Episode 6 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts...

-What a job.

-..with £200 each...

-Are 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'll 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!

Say hello to a brand-new jaunt in the company of seasoned trippers

Anita Manning and Charles Hanson.

Well, Charlie boy, welcome to Scotland!

I cannot believe it.

I am literally in your land.

I am so far north, I am so far out of my comfort zone.

Charlie, in the antiques world, everywhere is your comfort zone.

Yes. These two always have a kind word to say about each other.

You barely change.

It must be the air up here.

The life up here you lead.

-What is the secret?

-Plenty of make-up!

Naturally radiant auctioneer Anita

is a big fan of little pieces of jewellery.

It's lovely fun to rummage in there.

Derby lad Charles is also an auctioneer, with a fondness for

all things porcelain. He makes friends easily, too.

-He's bigger than me.

-Introductions out of the way, let's talk tactics.

Have you got a grand plan?

Or are you keeping your plans close to your chest?

I think my plan, Anita, is just to impress you.

Oh, Charlie!

Charlie, I think you're buttering me up for the kill!

Our two are touring in a 1976 Triumph Stag.

And with £200 apiece burning a hole in their pockets,

they're itching to hit the shops.

-But where are they?

-It's like England versus Scotland, isn't it?

It's a big international match.

Oh, I'm sniffing a wee bit of competitiveness.

Is the buttering-up finished now, Charlie?

Get out of here!

We start this trip in Renfrewshire,

heading south across the border into Cumbria,

before popping back to Scotland.

Our pair's fifth and final auction will be in North Shields,

Tyne and Wear.

Today, they'll be steering the Stag towards Hamilton for auction.

But our first port of call is in Kilbarchan, whose residents

refer to themselves as Habbies, after Habbie Simpson,

a famed 16th-century piper from the village.

-Here we are.

-The antiques are spilling out.

Look at the tin signs.

So, can our two whistle up some deals in Gardner's Antiques?

Charlie, if you see any bargains, give me a shout?

-Well, I might do.

-You're in this one together, so best behaviour, eh?

-Wow.

-Ladies first.

This is huge.

There are rooms, and more rooms and more rooms.

-Which way are you going?

-You go that way.

-I'll go that way.

-See you later.

-Good luck, Charlie.

-Bye.

So, with Anita taking the high road,

Charles has the ground floor all to himself.

And there's a lot to get stuck into here.

It's just beautiful, it's like a country house.

There's barely any 20th-century objects at all,

that's always a good sign.

Of course, I've got Queen Victoria here as well, saying,

"Hello, welcome to Scotland."

You're looking gorgeous, Ma'am.

Meanwhile, something's caught the eye

of our very own Queen of Scotland.

This is an oil by Ralston Gudgeon.

Ralston Gudgeon was a local artist

and what he painted were birds.

Now, I've seen a lot of these, but this one is done on linen,

and that's a wee bit unusual.

I'm not quite sure what kind of bird that is.

Well, could be a ringed plover.

It's priced up at £190.

It's certainly worth that retail.

But I don't think it could make a profit

buying it and putting it into auction.

A terrific thing by a local artist.

There seems to be a whole flock of them up there, look, ha.

Now, has Charles managed to unearth anything yet?

This is interesting.

A Maison Lerebours & Secretan instrument.

And this Parisian-cased instrument

must date to around 1880.

It's priced at £140 but I'm not sure what the purpose is.

Perhaps proprietor David can shed some light on it.

I think it's a surveyor's cross-sight for laying out plots.

I think because I clearly don't know what it was used for, until now,

I might be guided too much on that. But it's a wonderful tool.

I'll leave that.

Oh, yeah? A bit pricey for your first purchase, eh, Charles?

-David!

-Oh, hang on.

-David!

-Did you hear Anita?

Aye, I had something.

-Yes.

-No rest for the wicked, eh, David?

-Yes?

-David, I love the pictures up here.

-Good.

My eye has been drawn to something quite different.

-Yes?

-And it's this old crone here.

Now, it's dated 1808.

-Yep.

-She is a terrifying old bird with a fierce expression.

And, do you know, it is so well done.

-Yes.

-But the thing about this picture

is it has been so badly damaged here.

-It's not been well-restored.

-It's not been well-restored at all.

It's been scoured by the sun.

And now, in view of the fact that there is the damage on it, David,

can you let me know what you think?

Let me have a look and see.

It would be £38 for you.

Right. I'm taking a gamble, but I kind of believe in it.

The face hasn't been damaged, I guess,

which is the main attractive point in the painting, yes.

I suppose, at the very worst, you could maybe just cut it round here!

She's joking, I hope!

David, it's a deal at 38.

-Thank you very much, yes.

-Thank you very much, that's terrific.

First blood to Anita, then.

Let's see if we can find Charles.

-Charlie!

-Sorry.

Charlie, what are you doing skulking down there?

I wasn't spying, I'm just looking at the undersides of tables and chairs.

And how are you getting on?

Yeah, absolutely terrifically.

-I've made a purchase.

-You're quick off the mark.

I'm just taking my time.

I'm warming up.

Charlie. Get on with it and buy something.

That's you told, then. Time to grab your granny, Anita,

and get on the road.

Back inside, Charles has decided to play to his strengths.

-Look out.

-One of my great loves is Blue & White,

and we've got Blue & White over there, 1930s.

Blue & White, 1950s.

Japanese Blue & White, 1880s.

But 18th-century Blue & White, English...

..in this plate here.

Oh, how lovely. This actually is only £35.

And you might say, "Charles, well, look, it's been restored.

"It's not very attractive."

But actually, it's tin-glazed earthenware,

and this would date to around 1720, 1740.

-I quite like it.

-Let's go and see if there's a deal to be done.

-Cosy up, eh?

-David, I've enjoyed wandering around

your wonderful country house antiques shop.

-And I found this.

-Yep.

-Quite humble.

-It is.

But sometimes the heart rules your mind.

-What's the best price, please?

-It's £28.

See, I think, for that, I will happily, wishfully

take it to auction,

give it a second life, see what we can do.

-I'll take it.

-A lot of years for your money.

-I think so.

-Thank you very much.

So, Charles is finally off and running.

-But is there more?

-Just out of interest, when I walked in...

They call me Hawkeye, you know?

Hawkeye Hanson. And when I walked past,

I think it may have been your refreshment room...

-Mm.

-Is it your refreshment room?

-The office, yes.

The office. There was a coffee pot.

-There is, yes.

-Is that what you use, or could it be for sale?

It could be for sale. It's literally just been unpacked

-and not been looked at yet.

-Well, there's no time like the present.

-Let's have a butchers.

-Damaged, unfortunately.

A nice old bit of English.

Oh, what a shame.

It is around 1800, probably made by New Hall.

-Yes, that would be it.

-Who were a factory in Staffordshire.

And I love it, I really do.

It's £80, yes.

Like that, I'm jangling.

Because I'm not sure what to do.

Oh, dear.

-So, 28 plus 80 is...

-108.

Go on, why not?

That is a substantial chunk of Charles's budget gone

on his first two items. But he seems happy enough about it.

It always worries me when he does that skipping, huh.

Now, where's the queen? There she is, on the road

and trying to get the measure of her competitor.

What a woman!

I think that Charlie is a big, passionate man.

He loves antiques, and he'll tell himself that he's being careful.

But I know that if he falls in love with something,

well, he'll go for it.

It's his Achilles heel, I tell you.

Meanwhile, the man in question

has made his way north to the River Clyde...

..at Greenock.

He's come to find out about the brave local men who,

in the 19th century, risked their lives fighting fires

in this part of Scotland.

He's meeting Dave Adam,

chairman of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Heritage Trust,

and a former firefighter himself.

-Where am I?

-You're in the old Victorian fire station,

which opened in 1887,

and it served right through until 1960, when the station closed.

Fire brigades were originally set up by volunteer groups

or insurance companies.

But, after losing a fortune

following the Great Fire of London in 1666,

the insurers came up with a way to keep their costs down.

When you were insured with a fire insurance company,

you were given a fire mark, and you put the fire mark on your building.

And if you had a fire, the insurance fire brigade would turn up.

But if it was a rival insurance company,

they wouldn't put your fire out.

It's frightening to believe that if you had no fire mark on your door

or wall, they would let you burn to cinders.

More or less, that's the way it was.

To combat this,

the first municipal fire brigade in the world was started in Edinburgh

in the early 19th century.

And Greenock's brigade was soon to follow.

All the firemen that worked in the station lived on site.

There was tenement property on the other side of the road,

and all the firemen lived in there.

-Really?

-And if there was a fire during the night,

the bells went off in the houses and there were summoned here,

and they turned out to the fire.

Life as a Victorian fireman was hard,

as early firefighting equipment was rudimentary.

You needed courage, determination,

and also impressive facial hair.

Most Victorian fireman had beards and moustaches,

and the reason for that was they soaked their beards and put them in

their mouth as a form of a smoke filter so, in effect,

their beards and moustaches

were probably the first form of breathing apparatus.

How effective it was, I really don't know,

but it gave the Victorian firefighters some form of comfort

when they went into smoky atmospheres.

And the earliest form of breathing apparatus is the smoke helmet,

the Victorian smoke helmet.

Put over the firefighter's head,

and it was connected up to a hosepipe.

Going outside to the bellows here.

-Can we make it work, Dave?

-Yes, just connect the hosepipe here.

Then, by pumping on the pedal, it would...

Pump fresh air into the fireman, his hat.

Hard work, isn't it? Am I just being a bit soft?

No, no.

How would the fireman communicate with his pedaller?

They did have a cord they used to pull.

If he needs more air, he tugs once on the line.

If he needs less air, he tugs twice.

If he tugs three times, it's, "Get me out immediately."

So, it might be, drop all of this, get in and pull him out?

-Yes.

-Frightening, isn't it?

But the men of the brigade were not the only ones to show bravery.

The museum has an exhibit to honour

one of Scotland's more famous firefighters.

So, this is Wallace, the famous fire dog from Glasgow.

There was a lifeboat fundraising parade

in the City of Glasgow in 1894. And on the parade,

the fire engine from Glasgow Fire Brigade was there.

During the parade, this stray dog attached itself to the firemen,

and ran alongside them.

The dog followed them back to the fire station and it stayed there.

And the firemen adopted him as a pet, a mascot.

-A lucky mascot?

-Yeah. The City of Glasgow paid for his dog licence

and the firemen had an allowance for feeding him.

He wasn't just a mascot for the fire brigade,

but he actually went to fires.

When the fire engine was called out, the bells went down,

the horses ran out and pulled the fire engines,

Wallace ran in front of them,

reputedly leading the horses to the fire.

But in reality, what we think was happening was when the whip man

put his whip to the left or to the right,

Wallace knew which way the fire engine was turning,

-and he went that way.

-He was very much a celebrity dog in his day.

He was actually probably more famous at the time

-than Greyfriars Bobby was.

-Wow.

And when he died in 1902,

his obituary was in the Glasgow Herald and the Scotsman newspapers.

And they had him stuffed!

Now, Charles has got the courage

to go out and tackle a blaze for himself.

He needs something to get into the action quickly.

This is it - a 1960s horse and gypsy fire engine.

-It is a 1960s fire engine.

-Yes.

-It's quite small.

It was actually used on the island of Arran.

What I love about this is it's fully kitted out.

I've got my hosepipe, so I'm all set.

Right, fire!

We're off. Fire!

It's lethal. There's no seat belts on this one.

-No, exactly.

-I haven't experienced your driving.

I wish I'd brought a tin hat as well.

It's an emergency here.

So, while Charles heads off to a certain peril...

SIREN WAILS

Is that sea mist or smoke over there?

Oh, dear!

..let's catch up with Anita out and about in the Stag,

feeling the wind in her hair,

or her bonnet.

It's been a day of changes.

Sunshine and showers.

When the sun comes out, it's lovely.

And then it starts to rain and we get a wee bit wet.

It might be an idea to put the roof back up, though.

Crikey. She's heading down the coast to the town of Prestwick,

where Robert the Bruce once cured leprosy, allegedly.

I think the name of her next shop roughly translates to Old Things.

-That's what we want.

-Hi.

-Hi, Anita, how are you?

-Ah, it's lovely to see you.

-You, too.

-And this is a veritable Aladdin's cave.

-Yeah.

-Plenty of stuff to get your hands on, certainly.

I can never resist cabinets which are full of bits and pieces.

She does love a rummage.

Loves a bit of glass, too.

This is a bonny cranberry decanter.

This is a very sweet thing.

Now, when we look underneath, we see

what's called a star cut.

On cheaper pieces of glass, you'll not find that.

The other thing that you have to think about is,

has that decanter lid been replaced?

Is it the original one?

Now, look how sweetly it fits.

That's a relief, then.

It gets its pink colour from gold oxide.

Not a lot of people know that.

I like this.

But I like the price even better.

£6.

I've got to have a go at that.

And why not? Oh, look.

More cranberry glass.

There's no price on these.

This is damaged and I don't really want to take that.

But if I can get a joint price with the decanter and glasses,

I think I've got a nice wee group.

It's a good start, but she's already got her eye on something else.

-She's a mover.

-Gary, I would like to look at this cabinet down here.

-Right.

-With the Carlton Ware in it.

It's beautiful.

Carlton Ware was made in Stoke-on-Trent,

and it often features rather garish designs.

The price of it five years ago was sky-high.

The fall in popularity has shown me you've got to be a wee bit careful.

-Could we bring these up, and I'll bring the other...

-Yep.

..the red glass up that I like, and we can maybe have a wee...

-We'll see what we can sort out.

-A little deal.

The combined ticket price on those vases and dish is £48.

Let's see what Gary can do, eh?

Now, Gary,

I'm hoping that this is a red letter day at the auction and not a day

that will put me in the red.

What I'd like to do is to pay round about 30 for them.

Mm-hmm.

-Would that work?

-Yeah.

These wee glasses aren't priced, and one of them is cracked and chipped.

It's only £6 on that.

-Yeah.

-So, I'm not going to cut you down any more than that, you know?

If I said a fiver with the two glasses...

35 for that lot?

-Yeah.

-It's a deal.

-So, thank you very much.

-I hope they do well for you.

Yes. Well, I like these things, Gary.

If you like them, someone else is going to like them.

-Of course. And I've got great taste!

-Indeed you have, Anita.

And modesty! With those purchases in hand,

it's time to catch up with Charles.

It's a pity there's a wee smirr of rain here, Charlie,

because in Scotland it's a sort of Mediterranean climate!

Well, would say that, wouldn't you?

Nighty-night.

A new day, a new car, ha-ha.

You look like the coolest dude in Glasgow, ha-ha.

All my friends out there will be going, "Anita's got a new boyfriend!

"And he must be worth a couple of bob!"

Their Stag from yesterday is a bit under the weather.

So, there are cruising the drag in this '66 Ford Mustang, groovy, baby.

This American car was made at a time when only lap belts were mandatory.

We're like Bonnie and Clyde, aren't we?

-Bonnie and Clyde!

-Exactly.

-Yes.

Call me Bonnie, I'll call you Clyde.

Yeah, except you're not going to rob a bank.

Anyway, yesterday, Charles shelled out

for a Delft plate and a coffee pot.

-Are you a tea man?

-A tea man, I'm afraid, yes.

-Well, the coffee's going.

-And he's left with £92 in his pocket.

While Anita bought some cranberry glass,

some Carlton Ware pots and a portrait of somebody else's granny.

She is a terrifying old bird.

Well, you said it.

Meanwhile, she has £127 for whatever takes her fancy today.

After setting off from Kilbarchan, they've made their way to Glasgow.

I live just along the road.

Yes. We're in Anita's neck of the woods.

Good to have a local guide there.

On the right here is Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum,

which is one of the most fabulous museums in the world.

Maybe we could see if Kelvingrove's got anything they want to sell us!

Well, you can dream on.

Somewhat off the tourist trail is Anita's first shop of the day.

Have a lovely time, Charlie.

-Roll back the years.

-I love you.

Remember, be a little canny.

-Yes, I will.

-Sage advice, Anita.

Now, Charles, mirror, signal, manoeuvre.

Oh, dear. This shop is chock-a-block with fine British furniture

but Anita is making a beeline for something particularly local.

This is a beautiful piece of Arts and Crafts furniture.

Late 19th, early 20th century.

And, at that time,

there was a great flowering of art and design in Glasgow,

and we can see it in this stained glass.

And this one here is a stylised depiction of the Glasgow rose.

I think it might be a wee bit dear for my budget.

-And it is.

-Yes, slightly beyond your means.

Meanwhile, scale it down a touch.

The Arts and Crafts movement in Scotland was influenced by

Celtic items from the past.

It's what we call the Celtic Revival and this little tray

is showing us a very simple Celtic knot.

What makes of this little tray really interesting for me

is the fact that it has a monogram from Mary Henderson Reid,

and she was one of the Glasgow Girls.

Wonderful lady artists working late 19th,

early 20th century,

mostly having been taught at Glasgow School of Art.

I really like this.

It's got £40 on the ticket.

One to consider, methinks.

Meanwhile, Charles has left the city

-and he seems to have made a new friend.

-You are a wonderful car.

You are spacious.

I can fill antiques in here.

We are like crazy horses, aren't we?

You are the emblem. I am the man.

# Crazy horses... #

I do talk some rubbish, don't I?

I couldn't possibly comment, Charles!

He's galloping north to the edge of the Trossachs at Ward Toll, for his

first retail experience of the day, and he's got £92 left to play with.

-Good morning.

-Good morning, Charles.

-How are you on this gorgeous day?

-Lovely, isn't it?

-And your name is?

-Ali.

-I love your shop.

Are you a vintage, retro, shabby chic or antique lady?

-Antique lady.

-I like your style.

-I can stay here, then.

-Best get on with it.

Now, with Anita enjoying a home-turf advantage,

maybe Charles would do well to go for local appeal.

Oh, dear.

I'm not sure where the mouthpiece is, actually.

That's a relief! Please, Charlie.

Whoops! I'll put it away.

Yeah, I'd put it away, Charles, thanks.

That's a sweet painting.

You've almost got me with my bow and arrow,

Anita Manning watching my talents

as I'm about to take the apple off that little dog.

Alison, this gorgeous painting here is by William Hunt.

-How much is it?

-£4,000.

£4,000.

Bit over your budget, old bean.

Now, these look more affordable.

I quite like these little gilt bronzed-effect dogs.

I'm not sure what dogs they are.

They could be Labradors, I think,

but they are carrying a little basket around their necks and I love

these rouge marble plinth bases.

They are just quite nicely patinated,

which suggests to me they've got some age

and they could be bookends, which I think they probably are.

They are quite weighty. And they are a nice pair.

Alison, I'm admiring your dogs.

-Saint Bernards, I think.

-I'm sorry, I'm not a dog man, but, yes,

you are right. They could be Saint Bernards. They are priced at £26.

What could be the best on them?

-20.

-I think they are really nice and I think, at £20,

are you coming to Hamilton?

Woof! They said yes, they are.

I'll give you those to take away. I'm going to carry on browsing, OK?

-Lovely.

-Thanks a lot.

-So that's two old dogs in the bag.

Back in Glasgow, Anita has got her paws onto another wee thing.

This is a rather pretty little box in the Art Nouveau style.

We see the border here has been made of these curvilinear lines.

And we see reference to nature in the flower and leaf pattern.

Quite a simple box.

It's not a fine item.

But I think it's rather pretty.

No price on that. Let's have a word with dealer John.

-John?

-John, I've found two items that I think are absolutely lovely.

What I was kind of looking to pay for both of them

was in the region of £30.

Anita, I'd be happy to accept 35.

Let's go for 35, then.

That's great. Thank you very much, John.

A wee kiss.

Two kisses. One for each.

Absolutely.

How sweet. That's the box for £5 and the tray for £30.

BAGPIPES PLAY

Hark, what is that I hear?

-Not Charles, I hope.

-The Pied Piper of antiques!

Thank goodness for that.

If he starts heading for the river, get worried.

Back at Ward Toll, though, Charles has rooted out something else.

That's nice. This is a really nice wine glass, actually.

It's been called Victorian

but actually it's Georgian, and it's not 1860,

it's more like 1760.

We know it's an earlier example by the fact the diameter of the bowl

is smaller than the diameter of the foot rim.

And also by turning the base over,

we've got this very rough-ground pontil,

so when the actual glass was blown on the pontil rod like that...

..it was snapped off.

And obviously there's a rough mark which hasn't been ground down,

which is a good sign. It's early as well.

It's priced at £80.

If it is right,

it might be worth between 150-250, so I'm quite excited by this.

Now, where is that proprietor lurking?

-Charles?

-Charles.

-Oh, hello!

You should knock first.

I was admiring this wine glass just languishing on the side.

I quite like it because it has a real history.

What's the best price on that, please?

-60.

-I like it, Alison.

I think it's quite early.

I might just toast, hopefully, some success and say cheers.

-Cheers, Charles.

-Going, going...

-Gone.

-Sold.

-That makes £80 for the glass and the doggy bookends.

All wrapped up, too. Look at that.

But while Charles has been shopping canny,

Anita has made her way to Clydebank on the outskirts of Glasgow,

to find out about the town's role in creating the world's first

mass-produced domestic appliance.

Chris, lovely to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

-Come on in.

-Thank you.

This area was world-renowned for shipbuilding,

but here at the town's museum, they have some examples of another

famous Clydebank export - the Singer sewing machine.

Chris Cassells is the collection's officer here.

Chris, the sewing machine was a revolutionary invention.

How did it change the world?

Primarily as a labour-saving device. It meant that the women no longer

had to spend hours and hours hand-darning or mending clothing.

What they could do is very quickly mend their own

and their family's clothes

but they could also use the sewing machine to make money,

and that gave them a degree of independence from the household.

It actually changed women's lives?

It did. It had a dramatic effect on the lives of women.

There had been many attempts to make a machine that could sew,

but it was Isaac Merritt Singer,

a flamboyant American inventor and businessman, who took the best parts

of previous models and, in 1851,

produced the first practical machine for domestic use.

It's quite primitive. It forms quite a primitive stitch,

but really this is the machine that began Singer's success.

Are there many of those still around?

There are very, very few. As far as we know,

there's only about half a dozen left in existence.

-In the world?

-Yes.

The Singer company started in New York

and demand for their machines soon grew rapidly.

To keep up with orders from this side of the Atlantic,

the company decided to open a factory in Scotland,

eventually settling on Clydebank.

When it was built in 1884,

it was the largest sewing machine factory in the world.

At its peak in the early 20th century,

it produced 1.3 million machines a year,

and employed about 15,000 people. Gosh.

Chris, tell me about this machine here.

-So this is Singer's first domestic model.

-Ah.

What I like about it is the decoration.

Here we have some inlay of mother-of-pearl and abalone.

And I suppose that would appeal to the ladies.

Singer was very conscious of the aesthetic side of the machines.

I mean, these things had to sit in people's living rooms, after all.

It's a very pretty decoration, but I love the design on this machine.

This machine is from 1911.

It's a Singer 15K.

One of the bestselling machines,

and the design on it is called the Memphis Sphinx.

Of course, at that time, there would be interest in

-all things Egyptian.

-Of course.

Well, any woman would be proud to have a machine like that.

It's absolutely lovely.

However, due to the rise in cheaper manufactured clothes,

the demand for sewing machines declined,

and towards the end of the 20th century

the writing was on the wall for the factory.

This machine was the last to roll off the production line at Clydebank

-in 1980.

-A sad day when Singer's closed?

It was the end of an era for Clydebank.

But the reputation of the machines

that transformed the lives of women the world over still lives on,

and our very own domestic goddess is going to try her hand at

a spot of sewing.

Do you think I can knock up a wee frock in five minutes?

-I'm sure you could, yes.

-Right, you keep me right.

-OK.

-So I put this under here.

-That's right.

-Am I right?

-Yes.

Just pull the wee lever at the back there.

-OK.

-That's it. And then go for it with that one.

-Just go for it?

-Yep.

Chris, I'm sewing!

Wow!

There you go.

There we are.

-Perfect.

-It's a wee bit rumpled.

It's not bad for a first attempt.

Not bad for a first attempt?

I could improve.

Well, I've got some trousers that need taking up

if you want the practice, Anita.

Meanwhile, Charles has steered the Mustang back into Glasgow

for a last bit of shopping in the East End of the city.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Are you the owner here?

-Yes, I like to think I am.

-Your name is?

-Roz.

What an amazing shop.

Anything you want, it will be in this.

I'll go for a wander.

Yes, there's no shortage of things to tempt him here.

Friendly clientele, too.

How are you? I know, I'm in safe hands.

But with only £12 left in his pocket,

his options are somewhat limited.

These are quite good.

There's what's described here as a Georgian cannonball.

We know the period "Georgian" runs from 1714 to around 1830.

This cannonball, to me, looks to be 17th-century.

£28.

And there is also on the bottom shelf here,

three more balls, as well.

I'll mental note them.

Worth a shot! Now, what has he found?

It's quite nice. A lovely Edwardian mahogany elbow chair.

It's very sophisticated, very elegant,

with these Bellflower insets, Harewood or satin wood veneers.

It's £32.

But looking at the dust, it's been here a while.

So you never know, my £12 might stand a chance.

Fingers crossed, Charles.

Anything else here catch your eye?

I'm not really a vintage man, but when it comes to 1950s,

and Stylecraft made by Midwinter, this, to me, has a great look.

What I do like...

..is this sauce boat.

It's almost got this organic Scandinavian feel about it.

It's actually quite complete.

Only four cups but six saucers.

Milk jug, sugar bowl.

Side plates. Dinner plates.

Coffee pot. All for £15.

And it's the first thing I've seen

that actually falls within my budget.

Better have a word with Roz, then.

I like the balls.

-Yes.

-The cannonballs.

There's four of them.

-Yes.

-I've got £12.

So I'm thinking whether you could do four balls...

-For £12?

-Yes.

I would have to shoot you down with one ball

-because the four are not with the one ball.

-I'm sorry.

-That's OK.

-I thought it was all four.

No. If you wanted the one ball, the best is 20.

That's fine. I understand.

I'm so sorry, Charles.

-One shot down.

-Yeah.

-Two more to go.

-This chair.

-Yes.

I know it's priced at £32.

I don't know. I'll make an offer - £12.

-On the chair?

-Yes.

You know I'll get thrown out of this place.

Really?

I think that's a no, then.

-And finally?

-There is this, a very retro...

It's lovely.

It is a part set.

-Yes.

-It's priced at £15.

What is the best on that?

Let's do 12.

That is my budget.

-I'll take it!

-Okey dokey.

-I owe you £12.

-Yes.

So, with that last deal done, our Charles is completely wiped out.

-Better pick up Anita.

-So, Charlie, the end of another perfect day.

Did you have a good time?

It's been wonderful. I'm a bit peckish now.

-Are you hungry?

-We're not that far from your home, are we?

Charlie, I could do you a good roast.

And afterwards, you could have a kip on the couch, Charles.

Welcome to Hamilton, one-time home

of explorer Dr David Livingstone.

Ah, Manning and Hanson, I presume?

-I'm nervous.

-Are you nervous, Charlie?

You're not the nervous type, are you?

I am nervous. I'm always nervous, Anita.

Come on, Charlie.

After setting off from Kilbarchan,

we've had a spin around the West of Scotland

and finished up in the Lanarkshire town of Hamilton,

home of Smellie & Sons Auctioneers, wielding the gavel here since 1874.

Charles blew his entire £200 stake on five auction lots,

while Anita was a little more frugal,

spending only £108 on her five lots.

So what's the verdict, chaps?

Charlie has only paid £20 for these bookends.

That is a good buy.

I think he's playing a bit canny at this point and going for dead certs.

I'm a bit worried about these ones.

In this business, we love the word "speccy".

And this lady really is speculative.

She is early. She's really, really well-painted.

-Worries me.

-Can auctioneer James Henderson calm their nerves?

I like the tray, Arts and Crafts tray.

I reckon you're probably looking at about the 30-35,

something like that.

The English coffee pot, quite a nice lot.

Anything with a kind of Oriental paint design on it just now

is doing quite well.

Unfortunately, I think there's a hairline crack on it.

Best take your places at the bar, then.

OK, Charlie.

-I like this.

-I do.

-Me too.

First up is Anita's fearsome portrait.

£100 for the painting.

£100, he's got. £100?

No, no, he hasn't started yet.

-Come on.

-£50, I stand.

50, I am bid, sir.

55. And 60.

Five. And 70.

And five. At 75 at the back.

You'll fly.

And five. 90.

-And five.

-Yes.

-You are flying.

-At 100 in the book.

At 110 now.

Fresh bidder, 110.

110!

At 120.

Any advance on that at 120?

That is a good way to kick things off.

It just shows you that if there is quality there and a bit of damage,

you can get away with murder.

Well, let's see if Charles's cracked plate follows suit.

I can start the bidding here at £25.

In the book at 25.

One more to go. Come on, one more to go.

-Come on.

-Any advance on 25?

-Yes.

-At 28.

30 in the book.

And two. 35.

At 35. In the book at 35.

Eight now, at 38.

At 38, 38, 38.

All done now? At £38.

Not quite as impressive, but it's a profit.

It's made you a couple of bob.

A couple of bob. I can go away happy.

Anita's cranberry glasses are up next.

-In the pink, eh?

-20 for the cranberry glasses.

20. Ten, then, folks.

Surely worth that? £10.

Five. Six.

Eight. Ten.

12. 14.

16. At 16 at the back of the saleroom.

-18. At £18.

-Oh, no!

Champagne all round here.

At 22.

Five now. At 25.

All done at £25.

I think we can drink to that.

-Fantastic.

-I'm bubbling over with enthusiasm.

-You are.

I'm getting all frothy. I can't believe it.

Time for Hawkeye Hanson's coffee-pot find.

20 bid. At 20, I'm bid.

At 20, 20.

At 25. 30 now.

-Keep going.

-30.

Five. 40.

-Five.

-Keep going.

50. At 50.

Keep it going. Hold tight.

At 50. Five now.

-Keep going.

-60.

-I don't believe it.

-60.

Keep going. At 60.

-Keep going.

-Any advance on 60?

At 60, bid 60, bid 60, bid 60.

All done, folks? At £60.

Bad luck, Charles. A valiant effort.

The heart ruled the mind,

and clearly to other buyers it did the same.

-I'm quite happy.

-Next up, Anita's Carlton Ware collection.

£10 for this now.

-That's good.

-Ten.

12. 14.

16. 18.

20. Two.

And five at the back of the saleroom.

At £25.

Eight now.

28. At the back at £28.

At 28. 28. 28. 28.

All done at £28.

That's a pity. They nearly squeaked a profit.

How do you feel?

Look at me.

What I always say when I make a loss is - it could've been worse.

Precisely! Now, what will the doggy bookends do?

£50 for them.

-Go on.

-50. £50.

-Come on.

-A nice set of bookends.

-£30.

-You're away, Charlie.

-Keep going.

-At 30.

Five now. 40.

And five. At 45.

£50.

£30 up.

Fetch. Fetch.

At 50. Five now in the book.

At 55.

All done. At £55.

Who's a good boy, then?

That will put Charles back in the game.

55.

Yes! I'm over the moon. Now they can sit. Sit!

Anita's bit of Art Nouveau now.

At ten. At ten I'm bid, ten.

12 now. 14.

16. At 16 bid, on the rail at 16.

-At 16 bid.

-That's cheap.

-18.

20. 20, 20, 20, all done.

At £20.

Not bad. Four times what you paid for it.

I'm happy with that.

Charles's bit of retro now.

He spent his last pennies on this.

20. Ten, then.

-Bid at ten.

-You're away, Charlie!

-Come on!

-At ten.

12 now. 12.

14. At 14.

Bags of style.

20. Just in time.

-20 bid.

-Go on, sir!

20, 20, 20, all done at £20.

Not a bad result, Charles.

It's not your usual cup of tea.

-Thank you.

-You made a profit there, Charlie.

Next up, the Glasgow Girl's Glasgow tray.

-Get it?

-£40 for this.

40. 30.

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

At 30 bid. At 30 bid, the tray.

Should get a lot more than that.

Five now.

At 35. 40. And five.

And 50. At 50 bid, the back of the saleroom at £50.

-55 on the phone now.

-Five on the telephone.

-Yeah.

-55. 60 in the room.

At £60.

Five now on the telephone.

65. 70. In the room at £70.

-Five now.

-Wow!

80. At 80, I'm bid.

-It's been spotted.

-At 80.

-Bid is in the room.

-It's the type of thing...

-by a recognised artist.

-At 95.

100 in the room.

At 100. Out on the phone now, at 100 in the room.

100, 100, all done at £100.

Very impressive, Anita.

That's a super profit.

I'm quite calm because, to me, it's not a surprise.

I just saw £100 in it, so well done, partner.

Finally, Charles's possible Georgian glass.

Will his hunch pay off?

If it does, it will make a lot.

£50. 30, then.

I don't believe it.

They've started running it at 30, Charlie.

And five now.

In the book at 35. 40.

Five with interest.

At 45. 50.

It's a good thing.

-And five.

-It's a good thing.

60 at the back of the room.

At 65.

-Yes!

-At 65 in the book.

70 now. And 75.

At 75, 80.

80 bid.

Five now. At 85.

-90.

-I'm in business.

-And five.

-Have a glass.

100. 100 in the saleroom.

-Calm yourself.

-100, 100, all done at £100.

Well done, that man.

Definitely a good find.

I'm good to go now.

Let's go and get a nice wee cup of tea.

Not a little wee dram between you and I?

Too early in the day for that, Charlie.

-OK, all right.

-A nice cup of tea.

-Come on, then.

-Milk and two sugars for me.

Charles started out with £200 and, after costs,

he managed a modest profit of £23.86.

So he has £223.86 to spend next time.

Well done, boy. While Anita,

who also began with 200, made, after costs,

and impressive profit of £132.26,

so she wins the day with £332.26 to play with next time.

The Queen of Scotland beat the King of England.

Oh, you've got me blushing, Charlie.

Next shop awaits. Come on.

Onward, Your Majesties.

Next time, in the Kingdom of Fife, Charles finds an old friend.

Give him a kiss goodbye. There we go.

While Anita is bewitched by the Scottish Play.

Macbeth with Macbeth's dagger and Lady Macbeth egging him on.

By the River Tweed, thoughts turn to fishing.

Charlie, have you ever tickled a trout?

And I don't mean an old trout!

But who will net the catch of the day?

Fishy, fishy, fishy!

All's well that ends well. Ha!