0:00:04 > 0:00:09The great British seaside. We've been in love with it for years.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And that's why we're in Worthing. It's a picture-postcard scene.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15We've got the pier, we've got the beach,
0:00:15 > 0:00:19and the pavilion, which is the venue for today's star attraction.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This is Sussex, by the sea.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49That's a nice photograph.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57Worthing was an inspiration for playwrights Oscar Wilde and Harold Pinter.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00It's fitting that we should follow in the theatrical tradition today,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04because our venue is the impressive Pavilion Theatre on Worthing seafront.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Just about to go on stage for Act 1 are our two experts, David Fletcher and Michael Baggott.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17The first thing David Fletcher ever sold was a live rabbit.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19And look, he's still an animal lover today!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Even I can work it! Vaguely!
0:01:22 > 0:01:27- He's got a lovely face! - He's looking at you. - Yeah, he's got his eye on me!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And Michael Baggott's got his hands full, as always.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- Who wants a sticker?- I do! Where are you going to put it?
0:01:34 > 0:01:39This is a dangerous operation. You saw, my hands never left my arms!
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Flog It!
0:01:49 > 0:01:53- Coming up, David gets excited. - Look what I found, Mum!
0:01:53 > 0:01:58- Michael gains an admirer. - You're the best.- He is the best. - Can you say that again?
0:01:58 > 0:02:00And I discover surrealist art.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Isn't that just incredible? I might even have some vivid dreams tonight!
0:02:04 > 0:02:08Well, it's 9.30, it's time to get the doors open, let's go inside!
0:02:08 > 0:02:10Come on, everybody!
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Well, everybody's now safely seated inside the Pavilion Theatre,
0:02:23 > 0:02:27and it looks like we've got a full house. Are you ready for Act 1? Well, so am I.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It looks like David Fletcher is our first expert to the tables.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Let's take a closer look at what he's spotted.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36David's fascinated by a mysterious object belonging to Adam and Nicola.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41- Nicola.- Hello.- And Adam.- Hiya. - You brought your mum out for the day?
0:02:41 > 0:02:47- Something like that.- She doesn't get out very often?- No, not at all!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- It's nice of you to bring her out. I'm glad you've come to Flog It!- Thank you.
0:02:50 > 0:02:55You've brought with you a...gizmo, really.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00- Yes.- It looks to me as if it's made of marine ivory.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05We can tell that by looking for flecks,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08and they are really quite distinctive here.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Now, marine ivory really means walrus ivory,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14as opposed to elephant ivory.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Ivory today, for obvious reasons, is not as fashionable as it was,
0:03:18 > 0:03:23but this was made a long time ago, and it's entirely legal to sell it.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26So there's no problem there.
0:03:26 > 0:03:32As I say, it is a gizmo in the sense that it does two or three different things.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34If I can unscrew it there...
0:03:34 > 0:03:39We have...a pen,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42not a fountain pen, but a dipper.
0:03:42 > 0:03:49And at the other end, of course, a paper knife.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52One other thing which I suspect is going to be the case,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56is that if I look through this little hole at the end,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00I'm going to see a black-and-white photograph.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The image is so tiny, our cameras can't film it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08But this is very similar to what David could see.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I'm sure the moment you saw this, you thought, "I've got to go to Hastings!"
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- We went there last year!- Did you? - Yeah, we did!
0:04:14 > 0:04:19This type of magnifying device is known as a Stanhope
0:04:19 > 0:04:21because it was invented by the third Earl of Stanhope,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24who obviously hadn't got much to do with his time.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29- No!- He was probably very thrilled with it, and I must say, it is miraculous.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Does it belong to you, Adam, or to your mum?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36I found it when I was clearing out my nan's house at the back of a cupboard.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Your clever dick of a son, he goes in, says, "Look what I found, Mum!"
0:04:40 > 0:04:45- That's right!- It's not the sort of thing you want to keep? - No, it's something different,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49- but it's not something from this sort of age, really.- No. This isn't going to make the earth,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54let's be honest, but it's good fun, and I'd like to suggest an estimate of £30 to £50.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- That's OK!- All right.- Go ahead.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01OK. We'll go ahead, and I'll see you both at the auction.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- Lovely, thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Lots of handshakes, there you are.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07I like the weathered look!
0:05:07 > 0:05:10LAUGHTER
0:05:10 > 0:05:14Michael's making time to talk to Carol about an item she's brought in.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Carol, you've brought this lovely watch in for me today
0:05:20 > 0:05:23with a silversmith's name on it.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26A very good retailer's name on it - Asprey.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- Can you tell me, where did it come from?- It was my mother's.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35She had it for a very long time and she used to keep it in her jewellery box
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and get it out and have a peep at it now and again.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42She loved it, she thought it was very pretty, but she never wore it, because it's a pin
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and she wouldn't put pins in her clothes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Understandable, because it's quite... If we pick him up,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52even though he's small, it's a heavy little weight,
0:05:52 > 0:05:57and if you had something light on, it would eventually pull a hole in it.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01This was made in the late '40s, early '50s, as a piece of cocktail jewellery,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and you could imagine those beautifully turned-out ladies
0:06:04 > 0:06:08in their thick, heavy coats, tailored.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09And that would be...
0:06:09 > 0:06:13I don't wear one myself, but it would be poised there,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16- and would fit in quite well. - Yes, yes.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19The case, I imagine, is nine-carat gold.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24The little suspension chain and clasp that it's on, we have got a little mark for that,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29- and that's stamped 750, so we know that that's 18 carat.- OK.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33And we've got those three little greyish pearls set in,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37which might conceivably, from the colour, be Scottish freshwater pearls,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39so it's a lovely little thing.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42But there we've got the face, and that's rather luxurious.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48The black enamel dial, with the little gold spots for the hours.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49We've also got the gold weights,
0:06:49 > 0:06:54if nothing else, that case must weigh several grams.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59I think it would be sensible if we put an estimate of £100 to £150,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01a fixed reserve of £100 on it.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- OK.- And hopefully, the Asprey name alone will carry it on from that.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07- Yes, yes.- Why have you decided to part with it?
0:07:07 > 0:07:12I'm doing the same thing as my mother did - it's in a box,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- and I'm looking at it occasionally and popping it back in. - Not pinning it on?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20No, it's very pretty, but it's not something I would wear.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I think it's almost becoming a collector's piece now.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27So let's put it into the auction and hope it ticks away to a profit for you!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- That'd be great.- Marvellous. Thank you.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42We're having a marvellous time here in Worthing, everybody's thoroughly enjoying themselves.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46It's jam-packed in the pavilion, getting rather stuffy,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49so I thought I'd do my next valuation outside, on the pier,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53not just to get some fresh air, but also to take in the beautiful scenery
0:07:53 > 0:07:57and listen to Dave perform on the pier - take it away for some seaside entertainment!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00HE STRUMS TUNELESSLY
0:08:00 > 0:08:06- Is that it?- That's about my lot, I'm afraid! Would you like to have a go?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I've got to say, that's about all I could do as well.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Tell me about this wonderful mandolin, how did you come by it?
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Well, I usually go to a boot fair Sunday mornings,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18and I was wandering around, no rush,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21and I saw it lying under a bench.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24I picked it up, I asked the gentleman what he wanted for it.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- What was the price tag? - Well, it was expensive - it was £3!
0:08:28 > 0:08:32And I was a bit worried about getting my money back.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38- You didn't try and knock them down? - I did. I tried £2.50, but got rejected.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I'm not surprised! I'd have smashed it over your head for being cheeky!
0:08:42 > 0:08:46- I think you got a bargain for £3. - Do you? Oh, good.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51- I did wonder once whether it wasn't genuine.- Can I have a closer look?- Yeah.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Cos you know about wood, Paul!
0:08:58 > 0:09:03- What wood is it?- That's rosewood. - And what's this banding?
0:09:03 > 0:09:04- It's all rosewood.- Is it?
0:09:04 > 0:09:10Yeah, it's just different sections of the grain showing through.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15- So looking at this, that's mother-of-pearl inlay, can you see that?- This?
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Basically, mother-of-pearl is just very, very thin slices of seashell,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22inlaid into the tortoiseshell.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- Would that be done by hand? - Yes. Isn't that beautiful?- It is.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30And this, I thought first off perhaps it was broken, but it's not.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34No, the neck's been cut away on purpose inside the sound hole.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37That's because this instrument was either designed to be plucked,
0:09:37 > 0:09:41- or strummed with a plectrum.- Right.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46- I'd say this is around 1850s to 1870s.- Really?- Yes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48This is an early one.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49It's really, really nice,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52It's got that lovely Neapolitan bowl shape to it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55These instruments were first made in this kind of form and shape
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- in the early part of the 17th century.- Yeah.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00HE PLUCKS NOTES
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- And it's derived from the lute. - Mm-hm.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- So your £3...- Yes?
