Episode 28 Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite antique 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?

What's he up to?

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

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

Do I hear 1,500?

Will it be the fast lane to success, or the slow road to bankruptcy?

I can't keep this posture up for much longer.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

This week's Road Trip takes us to beautiful Scotland

and entertaining us along the way are antiques experts

Charlie Ross and James Braxton.

Where are we, roughly?

Er, Aberdeen.

Charlie Ross is a renowned auctioneer and map reader,

a true professional, with a weakness for the cheaper things in life.

I couldn't quite see whether it said £5.00 or 50p.

I couldn't quite tell.

James Braxton is an auctioneer

and a surveyor, who is drawn to items of great quality and design.

They are more look than substance, I would tell you.

Auction number one will go down in Road Trip history.

Charlie's £8.00 Staffordshire elephant sold

for a staggering £2,700.

I'm leaving, I think my Road Trip is over!

James could have given up,

but he knuckled down and managed to claim victory at auction number two.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

From his original £200,

James now has £301.06

to continue the battle.

After his gargantuan win in the first auction,

Charlie's £200 has grown considerably

and despite his loss at the last auction,

he still has £2,396.10 to play with.

Had to take my hat off to you yesterday. Stunning performance.

Kind of like assaulting a mountain with an ice pick, I think.

Along with their stylish 1954 Sunbeam Alpine,

they are travelling from the north-east of Scotland

over to the west,

before ending their journey in Ayr.

Today, we're leaving Aberdeen and kicking things off in Tarland,

concluding with an auction showdown in Hamilton.

What are you going to buy today? Are you going to spend a bit more of your wedge?

I would like, seriously, to spend a few hundred quid on something.

-Ooh, Tarland.

-Ah, Tarland.

In the 18th century, Tarland was an important trading centre.

It had a weekly market and six fairs throughout the year.

Today, its village square is overlooked by the old kirk

and has the granite war memorial as its centrepiece.

Tarland may be small, but it's home to our experts' first shop of the day.

What a lovely view! Well driven.

Another chapter, another day.

Third leg.

I've got so much money, I don't know what to do with it, but I want to spend it.

-Remind me, what's the figure, Charlie?

-Approximately 2,400.

-Plays £300.

-Yeah.

But I was pathetic in the last round, wasn't I?

You come from a position of strength, you don't need to do much.

Just coast, I would.

I don't want to coast, it is not in my nature to coast. I want to spend.

-Spend, OK.

-Shall we go and see what they've got?

-Yeah, come on. Let's go.

Tarland Tower Antiques has been open for 18 years

and is run by owner George.

It has a large warehouse and four smaller rooms

stocked full of beautiful furniture and interiors.

Time for our boys to divide and conquer.

Oh, look at that bed!

-You've got the money for that bed.

-Isn't this fabulous?

Determined to spend his dosh, Charlie gets tactical.

I'm phoning the auction room, just to find out what they're good at.

What they sell really well.

Oh, hello, is that the auction rooms?

It's Charlie Ross. I'm just putting a little call in,

do you have any specific areas which you're strong in, in the saleroom?

He's cheating.

Thanks a lot, OK. Bye-bye.

-Brackers, were you listening in on that?

-I was.

-You are such a sneaker.

Nothing gets past you, does it?

-Anyway, steer clear of big brown furniture.

-All right.

There's a shock. Small pieces of furniture, particularly good.

-And has he got a picture section, in his auction?

-I didn't ask him.

Look, we're wasting time.

Brackers, I've given you all the information you're going to get.

With that, it's pretty clear that furniture is off the shopping list.

-What exactly are they?

-Are they not for sort of sake or something?

-It would make sense.

-I bought them in the middle of nowhere.

He's got a jolly... He looks a little bit like James.

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made from rice.

The Japanese believe that in order to enjoy it to its fullest,

the sake cup you drink from should be as beautiful

or as interesting as possible.

This unique pair are priced at £45 each.

-Could you do 20 quid for the two?

-No.

-No?

-No, not for the two, but I think you should have a think about it.

-Yes.

They are a bit different and the kind of thing you might do well on.

Charlie, while you contemplate spending,

George has taken James to see an interesting 1950s print of Balmoral.

-I think it's an advertising poster that has been over varnished.

-Yeah.

-I bought it with a bunch of other stuff.

-It's lovely, really lovely.

