♪ >> We're hitting the road in our trusty travelling auction house... >> Whoa!

>> Your tools are gonna be shaking around.

...on the hunt for treasures hidden in homes all across Britain.

Whoa.

This is pretty tall.

>> That's huge.

And our mission -- to find those unloved and forgotten gems, give them a new lease of life, and make them into money.

>> Oh, wow.

Look at that.

Transforming has-beens into must-haves... >> It's a job well worth doing.

>> ...master restorer Will Kirk.

>> Glue, glue, and good as new.

And finding value in those overlooked objects, auction supremo Christina Trevanion.

>> Is that a Fender Strat?

>> It is.

>> Here we go.

Everything we find... >> ...and fix... >> ...will go under the hammer in our travelling sale room.

£850, £900.

>> Popping up in the most surprising of places, we bring the auction to you.

>> £2,200.

[ Gavel bangs ] You know what we say -- Have gavel, will travel.

♪ >> Today we're in Somerset, a fabulous county on all sorts of levels.

It's gorgeous around here, isn't it?

Very leafy.

Somerset is known for its cider.

>> And cheese.

>> Well, do you know what?

>> Yeah?

>> If we have a good day today... >> Yeah.

>> ...I will treat you to a ploughman's... >> Ah!

>> ...and a cider.

How about that?

>> That sounds very good.

>> We'll have earned it, mind you, because the couple we're about to meet have a house and a barn crammed full of objects they need to offload.

>> I'm Lucy.

>> And I'm Jeremy.

And unfortunately, we've got to the point where we really do need to downsize in a serious way.

>> Jeremy and Lucy are going from country house to townhouse.

>> Right.

Okay.

>> Which is quite tricky because there's a lot of emotional attachment to these things.

>> We'll try to help with that as well.

♪ We are on our way to the countryside close to Frome, where Jeremy and Lucy live in a converted stable, surrounded by an awful lot of reminders of their past.

>> I decided that we really needed to get rid of these things.

I think generally Jeremy is a bit more of a hoarder than I am, but I am more sentimental about my family's things.

>> I definitely see us as proper collectors.

We have a passion for it, and I believe that everything has a soul.

Even a video recorder that's flushing a zero must feel very bored unless you change the time on it.

And when it comes to my ephemera, which is all printed magazines and books and things, you pick up a magazine from 1938, you're there.

>> Jeremy and Lucy love their country life, which for many years involved running a local pub, but now feel that Frome will be a much better place to grow old.

It's a big step.

>> Now is the right time because we've just got to let go of all the stuff.

We want to move into our nice, new home, and we want to have a less cluttered lifestyle.

It's the time to go.

Definitely.

>> This is really going to be quite a massive change psychologically, mentally, all those things, because it is completely different to my whole life and I'm quite scared of it.

I'm desperately trying to look on the pluses.

>> But of course, for all the pain of being parted from some of their treasured objects, our decluttering service does offer certain benefits.

>> Depending on the amount of money we raise from the auction.

We just want to spend the money on whatever conversions we need to do to take care of the new house.

>> I think if we raised enough money, which I'm sure we will with Will and Christina's help, what we'd really love to do is go to America.

Both of us have family over there, and that would mean an awful lot to us because we miss our family.

>> And of course, we're recycling in the best possible way.

People are using what we're selling.

It's carrying on.

>> Hear, hear.

Our job will be to make that happen, sifting through some of their possessions and then selling them in our mobile auction, making money to turn their dreams into reality.

What will you be looking out for today?

>> Expect the unexpected.

>> Oh!

>> What about yourself?

>> I think rustic farmhouse would suit me down to the ground.

But this whole wonderful experience with you has taught me that you just never know what you're going to find.

>> No.

>> We need more than Christina to come because we've got some lovely old things and we need to know how much they're worth.

And maybe Will could make something a bit nicer for the people that might buy it at the auction.

>> This will be the farm then.

And that will be the barn.

♪ Nice knock.

>> Thanks!

I've been refining it.

[ Both laugh ] >> Hello!

>> Hi!

>> How are you both?

>> Jeremy.

>> Excellent to see you.

>> Hi.

And Lucy.

>> Hi!

How are you doing?

>> Very, very well, thank you.

>> Nice to meet you.

>> Lovely to meet you, too.

Now, I've got a feeling that this looks quite tiny, but is actually deceptively spacious.

>> It really is.

>> Yes.

Chaotically.

>> There lots for the two of you to look at.

>> Fantastic.

Do you mind if we go in?

>> Oh, please do.

It'll be exciting.

>> Lovely.

>> Alright, let's go.

In we go.

>> Huge door.

>> It is, isn't it?

Love the color.

>> Detective time starts now.

>> Ah!

Right.

I'm gonna go this way.

>> Right.

I'll go this way.

>> Okay.

Enjoy.

>> Jeremy and Lucy's house is absolutely packed to the gunnels with interesting items.

It's a challenge focusing on one thing.

♪ >> The couple describe themselves as a bit eccentric.

I'm beginning to see why.

>> This is a nice chair.

Springs are fine.

Structurally fine.

>> One of a pair of Gainsborough chairs.

They could sell well.

>> This is quite big for a townhouse.

I wonder if Jeremy and Lucy are gonna take this with them.

And if not, I wonder how much Christina can sell this for.

>> My auction estimate would be £150 to £250.

One down.

What's to be found upstairs?

No room out of bounds.

Ooh.

What's in here?

No stone unturned.

Ooh.

That looks like quite a nice little box.

Ooh.

With an even nicer contents.

My goodness, we've got all sorts of things in here.

We've got coins.

We've got brooches.

We've got little buttons.

And a rather lovely bangle.

I think I might need to have a chat with Lucy about these, because these are quite precious.

>> Well done, Christina.

That didn't take her long.

This is nice.

It's a low table, but it's a chunky bit of wood.

A vase stand which has unfortunately seen better days.

Well, the top is definitely damaged.

Gosh.

Right, so, we've got not just cracked marble, but actual missing pieces.

These corners have opened up.

Looks quite sturdy, but I think the top is slightly wobbly.

Well, there's definitely potential here.

The wood looks really tired.

It could do with a bit of TLC.

I think I might know someone who could help with this broken marble, but it would only be worth doing if I can reinforce the structure.

I think I can fix these joints and really add value to this piece.

I think I'm gonna get this out to the van.

Bend at the knees.

>> Lucy, let's have a chat about these.

Where do these things come from?

Talk to me about the bangle first.

>> That was when I was 21.

Unfortunately, my mother had just died recently, but my father wanted to give me something, so I said I just wanted a plain gold bangle because I don't like fussy things.

>> That is such a great idea.

And it's just so simple, isn't it?

>> Yeah.

>> If Lucy can bear to part with it, then that bangle could be worth a good sum.

But there's more.

>> Well, I found that recently.

in some things that I had.

And I wasn't sure.

Somebody said to me they thought it might be a suffragette pin.

So, I'd love to know what you think.

>> The appeal of having a piece of jewelry made for the suffrage movement adds a huge amount of value.

So, it is unfortunately quite an overused term.

>> Ah.

>> Genuine suffragette jewelry is actually incredibly rare because it was all quite secret and the suffragette movement would know if you were wearing jewelry that was set with something green, normally a peridot... >> Yes.

>> ...a white stone, normally a pearl, perhaps a diamond, and a violet stone or a purple stone, which is normally an amethyst.

Green, White and Violet stood for, "Give Women the Vote."

>> "The Vote."

Of course.

>> Is it something you want to sell or something -- >> Yes, I do.

>> And then what else have we got in here?

We've got some really rather nice shirt buttons.

Now, these normally would come in a fitted case.

They're actually stamped, 18 karat and platinum.

>> Wow.

>> Now, these would have come as part of what we would term a gentlemen's dressing set, in a fitted box.

And this would be his collar stud.

There should have been a set of cufflinks to go with it.

>> Right.

Well, maybe I'll have a look around, see if I can find them.

>> Well, that would be great.

[ Laughs ] I think, as it stands at the moment, I'd probably pop it in a bit of a group with those guys there.

And then underneath here, you've got just, you know, hanging around -- >> It's an old coin.

>> It's an old coin, but it's quite a special old coin.

>> Wow.

>> What do you think it is?

>> It might be a sovereign, but I'm not sure.

>> Oh, it's a sovereign, alright, in good condition, too, and from 1912, worth up to about £300.

So, I think at auction, for all that little contents, I think we're probably looking somewhere in the region of sort of £500 to £700, Lucy.

>> Wow.

That's amazing.

>> Which isn't bad, really, for a box of stuff.

>> No.

>> Are you happy for us to put those towards auction?

>> Very happy.

Thank you.

>> I'm going to value them at £250 to £350 for the sovereign, £60 to £100 for the platinum buttons and amethyst brooch, and £250 to £300 for the bangle.

Not a bad start.

>> Plus, I've already spotted these Gainsborough chairs and something in need of quite a lot of TLC.

Originally, this would have had a nice Chinese vase on there.

However, it's probably not the safest surface to put anything on.

The marble is broken and it needs to come out before I can actually do anything of the woodwork.

I'm hoping to get this marble out in one, two, three pieces with no more breakages and then get that fix separately.

But before I do that, I need to get my tools.

Now, I'm not quite sure what I'll require.

This could be a very tricky operation.

There are a few bits of wood around the outside here and they've been used to fill out a gap.

I think that this has shrunk and warped over time.

Lots of these pieces of furniture are made in warmer climates, so when they come to somewhere cold like the UK, they tend to shrink and move.

And that's what's happened here.

I'm hoping if I can get these bits of wood out, it might give me enough space to wiggle this marble out.

I'm just using this sharp too here to flick out this wooden packing.

This has been used to fill a lot of those gaps around the outside, and I'm hoping the more packing I take out, it's going to give me more wiggle room.

The more wiggle room I have, I'm hoping to get this marble out without causing any extra damage.

[ Chuckles ] I am slightly nervous about this because there's only one piece of wood underneath that marble kind of keeping in place.

So I'm keeping my left hand under here just to catch it in case it falls.

This is really quite nerve-wracking.

This corner piece really wants to come out, but there's a tiny bit of lipping.

Oh.

[ Chuckles ] Oh.

There we go.

I think this piece is just about to come out.

Come on.

Ah.

[ Laughs ] Okay.

Right, one piece is out.

Oh, I'm absolutely sweating.

Okay.

I'll put that there.

Hoping it's going to give me a bit more freedom to get these last two pieces out now.

Ah [laughs] success.

>> Well done.

Talk about a safe pair of hands.

♪ Meanwhile, I've gone in search of Lucy and Jeremy's most pressing problem.

[ Gasps ] Here we are.

This is it.

I think I've found it.

Wow.

So, this is what Lucy and Jeremy have to get rid of before they can possibly make the move to Frome.

Quite some task.

Hmm.

Not a huge amount in there.

Let's move on.

Will and I can't hope to clear all this, of course.

But we can seek out the items that will do well at auction.

♪ That's rather smart, isn't it?

That is pretty wild.

I like that.

Is that Bruce Onobrakpeya?

Now, that's really interesting.

It's not really the kind of thing that you expect to find in a barn, a piece of really rather beautiful African art.

So, we've got here, if we look down here, it says here 15 out of 40, so that we know it is one of a series of 40 that was produced of this particular image.

And the fact that we've got a title in pencil down here fills me with joy.

>> Sounds exciting.

Now back to the repair department.

With the marble top now safely removed and soon to be sent off for specialist repair, The next job is to make it a lot less wonky.

Not only am I getting rid of the cobwebs because no one wants cobwebs, but I'm also cleaning out any debris from inside the joints and making sure that there's nothing going to stand in the way of getting this nice and steady again.

Now I'm about to try to carefully remove the top frame from the base to make it easier to repair.

There we go.

Ah.

Here we are.

Hey.

It's like a 3D jigsaw puzzle, this.

It's time to reach for my own gavel and wood glue.

The wood has actually warped, so you've got these different steps and grooves there.

I mean, it's never gonna look like a completely flush new place, and I don't want it to.

I want it to actually show its age.

So, I'm going to get some glue in here now.

Knock it back together in the best shape that I can.

And any tiny slivers on the inside that are missing, I can pack those with bits of wood.

I'm using some wood glue now.

And the great thing is there's quite a lot of wooden surface on the inside.

And the more surface you have to glue, the better.

It's going to really help you get a better bond.

Hammer time.

It's better to use a wooden mallet or a rubber mallet when working with wood because you're less likely to dent the wooden surface.

Using a metal mallet, you know, there's a high risk of you scratching causing some nasty dents.

♪ That needs some time to set, and all is going well.

Right, once that dries, I'm gonna get on with something else.

>> While I talk to Lucy about the interesting picture that I've discovered in the barn.

>> My late brother gave this to me in the '70s.

But unfortunately, when he died about 10 years ago, it took up even more sentimental value for me.

So I've always sort of had it with me and didn't really want to get rid of it.

But I think now might be the time.

And I think he would understand that now.

>> It's a very niche market, but there is a market that I know is very up-and-coming.

And I think your brother had a great amount of foresight to see that.

>> Mm.

>> And whilst he was -- Was he living over there?

>> Yeah, he was working over there and got married there.

>> So, this is very characteristic of the artist, who has actually signed his name down here -- Bruce Onobrakpeya, Lagos, August 1976.

I just think it's fascinating.

If I'm honest, I don't really understand it, but I think it's really interesting.

>> Yeah.

>> Your brother bought it back on his travels?

>> Well, yes, I think he bought it at a show in Lagos in 1977, and it probably was for one of my birthdays.

And he sent it to me rolled up.

>> What a very thoughtful present.

>> He was a very, very thoughtful, lovely man.

>> Aww.

>> And it's a great loss to us all.

He's very dear to us.

He was.

>> Yes, I bet he was.

Well, I think he's got everything going for it, which would mean it would hopefully fetch a good price for you.

>> Thank you.

Bless you, Greg.

>> It should do very well, hopefully even better than the £150 to £200 estimate I'm giving it.

I wonder what else they have tucked away in here.

Ooh!

My goodness.

>> I've had all my family's furniture since the '70s, really, and just felt I had to keep it because it belonged to the family.

>> As soon as I was able to actually have my own possessions in my own house, I filled it with stuff.

I never threw a newspaper away.

I never threw an anything away at all.

And I still have a lot of them.

It's never stopped.

That's like 50 years of collecting.

Our kids think nothing of our collecting.

In fact, they're terrified that we collect.

>> And I read an article about -- I think it's the Swedish art of -- I think they call it death cleaning.

It sounds a bit sort of macabre, but where really it's up to us in our sort of 60s -- 50s and 60s, 70s -- to get rid of our stuff.

It's not fair on the next generation.

>> Lucy and Jeremy know exactly what to do.

They just need a bit of a push.

♪ Ooh, pictures.

Ow.

Ooh, that's nice.

Look at that.

That is fab.

So, this would have been part of a much larger chest full of all these trays, and it would have been full of sort of letter-press blocks, if you like.

So this would have had all of your blocks in, and this was 48 point Gloucester Bold Extended, apparently, at one point.

But people put them on the wall like that and they put little things in each little pocket because people were moving away from Granny's display cabinet and they're going more towards looking at more unusual ways of displaying their little knickknacks and trinkets.

And they just look really quite cool.

This one does require work, though, which is where my travelling companion comes in.

It's cool, isn't it?

>> Is that a drawer?

>> It is a drawer.

Yeah, absolutely.

But display cabinet now.

>> Really?

>> Yeah.

I've got one on my office wall.

>> Oh, you put it on the wall.

>> Yeah.

>> That's very nice.

>> Yeah, just a different way of soft of using things and displaying things.

But it looks a bit dry and a bit sad.

>> Yeah.

It needs a bit of TLC.

>> It does need a bit of Will.

>> No sooner said than done.

It's not gonna take long to clean up.

I mean, just a bit of fine sandpaper and a wax and bath is going to totally transform this, and it will look lovely on anyone's wall.

The secret is to not do too much.

Just give it a little light sanding and then a thorough wax.

The wax is going to nourish the wood.

So, it's actually gonna slightly change color because at the moment it's really quite dry and pale-looking.

And by the time I finish the last square, I'm gonna go back round to the first one.

That'll be dry enough to be buffed up.

I'm just using a normal paint brush here to really work the wax into all the grooves and corners.

Using a cloth just isn't the same because it won't reach all those little nooks and crannies.

This is allowing me to get into all of the areas and spread it around evenly.

I didn't anticipate quite how many little sections there are.

Good for printers, not so great for restorers.

>> Hello.

>> Is that for me?

>> You're looking really cross.

[ Laughing ] I don't think I've ever seen you looking so cross.

Why are you looking so cross?

>> I can barely feel my fingers.

>> Oh.

[ Chuckles ] I mean, there are hundreds.

Are you having to do every single one?

>> Yeah.

>> Oh, I'm really sorry.

Well, it looks beautiful.

>> [ Laughs ] >> ...if that's any consolation whatsoever.

I will go and grab you a hot drink.

>> You know, I think this is a really good idea, though.

Instead of throwing the drawer in the bed, I think it's pretty cool, so I'll give you that, Christina.

>> Thanks.

Oh, phew!

I'm off the hook.

It's all worth it for the greater good.

>> Exactly.

>> For the greater good.

I'll go and get you a cup of tea.

Tea or coffee?

>> Tea, please.

>> Tea coming up.

And speaking of the greater good, I need to come up with a few more potential big-ticket items for the auction.

And for a woman who says she's not that keen on gold, Lucy does seem to have quite a lot of it.

Lucy, I've been having a rummage, and you have got some gold jewelry here, which I assume, then, is sort of surplus to requirements.

>> They are.

>> So I found a bracelet and an awful lot of loose charms.

Now, did the charms originally hang on this bracelet?

>> You're quite right.

Yeah, my grandma and grandad used to travel all over the world, and my grandma used to pick up pieces everywhere she went and put them on the chain.

>> I mean, it's better than a stick of rock, isn't it?

>> Yeah.

[ Laughs ] That's lovely.

>> Well, firstly, the bracelet is -- Is unusual in itself, a beautiful piece of jewelry in its own right, but if we go to the charms, they're pretty wacky.

>> Are they?

[ Laughs ] >> Yeah, they're pretty wacky.

You've got the Empire State Building, you've got Big Ben, you've got lions, all these wonderful tales that this bracelet could tell, which are a history of your granny's travels.

The majority of them are 9-karat gold, and I think somebody would buy these and potentially sort of use each one as a charm.

>> Exactly.

>> And that's what I'm trying to do is sort of split them down into what would be appealing in the current market.

Now, tell me, why on Earth have you been keeping all of this jewelry?

Why you kept it so long?

>> I'm a bit of a sentimentalist, and I thought of my grandma and then all my family, and I just keep looking at it, but also I'd never really known its true worth, and it's now time to sort of let them have new homes.

>> Yes, this was Granny's life, but if you've never worn it, would it be worth potentially sort of reinvesting this money into something?

Because you do wear jewelry.

>> That would be really, really good idea, if I can get enough money.

>> Well, that's the crunch point, isn't it, is, how much is it worth?

So I think, in this group here, I would hope we've got between £800 and £1,200.

>> Wonderful.

>> This lot of charms alone I've known will have an estimate in the region of £350.

Now, I wonder how Will's getting on with that quick job which turned out to be anything but.

>> There are so many compartments, so many nooks and crannies.

This has taken me so much longer to wax than I was expecting.

But there's a nice even spread.

It's all waxed, and I think -- I was buffing it up now.

It's giving it a really nice sheen.

I hope that the difference that we have made will inspire someone to bid on this at auction, take it home, and display it on their wall.

>> I'll put an auction estimate of £20 to £25 on that.

Time for one more look in the barn.

>> Wow.

I mean, it's a real treasure trove.

So -- ooh.

Ooh, that looks quite nice.

Hmm.

What is this?

Ooh, gosh.

That's a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be.

Ah, that is pietra dura.

That's fantastic.

So pietra dura literally translates as "hard rock" in Italian, and it became incredibly popular in sort of grand tour.

People would go to Italy and come back with these beautiful hard-stone tables and things in pietra dura, but this is actually a picture made from stone, from different stone samples, different colors to create this wonderful image.

Although the technique has Roman roots, it was in Florence during the Renaissance that what they called "painting in stone" really developed.

Then, during the 17th century, pietra dura was imitated in India and can be seen in the Taj Mahal.

A bit like a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces interlock and are then held together by a frame.

And look at her fingers.

Look how tiny little fingers are.

Pair of chickens down here and that lovely, cloudy sky behind her.

And even some what we call lapis lazuli, which is a -- which is what we use in jewelry quite often, as well, picked out on her bodice.

That is beautiful.

I think, if it was in good condition, I wouldn't hesitate and put sort of £200 to £300 on it, but I think, in this condition, unfortunately, it has seen better days.

I'd maybe be conservative at £60 to £100.

But lovely thing.

Really lovely thing.

>> Nice find, Christina.

Now back to my slightly less-than-interlocking bits of marble.

Martin's arrived from Devon to supply some expert help.

>> Hi, there.

Good to see you.

>> Thanks for coming down.

>> What have you got for me, then?

>> Broken marble -- something I can't fix, but I know you are the man for the job.

>> Yeah, I'm sure that's something we can do.

>> Now, I've had a lot of challenges with woodwork, but, as a marble expert, what do you think the challenges are going to be?

>> Well, I can see here that you've got a piece missing.

So the hardest part will be finding a stone to match and then getting that to fit and glue back in.

>> I thought you about to say the hardest thing will be to find the missing piece, because that's long gone.

[ Both laugh ] >> We should have something similar, something -- maybe this pale stuff, fit that in with some nice glue, get that I polished up for you.

>> Wonderful.

It's a tricky fit, but what I've done is I have fixed the top of the table... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...so you can take that away with you, and then you can fit that marble to the top.

That'd be grand.

>> Perfect.

That's something we can definitely do for you.

>> I wish you the best of luck.

>> Cheers.

Thank you.

Yeah, we'll make sure to start on that right away.

>> Go really careful with that marble.

[ Both chuckle ] >> I will.

Will do.

>> Thanks again, Martin.

>> Cheers.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.

>> Cheers.

Bye.

>> It's looking good for Lucy and Jeremy's big move, not to mention their hopes of making some cash for the new house.

We've already come up with a nice pile of jewelry plus a couple of artworks that they'd like to pass on.

Anything else?

>> Christina... >> Yeah?

>> ...I have something here that might be of great interest to you.

>> Ooh.

>> I'll tell you what I think it is, but being the expert, you'll be able to tell me exactly what it is.

Now, I've been told it's a Japanese bowl that was used a very long time ago to test food poisoning.

In fact, anything that's poisonous that's put in that bowl actually affects the bowl.

>> Right, so what we have here is a celadon-glazed bowl.

It's got this wonderful jade color to it, hasn't it?

The celadon glaze is one of the very first glazes to be developed in China in the Song dynasty, I think, which is from the sort of 10th to the 13th centuries, and you're absolutely right.

It was believed that celadon glaze could detect poison in food.

It was thought that the glaze would shrink or crack or break when it came into contact with poison, with food poison.

>> Wow.

That is utterly fascinating.

I mean, how did they find that out?

Quite remarkable.

>> There is no scientific back up to that, I have to say.

There is no absolute proof, but it's a great story, isn't it?

>> It's a wonderful story.

>> Yeah.

I'm giving this bowl an auction estimate of £20 to £30.

I think Jeremy might be beginning to embrace decluttering.

>> The hardest part of the whole process will be actually saying goodbye to our stuff, literally saying goodbye.

I have cried when my cars have been driven away that I've sold.

>> We can't bear the thought of putting anything in a skip.

Whatever it is, we always try and find a home for it.

>> Rest assured, so do we.

I found this lovely little bookstand in the barn.

I mean, structurally, it's alright.

However, there are a few superficial scratches around the outside.

Because this has been varnished over with a varnish that has a sort of a tint of color in there, the areas that have worn back through have left this quite white-looking wood.

It stands out like a sore thumb, but, bit of a handy trick, you can actually use tea.

So put some tea bags into a bowl and pretty much just with a rag.

If you dip your rag into the tea and rub it onto the surface [chuckles] and just like that, that scratch is pretty much disguised.

>> Good work, Will.

That's going to auction, as well, with a modest £10 to £15 estimate, but at least it'll find a new owner and save it from going to waste.

We do have high hopes for the plant stand, though.

Once Martin's finished his work on the top.

>> We are a family firm.

We've been around since 1836.

We make and repair marble items, including antiques, tabletops, and fireplaces and the like.

>> Matching marble is a tricky business, but, luckily, Martin has quite a bit of choice.

>> Marble is a natural product.

It's the colors.

It's the veins.

Marble to us is what wood is to a carpenter.

It's unique.

>> Martin's able to glue the marble together using a specialist stone glue.

>> This item could easily have gone in the bin if it wasn't brought to us, and that's what I love about my job is putting things like this and putting it back together in a way that looks like it once did.

>> When it's dried, he can grind it back, polish it, and finish it off with beeswax.

>> So now that this is done and together, I'm really confident that people are going to love it.

It's a nice, simple, elegant piece, and their eyes should be drawn to it now that the stone is vibrant and looking as it should.

>> Wow.

That is amazing.

Great job, Martin.

And, Will, of course.

Broken, it was practically worthless, but my auction estimate is now £40 to £50.

We're almost done.

Got time for one more item.

Now, that looks interesting.

Do you know what this is, Jeremy?

>> Well, I think it's something to do with perfume.

>> It is.

They're called vinaigrettes.

>> Are they?

>> And, initially, it would've held a little sweet scented sponge.

Now, these were very, very popular in the Georgian era, usually sort of 1770, 1780.

This example is not Georgian.

Very late Victorian.

This is Birmingham 1900 and "D&F" for Deakin and Francis.

So, essentially, if you like, it is a reproduction.

Can you imagine how stinky and smelly and pretty grim it must've been in Georgian streets?

>> They were bad, weren't they?

>> Yeah, stuff swashing all over the street, and, as a lady with a delicate disposition, you might've had to have revive yourself... >> Constantly.

>> Exac-- constantly.

...with something slightly sweet-smelling.

So you would carry your little vinaigrette around with you.

>> Wonderful.

>> This one by a relatively run-of-the-mill maker, Deakin & Francis.

and quite late in date.

You want them to start with a 17 rather than a 19.

>> Of course.

>> But nonetheless, really rather sweet still.

I would say, at auction, maybe £50 to £70.

>> Amazing for such a tiny thing.

>> From tired pieces of furniture to tiny pieces of gold and silver, we've unearthed a wealth of forgotten gems from Lucy and Jeremy's home.

Time now to cart it away and get ready to sell it.

Well, I hope we can raise as much money for you on auction day as possible.

>> With your help, I'm sure we'll get there.

>> Aww, I hope so.

And we started the process now.

That's the main thing, isn't it?

>> Exactly.

No, it's been wonderful.

Cathartic.

>> Good.

See you at the auction.

>> Alright.

>> See you soon.

Bye-bye.

>> Bye.

>> Well, we promised ourselves... so let's head to nearby Frome to make it happen.

>> I believe the great Jenson Button... >> Yes.

>> ...Formula One driver is from Frome.

>> Really?

>> Yeah.

What do you think he'd make about our speedy van?

>> "Vroom, vroom."

You can make that sound.

I don't think it's making the van go any faster.

>> No.

Mind you, I'll bet Jenson never won a Grand Prix with the contents of a barn on board.

It's auction time, and some weeks later, we're in Oxfordshire.

>> What a lovely day.

>> Oh, isn't it just stunning?

The sun is out.

I've had time to get the items cataloged and drum up some interest.

What's more, we're going to be down by the river.

I just hope we get an audience.

>> Well, why would you not want to sit waterside listening to you -- >> Droning on.

>> "Droning on."

[ Both laugh ] >> A sunny day at the Cherwell Boathouse on a tributary of the Thames is sure to be busy, maybe even attracting a few hunters, if you see what I mean.

That is the river, isn't it?

>> That is the river.

And we got here in one piece.

And you put the brakes on before we went into the water.

>> What are you trying to say about my driving?

>> I think your driving is amazing.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> I want to see your swimming.

That's what I want to see.

[ Both chuckle ] >> Our riverside location might be lovely and leafy, but we're also very close to the center of Oxford, so I'm sure our pontoon podium will be quite a draw.

>> And I can't wait to see what Lucy and Jeremy think of the newly restored marble table.

>> Hello.

>> Hi.

How are you doing?

>> Two smiley faces.

>> Of course.

>> Here we go.

Finished this.

>> [ Gasps ] >> [ Grunts ] >> I can see -- >> Look at that.

>> Goodness me.

>> Look at that.

>> That's amazing.

>> How did you do that?

That marble's amazing.

>> That's crazy.

>> So the marble has now been restored, so it's solid enough to put a lamp on.

And then the woodwork has cleaned up really beautifully.

>> It really has.

>> Really beautiful.

Well done.

>> Gorgeous.

Really gorgeous.

>> Lovely.

>> Well, I'm hoping everything is going to do really well today.

>> So do we, yeah.

>> So do we.

Fingers crossed.

>> Fingers crossed.

>> [ Chuckles ] >> Yes, there's a grand total of 18 lots going under the hammer today, quite a range, enabling Lucy and Jeremy to clear some clutter and make some cash.

Have you ever been to an auction before?

>> Yes, we have, yes.

>> But have you been to an auction with such a lovely views as this?

>> Never.

>> Never, ever >> This is amazing.

>> Banging my gavel whilst afloat is a novelty for me, as well.

But with the help of David and the team from JS Fine Art of Banbury plus plenty of online interest, we're about to get underway.

>> First up, the pietra dura panel that Christina found in the barn.

>> And I've got £35 already online.

It should be more than this.

It's at £35 and looking for £40.

And £40.

Thank you, sir.

At the back of the room there, on terra firma over there.

at £40 and £5 I have online.

£50, sir?

£50 is good.

Thank you.

And £55 is online.

>> It's going up.

It's going up.

>> £60 is good.

Thank you.

And 65 is bid on line.

£70, sir?

You sure?

At £65 and £70 and £5, it's climbing online at £75.

Looking for £80 now.

>> There we are.

>> And £80 is bid.

>> Ooh, look at that.

>> That's amazing.

>> £90 is bid.

And £5.

Where's £100?

The bid is at £95.

Looking for £100 now.

£100.

Thank you, sir.

>> Ooh.

>> Yes, that's more like it.

>> £120, sir?

Ooh, you're going to have bidder's regret here, I can tell it.

The bid is at £110.

Online has bid at £110.

[ Pounds gavel ] >> Sold.

>> Yay.

[ Chuckles ] >> Yes, that is brilliant.

>> Good?

>> Yeah.

>> What a start.

Next we have Will's repurposed printer's drawer.

And this is had a touch of the Kirk magic.

It did look a little bit shabby when it was in your barn, didn't it, Lucy?

>> Yes, it did.

>> Little bit shabby.

>> And I've actually got one of these on the wall of my office.

>> Have you?

>> Yeah, and I've got all my knobbly knickknacks in it.

I think it should be called a knobbly knickknack holder.

>> Yeah, knobbly knickknack holder.

>> We're asking £5 here.

Surely, one of you on land.

Thank you very much.

At £5, I have -- at £5 I have with the lady -- ooh, are you bidding against each other?

>> Yes, there you go.

>> £10 I have.

[ Laughs ] On the right with you, ma'am, at £10.

Go £15.

Go on.

>> Yeah, £15.

>> Yay.

>> £15.

£20, madam?

£20 is good.

Thank you.

£20.

£25, madam?

£25.

Thank you.

At £25.

£30, madam?

They arrived friends and are going to be leaving as enemies.

[ Laughter ] Looking for £30, but if we're all settled at £25, I'm selling at £25.

>> Well done, Will.

Excellent.

>> I had to work really hard on that.

>> You did.

>> One very happy new owner and friend.

>> The bidding started at £5.

I thought, "Fabulous."

And you chipped in.

>> Sorry about that.

Yeah, I decided that I wanted it, too, so a bidding war began.

>> The Chinese celadon-glazed poison bowl is next.

>> Looking for £50 for it.

Any interest at £50?

£50 I have.

Thank you, sir.

At the back, at £50.

Looking for £55 now.

I will sell this, make no mistake, to you, sir, if we're all settled at £50.

[ Pounds gavel ] >> Sold.

Are you happy it's £50, yeah?

>> Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

>> Another nice return for Lucy and Jeremy, With Lucy's Bruce Onobrakpeya print to follow.

>> Now, I know we've had a lot of interest in this online.

My little estimate here is £150.

Let's ask £150 and see what happens.

At £420... >> What?

Look, it's going up.

>> £480, £500, £500 is bid.

£600 is bid.

>> £650.

>> At £650.

Lucy, I know this meant an awful lot to you.

It's at £650.

Looking for £700.

Fair warning now.

At £650.

I will sell at £650.

[ Pounds gavel ] >> Yeah.

Fabulous.

Wonderful.

>> Yeah.

>> That is fantastic.

>> £650.

>> Yay.

Thank you, Christina.

Well done.

>> Perfect.

>> That was fun.

Plenty of international interest, too.

Quite rightly.

>> Well, it's time now for that rejuvenated marble table.

>> It looks beautiful, doesn't it?

>> It looks beautiful.

>> Really lovely.

>> Now, who'll start me at £60 for it?

£50, then.

£50 for the urn stand.

And £50 I have.

Thank you very much.

£50.

Online bidder at £50.

Where's £5?

I've got £55 on commission, but I will sell, make no mistake, if you're all out online, at £55.

[ Pounds gavel ] >> Another heavyweight antique successfully shed.

Well, you don't have to carry it home now.

>> No.

[ Laughs ] >> It weighs a ton.

>> Yes, it does.

>> There's been plenty of interest in Lucy's granny's charms.

Well, Lucy, I've got two bids of the same amount here, so I'm going to have to actually start this at £630.

>> What?!

>> Yay.

>> I'm so surprised.

>> At £630.

>> Fabulous.

>> Looking for £650 now.

At £630, and if we're all settled, I will sell, make no mistake, at £630.

>> Yippee!

>> Fabulous.

>> [ Pounds gavel ] >> That's great work, spotting those, Christina.

They're all adding up.

>> Yes, they're all adding up.

>> It is, beautifully.

>> We couldn't have hoped for better... >> And £30 and £5 and £40 and £5 is bid.

>> ...with Jeremy and Lucy's fund already well above expectations.

>> Great.

>> Fabulous.

Excellent.

>> £340.

>> And gold's doing particularly well.

Let's hear it for that George V sovereign.

>> And I've got lots of interest here, as you would expect for gold bidders.

I have £260, £270, £290 with my bidder here at £290.

Looking for £300.

>> £290.

>> Yeah, that's good.

>> That's really good.

>> I was thinking £240, so... >> At £290.

The bid is with my commission bidder here at £290, looking for £300.

At £290, if you're all settled, I'll sell to my commission bidder at £290.

[ Pounds gavel ] >> Tails -- Lucy and Jeremy win.

And, finally, more gold.

The bangle Lucy's dad gave her back in the '70s.

>> Oh, wow, this is -- >> Ah, more gold here.

>> Just solid gold.

>> I've got to start this at £300, £310, £320.

£330 was my commission bidder.

At £330.

£340, £360 is bid online but clears my commission bids completely at £360.

Looking for £380 now.

At £360 and selling online, then, at £360.

[ Pounds gavel ] >> Sold.

>> Brilliant.

Yeah, brilliant.

>> Well done.

>> Fantastic.

>> That concludes the auction today.

Lucy and Jeremy, thank you so much for trusting us with your very beautiful items.

>> Thank you so much.

>> Been an absolute pleasure to work with you, and I hope we've started something now.

>> Definitely.

We're on a roll now.

>> On a roll.

>> You need to come back.

[ Laughter ] >> Jeremy and Lucy had such a great time today.

Whenever I looked at them, they were smiling and laughing.

I think they've caught the auction bug, which is a great thing because they've got a lot of stuff they need to sell.

>> Time now for our favorite part.

Well, we've had a very good day.

>> We have.

>> Good.

>> A very good day.

Would you like to know the final amount?

>> Yes.

>> Itching to know.

Itching to know.

Look at the smiles.

>> After fees and after commission, you have got £2,981.

>> Both: Wow!

>> Yippee.

It's how you say, "Yippee!"

>> Wow.

That's phenomenal.

>> That's amazing.

>> It is phenomenal, yeah.

>> I honestly thought maybe £1,000 and a bit.

>> We're really lucky, yeah.

>> Wow.

>> Well, thank you.

And everyone else.

I mean, what a fabulous job you've done.

>> Shall we go and get a cup of tea?

>> Yeah.

>> Will and Christina, we love them.

>> We couldn't have done it without them.

They were so brilliant.

I think that things would still be in the drawers.

The barn still would be full of stuff, and we would've been none the wiser and sitting there anxious, but this has been a wonderful experience.

>> A great start.

>> Yeah.

>> A great start.

>> Oh, my goodness.

What a day.

What a day.

What a day.

Thanks, van.

>> Look, it always packs in so neatly.

>> It does, doesn't it?

Okay?

All good?

>> Lovely.

>> Alright, let's go.

And we're off.

>> And we're off.

Taking the road towards the next person who could use our help, rescuing items currently gathering dust, and turning them into pounds and pennies.

♪ ♪ ♪