- 3 weeks ago
🎬 Thank you for watching
We’re not just here to bring you the best web dramas — we’re also part of a powerful wellness network for men that cares about your performance both on screen… and in the bedroom.
😓 Feeling low energy, struggling with drive, or finishing too fast? You're not alone — but you don't have to settle for less.
💪 Discover the power of pure Himalayan Shilajit — a natural testosterone booster trusted by thousands of men to restore stamina, energy, and confidence in intimacy.
👉 Check it out here:
https://shorturl.at/DzNxh
We’re not just here to bring you the best web dramas — we’re also part of a powerful wellness network for men that cares about your performance both on screen… and in the bedroom.
😓 Feeling low energy, struggling with drive, or finishing too fast? You're not alone — but you don't have to settle for less.
💪 Discover the power of pure Himalayan Shilajit — a natural testosterone booster trusted by thousands of men to restore stamina, energy, and confidence in intimacy.
👉 Check it out here:
https://shorturl.at/DzNxh
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00On Salvage Hunters, a stunning antique showroom worth coveting.
00:05What a setting.
00:06You often get sort of shop envy.
00:09Showstopper signage worth fighting for.
00:12Check that out.
00:13That's a belter.
00:14That is a belter, that.
00:16And two antique rarities worth losing dignity over.
00:20Do the pair for a grand.
00:22I'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?
00:38100 pound a bit.
00:39I was going to bed you 70.
00:40Well, thanks for your film, but you're not all right, man.
00:42And lover of all things weathered and wonderful, Alistair Dryborough.
00:46What about the triumph? Have you seen that, Drew?
00:48Ooh!
00:50Come on, let's go and have a fight over it.
00:52Drew is sharing the knowledge.
00:54That's got a fair bit of ace of its horse hair in there.
00:56And that's a nice bit of old timber.
00:58And expertise.
01:00What a thing.
01:01You know why they're so deep?
01:02Why 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.
01:13We're in Kent and we're off to meet Bill and Christy, father and daughter.
01:25OK.
01:26Down 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
01:35that, you know, kids can go on and love the world.
01:37OK.
01:38They'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.
01:45Over 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
02:00he knows from experience is likely to be well worth the drive.
02:05Got your Al sniff going?
02:07Takes.
02:08Cathay.
02:09You're going to be in your element then.
02:13The northern Kentish village of Bredgar was once the site of a discovery of 34 gold coins,
02:19thought 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
02:30and other feats of engineering from the early days of railway.
02:34Built from scratch, the Bredgar and Wormshill 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.
02:51The railway was started by my father and his brother in 1975.
02:56It was a hobby.
02:57They just started collecting bits and pieces.
03:00And it slowly developed into a much bigger collection.
03:03We've got about three-quarters of a mile of track and about 12 engines.
03:07So it's a bit extensive now.
03:10The locomotives come from all over the world.
03:13So we've got two or three engines from Africa.
03:16They were British-made, shipped to Africa as new,
03:21and then they've come back in a very poor state and we've restored them.
03:26We also get donated some artefacts that are of no use,
03:31and they're donated so that we can raise money from them.
03:34And of course, with this being an inherited site,
03:38there is so much more that has been collected over the years.
03:42So it will be an interesting journey for us also.
03:46Good morning.
03:47Hello.
03:48Hello.
03:49I'm Alistair.
03:50Hi, Bill.
03:51Bill, hi, Drew. How are you doing?
03:52Hi, Drew.
03:53I'm Christy. Nice to meet you.
03:53Hi, Christy. How are you doing?
03:54Christy, hi.
03:55Welcome.
03:56Well, I'd love to have a look around.
03:57Do come in, do 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 the steamroller.
04:12Steamroller.
04:13And that's cool.
04:15I like that.
04:16That's great.
04:16It's a Fowler.
04:18Cool.
04:18Fowler Marshall.
04:19So you restore all these yourself, do you always?
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 and without the volunteers,
04:42it 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, so that's great.
04:48That's good, yeah.
04:50We've got 50 plus volunteers.
04:51Have you?
04:52Yes, they come every week without fail.
04:55It's wonderful.
04:56We're in the railway sheds today because these places,
05:00they tend to become a repository for things people don't want.
05:04And they say, oh, yeah, I'll donate it, I'll donate it.
05:06What happens with all museums, all collections,
05:09is they just get hammered with stuff and they run out of space.
05:13And I found some amazing things in these old collections.
05:16Well, that's quite nice, that dog food sign, is it?
05:18Nellox. Nellox.
05:19Is that one of yours? It is one of ours.
05:21Can we have a look at it? Yeah, yeah.
05:23Along the wall, we've got a row of reproduction railway posters,
05:27and in the middle is an enamel sign.
05:29Just a very, very simple one.
05:31I think it says something like Perfect Mellux Dog Food.
05:34Saleable, dogs, and it's in OK condition.
05:39And then, what would you be looking for that, Bill?
05:43I have no idea what they're worth, so...
