Episode 17 Antiques Road Trip

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The nation's favourite antiques experts. £200 and a 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.'

-Yee-ha!

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

-Ooh!

'But it is not as easy as it looks.

-'And dreams of glory can end in tatters.'

-Get out of here.

So, 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.

Today, we are back on the road with Philip Serrell and Jonathan Pratt.

Young Jonathan seems to be taking

a lot of guidance from his older road tripper.

-I am learning from the master himself.

-I don't know about that.

You are my master, you are my guru.

Steady!

But when it comes to shopping,

Philip Serrell is a lover of all things daft and different.

And it is often the dustier, the better.

Those fit the Serrell bill, don't they?

Jonathan Pratt prefers the more traditional items

and has a real penchant for vases.

Look at that baby!

At their first auction, Philip's unusual love of oars and axle hubs

made him a decent profit of £55.

GAVEL

There is a man out there with a broken-down train

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

Jonathan's three vases didn't exactly storm the auction.

With loss...

after loss...

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

Philip's wacky strategy seems to be working a treat.

From his original £200, Philip made a profit

and now has £273.48 to play with.

Sadly, by playing it safe, Jonathan's £200 has dwindled

and he only has £161.90 for this leg of the game. Looking serious.

I'm annoyed with myself for losing money so soon.

-Can I make a suggestion?

-Go on.

-I would tend to stay away from oriental vases.

-Ah, worldly advice.

This week sees the pair travelling in their 1965 Triumph TR4

from Cockermouth in Cumbria all the way to Wilmslow.

Today, they are off to Corbridge,

with our final destination in Northallerton.

It's very pretty. It's just so different to all the other places.

-I am moved.

-Have you?

-No, I AM moved.

CHUCKLES I can lend you a tissue, if you like.

Seen as a jewel in the crown of Northumberland,

Corbridge grew from the Roman town of Corstopitum,

a supply town for the troops on Hadrian's Wall.

Steeped in history since 1827,

Corbridge was and still is well known

for quaint shops and boutiques.

Which is very handy, because our chaps need to shop, shop, shop!

This looks quite wealthy, JP.

-I don't like wealthy areas!

-No, I think exactly that.

-Wealthy areas have expensive shops.

-Yes.

Better be prepared to dig deep, then.

-Good stuff.

-Fantastico.

-Yeah.

Right, boys. Off in separate directions, please.

Philip, you go one way, Jonathan, you go the other.

-Jonathan?

-Yes, nice to meet you.

-Hello.

-Do you mind if I just...

Have a browse around.

Right, Jonathan.

The auction you are going to is a general sale,

so please bear that in mind.

I buy whatever I see.

Oh, dear. What have we got there?

This is a copy of a Scottish stoneware chair.

They made these highly fired glazed garden seats,

which were made to look like rustic, cobbled-together branches.

And normally, they are this sort of size.

I have not seen one like this before, it's quite sweet.

The downside is that the arms do not match.

It has been broken, and lost its arm.

Hence, the price is only £45.

This could be an object that might be popular.

But I'm going to put it down, because I don't really like it very much.

Carry on looking, then.

Rather pretty, actually. It's my colour, I think.

Hmm. A matter of opinion!

Philip is not having any luck

seeking out a real bargain in his shop.

-'So...'

-See you in a bit.

-'He makes a sharp exit.'

To join Jonathan. Matey, like.

What have I picked up? I did look at the little Scottish pottery chair.

Oh. You are back at that, are you?

-Has it got a price on?

-It has.

-20?

-Best price? You wouldn't take 15?

-I can't take 15, no. No.

-18?

-Go on then, yes.

-'That was a rapid change of heart!'

-'What a pretty thing.'

-Philip has just arrived. I didn't realise.

-He is coming this way.

-Make sure you leave something, JP.

-I've left you stuff, don't worry.

-For a poor unsuspecting auctioneer.

Who are you kidding, Philip?

Are you nursing something, JP?

-I'm starting to model myself on you, Phil.

-Get out of here!

Ha-ha! Right, Jonathan,

it's time due to settle up for what I think is a chair up your jumper.

That's it. Now, zip up.

That's one down. I'm going to leave Phil to it, and pop over the road.

And Philip is not wasting any time.

That little ashtray in the bottom, how much is he?

It has got £78 on it.

This is by Robert Thompson of Kilburn

and he was known as Mouseman.

He was known as Mouseman because when he started working,

making furniture, he reckoned he was as poor as church mice

and so his trademark was to put this little mouse carving

on chairs and everything else he did.

-What is this, 30 years old?

-Probably, yes.

It is one of the slightly later ones,

but a lot of people prefer that,

because that is more accessible to them.

It is not hundreds of pounds, is it?

What is the very best you can do on that?

£50 would be the absolute bottom line.

While Philip has a think about the ashtray, a Mauchline ware inkwell

with a jockey hat design has also caught his eye.

And it is made of wood.

-Is that...what is that hole for?

-I think it would be for a quill pen.

Northallerton. Yorkshire.

Yes, that's where the auction is.

Not too far away from Midland.

And Midland is a massive racehorse centre where they train racehorses.

I'm thinking that that little jockey's cap,

and that hoof, that might do OK there.

It is hardly Philip Serrell wacky and weird, is it?

-What's the best you could do it for, for me?

-What has it got on it?

-You've got 75, which...

-50 would be the best.

-The very best you can do on that is 50? No better at all?

-45?

I am torn now, between two things.

If I just bought the Mouseman, could you do the Mouseman for 45?

-OK. 45.

-All right, thank you very much. Let me get some money out.

There you are, my love. So there is your 45. Thank you.

What about the jockey inkwell?

Let me just think about this little chap. What did you say that was?

-45 was the absolute best.

-Oh, I'm going to go for broke here.

Two more items bought then, Philip, both wooden.

Have I put all my eggs in one big wooden basket?

Oh well, we will find out, won't we?

We certainly will.

Jonathan was also unsuccessful in the shop across the road,

but he is still hiding his last purchase from the curious Philip.

What have you bought?

-Just some sandwiches.

-Sandwiches? I am feeling a bit peckish.

Well, you'll have to look at them later.

-Really?

-Yes.

Paltry buying in Corbridge now over, so back on the road.

-Sandwiches are in here, are they?

-Get off!

-You just slapped my knee.

Nice!

Both chaps are now heading East

to the Newcastle upon Tyne suburb of Jesmond

18 miles away.

Considered to be one of the more affluent residential suburbs,

so where better for more buying?

Jonathan, however, is not stopping here.

He is off to the theatre, darling.

But drops Philip off to carry on his spending.

-Good luck, Philip.

-Yes.

-I'm off to tread the boards.

-Enjoy the theatre, dear boy.

-Thank you very much.

-Bye, drive safely.

Yeah.

Hello!

Hello! Now, this shop doesn't exactly smack

of the Serrell weird and wacky.

Does that look familiar?

Seen anything you like, Philip?

Well, we've got five Royal Worcester plates.

And the greatest exponent of painting these flowers

on Worcester porcelain was a man called Edward Raby.

And prior to 1900, the Worcester porcelain factory,

they did not let their painters sign their work. Edward Raby had a bit

of an ego and he used to work his monogram in, ER, into the foliage.

So you could pick that up, and look at it for a week,

and not see a thing.

And then on the eighth day, lo and behold,

you would see his monogram ER.

-When you have found that, it adds £100, doesn't it?

-Of course, yes.

The flowers on this set are in the style

of an Edward Raby design.

But sadly, his trademark signature is nowhere to be seen.

-You've got five.

-Yes. An odd number.

-So, I could buy one of those off you?

-You could, that's a good idea.

-Yeah. And I'm probably doing you a favour.

-Of course.

-Even numbers sell better.

-It is a more saleable set.

-No, that is true.

Now, when do you want the sob story about the bad luck

I have been having lately?

-Really?

-What can you do it for?

-They average just over £30 each.

I think I've go to try and buy that for £20.

-You can have it for £22.50.

-I'm going to buy that one off you.

Awfully traditional. Are you changing your game-plan, Phil?

-Thank you.

-'While Philip is off to another shop,'

Jonathan is heading two miles down the road

to just outside Newcastle's city walls for a more theatrical affair.

Newcastle began as a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall,

but today it is one of the largest cities in England.

Situated north of the River Tyne,

one of its most iconic views is of the seven bridges.

And the city wonderfully combines

its industrial heritage with impressive modern architecture.

The Journal Tyne Theatre,

first known simply as the Tyne Theatre, opened its doors in 1867.

One of the region's best-loved entertainment venues,

and one of the oldest working Victorian theatres in the world.

