0:00:02 > 0:00:06Britain is stuffed with places famous for their antiques,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08and each object has a story to tell.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Hello!
0:00:10 > 0:00:12'I'm Tim Wonnacott
0:00:12 > 0:00:16'and as the crowds gather for their favourite outdoor events around the country,
0:00:16 > 0:00:19'I'll be pitching up with my silver trailer...' How do you do?
0:00:19 > 0:00:22'..to meet the locals with their precious antiques and collectables.'
0:00:22 > 0:00:25I'm feeling inspired myself, thank you very much.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26SHE LAUGHS
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Their stories will reveal why the places we visit
0:00:29 > 0:00:32deserve to be on the Great Antiques Map of Britain.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Today we're in wonderful Worcester at a flea and collectors fair.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46'Lots of eager owners
0:00:46 > 0:00:49'have come along to show us their intriguing items...'
0:00:49 > 0:00:54"All good wishes for 1928, yours, Edward Elgar."
0:00:54 > 0:00:58'..which represent this area's unique antiques heritage.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:00This is a wonderful object.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We have here a view of Worcester Cathedral.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04'And of course,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08'they want to find out what their precious objects are worth.'
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Between £400 and £600.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11£1,000 to £2,000.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14£1,500 to 2,500.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16£15,000.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- Now, what I've got here is an unusual trophy.- Mm-hm.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20'And have a guess
0:01:20 > 0:01:25'how much these sporting objects could fetch at auction.'
0:01:32 > 0:01:35The name Worcester fair trips off the tongue, doesn't it?
0:01:35 > 0:01:40Must be because it's got so many everyday associations for us.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42There's the sauce of course,
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and there's the cricket
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and the porcelain, to name but three.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Worcester became known as The Faithful City,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55because folk here supported the King during the English Civil War.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It has a rich industrial,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59ecclesiastical and political heritage
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and as a result, it's a place that bristles
0:02:02 > 0:02:04with antiques and collectables.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08I've unhitched the old rig
0:02:08 > 0:02:11at one of the regular flea and collectors fairs
0:02:11 > 0:02:14taking place in The Three Counties Showground
0:02:14 > 0:02:17in sight of the beautiful Malvern Hills.
0:02:17 > 0:02:18God, what a spot!
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Now, we couldn't come to Worcester without seeing
0:02:21 > 0:02:23some of its highly collectable porcelain.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Richard's brought along a ravishing piece
0:02:25 > 0:02:28which has a bit of a yarn attached to it.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32I've brought a vase that belonged to my great-uncle
0:02:32 > 0:02:36that was presented to him in 1946.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Allegedly the vase was originally intended for Winston Churchill
0:02:39 > 0:02:42when he got the Freedom of the City of Worcester,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43but he didn't come,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47so my great-uncle had it instead.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50This is a wonderful object.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54What we have here is a view of Worcester Cathedral
0:02:54 > 0:02:56from more or less where the cricket ground is,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and what never ceases to take my breath away
0:03:00 > 0:03:02is how the enameller,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05the person that decorated this piece
0:03:05 > 0:03:07is able to do it in colours
0:03:07 > 0:03:09which are then fired on to the porcelain
0:03:09 > 0:03:11so that they transform
0:03:11 > 0:03:15from the colour that is applied to the porcelain pre-firing
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and then the bright colours that you get back post-firing.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22And that decorator is of course Harry Davis,
0:03:22 > 0:03:23and for some people,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27Harry Davis was the supreme decorator
0:03:27 > 0:03:30at Royal Worcester of the 20th century.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33The gilding in this instance is very fine,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36as you would expect for a presentation piece
0:03:36 > 0:03:38that potentially could've gone to Winston Churchill
0:03:38 > 0:03:43and, um, must be a thrill to own such a thing, frankly.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46It is, it is, we're very lucky...
0:03:46 > 0:03:49It stays in a museum. I think it's too, it's too,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51probably too valuable to stay at home
0:03:51 > 0:03:55- and it's somewhere that people can see it and should do, I think.- Yes.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58'So, got any thoughts about the value of this fine piece?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01'Keep mulling and I'll reveal all soon.'
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Never judge a book by its cover, I was always told.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Well, my old mate Philip Serrell has stopped by
0:04:11 > 0:04:13to show us a Georgian antique,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16but I'd have never have had HIM down as a bookworm.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18I'm a Worcester boy, born and bred in the county.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22I think they say Worcester-born, Worcester-bred, strong arm, thick in the head, so I'm well-qualified.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27These books were the Holy Grail of local history collecting for me,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30but to find a set that's complete and that I could afford,
0:04:30 > 0:04:32it took me 20 years to get them,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35so for me, they really were the Holy Grail of books.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- So, what are these two volumes? - Two volumes of Nash's History Of Worcestershire,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43just here, "Nash's Worcestershire." And if I can just show you
0:04:43 > 0:04:45one of the reasons why they're rare.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Now, there's a plan of the city of Worcester.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54And you can see Pitchcroft there, that's the racecourse now.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56And there we've got Worcester Cathedral,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01and dealers would've bought these books in times gone by,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03cut this plate out
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and sold the map and perhaps got 50 or £60 for the map.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09This book would've been written in the 1750s.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13These are views from the city, this is from Red House Hill,
0:05:13 > 0:05:14this is from the north-east,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17and you've got the Malvern Hills where we are today,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19so I think your Airstream's about there somewhere.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20TIM LAUGHS
0:05:20 > 0:05:23- Well, I love that. That just pinpoints it, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28I have sold these four prints cut out of this book for £500.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29- Have you really?- Yeah.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- It's a wicked thing, isn't it, when they are removed?- It is.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- But I've got one last one I want to show you, Tim.- Mm-hm.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37That was my office.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- When you started in business? - Yes, not in 1750 though.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- THEY LAUGH - Yes.- No, lovely.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45If they were to come up in your saleroom today,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49what would the local value be for two Nash's volumes like this?
0:05:49 > 0:05:53£1,000 and £2,000, perhaps £1,500 and £2,500,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55it's the condition is all,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- and you can find many of these, but they've been cut up.- Mmm.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02And to find two volumes that haven't been cut is just...
0:06:02 > 0:06:03good.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12CHORAL SINGING
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Rising over 200 feet in the air,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20ethereal Worcester Cathedral reaches for the sky.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21- BELLS RING - The bells inside that tower
0:06:21 > 0:06:24are recognised as among the finest in the world
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and they're antiques.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I'm meeting the cathedral's Ringing Master, Mark Regan.
0:06:32 > 0:06:33Now, bell-ringing,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37as an activity, is something that's happened for centuries.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Bells have been rung in celebration, in mourning,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45to tell the news, from about the 15th or 16th centuries, we think,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47bells told the rhythm of the working day.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49In Worcester Cathedral,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52the Dean ordered for the bells to be rung for victory over the French...
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- Mmm.- ..in the Napoleonic wars,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57but one thing happened with the bells which is really special,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59in 1928.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00They were recast
0:07:00 > 0:07:05and the money was given by the clergy who lost their sons in the Great War.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08So, the history here is enormous and fantastic.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- Do these bells ever wear out?- No.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14The bells in the cloister were cast in the 14th, 15th century.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Those bells are the bells that rang in the Civil War,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20they're the bells that rang in the 18th and 19th century,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22they could still be used.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Bell ringing is maths and music and sport.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27- We have 12 bells.- Mm-hm.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30So, when we ring, we'll go from the highest note,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32just there, it's called the treble,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34to the biggest note, the lowest, right behind you, the tenor,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- and that weighs two and a half tonnes.- God.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- So, we go down the scale.- Right.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Then we just change the pattern of the bells.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43So, if you have three bells, one, two, three,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47you'd go two, one, three, two, three, one, three, two, one, three, one, two, that's quite simplistic.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50The more bells you have, the more changes you have.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53We learn a pattern, we don't have a score,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and we'll stand up here for these great long pieces of ringing,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59four hours without stopping, one person per bell...
0:07:59 > 0:08:02You must all be incredibly clever. Because if you get it wrong,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05presumably you completely mess it up, do you?
0:08:05 > 0:08:07We do, which happens often, it's very noisy.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09They're also very, very difficult to ring,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12because the tower is quite slender and it moves a lot.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- Well, we'll stand by for a performance, thank you very much. - You're welcome.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18BELLS RING
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Back at the fair, we've got a set of hand bells
0:08:40 > 0:08:44that were given to the cathedral by Pat's ancestor.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47I've brought along a set of 31 hand bells,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51which my great-great-uncle donated to the Cathedral
0:08:51 > 0:08:56and I believe are still used today, in the training of the bell ringers.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The story is partly told by this brass plaque on top of the box.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03"These hand bells, 31 in number,
0:09:03 > 0:09:09"were presented to the Worcester Cathedral Guild Of Change Ringers
0:09:09 > 0:09:10"by Harvey Reeves."
0:09:10 > 0:09:16And if I open it up, we can see how beautifully fitted the case is.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20All 31 bells are complete,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24either outside on the table, or in this case.
0:09:24 > 0:09:29And of course each of these bells are specially tuned to a note,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33so that if you were a bell-ringer...
0:09:33 > 0:09:34TIM RINGS BELL
0:09:34 > 0:09:38..and in particular, obviously a hand bell-ringer,
0:09:38 > 0:09:40you could actually play a tune.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43As far as Harvey Reeves is concerned,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45it says on the plaque, "A native of this city,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48"First Editor of The Bell News,"
0:09:48 > 0:09:53and that was the bell-ringing chronicle of the time, I guess.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Yes, it was.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57He founded the Bell News And Ringers' Record
0:09:57 > 0:09:59and it was THE magazine.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02It's difficult for us to grasp today
0:10:02 > 0:10:05just the passionate interest that there was across the country
0:10:05 > 0:10:08in bell-ringing and in particular, hand bells.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Now, when it comes to the value of a set like this,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15it's difficult, because they don't crop up that often,
0:10:15 > 0:10:20but where we've got a named route to Worcester
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and we know where they were presented
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and by whom and at that date,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and they're all complete,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29it's quite likely that if this set of bells were sold,
0:10:29 > 0:10:34they would bring between probably 1,500 and £2,000.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- Very good.- Which sort of strikes the right note, doesn't it?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Definitely does, yes.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48This is one of Worcestershire's success stories.
0:10:48 > 0:10:54Henry Morgan first designed his iconic three-wheeled car in 1909,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58and it was an instant hit, according to archivist, Martin Webb.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02The Morgan became a huge success right from the start,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05because here was a car that people could afford to buy,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08halfway between a motorcycle and a motor car.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Morgans were built as three wheelers because of the tax advantage.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16These were hugely popular, so demand for the car increased rapidly.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Harry Morgan was a very clever engineer.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24He went to Swindon Railway Works to receive his apprenticeship,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27a very astute man from the point of view of not only the engineering,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30but the business side of things as well.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Combined with success on the racetrack,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36he convinced people that the Morgan was the car to buy.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38And then of course in the 1930s,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41people wanted a four wheeler rather than a three wheeler
0:11:41 > 0:11:44and the four-wheelers that we built before the war
0:11:44 > 0:11:46were then developed throughout the '50s and '60s
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and we continue to build these traditional cars today.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Richard is the proud owner of a contemporary Morgan.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56But what I want to look at is the camera he's restored,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00which was once owned by Henry Morgan himself.
0:12:00 > 0:12:05I'm a Morgan owner and I've been using HFS Morgan's 1928 Leica.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07Leica is very much like Morgan,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09it's a good, strong brand, it's been going a long time.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11I'm hoping that Tim can have a look at it
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and give his opinion on the camera.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Now, Richard, we know that Henry Morgan owned this camera
0:12:19 > 0:12:21and it is a Leica 1A,
0:12:21 > 0:12:22and indeed,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25he created some of these prints you've brought along, didn't he?
0:12:25 > 0:12:26Yes, he did.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I mean, this particular print actually is taken at Brooklands
0:12:30 > 0:12:33and you can see HFS Morgan actually holding the camera.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- And he's the geezer in the suit. - He's the geezer in the suit.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37TIM LAUGHS
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- But he was very proud of his race team...- Yes.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42..which had just won at Brooklands and done very well.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Richard, who's this an image of?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47This is Peter Morgan who is HFS Morgan's son,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50who was involved with the company after the war and eventually became chairman.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53He's in his wartime uniform and obviously home on leave.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57And do we think that his father took that image with this camera?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Almost certainly, because it was taken from a negative
0:12:59 > 0:13:02which was found with the camera
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and which was processed last year.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Very special.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11Ernst Leitz created the name Leica
0:13:11 > 0:13:14from partly his name, L-E-I,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16and C-A for camera
0:13:16 > 0:13:20and that's where the brand name Leica came from in 1925.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24This was the revolutionary camera that you had to own
0:13:24 > 0:13:25at that period
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and to make it in a size that was portable
0:13:28 > 0:13:31and capable of doing landscape photography,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33all of that was a revolution.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36'So, what would a collector pay
0:13:36 > 0:13:38'for this little camera with a connection like that?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'Find out my estimate later on.'
0:13:46 > 0:13:50300 years ago, the big business in Worcester was glovemaking.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52At the turn of the 19th century,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55nearly half the glovers in England were based here,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59but it all started even earlier, according to Philippa Tinsley
0:13:59 > 0:14:02at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04We know that there were glovemakers here in Worcester
0:14:04 > 0:14:07right back into the 13th century.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12But in 1777, the first glovemaking factory was built here in Worcester.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14So in the 1820s,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17we know they were making just over six million gloves
0:14:17 > 0:14:18here in Worcester every year,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23which is a total of somewhere around £30 million worth of value of business.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Today, there is only one handmade glove company left in Worcester
0:14:26 > 0:14:28using the traditional methods.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33It's run by the indefatigable 95-year-old Les Winfield.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Production has slowed down a bit,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37but if anyone knows what it takes
0:14:37 > 0:14:40to make a jolly good pair of gloves, it's Les.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44The trade is very skilled,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47one of the very skilled trades,
0:14:47 > 0:14:53because you've got to use your head, your hands, your feet,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'everything about you.'
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We also still make hand-sewn gloves.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Worcester is renowned for the picturesque setting
0:15:11 > 0:15:14of its cricket ground in the lee of the cathedral.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And cricket has its own memorabilia,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20like the two pieces Tim would like to have valued. Great name.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23One is a piece of Royal Worcester porcelain,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26plaque painted by Harry Davies, the great artist,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29relating to one of Worcester's finest cricketers, Fred Root.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32The other is a match ball from 1899, when two Worcester cricketers,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34the Foster brothers,
0:15:34 > 0:15:38both scored 100 in each innings in the same game against Hampshire.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Now, what I've got here is an unusual trophy.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44It's half a cricket ball and it says on it, on a silver plaque,
0:15:44 > 0:15:50- "A memento of July 27th, 28th and 29th 1899."- Yes.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53All beautifully mounted up in silver, look,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and on an ebonised plaque like that.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00So what is the significance of those dates, Timbo?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Two Worcestershire batsmen, RE Foster and WL Foster,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06became the first brothers to score 100 in each
0:16:06 > 0:16:09innings in the same game. I don't think it's been done since.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11That is extraordinary, isn't it?
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- Now, the photograph in front is of Reg.- Yes, it is.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18And apart from being entitled to this trophy for that match
0:16:18 > 0:16:21that's recorded in 1899,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24he was an incredible all-round sportsman, wasn't he, Reg?
0:16:24 > 0:16:27He was, very much so. Very gifted at football as well.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Still the only man to captain England at football and at cricket.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36He holds the record for the highest score on Test debut
0:16:36 > 0:16:41when he went, in 1903/04, to Australia with the England MCC team
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and in the first Test at Sydney, in response to Australia's
0:16:44 > 0:16:48first innings of 285, he scored 287 on his own.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50That's amazing, isn't it?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53- That's the way to beat the Aussies. - Phenomenal.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- Now, moving on to the plaque.- Yes.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Here we scroll forward a few years, don't we?
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Because this porcelain plaque,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04made by the Royal Worcester porcelain factory,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07is beautifully decorated,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10showing the Worcester cricket club ground
0:17:10 > 0:17:13with Worcester Cathedral in the background.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17And it shows a special match in 1925.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Tell us about that match, Tim.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Well, the scene is actually celebrating
0:17:22 > 0:17:24the career of one of Worcester's very best bowlers.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26A fellow called Fred Root,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29who joined Worcester in the early '20s from Derbyshire.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33He was a legend in bowling because he held the attack together
0:17:33 > 0:17:36through turbulent times in the '20s and early '30s.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40In 1925, he became the first Worcester bowler to ever take
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- and still is - 200 wickets in a season,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47at just a shade over 17 runs apiece, which is phenomenal.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50His wife, Mrs Root, she had this specially commissioned
0:17:50 > 0:17:52and painted by the legendary artist
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Harry Davies at the Royal Worcester works.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59- And that's an image of Fred Root in the foreground.- It is.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Taken, probably, in the mid-1920s but it is a superb picture of him.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06It looks as if it's in front of the old pavilion at Worcester,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09so it's a nice item. Beautifully signed as well.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Good, clear signature.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And a very interesting pair of objects,
0:18:13 > 0:18:16connected directly with Worcester and this part of the world.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21Well, I have to say, the porcelain plaque is a top quality object.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23All these things made by the Royal Worcester porcelain
0:18:23 > 0:18:25company are top quality
0:18:25 > 0:18:28but when you get something decorated by Harry Davies,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and specifically for a commission like this,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34showing an individual scene that will never be repeated
0:18:34 > 0:18:36in any kind of mass production sense,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39it becomes very, very special indeed.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43I've spotted there's a fine hairline crack running through it.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47'So how will that hairline crack affect the plaque's value?
0:18:47 > 0:18:50'These pieces surely put Worcester on the Great Antiques Map.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52'But what are they worth? I'll let you know later!'
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Lovely day here.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01People milling around, browsing and snapping up treasures.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Meanwhile, we have two antique sporting guns
0:19:04 > 0:19:08made in Worcester in the mid-19th century and owned by Vaughan.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I've brought along two guns made in the Victorian period
0:19:13 > 0:19:18by John Perrins & Son, the great master gunmaker of Worcester.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Now, Vaughan, if I grab this one, correct me if I'm wrong
0:19:22 > 0:19:25but this is a percussion cap
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- muzzle-loading sporting gun.- Right.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And we know it's a percussion cap because if I slightly cock it,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35there's a nipple inside and you would have clad that
0:19:35 > 0:19:38in an explosive device, which would be a cap.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And in this instance the cap,
0:19:41 > 0:19:46because it's so beautifully made, is concealed within the butt, there.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51So you take a cap out from there, you'd prime it, effectively,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53with that cap.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Having previously, as a muzzle-loader,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- loaded your black powder, got your wadding in.- Right.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02What I love about this one is we've got these great engravings
0:20:02 > 0:20:05here where it says Perrins & Sons.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08You can see the hound putting up a pheasant
0:20:08 > 0:20:11all engraved into the metal, which is really rather special.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- It is. It's been well done. - It's a lovely thing.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18Next door to that we've got the next development, so to speak.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- Haven't we?- Absolutely.- With a gun that looks remarkably similar.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25It's got hammers like the muzzle-loader,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28except that we've got an underlever opening device here,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32which reveals the revolution of the cartridge,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34which is that fellow.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Load that with your powder and shot, insert it into the piece
0:20:38 > 0:20:44and those pins standing up proud are effectively the igniters.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49And when you fire it, the hammer comes forward, hits the pin
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- and the pin ignites the cartridge and boom, boom.- Absolutely right.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55They're very, very handsome pieces.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Now, Vaughan, when it comes to values, I've taken a bit of advice.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01And the pinfire would be likely, at auction,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- to bring between £600 and £900. - OK. OK.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08But the surprise to me in my investigations
0:21:08 > 0:21:14is that the muzzle-loader could be worth as much as £1,500 to £2,000.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Right. OK. That's very interesting.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29The composer Edward Elgar
0:21:29 > 0:21:33was born in a village just outside Worcester in 1857.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36His music is synonymous with all things English
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and his legacy has spread wide.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I've heard about a local private collection of mechanical
0:21:42 > 0:21:45musical boxes, where I can hear a bit of Elgar
0:21:45 > 0:21:48in a way I've never heard it before!
0:21:48 > 0:21:53The collection includes pianolas, euphonia and automata dating back
0:21:53 > 0:21:56to the origins of mechanical music in the 19th century.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58John Phillips is my guide.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02This particular piano is more than just a pianola.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04It's what they call a reproducing piano.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It actually reproduces the touch, on every note,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09that the original pianist played.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And in this case, it's Elgar's Land of Hope and Glory,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15played and arranged by Max Darewski.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18It's all driven by a vacuum.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22The vacuum drives the motor, the motor turns the spool
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and the holes in the paper are read by the tracker bar
0:22:26 > 0:22:30and there's binary coding on the end that actually tells it what
0:22:30 > 0:22:33weight to play each note. And off it goes.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37MUSIC: Land of Hope and Glory by Elgar
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- Makes you proud to be British. - British.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It certainly is a very stirring piece of music.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04- HE CLAPS - Isn't that absolutely marvellous?
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Now I've heard it all. Well, not quite.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08John himself has restored
0:23:08 > 0:23:11this exquisite little mechanical music box.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Let me play it for you.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16CHIRPING
0:23:16 > 0:23:18To my mind, it's the mechanics that have gone into it
0:23:18 > 0:23:21that make them so worth collecting today.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24See, even the head moves quite separately.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28The wings, the tail, the beak and the head all move.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31And to have the clockwork movement that's capable of making that bird
0:23:31 > 0:23:34make all those gestures is extraordinary.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- And then we have the music at the same time.- That's right.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40I wonder what Elgar would have made of this little warbler.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Back at the collectors fair,
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Cora has brought along her piece of Elgar memorabilia for a valuation.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I first became interested in Elgar because I found
0:23:49 > 0:23:54he was engaged to a woman in 1883 and she appears on my family tree.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Ah!
0:23:55 > 0:24:00Is there a connection between that family connection and this postcard?
0:24:00 > 0:24:04It is said, in this lady's family, that in 1887,
0:24:04 > 0:24:09Elgar asked her father for her hand in marriage
0:24:09 > 0:24:14and her father immediately said no because Edward Elgar
0:24:14 > 0:24:17was a Roman Catholic and he was an Anglican priest.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Edward Elgar had no money and he wasn't a gentleman.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- HE LAUGHS - So, on three counts,
0:24:23 > 0:24:28- Elgar was not eligible to marry the vicar's daughter.- That's right.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33Well, if we look at the postcard itself, it's fascinating
0:24:33 > 0:24:37cos the script on it says, in Elgar's hand,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39"Many thanks.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44"It seems strange that I should be living here for a little time.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49"All good wishes for 1928. Yours, Edward Elgar."
0:24:49 > 0:24:53And it's addressed to her in her married name,
0:24:53 > 0:24:58which is Mrs Jenner at The Cottage, Abbots Morton, Worcester.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04So, despite their potential romance falling abroad,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07they were linked professionally, weren't they?
0:25:07 > 0:25:13Yes. She was a soprano and she sang in local concerts
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and he accompanied her on the piano on several occasions.
0:25:17 > 0:25:24And I see from the postmark that it's sent on the 4th January 1928.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29So, this is his new year message to his former potential fiancee.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- That's right.- Now, how did it come into your possession?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I give lectures on Elgar and, last year,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I was giving a lecture and before I'd even started,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42a lady came up to me with this and said, "Would you like it?"
0:25:42 > 0:25:44And I looked at the signature and I nearly died.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I couldn't say thank you quite soon enough.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- You bit her hand off and snatched it from her...- I did really.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53..and said thank you very much.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57I must have seemed so ungracious but I really...I was just bowled over.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Well, with your special interest and this very generous gift
0:26:00 > 0:26:02all coming together, how marvellous is that?
0:26:02 > 0:26:07Well, ordinarily, if you were an autograph hunter,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10if you were a person who collected famous people's
0:26:10 > 0:26:14bits of correspondence, I would think this postcard,
0:26:14 > 0:26:19in its innocent state might be worth, I don't know, £200 or £300.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21But because of what you've told us
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and what we now know about the tapestry
0:26:23 > 0:26:26that has been woven into this simple note and the potential
0:26:26 > 0:26:30significance of the hidden message that might be within it...
0:26:30 > 0:26:33'Hold on! Have a think, quick. What's it worth?'
0:26:35 > 0:26:38We've seen some very distinctive objects today,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41appealing to particular collectors.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Cora's Elgar-signed postcard would appeal to autograph collectors
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and Elgar fans.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50In my mind, if you were to sell it, you would be more likely to get
0:26:50 > 0:26:56- between £400 and £600 for this simple postcard.- For a postcard!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58I just hope the lady that gave it to you last year
0:26:58 > 0:27:01isn't watching this show!
0:27:02 > 0:27:04'The Leica camera is a classic.'
0:27:04 > 0:27:08There is a sort of standard price for a Leica of this nature.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Maybe £400-£600.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14But I think the Morgan connection with this camera would
0:27:14 > 0:27:17transport it to the £1,000-£2,000 price range.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19A thrill for us to see here in Worcester.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Now, that special cricket ball trophy.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26On a good day that is worth between £1,000-£1,500.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30But Tim's Royal Worcester plate has a hairline crack,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33so how does that affect its value?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I fancy, because the sportsmen will still love it,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38whether it's got a hairline crack or not, on a good day,
0:27:38 > 0:27:41£3,000 or £4,000 in your back pocket.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- Has that bowled you out or not? - It has slightly, yes.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47So, knowing that, what do you think Richard's equally unique
0:27:47 > 0:27:49but pristine piece is worth?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52If I was put in a spot and said,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56"How much should I insure this pot and cover for?"
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I would have thought in the order of £15,000.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I think we'll wrap it up very,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06- very carefully in that suitcase you brought it in.- Yes, we will!
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Having seen all these marvellous objects, there's no doubt Worcester
0:28:15 > 0:28:20certainly deserves its place on our Great Antiques Map of Britain.
0:28:20 > 0:28:27In fact, with all this eclecticism, it's been a thrill to investigate.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Cheerio!