ambrose, assumpta to see you. assumpta. hi. i'm worried about eamon. eamon? well, he ran from the pub yesterday leaving these behind. it's just a couple of cans of coke and his change. been ringing him ever since, but there's no answer. did something upset him? well, i'm just guessing, but i think it was those men. what men? those two men pretending to be on a golfing holiday. maybe they are on a golfing holiday. not at all, everybody knows what they're up to. do they? excuse me, will you. i need to get ready. but i'll take eamon's stuff from you and drop it to him on my way back. oh, thank you. well, bye.

bye. you shouldn't have told your father. i'll get the blame. what for? sure, you told me nothing. who are they anyway? [ telephone rings ] yeah? go for a drive, mr. quigley; take you mobile phone with you. oh... don't forget the money.

what are you doing, eamon? go away. leave me alone. why are you throwing hay on the car? i don't want to talk to you. i don't want you here! eamon? [ mobile phone rings ] quigley. do you know saint bridget's well? leave the money there at 11:50. leave the money at the well? just do as you're told. who is this? a thousand? cheap at the price. anyway, i'm bringing the official books over right now. hang on, brian i'll call you back.

mr. cathal quinn? i just hope she isn't in any trouble. why would she be? she was obviously worried about those two men, whoever they are. and then the talk of her leaving. where did you hear that? ambrose suggested it. why is she going? she wants a bit of life. a family of her own perhaps. don't we all? of course, we do. there are just different kinds of family.

different kinds of love. i'll really miss her if she does go. you will too. we all will. anyway, she's only thinking about it. there's nothing definite. right. [ brendan ] i wouldn't have missed it for the world. quigley on the hop. assumpta. even kathleen. mind you, the revenue could look at you as well. what for? fixing cars. cash in hand. would they bother? well, why wouldn't they? they've nothing else to do. well, that's the end of that then. no more of that... until they've gone. ah, father mac. padraig. brendan. father. we need to talk. do we? summer camps. yes? well, don't look so blank. there are two men from the revenue commission about.

i took some advice last night. we may both have a problem.

kathleen. i've got to talk to you, father. yes, of course. don't think this is easy for me. is it confession you want? no. it's just... i'm sick with worry, father. those men from the revenue they're after me! now, we don't know that they're from the revenue. they're revenue all right. i can tell from their eyes. i'll have to go on the run, father. oh, kathleen. head for dublin, where nobody knows me. assumpta fitzgerald has the right idea in leaving this place. what'll i do, father? [ mobile phone rings ] quigley. all sweet as a daisy so far, mr. quigley. what about my books.

i've got to put some distance between us first. stay on your mobile and wait for my call. and how do i know you won't rip me off? i'm an honest man, mr. quigley... unlike some. can we have some sandwiches, please? it's lunchtime you see. and i hope you have ham. yeah... we have ham. assumpta, sorry, can i have a word with you? ehm -- yeah. just have to be quick. excuse me. sorry. father... can i have a glass of stout? [ laughing ] what's the matter? is it true you're leaving? this place drives you mad. you say something, you might as well post it on a wall. are you? right now i have something more important on my mind.

beer? yeah. well, what about it? it's duty-free. what do you mean? it was smuggled into the country; i didn't pay any duty on it. what? i had burst pipes and an exploding tank to pay for. i had to do it. you had me carry it in for you. don't be so pious. why didn't you tell me? whether i should sell bootleg beer? you know what i mean. about leaving ballykay. it's my business. i care about you, assumpta. oh, perhaps you're right. it is your business. i just thought that we... yeah, i know, peter, but... i haven't decided anything yet.

when i'm ready, i -- you'll all know what i'm going to do, okay? how many sandwiches? a couple each. would you... like a drink, father? no, thanks i have to go. whoops! parish accounts, are they, father? accounts, yeah. siobhan.

yes, ambrose. i've just been out to eamon. he's being very strange. stranger than usual? i don't know what, but he's terrified of something. you sure? absolutely certain. i thought you'd be happy. i am. it's just because of what happened the last time. niamh, so far as one can be certain in these matters you should have no problems at all. i can tell ambrose then? course you can. and don't worry, i'll keep a close eye on you. thank you, doctor. it's ambrose you should be thanking. dooley i want a word. just a minute. it's urgent! what is it? i've change my mind about our arrangement. i'll pay the full whack and i want proper v.a.t. receipts. what the hell for? i just want it all above board, all right? we shook hands on it.

sue me. quigley!! where you going? ah, you gone soft quigley! lost your nerve! [ mobile phone rings ] yes. saint joseph's? why did you put them in there? this is black dazzler ...signing off. mossy phelan. father clifford? yes? i'll come to the point, father. we have a problem we feel you'd

be able to help with. if i can. explain, brendan. me? yeah, it's better coming from you. well... yes. i took the summer camp for father macanally last year. well, brendan accepted money from me without declaring it for tax. you suggested it father. just tell him, brendan. the last thing i want to do is stand up in court and plead guilty to tax evasion -- so brendan wondered if it could be claimed that you took the summer camp as part of your priestly duties without extra payment. i'm sorry, no. i don't want to get involved in any of this. father clifford -- i will not collude father macanally. and that's your final word? yes. you may find you're too self-righteous for your own good, father. i'm a priest! oh, yes, we must never forget that.

okay, off you go. all we can do now is wait. that's the bit i hate. i get bored. don't tell me. tell you what, why don't we head back to the pub and worry the natives? why not? ambrose! ambrose! yes, father. just a second niamh, sorry. excuse me, niamh. ambrose, who are those two men? what two men? come on, everyone's in a panic;

kathleen's close to a breakdown. that's not my fault. maybe not, but you could help calm them. i mean are they from the revenue or what? i can't say. or won't say. father, i'm only following your advice. ambrose! come here. what is it? i'm on duty, niamh! can't it wait till dinner time? i have something important to tell you, very serious. haha! ya! what are you two doing here? doing the crossword. having a cup of coffee. you know what i mean. do you know what he means? no. what do you get out of upsetting a community, panicking a respectable woman? i never touched a respectable woman

in my life. what respectable woman? kathleen in the shop. i only bought a bar of chocolate. guilt and sin, father, the world is full of it. what? that is your department. your problem. right. [ silently mouthing words ] two foot, donal. well i hope you didn't arouse suspicion.

what is it? well, now that you're all here... brendan, i took the summer camp. thanks, peter. thanks a lot. assumpta your hooch. what hooch? tell them. it's duty-free. i bought it cheap. you can store it in my shed. oh. let's get it out of here right away. we can't bring it through reception, they'll see us. we need a diversion... assumpta, is the van unlocked? well, yeah. right, liam, donal... when we create the diversion you load that into the van. okay. what diversion? what's keeping them? there's a hell of a lot of paperwork to get through. well, i've had enough of sitting around. where you going? i won't go far.

make sure you don't. aye, are you going out? yes, i am. well, could you hang on for just a sec. there's something that i wanted to ask you, both of you, in fact. have you ever heard of a singer called deliah murphy? yes, i have. have you heard her sing three lovely lassies from banyan? my granny used to sing that song. terrific terrific! i have been trying to describe this song to father clifford haven't i, father? yes, yes, you have you have indeed, padraig. i wanted to let him know how it goes, but i can't remember all the words. i think i could manage most of it. fantastic! you would be doing us a great favour if you helped us with this song. certainly. now, i know that it starts ♪ there are three lovely ♪ ♪ lassies from banyan ♪ ♪ banyan, banyan, banyan... ♪

♪ there are three lovely ♪ ♪ lassies from banyan ♪ ♪ and i am the ♪ ♪ best of them all ♪ ♪ and i am the ♪ ♪ best of them all ♪ this is the bit i can never remember. ♪ me father has ♪ ♪ 40 white shillings ♪ that's the one. ♪ shillings, ♪ ♪ shillings, shillings ♪ ♪ me father has ♪ ♪ 40 white shillings ♪ ♪ and grass for ♪ ♪ a goat and a cow ♪ ♪ and grass for ♪ ♪ a goat and a cow ♪ siobhan, what can i do for you? ambrose, i found out what's bothering eamon. ah, really? he's been using farm diesel in his car. half the farmers 'round here are guilty of that. he's convinced the revenue men are after him. what revenue men? [ telephone rings ] sorry, siobhan, duty.

whoa. [ ♪ singing ♪ ] ♪ and on the next sunday morning i'll meet her -- ♪ ♪ meet him, meet him ♪ ♪ on the next sunday morning i'll meet him ♪ ♪ and i will be dressed like a queen ♪ ♪ and... i will be dressed like a queen ♪ how about that then? i think that's a great song.

still here? they're like vtures. you should have seen them a minute ago. they were singing. you didn't happen to find any books in the church, did you, father? oh, there's all sorts of books up at the church, brian. what specifically did you have in mind? accounts books with my name on them. what were they doing at st. joseph's? you have them? not here. come on! i'm just going up to father clifford's. if my accountant comes in, tell him i'll be back. see you, lads. good man brendan. do you want to come to a party with me tonight? where? sean dooley's. sean dooley's? [ mobile phone rings ] hello? okay. not yet, won't be long now. this waiting around really drives me crazy.

sing another song? i've got a better idea. why don't we give the priest a hard time? siobhan, do me a favour. keep an eye on the till; make sure no one drinks me dry. back in a minute. what is going on? assumpta! yeah niamh? i am pregnant. dr. ryan's confirmed it. i am! oh, niamh. niamh, i'm so happy for you! and ambrose? dancing with delight. i'm sure he is. i'm on my way to tell dad. is he in the pub? no, but i know where he is, come on. has the price of altar wine gone up?

it's assumpta's. she overstocked. i'll believe you. thousands wouldn't. books are behind here. father! we picked this up from the floor of the pub earlier. rolled out from your little bag of books there. oh, that. thanks. oh, and a word of warning father, don't keep your accounts in a paper bag. funny books get funny looks. as indeed does this shed. right little aladdin's cave in here, isn't it? that's just for personal use, plus a few parishioners. it's for the party. the party. what party? my party. her party. it's a celebration. oh, nice. what's the celebration? i'm pregnant. i'm having a baby. she's pregnant.

she's having a baby. yes. assumpta here's providing the drink, and i've been storing it for her. right, assumpta? yeah, you'd be more than welcome to join us. we'd like to. but we've got something else on tonight. [ mobile phone rings ] yeah. right. excuse us. we might see you later. i'm going to be a grandfather. it's official? yes, dad. [ father clifford ] congratulations, niamh. i'm putting you down for the christening, father. i'll be honoured. and don't worry, assumpta, i'll pick up the tab. thanks, brian, that's a relief.

welcome, siobhan. and mr. kearney. my escort. i hope you don't mind. how could i mind? you're very welcome, sir. thank you. before i introduce you to everyone, i've got a present for you, siobhan. thanks. what is it? it's a back scratcher. a back scratcher? now you know what's expected. take a drink and shut up. garda bureau of fraud investigation, mr. dooley. siobhan! we'd like a few words please.

i thought this was supposed to be a party. well, the shadow of the revenue men still falls. i know. i wish everyone would hurry up and drink the evidence. why don't you put them out of their misery? i didn't put them into their misery. it's all so gloomy. i wanted a celebration; instead, i find myself in the alamo. i've a good mind to come with you to dublin, assumpta. what's this. it's an opportunity that's arisen. partnership in a wine bar. i'm tempted. i don't blame you. what's dublin got that ballykay hasn't? better prospects of promotion. theatre, cinema, clubs, excitement. you're right. i wouldn't mind a bit of that meself. well, if you do decide give me the word... i might take the pub off your hands. if you're still in business. great news everybody... you can all relax. the revenue men ain't revenue

men, they're the fraud squad. and this minute they are asking sean dooley very, very searching questions in regards to bribery, corruption, and tax evasion. you name it, sean dooley's done it. so that's what those men were doing here? waiting for some raid to pay off. that's all they were doing here? that's what the garda told me. did they bother you, quigley? why in the name of god should they bother me? you get yours in heaven, father. you knew who they were all the time, didn't you? all i know is that i'm going to be a father and i love my wife. will you dance mrs. egan? you're lucky i'm in a good mood. come on. is that what you're looking for, assumpta?

no... no, no, i don't know what i'm looking for. anyway, i'm not likely to find it here, am i? you can find it anywhere. do you believe everything you hear? why not? i'm a man of faith, aren't i? [ ♪ music playing ♪ ] captions by: midwest captioning des moines, iowa

during the 1930's, when this seaside resort was at its peak, half the country's population came to sample the air. that was a whopping 19 million visitors a year. no prizes for guessing today's destination. blackpool.

let's take a bird's-eye view of our venue today. and what a vantage point. blackpool has always thought big. within 40 years, from 1890 to 1930, it built this, the country's tallest tower, the world's biggest ferris wheel three piers, the winter gardens and the blackpool illuminations were fired up. at 518 feet, it's the best place to see everything blackpool has to offer. and it's an imposing symbol for the home of the british summer holiday. when it was built in 1894, blackpool tower became the ultimate up-market victorian theme park with its ballroom, aquarium, circus and museum. there was a zoo, too.

but the tower circus is famously entertaining and they're just getting ready for the new season here behind me. but did you know, the show has never closed. not even for war. and that's because three-quarters of a million service personnel did their basic training close by during the 1940's. and this is the jewel in the tower's crown the ballroom, where we're just setting up for today. and its flamboyance is down to a design dreamt up by top theater architect frank matcham, who let his imagination run wild. the ballroom's no stranger to hosting glamorous events. for years, it was home to tv's come dancing.

but time now for us to cue the specialists as they take the floor. now to quote a very famous poem about blackpool, it is "noted for fresh air and fun." is that right? that's correct. i have to say that these two ladies they're definitely they're having fun, aren't they? i would hope so, yes. i would hope so. the big question is, is how long have they been having fun in blackpool and where have they been having fun? well, for many, many years they were in a basement below this very room below the tower ballroom along with a few other bronze trophies. i think about ten years ago, they were rediscovered put into a local auction house and because we're interested in all things blackpool, had to have one. right. okay. well, before we get onto that side of life let's have a look at the girls themselves. because this is a dancing trophy. it is a dancing trophy. it's very appropriate that we're in this amazing temple

of baroque extravagance. this is frank matcham at his best. the great theater designer, isn't he? and this is, if i can use the word out of context, the epicenter of ballroom dancing in the northwest of england. absolutely. it doesn't get bigger. they don't look like ballroom dancers, do they? no, they don't. no. i think the inference here is all in the fact that-- well, the inferences can be found on the corners, because you've got bunches of grapes. these are bacchanalian revelers. and we're going back to classical greece, really. in other words they're intoxicated. right. but the lady responsible for-- this is a lady sculptor-- is a lady called claire jeanne roberte colinet. there is a signature at the back. c-o-l-i-n-e-t. but i've learned enough french to say "colinay" not colinet. this is quite typical of colinet's work,

because there's an exuberance in her work, and her girls are quite lithe. they're not quite as skinny as some art deco girls. she gives them slightly more ample proportions. but these girls, they're obviously-- they're dating from the 1920's maybe the 19-early-30's. but you've got the movement there. you've got this fantastic base. it's so graceful. dare i ask when it came to that auction here? your heart must have been in your mouth because auctions are wonderful places to get the adrenaline pumping, aren't they? they really are. so when the hammer came down... the hammer came down-- at what price? and my husband and i were thinking about this and i think it was 2,000. £2,000. and how long ago was that? it might have been ten years. ten years ago. my memory isn't what it was. well, um... if you were to go out and try and replace-- this is a very rare group. you're not gonna find these girls for less that £6,000.

good heavens. so, um... wow. well, they won't be going anywhere. they're staying in blackpool at home. which, let's remind everybody, is noted for fresh air and fun. i'm used to delft vases in the traditional coloring of blue and white, but this one is extraordinary. yellow on blue. a most unusual color. is this a family piece? no, it isn't. no. i bought it at a charity shop about two years ago. a charity shop? yes. this one? yes. what did you have to pay? about 50p. 50p. yes. what did you think you bought? i thought it was chinese at first because of the shape. but i'm not sure now really. understandable, because the whole design looks chinese but that was the intention. this was made in holland as a copy of a chinese vase. you've got a figure of a boy there. i think he's meant to be a chinese boy. what's he holding there? it looks like a guitar. is it a musical instrument?

a knapsack? i think that's meant to be a fan. one of those very elaborate almost butterfly-like fans. and he's standing in a landscape. here we've got a little pavilion in the background. rocks in front. there's a pine tree. here, further rocks. these are very typical chinese rocks with the strata divided in a very chinese manner. but adapted by someone i don't think had really looked closely at real chinese art, and was trying to imagine what it would be like, this strange world at the other side of the world at the time, 'cause this was made in holland at a time when the dutch were keenly collecting old chinese porcelain. and they've made an imitation of a classic chinese shape, but done in very strange colors. they tried out different colors in holland, and it was still experimenting, because this is the end of the 17th century. it looks to be about 1680, 1690.

so that really is quite early. not bad condition, either, is it? and rare. so your 50p has become about £2,000. that could do very nicely. that will do very nicely. this is such an intriguing item. i just conducted a small crowd survey 'cause i was interested to see if anyone in the queue behind had any idea what it is. i've had a few suggestions. we've had medieval torture instrument. we've had bent door. maori shield, although i think it would be a little bit hefty on that one. and we've had surfboard. all very interesting suggestions in their own way. now do you have any idea what this is? no idea whatsoever. so you haven't tried to feed it into the internet. oh, yes, but when you don't know what it is how can you do a search? good point. without that inkling you've made no progress, and i'm really pleased about that because for once i've got a decent job to do.

now, it's called a tribulum. does that get you any closer? no. it's a threshing sledge. threshing sledge? and do you know, this is one, perhaps one of the most archaic and historical farm implements that there is. because this piece of equipment has its origins in the bronze age. and there are still parts of the world essentially where things like this are still used. in its construction, we can see that it has many things in it that are ancient to us. flint. knapped flint. and of course, these knapped flints are imbedded into this sledge. here, you got some additional reutilized saw blades and those point to its age which i'll come back to in a minute. the fact is, what would happen was, a big surface or area was prepared for the cut crop to be laid onto. this was then put down flat

on top of the crop. it could then either be pulled by an animal or by people and it could be weighted down perhaps with rocks, even, or quite often with an animal it would have someone standing on top of it. now that's a pretty skilled thing. so the person who said surfboard wasn't a million miles away in many respects. and it separates the grain from the ear and then cuts the chaff. and it does that by essentially dragging it across and breaking it down. now, this one is a 19th-century example. it's a 19th-century example. what's happened to this is it's become a decorative item. see all this fabulous wear in the grain. it's been now cleaned up and i suspect it hangs on your wall. in my hallway, yeah. in your hallway. okay. value? as a decorative item, it's £200 or £300. but it embodies so much. thank you very much. pleasure. well, we know now. yeah.

my heart sank when you brought this in to me. i thought, oh, my goodness. not another bible in a terrible state, and all that sort of thing. but here it is. it's lacking title page, and quite a few pages, preliminary leaves. but the most exciting thing are these little notes all the way through. there's a particularly good set of notes here in the new testament which is full of little notes. now tell me about it. i don't know a great deal. it has been in the family quite a few years, i believe. 50 or 60 years. and it's just been passed down through generations, really. so why have they got it? i was led to believe my mother's father bought it. so where did your grandfather get it from? he got it from a reputable dealer around about the late '40s, early '50s. and what did they say about the notes? it was charlotte bronte's sunday

school bible. those are apparently her notes throughout the book. and they go throughout the book. and how much did it cost when it was bought originally? £50. £50. £50, yes. that was an awful lot of money in those days. they could have probably bought a house. it's quite a bit now. well, i think it's charlotte bronte. i seem to recognize the handwriting. she is very rare autographically. and of course, obviously, with a parson for a father she was obviously quite devout and religious. the date of the bible, about 1835, 1840 seems absolutely consistent with all of this. so tell me, what do you think it's worth now? i have no idea. it is a fantastic find for the roadshow. and really bronte scholars would very much like to look through this. i would say we're talking about between £15,000 and £20,000. really?

really? yes. i think i'll be sitting down shortly. good heavens. really? yes. many bronte collectors would love to have this, and to see what she was thinking and see what notes she was making. and the whole bible is absolutely full of notes. it is remarkable. now that is quite something, isn't it? it is beautiful, yes. is this how you have it displayed in your own house? we usually have it displayed like this. one of the great things about these tilt-top tables is their flexibility. they allow people to have them as a card table a breakfast table, but i think this was always intended as a show piece, don't you? is this something you've bought, or something that is inherited? we've inherited it from an aunt. we think of her when it's on display sometimes. it's not something you can get away from very easily. how do you use it? in a big room, small room? we keep it in a big room. the side of the room. hopefully safe from heat and light and moisture.

that's very evident, because it has wonderful colors. it really clearly has been away from the light. it has possibly been re-polished at some stage, because the colors are so bright. i have a feeling that, perhaps once upon a time there would have been more decoration in the middle. do you remember anything? we hear that there was a plant pot put on there as a centerpiece in the middle of the table which caused damage. the dreaded plant pot. yes. right. and the decoration around the edge is such fun. you have a tremendous jolly lion. you've got garlands. this little fawn-like creature spitting out a garland, which is threaded through and beautifully done. and little tiny pieces of mother of pearl, as well. it really is spectacular. kingwood round the edge, birdseye maple in the middle. dating to that very flamboyant period of around 1860 i think. so in the middle victorian period.

it's quite interesting because, in fact the base is very rococo in style like in here whereas the decoration around the tabletop is more a renaissance revival. so there's lots of things going on here. it's an exciting period for design. the disappointing thing, perhaps, is to put a value on it. yes. in the current market, i would say that £2,000 to £3,000 is about right. five years ago you could have doubled that easily. so in another five years you never know what might happen. thank you. that's very nice. thank you. it is a very strange fact that these birds are built on a pile of pyrex. you've got no idea what i'm talking about have you?

in 1907, corning american glassworks came over to britain trying to sell the u.k. and empire patents for a brand-new type of glass. and they went round all the glassworks in britain saying, "do you wanna take these rights, do you wanna take these rights?" "no, no, no." nobody wanted it. till they went up to sunderland, and they ran into a funny little rinky-dink glassworks up in sunderland called jobling's and said, "do you want to take this patent?" and they said, "we'll give it a go. what is it?" they said, "it's called pyrex," and within 20 years, they had 350,000 people producing pyrex in sunderland. it was the most democratic glassware that's ever been. every home from buckingham palace to 23 railway cuttings owned pyrex. and they were making so much money that the governor, ernest procter began to get delusions of grandeur. as well as pots and pans he wanted to make art glass. lalique told him to go away.

sabino, a lalique glassmaker told him to go away. so he decided to make it himself. and this is precisely what they made-- opalique, made by jobling. and it's quite collected. it's got the patent number the design patent number, there. so do you like it? is it a thing you like? yes, i do quite like it, yes. and you came across it how? it was my mother-in-law's. when she died, my husband inherited it. it's obviously not in the same realm as a sabino or lalique but it has a certain homespun charm which puts its price at about £150 to £200. not bad for a pair of old birds, is it? no, no. now even as a southerner which i'm afraid i am, i have seen the blackpool illuminations. there can be very few people in britain who haven't, at some point, been taken to see this great spectacle. and of course, even on my one or two visits i was very much aware that as you go through that great procession of lights and

ornamentation, it's all gonna go. it's a one-time exercise. and it seems an awful lot of effort just to make that spectacle. why did it all come about? it originated as a way of extending the season, so blackpool wanted to do something different. it's always been an innovative town. the illumination started with eight arc lamps and at the time, that was seen as unbelievable new science. and it's grown from there, and now... new electricity. new electricity. and today, we run it a season when other resorts are closed for the winter, so that's what it's for. so hang on a minute. "we." who are you? i'm richard ryan. i'm the illuminations manager, and part of a team that create this amazing spectacle every year. so you have this dream job of actually inventing all this. it's absolutely brilliant. we create this every year. year after year after year. every year. so you come up with an idea build around it, and then it's all gone. every year it's reinvented. but we do save everything.

that's what the archive is about. how do you get a job like that? is it something you always wanted to do? i started off making illuminations when i was seven. i was born and bred in sheffield where they used to have fantastic christmas lights back then, and i applied to blackpool for a job was turned down. at age seven? no, no, no. 14. what do i need to do? what qualifications and all of that? i applied to the council. they said go and get an engineering degree. electrical engineering. so i did that, i applied again, and i got in. so persistence pays off. it's also a fulfillment of a dream. how many people know what they want to do at seven, and do it? i'm very lucky. you're so lucky. i'm lucky and obsessed. when did it first begin? oh, 1879 was the initial time... and then it goes on. of course, obviously what these reflect are cultural change. they're events of that moment. this is a great early drawing about the imperial power and its links to trade. on the other hand, here we have something

which is a wonderful 1930's period piece. just fantastic. the people, the dress, the cars. it's of its time. and i just love the way the things we've got here pick up those themes those moments in history. things like that, to me, have a wonderful period charm now. as indeed does the beatles associations. brilliant, yes. but there is that great moment of the switch-on, isn't there? here is jayne mansfield about to do it. that's right. 1959. what is she actually doing? does she actually switch them on? yes and no. she throws the switch, which switches some of them on, and from that moment it's switched on in sections. back in the day, there was a telephone system and in the later '70s, there was a radio system. is that what those are? that's what those are. so she pulls the lever and somebody dials a number and says turn it on, fred. turn it on.

absolutely. all the secrets given away. so we've got jayne mansfield, we've got ken dodd. gordon banks, 1973. redoing his save. yes. it's great history. collectively this is an immensely valuable archive. it is the history of blackpool. so individually, they're worth a hundred, couple of hundred, as wonderful decorative things. there are 26,000 pieces in the archive. we're talking of tens of thousands of pounds for the collection as a whole. of course, the value to the town is greater than that in both financial terms and cultural terms. i'm so glad we've kept it. we'll develop it in the future. you must. it must always be there for us all. thank you. looking at this, i would guess that this is some kind of chinese dresser. is it? well, it's got a chinese finish to it, doesn't it? but it's actually a wind-up gramophone or a record player.

when i was a young boy away at school my father sent me a portable gramophone. i used to play it every day. i'm a great collector of rock and roll records. and then i lost interest. but about 20 years ago i was given a stack of 78's. that's the speed at which they played. i remember 78's. i was give a great stack of these many by local artists. george formby, joseph locke gracie fields used to play here. lonnie donegan even played here. but i had this great pile of records, and i need something to play them on. so i asked a friend of mine to find me a gramophone that was a nice piece of furniture. something that my wife would accept in the house. so we found this. so where is the gramophone? let's have a look. it all starts when you open the lid. aha! made by edison bell. has a nice gold finish to the fittings. the important part, of course, is the starting handle or the winding handle on the right here. and the volume control are these doors.

as you open the door... oh, right. one of the most famous people in blackpool, and our hero was reginald dixon who played the wurlitzer organ here in blackpool tower. he used to play it here in the ballroom. in this ballroom. this very ballroom. and that used to be broadcast on radio, too, didn't it? all over the world. and i have here, unusually, a three-and-a-half inch diameter 78 of reginald dixon playing his theme tune "i do like to be beside the seaside." well, how appropriate. and can we hear it? you can indeed. ( music begins ) ♪ ♪

normally, when we look at armada chests on the roadshow we're not standing holding it with one hand. and it's not because i'm so strong. it is clearly a very tiny one. it is, yes. tell me about it. i think it's probably late 17, early 18th century. it's been in my family since then. my family is basically norwegian. certainly, it would have belonged to my great-grandfather or maybe even earlier. i think a few more greats than that because i think your dating is actually fairly correct. it is going to be late 17th century. whether it comes from norway or not, i don't know. i would've said northern european, possibly german. but we're in the right territory. but it is the most charming example of an object we see on a large scale not frequently but on occasion on the roadshow. these wonderful wrought-iron locks blacksmith-made, they look enormously complicated, in this instance and also, when you see the real thing. but actually, they're much more simple

than one thinks. there are one or two condition issues. it's the wrong key and obviously, it's missing that handle. it should have that, which is delightful original wrought-iron handles. curiously enough not that relevant to its value. what do you think its value is? i thought it would be no more than about £50. miniature versions and small versions of big things always have a premium. right. and in this instance it is so charming and in such wonderful condition, with all its original painting and decorating, that this is probably worth as much as the real thing. and those things in slightly poor condition tend to be somewhere round about £1,000, £1,200. and this is very close approaching it. i think that's incredible. absolutely incredible.

so how did you end up with these compelling pieces of paper? they were amongst items left by my husband when he passed away. i understand they were from my father-in-law, who was in special forces during the second world war. special forces-- what do they get up to? as i understand it he went behind enemy lines in albania, but other than that, i don't know anything about him. so he is a mystery man in your life. yes, he is. and these are mystery objects. they are, yes. i have to say, i think they're utterly compelling. and so, here you have in this picture, the quality, the hideousness, of the real-life battle experience. you've got, throughout water, smoke, flame. you can almost hear the battle. you can smell it. in my view there are occasions when art can do it better than film or photography. remember, an artist is there to record, not just the moment

at times like this but also the feelings. feelings in a way that celluloid can never impart. this top image here of two firemen in what looks like the blitz, has all the drama of film, and yet it has a sort of clarity and an energy which moves it on. do you know anything about this one? nothing at all, i'm afraid. nothing at all. nope, nothing. so all these things are just totally unknown to you. yes. i found them three weeks ago. well, let's go below. there you have a german plane crashed, and i have to say it takes me a moment to realize what's going on, but in the middle ground is a corpse. do you see it? so this, particularly the way the raggedy clouds are done, or rather, the raggedy smoke and fire the jagged-edge feel of this watercolor imparts to me one thing-- whoever painted it was there,

and he's hurrying to get it down and you can feel the energy, the smoke, the fire, the threat of where he is. and the one at the bottom there, of a battleship in sea... i've seen sea paintings thousands of times and yet somehow, this sea does it for me. i feel its choppiness. you can feel the metal of the ship from which he must have been looking. these really are portals into the second world war. now the question is, who painted them? who did them? have you any idea? not at all. i couldn't read the signature on one of them. i can see a signature here on the bottom right. and to me, this is immensely frustrating. why? because i can't quite read what it says. and after the name are the initials "r.a." royal academy. so here is someone who has got real form,

as we say in the art world and yet, i can't tell you who it's by. i think these are by an artist who was intending to impart information. i suspect they may well be designs for posters or for illustrations. but what's so different from the posters and illustrations i know is that there is this feeling of actuality. you can smell the war in these things. as to their value, we need to get an artist in order to be able to establish a proper value. but i'm delighted to say they're worth at least £500 each and if we can get an artist, possibly considerably more. so with five or six here you're talking about £3,000. perhaps a little bit more. gosh. a lot of people who know me know i'm a dog lover. in fact, my dog used to come to roadshows. and here is a really fantastic hound. do you have a dog yourself? we do actually.