Episode 13 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

-BONG!

-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 will 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!

Welcome to third leg of the trip.

It's a bit wet but our experts,

Catherine Southon and Philip Serrell,

are negotiating some West Country roads in a 1970 Citroen DS20.

-Whoo!

-Look at that. What a lovely day Devon's got for us.

Why have we got this rain? Where have you brought me?!

Why is it raining?

Last time, Catherine took a leaf out of Philip's book and bought

rather larger items, and some of them paid off big-time.

-You going down the rust and woodworm route again?

-It worked, didn't it?

Well, it's worked for me for years now.

-I think you've educated me into...

-I'm educating Britain.

That's what I'm about. I'm educating Britain.

Phil Serrell's Rust & Woodworm Trip, this should be rebranded.

Behave!

Catherine started the trip with £200, but she's made

a decent profit so far and has a healthy £269.58 to play with.

Philip also started the trip with £200,

but he's raced into the lead with a whopping £385.40

to spend on this leg.

It's a bit cosy, this lane, isn't it?

Here's another nice Devonian pulled in for us. Thank you very much!

-You're a bit close!

-What? To the side.

I'm a bit close to this side as well. It's a lane, dear!

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

meanders around the Midlands,

before heading due south to the coast,

then turning west down to the tip of Cornwall,

nipping briefly into South Wales and finishing up at auction in Wells.

Phew!

Today our experts start off in Colyton in Devon

and end up in an auction in the city of Exeter. Ooh-arrr!

Bluebells, Phil! They're beautiful!

# In and out the dusty bluebells, in and...#

We are going in and out the bluebells!

Sing with me, Phil! Ready? # In and out the... #

I was more into Hendrix and the Stones, really.

The picture-skew market town of Colyton is the end of the line for

the Seaton Tramway and Philip is dropping Catherine off at the

goods depot, home to the Vintage Shed antiques.

-Spend your money, girl!

-Bye!

-Good morning!

-Hello!

-Catherine, hi.

-I'm Claire.

-Hello, Claire.

-John.

Hello, John. Nice to meet you.

I think this is one of those places that looks fairly small from

-the outside and you come in and it's massive. Am I right?

-Yes, it is.

-I may be some time.

-OK!

Ooh... I like this.

You see, if Phil was here,

this is where he would be because this is his kind of area.

That is a nice piece.

I know it's simple,

but look at the shape - that is a really beautiful shape.

And nice copper. Quite heavy, substantial tray.

Now, this is made by WMF.

I'm not even going to attempt to say the name but it's something

along the lines of Wurttembergen Metallwarenfabrischen...

Something like that.

I think you find it's Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik.

I think.

How do we know this is WMF?

Because later WMF pieces have a nice big stamp on the back

with the initials WMF,

but the early pieces have a little ostrich mark, and there we have it.

It dates it, certainly, to the very early 20th century.

(£75!)

That's a lot of money for a tray. It's a thought.

I tell you what, though, I saw something when I came in,

so I'm just going to go and investigate.

You're going to be horrified.

-What now, Catherine?

-This is what I saw.

I am now going into Phil Serrell complete madness, but look at that!

It's a wheel. Isn't that amazing?

That would look great in somebody's garden.

It's an architectural piece, but it looks amazing.

It's probably not even for sale but I have to ask.

I know I'm mad.

-No, you're not.

-I know I'm mad...

-OK.

-If you insist.

-..but... It's not the smallest item I've seen...

-I just looked at your wheel.

-OK. Yes.

Is that for sale or is that a part of your building?

No, that is for sale.

It's another trader's, so somebody who rents a space, he put it out there.

-There could be a bargain there.

-Could it be a bargain?

-Could be!

It could be a bargain!

Let's leave an excited Catherine with her wheel.

Meanwhile, Philip has travelled to the pretty coastal village of Beer,

where he's made a little impromptu stop on the beach. Oh Lord!

Chaps, can I have a word? What have you got I can buy off you?

You can buy a boat if you want one.

-Looks like Philip has drawn a blank.

-Take care, chaps.

Or has he? There's some brass navigation lights up for grabs.

Oh, they look good.

Friendly fisherman Nick might have something after all.

That's all I've got here, Phil.

There's a couple of old navigation lights. They're a bit broken.

-They're like me, they've seen better days.

-Yeah, they have.

-How much do you want for them?

-£100?

HE LAUGHS

I reckon they're over 100 years old. I had 'em on me old boat.

-They're covered in paint and...

-Are they brass?

-Yeah, they're brass.

How much do you want for them, Phil? Go on.

I'll give you a tenner for them.

A tenner?! A tenner apiece. Give us 15 quid, there you are.

There is an expression - "If you want to find

"a fool in the seaside, bring him with you."

And I've just arrived.

-What did we say, 20, was that?

-You behave, you.

So this little soiree has seen Philip bag two

ship's navigation lights for £15.

-Well, good luck.

-I need it, yeah.

I think you would with those, but there we are.

I'm not sure who's done who here.

Let's leave Philip on the beach and see how Catherine is getting on

back in Colyton.

Is it a waterwheel something? An industrial wheel or something?

-I don't know. Do you know anything about it?

-I think it's a waterwheel. I don't know. John?

-John, do you know anything about the wheel?

-It's an olive press wheel.

-So it's originally from France or somewhere like that.

-Of course!

That makes it sound more exciting. Olive press - I like that!

It's still full of woodworm, but, yeah.

Don't worry about the woodworm.

Woodworm is good - it can add value.

-Is it going to be hugely expensive?

-I don't know.

-I'll give him a ring and...

-It's got no price on it.

OK, leave it with me.

I know I've been spending too much time with Phil, obviously,

but doesn't that look good? And being an olive...

wheel, press, whatever, makes it sound

a bit more Mediterranean and a bit more exciting.

-Oooh! I've come all over a-shiver!

-Lovely!

Claire hasn't been able to contact the owner,

but she's made an executive decision.

What I could do is sell to you for 120?

That is a little bit more than I wanted to spend.

It's got risk written all over it.

-Yeah.

-Honestly, Claire, I'm looking for about 80.

-I'm going to go and have another quick look at it, just to make sure.

-OK.

It is full of woodworm. And it goes round...as every wheel should.

I could be carrying this around with me for ever, though.

It might not sell and then I'll have to take it to the next auction

and the next auction.

Oh, someone tell me what to do.

I'll tell you, Catherine - make a decision, love.

I'm really tempted at 80.

What do you think, Claire?

Go on, then. I'm going to get into trouble but go on, then.

Let's shake on that. £80. I don't know what I've just done.

I may have just made the biggest mistake of my career, but...

-it's been worth it.

-SHE LAUGHS

-There we are.

-Lovely.

-Thank you. Would you like it wrapped?

Hey, I do the jokes, if you don't mind.

Goodness me, what have I done?

Right... John, follow me.

Come on!

Good luck fitting that in the back of the Citroen!

Meanwhile, Philip is still in the village of Beer.

He's visiting the Quarry Caves, which are famous for

the limestone that was mined here for nearly 2,000 years.

John Scott looks after the caves.

-Good morning, Phil. Nice to meet you.

-How are you?

-Welcome to Beer Quarry Caves.

-You are...

-I'm John.

These man-made caves were started by the Romans,

who quarried a 20ft layer of limestone that was unique to

the area, called Beer stone.

It was coveted by local masons because it contains very few

fossils, making it more durable and easier to work.

It's amazing to think the entrance

that we've just walked in was made by the Romans

-in the first century.

-2,000 years ago!

-Yes.

And they quarried the stone from these chambers where we're

standing to build their villas.

It would have been quite an industry.

The Romans quarried a quarter of a mile in that direction

to get all the Beer stone they used.

And that's almost like a perfect arch.

They supported the roof with beautiful rounded arches.

The Romans removed tonnes of limestone from here but they

also left things behind.

In this one chamber alone we've unearthed over 30 beautiful

-Roman coins...

-Really?

-In fact, there in my hand...

is one of those first-century Roman coins we discovered.

-So that's a 2,000-year-old coin.

-Very nearly, yes.

That's just beautiful, isn't it?

Although there was money to be made from Beer stone, it came at a cost.

You're working deep below ground, which is dangerous anyway.

You're getting appalling burns on your arms, rubbing on the limestone.

The alkali burned some of the skin and split it wide open,

and the only way they treated the splits was by running hot

-tallow candle wax on them.

-Oh!

It wasn't only the Romans who endured difficult conditions

mining the Beer stone.

Throughout the centuries, the quarry changes shape,

like different styles of architecture, because

the Saxons came - not such good architects - left the quarry square.

The Norman period, it's all upright pillars, capitals at the top,

like a Norman building...

By the early 20th century, quarrymen were still working the caves.

Some carved their names into the rock.

-So is it George Gush?

-No, it's actually Charles Gush.

Charles Cleaver Gush. He was a quarryman here when he was 19, in 1909.

Working conditions, did they change a lot?

No, the only improvement along the years was that they introduced

the use of hand saws.

But it was still backbreaking work.

Every day, single-handedly, to earn your living,

you'd have to cut a four-ton block out of a blank rock face.

-But all you'd have is that hand saw...

-Yeah.

..four iron wedges and a sledgehammer.

And danger was never very far away.

One day, when men were working in this section,

the vibration of the noise brought a 48-ton slab of rock out of

that hole in the roof right above our heads.

That lot hit the floor in one piece with other men beneath it.

Danger wasn't the only thing the quarrymen dealt with.

Imagine being here with 100 men driving iron wedges with

sledgehammers, pushing hand saws and swinging their pickaxes.

LOUD ECHOING BANGS

Now, when that's 100 times louder day after day, and you can't

escape the noise, that's why we talk about going stone deaf.

Oh, I love that!

After working 14 solid hours, you had to stand here shivering

waiting for a man called the tapstone to come. And he carries a hammer.

When the tapstone hits the block of Beer stone you've cut,

if it doesn't ring like a bell, but gives a dull thud,

that means the stone is cracked - useless for a mason to carve,

so they won't pay you a penny wages for your whole day's work.

The extraction of Beer stone from the caves ceased during

the 20th century when a new quarry was opened up nearby.

But the legacy of the men who worked these caves for hundreds of years

is still visible today in some of the country's most iconic buildings.

Westminster Abbey,

Tower of London, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, 24 cathedrals.

People often say why is there no monument in the village to

those who lost their lives quarrying Beer stone?

In fact, written down here on one of the pillars is something

that's written in St Paul's Cathedral.

It says, "Si monumentum requiris, circumspice,"

and it simply means "If you're looking for the monument,

"go and look around you."

So you can either look around the quarry where they worked

or you can still see the stone they quarried

in all our historic buildings. So that's their monument.

Meanwhile, Catherine is in the East Devon town of Axminster.

She is visiting her second shop of the day, The Old Chapel Antiques.

-Good afternoon, sir!

-Hello, nice to see you.

-Who might you be?

-I'm Ian.

Hello, Ian, I'm Catherine. Good to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, Catherine.

-Right... antique centre?

Yeah, there's about 28 different dealers here, over three floors.

-If I have a look...

-Yep.

..and I pick out a couple of goodies, are you the man to negotiate with?

Come and speak to me, yeah.

Right, I'll come back to you. Thanks very much, Ian.

Oh, I like that.

Not for sale. Hmm..

It might be for sale, though, if I could offer a decent price.

That's lovely, isn't it?

Imagine that with a nice big plant in it outside.

That would look rather super. OK. Oh, that's lovely.

Ian, I've spotted a rather nice little penknife. I like that.

-There we are.

-Oh, isn't that lovely?!

-Isn't that different?

-Yes!

Look at that!

It's a little penknife and just in the form of a clog or

a lady's shoe or something. I'd say probably more of a clog, isn't it?

-Definitely a clog, yeah.

-Look at the detail there! Look at...

I shouldn't be telling you this because then you'll put the price up.

I think the horse has bolted on that one, Catherine.

That's really pretty. And there's the blade that flicks out there.

It's just a really unusual piece.

-What's on that?

-It's got 28 on that one.

-Right.

It's quite faded, that ticket, isn't it? Has it been there a while?

-Now, now, Catherine.

-No, it hasn't.

-Oh.

SHE LAUGHS

-Do you think we could get a bit of a discount on that?

-I could do that, yes.

Because at the end of the day there's no precious metal here...

-There's not.

-There's no silver, no mother of pearl.

It's just actually quite basic.

There is on the price ticket, "Mot to be sold to under-18s."

-Oh, I wish I was under 18!

-Right.

-Yeah, you and me both!

-What I would love to pay...is about 15.

-Right.

-I think that's unlikely, but let me go and ask.

-See much you can do.

What sort of price you can get as close to that as possible.

Give me a couple of minutes. Can I also ask, very cheekily...?

-Yes?

-You've got something there which is not for sale.

Is there any way it could be for sale?

-The chimney? No, it's not.

-It's definitely not for sale.

-No.

-It's got real character that really speaks to you.

-Yes.

But it's not going to speak to me.

Not this time, Catherine.

But what about a deal on the penknife?

-You can do 18?

-OK.

Yeah? OK, 18 is fine.

-Thanks a lot.

-Fantastic. Can I...

-You want to...?

..put that in the bag?

-Hang on, yeah. I'll put that one there.

-Pop that one in the bag.

I think something else has taken Catherine's fancy.

Oh, look at this! Look at this.

Right at the back there...

That's like the little biscuit tin that I bought,

that was actually for sweeties.

Yes, I remember.

-And you made a handsome profit on it, as well.

-Yes!

-What I was really, particularly interested in...

-Here?

-..is that.

-One in there?

-The trunk. I can have a look at that.

Well, let's have a look and see.

I like that.

The ticket price is £33.

Well, if you could do a reasonable...deal for me.

-OK. Let me see. Can I take the ticket?

-Please do.

And I'll go and speak to him.

Ian's back, and he's got news.

Catherine? He'll do that one for 25.

Right. I was hoping for a bit less than 25.

There's nothing we can do on that?

Twist my arm and I'll take another...

I'll take it down to 22.

Right, OK. That's fine.

I'll put that with my shoe, shall I?

-So, I'm going to go for those two.

-Those two, yes?

-£40?

-That's £40.

-Ian, you've been marvellous. Wonderful.

-Nice to see you.

-And you. Thank you very much.

-All the best.

-And I shall take my travel trunk...

-Yeah?

And my clog, or shoe, and bid you farewell.

Let's leave Catherine in Axminster.

Philip's leaving the sea behind him to head inland

to the Devon town of Honiton, famous for its lacemaking.

His first shop is Lombard Antiques,

and he's a familiar face.

-Oh, Phil!

-We've met before, haven't we?

-What a surprise.

-Absolutely right, yeah.

-Oh, wow. Hello, how are you?

Because I came here when Charlie Hanson and I

-did the Road Trip round here, didn't I?

-Yes.

-But didn't actually buy off you, did I?

-No, no. Charlie did, yes.

We'll hopefully put that right in a minute.

-I might just buy something.

-Right.

-Can I have a look round?

-Yes.

Tell you what, space is at a premium, isn't it?

Hmm. It is a bit snug.

That's an interesting thing.

This is a military one, isn't it?

-Yes. 1916.

-'16.

-And you can tell it's military by the...

-By the arrow, yeah.

-By the arrow head there.

-That's right.

And it's by Negretti and Zambra, who were London makers.

So this is a mid-First World War army field telescope?

Yeah. Mid-First World War. Very good condition.

What's interesting about it is that this year,

this is an antique and last year, it wasn't.

Yes, that's true. Yes. Didn't think of that.

-Because this is dated 1916.

-1916.

And a dictionary definition of an antique

is something that's 100 years old.

So last year, this was 99 years old, and it wasn't an antique.

It was a collectable. I should have come and bought it then.

Don't remind him, Philip!

-I'll have to put the price up, Phil...

-Shh!

..now you've told me that.

This bit comes out as well.

That pulls out, doesn't it? I like that.

It sports a ticket price of £195.

-But when I bid you for it, you might need a chair.

-Oh, dear.

Let's just have a wander. Have you got a storeroom, Barry?

I have got a storeroom, yeah.

That looks quite nice, Barry.

Yeah, got a lovely tray top commode, here.

So, this is Georgian, it's about 1765?

-Yeah.

-Tray top, because this looks like a tray.

-Yeah.

And it's a bedside commode, so you... you would pull that out.

-And this has probably been put in later, hasn't it?

-Yes.

Because this should be, basically, where your chamberpot went.

You've got a minor issue there, Barry, cos that one's split.

-And you've got a blister on it just there, look.

-Yeah.

Where my finger is.

It does need a bit of attention.

Don't we all, Barry?

Do you think it's been reduced in height at all?

-I think it might have had casters.

-How much is this, Barry?

I could probably do that for about £85.

The "about" sounds interesting.

-Anyway, down to business.

-What's the best on the telescope?

I could probably do the telescope for 140.

-I think that's definitely worth buying.

-What about the commode?

We'll do it for 80.

You couldn't buy the wood for that.

He's got all the chat, doesn't he? All the chat. I like him.

That's nice.

Don't like his prices.

Not so nice, Phil.

What I'd like to do, let's put this on here,

and let's see if we can have a deal with these two.

I don't know anything about this, but I quite like it.

I love that commode, it's an old-fashioned antique.

But you've got to start apologising for it.

And I was told very early on in my life, that as soon as you start

apologising for other things, it's got to come down in value.

I know that your prices are fair.

But I'm going to bid you for me to make a profit on them.

-Right.

-And I'm going to end up with £200.

That's it, me finished.

So that would be £140 for the telescope, and £60 for the commode.

You going to shake my hand?

I think I will. Yeah, go on, then, Phil.

Thank you very much indeed.

-You're a nice chap. Thank you very much.

-What a gentleman, eh?

I'd better pay you now, hadn't I?

That's a decent day's work for Philip.

I'll do the heavy lifting.

-You bring the heavy thing.

-I'm used to that.

-Yeah.

Time for a spot of shut-eye, then. Nighty-night.

Morning, everyone.

Catherine's in the driving seat today, so watch out.

And our experts are enjoying the delights of rural Somerset.

Look at all these little... Is that...

I was going to say ponies, but they're not, they're cows.

You're a country girl, then, Catherine(?)

Anyway. How's their shopping going so far?

Philip's been a busy boy.

He bought a Georgian commode,

a telescope and a set of old brass ship lights.

I'm not sure who's done who, here.

He has a healthy £170.40 left to spend.

Catherine's been keeping up, though.

She bought the shoe pen knife,

the confectionery tin and the wooden olive press, as you do.

Oh! I've come all over a-shiver.

This gives shivery Catherine just under £150 for the day ahead.

So she's in fine spirits.

All I'm going to say, Mr Serrell, you would be very proud.

Their first stop today is in the Somerset town of Dulverton.

If they ever get there.

-Oh, Phil!

-Yeah, no, you want to be in first.

Change gear, change gear, change gear!

-Go.

-Woo!

Oh, lordy.

Dulverton is considered the southern gateway to the Exmoor National Park.

Philip is visiting the family-run Acorn Antiques.

Out of small acorns, great profits are grown.

BELL RINGS

-Hello, hello. Peter.

-Hi.

Good to see you, how are you?

Oh, it's a proper antique shop.

Proper antique shop.

-Is it all right if I have a look round?

-Yes, of course.

Some of you might have noticed, but I'm just a little bit older

than some of the other people who do this programme.

Really, Philip(?)

When I started in this business,

you were selling tables and chairs and whatever.

Nowadays, antique dealers are selling a look.

And this shop's got a great look.

Really lovely things.

You've got to pay for lovely things. They have a price.

So I hope I can find something here that suits my pocket.

This is a leather fire bucket.

-So, most of these were 18th-century, weren't they?

-They were, yes.

-Is this a little bit later than that?

-I think so, yes.

-Early 19th century.

-Yeah.

-It's probably about 1820, something like that?

-Thereabouts, yes.

And this would've been filled with sand, and basically,

it's to put out a fire. Some country houses had ten, 20, or 30 of these.

So what you do with that now?

Well, you perhaps use it in your office as a wastepaper bin.

Or you perhaps put a wonderful display of dried flowers in there,

and it would look great on a table.

And if you look at that there, you've got this wonderful,

it's almost like chewed toffee. Just a wonderful colour, there.

Nice comes at a price.

That's £220, which is not expensive.

But it's going to be out of my price range.

What else is taking your fancy, then?

What about your drum, Peter?

That's 95. What could that be?

-It is damaged.

-Yeah.

But I'd probably lose that.

I'd put that one on this side,

and then put a little circular glass top on it,

-and you've got a really cool coffee table, haven't you?

-Absolutely.

-It's French, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

And what would be the very best on that?

I'll do it for £70.

It's a nice thing.

Yes.

Would I insult you if I tried to buy it with a five in front of it?

-Meet me halfway.

-60 quid?

Go on, then. You're done.

You're a gentleman. Thank you very much indeed.

I'll give you some money now, look. There we are. £60. Thank you.

-Great. Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much indeed.

Deal done. Let's get it down, then.

This is going to rise or fall

on whether anybody else can see what I see in this.

So let's leave our little drummer boy.

So sweet.

Catherine is on her way to the village of Williton.

And she's here to find out about some revolutionary materials

that transformed the world,

and even helped save elephants from extinction.

Good afternoon! Hello.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Catherine. And you are...?

I'm Patrick.

Patrick Cook is the proprietor of the Bakelite Museum.

Come and have a look at what we've got inside.

I've got a feeling this is going to be rammed full, is that right?

Just a little bit.

Let's get inside. Thank you!

Oh, my goodness me.

There is a lot in here.

Wow!

It's the home to one of the largest collections of early plastics

in the world.

Where shall we go, through here?

There's so much here, Patrick. It's incredible.

Astonishingly, billiard balls used to be made of ivory.

And in the 19th century, a shortage of tusks

prompted a New York billiard ball manufacturer to put up

a 10,000 prize for the first person to create an ivory substitute.

As a result, celluloid plastic was invented and used to make

substitute ivory products, reducing the demand for the real thing.

You've got figurines which look like ivory.

So, is it that they're trying to copy what has gone before,

but obviously not using those materials?

That it a very positive side to look at.

The fact that you are actually saving the animals.

So there was devastation of the ivory trade.

This new material could imitate more than just ivory.

That actually looks like tortoiseshell.

But it's simulated tortoiseshell.

It is amazing. Imagine wearing that.

It is so beautiful,

so delicate,

and so...perfect.

In 1907, the first synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented

by Leo Hendrik Baekeland.

It would soon be mass-produced, in an endless list of products.

It could be used for so many different things.

Many, many things.

And in fact, some were more novel than others.

You have practical things,

you have telephones and various household gadgets.

And how about this?

Oh!

SHE LAUGHS

That was awful!

Oh, my goodness me. I thought that was a snake coming out, then!

This is a tie press.

They're called the Tiemaster.

-Right?

-1940s, possibly carrying on to the 1950s.

Does the job, of course.

Bakelite enabled a new way of designing things,

and those designs collided with another great invention of the time.

The radio.

Companies like Philips and the Ekco company in particular

had the best designers, so made good design available in people's homes.

Although the designs were undoubtedly cutting-edge,

Bakelite became synonymous with rather drab colours.

This is a rather, kind of, darkened room, and dull.

But colour was the future of Bakelite at that time.

And there were some extraordinary experiments.

The resin became very, very clear.

Which allowed you to put pure colours in.

I would love to see some of the colour examples. Can you show me?

Absolutely. Come along.

Wow! Colour!

Isn't it gorgeous?

Look at the colour effects.

This is where, sort of, science meets art in some ways.

And the Holy Grail for collectors are these Bandalasta bowls.

The experiments with colour also extended to Bakelite phones.

-So, we have a gorgeous green phone, which is...

-That is beautiful.

-Isn't it?

-Wonderful colour. Because...

I mean, we see quite a lot of the black ones, but that is stunning.

It does have all the quality of good design, and an excellent colour.

The very fact that they produced these for over 40 years

says a lot for their good design.

Improving technologies led to a new generation

of more versatile plastics.

But Bakelite is still manufactured today,

and it has even been used on the Space Shuttle.

From the beautiful to the practical and downright bizarre, these

vintage plastics have changed the way we look at the world forever.

Meanwhile, Philip has made his way to Sampford Brett.

The village is nestled on the edge of the Quantock Hills.

He's visiting Keith Richards Antiques,

which is based on the family farm.

He presumably doesn't play guitar.

-Hi, Keith, how are you?

-How are you?

-Yeah, good to see you.

-How are you doing, all right?

-Yeah, very good, thank you.

-Isn't that cabinet fantastic?

-Super piece, yeah.

-That is absolutely stunning.

-Museum quality.

-It is, isn't it?

-Yeah.

That's Art Nouveau at its best, isn't it?

Now, looking at what you've got, and I know what I've got.

HE LAUGHS

-Right.

-I'm hoping there might be a bit of common ground here,

-somewhere.

-Depending on budget, isn't it?

Yeah, we won't discuss that just yet.

I don't believe in embarrassing myself too early.

For the first time in my life,

I'm going to try and be methodical here.

All right?

Let's narrow this down.

This should be interesting.

This is a suite of Gnomeman furniture.

Thousands of pounds, out of my price range.

Arts and Crafts bookcase.

-Needs a bit of work.

-Mm-hm. Yes, just come in.

-And how much is that?

-220.

-OK.

Moving on.

Oh, lovely Wedgwood Fairyland lustre bowl.

And that is...?

£3,400.

Maybe not quite for you, Phil.

That's nice.

So, that's an oak silver chest, isn't it?

Yes, yes.

And it's Mr Ware-Cornish Esq.

-So you've got an oak strongbox, effectively.

-Mm-hm.

Or silver chest.

Metal bound.

Beige lined interior, that would have held a tray in there,

-wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

It probably would have had the full, sort of, tea set, the whole works.

Yeah. And we've got here,

"Carrington and Co Silversmiths, Regent Street, London."

So presumably over the years, what was in there has been broken up?

-The silver tray has gone in one direction...

-Mm-hm.

..the three-piece silver tea set's gone in another direction.

And it's a pity that it's not been kept together.

But at the time, it probably wasn't worth a great deal.

You've got 165 on that. What's the best you can do that for?

120.

It's just a lovely size, isn't it?

I've got a very tight budget, here.

So is 120 your best?

Yes.

Yeah.

Let's just see if we can just tempt him a little bit.

That's 20, look.

30, 40, 50, 60,

70, 80, 90, 110.

You think that's all I've got, don't you?

-Absolutely not, because there is...

-Oh, goodness.

-..40 pence as well.

Well, that should swing it, Phil.

-There's £110.40. I have not got a penny more.

-Right.

-Can I shake your hand?

-You can indeed.

-What a gentleman!

-All right.

-What a good chap. Really pleased with that.

Well, that's Philip spent every last penny, good boy.

Let's catch up with Catherine.

She's headed west to the pretty Somerset village of Carhampton.

She's visiting her last shop, Chris' Crackers,

and she's got just shy of £150 to spend.

Are you Chris and are you crackers?

-I'm definitely crackers. I'm Peter, nice to meet you.

-Hello, Peter.

-Well, em... Well... What can I say.

-Different.

-It's different.

We do a little bit of everything - salvage, reclamation,

we do some antiques, furniture, roof tiles, everything.

-Do you want to have a look with me?

-Can you spare me a week?

Yeah? Have we got a week? Come on. Show me the way.

-Oh, my goodness me.

-This is one of our best and busiest rooms.

-Really?

-They love rummaging through things.

-Do they?

(I'm exhausted and I haven't even started!)

Yes, there is rather a lot to get through. Woof.

-An old gym horse. They're very popular now.

-What's on that?

Oh, about £100.

-Oh, come on.

-Really?!

HE LAUGHS

I thought you and I would be on the same wavelength.

How long have you had that?

-It's been there a little while.

-Years.

-It's been there three years.

It came from St Audries Girls School.

-This is all later though, isn't it?

-Do you think so?

-Yeah.

Of course it is. So you'd love that space, wouldn't you?

-Well...

-You'd love that space.

I mean, think of all the things you could put in that space.

-More junk.

-More junk.

My kind of thought was about 40.

Right.

What does that sound like?

Can I get you up a little bit on that?

Oh, crikey. Really?

Peter may be open for a deal.

On we go.

-What do you think? 40?

-Yeah, we're not too far away.

-We could have a deal.

-Right, OK.

-We could have a deal.

-Hold that thought.

-Right.

Because we've only just started.

Right, what else have you noticed, Catherine?

I'm seeing some blue and white stripes. Is that a deckchair?

That's our massive deckchair.

Of course it's a giant deckchair. It's a duet deckchair.

I think they were from the '60s. Butlin's used to have them.

-Oh, to have your photo?

-That's right.

I've got, somewhere, behind you, I've got the baby.

Oh, that's brilliant.

How much is it? How much is it?

-What, the chair?

-Yeah.

-Oh...

The best I could do on that would be 80.

I don't think you'll see another one in a hurry.

It'd be fantastic as a sort of advertising thing, wouldn't it?

To have outside a shop or something like that. Can you do less than 80?

Can you do 60 for a friend? You know why? Cos of that hole.

I'm being picky. How do we get it out?

Oh, my goodness me. You're very kind, getting all this out.

Right, which way up?

I'll just leave you to do it.

-Oh, that is just fantastic. Does it work?

-Yeah, definitely.

Try it, by all means.

What do you think?

All I need is an ice cream, a beach, the sun and I'll be happy.

Come on, you, join me.

-It's not going to break, is it?

-No, it won't break. Come on, then.

-It's nice, actually.

-Come on, then.

-And there's a dog!

-Yay!

-THEY CHUCKLE

Beside the seaside.

Beside the road! So...what do we think?

-Well, what did I say, 80?

-Yeah.

-What are you saying?

60.

Are we?

-This is great. Am I mad?

-Chris' Crackers.

Don't forget the little one, Catherine.

Does that one come with it?

Why not? Why not?

So that's the deckchairs, what about the vaulting horse?

Can you do it for 40?

-Go on.

-Can you?

-Yeah.

-Are you happy with that?

-I'm happy with that.

-So how much do I owe you? Deckchair, we said 60...

-40.

-That's a nice, round...

-£100.

-100.

-Thank you.

Does your dog come free?

So that's Catherine's shopping done.

She's added the novelty deckchairs and the vintage vaulting horse

to the wooden olive press, a shoe penknife,

and an Edwardian confectionary tin, spending a total of £220,

and having a lot of fun.

Philip bought a World War I telescope, a 19th-century oak chest,

a 1920s drum, a pair of vintage ship's lights,

and a Georgian commode.

He spent all of his £385.40.

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

Catherine Southon, you're trying to outsell Philip Serrell.

That vaulting horse, I am so jealous of that!

-I think it's no money at all.

-I love your drum.

Don't tell me, you're going to put a piece of glass on it

and make it into a coffee table.

I don't think you're sitting on a fortune with your two deckchairs,

and I think your wheel of fortune might have

suddenly ground to a halt.

The telescope, which is an area that I know a little bit more about,

it might make £100.

I don't think so, though.

After setting off from Colyton,

our experts are now headed to auction in the Devon city of Exeter.

Is there anything you're really anxious about?

-The wheel.

-The wheel, ah, the wheel of misfortune.

What possessed you to buy that?

I don't know. I don't know. I had a Phil moment.

What would you do with it?

I'd try and find somebody who's got the other three.

It's not that sort of wheel, it's an olive wheel, a press.

You know, there's a big demand for those -

Exeter is known for its olive groves(!)

Ha-ha(!)

Welcome to Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood's sale rooms.

What does auctioneer Brian Goodison-Blanks

think of our experts' lots?

The Little and Large of the deckchair world,

well, it's something that's going to be quite

a fun piece for somebody to have in their garden.

The commode is a very nice piece.

It's what we refer to as more traditional antiques.

In the current market, though, because of the decline

for brown furniture,

it's probably only going to be about £40-£60 at auction.

The vaulting horse is one that's going to, I think,

throw us all for a loop.

It might make £40-£60, it might take a flier at £100 or so.

Well, let's hope it's got wings on. Anyway, it's busy in here today.

Experts, take your seats.

First up is Philip's pair of brass ship's lights.

Try saying that quickly.

What am I saying for those, £20?

-Ouch.

-£10 to start, then?

-10. Thank you, madam.

-Thank you, madam.

-12. 15.

-There, see? They all want them now.

20. 22. At 22 for the ship's lights, then...

GAVEL POUNDS

That's got me out of trouble, hasn't it?

Well, it's plain sailing for Philip as he starts off with a profit.

Next up is Catherine's shoe penknife.

This is the cutting edge of the lots that you've bought.

Oh, you're so smart.

What will I say for that, £50?

-That would be nice.

-Start at 30, then.

20, if you will.

10, if you will. 10 I have.

12, 15, 18, 20.

£20 seated. Shoe penknife at 20. Quite sure, sir?

At 20 seated...

GAVEL POUNDS

Well, that's just about wiped its face.

I'm a bit disappointed about that.

I think this is going to be a tough, old day.

-Do you?

-Yeah. Shall I go and start the car?

Not just yet, Philip.

Your 1920s drum is up next.

Somebody start me at £50.

Start me at £30 for the drum.

Come on.

£30 I have. Thank you, madam.

It'll make a nice coffee table, won't it?

They think like you, Phil.

35, 38, 40. 42?

Sure, sir? At 40 to the lady, then. 40 and done.

GAVEL POUNDS

They've got long pockets here, haven't they?

Blimey, don't bang on about it.

We're in it together.

I think we're right in it together!

Yeah, maybe Catherine's Edwardian confectionary tin will fare better.

Various interest here. 10, 12, 15.

15, I have. 18, 20, 22.

25, 28...

You've done it again, girl, you've done it again.

£30 seated.

This is where I say, "Crumbs".

All done, then...

GAVEL POUNDS

That's not a bad result, Catherine.

Well, it was a little profit. I would have liked a bit more.

Wouldn't we all?!

Now it's time for Philip's Georgian commode.

What will I say for that, £40?

40? 20?

20 I have. Thank you to the boys.

22, fresh bait. 25, 28, 30.

32, 35?

£32, then. 35, fresh bait.

38, 40, 42, 45, 48.

-50, 55?

-There you go.

£50, then?

At £50, then, at 50...

GAVEL POUNDS

Gosh, there are some lucky buyers in here today.

They say where there's no pain there's no gain,

but there's sure as hell a lot of pain and no gain at all here.

Now for Catherine's wooden olive press.

It seemed such a good idea...

Still might be.

In working order, as you can see.

What will I say for that unusual thing there? £50?

A nice decorative piece. 50?

£30 for the wheel, then?

-30, I have.

-Look, you're off.

I'll take the bid at 30. 2 if you'd like, easy stages.

I need a lot more than that.

At £30. 32. 35, 38.

40. 42.

-45.

-Please.

-48.

-Please.

-50.

-Yes.

-55.

-Yes.

-60.

-Yes.

65?

At 60 and selling, then...

GAVEL POUNDS

Never mind, Catherine. It was worth a shot.

Have you learnt anything?

Well, I've learnt that big is not necessarily beautiful

and profitable.

Can she bounce back with her novelty deckchairs?

Start me somewhere at £40 for the two.

£40 straightaway I have. £40 for the deckchairs.

42, 45, 48, 50.

Come on, it's nice and comfy for the summer.

Two - two of them.

At 50, then...

GAVEL POUNDS

Gosh, it's like getting blood out of a stone!

Oh, dear, that's back-to-back losses for Catherine.

Do you think there are any other programmes that we could do?

Perhaps... I don't know, one of those cooking things.

Let's not be too hasty now, Philip.

Shall we see how your oak chest gets on?

Various interest here. At 80. 85.

90, 95, 100.

110, 120, 130, 140.

150, 160, 170, 180...

-That's...

-I told you.

At £180 and I'll sell.

I told you you'd do well. You always do well.

Crikey, that's a whopping profit for Philip.

Catherine's last lot is the vintage vaulting horse.

Can she leap into a profit?

I've commissions here starting at 22, 25, 28, 30.

£30 is bid here with me.

32, 35, 38, 40. 42?

No? My commission at £40. Do I see 2?

42, 45, 48, 50. 52?

-£52 I have, at 52.

-Come on, keep going.

Please keep going.

Quite sure for the horse, then...

GAVEL POUNDS

So Catherine ends on a profit. Well done.

They're just not with it in Exeter.

-Not exactly the Great Escape, was that, really?

-No.

Last up is Philip's World War I telescope.

What will I say for that, £80?

£50 to start, then? 50 I have, wave of the catalogue.

5 behind. 60? Can't see you, madam.

60. 65.

70. 75. 80?

75 to you, then, madam. 80 standing behind.

85, 90.

95, 100.

100 standing to you, sir.

At £100, then...

GAVEL POUNDS

Well, that's a steal for some lucky bidder.

-Are we off?

-Yeah.

That's our experts' third auction completed.

Let's see how they're faring.

Philip started off with £385.40.

After paying auction costs, he's made a loss of £63.96,

leaving him £321.44 to carry forward.

Catherine started off with £269.58.

After paying her auction fees, she's made a loss of £46.16,

leaving her with £223.42 to spend next time.

-I think you won by default there.

-It was an odd one, wasn't it?

You sort of kind of lost least, really.

What are you trying to say?

-Well, I just feel now that I'm a man of leisure.

-Do you?

With my driving, you won't feel like that for long.

Tatty-bye, then.

Next time on Antiques Road Trip, we're in Cornwall.

-P-aaa-sty.

-P-aaa-sty.

Philip fancies a bit of silk.

There you are, Noddy Serrell.

While Catherine prefers wool.

Oh, no!