Episode 3 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.

Have I got it the right way up?

The aim -to make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

I look like the mad hatter!

So, will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?

I'm only in this to be Anita Manning's chauffeur!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

We join our two auctioneers, Phil Serrell and Anita Manning,

on beautiful country roads in a lovely 1965 Sunbeam Alpine.

-ANITA:

-I keep forgetting that you're a country boy.

Because I always thought that you were a sophisticated city type.

There's nothing sophisticated about me.

Philip from Worcester has a bluff exterior which conceals, well...

a bluff interior. He does have his uses, though.

Look at the little sheepy weepies.

-Aw!

-Young sheep have different names in different parts of the world.

There's one there called 17.

Anita from Glasgow is a thoroughly metropolitan sort but she loves the countryside, too.

-Look at that big... I thought that was a big boulder!

-No!

That is a silage bail, Anita.

She began the trip with £200

and has £265.60p to spend on this leg.

Phil also began with £200,

and has the lead with £344.70p at his disposal.

He's not exactly happy, though.

I've been and bought really predictable, old-fashioned antiques.

I haven't done me daft trick yet. ANITA LAUGHS

This road trip starts at Ford in Northumberland

and ventures into Scotland,

before winding its way southwards,

concluding at Harrogate, Yorkshire.

Our latest instalment begins in the Dales at Middleham,

and heads for the Lake District,

before an auction at Penrith in Cumbria.

They call Middleham the Newmarket of the North.

Horse racing is by far the biggest employer in the town.

-We parking there?

-Why not?

-CAR BUMPS

-Oh!

-What's your plan?

-I'm going to go round with a brush and a shovel.

I'm going to get bags of horse muck for roses. Take it to the auction. It'll sell.

Some might say that's not unlike what you usually do, Phil.

I'm sure Middleham can offer more.

As I thought, a very nice shop.

Angela keeps it packed to the gunwales, too.

Isn't that just a little child's table-top sewing machine?

I think that's really sweet.

-What's your ticket price on that?

-It would have to be 75.

-I like that.

And what's that?

-This is a cartridge filler.

-Yeah.

-Ah. OK.

-That clamps onto a table, doesn't it?

-Yes.

And you put your cartridge in there.

-This is for a 12-gauge or 12-bore, cos it's got a 12 on it.

-Yes.

-That's 35 ticket price and how much is this one?

-25.

Some devices for filling shotgun cartridges

and a Victorian sewing machine.

There is room for movement, but I won't move that much.

I've got to try and buy those two for 25, 30 quid.

Oh, no, no. No way on this earth. No, no.

-I want at least 45 for them.

-What about the sewing machine?

-I'd do it for 40.

-35 quid on that.

-38 and you've got it.

-Can you go any better than 38?

-37.

What's the very best on those two?

-It has to be 40.

-Those have got to be 40.

-Yeah.

Look, I'll do 35... 35, that's 75. For the lot.

Er, are we following this?

-You'd do 35 on that, 40 on them?

-Yeah.

I'm going to buy one of them. How much for just that one?

What's he up to here?

-18...

-22.

-Yeah.

-I'm going to have that.

-Right.

-OK? For sure, cos I like that.

-Yeah.

-So this is 22, that's 37.

-Yeah.

Add the two together is...59.

Tell me what's the best you can do. I'll have them both.

-Two off.

-57 quid.

-Yeah.

-OK, I'll have them both, please.

Phew! Sewing machine and cartridge filler for 57. I think.

You haven't got any headache tablets?

-I might have paracetamol.

I think we could all do with some after that, Philip.

Now, where's Anita?

-Hello. I'm Anita.

-Hello, Anita.

-Can I have a wee look around?

-Oh, please do.

Richard's shop is a great mix of antiques and collectibles,

-I know these things aren't old but they're big showy pieces.

-They are.

Possibly Indian.

-Turquoise is nice.

-Turquoise is very popular, isn't it?

-Uh-huh.

The ticket price on those is £35 each.

If I was buying the two of them,

what sort of price could you do them for?

I can let you have both of those for £2.

-I can't go wrong on that...

-Blimey! £2!

Good. OK. That's a deal. Thank you very, very much.

A deal? I should think so, Anita. It's a gift!

You've got a real friend there.

Just round the corner, Phil's on the prowl.

Is it me, or has the wily old fox got a sniff of something?

And I don't mean manure!

I've been to Middleham many times before.

I know that behind these houses there are racing stables.

I'm going to see if I can knock on the door

and buy something a bit horsey.

The Glasgow House yard is one of the oldest in Middleham,

dating back to 1800.

It currently belongs to the Fairhursts, Chris and Judy.

KNOCKS ON DOOR

-Hi. I'm Philip. How are you?

-Hi.

-You train racehorses.

-We do.

-I want to buy something.

I don't know what, yet.

You can have a look in the saddle room, see if there's anything that

-you might be able to sell.

-That's what I should be asking for, a tip.

Well, he's certainly got his hoof in the door.

These are old. Father would have had these before us! Chris's father.

This is obviously a newer one.

That's a starting point. How much would a saddle cost?

Those, we can't give them away.

You probably could give one away! LAUGHS

-We'll throw it in with the rug, yeah!

-No, I'm up for that.

-Why can't you give them away?

-The trees have probably gone.

-The tree being the spine of the saddle?

-Exactly.

-That's lovely leather.

-It is good leather.

-You can't give that away?

-No.

I'd give you 20 quid for the two, that's me best shot. Go on.

-30.

-Get out of here! You've got a saddle you can't give away.

So, is that worth five or ten quid?

If you can't GIVE them away.

-Ten.

-You've got a deal. You're an angel. Thank you very much, my love.

If this makes a profit, you'll have half the Yorkshire Dales trying to buy them off you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-You're welcome.

-Not bad, eh?

-Hope I've got a winner.

That worthless old saddle might just have become an important part in Serrell's country collection.

Now, what's Anita horsing around with?

Feature win! Yes!

What have I got? £300?

-You're a gambler, I see! You've lost!

-I've lost.

-Oh, no! Is this an omen?

-RICHARD LAUGHS

-What age is this?

-It's not very old, actually.

Probably '70s, '80s.

A ticket price of £100, though. Nudge? Hold? Nudge? What?

I want to buy it, but I can only buy it if it's really, really,

really, really, really, really cheap.

BOTH LAUGH

Would you miss it if it went?

I'll let you have it for £10.

-You can't turn it down for that.

-Ah! Give me a kiss!

Jackpot! I think.

That's the best deal in the world!

He's happy enough, though, and she's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Now she's after his Jaguar mascot.

-I think it's got a bit of pitting on it.

-Yes.

Would you be able to do a deal on that?

I'll have a look for you, Anita.

The asking price is £65, but what's the betting that'll come down, eh?

Anita, I think I can do that for £20 for you.

-Oh. Can I kiss you again?

-RICHARD LAUGHS

Well, it was hardly a spending spree,

but three lots with a combined ticket price of 235,

bagged for just £32. Unbelievable!

Phil, meanwhile, has made his way to another corner of Wensleydale,

travelling a few short miles from Middleham to Masham.

Like its neighbour, this ancient town is famous for livestock.

Though here, it's not horses but sheep that count.

But it's not the only thing Masham is now known for,

as Phil is about to find out.

This is Theakston's, brewing beer since 1827.

-Simon, how are you?

-Very nice to see you.

I've been dreading coming here because clearly,

someone with a frame like this, has no interest in alcohol at all!

But now I'm here, I may as well have a look round.

Beer making isn't that complicated,

but brewing to a consistently high standard is a great secret.

In Masham, it all started with the landlord of the Black Bull.

Robert Theakston, my great great grandfather, was good at brewing beer.

He was a very fussy, details man, and when you make beer, you have to be really fussy and detailed.

As his popularity grew, other licensees asked him to brew beer for them as well.

Unlike some, this company doesn't believe in change for change's sake,

so most of the equipment here is pretty low-tech,

like the 100-year-old barley mill.

We use electric motors to drive it. The wheels and gears are original.

That is so therapeutic, just to watch that.

And the smell is absolutely lovely, it really is.

Once the barley's been crushed, it ends up in the mash tub below,

where the starch is washed out and converted into sugar.

-How long has this been here?

-This was installed when the brewery was built, 1875.

-That's older than the old shaker!

-Yeah.

The wooden lid has been replaced from time to time,

but the metalwork is original.

-Inside, that's absolutely unchanged.

-What's this made of?

-Cast iron.

-It's very heavy and very thick so it'll last out my lifetime.

-You could be describing me!

Next, the sugar is infused with hops in the copper.

Once the yeast is added, the fermentation starts.

BUBBLING This is the last bit of the process?

-Pretty much, yes.

-Do you know what I love here?

-You can see this yeast moving.

-That's carbon dioxide.

It would make a great Bond set.

You can just see the villain lowering, drowned in a vat of booze!

What a way to go!

Something else that makes this brewery unusual, or "peculiar",

is Jonathan, their cooper, one of only two in the country.

Jonathan makes the wooden casks for the ale.

Why do you not use plastic barrels or tin barrels?

With the wooden cask,

you've got an inch and a quarter thickness of timber,

which is there to insulate the beer

and make the beer the best quality it can be when it reaches the pubs.

Like all great craftsmen, Jonathan makes making a barrel

look as easy as shooting fish in one.

-What is that?

-This is what we call a bar.

-Knock it down.

-Trying to knock it down, Jonathan!

Ever had a problem getting your knocker-upper in the bunghole?

Watch what you're doing with that!

Lift off.

There we go.

That's fantastic, isn't it?

Phil being Phil, he's seen an opportunity.

What I think would be quite good, if I bought one this size

and cut it into two for a pair of planters.

What would you sell those for?

We don't normally like to sell casks, Phil,

because they're for our customers, for putting beer in.

I'm sure we could find an old one, Simon.

-What's the best you can do me for?

-Well, we could probably manage to do £22.

You're a gentleman and a scholar. Can I just thank you?

Well done, Phil. Try to lift them up higher.

We don't want to scrape the bottom, do we?

Back in Middleham, Anita has another shop in her sights,

the same one the old fox graced earlier.

Hello? Hello!

Angela! It's lovely to see you again. You're looking well.

Phil may have got here first today, but these two have met previously.

Last year Anita bought a horse-measuring stick from Angela

and now Anita seems to be eyeing up the hats.

-There's that one and this one on the rack.

-Put it on.

We're a couple of swells!

-This isn't my best look.

-LAUGHS

That would look better on. It's an older one.

That's much smarter, especially if you had your fishnets on!

Er, lovely, but what about the costs of those hats?

Ticket price on the black one is £48

and £85 for either of the modern ones.

What I'm looking to pay

on a top hat

to sell in auction

is probably between £20 and £25.

It would have to be a bit more than that. Just a bit more.

-At 30 I might have a chance, Angela.

-Yeah. I'm willing at 30.

-You're willing at 30?

-Yeah.

-Is there any chance the two of those for 40?

-50.

-If you came down a wee bit, it'd give me a better chance.

I mean, I like that one.

It's a Victorian one, a definite Victorian one.

What did I say? 50? I'd do those two for 45.

The black one and the grey one.

Could you do 42?

-Do 42. It'll give me that wee bit of a chance.

-Go on, then.

-I'll give you the 42.

-42?

-Yeah.

-42.

Right, you put on that. I'll put on this.

-You put on this.

-Right ho. And we'll...

-And we'll shake on 42.

-Right, thank you.

Hats off to Anita and poor Angela, hey?

Back on the road, and Phil is taking a new approach to buying.

I do want to try and take the band off the bundle.

-You want to try and what?

-Take the band off the bundle!

-Oh, you want to spend money.

-Absolutely right.

They're heading for an auction in Penrith. Next stop, Kendal,

gateway to the Lakes.

So far, we've had beer. Now, it's mint cake.

Apparently invented by mistake,

the confectionery is a favourite snack of walkers and climbers

and Kendal's most famous export.

Car parked, our two head their separate ways.

Phil is on the sniff for treasure, so goes walkies,

while Anita sticks to the town with £191.60p to splurge.

-Morning.

-Good morning. I'm Anita.

-I'm Robert.

-What a wonderful place, Robert.

In Robert's shop, there's plenty of room for his speciality

of watches and clocks, but there's also so much more,

including free mint cake.

-There we are.

-"The pack full of energy!"

Phil doesn't know what he's missing.

This is the type of shop that Phil Serrell LOVES!

Oh, dear.

This definitely isn't an Anita sort of place.

It's an industrial estate full of furniture,

some of it old,

but quite a lot, um...more modern.

You can often tell more about something by looking at the back of it than the front.

This looks like an interesting sort of Art Nouveau display cabinet.

What you can see about it, look,

is that we've got some new Pozidriv screws in here.

Which, to the best of my knowledge,

weren't greatly used in the Art Nouveau period.

What will Phil spend his £255.70p on?

Planter. Not sure how old it is.

Looks like it's trying to be around 1890, 1900.

It could be a lot, lot later.

This is 12 quid. If I can get that for a good bit less, that would go

with my barrel planters that I've got.

That's worth looking at.

Now it looks like Phil's talking to himself. In fact, the dealer's a bit shy.

-It's got 12 quid on it.

-£10 to you.

-You're all heart, you(!)

Seems a tenner is as low as he'll go.

Go on, I'll buy it off you. I think it's a bit of fun.

Good gracious! What's Anita unearthed?

A ball and chain, Anita.

Ha ha!

We think it's a horse one, rather than one for a man.

-That would keep a man where you would want him.

-Yes.

-It's cast iron.

-It's probably quite handy as a door stop.

-Yes.

-How much is it?

-To you, £50.

Could I buy that for...£20?

-25 on it?

-At 25?

-Yes.

Say, 22?

-Oh, go on, then.

-You're a darling. Thank you.

# Save us from the ball and chain

Wow! That mint cake has some remarkable side-effects.

It's also given Anita the ability to drive.

GEARS CRUNCH

Oops!

Right, onwards they press,

through the Lakes to Low Newton.

Could this be where Phil finally de-bands his bundle?

Righty-o. See you later on.

Yes, this is a perfect Serrell hunting ground,

a sort of reclamation heaven.

Plenty inside, but Phil's clearly feeling the lure of the lump

dragging him towards the yard.

I quite like these. There's three of them but you wouldn't want three.

That one's got the thingy on the top broken.

That one's got a bit of damage.

I think that's the one for me.

Time to consult Clive and Pip on those.

They almost look like lead dovecotes.

-They do.

-What are they?

-They're air vents, aren't they?

-From a stable?

-A stable block, yes.

So I might be bonkers buying that.

You could be just the man to make a profit on those.

What he means is, I'm bonkers.

Yes, and he would have a point.

-What have you got them priced up at?

-They're 195 apiece.

-Hmm.

-What might be your best on those?

-I'd like to think I could get £95.

Let's put a parcel together. That might be the way forward.

Now, is there anything crazier here?

-What's that cowling off?

-It came off an old chicken house.

-At one point, it would have rotated, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

It seized up long ago. But it's a quirky thing, isn't it?

-How much is that?

-£40.

-I'm warming to the task.

That is daft, isn't it? Let's have another look round.

What's that?

-Looks fascinating.

-It's an early frame rucksack.

Ticket price £75.

-Have I got it the right way up?

-Yeah.

-Made for a smaller man than you, Philip.

-Yeah.

That's most folk.

So that's a rucksack?

-What's your best on that?

-£30.

Can I buy the two air vents and this for 140 quid?

No, but they could be 145.

You're a gentleman. It's bonkers, isn't it?

Blimey, he's actually bought them.

Now, a quick bite of mint cake and off you hike in search of Anita.

What does he look like, eh?

So that's the shopping all wrapped up.

Anita began with £265.60p

and she spent a mere £96 on a Jaguar car mascot,

two top hats by Christie's of London and Woodrow of Piccadilly,

two white metal bangles with turquoise inserts,

a Victorian cast-iron ball and chain horse tether,

and a 1970s fruit machine.

Phil started out with £344.70p

and he splashed £244 of it on a Victorian rucksack,

which he'll pair with a leather racing saddle,

a Victorian child's sewing machine,

an air vent and weathervane,

a pair of barrel planters, together with a salt glazed planter

and a 19th-century cartridge filler.

Interesting lots, but what do our experts think?

I don't see how she can really lose any money.

The top hats were the most expensive and they should do OK.

The Jaguar mascot should do OK.

The bloomin' manacle? That's a bit dodgy, that.

These...big...metal things have sculptural qualities.

I think people will buy them for their garden.

So, although I teased him, I think he might do all right with that lot.

After starting out at Middleham in Wensleydale,

this part of our trip will conclude at an auction in Penrith, Cumbria.

Just a few miles outside the Lake District National Park,

the town is the market centre for the region.

At Penrith Farmers' & Kidd's auctioneers, as well as antiques, they also sell livestock.

-They're selling fine ewes and rams today.

-Really?

-Yeah.

I wonder how all your old junk is going to do.

Kick-off approaches. Cue some last-minute doubt.

Do you think the farmers of Penrith

would have much occasion to wear top hats?

-They always go milking with top hats around here.

-Do they?

-Yeah.

Everyone's a hatter round here!

Ten for the two hats. 12. 15. 18. 20.

£20. Two. 22. 25. 28.

At 28. 30. £30. Two. 32. 35.

Far back at 35. 38.

40 bid. Two. 42. 45. 48. 50. 55. 60.

60 bid. At 60 at the far back... £60...

I have to say, I think your model sold them for you.

And quick, too. I'm sure him has had a few heifers under his hammer.

I've got my real big punt up next, those two air cowls.

-You getting nervous?

-Yeah. I put my neck on the block.

Yes, a unique vent lot. Anything might happen.

Various bids on this one. I have 110. 120 bid...

Got me out of trouble.

..150. 160. 170. 180.

At 180 the lot. 180 against the room now.

-190. 200. 200. 200 bid.

-Oh, God!

On commission at £200.

Oh, well done, Phil. Well done.

If those can sell, all bets are off.

-You like a bit of jeopardy. You like danger.

-Living on the edge, kid!

Next, the old beer barrels and the pot from the industrial estate.

15. 18. 20 bid with me. On commission, 20 bid. 20 for the two.

22. 25. 28. £28 bid. At 30.

£30 bid, and two. 32. 35.

-£35 bid...

-Are you into profit?

-Notional, yeah.

..At 38 at the far back. At 38 and selling. At £38...

1452.

-That stands me, after commission, of about £1.

-Every pound counts.

That means Phil's still safely out ahead.

Next up is your ball and chain.

You don't expect to see them in the middle of Glasgow.

Not too much demand in a modern society.

Yes, who WOULD want such a thing?

The Victorian cast iron ball and chain horse tether...

Lift it up, darling!

I have £30. Two. Five. Eight. 38. A bit higher, Simon! 40 bid. 42.

45. 48. 50. Five. 60. Five.

-70. Five. 80. Five.

-Well done, you!

85 bid. 85 for that one. And away selling at £85...

-A real good buy.

-Yeah.

-Did you expect that?

I had absolutely no idea what it was going to get.

Well, there's certainly a demand in Penrith.

Maybe it's because it's a rural area.

The world's oddest rucksack and a broken old saddle.

There's a guy interested.

Lot 82, army issue canvas shoulder pack and also the racing saddle.

Ten bid for those. Ten bid. £12 bid for those. 15. 18. 20.

-20 bid. Two. 22. 25...

-It's coming on.

..32. 35. 38. 40. 40 bid. And five. 45. 50.

55. 60. Five. 70. 75.

75? 75 against now. At 75.

75 bid for those. At 75.

-That surprised me.

-All done then, at £75...

Well done.

I'll bet he's glad he didn't bring muck now!

-Two bangles coming up now. Should make 20 quid.

-You think?

-15 quid. 12 quid.

-They're nothing to do with tethering horses, are they?

The bangles are decorative and modern, but bought for almost nowt.

£10 bid for those at ten. 12. 15.

-18. 20.

-Good.

20 for those. At 20. 22. 25. 28.

-30. 30 bid. Two. Five. £38 bid.

-That's good.

-At 38 for those. At 38...

-Result, isn't it?

-Yes.

And selling, then, at £38...

38.

Look at the look on her face! MIMICS ANITA: 38!

Very modest, as she quietly catches up.

-We're about neck-and-neck here.

-I don't know. I'm frightened to count.

Let's concentrate, shall we? Phil's little sewing machine next.

-The Victorian child's cast iron sewing machine...

-This is it.

..scroll decoration. Five, 12, 15 bid.

Ouch!

18. 20. 20 bid. Two. 25.

28. 30. 30 bid. Two. 35. 38. £38 bid.

40. 42. 45.

48. 50. Five. 55. 60 bid.

At 60 for that one. And five. 65. 65 bid.

At 65, 65, 65.

65 all done and selling, then, at £65.

-Didn't I say to you about 60 quid?

-You know your sewing machines.

I could make a very sexist remark here but I'm above that.

It does you credit, Phil. Nice profit, too.

Now for his cartridge filler device from the same shop.

-How much did you pay for it, Phil?

-£22.

-Is that cheap?

-How do I know? I've never seen one before.

Five. Ten. 12. £15 with me.

-Ouch!

-On the book, then, at 15 bid.

At 15 bid, the cartridge filler. 18. 20.

20 bid. Two. Five. 25...

-It's creeping up.

-28. 30. 32. 35.

35 and away, selling then, at £35.

I thought it might have made a little more but I don't know why.

I don't think anyone predicted what Phil's offerings would make.

-We've got your Jaguar car mascot, haven't we?

-Yeah.

I bought that for you because you're a petrol head, aren't you?

Americans call these car mascots hood ornaments.

Five bid for that one. Five bid. Five. Eight. Ten. Ten bid.

12. 15. At £15 against now. 18.

£18 bid. At 20. £20 bid. And two. 22. 25.

Eight. 28. 30. £30 bid.

At 30 for the mascot there. 30 for the Jag... 32.

32 in the middle, then, at 32.

All done and selling at £32.

He's done a real good job. We'll come here again.

Yeah. Not a single loss today.

Now, my fruit machine, what's it going to make?

-A bit of a gamble, isn't it?

-Not at ten quid.

-That was a joke.

-Oh, sorry. I forgot about your sense of humour.

Most people have, Anita.

It was cheap, but will this fruit machine pay out?

I have 20 on commission. 20 bid. Two. Five. Eight. 30.

30 bid. Two. 32. 35. 38.

40. 42. 45...

That's good.

..Five. 60. At 60 bid.

-Any more? 60. Oh!

-All done for the fruit machine at 60?

Selling, then, at £60.

-If every tenner you spent earned you 50 quid it'd be all right.

-Uh-huh.

A great profit, and Anita steals this leg of the trip!

With £129.50p after auction costs,

she has £395.10p.

Phil made £94.66p today,

giving him pole position with £439.36p.

-That was a good auction, wasn't it?

-Really, really good. Lovely.

-We both did well.

-Yeah. Top dollar.

Feeling buoyant, the pair motor on in the super '65 Sunbeam Alpine.

HORN HONKS

-You ever trod in a cowpat?

-Oh, no, no, no.

-"Oh, no, no, no."

Together they've beaten a path across the back roads of the north,

sometimes quite literally.

Where does a road like this go to? Is this typical of your countryside?

Where I come from, this is the M25.

This Road Trip starts out at Ford in Northumberland

and ventures into Scotland before wending its way southwards once more

and concluding at Harrogate in Yorkshire.

On this leg they start out in Cumbria, at Kirkby Lonsdale,

and make for an auction by the sea near Blackpool at Cleveleys.

The writer and critic John Ruskin described this view of the River Lune

as one of the loveliest in England

and the rest of Kirkby Lonsdale isn't too shabby either.

This is my first shop. I wonder what treasures await me.

I hope there's nothing too good.

Anita has £395 to splash and the shop sells

traditional antiques and some especially fine glass.

The star piece is actually this particular one,

which dates from 1725.

Can I see that?

Oh, yeah, its beautiful. That's wonderful.

Leonard is justifiably proud of his glass

but that's well out of Anita's range.

This particular one will take you back £895.

Oh, dear. I thought so.

I'm sure you can stretch to that!

Not in the Antiques Road Trip.

But while Anita keeps searching, what's become of Philip?

He's making his way south from Kirkby

around the edge of the Yorkshire Dales to Ingleton.

That's one of Yorkshire's famous Three Peaks.

It's called Ingleborough

and tends to dominate the skyline round here.

-Hello. How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

This is all your stock...?

-No, there's 25 different dealers in here.

-25! Blimey!

Phil's got £439.36 to splash

maybe dealer Gaynor can help him spend it.

It's got a bit of damage on the front.

There's a bit of damage on the front.

-£16?!

-That's a bargain!

-16...

-Don't you think?

-No, I don't! Good Lord.

-Come on.

-Put that by.

-Are those an optician's board?

-Yes, it is.

-How much is it?

-It's £8.50.

Oh, I'm not having that! Let's have a look at it, mate.

-That's a bargain.

-Is that right?

-I reckon.

-Is that what you say to all the boys?

Hold on, let's just see if it works.

W, that's all I can see there!

£8.50 is clearly far too much money. But we might be able to have a bit of a chat about that in a bit.

Ah, these pups are sweet.

This is an advertising thing for Black & White Scotch whiskey.

It's lovely. You've got the two little terriers here.

Those terriers were first dreamt up by the whiskey's creator,

James Buchanan, during the 1890s.

However, the original brand name was the House of Commons.

They repro these.

And this to me does look like a repro.

-Is that a new one or an old one?

-I was told it was an old one.

-OK.

-Who's your dealer?

-I'll phone him up. Colin.

-Colin.

-You have a word with Colin.

-Yeah.

Back at Kirby Lonsdale,

has Anita found anything within her price range?

The other things that tickled my fancy

is little Lady and the Tramp here.

These are little Wade Whimsies.

Whimsies were sold as pocket-money toys

and even given away free with teabags or in Christmas crackers.

During the '60s,

the Wade Company cannily got into making Disney characters.

They're highly collectible today but rarely fetch a lot of money.

Ticket price, £35.

What sort of price could I be getting these for?

For the two, I'd do them for 25.

If I was putting them into auction,

my estimate would be in the region of £15 for the two.

Could you bring it down to near enough the 15 on it?

I'd split the difference, they'd have to be 20.

Could you split it again and come to 18? Could you do 18 on it?

Would you do them for 18?

I'll do them for 18 because you'll have a bit of fun with Philip.

Lady and the Tramp!

I know!

At last we have a deal. And that canny Anita got them round to her way of thinking in the end.

OK, so what about Phil?

I think the time has come when you and I need to have a very serious talk.

OK. Let's do it.

Look at that. We've got black and white and black and white!

-That's meant to be.

-That is what you call a sales pitch!

-Well, when we spoke to Colin the dealer...

-I can see I'm going to need to pull up a chair here.

-He wanted 25 for this.

-I know exactly what he wanted.

-So I would say to you...

-Go on, this is going to be good, isn't it?

-30 for the two.

-I was thinking of 20 the two.

It's possible...

-What?

-That I could let you have the two for 25.

Go on then, you're a star. Thank you ever so much. There you are.

For those of you at home struggling with your eyesight,

here's a quick afternoon test.

Well I'm not sure the auction house is going to be blinded by the quality of the haul so far.

But, er, hang on, things might be looking up.

I'm just leaving the shop and it always happens, you see something else that you like.

We have got three Famille Rose late 19th-century plates.

These aren't rare. These were made for the export market.

So really, in itself, it's a little work of art.

£25 is the ticket price, but what can Leonard do?

I mean, that could be 18.

-Could you do that for 15?

-Yeah, I'll take 15 for that.

OK, that's another deal. Wonderful! Wonderful!

So, Anita has got those doggies out of the window for £18 and the plate for £15.

Well, thankfully, we seem to be getting somewhere.

Now, Phil is supposed to be picking up Anita. But hold on, something's come up.

Have you got anything I could buy off you?

No little knick-knacks in your van? Nothing? OK, thanks, matey.

Appleby Horse Fair is close by. That's a big lure for travellers.

Typical Phil to spot the chance of a deal.

-So this is a Peterborough whip?

-Yeah.

-What's a Peterborough whip?

-It's a driving whip.

-We sit on these things here.

Sit on there, you put one foot there, one foot there, look.

Oh hold on, here we go, this is going to go horribly wrong, this is.

-So I sit on there like that?

-Just tap the horse.

-One foot there, one foot there, that's why you have a short whip.

-You just tap him?

-You just touch him on, yeah.

-And how much would one of these be?

It could be owt from £20 to £100 in a sale.

He said that without even smiling or flinching!

-What else have you got.

-What else have we got?

-Collar.

Collar, let's have a look at the collar.

Now...

-Do you use that?

-That's what you put on him to pull his bow tops with.

We'll do you the whip and the collar for 30 quid. That's fairer.

-OK. Can I have a picture thrown in?

-Take a picture of him, Danny?

Thanks, chaps. Let me shake you by the hand.

-I really enjoyed that.

-No problems, thank you very much.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you, Sam.

-All right.

Time for Anita and Phil to head west from Ingleton to Carnforth.

Recognise it?

It's the railway town where they filmed much of Brief Encounter.

Sadly, though, the place where our romantic couple must part.

There's your shop there. I'll drop you off here.

Now, sweet sorrow or sweet bargains for Philip?

I favour the latter.

-Hi, I'm Philip. How are you?

-Fine, thank you very much.

Good to see you. This is a proper shop, isn't it?

It certainly is. Proper full, too.

Michael's not one for the hard sell though.

It's bric-a-brac, Phillip.

Ah, now this is where he keeps the stuff he is really proud of.

I've got a hankering for a painting.

Well, you've come to the right place here, I would say.

I'd like to spend somewhere between £50 and £80 on a painting.

-I like that.

-Owen Bowen.

Quite a late one, not a good one.

-It's not a good one?

-No.

-So much would that be?

That one would be 120.

What does he turn up on Art Price at, do you know?

Thousands. You surely know Owen Bowen?

Owen Bowen was born in Leeds in 1873 and is best known

for his impressionistic landscapes of Yorkshire.

They can fetch decent prices, too.

His early things are sort of £5,000-£10,000.

Is there any way you can give me that for a hundred quid?

-You can't?

-Sorry.

-No, I understand that.

-Look at that little card up there.

-A nice little picture. Very nice.

It comes free with any Owen Bowen. It's by Donald Woods.

OK, I'll have those two.

-Now I will have this, cos I like it.

-OK.

-So if I buy the two off you for £120.

-Yeah.

-10, 12.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you very much indeed.

While Philip's been acquiring a view of Yorkshire,

Anita's motored to the heart of Red Rose country

where they used to have wars about such things in the 15th century.

Driving south from Carnforth to Lancaster.

This historic county town of Lancashire

is infamous as the site of the Pendle witch trials in 1612.

The huge numbers who received the death sentence,

earning Lancaster the dubious nickname of the hanging town.

This has once belonged to one, Thomas Covell,

the Justice of the Peace during those trials.

And it's reckoned to be the oldest in Lancaster.

-Hi.

-Hello, I'm Anita.

-I'm Anthea. Welcome to the Judges Lodges Museum.

I'm really looking forward to this.

Later on, the old hall became lodgings for visiting judges

and nowadays it's a museum housing fine Lancashire Gillows furniture.

But Anita's here to visit the house's other great collection,

the Museum of Childhood.

Anthea, I've never seen such a big collection of dolls.

Where have they all come from?

The majority of the dolls we have came from a collection built up by a man called Barry Elder.

Elder was a doll repair man, or surgeon, who began his collection in London during the '50s

and later moved to Lancashire.

Only a fraction of the collection's 2,500 dolls are on display here,

some dating from the 1700s.

Many of them once crowded into Barry's home

and this painting shows his family, with some of his many dolls.

Actually you can't tell the difference

-between the real people and the dolls.

-You can't.

I wonder if Barry could tell the difference between them?

I think he wanted people to walk in and feel that the dolls

could come to life at any minute.

That's a scary thought. That is a scary thought.

Well sometimes dolls are a bit scary.

Isn't that him out of the Omen?

Are you scared of them?

I do walk quickly through while I'm locking up the building.

-I try to keep the lights on if we're here late.

-Do you?

-And you don't glance...

-No, I don't look back.

Oooh, eerie!

I think Anita's glad to be back with Phil for once!

Back on the road, the usual inane banter ensues.

I think it's coming from without and not within.

ANITA LAUGHS

They're heading for auction in Cleveleys, but their next stop

is just on the outskirts of Lancaster.

-Phil, what about that, is that not your type of thing?

-That's a lot of old bull that, isn't it?

Look at the size of this place, over 40,000 square feet

and at least 80 dealers all presided over by a father and son.

Just where do you start?

The scale of the shop is just astonishing.

I don't know what to buy.

With £264.36 in his pocket,

Phil appears to have sniffed out something familiar.

This is a Canton vase, Chinese.

It's made around about 1880, 1890 and it's made for our market.

It originally would have been one of a pair. This is a nice vase.

It's just a pity it's got a chip there and it's a very recent chip, I would think.

-Alan, how are you?

-I'm all right, Phil.

-Have you seen that dink just there?

-I hadn't, to tell you the truth.

Pity that, isn't it?

Because that's only just come in.

They're a nice piece, nice decorating piece.

-They add colour to a house, don't they?

-You've got £90 on it.

Yeah, it could be better than that,

especially when you've shown that there is a slight flaw in it.

How about on that one, 60?

Can I get it under the £50 mark, can we do that?

You're pushing me on that, Phil. Can we not call it 50?

-OK, I'll have that off you for £50.

-OK.

I think you're being fair with me.

20...

Anita seems to have taken a methodical approach

on how to spend her remaining £362.10

There's a game of Glidoball

and I don't really know what Glidoball is

but it looks interesting.

I don't know this game but...

what we've got is hooks...

I think Glidoball may have been a doomed attempt to supplant croquet from the '20s.

-You have to get the balls onto this circular thing here.

-That's right.

-Ten shillings. Do you think I'd get it for 50p?

-Probably not, no.

Cheeky, Anita! the actual price is £45.50.

I wondered what sort of price I could get that for?

Yeah, I'm sure I could speak to him and see what the best price is.

-Ask him if he'll take 20 quid for it.

-Right, OK.

Yeah, but in a place of this size, that could take some time.

Oh, he's gone to see his dad.

She saw the ten shillings and wanted to buy it at that.

If she has a ten shilling note, she can have it, on her.

If she has one, if not she'd have to pay £30.

How are we doing, Jimmy?

-OK, they're hard work, some of these dealers.

-Are they hard work?

They are. I've spoken to him and he said that his best would be £30.

Now, if that's not good enough,

then I'm willing to get my hand smacked for another fiver.

-25 would be the best.

-Smack your hand there. It's a deal.

Now, she's grabbed Alan about something else.

I rather like this chair.

-I'm not surprised, it's come out of Scotland.

-Has it, really??

-This is our only Scottish dealer, this one.

-Isn't that interesting?

I like this one, it does have an Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau look about it.

-It has been reupholstered.

-Definitely.

I like the fact that it's an elbow chair.

-I think that gives it an extra dimension?

-I think it's nice.

-You like it?

-Mm, I do.

Priced up at 35 which is not dear. I know that's not dear.

I would like to be buying it somewhere in the region,

below about 20.

-I think, 25, we could do.

-25.

And I think even at 25 there's profit in it.

Is it possible to go to 20 on it? At 20 I could make a little on it.

-Go on, we'll do that.

-Oh, you're a darling, thank you so much.

With Anita sitting pretty, where's Phil got to?

-Have you got any spectacles?

-Jimmy, have we got some old...?

You mean, you don't know! every cabinet that's here.

-We've only 500,000 items.

-I know, I know.

-Are there any in that one?

-I bought an eyesight chart

and it'd be quite fun to put some spectacles with it.

Point me in the right direction.

-We going to have a look.

-Right.

Do you know which direction were heading into?

This is like looking for a pair of spectacles in an antique warehouse.

It is, yeah.

# I can see for miles and miles

# I can see for miles and miles... #

Are these me, Alan?

These are the old Eric Morecambe ones, aren't they?

What about the John Lennon look?

What's that's snooker player, Dennis Taylor?

I'm not really sure they're me, actually.

-Right, I'm going to have a look around, Alan. You keep on the case.

-Yeah.

The search goes on.

I think Phil craves something a little more sophisticated.

Pince-nez.

How does that look?

Now, those are very much more you, sir.

How much are they?

They are all of £10 on the ticket, including the case.

What's the best you can do those for?

Well, if you're not going to haggle with me, I'll do them at five.

-No, I'm going to have those off you.

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-There you are.

-Right.

-That's very kind.

-There you go.

-And a bit of change would be lovely.

-And a bit of change as well. You're a hard man.

Thanks very much indeed.

So a fiver for the specs and £50 for the Canton vase.

With more items bagged, it's time to hit the road again.

And, motor South from Lancaster to Lytham St Anne's,

where it's damp.

This is Lytham, where they like a round of golf.

Also notable because the great Les Dawson once lived around here.

There you are, all the best.

-Oh, thank you very much.

-Ah, sweet.

-Hello. Hi, I'm Anita.

-Hi, Anita.

-Lovely to see you.

John's shop has quite a few quality antiques

but I think Anita has her eye on something of more recent vintage.

It's a good 20th century design.

I like the fact that it's quite useful.

I would use it as a bedside cabinet.

1960s, 1970s.

I don't know the designer, I think the dealer might know.

It would be interesting to know. I do like that.

Actually, I think it might be a Componibili storage unit

designed by Anna Ferrieri in 1969.

Very nice, but a bit of a risk.

Something more classical for Cleveleys perhaps?

It's a little pepperette and you'd use it for powder

after you had written a letter with your fountain pen, or whatever.

You would have powder in that so that it would absorb the ink.

It is hallmarked silver.

Made in Birmingham.

Probably in the late 19th century.

But it's not just as crisp as I would like to have it.

The ticket price is £80, though.

Should that be taken with a pinch of salt(?)

What's the best on that?

I could do 40 on that.

Mm, half price then.

Could you take another tenner off of that?

There's a little profit in that for me and I think there'd be quite a decent one for you.

35...

-I'm going for the silver.

-A quality piece.

Thank you very much. That's sweet.

It wee and charming.

A bit like me...sometimes.

£35, not to be sneezed at.

It's time to see what you've both bought.

Anita began with £395.10

and has just spent £113 on

a 19th century pepperette,

a Wade Disney Lady and the Tramp,

a 19th century Canton Famille Rose plate,

an Art Nouveau chair and a 1930s Glidoball game.

-Do you think I'd get it for 50p?

-Probably not.

Phil started out with £439.36

and has splashed out £230

on an Owen Bowen oil on canvas

paired with a Donald Wood landscape,

an eye testing chart and a pair of pince nez,

a 19th century Canton vase,

a 1950s whisky advertising model of two dogs,

a driving whip together with a leather horse harness

and a framed photograph of Phillip Serrell with travellers.

Are these me, Alan?

But what do our pair think of each other's shopping?

If they give her things away, she can only lose £113 or whatever it is

whereas I spent double that, I piled my money in to that Chinese vase

and those paintings, and how will they do?

It's in the lap of the Gods.

I really, really love that picture!

I would've paid double that amount!

I think he's going to do well on that.

After starting out in Kirkby Lonsdale, this part of our trip

will conclude at an auction just outside Blackpool, in Cleveleys.

# Da-da-da-da...#

# To be beside the seaside

# Beside the seaside Beside the sea! #

You're looking a wee bit anxious there.

"Wee bit" undersells it a bit.

Come on, we'll have a good time.

This is Smythes. It can be a bit of a squeeze.

-The tension's unbearable.

-I know.

First up, Phil's gamble.

The Yorkshire landscape and the little picture that sealed the deal.

-This is yours!

-Is it?

What can I say to start it? Not worth 100?

£50 for it? £50 bid.

Five. At 55 bid. 60 can I say?.

At £60 bid. 70 can I make it?

70. 80. £80 bid.

Now make it 90. 90.

Are you all done at 90, for the last time at 90? All done at 90.

That painting's worth more than it's just been sold for

but at the end of the day...

I'm going to cry!

An even bigger loss after commission but it could've been much worse.

My stuff coming up next,

and I might be laughing on the other side of my face now!

Cry "profit"! And let loose the dogs of Whimsy!

Can I hear £20? Not worth £20?

Well, I've ten bid.

I've ten bid. At 12? 12.

14. At 14 bid. At 14.

For the last time at 14.

That's on commission at 14.

I think you've done very, very well.

I think I've got away with that.

Anita's not started any better, despite that appealing look.

The porter's got your eye-testing chart.

It must be next. It must be next.

Well-spotted. 20/20, I'd say.

There you are. Your own eye-testing kit.

What can I say for that? Can I say ten?

Five? At five pounds?

I think I'm heading for a full house of losses here.

Six pounds. At six pounds.

We're climbing. We're climbing.

All done? Sure?

You lucky man.

I hope they're not having fun at my expense here.

It looks like no-one could see its worth, Phil.

I'm beginning to wish I'd bought a Goblin teasmade or, you know...

-A strimmer?

-Yeah.

Now this is quality. Apart from the chip, that is.

Can I say £100 for it? Well, give me a bid for it? Can I have 30?

40. At 40? 50? 60?

70? 80?

At £80? It's still cheap. 90. £90 bid.

At 90. Another bidder. 100.

There you are, darling.

115. 120. 125.

130.

135.

140.

145. 150.

155. 160.

165. You're out?

-At 165 then, only bid. All done?

-Could've swum the Channel with it.

I'm really happy with that.

You're up, Philip. You haven't made any losses now. That's excellent.

That sort of makes up for the paintings.

Actually it's a bit of a result to have sold that

-in the middle of the Hoovers and the vacuums!

-Well done, Philip!

Now, Cleveleys does like Canton,

and Anita bought it cheap. Fingers crossed.

May I say £50 to start it?

Not worth 50? 40.

I've 40 on the book. At 40. 42.

44. 46.

48. At 48 bid.

50.

Are we all done at £50? For the last time at 50?

Yes!

That's a real good profit, that is.

If only they had bought more Canton.

-Maybe we're getting into the swing of it, Philip.

-Do you think so?

Anita's chair, questionable reupholstery, but nice and dry.

50 for it? Not worth 50?

Well, I've £20 bid for it.

May I say 22? 22 bid.

At 22 bid. 24 bid. At 24.

26 can I say? At 24, it is then. Have you all done at 24 now?

All done.

That's made a pound.

Or has it not lost a pound?

Anything that doesn't lose today is a little triumph.

You haven't got your mother bidding, have you? Are you sure?

Phil's wee doggies, definitely '50s they now think.

Quite unusual item, a collector's item. What can I say for it?

Well, I've ten bid. Ten. Ten.

Can I hear 14? 16. £16 bid here.

At £18 only bid. £20 can I make it?

All done at 18. All finished?

-18, could've been worse.

-Yeah.

You know, I think they look a bit disappointed.

Him too. Related?

Now, will Anita's silver pep things up?

Can I have 20 bid? At 20. Thank you, madam.

22 bid. 24. 26.

28. 30.

32.

-32 at the back.

-I think you've had a result with that.

34. It's a cheap lot is this.

34. For the last time at 34.

-I think you had a result there, madam.

-I think so as well.

That is a blow, but then it's not Canton.

The lady on my left keeps laughing. I don't know what's the matter.

-She's enjoying herself.

-Is she?

OK, sports time. Anyone for Glidoball?

Quite an unusual lot, that, so what can I say to start?

It is original, it's in its original box, a high-tech game in its time.

Can I say 30 for it?

-Somebody's gone to a lot of trouble buying this.

-Yes!

I've £10 bid. £10 bid.

Now, can I hear £12 for it?

12? Thank you, sir.

14. 16. 18.

20.

22. At 22. We've got two gentleman in the audience here.

At 22. Will I hear 24 anyway? The highlight of the sale, this.

-Well done, sir. 26.

-(Yes!)

Prayers have been answered. 26.

28.

30? Go on!

30. At 30 it is.

For the last time at 30. All done.

Yes!

Jolly good. You've made Anita's day.

-Lord help us. Honestly.

-Yes!

If only the game itself was that much fun.

I'm all that excited, I've made about two quid.

Phil's last attempt to woo Cleveleys.

The photo of Philip Serrell will swing this one.

I don't think so!

He's a pin-up!

What can I say for the lot? £30?

Not worth 30. £20?

Can't go much less than that.

-Oh, you can, trust me.

-The photo alone's worth that!

Well, it's a start. £10, the only bid. At £10, only bid.

12. 14.

16. 18. 20.

22. 24. 26.

28. 30.

30 it is. Once in a lifetime chance, this.

32. 34.

36. 38. 40.

42. 44. 46.

At 46, only bid.

I think it's your handsome face.

Last time at 46? All done?

So that means I've made a profit today, does it?

I think so, Philip.

Yes, and the leaderboard remains unchanged

on a lean day by the seaside.

Anita began with £395.10, and after auction costs, she made £11.64,

giving her £406.74 to spend next time.

Philip started out with £439.36 and after auction costs,

he picked up £36.50, so now he has £475.86 for their next leg.

Numbers have confused me today but I think I've gone a bit further ahead.

-I think you have but don't worry, the party isn't over yet.

-Ha ha!

Forward, Macduff!