It is now looked after

by the Tyne Theatre and Opera House Preservation Trust

and their consultant Brian Debnam will show Jonathan around.

-Hello, Brian. Jonathan Pratt.

-Good to see you. Come in.

First time I've been through a stage door.

On his arrival, Jonathan is soon following in some famous footsteps.

-Oscar Wilde lectured here. William Gladstone...

-He lectured here? Wow.

-Sarah Bernhardt.

-Oh, yes. Of course.

All the great nineteenth-century stars. And behind you...

is a picture of the theatre as it might have been during

the 1880s, showing how they used to get 3,000 people in this theatre.

-It seats 1,100 people today, for safety reasons.

-But you can see,

on the top tier there, there are people hanging over the edge of!

There is a huge amount of standing at the back of each balcony level.

The Victorians were smaller.

Obviously not as in love with health and safety as we are.

I am yet to go in here so this is building it up now.

I don't think you're going to be disappointed.

Time to raise the curtain.

And...there we go.

Makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

The impressive, lavishly decorated auditorium within this Grade 1

listed building was in fact the social hub for the local community.

They built the theatre outside the city walls

so that they did not need a licence from the city council.

Built out here among the pubs and whorehouses,

in the rough area of town. It has always been a people's theatre.

The Theatre Royal was where the posh people went.

The theatre still remains very much in its original condition

despite its conversion into a cinema after the Second World War.

In the '50s and '60s, the theatre went bad,

there was more competition and they

showed sleazy movies here. Which wouldn't be naughty at all, today.

When the building reverted back to its roots as a theatre

in the mid-1970s, new stars were born here.

In the 1980s, it was a famous amateur theatre,

with big amateur musicals of the stage.

People like Ant and Dec started their career here

playing munchkins in The Wizard of Oz.

Perhaps it is Jonathan's time to tread the boards.

I'm imagining myself on my opening night

and I feel quite nervous, actually.

I will leave you now in the middle of the stage

with that auditorium in front of you for your own private performance.

Oh! To be, or not to be. That is the question.

GROANS

Oh dear. I think you're better off backstage, mate.

So, it's time to get a real sense of how Victorian theatres were run.

Jonathan is led down into the belly of the theatre,

where the original wooden stage machinery is still housed.

What this does, is it enables the stage above

to stage spectacular and extraordinary shows.

What you do is you pull back on this thing here.

-It drops the stage surface.

-Right.

You then pull this back quite violently across here,

taking three or four guys to do so.

And then wind this up and it has got a scene on it,

or it had horses on it, or it had people on it, a whole chorus.

-They all go up.

-Very clever.

-The similarity is with a ship.

-The people used to work here were often sailors.

-I was going to ask.

Because this is like calling the sail.

Sadly, despite still being in working condition,

this original under-stage contraption

is no longer licensed for use.

As I don't think we will be seeing Jonathan's name up in lights

any time soon, best he gets back to the day job, eh?

And while Jonathan may not be exactly a theatre star,

back up in Jesmond, Philip may be about to shine in his next shop.

-Hiya.

-Hello there.

Is it all right if I have a wander round, please?

Yep. Not a problem.

This place is much more your style, Philip.

Rather random, eh?

You've got a rack of woodworking tools around, I've noticed.

Yes, we've got a few lying around. Do you want us to go and get some?

Can we put all of them on there? Can I have a look at the whole lot?

The whole lot actually involves digging them out of the basement.

-They're over here.

-Will you have a look at those!

That's Geordie dust, you know.

Geordie dust!

-Oh! The glamour.

-They're moulding planes, aren't they?

-Yeah.

So you'd get a piece of wood like that,

and you'd run that down there, wouldn't you? And that...

It would be for like a skirting board.

And that there is the shape that you are actually going to mould.

I would guess they're somewhere

-between 1890 and 1920, aren't they?

-Yeah.

How many woodworking tools have you?

Probably about 15.

Are you a gambling man?

-I'm definitely a gambling man.

-I'll make an offer for the lot.

I've got to be looking at

somewhere between 20 and 30 quid to buy. Is that ideal?

I think we could do a deal on that.

Let's take them all upstairs.

The chaps head back into daylight so Philip can assess

all the woodworking tools, including the rather dusty moulding planes.

I'd like to buy the planes for 25 quid.

It's been a hard week.

Good man! Get in there.

Is there somewhere I could go and give these a bit of a wipe over?

I'll bring this one. I can manage this one.

And the executive can show the way.

Now, Philip's not a man afraid to get his hands dirty,

but he's roped in some helpers.

No woman allowed. Men-only club.

Stop messing around! Get on with it.

You never see Fiona Bruce doing this, you?

Not in a gentlemen's lavatory, you don't.

Fantastic, chaps. Those look all right, don't they?

There's 30 quid. I want £5 change

and another fiver for cleaning the wretched things.

-Thank you so much.

-I'm glad we could do business.

If we put them down there, I'll wait for JP to come.

-Right.

-Good to see you.

-So, with the washing-up done in Shiners,

it's been a successful day of shopping.

Time for both Philip and Jonathan to get some rest,

and let's hope tomorrow proves as fruitful.

It's the start of a new day

and more buying beckons.

Yesterday, Phillip Serrell got into the swing of things quite quickly

and spent £137.50 on the Mouseman ashtray,

the Mauchline Ware inkwell,

the Royal Worcester plate,

and a box of old woodworking tools.

Ha! That leaves £135.98 for his second day of shopping.

Jonathan Pratt spent - wait for it -

a whole £18 on the miniature pottery chair,

leaving him £143.90 for today.

Skinflint.

But there's a problem for Jonathan in Jesmond!

His one and only item is broken!

Hi there. I hope you can help me.

Something I bought yesterday was this little Scottish stoneware seat.

The arm has been knocked off whilst being carried around.

It just needs to be glued back on.

That shouldn't be a problem. Yep.

I've actually got a tube of glue open.

There we go. Good as new.

You're an absolute life-saver. Thank you very much.

Oh, the kindness of strangers.

Meanwhile, with four items,

Philip's cruising to Broad Chare near Newcastle's Quayside

for a glimpse into the area's maritime history.

I know JP's only bought one item,

and the consequence of that is, I can take it fairly easy today.

The River Tyne was once a hive of activity

vital to the area's wealth,

but nowadays the volume of trade there is much reduced.

At the start of the 16th century, a group of seafarers

formed a charitable guild on Newcastle's Quayside

to support the town's growing maritime community

and improve the safety of navigation.

The Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Trinity House formally began in 1505.

Its members are called brethren

and are largely serving or retired master mariners,

sea captains to you and me.

Philip's come to their headquarters

where Captain Healy, the deputy master,

will show him some exceptional maritime artefacts.

All aboard!

-Morning.

-Hello!

-Captain Healy, how are you?

Fine, thanks, and yourself?

-This is a hidden gem, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

One thing I do know

is that you've got a fabulous collection

of marine items around here, haven't you?

Yes. Not unnatural, when you think we've been here for over 500 years,

and the brethren over history have brought things back to this house,

and we're lucky enough to still have a lot of them here

and be the custodians of what is essentially a living history.

-Can I have a look at them?

-Of course. Let's go.

-Thank you.

As visits to Trinity House are strictly by appointment only,

this is a rare treat for Philip.

So this, Philip, is the banqueting hall.

Ah, that's a jaw-dropping room, isn't it?

-Dates from 1721.

-It's fantastic!

This is what we know as King Charles' chair.

King Charles was in Newcastle several times,

the city being a royalist stronghold at the time of the Civil War.

It's said that because Charles was fairly short in stature,

this chair was built deliberately high,

so that when he was seated around a table,

his eyeline would be the same as that of other people.

So that's our principal motto of the house,

Deus Dabit Vela. God will give sail.

It alludes to the ship without sail in the top of the crest.

The history in that is just unbelievable.

Show me more, please, please!

OK, so we're now going into the boardroom.

That really is spectacular.

Something has instantly caught Philip's eye.

A model of a ship, which was built

during the Napoleonic War in 1805

by sailors held as prisoners of war in Britain,

either ashore

or in the hulks of a moored ship.

You're prisoners, you're living in horrible conditions,

you're working by candlelight,

you've first got to make the tools to fashion this.

-That's not the work of one man, then?

-Most likely not, no.

It's a team of sailors.

-And made for a very specific purpose.

-Which was?

To buy their freedom and their repatriation.

The garrison officers in charge of the imprisoned sailors

would strike deals with the prisoners of war.

In exchange for a highly-skilled custom-made model like this,

their freedom and safe return home would be granted.

-It's not ivory, is it?

-No, it's not.

When you think, prisoners of war,

what would they have had access to, to make something like this?

Probably what they ate, something like that.

Yes, it's literally that. It's beef and mutton bone.

It's essentially a whole ship-building exercise in miniature.

It's the biggest prisoner-of-war ship I've seen.

It's certainly one of the largest in existence.

You have to drag me away from here.

Let me show you something totally different to this.

Their next stop - the master's room,

the private headquarters of the brethren in Trinity house,

which houses their wonderful library.

..In particular here,

books that document the voyages of exploration,

the Poles, Australasia, the Northwest Passage.

-Can I show you something else in the library?

-Yeah.

It's an asymmetrical bookcase, it's blown glass,

it's full of wonderful treasures,

but do you perhaps notice anything at this end that's a little bit unusual?

Those books look a lot darker. But otherwise...

Would you like to get closer and perhaps have a look at them?

Oh, my life! So these, are they painted?

They're painted, yes.

Well, there's a first. Philip, speechless.

It's like being in a ship, isn't it?

The secret doorway leads to the oldest part of Trinity House.

The chapel.

4th January, 1505, the day we came into being,

an order was signed for the building of the chapel.

This has been a place of worship since 1505

and is still regularly used.

Going back almost five centuries, Newcastle's Trinity House

is still very much a functioning organisation.

Captain Healy, I have had one of the best days. It's been...

well, thank you.

Having been bowled over by this well-kept maritime secret,

sadly, Philip has to leave.

How's Jonathan getting on in Jesmond, though?

With only one wobbly item, I think he needs a helping hand. Hello.

I'm looking for a sort of little knickknacks, little bits and pieces.

-Has anything caught your eye so far?

-There's a little table.

-Yes, we can look at that.

-Sure.

-I can show you that.

-This little table here?

-I mean, it's not the most stable, admittedly.

-No.

-I just thought, it's made of mahogany.

-Uh-huh.

It's got a little bit of age, it's early 20th century.

-It's like making stuff when you're children.

-Yeah.

-It's quite fun.

-It is.

You have the princely sum of £25 on there.

And I'm wondering how much...how much I might be able to persuade you?

I'm Scottish. I don't discount that easily and it's discounted.

-If you're Scottish, you paid very little money for it.

-Cheeky!

-But it's working.

-Let's go upwards from where you start.

-Make me an offer.

-Steady.

I'm going to start low

-and then we can haggle upwards, OK? £12.50.

-£12.50?

-That's ridiculous. Come on, higher.

-I wouldn't want to go as far as £20,

so, somewhere under £20.

Have a think about it.

Mm. I'd keep looking, if I were you, boy.

-Oil of a watermill.

-Uh-huh.

-It says £35. Would you take an offer on that?

-I certainly would.

I like buying pictures. They can always surprise you.

Early 20th century.

It's not badly painted.

It needs a clean.

-Yes.

-When it's cleaned, the blue of the sky will come out.

So it's like a little discovery.

The person that buys it, cleans it, see how much it changes it.

I'd only want to pay £15 for it.

Right, put your best offers on the table, then.

I'll do the painting for... 17.

I will...

Come on.

-Take the picture.

-Right.

And leave the table. As much as it pains me.

-I think you're making a mistake.

-I know, of course you do.

I'll do it for 15.

-Go on then.

-Deal. Fantastic, thank you.

Not bad. Her Scottish charms sold you two more items.

Excellent, bye bye.

Time for the chaps to get back on the road together

and head for more buying.

But of a different kind.

So, reunited,

Philip and Jonathan are heading to a market in Tynemouth.

-What I haven't told you, Phil...

-Yep.

..is the market opens at 10 o'clock in the morning

and it finishes at four o'clock.

-What time's it now?

-It's about two.

-We'd better get on with it.

THEY LAUGH

Fingers crossed, there's something decent left for you to buy.

Let's hope it's an undercover market, too.

-This is just wet.

-Yeah, let's get inside. Come on.

In fact, today's market is actually being held

in the Victorian Tynemouth railway station

and stalls here sell everything from food and plants,

to valuable antiques.

Good luck.

The boys split up. So with only two hours of buying left,

the pressure's on. Go get those real antique bargains, Jonathan.

Hello.

What is he doing?

Rather sweet with little cut buckles.

Victorian.

You wouldn't take, you know... £25 or something for them?

No, I paid more than that for them.

I think I'll say no to that chap.

-You wouldn't sell me a box of toy cars, would you?

-Absolutely.

-For?

-£10?

Call it a fiver.

Call it seven and you've got a deal.

-Call it six.

-OK.

JONATHAN LAUGHS

Thank you very much. Brilliant.

OK, I suppose there is a market for toy collecting.

Philip's also on the prowl for a bargain.

Love those clogs.

They look familiar.

-How old are they?

-Aren't they Victorian?

They've actually been warn.

They've been kitted out with things rubbing up against the heel

-and they're shod and everything.

-They're beautiful.

I'll have them if you sell them for 20 quid.

I can't because I paid 30 for them.

-I'll be back in a minute.

-Right, OK.

Might try to buy them off you for your money back,

but we'll see how we get on.

With nothing else catching his eye,

Philip's mind is still on those clogs

and he's going to offer £30 for them. You watch.

I've got to be quick, I've got a train to catch.

-Look, there you are.

-OK.

-30 quid.

-All right.

-I love you, you're an angel.

-Yes.

-You are, you're ever so kind. They're fantastic. I love those.

-Enjoy. They're gorgeous.

-Who would buy these? A doll collector?

No, just, sort of, women who've got, sort of, dresses

and they get little bits to put on.

Can I just say, I've not bought these because I collect dresses,

I have no dresses in my wardrobe.

Huh, the gentleman doth protest too much, methinks.

-Thank you my love, you're an angel.

-Enjoy your day.

Jonathan will be mad that he's bagged those.

What's he up to, anyway?

Hornsea dog.

-Really?

-Two quid.

-Go on then.

-Hey! There we go.

JONATHAN LAUGHS

There you go. Thank you very much.

Five items bought!

And I've spent about, how much, 60 quid. Get in there!

This wasn't exactly the kind of buying I had in mind.

Dear, oh, dear.

I quite like this pair here, to be honest.

A pair of decanters, blown glass, with little...

a nice rib declaration on it. People don't use these things like they used to.

-10 each.

-A tenner each?

-Yeah, and that's a bargain.

I'll be generous.

-Eight pounds.

-For each.

No, for the two.

SELLER LAUGHS

I'll do 15 for the pair. Just because you're...

you're one of the boys.

Do you know what?

I'm on fire.

If you say so.

15 quid. Thank you very much. OK.

-That's it.

-There we go.

At last, shopping complete, it's time for the boys

to head back to the warmth and dry to show off their buys.

Look this. Bit of quality merchandise.

-There we go, look at that.

-It's a little ply table, isn't it?

-It's got a mahogany veneer on it, though.

-Yeah.

-It could be as late as the 1950s.

-what did you pay for that?

-I paid £15.

-Well, that's all right, really.

Well, it's my turn now, and out of all the things I've bought,

this is just a bit dull, really.

You're not really selling it to us.

I bought it from a really nice antiques shop

and the guy got five of these, Royal Worcester plates,

and I pointed out to him that five wasn't really a set.

And he'd probably do better selling them as two pairs,

-leaving him with one over.

-That's very sensible advice.

I don't know how we arrived at the price, but it was £22.50.

I think that is probably worth more or less what you paid for it,

-but there's room for a little improvement maybe.

-OK, what's next?

-That little chap there.

-I like that.

-Stoneware Scottish copy of a garden seat.

-That is perfect.

I think that could be £80 to £120.

Sadly, it's NOT perfect.

It has got a bit of damage to it.

-When have you seen one of these?

-Well, I haven't.

-I paid 18.

Next.

A box of planes.

-And there are 17 ordinary moulding planes.

-Uh-huh.

There's three of these sort of parallel planes.

-And this one, which is a similar router.

-Some are quite collectable.

The more complicated planes are the most collectable.

They cost me £25.

Possibly perfect for a country auction.

-I've bought...

-A bag of apples.

-A little box of toys.

-Right, fine.

I gave him six quid for the lot. I was on a roll.

-That to me was the one that made it.

-Yeah.

You know, I mean he might only be worth £2 or £3.

-That's worth a tenner on its own.

-It might be.

-Fingers crossed.

-Over to you, boy.

-I bought this little inkwell

and I've no idea what it's worth.

And it's a real gamble for me in that it's a jockey's cap,

-horse's hoof.

-That is fun.

-Does it for somebody who's into horses.

JP, what's next?

Ah, what's that? That's 1900, 1910, furnishing oil pointing.

I thought it was quite charming and I paid £17 for it.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

As long as Philip's happy, that's the main thing.

Over to you.

I sort of brought this specifically for the auction in mind, really.

I paid £45 for it.

And I think in the sale, the worst it would do is lose me

a fiver and the best it might do is make me 25 quid.

-JP, last lot.

-OK. This pair of decanters.

-Can I just make one observation?

-Go on.

-They're not a pair.

It doesn't matter.

They're in perfect condition, Philip.

This is a minor technicality.

And, bulking the lot up, a lovely figure of a terrier.

JP, how much did you pay for that lot?

-If I told you I paid £40 for them, you'd think...?

-You're lying.

-Yes.

-If I told you I paid £20 for the lot?

-You're still lying.

-I paid £15 for these two.

-You're still lying.

-And a couple of quid.

You paid 17? Do you know what I'd do if I were you?

-Are you going to offer them as one lot?

-Yes.

-I'd chuck that in the bin, save embarrassing yourself.

-Thanks, Phil.

Don't let him discourage you, Jonathan.

JP, I thought these were lovely.

Oh, my word!

Yep, it's the clogs YOU wanted.

I thought those were lovely.

I thought they were lovely, too. But I thought they were expensive.

-50 quid?

-Yeah. So I put them down. I wanted to give her 25, 30.

-That's what I gave her.

-Did you?

-30 quid.

For goodness' sake! I offered her that much.

SMASHES CLOG

-Sorry, Phil.

-That was nasty, wasn't it?

I think these chaps are tired.

Anyway, moving on,

what did the boys have to say about each other's items in private?

I think this is really, really interesting now

because JP, he's gone out there, and he's spent no money,

but he's disciplined himself,

not necessarily to buy his taste or what he likes,

but he's got a real plan and strategy.

I don't know if it'll work, but that's what he's set out to do.

The chair, the little chair,

I think makes a really interesting lot.

And if he hits the right market, he could do well with it.

What about the clogs, Jonathan?

-To be honest, I don't really want to talk about the shoes.

-Go on.

Well, you know, I get asked to go around and soften up the clients

and then he goes on and takes the stuff afterwards.

I am annoyed, absolutely. She should have said, "You can't have them."

Oh, Lord.

On this leg of their road trip, the pair have travelled

from Corbridge to Newcastle upon Tyne, stopping in the suburb

of Jesmond, the city centre Broad Chare and Tynemouth.

Their last stop is the auction in the town of Northallerton.

Trailing behind, just how is Jonathan feeling?

You know, I'm sort of flailing around like an amateur. I need some results.

Set between two national parks, Northallerton,

the county town of North Yorkshire,

is the largest market town in the district.

Northallerton Auctions Ltd are a long established firm

holding livestock markets and antique sales.

Let's hear what auctioneer Tim Pennington

makes of what our experts have entered.

I think the items the guys have bought are very good.

The most pertinent one is the Mouseman ashtray,

which is very, very local to here.

I think the Scottish chair is an unusual item.

I've seen larger versions of it, but not a smaller version like that,

and I think possibly the damage and the repair may well

cap its value.

Let's jog our memories on what each expert has spent.

Philip bought five lots, totalling £167.50.

And Jonathan parted with only £73 for his five lots.

Settle down, everyone. It's auction time.

-Here we go, here we go.

-Crikey.

First up, Philip's Royal Worcester blush ivory plate.

Start me £20, straight in.

10 bid, £10 only bid. 10 bid all out.

Little money for a good bit of Royal Worcester.

At 10 only bid, 12 off the rail, at £12, 12, 12, selling at 12.

That's done well, then.

Whoopsy! That supposedly safe buy hasn't paid off.

Now for Jonathan's early 20th century painting of a mill.

Start me £50 for it straight in. 50? 30?

Well, 20, for a start. 10 bid...

You've got people there.

15... Keep going, keep going.

At 15, 18 bid, little money at 18.

Only bid all out in the ring now. At 18. At 18 bid, at £18.

And selling at 18.

I have worked it out, you know, that the less he sells stuff for,

the less commission you have to pay. That is the one bonus.

Ooh! After commissions deducted, that's not even a profit.

Let's hope Philip's box of woodworking tools serve him well.

-30 bid. At £30.

-A fiver a plane.

50, 55, all out in the ring.

60, 70, 70 bid? I'll take five. At 70 bid.

Only 70 bid, £70 and selling at 70.

-That's a bit of a relief.

-Good man, well done.

A classic Serrell.

Dusty lot turned him in a handsome profit.

Another of Philip's items,

the Mauchline Ware horse hoof and jockey cap inkwell.

Quite a bit of interest in this. £40 for a straight in? 30 bid. £30.

See, that's a result.

58. 50. All out in the ring now. 55.

60, 65, 65 with me.

I'll definitely take that.

Are you all done and finished at 65?

Ah, Philip.

-You're good at this, aren't you?

-No, lucky.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Well, that trotted out at the auction, didn't it?

Next is Jonathan's mahogany plywood table.

The occasional table. Where will you start me? £5?

5, 10, 15, 20, 20 with me on the rail.

Flabbergasted.

I'm going to cry because it's more than my Worcester plate.

At £20 only bid at 20, and selling at 20.

And he's elated with his first decent-ish profit.

-I've made profit overall so far.

-Don't rub it in.

Up now is the Mouseman ashtray, bought for £45 by Philip.

-£20 for it straight in.

-Go on.

£20 bid, bid at 20, bid 22, 22, 25, all out in the ring now.

28, 30. 30 I'm bid.

At £30 bid, a harmless price for a good Mouseman piece. At 30.

That failed, then on, didn't it?

Still going.

32, only bid at 32, bid and selling at 32.

Sorry, Phil.

Eek, a loss.

It's time to see how the assorted box of toys goes.

10 bid, at £10.

-Profit, JP.

-Yeah.

-No, no, no. Come on.

-12.

15. 15 bid.

At 15, only bid at 15.

Take 18 where? At 15, bid and selling at 15.

-Well done, mate.

-Steady, great.

I like your positive attitude.

-You're racing away.

-I am.

Uh-oh, it's Philip's pair of 19th-century children's clogs next.

-Don't look, Jonathan.

-But of interest in these.

Start me £50 straight in. 20 bid.

I have £20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45.

All out in the ring now at £45. 45 bid. 48.

48 with me. At 48 I am bid. At 48 I am bid. Are you all done...?

And 50. 50 bid. Take two.

50 I am bid. 52. 52. 52.

54, 56, against you on the rail., 58 I am bid. At 58 I am bid, 60.

At 60 against you. 60 against you, try another one.

At 60 I'm bid and selling at £60.

-How about that, eh?

-So, if you'd have bought those,

you would have made a tenner profit.

I didn't want to make a tenner profit,

I wanted to make £30 profit, Philip.

You owe me commission for my services.

They were a very clever buy, Philip.

Next, the rather random lot of a pair of glass decanters

and the Hornsea pottery terrier.

-A fiver for them.

-He's got confidence in them, hasn't he?

Three, three, five, five bid.

-At five, eight, eight against you, 10.

-go on.

12. 12 with me.

15, someone 15, come on!

£12, 12 bid and selling at 12.

So, where are you now, JP?

Oh, Philip, do you know, I'm in the doldrums.

Aha, Philip did warn you, they might not do well.

Last lot, although it's unlikely

the 19th-century Scottish pottery chair will make the profit

that Jonathan needs.

10. 10 bid. At 10, 10 only bid for it,

all out, left or right. Ten only. All out on the rails.

That's only because people don't understand it. Really.

At £10 only for it.

Are you all done and finished at £10?

A dreadful state of affairs!

Oh dear. Ending on a low with a final loss.

I want to go cry.

I can't believe it!

And without stating the obvious, today's winner is Philip Serrell.

So, let's crunch the numbers.

Jonathan started this leg of the trip with £161.90

and after deducting auction costs,

ends today with an even less £150.40.

Philip started with £273.48,

and after auction costs, now has £301.96 p.

No wonder he's smiling.

Oh, JP, where do we go from here?

Look, Philip, YOU made money.

You made money. You did very, very well.

I am still trying to learn here.

I'm sure you'll have better luck next time, Jonathan.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, Jonathan spies a few bargains.

It's quite interesting. Up on the wall.

And Philip's busy sampling the local produce.

-Good angel, thank you.

-You're welcome.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd