Malvern Flog It!


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Can you see those hills over there in the pouring rain?

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Well, they're some of the oldest in England, and their beauty

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and splendour has inspired artists, poets, writers and composers for the last few centuries.

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And today, for one day only, those hills are alive with the sound of "Flog It!" Welcome to Malvern.

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The Malvern hills are some of the highest in England, and in fact, once you've climbed to the top

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of them and look out eastwards,

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the next highest you're going to see are the Urals over in Russia.

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Now, looking at them, they're of outstanding natural beauty.

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And I'm not alone here in my thoughts,

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because they did inspire Tolkien to write about the Misty Mountains in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

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So I'm in good company.

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Today, "Flog It!" is treading the boards at the Malvern Theatres complex,

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and leading our troupe of experienced valuers are Adam Partridge and Kate Bateman.

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Kate started as a ballerina before helping her father

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in his antiques shop, and then they set up an auction house together.

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Show and tell! What have you got at the back here? Ooh, pictures!

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Adam Partridge has been in the business 20 years.

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He loves the thrill of finding unexpected items at "Flog It!" valuation days

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and hearing the fascinating stories behind them.

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That's rather interesting, isn't it?

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-He starts crying while he's doing that.

-Really?

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Because it's actually happening as he does it.

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They'll be assessing all the antiques brought in,

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and we'll be flogging the best at auction later on in the show.

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So, right now it is 9:30, it's time to get the doors open and see what we can find.

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While this lot rummage through their bags and boxes

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sorting out their treasures, we can look ahead to today's show.

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One item has us all agreeing on the value but puzzling over exactly what it is.

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-What do you know about it?

-Not a great deal.

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-We thought he was possibly a vesta case monk.

-I wonder if it may have been an inkwell.

-Yeah.

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Or perhaps it's just a novelty monk.

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And with her corkscrew destined for auction, I think Christabel's on the pull.

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-Will I see you in the auction room?

-Yes. You will. So you can say, like you always do, "Oh, you look nice."

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Adam's dealing out our first valuation, two packs of cards.

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The first is a fairly standard set dating from Georgian times, but something else has caught his eye.

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The ones that intrigue me, actually, are this pile here, which are a similar-looking thing,

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but on the back of these I presume someone's converted

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these, or maybe they were made as a set of fortune teller's cards.

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Yes. They've all got some sort of weird thing on the back.

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They've all got some message on the back, haven't they? What's this one, the nine of hearts?

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"A deceitful woman with whom you are very intimate - beware of her,

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"for she will cause you some trouble." There we are!

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Let's try another one.

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I could read these all the time!

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"You will have a considerable sum of money come to you soon from a person you do not expect."

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-Let's hope it's Philip Serrell Auctioneers!

-That would be very good.

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Let's do one for the cameraman there.

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Cameraman one, "You will go on a party of pleasure with several people"!

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"It will not be so agreeable as expected."

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So don't celebrate too soon.

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Well, I think they're great, but I fear that I won't be allowed

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to go through them all, which is a great shame, because I could, quite happily! Let's do another round.

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Everybody in the room!

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Now, these are a very tricky thing to value, of course.

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Value's all about comparison, really, with similar things that

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you've sold or seen sold, and I've never come across things like this before.

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That doesn't necessarily mean they're hugely valuable.

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-But just interesting.

-But very interesting.

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How did you come to own them?

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I've just had them in the cupboard for a long, long time. My grandmother collected all sorts of things.

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They were just stuck in a paper bag, and she said, "Here you are.

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-"These are old."

-I haven't counted them all.

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-Are they all there?

-No, they're not full sets, either.

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-Not a full set.

-No.

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Just flick through them, so that people can see what they look like.

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A lot of collectors of playing cards...

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The fact they're not a full deck obviously isn't wonderful,

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-but what do you expect of something of this age?

-Quite.

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And these ones, of course, before they started the Qs and

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the As and the 1s and the 2s, just got the symbol things.

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Yes, and the pictures aren't upside down.

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-No, that's right, the pictures are one way up only.

-Yeah.

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What they're worth,

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-I would say maybe £40 to £80.

-Gosh!

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I think we should put some reserve, don't you? Because we don't want them going for £10.

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-No. No, no, no.

-What do you think? £40 with a bit of leeway? £40?

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I can see them appealing quite a lot.

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So thank you very much for bringing them. I've really enjoyed this.

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-Good!

-Thank you!

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So, will Fiona make her fortune?

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Well, we'll find out later on in the programme.

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Now, see what's crossing my palm.

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A walnut carved with tiny faces.

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How long have you had this?

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10, 12 years.

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-Gorgeous little walnut.

-Yes.

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With 18 faces carved on it.

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What's it worth? Do you know?

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-I know what I paid for it.

-What did you pay for it?

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I paid £4.50 on a boat in China.

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-Wow! What were you doing on a boat in China?

-Having lunch.

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Such intricate detail, and from one tiny little thing to another.

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Not Kate but this bronze monk belonging to Jean.

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He's a lovely little thing. How long have you had him?

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-50 years.

-And did you inherit him?

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No, I bought him when I was quite young at an antique shop on Poole quay.

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What do you know about him?

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Not a great deal, apart from the fact that he's a little monk,

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and I've discovered today that he was a vesta case monk.

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I had thought he was possibly an inkwell,

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but he hasn't got any kind of a liner.

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Well, we'll have a look at it.

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-So, he tips up.

-He does. He opens.

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A-ha. Yeah, you're right, you could have had a glass liner in there for an inkwell.

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I think you're right with the vesta case, because if you turn him round,

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you've got a little hatched roughened area here which would be for striking the matches.

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And also, he looks like he should have something in his hands, so maybe you could put a match there

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or something ready for lighting. But I can tell you a bit more about him.

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-Oh, good!

-Unfortunately, he's not signed, but just looking at him,

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he's made of bronze, so it's like a patinated bronze.

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There is no maker's mark anywhere or foundry mark or anything, so we don't know who made him exactly,

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but he's probably continental, French, most likely, and late 19th century.

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Not quite sure what kind of monk he is, what order he's from, but he's

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got his book and he's got his little rosary beads and things down here.

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Any idea, price-wise, what you think he's worth?

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Well, erm, since I've had him 50 years, I would hope about £50.

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-A pound a year!

-Yes.

-That might work. OK.

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Well, I think you might be a little on the low side even with that.

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I think at auction you'd probably estimate him at maybe £100 to £150,

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because he's quite a fun little item.

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If he was signed and we could know who the maker was, he'd probably be a bit more than that.

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Oh, right! I had no idea.

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-Put the reserve at 80, put the estimate at 100 to 150.

-Yes.

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-I think he should make it. I think he's quite a fun thing.

-No, I had no idea that he might be worth so much.

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-Somebody out there is looking for a mad monk!

-Yes.

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And all we need is for that somebody to be at the auction, and Jean could be onto a winner.

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I'm still delving into the bags and boxes of goodies brought in by

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the big crowd here and finding some real treasures.

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I'm going to turn this around to the camera right now.

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You've only seen the reverse side.

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But look at that. It's in the form of a little bureau, roll-top desk.

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It's absolutely exquisite.

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-Thank you, yes.

-I've not seen a caddy like this. It's a single caddy. The word "caddy"

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comes from the word "kati", which is the measure of tea sold in Malay.

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-It's the Malay word...

-Oh, OK.

-..for weight of tea.

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-So that's how we've got the word "caddy" from it.

-I see, yeah.

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This is a Regency little piece.

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It's around 1810, 1815, I would say.

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And it's made of mahogany, and it's got the most wonderful flame curl just sort of sweeping its way down

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the roll-top there and then all the way down the front face of this.

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Architecturally, it's absolutely perfect.

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The grain selection that the cabinet-maker has chosen to make this

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is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. That will polish up beautifully.

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It just needs a bit of TLC.

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-I know, yeah.

-It's got its original escutcheon, handles and little feet.

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So you've got something of extreme beauty here, and if I had to put a price on this,

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I would say about £800 to £1,200, because it's so rare.

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Wow. Wow, yes.

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I didn't realise it was valuable at all, really.

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I know quite a few tea-caddy collectors that would like to own

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-this particular shape because it's just so unusual.

-Yeah. Yeah.

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Find me another one.

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Find me another roll-top-desk tea caddy, please, a Georgian one!

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-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

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It's very interesting to know.

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My mum will be fascinated.

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Sadly, that tea caddy's so unusual, it's not going to auction.

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But Adam's next item, a jug brought in by Pauline, looks more likely to.

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I'm so pleased to see a piece of Royal Worcester today.

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I've been looking forward to seeing some Worcester, as we're in Malvern,

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and it's the sort of thing we'd expect to find. Is it something you've had a long time?

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It belongs to my parents, and it was a wedding present to them.

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And that was 63 years ago.

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-And so you've known it all your life, then.

-Yes, I have, yeah.

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-It's always just been in the china cabinet.

-Sitting there.

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-It's a pleasing shape, isn't it?

-It's beautiful, I think.

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Very beautiful. And very distinctive Royal Worcester, I think, of this period, the late 19th century.

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A lot of the wares were done in the Blush Ivory range, which is referring to the background colour

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on this vase. And you've got this floral decoration on the blush ivory background.

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-Of course, you know its purpose, do you?

-No, I didn't.

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Well, they've all got a number on the bottom

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there, 1229, and that's a shape number, and you

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can look in your Worcester porcelain book and it'll tell you what type

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of jug or what type of vase it was.

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And you've got your Royal Worcester mark there, and that little O is a date letter, which dates it to 1889.

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Now, the shape number, 1229, I don't have the book at my disposal,

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-but I'll bet a million dollars that it says iced-water jug...

-Oh!

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..because you've got this across the top there to stop the ice falling out.

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So you'd have all the ice in there, and then, as you pour it,

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that retains the ice and you just get the water coming out.

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So I'm convinced it's for iced water.

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Now, why have you brought it to sell it?

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Well, I saw the programme advertised, and I've always been interested.

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And I was just looking round to see what we could bring, and Mum said, "Why don't you take that?" So we did.

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-Right!

-I was surprised.

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I thought they probably wouldn't want to part with it, but she said, "No, it's all just in the cupboard,"

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and it would come to me anyway.

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-I suppose it's just stuff, isn't it?

-Yeah!

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So you're a keen viewer of "Flog It!", are you?

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Oh, yes, definitely.

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-Excellent. Well, I'm glad to hear that.

-Yeah.

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Well, now down to the value. I always find that these things don't always make as much as I expect

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them to, they don't make as much as they look as though they should be,

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because you imagine Royal Worcester porcelain is all very expensive.

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But it tends to be the painted wares that are the most expensive ones,

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and these blush wares of the late nineteenth century aren't incredibly valuable.

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My estimate would be £70 to £100 for that. Not a lot of money, I know.

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-It's better than just stood in the cupboard.

-Better than stood in the cupboard.

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And you get a chance to be on "Flog It!"

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And hopefully I'll get the money!

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That's the spirit. I would say put a reserve of 70.

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Fixed reserve - no less, not a penny less, not even 68.

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So, does that sound all right with you?

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-Yes, that's fine.

-OK. Well, we'll put it through, and fingers crossed we hit three figures with it.

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Three items chosen and ready to ship off to be sold at Philip Serrell's auctioneers and valuers.

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Well, it's now time to up the tempo and put those valuations to the test.

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This is my favourite part of the show, auction time, because you never know what's going to happen.

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Some items could fly away, or they could be stuck with our owners.

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And this is a really nervous time for our owners but also

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for our experts, because it's not an exact science, valuing antiques.

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Just hopefully we're going to have a good day.

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Here's what's going under the hammer.

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Adam was really taken with Fiona's Georgian playing cards with those interesting predictions.

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We're in the right part of the country for

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Pauline's Royal Worcester jug, so will the local connection help get the money pouring in?

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And finally, there's Jean's bronze monk.

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It's really got us puzzled.

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We all agree with Kate's estimate, but we're all confused about what it was used for.

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Even auctioneer Philip Serrell doesn't know.

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This is quite unusual, Phil. It's a bit of a curio, really.

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We have been calling it a bronze vesta case, but I'm not so sure.

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Kate's put a value of £100 to £150 on this.

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I wouldn't argue with the value. I think it'll do 100 to 150 all day long. It might do a little bit more.

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But what it is I don't know. I mean, he's clearly meant to be holding something just here.

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And the other thing is, if you open him up, if you had a match

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that went all the way down there, they would be very long matches.

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-Yes, they would.

-The only place that you would strike it on might be just down there.

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-On his robe.

-But I can't see that that's ever happened.

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So I'm not convinced it's a vesta.

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-I wonder whether it may have been an inkwell, but then, that would be in the way of it.

-Yeah.

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Or perhaps it's just a novelty monk.

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Convenient!

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Well, the bidders are ready, so let's hope they do us proud today.

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Well, showing their hand right now we've got a two-part pack of playing cards.

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They belong to Fiona, but unfortunately, she can't be with us today.

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But we've got her goddaughters. What are your names?

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-Laura. And Emily.

-Great to see you.

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So, have you seen these cards? Have you played with them before?

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-No. No, we haven't seen them before, actually.

-You've never seen them?

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Very nice. Very nice. Not quite complete, unfortunately.

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They'd be worth an awful lot of money. But they're Georgian and they're wonderful.

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-And I like the little notes on the back.

-I really like these.

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They're one of my favourite objects, I think, I've valued on the show.

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-Yeah.

-They're great. I'd like to see them do really well.

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I don't know if they will, but they're fun, and we had a great time on valuation day,

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playing with them, looking at all the handwritten fortunes, which were really interesting.

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-Could have sat there for hours!

-Well, it's now time to find out what this lot behind me think.

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Will they put their hands up? We're going to find out.

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Good luck, you two.

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Two part-packs of 19th-century playing cards. There you are.

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£60 to start me.

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Come on.

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Well, I'm bid £20 for them. At 20.

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-Someone's put their hand up. That's good. We're in.

-Were you waving at me?

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I'll wave back.

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30! Thank you! At 30.

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And 40. And 5. 50 now?

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Yes, 50 I'm bid. And 5. 55 on the book.

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At 60 on the net bid. At 60.

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At £60 only. At 60.

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At 60. And 5 anywhere?

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65, back of the room. At 65. 65. 70.

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-70 bid. At £70 only.

-It's good!

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On the Internet. At £70 only.

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At 70. 70 bid. Any more at all?

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-75. 75.

-It's climbing slowly.

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At 70. 80. 80 bid.

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£80. One more, sir?

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At £80 only. At £80 on the net.

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-I think we're out now. £80.

-And done on the net.

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That's it, the hammer's gone down.

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Are you going to report back to Fiona?

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Yep, we'll ring her straightaway and hopefully get a share of it!

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-Lunch! I think you'll get lunch out of it.

-Yeah!

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That seemed like a tough one, but we got there eventually.

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Now for Pauline's Royal Worcester jug.

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That jug, which Adam put a value of £70 to £100 on, I agree with that.

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I just want Pauline to get the top end, though. Can she do it?

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-Well, I think the valuation's quite accurate, but you never know.

-OK.

-Maybe just.

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-Maybe just.

-Maybe just. Good luck.

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He's teasing us.

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Lot number 598 is a Royal Worcester vase with ivory sprays.

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50 I'm started. At 50. 50 bid.

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At 50. 60. 60 bid. 70. 70 bid. 80.

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-80 bid. 90 with me.

-Sold it.

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At £90. 90. 90 bid.

0:16:490:16:51

They know what it's worth, don't they?

0:16:510:16:52

-Yeah.

-100, may I?

0:16:520:16:55

At £90. Any more at all?

0:16:550:16:57

At £90. And I sell, then, at £90.

0:16:570:17:01

-And done. Thank you.

-He was spot-on.

0:17:010:17:03

Well done, and thank you for bringing that in,

0:17:030:17:05

because that's been in the family a long, long time, hasn't it?

0:17:050:17:08

Short and sweet, but Pauline goes away another happy customer.

0:17:080:17:13

And rounding up this visit to the auction, that novelty monk.

0:17:130:17:16

Will the bidders be intrigued enough to have a go?

0:17:160:17:20

Jean, good luck.

0:17:200:17:22

I think this is a nice lot, I really do.

0:17:220:17:24

And I had a chat to Philip about this, and, Kate, he loved it.

0:17:240:17:27

-Did he?

-Absolutely loved it, yes.

-Oh!

0:17:270:17:28

We're not quite sure it was a vesta case.

0:17:280:17:31

-It's a mystery monk, isn't it, really? Let's face it.

-Well, yes.

0:17:310:17:34

You paid about a fiver for this a long time ago.

0:17:340:17:38

-A long time ago.

-Why are you selling it now?

0:17:380:17:40

-Well, I just came for the interest to the "Flog It!" valuation.

-He's cute.

0:17:400:17:45

Then everybody got interested in it!

0:17:450:17:47

We certainly did, didn't we? We're going to find out what this lot think now.

0:17:470:17:50

-Right.

-Ready?

-Yes, indeed.

0:17:500:17:51

This is the scary bit, this is the scary bit. But here we go. Good luck.

0:17:510:17:55

Lot number 357 is the novelty vesta case. Well, is it a vesta case?

0:17:550:18:01

I'm not sure, really, but you can't dispute it's a bronze monk. There we go.

0:18:010:18:06

Bid me for it, someone.

0:18:060:18:08

Bid me £100 to start.

0:18:080:18:10

Well, 50 I'm bid for the monk.

0:18:100:18:12

At 50. 50 bid. At 50. 50 bid. At 50.

0:18:120:18:14

60. 70. 70 bid. At 70.

0:18:140:18:17

At 70. 80. 90.

0:18:170:18:20

One more. 100. 110.

0:18:200:18:22

-That's good. He's got a book, look. He keeps referring to it.

-120. 120.

0:18:220:18:26

There's someone on the phone.

0:18:260:18:30

At £150 on the phone. At £150.

0:18:310:18:35

Is there any more? At £150 only.

0:18:350:18:37

At 150. Is there any more at all?

0:18:370:18:39

At £150 on the telephone. Any more?

0:18:390:18:42

At £150.

0:18:420:18:44

And done, then, at 150. And done.

0:18:440:18:47

That was a good investment.

0:18:470:18:48

Yes, yes.

0:18:480:18:50

-Have you got anything else like that that you bought ages ago?

-No, no.

0:18:500:18:54

A good result for the mystery monk, and money in Jean's pocket.

0:18:540:18:58

Today, for our little trip out into the local countryside, I've come to Witley Court in Worcestershire.

0:19:130:19:17

Now, 100 years ago, this was one of the most impressive stately homes in the country,

0:19:170:19:22

hosting lavish hunting parties and extravagant balls.

0:19:220:19:26

But then, something happened here in the 1930s that has given this place a rather different distinction.

0:19:260:19:32

Now Witley Court has a sombre, almost menacing air.

0:19:320:19:36

Just look at that!

0:19:360:19:37

That's haunting.

0:19:370:19:39

A devastating fire ripped through the east wing in 1937, and in

0:19:410:19:46

the space of one September's night, everything changed.

0:19:460:19:52

This photograph was taken the next morning.

0:19:520:19:56

Rescued contents can be seen heaped on the steps outside.

0:19:560:20:00

One witness said, "We sat on the edge of the fountain watching the Court burn.

0:20:000:20:04

"I remember seeing all the red drapes dropping and burning."

0:20:040:20:07

The building burned for most of the night. It was terrible to see.

0:20:070:20:12

Although a large portion of the house was untouched by the fire, this was the beginning of the end.

0:20:120:20:18

To learn more, I'm meeting Anna Pearsall from English Heritage,

0:20:180:20:22

which manage the building and keeps it open to the public.

0:20:220:20:25

So, how did it start?

0:20:250:20:27

Well, this is actually where the fire started, here in the east tower.

0:20:270:20:31

-So that tower acted like a flue.

-It did, yeah.

0:20:310:20:34

Just underneath, in the basements, that's where the bakery was, and that was where it originally started.

0:20:340:20:39

It spread up through the tower, aided by strong wind, as well.

0:20:390:20:43

Just went straight over to the east side and completely destroyed all the lavish side

0:20:430:20:47

of the house, unfortunately, all the ballroom, the dining room, the royal apartments, everything.

0:20:470:20:52

Can you imagine a fire this size? Pretty intense. It would have been seen from miles away, surely?

0:20:520:20:57

Oh, absolutely, yeah. There's reports from people who said that they were in the village of Great Witley, which

0:20:570:21:01

is a few mile away, and they said they could see the smoke for days.

0:21:010:21:05

So, was it all hands at the pump, really?

0:21:050:21:07

Was there much fire equipment here, safety equipment?

0:21:070:21:09

The fire engine came in, parked over the hydrant, and the staff

0:21:090:21:13

weren't equipped enough, they were inexperienced, didn't know what to do in the event of it.

0:21:130:21:19

And the other thing is that things weren't maintained,

0:21:190:21:22

so the hydrant wasn't actually working properly at the time.

0:21:220:21:25

You can see traces of the fire still, can't you, in the timbers?

0:21:250:21:28

-Yeah.

-There's only a little bit of wood left.

0:21:280:21:30

You can see where it actually revealed quite a few old features of the house.

0:21:300:21:34

If you look over to this side, that's where a Jacobean window was actually opened up by the fire.

0:21:340:21:39

Gosh! So it reveals an external wall of the house there.

0:21:390:21:41

There is another feature, as well, the seventeenth-century

0:21:410:21:44

window edge there, as well.

0:21:440:21:47

So as you look, it does reveal quite how old this property is.

0:21:470:21:50

It's sort of peeling back the layers of the fabric of the building.

0:21:500:21:54

It's a lot older, the house is, than people think. It was actually 1086.

0:21:540:21:58

-Was it really?

-Yeah, the first manor house built here, and it's just been adapted over the years.

0:21:580:22:01

Everybody's left their mark, every owner of the house.

0:22:010:22:04

Made it more grand over the years.

0:22:040:22:06

Well, shall we take a further wander?

0:22:060:22:08

Yeah, absolutely.

0:22:080:22:10

So, this is the ballroom - or what's left of it.

0:22:180:22:22

Exactly. There's a lot of charred timbers in here.

0:22:220:22:25

You can say this was where the fire really would have been at its hottest, really.

0:22:250:22:30

-Yeah.

-Unfortunately, the most lavish room of the house.

0:22:300:22:32

Well, I'm imagining now cut-glass chandeliers hanging everywhere, crystal...

0:22:320:22:38

They had eight crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling in here.

0:22:380:22:41

But you can imagine how lively and how vibrant it would have been back in its heyday.

0:22:410:22:46

They'd have had lots of parties here, wouldn't they?

0:22:460:22:48

Oh, absolutely. I mean, when the earl actually inherited the house and

0:22:480:22:51

-moved in, on his 21st birthday party they actually had a three-day event.

-Gosh, that's a bash, isn't it?

0:22:510:22:56

Oh, absolutely!

0:22:560:22:58

But all the opulence quickly vanished.

0:23:040:23:07

A year after the fire, the owners sold all the contents in a huge eight-day auction.

0:23:070:23:14

Well, I've been to a lot of auctions in my time but nothing as impressive as this one would have been

0:23:140:23:19

on Monday 26th September 1938,

0:23:190:23:22

when all the contents was put out on display here and sold on the spot.

0:23:220:23:28

It is quite incredible.

0:23:280:23:31

It's fascinating reading.

0:23:310:23:33

Unfortunately, there are no price guides, but this is quite interesting, lot number 76.

0:23:330:23:39

And you can hear it - it's right behind me, this immense fountain.

0:23:390:23:42

There's two here, and I'd imagine they didn't actually sell, because they're so big.

0:23:420:23:47

Who would want to dismantle that and take them away?

0:23:470:23:51

And thankfully, they've been restored by English Heritage and they're in full working order.

0:23:510:23:55

This one was designed by Nesfield and carved by James and William Forsyth.

0:23:550:24:00

It's phenomenal, isn't it?

0:24:000:24:02

Witley Court changed hands a few times in the subsequent 20 years, and the decline continued.

0:24:020:24:08

The house fell into disrepair.

0:24:080:24:10

Many of the fittings, including marble fireplaces,

0:24:100:24:13

lead work and stone ornaments, were stripped out and sold.

0:24:130:24:16

It was a sad time for the house that had been a model for the English country home.

0:24:160:24:24

During the 1950s and '60s, the whole estate was threatened with demolition several times

0:24:270:24:32

amid plans of turning the place into a Grand Prix circuit, a housing estate and even a caravan park.

0:24:320:24:39

But it survived all of that, and in 1970, the house and the grounds were designated an ancient monument.

0:24:390:24:45

And thank goodness, because now it's safe.

0:24:450:24:49

Welcome back to our valuation day at the Malvern Theatres.

0:25:020:25:05

As you can see, I'm still surrounded by people all waiting patiently for a valuation.

0:25:050:25:09

Well, I think we should catch up with our experts now and see what they're up to.

0:25:090:25:13

Kate Bateman's sure she's onto a winner,

0:25:130:25:15

even though Stuart's old books have certainly seen better days.

0:25:150:25:19

The first edition of this was much earlier, about fifty years earlier, and does sell for a lot more money.

0:25:190:25:23

But it's still a lovely thing.

0:25:230:25:27

And I'll be toasting this item's success.

0:25:270:25:30

Christabel has brought in an exquisite corkscrew from the 1800s.

0:25:300:25:33

Wish we had a bottle of wine here!

0:25:330:25:35

-I'm teetotal! I've never had a drink in my life!

-Haven't you?

0:25:350:25:38

-Only tea and coffee, no.

-It's no wonder you look so well, actually.

0:25:380:25:41

But first, it looks like Adam Partridge is getting a lesson in how to behave on television.

0:25:410:25:46

-Don't look at the camera.

-That's right!

0:25:460:25:49

Are you telling me?

0:25:490:25:50

No, they just told me not to.

0:25:500:25:53

-That's right. Look into my eyes...

-Yeah, look into your eyes.

0:25:530:25:55

He's spotted a painting brought in by Viv.

0:25:550:25:58

How did you come to get this watercolour?

0:25:580:26:01

It's not mine. It belongs to a work associate who bought it for £1 in a charity shop in Worcester.

0:26:010:26:08

-Oh, really?

-Mm. He's in Hull today, so he couldn't come.

0:26:080:26:11

He's only a young man, 35, who collects things that he fancies in charity shops.

0:26:110:26:15

-That is young, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-(I'm 35 as well!) OK.

0:26:150:26:20

So, he's got a good eye, clearly.

0:26:200:26:23

-Well, it seems to be.

-Do you like it?

0:26:230:26:26

-Not particularly.

-No?

0:26:260:26:27

-No.

-It's a bit drab, isn't it?

-It is. It is, it's very drab.

0:26:270:26:31

The market used to be quite strong for these watercolour landscapes.

0:26:310:26:34

And you've got a signature, HD Bell.

0:26:340:26:36

-Mm.

-But it used to be, and it's not so strong now.

0:26:360:26:39

But I presume he didn't pay much for it. What was it?

0:26:390:26:41

-£1.

-£1?

-£1!

-Well, I think we can multiply that by a bit.

0:26:410:26:45

-Oh.

-HD Bell was quite a prolific artist, and he seemed to do scenes of this kind of area.

0:26:450:26:52

There's no records of his dates or anything, but it's early 20th century,

0:26:520:26:56

late 19th, turn of the century, really.

0:26:560:26:58

And I think that ties in well with the style of the painting there. Very pleasant...

0:26:580:27:04

-painting, isn't it?

-Hardly overcrowded.

-No!

-Yeah.

0:27:040:27:08

-Is it growing on you a little bit?

-Yeah, I think it could!

0:27:080:27:11

Maybe it's the frame I don't like.

0:27:110:27:13

-Would you own it?

-No! No.

0:27:130:27:15

Would you have paid £1 for it?

0:27:150:27:17

-No!

-No?

-No, no!

-Well, I think it's going to make £50 to £80.

0:27:170:27:22

-Do you?

-Yes. Would that please him?

-I think it would.

0:27:220:27:25

The auction records show this artist seems to make between £50 and £150, so shall we do that?

0:27:250:27:30

-Put a £50 reserve?

-OK, yes.

-Estimate 50 to 80?

0:27:300:27:33

-Yeah.

-And then we'll see you both at the auction.

-You will.

0:27:330:27:36

-I've enjoyed this very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:27:360:27:39

Well, there you go, a 100-year-old watercolour packed and ready for auction.

0:27:390:27:43

Now I'm going back another 100 years with this early-1800s corkscrew belonging to Christabel.

0:27:430:27:49

-Do you know much about this? Have you ever used it?

-No.

0:27:490:27:51

Wish we had a bottle of wine here!

0:27:510:27:54

-I'm teetotal! I've never had a drink in my life!

-Haven't you?

-Only tea and coffee.

-Can you see?

0:27:540:27:59

-Look, there's an applied armorial there. Can you see that?

-Yes, I can.

0:27:590:28:03

And that says "Thomason". So we've got the maker's name.

0:28:030:28:06

And this is a royal warrant which was issued to him, so he was a maker for royalty.

0:28:060:28:13

And he was granted the patent in 1802 to make this particular type of corkscrew, and it was quite

0:28:130:28:20

unique in its day, and it was the forerunner to many corkscrews after.

0:28:200:28:25

And I can show you why, because when you draw the handle out,

0:28:250:28:28

-you can see it's got a male and a female thread which moves in the opposite direction.

-Yeah! Yeah.

0:28:280:28:33

The male and the female thread.

0:28:330:28:36

You'd wind that down into the cork,

0:28:360:28:39

and then you'd pull.

0:28:390:28:41

Now, the handle is made of mahogany.

0:28:420:28:45

It's a very simple turning.

0:28:450:28:47

-You can see that.

-Yes, yes. Yeah.

0:28:470:28:49

I have seen these handles with, let's say, some flattened-reel turning.

0:28:490:28:54

More elaborate.

0:28:540:28:56

-Slightly more elaborate.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And I've seen them in ivory. OK?

0:28:560:28:59

-Yeah.

-So this is a basic handle on this particular model.

0:28:590:29:01

-Now, this I would date at around about 1815 to 1820.

-Mm-hm.

0:29:010:29:08

Now, this is quite interesting.

0:29:080:29:10

Look at this. How good's your eyesight?

0:29:100:29:13

Not very!

0:29:130:29:14

If you can see, it just says there in Latin, "ne plus ultra".

0:29:160:29:21

-Yes, which means...?

-It means

0:29:210:29:24

"no more beyond", OK?

0:29:240:29:26

So he was quite confident,

0:29:260:29:29

Thomason, that when he designed this, it was going to be the best, you could not...

0:29:290:29:34

-..get better.

-So "no more beyond".

0:29:340:29:36

-That was his motto.

-Yes, yes.

0:29:360:29:38

And I guess when you got to the bottom of the bottle, no more beyond!

0:29:380:29:42

Nobody worried, anyway!

0:29:420:29:44

-Yeah.

-But isn't that lovely?

-Yeah.

0:29:440:29:47

-Value-wise, I know one sold recently, exactly the same model, for £65.

-Yeah.

0:29:470:29:52

So let's put an auction estimate on of £60 to £90 with a reserve at 60.

0:29:520:29:58

-That's fine.

-Happy with that?

-Yeah, very happy.

0:29:580:30:01

-Will I see you in the auction room?

-Yes, you will, yeah. Yeah.

0:30:010:30:03

We'll put something glamorous on, so you can say, like you always do, "Oh, you look nice".

0:30:030:30:08

Oh, she's stealing my lines!

0:30:110:30:13

Anyway, if we want glamour at the auction, we need Kate Bateman to find some more interesting items,

0:30:130:30:19

and Charles's clock looks like it's in with a chance.

0:30:190:30:21

You've brought in this fantastic clock with a bit of local history.

0:30:210:30:25

What can you tell me about it?

0:30:250:30:27

Well, I've known it all my life.

0:30:270:30:29

-I inherited it from my dad.

-Mm-hm.

0:30:290:30:32

And where he got it from, I don't know.

0:30:320:30:33

He must have bought it in a sale somewhere.

0:30:330:30:36

And, er...

0:30:360:30:39

the plate says, "The Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars,

0:30:390:30:42

"won by the second-best recruit, J Aston, in 1893".

0:30:420:30:48

-And do you know anything about him?

-And the local shop sold it.

0:30:480:30:50

Yeah, Birley & Co here, Worcester, and obviously "Paris make", which relates to the movement, so it'll be

0:30:500:30:56

-a French movement inside, the best kind, French and Swiss.

-Yeah.

0:30:560:30:59

So it's basically a slated-marble clock, late Victorian, obviously, from the date.

0:30:590:31:05

Do you know any more about this person?

0:31:050:31:06

I believe he went to the Boer War and he went to somewhere else.

0:31:060:31:12

I can't remember. I've got it wrote down.

0:31:120:31:14

But I've got him up to being a sergeant.

0:31:140:31:16

I mean, it's a nice thing. I want to know what the best-dressed recruit got, the smartest recruit got.

0:31:160:31:22

Did he survive the war, do you know?

0:31:220:31:24

-I don't know.

-Ah-hah. OK.

0:31:240:31:25

So, why are you thinking of selling it?

0:31:250:31:28

-Well, it's stuck in a back room at the moment...

-Just sits there.

-..doing nothing.

0:31:280:31:31

-OK.

-It keeps good time.

0:31:310:31:34

As long as he's level both ways...

0:31:340:31:37

-OK.

-..it's a perfect little clock.

0:31:370:31:39

Well, in terms of condition, it's got a few little nips and chips on the top.

0:31:410:31:44

And they're not the most popular things. They're quite dark and heavy, not everybody's style.

0:31:440:31:49

But it's still quite saleable at auction, and obviously, you've got

0:31:490:31:52

this nice local history to it, a bit of militaria interest, too.

0:31:520:31:57

So in terms of auction price, I think you'd expect it to make between £100 and £150 at auction.

0:31:570:32:03

But you could set a reserve of perhaps £80 just to protect it,

0:32:030:32:07

so that if it doesn't make that, it doesn't sell.

0:32:070:32:09

-Is that the sort of price you'd be happy at?

-Yes.

0:32:090:32:11

OK. So let's give it a go.

0:32:110:32:13

We'll send it to the sale and hope somebody's as charmed by its local interest as you were.

0:32:130:32:17

-Thanks for bringing it in.

-Thank you.

0:32:170:32:19

What a pretty face! The clock, I mean.

0:32:190:32:22

Now, take a look at what I've found, a table made out of paper.

0:32:220:32:26

Papier mache was very, very popular.

0:32:260:32:28

All sorts of things were made. Even chairs were made of papier mache.

0:32:280:32:31

This little table dates from around about 1850, 1860.

0:32:310:32:35

Right, yeah. Somebody said it was Victorian Gothic.

0:32:350:32:39

Yes, it is. That's about the right period, the 1860s.

0:32:390:32:42

-Yeah, Gothic revival.

-Yeah.

0:32:420:32:44

It's lovely.

0:32:440:32:46

Here's Kate with some rather tired-looking but intriguing books,

0:32:460:32:50

four volumes of architectural reference, The Antiquities of Athens, belonging to Stuart.

0:32:500:32:56

-Let's have a quick look and see what we've got inside, get a flavour of the thing.

-Yeah.

0:32:560:33:00

They're in not brilliant condition, I have to say. I'm going to moan about condition.

0:33:000:33:04

-Well, they were in this condition when they were given to me.

-OK.

0:33:040:33:07

And they were given to me in the early '80s, when I was training to become an architect.

0:33:070:33:14

-Did you use it in your planning of buildings?

-Yeah, I did.

0:33:140:33:17

I used them as part of a thesis.

0:33:170:33:20

Well, they're beautiful things.

0:33:200:33:21

I mean, each one has basically got these copper-plate engravings, and

0:33:210:33:24

it tells you the information about the engravers on it.

0:33:240:33:27

As you say, there's four volumes, and in the first volume, which I've had a look at, there's breakdowns of

0:33:270:33:33

the individual parts of the buildings.

0:33:330:33:35

Everyone wants the columns, the Ionic and Doric and Corinthian.

0:33:350:33:39

What's sad about these, in a way, and makes them hard to value, is, as books, they're probably in this

0:33:390:33:44

condition less valuable than as breakers, so as prints, effectively, which is people would break it up,

0:33:440:33:51

frame it up. These would look fantastic either left on their own or hand-coloured.

0:33:510:33:55

-In an architect's office, for example, six on the wall would look brilliant.

-Yeah.

0:33:550:33:59

But it does seem such a shame to break up a book, and hopefully somebody will keep them

0:33:590:34:05

as a whole if they buy them, maybe get them re-bound and in a better condition and then use them.

0:34:050:34:10

The version is 1825, which it tells us at the beginning,

0:34:100:34:15

-by Stuart and Revett, who were the drawers and the architects.

-Yes.

0:34:150:34:18

And the first edition of this was much earlier, about fifty years earlier,

0:34:180:34:22

and does sell for a lot more money, because it was the first edition.

0:34:220:34:25

-But it's still a lovely thing. Price-wise, you don't have any idea?

-No idea at all on price, no.

0:34:250:34:30

No. well, just judging roughly from the number of prints in it,

0:34:300:34:33

you've got four volumes, even in this kind of condition, with foxing,

0:34:330:34:37

I would have thought 150 to 250 is a fairly conservative estimate.

0:34:370:34:41

-Is that the kind of figure you'd be happy with?

-It is, absolutely.

0:34:410:34:45

-Would you want a reserve?

-Definitely have a reserve, yes.

0:34:450:34:47

So perhaps a £100 reserve and the estimate at 150 to 250,

0:34:470:34:52

and that'll give it a good chance of selling at the saleroom.

0:34:520:34:55

OK! Well, we'll give it a go.

0:34:550:34:57

-Thanks for bringing it in.

-OK, thank you.

-Thank you.

0:34:570:34:59

Four more items chosen and on their way to the auction room.

0:34:590:35:04

We're taking Viv's watercolour. She says it's growing on her, so let's hope the bidders like it, too.

0:35:060:35:12

Christabel's corkscrew is a class item so should command a decent price.

0:35:120:35:17

Charles's clock was second prize, and I'm hoping it will get first place at auction.

0:35:170:35:22

And finally, we have Stuart's books.

0:35:220:35:25

I have a suspicion these will really, really take off at auction.

0:35:250:35:28

Am I right?

0:35:280:35:30

Well, you'll have to wait and see.

0:35:300:35:31

We're selling our items at Philip Serrell's auction house in Malvern.

0:35:310:35:35

Whatever you do, when you're browsing around an auction room, always buy a catalogue.

0:35:350:35:40

They only cost a couple of pounds, and they're well worth it, because there's so much information in here.

0:35:400:35:45

You might miss so many things. Now, you could walk pass this section of glass and think, "So what?

0:35:450:35:49

I don't really want that,"

0:35:490:35:51

and move on. But look the lot number up, read what it says

0:35:510:35:55

in the description, because this, in fact, is late-18th-century, early-19th-century glass.

0:35:550:36:00

It's all hand-blown, and you can see by these pontil marks underneath.

0:36:000:36:04

Hold it up to the light and you can see there's a really good lead content.

0:36:040:36:10

And look at all this lovely reed work.

0:36:100:36:12

All hand-made.

0:36:120:36:13

And so are these little glasses. And it's a lot that's grouped together and it's catalogued at £25 to £50.

0:36:130:36:21

I expect that to do quite a bit of money, not £20 to £50.

0:36:210:36:25

And how did they do?

0:36:250:36:27

At £100. Any more?

0:36:270:36:29

Well, what did I tell you? Those glasses went for double the top end.

0:36:310:36:35

So, no time to waste, because our next item is just about to go under the hammer.

0:36:350:36:38

It's the 20th-century watercolour which Viv's selling.

0:36:380:36:41

Viv, it's great to see you. I'm quite excited about this next lot, because it's a watercolour.

0:36:440:36:47

I love the rocky outcrop. It's a nice signed piece.

0:36:470:36:51

-And you like this, as well.

-Yeah, I thought it was quite pleasant.

0:36:510:36:53

And the artist is listed and he generally makes that sort of money, sometimes a bit more.

0:36:530:36:56

-So I think we should be all right.

-It's a nice thing to have, isn't it?

0:36:560:36:59

I mean, so many people have just photographs and prints on their walls, but you can actually go to an

0:36:590:37:02

auction room and buy some fine art.

0:37:020:37:05

Anyway, let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?

0:37:050:37:06

It's going under the hammer right now.

0:37:060:37:08

Lot number 176, watercolour with figures on paths with hills beyond, and I'm bid £20 for that lot. At 20.

0:37:080:37:15

20 bid. At 20. 20 bid.

0:37:150:37:17

And 5. And 30. 30 bid.

0:37:170:37:20

-30...

-35. And 40. 40 bid. And 5.

0:37:200:37:23

At 45. One more now.

0:37:230:37:25

At 45 anywhere? At 45.

0:37:250:37:26

Any more at all?

0:37:260:37:28

At £45 only. 45. 50, may I?

0:37:280:37:33

-At £45.

-Come on.

0:37:330:37:36

-It's still got to try.

-That's right.

-Anywhere at all?

0:37:360:37:39

Help me out, someone. At £45. One more?

0:37:390:37:41

Well, I'm sorry, I can't do that.

0:37:430:37:45

Oh, dear!

0:37:450:37:48

-I thought it would have sold.

-What are you going to do?

0:37:480:37:50

Well, I'll have to give it back to the charity shop.

0:37:500:37:52

No, no, no, no!

0:37:520:37:54

I think put it into the auction. Leave it with Philip.

0:37:540:37:55

He might find the underbidder and hopefully will let it go at £45.

0:37:550:37:59

-Yes!

-Let's do that, OK? We'll leave it up to Philip to sort out.

0:37:590:38:01

-Good idea.

-Thanks so much.

-Thanks for coming.

0:38:010:38:03

-But at least the money will go back to charity.

-Yeah! Yeah, yeah.

0:38:030:38:06

Good. The bidding fell just £5 short of Viv's £50 reserve.

0:38:060:38:11

Let's hope for better luck with Charles's clock.

0:38:110:38:14

-Who is this? You've just popped in!

-I have, I have!

0:38:160:38:18

This is my wife, Jeanette.

0:38:180:38:20

Jeanette, pleased to meet you.

0:38:200:38:21

Why are you selling the clock?

0:38:210:38:23

It's never looked right in our house.

0:38:230:38:25

-Hasn't it?

-No.

-Well, it's a nice thing.

-It goes.

0:38:250:38:27

It does go, doesn't it?

0:38:270:38:29

And I just hope it goes at the top end of the value, as well.

0:38:290:38:32

-I think it's about right, Kate.

-I hope so.

0:38:320:38:34

-I mean, it's local interest, and there's a lovely story behind it, so it should go well, yeah.

-Good luck!

0:38:340:38:38

Good luck! Time's ticking away.

0:38:380:38:40

This is it, in fact.

0:38:400:38:42

Lot number 255 is the slate mantle clock.

0:38:420:38:46

There we are. I'm bid 55. 60. 65.

0:38:460:38:48

At 65. At 65. And 70. And 5. At 75.

0:38:480:38:53

At £75 only. At 75.

0:38:530:38:55

Any more? At £75. Any more?

0:38:550:38:59

No. Well, I'm sorry, I can't do that.

0:39:010:39:03

One bid away there.

0:39:030:39:05

Yeah. Oh, that was a shame. I wonder who was bidding.

0:39:050:39:08

Keep an eye out for them!

0:39:080:39:10

Never mind. Never mind.

0:39:100:39:11

Another lot unsold.

0:39:110:39:14

We're all very nervous that things are not going to plan.

0:39:140:39:17

Let's hope Christabel can break the jinx with that rather beautiful corkscrew.

0:39:170:39:21

Well, I hope this next lot goes with a...

0:39:210:39:24

-Hey, you know what Oscar Wilde said, don't you?

-No.

0:39:240:39:27

"Drinking is a mug's game. The bigger the mug, the better."

0:39:270:39:31

-Hey, look, I've got good hopes for this.

-Yes, OK.

0:39:310:39:35

-There's a few other corkscrews in the sale today. You saw those.

-Yeah.

0:39:350:39:38

-And they're not as good.

-No. Good.

0:39:380:39:40

So I'm feeling really positive.

0:39:400:39:43

I just hope it does a little bit more than £110, but it's going to go. Here we are.

0:39:430:39:49

228 is the corkscrew.

0:39:510:39:53

£70 bid. At 70. 70 bid.

0:39:530:39:55

£70 only for the corkscrew. At 70.

0:39:550:39:58

At £70 bid. At 80. 80 bid.

0:39:580:40:01

At £80 only. Nine on the telephone?

0:40:010:40:04

90 I'm bid on the telephone.

0:40:040:40:06

-Oh, we have a phone line. That's great news.

-At £90 on the telephone.

0:40:060:40:09

At 90. Is there any more?

0:40:090:40:12

At £90 only. Is there any more at all?

0:40:120:40:15

-At £90.

-He's selling.

0:40:150:40:17

-Great.

-At 90, and done.

0:40:170:40:20

-Good!

-Top end of the estimate. It did go with a pop, didn't it?

0:40:200:40:23

-Yeah.

-Well, at last the bids are pouring in, and so is the cash.

0:40:230:40:26

Next up, Stuart's books on Greek architecture.

0:40:260:40:29

Will the bidders have designs on them?

0:40:290:40:31

At the last minute, Stuart's upped the reserve to £200,

0:40:310:40:35

close to the top end of Kate's estimate. Will they sell?

0:40:350:40:38

Why have you decided to sell, again?

0:40:380:40:40

Well, I used the books for architectural reference when I was training to become an architect

0:40:400:40:46

in the early '80s, and they've just been collecting dust.

0:40:460:40:48

-They've been in the library ever since, and...

-Very nice lot.

0:40:480:40:51

And as Philip said, it's a proper antique dealer's lot, as well.

0:40:510:40:55

It's the kind of thing you want in a nice old antiques shop full of curios and things.

0:40:550:41:00

Good doorstop. Wobbly tray...!

0:41:000:41:02

Yeah!

0:41:020:41:04

Hey, let's find out what the bidders think, shall we?

0:41:040:41:06

And good luck, Stuart. Here we are.

0:41:060:41:08

If you're going to have a book, this is the one to have, The Antiquities of Athens.

0:41:080:41:14

Hopefully, we've got a phone bid, look. I can see someone with a phone.

0:41:140:41:18

-Someone start me at £200. 200 I am bid.

-200!

0:41:180:41:21

200 straight in. Straight in at 200.

0:41:210:41:24

220. 230. 240.

0:41:240:41:27

250. 260.

0:41:270:41:30

270.

0:41:300:41:33

280. 290.

0:41:330:41:36

-They like them!

-300.

-There's someone in the room,

0:41:360:41:39

as well, which is nice, because you know that they've seen them.

0:41:390:41:41

330 in the room. 340. 350. 350. 360.

0:41:410:41:47

370.

0:41:470:41:49

-This is fantastic.

-380.

0:41:490:41:52

390.

0:41:520:41:54

-400.

-Brilliant!

0:41:540:41:56

-This is very good.

-Double.

0:41:560:41:58

-Best not use them as a doorstop, then.

-No!

-450, is it?

0:41:580:42:01

-420 on the telephone.

-He's selling now.

0:42:010:42:04

There's bids on the net. At 450.

0:42:040:42:07

480. 480. At £480 on the telephone.

0:42:070:42:11

Any more?

0:42:110:42:13

500 bid. 520. 550. 580.

0:42:130:42:17

-Goodness!

-This is good!

-Worth waiting.

0:42:170:42:19

620. 650 on the net. 650. 680?

0:42:190:42:24

680. 700 on the net.

0:42:240:42:27

700!

0:42:270:42:29

720?

0:42:290:42:31

At £700. Bid's on the net.

0:42:310:42:34

At £700. Is there any more?

0:42:340:42:37

I sell, then, at £700 and done.

0:42:370:42:39

-Yes!

-Hammer has gone down.

0:42:390:42:41

Stuart, that is fabulous, isn't it?

0:42:410:42:43

It really is.

0:42:430:42:45

Half a dozen people really wanted them, that's all I can say.

0:42:450:42:47

Another spot-on valuation, of course(!) I knew they'd make that!

0:42:470:42:50

It was just for dramatic effect!

0:42:500:42:53

And that's a dramatic end to today's show.

0:42:530:42:55

Once again, the people of Malvern have done us proud and put a smile on everyone's face.

0:42:550:43:00

If you'd like to take part in the show, this is where it all starts, a "Flog It!" valuation day.

0:43:050:43:11

You've got to come to one of these. There's two ways of doing it.

0:43:110:43:14

You can check the details in your local press, or

0:43:140:43:18

you can log on to:

0:43:180:43:19

Click F for "Flog It"

0:43:210:43:22

and follow the links and you'll find the dates and the venues

0:43:220:43:26

for our next valuation days, and hopefully they're near you.

0:43:260:43:30

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0:43:440:43:46

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0:43:460:43:49

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