0:00:02 > 0:00:04Britain is stuffed with places
0:00:04 > 0:00:06famous for their antiques
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and each object has a story to tell.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Hello!
0:00:11 > 0:00:15I'm Tim Wonnacott and, as the crowds gather for their favourite outdoor
0:00:15 > 0:00:19events around the country, I'll be pitching up with my silver trailer
0:00:19 > 0:00:23to meet the locals with their precious antiques and collectables.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I'm feeling inspired myself, thank you very much.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Their stories will reveal why the places
0:00:28 > 0:00:32we visit, deserve to be on The Great Antiques Map Of Britain.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Today, we're at the Harbour Festival in Bristol,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38the gateway to the West Country.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Lots of eager owners have come along to show us their intriguing items...
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Ta-dum! It has got something that is beyond price here in Bristol.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55..which represent this area's unique antiques heritage.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57To have this, is a delight in Bristol Blue.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Also, of course,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02they want to find out what their precious objects might be worth.
0:01:02 > 0:01:09£100-£200. £2500-£3500. £200-£300. £5,000.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13Have a guess how much this 1913 ladies motorcycle could
0:01:13 > 0:01:14fetch at auction.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17This is just to perfection in every detail.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26This harbour has seen some life.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Bristol used to be England's second city and port.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Well, you have to go back to Medieval times,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35but that's how important it once was.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39Cabot sailed off from here in his Matthew to Newfoundland.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Brunel built important ships. And business - with Europe, Africa
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and the Americas in commodities like sugar, tobacco and, of course,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49the slave trade - kept this place afloat.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And wealthy merchants' houses still dominate some
0:01:54 > 0:01:56parts of the city.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58The profits that these businesses in Bristol must have
0:01:58 > 0:02:03made in the old days, well, it's just been tremendous. Look at it.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06But those merchants wouldn't recognise Bristol's big hitters
0:02:06 > 0:02:11of today, like the creative media, electronics and aerospace industry.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14And the historic docks they sailed from, have been
0:02:14 > 0:02:17redeveloped into a major visitor attraction.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22So, it's absolutely fitting that we should be
0:02:22 > 0:02:27here beside the water, as a part of the Bristol Harbour Festival.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It's been an annual event since 1971
0:02:31 > 0:02:35and now attracts 250,000 visitors each year.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39And some of them seem very pleased to see us.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49And we're off to a rip-roaring start with Bristol's Lord Mayor, no less.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Alastair Watson. He's brought along a hugely important Bristol antique.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- You come bearing arms, I see. - I do indeed, Tim.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02But not just any ordinary piece of armament this, is it?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04It's beautiful. It's our Pearl Sword.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- It's one of the treasures of the city.- It is a treasure.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11It's one of our four swords and perhaps the finest.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Let me remove it, firstly, from the scabbard,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17and I'm doing this somewhat gingerly,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20because the antiquity of this piece,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- practically defies belief, doesn't it?- It does.
0:03:23 > 0:03:28Because this is thought to have been made between about 1370
0:03:28 > 0:03:33and 1390 and it says on it in between these two shields,
0:03:33 > 0:03:39"John Wells of London, grocer and Mayor to Bristol
0:03:39 > 0:03:42"gave this sword fair."
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Lovely.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47We think he presented it to the City of Bristol when he was Mayor
0:03:47 > 0:03:54of London in 1431 or 32 and it's remained in the city ever since.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58So, solid silver is the handle that has been flashed in gold,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01called silver gilt, and in fact I'm going to put it back in
0:04:01 > 0:04:05the scabbard because the scabbard has a bit of a story to tell too.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08It does. It's our pearl scabbard.
0:04:08 > 0:04:15When Queen Elizabeth I visited Bristol in the 1570s,
0:04:15 > 0:04:20a pearl scabbard was applied to the sword at that time and that
0:04:20 > 0:04:21scabbard stayed on the sword
0:04:21 > 0:04:23until the middle of the 20th century,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25when this replacement to commemorate
0:04:25 > 0:04:29- the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II came about.- Indeed, yes.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33We still have that old scabbard but it was in pretty poor
0:04:33 > 0:04:37condition, so we had this new one made and replaced the seed pearls.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41We called it the Pearl Sword because of the Elizabethan scabbard.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45And a very nice title it is for it. Absolutely delightful.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Ordinarily on this programme, we arrive at this moment
0:04:47 > 0:04:49and we have a bit of a valuation.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51But on this particular occasion, I'm going
0:04:51 > 0:04:54to dip out on that and simply tell you that your sword is priceless.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Thank you.- Is that good enough? - We believe that too.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- Thank you very much.- Thank you for having us, it's been great.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01A pleasure. Thank you, Tim.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09Britain's oldest continually running theatre is Bristol's Old Vic
0:05:09 > 0:05:12which opened for business in 1766.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14In order to raise the funds to build it,
0:05:14 > 0:05:20the developers offered investors free entry to all shows for ever,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22if they bought a specially made token,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24and Peter has one to show us.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26I brought along what looks like a coin
0:05:26 > 0:05:30but actually is a silver ticket from the Theatre Royal in Bristol.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Peter, on the face of it, this is a rather dull looking,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38leather-covered jewellery box, but if I open it up - ta-da! -
0:05:38 > 0:05:42it's got something that is beyond price here in Bristol, right?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Absolutely.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47We seem to have a theatre token made in solid silver
0:05:47 > 0:05:49but beautifully engraved.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54It says "King Street, Bristol Theatre, May 1766", and then
0:05:54 > 0:05:58if we turn it over, "The proprietor of this ticket is entitled
0:05:58 > 0:06:06- "to the sight of every performance to be exhibited in this house."- Yes.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10And that is what it says and that is what it means, right?
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Absolutely, even today.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14They are a direct link with the people who actually
0:06:14 > 0:06:17had the theatre built back in 1766.
0:06:17 > 0:06:23So, if I had invested my money in 1766 and bought this ticket,
0:06:23 > 0:06:29my successors, my inheritors, would still hold the ticket and could
0:06:29 > 0:06:33still see every performance in what is now the Bristol Old Vic?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Originally, you'd have had to pay £50 and then because there was
0:06:37 > 0:06:40a cost overrun on building the theatre, as always,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42you had to pay another 30.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- So, it cost me £80?- Absolutely.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48But to be able to watch, or as they say rather sweetly, have a "sight
0:06:48 > 0:06:52"of every performance" that would ever have happened in that theatre.
0:06:52 > 0:06:58- Yes.- So, how many of the original theatre tokens were there in 1766?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01There were 48 of them and every now and again someone turns up
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- and finds one.- Exactly.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Well, I think it's a fascinating story and it's a thrill to be
0:07:07 > 0:07:09able to handle one of these tokens
0:07:09 > 0:07:13because they are extremely rare. And if you could find one,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17you would have your handle on a fair degree of cash were you to
0:07:17 > 0:07:22- want to sell this token, which you never would.- Never, never.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Deep intake of breath.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28But what would today's value be of such an extraordinary item?
0:07:28 > 0:07:29Find out later.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36You can't come to Bristol without
0:07:36 > 0:07:40talking about Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41His legacy is everywhere.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Brunel was a man with big ideas and he made things happen.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53Just downstream from here is the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge
0:07:53 > 0:07:59and this is the SS Great Britain, a ship built right here
0:07:59 > 0:08:02in Bristol that it is said, quite literally,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05changed the world.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Like all of Brunel's achievements, it's an incredible
0:08:08 > 0:08:13piece of engineering and was the first of its kind in the world.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Eleni Papavasileiou is a curator at the SS Great Britain Trust.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Tell me, what is so special about the SS Great Britain?
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Well, there was no ship like the Great Britain before her, really.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30When Brunel conceived her, she was to be the largest iron-hulled,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32screw-propelled steamship in the world.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34So that was his vision, really, for that
0:08:34 > 0:08:38kind of technology and innovation in the ship building world.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41And she turned out to be commercially very successful.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42Absolutely.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The first few years saw her going to New York as a luxury cruise liner.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47She enjoyed great glory,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50if you like, but also managed to fulfil Brunel's vision of being
0:08:50 > 0:08:54part of the chain of transport from London to Bristol
0:08:54 > 0:08:56using the Great Western Railways
0:08:56 > 0:08:58and continuing on to New York on the ships.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00It's sort of one-ticket travel, in a way.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Yes, exactly, it's almost like the full package,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07which was really ahead of his time to come up with that kind of concept.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11You could say, indeed, that this revolutionised travel for all time.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Indeed, yes, a great, great vision.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18The Trust has amassed an awesome archive,
0:09:18 > 0:09:23giving a fantastic insight into Brunel, man and boy.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26What's that little sketch of a hobbyhorse?
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Oh, this is a very special item from the collection.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32It's a sketch of a rocking horse that Brunel drew
0:09:32 > 0:09:34- when he was only six.- Really?
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I think it's a brilliant indicator of his early observational skills
0:09:37 > 0:09:41and his artistic talent and he's very good at applying his artistic
0:09:41 > 0:09:43sensibilities in everything that he does.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Amongst Brunel's other achievements, I guess
0:09:47 > 0:09:51the first thing that people think about is the suspension bridge.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52That's right.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54In our collection, there are four plans that
0:09:54 > 0:09:58he submitted for the first competition of the bridge in 1829.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Four different concepts,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02basically, for what he envisaged the bridge to be during that time.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05There are pencil drawings that show an aesthetic
0:10:05 > 0:10:08view of the bridge, basically, and there are two engineering
0:10:08 > 0:10:10sections as well, so he combines two elements there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13An artistic and a more engineering,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15if you like, scientific take to that.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19His connection with the age of steam, the Great Western line,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21was an achievement, wasn't it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Brunel's railway, the Great Western Railway, changed the landscape.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It became a means of transport that people could rely on
0:10:27 > 0:10:29and use much more and it had an implication on time.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32There was a time difference, for instance, from London to Bristol.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34So that became the same.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37People were in the same time, if you like, from 1840 onwards
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and that is because of the railway. Can you imagine?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Different time zones in Britain. Not really.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42How very confusing.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46But that is how it was before the age of Brunel's railway.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Well, you've got all this fascinating material
0:10:49 > 0:10:50here in Bristol.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51It sits in this building at the moment.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53What are the plans for the future?
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Well, we have in excess of 12,000 objects that relate to Brunel
0:10:57 > 0:11:00and we're planning a £7 million project
0:11:00 > 0:11:02on the site to show artefacts,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05rare, unique artefacts that have never been seen before by the public.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07So that is very exciting for us.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Well you've got your work cut out.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16I wonder if Brunel had any Bristol blue glass on his mantelpiece.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It's probably one of Bristol's most famous products
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and Francis is a keen collector.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27I'm a bit of a glass nerd and I do collect English glass.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I've brought along some pieces of Bristol blue glass
0:11:30 > 0:11:35of the 18th century, some of them signed by Isaac Jacobs, who
0:11:35 > 0:11:39was the most famous glassmaker in the city at the end of the 18th century.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Now, this particular dish is lovely, isn't it?
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Because it's got this Greek key fret pattern
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and a little rosette in the middle.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And, I guess, because it's a signed piece, and we've got
0:11:53 > 0:11:55"I Jacobs Bristol"
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- on the back, that makes it really rather special, doesn't it?- It is.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01We know that he sent this pattern of decanter stand
0:12:01 > 0:12:06- to sell in a shop in Bond Street in London in 1805.- Very interesting.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Then we've got another piece by the same maker
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and this is a favourite type, for me.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14I think decanters are a marvellous collecting area
0:12:14 > 0:12:18and to have this is a delight in Bristol blue.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20And then if you fancied a bit of rum,
0:12:20 > 0:12:24probably imported into Bristol via the dock over there,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29it says "rum" on it and even the stopper is initialled R for rum
0:12:29 > 0:12:31so you make quite sure you've got
0:12:31 > 0:12:34the right stopper in the right decanter.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37But there's one very special piece, which is this finger bowl.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40We can see it's got Prince of Wales feathers in gilt on it,
0:12:40 > 0:12:45- but this is another important named piece, isn't it?- Yes.
0:12:45 > 0:12:51We know that that little bowl was decorated by a mid-18th century
0:12:51 > 0:12:54decorator called James Giles.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59We think that it was made about 1763,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03because in November 1763, there was a royal birth,
0:13:03 > 0:13:09a new Prince of Wales who later became George IV.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Very strange occurrence that the only source of blue in
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Britain for glass-making
0:13:15 > 0:13:19and ceramics had to come through the port of Bristol,
0:13:19 > 0:13:25and for that curious 20, 30-year period, this is where it was all at.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Any idea what these blue beauties would fetch at auction?
0:13:29 > 0:13:30All will be revealed later on.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Britain abolished slavery in 1807,
0:13:38 > 0:13:43thereby ending a cruel trade that had made some Bristolians rich.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Local publican Mark
0:13:45 > 0:13:49has brought along the table relating to the centenary of that event.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It's a cast-iron pub table made in Bristol.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59It was created to mark the centenary of the abolition of the slave trade
0:13:59 > 0:14:02way back in the early 1900s.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I'm hoping to find out if Tim can corroborate that
0:14:04 > 0:14:08and perhaps know the value, because I've got three of them.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Well, what we're looking at is something that is loosely
0:14:13 > 0:14:16called, as a type, a Britannia pub table.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20All my life I've known them as Britannia pub tables
0:14:20 > 0:14:23and it's got some very interesting details.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Now, Britannia is Britannia and Britannia rules the waves
0:14:26 > 0:14:29and if you're patriotic, you go into a pub
0:14:29 > 0:14:33and you sit as table that has got Britannia cast onto it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Which is where the term Britannia pub tables comes from.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40She's traditionally standing, holding the shield, with
0:14:40 > 0:14:43a bit of the Union flag within that shield.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47But what we can see here is "slavery abolished".
0:14:47 > 0:14:52You're absolutely right in your surmise that this was cast
0:14:52 > 0:14:54specifically for 1907, the centenary,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57celebrating the abolition of slavery.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00The stretcher is also cast iron,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and in it, it says, "G Jones, 69 Castle Street Bristol."
0:15:04 > 0:15:08We know that G Jones started in Bristol in the 1870s.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11There are a variety of these tables about.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16You can buy a WG Grace Britannia table. For example, General Gordon.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18So it's a very interesting subject.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19But my big tip would be,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23if you're at all keen on Britannia pub tables, is to go out
0:15:23 > 0:15:27and make a collection of these rarities, and grace your pub
0:15:27 > 0:15:31with all these Britannia tables, and then you can become the world's
0:15:31 > 0:15:34leading collector of Britannia tables with all kinds of novelties.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37- How about that for an idea? - Great tip, Tim, thank you.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Why not? They'll come flocking in for another pint.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46The normal price range is about £100-£150 but I fancy with
0:15:46 > 0:15:51this slavery abolished version and with its trade-related
0:15:51 > 0:15:54stretcher, it would make a tad more, particularly more here in Bristol.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- So, £200-£300.- Brilliant.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58- How many have you got in your pub? - I've got three.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Oh! Greedy guts!
0:16:08 > 0:16:13In 1907, William and Edwin Douglas transformed their Bristol
0:16:13 > 0:16:16blacksmith and foundry business into an engineering
0:16:16 > 0:16:19manufacturer of motorbikes.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23Initially successful, the business finally closed in 1957
0:16:23 > 0:16:26and remaining bikes have become collectors' items.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I went to Kingswood Heritage Museum to meet Bill Douglas,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32great-grandson of one of the founders.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Well, Bill, this is the holy of holies in here as far
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- as Douglas is concerned, isn't it? - It's quite a collection, yes.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46If we start off with this earliest motorised bicycle,
0:16:46 > 0:16:51if you had said to me, what's the date and age of that bicycle frame?
0:16:51 > 0:16:57I should have said 1950. And there we are - 1905 and made in Bristol.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Barter was the name of the man that designed the engine.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04He came up with this strap-on engine.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The castings were done by Douglas.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Douglas then started producing bikes.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17At the outbreak of war, the company suddenly became hugely busy,
0:17:17 > 0:17:18making this model.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23This is the Douglas motor bicycle that made the company name, really.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Really, yes. They were asked to supply the Army with bikes
0:17:28 > 0:17:31and one of the lowly office workers said,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35"When do they want the 300 that you've agreed to?" And no-one
0:17:35 > 0:17:39seemed to know, so he said, "We had better read through the paperwork."
0:17:39 > 0:17:42They found to their utter astonishment
0:17:42 > 0:17:46that they'd signed for 300 a month for the duration of the war.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48They thought it was 300 a year, did they?
0:17:48 > 0:17:54- They just thought it was a one-off offer.- Oh. 300 a month? My gosh.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56How many of these bikes did
0:17:56 > 0:17:59they make in the course of the First World War, then?
0:17:59 > 0:18:0325,000 of these dispatch rider's bikes, as they were known.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We don't have much chrome plate on it, do we?
0:18:06 > 0:18:07No, they painted the rims
0:18:07 > 0:18:12and the handlebars black because a sniper could well see
0:18:12 > 0:18:16the reflection of the sun or some other form of lighting
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and probably fell the rider.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22But the old man also said as a retort,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26"It was also a lot cheaper than nickel plating."
0:18:26 > 0:18:29So, the Bristol motor bicycle manufacturers were what
0:18:29 > 0:18:31they called "careful", were they?
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Early motorbikes are celebrated every year in the Pioneer Run,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39from Epsom Downs to Brighton.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42To take part, your vehicle has to have been made before
0:18:42 > 0:18:441st January 1915.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48Back at the Harbour Festival,
0:18:48 > 0:18:53this racy looking rarity qualifies for the Pioneer Run.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Tony and his dad have been restoring it for the last 20 years.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00If we stand back and admire it, I mean,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04this is just perfection in every detail, isn't it?
0:19:04 > 0:19:05It is very good.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Tell me, all these areas that you think of as being chromium-plated,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- it's nickel plate. - It's nickel-plated, yes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Which is interesting,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17and nickel has a completely different colour to chrome.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Yes, it shows it as a pioneer bike, really, the colouring, yeah.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22It's amazing, isn't it?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24You don't have a crossbar and that must be
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- because this is for a lady, then. - This is for a lady, yes.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29When you think about it, where it was
0:19:29 > 0:19:33shocking for a woman before the First World War to expose
0:19:33 > 0:19:37an ankle, an extraordinary thing for a woman to buy
0:19:37 > 0:19:40a motor bicycle and risk all that, in a way.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Do you know anything about the history of the first owner?
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Yes, the first owner was a lady called Margaret Frances Dackins,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- and her father was headmaster of Clifton College.- Really?
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Yes, so a bit of local interest as well.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59She could easily be an emancipated woman of the time, of course.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- I'd have thought so. - In advance of her time, if you like.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05- Yeah.- Now, I don't pretend in any way to be a motor bicycle valuer,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09so we're going to consult with Ben Walker at Bonhams.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12- Hi, Ben, how are you doing? - 'I'm doing good, and very much.'
0:20:12 > 0:20:15How do you rate this machine?
0:20:15 > 0:20:19'It is an extremely scarce motorcycle.
0:20:19 > 0:20:26'In fact, I have never seen one this early being offered for sale
0:20:26 > 0:20:28'or sold publicly before.'
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So, what does he think it would fetch at auction?
0:20:31 > 0:20:32You'll have to wait and see.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's hard to believe, but this local beauty spot used to be
0:20:38 > 0:20:41the epicentre of a thriving export business.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46In the early 1700s,
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Bristol was the hub of a triangular trade to West Africa.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52From there to the West Indies and North America
0:20:52 > 0:20:53and back to Bristol.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00And the products the Africans were after were pans made of brass.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03With four vital ingredients, copper from Cornwall, local zinc
0:21:03 > 0:21:08and coal, and power from the steady flowing River Avon,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11the Bristol Brass Company opened its mills alongside
0:21:11 > 0:21:13this stretch of the river.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15The restored Saltford Mill is the only one left
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and local historian Tony Coverdale
0:21:17 > 0:21:22knows all about their collection of late 19th-century brass pans.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24This is known as a Lisbon pan,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27sometimes called barber's basins, and these were made, going out to
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Portugal, to Lisbon, and then on to West Africa.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32This is known as a kettle.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36A kettle is something with a handle that can be hung over a fire
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and these were particularly known as Guinea kettles, which goes
0:21:39 > 0:21:43back to the West Africa trade. These were made for West Africa.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45The way you can tell that they were made here,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49if you pick up this other example of a Lisbon pan, you can
0:21:49 > 0:21:52actually see the battery marks within the pan.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54And that is actually the marks of the hammers
0:21:54 > 0:21:56which were used to form the pan.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59This was called a battery mill,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02literally knocking the brass into shape.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The African market liked to see the battery marks to prove
0:22:06 > 0:22:08the quality of the brass.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Given that most Bristol brass was exported,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Joan is fortunate to own a rare Bristol pan.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I'm interested in industrial history.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24I'm particularly interested in brass because it was very,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26very typical of our area.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30It's a handsome pan, isn't it?
0:22:30 > 0:22:34And you know that it is from the Bristol Brass Company.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Yes, one of a group of mills
0:22:36 > 0:22:42that were organised by the Bristol Brass Company.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45And these, of course, were called hollowware, obviously
0:22:45 > 0:22:50immensely useful for cooking because the brass conducts the heat very
0:22:50 > 0:22:55quickly from the stove through the metal into whatever you're cooking.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00This sort of pan is rather familiar as a wok-type pan
0:23:00 > 0:23:03to anybody who does oriental cooking today.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07But if you wanted to shallow fry something over a flame
0:23:07 > 0:23:11then this shape of vessel would enable you to do it and you
0:23:11 > 0:23:15can wiggle it around and stop it from burning, which is rather nice.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17And I particularly like the handle.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Instead of it being a solid cast handle, it's hollow,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22so that, I guess, when it gets hot,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25it helps the insulation properties,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28so your hand doesn't get hot when the pan gets hot
0:23:28 > 0:23:31because the handle is hollow, which is quite fun.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I mean, they are always difficult things to age
0:23:34 > 0:23:38because there is no hallmark and there was no dating system, but
0:23:38 > 0:23:42I would think, with the Bristol Brass Company connection
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and it being such an important industry,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49you could get the top end of £100-£200 for this pan.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54- Oh!- Not that you'll be selling it, will you?- No, I won't be selling it.
0:23:54 > 0:24:02It will go back to Saltford Mill and be an attraction to visitors.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- Thank you very much for bringing it along.- I'm very pleased to do so.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14If you had to name centres for pottery and porcelain,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17you'd probably think of Staffordshire, London or Worcester.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19But for a short period in the 18th century,
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Bristol produced beautiful wares and Roger is a knowledgeable collector.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Today, I've brought along two examples of Bristol ceramics.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31One is a Delftware plate from about 1760
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and the other is a Bristol porcelain figure from 1775.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Well, Bristol is an extraordinary place with an extraordinary
0:24:39 > 0:24:41history in the ceramics industry, isn't it?
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Yes, Bristol was second only to London in the 17th and 18th century
0:24:45 > 0:24:46for ceramic production.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And this dish that we've got beside us
0:24:49 > 0:24:52is an example of tin-glazed Bristol Delftware.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56What's so splendid about it is, of course, it's a continuous landscape.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01And entirely freehand, there is no pattern, there is no transfer print.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06This is entirely using the artistic skill of that decorator.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10It's a perfectly balanced composition, it's a work of art.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11If the man had been painting on canvas
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and he'd done it in various colours,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16he'd probably be in the National Gallery right now,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19but as it was, he was a humble ceramics decorator
0:25:19 > 0:25:21from just over there.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Looking out the window and painting the ships going by.- Could well be.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Rather like us today.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28The bit that I really like,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31though, we have this example of something made in Bristol.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Yes, this is an example of Richard Champion's porcelain.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39Champion was a 30-year-old Quaker merchant who took over the factory
0:25:39 > 0:25:44in 1773 and he wanted to make it the most perfect production he could.
0:25:44 > 0:25:50As we can see from this example, the production is absolutely exquisite.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- You will not find a finer or a rarer figure...- No.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56..dating from the 18th century anywhere in our fair land,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58than this Bristol-made figure.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01The actual modelling of his arm and hands
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and the little ruff of his jerkin, are exquisite.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09He's taken the hat off his head, not an ordinary hat,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14but a tricorn hat with a flower in it, that is bright green.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18That's apple green, a difficult colour to create on porcelain,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and he's shoved it on the head of his dog.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26As a piece of porcelain, I cannot imagine a more perfect example
0:26:26 > 0:26:30and certainly worth its weight in gold. Well, jolly nearly.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32'We've seen some highly treasured possessions today,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36'but if anyone did want to sell, what are the objects worth?
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'First, Roger's Bristol Delftware.'
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Now, we come to a valuation moment.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45The Delftware dish, perhaps, £300, something like that.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48But the Champion figure is an exquisite example.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It could bring between £3,000 and £5,000.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56'The last time a Bristol Old Vic Theatre ticket was auctioned
0:26:56 > 0:26:58'was in 2009.'
0:26:58 > 0:27:04I think you could expect to get sort of 2,500, maybe 2,800.
0:27:04 > 0:27:10- It just depends on how passionately involved the bidder becomes.- Yes.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13'What about those pieces of Georgian Bristol blue glass belonging
0:27:13 > 0:27:14'to Francis?
0:27:14 > 0:27:21The two pieces of Jacob's-decorated glass, £600-£900 apiece.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22But the rather more important
0:27:22 > 0:27:27and historically interesting finger bowl, Prince of Wales
0:27:27 > 0:27:33connection, 2,500 to 3,500 would be about the mark of it, Francis.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37That's what I would be happy to pay for it
0:27:37 > 0:27:39but then I am a glass nerd.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Your words, not mine.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46'And that 1913 Douglas motorcycle of Tony's.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49'I pressed specialist Ben Walker for his valuation.'
0:27:49 > 0:27:52The million-dollar question, Ben. What's it worth?
0:27:52 > 0:27:56'Well, if I was estimating it for auction purposes, I'd put
0:27:56 > 0:28:04'a broad figure of £12-£16,000, but, on a good day, maybe even £20,000.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08'I mean, it's every pioneer motorcycle collector's dream.'
0:28:08 > 0:28:10That is a surprise. That's more than I expected.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14But what's so lovely is it was made just down the road here in Bristol.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18- Here it is remaining at least at the moment.- Yes, thank you.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Well, what a day we have had, hey?
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Great selection of local objects to view.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31You could say, indeed, all shipshape and Bristol fashion. What?