0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's the nation's favourite antique experts...
0:00:04 > 0:00:06I don't know what to do. SHE SOUNDS HORN
0:00:06 > 0:00:08..with £200 each,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11a classic car and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Well, an old diamond.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20Back in the game! Charlie!
0:00:20 > 0:00:24- There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.- Oh!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28So, will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Oh!
0:00:29 > 0:00:32This is the Antiques Road Trip.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35Yeah!
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Today, we embark on a brand-new week road tripping with a fresh
0:00:40 > 0:00:43pair of intrepid antiquers.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47I haven't actually worked with you before.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49And it makes me quite nervous.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55No, seriously, you have forgotten more than I will ever, ever, ever.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- Behave yourself.- Whereas you are like the neuroscientist of antiques.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Mmm, quite. Ha!
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Auctioneer Paul Laidlaw is also a specialist in militaria
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and knows more than a couple of things about antiques.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11He's also quite nimble.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13And sharp.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16You don't want to get me started about Georgian wine glasses.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18We've opened Pandora's box.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23His rival is auctioneer and valuer Christina Trevanion,
0:01:23 > 0:01:28whose charm is matched only by her optimism and determination.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31I could give it a new home. Would you like to pay me to give it a new home?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Um, it is not the sort of thing I normally do.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36THEY LAUGH
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Today, our lovable duo start their awfully big journey with £200
0:01:41 > 0:01:45each, in a rather fetching 1951 Standard Phase 1 pick-up.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The pick-up was manufactured before seat belts were mandatory, which is why our experts
0:01:49 > 0:01:52- aren't wearing any.- What's this?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54- Is that the gear stick? - That's the column...
0:01:54 > 0:01:57- IN AMERICAN ACCENT: - That's the column shaft. Look over your shoulder.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Just look out there.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Get in! All cars should have these.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05That's amazing! PAUL LAUGHS
0:02:05 > 0:02:10The thing is, you know what is really cool, if I do it really quickly, you can actually take off.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11Woo-hoo!
0:02:11 > 0:02:15On their trip this week, our duo will be traversing the country,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19setting off from Clare, in Suffolk, before careering through Worcestershire and the
0:02:19 > 0:02:23West Midlands and twisting up through Staffordshire, before their
0:02:23 > 0:02:28journey culminates in Northwich, in Cheshire, over 600 miles later.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31On this first leg of their journey,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34are pair are starting in Clare, in Suffolk,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38and heading to their first auction in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I don't mind telling you, I've no idea where I am.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47You're in Suffolk, actually. Ha! And our car seems to be doing funny things to Paul.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- I've found my true self. - THEY LAUGH
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I'm telling you, dungarees tomorrow.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56The agricultural style of our pick-up seems to be causing
0:02:56 > 0:02:58a few problems already.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00I think there's a gear problem.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Oh, no, you haven't broken it already, Paul?
0:03:04 > 0:03:07I don't know about you, but I don't like the smell in here.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It is really not smelling very healthy, is it?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12No, not a great start, this.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17- Wait a minute, how do we pop... - Oh, I think you broken it!
0:03:17 > 0:03:19- Here we go.- Oh.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22- Oh.- Oh! - HE LAUGHS
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- It's ruptured. - That's really not good.- OK.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Just as well we're not in the middle of nowhere. Oh, wait a minute.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33- Um. There is a footpath. - Can we head towards civilisation?
0:03:33 > 0:03:38- Nice knowing you.- Don't worry, chaps, someone else will deal with the car.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Keep your thumb out.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40THEY LAUGH
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Like the flappers.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Having to rely on their own steam for while,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49the first stop is the wool town of Clare.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Nestling in the rolling Suffolk countryside, it has more than its
0:03:53 > 0:03:58fair share of historic relics that might bode well for our antique hunters.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Here we go. I think we part company here, do we?- Yes, that's the antiques over there.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06- That looks like your shop over there. I better go find mine, hadn't I? - I shall wish you luck.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- Take care, bye.- And they're off!
0:04:09 > 0:04:12While Paul nips across the road, Christina is hoping to get
0:04:12 > 0:04:17her own adventure up and running at her first shop of the day.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21- Hello.- Hi.- Hello, hi, Christina. - Hi, Christina, I'm David.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Pleasantries over, it's time to get down to business,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and there are four floors of furnishings and collectables
0:04:26 > 0:04:29from over 100 dealers to peruse.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33See, the temptation is to go to stick to the usual,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36stick to what you know, which is silver, jewellery, small things.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39But I feel like I want to go a bit wacky.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Yeah, this should be interesting.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46Those look really sweet... Pickle forks. Scottish. Little pieces on top.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Not that wacky, then. Ha! Specialised utensils like the pickle fork
0:04:50 > 0:04:53were commonplace at Victorian dining tables.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Popular at a time when table manners increased
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and handling your food became taboo.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Do you ever use a pickle fork, David?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I haven't used one in quite a while, actually, to be fair.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- Normally they are longer than that, aren't they?- I was going...
0:05:07 > 0:05:11- Because you need them...- To get into the jar. They sink, don't they? - Yeah.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15- Like at the chip shop.- Yeah. - I'm a classy bird.- Yeah, you are.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Classy or not, the owner is looking for £22 for those pickle forks.
0:05:19 > 0:05:25- Is there any chance you might go for £15 on those?- I can find out.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I don't think he will, but let me phone him for you.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31While Christina waits for David to get hold of the dealer,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Paul is rummaging around the shelves of Market Hill Antiques.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Overseen by Robin Stone, this family run business
0:05:37 > 0:05:41specialises in Art Deco items, but the single room shop is
0:05:41 > 0:05:45packed full of interesting curiosities and collectibles.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49I'm just going to buy what tickles my fancy, in terms of interest
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- and price.- Nice scent bottle there for you, look.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55- Which one are we looking at? - The big one.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- That one there. - You can have for 30 quid.
0:05:59 > 0:06:06That's a fantastic discount from the original ticket price of 125!
0:06:06 > 0:06:07You know there's profit in that.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10You know how to tempt a man, there's no two ways about it!
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Uh, lovely, late Victorian... Do you call them grenade perfumes? I do.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- Yeah, cos that's what it is. - Yeah, yeah.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Um, we've got a pleasingly-worked hinged lid,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25opening to reveal a ground-in stopper...
0:06:25 > 0:06:31No nasty surprises where... the neck's been chipped or cracked.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- I'm going to leave that there... - Yeah, no problem.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Cos I just can't argue with the numbers, to be honest...
0:06:36 > 0:06:39You know I can't argue with the numbers! Um... But I'm...
0:06:39 > 0:06:42My eyes, I'm easily distracted.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46I'm seeing lovely things hither and thither.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52None of us are in this to come second in this race.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56And somewhere, I guess just down the road,
0:06:56 > 0:07:02she is like a Terminator, a machine, rooting out that...
0:07:02 > 0:07:05That little Holy Grail that we're all seeking.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Well, if the Holy Grail is a pickle fork! Ha!
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- Um, Christina, I've got the dealer on the phone...- Hi, David.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13..he's not able to do £15...
0:07:13 > 0:07:15- Oh.- ..but he's willing to do £17.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17- Oh. Can I...- As I say, I still have him on the phone.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19- Of course you can.- (What's his name?)
0:07:19 > 0:07:20- Alan.- Hello, Alan!
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Alan, I was just having a little look at these pickle forks here,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25and they're very, very sweet.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Is there any chance you'd do 15 on them?
0:07:27 > 0:07:31It just gives me a fighting chance at auction, really, if possible.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Oh, 15 would be better for me.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Are you sure, Alan? That's really kind.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41That sounded like a deal to me, so Christina is up and running,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43picking up the pickle forks for £15.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45- OK, I'll keep wandering. - Yeah, sure. Yep.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47See if there's anything else.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Meanwhile, Paul's clapped an eye on something rather unusual.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54You...
0:07:56 > 0:07:59- ..crank up this, drop a pellet in... - Yeah.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Open it up...
0:08:01 > 0:08:04And you have landed in trap.
0:08:04 > 0:08:091, 2, 9 or B.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- Do you know what that means? - Not in the slightest.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14How interesting!
0:08:16 > 0:08:18You've got me with that.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I hate a conundrum and, see, now I'm not going to sleep tonight.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26A bit stumped, eh, Paul? That doesn't happen often.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- What's the price on that? - I've got 65, ticket.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- Mmm... - You can always...make me an offer.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38My problem is, I've got five things to buy over the next two days
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- and I hope to buy one here...- Yeah.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45One is looking like it's out the window.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49But I need to keep my powder dry! Deary me!
0:08:50 > 0:08:55It seems BOTH our experts are having a very productive morning.
0:08:55 > 0:08:56Ow!
0:08:59 > 0:09:00Isn't that lovely? I really like that.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I mean, that... It's very...
0:09:04 > 0:09:07It's very Arts and Crafts, it's... It's copper. On the label...
0:09:07 > 0:09:10I wonder whether it's got the right label, actually, cos it says...
0:09:10 > 0:09:12It says brass, but that is definitely not brass.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15So if you think of the Arts and Crafts period,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17which is the late 19th, early 20th century,
0:09:17 > 0:09:22so sort of 1890-1900/1910, they used a lot of copperware
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and that is a bit bashed, but that...is fab.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Love it.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Really love it.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36£60, do I love it £60-worth? God, I've really got to...
0:09:36 > 0:09:38I've got to carry this down four flights of stairs now, haven't I?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40It's really heavy.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42No such trouble for Paul,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46who is still stalking the floor over at Market Hill Antiques.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50You could save yourself a lot of time and buy all five items here.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- PAUL LAUGHS - Don't encourage him, Robin!
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- What price is on the wounded soldiers?- They can be about £25.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58- About £25.- Aye.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00And they're Britain, so...
0:10:00 > 0:10:04We've got here, lead soldiers and nurses,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and in the late 19th century,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09the best ones were made of die-cast lead,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11hand-painted back at the factory.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- You've got the two nurses, you've got broken legs...- Yeah!
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- You've got broken arms and bandaged heads, you see?- Brilliant!
0:10:18 > 0:10:23These have literally been through the wars. £25, I am tempted.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27And he's noticed something else right up his street.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31This is very me.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33This is, of course...
0:10:35 > 0:10:36You know who that is?
0:10:36 > 0:10:42Admiral Lord Nelson, a truly GREAT Briton...
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And this is a commemorative made by Doulton & Watts
0:10:44 > 0:10:47in salt-glazed stoneware...
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Uh, you'd call it a Toby jug, I'd call it a character jug.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Now, this is the smaller of the varieties.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55You say you had... The big one is the one everyone wants.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Yeah, everybody wants that. - Big money.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59- 800 to 1,000 every time.- Yeah.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04Um... But we don't see so very many of them.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Should be nicely impressed. That's everything you want...
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Don't need to be an expert to identify the manufacturer of that.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Lambeth, London stoneware.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Absolutely fantas... I mean, I really like this.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20I like the medium, I like the origin, and the subject matter?
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Well, don't even get me started.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Hey, it looks like you've got started all by yourself, huh!
0:11:26 > 0:11:29While Paul is considering half the shop,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Christina has made it down to ground floor level,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34where she is hoping David can convince the dealer
0:11:34 > 0:11:36to take her offer of £40.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- £50, Karen? I understand. - £50, do I like it £50?
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Is it going to make that at auction? Probably not, but I like it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- I think I'm happy with that, David. - OK.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50That's the copper planter and the pickle forks for Christina
0:11:50 > 0:11:52for the grand old sum of £65.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Good girl.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59But has her rival managed to sort out his own shopping-list conundrum?
0:11:59 > 0:12:02How many items have you clocked up now, Paul?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04One, two, three, four lots.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06I would be off my head to buy four lots here.
0:12:06 > 0:12:12If I'm going to be mad, give me the deal of deals on four lots
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and I take my chances, but it's got to be right.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17125.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20No negotiation.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Three are known quantities... - PAUL GROANS
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- One's not...- And one speccy piece!
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Yeah, three are known. You've got 'em!
0:12:32 > 0:12:35That's a bold start for Paul.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37With the perfume bottle...
0:12:37 > 0:12:38Pocket roulette wheel...
0:12:38 > 0:12:43The lead soldiers and stoneware of Lord Nelson...
0:12:43 > 0:12:45all for £125.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Meanwhile, Christina has arrived in the picturesque village
0:12:52 > 0:12:55of Steeple Bumpstead in Essex,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57with a little bit of catching up to do.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Just over the border from Suffolk, this delightful village is home
0:13:01 > 0:13:04to Bumpstead Antiques & Interiors, don't you love it?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Maybe you could borrow their car, Christina.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08Writing table there...
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Owner Graham Hessell is showing Christina around.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Beautiful, look at those guys.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20And that's rather lovely, isn't it?
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Nice Shelley mark on the bottom, wild pattern...
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Wild Flowers pattern, 13668. So, what have we got here, Graham?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28We've got four cups.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30So, originally, there probably would have been a set of six,
0:13:30 > 0:13:31wouldn't there?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Yes.- So, and collectors would want it as a set of six.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37But nonetheless, it's very pretty, isn't it?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40And people do collect Shelley, it is very collectable.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44The Shelley name first appeared on English ceramics around 1910
0:13:44 > 0:13:47and remains a popular Staffordshire china.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50- What have you got on that, on our label?- We've got 75...
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- Oh, yes.- ..for the set.- Oof!
0:13:53 > 0:13:56- What... Can you do any... - Of course I can.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Yeah?- I'll knock £25 off.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- 25, so it's £50.- £50 for the set.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03- OK.- Which is about as far as I can go...
0:14:03 > 0:14:05- OK.- ..really, on that.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07That is pretty, I do like that.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11And from coffee service to something completely different.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14OK, so how much have you got on your record player, Graham?
0:14:14 > 0:14:16You can make me an offer on that.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- I would be looking for something in the region of £35, £40 for it.- Mm.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22But the problem is, it doesn't work.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25You can just imagine putting it into the back of your car,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27taking it down to the river on a nice, sunny day.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Taking out the records, having a picnic...
0:14:29 > 0:14:31- And then finding it doesn't work. - Yeah!
0:14:31 > 0:14:33BOTH LAUGH
0:14:33 > 0:14:35As one that isn't working,
0:14:35 > 0:14:41I would probably be looking at maybe £10 or £15 to sell it on at auction.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43What are your thoughts about that?
0:14:43 > 0:14:45- Well, I'm shocked.- Oh!
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- But I'm still standing. - Good, that's the main thing.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49You'll need to come up a little bit, I think.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53What about if we did £60 for the two?
0:14:53 > 0:14:55- No.- Uh, Graham!
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- What would you want for the two? - Uh, let's do 70.
0:14:58 > 0:15:0170. Will you meet me in the middle at 65?
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- And I'm taking a risk, but... - You are, on that.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- Yeah, I appreciate that. Fine, OK, we'll do that.- £65 for the two.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Indeed.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14For a record player that doesn't work and an incomplete coffee service.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16- That sounds a bargain to me, but... - Yeah!
0:15:16 > 0:15:18- SHE LAUGHS - ..indeed.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Thank you, I think.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Long handshake!
0:15:21 > 0:15:23So, with the Shelley coffee service
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and the gramophone added to Christina's haul,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28both our experts have acquired quite a lot already.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36With the pressure off, Paul can forget about shopping -
0:15:36 > 0:15:38for a while, at least.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39Still, without the ailing pick-up,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41he has made his way north
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and is hotfooting through
0:15:43 > 0:15:45the hallowed streets of Cambridge.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Amongst the famous university buildings,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Paul is meeting Dr Jane Hughes at the Samuel Pepys Library
0:15:50 > 0:15:53to discover how one celebrated graduate
0:15:53 > 0:15:56helped shape our understanding
0:15:56 > 0:16:00of one of the most extraordinary periods in British history.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- Hi, is it Jane?- It is, hello, Paul.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- Very nice to meet you.- And you.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07So, this is Pepys Library?
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- It certainly is and we're going to go upstairs and have a look at the library itself.- Oh, I can't wait.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Born in London in 1633, Samuel Pepys was the son of a tailor.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Despite his relatively humble beginnings,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Pepys found himself at Cambridge University, where his library
0:16:24 > 0:16:28now sits with pride of place in his former college.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32What marked Pepys out from the 17th century crowd
0:16:32 > 0:16:35was his desire to record the events around him.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39At the age of 27, Pepys started a diary that would record
0:16:39 > 0:16:42a tumultuous decade in British history.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- This is one of the six volumes of the diary.- Yeah.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49He kept it across ten years, but because paper was expensive,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51you didn't stop the volume at the end of the year,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- you carried on until you'd completed the volume.- Aye.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So, it covers six volumes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58And, in fact, although the diary is written in shorthand,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01because there were quite a number of different shorthands,
0:17:01 > 0:17:06it's difficult for people maybe 100 or 200 years after this
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- to have read it.- Right.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12When this was being deciphered by a man called the Reverend John Smith
0:17:12 > 0:17:19in the 1800s - 1818 he started - he didn't know that it was a shorthand.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23However, had he looked in the shelf above where the diary was kept,
0:17:23 > 0:17:25here in the library, he'd have found the crib...
0:17:25 > 0:17:27- Oh!- So, um...
0:17:27 > 0:17:28Pepys, in fact, had the little booklet
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- from which the shorthand came. - Right.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Pepys's diary is possibly one of the most famous in the English language,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39mainly because the rich descriptions detail everyday life
0:17:39 > 0:17:43and some of the more tragic events in a turbulent period in history.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46His writing gave a personal insight throughout the Great Plague
0:17:46 > 0:17:51as it wiped out a fifth of London's population in just seven months,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and soon he was describing another disaster
0:17:53 > 0:17:57as the Great Fire of London swept across the capital.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03Here, in this particular part of it, he's recording how he was anxious
0:18:03 > 0:18:06that the fire was, in fact, getting very close to his own house.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- Yeah.- So he went to do whatever he could
0:18:09 > 0:18:11to try and protect his belongings.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14And first of all, he sent his books and his goods
0:18:14 > 0:18:18and his furniture off to be taken up the river.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21For the remainder of his prized possessions,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24he came up with a rather interesting solution.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28He and a friend dug a large hole, a pit in the garden,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31and put many of their most precious possessions in,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34which involved things you might expect, like important documents.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- Yeah.- And he also put his wine into the pit,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40and he very famously put his cheese in,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42but this wasn't just a small piece of cheddar,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46this was a large piece of Parmesan, an Italian cheese.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48A man after my own heart, books and wine.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50- That's right.- Wonderful.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Samuel Pepys's diary didn't just capture large events
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and personal details, it chartered his rise through the Royal Navy
0:18:57 > 0:18:59and in his social standing.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Pepys had become an influential member of society,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06even rubbing shoulders with royalty.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11This is known as the Anthony Roll after the person who painted it...
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- Right. - ..who was called Anthony Anthony.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Um, and he produced this wonderful roll
0:19:16 > 0:19:20with the ships of the line of Henry VIII,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22so it was already 150 years old
0:19:22 > 0:19:26when it was given to Samuel Pepys by Charles II, as a gift.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Brilliant.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29And then the ship at the top is a very famous ship,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31- it's called the Mary Rose. - Indeed, yes.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35Before it sank, leading the attack on the French fleet in 1545,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38the Mary Rose saw 34 years of service
0:19:38 > 0:19:40as the flagship to Henry VIII.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- And this is the only contemporary image of the Mary Rose...- Is it?!
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- ..from when it was actually sailing. - PAUL GASPS
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Pepys worked tirelessly to add to his collection of books
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and manuscripts, but the titles in his possession show
0:19:53 > 0:19:57that he was more than just a 17th century aficionado.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01This is the Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- and it's one of the great books of the Royal Society.- Yeah.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09- And it has Samuel Pepys's name on the front.- So it does.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11So, "Imprimatur S Pepys,"
0:20:11 > 0:20:15so Pepys gave permission for it to be published,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and the reason was that he was the president of the Royal Society...
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Oh, I see.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23..and the president had to give the licence to any book to be produced.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Newton's law of motion formed the foundation of classical mechanics
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and with Pepys as the president of the Royal Society,
0:20:30 > 0:20:35he was an integral part of this time of social and intellectual change.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39So, somebody like Pepys, who didn't come from a good background,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- could nevertheless rise up in this new kind of world.- Mm-hm!
0:20:42 > 0:20:47And I think he probably enjoyed the prospect of meeting people,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50who perhaps, in a previous generation,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- he would never have had the opportunity to get to know.- Yeah.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Pepys embodied a period of social change in the same way
0:20:56 > 0:20:59that his diary captured it for generations to come
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and the 3,000 articles that lie in the handcrafted shelves
0:21:02 > 0:21:07of the Pepys Library remain his enduring legacy.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11It's been a long and eventful first day for our intrepid antiquers,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15but not for their car and it's time for all to say goodnight.
0:21:15 > 0:21:16Sweet dreams.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Another day and miracle of miracles,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26a new lease of life for the classic car.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29So, hang on a second, the car broke down yesterday
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and now suddenly I'm driving the car?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36Both our experts are delighted to be back on the open road
0:21:36 > 0:21:38with a 1951 pick-up.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40There? No.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43- Shall I go and pick up those gears? - Yeah.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44You're OK to your left.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- You're good, you're good... - Keep rolling, keep rolling, go, go, go-o-o-o!
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- Come on, car!- Down there!- Steady!
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- What the...?! - BOTH LAUGH
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- What?!- Sorry. Sorry!
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- I was just about on your lap there! - Why were you sitting on my lap?!
