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00:00this week we're in Swansea at the National Waterfront Museum home to important artifacts
00:13from the age of sail and steam and some more modern modes of transport remember this the
00:22Sinclair C5 an electric single seater tricycle invented in 1985 well ahead of its time as a
00:31green alternative to the petrol and diesel cars of the decade now this one is pedal pad but originally
00:41it would have had an electric battery invented by Sir Clive Sinclair manufactured nearby Merthyr
00:48Tidville these days the C5 is a collectible and I have to say it's a really good fun to drive
00:56coming up we see a lot of beautiful things on the Antiques Road show this isn't one of them
01:04you ever made a perfect bunny rubbish no it's had a headless one a tailless one can imagine the
01:12childhood trauma yes are you serious I mean that's outrageous do I like it I might know in a minute
01:25welcome to the Antiques Road Show
01:30welcome to the Antiques Road Show
01:45Well, it's not often that I see a gold Rolex in bits.
02:04It's a bit battered.
02:06Why has it got into this state?
02:08The owner owned a chip shop, so he always had it on.
02:12So you can imagine bumping and banging on the stainless steel range
02:16and things like that, and it fell apart.
02:19It must have been quite a productive chip shop
02:21to buy himself a gold Rolex, wasn't it?
02:25It certainly was at the time, yes, yes.
02:28Did you know this gentleman?
02:30He was my father-in-law.
02:31Oh, how much? Yes.
02:34I see we've got the guarantee in the purchasing
02:37dated Christmas Eve 1970.
02:40Yes.
02:40Do you think it was a present to himself,
02:42or was he given it by somebody?
02:43I think he treated himself.
02:45He worked so hard, yes.
02:47And I can see that it cost £293, 10 shillings.
02:53Yes.
02:54Which was a chunk of money in 1970, wasn't it?
02:57It would have been, yes.
02:59Well, let's discuss the watch.
03:00Mm-hm.
03:01It is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual.
03:03In other words, it's self-winding, automatic on the wrist.
03:06It's a proper Rolex Oyster bracelet.
03:10Mm-hm.
03:11And it's quite an early bracelet because it's riveted.
03:15Right, OK.
03:16It's not...
03:16They started off riveted, then they were crimped,
03:18and now it's a completely different thing altogether.
03:21But this is, I hope, the original 1970s bracelet.
03:25And just looking here, there's the hallmark I'm looking for.
03:30It's got the Rolex 585, which is their 14 carat,
03:34and it's got a full set of London import marks above for 1970.
03:39OK.
03:39What do you think it's worth in this scruffy condition?
03:44Wow.
03:46I thought maybe 1,000.
03:491,000, OK.
03:50Two at the most.
03:512,000.
03:52In this condition, as now,
03:55I think you'd be happily looking at 3,500 in this condition,
03:593,500.
04:00OK.
04:00It's a perfect condition.
04:03It's going to be between about £6,500 and £7,500,
04:07so worth you spending the money, eh?
04:10Definitely.
04:11Definitely.
04:11Thank you very much.
04:27Everyone knows this artist, Edward Lear,
04:30for being the author of children's nonsense rhymes,
04:33especially that lovely poem, The Owl and the Pussycat.
04:37There's his little EL in the bottom right of the picture.
04:40How did you end up with it?
04:42Well, my great-uncle, Reg, lived in Lanston in Cornwall,
04:46and he was always going to antique fairs and auctions
04:51and acquired this painting,
04:53and it was handed down after my great-aunt's death to my mum,
04:57and then she's passed it on to me.
04:59OK, so it's been in the family for ages and ages.
05:02Oh, at least 80, 90 years, yes.
05:05OK.
05:06The thing about him is that he was his most wonderful travel
05:09watercolourist.
05:11He travelled extensively throughout his life,
05:13and this is quite a late one, about 1873, we think,
05:18but it's particularly atmospheric and beautiful.
05:21We're looking at elephants at a watering hole.
05:24I think it's India, don't you?
05:26I think so, because I've looked at the elephant's ears,
05:28and I think that they're the smaller ears,
05:31whereas with African elephants, they're bigger ears.
05:34So I think it's India.
05:37Shall I tell you about this cracking, this resinous?
05:39Yes, please, yes.
05:39OK, so you can mix watercolour with all sorts of things.
05:42You can mix it with a chalky substance called body colour,
05:46you can mix it just with water,
05:48or you can mix it with a resinous substance called gum arabic,
05:50and it produces a sort of more shiny, closer-to-oil-painting feel,
05:54but it can crystallise and dry out.
05:58That's what's happened here.
06:00I think it's kind of fixable.
06:02What do you love about it?
06:04I mean, I like everything about it.
06:05I like the colour, and just that, as a family,
06:08we've been to South Africa and Sri Lanka,
06:10so we've actually witnessed this in real life, you know,
06:14the elephants and all the animals come into a watering hole,
06:17and I can just imagine that, looking at this painting.
06:20It's such a beautiful thing.
06:22I think if this was at auction, it would be probably about £6,000.
06:29Wow.
06:31OK.
06:33It actually could rise to £8,000.
06:35Actually, I think that would be the bracket, £6,000 to £8,000.
06:38It's got such a charge, such an atmosphere.
06:42Gosh, that's amazing.
06:45I think my daughter would probably be saying, sell it.
06:49And will you?
06:49No, it's going back on the wall.
06:52Yes.
06:52For sure.
06:53For sure.
07:05Well, here we have the Voyage of Discovery,
07:08and this is to exploring Baffin's Bay,
07:12and John Ross is the name of the captain.
07:15This was one of the earliest voyages of the 19th century
07:18to look for, trying to discover the Great Northwest Passage
07:22so that we get to the other side of the world.
07:25How did you get it?
07:25I mean, let's hear your story.
07:27Yes, back in 2016, I was helping to look after a very elderly lady.
07:33She was 103 at that point.
07:36She unfortunately passed away a couple of years later,
07:39and her daughter, her only daughter, said to me,
07:41because I'd been helping,
07:43I could have a couple of items before the general house clearance.
07:46Oh, right.
07:46So I had a painting and I had this book.
07:49So why did you choose the book?
07:50I just thought the story was interesting, the history of it.
07:55Voyages of Discovery.
07:56Absolutely.
07:57They are exciting.
07:58They really are, because nobody has been there before.
08:01Well, he went along on this expedition with his nephew,
08:04who was called James Clark Ross.
08:07Anyway, James Clark Ross discovered the magnetic North Pole.
08:12Oh, yeah.
08:12And this is his wonderful book of his first voyage.
08:16This one particularly, I love this one,
08:17because this shows the captain and all the people,
08:21and it's tall, of course,
08:22and it's been rebound in the 20th century,
08:27probably late 20th century,
08:29and it's not in desperately good condition,
08:32but the plates seem to be all there.
08:34In fine condition, a book of this quality,
08:38in original binding, would be 2,500, possibly more.
08:41Right.
08:42This, I'm afraid, would be down to about 1,800 pounds,
08:47something like that.
08:48Fine.
08:49But it's lovely and a great story.
08:51It's the story.
08:52Yeah, absolutely.
08:53That's what interests me.
08:54Well, thank you for bringing it in.
08:56What have you got here, other than your lunch?
09:08We've got this character,
09:11which we think my great-grandfather,
09:13he was a carpenter.
09:14He came over from Finland,
09:16and we think that maybe he carved it.
09:20Well, certainly, it does look like a sort of...
09:22somebody he might have worked with.
09:24The shoes and the hat and the whole feel of it,
09:27it doesn't look as though it's sort of British carved,
09:29so I'm sure your great-grandfather carved it.
09:32We've got photos of the boats that he made and the houses.
09:36Oh, so he was really a ship-and-house-builder-type carpenter,
09:39so maybe this was just something he did in his spare time.
09:42Maybe.
09:43Good family history, yes.
09:52So who's the collector, then?
09:54So that's me.
09:57I've been interested in looking at the history of old coins,
10:02and I saw the advert from the Royal Mint collection store,
10:06and I sent off for the first one.
10:08So are you collecting for pleasure or for investment?
10:12No, for pleasure.
10:14And that's the way it should be done,
10:16because in all honesty, like this type of coins,
10:19in my view, they're not great investment pieces,
10:21certainly not within our lifetime.
10:23Overall, you've got like a collection here,
10:25which is probably worth £150, something like that.
10:30Is that all?
10:31Sorry.
10:32Oh, my God.
10:32It takes years for that to come through.
10:36That's the problem.
10:37It's a shame.
10:39They look beautiful, but not everything that shines is worth it.
10:55Well, typically, we associate weddings and brides with wearing white,
11:00but that hasn't always been the case.
11:02No.
11:02So I understand this is a family wedding dress.
11:05Yeah.
11:06Who was the lady that owned it?
11:07My great-great-aunt, Rose, but she was homeless.
11:12She was taken in as a foundling,
11:15and from the age of 13,
11:17she went to work as a chambermaid in a big house.
11:23She married a widower,
11:25and apparently during that time,
11:27it was common for people to wear purple.
11:30When Queen Victoria married Albert after that,
11:34there was a great big craze.
11:35All brides wore white.
11:37However, there were sort of certain criteria to that,
11:40and it's interesting you say she married a widower.
11:42So that would be one of the things, really.
11:44Basically, if a lady was sort of a little bit older,
11:46or perhaps she'd already been married before,
11:48then she wouldn't be wearing white,
11:50because it was associated with youth and virginity, basically.
11:53So the fact she married a widower,
11:55that would tie in with why the fact is that she had this wonderful purple dress.
12:01It's beautiful purple silk,
12:02and then it's got this little inset lace top on it.
12:06I particularly like this detachable belt here,
12:10which has this French jet trimming on it,
12:13which is not to be confused with Whitby jet,
12:15which obviously is a natural product.
12:17This is basically, it's glass, but it's called French jet,
12:19and it would have been very popular to use it as trimmings,
12:23you know, at this period.
12:24Judging by the style of this,
12:26I would say that this was maybe late 1870s.
12:28Does that tie in?
12:29Yeah, yeah, definitely.
12:31Because by that period,
12:32we associate Victorian dress with great big bustles and big sort of gowns,
12:37but by the 1870s, skirts were much slimmer and narrower,
12:41and as we can see with this,
12:42you know, it's quite an elongated length.
12:45There's no bustle on the back,
12:47but you've still got that very tight, nipped-in waist.
12:50Even though you say she was a foundling,
12:52did she go into sort of a fairly wealthy family?
12:54Because this would have been a relatively expensive dress at the time.
12:57Very, very wealthy family.
12:59I think, I mean, she's got quite a lot of jewellery as well,
13:02gold jewellery around that time,
13:03and it's just strange that somebody that was homeless
13:07ended up...
13:07I've come from such humble beginnings,
13:09obviously did quite well for herself.
13:11Yeah.
13:12It's lovely, and it's in remarkably good condition.
13:16So you weren't tempted to wear it for dressing up when you were a child?
13:18Oh, did you suggest that?
13:19Oh, you did?
13:19Yeah, yeah, and my sister.
13:22You know, they do come up for sale at auction,
13:24and I would think it would have an estimate
13:26of about £300 to £400 in an auction.
13:28But I'm sure as it's been in your family for 150 years,
13:31it's probably not going anywhere, is it?
13:32No, I'm just so glad.
13:33I just want somebody to see it, that's all, really.
13:36It's been a pleasure to speak to you about it,
13:38and thanks for bringing it in.
13:39Thank you. Thank you very much.
13:40We see a lot of beautiful things on the Antiques Roadshow.
14:01This isn't one of them.
14:03Who is this very, very alarming lady?
14:06Well, let me introduce you to Mrs Gingerbread.
14:09She's 125 years old, and she was made in America from paper mache
14:14by my grandfather, who had a marionette act, Waterville Act,
14:18and he went with my grandmother in about 1900, 1901,
14:22and they entertained in New York.
14:26She's rather alarming, isn't she?
14:27I mean, those eyes, they do follow you around the room,
14:31and that jaw, well, I don't know, I've never seen anything like it.
14:34So is she still working, Mrs Gingerbread?
14:37She certainly is.
14:37Well, her eyes don't push her mouth.
14:39Hello, hello, hello, hello.
14:41Please don't look at me like that, Mrs Gingerbread.
14:46So Mrs Gingerbread was travelling around America in the late 19th century,
14:51which makes her quite an early ventriloquist doll.
14:55The ventriloquism acts took off in the 1800s.
15:00You grew up with it?
15:01Yeah, my father kindly gave her to me some years ago,
15:06and she has stayed with us,
15:07but unfortunately, because she scares the family,
15:10particularly the grandchildren,
15:12she's kept in a bag in the attic.
15:15And how often do you go up in the attic these days?
15:17Not very often.
15:17No.
15:19Mrs Gingerbread, what are you worth?
15:20I would say £200 to £300 at auction.
15:23Oh, OK.
15:24Yeah, in the right sale.
15:25I think she would do that sort of price.
15:28Oh, that's interesting. Thank you.
15:30Oh, there we are.
15:30So you are a value.
15:33All is not lost, Mrs Gingerbread.
15:34One of the things I love about filming the Antiques Roadshow
15:51is I never know what's going to arrive at my table.
15:54That spontaneity, and it's been manifested in this item today.
15:59And I was struck by this striking portrait of this gentleman here.
16:03This is a Welsh story about weightlifting,
16:07and I want you to tell me all about this man, please.
16:10This gentleman is my late grandfather, William Henry James.
16:15He was born in January 1897.
16:19Right.
16:19And he was a gantry driver in the steelworks in Llanelli.
16:24Mm-hm.
16:25He was interested in weightlifting,
16:27started taking part in competitions,
16:30and he won a few competitions,
16:32and during the time he was competing,
16:34he met a gentleman by the name of William Pullen.
16:36Right.
16:37Who was a famous trainer and competitor himself.
16:42Mm-hm.
16:42And many of his pupils then went on to be world weightlifting champions.
16:48So we've got a wonderful array of his medals and awards
16:51and certificates, obviously, on the table.
16:54You know, the British Amateur Weightlifters Association certificates here
16:57from 1926 and 27 for his achievements.
17:00This one here is his world record eight-stone right-hand deadlift medal, isn't it?
17:06Yes.
17:06Um, and it's gold.
17:07There are three gold medals.
17:09There's one medal in particular that I'm going to alight on,
17:12and this is a really important medal, and it's this one here.
17:15Um, and so if I pick it up, uh, and read the back of it,
17:19I can see it says Instructor W.A. Pullum
17:23to W.H. James, world's eight-stone weightlifting champion, 1927.
17:31This is a gold medal,
17:32and what contextualises this beautifully
17:35is the fact that in that portrait of him there,
17:38we can see the medal right in the middle on his sash.
17:43I mean, how do you feel about him?
17:45I feel very proud of him, to be honest,
17:47and, you know, what he's achieved is phenomenal.
17:52I think this collection is worth around about £3,000 to £4,000.
17:55OK.
17:56It's wonderful, and I really thank you for bringing it along,
17:59and it also gives me great pleasure
18:01to see how proud you are of your grandfather.
18:04Well, thank you, Mark. Appreciate that.
18:05Thank you. Thank you.
18:14Adjacent to our venue today
18:16is the Swansea Museum,
18:18which bears witness to one local pioneering family,
18:23the Dilwyn Llewellyns,
18:25who contributed to the city's industrial and cultural growth
18:28during the 19th century.
18:32In 1810, at a time when Swansea was booming
18:35from its global copper industry,
18:37Lewis Weston-Dilwyn became the sole owner
18:40of one of the most successful Welsh potteries,
18:43Cambrian pottery.
18:44They soon moved from making functional earthenware
18:47to becoming one of the most fashionable brands
18:49of the 19th century,
18:50and I brought along a particularly rare example
18:53from the collection to the roadshow.
18:55This is a great piece of Swansea-made pottery
18:58showing the Mumbles lighthouse.
19:00And Lewis was a keen botanist and collector of shells,
19:03or conchologist, don't you know,
19:04and he employed William Weston-Young,
19:06a talented artist,
19:08to paint the pottery inspired by nature.
19:13Lewis's son, John Dilwyn Llewellyn,
19:16inherited his father's passion for the natural world.
19:19He became a pioneering photographer,
19:22known for his innovations in early photographic techniques.
19:28He even built his own observatory in his garden
19:30and took this early photo of Caswell Bay
19:34on the Gower Peninsula in 1853.
19:38John's sister, Mary Dilwyn Llewellyn,
19:40was also bitten by the bug,
19:41and she became known as Wales' first female photographer,
19:45praised for her spontaneous compositions,
19:48and this, taken in the mid-1800s,
19:51thought to be the world's first photograph of a snowman.
19:57The family's legacy blends industrial progress
20:00with artistic and scientific achievement.
20:04Just the kind of rich history
20:05our experts are hoping to uncover today.
20:12Well, I find nothing more intriguing than an unopened box.
20:15Shall we take a look inside?
20:20Wow.
20:23A cased tea set.
20:25What can you tell me about it?
20:27This is Margaret's tea set.
20:29Family member.
20:30She died last year at 94.
20:33I believe the tea set's been in the attic for about 80 years.
20:36I don't think she liked it very much, so she didn't use it.
20:39And it was on its way to the charity shop,
20:41and I said, hang on, can I have a look?
20:43And how did she come to have this?
20:46Margaret's father was a captain in the Merchant Navy,
20:49and they were docking in Shanghai,
20:51and all the crew would have got off the ship to buy their family gifts.
20:56He bought her the tea set with her initials engraved on this box.
21:00Well, let's take a look inside.
21:02And I think the first thing to note is this wonderful,
21:09I suppose, wrapping paper, in a way,
21:12of the factory that made this set.
21:16It says,
21:17Liwa Porcelain Company Limited,
21:19all kind of porcelain,
21:21Nanking Road, Shanghai.
21:23I mean, that's a wonderful survivor.
21:26And quite helpfully,
21:29she also didn't throw away
21:30the newspaper of the time.
21:34And if we have a look at the date on the newspaper,
21:37it says...
21:38In Chinese.
21:38In Chinese.
21:401947.
21:41Yes.
21:41Does that add up?
21:42That would have been just after the war,
21:44and Margaret would have been about 14, I think.
21:47Well, let's remove this away
21:48so that we can take a good look at the set.
21:51And it is just wonderfully vibrant.
21:55This ruby-coloured glaze
21:57against this green silk.
21:59Six sauces, six cups,
22:02teapot, sugar in the lid,
22:04and a milk or cream jug.
22:06It's a complete set.
22:08Now, each piece
22:09is beautifully decorated
22:12with sgraffito.
22:15So, whilst the ruby enamel
22:17was still slightly wet,
22:20the artist has taken a tool
22:23to inscribe into
22:25that lovely glaze
22:27a dragon.
22:28And these are,
22:29not as you might expect,
22:31Ming dragons,
22:31but these are
22:32Qing dragons.
22:34A little more complex,
22:36more detailed,
22:37and they have more realistic-looking faces.
22:41We are looking at the very high end
22:43of teaware production
22:45in this period.
22:48I think if this were to come up
22:50at auction today,
22:53I think it would fetch
22:54somewhere in the region
22:55of £1,500
22:57to £2,500.
23:01Really?
23:01You're not serious?
23:02I am.
23:03Oh, that's...
23:04Well, I said to my husband earlier,
23:06£1,500.
23:08So, that's...
23:09Are you serious?
23:10I am.
23:11I mean, that's outrageous.
23:13LAUGHTER
23:13Well, goodness me,
23:17I don't know what to say.
23:18I can't get over it.
23:20Thank you so much.
23:21Thank you very much.
23:22Goodness me.
23:23The gold just comes to life
23:34and sparkles.
23:35So, what do you know about it?
23:36It's my father-in-law's.
23:38They did quite a lot of travelling.
23:40So, he would have picked this up,
23:41no doubt,
23:42on his sort of travels.
23:44Well, what it is,
23:44it's Japanese.
23:46It's an inro.
23:48Gentlemen in the sort of Edo period,
23:50so that gives us anything from
23:51early part of the 17th century
23:52right up to just after
23:54the mid-part of the 19th century.
23:56You know, they didn't have pockets
23:57in their sort of kimonos,
23:59so they had these inros
24:01attached to the kimonos.
24:03And it was for storing
24:04kind of medicines
24:05and sort of writing utensils
24:07and small objects, basically,
24:09because you couldn't get a lot in there.
24:11And this one has
24:12one, two, three, four, five
24:14sections to it.
24:16So, four case inro.
24:18And then this little bit
24:19on the bottom
24:20is called a nojime,
24:21and that's bone.
24:23That was for sort of
24:24fastening your cord.
24:26If we open that up,
24:28we'll see this lovely
24:30mishiji lacquer inside
24:31or sort of gold fleck,
24:33which really does, again,
24:34sparkle, doesn't it?
24:35It's in this sunshine.
24:38So, I'm going to ask,
24:39do you like it?
24:41I do.
24:41I think it's beautiful.
24:43I think if that came up
24:44for auction today,
24:46do you know,
24:46that could make
24:46five to eight hundred pounds.
24:48Oh, brilliant.
24:49Wow.
24:59There must be
25:03thousands of people
25:04at home watching
25:05Antiques Roadshow,
25:06looking at this
25:07and wishing they'd had
25:08some jelly
25:09and evaporated milk
25:10for their tea.
25:11What made you collect,
25:13I'm assuming,
25:13jelly moulds?
25:14I started about
25:1635 years ago
25:17and I went to a farm sale
25:19and I wanted a preserving pan,
25:22but I had to buy
25:23a whole box
25:23and at the bottom
25:24of the box
25:25was actually
25:25this chicken mould
25:26and that started me off.
25:29Jelly is a fascinating
25:30because from the Renaissance
25:32on through to the 17th,
25:3418th,
25:35even to the 19th century,
25:37jelly was a food
25:38of the top tier
25:39of society.
25:40So if you had jelly
25:41you had to be very rich
25:42and the reason being
25:43is in order to get jelly
25:45you'd have to have
25:46kooks boiling up
25:47things like
25:47cows, hooves,
25:49pigs, trotters,
25:49all sorts of things
25:50to make the gelatine
25:51which would then
25:52have to be refined
25:53because a cloudy jelly
25:54was seen as a big
25:55no-no in society.
25:57The clearer the jelly
25:58the better it was.
26:00We know from this
26:01particular cone show
26:02it was very popular
26:03and of course
26:04each of these
26:05little layers here,
26:07that might have been
26:07a separate colour of jelly
26:09so you were showing off
26:10even more
26:11and of course
26:12you can imagine
26:13when it was brought
26:14to the table
26:15it would kind of
26:16wobble a bit
26:17and it would really be
26:18the piece de resistance
26:20of your dinner table.
26:22And I suppose
26:22anyone who
26:23as I say
26:23grew up in the 70s
26:24like me
26:24will remember
26:25the bunny rabbit
26:27because the bunny rabbit
26:29often came out
26:30as a blob.
26:31It would have been
26:31brought by your mam
26:32to the table
26:33surrounded by
26:34chopped up green jelly
26:35and then there'd be
26:37the terrible kind of
26:38noise.
26:40I've had experience
26:41of that myself.
26:42Have you ever made
26:42a perfect bunny rabbit?
26:43No, it's had
26:44a headless one
26:45a tailless one
26:46my last one
26:48I put cling film in
26:49and then put the jelly
26:50in the cling film.
26:51Can you imagine
26:51the childhood trauma?
26:52Yes.
26:55There's kind of
26:56tiers of collectability
26:57so people look
26:58for factories
26:59like Shelley
26:59Minton
27:00Grimway
27:01there are always
27:02good factories.
27:03If we kind of
27:04look at ballpark prices
27:06a simple one
27:07like that
27:08you might be looking
27:09at £30-40
27:09The Shelley one
27:13that's maybe more
27:14£50-80
27:15The 18th century pieces
27:18in creamware
27:19and this tower one
27:20you're probably looking
27:21at £150-200
27:23How many more
27:25have you got?
27:25Have you got more
27:26at home?
27:27No, I've got
27:2735 altogether.
27:29I counted them
27:30before I left.
27:31Well, my maths
27:31isn't very good
27:32but on those
27:33ballpark prices
27:34that's a few
27:35thousand pounds
27:36of jelly
27:36you've got at home.
27:38Well, it's been
27:39quite a good
27:39investment then.
27:41I fancy some
27:41jelly with
27:41evaporated milk
27:42now, don't you?
27:49Not far from
27:50our venue
27:50here in Swansea
27:51is the birthplace
27:52of Dylan Thomas
27:54one of the most
27:55celebrated poets
27:56of the 20th century
27:57and our books expert
27:59Clive Farahar
28:00has discovered
28:01some rare
28:01and unpublished
28:02correspondence by him.
28:08Well, where else
28:09but Swansea
28:10would you expect
28:10to find two
28:11cracking good
28:12Dylan Thomas letters?
28:14Here we are
28:15from the Boathouse
28:15Larn.
28:17Dear Miss Cronin
28:17Now, who is Miss Cronin?
28:19Miss Cronin
28:20was my aunt
28:20and godmother.
28:22Thank you very much
28:23for your letter
28:23and the invitation
28:25to come along
28:25to a reading
28:26of my poems
28:27at the Arts Club
28:27of the London
28:29School of Economics.
28:30Of course
28:31I shall be delighted
28:32to come.
28:33You mean that
28:33members of the Arts Club
28:34are going to stand up
28:35or lie down
28:36and read my poems
28:37and I just listen
28:39biting my nails
28:40to the elbow?
28:41I mean, this is just
28:42lovely, isn't it?
28:42So typical,
28:43didn't Thomas?
28:44So what happened?
28:46He didn't turn up.
28:48And so what else
28:49do we get?
28:49We get this other
28:50wonderful letter.
28:52I'm writing this
28:53on bended knees
28:54in the snow
28:55and I don't deserve
28:57comparative luxury
28:58even of that position.
29:01I shall be
29:02trying to apologise
29:03chin deep
29:04in the Towie,
29:05the Towie presumably
29:06the river he's talking about,
29:08naked and nibbled.
29:09I mean,
29:09this is just
29:10absolutely wonderful.
29:11And this incredibly
29:12long letter
29:13begging for forgiveness.
29:16You expect him
29:17to just write
29:18a two-liner
29:18to say,
29:19I'm very sorry
29:19I wasn't able to attend.
29:21That wasn't him.
29:23I never found out
29:24whether he eventually
29:25did turn up
29:26at the London School
29:28of Economics.
29:29Oh, I think
29:29that's absolutely
29:30wonderful.
29:32Have you had them
29:32valued before?
29:33No, not at all.
29:35What can I say?
29:36£5,000.
29:38Really?
29:39Each?
29:40What?
29:41They're two
29:45cracking good letters.
29:46Obviously they go together
29:47and they're wonderful.
29:48It's Dylan Thomas
29:49all over.
29:50Thank you so much
29:51for bringing them in.
29:52Thank you very much
29:53for your time.
29:54What a lovely story.
29:58My godmother
29:59would be quite sad
30:00that she's missed
30:00coming today
30:01because I think
30:02she would have
30:02really enjoyed it.
30:04But I think
30:04she'd be tickled pink
30:06to know that
30:07something that she's
30:08kept in a drawer
30:08for 60, 70 years
30:11is worth so much money.
30:18Here in South Wales
30:20there's a strong history
30:21of travel and transport.
30:24From early steam engines
30:26to the Sinclair C5
30:28we saw earlier.
30:29And back in 1937
30:31that passion for motoring
30:32was on full display
30:34with the Welsh Rally.
30:36A competitive road event
30:37that captured the excitement
30:38of a nation
30:40at full throttle.
30:44What we've got here
30:45is a nice compact
30:46Welsh automobile story
30:49because we've got
30:50a set of badges here
30:51car badges
30:52that relate to
30:53the Welsh Rally
30:54and we've got
30:551937, 1938
30:57and 1939.
30:59Can you tell me
31:00what it's all about?
31:01Yeah, these were won
31:02by my uncle
31:03Ivor Ackland
31:04known as Jim
31:06who, his family
31:08had a car dealership
31:09in Swansea
31:10just across the road
31:11from here
31:11from the late 30s
31:14through to
31:14I believe the early 70s
31:15and he and his brother
31:17were very much
31:17into rallying
31:18and they won these
31:20by winning the Welsh Rally
31:22between 1937 and 1939
31:24and won all three
31:25and as far as I know
31:26the only people
31:27to have ever won
31:28the Welsh Rally
31:29three consecutive years.
31:31The badges themselves
31:32which are typical
31:33of the kind of badges
31:34that people did love
31:35to fix to the fronts
31:36of their cars
31:37could be mounted
31:37on grills basically
31:39or often you'd get
31:40a badge bar
31:41across the front
31:42of a car
31:42with all of them
31:43lined up.
31:45Also we've got
31:46three enameled tickets
31:49so to speak.
31:50Actually we've got
31:501937 and two 1938s
31:53why is there not
31:54a 1939?
31:55I'm not sure
31:55I think when they
31:56sort of passed them
31:57up between themselves
31:57they got it mixed up.
31:58Yeah so as far as I know
32:00there must have been
32:01two sets of each.
32:04Interestingly we've got
32:05a little silver trophy
32:06cup as well
32:06which is inscribed
32:08and it just says
32:08Welsh Rally 1937
32:10IG Ackland
32:11souvenir from
32:12Captain JP Black
32:14Managing Director
32:15the Standard Motor
32:16Company Limited.
32:18Do you know
32:18I'll be honest with you
32:19this is the first time
32:20I've ever
32:21ever handled
32:22any automobilia
32:23related
32:24to the Welsh Rally.
32:26I think if this group
32:27came up for auction
32:28I think they would
32:30probably make
32:30£400 to £600
32:31around that sort of price
32:33as a nice little
32:34automobilia group.
32:36Obviously poignant
32:36nostalgic for you
32:37thank you for bringing
32:38them along.
32:38Thank you
32:39thank you very much.
32:40when you first opened
32:52the box here
32:53what did you think
32:54who did you think
32:54this marvellous woman was?
32:56I had no idea
32:57I just thought
32:57it was a beautiful lady
32:58or maybe a nymph
33:00or some
33:00some other entity.
33:03She is very beautiful
33:04but
33:04she had another persona
33:06which was utterly terrifying
33:07she is the Gorgon
33:09the Medusa
33:10her legend had the capacity
33:11to ward off evil
33:12in classical antiquity
33:14particularly in ancient Rome
33:15where her image is found
33:17on door knockers
33:17and things like that
33:18so anybody with evil intent
33:20coming to the house
33:21would be turned to stone
33:22at least in theory
33:23I'm sure it would really work.
33:26In comes the 19th century
33:27when there's a huge passion
33:29for all manner of neoclassicism
33:31and we see her here
33:33almost kind of transmuted
33:35into a beautiful gorgon
33:37this sort of thing is
33:38what does it mean to you?
33:41It means quite a lot
33:42I remember my mother
33:44wearing it a few times
33:46and I just thought
33:46that's beautiful
33:47when she passed away
33:49this is one of the items
33:52that I managed to get
33:54and I just love it
33:56as a young boy
33:58I remember it being larger
33:59and it was put away
34:02and then
34:02when I inherited
34:03of course I've grown
34:05a couple of feet
34:06and it had diminished
34:07in size considerably
34:08Well that's a marvellous
34:10thing to reckon
34:11One of the ways
34:12we can identify her
34:14as a Medusa
34:15because she's so
34:16extremely beautiful
34:17is not only the snakes
34:19that are around her head here
34:20but also her wings
34:22she has a winged head as well
34:24It's probably 18 carat gold
34:28It's decorated with blue enamel
34:30and highly sophisticated
34:32English craftsmanship
34:33from Queen Victoria's jeweller
34:35you can see her warrant
34:37above here
34:37I can tell
34:39not only from the lid satin
34:41but also from the style
34:43of the box
34:43that this dates from
34:45the early years
34:46of Queen Victoria's reign
34:48the 1840s
34:49the 1850s
34:50and so everything
34:51is in place here
34:52everything
34:53and it's in fantastic order
34:55There are collectors
34:58of these things
34:58who would fight over it
34:59and so I don't really
35:01hesitate in telling you
35:02that such an object
35:04would cost probably
35:05three to four thousand
35:07pounds today
35:08Wow
35:08I mean I'm going to keep it
35:10but er
35:10Yes
35:11And let's see
35:12which of the granddaughters
35:14might like it
35:14Well absolutely
35:15So
35:34Here we have a rather confusing base
35:37of a vase
35:38It says
35:39Hardy
35:41Bross
35:42Limited
35:42of Australia
35:44So
35:45was this
35:46the work of
35:48Hardy Brothers
35:48of Australia
35:50or
35:50the signature
35:52which is
35:53Hold on a minute
35:53Ah La Ligue
35:55The greatest
35:57glassmaker
35:58designer
35:59of the 20th century
36:00And obviously
36:02Hardy Brothers
36:03were the retail outlet
36:04for
36:06La Ligue
36:07in Sydney
36:07Yes
36:08Well my aunt and uncle
36:10who this is gifted from
36:11lived in Sydney
36:13and it was a wedding gift
36:1426 years ago
36:15to myself and my husband
36:16Sweet
36:17Do you like it?
36:20No not so much
36:21Yeah
36:21Because when I see you
36:22on the television
36:23with La Ligue
36:24it's always really pretty
36:25and then I look at this
36:26and I don't think
36:27it is that pretty
36:28I mean the other thing
36:29that's real about it
36:30it's absolutely filthy
36:32I can tell that
36:33you don't like it much
36:35because
36:35I think it's been
36:36in the cellar
36:37or the coal shed
36:38My makeup brushes in it
36:39It dates from the 20s
36:441920s is a sort of
36:46stab date
36:47but it's bluebells
36:48and actually
36:50I mean
36:51whether you believe it
36:52or not
36:53I think that's really
36:54it's subtle
36:55subtly pretty
36:57rather than
36:57in your face
36:58I mean you might not
36:59like it
37:00in which case
37:01look
37:01I'm entirely happy
37:02to walk off with it
37:03It means a lot
37:05and relieve you
37:06of the burden
37:07of having
37:08you know
37:09having to reject
37:10and dislike
37:11a 400 to 600 quid vase
37:13Oh very nice then
37:14Very nice
37:16I like it a little bit more
37:17Keeping it
37:17Keeping it
37:18Have I got it?
37:19No no
37:20you can leave it
37:21Thank you very much
37:22First thing I'm going to do now
37:28is I'm going to wash it
37:29so Andy can be relieved
37:30just about that
37:31but then my makeup brushes
37:32are going back in it
37:33Thank you very much
37:42for bringing in this
37:43John McWhirter oil painting
37:44delightfully signed
37:46lower right
37:47How do you come to earn it?
37:49I have had it for 45 years
37:50and it came to me
37:52from my father
37:53It used to hang in his house
37:55for a couple of years
37:56but my mum wasn't that keen
37:57on the picture
37:57so he gave it to me
37:59Before that
38:00it was my grandmother's
38:02and we believe
38:03that my grandmother
38:04had it as a wedding present
38:05although we're not 100% sure
38:06on that
38:07but we think that was
38:07how she acquired it
38:09Well that would make sense
38:11John McWhirter is a Scottish artist
38:13he was born in 1839
38:15and really worked the second half
38:18of the 19th century
38:19in fact he exhibited
38:21at the Royal Scottish Academy
38:22aged just 14
38:23so he was working really quite young
38:26he's wearing tartan trousers
38:29well they're trues
38:30I don't want to get it trues
38:31okay
38:31and he's got a berry on
38:33does that have a special name
38:35looks like a Scottish berry
38:36shepherd I would have thought
38:38yes
38:38well yes exactly
38:39and he's herding his flock
38:42so I think we can assume
38:43it's a Scottish landscape
38:44he works what's called planaire
38:47which means a lot of artists
38:49would take their work outside
38:50you get a really great sense
38:52of light and shade
38:54and atmosphere
38:54when you're working outside
38:56and I think we can see that here
38:57we can see that it's a kind of
38:59I think it's quite a cool
39:00misty
39:02rainy kind of day isn't it
39:04it's a typical Scottish Highland day
39:06I wasn't going to say it
39:07but yes it is isn't it
39:08I think now
39:11it's worth something in the region
39:13of two to three thousand pounds
39:14oh right
39:15well that's more than I thought
39:17I must say
39:17good I'm delighted
39:18but it will remain on my wall
39:20I'll see it every day
39:22and I love it
39:23very nostalgic
39:24well it's a very peaceful scene
39:26isn't it
39:26it is
39:27it's really nice
39:28it just reminds me of home
39:29because I live in Wales now
39:30so I just look at it
39:32and it's home
39:32every now and then
39:42we get to turn the tables
39:43on our specialists
39:44and today
39:45miscellaneous expert
39:46Chris Yeo
39:47has brought along
39:48some of his own
39:49prized possessions
39:50to give us a little glimpse
39:51into his life in antiques
39:53Chris you've been
39:55a miscellaneous specialist
39:56on the roadshow
39:56for what
39:57ten years now
39:57and I think it's fair to say
39:59enthusiasm is your hallmark
40:01but where did your enthusiasm
40:02for antiques start?
40:04the moment that antiques really entered my life
40:06was probably with these dogs here
40:07I was four years old
40:09there's a lady living just down the road from her
40:11elderly lady called Miss Woods
40:12who had a house full of the most wonderful antique furniture
40:14my grandmother used to walk her dogs for her
40:16and on one occasion we went back in there
40:19I had a cup of tea
40:19I was sitting on the floor watching television
40:21I said I wasn't watching television
40:23I was watching the dogs
40:24that were on the sideboard by the television
40:26these dogs here
40:27and Miss Woods leant over and she said
40:29Christopher you like those dogs don't you
40:32I said yes I do
40:33she said would you like to take them home with you
40:35and the dogs came home with us
40:37and tell me about them then
40:38they're made by a factory called the Royal Ducks
40:41D-U-X factory
40:43which was in Bohemia
40:44modern day Czech Republic
40:45they date to around early 20th century
40:481900, 1910
40:49and we have here a setter
40:52and a pointer
40:53so how did you get into a career in antiques then?
40:57when I was about 14 I got myself a Saturday morning market stall
41:01in Cheddar Village Hall in Somerset where we lived
41:04and would just buy and sell bits and pieces
41:08at 14
41:08at 14
41:09so an entrepreneurial spirit
41:11and that was the start really
41:12but at that time
41:14while I was doing that
41:15I was collecting things
41:17I was collecting modern design
41:18and that is probably where this piece starts here
41:20dates to the 1970s
41:22it's a plastic orange squeezer
41:24made by a Swedish company called Gustavsberg
41:27who are normally known for making ceramics
41:29in this case they moved into plastics for a short while
41:31I loved the colour
41:33and there was something very tactile about it
41:35and so years later while I was at work
41:38and I put together a collection of white fries glass
41:41quite a large collection
41:42and then after two or three years
41:44I decided I got home to do a master's degree
41:46in firelock valuation
41:47and I got a part-time job working in a local auction house
41:51but also I sold my white fries collection
41:53which by that time had really increased in value
41:55and that paid, helped pay for my master's degree
41:58So that early entrepreneurial spirit paid off
42:00It did
42:01And then where does this fit in?
42:03Well, I worked in auctioning for a few years
42:05and then decided to go freelance
42:07and at that time met someone called Ken Stradley
42:10who is a really significant figure
42:14in the history of modern design in this country
42:16and was one of the very first people
42:18to introduce Scandinavian design
42:20to this country in the 1950s
42:21He introduced me to people and artists I hadn't heard of
42:25including this artist called Margaret Hine
42:27who was a studio potter from the 1950s
42:30It's great fun and I love it
42:32How fascinating to hear about your journey in antiques
42:36and it's brought you here to the roadshow
42:38It has, it has
42:39Well, it's such a pleasure to hear about it
42:40Chris, thank you so much
42:41Thank you
42:46Do you know, in 35 years
42:54I'd never seen anything like this
42:57When I saw them earlier I was thinking
42:59are they medicine vials or what's going on?
43:02It's only when you look closely because of the size
43:05you realise
43:06So you tell me what you know about them
43:08Well, it was given to my mother
43:11by the family who had actually made it
43:15OK
43:16She made doll's houses
43:18and she collected miniature things
43:20So I think that's why she was given it
43:22Yeah
43:23All I know is that they're bottles of wine
43:26with actual wine in them
43:28And you know what the bottles were made for?
43:32Yes, they were made for Queen Mary's doll's house
43:34And that's...
43:36It's amazing
43:36That's the amazing bit
43:37Arguably one of the most famous doll's houses in the world
43:42Made for Queen Mary between 1921 and 1924
43:46It was really a way of the royals at the time
43:51Showing what it was like and how a royal would live
43:54So they had Sir Edwin Lutchen's
43:56The most famous architect at the time
43:59Build the house
44:00They had all of the major artists do the artwork
44:03All the writers of the period do the books
44:06And then they had Berry Brothers
44:10Who had a royal warrant
44:12And would supply the royals with all the booze effectively
44:15Make these miniatures
44:17I mean, they're ridiculously small
44:20And then it gets even worse
44:22Because once you get down to the text down there
44:25Which kind of sums the whole thing up
44:28Twelve of each of these wines
44:31Made for Messrs Berry Brothers
44:34And given by them for the Queen's doll's house
44:38On completion of the work
44:40This set was given to me as an affection
44:44The bottles are accurate
44:46And exactly reproduced in miniature
44:50And the colour of the glass
44:52Shape, content, seals and labels
44:55And then the best bit for me
44:58Is it says
44:58They are unique
45:01For no others were made
45:03Yes
45:04Even the contents of those bottles
45:06Had to be correct
45:08So if it was a 1902 Chateau, whatever
45:11It had to be that wine
45:13It's absolutely amazing
45:14It's astonishing
45:15It's absolutely astonishing
45:16It's absolutely astonishing
45:16You've obviously tested one
45:18Uh, no
45:20Do you know where that went?
45:22No, I've no idea
45:23Okay, because it hurts it
45:25Yes, of course
45:27A little bit
45:27But the fact is
45:29Like it says on that label at the front
45:31It's unique
45:32At auction to a collector
45:35I think they would pay in the region of £2,000 to £3,000
45:40My goodness
45:42My goodness
45:42Good gracious
45:43Golly
45:45Well
45:47Even without this one
45:49Even without that one, yeah
45:51Golly
45:52It's just
45:52It's like one of the most exciting things I've seen
45:55Because this is as close
45:57That any of us are going to get to
45:59The Doll's House
46:01Which you can still visit now
46:02Yes, of course
46:02You know, it's still there
46:04It's lovely
46:05And, you know, you look hard enough
46:07And you'll see others of these
46:08It's just a fabulous thing
46:10And thank you so much for bringing it in
46:12Thank you
46:13We've got this lovely diamond brooch here
46:26A fiery little creature
46:27How did he get into your collection?
46:29I think it comes down through my late wife's family
46:34It was commissioned for a specific member
46:37A female member of the family
46:39Looking at the way it's been made
46:41And the diamonds
46:43The cut of the diamonds
46:44I think we're looking
46:45Round about the 1930s onwards
46:47It's just so pretty
46:49And really good quality as well
46:51And it's a shame it's not hallmarked
46:53With a maker's mark
46:54But handmade jewellery at that time
46:56Didn't have to be marked
46:57And it intrigues me in that
46:59The eye is emerald
47:01Yes
47:02And I would have thought
47:03That would have been a ruby
47:04I know
47:05Well, you're quite right there
47:06Because, of course, the dragon sometimes appears
47:08As a red dragon as well, doesn't it?
47:09That's right
47:10Maybe they felt that
47:11They didn't like rubies
47:12And just wanted an emerald for hope
47:14That's what it stands for
47:16You never know, do you?
47:17You never know
47:18But it's quite
47:19Or it's been replaced at some point
47:20Value-wise
47:22If it was sold through an auction
47:24Then we're looking at
47:25Because of the quality
47:26And beautiful diamonds
47:27And the subject matter
47:28Is just great fun
47:29This little chap
47:30Would fetch between
47:31£2,000 and £3,000
47:32Oh, is it that low?
47:34That low?
47:35Oh, dear
47:36That's no good, is it?
47:37But if you had to have it remade
47:39Yes, it is
47:40You know
47:40That's where the expense comes in
47:42So you're looking at
47:43Without a doubt
47:44In excess of £6,000
47:46To have it remade
47:47OK
47:47Thank you very much
47:49Thank you for bringing it in
47:50I understand that actually
48:04One of these two
48:05Was a gift to you
48:06I'd love to hear
48:07More about them
48:08And what they mean to you
48:09Yeah, sure
48:10So they're both
48:12Owned by my dad
48:13He told me he bought them
48:16In a
48:16I think an antique shop
48:18In Birmingham
48:18In the late 60s
48:20When he was a poor student
48:21So he probably didn't
48:22Pay much for them
48:23I know that's a
48:26Belt buckle
48:26Chinese
48:27Jade
48:28And this is
48:29A swan or a goose
48:31And that was
48:31His favourite item
48:33And when I was 12
48:34And we had a sort of
48:36Coming of age
48:37Ceremony
48:37That was his gift
48:38To me
48:39You're absolutely right
48:42They're jade
48:42I think this is probably
48:44A pendant
48:44Actually
48:45So you've got
48:46The little holes
48:47Through there
48:47So it might have
48:48Had a cord
48:48And been worn
48:49Around the neck
48:50You said swan or goose
48:52It's a goose
48:53When I think
48:55Of this type of jade
48:56I just think
48:57That the sort of
48:57Hayday for this
48:58Was the sort of
48:5918th century
49:00And I immediately
49:00Go to all those
49:01Kind of fabulous
49:02Jades that were made
49:03During the reign
49:04Of Qianlong
49:04So that's between
49:051736 and 1795
49:07I think both of these
49:08Probably date to the
49:09Late part of
49:10The Qing dynasty
49:11So I'm going to say
49:12Sort of later on
49:13In the 19th century
49:14That's when I think
49:15Both of these date from
49:16If you look at the
49:18Underside of
49:18Particularly sort of
49:19Jade carvings
49:20And carvings in general
49:21And they finished it off
49:22Underneath as well
49:23As they have here
49:24It's a sign of quality
49:26And it was put to me
49:27Why bother
49:27Because people don't
49:29Often look at the
49:29Underside of something
49:30Okay
49:31Might have done with a
49:32Pendant
49:32But you know
49:33So that to me
49:34Is a sign of quality
49:35You know
49:35The feet are so well
49:36Done and tucked neatly
49:37Underneath the body there
49:38In terms of what jade
49:41They are
49:41And that's important
49:41This is quite a
49:42Sort of a whitish green
49:44So we'd call that
49:45Almost a sort of
49:45A celadon jade
49:46And this one is
49:48A very white jade
49:49In terms of kind of
49:51Desirability
49:53You know
49:53It's the white jade
49:54That is really sought after
49:56I'm going to give you
49:57A value on the two of them
49:58I think if those came up
50:00I could see those
50:01Making between
50:01Two to three thousand
50:02Pounds at auction
50:03Goodness
50:04I was not expecting
50:06That at all
50:06And I would
50:06For my money
50:07That's a little bit
50:08More special
50:09Well done dad
50:10Well done dad
50:11Do you know
50:25The enduring popularity
50:27Of the Beatles
50:28Knows absolutely no bounds
50:30And it's not surprising
50:31Why is it
50:32And every time I see
50:34A signed photograph
50:35Of the Beatles
50:36There are a number of things
50:37That go through my head
50:38Firstly
50:38Are they correct
50:40And of course
50:41That is always
50:42Backed up by provenance
50:43And I want you to tell me
50:45All about
50:46How you come to have
50:47This picture please
50:48Well this photograph
50:50Was obtained by my sisters
50:52He sent away
50:53To the radio times
50:55In 1963
50:56You sent off
50:58I think it was
50:59Two shillings and sixpence
51:00Right
51:01And it arrived then
51:02In the post for
51:03So that's an unsigned photograph
51:05Of the Beatles
51:06Yes
51:06Right
51:07Okay
51:07Then later that year
51:09The Beatles were appearing
51:10In Belfast
51:12Right
51:12And my 13 year old sister
51:14Was keen to go and
51:16See them
51:16Yeah
51:17But my father had
51:18Other ideas
51:20Because he wasn't so keen
51:21That his 13 year old daughter
51:22Would be
51:23Kind of not surprising
51:24Really
51:25Having seen the screaming
51:26Hordes on television
51:27Yes
51:27Unbeknownst to her
51:29My dad asked
51:30My uncle
51:32Who was
51:33A cameraman
51:34In the BBC studios
51:35In Belfast
51:36Right
51:36Okay
51:37If he would
51:38The Beatles were to be
51:39Interviewed before the concert
51:41Yes
51:41My father asked
51:43My uncle
51:44If he would have this
51:45Signed for my sister
51:47Right
51:47Okay
51:48So after the interview
51:50John Lennon left the studio
51:52Immediately
51:52In a limousine
51:53Off to the hotel
51:54Yes
51:55And that's when
51:56Paul
51:57George and Ringo
51:59Signed the photograph
52:00Signed the photograph
52:01That is a brilliant
52:02Brilliant story
52:03So my sister
52:05Was delighted
52:06To have the photograph
52:06I bet she was
52:07If I can just
52:09Borrow it from you
52:09Quickly
52:10You know
52:10If I can just
52:11Turn it to the light
52:12As well
52:12I can see
52:13Absolutely
52:13That it's correct
52:15And the way they're signed
52:16Is absolutely correct
52:17I wish Ringo
52:18Hadn't signed
52:19All the way across
52:20His black suit
52:21Because you can only
52:22Kind of see the centre
52:23I'm being a bit picky
52:24Really
52:25Whereas George
52:26And obviously Paul
52:28Signed right up high
52:30Across the white there
52:32But yes
52:33We haven't got
52:34John's signature
52:35I am going to talk about
52:38A value on this
52:39Even without
52:41John Lennon's signature
52:42That would make
52:43Two thousand pounds
52:44I'm a Beatles fan
52:46All over again
52:46You're a Beatles fan
52:48All over again
52:48Thank you
52:49It's a great little story
52:50I love it
52:51Thank you very much
52:52That's wonderful
52:52Thank you
52:53Thank you
53:09artists out there. The most critically acclaimed artist, I would say, possibly regarded as the
53:15most important Welsh artist in the 20th century, is the chap from Swansea who painted this striking
53:21picture, Kerry Richards, a CBE. And what a striking picture it is. What's your relationship
53:28with this painting? Okay, so this painting belongs to my mum, Liz, but there are family
53:34connections to my dad. Kerry's father, Tom, he was a conductor of Dunvant Male Voice Choir,
53:43as was my grandfather who conducted after Tom Richards. So that's sort of where the family
53:49connection starts. What a brilliant connection. That's fabulous provenance. Yeah. So how long has
53:55it been with you and your family? My mum, knowing the connection with Kerry through my father, they
54:00went and visited his gallery in London, in Chelsea. And at that point, she'd been left a little bit
54:07of money from a grandmother and decided that she wanted to buy this painting. Although he painted
54:15it in 1955, she actually bought it in January 1961. And may I ask how much she paid for it? She paid
54:22£100 for it. £100? Yeah. Well, let's just talk about Kerry Richards for a moment. Born in 1903 in Dunvant,
54:30grew up in a very working class environment, yet a very cultured environment. His father wrote poetry and
54:37he was the conductor, of course. After school, he went to Swansea School of Art. He then went to Royal
54:43College of Art. And then in the 1930s, he was in the circle of avant-garde artists, which includes Henry Moore,
54:51Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth. He was in a very, very fashionable circle in London. Not bad for a
54:59working class Swansea boy. For me, quite a spontaneous picture. You know, Kerry wouldn't
55:06have plotted this picture with drawings. It would have been very spontaneous. But we're probably looking
55:12at a piano keyboard. Do you agree? Yes, absolutely. I can imagine that he was listening to some of his
55:19favourite music and applying the paint. It looks very jazz to me rather than classical. Yeah,
55:23that's interesting. Yeah, I agree. But it's a wonderful piece. How do you both feel about it?
55:30Well, this is always on the wall facing me. And I'm thinking, oh, do I like it? Do I like it?
55:38I might know in a minute. So the market for Kerry Richards does ebb and flow. It's quite a fickle
55:46market. And I think the spotlight isn't quite on him at the moment, but I'm sure it will be in
55:50the future. Yet, I can comfortably estimate this at 10,000 to 15,000 currently.
55:59Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho. Mother will be very, very pleased. Not bad at all.
56:04Yeah. So you like it now? Definitely. Thank you. That's absolutely amazing. Thank you.
56:12Thank you very much for bringing us in.
56:20So it's absolutely not our call what happens to our Kerry Richards now, because it is my mum's
56:27painting. But she has said she wants it kept in the family. So we will absolutely respect that.
56:32I've got two sisters. And so, yeah, so it's a family decision.
56:42Before we go, I've just got time to show you this pair of children's hobnail boots. And in case you
57:00ever wondered what they look like, look, they really do have nails in the soles and the utility mark,
57:05which shows that they were made during the Second World War. Now, these come from Aubrey's,
57:10a shoe shop, a bit of a local landmark in these parts in Pont-en-de-Lys, operating for 110 years
57:15and only recently closed its doors and donated its vintage stock to Swansea Museum. I think it's
57:22a signal for us to put our feet up. From the Antiques Project here in Swansea, bye-bye.
57:40åŠ hold
57:456
57:530
57:540
57:550
57:580
57:590
57:590
57:590
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