0:00:04 > 0:00:09The great British seaside. We've been in love with it for years.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And that's why we're in Worthing. It's a picture-postcard scene.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15We've got the pier, we've got the beach,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19and the pavilion, which is the venue for today's star attraction.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This is Sussex, by the sea.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49That's a nice photograph.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57Worthing was an inspiration for playwrights Oscar Wilde and Harold Pinter.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00It's fitting that we should follow in the theatrical tradition today,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04because our venue is the impressive Pavilion Theatre on Worthing seafront.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Just about to go on stage for Act 1 are our two experts, David Fletcher and Michael Baggott.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17The first thing David Fletcher ever sold was a live rabbit.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19And look, he's still an animal lover today!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Even I can work it! Vaguely!
0:01:22 > 0:01:27- He's got a lovely face! - He's looking at you. - Yeah, he's got his eye on me!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30'And Michael Baggott's got his hands full, as always.'
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- Who wants a sticker?- I do! Where are you going to put it?
0:01:34 > 0:01:39This is a dangerous operation. You saw, my hands never left my arms!
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Flog it!
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'Coming up, David gets excited...'
0:01:52 > 0:01:53Look what I found, Mum!
0:01:53 > 0:01:55'..Michael gains an admirer...'
0:01:55 > 0:01:58- You're the best.- He is the best. - Can you say that again?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00'..and I discover surrealist art.'
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Isn't that just incredible? I might even have some vivid dreams tonight!
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Well, it's 9.30, it's time to get the doors open, let's go inside!
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Come on, everybody!
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Well, everybody's now safely seated inside the Pavilion Theatre,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27and it looks like we've got a full house. Are you ready for Act 1? Well, so am I.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It looks like David Fletcher is our first expert to the tables.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Let's take a closer look at what he's spotted.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37- Hello, Cindy.- Hello.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39Every now and then, we see something which gives us
0:02:39 > 0:02:43an insight to a bygone age and, by George, this does, doesn't it?
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- It does.- It advertises a series of events to be hosted
0:02:48 > 0:02:54by the Royal Dramatic College at the Crystal Palace in 1865.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Now, the Crystal Palace was built, as you probably know,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01in 1851 for The Great Exhibition.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Now, how did you come by it?
0:03:03 > 0:03:08I did a little cleaning job for a lady that was retired
0:03:08 > 0:03:10and she had this on her wall and when she had to move
0:03:10 > 0:03:12into a residential home,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16she offered it to me, along with a couple of other little bits.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20The list of events it describes I just think are fantastic.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25One of the ones that really caught my eyes was Wombwell's Menagerie.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Now, Wombwell's Menagerie was well known.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29I would have expected them to be top of the bill,
0:03:29 > 0:03:35and they advertise lions, tigers, panthers, bears.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38"The lion weighs from 700 to 800lb
0:03:38 > 0:03:42"and is allowed by all who have seen him
0:03:42 > 0:03:45"to be the finest in captivity."
0:03:46 > 0:03:49- They don't hold back, do they, these Victorians?- No!
0:03:49 > 0:03:52They think they've got something good, they will tell you.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55But just to make sure we don't all get too light-hearted
0:03:55 > 0:04:01about all this, there is a lecture here on comparative anatomy.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03So, after you've been to Wombwell's Circus
0:04:03 > 0:04:08and you've seen the amazing brothers and the Gypsy Cave
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and the Fairy Post Office, you can
0:04:10 > 0:04:15take in something more cerebral and go off to a lecture on anatomy.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Fantastic.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20The Victorians loved this sort of thing. I noticed
0:04:20 > 0:04:24that the occasion or the event took place on Saturday and Monday.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Not on Sunday. That's interesting. Sunday, being a day of rest.
0:04:29 > 0:04:35- Exactly. Now, printed on silk.- Yes, I think so. It's got a shine to it.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40That suggests it might just have been sold as a scarf, perhaps.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Otherwise, why not just print it on paper?- Paper.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I don't think it's hugely valuable.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48In fact, I think really, it's something if you're thinking
0:04:48 > 0:04:52in terms of selling it, you should be prepared to sell without reserve.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- Right, yes.- Now, I hope the auctioneers will agree with me
0:04:55 > 0:04:58that we should estimate at say £20-£30.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01But I wouldn't want to put too high an estimate on it,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03because in the great scheme of things,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07it doesn't have that intrinsic value that collectors really like.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09- Would you be happy with that? - Very happy, yes.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12And the lady who owned it would like that?
0:05:12 > 0:05:15She'd probably say, "Go on, see what you can get for it."
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Good for you, Cindy, we love a determined seller!
0:05:23 > 0:05:26It's all in here. Hang on!
0:05:32 > 0:05:38What's in there? This is the bit I like where people open their boxes.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42It's the reveal. Oh, look at that.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- It was presented to a person who used to work at Hoover.- Oh, right.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50That's a copy of one of the first automatic washing machines.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- That was presented to him as a leaving gift.- Oh, was it?!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- That has never, ever been used. - Isn't that lovely?!
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Carol, you've brought this lovely watch in for me today
0:06:08 > 0:06:11with a silversmith's name on it.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14A very good retailer's name on it - Asprey.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- Can you tell me, where did it come from?- It was my mother's.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23She had it for a very long time and she used to keep it in her jewellery box
0:06:23 > 0:06:26and get it out and have a peep at it now and again.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30She loved it, she thought it was very pretty, but she never wore it, because it's a pin
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and she wouldn't put pins in her clothes.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Understandable, because it's quite... If we pick him up,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40even though he's small, it's a heavy little weight,
0:06:40 > 0:06:45and if you had something light on, it would eventually pull a hole in it.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49This was made in the late '40s, early '50s, as a piece of cocktail jewellery,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52and you could imagine those beautifully turned-out ladies
0:06:52 > 0:06:56in their thick, heavy coats, tailored.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57And that would be...
0:06:57 > 0:07:01I don't wear one myself, but it would be poised there,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- and would fit in quite well. - Yes, yes.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07The case, I imagine, is nine-carat gold.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12The little suspension chain and clasp that it's on, we have got a little mark for that,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- and that's stamped 750, so we know that that's 18 carat.- OK.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21And we've got those three little greyish pearls set in,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25which might conceivably, from the colour, be Scottish freshwater pearls,
0:07:25 > 0:07:27so it's a lovely little thing.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30But there we've got the face, and that's rather luxurious.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35The black enamel dial, with the little gold spots for the hours.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37We've also got the gold weights,
0:07:37 > 0:07:42if nothing else, that case must weigh several grams.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47I think it would be sensible if we put an estimate of £100 to £150,
0:07:47 > 0:07:48a fixed reserve of £100 on it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52- OK.- And hopefully, the Asprey name alone will carry it on from that.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- Yes, yes.- Why have you decided to part with it?
0:07:55 > 0:08:00I'm doing the same thing as my mother did - it's in a box,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- and I'm looking at it occasionally and popping it back in. - Not pinning it on?
0:08:04 > 0:08:08No, it's very pretty, but it's not something I would wear.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11I think it's almost becoming a collector's piece now.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15So let's put it into the auction and hope it ticks away to a profit for you!
