Episode 1 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts, with £200 each,

a classic car and a goal -

to scour Britain for antiques.

That hurts!

My sap is rising.

The aim? To make the biggest profit at auction,

but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Could you do 50 quid on that?

So, will it be the high road to glory,

or the slow road to disaster?

Your steering is a bit lamentable.

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

We're out and about with a right pair of mischief makers.

Auctioneers James Braxton and Charles Hanson.

Stop mucking about, Charles.

Now, James Braxton simply loves all the towns he visits.

God bless you, Combe Martin.

And he's VERY charming with the ladies...

-Can I show it to you?

-Yes, fine.

This is Charles Hanson.

He's a real risk taker.

-And nervy.

-That's my entire money gone!

What have I done?

And buying antiques really makes him very happy.

I feel like dancing in the rain.

Well, from his £200,

James has only been able to shuffle towards the finishing line...

Huh! And currently has a paltry £248.24

rattling round in his back pocket.

Oh, dear!

Whereas Charles seems to be on a winning streak.

From his original £200,

he has an impressive £943, and one penny, to spend.

And the car of choice is James's beloved 1952 MG.

You're just under 1,000.

I'm trailing with just under 250.

But I feel quite emotionally unstable.

To have so much money - do I bank it? Do I play it?

Do I gamble? Do I...?

I think, on your roll,

anything you touch may turn to gold.

James and Charles are travelling 400 miles,

from Dulverton, West Somerset,

via the Isle of Wight,

to the county town of Truro, in Cornwall. What a trek!

On this leg, their first stop is the Devon town of Crediton.

And they'll auction in the Cornish town of Lostwithiel.

The missionary St Boniface

was born in Crediton in the seventh century,

and the town's parish church is over 1,100 years old.

Let's get going with our expedition.

First to have a go is the excitable Charles Hanson. Stand by.

-That's my first shop. Fantastic!

-Spooky - it's called "James".

I know. "James Antiques".

This is nice stick, Jim, isn't it? A wonderful Hawthorn cane.

If you were a gent,

as you are, Jim, a Devonian gent,

back in the year, 1909...

-Yes.

-London hallmark.

-It's one of the nicest sticks

I think we've had.

I like it, Jim. That's a good thing, isn't it?

So, Jim, what would be the best price on your fine cane?

-We're asking 168, as you'll probably see.

-Yes.

Er, 150, straight 150.

Jim, it's not a bad price.

I think, again, going back to auction,

I'll want it a bit cheaper than that.

What's the best price?

-125.

-125, you see.

I'm going to say, "Thank you, but I'll leave it."

Thank you very much. All the best!

Well, I take it that's a no, then?

Yeah, you, too. Bye.

Charles-style. Good.

Meanwhile, James has travelled south to the historic city of Exeter.

Exeter's long and fascinating history

dates back as far as 250 BC, and it's home to this

breathtaking 12th-century cathedral.

Just in case you didn't know,

JK Rowling was a student at Exeter University,

and my parents got married in the cathedral.

Watch out, Exeter Antiques Centre.

James is a man on a mission,

and it's not long before James finds dealer Mike to talk business.

How interesting. That is unlike rolling pins I have seen before.

-It's one of these Victorian salt pins, isn't it?

-Yeah.

That were given, full of salt,

and then sometimes, you get them painted, don't you?

-How unusual!

-Victorian scraps.

-Scraps, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-What have you got on it?

-95.

-70?

-70.

What else have got there? I think that's very interesting, Mike.

Here's something unusual.

Oh, yeah...

Horseshoe filer.

Oh, really, is it?

So, that's a farrier's tool, isn't it?

God, that's well made!

And so you could take that out

and sharpen that, as well?

Actually, James, I think you'll find

this rasp is for filing horses' teeth.

A similar but shorter version would be used on their hooves.

Ticket price is £20.

Could you do a tenner on that?

I might buy something else from you, Mike, as well.

-HE SIGHS

-Go on, then.

-Oh, Mike!

Good man, good man. That's really nice, I like that.

-Can I revisit that rolling pin?

-Very quirky.

D'you like rolling pins, or d'you just buy quirky items?

-Just buy quirky items.

-Yeah.

Salt pins are handy, aren't they?

They help keep salt nice and dry,

and this one is decorated with scrap pictures,

which is called "decalcomania".

Could you do anything really good on this?

-Like sort of 30 or 35?

-Oh! You're robbing me.

HE LAUGHS

-45.

-45?

It IS very unusual...

-50, the two. There you are.

-50, the two?

Oh, that's very kind of you.

-Mike, I'm going to have it.

-Right.

-That's really kind of you.

Thank you very much indeed. So, 50 for the two...

James is definitely trying to bounce back.

Charles, meanwhile,

is still empty-handed and stuck in Crediton.

He's got an appointment to get to,

but James and the MG are nowhere in sight.

I'll see you later!

Mr postie,

is there a bike shop around here at all, or anything on those lines?

Yeah, just back there n the right hand side.

-Right hand side?

-Yeah.

-A Bike shop?

-Yeah.

-Fantastic, thanks!

Now what's he up to?

-Fantastic. Look, The Bike Shed.

-Ah.

Brilliant! Thanks, Andy.

-Right, Charles.

-Helmet on.

-Gird up your loins.

-See you, Andy.

Off you go.

MUSIC: "The Pushbike Song" by The Mixtures

The energetic Charles is using the magic of pedal power

to travel.

OK, well, not quite all the way we hoped,

to West Putford, near Holsworthy.

As if by magic, Charles is heading to the enchanting world

of Britain's only gnome reserve. Huh!

Artist and founder Ann Atkins created the reserve

in 1979,

and holds the world record for owning over 2,000 gnomes.

Gosh.

You know, I begin to believe.

Of course!

-I begin to believe in gnomes.

-The real world, isn't it, here?

-No blaring music and slot machines...

-No!

-..it's just nature and the gnomes and the fairies.

-It is.

Nature and the gnomes, and I can't wait to get started.

You're going to wear a gnome hat.

Erm...

-You've got to wear a gnome hat...

-OK.

..cos you embarrass them, otherwise.

-Come on.

-Uh-oh.

This is the real world, hey?

Will that one fit you all right?

-I'm going to go for an orange one, Ann.

-Oh, yeah(!)

The gnomes recognise me.

That looks splendid. That looks good, actually.

Thanks, Ann. Are you going to wear one as well?

I don't usually, because they know me well enough.

Charles needs no encouragement.

The little people have existed in different cultures

throughout the world for many centuries.

Gnomes originated in Germany in the 19th century,

with a company called Heissner

producing some of the first figures.

But it's Sir Charles Isham who's credited with starting the tradition

of garden gnomes in Britain.

In 1847, he featured a number of terracotta gnomes

in a large rockery alongside his home,

Lamport Hall, in Northamptonshire.

So, where are we going now?

We're going into the wood.

You lead the way and then you'll get the good view.

Oh, wow!

Wah-ah-ah-ah!

-Oh, Ann, isn't it wonderful?

-It's nice, isn't it?

I feel almost... I don't know...

-Like you did when you were three, maybe?

-Exactly.

-Yes.

There's something about them - they look so happy.

-They make a landscape really come alive.

-They do.

How would I tell the difference between

an elf, or a pixie or a gnome?

A gnome is ancient as the hills,

-and young as a child - all in one go.

-Yes.

-Pixies are entirely young.

-Are they really?

-Yes.

-Never grow old?

-No.

In the winter, do all these gnomes stay out and shiver,

or will they be brought inside?

They have their yearly bath...

Do they complain?

No, once a year they put up with it.

Well done.

Those that need it get new clothes.

Tell me, if I was a gnome,

which I am now,

and you're going to sort of keep me in the woods,

would I be fishing or perhaps just relaxing?

-Oh, let me think.

-What would you do with me Ann?

I think I'd have you on the beach.

-Would you really?

-yeah, I think so. Would you like to be on the beach?

-I could happily pop into Putford-on-Sea.

-Yeah!

-Exactly.

Let's leave Charles in quiet contemplation.

Sorry?

James, meanwhile, is having a splendid day.

He has two items already in the bag.

And he's looking for more in the town of Torrington,

in North Devon.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-James.

-How do you do?

-Joanna.

-Very nice to meet you, Joanna.

Something's caught his eye.

Funny fellow, isn't it?

I like the shape. It's an unusual shape.

Most tea caddies are square, round, and everything.

And this is rather fun.

It's hexagonal, so five-sided.

I want to see what it's like when I give it a good old clean.

And see whether it'll shine a bit.

-I think it will.

-I think it will.

How much do you want for this fellow, Joanna?

Erm, I put 22 on that.

Would you give a little discount, or not, for this?

-Erm...

-You don't have to.

THEY LAUGH

-But it does all help. How much?

-Erm...

-£20?

-£20?

£20?

It's a round note, isn't it?

-I'll buy it for 20.

-Oh! Thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed!

Back on the road and our road-trippers have travelled

to the port town of Bideford in North Devon.

HORN BEEPS

And Charles leads the way

as they charge to the shops.

Hah! The boys are in luck this morning.

A bustling antiques fair is in full swing at Bideford's Pannier Market.

Jim, I'll see you later.

OK, see you later.

So, with his swag bag empty, young Carlos needs to get a wiggle on.

Now I'm after...antiques.

Your little dog here, he's quite sweet, isn't he?

That's a beautiful Airedale, a proper Beswick.

-Beswick?

-Yeah.

-What's your name?

-Tony.

-Tony, mate...

Condition's so important.

What is it - 1970s, '60s?

It could be '60s, that.

A '60s dog of a great collectability.

You're going to sell that to someone who is an Airedale owner,

or Airedale breeder,

who will say, "It's Beswick," so it's Rolls-Royce,

it's the proper quality.

-Yeah.

-And there's money in it for you.

-Very tempting.

What's he worth?

That's on at 37.50.

I would do you that for £20.

I was honestly hoping

to pay a tenner.

No, split it with me at 15.

£15. Well, sometimes,

you've got to get your show on the road.

£15, yeah. Take it for £15. We're happy.

And he's not finished yet.

Oh, no, he's found another stall with something to tickle his fancy.

-I don't know who the maker is.

-Isn't that nice?

This is lead-glaze earthenware.

And it's novel, it's 1880s.

It's a water jug.

It's going to appeal to, perhaps, hunting people,

with this crop here, on the handle.

And it's what we call "majolica".

I do like it. It's in good condition, bar the fact

we have a crack here, just on the lid.

The age, and from the lozenge mark on the bottom, here,

we can date it to around 1881.

Margaret, what's your best price?

-65.

-65? OK.

Would you take £50 for it?

55.

55?

Margaret, we're going, going...

-Gone!

-We've got it!

Thank you very much, I'm delighted.

A really handsome jug,

which is full of Victorian flavour. Thanks, Margaret.

And Charles has good reason to be pleased as Punch.

I'm so excited,

because my jug I've just bought

is actually made by George Jones.

And George Jones was the most important maker

of majolica pottery.

In his lead-glaze earthenware forms,

he would always use a small, black number

on the bottom of his majolica wares.

It's got the black number.

Without the condition issue,

it could be a jug worth maybe £800.

In its condition, maybe, just maybe,

it might make more than £100.

I'm really excited, a really big find.

Could this be another Road Trip discovery?

James, meanwhile,

has spied something in the window

of Bideford Pottery.

Your window has lured me in. I'm James.

-Hello.

-Nice to meet you.

I like this!

What's that? "A frog, he would a woo-ing go.

"Whoopsie diddley dandy dee."

BELL RINGS

Beautifully delivered, James(!)

Some things lend themselves very nicely to clay.

Yeah, they do, don't they?

And I love the naturalistic face here.

-And I see, very nicely, you sign everything.

-Yes.

Here we are, "Harry Juniper". What a great name!

HE LAUGHS

"Of Bideford. 2011" I rather like that.

Could you give me a special price on that, Harry?

No!

Well, good for you!

It's got 25 on it.

-That's dirt cheap, isn't it?

-It IS dirt cheap.

-And I'll pay you 25 for it.

-Good!

-Why not?

Nice one, Harry!

Bideford is turning out to be very fruitful for the boys.

So far, so good.

Charles is nipping across the road to visit Susannah

in Old Bridge Antiques.

Have a rummage through this one, as well.

In the auction business, people love to rummage.

They love to dig deep.

They love to unearth treasure.

Would you split all this up, Susannah, for auction,

or would you almost sell the whole lot as one job lot?

We could put a collection together in a box.

If I bought an entire box, for example,

what would the price be?

I think the best price would be £80.

-Sue.

-Yes.

-Love the box.

It's a great box,

but I just love this box as well,

which is leather, and it's clad,

and it's of a higher quality.

Let's say, for example,

I put all this jewellery

-into there, OK?

-Yes.

My treasure, into a really fine box.

Best price, Sue? Give me the biggest and best price.

OK, £70.

Oh, my goodness me!

-OK.

-And that is a very good deal.

Yeah.

How about this? If I give you,

not 400,

but 4,000...pence...

-SHE LAUGHS

-..for this?

Which is £40.

So that's your very best offer?

HE SIGHS

I feel really mean, but yes, because...

OK, then I wish you well, and I hope that you make plenty at auction.

-I will leave it, and that's fine.

-That's fine, you can have it for 40.

-You sure?

-Absolutely. Shake my hand.

-£40, you sure, Sue?

-Shake my hand!

-Are you happy?

-I'm happy as long as you shake my hand.

Even though I don't really like it!

SHE LAUGHS

OK, Sue, I'll have it.

-I'll take it away.

-Well done.

That's £40. Or, to Sue, 4,000 pence.

SHE LAUGHS

Crikey, Charles!

Your bare-faced cheek has got you another Road Trip bargain.

Look at that!

Meanwhile, James had arrived at the Pannier Market,

and, like Charles, Tony's stall has also caught his eye.

That's a great fun mirror, isn't it?

It's very stylish.

That's typical '20s/'30s.

It's got a lovely outback on it.

Tony, can you do a "special" special price...?

For £60 is a bargain.

Can you do anything more dramatic on that?

"Dramatic"?

If I knocked you £20 off that,

I think you'd have a superb bargain at £40.

I would be very pleased at that, Tony.

Thank you, that's really kind of you.

Charles returns the bike as he joins James in the MG.

They're travelling 30 miles south

to the West Country town of Okehampton.

With three items bagged, Charles is hoping to splash more of his cash.

He's got over £800 left,

and he's on the run.

-Hello, madam.

-Hello!

-How are you?

I'm very well. Nice to see you.

Thank you for letting me come to your shop and peruse.

-I believe you are Charles?

-I am Charles, yes.

This is fun, isn't it?

I know!

Tell me about these musket balls.

The area, Great Torrington,

which is North Devon,

going back towards Bideford,

was the last stronghold of the Cavaliers

during the Civil War.

This is something I picked up locally.

I'm almost certain these musket balls,

which are mounted in this oak display case,

are certainly mid-17th century.

I would think so, but it could be quite gory.

-They could have killed somebody.

-Exactly.

-I also quite like that scent bottle here.

-Yeah.

This is a cut-glass perfume bottle -

Birmingham, 1942.

If you were a lady in the Second World War, you may have had this

to maybe mesmerise your husband

coming back from the Forces, or whatever.

I would do that for £60.

OK. That's food for thought. Thanks, Sue. Thanks, Jo.

And this caster?

A lovely, quality...

-Which it is.

-..heavy...

Which it is.

..silver caster and cover.

This is London, from the year 1937.

And it's Georgian-style, but yes, 20th-century.

It is. Lighthouse caster form.

Faceted. Good size.

We likey-likey, OK?

What have we got on that?

Right, 160.

What will we do with that?

Let's try and be good to you.

120.

Yeah.

Oh, I sense another Cheeky Charlie bargain on the cards.

I've seen those two, and I do like the musket balls, as well, up here.

Would you take...

60 for him, 60 for him,

and 30 for him?

Which makes...?

£150.

For three items...

-There you go. Lovely.

-On eggshells. We've got there.

We've sold, so that's wonderful.

Hats off to you, Charles.

Yet another good deal done.

And that's the shopping wrapped up.

James Braxton started this leg with £248.24

and spend £135 on a farrier file, Dutch tea caddy,

a 1950s wall mirror, an unusual Victorian scrap works salt pin and

a novelty frog pottery hand bowl.

Charles Hanson began with £943.01 and spent £260

on a Beswick Airedale terrier, a 1940s scent bottle,

a Victorian jewellery box containing vintage jewellery,

a rare majolica jug, musket balls circa 1645

and a George VI sugar caster and cover.

Great buys but what do our experts think of each other's swag?

That Regency box stuffed full of goodies,

that in the auction room is just a magnet.

If it's in the cabinet, lots of goodies in it,

I predict that will make between £150 and £250.

I'm really impressed with James's items.

I love his silver caddy and I think he struck gold.

It's been a go-getting leg of this Road Trip

with the boys battling it out from Crediton via Exeter, West Putford,

Torrington, Bideford, Okehampton

and finally heading for the Cornish town of Lostwithiel

for Jeffrys Auctions, which was established in 1865.

Quiet, please. The auction's about to begin.

First up it's Charles's Victorian leather jewellery box,

stuffed full of loot!

-Come on, James, here we go.

-Here we go.

Got some interest already and I'm starting at £110.

NO way!

110, 120, 130...

I told you!

160, 170...

I can't believe it!

180, 190, 200... 210

220, 230,

-240...

-I can't believe it.

-At 240 are we all done?

-At £240...

HE BANGS GAVEL

Put it there! I can't believe it!

By gosh, Charles is off to a rip-roaring start.

Just look at James's face!

Steady there, Charles.

Let's see if James can make his mark with the farrier's file.

Very good, did my nails this morning, lovely.

£10, we'll say no more.

£10? five, six, at eight, at eight, ten,

12, 14,

16, 18,

at 18, 20,

22, 24,

26, 28,

£30, 32...

32, front row.

-At 32, are we done? 32...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Come on, give it!

-It's all right, isn't it?

-Trebled your money.

Not bad, James, but you'll need better luck to beat Charles.

And it's James's tea caddy now and he's got high hopes.

£70 I'm bid. £70, £70...

75, £80, 85...

95...

At £100...

-At the £100...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Congratulations! That is five times what you paid for it.

-That's good.

-I'm pleased with that.

That's more like it.

Let's hope you're on the up.

It's that 1950s mirror

with the little fish next.

-Ten, I'm bid. At £10, 12, 14...

-Here we go.

15, 18, 20,

22, 25...

28, £30,

32... At 32...

At 32... All done?

-At 32...

-BANGS GAVEL

Only 32.

Oh, dear. Just when you thought your luck was changing.

But never fear, James,

there's still that unusual Victorian salt pin to go.

£15? £18, £20,

22, 25, 28,

£30... Is it?

£30, 32,

35, 38,

£40...

38, still seated. At 38...

Are we done at £38?

HE BANGS GAVEL Yes!

Is that laughter or tears?

It's just not your day today, James.

We're back to Charles and his majolica jug next.

It's the one he thinks might go for a mint.

£90, £100,

110, 120, 130,

140, 150, 160,

170, 180, 190...

-Delighted.

-What did I say?

200. Oh, my God.

-220, 230, 240?

-240.

250, 260...

Well, well!

-270, 280...

-I don't believe it.

280. That's good.

Yeah, it is good.

320, 340... Keep going.

-340.

-I can't believe it.

At 340 on the phone... 360, 380...

Gosh!

-380, 400...

-I don't believe this. Keep going. This is wonderful!

Wonderful!

-420, 440?

-Oh, goodness me!

-440. 460?

-460...

-Oh, magic!

-480, 500...

-This is heaven.

500. 520? 520. 540?

-540?

-'Telephone bid.'

-No.

-520 in the room.

-Thank you very much.

-At 520 in the room...

£520...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Yes!

Wonderful, wonderful!

Thank you very much! Wonderful!

Thank you, auctioneer!

-Drinks are on you!

-Oh, absolutely! And the rest.

Oh, goodness me!

-Put it there!

-Well done.

Put it there indeed! A magnificent lump sum for young Charles.

Can I...?

That Charles is in a kissing mood!

Still, next it's the collection of musket balls.

£30 to start me. £20 I'm bid.

Come on.

£30, 35, £40,

-45, £50...

-Keep going.

55, £60...

Wonderful.

-How much did you pay for it?

-£30 it cost me.

Approximately £30.

-65...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Well done.

-Congratulations.

-Well done.

-Congratulations.

Well done.

Profits aplenty yet again for young Charles. Keep up the good work, boy!

Anyway, it's Charles again with the lighthouse sugar caster.

-Come on!

-£30 I'm bid.

55, 60, 65, 70, 75,

80, 85, 90...

That's great!

£90, take 95... At £90...

95, thank you. 100, 110...

-Well done!

-110, 120, 130?

At 120. You sure?

At 120...

-£120.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Brilliant! Double money. You were right.

Is there no stopping the young pretender?

The bidders of Lostwithiel just can't resist his items.

So how about Charles's scent bottle?

Are we in for another sweet-smelling profit?

-£20 to start me.

-No. Too much. Too much.

35, £40, 45,

50, 55,

£55, 60,

65, £70...

At £70, take 75...

-One more!

-Too much.

-At £70, are we done? Going at £70...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Yes, profit! Put it there!

No.

Come on, James, be a sport! We all have bad days.

So now, show Charles what you're made of.

It's your last lot of the day, the froggy hand bell.

£10? £5?

Five I'm bid. Rings your bell?

At seven, at eight,

at nine? At nine, at ten. At 12? At 12.

At 14, at 16, at 18,

at 20, 22... At 22...

Dropped a clanger there! At 22...

-At 22...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

And that little froggy didn't come home with the money, James.

It just croaked.

From froggy to doggy.

It's the final lot of the day with Charles's terrier.

£30 away? £20 I'm bid.

Yes! Profit.

25, £30, 35,

£40, 45.

I can go to 48. 50? 50.

Wowzer! Well done.

At £50 I'm bid. Done?

-Going at £50.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

You are unassailable.

It gets better and better and better. Can I drive?

No.

Yet another profit. Wow.

So that makes Charles the winner.

-I'm just absolutely blown over.

-I've had enough.

I'm blown away. I'm blown away.

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

Well done.

So James started with £248.24.

And after paying auction costs, made a small profit of £48.68,

leaving him with a modest £296.92 to carry forward.

Charles, meanwhile, started with a massive £943.01,

and made a magnificent £613.30 profit.

Giving him a staggering £1,566.31 to take forward.

Good lord.

James, sometimes you get lucky, OK?

HE CHUCKLES

Hold on. There is no "sometimes". With you it's "always".

-Anyway, well done.

-Thank you, mate!

So, with barely time for a breath, our boys forge ahead

in James's adored 1952 MG.

The only thing is she doesn't have a roof. Uh-oh.

Well, James, I've never ever known weather like this.

-Oh, lovely(!)

-Aww!

-That's lovely(!)

James and Charles are travelling 400 miles from Dulverton, West Somerset,

via the Isle of Wight to the county town of Truro in Cornwall.

On this leg, first stop is the town of Liskeard

and they will auction in Truro.

The boys share their first shop of the day, Bay Tree Trading Company,

-James.

-Charles.

Owner Andy and his partner Michelle

have a shop crammed with interesting wares.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

James has got a lot of catching up to do

and with just less than £300,

he really needs to find some money-making goodies.

Cor, that's a weight, isn't it?

It's a very nice old winged nut.

This piece of Great British design would be unscrewed

when changing the tyre of a Jaguar XK150.

It doesn't look terribly old inside, but it has been bashed,

so they have used a copper hammer to loosen this off.

You see where it's disturbed the chrome.

Now, Michelle...what could it be?

-Em, I think £10.

-£10? That's very fair.

-I'm very happy with that.

-Good.

-There you are. A tenner.

Faster than the speed of light, James is not hanging about.

Charles has got over one and a half grand in his pocket

but he just can't seem to find anything to buy. Stop faffing about!

Now, down the road,

James is sniffing out a bargain at the local church. Lordy!

-Hello. I'm James.

-Hello, James.

I've heard on a little whisper around Liskeard

that you've got a pulpit you might be selling.

-Am I right?

-You are, yes!

-Oh, good.

Graham is a church warden at Liskeard Methodist Church

and might just be able to help James with his next purchase.

-So this is the fellow?

-This is it.

-Can I have a good old squiz?

So this is where your man or lady stands,

firing out fire and brimstone, making better, more worthy people.

Hey, that's lovely.

So you've got quite ordinary bits for the stars and the rails.

-But what a fabulous figuring on pine.

-Yes, yes.

Would £30...

..be helpful? Did you have a figure in mind?

-Graham?

-The figure I had in mind was £50.

-£50?

Could we meet in the middle?

-I'm sure we could.

-£40? I'm very happy to give you £40.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I like your enterprise, James,

but will your divine inspiration prove to be fruitful?

Well, we'll have to see. So, without hesitation, the old boy motors on

in search of another bargain in the town of St Columb Major.

He's visiting Stiltskin and Walrus. Great name! Owned by Janet.

What are these things saying, "On war service"?

-They're lovely.

-I haven't come across those.

-They're WWI and they were given to people

who hadn't volunteered and weren't at the front.

So somebody couldn't accost them in the street and call them cowards.

-Oh, I see. To stop the white feather business.

-Exactly, yeah.

During WWI, white feathers were given to men

who were thought to be cowardly and shirking their war duties.

The badges served to protect those exempt from military service

-and soldiers wearing civilian clothes.

-So this is 1915.

And I understood that after a while there weren't so many available

because people were conscripted after a certain date.

You can't decide which one you like best, can you?

-I wouldn't mind those two.

-And leave me that one.

Shall I leave you that one?

Together the badges are priced at £30.

-Could you do them for 24?

-I could do them for 25.

25.

-Janet, I'll have them for 25.

-OK, deal.

The boys are back together in the MG and have travelled

to the port town of Falmouth, via Truro,

on the south coast of Cornwall.

Falmouth is famous for its harbour and is well-known for being the start or finish point

of round the world voyages.

And James looks as though he's regretting handing over the car keys to Charles.

-Nice...nice.

-Sorry! Hold on!

Sorry, James! Sorry about that.

Charles! He certainly needs to get cracking. He hasn't bought a thing.

Let's hope Roadshow Antiques can help him in his pursuit.

-Good morning, sir. How are you?

-I'm very well.

-Good to see you.

-Hi. Chris.

-My name's Charles.

-Could you guide me in a direction?

-Have a look over in the window.

You've got a fire screen there which I'm pretty sure is Newlyn.

Isn't that wonderful?

This, I suppose, almost captures the essence of Newlyn, doesn't it?

Newlyn copper was a type of Arts and Crafts copperware

originating in Newlyn, Cornwall.

It was produced in the late 19th century by unemployed fishermen.

-Look around, make your decision.

-OK, thanks.

-I can do a little bit.

I'll think about it. Thanks, Chris.

I'm feeling a warm glow.

-Chris...

-Yep?

This stick in here. Is that local, the swagger stick?

Yeah, Devon and Cornwall Light Infantry. Not in great condition, but would sell well.

It is quite beaten

and this binding on the swagger stick, is that to reinforce it?

-Has it been split?

-Broken in half at some point, I would think.

If I bought that, Chris, in its condition,

what would be the best price?

-I've got £35 on it. What about 25?

-£25.

Yeah, that's food for thought, Chris. That could be an object.

Mental note.

This pill box in here.

Oh, that's sweet. Look at that.

This is a young lady waving her sailor goodbye.

And it's titled Hope.

It's circa 1790.

And it's £90.

That's quite good.

And the Delft bowl I like as well.

-Completely knackered.

-Yeah.

-It's going to fall apart.

-Is it?

-Although it was been stitched.

-Can I have a quick look?

This is Delft ware with a tin glaze over an earthenware body. Made in Liverpool around 1750.

At the birth, the evolution of our porcelain industry. How much, Chris?

It's so tired, it's so worn out, Chris. What's the best price?

-You know...

-What have I got on there? 85 quid.

-Seems like nothing. Does that say 85?

-It says 55.

Oh, it says 55! Good try.

-If you're putting together a package...

-It could be expensive.

-..perhaps we'll kind of think about it then.

-I like your style.

-I like the swagger stick and the bowl. I also like very much the pill box over here.

-Mm-hm.

-There's a piece of Hale copper in there...

-That one?

-..which was a contemporary.

-And what's that?

-Hale copper.

-Yes.

-It's really a pipe rack, but people do put large spoons in them.

That's quite sweet. We're going back to 1905, 1910.

More importantly, it's in the Arts and Crafts style.

Chris, it's priced at £55.

-I think 40 would be the best.

-OK. OK.

He's going to have a good go and get a combined deal with the pill box, spoon rack

and the swagger stick.

-So all three together, Chris, would be how much?

-110.

-110.

-Would you do 60...

-Mm-hm.

..25 and 15?

Making it up to £100, which is £10 off?

£10 off my final price, you mean?

-Yeah.

-No.

-No?

-No.

OK. See, £100 sounds very nice.

-Shall I roll my sleeves up? We could wrestle on the pavement for the tenner.

-Arm wrestle?

-Yeah. You're a young man.

-Are you being serious?

-Yes. Why not?

Do your best, Charles. This is for the Road Trip.

-OK, Chris.

-Away you go.

-Go!

Are you trying?

I am actually trying, yes. I have weakened over the years.

He's a big man, Charles.

Ungh!

Steady.

-Yes!

-There we are.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-It's a deal! Fantastic, Chris!

Well done, Charles! Interesting haggling technique. Just when you think he's all shopped out...

If I said to you as a final attempt, what would be the absolute best price

-on the copper...screen, which we believe is Newlyn...

-Mm-hm.

-..and the Delft bowl?

-Together - 120 quid. Now that's...

-That's the death.

-The absolute death.

-Yeah. OK.

110?

What don't you understand about, "this is the death"?

-120 is the death?

-You're a lovely chap, but 120 is the death. I'm being really generous.

-£120.

Well, I've got to hand it to you. That was an epic tour de force of buying power.

James is next to have a shot in Roadshow Antiques.

After the marathon buy from Charles, will there be anything left?

Now the reason I like mirrors, Chris, is because my wife likes them

and I just spotted this fellow. You would immediately call that Regency

or, at a push, William IV, who only reigned for a nanosecond of time,

but in antique terms he could have reigned for 60 years!

-Indeed. Mahogany.

-Mahogany.

-Split turnings.

-And do you think that was once gilded?

-Gilded, I think.

-Somebody's rubbed it away.

-What price have I got on it?

-You've got 58 on it, Chris.

-40 would be the death.

-40. That's very kind of you. I'll definitely buy that, but...

-I only want that to be the start.

-OK.

-Look at that.

Isn't that funny?

A monthly medal competition

so they were producing and engraving pewter tankards to give monthly.

And it's made by Liberty's.

Isn't that amazing?

-And you've got another one.

-The original price on the tankards is £28 each.

Em, now what could you do the two for me, Chris?

-40 the pair.

-40 the pair?

-That's what I would have said if you hadn't told me they're Liberty's.

Probably 140 the pair now!

-I'll be good. 40 quid.

-That's really kind. I'll take them.

Shopping now over, James is motoring 35 miles south to Porthcurno in Penzance.

James is paying a visit to Porthcurno Telegraph Museum

which formerly housed a very important hub of international communication.

In the 19th century, the telegraph took the world by storm.

For the first time, a message could be sent instantly, rather than being delivered by letter,

which revolutionised the speed of world communications.

And this is where it all started.

James is meeting with John Packer, a former employee of the station.

Well, the first communications here was in 1870

when a cable under the sea was laid from here to Bombay.

It was India's first direct electrical communication with the mother country.

Well, show me the way.

With the advent of World War Two, the station had become so important, it had to be protected.

Secret tunnels were dug by Cornish miners to house an underground building

and the entire telegraph operations.

These bomb and gas-proof tunnels protected 14 secure cables out of the UK to its allies.

The museum has some of the equipment used in the Victorian era

which displays the technology from which today's computer age grew.

So this is where it all starts, is it?

This is the digital age, Victorian-style.

This is sending in binary code, left and right, left and right, by hand.

-Yeah.

-Left, left, right, left, left, right, left, left, right...

Noughts and ones, positives and negatives, binary code, computer code. This is where it all started.

-It all started.

-The Victorian internet.

-So the alphabet is simplified into this binary code?

-Precisely.

-This is what you were sending through those mighty cables?

This is the earliest form of sending by hand

and at the receiving end, the signals were received on paper tape as a squiggly line.

Above and below, above and below a central line,

dot and dash, mark and space, noughts and ones. Right.

The ever-improving advances in communication technology

put Porthcurno at the centre of the war effort.

So you're taking me back to World War Two here, John?

World War Two equipment and we're in the workshop where it was maintained

And this building and communication centre was very important in the Second World War, wasn't it?

-It was of vital importance.

-Vital importance.

We've said it was the gateway to the world. It was the gateway to the world in World War Two.

-For secure communication.

-With our allies, America, at the other side of the pond?

And as we had more cables than the enemy, we had a better network.

We had a more elaborate system of communicating around the world

-in a manner that could not be intercepted.

-Right.

Once so vital to the world, the telegraph became a museum piece,

but it's the ancestor of modern communications.

John, it's been really fascinating. Thank you.

The tour is all over and the shopping is all finished. Phew!

James Braxton started with £296.92 and spent £15 on

two Liberty tankards, a Jaguar wheel nut, two World War I badges,

a pine pulpit and a William IV mirror.

Charles Hanson began with £1556.31 and spend £220 on

a World War I infantry stick, a 1910 copper spoon rack,

and 1805 Bilston pill box, a Newlyn school Arts and Crafts fire screen

and a Delft bowl.

So, what do our experts think of each other's swag?

He is unquantifiable, that man.

Those little items will make a fortune at auction. I don't like them.

He suggests to me that James will walk the plank. Yeah, I agree.

It's been an ambitious adventure with the boys battling it out

from Liskeard,

St Columb Major, Falmouth,

Porthcurno and finally to Truro in Cornwall.

Philip Buddell Auctions has been established in Cornwall for the last 30 years.

Quiet, please. The auction is about to begin.

First up, it's James's William IV mahogany mirror.

£10? 10, I'm bid. At 10. 12 at the back. At 12.

If they turned it round the right way, it might make more.

18. £20. £20, I'm bid. At 20. And 2. And 4.

And 6. At 26, I have. £28 in front. At 28. 30 at the back.

At £30. At 30, I'm bid. And 2. £32. Bidding in front at 32.

-Well done.

-It's moving, it's moving.

-The bidding's at 36. 38 now...

-Go on son.

-Oh, wow!

-At 40, I'm bid. At 40.

At £40. 42 or not? At £40.

All done at 40? 2 or not? He's going to lose money if we're not careful.

At 40 and selling...

-Well done. Profit?

-No.

-Profit, is it...?

The atmosphere here is electric.

Pity it didn't fetch a profit though.

It's James again with the stylish pair of Liberty tankards.

What are you going to say on those? £10 on the pair of tankards?

-It must be worth a tenner.

-10?

-5? 5, I'm bid.

£5 on the two. 6.

At 6, I'm bid... 7. At 7. And £8.

Not quite the units I was hoping for!

At 10, I'm bid. 12. At 12. 14.

At £14. £14. 16?

At £14. £16. On the right at 16. 18. At 18, I have. At 18.

20, I'm bid. At 20. At £20, I have. At 20.

-22.

-That pays for one!

-They're worth an awful lot more than that.

At £22.

The hammer's up. All done for 22 and I sell...

£22.

Unexpected result there, James.

The only way is up... Surely!

It's now Charles's turn with the swagger stick next.

-What are you going to say on that? Start me at £20?

-2.

22?

Two quid!

At 2, I'm bid. At £2. 2, I have. 4.

6. 8. At 8. 10.

12. At 12, I'm bid. At 12. 14.

16. 18...

History. Absolutely.

22. 24. At 24.

Well done. The Midas touch.

28. At 28, I have. At £28. £28. Bidding to my right.

-Charles is getting excited.

-I'll sit down. Sorry.

At £30. 32. 34. 34, I have. At £34. 36.

36. Bidding on the far right. 38 bidding here.

-CLOCK CHIMES

-£38. £38. At 38, I'm bid.

Bidding here at 38. 40. At 40, I'm bid.

And 2. 42. At £42.

44 or not? At 42. Are you all done? You'll regret it later.

-CLOCK STILL CHIMING

-Oh, shut up, clock!

-At £42. 44 or not?

-Well done.

-At 42.

-History. Well done, sir.

Thank God for a bit of quiet! At £42.

All done? I sell at 42...

Bingo, bingo! That's great.

Charles turns the tide of fortune with a good profit.

And it's Charles's turn again with the cracked Delft bowl.

20? 10?

It must be worth 10. 10, I'm bid. At 10. 12. 14.

16. At 16. 18. 20.

22. 24.

At £24, I'm bid. At 24. 26.

-28. 30.

-I'm in profit.

-£32.

-Keep going, keep going.

-34 at the back.

At £34. £36. 36. 38. 38, I'm bid. At £38.

40 on the right. At £40, I'm bid. 42

At 42. 44. At 44. 44, I have. This is cheap.

-46. At 46...

-It isn't cheap!

At £48. 50. At £50. 55.

At £55. £55. 55... 60.

At £60, I'm bid. And 5. At 65, bidding here at 65. Still cheap!

I sell at £65...

Well done.

Profit number two for Charles, a good speculative buy there.

Can you make it three in a row, Charles?

It's the copper spoon rack next.

A former pipe rack, but probably now a spoon rack.

Or it might even take one of these. Can you try one of these out?

-Oh, here we are, a bit of theatre.

-Egg rack. Oh, good idea!

Yes, it does.

-Perfect.

-It's an egg rack.

It's gone from a pipe to spoon and now an egg rack.

There's an egg rack, ladies and gentlemen.

Egg, spoon, we can have egg and spoon rack.

Who's going to start me at £30? 30, thank you. £30, I'm bid. At £30.

-He's at the back.

-Keep going.

-And 5. At 35. 40. At 40, I'm bid. At 40.

5, will you say now? At 40. And 5.

I have 50 in the corner. At £50, I'm bid. At 50. And 5.

55, I have. At 55. At £55. 55. 60.

-At 65. 65, fresh bidder.

-Fresh bidder.

-Yes!

-70.

-5. At 75.

-Brilliant, brilliant.

-80.

-Brilliant.

-£80 in the corner.

85? At 85.

-90.

-90.

-90! Thank you, thank you.

-At £90, at £90.

-And 5. At 95.

-Oh, wonderful. Well done, well done.

Let's round it up now to the ton.

Selling on my right at 95...

£95.

Ha-ha, the winner of the egg and spoon race!

Yet another wonderful profit for the Hanson kitty.

I've just had a God looking down at me, looking after my objects.

-It's just been unbelievable.

-I know, it has been unbelievable.

It's Charles yet again, this time with the Newlyn-style fire screen.

£30? 30? It must be worth 30. 30, I'm bid. At 30. And 5.

At 35. 35, I have. 40, I'll take.

At £35. £35. 40 down here.

At 40, I have. Fresh bidder at 40. At 45. 45 in the middle.

-I'm enjoying this.

-That's cheap.

-I'm watching you struggle.

-That's cheap.

-No, it isn't. It's very expensive.

-At 55. 55. I saw the twitch!

60. At £60, I'm bid. At 60. 65.

Put the hammer down!

The chaps won't be able to afford to go home unless you bid a bit more.

At £70. £70. 75, do you say? At 70.

-75.

-That's enough, that's enough.

At £80, I have. At 80. At £80. Bidding here at 80.

-85.

-85! Keep going, please!

At 85. 85. 90!

At £90. Bidding on the front row at 90.

Any advance on £90? The gavel is up at 90. I sell...

-£90.

-I've lost £10!

I've lost £10. What a shame!

Ah, what a shame! Unusual to see you with a loss there, Charles.

I never thought I'd see this moment on this Road Trip.

-Is this your first loss?

-For a long time.

Back to you, James. It's the Jaguar wheel nut next.

Can you finally score a profit?

Your opportunity to build a car from scratch.

LAUGHTER

-Start me at £10? 10, I'm bid. At 10.

-Well done, well done.

At 10, I'm bid. At 10. 12. 14.

16 at the back. At £16. 18 in front.

-At £18...

-I'm going to make history!

-22 at the back.

£22. 24. 26. At 26 on my right. The bidding's at 26.

-28 at the back. At £28.

-Racing away, accelerating!

30, I have. 32 in the middle. At £32. £32. 34 or not?

I sell at £32...

4. At 34.

-Well done, that man.

-Well done.

-Good timing.

-At £34. Brinkmanship. 36.

At £36. Must be worth more than that

The hammer's up. I sell at £36...

-£36.

-Now...

-That was good.

Finally, a sizeable profit, James.

Now it's his unusual World War I badges.

I've got to start the bidding with me at £8. 9. At 9, I have.

10 with me. 12. I'm out. 14.

At £14. 16. 18 at the back.

At £18. At 18, I'm bid.

-20, I'll take. At £18.

-Keep going.

-Come on.

-18. 20. 22.

-Well done.

At 22. 24. 24. 26 at the back.

28 on the right. £30. Bidding at the back at 30.

At £30. 32. At £32. Bidding to my right.

Selling, all done for £32...

-32.

-Well done.

-It just shows...

Blimey, two profits in a row, James! Congratulations.

Back to Charles. The sweet little pill box is his final item.

20, I'm bid. At 20.

At £20. 25.

25, I have. 30. 35.

35, I have. At 35. 40, I'm bid.

Keep going. It's worth all of that.

It must be worth a lot more. 45 at the back. At £45.

-Come on.

-Back of the room at 45. 50, I've got. At 50.

At £50, bidding on the right. 55 at the back of the room. 60 on my right

At £60, I'm bid. And 5 I'll take from you. At £60.

-5.

-Yes!

-65, I have. £70, I'm bid. At 70.

Any advance on £70?

The hammer's up, selling at £70...

-Well done.

-Great trip.

-Well done.

-I got there in the end, James.

Indeed you did, Charles. Another profit to add to your hoard.

Finally, it's James's Gothic pulpit.

It needs to make over £1,600 to take James into the lead.

Oh, Lordy!

-50. A unique piece of furniture.

-Come on, James. This is your finale.

Start me at 20 then? £20?

£20 on the pulpit? I'm not asking the earth. Surely?

10 then? I know how you love your pulpits.

£10, thank you. At 10, I'm bid. From number one.

£10, I have on the pulpit. At 10.

At 10. 12. At 12, I have. At 12. 14, will you say?

Bidding at the back at 12. At £12. You're being very disappointing here

At 12, I'm bid. 14 or not? At £12 on the pulpit.

Any advance on 12 on the pulpit? Against you, number one.

Selling at the back of the room at £12... 14.

-Well done.

-At 14. 16.

-At £16. At 16.

-Saved!

-18 or not? At 16, I'm bid.

-You're causing me a lot of hard work 18, I'll take.

-18!

At £16. All done at 16...

Selling at 16 to 269...

Come here, mate. Come here. Come here, mate. Listen...

Come on, mate.

Oh, poor old James! A little cuddle from Charles will make everything better.

Unlucky. Sad day.

So, Charles Hanson the young pretender takes this auction.

James started with £296.92

and, after paying auction costs,

made a small loss of £35.28,

leaving him with a balance of £261.64.

Charles, meanwhile, started with a mighty £1,556.31

and made a profit of £76.84 today,

bringing his earnings to £1,633.15

and making him the Road Trip champion! Well done, boy.

-Watch out, watch out. Go.

-OK.

-Go, go.

-Well done, James.

All the money our experts make will go to Children In Need.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd