Episode 12 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!

This week's road trip brings together

two of antiques finest fellows.

You're a man who's been about the antique arena for many years now.

-Impress me.

-Oh...

Please, impress me.

With over two decades of experience in the antiques trade,

Mark Stacey's a safe pair of hands.

I don't think that's supposed to happen, is it?

But cheeky Charles Hanson knows his stuff

and hit Mark for six in the first leg.

There we are.

You know that's a paddle, don't you?

Our two experts started with £200 each

and on today's second leg there's exactly £25 between them.

Mark barely broke even in the first auction,

giving him just £201.80 to spend today.

While Charles only took three items to the opening auction,

but managed to scrape a slightly healthier profit,

giving him the lead and £226.80 to spend

as they hit the road again.

After all my hard work, I'm just over a pound up, Charles.

Just say you made 100 pence, which sounds better, doesn't it?

Yes, it does. I'm 100 pence up.

That won't even pay the petrol to your next shop, Mark.

But onwards they travel in their classic,

yet rather unreliable, 1950s Austin Metropolitan convertible.

It isn't fitted with seat belts

but that's perfectly legal for a car that predates the law.

Our experts' epic expedition will take them

from Yorkshire to Nottinghamshire,

Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire,

Leicestershire, Buckinghamshire,

Herefordshire and West Midlands,

Hampshire, Warwickshire, Coventry,

Gloucestershire, Shropshire, Staffordshire

and ending in Flintshire in Wales.

Phew!

The second stint is a scenic saunter from Ely in Cambridgeshire

down to the auction in Bourne End in Buckinghamshire.

Crikey.

Do you know much about Ely?

All I know is that Ely, many, many,

probably thousands of years ago, was a swamp where eels used to swim.

Not bad, Charles.

While Ely is very proud of its connection with eels,

this historic city is full of charm and beauty

and is home to one of the most magnificent cathedrals in England.

-Well, Charles, I've got shopping to do.

-Yeah, enjoy yourself.

-Listen, enjoy your shopping.

-Good luck.

Now, Mark, shop to drop and don't forget,

-impress me.

-Bye.

-Impress me.

-Oh, it's so difficult to impress you, Charles.

Impress me. See you later.

Nothing like a bit of a challenge to ramp up the competition.

Owner, Barry, is standing by at Cloisters Art & Antiques

to help you on your way.

I'm chasing Charlie Hanson, who has bought absolute rubbish

-and made a profit. I bought quality items and didn't.

-Right.

So, I don't know what that's telling you.

Well, I can sell you rubbish that will make money.

That's one way to go, Barry.

The shop has items from Georgian times to modern-day,

but Mark is resisting the lure of anything contemporary.

This is a little Victorian porcelain scent bottle.

I think it's English, even though it has that sort of French look

about it, with this sort of rather rococo cartouche on the front,

hand-painted with a little exotic bird.

The scent bottle and stopper is dated circa 1850.

It's ticketed at £88, almost half of Mark's budget.

But he may have found a way to knock some money off.

Barry, I mean, I do, I think it's been restored, do you?

Have you noticed?

If you look, both on this side and the other side,

it's got that quite heavy gilding...

Yes, the gilding has been restored, I would have thought.

I suspect what's happened is it was a treasured possession,

somebody dropped it,

maybe it came off and then they've re-gilded it.

I could do two crisp £20 notes for that.

I'm sure you could.

Oh, is that the sweet scent of a profit, I wonder?

Boom-boom.

Huh, but before the deal is sealed,

Barry's got another item to tempt Mark's fancy.

Oh.

Butter of Pitlochry, that's Scottish...

Scottish, yeah, and it's actually got Pitlochry on the top, I think.

Oh, the Black Watch.

-Oh, gosh, yeah, the Black Watch.

-Yeah.

So, I think that's rather fun.

Marked at £55, this Shelley crested ware dog kennel

with a black bulldog and the arms and motto of The Black Watch

is of military interest.

And of interest to our Mark, at the right price, of course.

-Barry, I'm going to make you a very mean offer.

-OK.

For the two, all right?

-I'm glad you're sitting down.

-Yes, fine.

I'm going to offer you £50 for the two.

-OK.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah, deal.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

That's £30 for the scent bottle

and £20 for the crested ware dog kennel.

Here's hoping for some profit in them, Mark.

Whoops! Mind your step.

Meanwhile, Charles is kicking off his shopping 11 miles south

in the small Cambridgeshire village of Landbeach.

The village has three architectural sites with

the remains of medieval manor houses,

and Charles is here to dig up some artefacts of interest in Stantiques.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-How are you?

-Good.

I'm Charles, your name is?

-Hi, I'm Stan.

-Stan the man.

-Stan the man.

Stan the man of Stan Antiques.

Stantiques. Stan the man from Stantiques.

Good man, I like your style.

Charles's items didn't impress Mark at the last auction.

So, is he going for a change of tactic?

My tactics, now, as we're in Cambridgeshire

and a really rich area for antique enthusiasts,

is to really buy quality

and to show Mark what can be achieved

on a budget and stay away from, you know,

the more quirky end of collectables.

Buy quality, that's my plan.

And, talking of quality, these chairs over here, Stan,

-they're not old are they, these chairs?

-No, they're just French.

-No age, Charles.

-No age? So, they're almost brand-new...

-Yeah.

-..ie 1980s?

-Yeah, they're just sort of...

-Decorative display pieces.

-Definitely.

-Quite attractive, aren't they?

But furniture is just in the doldrums.

They need total renovation.

Oh, crikey.

I thought you were going for quality, Charles?

It looks like these chairs have seen better days.

-What's your best price on them?

-£70 the pair, Charles.

Do you know what? I think they're tired

but they're alluring.

I hope I hope you know what you're doing, Charles.

If I say to you 60, are you happy with that?

Charles, I'll do you 60 because you're such a top chap.

Are you sure? Look at me.

-You're a top chap, all right.

-Yeah? Shall we say going,

going,

gone? Sold! Good man.

-Oh, they're great!

-Cheers, buddy.

May I take one outside now for a quick look in the light...

-Yeah, by all means.

-..and leave that one with you, here?

-Great. Follow me.

-We've shaken hands, Charles, so yes.

-The deal's done.

-Take it into the light.

What's he up to now?

I bought these chairs and I looked and thought, yeah,

they're probably 1980s from the exterior.

But when I turned them up,

I had a little heartbeat

because they are horse hair filled,

strung as well.

You can see this springing is probably,

at the very latest, 1920s.

I think they're worth, hopefully,

on a really good day, between 150 and 250.

I could be quids in here.

Ah, good spot then, Charles.

And to think I ever doubted you.

But he's not finished there.

Back inside, Charles has spotted something that reminded him

of his treasure hunting days as a child.

How sweet.

So, Stan, tell me, if I bought this whole little tray hoard,

which I could almost call a Hanson hoard of Roman

and later bronze remnants

and all sorts of curios...

And what's a joy is just to handle

these objects from a bygone time.

And you grip tight, don't you,

and you just think,

who last held these objects? Don't you?

-I do, Charles, yes.

-You've also got other little

trays of finds in here and, erm,

I think a tray that's drawn my eye,

looking in this cabinet, is this one here as well, Stan.

And you've got more coins in here,

you've got bits of old flint.

So, Stan, if I said to you...

Two trays,

there's an abundance of volume and description,

but value maybe not so much.

..if I said to you, what's the best on that whole horde together,

what would you say?

-40 quid, all in.

-Wow.

Is it worth a gamble at 40?

It probably is.

So, I think I'm going to buy these for 40 because sometimes,

with a passion from a childhood, you can't say no.

Charles, I'm not gift-wrapping every item. OK.

-Thanks a lot.

-Nice one.

And, do you know, I just thrive on history.

You breathe history in my business and that is one big breath, isn't it?

Nothing like the smell of antiques in the morning, eh?

Now, Mark's been making his way 32 miles south-west

to the charming riverside town of St Neots.

St Neots' Emporium may look small from the outside

but inside there's over 1,400 square feet of floor space

and 24 dealers offering items to suit all needs and pockets.

And with £151.80 in his,

Mark needs to start catching up.

-Hello.

-I'm Mark.

-Welcome.

-And you are?

-I'm Jacqueline.

-Jacqueline.

Now, what's your role in this lovely emporium?

-I own it.

-You own it?

-Yes.

Well, I shall give you a cuddle.

-Because that might mean bigger discounts.

-What an old smoothie.

He knows all the tricks to get the owners on side.

Right, best find something to get a discount on, then.

Ha! Looks like more Victorian goodies have caught Mark's eye.

This is very typical Victorian, isn't it?

You see you've got this little decoration on the top here

of a little child with a bouquet of flowers.

This late 19th-century French parasol has a porcelain handle

and mount in the Sevres style and would have been

produced in a factory on the outskirts of gay Paris.

You will notice, of course, that the actual parasol bit

is completely lacking.

-So, what do you do with that?

-Tell me.

You can, of course, get a new silk put on it,

which would be very expensive.

Or you could try and turn it into a very elegant walking stick...

Well, you need to turn it into a profit, Mark.

-And with £80 on the ticket, let's get Jacqueline involved.

-Hello.

Hello again. What would you let me have it for?

-Would you consider £40?

-I'd CONSIDER it.

I would LOVE to buy it for £30.

-Thank you, Jacqueline.

-Deal.

Come rain or shine, Mark, that's a nice little buy.

Well, all I can say is...

-..I'm singing in the rain, aren't I?

-Well, it won't keep you...

No, it won't keep me dry.

It won't keep you dry, no.

Meanwhile, Charles has made his way to Cambridge to discover

a story of rivalry between two exploring pioneers,

whose search for planet Earth's coldest and deadliest place,

the South Pole, ended in triumph and tragedy.

Professor Julian Dowdeswell is going to show Charles

around the Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute.

-Charles.

-Professor Julian Dowdeswell.

Welcome to the Scott Polar Research Institute

in Cambridge University.

Wonderful, and what a beautiful hallway.

This impressive memorial hall depicts the Arctic and Antarctic as

they were believed to have looked

when the building was opened in 1934.

It also commemorates famous expeditions and explorers.

Charles has come to hear the story of the doomed

1912 Polar expedition

of Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen.

This is the ship's bell of Scott's Terra Nova,

which was the ship that transported them on Scott's second

and fateful last expedition to Antarctica.

Having already carried out significant scientific

research in Antarctica, Scott returned a decade later,

determined to be the first man to reach the South Pole.

Whilst Scott made his plans public, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen

quietly set off on his own quest to get there first

and steal the glory, reaching the South Pole 33 days

before his British rival.

When Scott finally arrived,

he was greeted with the flags left by the Norwegian team.

This black flag was found by Scott

and his companions as they approach the South Pole.

We don't know whether it was the first thing that they saw that

told them that they were preceded,

but one of the black flags and ski tracks were certainly those things.

It was the contrasting fates of the two teams'

respective journeys back from the Pole that sets them apart.

Exactly why Amundsen's team completed the return journey

and Scott's trip ended in tragedy, with the loss of five men,

including himself, has been the source of fierce debate ever since.

Amundsen's team benefited from arguably more experienced

personnel, better supplies and didn't hit bad weather.

Scott's team included scientists and seamen.

Captain Lawrence Oates formed part of Scott's party

and suffered terribly from frostbite.

His sleeping bag can be seen on display in the Institute.

Oates' very famously,

and this is one of the archetypes of British heroism and sacrifice,

walked out of the tent in a blizzard to sacrifice himself,

in order that the three remaining in the party,

Scott, Wilson and Bowers, could move forward.

The reason he did that is

because his leg was terribly badly frostbitten.

He knew he couldn't go on.

The reason that we have the sleeping bag and, indeed, you can

see that the sleeping bag is slit down one side,

reflecting the problems that Oates was having with his legs.

So, it really is a study in tragedy in itself.

Of course, the trip grew even more tragic when

Scott, Wilson and Bowers perished in their tent,

dehydrated and pinned down by blizzards,

11 miles from the safety of their depot.

The grim consequences of their return journey from the Pole

had been blamed on their poor preparations.

Eight months on from the explorers' demise, the relief party,

led by Lieutenant Atkinson, a Royal Naval surgeon,

discovered the three men inside their tent.

The bodies of the other two members of the team were never recovered.

They made the decision that they would actually...

..leave the bodies of Scott, Wilson and Bowers in Antarctica.

And they said a burial service over their bodies.

They built a beautiful snow cairn with a cross over the top

of the three bodies.

And there they remain in Antarctica today.

While the relief party could do little for the explorers,

they did recover some important artefacts from the tent, including

the last letters written by Scott to the wives and families of his party.

All of those things expressed Scott's regret at what had happened,

but also his pride in how much had been achieved during the expedition.

The South Pole was achieved.

Although he failed to be the first at the South Pole, Scott's

legacy is in his contribution to science.

He collected meteorological data and geological specimens

and also samples of over 2,000 animals,

of which almost 400 were new to science.

Scott's polar achievements

and the risks he took under the most extreme circumstances

epitomise a spirit of daring scientific investigation that,

arguably, has not been matched since.

It's the end of Charles's visit.

Time to rest up and dream of the antique discoveries that lie ahead.

Night-night.

Morning has broken and our intrepid duo are back on the road.

Well, they would be, if Mark could work out how to get a car moving.

Ignition, turn...

THE ENGINE TURNS OVER

Yeah, it starts perfectly. That's fine.

And now, just find the clutch bite.

Yeah, and now just let it go.

-Oops-a-daisy.

-I did. And it's gone.

Try it again.

Don't! If we... THE CAR SKIDS, GEARS GRIND

-I'm not on the brake!

-You're on the brake.

This is the accelerator, Charlie.

-The break is in the middle, I'm not near the brake.

-Oh, try it again.

-Charles, I'm not touching the brake.

-You are.

-I'm not.

-You were.

Charles, I'm not touching the brake.

They are struggling with that car, ha!

Charles has been liberal with his lolly so far,

forking out £100 on a pair of armchairs

and a horde of Roman booty.

That leaves him with £126.80 still to spend.

Mark, in contrast, is being more conservative, spending £80 on

three items, the scent bottle, a crested ware kennel and a parasol.

He's got some catching up to do, but still has £121.80 to do it with.

Hanson and Stacey are en route to Leicester,

the county town of Leicestershire, and Charles has his eyes peeled.

-Do you know, I keep looking, Mark, for a car park.

-Why?

Because, don't forget, Leicester, I suppose, rose to prominence in recent

times because Richard III was buried in Leicester car park.

Can you believe that?

The body of a king, to me, would be the ultimate Antiques Road Trip find.

Yep, it's good to dream big, but one of you will just have to

settle for being king of the road trip instead. Ha!

Charles's next stop is Hidden Treasures,

a small and friendly shop with lots of varied and interesting objects.

That's it.

Beautiful.

-Beautiful.

-There we are, Charles, how's that?

-Wonderful.

-Thank you so much, Mark.

-And inside is another Mark, owner Mark Knight.

-Good morning. I recognise your face.

-Good morning, Charles. How are you?

-I know you from my sale room.

-I do know you from there.

-Yeah, it's good to see you.

-And yourself.

-So good to see you.

Pleasantries out of the way, Charlie wastes no time in looking

for something to spend his remaining £126.80 on.

-That's quite interesting, isn't it?

-Yes, a little riding crop.

I think it's a Charles riding crop.

That's quite nice, because you've got here the bone, which is

novelty in the sense that, rather than being a fairly mundane handle,

it's been embellished with silver mounts.

And, more so, it's formed a whistle, which makes it quite novel...

-I think it's quite unique.

-..with a dual purpose.

-Yeah, the whistle for the blowing of the dogs.

-I almost need this

in the car with Mark Stacey you know, I say,

"Mark, come on. Push that car, come on."

It's ticketed at £50 and in the crack of the whip,

Charles gets straight down to business.

If I was asking you what your best price would be, you would

look at me and say...

-Make me an offer.

-Make you an offer. OK. Make you an offer. OK, Mark.

-OK, I will do. I probably will do in a short while.

-OK.

Not sure, eh?

How about something else to help sweeten the deal?

OK, here we are.

Goodness me, she is peculiar.

Mmm.

This girl has culture.

This lady, I suspect...

Charles, I'm not sure that's a girl, actually.

I didn't realise, I thought it had three legs for a second. Sorry.

I have to interrupt - he's a man.

Ha! I thought that might have been obvious, Charles.

I think, Mark, he represents...

-fertility.

-Fertility.

What I like about this tribal figure is the fact that -

look at the way you've got wear and tear here

on the extremities of the shoulder, you've got losses on the back.

It's carved in a softwood and -

look at the wrinkles on the forehead. That's caused by the shrinkage

of the timber going into different atmospheres within homes.

This fertility figure, possibly Cameroonian, could be quite a find.

There's an increased interest in ethnographic objects

that once upon a time inspired the Impressionists.

Interesting subject and further research could be quite spurious.

I'm going to ask the question to you, Mark, what's your best price?

45.

Hmmm, OK.

That's quite interesting.

I think what's key to its success is an online exposure...

-Yep.

-And if we can get this object on the internet and really

-worked up...

-Yep, with some research.

It's something which Canadian, American collectors might really go for.

You wouldn't take £30 for it, would you, Mark? Would £30 be...

Could you do £35?

Can I do £35? I'm going to say,

because he is so interesting,

he's telling me, "Don't be startled, get me bought."

I'll take him. Thanks a lot.

-OK, lovely, thanks very much.

-Thanks, Mark, I'll see you shortly.

So that's your third item bought, Charles.

Now, how about that riding crop? It has a ticket price of £50 -

are you going to make an offer? Go on, crack on.

If this came in to an auction, because it isn't hallmarked,

I would say to my vendor it's a hunting, rural,

country pursuit interest. It's probably worth between £30-£50.

-Uh-huh.

-What's your best price, Mark, on this?

-I could do it for 30.

-Could you really?

-Do you know - I think it's novel, it's neat...

-Yep.

-I'll take it for £30.

-OK, thanks very much, Charles, thank you.

-You're a good man. Thanks a lot, Mark.

That's £65 all-in for the fertility figure and the crop.

Meanwhile, Mark's made his way north of Leicester

to look back at the history of rocketry -

specifically how a British inventor developed the rocket

which eventually led to man's voyage into space

with a little help of some canine friends.

Mark's meeting communications officer Josh Barker

at the National Space Centre - one of the United Kingdom's

leading visitor attractions devoted to space, science and astronomy.

-Hello, Josh.

-Hello, Mark.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Nice to see you, too.

Thank you for inviting us to the Space Centre - is that what it's called?

-It is and you're very welcome, it's a pleasure having you here.

-Wonderful, tell me about it.

So we were set up in 2001 as part of one of the millennium commissioned projects across the UK.

We're a centre dedicated to educating and teaching people about space,

specifically the British contribution to it.

Well I know about the American and the Russian

and maybe the European contribution, but the UK contribution?

We are actually still world leaders in satellite technology

and British rocketry's been around for about 200 years.

200 years?

-I don't believe you, Josh.

-200 years is correct.

We've got some of the artefacts to prove that, which we'll show you today.

-I'd love to go and see it.

-Let's go and see them.

By the late 1700s, Indian forces had developed

iron rockets from Chinese-invented fireworks.

These were used against the British in the Mysore Wars.

This in turn inspired one English inventor, Sir William Congreve,

to develop the technology further to create the Congreve Rocket.

So, we have here some examples of some of Britain's earliest rockets.

It looks very Blue Peter to me.

They are very primitive compared to the rockets that would go up into space.

William Congreve refined his rockets at the Royal Laboratory in Kent.

In 1806, the rockets were used to great effect against the French at Boulogne,

firing over 2,000 missiles from British ships without reply.

So these were used a lot by the British Army and the British Navy.

They used them in the Napoleonic era against Napoleon.

The Congreve Rockets were also used by the British

in the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the United States in 1814 -

an event that inspired the line from the American national anthem,

"And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air."

For the next hundred years, rockets played an increasing part in warfare

and it was in the Second World War that Britain found itself

on the receiving end of the rocket's power.

The Germans deployed the world's first long-range missile -

the V-2 rocket.

It was used against Allied targets,

most devastatingly in its destruction of great parts of London.

Well, what's this mangled piece of old metal?

So this is actually a bomb-damaged part of a V-2 rocket.

The V-2's greatest impact, however, may have been after the War.

The teams behind developing the technology were then used to develop our own rocketry programme

to advance from the Congreve Rockets we saw earlier, primitive ones that could barely reach a kilometre,

to these ones which can actually get all the way up into a low Earth orbit.

This was the turning point in rocket technology

as the need for longer reaching missiles was replaced

with the dream of reaching outer space, thus kick-starting the Space Race

and a new age in which man would set foot on another planet.

So this is really the final chapter in the story of early rocketry

and this leads us to the 1950s and 1960s with the start of the Space Race -

the really big competition between Russia and America to get into space.

The Russians launched what was called the Vostok programme.

The Vostok programme was a project to put the first man into orbit.

Competing against the United States, the Russians won the race -

placing Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961.

But before Gagarin launched himself into the history books,

early test flights saw dogs blast off.

-We can see here an example of a dog high altitude suit.

-Oh, gosh!

So this was the preliminary tests to see

whether they could get the animals to survive in high altitudes,

in the area of fighter jets and things like that -

ready to then make the next step up into space.

I must admit, that looks rather excruciating.

The poor dog must have been terrified.

Yeah, unfortunately it's not one of the rosier chapters

of the Space Race. As with all things,

there has to be some sacrifice.

Laika, a stray dog from the streets of Moscow,

became the first animal to orbit the Earth and bravely paved the way

for Yuri Gagarin's seminal journey into space.

Well, the wonderful thing of course is they say,

"dog is a man's best friend", and I think, in this case,

-they really are, aren't they?

-I think they are, they really paved the way.

Ha. In just 210 years,

from one British man's major contribution to rocket technology,

through advancements first in warfare and then space exploration,

we're now heralding the latest generation of rockets

designed to carry astronauts to Earth's orbit and beyond.

Who knows -

without William Congreve, none of this would ever have been possible.

And with that our space odyssey is done.

Meanwhile, Mark's Road Trip rival is making his way

to the Leicester hamlet of Shenton, near Market Bosworth.

With £61.80 left to spend,

Charles is checking out the Whitemoors Antiques and Craft Centre.

-Afternoon. How are you?

-Hi, Charles. Good to have you here at Whitemoors.

-Now your name is?

-Robert.

-Robert, good to see you.

There are 45 dealers in this centre

but Robert Simpson is looking after Charles today.

Need to get finding.

OK, this is quite nice, this mirror.

I like this. All depends on the age.

From the exterior, it looks to be an attractive,

"come and get me, Hanson"

Georgian wall mirror with this wonderful pierced,

almost cut fret pediment.

I would say this mirror dates to probably 1790, 1820.

And the description on the label reads, "ornate mirror".

It's priced at 40.

I'm going to find Robert and ask him

what the very, very, very best price is on the mirror.

-Hi, Robert.

-Hi, Charles.

-You're still here.

-I'm still here.

-That's OK.

-In the container over there...

-Yep.

-there is a mirror...

-Right.

-on the wall...

-OK.

and it says you could be the fairest of them all,

-if you give me a good price for it.

-We'll see what we can do.

Robert gets on the phone to John, the dealer who owns the mirror.

Could you possible do 25, John?

-Get lost.

-28?

Get lost. I like your style.

-28, go on.

-Go on, he says.

We want him to win, John.

And with that ringing endorsement Robert strikes a deal for £28.

It's a nice thing.

It's traditional, it's a nice thing, it's quality

and for £28 it's a super lot and I commend you for that negotiation.

-You're very welcome.

-Look at me, you did well. Thanks a lot. See you.

With Charles all done shopping,

Mark's playing catch-up and is heading south to Kibworth.

The purpose of his visit is Kibworth Antiques Centre

but with only three items bought so far he's got his work cut out.

-Hello, I'm Mark.

-Hello, I'm Sharon.

-Nice to meet you, Sharon.

-And you.

This family-owned centre is one of South Leicestershire's largest antique retail outlets -

so there should be plenty here to tempt our Mark.

He's gone to check out the new den out the back.

Oh, look - red, amber and green. I hope it's green for profit.

Ha. Talking of greens, Mark's quick to spot a selection of fruit and veg

of the Italian vintage handmade variety, of course.

Wow, look at that.

I mean, they are ceramic - but they're a bit wacky, aren't they?

Look, there's even a little mushroom.

Don't ask me what type it is, but...

It's not edible, I know that.

Actually, I think those are quite fun.

I can't buy a load of fruit and veg, can I?

They don't say "antique" to me

but quirky items haven't done Charles any harm so far.

I mean, look - they're £1.99 each or five for £8,

but they've been reduced cos they were £2.50 each or five for £10

so maybe...

they'd accept a fruity offer.

Well, Sharon's the lady to ask.

Now I've fallen in love...

with those vegetables.

-And I love the fact that they're in an old box.

-OK.

-And one or two of them are chipped.

-Yes, yes.

-They're past their shop sell-by date, really.

-Right, OK.

-You see where I'm going with this?

-Yes, need to go in the reduced corner.

-I would love you to ask the dealer...

-OK.

-How much for the whole...

-..how much they would sell the whole lot for.

The whole lot comes to £48 but Mark is looking for nearer £30,

so Sharon makes a call and Mark waits nervously for the response.

So I'm left like...

an act in Eurovision, waiting for the results, waiting for the...

..Leicestershire jury to cast their votes.

Hmm. The suspense is killing me(!)

but will it be "nul points" for Mark?

Sharon, Sharon, Sharon.

-I've managed to speak to her.

-Oh, have you?

-Please tell me it's good news.

-It is good news.

She says you can have them...

but she really needs £34 for them.

-£34, 34...

-She needs £34.

-And I get the box as well?

You can have the box as well, but she does need 34.

-Well I can't not have them for £4, can I?

-No.

-Do you know what I mean?

-It'd be silly not to have them for £4.

-I'd be silly not to have them.

-Will you thank her very much for me?

-Of course I will.

-I really appreciate it.

-Yep, no problem.

So Mark's final purchase sets him back £34

and, with that, the shopping's all done.

But what did they buy?

Charles bought five lots, comprising

a pair of Louis XVI style armchairs,

a collection of Roman coins and curios

an African fertility statue,

a bone and silver riding crop

and a George III mirror.

He spent a total of £193.

Whilst Mark invested in a scent bottle,

a crested ware dog kennel,

a French parasol

and a collection of handmade ceramic fruit and veg.

That lot cost him just £114.

So what did the fellas make of each other's buys?

The scent bottle I quite like but I feel it's quite middle-rate.

The Shelley is very sweet and it's also got a great World War interest

so I think that at £20 and the scent bottle at 30 might do quite well.

The collection of coins is quite interesting and, you know,

you never know if there's one or two unusual in there -

paid £40 for them, there could be a good profit in there.

It's a wide-open game, still, but I think I've bought the

more spurious, the more speculative, which could really take off.

Charles, what can I say? Good luck, my friend.

It's time to get back on the road and head to auction.

It's been a jaunty journey for our chaps, kicking off in Ely in Cambridgeshire,

meandering in and around Leicester

and ending in Bourne End for their second auction.

Bourne End in Buckinghamshire is a thriving village outside London

where the Wye flows into the Thames.

Look, I think we both ought to go to this auction with great hope...

-Positive.

-With great expectation.

-Positivity.

-The journey is alive and firing.

Yeah, but will their positivity last at the auction at Bourne End Auction Rooms?

Established over 20 years ago, they offer general weekly auctions

and monthly antique and specialised sales.

They also auction on the internet.

Come on, Mark. It's competition time, OK?

It certainly is.

Putting our pair under the hammer at today's auction is Simon Phillip Brown.

The fruit and vegetable - that's a difficult one.

That's a real seat of the pants.

30, £40? Might do a little more than that but it's a nice piece.

Possibly the best item will be the tribal piece.

That will make the money.

We'll soon find out.

The boys are taking their seats and the auction's about to begin.

Round two.

First up is Hanson's Roman hoard, being sold as

"of metal-detecting interest."

Here they are. What are they worth?

I don't know because I haven't seen them!

-Who'll start me at £50?

-Come on, let's go.

They cost me 40. Come on, let's go. Come on.

-Yours at 50 on my left.

-Oh, £50, bid.

55, 60, 65...

70, 75, 80...

-85...

-Cost me £40!

-90, 95, 100.

-I'm happy now, Mark.

110...

£100, now selling at 100.

Are we all done at 100? On my left now at £100...

Great start - ooh, he'll be chuffed with that.

-Well done, Charles.

-So that's given me a £60 start...

-Profit.

I'm over the moon.

Now for Mark's scent bottle.

Can he get a whiff of a profit, too?

Start me at £20, please, for this lot.

10 to start, £10. 10 I'm bid...

12, 14, 16...

-We're rolling, Mark.

-18, 20, 22...

£20, now.

22, 25, 27...

30, 32, 35...

-Wow, Mark, you're flying.

-37, 40, 42...

45, 47, 50...

55. 60, sir?

65. 70, sir?

80, 85, 90...

95, 100...

-95 with the lady...

-Congratulations, that's amazing.

Selling at 95, all done at 95...

Yours at 95, madam, are we all done now?

Wow, another great profit.

They're certainly getting their bang in Bucks.

-That's really good. How do you feel?

-I feel quite good.

I think that's a good start. We're both having a good start today.

Can Charles keep up the good feeling?

It's his George III mirror next.

£20, please, for this lot. 20 to start.

Oh, it cost me £28.

-20, anybody interested?

-Come on.

Nobody interested. 20 with the lady.

Selling at 20, yours at 20... Oh, no.

-Have we all done at 20 on my left...

-That's cheap.

22, 25, 27...

30, sir. 30, 32, 35...

-Cost me 28.

-37. 37...

40, 42, 45...

47, 50, 55...

60, 65...

£60. Now selling at 60, with the lady at 60...

Have we all done at 60 on my left now, thank you.

Well, well. Doubled your outlay there, boy.

Mark's fruit and veg are up next. The auctioneer liked this lot.

Who'll start me at £50, please? For this lot, 50 I'm bid.

Yours at 50, are we all done?

55, 60, 65...

-£60 on my right.

-It's all right.

Selling at 65. 65, 70...

75, 80, 85...

-90, 95...

-Wonderful, Mark.

-£90 now. Selling at 90, on my right at 90...

-Bit more!

-Are we all done at 90...

-Hungry for more, Mark?

Are we all done now?

Yet another stonking profit - and that puts Mark in the lead.

-Mark, you're flying high.

-I'm happy with that.

Charles' riding crop is next. Will the profits keep coming?

Start me at £30, please. For this lot 30 I'm bid...

Yours at 30, 32, 35...

37, 40, 42...

45, 47, 50...

55...

(Go on!)

£50 now, 55, 60...

-This is going to go on, Charles.

-It's not.

-65, 70...

-Yes, it is.

65 on my right. Selling at 65...

Are we all done at 65? Selling at 65 on my right...

Got you at 65 now...

Whip-crack-away, eh!

There's no calamity here - another tidy profit.

-Well done, you made a £35 profit on that.

-I'm delighted, Mark, you know.

-That's a good profit.

-I'm delighted.

-But I think that might have...

-I think that was quite a reasonable buy for someone.

-Yeah, yeah.

Next under the gavel is

Mark's Shelley dog kennel,

"of military interest."

Start me at £20, please. For this lot, 20...

-10 to start. £10, anybody interested?

-Oh, come on.

10, 10 I'm bid. Yours at 10, sir.

Have we all done at 10? 12, 14...

16, 18. 18 on my right...

-Oh, come on, it could get a bit more.

-Selling at 18.

-Have we all done at 18 on my right...

-Oh, no.

-£18 now...

CHARLES WHINES LIKE A DOG

Oh. First loss of the day.

Has that left Mark in the doghouse, I wonder?

-Never buy knobby knick-knacks...

-OK, I won't buy knobby knick-knacks.

-because when you buy, you know...

-It wasn't...

yet it makes a profit in your case.

Now it's the fertility statue that the auctioneer thinks

could do very well indeed.

-50, 50 I'm bid.

-Come on, let's go.

Got you at 50, yours at 50. Are we all done on my right?

-Come on.

-50, 55, 60...

65, 70, 75...

£70 now. 75, 80...

-Let's go.

-85, 90, 95...

-100.

-There we go, Mark, off we go.

-110, 120...

-Think antique and let's roll on.

-130. At 120 on my right,

Selling at 120. Are we all done at 120? Yours at 120 now...

That profit's driven Charles into a huge lead.

-We're steering our way to a profit.

-Well, you are.

-Look at me.

Unbelievable.

Let's see if your parasol can put a smile back on your face, Mark.

£50, please, for this lot. 50, anybody interested?

-We're rolling, Mark.

-30, then, to start...

-30 I'm bid, yours at 30.

-Watch it go now, 35, 40...

Are we all done? 32, 35, 37...

40, 42...

-£40. Got you at 40, yours at 40...

-It's going to roll.

That's it, your profit.

Are we all done at 40? Selling at 40,

yours at 40 now... Are we all done?

Back making a profit, Mark -

but it won't be much of one

after auction costs.

Good work, profit.

-What do I have to do?

-Put it there.

-No, I'm not, Charles.

-It was £10, Charles.

-Profit!

Charles thinks he's got a real find with these chairs

but will the bidders see past their tattered state?

Who'll start me at £50, please, for this lot?

50 I'm bid, yours at 50,

-Have we all done at 50...

-Should go on from there.

55, 60, 60 with William.

Yours at 60, have we all done at 60?

65, 70, 75...

80, 85...

£80 now with William, selling at 80. Have we all done at 80?

Yours at 80 now...

That's a clean sweep for Charles, profits all the way.

Charles, well done. Second auction to you.

Listen, but at least for the two of us it's onwards and upwards.

Come on...

After paying auction costs,

Mark Stacey has made a very respectable profit of £85.26.

As a result, Mark has £287.06 to carry forward.

It hasn't stopped Charles storming further ahead though,

making another fantastic profit of £155.50 after costs.

Mr Hanson has claimed today's victory

and has £382.30 to start the next leg.

The boys head for Hereford

and it's probably best Charles is back behind the wheel.

So, Mark - Hereford, here we come. MARK LAUGHS

Charles, I thought you were going to say heaven.

But, of course, which Hereford is.

Next time, our experts can't wait to get back on the road again.

# Just the two of us... #

Mark Stacey is begging for a bargain.

Please, please, please...

Charles Hanson pushes the boat out...

Would you take three hundred...

pence?