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Yesterday, Paul had plenty to smile about after his bold start,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11grabbing a perfume bottle, the miniature roulette wheel,
0:22:11 > 0:22:17some lead soldiers and the stoneware of Lord Nelson, all for £125,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20leaving him with £75 to play with today.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Christina picked up a pair of pickle forks.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27A copper planter and stand.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29A Shelley coffee service.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31And a gramophone, totalling £130.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35So, she has £70 for the day ahead.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40And the competition seems to be hotting up - in the car at least!
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Would you like to drive?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- No, you're doing great!- Yeah!
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- That's what I said... - Back in your box, Laidlaw.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49With a set of refurbished wheels to carry them,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51our pair are motoring their way
0:22:51 > 0:22:54towards their first auction of the week in Market Harborough.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But there's plenty of shopping to do before that
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and we're back in Cambridge where the structure of DNA was discovered,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04where Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon studied,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06and where Paul is now trying to relieve himself
0:23:06 > 0:23:07of his remaining cash.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11And Gabor Cossa Antiques seems like the perfect place to start.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14David Theobald is overseeing the petite surroundings.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Hello, there. Is it David? - Yes, good morning. Nice to meet you.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22- And you, I'm Paul. - Paul. Hello, Paul.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Oh, my word! If you hear a clatter, call the cavalry.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Careful, Paul, there might be some antiques in here(!)
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I'm wedged, I feel like a pot-holer.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40It certainly is cosy back there.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43(Deary me!)
0:23:43 > 0:23:48Mmm... Have you attributed your little...Cotswolds-esque...?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50It's anonymous, I'm afraid.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- Is it expensive?- Oh, no. - BOTH LAUGH
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Well, I loved the way you said that, David.- Of course not. Let me see.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Uh, that's £20.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Well, it does... It actually says, "To Dad."
0:24:02 > 0:24:04- Oh, my word.- June 24, '49,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- so presumably that's 1949...- Yeah.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08..but was it new then? I don't know.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10It's not without charm. I'm not dismissing that.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13And I think it's priced right, thank you.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Paul seems keen on the Arts and Crafts-style copper plaque.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20But there's plenty more to consider.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Your caddy spoon there, who's that?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- It's Keswick.- Is it Keswick?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27I've not seen the long-stemmed one before.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29- No, no, but it's not silver, it's nickel.- Staybrite.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Staybrite is a form of stainless steel
0:24:31 > 0:24:37successfully used by the Keswick School of Art from around the 1930s.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39The school, established in 1884,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44has long been a proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45Look at the skill here.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50You've got an asymmetric planar tapering stem...
0:24:50 > 0:24:55In profile - there's a great line, is there not?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58And then we've got, I think we could call that "wriggle work",
0:24:58 > 0:24:59post-war wriggle work.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02The planishing works the light.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03And it shimmers.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Planishing tempers the metal,
0:25:06 > 0:25:12it gives it rigidity at a molecular structural level.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Here endeth the science lesson.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Smitten by science...and a spoon.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20So, you've got me with that, David.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25I love it to bits. And your price is absolutely fantastic.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The £10 ticket price has really worked its charm on Paul.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31That's a real sweetie.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35The speculative piece is the copper plaque.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38What's the very best you could do for me...
0:25:39 > 0:25:41..the two Arts and Crafty pieces?
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Well, I'd like 30... for the two, but...
0:25:45 > 0:25:4725, that would have to be, sort of...
0:25:47 > 0:25:50David. You are a joy to do business with.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- I'm not going to be silly. - Thank you.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54- That's a great price and I'm going to shake your hand.- I hope so.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58A great price indeed. £25 and another two items bought.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Let's leave Cambridge and our speedy shopper behind.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Now, what's Christina up to?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Enjoying some time alone with the pick-up as she winds her way
0:26:11 > 0:26:13towards the village of Burwell in Cambridgeshire.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20This flat, fertile fenland is home to a relic of an industry
0:26:20 > 0:26:23that was once a vital part of life in Britain.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Christina's visiting Stevens' Mill
0:26:25 > 0:26:28to find out about the often dangerous
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and infamous lives of millers,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33with the help of local volunteer, Colin Marshall.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Hello!- Hello, Christina.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- So, how long's the mill been here? - It was built in 1820...
0:26:39 > 0:26:42- Mm-hm.- ..and has been built on the site of an earlier mill.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Under your feet here, there's the foundations of an earlier mill.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50The development of windmills allowed communities to share resources,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52helping to increase the population.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57They didn't appear in Britain until the 12th century
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and technology quickly advanced so that the mill, or part of it,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04was able to rotate depending on wind direction.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07This made them more efficient, but the basic principle
0:27:07 > 0:27:11of grinding grain has remained the same for thousands of years.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- So, a handful of wheat, put it into there.- Yeah.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16So, round and round and round.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19- Oh!- It's hard work. - HE CHUCKLES
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- Goodness me!- Yes.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24- Oh!- You OK?
0:27:24 > 0:27:26I can quite see why they wanted to build a mill.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Mills were at the heart of rural communities.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32With Britain's population increasing, there was a need
0:27:32 > 0:27:36for larger quantities of food and mechanised mills became a necessity.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Around the time that Stevens' Mill was built, the population
0:27:40 > 0:27:45in England was exploding, reaching 16.6 million in 1850.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48And to meet demand, millers had to work
0:27:48 > 0:27:50whenever the weather conditions were right.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Most moved into houses attached to the windmill
0:27:53 > 0:27:55to ensure they could work around the clock.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58It was a relentless and dangerous occupation.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- This trap door and this chain... - Yeah.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03..are for lifting the sacks of grain up into the grain store
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- on the next floor.- Oh, OK, yes.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Cos they would have been jolly heavy, wouldn't they?
0:28:07 > 0:28:08- They're very heavy.- Yeah.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Um, the original sacks that millers used to use
0:28:11 > 0:28:13- weighed 200 weight each.- Oof!
0:28:13 > 0:28:17That's equivalent to 16st per bag!
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Millers endured gruelling physical labour
0:28:20 > 0:28:24with a constant threat of injury or even death from open machinery,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27or breathing problems from the dusty environment.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It was also a cut-throat business
0:28:29 > 0:28:31and competition amongst millers was fierce.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35There were four wind-powered mills in Burwell alone.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Now, you may have heard stories in the past about how dishonest
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- some millers were.- Surely not!
0:28:42 > 0:28:45I'm afraid there is more than a modicum of truth in that.
0:28:45 > 0:28:46- Really?- Yes.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50By law, millers were allowed to keep the flour that became stuck
0:28:50 > 0:28:53in the wooden casings, called tuns.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55But it seems not all millers
0:28:55 > 0:28:57were satisfied with this little bit of extra.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01Some millers decided that they would like to keep
0:29:01 > 0:29:02a bit more flour behind
0:29:02 > 0:29:06and they built tuns like this, which are octagonal...
0:29:06 > 0:29:10- Yeah.- ..and leave a lot more gaps in there to collect the...
0:29:10 > 0:29:11- Oh!- ..grain.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- That's a bit naughty.- It is a bit.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16- So they'd gather more than they probably should have done?- Yes.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18So it became sort of slightly accidental to...
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Yeah, and some made it even more accidental,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23they had a thing called a "devil's hole",
0:29:23 > 0:29:27which was an extra little chute that was hidden in the floor
0:29:27 > 0:29:31and went across to their own private sack buried in the wall.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33- No?!- Oh, yes.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36While some millers may have earned themselves
0:29:36 > 0:29:39a dishonourable reputation, it was undoubtedly hard work.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42It could take seven years of training to become a miller
0:29:42 > 0:29:45and they had to constantly adapt to the changing times.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Over the course of around six centuries, wind-powered mills
0:29:50 > 0:29:52had become an integral part of society,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55but ultimately, it was the Industrial Revolution
0:29:55 > 0:29:59and the introduction of huge factories that spelt their decline.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03- Welcome to the best view of the Fens!- Oh, wow!
0:30:03 > 0:30:09- Just...I mean, you can really see, you can get an idea of how completely flat it is, can't you?- Yes!
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Stephens Mill was owned by three local families throughout its history.
0:30:13 > 0:30:19It outlived the other local mills and continued operating until 1955.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Now fully restored, it serves as a memorial to the contribution
0:30:23 > 0:30:28that the mills made and the millers who brought them to life.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32With a fine haul of items under his belt, Paul has made
0:30:32 > 0:30:36the 25-mile journey from Cambridge to the beautiful Risby in Suffolk.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43The Risby Barn Centre features two antique shops,
0:30:43 > 0:30:47one of which is housed in this spectacular 16th century barn.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54With the pressure off, it's time for a leisurely perusal for Paul.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Meanwhile, Christina has already arrived
0:30:58 > 0:31:01but is nipping into the other antique centre.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Ah, only one more thing to get and I'm running out of time,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07so I'd better get cracking!
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Good Lord, can you imagine the house that came out of?
0:31:09 > 0:31:11I mean, that is a vast, isn't it?
0:31:11 > 0:31:15Not sure that even THAT would go in the back of my pick-up truck, though, would it?
0:31:15 > 0:31:18The pressure is on, Christina. Perhaps you should
0:31:18 > 0:31:22concentrate on something you could actually buy, love.
0:31:22 > 0:31:27I love that. That's lovely. Nice in oak as well. A really nice thing.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31£250, I really haven't got anywhere near that left, have I?
0:31:31 > 0:31:35No. You only have £70 left to spend, Christina.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Let's see what Paul's up to.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39- Oh, thanks for that! - Thank you very much.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Wonderful, thank YOU.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45Things seem to have slowed down from amble to a complete stop.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I am only sitting here happy as Larry
0:31:48 > 0:31:51until I start thinking about Christina.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Because she'll be feeling as happy as I am. She will have done well.
0:31:55 > 0:32:00Don't be so sure... Before she can do well, she has to finish shopping.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04And she's found something unusual outside.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06Where would you find another one of those?
0:32:06 > 0:32:08I mean, it's beautiful, cast iron and it would have
0:32:08 > 0:32:10been on the side of a building here, bolted through,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13and you would have had your sign suspended from there,
0:32:13 > 0:32:16obviously swinging, maybe a pub sign...
0:32:16 > 0:32:19I mean, I personally, I can see an antique sign swinging from there.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21I just think it's rather lovely.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25How much has he got on it? Ooh, it's in the sale!
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Oh, it is a bit bent, isn't it?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33Well, I'll get it for a good price. It can't be bad, can it?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35I just quite like it! Where do you find another one?
0:32:35 > 0:32:38I've never seen another one before.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40I think I'll go and ask about that.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42£45...
0:32:42 > 0:32:45Time to involve owner Joe Aldridge.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51Oh! It looks even more bent now from this angle! Ta-da!
0:32:51 > 0:32:55- That's part of the character! - Is it? Is that what it is?- Yes!
0:32:55 > 0:33:00- Is it fixable?- Yes, with heat. - OK. It's in the sale.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04And I'm assuming before it went in the sale it was £45.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- What is it now that it's in the sale?- No!
0:33:06 > 0:33:10Before it was in the sale, it was £80. It's been reduced to £45.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13- Oh, OK.- As a special treat, I'll do it for £40.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Oh, no, come on, Joe! It's broken!
0:33:17 > 0:33:19But that's all part of the character!
0:33:19 > 0:33:23- I was thinking £20, £30... - Ooh...- Come on!
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Oh... Give me £30.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28I'd rather give you £20. £20 and you have a deal.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- Yeah, OK...- Yay! Thank you, Joe. You're a star!
0:33:32 > 0:33:35- Do think I'll make any money on it? - Depends who's at the sale.
0:33:35 > 0:33:41- Yeah. Wish me luck! - Yes.- Thanks!- Pity it's bent.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47Thanks to Joe's generosity, that's a reduction of £25 off the sale price.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51Let's remind ourselves of what they've bought.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54Along with the bracket, Christina has a pair of pickle forks,
0:33:54 > 0:33:59a copper planter and stand, a Shelley coffee service and a gramophone.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01She spent £150 on all five items.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Paul picked up the grenade perfume bottle,
0:34:06 > 0:34:10the wooden roulette wheel, the lead soldiers,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12the stoneware character jug of Lord Nelson,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15and the caddie spoon and copper plaque.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19He too spent £150.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22So, our pair have come out even on the spending stakes,
0:34:22 > 0:34:24but what do they think of each other's offerings?
0:34:24 > 0:34:27I love the fact that he has bought Arts and Crafts,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30sort of copper and his little Keswick caddie spoons.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34We've almost made our own little Arts and Crafts section unwittingly in the auction, which is great
0:34:34 > 0:34:37because it will hopefully attract more buyers, so that's good.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41Holy moley! It's a hell of a lump of wrought iron metalwork.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44I don't know that I understand that purchase, to be honest with you.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49Oh, no, wait a minute, I do! It was £20! NOW I get it!
0:34:49 > 0:34:54I don't see anything, to be perfectly honest, in his selection of items, that is going to make a huge profit.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58- So, it'll be interesting. - Of course it's going to be an interesting auction.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01It really is. And I cannot wait!
0:35:01 > 0:35:03So, it's off to the auction, but sadly,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07after yet another incident, the pick-up has bitten the dust.
0:35:07 > 0:35:13And they've traded in for something with a bit more...style!
0:35:13 > 0:35:15Look at this, you've got gears, you've got brakes.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20I am slightly nervous, though, that we've actually just got into somebody else's car and driven off!
0:35:20 > 0:35:25No, this rather racy 1999 HMC MkIV is DEFINITELY yours.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Just don't break it, eh!
0:35:29 > 0:35:31And with their new transport,
0:35:31 > 0:35:34it's off to the first auction of the week in Market Harborough.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Are you looking forward to the auctions? I...
0:35:39 > 0:35:41- I am not cool with these things. - Oh, really?
0:35:41 > 0:35:43No, I don't get excited. I get nervous.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45I know you shouldn't have preconceptions about people
0:35:45 > 0:35:48but I always thought of you being big, strong,
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Scottish, you know, manly man...
0:35:51 > 0:35:53I can wrestle bears and wolves, so don't get me wrong!
0:35:53 > 0:35:57But you're terrified of heights and nervous at auctions? THEY LAUGH
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Well, we'll soon see if Paul's fears are warranted.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05As our duo pull up at the family-run film of Gildings Auctioneers.
0:36:05 > 0:36:12- Into the fray, Paul Laidlaw. - Oh, don't! Don't pile it on! - Our first auction...
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Are you really nervous? It's there, darling. SHE LAUGHS
0:36:15 > 0:36:19And the man with the gavel today is auctioneer Will Gilby,
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Who has cast his expert eye over Christina and Paul's picks.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30The Doulton and Watts commemorative jug of Lord Nelson is,
0:36:30 > 0:36:34you know, that's in good condition. They typically fare well at auction.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36There's still a good collectors' market
0:36:36 > 0:36:38for items in good condition there.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Shelley, it's got a good name but it's just missing the mark
0:36:41 > 0:36:45in terms of its really Art Deco shape and style.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47It's a little floral. Very British, of course,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51but not what the real Deco enthusiasts are looking for.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55Paul and Christina are both presenting
0:36:55 > 0:36:58five lots at the auction today.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00So, let's get started.
0:37:03 > 0:37:08- First up, Paul's lead soldiers. - £20 here, please. At £20.- Right, go!
0:37:08 > 0:37:1022 online.
0:37:10 > 0:37:1122, 25. 25, 28.
0:37:11 > 0:37:17- Online bidders at £28. At 28... - Come on, you're into a ballpark!
0:37:17 > 0:37:19More bidders at £30 online.
0:37:19 > 0:37:2230, for 32. Are there any further bids? You're out online. Both out.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28That's £7 profit on Paul's first lot.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32Let's see if Christina can fare any better with her pickle forks.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34There they are, nice little pair of pickle forks
0:37:34 > 0:37:36for the man who has everything.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39And let's open the bidding, please. At £20? £10 bid. Thank you.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Great, £10.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43£12 online. 12 online... At £12, inset bidder at 12.
0:37:43 > 0:37:4815. At £15, at 15, thank you, £15 bid. £18 online.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50You're there...
0:37:50 > 0:37:53£18 Internet bid at 18. You're out in the room at £18.
0:37:54 > 0:38:00So, ignoring the auction costs, they scrape home with a £3 profit.
0:38:01 > 0:38:05Paul has combined his caddie spoon and plaque into a single lot
0:38:05 > 0:38:06and they're up next.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09This is going to be my nemesis. You're going to do well with this.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13Thank you, sir, £30 bid. Straight in at £30...2, 5, 8...
