Episode 15 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antique 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 1970s Citroen DS 20.

Philip has been in the lead all week,

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!

Last time, Philip's lucky scarf proved its worth,

as he made a whopping profit on a Jielde lamp.

Great.

Lovely smacker. And the good fortune rubbed off on Catherine as well.

She doubled her money on some motorabilia.

-Are you a little bit miffed?

-Yeah.

-Are you a little bit miffed?

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 we'll 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.

And Catherine has finally mastered the vintage Citroen.

I'm actually getting quite used to driving this now.

-I think I'm doing quite well.

-Really?

Look at this. Look. Smooth!

-Oh, here we go again.

-Why am I doing that?

-I don't know!

-Why?!

Oh, dear. Oh, Phil, help me out.

I can't help you with the truck behind you.

-Ohh, I hate this car.

-HORN HONKS

Blimey! I think I spoke too soon, Catherine. Look at that queue.

The seaside town of Barry is famous for its sweeping beach,

but 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.

-Friend, is he?

-Everybody's a friend in this business, aren't they?

I've never been here before.

-But I do know what they buy.

-Is it going to be good?

-Am I going to be excited?

-You come and have a look.

-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.

-I forgot to say, it's plus 20%...

-Plus 20%.

..buyer's premium, plus the VAT as well, Philip.

Looks like the boot is definitely on the other foot today, Philip.

It's just a nice little watch.

What's nice about this is, a lot of straps get replaced,

but 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.

And then we've got a case.

I mean, if you want a good jeweller,

you've got to have somebody who's the Crown Jeweller,

cos by and large, the Queen has good jewellers.

-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.

Is it mainly furniture?

-Mainly...

-And sort of ornaments?

-Yeah.

Mainly furniture, and we do have smalls as well.

To be perfectly honest, furniture is not quite my thing,

so I will need a bit of guidance.

-I haven't got a huge amount of money.

-OK.

-We're talking...

-triple figures here, but not a huge amount.

-Oh, dear.

-What do you think?

-Let's have a look, and you may spot something.

-Are you happy with that?

-I'm very happy with that.

-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 topped there.

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

-And this is all original?

-Yeah, yes, it's all original.

-Look at the quality inside.

-What about the hinges?

Yeah, look at that. It's beautiful.

-Look at the quality of the hinges there.

-Yeah, no, they're nice

-and they're all right, aren't they?

-Yeah, and it's all mahogany inside.

But there's no ticket price, Terry.

This came from a local house, so it's not too expensive.

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.

It shows me a very small profit, but I'm quite happy to do it for £50.

Really? So it does still gets you a little bit of a profit?

Very small.

-Very small!

-SHE LAUGHS

-Don't, you'll make me feel bad now. 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.

And it's quite a good, strong subject.

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

-Yeah.

It's got that strong Art Deco look.

I quite like that.

I'm going to have to think about that.

SHE LAUGHS

Do I look imperious?

Hmm... I still prefer this one.

Really? He doesn't say much, though, does he?

He doesn't say much. He's a bit quiet. How's it going?

-All right. How's it going?

-It's going good.

Terry and I are... We are good mates.

What about you?

-You're being very cagey.

-Well, you know me.

I like just to keep my powder dry. What have you bought?

Well, it's quite funny actually what I've bought,

because it's not quite me.

And it's more you.

But I'm quite happy with it.

-You've bought something...

-There's a little riddle for you.

Enough of the chitchat, back to work, experts.

I like that casket.

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

-For letters and...

-Yeah.

It's beautiful. Oh, look at that, look.

-We've got money!

-Old money.

-Yes. I could do with some of that.

What's on this? I quite like that.

-It's actually...

-It needs a bit of work.

-It's actually £200,

-but look at that.

-Yet, it's lovely.

-I think it's gilt bronze.

-It looks like it's bronze.

-Beautiful, isn't it?

I love these little masks for 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, because I want you to do well.

-Oh, thank you!

Because I really love that. I love that.

I love that more than the table

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

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

I'm going to shake your hand. I love this.

Right, Phil, this is the best shop ever!

Lordy!

So, Catherine is going for the gilt bronze casket

and the bijouterie table for £145.

-These come with the guarantee...

-Er, yes.

-..from Terry,

that they're going to make me money.

You heard this.

-Thank you very much.

-Lovely. Thank you. I love this.

Thank you very much.

Well, Catherine's done some really good business.

See you later. Bye-bye.

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

without a watch in my 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.

Three items. Off to the races.

Lovely.

Meanwhile, Catherine has made her way inland to Llantrisant.

-Hello.

-Welcome to the Royal Mint.

-Oh, thank you.

Put it in there...

And do I keep the key with me?

You do indeed, yes.

Gosh, it's all locks and keys and whatnots. Fantastic.

-OK, I've got my past, I've got my key. This way?

-Yes.

Catherine is meeting Chris Barker,

the assistant curator at the Royal Mint.

Security's always been a big part

of what we've done here at the Royal Mint, going way, way back,

even to our most famous master, Sir Isaac Newton.

Sir Isaac Newton.

But when I think of Sir Isaac Newton, I think of physics.

I think of gravity, I think of the apple...

Everyone does, but they forget that for about 30 years of his life,

he was actually associated with the Royal Mint.

In 1696, Newton became warden of the Royal Mint

where his priority was to smash the many counterfeiting rings

undermining the nation's currency and economy.

He demanded every coin in the country be recalled.

His bold idea was to feature an incredibly intricate design on

new coins, making them exceptionally difficult for criminals to copy.

Smart, that.

So if we take this half crown from the reign of Charles II,

-you can see the type of thing...

-Can I hold this?

If you hold it by the edges, yeah. And you see the type of thing

that people would have been dealing with. Very, very badly worn.

You can't make out what the design is on there.

And that is the state and standard of the coinage when Newton

first comes to the mint in 1696.

-That's a...

-That's a genuine coin.

-That's a genuine one.

-And these are...

-And these are the bad ones.

And if you want to have a hold of them, you can see that they're

practically indistinguishable from the genuine thing.

-So it's very easy to see how you could make counterfeits.

-Exactly.

And that is why you get a huge re-coinage

when Newton first comes to the mint,

so they start to call in all these badly worn coins and re-coin them.

-Ah, yes.

-You can see a huge, huge difference there.

-This is much, much crisper.

-That is crisper.

The relief on that is totally different, isn't it?

Yes, it's massively difference, isn't it?

I mean, the better the design, the more intricate,

the more detailed, the harder it is for the counterfeiter

to produce accurate replicas.

Newton also insisted on milled edges.

This was introduced to prevent a different scourge of the

Royal Mint called clipping where thieves shaved the edge off coins

to steal the silver.

So what do you think Newton's greatest achievements were

whilst he was here?

Well, I suppose his main achievement, his main legacy,

is this idea of integrity and accuracy.

The coinage was very, very accurate by the time he finished.

There was some work done to decide how much that would

have saved the government, the Treasury at the time basically

and throughout his lifetime,

it could amount to anywhere near £9 million worth of savings.

-Really?

-Yeah, for the government at the time.

In today's money, that is.

The game of cat and mouse Sir Isaac Newton played with counterfeiters

over 300 years ago still carries on today.

It's estimated that one in 30 £1 coins is fake.

To counter this, the Royal Mint has just designed a new one pound coin

and in the spirit of Newton, it's the most secure yet -

12-sided, made from two metals and is much harder to replicate.

Wayne Scammell is responsible for checking newly made coins.

And this amazing mass of coins here, this is incredible.

-So these are all newly struck pound coins.

-Yes.

We're currently striking two million pound coins every single day.

-Can I have a feel?

-Yes, you're more than welcome.

This is quite exciting.

Oh, my goodness.

What sort of thing are you looking for?

I'm just checking that the edges are all within specifications,

there's no faults with them.

These are good coins.

You're quite welcome to release the top box...

-What, released that in here?

-Yes, if you pull this handle...

-Ready?

-Yeah.

Ooh!

Jackpot!

I'm sure that if Sir Isaac Newton was here today,

he'd be very proud to see the 21st-century Royal Mint

building on the foundations he laid hundreds of years ago.

Meanwhile, Philip has travelled to the town of Newport

which was once the main harbour for South Wales' coal export.

He's visiting the Strawberry Water Junk Company.

Sounds promising.

-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?

Doesn't look very, sort of, float-worthy that, really.

There's a few holes in it.

You can say that again!

-It could do with canvassing.

-How much is that? I'd love that.

This is going to be trouble, this, because I can see me having 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.

How long's it been there?

-A few months.

-HE LAUGHS

Go on, show me round.

You know when you come into a shop like this that somewhere or other,

-there's going to be a bargain.

-Yeah, somewhere.

I'm still looking.

It's your shop!

THEY CHUCKLE

-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 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.

I enjoyed my little Welsh jaunt.

Lovely, isn't it?

-I bought one thing, Phil, which was more your kind of thing.

-Yeah.

You're not just copying me, are you?

You know what they say, don't you?

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

So far, Catherine's bought an Edwardian bijouterie table

and a gilt bronze casket...

I love this. Right, Phil, this is the best shop ever!

..leaving her with £105.38 to spend.

Philip's been hard at it.

His lots include an Art Deco plaque, an Art Nouveau chair,

a gold wristwatch and a coffer bach.

Oh!

He still has a rather decent £154.42 left to play with.

This is our last shopping day.

-Sad, isn't it?

-Yes.

-My highlight's just been spending time with you.

-Aw!

How sweet!

Our experts are making their way to Bristol,

home of the Cabot Tower which commemorates the city's adopted son,

the brave 15th-century explorer of the New World, John Cabot.

-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.

As you haven't aged a thing.

That Michael's smoothie.

I seem to remember that the jewellery was more Rachel

and then the real antiques were Michael, the dad.

Oh! A trip down Memory Lane.

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

so what do I buy?

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.

Have a look in their because these are things I haven't upraised

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 we're not so sure about these.

Where's your loop? It says there.

What lovely nails you've got!

She's well turned out is our Catherine.

There's something on there, but I can't see it.

No, it's nothing. No mark.

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 is 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.

Do you mind if I go and have a look?

You go and do what you like, my lovely.

I like that little fob watch.

It's unusual because it's a half-hunter.

It's like a lady's half-hunter.

Never seen anything like that before.

I don't think I'll put it with the pin.

It's good enough in its own right.

Has anything else caught your eye, Catherine?

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...

-Very sweet, though, isn't it?

-It's a cute one, isn't it?

Can you hold that for me?

It doesn't look English to me.

I think it might have come from France.

If you take this lid off,

That would look beautiful with some really nice plants in there.

-Can I put this down now?

-Yes, you can. I will let you.

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.

Who does the best deals, you or Rachel?

Rachel's got the nicer smile.

She's a bit... Well...

Right, I think, 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.

And it's nice, it's all engine turned, isn't it?

-That's quite nice.

-Go careful, now. You'll break it.

Don't worry, because I'm probably going to buy it.

LAUGHTER

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 we'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'd 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 theatres and was founded in 1766, the reign of King George III.

Absolutely. It's 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 fliers 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 year 250 years later is a real miracle.

I've always felt that somewhere there is 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 a 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 And 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 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.

That's so heavy.

I mean, that's... That's more of a...

-Yeah, like a...

-..utility.

-..medicine-y sort of thing.

I mean, that's heavy before you've even put the contents in.

What can you do on that?

35.

Put that on hold, then.

What else is there?

-This adjustable mannequin.

-Yes.

-Can I have a quick look at that?

Of course you can.

Blimey, that's seen better days.

-It's a bit old and dusty and...

-Yeah.

-I bit moth-holed, I expect.

-It is, isn't it? Yeah, OK.

That's a no, then.

Back to the leather bag?

It is a lovely thing.

Unusual, that.

So where's the tear?

-At the back.

-Yeah, in that corner there, isn't it?

You know, I would imagine that could get repaired.

The thing is, I don't think you would.

-I don't think you would bother.

-Is what it is, isn't it?

You know, something of that age.

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. Wish me luck.

Will do. You won't need any luck with that.

-That will sell for sure.

-OK, well, thank you very much indeed.

-You too. Nice to meet you.

-That is my last purchase. I am done.

-Yeah.

-And...

-Have a lovely day.

-Bid you farewell.

-Thank you very much.

-Bye-bye.

-Thank you, bye-bye.

Meanwhile, Philip has arrived 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.

Which is the dearest tin in the shop?

Probably this one is.

It's very rare. Export only, Peek Freans biscuit tin. Made in 1903.

So there are very few around, especially in this country,

-and the condition is excellent.

-And how much is that?

-That's 350.

-PHIL CHOKES

£3.50?

I think you've missed a couple of zeros.

-350, yes.

-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.

That's quite a rare company. A1 Biscuits were only in existence

for about nine or ten years.

So there are collectors of biscuit tins made by A1.

Do you get invited out for dinner much?

He knows his stuff.

I should think people are loath to offer you biscuits, aren't they?

-Let's have a look...

-Not that keen on biscuits, to be honest.

Really? No, I can see that.

-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 are sort of almost getting there. Well, I'm almost getting there.

-You might not be.

-Not quite.

What with 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?

The bronze plaque, there's something a little bit special about that.

That gent's head with that wonderful side parting...

I think that's a bit of a gem.

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?

This is the hare and the tortoise.

I've been there all week and I think you're going to come up on

the rails right at the finish and pip me.

After starting off in Barry,

our experts are heading for their final auction in Wells.

We had some fun, haven't we?

We have had a giggle, yes.

But we seem to have copied one another, don't we?

I buy a bijouterie table, you buy a bijouterie table.

-You buy biscuit tins, I buy biscuit tins.

-That's it.

And having said that, you've got biscuit tins today.

I know.

And I think they will triumph for you, Philip.

Oh, crumbs!

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 plot is the tins.

So hopefully we have the collectors here today.

A little while ago, we sold a single one for £2,000 plus.

So I don't think they're going to go for that,

but I do think they'll go for somewhere in the region of £100-150.

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.

-We're off.

-Oh-ho-ho!

Yeah, off and running.

First up is Catherine's Edwardian bijouterie table.

I was told by the chap that you know...

What, Barry from Terry?

Barry from Terry or Terry from Barry, that he absolutely

guaranteed I would double my money on this.

-I'm not sure.

-Thanks, Terry from Barry(!)

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.

Well, Terry from Barry wasn't far out.

Can Philip follow suit with his Art Nouveau office chair?

-Good luck, my friend.

-Thanks. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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.

I'm sorry.

No, no, no, I'm just going to go and let his tyres down.

SHE LAUGHS

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.

-I buy milk churns.

-I'm learning from you.

I buy milk churns.

What are we looking at this one?

£30.

Start me at 20?

Oh...

They all wanted it in Bristol.

Start me at 10?

10 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 10? I believe we are.

Sold at 10.

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.

At this rate, she's going to overtake Philip

for the first time this week.

SHE SINGS

Ah, someone's a happy camper.

But can Philip extend his lead with his collection of biscuit

and confectionery tins?

-I'm worried about my tins.

-I want them.

And I wouldn't say that to any girl, you know, but I am,

I'm very worried about my 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 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.

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 use, 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.

Well, Philip was right about the tortoise and the hare.

Catherine has won today's auction,

but has she overtaken Philip for total profits this week?

Well done you, love.

Well done you.

I do like you after all.

I do like you.

I've always liked you.

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 the overall winner for the week.

All profits go to Children In Need.

Well, I won, so I should...

I thought...

-I'm driving.

-You won.

You won the week, you drive.

-How does that work?

-You drive!

Well, it's been a great trip.

Until next time, chaps.

-# When you're too tense... #

-Come on!

# It's common sense to relexez-vous

# You're in your prime so now's the time to relaxez-vous... #

-Bang on trend!

-I am!

Oh, no!

# The girls pursue those fellas who can relaxez-vous... #

Oh, get in there!

# Relax, relax, relax, relaxez-vous... #

Do I look imperious?

The arm rest has come off in my arm!

# Get your sneakers and slacks, relaxez-vous... #

Yes, I love you!

I say, how awfully, awfully nice.

What a week!

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

it's a brand-new adventure with Paul Laidlaw and new girl Claire Rawle.

So what is your taste?

Any thing from sort of ephemera to militaria and...

-What? What?

-Yeah.

Crikey!