Episode 16 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antiques experts.

£200 each, and one big challenge.

Well, duck, do I buy you, or don't I?

Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques,

as they scour the UK?

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

But it's not as easy as it looks.

Dreams of glory can end in tatters.

-£60.

-Get out of here!

Will it be the fast lane to success,

or the slow road to bankruptcy?

I want to go and cry!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah.

It's a brand-new week and we're on the road

with antiques experts Philip Serrell,

and Jonathan Pratt.

Between them, they have 55 years' experience in the antiques game,

so competitiveness is in their blood.

This is the hare against the tortoise.

You're the tortoise, then?

No, I saw myself as the hare.

Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?

Philip Serrell is a hard-nosed negotiator.

I'll give you £65 for it.

Listen, I'm doing you a favour.

-£60.

-Get out of here!

Jonathan Pratt sometimes seems to lack a bit of focus.

Yes...

I don't know what I'm doing.

Good. That bodes well, then(!)

Our pair begin their adventure with £200 each,

the open road in front of them, and the wind up their tails.

Don't you just love the Lake District?

The British countryside's fantastic.

On their road trip this week, Philip and Jonathan will travel 140 miles,

starting in Cockermouth, through the Lake District,

all the way to Wilmslow.

Their first stop today is Cockermouth,

eventually ending up at the auction in Kirkby Lonsdale.

As they approach Cockermouth,

do the pair have a buying strategy?

I think sticking to the decorative and traditional

-is a good basis.

-The dafter, the better, I think.

Shops in Cockermouth, brace yourselves!

The ancient Cumbrian town of Cockermouth

is on the edge of the Lake District.

Most famous for being the birthplace of poet William Wordsworth in 1770.

Wordsworth House,

the large Georgian home in which he was born, still exists.

But, for Jonathan and Philip, actions speak far louder than words.

Time to shop.

I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to this.

Welcome to Cockermouth, JP.

D'you know where you're going?

The pair go their separate ways, on the hunt for the best bargain.

Let the battle begin.

And Philip's up with his first shop of the day.

-Morning, how are you?

-Morning, squire.

Colin, Philip. How are you?

Is it all right if I just wander round?

Course it is.

After a bit of exploring, Philip's found something

that tickles his fancy.

Not difficult.

Those fit the Serrell bill, don't they?

I think they're relatively old.

You can see where they've just retted in the rowlocks.

Can you say that before the watershed?

You can say that. It's a nautical term.

There's some mileage in these.

I'm going to give him £15 for those.

Before he tries to negotiate on the oars,

Philip wants to assess his options.

Can I have a look at that poster at the back, please?

There's a demand for old posters.

Early travel posters can make a fortune.

Is that an old one, d'you think?

Yes, it is.

It's period.

Period being how old?

-Is that 19...?

-'4Os.

-1940s?

Vintage propaganda posters like this,

by artist, John Pimlott,

would have been printed by the National Savings Movement,

in an attempt to raise funds for the war effort,

during both world wars

Oh, that's a pity.

This has got a huge rip on the right hand side.

£45 will own it.

I'm interested in buying that, and that.

Don't know why I'm interested in that. Lunacy.

£50 for the pair.

I'm going to say a bit less than that.

But, we've got a starting point, haven't we?

We've got to start somewhere.

Let me see if I can find something else.

Philip's sticking to his guns to get a good deal.

What on earth are those?

They're axle hooks, off a horse cart.

These cast iron contraptions

would have been used to secure axles to the wheel of a railway cart.

Explain to me how this would have worked, then.

That's the hub, on a cart.

Then the cartwheel slides on that spline, there,

and that screws on.

-Locks your wheel...

-..And holds it on.

What's happened to them?

They've been under water, and that's the residue of silt.

They're in there to be cleaned up.

-This is the Cockermouth flood?

-Yeah.

That must have been devastating.

It was unbelievable. Unbelievable.

You ARE very close to a bit of water, aren't you?

Yeah.

I can see £50 for that lot now.

-How about £60?

-Get out of here!

-Meet us half way.

-No, it's 50 quid, Colin.

Another look.

The cards are on the table.

Philip's leaving Colin to mull over his offer.

Has Philip's clever tactic worked?

-I'll give you 50 quid, and that's my best shot.

-Cash?

-Yep.

-Done.

-It was £40, wasn't it(?)

-£50, sir.

Naughty.

Philip's come out fighting, and has three items.

And the competition's on.

Time for Jonathan to spring into action.

Or not.

Sterling silver stamps, so that's relatively modern.

Meh.

Right, let's dive in there.

Erm...

..Phil's probably bought two objects by now.

Two broken bits of wood, I expect.

Not far off. Spooky!

Those fit the Serrell bill, don't they?

By Jove, it looks like something's caught Jonathan's eye!

Ooh! A pretty, pink vase.

This is probably Monart, which is Scottish glass.

Monart glass was made from the 1920s

at the Moncrieff glass works in Scotland

by a family of Spaniards, called Ysart.

Modern glass is fashionable, cos people can put them in the home,

put flowers in them.

Also, they can collect. It's something they can research.

They can pick it up fairly cheaply.

Marked at £65, the Jonathan I know

won't part with that much dosh this early in the game.

I'd be interested in it, but only at £40. That'd be it for me.

-I'll see what I can do.

-Thanks.

The thing about it is it's nice and honest. I know Phil would hate it.

Yes, far too jazzy for our Philip.

Dusty old books are far more up his street.

See what I mean?

He's not left that last shop,

and now has his hands on an old accounts ledger.

"The Cumberland Union Bank Book.

"1876".

Accounts ledgers, like this,

kept an accurate record

of individuals' finances,

with everything hand-written.

Colin, are we in Cumberland?

Of course we are!

-I don't travel very well, me.

-Now Cumbria.

When did Cumberland become Cumbria?

Early '70s.

This is what I really love about this business.

You have this fantastic social history, and it's all here.

I'm really, really excited by this.

If there's a Cumbrian museum,

and they don't buy this, there's something seriously wrong somewhere.

There's one price coming here, cos I've got to be mean.

I'll give you 30 quid for it.

There you are.

Whoa! Hold your horses. He's not agreed yet.

Is that any good?

Well...

Good man. This is just absolutely fascinating.

£80 down, but four items bagged.

Not a bad start for Philip.

How's Jonathan's haggling, over £40 for the pink vase, going?

I've talked to the owner.

He'd be willing to take £42.

-I'll do that.

-It's yours.

-Only two quid more than I was asking.

-Exactly.

-I like that.

I'd put it on the mantle, at home.

That wouldn't make you much profit though.

At last, it's one item down, for Jonathan.

Now it's Philip's turn to have a squiz in the very same shop.

Looks like they've got some really interesting things in here.

Philip, let us in on your secret to a great buy.

I think the best thing to do, mentally,

is wander around a shop, first,

and try and find, in my own mind, a few things I might like.

Brilliant. Thanks(!)

Which direction will he take in this shop?

The auction's in Kirkby Lonsdale.

The least you can do is pronounce it correctly. It's 'Kirby'.

We've got Kendal. Now, there's Kirkby Lonsdale.

'Kirby'. Oh, I give up.

It's £6. That's just no money at all.

But you're still going to drive a hard bargain, aren't you?

What's the best on your road map?

£5.

SHE SIGHS

£4. All right. That's it, £4.

I haven't said anything yet. Haven't said a word.

SHE LAUGHS

That's all I've got.

Fibber! You've got over £100.

£3?

No, I'm really sticking out for £4 here.

I'll have it off you for £4.

Jonathan and I can find our way round here now.

With the fifth deal done already,

Philip's on a roll,

and, back on the road, he lets Jonathan in

on what's driving him to buy, buy, buy.

I'd be happy to win.

I don't mind what happens, as long as I come first.

Having seen what the Cockermouth shops had to offer,

our pair's next destination is another Cumbrian town.

Keswick.

Nestled between the Skiddaw mountain range,

and Derwentwater,

Keswick is one of the most idyllic locations in the Lake District.

For many years, it has been, and continues to be, a market town.

In the 1813-built Moot Hall, in the market square,

is one of Keswick's most prominent buildings.

New town, new shop. Jonathan needs to up his game and get spending.

I hope there's a bargain to be done in here.

It's a bit small for me.

Is there any chance I could look at a vase, here?

(Cheers).

Gosh.

It's Chinese. Could be 600/700 years old.

Or it could have been made 30 years ago.

What struck me when I saw it down the front, there

was the colour of the glazes and the decoration

is typically old Chinese.

So, it's likely it's a copy

of a second or third century vase.

During the Tang Dynasty in China,

from 618 to 907,

a wide range of ceramics were produced.

According to Jonathan,

this vase resembles the style from that era.

What would you be willing to accept for it?

Well, I would do it for a straight 60 quid,

and that would be death on it.

I think it's such a nice item that, as a decorative piece,

it's worth that.

For me, £40.

And then, it's worth the risk, cos I could lose money on it.

£50 would be an absolute...

Yeah...

Have a think at £50. See if you can find anything else, first.

And he's off browsing again.

Come along, Jonathan.

Philip's got five items, compared to your one.

This is a Japanese cloisonne vase.

This is a vase made of copper, and then over the top,

they lay a very thin wire.

Between the wires of the pattern,

they then put in coloured enamels, which are, basically, melted glass.

The Japanese, at the end of the 19th century,

were brilliant at it. The quality of these irises is beautiful.

The crafting of Japanese cloisonne

was perfected in the 19th century,

when artist and samurai, Kaji Tsunekichi,

mastered the intricate technique of enamelling,

helping to popularise Japanese art in the west.

What's going on there?

Crikey, that's odd, isn't it?

It's like it's been in a fire.

Almost like a thick lacquer's on there.

Something has melted the glass.

So, unless you were willing to accept

£30 for it...

-Shall I put it in a bag for you?

-HE LAUGHS

I know it's damaged but, marked at £125, I'd shake on it if I were you.

-30 quid.

-£30.

-Smashing.

That's not a bad deal you've got!

My decision is to be made, whether I want to take that pot.

How much are you saying for that?

-£50.

-£50 you're saying for that. Are you SURE you're saying £50?

-I could not go any less than £50.

-You couldn't?

HE SIGHS

Come on. Decision time.

-It's worth a punt, I'll go for that, as well.

-Excellent.

A bit of a theme here. Japanese, Chinese.

I think the theme's vases, actually.

Jonathan's bought his third vase for auction,

but shopping isn't all the town of Keswick has to offer.

The discovery of a substance called wad, a pure form of graphite,

in Cumberland, eventually resulted

in the development of pencil production in Keswick.

So, where better for Philip to go

and learn about the history of pencil making in the town,

than the Cumberland Pencil Museum.

Alex Farthing, the museum manager,

will show Philip round.

I always thought Philip was a bit of an HB.

Welcome to the Pencil Museum!

I never thought I'd get excited about pencils.

Why pencils, here?

Way back in the 1500s, the story goes

there was a large storm,

and shepherds went out to tend their flock.

They found numerous trees fallen down on their land.

One of the trees had become uprooted.

Underneath, inside the roots, was a black substance.

They pulled out that black substance and thought it was coal.

They tried to burn it, it didn't burn.

But it marked their hands. Later, they marked their sheep with it.

That's a piece of wad.

The graphite is the wad, ground down with other substances,

to produce the graphite.

Can I draw with that?

You can, yeah.

From the graphite mined in Cumberland,

eventually writing instruments came into use, around 1560.

You dig up this wad,

and it started off by someone making a strip of graphite?

Yes.

-Which they put into a wooden channel?

-Yes.

How does that gradually convert into a pencil?

I'll show you these slats.

It's a slat of Canadian cedar wood.

I understand that's made...

You used to get tree trunks, slat them down.

They'd come in a specific length.

It's actually grooved,

so all the channels are grooved in.

Then you get round pieces of graphite.

You put the graphite in the bottom of the slat. It gets glued in.

The top slat goes on top, and you make a wooden sandwich.

The top gets grooved into a round. The bottom is grooved into a round,

-and they all get separated.

-I've just made a pencil.

Pencils may be an everyday writing tool for some...

..but years after their creation, in World War II,

it was a special pencil design which could mean the difference

between life and death.

The gentleman who made this pencil

was called Charles Fraser-Smith.

He worked for MI6.

And worked for the Government.

He was instructed by the Government

to come up with devices, instruments,

that would help airmen

throughout the war, if they fell into enemy territory,

to get home again safely.

Charles Fraser-Smith designed

a brilliant secret wartime tool,

which was issued to RAF pilots.

Inside a hollowed-out pencil

was a map of Germany, marking escape routes and safe houses,

as well as a miniscule compass, underneath the rubber.

If you set off into enemy territory,

you snapped your pencil in half,.

and you could then pull out the little map.

Gadget-designing genius Charles Fraser-Smith

was actually the inspiration for author Ian Fleming's character Q

in his James Bond novels.

The wonderful part of it

is they were done completely secretly.

So, in the evenings,

everybody went home,

and a selection of management came back, with five or six other people,

and produced these pencils, but it looks like a normal pencil.

Because of the war's Secrecy Act,

how many of these kits were made remains a mystery,

but it's thought that only ten remain in the world today.

It's really opened my eyes.

I'm now going to scour antique shops

to see if I can find a green pencil.

Excellent. Lovely to have you.

Steady on, Philip!

So, Philip's seen that the Lake District is the heart of discovery,

invention, and creation,

and for some, a pencil is not just a pencil.

That's the end of the duo's busy first day in the Lakes.

Time to get some rest.

The next morning, the competition's hotting up,

and the chaps are in fighting spirit ready for another day of shopping.

-I'm going to beat you by hundreds of pounds.

-Really?

Yeah!

Yesterday, the gents kicked off with a healthy start.

Philip Serrell was chomping at the bit to buy

and spent £84 on a pair of oars,

a poster,

two axle hubs,

an accounts ledger, and a map.

That leaves £116 for his second day of shopping.

Jonathan Pratt had a slow start,

but soon caught his rival up,

and spent a total of £122 on three vases,

leaving him £78 for today.

For their second day of shopping,

they're heading 20 miles east, to Penrith.

Once known as "the capital of Cumbria",

the pretty town of Penrith is in the hub of the Eden Valley.

With its central location,

Penrith developed as a market town for the surrounding area,

and the town still retains much of its medieval layout.

I think one of the shops is just there...

The gents are going head-to-head.

They're off to the same shop together - look out!

-Age before beauty.

-No, no, no, no...

And they've come with a strategy.

-You go upstairs first, and then we'll swap over, yeah?

-OK.

Sounds polite, but Philip knows that usually, the rubbish is upstairs!

-Right...

-Meanwhile, Jonathan's overcoming some hurdles,

to have a root around - just as well he's fit!

-..and the saucepan, it's all in one.

-Yeah, that's lovely, it's fun.

Ugh!

Careful!

I've got three vases already, I don't know what I'm thinking, but...

That makes two of us!

..look at that baby! Ha!

Walk away, Jonathan, walk away!

Ooh! There we go.

-It IS more than 70, erm...

-OK.

Look out, the head honcho's here to suss out the competition.

How are you getting on?

Just looking, Phil, just looking, you know.

Don't know what it is, it's like a belt buckle almost...

Don't let him put you off, Jonathan!

At last! Something pretty has caught his eye...

She's quite a pretty young lady. I like it because it's...

it's just a profile of a bust of a lady, which is very simple.

Stamped 9C for nine carat - that's good enough.

It's about 1880 in date, and they're getting more fashionable now.

-How much is this one?

-That one's 45 - it IS gold.

You wouldn't take £35? You'd think about it...

-£40.

-Ha-ha!

-Good tactic.

You must be learning from Philip. Let her ponder your offer!

-That little shell cameo of yours, you wouldn't do it for 35?

-I would.

-Well, I'll take that for £35, if I may.

-Very good.

-Thank you.

There are no ladies catching Philip's eye, though.

I'm struggling here. What about our little sewing machine, Sylvia?

That's lovely, isn't it, in its original box?

Sylvia, this isn't very old, is it?

Well, no, but it's nice, I just think it's pretty.

-It's 1960s, Sylvia.

-Do you think so?

-Oh, without a shadow of a doubt.

-And how much do you want for it?

-£22, instead of 29.

-Sylvia, I'll give you 15 quid for it.

-No, I don't give huge discounts.

-I have to make a living.

-Sylvia, it's time to change your policy.

I would love to sell you something.

Well, can you try a bit harder? This is my best and final shot.

Can I give you 18 quid for it?

-OK.

-Sylvia, you're an angel.

-I am, I know!

Are you going soft on us, Philip,

buying a child's sewing machine and giving away all these hugs?

Dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Shopping's over...

Steady, Phil - looks as if you could do with a lie-down, mate.

That's right, steady him.

The Lake District has been home to many remarkable historical figures,

and Jonathan is going to find out about one of them, in Coniston,

30 miles south of Penrith.

Brantwood is an 18th-century country house which was once the home

of John Ruskin, a Victorian who excelled in multiple fields.

He was catapulted to fame as a leading art critic of the era,

but was also an artist, poet and radical theorist -

what you'd call a polymath.

Through his love of the Lakes,

Ruskin bought Brantwood in 1871, and lived there

until his death in 1900.

Today, the house is a museum, but it is kept very much as a home,

and Brantwood Trust director Howard Hull will give Jonathan a glimpse

into the life of one of England's most important

social and cultural figures.

-Ah, hello!

-Jonathan.

-Nice to meet you, lead the way, please!

So, this is Ruskin's study - it was the nerve centre of his world.

-He came here in 1871...

-That's right, a celebrity.

-Oh, was he?

-Yes, one of the most famous men in England,

desperate to get away from the burden of fame and wealth -

-he'd inherited a huge amount from his father...

-Yes.

He'd inherited the money almost at exactly the time that he'd written

one of the most stinging criticisms of capitalism.

He was full of contradictions and he knew it.

As well as being an artist, Ruskin was a huge admirer and champion

of the famous JMW Turner,

and avidly collected his watercolours.

So, this is the cabinet that Ruskin kept his Turner watercolours in.

I think of it as the nuclear reactor at the heart of Brantwood,

because it contained some of the most precious and beautiful paintings.

A collection of Turner watercolours, I mean,

that's millions upon millions of pounds in today's money.

Indeed. Ruskin started to collect Turners when he was quite young.

It became a lifelong obsession.

Ruskin's life was not only dominated by art

but also by writing.

Writing was the instrument of all the change and activity

and commission of his ideas, and you get a picture of that

if you look at this record of the letters that came in and out

-of Brantwood, and what some of the replies were.

-Right.

It was drawn up by his secretary, and I rather like the fact

that the secretary has doodled a little cartoon of Ruskin here.

Ruskin was sent a number of manuscripts

by people who wanted his feedback.

One entry I think is rather fun - there's a lot of regrets for delay,

-and this one in particular I like.

-It says, in Ruskin's hand,

"Sending manuscript back

"with regrets for its long detention -

"(20 years)." I mean, for goodness' sake!

-Where to next?

-Right, to a place where they enjoyed themselves.

That sounds like the place to be, come on!

So, this was Ruskin's drawing room.

This was the heart of the family life.

He lived here with his cousin and her husband and their growing family.

He loved to make things and invent things,

and this room is full of it - he designed the wallpaper,

we have a wood carving from a wood carving school that he set up

in the local village, and he had his own projects

-like this one, which was the creation of musical instruments.

-Right!

This is a ziphon - according to Ruskin!

It was designed for children to learn the rudiments of music.

It is like a cross between a lyre, a harp and a zither.

-Put it on your hip, and sort of like...

-Take it away!

STRINGS TWANG

Don't give up your day job, Jonathan!

Ruskin was also an inspirational lecturer,

and was appointed Slade Professor of Fine Art

at Oxford University in 1869, the oldest professorship of art.

Ruskin was a wonderful painter. He used his art not professionally,

in the sense of exhibiting them to sell,

but in his books and his lectures - and these are his lecture diagrams.

-Wow!

-That's a horse chestnut.

There's something rather beautiful about it. There were six in sequence,

-and they're the unfolding of the chestnut bud.

-Oh, OK.

So, it's a time lapse. I consider this to be the PowerPoint

of the 19th century.

People never forgot the lectures that he gave

or his writings at the time, because they were so vivid, so colourful.

-I've no idea how this man had so much time.

-No.

-Such a busy man.

Having learned about Ruskin's life -

one of the most multi-talented men of his day -

Jonathan has a date to meet another multi-talented man,

he's called Philip Serrell.

And so he's travelling back north to Penrith.

Let's see what the boys think of each other's buys.

-You show me yours first.

-Really?

Well, the first lot is a bit of a mixed lot, really.

-There's a pair of those...

-Right up your street!

-Yeah.

..which are axle splines, off a cart.

-And to go with them, because I thought...

-You've got the ca...?

-I guess it's what you need, if you need to build your cart...

-Yeah.

-..if it rains a lot!

-I paid 30 quid for the two.

I think that could be a profit, couldn't it?

-Right...

-So, I think this is Monart, 1930s.

What did you pay for that, JP?

-I paid £42.

-Guv.

-But I like it, it's in nice condition.

It won't be when I've dropped one of my axle stubs on it.

Ooh, you meanie!

-Me next?

-Yep.

-I bought this because...

-At the weekend you like to knock up a scarf or two.

-Yeah!

Probably 1960s, but it's never been played with, has it?

-No, it hasn't.

-No, don't play with it, John.

-I love the versatility,

-I wasn't expecting...

-B-b-b-baby, you ain't seen nothing' yet!

It's good quality, but I think it could have been in a fire.

-JP, how much did you pay for that?

-£30.

-Put it back.

I thought this would be eminently useful for us,

a road map of where we are, with some of the roads we've been on.

Smack bang in the middle is Kirkby Lonsdale, where the auction is.

So, that's worth,

-a tenner - you paid five pounds for it.

-Four.

When you go out shopping again, take somebody with you.

That, Jonathan, is truly dreadful.

-You don't like it, then?

-Is it, do you think?

-Yeah.

Am I going really mad here then? I thought that was potentially...

a couple of hundred years old.

The only way that's 1710 is if it's ten past five, mate.

Oh, no! Have I blown it already?

-How much did you pay for it - you haven't told me?

-£50.

-Right, OK.

-It's in good order, and it's decorative, Phil.

Fine, OK. Swiftly moving on.

I bought that as a poster - after John Pimlott, right?

And I thought, old posters are moderately collectible, aren't they?

-It's not in A1 condition.

-This is not a time to be spiteful

-just because of what I said about your pot.

-Philip, I'm not like that.

-Was it the image, really, the guy bearing his pecs...?

-Just shut it!

-..and you thought, phwor!

-I saw it and thought, "John will like that."

-Not overly exciting, is it?

-It depends on what you like.

Not as exciting as your last pot. John, I love you - what's next?

-Ah, well, you know your jewellery, don't you?

-Well, yes.

I don't see a lot of them. Just a nice little shell cameo,

-set in gold.

-What is that worth - you know that?

I think it's worth £30-50. I paid 35 for it.

So there's a profit there.

-HE BREATHES OUT

-Is that what you do? Right...

I think this is really, really interesting. It's Cumberland...

-Smells like it's come from under the stairs.

-It's Cumberland Bank Ltd,

in about 1870 - there's the names

of a load of Cumbrian people in there, and it's just a ledger.

I thought it was really interesting, a fantastic bit of social history.

Probably a wise buy, only time will tell.

They've not exactly held back with their opinions so far,

but what do they really think of each other's buys?

On the whole, he's got these five objects, and across the board,

they're pretty unimaginative. He needs to take those big brass nuts

he bought and start wearing them.

JP, bless him, he really had a punt, didn't he?

The vase - the thing about cloisonne, if it's perfect, buy it.

If it isn't perfect, whatever the price, don't buy it.

And the vase? Well...

Either he's horribly wrong, or I'm horribly wrong.

I just wouldn't have bought that. I don't think it's Chinese,

I think it's probably European,

and I don't think it's nearly as old as he thinks.

On the first leg of their road trip, the pair travelled through Cumbria

from Cockermouth to Keswick,

a brief trip to Coniston, and Penrith.

The final destination for today's auction is Kirkby Lonsdale.

Kirkby Lonsdale lies on the River Lune,

and the town's churchyard has breathtaking views.

It's an ancient settlement, recorded in the Doomsday Book, back in 1086.

It was granted a charter to hold markets in the 13th century,

which continue to thrive today.

The boys are heading for the auction,

and it's a typical British summer's day.

Let's hope the weather doesn't put a dampener on the chaps' spirits!

No need to shut the window, you're driving next!

Will Philip's safe buys

or Jonathan's brave choices make the most profit?

James Thompson Auctioneers is a family-run firm.

They've been in business since the mid-1940s.

Glyn Thompson is our auctioneer -

what does he think of Philip and Jonathan's buys?

The child sewing machine, it's quirky, in its original box.

It's in lovely condition - barely been out of the box, I would think.

But it's still a child's toy, so a £30-40 estimate on that one.

The combination of the vintage wooden oars and the

cast iron and brass hubs, a bit like chalk and cheese to collectors,

I was sceptical about putting them together.

The Victorian 9-carat gold brooch

is sweet, but the cameo isn't of great quality.

But with the gold content, I'd say £50-80.

The boys started the first leg of the competition with £200 each.

Philip Serrell spent a total of £102 on six items

which he'll put into five lots at auction -

it's a stitch-up! - leaving him £98 in his pocket.

Jonathan Pratt spent a little more of his money, £157,

on four lots, and he has a smaller reserve of £43.

It's time for the auction to begin!

You're looking rather learned, chaps - and smug.

First up, Philip's 19th-century accounts ledger.

Interesting local lot, the 1876 Cumberland Union Bank ledger.

20 to start. 20 bid, thank you. £20 bid, 25...

25, 30, 35, 40.

45, 50, 55...

No? 55 bid, 60 I'll take. At 55, seated to my right,

selling at 55.

Game on.

Don't get used to it, it's one of many - building you up for a fall.

A decent start, with a £25 profit.

Next is Philip's 1940s' National Savings poster

by artist John Pimlott.

£30 for the poster?

Well, ten to start me. £10 bid.

The poster I'm selling, at £10 bid. 12, 12 bid, 14,

16, 18,

20 is it? I'm 18 bid.

20, beg your pardon. 20 bid, 22, 24.

£24, you're all out standing up.

Bid sat down at 24, then, selling at 24.

That's fair enough, did the job.

Only £4 profit, but a profit nevertheless.

-Your bit of cloisonne next.

-Yeah.

-I think that was a fine vase once.

-There is damage.

-Let's hope the damage doesn't lose Jonathan money.

Pretty cloisonne vase, with iris decoration.

Well, 10 to start.

£10 bid, nice little iris vase.

12 bid, 15, 15 bid, 18.

20. £20 bid, two anywhere else?

At £20, stood up now, selling at 20.

-Isn't going so well, JP, is it?

-And it's a loss for Jonathan.

Perhaps his Scottish vase will prove more popular.

671 is the 1930s' either Monart or Vasart

Scottish glass vase.

I have commission interest, I'll start this at £20 bid.

Five I'll take now, 25.

25. 25, 30, 35,

40... £40 bid. Where's five? 45.

45 bid. 50 if you like?

Get him in, get him in.

No, all out on the phone, at £45 in the centre of the room,

selling at 45.

Well, that's a nice £3 profit there.

I hate to break it to you, but after commission, it's not done that well.

Anyone out there want a sewing machine for their child?

682, the child's Vulcan tin plate sewing machine in its original box.

Ten bid. Thank you £10 bid. 12 I'll take then.

10 bid. 12. 12 bid.

14. 14 bid.

16. 18. 18 and 20 there.

20 bid.

22. 25.

28. 30 bid. 30 bid.

Two anywhere else? At £30, all done now.

Selling then at 30. 340.

Never mind, Jonathan, but yes, Philip has made a £12 profit.

Let's hope Phillip's next item keeps him on the road to success.

Nice clean example of a Bartholomew's road map.

10 to start me. 10 bid. Thank you, £10 bid.

12 I'll take, the Bartholomew's map.

At 12. 12 bid. 14.

16. 18. 20. £20 bid.

Two anywhere now? At £20. Selling then at 20.

-That was sort of all right.

-Very bright. Very bright.

Good boy.

Looks like that was a wise buy.

Now, it's time for two of Philip's items in one lot.

We've amalgamated two lots here.

714 is the pair of wooden oars,

plus the Victorian carriage hubs.

At 30 bid. Thank you. £30 bid. 35 now I'll take. £30 bid.

35. 35. 40 bid.

45. 50 bid. 55.

60 bid. 65. 70.

75. 80. 85.

JP, you've gone ever so pale.

£85 standing up then. Selling now at 85.

There's a man out there with a broken down train

and a boat without any oars. You've just made his day.

Don't lose heart, Jonathan.

Philip's doing rather well, though.

Next, it's Jonathan's Chinese, or possibly just Chinese-style vase.

Perhaps this will be the item that puts him back in the game.

£10 the globular vase. Thank you. £10 bid.

12 now I'll take. 12. 12 bid. 15. 18. 20.

22. 25. 28.

30 bid. £30 bid. Two anywhere else?

At £30 now. Selling then at 30.

My hopes and dreams dashed in one fall of the hammer.

Ouch! He didn't see that coming. Another loss.

726.

Here we are, JP.

But it's not over yet, Jonathan.

It's the last lot, and you have one more chance with your pretty brooch.

Victorian nine carat gold mounted shell cameo,

classical design.

20 to start me. The gold's worth that. 20 bid.

£20 bid. And 5.

25. 30. 35. 40.

45. 50. 50 bid. Five anywhere else?

Gold mounted cameo, at £50 then. Selling at 50.

Jonathan ended on a profit.

But it wasn't quite enough for him to win this leg of the game.

There we go. At least I've redeemed myself.

Soaked up a little bit of loss.

I will walk out with my head high now and a spring in my step.

Come on, let's go.

Which means that today the winner is...

our no-nonsense negotiator, Philip Serrell.

Having both started with £200 apiece,

after auction costs,

Jonathan Pratt made a loss of £38.10 on his items.

So for the next leg he'll have £161.90 to spend.

From his original £200,

Philip Serrell made a profit of £73.48 after commission.

So he has £273.48 to carry on to the next leg.

Auction over, so good to see Philip's always a gracious victor.

Get out of here. You better drive,

because I want to count my money in the passenger seat.

Did you leave the motor running?

Oh, sorry Phil. It's nice knowing you. See you later.

It's stuck. JP, let me in, you rat!

They're good friends really.

Until next time then, chaps.

This is the homoerotic poster.

No, not the homoerotic poster.

The Cumberland Union Bank ledger. I think that's such a great...

On the next Antiques Road Trip,

Jonathan Pratt seems more interested in browsing for clothes than antiques.

That's rather pretty. It's my colour, I think.

Whereas Philip Serrell's a macho man who's not afraid to get his hands dirty.

I'll wash, you do the preliminary dry, you give the final dry.

You two are evil!