Episode 4 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts, £200 each,

and one big challenge.

-I'm going to declare war!

-Why?

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

This is hard.

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

-Come on!

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?

-Whose side are you on?!

-This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

Experts Philip Serrell

and Catherine Southon are travelling at speeds of up to 20 miles an hour!

My plan is to do a Phil Serrell.

You have this amazing ability to home in on something pretty trashy

and you manage to turn it into gold!

Well, she has a point!

Despite being a fine arts man,

Philip's strategy seems to be the dafter, the better.

If you've got bunions, if you put that in your shoe,

and that makes a dent.

I thought it was to do with unmentionable things to sheep or cattle, really!

Catherine Southon, on the other hand, has an impeccable knowledge

of scientific instruments and maritime art.

-I haven't even seen the other side of that.

-Well, you've bought it now!

Our esteemed experts started the week with £200 each,

but one auction later, it's a very different story.

GAVEL BANGS Come on!

Catherine made a loss on the last leg and is left with just £186.90.

I hate the way you're smiling now!

After the different is making him a small fortune.

He now has £339.54 to play with.

Oh, I'm sorry!

-No, you're not!

-I am, because I feel guilty now!

SHE TUTS IN DISGUST

This road trip takes us from Aboyne in the North East of Scotland,

on to Glasgow and through the Lake District.

Final destination, Liverpool.

Today, we're kicking off in Perth and all going to plan,

we should wind up on this leg in Paisley.

Hey, here we are!

And we start off at a car boot sale.

-HE CHUCKLES

-I hope these two know what they're doing!

You always find tomato plants, don't you?

And second-hand photographs.

-There we are.

-Well done!

-Beautifully placed!

In amongst the weird and wonderful - and just plain awful -

Catherine's tuned in to a classic design.

Bush radio. This is quite a collectable model.

From the '60s to the '70s and then they reproduced this later on.

This is one of the original ones, but I think it's seen better days.

Teenybopper favourite, the Bush radio is a style icon,

and this model dates way back to 1959.

-Is it working?

-Before the battery ran out, it was working.

-OK.

And you're asking for 10? Could you not do eight on that?

-10 is my... I'm really going to stick on that.

-Oh, you are mean!

No, I'm not mean. I'm just...

Because it is in a really bad way, it's a bit bashed here.

-I'll come down to nine.

-Could you go to five?

-No.

-Really?!

Because I've already come down, you see.

-Shall we say seven, and then be friends?

-7.50.

-Oh! 7.50.

-Buying a Bush radio, an original Bush radio, for £7.50.

-Go on, then.

-This lady knows what she's doing!

-There we are.

Oh, my gosh! It's all falling apart!

I'm going to let you put it back together again before I take it.

Meanwhile, Philip's been drawn to four 19th-century box planes being sold as a set.

That bit of wood there holds this blade in here

and if you look just where my finger is there,

you can see that there's the maker's name on the blade.

-How much for them?

-12.

-See, I was thinking of a fiver for the lot!

Oh, no, no, no!

Uh-uh.

-Try again, then.

-£12.

-No, no, no.

-Yes!

I'll give you my best deal, I'll give you eight quid for them.

-And I'll pay you now, in hard Scottish cash.

-No.

My goodness! They're a tough bunch up here in Perth!

But can they resist a Philip Serrell sob story?

Listen, if I could tell you about my life,

I'm having a terrible time of it, right?

I'm a long way from home.

-VIOLINS PLAY

-I'm struggling to find anything.

It's been really tough, really.

I just think, if I could buy those for eight pounds,

I could just see myself coming out of it.

It would just help me on the way to recovery.

Oh, you are mean!

I'm not mean, I'm shrewd.

Is she ever! And now Catherine's come to rub salt in Philip's wounds.

He is so mean, this chap.

What you should do, when Phil Serrell comes up, is double your prices.

-This lady, trust me, she...

-Stick to your guns!

-She needs no advice!

-I can feel myself getting kippered before I start!

-Love it!

Right, off you go, you.

There's four of them, four into 12 is three pounds each, isn't it?

Can I give you a fiver for those two,

and then I promise I'll get out of your life for good!

-OK!

-You're an angel! There you are, my love. Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-You're an angel.

And just when it looks as if Philip's finally come out on top,

there's treachery afoot!

Right, where were those planes?

Aha! How much could you sell those two for?

For a bit of fun, could you do them for two?

Oooh!

If I could get them at a cheaper price and have a little competition,

because they are no way near as good and they are split and damaged.

-Three?

-Oh, go on, two. It would be such fun! Go on!

OK, so I don't have to take them home.

I was going to say, you don't want these at home. Thank you so much.

Wonderful. Thank you.

Oh, Catherine, you are awful! But I like you!

Are you ready? Here we go!

-Come on, baby! Yay! Whoo!

-That was quite smooth, for you.

Huh! And with that, we say a fond farewell to Perth

and head towards the coastal village of South Queensferry.

-Oh, I like this.

-Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh! I am all shook up!

-Have a good one, my love.

-And you, I'll see you later. Bye!

On this handsome cobbled street, you'll find Sea Kist,

an antiques store which reflects the village's seafaring past.

But owner, Jenny, wants to show Catherine her much-loved private collection at home.

As it turns out,

this South Queensferry girl is a lifelong collector.

Wow!

I was born and brought up just along the coast a little bit,

so it's also always said home to me, you know.

-Oh, that's lovely! That's really nice.

-It's great.

You've got a fantastic view of it from your kitchen window.

-I have, yeah.

-You are really passionate about this.

I'm passionate about the bridge,

-but I'm passionate about the human aspect of the bridge.

-Right.

It's more than just the girders.

It's the fact that other people come down here,

they see the bridge, and all these things that I collect

are little things that people want to take away with them.

They want to take something home of the bridge.

You know, with that image on it. And that's the bit that fascinates me.

-This is stuff that is heading towards the shop, eventually.

-Right.

Now, my eye is drawn to these. Nice iron dividers.

I would say they're probably for a map or something like that.

Well, unlike Catherine, I'm no maritime expert.

But I can tell that, simply put, dividers measure distance.

I would say that once upon a time,

there would have been a screw in there, an adjusting screw.

-But I like them.

-Yeah, they're nice.

And then this, parallel rule.

I would say that something like this is really, again, for mapping.

I love the way you can see how it's been folded down

-and it's got a lovely mark. A nice sign of wear, there.

-Mm.

This particular parallel rule was produced by Captain Fields,

who, in the 19th century, improved on the 300-year-old design

by marking degrees on its outer edges.

How much are you wanting for these?

I was thinking about £25 each for them.

-Each?

-Mm.

-Bit damaged there.

Now, could we do a bit of deal on these,

bearing in mind they've both got problems?

-They have, yes. Yes.

-Quite major problems.

Quite major problems, right! Right.

I think we could come down to 35 for the two of them.

Can we do 20?

22?

O! 20?

-I think 22 would be fair.

-22 is very fair.

-OK.

I'll be happy with that. Thank you so much.

While Catherine now has three auction lots

under her polka dot belt, Philip is lagging behind with just one.

-Hi, lovely, how are you doing?

-Lovely!

-Look at that, wing mirrors.

You see, they're not for lipstick after all, are they?!

But as they say, tomorrow is another day.

Quite.

The boy and girl are heading off next to what was once reputed

to be the second city of the Empire.

Where else but robust, exciting Glasgow,

where our experts will continue to shop till they drop.

-Now, that is amazing, isn't it?

-We're not in Sydney, are we?!

So far, Philip's embarrassingly spent just five pounds,

leaving him over £330 for the day ahead...

Are you going to spend a decent amount of money today, Philip Serrell?

You just want me to lose a decent amount of money! That's what you really want.

That would be quite handy!

Crash and burn Serrell, that's all you want, isn't it?

..whereas Catherine's picked up three auction lots for just £31.50

and still has £150 in the kitty.

-Are you going to do some serious buying?

-Might do.

-Might do! Oooh!

Philip's next port of call is simply named the Glasgow Antiques Centre.

So you're treading the boards, and I'm off to an antiques centre.

-Aren't you going to drop me off?

-No! The walk will keep you warm.

Thanks a lot(!) Make sure you buy something decent!

-It's up that hill somewhere.

-Thanks!

-John, how are you?

Are you sure this place is big enough? Blimey O'Reilly!

Suffice to say, our hero is in the right place to find something unusual,

but what to choose, Philip, what to choose?!

Oh, I love that.

It's a kettle drum. But these things make great coffee tables, you know.

You can imagine that with either a glass top or even a copper top.

It would be fantastic.

And the way you tune it is not by just whacking it in the middle,

-but you...

-TAPS DRUM

..go all the way round the outside.

-TAPS DRUM

-John?

How much is this old thing in the corner?

-Would it be as much as 100 quid?

-Definitely.

-It would be?

-Yes.

So, do you think there's a maker's name on it anywhere?

Look, it's got Liverpool. This is clearly Ringo Starr's first drum, isn't it?

Absolutely. Look, Liverpool!

What's the best price you think you'd do for this?

-What's the very best?

-The bottom? £100.

-Is that it finished?

It's not even worth offering him 90 quid for it, is it?

-No, definitely not.

-I think it's a cool thing.

The thing is, there's every chance that everybody else is going to think I'm stark raving bonkers.

-What can I say?!

-100 quid, go on.

Steady, Philip!

I think I can see the dust coming out of your wallet!

Having travelled on foot,

Catherine's finally reached her next destination,

the world's oldest surviving music hall,

right here in Glasgow's Merchant City.

This important piece of our history is called the Britannia Panopticon.

Although for 60 years, it was closed and virtually forgotten.

Wow!

Here we are. So it all happened here?

Its restoration, even its very survival,

is thanks to this woman - Judith Bowers.

This, all round here, it makes me think of a ship.

This is almost like a galleried stern up here.

Well, it certainly has a lot of shipbuilding behind it,

because it was moonlighting shipbuilders that built the balcony itself.

Oh, right. Aha!

Founded in 1857, the Britannia was an instant success,

with more than a thousand of Glasgow's East Enders

crammed in four times a day to see saucy dancing girls,

singers and comic turns.

It was closed temporarily in 1905 because everybody was leaving

the old Victorian musical halls to go to the newfangled variety theatres.

-Right.

-And during its closure, they modified the building

by converting the attic into a rooftop carnival,

waxworks and freak show,

and the basement under the public house into a zoo with animal cages.

-Right, to try and get a wider audience?

-Yes.

And that is why it became known as Panopticon -

"pan" meaning everything, "opti", to see.

All in one building. That was very clever thinking, wasn't it?

One third of our audience was boys aged between nine and 13.

And their favourite sport was to try and wee over the top of the balcony

and hit the comic on the stage below.

Oh, my word!

There's a great story from 1904 about the ladies' orchestra

that used to sit underneath the balcony.

And they apparently used to pray before going into the orchestra bar

that the boys above had full bladders.

Because if they didn't, they didn't have enough pressure to hit the actor

-and it would trickle down to them instead.

-Oh, my word!

-Oh, that's ghastly!

-Pretty rough house!

But one performer not intimidated by this tough Glasgow audience

was a 16-year-old Stan Laurel, who made his world debut right here.

Stan managed to make it through one joke and, apparently,

the audience thought it was pretty awful.

So Stan apparently started to make his exit from the stage,

so he took off his dad's best hat to take a bow,

but as he did so, he fumbled it

and dropped it in a kind of familiar today, Stan Laurel fashion.

And the audience started to titter.

He stepped forward to collect the hat

and he kicked it into the orchestra bar instead.

The audience tittered a little bit louder.

He's now sidestepping off the stage, and the stage manager,

George, came on with the stage hook to get the trapeze bar down.

The hook caught in the back of Stan's dad's best frock coat

and tore it clean up the back.

And that was it.

The audience was in absolute hysterics and the rest,

as they say, is history.

By the 1930s, music halls were closing

and cinema was taking its place.

In fact, Glasgow had more cinemas per head of population

than any other European city.

Having been closed since 1938,

the venue finally reopened its doors in 2003

as the Britannia Panopticon.

So, really, this is all down to you?

Well, and a stalwart bunch of volunteers as well.

You should be extremely proud of this,

because this is a wonderful piece of Glasgow's heritage, isn't it?

Judith, thank you so much. It's been such a treat.

Auction time is looming,

but Glasgow offers our experts one last shopping opportunity.

Ruthven Mews comprises 11 individual antiques stores in one arcade.

So, Catherine and Philip should be spoiled for choice.

What I wanted to look at were the truncheon, which is there...

I think that's purely ceremonial,

because it's had a painted handle, hasn't it?

And it's had VR there, which is Victoria Regina.

In the Victorian era,

the policeman's truncheon was essentially his warrant card,

as the Royal Crest attached to it indicated his authority.

And when said truncheon left official service,

often with the person who used it, the Crest was sometimes removed.

So I'd quite like that, really.

But I'm thinking... Can I have a look at the bell as well, please?

And I'll tell you what I'm thinking.

Well, this would be the same date as this, wouldn't it?

I think it could be a similar sort of date. 100 years ago, anyway.

-Yes, sort of 1880, something like that.

-I think so.

I think, at auction, that that is between £15 and £25 worth.

And I think that is between £30 and £50 worth.

-I'd like to give you 50 quid the two.

-I wouldn't like to take it, though!

Well, I appreciate that,

but life's full of imponderable negotiations, isn't it?

I'll take 55 for the two.

Can I toss you for it? Because I always win if I toss for it.

OK, 50 or 60.

My goodness, Philip's lost for words! Though not for long.

So, the best I can give you is 50 quid.

And I'd love to buy it for that, but I can't give you any more, really.

Call it 55, I would just do a deal at that.

That's a good reduction on them.

-If you can say 50, I'll have them off you now.

-Go on, then.

You're a gentleman, sir! Can you count that out?

I think there's probably just 50 quid there.

-Exactly. You had it all planned!

-Right. Thank you.

And whilst Philip embraces the long arm of the law,

Catherine's about to hit the bottle.

Stephen, hello. I'm just wondering about this here.

I'm interested in your little hip flask there.

Is that silver plate on the top?

I think it is. But it's a little cup, a little telescopic cup.

-Yeah, that intrigues me.

-Quite unusual.

So when you say it's telescopic? Oh, that's quite nice, isn't it?

So you could have more than you bargained for!

What could you do on that?

£20. Can you do 15 on it?

I'll stick at 20.

-Can we meet halfway and say 18?

-I'll stick at 20. It's a nice thing.

I'm happy with that. I think that's a fair price.

Now, from a fair price to a fair cop.

Philip's found something nautical, but nice.

-Now, I can't sell ivory unless it's pre-1947.

-It's 19th century.

-I would think it's 1850, 1860?

-Something like that.

A 19th-century sailor's sat-nav, isn't it?

You'd have been on your vessel, going around Cape Horn or wherever,

-and you'd have had your various charts out.

-That's right.

And this would have been used to work out or plot where you were

-and what your route is.

-That's right.

-It's 75, is it?

-What's the best you can do on that?

-I could do a bit more on that.

I could do it for 45.

For this game, I've got to try and give you 30 quid for it.

Why don't we split the difference and make it 35?

I'll give you £30 for it, that's what I'll do,

-because I think it's fascinating.

-OK.

And the real fun thing is that that's really Catherine's thing.

I've only got one worry, and that's, like...

Catherine Southon is, you know, a well-known expert

in sort of marine and scientific instruments.

And this was six inches under her nose. Why didn't she buy it?

I hope it's not worrying time!

Thank you ever so much.

Shopping done, our experts can postpone their auction showdown no longer.

Catherine rolled up her sleeves, got stuck in,

and spent just £51.50 on four auction lots.

The '60s Bush radio, the bargain wooden box planes,

the Captain Fields parallel rule with the iron dividers,

and the hip flask with telescopic cup.

Philip, meanwhile, prised open his stiffened wallet

to spent £185 on five auction lots...

..the compact kettle drum, the 19th century school bell,

the Victorian truncheon,

the ivory naval sceptre,

and the other pair of wooden box planes.

It's been a hard fought contest, but let's take the gloves off

and finally find out what our experts really think.

The radio, it's not my sort of thing.

He's a little bit concerned about the kettle drum,

it is a completely risky item.

I could be in trouble,

and if it doesn't do well, it's all back to square one, isn't it?

This could be my chance to take over.

After teeing off in Perth,

this leg ends up at an auction in Paisley.

In the 19th century, it was renowned for being the centre of Britain's weaving industry,

which is where paisley, the fabric, gets its name,

as this is where it was originally produced.

Look at that, that is stunning.

It's like a thunderbird up on the roof.

But our next and final stop is the auction house of Collins and Paterson.

I know you so well, and I know that with that drum, somehow,

that is probably going to double its money.

Oh, get in there.

And I will probably cry.

I'll lend you my handkerchief.

With the room full of canny Scots looking for a bargain,

auctioneer Stephen Maxwell is about to kick things off,

but, first, how does he rate the chances of our experts?

The star of the lot for me would have to be the kettle drum.

In for a wee surprise.

The most unusual item would be the hip flask with the telescopic lid,

haven't see that one before.

The vintage planes should sell at a price, all be it,

I wouldn't go booking a holiday off the back of the proceeds.

So, without any more ado, let the auction begin.

First up, it's Philip's naval sceptre.

I've got a horrible feeling of impending doom about this.

So, we'll start here straight in at £25.

I'm looking at losing about eight quid at the minute.

30, thank you, £30 with me, 32, 35 with me.

Any advance at £35?

Go on, then, we're selling then, fair warning, at £35, gone.

A £5 profit before commission, not the most promising of starts.

Well done.

Oh, thanks for that.

Next, it's Catherine's hip flask,

has she had a nip, do you think, or is she just dropping off?

Nice wee item, this, what can I say?

Nice wee item.

At £20 I have with me, £20. 22, thank you.

25, 28, 30 with me.

No, you're out, with me at 30, with my commission bid at £30,

any advance at £30?

On it at 32, now, for the hip flask 32 has it.

For £32.

Not quite the price Catherine was hoping for,

but a very respectable start.

Philip's next lot is up,

and I have to say, it certainly rings a bell.

For £20, I have with me £20,

with me at 22, again 25's on the net, with me, 28.

28, well done, Philip.

And we're selling it at £28.

Mmm, maybe Philip's lucky streak is coming to an end.

Could you wipe that really nasty smile off your face?

We're in this together.

Putting Catherine's maritime smarts to the test now,

her dividers and parallel rule are coming up.

A fair age, I would say, to the dividers, I have to say.

We start here, on commission again, at £25, I have with me £25,

£28 with me.

-Come on.

-£28, seems cheap at that, £28.

£30, thank you, for £32,

35's on the net, 38, £40 on there.

Keep going.

-Now I think it's with me at £42.

-Any more? Any more?

Well done, then we're selling them fair warning at £42.

Ah, well, it's still a profit, so, come on, Catherine,

pull yourself together, love.

Time to see what the crowd make of Philip's truncheon.

I'm getting nervous now.

It's a nice condition, I have to say, Victorian baton,

we'll come straight in again here, on commission at £25,

I have with me at £25, and 30's on the net.

32's back with me, 35 now is on the net, at 38 with me.

At £38 with me for the baton,

at £38.

Oh, I give up.

SHE LAUGHS

You are horrid sometimes.

Now, this should be interesting,

both Philip and Catherine have both bought a pair of box planes,

but who will make the most money?

Catherine's up first.

I really hope they've got them muddled up,

because yours were far better than mine, the junky ones I bought.

Two planes there, what can we say about these?

-This is going to be funny.

-Do I have £18?

-We have 15 here, 18, thank you.

-18, come on.

I'd love it if mine make more than yours.

25's on the net, 28's with me.

30 now is on the net, the net has it at £30, at £30.

A £28 profit, not bad at all,

but can our resident jammy old devil do better?

Watch and learn Philip Serrell, watch and learn.

£20 I have.

I really don't want them to make 30.

Do we have 25? I have 28.

Oh, no, please, don't make 30.

Back in, £30 on the net, £30 has a bid on the net.

Still made more profit than you.

At £30.

-Oh, oh, don't look at me like that.

-That's really horrible, Philip.

Well, you started it.

So far, Catherine has the lead at this auction,

but how will the bidders react

to her slightly worse-for-wear Bush radio?

-Still in working order, it's lot number 190.

-Working order.

It's in fine condition as well,

with me £20 on commission, 22, thank you.

25 with me, and 30 still with me, the net's out now.

30, come on.

-32, 35, at £35, it seems to sit at £35.

-Well done.

It seems to sit at 35, for £35.

Well, that's the last time I pooh-pooh a car boot sale, gosh.

Before commission, Catherine's just made £27.

That's good.

You, my love, are right back up there, aren't you?

Last, but certainly not least,

it's Philip's quirkiest purchase yet, the kettle drum.

If your drum does really well, I'm just going to be so cross.

Why?

Because it doesn't deserve to.

How dare you?!

A very attractive item here is a kettle drum here,

again, a lot of interest here.

-A lot?

-We'll go straight in at £150.

Oh!

150, I have, do we have 160?

-160's on the net.

-It's going to turn you.

180's on the net, 190's with me.

£200 is on the net, 220's with me.

-How do you do it?

-220 we are now.

No, I think we're all done, then.

-We're selling, then, any advance at £220?

-Well done, Philip.

Cor, Philip Serrell, a man marching to the beat of his own drum,

and making a profit of £120.

Inside, I'm crying.

But outside I'm smiling.

Well, what an auction,

Catherine started with £186.90,

and after auction costs, has made a profit of £62.48,

giving her £249.38 to carry forward.

Philip, meanwhile, started with £339.54,

and after action costs, he's up £102.82,

so, with £442.36 now in the kitty, he's still firmly in the lead.

I would take it off to you, Phil Serrell, you are one cool cookie.

-Not a gun to shoot me, eh?

-Not a gun, no.

You'll be fine, you'll be fine,

listen, this can just turn in one moment.

It ain't over till it's over, and there's a long way to go yet, Serrell.

Yeah, the fat man hasn't started singing yet.

-Ready?

-Left.

-Wah-hoo! I don't know why I'm so happy.

-No, I don't either.

-You made mincemeat out of me.

Keep taking your tablets, ha!

Later on, we're heading to the Borders,

where Philip's watching his pennies.

5p on the floor, I'll toss you for it.

It's superglued down.

Catherine is...

Oh, oooh.

..paralysed with indecision...

I might turn away and regret this.

You probably will.

Oh, don't say that.

..and the competition reaches fever pitch.

It's mine, I said I'd have it, and I've got it.

That's all coming up later,

but for now, we're amongst the gorgeous Scottish scenery,

where antiques experts Catherine Southon and Philip Serrell are hitting near average speeds.

Do you know, they've got their own breed of cow up here?

-You are full of wonderful facts.

-Of rubbish, yeah.

You said it.

Their mission, buy low, sell high,

and do whatever it takes to beat each other come auction time.

It's just not fair, you are well ahead, I have to beat you.

So far, Philip's 35 years of experience

have led him to make choices which are really quite mad.

There's every chance everyone else is going to think I'm stark raving bonkers.

What can I say?

But much to Catherine's consternation,

he's cleaned up at auction, not once...

-Oh!

-..but twice,

which is why his original £200

has now grown into an impressive £442.36.

I'm going to be positive and turn it all around,

and today is going to be the day.

Meanwhile, newcomer Catherine Southon has employed various strategies

in order to beat her middle-aged nemesis.

She's been feisty...

Give this poor man some more money.

Whose side are you on?

Not on yours, that's for sure!

..she's been cheeky...

Where's your daughter, does she give better prices?

..and she's been up to no good at a car boot sale.

What you should do when Phil Serrell comes up is double your prices.

Ha, but even so, her initial £200 stake

has only increased by £49.38,

that means Philip's £200 in the lead, wow.

I'm going to be seriously competitive now, Philip.

I cannot stand competitive women.

This road trip is taking us from the north-east of Scotland in Aboyne,

across the border to England,

through the Lake District and on to Liverpool.

We're kicking off in Glenluce,

a small village in the county of Dumfries and Galloway,

and we'll end this leg with an auction in Carlisle.

Without a doubt, Glenluce is the perfect place to get away from it all.

This is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Antiques farm!

That doesn't look very promising, does it?

-Ciao.

-God bless, darling.

I'll see you later, wish me luck.

Well, not too much.

This family business began in Wales,

but 23 years ago they decided to move lock, stock and barrel to Glenluce.

Today, Chris runs the show.

Oh!

I think I might actually have to buy him, he's pretty cute.

-Is he for sale?

-Oh, we could work out a price.

Right, I'm in desperate need of a bargain.

They're quite unusual there, the old slides.

So, these are the lantern slides that you drop in to the magic lantern?

-And then you project it onto the screen?

-Mm-hm.

Oh, they're quite interesting, aren't they?

The magic lantern was a great favourite of the Victorians,

originally powered by candlelight,

it projected images from fairy tales to striptease,

although there's nothing saucy here, I fancy.

They're all of dinosaurs, these are pterodactyls.

How much did you want for these?

50 on the set.

-50?

-£50.

Oh, wow.

But there's some of them can fetch that each,

we sold one last year for 300.

-Really, what was that an image of?

-Just one slide.

An erotic image.

Well, that's the thing, all these naughty ones,

-they're the ones that people want, aren't they?

-That's it, that's it.

Yeah, but that's the thing, these ones I think I'd be taking a bit of a risk.

25, that'll give you a chance, how's that?

I don't think I could go any more than 20.

Oh, go on then, we'll do it for 20.

-£20, we've got a deal on that one?

-That'll give you a good chance, that's a deal.

But Catherine's not finished yet, pate mould, anyone?

It's quite nice with the grass on it, isn't it?

I could do you £10, it would be the very best on it.

I think ten is still going to be a bit hard for me.

Am I your worst customer?

Today, so far, yeah.

Am I your only customer today?

HE LAUGHS

In the nearby market town of Newton Stewart,

Philip has found the Douglas House Antiques Centre,

with young Dave here, to help him part with some cash.

That contraption on the top there,

-would it be possible to get that down and have a look at it?

-Yeah, no problem.

Actually, it's a wool winder, priced at £50.

It's quite heavy, actually.

How do I get this down?

It was.

Oh, nearly.

Oh, now it's broken, perhaps Philip can negotiate a discount.

What happens is, you put spools or reels of wool on there,

and then they come up there, through there, on there,

and then you turn this, and then as you turn it,

-it measures, I think, the length of yarn.

-Yes.

And when you've got to the appropriate length in a scheme,

-that bell rings, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

This one is in awful condition,

because this ebonised handle is split,

the base is just gone to the dogs.

I'm going to have to be really mean.

-Really, really, really, really mean.

-Sounds like it's going to hurt.

Well, it is going to hurt, because in my eyes it's like 20 quid's worth

-in the condition that it's in.

-Oh!

I'm going to think about that, I like that a lot.

Much like Philip, Catherine's reluctant to put her hand in her pocket,

so now Chris is trying to seduce her with Lalique,

that's glassware, by the way.

-Is it Rene, or is it after?

-I think it's probably after.

It's a big old lump of Lalique, it's something you want to throw at a burglar.

I don't know about that. Rene Lalique was a French designer and manufacturer

famous for his glass creations,

from perfume bottles to chandeliers, to car mascots.

And despite his death in 1945,

the company he named after himself continues to flourish.

What did you say on that? 320.

Could it be 100?

It couldn't, the very, very, very best on it would be 130.

-Can I think?

-You can.

Inspired to carry on shopping,

Catherine's next object of interest is a very unusual paperweight.

That is a section out of the cable

that runs from Great Britain to America, the first radio cable.

That's the copper core, that's where your signal would go through.

I find that quite interesting.

I love things like this - real, real, real conversation pieces.

It could be a tenner.

Can it be five?

It can be five pounds.

-Can it be less than five?

-It can't be less than five.

-Can you polish it up for me as well, then, Chris?

-I could do.

Do you want me to go and get a bit of wire wool and just do it down?

Actually, if you could find a couple of bidders for it at the auction that would be really helpful.

Unlike Catherine, Philip is completely focused

on a very Scottish collectable.

Mauchlin is this transfer-printed little wood ware,

and this is a little money box.

We've got another bit in here, haven't we?

It's of Mauchlin new pier.

It would have had a little top glass in it, wouldn't it?

And the age of these is probably around about 1900, 1905,

I would have thought.

Named after the town it was made in,

Mauchlin was produced from the 1820s onwards

and was sold all over the world,

though production came to an abrupt halt in 1933

when the factory burnt to the ground.

I've got to come to some decisions here.

Can you take my 20 quid on that contraption?

I was hoping for 40.

I'll be wanting to bid you 20 quid again for the two of those.

-Oh, heck.

-It's a hard day this, isn't it?

What about if I give you 50 quid for the whole lot?

-Yeah, OK.

-All right?

-OK, we'll go for that.

You're a gentleman, thank you very much. I'd better count some money out now, hadn't I?

Meanwhile, Catherine's on the prowl for something off-beat.

A carved hippo's quite wacky, piece of ebony.

It's quite nice, actually, isn't it?

But he's got a comical look to him,

like he'd sort of just lie there on the mud.

I know, you almost feel sorry for him.

What do you want for this?

Well, I was going to ask you 40, but then I thought maybe 30,

then I thought probably better to ask you 20.

Ten? And we have a really good deal, Chris?

Oh, go on, then, ten pounds, you can have it.

-Yes! I think Philip would like that, actually.

-It maybe looks like him on a hot day.

So, that's three auction lots in the one shop,

but our girl still has Lalique on her mind.

I don't know what to do.

You've spent what, £35 out here?

So, if we were to say 150 on the lot.

This is my proposition to you -

£135 for everything, that's pretty good.

140 and we'll do a deal.

That's another fiver.

-Wish me luck.

-Good luck.

I think you'll do all right on it, I think you will.

How sweet.

Now, we have the magic lantern slides, the paperweight,

the hippo, and the Lalique dish.

What more could a girl ask for?

Oh, Chris, Chris?

Yes?

-You know that grouse pate thing that we looked at?

-Right?

How's a pound?

Seeing as you've bought everything, go on, then.

-A pound?

-A pound will do it.

-There we are.

-Thank you very much.

I love it here.

A good day's shopping draws to an end,

and we wish our weary experts a good night.

With the sun absolutely nowhere in sight,

our intrepid duo are once again touring the B-roads of Scotland.

Right, today I want you to just buy pretty, lovely things.

-Moi, do pretty?

-Yeah.

So far, slow starter Philip has only spent £50.

He's still got £390 resting in a wallet that seldom sees daylight.

-Do me a favour.

-What?

Don't buy anything that you're going to make into a cable.

Ha-ha!

But Catherine has been a woman possessed,

spending £141 with five auction lots ready to go,

and £108 still in the kitty.

Gretna Green! We're in Gretna Green. Shall we go and get married?

Mmm, bigamy.

So, after the ceremony,

Philip and Catherine are heading from Glenluce

to the small market town of Castle Douglas.

I'm conscious that I've got a lot of money to spend.

So spend it, Philip, break the habit of a lifetime.

Following Catherine's advice, Philip's off to the High Street.

Morning.

Lady with a duster, that's a dangerous thing, isn't it?

Very necessary in here.

So, as Anne continues to dust her knick-knacks,

Philip's search for the daft and the different continues.

What will he come up with today?

This is just a very simple cutlery box,

you put a bottle of wine in there,

and then it becomes a wine carrier to your table,

what a cool thing that is, then.

And that's what people do with these, because, you know,

a Georgian wine carrier is worth hundreds or thousands of pounds

if it's a really, really seriously good one.

He's not just a pretty face, you know.

But can he get a deal from Anne of the duster?

Well, the lowest I could go would be 30.

Can you meet me halfway and I'll have it?

£25 and I'll have it off you.

-Right.

-Is that all right?

-Yes, yes.

-You're an angel, thank you so much.

But do I get two bottles of wine with it as well?

-Oh, what are you like?

-It's a fair request, isn't it?

No, he's not off to the pub,

he's off on the scrounge at the restaurant across the road.

-Carlos, I'm after a favour.

-Yes, of course.

I wonder if I could scrounge two empty wine bottles off you?

-Yes, no problem.

-Have you got any that I could try?

-Absolutely.

-What a good man he is.

-They may be too big, if not, I'll get you something smaller.

-Look at that.

-Absolutely perfect.

-Look at that.

Now, there you are, that's what I call a wine bottle carrier.

Thank you, my lovely, take care. See you soon, bye-bye!

What a smoothie.

Just six miles down the road,

Catherine's popped in to the small but busy town of Dalbeattie,

which, despite its size,

boasts its own museum representing more than 300 of local history.

And this eclectic collection was put together by a much loved local,

75-year-old, Tommy Henderson.

-Hello.

-Hello, are you coming in for a wee look?

-Wonderful, I'm Catherine, hello.

-I'm Tommy Henderson.

-Hello, Tommy.

Chairman and the man responsible for this place.

-Are you?

-Aye, it was a dream come true.

-Did you start it?

-Yeah, I started it 25 years ago.

And the objects that you get I should think are donations?

It's all donated except this.

All the children get to play on this.

And everybody that comes in, all the kids,

and they sit on my bear as well.

Despite there being thousands of objects,

not only does Tommy know each and every one intimately...

You've got your butter pots here,

this is the shovel with the holes,

and we don't forget our wee milk bottle.

..there's usually a story attached.

One of the very first items that was handed in was this washing machine here,

by Mrs Waller across the road, she found it in her out house.

We have since discovered it's over a hundred years old.

It's hard to believe it's still working.

Is it? Oh!

Wow!

And there's the Titanic exhibit.

Because, as it turns out, the ship's first officer,

William McMaster Murdoch, was a Dalbeattie man.

If you remember in the last film,

that's the gentleman they made look like a coward.

And he was a local?

He lived a hundred yards down the road.

We know for a fact that he was a local hero,

so his cousins took the film people to task,

and we got a £5,000 apology

to say sorry to his family for defamation of character.

And the apology letter takes pride of place in the collection.

"In the minds and hearts of filmmakers and audiences all over the world,

"Officer Murdoch is one of the film's most humane, selfless,

"and sensitively-drawn characters."

-Thank you very much, that was our local hero.

-Mm-hm.

For two decades now, Tommy has been sharing his passion for history

with visitors from around the world,

and in June 2009 his hard work was quite rightly recognised

with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Services.

I didn't realise half the town had wrote in

to put me and the museum forward, I had no idea.

It was the biggest surprise in my life when the Lord Lieutenant walked in that door,

and you could have picked me up off the floor.

-Really?

-That's the first recognition we've ever had in Dumfries and Galloway.

You must be so proud of that.

Very proud.

And so you should be, because it's wonderful,

and you're a wonderful, wonderful man, it's been a real pleasure,

and thank you very much for showing me round, it's been tremendous.

Back in Castle Douglas,

Philip's happened upon another hidden gem,

also known as AD Livingston & Sons,

makers and restorers of fine furniture.

Mr Livingston, I presume?

I've never heard that before.

No, I'm sure you wouldn't have done.

Actually, the name's Kenny.

Perhaps Philip could add further insult by spending very little money here today.

These things are fantastic, aren't they?

Came out of a decorator's,

an old-style decorator's workshop in Dumfries.

Either for creating a scumble effect on painted doors and the like.

A scumble effect is when you've got pine panelling in the house,

and you paint it,

and, actually, this is cheating a bit,

-you roll these up to make it look like it's grained oak.

-Exactly.

-How much have you got them priced up at?

-Well, the whole lot is £45.

Yeah, but can you do a deal on that?

The deal would be, well...

Cos that's, sort of, like...

..let me just have a quiet word and explain how this works.

Now, what happens is, you have a price on that, £45 best price,

and it comes down a bit.

Yeah, sure, that's my best price.

£30 wouldn't buy them all, would it?

-Are you offering me £30?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Done?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-I like those.

Just as well, because with that, it's tatty bye to Castle Douglas.

Our next stop is Dumfries,

affectionately known as the Queen of the South.

It's an ancient town with a turbulent history.

Dumfries has been party to witch burnings,

and, later, Scotland's last public hanging in 1868.

But, fear not, it also has some rather nice shops.

Help!

Ha, once you do finally get inside, there's plenty to see,

but what Philip is instantly drawn to is the trench art,

and so, he's getting ready to work his infinite charm on Robert.

It's called trench art because they did it in the trenches.

-Normally, it's the metalware from shell cases, isn't it?

-Yes.

You've got one there, look at that, that's the bullet out of a rifle.

Yeah.

That's a nice, interesting one, because it's got the dreadnought,

which was the early metal warship, a cannon, and airship,

the zeppelin airship. People hadn't really seen them before the war.

And that's fascinating, look, because that's made out of a bullet.

And then this is probably part of a shell case.

Yeah, of course the significance of the date,

the soldier knew that the war started in 1914.

And that's when he did it, 1914?

No, he didn't know when the war was going to end.

It raises the hair on the back of your neck, doesn't it?

-It does, it just brings a bit of a lump to your throat.

-Yeah.

I like that one, it's dated 1916 on the back.

If you think, that the guy who made that in 1916,

perhaps for a Christmas present for someone.

-He could have been dead a month later, couldn't he?

-Absolutely.

Oh, oh, dear me.

What's the best you can do on the two?

How, how does 32 sound?

It's too odd for me, that is.

25 would sound a lot better.

Make it 30 and we've got a deal.

Do you know, I'm not going to haggle with you, I love them so much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Moving on, and now auction time is unavoidably close.

Philip's been strangely conservative,

spending just £135 on five auction lots.

The Mauchlin-ware money box and toddy case,

the 19th-century wool winder, the cutlery-tray-cum-bottle-carrier...

..the grained rollers and the two piece trench art.

As for cautious Catherine,

she went wild, spending £149 also on five auction lots...

..the carved ebony hippo,

the magic lantern slides,

the transatlantic cable paperweight,

the gorgeous Lalique dish,

and the pate mould, combined with a surprise purchase,

this 1930s pickle grabber for just eight pounds.

But can our experts muster any admiration for each other's efforts?

Quite what that copper cable thing is about,

only Catherine could do that.

Now he's making a knife box into a wine carrier.

Nah, doesn't wash with me, Phil.

She's put all of her eggs into one very French Lalique basket,

that could make a three figure profit, and if it does,

you know, then my trousers could be down around my ankles, really.

This auction's going to be interesting,

because I think I've got some great pieces against him.

Let's just hope that she's incredibly unlucky.

After starting off in Glenluce,

our hero and heroine are ending this leg of their road trip

in the good town of Carlisle.

Yes, that's right, we've crossed the border.

I mean, Scotland could be the place where you excelled,

and now it could be up to me.

-Really?

-Probably won't be, but...

-That left hand pedal's the clutch.

-I do know that.

Carlisle was once a Roman town serving military forts along Hadrian's wall,

but today it hosts an epic battle within H & H Auction Rooms.

Well, here we go, over the top.

Bring it on.

That's the spirit, though before we let the bidders off the leash,

let's see how auctioneer, Georgina Nixon,

rates the unusual items submitted by our experts.

Wool winders are not, obviously, the most desirable of old scientific instruments,

but they are quite interesting.

It does have a bit of damage,

so if you're after a wool winder, that may be not the wool winder of your dreams, that one.

The pickle grab's quite interesting,

although it's unusual to pair it together with the pate mould,

it looks like the start of a really interesting party, I think.

But it all comes down to these good people,

let the auction begin.

First up, it's Catherine's magic lantern slides,

let's hope they really do work a little magic.

Wish me luck.

-Very nice, they've got dinosaurs on them.

-Dinosaurs, dinosaurs.

What more could you want? Anyone, £5 for a start?

£5 on the magic lanterns?

Five, eight, ten,

-15, 18, 20.

-Keep going.

-My God, that is a result.

-22, are we all done at 22?

Oh, dear, a two pound profit, that won't even cover the commission.

What did you say, Philip Serrell, £5?

I don't know what you're getting excited about,

I think they just lost you money over there.

Yeah, they actually have.

On to Philip's Mauchlin-ware now,

can this Scottish classic excite the English?

Let's find out.

Oh, lots of bids.

-Lots of bids? Oh, come on.

-We'll start the bidding at £30 with me.

£30 with me, £30 with me, are we all done at £30?

Yes, I think we are.

-You'll regret it.

-No, you won't.

Yes, you will.

How can you regret it?

Now, while this ebony hippo tends to raise a smile,

for some reason, Catherine's frowning.

I'm a bit concerned that my beautiful hippo

-follows an electric golf trolley.

-Yeah.

Lots of bids on the book.

Lots of bids on the book, lots of bids on the book.

Well, that's cheered her up.

£32 in the black,

standing at £32 with me.

That's £22 profit, before auction costs,

looks like Catherine's back on form.

And just as well, her pate mould and infamous pickle grabber are next.

Oh, my heart's beating.

Eight pounds with me.

Eight, ten,

12, 14, 15.

Come on.

£18 at the front.

18, 20, it seems cheap.

I think they want the pickle thing.

At £20 at the back, are we all done?

She's doubled her money, and I think someone's a little jealous.

20 quid for a blooming broken jelly dish?

Philip's trench art now,

and naturally, he's hoping the bidders of Carlisle

share his keen interest in World War I.

£22 with me, 25, 28,

£32 at the back.

Are we all done at 32?

Oh, dear, not quite the runaway profit Philip was hoping for,

in fact, after commission it's a loss.

Mental note - don't be such a soppy old fool.

On to Philip's Georgian wine carrier,

which can also be described as...

Two empty wine bottles in a box.

-Anyone, five pounds for a start.

-Anyone.

-Ouch.

Five, eight, ten.

12? 15.

Well, someone likes what she sees.

20, £20 at the front.

But not quite enough, Philip's made another loss.

Catherine, that's not very nice, you're laughing.

You are revealing a darker side to your character, aren't you?

-Oh-h! Oh-h!

-I'm not sure I like it.

Next the auction lot Philip was quick to laugh at,

it's Catherine's little piece of transatlantic cable.

Five pound for a start?

Five pounds at the front, eight, ten.

12, 15.

That's done well, hasn't it? £15 at the very front.

-Come on, keep going.

-18, 20, 22,

-25, 28.

-Well done, you.

He's nodding.

-Are we all done at £32?

-Good man, good man.

That's a £27 profit.

Now who's laughing, Philip?

Oh, I'm getting my bottom smacked here.

Let's not go there, shall we?

Though moving right along, it's Philip's rollers.

-£60 with me.

-Oh!

-£60 with me.

-£60?

£60 with me and selling.

And just like that, the old dog fox is back.

Now, while many parts from his wool winder have dropped off,

apparently, there's still just enough to go to auction.

Lots of bids on the book,

with me at £80,

-it seems cheap, £80.

-No.

85 at the very back,

are we all done at 85?

He's £60 up before commission.

Seriously, how does he do it?

So now it's down to your bowl, isn't it?

This Lalique dish has caused Catherine at least one sleepless night so far,

but can it change her fortunes?

Oh, Phil, I'm getting really nervous.

I've got goose pimples.

Probably what you've been waiting for, it's the Lalique dish,

-five pound for a start?

-Five?

-Five pounds to my right, eight.

-I'm sorry, did she just say five pounds?

Oh, dear, someone fetch Catherine a sweet sherry quick,

I think she's going to need it.

-35, 35 at the very back.

-I can't listen to this.

50, 60, 75,

-£80 at the very back.

-This is just a joke.

-Are we all done at £80?

-No way.

Oh, 85, 90.

Come on.

Are we all done at £90?

And I'm afraid that is a loss.

I can't believe that.

That is just a joke,

that's a joke.

That is a joke.

That is the biggest joke of the auction.

Catherine started with £249.38,

made a profit of £11.72 after auction costs,

and she's got £261.10 to press on with.

Philip had £442.36,

and he's up again by £51.14,

so, with £493.50 in the kitty, the lead is still his.

Perk up.

It was tragic.

I am sure you'll be back with a vengeance.

No, I think I've lost it now.

Is this going to cost me a very large drink?

-The largest you've ever bought, Philip.

-Really?

-Oh.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

we're all at sea in the Lake District, where Catherine's risking it all...

-I'm going to live dangerously.

-Are you?

..Philip's using his sex appeal...

Oh, you're an angel, you're an angel.

..and the gloves are coming off.

Actually, that could be a very young Phil Serrell.

If he comes in here, please, don't mention that.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd