Episode 3 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

I don't know what to do! SHE BEEPS HORN

With £200 each, a classic car and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Well, an old diamond.

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

Back in the game. Charlie!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Oh!

So, will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?

Oh!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Now, you'd think our experts at least would be au fait

with the rules of the Antiques Road Trip.

I really ought to buy something that might make a profit.

-There's a thought.

-It certainly is.

Although, in truth, Paul Laidlaw's grasped the nettle this week.

-Is it expensive?

-Oh, no.

While Christina Trevanion has been badly stung.

Ah! Have I won anything...

-this week?

-You've won my respect.

Ha! So, losing 4-0 and over £600 adrift,

Christina sets out on the final leg with mixed feelings.

There's the part of me that is going to miss you,

just so lovely to be with.

And then there's the part of me that is not going to miss being

hammered at every single auction that we go to.

Oh!

Yes, Christina's so far managed to shrink her £200 stake

to just £145.90.

While Paul, who began with the same sum, has done very much

the opposite, starting our final leg with £750.96 at his disposal.

Our trip began in Clare, in Suffolk,

before careering around the heart of England

and then heading north, to end up at a Cheshire auction in Northwich.

Today, the HMC Mark IV starts out in the Staffordshire city of Lichfield

and motors towards that date with destiny

in the aforementioned Northwich.

Now, first things first, and they're in this one together.

This is my last chance to impress you.

You don't need to try!

-Oh, I think I do.

-Yes, really, she does.

-Here we are.

Lichfield Antiques Centre. And good morning. Hello. Who are you?

-I'm Paul.

-Paul. Oh, Paul.

-That's a name I won't forget for once.

-I love it.

-Hang on a second, your OCD says you have to go clockwise.

-Yes.

-OK, see you later. THEY LAUGH

Not really. He's just very particular.

Now, what's first out of the cabinets, then?

Isn't that lovely?

Black Forest wares are really, really popular at the moment.

The carved animals, you know, those wonderful bear and mother groups.

The term "Black Forest carving" actually originated

in Switzerland in the early 1800s, and they weren't overly fashionable,

but in the last sort of 10 or 15 years,

they've gone massively fashionable

and are achieving some really fantastic prices at auction.

That's fab, I like that.

-How much is on that?

-That he has got...45.

-45.

-And is there any flexibility on price on that?

-I could do that for 40.

Mmm, got anything cheaper?

I love these. Little Rolls-Royce condiments.

-Yes.

-So, so sweet.

You just can't mistake that Rolls-Royce logo, can you?

Much cheaper, £10 for those.

I think there is quite a healthy collectors club for Rolls-Royce memorabilia.

Oh, yeah. Good point. Especially as the auction is online.

Now, that's very Paul. See what I mean?

So, I spy what looks like a mid-20th-century

Bakelite cased office wall clock,

made by Smiths. Big manufacturer of such clocks.

But what's odd about that clock, that's not a 12 hour sweep,

that is a 20 minute sweep.

So what on earth am I looking at?

"I don't know" is the answer. Until we look at the price tag.

It tells us, "Very rare."

Well, I get that.

"World War II RAF darkroom 20 minute clock,

"used when developing photographs taken over enemy territory."

So, not only is it a sort of clock, but militaria, too.

Two of his favourite boxes ticked.

CLOCK RINGS

And apparently it's got an alarm feature as well.

HE LAUGHS

What have I done?

CLOCK RINGS

Blimey.

I suspect, to some collector, this is a good buy at £85.

Now my fear is, it is so obscure

and so utterly useless,

that's maybe not such a bargain as we might think.

There's only one way to find out, Paul.

Meanwhile, Christina is about to turn on the charm. Watch this.

Chris? It's beautiful, isn't it?

Well, I mean, apart from the damage

and, you know, it's very broken, isn't it? And pretty ugly.

You don't really want to keep it, do you?

SHE LAUGHS

Can we say 25?

Is that all right?

You're a legend. He said 25 is fine.

Brilliant, Chris, you are an angel, thank you so much, have a lovely day.

Good price. Now, what about the Rolls-Royce of condiments?

-Or something like that.

-OK, thank you. He said eight.

-Eight.

Can I phone... Can I speak to him? Ian, right, come on, Ian.

-Come on, give us the double whammy.

-Hi, Ian.

-Christina would like to talk to you.

-Thank you.

Hi, Ian, how are you?

I do like them, but I'm thinking more sort of a fiver, really,

would probably be more my budget. What's your thoughts?

You're an angel. Thank you so much. So we'll say £5.

I know, you're going to go to heaven, darling, I promise. SHE LAUGHS

£30 in total, and she's managing very well so far on limited means.

But what about old moneybags?

-My problem with it is, it ain't a clock.

-No.

You cannae hang that onto your kitchen wall,

your office wall and enjoy it. It is redundant because it is a timer.

-Sure, sure.

-Is there any way that price could be worked on?

Yes, yes, we could do something.

I'd love to buy it for 30 quid, something like that.

-I'll see what he says.

-Yes, that's all I can ask.

I suspect it might be... a step too far.

So while our Paul carries on looking,

shopkeeper Paul takes to the phones.

Looks like there may be something else to consider too.

This is uber sexy.

Yes, some WMF.

Whose is this stuff?

-This is mine and Madeline's

-Really?

-So I'm now talking to the organ grinder?

-Yes.

-This is better.

He bought some different WMF earlier in the week. Did well, too.

I bought the christening set.

So you are experts on Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik,

which rolls off the tongue, of course. Ja?

-IN GERMAN ACCENT:

-Ja! Es ist gut. Very interesting, to say the least.

It's slightly scary, to be honest with you.

So we have got this little... It has got to be a whirlpool,

and there's this wee kid caught up in it, and looking

somewhat terrified, because there's a Komodo dragon coming at it.

It's a bizarre concoction, it really is.

Quite. The ticket price is £275, plus shopkeeper Paul has managed

to get a £50 price for the clock.

So is our Paul about to splash some of that cash?

I'd like 250 for it.

Don't put it away!

THEY LAUGH

I fear I must.

-Seriously, it is £120 worth to me.

-Ah!

That's harsh, harsh.

-If you will make it 180.

-It is too strong for me.

I think the very best I could do, and it hurts me, is 150.

-I still think it is too much of a gamble for me.

-130.

-Come on, for £10.

-You're right, you're right, you're right.

That's 130, plus 50 for the clock.

You can almost hear the cogs whirring.

-I'm ahead of the game, I can take a loss.

-Good man.

And he said his pile of cash wouldn't change him. Ha!

Right, I'll follow you and settle my debt.

-Thank you very much.

-Pleasure. Next time.

Now, Dr Samuel Johnson was born in Lichfield

and memorably described it as a city of philosophers.

He almost certainly had one particular resident in mind,

and Christina has come to find out about Erasmus Darwin.

-Hello.

-Christina.

-You must be Tony.

-I am Tony.

-How lovely to meet you.

-Welcome to Darwin House.

-Shall we go have a little look around?

-I think we should.

-Thank you.

This house was once the home of one of Britain's greatest polymaths,

a highly successful physician, who was also a scientist,

a poet and a naturalist.

Darwin's work had a huge influence on his much more famous relative.

Explain to me about Erasmus Darwin, because I've heard of Charles.

Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, which is my home town.

But I've not heard of Erasmus before?

-Erasmus was Charles' grandfather.

-Right.

-We've set the house in 1770,

because it was when he began to talk about evolution.

-In 1770?

-In 1770.

-Erasmus was talking about evolution?

-He was, yes.

I thought that it was Darwin that was doing evolution, in 18...

-Charles had to get the idea from somewhere.

-Really?!

Erasmus Darwin would go on to publish poetry that

expressed his theories about the origins of life.

Controversial stuff in the late 18th century,

but it all began with his fascination with botany.

That picture there was painted in 1756 or thereabouts.

And is of a great bindweed, which is something you see in our hedgerows.

-Yeah, I think of it as a quintessentially English or British plant.

-Absolutely.

But, in the middle of the flower, there's a stripy beetle,

which only occurs in the Caribbean.

Darwin was posed the question,

"How can there be a great bindweed in the Caribbean and in England?"

And normally what you would have said at that stage was, well,

God created one for the Caribbean, and one for us.

What Darwin concluded was that it had developed in the Caribbean

and also developed in England.

That is a tremendous conclusion to come to.

Couple that with some fossils which Josiah Wedgwood sent to Darwin,

and Darwin said, "I really don't understand them.

"What are fish doing in the middle of mountains?"

It was the great age of enlightenment,

and they were working things out.

And they were daring to actually get rid

of the conventions of the past...

-And challenge them?

-And challenge them, if necessary.

Add to those two things the fact that he noticed

the competition between animals.

So, putting all this together,

he really came up with Survival Of The Fittest.

But I thought his grandson was credited with that?

He was credited with it, but it's there, look -

"Organic life beneath the shoreless waves

"Was born and nurs'd in ocean's pearly caves.

"First forms minute, unseen by spheric glass,

"Move on the mud, or pierced the watery mass;

"These, as successive generations bloom,

"New powers acquire, and larger limbs assume;

"Whence countless groups of vegetation spring,

"And breathing realms of fin, and feet and wing."

-That is it. That's evolution.

-Absolutely.

But as well as inspiring his grandson's work,

Erasmus was also a prolific inventor.

Although he never actually registered a patent,

his incredible mind was forever supplying solutions to the

problems of his time.

This is his steering mechanism, which he developed for carriages.

His solution was a differential,

so the wheels turn at different angles by putting in this bar here.

This axle behind?

That is exactly how cars are still steered today, more or less.

All Darwin's inventions were scrupulously recorded

in his commonplace book.

It's no wonder that he is sometimes described

as a British Leonardo da Vinci.

-Is this all his experiments?

-All his sketches.

-Not overly good at drawing people, is he?

-No...

Yeah, well, he might not have managed a Mona Lisa,

but he did have some very good ideas.

Like this copying machine.

Hey, that's not too bad, is it?

Some, like a mechanical bird, far ahead of their time.

And others, very practical.

-A flushing loo?

-Can you imagine, a flushing loo?

He shoved a pipe down, through two layers of clay,

into the lower porous rock - chalk, or whatever.

And up comes a spurt of water.

So that gave him his running water, OK?

He then fed that into a cistern and, when you got up from the loo

and put the seat down, it released the valve, so the thing flushed.

And when you closed the door of the closet, the valve went back

and it filled up again. So it was a real, flushing loo.

Long before Crapper and people like that.

So the next time you think of Charles Darwin,

also remember this Lichfield doctor.

But Paul, meanwhile, has taken our route north

towards Chester and Sandbach.

Hello there!

-John?

-Yes.

-Paul. Pleased to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

This is big, isn't it?

Yep, several floors, Paul.

So let the perusal commence.

But don't forget that John might have just the item.

There we go.

It's one of the things that was sold on the last flight of Concorde.

It's a port label.

-In its original Concorde box.

-I see.

Cannot argue with that!

And I think the small tab on the back has actually got

the Concorde logo on it as well.

What are you asking for that, out of interest?

I've got 45 on it, but I can do you a good price on it.

-Do me a good price on that, John.

-HE LAUGHS

How does 25 sound?

It sounds exceedingly tempting.

Can we have a look at the old ones as well?

Ah, so he spotted those earlier.

It's all coming together rather nicely.

These are the ones I saw before.

Pretty generic, Regency-type, plated.

I think they're timelessly elegant, those.

I'm a big advocate of these things.

What would be the deal on the Concorde one and those?

Concorde was 25...

-Ten quid. £2.50 each.

-That's cheap, isn't it?

The Concorde gives it a bit of something else.

On their own, nobody would look.

But you've got that antiquity with modernity.

-30 quid?

-Mmm-hmm.

-Do you reckon?

-Yep.

Good man. Easy as that.

Not quite supersonic, but not far off.

Teetotallers could get a look in too, though.

The vogue for this type of insulated earthenware teaware

peaked in the late 1940s.

The big brand-name is Kosy Krafts, spelled with Ks.

Clearly, what you've got here is a chromium-plated jacket, and that's

lined in an insulating material - or some of them were, let's see...

Yeah. See that?

And here's the earthenware teapot.

So it just keeps the tea warmer for longer.

Not uncommon, but, in good condition, and complete with...

a rather jazzy sugar basin and milk jug,

then, I would say, less common. Nice.

There's no ticket price on the teapot. Hold tight, Paul.

Never mind your sherry and your port.

How's about a nice cup of chai?

I don't know how much it's going to cost me.

For the three pieces...£20.

It's a deal.

No point in being silly. Spot on.

So, £50 for that little lot.

Now, how about a solo sing-along?

# And will Jerusalem... #

You've got such a beautiful voice, come on!

-You have, I love it!

-Sing with me, sing with me.

-OK.

# Till we have... #

No.

Night-night, you two.

Bright and breezy and back on the road, later, our pair will be making

for their final auction of the day in Northwich, Cheshire,

but our next stop is Manchester,

where Christina is taking a wander

around a furniture specialist's set up.

There's lovely stuff here, but can she afford as much as a leg of it?

John's the man in the charge.

-How much have you got?

-Not very much.

About roughly, ballpark figure?

I've still got potentially three things to buy.

I'm hoping to spend about £20 on each one.

-Oh, John!

-You're not going to do any good here.

-Really? Nothing for £20?

All I can show you is the door.

The door? Can I buy the door?

Yeah, it's been done, believe me.

What's this? That's nice.

It's open to offers.

Definitely not furniture, anyway.

No price.

-It's beautiful, isn't it? This is Japanese shibayama work.

-It is, yes.

Normally they say that these panels

-come out of a piece of furniture, don't they?

-Shibayama cabinets.

-They have those big cabinet doors.

-That's right.

This, possibly, was one of the pieces of the cabinet.

It would have taken someone an awfully long time to build up

all these little intricate layers and produce this, what would have been,

once upon a time, a really rather beautiful picture.

I mean, potentially, the album is fairly beyond repair, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Is there any flexibility with my £20 budget on that?

I doubt it very much.

Oh, go on, John. Have a think about it.

John's still keen to show her yet more furniture,

but cash remains the issue.

This is not the bargain basement.

I have to be honest, I do love the furniture

but I do really like that album.

Right. Well, you can buy it.

Can I buy it for 20?

-It's yours.

-Really?!

You can have it for 20 as long as, the next time you come, you don't come.

Send somebody not as experienced as you!

Are you banning me?

Eh, he's joking, Christina, or at least I think he is.

20 of the great British pounds.

Still...somehow managing to eke it out.

-You're a legend and I promise never, ever to come back.

-Fine.

The trip's almost complete.

Just time for one more shop, in Congleton.

Goodness me, let's hope antiques are waterproof.

Come on, you. Race you!

Oh! That's a bit drier.

-Right.

-Antiques that way.

-I'm going that way.

-That way.

-OK.

Adios!

Hasta la vista.

But just what will their final buys be?

Is he a bit too wacky for Northwich?

Who knows?

I dare you to find out.

-What about Paul?

-Oh, hello there.

-Are you officialdom here?

-I'm Kate, pleased to meet you.

There are around 50 shopkeepers represented here...

most of them, of course, not actually present.

There are certain dealers you feel an affinity with

even in their absence, because you get what they get.

Good to see Christina's put that clown down. Anything else?

What have we got in here?

Oh, my goodness!

"Electro-Medical Supplies, London."

Good Lord!

It actually works, that.

-Does it! Is this yours, sir?

-Well done, Christina.

You've found yourself a real live dealer

with a distinctly medical bent.

That's for making pills.

Oh, that's cool. Can I see that?

That's amazing. So is that for...?

-That's for grading...

-They made their own tablets, yes.

-For a pharmacist.

-Oh, there's a plate in there.

That tells you the sizes. They must have made them in there.

I don't know how it works!

What on earth do you do with that?

-So how much have you got on that, Eric?

-Tenner.

That's Christina's kind of price.

Eric, I'm loving your company.

Now, how is Paul's rummage progressing?

Can't resist a bit of trench art.

This is the business end

of a First World War artillery shell.

Yes, a big bullet, you know what I'm talking about.

You see the shell cases all over the place.

But for whatever reason, somebody thought that piece

of mass-produced brass, these were turned out in their millions,

was worth preserving.

The ticket price for a bit of history is £25.

But while Kate calls the dealer about THAT, Christina ponders on.

The pill-making frame was cheap

and I'm sure that Eric can supply something else.

It's a firescreen.

I think it's nice.

The ticket price is £18.

-I love Arts and Crafts stuff and people just aren't buying it.

-Yeah.

There are still collectors for it...

and it's fairly cheap...

-Give me a pound and you can take it out of the way.

-Really?

-Seriously.

-£10 for that...

-Pound for that.

-What about £10 the two?

-Yes, OK.

-Really?

-Seriously you can have them.

Eric!

I love you.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Good work, Christina!

Meanwhile, Kate has come back with a price of £15

for Paul's bit of militaria. Are you tempted, Paul?

I'm going to go for the...

fuse.

Why, Laidlaw? You see those all over the place.

Well, there's something I didn't let on

when I was talking in front of the lovely Kate, there.

There were no numbers on there. There were Arabic characters.

That is a Turkish fuse,

fired almost certainly

at Anzac or British troops at Gallipoli.

That's where these things turn up.

I love that and there are collectors out there that get it.

Let's hope some of those collectors are biting at the auction.

-All of £15.

-Thank you very much.

-Wonderful, thank YOU very much.

-Thank you.

-Absolute joy.

Time to have a peek at what they'll be carting to the auction.

Christina parted with just £60 for a firescreen,

some Rolls-Royce condiments,

a bone-inlaid photo album,

a pill-making frame

and a Black Forest tray.

While Paul spent £245

on some clockwork militaria,

some WMF,

a Kosy Kraft tea service

an artillery fuse

and some decanter labels.

So what do they make of each other's buys?

I love what he's got, I really love what he's got.

The one thing that I think is a little bit iffy is his WMF bowl.

But frankly, if it makes a loss, he's still going to be ahead of me,

so does it really matter?

I may be thrashed in this auction

if my gamble on WMF does not pay off. What was I thinking of?

Hm. There's a few of us thinking that, Paul.

After setting off from the Staffordshire city of Lichfield,

our experts are now heading for an auction in Northwich in Cheshire.

Perfect, well done.

-For the last time.

-Aw!

The man in charge today is auctioneer Peter Critchley.

-No further interest.

-GAVEL BANGS

First under the hammer is Christina's bargain firescreen.

Do you reckon you'll make a profit on your pound firescreen?

-Probably not.

-Behave yourself!

Start me off at £20.

Start me at £20 on the fire screen.

£20 on the fire screen. 20?

-I've got 15 here on commission, looking for 18.

-Yes! Get in!

£15 then, the commission bid.

No further interest.

-It's a gift to get it for £15.

-£15.

A few more like that and she'll be in the money.

-Very happy with that.

-What you need is your biggest spend to make a similar margin.

-Hm.

-That's what you need.

Is that going to happen? Probably not.

Next we have Paul's tickets

with the Concorde one to sex it up.

Show me a 20. £20 I have.

Yes, quite rightly so.

25? £20 I have - is there 25? 25.

-Aye aye. That leg's on the move.

-25 is bid. Is there 30?

-30 is in the room.

-It should be 50 quid, shouldn't it?

-35?

-£30, then.

-Oh, I've broken even.

-Is there 35 anywhere?

I think it was a bargain.

You can drink to that...just.

Oh, the nervous leg.

-I'd forgotten about the nervous leg.

-You'll miss it. You'll miss it.

What can his Kosy Kraft tea service do?

Commission interest at 20 only.

-20.

-Straight in.

-I'll start at 20, look for 25.

£20 on this item. Is there 25?

-He's going to wash his face again!

-Come on!

-..30 on commission.

-Hey!

-Here we go, £30, well done.

-..£35...

£30 on commission, then. Commission bid and selling.

No further interest...£30.

Paul scrapes home again.

Now for another of Christina's bargains -

her Rolls-Royce condiment set.

I've got 15 here. Is there 18 anywhere?

-15...18?

-18 at the back of the room.

I have 20. 25? 25 is in the room.

There's a man bidding!

Rolls-Royce condiments, they don't come any posher than this.

Oh, £30 online. 35?

-£30 online. Is there 35 anywhere?

-Keep going.

£30 is the online bid and selling.

That's £25. I think that's the most profit I've ever made on this trip.

Margin queen today!

She certainly is. Just the five times on those!

Paul's got high hopes for his Turkish artillery fuse.

Commission interest at 20 only, 20 only.

-20 only!

-What should it make?

Um... It's worth £30-£50.

25 from Cyprus. How is Cyprus?

Cyprus is bidding on it?

It has been defused, Cyprus.

Cyprus? The bidder's from Cyprus?

Could they send that in the post?

-£25.

-Nice profit there.

Christina's slightly tatty bone-inlaid album next.

We'll start the bidding at £35 only.

-Straight in.

-Straight into a profit. That's not bad.

35 I have on commission.

It's a fabulous album this one.

Beautifully hand-painted inside.

-It's going to do more, this.

-I doubt it.

35 is the bid. Surely it's worth more than that?

I will sell, no reserve item.

£35 the bid... 35 it is.

Another fine profit, followed by Paul's RAF timepiece.

Start me at £50 on the World War II Bakelite clock. Start me at 50.

-Start me at 30, then.

-Ooh!

-Start me at 30.

-Hey, it's not going!

-30 bid - 30 I have.

-Come on.

35. 35 now.

35, looking for 40.

-35 is the bid on the RAF clock.

-What?

No further interest?

£35 the bid...

-35.

-Oh!

-Aye, aye, aye!

A loss? For Paul's militaria?

What's going on?

Time for Christina's nice slice of Black Forest.

Start me at £20. Any interest at 20?

-Start me...

-It's lovely, it's very nice.

-£10 on the Black Forest tray. Ten bid, ten bid, looking for 12.

-Oh.

Ten is bid online, is there 12? Surely can't be ten.

Must be more than that? £10 is bid.

-Is there £12? 12 - back of the room now.

-Yes!

-Come on!

-Is there a 15 anywhere?

15 over there, 15 over there.

Do you want 18? 18.

20? 20. 25?

25? Yes. 30? No.

-Oh, go on!

-25 in the room.

-Oh, go on, it's nice!

-No threatening customers, please!

-THEY LAUGH

£25 in the room and selling.

£25 it is.

I think she thought she was charming them.

Oh, well! At least Christina's having a good time.

-I'm winning.

-I'm not.

-I'm winning!

THEY LAUGH

Is this what it feels like?

Now for Christina's pill-making frame.

Start me off at £20, please.

£20? All you need to start your own drug company. Who's got £20?

-Start me 10. £10.

-That doesn't make me very proud.

It's a Victorian pill frame, it's got to be worth £10.

-10 is bid, 10 is bid. Looking for 20.

-Rightly so.

£1 profit. I'm happy.

Is their £12 anywhere?

Last chance at 10?

£10 it is.

-You went out on a pound profit.

-Yeah!

Yep, sort of sums up her week...

But she'll win this auction

unless Paul makes a huge profit on his disturbing WMF.

-Here we are.

-Look at it!

-Oh, God!

-Don't dwell on the subject. It's lovely.

-And I shall start the bidding at £120.

-Da-da!

-Oh, it's close.

-Come on, come on.

-120, looking for 130 now.

It's a very unusual item, this one.

-I've got £120. Is there...

-Oh, no, come on!

-..130?

-Went down.

-Certainly did.

Another small loss and Christina triumphs!

-Christina Trevanion, you've won the last auction.

-Oh, did I?

-HE LAUGHS

-Well done, you.

I won one!

THEY CHUCKLE

-Lost everything else...

-Now get out of here(!)

Christina started this leg with £145.90

and made, after paying auction costs,

a profit of £34.30

leaving her with a final total of £180.20...

..while Paul began with £750.96 and, after paying auction costs,

made a loss of £48.20.

So he's lost this battle, but won the war with £702.76.

All profits to Children in Need.

Thanks...I think.

Well, well done, you and your multi-million pound win.

I'm very impressed.

And I get to drive!

Come on, baby.

As we wave farewell to Christina and Paul...

Put it here, partner. HE LAUGHS

..it's time to bring on another pair of auctioneers for a brand-new trip!

Look at these staddle stones here. It's a shame they're not for sale.

We could pick a few of those little stumps up.

Steady on, fellows, we're still on the introductions.

-GEARS GRIND

-Sorry.

Yeah, that'll be Charles Hanson at the wheel,

Derbyshire doyen and Roadtrip regular,

in the company of debutant Raj Bisrim.

-Do you prefer Raj or...?

-Raj.

-Raj, OK.

-Or sir.

-Excuse me?

Kentish man Raj might be new to this particular malarkey,

but he's been in the trade for over 30 years.

He loves paintings, furniture and big deals.

I look at you and I think, "Yeah, you are the kingpin."

You're a man who has that maturity.

-Like a fine wine, you've prospered...

-Keep talking, Charles.

They're already hitting it off!

With £200 each and a 1967 Triumph Herald between them,

their journey starts out at Corsham in Wiltshire

and takes in most of the south-west

of England before ending up

about 900 miles later

at Crewkerne in Somerset.

But the very first pin on our Roadtrip map is poised over Corsham

and the opening auction will take place

at Winchcombe in Gloucestershire.

-I will see you later.

-Come back with treasure, OK?

-Wish me well.

-See you later. Bye!

-OK, Raj, the division bell sounds.

-Hello, I'm Raj.

-Raj? My name's Anne.

-Anne, lovely to meet you.

-Easy to meet.

-This looks like the ideal shop for Raj's very first

-Road Trip purchase.

-I'll have a little look round

and then, if I find anything, we'll have a little haggle or something.

-How does that sound?

-Yeah.

-OK, great.

It'll only be a little haggle though cos I'm quite a determined lady.

Could be interesting, a rummage under Anne's stern gaze.

Already spotted something though.

That's quite a nice late 19th-century riding crop here.

It's not one of the top, top quality ones, because it's not got

a silver collar, but it's in pretty good condition, really.

The ticket price is a cracking £8.

Time to talk to Anne and granddaughter Amelie.

Would you take a fiver?

-Um...yes. I'm sure we would.

-You would?

-Yes.

-Fantastic.

-You're most welcome.

-My first deal. Thank you very much indeed.

-Yes.

-Now you'll always remember me for that.

-I will.

Well, that was easy enough. Now, what about Charles?

Unaware of his rival's modest start,

he's made the journey south to Bath.

-Good morning.

-Oh, good morning.

-Now, we've been here before, Charles.

-I think you're Caroline.

-Yes, I am.

-Good to see you. How are you?

-And I think you're Charles.

-I am indeed.

Good to see you. And when I came to see you a long time ago,

you called me Romeo and I called Caroline Juliet.

-It's good to be back.

-We had fun and games up on the gallery.

-Yes, we did.

-Lordy, there's certainly plenty of props in here.

It was a grocery shop once, back in the 19th century,

but now, it's as full of as many antiques as Caroline can squeeze in.

-I do like this.

-Yes.

-Tell me where it came from, Caroline.

I got it privately. I can't say anything more.

-No.

-I can't say it came from Sir...

-or the Lord and Lady... blah, blah, blah.

-No.

But what we've got is a beautiful Persian scalloped silver tray.

What I like is the quality of this chased decoration

on the border here and these, what appear to be herons

or fanciful birds in this very arabesque cast and chased landscape.

How much is on it, Caroline?

110. What's your very best price?

-Well, I'll do one of you.

-Oh, yes.

-I'll wave my arms around.

Well, Charles, I can do it for...

-90.

-90, OK. It's almost half my spending gone already.

Can I think about it and I'll come back to you shortly?

-OK.

-Thanks, Caroline.

So, while Charles ponders spending almost half his kitty,

what's his rival got up to?

Well, this is very interesting. It's an egg timer,

but obviously, it says here actually it's been made from an old bobbin,

and it's probably a 19th-century bobbin made from one of the mills

in the north of England, which gives it a little bit more mystery.

That's a very unusual little thing. There's two there.

Another one here, a much larger one. This one, I don't think is as old.

The larger one has got £10 on it and the smaller one has got £5 on it,

and they might make a nice little lot of kitchenalia at the right price.

They're already pretty reasonable, Raj.

Anne, these two egg timers... What's the best price on both of them?

Tenner.

We're close. SHE LAUGHS

-We're close, we're close.

-£10.50, then.

Ah. Your maths is terrible, isn't it?

-Yes, awful.

-You seem to go upwards instead of downwards.

-Yes, I wonder why that is.

-OK. £8, we have a deal.

Make it nine.

I've got to stick out for eight.

There's not a lot in them.

No, there's not much sand in them, is there?

You can't use them for anything. OK. We'll say £8.

-Eight? Lovely. Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Back in Bath, and Charles is still smitten by that Persian silver.

But can he strike a deal?

You've got some solder wear there, can you see?

-Oh, isn't that chewing gum or something?

-Ha-ha!

Will you take £70 for it?

I thought you were going to say something like that.

-I think it's full of far-eastern promise.

-I tell you what, 80.

-Oh, don't do this.

-I've come down!

-I know you have.

-Look, 75 and that's it.

-70, it's a deal.

-I thought we were friends.

HE LAUGHS

72. It'll make about 120 easy.

And if it doesn't?

Well, tough.

-I'll take it. Thanks, Caroline.

-Right! Whoo-hoo!

-£72.

With his deal done, Charles gets his hat.

Raj is also after a bit of silver,

-but not in quite the same price range.

-Yep, it's definitely silver.

It's got a few dents in it,though. It's a bit damaged.

It all depends what it can be.

-Anne?

-Yes, Raj.

-I wonder...

-Can we have a little chat about this?

-I'm sure we can.

-It's quite a nice little silver urn.

-It is.

-It's a late-19th...

What would they have used that for,then, Raj?

I'm not exactly sure, to be honest, what this was used for.

-No smell in it?

-No, there's no smell.

I believe that you've got £15 on it, but it is a little dented.

-Can I make you another amazing offer?

-Yes, they usually are.

A fiver for it?

-Yes, I'll let you have it.

-Fantastic. Lovely.

Thank you very much. Three little buys and I believe that comes to £18.

-Yes.

-But if I buy all three AND I pull out some cash,

would you take £15?

-I've got to try a little bit more.

-Cheeky.

-Yes, I'll do that for you.

-You're very, very kind indeed.

-You're most welcome.

-Let's shake on it. Thanks again.

Now Raj is settled in, he's headed for the Wiltshire countryside.

Just outside Langley Burrell is Fairfax Antiques.

-Hello, hello, hello.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Elizabeth.

Hi, I'm Raj.

Our new boy's already acquired three lots today

for the princely sum of £15,

but it's all on a much grander scale here,

with almost 10,000 items for sale.

This is an old military water bottle issued to the troops

during the Second World War, this one.

You see a lot of militaria,

but you don't often see the water bottles for some reason.

-It's quite different. That's on my list of come-back-tos.

-OK.

Not a bad spot, Raj. Now, what else has Elizabeth got?

These are quite nice wall lights, the brass ones.

Those are very pretty, but they're very expensive.

Very saleable but... Gee whiz. They're priced at £95 each.

-I think it's for the pair, actually.

-Oh, is it? Is it for the pair?

Even at the pair, that's still pushing it, but...

I might be inclined to make a little bit of an offer on those.

OK, time to talk to the proprietor, Harriet Fairfax.

-Hello.

-Hello, Lady Fairfax. I'm Raj. How are you?

-Good.

Well, I've had a lovely look round.

You've got some lovely, lovely things all over the place,

-which brings me onto these. These are nice and decorative.

-They're French.

They're French, they're very, very decorative,

but really I've got to make a profit and they're going into auction.

I'd be happy paying 25 for them.

-Each or for...?

-No, for the pair.

-For the pair.

-Maybe 30.

-Do you know...?

-Yes. I'm going to splash out. £30.

-OK, OK.

-We have a deal.

-That's good.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-That went well.

So well that he's decided to have a go at his other little find.

I mean, it's in really nice condition and £35 on it.

If I can get this for 15 or under, I'll be happy.

-I'm back again.

-Oh...

-Yeah, well, to be honest, I was drawn to it.

-Yeah.

I know roughly what these fetch at auction

and please don't take offence, and if you say no, I totally understand,

-but I'll give you £10 for it.

-OK...

-What do you think?

I think that's all right.

Yeah. I'm happy to pay a tenner for it, but any more than that...

-Yeah, I think that's OK.

-Brilliant. Will we shake hands on that?

-Mm.

Fantastic. Thank you very much indeed.

Great. So, now he just has to make it past the livestock.

Hello, hello, hello... Ooh! HE SPEAKS GIBBERISH

Mind it doesn't spit. Nighty-night.

Time for Raj to take a turn with the Triumph.

I need to go on a driving course. I wish I could find the gears.

All you do... Go into third now, so go up.

-Yeah, but foot on the clutch first.

-Yeah, it was, it was, it was.

Later, they'll be making for an auction at Winchcombe,

but our next stop is in Hungerford.

-Good to see you. What a gorgeous part of the world.

-Isn't it?

-Hungerford.

-Yeah.

-And you know what, I'm hungry for antiques.

Yes, he was on a bit of a diet while Raj merrily tucked in,

so time to pig out, Charles.

-A lovely Victorian boar's head. Isn't he wonderful?

-Pricey though.

-Ah, EWE look more like it.

-I love the little sheep. That's cute.

A little antique porcelain figure of a ewe, priced £95.

In the 18th century, the likes of Chelsea as a factory

and Charles Gouyn, they were renowned

for making these whimsical objects.

Often, they were made as scent bottles.

The dealer's put, "Possibly Rockingham." Ah-ha. How much?

-What about 80?

-It's got a couple of chipped ears.

He's a small little sheep. He's a bit tired. Do you want to do £50?

-Well, let's see if I can squeeze £50 out of him.

-OK.

-I might hold him for a second. Is that OK?

-You may. Get acquainted.

Yes, I will do.

Or even go for a stroll. What's he seen, then?

I quite like him. He's not overly exciting, but it's always quite nice

to question maybe a label, and I'm a Derby man.

I'm a Derby ram and this is my Derby ewe. How are you, girl?

So, in fact, she was made in Derby, not Rockingham.

Sometimes, you really can't leave a bit of Derby history behind

and, if she can be the right price, I think this Derby girl's

coming to auction. I'll find Alex.

-What you think, Charles?

-Yeah, I like her.

-What's the best price on her? Have you called the dealer?

-50 offered.

-60 is the bottom. OK?

-Yeah, fine.

I think his crook is firmly around that little ewe, Alex,

but he's still got the appetite for more.

This tray here is probably a tray from the late 18th,

early 19th century. People often will grumble about condition,

but where you've got honest wear like here, splits on here,

and it's got stains on, you've got scars.

But to me, if you want a good brew with a pedigree,

why not serve it on something that's had experience?

Alex, this tray here, it's tired, it's a bit worn...

OK, I understand the condition isn't at its best,

so I think that we can do a pretty good deal on this.

It's priced at £19.99.

I like your retail style, but what's your wholesale hardness?

-Well, what about £9.99?

-Really? £9.99?

Well, do you know what? I will happily give you £10...

OK, add the extra penny on.

..because, when you can serve tea on a tray and say,

"My tray was made 15 years before the Battle of Waterloo,"

that's history. Thanks a lot.

-That means I owe you 70 for the ewe and the tray.

-OK.

So, with his Derby ewe in pocket

and a nice bit of Georgian firmly in hand, Charles seems happy enough.

But what about Raj as he takes our route back west

towards Salisbury Plain and the village of Avebury,

where he's come to find out about Alexander Keiller,

the man who put the village on the World Heritage map?

-Hello, there.

-Hello.

-Hi, Ros. I'm Raj.

-Hi. Welcome to Avebury.

Beautiful. It looks gorgeous.

Nowadays, this 16th-century manor belongs to the National Trust,

but back in 1935, it became the headquarters of

the Morven Institute for Archaeological Research,

an incredible project to restore the stones

of the Avebury Neolithic Henge,

but the Scottish millionaire behind it was no less fascinating.

He was the last of the Keillers of Dundee Marmalade family

and, when he reached its majority, he got out of marmalade

and really spent the rest of his life using that money

-to do interesting things.

-Indulging his passion?

-Yes.

As well as archaeology,

Keiller was passionate about quite a lot of things,

trying his hand at fast cars, the study of witchcraft

and a good deal of wine, women and song.

He was a very sociable person, I think.

One skiing trip, they got through 150 cocktails

before dinner and there were only 16 of them...

-Sounds like a good night out.

-..and he said something like,

"I think it was 150, but after that, I don't recall." So...

Keiller learned to fly during World War I

and, in the 1920s, he made his first real foray into archaeology,

piloting a De Havilland to take the aerial photographs

that were published as Wessex from the Air.

He also bought a Neolithic site nearby

to save it from development and then turned his attention to Avebury.

So, when Keiller arrived, what was here?

Not many of the original 200 stones were visible at all.

In fact, there were only 15 standing.

In the Middle Ages, they'd taken to burying the stones

and, in the 17th and 18th centuries, they'd taken to breaking them up

-and building houses and walls.

-Keiller set about restoring

the 4,500-year-old monument,

three huge circles that surround the village.

He also built a museum.

All in all, a vastly expensive project, which not only provided

much-needed employment in the area, but also provoked some controversy.

He went to great lengths, didn't he, to clear some of the site?

Oh, absolutely. It was an enormous undertaking

and, in fact, he actually pulled down a small number of buildings,

including a couple of houses in this part of the site,

because they were actually on the line of the stone circle.

For all the work that's been done, we're still nowhere near discovering

what the true purpose of Avebury or nearby Stonehenge really was.

However, one particular stone does have a story to tell.

We call that the barber-surgeon and it was one of the stones

excavated by Alexander Keiller in 1938, and they found

a skeleton of a man between the stone and the side of the pit.

He had a pair of iron scissors and a little metal probe object

and three coins, and the coins allowed it to be dated to the 1320s.

Keiller came round to thinking that it could be a barber-surgeon,

people who shaved, cut hair but also did little medical things, too.

Some of Keiller's ancestors had been barber-surgeons and whalers

in the North Sea, and I think he rather liked that connection.

Keiller's work was interrupted when the war broke out in 1939

and, a few years later, he sold his land to the National Trust.

He died in 1955, but the incredible legacy

of the playboy-turned-archaeologist remains.

Avebury became a World Heritage Site in 1986.

In a slightly busier bit of the county,

Charles is on the search for just one more shop

in the market town of Royal Wootton Bassett. It joined Leamington

and Tunbridge Wells in getting that rare prefix in 2011.

Wow. How are you?

-I'm doing very good.

-You must be Ed, as in the front door.

-As in "eddintheclouds".

-Eddintheclouds. Great.

Ed's business sells quite a bit of stock online.

Charles, despite his limited funds of £58,

is enjoying a close look around.

-I think I've got a stool for you.

-Have you?

-Yes.

-This one here?

Yeah. Again, it's most likely Liberty & Co. The coffee stool is

what they were sold as originally.

You've got almost this Islamic Moorish-influenced top

in mother-of-pearl, in ebony. But over the years,

the mosaic has become lost and the jigsaw is very incomplete...

-Yeah, sadly.

-..because there's no bits to go with it now.

I think it's quite attractive. How much is it?

In that condition, £25.

-Goodness me.

-That is affordable.

-You can't say no to that.

-No.

Let me give it some thought. There was one thing just downstairs...

-OK.

-..that caught my eye, and what I'm quite tempted to do

-is put the two together and see what price we come out at.

-Okey doke.

Now we're getting somewhere. What's he spotted down there?

Aah, some proper Tunbridge.

Here we have got a complete micro-mosaic of parquetry,

inlaid in rosewood and ebony, and this I presume is a clothes brush?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, a clothes brush of probably 1900, 1910,

made in Tunbridge Ware. How much could that be?

-It's £15.

-£15, yeah.

-What I'd like to do is make you an offer.

-Go on, then.

-For the Liberty stool upstairs...

-Yup.

-..and this small clothes brush.

If I said to you, "Eddie, I'll take the two",

could you give me any discount on the two together?

-What could you do for me?

-Oh, um...

-How about if I said to you 30?

-That's really good.

Yeah, I'd be silly to say no.

-Thanks a lot.

-Good luck with them.

Thanks a lot. I'm delighted. That's great.

It's not bad, Charles. Now, whither Raj?

Remember his flying start?

He already has quite enough for the auction, thanks very much,

but just in case, he's come to Devizes,

that charming Wiltshire market town,

to see if he can manage just one more purchase.

-SHOP DOORBELL RINGS Hi, I'm Raj.

-I'm John.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, John.

-What a lovely shop you've got here.

-Thank you very much.

I'm sure he says that to all the proprietors,

but this time, he surely means it.

There's got to be a bargain or two tucked away in here.

It's a pretty little Art Nouveau silver rose vase,

is what I would call it, and it's got a few dents on it,

but it's quite pretty. It's priced at £45, which I think that John knows...

It's a little bit on the heavy side. What could be the best on it?

30 quid. You're right, it's a little bit dinked.

What other silver have you got?

That's a nice little silver sugar shaker, isn't it?

The hallmark is extremely rubbed and I would say

that its period was...

maybe only just. I would say this is probably turn-of-the-century.

What would be the best on this?

Well, as it just got here, I could probably flip that for 160.

That's not a bad price, but you have to remember,

this is my first Road Trip, OK, so a lot hangs on this for me,

so I need a little bit of help along the way.

-I'll give you a little bit of beginner's luck.

-OK.

I'll do that for...135 and that's the death on it.

He's got the cash, but he's sticking to his cautious tactics.

-Back to the vase.

-Can you do a bit better on that for me?

-28.

-How about 20?

-It's too tight.

-20 is too tight?

-Cos it is damaged.

-I know.

-And I'm going to have to sell it

-with something else.

-It's...a little bit low.

Shall we say 24 and we've got a deal?

-We've got a deal.

-OK.

-Thank you very much indeed. Lovely.

A final canny buy for our Raj.

Now, let's remind ourselves what they both acquired.

Charles spent £172 on a silver dish,

a ewe, a Liberty table,

a George III tray and a clothes brush,

while Raj parted with just £79 for some sconces,

egg timers, a water bottle,

a riding crop and some silver.

So, what did they make of all that lot?

He knows the game. He's been here before

and, to be honest, it's a nice parcel.

I wouldn't say he's bought knobbly knick-knacks,

but he's bought some very small lots.

Charles has bought well, but watch out for the newbie.

After setting off from Corsham,

our experts are now heading

for their first auction at Winchcombe in Gloucestershire.

-This is it.

-Here we go.

-We've built our foundations on this, OK?

-High five.

-Good luck. THEY LAUGH

Welcome to British Bespoke Auctions, home of the famous Bella.

Pretty, ain't she?

Our auctioneer today is Nicholas Granger, so let the games begin!

First up, Raj's sconces.

I'm going to start off here with a commission bid.

-With me at £35 on the book.

-Wow.

-At 35, 38, 40.

40 now with me. Looking for 42, and 2 and 5

and 50, 55. £55 we have.

-At £55.

-Wow.

-Do we get £60? Have we got 60 in the room?

Raj is jumping up and down. We've got 50 here. We need £60.

I'm going to give fair warning with the sconces at £55. Are we sure?

-Going once, twice...

-Well-played.

-At £55...

-GAVEL BANGS

-..sold. Thank you.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

The first of many, I'm sure.

-I can relax now.

-That's amazing! £55.

What a start. You've almost doubled up.

Now for Charles's bargain Tunbridge Ware brush.

-If this doesn't make £40...

-Get out of here!

..you're going to have to hold me back,

cos I'm going to put my hands up, OK?

Brush yourselves down with this one. With the bidding at £30.

-Oh, wow!

-Commission bid. Looking for 32 now.

-Let's go.

-We're looking for a 32.

-Come on.

-32, 35, and £38 here.

£38 we've got now. It's got to be worth 40, surely?

-Charlie, it's got to be worth 40.

-I hope so.

-We've got 38 here, then.

We're going to sell it at £38, then.

-Going once and the hammer goes down. Sold. Thank you.

-That's good.

More profits. We started well.

-So, you're ahead.

-It's amazing.

-So now I'm playing catch up.

Well, reach for your whip, then, Raj. Another cracking buy.

Commission bids on this, ladies and gentlemen,

-at £28. At 28, now looking for 30.

-That's awesome.

32, 35, 38, 42 with you.

£42. We have £42 in the room now, on my left at 42.

-That's awesome, well done.

-With you in the room at £42.

And 45 sitting down, sir, on my right. At 45 and 8?

At 48 here. Looking for 50. Do I have 50 on the net?

I've got 48 in the room, then.

I'm going to crack the whip at £48, then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Sold.

-That's massive.

-Yeah, I'm pleased with that.

-Who is this guy?

Advantage Raj. Will Charles's George III tray carry all before it?

Who'll start me on this at £20? £20 we're looking for.

-It needs a little bit of repair, but it's a nice tray.

-Thanks, mate.

-Thanks, mate! How are you?

-At £20. Looking for 22 elsewhere.

Have I got 22 in the room or at home?

-It's a George III tray, ladies and gentlemen.

-Oh, it's wonderful.

-I'm looking for £22.

-Good man!

-22 we've got now

and 25, you're going to go. Now I'm looking for 28.

Thank you, sir, you're a good man.

-We will sell, then...

-That's a good price.

-It's cheap, it's cheap.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Sold to the room.

You're a good man. Thanks a lot.

I'm going to try that on my next thing, OK?

So, could I have some support? LAUGHTER

Worth a try, Raj. Maybe on your egg timers.

Start the bidding on those, shall we? At £20, we're looking for.

Looking for £20 in the room. OK, 15 I'll take.

-£50? 50?

-15.

-How much?

..at £18 in the room. Now I'm looking for 20.

-Brilliant. That's massive profit. Well done.

-Shh!

I'm not finished yet, I'm not finished yet.

At 25 sitting down here. Looking for 28 elsewhere.

28 on the net now. 28 and 30, sir?

£30 sitting down.

-W-w-wait, I'm hoping that it's not over.

-One more bid perhaps?

-One more bid?

-I'm going to sell, then, at £30...

-GAVEL BANGS

-..to the room. Thank you.

He kept quiet, but they still picked up a profit.

Can Charles's Liberty table match it?

-I could be in trouble. Here we go.

-Here we go.

-Pray, Hansen.

Don't look round. Cut that out.

-A low cheeky bid at £15.

-Oh!

-At £15.

-Oh!

-Shh...

Looking for 18. At 18 with you, sir, in the room...

-You've done it, you've done it.

-I'm still down.

Would you like to go, sir? 28, would you like to go?

-28 now with you at £28...

-I'm still very down.

-..at 28 on my right. At 28 bid.

-Hello, the world. You're out.

Going once, twice at £28 to the gentleman in the room.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Sold. Thank you.

Someone's got a bargain. Now for Raj's little silver collection.

Who's going to start the bidding at £15?

-At 15, we've got here straight away.

-Profit. Is that profit?

-No.

We've got £15 on this for Raj. Have we got 18 elsewhere? At 18.

-We've got £15 only, in the room or at home.

-The game's on now.

-At £18.

I'll sell at 15, then. A bargain. And 18 on the net now.

We've got 18 in now. Thank you, at 18. Looking for...

-High-five. High-five.

-No, no. Shh! Be quiet, you.

At £18 to the net... Sold. Thank you.

-Off we go!

-HE GROANS

That's his first loss.

Charles's favourite ewe. Was she a bit of a gabble?

I'm praying. This could flop.

I'm looking for £30 in the room or at home. It is Derby.

-You've got a commission at 15. £15!

-I'm in trouble. I'm in trouble.

Looking for £18 in the room or on the net. At £15 a commission bid.

At 18 sitting down in the room. At 18 now. At 18. Looking for a 20.

-Thank you, 20 in the room now.

-Oh, no.

-Now at £20 and 2?

Would you like to go, sir? At 22.

And 5? Are you sure?

-Oh, I don't believe it.

-At £22 in the room, then.

Going once, twice at £22 on the sheep.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Sold.

No words necessary. Charles has made a big loss.

But can Raj take advantage with yet another bargain buy?

Starting the bidding at £15. We have on that at 15.

Looking for 18 elsewhere. At 15 now. I'm looking for £18.

It must be worth more. At 18 in the room, sir, thank you very much.

At £18 with you. Looking for 20 now.

At £18, we're going to sell. Once, twice, at £18...

-Get it down.

-..hammer down. Charles says, "Hammer down."

-Sold!

-That'll do. That's OK.

-That's good. Happy? Look at me.

-Yeah.

A good return!

So it all comes down to Charles's most expensive item -

the Persian silver.

-Don't worry, Charles. It's going to be all right, OK?

-All right. Thanks.

Commission bids on this, ladies and gentlemen. At £120 starting.

-Get in. We're in business.

-130. Looking for 140, 150...

-Let the net run now.

-Come on, then!

-160, 170, 180.

180 now. Looking for 190. 190 now on the net, 190.

-I'm pumped up.

-That'll be £200.

-Let's go.

-200 we've got here.

-At 200 and 220 now.

-Come on, then!

-At 220, 220, 240 now.

-240 bid!

-This is good.

-Yeah.

..at 240. We're looking for 260.

Once, twice, at £240...

-Sold.

-Thanks a lot. Thanks, auctioneer.

-Well done.

-Thanks a lot, chief. Thanks very much.

-That's a good buy.

Charles's boldness pays off and the old hand wins the day.

-Come on, mate.

-RAJ GROANS

Raj, who started out with £200, made, after paying auction costs,

a profit of £59.58,

leaving him with £259.58 to spend next time,

while Charles began with the same sum and, after paying auction costs,

he made a profit of £117.46,

so he takes an early lead with £317.46.

-I'm getting the idea now.

-You are, yeah.

-So, game on.

-What a day.

-Cheerio for now!