Lissanoure Castle Flog It!

Today, we're in Northern Ireland in the courtyard of Lissanoure Castle, just a stone's throw

from historic Ballymoney, one of the oldest towns in Ireland.

With so much heritage around, I'm sure today we're going to find some wonderful antiques on "Flog It!".

There's been a settlement at Ballymoney

since at least the Stone Age, as the land is rich in farming.

The oldest surviving building in the town is the church tower,

which dates from 1637.

Today's location for our valuation is Lissanoure Castle, which is just a few miles east of Ballymoney.

Now, because the weather is a little bit hit-and-miss,

we've moved everybody inside to the barn.

And when I say everybody, I MEAN everybody -

just look at the fantastic crowd that's turned up here in Northern Ireland.

With over 700 years of history in this place, it's the perfect

setting for our experts to look through all those bags and boxes to find those hidden treasures.

All of these people have come here today to ask that all-important question, which is...?

-ALL: What's it worth?!

-That's more like it.

And what are you going to do when you find out?

ALL: Flog it!

And trying to put a value on those unwanted treasures today are our team of experts -

led by the demure Catherine Southon and the cheeky Will Axon.

Catherine started working in the antiques business

straight from university, and it wasn't long

before she worked her way up to the head of scientific and

maritime works of art for one of the country's largest auction houses.

Will has also been in the antiques business all HIS working life,

and he is a senior resident valuer

for an auction house based in North Yorkshire.

INAUDIBLE

Coming up on today's show...

I find an item with some real sentimental value.

We were married in 1947,

and we bought our antiques in Oxford...

Will has got his work cut out...

It's going to be a bit of a wrench for you, maybe, if we can get this away?

Well... If we get the right money, we'll let it go.

And I sample some of the local hospitality...

-Slainte!

-Cheers!

Catherine doesn't waste any time discovering a hidden gem amongst all those boxes.

Now, Jim, I don't know about you, but I actually think this Victorian

wash set looks rather striking standing here.

What we've actually got is something really quite standard -

so it's a late 19th-century Victorian wash set...

We've got this lovely pitcher here which is a nice, classical shape,

and the bowl underneath.

Now, coming over here,

we've got the soap dish, with the little strainer underneath...

Now, this toothbrush holder - although it has all got that

brown transfer...printed design -

this one actually here, if you can see, it's got like a landscape

scene, like a farm scene on it,

so I don't actually think that it is part of the set.

Tell me, where did you get it from?

Actually, my mother went to an auction and she picked it up.

When she arrived home, she brought it in and she gave it to my wife, and she says to her "You owe me £10."

My wife looked and said, "Well, I don't know about that."

Well, she gave the £10, and it's been in our house since.

Did you ever have it displayed in your home when your wife bought it?

Oh, yes, we did.

We put it on our wash stand, and it's been there since.

But as we're downsizing, we decided we must move it on.

-It's got to go.

-That's the reason why it's here.

Well, let's just have a look at this underneath here...

Now, we can see the pattern here -

Dresden Sprigs, that's the actual name for the pattern,

and then RC & Co, who's the maker.

I've tried to look up the maker but I can't find anything out.

But I would say it IS fairly standard,

and obviously the colour as well is quite standard.

Date-wise, looking at late 19th century.

-Now - £10, you say?

-Yeah.

And this was how long ago?

-This was about 35 years or so ago.

-35 years ago.

To be honest, you're not going to get a HUGE return on that,

but I would like to see it at auction today with an estimate of £68 - £80.

-Right. Right.

-Happy with that?

Yes, happy with that.

-£60 - £80, and let's put a reserve on of £50.

-That's fine.

Hopefully we can make you a little bit more -

perhaps buy you something nice for the new house?

-Thank you very much indeed. That's lovely.

-Thanks, Jim.

Well, Jim it might not be looking at a huge profit there,

but 35 years' worth of enjoyment isn't a bad return on an investment.

Will couldn't help but spot this striking painting, brought in by Liam.

Liam, I've been keeping my eye on this picture as it's worked its way around the room -

I saw you coming along the queue, and every time I saw it, it's...

It's got something about it, hasn't it? It sort of drew me in.

-Do YOU like it? Why have you brought it along today?

-To see what it's worth, basically.

So it's going to be a bit of a wrench for you maybe, if we can get this away.

Well...if we get the right money we'll let it go, yes.

Who's this chap Bingham?

He's a Belfast artist, and he passed away last year.

OK, so he's a local artist.

Do you know of there being a sort of market in his work?

Is he exhibited in Ireland?

He's hanging in quite a few art rooms.

Well, that's good, you know.

-Now, his first name's Jimmy, right? Jimmy Bingham.

-James, yeah.

Known as Jimmy -

because I looked him up quickly, and he IS a listed artist.

So I've had a look to see what his works in the past have made.

You were looking at around - when he was alive, this is -

at around that sort of 1000 euro mark, 1,500 euro mark...

-Now, you say he's died recently?

-Yeah.

It's unfortunate, but in the world of pictures and artists,

when an artist dies, it tends to have the effect on his prices of pushing them up a bit.

So what I would say to you is -

bearing in mind that he's died recently

and those were prices when he was alive -

I think we could probably bump up that price a little bit.

And I would be thinking in the region of about £1,000 - £1,500.

Is that the sort of figure you had in mind?

I mean, you've come prepared with a figure up here, I think...

Yeah, I was thinking the top end of that.

OK, so we're nearer the 1,500 than the 1,000.

Well, listen, I'm going to let my heart rule my head here.

Like I say, I've admired it as it's come round the room,

finally to be here in front of us all.

Let's put the top estimate at 2,000, so a 1,500 - 2,000 estimate.

We'll fix the reserve at 1,500, it won't sell for less than that.

-I'll see you on the sale day.

-Yeah.

-Well done. Nice to meet you.

-Thank you.

It's a always dangerous to let your heart rule your head, but it's clear

Liam wasn't going to let it go for any less.

So we'll just have to wait and see.

Will is talking to Sue, who isn't quite so enamoured with a vase SHE inherited.

-Sue.

-Hello.

-We all know that Moorcroft is a "Flog It!" favourite,

shall we call it.

Are you selling this because you know the Moorcroft market is strong,

or are you selling this because it does nothing for you?

-Does nothing for me.

-Really? Usually it's the other way round,

we have to prise it out of people.

No, no, I'm quite happy to sell that.

So, from what you've told me now

it's not something that you've gone out and bought yourself?

No, I inherited that from my parents.

It came from my dad's side of the family.

Have you any idea what it dates from, if it's going

to be something that's going to appeal to the Moorcroft collectors?

Have you done any research?

-I haven't really done any research.

-OK.

Well, we can date it from the marks underneath.

We've got the nice paper label there,

"Potters to the late Queen Mary",

so we know it's going to be post-1953.

So in the big scheme of things, it's fairly late for the Moorcroft collectors.

It's Walter Moorcroft rather than William Moorcroft, the father,

who started the whole firm at Macintyre

and then moved on to create the Moorcroft factory

with this sort of well-known tubelining decoration.

It's a common pattern, the hibiscus pattern there,

with the typical flowers decorated...

And the shape, as well - it's a nice sort of slender shape.

It's pleasing to the eye, shall we say. And perfectly usable as well.

You say you don't like it, and you've inherited it -

do you have it with flowers in on the mantelpiece,

-or is it tucked away somewhere?

-It was locked away in a cupboard.

Locked away. So you disliked it THAT much,

you kept it under lock and key in case it should sneak out

and find its way onto your display cabinet!

That would have been awful. THEY LAUGH

I'm going to ask you to do MY job now.

I mean - is it a £50 vase, do you think...?

-No, I think it's a good bit more than 50.

-A bit more than that?

-Is it a £500 vase?

-No, I don't think so.

-I think you're right.

I mean, I've given you the easy options -

I would say you're probably looking at around that £200 mark.

A sensible estimate I think would straddle that £200.

Let's say 150 - 250, that sort of figure.

I mean, is that something that you think, "Yes, I'll go with that,

"sell it for that sort of figure"?

Yes, that's something I would...

-Yeah?

-I'd want a reserve.

Let's keep the reserve at the bottom figure of the estimate,

-so let's put the reserve at £150, yes?

-OK.

-Can I have a bit of discretion on that 150?

-149.

So I get a pound's discretion, do I(?)

£1 discretion! So, a fixed reserve at 149.

Let's leave it at 150, then.

I don't think it's going to struggle at that, to be honest.

One person's rubbish is another person's treasure,

that's the beauty of auctions.

So tell me, what is it that you DO like, Sue?

What are you going to buy yourself with the proceeds?

I'm thinking of just putting money towards a weekend away.

A weekend away, very nice.

Probably down in Dublin or something like that.

Oh, yes, I know what that involves, don't worry about that(!)

A weekend away in Dublin, we'll title it The Lost Weekend!

-How's that?

-Aye, that'll do.

Well, we're having a great time up here in Northern Ireland

and you're going to have a great time in Dublin.

-I hope we can get £150 to put in the bar kitty for you.

-Please!

-I'm going to see you at the auction.

-Thank you.

-Sue, it's been a pleasure.

-Thank you.

Well, I'm glad it managed to escape from that cupboard!

I'm positive there will be someone at the auction who will love it -

and that's where we're heading off to right now.

The three items we're looking to find buyers for are...

Jim's Victorian jug and basin set.

It's worked its way around the room...

Liam's prized Jimmy Bingham painting.

And of course, Sue's Moorcroft vase.

The sale is taking place at McAfee Auctions in Ballycastle, but just before it got under way,

I wanted to ask

auctioneer Gerry McAfee for his opinion on Liam's painting.

Now, what do you think of this?

Well, it's a Jimmy Bingham.

He was very friendly with a very well-known Irish artist called Dan O'Neill,

copied Dan O'Neill's style.

Dan O'Neill's stuff sells exceptionally well

and in time, this will start selling very, very well.

Our valuation at the minute is a wee bit ambitious.

This belongs to Liam, and for the right money he wants to sell it.

Will, our expert, has put £1,500 to £2,000.

If that's the right money, then it's going to go and Liam will be happy.

I don't think we'll get there today.

We've done some research since the valuation day,

-and a few have been sold down south and in Belfast over the last few months.

-How much for?

£200, £300 and £400. Slightly smaller than this one.

I think this is probably £500 to £600 on a good day.

-I don't think we're going to get near the valuation.

-OK.

You look a bit sad there. You look a little bit, hmm.

Well, an auctioneer always wants to be selling!

Exactly, you live off what you sell!

I want to be selling it.

It's a nice picture and on its day it might get there.

At the minute, I don't think we're there.

-It is a nice picture, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Let's hope we've got some art lovers here later.

There will be some, certainly. And who knows?

Well, it's not sounding so good for the painting, but we just have to wait and see.

First up, we're going to find out if Jim's wash stand set is about to clean up.

It's got to go. Jim is downsizing.

We're just about to put the Victorian wash set under the hammer.

Hopefully we will get £50 to £70, a bit more maybe.

-Useful little thing.

-Yeah.

If you've got the right sort of room for it. It's a space filler.

It's quite a reasonable estimate I think as well.

Hopefully get a bit more then! We're going to find out what the bidders think. Here we go.

Number 471 is a four-piece English pottery jug and basin set.

Lovely to get the other pieces.

Often you just get the jug and basin.

We're getting the four pieces, complete with their lids and all.

A very nice set. Who'll give me £75 for it? 75?

60?

40 bid, £40, £40. This jug and basin set, four pieces there at £40.

45, £50. 55, £60.

£60 beside me now, at £60. At 60.

-That's OK.

-That's OK.

-£60 for the good jug and basin set.

Now at £60, beside me now at 60. I'm going to sell then, at £60, all out?

-I'm selling at £60.

-That's really good.

I like the look of that.

You could see that in the right room on a marble-top,

dot, dot, dot, dot. You've got it.

-It has to have the marble top.

-It's got to have the marble top!

Catherine's valuation was spot-on,

but now, how are we going to get on with Liam's painting?

We've got a lot of money riding on this, Liam, £1,500 to £2,000.

It's the painting in oil by Bingham.

I like the look of it, I really do.

Has it been on your wall for long?

It has been, yeah. It's been up and down.

But you can live with it or live without it.

Yeah, I'll miss her if she goes.

And if the money's right, it's going to go.

We may have overcooked it.

I suspect what we've put on it is more of a retail price.

But listen, all you need at auction is a private buyer, a couple of private buyers.

This is it. Good luck, both of you.

The large oil painting titled "Sisters" by James Bingham.

What will we get for this oil painting?

A couple of thousand pounds for it?

A couple of thousand for the James Bingham oil painting? 1,800?

£1,500 for the James Bingham?

Somebody start me at £1,000 for James Bingham.

The James Bingham oil, £1,000?

Really have to move on, folks. £1,000, the Bingham oil?

Sorry, not going to happen today. Sorry.

How do you feel about that?

I'm happy enough to keep her.

The price wasn't right, was it?

It's as simple as that, the price wasn't right. Didn't reach it.

Well, you win some, you lose some. That is auctions for you.

Look, there's going to be another day.

-It's a great investment. Put it back on the wall and enjoy it, can't you?

-Yeah.

Well, it didn't sell, but Liam is happy.

Now, our next lot must sell well.

You can't go wrong with Moorcroft, can you?

It's Moorcroft,

it's not let us down before and I don't think it will today.

-It belongs to Sue, here, who doesn't really like it, do you?

-No, I don't.

-It's not your thing.

-No, no.

You're the only person I know that doesn't really like Moorcroft.

-Everyone's buying it.

-Exactly.

Let's find out what the bidders think.

It's a Moorcroft tall vase this time.

Again, very nice colours, lovely, big, large vase. 150, to start me.

£100, bid. 100, start me at £100.

And 110, 120, 130. 140, here at 140.

140 here, 150.

Fresh legs.

Lady's bid at 160. 170, 180, 190.

The lady's bid at 190. 190, at 190.

Lovely big one now at £200.

£200 at the back now, at 200.

210.

I think she's going to bid again...

210, the Moorcroft vase at 210.

It's a large one now at 210, 220.

In the room at 220. In the room at 230.

Don't lose it for a bid, madam.

I'm going to sell now at 230.

240, new blood on the phone at 240.

-Good.

-This is very good.

250 in the room. In the room now. 260 on the phone.

On the phone at 260.

On the phone at 260. She says no at 260.

The bid is on the phone, I'm going to sell it to the phone,

at £260, last call.

Yes! £260. Everyone wanted that. Well done, Sue.

Thank you for bringing that in.

-Thank you.

-Spot-on valuation as well.

-Good work by the auctioneer.

-Thank you very much.

That concludes our first visit to the saleroom today.

We're coming back later and hopefully there'll be one or two big surprises,

because it's jam-packed in here.

But while I'm up here filming, I had the opportunity

to follow my nose and explore a bit of world-famous history.

And it's only just up the road.

It is believed that Irish monks were the first people to produce whiskey,

possibly as far back as the 12th century,

making it one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe.

A licence to distil whiskey in the Bushmills area was granted in April, 1608, by James I.

And some 400 years later, this area is still thriving, producing and

bottling all of its own whiskey, to sell to people all over the world.

I'm here to meet Colum Egan, the master distiller, to find out more.

So Colum, as master distiller, what does your job involve? What's the role?

I have to ensure the whiskey that we're making today has the same taste

and the same characteristics that have been distilling 50, 100, 150 years ago.

It's a great sense of tradition in this area, for making whiskey.

Start me through the whole process, from the beginning, from Bush River.

Well, we take that water, and we take barley, and then we allow it to ferment.

-How long does that take?

-It takes about 60 hours.

At the end of that 60 hours, you get about 8% strong beer.

At that point we're ready for distillation.

When you see our wonderful stillhouse and the wonderful aromas and smells...

I can smell them now, I can smell the yeast coming through in the breeze. You can smell that.

It drags you into the distillery every morning.

Shall we get inside and have a look?

The whole journey from grain to glass involves eight stages.

Irish whiskey is made in its own unique way.

The key characteristic being that it's triple distilled,

whereas Scotch whisky is distilled twice.

How come that's clear? That looks like water.

Where d'you add the colour?

When you distil something to that purity, you get absolute crystal-clear colour.

Whiskey is brown.

That brown colour, that golden hue to it,

that all comes from the type of wood it's matured in.

-Right.

-So, by law, it has to be in that oak barrel for at least three years.

During that time, the whiskey expands into the oak and draws out a lot of the flavours and the colour.

The longer whiskey has in a barrel, the more chance it has to pick up

little nuances and pick up different characters from the wood itself.

That's where your expertise comes in?

Every day, I have to nose, I have to taste, and I have to make sure of the consistency of character.

What goes in the bottle itself has to be the same today as it's going to be in ten years' time.

Can we see the barrels, see where the colour comes in?

The barrels used in the maturation process are shipped in from Spain, Portugal and even as far as the USA.

They'd have previously been used in making sherry, Madeira

and bourbon, and add a certain flavour to the whiskey process.

Look at this! I just love the smell of mature oak.

How many barrels are in here?

These are actually all empty barrels.

We will store about 2,000 barrels at any one time in this area, getting ready to be filled.

I guess it's essential to use oak, for the taste, for the flavour?

Oak is fantastic, because of the characteristics and taste it gives to the whiskey.

There's also a very important factor in it, that oak is impervious.

-Of course.

-Because the whiskey spends so long in there, from three, to 30 or 40 years,

we have to make sure that none of the whiskey gets out of there.

This has been full of bourbon in its day, will that not affect the taste?

To put triple-distilled Bushmills spirit into a brand-new oak barrel,

you'd be overpowered with woodiness and oakiness.

So, why I go to Kentucky is, bourbon actually strips out - they like that heavy, oaky, woody notes.

So, they strip out into their bourbon.

What's left behind is some nice toasted wood, caramel.

-And a bit bourbony?

-A touch.

It's got to be, surely, hasn't it?

Actually, it leaches out of the wood itself.

They like every drop of their own bourbon in their own stuff!

The next stage might look a bit alarming,

but it's time for that whiskey, which has been maturing in barrels

for anything up to 30 years, to enter a blending process.

What I want to know is why you're letting it all out into this gully?

What we do, we drain it out, put it into these troughs, and we bring it across and we put it into large vats.

From those vats, we mix it in certain proportions, and that's what gives us our final brand of whiskey.

Oh, so this is another of the secrets of the Bushmills?

What's all the black stuff, charred-looking stuff?

The inside of American barrels are charred to sterilise them.

The great thing it does for whiskey, it caramelises a layer of sugars in the wood,

so you get these nice caramel and vanilla notes coming from them.

I can smell them now!

I think we should go to the tasting session.

-I think that would be ideal.

-OK, come on, then.

What are you smelling there?

That's a nice vanilla, mixed in with a little bit of woody and oakiness.

These lovely fruits beginning to come through, floral notes.

I can't smell them yet.

My nose isn't as trained as yours.

A couple of weeks here, and you're there.

I've got the vanilla.

So, what would be the classic toast?

Well you'll have to raise your glass,

and it simply goes,

there are tall ships, there are longships,

there are ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships,

and may they always be.

-Slainte!

-Cheers!

Our valuation day is at Lissanoure Castle in County Antrim,

and there are still plenty more bags to unpack.

Will has spotted something quite unique amongst the crowd.

William, can I call you William? Are you a Will, or a Bill?

-Willie, actually.

-Willie.

I was called Willie by my father, I'm William when I'm in trouble and Will by my friends.

So, Willie, you've got an interesting item here.

It really caught my eye when I saw you in the queue.

Obviously, looking at it, it's a picture made up of tiles

in this oak frame, which I think is period.

I don't think they've ever been out of this frame.

What really intrigued me was the scene we've got here.

What can you tell me about this? How have you come by it?

-It was given to me by my sister, who in turn got it from a friend who was doing a house clearance.

-Right.

-No idea of its history other than that.

-She obviously didn't like it?

-Didn't like it.

-So she palmed it off to you.

-Who doesn't like it!

-So, it doesn't hang in your home?

-No.

-Where does it live?

It lives in the study, under a large box.

Under a large box! You really are trying to hide it away!

Surely you can appreciate how well painted it is, and the unusualness of the scene.

My family have quite a few connections with South America,

and so my father used to go out there a lot.

That kind of caught my eye, because I was trying to work out whereabouts it was.

We're obviously near some rather large mountains.

We've got this figure here. It does look a bit like a crow,

but I suspect it's trying to be more of a condor, or something like that.

And then we've got these rather fine-looking, shall we call them rancheros?

Nice strong colours in the blues and greens,

and then just this hint of the rockwork in these mountains.

I've had a closer look down here at the bottom, and we've got

a name here which we can just read.

-"Joost Thouet and..."

-"La Boucher."

La Boucher. Well done.

"Delft, Holland."

That's helpful to us. It tells us who made it, it tells us where they made it.

What's unusual, though, is with Delftware,

obviously people associate it more with perhaps blue and white clogs and windmills.

I think always intended to be displayed here as a tiled picture.

I think we're looking at around that circa 1900 as a date.

-What about value?

-I have no idea.

Let's have a stab in the dark, shall we?

I mean, I haven't seen one similar, so I couldn't tell you what the last one I saw made.

Let's be mean and say £10 a tile, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80.

We're going to reach that magic estimate that we like, 80 - 120, aren't we?

I think it's worth a go at that. I just think it's a bit different and like I say,

that's what the market wants -

quirky things that aren't run-of-the-mill.

-Have you got to phone your sister, is she going to be upset?

-No, no, not at all.

She'll be relieved. I'm hoping that someone who likes it will buy it.

Now we come to the point of reserve.

I don't think you'll be too worried if this just makes what it makes.

-What it makes on the day, that's... Yeah.

-You're a man after my own heart as well as my own name.

We'll go 80 - 120, without reserve then, yes?

And on the day, fingers crossed it's going to fly

-away with the condors even, perhaps.

-It makes what it makes.

-Well done.

So, Willie is taking a punt on no reserve.

I hope he doesn't end up regretting it!

"Flog It!" valuation days are very busy days.

I couldn't resist stopping to have a chat with Margaret, and her granddaughter, Alana.

What have you brought in today? Apart from Alana!

-And these wonderful sandals.

-You're sitting on it.

Can I have a look? Oh, that's nice, isn't it?

You know, we always ask people to bring in furniture for "Flog It!"

Not many people do. Where has this come from?

Well, when my husband and I got married, a year later we had some wedding money.

We were married in 1947.

And we bought our antiques in Oxford.

Oh, how lovely.

So, you got this chair in Oxford?

Yes, and I have another, a walnut one, that was sold as two Queen Anne chairs.

Now you're talking. How much did you pay for the two chairs then?

I'm just going to do this.

-That was 60 years ago.

-A drop-in seat...

-Yes.

This is a lovely period piece, it really is.

These date from the Queen Anne period.

This is early 1700s.

If I just tip this upside down a minute, I just want to have a look underneath.

Always good to turn a piece of furniture upside down.

You've got to, really, to examine its toes.

Look at those very generous, great big pad feet.

Just look at the quality of the wood. That's Cuban mahogany.

Wonderful, tight, straight grain, very good colour.

So much mahogany was coming into the country after around 1721,

when William Walpole, the first prime minister,

reduced the taxes and levies on imported woods

from the tropics, so all this wood was coming back from the Caribbean.

If the walnut one is the same,

then the walnut one is worth a little bit more money than this one,

because walnut is a much more sought after and expensive wood.

Why are you selling them?

-Because we're downsizing.

-This is your inheritance, Alana!

I know, but there's many more in her house.

Oh, is there? Would you like to sell them as a pair? Shall we put them into auction as a pair?

-One walnut, and one mahogany.

-Well, yes. I would.

The condition on this one does let it down, because of the splits.

I think it's still worth in the region of around £100 to £150 and,

hopefully, if your walnut is the same, we can double that.

I'd like to get £150 a chair top end, so £200 to £300.

-That's OK.

-Yeah.

They have to go.

And let's hope we get the top end, that's all I can say.

Lots of money in Ballymoney.

Well, that's it, yes!

Well, furniture is my real love and speciality.

And luckily Catherine has spotted Rex, who has brought in something right up her street, too.

Rex, thank you for bringing along this lovely barograph.

Where did you actually get this from?

-My dad gave it to me about 22 years ago...

-Right, OK.

..as a small gift.

So, as a young chap, 22 years ago, was it quite an unusual gift to receive?

Not really, because I always collected

small items like stamps and watches

and things like that and my dad thought this would add to my collection.

-A quirky scientific instrument?

-Yes.

-Now, as I'm sure you know, a barograph measures atmospheric pressure.

-Oh, yes.

Let's have a little look inside.

So, does this actually work? Is this a working instrument?

-No, the clockwork spring is broken.

-So, inside here?

-Yes.

-Let's just have a little look inside here.

So, what we'd normally do is take this off,

take the key

-and then wind this up. And then this would obviously rotate in like a clockwork motion.

-Yes.

But it's not in working condition.

-No.

-And then that would drive this as well to lifting

this little mechanism up and down

and that in turn would lift this up and down.

And then, obviously, this metal rod here

would be going up and down

to measure the pressures and record it on the graph paper.

We've got this nice little ink bottle here

so that you can apply the ink directly on to the needle.

I'm just wondering

if that has been replaced

because you'd normally have like a little pipette or something like that.

The problem is now is that things like this they are quite difficult.

I mean, not really very commercial,

although you do have gentlemen perhaps buying something like this to decorate their office.

They're ornamental now rather than serving a purpose as such.

Now, as far as barographs go, I think this is probably quite a late example.

I don't think it's Victorian.

I think it's perhaps early 20th century,

so perhaps Edwardian or something like that.

Does that tie in with your...?

-I have no idea how old it is.

-Yeah.

I think that probably is the date. Do you have any more graph papers?

No, I don't, no.

So it's just as is.

In perfect condition

this would probably be worth about £200 to £300,

but I think probably in the condition that it's in at the moment

I'd sell for about £100 to £150, with an £80 reserve.

-Right.

-How does that sound to you?

-That sounds fine with me, yeah.

-Would you be happy to sell it at that?

-Very much so.

We'll put it in the auction, then, at 100 to 150 with an 80 reserve.

-That'll be fine.

-And let's hope it does well.

-Thank you for coming.

-OK.

So now we have the last three items to take off to auction.

Willie's framed set of Delft tiles,

Margaret's early 18th century chairs

and, lastly, Rex's barograph.

The standard seller's commission at this saleroom is 15% plus VAT,

so always bear that in mind if you decide to sell or buy at auction.

It's quite busy in here now, but before the sale got underway

I couldn't resist finding out from Gerry how much interest had been shown in the barograph.

I like this a lot. It belongs to Rex,

but possibly for not much longer because there's only an £80 reserve.

We've got a valuation put on by Catherine of £100 to £150.

I don't think it's working, though.

No. I know there has been a lot of interest in it during the viewing sessions,

-so it'll do quite well.

-A lot of local interest because it was made in Belfast.

Yes, one of the telephone bids that we have on it is somebody from Belfast

who collects them and actually hasn't got a Belfast one,

so hopefully he'll be our man at the end.

Well, that sounds very promising, but first Margaret is going to find out the fate of her chairs.

It's my turn to be the expert now and remember that lovely Queen Anne chair I saw?

There's now two because Margaret and Alana brought the other one in.

And I've just got to say, it's wonderful to see you both again.

You're looking fabulous, and so are you!

-And, hopefully, we've got some bidders here to buy these two chairs.

-Fingers crossed.

Otherwise, they're going home and this is your inheritance and you have got to look after them.

I know. They take up a bit of space!

Use them, girl! Use them!

Enjoy the moment, won't you?

Oh, yes, I will. But I won't be sorry if they don't go.

They're going home if they don't go.

We've a pair of framed parlour chairs.

Very, very nice chairs. Very early period chairs.

-100 only bid for the pair now. At £100.

-We're in at 100.

And 110. 120.

130. 140.

150.

For this pair now at 150. On the phone 160.

-Phone bid. 170.

-170.

New blood at 180.

For the pair now at 180. 190. On the phone at 190.

On the phone at 190. For this pair now at 190.

I'd like a little more now at £190.

If we're all out here at £190.

I'm going to sell it to the phone at £190.

-Two to three we said, didn't we?

-Two to three.

-Are you OK with that?

-Yeah, I think that's pretty good.

I mean, we said 200 and got 190, so it was quite good.

Well... SHE SIGHS

All those memories of Oxford. It was Oxford, wasn't it?

Oh, it was.

Certainly in our marriage, too.

SHE LAUGHS

Thank you so much for coming in.

Well, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be myself.

So Gerry, the auctioneer, used his discretion there and someone's got a great deal.

They were lovely quality. Now, it's Willie's turn with the tiles.

This is Willie's first auction. Come on, sum it up.

-Yeah, the first time I've ever been to an auction.

-It's packed, eh?

I think the whole town has turned out today.

-It's brilliant.

-There's no reserve.

-That's right.

No, Willie doesn't want them back so we decided let them make what they make.

-He said, "I don't like them, I've never liked them."

-Exactly.

-"They've got to go."

Which is great, cos someone will fall in love with them, hopefully.

Welcome to the roller-coaster ride. It's going under the hammer.

Lot number 65 is the framed set of eight Delft tiles.

Lovely tiles in a hardwood frame.

£50 for the set? Start it at £30? The set now at 30.

The set now at £30.

I'm selling for 35 on the phone.

That's all right, we're in.

£40. 40, now. At £40.

45 on the phone. On the phone now at 48. In the room at £48.

-50 on the phone. At 50. Good value here.

-Come on, come on.

-Backwards and forwards.

-Delft tiles. The bid is on the phone at £50.

All out now and selling to the phone at £50.

Gone. Would have liked a little bit more for you, Willie,

your first auction experience.

-It was quick, wasn't it?

-It was, certainly.

-Blink and you'll miss it.

-Yeah, phone bidder.

They spotted them and I'm sure they'll be pleased with what they bought.

I hope somebody will enjoy them.

-Yeah. Thank you so much for coming in.

-Thank you very much.

Well, Willie took a real chance there with no reserve, but he's just glad to have sold them.

But has Catherine met measured the atmosphere of the saleroom right with the valuation of her barograph?

This next item has got quality written all over it.

It's a barograph and it belongs to Rex and, hopefully, it's got a lot of local interest

because it was made right here in Northern Ireland.

-Yes.

-Now I know you've had this a few years.

-Yes.

It's been gathering dust and it's got to go.

It's not working, but I tell you what, it just looks so perfect and we've seen them on the show before.

I know you've put 100 to 150, maybe 180. I think it'll do the top end.

Let's put it under the hammer and find out what this crowd here think of it, shall we? Here we go.

A very nice barograph and case,

local Belfast maker here, Dickson and Cargill.

-Lots of interest with me...

-Oh, good!

..Allowing me to start at £100.

The barograph at 100. 110. 120.

-Come on.

-130. With me at 140.

150. At 160.

The barograph now at 160.

Come on!

And 65. With me at 170.

The barograph now at £170.

The barograph now at 170.

I'm going to sell it, the bid left of me now, at £170.

The barograph now at 170 all out. And selling.

-Well done.

-Well done, Rex.

That's the top end of the estimate.

-Yeah. Very pleased with that.

-Good.

-I'm pleased with that.

-That's a good result.

Well, that's it, it's all over for our owners

and everyone's gone home happy, even though we didn't sell everything,

but you can't predict what's going to happen. That's why auctions are so exciting.

If you've got anything you want to sell, we would love to see you.

Bring your antiques and collectibles to one of our valuation days

and you can get details of up and coming events on our website.

If you want more information on the show

just log on to bbc.co.uk/flogit.

So, from Northern Ireland, until then, it's bye-bye.