Episode 5 Antiques Road Trip

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

-This is beautiful!

That's the way to do this!

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

-Joy!

-Hello!

-The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Sorry! Sorry!

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

The handbrake's on!

This is Antiques Roadtrip!

Yeah!

Somewhere in this Scottish mist are Catherine Southon and Paul Laidlaw.

Oops.

This may be dank and misty, and arguably foreboding,

-but it's gorgeous!

-Yeah.

-This is a bit Macbethian. Can I say that?

-Dramatic!

-It is dramatic. A dramatic final.

-HE CHUCKLES BOTH:

-Oh!

Our two auctioneers are making their way through the murk towards

a thrilling showdown in Aberdeen.

Should one of us go and sell our soul to some witches in

-return for victory at the auction?

-Oh, don't!

Who knows what can jump out from behind this hedgerow?

Maybe after their Morris,

even though it does date from an era before seatbelts were mandatory.

They've certainly come a long way together.

I'm quite upset actually, Paul, that it's our last...

What a jolly it's been, from Northern Ireland to...

-Well, we're touching on the north of Scotland.

-Yeah.

-And it's been glorious.

-Profitable too. Especially for Paul.

Although, he was rocked by some rare losses last time...

Oof! What just happened?

..leaving Catherine feeling rather joyful.

-So you know what?

-Yeah.

-We are actually...

Well, we're not equal on money, but we're equal on the auctions.

-Don't say that!

-You've won two and I've won two.

Ho-ho! Tiebreaker, is it?

-You're getting a bit hot under the collar already, aren't you?

-Nah!

Catherine started out with £200, which has been nudged up to £257.92.

While Paul's identical stake has thus far more than doubled to £402.46.

-It could still happen!

-One canny purchase or one disaster

and that's that bridged.

Our journey began in Portrush, County Antrim,

and after exploring Northern Ireland, crossed into Scotland,

taking in a lot of the Lowlands before arriving,

several hundred miles later, in Aberdeen.

Today's last leg starts out in Doune and heads in a north-easterly

direction towards that deciding auction in Aberdeen.

Still foggy though!

They used to make pistols here long ago.

In fact, one of the town's claims to fame is that a Doune pistol

fired the first shot in the American War of Independence.

Oh, dear.

-Be off with you!

-Oh, Catherine!

-This is my territory.

It's a very large establishment you have all to yourself.

It's exciting, isn't it?

Yes, all this stuff belongs to a whole heap of dealers.

It's just a question of tracking one down.

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

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

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

-Sir, I presume this is your stand?

-This? Yes.

-Catherine.

-Hiya. David.

David. Hi, David. Good to see you.

-So, what's revolving?

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

-Have we got to wait for it to revolve?

-Yes.

-It doesn't just stop?

No.

Patience, Catherine. Patience.

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

-Yeah.

-What's that?

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

-Yes, compact.

-Little Deco compact. I like that.

-1930s, yeah.

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

-Yes.

-What are you asking for that?

-Dare I look?

-It's £48 on it.

What's your best on that, then?

-Maybe 40.

-Oh, really?

20?

-No.

-Can't go that low.

What would you do on that?

Erm, 28.

Getting close. Quick! The book is back.

There we go.

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

-Yes.

Louis Wain, quite a famous artist

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

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

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

Circa 1908.

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

Because it's early.

-Antiques, eh?

-Also at the front, "Daisy" - I think -

who once owned it. I mean, we used to do that.

In pencil - it can be rubbed out.

He's good, isn't he?

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

-75.

-Right.

But what would you offer me on it?

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

-Make it 40 and you can have it.

-What do we say on this?

Say 28 on that.

-Can I just have a little think?

-What about if I did the two for 65?

Mmm...

Take your time, love.

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

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

Right, what about if we say 60, then?

58 and you've got a deal.

-OK.

-Yeah?

-58.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah, that's fine.

Thank you very much indeed.

So, while David gets back to his cabinet, Catherine's work is done.

But away from downtown Doune town,

the clouds have parted for Paul in the Highlands.

He is heading for the World War II POW camp at Cultybraggan

where, in the shadow of the mountains,

he has come to discover the secrets

of the place where they locked up the most dangerous Nazi prisoners.

-Hi, is it Ann?

-Yes, hi.

It looks incredibly intact and well preserved.

-It is like driving back into time.

-It is.

It has 96 Nissen huts on site,

over 100 different buildings that are historically important.

They were only designed to last for 15 years but they have survived.

-They're a leftover.

-Indeed.

Built in 1941 as a high-security facility,

camp number 21 soon became much better known

as the Black Camp of the North.

It was Germans from all forms of the Army

and also we had a lot of SS officers that were sent here.

-I see.

-A lot of the soldiers who came here had been Hitler Youth

and then they had gone into the SS.

They were the hardest, the most fervent Nazis.

And I daresay its location up here in Scotland is to keep them

as remote as possible.

Yeah, we classified our political prisoners -

white if they were not really adherents of national socialism

-and black if they were fully committed to it.

-Hardcore.

-Yeah.

And this camp was full of black Nazis

and it had a reputation for violence.

Yeah, the tough regime meant the guards at Cultybraggan were Polish

because it was felt that British troops would be too nice

to the prisoners. Aww!

Red Cross reports reveal that the rations supplied here

were basic at best.

This building was the canteen for compound B

and you can see that for breakfast they would have tea, bread,

margarine, marmalade. Bean soup for dinner.

So it wasn't an extensive diet but it was equated with

the experience of British soldiers who were being kept in Germany.

-I see.

-So the soldiers here would have been able to still

wear their uniforms, for example,

because we wanted our soldiers to be able to wear their uniform.

Cultybraggan's reputation became even grimmer

when a white Nazi was murdered here by his fellow prisoners.

But from early 1945, the horrors of the Black Camp gradually began

to fade thanks to the arrival of a charismatic German

in a British Army uniform.

Herbert Sulzbach was just an extraordinary individual.

He won an Iron Cross at the Somme and won another Iron Cross in 1918.

But in 1937 he had to flee Germany because he was a Jew.

So he came to London and of course,

when the Second World War broke out, he actually volunteered for

the British Army and one of the first places

that we sent him to was Cultybraggan.

His job was to re-educate the Nazis.

It was the de-Nazification of the Germans.

So he talked about how knocking down their ideology

was like knocking dust from a roof - it was easy for him.

Sulzbach believed that the men were essentially good

and set about undermining national socialism with books like this,

A Short History Of America.

A German language book from a British prisoner of war camp

to re-educate Germans about Allied Western ideals.

Yeah, absolutely.

Despite working for the enemy, Sulzbach was listened to and trusted.

When the concentration camps were discovered,

he showed the prisoners films of Belsen and they rioted,

they threw things around,

they didn't believe that it was true, they wouldn't accept

that the Fatherland had committed these crimes.

So he used all sorts of different devices to get through to them

and by November 1945,

he is able to invite all the prisoners to meet him

on a parade ground to come and commemorate the dead,

whether they were enemy or whether they were comrade.

3,500 come out onto the parade ground and he reads them

John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields.

And he wants them to go home and to be good Europeans,

-and that's what they do.

-What a good, good man.

Yeah, a really, truly good person.

Cultybraggan became a British Army training camp after the war

and later the site of a nuclear bunker before it was taken over

by the local community in 2007.

Meanwhile, in another bonny bit of the Scottish countryside,

Catherine is off to her next retail experience

in Perth and Kinross, in Rait.

Does that make it "bonny Rait"? Ha!

-Hi. Catherine.

-Hi, I'm Andrew.

-Hi, Andrew.

This looks beautiful in here.

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

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

It has been a hotel bell, I think.

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

Probably late-19th century Victorian.

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

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

-I'm sure I probably could.

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

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

-BELL DINGS

-Nice ring to it.

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

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

in a big job lot of stuff at an auction.

I don't buy job lots.

Oops! The ticket price is £50.

-You couldn't do 20 on it?

-No, sorry.

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

-OK, right.

I'm going to put that there.

There is a nice early wineglass up there,

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

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

-Is it champagne, or...?

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

-That is lovely.

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

-And again, late Victorian?

-Yeah.

-Would you think a bit earlier?

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

you can see there's imperfections in it.

That was the thing with the Victorians,

if they were going to decorate something

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

There is a bit of wear.

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

-Oh!

Fair point.

-What have you got on that?

-Erm...

-Can that be, like, 20, then?

-Not quite.

But 30, I will do it for.

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

-Certainly.

We are having a bit of a Victorian selection here.

There is a lot of it about.

Carpet bowls.

They're made of turned lignum vitae.

Each one is engraved with a different number

and then that one is your jack,

and they are pretty smart.

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

115.

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

-Your lignum carpet bowls.

-Yes.

Do you play?

-I do play green bowls, yes.

-Oh, do you?

-I do, yes.

That's the small talk over with, then.

Can something be done on that, something substantial?

Erm...

It is a nice little set. There is a bit of wear to it but...

Strangely enough.

75 would be the absolute best on those.

-Right.

-Right!

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

So, we have Victorian bell, Victorian glass,

Victorian carpet bowls -

three completely different items!

Can a deal be done if I took all these beautiful items from you?

-Initially we said about 30 for that, right?

-Yeah.

And then you said 30 for that.

I was thinking of a bit less and I was thinking maybe 50 for the two.

Right? Stay with me, hear me out.

I'm listening.

And then I thought maybe we could come down a bit on these

and maybe say 50, so £100 for the lot.

I can't come down to 50 on those

-because they cost more than that, unfortunately.

-Right, OK.

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

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

115 and that would make you...?

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

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

-Thank you.

-I can't do that to you!

-You have got to have a decent supper.

-Sweet.

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

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

Meanwhile, back on the higher ground, Paul is making his way

to his very first shop of the day

at the delightful village of Comrie.

Situated on the Highland Boundary Fault Line,

Comrie once experienced more earth tremors

than anywhere else in Britain, hence its nickname of Shaky Toon.

-Hi, Paul.

-Hello, is it Debbie?

-Yeah, pleased to meet you.

-Lovely to see you.

-Welcome to Comrie Antiques.

Thank you very much.

Off you go, then, Paul.

That polygonal-sectioned shouldered baluster...

That's gorgeous.

-But it's not for me.

-Oh.

Oh, my word, that's delicious.

-What's the price on that?

-900.

It's well worth that.

Sadly, you'd need to give me another fortnight of auctions

to work up the budget to buy it!

We rummage on.

-What about the stick stand? Is that dear?

-Price on it is 78.

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

What are you like on flexibility?

Well, offer me a price.

I think it's worth £40-£60.

I like that, but that's a £35 purchase to me, that.

Of course, Paul has already bought a stick stand this week.

Candlesticks, too.

Oh, it's deja vu all over again.

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

-OK.

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

So the darned things twist and turn.

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

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

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

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

So I'm offering 35 quid.

-OK.

-Seriously?

-OK, yeah.

-Got a deal?

-Yeah, deal.

Wonderful, thank you very much.

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

-Yeah, that'd be good.

-Brilliant.

-Thank you very much.

Now the hard work is done.

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

Next day, it's not so much Scottish play, more Saint-Tropez.

Paul, we've taken a wrong turn.

-Go on!

-We have!

-We've not.

-We are in the South of France.

This weather is amazing.

Well, Catherine can afford a leisurely day in the sun

because she did plenty of shopping yesterday,

acquiring a compact,

a glass,

a cat book,

some carpet bowls

and a desk bell.

-BELL DINGS

-Nice ring to it.

That lot set her back £173,

leaving less than 100 for any further purchases,

while Paul's haul was just one solitary stick stand...

-Got a deal?

-Yeah, deal.

-Wonderful.

..costing him £35,

meaning he still has over £350 left.

-Shall we spend all our money? Shall we?

-No, you may.

-You may!

-Oh, come on!

-Let's go for it. Let's be united.

-PAUL CHORTLES

It's not stupid! Why are you laughing?

Because it's a trap.

Oh, you never play the game, do you?

Oh, yes, he does, Catherine.

Later, they'll be making for that deciding auction in Aberdeen,

but our next port of call is Arbroath.

Famous for its unique brand of smoked haddock

and the fact that in 1885 Arbroath Football Club beat

a side from Aberdeen by the record score of 36 goals to nil. Ha!

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

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

-Good to see you, Colette.

-And you.

-This is your emporium.

-It is that, yes.

-Very good.

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

I've got a few really nice things in the back.

Oh, you tantalise me, Colette.

SHE GROWLS

Oh, yes. Mention the back and our lot are all of aquiver.

-The nerve centre, is it?

-This is the nerve centre.

-Right.

This is all stuff that's not been priced up yet.

You trust me just to have a wee rummage, then?

Not half!

I've just picked up something randomly,

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

This is a brooch.

We have enamelling

over what legally we always call white metal

but actually is silver.

In black enamel, in silhouette, this dancer.

And whose music is she dancing to?

That of a fawn, half chap, half goat.

Each to their own.

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

Does it appeal today?

Oh, come on!

Here is the problem - ta-da.

The pin is a paperclip.

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

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

-That's a start, is it not?

-Yeah.

Well, he has certainly confounded us

with a few of his purchases this week.

Add to that these assorted silver thimbles.

The piece for me is the royal commemorative.

Now, which royal commemorative is that?

The coronation in 1910 of George V.

-No...

-It's Elizabeth.

-It's Elizabeth.

How about we halve them

-and you have half and I have half?

-OK, right.

-What's the price on those?

-About 55.

-Throw something else into the melting pot.

-That is lovely.

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

How about we do 65 for the lot?

I am not going to give in that easily.

How about I come down a tenner?

So basically you're getting that for free.

Basically, Colette, you've got a deal.

Love working with you.

Once Colette has put him down,

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

This tool is a clinometer.

A clinometer allows us to measure angle of elevation

of the barrel of a three-inch mortar.

A mortar is a type of artillery for infantry use.

That's neither use nor ornament.

But it is what it is -

it is utterly authentic Second World War ordnance equipment.

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

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

-I have, yes.

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

little bits and bobs that are similar to this

-in so far as they are brass and military.

-Yeah.

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

-Yeah.

-Give me a second...

-You can get them.

This is turning into Supermarket Sweep.

Those are artillery buttons.

The motto of the artillery is "ubique",

which is Latin for "everywhere".

-Right.

-These buttons are everywhere.

That's the cap badge of the Royal Scots Fusiliers

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

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

and you've created a vessel

which can be made into a little petrol lighter.

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

that is an auctionable lot.

But I need them to be cheap

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

Oh, hit me, hit me.

Erm, a tenner.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-What about 22?

-Oof, seriously?

I am going to pitch 15 quid.

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

All right, then.

So, that was 55 and 18.

-£73.

-£73.

-It is, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

And I've got no money, so I was just wasting your time.

Take no notice, Colette.

-Colette, you've been an absolute diamond.

-It's been great.

-You look after yourself.

-And you.

-Next time.

-See you again.

Now, while Paul sniffs out a smokie,

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

greatest feats of engineering, the Bell Rock Lighthouse.

-Hi, there. Catherine.

-Good morning.

-Very nice to meet you.

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

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

Lead the way, Colin.

Constructed 11 miles off the Angus coast

by the Glasgow-born lighthouse engineer Robert Stevenson,

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

-I'm guessing this is Bell Rock.

-This is the Bell Rock.

It was called the Bell Rock

because one of the abbots of the abbey here in Arbroath

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

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

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

that there was a dangerous rock there.

That bell was allegedly stolen by a Dutch pirate.

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

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

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

permission for a lighthouse to be constructed.

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

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

begin the construction process.

Although the contract was awarded to the experienced John Rennie,

the design, which featured interlocking stones

for strength against the elements, was a Robert Stevenson feature

and it was he who supervised the hazardous building work.

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

out of the sea where the tide rises

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

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

the rain and everything, the conditions were harsh.

I can see there's the model there.

Am I right in thinking that this here,

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

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

That was built as a beacon originally,

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

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

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

But they also slept in it during storms as well.

The lighthouse took just over three years to construct

and began operating in early 1811.

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

there have been only two recorded shipwrecks.

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

models for others lighthouses?

Robert Stevenson and several generations of his family

went on to be a dynasty of lighthouse builders,

learning from experience

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

One other key element was the question of communication,

hence the signal tower.

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

since 1988, the link between them was once vital.

-Wow, this is amazing!

-It is.

So, how would communication actually work?

The basic communication method was this metal pole

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

originally it would have been a copper ball

that would have reflected the sun.

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

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

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

that meant there was a problem so the keepers

had to dispatch someone out to investigate.

Does this still work today?

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

-if you like.

-Oh, yes, please.

-Turning this handle just raises the ball.

-Look at that!

Oh, that's fantastic.

And good exercise as well.

Now, on the subject of feats of engineering,

Paul has tootled a little further into Angus towards

the town of Montrose where, just up the road from the lagoon known

as the Montrose Basin, Paul's off to his very last shop of the week.

-Hi, George.

-Hello there.

-Good to see you.

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

This is my kind of shop.

Yes, I think the expression "old school"

might be appropriate in this instance.

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

-Is it anything or nothing?

-It is probably Edwardian.

That could be yours for 40.

Who knows what he'll emerge with?

This is a big lump of pot.

I would call it a cachepot,

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

You might call it a jardiniere.

Basically, you stick your plant pot in there.

How do we tell a cachepot?

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

There is no ticket price, either.

It's made by Bretby.

Now, listen up, Bretby Collectors' Club,

loads of Bretby stuff is pig ugly.

Get over it.

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

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

It's about 100 years old.

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

I think this juxtaposition of the big, heavy,

bold bronze decoration

with this delicate,

almost aesthetic depiction of birds and blossom works.

It's a standout thing. Let's have a wee look.

POT CLANGS

Well, it sounds fair enough.

Dusty, honest, nobody has tried to improve it and no restoration.

But while Paul wrestles with that pot,

Catherine's headed further north to the most northerly point

of our trip at Newmachar,

the Aberdeenshire village formerly known as Summerhill.

-Hello there.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-And your name is?

-Brian.

-Hi, Brian, good to see you.

What else can Catherine squeeze into her trolley?

You could do some serious damage with these.

-Look at those callipers, they're fabulous! Brian...

-Yeah.

These callipers, where have they come from?

They came along with a load of cooper's tools that I bought.

Cooper's is a local...?

Cooper...for barrel-making. Cooperage.

Right. Oh, OK.

So associated with either the whisky industry

or barrels for holding herring.

-They are meaty, aren't they?

-Yeah.

You have got 32 on those. I mean, is there a lot of movement in them?

There's a bit of movement in the price, yeah.

I wouldn't offer any more than £10.

Are you familiar with the term "on your bike"?

-Oh...

-She is, Brian.

I thought we were getting on so well!

Hmm, moving on.

So we've got a refracting telescope as opposed to

a reflecting telescope.

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

about 1860, 1870.

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

-78. Your telescope, Brian.

-Mm-hm.

It's a nice little telescope.

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

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

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

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

Would these have been used just for pleasure purposes?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, this is just a gentleman's pocket telescope.

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

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

-Yeah.

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

-Yeah.

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

cos that's what people look for.

-Mmm, that is a shame.

-What can you say, eh, Brian?

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

Her search continues.

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

with the pot and the mirror under consideration.

They were both 40 each...

..but there's more of a margin on the Bretby.

Time for a closer look, then.

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

it could adorn your dressing table.

It would be late Victorian.

It's all about this extremely rich

embossed facing.

The manufacturer of this wanted it to look like silver,

back in the day, but it's not.

This is electroplate, I'm quite sure.

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

Back to George.

-The Bretby.

-Yeah.

-The mirror.

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

-so I can make them 30 quid a pop?

-We could indeed.

-Looks like a deal, then.

-Perfect, thank you.

Spot on. Thank you.

That £60 completes Paul's purchases.

But what about our Newmachar correspondent?

Back in those cabinets again, eh, girl?

Look at that sweet little pillbox.

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

Now, the thing about this is it is beautifully embossed

around the sides with sheaves of corn and also

on the top there.

Really, really nice quality.

However, it is not hallmarked.

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

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

£38 is on this.

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

a really good deal on this.

Seconds out, round three.

-Brian...

-Yep.

..I just found your little pillbox.

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

You've got £38 on it.

I think if you're in any doubt

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

I like Brian!

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

What were you thinking?

£20.

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

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

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

-Mm-hm.

The telescope I like, but at £78...

Yeah, that missing lens cap.

So, what would work for you on the telescope?

30-ish.

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

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

-Yes.

-Oh!

-Hoorah!

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

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

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

some silver thimbles,

a Bretby pot,

a brooch,

a mirror and a collection of militaria,

while Catherine has lavished £203 on a telescope,

some carpet bowls,

a cat book,

a desk bell,

a compact and a glass.

How is the mood in the two camps?

Am I worried? Oh, yes, I am.

The champagne glass, it needs five friends to be worth money.

I particularly adore his brooch.

That is exquisite and he paid £10.

The book, I just don't know.

If it makes £120...

that's bad news for me.

After setting off from Doune, our experts are now

making for their final auction of the week at Aberdeen.

And still as fiercely competitive as ever.

It's a horrible thing to say,

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

in the whole of the history of the Antiques Road Trip

to beat Paul Laidlaw.

Welcome to Aberdeen, the granite city and hometown of Denis Law,

although the local football team's record score line

remains a piffling 13-0.

Well, it's last chance saloon, this.

Er, get it?

So, what might our final score be?

The thoughts of auctioneer Steven Donaldson, please.

The telescope, an eight-draw, it's quite a nice thing.

A Scottish scope and a good size.

There's been a little bit of interest in it.

The lot with the buttons, the clinometer and the trench lighter,

I think this might do quite well today.

We've got a lot of other military items in the sale.

I think £40-£60 for this lot and possibly a touch more.

Cor, that will please Paul.

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

Good crowd here today.

Mm, bums on seats.

First under the hammer is Paul's bargain brooch.

30 for this lot.

20.

-10.

-Oh!

10, 12, 15,

18, 20, 22...

-Got a little friend bidding on it.

-..25, 28, new place.

30, 32, 35...

-Darn.

-..38, 40,

42, 45,

48, 50,

55, 60,

65, 70, 75...

-No! Stop!

-..80, 85,

90, 95...

100, sir, rounds it up.

105, 110 - he's back. 115.

£115.

All done, sure and selling at 115...

GAVEL BANGS

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

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

Another Paul purchase - the pot.

£60 for this lot.

-Come on.

-40, 30, 20.

-Oh, please.

-10.

Nobody interested? 10 here.

Any advance? 12 - we're off now.

-Oh, don't be off now.

-15, 18, 20,

22, 25. 25...

-No. No, no, no.

-Shut up!

-How can that happen?

-That's it.

-GAVEL BANGS

Oh, I'm so happy.

Oh, well, he really mustn't grumble.

These people are going already.

These people that were bidding on your lots...

-They're going.

-Don't go!

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

£50 for these nice bowls.

-30, 10.

-Oh...

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

-One bid at 10 for the Victorian carpet bowls.

-No!

Going to be sold at £10 only.

12, 15, 18, 20...

-Come on!

-..22, 25.

25. All done and finished at 25.

GAVEL BANGS

Ouch. I mean...

Not convincing, Paul.

Someone has got some nice lumps of lignum vitae there.

I would be genuinely upset if it was you.

-No, you wouldn't!

-I would!

-You'd be dancing a jig.

Time for Paul's stylish stick stand.

30 for the stand.

20.

20, 22, 25, 28,

30, 32, 35 - new place.

38, 40...

-Fresh outbreak.

-They all want it now.

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

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

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

GAVEL BANGS

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

Like the man said, a fair reward.

How will her colourful compact fare?

20.

£10 for the Art Deco. 10 bid.

12, 15, 18,

-20, 22, 25...

-All right.

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

GAVEL BANGS

No shame. No glory, but no shame.

Don't gloat.

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

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

£30, then, for the silver thimbles.

20.

Bid. Any advance on 20?

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

-One bidder.

-All finished at 20...

GAVEL BANGS

# So happy I could do a dance! #

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

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

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

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

-Oh, come on.

-Are we all done and all sure at £40?

-GAVEL BANGS

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

Yeah, buck up! A clear profit.

Now it's champagne for one.

£10 for the champagne glass.

5 for a nice decorative glass.

5 bid.

-This should make 60.

-10, 12,

15, 18.

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

-GAVEL BANGS

-No! Why?

Why?

If only we knew.

What can Paul's shiny mirror manage?

40 for this Victorian mirror.

30.

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

22, 25, 28, 30.

30, then, back where we started.

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

GAVEL BANGS

-Is it a loss?

-After taxes.

-Brilliant.

I'm going out with a whimper.

He can afford it, mind you.

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

My stomach's going over and over.

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

£30, then, for this bell.

20.

-£10.

-Why isn't he ringing it?

Is bid, 10 with the gentleman.

-Any advance on 10?

-It's been broken!

Not exactly tolling.

20, 22.

It's 22 with the lady. 25.

-Come on.

-Any advance on 25?

I'm going to sell it at 25.

GAVEL BANGS

-It's a profit.

-Yeah.

-But it's minimal.

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

Remember the auctioneer predicted good things for Paul's militaria.

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

-What?!

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

-48, 50...

-Oh, Paul.

-..52,

55, 58, 60,

65, then, clears me.

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

-GAVEL BANGS

-Slightly awkward.

Aberdeen wanted it, whatever it was.

Almost everyone likes cats, don't they?

This book has to make

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

40.

30.

20. I've got 20 on my right.

-Come on.

-22, 25, 28, 30,

32, 35, 38, 40.

-Come on.

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

Are we all done and selling at 40?

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

-Yes!

-..50, 55, 60.

-At 60 on my right again.

-Please!

Is there any advance on £60?

GAVEL BANGS

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

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

Right, come on, that was brilliant.

Catherine started out with £257.92 and after paying auction costs,

she made a loss of £44.74,

leaving her with £213.18.

While Paul began with £402.46,

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

So his final total is £484.56.

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

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

-Your chariot awaits.

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

-Yeah.

-It's been amazing.

-And at the last minute, you peaked.

-Over the horizon once again.

Off we go.

-The end.

-Almost!

And what a week they've had, eh?

Oh!

Could be a brush for a very small house.

Do I buy the brooch?

I do buy the brooch. Oh!

Yeah!

The Philistines!

Would you please remove yourself from this cabinet?

SHE HUMS

Whoo-hoo!

PAUL LAUGHS

Next time, Charles Hanson takes Margie Cooper for a spin...

That's going fast!

-..Margie spots great deals...

-Going to point to you now.

..and Charles sniffs out bargains.

Yes, yes.