0:00:02 > 0:00:08Welcome to Flog It, the show that values your unwanted antiques and collectables for auction
0:00:08 > 0:00:12where hopefully there will be surprises for you or you.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Today we're in Dorset's county town of Dorchester.
0:00:40 > 0:00:47It's believed that the origins of Dorchester date back to prehistoric times some 4,000 years ago.
0:00:47 > 0:00:53After the Roman invasion, the town became an important market centre and staging post.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57There's still a weekly market here.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03We're continuing the trading theme here at the Dorford Centre.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07It underwent a £1 million refit not so long ago
0:01:07 > 0:01:11so let's hope we can trade great items for great prices.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16'Coming up on today's show: a surprise for Lillian.'
0:01:16 > 0:01:18That is good news.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21'David ticks off an art critic.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:27- Mr "Owski" would be very cross with you.- I expect he would be! - He spent hours painting this.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30'And one owner gets really excited.'
0:01:30 > 0:01:34We'll go with the spirit of the programme and flog it!
0:01:35 > 0:01:42We have a team of valuers helping us today and they're ably led by two of our finest experts.
0:01:42 > 0:01:48Mark Stacey's provenance includes years at a famous auction house, Sotheby's.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I've got the whole world in my hand!
0:01:51 > 0:01:57David Fletcher has spent his whole life working with and loving antiques.
0:01:57 > 0:02:04Hilda's brought in an unusual collectable that Mark is keen to take a closer look at.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09- It's one of the nicest things I've seen.- Well, I rather like it.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12- It's so quirky.- That's right. - Absolutely.
0:02:12 > 0:02:20The bowl says it all. This is a souvenir of the Boer War, 1899-1900.
0:02:20 > 0:02:26- We've got an exact copy of a gun which is...- Lee Metford. - Lee Metford.
0:02:26 > 0:02:33Right down to the bayonet. And all these little details of how the gun worked.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35You'd have gone like that to fire.
0:02:35 > 0:02:42When we turn it over, we've got all the details on the back here - a full set of hallmarks
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and a registration number as well.
0:02:45 > 0:02:53- It's a lovely bit of commemorative silver.- Anybody who collects spoons or militaria, I thought,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- would be interested.- You don't need me at all. You've stolen my line!
0:02:57 > 0:03:03- There are people who collect things to do specifically with the Boer War as well.- Do they?
0:03:03 > 0:03:08- Tell me the history of it. - I only know that my mother had it.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10She would have been about 14
0:03:10 > 0:03:16- at the end of the Boer War.- Yes. - And that's all I know.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21- It came to me.- You would have bought this as an act of patriotism.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26- I expect so, yes.- So your mother or a member of your family would have gone out
0:03:26 > 0:03:32and been proud to have it on display at home, showing you were behind Britain.
0:03:32 > 0:03:37- So for a little object, it's got an awful lot of history.- Yes.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42- I think I'm going to be cautious and say maybe £60-£80.- Oh!
0:03:42 > 0:03:49- It's a lot for a spoon. - It is, but it wouldn't surprise me on the day if it went
0:03:49 > 0:03:54- for over £100.- Really?- Absolutely. Why do you want to sell it?
0:03:54 > 0:04:00- My daughter doesn't want it. My son would have loved it, but I lost him a couple of years ago.- I'm sorry.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- So what happens to it after? - And also it's quite nice
0:04:04 > 0:04:11- to know it's going to go to another collector.- They'd appreciate it very much so, wouldn't they?
0:04:11 > 0:04:17So it's time to pass it on. It's just such a lovely, honest collectable item.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28'Valuation days are the perfect opportunity for all those unwanted antiques to get a proper airing.
0:04:28 > 0:04:34'There's nothing I like better to do than have a good old rummage to see if there are any hidden gems
0:04:34 > 0:04:37'among the bags and boxes in the queue.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:41- What have you brought along? - A little vase. Quite delicate.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- A Parian vase.- Oh, is it?- Yeah. - Oh, isn't that lovely?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Parian is a Victorian invention. - Yes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:55It's a cheaper version of white marble. White marble comes from the island of Paros, basically.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Isn't that lovely? Is that something you're going to sell?
0:04:59 > 0:05:04- Possibly, yes. If the price is right.- If the price is right!
0:05:04 > 0:05:11Back inside, expert David is taking a closer look at Michael's truncheon.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17- Thank you for bringing this in. - Pleasure.- Did you smuggle it in in your trouser leg?- Yes!
