Episode 16 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?

-Gone.

-The aim is to trade up,

-and hope each antique turns a profit.

-Well done!

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 thrash you.

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

It's a brand-new week, and we'll be bridging the generation gap

with a right rum pair of antiques experts,

Charlie Ross and Charles Hanson.

# Large amounts don't grow on trees

# You got to pick a pocket or two #

If I can be the Artful Dodger, you can be Fagin, OK?

Ha-ha! Seasoned Charlie Ross is an auctioneer of great experience

-and stature.

-Ooh, I like those.

And despite his advancing years, he's still got it.

Ah, 35. Do you have it in your power, madam, to reduce the price

for an old man?

Hot on Charlie's heels is a greener, sprightlier auctioneer, the young pretender, Charles Hanson.

The young pretender - that's what I'm often called by Mr Wonnacott.

Yeah, amongst other things!

Charles is a man who loves porcelain and furniture,

a young man with passions - a man with a dream.

I finished bottom in series one, and it hurt.

Series two, I became a man.

More than a man - I came fourth.

In this series, I want to become iconic.

Well, it never hurts to be ambitious,

but first things first, Carlos.

Our chaps begin their adventure with £200 each,

the open road in front of them, and a classic 1960s Ford Corsair

as this week's chariot.

Could you just stick to the middle of the lanes

-rather than trying to kill me?

-I'm testing out the actual wheels.

Our two Charlies will travel over 300 miles in England,

south all the way to Rye in East Sussex.

La destination du jour is Doncaster, but we get off to a fine start

at the seaside - Bridlington, Yorkshire,

is the first pin in our map.

I want a nice firm start. I want a firm start. OK?

THEY LAUGH

Bridlington grew from two towns, Bridlington Quay at the water's edge

and the old town of Burlington before the dissolution of its monastery in 1537.

The arrival of the railway in 1846 united the neighbouring towns

to become the Bridlington of today.

It's amazing! There must be six antique shops

-within 200 metres.

-It's great. We could be here all day.

In fact, Bridlington's crammed with arts and antiques,

so let's not waste any time getting our bearings.

Do I get the impression you haven't got a clue where we are?

Um, Lincolnshire?

We're in Yorkshire.

But Yorkshire is down the middle of the country.

I'm going to buy some antiques, and I'm going to thrash you.

-I'm just going to leave you.

-Have you seen any antiques shops yet?

I feel a bit lost!

Well, fortunately Bridlington's many antiques shops

are fairly easy to find.

-Good morning! Is this your shop?

-It is.

-May I look in?

-Yeah, come in.

-Thank you very much indeed.

What's this one here?

-It's made in...

-Victory.

Oh, these are great! Are they complete?

-Yes. I think it's a game.

-Oh, and it's got instructions!

-15 points. Goebbels is ten points.

-Goebbels, ten points!

-If you kill them, you get points.

-Neville Chamberlain!

Mr Ross has found Victory already, but it's a vintage card game

based on World War II, with all the well known characters.

These must have been produced either during the war

or immediately afterwards. They've never been used, have they?

How much are those?

-Only £6.

-Oh, no, no, no! That's the label price!

Come on! Did you say four?

-I said five.

-Did you? You got a deal!

Good man!

That's fab. Thank you very much indeed.

-Look! I've even got a £5 note, sir.

-That's good.

You know something I didn't do, though? Count them.

If Hitler's missing, I'm lost.

Well, Charlie, at least you're not the only one.

-Excuse me! Are we in Yorkshire here?

-Yeah. Definitely in Yorkshire.

-Thank you very much.

-Good luck.

Fortunately, instinct leads Mr Hanson to his first antique shop of the day.

-Hello, madam.

-Hello.

Nice to see you. Fine shop you've got.

-Thank you.

-A great mix and match. It's quite eccentric.

What I'm looking for are things which really are quirky,

a bit different. They might be internet-savvy.

-Right. OK.

-Have you ever seen one of these before?

Let's have a look at that. It's a gnome, isn't it?

-It's heavy.

-Gosh, it is heavy, isn't it?

-Isn't it heavy?

-Very.

It's got some age to it, as well. I would have thought around 1900.

Did you know that "gnome" stands for

"Guarding Naturally Over Mother Earth"?

So it's no wonder people shove 'em all over their gardens.

How much is he? The little gnome.

He's £50.

Yeah. If he was £10, I would jump at the chance.

If you said, "Go on, Charles. Take the gnome away for £10,"

I would say, "Thank you. He'll make a profit." Food for thought.

Here you go. THEY LAUGH

Thanks for the memories.

Whilst Charles considers a mythical gnome of his own,

Charlie's gone looking for the real story of Bridlington,

a town with a rather unique set of owners,

the Lords Feoffees. Local historian David Mooney has kindly offered

to enlighten Mr Ross.

This is the oldest part of the street, and we know that

because the building behind there, the antiques shop -

when they dissolved the monastery in 1537,

they sold a lot of the stone off for building purposes,

and you can see in the bottoms of the buildings there,

where the medieval stone is from the monastery.

-So we can date that house from about 1540.

-Gosh!

-The landowners around here, the...

-The Lords Feoffees.

I was talking to somebody who's just started a shop.

How do you afford the rent on a property like this?

They said they were realistic. They wanted a business in there,

and therefore the rent is very affordable.

That's right. I'm actually Lord Feoffee,

and it's a very ancient organisation. Now, when the monastery closed down -

-So, there IS a Lord Feoffee.

-There is.

-And you are he.

You're talking to one. I'm one. There's actually 13 of us.

-13 of you, yeah.

-And when the monastery closed down,

there was no work for nobody. The harbour was in disrepair.

The place was in a mess, and going downhill very quickly.

So these businessmen got together, and they bought the manor of Bridlington,

and these businessmen invested in the town.

This fascinating democratic system has remained unchanged

for over 300 years, where landowning citizens

become elected lords of the town for a limited period.

It's a charity, really,

and we send students away to university every year.

We have about 40 students we pay the fees,

-or pay towards the fees.

-How wonderful!

The Feoffees also maintain

Bridlington's centuries-old high street,

with its interesting shapes and sizes.

That house is 13 foot wide,

and most of the houses in the street are based on 13.

And the idea with that was that they started with a market stall,

and your stall plot was 13 foot wide,

and over the years, people built on the plot where the stall was,

and that's why the house is 13 foot wide.

-There's a lot of pubs still here.

-There's a lot of pubs, yeah.

In the old days we had two banks, a brothel and 26 pubs.

-Where was the brothel?

-Further up the marketplace.

-You must point that out.

-It isn't there now. Sorry.

-Oh!

-CHARLIE LAUGHS

-Bad luck, Charlie.

Fortunately, Bridlington's high street has mostly been a channel of progress.

The eminent 18-century architect and furniture designer

William Kent grew up right here before achieving great fame

down in London.

I knew William Kent was a Yorkshireman,

-but I didn't know he was born here.

-He was about two when he moved here.

His father was something of a good joiner and wood carver.

He couldn't get on in Bridlington, so he went down south

to London, and made his name with Lord Burlington.

Yes, Burlington. Tell me, did he design Burlington Arcade?

Actually, no, he didn't. But, whilst studying in Italy,

Kent met Richard Boyle, the Third Earl of Burlington,

for whom he would create his most famous works,

including Burlington House in Piccadilly,

which now houses the Royal Academy of Arts.

The other thing I didn't know about Burlington Arcade

is the shops are on the ground floor,

and they had the ladies of the night on the first floor,

so that what happened was, you went shopping -

your wife did the shopping, you nipped upstairs for a quick one,

and when you'd finished, off you went.

Brothels again, Charlie?

Actually, this street has some lovely arts and antiques to look at,

in case you forgot.

It's encouraging to know, from my point of view,

there's still several antiques shops here.

We live in an age where antiques shops are closing

left, right and centre.

Well, you'd better hurry up with your shopping, then, Charlie.

Heroic Hanson, meanwhile, is searching hard for...

a cup of tea.

-The antiques upstairs, are they?

-They are, yes.

-Fine.

It's quite nice having a tea room downstairs, antiques upstairs.

Wow! Hello, sir.

-Hello.

-Is it your emporium here?

-It is.

-And do you specialise in certain things, or...

Yeah, eclectic items, interesting items.

That sounds what I like. Something quirky, bit eclectic,

bit different.

What we've got here are a very nice pair

of Edwardian silver oval salts, pierced,

-and in fact they are in the Neoclassical style.

-They are.

It's evocative of the 1780s, when we were discovering Pompeii, Herculaneum.

Pompeii and Herculaneum, near Naples,

were near-perfect buried Roman towns,

rediscovered in 1599 and 1738 respectively,

stimulating a Europe-wide resurgence in ancient architecture

and decorative arts, now known as the Neoclassical style.

And these table salts, made in 1908, hark back to that style.

My guide price is between 30 and 50.

Would I be cheeky in saying "Andy can go at 30"?

£30. It's a deal.

Would you offer any small discount, or is 30 the best price?

-Between friends.

-I could go to...

Where are we? 30? I could go to 27.

If I said 26 and I said 25, would you go 25?

Go on, then. 25.

-If I said 24...

-No.

-..would you come back?

Andy, you're a great sport.

You can keep them yourself and enjoy them.

Well, I can't do that, Andy,

you know, because I've got to beat the old bean.

"Old bean"?!

What a terrible disrespect for your elders, Mr Hanson!

Now, what is the old bald eagle up to?

More shopping!

Hello! Hiya!

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you. And you?

-Good.

-Very well indeed. I'm Charlie.

-Hello. I'm Andrew.

I've come to spend some money with you, Andrew, I hope.

I would imagine, and I'm not being rude here,

that is probably as unsaleable a thing as you've got.

Absolutely. We've had it a long time now.

-It's so beautiful.

-Fabulously made.

For 30 quid, it's an absolute bargain.

Wouldn't be bad for a tenner... would it?

Art Deco silverware has those modernist, clean lines

we expect from that exalted pre-World War II period.

Food for thought, but Charlie's strangely drawn to his first love -

furniture.

There's something about that corner cupboard,

apart from the fact that it's knackered.

-HE LAUGHS

-That's an old English expression.

It's only 30 quid.

Ooh, you old tempter!

Presumably this comes out. The hinges look as if they're missing.

You get anything in this shop. You don't even get the hinges!

THEY LAUGH

Nor, may I say, do you get a back to it!

Is there anything of this corner cupboard?

Now, let's offer up the door the right way round,

and ipso facto...

we have...

the Georgian corner cupboard.

-And now it's 40 quid.

-I thought you were going to say,

"Now it's a tenner cos I've noticed the back's missing!"

I love furniture. I'll give you a tenner and take it away for fun,

-but I think...

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-You can have that for a tenner.

Bother! It's a deal. Thank you very much indeed.

-Of course, the hinges are extra.

-Yes, but I'll leave you with those.

Looks like someone might be intending

to take a restoration project to auction. Risky!

That is known as a gamble lot.

If there's a furniture restorer in the saleroom,

it's worth 30 or 40 quid to him,

because, after all, it is a Georgian piece of furniture.

But if nobody in the sale wants it, it's Hanson one, Ross nil.

Well, Hanson's not won the day yet.

But up the road, he's seeing red

with a pair of Bohemian glass lustres

and a ticket price of £70.

What we have here

are a pair of flushed red or ruby-tinted lustres,

of course, which you would set on a dining table,

or on a sideboard, with the fruiting vine.

Would date to around 1880, 1890.

I like them. They're Bohemian,

and the fashion amongst London collectors,

the trade in London, they go wild for these.

Lustres are designed with pendant glass drips and drops

to create optical effects. A candle is placed inside,

so that the light glitters from within.

But these have bits of damage.

On the strength of their decorative merit,

and the possibility that they could be 1930s,

would you accept 20?

If I gave you a really good chance of, say... Come on, Charlie Ross!

How about 25?

I think, Andy, at £25...

I'll throw the shirt in off my back as well.

Careful what you offer! Charles will definitely take the biscuit.

Charlie Ross, meanwhile, will take the teapot.

In fact, he's got a couple of items in mind.

You know you said I could have that for a tenner?

-Can I have those two for 20?

-Definitely.

THEY LAUGH

Definitely!

HE LAUGHS

You're very difficult to read, you are.

20 quid. I'll have those two. There we go, sir.

There's that... Thank you very much indeed.

And this rather splendid oak...

Well, I'd like to call it a salad bowl.

I shall sell the two items together

and hopefully make a thumping profit.

There's optimism for you!

Now Andy's got something to sweeten the deal.

-What have you got for me now?

-Two beautiful hinges.

-£10, please.

-Don't charge me for them! That's horrible!

HE GROANS

I don't know what to do now.

-I tell you what, Charlie...

-What?

-To you, five quid.

Well, I suppose it would be extremely rude if I, er...

didn't say yes.

How much is your gnome, by the way?

Gnome?

-Seriously.

-To you, £30.

Ah, it's that little fellow again.

Could Ross succeed where Hanson failed?

Other fella offered me £20. I said no.

Well, frankly, if Hanson offers you 20 quid...

it's probably only worth a tenner.

30 quid, 1920s,

cast-iron doorstop.

It's good fun. Give you 20 quid for it.

-30.

-No.

Look, I've had such a lovely time in this shop,

I will make a final offer of 25 quid.

Here we go again. Thank you very much, sir!

You are such a clean-up merchant!

And let's hope Charlie's feeling happy now he's bought half the shop.

You have just witnessed why Ross is so hopeless at dealing.

He really gets to like someone,

gets on a roll, and carries on buying and buying

and buying and buying, and then gets outside the shop

and thinks, "Why? Why? Why?"

"Why?"

Well, I don't know if you don't know, Charlie.

But now the shops are shutting and lovely Bridlington must provide shelter for our weary experts.

Nighty-night!

It's a brand-new day in Bridlington,

and Charlie Ross wants to sample just one more shop

before the unstoppable road trip moves us on.

So far, Charlie's spent £65 on four lots -

the Victory playing cards, the Georgian cupboard,

plus hinges,

the cast-iron gnome, the Art Deco kettle,

and the salad bowl,

leaving a comfortable £135 at his disposal.

Charles, meanwhile, has limped into the first day's shopping,

spending just £50 on two items -

the Edwardian silver salts and the dazzling ruby lustres.

Charles has a tempting £150 left to wow us with.

Could Mr Ross be smelling victory today?

A twinkling collection of scent bottles has caught his eye.

-I just saw these little jars here.

-Yes.

That little one there, that's rather sweet.

-That looks more like perfume.

-I think that's perfume.

That little one there, hobnail cut. Another screw top.

Little bit bashed, but when I'm that old,

I'll be a bit bashed, I expect.

But I would think, looking at all these,

they are between 1910 and 1920. They look Edwardian, don't they?

-Right.

-You know what's coming up, don't you?

I have a feeling, yes.

THEY LAUGH

What about a price for the lot?

I'd be looking for £25, and I'll throw the three glass ones in

-as well.

-£25 the lot?

-Yes.

-Do you know,

I think that is the best deal I've had in my life.

-I think that's sensational. Are you really happy with that?

-Yes, I am.

Put it there, Andy! Here it comes. Oh, dear. Have you got change?

-There we go.

-Ooh, real coins! Thank you very much.

That's really kind. Thank you. I love those!

Blimey! Do you know, I even missed some more, didn't I?

-Could I have the other two for a fiver?

-Yes.

When I tell Hanson I bought ten things for 30 quid,

he'll call me a rogue.

Amongst other things, no doubt!

But finally the road trip can get going,

as our chaps hit the highway. There's no stopping them now!

-Yeah!

-Wheel-spin!

Real wheel-spin!

What were you driving in the '50s?

In the '50s? I was not old enough to drive!

I don't know how many times I have to tell you,

I was not old enough to drive.

I was born... I'm not going to tell you. You can guess.

But I wasn't driving till...

ENGINE COUGHS

Oh, dear! Perhaps this fragile classic

needs more careful handling. I mean the car, not Charlie!

There's not a dicky.

It's not going to go. I'll give you a push.

No! Leave it. When I get up to a certain speed,

-I'll say, "Now"...

-Do you want your jacket off first?

-No, I'm quite happy.

-Sure?

-I'm English.

OK, well, just watch yourself. Be careful!

-I'm all right!

-Watch yourself, Bean. Come on!

-I'm hardly moving!

-I can't...

-Come on, Bean.

-Ah, yes!

-Push! Push!

-No, don't use the battery!

-Really?

-Take your foot off the clutch!

Oh, nearly!

-I'm absolutely knackered.

-Do you want to have a go?

So, Charlie's now leading from the front,

and Charles is bringing up the, er...rear.

-Push!

-Bean, just be careful.

-Push!

Push! That's good! I like it!

Love it!

-Oh... Bean!

-I'm not hanging around.

Hold on! Let me make a call now.

Not happy. If Bean goes, I'm on my own.

I'm lost in Lincolnshire. In fact we're in Yorkshire here.

Bean! I'm going to get Bean.

Don't worry! It's our first time together!

Fortunately the local mechanics manage to find our blighted experts,

-so they can finally get going.

-Cheers!

CHARLES AND CHARLIE CHEER Thank you!

Further down the road, a full 20 miles south

from Bridlington to Skirlaugh,

the very lucky Charles Hanson has a date with the Constable family.

CHARLIE SINGS "CHARLIE HANSON" TO TUNE OF "HALLELUJAH CHORUS

SONG: "Hallelujah Chorus" by Handel

Burton Constable Hall has existed here for over 500 years,

and is the ancestral home of the Constable family,

descended from Norman knights,

but no relation to Constable the painter, sadly.

Although Catholics themselves,

the Constable family bought cheap church land

made available by Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries

in the 1530s, and displaced an entire village of locals

to make room for these lovely, finely trimmed gardens.

The trouble with you aristocracy is, you just don't know when to stop.

When you got it, you're going to flaunt it.

I know. I just wish I had it. I've never had it.

In the 1560s, Sir John Constable tore down

most of the original manor house to create this Elizabethan mansion,

very much in the style of big 'Enry's beloved Hampton Court.

Wow! It's almost like a Hampton Court of the north.

It's just so spectacular, and before me,

there are no signs of modern homes, nothing at all.

We are caught back in the 1550s.

It's absolutely momentous.

-Ah, good morning, sir!

-Hello! David Connell.

David Connell is the director here,

and welcomes Charles into a world of opulence.

Oh, wow!

It was a parlour in the Elizabethan house,

converted to a dining room in the 18th century,

when this new interior was put in. I think it tells you everything,

when the theme of the plasterwork is Bacchus.

-Revelry, wine...

-Absolutely, yes.

..over the top. It's ostentatious.

It wasn't just the interior design that went over the top.

Some fairly strange ideas bounced around these walls in the 18th century.

William Constable fancied himself a worldly man of the Enlightenment,

with a keen interest in the emerging vogue of scientific discovery.

The squeamish might wish to avert their eyes now.

We now go into the cabinet of curiosities of William Constable.

It's an 18th-century gentleman's museum.

Anyone who was anyone in 16th-century Europe

had themselves a Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities,

and by the 18th century, many landowning families

had managed to create a room in their house

with a small collection of the weird and wunderbar

from around the world.

Some is pure science of the 18th-century sort.

This room is full of electrical machines, a rather fine telescope,

and then some of the things go off into fantasy.

William Constable tried breeding experiments,

cross-breeding chickens and rabbits,

and there's an account of him trying to do this in his menagerie.

-Cross-breeding rabbits with chickens?

-Yes, although he did say

-they all looked a bit like chickens.

-And it worked?

No, of course not.

-You stupid boy, Charles!

-Incredible.

William Constable's collection has been lovingly restored

since the 1970s, in its original display cabinets,

and is the most complete original Wunderkammer

of its type in Britain.

What got him on this way of experimenting

and trying things and collecting peculiar things, David?

Well, he considered himself a man of the Enlightenment,

and he had the time and the money to be able to do this.

It was by no means unusual.

What's unusual is this collection surviving

-into the 21st century.

-Was he a married man?

Did he have a good life? Was he a good boy?

He was going to get married in the 1750s,

but the prospective bride's father called off the marriage

because he wasn't going to Mass often enough.

He wasn't a good Catholic.

Before gaming, internet, television and radio,

a cabinet of curiosities was the must-have home entertainment system

for the very wealthy.

You know, that appears to be some sort of foetus in there.

-It is.

-Do we know what it is?

-No.

-Small mammal.

-That's it. Good description.

They imported exotic pets, for instance.

A pet monkey you could buy in London,

and when it died, you thought it was worth keeping its skull

as part of your collection. So this is entertainment for after dinner.

-Yeah.

-Ladies read, and gentlemen came and played with their toys.

Going back, 1760s,

your blokes would be entertained with these skulls and bones.

Well, I think you blokes have been entertained enough.

Bye-bye. All the best to you. See you, David. Bye. Bye.

Time to get this show back on the road.

Charles and Charlie have a further date with destiny,

and a final opportunity to bag some killer antiques.

Skirlaugh is behind us in the dust,

as we journey nine miles east

to the bustling market town of Beverley.

And, for the benefit of slightly dazed Charles Hanson,

that means we're now in North Humberside,

cows and all.

Wonderful Beverley Grammar is the oldest state school in the country,

founded around 700 AD.

Its historical alumni include infamous gunpowder plotter

Thomas Percy, in the 1570s,

and former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson

in the 1990s. Not a lot of people know that!

Still, time is marching on. Let's shop!

You want objects to talk to you, to say, "Come on, Hanson. Find me."

I find it very difficult to focus when there are so many things

in so many cabinets. It all becomes a bit of a blur.

This cocktail little desk is quite nice, isn't it?

SONG: "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

Look at this. A 1950s boat-shaped bar.

Isn't that glorious? This wonderful bowed front...

Don't worry, it's not glass. It's plastic.

If you were living in London in your really quite cool flat,

and you're a hip, happening youngster,

this would be ideal for your home.

However, we're selling in, um, Doncaster.

And, do you know what? It could completely destroy me at auction.

It could wreck me. We're on the coast. I've learned that way now.

But this has a certain style about it.

It could make 250. However,

believe it or not, it could make 20.

-I'm Charles Hanson. Good to see you.

-Good to see you.

I'm panicking a bit, because I've got about 15 minutes

-to try and find something glorious...

-Right.

..which will capture an audience at auction in Doncaster.

Have you heard of Doncaster? It's south.

Would there be much opportunity of negotiation, do you think?

-I can do ten percent on it.

-No more?

-No.

Oh, Charles! At £85, that's a big gamble.

Put this silly ship of dreams out of your head, boy, and move on!

I might just ask Chris how much this caddy is,

because it has a nice quality. Tea caddy, mahogany, 1830.

But it's a bit boring, and it's not really me.

We want to go for something... HE SIGHS

..like the bar.

I'm going to set sail. I'm going to hit those high seas.

I'm going to take on the waves...

and say, "Charlie Ross,

it's this or nothing."

Oh, dear! Really, Charles?

Really?

What do you drink, Chris - shaken or stirred?

-I'm more a pint-of-bitter man.

-Are you a shaken man?

No. I will be. Come on.

Well, I'm shaken and stirred, for the wrong reasons.

I might live to regret it. If you don't try these things in life...

For better or worse, it's too late now.

You stupid boy!

Shopping done, it's time to see what Charlie and Charles

make of each other's purchases.

-It's like Christmas!

-I love it. It's the most exciting part.

-Oh, my word! Bohemian glass!

-He likes Bohemian glass.

And, oh, they're... Oh. I wish I hadn't put my glasses on.

-Why say that?

-The quality of the gilt decoration

isn't all that it might be, to be honest.

No. They cost me £25.

-What?!

-£25, Charlie.

Going once! Going once! Hanson's away.

Oh, wow!

-Yeah, that's nice.

-It's knackered, but it could be something,

-couldn't it?

-What did it cost you?

-Ten quid.

-Oh, it didn't! No, it... Did it really?

It didn't!

Now, I bought these delightful little salts...

Why I like them

is because you've got the swags, you've got the ribbon-tied husks.

You've also got period matched-up salt spoons.

-Very nice!

-They cost me £25.

You can't buy things like that...

That's absolute... That is criminal...

-Yeah.

-..criminal deception!

There's more silver in that than £25.

-You could melt those for more than...

-I think so.

So, you bought these two together as one lot?

Well, they were bought as one lot eventually.

I just wonder whether those two have always been together.

-They have gone together.

-I think so.

-It fits perfectly.

It's a marriage, like you and I, made in heaven, OK?

But...

It might not be. This, I think, is decorative,

and the two together, you probably paid about £25.

-20 quid!

-Good.

-I bought a game called Victory.

-As you do.

-It's a card game.

-Are you trying to say something to me?

-Yeah, victory!

It is a statement. And it's 1940,

and it's original. It's full, complete,

with instructions. The asking price was £6

and I paid £5 for them.

-Tell me what you think of these.

-They're very good.

-And this is silver also, Charlie?

-Yeah, there's lots of silver.

-Will you sell them as one big lot?

-I'll have to, yes.

-What a good lot!

-But for 30 quid...

-Close your eyes!

-OK.

-I know you'll recognise this,

because I bought this in a shop where you had been,

-and I have a feeling you asked the price.

-Oh, no!

Yes! It's gnome time! Remember it?

Yes. Oh, and I was offered this, and... £50, he said to me.

-Did he?

-Yeah. How much?

-I bought it for 25.

Oh, no! Come on! HE LAUGHS

-I did!

-No!

-Yes!

MUSIC: "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion

If my father or mother had had one of those,

I would have left home at the age of six.

Sometimes, Charlie, in life, you must speculate.

-What did it cost?

-Have a guess.

I don't have a clue. I can't believe you paid money... 30 quid.

-Double it.

-60 quid.

-Add £25.

-85 quid.

-Yes.

HE CHUCKLES

We're in it together, aren't we? OK?

I think the owner of that went...

and got a little bit of a nibble.

Do you know, if you make a profit on that,

I will buy you a drink.

Wow! And just in case anyone pulled their punches,

let's hear what our chaps really think.

There's one thing about Charlie I really, really admire,

and I mean I admire -

he has the courage to just go out on a whim

and make the most ridiculous purchase.

I'm feeling a bit like the Titanic - doomed.

The iceberg has just hit me.

Perilous waters ahead!

And now it's time to set sail once more in the Corsair.

It's been a cracking first leg.

The road trip has brought us from Bridlington

through handsome Skirlaugh and brilliant Beverley,

finally arriving in South Yorkshire's proud Doncaster,

known affectionately as Donny.

It's also birthplace of actor Brian Blessed

and crooner Tony Christie.

Doncaster is also arguably home

to some of Britain's most beautiful women,

and rolling up the street today to our auction

are our gorgeous experts.

Well, frankly, if your things sell as badly as you drove,

I won't have any problems at all. Give me the keys!

I'm not letting you drive again, that's for sure.

-After you, old chap.

-Thanks.

So polite!

The Tudor auction rooms have been selling fine wares

for over 30 years, specialising in porcelain and clocks.

Today is the general sale - perfect for the mixed bunch of items

our two boys have gathered together.

George is today's auctioneer, and would like to be kind

to Charlie and Charles's hopes and dreams.

The scent bottles are OK - collectable little items,

silver, hallmarked,

and same as the salts. They're pretty good.

The Edwardian cast-iron gnome, it's a little bit naff,

is what I can see. We never know. Some collectable person out there

might be OK with that.

Um, it's got to be good, clean stuff,

like the bar, for example.

Well, at least someone likes the look of the Hanson ship of dreams.

Charlie Ross started the day with his full allowance of £200,

and spent a proud £95 on four lots.

Charles Hanson took his £200 starter pack

and spent just a little bit more -

£135 on a mere three lots.

Buckle up and hang on to your collectables!

The auction is about to begin.

My heart is going boom-boom-boom-boom-boom.

You want some rhythm and you want some action, Charlie.

First up is Charlie's doer-upper prospect,

the £10 Georgian corner cabinet, plus £5 worth of hinges.

Ten to start me on the piece of period oak.

Five bid, he says. Five bid. Any advance?

Ten. 15.

20. Five. 30. Five.

40.

Cap's in at 40.

45 bid. 45.

He's going halfway. 47.50.

Any more? Have you all done?

Well done.

-At 50. He's back in.

-Oh...

-Hang on!

-55.

-55!

Any more? All done?

At £55. The buyer.

And Ross is off to a flyer with a fine early profit.

Next we have those Hanson ruby lustres.

They might be 1920s and worth a small fortune,

but there again, they may not.

50. 40. 30.

20, on the pair of lustres. Ten. Bid.

£10 bid. Any advance on ten?

Any more? 15. 20.

20? Oh!

25 bid. Lady's in at 25. Any advance on 25?

-No more!

-Go on!

Any more? All done at £25...

THEY SIGH That's OK. I've broken even.

-No. You've got to pay commission.

-Oh, yes.

Yep! Sadly, the auction house must take its hard-earned crust,

so a break-even is, in fact, a loss.

Who do you think you're kidding, Mr Hanson?

The 1940s playing cards.

Rather nice game, that one. There's Chamberlain,

all the early greats in there, ladies and gentlemen.

Can we see 20?

-Ten to start.

-Here we go.

-Five anywhere?

You don't see very many of them about.

£2 anywhere? Two bid. £2 bid.

Four bid. Six bid. Eight bid. £8 bid.

-Profit.

-£8 bid.

Should make more. Never seen one before.

-Ten bid.

-Ten.

-That's OK.

11 bid. He's back in. 11 bid.

I like it. Come on, George!

You're all out. You're done at 11.

Well, let's hope the sweet smell of success continues.

Charlie's scent bottles are next.

Now, here we go, ladies and gentlemen.

Lovely collection of silver-topped scent bottles.

Can we see £100 to start me? £50 to start me?

Ten to start me, and I'm ten bid.

£10 bid. 15. 20.

Five. 30. Five. 40.

-Well played.

-£40 bid.

Any advance on 40? Any more? Got to be worth more.

That's a good price. Call it there.

-£40 bid. 45 bid.

-Oh, get out of here!

-Cheap. They're cheap!

-45 bid.

All done at 45!

Well played. Brilliant.

And Mr Ross comes up smelling of roses again.

Hanson needs to start catching up. His Edwardian silver salts

are the next contenders.

Can we see 50? 40? 30?

20? Ten to start me.

-Go for it!

-Ten bid.

-Come on!

£10 bid. 15. 20.

25 in the shades.

30 bid. He's back in. In at 30.

At £30... The buyer, number nine.

Well, a small profit is still a profit.

And now a little man steps forward for Charlie Ross.

Here we go, ladies and gentlemen. Look at this little fellow!

Can we see 20? Ten to start me. Five anywhere.

£2. Two bid.

£2 bid. Four bid. £4 bid. The bid's there at four.

Keep it down. We like this.

Any more? Six bid. Eight bid.

Ten bid.

Ten bid. 12. He's back in.

Keep going, George! Keep going!

Any advance on 12? Have you all done? At £12 only...

-George!

-Going to go.

-At £12.

-It's gone.

-HE GROANS AND LAUGHS

Sadly, the heavy metal gnome carried little weight

with the buyers of Doncaster.

-Oh! I feel like a knife in the ribs!

-I'm slowly back in the game.

Mr Ross has one last shot at a big profit today.

One lump or two?

Collectable, these. You've got the spirit kettle

that goes with this one,

-the rather nice shield-plated...

-They look lovely from here.

Can we see 40? 30? 20?

Ten to start me. Five anywhere? Five bid.

Lovely set. Five bid. Ten bid.

15. 20. 25.

30. 35. 35, in the seats in the middle of the room.

35, seated. Any more?

Going at £35.

Not bad, but I think Charlie had higher hopes.

Finally, it's time to raise the bar!

Or could that be Charles's ship of dreams?

This is what you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen.

-It's iconic!

-It's the retro bar in the back

in the shape of a boat. Got the anchors on it.

50. 40.

-30. 20.

-Ooh, it's coming down!

Oh, no! Anybody else getting that sinking feeling?

Ten bid. £10 bid. Ten bid. Any more? 15.

-20.

-20!

-Five.

-Five!

-25 bid. Any more? You won't get one as cheap as that.

-Go on!

-27.50.

-27.50!

-27.50 bid.

At 27.50.

Ohhh!

Sadly, Hanson's dreams of auction glory have sunk,

but I believe that the road trip goes on.

That's life, you know?

-I'm down...

-I admire you for your courage.

-..but I'm not forgotten.

-And also for your extreme stupidity.

-That's a big loss, isn't it?

-But other than that,

I'm with you all the way, baby.

So, someone has taken an early lead,

and someone else is off for an early bath.

Our chaps started today's show with £200 each.

After paying auction costs, Charlie made a small profit

of £34.56.

Mr Ross has a reasonable £234.56 to carry forward.

Poor Charles, meanwhile, made a bruising loss

of £67.35.

Mr Hanson has just £132.65 to start the next show.

Of course, it's only day one,

and there will be much to learn this week

about antiques buying and about each other.

Do you wear a gold chain at all or anything like that?

No, no. Charlie, do I look like a medallion man?

THEY LAUGH

-If you can't... Oh, your driving is horrendous!

-Sorry!

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

Charlie and Charles head for Lincolnshire,

and auction round two in Grantham.

Charlie tries for some understanding.

You really have to concentrate, put a lot of work in.

Charles tries for our sympathy.

I've had a disaster already. I've lost £80 already,

and I'm down to barely £100.

And they both try their luck on the road ahead.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]

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