Episode 20 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 most money buying and selling antiques,

-as they scour the UK?

-Yee-hah!

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

-Ooh!

But it's not as easy as it looks. Dreams of glory can end in tatters.

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!

Today, it's the last dash down the antiques superhighway

for our pair of aspirational auctioneers,

Philip Serrell and Jonathan Pratt.

And their 1964 Triumph TR4 has served them well.

This shopping trip is going to be around going back to basics,

-what I know best.

-Which is what?

Which is...buy it cheap and sell it high!

That's original(!)

But let's not forget Philip Serrell is a hard man to beat,

especially when it comes to price.

Listen, I'm doing you a favour. I'd like to give you ten quid for that.

How much?!

He said a tenner.

-How much?!

-Oh, I give up.

The point is, so far, Philip's the undisputed champion

of this road trip.

He's turned his original £200 stake

into a dazzling £382.42.

Which means this is Jonathan Pratt's last chance.

Despite having great hair, he's had a diabolical week at auction,

losing money hand over fist.

# It's the final countdown

# The final countdown... #

I want to go and cry! I can't believe it!

Oh-ho! But if he wants to teach his scarf-wearing nemesis a lesson,

today, every decision, every negotiation, is critical.

After all, his original £200 is now just £152.80,

but just one purchase can change everything.

I'm still under my budget, but I'm going to come back now.

Oh, here we go again! Here we go again!

So far this week,

our chaps have journeyed all the way from Cockermouth in Cumbria

and their road trip ends with one last auction in Wilmslow,

but, today's first shop, big, bad Sheffield.

Like Rome, built on seven hills.

I suppose we ought to find lots of cutlery in Sheffield.

-We've got two footy teams.

-Uh-huh.

-We've got The Full Monty.

-Uh-huh.

-What else have we got?

Antique shops, Philip!

Antique shops - the first of which is Langtons.

Come on, then, matey. Let's go and have a look.

And there's plenty to see, for this family business has been going since 1870

and displays the wares of more than 50 different dealers.

-Wow, this place is massive, isn't it?

-I've got my mojo back, Philip.

Well, Jonathan, I'm glad to hear it,

because the Silver Fox has already spotted something that tickles his fancy.

I love me cricket.

This is the days - 1954.

These are interesting, these -

they're little facsimile cricket bats

and if you went to Lord's, Trent Bridge, the Oval, Headingley, or wherever,

you bought one of these from the shop.

This is by Gunn & Moore in Nottingham, so there's every chance it's from Trent Bridge.

And you might have paid ten shillings, as a souvenir.

There's some fantastic names here.

There's Len Hutton, Peter May, Bill Edrich.

I like those. An auctioneer would estimate those at £30 to £50,

which means I have to buy it for about 20 quid.

Watch out, Ian. The Fox is one very sly negotiator.

I'm looking for £50 on the pair.

I can't get close to that.

I want to buy them off you, but I can't get close to that.

-I really can't.

-You're offering me...?

-Like...20 quid for the two.

And I can tell just by the way you're scrunching your face there,

-you know it's low.

-Oh, it is!

£40. £40, we have a deal.

I can't do that. I'll meet you halfway.

-30 quid, that's my best shout. Really is my best shout.

-£30...

-£30 the two and I'll shake your hand now.

-I'll shake on that.

-You're a gentleman.

So, we're one purchase in.

Like that. Straight bat, left elbow up.

I think Jonathan might just get ready to make another,

but can he persuade Pauline to drop her prices?

I like these little leather hatboxes. There's no hat inside, but...

you've got a nice little liner, which is all padded.

These are actually original and nice condition.

What would be the best price on that, for you?

What have I got on it?

-I think you're asking 50-something.

-58.

Um...48?

It needs a bit of work. Um...

I was thinking more along the lines of £35.

All right, 35.

Goodness me, that was easy! Peanut butter legs!

But it's the kind of item that will propel you into the lead, won't it, Jonathan?

-I think, I...

-Well, is it?

I think... Yes, I'm going to go for that. I think that's a nice object.

Mm, decisive(!)

And just a few feet away, Philip's exploring his musical side.

So, cover your ears...

round about...now.

DISCORDANT MUSIC

I haven't got a clue what that's worth. Not the first idea.

Not a clue! Can we go and put it down...?

That's a good idea. Now, it may interest you to know

that whilst the accordion was invented in Berlin in 1822,

it actually originates from a Chinese instrument called a sheng,

which is, in fact, 4,000 years old.

