Episode 3 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.

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!

It's the final leg for auctioneers Christina Trevanion

and Thomas Plant.

So, it's been a total pleasure crossing these Celtic countries,

and it's your last chance to tell me how much you love me.

LAUGHTER

Christina was bowled over in Ireland.

The people are so friendly and so sweet.

And Thomas was wowed by Wales.

Some lovely things here.

Their 1962 Bedford van has done them proud so far,

especially as it was made before it was compulsory to fit seatbelts.

Both our experts started this trip with £200.

Despite triumphing at two out of four auctions so far,

Thomas has less than he started with - just £186.14.

Christina took an early lead and hung on to most of her winnings,

so has £269.07.

You are a tiny snifter away from me now.

You have held the lead all week.

I have held the lead all week, and I have a very sneaky feeling

you might just pip me to the post at the very last minute.

Their adventure began in Cashel, Tipperary.

After tootling around Ireland, they crossed into North Wales,

then over to England, where they'll be finishing up

over 700 miles later in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Today's trip gets underway at Gwersyllt, Wrexham,

aiming for auction in Stoke-on-Trent.

This former coal-mining village is snazzy dresser Thomas' first stop this morning.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Thomas has his work cut out on this leg.

Time to meet the folks in charge.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Nice to see you, I'm Thomas.

-Hi, I'm Carol.

-Carol, nice to see you.

-And...

-This is my husband, Dennis.

-Hello.

-Nice to see you, Thomas.

The Prices run this place, full of bygone treasures.

There's a number of things in here.

I quite like the eclectic mix, what's going on.

What I have seen was this cup.

It says here, "Unusual stone goblet, the Holy Grail."

SHE LAUGHS

Is this the Holy Grail of the Antiques Road Trip?

Look at that!

It's beautifully done.

-It's done in a soapstone.

-Yeah.

What's it got on there? £32.

I think that's brilliant, don't you?

-Oh, gosh.

-Yes, a bit of weight.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm super-strong, you see.

-1920s, I would say.

-Yes.

Probably from a church communion.

It's not the only thing he's spotted.

What a cool thing.

It's got this trademark here.

Crikey. Where did you get that from?!

That's better.

Westbourne Grove, London.

Put your teddy bear on there.

Little friend.

-It's £35. Carol?

-Yes?

-I found a chair.

-Oh, that's quaint.

So, there's a label on here which says £35.

-Really cheeky offer.

-OK?

Sort of like...a tenner?

While Carol calls the dealer, Thomas spies something else.

-HE GASPS

-Look at that!

Love those.

So what it is, it's a goblet,

and on the goblet are Masonic engraved designs.

50 quid on it, though.

It's a lot of money.

-Oh, Carol?

-I like this, because it's got a yellow to it.

So it sort of dates it, early 20th century, I would have thought.

He's got £50 on it.

Ooh! I'm sure Roy is open to offers.

So where are we with the other items?

OK, the chair, the answer is yes on that.

-What, for a tenner?

-Yes.

-Deal! Done. Yeah, yeah.

Carol's also managed to get the Masonic goblet's owner on the phone.

Hi, Roy? I want to make you a cheeky offer.

25 quid.

I'd love a two in front of it. Could we deal at 28?

-'If it helps you, yes.'

-It does. Oh, you're a star.

Thank you very much. Well, that's a buy.

That's a generous deal, as Masonic items often do well.

Now, what about the soapstone goblet?

-We have an answer.

-Oh, yes?

-The goblet.

-Yeah?

-25.

-£25?

-Yes.

-That's his best.

-Yeah, that's all right.

I think I'd be very happy with that.

It's just really unusual.

So, that's £63 for the 19th-century Masonic goblet,

the soapstone goblet,

and the Edwardian bamboo chair.

Well done, Tom!

Meanwhile, rival Christina has travelled 20 minutes north to Mold,

in the beautiful border county of Flintshire.

Time now for her first shop of the day.

Hello! You must be Holly.

-I am. Nice to meet you.

-Hello, Holly. Lovely to meet you.

-Can you show me around?

-Absolutely. We'll start in the back room.

All right. I love a good back room! Ha-ha-ha!

She's rather gorgeous, isn't she?

-She's elegant, isn't she?

-Isn't she fab?

Doesn't look like it's got a huge amount of age to it,

-but she's certainly got a look to her, hasn't she?

-Yeah, I mean,

with the Art Deco at the moment, there's just so much import,

and it's really hard to find, sort of to find the originals.

Sometimes, it's nice just to have a bit of modern.

Also, obviously, it's reflected in the price.

As an original Art Deco lamp, that'd be hundreds,

-if not thousands.

-And probably at home in my house!

She's got 64 on her now.

Is there a deal that can be done on that, Holly?

I can certainly consider it.

Ooh!

Let's not be too hasty.

You haven't been upstairs yet.

That's caught my eye.

-The light?

-Yes.

-The light fitting.

It's cool. It is cool.

We've had it wired so that it can be run off a plug.

-It's built to be a pool table light.

-Yes.

But I'm thinking it could also be for over a kitchen island...

-Love that idea.

-It's got that kind of look.

-Is it very expensive?

-How does 60 sound?

-Expensive.

-Expensive.

Maybe so, but the ticket price is £78.

-What did we have on our lady downstairs?

-65.

I would want to pay £50 for the two.

-OK.

-How are you feeling about that?

-Rather faint!

-Well, there's a bed.

-Do you want to have a lie down?!

-THEY LAUGH

-OK.

-Tell me what you can do for me.

I mean, if you can't do that, then that's absolutely understandable.

I think if I can squeeze another £10 out of you, I'd be happy.

OK. So if we said £60 for that lamp

and our lady lamp downstairs, happy at that?

-Happy at that.

-It's a deal.

So, that £60 for the Art Deco-style lamp and a snooker table light.

-There we go, darling. 20, 40, 60.

-Spot on.

That's what we agreed, isn't it? Brilliant. You're a star.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you so much.

-We'll see you again.

-Take care.

-Bye now.

Meanwhile, Thomas has travelled east,

just over the border into Cheshire, to the historic city of Chester.

Thomas is here to check out a local gem.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Thomas.

-Hi, I'm Simon.

-Simon, nice to meet you.

Simon specialises in antiques and decorative items

for the home and garden sourced from around the world.

Aw, what a lovely pooch!

What's this?

That is a model from a hat shop.

It's for a woman's...milliner.

Actually, that could be a potential purchase.

It could be quite good fun.

I quite like the angular lines to it.

It's made from rubber,

and could have come from an old department store.

It's priced at £35.

Let's talk about the head. The model.

Do you think we could do something slightly on the price?

-I can help a little. I could do it for £30.

-£30.

I think I'm going to have to go for her. I'll give you £30 for her.

-Is that all right?

-That's fine.

-Thank you, thank you very much.

£30 for the rather odd rubber mannequin head.

I've got to think of a name for her.

If you come up with any bright ideas, give me a call.

You could always name her after my little pup.

-Ella.

-Ella! Done.

Bye-bye, Ella. Woof!

And on that note, it's off to bed.

So nighty-night.

What a lovely morning.

Oh, this is beautiful, isn't it?

-I can't believe how well you're driving this van.

-I know.

-Oh, no, here we are, we're going up a hill now.

-I'm so impressed.

-Oh, OK, well...

-THEY LAUGH

But when we started out, you were hopeless.

And sadly, it's nearly the end of this road trip.

This is it! I cannot believe it! It's gone so quickly.

It really has gone quickly, hasn't it? Yeah.

And we seem to have covered an awful lot of miles together.

With the auction nearing in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire,

Christina starts her final buying day just outside Northwich

in the heart of Cheshire.

Here we are. An antique shop.

-Looks lovely.

-I'll see you this afternoon.

Owner Jan Gnatiuk has a passion for old furniture, amongst other things.

Hello! Nice to meet you.

-Hello! Who are you?

-I'm Jan.

-Jan, lovely to meet you.

-Thank you.

What will she spot in here, then?

You've got some interesting pictures here.

So, Marcel Pic, I think, was quite well-known for doing caricatures,

-I think, of sort of military themes.

-Yes.

He looks like he's sort of almost gone to select his horse,

and you've got his dear old horse over here,

which is propped up with crutches.

Looks like something from a pantomime!

SHE LAUGHS

What have you got on that?

-I can do it you for a tenner.

-That might be interesting.

You should be able to make some money on that.

It looks like an original,

because it's actually in pastel, and it's picked out in white.

It's got the pencil date mark on it, as well, somewhere.

Signed and dated 1891.

OK, well, that could be a goer.

Cor, she works fast! You've only just arrived, Christina.

As I'm going to Stoke, I think I'd like to buy some pots.

I've got a dinner service which is going cheap.

-I've had it for a while.

-Have you?

It's in the bottom cupboard in the press.

-Have you got things stashed in drawers?!

-Yes.

-Have you?

-Always have things stashed in drawers.

-Have you?!

Oh, go on, show me your drawers, Jan.

Hey, that's a bit forward, Christina!

I think it's 1960s or 1950s,

but it's complete.

Oh, my goodness! That's Denby, isn't it?

Yeah. It's got the pepper, tea, the butter...

I have sold one of these quite recently.

You can have the lot for a fiver.

-Really?!

-Yes.

The service for six is circa 1970,

and comes complete with dinner plates, side plates,

soup bowls, tureens, a teapot,

cups, saucers and condiment items to boot.

Let's think about this. What about the picture...

and the dinner service, for a tenner?

-HE GASPS

-Go on.

-I'll twist you.

-Really?

-Yes.

-You're an angel.

-You're welcome.

-Do I have to wrap it up now?

-Yes!

I'm not wrapping it up! I hate wrapping up!

That's fair enough.

And Christina's managed to bag herself

two fabulous lots for just £10.

Meanwhile, Thomas has taken the Bedford van ten miles east

to just outside the old farming village of Goostrey in Cheshire.

He's come to Jodrell Bank observatory

to find out about a world-famous pioneer

whose ground-breaking inventions helped put our nation

among the front runners in the golden age of the space race.

Thomas is meeting astrophysicist Professor Tim O'Brien

-to hear more.

-Hello, I'm Thomas.

-Hello, I'm Tim.

That's not going to be confusing, is it?

No, no, that's very easy. Tim and Tom.

Ha-ha! Sir Bernard Lovell was born in 1913.

By the outbreak of the Second World War,

he led a team to develop new radar technology,

helping to significantly halt the Nazi campaign by sea.

Once the war ended, Lovell's career turned to astronomy.

So, what happened then, after the war?

Lovell wanted to use radar,

that he had helped develop, to do some physics.

They were throwing away a lot of war-surplus equipment,

and the people here at Jodrell got a big army truck,

and they drove around the country,

piling electronics into the back of the truck,

-because it was being chucked down mineshafts.

-Yeah, yeah.

It was ripped apart, cannibalised, and built into...

-Other things.

-..this equipment,

-which was used to look at outer space.

-THOMAS LAUGHS

Components of these electronics

became vital to Lovell's future scientific pursuits.

He realised that larger equipment

would allow him to delve further into the unexplored universe.

So, in 1952, work began on a huge 250-foot telescope -

the largest steerable telescope in the world.

But despite its original intention,

it was soon called on for another purpose.

At the beginning of the space race,

when Russia launched their beachball-sized satellite

Sputnik 1 into space to orbit Earth,

Lovell and his telescope made history,

suddenly playing a key role in the Cold War.

He got a phone call from somebody in government, who said to him,

"Actually, you know, the thing that carried Sputnik into space,

"the rocket, is actually a missile,

"an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"Would you be able to use a radar transmitter on your telescope,

"not to track Sputnik itself, but to track the rocket?"

Because the next thing that might be launched by the Soviet Union

might be something rather more serious - a nuclear warhead.

In October 1957, Lovell's telescope tracked the rocket

that had launched the Russian satellite

as it too circled the Earth,

passing over the Lake District at five miles a second.

It was the only instrument in the world

capable of following such a missile,

technology that has since evolved into

the basis for our current missile defence systems.

Lovell and his team continued to track rockets

launched by Russia and America, and in 1966, they made headlines again.

What else has it been used for in that golden period of space race?

We actually tracked a Russian rocket onto the moon, that landed in 1966.

It took the very first pictures of the moon from the moon.

Developed the photograph, scanned it,

sent it back to Earth as a radio signal.

We eavesdropped on that signal, and actually...

-You couldn't help?

-Well, you would, wouldn't you?

One of the astronomers here recognised the sound of the signal,

and he said, "Do you know, it sounds like

"one of these newfangled fax machines."

Not very many people had them. They put out a call.

The Daily Express in London answered the call.

They drove up the road with an early facsimile receiver,

plugged it into the telescope,

and out came a picture of the surface of the moon,

the very first picture ever sent from the moon,

and they'd used fax technology, basically, to do it.

-Wow.

-We hacked into it and printed it on the front page

-of the Daily Express the next day.

-Gosh!

Britain published these pictures

before the Russians got a chance to release their own official images -

a major worldwide coup.

The telescope is now the third largest of its kind in the world,

and, as technology evolves, it is upgraded,

keeping it at the forefront of cutting-edge science.

It's discovered distant galaxies powered by supermassive black holes,

and two-thirds of all known pulsars,

which are remnants of exploded stars.

Every day, we make a new discovery.

We are creeping our way forward,

but we also discover things we don't understand,

so the sort of boundary of our knowledge is ever-increasing,

but equally, there's stuff outside that boundary

that we're still yet to understand. That's what makes it so exciting.

Exciting. Sometimes frustrating.

Sir Bernard Lovell died in 2012,

but his passion for science and innovation

made him a visionary leader in his field.

His incredible inventions continue to assist

astronomic discoveries today,

and hopefully will do well into the future.

Just a few miles south, though,

Christina's made her way to Congleton.

She's come to a former ribbon mill-turned-antiques centre

and to welcome her is dealer Eric.

Hello, hello, my old friend!

-Hello.

-How are you? All right?

-Yes, fine.

-Very nice to see you.

Christina's got just under £200 left,

and something soon catches her interest.

-Those are nice, aren't they?

-That one's in good condition.

-This one's been a bit...

-That's been repainted.

-Yes, it was how I got them.

-Pair of vintage black coach lamps.

In your horse-drawn coach,

these would have gone on the side, wouldn't they?

They would have slot in so that you could light your way.

32. OK. All right.

-Worth thinking about.

-Yeah.

I quite like those.

They've certainly got some character to them, as well.

There are two other floors to check out, Christina.

Right, what have we got in here? Ooh, this looks good.

Quite nice to have a look at a piece of something sparkly, anyway.

A Georgian caddy spoon.

-So, caddy spoons are eternally collectable.

-Mm-hm.

And this is quite a sweet one.

So you've got the duty mark there. George III.

So I think that's quite lovely.

This 18th-century silver tea caddy spoon has a ticket price of £28,

but Eric thinks the spoons' dealer might be able to do better.

-What did Kate say about a best price on our caddy spoon?

-17.

That is a good price, but I only really want to buy one more thing,

and I do like your lanterns downstairs.

-How much do you have on your lanterns?

-32.

-Can you do any better than that?

-Oh, yeah. I can do you them for 20.

With the damage on the glass and the fact they've been repainted,

I'd want to be getting them for £15 maximum.

-Is that something that you could do?

-Yeah, go on.

Generous of you, Eric.

Ooh, look! The centre even has a cafe.

That was my very last purchase of the week, so I owe you some money.

-Okey-doke.

-There you are, my darling. Five, ten, 15. Cheers.

-Thank you very much.

-Cheers.

Look who it is.

Brace yourself, lads.

-Hello!

-Hello, hello.

-How are you?

-Very well.

-Can I join you?

-Yeah, do. Absolutely.

-I'm done.

-Five items?

-Five items. All done.

-Really?

-Yeah. How many have you got?

-One...

-One more to get?

-One more to get.

I'll see you back here for some cake. Go and do some shopping.

Oh, bossy! The pressure's on Thomas now.

He's got just under £90 left to spend.

See, I quite like a centre. I really do. There's loads of stuff.

And soon enough, Thomas spots something rather interesting.

In the First World War, when you were shot,

your family were sent a bronze penny

called a death penny or death plaque.

Arthur Preece, private, Royal Worcester Regiment,

died 7/9/16, aged 39.

God. So he was just a year younger than me.

Very nice. I mean, that is an amazing thing.

And it's only £55.

While Eric is sharing cake with Christina,

dealer Kate takes care of Thomas.

This death penny here.

Yes. I notice he's got 55 on it.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. Do you think there'd be anything to be done on that?

It's pretty near the mark what he paid for it,

but I'm sure you could...

Give him a call.

While he waits to hear, Thomas has another look around.

This is a Victorian jug.

It's made probably in Stoke-on-Trent.

It's quite good. Sounds OK.

There's a little bit of a hairline up there.

But what's so delightful about these hand-painted flowers is...

The token it says underneath it -

so this is something you'd give to your lover - "Forget Me Not".

Isn't that sweet?

(And for £27!)

Time to find Kate again.

-I've found this.

-Yeah.

Do you think we can do anything on that price?

Well, normally, that would be about £25.

-OK.

-But for you...

16?

Around 16?

Yeah, all right. I mean, you know, we could round it up and say 15.

-Go on, then.

-Yeah?

-15. 15 for that.

Or I have news on the death...

Oh, yes?

35 would be the very best.

Oh, my gosh!

So you have a choice.

-Oh.

-Or buy both!

That's a handsome £20 discount on the plaque.

Take your time, Thomas. No need to rush!

-I've made a decision.

-Right.

I'm going to buy them both.

So, that's £50 for an early Victorian jug

and the First World War death plaque.

-Wish me luck! And thank you.

-Thank you.

That's shopping complete.

Along with the death plaque and jug,

Thomas bought an Edwardian bamboo chair,

a vintage mannequin head,

a 19th-century Masonic glass,

and a soapstone goblet for £143.

Christina spent £85 on a snooker table light,

an Art Deco-style lamp,

a Marcel Pic sketch,

a Denby dinner service, and a pair of Victorian carriage lanterns.

So, what do they think?

All in all, I think Christina's got a chance to make a profit.

The only thing I think she's got a risk on

is the snooker table light.

Thomas is so clever

to buy ceramics to bring to the homeland of the ceramics industry,

and that sentiment - "forget me not" -

I certainly won't forget him.

Christina and Thomas' last leg left from Gwersyllt in Wrexham,

with the final auction of the week

finishing up in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Right, let's go.

Sun shines on the righteous, Thomas.

Well, we'll see about that. Holding fort at the rostrum today

is auctioneer Lee Sherratt,

who's been running ASH Auctions for over 20 years.

First up is Christina's Denby dinner service.

Quite a lot of interest in this.

Quite a lot of interest!

We've got two or three commission bids.

We've also got a telephone bid.

And a phone bid! I don't believe it.

All the lot. Start the bidding.

-26.

-I've got £26 straight in.

-£26!

-On the phone at 28...

Phone bid straight in.

Four...

On the phone at 32 for the Denby.

Wonderful, Christina. Well done, you.

Sold at 32.

High-five!

A fantastic profit to start things off, Christina.

I sincerely hope we carry on in this vein,

although I very much doubt it.

Continuing the pottery theme,

Thomas' early Victorian jug is up next.

Nice jug there. Do I have a fiver?

-A fiver.

-Five commission bid.

I've got six, I've got seven, seven bid. Eight.

Eight bid now, nine, nine bid now, ten.

Ten bid now, 12.

Go on, go on, go on!

At £12. Commission winner, at £12, going.

Don't worry, it's early days, Thomas,

and only a small loss.

Forget you not. Forget the jug!

Let's hope Thomas does better with his Masonic glass.

I've got £30 bid. Straight onto commissions at 30 bid now.

Take five if you like. At 32, I'll take, then.

At £30. If not, I'm going to sell it to the commission buyer.

At £30, only bid at £30, and all done.

-Oh, no!

-Commission buyer gets it.

-£30.

-Thomas, I'm disappointed. It should have made more.

It made a £2 profit.

It all adds up.

Back with Christina and her pair of Victorian carriage lamps.

Can I see £50 to get on?

£50 to get on? £40.

No, no. Maybe?

For the two, this is. £20 for the two. Ten, then, somebody.

-Ten I'm bid, now.

-There we go.

12. Is that a bid?

On my right. 12. 12 bid.

14. 14. Here we go.

16, 18. 18, 20. 20, 22.

-Rightly so.

-Well, I think...

Can you imagine either side of the front door, or...

-They're very good, yeah.

-They're smart.

26. Where's eight? Now I'm going to sell.

At £26, and the hammer's up...

Anybody else?

Another decent profit for Christina.

Thomas has bundled together his vintage mannequin head

and Edwardian bamboo teddy's chair.

Bit random, but let's see how it goes.

£15 commission bid, straight in now at 15.

Looking for 16. If not, I'll sell.

Oh, dear.

..at 16, I'm going to sell it.

At £15, all done.

-That was pretty quick, wasn't it?

-It was jolly quick.

-Jolly quick.

He's still got two more items

to wow the auction-goers of Stoke with, though.

-If I hadn't bought the head, that would have been a profit.

-Yeah!

That's one way to look at it.

Can Christina make a third profit in a row

with her Art Deco-style lamp?

£20, bid me, somebody.

20 bid, straight in at 20.

At £20 bid, where? Two.

At 22, four? 24.

Well done, Christina.

Again, another profit.

Brilliant!

On the second row, you're all out now.

At 36 now. Eight.

-38 now!

-Really?!

Doubling money.

Right lot.

Being sold. I'm going to receive it at 40.

Go, Christina.

Another brilliant profit.

Can this soapstone goblet make Thomas some money?

Put it in, somebody.

What's it worth? £20?

-Ooh!

-Nice piece, this is.

£20. £10, bid me, somebody?

Who's going to bid me? Ten, I'm bid on my right.

At ten bid, we're off now. At ten bid. Where's 12 short?

It's got to be worth more than this.

-What did you pay for this? 25?

-Yes.

£10 only. You got a chance.

You're going to lose it.

At £10...

Shame. But maybe he's saving his best for last.

We're back with Christina again for the snooker table light trio.

£40 for it.

40. £30.

£30, worth that, surely.

Not much we can do without lights. Come on. £30.

Not going to make any money.

35 now. Five. 25, 30.

-30 bidding now, five...

-It's not going to make any money.

-It's going to make it.

-No, it's not.

-It's going to make £40!

At £40. At £40. The hammer looking. £40...

It's a loss after auction costs,

but it gives Thomas a chance to catch up.

Now it's Christina's final item -

the Marcel Pic charcoal sketch.

Open the bidding, somebody.

£20. 15 for it? Come on.

Give me ten. £10. £10?

Where are we? We've got a bid of ten.

I think people think it's a print, but it's not.

No, you said it's a sketch.

Well, we've got a bid.

Right-hand side. 12. 12 bid. At 12, now 14.

14. 14, 16.

-For you...

-Is that the last item of our road trip?

-£14.

-Well, it's making a profit.

..at £14.

She's almost tripled her money on that last item. Great stuff.

But now, it's Thomas' World War I death plaque,

and could be just what Thomas needs to take Christina's Road Trip crown.

We've got loads and loads of commission bids.

-See?

-£40.

£40 bid, straight in at £40.

-Brilliant! Instant profit.

-45.

-50.

-Five.

-55.

-60.

60, I'm bid. Five...

Thomas! This is brilliant!

70 bid now. 75...

75. We got £70 commission.

We haven't finished yet.

Go on, go on, go on!

75, 80. 85...

Go on.

-85, 90...

-I'm out.

All commission bids are now out.

In the room at £85.

Where's 90? I'm going to sell it.

Go on, one more.

£85. The hammer's up.

All finished.

Well done! £50 profit.

That's amazing.

What an incredible finish for Thomas.

Well done. Well done.

But has he done enough?

Thomas began this leg with £186.14.

and after today's auction costs,

that last great profit wasn't enough to save him.

He's down £18.36

leaving him £167.78.

Christina kicked off with £269.07.

After a great auction, post costs, she's made £39.64.

giving her a total of with £308.71,

making her the overall winner!

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

Blimey!

Christina...

Go on. Tell me.

-I need to drive you.

-Why?

Because you've again annihilated me.

-Did I win this auction?

-You did! You've done it.

-So does that mean I get chauffeured?

-You get chauffeured by moi.

Oh, my goodness! How spoilt!

-I know.

-How spoilt!

THEY LAUGH

That's it for these two. Cheerio!

So long, farewell in the van!

Well, it's goodbye to them

and hello to the exuberant Charles Hanson and Margie Cooper.

-That's going fast!

-Get out of here! There we go, Marge.

-It's going to be a wonderful week.

-It is.

-I feel like I'm with a Hollywood star.

-GEARS CRUNCH

-I do, seriously! I feel like I'm with a Bond Girl.

007 wouldn't crunch those gears.

Margie may never have been a Bond Girl

but, by gosh, she was a model before starting out in the antiques biz.

And our Charles is an auctioneer who appreciates the finer

things in life.

I look at you, Marge, and I think upmarket.

-How am I going to get through this week with you?

-Look at me!

You're gorgeous! Look at me!

I'm going red now.

They're in a very rare 1959 Elva Courier.

Only 400 or so were made

and this is believed to be the only one on British roads.

This trip starts in the Leicestershire town

of Melton Mowbray and meanders through

Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire, then dips

into Norfolk before arriving for the final sale in the city of Leicester.

Today's leg starts off from the market town of Melton Mowbray

and heads to auction in the fine, fair city of Nottingham.

All I was saying, Margie,

is Leicestershire is in my neighbourhood.

I hope we're not going into shops where you know people.

Get out of here, Margie! Get out of here!

Our experts have £200 each to spend.

If they ever make it to the shops, that is.

Oh, no.

-Margie!

-Yeah?

-I found it. That's what's come off.

-Oh, crikey.

-You said you heard a thump.

-That's what came off.

-What is that?

I don't know, but it came off the car. Hold on, I've got a plan.

-Trust me, come on.

-Oh, no, Charles.

-I'm no mechanic...

but listen... Can you see that pipe there?

All this brown liquid, which is...

-Can I just say...

-Yes.

-..I wash my hands of anything to do with you with that?

-Quite right.

I'm going to my first shop. Bye. See you.

-Marge!

-Bye!

Fortunately, Margie hasn't far to go.

Milton Mowbray is just down the road,

and in the centre of town, her first shop.

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Lovely shop.

-Thank you.

-I'm Margie.

-I'm Sue.

-And you're the owner?

-I'm the owner, John.

-John.

Introductions over, time to shop.

Right, more stuff.

Oh, this African stool... They're hot at the moment, aren't they?

-They are.

-These things.

Margie has uncovered a West African tribal stool

which is probably Ashanti.

I'm not an expert in tribal stuff. Early 20th-century African.

That's it!

-Yeah, it's not in great condition, is it?

-No, it's cracked.

It's seen better days and it's priced at £140. Wow.

Right...

I'm going to carry on a bit longer and all will be well.

Tribal, tribal, tribal...

Hm...

On an African theme, Margie has found a late 19th-century carved

hardwood stick, ticketed at £35.

Go on, give it a poke.

I'm going to point it now!

How much can that be?

-Well, the stick could be £10 on its own.

-Yeah.

The headrest could be 80, so that's £90 for the pair.

Two possibilities for Margie to think about.

Meanwhile, with the car fixed, Charles has motored 22 miles

south-west, to the outskirts of Leicester.

His first shop is Hidden Treasures.

-Mark, isn't it?

-Hello, how are you?

-Long time no see.

-It's been a while.

I'll have to shake your left, unfortunately.

There are goodies galore here.

Something soon stirs Charles.

It looks a feast.

-It's got some weight to it.

-Has it?

-Yeah.

-Oh, good, it has.

-I believe it to be bronze.

-I think you're right. It's a lovely...

What we've got here is a big charger, a big circular display

dish, which you can see has been pierced for the purpose of hanging.

How old is this?

-1880?

-I would say around the turn of the century, yes.

-It's a nice thing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's decorative.

-How much is it?

-Oh, now, there's the rub. £30.

25?

Oh, to an old mate...

£25 for a really handsome bronze charger, I think is very good.

-I'll leave it there for the time being and go for a wander...

-OK.

-..and just see what else takes my fancy. Thanks a lot.

-OK.

Good price on a nice item.

Back in Melton Mowbray, Margie is getting excited.

Dealer John has new stock hidden behind his counter

and it's silver, right up Margie's street.

-So have we got any sets of anything in there?

-Er...

Spoons would be quite good. Hm...

Five, six...

Ah, you've got six. Right, yeah.

They look to me as though they are early 20th century,

but sadly they might end up melting, going in the pot.

To buy those new would be hundreds of pounds.

Sadly, antique silver isn't reaching the money it once did,

so Margie is buying these at scrap value.

Handily enough, John has some scales.

11oz. Yeah.

-Right, and you're telling me how much?

-That would come to about £43.

Yeah... You don't want to round it off, call it 40?

So, does that soften that a bit?

-70 including the stick, then.

-So 70 and 40...

-Yeah.

-..is a hundred and...

-Ten.

-Ten. Yeah.

SHE CHUCKLES

Deal, at £60 for the African stool, the stick for £10,

and the silver weighed in at £40.

That's cheap.

-Thank you very much for your patience.

-No problem at all.

Three lots in the first shop - not bad at all.

I wonder if Charles is having any luck.

What I do quite like is...

-..this Davenport here.

-OK.

A Davenport is a small desk with a lifting lid, named after

Captain Davenport, who commissioned

the first design about 200 years ago.

This example in walnut dates from around 1870.

It's only been in about a week.

-Um...

-So it's fresh.

-Fresh on the market, yeah.

-Yes, yes.

-It's quite tired, isn't it?

-Yeah. But pretty much all there.

Yeah, I think ingenious because the cupboard door here, open it up

-and these... Delicious drawers, aren't they?

-They are very nice.

Look at that original colour. I do like it.

It's a nice little piece.

It's ticketed at £50,

but as it's new in, is there any chance of a deal?

What's your rock-bottom...

..for you to still make a profit?

-Oh...

-And a small margin.

-Very, very small profit - 35.

That's good.

And at that price, Charles gets his money out quick.

-I'll take it.

-You're taking that?

-Thanks a lot.

-Lovely, thanks.

A flying start for Charles there - two deals in his first shop.

-Cheers, Mark, see you.

-Bye.

Just down the road from Bosworth battlefield

is the medieval village of Shenton.

That is Margie's next shop, at Whitemoors Antique Centre.

She has £90 left to spend.

-A fine bowl.

-GLASS RINGS

A fine bowl.

It's got clarity, hasn't it?

It certainly has. Time to speak to the top man.

-Hi, Robert.

-I've had a wander round. I mean, I love the bowl.

Mm-hm.

-Is it 15?

-No, it wasn't! I've got 30 on it.

And my absolute bottom, which I paid, is 20.

You can have it for what I paid for it.

I shall stroll over and have a look at it.

It is a magnificent thing, isn't it?

Oh, crikey, no. I'm not going to do that.

-Can you...?

-Yes.

-You're a nice, big, strong man.

-It's heavy.

-Yeah, that's lovely.

-GLASS RINGS

-Yeah, I'm going to go for that.

-Deal done.

-Thank you.

£20 for that cut glass bowl is a steal. It could do well later.

Meanwhile, Charles is back on the open road.

LOUD CLUNKING FROM ENGINE

Lordy, that doesn't sound good.

Oh, no.

CHARLES COUGHS

Here we go. I've got smoke coming out of the heater.

Charles! Not again!

It's a lovely, lovely car. But it's not made for me.

-I think what I'm going to do... is...

-Walk!

..let it cool down, and hopefully I'll cool down as well

and our road trip can be off and running again.

It's been a great day, apart from for the car.

Time for some well earned rest. Nighty-night, everyone.

It's a brand-new day and good news,

because the car is back up and running.

Margie's taking on the driving duties.

Watch these nettles. Crikey, me.

We're in Warwick this morning,

where Margie is kindly dropping off young Charles at his next shop.

Drive carefully. See you later.

Bye.

Warwick Antiques Centre is home to around 25 dealers

covering a wide range of antiques and collectibles.

Charles gets straight on the hunt.

If only these objects could talk.

Oh, wow. They could be good.

"A group of three pieces of iron grape shot."

Gosh, they are interesting.

I might just have to get this cabinet open.

Grape shot consisted of small balls wrapped tightly in a canvas bag

and loaded with gun powder into cannon.

The dealer claims these were found in Nottinghamshire

and could have been fired

in the battle between Cromwell and King Charles I.

Peter has the keys.

Those English Civil War iron grape shots...

They could be quite expensive, I bet.

-Aren't they wonderful?

-£70, the asking price.

-So these would have been fired in the 1640s.

-Indeed.

Isn't that wonderful?

The gentleman whose cabinet this is only deals in authentic antiquities.

Good for him.

Every item is guaranteed and it comes with a certificate.

Sounds promising.

That could be a very good spot,

but is there any wiggle room on the price?

-The very best would be 50.

-I just think they're balls of fire.

For what they might ignite in terms of Nottinghamshire history,

they could do quite well in a local sale in Nottingham.

Sounds like you've settled on your next buy.

-So your best is 50.

-It is.

-Look at me.

-Afraid so.

Margie Cooper, you're in that bunker -

watch out, I'm coming to get you. I'll take them. Thanks, Peter.

A piece of local history for £50 that could do very well at auction.

Meanwhile, Margie is headed to Baginton,

on the outskirts of Coventry...

..not far from the birthplace of a man

who changed the course of history, the way we live and how we travel.

His invention has arguably had the greatest impact on the world

over the past 85 years.

Margie is meeting Midland Air Museum curator, Barry.

How are you? Shall we go in?

Yeah, by all means.

Frank Whittle was born in 1907.

As a boy, he was fascinated by the new flying machines

taking to the sky.

There he is as a young lad with his first model aeroplane.

Basically, as a young lad,

that's how he got to handle the planes of that period.

There's an image here of him as a young lad

seeing an aeroplane taking off. This is very much his early days,

when he got to be excited by the idea of flying.

Frank's dreams of flying came true when he joined the RAF,

and his career soon took off.

-He was a trained pilot.

-He was a very well-trained pilot.

In fact, he was renowned for being a little bit chancy.

-Oh.

-He took chances, he was overconfident.

-Daredevil.

Frank was a maverick and pushed planes to their limit.

His fighter pilot training taught him that flying higher

and faster gave you the upper hand in dogfights.

Frank knew if he wanted to increase altitude and speed

he needed a new type of thrust,

one better than a propeller attached to a piston engine.

So, in 1928, fuelled by wild ambition,

he designed the turbo jet - a revolutionary form of propulsion.

He was coming out with something at the cutting edge of technology.

This was totally in a new field.

This was something the people of the day didn't really fully comprehend.

The RAF was unimpressed and rejected his idea.

Undeterred, Frank found funding to make a prototype in his spare time.

This is a Whittle engine.

The air comes in at that end, comes through,

fuel is put into here, spark plugs ignite the fuel

to keep it burning, then it goes back out that way.

Long before modern health and safety,

Frank and his colleagues ran a series of dangerous tests,

some of which Frank later helped to reconstruct

in this government information film.

WHIRRING

-Out the way.

-Out the way.

EXPLOSION

He was very brave to stand there while it blew up.

There are other words you could use.

Despite the setbacks,

he was determined to get his invention in the air.

A decade later, and as the Nazi threat grew,

the RAF put Frank on special duties to develop his jet engine.

He thought it was a war winner. This would give Britain the edge.

There was a race to get the first fighter into the air,

as the Germans were developing their own jet engine.

But, by 1944, British jets powered by Frank's engines

were taking to the skies.

This plane in front of us is the Meteor.

This was Britain's first operational jet fighter.

They went into operation in July 1944.

They were largely used to take on the Doodlebugs, the flying bombs.

Had the authorities listened to young Frank,

Allied pilots might have been flying jets rather than Spitfires sooner,

and the Luftwaffe almost certainly would not have picked a fight.

History might have been very different.

These machines were operating at speeds that were

far in excess of anything like the Spitfires of their day,

so they took you another 200, 300mph faster.

-Gosh.

-Double the speed, almost.

When the public heard about the new jet engine,

Frank Whittle became a household name,

and the skies echoed to a new sound.

There's a Meteor!

Look, an AW52.

That's a Vampire!

After the war, Britain led the way in jet propulsion.

Frank's invention revolutionised travel, commercial jet liners

permitted further, faster, more comfortable journeys.

Frank Whittle could have been a rich man,

but he was not motivated by money.

He was, however, recognised with a knighthood in 1948,

the year he retired from the RAF.

We're all beneficiaries of this modest British boffin, who shrank

the globe - a genius responsible for a remarkable achievement.

Sir Frank Whittle died in 1996.

The next stop for both experts is in Staffordshire

and the city of Lichfield.

Margie is a few miles behind,

so Charles will get the first picks at Lichfield Antiques Centre.

Oh, that's gorgeous.

William Moorcroft pomegranate pattern vase.

550.

Come on, Charles. Put your back into it, lad.

I've only got £90, haven't I?

You have.

But maybe your local knowledge will get you out of this hole.

Oh, look who's here.

-What are you doing here?

-Have you had a good day?

-Not bad.

-Well, I'm going to go in. One more thing to buy.

The antiques are over there, OK? See you later. Good luck.

I wonder where he's off to.

Maybe Margie will have better luck here with her remaining £70,

but the clock is ticking.

I don't really want to buy any silver.

Brand-new.

Leave that alone.

I'm not finding anything at the moment.

Margie has now realised why Charles was headed in the other direction.

We're supposed to be in this shop together.

He's been in and he's disappeared. I think he's up to no good.

I really do.

You're right to be a little suspicious, my girl.

Charles, on his home patch, knows of another shop a short walk away -

James A Jordan Antiques.

Jim specialises in watches and clocks,

but Charles may well find a few things here for auction.

I like your teapot, Jim, in the window.

-Yes?

-The cockerel.

-Mm-hmm.

May I pick it up, Jim?

Of course you can.

Are you a man for tea?

-I am.

-Isn't that a fine cockerel?

There's no maker's mark, but this pot dates to the 1930s.

He's priced at £45.

For a good Art Deco rooster teapot with a cover, Jim,

what's the best price on that?

How does 25 sound?

That's a good discount, Jim, from 45. Wow-ee.

I'll give it some thought.

-Right. Pleasure.

-I'll put him back.

Great discount. Back with Margie and, with a bit of luck...

dealer Madeleine has had an idea.

-There's that one there.

-Oh, right. Yeah, yeah.

How creative is this?

Yeah, that's quite nice, yes, it is, that's nice, actually.

And it says...

-Somebody, somebody... Rook, somebody and Rook. Skinner and Rook.

-Skinner.

Wine merchants, Nottingham.

Madeleine has priced the crate at £28. Wow.

Could that be, like, 15 quid?

-Go on, Margie.

-OK, darling, thank you very much. That's fine.

Well, that's Margie's fifth and final lot for auction.

Just around the corner, Charles has struck lucky.

Dealer Jim has found some old pocket watches.

Oh, great, Jim.

-I don't know if there's anything there that...

-Wow-ee, Jim.

-..interests you?

-Yeah, amazing.

Jim has three late 19th-century pocket watches.

This is a nice silver pocket watch, probably around 1900.

It's tired, but of course, when you've got the intrinsic

worth of the silver, and this one here, Jim...

-That too, that's a Victorian...

-Is that a Continental?

-It is.

They are pretty, aren't they?

What could that job lot be, in terms of price?

-Make it a tenner apiece, 30.

-I'd be a fool to say no.

-Jim, I'll take them. Thanks, Jim.

-Sold.

-Sold!

-Tick-tock! Thanks, Jim.

-Charles isn't finished yet.

-Jim, I'm back again.

-Right.

-With the teapot! I just...

-It's humorous, isn't it?

-It is.

-What would be your very best on the pot?

Would you give me £20?

Going, going, gone!

Sold! Thanks, Jim.

I'll take those two lots.

Those two final lots add to Charles' booty, including a bronze

charger, a Victorian Davenport and three pieces of Civil War grapeshot.

All that lot came to £160.

Margie parted with £145 for an African stool,

a hardwood stick,

six silver dessert spoons,

a cut glass bowl and a wine crate.

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

Margie's objects are quite exotic.

I really like the headrest, I like the tribal stick as well,

that was a really good buy.

Charles Hanson, bless him, is never straightforward.

He looks, he digs deep, he looks for the interesting.

Then, there's some grapeshot! £50, he's paid.

For somebody who wants to have three lumps of iron?

Interesting, though. Interesting.

After setting off from Melton Mowbray,

our experts are now heading for auction in the city of Nottingham.

Business is brisk at Arthur Johnson and Sons,

with six saleroom auctions taking place today.

Come on, Margie, in we go!

Morning!

Phil Poyser is in command of the gavel.

First up, Charles' rooster teapot.

£20? 20 I've got. 20, £20 bid, at 20. Five, 30. Five, 40.

-Are you sure? I'll take 42.

-One more!

-42.

-Thank you!

-45.

-I'm selling at £45.

-That was a good start.

-You have got ants in your pants!

-I get nervous, I twitch.

I get nervous.

No need for nerves, Charlie,

that rooster has pocketed you a decent profit.

Next up, Margie's large cut glass bowl.

Two commission bids here. The lowest is 30. I'm going 35. £35 bid. 40.

Five. 45 bid. 50.

-55.

-60, go on!

-65, lady at the back at 65. 70, 70 bid.

-Yes!

-At £70. 75 bid.

-This is getting annoying now!

-80 online.

-That's amazing.

85, at 85. 90, back in. At 90.

Being sold, done at 90.

Well, you have surprised me!

-Well done, Margie.

-Well, racing ahead!

You are. A great return on an item bought for £20.

Next is Charles' bronze charger.

-£40.

-Come on!

-20.

-Oh, no! I really rate this.

-I've got 12 only bid.

-With me at 12, £12 bid, at 12. 15, 18.

-Quickly!

-20, and I'm selling at £20.

-I really rate that.

-Done, sold at 20.

I like his style!

Bad luck, first loss of the day.

But there's still time to make it up.

Margie's African stool is next.

Help yourselves here, at 20, £20 bid, at 20. Five, 30, five, 40.

-It's going to run!

-40 bid, five, 50. Five? 55, on the back wall at 55.

-You're joking!

-What did it cost you, 50?

-Done at £55?

-No, 60!

-Oh!

-Bad luck. It's only a small loss, though, Margie.

Time now for Charles' pocket watches.

£30 to start. Bid 30, 30 I've got.

Bidding five, 35, 40, in the room at 40.

-Five, 45 bid, in France at 45.

-In France? I'm impressed!

-It was a French bid on the internet.

-Come on, France!

Online at 50. The three together go at £50. £50.

-And that's a small profit.

-Well... Well done.

Sparking global interest, too, Charles!

Margie hoped the Nottingham link would attract some bids. Let's see.

Bid ten I've got, at ten, 12. 15 is with me now. At 15, 18, 20.

Five, 25, the lady at the back at 25.

-A bit more!

-It goes at 25.

A good profit for Margie.

Charles is still on catch-up. Can his Davenport turn a profit?

-£100 to start me.

-Oh, I say!

-£50.

-Come on!

Well, I've got various commission bids.

-I can start the bidding at 35.

-There you go.

At 35, 40. Five, 50. 50 in the room. A £50 bid.

-It's on the back wall at 50. And I'm selling. Five, at 55.

-Yes!

-60.

-60 still in the room.

-Is there a fire? Where is the fire?

-65 online.

-Go on!

-70 in the room. Being sold, then, £70. Done at 70.

-I'm over the moon.

-Doubled your money.

-Thanks, partner!

Yup, well done, Charles.

Margie's carved hardwood stick is up next.

-10, bid 10, front row. At £10 bid.

-Oh, no!

-At 10, at £10.

Help yourselves here. 12, 15, 18.

18 bid, right at the back at 18. At £18 bid, I'll take 20.

-Double your money, Margie.

-At £18, I'm selling, it goes, done at £18.

Profit! Put it there, partner.

No, I'm miffed, I'm not doing it!

Chin up, Margie, you nearly doubled your money there.

And your silver dessert spoons are coming up.

My finale coming up, my Dutch spoons.

-They look gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

-Hold tight.

And I've got 60 bid, 60 on these.

-Wow!

-£60 bid. At 60.

-Awesome, well done.

-Put your hand down!

-Fantastic!

-No, wait a minute.

-Put it there.

-No, put your hand down!

-70.

-There you go. No, put your hand down!

At £70, it's with me at 70, I'm selling on commission. £70.

Wonderful!

They made £70 and another great profit for Margie.

The final lot for our pair now, Charles' grapeshot.

Will there be a whiff of interest?

They don't present very well, do they?

Margie, these are important balls.

These, hopefully, today, will become balls of fire,

and a frenzy of competition ignites! Like they did 400 years ago.

This will be very interesting.

-I've got two commission bids, 20 is the only bid, though.

-Oh, no!

-20, £20 bid. Five, 30.

-Come on!

-Five, 40. 40 bid with me, at 40.

-Five, 50.

-Come on, let's go!

-60.

-It's history!

60 bid. Five online, 65. 70 online.

-Let's get that atmosphere!

-70 bid, five, 80.

-Come on!

-Five, 90.

-Five, 100. 110, 120.

-Let's do it!

All online now, 130, 140, 150.

-Let's go, Margie, this is history, come on!

-..180, 190. 200, 210...

Crikey!

-220, 230.

-Oh, my goodness!

-240.

-Wonderful!

-250.

-History!

250 bid.

-Oh!

-250, 250 bid online. At 250.

-Anybody else?

-At 250 bid.

-Anybody else?

-Being sold at 250.

250 online.

Thank you very much, thank you! Wow!

Here we are in Nottingham, that's history! Thank you very much.

Well done, Charles. What an amazing profit.

What a great way to end the auction.

We're going, come on. Thank you, auctioneer!

Margie started out with £200.

After paying auction house costs,

she's made a respectable profit of £66.56,

leaving her with £266.56 to spend next time.

Charles also started with £200.

After fees were paid, he made a remarkable profit of £196.70.

So, he is the winner today and takes forward £396.70 for the next leg.

See you, goodbye! Give them a wave, Margie.

Wait, wait, the handbrake's on!

Sorry, sorry. Goodbye!

Cheerio, chaps.