Episode 7 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 an old diamond.

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

Back in the game! Charlie!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

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.

-Oh, well they make a very nice brie in Somerset.

-Do they really?

-Yep.

Those two gourmands, in a 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.

At the moment it's Hanson - 1, Raj - 0.

Can it be 2-0 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 has already made a tidy profit,

with £259.58 to spend today.

While Charles, who began with the same sum,

has done even better with £317.46 at his disposal.

And boy, I love how you say Charles, say it again to me.

-Charles.

-Yeah, I like that. Yeah.

You say it in a nice ring.

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.

Yep, Les does have stock worth shouting about,

especially the English furniture.

I just can't believe the quality, I mean,

the pair of credenzas over there,

they must be worth upwards of £50,000.

I think that might even be on the low side, Charles.

Academic, really, considering your budget.

They were strong in the arm in the Victorian times.

With heavy-weight antiques and prices to match,

our Charles will have to be on top form here.

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,

the value can be ten times more than the more bog-standard.

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

Ooops!

Nice. Put him up there. They're lovely.

Put these...

I've got six saucers, and matching tea bowls,

one, two, three...

Ah! I've got the six.

Gosh, aren't they gorgeous?

And if you think back to the times when us English were

discovering secrets in ancient Greece and Italy in the 1760s,

and Worcester were making these tea bowls and saucers

with these ruinous finds.

Look at the old metal riveting repairs to actually maintain them as

objects of beauty.

No price though.

Knowing Les, I reckon the six could be £1,000.

If you don't ask, you never find out.

-Les?

-Yes, Charles.

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

200 quid.

Interesting.

But I don't really want to sell it.

One more thing that 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 can have that for the same price.

-£40?

-Yeah.

I'm from Derbyshire, you know, things seem to be a bit more

-expensive down here.

-Really(!)

You're not in Derbyshire now, Charles.

Thank you, Les. I shall think on.

I could take a chance, my mind's ticking.

The gamble could be on.

Sorely tempted, eh?

Remember though, your only loss in the last leg

was almost £40 on a little derby ewe.

Be careful, Charles, have another look around at least.

Oh, I quite like 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.

They've had some restoration, what a shame.

Look at that one there, and look at the difference.

-Les?

-Yes?

Only a quickie, I'm really impressed

with your Hadley his and hers ladies.

-How much are they, for the pair?

-£100.

£100, and between friends?

£110, plus VAT(!)

I like those. Time to take another peek at the old china, then.

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.

I probably will take the tea bowls and saucers, 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?

-Yes, 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.

-I knew you would. 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.

It's 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.

It was that point, that the two of them realised that there was

something that each of them had, a spark of genius.

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 and Boon romantic love,

it's much more about our connection to nature,

how it makes us feel.

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.

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.

It's 1798, in February and it's absolutely silent.

The only thing he could hear was the fire,

the flame was this sole, quiet thing.

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

And it's 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

and they just thought, "Are they spies?", and they believed

they were mapping the area for the French to invade.

-Really?

-And someone from the foreign office was sent here,

he fortunately realised that they were just poets. That was it.

-That was the end of it.

-Bit crazy!

-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, every where

And all the boards did shrink

Water, water, every where

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 rare 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, that is...

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.

-Go right here, Raj.

-Certainly, Charles.

Clear my way.

Just about.

-You know, if you ever decide to give up antiques...

-Yeah.

-..the military's for you.

-I thought I might become a driving instructor.

Yeah, and I might become a ballroom dancer! Ha!

Getting along famously, aren't they?

Around here, even if we see things outside,

it's always worth maybe just stopping off and saying, look,

let's knock on the door.

Yeah, maybe we can be like rag and bone men.

Well, strangely enough, Raj has it on good authority

that there may be a bargain around here somewhere.

Don't be long.

-I've...

-No, I won't 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, this is 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 had been, in my collections,

gathering little bits for years

and I've got a little steam boiler,

which would be very, 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.

But what are we talking about? A tenner? Can 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.

-Fantastic! 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 axle.

-Fine. Thank you very much.

Point to Raj, I reckon.

-Why don't you, yeah, just pump it a bit?

-Pump it a bit?

-You'll want an ambulance pump in a minute.

-You're blocked off now.

That little encounter took place

just outside the south Somerset town of Somerton.

Although nowadays a fairly sleepy place,

Somerton was once the county town.

Some even think that back in 900 AD

it might have been the capital of Wessex.

-BEEPING

-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've had a very eventful morning of big spend.

I think now, it's time to pull myself in

and just perhaps find something that's slightly...

steady...

but ready...to go, go, go.

