Episode 15 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.

It's the last day of the Road Trip for our two

-antiques aficionados.

-It's been great fun, we've had highs and lows.

-I don't know what I'm going to do without you, Charles.

-Ditto, ditto.

Auctioneer Mark Stacey has learned that to beat his opposition

-he needs to change tactics.

-Right, get up the stairs.

Get up the stairs. Oh, sorry!

His rival, auctioneer Charles Hanson,

makes sure he's always ready for the battle ahead.

Sometimes Mark will be strong armed in the auction.

Both experts began their week with £200.

On the final day there is well over £200 between them.

Despite Mark gaining ground at the last auction,

he's still only on £232.08.

Although Charles only earned a small profit,

when added to his previous totals, he's still way ahead on £470.08.

They began the week with a mission - to put the A into antiques.

Mark's largely stuck to that aim but Charles, as usual,

has done his own thing.

Charles, of course, THE burning question on the nation's lips is,

-who has put the A into antiques?

-I think, Mark...

You're right, it's Mark. You're absolutely right.

-If I'm being really honest, it's you.

-I know that, Charles.

Not that that's got him very far.

The fellows have been touring the country in a 1973 convertible

VW Beetle but, like all good things, the Road Trip must come to an end.

So what's the plan for the grand finale?

The last buy day for me is always the most ferocious

-and the most nerve-racking.

-Is it?

-And my tactics are to not hold back.

We've heard that one before,

where Charles is going for broke then spends

less than a third of his budget.

My tactics are actually to try

and maintain the very modest profit I've made so far,

so I will still be trying to look for that one thing that might

just make a spectacular profit.

Aren't we all?

The chaps are nearing the end of their extraordinary

expedition from the North of England down through the East

with a lot of wiggling up and down and around the country in a giant

loop the loop, finishing in Flintshire in Wales.

The final leg starts in Western Heath in Shropshire

and ends at auction in Mold, Flintshire.

To me, Shropshire is fashionably quite cultured

but also completely unspoiled and I think untapped.

Which could be good news for Mark as his first shopping stop

is in the midst of Shropshire's stunning countryside.

Here we are, Charles.

Excellent, Mark.

This family-run business based in converted farm buildings

specialises in antique clocks, barometers and furniture.

Tim Dans runs the 12 showrooms containing about 2,000 items.

Wow. Let the challenge begin.

Pressure's on for Mark today to stand a chance of even nearing

Charles' total.

It's a fabulous shop.

I mean, I haven't been in a shop like this for years.

I've actually found a pair of candlesticks here.

I mean, they're very simple. They're reeded column form,

with these stacked bases and stacked tops.

They've got a sort of Arts and Crafts look about them.

I think they're quite fun, but the interesting thing is they're

marked up at £18.

Not exactly breaking the bank,

but something with potential for profit so time to get Tim involved.

Hi again, Tim.

Great name.

-I think I've probably found the most boring thing in your shop...

-Right.

-..and they don't fit in with your stock at all.

-No.

-You know where I'm going.

-A pair of candlesticks.

You know where I'm going here, don't you?

That's probably the best £10 you'll ever spend.

-Do you know? I think we've got a deal already.

-They're just different.

They're just different and for £10 I really can't go wrong.

Big round of applause, I think.

He's pleased with himself

and has bagged this pillar of the oak-reeded and stepped candlesticks.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Meanwhile, Charles has headed east to Cannock in Staffordshire

and he's decided to call the auction house to see

if they can give him a steer on what to buy.

So metalwares, brasswares, silver, then china and then furniture.

So really anything at this next auction goes.

A somewhat blank canvas for your first shop

-then, Charles.

-Thank you. Hi.

Grandad's Loft is a rather quirky affair specialising in taxidermy,

antique dolls and bears and Gothic skulls and jewellery.

It's manned today by Nathan Barry,

who's been collecting for several years.

What a wonderful shop you've got.

-Thank you.

-My name is Charles.

-Nathan.

-Hi, Nathan.

-Goodness me, you sell all sorts, do you?

-We have everything, yeah.

May I leave my hat? I'll leave my hat on him there, OK?

Thanks a lot. OK, I'll see you in a second.

Goodness me, that's quite frightening, isn't it?

It's just a slit of the tongue. Ha!

It's not your average antique shop, but then Charles isn't

your average antiques expert and unusual can sell well at auction.

Nathan, I do quite like this Melodist record player over here.

-Is it in working order?

-Yes.

-Can we play a record?

-Out of the way, little fella.

-OK, let's wind it up.

OLD-FASHIONED MUSIC PLAYS

My God, as an ex-Strictly Come dancer, I know

they wouldn't be getting 10 from Len.

I'll let you take it off for me. Sorry. There we go.

As an object it's complete. It's 1930s.

It's got a good square sarcophagus topping, good condition.

-What would be your very best price?

-100.

If I said to you, "Here's 40", is there profit in it for you?

Not at that, no. I was thinking more towards, say, 60.

I like it but I don't think it will make much money.

I'm just going to make a mental note of that, have a walk round,

see if I see anything else.

While Charles has been eyeing up the weird and wonderful,

Mark has been careering towards Cosford,

an area known for its RAF base for over three quarters of a century.

Mark's here to find out about MI9,

a top-secret unit set up at the start of the Second World War.

It addressed the increasing need to expand

Britain's military intelligence services.

MI9 specialised in helping to prevent capture and in aiding

the escape of our servicemen in enemy occupied territory.

Using innovative techniques we'd associate with James Bond,

they helped save the lives of around 35,000 service personnel.

Mark's come to hear more from the museum's aviation historian.

-Hello, Ross?

-Hi, Mark.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

Around 170,000 British servicemen were incarcerated in

prisoner-of-war camps by German and Italian forces during World War II.

Although camp conditions were difficult,

detainees were allowed to carry out activities and receive packages.

This gave MI9 the opportunity to send in contraband.

I've heard of MI5 but not MI9, what is it?

MI9 is essentially the organisation set up in

December 1939 to aid captured airmen,

but also captured army personnel and naval personnel.

So all our armed forces were trained by MI9, is that right?

Yeah, you get a process whereby, principally, what

MI9 do is they and go provide lectures to the services.

Some of the methods are very basic. The descriptions given to

officers in 1940, 1941 is, you know, "Try to look German."

But then as the war goes on it becomes more detailed,

they are given intelligence on best routes out and the maps they are

provided with, of which we have an example here, are very detailed.

And I suppose, as the war went on, the boffins created these little ways

of concealing items and developing what you needed to help you escape.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-MI9 produced around one million maps.

They were made from lightweight cloth,

so it was silent when unfolded to avoid detection.

They not only needed inventive ways to hide the maps,

like secret pockets, soles of shoes or even sports equipment,

but they also needed to get them to the men.

-So these were sent into the camps, were they?

-Yeah.

-Things like table tennis bats.

-Yeah.

-So you get gifts being sent into the camps.

-Via the Red Cross, I presume?

No, not usually. They'd create something.

For example, the Author's Society doesn't exist but goes in.

And the Germans are searching about one in three packages by 1944

that are going into the camps.

But, of course, it's a numbers game so enough is

being sent in that this material is being used by the escape committees.

These compasses are rather ingenious. So those were the actual RAF buttons?

Yes, the compass is the most vital bit of the kit alongside food.

Once the men had managed to escape, they needed to fit in within

-enemy territory.

-And the boots here.

I mean, obviously, these come in sections. Why is this here?

Obviously, civilians do not wear boots like this in general,

so you need a pair of shoes.

So the escape aid here is that there's a knife inside here

and you can cut off the suede and fur lining section,

which actually, together, form a waistcoat.

-It certainly wouldn't fit my svelte waist.

-No, nor mine.

I mean, these little ingenious...

Gadgets, I suppose you'd call them, are very James Bondish,

-aren't they?

-Yeah.

MI9 was made up of a small team of staff initially based in London.

One of their main tricks of getting contraband through

the rigorous German camps' security was to hide it amongst

everyday items, and in only around a third of the parcels sent in.

So we've got a bog-standard comb here,

-but actually hidden inside it is a razor saw.

-Wow.

So you break it open and once you have escaped you can use

the saw for cutting wood, keeping fire and so forth.

The record, again, I'm guessing must open

-and reveal something inside that would be useful to them.

-Yeah.

There's a little section inside that holds monies.

Which of course is vital if you want to get through the country,

if you want to buy food or if you want to buy a train ticket, whatever it is.

Absolutely.

This small, dedicated and resourceful unit made

a huge contribution to the Allies' war effort.

They not only helped thousands of men return home safely,

but also equipped many more with training

and tools to prevent capture.

MI9 was disbanded after the war,

but many of their techniques became a vital part

of intelligence training,

some of which are still being used by the armed services today.

It's been fascinating for me, Ross,

-and thank you so much for showing me around.

-Thank you.

Back in Cannock, Charles has been busy perusing

-the curious curios on offer.

-What I find do do quite well

at auction are top hats.

-I have actually got the case for the one...

-Oh, have you? Brilliant.

Wowee. Sometimes, Nathan,

-what I find at auction is that the cases really help in value.

-Yeah.

-Where'd it come from?

-It was actually someone that brought it

-into the shop and was having a bit of a clear out.

-That's wonderful.

So there's the case and it's marked RFW,

that may have been the owner's initials.

It's a beautiful tooled-leather case.

It's a bit tired but it's all there.

What we're looking at is a late Victorian, probably circa 1895,

1900, child's top hat.

How does 30 sound for you?

-Could you get any lower, or not?

-I could do 25.

-Yeah, I'll take it.

-£25. Give me a high-five

-Yeah.

-Thanks a lot, job done.

Now, the gramophone player. Your best on that would be...

-Could you meet me halfway at 50?

-I would want to pay maximum about 45.

And if that's not quite there, it doesn't matter,

-it can stay here, but that's where I am.

-I'll take you up on that, yeah.

I think for £45 it's not a bad price. I'll take it. Thanks a lot.

He certainly drives a hard bargain.

Charles has managed to get a very charitable £60 discount,

snapping up the Art Deco Grammophon for £45

and the Victorian top hat for £25. So, don't forget your hat, Charles.

-Thanks a lot. All the best to you.

-Thank you.

-Take care.

-Ta-ra.

-Bye.

And that's the fellow's penultimate shopping day over.

So, off to beddy-byes, both of you.

The chaps are up with the larks

and Charles is back behind the wheel of the 1973 VW Beetle.

-The end is nigh.

-Charles, the show is over now.

The curtain's fallen.

And Mark's suffered enough losses...for a while, anyway.

I'm still convinced that you've been the most unlucky man

ever on the Road Trip.

But that's the highs and lows. We took the blows didn't we, Charles?

-Yeah.

-We've enjoyed ourselves.

-Well, that's the main thing.

Yesterday, Charles took a walk on the wild side,

spending £70 on an Art Deco gramophone and

a Victorian top hat,

leaving him with a whopping £400.08 still to spend.

Mark only spent a tenner on a pair of reeded candlesticks,

so he's got a fair whack left.

£222.08, to be precise.

There once was a man called Mark, who got up every day with a lark.

He went for a bargain and got into trouble, got into a muddle

and made losses.

That's possibly the worst limerick I've ever heard in my life.

I have to agree.

After kicking off their route in Weston Heath in Shropshire,

they're now progressing towards Leek in Staffordshire.

It's been a market town since King John granted rights to hold

the weekly event in the early 13th century.

Now it also boasts a number of antique shops.

-Oh, Charles.

-See you, Mark.

-Take care.

-Good luck.

-Bye.

Mark's come to a place specialising in English

and European country furniture, decorative items and unique objects.

Run by dealer of 20 years Jo Johnson. Hi, Jo.

-Hello, we've met before, haven't we?

-We have, definitely.

-How are you?

-I'm very well, thank you, and you?

-Nice to see you again

With his auction in North Wales in mind,

Mark is still trying to continue his aim of putting the A into antiques.

You're not looking for furniture, though, that's a nice box.

-It's quite pretty, isn't it?

-It actually came from Wales.

This is a tea caddy.

When you open it up it's, unfortunately,

lost the interior side of it.

And you would have had your little departments for

green and black tea or whatever flavours you wanted.

And I suppose it dates to, I don't know, 1840? 1850?

Something like that. It's a little bit distressed, a little bit tired.

-Now, there's no price on that.

-It's £45.

-Oh.

And you're going to go, "Ohh!"

Well, that's what I just did. You know me so well, you know me so well.

So now you're going to have to go, "Oh!"

Am I? Well, I don't want to hurt you too much. (Oh, I so do.)

But he's not committing just yet,

with a huge showroom still to explore.

All Mark's got for auction so far is a pair of wooden candlesticks.

These are quite rustic, aren't they?

But we've bought candlesticks already, haven't we?

Quite. How about branching out a bit, Mark?

Don't put all your eggs in one basket and all that.

What about that tea caddy, then?

What would be your very best price on the box?

-25 and that'll mean a divorce.

-Yeah, but I'll always be here for you.

-Will you?

-Yes.

-Oh, that's so nice.

I'll always be here for you,

-particularly if we could do it for 20.

-OK.

-Can we?

(20?)

(Thank you.)

Mark's innate charm has managed to snatch him a great discount,

having to plump up just £20 for the early-Victorian Marquetry tea caddy.

-Thank you so much.

-You're very welcome.

Meanwhile, Charles has taken the Beetle for a spin to

Hanley in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent,

an area affectionately known as The Potteries.

It was in the 18th century that it became the centre

of the English ceramics trade and the region was changed for ever.

Its massive impact is still felt today

and is now known worldwide as the capital of ceramics.

Charles is here to meet curator of The Potteries Museum

-Miranda Goodby.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Great to see you.

-I can't wait to come inside.

-Lovely, come on.

Thank you, that's very kind.

In the once rural landscape of the 17th century,

local farmers made pots to store their butter.

But as soil was poor

and farming unprofitable, they began making pottery full time

using the wealth of natural resources at their fingertips.

What, Miranda, did Stoke offer to the potters?

What Stoke-on-Trent had got was clay and coal.

To turn one ton of clay into a ton of pottery,

-you need about seven tonnes of coal.

-Right.

In the 17th century, the potters were using local clay -

it's red and yellow.

The slipware was the main product of the time, but it's in demand.

They're well-made pots,

well-priced and they're being distributed across the country.

The pots made were functional Irvineware,

but in the early-18th century demand came for white ceramics

imitating Chinese porcelain.

White clay was shipped from south-west England to The Potteries,

the centre for the skills, with a workforce distribution network

and more importantly the coal needed to produce whitewares.

By that period, what the potters are doing is that

they're aiming their wares firmly at a middle-class genteel household.

And, of course, Miranda, back in the mid-18th-century the spark

ignited in Stoke-on-Trent and there was one man, really,

-responsible for what the potteries became.

-Josiah Wedgwood.

He manages to draw together the technical improvements,

the commercial and the marketing improvements,

even the layout of his factory and the workforce.

And really that's the foundation of the industry as you

-find it from then on.

-He was quite a savvy man, wasn't he?

-Incredibly.

Josiah Wedgwood was born into a family of potters in 1730.

The youngest of 12 children.

After getting experience of the craft,

he set up his own business in 1759.

He was a pioneer who transformed English pottery from a cottage

industry into a successful global business producing works of art.

What made Josiah that man we all bow to today?

He was able to see the whole picture, he wasn't just a potter.

He realised that what he needed to do

was to get his wares to the right market.

One of his brothers was a merchant in London and Josiah asks him

to go to the Palace and present a set of Josiah's creamware

to the new Queen Charlotte.

And Queen Charlotte allows Josiah to call himself

Potter to Her Majesty.

-And, of course, it became known as Queen's Ware.

-Absolutely.

By the 1760s, Wedgwood was employing both directly and indirectly

a couple of hundred people, housing some in new terraces on-site.

One of the things he's very keen on is getting people to start

at the right time, whether that's by ringing a bell or blowing a horn.

Fascinating.

So what we have here is a horn that was blown to

-Wedgwood's workers to come back from play...

-Yes.

-..to come back into work...

-Yes.

-That's wonderful. What an object.

There seem to be no limits to his talent and, in 1773, Josiah Wedgwood

even invented a new type of pottery made from barium sulphate.

And of course, later on, his other important innovation was Jasperware.

Yes. It's a fine, white stoneware - usually dyed to a pale blue.

Initially he starts producing little medallions in imitation of

antique cameos but before long he's making vases, busts, teawares...

Yes. And you've got this almost cameo oval here.

Yes, it's a beautiful little piece, isn't it?

Well, what's your best price?

Look at me, Miranda. What's your best price?

Don't even think about it.

Wedgwood was not only known as the father of English potters

but he used his influence and connections

to campaign against slavery, along with his friend William Wilberforce.

He died in 1795, leaving his thriving business and vast fortune to his children -

descendents of which are still involved

in the family business today.

Miranda, it's been wonderful, thank you so much.

-I've really, really enjoyed it.

-It's been a pleasure.

-Thanks a lot.

In the meantime, Mark has joined Charles in the potteries

in the community of Cobridge.

The Potteries Antique Centre is 25 years old, stocking a large

collection of ceramics, jewellery, antiques and collectables.

Katy Buckley is holding the fort today.

-Hello, I'm Mark.

-Hello. Hi, Mark, I'm Katie.

-Lovely to meet you, Katie.

-And you.

I think we can tell we're in Stoke-on-Trent.

The shop's extensive collection includes of course

a huge amount of local pottery.

You know, I do want to buy a piece of pottery

because we are in the home of the British pottery industry.

So, what will he pick - Wedgwood, Minton, Moorcroft?

Er, Mark?

Well, of course, I said I was going to buy something pottery

and what could be more appropriate

than a Victorian child's balloon-back chair?

Well, at least it's not a pair of candlesticks.

It's, I mean, basically a shrunken version of a balloon-back chair

that dates to around about 1890,

but it was actually made for a child to sit on

and I think that's quite quirky.

And it's an antique but I need it to be a bit cheaper.

I mean, it is marked up at £75.

-Kate?

-Yes.

I've stumbled on something which is absolutely delightful,

but I need it to be terribly cheap.

-Well, we've got £75 on it...

-You have.

Make me an offer. What would you...?

Well, it's going to be very mean though, Kate.

25.

Ooh, that is cheap, Mark.

Would you say 30? Would that be a fair...?

-Could I put it to one side?

-Certainly.

-I think £30 is certainly a fair price.

-OK.

-I'll put it down there...

-You carry on.

..and then we can come back to it, all right?

Perhaps a bit of pottery this time, hey, Mark?

This is...Victorian garden seat, as we'd call it.

These would have been in a conservatory area.

This is certainly an antique, it was made around 1890.

It's got this nasty crack running right up the body here.

And the difficulty with a big crack is that it might actually

carry on running and that's the only disappointment with this, really.

Otherwise I love the shape, it's a very Oriental shape.

It's definitely ticking the pottery box

and is made by local company Minton.

But with a very dusty, faded ticket of £125,

Mark's going to have to have Lady Luck on his side -

well, Katie anyway.

-I do like the chair and I like the garden seat.

-Right.

-What I'm hoping for is to buy the two of them.

-OK.

Is there any way I can just twist you a little bit more

and say 60 for the two?

-Right.

-Because of that crack, that's the only thing that's putting me off.

-Yes, there is a crack, quite a big one.

-But if we could do that,

I'd really be happy to take both of them.

-OK, let's have a deal then.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah, £60 then for the two.

-Thank you so much.

You are such a nice lady to me.

And Mark's managed to lure himself another very kind discount,

getting the Victorian child's chair and Minton garden seat for just £60.

Now let me give you some money before you change your mind.

-There we are, £60.

-Thank you.

-Thank you again, Kate.

-I'm really grateful.

-And thank you for having a deal.

Thank you, Mark, see you again.

Charles has made his way half an hour west to Nantwich in Cheshire.

The Tudor look of this lively market town is down to the kind donation

of both money and timber from Queen Elizabeth I after the

Great Fire of 1583 destroyed many of the town's buildings.

With a little over £400 left to spend, it could be

a very lucky day for Jeff Neve, owner of Timeless Treasures.

Good afternoon, sir. How are you?

I'm OK. How are you, Charles?

-That's a very dapper jacket you're wearing.

-Eh?

I don't know. What about this?

Speaking of things that are hard to miss,

Charles has found one out at the back of the shop.

I quite like that you've got

-a pretty impressive lawn mower down here, haven't you?

-Yeah.

In the actual compartment here,

we've got the old Atco motor mower details.

I reckon this must date to about...

-..what'll it be, 1920s? '30s?

-I would say so.

-It is, Jeff. It's quite light, isn't it?

-It's manoeuvrable.

-Isn't that fantastic, Geoff?

-Yeah.

How much is it?

It's, er, 135.

Yeah. What's your best?

-95.

-95.

-May I just reserve this?

-Yeah.

-And then let me just think about it...

-Yeah, yeah.

-..next door as I wander round further.

-Yeah.

Soon Charles spies another unusual lot.

What is down here is a very nice Art Deco lounge suite.

It comes with two armchairs

and it's a real north-south divide.

In London, a suite like this might make 450.

Here, it says £95 and it has got real style.

But then, is it the right thing for Flintshire?

Well, it's certainly a long way from London.

Ooh, careful, Charles!

Oh, dear.

What a lovely clock.

This clock firstly is quite exotic because we have a rosewood veneer.

We've also got pewter stringing

and at intervals we've got little mother-of-pearl dots.

It may have had some degree of restoration.

It's also missing its glass cover

but this is a true antique.

And that will make Mark happy.

And it will date to around 1830, 1840s.

I'm going to find Jeff.

Sorry.

Watch out.

-Jeff?

-Eh?

-There's two things I quite like.

-Yep.

-I quite like the three-piece suite...

-I thought you might.

-..because it has style, OK?

-Yeah, it does.

And the other thing I quite like is, I've moved it over there,

-the little clock on the armchair.

-Yeah.

It's tired, it needs a lot of restoration to it.

-It's nice mother-of-pearl inlay, like.

-Exactly.

But what would be your best number one on the settee?

75 quid.

What would be your best on the clock?

-95.

-Oh, God, really?

That's a lot for what it is.

-It's a nice clock.

-Yeah, it is.

The suite, the lawn mover and clock -

what would be your price for all three?

I'll tell you what I'll do with you.

I'll take one-and-a-half hundred pounds.

Would you come in at 135?

I'm going to match your offer.

-145.

-Meet me at 140 and I'll gamble.

-Hold your hand out.

-Oh, my goodness me.

-Sold. Yeah, I'll take them.

-Good man.

-140. Thanks, Geoff.

Wow. Tense stuff, eh?

That's an extremely generous discount for the three-part deal.

That's the 1920s lawn mover for £90,

the Art Deco three-piece suite for £30,

the so-called William IV wall clock for £20.

Back in Staffordshire, Mark is hitting

one last shop in Broad Eye

in a final attempt to find something to help him try and catch up Charles.

Windmill Antiques is run by Ian Kettlewell

and is another familiar pit stop for Mark.

-Hello, again.

-Hi, how are you?

-How are you?

-Nice to meet you again, yeah.

-You're still here.

-I know. Don't I know?

With over 20 years in the business,

Ian should have a few items in his collection to catch Mark's eye.

Look at these, look at that, look - a corkscrew.

Modelled as a Westie, isn't it, I think?

And that's quite fun, I bet that's an inkwell.

I mean, I suppose you'd call it Black Forest - so, Austrian, German -

but it's modelled as a little tramp's boot.

And that's quite fun as well, actually.

-Ian, did you...? Are these fresh in?

-Just in today.

Just in today, wow.

Could be my lucky day then...

because I quite like that cos it's novel,

it fits in to the antique range.

I mean, it's probably 1900, 1910,

but I think that's got a quirky charm about it.

And this is an old corkscrew obviously...

and you've got a sort of bone bit at the top with the -

you're wondering what this is, you think it's for shaving, it's not.

That's for clearing off the dust from the top of the bottle

once you've opened it.

But I think that's got some age, it's certainly antique

which fits in with my theme.

What have you got on the boot, the boot inkwell?

You can have the boot for £10, Mark.

Oh, gosh. What about the thingy?

The best on that is to you,

with the boot, £20.

Gosh. I think those are quite interesting.

Mark seems to be on a roll with this little cabinet.

I just wonder whether or not

we could put maybe a couple of these other ones,

as a little package with the other one.

And those ones are getting quite interesting.

Let's see what we can do, shall we?

-So you said 10 and 20 for that?

-Yep.

I am tempted to say maybe make a little job lot of the corkscrews.

-Yeah.

-Does that make sense, do you think?

-I think that's a good idea.

What could you do if I bought those as a little packet?

£35.

I couldn't push you to 40 for the two.

-For the two lots?

-Yeah, 30 and 10.

-Yeah.

-Then we've got a deal.

Where's that red wine?

It's a bit early for that, old mate, but nicely done.

£10 for a Black Forest carved inkwell

and £30 for a selection of corkscrews.

-Thank you, Mark.

-Thank you again,

-I really appreciate it, thanks.

-Thank you very much.

And that's his lot. With all shopping over,

let's check out what each of the chaps has bought.

Along with Mark's corkscrews and inkwell,

he found a pair of oak candlesticks,

an early Victorian tea caddy,

a Victorian child's chair

and a Minton garden seat -

costing £130 altogether.

Charles bought a Victorian top hat and leather case,

an Art-Deco gramophone,

an Art-Deco three-piece suite,

a 1920s lawn mower

and a so-called William IV rosewood wall clock -

all for £210.

So, there are a fair number of genuine antiques in this lot,

so will that be enough to impress one another?

I do feel Mark, on our last shopping excursion, has bought really well.

My biggest concern is his corkscrew -

that could be the final screw for me.

His Victorian chair is nice but neat, but not overly exciting.

May the best man win in our last auction.

Charles, a lawnmower - vintage or otherwise - please.

A top hat on its own is worth £25,

so to get the lovely leather box with it is a real terrific buy.

The clock is charming, they're a little bit out of fashion,

but I can't see a loss on £20, Charles, well done.

Now our experts can do no more.

Starting in Weston Heath in Shropshire,

the chaps are now drawing their journey

to a close in Mold, Flintshire.

# Morning has broken... #

I love these autumn mornings, don't you?

# Like a first morning... #

They're certainly in the swing of things this morning.

# You got to be big and strong Enough to turn me on. #

Now they're facing the fifth and final auction.

-We've had a good journey, haven't we?

-Yeah, very.

11 counties in all, Charles?

I think I've had a little bit of bad luck but...

-But...

-..it has been very, very enjoyable.

Good to hear that. Their last stop of the week is Dodds Auction.

-Well, this is it, Charles.

-Here we are, Mark, this is it.

It's an interesting showroom, isn't it?

Ha! To you! Get in there.

Auctioneer Anthony Parry has been tasked with the job of weighing up the fellows' wares.

They could have done with putting their glasses on

when they bought some of these things.

The three-piece suite, it's in appalling condition.

We'll be lucky to get a bid for it.

A nice little child's chair, at first glance.

The lawn mower, we'd... It's certainly...

It is a collector's piece.

The corkscrews, not a bad collection.

There's been a bit of interest in those.

It may be mixed reviews from Anthony,

but the experts are now in the hands of the buying public of Mold.

First, it's Mark's collection of corkscrews.

-So it should make £80-100, so fingers crossed.

-Yeah.

Then I can crack open a bottle of wine and celebrate.

Nice collection of corkscrews.

-55 for that.

-Keep going, keep going.

-55 you're looking at...

60's a hand in the corner...

65...

All done at 65 then...

-Well done, chief.

-Well, it's a profit, I guess, isn't it?

-Yeah.

He's more than doubled his money with that nice profit.

-It's a good start to the day for us.

-Yeah.

It is a good start, Mark, yeah.

We're riding home together, hey?

Next, it's Mark's pair of oak reeded candlesticks.

10 I've got, £10...

-Only £10.

-10, 12, 14...

16, 18...

20..2, 24,

-that's 24...

-Well, that's not bad actually.

-24, 26...

-That's good, actually.

-28, 30...

32, 4 is there?

£32 is down in the front, at 32...

-That's awesome, Mark, you're fine.

-No, that's good.

-That's three times what I paid for them.

-You're doing really well.

Another great profit for Mark.

This could be the day he finally manages to win a leg.

Next, it's Charles's 1930s gramophone.

Aren't you going to play us a record, Michael?

-It's playing now.

-It is playing.

-It is playing.

-Shh!

MUSIC PLAYS FROM THE GRAMOPHONE

10. (Dear me.) £10, 10.

-15.

-Oh, no.

-It'll go.

20, 25, 30...

35, 40, 45...

-50, 5...

-There we are, you're in profit.

-That's better.

£60, 65 at the back...

70, 5, 80...

Anybody else? All done at 80 then.

-That's all right.

-That's good.

-£35 profit, Charles.

Yeah, it pays to be musical.

That £35 profit will be music to Charles's ears.

THEY SING

The Victorian child's top hat is Charles's next lot.

10, 12, 14...

16, 18...

£18, 18, 20...

-£20.

-Keep going, keep going. Oh, it's cheap, it's cheap.

22, 24, 26...

28, 30, 30 there...

-It's cheap, did you hear that, everyone?

-It's cheap, it's cheap.

34, 36...

It's cheap. Thanks, Mark. It is, thank you.

38, 40, 2...

44. 44 - anybody else?

-Cheap-cheap.

-So all done at £44...

-It cost me £25.

-Right.

-It made 44.

-Yes.

So I've made how much?

-I'm sure you can work it out, Charles.

-£19?

-That's right.

You got there in the end, Charles,

and it's his second profit of the day.

-We're doing well here today.

-We are, yeah. We're rolling.

Will Mark's luck continue with his Black Forest inkwell?

-This is it now.

-Good luck, Mark. You'll go marching on now.

10, 12, 14...

16, 18...

20, 2, 24...

26, 28, 30 is there?

30, 2 is there?

-£30, all done at £30 then...

-Well, I'm happy with that.

30...

-Well done, Mark, flying high.

-Happy with that, Charles.

Cor, Mark's tripled his money again.

Stick with it, Mark. It's now his early Victorian tea caddy.

10, 12, 14...

16, 18...

20, 2... 24, right at the back...

-26, 28, 30...

-Now then, come on.

-32, 34, 36...

-Well done, sir.

-It's quality, this.

-38...

40, 2, 44...

46, 48, 50, thank you.

-52...

-You're flying, Mark.

-Oh, I'm happy with this.

All done at £52 then.

-Wow.

-No, that's good.

You're blooming right it is -

another strong profit of £32. Go, Mark.

Now it's over to Charles's three-piece suite -

not a favourite of the auctioneer

I heard whispers the auctioneer was going to bin it...

until he realised that it was mine.

I can't see why(!)

I don't really think there'll be a bid for it.

I think there will be.

No, no, no, no, I've heard so many awful comments about it.

What shall we say for it?

Put me a bid in, please.

-BIDDER: Fiver.

-In coins, right?

£5 in coins.

£5 note. Who's going to make it 10?

£5 note, I've got.

Put the gavel down! LAUGHTER

-Surely one more?

-It's only worth a fiver.

Have a go. He's over there, he's over there.

Are you going to have ten?

-Yeah.

-You'll have a tenner?

-Good man.

Right. 15, 15...

-Oh, for goodness' sake.

-One more!

-Going into big money now.

Are you having 20? £20, £20 over here...

-25...

-I've got you! One more.

-Oh.

-25, 30, £30...

-Oh, yes. There we go.

30. All done at £30 then...

Thank you very much. Thank you, auctioneer. Well done.

Well, at least it's managed to wipe its face,

even if there's no profit, and he should probably be grateful at that.

We're now back to the real antique with Mark's Victorian child's chair.

10, 12, 14...

-16, £18, 20...

-It's moving.

-22, 24...

-Come on.

32, 34...

-Oh, good.

-Here it goes, good luck, Mark.

-36, is it 38 at the back?

-Oh, one more. Yes, 40.

It's down by me at £40...

-Done it again.

-Give me a high-five. Good work.

Mark's certainly on a roll - better late than never.

Now it's Charles's so-called William IV wall clock

which is missing the glass cover.

-Another antique, Charles. Getting better.

-Exactly.

-20, 5...

-You're in profit now.

25, 30, 35...

40, 5...

-That's a decent profit.

-Yeah.

-Oh, 50 in a new place.

60, 65, 70...

-Well done, Charles.

-75...

£75, it's gone...

Another fabulous £55 profit. Charles seems to be having a comeback.

It's going to be a close auction.

No, I'm pleased, Mark, with that.

Now it's Mark's final item, the Victorian Minton garden seat,

which is also in need of some TLC.

20 I've got, £20, 20...

£25, £25, 30 up there...

£25, it's not much money, is it?

-No, it's not.

-It's really not.

-All done at £25...

-Oh, dear.

That's cheap.

Don't get too down, Mark, it's just a £5 loss.

Charles spent big on his final lot, the lawn mower,

so if it doesn't do well, Mark's in with a chance of winning this leg.

Who's going to kick it off at £50?

Well, somebody's got to kick it off...

-BIDDER SHOUTS: 20!

-Oh, no!

-Yes, that's what it worth.

-20, all right, it's a start. £30...

-No, it's not.

£40, £50, £60...

£70. 75 - he's getting tight now.

80, 85, 90...

-£90, 95...

-One for the road.

All done at £95...

-Going...

-Oh, just put the gavel down.

-Going...

Oh!

It was a gamble that didn't really pay off,

but it's still a fiver in the bank.

-Thank you for a wonderful road trip.

-It's been fantastic.

-Have you got everything?

-Got my hat.

The final figures are in

and after beginning today's road trip with £232.08,

Mark's triumphantly taken the last leg

with a profit of £70.08 after auction costs -

giving him a very tidy total of £302.16.

Charles had a strong start with £470.08.

Despite losing this auction,

with a profit of just £55.68 after costs,

he's clocked up a rather magnificent £525.76 overall -

so he's walking away victorious at the end of the week

with a £200 lead.

All profits go to Children In Need.

I can't believe it, I've actually won an auction,

-but you've won overall.

-No, Mark, it's been a wonderful week.

No surprises, it's been great, hasn't it?

-I'm driving, yeah?

-Yeah, you're driving.

-Fine.

Sadly, that's the end of what's been a fabulous week.

-Give me a high-five.

-Yeah, exactly.

With the weird and wonderful...

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

..and begging galore.

Please, please, please, please.

It's been difficult getting from A to B, though.

-I'm not on the road!

-Yeah, it is on the...

My car won't start.

But there's been singing...

# It's raining men... #

# Riding along in my automobile... #

..and a lot of fun.

Mark, may the best man win at auction.

On the next Antiques Road Trip,

it's the start of a whole new adventure with experts

Paul Laidlaw and Anita Manning.

Paul believes fate might be on his side...

Money spider.

Omen.

..but Anita knows the game's not over

till the last hammer comes down.