- 5 weeks ago
Salvage Hunters (2011) Season 20 Episode 6- Trusted Hunting Grounds
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00:00On Salvage Hunters, a stunning antique showroom worth coveting.
00:05What a setting. You often get sort of shop envy.
00:09Showstopper signage worth fighting for.
00:12Check that out. That's a belter. That is a belter, that.
00:16And two antique rarities worth losing dignity over.
00:20Do the pair for a grand. I've got them on my knees.
00:23Drew Pritchard is one of Britain's leading antique and decorative salvage dealers.
00:31Oh, my word, I love this stuff.
00:33Joined on the road by queen of the haggle and quick flip, Vicky Knott.
00:37How much are they?
00:38I'm a pair in the pit.
00:39I was going to bed you 70.
00:40Well, thanks for your film, but you're not fine.
00:42And lover of all things weathered and wonderful, Alistair Dryborough.
00:46What about the triumph? Have you seen that, Drew?
00:48Ooh.
00:50Go on, let's go and have a fight over it.
00:52Drew is sharing the knowledge.
00:54That's got a fair bit of Acer. It's horsehair in there.
00:56And that's a nice bit of old timber.
00:58And expertise.
01:00What a thing. You know why they're so deep? Why they're so long?
01:03Top hats.
01:04He's gained over the past three decades.
01:07Would 400 quid buy both pairs?
01:09No.
01:11I've got to try.
01:12We're in Kent and we're off to meet Bill and Christy, father and daughter.
01:25Okay.
01:25Down in Bredger.
01:27And they run a railway down here.
01:30They've been here for years.
01:31Right.
01:32And they've got a railway and it's, you know, it's one of those lovely ones, the little ones that, you know, kids could go on and blah, blah, blah, blah.
01:37They're proper steam engines.
01:39But they've also got a museum there.
01:41But as usual, with these museums, they've got loads of gear they want rid of.
01:46Over decades in the business of digging up hard-to-find objects, Drew's come to rely on a few trusted hunting grounds.
01:54Today, he and Al are crossing the country on a 300-mile trip to explore the kind of location he knows from experience is likely to be well worth the drive.
02:05Got your Al sniff on.
02:07Takes.
02:07Cafe.
02:09You're going to be near an element then.
02:12The northern Kentish village at Bredger was once the site of a discovery of 34 gold coins, thought to date from the earliest times of the Roman invasion of Britain.
02:22Two millennia later, and a very different hoard is accumulated here.
02:26A giant collection of painstakingly restored steam-powered engines and other feats of engineering from the early days of railway.
02:33Built from scratch, the Bredger and Worms Hill Light Railway is the 50-year passion projects of one family.
02:41These days in the care of Christy Fouracre and her dad, Bill Best.
02:44The railway was started by my father and his brother in 1975.
02:56It was a hobby.
02:57They just started collecting bits and pieces, and it slowly developed into a much bigger collection.
03:03We've got about three-quarters of a mile of track and about 12 engines, so it's a bit extensive now.
03:11The locomotives come from all over the world, so we've got two or three engines from Africa.
03:16They were British-made, shipped to Africa as new, and then they've come back in a very poor state, and we've restored them.
03:25We also get donated some artefacts that are of no use, and they're donated so that we can raise money from them.
03:34And of course, with this being an inherited site, there is so much more that has been collected over the years.
03:42So it will be an interesting journey for us also.
03:44Good morning.
03:47Hello.
03:47Hello.
03:48I'm Alistair.
03:49Hi, Bill.
03:50Bill, hi, Drew.
03:51How are you doing?
03:52Hi, Drew.
03:52I'm Christy.
03:53Nice to meet you.
03:54Christy, hi.
03:55Hi.
03:55Welcome.
03:56I'd love to have a look around.
03:57Do come in.
03:58Do come in.
03:59They're tightly packed.
04:01How many have you got here, then?
04:02We've got about, I think it's eight steam locomotives and five diesels.
04:08God, this takes a lot of energy to do all this, doesn't it?
04:10Look at that.
04:11That's a steamroller.
04:12Steamroller.
04:13Fowler.
04:13And that's cool.
04:14I like that.
04:15That's great.
04:16It's a fowler.
04:17Cool.
04:18Fowler Marshall.
04:19So you restore all these yourself, do you?
04:21Yeah.
04:21Yeah, I mean, sometimes we buy them and they're already restored.
04:25But generally, we buy them in a very poor state and restore them.
04:29Where does the passion for this come from?
04:31My family, my father, we restored.
04:35They had a habit of restoring things.
04:37But we've got a lot of volunteers.
04:40Yeah.
04:40And without the volunteers, it wouldn't be viable.
04:43But we've got a lot of volunteers and they do a lot.
04:46They're more passionate than we are.
04:48So that's great.
04:48That's good.
04:49Yeah.
04:50We've got 50 plus volunteers.
04:51Have you?
04:51Have you?
04:52Yes.
04:53They come every week without fail.
04:55It's wonderful.
04:56We're in the railway sheds today because these places, they tend to become a repository for
05:02things people don't want.
05:04And they say, oh, yeah, I'll donate it.
05:05I'll donate it.
05:06What happens with all museums, all collections, is they just get hammered with stuff and they
05:12run out of space.
05:12And I found some amazing things in these old collections.
05:16Well, that's quite nice, that dog food sign, is it?
05:18Nellox.
05:19Nellox.
05:19Is that one of yours?
05:20It is one of ours.
05:21Can we have a look at it?
05:22Yeah, yeah.
05:24Along the wall, we've got a row of reproduction railway posters.
05:28And in the middle, there's an enamel sign.
05:30Just a very, very simple one.
05:31I think it says something like perfect Melox dog food.
05:36Saleable.
05:37Dogs.
05:37And it's in OK condition.
05:40What would you be looking for that, Bill?
05:43I have no idea what they're worth.
05:45So, I'm trusting you to give me a fair price because I have no idea.
05:50Don't annoy him first thing in the morning.
05:51£130.
05:52That's very fair.
05:56Is it worth more than that?
05:57Come on.
06:00I'd like to see the back of it because it's screwed on.
06:03He's thinking the same thing.
06:04It's been touched up on the edges, isn't it?
06:09Yeah, it's been painted to stop it getting worse, hasn't it?
06:11Yeah, yeah, yeah, just to stop the rust.
06:12I think it's spreading.
06:14I'll take it off, this.
06:15Would you?
06:16Yeah.
06:16140.
06:19Go on, then.
06:19Yeah?
06:22All right, let's carry on.
06:23Over there, there's, I think it's a hand-painted sign, is it?
06:27A wooden sign?
06:28Can we have a look at that?
06:28Yeah, yeah.
06:29There's a wooden sign on the floor.
06:31Beware pedestrian and locomotive traffic.
06:34Topic's good.
06:36Condition's OK.
06:37The back of it, like, keep out.
06:40Double-sided.
06:42I like that side.
06:42Yeah.
06:44I know where that was given to us.
06:47The keep out bit, the sign was on an old signal box that was redundant.
06:53Right.
06:53And they painted keep out and put it up against the window.
06:56And that was to the wall, then?
06:59That was to the wall, yeah.
07:01It's a bit of a double-sided one, because on the back, crudely written, keep out.
07:07And Bill said a sweet little story.
07:09It was the keep out side that was in view.
07:12So the proper side of the sign was against the wall.
07:14No one saw that.
07:15And that's probably saved it a little bit.
07:16Because wooden signs, they don't live as long as an enamel sign.
07:22They're not as hard-wearing.
07:26What do you want for that?
07:27Go on, make me an offer again.
07:29Come on.
07:31Same again.
07:33140.
07:34Yeah?
07:35That's fair, isn't it?
07:35Thank you very much.
07:36That's very fair.
07:37I'm grateful for that.
07:39Yeah, that's nice.
07:40Nothing hidden in there, Bill?
07:42Do you know, I haven't been in here for a while, so I'm not sure what is in here.
07:47You never know, though, do you?
07:48No, you don't.
07:49You've got to look.
07:49Hang on, what's that?
07:51Bit of you, Drew?
07:53Or have you got too many?
07:55Never got enough.
07:57Look at that.
07:59So, the thing, do you know what I really want on this?
08:03Is the parts, yeah.
08:05I think it is the right one, yeah.
08:06Crab tree.
08:07So the bulb holders here, the guy who restores all my angle poisons for me,
08:13we're always trying to find good original bits.
08:15Do you know what that little thing there is worth to me at the moment?
08:18That bit and that bit and a couple of bits off here is worth 60 quid to me as just a thing.
08:25Thank you very much.
08:26This one has the little crab tree bulb holder and an early shade, not a really early shade, but an early shade in not bad condition in its original factory paint.
08:37And it's got three springs on the front that I can use.
08:44Switch.
08:45What do you think of that, Drew?
08:46Switch.
08:48Is it cast?
08:49Yeah.
08:49Yes.
08:50Is it cool or isn't it cool?
08:53I don't know.
08:54Switch.
08:55That's the point.
08:56You're switching like that.
08:58Al pulls out this little cast iron sign that says switch.
09:02Now, I'm not that up on railways, but I know that they would be manually switched at some points.
09:09There'd be a lever, I think, out in the track.
09:12But whatever.
09:13The sign says switch.
09:15It's super cool.
09:17And Al looks at me and goes, is that cool?
09:18I'm like, yeah, mate, yes, very.
09:23200 pound.
09:34Drew's taken Al to one of his trusted hunting grounds, an overflowing museum collection of extraordinary railway honour.
09:42That's cool.
09:43I like that.
09:44And Al's been turned on by an early 20th century cast iron sign.
09:48200 pound.
09:55You go 250 and you've got it.
10:01It's good, isn't it?
10:01I think you'll sell that for a lot more than that.
10:03I might sell it in the van on the way home now.
10:04I think you'll sell it down the corner if you want.
10:06That switch sign, it was hidden behind another sign against a wall.
10:12Switch.
10:13Simple, but good.
10:15Black and white.
10:17Switch.
10:19Anything on the other side?
10:20No.
10:21Spiders.
10:21It's nice, that.
10:30Would you let it go?
10:31Yeah.
10:32I'll go straight in with my absolute top bid and I won't go any more.
10:36And I'll just leave it, right?
10:37It's 200 pound and that's it.
10:39You've got it.
10:41I'll leave it where it is.
10:42It's just, it's just, there's no point in bidding you low on it.
10:47It's a great sign.
10:47Thank you, mate.
10:48I appreciate it.
10:48It's all going to support the railway.
10:50It's not going into anybody's pocket.
10:52Great colour.
10:53Yeah.
10:53Really interesting.
10:54Simple.
10:55Must not cross the lines.
10:57Brilliant.
10:58Any sign that tells somebody, don't do that, is really popular.
11:03It just is.
11:04You know, stop.
11:05You know, do not enter.
11:07You know, private.
11:08Blah, blah, blah.
11:08Danger.
11:09Those are the ones that sell the best.
11:11And this one very much is in that sort of area.
11:18So there's a few bits of...
11:21Check that out.
11:22That is nice.
11:23Now you're talking stupid to me.
11:24No, you don't want that.
11:25Where did that come from?
11:29I don't know.
11:30It's the backstop to one of our...
11:32To our bar now, so...
11:33I love that green paint.
11:34So we use it for all our events.
11:36We go to, I think, the final bit,
11:38and they say, oh, there's nothing really in here.
11:40And then I walk in and wallop.
11:43There's this great sign.
11:45And I don't buy a lot of these anymore.
11:47It's a belter.
11:48That is a belter, that.
11:49I'm going to offend you for saying I'd like two grand for it,
11:52but I know that you won't give me that.
11:53I honestly think you're in the ballpark.
11:56I'm not...
11:57But I can't pay you that.
11:58No, no.
11:58If there was ever a sign that sort of says what I do,
12:02that's it.
12:04You know, it's just got so many different connotations,
12:07so many different meanings to so many different people,
12:10and it's cool as hell, and it's big,
12:12and I've not seen one before,
12:14and it's in beautiful condition
12:15for that type of industrial signage.
12:17Spelled out with cast-iron letters,
12:22highlighted with cat's-eye-type reflectors,
12:24this early 20th century sign
12:26may have been placed at the entrance to a tunnel,
12:28or before a railway crossing,
12:30to remind the engine driver
12:31to sound the whistle as a warning.
12:35Despite a century of wear and tear,
12:37the wooden backboards are in good condition,
12:39and all of the reflectors are intact.
12:41But with widespread appeal
12:43and diverse potential interpretations,
12:45this is an extraordinary find,
12:48which could be worth around £2,000.
12:52Well, £1,000 won't buy it,
12:53so if I bid you...
12:55£1,200 as it stands,
12:59and I'll take it away.
13:01Give me a little bit more than that.
13:04That's a good bid.
13:06That is a good bid.
13:07Give me £13, and I'll take it.
13:10£13,000's my lucky number,
13:10so, yeah, thank you very much.
13:12Very much appreciate it.
13:13Is that all right?
13:14Yeah.
13:15She doesn't want to see it go.
13:17You didn't check with her?
13:18No, I didn't check with her.
13:20She's not keen to see it go.
13:21It is beautiful.
13:22I love that.
13:23Thank you very much for letting me buy that.
13:26We do a deal at £1,300.
13:28£13,000's my lucky number, so, yeah.
13:30We'll give it a whirl.
13:31An extraordinary thing.
13:33I'm very pleased to own it.
13:34We're going to keep it as original as we possibly can,
13:37and it will go to a loving home.
13:38It will, when I decide to sell it.
13:42I'm not going to be in a rush to get rid of that.
13:44I think it'll be fun to have around for a while.
13:47That's one of the most fun things I've bought in ages.
13:49I love that.
13:50I absolutely love it.
13:51I think it's brilliant.
13:52It's really good, Drew.
13:55What a day.
13:56Down in Kent, weather is beautiful.
13:58The setting is remarkable.
14:00We're doing our normal job.
14:01This is what you do.
14:03We route through every single available space.
14:08Lofts, sheds, shipping containers, backs of vans,
14:12spare rooms of the house, polytunnels, you name it.
14:15We have to go into them, and it's never changed.
14:17Weirdly, that is my job.
14:20That is what I do, you know, and it's incredibly interesting
14:25because, you know, it really is that one person's junk
14:30could be my treasure, and it happens.
14:32That is how the whole business works.
14:35Right, well, thank you all very much.
14:38Thank you so much for coming.
14:38I appreciate it.
14:39It's been wonderful to meet you.
14:40Thank you very much.
14:41It's been really good.
14:42Take care.
14:43OK.
14:43Bye-bye.
14:43Bye-bye now.
14:44Take care.
14:51Good day?
14:52Happy?
14:53You're that good, mate, yeah.
14:55And I bought a sign.
14:56You did buy a sign?
14:57Which reminds me of something I really hate.
15:01Whistlers?
15:02Whistlers.
15:02I can't tell you what I really think about people that whistle.
15:08OK.
15:08It's that bad, is it?
15:09Yeah.
15:10Yeah.
15:10I just hate it.
15:12Yeah.
15:13But my sign's cool.
15:14Oh, good day, mate.
15:15Yeah.
15:18An exciting haul from the museum is proof that heading for trusted hunting grounds works.
15:23And today there's another long drive, at the end of which, Drew knows from experience there's good buying to be had.
15:31We are off today to see Ian at Pool Bank Interiors.
15:35Yeah.
15:36I've been here before.
15:37Good guy.
15:38And fantastic building.
15:42I don't know what it was, but it's, like, the most perfect warehouse for selling antiques from.
15:47OK.
15:47From selling anything from him.
15:48He sells classic cars.
15:49I mean, it's really just a brilliant warehouse.
15:53So what's his style?
15:54What's his style?
15:54Um, a lot of mid-century.
15:56Right.
15:57An awful lot of mid-century.
15:58I mean, I might buy bits off him.
16:00Yeah.
16:01But for you, it's somebody I think you should know.
16:03Yeah.
16:04It'd be good to see him because, you know, I do a load of clearances.
16:07I see a lot of things.
16:09And with mid-century stuff, I just don't get it.
16:13But this chap here, for your mid-century stuff, good stuff, he'd be a good out for you.
16:18OK.
16:19So, got to be worth a look?
16:22Definitely.
16:22Let's give it a go.
16:23Harnessing energy from the River Wharf, which flows here through the Yorkshire Dales, what
16:29was once a giant Victorian paper mill in Otley, today generates hydroelectricity for the local
16:35area.
16:36But since 2018, it's also been home to a vast and growing collection of vintage furniture
16:41and antiques.
16:42Spread over three floors and 9,000 square feet, it's the passion project of former designer,
16:48engineer and creative powerhouse, dealer Ian Appleyard.
16:53Right from very young, I always had a passion in design and history.
17:01And then about eight, nine years ago, I decided to pursue my passion and create a space really
17:09where people could come and see it.
17:11This place allows me to be creative, it allows me to meet lots of different people from all
17:16kinds of walks of life and learn lots about each different item every time.
17:22Since Drew was here last, lots have changed, we've opened up all kinds of different rooms
17:27and a gallery and an apartment room that overlooks the river.
17:31I feel like to display it so it looks good and that creative part is kind of a lot of the
17:36enjoyment as well, really.
17:40Ian, how are you doing?
17:45I'm Alistair.
17:46How are you doing?
17:47All right.
17:48Good to meet you.
17:49I'm good.
17:50Nice to see you again.
17:51All right.
17:52Good to see you this time, I believe.
17:53Yes, we have, yeah.
17:54We've got all kinds of new rooms.
17:56Wonderful.
17:57You do have the perfect space for an antique shop, isn't it?
18:00Yeah, it's a great building, yeah.
18:01Isn't it?
18:02I love it, yeah.
18:03I can't remember.
18:04What was it before?
18:05A paper mill.
18:06Victorian paper mill.
18:07Ah.
18:08It was the drying part of a bigger paper mill.
18:11So this was a drying building, so they had big rolls of paper upstairs drying.
18:16It's a brilliant building.
18:17It's just perfect for the job.
18:19Yeah, I love it.
18:20Isn't it?
18:21Ideal.
18:22I absolutely love it.
18:23If you actually invent an antique warehouse stroke shop, this is it.
18:27It works.
18:28It's the right height, floor levels, everything's just perfect.
18:32What he does here is lots and lots of mid-century, but there's lighting, decoration, and 19th
18:39and 18th-century pieces as well.
18:41What's that?
18:42Is that another room?
18:43Yeah, I think so, is it?
18:44Yeah.
18:45I can't remember.
18:46This was here, wasn't it?
18:47The room was here, but it was definitely not this, really.
18:48I'd stripped it all since then.
18:49Strip the walls and things.
18:50Look at that.
18:51Yeah.
18:52Well, that still powers.
18:53Oh, wow.
18:54We've got generators in there.
18:55Still water generating electricity in there.
18:58Really?
18:59Still in use?
19:00Yeah.
19:01Wow.
19:02Look at that.
19:03Oh, my God.
19:04Bloody hell.
19:05Yeah, so the water goes right underneath the building here.
19:08There used to be a big water wheel there, you know, where that channel comes in.
19:13Beautiful.
19:14That would have powered the wheel.
19:15What a setting.
19:16You often get sort of shop envy.
19:19It's such a great space.
19:21That's cool.
19:22Look at the size of that.
19:23Yeah.
19:24That's a whopper.
19:25Who's that by?
19:26It's Neil Johnson's sideboards.
19:28Swedish.
19:29Made by Troeds.
19:30I really like these.
19:31I mean, you see them everywhere.
19:32That one's super stylish as well.
19:33Yeah.
19:34That's great.
19:35Yeah.
19:36The furniture in this place is, basically, if you're going out to furnish your first
19:40flat, your first house, and you want something that's not antique, come here.
19:43Buy stuff from this period.
19:45It will last the rest of your life.
19:48It'll cost two thirds of the price of the new stuff, which you'll pay somebody to throw
19:52away for you, and will be out of fashion within three years.
19:57Tops.
19:58How many of these have you got, Ian?
20:02Five.
20:03Five?
20:04No more?
20:05No, that's it.
20:06That's the five.
20:07They all right as a collection, aren't they?
20:08Yeah.
20:09Yeah, well, yeah, they all came together, and they all belonged together at one point.
20:14Did they?
20:15Yeah.
20:16A family.
20:17Yeah, they were a family.
20:18Yeah.
20:19They were a family.
20:20I walked around, and there's some Milner's heads.
20:23There's a collection of five.
20:25Four good ones, and one's just a little bit newer.
20:29It hasn't got the age of the others.
20:32If there was the one, I probably wouldn't have bought it.
20:35But because there's four, they look great on the shelf.
20:38Great display pieces.
20:39I've bought loads over the years.
20:40I've sold loads to Drew over the years, and they sell.
20:43So I'm thinking, shop here.
20:44Let's buy these for the shop.
20:46What do you want for those four?
20:48These four?
20:49Yeah.
20:50I feel bad splitting the family, mind.
20:53It happens.
20:58One eight-tailed home, Paul?
20:59Yep.
21:00Cool.
21:01Only so.
21:03Yeah, I think you had them priced up at £59, £60 each.
21:07So they worked out about £40, £45 each.
21:09That's fair enough.
21:10There's 20 to 30 quid profit on each head.
21:13So as a collective, yeah, happy days.
21:18That's an interesting thing, isn't it?
21:20Isn't it?
21:21Have you seen one before?
21:22No.
21:23What do you know about it?
21:25Well, the only thing I've been able to find out about it
21:27is when Cleopatra's Needle came,
21:29obviously London was kind of, went mad for it,
21:32and one of them was in a tobacconist's window
21:35with a flame coming out the top, so it was gas.
21:38One of these?
21:39Yeah.
21:40And that's the only reference I've seen to it.
21:42Where did you find that? Online?
21:43Online somewhere, yeah.
21:44It's a cool thing, isn't it?
21:46Mm.
21:47So there is a brass lamp base of Cleopatra's Needle,
21:50and it's been...
21:52It looks completely correct.
21:56It's the base of an oil lamp.
21:58It's very unusual.
22:00In my mind, I've seen something like it before,
22:02but I've never actually owned one of those.
22:05My gut thinks it's rare.
22:08It's very interesting.
22:10Dating from 1450 BC,
22:14and constructed of 200 tons of red granite,
22:17Cleopatra's Needle cost at least six lives
22:20and the modern equivalent of a million pounds
22:22to transport by sea from Alexandria
22:24to the Thames Embankment in London in 1877.
22:28This brass lampstand is likely the high-quality product
22:32of an era which was fascinated
22:34by the extraordinary diplomatic gift from Egypt.
22:37A scarce object,
22:39Drew thinks it could be worth around 800 pounds.
22:45How much are you asking for it?
22:47650.
22:48It's a weird old thing, isn't it?
22:50What can it be?
22:54It'd have to be quite close to that.
22:56Really? Yeah.
22:57Yeah.
23:07Drew and Al are in Yorkshire,
23:09trawling the collection of one of Drew's trusted dealer contacts
23:12in a stunning warehouse setting.
23:15Wow!
23:16Look at that!
23:17It's a great view, isn't it?
23:18And Drew spotted a relic
23:20from the 19th century fascination with Cleopatra's Needle,
23:23which he thinks could be a rare object.
23:25How much are you asking for it?
23:28650.
23:29It's a weird old thing, isn't it?
23:32What can it be?
23:35It'd have to be quite close to that.
23:36Really?
23:37Yeah.
23:39I have recently, very, very recently,
23:42found out that there was one sold
23:47in some auction.
23:49I only found out today.
23:51Today?
23:52Yes!
23:53Really?
23:54Yeah.
23:55And it went for double that, really.
23:56Yeah.
23:58Yeah.
23:59But I didn't think it was the right thing
24:01to go changing the price on it
24:04after I found out this morning.
24:07I'm home to an offer.
24:08500?
24:10I'll do 550 on it.
24:12Cool.
24:13Thank you very much.
24:14What an odd thing.
24:15So, the diamond registration mark on the back of the lamp,
24:19this registration mark was used all over this country
24:23on all sorts of things,
24:25and it gives you lots of detail.
24:27Dates, and when the design was registered.
24:30But that one has been polished so much
24:32that some of the detail has been lost.
24:34There might be enough on it for us to make out some stuff.
24:37I think it's a good thing.
24:40So, we've got a small gallery space in here.
24:43Look at that thing.
24:44Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?
24:46It's a sculpture by Stephen Broadbent.
24:48You may have seen it.
24:49It was outside a bank in Liverpool for most of its life.
24:51Was it?
24:52Yeah, yeah.
24:53And then, in 2008, the bank was getting taken over,
24:57and this is from a guy who was doing some contract work
25:01at the bank, and he's like, what are you doing with this?
25:04Really?
25:05He bought it, took it home, and his wife didn't like it.
25:08So, he put it in his garage for another ten years.
25:11Really?
25:12And then he got in touch with me.
25:14Yeah, it's a beautiful thing.
25:16Very nice.
25:17Mm.
25:20The other thing that I was looking at was that.
25:22Yeah, it is a cool thing.
25:24Looking at the big sculpture, turned round,
25:25and there's a wonderful little...
25:27It says marble.
25:28I think it's more of an alabaster or soapstone.
25:30Just lovely.
25:31And looking at this thing, it's great, that.
25:33Signed marble sculpture, 135 quid.
25:36It's great, isn't it?
25:37Yeah.
25:38It's not expensive, is it?
25:39It's not expensive, no.
25:40It would be wrong of me to ask for a discount.
25:42It would be wrong, yeah.
25:43But I'm going to.
25:44You can ask.
25:46That's fine.
25:47I'm not a first to anybody asking.
25:50It's just really interesting.
25:51I think it's lovely.
25:52Yeah.
25:57Yeah, no, go on, have it.
25:58Cool.
25:59Thank you very much.
26:00Great stuff.
26:01The price on it is £135.
26:03By having that price on it, in some ways it devalues it.
26:07So take that price off, put it into a different setting.
26:11Is it worth £500?
26:13Yeah, I think so.
26:14It's a fabulous thing.
26:15Beautiful.
26:17So this is a little art studio we have.
26:20I've got a whole bunch of art from the Leeds galleries.
26:23Leeds galleries.
26:24Oh, I like that.
26:25Yeah.
26:26That's cool, isn't it?
26:29So these are all in Leeds galleries for all of the time.
26:32And they're lending galleries, so they've been all over the world.
26:36Are you selling them?
26:37I am.
26:38How much is that one?
26:39I'll do you that one for £300.
26:42Hmm.
26:43Interesting.
26:44Interesting, aren't they?
26:45Yeah.
26:46My favourite thing.
26:47Boring, but it's my favourite thing to buy ever.
26:50Right.
26:51I just love it.
26:52Yeah, that's very accomplished, that.
26:54Just love it.
26:55Are you buying that?
26:56No.
26:57No, you have a go at it.
27:00That's really good.
27:01Yeah, yeah, the eye in the mirror.
27:03Yeah, the eye in the mirror, yeah.
27:04That's the only bit I don't like.
27:05So what have you got on that?
27:06I'll do it for two.
27:08I know I gave you a different price, but...
27:11Nice one, mate?
27:12I'm paying more.
27:13So £200.
27:14Cool.
27:15I didn't spot it at first.
27:17Drew picked it up.
27:18It wasn't really doing a lot for me.
27:22And then I looked back at it and I thought,
27:24hang on a minute.
27:25I saw a lady's face in the rear view mirror
27:28and I thought, this has got more going for it than I thought.
27:32It's got motoring, there's a portrait in it.
27:35There's a destination board.
27:38The car's going northbound, it's going towards Durham,
27:40it's going towards Newcastle.
27:42So it's quite appealing.
27:44Plus, I got it £100 cheaper than Drew would have.
27:48Don't think he liked that.
27:50I like this one.
27:51Condition's terrible, but...
27:53This one, yeah.
27:54...a lot of varnish on it, isn't it?
27:55It's really cakedly varnish.
27:56It's ripped and caked in all sorts.
27:57Oh, yeah.
27:58Signed.
27:59Head of Boy by Gavin Stewart.
28:01Yeah.
28:02It's a little portrait oil of a young boy.
28:05And as Ian says, oh, that's very accomplished.
28:07And yes, you're dead right.
28:08It is accomplished.
28:09Go on, give us a price.
28:11I'll do it for £100.
28:14Yeah.
28:15Cool.
28:17Yeah.
28:19Definitely worth coming back to see, Ian.
28:21Al made a valuable contact here.
28:23Al does a lot of house clearances and valuations around Mid Wales,
28:28and he's been looking for an outlet for this sort of furniture
28:31that he's getting hold of.
28:32And for me, to be perfectly honest with you,
28:34getting that little Cleopatra's Needle lamp,
28:37just really interesting.
28:39That's just ticking something in my brain, I think.
28:41Hmm, I'd be onto something with that.
28:44Thank you very much.
28:46Nice one.
28:47It's been good to see you.
28:48See you later, guys.
28:49Nice to meet you, Al.
28:50Nice one. Thanks, mate.
28:51Thank you. Cheers.
28:52Have a good trip.
28:53Ta-ra.
28:58There you go.
28:59So you're happy with that?
29:00Yes, definitely.
29:01I made a contact today.
29:02Good.
29:03And he's a top man.
29:04Yeah.
29:05I think I might have rung the bell with that lamp.
29:07It's just very interesting.
29:08I know the auction where one of those went through recently.
29:13I know which auction he means.
29:15It went through at 1,200-odd quid.
29:17Did it really?
29:18I think that was cheap.
29:19Right.
29:20So, hey.
29:21Do your research.
29:22Do the research.
29:23Do your research.
29:24But yeah, good day.
29:27From Yorkshire, it's southwards again,
29:29heading towards Sussex and another trusted hunting ground
29:32that Drew's confident will turn up something special.
29:36Right.
29:37So we're off to Petworth.
29:38Okay.
29:39Old stomping ground?
29:40Yeah.
29:41Yeah.
29:42Off to see a guy called John Bird.
29:43A friend of mine.
29:44Known him a good few years now.
29:46Must be...
29:47God, must be 15 or so years now I've known John.
29:49He's been in the business forever.
29:51You're going to love it.
29:52Am I?
29:53Yes.
29:54Why?
29:55Because he just does really interesting...
29:57Alistair things.
29:58Alistair-type things.
29:59Okay.
30:00Painted furniture.
30:01Country furniture.
30:02Oh, good.
30:03All of it.
30:04And very buyable.
30:05Nestled in the South Downs National Park,
30:08the Sussex town of Petworth is historically closely linked
30:11to one of the country's grandest country estates.
30:15Petworth houses wealthy 18th century owners transformed it
30:19into a trove of art treasures inspired by Versailles itself.
30:24These days there's another elegantly curated collection in town,
30:27including extraordinary objects from all over the world
30:30and many different eras.
30:32Put together by the artistic eye of veteran dealer John Bird.
30:41What got me started was I helped somebody with their shop.
30:44when they moved.
30:46And er, basically I was a kid with no direction er, to go.
30:51So I just stayed in the antique business from my twenties.
30:56There's always something interesting.
30:58I love the historic aspect.
31:00I love the colour of the timber, the patination, the wear,
31:04you know, just the variety that you never quite know
31:07what you're going to come across.
31:09I think if you've got good imagination and good curiosity, er,
31:13you're never stuck.
31:18Morning John.
31:19Hello.
31:20How are you doing?
31:21You all right. How are you?
31:22How are you? Nice to see you.
31:23Nice to see you.
31:24And you, and you.
31:25Good, innit?
31:26I like saying this, it's a proper antique shop.
31:29Yeah.
31:30Isn't it?
31:31It is.
31:32He buys in a way that I really like.
31:34He just buys things that he wants to buy.
31:37You know, it could be anything from arts and crafts
31:40through to early 20th century, a little bit of modernism,
31:43a lot of country furniture, architectural lighting,
31:46decoration, paintings.
31:48He just enjoys buying good things.
31:50And I will always, always, when I'm in Petworth, come through the door.
31:55That little, is that a slate sign?
31:58Is it all metal?
31:59Or what's that sign on the dresser?
32:01This little thing?
32:02It's a little zinc sign.
32:03Yeah.
32:04This bungalow to let, £2.10.
32:07In August, £3.00 per week.
32:10Right.
32:11I just think it's so...
32:12Sweet.
32:13So sweet and so lovely that you could live in a place...
32:16I expect it was quite...
32:17£3.00 or £2.10 was quite a lot of money.
32:20£1.55.
32:22Um, £1.30.
32:25Yep.
32:28It's very crudely made.
32:31Initially, I thought it was a roof tile.
32:33With, um, bungalow up for rent.
32:36But it's just innocent.
32:37It's sweet.
32:38It's not a generic sign.
32:40It's a one-off.
32:41It's got Guildford on it.
32:43It's just simple.
32:44But I like it.
32:45Also like that, John.
32:50Quite a nice little arts and cross lantern, isn't it?
32:52It's like the colour of it.
32:53It's been resoldered a little bit, yeah.
32:56Yeah.
32:57Yeah.
32:58Sorry.
32:59£1.95.
33:00It can be, um, £1.60.
33:02£1.60.
33:03£1.60.
33:04Yes.
33:05Please.
33:06Thank you very much.
33:08There's a turn-of-the-century, 1910 arts and crafts lantern on the table as we walk in.
33:15It's got good colour.
33:17Er, the verdigris, the greenness is really good on it.
33:21It's throughout.
33:22It's had a couple of mends on the inside.
33:24It needs glass.
33:25It needs rewiring.
33:26But both very simple jobs.
33:29Well, we've come three feet.
33:33Yeah.
33:34It's such an amazing-looking chocolate.
33:36Isn't it?
33:37It's incredible.
33:38It's just beautiful.
33:39It's mind-blowing where you get all this stuff from.
33:41I'm a bit eclectic.
33:42I just love buying loads of stuff.
33:45Yeah, there's lots of lovely things.
33:48I've got some mock-away here.
33:50John?
33:51Yeah, I always loved mock-away.
33:54Standard pub equipment.
33:57Pint jugs and pint mugs.
33:59Er, mock-away.
34:00There's different stories about it, how they created that pattern.
34:04It could have been done with a piece of seaweed, but people love to buy it.
34:09People have big collections in their kitchen, and it looks fantastic.
34:13Have you got any more?
34:14No, just...
34:15My friend has just started collecting.
34:17Oh, really?
34:18Yeah.
34:19I can remember going into what used to be the smallest pub in Sussex about 30 years ago,
34:25and you'd order a pint, and you'd go out to the barrels out in the passageway
34:30and fill up the barrels with a pint jug, and come back and put it into a straight glass.
34:35Brilliant.
34:36And it was a pleasure to see it, because even then it was a rare sight.
34:41Can I just put these side by side by here, just to have a look at them?
34:48What could you do on the pay?
34:49I think you got 95 and...
34:53145 for the jug.
34:55I think the jug is more perfect, I think.
34:58It's got a nice, um...
35:00Pint mark.
35:01Yeah, the jug can be 120, and the mug can be 75.
35:14At one of Drew's most trusted Sussex buying horns,
35:17Al's discovered some highly collectible pottery,
35:20commonly used in 19th-century pubs, and known as mockerware.
35:24What could you do on the pay?
35:26Yeah, the jug can be 120, and the mug can be 75.
35:32Yes, please.
35:34Nice. Love them. Thank you.
35:36Good. Thank you.
35:37Together, they're just a nice pay.
35:40And for a collector who's just started out, you know, these are ideal.
35:45They're two good things to start your collection off.
35:47Can you tell me something about that?
35:50It's...
35:51It's a little West African cowrie shell embroidered basket.
35:56I've even got a spare cowrie shell.
35:58So, I...
35:59And it's one of those jobs I've been meaning to do,
36:01is to stitch up the...
36:02That is...
36:03Stitch it up.
36:04Gorgeous.
36:05Gorgeous.
36:06Gorgeous.
36:07Gorgeous.
36:08Now, cowrie shells were used as a currency.
36:13So, this bowl is quite symbolic of wealth.
36:16We've got one little shell hanging off,
36:19there's one inside loose,
36:20and I think there's one other one that's missing.
36:23And that's quite rare, to have something that's pretty much complete.
36:28And it's on a bit of a wonk, which is nice.
36:30Yeah, it shows it's sort of...
36:31How much is that?
36:32...imperfect.
36:33Oh, there's a ticket.
36:36We've got a 95 on it, it's 75.
36:38Oh, you've got to shake his hand on that, haven't you?
36:41That's very nice.
36:43Really good, bye.
36:45It's just got a good look, you know.
36:46It's slightly wonky.
36:48You could just imagine that,
36:49just on top of a chest of drawers, just on its own.
36:51You know, it's a piece of art,
36:53a piece of folk art.
36:54It's great.
36:55I'd love the stone figure.
36:57The Egyptian god?
36:58Yeah.
36:59The interesting thing about that is it's Portland stone,
37:02and I think it might have been carved
37:04at the time of the discovery of Tutankhamun.
37:06Interesting.
37:08This figure dates to the 1920s,
37:11when Egyptomania swept Britain,
37:14after archaeologist Howard Carter
37:16discovered the 3,000-year-old intact burial chamber
37:19of Egyptian emperor Tutankhamun.
37:22This statue has been expertly carved
37:24from a very British material.
37:27Found in Dorset,
37:29Portland stone was famously used
37:30to build St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace.
37:33With extraordinary quality and in excellent condition,
37:36Drew thinks this piece could be worth around 595 pounds.
37:42There's two things that I've got some interest in.
37:45The Portland stone figure.
37:47OK.
37:48That one.
37:49And the rusticated table behind you.
37:51OK.
37:52That one there.
37:53So, what's on that?
37:55Um, that's 695, 600.
37:59Very fresh bit of stock.
38:01Just come in.
38:03It sort of caught my eye as soon as I came through the door.
38:06It sort of caught my eye as soon as I came through the door.
38:12Rustic two-tier table, circa 1900.
38:16This turn of the 20th century occasional table may have been crafted in a British colony,
38:22as suggested by the unusual timber used, possibly an African hardwood.
38:27With vivid colour and a characterful live edge, it has widespread appeal in a modern interior,
38:33and Drew thinks it could be worth around 750 pounds.
38:41How much is the, um, Egyptian Portland stone piece?
38:44That one can be...
38:47500.
38:50Do the pair for a grand?
38:53I'm even... I've got them on my knees.
38:58You couldn't get two more different things, could you?
39:031,000 pound for the pair, yeah?
39:05Yeah?
39:06Sure?
39:07Yeah.
39:09Thanks, John.
39:11Lovely.
39:13We do a deal, and I get the pair for 1,000 quid.
39:16600, 400 quid.
39:19Great.
39:20I think I can get most of that back for the statue,
39:23and then there's a bit of profit in the table.
39:25We're not making loads of money, but I am making money.
39:28But I'm also selling some really cool things.
39:30Thanks, John, for letting us in. This is great.
39:33No, well, thank you.
39:34It's a pleasure to have people in the shop
39:36who appreciate these things.
39:38Wonderful.
39:41Always a pleasure to see John.
39:43I think you can all tell now what a gentleman he is,
39:46what a font of knowledge,
39:48how much fun he still has out of the job.
39:52He's running this as a proper antique shop
39:55with really good things that are very affordable,
39:58which you can walk in here, take away.
40:00You don't need to do any work to them,
40:02and they will enrich your house, your environment,
40:04and your life.
40:05There you go.
40:06Can't say that about many shops, can you?
40:10Oi.
40:11John.
40:13Thank you, mate.
40:15Much appreciated.
40:17Very great pleasure to see you.
40:18Thank you very much.
40:19Nice to meet you.
40:20See you.
40:21OK, bye.
40:32Back at his shop in West Wales,
40:34Al's decided to delve a little deeper
40:36into the story behind his pottery finds.
40:39Mockerware was once one of the most common forms
40:41of decorated earthenware in the country.
40:44It's very utilitarian.
40:48It was made to be used, OK?
40:51It was made for pubs, for taverns, and for the home.
40:56If we look at this old picture of a tavern here,
40:58they're all on the shelf, upside down, in a row,
41:01ready for someone to come in and ask for a pint
41:05and to be used, to drink your beer, to drink your ale out of.
41:08If we look at the bottom shelf, we can see a row of these identical mugs,
41:14all stood upside down.
41:16So we've got the pattern there of the mocker.
41:20We've got the stripes.
41:22What's nice about this pair is they're both embossed.
41:25They're both dated.
41:27ER, Edwardian period.
41:29And if you get the older ones in good condition,
41:32that's where the money is.
41:34Mockerware can be identified by the branching pattern,
41:37which resembles the precious stone moss agate,
41:40which in the 18th century was imported from Arabia
41:43via the port of Mocker in Yemen
41:45and was known as Mocker stone.
41:48OK, that's interesting.
41:50The design on these items is created
41:56by some kind of acidic reaction using tobacco, tea and even urine.
42:02It's caused some kind of reaction with the clay.
42:05I always think of a leaf or a tree when I see it.
42:09It's just very simple, but it's beautiful.
42:13There's lots of different patterns, OK?
42:15These are the more familiar, more common, but more rarer ones.
42:19Looking here now, you know, they fetch serious money.
42:23There's a double-handed jug that fetched over £10,000.
42:27So, yeah, they're very, very collectible.
42:30These I'm going to do OK.
42:32You know, there's a profit in the pair,
42:35and I've got somebody in mind for them.
42:38A gentleman comes into the shop, he's starting up a collection,
42:41and I've been looking out for items for him.
42:44So these will go down perfectly.
42:47It's a satisfying end to a week which has shown the value
42:50of building a base of trusted sellers.
42:53Another incredible week on the road with Drew.
42:58Bredken Wormshill, that little light railway.
43:01Drew bought that amazing whistle sign.
43:04I've never seen one of that scale before.
43:07I bought three, four, or maybe more enamel signs, cast iron signs.
43:13Those are the things, when you get them in stock,
43:16you know you're going to sell them.
43:18And normally, they're sold within 24 hours.
43:22So, yeah, a really good call for both of us, that.
43:25John Byrd in Petworth.
43:27I've known Drew for 20 years,
43:29and the name John Byrd comes up in conversation time and time again.
43:34He had a good eclectic mix of stock,
43:37and this one for the contact book.
43:39Whenever you go to Petworth or down there,
43:41he's a guy to call on,
43:43because you never know what he's got in that shop.
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