Episode 3 Antiques Road Trip

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

-I'm here to declare war.

-Why?

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

-15 quid.

-No.

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

But it's not as easy as you might think,

-and things don't always go to plan.

-Push!

So will they race off with a huge profit or come to a grinding halt?

I'm going to go for it.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

This week, Mark Stacey and Anita Manning

have travelled through Scotland

to the picturesque north-east of England.

Oh, look at this, Anita, this looks very pretty.

-The sun is shining for us.

-The sun is shining.

And the sun, you know, Anita, only shines on the righteous.

That counts you out, then, Mark. Mark, of course, is a valuer and dealer.

What do you think? Is it me?

Ooh, I dunno. Mark's penchant for a cheeky question sometimes just goes too far.

-Do you know, I'm going to ask you a little sneaky favour.

-What's that?

Can I just touch it?

See what I mean?

While Anita, an auctioneeress, is a woman who takes no prisoners.

Tell me your minimum.

-No, you tell me what...

-No, tell me your minimum.

See what I mean again?

They began the week with £200 each

and both have already more than doubled their money.

Mark starts today with £684.86 to spend,

while Anita is trailing,

with a still impressive £458.74,

but she's not giving up. Oh, no.

The game isn't over until the fat lady sings.

I hope you're not talking about me.

ANITA LAUGHS

Well, you did ask the question.

Anita and Mark have travelled from deep in the Cairngorms

via the ancient charms of Edinburgh and Durham to North Yorkshire.

Today's leg kicks off in Richmond

and heads towards a deciding auction in Huby, just north of York.

Richmond offers today's first field of combat. Let battle commence.

Well, Anita, here we are, the first of our buying trips.

My last chance to make up that 200 quid with you.

It's a big ask, Anita.

I think you're going for gold that way, and I'm going downhill.

Oh, well, maybe that's the way for you!

Anita's first stop is at Richmond Antiques.

Good morning.

-Good morning.

-Good moaning.

-Can I have a wee look around?

-Yup.

It's a shop full of interesting prospects,

all to be bargained for with the owner, Harry.

He's 83, don't you know.

This has probably started its life off as a chair.

Someone, at some point in its history,

has taken the back off and it now exists as a stool.

It's Victorian. Look at these wonderful legs...

..with original castors on here.

It was tucked away in a corner and I quite fancy it.

Harry? See because it's only a bit of something,

-and the upholstery is not good, tenner on it?

-Tenner.

-Yeah.

Not content to rest on her laurels, whoever he is,

nor her lovely new stool, Anita is looking to bring out the big guns.

Probably ornaments for the side of your fire.

They might be for holding pokers.

I'm sorry?

If I buy these, would it blast me into profit?

Heh-heh-heh. You set them up, I'll knock them down.

-Harry?

-Yeah?

-Do you think they're fun?

They're rubbish.

Harry says they're rubbish.

Maybe from the 1940s?

They've maybe been there since 1940. I don't know.

I mean, there's some very, very good quality cobwebs on these.

It takes me ages to get them cobwebs on, you see.

Harry, could you sell me this pair of mad cannons for a fiver?

You're such a nice lady, you can have them for a fiver, dear.

-You are a darling.

-I'll suffer the loss.

ANITA LAUGHS

I think I'm going to have to seal this deal with a kiss.

-Is that all right?

-Ohh... Look at that.

Well, you've made his day, anyway, Anita.

Now, calm yourself, comb up and concentrate.

What about these glasses?

I quite like them.

They are copies of earlier glasses, continental.

We have a nice little bit of etching here and they are very pretty.

They don't appear to have a price on them.

I don't think that they're terribly, terribly old

but I think a nice set of glasses might be desirable.

Start at ten and argue?

I got you down a wee bit on these,

but I think I'm quite happy to pay that ten on those.

-£15, Harry.

-Yes, dear. Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-That's got me off the bread line.

-ANITA LAUGHS

Nothing funny about that.

25 in total, including the old stool.

Hello, Mark's heard the rustle of money being spent

and is heading in Harry and Anita's direction.

I'm sure you've found all the bargains.

Oh, shall I leave you to it?

-Or do you want me to point you in the right direction?

-No, no.

-You go off, darling. You go off and have a little sit-down.

-OK.

-Happy hunting.

-Thank you. See you later.

-Bye.

There's quite a nice mixture of pieces in here, isn't there?

This is quite fun. This is a sort of...

for your hallway, it's for putting your coats on.

I mean, it's not terribly old.

A carved eagle. But he's got rather a cheeky face and I like his glass eye.

Harry, I think that's quite a fun piece, isn't it?

-It's not an antique one but it's quite a decorative piece.

-Oh, yeah.

-What price have you got on that?

-£20.

£20. Could you do anything on that?

-Are you poor?

-Very poor.

-15 is my lowest.

-15.

Yeah, I think I'm going to take that. £15. I think that's quite reasonable.

That's Harry's fourth sale of the day!

But it seems this place may yet yield even more bargains.

Now, I found down here this rather intriguing vase...

..which I think would have had a lid on it originally.

But it's rather fun, with these sort of grotesques on the side of it.

And I love the Chinese panels on it.

It's got the odd little chip and things there.

Priced up at £25.

Mind you, I can see these should have little sort of lizards' heads

or dragons' heads on them, and they're missing.

But it's a heck of a lump for 25 quid, isn't it?

-I mean, you've got 25 on it. Could you do anything on that?

-15.

-Thank you very much.

-That's it.

-No, that's kind.

-I'll go home broke now!

-You don't look broke to me, Harry.

-Oh, aye.

Still, five items sold, Harry.

Lovely to meet you. Cheers. Bye.

So a great start to the day.

But Anita knows she has a lot of catching up to do

at the final auction and she wants details.

What did you buy? What did you buy?

-Stop tickling me.

-Did you find any silver?

-No comment.

-Did you spend over £10?

-Oh, look, trees!

Are we nearly there yet, Mum?

Fortunately for Mark,

it's just an eight-mile drive from Richmond to Scorton,

and the peace and quiet of Kiplin Hall.

-Well, I'm running a bit late, with all your faffing about.

-OK.

-Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Bye, Anita.

-OK. Bye-bye!

-Bye.

Kiplin Hall was built in the 1620s by George Calvert,

Secretary of State to King James I.

Over the years, the families that have owned the house

have filled it with some spectacular furniture and works of art.

-Hello.

-You must be Dawn.

-Hi. Yes. Nice to meet you, Mark.

Mark is shown round the hall by the curator Dawn Webster.

She has picked out some of the finest pieces in the house to show Mark.

We're up on the second floor now. But this you have to see.

First, a painting of Venice,

commissioned by Kiplin Hall's 18th-century owners.

This is St Mark's Square during a carnival,

and you can see the carnival masks.

-It's by Luca Carlevarijs who was one of Canaletto's predecessors...

-Wow.

..and fantastic for painting people, figures, faces, dogs.

Canaletto was mostly architecture, if you think of his paintings.

Carlevarijs filled his architectural spaces with people,

and it's the most exquisite, jewel-like painting.

-I do love the fact that the people looks so identifiable.

-They do.

-It doesn't look like made-up people.

-Yeah.

And this lady, with her fan, I'm not sure whether she is saying to you,

"I love you," or "My husband is away, come up and see me later tonight."

-I don't know.

-It's the language of fans.

I think it might be Anita Manning making sure I'm not getting any bargains.

Maybe it is! How did she get in there?

Oh, she's been around a long time.

Next, to the library

and a relic from one of the country's most famous battleships.

And here is something very special to show you, Mark.

This is Lord Nelson's chair from onboard Victory

-and it has a silver plaque to prove it.

-Oh, gosh.

I think it's wonderful.

It's very typical of that period with those scrolling arms

and those sabre legs at the front, isn't it?

-Also, I can see...there's something rather nice about this chair.

-It is.

-It's metamorphic.

-That's one of my favourite antique terms. Metamorphic.

Cos it's like a caterpillar, really,

it changes into an even more beautiful butterfly.

-These tip up, don't they?

-That's right.

-And then you'd have library steps so you can reach the books.

-Yes.

-Bring it down, put it back and sit down and read your book.

-Yes.

And the funny thing is also,

I'm told the cabin onboard Victory had a very low ceiling

so exactly why he needed a metamorphic chair for his cabin, I have no idea.

-But there it is. All part of history.

-Absolutely.

And part of Kiplin's history as well.

Now part of Kiplin Hall's history. Wonderful.

And so Mark ends his visit to Kiplin Hall,

bringing us to the end of an exceedingly good day.

Day two, and both our experts are feeling and looking a bit flush.

I feel very confident, Anita.

I've got lots of money burning a hole in my pocket.

I want to get out there and spend, spend, spend.

So far, Mark's spent a mere miserly £30 on two items.

I'll go home broke now!

Anita's got more for less, spending £25 on three items.

She's still £200 behind Mark.

Could this be the day she finds that special something to take the lead?

OK, bye-bye, Harry, and thank you again.

Departing Richmond, Anita and Mark are pushing on to Masham

via a little drop-off in Middleham.

Ah, wonderful, wonderful.

Have a good time, and shop well.

-And you, too, Anita. See you later.

-OK.

If I buy the wrong thing and it makes a big loss,

it's all over.

Poor, tortured soul.

Anita, meanwhile, has found

both a shop and a little something of interest.

This is an interesting little album.

We have several of these embroidered postcards,

which are, in the main, from the First World War,

and it was the type of thing that soldiers would send their waves.

And this one is from someone who was in the Royal Engineers.

"With love from yours." It's from Willie.

And this was sent in 1916.

Just right in the middle of the First World War.

"Good luck, your loving brother."

Postcard collecting is very popular just now.

It's looking back, it's nostalgia,

it's seeing what the world was like at that time.

Interesting, lovely items, but not particularly rare.

In fact, an estimated 10 million

were made during the First World War.

This isn't going to make me a fortune if I buy this,

what ever the price, but it's so irresistible!

And for extra enticement,

Angela pulls out something from her secret stash.

-I've got some more postcards.

-Ah, right.

Mostly Raphael Tuck.

As most deltiologists - or postcard collectors - will know,

Raphael Tuck & Sons were publishers to royalty

in the 18th and 19th centuries,

and by the First World War they dominated the postcard market.

These two albums won't come cheap, but you just try telling Anita that.

I would be talking 100 for the two.

And that is really, you know, because they are quite rare.

I would be estimating at somewhere between 60 and 80.

Could you come to 75?

80, 80.

Could you go to 75?

Oh, go on! 75!

It'll give me a chance. 75, I'd be happy.

-Go on, then.

-Oh, you're a darling!

Hats off to Anita, then.

Meanwhile, Mark's reached Masham's Aura Antiques,

full of big-ticket items, but there's the odd quirky thing within budget.

That's quite an interesting jug, isn't it?

Very brightly decorated - it looks almost modern, doesn't it?

I would have thought, looking at the mark, this is going to be

dating to a roundabout 1860, 1870, so a true antique.

I quite like it with Newton on it.

I've never seen that before.

And that's priced up at £25.

Just checking.

A very good way of...

..checking for restoration.

It feels very soft,

whereas if it's perfect it feels quite hard and brittle.

Then something else throws Mark off balance.

It's a bit of a wibbly wobbly, as Anita would call it, isn't it?

But, actually, it's quite a fun shape.

It's got a nasty split in the top there,

and some of the little cabochons are missing.

I like this little decoration there.

It's got a very sort of odd feel to it.

Now, maybe it's just up here because it's going to be restored.

We might ask and see how much it is.

WHISPERS: Might be a bargain price.

Only one way to find out ask Robert.

If you offered me a tenner, I'd take it.

I'll give you a tenner for it.

-Done.

-Done.

Wow, that was easy!

So far, Anita has bought two cannons, eight glasses,

two postcard albums and a stool.

But, still, she keeps on shopping.

What we have here, it's a wee sort of mixture.

There is nothing there of any great significance,

and you probably know that yourself.

What I'd be prepared to pay on that would be £8.

Oh, no, I need more than that. I would want at least 25, at least.

-25?

-Yeah.

And now Anita has a go at some horse trading.

Angela?

-You are going to think that I am mad.

-Yeah.

I bought a pair of cannons like that,

-and I thought it would be quite fun....

-To put them together.

What about if I paid £25 for that and that?

-Yes, go on then.

-Will you do 25?

It's a pleasure to do business with you.

Back in Masham, a mysterious force - could it be gravity? -

is pulling Mark back to the Isaac Newton jug.

And I rather like the fact that this was Newton, which I presume is Isaac Newton.

-Must be.

-Must be.

I don't think that's Mrs Newton, somehow.

But, Robert, I know it's cheeky of me, because you haven't priced it

very highly, but is there anything you could do on 25?

Yes, yes, I can.

£15.

-I can't really say no to £15, Robert.

-That's what I thought you'd say.

-Because I really like that, thanks a lot. I appreciate that.

-Thank you.

Well, there we are, another purchase, I love it.

Anita's bought enough items to start her own shop!

OK, that's been a pleasure.

But she can't stop hunting for one last item, bless her.

Yeah, it's a horse measuring stick,

but it's in the form of a walking stick.

Silver-topped, Boyce & Rogers, Newmarket,

so it's very important, probably used in the racing industry.

So, what we do is we pull out the measuring stick

from the body of the stick,

and we can pull out this brass bar here, and this brass bar would be?

It goes over the withers,

and that's the point where they measure the horse.

Wee Angela is looking for £80 for this late 19th-century

silver-topped measuring stick.

Would you go 50?

Go on, it's cash back in my pocket, yeah.

-Thank you very much.

-OK, thank you.

Amazingly, I think Anita's finally finished shopping.

And talking.

Meanwhile, Mark has spotted a last-minute item.

This caught me out of the corner of my eye.

Not terribly well carved - sorry to say that - on the hands and things,

but there's just something about him.

His eyes are quite nicely painted.

It's all a little bit sort of amateurishly done,

but there's something rather appealing about him.

What I might do, you know, Robert, is put him, rather sneakily, with the jug,

because he kind of has a little look of Isaac Newton about him.

Could I possibly get him for the same price as the table, a tenner?

-Oh, go on then.

-Yes?

-Yes.

That's item three from this shop - good work, Mark.

Thank you very much indeed.

Our reunited road-trippers are moving on once more,

heading for Northallerton.

-This is the very last shop.

-I know, and it's mine, it's all mine.

Mark makes for Cobweb Antiques for a serious rummage,

with no distractions.

Hello.

Have you come for a bit of attention, as well?

Have you?

What do you think of this lot? Yeah, rubbish!

Wuff!

These are lovely. I love wood, terribly tactile.

Gosh, you're sounding like Anita Manning.

SHE LAUGHS

As long as you weren't going to say Bernard Manning!

LAUGHING: I feel that Mark needs some direction.

This is quite fun, actually.

It's a little travelling compass in a nine carat gold frame.

Now, I'm not sure if the little chain mount on it is gold,

but certainly the frame is.

It's rather sweet, actually.

Sweet price - £89.

There's a lot of bargaining that needs to be done here.

-Do that one for 75.

-75.

-I don't want to pay that.

-No?

But I had to buy it.

-Would you lose at 60?

-65. That's the death.

Thank you, Susan.

You're an angel, thank you so much for helping me out.

Compass in hand, Mark and his travelling companion

must find their way to auction.

Mark has spent £130 on five auction lots -

the Newton portrait mug, combined with the carved wooden doll,

the eagles head coat rack,

the ironstone umbrella stand,

the gold fob compass,

and the wibbly wobbly table.

Anita, meanwhile, spent £175 on... wait for it...

12 separate items, thankfully combined into five lots.

The engraved wine goblets, teamed with cannons

and horse-drawn cart ornaments.

The horse measuring stick.

The art nouveau postcards, paired with World War I postcards.

Phew!

The pocket watch, cufflinks,

tie pins and broken gold ring.

And the Victorian upholstered stool.

Crikey!

Oh, look at that, eh?

But what do our big spenders think of each other's last chances?

I love the walking cane with the horse measurer.

Silver-topped, good provenance. I could see that possibly making 100.

As for his big Oriental-type vase, it's damaged!

The heads are missing on the dragons.

I think he'll have to be lucky to get his money back on that one.

This leg of Mark and Anita's journey

started in Richmond and will end in Huby,

just outside York.

They're taking their assorted antiques

to be auctioned by Summersgills

in the local village hall.

I tell you what, I'm really excited now, Anita. This is our final sale.

-The day of reckoning.

-The die is cast.

A good crowd has gathered to inspect the items in this general sale.

Auctioneer Tim Summersgill has cast his seller's eye

over Anita and Mark's lots.

A couple of lots I think we might struggle with.

There's the three-legged table. We might be lucky to sell that.

Probably one of the best lots we've got is the measuring stick. We've got a lot of interest,

and probably quite a few commission bids, so I think it should fly.

So, to the auction,

with Anita needing to make up £200.

Are you feeling confident, Mark?

Anita, I'm very, very nervous, I have to tell you.

Oh, don't be nervous.

I'm sure they'll be entranced by all the junk that you bought.

First up, Mark's Isaac Newton jug, coupled with the doll.

-Come on. Come on.

-£20 bid here. £20. 22,

24, 26, 28.

Good, good.

£30, then. On commission at 30.

32 in the room. At £32 bid, at £32.

All done at 32.

-Well done, well done.

-Well, that is a bit of a profit, at least.

A slow but steady £7 profit for Mark.

You were lucky, Mark.

-You meanie. It's our last day together.

-I'm not being a meanie.

Next are the two cannon,

the horse and cart, and the eight glasses.

-We start at £20 bid on this one.

-Starts at £20.

£20 on commission. 25 anywhere else?

£20 buys it...

Just in time, 22.

24 here. 26 there.

-£26.

-Yes!

-28 I'm looking for.

26. Lady's bid.

Another small profit.

Well, I've managed to wipe my face with that one.

£6 profit, so the cannon didn't misfire completely.

Now, you called me lucky, Anita.

I think you were jolly lucky with that.

Mark is hanging high hopes on his carved eagle coat rack.

Quite a bit of interest on this one,

so we start at £30 on this one.

Ooh, 30 straight.

35 anywhere else?

35, 38,

40 at the back.

40, 42,

45, 48,

-50.

-Yes!

£50 then. In the doorway at £50.

-Oh, that was good.

-That was good.

Sold for £50 minus commission.

Mark's eagle eye for a bargain didn't let him down.

Next, Anita's horse measuring stick.

Interest on this one,

-so we start it at 130.

-130.

-£130.

140. 150.

160 with you.

£160 right at the back, at 160.

-Yes!

-All done at 160.

All sure?

-Yes!

-Well done, Anita.

-I said you'd make 100 on that, didn't I?

-Yeah.

Well, I never did. £110 profit.

Much more of this and she'll be catching Mark up.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you, darling.

Next up, it's the lump -

-Mark's damaged vase.

-Straight in at £30.

-Oh!

-£30.

-35 anywhere else?

On commission at £30.

35, I'm looking for.

All done, then, at 30.

No-one else?

Newton.

You got away with murder there.

That's not a bad profit on an item that's missing most of its bits.

Well done, darling. That's put a smile on your face.

Ah, the postcard albums that Anita fought so hard for.

40 in the doorway.

42, 44,

46, 48, is it?

46 the lady. All done at 46.

-Is that mine?

-No.

-48. 50. 52.

-It is.

-No, it's not.

-It is.

-Is it?

Lady's bid this time.

Oh.

£50.

Come on, team, pay attention!

£25 under the purchase price means the first loss of the day.

-I think it was at 50.

-Was it 50 or 58?

50, Mark. Come on. Moving on.

The jewellery's next.

Items too numerous to mention.

-193 - our watches, etc.

-Exactly.

-Quite a nice lot.

Starting at £40.

-They can occasionally give us a big surprise.

-55. 60.

65. 70.

-Is this mine?

-75. 80.

85 with you. 90 there. 95,

back with you. 95. 100 in the doorway.

-100!

-105, is it?

105. All done at 105.

That was excellent.

Well, the mixed lot made lots. She's catching up.

I'm delighted with that.

I'm amazed with that. That was a fairly good price for that.

This'll be interesting.

Remember, Mark fought hard to get the compass fob for £65.

Now, a bid here of £20.

25 with us. 25, 28.

30, 35,

40, 45,

50, 55.

55, then.

All done at 55.

Ahhh, hard luck.

Ouch! That's a big smack in the wallet.

Next up, the wibbly-wobbly table.

Bidding starts at an optimistic £20.

£20. Any interest?

-Come on!

-15 I'm bid. 15, the lady.

Oh, thank goodness for that. It keeps us going.

£15 only. Seems cheap enough at 15.

No-one else?

Ohhh.

Never mind. Well done. You made profit, Mark.

A wibbly-wobbly profit on a wibbly-wobbly table.

Are you upset?

-Are you upset?

-Oh, shut up, Anita.

Come on, you two.

Toys back in the pram.

-Finally, the stool that was once a chair.

-15, then, here to sell.

-15!

-£15 I'm bid. £15.

16 anywhere else?

All done at £15.

-Awww.

-Well, that was fair, Anita.

-I know.

Our last two lots made the same amount of money.

£5 profit on that stool.

I'm going to need a little sit-down.

I think it just shows you

what idiots we are.

THEY LAUGH

A good day at auction.

Anita did well,

and I thought she might have caught him up.

Anita began this leg with £458.74.

After auction costs, she made a bumper profit,

so Anita ends her road trip with £575.66.

Ooh!

However, Mark started with £684.86,

and made a very small profit.

But with a final total of £704.10,

he is triumphant. Well done.

So you're going to drive me off into the sunset?

I am, and then I'm going to leave you there.

THEY LAUGH Cos I've had enough of you.

-One week is enough!

-No more antiques.

That's us finished.

What a road trip it's been.

Look, it's here. It's right turn.

Anita and Mark have crossed the border,

and occasionally crossed the line.

Oh, God.

Oh!

My mind's fried.

Aargh!

Anita.

Will you marry me?

SHE LAUGHS

Will I give you a surprise?

Yes!

THEY LAUGH

Stop the road trip, I want to get off.

We leave Anita and Mark,

but stay in Scotland and join our next set of road trippers

who go in search of antique treasures.

Still amongst the stunning Scottish scenery,

we meet antiques experts

Philip Serrell and Catherine Southon.

I love the thought that we are now in the Highlands.

-And you're sharing it with me.

-I know. The love of my life.

Philip Serrell began his career mucking out the sheep pens

for a livestock auctioneer,

and while some argue he'd found his calling

then and there,

he's gone on to become the consummate antiques auctioneer.

What's your cheapest price?

Our cheapest price is usually about 50p.

I'll remember that.

And former head of scientific instruments at Sotheby's,

Catherine Southon is also an expert in maritime art.

But don't be fooled by her charm.

When it comes to striking a deal,

she's a wolf in designer clothing, with spots.

Are you sure you don't want to sell that?

Positive.

Philip and Catherine are starting out with £200 each,

hoping to turn in a tidy profit at auction.

I'd be even more excited if I win.

Don't get too competitive on me.

Along with their shiny red Triumph convertible,

they're travelling from the north-east of Scotland

on to Glasgow and across the border to Carlisle,

passing through the gorgeous Lake District

and ending their journey in Liverpool.

Today we're kicking off in Aboyne

and concluding with an auction showdown in Dundee.

-What are we doing?

-There's an antique fair over here, love.

-Antique fair?

-Well, an antique car-boot jobby thingy.

-There's only about five cars.

-Well, it still constitutes a car boot.

Stick with me, you'll be all right. Come on.

You look like Frank Spencer.

Before you can say, "Ooh, Betty"...

Is that R2 thingamy?

Yes, it's R2-D2 and we have Darth Vader and we have C3PO.

I tell you what I'll do, cos I'm feeling generous -

all the toys there, I'll give you 50p for them.

-That sounds absolutely splendid.

-Have I just been robbed?

I tell you what though, we're going to have to deal here. I've only got 40p in change.

Oh, God. I feel I'm being swindled.

-I'm actually sure you're being swindled.

-You're mad, Philip.

How can I lose money on 40p?

Come on, give this poor man some more money.

-Whose side are you on?

-Not on yours, that's for sure!

I'm going to go now. Sir, you're a gentleman.

Thank you very much indeed.

So says the last of the big spenders.

Next stop is slightly off the beaten track, if only they could find it.

-Now, I've got to go left here and on up the road.

-I think this is me.

-I'm just going to drop you out just here.

-Don't forget me.

I won't forget you - go on, off you go.

OK. I've got to get out first. I can't get out!

-OK, here we are. I've done it.

-Dear me. Honestly.

-Ciao. Arrivederci.

-Yeah, yeah, no, it'll all be fine. Just don't worry.

Catherine will try her luck at the aptly named Refined Antiques

with its stock of gorgeous items.

-Hi, Alex. Nice to meet you. This is a wonderful shop you've got here.

-Oh, it's lovely.

I'm very interested in these straightaway.

I love apothecary jars for pharmaceuticals.

Carboys. Very nice.

Carboys have been used as symbols for pharmacists for yonks.

Although it's thought that they originate from the Middle East

when medicines with coloured liquids were often stored.

They are also something that could do very well at auction.

They're lovely. How much are they?

I think you'd be looking at about 150.

-150 for the two?

-For the two.

Yeah, I think that might be a bit too much.

-I would really need to be under 100.

-Under 100?

Ah, well. Worth a try.

In the neighbouring town of Dinnet,

Philip's discovered The Old Alliance

- a rather unusual shop owned by compulsive collector Dave.

But amongst the thousands of handsome, eye-catching objects,

Philip's opted to watch the birdie.

Isn't that just fantastic, look?

MIMICS MECHANICAL WHIRRRING

-In technical terms, it's an automaton, isn't it?

-Yeah.

And an automaton is a clockwork-driven toy,

effectively, that does something. In this case it pecks,

but you can have really grand automatons

that play musical instruments and do all sorts of stuff.

I've seen them - with eyes that roll around and such things.

-It would be early 1900s, I'd have thought.

-How much is he, Dave?

-£25.

Is this the exchange rate between Sassenachs and Scots?

It'll be about 20 then.

Philip's clearly got toys on the brain,

so David finds him something else to play with outside.

These just remind me of my childhood. Do you know why I like that one?

My grandmother bought me one of these.

-When you were a little boy?

-Yeah.

Needless to say, packaging is all-important here

and a mint-condition matchbox car can be worth up to twice as much

if it comes with the original box.

-A fiver each.

-At five pounds each,

there's room for a bit of negotiation, isn't there?

-Ooh.

-Ooh! You heard it here first, folks.

DAVE LAUGHS

And whilst Philip's caught off-guard,

Catherine's caught between the pair of carboys

and a pink pharmaceutical jar. Choices, choices.

-Yeah, oh...

-I think if you had to choose between here

-and the two there...

-MAN LAUGHS

-I'm going to take you with me the whole way, actually.

-Yes.

Can we go... Can we do 110 on those?

Oh, you're so lovely.

< You're bullying her.

She's so lovely. I felt the nod there.

-No.

-I'm sure there was a nod. 115.

-Can we do 110...

-No.

-..and then definite?

Go on. Oh, please, Alex. Come on, 110.

-Oh, it's a fiver - 110 and they're yours.

-You are the best.

-And I'm paying the other fiver.

-THEY LAUGH

Thus far, Philip's search for the daft and different

has found him one wind-up bird, two Matchbox cars

and now what might be a wool-winder, though there is some debate.

That's got a metal base, which means it stronger.

But you could use these for drying fishing line, couldn't you?

Fishing line, socks...

Yeah, I think there's probably more potential for salmon fishing line

than there is dirty socks, personally.

All Philip needs to complete the set is...

It's a stag-horn three-piece carving set. I like that.

The thing that I love about this is that if you want to go

to a cook shop and buy a modern knife

it's going to cost you £30-£40, isn't it?

And yet you can come to Dave

and buy something like this for probably about £15.

-Pardon?

-You can come to Dave and buy something like this

-for about £15.

-I've lost my hearing.

-Right, Dave, if I bought that, that was 25?

-Yep.

-And those were five each.

-Yeah.

-and if I bought those two together they would be...

-30.

-30.

-And that was 25.

-Yeah.

-And that was 25?

-Yeah.

-And if I bought those two together, how much would they be?

-40.

-40?

And if I bought the whole lot together?

60.

Double figures, eh? That's a lot of money for our Phil.

-Go on, I'll have it all, Dave. 50 quid, wasn't it?

-Pardon?

-What was that?

-50 quid.

-50? 60.

Oh, I tell you what. A fool and his money are soon parted, aren't they?

-Dave, you're a gentleman.

-It's sticking in your hand, man.

-Get out of it.

With Philip's rather eclectic shopping spree now over,

the road trip is moving on.

30 miles east to the important coastal city of Aberdeen,

home to the Gordon Highlanders - a Scottish regiment

formed in 18th century to help fight the French.

And this museum celebrates their two centuries of history.

-Jesper, how are you doing?

-Phil, good to see you.

Jesper is the man to show our Philip around.

From firearms to silverware, this regiment has quite a story to tell

and in 1794, it all started with a kiss.

Now, this is the bonnet of Duchess Jean,

the wife of Alexander, Duke Of Gordon,

who raised the Gordon Highlanders.

The legend is is that new recruits to the Gordons

received not only the king's shilling,

but also a kiss from the fair duchess.

-Really?

-Absolutely. And she was a society beauty

so how could any man resist such a wonderful...

So she was like the best recruiting machine that you had?

-She absolutely was.

-How many did she get in? How many did she kiss?

Well, when the Gordon Highlanders paraded for the first time

in Aberdeen in June 1794, there were over 1,000 recruits.

Well, I tell you what - there's a bit of mileage in this. I should start doing this today.

I think you are right, definitely.

The collection includes some rather impressive silverware,

but this isn't the only precious material in the museum.

It's also home to 11 of one of the rarest medals in existence.

-That's a VC.

-Yes, it is.

Victoria Cross, the most important emblematic bravery medal

-there is to be won, isn't there?

-It is an absolute icon.

And these were made from the bronze of a cannon

from the Battle of Sebastopol in the Crimean War, weren't they?

Well, that's right, exactly.

It was a captured Russian cannon that the medals are still cast from.

This particular VC belonged to a legendary member

of the Gordon Highlanders - Piper George -

who fought on the Northwest Frontier - present-day Pakistan - in 1897.

The Gordons charged forward over this open piece of ground

with their pipers playing, urging the men on over the ground.

Now, five pipers stood up and started playing when the charge began.

Only one of the pipers made it across

that open piece of ground unscathed.

One of the wounded was piper George Findlater.

He was wounded in both ankles,

but despite the fact that he was in a great deal of pain,

he had blood seeping into the ground from his ankles

and he was under constant murderous fire from the heights above,

he propped himself up against a rock and carried on playing his pipes,

urging his fellow Gordons on up the heights and to eventual victory.

Do you know, there are things that you do in your life

that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end

and this does because it's just like...

It's just... Whoa. That's a moment, isn't it, really?

To have in your hands a Victoria Cross.

Needless to say, a Victoria Cross isn't that easy to come by

and at auction you can expect to pay upwards of a quarter of million.

Here I am with a VC in my hand. That's a bit special, that.

Whilst it's a moment Philip doesn't want to end,

I'm afraid there's a contest still to decide

-and a fellow competitor very much in need of a lift.

-Woo! Hello.

-How are you, love? Are you all right?

-Can I drive?

That's better.

-Do you mind checking my insurance first?

-Right.

-How do you get this into first gear?

-Oh, Lord.

-OK, ready?

-ENGINE STALLS

-Oh!

-Legs apart, lift together.

-Left down...?

-Straight on.

No, but what indicator?

Catherine, we're doing 22 miles an hour.

Shall we ring up the next shop and tell them

we'll be there in about three days' time?

Well, they're making their way - slowly - to our next port of call,

the Aberdeen Antiques Centre.

-Here we are.

-Right, let's go.

Be happy, come on!

Despite Catherine's perky demeanour,

she's actually a little worried

about only having £90 still in the kitty.

145. That's quite a lot of money.

-Can I have a look at that little thing down there, please?

-Oh, look.

Philip's found something and he's about to dig Doug out for a deal.

This is a shooting butt marker and these little pegs,

they're ivorine, so they are numbered

and what you would do, you'd arrive at your shoot early in the morning

and you'd mix all those up

and then there's normally eight guns at a shoot

and you'd get the first gun, who would normally be a guest,

and you'd offer him one of these and he would just pick one of these out

and his stand is number 5.

And then you go on to the next gun until all eight guns

have pulled out a number which would give them

their position in the line on the first drive.

It's basically just allocating your day

for the whole of the shoot by luck

and I just think that's a really nice thing.

I mean, I'd really need to be brutal on that price.

It's £42 it's marked as.

I was hoping it might be 24 and it was the wrong way round.

-I'll do it for £30 for you, Philip.

-Oh, you're a hard man.

Can I just take them outside to the light?

Natural light really is the best way to view some objects.

I think this is lovely, right? I really think this is lovely,

but you get them in this light

and they look really plasticky, don't they?

-£20, Philip?

-You're a gentleman. Thank you very much.

-Let me give you some money.

-And here we have it -

another rare appearance of Philip Serrel's wallet.

I love the pair of toast racks. They are very cute.

And they are, sort of, about 1930s or something like that.

I like those. I'm not so keen on that price though. What's that, £70?

I could let them go for 50 for you.

-50?

-If that helps you.

I really don't think I can go beyond 30 on these though.

Mm, I don't think I could go lower.

Oh, I'm not sure if I'd make a profit on that.

-Well, what if we were to say 35?

-35. Now you're talking.

-I've got to take them at £35.

-Thank you. You've got a deal.

-You're a lovely, lovely man.

-There you are.

-Thank you.

If not, they'd make a great pair of earrings. Wouldn't they?

-Absolutely.

-Bet Lynch, eat your heart out.

And with the last exchange of cash,

so endeth day one of Serrel versus Southon.

Come on then. Home, James. Woo-hoo!

The sun rises on another glorious road-tripping day

leaving Aberdeen far behind and heading eventually

for a head-to-head auction in Dundee.

"Toads on road".

Oh, don't run over any toads, Philip.

So far, Philip's quest for the daft and different

has cost him £80, leaving £120 to complete the mission.

You go out buying all the goodies and I'm left looking like a lulu.

-Oh, come on, Philip.

-I'm going for the sympathy vote.

Catherine, meanwhile, has boldly splashed out £145

which leaves her just £55.

Your strength is playing this,

"Oh, I really don't know," trick and you do so well.

-Oh, shut up.

-You do so well.

The road trip waits for no man or woman

so we head off down Scotland's eastern coast.

The next stop is Montrose.

On a remote farm miles from anything

our duo are on the lookout - wait for it -

for Steptoe's yard.

We could find anything here.

-We could find some real treasure.

-We could find nothing.

You're always so negative, aren't you?

No, no, no. Well, my pint glass is just half empty.

Lord above.

Oh...my...word.

I think I've died and gone to heaven.

Incredibly, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Hi, Peter?

I can't believe this place. It's really quite something.

Something else, actually.

-It is slightly different.

-Can I have a look inside?

Indoors, there's row after row after row of furniture -

glass, china, brassware and seemingly non-stop knick-knacks.

Oh...my...word.

I'm just completely lost for words.

You've got so much here. It's just vast.

A farmer by trade, it was mad cow disease

that inspired Peter to diversify and he's managed to gather

all of this stuff in just six years. Oh, dear.

-Does it ever stop?

-Well, it stops when you get to the end.

It doesn't feel like there is an end!

And amongst this incredible collection,

-Phil's taken a shine to...

-HE LAUGHS

..a 19th century cartwheel. As you do.

Make me sensible offer.

In my eyes, it's 30-35 quid's-worth, that's what I think.

I would disagree a little bit.

Who's going to buy that off me? A bloke with a three-wheeled cart?

-If you were to give me somewhere in the region of 55...

-No.

-..I'd maybe do a deal with you.

-55 quid for a foreign cartwheel?

Well, someone said to me that they thought it had been

used for driving, possibly ropes or something like that.

Do you know what I think you use it for?

I think you use it for kippering poor Englishmen,

that's what I think you use it for.

Surprisingly, this is a very sound choice

as cartwheels are extremely popular in garden make-overs

and thus go very well at auction.

But Peter's playing hard to get.

This has got to be, what, turn of the last century? 1890, 1900?

I would reckon so.

And I think it's probably continental and as such clearly is not worth

anything like the amount of money that an English one would be.

35 quid is my best deal, that.

No, come on. A little bit more.

You've got to think of the poor Scotsmen.

Unable to strike a deal, the search continues

though I do believe that amongst all of this,

Catherine's finally found something.

I just think it's got a big split down it.

That adds to the character.

When did you ever see one that didn't have a split?

How much could that be?

You'd be looking at round about the 50.

-Could it be 20?

-No. Not quite.

-What, 25 then.

-No, 30.

-25. Come on, final offer.

I was giving you a rock-bottom price.

25 or we'll push it back in.

-No.

-Go on, Peter. Put it there.

-I'll do it for 28 for you.

-25, come on.

-28. Come on.

28, there you go. You'll get a big profit off that one.

I haven't even seen the other side of that

-so I'm hoping that's OK.

-Well, you've bought it now.

Now, it may look as if Philip's moved on from that cartwheel

but nothing could be further from the truth.

Peter, we're going to have to have a deal on that cartwheel.

-I need a little bit more than 35.

-How much is a little?

-If you give me 45...

-Oh, that's not a little - that's a lot!

-That's halfway between...

-No, get out of here.

You see, I thought a little was 36.

The only reason I would even think about selling it

is because it's to a needy case.

You haven't got any violins around here, have you, that I could start strumming...?

-I think there is one but it's not very good order.

-No.

-This is all I've got.

-£40? You've got to admire his cheek.

I'll tell you what I'll do - I'll sell you it for that

provided I don't have to help to tie it on the roof of your car.

Thank you very much indeed.

Having almost literally begged for the very best deals,

Catherine and Philip must take their heaving swag bags to auction.

Catherine spent £173 on just three auction lots -

the teardrop pharmacy bottles, the silver toast racks -

or are they earrings? - and the rustic pine trunk.

Philip, however, spent just £120.40,

but got five auction lots.

The Victorian fishing-line dryer, the stag-horn carving set,

the pigskin shooting markers, the vintage cartwheel

and the matchbox cars combined with the wind-up bird

and the Star Wars toys. May the force be with him.

But do our experts like what each other has bought?

His first item that he showed me was the fork/knife set.

It's nice cos it's got "Aberdeen" on

but I don't think that's going to get people particularly excited.

I think her chemists' jars - if she can get a London price for them -

she might get a couple of hundred pounds profit.

I think the danger is, you know, we're in Dundee selling these things.

The cartwheel really had his name written all over it.

Nobody else would give it a second glance.

The trunk is undoubtedly her worst item.

She probably panic-bought that at the 11th hour.

I don't know if he was just being kind

or whether he's a sly old fox and he thinks they're going to bomb.

I'm going to have to just watch my pockets

over the next five days cos, yeah, she could be hard to beat.

After kicking off in the village of Aboyne,

this leg of the road trip comes to an end in sunny Dundee,

the city that's famous for jute, jam and journalism.

That's got to be the footy club, look, Catherine.

East Fife 4, Forfar 5.

Currently pulling up outside the auction rooms

of Curr And Dewar, Philip and Catherine

will soon discover who's in the money and who's in trouble.

Our first auction. Oh, handbrake on.

No, I live in hope that somebody'll nick it.

-You're so miserable!

-Me? Miserable? How could you say such a thing?

-Oh, Philip.

-Come on, lovely, come on.

Already many a frugal Scot has gathered,

but before auctioneer Stephen Dewar raises his gavel,

let's see how he rates the chances of our two competitors.

I quite like the butt markers. They're a nice, quirky little lot.

Not something you see often.

The trunk, I'm not so sure about that one, unfortunately.

Condition's a little bit against it.

The cartwheel might show a little bit of interest.

Whoever bought the cartwheel I think might get a little surprise today.

Time to see who's really in the money.

Let the auction begin!

First to go under the hammer are Catherine's fabulous glass vessels.

And to show them off to best effect,

she's even splashed out 68p on cordial.

If they sell for £50, Philip, I'm just going to cry.

-They won't sell for £50. I'll have a wager with you.

-Do you promise?

-No.

-Bonnie-looking pieces.

-Bonnie-looking pieces.

Starts me off at £50.

At £50. 60.

-80. 100. 120.

-Come on.

You know it's going to turn a profit, isn't it?

This isn't looking good. Come on, Dundee, dig deep!

-Are we all done?

-A bit more. A bit more.

-Five, thank you.

-GAVEL BANGS

Why did I buy those?

Only a £10 profit there, and that's before commission.

Next it's Philip's wool-winder, just one of his many £20 bargains.

I liked it initially, now I've looked at it again,

-I'm really not that keen.

-It's horrible, isn't it? Yes.

Interest starts me off at £15.

At £15, a bit of vintage wares there.

-18. 20.

-No.

-22. £22.

-BANGS GAVEL

-I'm sort of pleased to see the back of that.

-£2 profit.

-Well done, Philip.

-Yeah. SHE LAUGHS

So far, Catherine's ever so slightly in the lead,

but let's see if Philip's Victorian carving set can cut things up.

At £35 it is for the set of carvers.

At £35. 40. Five.

50. Five. 60.

£60. Five. £65 are you all done?

-Well done.

-At 65 then.

-Got a lot better, haven't they?

-GAVEL BANGS

-65.

-I'm actually really, really pleased with that.

And so you should be, Philip. So you should, old boy.

Next Catherine's Victorian trunk.

Let's hope the good people of Dundee are mad keen for a bit of scumbling.

Here we are. Rustic piece there, interest on it £10 bid.

-At £10 it is, the Victorian trunk there at £10.

-Oh, come on.

-12. £12.

15. £15.

-Any advance on 15?

-Come on. Come on.

Oh, dear. This ain't looking good.

Nobody? Is that our lot?

-At £15, we're all done.

-SHE SIGHS

-GAVEL BANGS

-£15 it is.

-Oh, Catherine.

Welcome to the unpredictable world of the Road Trip.

Moving right along, it's Philip's toy collection next

including the wind-up bird, most of which he picked up on the "cheep".

£30. 35. 40.

-Five. 50.

-Oh, Philip.

-£60.

-How do you do this?

-Commission bidder at £60.

-There's a bit of luck in it, really.

-£60, are you bidding? 60.

-GAVEL BANGS

Jammy old devil.

I think if I'd taken those Star Wars figures out

it might have made a bit more.

That's a £40 profit,

but how will the bidders feel about his butt markers in faux ivory?

That's plastic to you and me.

Unusual little lot. 20 bid.

22. 25. 28. 30.

-32. 35.

-You've done it again, haven't you?

-38. 40.

Are you all done at 40? £40.

I have to hand it to you, Philip.

The man's unstoppable, so let's see what this feisty crowd of Scots

make of his continental cartwheel.

I've got a horrible feeling that you might double your money on that.

Vintage metal-rimmed wooden cartwheel. Unusual item.

I am bid £60 for it. At £60 for the cartwheel.

At £60. At 60.

Are you bidding, sir? 70.

80. 90. 100.

-I don't know. I...don't get that.

-110. 120.

130 now. Any advance on 130?

-I don't get that, Philip.

-GAVEL BANGS

That is a staggering £90 profit. Wow!

I just can't believe that.

Thankfully Catherine has one last ace up her sleeve.

A pair of small, silver five-bar toast racks. Birmingham 1930.

Mappin and Webb. Interest on these starts me off at £40.

At £40. A pair of toast racks, there are, at £40.

Five. 50. 50 bid. Five. 60.

-60 bid.

-Come on.

-At £60. Commission bidder at £60.

-GAVEL BANGS

-It's a good price, Catherine, but unfortunately not good enough.

-Oh, I'm sorry.

-No, you're not.

-I am cos I feel guilty now.

-God.

Cor. There is no justice in this world.

True. Philip started this leg with £200 and after auction costs

made a profit of £139.54

which means he ends round one with £339.54.

Catherine also started with £200 but made a loss of £13.10,

leaving her with a total of just £186.90.

But don't worry, my girl - it's only day one

and it's still anybody's game.

I haven't liked today, Philip.

-Well...

-It's been a bad day.

-Has it?

-But hats off to you.

-It's not going to be a long, painful journey home, is it?

-No.

-Do you know what my plan is next time?

-What?

Next place we go to, I'm going to buy five cartwheels.

-Really?

-And nothing else. And I'll make a loss.

And we could call them Catherine Wheels.

Next time we're off to Glasgow

where Catherine turns up the charm to maximum...

You'd make me so happy cos I just absolutely love this.

..Philip puts his reputation on the line.

There's every chance that everybody else is going to say I'm stark raving bonkers.

-What can I say?

-Right.

-..and there's tears before bed time.

-You are horrid to me.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd