Episode 7 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts, with £200 each...

I want something shiny.

..a classic car 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,

-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 them 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!

Today, we roar into the second instalment of

our road trip extravaganza

with auctioneer Christina Trevanion and dealer Mark Stacey.

That sun feels like May.

-In my world...

-I'm under a cloud.

-No, you're not.

-Yes, I am.

-No, you're not.

-And that cloud is Christina Trevanion.

Oh, dear.

On the first leg, a chocolate display cabinet

launched Christina into lead position.

Remember that cabinet?

-Yeah, I do.

-Do you remember how much money I made on it?

-I do, £102.

-Was it? Was it?

Yeah, £102.

-People will hate you for this.

-That was good, wasn't it?

Blimey! Thankfully, Mark's a wonderful sport, really.

Well, you did very well at that auction.

I'm very, very happy for you.

Can you say it again with meaning, please?

That'll be the day!

From his original £200, Mark's got £234.60 for his back pocket.

Christina also began with £200,

but she's way out in front with £295.20 weighing down her handbag.

And this 1977 Alfa Romeo Spider is the fruity chariot of choice.

They are gorgeous, those.

-Yeah, she's brilliant - going like a dream.

-She's very smooth.

-Very smooth.

-And it's nice and lush here -

-nice country lanes, beautiful countryside.

-Yeah, great.

You keep touching my knee!

Well, I can't help myself.

It just happens.

Believe that if you might.

Christina and Mark began in West Sussex,

jollied their way north as far as Merseyside,

and have auctions in Cheshire, Gloucestershire

and Manchester to come.

They will conclude their adventure in Bolton.

Today, we're bound for the Cotswolds,

kicking off in the town of Winchcombe in Gloucestershire,

and we'll auction in the Cheshire town of Knutsford -

Gaskell country.

Oh, Christina, thank you so much.

-Now is your chance to redeem...

-You were very gentle with me.

As always. Right.

Well, as always! Are we going to have to have a race into the shop?

There's no competition. Bye.

Gosh, it's very low down there, isn't it?

Oi, come back!

Hey! Danger ahead!

They're sharing a shop. Oh, no!

CHRISTINA LAUGHS

Oi!

Oh, sorry, were you behind me? I didn't see you there.

-I'm sure you didn't(!)

-I just thought it was a bit draughty.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

Watch it, you two -

Richard is the dealer in charge of Winchcombe Antiques Centre.

There are two floors packed with wares here,

and good luck with these two.

There's tonnes of stuff. It's wonderful.

I'm quite optimistic that I'm going to find things here.

What I'm going to find, of course, is another thing.

Never a truer word said, Mark.

Oh, gosh. I thought somebody was looking at me, then.

It's an antelope's head or a deer's head.

£75? I think that's a bit too DEER.

Oh, dear. Oh, dear!

Now, who's this little chap?

He's obviously a sort of admiral or something,

and he's got his hands in his pockets, there.

He's got his binoculars,

and I think this is Russian.

I love this because it's obviously hand-painted.

You've got these lovely vivid blues,

and I think he looks a bit like...

George V or Tsar Nicholas II.

He doesn't look very old, Mark.

How much does he cost?

And it's only priced up at £20.

Mark sounds keen. What's Christina up to?

Eastern throwing spear.

It might be quite useful to keep in the car.

Christina, focus, please.

That's quite nice.

That's really sweet, isn't it?

A little porcupine quill box. It's really quite unusual.

It's not the sort of thing that we do, now,

is using porcupine quills, but they did.

It was quite exotic.

So, we've got porcupine quills set into the box,

and then what looks like ebony and possibly ivory inlaid.

Ivory can only be traded if it predates the 1947 CITES agreement,

and this box is well over 100 years old.

It's quite fun. Sort of Anglo-Indian, isn't it?

It's lovely.

It's priced at £29.

Ooh, we have a visitor.

-Have you bought anything?

-I'm thinking.

-Thinking?

-Yeah.

-I thought I could smell something.

Yeah, well, I've thunked out, I reckon. Good.

-OK, well, thunk away.

-All right, I will.

-I'll see you later.

-Yeah, bye, darling.

It doesn't take long for Mark to thunk about something else.

What's this?

Now, this is... Oh, ah...

No, it's got something inside it, which is a good sign,

because you can see this is a chess or draughts board,

and it's made of various woods.

And, actually, the box itself looks sort of late 19th-century,

and then inside we've got the chess pieces, which aren't 19th-century.

Ha!

But they're rather amusing, actually, cos rather than the usual

pawns and rooks and castles and the king and the queen,

these are made up of various animals.

There's a little rhino, there.

He might be the castle.

And it looks like it's all intact.

And the price is...

£29.

Let's call upon Richard to talk about money.

-It's got 29 on it, as a price.

-Uh-huh. Yeah.

Can you do me something better than that?

-What are you thinking?

-Well, I... I'm going to be very mean.

-That's all right, I might say no.

-Shall I be very mean?

Well, I'm sure you will. I was, sort of, thinking about 15.

OK. Well, I was thinking 20.

-20?

-Yeah.

So, if we settle for 18, could we shake hands?

-Thank you very much.

-No problem at all.

I think that's a nice set for auction, actually.

It is, yeah.

Wonderful. That's one deal in the old bag

and Richard now has Christina to deal with. Stand by.

What could that be?

Remember, the porcupine quill and ivory box is priced at £29.

All right, the very best is 20.

-£20?

-Yeah, yeah.

I like it, and it doesn't massively excite...

-I'm not haggling, but...

-Yes?

..is there any chance it could be 15?

-No.

-Oh...

What could be the absolute best on...on the...

broken box?

CHRISTINA LAUGHS

You'd better buy it, now.

-Oops.

-At least...

-What could be the absolute, absolute best?

Well, you know, a third off's pretty good.

-It is.

-Yeah.

It's very good.

Could it be any better?

-18.

-18?

OK, fair enough.

OK, £18...

-for a slightly now dented porcupine quill box.

-A slightly damaged box.

-Yeah.

-Thanks.

-No worries.

-That's all right. Pleasure, good luck.

-Brilliant.

The porcupine quill and ivory box with an £11 discount. Nice.

Mark's still mooching about, so stand by.

Richard, I caught you, there.

-Yes?

-I've been admiring this little box and cover.

-It's not very old, is it?

-No, interesting, though.

It's interesting, and all hand-painted,

and it is signed on the bottom.

And I'm trying to convince myself that this might be

-George V or Nicholas II of Russia...

-OK, Yeah?

..cos they were seen in sailor costumes a lot.

That's true.

And it's marked up at £20. It's a throwaway item, really.

Erm...

I mean, is there any wiggle room on that?

Very small, I'm afraid. It's not mine.

-It's one of your dealer's?

-It is, yeah,

so she only lets me do 10%.

-So I can have it for 18?

-Yeah.

Well, I think it's different

and it's going to shine out at the auction

so I'm going to buy it for 18.

-No problem.

-Thank you very much indeed, Richard.

-Pleasure.

Mark's spent a total of £36 on the Russian canister

and the chess set.

Meanwhile, Christina is back behind the wheel of the Alfa.

I don't think Mark's a very touchy-feely person,

and I just do it, it just happens,

and I think he gets quite cross with me.

Just ignore him!

Christina's zipped her way to the city of Gloucester.

It's here that the fearless Gloucestershire Regiment,

or Glorious Glosters, was formed in 1881.

With more battle honours on their regimental colours than any other

British Lion Regiment, the levels of excellence were outstanding

and thus spawned many heroes.

One such hero was the valiant Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart -

a true example of honour and courage,

he proved invincible while serving in the Boer War,

the First World War and the Second World War.

Christina is meeting with the museum director of

the Soldiers Of Gloucestershire, Chris Chatterton,

to find out more about this exemplary officer.

By the time we get to the First World War,

he gets shot in the face and loses his eye,

which most of us would think is...

you've done your duty, you don't need to serve, but not De Wiart.

He was one of these chaps who wanted to get back

and into the thick of things.

So, by wearing a glass eye,

he managed to persuade the board to allow him back to the front.

Surviving life-threatening wounds, De Wiart also had his arm amputated,

but this didn't stop him from serving.

In June of 1916,

-he's appointed as the commanding officer of the 8th Glosters.

-Right.

And this is in the immediate build-up to the Battle of the Somme,

and they're ordered to attack an area called La Boisselle,

and so De Wiart, one-armed and one-eyed,

where his weapons are a bag of grenades,

which he uses by pulling the pins out with his teeth...

They attack over the top, and they move forward.

Three battalions joined the Glosters in their fearless attack

in No Man's Land,

but, within seconds, all three commanding officers are killed.

De Wiart assumes control of all four battalions.

So he leads them forward.

The Germans launch a massed counterattack to

try and take the trenches back,

and De Wiart, just through an astonishing feat of bravery,

moving up and down the line, controlling all of this,

and they achieve their objective.

In the Battle of the Somme,

more than one million men were wounded or killed.

The sheer magnitude of De Wiart's courage ensured he was the recipient

of the ultimate accolade for valour, the Victoria Cross.

This is the original medal group of Carton de Wiart.

And that one is the one that's shouting at me.

That's the VC, isn't it?

I've never seen a Victoria Cross or a VC that's not behind glass before.

-No.

-So this is a first for me. That's amazing.

Although Adrian Carton de Wiart was awarded the highest honour one can

receive for bravery, he was very humble about his achievement.

Whenever he was asked about the VC, he always says it wasn't won by him,

it was won by the magnificent men of the 8th Glosters...

-Really?

-..and the bravery that they showed,

and he consistently said that all the way through his life.

By the time the Second World War arrives, De Wiart's in his 60s.

So he's, what, desk job in the Second World War?

Absolutely not. Do you imagine that this man is going to

-have a desk job?!

-That's not his style, is it?

No! He's quite good friends with Churchill,

so Churchill sends him to Yugoslavia

to be the head of the military mission.

And as he's flying over the Mediterranean,

unfortunately, his plane crashes.

-So he survives the plane crash but...

-No, he doesn't!

Oh, he absolutely does!

De Wiart becomes a prisoner of war in Italy,

and despite attempting an escape, he sees out the war imprisoned,

and is only freed as part of the Armistice Agreement.

Even just small sections of his life,

you could make whole films about, couldn't you?

I mean, he sounds like a movie character.

The problem is, his story is so extraordinary,

who would believe that all of this could happen to just one person

in one lifetime? I mean, it is genuinely remarkable.

It really is. It's been so fascinating learning about him.

Thank you so much, Chris.

-No, thank you.

-It's been an absolute joy.

Lieutenant General Adrian Carton de Wiart remains

a paragon of military excellence.

And would you believe it?

The daredevil thrill-seeker swapped his swashbuckling lifestyle for

peaceful retirement, salmon fishing in County Cork,

where he died at the age of 83.

Mark's made his way to the beautiful Gloucestershire village of

Bourton-on-the-Water.

It's dubbed the Little Venice of the Cotswolds,

because of its elegant walking bridges.

Nice bunting - they must have known you were coming, Mark!

It's like a royal visit.

Also, a hot spot for tourists.

What can our Roadtripper find in here?

-Hello, I'm Mark.

-Hello. Hi, Andrew. No, I'm Andrew.

Nice to meet you, Andrew.

This is an amazing village.

You get so much tourism.

I mean, how many people on an average day?

On a bank holiday weekend like this, probably 3,000-5,000.

Wow! Gosh.

No wonder you're smiling, all that money you're taking!

5,000?

Ha! I hope there's something left for you, Mark!

What's this he's rooted out, then?

Now, this is rather interesting.

This is Edwardian or late Victorian, and it's a sort of travelling set,

or even, you could if you wanted to be more artistic,

call it a campaign set.

And in here, we've got a little tin case,

and then you pull out, and you've got...

your own travelling fork.

The handles, I think, are made of bone.

You have a spoon there, of course.

So that could be used as your knife as well.

There is a couple of bits missing.

And we've also got a little spice rack there -

I suppose you'd keep your salt and pepper or something in it.

In the late 19th century, when travelling by rail was all the rage,

this proved to be a very popular, practical little item.

And it does have the leather cover,

and these sort of things do appeal to various collectors,

and I think that's quite a nice item.

The other thing about it is,

if I show you the price,

it's £34.

Andrew, where are you?

-Andy.

-You've found something.

-Now, you've got a lovely shop here.

-I did find this.

-That's lovely, that is.

-It's great fun, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's missing, of course, a few pieces.

-A few pieces.

-And there's a little bit of, I think it was a...

That's the cup, to drink from.

Ah. I was hoping you didn't notice that!

Erm...

Can you do a very, very special price?

A very special price?

What've we got? That's a really good price now, isn't it?

Erm...

There's money to be made on that, easily. Erm...

At auction, remember.

Erm...

£28 is probably the lowest.

Oh, £28? Andrew!

Can't you do it for...

-£20?

-I was going to say £20.

-Are you happy at £20?

-I'm happy at £20.

-Now...

-Deal?

-Deal.

And there's some money.

-That was short but sweet!

-Thank you very much. Take care.

£20 for the late 19th-century campaign cutlery set.

Time to call it a day, and break for a nice bit of shuteye.

Nighty-night!

It's morning.

It's damp, but there's a whole load of love in the Alfa!

# You're just too good to be true... #

Oh, God!

# Can't take my eyes off of you... #

Please try!

# You'd feel like heaven to touch... #

No, I really wouldn't!

# Oh, I want to hold you so much! #

Yeah, thank you.

She's quite a good singer,

but she's picked the wrong bloke!

Here's what they've bought so far.

Mark has three lots -

the Russian canister,

the chess set and the late 19th-century campaign cutlery set.

Mark has £178.60 for the lovely day ahead.

As for Christina, well, she's only got one item,

the porcupine quill and ivory box, which she dropped,

and that leaves her an ample £277.20 to spend.

We'll catch up with Mark later,

as Christina's travelled to the town of Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

Prince Charles has a regular visit to this pretty town,

and our own princess is no stranger either.

Christina's shopped here before,

so dealer Julian knows what he's dealing with, and he'll stand by.

-Oh, hello!

-Julian!

-It's lovely to see you again.

How are you? Are you well?

-Yes, I'm brilliant, thank you.

-Good. Good to see you!

Oh!

That looks nice!

"Wills's Gold Flake, the world's most famous cigarette."

I mean, obviously controversial, now, because of smoking

and all that sort of thing,

but enamel advertising signs are really popular, aren't they?

Absolutely, and I think smoking is part of history.

It's almost as though it's a fashion that's come and gone.

You know, if you think of all the sort of glamorous movie stars

-in the '30s with their great big cigarette holders and stuff.

-Yeah.

-Exactly.

-Yeah.

And, I think, literally, advertising is a part of history

and that's, you know, that's it, I think, you know.

And this is an original sign,

but how much do you want for it, Julian?

-£150.

-What could you do on that, Julian?

-Of course.

-It's got to be your very best price.

-Just a one-hit wonder.

-Yeah.

I reckon 100 quid.

-Really?

-Mmm. Just as a warmer, to get you started.

-Ooh, you're a tease!

-Mmm, mmm.

I like that.

While things are bubbling away nicely with Christina,

where's our man Mark?

The town of Stroud in Gloucestershire, that's where.

It's here that the inventor of the lawnmower was born - fancy that!

And Mark's next stop, this antiques emporium, looks interesting.

Oh, an Airstream!

Well, interesting word, "interesting".

-Hello. I'm Mark.

-Hello, I'm Sarah.

-Nice to meet you, Sarah.

-And you.

-Gosh, you've got a lot of stuff here!

-I know, isn't it wonderful?

It is. I'd better start rummaging.

What's going on here, then?

Now, they don't look very comfortable,

but you'll be surprised.

-It rather is.

-Oh, it suits you!

-Hello, Sarah.

-Oh, that suits you.

-It suits me, does it?

I've found this, Mark - I thought you might be interested in this.

-This is a Nottingham lace bedspread.

-Oh, God!

Now, I know nothing about lace, Sarah.

How do you know it's Nottingham?

Because it says so on the ticket!

Well, at least you're honest!

Well, I have to be honest.

During the days of the British Empire,

Nottingham was a world leader in lacemaking.

So, what does that date from, the 1920s or something?

I would say...

No, I would say a little bit later than that.

It's a sort of '50s, '60s one.

-Well, actually, that's quite pretty, though.

-It is, isn't it?

How much is it?

-£10 to you.

-£10?

-Yes.

-Do you know, you've got my... You've got me thinking.

I've never bought a piece of lace, but for £10...

Do carry it around with you for a while.

£10. I will, I'll carry it around.

-Sarah, thank you.

-It's a pleasure.

£10, that's got to be cheap, hasn't it?

I don't know.

£10...

£10?

Sounds cheap to me, Mark.

Now, Christina, what are you up to?

-Well, that's nice.

-It's another angle for the auction, isn't it?

-Yeah. And that is useful today, cutlery tray.

-Absolutely.

Absolutely. Do you know what this would be best for of all?

You see, this is where you're missing a trick.

-Oh.

-Bottles of wine. Absolutely perfect.

-I like your style.

-You've got a couple of bottles of wine,

a few in the middle, fantastic.

-I think I love that. What have you got on that?

-Yes, it's a good lot.

I think... I'll cunningly retrieve it from here.

Oh, did it fall on the floor?

-A mere £48.

-Damn, you've found it!

But I reckon, to you, £35.

£35, OK.

What's that, about 1830?

-Yes, 1820, 1830, maybe.

-1820, 1830...

If somebody was to invest some elbow grease in that,

-it could actually be a lovely thing, couldn't it?

-Absolutely.

-OK, cool, well...

-Brilliant.

Hey, we've got lots of things to go on.

-You've got a good old list coming up.

-Yeah. OK.

-Can I go and look at some sparkly things now?

-Mmm.

-Go on, as you...

-Am I allowed?

-If you insist.

-I've looked at some wooden stuff.

-THEY LAUGH

Let's leave Christina to nosy at sparkly things and zip back to Mark.

Furniture, a sea of furniture.

Oh.

Now...

Now, indeed.

Now, these are sometimes called grandmother clocks

because they're much smaller than the longcase clocks,

which are called grandfather clocks,

but this is actually, I suppose, a miniature longcase clock.

And the first thing I quite like about it is it's got that sort of

Arts and Crafts feel.

You know, you've got almost this Celtic knot carved down here

with the panel down here.

It's in light oak.

Erm...

And you've got nice shelves inside. There's a key there to lock it.

Of course, there's no real age to this, sadly.

I mean, if it was a period one, we'd be looking at a lot of money.

And the price says "clock" - very descriptive -

"£55".

So, we're kind of in the ballpark figure,

we just need to get it a bit down.

And I know time is ticking, so I'd better get Sarah.

-Sarah.

-Yes, Mark.

-Now, come here.

-Right.

-I need your help.

Right, my darling. How can I help you?

-Well, I quite like this.

-Oh.

-I do.

-Of course, there's no age to it.

-No.

I'd really, really like to get it for about 30.

-Would you like me to ring?

-Would you mind?

I will, with pleasure.

So, after a quick call to the vendor,

here's Sarah back with the verdict.

-Oh, Sarah, do sit down.

-SARAH CHUCKLES

You've got a stern look on your face - is it good news?

-It's very good news.

-Is it? How much?

-30.

-Hallelujah.

-MARK SIGHS

He's been very generous.

He's been very kind to me. Will you thank him?

-I will, of course, yeah.

-And I've got some money for you.

Oh, how lovely. I love cash.

-And, of course, you'll get me some change later.

-I will.

-I love it.

£30 sees Mark CLOCK up another lot for auction.

Here we are Mark, here's your change.

-No.

-Oh, oh.

-Keep the change.

-Oh, thank you.

-I want that Nottingham lace bedspread.

Oh, how wonderful. Well done.

I thought he had forgotten about that.

A total of £40 buys Mark the clock and the Nottingham lace bedspread.

Christina is still in Tetbury.

I wonder how she's getting on?

That's nice. I like that.

-Right.

-Can you, can you hold?

-Yeah, of course.

-That's cool, isn't it?

-Do I need a bigger tray?

No, but I might be able to put them in my cutlery drawer.

-Absolutely. I think...

-From one cutlery tray to another.

Is there scope, I hope?

I like that, I mean that's so 1970s, isn't it?

-Look at that, that bark effect.

-Yeah, and, of course,

they call this modernist and they're very sought-after at the moment.

-Really?

-And I think hopefully...

Oh, don't look at it, the price'll go up.

Well, what I'm hoping to find is a little hallmark.

Yes, ah-hah, and it actually has got a full English hallmark.

It's got a maker, the maker EFG, who, I must admit,

I'm waiting for an expert like yourself to tell me who it is.

Yeah, not so easy, that, actually.

What is it? What... How much are things in here?

Basically, they're a tenner a lump, so, absolute bargain.

-Oh, £10 apiece.

-And they're sterling silver.

OK, well, I'll have that, definitely.

Great.

OK, right, so...

that's got to be silver.

Oh, yeah, definitely. It'll be hallmarked inside.

-Can you flip the cover?

-That is sweet, isn't it?

-And for a little lady's...

-Have you seen the little pretty face as well?

-Yeah.

-Look, a little pretty enamel face.

There is a crack in it, but for £10...

-I mean, £10 for a Victorian lady's fob, that's cute.

-I mean...

-OK, I'll have that.

-Brilliant, brilliant.

So, technically, I've got one, two, three, four - £40 there.

OK, so, let's think about what we...cos I still...

I love that, and I love that, and I love the enamel sign.

That's a lot of loves,

and with a combined price of £175.

So, to save a lot of time, how about 150 quid?

Ha! Have you got a hot date somewhere that I don't know about?

-Oh, well...

-Have you got to get out of here?

Let's just say 100 and I'll go.

I promise, I'll leave you in peace. I promise!

-It's not that hot a date, I promise you.

-Oh, OK.

£150.

I think that's an absolute bargain.

-I think you're absolutely right.

-Brilliant.

-£150.

-Fantastic.

-You're a legend.

-Brilliant. Thank you.

-Cool.

My goodness, Christina, a whirlwind of goodies -

the enamel sign for £100,

the cutlery tray for 25, and the jewellery collection, also for 25.

Wonderful.

Meanwhile, Mark's made his way just up the road to the village of Slad

in Gloucestershire.

Right here in this picture postcard village was the setting for a local

lad's backwards glance at the warm glow of childhood just after

the First World War.

That chap was the writer and poet Laurie Lee,

and the novel Cider With Rosie would become a worldwide bestseller.

Mark's meeting with writer Kevan Manwaring to find out

just how much the rolling green valley and the surrounds

would prove to be instrumental in Laurie's writing triumph.

Kevan, we're sitting in the Woolpack Inn in Slad -

why is this so important?

Well, this was his local pub - he almost lived here.

I mean, he actually... His house was next door,

so it was within staggering distance.

He often would be drinking something a little bit stronger

than we're drinking today.

He would kind of hold court here with his friends,

and he loved to, kind of, meet and greet visitors to Slad

who often came here to see him.

He was very much a local man, a village man,

and in a way, he kind of lived off of that myth

for the rest of his life.

Cider With Rosie propelled Laurie Lee to starry success in 1959.

Aged 45, his ode to village life would become an overnight sensation.

It was reprinted three times within the first month...

-Gosh.

-..of its publication,

and went on to sell 6 million copies around the world.

He was writing about stuff from a long time ago,

but, in a way, perhaps that gave him the critical distance

to do it justice, to capture that childhood,

that age that will never come back again.

You know, this was at the end of the First World War and things

were never going to be quite the same after that war.

It captured a time, I think,

-of Britain in a very special period...

-Mm-hmm.

..but did that time ever really exist?

Well, as he says in the book,

it was somewhat distorted by time, you know -

he adds that important caveat.

I think we have to allow him that, allow him his artistic licence.

As a local himself, Kevan knows all the haunts of Laurie Lee.

Why are we here, Kevan?

Well, this is the perfect place to read out a section of the book

because behind us is his house that he lived in,

and in front of us the school he went to as a young boy,

so that's why I wanted to bring you here.

"The June grass, amongst which I stood,

"was taller than I was, and I wept.

"I had never been so close to grass before."

I mean, that really gets you straight into it.

You want to read more just from those...

-Oh, definitely, what a place to start.

-..few words.

-It's wonderful.

-You know, in media res, here we are,

plunged into the grass with a three-year-old Laurie Lee, you know,

up to his eyeballs in grass,

so embedded in nature from the very beginning.

Wonderful.

The success of Cider With Rosie allowed Laurie Lee to become

a full-time writer.

He went on to create an autobiographical trilogy

and a selection of novels, poetry and plays.

Laurie Lee returned to his beloved childhood home in the 1960s

and lived here for many years,

until he passed away in 1997, aged 82.

Laurie Lee said that he wanted to be buried between the church

and the pub so that he could balance the secular and spiritual.

And so... And so here it is.

Gosh, how wonderful. Very simple.

Yeah, very understated, very modest, and an inscription below,

"He lies in the valley he loves," which says it all, really.

It does, doesn't it?

It really does.

The village of Slad is the perfect resting place for Laurie Lee,

the author that created such beautiful prose that continues

to be loved by millions the world over.

Meanwhile, Christina has journeyed to the capital of the Cotswolds,

the town of Cirencester.

Oh, this looks nice.

-Hello.

-Hello. Hi.

-Hello.

-Pleased to meet you. Christina.

-Pleased to meet you, Brian.

-Very pleased to meet you.

-Brian, lovely to meet you.

-Welcome to Cirencester.

-My goodness, I love your tiepin.

-Oh, thank you.

A man of bling, I love it.

Hello. Hi. Christina.

-Will.

-Will. Lovely to meet you, Will.

Great hair. Looks like you've been in a strong wind.

-It takes a long time to get like that.

-Oh, does it?

Right, well, this is cool, Brian.

I mean, there's a lot of cabinets going on here.

Yes, yeah, it's quite deceiving. It goes on for miles.

It's a bit of a TARDIS, this building, so...

-Oh, is it?

-..so please feel free to have a good wander. Yeah, yeah.

OK, I will have a good wander, but I have to be honest with you...

-I've seen something in the window and I like it.

-Right.

I love that petrol canister that you've got

at the far end of the window.

-Oh, the round one?

-Yeah. Can I have a look?

-Sure, sure, yeah.

-Do you mind?

Oh, let's have a look.

-CHRISTINA GASPS

-I love it.

I really love it.

I mean, that sounds completely crazy to say I love a petrol canister,

but, I mean, it's certainly seen a bit of life, hasn't it?

It's lived, it's lived.

Believe it or not, there are collectors of old petrol cans.

As always, condition is key.

This may not be the gamble it seems.

OK, guys, so what have we got on that?

49 is the label on there.

-£49.

-Yeah.

-OK, is there anything that you can do,

bearing in mind I'm not allowed to haggle?

-Oh, my God, what's that?

-SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

I love it, a sharp intake of breath.

We could do it for 40 for you.

£40, OK...

So, at auction, for me, I see that at £30-£50.

-Is there any way that you can, sort of, nudge down a touch?

-Oh...

-Because obviously, I know it...

-35.

-35.

OK, I'm not allowed to haggle... It's you!

He's like a little sound effect.

-He is.

-Isn't he?

-SHE INHALES AND EXHALES

Well, your offer is a bit cheeky, Christina.

-I think, at £30, I'd love it. I think it's fab.

-Right.

-But I'll go for a wander, see what else you've got.

-Great.

-All right, see you in a minute.

-See you soon. Bye.

Having looked around here, I mean, it is amazing,

it just goes on and on and on,

it really does, it just keeps giving,

but, for me, I think it's all about the petrol can,

and if I can get that for £30, I'd be a happy girl.

Well, wouldn't we all, darling? Let's go and ask about it.

-Hi, guys.

-Hello.

So, I've had a good... Gosh, it goes on and on and on, doesn't it?

-You've had a good rummage.

-I really have.

There's some amazing stuff, but I can't stop thinking about this.

-Aw, first love, they say, don't they?

-Yeah, yeah. Exactly, exactly.

Is there any chance that you could do it for £30?

-There is.

-Yeah?

-As it's you, I've had a word with my superior and...

-Yeah.

The senior assistant and...

-Really?

-Yes, for you.

Well, that worked out just fine in the end

and that purchase completes the shopping of this road trip.

Cheerio.

Looks like a handbag.

Christina has a total of five lots -

the porcupine quill and ivory box, the cutlery tray,

the collection of jewellery,

the enamel sign and, of course, the vintage petrol canister.

Christina has spent a total of £198.

Mark also bought five lots -

the Russian canister, the chess set, the campaign cutlery set,

the Nottingham lace bedspread and the grandmother clock.

He bought all of that for just £96.

Come on, you two - thoughts on one another's buys.

Be truthful, be candid and be honest.

The thing that I'm probably most nervous about

is his grandmother clock, which I think is absolutely gorgeous,

and he only spent £30 on it.

That, for me, is dangerous territory.

Advertising is really in at the moment -

very fashionable, very commercial at auction.

I'm not sure about the Wills's Cigarette connotation but £100...

good on you, Christina, you've given it a bash there.

The bedspread is an odd choice, isn't it?

Petrol cans, French or otherwise, have no interest to me whatsoever.

Are they commercial?

I wouldn't have a clue and quite frankly I didn't give a damn.

Who's going to win this auction?

Me.

There you go.

Are you sure?

Ooh, probably not now!

Lordy, the cameraman's blushing.

Right, the auction is nearly upon us and our pair are headed for their

second saleroom battle in Knutsford in Cheshire.

I predicted that I was going to win but I don't think I will now.

-Today?

-Mm-hmm.

-Oh, I don't know, Christina.

I think that grandmother clock could see me into the runners-up position.

Oh, you can say that again.

I think someone wants to win.

Well, best of luck.

Oh, I know, Christina, but whatever happens, we'll still be friends.

Really?

-Get in.

-CHRISTINA LAUGHS

It's a general sale today at Wright Marshall.

The auctioneer taking command of the room is Nick Hall.

Come on, spill it about our pair's offerings.

These big enamel signs,

even in distressed condition like today's one,

they're so on trend at the minute.

It just fits in with that cool, 20th-century chic interior

that's going on at the minute.

I particularly like the little campaign piece as well

with all the little accoutrements inside it.

Now, they are quite sought-after

and I particularly like the quality of that.

I think, if I'm going to predict anything,

that could go over estimate.

Take your seats, the auction's about to begin

and we're also live on the internet today.

Here we are. This is exciting, isn't it?

-Have you got a catalogue?

-I have.

-Where did you get that from?

-Ah...

-Oh, blimey.

-I know the powers that be, you see.

-Do you?

-No.

First up, it's Christina's porcupine quill and ivory box.

30 for it. 35.

Thank you, 35. Breathe in, madam, don't drop out now.

-What's he got?

-35, he's got.

-Really?

Go 40. Going 40?

Come on, nod at me. Thank you, madam. 40 I'm bid.

-£40 now.

-Lady seated at £40.

Are you in at the back, sir?

It's against you at 40.

The lady seated at £40.

All done and sure with you, madam. Nothing online.

40 and selling, your bid, all sure, all done.

-And yours at £40.

-What did it sell for?

-£40...

-Oh, blimey.

-..so you made £22 on that.

-Oh, happy days.

A nice start for Christina with a nice profit.

Next, it's Mark's Russian canister thingy.

15. Tenner.

-Thank you, sir.

-Tenner's bid.

-I'm bid at £10.

-Come on, more, more, more, more.

-At £10. They're not rushing to bid, are they?

-Come on.

-Oh, come on.

-15.

20. With you, sir, at 20.

At 20. Not dear at 20.

-It's not dear.

-All done.

-You need another couple of bids.

-One more bid.

-Last chance, with you at 20 now.

Oh, Christina.

Just remember it's early days, Mark.

Onwards and upwards, you're just warming up.

I'm just warming up, so I'm even further behind you now,

-which is really making my day.

-SHE GIGGLES

I can see that.

It's Christina's cutlery tray next.

15, one-five, 15 I start on commission.

20 I'm bid at the back. At £20.

You're bidding online. The bid's at 20.

Go five, 25, thank you.

Are you bidding? 30, five.

35. 35 in the red.

-Don't shake, nod.

-What did you say? 30?

Come on, I've got 35. 35, bid's in the room.

What about you online? Try one more.

I've got 35 bid at the back of the room.

With you, sir, at £35, all done.

Another good result, Christina.

Well done.

And another profit.

-Well done.

-Only just.

-Well, it's a profit.

Slow and steady.

Come on, Mark, it's your unusual chess set, next.

20. £20, surely.

-Come on.

-Oh, come on.

-At 20 I'm bid.

The bid's in at 20 and cheap at that.

Five online. 30.

-That's a profit.

-I've got 30 in the room, try five.

I've got 30. Try another.

At £30. With you, sir, at 30.

At 30, the gent has it.

Come on, not like this. I only need one bid online.

So, £30.

Checkmate at 30.

All sure, all done...

Well, that's £12 profit, so it's better than nothing.

Absolutely, you just need a few more like that

to help you get back in the game.

The collection of jewellery from Christina is next.

20 to start me and away, surely.

-Thank you, 20 I'm bid.

-20 now.

-Where's online?

-20 I'm offered. Nice jewellery.

Five, 30...

Don't nod, shake.

-35, new bidder.

-35.

40, five, 50.

-Wow.

-To him, standing. Any more at £50?

With you, sir. It'll suit you as well.

-It's exceeded my expectations.

-Yes.

-Any advance on 50?

Anyone else, missed anyone?

Your bid at the back, at 50 and selling.

Do you know, that was a very good result.

Our Christina really knows what she's doing -

another lovely profit.

Mark's campaign cutlery set is up for grabs next.

This is an internet bidder's dream.

-I hope so.

-£20.

Yes, 20 I'm bid. I'm away. Thank you.

At 20, five, 30, five,

40, five, 50.

At 50. Any more than 50?

-More. Got to be more.

-The commission still has it.

Against you online at £50. The hammer's up and selling.

-Come on.

-More, more, more, more, more.

-All sure and done at 50?

But I just thought that might fly a bit, you know.

That was tasty.

Tasty indeed - a much meatier profit for Mark.

That is my favourite lot that you have bought...

-Oh.

-..so far.

So I've got a hope, then?

Next up, it's Christina's pricey advertising sign.

I completely fell in love with it,

bought it with my heart and paid too much money for it.

I don't know, because sometimes when you buy with your heart it's good.

At 75 I start.

80, five, 90, five.

Round me up, come on. Try 100.

100 I'm bid, thank you.

OK, now I've cleared my debt, I've just...

110, fresh blood at 110 now.

120, 120 here.

Worth a bit more, come on. I've got 120.

Look at the sign, look at the condition, the sign.

I've got 120, any more?

Any advance? With you, sir, and seated, all done?

-You know...

-That was better than I expected.

Another profit not to be sniffed at.

It could have been worse.

-No, it could have been worse, yeah.

-I was hoping.

Oh, he is a rascal.

Now it's Mark's Nottingham lace bedspread.

I'm hoping that maybe all those Nottingham lace collectors out there

-will be online.

-Mmm.

It's decorated with romantic panels of cherubs,

fruits of love and playful putto.

What more could you possibly want...

than two playful putto down here with their fingers crossed?

-Yes, we are playful, got you.

-Aw...

20. Thank you, sir. 20 I'm bid, cheap at that.

I know, it's £20.

£20, who's got five?

-Five online.

-Online.

-25.

At 25. 30. Nice-quality lot, this, at £30.

35.

At 35 online.

Oh, go on, sir. Go on, it's lovely. One more.

-Go on.

-Online bidding, are you sure?

Go on, go on, quick. Don't miss it for a bid.

Try one more? I've got 35 against you.

Try and round it up. Go on.

You know it makes sense. No?

I've got 35 then, online.

He's out. 35 and selling.

Another tidy little earner.

-Ugh.

-It's still a profit.

-I know, but I...

-£25 profit.

Yeah, but I need a big profit, Christina.

Yeah, but Mark, seriously, I'm getting a bit worried now.

Worry not, it's your vintage petrol can next.

30, 20.

Come on, £20, surely?

Thank you, sir. 20 I'm bid. Any advance on 20?

Nice bit of advertising memorabilia.

25 now. 30 now.

-At 35.

-35.

-Oh.

-It's 35 with you, sir.

Try another online, come on.

Fill your tank, bid again.

40, thank you. 40 I'm bid.

-Come on.

-At £40, online bidder.

-Put the gavel down.

-Come on.

-Nothing in the room, 40 and selling, all done.

Put the...

-Oh, Christina.

-Thanks.

-I'm so sorry(!)

-Oh...

Once more with sincerity, Mark.

Well, it's all to play for with Mark's final lot,

the grandmother clock.

But, at the moment, I think we're neck-and-neck-and-neck.

I think we are neck-and-neck.

-We're like that, aren't we?

-I think so.

-Yeah.

-£50.

-Yes.

-40.

-No...

-30, come on.

£30, Arts and Crafts oak clock.

30 I'm bid, thank you. 30 I'm offered.

-Any advance on 30?

-Will they drop it?

-Try five.

Where's five? The bid's with you at 30 now.

At 30 seated.

Sounds cheap to me. Come on, tick tock, tick tock.

All sure, all done?

It's £30, the maiden bid.

At 30 and selling.

-Ah...

-Well...

Oh, that's unfortunate.

Disappointing, but what a great buy for the bidder.

-Come on, let's go and count some numbers.

-Yeah, come on.

Time for the calculations, then.

Christina set out with £295.20 and, after auction costs,

made a profit of £35.70,

leaving her with a rather lovely £330.90 for next time.

Mark started with £234.60.

After paying saleroom fees, he's made a profit of £39.30,

leaving him with £273.90.

He's today's auction champion

and has chipped into Christina's overall lead.

Oh, fantastic.

Profits all round, Christina.

Profits all round but...

I'm still £60 behind...

-Still?!

-..so I'm not happy.

Oh, Mark, come on.

-No, I am happy, Christina.

-What can we do to make you happy?

Could you drive me home, Jeeves?

Cheerio, Roadtrippers.

Next time on Antiques Road Trip, Mark has an emergency...

I can't believe it. We're stuck in a lift.

We're stuck in a lift in Macclesfield.

..while Christina deals with one.

Attack warning red, attack warning red.