Derby The Great Antiques Map of Britain

'Britain is stuffed with places famous for their antiques

'and each object has a story to tell.'

Hello!

'I'm Tim Wonnacott.'

'And as the crowds gather for their favourite outdoor events

'around the country, I'll be pitching up with my silver trailer

'to meet the locals with their precious antiques and collectables.'

I'm feeling inspired myself, thank you very much.

'Their stories will reveal why the places we visit

'deserve to be on the Great Antiques Map of Britain.

'Today we're in Derby, at one of the regular

'antiques and collectables fairs at Kedleston Hall.'

'Lots of eager owners have come along to show us

'their intriguing items...'

Da-da! I mean, this is a thrilling object isn't it?

'...which represent this area's unique heritage.'

They reek of Derbyshire, they reek of a successful business up the road

that continues to this day.

'And, of course, they want to find out

'what their prized possessions are worth.'

Call it £450 to £600 for the lot.

£200 to £300.

I think £18,000.

£4,000.

'And look at this old box of tricks.'

What a magnificent piece of machinery this is!

Many of the world's industrialists and scientists,

the chaps that changed the world through the Industrial Revolution,

were based in Derby.

From steam engines to jet engines, from bone china to beer,

they made it all.

And the result for us - antiques...and plenty of them.

'In the 19th century,

'the railways heralded full-scale Industrial Revolution in Derby.

'And what was a market town became a prosperous powerhouse of a city.'

'But Derby had already begun to blossom and grow the century before

'thanks to plentiful natural resources such as coal and clay.

'It was then that Sir Nathanial Curzon

'had Kedleston Hall re-designed.

'And that's where I'm headed for the antiques fair.

'My pitch is booked and I'm barely unpacked before John rocks up...'

Ooh, I say.

'...in his lovely, old, 20-horse-power Roller,

'made in Derby in 1927.'

Look at this.

'John calls her Magdalena.'

-Wow, this is quite something.

-Hello.

This is fantastic because you've resisted the opportunity

for repairing the parts that have begun to wear out.

Bulldog clips.

What is that clip doing down there on that wing?

It's holding the split together. TIM LAUGHS

I love your attitude with regard to it.

And what do you use her for?

Family weddings, I've been to Italy for my son's wedding five years ago.

-That was fun I bet.

-Especially going over the Alps.

-TIM LAUGHS

-How marvellous.

-Let's just take a little walk down through it, shall we?

-Yeah.

So we've got some original condition issues here with these front wings

and I see the upholstery in the front is original.

Well, you could say that, but it's a bit scruffy.

Interesting that the kapok is the material

used for upholstery, isn't it?

-It is.

-Yeah, no, jolly good.

And a fantastic portmanteau on the stern, isn't that magnificent?

-And very desirable today as bits of motoring luggage...

-Ah, yes.

..cos people love all the original accessories to go on them.

Now, have you ever thought about what the thing might be worth?

-Occasionally.

-Occasionally?

-Yes.

-What's your reckoning?

It was supposed to be worth about £35,000 20 years ago.

'But what are the prices doing on vintage cars like this NOW?

'I'll bring you up to speed later on.'

In 1887, the Derby Sketching Club was founded

by a group of local artists to share ideas and hold exhibitions.

In 1898, they were joined by Derby-born Ernest Townsend

who studied and exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Linda has brought along Townsend's portrait

of her husband's grandmother.

It is quite an important family piece

so it is actually on display on our hall staircase.

So Ernest Townsend had a considerable following

here in Derbyshire.

He exhibited 15 or 16 works at the Royal Academy

and is known to have produced several hundred portraits,

which, I guess, largely will be knocking around Derbyshire.

And he's dead by 1944, so do you know her dates?

Yes, she was born in 1884 in Derby and she died in 1936.

-So it's going to be before '36.

-Yeah.

But if we look at the portrait itself, you can just make out

his signature down there on the left-hand side.

Mrs Ling chose to be painted that day

in a particularly vibrant, brown, spotty blouse.

But he's more or less painted over where his signature is

which is a peculiarity.

She's got her best pearls out for her portrait,

and she looks winsome doesn't she?

She does, yes.

-Little bit of colour in her cheeks.

-Yes.

And is smiling slightly enigmatically.

perhaps she's seen the Mona Lisa in Paris

and is trying to adopt the Mona Lisa pose.

Yes.

But when it comes to the value,

this is not an internationally important work of art.

No.

It's something that means a lot to your family.

And were you to ever sell it,

it might be in the order of £200 or £300.

That would be about the mark of it.

-You know, keep it in the family.

-Yes, we will do.

This part of the country has a proud history of brewing,

which has given rise to an eclectic mix of antiques and collectables,

including bottles of beer.

In days gone by, brewers showed some initiative

in producing beers for extreme climates.

I'm meeting Rob Golding at the National Brewery Centre

to find out more.

Well, this is a great place to have a glass of ale.

Rob, tell us about this space.

You're in what we call the Edwardian Bar,

so we've recreated, effectively, a pub as it would have been

from about 1850 to about the First World War,

including Kitchener down there.

That cat doesn't look terribly well, actually.

Well, the story behind the cats is that most of the major breweries,

because they had grain stores, they had a rodent issue,

and so the cats were encouraged, in fact.

Now, tell us about the beers on the bar.

We've got the celebrated White Shield.

We say it's the beer that saved the British Empire.

And why would that be?

As the British Empire expanded over the centuries,

so too did the demand for British beer.

And that was fine in most of the places -

Canada, America and so on - cos they could grow the ingredients

and brew the beer, British bitter style beer, there.

India, however, was a completely kettle of fish.

So in desperation in many ways, because the British Army

threatened to mutiny, they turned to the brewers of Burton,

who made this light, bright exciting beer.

Very, very, very hoppy, because hops helps preserve.

Therefore, this could survive the six-month journey

across the ocean, as it then took - mutiny averted,

honour restored to the British Empire.

How brilliant is that?

Now, there's a very tatty and

peculiar looking bottle here, though.

-ROB LAUGHS

-Tell us about this, Rob.

This is Arctic Ale.

In the backside of the 19th century,

it was very fashionable for gentlemen to go on expeditions

around the world, discovering, sort of, Dark Africa and the Arctic.

The problem is...the beer froze.

So they created this beer called Arctic Ale, which is very strong.

It's something like 11% alcohol. Very strong.

But that, of course, acted like antifreeze.

It lowered the freezing temperature.

This is one of the few surviving examples of that particular beer.

Well, all this chat about beer is making me rather thirsty.

Any chance of trying a drop?

Cheers.

'Now, Rob says he's lined up a surprise lift for me.'

I don't believe it.

-Well, it's real.

-What an extraordinary vehicle.

So when was that built, then?

There were only five of them ever made,

and they were made in the early 1920s by Daimler.

It'll still do 70mph, I'm told.

I love the idea of that. Listen, I've thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

I'm going to get a lift from him if I can.

Thank you very much, very kind.

Hello.

In we go, that's it.

Home, James.

Back at the fair, Steph has brought along some brewers' medals

from her collection.

We moved into a pub 11 years ago

and the closest old brewery was Offilers' Brewery.

So we started collecting Offilers' memorabilia.

And our collection's grown over the last 11 years

and become quite large now.

So, Steph, I have to say, these medals are beautifully made.

If I turn this one over, it says -

the International Exhibition & Market

from the Brewers & Allied Traders,

who had an annual competition in London which all brewers

and people in the trade would have competed at.

And here we've got, cast in solid silver,

a girl who's clearly in the brewing business.

She's pouring from a jug some amber nectar into a cup.

She's standing in a corn field.

She's got corn on one side, she's got hops on the other,

and she is emblematic of the brewing business.

And if I spin it over, it's the award in 1924 for Offilers' Brewery

who got first prize in the fourth class

for that particular competition.

And actually, they must have been very successful in the '20s

because these five medals all relate to roughly in the 1920s.

We've got one from 1931, one from as early as 1907.

So for that Derby brewery to win this number of awards

across those years is pretty impressive, really.

Yes, it is.

And I guess the best medal of all is, not surprisingly,

-the gold one...

-Yes.

..which is hallmarked.

Look, nine carat gold, won in 1924

for the "OG over 1039 degrees",

so that's the strength of alcohol, isn't it?

Yes.

So a powerful brew in that year won them the first prize.

But there's no getting away from it, that that is...

solid gold.

'But have you any idea what this group is worth?

'Now that's a puzzle. I'll tell you later.'

To help things run efficiently,

as the Industrial Revolution took a hold on Derby,

it required all sorts of locally made timepieces

and scientific instruments.

Nick has brought along a couple of examples.

The first is a so-called noctuary or telltale clock

which was a watchman's clock.

The second item is a miner's compass.

Da-da! I mean this is a thrilling object, isn't it?

It certainly is. Made about 1760 by John Whitehurst the first,

which is certainly famous in the Derby area.

What I find so thrilling about this is -

apart from it coming from Derby, practically around the corner

form where we are, it's so close to the mines, isn't it?

You can feel this thing being used as a compass underground

for a miner to find his way.

We've simply got a filament of iron here that's been magnetised.

It then sits in a very sturdy and substantial box,

and that's why it's suitable for use down a mine.

Probably the original 18th-century glass - maybe, maybe not.

It's got a crack in it.

John Whitehurst was an extraordinary man, wasn't he?

In terms of his geological knowledge

and his spirit of enquiry.

And Whitehurst was a supremely good engineer

in that he could build clocks

and he understood about the mechanics of it.

And he produced scientific instruments,

of which this, technically, is one.

We have very strong connections with John Whitehurst.

And my great-grandfather was apprentice

to the second of the Whitehursts and worked for the third.

And so it's that association which, for us, is so important.

Do you mind if I ask you how much you paid for your miner's compass?

I don't mind because I'm not selling it.

-£1,250.

-Did you?

And that was in April this year.

Well, well done.

And anything by John Whitehurst the First is going to be chased

avidly at auction.

Moving on, though, to this rather handsome device beside me.

Now, this example is interesting to me because it's so oddball.

I mean, it goes tick-tock, we can hear it going tick-tock,

but it does not have a standard dial, does it?

So the door would be shut, it's all locked up.

The night watchman comes up to the timepiece, then what does he do?

Well, then he couldn't get in either because it's secured

to the wall and it's also locked.

So all he could do was pull this down

and it knocks a pin into the dial.

And his supervisor would then come and have a look and say,

"Oh, yes, he was there at three or six in the morning."

And then there is a little gradient behind it,

-which pushes the pin back up into position...

-So it resets?

..so it does another 12 hours.

That it's entirely mechanical and dates from the 19th century

would be really quite sought-after, I would have thought.

So, I guess, you'd get maybe around £500 to £800 for it,

in a serious clock-y type sale.

The manufacture of porcelain

has been one of the big success stories of Derby.

Royal Crown Derby can trace its roots back to 1750.

Curator Jacquie Smith explains what makes it special.

The bone content in the china creates that very white, strong,

translucent china that we still use today.

It's been made in Derby since the middle of the 18th century

by Derby people.

And it's the traditions and the skills

that have been passed on through generations.

And local people are very proud of this heritage

and proud that it's been here for such a long time.

They've had some pretty prestigious clients commissioning them,

from governments to royalty.

And they've also collaborated with celebrated designers,

and artists, such as surrealist Salvador Dali.

Each piece passes through at least 70 skilled pairs of hands.

From designers through the production process

to quality control.

Every year, they use over £1 million worth of gold leaf

to decorate their wares.

-TIM LAUGHS

-Imagine.

Ten miles up the road, the Denby Pottery was established in 1809

and Sean used to work there.

My role at Denby was as a modeller,

and I worked there for just short of 44 years.

Today, I've brought along the Donald Gilbert vase

and I've also brought along some impression stamps

that's used for marking the ware.

Well, I must say, it's a privilege to talk to you

because these bottles,

stoneware bottles that are made for a purpose,

with a retailer's name - Batey,

made perhaps around 1900, 1910, something like that.

Yes.

And the Bourne Pottery, here in Derbyshire, provided them.

How did you get hold of these stamps?

They came along when I was helping the making man just clear out

some cupboards at work.

And he was throwing things into the bin and I asked him,

"What are you throwing that away for?"

He said, "Why, do you want it?" I said, "Yes, I'd like it, please."

What we've got here is a lump of oak

that's got a particular tooled brass stamp,

which is beautifully made, isn't it?

It is, yes.

And that stamp, in reverse script, says - Denby Bourne.

-And of course, that's the impressed mark on the salt glaze.

-Yes.

And then there's a thumbscrew on the end

and a detachable letter in the middle.

And is that so you could alter the dating system?

It was either used for the date

or it could be used for the maker's mark,

which a letter would stand for whichever person either made it

or turned it.

-Well, in this instance, we've got the letter M.

-Yes.

And it fits in there beautifully like that.

Then you tighten up the thumbscrew and there it is, solidly in place.

And then you've got three of those,

which is a really nice little collection.

Now, let's have a look at this bit of art pottery.

I thought it was a fun piece.

-Well, it says on the bottom - Danesby Ware...

-Yes.

..which would identify it as a production from the 1930s.

Yes.

And Danesby Ware is a, sort of,

play, almost, on Denby Ware, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

-And so...it's a trade name.

-Correct me if I'm wrong, but Donald Gilbert was the modeller...

-Yes.

..who created the images that form the relief on a lot of these pots.

-That's correct.

-The dribbly green is delightful.

What I fancy must be quite rare is - the fact that it's modelled

with a field mouse going up an ear of corn,

I don't think that's a common pattern.

No, not at all.

Not at all. So they may have produced a limited number of these.

'Such a novel collection.

'Worth anything?

'Find out later.'

This is Derby's Midland Road in 1881.

W.W. Winter has been the go-to business for photographic portraits

since the middle of the 19th century for creatures great...

and small.

But they also captured ordinary city life,

which gives us a wonderful window on the past.

Hubert worked in the family business

and has brought along a splendid Victorian camera.

Well, Hubert, what a magnificent piece of machinery this is.

-This is by a man called Patrick Meagher.

-Indeed.

And that's got his address in Southampton Row

where he was in business between 1865-1897.

Indeed, yes.

So that absolutely pinpoints the moment in time

when this camera was manufactured.

And the lens, of course, by Dallmeyer is interesting.

Now, what did you use these knobs for, then?

Well, when you're photographing buildings,

it's essential that you should have the camera back absolutely square,

otherwise the building tilts.

Oh.

So if you wanted to get the top of a building,

you did that sort of thing with it.

Yes.

And a similar issue with photographing

something down on the lower part.

You would just drop it down and...

Slide the lens one way or the other. Well, how extraordinary is that?

The idea is that you use the bellows to achieve the perfect focus, right?

Indeed, yes, pull it sharp.

Pull it sharp, which is... I love that expression.

-Pull it sharp, insert your slide.

-Indeed.

-And then stand by for a bit of exposure.

-That's right, exactly.

And in a fascinating way, you've brought the slide with you.

-Yes, indeed, yes.

-Which would take the 10x12 negative.

Negative, right, yeah.

And the negative is a glass sheet like that after exposure.

That's right, yes.

And who's the sportsman that we can see in that negative?

It's Steve Bloomer, actually.

What? Steve Bloomer, the Derby famous footballer?

Footballer, yes, true.

And that, unbelievably, on a modern photographic print...

-Is that.

-..is reproduced like that.

-And what a good looking fellow he was.

-Indeed, very much so.

We produced some very good looking men in Derby.

TIM LAUGHS

Absolutely right, Hubert.

Now, Hubert, technically, that quality of print,

all these years after the negative was created,

is quite remarkable, isn't it?

Yes, and the great thing about it, it's what you call a contact print.

You're not enlarging through another optical system.

Exactly, a great big negative on a stocking great slab of glass

-will give you...

-That.

-..that as the positive.

-Exactly.

Well, it's a lovely thing to see.

And, of course, this early photographic equipment

has a considerable value, Hubert.

'Stand by to find out what that value might be.'

2014 marks 175 years since

the railway revolutionised Derby.

At the Midland Railway Museum, they've created a station and track

which transport you back to the heyday of steam.

I went to meet Alan Calladine from the Midland Railway Trust.

Of course, Derby is the cradle of railway engineering in Britain,

isn't it?

It is. Derby, before the railway arrived,

was a very small market town.

Because of its position, Derby was the centre of the system

that was created when the Midland Railway was formed.

And it became the ideal spot to have an engineering base.

Derby Works was created initially as a small workshop

just to maintain the locos and carriages,

and then it went on to not only build them but also design them,

create brand-new items that were then used on the railway system.

And how important was the railway locally

for other heavy, important industries in Derbyshire?

Well, having Derby and the Midland Railway around

meant that coal and iron, stone and all the important commodities

that made the Industrial Revolution work

were able to be transported quite easily.

So something like Rolls-Royce saw Derby as a perfect spot

to create their workshops and they came...

-Transport is everything?

-Yeah.

And this Puffing Billy that we've got down here,

just tell me about her.

Well, she was designed in Derby, was part of a class

of several hundred locomotives that were built

mainly for shunting in yards,

but also for short passenger and short freight services.

This particular one was actually built in 1926.

1926, is it really?

Well, it looks to be in remarkably good condition.

'What I really want to do, though, is go for a ride.'

OK, Alan, well, we've got the team here.

Now, before we get going, we need to fire it up

with a bit of coal, right?

-Yes, absolutely.

-OK.

Look at that. It's like Hades down there.

TIM LAUGHS

Well, I never did.

And it's off.

And we're away!

TIM LAUGHS

Now, what are those chaps down there...is that their lunch?

That's the driver and fireman's mash-can.

Without those, the train will not go anywhere, I'm afraid.

I have to say, Alan, it's a great thrill

to be with you here on this line.

I hope the thing goes on and prospers

for many, many years to come.

-Another 175 at least.

-Yes, that's what we want.

Hmm. The Derby Railway Engineering Society was founded in 1908

and brings together all sorts of railway buffs.

Including Peter who's brought along

a couple of the society's historic treasures.

Today I've brought two exhibits.

One of them is the president's medallion

of the Derby Railway Engineering Society

and the other exhibit is that of a photographic print of a locomotive

which was the principle locomotive used by the Midland Railway Company.

When does this date from, Peter?

1959.

And was it specially commissioned, then?

It was, we engaged the services of a silversmith

by the name of Mr Corode.

Right.

So what we've got here are some elements.

We've got a wyvern at the top.

-And then the salamander on the side here represents fire.

-Yes.

-And on the other side, we have a dolphin representing water.

-Yes.

-And the two, united, powered your association...

-That's right.

..and, of course, all these marvellous engines.

-And the Midland Railway Company.

-And the Midland Railway Company.

And the various important towns that the Midland Railway Company

serviced are represented in these enamel plaques, aren't they?

-Hmm.

-We seem to have here Birmingham...Derby...and Bristol.

With Leeds, Lincoln and Leicester underneath

and enamelled on silver gilt which is really very special.

Now, Peter, this is the most extraordinarily beautiful

black-and-white print of a steam locomotive, tell me about it.

Well, it was one of the Midland compound locomotives,

Derby-built locomotive through and through.

We can see the manufacturer's plate,

which refers to the Derby Locomotive Works and the date of 1906.

Right, so that pinpoints it precisely.

Yeah.

Is this the photograph that the manufacturers took of it

in Derby as it came off the production line?

Yes, it was common practice by Derby Locomotive Works,

in particular - they would take a photograph of the latest locomotive.

What is unusual is that the photograph's original image

would have been accompanied by a lot of background clutter.

-Yes.

-Like the local gasworks.

-Exactly.

Which would detract from the value of the locomotive.

So that photograph would have been taken away carefully to the drawing

office and hours of tedious work removing all the background detail.

-No paint shop pro in those days to digitally enhance the image.

-No, no.

I think it is a truly iconic image of a steam engine.

It is, yes.

I mean, the way to make the best price

is to put it in a steam enthusiast's sale.

And I would expect to get something like £250 to £400 for it

in an appropriate sale.

'And the President's medallion?'

I don't suppose you'd get a replacement cost

of much less than £4,000.

-Which is a fair old whack, isn't it?

-Yeah.

To value Hubert's camera,

we contacted specialist auctioneer Hugo Marsh for his opinion.

Beautiful, old cabinet-made plate cameras are wonderful artefacts

and they're becoming much more popular again. And believe it

or not, they're being bought up in large numbers by the Chinese.

Are they?

Yes, you'd probably be looking at auction -

an estimate of £300-£500, but you'd probably get a bit more than that.

Hubert, isn't that marvellous?

-Absolutely fantastic, isn't it, really?

-Yeah.

-It really is, yes.

'Steph's medals tot up to a nifty sum.'

-I can see that gold medal making £150 to £200.

-Yeah.

You've then got six silver ones, which are going to be

worth between £30 to £50.

And the couple of bronze ones, they might be worth ten to £15 each.

So call it £450 to £600 for the lot.

-Is that worth a drink or not?

-Oh, I think so.

'And what about John's Roller?

'What kind of value have you got in mind?'

I think £18,000 would probably represent the current value

Thank you.

Well, what a beautiful day we have had at Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire.

This place really is rich in antiques and justifies its spot

on our Antiques Map Of Britain.

See you soon.