Episode 8 Antiques Road Trip

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

-That's cracking.

-..with £200 each...

-Wonderful.

..a classic car and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

-That's exactly what I'm talking about.

-I'm all over a-shiver!

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction,

but it's no mean feat.

-No-brainer.

-Going, going, gone.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

-So, will it be the high road to glory...

-Push!

-..or the slow road to disaster?

-How awfully, awfully nice.

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

SHEEP BLEATS

Welcome to the fifth and final leg of the trip.

My, how time flies.

Our experts, Philip Serrell and Catherine Southon,

find themselves driving through a sunny South Wales

in a 1970 Citroen DS 20.

Phil's built up a cracking lead,

but Catherine might just have worked out the secret to his success.

-Is your scarf a lucky thing?

-Absolutely right.

You don't think I'd wear this for pleasure, do you?

-Is it a lucky charm?

-Yeah!

-Oh, is it?

-Yeah.

-Oh, I'm going to take it off...

-No, no, no!

-You made me jump!

Both experts started with £200.

After four auctions, Catherine now has £250.38 to play with.

Philip, though,

has a very healthy £394.42 to spend on this trip's last leg.

Jolly up, Phil.

-We're right at the end now.

-Yeah.

We are at the end of our road trip, which is actually quite sad.

I'm really sad.

I'm really sad. Chin up, though, it's not over yet.

This pair's road trip kicked off in Coleshill in Warwickshire,

meandered around the Midlands,

before heading due south to the coast,

turning west down to the tip of Cornwall,

nipping briefly into South Wales,

and will finish up at an auction in Wells.

Today, our experts start off in the seaside town of Barry,

and end up at auction in that elegant cathedral city in Somerset.

The family-run Hawkins Antiques is our experts' first shop.

Where have you brought me to?

Well...I know this man, cos he comes to my sales and buys.

-Ohh!

-And his dad used to come to my sale and buy.

Better watch you don't end up with some of it back again, then, Philip.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Anthony, how are you?

-Hello!

-Hello, you're...?

-I'm Terence.

-Terry.

-Terence.

-Anthony.

-Anthony. OK.

-Lead the way, Terence. Is it Terence or Terry?

-You can call me Terry.

-There you go. See, I'm in already.

-Can I call you Anthony?

-You can.

I'll take you through here, Philip.

What should I be looking at, Anthony?

You can look at anything, Philip.

There's all shapes, all sizes and prices.

And how much is that little Omega?

That could be £120.

-That's a nice one.

-Can I have a look at that?

Yeah, certainly. Yeah, you can have a look at that.

It's just a nice little watch.

What's nice about this is, it's got the Omega mark just there, you can see that there,

and you can see that there - it's clearly the Greek letter omega.

-Can I think about that, Anthony?

-Certainly, yeah.

-Can I be sneaky?

Can I put it in my pocket, just in case Catherine comes along?

-Now, now, Philip.

-Certainly, providing you don't forget about it.

As if I would. As if I would.

Anyway, how IS Catherine getting on?

My goodness. You've got stuff everywhere.

-OK.

-I'm so glad I wore high heels today.

Ah, Terry's got some stock that's a little familiar.

Phil bought an Edwardian bijouterie table.

-This was a couple of days ago.

-Yeah?

He paid about £100 for it.

That's right, Catherine,

and it made a healthy profit.

-Well done.

-Thanks.

It's got pierced fretwork top there.

It's mahogany, circa sort of 1880-1900.

But there's no ticket price, Terry.

I did say I'd do you a good deal.

-£50.

-Gosh, that's cheap!

-Would you?

-And I'm 100% sure that you'll do well on that.

-We can't lose, can we?

-Deal.

-We can't lose?

-No, we cannot lose.

-We cannot lose! We cannot lose.

We're in this together, Terry. Right, I'm having that.

Let's leave Catherine browsing with Terry

and see what's occurring with Philip.

That little brass plaque.

-Is that by anybody?

-That's bronze, that is.

-Who's that by, then?

-I don't know who it's by, in all honesty.

We'll have a look. It could be £60.

I quite like that.

It's a well-made thing, isn't it? And if you can see just here, look,

there's the signature of the person that's made it.

And it's got that clip there that's just meant to hang on

-someone's wall, isn't it?

-Yep.

-It looks to me like it's '20s, almost, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I'm going to have to think about that.

-Fair enough.

Meanwhile, Anthony is showing Philip a coffer bach.

A traditional Welsh chest to you and me.

You know, it's a nice piece, untouched, original, oak.

What date's that, then, Anthony?

I'd say that's 1820, 1840, Philip.

Oh!

People talk about the shadow and if you look at this here,

you can see that that from there down

is a lot darker than from there up.

And that's because this little sliver here

has always been hidden by this and it just shows that it is as honest

-as the day is long, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-And how much is that, Anthony?

That could be 120, Philip. It's a good price.

Now, you told me not to walk out

with that watch in me pocket, didn't you?

Well remembered, Mr Serrell.

Those, to me, look like they're 150 quid the two.

I couldn't do them for 150, Philip.

-What could you do them for, then?

-200.

100 quid each.

See, my maths is good. I'd worked that out.

I'm going to ask you now, what is your very, very, very best price?

180 quid the two, Philip,

and you're having two for the price of one there.

Go on, I'll have those two. You're a gentleman, thank you.

Now, while I'm at it,

what do you think about that little bronze plaque?

It's a good piece.

And what's the finish on that?

30.

I haven't got any change, though.

20, would that buy it?

You're a gentleman, Anthony, thank you.

He's a lovely lad, isn't he?

Right, that's £200 spent, isn't it?

Yes. £100 on the watch,

£80 on the coffer bach

and 20 for the bronze plaque.

Now, where's Catherine got to?

Oh, I like that casket.

-Yeah, that's lovely, isn't it?

-For letters.

-Yeah.

-What's on this?

I quite like that. It needs a bit of work.

It's actually £200 but look at that, though.

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-I think it's gilt bronze.

It looks like it's bronze.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-I love these little masks on the feet.

It's lovely. Could you get slightly under 100? Like, 95?

Erm...

Why don't we shake on 100?

That would be the most I've spent on the whole road trip.

I will do 95.

-Will you?

-Yeah, cos I want you to do well.

Oh, thank you, cos I really love that.

I love that more than the table

and I know you really believe in the table. I just love this.

I think you've got two items now that you're going to do well in.

So, Catherine is going for the gilt-bronze casket

and the bijouterie table for £145.

-Thank you very much.

-Lovely.

Thank you. I love this. Thank you very much.

Well, Catherine's done some really good business there.

But Philip's not done just yet.

He's made his way down to the town of Newport,

where he's visiting the Strawberry Water Junk Company.

Should suit him down to the ground, that.

-Hi. Philip. How are you?

-Hello. John.

Nice to meet you. I love that lampshade.

-It's great, isn't it?

-It's special, isn't it?

-How much is that? I really love that.

-600 quid.

I don't like those at all really.

I thought that might change your mind, Phil.

-You've got an office chair here, John.

-It's nice, isn't it?

Yeah, I quite like that one.

You've got a price ticket here, haven't you?

Oh, gosh, I'm poles away from you on that.

You've got 145 there.

Lovely chair.

Lovely price, though.

We're open to offers.

I do like a compromise.

I don't want to insult you,

but it's the one thing in your shop that I'd like to buy, I think.

So we've got a...a mahogany.

Probably Art Nouveau in a way.

-1885-1895.

-Going towards that, I think.

Swivel office armchair, isn't it?

I'm a long, long, long way off your price.

What's a long way?

In my eyes, I've got to buy that for 40 quid.

I thought you'd say that.

I think it's a lovely chair. Is 40 any good to you?

Honestly, it's my best shot. I've had a bad time.

I've had a really bad time.

TIM SOBS The old sympathy card!

That's enough, Phil!

You've got us all at it.

You've tried to sell me a canoe

that has got more holes in it than a sieve.

40 quid.

-This is Bafta stuff now!

-Oh, go on.

-You're a gentleman.

Thank you ever so much. You're a star.

Let me pay you, thank you. You've been very kind to me. Thank you.

A comfy chair for £40.

Just as well Phil's got to wait for Catherine.

Nice ice.

Nighty-night, then.

Morning, everyone. Who's jogging?

Oh, no, here we go.

Philip's in the driving seat and our experts are heading out of Wales.

Certainly no hanging about this morning. First stop is in Bristol.

-See you later.

-Bye!

Philip is dropping Catherine off at the newly opened

Rachel's and Michael's Antiques.

-Hello.

-Hello.

I recognise you two!

You used to have a shop next door, didn't you?

I had a shop called Rachel's and Dad had a shop

called Michael's Antiques next to each other and now

we've got Rachel's and Michael's Antiques under one roof.

Under one roof.

Talk about keeping it in the family, eh?

So we meet again. And you haven't aged a thing.

That Michael's a smoothie.

The problem is, of course, I haven't got a lot of money to spend.

Did I have quite a bit of money last time?

Well, you did, but we couldn't get it off of you.

CATHERINE LAUGHS

Nothing new there, then. She has £105 this time round.

Have a look in there, cos these are things I haven't appraised

or done anything with.

A couple of little watches.

That's quite a cute little thing.

And they're both 14-carat, I think.

Well, that's cute, isn't it?

That's like a little half... half-hunter. But a fob.

A half-hunter pocket watch allows you to read the time

when the cover is closed.

And we know that one's gold.

But this one, you see, came in with it and that one is definitely gold.

That's quite sweet, isn't it? Being a little kangaroo.

Yeah, unusual. Never seen one.

I'm going to put that there as a possibility.

What about the half-hunter, then?

We haven't done nothing to retouch it, so...

But it's not working?

No, we've got to sell it as it is, love.

So we could do the both for 45.

That's a possibility, definitely.

That's two things to consider. Anything else?

A little milk churn type thing. What would you do with that?

-Rachel?

-Yes?

-What's this for?

-I think it's a milk churn.

Is it, Dad?

Yeah, it's definitely a milk churn because it seals.

Might be for cream or, you know, something a bit...

You've got 35 on it, which is a lot more than I was thinking.

What's the worst price for you

-that you can do on that?

-THEY LAUGH

The worst price for you and the best for me.

Erm... £20.

I do like that and I do like the fob watch.

Because in my mind I think this is quite a...

..a nice little piece.

I don't think that I've seen anything like that before.

I think if this was 25 and that was 15, that would be 40.

Can you do that?

£45 and that's it. I think you'll do...

-That will scrap higher than that probably.

-45?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-I think you've had a real good deal. All right, then.

-You should shake my daughter's hand.

-Thank you so much.

-And you know what? It's been lovely seeing you both again.

-And you.

I'd like to say I'll be back, but you probably don't want me.

-You'll shut down the shop!

-Well, we'll move again.

That's £30 for the half-hunter and £15 for the butter churn.

See you again, bye-bye!

Across Bristol, Philip is visiting

one of the city's most famous institutions, the Old Vic Theatre.

This year marks its 250th anniversary,

making it the longest continually running theatre in the UK.

Philip's meeting chief executive Emma Stenning.

The theatre then was founded in 1766, the reign of King George III.

Absolutely. It absolutely was, and in fact,

we've got records back from 1764, 1765 of merchants meeting

in the pubs and the inns on Jacobs Wells Road

and declaring that they needed

to club together to build a fine theatre for the city of Bristol.

And that's what they did.

And eventually, 50 of them all chucked in and gave £50 each -

47 men and three women, I always like to say...

Quite right too.

They all put in £50, with which they bought the plot of land where

the theatre is and they funded

the building of the theatre itself back then.

In return, these new patrons received a silver token

that allowed the holder free entry to any show any time.

-If I appeared at the desk now with one of these...

-Yeah.

-..would they still let me in?

-Absolutely.

Yeah, and we'd want to know all about how you came across it,

because one of our great passions now

is about tracing the heritage of the tickets.

In its early years, how did it progress?

It was really, really successful.

People were flocking here, but of course,

-back in those days, it wasn't legal.

-Why?

It wasn't legal to put on the performance of plays because

actually people were worried about

how insightful and political things might get.

So what the theatre here did, it was very, very clever,

it sort of hid the fact that there were plays being performed.

And if you look at the flyers and the posters from the time,

they often promote concerts of music,

so you might have something that says in big letters, "Tonight,

"you will see a performance of Handel's Messiah" or whatever,

and then in the smallest of prints down at the bottom,

it will say, "And in the interval, a performance,

"The Tragedy Of Othello."

And it wasn't until 20 years later that the Royal patent was granted

and suddenly it could put on the plays.

This is just lovely, isn't it?

I love all these pillars and these wooden boxes.

These days, actually, you can see the echoes of where the boxes were,

but if you imagine, the entire theatre

would have been boxed up, so when you came to the theatre,

you didn't really buy a seat, you bought a box.

Actually, you went to an office to buy your box, and that's why today

we still call the place you buy your tickets the box office.

If we were down in the pit, it would have been wooden benches.

Most of our historians actually say that if you were in the pit,

you would have spent most of the show standing up, because of course

-it would have been a terrifically crowded space.

-Goodness me.

-These days, we can seat 450 people.

-And then?

-Then, 1,500.

-1,500 people?

Yeah. It would have been absolutely ram-packed.

The Bristol Old Vic was typical of theatrical venues of the time

and the shows were attended by all levels of society.

The prostitutes were sitting over there, because they really

weren't here to see the show.

They were here to be seen, so at the interval,

you can imagine all sorts of deals being done and people nipping off

into the boxes for... a different time at the interval.

Huh! It's a wonder that this theatre is still standing today.

The average lifespan for a theatre built in 1766 was 17 years.

They all burnt down. There was candlelight,

there were sets made from straw bales and things.

It was a very, very volatile place to be, actually.

So the fact that this one is here 250 years later is a real miracle.

I've always felt that somewhere there's a stage built for me.

-Is that the one?

-Quite possibly. Let's go and take a look.

Once more unto the breach, dear Philip.

-This is awesome, isn't it?

-Isn't it?

-This, then, in 1766 is where I would have been performing.

-It is.

But what are these contraptions here?

-Well, these are some old props really.

-Really?

If I do the spin on this one,

you'll see exactly what it's here for, so...

WHOOSHING

If you give a little spin on that,

then we'll really get the storm going.

RATTLING

I never, ever, ever thought I would stand on a stage and say,

"I've got the wind."

He's here all week, folks.

So in the last 250 years,

there must have been some really famous people stood on here.

Yes, some of our most famous alumni.

Daniel Day-Lewis, the greatest Oscar-winning actor of our day.

He trained here and performed here. And of course, way back then,

it would have been Garrick and Siddons and Cibber and...

The finest actors have always come through Bristol Old Vic.

Meanwhile, Catherine is on the other side of Bristol

visiting her last shop.

Odds & Todds have been trading here for over 20 years.

-Good afternoon.

-Good afternoon.

-How are you?

-Hi, there. Catherine.

-And you are?

-I'm Jay. Nice to meet you.

-Hi, Jay.

Right, OK, so we've got...

Oh, we haven't got much in here, have we(!)

-Just a little bit to look at, isn't there?

-Oh, my goodness me!

Where's the best place to start looking?

You've got the cabinets in here.

A few old gems in there, nice little group of tea caddies in there.

A few gems in there? Right, OK.

Nice leather bag.

I was just looking at that.

Very, very...

-It's really nice, isn't it?

-Good quality, yeah.

The weight of it. That's got a little bit of a maker's name

on there of some description.

No, I think that's some sort of military mark

or something, isn't it?

The stitching and the way that's been made as well...

Yeah, and the rivets in there. Brass rivets.

Tear at the back. You kept that one quiet!

-It's nice, though.

-Ticket price is £45.

I wouldn't go anywhere near that, though.

I'm really sorry. Can I make you an offer?

You can make me an offer and see how we go.

I'll offer you that...for the bag.

He's not biting, Catherine.

-Have we got a deal?

-£22.50.

Oh, come on! I can't break into any more.

-Go on, then.

-Go on, then.

-We'll have a deal.

-Good man.

-No problem.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

There you go.

Catherine's shopping might be done

but Philip is just arriving in the splendid Georgian city of Bath.

Now, so far on this road trip,

Philip has managed to spend every penny on every leg.

Can he make this a clean sweep?

It might be difficult, because Michael Saffell Antiques

only specialises in one thing.

-Hello, there.

-Hello.

-Now...

Bit of a strange request, this, but...

don't suppose you've got any biscuit tins, have you?

I think you might be in luck, Mr Serrell. This is a tin shop.

I might be able to lay my hands on one or two, yes.

Ms Southon will be jealous.

Catherine, who I'm competing against,

-she bought a biscuit tin and did really rather well on it.

-Right.

I love that.

-That's like a Japanese vase, isn't it?

-That's a lovely thing.

It's a Huntley and Palmer tin from 1928, and as you can see,

there's even a hole in the top.

-And that's priced at £58?

-Yeah.

-I dare say I might be able to knock a little off.

-A little?

-Yeah, I could do a deal, anyway.

-OK, well, I want to buy more.

That all sounds good.

-I like those over there, those baggy ones.

-Oh, right.

Some lovely tins really.

Some rare and not so rare, but these two here, made in 1904, again...

-They're like Gladstone bags, aren't they?

-Yeah.

Which is the rarer one of those two?

Condition-wise, this is better,

but I'm selling the two as a package, really.

-Oh, how much for the two, then?

-Erm...

-60 quid for the two.

-See?

You know, I am warming to you, Michael, a lot.

Those are 60 for the two.

How much is that one?

That's 50. Was it?

-Yeah, 50, that one.

-And this is...

I like this one here.

That one I could do for 60.

That's a Victory V tin.

It's not biscuits, though, is it?

Not biscuits, but...

It's got a brand name on.

There's a little railway type trunk here.

This one, more expensive, this is a Macfarlane and Lang biscuit tin.

That one I could do for 75.

We're sort of almost getting there. Well, I'm almost getting there.

-You might not be.

-Not quite.

What would those make at auction?

Would they make £40, £50 each?

Well, they should at least.

OK. Now, do you want the bad news now?

-Yeah, give it to me, yes.

-Are you ready for this?

-Yeah.

-I've only got a certain amount of money.

-Yes.

It does go to three figures.

But only just?

No! Yeah. I can't lie.

-I have got 150...

-Right.

I haven't finished yet.

Four. And I've got 42 pence.

I do not have any more money and I would love to buy those off you,

if you could see your way to helping me.

I'd feel very bad about taking your 42 pence...

-No, no, no, I insist! No, I insist.

-Erm...

-OK.

-Oh, you're a gentleman. Thank you.

That's very kind, Michael.

Philip's picked up the five tins with a great discount.

Thank you! See you soon.

Bravo, that man. He's done it again -

every last penny spent.

That's got to be some kind of record.

He adds the collection of confectionery tins

to the Art Deco plaque,

the coffer bach,

the gold watch

and the Art Nouveau chair.

Catherine's spent £210 on the Edwardian bijouterie table,

the gilt-bronze casket,

the lady's half-hunter pocket watch,

the milk churn and the military bag.

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

Your pocket watch, 14-carat gold, and I know there's a bit of damage

to it, but at £30...it will go in the melting pot for more than that.

I think I have given you a bit of a run for your money this time.

So, Mr Serrell, have I left the best till last?

After starting off in Barry,

our experts are heading for their final auction in Wells.

Today's sale is at McCubbing and Redfern,

Somerset's oldest auction house.

What does auctioneer Allen Mechen make of our pair's lots?

My favourite lot is the tins.

So hopefully we have the collectors here today.

The least favourite is certainly the churn,

because we get so many of them coming through the auction house.

That may be...

-a no-sell.

-Crikey!

Let's hope things don't turn sour for Catherine.

The auction house also accepts internet bids.

Are you ready?

Experts, take your seats.

First up is Catherine's Edwardian bijouterie table.

I'm starting the bidding on this at £40.

45, 50, 55, I'm out at the moment.

60 anywhere?

60, new bidder.

65, 70, 75, 80, 85.

-85.

-No, keep going!

Looking for 90.

85, all done?

I believe we are.

Sold at 85.

That's a great start for Catherine.

Can Philip follow suit with his Art Nouveau office chair?

We've got plenty of bids here.

£40, 45 I will take.

£40, 45 I will take...

Oh, the last one we sold for an awful lot more than that.

Are we all done at 40?

That's disappointing.

Looks like we are.

Sold at 40.

Well, that just about wiped its face.

Next up is Catherine's leather military bag.

I've got three bids on this one.

-£45.

-Yes!

Looking for 50.

45 and going straight in, looking for 50.

Keep going.

45, looking for 50.

-Are we all done?

-Ooh!

50, I've got 55 here.

Madam, 60? No.

It's still with me at 55.

Any advance to 60?

At £55, all done?

Blimey, Catherine's marching on.

That's another good profit.

It was small, but it was perfect.

Can Philip get a result with his Art Deco bronze plaque?

£25 I'm starting out, looking for 30.

That's a profit anyway.

Looking for 30.

At 25.

No further bids in the room?

25.

At £25.

Sold at 25.

Well, a lucky bidder's going home happy.

Coming up next is Catherine's vintage churn.

Let's hope it can surpass expectations.

What are we looking at this one?

£30.

Start me at 20?

Oh...

They all wanted it in Bristol.

Start me at ten?

Ten is bid. It's in the doorway.

-Come on!

-15 anywhere?

Sold to the man in the straitjacket.

At £10...

Are we all done at ten? I believe we are.

Sold at ten.

Well, I suppose the writing was on the wall with that loss.

What's next?

It's coming up now, look.

I'm really going to scream in a minute.

He's excited because his coffer bach is coming up next.

I've got cross bids here at £100.

So I'm going to go in at 110.

That's a relief.

110. 120, 130 and I'm out.

130, it's in the room.

140 here.

150, sir?

160, 170, 170...

Oh, God, I'm going to really scream in a minute.

180 with you, madam.

All done?

Sold at 180.

Do you know, it could have done a little bit better,

-really, couldn't it?

-Oh! Just be grateful and shut up!

That's a stonking profit for Philip.

-He's annoying, isn't he, madam?

-He is a bit.

Hey, whose side are you on?

Not yours by the sound of it, Philip.

Really? That's harsh!

Anyway, back to the auction with Catherine's gilt-bronze casket.

I forgot about that casket.

I spent loads on that.

-That was a massive risk.

-SHE GASPS

-Forgot about that one.

-PHIL SNORTS

Loads of bids on this one.

£130, 140 I will take.

Yes, get in there!

130. 140, 150, 160?

No, 150 with me.

-Keep going.

-150.

160 anywhere else?

160, it's in the room.

170 I will take.

At £160, fair and final warning.

Sold at 160.

Oh!

My word! Another great profit for Catherine.

SHE SINGS

Ah, someone's a happy camper.

But can Philip extend his lead with his collection of biscuit

and confectionery tins?

-A lot of bids.

-A lot of bids.

Two extremes between the two.

But I'm going straight in at £100, and 110 I will take.

At £100.

-At 100?

-Ouch.

Appears the collectors are not in today.

-I think we're all done at 100.

-Ouch, ouch.

I'll give it a second or two longer.

At 100.

Sold at 100.

Lordy, someone's got a bargain.

They were genuine good, good things.

I'm tapping now, aren't I? I'm tapping now.

This means the result of this road trip

is down to the battle of the watches.

First up is Philip's gold wristwatch.

I'll start at £90.

-100 I'll take.

-Thought he was going to say £900 then.

100, 110, 120, I'm out.

-120 in the room.

-That's cheap. That's cheap.

130 I'm looking for.

120 in the room.

130. 140, sir?

150, 160?

Hopefully, the internet will come in.

170.

180? No, 170.

It's with the saleroom.

At 170, it's with the saleroom...

Sold at 170.

That is a very decent profit.

Still a cheap watch, but at the moment, you are ahead.

But you can still steal the show with your half-hunter pocket watch.

I've got four bids here.

£80 I'm going in at.

-85 I'm looking for.

-Get in there!

85, 90, 95 and I'm out.

-100 I would like.

-Yes!

100, 110, 120, 130?

No. 120 I've got.

How did that happen?

Has he got the right lot?

£120 with you, sir, at the moment.

At 120.

-No further bids.

-Really?

At 120, it's in the room.

Yes!

Whoo! Sorry.

I'm very excited about that.

We can tell that. Catherine's made some amazing profits,

but has it been enough to catch Philip?

Catherine began with £250.38, and after auction costs

she's ended up with a profit and a total of £392.98.

Philip started off with £394.42, and after saleroom fees

he just about managed to hold Catherine off with a grand total

of £422.30, making him this road trip's overall winner.

All profits go to Children In Need.

Well, I won, so I should...

I thought...

-I'm driving.

-You won.

-How does that work?

-You drive!

It's been a great trip.

But before we all get upset about one trip ending...

Hip, hip, hooray! We're off on a new adventure

with veteran antique-er Paul Laidlaw, and look!

There's a new girl in town, auctioneer Claire Rawle.

Do you have specialisms that could be my downfall in this game?

Well, I do hope so.

-I do hope so.

-HE LAUGHS

Hey, you'd better watch her, Paul.

Claire's been in the antiques business for over 30 years.

She started as a child.

So what is your taste?

I suppose, very eclectic. Very eclectic.

I love collectors' items, so that covers quite a vast field, really.

-Anything from sort of ephemera to militaria and...

-What? What?

-Yeah, I love militaria.

-Get off my manor!

-Yeah, yeah.

Ha, this should be an interesting road trip.

Each of our rascals have £200 in their pocket.

They're scooting about town in a fruity 1968 TVR Tuscan.

Paul and Claire will set off from Wooler in Northumberland.

They'll take in the sights of the north-east, traversing through

Yorkshire to finally land in the

town of Stamford in Lincolnshire.

Our adventure begins today in the Northumberland town of Wooler.

And we will auction later,

in Darlington in County Durham.

-Well, then. It begins.

-Absolutely. This is it.

-The moment we've been waiting for.

-Good luck! Enjoy!

-Looks... Well, it's pretty enough.

-It's all right, isn't it?

-Very nice.

We'll catch up with Paul later.

But this is Claire's first chance to demonstrate her buying prowess.

-Hi.

-Hello, Mark.

-Yes, nice to meet you.

-Hello, I'm Claire.

-Hiya, Claire. Nice to meet you.

-Yeah, yes.

Mark's got a fair bit of stock crammed into this tiny shop.

What can Claire find?

Oops. What's lurking in there?

Men's hairbrushes. Don't think so.

Everyone's looking for the unusual, something different. Oh! OK.

Hey, look at these!

Wow! Imagine having to...

Cor, you'd have to be quite tall for that as well.

SHE LAUGHS

I quite like those, pair of old wooden crutches.

Well, they're certainly different,

and appear to have been handcrafted in the 19th century.

But is there a deal to be done?

-Mark...

-Hi.

There's a couple of...

-There's a pair of old wooden crutches out the back, there...

-Yes.

-..which I quite like.

-Yes.

I mean, I've got a price in my mind that's

a lot less then you've got, because you've got them marked up at 75.

So I'm wondering, you know, it's a bit cheeky of me to come down a lot.

What sort of price did you have in mind?

I'm a long, long way away from you and I don't want to offend you

-by saying the price, but I'm...

-Not easily offended.

OK, well, I was hoping for about £20, £30, you see. Yeah.

-You're getting close to offending.

-Yeah, yeah, I thought I would.

If we go to 35, I'll give you them for that. Unusual.

When was the last time you've seen a pair?

SHE LAUGHS

Doesn't always make them make money, though, does it? Really?

You wouldn't think of 32?

-Erm... Yeah, I'll do them for 32 for you.

-32. OK, 32 it is, then.

-OK.

-Better give you some money, I guess.

-Yes, yes. It's always nice.

Yeah, yeah. Ooh, my hands are cold. I can't part with them. Here we go.

I've got no change. Is that OK?

THEY LAUGH

Where have I heard that before?

He's not kidding, you know.

-Oh, no!

-I'm short of change meself.

I've got £7.20. Would you be happy

for that as change? And I owe you 80p.

-Oh, OK, OK. What's that? Luck money up here, is it?

-Yes.

-That's one for luck.

-OK.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks, Mark. Pleasure to meet you.

-Thank you very much.

Bagful of... Right.

One down.

Lack of change means the final price for today's first buy

on the road trip is £32.80.

Meanwhile, Paul has travelled south to the village of Powburn,

which nestles at the foot of the Cheviot Hills.

What can he rustle up in here?

And he's got something!

I've found something I love!

But I'm not sure.

Check out two of the most unusual...

..condiments, shall we call them?

A salt and pepper.

..that I've ever seen.

The bodies, they are shells.

But it frustrates me.

If these were silver, undeniably silver,

the price tag of £22 would, in my opinion, be a gift,

because I think they are great fun.

Yeah.

He's tracked down owner Beryl

to find out about his next item of choice.

-What a piece of glass!

-Hm.

And no doubt that would have sat, resplendent,

behind the bar of some fantastic Victorian inn or hotel.

Beautiful thing.

You can dispense me with my whisky out of that any time you like.

Whisky was extremely popular in the 19th century. And remains so.

The spirit would be poured into large,

elaborate cut-glass dispensers that complemented the fine

interiors of a Victorian public house.

During its life, it's taken a few knocks there.

You know, that is a splendid, splendid thing.

The ticket price is £120.

Well, I could do... Well, £40, how about that?

How's about 30 quid?

-And I'll buy something else.

-SHE LAUGHS

-You'll buy something else.

-Well, let me get something else.

-Go on, then.

Can I do that? I'm going to put something in front, there,

-and see if we can do a deal.

-OK.

Hang on in there, Beryl.

-I knew you'd go for those.

-Really? Tell me why.

-Just because they're different.

-They are, aren't they?

-They're fantastic.

So there you go, two purchases.

What about 50?

What about 45 quid?

-Go on, then. Being as it's you.

-Wonderful.

-Yes.

Get your money out, Paul.

-There you go.

-Thank you very much.

-I bid you adieu.

-Paul's achieved a very generous deal, there.

£15 for the salt and pepper pots

and £30 for the whopper of a whisky dispenser.

Back to Claire. She is hot on Paul's heels.

The village of Powburn is her next shopping destination too.

Hedgeley Antiques, watch out.

Claire's looking to spend some cash.

With over ten dealers here, there should be lots to choose from.

She's quick to spot something.

Golf clubs.

These are types that you do see quite a few of.

But having the hickory shafts makes them much more interesting.

I mean, but, you know, these are...

Well, they date from sort of time of the First World War, really.

So they're asking between £12 and £14 for each of those.

What I'd really like to do is get all four for £12.

Pull all those out.

Right, see if I can do a deal. Brian!

-Are you there?

-Watch yourself, Brian.

-Golf clubs.

-Oh, right.

-So, I know they're marked up at £12, £14 each...

-Right.

I was hoping I could do a deal on these.

I'm going to be really cheeky and say £12 for the four.

£12 for the four?!

THEY LAUGH

You call that cheeky?

£12 for the four.

You know, they've got a little bit of wear here and there.

Yeah. 14.

14.

-Excellent.

-OK, 14.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

Wow, very generous of you, Brian. £14 for the lot.

And Claire's not finished yet.

There are some interesting things in here.

There's a little...little brooch at the back there.

A little dog sitting on, like, a sailing boat. Quite unusual.

Now, let's get Brian back over to look at the little doggy brooch.

-Which one is it?

-It's that one at the back there.

-Is it all right if I just grab it?

-Just help yourself.

Right, OK. I just think that's just unusual.

That's quite sweet.

It's not made of any precious metal, so it all comes down to price now.

-So...

-What's on it?

-It's got £14 on it.

-Right.

Um, but I'd really quite like to buy it for about six.

Right. OK, six.

-Six, excellent.

-OK?

-Thank you very much.

Thank you.

-And she's going for another brooch.

-It's five pounds.

It's only sort of white metal, just sort of pressed out.

I don't know whether... if I could get it for a pound.

HE LAUGHS

It would go nicely with my little dog.

It would look very nice for a pound, wouldn't it?

-If you say so, yes.

-Well, it would for a pound.

-Yes, I'm sure it would.

I don't want to pay five pounds for it, yeah. Yeah. Yeah?

-OK.

-Yeah, excellent.

Blimey, the bird brooch for a pound?

Just when we think it's all over...

Oh, this is rather nice, isn't it? This trench periscope.

Trench periscope. 1917, um, marked, so it's a nice thing.

Because, of course, it would have been...

-Well, it was used as a trench periscope...

-That's right.

So rather than stick your head up above the parapet, stick that up.

It's not so bad if that gets shot,

it's not so good if your head gets shot.

The ticket price is £140.

Yikes!

I tell you what. 50 quid.

-Need to go a bit below that, though.

-What?! Below 50?!

-Yeah.

-30.

-30?! I'll split it with you. 40.

-That's the death.

-35. Be better, death.

-Go on.

-HE SIGHS

Probably just to see the look on Paul's face, 35.

-SHE LAUGHS

-OK, you're on.

Blimey, what a gaggle of goodies.

The dog and bird brooches for £7,

£14 for the golf clubs, and the officer's trench periscope for £35.

Meanwhile, Paul's travelled south to the town of Morpeth.

He's having a breather from shopping to find out about

a sporting Mecca that happened right here

in this small town in Northumberland.

# Can you jump?

# Or can you wrestle?

# Can you tug-of-war?

# Or maybe want a wager or a bet?

# Well, this is what the working man's been waiting for

# And the Morpeth Olympics are as good as it can get. #

We're all familiar with the international Olympic games.

But over 140 years ago,

before there was even a sniff of the famous global extravaganza,

people would come in their thousands to watch everything from

wrestling to pole vaulting at the Morpeth Olympics.

Paul is meeting with local historian Kim Bibby-Wilson to hear more.

It wasn't like the modern Olympics, an amateur meeting, it was

for professional working-class sportsmen, and the spectators

as well were the working-class people who came

for a good day out, and they had something like 15,000 people

at the heyday on the site,

watching the games that were going on.

And the prize money was quite substantial, because the local

businesses sponsored it, in order to bring people into the town.

Quickly, the annual Morpeth Olympics became one of the top events

in the UK sporting calendar.

Kim has some rare footage from the 1950s.

Oh, very grand. Look at that. Look at the colour.

Oh, that's a big site...

-It is a really big site.

-..and a big crowd.

-It is, yeah.

If you get to the top of the hill, you can see down,

just how big an arena it was and such an amphitheatre

for the spectators to be able to see what was going on.

-And we're somewhere here.

-Yes.

-Very good.

And they're pole vaulting as well. Oh, I see.

And for all the world, it looks like your pole-vaulters have got

-a hard landing ahead of them there.

-Oh, yes, yes, yes.

This wasn't a well-appointed sports field.

And the wrestlers, head to toe in their...

Yes, it's the sort of Cumberland and Westmorland style of wrestling,

a bit like the Ancient Greek wrestling,

although we tended to use legs and the lower part of the body as well,

so it's a bit more vicious.

You can see that they've got the long trousers and the tops,

and they've got the Superman pants on the outside.

HE LAUGHS

Quite right too. It's fantastic stuff.

And this brings to life the site.

I can now picture the crowds on the rise there,

and I can hear the cheering.

The Morpeth Olympics offered lucrative cash prizes for winners.

Sports funding at this time was scarce,

so athletes flocked in their droves.

Morpeth Town Hall holds some artefacts from the games.

So we've got these fantastic posters

dating all the way back to 1914.

They tell you a little bit about how

the prize money went up over the years.

So I think, on this one,

it's a £20 prize for the 110 yards foot handicap, and

by 1930, it's gone up to £100, so that the prize money's gone up.

And they were claiming back in 1914, "Great increase in the prize money,"

so this was the lure for people to take part.

It's a draw, isn't it, clearly? All about the money.

After the heyday of thousands attending the event,

by 1958, figures had dwindled to a mere 800.

How does it peter out?

It's a combination of circumstances, really.

The prize money couldn't match what

professionals were getting elsewhere.

The social spectator sport became less popular as leisure habits

changed and people had other means of entertaining themselves.

So what is the legacy of the Morpeth Olympics?

The ordinary man could rise to great heights through his efforts

and be applauded for his efforts.

And if there was some money in it, you know, so much the better.

But it was part of that legacy which means that we still have

people valuing the trophies that their ancestors won.

# Well, this is what the working man's been waiting for

# And the Morpeth Olympics is as good as it can get. #

After all that talk of exercise, it's time for a nice lie down.

Nighty-night!

# Good morning, world, it's a brand-new day... #

Good morning, you two.

Claire's in command of the TVR Tuscan as our pair get set

for another day of high jinks.

First stop this morning is the leafy suburb of Jesmond.

It's Paul's turn to kick things off.

With £155 to spend, he's in for a spot of Gallic loveliness,

at Antiquites Francaises.

-Hello there. Is it Babette?

-Yes, it is!

Pleased to meet you, Paul, I've seen you on the television so many times.

It's nice to meet you in person.

-With the Scots and the French, it's the Auld Alliance!

-Yes!

-Let's hope it remains amicable!

-Oh, yes, absolutely.

Can he find some of his beloved militaria in here?

No, he's stepping out of his comfort zone with this little beauty.

The wee tin-plate doll's pram.

-Yes.

-That's a sweetie as well!

-It is really sweet.

-That's got to be 1930s, hasn't it?

-It has. I would say, yes, 1930s,

-or just after the war, I would say.

-But charming little thing.

That is priced at...

..65.

-I could come down to 50.

-50, OK.

So, not so much slack in that one.

Maybe 48. 48 could be OK.

Pitching at 35, is that too far?

It's a little...

-Right, no, it's fine, absolutely, 35...

-Are you sure?

-Absolutely fine.

-OK?

-Babette, thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

The very kind Babette has generously sold the little pram for £35. Aww!

Elsewhere, Claire has made her way to the historic town of Hexham.

She has over £100 left to splash, and her last emporium of the day

is Malcolm Eglin antiques, owned by Malcolm. Obviously.

Oh, I say!

Gosh, wasn't expecting this. Isn't it lovely?

It's like an Aladdin's cave!

OK, I'm just going to go trundling in the back here.

I've spotted something I quite like.

Go on, get stuck in, girl!

Okey dokey. Leather suitcase.

Now, these were made in the days when you had servants

or porters on the station,

because by the time that's got clothes in it, it weighs a tonne!

And it's got the remains of a label on it, I always like to see that.

You can imagine it's been travelling all over the world.

I actually quite like that. Can't actually see a price on it.

Might have to go and ask Malcolm about this one.

Yoo-hoo, Malcolm!

-I spotted, round the corner here, a leather suitcase.

-Yeah, sure.

But I can't find a price on it.

Could you go to £20 for it?

We'd love you to win and spoil Paul's day,

so, if that's any good to you at all?

Actually, that's a very, very fair price,

because that was about what I was thinking for it.

-So, £20.

-Absolutely, no problem.

-OK, fine. Better shake on that.

I expect you'd like some money, wouldn't you?

Well, that would be good, yes!

£20 for an early-20th-century leather suitcase? Not bad, Claire.

Also in Hexham, Mr Laidlaw has one last shop to go

and he's on familiar ground at Ashbourne House Antiques. Hello!

-Beryl!

-Hello again!

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-It's good to see you!

-Right.

-Brilliant!

What's changed, what's fresh?

Um, not a lot!

Better get to it, then, Paul.

Ah, something's caught his eye.

May I have a look at the little North African

or Middle Eastern cruet set?

Oh, yes, that's interesting.

-That's great, thanks very much.

-I think that's got a date on.

On the base, there's a clue to its origin, it all becomes clear now.

Engraved "Iran, 1946". So, just the end of the Second World War.

I like that very much.

And the price tag says...

£59.

-Anything on that?

-OK, 40 on the cruet.

-OK.

-Now, that can't be bad.

If I was taking it home, I'd think it was a gift!

There you go, then!

So, that's a deal of £40 for the cruet set.

But is there anything else that might tempt Paul?

Now, that, we thought, was for signalling.

-OK.

-I don't know whether you've seen one of those.

It's either an electric miner's lamp,

which is a possibility...

It might just be my preferred option of

a diver's lantern. The whole point in this is, it's waterproof.

It's an interesting lantern, that.

With a ticket price of £95.

What can that be, then?

-Is that something you can...

-Oh, I could make that half.

20 quid?

So it's got to be worth 30.

I should be on your side, shouldn't I?

We both seem to be haggling wi' me!

Well, you've got a fair bit off that, come on, now.

-Cheers.

-Ha-ha!

-It's always good fun, is it no'?

-It is!

Ha-ha! That's how you do it.

So, with shopping complete, let's take a peek at the purchases.

Paul adds his waterproof lantern and his Iranian cruet set

to the salt and pepper pots...

the whisky dispenser...

..and the doll's pram.

That's five lots for a total of £150.

Newbie Claire has five lots, including the 19th-century crutches,

the unusual animal brooches,

the golf clubs

and the World War I trench periscope.

Claire has spent a total of £108.80.

What do they think of one another's buys?

OK. An interesting offering, diverse, but, um,

all the time that I'm talking, there is only one word in my mind,

and it's periscope!

I love the spirit urn, that glass item.

It's a shame about the damage, but do you know,

that's a really showy piece, I think that's his best bit.

I am in a world of pain!

I think Paul might be a bit jealous of my periscope.

Just a tad.

Our road-trip rascals are heading to their first auction,

in Darlington in County Durham.

The auction is being held at Thomas Watson Auctioneers.

Our auctioneer today is Peter Robinson.

Thoughts, please, about our pair's lots.

Large 19th-century glass whisky dispenser -

I mean, pieces like this do make a big presence

if you stick it on your sideboard in your dining room.

The World War I periscope, which is a really nice item,

it's my favourite, and it certainly does work, because I've tried it.

This is exciting! The auction is about to begin.

-I wish you luck, Claire.

-Really?

-In moderation... Yeah, really!

Ha! How generous of you, Paul.

First up, Claire's brooches.

15, 20. 25 I'm bid.

At £25 for the two brooches.

At £25. 30 I'm bid. 30, sir.

At £30, on my right, 35, 40, 45. I'm bid in the room at £45.

On my right. Out on the internet at £45 for the two pieces,

selling at £45.

GAVEL BANGS

Hey, remarkable result there, Claire.

She is sailing high from the get-go.

OK, no pressure!

Let's see how your little doll's pram fares.

25 on the net, at 25, the doll's pram, at £25. 30 bid.

At £30, in the balcony, at £30.

35, 40, 40 in the balcony, still, at £40.

The bid's at 40. 45, thank you. 50, sir. Sure?

Being sold now at £45 for the lot. All done?

-£45.

-Well, it didn't move backwards,

but it doesn't counter your brooch assault!

A decent profit, but not enough to take on the might of our new girl.

Now, how will she fare with her golf clubs?

£20 to start me, for the vintage golf clubs, 20 to start. 15?

-15, 20, 25, internet bidding.

-That's all right.

-It'll do.

Four in the lot. Four golf clubs. At £25. 30 in the balcony. At £30.

35, another bid, anywhere? Being sold, then, at £30.

-That's all right.

-Oh, that's better than all right!

-That's doubled your money.

-I'm pleased with it.

Nice one, Claire, another great profit to add to the kitty.

Paul loved his salt and pepper pots.

Can they help him climb into the lead?

£20. 25, 30 I'm bid. At £30, 35?

I'll take that, it's all right.

Thank you, madam, 35 bid.

At £35 in the saleroom. 40 now?

At £35, the lady's bid at £35.

Being sold, then, at £35.

Back in the game, maybe, that's all right.

Paul is creeping up behind you, Claire!

It's Claire's turn now, with the vintage suitcase.

£20. 25, 25?

-At £25.

-We're there.

-Small profit.

35, 40, 40 in the balcony.

At £40 for the vintage suitcase.

At £40, the bid's in the balcony at £40. Is it 45 anywhere?

-Being sold... 45, thank you.

-Oh, excellent! I love the internet.

£45, being sold, now, at £45, to the internet bidder.

Hey, Claire knows what she's doing. Another lovely profit.

Claire is still out in the lead,

but Paul's sizeable spirit dispenser is next.

£30 for the large piece of Victorian glass.

It's all right, you've got some here.

-Internet.

-40, 45, at £45 in the room here. 50, 55, sir?

-At £50, £50...

-No, it's not enough.

60, 60 bid.

OK, I'm crying on the inside!

£60, 65, 70, Colin? At £65, on the internet bid, at £65.

70, another internet bidder.

Oh, it's slowly creeping!

£70, for the whisky dispenser, being sold, internet bidder.

75, quickly, please...

Oh, my word!

£75, can we have 80?

£75, being sold, then, this time, at £75, internet bidder.

-Well, that's fair enough.

-That's all right. Are you pleased with that?

We are probably even Stevens now.

Not quite, Paul. You're just behind.

But a substantial profit, nevertheless.

What about Claire's interesting choice of a pair of crutches?

£20, can we have, to start for the pair?

15? £15. £15, 20, 25, internet bidder.

-£25 for the pair of crutches.

-Go on a bit more, please, please!

£25, going to be sold at £25, are we all finished at £25?

Being sold at £25.

-Oh, OK.

-Limped home. You can afford that, Claire Rawle!

Actually, she can't.

This means Paul takes the lead by a smidge.

It's Paul's lantern next. Lovely thing.

I suspect people that know what it is and care are rarer

than the lamp itself!

This could be my problem.

£50, 185, at 50. At £50, at £50.

I'll take that, it's not a loss.

£50, all finished at £50 this time?

All done at £50.

-Short and sweet.

-I'll take that.

-Bit of profit.

-Came out of nowhere!

Striding into the lead here, Paul.

And it's Paul's again, with the silver Iranian cruet set.

£20 to start, at £20 for the silver cruet.

At 25, 30 bid, 35 I have.

Oh, it's going all right.

40 bid, 45 I have, at £45. 50, 55.

-60, 65.

-Just about.

-No!

-That'll do me.

70 anywhere? £70 bid now.

I'm liking it more by the minute!

£75, at £75 for the silver cruet. All done?

Hey, sitting comfortably in the lead, Paul.

Do you know what, it's all going to come down...

It's all about the periscope.

Indeed it is, Paul. It's the one he's been dreading.

Commission bids here, we've got 35 to start us off, low start.

35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 bid.

60 bid. 60 bid, in the room is the bid, at 60... 65, 70.

-£90 I have here.

-Oh, that's better.

-What just happened?

I blacked out for a second!

At £90, against the internet at £90, 95, 100.

That's what I said!

At £100 now, the internet bidder. 110, thank you.

Make it stop, Mummy, please make the man stop!

In the room at 110, internet bidder at £110 for the periscope.

Selling it at £110.

-All finished?

-GAVEL BANGS

-Excellent.

-What we said!

-OK, 110, that's good.

I'm feeling your pain, Paul.

That's a whopper of a profit, Claire, well done.

You owe me tea and sympathy, I think!

Not too much sympathy.

-Right...