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Well done. I'm not sure if it's an offensive weapon or not.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'm right that this is the type of truncheon issued
0:05:27 > 0:05:30to Navy men
0:05:30 > 0:05:37who were responsible for getting together companies to man ships
0:05:37 > 0:05:43- in order to supplement the King's Navy.- Yes.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46I know that it's initialled WR.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50And above that we have IV for four,
0:05:50 > 0:05:55- which I take to be William IV.- Yes. - Or related to William IV.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01And beneath that it's marked or there's a painted inscription, "St Martins".
0:06:01 > 0:06:06- It would be a relatively small force, wouldn't it?- Yes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12It would not be hundreds of people. A small group of 10 or 20 peacekeepers.
0:06:12 > 0:06:18I don't know if it was one man for every press man, but if you'd been having a quiet drink
0:06:18 > 0:06:24and woke up in the morning going towards the Bay of Biscay, you'd be unhappy!
0:06:24 > 0:06:28And you'd need people to keep you away from the officers who did it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:34- Yes. So how did it come into your possession, Mike?- My mother gave it to me. She was a nurse in Canada.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39- Was she?- And she obviously knew I was in the Navy.
0:06:39 > 0:06:46And I think this was a gift from a patient to her. She gave it to me for its naval connections.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- That was a lovely gesture. You're a Navy man?- Yes.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Hence the beard!- Yes.- What's a beard like that called? A full set?
0:06:54 > 0:06:59- It is a full set if you don't shave every day.- All right, OK.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03And this is something you're no longer interested in?
0:07:03 > 0:07:09I'd like to think somebody with a lot more knowledge about these would add it to his collection.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12He may not want to pay a lot for it,
0:07:12 > 0:07:17- but it would be nice to think it's going to a good home. - So what I suggest we do is
0:07:17 > 0:07:22put this in the sale at an estimate of £100-£150.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28- Would that be all right?- Yes, fine. - Good. You're very philosophical. Reserve of £100?- Wonderful.
0:07:28 > 0:07:35But I'm sure we'll find someone out there who has a similar collection of similar items
0:07:35 > 0:07:40and, who knows, might even have another St Martins truncheon to make a pair.
0:07:40 > 0:07:47- So I look forward to seeing you at the sale.- Yes, indeed. - And safe journey home.- Thank you.
0:07:49 > 0:07:57Michael wants to see his truncheon go to a better home. There's a mystery about a painting of a house
0:07:57 > 0:08:00brought in by Martin and Elizabeth.
0:08:00 > 0:08:05- They're signed Henry J Sage.- Yes. - 1907. And have you done any research?
0:08:05 > 0:08:10- Only this.- He was based in Surrey. In Guildford.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16- Yeah.- And he painted gentlemen's houses.- And I think he's a very good watercolour artist.
0:08:16 > 0:08:23Lovely muted colours. The condition is very good. And a double aspect of the same house!
0:08:23 > 0:08:27We need to find the house. We need to find the current occupant.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30This is the side around here.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Do you like that?- Lovely.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38- Do you know whose house that is? - No, but I know a chap who would. - Do you?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Hey!
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- And what's your name?- Margaret. - How do you know a chap who would?
0:08:44 > 0:08:49There's a course on architecture in old country houses in Dorset.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54He can show you pictures of every single house. He's studied them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- Bob Machin. - This is spooky, isn't it?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- Are you serious?- Yes.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05- OK, we'll take your details, the auctioneer will get in touch with you.- Yes, OK.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11- And you can refer it to him.- Yes. - Can you do that?- Yes, sure. - Thank you very much.
0:09:11 > 0:09:18'What a stroke of luck! It just goes to show valuation days are always full of surprises.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24'I hope Martin and Elizabeth are able to track down the location of the house in the paintings.
0:09:24 > 0:09:30'Next, Mark has an object brought in by Michael and Josephine that has some magnetic qualities.'
0:09:30 > 0:09:35Before we open this, I want to ask where did you get it from?
0:09:35 > 0:09:40From an old friend in the Fire Brigade of British Leyland.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45- That's going back. - Late '70s.- Early '80s.- Yeah.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Why did you get it from him?
0:09:48 > 0:09:54He asked me if I'd like it because I did a lot of sailing, but I never used it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58It's too nice to use. Giving a clue as to what it is!
0:09:58 > 0:10:03It's a little travelling compass, which explains the nautical flavour.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07The reason I wanted to look at it unopened is because we can tell
0:10:07 > 0:10:11an awful lot by the box. It's a circular wooden box,
0:10:11 > 0:10:18covered with what is almost like skin. It is, in actual fact, skin. It's sharkskin.
0:10:18 > 0:10:24Otherwise known as shagreen. Originally it would be very bright when it was originally made.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29It's a little bit fragile, but it's fundamentally there.
0:10:29 > 0:10:36When we take it out, we've got a little maker's mark on the back as well - J&W Watkins, Charing Cross.
0:10:36 > 0:10:42And this may well be silver. I can't find a hallmark and we shouldn't open the back.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46That might affect the sensitive nature of the instruments inside.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50You've done some research. What have you found out about it?
0:10:50 > 0:10:57We found that J&W stood for Jeremiah and it may have been William
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- or Walter.- Yes. What age do you think it is?
0:11:01 > 0:11:06The only date that we could find where they mentioned a pocket compass
0:11:06 > 0:11:08was 1803.
0:11:08 > 0:11:15OK. Well, I think it's a bit earlier than that. One of our fellow experts who is not here today,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Catherine Southon, is a great expert on scientific instruments.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22And she's looked it up in her books
0:11:22 > 0:11:28and actually it dates to the last quarter of the 18th century.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So we're looking at about 1780, 1790.
0:11:31 > 0:11:37These are great collector's items. This is a really nice, original piece to have.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41I'm not too worried about the case. The people will get it restored
0:11:41 > 0:11:45and it will go to a specialist dealer or a specialist collector.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Have you ever thought of the value?
0:11:48 > 0:11:54- No, we haven't any idea. - I think we can put an estimate of £200-£300.- Fantastic.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58With a reserve of £150, just to protect it on the day.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02If we put that in, it shows it's a privately-entered lot.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Hopefully we'll get a good collector and a good dealer bidding on it.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10- Are you happy?- Fantastic. I didn't even know we had it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15- And we've been married 23 years! - Boys and their toys.- Absolutely.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Hidden away.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22- In a shoebox!- I'm delighted you brought it. Thank you so much.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Our first items are in the bag, ready for auction.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33We're selling at Duke's sale room just up the road.
0:12:35 > 0:12:42Two auctioneers are sharing the rostrum - Gary Batt and Matthew Denny. Gary likes one of our lots.
0:12:43 > 0:12:50I absolutely love this. I bet you will as well. It's a travelling compass by Watkins.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Made in Charing Cross, late 18th century. Valued at £200-£300.
0:12:54 > 0:13:00- I hope that's pointing in the right direction. Plus a bit more! - It could be.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It's a really lovely period piece. It's small, comes to hand nicely.
0:13:04 > 0:13:11- It's in its original shagreen case. - It's got the feel about it. Everything is so right.- It's plain,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15understated, restrained. Everything English antiques should be.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19- A proper gentleman's piece. - A silver case, nicely inscribed.
0:13:19 > 0:13:26It's nice that one of the S's is an F, as you would expect. I think that's a very good thing.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30- Sensible money as well. - I think it's a reasonable estimate.
0:13:30 > 0:13:36It's always going to be slightly limited because what do you do with it? How do you display it?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It's a small collectors' field.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43It was possibly an academic's piece and I think it still will be.
0:13:43 > 0:13:49Whoever buys this will display it properly and it won't come to any harm,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51which is really nice.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Also going under the hammer, Hilda's souvenir Boer War spoon
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and Michael's military truncheon.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11First up, it's Hilda's spoon. Matthew Denny is on the rostrum.
0:14:13 > 0:14:19I know at the valuation day, Mark said everybody would be salivating over your silver spoon.
0:14:19 > 0:14:27It's about to go under the hammer. £60-£80, somewhere around there, but it's absolutely divine.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31My mother gave it to me when she gave up her home
0:14:31 > 0:14:37- because I had been a gunner in the war. My husband was an infantryman.- Why sell it?
0:14:37 > 0:14:44- I don't want it any more. - We're only custodians for a little while of certain things.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49274. Silver teaspoon, souvenir of the Anglo-Boer War.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Interesting thing in the form of a rifle. Lovely thing.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I've got 30 to start. Shall I take 5? 35.
0:14:57 > 0:14:5940. 45.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02- Somebody wants it.- A few people.
0:15:02 > 0:15:0455.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- Come on.- It's got fresh legs there.
0:15:07 > 0:15:0960.
0:15:09 > 0:15:1465? At £60 on my left. I'll take 5. 70.
0:15:14 > 0:15:1775. 80. 85.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- 90. 95.- This is very good.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22110. 120?
0:15:22 > 0:15:26£110, lady's bid. 120 anywhere? All done?
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Thank you very much.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31- That was very nice.- Amazing.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35- £110.- I know! - Isn't that a lovely surprise?
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- I wanted it to do £100, Paul. - Bless you.
0:15:39 > 0:15:44Mark's cautious estimate meant Hilda got a super surprise.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Next up, it's Michael's military truncheon.
0:15:49 > 0:15:55We're looking for £100-£150 for that wonderful military truncheon belonging to Michael. Great story.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00- This came over from Canada.- Yes. - It dates around the 1830s.- Yes.
0:16:00 > 0:16:06- So why are you selling this? - Well, I've had it a long time, since the early '70s.
0:16:06 > 0:16:12I think it should go to somebody who knows perhaps a bit about it and maybe has others.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18Normally people who like truncheons tend to have a collection. They only look good in collections.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23It's such a functional thing. What could be more functional?
0:16:23 > 0:16:28Yet they took the trouble to decorate them and they have become decorative items.
0:16:28 > 0:16:34- And very collectable. So let's hope we get the top end.- I hope so. - Good luck. Here we go.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41310. William IV truncheon. St Martins on it.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Nice little thing there. Nice condition, nice painting.
0:16:44 > 0:16:50Still nice and visible. 310. I've got bids to start at £50.
0:16:50 > 0:16:5360. 70. 80? At £70. I'll take 80.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55And 90. 100.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- Phone bidder.- Oh, good.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03110? On the telephone at 100. I'll take 110.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05At £100, are we all done?
0:17:05 > 0:17:09You're out there. At £100 on the telephone.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Yes! The hammer's gone down. £100. Just in there. Happy?
0:17:13 > 0:17:18- Yes. Hope it's got a good home. - Squeezed out, but we got there.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21What a good result.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26Next up is Michael and Josephine's lovely shagreen travelling compass.
0:17:26 > 0:17:32If I could own any item today it'd be this. The travelling compass.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38It's Georgian. Made by Watkins of London. And it belongs to Jo and Michael. What a lovely item.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- Scientific instruments, such quality.- And a London maker.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46London makers add a little premium to anything, don't they?
0:17:46 > 0:17:52- How did you come by it? - One of the guys I worked with on the Fire Brigade,
0:17:52 > 0:17:59he used to go around antique shops and because I was interested in sailing, walking and climbing,
0:17:59 > 0:18:06he thought that he might be able to sell it to me and I'd use it.
0:18:06 > 0:18:12- Did you ever take it out in the field?- I never actually used it! - Thank goodness!
0:18:12 > 0:18:18Imagine losing it! Gosh! Well, good luck, everybody. Here we go.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24The next one is 238. Lovely little travelling compass.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29Nice little case on this one. Charing Cross.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Good thing. 238. I've got £60 and will take 70.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35£60. 70. 80. 90.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- 100.- It's climbing. Going in the right direction!
0:18:39 > 0:18:44120. 130. 140?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47At 130 at the back. I'll take 140.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50150. 160. 170.
0:18:50 > 0:18:51180. 190?
0:18:53 > 0:18:56At 180 here. I'll take 190.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58190. 200. 220?
0:18:58 > 0:19:04No, it's £200 on my left. I'll take 220. At £200 here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06All done? Lovely thing. At £200.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- 200 and it's gone.- Yeah. - Happy?- Yes, that's good.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Nice find. Well done for looking after it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20- Get searching all his cupboards. - I haven't got any more!
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Just a few miles from Dorchester
0:19:29 > 0:19:36is a place that held great significance for one of the most famous names of the 20th century -
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Lawrence of Arabia.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49Thomas Edward Lawrence was known throughout the world as a war hero,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53successful for his campaigns in the Middle East during WWI.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58He was nicknamed Lawrence of Arabia and mythologized in the 1962 movie by David Lean,
0:19:58 > 0:20:04but there was another quieter side to Lawrence, a side that rejected fame and fortune.
0:20:04 > 0:20:11He sought solitude and anonymity and it was here in Dorset that he came closest to finding it.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Lawrence pursued a lifelong passion for the Middle East.
0:20:18 > 0:20:24During WWI, working for the government, he gave up everything to fight alongside the local Arabs.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30They were fighting the Turkish army in a campaign that led to Arab independence.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45Lawrence became a high-profile figure after the war. He was lionised by the British public
0:20:45 > 0:20:51and relentlessly pursued by the press. But the stresses of the war and his unexpected celebrity status
0:20:51 > 0:20:54started to get too much for him.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56He was desperate for a new life.
0:21:04 > 0:21:10In an attempt to avoid any more attention, Lawrence joined the RAF in 1922,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13even changing his name to John Hume Ross,
0:21:13 > 0:21:17but he was exposed by the press and forced to leave.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23So Lawrence came here to Bovington Camp in Dorset in 1923
0:21:23 > 0:21:27where he rejoined the Army as a private soldier in the Tank Corps.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32But he was desperately unhappy, wanting solitude and privacy
0:21:32 > 0:21:38and somewhere to nurture his writing talents. Really Lawrence wanted somewhere to hide.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43About a mile from here in Wareham, he finally found it.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Clouds Hill was a derelict gamekeeper's cottage.
0:21:57 > 0:22:04It was built in 1808, but it was in a dilapidated state when Lawrence first saw it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08However, he found here the peace and the solitude he so craved.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13He immediately went to work making it habitable.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17By 1934, most of the work had been completed and since then,
0:22:17 > 0:22:23the appearance of the cottage has hardly changed. It's now looked after by the National Trust.
0:22:23 > 0:22:29Lawrence came here to retreat from Bovington Camp, to live quite minimally.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35He spent most of his time reading and writing and listening to music, resting and daydreaming by the fire.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Although he lived alone, he loved to entertain
0:22:38 > 0:22:45and some of his most illustrious visitors were George Bernard Shaw, Thomas Hardy and EM Forster.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Gosh, it's quaint. It's very small and dark.
0:22:52 > 0:22:58Actually, as soon as you get over the threshold, the whole place seems to embrace you.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Oh, I like this.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Lovely exposed beams.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19Instantly, walking in here, you can get a taste on Lawrence's inspiration for interior design.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23It's sort of medievalism. That's what strikes me first.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27Meets a little bit of Arts and Crafts, some William Morris.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30There's no plaster on the walls. It's more organic.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34This is nice. That's Henry Scott Tuke.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39He was based in Falmouth in the late 1800s, early 1900s, a very important artist.
0:23:39 > 0:23:46This is reputedly Lawrence sitting on the beach at St Mawes which is just opposite Falmouth.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49This is quite low, this shelf over the fireplace.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55That's because Lawrence would love to rest here, perch, with a tin of beans or a tin of soup.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Just have a spoon and a tin because there's no kitchen here.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04He felt there was no need for one because the camp is only literally a mile up the road.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13Here is his music system. Look at that. Wow! I'd love to hear that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17This was state of the art at the time. He was a man of good taste.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Let's get it up to speed.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33He probably sat here with a book, a cigarette.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Look at this.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03This is where the final draft was typed by Lawrence for The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07based on his times out in the Middle East.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It's a very special place, actually. It does embrace you.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15There's an energy here.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31This is Lawrence's drawing room with a large day bed here,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35so he could relax during the day, maybe fall asleep in the afternoon,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40but he did spend his nights back at the camp because of the curfew.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45The bookshelves would have been lined with books. There would be well over 2,000 books.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49And I'm pretty sure Lawrence would have read most of them.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Lawrence designed this chair specifically for one purpose -
0:25:53 > 0:25:56to be tucked in by the fire,
0:25:56 > 0:26:00so he could sit there, his feet would be keeping warm by the fire,
0:26:00 > 0:26:05but he could have his drinks and his food which he cooked warmed up on the fire,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09resting on these nice, big, flat, wide arms.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Then he made a little bridge across the two,
0:26:12 > 0:26:18screwed this piece of metal down to make a book rest, so he could sit there and read by candlelight.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21Isn't that marvellous?
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Despite Lawrence's attempts at anonymity, he was still hounded by the press.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33When he retired in February 1935 at the age of 46,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36he expected to live quietly at Clouds Hill,
0:26:36 > 0:26:41but he returned to find news reporters camped outside the front door.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Sadly, Lawrence was never able to realise his wish for a tranquil retirement.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Just three months after he did retire on May the 13th in 1935,
0:26:50 > 0:26:56he was involved in what would prove to be a fatal accident on this very stretch of road.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01He collided with two schoolboys whilst riding his motorcycle home to Clouds Hill.
0:27:01 > 0:27:07He was taken back to Bovington Camp where he was treated in the military hospital,
0:27:07 > 0:27:12but sadly, he never regained consciousness and he died six days later.
0:27:12 > 0:27:18One of Lawrence's lesser known legacies is that the surgeon who tried to save his life at Bovington,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22Sir Hugh Cairns, started a campaign and his research led
0:27:22 > 0:27:25to the compulsory wearing of motorbike helmets.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29As a consequence of treating Lawrence,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Cairns would ultimately save the lives of many motorcyclists.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Had motorcycle helmets been compulsory at the time,
0:27:38 > 0:27:44Lawrence's life may well have been saved and hopefully, he would have ended up fulfilling his dream
0:27:44 > 0:27:48by spending the rest of his days living peacefully at Clouds Hill.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00At the Dorford Centre in Dorchester, the crowds are still coming in,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04keeping our team of valuers very busy.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Expert David Fletcher is casting a critical eye over Ann's painting.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14- You're making a bit of wall space at home, are you?- Yes, yes.- OK.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- You've decided to have a bit of a clear-out?- Yes.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23It was my father-in-law's and I'm not particularly... It's not my cup of tea, really.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27- And do you know how he came by it? - I don't really, no.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32So he acquired it and didn't particularly like it himself?
0:28:32 > 0:28:37No. It was always on his wall, but it was just something to hang up, I think.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- Not in pride of place.- No.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44- We're looking at an oil painting painted on canvas.- On canvas.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- It depicts, as we can see, a Highland scene.- Yes.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53- And it's very well painted without being a masterpiece.- Yes.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56If you know what I mean.
0:28:56 > 0:29:02I mean, sometimes one is just a little bit rude about pictures like this.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07We use the term "the work of a good amateur hand",
0:29:07 > 0:29:10which is a bit disparaging, really.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14- When you think about it, I certainly couldn't paint like this.- No.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18I sometimes feel a bit guilty for saying it's only by an amateur hand,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21but I think it's true to say that.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24It is signed...
0:29:24 > 0:29:28by an artist whose name finishes in "owski".
0:29:28 > 0:29:31And I can't make the signature out.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35- No, I couldn't read it. - And it's dated 1885.
0:29:35 > 0:29:40- You think that's correct?- Absolutely. That's when it was painted.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44The Victorians loved this sort of romantic subject.
0:29:44 > 0:29:50Queen Victoria spent her holidays in the Highlands and she would have loved this sort of landscape.
0:29:50 > 0:29:55- Are you going to miss it or not? - No, no.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58- Do you have it hanging up? - No, we don't.- OK.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03- It's tucked away in a back room? - Tucked away by the side of a wardrobe.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Mr "Owski" would be very cross with you. He spent hours painting this!
0:30:07 > 0:30:11And you've got it tucked away in the airing cupboard. Never mind.
0:30:11 > 0:30:17It's not going to make - I'd like to say it would - £300 or £400.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21- But I think it could well make £100. - Right.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25- And I would like to suggest an estimate of 60 to 100.- OK.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30- If that's OK.- Yes.- And as ever, we need to think about a reserve.
0:30:30 > 0:30:36- It would be a shame to under-sell it and I would suggest that we put a reserve of £50 on it.- Right.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41- And your unloved picture will, I hope...- I hope somebody will...
0:30:41 > 0:30:46- ..go to someone who will love it. I'll see you at the sale. - Thank you very much.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54Although neither Ann nor David are enamoured by the painting,
0:30:54 > 0:31:01on the other side of the room, Mark is impressed by the craftsmanship of an item brought in by Lilian.
0:31:01 > 0:31:07- Where did you get this wonderful little cane from?- A friend gave it to me 40-odd years ago.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10What for? Any particular reason?
0:31:10 > 0:31:14Because I liked antiques and things, but I hadn't got anything very much,
0:31:14 > 0:31:18and they had it and they said, "Would you like it?"
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- You've had it all those years?- Yes.
0:31:21 > 0:31:27- Have people admired it in your home? - A lot of people haven't noticed it because I've had it in a corner.
0:31:27 > 0:31:33- I'm afraid it would get broken. - You'd need to protect it because it's very delicate.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37We've got here what I think is a piece of fruitwood,
0:31:37 > 0:31:42- so it's come from a walnut tree or an apple tree or something like that.- Yes.
0:31:42 > 0:31:48Somebody, first of all, has carved down and once he's got it down to a particular shape,
0:31:48 > 0:31:52he's then started to carve all these little details out.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56- I think this is a love token. - Oh, do you?
0:31:56 > 0:31:59I think somebody in the 19th century, a young man,
0:31:59 > 0:32:04- wanted to create something interesting for a loved one.- Yes.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08You find these are very regional. I've from South Wales, for example.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12In Wales, you come across what are known as knitting sheaths.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17Those were little things that people would keep or store their knitting needles in.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22These would be beautifully and intricately carved like this.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26This is absolutely charming, this little polygonal design here.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30In each of these, there's a little leaf and a different animal.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34- The one I find particularly charming is the squirrel.- Lovely.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Then this is where I think it's a friendship or a love thing.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40We've got these entwined hands,
0:32:40 > 0:32:46then all the way down here, they've done a spiral twist with this lovely decoration of hops.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- And look, there's a little frog there.- Hmm.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53And a little lizard carved after him.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56- All this intricate detail keeps going on.- Yes.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00The reason I think it's got a bit of age is the sheer quality of it,
0:33:00 > 0:33:06- the fact that people have handled it over the years and you've got that lovely patina.- Yes.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10You've had it 40 years. Why are you thinking of selling it?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Well, because I haven't got lots of room
0:33:13 > 0:33:18and I'm beginning to think I should sell some of my bits and pieces.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20- De-clutter?- That's right.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25- What do you think it's worth? - I don't honestly know. I didn't think about it.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28I just brought it to see what you said.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33- So, if I said I'll give you £20 for it...?- I don't think I would have accepted that.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Fantastic. And you shouldn't have.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40I'd certainly want to put it in at £100 to £150.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44- Yes? Oh, lovely.- And maybe with a reserve of 90 fixed.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49- If that's OK with you.- Yes. - I really hope that somebody would appreciate it.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53- I do think there's a lot there. - It's just fabulous.
0:33:53 > 0:34:00I would love it. If I saw that at auction, I'd certainly be very happy to pay £100 for it.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- You're happy to flog it?- Yes.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06Fantastic. I look forward to seeing you at the sale
0:34:06 > 0:34:11- and I really hope people appreciate it as much as you and I do. - So do I.- Thank you, Lilian.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19'On Flog It, our experts are highly knowledgeable and they are backed
0:34:19 > 0:34:24'by a team of valuers who know their stuff if we are in doubt about an object.'
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Yeah, I thought that was good.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29What have we found there?
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Well, something comfy to sit on.
0:34:33 > 0:34:39'Well, I'm glad I asked. I hate to create a stink by getting it wrong.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44'However, there's no doubt about what the item brought in by Cathy and Paul is.'
0:34:44 > 0:34:48Now, Cathy, you're far too young for this doll to be yours.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52- And I assume it wasn't yours, Paul. - I hope not, no.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Some boys do play with dolls.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59- It wasn't me.- Who did it belong to? - My mother-in-law. Paul's mother.
0:34:59 > 0:35:05She always thought it was worth keeping because of its age and how well-preserved she thought it was
0:35:05 > 0:35:10and I think it is, and "Maybe one day," she said, "when I die,
0:35:10 > 0:35:13"you'll inherit it and you can do what you want with it."
0:35:13 > 0:35:18- But we've got four sons and two grandsons, so...- Gosh!- No point.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20No. That's interesting.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24- When was your mum born? Do you know?- Oh, '22.
0:35:24 > 0:35:261922.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31This doll was manufactured a bit before then
0:35:31 > 0:35:33in, I suspect, about 1900.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37It was manufactured by a firm called Armand Marseille.
0:35:37 > 0:35:43- Although that sounds...- French? - ..as if they should be French, they were in fact German manufacturers.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47- Is there a lot of these dolls in England?- There are a lot.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51They were expensive when they were made.
0:35:51 > 0:35:57They were not the sort of thing you would have bought at the corner shop. They were aspirational toys.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01- So, a middle-class family toy? - That's a good way of putting it.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04What about the clothes? This doesn't look old.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08The clothes date, I would have said, from the 1920s
0:36:08 > 0:36:14and that makes me think that it might have been dressed when your mum was young.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19- Was this for playing with or was it more a keep...? - I think they were for playing with.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23- It's not very playable. - No, they're very fragile.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- The hands and the legs are papier-mache.- Really?- Really?
0:36:26 > 0:36:30The head is a bisque porcelain.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34She's had a bit of a crop at some stage, hasn't she?
0:36:34 > 0:36:37She hasn't had her hair done lately!
0:36:37 > 0:36:40It's time she took a trip to the hairdresser's!
0:36:40 > 0:36:44I think a serious buyer would probably put a new wig on this.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48OK, it's time to think about what it's worth.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52There are no chips or cracks, but she is a bit worn.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Just a little bit tired, isn't she?- Yeah.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59Following on from that, she is not particularly rare.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04And for those reasons, I would suggest a competitive estimate
0:37:04 > 0:37:07- of £60 to £100.- OK.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Do you want a reserve put on it?
0:37:09 > 0:37:13- I don't want to give it away. - £50? How about that?
0:37:13 > 0:37:18- £50, yes. OK.- OK. - Yeah, we'll go with £50.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23- Jolly good. We'll go with that.- OK. - I look forward to seeing you at the sale.- Thank you.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27That's the last of our items going to the saleroom,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31so here's a quick recap of what else is going under the hammer.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37Ann's Highland painting, valued by David at £60 to £100,
0:37:37 > 0:37:44and this carved wooden cane, brought in by Lilian, valued by Mark at £100 to £150.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50First up, it's Ann's unloved painting.
0:37:51 > 0:37:58- I hope this next lot sells because it belongs to Ann and she does not like it. Do you?- No, not at all.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01This Highland scene, oil on canvas, £60 to £100.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05It hasn't been on the wall where it belonged. Where has it been?
0:38:05 > 0:38:09- By the side of a wardrobe.- Tucked down the side, so you can't see it.
0:38:09 > 0:38:16To buy an original oil on canvas, a work of art, a one-off, that you can't do your comparables with,
0:38:16 > 0:38:22I think is really cheap because everybody can own a print or a photograph and stick it on the wall.
0:38:22 > 0:38:28- You can have an original work of art for £60 or £70 which is lovely. Yeah?- Yeah.- So let's big it up.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Let's put it under the hammer right now.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35394 we come on to, Scottish scene,
0:38:35 > 0:38:38oil on canvas, landscape there.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Nicely presented, 394.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44I've got overlapping bids to start you at £50. I'll take 60?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47At £50 with me. I'll take 60. 70.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49- 80.- Good.- 85.
0:38:49 > 0:38:5190.
0:38:52 > 0:38:5590 with you at the back and I'll take 5? At £90.
0:38:55 > 0:39:005 anywhere? All done then at £90 right at the back...? Thank you.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05- £90. That's going home and that's going on someone's wall.- Lovely.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09- Isn't it?- Yeah.- You've got £90, less a bit of commission.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15- It's destined to be seen in its true light, not lurking behind your wardrobe.- A country house probably.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19- I don't know about that.- No. Well, you never know.- You never know.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22'Everyone's a winner on this show.
0:39:22 > 0:39:28'Ann gets to pocket the dosh and the painting will find a fresh lease of life on someone else's wall.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31'Now it's Cathy and Paul's German doll.'
0:39:31 > 0:39:37Good luck, you two. We're about to find out if there are any doll collectors in the saleroom.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42We've got that German doll going under the hammer. We're looking for £100.
0:39:42 > 0:39:48Dolls are very collectable. This sale's been online. People around the world know about it.
0:39:48 > 0:39:53- Really?- Yes. Collectors will find them. You've got a lot of sons and grandsons?
0:39:53 > 0:39:58- Four sons, two grandsons. - Not the sort of thing a son would want to inherit?- No.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- But my mum used to enjoy the programme.- Oh, right.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07- We're going with the spirit of the programme and we're going to flog it.- Brilliant.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Armand Marseille doll...
0:40:10 > 0:40:15There we are, nice Armand Marseille doll. What shall we say for it? 358.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19I've got bids to start you at £40. I'll take 5. 50...
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- We're there.- 60.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- It's going up.- 5.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- 70? £65, commission bid. I'll take 70?- Come on, 70.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32At £65, commission bid. 70 anywhere...?
0:40:32 > 0:40:34All done at 65...
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Yes, £65. Well done, David.- Good.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43- I'm happy with that.- What are you going to do with the money?
0:40:43 > 0:40:48- Well, we've had a thought... - We're going to get a cat from the Cat Protection. Two cats.
0:40:48 > 0:40:53- Rescue them, yes. - We've seen them, two strays. We'll give them a lovely home.
0:40:53 > 0:40:59'It makes a pleasant change from putting the money towards decorating the house.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04'There will be two very happy moggies running around Cathy and Paul's house thanks to Flog It.
0:41:04 > 0:41:11'Last to go under the hammer is Lilian's carved cane and auctioneer Gary Batt will be on the rostrum.'
0:41:11 > 0:41:17They say you can tell a man's profession by his walking cane and this is absolutely gorgeous.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22- It's a labour of love, whoever carved this. - I just hope this one flies away.
0:41:22 > 0:41:27- We've got £100 to £150 on this and you've had this for 40 years.- Yes.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30If only it could tell a few stories of where it's been!
0:41:30 > 0:41:36- We know there's a lot of collectors out there for walking canes. - Is there?- A very big market.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40They will like this a lot. It will go to a collector.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43We're going to find out now. Good luck, Lilian.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49The wooden cane we're on to now. This is fun.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51Lot 226.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55A very delicate cane with a nice, carved decoration all over it.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00226. Could be a continental piece.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02What for this then?
0:42:02 > 0:42:07I've got overlapping bids. Interest expressed in this at 150 to start me.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- Straight in. - 150, that is good news!
0:42:12 > 0:42:14I'll take 160 now. 160 is bid.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18170, anyone in the room? 170, anyone in the room?
0:42:18 > 0:42:21170 on the book then. 180. 190.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23200. And 20.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27- There's someone right down at the front there.- Gosh!
0:42:27 > 0:42:30240. 260. 280?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33At £260. I have 260. 280, anyone?
0:42:35 > 0:42:38280 bid. 300.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42With me at £300, against you in the room.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44- Gosh!- £300, Lilian!
0:42:44 > 0:42:48At £300, commission bid. Are we all out and clear, I sell...?
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Thank you, £300. Excellent.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56- Yes! I love those moments. - You were spot-on.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Absolutely fabulous. What are you going to do with that?
0:43:00 > 0:43:05- There is commission to pay, don't forget.- Probably help me go on holiday or something.
0:43:05 > 0:43:11- Get a bit of sunshine. - Yes.- What a wonderful end to a lovely day here in Dorchester!
0:43:11 > 0:43:16I hope you've enjoyed the show. There's plenty more surprises next time on Flog It!
0:43:33 > 0:43:37Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2010
0:43:37 > 0:43:41Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk