Episode 4 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts...

I don't know what to do.

..with £200 each, a classic car and a goal -

to scour Britain for antiques.

What a little 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.

SHE GASPS

So, will it be the high road to glory,

or the slow road to disaster?

-Oh!

-This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

Welcome to a taste of the west, with Charles and Raj.

Last night, I had a pint of Somerset cider.

Do you know what I really enjoy? If it's not cider, I love cheese.

They make a very nice brie in Somerset.

-Do they really?

-Yep.

Those two gourmands in the Triumph Herald

are actually here to gobble up bargains.

This is a treasure island and I just want to dig with you.

Dig that, Charles Hanson, our auctioneer from Derby,

antiques expert and Rams fan.

It's Hanson 1-0 Raj

Can it be two in Somerset?

Not if Raj Bisram, our auctioneer from Kent,

has anything to do with it.

Antiques expert, llama aficionado, and wizard of the slopes.

-I was a downhill racer.

-Oh, yes?

Which means that I'm going to go flat out to win.

Highly competitive between these two and it's only the second leg.

Raj started out with £200 and he's already made a tidy profit,

with £259.58 to spend today.

While Charles, who began with the same sum,

had done even better, with £317.46 at his disposal.

Our 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 today, we begin in the Somerset village of Blackford

and journey south and east towards an auction

near the Hampshire coast, at Swanmore.

Located deep in the heart of the Somerset Levels,

Blackford's premier - and quite possibly only - antiques outlet

is housed in an old primary school.

Good morning.

-Hello.

-Hello, good morning.

-Good morning, sir. How are you?

-How are you, sir?

-Good to see you. What a wonderful building

and I'm just greeted by astounding antiques.

Yup, Les does have stock worth shouting about.

In this cabinet here is some really good blue and white porcelain.

Now, be careful. Don't drop it, Charles.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

But when you're looking for blue and white,

you're looking for rare Chelsea blue and white,

you're looking for rare Lowestoft blue and white

and if you can find the rarer factories in blue and white,

value can be ten times more than the more bog standard,

so I'm just having a quick peek in here now.

Oops!

Nice...

Him up there.

They're lovely.

Put these...

-I've got six saucers and matching tea bowls.

-No price though.

-Les.

-Yes, Charles.

If I said to you, pluck a price for six tea bowls and saucers..

£200.

Interesting.

But I don't really want to sell them.

One more thing I pulled out, this little tea bowl here.

-That would be Chinese.

-I think it probably is.

How much?

Could be 40 quid.

The other piece is a good, early lot.

-How much is that?

-Probably the same price.

-40 quid.

-Yeah, you could have that the same price.

-£40.

I'm from Derbyshire. Things seem to be more expensive down here.

-Really?

-You're not in Derbyshire now, Charles.

-Thank you, Les.

-Well, I'm working on it.

I shall think on.

I think you'd better had, Charles.

Worth having another look around though.

What I quite like are these figures down here.

You've got him and her, they're still together.

And these are modelled by James Hadley,

who was a very important modeller at Royal Worcester.

-Les?

-Yes?

-Only a quickie.

I'm really impressed with your Hadley his and her ladies.

-How much are they for the pair?

-£100.

-£100, and between friends?

110.

-CHARLES LAUGHS

-Plus VAT.

I like those.

Time to take another peek at the old china.

I might just ask Les

if I could get a bit off because he's come straight in at £200.

Next door to these are also these bits of broken Chinese porcelain.

What I might do is use this pile as a bargaining tool

to perhaps buy two lots.

Round two.

Could you do me anything on these bits of broken Chinese bits here?

225 and you can take the lot.

-Oh, dear.

-I tell you what, 200 quid.

-For the whole lot?

-Yeah. How about that?

The break would be something like 180 for that lot there

-and £20 there.

-I would think that would be reasonably accurate.

You know you're going to.

-Yeah, I will. Thank you very much. Thank you, Les.

-I've been done.

I'm not so sure, Les.

They're certainly a big gamble for Charles,

not that he seems too worried.

But while all that excitement's been taking place,

Raj has had a more leisurely start,

making his way towards the village of Nether Stowey,

where he's come to visit one of the most cherished places

in the history of English Romantic poetry -

Coleridge's cottage.

-Hello, Stephen.

-Hello, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you. I'm Raj. What a lovely place.

The Devon-born critic and philosopher

Samuel Taylor Coleridge had just been discharged

from the Royal Dragoons

and was editing a failing journal when a meeting changed his life.

Everything turned around

when he met William Wordsworth in Bristol in 1795

and it was that point that the two of them

realised there was something that each of them had,

a spark of genius, and that was a hugely profound moment

for both of them and they became friends from that moment onwards.

Coleridge soon decided to leave Bristol

and live in nature,

moving his family to this cottage in the foothills of the Quantocks.

He took long walks in the countryside

and wrote works like The Nightingale and This Lime-tree Bower my Prison.

The Romantic poetry period

is not about, sort of, Mills & Boon romantic love.

It's much, much more about our connection to nature,

how it makes us feel,

and that's what he wanted to start writing about,

in a language that people understood

because all the poetry that went before was quite complex,

the way it was structured,

and this was just in the language of ordinary men.

So, Stephen, most of his famous work originates from here, the cottage.

Yes, Frost At Midnight, which is one of his better-known poems,

was written in this parlour, 1798, in February,

and it's absolutely silent

and the only thing that he could hear

was the fire, the flame, this sole and quiet thing.

His son, Hartley, was lying next to him in his cot here,

and it was one of his most famous poems.

These conversational poems were a great influence on Wordsworth

and soon, he moved close by.

Together, they caused quite a stir.

They used to go out at night. From their point of view,

that was experiencing nature at a different time of day.

But from the point of view of the village,

they were a bit suspicious because at the time,

the French Revolution was going on, they just thought, "Are they spies?"

And they believed that they were mapping the area

-for the French to invade.

-Really?

Someone from the Foreign Office was sent here.

Fortunately, they realised they were just poets and that was it,

-that was the end it.

-Bit crazy.

-Yeah, yeah.

The two poets published in 1798 a work which was

a landmark of the English Romantic age.

This is the Lyrical Ballads.

It's a first edition,

and although it looks tiny and quite insignificant,

in terms of English literature, it's huge.

One of Coleridge's contributions, The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner,

became so famous that a particular phrase entered the language.

"Day after day, day after day, we stuck nor breath nor motion

"As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean

"Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink

"Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink."

Coleridge spent just three years in Nether Stowey

and although subsequently his collaborator became Poet Laureate,

Coleridge fared less well.

He developed an addiction to the laudanum he'd been prescribed

and then quarrelled with Wordsworth.

He continued to write, however,

and was encouraged by Byron to publish Kubla Khan.

Coleridge died in London in 1834, aged 61.

I think when people talk about Wordsworth,

it's very rarely that you won't hear the name Coleridge

in the same sentence.

The two of them are always linked. It's Coleridge's work that endures.

His poetry that was written here is still remembered today.

I suppose his legacy is that he was one of the crucial voices

of the Romantic poetry movement in this country.

Now, back on the lonesome road,

our two travellers are together again.

Raj has on good authority

that there may be a bargain around here somewhere.

-Don't be long.

-No, I'll try not to be too long.

I've got shopping to do.

Not sure Brian's workshop would be Charles' sort of thing anyway.

Wowee! Look at this!

I'd like to sell this, but I can't.

Well, to be honest, it's a little on the big side for me.

This is the only one in the world.

-It's the only one in the world?

-Yes.

-And what exactly is it?

It's a portable steam engine, motive power,

made by Paxman's of Colchester.

-Amazing.

-I have been, in my collections,

gathering little bits for years

and I've got a little steam boiler,

which will be very attractive to the right people.

-If you wanted it, I'd sell it cheap.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

To be honest, I haven't got a clue what it's worth.

What are we talking about? A tenner? Could I buy it for a tenner?

A little bit more than a tenner

and I expect you could get 150, 200 for it.

What about £20 and I'll just take a chance?

-Done.

-We have a deal.

-Good man.

-Thank you very much.

-So, it's a vertical...

-A vertical steam boiler.

-How old is it?

-Oh, there you are. There's no maker's plate,

but I would say it's got to be 100 years old.

Well, at least it's an antique then.

-Charles?

-Raj.

-Close your eyes.

Are you being serious? I can hear something jangling in the back.

-Raj?

-Keep your eyes closed.

-What's going in the boot?

There's a fair weight in there.

Yeah, mind the back axel.

-Thank you very much.

-Point to Raj, I reckon.

Yeah, just pump it a bit.

Pump it a bit? I tell you what I am going to pump in a minute!

That little encounter took place

just outside the Somerset town of Somerton,

which is the next stop for Charles.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Sorry, afternoon. I beg your pardon.

-No problem.

-And your name is?

-I'm Paul.

-Paul, Charles Hanson.

Pleased to meet you, my friend.

Now, Charles got off to a runaway start earlier,

so what, we wonder, will his tactics be here?

I quite like... Is it for sale?

I think maybe you're using it in your shop, this lucky dip bin?

-It could be.

-Could it be for sale?

-It could be.

-What could it be?

1960s? '80s? '70s?

Maybe '70s.

-Was it your era, Paul? The '70s?

-Yes!

There we go, there we go.

I'm normally very much into my antiques, Paul.

An antique, by definition, needs to be 100 years old.

This isn't, but to me, it radiates a period, it radiates a style,

and almost for me, it's a yesteryear object

-that takes you back to your childhood.

-Yes.

What's the best price?

-Between mates.

-Ooh...

£70? And you get the free gifts?

I might give the gifts a miss. I could then almost have £40 off?

-£30 off.

-Really?

-What's his name, by the way? He's got a name?

-No.

-No name.

-You can name him.

-I might call him Charlie.

So, £40, and on the shortlist.

And elsewhere in Somerton, Raj is on the prowl.

Raj, nice to see you. Welcome to Market Cross Antiques.

Hello, Andrew. Nice to meet you.

-Lovely-looking shop you've got here.

-Oh, thank you.

Oh, yeah. No seaside clowns though.

Ah, well. I'm sure he'll find something.

There's a nautical cookery book here.

It's a lovely little thing.

I've never seen a nautical cookery book before.

This dates from about 1920, 1930.

It's an unusual little piece.

Stewed oysters or clams, with white wine sauce.

So they didn't eat too badly, did they?

It's got £20 on the ticket.

I might be pushing it, but if I get this for a fiver,

I think I might do quite well on this.

I'm beginning to think that everything I buy is a fiver.

You're not alone there, Raj.

How's the lucky dip going on?

Over here, we've got this almost magical figure on a carpet,

which appears to be a little eastern cobbler, isn't he?

-Yes, he is.

-Priced at £85, Paul. What would be the best on him?

-50?

-50, yeah, you see? You're good.

Not everyone's cup of tea,

but he was designed by the famous CJ Noake,

plus, when it comes to Royal Doulton,

there's always a guide price to help out.

So, there he is. Here, his retail price is £275.

It's a good price. Food for thought.

So, the cobbler versus the clown.

It's like an episode of Batman in here.

Holy knick-knacks! He's already got plenty to ponder.

-If I did buy and took a risk and bought the Doulton cobbler...

-Yep.

..and bought the clown, what would be your best prices, to an old mate?

-£80 the pair.

-Oh, dear.

What do I really want to do?

-Your absolute bottom is...?

-70.

That's it.

Getting tense. Time for a spot of Somerset air.

It's a difficult decision.

I've got to think about my big find, my Worcester,

and how I put those in the sale, but these two objects,

if the price if right, if they can come down a bit,

I might take the two and then work it out later.

Gird your loins then.

-Is there anything you could do on the £70?

-Aw...

Erm...

-We'll go down to 60. That's a good price.

-Yeah.

But I just wonder if I could perhaps acquire them both for £25 each.

-Put your hand there.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you, sir.

-Deal done.

-£50 for the two, they got there.

Now, I wonder what Raj has unearthed.

I've spotted a pair of watercolours by a listed artist.

This is by, I believe it's Abraham Hulk.

It could be either Hulk Senior or Junior.

Incredibly, there were a whole dynasty of 19th century

Anglo-Dutch painters of maritime scenes.

The price for the two is £110.

I'm going to really chance my arm on these.

Time to pipe Andrew aboard.

I quite like these. They're very nice and decorative.

-And the auction that they're going to is on the coast.

-Perfect.

-So I think they might be perfect and they've been well framed.

-Yeah.

-But I'm going to be cheeky.

-OK.

-OK?

-Cheek away.

-I mean, would you take £20 for them?

-Yeah, go on, as it's you.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Really?

-You've got yourself a deal.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Shake his hand then.

-Now, I feel bad.

You want to give me some more as well.

Well, I was going to go higher, but I tell you what I'll do,

I'm going to be fair. I'm going to give you 25 for them.

25, we've got ourselves a deal.

-Well, that is a first.

-I've seen something else then.

-While I'm on a roll, yeah.

-We're on a roll now, aren't we?

-Can I show you this?

-Yeah, course you can.

-Yeah, it's just a nice little nautical cookery book.

-Yeah.

-Can I offer you a fiver for that?

-I can go and make a phone call.

-Would you?

-And find out for you, yeah.

-Brilliant.

I can't believe I got the pictures for £25.

-They've got to do well.

-Raj.

-Yes, Andrew.

I've given the dealer a phone call and the best she can do is ten quid.

-I've got to squeeze you on this one.

-OK, mate.

-Eight?

-Yeah, go on then.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-We've got a deal.

-Thanks very much.

-That's all right.

While you're here, is there anything else nautical that you can think of?

I'll take a bit of a look around and see what if I can find something.

You never know. It would be nice if there was something to go with it.

-Make a bit of a job lot up.

-More?! He can't stop buying today!

I was just thinking, there's a nice flag here. Got a bit of age to it.

St George's flag. Could be a naval flag.

It's the sort of size that they use, the naval signalling flags.

Yeah, that might go perfectly with the book.

-Can I make you an offer?

-Course you can.

Will you take a fiver for it?

Yeah. Go on, I'll take a fiver for that.

So, Raj now has his watercolours

and another nautical lot of the cookbook and the flag.

I think he's been inspired by The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.

I don't think there's any great age to this,

but it's just a pretty little sloop.

I mean, I should think this is as modern as anything.

A sloop, from the Dutch sloep,

is a sailing boat with a single mast.

The ticket price is £24.

If I can get this for a tenner,

it'll just give some more oomph to the lot I've got.

Or sink it.

-Andrew, this naval lot...

-This is growing now.

It's growing into a convoy. OK?

-This sloop here...

-Oh, the sloop.

-What about a tenner?

The absolute death on it is half price, 12.

-I'm not going to quibble on that.

-OK, mate. Thank you very much.

-Thank you. Thank you very much indeed.

-OK, that's good.

Not a bad haul for £45, Raj.

And after that shopping frenzy, it's time for some rest.

Sweet dreams, you two.

Today is someone's very special day.

-It's your birthday!

-Sure is.

-The sun is shining,

you're antique road tripping with your new best mate

and it's your birthday.

How old are you today?

-Cut!

-THEY LAUGH

Later, they'll be making for an auction in Hampshire at Swanmore,

but the next stop

is at Wareham in Dorset.

I wonder if our birthday boy will find a pressie?

-Good morning, Jake.

-Hi, there, how you going?

-Very well, thank you.

-Nice to meet you.

Lovely to meet you, too. Very nice little shop you have here.

Anything you think would be a good little buy for me?

We've got what I thought was a Chinese or Japanese cup there.

We did have an Oriental expert look at it,

and she actually said it was English.

The ticket price is £49. He's after blue and white as well.

-Yeah, it's a 19th century copy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

But it's unusual to have these marks on the bottom.

If I was going to put money on it, I would have said it was Japanese.

What could you do it for?

Um...to give you a chance, I could definitely come down to 20 for you.

£20, you say?

Yeah, I reckon you'd have a chance at that.

-We've got a deal.

-All right, brilliant.

-Thanks very much.

-Thanks very much indeed.

-Cheers.

It could create a buzz at the auction.

I think Charles has similar hopes, Raj.

What else do they have?

It's not that old. It's definitely a sort of turn-of-the-century one.

I would say this is probably early 1900s.

What have we got on there, 29?

Certainly come down to 20 for you.

To be honest, I'd rather be paying more about ten.

How about meeting in the middle at 15?

I think there's definitely a profit in this, Jake, with that at 15.

There's no doubt about it. The thing is,

-I don't know if you know, but I'm up against Charles Hanson.

-Ha-ha!

I suppose Charles ought to be flattered by such tactics.

All right, then, to give you a chance,

I'll do it for a tenner.

How can I turn down a chess set for £10?

There is actually a wooden board down there.

It doesn't actually belong to the chess set,

but it might be...something that you could look at.

That's not a bad board.

Can you do that for a tenner?

-Yeah, I'll throw it in.

-Will you?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic.

-All right.

-Great.

So, £20 for those, and £20 for the cup and saucer.

-£40.

-Brilliant.

Lovely. Thanks again.

He's got quite a pile now.

Now, fortunately for our two,

Wareham's a convenient distance

from the Hampshire town of Ringwood

where they'll be enjoying

one last shop together.

Oh, dear.

If you can park up up there, I'll be appreciative.

Wait for me!

Lordy.

He won't let me in.

Control yourself, please.

Sorry about that.

-Now, best behaviour, OK?

-Best behaviour.

Hello, I'm Carol Miller. Hello.

How do you do? Nice to meet you. I'm Raj.

Which way are we going?

Oh, hello, Charles.

Sorry, Charles!

We can hardly blame them for getting a little bit over-excited.

It's a very nice shop, after all,

with a bit of French influence here and there.

You like oysters, don't you?

Well, I don't, but my husband does, yes.

Because I've noticed that, in all the rooms,

there's these beautiful oyster dishes.

Yes, that's quite a nice one, that oyster plate.

That's quite nice.

That's French.

Dating it, I would say between sort of 1890-1910?

Yes, that's about right, yeah. Difficult to tell exactly.

Lovely colours, as well.

They are good colours and that one's in good condition, too.

How much can you do this for?

Really, it's marked 65...

45.

That's a good deal for it today.

Could you do it a little bit less?

What do you mean by "a little bit less"?

It's not going to be a tenner.

Has she seen him in action, then?

Would you do £30?

Oh, I don't know that I could do 30.

I'll do 35, just to be... Just to be nice.

35? Are you sure you're happy with that?

-Yes, yes.

-In that case, definitely, we have a deal at 35.

-Thank you very much indeed, Carol.

-Thank you very much.

Now, what's Charles up to?

Quite like this lamp over here now.

It jumps out because it's probably eastern.

-Mm-hm.

-If we lift it up very carefully...

..without damaging the...

-Oops! Ooh!

-Oh...

Without damaging the shade!

Oh, dear. Maybe I'll put it on there for safekeeping.

It is a very nice Japanese bronze vase.

I'm so sorry, but it isn't for sale.

She wouldn't be open to an offer at all?

-Not at all.

-Oh, what a shame.

That is unfortunate, although his rival may not see it that way.

Are you bought up already?

-I think I might have done.

-Being serious?

-I'm serious.

OK, well, the world's my oyster.

Funny you should say that!

Quite! Now, Charles hasn't actually added to his purchases here,

so let's have a look at what they'll be taking to the auction.

Raj parted with £145 for a steam boiler,

a flag, a sloop, and a cookbook,

some watercolours,

a cup and saucer,

a chess set and board,

and finally an oyster dish,

while Charles spent £250 on a clown,

a Doulton figurine,

some oriental tea bowls

and six Worcester tea bowls

that he's dividing into three lots of two. Get it?

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

There's no doubt about it that Charles has a reputation

for being a bit of a clown.

I do like the 18th/19th century-style

tea bowl and saucer.

In fact, it's more like 1920s.

Full of Eastern promise, I doubt.

Ha! After setting off from Blackford in Somerset, our experts are now

heading for an auction close to Swanmore on the Hampshire coast.

Welcome to this fine Edwardian pumphouse,

now converted to a quite different use.

Our auctioneer today is Dominic Foster.

So, boiler time for Raj.

Heavy enough, but how hot can it be?

-I've got 40, 50 and I've got 60...

-No!

-..reserved, 62 there is.

-Well done.

-65 anywhere?

65 here. 68?

70...

-I can't believe it.

-Yes!

That's £70 here. 72 anywhere?

-Keep going. Keep going. I need it.

-You are...

78 anywhere?

Come on!

75. I'll sell it, then, at £75.

Give me a high-five.

Wowee!

RIVETING result, what?

Next up, it's Charlie the clown.

Look at me, son, when I'm talking to you.

Bids on it here, I've got 40, I've got 45...

Come on, let's go.

48 there is. 50. 50 anywhere?

-50 there is.

-Good man, we're going. We're going.

55, 58, 60.

At 58. 60 anywhere?

Gottle of Geer?!

-Is it the wrong lot?

-65, sir?

No, it's definitely yours.

-65 anywhere?

-Oh, no!

Sell it at £62, then.

165.

Nice profit, Charlie.

Next, it's Raj's little maritime collection.

Couple of bids here, 20, 24 here.

-Well done. Profit.

-No?

26, 28, 30.

2, 34, 36, 38,

-40, 2, 44, 46...

-Yes, yes...

48...

50...

-You've got a gift, you have.

-2?

-No, at £50. Sell it at £50, then...

-Bit more, bit more.

-Sold, 50 quid.

-Well done, chief.

Yep, doubled his money.

How will his Hulks fare?

Again, a couple of bids here, I've got 40 and 5, £48.

Wowee, that's good.

50 anywhere? 50, there is. 2 anywhere?

52, 55, sir?

Yes, 55. 58, 60, 2, 65, 68,

70, 2 anywhere?

At £70. 2 anywhere?

Come on, come on.

Selling them at £70.

Bought up.

That's another good profit for Raj.

Time for Raj's chess gambit.

35, 38 here? 40 anywhere?

-Profit.

-Good. 38's OK.

40 anywhere?

40 there is, 2, 44...

46 anywhere?

Sell it, then, at £44.

I salute you.

Rightly so. Another profit.

Now, what about Charles' china, part one?

-I've got 38 and I've got 40 here.

-Let's go! Let's go.

-42 anywhere?

42, there is. 44, 46?

-48, 50.

-Ooh, Charles.

..2, 54. 56, 58.

60, anywhere?

Ooh!

Selling at £58 here. 60, anywhere?

One more!

That's £58.

-That's good.

-That's very good.

Yup, not bad for the makeweights of the deal.

Time for Raj's blue and white.

It might not be Ming, but here goes.

15, I've got 18, 20 is there?

20 anywhere?

I've got 2, 24, 24, at 24 here, 26 anywhere?

That's good.

Sell it, then, at £24.

At least it's a profit.

But how will Charles' big buy fare?

The first of his three pairs of tea bowls.

Bids on the book. Yes.

35, 38 here?

-I'm in trouble.

-40, where is two?

44, 46, 48, 50, and 2,

55, 58, 60, and 2?

Profit?

65, 68, at 65?

68?

70, and 2, 75, 78,

80 and 2.

Charles!

85, 88, 90?

No? At £88. 90, anywhere?

-Two fat ladies, at 88.

-Sell them at £88, then.

But they're still great value. They're still great value.

More of that and he'll do fine.

The second lot.

I've got 50 and I've got £60. 2 anywhere?

62, 65, 68, 70, 2, 75, 78, 80.

2, 85, 88, 90, at 88?

Two fat ladies again! It's two fat ladies.

At £88, then.

-I've now got four fat ladies.

-Yeah.

Yep, very respectable.

He's set fair for a big profit if this pair delivers.

£40 for them, somewhere?

40 bid, 2 there is. 44, 46, 48?

We're warming up.

50, 2, 55, 58, 60, 62?

Oh, no.

65, 68, 70?

No?

-At £68.

-Oh, no!

-70 anywhere?

At £68, then.

I didn't make six fat ladies.

No, I think in bingo, that's called saving grace. Ha! strangely enough.

Raj's big spend, the oyster dish.

-30, 34 here.

-Well done, profit.

-No, no, no, it's not a profit.

-Put it there, you've done it.

36 there is, 38, 40, 2 anywhere?

At £40 here, 2 anywhere?

-That's worth more than 40.

-You've done it.

-It's worth more than 40.

-Well done.

Thanks for coming.

Definitely worth shelling out for!

Raj is just in front on this auction.

But it's never over until the cobbler's cobbled.

Couple of bids with me, 40 and 45?

-That's good.

-Yeah, I'm happy. That's good.

48, 50 anywhere?

50 anywhere?

50 here, and 5, Sir?

55?

58 anywhere?

I'm really pleased.

Sell it at £55, then.

All done.

Profits all round.

So, who is coming out on top today?

The competition is sparking, come on. And sparring! Let's go.

Charles began with £317.46.

And after paying auction costs he made a profit of £93.58.

So he still leads overall with £411.04.

But Raj wins the day.

Having started out with £259.58

he made, after paying auction costs, a profit of £103.46,

leaving him with £363.04 to spend next time.

Wow.

With one auction apiece, it's another day and another leg.

Today we begin in the Dorset town of Dorchester,

and head west towards an auction in Bridgwater, Somerset.

But there is plenty of shopping before all that.

First stop for our battling twosome is the antiques centre.

-Morning, sir.

-Good morning.

-How are you?

-Very well.

-Your name is...?

-Martin.

-I've been before, haven't I, Martin?

-You have.

-Meet my colleague, Raj.

-Hello, Martin.

-Good to see you.

-Nice to meet you, too.

-Nice big place you've got here.

-It is.

-Thank you.

Martin can negotiate on behalf of the several dealers

who own all these items.

Now, what has Charles got?

This fork here, almost what appears to be a bread fork,

or perhaps a toasting fork...

Or pickles.

-It almost looks to be like 17th century.

-Sure.

I don't think it is. We've got here, for example, the old...

-I would say, needlework.

-Needlework. Exactly.

You find some really odd pieces made in bone.

You never quite know what they are for.

The ticket price is £10.

What could it be, £5?

No, I think it would need to be...

I think it is worth a little bit more than that.

I think, £2 apiece, £8.

Two, four, six, eight.

Would you do the group for £6?

Call it seven, and I'll shake your hand.

For £7, well, I'm off and running.

-Worth a go.

-Yes, worth a go.

Well, that didn't take too long. Trousers up, I'm off.

Now, where has that Raj got to?

I keep being drawn to this area.

And there is a few things. A nice little nest of drawers.

There are either called collectors drawers,

or spice drawers.

This one is late 19th century.

They are very, very useful and very, very saleable.

Because of the little tabs on it, and it is French,

it looks like it might be an apothecary one.

It is priced at £175.

You see, if that could be about £50 or £60... Are we way too off?

-Highly unlikely. £100, best price.

-Yes, not quite enough, is it?

I wonder whether, if I put a few things together in this section,

we could then renegotiate?

You could have a go.

Have a go? Because there's a few things.

-Down here there is the three antique brass spoons.

-Oh, right, yeah.

-These three, I quite like those.

-No, they are nice.

-Yes? A bit different?

-Sure.

-And also, I quite like the Dalton beaker.

I was just checking to see if the rim is silver

and it looks like it is,

so that would be one, two, three different lots, in this section.

OK. So, ticket price, we've got 175,

36 on the spoons, 59 on the beaker.

All right, leave it with me, let me see what I can do for you.

Would you?

It looks like he is about to spend a serious amount of money.

Mainly so he can get his mitts on those drawers.

-Good news?

-Three pieces, 150. Very best I can do, I'm afraid.

Can I ask you to go back to them one more time, then, OK?

150, and will they throw that in, as well?

The wooden bowl? Yes.

It is very rustic, I can see this in a Somerset farmhouse,

full of fruit, and it has got £22 on it.

-Give me a minute.

-Yes?

-Yes.

Hang on, chaps, look who's here.

Sorry, guys. Sorry!

Yes, give them a moment, Charles.

I think a deal is in sight at last.

Give me another fiver, and then we are done. 155.

155.

We have a deal.

-Excellent.

-We got there, thank you.

Big spending from Raj, eh?

And Charles isn't done, either.

I love these early sticks. They would date to around 1760.

And I love them even more because you, today,

can buy a good pair

of mid-18th-century gilded brass candlesticks, for £30.

Hey, Martin. Hi.

-I love these candlesticks, how much could they be for the pair?

-£30?

-We could probably squeeze to 25, Charles.

-They are really nice.

-Yes, I think they are charming. You wouldn't do 20, would you?

-20?

-Go on, why not? As the sun is shining today.

-Good man.

Tell me, Martin. This big wooden dish here, has it got some age?

Erm... I don't think it has got a massive amount of age.

Oh, dear. Come on, Martin, speak up.

-It's sold, Charles.

-It hasn't!

-You've just missed out on it.

-Oh, no!

Charles, I would like to step in here at this point.

Highly embarrassing.

You bought it? Good man! I love it.

-Did you really buy it? Really?

-Yes, make an offer, make an offer.

-It's gorgeous.

-I'll make a small profit on it.

-Get out of here.

Yeah, let's get out of here. £27 in total.

But that's enough shopping for a while. Time to travel south,

to Dorset's Jurassic Coast, and the Isle of Portland...

Look at that view. Wow!

..where Charles has come to Portland Bill,

the southernmost tip of Dorset,

to visit to the disused Old Higher Lighthouse.

-How do I get up?

-Through the door there.

Although the lighthouse has now been closed for over a century...

Crikey! It's a bit steep.

..Fran Lockyer, the current owner, can tell Charles about

a controversial earlier resident, Marie Stopes.

-Pleased to meet you, do have a seat.

-What an amazing landscape you have.

It is, isn't it?

The Jurassic Coast, with its incredible fossils

was the reason that Marie Stopes,

a leading paleobotanist, came here in 1923.

But her name is justly famed worldwide

for her work in a different field - family planning.

How did it all begin?

How did she get into the whole subject of birth control?

She worried about women having to have

so many children that were unplanned.

And she was very keen to alter that.

So she went into contraception.

She gained her popularity in the first instance with books she wrote.

She wanted them to be cheap, so the poorest people could buy them.

And that brought her fame,

until of course the Catholic Church got involved.

They didn't like what she was doing one little bit.

Stopes' books, Married Love, and the sequel, Wise Parenthood,

published around the end of the First World War,

reflected her belief that there should be equality in marriage.

Those caused quite a furore, but sold well,

and were soon reprinted several times.

Emotion came into it. Caring came into it.

-How to look after your partner.

-Married Love?

-Yes.

An interesting title, isn't it?

But what's so amazing is the fact

that she herself was so naive, originally.

Her first marriage was never consummated and she had it annulled.

So really, she had no experience of her own at all.

Just this overwhelming desire to help women with huge families.

Together with her second husband,

Stopes opened Britain's very first family planning clinic in 1921.

Run by midwives and doctors,

the London clinic offered free advice on contraception.

So, Fran, even going back to 1900,

what contraception was there in the Victorian times? Nothing at all?

You'd be surprised.

Back in Egyptian times there was a natural sponge,

that would have been used.

Lemon juice. Balloons. Children's balloons.

All manner of strange things.

The mothers' clinic was soon followed by other Stopes clinics

which opened in the '30s and '40s against sizeable opposition,

by which time Marie Stopes had come here to recover

after defeat at a lengthy libel trial to protect her reputation.

She spent every penny defending this right.

Didn't work against her.

Because the women realised that there was something there for them.

And they just flocked to the clinics.

Away from the headlines,

Stopes restored the old lighthouse and, amongst all the fossils,

soon rediscovered her love of palaeontology.

And then she decided that the island should have its own museum.

-Of fossils?

-That's right, yes.

And she donated this lovely old cottage,

which was called Avis' cottage,

-because it is in Thomas Hardy's book.

-Wow!

There is a lovely museum, for the size of the island, it is fantastic.

-Is it far away?

-No, a couple of miles away.

-Can I give you a ride...

-Certainly can.

-..in the Herald?

-Will I freeze to death?!

Marie Stopes became

the first curator of the Portland Museum in 1930.

Let's go to this museum.

Once a rising star of the study of fossil plants

and the author of influential works,

Stopes donated several of the artefacts here,

including a Megalosaurus toe bone.

Knowing a bit about antiques, of course,

we know of Portland stone.

I can see, just around me now,

some wonderful carved Portland stone -

even the floor we are standing on.

Obviously through the quarrying a lot of the fossils got exposed.

You have got the ammonites, there is a nice one down there.

I think what she wanted to do

was bring to the attention of the local people

what they were actually sitting on.

The museum part of it, the palaeontology and all that,

has never made any headlines or anything -

it has always been the birth control -

and, really, this needs to be brought out,

because she was a pioneer in this, as well.

Yes, what an amazing lady she was,

and, I think, what an amazing legacy she left Portland.

Meanwhile, in another part of Portland,

right next to Chesil Beach, Raj is still combing.

-Hello there.

-Hello.

-I'm Raj. And you are?

-I'm Pete.

-Pleased to meet you, Raj.

-Hello, Pete. Nice to meet you.

I need something with a nice big profit in it.

Point me in the right direction. What have you got?

We've got a lovely old garden plough here. Fantastic.

What's the best on it, Pete?

I don't know, think I've got about...

-The best I could do on it, I should think, is about 35.

-OK.

Not much of a gardener, I fear.

What's he got down there?

This is a 19th-century mahogany writing slope.

And is something that is incredibly out of fashion today.

But it is not bad condition -

it has got a little bit of a veneer missing on the front here.

£30, Pete's got on it.

About what it is worth.

Table a bid, Raj.

It is pretty run-of-the-mill.

But at the right price, you know, there might be a small profit.

What's the best you can do on it?

-Well, I can do 25.

-You're a hard man, aren't you?

You're a hard man. 25? I was hoping you were going to say more like 15.

You know what I'm going to say now.

You're going to say 20, aren't you?

-Yes.

-Will you take 18?

-Go on, then.

-We have a deal. Wahey! We got there.

Another one in the old bag for Raj,

and time to get back to the Herald,

and head off into the sunset.

It's the start of another day for our road-tripping auctioneers.

The first stop this morning is back in Dorchester,

at De Danann Antiques.

-Hello, sir. How are you?

-John Merton.

Charles Hanson, good to see you.

So, John, what I'm looking for are things which are market fresh.

But I'm hoping I can be first on.

-We've just had a new lot come in.

-Have you?

-Yes, cleared a big attic.

-You're joking!

Lots and lots and lots of boxes that haven't been touched since '52.

-Tell me, not back to 1952?!

-Yes, yes, so nobody's seen it.

-Oh, that's wonderful.

-Not for the last 50 years.

That news has definitely perked him up.

There we go, it's a bit cheeky.

I wonder how long it will take him to pick up the scent.

That's a really good box. It says, Sorrento souvenirs.

And if you were visiting Sorrento back in the 1890s

you may have picked up this box.

What puts me off is the fact that we have got this split here,

but it is 120 years old.

Is it priced? Yes it is. £50.

Could be a mental note for later.

Right up his street - as is that.

On one road trip, I was very lucky to try on Henry VIII's armour,

at the armouries in Leeds.

This is quite similar, but, of course, this is later.

This is probably mid-20th century.

But it is decorative and it is complete,

and I might just give John a quick call. John?

-May I just have a word with you?

-Yeah.

-Tell me about your treasure.

I don't really know much about it, if you want the truth.

-It came out of an attic in a big box...

-Hold on, from that attic?

-From the attic, yeah.

-Tell me, John, does much more come with this?

-Just those leggings over there.

-A pair of leggings.

Mind if I bring them over? Did this come all from the same?

-Yeah, all from the same.

-Goodness me, aren't they wonderful?

-Could the mannequin come with the lot, as well, John?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Could I ask you how much it could be?

-As it is you, £40.

Oh, don't say that.

Let me go for a walk on, and what I may just do

is make you an offer if I get

-a bundle of bits and pieces together.

-OK, all right.

Now for the cabinets.

These are nice.

There is a section of the market today which I think is really

going well - its collector sections.

And the market also is particularly strong for fountain pens -

this one is a vintage Conway Stewart pen, of the 1950s - a bit plain.

-John, tell me, these fountain pens, where do they come from?

-The attic.

-They didn't! Out the same attic?

-Out the same attic.

That motherlode again, eh?

There is eight pens in total.

-To an old mate... Look at me.

-£60.

-Look at me, how much?

-40.

Why did I said that? £40! OK!

Highly excited. Is there still more?

-Goodness me, John, this is a dirty buckle.

-There you go.

-Brilliant.

If I just rub this hallmark,

I think we will see what might be lurking.

There is a date letter, which is an X.

-The best price on that, John, would be how much?

-45.

Blimey, if he buys all this it will match Raj's efforts yesterday.

Just when I came over here, before, this here is a phonograph.

Which is the forerunner to the record player.

Within these rolls here, you've got records, which can be played.

Hey, John. I have just seen this. Edison standard phonograph.

-It is missing its horn, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Obviously, John, the rolls would come with the phonograph.

-Yeah.

-How much could it be?

-£80.

-It is just the condition.

-We are lacking the horn.

-I could do it for less.

-Could you?

-What is the best price on that?

-60.

So, what is the plan, then, Charles?

Play it safe, but at the same time, go wild.

Good grief.

I don't know whether you want to perhaps get a pen and paper out.

-Yes, I'll do that.

-And then we can do some maths.

-How much?

-240.

-Yeah.

Time for Charles to have a turn.

-So that's actually...

-Yes.

-220.

-180.

Getting better. Bit more.

-170.

-Oh, don't! You wouldn't meet me halfway at 160, would you?

-Yes, go on.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-Sold! 160! Thanks a lot!

So, he got them all,

and now has the tricky task of sorting them into lots.

Meanwhile, back in Dorset, Raj, with just under £200 to spend,

takes our trip to beautiful Bridport.

Hello there. Hi, I'm Raj.

-Hi, Raj. I'm Bill.

-Hello, Bill, nice to meet you.

-Hello, Raj, I'm Francis.

-Hello, Francis.

-What a lovely little shop you have here.

-Thank you.

Raj splashed out yesterday, so has £190 left.

-I've seen a brass ladle over there.

-Oh, yes.

It is a 19th-century English brass ladle.

Used for serving soup, sauces.

If I can get this at the right price this will go with my other spoons.

I do like this, Bill. It's quite nice, it has got copper rivets.

It is nicely made, yeah.

It is nicely made. What's the best you can do on that?

The best I can do - I'll do that for a fiver for you.

-Yes, you sure you're happy with that.?

-Yes, happy with that.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Great, thank you.

Swift, Raj. Anything else catch your eye?

I know they are not very old, these Regency-style brackets,

wall brackets, but I do like them - they are sellable.

That sort of thing - very, very decorative items -

-there's always a market for them at the right price.

-Yes, there is.

-There is £35 on the ticket.

-For the pair.

For the pair. What could you do them for?

Oh, I think we could do them for 15.

-15?

-Yes.

-You're happy with that?

-You need some help, don't you?

I do need some help! Believe you me, I need lots of help.

-Right.

-And you're happy with that?

-I'm very happy.

Let's shake hands on it. Thank you very much indeed.

-£5 for the ladle and 15 for the brackets, £20.

-Yes.

-£20, yep.

-I just remembered, actually -

I know you said you've got spoons.

We've got this, another spoon that you might be interested in.

Didn't cost us much and I can throw it in for a couple of quid.

-You sure?

-Yes, yes, absolutely.

-Sure you're happy with that?

I'm happy with that, I think it goes nicely with the other ones.

I'm not going to say no to that, thank you very much indeed.

You're welcome.

£22 for another little pile.

Where has Raj's rival got to?

He is heading to Antiques Bazaar in Crewkerne,

with his remaining £224.

Careful!

Oh! Now, walk away, slowly.

There must be plenty squirreled away in here.

What really excites me is this dish down here.

This little octagonal dish is hand-painted in blue,

but actually it is also gilt outlined. It is not...minging...

OK, it might be, because it is broken.

But in fact, this is Ming.

This is true Ming porcelain. Made pre-1644.

And it could be yours for 500 pence.

Astonishing. Almost 400 years old,

and next door, for just a few more pounds...

We've got some English Staffordshire porcelain circa 1820,

some Chinese Qianlong cups from circa 1780,

some small Kangxi Chinese dishes from 1700,

and then, almost rolling home,

we have a Derby dish here, pre-1795.

They are £12 each.

And what I am really tempted to do is grab him

and almost make a bundle of joy

and put the Ming plates with the two Kangxi dishes

and the three Qianlong period cups

and then maybe put the Derby dish in there, as well.

I think this little lot here has real Eastern promise.

Is that East Midlands promise? Ha-ha!

Time to bring in Anthony.

-I've been digging. Obviously, take a seat.

-What have you got here?

This ensemble just oozes probably 300 years of history.

So, five, two 12s are 24,

45, that's £50, isn't it?

Yeah. I mean, £40?

Yeah, I was hoping £25.

-That's like 50%!

-Look at me.

-Look at you, yes!

-Haha! 30 quid and it's yours. Yes?

-I'm OK. I'll take them.

-Thank you so much, Anthony.

-A deal. Thank you very much.

Well, he did rather well with a similar assortment last time.

-Excellent. Seals the deal, thank you.

-I've enjoyed it so much.

-OK.

Providing he can get this to auction more or less intact.

Careful, Charles!

Time to take a look at what our experts have picked up.

Charles parted with £217

for a phonograph, some porcelain,

some implements, candlesticks, a wooden box,

some fountain pens, a buckle,

and a mannequin - in armour. Huh!

While Raj spent £195

on some spoons, some ladles,

a writing slope,

a beaker, a wooden bowl,

some spice drawers, and some wall brackets.

So, what do they make of each other's items? Be honest.

The knight's costume, what do I call him? Sir Charles Hanson?

I just hope he gets knocked off his horse on this one.

I'm seeing more of a heavy spend by Raj,

and that will make the competition bubble and become quite volatile.

After setting off from Dorchester, in Dorset,

our experts are now heading to an auction in Bridgwater,

on the edge of the Somerset levels.

At Tamlyns, business is brisk.

Wielding the gavel today is auctioneer Claire Rawle.

Is Bridgwater ready?

First up, Raj's repro Georgian brackets.

And these, I have to start, away at £30.

-£30?

-Come on.

-£30, come along.

-Yeah!

-32, 35 with me. Can't lose them for that, can you?

38, they are worth it, they are ever so pretty.

Absolutely sure? They're going to sell here with me, then, at £35.

-BANGS GAVEL

-That's very good, well played.

Yes. Doubled your money and more.

Now for Charles' combination lot of implements and box.

Can I start this one away at £30 here? £30.

-Do I see two anywhere, bids coming in at 30?

-Come on!

-At £30 now, at 32.

-Come on.

-35? 35.

-Go on.

-38.

Oh, go on, treat yourself! At £38, the lady's bid at 38. Now, 40.

£40 I have, fresh bidder at 40. Are you sure?

At 40, I have, straight ahead here.

At £40 it is going to be, then - are you all done?

-BANGS GAVEL

-40 it is.

Another decent profit.

Followed by the treen they both wanted,

but Raj came away with.

And I have to start this one straight in, I've got £12 here, £12.

Do I see 15 anywhere?

-At 15, at the back of the room, at 15, now. 18 anywhere?

-No, more!

And 18, 20, 22, 25.

28, are you sure? At £28 here.

-It's worth more than that.

-30, anywhere?

At 28 it's going to be, then, are you all done? It sells, then, at 28.

-BANGS GAVEL

-Good profit! High five!

-No way!

Yes, another profit served up.

Time for a bit of Victorian high fidelity.

£50 straight in, please.

-£50? 50.

-No interest.

-Start me somewhere.

-Thank you, 50, I have.

-Great, let's go.

-Do I see five anywhere? Five. 60, either of you. 60.

-Go on.

-Go on!

-65, 70, surely? 70, at £70.

-Are you all done...?

-The needle is on.

And it's playing sweet music in Somerset.

-BANGS GAVEL

-She worked nicely for you there.

With its horn it might have done even better.

What will they make of Raj's Dalton?

20, surely, to start me. 20.

-20, surely.

-Come on.

-Who is going to start me away, then?

-MAN: Five?

-Five?

-No, come on.

-Eight, at £8. 10, 12.

-It's moving now.

-15. Are you sure?

I've got 15, 18. 20. At £20, then.

You all done? It's going to sell, then, at £20.

BANGS GAVEL

-Thank you, sir.

-What a bargain. You got a bargain there.

Now for Charles' slightly chipped porcelain pile.

Featuring a bit of Ming.

10. 10 I have from the hand in the back.

-At £10.

-Hold tight.

-At 12.

15, 18, 20. 22, 25, 28.

No, at £28.

-At 28, now 30.

-Yes, over there.

-£30.

It works, every time you ask for one more, somebody puts their hand up.

-At £30...

-Get it down, he says, get it down!

-At £30...

BANGS GAVEL

Well done, Mr Hanson.

After auction costs, that actually results in a bit of a loss.

Now, Raj's writing slope.

£10? 10, 12, 15.

-Here we go.

-18, 20, 22.

-Oh, my goodness me.

-25. At £25.

One more, one more, I haven't finished yet.

-Fresh bidder.

-Thank you.

At 28. Are you all done now? It is going to sell at £28.

-BANGS GAVEL

-Good for you.

-Yes.

We've still only had one loss so far,

but Raj is not going to catch Charles at this rate.

Even though he is having second thoughts about these.

I may have made a mistake with these pens.

Do you think the writing is on the wall?

I start straight in, I've got £55.

-Wow!

-Do I see 60 anywhere?

It is with me here at 55. At 55 for the fountain pens.

-60, 65.

-Go on.

No? Bid here with me still, you all are sure in the room?

It is going to sell with me here at £65.

BANGS GAVEL No need to worry there, was there?

Now, can Raj's sponge, plus his bargain ladles, scoop up a profit?

10? Ten, surely, somewhere. £10 I have.

At £10 for the nice early spoons.

12, 15. At 15. You sure?

-That was short and sweet.

-The ladles would have...

-20. At £20.

-You and your profit!

-Are you all done? Going to sell, then, at £20.

-BANGS GAVEL

-Was that a profit?

No, it's definitely a loss.

Next it is Charles' slightly odd lot of candlesticks and fork.

£10, anywhere, for them? Thank you, 10 I have.

£10, do I see 12 anywhere?

And 12. 15. 18. 20.

-At £20, 22, fresh bidder. At 22 here.

-I'm at a loss.

-That's good, they've done well.

-At 25, right at the back of the room.

-You're out now? You're all sure? 25, it's going to be.

-That's not bad.

-BANGS GAVEL

-That's not bad.

That's OK.