0:10:11 > 0:10:17- What do you think it's worth? - Oh, double. How about six?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19OK, how about 250?
0:10:19 > 0:10:23- That'll do!- That'll do you, won't it? There you are.- Thank you!
0:10:23 > 0:10:28I say we put that into auction with a value of £150 to £250. Reserve at 150.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- Sounds good to me.- Happy? - Very happy.- See you at the auction.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- Thank you, Paul. Thank you very much.- That's OK. I'd be keeping that.- Yeah.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41We are now halfway through our day,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44and we have found some real gems, a few surprises there,
0:10:44 > 0:10:50so let's make our way across to the auction room, before the experts finally relax in the sun,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52and put those valuations to the test, shall we?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Let see what the bidders think.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Packed and ready to go.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01We have Carol's gold watch with that all-important maker's name.
0:11:01 > 0:11:07Nicola and Adam's 100-year-old Stanhope, made from marine ivory.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11David's early 19th-century mandolin with its beautiful mother-of-pearl inlay.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22I'm getting excited, and I hope you are,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25because it's time to put our experts' valuations to the test.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30We're doing it in this building, Denhams Auctioneers.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Before I go inside and catch up with our owners,
0:11:32 > 0:11:37who are probably really nervous, let's have a chat with today's auctioneer, Simon Langton,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39see what he's got to say.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42As you can see, the sun's shining, so let's hope he's in a good mood.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I want to know what Simon thinks of my item, the mandolin.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50The reserve's been reduced to £120.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58I have been punchy, I put 150 to 250 on this because of its quality.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01A little bit punchy, a little bit excitable...
0:12:01 > 0:12:03But it's better than the norm.
0:12:03 > 0:12:08Oh... Crumbs, it's top-drawer, this is the biggest news in mandolins, but you're a bit high,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13- I'm a bit low, perhaps we'll meet in the middle.- Let's make music!
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Well! Steady on!
0:12:15 > 0:12:20It's your job to get on the rostrum and find a buyer that's going to fall in love with this.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24David's wife, Shirley, has joined us for the sale.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26..Thank you, sir.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Hello, pleased to meet you as well. You've come to wave it goodbye.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35- Yes, sadly.- I tell you something... Sadly? Ooh, do you want to keep it?
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Well, you might be, because I had a chat to the auctioneer earlier,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and you know what he said - he said he thought it was a bit punchy.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45He would put it at about 100 to 150.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49So his top end is my lower end, but it doesn't really matter, does it?
0:12:49 > 0:12:53They don't mind if it's going home. I think the pressure's off.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Next time we come to Worthing, we'll probably see him busking along the seafront.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Let's see if we hit the high notes now - it's time to sell it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The six-stringed mandolin, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08two labels on it, a handsome-looking mandolin.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11What do we say, £100 for it?
0:13:11 > 0:13:1775 then, come along, let's make music together. Come along, now.
0:13:17 > 0:13:2250, if we dare. 40, then. Thank you. And five. 50. And five.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25At £55, do I see 60?
0:13:25 > 0:13:30At £55, looking for 60. At £55, 60 I've got. And five, 70.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32And five, 80.
0:13:32 > 0:13:39And five, 90. And five. 100. 105, if it helps.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40It's only money!
0:13:40 > 0:13:44At 105, good for you. At 105, we're using discretion here.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47At 105, going to sell, at 105.
0:13:47 > 0:13:53Hammer's gone down. He sold it, with discretion. We wanted 120, he sold it at 105.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- So he's used a bit of discretion. Is that OK?- Yeah, that's fine.
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- It's gone, anyway, it's gone.- Won't have to string it now.- That'll help toward the golden wedding!
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It's got him out of playing it, hasn't it? Let's face it!
0:14:04 > 0:14:10- The golden wedding? - Yes!- Wow! 50 years!- On Friday!
0:14:10 > 0:14:15- Well, that's a bit of money towards the celebration.- That's right.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- Buy a box of champagne.- Yeah. - Job done!
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Not what I'd had hoped for, but still a good return on £3.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Let's hope we can do the same with the Stanhope.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27It's a mixed bag, really - a letter opener,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30we've got this wonderful Stanhope which eagle-eyes found.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35- Tell us about that.- I just found it in the back of the cupboard. - Fascinated?- Yes.- Were you?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38They're incredible, aren't they?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41It's the thing which sums up Victorian life.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Victorians loved this sort of thing. Things that did other things.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47The question is, will this lot out here love this?
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Let's find out, shall we? It's going under the hammer.
0:14:53 > 0:14:58Victorian pierced ivory paper knife, the end incorporating a Stanhope.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Come along, now.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04What do we say for this one? I'm bid 20 and 2, 24, 26.
0:15:07 > 0:15:1028, 30 and 2, 34, 36.
0:15:10 > 0:15:16£36, are we all done? At 36, selling at 36, do I see 38?
0:15:16 > 0:15:20No, it'll be at 36. Selling at £36 then...
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- It's gone. £36. Straight in. Happy? - Yeah, fine, thank you.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- It's not a lot of money, but it's a great learning experience. - Definitely.- Definitely.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33It's a great thing to start collecting, because it's affordable.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Oh, go and play football. It's probably more interesting, isn't it?
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Well, that certainly brightened my day! Next up is a bit of class.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50Unfortunately, Carol can't be with us. But we have our expert, Michael Baggott,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and we have a value of 100, £150.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58It's fabulous quality, there's a lot of gold weight in it,
0:15:58 > 0:16:03and then it's got the Asprey name, so I don't want to commit myself before the action,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05but it should sell, 100%.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Let's find out what the bidders think. It's going under the hammer right now.
0:16:09 > 0:16:15Pendant watch, by Asprey's - who's over this one?
0:16:15 > 0:16:21Starting us here at £50 and five. 60, and five. 70, and five.
0:16:21 > 0:16:2480, and five. 90, and five. 100.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26It's sold.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29120, 130, 140, 150,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33160, 170, 180, 190, 200. And 20.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38240, 260... 240 standing, all done at 240, do I see 260?
0:16:38 > 0:16:42At 240, and selling at 240 then...
0:16:42 > 0:16:45£240.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- Bang, the hammer went. - That's great. It was a come-and-buy-me, wasn't it?
0:16:48 > 0:16:54- I think it was. You're right - the name got it away. Quality always sells.- Brilliant.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Who's going to tell her?
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I think a phone call from you is a joyous thing.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01A phone call from me, it could be bad tidings.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05A runaway success, well over estimate.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Well, so far, so good.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16That completes our first visit to the auction room today.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20We're coming back here later on in the show, so hopefully, fingers crossed,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22there should be one or two big surprises, so don't go away.
0:17:31 > 0:17:36Now, when you think of surrealist art, you think of lobster telephones
0:17:36 > 0:17:38and sofas in the shape of Mae West's lips,
0:17:38 > 0:17:43and also iconic names like Salvador Dali, Max Ernst and Magritte.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46But England had its surrealist artists, too. And this was their HQ.
0:17:46 > 0:17:53Farley Farm in deepest rural Sussex. Be prepared for a surprise.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01In 1949, the surrealist artist Roland Penrose and his wife, the photojournalist Lee Miller,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04made this place their home.
0:18:04 > 0:18:11Surrealism is a revolutionary art movement which features the elements of surprise and juxtaposition.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16It's been described as an exploration of the subconscious. Like a dream.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18And the Penroses lived in it.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26Today, their former home, Farley Farm, is full of their artworks and that of their friends.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It's a unique art gallery, museum and archive.
0:18:31 > 0:18:37The main rooms in the house had been left largely as they would have been when the Penrose family lived here.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39The room I am in now is the dining room.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42As you can see, the walls have been painted with a bright sunshine yellow,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44which is an incredibly bold move.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47And what dominates the room - you can't miss it -
0:18:47 > 0:18:50it's not just the fireplace, but it's a mural on the wall inside.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Painted by Roland, it's the Sun God. Isn't that just incredible?
0:19:03 > 0:19:07But it's the dining table that the Penroses entertained all their friends at.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09The likes of Pablo Picasso and all.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Could you imagine the conversations that went on around this dining table?
0:19:13 > 0:19:18I'm just about to find out as I'm now going to have a chat with Antony Penrose, their son.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26So, how did your father meet your mother?
0:19:26 > 0:19:30- They met at an absolutely wild fancy dress party.- An elite party?
0:19:30 > 0:19:32It was a surrealist party.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37They were all dressed in what you might imagine the surrealist version of a fancy dress costume was.
0:19:37 > 0:19:43And they met, and my father describes the moment as though he had been struck by lightning.
0:19:43 > 0:19:49- It's a great crack. He was never the same again.- Love at first sight?
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Yes indeed. Although she was married and would have been living in Cairo,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56but he tracked her down, pursued her,
0:19:56 > 0:20:01then finally in 1939 she came to live with him in London, just as the war began.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Lee Miller was a model before becoming a surrealist photographer and photojournalist.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17She even risked her own life, documenting World War II.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19But much of her work was unpublished.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Did Roland paint her at all?
0:20:25 > 0:20:29Many times. And he painted her really in a very perceptive way.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35He really understood the inner workings of her in a way that I don't think anybody else did.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Was this the first time he painted your mother?
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Yes, he painted her like this in 1937, soon after he had met her.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Tell me a little bit about it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Well, you can see her legs are earthy. Roland was very intuitive
0:20:51 > 0:20:55and he found metaphors for things that he couldn't explain in other ways.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00So, earthy legs, she was grounded. Really earthy sort of personality.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And the upper half?
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Well, her body has become the sky because she was very strongly dissociated.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09It's like she didn't live inside her body.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11He knew this, didn't know how to explain it,
0:21:11 > 0:21:16so he just painted her with her body like the sky.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18He used a lot of visual metaphor in his work.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- For example, you see the face is the Sun.- It's a golden ball.
0:21:22 > 0:21:29Well, that was the brilliance of her intellect and the warmth of her personality encapsulated in there.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34And I see she's got two birds as hands. One's a swallow.
0:21:34 > 0:21:40Yes, the swallow comes because she should have been living at this moment with her husband in Cairo.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43And Roland was hoping that she would fly like a swallow,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47migrating from North Africa and come and live in his home in London.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- That's so romantic. - It is, isn't it? It's lovely.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04You grew up here. It must have been quite an unusual upbringing. Tell me about that.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Well, it seemed perfectly normal to me.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Didn't really occur to me that it was anything different
0:22:09 > 0:22:11until I got to be in my teens.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15And then I suddenly realised that, yes, perhaps it was unusual.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17So everything that was unusual seemed normal
0:22:17 > 0:22:21and your normal life at the time must have seemed unusual?
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Well, it took my long time to discover what normal was. That was for sure.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But growing up in a surrealist household did come with its perks.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Well, I can recognise one person in the photograph.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Possibly the greatest artist of the 20th century. Pablo Picasso.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- But who's the other little chap? - Well, that's me.- Aren't you lucky!
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- I know.- So lucky. How old were you?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- I was three-and-a-half. - Can you remember that day?
0:22:45 > 0:22:49It's just on the edge of my memory. I remember that he smelled good.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53He smelled of Gauloises cigarettes and cologne.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And that was very unexpected for a small English boy.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01You can't meet anybody more important to have your photograph taken with.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Well, he was very important to me.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08And he was instantly a friend. Somebody that I felt good with.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10And that continued for the years afterwards.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- You're a lucky man to have met him. - Indeed I am.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15Thank you so much for talking to me today.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18It's been a great pleasure. Thanks for coming.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Well, I'm certainly going to have fond memories of Farley Farm here in Sussex,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25home to the English surrealists.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I might even have some vivid dreams tonight,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and wake up and paint murals all over my walls.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34What one thing is for sure, this place is definitely well worth a visit.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36But it's only open on certain days of the year,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40so make sure you come here when it's open to the public.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Welcome back to the Pavilion here in Worthing.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59We've still got a full house. It's time for Act Two.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04Let's join up with our experts and see what they've spotted to take to auction later on in the show.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07We love to see smiling faces on Flog It!
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And Susan's brought along this one for Michael to value.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Susan, we are not alone.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14I see that!
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Where has this severe-looking fellow come from?
0:24:18 > 0:24:24Well, someone graciously donated him to a charity shop that I work in, in Hove.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29And we're all puzzled as to where he might come from and his value.
0:24:29 > 0:24:36Right. Well, hopefully I can tell you where it was made, when it was made and what it's worth.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40If we look at him first, what a marvellous thing to be dropped into a charity shop.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45We've got something which is very obviously a Chinese carving.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50And it's on a variety of softwood.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55Your mind always goes, when you see these Chinese figures, "Is it one of the Buddhist immortals?"
0:24:55 > 0:25:00But, looking at how he's dressed, it's very much court-dress.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05I mean, you've got here this armoured sleeve
0:25:05 > 0:25:10and then we've got this fine robe, which is decorated all over.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12I say decorated all over, a lot of it's lost,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16but it's depicting clouds on it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Because the Chinese loved the stylised formation of clouds.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Clouds are like waves, like mushrooms,
0:25:23 > 0:25:28the Emperor would have a ruyi sceptre and the head of it would be carved as a mushroom.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29It's very interesting.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31So, all of these forms.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Now, originally this fine fellow
0:25:34 > 0:25:38would have been not as an individual sculpture as we would understand it in the West,
0:25:38 > 0:25:43but a fitment off a large carved architectural building
0:25:43 > 0:25:47or a walkway or gallery, or even an altar.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49And you've got to think of this
0:25:49 > 0:25:53rather like the decorative pantile off the top of your Victorian house.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56And when you think of the Chinese court and the palaces
0:25:56 > 0:26:02and the massive scale they were on, you get hundreds, if not thousands, of these carved figures.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05And it can be very difficult to date them.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07And that's really my problem today.
0:26:07 > 0:26:14They certainly were made as early as the 16th or 17th century, right up to the 20th century.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18I've got a feeling, from the amount of genuine wear on this,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21that we'd be safe in saying it's 19th century.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22It may even be earlier.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25But in comes the question of value.
0:26:25 > 0:26:32- That's it.- I mean, I remember 15 years ago when Chinese works of art were making money,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34but they weren't making a lot of money.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38And there seems to have been an explosion over the last two or three years.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43So whoever donated this was giving a real gift to the charity.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Let's put £200-400 on him.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Wonderful!
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Let's put a fixed reserve of £180 on him.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Wonderful.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It's the sort of thing I wish we saw more of on Flog It!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57cos it's really unique, in its way.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Thank you, Michael. I really appreciate your time.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It's a pleasure. Let's hope he brings you luck on the day.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07- Let's rub his head a little! - If it helps!- If it helps.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14David's up next, with Lesley's sewing kit.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Thank you for bringing these little items in here.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- Are you a sewing lady yourself? - Yes, I am.- Good...
0:27:21 > 0:27:23This button's coming loose.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27- Perhaps you could sew it up for me before you go?- Maybe!- Thank you.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32Let's discuss this little needle case, which caught my eye
0:27:32 > 0:27:38because it's decorated with views of St John's College in Cambridge.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43- These are probably, as you know, transfer printed on the back of glass.- Yes.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46They're then coloured.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49The needle case itself is an astonishingly good condition,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51particularly when you bear in mind
0:27:51 > 0:27:54how susceptible the boards are to chipping.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57There's no wear there at all.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02The second item we'll quickly discuss is this box,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06which contains crewel silk for art needlework.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Now, crewel work is a late 17th century technique
0:28:10 > 0:28:12whereby you create a raised decoration.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It might be flower heads, or possibly animals or birds.
0:28:16 > 0:28:22You then cut round those and they were then applied to a linen or cotton backing.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26This particular thread is actually three or four different shades,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30going through from almost white to quite a dark green.
0:28:30 > 0:28:35And I was interested to see that that is shade 235, so whether that means
0:28:35 > 0:28:40that you could obtain 234 other shades or not, I don't know.
0:28:40 > 0:28:44And finally, as far as the sewing bits and pieces are concerned,
0:28:44 > 0:28:48there's this little pin holder here.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Made, I think, but I'm not absolutely certain, from stained ivory.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55- Yes.- And, seeing as you've brought it along with you,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58we might throw these playing cards in for good measure.
0:28:58 > 0:29:05- Have you any particular hopes or expectations?- Not really, not really.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Wouldn't really put an estimate of much more than, say,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11£30-£50 on the lot.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14- That's fine.- You look a bit disappointed.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18Yes, I just thought, a little bit more than 50, but...
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Well, we'll do our best for you.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22I mean, I say this a lot to people,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24in today's market you've got to be realistic.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29And, because it's a low value lot, the auctioneers would probably be grateful
0:29:29 > 0:29:32- if we didn't put a reserve on it. - Oh, no, I wouldn't put a reserve.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Jolly good. OK. I'll see you at the sale, then.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44This old chap's caught Michael's eye.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- Jo.- Yes?
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Did you bring this fellow or did he swim here himself?
0:29:49 > 0:29:51No, I actually brought him here.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54Where did you get this specimen from?
0:29:54 > 0:29:59Well, my uncle gave him to me years ago, about 50 years ago.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03I was just worrying for him because I loved him so much.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06And eventually he gave in and gave the turtle to me.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10- So he really appealed to you? - He did. He still does.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14- He's got bags of character. He isn't everybody's cup of tea.- No.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I think I might have been running away from him earlier today,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21when I saw him, thinking, "Good grief, what's that?"
0:30:21 > 0:30:24But he is of course, as we all know, a turtle.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29- And this just feeds into the Victorian fascination with dead animals.- Yes.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32And we think it's a bit macabre today but really,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34there was no television.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38Going to zoos was a long drawn-out and expensive process.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41So, a lot of people of moderate means
0:30:41 > 0:30:47would put together these naturalistic museums of stuffed specimens.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49- You couldn't have them live, after all.- No, no.
0:30:49 > 0:30:56So what, to us today, can seem a little bit horrible and, "Oh! Why would they do that?"
0:30:56 > 0:31:00It's simply the only way that they could see these animals.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- Catching these things and taking the shells off them is now banned.- Yes.
0:31:04 > 0:31:11That means there's a great deal of regulation that goes with selling anything like this at auction.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15- And the main thing is that it is prior to 1947.- Yes.
0:31:15 > 0:31:21Once you see that face, it's fairly evident it has 100 years of wear,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24- colour and patination to it.- It has.
0:31:24 > 0:31:30- You don't want to release him back, do you?- If only! If only.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34- I think, at auction, we could put £100-£200 on him.- Yes.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39In that very macabre, strange, Victorian aesthetic that it has.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43- I think someone will fall in love with him, too.- Let's hope so!
0:31:43 > 0:31:46- Wave him bye-bye.- Yes. Bye-bye, dear old chap.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48I won't touch him. I'm still scared.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52- Still scared.- I'm sure you're not! - Thank you for bringing him in.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59You've heard what our experts think, and they're normally right, aren't they?
0:31:59 > 0:32:01They're normally spot-on, come on, let's face it.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03It's not an exact science, valuing antiques.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05But let's get over to the auction room
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and find out what the bidders think - that's the real test.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12And we're taking with us Jo's Victorian turtle,
0:32:12 > 0:32:14a naturalistic exhibition piece.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16Lesley's sewing kit,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19including a Cambridge-themed needle case and silk box.
0:32:19 > 0:32:25And Susan's imposing Chinese figure, in his robes, decorated with clouds.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31This is where we're putting our valuations to the test today,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34Denhams Auctioneers, just a few miles outside of Horsham.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36As you can see, the house is filling up.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It's got all the ingredients of a classic sale.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Quality kit, lots of people, enthusiastic bidding.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45That's what we want to see, and hopefully push the prices through the roof.
0:32:45 > 0:32:50Whatever you do, don't go away, because I can guarantee one or two big surprises.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56First up, a real museum piece. Will the bidders want to give him a home?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Coming up now, something for all you taxidermy enthusiasts.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02It's a wonderful little turtle. It belongs to Jo.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05I've got to say, condition is superb.
0:33:05 > 0:33:06Taxidermy, ten years ago,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09you couldn't do anything with it, nobody wanted it.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Then you get Damien Hirst cutting a cow in half,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14and all of a sudden everyone's interested in Victorian taxidermy.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16I just loved the turtle, myself.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20There was a move towards the sort of mini museum at home, with lots of natural history.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- It's not to everybody's taste. - No, it's not.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26I hope there are two turtle fanciers here.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29I kind of, I like it in a way. I'm with you, I'm with you,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31but I know what Michael's saying.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34I would be delighted to be proved wrong.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Let's find out what the bidders think. You've heard what Michael had to say about it,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40it's now down to the bidders. Here we go.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46It is a 19th-century stuffed and mounted turtle.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49- Don't hold it up.- There he is, making his way amongst you.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53What do we say for him? £100 for him?
0:33:55 > 0:34:0075 for him? Come along now.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02I'm at £40. Good grief.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04£40, and five? 50,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06and five? 60?
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- At £60 then, and five. - Struggling, isn't it?
0:34:09 > 0:34:11As ghastly as he is, he's worth more than that.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Yes, he is. You were right with the valuation.
0:34:14 > 0:34:22Do I see 70? At £65, he's all there. Beautiful looking specimen.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Not quite enough. At £65, I'm going to have to pass it, I'm afraid.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32- He's going home. - Oh, I'm so pleased!- Are you?
0:34:32 > 0:34:34I'm going to find a shelf for him again.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37No, I love him dearly, so I'm not sad that he's going home.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40This is not a sale, this is a love affair.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- And he's destined to stay with you. - He obviously is, yes.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47Thank goodness she DOES love him. Now for the sewing kit,
0:34:47 > 0:34:51and Lesley's husband, Gordon, has come along for the sale.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53A bit of a mixed lot coming up right now
0:34:53 > 0:34:58but not for a great deal of money - £30-£50. It belonged to Lesley, and who have you brought along today?
0:34:58 > 0:35:01- My husband, Gordon. - Hi, pleased to meet you.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05- I gather some of these were your grandmother's.- Correct. - The same items, were they? Yes.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09So, been in the family a long time, which is your social history, isn't it?
0:35:09 > 0:35:10Yes, that's quite true.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Let's find out if the bidders are interested,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17cos that's what we're here for, to put it under the hammer and flog it. Here we go.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Victorian ivory item there, as we see it there,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23we've got all sorts of goodies there.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Playing cards, etc. What do we say for it?
0:35:27 > 0:35:30- It's a funny old mixed bag, isn't it?- 75 then?
0:35:30 > 0:35:33I'm bid 40, and five. 50, and five.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37- 60? £60 there?- That's good.
0:35:37 > 0:35:41Are we selling now at £60? Do I see the five? With me at 60, then.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45- All in and selling at 60, are we? - Straight in and out, really!
0:35:45 > 0:35:49There was something there somebody definitely wanted. £60.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53- No, I'm very pleased with that. - Good. Well done.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Yes, nice little lot.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Sold, over estimate. That's what we like to see on Flog It!
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Now for our last item, the wooden Chinese figure.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Susan's brought along her colleague, Amanda, for the sale.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08This was an Oxfam find, wasn't it?
0:36:08 > 0:36:11- This is an Oxfam find. - Tell me all about it.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16It came into the shop, a normal donation, in a box of other bric-a-brac.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19And we have a lady that specialises in antiques
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and she brought it out, thought it might be worth something.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26- And we brought it here.- Michael, we've got £200-£400 on this.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28- I swooped on it like a hawk! - You did, you beat me to it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32- I went, "Ooh, ooh!" - I saw you behind me, leaning in.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35- Chinese figures, big business. - Ceramics.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40At the moment they've replaced Russian works of art as the most saleable class.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43- Highly sought after. - Incredibly sought after.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46- This is the big one!- This is the big one.- It's a lovely figure.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Hopefully there are telephone bids and internet bidding.
0:36:50 > 0:36:51By somebody in Hong Kong.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54We're going to find out, all the waiting is over.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57It's been a long time, hasn't it? It really has. OK.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00It's a roller-coaster ride just about to take place.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04- It's going under the hammer.- We want to buy a couple of cows.- Here we go.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10The very handsome, carved Eastern figure of a seated deity.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12There he is.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18- And...- So decorative. - And I am bid...
0:37:18 > 0:37:20£100, and 10,
0:37:20 > 0:37:21120, 130, 140,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25150, 160, 170, 180...
0:37:26 > 0:37:29..190. 200 - with me now at £200.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Are we all done and selling now?
0:37:32 > 0:37:36At £200, then, can't make any more out of this, at £200...
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Just.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42At £200, I'm going to sell at £200. All out at 200, are we?
0:37:42 > 0:37:46- Yes!- Fantastic. And all the money's going back to the shop.
0:37:46 > 0:37:47We want to buy a couple of cows.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50- Do you?- And goats.- Oh, wonderful.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- Yes, very excited.- If anything else like that comes along, bring it in.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59- We certainly will. It's been great. Thank you so much.- Bang on estimate.
0:37:59 > 0:38:04- Bang on. You're the best.- He is the best!- Can you say that again?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07He's the best. He is!
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Well, that's it, the auction has just finished
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and, I've got to say, all of our owners are going to go home very happy.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20I know it was a struggle, a few ups and downs,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24but that's auctions for you, you cannot predict what's going to happen.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28That's why they're so exciting. So, do join me again for many more surprises
0:38:28 > 0:38:31but, for now, from Sussex, it's goodbye.