- 11 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:05Hey, guess what? Today on Bargain Hunt I've got a real treat for you, but I won't be needing this.
00:11It's going to feel a little bit different.
00:15Yes, it's a farmer's life for me as we celebrate all things rural.
00:20From feeding chickens to milking cows and ploughing fields.
00:27A farmer's work is never done.
00:31Later, we'll be checking out some of the best rural antiques and collectibles snapped up by our teams over the
00:37years.
00:37But first, there's no time for horsing around, let's go bargain hunting!
01:09On today's show, we're taking a tour around the countryside, meeting teams who really ploughed ahead with some barnstorming byes.
01:17Some thought they'd cracked it.
01:19Can you imagine? Somebody's going out and they collect the eggs in that.
01:22While others took a swipe at the competition.
01:25You had to pull it right back like that.
01:28I'll also be learning about the rich history of these remarkable workhorses.
01:33It was truly a global invention. It went worldwide.
01:36And you won't want to miss our chart countdown to find out which team made the biggest profit.
01:41And if you're in the market for some farming collectibles of your own, I will have some handy tips to
01:46help you harvest a bargain.
01:49Right, time to put our backs into it.
01:52Our first team of Reds were sisters-in-law Rebecca and Vanessa, who were hitting the stalls at an antiques
01:57fair in Newark.
01:58That's me.
02:00They were teamed with expert Raj Bisram.
02:03And some brightly coloured glass caught Vanessa's eye.
02:06What about those tall vases, Raj?
02:08Good spot, good spot.
02:09Those are Murano glass vases.
02:12And of course, Murano glass is very famous.
02:14Do you know where from?
02:14Yeah, Italy?
02:15Absolutely.
02:16On the islands just off Venice.
02:17This is where all the Murano glass is made.
02:19Okay, okay.
02:20Are they collectible?
02:21They are.
02:22Are they modern?
02:23They are modern.
02:24You know, there's probably not going to be a profit in that.
02:26So the Reds moved on.
02:29And Rebecca soon spotted something practical but slightly less glamorous.
02:33There was a bucket over there that you could put in your garden or have in your kitchen.
02:38I don't know.
02:39Just back there.
02:40Raj?
02:41Yes, I really like that.
02:42That's, you know, it's for going, can you imagine?
02:44Somebody's going out and they collect the eggs in that.
02:48Buckets like these were used to store eggs in the early to mid 20th century.
02:52Back in the days before fridges, rural households had to be clever about storing fresh eggs.
02:58Particularly during winter months when hens can stop laying them.
03:02One solution was to place the eggs in a bucket or pail of water mixed with Isinglass,
03:07a gelatin-like substance made from fish bladders.
03:11Forming a seal to lock out air and bacteria, Isinglass could keep eggs fresh for up to a year.
03:18A brilliant example of farming ingenuity.
03:20But did the Reds think their pail was all it cracked up to be?
03:26The £75, Raj, what do you think?
03:28It's there, it's way there.
03:30I mean, but you never know.
03:31They're quite on trend, aren't they?
03:32Yeah, very, very on trend.
03:33Do you think we could get some Noctop?
03:35Yeah, I would definitely.
03:36Try and get some Noctop.
03:37I think if that was at auction, that would make anything between £30 and £50.
03:43The ladies quite like it, I know it's an original one, but you've got quite a hefty price ticket on
03:48that.
03:50£40, and that's the very best.
03:52Could we squeeze you a little bit more, £35?
03:54Give us a fighting chance when we get to...
03:56You're happy with that, girl?
03:57We are very happy with that.
03:58We have a deal.
03:59Thank you so much.
04:02Excellent Reds.
04:03We'll find out how the pail fared at auction later.
04:06Next, we're off to Carmarthen to meet a father and daughter team with some impressive farming credentials.
04:12Betterwin, what do you do for a living?
04:14I'm a farmer then, I've come from several generations of our family have been farming then.
04:19Really?
04:19So, livestock?
04:21Crops, livestock and pheasants.
04:23Pheasants?
04:24Yeah, we've got hundreds of cows and I know most of them by sight and by name.
04:27That's absolutely amazing.
04:29The pheasants, I'm still working on them.
04:33This fabulous farming duo were shopping with expert Gary Paye.
04:37And, true to form, they were quickly drawn to animals.
04:41Oh, my goodness.
04:42Oh, that's a bit more lifelike.
04:44Yeah.
04:45This one is a bit more country, I think.
04:47Yeah.
04:47You know, with sort of a barrel body, which is a bit more unusual.
04:51Has it been modified, do you think?
04:53It's a homemade piece.
04:54Ah, right.
04:55In its original state?
04:56Yes, well, a few bits missing, as you can see from the ear.
05:00Yeah.
05:01That is more traditional.
05:02Yeah.
05:03Probably 50s, 60s.
05:05I think I prefer that one, but then that one's more unusual.
05:09It has a charm about it.
05:10It almost looks like a puppet.
05:13Charming, but not rocking the blues world.
05:16Would some furniture tickle their fancy?
05:19It's got a lot of character there.
05:21Character, yes.
05:22Very authentic.
05:23Yes, exactly.
05:24Yeah.
05:24I'm not sure if it was an auction on its own, it wouldn't look as impressive.
05:28All right.
05:29OK.
05:29I think we'll leave that one.
05:31Another no.
05:32What about a chair?
05:34The spring mechanisms are still there and intact.
05:36Yes, yes.
05:37The seats have been replaced at some point in its life.
05:41Could do with a bit of a polish.
05:42It's an antique.
05:43Ah.
05:44You expect a bit of dust.
05:46It's gathered over the years.
05:47Original dust.
05:48Ah.
05:49Ah.
05:50It's got 65.
05:5165, yeah.
05:52But it had 72 on it.
05:54It had 72 on it.
05:55So it's coming down.
05:56It's coming down.
05:57Coming down.
05:58Furniture wasn't cutting it for the blues.
06:01But what about this?
06:0350, 60 years ago, there'd be 10, 20 men going out with a scythe like that to cut hay
06:08in the same field.
06:10I like it.
06:10When you say 50 years, that's good.
06:11Yeah.
06:11So that means this predates 50 years.
06:16Ah, yes.
06:19That tool reigned supreme in the fields.
06:21The scythe, with its long wooden handle and graceful curved steel blade, required skill,
06:26rhythm, and a good deal of stamina to master.
06:30In fact, scything is such a respected and precise craft that it's celebrated in a yearly
06:36showdown.
06:37The West Country Scythe Championships, held in Somerset, brings together the best of the
06:42best.
06:43Competitors must mow a 5x5 metre patch of meadow as swiftly and neatly as possible.
06:50So, Berwyn, how are your scything skills?
06:53You had to pull it right back, like that.
06:56And you'd be doing that for hours on end.
06:58Do I get the feeling this is something that ticks the box?
07:02It ticks the box, definitely, you know.
07:04And the handle is a very good quality handle, isn't it?
07:07It's a real...
07:09What type of wood would you say that is?
07:11It looks oak.
07:12Yeah.
07:13I thought that it might be myself.
07:15Yes, I think it's oak, yes.
07:16Maybe this bolt has been added here.
07:19Right.
07:20Just reinforcement.
07:21Yeah, to give it more strength, you know.
07:22Now, question is...
07:23Yes.
07:24What's the price?
07:25£30, they're asking for it.
07:27I'm sure we'd manage to knock it down to 20.
07:29I think that's a good starting point, don't you think?
07:31We're interested.
07:32Yes.
07:33Yeah.
07:33I'm going to be frank, there isn't much movement on the price.
07:37Push me to 25, but that's going to be it.
07:3920?
07:3920 would be our best.
07:40No, no, no.
07:41You know, I don't blame you for asking, but I just...
07:43I'm being honest, I can't do it.
07:45Yeah, yeah.
07:45It's a very good piece.
07:46What if we went halfway between 20 and 25, say 22?
07:50No, I'm going to stick at 25.
07:52I thought I'd have managed to squeeze them a bit harder than that.
07:55I'm a bit disappointed in that.
07:57Shall we go for that?
07:58I think we will.
07:59Yeah.
08:00And I'm sure we'll make money in that.
08:01Yeah.
08:01I'm sure we'll make money in that.
08:02There we are.
08:03Agreed in that then?
08:04Agreed.
08:04Very good.
08:05Yeah, we have decided then.
08:07Yes, yes.
08:07£25, we'll take it.
08:09Thank you very much for that.
08:10Excellent.
08:11We'll see how the size got on at auction later in the show.
08:15Now time to meet our next team, retired firefighters Andy and Simon,
08:19who were raring to go in Newark.
08:22Andy and Simon, hello.
08:24Leading the way was expert Izzy Balmer.
08:27And first up, the boys found something familiar.
08:30A small fire ladder.
08:33So you two...
08:34£35.
08:35I'm presuming that slots into that, doesn't it?
08:38Okay.
08:39And with that one being price, that's for the two.
08:41But should we have a look if the two do slot in?
08:44That's what I was just going to say.
08:49No, I don't think...
08:50Well, it does.
08:51Maybe.
08:52So that goes there.
08:53Yeah, but it's the wrong way.
08:55Yeah.
08:56So...
08:56It's not true what we would understand to be a...
08:59So would we call it a marriage, do you reckon?
09:02No.
09:03No.
09:03It's a divorce.
09:05Yes.
09:06So we're not interested.
09:07Is that the vibe I'm guessing?
09:08No.
09:08No, unfortunately not.
09:09Okay.
09:10The ladder wasn't the right fit for the Reds,
09:13but they didn't let it clip their wings.
09:16Is he?
09:16I think I've seen something over here.
09:18Oh, show me.
09:19High reach cutter.
09:21Yeah.
09:22These go all the time, don't they?
09:23Like an apple picker type thing.
09:25No, it cuts branches.
09:26It cuts branches.
09:26It's an old fashioned...
09:28Yeah.
09:28Don't chop his fingers.
09:30Oh, we could try it though.
09:31Go on, put your finger in.
09:32See if it works.
09:34Yeah, that depends.
09:35I mean, it's just an old item.
09:38It certainly is.
09:39The earliest specialised pruning tools for trees
09:42were developed in 19th century France,
09:44called Echen et Loire.
09:45They could reach up to ten feet high.
09:48Long, sturdy and fitted with a very clever
09:51pulley and blade mechanism at the top,
09:53they gave farmers the reach of a giraffe
09:56with the precision of a barber.
09:59They might look like a medieval fishing rod,
10:01but this tool was essential for shaping fruit trees
10:04and keeping the harvest healthy.
10:07But could the Reds get a cut-price deal on theirs?
10:10He said £30.
10:12Do you think it should take £28?
10:14Doesn't hurt to us, does it?
10:15I will find out.
10:18They said yes, £28.
10:19Excellent.
10:20We've got a deal.
10:20Brilliant.
10:21Fantastic.
10:23We'll see how that vintage pruner
10:25fared in the sail room later in the show.
10:28Right, let's take a break from the shopping
10:29and step back in time
10:31to learn more about the mighty machines
10:33that have powered our countryside
10:34for over a century.
10:36Tractors!
10:41Britain's countryside has always been shaped by farming.
10:45For centuries, it was horsepower
10:47that did the heavy lifting, quite literally.
10:50The late 19th century heralded the golden age of steam
10:54and steam traction engines began to take the place of horses
10:57and from those great iron giants came the modern tractor.
11:01It wasn't until the mid-20th century
11:03with the arrival of lighter, petrol-driven machines
11:06that tractors really began to change everyday farming.
11:10To tell us more about these revolutionary machines,
11:13I'm meeting Andrew Hollingsworth
11:15from the Turn Valley Vintage Machinery Trust
11:17and he's brought along quite the line-up.
11:21Andrew, what a pleasure it is to meet you.
11:23Likewise.
11:24And thank you for bringing all these wonderful tractors
11:26but this one in particular is quite magnificent, isn't it?
11:30It is.
11:30It's a really special machine.
11:32It's ancient.
11:32It's over a hundred years old.
11:34Is it?
11:34Basically, the design of this tractor was the concept
11:38that all of the following tractors that we're going to see today
11:40is based upon.
11:42My goodness.
11:43But it's really basic and it's lasted for over a hundred years.
11:46This is a bit of a survivor, isn't it?
11:47It is.
11:48How many Deerings are left?
11:50A handful.
11:51We're talking...
11:52Oh, really?
11:52Oh, yes.
11:53Probably four or five of this particular model in the UK.
11:56Very few of them left now.
11:57It's a very special tractor.
11:59Very special tractors.
12:00And as such, how much would it be worth?
12:02It's very difficult to say
12:03because they very rarely come up for sale.
12:05You can go to an auction expecting a tractor to fetch £10,000
12:10and there are two people there that want it
12:12and before you know it, it's £40,000.
12:14So it's a very difficult thing to put a price on.
12:15Yeah, you can't put a price on that sort of passion and love for something, can you?
12:19So antique tractors are in demand
12:21and next up is a vintage example from the 1960s.
12:26This is a 1964 Massey Ferguson
12:28and this revolutionised agriculture because of its three-point linkage.
12:33It was designed by Harry Ferguson
12:34and basically all of the other manufacturers had to pay him to use it.
12:38It allowed them to lift the implements onto the tractor
12:41rather than having to drag them behind
12:43which the previous tractor we saw was only able to do that.
12:47So it really did revolutionise agriculture, didn't it?
12:49It did. It meant that the equipment manufacturers really had something to base all of the machines,
12:54even to this day, still fit on this same system.
12:57That's extraordinary, isn't it?
12:59It is. It really is.
13:00So this was really the first time in British agriculture that they'd had a standardised system, wasn't it?
13:05It was, but not just in the UK.
13:07It was truly a global invention.
13:09It went worldwide.
13:11It's an international innovation.
13:12Absolutely.
13:14Talking of international innovations, through the mid-20th century the battle for tractor supremacy went transatlantic.
13:23This one is a Ford and of course this is one of the first American design tractors in the UK
13:29to really start to take a foothold in the market.
13:32In fact, it became the major market leader in the UK based on this particular design.
13:37And this one here is the Nuffield.
13:39Nuffield was part or became part of the British Leyland Empire
13:43and they were very keen to take Ford's lead and have a share of that market for themselves.
13:48We've got a real battle going on here, haven't we, between British and American agricultural production.
13:53Yes.
13:54Who's the winner?
13:55Well, ultimately it did become America.
13:58And many of our traditional British manufacturers were either absorbed into some of the American conglomerates
14:04or simply fell by the wayside.
14:08I mean, would you say that this was the sort of golden era of tractor production?
14:13I think for my generation, certainly, yes.
14:15So it's all very much nostalgia driven, isn't it?
14:18It's what you drove as a young farmer, as a young lad.
14:22Indeed.
14:23Early to mid-20th century tractors are collector's items and later models like this one are just as sought after.
14:31Talking of nostalgia, Andrew, these are the kind of tractors I remember as a child.
14:35Yes, indeed.
14:36This takes us into the 1990s and it's instantly recognisable.
14:40It's got the three-point linkage at the back.
14:42It's got the three-point linkage at the front now, so you can put machines on the front.
14:47And, of course, it's four-wheel drive, which is pretty much the blueprint that we would use today.
14:51And, of course, you've got a weatherproof cab.
14:54Yes, with all the modern cons.
14:56You've got air conditioning, you've got the radio, fingertip control and a really comfortable seat.
15:02Today, these are becoming highly collectible.
15:05The young tractor collector today is looking for this kind of machine.
15:08Because that's what they remember as a child.
15:10Indeed, absolutely.
15:11That's the market.
15:11It's that generational difference.
15:13Yeah.
15:13So, again, you could pay a lot of money for one of these, £15,000, £18,000, almost the same
15:18price when it was new.
15:20It's been fascinating to hear about Andrew's passion for these antique and vintage workhorses.
15:26But it's time to plough on and meet our next team.
15:29Dad and daughter, Neil and Jess, were shopping at the Royal Welsh Showground in Bilfwells with expert Richard Madley.
15:36Why, hello!
15:37Richard!
15:38Yeah!
15:39Richard!
15:39And the Reds were quick off the mark.
15:42You've got immediately drawn something like this.
15:44Yes.
15:45And I know that lighting, industrial-style lighting, is really popular.
15:50Yeah.
15:50With shop fittings, that kind of thing.
15:52You're spot on.
15:53Spot on.
15:54Do you like the look?
15:56I mean, the look is going...
15:57Yeah, I can imagine it in Canada.
15:58You know, like, you see these trendy little cafes and bars now, you know?
16:01Yeah, yeah.
16:01I can imagine it in somewhere like that if they're decking something out.
16:04Yeah, indeed.
16:05But...
16:05But it's £180.
16:08Ooh.
16:09To make a £10 or £20 profit at auction will be a struggle.
16:12Oh, yeah, yeah.
16:12Well, we want more than that.
16:13Yeah, fair enough.
16:15Of course we do.
16:16The light was too pricey.
16:18But Jess soon spotted another potential purchase.
16:22Quite like that yellow, this yellow thing over here.
16:25I want the stove.
16:26Yeah, what is it then?
16:27That is different.
16:28Caught your eye.
16:29That's always a good sign.
16:29It did catch my eye.
16:30Look how bright it is.
16:32It is bright.
16:33That's nice, that, Jess.
16:34When I first saw it, I thought it was all cast iron, but it's not, is it?
16:37It's pottery.
16:38It's pottery.
16:39It's pottery with a pierced cast iron lid.
16:41A little bulb in it.
16:42Got a little bulb in it.
16:43Let's call the dealer over, shall we?
16:44Yeah, yeah, yeah.
16:44Get a price.
16:45Come on.
16:46Hello, sir.
16:47£350.
16:49It's £350, isn't it?
16:50OK, right.
16:52Well, look, Jess.
16:53I think we're going to keep going.
16:54Let's keep going.
16:54Thanks very much.
16:56Good luck.
16:56The Reds clearly had expensive taste.
16:59But was this in budget?
17:01A little well stool, always popular, aren't they?
17:04The milking stools technically have three legs because that gave you the ability to sit
17:10on an uneven surface.
17:12You're right, Richard.
17:14Let me show you what he means.
17:16This is a working dairy farm.
17:18Now, take a look at this uneven floor.
17:20That's no accident.
17:22These floors were designed to allow for drainage and to maintain hygiene.
17:27As Richard said, the three-legged milking stool can guarantee the milker gets stability,
17:32whereas a four-legged stool would topple and fall on this uneven surface.
17:37These little stools were a staple of farm life from the 18th century.
17:41Usually handcrafted from hardwoods like oak or ash.
17:45Many were made by the farmers themselves, so no two are the same.
17:50So, did the Reds reckon they could milk a profit from their stool?
17:53It's got a ticket price on it.
17:55It's 65.
17:57It's cheaper, isn't it?
17:58You could get it down to...
17:59Ideally, you'd like to buy it for 30.
18:01Oh.
18:02Ideally.
18:03No, we're not going to get there.
18:04But why don't you use your charms and go and ask the owner if they are prepared to
18:10give you the friendliest price.
18:12I'm scared.
18:15We like the stool, don't we?
18:16We do like the stool, but we're after your friendliest price that you'd give us for this.
18:21That's a very good stool.
18:25For you, 40 quid, not a penny less.
18:28What do you think of that then?
18:30I like it on lots of fronts.
18:32I like it...
18:33A, not just it's Welsh, we actually know it's from Pembrokeshire.
18:36Yeah.
18:36This gentleman's given us a great discount from 65 down to 40 pounds.
18:41It's ticking so many boxes.
18:43What do you think, Dad?
18:44Down to 40 pounds?
18:45Okay, so...
18:46Pembrokeshire.
18:47I don't like it.
18:48I'd say we go for it.
18:49I'm with Jess.
18:50You know when we started this journey, she was like, I'm the boss?
18:54Mm-hmm.
18:55There you go.
18:56Can she shake on it?
18:57Okay.
18:58Thank you, sir.
18:59Great.
18:59Thank you very much.
19:03Dad didn't like it, but Jess was sold.
19:06We'll find out later what the sale were made of their stool.
19:09Next, we're heading to an antiques fair in Peterborough where retired sisters Pat and Christine were very keen to get
19:15shopping.
19:16Showing them the ropes was expert Philip Serrell.
19:22And first up, some cool retro chairs were calling Pat.
19:28Oh, they're cold on the bottom.
19:30What could you tell us about your chairs, sir?
19:32Whereabouts are they from?
19:34I bought them from a charity shop, actually.
19:36No, I didn't mean that.
19:37I mean, what country of origin?
19:38Oh, I don't know.
19:40$2.20 for full, yeah.
19:42What is your best price?
19:44We could round it down to two.
19:47A decent price for a set of four retro chairs, but the blues walked away.
19:51Phil decided to dig deeper on a different stool.
19:54Do you like that boot scraper?
19:56Yes.
19:57I like that.
19:58I do like that.
20:00Before welcome mats and pressure washers, the first line of defence against farmyard muck was the humble boot scraper.
20:07Found outside barn doors, cow sheds and cottages, boot scrapers were a staple of country life from the early 18th
20:14century and played a vital role in both farm and home hygiene.
20:19You'll find all shapes and styles from simple U-frames bolted to stone steps to more playful designs like this
20:27Victorian pig-shaped scraper.
20:30Authentic Victorian scrapers can fetch up to £150 depending on design and condition.
20:37So, what was the best price on the blues example?
20:41$55 on that.
20:42$55.
20:42Can it come down?
20:44Looking like I'm down much.
20:45$40.
20:47But could a double deal be struck with this hip flask?
20:50The team would count them as two separate buys.
20:53$75 for this and $25 for that.
20:56Is that okay?
20:56Thank you very much.
20:59Thank you very much.
21:01Did the bidders get a kick out of the boot scraper?
21:03We'll reveal all later in the show.
21:06Time now to meet our final red team friends, Rob and Graham, who went shopping at an antique centre in
21:12Bradford.
21:13Rue Irvine was leading the team.
21:15No pressure then, guys.
21:17Oh, no way.
21:18And Graham quickly tuned in to his childhood.
21:21That takes me back to an hour a lot, does that?
21:24Really?
21:25Yeah.
21:25A long time ago.
21:27What did you used to listen to?
21:28Radio Luxembourg?
21:31Radio One.
21:32Mid-century design is very popular.
21:34A lot of people are filling their homes with a sort of mid-century 1950s, 60s furniture, accessories.
21:41£45 is not a bad price, but I think...
21:44Do you think it could profit or do you think that's its worth?
21:46I think because the natural wood, probably pine, has been painted.
21:50Yeah, yeah.
21:51In a way, it's a shame because people are wanting pine for that mid-century look.
21:55Right.
21:55But it takes you back, eh?
21:57When I were allowed, eh?
21:59When you were allowed, 20 years ago.
22:01We're back all the news.
22:0120 years ago.
22:02We're going around you.
22:04The radio struck a chord, but the Reds walked away.
22:07What about this?
22:09That looks like a goffering iron.
22:11Goffering iron?
22:12What are they for?
22:13Goffering iron.
22:13It's the price tag that I'm interested in.
22:15Just £10.
22:16£10.
22:17A goffering iron, you would use this to make the ruffles on your shirt.
22:22Oh.
22:23And these have been used for hundreds of years.
22:24Right.
22:25So you know you've got these big sort of almost Elizabethan ruffles, collars.
22:30And what it does is the material is put round here.
22:32This is heated and then it crimps it.
22:34So you end up with a crimped collar.
22:36Now £10 is a good price.
22:39Is it collectible and is it valuable?
22:41Wow.
22:41The ones I've seen do well are the much bigger pieces.
22:45Shall we keep it on the back burner?
22:47Yeah, let's put it on the back burner.
22:48Yeah, it's a really cool thing though.
22:50So the goffering iron was a maybe.
22:53Could this set of agricultural stools fit the bill instead?
22:57See, they are very desirable.
23:01They're often tractor chairs.
23:03How many? £75?
23:04What, eight?
23:05Is that just for one though?
23:06Yeah.
23:07They were often...
23:08Yeah.
23:08How much? £75?
23:09Yeah, I'm guessing it's just for one, isn't it?
23:11They went through a phase where these became really trendy.
23:15So these were upcycled.
23:16Tractor chairs, put onto bases,
23:18and they'd become really cool bar stools to have at home.
23:22The Reds' retired tractor seats are just one example
23:25of farmyard paraphernalia given a second chance.
23:28Take a look at these sculptures by Carmarthen artist Chris Crane.
23:32He breathes new life into rusty tools and old agricultural equipment
23:36to create beautiful wildlife designs.
23:39And if you're feeling inspired to turn some rural relics
23:43into rustic masterpieces, then you're in luck.
23:45The British countryside is full of places
23:47to find old farm equipment with a bit of character.
23:50Start with vintage machinery sales.
23:53They're great places to discover forgotten gems.
23:55So, did the Reds' see potential in their tractor stools?
23:59Yeah.
24:00£75.
24:01How much would the normal get, then?
24:02It could be, like, £150.
24:04For one?
24:05Or for a set?
24:05For one.
24:06For one.
24:06That's not too bad, isn't it?
24:08But it's the same with anything.
24:09When it's new and trendy, then so many more flood the market
24:13and the price just comes right down.
24:15Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:15I mean, if that was £75 for the set...
24:17Then, yeah.
24:18That'd be quite cool.
24:19It's worth it.
24:19But for one, it's...
24:21I'll tell you what, I'm going to let you sit on that
24:24and test it.
24:25Don't break it.
24:26Oh!
24:27Yeah, Audrey, alright.
24:28Does it feel comfy enough, like it's screwed up properly?
24:32Yeah, it's pretty sturdy.
24:32It's very cold.
24:33Is it?
24:34Well, yeah, it's very sturdy.
24:35Right.
24:36Well, do you know what?
24:37Do you want to find out?
24:38I mean, I think if we got these...
24:40I'd love them to be buy one, get one free.
24:42Yeah, yeah.
24:43Then I think at auction, because it's a pair,
24:46and pairs are far more sought after...
24:48Yeah.
24:49Might be reaching free figures.
24:51Yeah.
24:51Yeah.
24:52Could do 100, 120.
24:54Yeah.
24:54Do you want to ask, shall we?
24:54Yeah, let's ask.
24:56Yeah?
24:56Yeah, yeah.
24:56Why not?
24:57Hi, guys.
24:58Is this £75 for the pair?
24:59I wish it was, but unfortunately they're £75 each.
25:03Yeah.
25:03But they've got a real look to them, haven't they?
25:05They do, they do, and as I was saying, it's that trendy look.
25:07What would you be best for the pair?
25:10Ooh.
25:11Could it be a Bradford Bogoff?
25:12Yeah.
25:13Not quite, but I could do £85 for the pair.
25:17£85 for the pair?
25:18For the pair.
25:19I'm quite keen.
25:20Do you like them?
25:20Yeah, yeah.
25:21Would you like them more if they were like 80?
25:24Probably.
25:26I'll shake your hands at £80, guys.
25:28Really?
25:29Oh, you are amazing.
25:31Thank you very much.
25:31Brilliant.
25:32You're a legend.
25:34Great haggling by the Reds.
25:36And that's our final buy.
25:37We'll see how all six of our teams got on at auction shortly.
25:40But before that, Natasha went to learn about a very famous forest.
25:49It's one of the most famous areas of woodland in the world, Sherwood Forest.
25:55Shrouded in myth and legend, it once covered around a fifth of Nottinghamshire.
26:00Today, Sherwood boasts a staggering number of ancient oaks and one particular tree, the Major Oak, has defied the passage
26:08of time to reach a truly remarkable age.
26:11I'm meeting Ian Major of the Sherwood Forest Trust to learn more.
26:16Ian, it is incredible. Almost hard to wrap your head around the fact that this tree has been there for
26:21a millennium, a thousand years. It's amazing.
26:24It's survived 41 kings and queens, seen the sealing of the Magna Carta, the English Civil War, two world wars,
26:32and it's avoided the woodsman's axe throughout all that time.
26:35So we know roughly how old the Major Oak is, but what about its dimensions? Can you put it into
26:40facts and figures?
26:41We think that it's round about 23 tonnes, the circumference of the trunk is round about 10 metres, and the
26:48spread of the branches round about 30 metres.
26:51It's a behemoth.
26:54Size also helps to establish the age of a tree. Measuring the diameter of the trunk and dividing by the
27:00average growth each year can be a good guide.
27:02And anything above 9.5 metres is thought to be more than a thousand years old.
27:08And these poles, which are propping up the tree, when were they added?
27:12Around about 100 years ago, it was active management. The Victorians saw this as a tourist attraction.
27:19So the props were put on it to stop those huge branches from falling down.
27:23And are they just halting the inevitable? Or is this tree actually still growing?
27:30There's still growth there, so it's very vibrant in the crown. So the prospects are good at the moment.
27:35The RSPB, as the current guardians of the Major Oak and Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, conduct regular surveys.
27:43And so there's some good marks that it's getting at the moment, but there's more time behind it than there
27:49is in front of it.
27:49You put it so nicely when you said that the Major Oak has avoided the woodman's axe over the years.
27:55What about the others that didn't? What did they go on to become?
27:58When we go back 800 years to the Norman Conquest, those trees were used for everything.
28:04From the common people with their spoons, their bowls, their chairs, their houses, their fires.
28:08The men of the woods that grew and tended to the trees could grow the trees in such a way
28:15and then halved that it was mirrored and created the bow of a ship or the arch of a cathedral.
28:21So this was one of the finest factories in the kingdom.
28:25Oaks from Sherwood were used in the construction of St Paul's Cathedral and Nelson's flagship, the HMS Victory, which used
28:32a staggering 2,000 trees alone.
28:35But the drain on this natural resource had been noticed 200 years earlier.
28:41Elizabeth I in the 17th century saw the problem that this was causing from the creation of her navy and
28:48decided that a planting program across the whole of the country was in order.
28:53It's really interesting to think that there was a nod to sustainability even back then.
28:58Before that realisation, what's been the knock-on effect of the over-exploitation of the land?
29:04When we go from 1609, we have good written evidence that there were round about 49,000 trees in this
29:10part of Sherwood.
29:12Come forward to 1790, that number had dropped to round about 10,000 trees.
29:17And then we come forward to today and there are only 1,000 ancient oak trees in Sherwood Forest.
29:23You say only 1,000 other ancient oak trees, but surely that's a huge amount.
29:28Is there anywhere else in the world that can compare?
29:31Probably not. This is probably the greatest example of ancient trees of any species in the whole of Europe.
29:38So that's the history of this tree, the major oak, and indeed the area, but what about its future?
29:44This area specifically is going to remain as a protected area, hopefully become bigger as a protected area.
29:50But our charity wants Sherwood Forest to become more wooded, lots more trees, and we want people to benefit from
29:55those trees.
29:56So, once again, mighty oaks from tiny acorns will grow.
30:01Absolutely.
30:02Well, that's great to hear, and Ian, it's been great to hear all about the major oak and the area,
30:07so thank you very much for talking me through it.
30:11Right, it's time to see how our team's purchases got on at auction.
30:15First up, I headed to Litchfield to see what auctioneer Richard Winterton thought of that egg-preserving pail.
30:23I mean, it looks like it has preserved a few eggs as well.
30:26And they're really trendy, they do sell.
30:29We've gone 15 to 25, I don't think they paid much more than that, I would have thought.
30:3215 to 25 pounds, they paid 35 pounds.
30:36OK, bit of a push, we'll get closer.
30:38So, did the sale room shell out?
30:40A good galvanised egg-preserving pail and cover.
30:45Always popular, these is, you're going to be bidding on this.
30:47Good for the garden.
30:4815 pound I bid, 15 pound the internet, 20 pound I bid.
30:5220 pounds.
30:5325 I bid, 28 I bid, 30 pound I bid.
30:57Keep going, keep going.
30:5935 pound I bid.
31:00One more.
31:01Five.
31:0235, we're tinkering at 35.
31:04Come on.
31:0635 pound I bid, 36.
31:08Yes!
31:0936 pounds, 36, 38 pounds.
31:1338 pounds.
31:14It's in the corner, right away, 38 pounds.
31:18Thank you very much.
31:21Well done.
31:22Very well done.
31:23That is a three pound profit on your first lot.
31:27An enthusiastic sale room and a small profit.
31:30A cracking result.
31:32Next, we're off to Cardiff where Charlie checked in with auctioneer Ben Rogers-Jones.
31:37What did he make of the blue team's scythe?
31:41It's got a sort of gothic look to it.
31:42It has got a look about it.
31:44Yeah, I like this.
31:45It's the sort of thing that is collected by Welsh people in agricultural Wales.
31:49Yep.
31:50Could go on a barn conversion or perhaps a restaurant.
31:53Yes.
31:53And you can just imagine some late Victorian farm worker breaking his back in the fields
32:00with it, can't you?
32:01Oh, wow.
32:01You paint such a picture.
32:02What about a value?
32:0430 to 40.
32:04Well, they paid 25 pounds.
32:06That was quite a reasonable buy, I think, wasn't it?
32:08He got a good chance.
32:09Did the bidders want a slice of the action?
32:12Not one, two, nine.
32:14The English scythe.
32:15I've got to start at 35.
32:18We're in.
32:19We're in.
32:20Your dad's good, isn't he?
32:22Your dad is a star.
32:2345 in the room.
32:2445 bid.
32:2545 pounds.
32:27Is there 50?
32:27Up 45.
32:29Up 45.
32:30Harvesting a profit here.
32:31All done at 45.
32:32Massive.
32:32Up 45.
32:34Plus 20.
32:36The scythe was a cut above.
32:38It almost doubled its money.
32:41Next, we're off to Derby where Eric asked auctioneer Sean Devitt what he thought of the tree pruner.
32:48It's for getting to those top branches.
32:51Yeah, I could imagine it's a useful object, you know, in one of these kind of stately homes, really.
32:56Is it really commercial or not?
32:58Only time will tell at the auction.
33:00But we've put an estimate of 20 to 40 pounds.
33:03Oh, well, they'll be happy with that.
33:04They paid 28 pounds for it.
33:05It's OK, to be honest.
33:06Yeah.
33:08The auctioneer was hopeful, but how did it get on?
33:11Well, what shall we say for that?
33:1330 pounds for it, please.
33:1430.
33:15It's huge.
33:1630 pounds for it, quickly.
33:18Come on.
33:19It'll do it.
33:1920 pounds, then.
33:2020 pounds quickly.
33:22Any bids at 20.
33:24Oh, dear.
33:2510, then.
33:27Hovering bid.
33:2710 bid now.
33:28This is damage limitation, boys.
33:30How much do I see?
33:31At 10 pounds and selling, hit 12, 12, 15 now.
33:35Oh, 15, please.
33:36Oh.
33:37At 12 pounds, 15, 15 bid.
33:39At 15 pounds on the internet, you sure?
33:42Last 18 bid.
33:43Oh, brilliant, yeah.
33:4520 pounds for you.
33:47At 8, 20 bid.
33:49At 20 pounds bid on the internet.
33:5120 pounds and selling.
33:53All done at 20.
33:54Yes!
33:55So you bought for 28, sold for 20.
33:57You made a loss of eight pounds.
33:59What a shame.
34:01Despite some online interest, the pruner didn't quite take root.
34:05Three down, three to go.
34:07And while we take a quick break from the auction, Danny Sebastian celebrated the best of British
34:12farming life and discovered where there's muck, there's brass.
34:20Before the use of machinery in the 20th century, we relied on horses to provide the muscle needed
34:26to power industry and agriculture.
34:30To help them perform their tasks efficiently and safely, they wore harnesses, bridles and reins.
34:37But this particular equipment was often decorated with ornaments known as horse brass.
34:43To find out more, I'm meeting farmer and collector Ian Jones, chairman of the National Horse Brass Society, who boasts
34:53a staggering 5,000 pieces in his collection.
34:58Welcome Ian.
34:59Ian.
34:59I mean, this seems like a fitting place to meet you.
35:02We're at an antiques fair at the agricultural show ground.
35:06Yeah, I never miss one.
35:07Come here every time.
35:09Some of these brasses were found at this fair.
35:11How did they first come about?
35:13Well, horses were used for everything, from hauling all their food on the farms, in the towns, the dust cart,
35:21everything was horse-drawn.
35:23It all started about 1850 with the brasses.
35:27It was very simple decorations, fixed to the leather with shanks on the back.
35:31But obviously, the shanks on the back were metal and they used to rust through and the pieces dropped off.
35:36So somebody came up with a bright idea of putting a hanger on to secure them.
35:41Is that the bar across the top?
35:43Yes.
35:43Here is an early example where it's got both a hanger and the remains of the metal pins.
35:49Oh, I see.
35:50One of my favourites is this particular martingale here.
35:55What's a martingale?
35:56It's the Herefordshire name for a strap of brasses.
36:00In some parts of the country they were called a breastplate.
36:02They were very often given it a ploughing match, free, as a prize.
36:06What's a ploughing match?
36:09It's turning the ground over to plant crops.
36:12So it was really the person who could plough the straightest and tidiest furrow.
36:17And whoever made the tidiest line would get a brass.
36:21Yeah.
36:21And what makes this one so special?
36:23Because it's local, it's rare, that's only the second one of those I've ever seen.
36:28Vener, the saddler, his son was actually killed in the First World War.
36:32That ended the Vener dynasty, really.
36:35But to any collector, the local things are the things you always treasure most.
36:39It's still in such great condition, even the buckles, the leather.
36:43Do you still polish them?
36:44Occasionally.
36:46It's like painting the fourth road bridge, to be honest.
36:50In the 1930s and 40s, people liked to have them in their house and in pubs.
36:55Used to be down the side of fireplaces, didn't they?
36:58Yes.
36:58Seems like a daft question, but are they always made of brass?
37:02Or are there any made of, say, different materials?
37:05Oh yes, they're made from several different materials.
37:08They made the porcelain-centred ones, very often red, white and blue,
37:12but the blue-petalled ones are quite rare.
37:14They also made them with mirrors in.
37:17Can you imagine a horse covered in those on a sunny day?
37:20Oh, it would be very nice, wouldn't it?
37:21Just after the war, there was a metal shortage
37:23and the RSPCA awarded for, I think it was four or five years,
37:30plastic brasses,
37:31and they weren't popular with the carters because they couldn't polish them.
37:34They are desirable.
37:36I mean, what sort of values are we talking, Ian?
37:38You can still pick them up.
37:40I've seen brasses here today at the fair,
37:42just ordinary pattern brasses, good Victorian ones,
37:45for a couple of pounds each.
37:47But still now, when a rare piece comes up for sale,
37:50they can make many hundreds of pounds.
37:52So tell me, Ian, which one's your favourite?
37:55Well, Danny, my usual answer to that is the next one
37:58because I'm always on the lookout for more brasses.
38:01But I do have a favourite.
38:03It would probably be this one here,
38:06which says,
38:07My friend, always kind and faithful.
38:10And what a sentiment between the carter and his horse.
38:13That sounds like a lovely sentiment.
38:15And thank you very much, Ian.
38:17I've loved it.
38:20Right, let's return to our team's buys.
38:22We're going to head to Malvern to see what auctioneer Philip Serrell thought of the red stall.
38:28Can we be sure it comes from Pembrokeshire?
38:30Oh, I'm positive.
38:32I'm positive.
38:33Mattis is my mate.
38:34I'm 100% convinced.
38:36What about an estimate?
38:3820 to 40 pounds.
38:39They've paid 40.
38:40So we're doing all right, aren't we?
38:41Yeah, it's punchy, but it's there.
38:42Yeah.
38:43A punchy price, but was it a knockout?
38:47There we go.
38:48Bid me for this.
38:48The little Welsh stall.
38:49I like this.
38:50Who's got 50 pound to start me?
38:54Silence.
38:56The way auctions work is that someone puts their hand up.
39:01Someone start me at 30 pounds.
39:0430 I'm bid at 30.
39:06At 30 pounds.
39:07At 30 pounds only at 30.
39:09It's your bid 5.
39:1135, 40.
39:12Come on.
39:125.
39:1445.
39:15Just one more, sir.
39:1650.
39:1750 bid.
39:1760 now.
39:18At 60 pounds, seated and done.
39:20Then it's 60 and done.
39:23Damn.
39:24That's 20 pounds.
39:26That's good.
39:27A slow start, but Mr Serrell milked a healthy profit.
39:31It's the Blues boot scraper next.
39:33In Stratford-upon-Avon, auctioneer Mark Ashley gave his verdict.
39:38We're on a partly rural area here, so I think you've got a winner, because outside the cottage, you know,
39:44got on a nice dog walk.
39:45It's a useful item.
39:47So I think we'll sell it.
39:49Estimates, sir?
39:4930 to 50.
39:50All right.
39:51They spent 25 pounds on that one.
39:53Oh.
39:53So, you know, things are looking up a little bit now.
39:57It sounded promising, but did the boot scraper step up?
40:00I can start it there at 20.
40:03Who's got five?
40:0525.
40:0530.
40:065.
40:0740.
40:0840, do you go internet?
40:09Aren't you going to be there at the end?
40:10Another one?
40:11Are we all finished?
40:12It'll go then for 35 pounds.
40:16Internet's just come back.
40:17They woke up.
40:18They got back to the computer just in time.
40:21Do I see five anywhere?
40:22At 40, I'll sell.
40:24Then at 40, it's away.
40:2640 pounds.
40:2740 pounds.
40:2840 pounds.
40:31OK, so that is plus 15 pounds.
40:35Having the auction in a rural area definitely helped the scraper to a bootiful profit.
40:41And finally, it's back to the red team and their upcycled tractor seat bar stools.
40:46Natasha asked auctioneer Caroline Hawley what she made of them.
40:51They are quite a fun way to upcycle though, aren't they?
40:53Yeah, they are.
40:53And they go up and down.
40:55They go round and round.
40:56And I quite like a spin on a seat.
40:59So, yeah, I think 100 to 150.
41:01They were cheaper at 80 pounds.
41:03It's a good buy.
41:06Caroline was a fan, but did the tractor stools plough to a profit?
41:09And I've got to start you at 100 pounds.
41:14Yes.
41:15Yes.
41:16Get it.
41:16Look at the 110.
41:18110 in the room.
41:20120.
41:21130 in the room.
41:23140.
41:24Blue's better watch out.
41:25Good going.
41:26Excellent.
41:27Nice work.
41:28150, the bid is in the room at 150.
41:30All done.
41:32Yes.
41:33Well done.
41:34150 is a 70 pound profit.
41:37Nice.
41:38A fantastic result for the tractor seat bar stools.
41:41What a way to end our auctions, but where did our team's items rank?
41:46Time for our chart countdown.
41:48In at number six was the vintage tree pruner.
41:52Oh.
41:53Oh.
41:54It didn't quite cut it with an eight pounds loss.
41:58At number five was the egg-preserving pail.
42:01Thank you, everyone.
42:02Yeah.
42:03Scrambling to a small three pounds profit.
42:06In at number four was the boot scraper.
42:09Oh.
42:1040 pounds.
42:12It made a tidy 15 pounds profit.
42:15It's a tie for the number two spot.
42:17First up, the vintage scythe swung into action.
42:20Harvesting a profit here.
42:22All done.
42:22With a 20 pounds profit.
42:23And the utterly charming Welsh stool also made 20 pounds.
42:29Woo.
42:30And taking the top spot at number one are the upcycled tractor seat bar stools.
42:36Excellent.
42:37Nice work.
42:38They ploughed a path to an impressive profit of 70 pounds.
42:45Well, sadly, that brings us to the end of our countryside ramble, but hopefully we've
42:50sown a few seeds of inspiration if you're looking to invest in some rural related treasures of
42:55your own.
42:55Don't forget to follow us on social media and more importantly, join us again next time for
43:00some more bargain hunting.
43:01Yes.
43:02Yes.
43:03Yes!
Comments