Episode 16 Antiques Road Trip

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

-This is beautiful.

-That's the way to do this.

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

Joy! Hello!

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

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

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

The handbrake's on!

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah.

Today, we begin a very special road trip,

starting right here in the Republic of Ireland.

Oh, yes, this'll be a treat for our top auctioneers,

Christina Trevanion and Thomas Plant.

What a combo.

Your impressions of Ireland? You've been here before, I've been here before.

You can go anywhere in the world, and you can go and visit countries

and they're beautiful, but it's all about the welcome you get, isn't it?

Yeah, absolutely.

It's wonderful, and the people are so friendly, and so accommodating,

and so sweet.

Hey, I love the Wedgwood blue wheels, guys.

Their quirky 1962 Bedford van was manufactured before it was

compulsory to fit seatbelts, so it's legal to drive without them.

-Do you know what slightly worries me?

-What?

That's the engine!

-It is the engine, isn't it?

-And it's quite nice as a heater.

It was originally built as a crew van for workers,

and survivors of its type are rare.

I did a bit of research about this last night.

They are the most amazing utility vehicles.

This was the basis of the ambulance. Ice cream vans.

-Yep.

-Amazing.

Our jewellery and silver buffs start their trip with £200 apiece,

but as they begin in Ireland, they'll kick off with 285 euros.

Get it?

Starting in Cashel in County Tipperary,

they'll get about Ireland, hop across to North Wales,

whizz around England,

and then end up, over 700 miles later, in Stoke-on-Trent.

This first leg will see them travel from Cashel

towards the opening auction in Birr, County Offaly.

Third, darling, third.

-Hang on a minute!

-Well done.

Those two are like an old married couple already.

Remember to look out the window once in a while, guys.

-There's a castle!

-There's castles everywhere.

-There are kings and queens and clans and everything here.

-Ooh.

At the southern end of Ireland,

County Tipperary is known as the subject of a world-famous song.

It became popular with the British Army after young Irish soldiers

began to sing it as they marched into battle at the start of World War I.

# It's a long way to Tipperary... #

However, it's not far to Thomas's first shop of the trip.

-See you later. Bye!

-You look marvellous!

Owner Ruth Barry's in charge here.

Looks like she does more than antiques, too.

Bit of lotus, maybe.

-You're Ruth?

-Yes, I am.

-I saw your name on the door.

-Yes.

And it's sort of Giver of Hope.

I'm a yoga teacher and when you do your teacher training,

they bestow a name on you, and that was Asha, Giver of Hope.

-Well, I hope you're going to give me hope today.

-I hope so, I hope!

Make yourself at home and if you need any help, just give me a shout.

-I will do, thank you.

-All right, thank you.

THUD! Oh, careful!

Ruth only opens for alfresco shopping in good weather,

so enjoy it while it lasts, Thomas!

THOMAS LAUGHS

I just totally...

..love these tambour-fronted cabinets.

What's even better is this here. Wait for it...

RATTLING

Ah! And it's all hidden away.

This early 20th-century oak cabinet is 490 euros,

way over Thomas's budget.

Looks like that's not his only problem now.

Whoops, has he broken it?

Ruth, erm, is there a key for this?

I'm afraid not. What did you do?

-I just pulled it down and it locked.

-Well...

you really should have asked for some help with that, Thomas.

-Now you've broken it.

-I don't think I've broken it.

Bit awkward, this.

It has happened before, so Ruth knows how to fix it, thankfully.

Meanwhile, Christina has headed just half an hour north,

still in Tipperary, to the small village of Templetuohy.

Her first shop is Larkins Antiques,

a family-run affair that's been on the go for over 30 years.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-Hello, good morning.

-How are you, Christina?

-Very well, thank you.

-Nice to meet you, I'm Christina.

-And I'm Mary.

Lovely to meet you, Mary. My goodness, what a shop!

-So tell me, Mary.

-Yes?

-I'm going in completely blind.

I know nothing about the Irish auction market.

So what are people buying?

Lovely sets of China. China is in big-time in Ireland.

Are people buying furniture over here?

Oh, they are, yeah. Antique furniture.

I'll go and have a wander and I'll see you in a bit.

Absolutely. Right.

Well, neither sell brilliantly in the UK at the moment.

Just goes to show that local knowledge is key.

Clever move, there, Christina.

So China's selling well. That's interesting, isn't it?

Tea sets, my goodness.

That's rather fun, isn't it?

This isn't early enough...

..sadly, to be a George Jones piece. Quite interesting, though, isn't it?

Certainly got a look and we're finding that, in the UK,

majolica is selling incredibly well.

George Jones began manufacturing this type of elaborately moulded ceramics

in the late 1860s - however, this was made long after George Jones died

and that's why it's called "majolica-style".

What have you got on that, Mary?

Well, I could give you that for...

..40 euros.

-Well, it's certainly got a look to it.

-Absolutely, yes.

OK, so that could be a possibility,

-cos I quite like that.

-It's gorgeous.

But Christina's only scratched the surface of Mary's wares.

Oh, that's quite fun. How much is on that?

-Do we know?

-Mike?

-My husband. This is Christina.

-Hello. Nice to meet you.

-You're in charge of the furniture, are you?

-Yes.

How much is on your chair that needs some TLC, Michael?

Er, that's 100 euros.

-100 euros. It does need a lot of TLC.

-It does.

Indeed. At least the frame of this Victorian carved chair

is still in pretty good condition.

Is there any flexibility on that price, Michael?

Maybe a little bit.

Um, 85?

85 euro, OK.

I quite like that.

It's definitely a possibility. Thank you, Mike, you're a gentleman.

I will give it some thought.

Back in Cashel, Thomas has been doing some al fresco browsing.

-Can I go inside?

-Of course you may, yes.

He's on to something, look.

I love these, these are fab.

They're gorgeous.

-So we've got the Burgundy, we've got Chartreuse.

-Yes.

-I have another one inside.

-Do you?

-Yeah, hang on.

By the turn of the 18th century,

decanters were popular in the homes of both the middle and upper classes.

The labels indicating the liquid contents

were originally called "bottle tickets".

-Look, "Kew-rac-oh".

-Curacao, actually.

In perfect condition.

-So they're on copper with enamel.

-Yeah.

-And how much are these each?

-Ten each.

-Ten each.

-They're a giveaway.

-OK, we'll talk about that.

-Oh, right.

-And then how much are these?

This one is 12.

And these two little ones are eight.

-I mean...

-Two, three, four, five - 50 euro.

-62.

-OK.

-78 euros.

-You're good at the maths.

How about we start at 40 euros and then we work somewhere...

Oh, my God, no.

-Where can we meet in the middle?

-Thomas...really.

-You're not going to sell them to me at 40, I get that.

-OK, 65.

Ah, that's far too much!

-No.

-Yes, it is.

-These are beautiful.

-They are beautiful.

-I love them.

-You never see these. They're gorgeous.

-Could say 60 and it's a deal?

-Oh, OK, for you.

-Yeah, you think so?

-Yeah.

-Let's do it.

-All right.

60 euros is for the eight

silver-plated and enamelled decanter labels.

Before I go, you are a yoga teacher.

Are there any moves you can teach me to sort of bring me any Zen

on my trip in Ireland?

I think the best thing you can do is to practise your breathing.

As you exhale, simply make a "ha" sound at the back of the throat.

I think that grunting would kind of annoy Christina quite a lot.

But it's quite funny, I'm going to do it.

Lucky Christina!

Speaking of which, back in Templetuohy,

she's enlisted Mary's help once more.

I thought these were quite fun.

Oh, you've lovely taste.

Aren't they beautiful?

I mean, typically 1830, this body to me looks like a Coalport body.

But that's really unusual decoration.

I mean, this is what we call a spur handle,

that typical spur handle of about 1830.

-Is there any more of the tea set?

-I have.

-It's so funny, I have.

-Have you?

And Mary's secret stash is in a drawer behind the counter, obviously.

What else have you got in that drawer?

-No, I can't show you what's in my drawers, Christina.

-Oh, my goodness.

Crikey, there's loads of it, look!

-Are they not fabulous?

-They are fabulous.

Are they not the nicest you've ever seen?

I love the fact that you've got the breakfast cups

-and you've got the coffee cups.

-I have.

-I love that.

The tea and coffee service isn't complete,

but there's so much of it that you could make easily a full set of six,

with spares.

-I need 180.

-Oh, God.

-Which is nothing, because it's a beauty.

Christina, you're never going to see another one. Never.

Can we do...

200 for the tea service and the chair?

-You have a deal.

-I'm still quite tempted by the majolica.

Can we say 210 for all of it?

-210.

-For the tea service, the chair and the majolica.

-She's hitting me the whole time, you are a hard woman.

-Go on. Will you?

-A smile.

-Will you? Yeah, thank you, Mary!

Christina has certainly gone big and bold on day one,

parting with 210 euros for three items.

She's now taking a break from the shopping, heading north,

crossing into County Offaly to the Irish heritage town of Birr.

Its 17th-century castle was once home

to a hotbed of world-famous scientific discovery.

This magnificent contraption was once the world's largest telescope,

known as the Leviathan of Parsonstown.

It was the brainchild of William Parsons,

the 3rd Earl of Rosse, and put Birr on the global map.

Christina is here to meet the castle's current resident,

the 3rd Earl's great-great-grandson,

Brendan Parsons, also known as Lord Rosse.

-Welcome to you, Christina.

-Thank you so much.

Welcome to the great telescope of Birr.

This amazing feat of engineering and invention

played a major role in astronomical discovery.

What was he trying to do with his telescope?

He wanted to see further into space than anyone had ever been able

to see before and he wanted to build bigger.

How does it work?

-It works as a reflecting telescope.

-Right.

-With a mirror in the big black box at the bottom.

-Right.

The eyepiece picked up the image received

-in the huge, huge, six-foot mirror at the bottom.

-At the bottom.

Armed with an idea and a degree in mathematics from Oxford,

William Parsons and his team, made up largely of locals from Birr,

spent three years inventing and building

the telescope's component parts in the castle workshop.

So, did he build the telescope...

did he get someone in to design and build it for him?

He had to think it all up himself and make it all himself.

Every single thing.

He had to start by setting up foundries in the boat,

-fired by the fuel from the turf from the local bog.

-Uh-huh.

The biggest challenge was constructing

the central piece of the telescope, its huge mirror.

I would imagine that in the 1840s,

creating a six-foot diameter mirror was not easy.

It was impossible to create a mirror of anything like that size

in glass, as one would expect today.

The first mirrors cracked

because the outside cooled before the inside.

Can you imagine the disappointment?

But there was far greater determination.

And the determination paid off.

In 1845, work was complete on the 54-foot, 16-ton telescope.

Its fame quickly spread around the world.

What did they discover?

His greatest discovery was what's now called the spiral nebula.

It was groundbreaking at the time, and for the next few decades,

hundreds of the world's greatest minds came to Birr

to observe the great discovery.

Three years after unveiling his telescope,

William Parsons became President of the Royal Society,

a world-renowned scientific organisation.

When he died in 1867, his telescope was still

the largest in the world, and would remain so for a further 50 years.

Birr became a global centre for astronomical research,

spurring on further generations of the family,

most notably the 4th Earl, who focused his attention on the moon.

What do we have here, Lord Rosse?

This is a machine that was made by the 4th Earl

-in 1867.

-Did he inherit the telescope?

So he inherited the telescope and a passion for astronomy,

but focused it slightly more on measuring the heat of the moon

-with this instrument.

-Measuring the heat of the moon?

Yes, he spent years and years trying to measure the heat of the moon,

only to see his measurements dismissed at the time

as the madness of a typically mad Irish Earl, he was thought to be,

wasting all his time.

Amazingly, it wasn't until man finally stepped on the moon

that the 4th Earl's calculations

were tested and found to be more accurate than originally thought.

So, this is a letter from Neil Armstrong?

That is a letter to the my mother...

-Yeah.

-..after his visit here,

and sharing with her the temperature of the moon as he found it,

as it related to the temperature of the moon as measured

by my great-grandfather, the 4th Earl, with that instrument there.

-So, the 4th Earl...

-It wasn't as mad as was dismissed at the time.

In fact, it was accurate to within about 4%.

-So, almost 100 years later, he was proved right?

-Yes.

Through the ingenuity of the Parsons family,

Birr Castle was a hub of discovery and innovation.

Now, with its modern-day science centre, they hope to continue

inspiring budding astronomers to follow in their footsteps.

I have to say, it's been absolutely fascinating

learning about your astronomical family. Thank you so much.

Thank you, Christina, for your interest.

Meanwhile, rival Thomas has joined Christina in Birr, County Offaly,

but he's here to shop.

-Hi, Tom, how are you?

-Very well.

-What's your name?

-Breda.

-Breda?

-Yes.

-Nice to see you, Breda.

Indeed, nice place you've got here too.

Lovely office chair. Just a bit more than I've got to spend.

There's loads to look at,

so hopefully I shall be buying something.

The question, of course, is - what?

Quite a cool cocktail shaker.

You know, drinking is always a popular thing.

And certainly cocktail shakers, it evokes that sort of vintage style.

It's silver-plated.

And one puts your mixers in there.

It's got a cork stopper, which means that none of the mix will fall out.

Rather lovely, really, with a handle,

and it just looks rather good fun.

Not a bad option, though.

But I'm sure there's more temptation somewhere.

This is an extraordinarily thing.

Being marked sterling means it could be American.

Cos that's how the Americans stamped their silver,

with the sterling mark, rather than our British hallmarks.

British and Irish hallmarks, one should say.

I'm not going to spend 95 euros on something I don't know what it is.

Perhaps Breda does.

-What is this?

-It's a cake breaker.

If you have a very fresh sponge, what the Victorians -

and they had something for everything, as you know yourself -

they'd push it down through it

and it would stop the cake literally from breaking.

And they'd slip the knife in and then you'd have a perforated slice.

Oh, yes! Cor, those Victorians certainly knew how to prevent

their cakes from being squashed!

What an interesting object.

In the right sort of climate, really.

Baking is quite popular these days, isn't it?

Another one to ponder.

Some soda siphons, they could...

We could make a sort of cocktail lot.

"Mineral Waters Distributors Ltd, Dublin."

So an Irish soda siphon.

There's a pewter one there.

Here we are.

"A & R Thwaites & Co."

There's no price on there. It's obviously free.

Hey, time to do some buying. You're needed, Breda.

-The cocktail shaker.

-OK.

-What can that be?

-There's a price of 45 on it, isn't there?

-Yes.

-OK.

-I was thinking maybe 25.

Well, since you're such a nice gentleman,

-and you obviously need it...

-Yeah, I do.

-OK.

-25 for that.

-Yeah.

-Great.

-So that's one thing out of the way.

-OK.

What about that rather unusual cake-breaking thingy?

-What could you do that for?

-Well, it's 95.

-Yeah.

-Mm.

What about 45?

-Now, it is nice, and it is silver.

-It is, yes.

-I would be very happy with 55.

-55. I think you've got yourself a deal.

-OK, very good.

-I like it very much.

He's clocking up the purchases in here,

and those soda siphons are still an option.

Pub is very much in vogue at the moment. A lot of people collect it.

And they're going away from the contemporary look in pubs

-and are actually doing them up in the old style.

-Are they?

How much can the three of them be? 30?

-35?

-No, I didn't have that number in my head, no.

-40, then?

-Well, as I said, you are such a gentleman, yeah, OK,

40 would suit me.

-Would that suit you?

-Mm.

-Deal. That's another deal.

-You are very welcome.

Good work, Thomas, that's the Art Deco cocktail shaker,

a sterling silver cake-breaker

and three soda siphons for 120 euros.

Well, a successful sort of day, really.

We've got...mainly drinking and eating items.

Tomorrow I've got to buy that sure-fire profit.

And with that, it's time for our experts

to head off to the land of Nod.

Night-night.

Another glorious day in Ireland.

I keep on going...for...

this gear stick here.

-It's here, darling.

-I know, I know.

-The stick here is here. The stick is here, Thomas.

-Well done.

And third, go on, go on, you can do it, you can do it, go on.

-Go on! Third is easy.

-Hurrah!

-Third is easy.

Fortunately, Thomas is better at dealing than driving.

Yesterday, he secured some decanter labels,

a cocktail shaker,

three soda siphons

and a cake breaker for 180 euros,

leaving him 105 euros.

Christina spent big, blowing three-quarters of her budget

on a tea and coffee service,

a Victorian chair and a majolica-style jardiniere.

So, she has just 75 euros to spend today.

-How was your shopping?

-It was good.

However, I did feel that maybe I spent a little bit too much money.

But Mary did give me some good tips

about what was selling in Ireland and what wasn't.

-Well, what is selling well in Ireland?

-According to Mary,

anything that's not selling in the UK apparently sells well in Ireland.

-That's superb.

-So I bought brown furniture and tea sets.

THEY LAUGH

But will Mary be proved right, come the auction?

This morning, our duo are starting at Portlaoise.

-Where we were yesterday?

-Where we were yesterday?

-We were in County Tipperary, weren't we?

-And where are we today?

Portlaoise?

# We're a long way from Tipperary

# It's a long way to go. #

And on that rather terrible note, Portlaoise, in County Laoise,

is an attractive, rapidly-growing market town.

-Don't buy too well.

-Enjoy. Don't break it.

-I won't break it.

Christina's next shop is run by David Kane and Robert Colin.

-Good morning, how are you?

-Good morning, I'm very well.

You're very welcome to the Store Yard.

-Thank you, what's your name?

-I'm Robert.

-Lovely to meet you, Robert. And you are?

-David, how are you?

-Pleased to meet you.

-This is amazing.

-This is a sort of hidden world.

-It's a treasure inside.

Oh, yes, it's big enough

and rammed with architectural and decorative items.

I know nothing really about the Irish market

because we are selling in an auction in Birr.

-Do you know about auction houses here?

-I do.

-I do know the one in Birr.

-Good, I like that.

-It's a strong family auction house for years.

-Brilliant.

-Insider information, I like it. Brilliant.

-Do lots of rural bygones.

-Quirky things also, actually.

-OK.

-Good house.

What about...fairly knackered old chairs?

-Do you think that will sell well there?

-No.

-Oh, really?

Oh, Christina, perhaps you can spread the risk with some more items?

I think it's the most beautiful antique shop I've never been into.

-Thanks very much.

-I'm in love with it. It's wonderful.

David and his team often provide pieces for sets of period dramas.

-Ah, beautiful.

-More there for you.

Like an alleyway of gorgeousness, isn't it? Look at those colours.

They can kit out entire rooms for certain periods.

This is beautiful!

Even down to wall coverings,

like this room of 18th-century American pine panelling.

-Is this room for sale?

-Yes.

Just stunning. I love it.

How much would it cost me to buy this room?

The price of a bungalow in Ireland at the moment.

Oh, really? I definitely haven't got that in my budget.

Ha! I bet you wish you had more than 75 euros left, eh, Christina?

-That's quite nice.

-That's a nice little thing, actually.

It's priced very well, there is some damage.

But it's nice Florian ware.

Florian ware was the company that Moorcroft started working for.

-Correct.

-Before he started his own factory.

And you've got "WM des", so William Moorcroft designer.

Nice Florian ware stamp.

-25 euros?

-Yeah.

I mean, yes, it's got some damage to it, but I still think

for a Moorcroft collector, that's a really nice thing, isn't it?

A good thing, yes, a very good thing.

Well, that's a distinct possibility, David. I like this a lot.

-OK, shall we keep wandering?

-Yeah.

Sounds positive.

Let's leave Christina to explore her new favourite shop

and join our other intrepid antiques hunter.

He's taking a breather from shopping to find out

about one of Ireland's great heroes -

a world-renowned explorer

and pioneer of the heroic age of Antarctic discovery.

Thomas is visiting Athy Heritage Centre

just a few miles from the birthplace of Sir Ernest Shackleton.

Thomas is here to meet head of the Shackleton Society, Seamus Taaffe.

Seamus, we're here because you have a famous hero, a man of great note.

Yes, we're very lucky, we have one of the greatest explorers

of all time. Ernest Shackleton was born in Kilkea.

As the eldest son of 10 children,

Shackleton was expected to help support his family.

But instead, at 16 he went off to sea and became a master mariner.

He charmed his way onto Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition in 1901,

gaining experience that led to his own endeavours

into the then uncharted continent.

We know Shackleton had lots of expeditions.

Which one is the one we all know?

The greatest expedition is obviously

his 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Bear in mind, at this stage,

the pole has been reached by Amundsen and Scott in 1913.

So he comes with a plan - he's going to cross the Antarctic from sea to sea.

The South Pole, the Antarctic?

-Yes.

-Cross it?

-Yes.

But from the very start, it all goes terribly wrong.

The mission was to sail from South Georgia to the Weddell Sea.

Once they hit land, they would continue by foot and sledge

until they reached the Ross Sea.

It had never been done before, and when they got near,

disaster struck.

The 28-man crew got stuck in ice in the Weddell Sea.

Their ship, Endurance, eventually sank,

forcing them to set up camp on the ice.

20 months after setting out, the ice finally melted

and starts pulling them in the wrong direction.

How did they survive?

They kept three lifeboats from the ship which they're pulling

across the ice towards the direction they want to go,

but the ice is still drifting, so eventually they get into open water.

They decide to go for a place called Elephant Island,

a desolate rock in the middle of nowhere in the South Atlantic.

And they spend about seven days in the three boats

until they get to Elephant Island.

-How do they do that - under sail or rowing?

-A bit of both.

But there's no hope of being rescued from this small, inhospitable island.

Shackleton knows, to stand the chance of survival,

he must take his five best sailors in one lifeboat and travel

over 1,000 kilometres back to the inhabited island of South Georgia.

The other 22 men are left behind.

The South Atlantic is a miserable place to be,

-the southern oceans, it's the worst...

-Big waves.

Big waves, daylight is very poor, it's very hard to read.

And after 70 days, they reach South Georgia,

an extraordinary boat journey, there's nothing to compare to it.

Despite their incredible achievement,

they arrive on the wrong side of the island.

The boat is battered and the crew exhausted,

so Shackleton then has to lead his team across uncharted,

rough, icy terrain by foot

to get to the whaling station on the northern side.

They spent 36 hours crossing non-stop.

At one point, the men are very tired,

so Shackleton says we'll have a sleep.

He lets them sleep for five minutes.

Then he wakes them up and says, "That was an hour, lads, great."

He was very clever how he managed his men.

But eventually they get across

and they hear the sound of the steam whistle of the whaling station.

In the morning, they know they've reached safety.

But Shackleton couldn't rest

until he'd saved all his crew from Elephant Island.

He mustered boats from Norway and Chile

to make several rescue attempts.

But it wasn't until 25th August 1916 that he reached his remaining 22 men.

They'd been stranded for almost four months

with very little in the way of provisions, but they all survived.

Seamus, what have we got here?

This is actually one of the few relics

we have of the Endurance expedition.

It's the last biscuit that Shackleton had in his pocket

crossing South Georgia.

The last bit of food he had left to feed himself and his men with.

I think he kept it as a reminder to himself for the rest of his life

-of how close they came to death at that time.

-That's marvellous.

Although Shackleton didn't achieve his scientific goals,

his heroism has gone down in history.

He set off on what would be his final Antarctic expedition

in late 1921, this time aiming to circumnavigate the continent.

Is this the album of his last voyage?

It's images from the expedition from the very get-go.

This album is in some ways a sad relic of the expedition

because that's where he died -

at the scene of his greatest triumph, where he rescued his men.

-He died there.

-He died there.

Shackleton died of a heart attack in January 1922

and was buried on South Georgia.

His courage and skill in keeping everyone alive

on his trans-Antarctic expedition has become his enduring legacy.

Back in Portlaoise, Christina is still shopping in heaven.

-That's quite smart, isn't it?

-Yes, nice little pond yacht, actually.

I mean, it's typically early-20th century, isn't it?

-Can you imagine the hours of fun someone's had with that?

-Exactly.

-Pure enjoyment.

-Yeah, exactly.

-And the sails are all original.

-Have you got the stand?

-I don't have the stand, unfortunately.

-But the condition is good.

-I do love these things.

What have you got on that, David?

125 we have on it, but we'll do something on it.

Could you do quite a lot on it?

-Do I have to sit down?

-I think you might have to.

-Tell me.

I really don't have much money left and I don't want to offend you,

-but I love the Moorcroft.

-Mm-hm.

I mean, would you really, really, really, really

throw me out of this beautiful place - please don't,

because I love it - if I said 50 euros for the two?

I'll do 60 for the two. Is that fair?

-60 for the two, I think that is more than fair.

-Very good.

You're incredibly generous.

That you are.

That's 60 euros for a reasonably priced, but slightly damaged,

Florian ware butter dish

and a late-Victorian or early-Edwardian pond yacht.

Meanwhile, Thomas has one last chance to shop in Kilkenny,

at Darcy & Ralph Antiques.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Thomas.

-I'm George.

-George, nice to see you.

Have you got anything particularly sort of Irish related?

I had Waterford glass yesterday, but I've run out today.

-But I've got some Belleek.

-Belleek over there, is there?

Yes, there's a bit of Belleek and a lot more besides.

It doesn't sort of stop, does it?

You've got pictures, mirrors, guitars,

fans.

I need to cool myself down. Scales.

This is what George mentioned, a bit of Belleek.

Belleek's founder, John Caldwell Bloomfield,

set up the Northern Irish pottery business

to provide employment after the potato famine

in the mid-19th century, and has been producing fine China ever since.

Oh, look at this.

-County Fermanagh.

-Yeah, that's right.

County Fermanagh.

Marked "Ireland".

-Green mark.

-Hm?

Green mark.

-The green mark is the later one?

-Yes, it is.

A possible, then.

Or there's this Irish transfer-printed dinner service.

Look at that, made in the Republic.

You could have that for 40.

-40!?

-Yeah.

-You're having a laugh. 40?

-Mm.

-It's perfect, though, isn't it? Arklow pottery.

-Yeah.

HOLLOW RINGING

A good ring.

But there's more there.

In fact, George has got tons of it.

But it's not a complete dinner service and there is some damage.

I do like this Belleek, because it's known and although it's modern,

its lustre, it's rather smart, very fine porcelain.

HOLLOW RINGING

-Sounds good.

-A good jingle out of it, yes.

A bit of paint on there, but that's not the end of the world.

So, would you take 20 euros for this?

-I will.

-You would?

-I will.

-You have a deal. Thank you.

You're a star. I'll give you some money.

Swift business. 20 euros for a Belleek jug and bowl.

-I wish you good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thanks a million.

-You're a star.

Thank you. Thanks a lot.

And with that, their first shopping trip draws to a close.

Christina spent 270 euros on a rather worn Victorian chair,

a majolica-style jardiniere,

a tea and coffee service,

a Florian ware butter dish

and a pond yacht.

While Thomas paid out 200 euros for eight decanter labels,

an Art Deco cocktail shaker,

a cake breaker,

three soda siphons,

and a Belleek jug and bowl. So, what do they think?

I think this is going to be really interesting.

Cos there's a couple of things Christina has bought

which I would never have entertained.

There seems to be quite a common theme to Thomas's purchases,

I think the Irish black stuff might have slightly gone to his head.

He's bought a lot of sort of alcohol-related ephemera.

I don't know if he's trying to build himself

a little category in the auction, maybe, to attract buyers.

One thing I think should be consigned

to the hole of hell of antique buying,

that's that reproduction jardiniere. What?!

The cocktail shaker is just Thomas through and through.

It's sleek, it's a bit glam, it's quite suave.

I think it's fabulous, I love it, I'd buy that, I think it's great.

After setting out from Cashel, our experts are now heading for

their first auction, back in Birr, County Offaly,

which is Offaly nice!

-So, did you enjoy our first Irish buying leg?

-I did, I loved it.

I want to stay here, I don't want to go back to the United Kingdom.

But will he be saying that after round one of Trevanion versus Plant?

So, first leg.

First up, literally both of us straight out of the box.

Who's going to be victorious?

Christina, I think you might come out of this one better than myself,

-although you have risked more on the bigger lots.

-Yeah, I have.

I'm not confident about any of my lots, I am not confident.

Too late now, Thomas.

Oh, there you are.

You have mastered this thing now.

-Well, I knew I would.

-Right, neutral?

-Yeah.

-I'm in neutral, it's off.

-Handbrake?

-Handbrake on, come on.

-Ladies first.

-Thank you.

Welcome to 45-year-old Purcell Auctioneer's.

Today's guy with the gavel is Conor Purcell.

What does he think about our expert's treasures?

Chair, yeah, I really don't see the demand for that at all.

The pond yacht is a nice decorative thing.

Lovely in a man cave or something like that.

The set of decanter labels are lovely and pretty,

but I don't think people leave alcohol that long.

So it might struggle.

The cocktail shaker is a nice, collectable thing.

I would imagine it will certainly...it'll do OK.

Time to find out who has the luck of the Irish.

First up is Thomas's Belleek jug and bowl.

20 anywhere for this lot?

20 anywhere? 10 and see what happens.

-Any advance on 10?

-10, he's got 10. 12?

-Any advance on 12. 14 online.

-Any advance on 14?

-Come on.

-16 in the room.

Still in the room at 16. It's against you, online bidder.

Last chance. I'm selling in the room at 16.

It's a shaky start, but it can only get better.

Easy for you to say.

Let's see if Thomas's Art Deco cocktail shaker

can turn his luck around?

The commission is here with me at 30, and two,

-and five, and eight, and 40, and two.

-Profit.

-42 now.

-45 online. 45, 48 commission.

-And rightly so.

-Go on.

On commission at 48. All done and dusted.

It's here to be sold, and selling at 48.

-Well done. See?

-Yes!

-I've made back that four-euro loss.

-And some.

-And a bit more.

-You're doing well.

-It's a good profit really there.

-Well done.

-So, are you feeling happy about that for me?

-Not really.

All's fair in love and antiques.

Thomas has almost doubled his money on the cocktail shaker.

Now, it's over to Christina's majolica-style jardiniere.

-Lovely squirrel handles there.

-Ahh!

-Lovely squirrel handles.

50? Have we 40 anywhere? See what happens. 40 anywhere? 40 bid online.

-At 40 bid.

-Christina!

42, lady's bid. 45. 45, 48. 50 bid.

-50 bid online.

-Well done.

-50 bid.

-Any advance? 55. 60 bid. Two bidders online.

-I'd stop now, it's fine.

60 bid. Any advance on 60 bid? 65 bid. At 65. Any advance on 65?

Still there at 65. Online bidder winning. At 65, and selling at 65.

-High-funf, young girl.

-I'm going to lose it all in a minute.

Have faith, milady, have faith.

Next up, it's Christina's biggest spend,

the tea and coffee service, loads of it.

50 anywhere for this lot? 50, 60, 70, 80 online.

You see, 90 now.

-90 bid.

-Oh, come on. Come on, internet!

Any other hands in the room at 90? 95, 100.

-It's still hugely losing money.

-It doesn't matter. 120.

Still there at 120. 130 bid. 140. 140 bid.

All done at 140.

Online bidder... At 150 bid.

Last chance to you all, online, in the room and elsewhere at 150.

It's selling at 150.

Well done. See? All of that. How do you feel?

-You must feel exhausted.

-Relieved. Hugely relieved.

-Exhausted.

It's a lucky escape, with only a small loss after auction costs.

Now, it's back over to Thomas with his three soda siphons.

Nice lot again. And straight in. 32, 35, 40, 42, 45, 48, 50 bid.

-That's a profit.

-That's a profit. Ugh!

-That's a profit.

-At 55.

I'm out at 55. In the room at 55.

-More, more, more.

-Any advance on 65? 60 bid.

-60.

-Oh, my goodness.

Any advance on 60? 60 bid. Last chance, going, going... 65.

-65, go on.

-Stop it.

Any advance on 65?

-With a little encouragement at 65.

-One more?

-No, he doesn't need any encouragement.

-And selling at 65.

Well done. Seriously, well done. I'm amazed.

Top job, Thomas. Another solid profit.

Now for Christina's bargain Florian ware butter dish,

but will the damage hold it back?

-Commissions in again. 30, 32, 35, 38, 40 bid.

-Starting bids.

-Two, five, six.

-45 with me. At 45. 48? 50 bid.

55. Takes me out at 55.

-Come on, internet. Come on.

-Oh, no!

-Five.

-That should have made more than that.

-I feel bad for you, Christina.

-It's a profit.

-It's a profit.

Don't feel too bad, she's doubled her money.

Christina's Victorian chair is up now. Stand by.

Needs a bit of TLC. Who will start us at 80? 60? 50?

-Have we 40 anywhere? 40 anywhere?

-Go on. It's beautiful.

-30 have we? 20 anywhere?

-Ouch!

20 anywhere for this one? 20 anywhere?

I think I might take that and be grateful for it.

-20, all done around the room?

-That's not great news, is it?

-Oh, no!

-20 euros. I can't really...

-Mary.

It's not exactly in peak condition, Christina.

Can the pond yacht do any better?

50 anywhere? 50 anywhere for the pond yacht? 40, start me at 30.

-30 bid. 30 bid.

-Come on!

32 online. 32. And 35.

-One more, come on. Come on.

-Any advance on 35?

-Come on, come on!

Any advance on 35? 38 bid. 38 bid.

-It needs to make a bit more than that.

-Last chance to you all.

-It's going, going at 30... At 40 bid.

-Hooray!

42 bid in the room.

-Oh, he's in the room as well.

-Two in the room now.

-45, 48.

They can put their hands down now.

-She's getting too big for her boots.

-Selling at 48.

I think you have done tremendously well.

-Well done, you.

-That's it, I'm done.

That's Christina all out, ending with a nice little profit.

But Thomas still has two more items to go,

starting with his sterling silver cake breaker.

Commission is in at 50, and five, 60 bid.

-What did you pay for it?

-55.

-Oh!

-Put your hand up if you are bidding. 65.

-70 bid.

-70 bid, whoa, yes!

-Any advance? 75.

-75.

-It is there, isn't it?

My commission buyer is winning.

At 80 bid, make no mistake, I'm selling at 80.

Goodness. That was really good. Well spotted.

Cakes are popular, people like baking at the moment.

But it would also be very useful if you'd forgotten your hairbrush.

Another little earner for him.

Finally, it's Thomas's eight decanter labels.

Starting at 40.

30, nice things, these. 30 anywhere?

-Oh, no, he we go.

-20 anywhere for all the labels? 20 bid.

-Any advance on 20?

-Go on.

-22.

-22. 22 bid. 22, 25.

-Go on.

-It's a bidding war.

-30 bid. Any advance on 30 bid?

Here to be sold. Selling at 30.

-It's a hard loss.

-Welcome to my world.

-It's a horrible loss.

This one could be a close call.

Let's go check the figures and have a cup of tea.

-Maybe we can go and use your cocktail shaker.

-I've sold it now.

-Oh, Thomas!

-It's gone.

-Come on.

-Come on, then.

Thomas began with 285 euros.

After auction costs, he lost four euros, two cents,

leaving him with almost 281 euros to spend next time.

Christina started with the same sum.

After deducting auction costs,

she made a profit of seven euros, 16 cents,

giving her the early lead and just over 292 euros.

-My goodness, what a roller coaster!

-Up and down.

-Up and down.

-Losses, profits.

-I think we are almost on the level.

No, I made a little bit of a profit, and I have to say that

-because it hardly ever happens.

-In you go.

-So what happened...?

I'm not telling you. Get in.

-Did you make a profit or a loss?

-Get in, I'm not telling you.

-I was about equal, all right?

-I don't think it was.

I was about equal, remember? Do we need to talk about this?

-I think we do.

-It's not fair.

Next time, on the Antiques Road Trip, Christina gets in a muddle...

And I in the right place? I'm very confused.

..and Thomas takes a relaxed approach.

I'm feeling very confident... which is always a bad thing.