05:47I'm trusting you to give me a fair price, cos I have no idea.
05:49Give him a fair bit. Don't annoy him first thing in the morning.
05:51£130. That's very fair.
05:56Is it worth more than that? Come on.
05:58Erm...
06:00I'd like to see the back of it, cos it's screwed on.
06:03He's thinking the same thing.
06:04Yeah.
06:06It's been touched up on the edges, hasn't it?
06:09Yeah, it's been painted to stop it getting worse, hasn't it?
06:11Yeah, yeah, yeah, just to stop the rough. I think it's fun.
06:14Take it off, this. Would you?
06:16Yeah, £140.
06:19Go on, then. Yeah?
06:20Thank you. Thank you. All right, let's carry on.
06:23Over there, there's, erm...
06:25I think it's a hand-painted sign, is it? A wooden sign?
06:28Can we have a look at that? Yeah, yeah.
06:29There's a wooden sign on the floor.
06:31Beware pedestrian and locomotive traffic.
06:34Topic's good. Condition's OK.
06:37It's the back of it, like, isn't it?
06:39Keep out.
06:41Double-sided. I like that side.
06:42Do you? Yeah.
06:44I know where that was given to us.
06:47The keep out bit, the sign was on an old signal box
06:52that was redundant. Right.
06:53And they painted keep out and put it up against the window.
06:57And that was to the wall, then?
06:59That was to the wall, yeah. Yeah.
07:01And it's a bit of a double-sided one,
07:02because 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.
07:17Because 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?
07:28Go on, make me an offer again.
07:29Come on.
07:31Same again.
07:33140.
07:34Yeah?
07:35That's fair, isn't it? Thank you very much.
07:36Yeah? That's very fair.
07:37I'm grateful for that.
07:38Yeah, that's nice.
07:39Yeah, that's nice.
07:40Nothing hidden in there, Bill?
07:41Do you know, I haven't been in here for a while,
07:44so I'm not sure what is in here.
07:46You never know, though, do you, huh?
07:48No, you don't.
07:49You've got to look. Hang on, what's that?
07:50All right, good of you, Drew.
07:53What have you got too many?
07:55Never got enough.
07:56Look at that.
07:59So, the thing, do you know what I really want on this?
08:03It's the parts, yeah.
08:05I think it is the right one, yeah, crab tree.
08:07So the bulb holders here,
08:09the 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
08:22is worth 60 quid to me as just a thing.
08:26Thank you very much.
08:27This one has the little crab tree bulb holder
08:31and an early shade, not a really early shade,
08:34but an early shade in not bad condition in its original factory paint,
08:38and it's got three springs on the front that I can use.
08:44Switch.
08:45To the guard, Drew, switch.
08:48Is it cast? Yeah.
08:50Yes.
08:52Is it cool or isn't it cool? I don't know.
08:54Switch.
08:56That's the point.
08:56You're switching like that, aren't you?
08:59Al pulls out this little cast-iron sign that says switch.
09:02Now, I'm not that up on railways,
09:04but I know that they would be manually switched at some points.
09:09There'd be a lever, I think, out in the track.
09:11But whatever, the 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.
09:21Two hundred pounder.
09:23Two hundred pounder.
09:24Two hundred pounder.
09:26And now, Al's been turned on by an early 20th century, cast-iron sign.
09:42That's cool. I like that.
09:44And Al's been turned on by an early 20th-century cast-iron sign.
09:50£200.
09:55You go £250 and you've got it.
10:00Thank you. It'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.
10:05I 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. Simple, but good.
10:15Black and white. Switch.
10:19Anything on the other side? No.
10:21Spiders.
10:22It's nice, that.
10:29Would you let it go? Yeah.
10:32I'll go straight in with my absolute top bid,
10:35and I won't go any more.
10:36And I'll just leave it, right? It's £200 and that's it.
10:39You've got it. Thank you.
10:41I'll leave it where it is.
10:42It's just... It's just...
10:43There's no point in bidding you low on it.
10:47It's a great sign. Thank you, mate.
10:48I mean, it's all going to support the railway.
10:51It's not going into anybody's pocket.
10:52Great colour. Yeah. Really interesting.
10:54Simple.
10:55Must not cross the lines.
10:57Brilliant.
10:58Any sign that tells somebody,
11:00don'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.
11:09Danger.
11:09Those are the ones that sell the best.
11:11And this one very much is in that sort of area.
11:14So, there's a few bits of, er...
11:21Check that out.
11:22That is nice.
11:23Now you're talking stupid to me.
11:24No, you don't want that.
11:26What?
11:27Where 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,
11:39and they say,
11:39oh, there's nothing really in here.
11:40And then I walk in,
11:41and 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
12:00that sort of says what I do,
12:02that's it.
12:04You know, it's just got
12:05so many different connotations,
12:07so many different meanings
12:08to so many different people,
12:10and it's cool as hell,
12:11and 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.
12:19Spelled out with cast iron letters,
12:22highlighted with cat's eye-type reflectors,
12:24this early 20th century sign
12:26may have been placed
12:27at 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.
12:41With widespread appeal
12:43and diverse potential interpretations,
12:46this is an extraordinary find,
12:48which could be worth around £2,000.
12:51Well, £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 strong bid.
13:07Give me £13,
13:08and I'll take it.
13:10£13 is my lucky number,
13:11so yeah, thank you very much.
13:12Very much appreciate it.
13:13Is that all right?
13:14Yeah.
13:14She 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 is my lucky number,
13:29so 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
13:36as we possibly can,
13:37and it will go to a loving home.
13:39It will,
13:40when I decide to sell it.
13:41It's, uh...
13:41I'm not going to be in a rush
13:43to get rid of that.
13:44I think it'd be fun
13:45to have around for a while.
13:47That's one of the most fun things
13:48I've bought in ages.
13:49I love that.
13:50I absolutely love it.
13:51I think it's brilliant.
13:52Thank you very much.
13:52It's really good, Drew.
13:55What a day.
13:56Down in Kent,
13:57weather is beautiful,
13:59the setting is remarkable.
14:00We're doing our normal job.
14:02This is what you do.
14:03We route through
14:04every single
14:05available space.
14:08Lofts, sheds,
14:09shipping containers,
14:10backs of vans,
14:12spare rooms of the house,
14:13polytunnels,
14:14you name it.
14:15We have to go into them,
14:16and it's never changed.
14:18Weirdly,
14:19that is my job.
14:20That is what I do,
14:22you know,
14:22and it's, uh...
14:24It's incredibly interesting,
14:25because,
14:26you know,
14:27it really is
14:28that one person's junk
14:30could be my treasure,
14:31and it happens.
14:32That is how
14:33the whole business works.
14:35Right, well,
14:36thank you all very much.
14:38Thank you so much for coming.
14:39Appreciate it.
14:39It's been wonderful to meet you.
14:40Thank you very much.
14:41It's been really good.
14:42Take care.
14:43Okay.
14:43Bye-bye.
14:43Bye-bye now.
14:44Ta-ra.
14:44Good day.
14:52Good day?
14:52Happy?
14:53Doing that good, mate, yeah.
14:55And I bought a sign...
14:56You did buy a sign?
14:57...which reminds me
14:58of something
14:59I really hate.
15:01Whistlers?
15:02Whistlers.
15:03I can't tell you...
15:04Yeah.
15:05...what I really think
15:06about people that whistle.
15:08Okay.
15:08It's that bad, is it?
15:09Yeah.
15:10Yeah.
15:10I just hate it.
15:12Yeah.
15:13But my sign's cool.
15:15Oh, good day, mate.
15:15Yeah.
15:18An exciting haul
15:19from the museum
15:20is proof
15:20that heading
15:21for trusted hunting grounds
15:22works.
15:23And today,
15:24there's another long drive,
15:26at the end of which
15:27Drew knows from experience
15:28there's good buying
15:29to be had.
15:30We are off today
15:32to see Ian
15:33at Pool Bank Interiors.
15:35Yeah.
15:36I've been here before.
15:37Good guy
15:38and fantastic
15:40building.
15:42I don't know what it was,
15:43but it's, like,
15:44the most perfect warehouse
15:46for selling antiques from.
15:47Okay.
15:47From selling anything from it.
15:48You sell classic cars now.
15:49I mean, it's really
15:50just a brilliant warehouse.
15:53So what's his style?
15:54What's his style?
15:54A lot of mid-century.
15:57Right.
15:57An awful lot of mid-century.
15:58I mean,
15:58I might buy bits off him.
16:00Yeah.
16:01But for you,
16:02it's somebody
16:02I think you should know.
16:03Yeah, it'd be good to see him
16:05because, you know,
16:06I do a load of clearances.
16:07I see a lot of things
16:09and with mid-century stuff,
16:12I just don't get it.
16:13But this chap here,
16:14for your mid-century stuff,
16:15good stuff,
16:17he'd be a good out for you.
16:18Okay.
16:19So,
16:20got to be worth a look.
16:22Definitely.
16:22Let's give it a go.
16:25Harnessing energy
16:26from the River Wharf,
16:27which flows here
16:28through the Yorkshire Dales,
16:29what was once
16:30a giant Victorian paper mill
16:31in Otley,
16:32today generates
16:33hydroelectricity
16:34for the local area.
16:36But since 2018,
16:37it's also been home
16:38to a vast and growing collection
16:40of vintage furniture
16:41and antiques.
16:42Spread over three floors
16:43and 9,000 square feet,
16:45it's the passion project
16:46of former designer,
16:48engineer,
16:49and creative powerhouse,
16:50dealer,
16:51Ian Appleyard.
16:57Right from very young,
16:58I always had a passion
16:59in design
17:00and history.
17:02And then about
17:03eight, nine years ago,
17:04I decided to pursue my passion
17:06and create a space,
17:09really,
17:09where people could come
17:10and see it.
17:11This place allows me
17:12to be creative.
17:14It allows me to meet
17:15lots of different people
17:16from all kinds of walks of life
17:18and learn lots about
17:20each different item
17:21every time.
17:22Since Drew was here last,
17:24lots have changed.
17:25We've opened up
17:26all kinds of different rooms
17:27and a gallery
17:28and an apartment room
17:30that overlooks the river.
17:31I feel like to display it
17:32so it looks good
17:33and that creative part
17:34is kind of a lot
17:36of the enjoyment
17:36as well, really.
17:43Ian, how are you doing?
17:44Ian.
17:45I'm Alistair.
17:46How are you doing?
17:46All right?
17:46Good to meet you.
17:47Hi, Ian.
17:47How are you doing?
17:47I'm good.
17:48Nice to see you again.
17:50Right, let's have a look around.
17:51Yeah, coming in.
17:52We've got more to see
17:52this time, I believe.
17:53Yes, we have, yeah.
17:54We've got all kinds
17:55of new rooms.
17:57Wonderful.
17:57You do have
17:58the perfect space
18:00for an antique shop,
18:00isn't it?
18:01Yeah, it's a great building,
18:01yeah.
18:02I love it.
18:02I can't remember,
18:03what was it before?
18:05A paper mill,
18:06Victorian paper mill.
18:07Ah.
18:08It was the drying part
18:09of a bigger paper mill,
18:11so this was a drying building,
18:13so they had big rolls
18:14of paper upstairs drying.
18:15It's a brilliant building.
18:17It's just perfect
18:18for the job.
18:19Yeah, I love it.
18:19Isn't it?
18:20Ideal.
18:20I absolutely love it.
18:22If you had to invent
18:23an antique warehouse
18:25stroke shop,
18:26this is it.
18:27It works.
18:28It's the right height,
18:29floor levels,
18:30everything's just perfect.
18:32What he does here
18:33is lots and lots
18:34of mid-century,
18:36but there's lighting,
18:37decoration,
18:38and, you know,
18:3819th and 18th century
18:40pieces as well.
18:41Is that another room
18:42from there?
18:42Yeah, I think so,
18:42is it?
18:43Yeah.
18:43Yeah.
18:43I can't remember.
18:44This was here,
18:45wasn't it?
18:46The room was here,
18:47but it was definitely
18:48not this, really.
18:48I'd stripped it all
18:49since then,
18:50stripped the walls and things.
18:52Yeah.
18:52Well, that still powers.
18:53Oh, wow.
18:54They've got generators
18:55in there.
18:56Still water generating
18:57electricity in there.
18:58Really?
18:58Is it still in use?
18:59Yeah.
19:00Wow.
19:01Look at that.
19:02It's cracking for you.
19:03Oh, my God.
19:03Bloody hell.
19:04Yeah, so the water
19:05goes right underneath
19:06the building here.
19:08There's a big,
19:09used to be a big
19:09water wheel there.
19:11You know that,
19:11where that channel
19:12comes in.
19:13Beautiful.
19:14That would have
19:14powered the wheel.
19:15What a setting.
19:16You often get,
19:17sort of,
19:18shop envy.
19:20Such a great space.
19:21That's cool.
19:22Look at the size of that.
19:24Yeah.
19:24That's a whopper.
19:25Who's that by?
19:26So, it's Nils Johnson,
19:27Cyborg.
19:28Swedish,
19:29made by Troheads.
19:30I really like these.
19:31I mean,
19:31you see them everywhere.
19:32That one's super stylish
19:33as well.
19:34Yeah.
19:34That's great.
19:35Yeah.
19:36The furniture in this place
19:37is,
19:38basically,
19:39if you're going out
19:39to furnish your first flat,
19:40your first house,
19:41and you want something
19:41that's not antique,
19:42come here.
19:43Buy stuff from this period.
19:45It will last
19:46the rest of your life.
19:48It will cost
19:49two-thirds
19:50of the price
19:51of the new stuff,
19:51which you'll pay
19:52somebody to throw away
19:53for you,
19:53and will be out of fashion
19:55within three years.
19:58Tops.
20:01How many of these
20:02have you got, Ian?
20:03Five.
20:03Five?
20:04No more?
20:04No, that's it.
20:05That's the five.
20:07All right.
20:07There's a collection,
20:08aren't they?
20:08Yeah.
20:08Yeah, well,
20:09yeah, they all came together
20:10and they all
20:11belonged together
20:13at one point.
20:14Did they?
20:14Yeah.
20:15They're a family.
20:16Yeah, they're a family.
20:18Yeah, they're a family.
20:19Yeah, they're a family.
20:19So we walked around
20:21and there's some Milner's heads.
20:23There's a collection of five.
20:25Four good ones
20:26and one's just a little bit newer.
20:29It hasn't got the age of the others.
20:31If there was the one,
20:34I probably wouldn't have bought it.
20:35But because there's four,
20:37look great on the shelf.
20:38Great display pieces.
20:39I've bought loads over the years.
20:40I've sold loads to Drew
20:42over the years
20:42and they sell.
20:43So I'm thinking,
20:44shop here.
20:45Let's buy these for the shop.
20:46What do you want for those four?
20:48These four?
20:49Yeah.
20:50Feel bad splitting the family, mind.
20:53It happens.
20:53£1.80 I'll do them, Paul.
21:00Yep.
21:00Cool.
21:01Only some.
21:03Yeah, I think you had them
21:04priced up at £59, £60 each.
21:07So they worked out
21:08about £40, £45 each.
21:10That's fair enough.
21:11There's £20 to £30 profit
21:12on each head.
21:13So as a collective,
21:14yeah, 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
21:26I've been able to find out
21:27about it is
21:27when Cleopatra's Needle came,
21:29obviously London was,
21:31kind of, went mad for it
21:32and one of them
21:33was in a tobacconist's window
21:35with a flame coming out
21:37of the top,
21:38so it was gas.
21:38One of these?
21:39Yeah.
21:40And that's the only reference
21:42I've seen to it.
21:42Where did you find that?
21:43Online?
21:44Online somewhere, yeah.
21:45It's a cool thing, isn't it?
21:46Hmm.
21:47So there is a brass lamp base
21:49of Cleopatra's Needle
21:51and it's been,
21:52it looks completely correct.
21:57It's the base of an oil lamp.
21:59It's very unusual.
22:01In my mind,
22:02I've seen something like it before,
22:03but I've never actually owned one of those.
22:06My gut thinks it's rare.
22:08It's very interesting.
22:12Dating from 1450 BC
22:14and constructed of 200 tons of red granite,
22:18Cleopatra's Needle cost at least six lives
22:20and the modern equivalent of a million pounds
22:22to transport by sea
22:24from Alexandria to the Thames Embankment
22:26in London in 1877.
22:28This brass lampstand
22:31is likely the high-quality product
22:33of an era
22:33which was fascinated
22:35by the extraordinary diplomatic gift from Egypt.
22:38A scarce object,
22:40Drew thinks it could be worth
22:41around 800 pounds.
22:45How much are you asking for it?
22:47Six fifty.
22:49It's a weird old thing, isn't it?
22:51What can it be?
22:54It'd have to be quite close to that.
22:56Really?
22:57Yeah.
23:07Drew and Al are in Yorkshire,
23:09trawling the collection
23:10of one of Drew's trusted dealer contacts
23:12in a stunning warehouse setting.
23:15Wow.
23:16Look at that.
23:17It's a cracking view, isn't it?
23:18And Drew spotted a relic
23:20from the 19th century fascination
23:21with Cleopatra's Needle,
23:23which he thinks could be a rare object.
23:26How much are you asking for it?
23:28Six fifty.
23:30It's a weird old thing, isn't it?
23:32What can it be?
23:35It'd have to be quite close to that.
23:37Really?
23:37Yeah.
23:39I have recently,
23:41very, very recently,
23:42found out that there was one sold
23:46in some auction.
23:49I only found out today.
23:52Today?
23:52Yes.
23:53Really?
23:54Yeah.
23:55And it went for double that, really.
23:57Yeah.
23:58Yeah.
23:59But I didn't think it was the right thing
24:02to go changing the price on it.
24:04After I found out this morning.
24:07I'm home to an offer.
24:08Five hundred?
24:10I'll do five fifty on it.
24:12Cool.
24:13Thank you very much.
24:14What an odd thing.
24:16So the diamond registration mark
24:17on the back of the lamp,
24:20this registration mark was used
24:22all over this country
24:23on all sorts of things
24:25and it gives you lots of detail.
24:27Dates
24:27and when the design was registered.
24:31But that one has been polished so much
24:32that some of the detail has been lost
24:34that there might be enough on it
24:36for us to make out some stuff.
24:38I think it's a good thing.
24:41So we've got a small gallery space in here.
24:44Look at that thing.
24:45Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?
24:46It's a sculpture by Stephen Broadbent.
24:49You may have seen it.
24:49It was outside a bank in Liverpool
24:51for most of its life.
24:52Was it?
24:53Yeah, yeah.
24:53And then in 2008,
24:55the bank was getting taken over
24:57and this is from a guy
25:00who was doing some contract work
25:02at the bank
25:02and he's like,
25:03what are you doing with this?
25:04Really?
25:05He bought it,
25:06took it home
25:07and his wife didn't like it.
25:08So he put it in his garage
25:10for another ten years.
25:11Really?
25:12And then he got in touch with me.
25:14Yeah, it's a beautiful thing.
25:16Very nice.
25:20The other thing
25:20that I was looking at
25:21was that.
25:22Yeah, it is a cool thing.
25:24Looking at the big sculpture
25:25turned round
25:25and there's a wonderful little,
25:28it says marble,
25:29I think it's more of
25:29an alabaster or soapstone.
25:31Just lovely.
25:32And I'm looking at this thing,
25:33it's great, that.
25:34Signed marble sculpture,
25:35135 quid.
25:37It's great, isn't it?
25:37Yeah, it's not expensive, is it?
25:39It's not expensive, no.
25:41It would be wrong of me
25:42to ask for a discount.
25:43It would be wrong, yeah.
25:44But I'm going to.
25:45You can ask.
25:46That's fine.
25:47I'm not a first
25:48to anybody asking.
25:50It's just really interesting,
25:52I think it's lovely.
25:52Yeah.
25:53Yeah, no, go on, I'll have it.
25:58Cool.
25:59Thank you very much.
26:00Great stuff.
26:01The price on it is 135 pounds.
26:04By having that price on it,
26:06in some ways it devalues it.
26:08So take that price off,
26:09put it into a different setting.
26:11Is it worth 500 pounds?
26:13Yeah, I think so.
26:15It's a fabulous thing.
26:15Beautiful.
26:18So this is a little art studio we have.
26:20But I've got a whole bunch of art
26:22from the Leeds galleries.
26:25Oh, I like that.
26:26Yeah, that's cool, isn't it?
26:28So these are all in Leeds galleries
26:30for all of the time.
26:32And they're lending galleries,
26:35so 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 quid.
26:42Hmm.
26:43Interesting.
26:44Interesting, aren't they?
26:45Yeah.
26:46My favourite thing,
26:47boring,
26:48but it's my favourite thing to buy
26:49ever.
26:51Oh, I 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.
27:00It's really good.
27:01Oh, yeah, the eye in the mirror.
27:02Yeah, 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,
27:10but...
27:10Nice one, mate.
27:12I'm paying more.
27:13So 200 quid.
27:15Cool.
27:15Didn't spot it at first.
27:18Drew picked it up.
27:19It wasn't really doing a lot for me.
27:22And then I looked back at it,
27:24and I thought,
27:24hang on a minute.
27:25I saw the lady's face
27:27in the rearview mirror,
27:28and I thought,
27:29this has got more going for it
27:31than I thought.
27:32It's got motoring,
27:33there's a portrait in it,
27:35there's a destination board.
27:38The car's going northbound,
27:39it's going towards Durham,
27:40it's going towards Newcastle.
27:42So, it's quite appealing.
27:45Plus,
27:46I got it £100 cheaper
27:47than Drew would have.
27:49Don't think he liked that.
27:51I like this one.
27:52Condition's terrible,
27:53but it's got a lot of varnish on it,
27:54isn't it?
27:55It's really caked in the varnish.
27:56Caked in all sorts.
27:57Oh, yeah, signed.
27:59Head of Boy,
28:00by Gavin Stewart.
28:01Yeah.
28:01I find a little portrait oil
28:03of a young boy,
28:05and as Ian says,
28:06oh, that's very accomplished,
28:07and yes, you're dead right,
28:08it is accomplished.
28:10Come on, give a surprise.
28:11I'll do it for £100.
28:14Yeah.
28:15Cool.
28:17Yeah.
28:19Definitely worth coming back to see, Ian.
28:22Al made a valuable contact here.
28:24Al does a lot of house clearances
28:27and valuations around Mid Wales,
28:29and he's been looking for an outlet
28:30for this sort of furniture
28:31that he's getting hold of.
28:33And for me, to be perfectly honest with you,
28:34getting that little Cleopatra's Needle lamp,
28:37just really interesting.
28:39I think that's just ticking something in my brain,
28:41I think, hmm,
28:42I'd be on to something with that.
28:44Thank you very much.
28:46Nice one.
28:47It's been good to see you.
28:48See you later, guys.
28:50Nice to meet you, Al.
28:50Nice one.
28:51Thanks, mate.
28:51Cheers.
28:52Have a good trip.
28:52Ta-ra.
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.
29:04I think I might have rung the bell with that lamp.
29:07It's just very interesting.
29:08I know the auction,
29:10where one of those went through recently.
29:13I know which auction he means.
29:15I went through at 1,200-odd quid.
29:17Did it really?
29:18And I 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.
29:25From Yorkshire, it's southwards again,
29:29heading towards Sussex
29:30and another trusted hunting ground
29:32that Drew's confident
29:33will turn up something special.
29:36Right.
29:37So we're off to Petworth.
29:39OK.
29:39Old stomping ground?
29:40Yeah.
29:41Yeah.
29:41Off 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
29:49I've known John.
29:49He's been in the business forever.
29:52You're going to love it.
29:53Have I?
29:53Yes.
29:54Why?
29:55Because he just does really interesting...
29:58Alistair things.
29:59Alistair-type things.
30:00Painted furniture, country furniture.
30:02Oh, good.
30:03All of it.
30:04And very buyable.
30:06Nestled in the South Downs National Park,
30:08the Sussex town of Petworth
30:10is historically closely linked
30:11to one of the country's grandest country estates.
30:16Petworth houses wealthy 18th-century owners
30:18transformed it into a trove of art treasures
30:21inspired by Versailles itself.
30:23These days, there's another elegantly curated collection in town,
30:28including extraordinary objects from all over the world
30:30and many different eras,
30:32put together by the artistic eye of veteran dealer John Bird.
30:36What got me started was I helped somebody with their shop when they moved.
30:46And basically, I was a kid with no direction to go.
30:51So I just stayed in the antique business from my 20s.
30:56There's always something interesting.
30:59I love the historic aspect.
31:00I love the colour of the timber,
31:02the patination, the wear,
31:05you know, just the variety
31:07that you never quite know what you're going to come across.
31:10I think if you've got good imagination and good curiosity,
31:13you're never stuck.
31:15Morning, John.
31:19Hello.
31:20How are you doing?
31:21You're all right.
31:21How are you?
31:22How are you?
31:23Nice to see you.
31:23Nice to see you.
31:24And you.
31:24And you.
31:25Good, isn't it?
31:27I like saying this.
31:28It's a proper antique shop.
31:29Yeah.
31:30Isn't it?
31:31It is.
31:31He 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,
31:42a little bit of modernism,
31:43a lot of country furniture,
31:44architectural lighting, decoration, paintings.
31:48He just enjoys buying good things.
31:50And I will always, always, when I'm in Petworth,
31:54come through the door.
31:56That little, is that a slate sign?
31:58Is it all metal?
31:59Or what's that sign on the dresser?
32:00This little thing.
32:02This little zinc sign?
32:03Yeah.
32:05This bungalow to let,
32:06£2.10.
32:08In August, £3.00 per week.
32:10Right.
32:11I just think it's so...
32:13Sweet.
32:13So sweet and so lovely
32:15that you could live in a place.
32:16I expect it was quite...
32:18£3.00 or £2.10 was quite a lot of money.
32:21$1.55.
32:23$1.30.
32:26Yeah.
32:28It's very crudely made.
32:31Initially, I thought it was a roof tile
32:33with bungalow up for rent.
32:37But it's just innocent.
32:38It's sweet.
32:39It's not a generic sign.
32:41It's a one-off.
32:42It's got Guildford on it.
32:43It's just simple.
32:45But I like it.
32:46Also like that, John.
32:47Quite a nice little arts and crafts lantern, isn't it?
32:53It's like the colour of it.
32:54It's been resoldered a little bit, yeah.
32:57Yeah.
32:57Yeah, sorry.
32:59£1.95.
33:00It can be £1.60.
33:02£1.60.
33:04Yes.
33:05Please.
33:06Thank you very much.
33:07There's a turn-of-the-century, 1910 arts and crafts lantern
33:13on the table as we walk in.
33:16It's got good colour.
33:18The 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.
33:33It's such an amazing-looking chocolate, John.
33:36Isn't it?
33:37It's incredible.
33:37It's just beautiful.
33:38It's mind-blowing where you get all this stuff from.
33:41I'm a bit eclectic.
33:42I just love buying loads of stuff.
33:46Yeah, there's lots of lovely things.
33:49Got some mock-away here.
33:51John?
33:52Yeah, I always loved mock-away.
33:54Standard pub equipment.
33:57Pint jugs and pint mugs.
33:59Uh, mock-away.
34:00There's different stories about it,
34:02how they created that pattern.
34:04It could have been done with a piece of seaweed.
34:07But people love to buy it.
34:09People have big collections in their kitchen,
34:12and it looks fantastic.
34:13Have you got any more, or is it just...
34:15No, just...
34:15My friend has just started collecting.
34:18Oh, really?
34:18Yeah.
34:18I can remember going into what used to be
34:21the smallest pub in Sussex,
34:23about 30 years ago,
34:25and you'd order a pint,
34:27and you'd go out to the barrels out in the passageway
34:30and fill up the barrels with a pint jug,
34:33and come back and put it into a straight glass.
34:36Brilliant.
34:36Um, and it was a pleasure to see it,
34:39because even then, it was a rare sight.
34:41Can I just put these side by side by here,
34:43just to have a look at them?
34:46Just look at them.
34:48What can you do on the pay?
34:49I think you've got 95 and...
34:54145 for the jug.
34:56I 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,
35:03and the mug can be 75.
35:14At one of Drew's most trusted Sussex buying horns,
35:18Al's discovered some highly collectible pottery,
35:20commonly used in 19th-century pubs,
35:23and known as mockerware.
35:24What can you do on the pay?
35:27Yeah, the jug can be 120,
35:29and the mug can be 75.
35:32Yes, please.
35:34Nice. Love them. Thank you.
35:36Good, thank you.
35:39Together, they're just a nice pay.
35:41And for a collector who's just started out,
35:44you know, these are ideal.
35:45They're two good things to start your collection off.
35:49Can you tell me something about that?
35:51It's...
35:51It's a little West African cowrie shell embroidered basket.
35:56I've even got a spare cowrie shell.
35:59So, I...
35:59And it's one of those jobs I've been meaning to do,
36:01is to stitch up the...
36:03That is...
36:04Stitch it up.
36:05Gorgeous.
36:06Gorgeous.
36:06Now, 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,
36:25to have something that's pretty much complete.
36:28It's on a bit of a wonk, which is nice.
36:30Yeah, it shows it's sort of...
36:32How much is that?
36:32It's quite imperfect.
36:35Oh, there's a ticket.
36:37We've got a 95 on it, it's 75.
36:39Oh, you've got to shake his hand on that, haven't you?
36:42That's very nice.
36:44Really good buy.
36:45It's just got a good look, you know, it's slightly wonky.
36:48You can just imagine that,
36:49just on top of a chest of drawers, just on its own.
36:52You know, it's a piece of art, it's a piece of folk art.
36:54It's great.
36:54I'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.
37:07Interesting.
37:09This figure dates to the 1920s,
37:12when 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
37:25from a very British material.
37:28Found in Dorset, Portland stone was famously used
37:30to build St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace.
37:34With extraordinary quality and in excellent condition,
37:37Drew thinks this piece could be worth around £595.
37:43There's two things I've got some interest in.
37:46The Portland stone figure.
37:48OK.
37:49That one.
37:49And the rusticated table behind you.
37:52OK.
37:52That one there.
37:53So, what's on that?
37:56Um, that's £695.
37:59£600.
37:59Very fresh bit of stock.
38:01Just come in.
38:04It sort of caught my eye as soon as I came through the door.
38:06Rustic, two-tier table, circa 1900.
38:15This turn-of-the-20th-century occasional table
38:20may have been crafted in a British colony,
38:23as suggested by the unusual timber used,
38:26possibly an African hardwood.
38:28With vivid colour and a characterful live edge,
38:31it has widespread appeal in a modern interior,
38:34and Drew thinks it could be worth around £750.
38:41How much is the, um, Egyptian Portland stone piece?
38:45That one can be...
38:47..500.
38:50Do the pair for a grand?
38:51I'm moving on.
38:54I've got them on my knees.
38:58You couldn't get two more different things, could you?
39:03£1,000 for the pair, yeah?
39:05Yeah?
39:06Sure?
39:07Yeah.
39:09Thanks, John.
39:11Lovely.
39:12We do a deal, and I get the pair for £1,000, £600, £400.
39:19Great.
39:20I think I can get most of that back for the statue,
39:24and then there's a bit of profit in the table.
39:26We'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.
39:32This is great.
39:33Well, thank you.
39:34It's a pleasure to have people in the shop
39:36who appreciate these things.
39:38Wonderful.
39:39Always a pleasure to see John.
39:44I think you can all tell now what a gentleman he is,
39:47what 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,
39:59which you can walk in here, take away,
40:01you don't need to do any work to them,
40:02and they will enrich your house, your environment and your life.
40:06There you go.
40:07Can't say that about many shops, can you?
40:09Oh, John, thank you, mate.
40:15Much appreciated.
40:16A very great pleasure to see you.
40:17Thank you very much.
40:18Nice to meet you.
40:19OK, thanks.
40:19Take care.
40:20See you.
40:20OK, bye.
40:21Bye.
40:21Back at his shop in West Wales,
40:34Hal'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
40:42of decorated earthenware in the country.
40:43It'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,
41:10we can see a row of these identical mugs,
41:14all stood upside down.
41:15So 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 then 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.
41:49OK, that's interesting.
41:50The design on these items is created
41:55by some kind of acidic reaction
41:59using 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.
42:14There's lots of different patterns, OK?
42:16These are the more familiar, more common,
42:18but 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.
42:28So, yeah, they're very, very collectible.
42:30These I'm going to do OK.
42:33You know, there's a profit in the pair,
42:35and I've got somebody in mind for them.
42:38The gentleman comes into the shop.
42:40He's starting up a collection,
42:42and I've been looking out for items for him.
42:45So these will go down perfectly.
42:48It's a satisfying end to a week
42:50which has shown the value of building a base of trusted sellers.
42:54Another incredible week on the road with Drew.
42:58Bredken Wormshill, that little light railway,
43:02Drew bought that amazing whistle sign.
43:04I've never seen one of that scale before.
43:07I bought three, four, or maybe more,
43:10enamel signs, cast iron signs.
43:13Those are the things, when you get them in stock,
43:17you know you're going to sell them.
43:19And normally, they're sold within 24 hours.
43:22So, yeah, a really good call for both of us, that.
43:26John Bird in Petworth.
43:27I've known Drew for 20 years,
43:29and the name John Bird comes up in conversation
43:32time and time again.
43:34He had a good, eclectic mix of stock,
43:37and this one for the contact book.
43:40Whatever 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.
Recommended
42:06
|
Up next
46:36
21:16
57:30
1:08:45
3:22
1:38:35
1:40:41
1:55:24
1:33:03
1:53:33
1:13:47
2:14:26
1:26:46
2:20:03
2:29:26
2:31:35
3:33:02
1:37:23
1:43:59
1:20:56
1:15:53
1:41:47
Be the first to comment