-Mixed messages, I'd say.

-I quite like...is it for sale,

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

-It could be.

-Could it be for sale?

-It could be.

I quite like it, because it's just....

OK, it's not very old.

What could it be, 1960s?

'80s, '70s?

Maybe '70s.

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

-Yes.

-PAUL LAUGHS

-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.

But what's the best price?

-Between mates?

-Oh...

£70 and you get the free gifts?

-Really? As well?

-You get the free gifts as well.

-This could get complicated.

-What are the gifts, Paul, inside?

-I can't tell you that.

-Oh, no!

-You have to pay 50p to buy one.

THEY LAUGH

I reckon there must be at least

the best part of 150 presents in here, mustn't there?

-I don't think there's that many. About 80.

-So, 80.

So, I might give the gifts a miss.

I could then almost...have £40 off?

-£30 off.

-Really? What's his name, by the way? Has he 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, it's Andrew, welcome to Market Cross Antiques.

Hello, Andrew - nice to meet you. Lovely looking shop you've got here.

-Thank you.

-Oh, yeah? No seaside clowns, though.

Oh, well - I'm sure he'll find something.

It's really nice to actually come in the shop and see so many antiques.

Well, a quick look at the sign would have done it, Raj.

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.

Isn't this lovely, it says here, "The Nautical Cookery Book,

"for the use of stewards and cooks of cargo vessels.

"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 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?

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's your 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 Noke,

plus, when it comes to

Royal Doulton, there's always a guide price to help out.

So there he is, HN1706.

Here.

His retail price is 275.

When it comes to auction, you normally drop it by about 75%.

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...

-Yes?

..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 is right, if he 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?

Oh!

Um...

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

-Yeah.

I just wonder if I could perhaps acquire them both at £25 each?

-Put your hand there.

-Thanks a lot.

£50 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 are 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 they're going to is on the coast.

-They might be perfect and they've been well framed...

-Yeah.

-But I'm going to be cheeky.

-OK. Cheek away.

-I can do you a good deal on these.

-You can?

I bought them, they came with another watercolour I really wanted.

-Right.

-This could be the big one for you

that gets us ahead of Charlie Hanson.

-Really?

-I think it could.

Hear that! He's practically on your team.

-I mean, would you take £20 for them?

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

-Really?

Yeah. You've got yourself a deal.

-Really?

-Yeah!

-Shake his hand, then.

-Now I feel bad!

-You want to give me some more, don't you!

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

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

-25, we've got a deal.

-Well, that is a first.

-I've seen something else. While I'm on a roll!

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

-Yes! Can I show you this?

-Course you can.

This just a nice little nautical cookery book.

Can I offer you a fiver for that?

I can go make a phone call and find out for you.

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

-They've got to do well.

-Raj...?

-Yes.

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.

-You've got a deal. Thanks very much.

-I'll sort her out for the other.

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 if I can find something.

You never know, it would be nice if there was something to go

-with it, make it a little bit of a job lot.

-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 they use,

-naval signalling flags.

-Yes, that might go perfect 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 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.

I'll get this for a tenner. It'll add...

-Just give some more oomph to the lot I've got.

-Or sink it.

-Andrew, this naval lot...

-This is growing now.

Yes, it's growing into a convoy! This sloop, here.

What about a tenner?

The absolute death on it is half price, 12.

-I'm not going to quibble on that.

-OK, thank you very much. That's good.

-Lovely.

-Not a bad haul, Raj.

Now, back to the driving lessons.

You know when you have a junction like back there,

-always go into first gear.

-Really?

You just let me know when you want me to do an emergency stop

and I'll do one.

Not quite yet!

TYRES SQUEAL

Right. Night-night!

Today is someone's very special day.

-It's your birthday!

-It sure is.

The sun is shining, you're on the road with your new best mate

and it's your birthday.

-How old are you today?

-Cut!

Our experienced experts certainly had a good day yesterday, acquiring

some watercolours, a cookbook, a flag, a sloop and a steam boiler.

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

Those set him back £70, leaving almost £190 in his wallet,

while Charles was equally acquisitive, plumping

for a clown, a Doulton figurine

and enough tea bowls to open a cafe.

I'm from Derbyshire, you know -

-things seem to be a bit more expensive down here.

-Really?!

That lot cost £250.

So, he's got just under £70 left for today's bargains.

I have to say that spending my birthday with you today is

a real pleasure. What are we stopping for?

Sorry, I was looking at a sign back there.

-I thought it was a stone, I thought it might be for sale!

-You carry on!

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

but the next stop

is at Wareham in Dorset.

Between the rivers Frome and Piddle sits the delightful town of Wareham.