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- That'd be great.- Marvellous. Thank you.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23David is fascinated by a mysterious object belonging to Adam and Nicola.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27- Nicola.- Hello.- And Adam.- Hiya. - You brought your mum out for the day?
0:08:27 > 0:08:32- Something like that.- She doesn't get out very often?- No, not at all!
0:08:32 > 0:08:36- It's nice of you to bring her out. I'm glad you've come to Flog It!- Thank you.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40You've brought with you a...gizmo, really.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45- Yes.- It looks to me as if it's made of marine ivory.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51We can tell that by looking for flecks,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53and they are really quite distinctive here.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Now, marine ivory really means walrus ivory,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00as opposed to elephant ivory.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Ivory today, for obvious reasons, is not as fashionable as it was,
0:09:04 > 0:09:09but this was made a long time ago, and it's entirely legal to sell it.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12So there's no problem there.
0:09:12 > 0:09:18As I say, it is a gizmo in the sense that it does two or three different things.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20If I can unscrew it there...
0:09:20 > 0:09:25We have...a pen,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28not a fountain pen, but a dipper.
0:09:28 > 0:09:34And at the other end, of course, a paper knife.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38One other thing which I suspect is going to be the case,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41is that if I look through this little hole at the end,
0:09:41 > 0:09:46I'm going to see a black-and-white photograph.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49'The image is so tiny, our cameras can't film it.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53'But this is very similar to what David could see.'
0:09:53 > 0:09:57I'm sure the moment you saw this, you thought, "I've got to go to Hastings!"
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- We went there last year!- Did you? - Yeah, we did!
0:10:00 > 0:10:04This type of magnifying device is known as a Stanhope
0:10:04 > 0:10:07because it was invented by the third Earl of Stanhope,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10who obviously hadn't got much to do with his time.
0:10:10 > 0:10:16- No!- He was probably very thrilled with it, and I must say, it is miraculous.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19This isn't going to make the earth, let's be honest, but it's good fun,
0:10:19 > 0:10:23and I'd like to suggest an estimate of £30 to £50.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- That's OK!- All right.- Go ahead.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29OK. We'll go ahead, and I'll see you both at the auction.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Lovely, thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Now it's my turn to have a go at a valuation.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42We're having a marvellous time here in Worthing, everybody's thoroughly enjoying themselves.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45It's jam-packed in the pavilion, getting rather stuffy,
0:10:45 > 0:10:49so I thought I'd do my next valuation outside, on the pier,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52not just to get some fresh air, but also to take in the beautiful scenery
0:10:52 > 0:10:57and listen to Dave perform on the pier - take it away for some seaside entertainment!
0:10:57 > 0:10:59HE STRUMS TUNELESSLY
0:10:59 > 0:11:05- Is that it?- That's about my lot, I'm afraid! Would you like to have a go?
0:11:05 > 0:11:09I've got to say, that's about all I could do as well.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Tell me about this wonderful mandolin, how did you come by it?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Well, I usually go to a boot fair Sunday mornings,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and I was wandering around, no rush,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and I saw it lying under a bench.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I picked it up, I asked the gentleman what he wanted for it.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- What was the price tag? - Well, it was expensive - it was £3!
0:11:27 > 0:11:32And I was a bit worried about getting my money back.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37- You didn't try and knock them down? - I did. I tried £2.50, but got rejected.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42I'm not surprised! I'd have smashed it over your head for being cheeky!
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- I think you got a bargain for £3. - Do you? Oh, good.
0:11:45 > 0:11:51- I did wonder once whether it wasn't genuine.- Can I have a closer look?- Yeah.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Cos you know about wood, Paul!
0:11:57 > 0:12:02- What wood is it?- That's rosewood. - And what's this banding?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- It's all rosewood.- Is it?
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Yeah, it's just different sections of the grain showing through.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15- So looking at this, that's mother-of-pearl inlay, can you see that?- This?
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Basically, mother-of-pearl is just very, very thin slices of seashell,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22inlaid into the tortoiseshell.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- Would that be done by hand? - Yes. Isn't that beautiful?- It is.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30And this, I thought first off perhaps it was broken, but it's not.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33No, the neck's been cut away on purpose inside the sound hole.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37That's because this instrument was either designed to be plucked,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- or strummed with a plectrum.- Right.
0:12:40 > 0:12:46- I'd say this is around 1850s to 1870s.- Really?- Yes.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47This is an early one.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's really, really nice,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51It's got that lovely Neapolitan bowl shape to it.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55These instruments were first made in this kind of form and shape
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- in the early part of the 17th century.- Yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00HE PLUCKS NOTES
0:13:05 > 0:13:07- And it's derived from the lute. - Mm-hm.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- So your £3...- Yes?
0:13:10 > 0:13:16- What do you think it's worth? - Oh, double. How about six?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19OK, how about 250?
0:13:19 > 0:13:23- That'll do!- That'll do you, won't it? There you are.- Thank you!
0:13:23 > 0:13:28I say we put that into auction with a value of £150 to £250. Reserve at 150.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31- Sounds good to me.- Happy? - Very happy.- See you at the auction.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36- Thank you, Paul. Thank you very much.- That's OK. I'd be keeping that.- Yeah.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Michael is entranced by the silver jug belonging to Pam.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It wouldn't be a "Flog It!" for me unless I saw a lovely bit of silver.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51And you have kindly obliged by bringing this lovely jug along.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Where did you get it from?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55It was a gift from an elderly neighbour and friend.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Have you got any idea how old it is, where it was made,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- anything like that? - No idea whatsoever.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Right, most silver should have a set of hallmarks on. Super.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05We've got the hallmarks there.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09Sadly, the central mark, which is the maker's mark, was just
0:14:09 > 0:14:12lightly struck when it was punched, because it is on a curved surface.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15So, rather than hitting the punch down flat,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and making a good impression, they just caught the edge of it.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20- Yes.- I can't really make that out,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24but about half of these jugs were made by a man called David Mowden,
0:14:24 > 0:14:29who was working in London, so there is a great good chance it's by him.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32What we have got, struck nice and clear, the sterling mark
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and we have got the crowned leopard's head, which is
0:14:35 > 0:14:37the London town mark and most of all,
0:14:37 > 0:14:43the date letter which is a Gothic A. And that is for 1756.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46So, you've actually got a little George II silver...
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- Oh, I'm surprised. - ..tripod cream jug.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52And you've got all these lovely features, these cast,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55squat feet and this leaf cap scroll handle.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59And what's most attractive is this lovely, scalloped and waved rim.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's actually one of the cheaper bits of silver you could
0:15:02 > 0:15:06buy in the 18th century. There's not a great deal of weight to it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10And you could imagine these handles being cast in quite a large number
0:15:10 > 0:15:11as were the feet.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14The nice thing about yours is that it's come down
0:15:14 > 0:15:16in perfect condition.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20I'd say half of these were got at during
0:15:20 > 0:15:22the 19th century, and the Victorians had the delight
0:15:22 > 0:15:26in chasing them with flowers and berries and figures.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28And at the time, it was jollying up something that was
0:15:28 > 0:15:30completely out of fashion.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33But, of course, it ruins the Georgian original for collectors,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38and we've got even the original owner's initials on the base there.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42- I didn't notice that. - Any idea of its value?- No idea.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45As I say, they were made in relatively large numbers.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49And this is the sort of thing that someone would buy, who's just
0:15:49 > 0:15:52starting to collect silver. It is very much entry-level.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57Let's put £100-£150 on it. Let's put a fixed reserve of £90.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59It won't go under that.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02But I'm sure a collector will love and enjoy this,
0:16:02 > 0:16:03so let's hope it does really well for you.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18This very pretty, unprepossessing house
0:16:18 > 0:16:21in the Sussex village of Rodmell,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24was home to one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28It's Monk's House, and it was Virginia Woolf's country retreat.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Virginia Woolf is the most famous British writer of the 1920s
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and '30s. Her work and her life are
0:16:34 > 0:16:37closely associated with women's rights.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42But she was a tortured genius who took her own life at the age
0:16:42 > 0:16:48of 59. Virginia Woolf suffered from severe depression and throughout
0:16:48 > 0:16:52her lifetime, experienced several nervous breakdowns, but during
0:16:52 > 0:16:56that period, she never stopped writing novels, journals, diaries.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58And together with her husband Leonard,
0:16:58 > 0:16:59she founded the Hogarth Press,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03which published works by authors such as TS Eliot and DH Lawrence.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10'Virginia and Leonard were members of the infamous Bloomsbury Set,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14'who soon adopted Monk's House as a regular retreat.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'They were intellectuals, artists and writers and the place was
0:17:17 > 0:17:22'decorated in avant-garde style by various members of the group.'
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Monk's House was acquired by the National Trust in the 1980s
0:17:25 > 0:17:28and for the last ten years has been looked after by Jonathan
0:17:28 > 0:17:32and his wife Caroline. I'm very pleased to meet you.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33Nice to meet you.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- As soon as I walked into this house, it embraced me.- Yes.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38It really did, it's like a mini Charleston.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40I love the artwork and the colours.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's a treasure trove of the whole spirit of the Bloomsbury group.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47And not just the paintings. They painted all of the surfaces.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Exactly. That's just like Charleston.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51I can see the tables are painted. The lampshades.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53I noticed there was a packet of cigars there.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Are they yours or is that a prop?- No.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01- Those are the cigars that Virginia is known to have smoked.- No, really?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Yes. And she would have sat there in that chair.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07There are photographs of her in that chair in front of the fire,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10which is the obvious place in a very cold, damp room like this.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13So, you have been here ten years, you can
0:18:13 > 0:18:17obviously build up a picture of what she's like, a very good picture?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Just tell me a little bit about the woman.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Well, she was a genius and obsessed with words.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28So, all her life, she was focused on writing.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30It could have been be letters to a friend,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32it could have been her diaries,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35which she kept every single day.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And of course, then, her great works, her novels.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42She was also reviewing books, so she was just surrounded with words.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44I think she was writing at a time
0:18:44 > 0:18:50- when men had all the political power and the wealth.- Yes.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55She was a proto-feminist in an era when that wasn't really fashionable.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57She wrote A Room Of One's Own,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00about how she didn't just want to be an ordinary little housewife,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03but that she wanted to have the space
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and the freedom to devote herself to her work.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11Throughout the 1920s, that whole decade, she had a very close
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and intimate relationship with Vita Sackville-West.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19Well, she was somebody who was maybe quite confused in her own mind
0:19:19 > 0:19:21about her sexuality.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25And she certainly explored some quite intimate relationships
0:19:25 > 0:19:26with other women.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Not just Vita Sackville-West, but also the famous composer,
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Ethel Smyth.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36And I think this was part of the whole Bloomsbury experience
0:19:36 > 0:19:39that they were experimenting in many of the ways
0:19:39 > 0:19:42in which they lead their lives.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Monk's House was a retreat from the busy, chaotic London life,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50but Virginia Woolf's real retreat was the rambling garden,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54complete with orchard, which became an inspiration to her.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59In 1934, Leonard built this small writing lodge, especially for her.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02It's a marvellous writing studio, isn't it?
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Writing shed, in fact, a clapperboard shed -
0:20:05 > 0:20:08must be the most famous one in the world, if you're talking about sheds.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10It certainly is one of the most
0:20:10 > 0:20:13and it is something that a lot of people come to see here.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14- This is a pilgrimage, isn't it? - Exactly.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Where was she when she wrote those famous words of To The Lighthouse?
0:20:19 > 0:20:24And the paper that she wrote on, this blue paper, because
0:20:24 > 0:20:28apparently, she had quite bad eyes, so she didn't like white paper.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Just think how many famous people, let's say 80 to 100 years ago,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36would have sat here under the canopy of this chestnut tree.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38They loved to come down here to work,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41but they definitely entertained here as well.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45And there are photographs of the Bloomsbury group assembled,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49in fact, on this very bit of terracing here.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51People like EM Forster, TS Eliot, they all came here
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and they're all photographed here.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57'Despite her lifestyle and open relationships,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00'Virginia Woolf's heart belonged to Monk's House
0:21:00 > 0:21:03'and the man she shared it with, Leonard.'
0:21:03 > 0:21:06And he did support her in everything she did, didn't he?
0:21:06 > 0:21:09He was a loving man. And I know they had a great friendship right
0:21:09 > 0:21:14- throughout their life. - Yes, yes, and she, when she died,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18said in her letter that she left, that you have been the best
0:21:18 > 0:21:21husband that anyone could have been, because obviously, she didn't
0:21:21 > 0:21:25want him to feel guilty about, "If only I had done this for her."
0:21:31 > 0:21:32After Virginia Woolf's death,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35her husband Leonard continued to live here at Monk's House until his
0:21:35 > 0:21:39own death in 1969 and there is no doubt about it,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41this humble little house really does embody
0:21:41 > 0:21:44the spirit of one of the 20th century's greatest writers.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48It illuminates her life and it's definitely well worth a visit.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Now, quick reminder of what is going to auction.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01We have Carol's gold watch with that all-important maker's name,
0:22:01 > 0:22:07Nicola and Adam's 100-year-old Stanhope, made from marine ivory,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Cindy's Victorian theatre playbill dated 1865 and printed on silk,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16that 250-year-old silver cream jug belonging to Pam and, finally,
0:22:16 > 0:22:21David's early 19th-century mandolin with its beautiful mother-of-pearl inlay.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I'm getting excited, and I hope you are,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33because it's time to put our experts' valuations to the test.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38We're doing it in this building, Denhams Auctioneers.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Before I go inside and catch up with our owners,
0:22:40 > 0:22:45who are probably really nervous, let's have a chat with today's auctioneer, Simon Langton,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47see what he's got to say.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50As you can see, the sun's shining, so let's hope he's in a good mood.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55I want to know what Simon thinks of my item, the mandolin.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The reserve's been reduced to £120.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06I have been punchy, I put 150 to 250 on this because of its quality.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09A little bit punchy, a little bit excitable...
0:23:09 > 0:23:11But it's better than the norm.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Oh... Crumbs, it's top-drawer, this is the biggest news in mandolins, but you're a bit high,
0:23:16 > 0:23:21- I'm a bit low, perhaps we'll meet in the middle.- Let's make music!
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Well! Steady on!
0:23:23 > 0:23:28It's your job to get on the rostrum and find a buyer that's going to fall in love with this.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32David's wife Shirley has joined us for the sale.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Thank you, sir.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Hello, pleased to meet you as well. You've come to wave it goodbye.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43- Yes, sadly.- I tell you something... Sadly? Ooh, do you want to keep it?
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Well, you might be, because I had a chat to the auctioneer earlier,
0:23:47 > 0:23:51and you know what he said - he said he thought it was a bit punchy.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53He would put it at about 100 to 150.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57So his top end is my lower end, but it doesn't really matter, does it?
0:23:57 > 0:24:01They don't mind if it's going home. I think the pressure's off.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Next time we come to Worthing, we'll probably see him busking along the seafront.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Let's see if we hit the high notes now - it's time to sell it.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13The six-stringed mandolin, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16two labels on it, a handsome-looking mandolin.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18What do we say, £100 for it?
0:24:18 > 0:24:2575 then, come along, let's make music together. Come along, now.
0:24:25 > 0:24:3050, if we dare. 40, then. Thank you. And five. 50. And five.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33At £55, do I see 60?
0:24:33 > 0:24:38At £55, looking for 60. At £55, 60 I've got. And five, 70.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40And five, 80.
0:24:40 > 0:24:47And five, 90. And five. 100. 105, if it helps.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48It's only money!
0:24:48 > 0:24:52At 105, good for you. At 105, we're using discretion here.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55At 105, going to sell, at 105.
0:24:55 > 0:25:01Hammer's gone down. He sold it, with discretion. We wanted 120, he sold it at 105.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- So he's used a bit of discretion. Is that OK?- Yeah, that's fine.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09- It's gone, anyway, it's gone.- Won't have to string it now.- That'll help toward the golden wedding!
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It's got him out of playing it, hasn't it? Let's face it!
0:25:12 > 0:25:17- The golden wedding? - Yes!- Wow! 50 years!- On Friday!
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- Well, that's a bit of money towards the celebration.- That's right.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26- Buy a box of champagne.- Yeah. - Job done! Job done!
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Next up, the Victorian playbill.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34Cindy's decided at the last minute to put a £20 reserve on it,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and it looks like she's brought the whole family along to the sale.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41My daughter Kylie, and my granddaughter, Lilly.
0:25:41 > 0:25:42How old is Lilly?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- She's a year a week tomorrow. - Oh, bless!
0:25:45 > 0:25:52Hiya! Hello, Lilly. What are we selling? Well...
0:25:52 > 0:25:57- You've had this in the family quite a time.- I've had it about 15 years.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02- And did you have it on the wall? - Yes. My husband quite likes it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05It's your husband that's instigated the reserve?
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Yes, yes, because he said to me, "Actually, I quite like it."
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- He said, "I'll give you £20." - Did he?- Yes.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16We had a chat about it, and the auctioneer liked it,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18there's lots of history there.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21The thing is, if you had somebody in your family, past generations,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23that actually performed in a play that was there, well,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- you've got a buyer, haven't you? - That's right. - No matter how much it costs.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31- It's an important piece of social history.- Yeah, let's find out what happens. Here we go.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34240, is the Victorian programme there.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37The Royal Dramatic College at Crystal Palace.
0:26:37 > 0:26:44Numerous names of amusement and fun. What do we say for it? £20 for it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:4710, then, come along now, I'm bid 10 at the back.
0:26:47 > 0:26:5312, 16, 18, is it? At £18, 20, and two now, sir.
0:26:53 > 0:26:5922 right at the back there. Selling at 22, we're going at 22, are we?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03I think Lilly nearly put in a late bid there!
0:27:03 > 0:27:07- Crying out, "Over here," she said! - Yeah, that's right.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- Well done, David, spot on. - Brilliant, thank you.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Thank you so much for bringing all the family in.- Lovely.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15And a wonderful piece of social history.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Not exactly a fortune, but a spot-on estimate, and it's gone.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Next, it's that 1756 silver cream jug belonging to Pam.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Why are you selling the cream jug now?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- It sits in the back of a cupboard. - Does it? It does.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32That's what happens to silver, isn't it, when you don't want to polish it and leave it on display?
0:27:32 > 0:27:35But the fact that Pam hasn't polished it means it's got
0:27:35 > 0:27:39this lovely patination to it. This is a pure, clean...
0:27:39 > 0:27:42It's honest, that's what they say in the trade. Very honest, very clean.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- That's your favourite word, isn't it?- Crisp.- Honest condition.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48"It's honest, guv, it's really honest."
0:27:48 > 0:27:51- I tell you what, it's a good time to sell silver as well, isn't it?- It is.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Despite what other people might say, it's a very buoyant market.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- Happy with all that?- Yes, very.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Shall we now find out what the bidders think?
0:27:59 > 0:28:01OK, this is the real test, here we go.
0:28:02 > 0:28:09840 is the George III, 1765 cream jug.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14There it is, handsome cream jug, I'm bid 75, 80, and five, 90 and five.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Straight in.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20100, and 20, 30, 140, 150.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Are we all done and selling now?
0:28:23 > 0:28:30- At £150, you're done with it at 150, are you?- £150.- Top end.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32- How about that?- Very pleased.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36- Obviously there is commission to pay, here it is 15% plus VAT.- Wonderful.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40- But that's good spending money, isn't it?- Yes, we're going on holiday very shortly.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- So it's towards the kitty, really? - It is.- Going anywhere lovely?
0:28:43 > 0:28:48- South of France.- Oh, are you?- Do you speak any French.- En petit peu.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51A little bit, yes, thank you for translating for us!
0:28:51 > 0:28:54That's about the extent of my knowledge.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Ha-ha, superb! Let's hope we can do the same with the Stanhope.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00It's a mixed bag, really - a letter opener,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03we've got this wonderful Stanhope which eagle-eyes found.
0:29:03 > 0:29:08- Tell us about that.- I just found it in the back of the cupboard. - Fascinated?- Yes.- Were you?
0:29:08 > 0:29:11They're incredible, aren't they?
0:29:11 > 0:29:14It's the thing which sums up Victorian life.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Victorians loved this sort of thing. Things that did other things.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20The question is, will this lot out here love this?
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Let's find out, shall we? It's going under the hammer.
0:29:25 > 0:29:31Victorian pierced ivory paper knife, the end incorporating a Stanhope.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Come along, now.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37What do we say for this one? I'm bid 20 and 2, 24, 26.
0:29:40 > 0:29:4328, 30 and 2, 34, 36.
0:29:43 > 0:29:49£36, are we all done? At 36, selling at 36, do I see 38?
0:29:49 > 0:29:53No, it'll be at 36. Selling at £36 then...
0:29:53 > 0:29:57- It's gone. £36. Straight in. Happy? - Yeah, fine, thank you.
0:29:57 > 0:29:58It's not a lot of money,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01- but it's a great learning experience. - Exactly.- Definitely.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06- It's a great thing to start collecting, because it's affordable. - Exactly.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11Oh, go and play football. It's probably more interesting, isn't it?
0:30:11 > 0:30:15Well, that certainly brightened my day! Next up is a bit of class.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23Unfortunately, Carol can't be with us. But we have our expert, Michael Baggott,
0:30:23 > 0:30:27and we have a value of 100, £150.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31It's fabulous quality, there's a lot of gold weight in it,
0:30:31 > 0:30:36and then it's got the Asprey name, so I don't want to commit myself before the action,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38but it should sell, 100%.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Let's find out what the bidders think. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:30:42 > 0:30:48Pendant watch, by Asprey's - what do we say for this one?
0:30:48 > 0:30:54Starting us here at £50 and five. 60, and five. 70, and five.
0:30:54 > 0:30:5780, and five. 90, and five. 100.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59It's sold.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02120, 130, 140, 150,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06160, 170, 180, 190, 200. And 20.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11240, 260... 240 standing, all done at 240, do I see 260?
0:31:11 > 0:31:15At 240, and selling at 240 then...
0:31:15 > 0:31:18£240.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- Bang, the hammer went.- That's great. It was a come-and-buy-me, wasn't it?
0:31:21 > 0:31:27- I think it was. You're right - the name got it away. Quality always sells.- Brilliant.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29Who's going to tell her?
0:31:29 > 0:31:32I think a phone call from you is a joyous thing.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34A phone call from me, it could be bad tidings.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Well, so far, so good, that completes our first visit to the auction room today.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45We are coming back here later on in the show, so hopefully,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49fingers crossed, there should be one or two big surprises, so don't go away.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03Now, when you think of surrealist art, you think of lobster telephones
0:32:03 > 0:32:05and sofas in the shape of Mae West's lips,
0:32:05 > 0:32:10and also iconic names like Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Magritte,
0:32:10 > 0:32:14but England had its surrealist artists too, and this was their HQ -
0:32:14 > 0:32:20Farley Farm in deepest rural Sussex. Be prepared for a surprise.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28In 1949, the surrealist artist Roland Penrose and his wife, the photojournalist Lee Miller,
0:32:28 > 0:32:31made this place their home.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Surrealism is a revolutionary art movement
0:32:49 > 0:32:54which features the elements of surprise and juxtaposition.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59It's been described as an exploration of the subconscious, like a dream.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01And the Penroses lived in it.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Today, their former home, Farley Farm, is full of their artworks and that of their friends.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13It's a unique art gallery, museum and archive.
0:33:14 > 0:33:20The main rooms in the house had been left largely as they would have been when the Penrose family lived here.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22The room I am in now is the dining room.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25As you can see, the walls have been painted with a bright sunshine yellow,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27which is an incredibly bold move.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29And what dominates the room - you can't miss it -
0:33:29 > 0:33:32it's not just the fireplace, but it's a mural on the wall inside.
0:33:32 > 0:33:38Painted by Roland, it's the Sun God. Isn't that just incredible?
0:33:46 > 0:33:50But it's the dining table that the Penroses entertained all their friends at,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52the likes of Pablo Picasso and all.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Could you imagine the conversations that went on around this dining table?
0:33:56 > 0:34:01I'm just about to find out as I'm now going to have a chat with Antony Penrose, their son.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09So, how did your father meet your mother?
0:34:09 > 0:34:13- They met at an absolutely wild fancy dress party.- An elite party?
0:34:13 > 0:34:15It was a surrealist party.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17They were all dressed in what you might imagine
0:34:17 > 0:34:20the surrealist version of a fancy dress costume was.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26And they met, and my father described the moment as though he had been struck by lightning.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32- It's a great crack. He was never the same again.- Love at first sight?
0:34:32 > 0:34:37Yes, indeed. Although she was married and would have been living in Cairo,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39but he tracked her down, pursued her,
0:34:39 > 0:34:44then finally in 1939 she came to live with him in London, just as the war began.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51Lee Miller was a model before becoming a surrealist photographer and photojournalist.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00She even risked her own life, documenting World War II,
0:35:00 > 0:35:04but much of her work was unpublished.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15Antony spent over 30 years researching and presenting his mother's hidden photography.
0:35:16 > 0:35:21You didn't find out she was a photojournalist during the war until after her death?
0:35:21 > 0:35:24Well, I didn't know she'd been a combat photographer
0:35:24 > 0:35:30and I certainly didn't know the extreme breadth and penetration of her work.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35And I was absolutely astonished when we found the material in the attic of this house
0:35:35 > 0:35:38where she had hidden it away.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40They obviously kept that from you, didn't they?
0:35:40 > 0:35:44They just didn't talk about the war at all. It was completely buried.
0:35:44 > 0:35:49It was like a part of her life that she'd shut the door on and wanted to forget.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Did Roland paint her at all?
0:35:55 > 0:36:00Many times. And he painted her really in a very perceptive way.
0:36:00 > 0:36:06He really understood the inner workings of her in a way that I don't think anybody else did.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Was this the first time he painted your mother?
0:36:11 > 0:36:15Yes, he painted her like this in 1937, soon after he had met her.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Tell me a little bit about it.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Well, you can see her legs are earthy. Roland was very intuitive
0:36:22 > 0:36:26and he found metaphors for things that he couldn't explain in other ways.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31So, earthy legs, she was grounded. Really earthy sort of personality.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32And the upper half?
0:36:32 > 0:36:36Well, her body has become the sky because she was very strongly dissociated.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39It's like she didn't live inside her body.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41He knew this, didn't know how to explain it,
0:36:41 > 0:36:46so he just painted her with her body like the sky.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48He used a lot of visual metaphor in his work.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53- For example, you see the face is the sun.- It's a golden ball.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59Well, that was the brilliance of her intellect and the warmth of her personality encapsulated in there.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05And I see she's got two birds as hands. One's a swallow.
0:37:05 > 0:37:11Yes, the swallow comes because she should have been living at this moment with her husband in Cairo,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14and Roland was hoping that she would fly like a swallow,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18migrating from North Africa and come and live in his home in London.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- That's so romantic. - It is, isn't it? It's lovely.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34You grew up here. It must have been quite an unusual upbringing. Tell me about that.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Well, it seemed perfectly normal to me,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39didn't really occur to me that it was anything different
0:37:39 > 0:37:42until I got to be in my teens,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45and then I suddenly realised that, yes, perhaps it was unusual.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48So everything that was unusual seemed normal
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and your normal life at the time must have seemed unusual?
0:37:51 > 0:37:56Well, it took me a long time to discover what normal was, that was for sure.
0:37:56 > 0:38:01'But growing up in a surrealist household did come with its perks.'
0:38:01 > 0:38:03Well, I can recognise one person in the photograph,
0:38:03 > 0:38:07possibly the greatest artist of the 20th century - Pablo Picasso.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11- But who's the other little chap? - Well, that's me.- Aren't you lucky!
0:38:11 > 0:38:13- I know.- So lucky. How old were you?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15- I was three and a half. - Can you remember that day?
0:38:15 > 0:38:19It's just on the edge of my memory. I remember that he smelled good.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24He smelled of Gauloises cigarettes and cologne,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27and that was very unexpected for a small English boy.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31You can't meet anybody more important to have your photograph taken with.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Well, he was very important to me,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38and he was instantly a friend, somebody that I felt good with,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41and that continued for the years afterwards.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43- You're a lucky man to have met him. - Indeed I am.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Thank you so much for talking to me today.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48It's been a great pleasure. Thanks for coming.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Well, I'm certainly going to have fond memories of Farley Farm here in Sussex,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55home to the English surrealists.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57I might even have some vivid dreams tonight,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00and wake up and paint murals all over my walls.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04But one thing is for sure, this place is definitely well worth a visit.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07But it's only open on certain days of the year,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10so make sure you come here when it's open to the public.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Welcome back to the Pavilion here in Worthing.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29We've still got a full house. It's time for Act Two.
0:39:29 > 0:39:35Let's join up with our experts and see what they've spotted to take to auction later on in the show.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37We love to see smiling faces on "Flog It!"
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and Susan's brought along this one for Michael to value.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Susan, we are not alone.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45I see that!
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Where has this severe-looking fellow come from?
0:39:48 > 0:39:54Well, someone graciously donated him to a charity shop that I work in, in Hove.
0:39:54 > 0:39:59And we're all puzzled as to where he might come from and his value.
0:39:59 > 0:40:07Right. Well, hopefully, I can tell you where it was made, when it was made and what it's worth.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11If we look at him first, what a marvellous thing to be dropped into a charity shop.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16We've got something which is very obviously a Chinese carving.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21And it's on a variety of softwood.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Your mind always goes, when you see these Chinese figures, "Is it one of the Buddhist immortals?"
0:40:25 > 0:40:31But looking at how he's dressed, it's very much court-dress.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36I mean, you've got here this armoured sleeve
0:40:36 > 0:40:40and then we've got this fine robe, which is decorated all over.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43I say decorated all over, a lot of it's lost,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46but it's depicting clouds on it,
0:40:46 > 0:40:50because the Chinese loved the stylised formation of clouds.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Clouds are like waves, like mushrooms,
0:40:53 > 0:40:58the Emperor would have a ruyi sceptre and the head of it would be carved as a mushroom.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02- It's very interesting.- Very interesting.- So, all of these forms.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Now, originally this fine fellow
0:41:04 > 0:41:09would have been not as an individual sculpture, as we would understand it in the West,
0:41:09 > 0:41:14but a fitment off a large carved architectural building
0:41:14 > 0:41:18or a walkway or gallery, or even an altar.
0:41:18 > 0:41:19And you've got to think of this
0:41:19 > 0:41:24rather like the decorative pantile off the top of your Victorian house.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26And when you think of the Chinese court and the palaces
0:41:26 > 0:41:33and the massive scale they were on, you get hundreds, if not thousands, of these carved figures.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36And it can be very difficult to date them.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38And that's really my problem today.
0:41:38 > 0:41:44They certainly were made as early as the 16th or 17th century, right up to the 20th century.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48I've got a feeling, from the amount of genuine wear on this,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51that we'd be safe in saying it's 19th century,
0:41:51 > 0:41:53it may even be earlier,
0:41:53 > 0:41:55but it comes to the question of value.
0:41:55 > 0:42:02- That's it.- I mean, I remember 15 years ago when Chinese works of art were making money,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04but they weren't making a lot of money,
0:42:04 > 0:42:09and there seems to have been an explosion over the last two or three years,
0:42:09 > 0:42:13so whoever donated this was giving a real gift to the charity.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Let's put £200-400 on him.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Wonderful!
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Let's put a fixed reserve of £180 on him.
0:42:22 > 0:42:23Wonderful.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26It's the sort of thing I wish we saw more of on "Flog It!"
0:42:26 > 0:42:28cos it's really unique, in its way.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Thank you, Michael. I really appreciate your time.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34It's a pleasure. Let's hope he brings you luck on the day.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- Let's rub his head a little! - If it helps!- If it helps.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45David's up next, with Lesley's sewing kit.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48Thank you for bringing these little items in here.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- Are you a sewing lady yourself? - Yes, I am.- Good.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53This button's coming loose.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57- Perhaps you could sew it up for me before you go?- Maybe!- Thank you.
0:42:57 > 0:43:03Let's discuss this little needle case, which caught my eye
0:43:03 > 0:43:08because it's decorated with views of St John's College in Cambridge.
0:43:08 > 0:43:14- These are probably, as you know, transfer printed on the back of glass.- Yes.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16They're then coloured.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19The needle case itself is in astonishingly good condition,
0:43:19 > 0:43:21particularly when you bear in mind
0:43:21 > 0:43:25how susceptible the boards are to chipping.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28There's no wear there at all.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32The second item we'll quickly discuss is this box,
0:43:32 > 0:43:36which contains crewel silk for art needlework.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40Now, crewel work is a late 17th century technique
0:43:40 > 0:43:43whereby you create a raised decoration.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47It might be flower heads, or possibly animals or birds.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52You then cut round those and they were then applied to a linen or cotton backing.
0:43:52 > 0:43:57This particular thread is actually three or four different shades,
0:43:57 > 0:44:00going through from almost white to quite a dark green.
0:44:00 > 0:44:06And I was interested to see that that is shade 235, so whether that means
0:44:06 > 0:44:11that you could obtain 234 other shades or not, I don't know.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15And finally, as far as the sewing bits and pieces are concerned,
0:44:15 > 0:44:18there's this little pin holder here,
0:44:18 > 0:44:23made, I think, but I'm not absolutely certain, from stained ivory.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- Yes.- And seeing as you've brought it along with you,
0:44:26 > 0:44:29we might throw these playing cards in for good measure.
0:44:29 > 0:44:35- Have you any particular hopes or expectations?- Not really, not really.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39Wouldn't really put an estimate of much more than, say,
0:44:39 > 0:44:41£30-£50 on the lot.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44- That's fine.- You look a bit disappointed.
0:44:44 > 0:44:49Yes, I just thought a little bit more than 50, but...
0:44:49 > 0:44:51Well, we'll do our best for you.
0:44:51 > 0:44:52I mean, I say this a lot to people,
0:44:52 > 0:44:55in today's market you've got to be realistic.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59And because it's a low value lot, the auctioneers would probably be grateful
0:44:59 > 0:45:02- if we didn't put a reserve on it. - Oh, no, I wouldn't put a reserve.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Jolly good. OK. I'll see you at the sale, then.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18Well, if you've got any unwanted antiques and collectibles you want to sell, we want to see you.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Bring them along to one of our valuation days,
0:45:20 > 0:45:23and you can pick up all the dates and venues on our BBC website.
0:45:23 > 0:45:28Just log on to bbc.co.uk/flogit - all the information will be there.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30If you don't have a computer, ask a friend,
0:45:30 > 0:45:32or check the details in your local press,
0:45:32 > 0:45:36because we will hopefully be coming to an area very near you soon.
0:45:36 > 0:45:38So, come on, dust down your antiques and bring them along.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41This old chap's caught Michael's eye.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43- Jo.- Yes?
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Did you bring this fellow or did he swim here himself?
0:45:46 > 0:45:48No, I actually brought him here.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Where did you get this specimen from?
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Well, my uncle gave him to me years ago, about 50 years ago.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00I was just worrying for him because I loved him so much
0:46:00 > 0:46:03and eventually he gave in and gave the turtle to me.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07- So he really appealed to you? - He did. He still does.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12- He's got bags of character. He isn't everybody's cup of tea.- No.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15I think I might have been running away from him earlier today,
0:46:15 > 0:46:18when I saw him, thinking, "Good grief, what's that?"
0:46:18 > 0:46:21But he is, of course, as we all know, a turtle.
0:46:21 > 0:46:26- And this just feeds into the Victorian fascination with dead animals.- Yes.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30And we think it's a bit macabre today but really,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32there was no television,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35going to zoos was a long drawn-out and expensive process,
0:46:35 > 0:46:38so a lot of people of moderate means
0:46:38 > 0:46:44would put together these naturalistic museums of stuffed specimens.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47- You couldn't have them live, after all.- No, no.
0:46:47 > 0:46:53So what, to us today, can seem a little bit horrible and, "Oh! Why would they do that?"
0:46:53 > 0:46:57It's simply the only way that they could see these animals.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01- Catching these things and taking the shells off them is now banned.- Yes.
0:47:01 > 0:47:08That means there's a great deal of regulation that goes with selling anything like this at auction.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12- And the main thing is that it is prior to 1947.- Yes.
0:47:12 > 0:47:19Once you see that face, it's fairly evident it has 100 years of wear,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22- colour and patination to it.- It has.
0:47:22 > 0:47:27- You don't want to release him back, do you?- If only! If only.
0:47:27 > 0:47:32- I think, at auction, we could put £100-£200 on him.- Yes.
0:47:32 > 0:47:36In that very macabre, strange, Victorian aesthetic that it has -
0:47:36 > 0:47:40- I think someone will fall in love with him too.- Let's hope so!
0:47:40 > 0:47:43- Wave him bye-bye.- Yes. Bye-bye, dear old chap.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46I won't touch him. I'm still scared.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59As this is a theatre, I thought I'd do my next valuation right on the stage here,
0:47:59 > 0:48:01so we can keep an eye on what's going on behind us.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04I've been joined by Janet and we've got something that will appeal
0:48:04 > 0:48:08to the macabre, somebody with a wonderful, wacky sense of humour.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10And it's right here, Janet's holding it.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14- That is pretty wacky, isn't it? - Yes.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17What is a lady like you doing owning something like this?
0:48:17 > 0:48:20A lady that lived near me, I was friends with her
0:48:20 > 0:48:25and her husband, and he died and I used to go and visit her
0:48:25 > 0:48:30and she was throwing several things out and this was amongst it.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33And she said that it was her grandfather's
0:48:33 > 0:48:34and he did sail a ship.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- And obviously it caught your eye. - Well, it did.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39Although it's not nice to look at, for me,
0:48:39 > 0:48:42but I thought, "Don't throw that out, I'll have that."
0:48:42 > 0:48:47Well, it is a little vessel for holding tobacco, that is
0:48:47 > 0:48:49definitely pear wood.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Definitely. And this is...turned on a lathe, as you can see,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55the little frog's applied afterwards.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58The inside has been hollowed out on a lathe,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01then they've left this little length of pear wood as it
0:49:01 > 0:49:05came off the branch and they they've chip-carved a wonderful skull.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06Look at that!
0:49:06 > 0:49:11All the teeth have been actually carved by hand into the pear wood.
0:49:11 > 0:49:17And this is bone, this little snake, weaving through the eye sockets.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20But where the inspiration came - well, I don't know.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23But somebody that had a fascination for pirates
0:49:23 > 0:49:28and voodoo and...gosh, all sorts of spooky things.
0:49:28 > 0:49:32- I absolutely love it but I wouldn't have it in my house.- No.- I wouldn't.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36- Where's this been in your house? - It's in a shed. I don't want it...
0:49:36 > 0:49:39- Not in the house.- No. - Definitely not in the house.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42In the shed, in the garage, anywhere but in the house.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Could you imagine finding that at the end of the bed?
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Waking up one night and going...
0:49:47 > 0:49:51- Any idea of its value? - No, not really.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Do you know, I think if you put this into auction, we should be
0:49:54 > 0:49:59- looking at around £100-£150, because I think it's so out there.- Yes.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02Someone will like this. They really will.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05- Shall we call the valuation £100-£150?- Yes.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07- And put a reserve at 100 and see what happens?- Yes, OK.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11- Let's say goodbye!- Yes, goodbye.
0:50:11 > 0:50:13I hope I've got that valuation right.
0:50:13 > 0:50:18With unusual items like this, it's all about a gut feeling.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22Well, we've found some real gems.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25I think we've got one or two stunners, and we could have a few
0:50:25 > 0:50:28surprises, so let's get straight over to the auction room.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32And we're taking with us Jo's Victorian turtle,
0:50:32 > 0:50:34a naturalistic exhibition piece,
0:50:34 > 0:50:35Lesley's sewing kit,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39including a Cambridge-themed needle case and silk box,
0:50:39 > 0:50:43Janet's tobacco pot, with its carved skull, she kept in the shed
0:50:43 > 0:50:45because it was so scary,
0:50:45 > 0:50:51and Susan's imposing Chinese figure, in his robes, decorated with clouds.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56This is where we're putting our valuations to the test today,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Denhams Auctioneers, just a few miles outside of Horsham.
0:51:00 > 0:51:01As you can see, the house is filling up.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05It's got all the ingredients of a classic sale.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Quality kit, lots of people, enthusiastic bidding.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11That's what we want to see, and hopefully push the prices through the roof.
0:51:11 > 0:51:16Whatever you do, don't go away, because I can guarantee one or two big surprises.
0:51:17 > 0:51:22First up, a real museum piece. Will the bidders want to give him a home?
0:51:23 > 0:51:26Coming up now, something for all you taxidermy enthusiasts.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28It's a wonderful little turtle. It belongs to Jo.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30I've got to say, condition is superb.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32Taxidermy, ten years ago,
0:51:32 > 0:51:34you couldn't do anything with it, nobody wanted it.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37Then you get Damien Hirst cutting a cow in half,
0:51:37 > 0:51:40and all of a sudden everyone's interested in Victorian taxidermy.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42I just loved the turtle, myself.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46There was a move towards the sort of mini museum at home, with lots of natural history.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49- It's not to everybody's taste. - No, it's not.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52I hope there are two turtle fanciers here.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55I kind of...I like it in a way. I'm with you, I'm with you,
0:51:55 > 0:51:57but I know what Michael's saying.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59I would be delighted to be proved wrong.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04Let's find out what the bidders think. You've heard what Michael had to say about it,
0:52:04 > 0:52:05it's now down to the bidders. Here we go.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12It is a 19th century stuffed and mounted turtle.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15- Don't hold it up.- There he is, making his way amongst you.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18What do we say for him? £100 for him?
0:52:21 > 0:52:2575 for him? Come along now.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27I'm at £40. Good grief.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30£40, and five? 50,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32and five? 60?
0:52:32 > 0:52:34- At £60 then, and five. - Struggling, isn't it?
0:52:34 > 0:52:37As ghastly as he is, he's worth more than that.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40Yes, he is. You were right with the valuation.
0:52:40 > 0:52:47Do I see 70? At £65, he's all there. Beautiful looking specimen.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51Not quite enough. At £65, I'm going to have to pass it, I'm afraid.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57- He's going home. - Oh, I'm so pleased!- Are you?
0:52:57 > 0:53:00I'm going to find a shelf for him again.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03No, I love him dearly, so I'm not sad that he's going home.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05This is not a sale, this is a love affair.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08- And he's destined to stay with you. - He obviously is, yes.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11Thank goodness she DOES love him.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14Now something I think should attract the attention of some
0:53:14 > 0:53:16hard core rock'n'rollers.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20I've just been joined by Janet, the owner of this lovely old skull.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22We've got to sell it, because you don't want it back in the house
0:53:22 > 0:53:25- and all the money has got to go towards the cats.- Yes.
0:53:25 > 0:53:26So tell us about the cats.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29Yes, I've got a stray and my own cat,
0:53:29 > 0:53:32- but I do feed two others that come to me.- Do you?
0:53:32 > 0:53:36The word's got around now, all the cats are telling each other...
0:53:36 > 0:53:38- "Get down to Janet's, there's free grub."- Yes, yes.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41Well, let's see what this skull does.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44I really want this to sell but I'm having my doubts right now.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Here we go.
0:53:49 > 0:53:53And lot 660 is the curious tobacco jar in the form of a skull.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57There we are, a little bit of eastern excitement there for you.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01What do we say for it, £100?
0:54:01 > 0:54:04- I'm bid £100 straight in, bold bidding.- Straight in.
0:54:04 > 0:54:12- Do I see 110? At £100, then...and ten.- 120, 130, 140..
0:54:12 > 0:54:16- Yes, we've done it. Ever so pleased!- 150 now.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20All done and selling now, at £150. All done, are we?
0:54:22 > 0:54:25- I'm ever so chuffed at that!- I'm a bit psychic, I thought it would be.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29I did have my doubts, when I arrived at this sale, and I thought,
0:54:29 > 0:54:33"Mm, no." But, all credit to Simon, he's found the buyer.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36That's what it's all about.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40'Now for the sewing kit,
0:54:40 > 0:54:43'and Lesley's husband, Gordon, has come along for the sale.'
0:54:43 > 0:54:45A bit of a mixed lot coming up right now
0:54:45 > 0:54:50but not for a great deal of money - £30-£50. It belonged to Lesley, and who have you brought along today?
0:54:50 > 0:54:52- My husband, Gordon. - Hi, pleased to meet you.
0:54:52 > 0:54:57- I gather some of these were your grandmother's.- Correct. - The same items, were they? Yes.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01So, been in the family a long time, which is your social history, isn't it?
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Yes, that's quite true.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04Let's find out if the bidders are interested,
0:55:04 > 0:55:08cos that's what we're here for, to put it under the hammer and flog it. Here we go.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Victorian ivory item there, as we see it there,
0:55:13 > 0:55:15we've got all sorts of goodies there,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18playing cards, etc. What do we say for it?
0:55:18 > 0:55:21- It's a funny old mixed bag, isn't it?- 75, then?
0:55:21 > 0:55:25I'm bid 40, and five. 50, and five.
0:55:25 > 0:55:29- 60? £60 there?- That's good.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33Are we selling now at £60? Do I see the five? With me at 60, then.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37- All in and selling at 60, are we? - Straight in and out, really!
0:55:37 > 0:55:41There was something there somebody definitely wanted. £60.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44- No, I'm very pleased with that. - Good. Well done.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Yes, nice little lot.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50Sold, over estimate. That's what we like to see on "Flog It!"
0:55:50 > 0:55:53Now for our last item, the wooden Chinese figure.
0:55:53 > 0:55:56Susan's brought along her colleague, Amanda, for the sale.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00This was an Oxfam find, wasn't it?
0:56:00 > 0:56:03- This is an Oxfam find. - Tell me all about it.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07It came into the shop, a normal donation, in a box of other bric-a-brac.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10And we have a lady that specialises in antiques
0:56:10 > 0:56:14and she brought it out, thought it might be worth something.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17- And we brought it here.- Michael, we've got £200-£400 on this.
0:56:17 > 0:56:20- I swooped on it like a hawk! - You did, you beat me to it.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24- I went, "Ooh, ooh!" - I saw you behind me, leaning in.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27- Chinese figures, big business. - Ceramics.
0:56:27 > 0:56:32At the moment they've replaced Russian works of art as the most saleable class.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35- Highly sought-after. - Incredibly sought-after.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38- This is the big one!- This is the big one.- It's a lovely figure.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Hopefully, there are telephone bids and internet bidding.
0:56:41 > 0:56:43By somebody in Hong Kong.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46We're going to find out, all the waiting is over.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49It's been a long time, hasn't it? It really has. OK.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51It's a roller coaster ride just about to take place.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56- It's going under the hammer.- We want to buy a couple of cows.- Here we go.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01The very handsome, carved Eastern figure of a seated deity.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04There he is.
0:57:05 > 0:57:09- And...- So decorative. - And I am bid...
0:57:09 > 0:57:11£100, and 10,
0:57:11 > 0:57:13120, 130, 140,
0:57:13 > 0:57:16150, 160, 170, 180...
0:57:18 > 0:57:21..190. 200, with me now at £200.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Are we all done and selling now?
0:57:23 > 0:57:27At £200, then, can't make any more out of this, at £200...
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Just.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33At £200, I'm going to sell at £200. All out at 200, are we?
0:57:33 > 0:57:38- Yes!- Fantastic. And all the money's going back to the shop.
0:57:38 > 0:57:39We want to buy a couple of cows.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42- Do you?- And goats.- Oh, wonderful.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45- Yes, very excited.- If anything else like that comes along, bring it in.
0:57:45 > 0:57:50- We certainly will. It's been great. Thank you so much.- Bang on estimate.
0:57:50 > 0:57:56- Bang on. You're the best.- He is the best!- Can you say that again?
0:57:56 > 0:57:59He's the best. He is!
0:58:03 > 0:58:06Well, that's it, the auction has just finished
0:58:06 > 0:58:10and, I've got to say, all of our owners are going to go home very happy.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12I know it was a struggle, a few ups and downs,
0:58:12 > 0:58:15but that's auctions for you, you cannot predict what's going to happen.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19That's why they're so exciting. So, do join me again for many more surprises
0:58:19 > 0:58:23but, for now, from Sussex, it's goodbye.