0:38:13 > 0:38:18£40...2, 5, 8...£50...
0:38:18 > 0:38:19300!
0:38:19 > 0:38:2350...5, 60, standing at 60...
0:38:26 > 0:38:30That's a fantastic £35 profit, stretching Paul's lead.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34I'm going from just that little limbering up stretch,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- I've got a little bit of a jog on. - Mm.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Oh, wait a minute, is that a cliff edge?
0:38:41 > 0:38:45Ever the optimist, Paul! Time for Christina's gramophone.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47- £20. - Commission already!
0:38:47 > 0:38:49£20...2, 5, 8...£30...
0:38:49 > 0:38:54- Come on!- 32, 35... £35 my bid absentee. At £35.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57At £35... £38 bid. Thank you.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02The absentees are lost, at £38 in the room. At £38, all done.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06- Sweet!- Happy days!
0:39:06 > 0:39:10So, all that hard bargaining paid off in the end,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13giving Christina a £23 profit.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16The next lot is Paul's perfume bottle.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Any bids at £30? Thank you. At £30, bid. At £30, I have bidders.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- There's a maiden bid of £30. - Oh, it's going to be cheap
0:39:23 > 0:39:25if it sells at that. No, it's too cheap...
0:39:25 > 0:39:27Modest but selling at £30...
0:39:28 > 0:39:31Cheap, though. Man alive! Oof!
0:39:31 > 0:39:33A profit is a profit, Paul.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Next up is Christina's wrought iron bracket.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- £10, then - let's start low at £10.- No!
0:39:41 > 0:39:43As low as I go, at £10, can I see 10? I do. Thank you.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45£10, bid at £10.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48£12, here's the bid. £12, second row. 15, £15. £18...
0:39:48 > 0:39:51- Come on!- Somebody'll make a lot of money on this!
0:39:51 > 0:39:53At £18, any further bids? You're out online.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55I would round that up.
0:39:55 > 0:39:5818, that's virtually 20. We might as well round up to £30!
0:39:58 > 0:40:00You've actually made profit on that.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05Aha, there's that optimism again, Paul. Or is it cheek?
0:40:07 > 0:40:08It's time for the auctioneer's pick.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Paul's stoneware character jug of Nelson.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14£50 to start them. £50, at 50. Thank you. £50 bid, at 50.
0:40:14 > 0:40:19It's with me online, I'm afraid. At 55? 60 in the corner...
0:40:19 > 0:40:2365, online at 70. 80 they bid.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27- At 80, 85, still going. - Fire their imagination.- Come on!
0:40:27 > 0:40:28Are we all done? I'll sell.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35Paul has almost doubled his money there, with a £40 profit.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Less brackets, more jugs! Less brackets, more jugs!
0:40:38 > 0:40:40A fine lesson for life...
0:40:40 > 0:40:45- Now it's over to Christina's Shelley coffee service.- £30 I bid. £30 here.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47- £30 I bid.- More than that!
0:40:47 > 0:40:51£30, at 32, 35, 38 now bid in the room. And I'm out at 38.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Any other bids? I'll sell at £38.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Don't worry, Christina. You still have another lot to go.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Is that angels singing or is that just on the inside?!
0:41:04 > 0:41:06You seem to have lost your nerves, Paul.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Well, here comes the roulette wheel.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10£20 then, at £20, we open the bidding at £20,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Thank you. £20 bid at 20.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14At £20, is there any further bid?
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- At £20?- It's going to sell for 20 quid! No way!
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Ouch!
0:41:21 > 0:41:23£5 down but still out in front.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Christina has one last chance to pull it all back
0:41:27 > 0:41:31and it comes down to the copper planter and stand.
0:41:31 > 0:41:38- There are bids coming in here at £40. 40, I bid.- Did he say £400?
0:41:38 > 0:41:4345, 48, 50... My bid at 50, the absentee is at 50, at £50.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48- You're out in the room at £50. With me at 50...- More, more, more!
0:41:48 > 0:41:50That's just to break even, I think...
0:41:50 > 0:41:51At £50!
0:41:51 > 0:41:54Christina breaks even on her planter
0:41:54 > 0:41:57although it's a loss after auction costs, I'm afraid.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Christina set off with £200, enough to pay auction costs.
0:42:01 > 0:42:08She has lost £17.16, leaving her with £180.84 for next time.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Paul also started today with £200, and after auction costs,
0:42:13 > 0:42:20he is up by £40.24, nudging his budget up to £240.24
0:42:20 > 0:42:23and giving him the lead after the first leg.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27So, what just happened? Wait a minute. Where am I?
0:42:27 > 0:42:30You're positively glowing! Positively glowing!
0:42:30 > 0:42:33- Will you behave yourself! There's nothing in it.- Please may I drive?
0:42:33 > 0:42:38- You love that, don't you?- I love it! It's just beautiful! Go on, let me!
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Let me! Please! Go on, you're the winner. I'll chauffeur you. Go on!
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- I am happy to be chauffeured. You go ahead.- Please! Oh!
0:42:46 > 0:42:52ENGINE REVS This is the kind of car that needs sunglasses. Whoo!
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Ta-ta for now.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Oh, my God! I love it.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Next time on Antiques Road Trip,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Paul gets hot and bothered over a stick...
0:43:06 > 0:43:08Don't you just love this stuff?
0:43:08 > 0:43:12..while Christina just gets all hot and bothered.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13Ooh, I'm a bit hot!
0:43:13 > 0:43:15I'm really hot!