Episode 11 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

What about that?

With £200 each,

a classic car and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Can I buy everything here?

The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

Feeling a little saw.

This is going to be an epic battle.

There'll be worthy winners

and valiant losers.

So, will it be the high road to glory

or the slow road to disaster?

-The honeymoon is over.

-I'm sorry.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

What could be better

than the start of a super-duper new road trip

with a brand-new pairing?

# It's raining men.

-# Hallelujah

-# Hallelujah

-# It's raining men

-# It's raining men

# Amen! #

Auctioneer Charles Hanson

specialises in glass and ceramics,

and when he spots something he likes,

he's willing to beg to get it.

Charles, how can I refuse you when you do that?

With 25 years in the trade, auctioneer Mark Stacey

will fight to the finish

to get his hands on a good deal.

Here we go.

This is going to be an epic battle.

The chaps each have £200

to lavish as they please.

Mark's first to captain

the 1958 Austin Nash Metropolitan.

It's seatbelt-free.

Perfectly legal for a classic car

which predates the law.

The fact that Mark can't find the indicators

is slightly more of an issue.

That's right, that way.

Yeah, not my side, Charles.

-Do your side.

-Sorry.

# We'll be coming round the corner

# Coming round the corner. #

Well, I'm going round the bend, Charles.

With this car.

Certainly are. Charles' singing

probably isn't helping either.

Our two experts have

a gigantic jaunt to complete -

from Yorkshire to Nottinghamshire,

Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire,

Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire,

Herefordshire, the West Midlands,

Hampshire, Warwickshire, Coventry,

Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire

and ending at Flintshire, in Wales.

Good Lord.

The first stretch starts in Cawthorne,

in South Yorkshire,

and finishes at auction in Lincoln.

The rural parish of Cawthorne

lies just a few miles west of Barnsley.

But to get here, they must first overcome

one little obstacle - the Metropolitan.

Do you know where the indicators are?

Yes, left here.

No, that's the gear stick, Charles.

Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Hoping they survive the journey,

what's the plan?

I think what we ought to do is put the A

in Antique Road Trip.

And let's go...let's go for

objects over that period of being 100 years old.

-Don't you agree?

-Really?

-Yeah.

Well, I think we can try, but I think it's about

what you see in the shops, Charles, isn't it?

Quite right, Mark.

So, let's see what you can find.

First on the agenda

is an antiques and collectors centre

in Cawthorne.

Enjoy yourself, OK? Never not believe.

Charles, your pearls of wisdom are...

-valueless.

-Thank you.

With over 100 cabinets and booths,

there should be something to tickle

the twosome's fancy. Two of the dealers,

Holly Dawson and Karen Rowe,

are all set to help them part with their cash.

-Hello.

-Morning.

-I'm Mark.

Lovely to meet you, Mark.

-Hello, I'm Karen.

-Karen.

-Holly.

-And I can see you're Holly.

Hi, Holly. Charles, nice to meet you.

-Hi, Karen, good to see you.

-Hi, Charles.

-What a fine day, isn't it?

-Lovely shop. Our first shop of this road trip, Charles.

-Yeah.

I think you should go that way

cos I've seen something in the window already

-that I want to have a talk about.

-Are you being serious?

-Yes.

-Already?

-Already. Oh, I'm on fire, Charles.

It seems Mr Stacey's

off to a flying start.

What I just spotted in the window

it's a sort of turquoise,

glazed teapot stand.

But it's commemorating, I think,

the coronation of Edward the...

VII, isn't it?

And that's rather nice. Minton & Hollins.

Patent tile works.

Stoke-on-Trent.

Minton, one of our oldest

porcelain manufacturers, isn't it?

It is, yes.

Goes back to the 1790s, I think.

Um, they also specialised,

from the mid-19th century onwards, in tile making.

But they've turned something here

into a teapot, so I like that.

Could you do a little something on it?

-I could do ten on that for you.

-Ten?

Strong start from Mark.

First item in the bag with a five-pound discount.

He's already negotiating.

We've been here literally one minute.

-Karen, I'll take it.

-Wonderful.

Thank you.

I think this is charming for ten quid.

There are collectors there, but

-there's also people who collect...

-Take your time, Mark.

-I will,

-thanks, Charles.

-Don't rush into things.

Could you stop heckling, Charles?

-I'm in the middle of a major purchase here.

-Take your time.

There we are, ten pound down.

Meanwhile, Charles is taking his time.

I find it also quite easy

pointing at objects.

Because the more you point, the more you don't miss.

So I always, um...

He really is one of a kind, isn't he?

Now, will Mark add to his first purchase?

He's enlisting the help of dealer Pauline Smith,

the owner of this hefty lump.

-I've spotted something in your window.

-Right.

-Pauline.

-OK.

I love that meat cleaver.

The meat cleaver, that is really nice,

-yes, it is.

-Don't talk it up, dear.

-That meat cleaver...

-Don't talk it up.

-..is very good.

Here we go.

This is going to be an epic battle.

-I want to be cheeky with you.

-Right.

I want to pay you £20 for it.

What about...25?

What about 20?

-And then I promise I'll go away. Forever.

-Oh, go on, then.

-Are you sure you're happy though?

-£20 and it's yours.

That's £20 for the late-19th-century meat cleaver.

A bit of a gamble seeing as he

hasn't even had a proper look yet.

Oh, it is a weight.

But I love these.

Yes, that's lovely on it, isn't it?

-It's very...

-Warranted Superior.

..interested, isn't it?

They are, they are really getting

very collectable.

Well, I think that's great.

So, Mark seals the deals on his two antiques -

a Minton teapot stand at ten pounds

and a 19th-century meat cleaver for £20.

Meanwhile, Charles has taken a shine

to a pair of pooches outside.

What you don't want to do is buy reproduction.

But then sometimes,

when you perhaps have two dogs

to perhaps

come to auction with you,

they could do quite well.

Large sitting dog.

£79.

Another one. £79.

They haven't really weathered very much, they have a good...

Good sort of Cotswolds colour about them. They're quite nice.

I might find out what the best price is.

I'm not sure those dogs are over 100 years old,

but Charles is like a dog with a bone

when he sees something he wants.

There's two nice dogs over here.

What would the best price be?

-What about 100?

-Oh, you can't say that.

That's, that's too near

a good price for me because, again,

from 158 down to £100,

that's really very tempting. They are decorative, they...

are not very old.

80?

What about 90?

Really, Charles, behave yourself, boy.

Charles, how can I refuse you when you do that?

Here's my paw.

-Yeah, I'll take them. Thanks a lot.

-Lovely.

-£80.

Charles is off the mark with a pair of golden Labrador ornaments.

Not exactly putting the A in antique like the plan,

but let's let sleeping dogs lie, eh?

Sit.

Sit, stay where you are. CHARLES WHISTLES

Doesn't move either, just stays where they are.

Good doggies. Good dogs.

Huh, barking.

Come on, Charles,

it's time to get back on the road.

ENGINE FAILS TO START

Car permitting, that is.

-I don't think that helps, you know, Charles?

-No.

It's not going very well this, is it?

ENGINE REVS Oh, that's better.

MARK LAUGHS

Next stop is still in South Yorkshire,

just 16 miles south of Rotherham.

Charles is here to meet Philip Turnor,

of the eponymously named

Philip Turnor Antiques.

-Hi.

-Hello, Charles.

-How are you? Charles.

-Nice to see you.

-How are you doing?

-Very good, how are you?

-Good to see you.

-Very well thanks. Yeah, not too bad.

-Good.

Philip's been running the business

in this former Sunday school chapel

for 34 years.

He mainly specialises in furniture.

But there's always something a bit unusual

if you look hard enough.

Just get this out.

The ball and chain device

was used to physically restrain

prisoners from the 17th century

right up until the 20th century.

And were usually made from iron.

So, Phil, how old is this?

I would think it's probably a Victorian one.

Maybe about 1860 to 1880.

Well, so, essentially, if you were,

I suppose a prisoner, back in the Victorian times,

this would go around your wrist

or around your ankle.

You just wonder what stories...

-Oh, yeah.

-..it could tell of those poor people

who it kept within one place.

-If you're looking for something maybe a bit different.

-Yeah.

I could even put this round Mark Stacey's leg, couldn't I?

-Of course.

-I could do that. How much is it?

-£50...

-Yeah, that's a good...

-£40.

-Yeah.

I mean, that's a solid iron,

almost as heavy as a cannonball,

if not heavier.

You've got this wonderful iron shackle.

-That's quite good.

-Hm.

-And it is old as well.

-It is old.

-It's a good item.

-I'll mental note it, OK?

-OK.

-Mental note.

And with that, Charles is off again.

But with nothing else jumping out at him,

he soon comes back to the 19th-century shackles.

-Good weight, isn't it?

-Well, you know, I'm a strong guy.

-Yeah, yeah.

-I'm from Derby.

-Yeah, of course, yeah.

-Best price?

-It's £40.

35, it's a deal.

-Oh, no. Yeah?

-Shake my hand.

I feel like I'm shackled now, that's it.

Thanks, mate, thanks a lot.

You're chained to it.

That's £35 for the 19th-century ball and chain

and Charles's second purchase of the day.

-See you, Philip.

-OK, thanks a lot.

-Take care.

-Yeah, you take care as well.

-Bye, Philip, see you.

Meanwhile, Mark has made his way

to 2017's Capital Of Culture,

Hull, in East Yorkshire.

It was the birthplace of William Wilberforce in 1759,

an MP and human rights activist,

who helped pioneer

the end of slavery.

Mark is on his way to Wilberforce House,

to find out more about the man who changed British history.

I'm feeling quite relaxed, actually. I'm looking forward to my visit.

I've got two items in the bag, which is always nice.

From the mid-16th century,

the British Empire played a major part

in one of the worst acts

in human history, the slave trade.

By the time Wilberforce was born,

the transportation of slaves

from Africa to the Americas and Caribbean

had become highly lucrative.

Until one man made it his life's work to change all that.

A lecturer in slavery studies,

Dr Nick Evans, is here to tell Mark more.

-Hello, I'm Mark.

-Pleased to meet you, I'm Nick.

Nice to meet you, Nick.

Wilberforce was a wealthy merchant's son,

who made the most of his family's riches during his youth.

Surely as a young man with all this wealth,

-it was a very different life, wasn't it?

-Oh, certainly.

He was a great man of great wealth. In his youth, at Cambridge,

he had great fun, great party,

gambling, all the things that men of his class would do.

After university, Wilberforce found religion

and abandoned his wild ways.

He chose a path in politics

and became a devout

evangelical Christian.

With a vehement belief in human rights

and constantly driven by his strong faith,

he began a campaign to end

the transatlantic trade of slaves

through British ports.

And here we can see the actual family Bible,

which the Wilberforces owned.

A very precious

artefact from the family.

This, of course, shows

the deep-rooted Christianity in the family.

And by the time he entered Parliament, obviously, this was

a religious message he wanted to get across

as much as anything else.

Yeah, his entire endeavour in Parliament

was driven by his faith.

Improving morals, improving wellbeing

but particularly, eventually,

and occupying most of his life, abolishing slavery.

The campaign against the slave trade

began in the late 1700s

and faced great opposition

from the British establishment.

But a major turning point in the fight came

when Wilberforce used a visual aid

in his speeches to parliament -

a model of a slave ship, known as the Brookes.

Now, pitted against the abolitionists,

there must have been a lot of people whose fundamental wealth

was staked on this barbaric trade.

What could such a simple object

do to change their mind?

It's a powerful image because on this boat,

there was overcrowding.

-How many people would have been on those boats?

-600 people.

-600?

-Each person had

six foot in length

and one-foot width wide to actually be on

-for up to three months...

-MARK GASPS

-across the Atlantic.

-Oh, my God.

So it's getting those simple facts across

in a visual way,

-which actually helped persuade MPs.

-It's horrendous, isn't it?

-Exactly.

It's very horrendous,

and you can see it here.

Mortality was particularly high,

-up to one in four people would die...

-Gosh.

..before they reached the Caribbean, before they reached the Americas

and a life of enslavement

-in barbaric heat.

-Good Lord.

This simple but effective campaign

drove the message home,

and in 1807, Parliament voted to end

the trade of slaves throughout the British Empire.

But it didn't end slavery here altogether.

That would take another 26 years.

Wilberforce continued to fight for the cause

until his poor health could take it no more.

So, here we have letters revealing how Wilberforce

fought against slavery.

And just three days before he died,

Britain abolished slavery in the British Empire.

And then knowing that it had been abolished,

Wilberforce knew he could then die

peaceful, knowing his life's work

had been seen to fruition.

And this dedication to such a cause

earned him respect from far and wide.

One of the most moving, which we've got for you,

is this one written by his wife, Barbara Spooner,

just days before his death, describing how there were queues

of some of the most famous people of the age

wanting to see Wilberforce,

even for a few minutes,

-as he faced...

-Before he died.

-Before he died.

And she said there's such a long queue,

it would kill him if he saw everyone.

But he didn't want to turn people away.

Great testament to the man, actually, in his resilience.

Testament to the man

that decades after he'd begun this work

he was still fighting for human rights.

William Wilberforce died in July 1833,

after seeing Britain

through the end of its slave trade.

As one of the first countries to enforce abolition,

it helped create a domino effect across the world.

He was honoured with a state funeral at Westminster Abbey,

a fitting tribute to the remarkable man

that helped to change Britain for the better.

Back in Rotherham, Charles has popped next door

to his last shop, John Shaw Antiques.

They've been trading here for over 50 years

and have a huge collection.

There are some splendid antiques in this emporium.

Charles is in the very capable hands of Beverley Deakin.

Hi, Bev.

-Hi, Bev.

-Hi.

-What an office you've got here.

-Fantastic.

-Oh, my God, this is your office?

-Yeah.

And tell me, what I can see in here, are most things for sale?

-Yes.

-Wow.

Beverley, how much are these? These interesting carved dragon ornaments.

E261.

-I'll have a look for you.

-They're quite fun.

Well, the dragons would fit right in

with Charles' random purchases thus far.

They're priced at £70 for the pair,

but, if they're antique,

it would be by the skin of their teeth.

I love this green, scaly design, all probably hand-carved

and it's, I'm sure, a Chinese dragon.

This one here...

Sadly, you'll see his arm has split just here.

Is that the very best price, would you say, Bev?

60...

-Oh, crikey...

-..would be the best.

Crikey, let me keep looking.

And in this jam-packed office, there's plenty to pick from.

It's amazing, these are all horn-handled.

And if you were, maybe, a lady or gent back in the 18th century,

you may have served a punch,

which you would have served to your guests

using these punch ladles.

165.

We couldn't go down to 80, could we?

-For all five?

-I can ring the boss.

Yeah, yeah. I think he'll say no.

You can him a go, yeah, give him a call.

The recipe for punch was brought over from India

and became extremely popular in the 18th century.

Made from alcohol, sugar, fruit, water and spices,

it was served from a large communal bowl

with ladles like these.

-140.

-Oh, no.

-We couldn't twist his arm and go 80?

-No, I've tried.

-No, fine.

Thank you so much, Bev.

Back to the drawing board, or should I say, dragons.

If I said to you, "What's the very best on these dragons?"

-60.

-60.

-Do you want to take 40 for them?

-I wouldn't, I'm sorry, I can't.

-Would you meet me halfway?

-I will ask my boss.

-60.

-Will he take 50 for them?

"Would you take 50?" he's asking.

-60.

-What's his name?

-John.

-I'll have a word with him.

John, it's Charles Hanson.

I just wondered, to be cheeky, would you take 50 for them?

55?

Yeah, he'll do it, 55.

I'll pass you back to Bev. Thanks, John.

Again, not sticking to the plan,

but Charles's third purchase of the day

is a pair of dragons for £55.

Thanks a lot, give us a kiss, bye.

-That was really kind. Cheers. Thanks, Bev.

-Thank you.

-Thanks for your time. Bye.

-Bye.

With just £30 left, Charles is done

after shopping big and bold on day one.

The chaps are finished for the day

and all that's left to say is, "Night, night."

But, the next morning soon arrives

and Charles has taken over the wheel of

the 1958 Austin Nash Metropolitan,

much to Mark's fear.

# Riding along in my automobile. #

Charles, your driving is atrocious.

# My baby beside me at the wheel. #

The fellas covered three shops between them yesterday.

Mark picked up a Minton teapot stand

and a 19th-century meat cleaver for £30,

leaving him with £170 to do with as he pleases today.

Charles came away with a pair of stone Labradors,

a pair of hand-carved dragons

and a Victorian prisoner's ball and chain, as you do.

He spent a grand total of £170, giving him £30 still to play with.

Charles! How did you get on with...

..capital 'A' for antiques and qualities.

I put one A in antique on one item only.

-Charles, I'm disappointed.

-Sorry.

It was beginner's nerves.

Excuses, excuses, eh?

The chaps have already made some progress on their trip

after beginning in Cawthorne, in South Yorkshire,

they're now edging towards the town of Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire.

Charles, I'm so excited today.

I've got my two shops in Gainsborough...

..so I'm shopping all day,

and I've got loads and loads of money in my pocket.

Rub it in, why don't you?

In the heart of the town is Pilgrims Antique Centre,

run by Michael Wallis for over 28 years,

and proud of it.

Good morning, Mark.

-Hello, how are you?

-Nice to meet you.

-What's your name?

-Michael.

-Michael. Nice to meet you, Michael.

Now, this looks interesting. It looks very small from the outside.

Oh, it's deceptive. Bit like a TARDIS.

It's like a TARDIS, I like that.

With £170 in his pocket, let's hope this TARDIS

has something out of this world for Mark.

And like yesterday, Mike heads outside

to make sure he's not missing any gems.

There's so much choice in this window.

I feel like a kid in a sweet shop.

There's a rather pretty little Art Nouveau brooch.

Very much in that sort of German Jugendstil style.

It's quite stylish.

Let's go and find out what that is. It might be a buy.

The Art Nouveau movement took inspiration from the natural world

from the 1880s up to the First World War.

Jugendstil is an artistic style from Germany

which featured in many Art Nouveau designs.

I rather like that little Art Nouveau brooch.

Could I have a look at it? The little...

-Is it the opal and ruby one?

-Yes, the one...

Oh, he knows there's opal and rubies,

so that's not a good sign.

-Yes, that one.

-I also know it's Jugendstil.

-Oh!

Right, I'll just go home now, I think.

But, it is rather sweet, isn't it?

Now, unfortunately, I can't see a price on this.

No, no...

-I can tell you it.

-Erm, I'm...

Do I need to sit down?

-It's 75.

-Could I possibly buy that for £50?

I wouldn't say 50, no.

-60, I would say.

-Oh, I would like to buy it, Michael.

Well, I'll try and help you,

but just this once, just this once.

-55.

-I'm going to buy it. £55.

-You'll do well, I'm sure.

-Thank you so much. I don't mind,

I thought it was a charming object.

That's is a generous £20 off the Art Nouveau brooch.

I'm actually quite pleased with that.

-And there's your change.

-Thank you very much, Michael.

-You're welcome.

-Thank you so much.

-Good luck.

Meanwhile, Charles has taken the Metropolitan

for a spin south to Nottingham.

I've had a good first shop.

I've always kind of concerned,

and it's always been the same in the past,

that the first day in the first week of the first shopping

is always the hardest.

Well, with that out of the way, hopefully, he can relax today.

This morning, he's hitting Antiques And Collector's Corner

and is meeting Andrew Moss.

-Hello. How are you?

-All right, are you?

Nice to see you.

As Charles splashed the cash yesterday,

he's now on it bit of a budget,

so whatever catches his eye will have to be around £30.

Andy, this glassware here.

Is it old?

Yes. If you look, it's got a tinge of yellow in it.

How much is that, Andy?

To you, Charles...

-..140.

-Oh, what a shame.

What would you date this glass to?

I still think it's about 1800s.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-And why's that?

Just the pattern of it, the style of it.

What's your best on that?

£100.

I like it...

..but I can't afford it.

But Charles has had an idea.

He wants to try and exchange his prisoner's ball and chain,

which he bought for £35,

plus his remaining £30 cash

for one Georgian wine glass.

Good luck with that, boy.

This is a ball and chain,

certainly mid-19th century, could be earlier.

It's novel and I suppose a ball and chain today...

Would it have any resonance in your shop,

would it have any real potential...?

It would do at the right price, Charles.

What is this worth to you?

I want £50 cash off you and that.

-Oh, dear.

-So I've got a chance.

Hand on heart,

what I've got in my kitty

-is £30.

-Not interested.

Thanks for trying. If we don't ask, we never know.

Huh, definitely worth a try, Charles,

but you'll just have to make do with your lot.

Back in Gainsborough, Mark has found his way to his final shop,

Astra Antiques, run by Barry Aucott.

-Hello, Barry, is it?

-It is. Are you Mark?

-I am.

Point me in the way of the bargains.

Head through and then left for cabinets and small stuff, mainly.

-Right, lovely.

-All right?

-Thanks, Barry. See you later.

The centre is home to over 170 dealers

displaying over 50,000 antiques.

It's one of the largest antique centres in Europe.

So, get stuck in, Mark.

Now, I spotted something here, which is a little horn beaker.

And it's got on there, I think,

PT 1858 JM.

Now, that could be...

..a marriage beaker.

So, PT could've married JM in 1858

and it's maybe the house they lived in.

But it's actually got quite a lovely feel about it.

And we are sticking with our capital A for Antiques.

Now, it's priced up at £88,

but I do rather like it.

As Mark's got £115 still to spend,

is there something else to go with the horn beaker?

It's quite an interesting object. It's...white metal,

or Indian silver.

The interesting bit is it's a double jug,

or a double measure,

cos when you look at the top, you've got a little lip

and on the bottom, you've also got a little lip.

In terms of the date, I think this fits very well

into the Raj period,

which is going to be around about 1880.

So, it's back to Barry to try and do a deal

on both the horn beaker and the jug.

I've got left £115.

Is there any chance we could persuade them to do that?

It's a big ask, I know, but...

That one I know I get down, cos that's mine.

-Pushing it, 100.

-Yeah.

That one, one of the of the dealers,

I would say standard trade...80.

Probably get a value of about 70.

-Yes, so, we're way off really, aren't we?

-Yeah.

-Which is fair enough, I thought it was a big ask to be honest.

-Yeah.

-Let me have a think, Barry.

-No problem at all.

-I will have one of them, I promise you.

-Yep, no problem.

While Mark ponders his problem,

back in Nottingham,

Charles is on a mission, headed for the city centre.

HE WHISTLES I'm looking for a man in green.

And not just any old man,

Nottingham's most famous and best-loved character, Robin Hood,

who's been kept alive through popular culture for 800 years.

Nine years ago, Nottingham declared Tim Pollard

as their official Robin Hood.

His duties include touring Nottingham Castle

and promoting tourism.

Charles is meeting him at the castle

to find out the truth behind the legend.

It must be!

-Good afternoon, sir.

-Robin Hood?

-Robin Hood, indeed.

-Charles Hanson.

-Very pleased to meet you.

-Good to see you.

As the home of his mortal enemy, the Sheriff of Nottingham,

Nottingham Castle plays a key role

in the story of this world-famous hero.

The original 11th-century fortress

was rebuilt after the English Civil War,

but there are still some parts which Robin Hood could have known

all too well in the 12th century.

In the castle, I can see, you've got two very differentials.

You've got a very early wall, haven't you?

The bottom part that you can see there

is part of the earliest stone build.

The later portions you can see going up

are part of an Edwardian rebuild.

The original castle would have gone up an extra storey in the gatehouse.

-And where's it gone?

-At the end of the English Civil War,

it was decided the castle had been so pivotal in that conflict,

it should be dismantled,

so almost every single stone is now in the foundations of

-the buildings we can see around us.

-It was magnificent.

But importantly, Robin,

Robin Hood, the real Robin Hood of yesterday,

could have touched those walls at that foundation level.

-Could have scaled those walls, yes.

-Wow, amazing.

And scaling he may well have done.

The legend of the heroic outlaw

sees him robbing from the rich to give to the poor,

so Robin's visits to the castle

would either have been uninvited

or he would have been heading for the dungeons.

What's the actual association Robin had with the castle and why?

Obviously, it was the home of the Sheriff of Nottingham

and, therefore, of course, with Sherwood Forest coming

very, very close to the edge of the castle itself,

it would be very easy for Robin Hood to come in here

and attempt to sneak in and steal the Sheriff's treasure.

So, it was almost the Sheriff in there, in that castle,

-against you...

-In Sherwood Forest.

-..Robin Hood...

-Absolutely.

..who was looking after the poorer class of society.

Robin Hood's main hang-out was said to be nearby Sherwood Forest.

It would have been much more of an open space than it is now,

stretching from just outside the castle's walls,

across Nottinghamshire, all the way up to Yorkshire,

providing Robin and his Merry Men with a vast area to hide out,

so the tales say.

How do we know he existed?

The great thing about the Robin Hood myth,

and it's grown up over the years,

is it started off with a few single lines of poetry.

It then turned up in other poems,

in other famous bits of British history poems.

The name Robin Hood starts to turn up

in court records in the 13th century,

but nobody knows if that's the same Robin Hood

or if people had heard the story of Robin Hood

and are just claiming to be him.

The first literary mention of Robin Hood was penned around 1377,

but the main body of tales come from the 15th century

in the form of narrative poems known as ballads.

Robin Hood in Sherwood stood Hooded and hatted, hosed and shod

Four and 20 arrows He bore in his hands.

And that whole swathe of an area over there was Robin Hood's territory?

So... Yeah, absolutely.

You can see out there, somewhere in the trees,

Robin Hood and his Merry Men in a glade somewhere.

The Robin Hood story has developed over the years.

The castle houses an 1839 canvas by artist Daniel Maclise

that puts Robin and co at the centre of a painting

also featuring characters from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.

All of the characters from the original Robin Hood stories

are there and some of the characters who came on later in the stories.

Robin, as you notice, is wearing red rather than green.

Lincoln green, obviously, is the colour that's associated

with Robin Hood.

Lincoln graine is a red cloth, which is actually more expensive.

Fascinating.

So in this, obviously, Robin is being a little but more of a dandy.

So I can see Little John who clearly is big John and quite dominant.

-Yes, indeed.

-But where's Maid Marian and Friar Tuck and...?

Friar Tuck, if you look just to the right where the tree is there,

Friar Tuck sitting down, enormous plate of food on his stomach there.

Yeah, quite right.

Marian you can see just also off to the side of Robin Hood.

The stories of Robin Hood have survived almost eight centuries

and with books and films reinventing this mythical figure,

the legend could live on for generations to come.

It's been amazing, Tim, to be given this tour

because Robin Hood is a name I know a lot about

-but now I know far more about.

-My great pleasure.

And on my doorstep in Derbyshire it's taught me a great deal.

Thank you so much.

Meanwhile, back in Gainsborough,

Mark's more modern search for treasure continues.

I just don't know where to look anymore.

This one has some really nice objects though,

but I'm focusing in on this little Victorian scent bottle.

This is probably Bohemian glass.

This is what we call a flush glass body.

And then the craftsman has cut away the blue glass

to reveal the clear glass underneath.

And you get this lovely, sort of,

faceted-type design.

Inside, it's got its original little stopper as well.

Those are often missing. I mean, that's a charming little thing.

What is more interesting to me is that the opening price is £65.

With the jug from earlier out of Mark's price range,

is there a deal to be done on the Victorian scent bottle

and the £70 horn beaker?

I would love to get that for 40 and then that's 110,

and it leaves me a fiver over.

Is there any chance?

-Yeah, I can do, yeah.

-Are you sure? I'm not pushing...

Yeah, no, that's one of mine so I know I can on that one.

-Well, let's shake on that, all right?

-No problem at all.

-I'm delighted with that, thank you so much.

-All right.

That's £110 for the mid-19th-century horn beaker

and the late-19th-century scent bottle.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-I warn you, I will be back.

OK, all right then.

Uh-oh, and that's Mark's shopping complete

after snagging himself five lots.

Alongside his last two purchases,

he picked up the 19th-century meat cleaver, the Minton teapot stand

and the Art Nouveau brooch, all for £195.

Charles spent £170 on just three lots -

a pair of Labrador ornaments, a pair of carved dragons

and a mid-19th-century ball and chain.

Charles may not have totally fulfilled his plan

to put the A in antiques, but Mark surely did.

So, what do they think of each other's offerings?

That horn that's £70 is a real snip.

To me, in the right sale, it's worth 150 to 250.

I do like the Minton plaque, that's a really inspired buy.

The meat cleaver, it's a real snip at that.

So, if I'm a gambling man, Mark, I think it might be round one to you.

We had a long chat in the car about capital A for antiques.

He's gone to a garden centre

and bought a pair of dogs we can find anywhere up the country,

a ball and chain

and a pair of broken Chinese tigers of no great age.

Having said all that, maybe everybody else at the auction

will be as mad as a box of frogs like he is.

Ha! Time will tell.

Our two, new Road Trip buddies began their escapade in Cawthorne,

South Yorkshire, and 200 miles later, they're about to hit Lincoln.

Back in the 13th century,

Lincoln was England's third largest city due to its wool trade,

its most important product being the Lincoln cloth,

famously worn by Robin Hood.

Today, our Merry Men are heading into the city to sell their wares.

Where are we off to, Charlie?

If you look on the horizon now, there should be a big spire

-because Lincoln has a huge cathedral.

-Has a big cathedral.

-Yeah.

The last and final stop is Golding Young & Mawer auctioneers,

who've been in the business since 1864.

-Charles, our first auction. You excited?

-Yeah, it's...

-it's a very nervous one for me.

-No, it's not, come on.

-It is, Mark.

I've only got three items this time.

But look, Charles, look.

-Oh, yes.

-Pride of place, your dogs.

Oh my goodness me, the dogs await. CHARLES LAUGHS

With 800 lots to get through, auctioneer Kirsty Young

has a busy day ahead, so how does she think

our chaps' items will fare?

The scent bottle has a lot of presale interest,

the brooch has also had various interest,

the dragons, the giltwood dragons are very, very interesting,

the Labradors, they're very nice pieces.

The only thing that I think may struggle is the kettle stand.

So, Mark's teapot stand may not do as well as he thought,

but it looks as though he could have a couple of potential winners

and Charles' dogs might have been a good shout after all.

-Here we are, Mark.

-Here we are, Charlie, this is it.

The first auction.

To kick things off, Charles is first with his pair of Labrador ornaments.

We need a big woof, come on, Mark. Let's get on...

-Just calm down.

-Yeah, don't bark...

-We're at an auction, Charles.

..don't bark too much. Here they are.

Charles, stop it.

Starting out with me at £40 with me, 42 anywhere now?

-Let's go.

-Charles!

48 now? 48, bid 50, five, 60, five...

Let's go, come on.

70s bid, 75? 75, bid 80? 80 bid...

-Yes, one more.

-..at 85, bid 90? 90 bid...

-Come on, let's go.

-..95? 95, 100?

-Let's go , let's go, let's go Mark.

-..110, 120, 130...

150, 160. 170? No. 160 we have, 170 anywhere now?

-Give me a big bark.

-£170.

-Give me a bark.

-No, I won't.

-Woof.

-Are we selling then at £160?

-GAVEL BANGS

-CHARLES BARKS

-Woof, woof, yeah, it was ruf, ruf.

Thank you very much.

What a way to start, doubling his money on his first concrete item.

-Unbelievable, Charles.

-It made £160.

Amazing. Now it's Mark's turn to test the auction room

with his meat cleaver.

We're starting out with this one at ten pounds with me,

-and 12 anywhere now?

-Good, 12, is that a profit?

-No.

12 bid, 15, bid 18? 18's bid in the room...

-All the hands going up, Mark.

-No, they're not, unfortunately.

Are we selling then at 18? No, we're not. 20 we have, 22? No.

20 we have, 22 anywhere now?

Are we selling then at £20?

GAVEL BANGS

Mark may have put the A in antique,

but he's also put the L in loss after auction costs.

Next, it's Mark's Minton teapot stand,

and auctioneer Kirsty thinks it could struggle.

Is it quite rare?

I've never seen one. I've never handled one. Have you?

-This could do quite well.

-Interesting piece this one, £20 to start me, 20?

-Ten? Ten pounds is bid, 12 anywhere now?

-Well done, put it there, good?

-But I've not made a profit.

-15 bid, 18?

18 if we're coming back on the internet.

Are we selling then at £15?

-GAVEL BANGS

-Small profit.

-Don't know.

It's what I call a working profit, Charlie.

But it's still a fiver up.

Let's see if Charles is on a roll

with his Victorian prisoner's ball and chain.

Lots of interest in this lot, multiple bids on the book,

-and we're starting straight in at £40 with me...

-Yes!

-There we are, you've made a profit already.

-Let's go. Let's go.

..42, 45, 48, 45 is with me.

-Are we selling then...?

-Come on, come on.

-No, we're not.

48's bid, 50, five. 55 is in the room.

-Yes.

-60 anywhere now? At 55 it's in the room...

Thank you very much. MARK SIGHS

-Thanks a lot.

-We're selling then in the room at £55.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Well done, Charlie.

-Delighted.

That's two profits for two so far for Charles.

Why on earth did I go out looking for antiques? I don't know.

It's all about buying for the market.

Is it(?)

And Mark hasn't done too well with this market so far.

And now it's one of auctioneer Kirsty's picks,

the mid-19th-century horn beaker.

It deserves to do well because you put the A in antique.

Exactly A. Antique. A.

-And we're at ten pounds with me...

-How much?

-Ten pounds.

12, bid 15, 18, 20, two,

22's in the room. 25 at the back, 28, 28.

Bid 30, two? 30 we have at the very back.

32, 35, 38.

Bid 40, two, 45...

Come on.

48, bid 50, five. At £55 it's bid.

60 is the last call. We're selling then at £55.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Very disappointed.

Quite right, as it's a £15 loss on a real A for antique.

-How do you feel?

-Pretty miserable.

Cos to me, that was the best object in our sackful for Lincolnshire.

But never mind.

With Charles in the lead,

Mark needs his late-19th-century scent bottle to do well here.

If I, sort of, did that and read the auctioneer's mind...

Whoosh.

It will make...£75.

And we're starting at £25 with me,

28 anywhere now? 28, bid 30, two, 35, 38.

Bid 40, two, 42 is in the room...

-Is that a profit? It's a profit. Put it there.

-Yes, it is.

45, 48, bid 50? 50 bid, 55.

Bid...60's bid, 65, bid 70?

70 bid, 75, bid 80? No?

-75 we have, and 80 anywhere now?

-You said 75, actually.

-I did.

-You said 75?

-I did.

-We're selling then at £75.

GAVEL BANGS Whooosh. £70.

-You said 75 quid.

-I did, I did.

-Why didn't you say 95?

Great buy, though. Almost doubling Mark's money.

-That's really good.

-I'm feeling better now, Charlie.

Good, OK. Give me a smile.

Now it's Charles' third and final item, the carved dragons.

If he scores big here, it could be all over for Mark, arrr.

-They cost me £55.

-And I'm sure they're going to make about 400.

Fun items these ones, and we're at £20 straight away,

-20's with me, 22 anywhere now?

-Come on, let's go. Oh, no.

20's bid and 22? 22, 25, 28? 25 we have...

Uh-oh. Come on.

-28 anywhere now? Are we selling then at £25?

-Uh-oh, uh-oh.

GAVEL BANGS Anyway...

That could give Mark a chance to catch up with his final item,

the Art Nouveau brooch.

Beautiful piece, this one, and we're at £40 straight in with me.

40's bid, 42, 45, 48?

-48, bid 50, five, 60, five, 70, five, 75 is in the room.

-Brilliant.

Are we selling then at £75?

GAVEL BANGS

£20 profit for Mr Stacey. It could be close, this one.

-You go first.

-No, I'll let you go first.

-Get on with it.

-No, you go first.

-Hanson.

-OK, I'll go first.

-Get up.

Don't forget your hat, Charlie.

Mark started this trip with £200.

He's had a fairly tough day,

so after auction costs he's managed to scrape just £1.80 profit,

leaving him with £201.80 to spend next time.

GAVEL BANGS

Charles also began with £200.

His bold purchases did well on the whole,

making him a profit of £26.80 after auction costs.

So, Charles is today's winner, with £226.80 ready for the next leg.

Your bloody dogs.

CHARLES LAUGHS Well done, boys.

Well done, they did us proud.

-You're driving.

-Shall I drive?

-Yeah...

-Are you sure?

Well, I feel so devastated.

-There we go, hold on.

-Ohh, it starts first time.

Yeah, and remember that horn? HORN HOOTS

-It didn't do so well, did it?

-Go on, Charlie, take me home.

Wagons roll, off we go.

Next time, our road trip stutters and splutters on.

But...if we're...we're on brake.

-I'm not on the brake.

-Yeah, you did, you're on the brake.

While Charles Hanson lives and breathes his antiques.

You breathe the history of my business.

Mark Stacey is trying to sniff out the perfect purchase.

Is that the sweet scent of a profit, I wonder?