Episode 4 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antique 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 is 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!

Welcome to the second leg of the road trip

with the ever effervescent Margie Cooper and Charles Hansen.

Look at me.

You are classy.

Their racy two-seater is a 1959 Elva Courier believed to be

the only one of its kind on British roads.

-We haven't changed gears for the last five minutes.

-It's in top gear.

-Are you in top gear?

-Top gear. You are not back-seat driving, are you?

No, I'm not.

Sounds like it.

Our experts each started with £200.

Margie has some catching up to do.

She currently has £266.56 to spend.

Charles, meanwhile, is in the lead with £396.70.

These two are on one epic road trip.

Starting in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray,

they're weaving their way across six counties before finishing

their week near where they started, in Leicester.

This leg starts off in Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire

and ends with an auction in Lancashire's Bolton.

The first stop for both our experts is Newark-on-Trent.

The first shop of this trip is a shared experience, so stand by.

-It is huge.

-It is, isn't it?

It certainly is.

That is a sweet little chair, that, isn't it?

Look at that little baby.

This is a typical design of the mid-Victorian era.

And quite usually...

I think it's in walnut.

I kind of like that.

This Victorian nursing chair is priced at £115. Wow.

That is such a nice little chair. It's perfect.

HE HUMS

Oh, Charles is humming. Is that a good sign?

What I quite like... There's a wonderful,

rusty old World War I

German water bottle.

It has clearly been buried for some time.

Priced at ten pounds, is it worth a closer look?

As Charles seeks out the keys for the cabinet,

Margie has tracked down dealer Jill.

That furniture up there, is that your...?

-Right at the far end?

-Right at the far end.

I've just seen this sweet little chair up there.

It has got 115 on it. It needs to really topple down.

What... Where are we?

-Let's have a start... Let's have a starting point.

-Oh, gosh.

Well, I was thinking when I saw it - 68.

-70 and I'll take the...

-Oh, go on.

-OK?

-Yeah, thanks a lot.

-OK.

Generous, Jill.

£45 knocked off the Victorian nursing chair seals the first deal

of this leg of the trip.

Earlier, Charles spotted a First World War German water bottle,

exhumed, apparently, from the Somme.

Dealer Wendy is on hand.

Wow.

We've even got a bullet hole here.

So when the World War I German water bottle....

It is tin, basically, that has nearly severely corroded,

having been in the ground.

But what is its provenance?

This bottle is a unique item, but it will only appeal to collectors

if its origin can be verified.

Wendy is only holding the keys for another dealer,

so while Charles heads off to make a phone call...

Margie has found a hidden corner of the shop...and Roger.

-See, you're tucked away, I nearly missed you.

-We have so much.

-All you have to do is say what you are looking for.

-Right.

Well, I was looking for silver bits of jewellery.

-I'm not looking for badges.

-We have got some little bits over there.

You got any suggestions?

-There is a lovely little brooch there.

-Very stylish, isn't it?

Very Deco-looking, although it is quite modern.

And it says £35.

30 to you.

-That's a gift.

-And I'm going to shake your hand at £30.

-OK.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

Two items in the first shop for Margie.

But Charles is still to get off the mark.

How's he getting on with the dealer?

It's not so much on price, I think you can't buy history,

but you can with that bottle.

I'll shake Wendy's hand now. Ten pounds.

-'You enjoy it.'

-We will enjoy what it represents. Thanks awfully, sir.

Bye-bye.

Wow, so he was a teacher and he was on the Somme 20 or

so years ago as a teacher and it was literally just uncovered

and was sold to him for a sum of money.

It can't be proven, but at least it gives SOME provenance.

-Thank you. All the best to you. Thanks, Wendy. Bye-bye.

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

-See you. Bye!

Margie is taking a break from shopping to head to Laxton,

in Nottinghamshire.

She is visiting a centre set up to educate children about the glimmer

of light that shone during one of the darkest periods in history.

The guide for the afternoon is centre Chief Executive Phil Lyons.

-Ah.

-Margie, hi.

-Hello, Phil.

-Welcome.

-Thank you.

Welcome to Beth Shalom, house of peace.

-Come on in.

-Thank you.

Margie has come to hear how thousands of lives were saved from the Nazis

by the children's transport known as Kindertransport in German.

So, tell me the story of Kindertransport.

Well, the story has a very, very complex background to it.

It starts in the mid-'30s in Germany when Hitler came to power.

And part of his programme was to remove, as best he could,

the Jews from the German population.

Simple as that.

In the mid-'30s, anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe.

Jews were persecuted and their businesses destroyed.

Synagogues were burned to the ground, shops,

homes were trashed, were ruined.

30,000 German Jewish men were arrested, sent to the camps.

And in a sense, the State had engineered all of this.

In 1935, new laws were announced by the Nazi party that excluded

German Jews from citizenship.

Effectively refugees in their own country,

it was virtually impossible for them to leave.

The international community started to take notice.

This civilised country suddenly descending into this dreadful,

oppressive regime.

And here in the UK, the government passed

through emergency legislation within a fortnight.

And what it was saying is that they will take children

refugees between ages of three and 17, mostly at the younger age...

-Yeah.

-..and they could come into the country

without travel documents.

In an unprecedented undertaking, trains were arranged by charities

and religious groups to save persecuted children.

For nine months, the Nazis permitted the trains to leave Germany

and Eastern Europe.

Many ended up at train stations around Britain,

just like this reconstruction at the museum.

While a few were greeted by relatives, the majority of boys

and girls were welcomed into the arms of foster families.

When they arrived in the UK, what faced them?

The vast majority if not all of them had no language,

didn't speak English.

We'd like to think that most of them had very quickly some love

-and support offered to them.

-Yes.

-That is what you want for children,

what you'd want for children. I'd want that.

Through all the travesty, they did survive.

-That is the most important thing.

-Yeah, survival.

-They did survive.

And most of them went on to lead positive family lives of their own.

One of those survivors was Bernard Grunberg,

just 15 when his German Jewish parents feared for his safety.

Now 92, he regularly shares his remarkable story of survival

with schoolchildren who visit the centre.

I came over with the second Kindertransport that left Berlin

in December 1938.

And that was the last time I ever saw anyone from my family again.

Although I didn't know what was happening -

nobody had told me anything.

I didn't know why I was on that train,

I didn't know where it was going.

-I thought it was just a temporary way to be away from home...

-Yeah.

..and, eventually, you'd meet up again and live like a family again.

After the war, Bernard settled in northern England and married in 1947.

Like some other Kindertransport children,

he found an appointment as a farm labourer.

Do you think Kindertransport saved your life?

Out of the 10,000 children,

I don't know how many, but there is very,

very few that ever saw their parents again, or any relatives again.

And I am sure they will know that Kindertransport

-saved their lives...

-Yeah.

..as it did mine. And I will never forget that.

Approximately 10,000 children who made it to the safety of Britain were

able to start new lives and, like Bernard, contribute to our society.

Back in Newark-on-Trent, Charles has made the short walk across town

-to his next shop. Dealer Simon is ready to help.

-Sir, Charles Hansen.

Simon, what a lovely antiques centre you've got here.

Anything in particular catching your eye, Charles?

One thing I love about history is the sampler.

And here you've got a wonderful sampler.

And we marvel at samplers because they were a girl's education.

I do like it.

The embroidered crown with letters G and R

probably date this sampler to around 1770.

Simon, this sampler here, I can't see a price.

-50.

-50, OK.

You want to do £40?

I'll meet you in the middle, 45.

-I'll take it.

-OK.

-45.

-Sold.

Despite the few holes, this is a nice item for £45.

Anything else in here, Charles?

How about a pair of clogs?

Aren't they wonderful?

May I try one on? Do you mind?

Knock yourself out then, Charles.

Wow. These are early-19th-century clogs.

And it's interesting, the clog market really took

off in the 1840s, in the 1850s, in industrial England, in the North.

Do they suit me or not? Not really, do they?

But the reason I like these is because they are so crude.

The clogs are priced at £35.

Simon, I love these.

-What is the best price?

-20 then.

-Oh, I say! Really?

-Yes.

-Sold. I'll take them. Thanks, Simon. Thanks a lot.

Two in the old bag, eh, Charles? But is there still more?

What we've got is a bronze Buddha, possibly 19th century.

I just quite like it.

It's got this dirty appeal of just being well-worn.

Simon is asking £35 for this little Buddha.

Simon, I quite like this.

-I'll do it for 25.

-Would you really?

-Yeah.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yes.

-Done, I'll take it.

A successful shopping trip, I'd say,

picking up an 18th-century sampler, a pair of 19th-century clogs

and a bronze Buddha, all for a total of £90.

And with that, today's shopping comes to a close.

Nighty-night.

The next morning, it's a bit of a damp start.

-You OK?

-I'm going under. So I'll say goodbye to you.

THEY LAUGH

Hold tight, Marge.

This morning, they are heading for Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire

and Margie's first stop of the day.

-There. Luke.

-Very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, too. What a horrible day.

-I know!

I'm sure a spot of shopping will cheer you up though, Marge.

Uh... So what have you got in here? Let's look.

-What's that?

-That's a medical fleam.

-Yeah.

-Used for

-blood-letting. Eugh.

It was once believed blood-letting could treat

everything from fever to madness in both people and animals.

The three sharp blades of this fleam are likely to have been used

on farm livestock. Gruesome.

Georgian. That is Georgian.

My, I'm glad I didn't live then. Can you imagine?

Yeah! It is priced at £45.

Is that the very best on that?

-I'll do it for 30, and that is my best.

-Mm.

Once somebody says that's the best,

I feel as though it is a bit rude to say 28.

THEY LAUGH

Go on, then.

Thank you very much.

Luke has kindly knocked £17 off the asking price,

and Margie has got something a little different to auction.

Continuing our journey with Margie, she's headed over the county

border, into Derbyshire and the market town of Belper.

Her next shop is a big'un,

set in a former Victorian mill.

Colin is in charge today, so look out.

-Hello, good afternoon.

-Hello there. How are you?

-Are you Colin?

-I am, yeah.

-I'm Margie.

-Hello, Margie.

That's nice, isn't it? Lovely old gate, look.

I love that. Don't you? Magnifico.

Isn't that something else?

Margie has fallen for this Victorian iron gate, priced at £90.

Here comes Colin, though.

It is not the prettiest thing we've got, is it?

-Are you surprised I selected that?

-I am a little, yeah.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-Good, it'll be cheap then.

-HE LAUGHS

-Well, where has it got to be?

-Well, I would be happy buying that for 40.

-I tell you what...

-Yeah.

-Add a fiver to it so I can have me tea and it is yours.

-OK.

-I think we'll go for that.

-45. Excellent.

-Thank you, sir.

45? That's half-price. Well done, Margie.

Does anything else take your fancy?

Well, this is one of these boots that a pony...a pony...

Well, it's quite a big pony.

It is a bootie to wear on its hoof to stop

digging into the garden

when he's pulling on a lawnmower. Back in the day.

This one boot is priced at £55.

Oh, Colin!

-What have we found?

-What have we found? Something really daft.

-I'm just looking at this, which I find really interesting.

-OK, yeah.

-It would be nice if...

-And you know what it is?

-I do know what it is.

Yeah. Interesting piece.

-It is an interesting piece.

-You could make something of it.

Yeah, but it all depends... OK, here, there is a bit...

-Somebody has written on here...

-OK.

-..£55.

-Yeah.

-What do you think a nice bottle of wine would cost you?

-25 quid?

-35.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, Colin. How about if we split that? And then we can be friends.

-32.50?

-Yeah. Go on, then.

THEY LAUGH

We got there in the end.

Margie has her last lots for auction -

a Victorian iron gate and a leather pony boot,

plus Colin's found a little box that, for 50p,

will help sell the Art Deco brooch Margie bought yesterday.

Thank you. That feels like a win.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye now.

Brilliant. Well done, Margie.

Charles' last stop today is in Derbyshire,

in the former mining town of Bolsover.

He still has £296.70 left to spend here,

at Bolsover Antique Centre.

She's quite nice. I quite like this lady in here.

This 1930s figurine is made of an alloy of zinc, also known as spelter.

She's been given a coating of bronze to give the impression

she's the real McCoy.

She is quite nice. I'm quite surprised.

-£18.

-£18 is surprisingly cheap.

I wonder why. Perhaps Carol knows.

Oh, she's gorgeous, Carol.

-Hello! Margie Cooper-esque. Isn't she lovely?

-She is.

-Just got one problem. Thumbs.

-It's a shame, yeah.

-Has she been nibbling her nails and gone too far?

-Must have, yes.

Carol, she is missing her thumbs, but she can still dance.

-Do you like her?

-I do, yeah.

-Take £12?

-Do you want me to go and check?

-Could you for me?

I won't be long.

Carol, if you want to take a chance...

-# On me... # Try a tenner.

-Right!

-All right. We'll try.

-Thanks, Carol.

Ten pounds? He is trying his luck.

-Hold tight.

-I've had a word.

-Yeah.

-Whisper it in my...

-The best we can do is 15.

For that sort of price, I'd be rude not to. I'll take her.

She may be thumbless, but at that price, she is worth a punt.

And Charles isn't finished here - oh, no.

He's being drawn to a cabinet filled with militaria.

World War II relic.

June 6, 1944, D-Day landing.

How interesting.

This, of course, represents a very important day

when, sadly, so many individuals lost their lives.

And this could just be a piece of relic

from that D-Day landing,

who knows, brought back by a soldier.

I doubt it.

If it's right, a military collector would pay well over ten pounds

for something which has such emotive value.

I'd love to learn more about this.

Best call the owner, then.

Fortunately, Carol has his number at hand. Go, Carol.

Can I just pass you over?

Hi, mate.

The owner claims it came from a specialist dealer.

Provenance here is hard to prove, but Charles is taking a risk.

What is your best price? On at ten pounds.

A fiver?

I think for what it potentially represents,

I'd be a fool to say no.

I'm going to say I'll buy it and thanks ever so much. Thanks, mate!

And that concludes the shopping.

-Bye.

-Bye.

They've been busy on this trip.

Charles has paired the possible Utah Beach barbed wire with

the First World War German water bottle to make a militaria lot.

He has four other items, including the bronze Buddha,

a George III sampler,

a pair of 18th-century clogs,

and an Art Deco figurine.

All that lot cost him £120.

While Margie parted with £206 for a Victorian nursing chair,

a gold brooch with box,

the Georgian fleam,

a Victorian iron gate

and one leather pony boot.

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

I love that Art Deco brooch.

And heaven forbid, for £30.50, you've bought real gold.

I can't believe he's bought a pair of clogs. I mean,

-the saleroom is in Lancashire.

-SHE GIGGLES

And that is taking coals to Newcastle.

We'll soon see, because it's across the Peak District

they head for an auction in Bolton, Lancashire.

This leg's sale is taking place at Bolton auction rooms,

housed in the former Metropolitan Library building.

-I shouldn't have worn a skirt.

-It's all to come.

-It's all to come, Margie.

-Oh, gosh, this car'll be the death...

That's the way, Margie, a Lancashire lass does it.

-I was out before you.

-I'm a Derbyshire man.

Presiding over proceedings is auctioneer Stephen Sloan.

As Stephen readies himself,

his colleague Mia is primed to receive online bids.

Time for our experts to take their seats.

It's Charles's pair of clogs first.

Thank you, sir. 30, bid. 30.

-Come on.

-32. 34.

-34. 36.

-Come on, they are wonderful boots.

-40.

-Let's go.

-And two.

-42, thank you.

-Happy with that.

-At £42, this is for two.

-21 each.

-MARGIE LAUGHS

-21 each!

-At 42. Thanks.

-Welcome to Lancashire, Margie.

-Are you sure?

-I'm delighted.

And so you should be.

You've walked away with a £22 profit.

Next up, Margie's 19th-century fleam.

-25 bid, thank you.

-Good.

-That's OK, isn't it?

-On the net.

-'31!'

-Yes.

-31?

32. 34? At £34.

-36. 38?

-Come on, crawl a bit more.

-38. 40? £40. And two? 42.

-Gosh,

-it is giving me heart failure.

-42. Are you sure?

That is Charles and Margie both making a profit on their first lots.

A great start. Now, time for Charles' sampler.

-Anybody got £40 for it? £40?

-HE SIGHS

30 bid. 30. Five anywhere? At £30.

And five anywhere else?

-Come on, let's go!

-At 40. At £40.

-Keep selling.

-£50, give me five.

-55.

-I should think so.

-Quite right, I like her style.

-£60. Five.

-Come on!

-All done at £60? It is here to be sold.

-A little profit.

That's great, I'm very happy. It could've gone the other way.

But it didn't, and you're faring well.

Margie's gate is next to go under the gavel.

-£30, kick it in.

-SHE LAUGHS

Gracious me, scrap metal now.

20 bid, thank you. 20. Two.

-24? 24. 26?

-That's better.

-28? 28.

-Go on keep going.

30. 30, and two? Two, thank you.

-34? 34. 36? 36.

-Still going. Come on.

-38, thank you.

-That's better, Margie. Good.

-£40. And two.

42. 44. At 42.

I am selling at £42. This is no money at all.

Oh, Margie, so close.

It's Charles's little Buddha next.

-Say what, £100 to start me?

-HE BREATHES QUICKLY

-£70. 70 bid.

-70 bid! Come on, let's go!

-Five anywhere?

-Come on!

At £70 bid.

-Shut up!

-It is a very rare opportunity.

-It is rare.

All done at 70? Last time, gavel's up...

-Well done.

-Very good. Thank you very much. Thanks, partner.

A brilliant profit on that little chap. Well done, Charles.

First clogs and now Margie's pony boot.

But will our second footwear lot be as successful?

Say what, kick it in at £20?

20 in the room. £20, thank you. And two.

-Two. 22.

-Come on, Margie.

24. 26. 28.

-30. 32? 32.

-Good.

-Profit.

-Oh, no!

-Profit.

34!

-'Oh, she's at it.'

-36, new money. 38? Try two.

-38!

-Yeah! Well done, Margie.

-38.

-Good job.

-Spoilsport.

Back to the net then at 38. 38. 40 anywhere else?

-At £38.

-Well done, partner. They're all in the room.

-And two?

-Tight.

-40?

-It's kicking.

Wonderful.

Another profit for Margie.

Next up, Charles' thumbless figurine.

-£30 to start me. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

In the room at £30. 30. And two.

-32.

-Come on, let's go.

-34. 36?

-36. 38? 38. 40?

-She's coming home.

-£40, and two.

-Let's go.

-Two, sir, thank you.

-The Lancashire lady.

Thank you very much, sir. Thank you.

-44.

-Come on, sir.

-46.

46 in the room. All done at 46?

I can't believe it.

She had no thumbs but she was a lovely lady. I am really pleased.

Super profit.

-Margie's brooch is next.

-£40 for it?

-40 bid, sir.

-Margie! Brilliant!

-Two anywhere? On the blower at 42.

-You watch, Margie.

-44. 46.

-48. 50.

-Good buy, Margie.

-52.

Four. 56.

-58. £60. 62.

-Oh, good.

-64.

-Funny old game, Margie.

-68. £70.

-I didn't think it would...

72? At 70.

Wow, Margie Cooper, take a bow!

-Two. 72.

-Oh, Margie.

-In two places. 74, sir?

-Wow!

-74, is it?

In the room at 74. 76? At 74 in the room. Gentleman's bid in the room.

-Marge, they've all been waiting for this.

-£74...

Good girl, Margie.

Margie has bagged another great profit.

And she's up again with her Victorian nursing chair.

Where would you like to be with that one for me?

65, thanks. There we go.

-That's what I should've paid.

-Good, Margie.

-We are starting.

-Is that profit?

-70 anywhere?

-£70. 70 here. And five.

-Hold tight, Margie.

That's 70 here. £70.

Golden opportunity.

SHE LAUGHS

I just love buying things and selling them at the same price.

It's wiped its face, Margie.

Our pair's last lot now.

It is Charles' wartime memorabilia.

They were both risky buys as the provenance is questionable.

Thank you, sir. 20, and we're away. 20, and two. I have 20. Two.

22. 24? 24. 26. 28?

28, thank you.

30? 30 and two?

32, thank you.

34. Sir, 34. And six?

Six, thank you.

-38? 38, thank you.

-Ah! You are getting there.

-42. 44? 44.

-Ooooh...

-46? 46.

-48? 48.

-It is real history, Margie.

You can't buy history, but you can today.

-A rare opportunity.

-Margie... And that's history.

And ending on another profit for Charles. Well done, both of you.

-Come on.

-Let's go.

Time to tally up who will be today's winner.

Margie started this leg with £266.56.

After paying auction house fees,

she has made a profit of £13.76.

This means she carries forward £280.32.

Charles, meanwhile, started with £396.70.

He's made an impressive profit of £99.76,

which means he is stretching ahead with £496.46

to spend next time. Well done, boy.

The next stretch of the road trip

sees Margie on Charles's home territory.

Yup, they're in Derbyshire!

Welcome to Derbyshire, Margie!

Smell the Derbyshire air!

He is as excited as usual.

Just as well Margie is in command, or, she thinks she is.

I would just change gear if I were you.

I wouldn't... I would just gently caress the accelerator now, Margie.

I was driving cars before you were even thought of.

-Are you being serious?

-Yes.

-You're not that old, are you? Look at me.

-GEARS CRUNCH

-Oh!

-Whoops.

This leg starts off from Melbourne in South Derbyshire,

destined for an auction in the Norfolk town of Aylsham.

Charles is shopping first today.

-Morning.

-Good morning. How are you?

-All right, thank you.

-What a lovely shop.

-Thank you very much.

-Charles Hanson.

-Welcome to Melbourne Antiques.

The delightful Helen is on hand to help.

These are nice.

Charles has uncovered a nice pair of Art Nouveau Royal Dux figurines,

but I spy a problem.

-What a shame. Oh, I don't believe it.

-That's...

I was feeling so good and then I saw the instruments.

-Her little harpsichord has been damaged.

-Yes.

Missing that section there, but also missing a thumb

and if we turn it round, we'll see, good quality,

raised pink Triangle Mark for Royal Dux, but what a shame.

They must be so cheap, Helen.

They are very cheap. £20 for the pair.

Will you take £10? Happy?

-Thanks a lot. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-£10.

Thank you, Helen.

Despite the damage, these two figurines could do well at auction.

Margie's motored her way to the north-west tip of Leicestershire

and the town of Castle Donington,

and her first shop of the day.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Hi, I'm Philip.

Oh, hello, Phil. Margie.

-Good to meet you.

-Yeah, so, I'd love to have a look round.

Sure, yes. Feel free to wander.

Margie's got just over £280 to spend.

What will she plump for?

-That's been nice in its time, hasn't it?

-Yes.

Margie's spotted an Edwardian ladies' toilet mirror.

A nice bit of satinwood around here.

Just turn it round to see what's going on at the back.

-Yes, as is.

-All original, yes, it's not been...

It's as original, nothing been tampered with at all or changed.

-Phil, I quite like that.

-Yeah.

-So, how much is that?

-Well, that could be £25.

-Oh.

-Which, you know...

-Oh, crumbs.

-Yeah.

Very reasonable, Phil.

I'm going to shake your hand on that.

-Oh, right, thank you very much.

-Thank YOU very much.

-Cheers.

One sale. You can wrap it then.

One purchase already and Margie's still to explore Phil's basement.

-I'm going to go down.

-OK.

Small but packed with stock.

Oh.

A gramophone player.

-Gosh, I've never, ever bought one in my life.

-Oh.

-Does it work?

-Yes, I can give you a demonstration if you want.

Crank it up for you.

MUSIC PLAYS

There you go.

Hey! This 1920s gramophone comes with a few records, too.

Phil's starting price is £90. Stand by.

Yeah, I don't know whether to risk it.

But I could go a little bit...

I'll go to 50. I could drop down to 50.

-I'll have another browse upstairs.

-OK.

-I know it's here.

-Yeah, fair enough, yes.

-Right?

After another quick look upstairs, it's decision time.

So I bought that, so do I just leave it at that and move on?

Or do I have a crack at your record player?

I think that's what we're down to.

-40 quid won't buy it?

-Say 43 then.

Let's just cut it down to...

Thanks.

£43. We're done. I'm on my way.

That's the Edwardian toilet mirror

and a gramophone with a dozen old 78s thrown in

for a total of £68.

Nice find.

What's that little glass over there?

Well, I think that's a French vase, 1950s-ish, I think.

-I quite like that.

-Yes, it's different, isn't it?

-It looks very nice in the light.

-How much would you throw that in for?

Well, I bought that, again, very well,

so you could have that for a bargain £8.

Oh! I can't leave that, can I?

An impulse buy. A 1950s vase, a snip at just £8.

Great work, Margie!

Meanwhile, Charles has made his way across the county border to

the Derbyshire town of Matlock.

Here we are.

This antiques centre has nearly 70 dealers.

With £486 to splash,

he dives straight in.

He's onto something.

Just found the best thing in the shop

and what I've found is pretty mundane to many eyes.

It's a piece of timber, carved with acanthus foliage

and these lovely scroll volutes.

So, many years ago, this piece of timber was very important.

It probably formed part of a very elaborate Florentine frame.

If you had the whole frame and there was a mirror,

it might be £5,000.

Sadly this is only a quarter of that frame and is priced at £65.

I might just see if I can spot...

anything else.

That's quite sweet.

What I like about this box is it's no cheap, square box.

In fact, what we've got here is a good rosewood inlaid, veneered box

with this star motif on top in ebony.

There's your interior.

I think it has got some age.

It is probably 1900 in date.

Hm, the ticket price is £14.

The dealer trading from this corner of the shop isn't here today

so it's back up the stairs to make a phone call.

Head honcho Lynne gets dealer Bernadette on the blower.

I'll put him on, Bernadette.

I just wondered, I'm just intrigued.

This almost scroll acanthus panel...

..I just quite like it because it's got some age.

What's your best price? 48.

I will say, "Thank you very much." I'll take that for 48

and I also like the inlaid box, as well, that...

-So, that for a tenner.

-Right.

-Thank you, Bernadette.

Wasn't she nice?

The 18th-century cornice and the rosewood box for a total of £58.

And, with that, an exciting day on the road comes to a close.

So nighty-night, you two lovebirds.

Charles is behind the wheel this morning, so watch out.

For Queen and country, Margie.

Hold tight.

-GEARS CRUNCH

-Oh, sorry. Sorry, Margie.

First stop is in Kimberley, Nottinghamshire.

Good morning.

Michael is in charge of Alice's Antiques. Hello, Michael.

Oh, off she goes!

Wow.

Right, so it's, yeah... What have we got up here? This is all...

-Shabby chic.

-Yeah, shabby chic, yes. Go round here.

I don't really want to buy stepladders but they do sort of...

-Yeah.

-They're popular now, aren't they? People paint them, as well.

Yeah, they do, and put them in the bedrooms and put, you know,

ornaments on them.

Or shoes.

Hm. They're not the best pair I've ever seen.

There's something rather nice about them. They've been used.

These steps were priced at £35,

but, as luck would have it, they're in the sale.

It's going to have to be so cheap,

and that's not cheap enough.

So if you can sell me that for 15 quid, I'll buy it.

Well, I don't want you to leave without buying...

-Right, well, there we go. 15.

-£15.

-OK, Mike, thanks very much indeed.

Thank you.

Michael's been most kind and Margie has another item to take to auction.

Thank you.

Charles has travelled north of Nottingham,

near to the village of Papplewick.

He's visiting this unassuming building to hear how

the pumping equipment inside saved millions of lives.

Tony Keyworth is the local expert on Victorian engineer Thomas Hawksley,

the forgotten hero of Nottingham.

-Mr Keyworth.

-Call me Tony.

-Tony. Charles Hanson.

-Nice to meet you and welcome.

-Great to hear. What a building.

It is, isn't it? It's beautiful. It was built by Thomas Hawksley,

the best water engineer of the 19th century.

Wow. It looks amazing.

-May we go for a wander indoors?

-Let's do that, yes.

-Thanks a lot.

In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution saw

a boom in textile industries, mining and engineering.

Thousands left life in the country to seek work.

Cities soon became overcrowded, and Nottingham was no exception.

The population by 1830 had risen to about 50,000,

from 10,000 in the mid-18th century.

They were cramped into houses

that were built specifically to house them by speculative landlords.

They had no drainage, no water supply,

didn't even have a back door.

It was an appalling way to live.

60% of children below five years old died.

Overcrowding led to outbreaks of disease.

One of the most feared was water-borne cholera.

How was cholera getting into the system?

There was an attempt by some water companies to pump

water into the town to standpipes. Some into the houses.

But it leaked, basically,

and in order to prevent this leakage from exhausting the water

supply and costing too much money, they turned the water off,

and only turned it back on again in a certain area of the town

for two hours a day, and when the pipes emptied,

they drew in the contaminated waste in the ground.

Sewage, basically.

So people were actually infecting themselves by drinking the water.

-And that obviously gave that low life expectancy.

-It caused havoc.

Even in the best part of Nottingham,

the life expectancy was somewhere between 12

and, in some of the wards, 18.

Local engineer Thomas Hawksley believed those

suffering from illness would benefit from clean water.

He set out to revolutionise the supply system by replacing

the leaky pipes and pumping a continuous supply of water.

He had the good sense to recognise that when you stopped

a pipe from having pressure inside it and it emptied,

sewage would get in and contaminate people, so his idea was to keep it

under pressure all the time to keep the contamination out.

Without knowing it, Hawksley wasn't just offering a supply of fresh

water, he was also stopping outbreaks of cholera.

When he put forward his idea of pumping fresh water 24 hours a day

to a sceptical establishment, he faced stiff opposition.

His revolutionary piece of engineering didn't come cheap.

What did he say to get them on board?

Hawksley worked out later in his life the mortality cost,

the consequences of people dying early.

A man would die, he would leave a wife and children

and if they became ill,

they couldn't pay for the hospital treatment,

that had to be paid for by the town.

So if they lived long enough, of course,

-they would be able to pay more taxes.

-Absolutely, yeah.

Hawksley raised financial backing from a water company to build

this steam-powered pumping station at Papplewick.

Fresh water was pumped through leak-proof pipes

to taps in people's homes.

-Did it work, Tony?

-It did. It did work extremely well.

Almost on cue, a couple of years later, there was

a cholera outbreak in the country.

Nottingham didn't have any problems at all. Nobody died in Nottingham.

Thousands died around the rest of the country.

Hawksley had proved his doubters wrong

and his system was soon adopted by other cities.

His ingenuity saved countless lives

and is one reason why Britain's health and prosperity

accelerated ahead of many others in the following decades.

He's a man I never knew but it's certainly got me

pumped up now on the Antiques Road Trip.

My pressure is increasing, Tony.

I'm feeling, you know, a sweat coming on and I shall head off

and attempt to find my next few antique buys.

Thank you for a wonderful visit. It's been really, really rewarding.

-It's a pleasure.

-Thanks, Tony.

The final shop for both our experts is in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Charles is running a little late...

..giving Margie first dibs at Notions Antiques Centre.

-Good afternoon. How are you?

-Hello.

-And you are?

-Sharon.

Sharon, I should call like that.

-And you're Lewis.

-I am Lewis, yes.

-All right. Margie.

-Hello.

Desperately looking for a couple of items

so I'm going to have a look around.

-Fine.

-I'll be back.

-OK.

Margie still has £189.32 to spend.

What is she on to here?

Cigarette dispenser?

How does this work, Lewis?

What you basically do is pull that lever back...

Yeah. A cigarette pops up.

-You pop your cigarette in there, right?

-Yeah.

Pull that lever and it shoots the cigarette through the torpedo hole.

Oh.

Why would you want to do that

if you've had to put it in in the first place?

-If you stand in the right direction and the right height...

-Yeah?

-..it shoots it straight into your mouth.

-Oh, for goodness' sake!

Very good, Lewis.

This boat is likely to date from the 1940s

and Margie thinks it falls into the collectable category of trench art,

as it may have been made by a soldier or a POW during the war.

Fire.

LEVER CLICKS

Ticketed at £49.

-I must say I quite like that.

-Yeah.

-Right, well, I mustn't linger.

No. One to think about.

Right, what's spinning round in here?

Let's have a look.

Just have a look at this. What's this little chap here? Hey.

This little wooden boot is a Victorian inkwell, priced at £52.

It's very cute. It's got the original little bottle in.

We've got a bit of damage.

Oh, that's cute, isn't it? I quite like that.

Margie seems to like it so that's her second possible.

I will go for either the boot or the trench art, but I've got

to make my mind up soon cos Charles Hanson is about to arrive.

Speak of the devil.

Lordy. Margie's on the move. Look at her shift.

Oh, I can hear his car outside.

If I bought the two items...

-30 for that.

-Quick, quick.

-30 for that.

-Yeah?

-And...

-Could that be 20?

-30...

-I can't do... I can't...

-50 for the two.

-I can't sanction that.

-It's not my stock so...

-I know it's not.

-..I'm limited.

-You don't want to ring her?

-We can phone, yeah.

Hurry up, Lewis. I hope that dealer's on speed dial.

Oops.

-28 you can have it. That'll do.

-I've got the two in the bag.

Got the 28 and I've got yours at...

25.

53.

For £53, she takes the 1940s cigarette dispenser

and the Victorian inkwell,

and just in time cos here comes Charles.

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-Charles Hanson.

-Is she here yet?

-She is. She is.

-Margie Cooper's here?

-Yes.

-OK, fine.

I'll go for a little mingle round and if you see her...

I'm incognito.

-Oh, it's you! You!

-How are you?

-Well, late. I'm late!

I know you're late. It's been terrific. I've had hours here.

-Have you been a magpie around the entire...?

-I'm done and dusted.

-You're joking.

-You're on your own, kid. Good luck, mate. See you.

Margie leaves Charles to it, with over £428 still in his pocket.

Margie never found the basement.

Yes. What's great is down here,

this teapot goes back to 1810.

We're talking what essentially is a boat-shaped, octagonal teapot,

beautifully painted in a whimsical, regency style.

What's really nice is you get the teapot stand, as well.

Yeah, priced at just £12.50, it's one to leave to brew.

What I do quite like, having just come upstairs, and sometimes

you need your mates with you, are the seven dwarfs down here,

and they're really quite sweet.

Hey, guys, you fancy coming to Norfolk with me?

These seven chaps are priced at £49.

With nothing else to tease him on this floor, Charles heads upstairs.

That's nice. What we've got here is a very nice dish from circa 1810.

This dish, although it is very oriental,

was in fact made in Staffordshire, and the body,

you'll see from the slightly bluish glaze, is a pearlware.

Ticketed at £20, Charles is interested.

I'll leave that down there.

-Sharon?

-Yes?

-I just wonder, this jardiniere over here...

-Yes.

..which has a plant in it, is it for sale?

-Yes, it is.

-How much is it? Is it yours?

-Yeah.

-Has it not got a price mark?

-It's a bit cracked.

-I know it is.

-Let me give you that plant.

-It's not wet, is it?

This porcelain jardiniere is Japanese and is over 100 years old.

Sharon and Lewis even have a stand to go with it.

Oh, that's nice. I just need something which has a look.

Indeed, a grand stand for a Japanese pot.

If I said to you...

.."Would you sell the two together," what would be your best price?

75 for the two.

I'm going to come to some decisions now, if that's OK with you, Sharon.

-Yeah.

-OK. Let me show you over here.

-I brought this downstairs from your top floor.

-Yes. Yes.

That's a nice dish. What would be the best on that?

15 on that.

You wouldn't take ten for it, would you?

Meet me halfway at 12?

-Go on, I'll do it for 12.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

Sold one. We've got a deal. Thank you, Sharon. That's great.

-So I've bought one thing.

-Yes.

-In your cellar, there is a teapot and cover on stand.

-Right.

-May I just run and get it for you now very quickly?

-Yes, yes.

-OK.

-I'll be back in ten seconds, OK? Count me in.

-I will.

-Nine, ten.

-Oh, yes.

-Is it yours?

-That is ours, yeah.

-Oh, well done. £12.50.

-We're doing that for 12, aren't we?

-Yeah.

-8. So 20 for the two.

I'll take that. That's one more down. What else have I seen?

-I like the dwarves. Are they yours?

-Yes.

-Where do they come from?

-The garden in Lincolnshire.

-Did they?

I think they've been almost highlighted.

Their colours are so flashy, aren't they?

They're priced at £49 for seven.

-Would you take £25?

-Yes.

-Done.

Thank you very much.

There we go. We're not hanging around, now. Bang, bang, bang.

Going, going, gone.

-That's three things.

-Yes.

-I do like this.

-What were we at, 75?

-50 and our wagons roll.

-If you're happy on that. Yes?

-I'm happy and you know it. Clap your hands.

-Yes.

-I'll take it.

Thanks a lot. Thank you so much.

-That's all right.

-Give us a kiss. Thanks very much.

After struggling yesterday,

Charles has bought four items in as many minutes.

The pearlware plate,

the Staffordshire teapot,

a large Japanese jardiniere with a stand,

and seven garden gnomes,

all for £95,

and that brings our shopping to an end.

Until next time. Bye!

On the last haul, Charles married together the pearlware plate

and Staffordshire teapot into one lot.

His other buys include a pair of Royal Dux figurines,

a Victorian rosewood box,

and an 18th-century cornice.

All that lot cost him £163.

Margie parted with £144,

buying an Edwardian toilet mirror,

a gramophone,

a 1950s glass vase,

a 1930s stepladder,

a Victorian inkwell

and a wooden cigarette dispenser.

Like the look of the competition, guys?

Margie's bought really well this time.

The gramophone, well, Margie,

we all like sweet music and roll back the years because

they're wonderful objects, it's in a great case and that's a star buy.

I think that stands out, that carved piece of wood.

Probably 18th century. Gilded. I like it very much.

The final stop of this leg is located in the Norfolk countryside

in the attractive market town of Aylsham.

Oh!

Oh, it's a bit damp today.

-I've got a wet leg.

-I know. My leg's wet.

I'm not sure what's happened, Margie.

It's either the nerves or it's the rain.

Not a good thought, that.

This leg's auction is taking place at Keys Auctioneers, a local

institution, and they've been selling from here for well over 60 years.

I think there's two things. It's getting out of the car

and also getting out here without a huge loss.

Come on, man.

Our auctioneer today is Dave Gould.

Time now for Charles and Margie to take their seats.

The first lot to go under Dave's gavel is Charles's seven gnomes.

I've got to start these on commissions at £30 here.

Come on, let's go. Come on. Let's go. Come on.

-32, 35.

-Let's go.

-It's sticky.

-35. It's with me.

-Come on, sell. One more. 35. One more.

-They were cheap.

-They were cheap. Doesn't matter.

Doesn't matter, Margie.

Kicking off with a profit.

Next up, Margie's Edwardian toilet mirror.

30? 30. 30? 30. 30? 30.

32, 35.

You're flying high, Margie. Doubled up.

48. 48? 48. 50.

Margie Cooper, take a bow.

Come on.

All out now then at 50.

-Margie Cooper!

-It's not that brilliant.

-25.

That's the biggest profit of the day so far. Take a bow.

We're only two lots in, Charles. But, yes, Margie's doubled her money.

This chap with a stick is telling us

Charles's Japanese jardiniere and stand is up next.

I've got to start that one here at 35.

Come on. I'm behind. Come on.

-38, 40.

-Come on, sir.

-Come on.

-49. 50.

-55, 60.

-Come on!

Yes, over there. Sorry. Sorry.

-With you, madam.

-Thank you very much, madam.

-Anyone else now?

-Away now then at 65.

-OK. That's OK.

A strong profit for Charles. Well done.

It's that stick again. Margie's stepladders are up now.

Start this here at £15.

-My money back.

-£50? £50?

-15, 15.

Maiden bid with commissions and I'll sell away now at 15.

-Got away with it. Got away with it.

-That's good. £15. Broken even.

It will be a small loss after commission, though.

But it's early days.

Charles loved the carved 18th-century cornice. How will it do?

I've got to start this at £30 I'm bid.

-It could bomb.

-30? 30. 30? 30.

-Doesn't matter. That's OK.

-35? 35.

-38. 40.

-Go on. One more.

-42. 45.

-Go on, sir. One more.

-I'll sell them at 45.

-History.

Someone's got a so-called 300-year-old cornice for a steal.

The next lot is Margie's 1950s glass vase.

£10 here for that at 10.

10? 10. At 12? 12.

15? At 15. 15. 18? At 18.

18? 18. 18?

Go on. At 18. 18. 18. It's in front.

It goes now at 18.

-18. Got a tenner.

-That's good. Oh, that's great.

It is. And Margie's slowly stretching ahead.

Charles's next lot was supposed to be the pearlware plate and the teapot.

However, the plate was broken during the auction viewing - a tragedy.

The auction house has given an insurance valuation of £45

for both items and if the teapot on its own sells for any less,

Charles will still receive 45.

Make sense? Good.

What a shame.

Yeah, the teapot's great. OK. I'm still standing, Margie.

At £10. At 10. 10, 10, 10,

-12, 15.

-Very attractive.

-At 15, 18.

-Very lovely, yeah. I love it.

-£20.

20. Commission takes it away again.

That's broken even.

Hammer's gone down at 20, but the insurance was 45,

so Charles walks away with a £25 profit.

Smashing. Now time for Margie's cigarette dispenser.

Start me, then, at 10. 10, 12, 15.

18, 20? At 20. 2, do you want? 22.

-25.

-Margie, you're flying high.

-No, I'm not.

At 22. 22. 25. 25.

28. 28. 28, you're sure?

-Come on.

-At 28. 28.

-28. 28. With Nelson, away it goes now.

-That's good, Margie.

No, it's not!

Is that profit for you?

If should have made about £70.

It made Margie a few pounds' profit.

Now it's the turn of Charles's Royal Dux figurines.

-Unfortunately, a bit of damage.

-Don't say that!

One hand been cut in half and glued together, but still a nice pair.

Well, that's killed them.

Hey, let's see.

25. 25.

-28. 30...

-Hey, there you go.

-35.

-Come on!

-38.

At 38. 38. 40.

-At 40. 40, 40, 40, 40.

-Come on. Let's go.

That's where we're stuck now then at £40.

I'm delighted with that, Margie. I'm over the moon.

-That's a great return.

-Well done.

-Thanks, Margie.

Well done indeed. A cracking return.

Next, Margie's Victorian ink well.

-We'll start that at £10 here.

-Oh, Margie Cooper!

12, 15. At 15. 15, 18.

At 18. 18, 20.

-At 20.

-2.

-At 20. Lady takes a seat and you're all out?

Away it goes, then, at 20.

That was so cheap. That was so cheap!

That's a shame, Margie.

Will Charles have better luck with his piece of Victoriana?

His rosewood box is up now.

I'm going to start that here at £5 only.

-Oh, no. Come on!

-At 5, 6, 8...

Let's go. Come on, let's go.

At 10. 12, 15? At 15. 18. 20. At 20.

-22, 25.

-Come on!

Anybody else? 28 there!

-28. 28, 28, 28.

-Go on, madam.

-28, standing near...

-One for the road!

One for Norfolk.

And that's all, folks.

-That's you done.

-I'm happy.

Well done, Charles. You're ending on a profit.

Ooh, stick's back, look. And pointing out our pair's last lot,

Margie's gramophone and records.

-Start this here at £35.

-Get in! Well played.

-40. 2, 45.

-You're flying, Margie Cooper!

50. 55? 55.

-60.

-Yeah, £60!

-70. 75.

-Margie Cooper!

75. 80. 85. 90.

-Hey!

-5, do you want?

-Oh, my goodness!

Coming out in a hot flush!

-100. At 100.

-MARGIE LAUGHS

-Margie, you're the queen of the east.

-That's brilliant.

A brilliant profit for Margie to end the auction,

but is it enough to win this leg?

Margie started off with £280.32.

After paying auction house fees, she's made a profit today of £45.42,

meaning she has £325.74 for next time.

Charles started this leg with £496.46.

After costs, he's made a profit of £48.56,

which means - by a slim margin of just over £3 -

he's this auction's winner and carries forward £545.02

to the next leg. So proud.

-Pipped at the post, that's what I've been.

-It was a funny old game today.

It was high and low. The helter-skelter of the road trip.

-You've got the luck of the Irish, you have.

-Get out of here!

Until next time, then, bye-bye.

Bye!