-Richard, I think that's £50 to £80. What could buy that?

-80 quid?

You're getting closer to it.

70.

I'll give you 50 quid for it.

It's good for 60.

The only reason I'm doing it is I bought a concertina before and it did me proud.

I'll give you £55 and that's my best shot.

-That's fine.

-You're a gentleman, Richard. What on Earth have I done?!

Well, you are the king of quirk, Philip.

Why have I...? What have you done, selling me that?

Mind you, if you think the accordion's an unusual choice,

look at what Jonathan wants to buy -

one 1950s mannequin, being sold by young Jill.

-You've ripped her arms off!

-I'm sorry, they fell off.

I wasn't so much manhandling her, I was lifting her up to see what the chair was like.

That's my excuse anyway. Anyway, then her arms fell off.

-I think there's a price on her...

-There is. It was here.

It was £45.

Seriously, he's not going to buy that, is he?!

-Um...

-40 quid.

30?

I'll be happy with 30.

32.

Crikey. Er, 32?

Oh...I'm not going to haggle. Yes, that's fine.

-32.

-£32, brilliant.

Now, does she have a name?

Does she have a name? Um, no.

-No, but you can name her.

-I was going to.

I thought we could give her a name. Maybe something French, exotic.

-I don't know why, but I thought she was a Clarissa.

-Then it's Clarissa.

Just one problem here...

pretty frock not included.

So, Jonathan needs to buy something for Clarissa to wear.

The exact thing for you. This little number.

1960s, baby doll, Marks & Spencer's.

A fiver.

-My word.

-She'll look a smart girl in that.

-She'll look great.

What do you know about frocks, Jonathan?

Anyway, £37 all in and I just hope he knows what he's doing.

# Just the two of us... #

Ooh, Philip's changed(!)

# Just the two of us... #

It's nicer having you sitting next to me than Phil. You're much better-looking.

Yeah, that's cos she's a dummy,

although, speaking of Phil...

He's off to Bakewell, renowned for its Bakewell pudding

and not, as many people wrongly assume, the Bakewell tart,

even though it's exceedingly good.

But, more to the point, the area is also home to Haddon Hall,

said to be one of the finest medieval manor houses in existence.

Today, Jo's giving Phil the guided tour.

We're coming up to part of the newer part of the building, at the moment.

-This wasn't built till about 1540.

-Oh, right.

Dating back to the 11th century, it used to belong to the illegitimate son of William the Conqueror.

Since then, it's passed through the hands of two families - the Vernons and the Manners.

And, today, after more than 900 years,

the house still stands in near-perfect condition.

This is our Great Hall.

It dates back to about 1370,

so it's the oldest part of the domestic building.

Meanwhile, this table dates back to the 1450s

and helps tell the story of a popular saying, "the upper crust".

-People didn't have plates and pewter. They ate off trenchers, didn't they?

-They did.

They ate off bread trenchers.

Bread trenchers. You put the bread on the table

and your meat onto the bread, then soaked your gravy into the bread.

-The bottom of the bread is stale, isn't it?

-It is.

-The wealthier people had the top of the bread, so they were "the upper crust".

-That's right.

After serving its owners for five centuries,

Haddon Hall was abandoned in the early 1700s

and lay dormant for around 200 years,

before the 9th Duke and Duchess of Rutland decided to embark on a full restoration.

This is our dining room, as you can see by the table.

-Fantastic cupboard!

-It is. I wanted to show you this closer,

because it is so beautifully carved.

It's one of our collection of dole cupboards,

used to share out the food for the poor.

I think they would be put on bridges, at crossroads, where people would pass by

and any food that was left over would be put in here.

If you couldn't support yourself, you took the food from the dole cupboard,

so you were on the dole.

I hadn't appreciated "dole" and "on the dole" -

-so...D-O-L-E?

-Yeah.

-Right.

-On the benefits.

-Yeah.

Last on the tour is the Long Gallery,

created in the Tudor period, in order to accommodate the latest health fad,

the thing they decided to call "exercise".

Wow.

-Make a fantastic cricket net, this, wouldn't it?

-It would!

-You could just...

-Bowls.

Skateboarding.

It used to be three rooms.

-This used to be three rooms?

-It did. Then they said, "Let's build a long gallery" and knocked them together.

-You say this was an exercise hall?

-It was, yes. Shall we?

Go on... How fast did they go?

-Not as fast as this, I don't think.

-We've got to go this fast.

Now, while Phil works on achieving the body beautiful -

and it may take some time -

our next stop is Chesterfield,

a destination that began life as a Roman fort, circa 70 AD,

and eventually blossomed into a market town.

Chesterfield is also renowned for its crooked church spire,

a 14th-Century addition which, according to one folklore,

is crooked because a local blacksmith mis-shoed the Devil,

who then leaped over the spire in pain and knocked it out of shape.

Ha! If you believe that, you'll believe anything.

A few miles down the road, young Pratt still has £80 burning a hole in his pocket.

and is thinking of giving it, at least some of it, to our Marlene, in her shop.

-What a lovely shop!

-I try and pack it with a lot of things that people could be interested in.

-Yeah.

And I like to let them have a look round and a rummage.

Mm. And, after Jonathan's had a bit of a rummage...

..he's happy to report he has several candidates for his next purchase.

I quite like this little chap here. It kind of looks out of place, but...

Little children's food bowl, your A-B-C round the outside.

They can eat all their food and get to the bottom and say, "I can see the doggy, Mummy!".

Oh, yeah? More importantly, it's 1930s and in excellent condition,

so it joins the maybe list, along with one pen and ink drawing

of the Northern locomotive, circa 1920.

Well, maybe.

P'raps?

The only doubt is they haven't signed it.

And, last, but not least, miniature golf, anyone?

I like this. This is Chad Valley.

Chad Valley is one of the big names for making toys

in the early part of the 20th century.

So, you've got nine holes, two putters,

a driver, as well.

I like that a lot, actually.

This and the locomotive and the children's bowl,

I might just buy the lot today.

Well, someone's living dangerously,

though what large sums might we be talking about here?

Um, I think the very best on that would be seven.

-I bought it with other items.

-OK.

-I think that would be a fair price.

-There's a little way to go in that.

-I'm happy with that. £7 is brilliant.

Thank you very much. The next is the Chad Valley miniature golf set.

-Tatty little box, but, um...

-Crikey, it's amazing it's still in the box.

-I think I'd like to see £10 for that.

-That's brilliant. OK.

Do you know, I can't haggle, cos ten is generous. And seven's good.

-We like to be fair.

-Thank you.

Oh, yes. In that case, there's just one more item in the window.

-This one?

-Yes, that chap there.

-Right. Nice little item.

-What would you do that for?

-I'd like to probably realise ten for that.

I really like it and I think £10 is a fair price.

So, in all, I'm going to buy three objects and they'll cost me £27.

-Right.

-Which is very good, so thank you.

-You haven't broke the bank.

-No, I haven't!

And so endeth today's shopping spree,

with both our experts rather pleased with what they'd bought.

The impression, JP, that we're... Are we both chilled at the minute?

Yes. Cos it's the last one.

In for a penny, in for a pound and I want to win.

So, not chilled at all then!

As the sun rises on the last day of the last leg,

our experts are fighting fit and raring to go,

especially young Pratt, who's all too aware that...

# It's the final countdown... #

Hopefully, I've got an overall profit out of it,

-but what I want to find is that one little thing which might be the real...

-The gem.

-Yeah, the gem.

So far, Jonathan has spent £99 on four auction lots.

With his remaining £54, he vows to give old Serrell a real run for his money.

Philip, on the other hand, has spent just £85

on two auction lots, which means he still

has £300 secreted somewhere about his person.

Don't think about it(!)

I'd like to buy something daft.

I'd like to buy something like a canoe. Or a...

-A gnu?!

-Yeah.

Mm. Today, we're en route to Matlock, source of many a canoe,

which was once not one but four small villages, where not very much tended to happen.

But then in 1698, with the discovery of thermal springs,

suddenly Matlock was a spa town.

The population boomed and 20 hydros opened their doors, using mere water to treat many an ailment.

Although today, the only therapy Phil Serrell's after is retail,

so, currently, he's headed down the high street,

past the cute little doggy, which is not in the window.

Hello, mate. Have you been left outside?

Oh, dear, that's not good, is it?

And on to Matlock Antiques,

where he's discovered something even before he goes into the shop.

You know, you look at something like that...

..and I can hear you asking, "Who's going to buy that?"

You'd want to try and buy that for £20 to £25, really.

But I have seen them at £60, £70.

They're a bit bigger, with much bigger wooden blocks here.

I'm going to go in, see what else I can find.

Well, you say that, but we all know what you really want is...

-The mangle?

-Yeah.

It's just a bit hot price-wise, isn't it?

-What price is on it?

-I'll tell you what I can get for it at auction.

In a saleroom, that's going to make 30 to 50 quid, cos it's bust,

which means I have to buy it, after commission, between £20 and £25.

I'm sure 30 to 35 would be a lot better.

Who for?!

-Us, of course!

-Let's have a think on that. Let me see what else...

-We might be able to block package it.

-OK. That's lovely.

Let me see what else I can find.

I quite like that little trophy there,

which is not a snooker trophy.

It's a billiards trophy, cos there's two white balls, one of which has got a spot on.

By the way, billiards was once a game played outdoors,

similar to croquet, and the green felt of a billiards table is supposed to represent the lawn.

I think it's a really cool little trophy.

In that case, it's back to the negotiation table.

Could you do a deal on that and the mangle?

Can you do me £25 the two?

Not really, no. I think if we say 30 for the two,

-that'd be good.

-What about if I toss and if it's heads,

it's £25 and if it's tails, it's £30? How does that sound?

-A coin, yes.

-Oh, this is good, then.

This man's a chancer and, ladies, I'd check that coin, if I were you.

-If it's a head, it's £30.

-It's mine, yes.

-And if it's a tail, it's 25.

Get in there!

-I think that's...

-Double-headed...

-It's double-tailed!

-You said double-headed, you can't have it both ways!

I was fibbing!

THEY LAUGH

-The Silver Fox has done it again.

-Thank you.

Now, as for Jonathan, he's motoring on.

His next stop is Stoke-On-Trent,

considered to be the spiritual home of Britain's pottery industry.

Mark you, that's not why we're here.

Oh, no. We're here to see Heath House, a grand, Gothic mansion

with a fascinating past,

one which tells the story of an ambitious young wife,

a family divided,

and the house that used to stand here being completely demolished.

-Good afternoon.

-Hi, Jonathan, very nice to see you. Come on in.

Today, the estate is owned by Ben Philips,

the great-great-great grandson of the people who had it built,

John Burton Philips and his flamboyant wife, Joanna.

This is the inner hall and I think my ancestor, Joanna Philips,

when she built the house, she wanted to create an impression for her guests when they walked through,

and here it is!

Now, Joanna was an Essex girl,

who quite fancied having the biggest and grandest home money could buy,

so shortly after her pa-in-law passed away,

she took what was his rather fine Georgian home and demolished it.

In its place, she built this Victorian showpiece,

-with more than 60 rooms.

-She was very ahead of her time.

-The old Georgian house was pulled down in 1835.

-She didn't like that?

No, she absolutely didn't.

Having been brought up in a Georgian house herself,

she was sick to death of it and she just wanted the most modern,

most fashionable, most avant-garde that she could get hold of.

The tragedy was that most of the furniture and pictures in the old Georgian house,

I think she either gave away or sold.

Though allowing Joanna to raze the family home to the ground proved controversial, to say the least.

The old man died in 1834.

He was scarcely cold in his grave

when Joanna commissioned the other one...

Her sisters-in-law were so furious at what she'd done

-that they never came to the new house, never spoke to her.

-Really?!

It caused a real rift in the family, yeah.

-What a lady!

-Yes! She knew what she wanted.

The house took four years to complete

and in the 170 years that have passed since then,

many of the rooms have barely changed,

though each generation has added to its interesting history.

For example, it was a military hospital in World War Two,

it's been visited by Florence Nightingale and there's even a connection to Queen Victoria.

These items were given by Queen Victoria to my great aunt,

Countess Blucher.

She had a child who died in infancy. Victoria lost Albert...

-So that's kind of the connection?

-Absolutely. The two ladies were bonded in grief, I suppose.

Victoria was a great one for grieving.

Oh, huge, huge.

-Can I have a look at some of this?

-Yes.

-So that's Victoria and Albert in the middle there?

-Yes.

There's a photograph of Albert on the back there.

"To the Countess Blucher,

"in remembrance of the best and greatest of princes,

-"from his broken-hearted widow, Victoria. December 1861."

-Wow.

According to Ben, a visit to this grand old girl isn't complete

without climbing the 80-foot tower that Joanna Philips insisted

be incorporated into the design of the house,

an experience which is breathtaking, in all senses of the word.

I think every house should have one of these. I'd love one at home.

I don't think the neighbours would approve.

I should go for a pergola instead.

Anyway, let's talk about Philip. He's off to his next shop,

where, again, he's found something he likes right on the doorstep.

I like that.

The jammy old devil.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-How are you, all right?

-Not too bad, you?

-Philip, good to see you.

-Nice to meet you.

Magpie...

Don't be fooled by this lovable charm. He's only after a discount.

-I found this outside.

-Yep.

-What do you reckon that is?

-I think it's an old pub sign, made out of aluminium.

-Yeah.

-And painted up.

-Age?

30, 40 years, maybe? Little bit different.

-Where's the price ticket on it?

-Just there. Round the eye.

-Let's look.

How much?!

-I like it.

-Mm-hm.

-But what I want to do is have a look round,

-and perhaps do a bit of a bulk buy off you.

-OK.

Oh, not that old chestnut!

Then again, there are some nice pieces in this shop.

And what makes it different is there's a mix of old and new.

We've got a lock-up, as well, twice as big as the shop, full of stuff we haven't even been through yet.

-Really?

-Really!

-Is it that way or that way?

-Turn right, sir.

I've said it before and I'll say it again -

Philip Serrell, you jammy old devil.

Just a few miles away, Jonathan's headed for Cromford,

a town famous for its connection to Richard Arkwright,

one of the forefathers of the Industrial Revolution.

Remarkably, Arkwright's cotton mill,

which, in 1771, was the first to be successfully powered by water,

is still standing and, today, amongst other things,

it's home to Heritage Antiques.

(It's another pair of clogs.)

Can I not escape the clog,

by the end of the week?

As you may recall, several days ago,

Jonathan was extremely keen to buy this pair...

You wouldn't take, I dunno, £25 or something for them?

-No.

-Really?

..but was pipped to the post by Philip, who bought them for 30.

-Oh, I love you, you're an angel.

-Yes.

-You are, ever so kind.

Ah, yes. To add insult to injury, he also made a tidy profit at auction.

Selling at £60.

So, now, perhaps Jonathan can have his revenge?

Well, if you're interested in clogs,

I do have a genuine pair of mill worker's clogs.

There we go, look.

Negotiating on clogs - I'm going to have nightmares about this.

Be gentle with him, Patrick.

If I were to buy a pair of clogs - and I'm not suggesting I really want to go down that route again,

I've only just recovered from it -

what would be your best price, if you're saying £45?

I will do those for £30.

Oh, this is just like groundhog day.

Ground-CLOG day, actually, Jonathan.

Stay strong.

Well, they could do with a polish, I have to say.

His had quite a bit of finish on them.

-But these were working footwear.

-I can tell, yes.

-I did resist the urge to polish.

-Yeah.

Just so I can exorcise this week's worth of trauma I've had,

post Clog-gate,

I'm going to buy those, if you were to agree to £25.

I don't mean to make you cry, but this is helping me.

Yes, I can understand that.

-OK.

-Right, OK. Thank you.

I'll show him!

There we go.

The clog returns.

Back in Matlock, though...

Where's he taking me?!

Welcome to the lock-up.

Cor, he loves it, the old codger.

Philip, poking around all this...stuff.

You ever thought about stocktaking?

No. I don't think we'd have the time.

I wouldn't know where to start.

That's got a few lenses with it. There's no box or anything.

That's exactly how it's come.

-Right.

-I don't know anything about it whatsoever.

-You're in good company(!)

-Yeah!

Pur-leeze! Allow me.

This is what is called a monocular bench microscope

and it's designed for studying all manner of natural history specimens.

At auction...I think...

I would see that making...

£20 to £40, £30 to £50 - that sort of region.

If it's 20 to 40 quid, I've got to try and buy it for 15 quid,

which is nicking it off you.

-I think I could get more...

-I'm sure you could.

-..in scrap for the brass.

-Yeah.

That part's brass. That isn't.

-Can we take it back to the shop with us?

-Sure.

-Cos I've got that lion, as well.

-OK.

And, maybe, Mr Moneybags, you could also rethink that offer.

Do you know what, Matt?

Like a lot of things in life, it looks a lot better in the dark.

Now that is really cheeky.

-Right.

-Right, sir.

I was being mean when I bid 15 quid for that. Too mean.

I'd love to buy it for 20 quid, really.

I'm sure you would. And I'd like to sell it for 20, but I think if you could come a little bit more...

Um...and you did quite like the lion?

I think if you come a bit more, I'll chuck the lion in.

OK, I'll tell you what, I'll give you 25 quid for that and the lion.

-Nah.

-That's a little bit more.

-I was going to say 40 for that...

-How much?!

-40, for that and the lion.

-No, I couldn't do that. Honestly.

I don't think there's great age to that and I just think it's fun.

-This is my best shot, right - me finished after this.

-OK.

I'll give you 30 quid for the two.

-You wouldn't stretch to 35?

-No, that's me finished.

-I don't mind if you say no.

-Well, I like you

and I want you to win, so £30.

-Oh, you're a good man! Really?

-Yeah.

And, with that, this shopping trip is at an end.

I'm going to take those.

So, for the last time this week,

the moment has arrived when our experts must reveal to each other what they've bought.

Do you know, we've made it to the end.

I'm exhausted.

Absolutely exhausted.

-You start, you start.

-Shall I start?

-That was in the antiques centre.

-Yes.

-I looked at that.

-Who's it by?

-Pietro.

There's a touch of the old '30s about it, I'd say.

It's that really high Deco feel about it.

It's a bit like the old Wurlitzer, isn't it?

Cost me £55.

To be fair, I have sold them for less, but then they have made more.

In other words, we can safely assume Jonathan's not a great fan.

There again, he is the man who bought this little lady.

Meet Clarissa.

-I'll just cover her legs. Great, isn't it?

-Yeah(!)

-She also comes with a chair.

I think that I'm actually... My mind is speechless.

I'm not sure the market in Wilmslow is going to be ready for Clarissa.

Yes, quite.

But perhaps the thing to really excite them is this.

-Ha-ha! A mangle!

-I thought it was cheap.

How much was it?

20 quid.

What do they make?

The most it can lose me is a tenner.

Right? And, on a good day, it might make me 20 or 30 quid.

That's what I thought.

Excellent.

Well, you know, I like the optimism.

-I mean...mangles...

-Can I just stop you?

JP, when we're talking optimism,

you are so far ahead of me in terms of optimism,

you are at the cutting edge of optimism. What's next, JP?

-I really liked that.

-That's fun.

-Little child's food bowl. Sort of 1930s.

-I think that's fun.

-That cost me a tenner.

-Oh, that's profit.

And its companion piece.

There's a little Chad Valley nine-hole golf course.

-I think the dish will get your golf clubs out of trouble.

-Do you think?

-Yeah, I do.

-I think the golf clubs are worth 15, 20 quid.

Do you not think so?

Um...no.

Ah, well. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Speaking of which...

I really thought this was just so much fun, look.

What do you reckon?

It's a pub sign.

It's kind of fun, a novelty object like this.

People will stick this sort of thing on the wall,

-if their surname's Lyon.

-Yeah.

Actually, I bought that and that.

That, I think is fantastic, right?

-It's a toothpick holder?

-No, no, no.

It's a little billiards trophy.

That is really sweet. There we go.

Just a little sketch, isn't it?

-But there's so much work involved.

-Yeah.

-What, '20s?

-'20s to '30s.

-'20s, '30s, and it's worth £10 to £20.

-I paid £7 for it.

-Well, you're home and hosed, aren't you?

-Ah.

-Two little miniature cricket bats.

-You're a bit batty about cricket.

-Yeah.

Ashes bats.

And cricket's uber-popular at the minute.

They're worth...£10 to £15 each,

£20 to £20?

I paid £30 for the two

and I think they'll make 30 to 50.

Well, you have to admire his confidence.

This now is my...

penultimate purchase.

Tell me about it.

I don't want to diss my own product, so you can do it for me.

Er, well, it's about 1880-1890s.

It's a leather top-hat box.

Yeah. Not in the finest condition.

But I think it'll clean up, looking rather nice,

-with a bit of saddle soap.

-Yeah.

-I've seen them make quite a lot of money.

-I've seen them do very well.

To be blunt, Jonathan could really use the profits.

I looked on a website and these are called petrological microscopes.

Realistically, Philip, I think it might make £20 to £30.

Not quite what Philip was hoping to hear.

Can he be right?

My word. Those are lovely, aren't they?

It's a little pair of cotton mill worker's clogs.

They're worker's clogs.

