Episode 4 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts, £200 each and one big challenge.

Testing. Testing.

Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

Do I see 80? 75?

The aim is to trade up and hope each antique turns a profit

but it's not as easy as it sounds and there can only be one winner.

-Come on. Let's go.

-Will it be the highway to success or the B-road to bankruptcy?

-Job done.

-I'm now broke.

-This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Our two antiques experts this week are Jonathan Pratt and Charles Hanson.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson's passion is for the neoclassical.

He is every inch the suave man about town. Do tuck your shirt in, Charles.

He's also fond of porcelain, walking

and trees.

Jonathan Pratt has come a long way since he started his career as a furniture porter in Edinburgh.

And on a windy day, he turns into the Mary Poppins of the antiques world...

well, sort of.

Both experts started this week with £200.

Jonathan strode confidently into the lead yesterday

when his drawing case made a staggering £190 profit before commission.

-All done at 260?

-Get in there.

-Well, played.

-So, Jonathan starts today with a commanding £397.68p.

Charles, however, made the fatal mistake of not doing his homework and paid the price.

So buy anything apart from orientals, fabrics or furniture.

Great. I can't wait.

Last chance to sell at 18.

Oh, no.

He has just £239.58p to spend.

It's crucial for Charles to rein in his impulses

and spend wisely if he wants to stay in the game.

It's spend, spend, spend.

It's win, win, win. I've got no regrets.

This week's road trip is around spectacular Northern Ireland and North West England.

On today's show, Charles and Jonathan are still in Blighty,

starting in Chorley and heading for auction in Lytham St Annes.

Chorley is a pretty little market town.

We're in Chorley, Charlie.

-Chalky Charlie.

-Chorley, Charlie. We're in Chorley, Charlie.

For one weekend each year, French traders cross the channel

to sell their produce in the town, lettuce and that

and Chorley's merchants return the favour.

So the French are now acquainted with the delightful Chorley cake.

It's like an Eccles cake but from Chorley.

First stop for Charles is dealer Andrew Baxendale.

-Hello, sir. Good morning.

-Hello. Good morning.

-How are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

-You have plenty of books here.

-We have one or two.

-It's so important, I think,

to see objects which are evocative of a period.

And look at this. Andrew, I would think the 1970s, '60s?

-I would say early '70s.

-Early '70s.

I was almost born in the early '70s, Andrew, and that was a time when really we were quite psychedelic,

weren't we, in the early '70s we were just past those great swinging times.

-I quite like this bowl. It's like a stained glass window, isn't it, gone wrong?

-It's gorgeous.

Of course made by Poole and Poole really at this time, were market leaders in design.

Poole Pottery ceramics were inspired

by artists such as Mondrian, Warhol, Matisse and Pollock.

Each piece is pretty much unique.

Andrew, I reckon you're going to say to me,

"Charles, that Poole bowl is £45."

I was actually going to say 40.

-Were you really?

-Yes.

-Andrew's saying 40.

I said 45. Maybe I've...

..done myself out of a buy.

-I'll take 45.

-Yes.

I like that very much but again I've got to think about my commercial eye,

commercial eye, not the Hanson eye which is just buying things he likes.

Indeed, Charles.

There are few antique shops in Chorley so Jonathan is heading north

towards another attractive market town...

Leyland.

Well, thankfully, I've managed to now

get behind the wheel cos Charlie's driving is a bit like his auctioneering style, pretty erratic.

He's off to an antique shop called Old Corn Mill.

Almost immediately, he's attracted by something BIG and brown.

People dismissively say it's brown furniture but you walk in and these are all things you can use.

I'll probably stay in here for a while and I'll hopefully find something.

This is good fun. This is nice.

You see, Charlie's going to be thinking about

what he can spend his measly £235 on or whatever it is and I've got £400.

You wouldn't be gloating at all, would you, Jonathan?

That's a nice piece. Solid. Straight-grain walnut.

-I suppose if you're going to sit and read it's like a little...

-Reading or music stand, yeah.

On that piece, I can go to 250 on it for you.

That would make a big dent in your budget.

I mean, ideally, I'd be wanting to pay 180 or 190.

-No, I couldn't.

-No?

-No.

Down the road, Carlos is setting his sights rather lower.

I think they call them friendship books.

-Friendship books.

-Yeah.

Back in the heyday, back in the early 20th century, even back during the years of the Great War.

Look at this here. 26 September 1916.

Where were you then, Andrew, eh?

A twinkle in my granddad's eye.

Today, we think of autograph albums as pages filled with celebrity scrawls.

Back then, they were reminders of people who really meant something to the owner.

And their blank pages would be filled with drawings, affectionate little notes and poems.

"Many a ship has been lost at sea through want of paint,"

can't read that one, "And rudder."

"Many a girl has lost her boy through talking to another."

I enjoy social history and to tap into personal social sentiment, it really captures the essence

of our country. If I bought the four together as a lot,

-I might be tempted. Andrew, your best price on these today would be?

-£50.

They could make 50 but knowing the market for autograph books,

we've sold them in the past and they can make little

and sometimes my social enjoyment outweighs their market worth and

really I need to be thinking what'll make money because I've got to try and beat Jonathan Pratt.

I'm so glad you're remembering it's a competition, Charles!

Back in Leyland, Jonathan has found something else to tempt him.

Of all the things in here I like the most is this little chair. It's a great shape, for starters.

You've got this sort of stylised fleur-de-lis

but you've got it painted with peacocks' feathers.

Gives you that sort of feel of the French art nouveau.

You've got mother of pearl inlay, coloured lacquer,

guilt-highlighting.

Good shape on the legs and it's coloured throughout.

And it is made of...

papier mache.

Papier mache literally means chewed-up paper in French.

To make this chair, sheets of paper would be soaked

in a solution of water and glue and crafted over a wooden frame.

And it costs a respectable £195.

I would only be interested really in going to about,

crikey, and it pains me to say even that, probably maximum 130.

I tell you what, it's your first time round, isn't it?

Oh, yeah. I've got many years to come.

-I'm only a young man.

-Go on then.

-Thank you very much.

-OK.

-All right, cheers.

-I hope you do well.

Impressive haggling, Jonathan.

Done like a true professional.

Anybody'd think you were an expert.

Maybe I can find some help in here.

What's it say? I wonder if my chair's in here.

Maybe not...

As Jonathan splashes his cash, Charles is still in Chorley and on the hunt for a bargain.

Is that a nice oak-carved hall stand?

I'm not quite sure.

Someone said it could have come from a church to put candles in.

-Oh, it is. It's a candle box. You're right.

-About 1913.

-Beautifully carved in oak.

Boxes like these would be used to store candles in the 17th century, sometimes four candles!

But this 20th century example is more decorative than practical.

Best price.

-18.

-£18. I don't like to leave without buying anything at all.

Then why don't you try buying something?

I like the candle box.

The autograph albums are superb. OK, Andrew, give me a price for the two together.

-Best today.

-Yes, sir.

-50 quid.

Got to go for them because I'm quite a way behind my rival now

and I'd probably say...can I pay £30?

-For them both?

-For the cash. Cash buy for both.

35, you've got a deal.

I'll meet you halfway at £32.

Go on.

Andrew, you're a good sport.

It's great to meet a true rose in Lancashire.

Strong in the arm. A bit thick in the head but that's a good price.

I really appreciate it. That's very good.

So I've bought four albums for, let's call it £22,

and a candle box for ten.

God willing, on a good day, Hanson's off to a great start.

Brave words, Charles, but it's early days yet.

I do like that and actually that is rather pretty.

Sussex Goldsmiths of Brighton.

Christmas 1910. I saw that because of plated siphon stands, that's a very, very pretty example.

This is 1880, 1890.

English arts and crafts' interpretation of the art nouveau.

While siphon stands were quite common, they were normally

neoclassical in style which makes this example rather unusual.

-What is the best price on that? £50 it says.

-10%, how's that?

10%. 45 quid.

-How far out are we?

-I'd want to be £30.

-I don't know if she'd do that.

-No.

I could always give her a quick ring. You've got £50 on it.

They were wondering what the best you can do on it.

They've offered 30 for it.

Jonathan, how's 38?

-38. No. Sorry.

-Yeah.

She says if you're going to squeeze, I'll let you have it.

-£30. OK. Brilliant.

-Yeah, I think you'll do well on that.

-Thank you very much.

-I hope so anyway.

-Well, you know.

I hope so, too, Jonathan!

Everything stowed away.

But there's more to life than shopping,

and Charles is taking some time out now to see one of Lancashire's most splendid manor houses.

Hoghton Tower was built in 1565 by Thomas Hoghton,

a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament.

The house is still owned by his direct descendent, Sir Bernard de Hoghton.

Charles' guide for the day is Melissa.

-Welcome to Hoghton Tower. And you must be Charles.

-I am indeed. And your name is?

-I'm Melissa. Good to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Come on through.

The house has seen many illustrious visitors and one of the first was William Shakespeare.

He and his fellow theatrical players stayed with the family

and he was tutor to the Hoghton children while he was here.

I'm now taking you through to the magnificent banqueting hall.

The hall has many of its original features

including the decorative ceiling and splendid dining table.

It was carved in the room as the room was being built.

-The tree was felled on the estate.

-Carved in this room?

Carved in this room from a single tree. And so it's 17 foot long.

In 1617, Sir Richard Hoghton invited James I, the first king of both

Scotland and England, to stay at the tower on his way down to London.

Among the guests were the Duke of Buckingham and several earls, knights, lords and ladies.

He came here, he carried out knighthoods throughout the day and

when he came down for his meal into the banqueting hall, he was presented with a loin of beef.

He was so impressed with his loin of beef

that he drew his sword and he knighted it Sir Loin.

-Hence where the term sirloin of beef comes from.

-Yes.

-Medium rare, please.

From a meal fit for a king to a king's bedroom.

What I'm amazed by is how small the rooms are, how cosy they feel.

Actually, I could live in this room.

It's funny how you say that you could live in here and you feel at home in here because quite clearly

when King James I came to visit, he didn't feel at home in here at all.

He feared that he was going to be assassinated

and he refused to sleep in this bedroom

-because there were too many doors in the room.

-Did he really?

But if he had slept here, the bed would have been the perfect size

because he was only 4'10" tall.

Wow-ee. Because back in 1617, people were quite short

and me being 6'1" or thereabouts,

you know, I can't lie flat.

James I actually slept in a room down the corridor on a sack filled with hay.

He felt safer in here. There was only one entrance in the room

and through the windows there, there was a cliff drop.

He was actually with his horse.

He came up the staircase that we walked up,

on his horse and came straight through the house on horseback

because he was aware of his stature.

I wonder where the horse slept?

There's just time for Charles to see one last room.

It's, surprisingly enough, a ballroom.

-Is it really?

-It is. Can I just...

-Yes, please.

-..take your hand?

-Yes, please.

Can we... Join me in a one, two, three, jumping up and down?

OK. So it's a sprung floor, isn't it?

It's a sprung floor.

Wow.

Do you know, I almost feel back in time and I like dressing up as well.

Do you really, Charles? What, frocks?

Dancing, it would have been sort of like this.

-Crikey.

-And then it would have been a...

like that...and then...

-Oh!

-Like that as well.

-How personal.

-The history you can feel.

How dancing has changed.

-And I must curtsey. Thank you.

-Thank you. Wow.

I'm sure you'd love to dance here all day, Charles,

but don't you have some shopping to do?

Jonathan's shopping in Leyland is now complete

and he continues south to the pretty little village of Eccleston,

to an antiques shop like no other.

Blimey.

Gee whiz, actually, this is quite surprising, I have to say.

This is a pretty amazing place.

There are three warehouses with over 250 different units,

selling everything from antiques to curios and memorabilia.

I don't think I've actually seen a place so overwhelming, actually,

with stuff everywhere.

Whilst Jonathan loses himself amongst the antique stalls,

Charles is still in Chorley and taking his chances at Heskin Hall.

It's a fine example of Tudor architecture

and while it might look like a stately home, it actually houses the North West Antiques Centre.

-Afternoon to you.

-Hello. Good afternoon.

-Nice to see you.

-Are you the lady of the house?

-I am, indeed.

-What a fantastic place to be.

-We like it.

-I can go through here, can I?

-Yes, certainly.

Look at a few objects and if I see what I like, I can see you?

-Just give me a shout.

-Thanks, awfully.

-You're very welcome.

-But will Charles, who still has the princely sum of £207.58 left,

be able to find himself any more bargains?

We want the true antique, the definition being 100 years old if we can find it.

A lot of these items are collectable.

The 1920s, '30s, decorative-style sells, but this is more me.

Oriental porcelain is one of Charles' areas of expertise.

Here we've got a very, very nice Chinese 18th century plate.

It's wonderful, it's 1760, it talks history and for £65,

it seems relatively inexpensive, but these were mass produced in the 18th century and really

one would want to pay no more than £25 and really to discount it to £25

is really asking too much.

It's a shame because it's the one antique I've really found to date that I like which is in budget.

I'm beginning to think I've drawn the short straw

because the exterior is marvellous but on the inside, no disrespect,

there's nothing for me at all, and I'm surprised because normally,

there's always one or two items which will spring out.

At the moment, here, there's nothing at all.

Back in Eccleston, Jonathan does find something he likes.

It's this little ball with the flame on the top.

It's a cigar lighter in the shape of a grenade which would have been used at a regimental dinner

or presented to a retiring officer.

-It's possible that there would have been a wick in the end of that.

-Right.

-You fill that full of fuel.

And then you unscrew it and it comes out with a wick

and then you light your cigars from it.

It's by Zimmerman's.

It's a Birmingham mark.

What is the best price on that?

It does look like someone's tried to use it as a grenade.

It's got a few little dents there.

Considering its condition, say about 90 quid.

Is that your very best? £75?

Call it 80.

-Call it 75.

-Call it 80.

I'm going to put it back in unless you say £75.

-Go on, then.

-OK. Well done. Thanks very much. There you go.

Thanks very much.

With the shopping over, it's time for our two chaps to relax.

But have they bought wisely?

Another day dawns and our two experts can't wait to get started.

So far, Jonathan has spent an impressive £235 on three items.

A late-Victorian papier mache chair.

-Thank you very much.

-OK.

-All right. Cheers.

A silver-plated siphon stand.

And a lighter. So, he's left with a handsome £162.68 to shop with.

Charles, meanwhile, has been rather more cautious

and spent a trifling £32 on two items.

A carved-oak candle box and four autograph albums.

Strong in the arm, a bit thick in the head, but that's a good price.

He's left with a whopping £207.58.

Today, Charles and Jonathan are heading confidently for Preston.

An early 18th century writer once described it as a pretty town with

an abundance of gentry in it, commonly called proud Preston.

Just the thing for our two splendid young gentlemen.

First stop for Jonathan is Stonyhurst College,

a marvellous Grade I listed building which just happens to be a school,

so make sure you're not naughty.

Jan Graffius, the curator, is giving him a tour.

-Hi there.

-Hello. Hi.

-Nice to meet you, Jan.

-Nice to meet you. Hi, I'm Jan.

Stonyhurst College is often referred to as the Eaton for Catholics.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author and creator of Sherlock Holmes, was a former pupil.

It was established in 1593 and moved here to Stonyhurst Hall in 1794.

What makes the school so special is its vast collection of artefacts,

many of which were brought back from abroad and donated by Jesuit missionaries and former pupils.

There's ecclesiastical silver and religious works of art,

outstanding natural history exhibits and even an ancient Egyptian mummy.

Stonyhurst Hall also has an impressive collection of books.

This is the Arundel library.

It was the gift of a former pupil, James Arundel of Wardour,

who had a very special library and he left it to the school in 1835.

It sort of also became a natural home for a lot of the other

strange and unusual artefacts.

"Where do we put it? Oh, put it in the library."

Yeah. Yeah. It's a good home for it.

Many of these artefacts also tell the story of the most significant periods in English history.

This hat and the smaller one beside it both belong to Sir Thomas Moore.

Moore was a lawyer, scholar and trusted confidante of Henry VIII.

He was also a devout Catholic

and one of the most influential men in England.

This was his when he was a young man before he became a great statesman.

The hat was discovered in Rotterdam after Moore had been executed for

refusing to recognise Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

And then here we have a knight cap.

He's come a long way from this, hasn't he?

Yes. This would have originally been a really nice bright strong red.

None of these are the hats he was wearing when he was...

-taken to the scaffold?

-Sadly not, no.

-I think the etiquette is to go bareheaded.

-Oh, is it?

-I think.

As well as priceless objects, there are also priceless books.

One of our most special books...

And a famous portrait, obviously.

Yes. Yes. And a famous book.

This is our first folio.

In other words, it's the first collected edition ever printed

of William Shakespeare's plays.

So this is quite rare that...

-you can get this close to it.

-Yes.

The folio was edited by two of Shakespeare's fellow actors

and published seven years after he died.

The lovely thing about it is that the two actor friends of Shakespeare who

put this together were wandering round all the play rooms, getting the play scripts,

putting it together, arguing "He meant this," "No, he said this,"

"And you remember we did this," "No, we changed that."

This was then going off to the printer and five minutes later

they'd come back and say

"When we said this, we really meant this" and the printer would tear his hair out and reset the page,

until you get to Hamlet where they just thought

"Stuff this, we're just going to score it out and write the word in."

The perfume gone.

For something like this, it's in the perfect surroundings and amazingly important, historically.

And much loved as well.

The collection is constantly evolving as former pupils continue to make donations.

-It's a living museum. It's wonderful.

-It's a continuation of a tradition, yes.

Well, thank you very, very much.

No, it's a pleasure.

And perhaps you could...

before I get lost... in this labyrinth.

As Jonathan struggles to find his way out,

Charles is on his way to the Preston Antiques Centre.

Hanson has a serious problem in that he's only spent £32.

That's lame. Two days shopping, £32. What's going on? Can you believe it?

Well, hurry up then and spend some more money!

Charles, pay attention.

See, I do want to spend big.

The antiques centre is roomy enough for our two experts.

So Jonathan's come to have a poke around, too.

Look at that.

I remember when televisions were made out of wood.

I had one in the front room when I was a kid.

Enough reminiscing, Grandpa!

On the floor below, Charles is distracted. Not unusual.

This figure here is quite interesting.

Again, it's a bisque parian body or unglazed porcelain

of a gent striking a pose, like that, with a very spurious mark.

He's marked with what appears to be a Derby crown mark

around 1890. I don't think he is.

I think he's continental rather than being from my home town of Derby.

Priced at 155, he might be £50 or he could be 250.

And when it comes to this, and you're not sure, you leave it.

I've learnt the hard way.

These are quite popular at the moment.

This is George III,

mahogany, slope-front, knife box.

Dates from about...1780.

It's been fitted for stationery but they're worth more when you've got the original fittings.

225. Knife box, Georgian.

So if I could get that for the remainder of my money for £162,

that would be worth it.

So I might come back to that.

Finally, Charles spots something that might just give him the edge over his rival.

Here we've got a very, very nice George V

carved oak plate-mounted tantalus

and, of course, in the hey day, during the reign of George V,

these were all the rage and was to keep your sherries and spirits in.

'Tis nice. I like it very much but it's £150.

And there is a concern, I've just noticed these little collars

of the decanters have a certain degree of chips, nibbles, damage.

My biggest problem is I don't mind damage

because to me it tells a story about the items.

If they could talk, what could they tell us?

And this chap's saying to me...

"Don't buy me, because my condition is far too bad and if you buy me,

"Charles Hanson, I might make £100, you lose 50 and you're further behind JP."

In the meanwhile, Jonathan is drawn to one of his passions.

Hamadan, Persia, West Persia.

It's quite pretty. £150.

It is from the Hamadan region which is a bit like calling a piece of furniture Georgian.

It's not that specific but basically if Persia's this big,

if you're looking at it that way,

Hamadan region is over here like this, and basically it's a

few hundred villages weaving in different styles

but they all use the same method of construction.

And this rug is an early 20th century example.

The other thing is with these you can tell the age by the wool

it gets rotten by...

When they're dyed, the dye becomes quite corrosive

and so this green has gone quite a lot

and it's because the dye they use is oxidising and rotting the wool.

You can feel it when you run your fingers across it.

If you discuss 150, normally it'd be about 10%

plus five for the chair, so that's 130.

-130.

-What were you thinking?

I would say about £80. That would be quite a lot less.

-Do you want me to give them a ring?

-Yeah. Go on.

-OK.

-Yeah, please.

It stands a good chance.

The man from Wales said yes.

Oh, OK! Well, then I'd be rude not to say thank you. Thanks very much.

That's me done. Four items.

I'm very happy with this. It's a nice decorative thing.

It's not a lot of money, £80, but who knows,

I'm hoping some privates will like this, some private clients.

Stick it in the car,

show it to Charlie later.

Jonathan spent a whopping £315.

While Charles has spent a measly £32 and there's not long to go.

So here we've got, Sue, a very nice celery vase,

or glass, which I like very much.

The chasing is ever so nice. This would date to around 1870.

At the time, celery was considered a luxury, something to be enjoyed

only by the wealthy which is why it's often served in fine cut glass.

This is priced at £25 but Sue kindly reduces it to a more reasonable £15

which is symptomatic of the generosity on this programme.

I will take this for £15

because that's nice and although it's got a chip...

Ooh.

Maybe £10, then.

-Yes.

-You're a sport!

-I honestly didn't know about the chip.

Thank you. That'd be great. There you go, £10.

Charles, you spent a trifling £42 on just three items.

Whatever happened to spending big?

And that's it, no more shopping now before the auction.

But what do our chaps think of each other's purchases?

-Shall I show you my first object?

-Yes, please.

-OK.

-Can you guess what it is yet?

Looks like a chair.

-A very nice chair.

-I think it's beautiful!

It's got this radiant almost peacock feather burst.

Looks to be, I suppose, 1885, 1890.

-I'm going to value it between £30 and £40.

-You are kidding me!

-I bet you paid 85 for it.

-I paid more than £85 for it.

-Oh, no, you didn't!

-£30 to £40. Are you having a laugh?

-I'm being serious.

-I paid £130.

£30 to £50. OK.

Show me your tat then, please.

OK. My first object is quite nice.

It's dated 1913.

It glows. It's well carved.

It is well carved. It is a wall box for your gloves or something or candles, perhaps.

I think, basically, you paid £19 for it.

-It cost me a tenner.

-Cost you a tenner, yeah, exactly.

If that makes £30 and that makes £30,

I will burn this.

It's dreadful!

Item number two.

Now that's nice.

That is nice.

This is, I suppose, the greatest form of Art Nouveau you can see in this pierced bottle stand.

Yes, we've got some nickel-plate coming through in terms of the silver plating

that needs to be resilvered, but even so, good object that, JP.

-What did it cost you?

-30.

-Very good. Very good.

Now, I like social history, OK, and I bought some of these albums, OK.

Now, you'll have a good giggle, but when you open these and you look

at these old cartoons and you look at some of the momentos within.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you."

Mickey Mouse. That's it, it will be sweet at auction.

1939 Mickey Mouse, look at that.

Isn't it nice? THEY LAUGH

OK. They cost me £22. Maybe I paid too much.

I can see them really making 40 or 50

because they're social etiquette of how we used to live. Manners.

Close your eyes.

OK, put your hands out.

Feels like a golf ball first of all.

That's nice.

That's very nice. Wow!

What is it, a scent bottle?

That is a grenade.

So that is the motif, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

It's silver.

-It's Birmingham, 1925.

-Yeah.

It is a cigar lighter.

And this, of course, is a flame sparking up.

This is evocative of just an explosive 1920s style of living.

-100 to 150.

-75 quid, I paid.

-There you go.

-It's not big, it's not clever, let's be honest.

-OK.

This object is a celery vase. It must be 1870, 1880.

-It's got that great Germanic influence.

-Yeah.

It's got the Bavarian feel about it.

-Yeah.

-Look at the foot. It's well worn.

-Yeah.

Look at it, it's got a big chip.

What's it worth in your sale room? Be honest.

Well, in all honesty, Charlie, we don't take bids of a fiver.

Ha-ha!

-That's what it's worth.

-£5.

-£5.

-OK. Well, it cost me £10.

-Yeah. Yeah.

-What's that?

-I've got one more.

-You haven't?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-You know I like carpets.

-Oh, no!

-There you go. It's West Persia, from the Hamadan region.

-Right. OK.

-You can see...

-With these gulls here as well.

These gulls are very nice, very stylish. It's a good Persian rug.

I would not touch it only because I don't know enough about them.

That's the only reason why not.

I'm going to guess that you paid about...

£55. More?

-About 80.

-OK. £80.

But can our two chaps be any more honest than they've already been?

I think the rug, I wouldn't touch.

And I feel it's worth between £30 and £40.

I mean, a carved oak box wall pocket, a candle box,

whatever you want to call it,

I mean, it's dreadful, it really is dreadful.

JP, on a good day, your chair might make £50

or 60 with the wind blowing a good force 14 gale.

That celery vase...

I mean, if it makes him a profit, I will cry.

Who's going to win this auction round? Me.

Enough said.

Confident words, Charles. But have you spoken too soon?

It's been a marvellous road trip.

Our two chaps started off in picturesque Chorley

and stopped off in Leyland, Eccleston, and Preston.

Today they're heading into the gentile seaside resort

of Lytham St Anne's.

Dead posh, this place,

just down the coast from Blackpool, for auction day.

And there's just time first for a quick kick around on the beach.

# Can I kick it?

# Yes, you can

# Can I kick it?

-# Can I kick it?

-Yes, you can!

-Well, I'm gone. #

That's a goal.

And that's Hanson one, Pratt nil.

-He's won that but will he win at the auction?

-Best of five.

If you're right and I actually do come a cropper here,

it's gloves off for the last race. Honestly, Charlie.

Gerrards Auction Rooms is based in a gorgeous Art Deco building.

It's a family-run business selling everything from antiques and collectables to fine art.

But how well does auctioneer Jonathan Cook think our chaps' purchases will do in today's sale?

The carved oak candle box, nice item,

I've estimated around £60 to £80.

To the cigar lighter, it's for the Royal Fusiliers, I think it should do well.

I'm hoping we're going to get £100 to £120 for it.

Jonathan started this leg ahead of Charles with £397.68

and spent a confident £315 on four items.

MELODY PLAYS

It won't stop now.

I'll just let it wind down, shall I?

Charles started with a rather less impressive £239.58

and spent just £42 on three items.

As the competition between our two chaps intensifies, both are feeling the strain.

The tension is massive.

I've got pins and needles and I'm just, like...

First up is the candle box

which Charles paid £10 for.

Jonathan doesn't like it but what will the bidders think?

Tension.

Nice thing, this. Start us off on commission at £40.

Any advance on 46 on the net?

48 with me. £48. 50 now.

55 at the back. Any advance on 55?

60 now. Any advance on £60?

£60. Any advance on £60?

-All done.

-It could be yours, really.

That's very good. I'm very happy. Thank you. Well, played.

-Good start, Hanson.

-Well, that's a staggering £50 profit.

Well, played, Charles.

Well, played, indeed.

So, Charles' candle box has done well.

Let's see how Jonathan's £130 papier-mache chair does.

80 on the net. Any advance on £80?

-80 on the net. Good.

-That's a very good price for it.

85. Any advance on £85?

-Come on, guys.

-90 on the net.

-90 on the net.

-Any advance on 90?

-Oh, well played, JP.

-Any advance on £90? 95?

Come on, net.

100. Any advance on £100? 110.

110. Cheap at the price.

My heart is racing. Come on, net. Come on, net.

-All sure?

-No, they're not.

-£110. In the middle at 110.

-That's a good price.

-120 on the internet.

-Oh, thank you!

£120.

And that's a loss, Jonathan, even if it's only a small one.

Item number three is Charles' is last minute buy,

the Victorian etched glass celery vase.

What's it going to make?

A tenner if you're lucky.

£10, surely. Give me £10 for it.

-It's very, very nice.

-A tenner, surely.

On the internet. Any advance on ten?

12, front row. Any advance on 12?

Gent's bid at £12. 14.

-Oh, for goodness sake!

-16.

Any advance on £16? 18.

£18. Are we all done at £18?

-£18. I'm happy.

-Clearly mad.

And that's another profit for Charles.

Right, here we go.

Jonathan's hoping to redeem himself

with the Art Nouveau silver-plated siphon stand he bought for £30.

Bids on the books of £30. Any advance on 30 to start?

£30. Any advance on 30. 32. 34.

Any advance on £34? 36. 38 with me.

£40 bid. Any advance on £40?

All done at £40? £40.

That's a good price.

It's a small profit

but it's cancelled out by the loss on the chair.

It's not looking good for Jonathan.

With a £58 profit so far,

Charles is on a winning streak,

but will these four autograph books which cost £22

help him stay in the lead?

£30. Who'll give me 30 for them?

Very, very nice. They're well worth buying, these.

-They're a good investment.

-£30, surely.

-Come on.

-Any interest at all?

-Come on.

-£20. Any interest at 20?

£20. £20.

Despite a loss, Charles is still in the lead

but Jonathan's got two items left

and anything could happen.

Next up, Jonathan's Persian Hamadan rug.

Let's hope it's not pulled from under his feet.

Bids on the books of £40.

Any advance on 40?

-Some at the back.

-42. 44.

-It's a good thing, this.

-48. 50. 55. 60.

-Well, played.

£65. Any advance on £65?

70 on the internet.

£70. On the net at 70.

And that's not good news for Jonathan.

You lost a tenner. HE SIGHS HEAVILY

Finally, it's Jonathan's silver grenade-shaped cigar lighter

which he paid £75 for.

He's got high hopes for it

and he needs to make a profit to stay in the race.

I can start this on commissions at £80 on commission. 85. 90.

95. 100. Now with me at £100.

Any advance on 100? 110. 120.

-Any advance on 120?

-We're getting there.

130. I'm out now. £130.

All sure. £130.

-Yes!

-Well, played.

Well, played, Jonathan, indeed.

A splendid £55 profit before commission.

The profit from the lighter has helped Jonathan maintain his lead.

He started today with £397.68.

Even though he made a loss of £18.45 after paying the auctioneer's commission,

he still takes £379.23 forward to tomorrow's show.

Charles did better at today's auction than Jonathan.

He started the day with £239.58.

He made a small profit of £38.74 after commission

and takes £278.32 forward to tomorrow's show.

JP, there's everything to play for.

And this game gets better and better.

And better.

Down to the last minute.

Tomorrow, Charles tries his best to dent his profits.

The weight of this clock...

CLANK

And the handle's come off.

While Jonathan gets a mouthful.

-See you later.

-And their road trip reaches its thrilling climax.

22. 24. 26.

It is so, so exciting because it is so close.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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