I wonder if our birthday boy will find a pressie?

Good morning, Jake.

-Hi, how're you going?

-Very well, thank you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you, too.

Very nice little shop you have here.

Anything that 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.

I'm not saying it's going to be worth as much as the Ming one

-that went for about 20 million!

-If only, that would definitely upset Charles!

Yes, I think it would upset me as well, a little bit!

Quite, Jake!

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

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

-Yes.

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

If I was going to put money on that, I'd 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.

I guess they said it was what, mid-19th century?

Yes, I reckon it could be a little bit older.

I reckon it could be 200 years old.

It's got a lovely little design on it, too.

It's got the Japanese lady there.

It's blue and white, blue and white is...

Lots of people collect it.

-Well, we know two, anyway.

-£20, you say?

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

-You've got a deal.

-All right, brilliant.

-Thanks very much.

-Cheers.

It could create a buzz at the auction.

I think Charles has similar hopes, Raj!

-What else do they have?

-Here's a nice old piece.

In fact, funnily enough, at our auction rooms,

we have a collection of gavels!

I wonder when he'll finally splash some serious cash?

What do you think is your rarest piece in here?

These are actually quite nice.

We had these looked at, they're solid silver.

It's actually a Danish silver mark.

That's quite an unusual design.

What have you got on those? 169.

They could be Georg Jensen.

Georg Jensen is one of the most famous Danish makers.

Just as a matter of interest, what would be the best on these?

I might be able to do 100 on them for you.

If I was going into an auction where the auction was going to be

online, I think I'd snap those up.

-I think because I'm not sure, Jake, I'm going to have to leave them.

-Ah!

I thought we were getting somewhere, then.

-Chess sets suit you better, sir?

-It's not that old.

It's definitely a sort of turn-of-the-century one,

I'd say this was probably early 1900s.

Looks like it's a boxwood...

-What have we got on there, 29?

-29.

I can certainly come down to 20 for you.

To be honest, I'd want to 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.

No doubt about it. The thing is, I don't know

if you know, but I'm up against Charles Hanson!

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?

-Yes,

I'll throw it in.

-Brilliant.

-Yeah.

-Fantastic. Great.

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

-£40.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thanks again.

-He's got quite a pile, now.

Meanwhile, just outside Wareham, Charles has come to find the

tiny cottage that was once the home of a legendary British war hero.

-Good morning!

-Morning, Charles.

-Alison.

-Pleased to meet you.

I feel like saying, "I'm Hanson of the Road Trip!"

Yes(!)

Clouds Hill was where TE Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia,

came after his famous exploits during World War I.

He came down here in 1923,

found the cottage as a place to retreat from what he called

"the brutality of the barrack life" and it's very individual inside.

Lawrence was stationed with the Tank Corps nearby - they're still here -

when he rented this old forester's cottage.

Every detail from the Greek inscription over the lintel,

which means "Why worry?" to the interesting plumbing,

reflects his unique personality.

Wowee, Alison - it's just a cottage like no other.

It is a tiny cottage with just four rooms.

It's so dark in here - why is it so dark?

Because there was no electric lighting,

we've kept it the way Lawrence had it, with no electric light.

When was the building given to the Trust?

In 1937, his brother gave it to us, so just two years after his death.

We've been looking after it for nearly 80 years.

So, in fact, there was no time to see any alterations,

it's just how he left it.

-We have it very much like that.

-Well, almost,

because this room, the book room,

once contained 2,000 volumes.

So when many of the more valuable tomes were removed to the

Ashmolean Museum, Lawrence's friends replaced them with images of

the man who brought about the Arab Revolt against the Turkish army.

He was by no means the only British officer helping the Arabs,

but he was unique in that he had learnt their language,

he'd absorbed their manners and he adopted their dress and he enabled them.

He just was this unique character, which they adored.

Exactly, he didn't try to tell them what to do,

he recognised that they were tribespeople used to travelling about,

so he developed guerrilla tactics

and he earned the respect of the Arabs

because he showed that whatever they could do, he could do as well.

And the archaeologist who could ride a camel as well as converse

in at least eight languages created a bolthole to match.

Is this a bedroom, then, or...?

-Lawrence didn't do anything in a conventional way.

-No.

Not a conventional bed, a huge divan, it must be about 6ft square,

covered in leather.

He used it more as a couch, somewhere to sit and look at his books.

Really? So he'd almost recline on this couch...

Yes, maybe talking to friends.

Then, in the middle, you can see there's a sleeping bag.

-He stitched those words "Me um" onto it...

-Which means?

-Mine, in Latin.

-Really?

-Upstairs, you'll see the one that goes with it, "Tu um" - yours.

Even this chair, I've never seen such an angular Art Deco chair.

-That was made for him.

-Made for him?

-He was very slight.

When he came back from the war,

he was probably only about 80lbs.

-He'd lost a phenomenal amount of weight.

-80lbs?!

-But lovely, isn't it?

He's got sheepskin, so it'd be lovely and warm at his back.

He would have had it turned around, feet on the fender, reading his book.

-He designed this and had it made by some friends.

-What an ingenious man.

He even had a little gadget there

so he didn't have to hold his own toasting fork up.

This comes out, you pop your toasting fork in there to toast your bread.

I just feel so close to the great man,

it really is quite a special feeling.

But crumpets aside, Lawrence was no cook.

Instead, he lined a huge larder with aluminium to store tinned food

and added a bed for his overnight guests.

Lawrence did his entertaining upstairs, in the music room.

It's so different. What I love is this huge gramophone.

I've never seen such a big horn.

I mean, it's almost like a bachelor pad.

Absolutely, he often describes in his letters sitting here with

friends, playing music, saving certain ones until it was dark

-because they had more impact.

-Really?

At Lawrence's soirees, the likes of EM Forster and Robert Graves

would apparently sit round clutching a tin of olives - Thomas Hardy, too.

Although there is a bathroom, I wonder how they coped without a loo?

-So no toilet, but hot water.

-Absolutely.

He always said that if he had the luxuries, he could do without the

essentials and his luxuries were his hot bath, his books and his music.

I like his style. I'd better go.

It's been wonderful, thank you so much. I think nature is calling!

Let me show you where the spade would be, by the front door!

Thank you very much!

Now, fortunately for our two,

Wareham is a convenient distance from the Hampshire

town of Ringwood, where they'll be

enjoying one last shop - together.

-Oh, dear.

-To be honest, if you go up there and park up up there...

If you... If you...!

-Steady on!

-If you can park up up there, I'd appreciate it!

-Wait for me!

-Lordy(!)

-He won't let me in!

-Control yourself, please.

-Sorry about that!

-Our best behaviour, OK?

-Yes, best behaviour. Hello, Carol.

-Hello, I'm Carol Miller.

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

Which way are we going?!

-Who's this?

-I'm Charlie.

-Oh, sorry, Charles!

We can hardly blame him for getting a little overexcited.

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 did.

I've noticed in all the rooms are 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 1890 and 1910.

Yes, that's about right.

It's difficult to tell exactly, but they are good...

That one's in good condition, too.

How much could you do this for?

Really, it's marked 65...

45.

That's a good deal.

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?!

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.

-Now, what's Charles up to?

-I quite like this lamp over here, Valerie.

It, um...

jumps out because it's probably eastern.

If we lift it up very carefully...

..without damaging the...

-Oops!

-Oh! Cor, dear(!)

Without damaging the shade?!

I'll put it on there for safekeeping! It is...

A very nice Japanese bronze vase,

probably Meiji period,

so 19th century.

Beautifully patinated

in this lustre, oily bronze.

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

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

-Not at all.

-What a shame!

That is unfortunate! Although his rival may not see it that way.

-Have you bought up already?

-I think I might have done.

-Being serious?

-I'm serious!

-OK. Well, the world's my oyster!

-Yeah!

-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 just can't believe that steam boiler.

I think it cost £20. Market value probably today is more like £10.

I do like the Worcester blue-and-white bowls.

They are lovely.

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!

After setting off from Blackford in Somerset,

our experts are now heading for an auction

close to the Hampshire coast at Swanmore.

The car is purring. You are driving it like a man.

Your feet look better on the pedals as well, sir, I don't know why.

-Are you wearing different shoes?

-No.

Welcome to this fine Edwardian pump house,

now converted to a quite different use.

-Feeling pumped up?

-Yep.

I wonder what auctioneer Dominic Foster thinks will prosper here?

Period ceramics don't sell that well.

Things like the period Worcester might be a little bit slow.

My favourite item today is probably the cast-iron boiler cylinder,

it's quite an interesting object. It's quite useful,

could be used as a stick stand or in the garden, something like that.

Hey, I didn't see that coming. So, boiler time for Raj.

Heavy enough. But how hot can it be?

-I've got 40, 50 and I've £60.

-No!

-Nice.

-Wow.

-62 there, 65 anywhere?

-Well done.

-65 here. 68? 70.

-I can't believe it.

-£70 here. 2 anywhere? 75 here.

-Keep going, I need it.

-You are.

78 anywhere?

-Come on.

-75, I'll sell it then at £75.

Give me a high five.

-GAVEL BANGS

-That's brilliant. 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, 45.

-Come on, let's go.

-48 there is.

50 anywhere?

-There is 2.

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

58, 60. At 58. 60 anywhere?

"Gottle of geer."

Oh, is it my lot, is it my lot? Oh, no.

-It's definitely yours.

-65 anywhere?

-Oh, no.

-Sell it for £62 then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-165.

-Was that for the clown?

-It was.

-Yes, it was.

-It was.

-Do try and keep up.

-Sorry, sir, I apologise.

Nice profit, Charlie.

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

A couple of bids here, 20, 24 here.

Well done. Profit.

26, 28, 30.

2. 34. 36. 38.

-40. 2.

-Yes, yes.

46, 48. 50.

-You've got a gift, you have.

-Yes.

-2?

No, at £50. Sell it at £50, then.

Bit more, bit more.

-GAVEL BANGS

-1252.

-Well done, chief.

-Yep, doubled its money.

How will his Hulks fare?

-What were they priced at originally?

-110.

-And they cost you 25.

-Yeah.

-Crikey me. I like your style.

-It's the way I smile.

Again, a couple of bids here.

-I've got 40 and 5. £48.

-Wow, it's good.

-50 anywhere?

50 there is. 2 anywhere? 52. 55, sir? Yes? No.

55. 58. 60. 2. 65.

68. 70.

2 anywhere? £70. 2 anywhere?

-Come on, come on.

-Selling them at £70.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yours, sir.

Not quite the smash he was after. But not bad.

You're like the ocean around here, so calm and serene

in your profit-making machine, in which you are.

Because I know I'm up against admiral of the fleet.

I tell you what. Hanson's walking the plank at this rate.

Enough. Time for Raj's chess gambit instead.

35, 38 here. 40 anywhere?

-Profit anywhere.

-Yes, good. 38's OK.

-40 anywhere?

40 there is. 2. 44. 46 anywhere?

Sell it then and £44.

GAVEL BANGS

-I salute you.

-Rightly so, another profit.

Now, what about Charles's china part one?

-I've got 38, I got £40 here.

-Let's go.

-2 anywhere?

42 there is. 44. 46.

-48. 50.

-Oh, Charles.

-2. 54.

56, 58. 60 anywhere?

-Ooh.

-So, at £58 here. 60 anywhere?

-One more!

-At £58.

-GAVEL BANGS

-1252.

That's good, that's very good.

Yep, 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?

-Come on.

-20 there.

I've got 2. 24. At 24 here. 26 anywhere?

That's good.

Selling then at £24.

-GAVEL BANGS

-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. There is 2.

44. 46. 48. 50. And 2. 55.

-58. 60.

-Here we go. Yep. 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 £80 then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yours, madam.

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.

-90 anywhere?

-Two fat ladies again, it's two fat ladies.

-At £88 then.

-GAVEL BANGS

I've now got four fat ladies.

Yep, very respectful. He's set fair for a big profit

if this pair delivers.

£40 for them somewhere? 40 bid. 2 there is.

-44. 46.

-We're warming up.

50. 2. 55. 58.

60. 2.

-Oh, no.

-65.

68. 70.

No?

70. At £68. Oh, no. 70 anywhere?

At £68 then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-I didn't make six fat ladies.

No. I think in "Mingo" that's called saving grace. Strangely enough.

Raj's big spend, the oyster dish.

I'm not going to make a loss on it but it's a lovely thing.

-It could make a loss, let's be honest.

-Sorry?

-It could make a loss.

-Sorry.

-It could make a loss.

30, 34 here.

-Well done, profit.

-No, no, not yet.

-Put it there, you've done it.

36 there is. 38, 40. 2 anywhere?

-At £40 here. 2 anywhere?

-It's worth more than 40.

-You've done it.

-It's worth more than 40.

Well done.

-GAVEL BANGS

-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, I'm happy.

48. 50 anywhere?

50 anywhere?

50 here. And 5, sir? 55.

-58 anywhere?

-I'm really pleased.

Sell it at £55 then.

-GAVEL BANGS

-Yours, sir.

Profits all round.

So, who's coming out on top today?

The competition is sparking. Come on, I'm sparring, let's go.

Charles began with £317.46.

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 at £259.58,

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

leaving him with £363.04 to spend next time.

Wow.

You're on the road now.

You're showing me the way.

And the way is Dorset.

Next on Antiques Road Trip, a little of what you fancy.

-He's into fresh.

-Is he?

-I don't mind if it's a bit old.

And, not everyone's cup of tea.

It's not minging. But, in fact, this is Ming.