Episode 3 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?

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.

So, will it be the fast lane to success

or the slow road to bankruptcy?

-There's a mouth!

-This is the Antiques Road Trip.

It's the third day of our road trip in the classic 1959 Hillman Minx,

and Charles Hanson has got one over on his rival, David Barby.

Hanson, the young pretender, has a tiny lead

over the well-provenanced David Barby, and I'm very excited.

Charles Hanson is an auctioneer from Derbyshire,

and so loves Chinese porcelain, he'll even try to talk to it.

-You're quite right.

-But when it comes to spotting a fake, he's clueless.

I just don't know, you look so closely.

David Barby, on the other hand, is a valuer from Rugby,

and he likes to indulge in a little disguise.

But he's finding his back-seat passenger somewhat trying.

-Turn left up here, David.

-Charles.

-Stop here, David.

-Charles!

Oh, dear.

These two started the week with a handsome £200 each,

but after the second leg of the trip, it's all change.

David sustained losses at yesterday's auction,

leaving him with £248.08 going into today.

I'm just collapsing.

Charles, however, made healthy gains, giving him £261.88

and catapulting him into the lead over his rival, David.

That's why I call Charles the young pretender.

-Give me a high five, David.

-It's great for you. It's great for you, Charles. Congratulations.

This week's Road Trip is a huge 300-mile sprint

from Lichfield, south to Frome,

back up north to the Wirral Peninsula

and ending in Nottingham for the final showdown.

Gosh!

Today's leg kicks off in Ross-on-Wye on the Welsh border,

and with a fair wind should end up in Frome in Somerset for the auction.

But with Charles's navigating skills, it will be pure luck

if they ever get there.

David, all I've heard of Ross-on-Wye is it's a place that's really full of books.

-Is that right?

-I think that's Hay-on-Wye, actually.

-Isn't Hay-on-Wye also in Wales?

-Ross-on-Wye is not in Wales.

-Where is Ross-on-Wye?

-Just on the border.

-Is it coastal?

-No.

Charles, how can it be coastal if it's right on the border?

Ross-on-Wye is often called the birthplace of British tourism

after rector Dr John Egerton took friends on boat trips

down the Wye valley in the mid-18th century.

Ever since then, its picturesque qualities have struck

even the flightiest of visitors.

-It's charming, David, isn't it?

-It's alarming how charming it is.

-It's alarming charming, Charlie!

-Look, Charles, pull over there.

-What do you mean, all the gears?

-Handbrake. Handbrake.

Right, Charles, I'm going up the hill, OK?

Why are you going up the hill, David?

Well, I think you saw the antique shops down there, so I'm going to explore the top.

OK, that's fine by me, David. Thank you very much. Look after yourself.

-Spend all your money, OK?

-Likewise.

-See you later.

David is heading for Deja Vu,

which is barely in "vu" under all that scaffolding.

It says it has collectibles to suit all tastes and budgets,

and David has quickly spotted this quirky chair.

So in fact, what happens, these two arms engage, do they?

Yes, they come forward like this.

And then they have little handles on the back as well.

-Gosh, that is unusual.

-Yes.

Actually, this is an invalid's chair,

and it was used to transport patients

when porters would carry a seated person around

using the handles at the front and at the rear of the chair.

The beauty of this one is that it has a brass plaque,

giving its maker's details.

Anything or any item that has a label indicating its manufacture,

and the very fact that this is a one-off... It's a one-off...

Only that particular company produced this type of chair.

That is very nice indeed. How much is that?

-I was thinking about £70.

-70?

-Yes.

-What about 45? 45.

-55?

-Let's split the difference at 50.

-OK.

-Right, at £50.

Thank you very much indeed.

So, it's £50 for the chair, but Whisperer David hasn't finished yet.

-Penny, I've just picked this up. This is quite quirky, isn't it?

-It is, yes.

I know it's a Victorian majolica glaze jug.

It's a well-known design, the monkey-headed jug.

But during the 1920s, I would imagine,

when these weren't fashionable,

somebody poured liquid concrete in there

and then put this home-made fitment holder for a lamp.

How much would that be?

You've got £15 on it, but it's useless as a piece of pottery.

I suppose I could let that go for 10.

Do I love you enough for £10?

Take me, take me, I'm yours, yours.

I'm going to contemplate that, if I may.

The other thing I love are these Worcester Japanese-inspired coffee cups.

Yes, they're lovely, but unfortunately no saucers.

Why I like these is the fact that these are in the Japanese taste.

These would date probably around about the 1880 period.

-Those are £6 the pair?

-Yes.

If I bought that and that, how much would they be?

Say £12 for the lot?

While David contemplates a job lot for £12,

Charles is yet to contemplate anything.

He's up the road at Elizabethan House Antiques,

an impressive 17th century timber-framed antiques shop,

but things aren't going smoothly.

A long day ahead. Only £13 ahead, don't blow it too quickly.

I'm going off it a bit. I'm going off it, I'm not sure why. I'm going off it.

I've got a lot more shopping to do today

and I don't want to feel I've got to buy already.

David, on the other hand, just can't help himself.

He's already acquired an invalid's chair

and is eyeing up a jug filled with concrete.

And two coffee cups without saucers as a combined lot. That's not all.

This is George III. This would have been a bedroom spark guard.

It's projected out into the room

so anybody wearing flanked skirts would not be too close to the fire.

We are looking at something round about 1780-1900.

But at £60, it's on the hot side.

Time to haggle with Penny, poor girl.

Could I suggest 38?

-Make it 40.

-38.

-Oh, go on, then.

38. Penny, thank you.

At £38. Yeah! Two buys!

Steady on! Such a hooligan!

Right, I do like downstairs, the jug and the two Worcester pieces.

-You said £10 for the three pieces, did you?

-12.

-Cheeky.

Right, you've been so kind on the other two items

that I can't refuse your even more generous offer

on those three other pieces, so that's another sale.

Thank you very much indeed, and now I must stop.

So, with four pieces under his belt already and only one shop down,

is there no stopping to this man?

Time for our experts to swap shops.

Surely empty-handed Charles can find something in Deja Vu.

It's packed with goodies and all that lovely blue scaffolding.

-You've had Mr Barby in already.

-Yes.

Has he caressed your wares?

-No comment.

-Charles, for goodness sake! She could be your mother.

One of those antique shops where it's all very much like this.

It's all together. Here, you can almost swim around and get a feel.

Is that the breaststroke he's doing?

Penny, thanks ever so much.

-I'm a bit concerned now, I've been to two shops and bought nothing.

-Oh, dear.

So, the pressure is on.

Someone who definitely hasn't got buyer's block is David,

who's found a funny coloured stool.

What's interesting about this is that it's rustic.

This could have been made by a cottager wanting a hearth stool

and some timber that's hanging around,

so we've got a solid oak top,

and you can see the oak through there underneath this hideous paint.

And it's got some age to it.

Oh, yeah.

It's OK. It's a good piece of furniture, this.

I like it.

Quite sturdy. But at £15, is there a deal to be done with owner Fred?

-You've got 15 quid on it, what's the best?

-I'll do it for £10.

-What about eight?

-Eight?

-£8. It really, really is...

-Oh, go on, then.

-£8 will do.

-Thank you very much indeed.

If somebody is prepared to take all this paint off, which won't be too difficult...

Oh, I would leave it. It's part of its life story.

What would you do? Polish it up or something?

-Just wax it up, I would.

-It's an interesting concept.

With a farewell to Ross-on-Wye,

our plucky road trippers head north to Hereford.

To take his mind off what can only be described as

a disastrous morning shop, Charles is taking a short break from it all.

Look, look, look.

Oh gosh, there's buildings all the way around.

Charles has come to St John's Medieval Museum in Hereford

to find out how this site became home

to the crusading Knights of St John.

Here to meet him is John... Worlan. Curator.

-I have come here today to learn about crusades.

-Yes, yes.

And to learn about knights, but tell me, put it into context for me.

It was very, very popular in the 11th and 12th century and even beyond,

to actually make a journey, make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Of course, the Knights of St John, we were all there to protect them, look after their illnesses.

And they did this wearing their signature red and white tunics over heavy armour.

The Order was founded by the Blessed Gerard about 1070,

but it wasn't until the 13th century that they came here,

to this chapel in Hereford.

It was founded, this room, this building, in around 1260.

What happened next?

Well, after 1260, of course,

it wasn't very long before the Knights were all thrown out of the Holy Land.

They had nowhere else to go so they came back here in numbers.

All the ground area became a chapel.

All the upper area became an infirmary.

So what happened is that it became a place

where if you were sick, elderly or infirm,

the Knights would look after you.

It wasn't just the Knights.

A 14th-century skeleton found in the grounds suggested

there were women there too.

-Oh, my gosh.

-Here she is.

Now, we had thought for a considerable period of time

that it was a fellow.

But she is in actual fact a woman.

She would probably have been the equivalent,

as we understand it now, to a nursing matron.

The life and work of the Catholic Knights was, however,

in stark contrast to the Dominican Black Friars,

whose monastery adjoined the chapel.

Who were the Black Friars?

They were monks or friars and what they did is

they depended on preaching and teaching for their alms.

-They were established over there in the friary.

-Wonderful.

Where the Knights would have been over here,

the Knights would have been influential in the city,

they would have been rich people.

While the Black Friars' monastery is long gone,

their 14th century Gothic Preaching Cross

does survive, thanks to restoration work,

and is the only remaining example of its type in England.

This pulpit would have been central to the friar's life

as preachers and teachers.

What would have happened there was local people

would come in that gateway area and would muster around here.

They would be grumbling and everything.

-The friars would then preach at them.

-Can anyone go inside or not really?

-Is it sacred to go inside?

-No, no, No.

-Can I go inside?

Well, I wouldn't recommend it, Charles.

You're a bit tall, actually.

-I'll be OK.

-Oh, well done.

There he goes.

-John, you had to go up like this. John, I'm stuck.

-Are you stuck?

John, I'm stuck!

John, it's OK.

-I'm up, John.

-Fantastic.

You suddenly feel power here, to be in this confined space,

to be surrounded by so much history.

It's very special.

To think of those great folk who have been up here

in years gone by is tremendous.

I would say that you've entered into the spirit of it.

While Charles has been pontificating from the pulpit,

David's heading further north to Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

After his morning buying spree, he can afford to cruise

to the end of the day,

but once an antiques hound, always an antiques hound.

This is the forerunner of jukeboxes.

It's operated by putting in a penny at the side there,

which will then start the disc into motion.

So I'm going to give it a turn and then you can listen.

MUSIC PLAYS

Lovely.

But at seven and a half grand,

there's no way David's going to get this for under £30.

Ha! Instead, he's going down memory lane with a Hornby signal cabin.

I like that because it brings back my youth.

My father bought me a Hornby train set.

The only problem is he played with it more than I did!

I like that immensely. Ian, sorry. Can I bother you just a second?

-Not a problem.

-What's the very best you can do on that?

The very, very best, and no haggling, £20. That's it.

That is the best.

Don't bid me 18 or even 19. It's got to be £20.

-It's a little bit battered, that's the only point.

-It's got its box.

-Right, Ian, I'm going to go for this.

-Good choice.

-Happy memories.

It's another one in the bag for David,

and as the sun sets on the Hillman Minx,

empty-handed Charles can only hope for a miracle tomorrow.

Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.

It's a new day for our road trippers and the young pretender,

Charles, is angling for a union with his rival.

Maybe he thinks David can help him out of the hole he's found himself in.

You are a piece of work, Mr Barby. Shall we shop in unison?

-Shall we shop as a couple?

-I'd rather not.

-Why not?

-We're not married.

-Let's shop together.

-Thank God!

So far, David is motoring ahead on this road trip.

He's spent a conservative £128, but bought five auction lots.

Charles, on the other hand, has spent zilch. That's nothing.

Our daring duo are on their way to Stourbridge,

just 13 miles west of Birmingham.

The town built its reputation

on its prodigious glass-making industry.

So will there be something here to catch Charles's eye

or is it going to be one mad dash at the end of the day?

-Feeling confident?

-Go in first.

-Why?

-Charles, make a move.

You've got to buy!

The pair are kicking off the day at Charles Langford,

a massive 4,000 square foot shop packed with furniture and smaller objects.

I think these are quite nice.

These are probably English-made coloured glass bottles

which will date to around 1880.

I love these fruit and vine forms of design, but there's no price on here.

Is that a concern?

Sometimes, no price, maybe I've got room to negotiate myself

and really negotiate them down quite hard.

Is Charles actually considering buying something? We can only hope.

-What's the best price on the bottles?

-65.

I do like them, Steve.

I was hoping, Steve, that you might take a mid-estimate for them

of £50 and give young Hanson a chance.

-£50, then. There we go.

-I'm off and running.

-You'd better be.

-I'm firing up in Stourbridge.

-Don't change your mind.

-My mate, Steve, is going to take 50.

-£50.

-Sold. Thanks, Steve.

We're on the way.

Hooray, and about time too.

But there's still a long way to go, and time waits for no man, Charles.

David, meanwhile, is on the home stretch

and fishing for a final item.

-Steve, what are those ugly fish down there?

-On the bottom, Clarice Cliff.

These are late 1930s, and it was the Newport factory

that she was working for at that particular time.

These are late.

They're not the sort of bizarre or fantastique models,

the Cubist patterns, that really make a lot of money.

This pair of odd-looking ceramic creatures are in fact wall pockets,

probably used for storing tapers to light the fire,

or sticking flowers in.

They clearly tickle David's fancy, though.

I look at these and they amuse me,

possibly because I think in terms of fish-and-chip shops.

I love fish and chips.

They have an element of nostalgia that I like about them.

They're ugly, but sometimes ugly is good.

I look in the mirror every morning and I think of that.

-I think these are quite nice. What's the price on them?

-£95.

-Goodness me.

-What about £40 for the two?

-I'll do them at 50, but I want 50.

Split the difference, 45? 45.

-It's nearly half the price, you know? Go on, 45.

-Steve, thank you.

-You've got a deal.

-Thank you.

How weird is that? Hope he's washed it.

-They are so ugly.

-They are, aren't they?

Meanwhile, the day's moving fast and Charles still only has one buy.

Cripes!

So, next stop, Lye Antiques.

A mountain of things to rummage through.

Better get digging, Charles!

You know when you feel quite claustrophobic? It's happening.

That's nice.

You think back to the 1920s, you think of the skyscrapers,

you think of everything art deco, and in this pot,

it's very much evocative of that great 1920s time.

It was a race in life.

It was the depression at one moment and it was the jazz age

and high-living and cocktail parties at the other.

Here, you've got a wonderful signed Charlotte Reid vase.

Has it been here for a while? Would you take £30 for it?

I might then buy something else.

It might give me enough change to buy something else. I mean it.

-As I say, I did pay 50 quid for it.

-OK.

-£50 for that.

-Yeah.

Are you sure?

-Look at me, look at me!

-Go on.

-Are you sure?

It's a jug and bowl,

and the reeds or the rushes of this enamelled and printed ground

is very much inspired by the Victorians

to really move slightly away

from all things patterned and Etruscan or Roman.

This is more of a return to the aesthetic, to the natural foliage.

This jug and bowl from circa 1868 could be yours for £20.

10 to £15 at auction, give me a chance of profit

and to turn it over for you, I will perhaps give you £5?

-No, I can't do it. I'll do it for the tenner.

-For a tenner?

I'm going to say, Paul, I said five, you said 10, let's meet halfway.

-£8.

-Go on.

Paul, that's great. Thanks so much, mate.

That, Paul, gives me now three items with about an hour to go.

Thanks very much. Cheers, Paul. All the best. See you.

And now, a man who's definitely not in a rush is David.

After calling time on his shopping with those dreadful looking fish,

he's taking it easy,

with a trip south to the Herefordshire village of Much Marcle.

He's visiting one of the oldest houses in England.

Hellens Manor is steeped in history, dating back to the Middle Ages

and the time of the Crusades.

Live-in curator, Nicholas Stevens,

has agreed to let David in on one of its chilling secrets.

-Curator of this wonderful house!

-Indeed, welcome to Hellens.

Here it is. Wonderful brick-built mansion.

-I'm intrigued by the inside, let's go and have a look.

-Come and have a look.

The interior is a feast of history,

from its magnificent stone hall and fireplace

to old tapestries and Cromwellian armour.

But it's the story behind one of its bedrooms that's most compelling.

-Peter, is this the haunted room?

-It is. It's Hetty Walwyn's room.

-I didn't have a shiver at all.

-No? Sorry about that.

-Who is Hetty Walwyn?

-OK.

Well, after the Civil War, John Walwyn got the house back

and had some children rather late in life.

His youngest child was a daughter called Mehitabel.

She disgraced the family.

She fell in love with an ordinary working fellow from the village.

-Ran off with him.

-Right, eloped.

-Eloped.

Sad to say, it was not a success and we don't quite know why,

but within two years, she was back at the door,

begging for forgiveness.

Her mother took her in all right, but locked her up in this room.

-And here she stayed.

-Until she died?

-Until she died.

And how did she die? She didn't hang herself, did she?

We've no details about that at all.

No, that rope is so that if she was in dire straits,

needed help, she could ring the bell.

They took all the trouble to put a bell on the roof,

right above her room.

BELL RINGS

-Doesn't that sound mournful?

-It does.

-Oh, dear.

But you see, she messed up everything for the entire family.

-Brought disgrace on the family.

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

So this is Hetty's room?

Do we have any evidence that she actually existed

or did she leave any mementos behind?

I'm glad you asked because she scratched messages on the glass,

and there's one in the middle there

which says, "It is a part of virtue to abstain from what we love if it should prove our bain."

Legend has it that no-one knew of Hetty's incarceration.

To the world, she simply vanished.

As to her death, it's not clear

if she died naturally or took her own life, poor soul.

Apart from its famed hauntings,

Hellens Manor also has a unique jewel in its crown.

A piece of work by the famous 16th century miniature portrait painter,

Nicholas Hilliard.

Here you are, David. I've got this out especially for you.

-It's not generally on view.

-It's kept under lock and key, is it?

-Yes.

I can understand why.

This is a beautiful piece of Renaissance jewellery.

-So we have a gold jewel.

-Yes.

I can see the Renaissance details here with these sort of figures,

almost like little caryatids or cornucopia, the figures coming out.

What I'd like to do is turn it over because I want to see

the portraits which are contained in this gold locket.

It's a double portrait because it's a marriage gift,

probably given by Queen Elizabeth I.

These portraits are absolutely exquisite.

While the portraits are of a couple unconnected with the house,

they are nevertheless remarkable.

-It has to be unique.

-Yes, it is.

-There's not another one like this.

-No, it is completely unique.

-That is such a treasure.

You have given me so many thrills today. Not just the ghost!

But that is a lovely piece to end this visit.

Back on the road, Charles, our young pretender,

is rushing to find more items before the day is done.

He's left Stourbridge

and is heading for Kidderminster, where David was the day before.

Of course, our expert is as cool as a cucumber, as you'd expect.

My time is almost up, and I feel quite bashful and ashamed,

but I'm going to trace David's steps in where he came yesterday,

because you never know what hasn't been upturned.

-Some silver in that cabinet, some silver in this one.

-Fine.

Bit of plate over there.

Maybe with my budget, plate's more what I'm after.

-That's a nice thing, isn't it? How early is it?

-I don't think it's that early.

-1960s?

-Probably.

-I quite like the form of this.

It's a really stylish tapered and ribbed cocktail shaker.

We've got the actual inner cover and the liner.

It's quite striking, Ian.

What does concern me is the fact that maybe when someone's been...

..doing all of that...

Quite clearly, it's been dropped,

and there's this big indentation on its base down here.

That will affect value, but, do you know what, to me, it's been used.

It's been enjoyed. It's been thrown for the right reasons.

Careful!

-Sorry! Sorry, Ian.

-It's all right.

-Sorry, Ian.

-You're rushing, aren't you? That's what it is. Chill.

I'm in trouble, you see. What's the best price, then, on this?

-Between friends.

-Between friends.

-Are you a man who negotiates hard?

Um... Depending on cost.

That one you can have for £25.

I quite like it. £15?

Give me 20 quid, that's it. That's it done. I can't do any more.

Do you know what, I'd meet you halfway at £18.

-Give me your money.

-OK, Ian, money. There's your cocktail shaker.

Do you want it wrapped?

-Ian, that would be great, please.

-Newspaper, we can't afford tissue.

On ice, Ian, please. Put it on ice for me.

It's back in the Hillman Minx for Charles,

who's now heading over to Ludlow, a town on the Shropshire Welsh border,

overlooked by a picturesque medieval castle.

He's meant to be meeting up with David, but instead,

he's getting all flustered because it's closing time.

I'm just panicking now. I've got literally 20 minutes to go,

20 minutes to go, and I cannot find any other items

apart from hopefully here is my last shot.

It's got to be. Time is of the essence.

So, can Don Bayliss antiques come up with one final killer item

in the twilight moments of Charles's frantic shopping day?

This is a quarter pint jug and it is marked with the word,

what appears to be "Sterling." There's an "S".

Beaded, nice scroll handle with an engraved initial

"For E.P.,"

who would have been the owner of this jug.

It probably dates to around 1910. The feel of it feels like silver.

With the silver values for scrap being at about £18 or £19,

I tend to think, that's good value. But what's it worth?

Priced at £30, can Charles wheedle out an end of the day deal?

-Would you take for it £25?

-28.

-£25.

-Go on, then.

-Don, look at me. Are you sure? Are you happy?

-Yes.

There's my jug. That's a gamble. Is it worth it?

He's saying, yes it is. Great.

Phew. What a day.

With the sun setting over Ludlow,

it's time for our two experts to meet for the big reveal.

So there we have the little Hornby train set signal box.

David, I think it's splendid.

I think it captures a great golden age of toy manufacture

in our great country, but it's in its original box.

It's clean, it's neat, it's tidy. Let me guess, David.

I think you paid for this about £35.

-I paid £20.

-I found these, David.

-Oh, I saw those.

-Did you?

-Yes. I love the colour.

-Yeah.

What would you call the colour? It's not an amethyst.

-Its almost a citrine, isn't it?

-Like a lemon tint.

Nice, but what about that stool?

Crikey me! It's possibly oak or beech.

I don't know without uncoating it.

I wouldn't buy it.

-He doesn't mince his words.

-I bought this.

It's sweet, it's charming. Do you likey-likey?

I love the colour green. I love the design, the bulrushes.

-I think that's a very nice buy.

-Next, David.

-Uh-oh.

-What a peculiar thing.

-But also, what came with it are two other little things.

-Right.

-They're very aesthetic.

-Exactly. Oh, you've got a Charlotte Reid.

Very nice, Charles. I think you paid round about £20 for that.

-It cost me £30.

-You might get 45.

Oh, great!

-Are they Clarice Cliff?

-Yes.

-They're just happy, happy fish.

There's a chip there, David, as well. Big chip there.

Well, you've got fish and chips.

Listen, let me do the jokes, Barby.

-That's nice. Is it silver?

-No, David. It's not very clever and to be honest, David, I was panicking.

I was racing around like a headless chicken and I just lost my marbles a bit.

You've concentrated on drink-related items.

-Liquid, David, liquid. £18.

-I think that's very good.

-Now, for the fire guard.

-That's nice. I congratulate you.

That's our best find on our road trip so far. OK, David.

That's your biggie. My last buy came only about an hour and a half ago.

-It's American silver.

-Right, how much did you pay for it?

-I paid £25.

-That's OK.

Right.

-This is what they term as a sedan.

-Oh, right, OK.

Campaign chair.

The last one that sold without the legs was in Christie's in 2008.

-How much did it make?

-£625.

David, I take my hat off to you, I congratulate you

and I think you may be on to a real winner.

But what do our experts really think of each other's buys?

I think he bought well with the jug and vase. I can see that making a profit.

The silver jug, I think that's going to be sold for scrap. there's too many dents in it.

David's done really well. I'm actually really quite nervous.

He's bought some really good things. I love his George III fire surround.

I really, really adore his magnificent sedan chair.

His smalls weren't really up to that much.

He bought that awful, grotesque monkey jug,

which to me was a job lot barely worth going to auction.

So, with Charles just ahead of David and only £13 between them,

our experts head south to fight it out in the auction room.

Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire is where they started

this leg of the road trip, but it's Frome in Somerset

where they face their next date with destiny.

Sitting on the edge of the pretty market town of Frome

is the auction house, Cooper & Tanner.

They sell everything here

from cattle to household goods and fine antiques.

-David, do you know what?

-What?

-It feels like we're at a cattle market.

-Here?

-Yes.

-I'm sure it is.

-Do you know what, David?

I feel you might just make mincemeat of me.

So, with the bidders gathering,

what does auctioneer Dennis Barnard

think of our experts' choices?

The sedan chair is the one that's created most interest.

People have been looking carefully at it, taking it outside.

The jug and the ewer is very, very attractive.

The good thing about that is it is small,

but nowadays, people are collecting fewer items and things like that

don't sell as well as they did even three or four years ago.

Charles started this leg with £261.88

and a lot of dancing around,

and spent £131 on five auction lots.

David, however, started slightly down on his rival with £248.08,

but went mad, spending £173 on six auction lots.

Gosh.

Currently, Charles has a £13 lead on his rival, so can he hold on to it?

It's all down to the auction.

-Here we are, coming up now.

-Here we go. Keep it down.

Thank you, Charles.

Right. Here is David's completely intact fire guard,

much coveted by Charles.

Start me off, somebody, at £20. £20, quickly.

10, then, for the fire guard. Three we've got, three.

-Come on!

-Come on, this won't do.

-It will do.

-Charles, shut up.

At £5, then, it's going to be gone at £5.

£5, it's a crime,

but I bet competitive Charles is secretly relieved.

It was historical, it was important.

Look, Charles, it's hysterical.

Not historical, it's hysterical. That's so disappointing.

Can David do any better with his old paint-covered stool?

Where shall we start, £10, somebody?

Five we've got down at the end, five and who's got eight?

-Eight, 10 with the lady and 12, sir?

-Come on, David.

-I'm in profit.

13, 14 and 15. 16, at 18, 20 now.

22. All done? £22.

Excellent stuff. David is off.

Can he keep flying with his star buy,

which is similar to one sold at Christie's

for more than £600, apparently.

-I'm going to start from bids on the book at £40.

-Great. A good start.

-Good start, David.

-45 and 50. 50 and five. Now 60, 60 and five.

70, sir? 75, 75 and 80, sir. 85, 85.

90, sir.

Everybody happy at £90?

-Oh, dear. Not quite the fireworks we were all hoping for.

-Disappointing.

I thought I was going to fly on that, I really did.

Still, time now for the boys to relocate to the other end

of the auction and Charles is in the dock

with his Staffordshire jug and bowl.

It's my time, David. The moment is almost nigh.

-Your place in history.

-Start me at £10. 10 we've got, 10.

You're in profit, Charles.

15 and 20. 25, 30, 32. 34, 36.

-Great! One more.

-That is good.

Are we all done at £36?

A £28 profit before costs. Now, that will get Charles excited.

-Well done!

-Great. A great start.

-Well done.

-Thank you, David.

-A great start.

-Next, the silver jug.

David thought it would go for scrap,

but can it claw out another profit for Charles?

30 on here, and 32. 32 and four now.

36, 38, sir? 38 and 40 now.

45 and 50 perhaps, sir? 55 with you, Brian, at 55.

-Is everybody happy at 55?

-We're really happy.

Another healthy profit. The young pretender is storming ahead.

-Hanson is off to a great start.

-It is amazing, actually. It is amazing.

How does he do it, David?

Next is the cocktail shaker.

Will it be Margaritas all-round or could it end up as a Bloody Mary?

Where shall we start?

£10 on this one? £10. Three!

-£3, yes!

-That's not very sporting, David.

-We've got three with Reg, who's got five?

-Eight quickly.

Who's bidding, eight? 10 now. 10 with you, sir.

12 with the lady in the middle. 14, yours, then, at £14.

A small loss, but not enough to dent Charles's £35 lead before costs.

-Gosh, you've been so lucky.

-He's not bitter, you know.

Now for Charles's expensive wine bottles minus their stoppers.

-I'm nervous.

-I never thought you'd get nervous or worked up.

Start me at £10.

-Oh, no!

-We've got 12, 14, 16 there.

-18 and 20.

-One more, sir.

It should do better than this. Are you all done at £18?

Oh, no. A disaster!

-I'm wiped out. I'm completely wiped out, David.

-Wait till my Clarice Cliff come up. They'll bomb.

And here they are.

£20, somebody. £20 we've got. Have we got 25? 30, 32, 35.

-They are worth more than that!

-That's a good price.

-At £35, they're going to be gone.

-Oh, no!

-You said it.

That's wiped the smile off his face.

Next, David's job lot.

A jug turned into a table lamp and two coffee cups without saucers.

-Great.

-Start me at £10.

-10, 12, 14, sir. 14 now, 16.

-Come on, come on!

-£20, 22.

24, 26. At 26, all done at £26.

Well, that profit has put our two rivals virtually neck-and-neck.

I was really worried about that.

David will have to do a lot better to win this leg outright.

Now for a bit of nostalgia.

For all those men who play with trains.

I think you've got a good market here.

You've got a lot of old men who are going to reminisce.

Where shall we start? £20 we've got. 25, 30, 35 and 40. 36, 38 there?

That's good.

42. On the right, is this the final lot? Final answer, £42.

A good result, and all that puts David in the lead,

but will it be enough to win outright?

I tell you what, it's been like a roller-coaster.

-I know.

-A big dipper.

-Up and plunging down and up again.

-Just ride it, just ride it, David.

I'll say.

-Charles has one more lot to go.

-Shall we start at £10? £3.

-£3!

8 and 10. 15, 25.

35 and 45. 45, 46.

Over there at £46, going to be gone at £46.

And with that, Hanson clinches today's crown.

Good man. I'm happy, delighted. Delighted with that.

David started this third leg with £248.08,

and after auction costs,

made a small profit of £7.40,

leaving him with £255.48 going into the fourth round.

Charles, on the other hand, began ahead with £261.88,

and after costs, made £7.58,

leaving him with £269.46 to spend

and putting him yet again in the lead.

Well done, Carlos. You and your piggy bank.

So, until the next time, it's bon voyage!

-Go on, David!

-Go on, boys, push!

Yes!

Thank you very much indeed. Wave goodbye to Somerset, Charles.

-I thought we were in Wiltshire.

-No!

-OK.

-This is Somerset.

Hopeless!

Next time on the road trip, David finds a novel form of exercise.

He's then forced to put his new muscles to the test.

-Have you got it in gear?

-No, now I have.

And Charles gets a right royal telling-off.

Do you know, you're the most irritating person I absolutely...

I know. I'm sorry.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd