Episode 15 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts.

-What a job.

-..with £200 each...

You with me?

..a classic car...

Buckle up.

..and a goal, to scour Britain for antiques.

Oh, sorry.

Ha-ha!

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction,

but it's no mean feat.

-There will be worthy winners...

-Yes!

..and valiant losers.

So, will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?

Have a good trip.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Well, here we are, it's the fifth and final leg of the road trip

with silver expert Margie Cooper

and militaria mad auctioneer Paul Laidlaw.

-How are you, my friend?

-Perishing, Margie.

Are you listening?

Just forget you're cold.

Pull over and give me a big hug.

At least it's still warm in their hearts,

even if it's cold in the car.

Have you noticed anything about the car?

Have you sold the other one and managed to buy a cheaper one

and this is augmenting your profits?

It's going to be at the next auction.

Yes, there's been a quick swap,

it's still a Morris Minor 1,000 convertible but it's from 1958,

and with a 48 horsepower engine. Racy!

Why say horsepower?

It depends on how big... If you had ten little horses with short legs,

you'd need more of them.

So it's like a word that's come from the past.

Yes, a bit like us.

-Horsepower.

-I said us, I meant you.

That's not very gallant.

From her original £200, Margie begins today with £410.62.

Paul won the last auction and now has £598.74.

Hey, we've done well. Seriously.

You're still ahead, my dear.

-Sorry, pardon?

-You're still ahead.

-Pardon?

-You're still ahead.

It's fantastic, that. Could you text me that?

-We've got...

-SHE LAUGHS

We've got another load of buying to do.

Indeed you have.

Our pair's road trip kicked off in Hemswell Cliff in Lincolnshire,

they've yomped around Yorkshire, mooched around the Midlands,

and they'll be selling in Shrewsbury.

Today, they're aiming for that auction in Shropshire,

but they're kicking of the day in Wootton Wawen, in Warwickshire.

This is our last day.

Last day of buying.

While Margie drives on,

Paul's first stop is to check out the wares in Sims Vintage.

-Hello, is it Phil?

-It is.

-Good to see you.

-Hi, Paul.

I like the look of this place.

Positive and upbeat as ever, Mr Laidlaw.

Let's get to work, shall we?

I'm not usually one to pick up vintage toys,

but this one has my attention.

And that, surely you recognise, is a little miniature pistol.

Yeah. What do you reckon, 1950s cowboys and Indians?

Nah, Victorian.

Proper antique.

Nah. Why don't we go Tudor?

HE GIGGLES

Tudor. One of the oldest things I have picked up this road trip.

And it dates indeed to the time of William Shakespeare.

And there is a little vent or touch hole there, and the theory is that

you could say, "Dad, give me some powder, give me some powder,"

and he goes, "OK, you be careful,

"your mother will murder me if you burn yourself."

And you get a few grains of powder, and you pop it in there,

and with a wee match you can go, boom!

"Look at me, I'm Francis Drake! Got ye!"

Now, price tag on this, you're wondering.

Antique pistolet, £165.

Well, thankfully,

we're not allowed to entertain the kids like that any more.

But it's still a possible purchase for Paul.

Let's see how Margie is getting on, shall we?

She's on her way to the town of Middleton, in Warwickshire,

hoping to get some bargains of her own.

Yeah, well, I'd love to find something hidden

that would completely trounce Laidlaw.

But I'm getting there. I'm getting there.

Well, let's discover what's hidden in Meadowview Antiques.

Here to give her a hand is owner Mike.

Good morning, Mike. Oh, dear.

Not that hand, the other one.

Yes, don't do that.

Not too serious, I hope.

No, just an operation on my hand.

Right, so we're here.

An eclectic mix.

We specialise in rare items.

-You'll see probably things you haven't seen.

-Right.

Like these little Victorian shoes, perhaps.

Are they an apprentice thing?

Yeah, I would think so, yeah.

Little shoes like these were often made by Victorian cobblers

at the end of their apprenticeship,

before they were allowed to start making the adult versions.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Oh, look at those little things.

What sort of money are those?

I've got 48 on them.

-I could do them you for 30.

-Right.

I've only just arrived. Can I have a little think?

Yes, carry on, you carry on.

-You're moving in the right direction, Mike.

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

OK...

So that's a Margie maybe.

Paul also had a miniature maybe with his pistol,

but what else has he seen?

This beautifully crafted Chinese white metal mug

has a ticket price of £25.

White metal is the term used for un-hallmarked silver.

This is a South Asian piece,

there are numerals scratched on the bottom,

jewellers' marks, so someone cared enough back in, when,

the late-19th or early-20th century,

to have that looked at.

I think it is what I want it to be.

It's a nice piece of Indian, Burmese or Siamese silver.

Sweet, isn't it? I like it.

Let's have a word with Phil.

-How are you doing, Phil?

-Hello.

-I have been busy.

I will return to that in a moment.

Yes.

In one of the cabinets,

one of your chaps does military material and some archaeological...

-Yes.

-And he's got some antique toy pistols.

-The pistolets.

-Yes.

165 quid a pop.

-It's me.

-It's him.

-It's you.

-It's me.

-You dark horse!

You were keeping that.

Are you buying them cheap or no?

I just fell in love with them, to be honest. I think they're great.

They're cool as hell.

And I just imagine some child, almost 300 years ago,

putting a bit of shot or something and shooting the cat.

-It's fantastic.

-Definitely.

-Not sure about the cat.

-Not for the cat.

We should assure all our viewers,

no historical cats were harmed in the making of Phil's imagination.

I could go to 120 on one of those.

-I don't know where that leaves it for you.

-Still at three figures.

Probably too dear at auction. I would bid 50 quid on them.

Oh.

-Yeah, that's what I mean.

-Um...

-I could do 70.

-Could you?

I'll do 70 on them.

-Can we park that?

-We can.

What about that little Chinese,

possible South Asian white metal mug for £25?

The very best on that will be 15 quid.

Can I offer you...

..75 for a pistolet and that, so another tenner off the pistolet,

-and the 15 quid for that?

-Yes.

Boom, that's how you do a deal.

-You're a joy to do business with, my friend.

-Thank you, Paul.

That's Paul, in like a shot,

with more than half off the ticket price for the pistolet

and a good saving on the mug, too.

Now, how's Margie getting on?

She's got a maybe with the kids' shoes. Anything else?

-I tell you what I do like, but it's a fortune.

-What's that?

-That.

-The Titanic?

No, the zebra.

-Oh, the zebra.

-Yeah.

This child's toy has a £125 ticket price,

it's probably late-Victorian or early-Edwardian

and its clever rocking motion is a testament to the toymaker's craft.

You could make a baby go to sleep watching that.

I like his movement.

-It's unbelievable.

-I could go to sleep.

Look at that.

I'm getting hypnotised.

You're not the only one.

Feeling a bit drowsy myself.

Go on, how much is it, then?

How much do you want to pay for it?

I would probably offend you.

Yeah.

50 quid.

What I'll do for you, I'll do it you for 75.

-And while we're here...

-Yes?

What is the very best on the little diddy shoes.

I'm sorry, the shoes, I was miles away there.

I'll tell you what I'll do,

-if I did the shoes and this for £100...

-Yeah.

..you've got a good deal.

So 90 wouldn't buy the two, as friends?

-95.

-Gosh.

All right, I'm not going to argue with you for a fiver.

I was going to shake that poorly hand.

You can shake that one instead.

I think a big hand for Margie, that was a good bit of negotiating.

£60 off the zebra to get it for 75

and more than half price off the shoes to get them for £20.

Paul, meanwhile, has now made the journey across Warwickshire,

to the little town of Alcester.

He's heading for the most excellently named Classic Clutter.

I bet his home is a bit like that, too. Ha!

-Hello there, is it Vicky?

-It is, yes.

-Lovely to see you, I'm Paul.

Nice to meet you, Paul.

-Pleasant wee high street you're parked on.

-It's lovely.

With the pleasantries out of the way,

it's time to hunt down some antiques.

I am no musician, is the truth of the matter,

but I feel good about the instrument I have in my hand,

a small oboe.

This is turned ebony.

And these are...

..German silver mounts.

And nickel alloy.

This lovely little oboe is made by Buffet a Paris,

a name which still exists in music shops today as Buffet & Crampon,

but Crampon didn't get in on the act until the 1830s,

so this must predate that.

The reed's missing but it's replaceable.

I like what I see.

And, of course, vintage instruments are highly collectable,

to be used and restored.

So what's that worth?

In any auction, I think it should be worth 40 to £80.

Depending, of course, on who's at the auction.

The price - 8.

There are some price tags you just don't haggle over.

Can we just put that to one side? That is sold.

-Lovely. Thank you.

-Thank you.

No haggling, that's rarer on this show than Philip Sorel in a good mood(!)

What else might be rare in here?

That's an elegant object.

I suspect this is for the dining table.

After dinner, the ladies have withdrawn to the drawing room,

and the gentleman remain with the brandy and cigars.

I think this is a cigar lighter.

This rather ornate and elegant little set-up

has a reservoir for oil in the middle,

a wick and two vessels for holding little tapers, called spills,

which you used for transferring the flame from the wick to your cigar.

And I'm sitting there and I'd say,

"Right, old chap. Yes."

Get my little spill, take a light from the wick, and then...

..there you go.

And chew the cud.

"I say, what do you make of the news from the front, old chap,

"it's damned bad news, is it not?"

This is late-Victorian, early-Edwardian,

and made from silver plate.

No condition issues, lovely form, a rich object.

What's the price tag? £18.

Doesn't sound expensive.

I think I'd like to buy it.

Let's go see what Vicky has to say.

-Vicky.

-Paul.

I think it's a cigar lighter.

It's priced at £18.

Any slack in the price of that?

-Possibly.

-OK, well...

£8 for the instrument, that comes to 26 the pair.

£20 the pair any use?

I could do 22.

Let's do 22.

-Fabulous.

-Easy, Vicky, fantastic.

-Thank you very much.

-Great.

-I'd better give you some money.

-That would be great.

So, ticket price for the oboe and £4 off the cigar lighter,

another brisk bit of business from Paul.

Meanwhile, Margie is off on

a West Midlands magical mystery tour to Coleshill,

to investigate the story of a man often seen in places like this

with a notebook in his hand.

And she's picked up a passenger, Steve Corthray,

to tell her more.

This is all a bit of a mystery.

I'm getting more and more excited.

This is the Ladywalk Nature Reserve -

a 100-acre-site that used to be part of the Hams Hall estate,

but in 1971, volunteers of the West Midlands Bird club, like Steve,

turned it into the bird-watchers paradise it is today.

214 species of birds have been recorded here.

I've got my special scarf on for you.

Yeah, I saw that.

That's actually a flamingo.

You've actually brought a new species down to the reserve.

So, make that 215.

Ladywalk Reserve is one of hundreds of bird-watching sites across the UK

that thousands of us flock to every week.

But all of this arguably wouldn't have been possible without this man,

Thomas Bewick. Born in 1753, he initially worked as an engraver,

but then this keen nature lover made a discovery that revolutionised

the world of book illustration

and created bird-watching as we know it today.

They used to work with wood, and etch a design into the wood,

and then print from that design.

But the beautiful thing that he did,

he found that by using a hardwood such as teak,

and cutting across the grain, he could get a finer detail, and hence,

when he printed, the detail in the pictures was so much better.

Bewick already had an amazing talent for detailed sketches of birds,

and he realised he could turn these

into high-quality detailed illustrations at a low cost.

So, in 1797, Bewick authored and illustrated his first book,

A History Of British Birds,

and it set the mould for all bird-watching books since.

And up in his hide here,

Steve has some examples of Bewick's eye for detail

to show Margie.

Margie, these are a selection of Thomas' pictures.

Aren't they beautiful?

What fine detail.

It is, isn't it?

This sketch is of a bittern.

There are now reckoned to be less than 100 breeding pairs in the UK.

One of the few places you can regularly see them is here,

at Ladywalk Reserve.

But this illustration also shows how much of Bewick's style

has influenced the modern bird guide.

He would include the scientific name, which is also done today,

and group the birds into species.

-Right.

-And you can see that when you compare it to the modern-day book.

That's a picture of the bittern, similar angle,

but also pictures of birds in flight, how you'd see them.

Even in the 21st-century,

illustrations are still preferred over photos,

to show birds' features.

Bewick's intricate, detailed drawings set the standard

which is still followed today.

And in the 19th century,

it also changed the public's attitude to birds.

This was used not only by natural historians

but it was an affordable book,

lots of people could get it and identify the birds.

Birds on the local ponds, birds on the garden.

-It popularised the hobby of bird-watching.

-Yeah.

People wanted to go and see the birds, not to shoot them,

but to watch them.

Hence, conservation has come on and evolved

because of the early work that he's done.

And Ladywalk is a fine example

of the conservation that Bewick's work inspired.

Time to grab a pair of bins for a spot of twitching, Margie.

-Here we go.

-Have a look out of these.

-Tell me what you see.

-What was that?

-That was a heron. A grey heron.

-Yeah.

And Thomas Bewick's legacy lives on in other ways, too,

his History Of British Birds is the favourite book

of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

And he inspired the poets Wordsworth and Tennyson

to mention him in verse.

Very fittingly, both a swan and a wren were named after him.

It's the popularity of bird-watching that is his greatest legacy.

What are those black ones?

Those are cormorants.

They actually breed on the reserve.

I can see how it gets addictive.

-It is.

-But unfortunately, I'm off antiquing.

-Got to keep going.

-You've got a full-time job, haven't you?

I have, yeah.

Well, that concludes today's action for our dynamic duo of old birds.

You said that you fancied a curry later.

Curry, yeah. You fancy?

I'll do whatever you want.

-Really?

-As long as you haven't bought any militaria.

Best not mention that pistol then, Paul.

Enjoy your curry. Nighty-night.

Rise and shine, or maybe rise and rain,

it's time for the final day's buying on this road trip.

What a miserable day for our last buying day together.

Mind you, it's cosy. Just me and you.

Steaming up those windows.

For all the wrong reasons.

Like the car not having air conditioning, eh?

Let's remind ourselves what they bought yesterday.

Margie has two lots,

the vintage rocking zebra toy

and the 19th-century kids' leather shoes.

Look at those little things.

Margie has £315.62 for the rest of the day.

Paul has four very different lots, the Victorian cigar lighter,

the French oboe,

the Anglo-Indian cup

and the Elizabethan toy pistol.

-Boof!

-HE CHUCKLES

Leaving him with £501.74 to spend today.

So you had a full day buying, didn't you?

I bought from the 16th century...

..to the 20th.

For goodness' sake.

Can you believe it?

The British Museum have expressed interest already.

But they're having to vie against the V&A.

If you're not going to be sensible, I'm not going to talk.

Looks like a quiet journey, then.

And for Margie, the journey is going to be all the way to the beautiful

but damp historic town of Warwick.

The castle here dates back to the Norman conquest.

But let's see what our Margie can conquer today.

Good luck with the rain, Margie. I hope it's a long walk to your shop.

I think it's going to stop.

I'm sure it's going to stop.

See you later, Margie!

OK, I've abandoned Margie to the rain and the shops.

Is she going to go all chips in?

Or we could, I don't know...

Watch this space.

We're watching.

Margie's first stop is Warwick Antique Centre.

I really like those.

Really little, little liqueur glasses there.

In the box, really nice, but have you spotted anything?

One of the glasses is broken.

It's a shame. The silver is Continental.

Could be Dutch or French.

You see them quite a lot but they're really very nice things.

These six lovely little Dutch liqueur glasses

have a ticket price of £75.

But what can Margie get these little babies for?

Right, these have caught my eye, George.

I can't forget your name, I've got a cat called George.

Nice tactic, Margie.

Comparing him to a much-loved pet.

He's called Boy George!

Well, he's no longer, he's died now.

But he's got a headstone in my garden.

Just by the by!

Er... That's nice, thank you(!)

-One of the glasses does need a replacement.

-Yes.

It's not the end of the world but it's just hassle, isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's hassle for anybody.

Could I buy those for £48?

No, I couldn't to £48.

55 for the set.

55.

And if I do buy them, have you got any silver polish?

-I can get some for you.

-Can you?

-Yes.

So...

Well, I tell you what, if you'll clean them for me,

I'll make a decision now and say...

-..yes.

-OK.

It's a deal. £55 and some free elbow grease for the glasses set.

Now, what else can Margie get some free labour on?

-Hello, Margie.

-Hi.

-We've just had these in from another dealer.

I don't know if you'd like to have a look at these.

-Is that your shopping?

-You been out to the shops?

Oh, where are we going?

Oh, my goodness, what have we got here?

Oh, silver?

Two sets...

So, this gentleman is selling this as a job lot?

-As a job lot.

-Yes.

I'm sure he'd sell individual items.

Right, yeah.

Luckily, the shop's owner, Colin, can act on behalf of the dealer.

So, is there any particular bit there that you like?

Yes. I think that's saleable.

-I don't think that's a scrapper, is it?

-It's up to you.

She's spotted an Art Deco cigarette case.

Not so fashionable nowadays, but it is silver gilt inside.

Call it 30 quid. Here, give it the handshake...

SHE LAUGHS

-Oh, go on. I'm too weary.

-Cheers.

-I'm weary!

That's 30 for the case and 55 for the glasses,

making the spend in here £85.

Paul, meanwhile, has travelled to Coventry, the UK's Motor City.

He's come to the city's Transport Museum to find out about

Coventry's pivotal role in the story of another form of transport,

the humble bicycle.

Here to show him round is curator, Megan Nass.

-Hello, Megan!

-Yes, Paul, nice to meet you.

The first bicycle seen here was the Hobby Horse,

invented in Germany around 1817.

But it's this French velocipede, or boneshaker, from 1868,

that kick-started Coventry's cycle industry.

Rowley B Turner, who was one of the cycle pioneers in Coventry,

he was living and working in Paris.

And he noticed the locals riding around on these machines called

velocipedes and he just thought, "That's a great thing."

So, he brought one back from Paris to Coventry,

to his uncle's sewing machine factory.

So, it was Rowley B Turner

that persuaded his uncle and James Starley

to start producing these velocipedes.

From Coventry, James Starley and his co-partner Josiah Turner

made the uncomfortable velocipede practical and sellable.

But Starley realised that to increase speed,

the front pedals needed to power a larger wheel.

So, in 1871, the first penny-farthing, called The Ariel,

was made in Coventry.

So, Megan, how was this an improvement on the velocipede?

We have the addition of wire spokes,

as opposed to the wooden spokes.

You also notice that it was

probably a little bit more of a smoother ride,

with the solid rubber tyres.

And then also, the addition of the braking system on the back there.

These look precarious, I imagine it's difficult to mount up...

-Yes, yes.

-..difficult to stop, and just dangerous all round.

Yeah, it... I think it would have been and it would have really...

The penny-farthing would have really only suited athletic men.

-Hey.

-Oh!

We can make this happen!

And here is a suited athletic man.

My word. Is that a period specimen?

Absolutely, this is 1885, and she was made here in Coventry.

By the Singer Company.

-Oh, fantastic!

-Which is a fine example of...

So how difficult is it to get on one of those?

I think the answer is very difficult, Paul.

But Simon is going to give you a hand.

-Go ahead. On two, three...

-Tell my kids I love them, yeah.

My wife as well!

LAUGHTER

And there we go.

Assume the position, haughty.

Yes, absolutely, very straight back...

You look as if you were born to ride that, Paul.

This is petrifying.

Seriously, it looks high up from down there.

Oh, you're a long way up.

Up here, you look like ants, to be quite frank.

But can Paul get off again?

Penny-farthings were notorious for toppling while stationary,

so most people jumped off them while they were still moving.

-And I'm just going to...

-And then down off the bike. Well done.

I felt I was better on the way down than up.

Very good! And this is how we would mount and...

-Properly!

-OK, so...

One, two, three.

And off into the sunset.

Just another day at the museum.

LAUGHTER

Well, we have certainly done the penny-farthing.

-Yes, mm-hm.

-But where do we go from here?

We go to this next bike, the Rover safety bike,

so-called because it was safer than the iconic penny-farthing.

This humble looking bike would sell millions around the world,

changing cycling forever

and set the blueprint for all modern bicycles.

All from a factory right here in Coventry.

That is a bike as I know it.

It is, John Kemp Starley, who was the nephew of James Starley,

this was his 1888 version.

-It seems very modern for 1888.

-It does.

John Starley came up with several new features

that are still around today.

Same sized wheels, a chain drive,

and he added a recent invention, John Dunlop's pneumatic tyre.

The journey from the Hobby Horse to the bicycle was complete,

and by the mid-20th century,

the bike was the most popular form of transport in the world,

all thanks to the sewing machine pioneers of Coventry.

And it wasn't long before those pioneers that made Coventry

the world capital of bike making

would also start Britain's car industry.

Speaking of which, it's time for Paul to get back on the road.

Look at that.

I'd don't think you'll get Margie on the back of that, Paul.

With Paul left messing around on the penny-farthing,

Margie has stolen a march to their joint last shopping destination,

beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon.

Birthplace of our national bard, William Shakespeare.

She is first to Bond's Antiques,

where she's going to be helped out by the lovely Richard.

Shall we wander together?

-Let's wander.

-Let's wander.

So, the final shop.

What can she snaffle away before Paul gets here?

Oh, what's that?

I think that's a...

Is that a pill holder thing?

-It looks like a pill holder, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

There you are, what's he said?

"Cuban cigar mould."

We're both wrong.

This cigar mould - or bonche as it's known - is,

as the name suggests,

for moulding the cigars into the right shape.

This one was made in Berlin.

The ticket price is £50.

Does he smell?

Yeah, I can, I can.

Or am I just dreaming?

HE LAUGHS

Can you do a bit? I can smell it a bit.

You can a bit, and there's some staining, look.

You can see where they've been sitting.

-Yeah, and my grandpa...

-SHE INHALES

..used to smell like that.

I really like it.

So, what do you think, price-wise?

I mean, smoke related items, it's a bit sort of...

in the past. A piece of social history, yeah?

-Social history.

-Yeah.

-Decorative object, isn't it now?

-Yes.

The cigar mould belongs to a dealer,

but Richard has permission to negotiate on his behalf.

So, is he open to a little bit of an offer?

Go on, make us an offer.

I was thinking about 35 quid.

I was going to try and get you to around 40.

Well, if you drop a tad under 40, I'll buy it.

What shall we do? 38?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Done?

-Deal.

-Definitely having that.

Well done, Margie, £12 off the cigar mould.

Perfect timing, too, as the Flying Scotsman has just pulled up outside.

Now, what can Paul find in here

that could bring a tidy profit at auction?

If you were paying any attention a few auctions ago,

you'd have seen me sell one of these huge profit.

This is a patent hot water jug,

by...

WAS Benson!

You see, if you don't know what you're looking at,

that's just loosely an Arts & Crafts lidded jug.

But if you know to have a look there,

there's a mark that says "Benson's patent."

What's the price on that? £34.

Do you think we can be lucky twice?

Don't know, it's worth asking.

I'm buying that one for now.

Wonder what Margie would think!

With nothing else catching Margie's eye, she's at a bit of a loose end.

Margie, are you...

Are you stalking me, Margie? Have you got anything to buy?

-I'm just trying...

-If you need a hand, just ask.

I'm just trying to find out what you're interested in.

You see what I put down?

I'll leave you, honey.

Ah, just ignore her, Paul.

You'll only encourage her.

Now, about that pot.

Let's see what Richard can do.

It's got £34 on it.

Is there wriggle room on this?

It's got to be high 20s.

-How high?

-28, absolute max.

-28 quid, this is food for thought.

-All right.

Still time to keep looking, Paul,

provided you're not distracted, that is.

Paul?

Paul?

SHE LAUGHS

Whee! I'm getting good.

I'm getting better, I'm getting better.

Really?

HE LAUGHS

Have you forgotten to take your medication today?

I'll take it back. Excuse me.

Wait a minute, I've got it.

I'm in a nightmare!

THEY BOTH LAUGH

Oh, let's go road-tripping with Margie.

Right, time for Margie to get off the scooter

and for Paul to get on his bike.

Richard?

Hi, how are you doing?

-Truth be known, I made a lot of money out of one of these.

-OK!

-A less good example, a few auctions ago.

-Ah.

Think I'm going to be lucky twice?

-Let's hope so.

-We're committing anyway.

-Yeah, go for it.

-£28, it's done.

-Brilliant!

Hooray. That's the last buy of this road trip.

Off to auction next,

if Road Trip's odd couple are still talking, that is.

Get in the car, Margie.

I can't!

HE LAUGHS

It won't open.

And if they can ever get to auction.

-It won't open.

-Let me abandon you here.

-It won't open.

-Had enough, Margie.

I've had enough of this!

DOOR SLAMS ENGINE STARTS

You really taking this seriously enough, Margie?

I'm not so sure I am!

Time for some shut-eye.

We're off to Shrewsbury in the county of Shropshire,

for our final auction.

And Halls Fine Arts is the venue for our last showdown

between Paul and Margie.

Oh, no, this is it, Margie!

-At last!

-What have you bought?

-Are you going to do this?

-Yes, I am.

Open sesame.

Is that how it works?

Margie has spent big, with £218 exactly on five auction lots.

Whereas parsimonious Paul has only spent £125,

also on five lots.

But are they worried by each other's purchases?

SHE SIGHS

He's done it again, I think.

£8?

I mean, he can't lose, can he?

An old musical instrument with a good maker's name on it.

There's only one way, and that's up.

This worries me.

And I think it's going to make eyes at people in the room.

This little chap here could gallop away at north of £120.

And that would be bad news for me at the final hurdle.

We'll see, shall we?

Jeremy Lamond is our auctioneer.

What does he think might sink or swim in today's sale?

Little Continental silver mounted case, the liqueur glasses,

nice presentation case.

But one glass is cracked and that's going to hold them back because

they're difficult, probably, to sell on in that condition.

I think the riskiest buy might be the Anglo-Indian cup,

because it is a white metal one. And they're not rare particularly,

so I think that's a pretty tricky buy.

It's a full house and the online bidders are ready to go.

So, for the last time this trip, let's auction, shall we?

It's the last time we're going to park our backsides

-next to one another in an auction room, Margie.

-I know!

I hate goodbyes.

I really do. Can I say goodbye now?

Bye.

Could this be a good buy now?

Paul's Elizabethan toy pistol.

Good luck.

Thanks, Margie.

£30. 30 bid down here immediately, at 30. I'll take 5.

-35, internet.

-That's some.

40, at £40. 40 it is.

5, internet.

At £45, the bid is online, anybody else?

At £45, I'm selling it online at 45.

Who else then at 45?

Last chance, 45...

-45.

-Do you know what?

-That's all right.

-Is it, are you sure?

I could have made 20.

That's all right, it's close enough, I can stand that.

That didn't exactly go with a bullet, did it?

Oh, Margie, that's very...

-You're loving it, aren't you?

-No.

Well, let's see if the Dutch liqueur glasses

give Margie any thing to celebrate.

At 15, at 15...

15?

20, 25, 30.

30 in the room, at 30. 5, internet.

-Oh, dear.

-You've got...

-40, internet.

-..on the net!

45, internet.

-50, internet.

-Yeah.

5, internet. 60.

£60. The bid's online at 60, you're out at the back.

At £60, I'm going to sell online then. At 60, last chance.

£60...

How can you be disappointed?

That's a healthy profit, Margie.

I was hoping for a teeny bit more.

You need to be more glass-half-full, Margie.

It's a profit!

I'll swap you my loss for your profit.

Next, it's Paul's Anglo-Indian white metal mug.

£15.

Who'll start? 10 then, £10 I need.

10 is bid at the back.

At £10 now, I'll take 15 if you like.

15, 20.

At £20 it is. £20...

It's still cheap.

OVERLAPPING SPEECH

At £20, it's here,

at the back of the room and selling at 20.

-Small step, that.

-Do surprise me!

Well, his mug isn't running over, but it is still Paul's first profit.

There is no lot 77.

Lot 78...

Well, you can at least laugh.

Here's Margie's silver cigarette case.

I don't know why I bought it.

I'm just going to be quiet.

You know what, neither of us may be able to make money on this!

20, 20 is the bid online. I'll take 5.

-Yes...

-At £20, who's got 5?

-At £20...

-You were right!

I hope you were right.

Maiden bid of £20.

All finished...at £20.

Anybody else in the room at 20?

Shall I tell you something? I deserve that.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, Margie.

Where was I? Where was my brain?

As you like it...

Did you leave it in the little glass beside your bed and forget to...?

That's my teeth.

Now it's the Benson jug.

20?

£15. He's not making any more, you know.

15.

15 I've got on the internet already.

20. At £20. I'll take 5.

At £20. At 20 it is.

Going to sell that at £20.

-Quite sure at 20...

-It's not your day, is it?

Proof that lightning never strikes in the same place twice.

But it makes people realise it's very hard, this game.

Hopefully, that's not going to be the case

with your miniature shoes, Margie.

I'm dying to know what they fetch.

£20 for the leather shoes.

20 is bid. At £20.

Bids online at 20, 5. At £25...

Oh, come on, they're a bit more!

30 in the room. At £30 it is.

£30 against you online.

At 35, 40.

At £40 in the room, 5.

Internet bid of 45, I'll take 50 anywhere.

£45, all finished at 45.

Another profit for Margie.

They were lovely, weren't they?

No, they were horrible.

Let's see if Paul's luck changes with the cigar lighter.

And I can start here at £20, at 20.

20, 5, 30.

£30 I've got already, £30 it is.

At £30!

5, just in time, internet.

40 with me, at £40.

-Go again, if you like.

-I'm happy with that.

At £40, selling to a commission bid at £40.

BANGS GAVEL

Well, that's turned your frown upside down, Paul.

A tidy profit.

This is close, this, isn't it, in this auction?

It's close, but no cigars.

Just a cigar mould.

10?

Down here, £10. 15 where?

£10 for the Cuban cigar mould.

Maiden bid then, one and only bid, in fact.

Bombed! I've bombed.

BANGS GAVEL

There you go.

-You're pleased, aren't you?

-I am, darling.

Do you know what? I couldn't be happier.

You cad, Paul. Unlucky, Margie.

Thank goodness it was sold!

Next, Paul's French oboe.

Will it go for a song?

Ask me how much I'd like it to make.

-Go on, then.

-A gazillion.

Start me at £20, then.

20 to go for the oboe, £20.

It could...

20 is bid. Internet bid at 20.

-Blow it all the way up...

-At £20, I've got.

-20...

-This was my big hope.

Quite sure? £20, selling at 20.

-Do we know what we're doing?

-20.

THEY LAUGH

I do sometimes wonder.

It's not been a great day for Paul.

I'd have liked a little bit more.

Did I say I would like a little bit...

I would have liked a little bit more?

It's the final furlong of the road trip.

Will the Victorian toy zebra bring a grandstand finish?

It's a huge gamble for me.

It's the end, it's our last item.

So, here we have £15. Bid at 15.

At 15 it is, at 15.

£15, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35...

40.

Commission bids are out, £40 is bid.

At 40 over here, selling then at £40.

-Oh, no!

-All done at 40 in the room.

Any more?

-Took a gamble.

-Wait a minute, I'm not good at acting.

-Oh, Margie. Oh, no!

-Flippin' heck!

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Come on, though! What has this trip been like?

-It's been superb.

-Oh, come on, it's been...

-It has.

-Who's buying the tea?

You.

I'd wait to hear how much money you got first, Paul.

Margie began with £410.62,

and after saleroom costs,

she's made a loss of £74.50,

meaning she finishes with £336.12.

£598.74 was the starting figure for Paul.

After all auction costs, he made a loss, too, of £6.10,

meaning he ends up with £592.64.

Making him the winner of this road trip!

Congratulations, Paul, and commiserations, Margie.

All profits go to Children In Need.

Here we go!

It's over!

-Oh, Margie!

-Has the fat lady sung?

And no, I don't hear her sing!

Is this...? I want to keep going, Margie!

-You're my...my best companion.

-We're going home, we're going home.

Let's find the car.

-Can we have a nice tea?

-Yes.

-Curry?

-Yep.

What a week it's been. From north to south...

So, how far's Rotherham from here?

If I knew where here was, I'd tell you.

..there's been a lot of love...

-See you, darling.

-See you later.

Positive little man...

..and a lot of rivalry.

Shops! I'll race you.

Paul scooped the best money-makers early in the week.

Profit, and that's what I want.

Until a tunic...

turned out to be a turkey.

Hey, it's looking good.

Ha-ha! But although Margie won that battle,

Paul won the week.

Is that not tremendous?

But they're still great friends.

Do you know, I wouldn't have another compadre over yourself.

Well, that's very nice to hear.

Until next time then, thank you, Margie and Paul.

It's been great.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

it's the turn of Catherine Southon and the Raj Bisram.

Well, Catherine... Are you looking forward to this trip?

-I'm looking forward to being with you.

-Ah.

Their first-ever journey together.

There's fighting talk...

Are you going to be taking risks?

Big risks.

..but will Raj walk the walk?

I am a risk taker, but am I that much of a risk taker?