I think these are nice. I like these.

-I'd have bought these.

-Would you?

-They've got a great social history.

I would think that those are probably £20 to £30 worth.

-I paid £25 for them.

-Well, that's all right.

-We'll see.

But I do like those.

Well, it's quite an eclectic mix.

But what do our experts really think?

Go on, put the boot in.

He's put a lot of money on the one object,

which is the accordion.

The microscope could be the thing to run away,

so he could have done well with that.

I think the child's bowl is absolutely lovely.

I can see that doing quite well. And as for Clarissa,

I think he's been spending too much time on his own.

After starting this road trip in Sheffield,

the lads end their journey, and the week, in Wilmslow,

one of the most affluent areas in Britain.

And not surprisingly then, it's home to Premiership footballers,

WAGs, actors and multimillionaires,

which could bode well at today's auction at Maxwells of Wilmslow.

Are you feeling confident, JP?

Ohh, dear.

Er...I really had hoped that I was going to find the little gem

-to save my bacon on the last auction.

-I thought you brought her with you?

HE LAUGHS

Though before auctioneer Max Blackmore takes to the podium,

what does he think of our experts' choices?

They're all interesting, quirky items

and I'm sure we'll have quite a bit of interest in most of them.

Clarissa -

we don't often get an opportunity to sell such a nice young lady.

I think she'll either fly or flop.

Yes. Philip started this leg with £382.42

and has gone on to spend £140 on five auction lots.

Jonathan, meanwhile, began with just £152.80,

and has spent £124, also on five auction lots,

all of which he's hoping - nay, praying! -

will bring about a reversal of his fortunes.

JP, this is the beginning of the end, isn't it?

It is, yeah, absolutely.

-Or is it the end of the beginning?

-It's the end...

-OK, fine.

Yes. And now we've got that sorted, let the auction start.

First up, it's Philip's rather grand accordion.

I can start this at, um,

at £15.

-Ouch.

-That's £15 with me.

At £15.

At 20, at 25. At 30.

At £30, commission's out. At 35.

40, 45.

50.

£50.

I think it's a sort of result.

55, we're selling to the 'net.

Anybody else? £55, it is, then.

I've come all that way to not break even!

It could've been a lot, lot worse!

Indeed it could, though, as Philip so rightly points out,

after commission, I'm afraid, it's a loss.

Next, it's Clarissa, the woman who's stolen Jonathan's heart

and, perhaps, his marbles.

-I like that.

-What?

"A mannequin, 'Clarissa',

approximately 5'10", GSOH" -

good sense of humour!

WLTM - would like to meet - a young Pratt!

But what the good people of Wilmslow feel?

Start me off, £40 for Clarissa there.

£40. £30.

Come on.

Oh, come on, someone!

-£20?

-Oh, dear! Perhaps she'll go home with Jonathan.

His missus will be pleased(!)

Start me at £10. £10 bid, we're off now. £10.

I'll go in twos!

12, 14.

16.

You're together. 18.

20, 22, 25, 28.

We've got a bidding war going on.

Yep, maybe there's some hope yet.

30. 35.

35, in the orange there, at £35, it's the lady's bid.

£35 and we're going, all done and selling...

GAVEL BANGS

-I redeemed myself a little.

-I think you got out of jail, mate.

I just knew Clarissa would break Jonathan's heart.

Next, something completely "batty".

Well, two of them. And they're Philip's 1950s jobbies.

Let's start at 15, shall we? 15 bid.

20, 25, 30,

35. £35.

Further bids now? At £35.

All done at £35, then.

On commission...

So, it's all going wonderfully well at the moment, isn't it(?)

This is very unlike you, Philip.

But looking on the bright side, it is our first profit of the day.

And the only way, as they say, is up.

So, let's see what the rather cautious bidders

make of Jonathan's top-hat box?

It does look absolutely knackered, though, doesn't it?!

20 bid, at £20. 30.

-35, seated.

-At £35.

-Keep going. Keep going.

-At £35. Any further bids now?

-Come on, come on!

It's in the room and selling.

-40 bid.

-Ooh, there we go.

45. £45. Seated at 45 and selling this time.

Hooray!

-I've never seen anyone get so excited.

-£5 profit, that.

You've gone a bit squeaky, JP.

Actually, it's a £10 profit before commission,

but who's counting?

Up next, the Philip Serrell pub collection.

After all,

who wouldn't want their own lion masthead and billiards trophy(?)

30? 25? Come on, start me somewhere.

20? 20 bid in the front there. Thank you very much. £20.

At £20. Any further bids now? The billiard trophy and the pub sign.

Any further bids?

In the front row, selling then, for £20.

-It's a profit.

-Yeah, well, it's a 100% profit.

Yes, well done, Philip. That's big money. Especially for you two.

Perhaps Jonathan's locomotive sketch can finally stir some excitement.

Start me somewhere then. 10, if you like. Start me at 10?

10 bid, with the lady. At £10.

Further bids now at 10.

-Any further bids? £10, I have.

-Oh, come on!

-All done.

You are racing away now, aren't you?

JONATHAN SIGHS

Yep, I won't lie to you. It's not looking good.

But let's see if Philip's mangle from Matlock can make some moolah.

Start me off for it. £30. What about this one, then?

£30 for the mangle?

20. Start me at 10, then. £10 for a cast-iron mangle.

-Go for a fiver.

-This is going wonderfully well, isn't it(?)

Sell it for a pound.

-£5 then.

-He's getting lower!

-Please.

We're in trouble now.

-5 bid.

-Yay!

There's no interest on the 'net, apparently.

£5 in the room.

I think that's a result, really, isn't it?

You know, I think we're going to have to lock the doors

and shake the money from the bidders' pockets.

No?

All right then. Moving on. This one's for the kids.

It's Jonathan's alphabet bowl and Chad Valley golf set.

For the children's items, 12.

15, 18, 20.

£20 with me. Somebody over here. We're up to fives now. 25.

£25. We're in fives. Commission's out.

Your bid of 25, madam.

Further bids now for the little child's bowl and game.

Surely worth more.

Any further bids? Up to 25. No interest on the 'net.

It's to the room, then...

I think that was cheap.

-LANCASHIRE ACCENT:

-Ah, well, mustn't grumble, eh?

So, Philip's last hope for this auction,

his petrological microscope.

But just quietly, I almost can't bare to look.

£80.

No interest at 80. It must be worth that.

Oh! This is a travesty.

50 bid. At £50.

55, 60, 65, 70.

Ah, that's a bit more like it.

75 now. It's cheap at £75.

Further bids now? At £75.

I'm sort of OK with that,

but I wouldn't know that it was cheap or dear.

It's 50... "I'm OK with a £50 profit."

Yes, come on, Philip, this is cause for celebration.

Anyone care for a sweet sherry, vicar?

Though before we pop the cork, attention, bidders,

there's one last item to go. Yes, Jonathan's fate in this contest

ultimately comes down to a pair of old clogs.

I have a bid 20. Any further bids now?

At £20. We're up to 25 on the' net.

-£30.

-Get in there, JP.

They were so cheap that everybody threw them out,

so you don't see them anymore.

We're in the room at 30, it's against the 'net.

-Come on, net.

-Selling to the room. Any further bids?

Well, I tickled a fiver out of that one.

-You did.

-I feel like I can... I'm at peace with myself now.

That's good because, after commission, it's another loss.

I tell you what, though, it's time for me to buy you a drink.

-Let's go and count our "earnings".

-Come on, mate.

Our ill-gotten losses.

Jonathan started this final leg with £152.80

and, despite it being his last hurrah,

he went on to make yet another loss, this time £5.10,

which mean he ends the week on just £147.70.

Philip, meanwhile, hit the ground running, with £382.42

and despite a modest profit of £15.80,

he ends up with a fabulous £398.22, making him this week's grand winner.

JP, that's the end, there is no more.

-I know, Philip.

-What are we going to do now?

I don't know. I'll have to go back to my family and my life again.

You know, it's been an emotional and financial rollercoaster.

So, where did Jonathan go wrong?

Let's have a review, shall we?

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

-Ha! Really?

I'm going to go...

Shouldn't have done that.

I buy whatever I see.

Big mistake.

Oh, no!

And then there's...Clarissa!

You've got beautiful eyes. Yes.

But most of all, I think he underestimated The Silver Fox.

Congratulations, Phil, you played a blinder.

Next week on the Antiques Road Trip,

we meet the ever-so-crafty Anita Manning...

-You're not flirting with me, are you, to try and get it cheaper?

-Would I flirt with you?

..and the ever-so-cheeky James Lewis.

-I'll give you 30 for that. But throw that mallet in.

-How cheeky!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd