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