Episode 10 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

With £200 each...

I want something shiny.

..a classic car... HORN TOOTS

and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

I like a rummage.

I can't resist.

The aim? To make the biggest profit at auction.

-DING But it's no mean feat.

-Sorry!

Why do I always do this to myself?

There'll be worthy winners...

Give us a kiss!

..and valiant losers.

Come on, stick 'em up.

So, will it be the high road to glory?

Onwards and upwards.

Or the slow road to disaster?

Take me home!

This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

With astonishing speed,

we've reached the grand finale of our road tripping spectacular,

with auctioneer Christina Trevanion, and dealer Mark Stacey.

Christina, I cannot believe...

# And now...

-# The end is near...

-Oh, no!

# And we must face...

# Our final curtain... #

No more, please.

It's not over yet.

Oh, my goodness!

The antiquing adventures of Christina include a road trip first.

I just bought a dragon.

While her rival antiquer has been counting the pennies.

£75, I think that's a bit too deer.

LAUGHTER

And we found some real treats.

Hey, this is cool. What's this?!

It's rather nice, that.

But when the gavel began to fall...

Look at that smile!

..it left them just pennies apart.

Honestly, it's this much between us.

With one of the closest road trips ever,

buckle up, they're both out to win.

From her original £200,

Christina has £377.10 securely stashed in her little old handbag.

Mark began with the same amount,

but he's taken lead position by an absolute whisker.

Mark has £398.36.

Well, I suppose the world's our oyster again, isn't it?

The world, my love, is your lobster.

Well, if you say so.

Christina and Mark began tripping in West Sussex,

jollied their way north as far as Liverpool,

and have auctioned in Cheshire,

Gloucestershire and Manchester.

Their final destination is an auction in Bolton.

And that's where they're headed, on this final trip.

But they'll be kicking things off today

in the Merseyside town of Wallasey.

-We'd better get shopping, hadn't we?

-You'd better drop me off.

Yeah, there'll be shops around here somewhere.

-Have you got the map?

-A map?

Yeah. How else am I going to find your shop?!

-I thought you knew everything.

-LAUGHTER

-That's what you keep telling me.

-Not all the time!

-Oh, sorry.

-What do I keep you around for, for goodness' sake?

Yeah, that's true. I should just drive, Christina.

It's like an old married couple, those two, aren't they?

Anyway, look, there's the first shop,

and Mark's initial stop of this trip,

so stand by.

-Christina, thank you.

-Enjoy, sweetheart. I'll see you later.

See you later. Have fun.

-Will do. You, too.

-Bye.

-Bye!

Mark's sporting the catalogue man look today.

Nice.

Hello, I'm Mark.

Hi, Mark. Nice to see you.

Nice to see you, too.

Now, there's more to our host Sean's shop than meets the eye.

-So you've got a basement?

-It's not open to the public,

but you're welcome to have a look if you want.

I like the sound of that! Can I go rummage it?

-Of course you can.

-Lovely. I'll give you a shout.

Oh, I say!

Fresh, unsorted stock. Mark's dreams come true.

I don't know where to start.

You can't even get in more than a few feet.

It's all piled up everywhere.

Hope you're not wearing your best linen.

Happy hunting!

I'm going to try and see if I can possibly get in there

without...breaking any of the quality stock.

I might get in, but will I get out again?

Well, who knows?

Ooh!

CROCKERY CLINKS

He's ever so agile.

Bear with me, I might take a while.

While Mark journeys to the centre of the Earth,

let's catch up with Christina.

I've never, ever had a road trip when it has been so, so close

going into the last auction.

I agree.

Christina has travelled to Wavertree, just south of Liverpool,

to begin her shopping expedition.

There's over ten dealers sharing two floors here,

and there should be plenty to look at for Christina.

What have we got here?

So, we've got quite a few pictures,

some nice furniture.

Oh, this is quite lovely.

Look at this.

OK, that's quite nice. So we've got a three-piece...

..little tea service here, which, even just looking at it,

suddenly you can see that it's very much in the Doulton style,

and actually looking at the bottom,

we've got a really lovely Royal Doulton mark on here.

Doulton actually started off, funnily enough,

making sewage pipes, originally, believe it or not,

but if you look at the bottom,

you can see it has a stoneware base, there, so...

that's really rather lovely.

The whiplash curves and sinuous lines of the decoration

are typically Art Nouveau,

and all the more attractive because this pretty little tea service

looks to be in mint condition.

What have we got on it here?

60...

-WHISPERING:

-£65?!

That's quite good.

One potential one for Christina.

Now, what about Mark?

Back in Wallasey, is he still in the basement?

Ah, now what's that?

Oh, these are quite fun.

I mean, I don't think they're very old, they're little...

I suppose they're modelled on carpet bowls,

Victorian carpet bowls, that were made out of pottery,

but these are slices of various marble.

I've just had this brainwave.

We've got a nice leather bowl here,

filled with some things already.

We're going to a very general sale,

but it's online.

So why not make an interesting job lot?

Cos out of the corner of my eye,

can't believe I'm even looking at this,

there is this ghastly, this cast metal, painted...

I mean, look at that.

That's going to be the look of horror on Christina's face

when she sees what I'm buying!

HE TITTERS

That can go in. Now, what else have we got?

Oh, what's all this? Oh, my gosh, look at this.

We've got a whistle.

HARSH TONE

Well, it works.

That can go in.

And the end of a pipe. Well, it's a job lot after all.

And then the little brass peacock...

Well, that can go in.

This is novel.

-This is fun, isn't it?

-Well...

Ooh! A gold cigarette case.

I wish.

Texaco.

Oh, let me guess where that's going.

I don't think it is gold, but that can go in.

Oh! A little lighter, made in Japan, 1950s.

That can go in.

Oh, just...

got it!

This is a little sort of trinket box or something

with a printed, 18th-century... Oh, there's a key inside!

That can go in.

Actually, I think I'd better leave him some stock left.

Let's take this up. That could be cheap.

Might be a winner.

Laden down with his bountiful bowl of goodies,

it's time to talk money.

Stand by, Sean!

Oh, hang on.

They're dialling my number.

Hey.

Are they another possible?

-Sean.

-Oh, hi, Mark.

Now, I found a bowl downstairs and I thought,

as I'm going to a general auction, I'd fill it up with things.

A few little bits and pieces.

-It's quite heavy.

-They've been down there about three years.

-Have they really?

-Yes, haven't seen the light of day.

-So you'll be glad to see the back of them?

-I will be.

How much do you want for that little job lot?

-A couple of quid.

-£2?!

-Yep.

You're doing me a favour!

MARK PANTS SEAN LAUGHS

Well... I feel awful.

I'll tell you what, I'll give you a fiver, cos I don't deal in coins.

-OK.

-But I did see, coming up the stairs as well...

-Yeah?

..a collection of old telephones.

There's ten of them left.

-There was 24 of them or something.

-Wow!

I sold them one by one, so I've done OK out of them.

So how much would the ten be?

-A tenner.

-Tenner for ten phones?!

-Yep.

-Well, I'm going to shake your hand.

-Deal of the day.

Absolutely deal of the day!

You have to make money on that, Mark.

The numbers are right for me!

LAUGHTER

What's just happened there, then?

One lot of leather bowl and its vast collection of curios for £5.

Oh, and Sean's added a few more for luck.

And the gaggle of telephones for £10.

Back to Christina, now, and she's still mooching about in Wavertree.

Oh, I do love a cabinet of curiosities.

What have we got in here?

Is this open?

Ooh!

It's got a little silver...

..box. That's quite interesting,

isn't it? Let's have a look at this.

So, a really unusual scene on the cover of this.

We've got a little golfer here, obviously playing his round of golf,

and in full swing,

literally, in full swing.

Now this would have been a tobacco box, originally,

and probably would have been a pressure one,

so if you can't see an obvious way of opening them,

sometimes you squeeze the sides and the top pops up,

so tobacco or snuff.

Unfortunately, it has seen better days.

It's looking fairly dented around here.

Silver golfing snuffbox circa 1912,

£22.50. Hmm.

I think that's quite unusual and there is quite a collectors market

for sporting and golfing wares.

Right, despite the dings,

this solid silver golfing jobbie is a goodie.

Dealer Mark is on hand to help with negotiations.

This little golfing trophy.

-Oh, yeah.

-The golfing stuff, which I thought was quite sweet.

The other one was this Doulton tea service.

So what could you do, potentially, for the two items, Mark?

£60 for the two?

£60 for the two.

Do you know what, I'm not even going to haggle with you, darling.

£60 for the two, I'm a happy girl.

-Good, I'm happy, too.

-Brilliant. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Two really nice lots, I think.

That they are.

£45 for the Royal Doulton tea service,

and £15 for the silver snuffbox.

Meanwhile, Mark has journeyed to the town of Birkenhead

on the Wirral peninsula.

He's had a successful road trip so far.

Can he be consistent with his savvy choices?

Let's take a look in here.

I wonder if they've got a basement.

Right...

I love these little things.

A few years ago,

anything from India or Persia was always considered inferior,

or second-rate, because yes, the amount of the silver

is less than you would find in sterling silver,

but actually, the designs are all hand chased,

and they often relate to...

..ancient history or religious subjects,

and I think that little bowl is charming.

And it's probably a little sugar bowl from...

a tea set or a coffee set,

but if you look at the seam going round,

you've got this little man.

I think he's sort of playing something.

There is a little deer running,

and there's obviously a sort of Mogul emperor on horseback,

and even underneath, they've sort of decorated it.

I mean, that's a very sweet little thing.

And it's ticketed at £45.

Moving on.

What's this?

Actually, this is quite charming, when you look at it in detail.

I mean, it's obviously come out of a little sketchbook,

but somebody has framed it actually in quite a sympathetic frame.

What I particularly like about it,

it's quite sentimental.

It's a little sketch of a young girl,

late Victorian, Edwardian.

It has a very much of a sort of Kate Greenaway style.

Now, Kate Greenaway was a children's book illustrator

in the late 19th century,

and her popular style was often imitated.

It's very quickly done, but very nicely.

It's not signed or initialled anywhere or dated,

but it certainly dates from around 1900.

It's priced up at £29.

I think if that was nicely catalogued and illustrated,

online, you might just find a couple of private people who think,

"Oh, I could live with that on my wall."

Let's see what Bob can do on the ticket price.

Bob, I found this charming little pencil drawing.

-Yes.

-And...

..I still like this bowl...

-Yep.

-..for my sins.

-BOB CHUCKLES

Now, you said 45 on this.

-Yes.

-And this is 29, so if my maths is right,

that's 74, is it?

That's right.

What is the very best price you can do for the two together?

For the two?

Best I could do from 74 would be...

-50.

-50?

-Yep.

I'd be very happy with that, Bob.

Thank you very much.

Appealing lots, Mark.

That's 30 for the Indian silver bowl,

and £20 for the Victorian sketch.

Splendid stuff.

In the meantime, Christina has travelled to the city of Liverpool.

Hidden deep beneath the city's streets,

Christina's visiting what was once the most secretive location

in the country.

Right here, the greatest of wartime intelligence took place,

and helped win the longest continuous battle of World War II,

the fight to stop Britain from starving.

-Blown in! Hello, you must be Margaret.

-I certainly am.

The Western Approaches Museum manager Margaret Jones

knows the story.

Why was there a need for a control centre in Liverpool?

The Battle of the Atlantic.

It was Churchill's biggest fear from the whole of World War II,

and the MoD decided for this particular battle,

which was on these waters,

it would be far more relevant to be somewhere up there

and it was Churchill himself that wanted it to be Liverpool,

cos at the time we were the next biggest port to London,

and the most important in the Empire.

-So it made sense.

-Exactly.

On 7th February, 1941,

combined forces moved to this very building

in an attempt to closely monitor the Luftwaffe and German Navy.

This department became known as Western Approaches Command.

They were looking for somewhere suitable, came across this building.

It's huge, covers the whole block,

a ten floor, very prestigious office block.

Unknown to the workers above,

the super bunker in the basement had over 100 rooms

covering 50,000 square feet,

with extensive reinforced concrete protection,

it had a seven feet thick roof, and three foot deep walls.

Little wonder it was nicknamed The Fortress.

The people working in this basement, which happened to be 400 staff...

400 people?!

That was the amount of people that were here, 400.

So they had to make sure that if there was a direct hit...

They would have been safe, so it was bombproof,

gas-proof, everything-proof.

So from here, from this bunker,

they co-ordinated the Second World War Western Approaches, basically?

Yeah. We do have the map room, the famous map room.

-Can we go and see it?

-We certainly can.

Ooh, Margaret, let's go and show me.

As an island nation,

the UK was dependent on imported goods

to be able to survive and fight.

The Battle of the Atlantic

was the struggle for the Allies to supply Britain,

while Germany was determined to destroy

as many merchant ships as possible.

The map room was critical for tracking enemy movements,

in particular the deadly U-boats.

-This is the map room.

-Oh, wow!

That's fantastic, isn't it?

-Yep.

-Look at that!

So we've got the entire Atlantic in grid format there,

-haven't we?

-Yeah, we have.

So what are these people here doing,

with these wonderful, sort of, pushing sticks, here?

There were messages coming in all the time, 24-7,

from sea and air,

and this is the plotting room,

and those little wooden ships,

when one was removed,

were representative of the loss of over 1,000 men.

Despite the efforts of the map room,

the Merchant Navy incurred a higher proportion of casualties

than any of the armed services during World War II.

Between 1940 and 1941,

they lost almost half of their crews.

So basically, if we didn't have control over the western side

of the British Isles,

we lost, potentially, food coming in, supplies coming in.

-Yep.

-So it was really, really important for us.

Yeah, yeah, if we'd have lost the Battle of the Atlantic,

we wouldn't have won the war. It's as simple as that.

The Nazi battle cruiser the Bismarck

was a huge threat in Atlantic waters.

Its guns could fire one-tonne shells 24 miles.

She was responsible for sinking the pride of the Royal Navy fleet,

HMS Hood.

But when Germany's flagship was finally sunk,

it led to a turning point in the war.

The sinking of the Bismarck was planned from here as well.

-Was it?

-Yeah.

-My goodness.

-Yeah.

Cos that was a really huge moral blow to the Germans, wasn't it?

-Oh, yeah.

-It was sort of their...

Literally their flagship, their icon of the war.

-It was unsinkable.

-Yeah, the unsinkable ship, of course.

But we sank it.

For the Royal Navy, this victory was a triumph.

Although there were four more years to go,

this was one of the most decisive fights of World War II.

CHEERING

After the war, when it was all over,

this bunker was under the Official Secrets Act for 30 years.

The rest of the building carried on as an office block,

but where we are now was cordoned off.

-Goodness me, so nobody was allowed down here?

-No, no.

Well, Margaret, it's been absolutely fascinating, it really has,

and to see all this is really very atmospheric,

-it's wonderful.

-It is.

-Really wonderful to see.

So thank you so much. I feel very, very privileged.

One of the most strategic battlegrounds during World War II,

this tactical nerve centre ensured Britain didn't starve.

The supplies shipped across the Atlantic helped defeat Nazi Germany,

and occupied Europe was free, once more.

What a wonderful day!

But the evening is upon us,

and our pair really must get some rest, so nighty-night.

Oh, dear, looks cold and miserable this morning.

What's the mood in the Spider?

You look like the cat that's got the cream and,

because we're in Cheshire, you're the Cheshire Cat that got the cream.

Well, I'm quite pleased with what I bought.

Do you know, that...

that face at the moment could be the dictionary definition for smug.

HE CHUCKLES

It's not over yet, dear Christina.

Our charming young lady has two lots so far,

the Royal Doulton tea service,

and the golfing silver snuff box.

-OK.

-Christina has £317.10 for her final attempt to out-buy Mark.

Sitting pretty, Mark has a total of four lots.

The leather bowl filled with curios,

the ten retro telephones,

the Indian silver bowl,

and the Victorian pencil sketch.

He has a total of £333.36 to spend as he wishes.

We're so close, Christina.

I know, that's what's worrying me.

-There's a whisper between us.

-A very, very small whisper.

Come on, let's get shopping!

Yeah, it's anybody's game.

Christina is headed for the hamlet of Milton Green in Cheshire.

Oh, this looks lovely, Christina.

Antiques and craft centre.

Happy days.

-See you later.

-Good luck.

-Have fun, sweetheart.

-Bye!

-Bye!

Ooh!

SHE SIGHS

-Ooh!

-There are over 30 dealers selling their wares in here.

After a spin around inside, dealer Dave suggests a look outside.

So your outside area, you've got some garden-y type things,

you've got bird tables and ladders.

-Yes.

-Oh, that's fun, isn't it?

-Yes, that's nice, that is.

-That sort of caught my eye when I walked in.

-Yeah?

Is it like a little dog cart, or something?

A rabbit hutch.

It's quite nice, isn't it?

-A rabbit hutch?!

-A rabbit hutch.

Unusual.

That's quite fun!

OK. It's definitely had a rabbit in it, hasn't it?

-It has had a rabbit in it, yes.

-THEY LAUGH

Said like a farmer's wife.

And who would have thought that a rabbit would want to live

in a traditional barrel-top caravan?

-Yeah, it is.

-I think that's quite cool.

But it has been living outside, so it's not in the best of condition,

-is it, Dave?

-No, no.

So what could your best price be on it?

Well, I know the dealer's got 65 on it.

-Oh.

-But I know the dealer well, so...I think maybe 35?

I'd be happier closer to 30.

You'd be happier closer to 30?

What do you think?

-Go on, we'll do it.

-Yeah?

-We'll do it.

-I'm happy.

Brilliant. Thank you very much, Dave.

I don't quite know why I have just bought it, but I have,

-and it's a bit of fun!

-It is a bit of fun.

Well, this is a first.

A caravan for a bunny, for £30.

If you know of any bunnies looking for a new home,

send them to Christina.

Moving on, though.

The richly historic City of Chester is next on Mark's list to visit.

Our very own Prince Charming

has come to the gardens of Chester Cathedral

to learn about the sport of kings.

Mark is meeting falconer Tommy McNally.

This is a Harris hawk.

His name is Rio, and he's a four-year-old male Harris hawk.

Now you've not got him chained there at all, so he's looking around,

he can fly off at any time?

-Yeah.

-Oh, there he goes!

-We put our hands up and the bird will fly off.

And we leave it his own devices.

And he goes straight for the tree.

He will, because he's a hawk, you see.

The hawks are all woodland birds of prey.

If he was a falcon, he would have headed off to the skies.

-Circling around.

-Yeah, and he would have gone up to a fantastic height.

And how would you now attract him back?

Right, all's we do is we have a small piece of meat.

-Yes.

-And this is what we call a bechin.

-A bechin.

So we put it on the hand,

-and we always bring the hawk in to the back of the hand.

-Whoa!

And obviously keeping our arms nice and still for the hawk

to provide it with a safe landing.

And, do you know, almost silent.

Very, very quiet.

Such grace. I mean, the speed as well.

They've actually been known as the phantom of the forest.

Really?

And there he goes again.

-Would you like a try, Mark?

-I'd love a go.

So I just told my hand out?

-Yeah, and we just put a piece of meat on here.

-Wow.

Oh, gosh!

You are very keen.

Rio's got his eye on you, Mark.

Cor, look at that beak.

Falconry dates back as far as 1700 BC,

and is thought to have originated in the Far East.

It's the art of training a wild bird of prey

to hunt for food for the table.

In the early days,

falconry was confined to the world of aristocrats.

The larger and more majestic the bird,

the bigger the status symbol.

Servants would capture and then train an eagle for an emperor,

a gyrfalcon for a king,

with the lowly servant limited to owning a mere kestrel.

One of the first books on falconry, The Art Of Hunting With Birds,

was written in the 13th century by a holy Roman Emperor.

Frederick II is probably the most noted famous falconer

in the history of falconry,

because of this book that took him 30 years to write.

Wow. And it was a manual of falconry.

With all the dos and don'ts, and the protections, and the...?

Yeah, but it was also the very first example of a book

being wrote about the anatomy of birds.

Oh, really?

Well, blimey!

OK, Mark, this is your reward for being such a great help here today.

Oh, my gosh! Really?

We've decided to let you hold the golden eagle.

-I get a chance to hold Grace?

-Yeah, you certainly do.

-So I lift my arm up?

-Just lift your arm out here, Mark.

And all's I'm simply going to do

is place the golden eagle out there, on there, on the end of your arm.

Oh, wow.

-And are you ready to feel the weight?

-Yes.

OK, I'm about to let go, now.

Oh, my gosh.

She's a heavy bird.

I think it's only when you hold a golden eagle

that you appreciate what big birds they are.

I tell you what, with that attacking you,

-you'd know it.

-Oh, incredible weight.

-You'd know that, wouldn't you?

-You really would.

She's fabulous. And, again, so patient.

-Oh, she is, she is a fantastic bird.

-She's such a patient bird.

-Hello.

-There you go, she's talking to you.

-Hello there, how are you?

-TOMMY LAUGHS

Er, I don't think Grace quite likes the look of you, Mark.

Well, Tommy, thank you so much, and thank you, Grace.

I've had the most wonderful experience, Tommy, thank you.

Well done, Mark.

Meanwhile, the village of Gwersyllt in Wrexham

is next on Christina's list.

Acorn Antiques and Collectables is rammed to the rafters

-with all things antique.

-Ooh!

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hello, there. Christina.

-Dennis.

-Hi, Dennis.

-Hello, Christina, nice to see you.

-Lovely to see you, how are you? Are you well?

-Very well.

Christina's got £287.10 to spend in here.

Now, what's this she's uncovered?

This is quite fun, isn't it? Look at this.

So this is... Well, obviously not the iron chicken.

Everyone needs an iron chicken in their lives, but maybe not today.

So we've got an old milk churn here that's been painted.

It's what we call bargeware.

Bargeware is the brightly coloured folk art on items,

like this milk churn,

that were once on barges.

With the current trend for upcycling, this could be a good'un.

What else can you find?

Oh,

there's another bargeware churn.

Are they breeding?

-Multiplying!

-SHE LAUGHS

With another chicken on the top.

Do you think they come with the chickens?

Do you think they're sort of a regal pair?

This one looks actually in slightly better condition,

although there is a bit of a dent there. But..

Hmm. OK, how much is this one?

Is this the same price? £78.

OK, that's worth remembering.

Dennis is on hand to help Christina rummage in the cabinets.

Silver plated pan and shovel.

-As a piece of novelty...

-That's special.

-Special?

-Yeah, very.

-Here, what price is on that?

-THEY LAUGH

You get your sticky paws off this!

I mean, I think it's a novelty salt, isn't it?

-Yeah, that's right.

-So it looks to me like it's that sort of

wonderful Edwardian era, early 20th-century...

-I think so.

-And they just made some really quirky, unusual things,

but I like that.

It has got, Denis the Menace...

Oh, 12, that's a give-away, that's got to be wrong.

I think the decimal point is in the wrong place, it's got to be!

-Come on.

-You are very good at this, you're very persuasive.

You've got to make a decision quick.

Seriously, is this if I don't buy it, you will?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Oh, man, OK, let's go to the desk!

THEY LAUGH

Come on, you giggling Gerties.

Looks like the little silver plated novelty salt

has got Christina's name on it,

and dealer Holly has something unusual to show.

So what have you got, Holly?

What is that? That looks to me like,

if you had a shop, a greengrocer's or something,

you would pull the canopy down with, something like that?

It's a good guess, it's a good guess.

-Is it the right guess?

-No!

-LAUGHTER

Is it not? No, correct.

-What is it?

-It's a railwayman's shunting stick.

A railwayman's shunting... What's a shunting...? I don't know...

So, before we had electric carriages,

we'd shunt the train carriages together, and then hook them on.

-Oh, cool!

-This gentleman had it presented to him on his retirement.

-Really?

-Yeah, that was his present.

So normally you'd get a gold watch.

-He got a shunting stick.

-At which I'm sure his wife was made up!

LAUGHTER

Yeah! So have you got a stand here?

-I do.

-Where's your stand?

Right this way.

-This way?

-Oh, have I been in it?

-Possibly.

-Dennis...

-I think you have.

Dennis, if that's not there when I get back,

I will be frisking you!

LAUGHTER

I'll see you in a sec.

As luck would have it,

Holly owns the milk churn that Christina so liked the look of.

And the old bird?

You know, you can either have them as planters,

they can be garden ornaments, but that's Cadbury's,

so Cadbury's Brothers, it's just written round the edge.

-This one?

-Yep.

If you have a look, you can see it etched.

Oh, so that's why it's more expensive than the one

-in the first room?

-And twice as heavy, yeah.

-Is it?

-Very.

What's with the chickens?

Farmhouse effect.

-Oh.

-We live in farmhouse country.

-OK. They're lovely.

-CHICKEN RATTLES

Cadbury Brothers, Ltd. Yeah!

Gosh, so that'd have been a milk churn that they would have used

to deliver milk to the factory.

What's your best price, Holly?

OK, so...

How about 55...

-Oh.

-And I will give you a chicken for your rabbit hutch.

CHRISTINA LAUGHS

How is that?

Cos I think it's lonely, and I think it needs a pet!

-Are you serious?

-Yeah, absolutely.

55 and a chicken.

55 and a chicken?

I mean, how could I say no?

-It's a deal, 55 and a chicken.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks.

That's £54 for the Cadbury's milk churn, and £1 for the chicken.

Christina is definitely channelling surreal today.

You'd better cough up, girl.

I owe you £55, Holly.

-Fantastic.

-And then could we say ten for that?

-Oh, go on, £10.

-Ten, you're an angel.

Right, in which case, I owe you guys £65, don't I?

Meanwhile, Mark's hot on Christina's tail,

and is headed also to Gwersyllt.

He's found his compadre having a well-earned cuppa.

Anyway, I must go shopping.

Go on, skedaddle, I'll wait for you.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

-There's nothing left, I've had it all.

HE CHUCKLES

-Heard that before.

-Bye!

Mark's rolling in it.

He's got £333.36 to spend.

No wonder he's smiling.

-Hello.

-HOLLY:

-Hello.

-I'm Mark.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Holly.

-And I'm Dennis. Nice to see you.

Dennis, Holly and Dennis.

It's great, so it's an antiques centre, is it?

-That's right.

-How many dealers have you got?

-46, now.

-46!

That's a lot of dealers.

Many things to see.

Hello, what's this?

I mean, this is quite nice.

-They're lovely.

-They're known as...

Just come in this morning, they have, actually.

-They're known as death pennies, aren't they?

-That's right.

Rather sad, really, when you think about it.

-Absolutely.

-The First World War.

Everyone who died got one of these, along with the medals of the war.

-That's right.

-And it's named, as well, Thomas McGhee.

-Thomas McGhee.

-And these have just come in, you say?

That's right, this morning.

That's interesting. Look, the Somme.

The Somme.

-Wow.

-Trench art.

-They came from the same family?

-Yes, they did.

So obviously somebody was out at the Somme.

-It's quite interesting, you've got this little plaque.

-Yes, indeed.

And then somebody's embossed this on there, by hand.

-Yeah, that's right.

-So are those for sale?

-Yes.

-How much are they?

£60 for the two.

-55?

-55.

Are you happy with 55?

-CHUCKLING:

-No, but I'll accept 55.

-Are you sure?

-Yes!

Well, I'll shake your hand for 55.

Well, that was a joyful experience.

Our shopping trip is now at an end.

Along with the World War I death penny and trench art jug,

Mark has a total of five lots.

The leather bowl filled with curios,

the ten 1970s telephones,

the Indian silver bowl,

and the Victorian pencil sketch.

Mark has been careful with his cash.

He's spent a total of £120 on that lot.

Christina has a real mixed bag for the final auction.

She also has five lots.

The Royal Doulton tea service,

the golfing snuffbox,

the combo lot of the novelty rabbit hutch complete with...

chicken... Ha!

..the silver-plated novelty salt,

and the Cadbury's milk churn.

What a lot.

Christina has spelt a total of £155.

Thoughts, please, on each other's goodies.

Ten telephones for £10!

I mean, he cannot go wrong, surely?

The most commercial item, I think, is the little silver box.

Battered or not, it's a nice looking object.

His really beautiful little Indian silver bowl

I think is just gorgeous,

and it's what the market wants right now.

A rabbit hutch. Why on earth would you buy a rabbit hutch?

All in all...

..I'm feeling quite uncomfortable.

Christina and Mark are travelling to

an auction in Bolton, in greater Manchester.

With just over £20 separating them,

this is one of the closest finals in road trip history.

It's the last sale, so whatever happens, we're going to be thriving.

Exactly. That makes me quite sad.

It does, I'm going to have a tear.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Oh, no, it's all right, it's OK. No.

Aww! Hang on a second, I've got a hanky somewhere.

No, it's fine, honestly, I forced it back.

-Oh, really?

-LAUGHTER

No boo-hooing on this show, you two.

Bolton Auction Rooms is the venue for our big showdown.

Oh, sweetheart, I'm hoping for a miracle.

You don't need a miracle, come on!

Harry Howcroft is the man residing on the rostrum today.

What does he think of Mark and Christina's wares?

The rabbit hutch would actually be a first for us.

We've never sold a rabbit hutch in our auction.

The only thing I like about this is the chicken.

The little pencil sketch, quite charming.

How much it will bring, we simply do not know.

This is it.

The auction final is about to begin.

The sale is also live on the internet.

Oh, good.

-Ooh!

-It's quite a full room, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

Christina's silver snuff box is up first.

I have 24 to start.

26.

Oh, brilliant.

26, 28, 28.

I've got £30 bid, do you want 32?

32 on the floor.

-Come on, Harry Howcroft!

-I told you.

-34, new bidder in the room.

-Oh!

All right, don't fraternise.

£34 bid. 36, 38.

-It's very nice.

-It's very damaged.

£40 bid, 42.

At £40 bid with the lady.

44, 46.

At £44 bid.

£44 bid. Gent's bid.

That's enough, now. Put the gavel down.

All done at 44.

(Put the gavel down!)

You see, I told you.

Great start, Christina.

A healthy profit from the get-go.

Brilliant. First out of the blocks. Right!

It's Mark's turn now.

The leather bowl, heaving with curios.

I've got butterflies.

14 with me, 16 anywhere?

16, 18, £20 bid.

I've 20, then... 22, 24, 26, 28.

28, £30, £28 bid.

At £28 bid.

With the lady in the red.

See? And again.

34, new bidder.

36, 36,

38, 40, £40 bid.

42, £40 bid.

All done at 40.

£35 profit.

Whoever would have thought it?

Well done, Mark. That launches you straight into the lead.

Well done, well done!

Now, can we keep up with these chunky profits?

It's Christina's silver plated novelty salt, next.

-I've £16 bid.

-Oh. OK.

-Good. That's all right.

On commission, at £16.

-Bit more, bit more.

-I expect a little more.

£16 bid.

18, 20, £22 bid.

It's in the room at £22 bid.

Is there 24 anywhere?

At £22 bid.

-All done at 22...

-Oh, a bit more than that?!

It's worth more than that.

-I think you did all right on that, Christina.

-Oh...

I concur, Mark. Every little counts.

Cos I think it's so cute.

-A little bit like you.

-Oh...

It's Mark's collection of retro telephones next at £1 each.

On commission at 42, 44...

44, 46.

50, 55, £55 bid.

It's in the room at £55 bid.

At 55 only bid.

For all these phones at 55.

One for each of his bedrooms.

-LAUGHTER

-All done, finished.

Blimey, that's a real corker of a profit.

Mark is soaring into the lead.

I'm not sitting back comfortably at the moment.

Yeah, you are. I've got my arm round you.

Yes, I know, that's not comfortable.

-Oh!

-LAUGHTER

Yeah, leave the man alone, Christina.

Prepare yourself, it's Christina's bunny caravan next.

£30 bid. With me at 30.

Don't forget the chicken.

34, 36.

-All right, Christina.

-It's in the room at £36.

Is there 38 anywhere else?

At £36 bid, gent's bid, back to the room.

All done at £36.

Well, someone loved it enough to give you a small profit.

Hopped along nicely.

LAUGHTER

But it didn't lay the golden egg.

It didn't, I'm afraid, and that's a goose.

All right, smarty pants.

It's Mark's Victorian pencil sketch next.

I've £18 on commission.

-Little loss...

-At the back, he's bidding at the back.

I've got 20, 22, 24.

At 24, 26, 28.

No? At £26 bid.

At 26, 28.

Oh, good. Let's get to 30.

32, 32,

34, 36,

38, £40. 42.

Oh, I'm happy with that.

46, 48, £50.

55, 60.

No. £55 bid.

All done at £55.

Oh, well done, darling, well done.

The saleroom are loving your lots, Mark, well done.

Mark, we are so close that every penny counts.

-That's true.

-Every penny.

Very true.

Christina's Cadbury milk churn is next.

I have £28 bid.

30, 32, 34.

Come on, Harry, come on, Harry.

At £38 bid.

Come on.

£40, 42,

at £40 bid.

-At 42 I need.

-Go on.

No, no, Harry, we need more than that.

£40 only bid.

I expect a little more.

At £40 bid.

All done at £40.

Oh, no!

Ouch!

A genuine surprise, and the first loss of the day.

-I'm sorry.

-No, you're not.

-I AM sorry!

-Well, then stop smiling!

LAUGHTER

Yeah, he's a rascal.

Mark's death penny and trench art jug are next.

I have 52 with me on commission. Is there...?

55. Do you want to go 60?

I've got £60 bid in the room.

-Oh, more than that.

-Come on.

-It should be more than that.

-It's in brilliant condition.

-Come on.

All done, then, at £60 bid. Gent's bid, then, at 60.

HE GROANS

-Wow. So close.

-Oh...

A moving piece of history, and a small profit for Mark.

I think that's a brave purchase.

Thank you.

Christina's Royal Doulton tea set is next to go under the gavel.

32 with me, 34 I need.

34, 36, 38,

40, 42, £42 bid.

It's in the room at 44.

46, 48, £50.

55. 55, 60,

65, 70.

It's on the net at the moment at £65.

Is there 70 anywhere else?

It's the condition, isn't it? It's the condition of it.

All done at £65...

£20 profit, Christina.

That's more like it, Christina.

Christina, the last lot of the auction.

# And now...

-# The end is near. #

-Oh...

Not singing again!

Mark's silver Indian bowl is next.

I've got 32, 34 I need.

-Quite rightly so.

-36 on the phone.

They should be all over this, it's fabulous.

£40 on the phone.

£40 bid on the phone.

42. 42, 44.

£44 bid. 46. 48.

At £48 bid on the phone.

50. 55 I need.

55 on the phone.

60, new bidder. 65.

At 65, back on the phone.

All done then at £65, phone bid then at 65.

65?

Well done.

Wonderful result, Mark,

and what an excellent way to end the auction.

Ahh. That's it, Christina, it's all over.

I can't believe it's all over.

I know, the last auction.

Yeah.

And for once, I think I might have had a good auction.

Can we just do it all again?

I'll try harder next time.

-I think you've tried hard enough.

-SHE LAUGHS

On a happier note, come on.

-I'll get you some chocolate.

-Oh, yes, please.

I think you both deserve it.

For the final time this week, let's figure out the calculations.

Christina began with £377.10,

and after auction costs,

she's made a small profit of £14.74.

Christina's final earnings are £391.84.

On the fifth and final leg,

Mark began with £398.36.

After auction room costs,

he's made a smashing profit of £105.50.

Mark takes the shiny road trip crown!

His final earnings are a wonderful £503.86.

So well done, old fruit.

And all profits go to Children In Need.

-Did you win?

-I did.

-Well done.

-But thank you.

-Ohh! Thank you.

-It's been wonderful.

-Shall I drive?

-Yes, come on, winner takes it all.

I'll get wet.

What a humdinger of a week!

Oi! Come back!

Christina put her head to good use.

Do you think I'd be a good Chinese dragon?

Old dragon, more like it.

Meanwhile, Mark was in udder chaos.

I'll have to sit and wait.

MOOING

Morning.

And they both loved larking about.

-Let me see your teeth.

-Why?

That's all right. Your fangs aren't out yet.

No, not yet.

But most of all, our road trip luvvies don't want it to end.

Hey, I couldn't have hoped for a better companion.

Oh! Stop it.

I'm welling up.

CRYING: You'll get me going in a minute!

Bye-bye, road trippers.

Next time, we start a new road trip,

with wily fox Paul Laidlaw,

and fresh-faced Natasha Raskin.

I'm terrified of Paul's finesse.

But will he take her under his wing?

You're very easily manipulable, aren't you?

Muahahaha!