Here is the artist, Kenneth Steel.

It's very much in the railway tradition of posters, isn't it?

-It's got that sort of golden colour, the varnish.

-I like it, I like it.

And he's done it all with a big old spatula, hasn't he?

Born in Sheffield in 1906, Kenneth Steel was a watercolour painter

and this is one of his prints from Royal Deeside.

-What could that be, George? Cheap?

-£25.

-£25, you've got a deal.

-I think you'll do OK with that.

-Thank you, thank you.

Well done, James, the first purchase of the day.

Unfortunately, Charlie doesn't have the same sense of urgency.

You wouldn't, would you?

Stop sitting on your wallet and get some money out.

You just want me to come down to your level, don't you?

You want me to stick my dosh into something and burn it.

As you know, that is furthest from my thoughts.

After some tough love from James,

Charlie's gone back out in search of a bargain.

Oh, my God! Isn't that wonderful?

The shop IS wonderful.

This is a garage full of brown furniture.

Are the alarm bells not ringing, Charlie?

Hamilton is quite near Glasgow.

I've got an Arts and Crafts overmantle there. Cheap little lot.

-Is that very cheap?

-Yes.

-By Rennie Mackintosh?

I think it could be.

I think it's more likely to be Jimmy Mackintosh!

-£25, you can't go wrong.

-Is that all it is?

George, you're just beginning to come to my way of thinking.

What on earth is going on?

Now James has jumped on the garage bandwagon.

This is an antique assault course.

-Are you sure you boys are fit for this?

-That's a big picture frame.

-There's two of them.

-I can't even see what you're looking at.

Oh, those frames.

-£150.

-What, for the two of them?

-Yes.

-Is that good or bad?

-That's good.

-I think it's phenomenal.

-Would you like them, Brackers?

-I would quite like them.

-Brackers, my Christmas present to you.

-Really?

-You can have them.

That's really kind. That is very kind, Father Roscoe.

If you can't get a profit out of 150 quid on that pair of frames...

Go on, George, they're mine.

Very risky buying something you can't properly see, James.

But if you're sure...

In the corner, is that a book case?

-I would sell you that as well.

-Oh, not again, where are you looking now?

-Would it have had a marble top?

-Yeah, but I've got the marble top.

Over the top of that bed, you'll see the marble top.

Got it, got it.

-It's an open fronter, is it?

-Yes.

-These aren't gilt metal, are they?

-No, they're wooden.

Lovely.

Charlie, am I mistaken here, or did the auctioneer not say

to avoid large furniture?

What's this jobbie?

Victorian... 150.

-Will you take 100 quid for it?

-Yeah.

-I'll have it.

-Right.

I'd love to congratulate you on finally making a purchase,

but I think it's a bit of a risk.

Finally, back outside, and Charlie's on a roll.

He's spotted an Edwardian mahogany writing desk.

How much is that?

-I couldn't do it for less than 220.

-How much?

-220, that would be me.

Let's pull that out.

They did say, the saleroom, small pieces of furniture.

This is a little lady's writing table,

leather top and it's got a little compartment here.

It has two drawers. One and a half?

I wouldn't move, that's a bargain at 220.

Don't you normally start at...?

I'm not known for my discounts, you know.

I'm sure there isn't a Scotsman in the land known for his discounts!

I know you just said 220, could you do 200?

I could restore this piece, as you know, and I'd sell it no problem.

So I'm going to stick...

Go on, shake on it, I think that's very fair.

I was being a bit of an old cheapskate there.

-I think it's worth every penny.

-It is, it's worth it.

And now he's started spending, he just can't stop.

There was an overmantle in the top shed there, got a hint of Mackintosh.

-It does.

-A very small hint of Mackintosh.

-And it's the right money.

-What was it, I can't remember what you quoted me?

-£25.

You did. At 25 quid, even I won't argue with that.

With £2,076.10 still to spend, I should hope not.

What about those unique sake cups?

I take your point about those two little...

-I could do something special on them.

-Oh, you are a tempter!

That is the thing you should be going out of here with.

-I'll do the two for 50 quid.

-50?!

-For the two.

It's the right time for that oriental stuff at the moment.

They're a bit different, huge characters, just like you.

You're an absolutely wonderful salesman.

I think the two of them, the two of you...

-I'll tell you what, George, let's shake on that.

-Sure.

-Four things.

-Yes.

-It's been an absolute dream here, it's been fantastic.

It's certainly been a busy morning.

Charlie finally parted with his cash, buying brown furniture,

brown furniture, brown furniture,

and a pair of sake cups.

James came away with two extremely large frames and a print.

But the excitement's not over yet.

Charlie is heading 32 miles east, to Blairs,

where he has a prior engagement.

St Mary's College was founded in 1829,

when John Menzies of Pitfodels,

the last member of an old Aberdeen Catholic family,

donated his mansion and estate of 1,000 acres to the Catholic church.

Today, it's known as Blairs Museum

and it gives a unique insight into

Scotland's Catholic history and heritage.

Showing him round is former pupil, teacher and now museum manager Ian.

Well, Blairs is basically what used to be our junior seminary.

So basically, a boarding school for boys of secondary school age

who were thinking about becoming a Catholic priest.

-Right.

-I was one of them a long time ago, back in the 1960s.

And that's where your thoughts were at that time?

At that time, yes, but I've now been married for 33 years...

So you obviously took a different course.

It changed. After that, I was actually here

and my wife taught here as well,

for the last nine years before the college closed 25 years ago now.

From its establishment, Blairs College was recognised

as a safe place to receive and preserve artefacts

relating to Scotland's Catholic heritage.

Their collection of paintings spans more than four centuries,

featuring some of Scotland's most renowned historical figures.

Today, Charlie has come to see the highlight of the collection,

a full-length memorial portrait of Mary Queen Of Scots.

Mary had been imprisoned in England for something like 19 years.

-It was basically house arrest in various castles.

-Yes.

She still had a small staff of ten to a dozen people.

She chose these two ladies-in-waiting

to attend to her at the execution,

and then four of her supporters were also witnesses at the execution.

-And there was some pressure on Elizabeth to have her executed.

-Yes.

-I don't know, is it true she didn't want to have her executed?

-Yes.

We actually have the death warrant, or a copy of the death warrant.

You can see Elizabeth's signature.

-Elizabeth's signature there.

-In the top right-hand corner.

When Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558,

she brought with her a reformed religion

which became known as Protestantism. However, many considered her cousin,

Mary Queen Of Scots, a Catholic, the legitimate sovereign of England,

and with no direct heir, Mary was the closest successor to the throne.

Perceived as a threat, Elizabeth had her arrested,

and after 19 years, she was tried and executed for treason,

a decision that has caused much speculation.

Some people believe that she was given it in a pile of papers

and signed it, not realising what she had signed.

I've heard that story, funnily enough.

Other people believe that she meant to sign it,

but she didn't mean it to be carried out immediately.

But then her ministers do exactly that.

Within days, Mary is executed and they come back and tell her

that it's been carried out. Supposedly, Elizabeth was furious

-and, at the same time, in floods of tears.

-Yes.

Almost her last act, it's very, very symbolic, because

she is wearing this scarlet underclothing,

and that colour is the same colour of vestments a priest would wear

on the feast day of a martyr.

So Mary, almost in her last act, is saying, I'm being executed

because of my faith and not because I'm a traitor against Elizabeth.

-Strong statement, isn't it?

-That's right.

It's been an absolute delight, thank you so much.

What a fascinating insight.

Charlie, you've been truly spoiled, bless you.

As the day draws to an end, both our experts need their beauty sleep.

Night-night!

As the sun rises on a typical Scottish morning,

our dynamic duo are once again on the road and it's not raining.

Have we creeped over to the west coast now?

We can't have got quite to the west coast.

No, sorry, we've crept down the coast, there we are.

So far, James has spent £175 on two auction lots -

the 1950s print and the large pair of gilt wood frames -

leaving £126.06 for the day ahead.

How exciting!

Charlie, meanwhile, hit the first day shopping hard,

spending £395 on four lots -

the Edwardian lady's writing desk,

a pair of 19th-century sake cups,

an Arts and Crafts oak overmantle mirror

and the 19th-century bookcase.

So he has £2,001.10 to spend.

They're leaving Tarland and travelling 40 miles south

to Montrose, where James will start his day shopping.

-Montrose, have you ever been to Montrose before?

-I haven't.

Montrose is the northernmost coastal town in Angus and, in 1777,

was the birthplace of doctor

and Radical MP Joseph Hume.

For 30 years, he was a leader of the Radical Party

and became the self-appointed

guardian of the public purse.

-Smoothly done, Brackers.

-Slippery smooth.

-I don't even need to get out here, I can just shuffle across.

-Can you?

-Good luck, old chum.

-Thank you.

-Spend, spend, spend.

Today, George Eaton Antiques is James Braxton's first port of call.

Morning.

-Hi.

-James.

-George. Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, George.

This is my sort of shop. It's a foraging shop.

This is lovely, a domino set,

and it's made with bone.

Bone faces, with ebony backing.

Here's a more interesting set.

They're up to nine,

-which is rarer. Usually, they're only up to six.

-Oh, I see.

-It's a set and a half.

-That's very good.

Again, these ones go up to nine.

So you've got another three numbers to conjure with, haven't you?

Generally, the most commonly used

dominoes sets are double six

and double nine, although double 12, 15 and 18

are popular for games involving several players.

-How much are these then, George?

-Erm, 25.

Really? That's a lovely lot.

OK, what other curios have you got for me, George?

-Is that a sort of Continental piece, that?

-It's WMF.

-Oh, it is WMF?

-Yes.

-And how much have you got on that, George?

That had 150 on it, but as with everything...

Everything is negotiable in life, isn't it?

It looks as though it has the most beautiful polished glass liner.

Isn't that a lovely piece of glass?

Grr!

Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik, or WMF,

is a German Art Nouveau producer specialising in metalwork

from the late 19th and into the 20th century.

A lovely stylised border, sort of beech, almost like a beech leaf.

I suppose it's a stylised vine leaf or something.

-Vine, it's got grapes on it.

-Grapes, hasn't it?

Give grapes to somebody in hospital, that would restore their spirit,

wouldn't it?

Lovely, beautifully modelled. That's a lovely item.

Yes, you are modelling it rather beautifully.

And while James continues his search for lovely items,

Charlie is heading

15 miles inland to Letham.

The largest village in Angus, Letham is famous for its Victorian market,

which takes place in early July.

I'm absolutely chipper!

I phoned up the man in the antiques saleroom where we're going to.

He said, don't buy furniture, it doesn't sell very well.

So I ripped straight into buying three pieces of furniture.

Never listen to the experts, that's what Winston Churchill said.

Never listen to the experts.

Time will tell, Charlie.

Let's see what gems you can uncover in Lovejoy Antiques.

-It sounds promising.

-Is it Barbara?

-Yes, it is.

-I'm Charlie.

Housed in a converted stable,

Barbara and her husband have been in the business for over six years.

Barbara, there's an extremely jolly person down here,

-looking at me...

-Yes.

..who looks like a Chinese bronze...

-It IS bronze!

-Yes.

Look at that, pretty miserable,

laughing, and...

I think that's James Braxton.

-Quite jolly.

-Yeah. How much is this object?

-Hundreds and hundreds of pounds?

-No, no, just 100.

Would £50 buy him?

No, 70 might.

-You've got me tempted here.

-Yes.

-I think he's absolutely splendid.

I wish I knew more about these things.

These faces must be the four faces of man, or whatever,

but I don't know quite what they signify.

Actually, the four faces of a Chinese Buddha represent

pleasure, anger, sorrow and joy.

It's believed that a Chinese Buddha will both protect and bring good luck.

-50 won't buy him?

-No. 70.

-70 will.

-Mm-hm.

-Sold.

-Well done.

Sold. I knew I'd find something in the end.

I think that's a cracker. Look at that.

-The four faces of James Braxton.

-Oh, Charlie!

Meanwhile, James has been drawn to

art deco...and red trousers.

Where do they come from? Do you remember the building?

They were from Montrose picture house.

A great '30s feel to those flowers, isn't it?

Very art deco. I really like those.

-How much have you got on those?

-£30.

-£30, and you get the two for 30?

-Yes, it's a sash window.

-Sash window.

-Operated, one above the other.

-One in front of the other. I see.

In a frame and they slide down.

They look good together, don't they?

I like those.

-George, I'm going to have those.

-OK.

Very nice, James! And feeling confident,

he strides on to haggle on the dominoes, priced at £25,

and the WMF grape dish at £150.

Is there any chance, George, I could do those two for £95?

It's a struggle.

-If that's all you've got.

-It's all I've got, bar the pence.

George, thank you very much indeed.

Well done, James, that's an amazing £80 saving.

And after spending £95, you've got £1.06 to your name.

I'd like you to have the £1.06 as a bit of luck money.

Thank you very much. It's been a pleasure.

It's been really great fun.

James, you are well and truly spent.

And after a very successful day's shopping,

James is giving himself a treat

and heading 13 miles south to Arbroath.

On the North Sea coast,

Arbroath is most notable as the home of the Arbroath Smokie.

-The lucky James Braxton is meeting smokie expert Iain Spink.

-Hi.

Good to meet you, Iain.

So, what... This looks all good stuff.

This is the true home of the Arbroath Smokie.

I'm going to make some smokies for you

in the place where they originally came from.

In the late 1800s,

the fishwives originally smoked the fish in halved barrels

with fires underneath,

trapping the smoke under layers of hessian sacking.

Iain uses these traditional methods to make his famous smokies.

-And smokie, the fish is a herring, is it?

-No, it's a haddock.

It's a haddock.

It's a smoked haddock, must be to be a genuine Arbroath Smokie.

-I see. You're an old pro at this.

-Oh, I've had a bit of practice.

And is this quite a quick process, Iain, then?

It is relatively, takes about 40 minutes to cook them right through.

-Really?

-That's from raw to fully cooked.

-Fabulous.

And quite the best way to experience a freshly-made smokie

is straight from the fire.

Yum-yum-yum! I'm looking forward to that.

The fish are gutted at sea,

washed and boxed, ready for auction in the market.

They've all been pre-prepared with a layer of salt,

a layer of fish, then a layer of salt, a layer of fish.

-They're left in the salt for several hours.

-Really?

I'm going to hang these fish on the sticks here.

The fish are left to hang on the sticks for about 20 minutes,

to let the excess water drip off them,

before being moved over to the smokie pit.

The hessian, that dampens it all down, does it?

That helps to keep most of the air out of the fire,

but still allows the fire to breathe.

So, the last one, you're dunking.

Yes, just keeping it damp.

If it's too dry, it may catch fire.

Iain, do you come from a long line of smokers?

I'm a fifth-generation smokie maker.

My family's been involved in the smokie making side of things

for a couple of hundred years and, before that, were fishermen as well.

Fabulous. I notice it's an Arbroath Smokie, so we have a preface here,

does that mean anything?

Well, an Arbroath Smokie has a protected status now.

-PGI. It's Protected Geographical Identification.

-I see.

-So like Champagne, so like Melton Mowbray.

-Exactly the same.

-All that sort of thing.

-That's correct.

-Congratulations.

Did you get that?

My father worked for three years to get that status for the smokie.

It's been great for us because... I wouldn't say it helps sales,

but it ensures that anybody who buys an Arbroath Smokie anywhere

will know that it's been made in Arbroath.

It's the real thing.

-Now, how is our fire doing?

-The fire is looking good.

-Oh, look at those.

-They have changed, Iain.

-Yeah, they're a nice golden colour now.

They look very good.

-Very good indeed.

-James, would you like to try a bit?

-I'd love to.

OK, here's a nice juicy pair here, let's try this one.

They look good, Iain.

They look beautiful, even colouring, nice and golden right through.

-Rip them off, there.

-Break the pair in half.

What I do here is...

-I hold the fish with what was the head end towards me.

-Yeah.

Give it a gentle squeeze,

and you can see the flesh come off the bone like that.

-Perfect, isn't it?

-Split the fin down the middle.

Open it up like that, and look at that, absolutely amazing.

-You just take the bone out in one.

-It's as simple as that.

And all that beautiful white meat there is bone free now.

And the flesh is so good, isn't it?

It's just lovely and moist and white, just the way it should be.

Mmm. That is really good.

-Can I have a bit more?

-Yeah, help yourself.

It's just so beautifully cooked.

That is perfect fish.

What a treat you've had, James,

and whilst you recover from your lovely indulgence,

Charlie's making his way to Barry.

A small village in Angus, Barry lies at the mouth of the River Tay.

It's Charlie's last chance to flash his cash

and Anderson High Antiques is his final shop of the day.

Open for two years, it's located in part of a 19th-century school.

Owner Kate and husband Ed have been in the business for 15 years.

After browsing,

Ed shows Charlie a set of six Royal Doulton coffee cups,

handpainted by May Wilson and priced at £48.

MW? Who is...?

MW is May Wilson, who is one of the ladies that

we collectively refer to as the "Scottish lady artists",

who bought the pottery blanks.

They were all artists, mostly associated with

either the Glasgow School of Art or the Edinburgh School of Art.

-How interesting.

-They painted these beautiful...

That's interesting.

I think they bought the glazed object, by the looks of things.

-Painted over the glazing?

-Precisely.

-Why are they so cheap? He said,

shooting himself in the foot!

There is one cup which has had a repair on it.

Here it is, here. The little handle has been glued.

It could be better repaired.

-I actually find them really charming.

-They are nice, aren't they?

The thing is, in the central belt of Scotland,

people who collect these things will know who that is.

-Fantastic.

-Might be quite an interesting one.

-Sold.

-Excellent.

I said sold without even talking about the price.

I'm happy to do for you what we would do for the trade, basically,

which might be to make it, say, £43.

-£43.

-Is that all right?

-I think I've probably got £43 for it.

Lovely final buy, Charlie, and with your shopping done,

it's time to see what you can make of each other's purchases.

Brackers, I'm going to reveal my first thing.

-You know the four faces of Buddha?

-Yeah.

I've renamed the four faces of Buddha - the four faces of Braxton.

-It's lovely, how much did you pay for it?

-I paid 70 quid for it.

I think it's great fun, very humorous. I think it's a winner.

It's certainly different, and Charlie's decided

to combine it with his sake cups to make one auction lot.

-I think the sake cups are very humourous, great fun.

-Yes.

-But...

-We'll wait and see.

-We'll wait and see.

Come on, James, let's see your first purchase.

It's a rather nice little souvenir of where we've been.

-Balmoral.

-Balmoral.

-I like that. Did it cost less than 50 quid?

-It did.

Then you're all right. This is by a person

called May Wilson, who decorated porcelain.

Every single piece, the cups, the saucers, are all monogrammed.

-Another winner for Roscoe.

-I hope so.

Next is hopefully your winner, James, the beautiful sash windows.

That's the top and this is the bottom.

It came out of the Montrose picture house.

Isn't that lovely? I think they're great.

-I quite like those cabochons in the middle of the top one.

-Yes.

-They're rather fun.

-I like those.

Glad you like them, Charlie,

but what will James make of your overmantle mirror?

That looks superb. I love the carving.

They look like stylised poppies, or pomegranates.

What would that make at auction?

I would have thought they'll estimate that - 80 to 120.

-The carving is so good.

-25 quid.

No! No!

Father Roscoe, how could you do this to me?

Chin up, James, you've got your lovely dominoes set next.

-Are you a dominoes man?

-I haven't played dominoes for years.

This one is one to nine.

Good Lord! They're rather fun.

I paid £15.

Very cheap. Double your money, 30 or 40 quid.

-Yeah, I hope so.

-Yeah.

Charlie, it's time for your lady's writing desk.

These little sides open up,

nice compartments for letters and what have you.

Got a bit of damage, but...

300 to 400 - that's what I would hope - it cost 220.

Oh, another Roscoe winner.

-Last item.

-Are we WMF here?

-WMF.

We are, very stylish.

-It's very stylish, isn't it?

-I do like WMF.

You both have one more lot to reveal. However,

they were so big that they've had to go straight to the auction house.

The benevolence of Father Roscoe

saw me walking away with those two fabulous frames.

-A pair...

-I know.

-..for 150.

-Very big.

-Right, Charlie, enlighten us on your last lot.

It's an open-fronted bookcase, it's got a shaped marble top.

It's mid-late 19th century,

but it's got gilt-decorated mounts and I paid 100 quid for it.

I don't know if you managed to get a peep at it?

I saw the marble top and I saw its front.

I saw the gilding. It's a lovely piece at £100.

He was very kind to us.

But will you be as kind to one another?

Time to hear what you really think.

I think he's let himself down a bit with the sake cups.

One of them's chipped, £50.

I think Father Roscoe may struggle to get out of that one,

but knowing his luck, he might get away with it.

His best buy - undoubtedly the large frames.

They are great, I think they'll double his money.

Our experts have been on a voyage of discovery

from Tarland to Montrose,

Letham to Barry,

finally crossing to the west

and arriving in Hamilton.

Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire,

in the west central lowlands of Scotland,

and it's home to Hamilton auction market,

one of the biggest auctioneers in Lanarkshire.

Do you think, when you see your frames, they'll only be three-sided,

that they will have rotted away?

I don't know how long my bookcase is, because I could only see one end.

You both certainly took a gamble with your rather large purchases,

but it's auction day and we'll soon find out if it's paid off.

LS Smellie & Sons Ltd were established in 1874

and are a sixth-generation family-run business.

Oh, look! In all their splendour.

Fabulous. And yours.

-Oh, good Lord, so it is!

-What a fine piece, what a fine piece.

-A decorator's piece, isn't it?

-Very much so.

-Will they appreciate it up here?

-Of course they will.

-Shall we find our other things?

-Yes, come on.

Let's go and see the auctioneer.

James Henderson is our auctioneer for the day

and he's kindly cast his eye over our experts' purchases.

The sake cups - I particularly like those.

Although they're both damaged, they are quite nice.

There would be a bit of interest, I would imagine,

I think they'll do quite well.

The large gilt wood frames,

three metre by two metre.

It's the size that may put folk off. They are pretty big.

James Braxton started today's show with £301.06

and spent exactly £301.06

on five auction lots.

Charlie Ross began with £2,396.10

and spent a splendid £508

on five auction lots.

It's the day of reckoning.

Should Charlie have listened to the experts?

-First under the hammer is his bookcase.

-What's it worth, £100?

100, for it now. 100. To get it off, 50... 30 then, for it now.

Oh, dear, this isn't looking good.

30 bid, surely one more? 30 bid.

30, five, 35, and 40.

45. Come on, sir.

45 and 50, 50 bid, 55, and 60 now.

At 60. At 60 bid.

60 bid, it's too cheap.

-At 60 bid, five, 65...

-Keep going!

70 bid, 70 bid,

-70 bid, 70 bid.

-One more.

-70 bid...

All done at £70.

Roscoe. You only fell a little.

Never listen to the experts, eh?

Oh, Brackers!

James, next in the spotlight are your rather large frames.

£100, 100 for them,

for the pair, 100, £50.

Straight in.

50 I'm bid, a 50 bid...

There must be some opposition.

At 55, 60, and five, 65, and 70...

70 bid, 70 bid.

Come on!

-70 bid...

-A bit more.

All done at £70.

-A steal, Brackers, a steal.

-I thought I had the deal of the century.

Ouch, not what you were expecting, eh?

-Do you know what I am now thinking?

-What?

Thank God I let you buy them!

Next in the line of fire is Charlie's lady's writing desk.

150, 100 I'm bid, at 100 I'm bid...

110, at 110...

120, at 120, 130, at 140...

150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200...

200 I'm bid, at 210.

210, at 210, I'm bid.

220 now, 230.

I'm sort of getting my money back.

-At 230...

-Come on!

-230...

-230... All done?

-Try one more.

-230.

-Well done, Roscoe.

-Well...

-Could have been a lot worse, couldn't it?

-Brave move, wasn't it?

-It could have been a picture frame.

Very lucky, Charlie.

Before commission, that's a small £10 profit.

Your turn, James. What will Hamilton make of your 1950s print?

30 for it now. 20, ten, £10, surely now?

-Ten I'm bid. Thank you, sir.

-Ten?

-Go on.

-There's a lady bidding now.

12, 14, at 14, 16...

At 16, 18. At 18, 20, at 22, five...

At 25 and eight, 30 now, 32, 32 I'm bid.

At 32, 32...

-Another bidder.

-Five now. 35 and eight.

Brackers, you're on fire now!

38, eight, 38...

-All done at £38?

-38.

I feel as though

I've almost painted it myself!

Well done, James, it might be small, but at least it's a profit.

-13 in the pot.

-Charlie, it's time for your overmantle mirror.

£50. 30 then, 30 I'm bid.

Your buyer.

30 bid and five, 40, five, 50...

At 50 bid, five, and 60, 60 bid.

Come on.

60 bid, 60...

Five now, at 65, at 70, at 70 bid.

At 70 bid...

All done at £70?

£45 is a great profit.

James, the pressure's on, can your sash window slash your losses?

£20 for them, ten then, £10.

Your man's at it again.

Ten I'm bid, ten...

12 now, 14, 16, 18, 20...

And two, and five, and eight. At 28.

-Go on.

-28 I'm bid. 28 I'm bid...

At £28, at 28, 28...

All done? At £28. 30 now, just in time.

-Oh, 30.

-30.

-30 bid, two now.

At 32, 35, 38, at 38.

At 38, 38 I'm bid...

Well done, my man.

Brackers, you're working them from behind.

All done at £38...

-Well done, the auctioneer.

-You've slipped out of that one.

I did slip out of that one.

I'm afraid, after commission, that's not a whole lot.

Next on show is Charlie's set of

Royal Doulton coffee cups.

£30, 30 for them now.

20, ten. A bid at ten. Ten I'm bid...

12, 14,

16, 18, 20,

two, five, at 25,

eight, at 28, and 30. 30 bid...

-Fresh bidder, two, 32 and five, at 35, and eight, at 38, and 40.

-Ooh.

At 40 now. 40 bid...

Nearly getting my money back now.

-Two, at 42, at five.

-Come on!

-At 48 and 50, now.

-Yes, that's the way.

50 bid...

All done at £50...

Thank you, sir.

-Well, got me out of trouble.

-£50, well done.

Another close call, Charlie, but still a profit.

Next to face the music

are James's dominoes.

-Lovely lot.

-Unusual set.

-20, £20 for them.

-You're in at 20, you're in at a profit.

At £20 I'm bid. At 20, bid, two now.

At 22, and five, 25 and eight,

at 28, at 30 bid, at two,

32, at five, 35 I'm bid.

-At 35...

-A result.

Eight now, at 38, at 40, 40 bid...

Brackers, this is stellar galactic.

40 bid, all done at £40...

Well done, mate. You're a canny man, Braxton!

-Canny man.

-What a relief, James, you're back in the game.

Time for Charlie's combined lot -

his bronze Buddha and a pair of sake cups.

£80 surely? £50, no less. 50 bid.

Hang on, look.

At 60, and five, and 70, and five.

You see, I told you that lady would be up for it.

100, at 110, at 110, 120, 120,

130, at 140, at 140 bid.

At 140, 140. At 150 now, fresh bidder.

-I'm into a profit.

-160.

I'm into a profit!

At 170, 180, at 190.

-You're a money machine.

-220, at 220,

240, at 240...

Try one more.

240 I'm bid. At 240...

-Five, at 245.

-245.

All done at £245...

Well done, Roscoe, what's that?

That is an amazing price.

Fantastic result, Charlie,

your Buddha certainly brought you

luck and prosperity.

That is very good. Well done, well done.

Thanks, Brackers.

It will take a lot,

but can James's WMF grape dish turn it in his favour?

30 for it now. £30, 30 I'm bid.

30 bid, five, at 35, at 40,

and five, 50, bid of 50.

-Go on.

-50 bid.

-Come on, come on.

-Five, 55.

-55, get in there.

At 55, at 60.

-Well done.

-At 60 bid, five, and 70.

-70 bid.

-He's working on it.

-Well done.

-Working on it.

-80, and five, 90.

-Well done.

-100...

100, 100, 100...

All done at £100...

I tell you what, I thought it was dying at 50.

-You came with a late burst.

-I thought it was dying at 30.

That was a good profit to end on, James,

but I'm afraid it just wasn't enough for auction victory.

-Round three goes to Charlie.

-To drop 80...

The one thing... And if you'd said,

"No, after you, Father Roscoe, you have the frames,"

I would have lost the money and you'd have been all right.

-You're a canny fella! Aye, canny fella.

-Pure luck.

-Come on, let's go for a curry.

-Good idea!

James started today's trip with £301.06

and, after paying auction costs, made a disappointing loss of £66.54.

He's now got £234.52 to carry forward.

Charlie, on the other hand, started today's leg with £2,396.10.

He spent wisely and made a small £37.30 profit.

Charlie still has a sizable £2,433.40 to kick off the next leg.

-Well done, Father Roscoe.

-I suppose I'm driving?

You are. Winner takes all. It's rather like golf, you're teeing off.

I'm teeing off, yes.

-Well, another one down.

-Another one down. It was fun, wasn't it?

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, the competition's heating up.

-You're going to be mean, aren't you?

-I'm going to be very mean.

-Charlie meets his match.

-Could you do that for £80?

-No.

And James gets straight to the point.

How does that sound?

-You don't mess about, do you?

-No. I go straight in there.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd