Episode 6 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.

HE LAUGHS

-There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

-Sorry!

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

The handbrake's on!

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's the first leg of a brand-new road trip

and this week, it's the return of old partners in crime

James Braxton and Charlie Ross.

# Another opening, another show

# In Philly, Boston or Baltimo'

# Another chance for the folks to show

# Another opening of another show. #

How's that?

Sounds all right to me, Charlie.

They are travelling in a 1961 Ford Zephyr, manufactured

before seatbelts were mandatory, and spirits are high on day one.

-The sun is out.

-The sun is out.

I'm in the hands of an expert driver.

-Yes.

-In a luxury car.

On the last outing those two took together,

Charlie smashed a road trip record.

He paid just £8 for a Staffordshire elephant,

and sold it for an astonishing £2,700.

You're hearing this?

For the last time, £2,700...

APPLAUSE

-Take a bow.

-Take a bow.

James took his defeat on the chin.

I'm leaving. I think my road trip is over.

LAUGHTER

But this time round, he's going to new lengths to try

to gain the upper hand.

Since I last saw you, since our Scottish trip,

I bring a new thing in my life, which is yoga.

Don't tell me you're into yoga?!

Both mentally prepared and physically prepared.

You are taking on the athlete of antiques.

Could have fooled me!

Our experts have £200 to spend.

Their trip starts in the Lincolnshire town of Boston

and meanders through Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, up to Leicestershire

before heading south and finishing in the Surrey town of Cobham.

Today's leg starts off from Boston

and heads to auction in the rural Norfolk town of Fakenham.

Charlie's first shop is an old railway station office.

Look at this. Oh!

All my shopping will be over in a twinkling of an eyelash.

Crikey, he's in a hurry!

-Jack, I'm running to meet you.

-I don't blame you.

It's always such a pleasure to be here. Can I have a look round?

-Yeah, have a look round.

-Wonderful.

They bill themselves here as dealers in nostalgia,

but it's not all Victoriana.

-It's a bit more modern, that, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's '50s, isn't it?

Got a plastic head. He's quite fun, though.

We're getting almost buyable.

-Can that be 30 quid?

-No.

Jack, I thought I'd ask.

There's never any harm in asking, Jack.

-£70.

-55?

£60, I'll have a deal with you.

-He's coming down. Jack's coming my way.

-£60.

-Jack's coming to meet me.

Oh, hang on.

-That's ghastly, isn't it?

-What's that?

You must agree with me -

-that's the most awful cruet I've ever seen in my life.

-Yeah.

But... Chromium plated,

-19...

-It's got to be '50s.

-..60-something, I'd say.

Salt and pepper in the form of a rather...

-£35, Charlie.

-35.

Now we're going, now we're going. We're really motoring now.

Could spend all my £200 here today.

-Charlie...

-Yeah.

-..what about this globe here? That's quite nice.

Very 1960s, isn't it?

-That's nice, isn't it?

-Is that a 30-quid globe?

-No, it's not. 75.

-75.

-But it's just nice.

-Lovely globe. It's in super condition.

We'll talk prices.

I've seen three things there I might well be able to get...

Come round, Jack. Let's get to the nitty-gritty of this.

Sounds serious!

HE EXHALES

I quite like your globe. I love your toy.

The cruet I think is ghastly, but is saleable at a price.

-Not going to take 100 quid for those three, are you?

-No.

Or are you? Cash.

Give me another 20 and you've got a deal.

-120 for the three?

-Yeah.

-110?

-No, 120.

-That's it, isn't it?

-Yeah, that's the lot.

-And not a penny less.

-No.

I'm not going to knock you any more

because I think you've been very fair to me.

Charlie's off on a flyer.

He's got the globe for £50, the 1960s battery-operated car,

also for £50,

and the chromium-plated cruet in the form of an aeroplane for £20.

Got it? Good.

-Lovely to see you, Jack.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-See you again.

-Bye-bye.

-Yeah, bye-bye.

Meanwhile, James is in the centre of Boston

visiting Magpie's Nest, owned by dealer Des,

and it looks like Braxton's onto something.

Look at this tall fellow. He is handsome.

I always like something that's a little tall. What is this for?

-I think that's for gladioli.

-Gladioli.

Dame Edna Everage's great, great thing.

I love the way she used to throw it at the end of the thing.

Used to throw these things out.

Gladioli is like being hit by a bit of bamboo, isn't it?

THEY LAUGH

I think it's made for a '60s, '70s market, isn't it?

-So very light, isn't it?

-What have you got on it?

-£22 on it.

-You chancer, Des, eh?

-What about 15?

What about 15? What about 10, mate?

-£12 and it's yours.

-12, you say?

-12.

-12, put it there.

-Thank you very much.

-Very kind. Thank you, Des.

That was a good deal, James.

Blimey, I think he really loves that vase.

Charlie has travelled to the Lincolnshire town of Spalding.

With three items already under his belt, he's on a roll.

After a quick look round the shop,

he spots a set of scales priced at £40.

And look - he's got dealer John in tow.

-Here they are. Look at that.

-Yes.

-Avery of Birmingham.

-That's right.

-Victorian.

Hang your weights on there, I suppose, don't you,

-and there's the fine tuning for your pounds.

-That's right.

On the scale of things, these look very nice.

I'll be perfectly honest with you.

-I think they'll probably sell for 35 quid at auction.

-What about...

rock bottom...

30 pound notes?

Charlie's going to think about that one.

He's also spotted a flash little number

that might just suit his personality.

Ooh, you've got a racing car, a Ferrari, no less.

-I think it is a Ferrari.

-It is a Ferrari.

I can tell you it's a Ferrari. Look at that.

Wonderful.

This is a very good model, actually. It's even got the old...

Well, that's terribly expensive.

-It's a tenner.

-Is it a tenner?

-It's a tenner.

-What, a Ferrari for a tenner?

-A Ferrari for a tenner.

You're in Spalding.

THEY LAUGH

I love that line.

"A Ferrari for a tenner. You're in Spalding!"

I'm getting very excited.

-I'll give you 30 quid for your scales, John.

-OK.

You ought to have the Ferrari.

I should have a Ferrari, shouldn't I? It's silly not to buy a Ferrari.

-That's right.

-£30 for your scales.

-Thank you very much indeed.

I shall be able to go out this evening now.

Yeah, I'm going to have your bloomin' Ferrari.

-I can't resist it.

-I can go out tomorrow night as well.

You can go out for the rest of the week, sir.

-John, it's been a pleasure.

-I enjoyed it.

Thank you very much indeed.

So, Charlie walks away with the scales for £30

and the model Ferrari Testarossa for £10.

And after all the buying,

it's time for the chaps to have a well-earned rest.

So, nighty-night.

It's a brand-new day, and the boys are back on the hunt for antiques,

with Charlie taking on chauffeuring duties.

-Is everything all right in the back, sir?

-Lovely, thank you.

The fellas are clocking up the miles

and travelling to King's Lynn in Norfolk.

And James is making a dash for his first shop,

He's only bought one item so far.

Maggie, can I look in this cabinet down here?

Lovely piece of wood.

"The Beaver Talbot tie press."

-I'd like the nameplate.

-Would that have been...

..something, yeah,

that a gentleman would have simply

put in his wardrobe with the tie in?

Yeah, I think so. He would have left it overnight,

-rather like putting trousers in a trouser-press.

-Yeah.

Or maybe at rest, when he was reading his newspaper.

You just recline in your armchair,

there we are, doing two jobs at once.

SHE LAUGHS

A man should look his best at all times.

With James's tie now nice and straight, and the tie press

a definite contender, are there any other items on his radar?

It's a stand, it's a tazza.

The rather nice thing is, it has a little

pictorial thing here,

and I think it's probably Windsor Castle.

This is rather fun so, a paper knife,

wholly appropriate it should have a terminal here, the Penny Black.

This was the mighty stamp.

This is the stamp that made the world slightly smaller,

introduced in the 1840s.

Maggie is off to chat with colleague Ian to see what price they'll

be able to do on the tazza and the paper knife.

We could do...maybe 40 would probably be the best, I think.

So that's sort of looking at about £20 each, isn't it?

What about if I bought the strange beaver fellow, what could that be?

-Four.

-That could be four, could it?

How about the whole lot for 40?

-Erm, yeah, OK.

-That's very kind of you.

Thank you very much indeed, Maggie.

So that's a deal done for £40 for all three items.

£18 for the tazza,

£18 for the paper knife

and the tie press thrown in for £4.

-£40. Very kind of you.

-Lovely.

Is that you done in here now, James?

-Maggie, I did notice one more thing. Can I show you?

-Yes, certainly.

It's sort of winking at me.

My eye suddenly alighted on this rather magnificent pheasant.

-Ah, yes.

-The mighty cock bird.

And I just wondered, I've had a look at the price tag,

and I was sort of tempted...

Could it be bought for 45?

The ticket price is a very specific £92.52,

so Maggie's off for another tete-a-tete with Ian,

armed with James's £45 offer.

What's the result, Maggie?

-What is the result?

-He says yes.

He says yes, the man from Del Monte says yes!

-45, let's not fiddle around.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

I've had a lovely morning with you

and I am now offski.

Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

King's Lynn is steeped in maritime tradition.

For centuries, it was one of the country's most vital river ports,

providing easy access for trade with mainland Europe,

so it's perhaps not surprising that two of the town's

most celebrated sons are a pair of sailors

who made their mark on the world stage.

George Vancouver and Samuel Gurney Cresswell were both born in the town

and were both instrumental in some crucial geographic discoveries.

Charlie's come to meet Doreen Leventhall

from the King's Lynn Preservation Trust to find out more.

Doreen, what a splendid sea breeze there is today.

I've been to King's Lynn before,

but I've never really realised its historical importance.

It was a very important port,

and from earliest times, grew up on the side of the River Great Ouse

and by the early 13th century,

it was one of the four most important ports in England.

The port was the hub for trade with Europe for centuries, and buildings

like the old custom house were right at the heart of the business.

Not far from here is a tribute

to our first King's Lynn maritime hero, George Vancouver.

Born in the town in 1757, he joined the Navy at just 13.

At the end of the 18th century, there was

a race to discover a faster trade route between Europe and Asia.

Vancouver was sent to explore.

-Here he is.

-Here he is.

Captain George Vancouver.

He made his career in the Navy

and in 1791, he was given the commission of charting

the west coast of America.

They made this massive journey from California right up to Alaska.

All the little inlets, they went in on small boats, charting them

and keeping the records, and his maps were

so good that they were still used until relatively recent times.

After the longest surveying expedition in history,

which lasted four-and-a-half years,

Vancouver didn't find the elusive Northwest Passage but he made all

sorts of other discoveries, and even had a Canadian city named after him.

When he got back here, he didn't make old bones, did he?

-You're right about the old bones. He was only 39.

-Gosh.

He died of illness, but this seems to be quite common with sailors.

I think it was just a very tough life at sea.

That didn't stop another of King's Lynn's finest taking up the mantle.

Samuel Gurney Cresswell was born in 1827

and was to become another King's Lynn naval legend.

Cresswell was born into a banking family

in these opulent surroundings.

So this is a bank house. It's really rather splendid.

And this was where Samuel Gurney Cresswell was born.

We know from his mother's letters that he was always a restless child,

so it was suggested by a family friend, who was in the Navy,

that perhaps a naval life would be better for young Samuel.

Young Cresswell loved Navy life,

ao much so, that he signed up for an Arctic voyage in 1849,

hoping to discover the Northwest Passage that had eluded

fellow King's Lynn sailor, Vancouver.

Cresswell was on a ship that was captained by a man called McClure

and he was absolutely determined to be the first man

-to find the Northwest Passage.

-Yeah.

So he pressed on in when the other ship that was with them

actually turned back because they thought it was too dangerous.

And that's how we know that they made it into the Arctic

but, of course, they got stuck in the ice.

Cresswell's ship, HMS Investigator,

was trapped in the ice for over two years.

The crew, faced with starvation, were eventually rescued.

Cresswell, who was still in good health, volunteered to lead

a group overland for 300 miles to meet a rescue ship.

This journey was the first documented evidence

of the Northwest Passage.

Cresswell arrived back in England as living proof of the discovery

of this long-sought-after route.

All the people of King's Lynn turned out and gave him a hero's welcome.

-The church bells were rung...

-Oh, my goodness.

-..and flags were waved.

-He'd never have got that if he'd been a banker, would he?

-No.

And so he was home and he was safe.

King's Lynn may not be a thriving port today, but, thanks to

its two naval heroes, it holds a special place in maritime history.

Under his own steam,

James has made his way to the seaside town of Hunstanton.

Le Strange Old Barns is his final shop of the day.

James has over £100 to play with,

and Patrick is giving him the guided tour.

Now, who's this?

-Well, he's a humorous old fellow, isn't he?

-He's a little planter.

He's a planter, is he? Very smart.

A smart gnome's hat, hasn't he?

He's rather funny. What sort of price is he, Patrick?

£35 on him.

-35?

-You could make an offer.

Would a tenner buy that?

-Yes, it will.

-You had me worried there for a moment.

-£10.

I thought you'd held your breath and you were going to faint on me.

I'm sure he'll go to a good home, definitely.

And this little gnome purchase completes James' shopping.

Charlie's final shop is in the Norfolk village of Snettisham.

The Old Granary is packed to the gunwales,

but with only £40 left, Charlie will have to be resourceful.

No better fellow for resource.

-A-ha, are you Sarah, by any chance?

-I am.

-Marvellous. I'm Charlie.

-Hello, Charlie.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Am I allowed to do that?

-You are.

-We've only just met!

-Can I have a look round...

-Of course you can.

-..and I'll scream for you if I see the bid of my dreams?

-OK, thank you.

Try not to frighten Sarah too much, Charlie.

Ooh, look at this. Columbia grafonola number 202 portable.

What amazing condition! I don't think anybody's ever used it.

Price, £85. Problem. I don't have £85.

Not even half that, in fact.

-Sarah...

-Hello.

-..I need you.

-You need me?

-I need you.

-Wonderful.

This is fab.

I'll be quite frank with you,

-I don't think I'm going to be able to buy this...

-Right.

-..because I went shopping yesterday.

-Could we run to 50?

I haven't got 50. I have not got £50.

-I can tell you, I've got 40 quid.

-Do you have rubber gloves?

-Do I have rubber gloves?

-Yes.

-No, why? Odd question.

You could do some washing up downstairs, I'm sure, earn £40.

-I'll tell you what, I've got a better idea.

-All right.

-Would you like a ride in my car?

-I'd love a ride in your car.

If I gave you a ride in my car,

would I still have to do the washing up?

OK, we'll forget the washing up.

Forget the washing up and have a ride in my car.

Oh, I'm not quite sure this is within the rules

but Sarah seems quite happy.

-So where are we going?

-Right, we're going...

..to Paradise Island.

Good work, Charlie.

The grafonola is yours for £40 and a spin round the block

and you even got out of doing those dishes, you old rogue!

So, with the shopping complete,

Charlie Ross has spent all of his £200 picking up six lots -

the set of scales, two very different model cars,

a globe,

a chromium-plated cruet and the grafonola.

James Braxton was a lot more frugal, only spending £107 on his six lots -

the gladioli vase, the tie press, the brass tazza,

the silver paper knife, the stuffed pheasant

and, topping it all off,

the gnome guarding naturally over Mother Earth.

But what do they make of each other's items?

I'm most worried about the Avery scales,

the globe and the Testarossa.

Well, amongst James's sea of mediocrity, he bought a tie press.

Well, Bingo and I are the only two people in the world that wear ties

so although it was £4, it's probably worth 5.

Charlie and James are travelling to the auction

in the Norfolk town of Fakenham.

Today's auction is taking place at the local racecourse.

Look at this.

Auctioneer David James is in charge, so here we go.

First up, James's gladioli vase.

And I have been given bids to start at £15.

-You're into a profit.

-15, I have.

20 in the room. 20, I have.

In the room at 20. Five, do I hear?

-That's not bad.

-Are we all sure? At £20, it is.

First, second, last time at £20.

A promising start there.

Next up, Charlie's baker's scales.

-My bid starts at £20 only.

-Well, £20.

That's a big price.

£30 bid. 40 do I hear?

At £30, at 30, £40, I have.

-Oh.

-50 will do.

£40 I am bid. At 40.

Go on, go 50. At 40.

At £40, are we done with them?

-At £40.

-A working profit.

-Yeah.

Another profit. So, it's still a close contest.

Well done, well done.

-Very nip and tuck, isn't it?

-It is.

It's very tight.

James's tie press is next to go.

Tenner then, come on. Start me at a tenner.

-Surely a tenner.

-£8 I am bid.

Ten, do I hear? Eight, I have.

Ten do I hear for the tie press?

-At £8 only.

-Eight?

-Eight only.

A working profit, James.

At eight I'll sell. £10 on the net, saved by the net.

At £10 on the net. Internet bid at 10.

12 anywhere? At £10, first, second, last time at 10...

A small profit for the tie press.

Up now is the grafonola record player.

This is my coup de grace.

-This is the grafonola?

-Yeah.

I have all my eggs in this basket.

I'm delighted to say that the bidding starts at £70.

Five, do I hear? 70 I have.

Five do I hear?

£70 bid. 75 bid.

£80 bid.

At £80 and selling, are we all sure? At £80...

First, second, last time at 80...

That was marvellous.

That puts Charlie in the lead.

Wow! Can James's Victorian tazza help him catch up?

-I think your tazza's got a bit of money there. Honestly.

-Do you?

-Quite collectable, these are.

-They are.

-They are.

Not very valuable, but quite collectable.

Not saleable.

-Start me 10.

-Sounds a little low.

10, I have. £10 I'm bid. 12 I'll take.

£10 I'm bid. £10 I'm bid.

£12 on the net. 15 do I hear?

-£15 against the bar.

-On the net.

-15 bid. 18 do I hear?

-Keep going.

Are we all done with it? At £15 it is, then.

First, second, last time at 15.

-Oh, dear.

-Sold to the butler.

-Oh, dear.

-Roger the butler.

First loss of the day for James, which puts him further behind.

Charlie's tinplate car is next to go.

You see, he's an expert in his field

and he's put 20 to 30 on my toy.

And how much did you pay for it?

-It cost 50.

-Excellent.

£10 I'm bid.

£12, madam. £12 to the lady.

15 against the bar. £16 to the lady.

18 at the bar. 18 at the bar.

-Come on.

-£20 on the net. 22 on the net.

-25 on the internet.

-Ah, the internet.

30, do I hear? 25 I'm bid.

28 do I hear? £28 to the lady.

-Well done.

-Come on.

Still making a substantial loss, of course.

£28. Are we all done at £28?

-227.

-Thank you, madam.

That helps James catch up a bit.

Things are a lot tighter now.

How will James's gnome fair?

I think he's going to be your surprise thumping profit of the day.

I'm rather hoping anything north of 30 and I'll be delighted.

Who's in at 10? 10 at the back. 10.

12 against the bar. 15 to the lady.

-Good Lord!

-£18 standing at the back.

£20 there seated.

22 seated to the lady. 25 bid here.

£28 to the lady. £30 bid.

At 32, bid reluctantly.

35 bid. My God.

LAUGHTER

-There's no accounting for taste, sir, is there?

-Or a lack of it.

-35 bid.

-Quirky and ugly.

38. £40. At £40 standing here.

All done with it at 40.

-Well played, sir.

-Well done.

Sensational.

-Marvellous. What an auctioneer.

-Yes, marvellous.

Well, that's a turn-up for the books and puts James narrowly in the lead.

Your in-depth knowledge of antiques is second to none.

It's marvellous, isn't it?

Now for Charlie's cruet.

10 I have, thank you. £10 bid.

-12 do I hear?

-It's a bit tight.

16 on the net. 18 do we hear?

18 on the net. £18 on the net.

20 do we hear? £20 in the room.

-£20 in the room.

-You're in profit.

-No, it's what it cost.

-At 20.

First, second, last time at £20...

-Oh, dear.

-Oh, dear. What's going on?

Crumbs!

Oh, dear.

After commission, it's a small loss, I'm afraid.

-I'm going down the pan.

-No, you're not.

-You're pulling away.

-Am I pulling away?

-Two lots each.

You've got a paper knife, which is going to

make you a thumping great profit.

Will the paper knife do as well as they think?

We'll make a start at £30 to start. 40 do I hear? £40 bid.

50 do I hear? £40 bid. 50 do I hear?

At £40, seated in the room.

-45 bid, fresh bid.

-45!

-Well done.

At £45. 50 do I hear? At £45.

Standing there at 45.

All done with it? £45.

-I'm up against a master here.

-£45, you see.

-Yeah.

Just steady work, steady work.

That's another good bit of business for James. Charlie's globe now.

He had high hopes for this one.

So start me off at £30, then.

-Oh, dear, is that all?

-Start me off at 20. Come on. 15 I'm bid.

-£20 standing at the back.

-20.

-This is... Come on.

25 standing here. £30 at the back.

It's bouncing around.

This needs to be £60.

£40 at the bar.

At 40. 45 standing.

We need a bit more, don't we?

-It's coming on, coming on.

-At £50.

-55 standing. At 55.

-Almost a profit.

-At £55.

In the room and standing at £55, are we all done?

For the second and last time at £55...

Another small profit in the old bag.

We're down to one item each and it's still all to play for.

It's basically all boiling down to a pheasant versus a Ferrari.

-A stuffed pheasant.

-Yeah.

James's pheasant is last up for him.

Start me 10, then, come on.

£10 I have. £10 bid. 15 bid.

£18 I have.

-James...

-Well done.

-£20 I'm bid. £20 I'm bid. At the bar, £25 on the net.

-Well done.

-Oh, yes!

-At £25 for the pheasant...

Coming home to Norfolk, 467.

How stuffed is that?

If the Ferrari can come up trumps for Charlie, he will win the day.

-I'm very nervous.

-Start me at 10, then.

It's got to be worth more than that.

£10 to start. £10 to start.

-£10 to start. Where are we?

-Don't they like Ferraris here?

-10 I have.

12 do we here? £12 internet bid.

-15 do we hear?

-Oh, on the internet.

£12 only on the net. At £12 only, are we... 15 standing at the back.

-15 at the back.

-One more, sir.

We take our time in Norfolk.

-15 at the back. 18.

-You need a Ferrari.

-15 at the back. 18.

16 on the net. £18. Got there.

-18 bid.

-Oh!

-20 do we hear?

18 bid in the room. At £18 and selling. Are we done with it at 18?

It's a close one, but let's see who's coming out on top.

Charlie started this first leg with £200.

After auction costs, he's made a small loss of £2.38,

leaving him with £197.62 to spend next time.

James has emerged victorious today.

He also started off with £200.

After auction costs, he's made a profit of £20.10,

meaning he takes £220.10 on to the next leg.

Pleasure to be thrashed by you, sir.

As always!

Let's skedaddle into James and Charlie's second leg.

You're winning. You've pulled away.

I am leading by a canvas.

-Just a canvas.

-Just a canvas.

On this leg, the fellas start off

in the Lincolnshire town of Stamford,

travel east around Norfolk,

before ending up at an auction

in the Cambridgeshire market town of St Ives.

First off, James and Charlie are going head-to-head in the same shop,

so stand by.

-Oh!

-Hello.

-What lovely ladies. Hello, I'm Charlie.

Today, Lucinda is Charlie's guide and Lynne is James'.

Gosh, look at this gardening.

My wife would have an absolute field day here.

Oh, that's dangerous, though, isn't it?

-Is it sharp?

-It's sharp enough.

Now, James has happened upon something he likes.

I've got this lovely pewter-lidded box here.

It's a box within a box.

We can take that out. Suffered some damage here,

engraved, and definitely for tea.

This is for tea - this is for housing tea.

And this is a mighty tea chest, isn't it?

This is on a big scale. Tea's still valuable.

It's got a lot going for it. It's got a bit of damage there.

Er, but I love it. It's a great item, isn't it?

This 19th-century Chinese tea caddy has a ticket price of £105.

-What are you looking at?

-Would 45 buy it, Martin?

I'd like closer to 60.

Well, how about 50?

-Five?

-50.

-Five.

THEY CHUCKLE

Oh, I'm a gambling man. Well done, Martin.

Well, that may be the first, Martin. May be the first. Look at that.

-I think that's lovely.

-We love that.

-Clearly...

-I like that.

James is off the mark - and with a generous discount too.

Ooh. Hello. Hello!

I can see an ebony parallel rule there.

-Let's open up.

-Open up, Lucinda. Show me the wares.

Let me just have a look.

I love this, and I think...

They've put circa 1910...

I would beg to differ.

I actually think that's earlier.

It's ever so cheap - it's £14.

Do you think they'd sell me that for a fiver? I like it.

It's got a bit of a crack in there, but, you know...

-..that might give me a chance.

-I'd say about eight.

-What you think?

-Eight?

-OK, are you able to deal with this?

-Well, I'm offering you eight.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-We have... May I?

-You may.

-Mwah! ..a deal!

-Excellent.

-£8. Put it on one side.

Ooh, some nice railway memorabilia in here.

Look at these lovely things.

Leicester, Half Barriers Will Be Introduced,

British Railways, Beware Of Trains.

I'll tell you what I do like -

I like the 69 and a quarter, extremely heavy -

that's a lovely Midland Railway milepost.

It's a fun object, isn't it?

Made of cast iron, mounted.

You know, who'd make a cast-iron sign today?

That's a lovely object, isn't it?

It is, it's a very, very nice object.

A Midland Railway 69 and a quarter milepost.

That was obviously a great guide for the...

-Yeah, for the driver.

-For the driver, wasn't it?

-Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

-Steaming along.

-Yeah.

-Full head of steam.

-He wasn't going to miss that, was he?

-HE IMITATES STEAM TRAIN

-Anyway, he's got £100 on it.

What sort of, you know...? Does he take cheeky offers? 50, 60?

I could try.

-I'm going to make a cheeky offer.

-Yeah?

-50.

-OK, James...

-50.

-..I'll try.

A call to the dealer required, then.

Meanwhile, what's Charlie got his eye on?

Look at that. That is beautiful!

Marie Brizard et Roger.

Look, and there you can have four different liqueurs

in one decanter.

How old is that?

Cos those labels are in immaculate condition, aren't they?

-You'd think it was between the wars, probably.

-Yeah.

It might be '50s, it could easily be '30s.

-And only one problem.

-This one's lost its label, as you see.

Yeah, and that's just lost one of its glass stoppers.

Yes, unfortunately.

What a lovely object.

And if you put the different liqueurs in there,

the colours of them.

It's a clever thing, isn't it?

If I was really rude and I said would you take £25,

what would you say?

-Would you show me the door or...?

-No, I'd accept it.

-Are you sure?

I've had it in stock a long, long time.

It'll be lovely to see it go and...

see it live another life somewhere else.

I'm going to have that.

I think it's a really, really lovely object.

But what of James's £50 offer on the railway post?

-Do you have news for me?

-I do have news for you.

-Is it good news?

-Yes, it is very good news.

-Very good news?

-Yes, very good news.

Yeah, fire away.

-£55.

-55? He has a deal. Why not?

-That's really brilliant.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you, James.

Just throwing my money around.

But Charlie's still on the hunt.

An old radio. A 1920s radio.

There are serious collectors for that sort of thing.

Is it a battery-operated one or is it a plug-in job?

-I would have never thought it was, but, yes, look.

-It is!

-Good grief.

-I would never have thought that.

And that came out, actually did come out of someone's attic not long go.

-Did it?

-And it didn't...

-And it didn't cost anything?

-No.

It won't make much either, unfortunately.

No, it won't, but I'll give you a fiver for it, just for a laugh.

£10.

For 10 quid...piece of cake, this is.

-I'm going to have your radio.

-OK. Thank you.

Purely on price.

I feel like the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

-Wrong colour, but close.

-Wrong colour!

James's second shop

is off the beaten track

in the tiny Norfolk parish

of Tottenhill.

-Hello. James.

-Hello. Arthur.

James has £110.10 left to spend.

-It's a good straw hat, that.

-Mm-hm.

JAMES SIGHS

Ooh, look at those Doulton vases.

Henry Doulton was one of those great Victorian entrepreneurs,

and where there's muck, there's brass,

and Henry Doulton put in all the sewage lining,

salt-glazed stoneware for London.

Put in all these big pipes for sanitation, for water.

He made so much money,

and he formed this union with the Lambeth School of Art.

And so he took the brightest and best

to work in his studios and started doing art pottery.

Arthur, they're very nice, aren't they?

-They are, they are.

-So, your price is...?

£50, and that's the best I can do on them.

£50? I'll take it, Arthur. Thank you very much indeed.

-Right.

-So, that's good. We've started off to a flying start.

These two vases were produced by Hannah Barlow,

a renowned designer for Doulton Lambeth.

They're potentially pretty valuable, so great spot, James.

He's on a roll now.

Look at him go. Nice box.

Devices like this were all the rage in the 19th century.

It's electrotherapy,

and it dubiously promised to cure diseases and boost energy.

So, you hold these in both hands, wind the handle frenetically

and it gives you an electrical charge, and I'll be buzzy,

-I'll be singing arias...

-HE SINGS OPERATICALLY

How much have you got on this?

-30?

-50. No...

Well, 30... Yeah, 35, I'd do it for.

35.

-I'll give you 35 for it.

-All right. Fair enough.

-Thank you, Arthur.

So, James has spent a total of £85 on the mahogany medical instrument

and the fantastic two Doulton Lambeth vases.

It's been a busy old day.

So rest up, chaps.

And nighty-night.

It's a brand-new day,

and the boys are back on the road in search of the Holy Grail.

You've got a bit of a smug look about you,

-to be perfectly honest.

-I...

Charlie, I think I bought a game changer yesterday.

-You haven't.

-Yep. Not just one but two.

Charlie's heading to

the Norfolk market town of Hingham.

Courtyard Antiques, run by John and his wife,

is the first shop of the day.

And time to get spending, Charlie.

-Actually, something took my eye as I came in.

-Really?

I have been shopping already on my trip and bought one of these.

Well, when I say bought it, I was very nearly given it,

and it went off to auction and it did all right,

-so I'm on a roll with these.

-Oh, well.

-Does it work?

-Of course it works. It's a splendid machine.

# I'll be with you

# In apple blossom times... #

-Lovely. Would you care to...?

-Would you dance with me, John?

# I'll be with you... #

How beautifully you dance.

-Thank you so much.

-CHARLIE CHUCKLES

It's fantastic.

I wonder how I've lived without it all my life, really.

Try me with the price.

It's an incredible £85.

Ah... I bought mine for 40 quid...

-Yeah.

-..and it...it did make 80 at auction.

Frighten me with a good price.

-Well, it won't be a good price, but it'll certainly frighten you.

-Yes?

It'd have to be rather like the last one -

-sort of 30 quid or something.

-No, it can't be, I'm afraid.

I didn't think it could.

Perhaps one to set aside for now then, Charlie,

and just keep looking.

This three-piece clock set has a ticket price of £140.

I love them. I have to say, that is pure Art Deco.

-If that isn't 1930...

-It works and the key's there, so...

Does it tick?

Yes, it does.

-I'll tell you what...

-Yeah?

-Take the clock for 50 quid.

HE RUBS HIS HANDS ENTHUSIASTICALLY

Yeah, I'll give you 50 quid for your clock set.

-So, why don't you have both?

-Erm...

-90 quid for the two.

-Oh! There's a bulk purchase offer there.

-Yes, why not?

-I'll have the two for 90, sir.

-Good man.

Thank you very much indeed.

-Very sensible buy.

-I'm thrilled I called in.

James is travelling to

the Norfolk town of Thetford.

In the mid-1800s, Norfolk became home to maharaja Duleep Singh,

an Indian prince with a fascinating story.

His connection to these parts is celebrated here

at the Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life.

James is meeting curator Oliver Bone.

-Hello, Oliver.

-Ah, James, hello.

Welcome to the Ancient House Museum.

It is very beautiful.

Now, who would've lived here? Who would've built it?

This is a wonderful building that is about 500 years old,

and we think it was first built by some wealthy merchant of the town.

But these days, we have a fascinating connection

with the Indian subcontinent

through the story of maharaja Duleep Singh,

and I'd love to tell you that story.

-A maharaja in Norfolk?

-Exactly.

-Lead on.

-Come through this way.

Duleep Singh was the last maharaja of the Sikh Empire

and was just an child when the British forcefully annexed

the Punjab territory of India.

Not only his kingdom but his property were taken by the British,

including the Koh-I-Noor diamond.

Once the largest diamond in the world,

it's now part of the British Crown Jewels.

The young maharaja himself was uprooted from his home in India

and adopted into a British aristocratic family.

Ah, is this our man?

And this is our man, the maharaja Duleep Singh.

He was great friends with the Royal family

and the connections with the Royal family go back to his boyhood

when he was a boy king

in the northern kingdom of the Punjab in India.

And we have here a copy of the famous Koh-I-Noor diamond.

Isn't that a wonderful thing?

-This comes from the Indian subcontinent...

-Right.

..and was owned by the maharaja's father, Ranjit Singh,

and then it passed down to him as the last king of the Punjab.

The dear old Brits, we annexed poor old...the Punjab,

and what did he get in return?

In exchange for his rights to his kingdom and his possessions,

he was given a pension by the British.

The pension he received from the government

allowed him to purchase a 17,000-acre country estate.

Although he was able to live life as an English aristocrat,

it was nothing in comparison to

the Indian kingdom taken away from him,

and he grew to resent this.

He was a great favourite of Queen Victoria,

and he, when he came to Britain,

he was invited to be with the Queen,

and I think she was rather sort of enamoured by him

and it was from this time that he made great friends with Edward

and others in the Royal family.

So he was very much part of court.

Was he a happy man here?

He was happy at first, I think,

but as time developed,

he felt that he'd been mistreated by the British

and his rebellious spirit perhaps came to the fore.

He decided that he wanted to go back to India,

maybe reclaim his kingdom.

So, he attempted to go back with his family,

they were stopped by the British at Aden,

and the family came back to this country.

But he then went on to try and raise a rebellion against the British

from Russia, from the North,

but this, sadly, well, from his perspective, it came to nothing

and his health failed him, and he died in Paris in 1893.

This sad story is a stark example of the cost paid

by many for British imperialism.

However, the maharaja's children,

and in particular his second son, Prince Frederick -

or Freddy as he was known -

embraced their lives as part of the British aristocracy.

Freddy was a major in the Norfolk Yeomanry

and was on active service in France in World War I.

He's also responsible for the establishment of the museum

here in Thetford.

And here, James, we have a photograph of Prince Frederick.

Ah!

Prince Frederick was the great benefactor of this museum.

Yeah. So, why did Freddy buy this building?

Well, this building came up for sale in the 1920s,

and the Thetford Borough Council approached Prince Frederick.

They knew how fascinated he was in history and collecting,

and he was the perfect person to approach

to set up a museum for the town.

Well, it's a really beautiful house, and it's a lovely collection,

and, yeah, a great story.

Thanks you very much indeed, Oliver.

The boys are en route

to the town of Swaffham.

This old grammar school has

been converted into an antiques shop and tea room.

It is the last chance for Charlie and James

to add to their antiques haul on this leg.

-Here we are. Get your nose in.

-Get my nose in here.

-There we are. Look. How lovely.

-Oh.

There's a lady at work here, Bingo.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Is this your establishment?

-It certainly is.

-You must be Melanie, then.

-I am.

-This is my good friend, James Braxton.

-Hello, Melanie.

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

-Very good to meet you.

Is there another room through there?

-There's another two rooms through there.

-Two rooms!

I will go to the far end. I'll leave you with Melanie...

-I'll stay here with Melanie.

-..momentarily.

We may be some time.

Ah! The binoculars are fantastic.

-Aren't they beautiful?

-They are. They're lovely.

-28 quid? Do they work?

-Yes.

They do.

Marvellous. Oh, I can see a palm tree.

-I'm not sure I am in Swaffham!

-MELANIE LAUGHS

-They're lovely.

-They're beautiful.

-Cor blimey. They're worth negotiating on, I think.

-OK.

One to think about.

James is off to check out a shop called Wiggle Room Stuff,

a separate little unit based on the same site.

-Hello. James.

-Hello. Lovely to meet you. Julie.

-Hello, Julie. How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

Now, Julie, I don't come here with a lot of money,

so I've got a small amount of money, but I want to buy something spot-on.

What about these?

I mean, they're useful, aren't they?

-They're good.

-They're gorgeous, they are.

They're just what I need to file, to organise my filing.

So, they're brass-trimmed in-and-out files.

They're rather fun. They're a pair. Er...

You know, this is organisation on a...

Put your post in here and then deal with it.

Deal with it the same day, preferably.

-What would buy those, Julie?

-Erm...

-Think small.

-£18 to you.

-You've got yourself a deal, Julie.

-Thank you.

Come on, let me pay you.

But will Charlie bid for the binoculars?

Owner Paul has come to discuss price. Look out.

How much are your binoculars?

-I love those.

-20.

-How much?

-20.

It's getting better.

-No, that's about it.

-As far as it goes.

-LAUGHING:

-As far as it goes! Aren't they lovely, though?

-Are they First World War ones?

-Yes.

And they're optically nice.

-Are they?

-He does the jokes.

You're right -

Melanie looks absolutely sensational through these...

not that she doesn't anyway!

I'm going to buy your First World War binoculars

-for £20, sir.

-OK.

So, £20 for the binoculars completes the shopping for this leg.

Charlie Ross has spent £153 on six lots.

He's picked up a 19th-century draughtsman's rule,

a wind-up gramophone,

an Art Deco three-piece clock set,

a battery-operated radio,

a glass decanter

and the pair of World War I binoculars.

James Braxton spent £213 on his six lots -

the Chinese tea caddy,

the railway mileage post,

the two Doulton Lambeth vases,

the mahogany-cased Victorian medical instrument

and the pair of in-and-out trays.

But what do they make of each other's purchases?

We all know Charlie's very musical.

He's got the gramophone, now he's added a radio at £10.

Now, that could do quite well.

Now, let's face it - he's bought two Hannah Barlow vases for £50 -

£25 each.

He has BLOWN me away.

Well done, James.

The boys are travelling

to the auction

in the Cambridgeshire town

of St Ives.

Hyperion Auctions has been running for 20 years

and auctioneer Rod Best is in command of the rostrum today.

Eyes down, chaps. Time for the auction to begin.

This could be very exciting.

First up, it's James's rather large Chinese tea caddy.

-That's enormous.

-It is big, isn't it?

I've got several commissions. 40, 50.

I can start you at just £60.

-Ooh!

-Just 60.

-I'm looking at 65.

At £60. It's with me. I will sell.

Fair warning on this. I'm selling.

-£60.

-£60.

A £5 profit before auction costs there,

so a modest start for James.

Next, we have Charlie's Art Deco clock set.

-Let's try 30. I'll try 30.

-Oh!

-20 please?

-HE FEIGNS SOBBING

Oh! 20. We've started. We've started at 20.

22? 22.

25? 28? 30?

35?

-There's a bit of a rhythm.

-That's it. Yes.

-40.

-Come on.

No? 40, Helen? 40.

New bidder in the room at £40.

In the room. I will sell. Fair warning.

New bidder. Helen, yours. £40.

-I think it could've been a lot worse.

-Bingo...

Oh, Charlie, that's not helping your cause.

Next, it's James's in-and-out trays.

With me at 30 on commission. I'm asking now 35.

I am in the presence of a master.

Against the internet, against you.

With me at 30.

I will sell to an internet bid at £30.

-30.

-That's more like it.

That reasonable profit keeps James in the lead.

Next for Charlie is his battery-operated radio.

-What age is this radio?

-1958? '60? Something like that.

-Oh...

-Yeah, quite old.

-Well, let's start at ten. Low start. Ten we have.

-Oh!

Give me 12 now. It's a maiden bid at ten.

Now, that's low for this. It's a good, a good radio.

At ten. I will sell. I will sell.

On £10, your maiden bid. At £10. Are we all done?

Ten.

With auction costs, that will be a small loss.

Perhaps he'll have more luck with the wind-up gramophone.

Did you do well on the last gramophone?

Yeah. Cost 40 - sold for 80.

I have £10 only. That said. Tenner only.

-What?!

-I know. Low start.

I'm looking for 12 now. 12. 15 anywhere?

We've got a long way to go to get to 80.

Where's 15? 15 there.

18? 20?

-Come on.

-Come on.

-18 there.

Looking for 20 now. 20.

Two? Five? Eight?

£25. And sell... 28.

30 anywhere? Got the internet at 28.

On the screen, £28.

I will sell. Fair warning.

Auctioneer won't wait. 28.

-28.

-It's time to hoist the white flag.

-LAUGHING:

-"Hoist the white flag."

Not quite yet. Ha, no more gramophones, though.

James's Victorian electrotherapy medical instrument now.

Stand by for a shock.

Quite a low start. £10. 10? 12? 15?

18? 20? Two? Five? 25?

It's in the room at 25. I'm looking for 28 now.

-There aren't many medics in the room, are there?

-30.

It's the front row at 30.

You're out, you're out, he's in. We're done. 30.

-30.

-30.

-Well, again, it's a small working loss, isn't it?

It's a working loss again.

Only a small loss, James.

Time to see if Charlie's binoculars can help him out.

I just think that anything that survives the trenches

deserves our bidding.

I don't think you'll be able to see further than about ten feet

-when you're using those...

-That's all you needed.

-The trenches weren't far apart.

-Well... Anyway...

-He hasn't helped there as much, has he?

-No.

Got to be sold. Five, I've got. Eight. Ten, 12.

Ten with you, sir. Selling at £10. Oh, 12. Net's in.

15? 15. It's 15 here. 18 anywhere?

18. He's got one more. 20? 20, it is.

-Yes! Now we're going.

-Come on!

-22? 25?

-Yes!

-22. It's going.

Are we all done? Fair warning on this.

At 22. There we go.

Now, when the auctioneer says, "I've now got a pair of binoculars

"and you can't see anything through them," it doesn't help.

It doesn't, it doesn't.

Fair point well made there, Charlie.

Hopefully his draughtsman's rule will fare better.

Where do we want to bid? Five?

Five? Terry, well done. That's five for Terry.

-We're looking for eight now.

-Eight.

-They want it.

-Selling to Terry.

Against you all. Front row. Eight, I've got.

Ten, Terry? 12, sir?

Ten's in the front row again.

-12 - new bidder. 15, Terry?

-It's a profit!

I will sell. We're all done? Done.

JAMES CHUCKLES A profit's a profit, Charlie,

and the competition's still close.

That's all right, isn't it?

James's railway mileage post is next to go.

£10 start. Let's start at ten. Low start at ten.

£10. Looking for 12.

12, they've got. 15? 18?

-How much do we need?

-30.

-18? 20? 22?

-25?

-There we go.

-28?

-Oh, we're going.

30? Five?

30. 30 there. 30 to you, then. All done? £30.

That loss gives Charlie the narrowest of leads.

Can his final lot, the glass decanter, come up trumps?

Fiver, if you like. It's got to be sold.

-I can't believe this, Bingo. Bingo...

-£5? Eight? Ten? 12?

-12 here now. 12 here. 15?

-Come on.

-No? There's 12 here. 15? Yes, 15. 18?

-Come on.

18? 18?

15, then. Behind you at 15.

There it goes. I'm selling at £15. 15. Thank you.

-I think here, my case rests.

-15.

-I've failed.

-Dear, oh, dear.

Not the result Charlie was hoping for.

So, it all comes down to James's much-heralded

Hannah Barlow Doulton Lambeth vases.

How will the first one do?

50, I have. 55 on the left. 60? Five? 70? Five?

-It's still climbing.

-80? Five?

-Ride it.

90 on the net. 100? 100 there. 110? 120?

-Got a long way to go, Bingo.

-140?

150? 160? 160. 180?

Lordy, James has blown Charlie out of the water with this lot.

170? 180? 170 to the net.

Last fair warning on this. At £170.

All done? 170.

I have to say well done.

A very impressive result for James there.

It'll be interesting to see what the next one makes.

Well, let's see, shall we, James?

80, I've got. Give me 90 now. 90. 100? 110? 120?

130? 140? 140, I've got. 140.

-Looking for 150. 150. 160?

-This might make more.

-160. In the room at 160.

-This is interesting.

-170 now.

170. They're awake. We're awake. 180? 180. It's against you...

Are deer more unusual than sheep? I suppose they are.

I've got 200. 220?

210, if it helps?

200's on the net. Make no mistake in that.

It's against you all. On the net at £200 dead. Done.

Fantastic result.

The Doulton Lambeth vases were indeed the game changer,

which leaves their piggybanks like this.

Charlie started with £197.62.

After auction costs, he lost £48.86,

leaving him with £148.76.

James started the day with £220.10.

After auction costs, he made an amazing profit of £213.40,

leaving him with £433.50 to spend next time.

-Large profit, sir.

-A large profit.

-Thank you.

-Carry on, sir. Do get in.

-Thank you, thank you.

-Where to, sir?

-Erm, Central London, I think, Ross.

-The nightclub, sir?

-Night...

-JAMES LAUGHS

So, bragging rights to Braxton,

and Charlie's on chauffeuring duties.

Cheerio, chaps.