Episode 10 Antiques Road Trip

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

-This is beautiful!

That's the way to do this.

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

Joy! Hello!

..the aim to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Sorry!

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

The handbrake's on!

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Say hello to Stirling,

the brooch which clasps Bonnie Scotland together.

-This is a beautiful town, isn't it?

-It's a joy, is it not?

And this morning, the light is good, the air is good.

-You bottle this up and sell it.

-Oh!

Sniffing the heather hard are auctioneers Paul Laidlaw

-and Catherine Southon.

-And the people are so friendly.

They are lovely. There are a few exceptions...

WE ARE FRIENDLY!

Yes, and you may have already detected only one of our plucky

pair is indigenous.

I think we'll be all right, because the Scots, they like their own.

Oh, wait a minute, it's just me that's Scots.

Awks...

If you take a Scotsman, an Englishwoman and a Morris Minor,

what do you get?

A car which dates from before the time seat belts were mandatory

and has been taken to auction already three times this week.

Somebody's walking out with a big smile on their face,

and it's not just me.

And although Paul has thus far delivered a textbook profit

performance, Catherine remains a model of composure.

My plan is to have no plan and just let it happen. Let it happen!

That I like.

Except you don't see me in the shops going, "What am I going to get?!

"How am I going to do?! Laidlaw, Laidlaw!"

No, I'm so cool.

Catherine has transformed her £200 stake

into £195.92,

whilst Paul, who began with the same sum, has almost doubled it,

with £392.34 to spend in Scotland today.

The journey began in Portrush, County Antrim

and explored Northern Ireland before crossing the sea towards Scotland.

They take in a lot of the Lowlands before arriving several

hundred miles later in Aberdeen.

But today, we start shopping in Callander and, after a thorough

exploration of central Scotland, conclude at an auction in Kinbuck.

Now, Catherine's first to shop.

-Good morning!

-Good morning. How are we?

-I'm good, thank you.

-You must be Mr George. Your name is outside.

-It is.

That's so I can't run away.

This shop is so full that you have to look in every direction.

Now, what does George recommend?

-Nice little country-interest snuff box.

-Oh, that's nice!

-Always happy to help.

-A little bit of treen there.

And you've got a nice little riding interest. See, that's nice.

But how nice?

20. 15.

Ten. Eight. Five. Two?

SHE LAUGHS

Give me £20, you can have that, and there's a profit in it.

One to think about...

Keep 'em coming!

A bit of Scottish jewellery. Hallmarked.

It's an amethyst!

A little scratch there. A little bit of a scratch across it.

What's your price on that?

-HE INHALES

-What do you think it should be?

Seeing as you had an intake of breath, I start to wobble and worry.

What do I think it should be?

15.

-15? No, it's a bit too far away.

-What are we, then?

-40.

-I thought you were going to say 14. 40? Oh, no.

-We're not a boot sale.

I feel a parcel coming on.

I'll keep looking, as well,

because I don't like anyone going out of here empty-handed.

-I do like it when you do the job for me, actually.

-Oh, quite.

But you can join in, Catherine.

That's quite sweet, a little Art Nouveau pendant.

That's quite pretty. What's on that?

That's a bargain. That's 15 on it, but we can...

I love the "But we can..." and then you stop.

Yeah, "But we can..."

Just leading you in.

I'll sort a few things out and I'll give you a little groupie deal.

-A groupie deal.

-Very rock and roll!

-You a golfer?

-No.

-Curler, then?

I really like this. How much is this?

That's probably about your range.

£48, actually, which I'm fairly sure she'll consider a bit steep.

-Can that be sort of dirt-cheap?

-What's dirt-cheap?

Dirt-cheap is, like, £15, £20.

Cos I probably will get a little groupie going down there.

Sort a group out and we'll sort you a price out.

-We're getting a fairly large group together! OK.

-Gird your loins.

Do they say that in curling?

I'm going to put this here with my ever-expanding...

-It's a buffet of bargains.

-It is, it is. It's a smorgasbord we have here.

Yeah, which, for the record, is the brush, the snuff box,

the brooch and pendant.

-Can we do more sort of 12 on that?

-No.

-15, then.

Come on, that's... 15. And then I've got a bit of a chance.

-Do you 17 on that.

-OK, 17 on that. That's fine.

-Yeah.

-40 is way, way too high for me.

-Mm-hm.

I think I'd probably quite like to put those two bits

together in a little group.

-So what could they be, the two?

-Do you 40 for the two.

35 on those. That will give me a little chance.

Do you 35 on that, 25 and 17.

-That's got to be more like 15, surely.

-20 on that.

-You've never seen another one.

-I think she has.

-Come on, 15.

-Go on, George. Go on, George.

-18.

-Go on, George.

-16.

-Go on, George.

It's so there. Go on, 15. Come on.

-I tell you what, roulette, red or black.

-Ahhh!

-That never works for me!

-Makes a change from tossing a coin.

-Right, red or black?

-It's got to be black. Come on...

It worked before...

Yeah!

It's yours.

And the winner pays £67.

TIM CHUCKLES

So, with Catherine sweeping all of Callander before her, whither Paul?

On the road to Dunfermline, that's where,

the town in Fife that's full of reminders of its most famous son,

the entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

Paul's come to find out more about the Scot who was once

one of the richest men on earth.

-Hello!

-Is it Morna?

-Hi, Paul. Yes, that's right.

-This is the Carnegie Birthplace Museum.

-Indeed!

Yes, Carnegie,

the contradictory figure who made millions before giving away

almost all of his vast fortune, came from this tiny Dunfermline dwelling.

When was he born?

-On the 25th of November 1835.

-Humble beginnings, clearly.

-It was, very, yes.

-What was his family background?

His father was a handloom weaver,

and he made the best-quality damask linen in a workshop downstairs.

It was humble. They didn't have running water, toilets were outside,

all that kind of thing, but at the same time,

the weavers were actually quite well off in the status of working people.

Young Andrew even received a rudimentary education and showed

early promise in memorising the poetry of Rabbie Burns.

But the coming of steam power made his father's trade obsolete.

He was struggling to make a living, his father,

and his mother had twin sisters in Pittsburgh already, and she was

the driving force. She was quite a formidable lady, as they say!

So she's the one that made them go to America.

His father didn't really want to go.

In 1848, Carnegie began his working life in a Pittsburgh cotton

mill before progressing to telegraph operator.

The clever and hard-working young man

was already impressing some important people.

He became the personal assistant to Thomas Scott,

who was a superintendent on the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.

Thomas Scott suggested that he invest in a company called

Adams Express, which became American Express,

so it was a good investment.

So he started putting money into shares.

His mother acquired the money for him.

-She remortgaged their house to get the money.

-Right!

So she had great faith in Andrew,

and I don't think I would do that for my son!

Although much of his early investment was with the help

from both Scott and the railroad president, John Edgar Thomson,

Carnegie was clearly the right man at the right time.

So, he's not a maker of things, he's an investor, he's a Warren Buffett.

What else is he investing in?

Essentially, it was all to do with the iron industry to start

-with, so iron rails, iron bridges.

-Oh, I see.

And then later in life he discovered that you could make steel more

cheaply than you could initially,

so then he moved into building steelworks.

It's America growing, railroads crossing this huge country.

-Absolutely.

-And what do they need? They need steel.

-Yes.

But the tough capitalist who formed a vast steel empire to make rails,

bridges and then skyscrapers was to surprise the world when, during

his thirties, he started sharing, and philanthropy began at home.

The first gift was when he was 38, and he gave Dunfermline

the swimming baths, and that was followed by the very first library.

We're talking about a man making his wealth out of steel and iron,

but I can't help but notice a big piece of silver in front of us.

Absolutely, yes. This is from the Stevens Institute in America.

He gave money to fund the engineering laboratory,

and so it was a thank you for his philanthropy.

-That's a railway line.

-It is.

-Or a bit of one, I daresay.

And this was inside the casket as part of the gift,

-so something that Carnegie would appreciate, I'm sure.

-I see.

And of course I guess these guys are rolling...

-Yes, they're rolling steel rails, that's right.

-Yeah.

Education and the arts were amongst the biggest benefactors, with

New York's Carnegie Hall becoming perhaps his most famous monument.

He was in many respects the embodiment of the American dream

and, despite evidence of some rather ruthless business practices,

clearly a man of noble intent

determined to distribute his wealth so that others might thrive.

He believed in Chartism and that all men should get the vote

and that everyone should be equal, treated as equal.

Interestingly, he would have people like the King to dinner

and he would have all his Dunfermline aunts and uncles,

and they would all sit together at dinner.

So he was very...

"Egalitarian" I think is maybe the word!

-That's Carnegie's roll-top desk.

-It is indeed, yes.

That makes you stop and think. Out of all things, the desk.

It paints this picture of the industrious, the busy man.

Absolutely, and he wrote a lot of books.

He wrote Triumphant Democracy and The Gospel Of Wealth.

There's an interesting title. Tell me more about that.

Well, in that, there's a quote, "He who dies thus rich dies disgraced."

Having explained how wealthy you might be,

you should get rid of the money. If you keep it, you die disgraced.

He was as good as his word, because when he died,

on the 11th of August 1919, he'd given away about 90% of his

fortune and encouraged several others to follow suit.

He gave away 350 million in his lifetime, which is

worth billions now.

I mean, we say Bill Gates is worth about 53 billion.

-Well, this was between 100 and 150 billion.

-That he gave away?

That he gave away before he died. So a tremendous amount of money.

And that work continues to this day.

There are institutions spending Carnegie's money

at the rate of 150 every minute of every day.

-So in a sense, the old boy's still giving.

-He is.

Meanwhile, Catherine's made her way to Falkirk,

where she's getting a little help from David.

Two can play at the Victory V game, Mr Paul Laidlaw.

Yeah, Paul unearthed a similar tin earlier this trip.

I know he would love that. I know he would love that.

It sounds like I'm buying a present for Paul Laidlaw.

I'm really not.

His was Victory V-related, as well.

Other lozenges are available.

That's quite nice, sort of Austrian, isn't it?

-You've got, like, a mountain scene or something here.

-Mountaineer.

I love the shape of the vase. The handles here are lovely.

I mean, they're very typical Art Nouveau,

which I would say dates this to early 20th century.

-Right, let's think about that. Can I put that to one side?

-OK.

Catherine's off on a flier

while Paul, today's late starter in the shopping stakes,

is making has way to South Queensferry,

where he's desperately seeking his first retail opportunity

with Jenny.

It's a little marine Aladdin's cave, is it not?

-Nirvana for the nautically inclined.

-I like your teak books...

-No, they're bookends, aren't they?

-Yes, yes.

And they're actually made from the wood of HMS Ganges.

Oh, is that a wee brass plaque? It's one of those!

That's pleasingly wrought. Yeah, that's not bad work.

The last sailing ship to serve as a seagoing flagship.

-I see a price on those of £55.

-Mm-hm.

-Slack in that?

Yeah, they could be 40.

Anything for landlubbers?

Ooh, I like your dressing-table set in Lucite. That's a sexy thing!

-Very Art Deco.

-Ohhh! Any problems with it? No fractures or losses?

There's not fractures. I mean, there's some signs of wear.

-Is that an expensive thing?

-£45 for that.

-Ohhh!

Is that your starting price, or is that...?

Oh, that's always negotiable.

On that highly promising note, let us return to Falkirk,

where Catherine, with an early-20th-century advertising

piece under consideration, is still on the hunt.

There's a little knife there,

a little sort of fruit knife, penknife.

Now, this is interesting.

With the little hook, it might have been

part of a chatelaine or something like that.

So perhaps a lady would have had her belt here

and then might have had something like that hanging down.

I just think that's quite pretty.

This is actually made from bone, you can see the little flecks there.

But the detail on there where you've

got the lady's boot, right at the bottom there,

all the buttons and the hooks.

I think it's absolutely smashing.

I would say that it is probably early to mid Victorian.

The ticket price is £42.

Could there be a deal afoot?

What is your absolute rock bottom price?

As it's you, I could do it for £32.

Is that going to make a profit on £32?

28.

-That will be my best.

-And what about the tin that we saw?

-Would that be, like, silly money?

-That could be very cheap.

-Oh, could it?

-Yes.

How about if I did you the knife and the tin for £30?

That sounds very tempting.

OK, so...

-That I'm going to say 25.

-OK.

And then your tin, I'm going to say 5. So £30 in total.

£30 for the two.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah.

-Put it there, my friend.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much indeed.

Things are also looking shipshape beside the Forth.

-That's a soldier's strongbox, isn't it?

-It is.

Is it dated on the inside?

They sometimes have dated plaques on the underside of the lid.

-I don't think that one has.

-Are you sure?

No, I'm not sure because I can't remember the last time

-I looked at it.

-May I?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So the hasp is a replacement.

That latch is missing. This one's here.

And underneath there, there is a plaque with a date, 1916.

We knew he'd be right, didn't we?

Were you going to try and sell that or was that hidden on the way

out the door just to get rid of?

-It was propping up a few other things.

-Wasn't it just.

Now, I tell you what, let's park that because

what I'm going to do is try and buy something

off you properly and I'm going to ask for that

-at a pittance thrown in the deal.

-Right.

What about the dressing table set you took a fancy to earlier, then?

It's Lucite, which you and I both know is another term for Plexiglas

-in America and Perspex to you and I.

-Yes.

All the same, aircraft windshields, that's what you're looking at.

There's a bit missing off it.

-Is there?

-That's supposed to continue to there.

-Right.

-That changes everything, doesn't it?

-Could do, yes.

Right, a revised price.

Cheapy cheapy cheap cheap cheap cheap cheap?

What did I say? 45.

-30.

-What?! What?!

What were you thinking?

20 quid for that and the box means I might make a wee bit of profit.

I was thinking more 25 for the two.

I bet you were.

Any other desirable items we could include in this deal?

What's the story with the tiny little rocking crib?

-Is there age to that?

-Would you like to see it?

That's the first rule of selling, isn't it?

Get it into the mug's hand.

I reckon it's a wee charmer. It's too long.

It's a pretty spindly bairn that rattles about in there.

-How interesting. What's the price on that?

-£20.

I'd like to give you 15 for that.

That would make three things for £35.

Can we do this?

Yeah, I think we can, yep.

Is that just to get rid of me?

No, not at all! No, no!

But there's the door, Paul.

Nighty-night.

Next morning, and someone's being a bit girly.

I've embraced my feminine side, yet again.

-Oh, no, handbags! Was it handbags again?

-I couldn't possibly comment.

I think you'll go, "Not Laidlaw, but I like!"

Paul's first to shop today in the village of Kilcreggan

in Argyll and Bute. What will his forensic eye spot in here?

You know the drill, clockwise from the door.

Thorough as always.

You're shocked and appalled

-because Laidlaw is looking at brass candle sticks.

-Erm, well...

-Actually, that's not unattractive.

-But who cares,

it's Victorian brass candlestick.

Your point being?

This is not a Victorian brass candlestick.

That's George III.

That could be the thick end of 100 year older than the aforementioned.

How do you know that, Laidlaw? It's the form.

Price tag on these? Now £12.

And there's every likelihood I may buy them.

Paul's found a longbow and two axes.

Ticket price of £118.

Can dealer Roo help?

All right.

We have got some form of longbow of indeterminate origin,

whether it is South Asian or African. I cannot tell you.

It's the nature of the longbow.

The axes, on the other hand, we can absolutely assert are African.

So we are looking for an honest aged patina. Do you know what?

I think I see it there.

-They'd make beautiful wall pieces.

-Don't they?

These would have to be very reasonably priced for me.

-I'll offer you £40.

-Would you go to 45?

45, 45, 45.

-Done deal.

-You did it, you did it.

-No worries.

That's a good negotiating tool by the way,

when you've got that in your hand.

-As is one of those.

-I spied a pair of brass candlesticks next door.

-Right, OK.

-They are marked up at 12 quid at the moment.

Are they the ones that are reduced from £18?

-You can have them for 10.

-I'll give you a fiver for them.

-Seeing as you went to 45, you can have them for £5.

-Well said, Roo.

-You've been brilliant.

-So have you. Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Catherine, meanwhile, has made her way to the outskirts of Glasgow,

to a shop called Love Salvage.

Wow! OK!

This is a bit different.

It's a wee bit jam-packed.

So, presented with the colossal selection Tina has to offer...

It's piled high!

..what does Catherine spot?

How much is little silver... It's not silver.

-How much is that little brooch?

-Another brooch, Catherine?

You can have it for eight quid.

Might fit in with the jewellery she bought yesterday.

She's already got plenty for the auction.

I'm just looking at it purely because, as you turn it over, there

are three little marks on there, and that tells me that it's silver.

What's your very, very best on that?

-£6.

-Is there any chance you can push it down to a fiver for me?

SHE SIGHS

-Will you come back?

-I will certainly try.

-OK then.

Fantastic. There we are.

That piece of silver salvage completes our buys.

But with the auction beckoning, what lots have they got?

Paul parted with £85 for a strongbox, some brass candlesticks,

a dressing table set, some ethnographica and a toy cradle.

While Catherine spent £102 on a penknife, a curling broom,

two brooches and a pendant, a sweet tin and a snuff box.

What did they make of each other's purchases?

I don't think there is anything that is going to fly.

I think she might make profits across the board, but I think after

charges she's not, she's going to make a small step again.

I won the last auction. Do you know what? I could do it again.

Bring it on.

After setting off from Callander, our experts are now

making for an auction not far from where they began, in Kinbuck.

In charge of the auction is Struan Robertson

and we've got a splendid turnout.

This is heaving!

Catherine starts off with her lozenge receptacle.

Who will give me £20? £20 for the tin. £20.

15, 10, £10 start.

Come on, guys. Nice and unusual piece for a tenner. 10 bid there.

Advance on 10. Keep it going. Advance on 10, 12.

Advance on 12, 14. 14, 16. Advance on 16. Advance on £16.

-All out on £16 then, ladies and gentlemen.

-I'll take that.

-I'll take that.

-All day long you'll take that.

-I will take that.

Good start. What about Paul's slightly random choice?

-It just doesn't say Paul Laidlaw.

-If anything it says funky Manchester.

-London.

-Funky?!

-Yeah, come on! It's cool.

-It's not cool.

Who will give me £40? £30, 20.

£20 then. £20. Come on, guys. Nice set there for £20. 20 bid.

An advance on 20.

Advance on £20, going cheap. 22, 24.

He's got commission bids.

30, 32, 34, 36. Advance on 36.

Does nobody have any style?

Still going cheap, guys. Nice set there for £36.

All out on £36 then.

Na-na-na-na-na!

It is not cool!

The object or Paul's mature response to profit?

How will Kinbuck rate Catherine's little collection.

I'll bid 18.

An advance on 18. 22, 24. I'm going to go to 25.

An advance on 26. 28.

Advance on 28. Advance on £28.

-Don't stop at £28.

-Going cheap, guys. 30. An advance on 30. 32.

-It's got legs.

-34, 36. Advance on 36. Still going cheap.

All out on £36 then.

-That was really cheap, wasn't it?

-A temporary setback, I'm sure.

Time for Paul's bargain militaria.

I'll bid 10. An advance on 10. An advance on 12. Going cheap.

An advance on £12.

All out on £12, guys. Going cheap.

14, 16, 18, 20. An advance on 20.

-22, 24.

-Oh, you've got it here.

-All out on £24.

A margin, that'll do.

That's quite a return.

How can you get something for £1 and turn it into £24? That's magic.

I'd rather have got it for a tenner and sold it for 240.

That would have been magic.

Now, there have already been a few people sniffing around this.

Got a number of bids. I'll start the bidding off at 20. An advance on 20.

-Good.

-Nice wee item here, guys. 22. Advance on £22. 24, 26.

-Advance on 26. 28. Still going cheap.

-It is cheap!

Come on you horse lovers here. 30.

An advance on 30. All out on £30 then.

-Last chance.

-I'm happy.

You're going to be happy.

And why not? A fine profit.

Paul spent over half of his meagre outlay on these beauties.

I'll bid 30. An advance on 30.

Advance on 30. 32, 34.

Advance on 34. £34.

They're faltering. I'm going to lose money.

All out at £34 then.

Does that hurt?

HE WHINES

His first loss of the trip.

Makes it competitive at least.

Swift return to form with his cradle?

Nice wee piece here.

Been kept in good condition.

It's a shame about the wee break at the end.

(Don't mention that!)

I'll bid 12. An advance on £12.

-Come on, guys. It's going cheap.

-That's got to be 40/50 quid.

-That is gorgeous.

-He's going to sell it for 12 quid.

All out on £12 for the rocking cradle then.

What just happened?

-What just happened?

-Straight face, Catherine.

Do you remember all of those conversations I've said, "auctions

"terrify me because of the uncertainty"? I rest my case.

Now, she's already sold a Sooty and a Sweep on this trip.

How often do these come up?

They never come up because no auctioneer would

stick a lot number on one.

This is something quite different.

Oh, no! He loves it, he loves it!

I'll bid 15.

An advance on £15 in the room. 18, 20, 22. An advance on 22.

Come on, if you don't like curling you can use it for the floors.

-Come on!

-Advance on 22. All out on 22. 24. Advance on 24.

All out on 24 then.

-He's still bidding.

-26. An advance on 26. Advance on £26.

Somebody make it stop.

All out at £28.

-I was actually hoping for a bit more, to be honest.

-What?!

She smells blood.

I've got the Laidlaw nervous twitch.

Is it catching? It's catching!

Jig along because you're little bit of bijouterie is up next.

I'll bid 80.

An advance on 80. 85, 90. Advance on 90. Advance on 90.

Still going cheap.

An advance on 90. All out at £90 then.

That was fantastic.

Where did that come from?

This is turning out to be another great auction for Catherine.

I didn't even get the chance to get into that. It was just...

SHE MUMBLES

Come on, Kinbuck. Prove Paul wrong

by bidding on his Georgian candlesticks.

I've got a cold sweat on.

Who will give me £40? £40. 35, 30 then. £30. 20 to start me.

£20 for the 18th century candlesticks there. 15 then.

Tenner starts. £10 for the candlesticks. 10 bid there.

An advance on 10. Going very cheap, guys. An advance on 10.

All out on £10 on the candlesticks.

Well, I didn't lose money.

Over 200 years old. Lordy!

Very good auction.

Interesting. Lovely. Want to come back here. When's the next one?

-Let's go.

-Get out of here.

Paul started out with £392.34 and after paying auction costs,

he made a profit of £10.12.

So he has £402.46.

Catherine began with £195.92.

And after auction costs she made a profit of £62.

So she wins today and has £257.92.

It's not much but it's in the right direction and I beat you.

What do you mean it's not much? What?!

And continuing our Road Trip adventure,

it's now Catherine and Paul's final leg.

They're somewhere in this Scottish mist. Oh, there we are.

This may be dank and misty, and arguably foreboding,

-but it's gorgeous!

-Yeah.

This is a bit Macbethian. Can I say that?

-Dramatic!

-It is dramatic. A dramatic final.

-HE CHUCKLES BOTH:

-Oh!

They're all about the drama, those two!

The last leg starts out in Doune

and heads in a north-easterly direction towards

that deciding auction in Aberdeen.

Be off with you! This is my territory.

The Scottish Antiques and Arts Centre is a very large establishment.

There's a chap there who has got his hands in the cabinet.

I'm guessing he's got to be a dealer.

I'll go and have a word with him. It could save me hours.

-Sir, I presume this is your stand?

-This? Yes.

-Catherine.

-Hiya. David.

David. Hi, David. Good to see you.

-So, what's revolving?

-Oh, Louis Wain. What's that Louis Wain book?

-Have we got to wait for it to revolve?

-Yes.

-It doesn't just stop?

No.

Patience, Catherine. Patience.

-Oh, in the meantime... Hold on.

-Yeah.

-What's that?

-Oh, that's quite cute, isn't it?

-Yes, compact.

-Little Deco compact. I like that.

-1930s, yeah.

-It's quite a nice design, isn't it?

-Yes.

-What are you asking for that?

-Dare I look?

-It's £48 on it.

What's your best on that, then?

-Maybe 40.

-Oh, really?

20?

-No.

-Can't go that low.

What would you do on that?

Erm, 28.

Getting close. Quick! The book is back.

There we go.

-See, what drew me to this was the whole Louis Wain thing.

-Yes.

Louis Wain, quite a famous artist

who was just mesmerised by cats, did lots of cat illustrations.

But what is this? Can you tell me a bit about this?

Obviously this is an early book. It's very rare.

Circa 1908.

The downside, of course, is the condition. The spine is not...

Because it's early.

Antiques, eh?

I like that. What have you got on that, David?

-75.

-Right.

But what would you offer me on it?

Ideally, I would love to pick up something like that for about 35.

-Make it 40 and you can have it.

-What do we say on this?

Say 28 on that.

-Can I just have a little think?

-What about if I did the two for 65?

Mmm...

Take your time, love.

I tell you what, if you could nudge it slightly under 60,

I will definitely shake your hand and run away with both of them.

Right, what about if we say 60, then?

58 and you've got a deal.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-58.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, that's fine.

Thank you very much indeed.

Catherine's on a roll now

and she's heading across the glorious Scottish countryside

to Rait in Perth and Kinross,

where she's visiting Rait Antiques Centre.

-Hi. Catherine.

-Hi, I'm Andrew.

-Hi, Andrew.

This looks beautiful in here.

Yeah, shame you have less than £200 left to splash.

What's that little bell? That's nice.

It has been a hotel bell, I think.

But it is actually gilded, so it has got a fair bit of age to it.

Probably late 19th-century Victorian.

Yeah, I would have said it is about 1870, 1880.

-Yeah, can you do a good deal on that?

-I'm sure I probably could.

I love a bell. It is slightly wonky, or is that me just being fussy?

You have got to be fussy at this stage in the game.

-BELL DINGS

-Nice ring to it.

Come on, then, what's your best on that?

That is the sort of thing I am guessing you picked up

in a big job lot of stuff at an auction.

I don't buy job lots.

Oops! The ticket price is £50.

-You couldn't do 20 on it?

-No, sorry.

-30, then it would show me a £5 profit.

-OK, right.

I'm going to put that there.

There is a nice early wineglass up there,

that gilded one at the front, which is quite nice.

-Unfortunately it is only a one, but...

-Is it champagne, or...?

-I would think it is a champagne flute, yeah.

-That is lovely.

And it's gilded as well with the most beautiful decoration.

-And again, late Victorian?

-Yeah.

-Would you think a bit earlier?

It might be earlier because when you hold it up to the light

you can see there's imperfections in it.

That was the thing with the Victorians,

if they were going to decorate something

they were really going to go for it and you can see that here.

There is a bit of wear.

-Well, you might be a bit worn if you were as old as that!

-Oh!

Fair point.

-What have you got on that?

-Erm...

-Can that be, like, 20, then?

-Not quite.

But 30, I will do it for.

-OK. Can I put this in with my little bell?

-Certainly.

We are having a bit of a Victorian selection here.

There is a lot of it about.

Carpet bowls.

They're made of turned lignum vitae.

Each one is engraved with a different number

and then that one is your jack,

and they are pretty smart.

I have sold these before and I have done quite well with these.

115.

I wonder if he can do a good deal on those.

75 would be the absolute best on those.

-Right.

-Right!

The carpet bowls are on the list and I think she has designs on the lot.

So, we have Victorian bell, Victorian glass,

Victorian carpet bowls -

three completely different items!

What about £110 for the lot? That's fair, isn't it?

I'm really struggling at 110. Make it 115.

115 and that would make you...?

I might be able to have a fish supper tonight, if I'm lucky.

-Aww, I don't want that! Go on, then.

-Thank you.

-I can't do that to you!

-You have got to have a decent supper.

-Sweet.

So that is £30 for the glass, £20 for the bell and £65 for the bowls,

plus haddock and chips for Andrew later. Yum, yum.

Meanwhile, Paul is making his way

to the village of Comrie in Perth and Kinross

and the aptly named Comrie Antiques.

-Hi, Paul.

-Hello, is it Debbie?

-Yeah, pleased to meet you.

Off you go, then, Paul.

-What about the stick stand? Is that dear?

-Price on it is 78.

That's elegant, narrow, but it's way too much for me.

-The bolts that secure the dividers on that are loose.

-OK.

And you can't get at the heads of them because they are concealed.

So the darned things twist and turn.

See, that is how it should be - nice and rigid, fantastic.

That is a real annoyance because you stick your brolly in there and it

goes skewwhiff and if you're like me, you then can't sleep at night.

Thankfully, the rest of us aren't so afflicted.

So I'm offering 35 quid.

-OK.

-Seriously?

-OK, yeah.

-Got a deal?

-Yeah, deal.

Wonderful, thank you very much.

I'll give you some money and I'll be gone.

-Yeah, that'd be good.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you very much.

Now the hard work is done.

Time to get ready for tomorrow, so nighty-night.

It's a brand new Scottish morning.

Paul, we've taken a wrong turn.

-Go on!

-We have!

-We've not.

-We are in the South of France.

This weather is amazing.

Isn't it just?

They're heading for the port of Arbroath

and Paul's first to shop.

Hello, how are you doing? I'm Paul.

Hiya, Paul, nice to meet you, I'm Colette.

-Good to see you, Colette.

-And you.

-This is your emporium.

-It is that, yes.

-Very good.

There's a lot of choice. Look at that!

I've just picked up something randomly,

but I think it's delicious. Take a look at that.

This is a brooch.

We have enamelling

over what legally we always call white metal

but actually is silver.

In black enamel, in silhouette, this dancer.

And whose music is she dancing to?

That of a fawn, half chap, half goat.

Each to their own.

That works, that's charming. It dates to the 1920s, 1930s.

Does it appeal today?

Oh, come on!

Here is the problem - ta-da.

The pin is a paperclip.

What you do is you go to your local charity shop or whatever,

you buy a cheap throwaway brooch and you swap the pin.

-That's a start, is it not?

-Yeah.

Well, he has certainly confounded us

with a few of his purchases so far.

Add to that these assorted silver thimbles.

The piece for me is the royal commemorative.

Now, which royal commemorative is that?

The coronation in 1910 of George V.

-No...

-It's Elizabeth.

-It's Elizabeth.

How about we halve them

-and you have half and I have half?

-OK, right.

-What's the price on those?

-About 55.

-Throw something else into the melting pot.

-That is lovely.

What's the price on a wrecked brooch and thimbles?

How about we do 65 for the lot?

I am not going to give in that easily.

How about I come down a tenner?

So basically you're getting that for free.

Basically, Colette, you've got a deal.

Love working with you.

Once Colette has put him down,

he's got a much more Paul object in mind.

This tool is a clinometer.

A clinometer allows us to measure angle of elevation

of the barrel of a three-inch mortar.

A mortar is a type of artillery for infantry use.

That's neither use nor ornament.

But it is what it is -

it is utterly authentic Second World War ordnance equipment.

And because of that, Laidlaw is a little drawn to it.

-You've heard all of that, haven't you?

-I have, yes.

I couldn't help but notice in the back you've got other

little bits and bobs that are similar to this

-in so far as they are brass and military.

-Yeah.

-Put them on the table and see what we can do?

-Yeah.

-Give me a second...

-You can get them.

This is turning into Supermarket Sweep.

Those are artillery buttons.

The motto of the artillery is "ubique",

which is Latin for "everywhere".

-Right.

-These buttons are everywhere.

That's the cap badge of the Royal Scots Fusiliers

and that is...you get yourself a big brass nut

and then all you need are a couple of coins to solder either side

and you've created a vessel

which can be made into a little petrol lighter.

Now, while I might not be passionate about these things individually,

that is an auctionable lot.

But I need them to be cheap

and I'm just going to hit you with a little offer.

Oh, hit me, hit me.

Erm, a tenner.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-What about 22?

-Oof, seriously?

I am going to pitch 15 quid.

How about 18? And then we're both happy.

All right, then.

Now, while Paul heads off with a bootful of antiques,

Catherine is headed down the beach to find out about one of Britain's

greatest feats of engineering, the Bell Rock Lighthouse.

-Hi, there. Catherine.

-Good morning.

-Very nice to meet you.

I am Colin Easton, the curator for the Signal Tower museum

and if we go indoors, I can show you a little bit more.

Lead the way, Colin.

Constructed 11 miles off the Angus coast

by the Glasgow-born lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenson,

the beacon and Arbroath Signal Tower were the solution to a pressing need.

-I'm guessing this is Bell Rock.

-This is the Bell Rock.

It was called the Bell Rock

because one of the abbots of the abbey here in Arbroath

a few hundred years ago thought it would be a bright idea

to mount a bell on it, mounted on a wooden structure

tethered to the rock so that it would be a warning to passing ships

that there was a dangerous rock there.

That bell was allegedly stolen by a Dutch pirate.

And by the time of the Industrial Revolution, with shipping greatly

increased, a manned lighthouse was required to keep mariners safe.

This is a copy of the original 1806 parliamentary act just giving

permission for a lighthouse to be constructed.

You can see this is dated 21st of July, 1806,

and August 1807 was when they set off from Arbroath to actually

begin the construction process.

Although the contract was awarded to the experienced John Rennie,

the design, which featured interlocking stones

for strength against the elements, was a Robert Stevenson feature

and it was he who supervised the hazardous building work.

If you're 11 miles offshore on a rock peeping up

out of the sea where the tide rises

and there's only a few hours each day that you can actually

work at low tide and you're exposed to the wind and the weather,

the rain and everything, the conditions were harsh.

I can see there's the model there.

Am I right in thinking that this here,

that's like the foundation, that's the beginning of it?

But what's that at the back of it there?

That was built as a beacon originally,

but then it was converted into what they called the barracks.

As the tide rose, instead of having to go onto one of the support ships,

they could go into the barracks, maybe have something to eat.

But they also slept in it during storms as well.

The lighthouse took just over three years to construct

and began operating in early 1811.

It's a testament to the engineer that in over 200 years

there have been only two recorded shipwrecks.

So, do you think the Bell Rock Lighthouse was one of the real

models for other lighthouses?

Robert Stevenson and several generations of his family

went on to be a dynasty of lighthouse builders,

learning from experience

and trial and error that they went on to use in later projects.

One other key element was the question of communication,

hence the signal tower.

Although it's now a museum and the lighthouse has been fully automated

since 1988, the link between them was once vital.

-Wow, this is amazing!

-It is.

So, how would communication actually work?

The basic communication method was this metal pole

with originally a copper ball, and it's painted red now but

originally it would have been a copper ball

that would have reflected the sun.

If they raised the ball to the top of the pole in the morning out on

the lighthouse, that was the signal that all was well in the lighthouse.

If the ball in the lighthouse was still at the bottom of the pole,

that meant there was a problem so the keepers

had to dispatch someone out to investigate.

Does this still work today?

The mechanism still works today and I can demonstrate it for you,

-if you like.

-Oh, yes, please.

-Turning this handle just raises the ball.

-Look at that!

Oh, that's fantastic.

And good exercise as well.

Paul meanwhile has headed North to Montrose,

and the last shop of his trip.

-Hi, George.

-Hello there.

-Good to see you.

I love the feel of this place, I don't mind telling you.

This is my kind of shop.

What's the story of the mirror in the doorway?

-Is it anything or nothing?

-It is probably Edwardian.

That could be yours for 40.

Who knows what he'll emerge with?

This is a big lump of pot.

I would call it a cachepot,

which is a French word that translates to "hide the pot".

You might call it a jardiniere.

Basically, you stick your plant pot in there.

How do we tell a cachepot?

A cachepot won't, and this doesn't, have a hole in the bottom.

There is no ticket price, either.

It's made by Bretby.

Now, listen up, Bretby Collectors' Club,

loads of Bretby stuff is pig ugly.

Get over it.

Which is why I have never bought a piece of Bretby in my life.

This, however, I am going to concede to you.

It's about 100 years old.

It was pre-First World War, so let's call it belle epoque.

I think this juxtaposition of the big, heavy,

bold bronze decoration

with this delicate,

almost aesthetic depiction of birds and blossom works.

It's a standout thing.

But while Paul wrestles with that pot,

Catherine has made her way to the Aberdeenshire village of Newmachar,

and her last shop of the trip.

-Hello there.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-And your name is?

-Brian.

-Hi, Brian, good to see you.

What else can Catherine squeeze into her trolley?

So we've got a refracting telescope as opposed to

a reflecting telescope.

This is probably going to be third-quarter 19th-century,

about 1860, 1870.

Hasn't got its lens cap, which is such a shame. Price...

-78. Your telescope, Brian.

-Mm-hm.

It's a nice little telescope.

The big, big downfall is the fact that you haven't got your lens cap.

Yeah, I was wondering that. I mean, it's pretty good.

It's got the name on it, the maker.

Nice that you have got a nice Scottish name on it.

And lovely that you've got the, you know,

-the eight sections, that it really does...

-Yeah.

-I hadn't seen them with as many sections before.

-Yeah.

It's just that, for me, is a number one issue

cos that's what people look for.

-Mmm, that is a shame.

-What can you say, eh, Brian?

OK, keep looking and we can see what we can do.

Her search continues.

Back in Montrose, however, they are getting down to brass tacks

with the pot and the mirror under consideration.

They were both 40 each...

Time for a closer look, then.

That could be a wall mirror or, by virtue of this easel back,

it could adorn your dressing table.

It would be late Victorian.

It's all about this extremely rich

embossed facing.

The manufacturer of this wanted it to look like silver,

back in the day, but it's not.

This is electroplate, I'm quite sure.

A rich thing in its day. Flamboyant, but just affordable.

Back to George.

-The Bretby.

-Yeah.

-The mirror.

If I bought the pair of them, squeeze another fiver off them

-so I can make them 30 quid a pop?

-We could indeed.

-Looks like a deal, then.

-Perfect, thank you.

Spot on. Thank you.

That £60 completes Paul's purchases.

But what about our Newmachar correspondent?

Back in those cabinets again, eh, girl?

Look at that sweet little pillbox.

Opening up these two little hinged lids there for little pills.

Now, the thing about this is it is beautifully embossed

around the sides with sheaves of corn and also

on the top there.

Really, really nice quality.

However, it is not hallmarked.

You would expect something of this quality, if it was silver,

to be hallmarked, so it's definitely not English.

£38 is on this.

I'm going to see if I can do something,

a really good deal on this.

Seconds out, round three.

-Brian...

-Yep.

..I just found your little pillbox.

I am really concerned that it might be plated and not solid silver.

You've got £38 on it.

I think if you're in any doubt

you're probably as well just to pass on it.

I like Brian!

I was thinking maybe of taking a little gamble with it.

What were you thinking?

£20.

I was thinking 15, to be perfectly honest with you.

OK, well, let's make it 18 and we can do a deal at that.

-If we weren't going for that, then maybe the telescope.

-Mm-hm.

The telescope I like, but at £78...

Yeah, that missing lens cap.

So, what would work for you on the telescope?

30-ish.

We could make it 35, I could do it for that.

Can you come down to 30 on that and then I'm done?

-Yes.

-Oh!

-Hoorah!

This is it, this is the end of the road for me!

So, with everything in the bag, let's take a sneaky peek.

Paul's pot, with £168 for a stick stand,

some silver thimbles,

a Bretby pot,

a brooch,

a mirror and a collection of militaria,

while Catherine has lavished £203 on a telescope,

some carpet bowls,

a cat book,

a desk bell,

a compact and a glass.

How is the mood in the two camps?

I particularly adore his brooch.

That is exquisite and he paid £10.

The book, I just don't know.

If it makes £120...

that's bad news for me.

After setting off from Doune, our experts are now

making for their final auction of the week at Aberdeen.

And still as fiercely competitive as ever.

It's a horrible thing to say,

but I would be so happy if I could be the one person

in the whole of the history of the Antiques Road Trip

to beat Paul Laidlaw.

Well, it's last chance saloon, this.

Er, get it?

John Milne Auctioneers is hosting the big finale,

and Steven Donaldson is the man with the gavel today.

It's got a great feel, this auction, hasn't it?

Good crowd here today.

Mm, bums on seats.

First under the hammer is Paul's bargain brooch.

30 for this lot.

20.

-10.

-Oh!

10, 12, 15,

18, 20, 22...

-Got a little friend bidding on it.

-..25, 28, new place.

30, 32, 35...

-Darn.

-..38, 40,

42, 45,

48, 50,

55, 60,

65, 70, 75...

-No! Stop!

-..80, 85,

90, 95...

100, sir, rounds it up.

105, 110 - he's back. 115.

£115.

All done, sure and selling at 115...

GAVEL BANGS

What a great start, eh? Hard to see Catherine overtaking him now.

Do you know what? I don't even know what it made. After 100, I cried.

Another Paul purchase - the pot.

£60 for this lot.

-Come on.

-40, 30, 20.

-Oh, please.

-10.

Nobody interested? 10 here.

Any advance? 12 - we're off now.

-Oh, don't be off now.

-15, 18, 20,

22, 25. 25...

-No. No, no, no.

-Shut up!

-How can that happen?

-That's it.

-GAVEL BANGS

Oh, I'm so happy.

Oh, well, he really mustn't grumble.

These people are going already.

These people that were bidding on your lots...

-They're going.

-Don't go!

Quite. But not when her carpet bowls are up for grabs.

£50 for these nice bowls.

-30, 10.

-Oh...

-No-one's interested? £10. 10 bid, thank you, sir.

-One bid at 10 for the Victorian carpet bowls.

-No!

Going to be sold at £10 only.

12, 15, 18, 20...

-Come on!

-..22, 25.

25. All done and finished at 25.

GAVEL BANGS

Ouch. I mean...

Not convincing, Paul.

Someone has got some nice lumps of lignum vitae there.

I would be genuinely upset if it was you.

-No, you wouldn't!

-I would!

-You'd be dancing a jig.

Time for Paul's stylish stick stand.

30 for the stand.

20.

20, 22, 25, 28,

30, 32, 35 - new place.

38, 40...

-Fresh outbreak.

-They all want it now.

45 - I'll be with you in a minute. 48...

They're queuing up, forming a queue. Form an organised queue.

I'll sell for 50. Are we all done?

GAVEL BANGS

That's all right, that's all right, that's all right.

Like the man said, a fair reward.

How will her colourful compact fare?

20.

£10 for the Art Deco. 10 bid.

12, 15, 18,

-20, 22, 25...

-All right.

Going to sell it, if we're all done and sure, at £25.

GAVEL BANGS

No shame. No glory, but no shame.

Don't gloat.

A loss after costs, but she just about got away with that one.

Time for one of Paul's stranger buys - the thimbles.

£30, then, for the silver thimbles.

20.

Bid. Any advance on 20?

I've got one bid standing in the room at £20.

-One bidder.

-All finished at 20...

GAVEL BANGS

# So happy I could do a dance! #

The huge profit from the brooch more than makes up for it.

Catherine's big draw - no lens cap, remember, though.

And I'll start bidding with me at £40 on this lot.

Is there any advance on 40 for the scope? It's on commission at 40.

-Oh, come on.

-Are we all done and all sure at £40?

-GAVEL BANGS

-That's all right, you did OK there.

Yeah, buck up! A clear profit.

Now it's champagne for one.

£10 for the champagne glass.

5 for a nice decorative glass.

5 bid.

-This should make 60.

-10, 12,

15, 18.

I am going to sell for 18 if we're all done.

-GAVEL BANGS

-No! Why?

Why?

If only we knew.

What can Paul's shiny mirror manage?

40 for this Victorian mirror.

30.

£20 only for the mirror is bid. Thank you, sir.

22, 25, 28, 30.

30, then, back where we started.

Are we all done and sure at 30? I will sell at 30.

GAVEL BANGS

-Is it a loss?

-After taxes.

-Brilliant.

I'm going out with a whimper.

He can afford it, mind you.

Now, will Catherine finally ring up a profit with this?

My stomach's going over and over.

This is not good, I'm not normally like this.

£30, then, for this bell.

20.

-£10.

-Why isn't he ringing it?

Is bid, 10 with the gentleman.

-Any advance on 10?

-It's been broken!

Not exactly tolling.

20, 22.

It's 22 with the lady. 25.

-Come on.

-Any advance on 25?

I'm going to sell it at 25.

GAVEL BANGS

-It's a profit.

-Yeah.

-But it's minimal.

It's a faint tinkle, that's what it is.

Next up it's Paul's batch of militaria.

-Some interest on the sheet starts me at £40 for this.

-What?!

It's a commission bid at 40, 42, 45,

-48, 50...

-Oh, Paul.

-..52,

55, 58, 60,

65, then, clears me.

Is there any advance on 65? Being sold at 65, all sure?

-GAVEL BANGS

-Slightly awkward.

Aberdeen wanted it, whatever it was.

Almost everyone likes cats, don't they?

This book has to make

about £450 for me to be on the same level as you.

40.

30.

20. I've got 20 on my right.

-Come on.

-22, 25, 28, 30,

32, 35, 38, 40.

-Come on.

-OK, 40, then, back where we started.

Are we all done and selling at 40?

He's back at 42, 45, 48...

-Yes!

-..50, 55, 60.

-At 60 on my right again.

-Please!

Is there any advance on £60?

GAVEL BANGS

I'm coming back, I'm coming back.

Well, it was certainly good to end on a profit.

Right, come on, that was brilliant.

For the final leg, Catherine started out with £257.92

and after paying auction costs,

she made a loss of £44.74,

leaving her with £213.18.

While Paul began with £402.46,

after paying auction costs he's made a profit of £82.10.

So his final total is £484.56.

All profits, of course, go to Children In Need.

Well done, team.

-Go on, then, be nice, be nice - for once.

-Your chariot awaits.

-Oh, thank you, sir. It's been fun, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's been amazing.

-And at the last minute, you peaked.

-Over the horizon once again.

Off we go.

The end.

Cheerio, you two!