Maureen! Hello, nice to see you!

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

Paul's given me the honour of looking at your stool.

Thank you for bringing it in. I really like this, I've been having a good look at it,

but there's obviously a story behind it, have you inherited it?

No, I went to an auction - I'd just bought our first house and we went to an auction -

and it came up for auction and I liked the carvings on the legs.

-So was it an old house you had?

-A Victorian house, very small, in Walthamstow.

So when was that?

-In the 70s...yes.

-Right, OK.

Did you recover it when you...?

No, I've never touched it... It was like that when I bought it.

I like the top, I know that's not what would originally go with it.

So it blended with the interior so it was fine...?

-I think there's actually the original leather top, or a leather top under there...

-Oh!

..and if you feel it you'll also feel the horsehair under there as you'd expect.

Do you know how old it is or anything else...?

No, I don't know anything about it. That's why I brought it along.

Right - well, it actually dates from the William IV period,

so it's about 1820, 1830 in date. So it's getting on for 200 years old,

so it's lived a little while now.

What I'm struck by is the weight of it, which is just incredible.

For a small stool like this, which looks sort of light and elegant, it's made of solid walnut

-rather than walnut veneer and which really gives it such a hefty...

-Yeah, it is quite... It is heavy.

Unusually so, but it really adds to its charm.

And it's been beautifully carved in the solid.

And the tops of the legs have got these wonderful lotus leaf carvings to the...

-Yes, that's what attracted me.

-You like that?

-Yeah, I did actually, yeah.

But what I like about this is, it's not just carved on the outside,

it's actually carved all the way round each side of the legs. Oh, right.

So it's sort of no expense spared.

-They've gone all the way the leg and carved it all the same, which is really nice.

-Yeah.

And it goes down to these really solid ring-turned legs,

which really sort of stand firm and it looks very, very stable.

So I like that.

-Have you any concept of its value now?

-Not really, no.

I think the auction open-market value at the moment would be round about £80 to £120.

Oh, lovely, yeah. Very happy with that.

And would you like a reserve on it at that sort of...?

Yes, about 60, would you think?

-About 60? £60, yes.

-With a...

-With discretion?

-Yes.

-Fine. Well, we'll have an £80 to £120 estimate.

-Yes.

We'll agree with the auctioneer a discretionary reserve of £60

-so it's got the safety net of a sort.

-Yes.

-And then we'll see what people think.

-That will be quite exciting.

-Norman.

-Hi, Will.

-You look far too fit to me to have to use a cane.

-You didn't use this to get here, did you?

-No, not at all.

This is great, I love it.

A little silver-topped bulldog cane.

Now they're two good words together, "silver-topped" and "cane".

How have you come by this? Is this in your stick stand at home or...?

-No, I inherited it about three months ago.

-So quite recently.

-Yes.

-Where...? Who from?

Actually from my mother. She had them.

-Yes.

-Or she had them, but it came originally from my grandfather.

-So originally from your grandfather to your mother and then to you.

-Yes.

-So that's three generations.

-Yes.

-Have you any idea what sort of age it is?

-No idea.

Well, as with all English silver, it's fully hallmarked.

We've got the marks here. They're ever so small.

I mean, my eyesight's not too bad, but we've got here

-the lion's head, that tells me it's silver.

-Right.

And that looks like a capital G within a shield, which tells me it dates to 1882.

So it's got a good age to it, over 100 years old.

But to be fair, Norman, it does...

It looks its age a little bit, doesn't it?

-We've got a little bit of misshaping here, haven't we?

-Yes.

We've had a bit of a bash and his ears have been bashed in somewhat.

I mean, that's something that can be put right,

it's not the end of the world, but it's a bit of a fiddly job.

But I think the collectors of this type of piece, they're going to be prepared

for a little bit of that, but it will hold it back

on what sort of money it's going to make at auction.

I think in perfect condition, if it had been tiptop and crisp as you like,

I wouldn't have hesitated to put an estimate of 200 to 300 on this,

but because of the damage I'm going to rein that back in

to about 50 to 100. How do you feel about that?

-Fine.

-And what about a reserve? I mean, where does it live at home?

Is it on display or is literally thrown under the stairs in the cupboard?

In the garage at present.

-In the garage.

-Yeah.

-So, are you going to want back if it doesn't sell?

No.

I think we should go then no reserve, how do you feel about that?

-Yeah, OK.

-Yeah? Let's see how it goes in the saleroom and see you there again.

-OK.

-OK then.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done, Norman.

-Anne.

-Hello, Paul.

-We're in the Princes Theatre

and you've brought along a volume of stars of stage and screen and, who knows,

some of them may have trod the boards here.

-I doubt it somehow.

-I... Think positively! Do you think they might have done?

They may have done, yeah, but...

I want to know how you came across this because it is in perfect condition

and whoever put this together was very meticulous.

Look at all these photographs. How did you come...?

I don't know who put it together, I'm afraid. I wish I did.

I wish I had some history to tell you, but I haven't, really.

All I can tell you is that it's been around in our family for a long, long time.

And it's been in my loft for many years.

Has it? Well, you've got a good dry loft then, that's for sure...

-I have.

-Cos there's no damage to this.

-Well, I did have, yes.

-I've just moved.

-Have you?

-And that's really why it's come to the fore again.

-You were clearing out the attic...

-That's right.

-..and came across this.

These are actors and actresses from the early 1900s.

Somebody has focused on this particular lady, Miss Gladys Cooper.

She starred in a film called Rogues with David Niven which won the Golden Globe award in 1965.

-Oh, really, as recently as that?

-Yes.

-Well, she only died in 1975.

-Right.

-She was born in...

-I should have done more research.

She was born in 1888,

so she had a very good innings, she was 90-odd when she died.

-But somebody...was absolutely fixated with her.

-Yes.

Each photograph is individual,

there are no duplicates.

And I think - I haven't counted them, I don't know about you -

but I think there's around 200 to 300 of Gladys Cooper.

-I'm sure there must be.

-It just goes on and on and on.

All the way through her career.

But then... there's another massive fixation

on another beautiful, beautiful actress

called Gertie Miller. Gertie Miller was the daughter of a mill worker

and it's a classic story of poor girl made good.

You know, she became a fantastic star in the West End, a singing star,

and became a duchess. She married Lord Dudley in 1924.

-Did she?

-So what a lovely ending to her career.

But, there are around, I would say,

100 maybe plus of her.

-Yes, yes.

-Now the difficult thing is...

The difficult thing is, OK, I don't know who's going to buy

100 Gertie Millers or nearly 300 Gladys Coopers.

-That's... That's...

-That's right.

-That's the big difficulty.

That's why I'm finding it hard to put a value on this,

but I'd like to put it into auction with a tempting £200 to £300 estimate.

-Right.

-A reserve at £200 fixed...

-Yes.

-If that's OK with you.

-That's fine.

So, let's say 200 to 300, fixed reserve at 200

-and I'll see you on stage at the auction.

-Thank you.

Chris, thank you for bringing in your Hornby Number 30 train set,

which I shall just have a look at here.

I think that's lovely.

What can you tell me about this one?

Well, I've owned it many, many years.

It was given to me as... I think it was a Christmas present by my dad.

I was about six or seven at the time.

And I was never really into trains.

I played with it a few times, but not much as you can see.

I was more...into more little model cars, you know, the Dinky's.

-Dinky's, uh-huh.

-Dinky's, yes.

So you collected those, but didn't play so much with...?

-Yes, and sadly it went in the loft and that's where it's stayed for about 50 years.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Hence its lovely condition?

-Yes.

It's a Number 30 set from a range of many, many sets that Hornby produced.

Frank Hornby established the tinplate train part of the business

in the 1920s and they copied and cribbed a lot of ideas

from the German toy manufacturers of that time, but he made it very English.

His attitude was very much "English toys for English boys",

-that was I think one of his catchphrases.

-Yes.

This was produced just slightly post-war.

The early post-war ones have openwork,

the tinplate actually stamped in the openwork elements

to the undercarriage is a giveaway to dating it,

so you probably had it new at a time when they were probably

-just changing into the post-war design.

-Yes.

So it's quite an interesting transitional set.

So you're looking to sell it, clear it out of the attic.

Yes, and whatever this realises at the auction

-hopefully it'll buy me another little Dinky car.

-Ah.

-Well, let's hope we can help towards the next addition to that.

-Yes.

In terms of value, if we balance the fact that it's in such lovely condition, and for a collector

this is as good as it gets, with the fact that in terms of a Hornby set it's one of the more

simple sets that they produced, I think that it should sell between £70 and £100, I'd have thought.

-Right.

-Are you happy with that one?

-Yes, I'd be happy, yes.

-And would you like a reserve on?

-Put a reserve of 50, please.

-50?

-Yes.

-OK. £50 firm and, hopefully, that will be put towards

the next investment for your collection.

-That would be good, be great.

-We'll see you at the auction.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Everybody is having a marvellous day here.

We've been working flat out and we've found some real treasures to take off to auction.

For today's sale we're taking a trip up the road to the Roman town of Colchester.

And this is where today's action is taking place,

Reeman Dansie Auction Rooms.

On the rostrum is James Grinter, the man with all the local knowledge.

Just before the sale starts I'm going to get myself into place

and leave you with a quick recap of all the items going under the hammer.

Firstly, Chris is happy to cash in his Hornby train set.

Will he get the much wanted funds to expand his Dinky toy collection, I wonder?

Then there's Norman's silver bulldog topped cane, once proudly owned by his grandfather.

Norman's not keen on it, so with no reserve this stylish accessory will find a new home at auction.

And I think Anne's postcard album is a wonderful snapshot of times gone by.

I don't know who's going to buy...

..100 Gertie Millers.

Will any of the bidders remember the stars of yesteryear?

And, finally, the walnut stool that Maureen acquired in the 1970s.

Elizabeth gave it a cautious £80 to £120.

Could Maureen shortly be sitting on a profit?

You were right!

We'll soon find out, but before that it's full steam ahead for Chris.

Well, there's £70 to £100 riding on this next lot.

It's the Hornby train set belonging to Chris.

I hope we're on the right tracks

with that valuation by Elizabeth and I'm sure we are.

-Boys and their toys!

-Absolutely.

-And they've been played with...

-Yes.

-But they've been enjoyed and loved.

-Elizabeth, I think the valuation was spot on.

-Excellent.

And we're going to find out now. This is it.

Number 571 is the Hornby train set.

I have two commissions. I start the bidding at £50.

55. Over here now at 55.

60. 65. At £65 is bid.

Over here now at £65. Are you all...?

-70.

-Yes!

-At 70 against you.

75. 75.

80. At £80. Make it 85? No?

At £80 is bid. Are you all done?

-Yes.

-Good.

-£80.

Yeah, that's good. That's good news.

That's very good news. We were on the right track there.

We are indeed, yes.

In a way it's sad to see them go, but what do you do with them?

You know, I've got things like this which eventually I know I'm going to have to sell.

Yes. Well, what I'm going to do with the money, I'm going to give a third to my wife...

-Right, OK.

-And a third to charity, Help The Heroes, and the other third

is going to go towards my other passion which is Dinky toys.

-Oh, right, OK.

-Dinky toys. Into Dinky toys, yeah.

Moving over to Dinky toys. Good market.

-A good thing to do. Well done, Chris.

-Thank you.

Every gentleman deserves a fine walking cane

and there's one going under the hammer right now.

-It belongs to Norman.

-Yeah.

And this was your grandfather's.

-Yes.

-Were you surprised at the value of this one that Will put on?

-No, I had no idea what it was worth.

-I think you're spot on with this. It could do little more.

Yeah, I mean, I've given it quite a wide estimate, 50 to 100, cos there is a bit of damage

to the bulldog, but it's very dapper and canes are well collected.

There is another cane in the sale today as well,

so hopefully someone's, you know, spotted ours as well.

Or bulldog lovers, not just walking cane people...

-Exactly.

-..but bulldog lovers.

-Exactly. Dogs are a good subject in antiques, you know that.

-Yeah.

Number 585 is the Victorian silver-topped novelty walking stick

with a dog's head handle.

There we are. London, 1882.

£50 for it? 50? 50 I have down here. At 50.

-Straight in.

-Straight in now at £50.

55. 60. Five.

At £65. Over here now at £65.

Are you all done?

Yes, £65.

We got it away. Well done.

So it's off to a new home. And a good valuation, Will.

Yeah, well, we kept it a little bit down because of the damage and so on.

These things in perfect condition make hundreds, but you got the right money for it here today.

Thank you.

Anne, I've had some positive feedback about the photo album.

It's been viewed. The auctioneer said lovely quality, great condition.

I just hope they're not returned to sender at the end of the day!

We've taken a punt at £200 to £300, but I just hope the theatre collectors are out there

-that are after this album, because it is genuinely fantastic.

-Yes.

Oh, dear. I can't see anybody that's sort of...

-Sort of actor-looking in here, can you, really? So, it's kind of...

-No.

..making me feel a little bit scared.

Right, here we go, this is where all the excitement starts. This is it. Good luck.

Number 551 is the Edwardian postcard album

with all the various stars in it.

£200 to start me. 150 then. 150 is bid. I'm there at 150. 160.

170. 180. 190. 200. At 200. 210.

220. 230.

240. At 240's bid down here now.

At 240. 250.

At 250 down here now. 260.

At 260. 270. 280.

Oh, brilliant, we could do the 300.

280. 290. At £290. On the telephone now.

At £290...all done.

Yes! Top end! £290.

-I'm ever so pleased for you, Anne.

-Thank you very much, Paul.

Cor, that was a brave punt, wasn't it?

-Yes.

-Next is my favourite lot in the whole sale.

I'm in love with this tiny little walnut stool. It belongs to Maureen and it's beautiful.

-Oh, thank you.

-If I was allowed to buy this, I would.

I just think it's so understated and it's just so English.

There's just something so beautiful about this. The colour is just right.

And I think with the right covering on this you're looking at a winner.

It's in a very genuine condition at the moment

and that top cover could reveal an earlier cover anyway.

-Yes.

-So, lovely, lovely piece, yes.

-Just how we like to find it.

-And I'm hoping for a little more than the top end cos it's quality.

-Fingers crossed!

-It's auctions and we don't know what's going to happen.

That's why we love them!

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah, this is it.

-Oh, my goodness!

The Regency mahogany stool in the manner of Bullock.

There we are, the stool there as shown.

I have two commissions with me and I start the bidding at £150.

-You were right!

-At 150.

Do I hear 160? 160. 170.

At 170. 180. 190.

At 190 is bid. 200. 210.

At 210. 220. 230. 240. 250.

At 250. 260. 270. At 270. 280. 290.

At 290. 300. I'm out.

At £300 on the telephone. 320.

At 320 is bid now. 320. 340.

At 340 on the telephone. £340.

Are you all done?

-Yes. That's what it's all about!

-Oh, that's lovely.

I knew it was quality.

When I saw that at the valuation day

-I was drooling, wasn't I? What a surprise.

-That is a surprise.

That's what auctions are all about. Two people fall in love with something

and they won't give in and they keep bidding and you get a lot more for your money.

-Oh, I really enjoyed watching that go.

-I bet you did!

We'll be back in the auction room a little later, where a first-timer is having beginner's luck.

Oh!

And a storm brews about Wendy's painting.

Oh, yes!

They're fighting it out on the phone now.

But first follow me to a Tudor masterpiece.

In the reign of King Henry VIII it was important to impress.

In the competitive Tudor court you needed to be noticed to get ahead, so if I was a Tudor Lord

and I wanted to impress my sovereign what could be better than this?

Layer Marney Tower, the tallest Tudor gatehouse in England.

Built around 1520, the building is principally the creation of Henry, the first Lord Marney.

Marney had come from humble beginnings but rose quickly through

the ranks of Henry VIII's competitive Tudor court.

The design he chose for this gatehouse was the height of fashion

in the early 16th century and the preferred taste of Henry VIII.

Marney used Italian-style terracotta here to symbolise

not just his wealth but his closeness to the Royal Court.

Indeed, it was the king who gave permission for the battlements on the top of the gatehouse.

However, Henry Marney's architectural vision was never completed.

He died in 1523 and while his son carried on with some building work he sadly died some two years later.

There were no male heirs left to carry on with the construction

or indeed hold on to this estate, so all of this fell into new hands.

Then architectural styles in England changed and that's thanks greatly

to Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn.

You see, a wife's sleeping quarters were generally above her husband's,

but Anne Boleyn decided to buck the trend and sleep next to her husband,

an example soon to be followed throughout the country.

This new trend, favoured by Henry VIII,

meant there was less need for separate rooms,

so buildings required fewer floors and staircases, so this,

the tallest Tudor tower in the land, was soon outdated.

For 500 years many families have called Layer Marney Tower home,

each making changes to suit their needs and tastes.

Then, just 50 years ago, the gatehouse became the home of Susan and Gerald Charrington.

They had fallen for the house when they were married

in the adjacent church and when the tower came up for sale they snapped it up.

As well as raising a family in their new home, they've also opened it up to the public.

Nicholas, their son, has now taken over the running of the house and lives here with his wife and family.

-Nicholas, hi!

-Hi, Paul. Very good to see you.

Thank you for inviting me here.

-What a fabulous house you've got!

-We're very lucky. Very lucky.

-The whole thing oozes history, it really does.

-It's...

You know, it's a great building and, you know, the Tudors were keen builders,

but I think Lord Marney really put up something special here.

-What are you doing in there? What room is that?

-This is what we call the banqueting room and the...

Just Lord Marney, maybe his wife, would have come up here and had a meal, enjoyed the view

and been a little bit separate from the rest of their household

and important guests would have been brought up the tower, admired the views,

maybe treated to a little meal in here.

-And did Henry VIII stay here?

-Undoubtedly, undoubtedly!

I mean, we know he stayed here, he came here in August 1522, and, you know, he loved this sort of thing.

-He was still quite a fit man...

-You've got to be fit to get up here, haven't you?

-Exactly!

Yeah, and he hadn't become the great barrel that one sees in later paintings.

So I'm sure he would have got up here and, you know, probably taken a young lady up here with him.

-Shall we talk about the rest of the house and have a wander?

-Yeah, do, that would be lovely.

This is just terrific.

So what was it like growing up here as a young boy?

Well, it was terrific. I mean, I was actually born here,

and I think I was the first child born here since something like 1920, and you've got all this space,

you can run around, you can get away from your parents, you can do things and not get found out.

And I think as a parent also, because I now see it that way,

-you know, we've got four children all running around, it's great because they can buzz off...

-Yes.

-..do terrible things and you don't hear them.

-Life's an adventure.

Life's an adventure, yes.

So what did your parents do to the building?

When they bought it, the buildings themselves were essentially sound.

-Yeah.

-You know, the roofs were pretty watertight.

They did a lot of work on to the garden and they did a lot of work on the terracotta.

The pieces here, the brickwork here, this is something

my parents put in in the early 1970s and because it's the terracotta that's seen as

the most important part of the whole building architecturally...

That's the wealth, something you see on the facade.

You know, it just brings it alive.

And if you look up there you've got sort of old Tudor terracotta work

-and, you know, that's very nearly 500 years old.

-That's incredible, isn't it?

It's a bit weatherbeaten but it's in great condition.

When did you take over the running of the house?

Just about 20 years ago, now.

The sort of changes we've made is we've probably become a bit more commercial

about the whole thing in a bid to, you know, keep the whole thing running.

And we've now reroofed this gatehouse, we've put probably

Europe's finest lavatory block in, and done a lot of other works,

lifting parts of it, not, I have to say, all the way up the tower.

I like what you've done.

-That Hopper over there caught my eye because it's dated 2006.

-Yes.

-It's beautifully dressed in lead with traditional skills...

-Yes.

But you've put the correct date on there when you did it.

It's your legacy, you're adding to this, aren't you?

I mean, we are, but also I think actually from the point of view of,

you know, future visitors anyway it's quite interesting to see, you know, that it is...

It's an ongoing process.

Well, as well as the new loo blocks and this wonderful terrace, what else is ongoing?

Come with me, let me show you.

-This is a nice room.

-It's a lovely room, this one.

It's part of the original Royal apartments and this

principal space would have been some sort of reception, receiving room

and then you'd have a bedroom to one side

and then a few servants kipping, a garderobe/loo on the other side.

-And we got quite stuck in a few years ago and put this new ceiling into the room.

-I liked the carved bosses.

They're rather fun. You've got sort of what we call the eight animals in the middle,

which is really seven farm animals and then you will notice the pattern

resembles what we've got on the windows.

-It does actually repeat the window.

-Yeah, yeah. It's a good space.

Henry Marney built this tower to impress his King, but he also created a wonderful family home

and I think it's really quite fitting that some 500 years later Nicholas is still enjoying this

with his family, and also preserving a piece of history for all of us to appreciate.

Well, from a house fit for a king to some brooches owned by a king.

That's Rosemary King, to give her her full title, and she's next to appear

back at Clacton's Princes Theatre.

Rosemary, you've brought in two lovely bits of jewellery, I must say.

Are these yours, do you wear these out?

-Did you wear them here today?

-No, no.

Don't tell me, I hear this all the time from people

with nice bits of jewellery, they sit in a drawer

-doing nothing.

-Yeah.

Let's have a look at them now a little bit closer.

This one interested me when I first saw it.

This has actually got the motto of the Order Of The Thistle.

It's one of the three Scottish regiments in the British Army. Now tell me, is there...

Is there anyone in your family who was a member of a regiment in Scotland perhaps?

No, not as far as I know.

I don't know anything much about my family at all, which I regret.

Really? What's happened there, then?

Just sort of drifted apart or just no-one ever...?

No, I just never asked my mum and dad any questions.

-There's a lesson, isn't there?

-Definitely.

-Ask them questions while they're here.

-Yeah.

-Get the photos out.

-Yeah.

-Get them to write everything on the back.

-Yeah.

-But that's a nice sort of sweetheart brooch, I'd call that.

Someone who's in the Forces, their sweetheart would wear that to remember them

and surrounded nicely with those little sort of rose-cut diamonds.

They are proper diamonds, nice stones there.

Not huge value in the stones, but nonetheless a nice little touch.

And then we move forward to this one.

What can you tell me about this?

-This isn't a regimental brooch, is it?

-No.

It's just that I used to do archery

and one day we were in the town and we happened to see that in a shop and my husband bought it for me.

-Really?

-My ex-husband, I should say.

I can see the theme and that's rather nice.

I mean, the arrow, archery has a lot of connotations with jewellery, Cupid's bow, Cupid's arrow.

And, again, nicely set with these little diamonds.

Period-wise, I suspect he's bought that second-hand from a jewellers.

-Yes, it was.

-Cos this is probably going to be period Art Deco.

Value wise, I mean, I dread to think what he may have paid for that.

-I don't think...

-He may have told you or...

I can't remember now how much it was.

Auction estimate for that

would be 300 to 500.

-Let's reserve it at that bottom figure, about 300.

-Yeah.

And then we move on to the sweetheart brooch.

I'm going to value that at 100 to 150.

Let's put a discretion on that of £100 reserve, shall we?

So we've got 10% discretion.

-Well, Rosemary, it's been a pleasure meeting you.

-Thank you.

Let's hope we do well for you on the auction.

Right, thank you very much.

So, my first question is to whom does this wonderful tureen belong?

-To me, Sylvia.

-So it is to Sylvia?

-Sylvia, yeah.

So, Denise, you've come along to see what Sylvia's tureen is worth?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Moral support.

Well done. So how have you come by this, Sylvia?

-Well, it was a very dear friend of mine who has recently passed away.

-Right.

And it was given to her around about the 1930s when she lived in Maida Vale

-and it did come from an antiques shop.

-How wonderful.

And I haven't got any room for it.

-It's a big item, isn't it?

-I live in a small flat, where we both are,

where we live. It would just go back in a box.

-Right.

-And I work for a charity which is marvellous and I want the money to go to that

-so they get as much as I can get!

-Worthy cause!

We will see what we can do for you.

-Yeah.

-I mean, basically it's by the Herend factory,

-which is a Hungarian factory which was originally established in 1839.

-Wow.

And they specialised in fine quality ceramics which were copying other well-known European factories,

-principally Sevres and Capodimonte.

-Oh, right.

And in this case it's copying the Sevres, maybe the Meissen,

but is very much the sort of continental form,

both of shape and of decoration.

And it's all hand-coloured and the handles and the roses on the handles

are all hand-coloured, so the fact they've put the effort

and the cost of handpainting it, is actually a sign of its quality.

And it's... It's...

I think dates a little earlier than 1930, but not so very much.

I'd have thought somewhere from 1900 to 1930, in that intervening period.

So, you have no room and you're hoping to sell it for your charity. Tell me more about that.

Well, it's the Clacton And District Occupational Workshops.

It's for difficulty-in-learning adults.

-Right, so you're hoping to raise a little bit more money...

-As much as I can, please!

Well, you can't affect what happens at the auction...

-No, no.

-But I certainly think it's a lovely item.

I'd have thought that it should really fetch somewhere between,

on a bad day £70 to £80, on a good day, 120, 130.

So if we sort of split the difference

and say an estimate of about £80 to £120, would you be happy with that?

As much as we can get, yeah. Are you going to put a reserve on it?

-I think we'd better.

-Better, yeah.

No, I think a reserve is good. So if we put, what? An £80 firm reserve on it

-so you know where you stand.

-Please, yes.

-So are you happy with that?

-Absolutely, yeah.

-See you at the auction then?

-Yes!

-And you?

-Probably!

-Well, the more the merrier. We'll see you there.

-That's right.

Wendy, welcome to Flog It!

-Thank you very much.

-Tell me, is this a picture that hangs at home?

It certainly does, yes. It has ever since my mother passed away

and she left it, obviously, to me.

-Yes.

-But now that time has progressed I thought, well, you know,

-now's the time.

-Test the waters, see what it's worth.

-Yes.

Well, I mean, it caught my eye.

It's got something about it, hasn't it?

The composition and it's quite striking

and this coastal scene here,

slightly choppy waters, perhaps a storm approaching,

good bit of composition here which leads up to this sort of ruin

of a castle atop a hill and the cliffs there, as well as

these focal points in the foreground, figures,

perhaps a fisherman there

perhaps tending to their boat or some of the...

The nets perhaps and a sort of croft type cottage

there in the background.

I don't recognise the scene and it doesn't tell us on the back, as a lot of pictures do, where it is.

Have you any ideas or thoughts of where it could be?

No. I must admit, I have no idea.

I don't know where the artist originated from.

Well, she's a British artist because,

as you say, we do have an artist's signature there.

SL Kilpack, Sarah Louise Kilpack.

She was born in 1839 and she died in 1909.

Now, her flourishing period, what we call where she created

most of her work, is about 1880 to 1909, that sort of period.

You say you haven't got an idea what it was worth when you brought it in today.

-No.

-I mean what sort of figure were you looking at?

£200, £300?

Oh, I don't think so, no.

Would you have sold it for £400 perhaps?

-No.

-Well, we're getting close now because,

-I mean, my ideal estimate in an ideal world...

-Yes.

..would have been about £400 to £600.

Now is that anywhere near the sort of figure you had in mind?

I would say that, as it's "Flog It!", you would...

And you're going to put it into auction, we'll see how it goes,

but I'd like 500.

Ah! You would like.

We'll, see how it goes...but!

-But!

-Exactly. Well, listen, it's a good lesson.

-It's your picture.

-Yeah.

-It's not mine.

-No.

-It's not the auctioneer's.

-No.

-You've got history with it. You know what you want for it.

-Yeah.

-So we'll put it in at £500.

Now, we have to have the estimate with 500 as the bottom figure.

-Right.

-So let's say 500 to 700...

-Right.

-..as an estimate.

-OK.

-..and a reserve at 500.

I'm not even going to ask if you want discretion on that

because I get the feeling here that we want a fixed £500 reserve.

-Yeah.

-Good. Well, look, all I can say now is hopefully on the day we'll get it away for you.

-Now I suspect you are not going to be terribly disappointed if it doesn't sell, will you?

-No, I won't.

Well, we'll do our best for you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thanks for coming in.

-It's a pleasure.

With Wendy finally happy with the valuation we're ready to head back to our Colchester auction room

and we're taking with us Will's find, that beautiful SL Kilpack painting

that Wendy inherited from her mother.

And it will be joined by Rosemary's brooches, the Deco arrow brooch and the intriguing war brooch

where the story has sadly been lost to history, but she's hoping

she'll raise a pretty packet to pass on to her children.

And, finally, that hearty tureen from the Herend factory.

A good friend left this to Sylvia and she's only letting it go to raise funds for her favourite charity.

But first up we've got Rosemary, who's pinning her hopes on two lots.

I like your brooches, Rosemary, I really do.

I think the diamond arrow one is just to die for.

That's gorgeous and I know you fell in love with that, Will.

But I think this Scottish war brooch, could be a little sleeper, you know.

Yes, it's nice quality and it's got that crossover.

You've got the jewellery, the militaria market.

-Yeah.

-You've got that. And then the arrow brooch, I mean, is lovely and the fact that

-you were involved with the archery is a lovely connection, and, again, super quality.

-Yeah.

They're just nice quality pieces.

Number 371 is the good quality First World War sweetheart brooch,

the diamond set one here.

Say, £80 to start me? 80?

80 I have down here. 85? At 85. 90.

-Come on, we need more than that.

-95.

100. The lady's bid of £100. 110.

-120. 130.

-This is more like it now.

140. 150. 160. 170.

Another place. 180. 190.

200. At £200. Still the lady's bid.

-At 200 all done.

-That's more like it.

-That's good.

Good result. One down, one to go.

Number 372 is the Edwardian ladies 15 carat gold

platinum and diamond arrow brooch.

Say to start me... 250 to start me?

250. 250 I have down here now. At 250. At £250 bid. Do I hear 260?

260. 270. At 270 against you. 280.

Come on, more.

300. At £300 bid at the back now. At 300. At £300 is bid.

Any advance? All done now at £300.

It just did it with estimate £300.

-I'm pleased with that.

-Yeah, that's good.

-Yeah.

The war brooch turned out to be the one that gave us

-the surprise in the end, didn't it?

-Yeah.

I think because of that crossover of the markets...

Yes. So, there's commission to pay.

-Yeah.

-But what are you going to put the money towards?

Well, I'll probably split it between my two children.

Well, things are moving along nicely now.

-Sylvia, it's great to see you, and Denise, moral support again.

-Yeah.

-Need it, won't we?

-Wow, the pressure's on in here, don't you think, Elizabeth?

-It is, absolutely.

-It's my first time.

-Is it?

-Yeah, it's fantastic.

-What do you think?

I daren't bring any money with me, I shall buy things!

Keep your hands down as well in case you accidentally do buy something!

Well, we're just about to sell something and it is that wonderful tureen with lid,

which I know you put a value of £80 to £120 on.

-I did, yes.

-And it is rather special, isn't it?

-All the money's going to charity.

-Yes.

Let's hope we can get the top end of Elizabeth's estimate.

A good quality Herend porcelain tureen and cover.

I have two commissions with me and I start the bidding at £120.

With me now at 120. At 120. 130.

140. 150. 160.

170. I'm out. At £170 in the room.

All done now at £170? 180 on the internet.

-190. At 190. 200.

-200!

-Yes, £200!

-At 210.

Still in the room now at 210. 220.

-230. At 230.

-I really love this!

It's still in the room now at £230.

Make it 240?

At £230. Fair warning now, I'm going to sell it. All done at 230.

-£230, yes!

-Brilliant!

-Lovely!

-And all the money's going to CADOWs?

-Yes.

And that's all down to you.

-Yes. Yes!

-Oh, what a lovely donation.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Thank you.

Lucky necklace!

-Well done. I'm so pleased for you.

-Thank you so much.

-No, that's all right.

-Lovely.

-That's OK, that's OK.

I'm going to find some more things and I'm coming back!

Something for all you fine art lovers now, a wonderful oil by Kilpack, a seascape.

-In fact, it's a fishing port and it belongs to Wendy...

-Thank you.

Very nice as well, it's gorgeous.

Lots of interesting things going on with the fishing boats,

the figures in the foreground, the battlements, as well.

-Why are you selling this, because it looks like it's just come just off the wall?

-It has.

It's been on the wall of my family since the early 1900s.

Gosh. Fresh to the market then, Will?

-It is.

-That's what the market likes with pictures.

Why have you taken it off the wall and brought it in?

Well, I came down to see what the value of it was originally...

And Will here twisted your arm!

-Yes!

-We managed to prise it off you, didn't we? Yeah.

We had a little bit of a discussion about reserves and prices

and what the estimate should be, but we agreed at the end...

-Five to seven?

-Exactly. With a 500 fixed reserve, didn't we?

-Yes, we did.

-You don't want it to go for anything less.

-No.

I've seen a few picture buyers and dealers in the room today, so... It's a good name.

Number 631 is the SL Kilpack, the oil on board, the coastal view here.

-I have two commissions and I start the bidding at £600.

-We've got...

-Straight in!

-Straight in with two people on the phone.

620. 620. 640. 660. 680. 700. 720.

At 720. 740. 760.

At 760. 780. 800.

At £800. The commission bid with me. 820.

-Oh, yes!

-840.

-They're fighting it out on their own now!

At 840's bid. Still with me. 860.

880. At 880. 900. 920. At 920. 940.

We might get £1,000!

At 960. At 980. At 980 I'm out.

At £980 on the telephone. At £980.

Coming in now on the internet?

At £980 are you all done?

Yes! Just short of £1,000. Wendy!

-That's great.

-That's fantastic.

Absolutely brilliant.

You were proved right, you did well, stuck to your guns,

insisted on your price and, you know, you were proved right on the day.

-Yes.

-Wendy, treat yourself cos I know Mum would love that.

-I'm sure she would.

-Thanks for coming. I hope you've enjoyed the show.

We've had a marvellous time here in Colchester.

That's what auctions are all about, having those surprises.

So, until the next time, it's cheerio.

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