Episode 17 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!

The aim? To make the biggest profit at auction. But it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

You mean lot!

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

There's always another auction on.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

This week, two auctioneers called Mark

are battling to be crowned king of the road trip.

Mark Hales is a West Country ceramics specialist who's relatively new to the road trip

and keen to make his mark, as it were!

I never panic. It's not in my nature.

Mark Stacey, a veteran road-tripper from Brighton,

is determined to show the whippersnapper how it's done.

I'll have to start hunting before he finds all the bargains.

Both Marks started the week with £200.

After a disappointing auction in Stamford,

where they both made losses, they really need to up their games.

We can't have it our way every auction, can we?

Mark Hales starts today with £174.56 to play with.

He'll be hoping to increase that pot by the end of the show.

Mark Stacey has £154.16 in his wallet.

He'll need to do some canny buying.

Today, they're hitting the road in a spiffy 1968 Triumph Spitfire.

In it, they'll cover over 300 miles this week,

all the way from Finedon, Northamptonshire

to Colchester in Essex.

Along the way, they'll pile up their bright red beauty

through five English counties.

Crikey!

On today's show, they're driving about 100 miles

from Oakham in Rutland to Downham Market in Norfolk.

After their disappointing performance in Stamford,

how are the boys feeling today?

I feel quite excited because we both have less money now

and actually, I find that more fun.

It's more of a challenge. We have to find something today.

That is the challenge of the Road Trip.

What I want to try and do is buy the right items.

That would certainly help!

We're heading somewhere. I'm not quite sure where.

Is it Uppingham or Oak... Oak...

Oakham! Do pay attention, Mark.

Rutland is the smallest of the historic English counties

and Oakham is its bijou, yet picturesque county town.

-A very good bit of parking, Mark.

-Thank you very much.

You can walk to the curb from there!

Having arrived in Oakham, the boys are going their separate ways.

Mark Hales is heading for his first shop.

The proprietor of the shop, Tom Scott, is on hand to greet him.

-Lovely shop.

-Thank you very much.

-Really nice.

-Would it be all right if I had a good look around?

-Do look around.

Very nice items here. Unfortunately, I'm a little bit limited.

My money's gone down, not up.

That is a shade unfortunate, Mark. Better get bargain-hunting.

Have I ever said that before?!

This rather interesting rope maker's gauge. Isn't that nice?

-It's a pretty little piece.

-It is, isn't it?

Henry Bannister and Co Ltd, Rope Works, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

I like that. That's lovely.

This ingenious gauge or calibre would have been used by rope makers

to measure the girth and therefore strength of rope and cordage,

for the purpose of safety and pricing.

-How old is it?

-1920s or '30s?

-Yeah. 1910, 1920. Is that right?

-Yeah.

-How much is it, though?

-It's 25.

-Is it?

-Bit scary.

-We could do something there for you.

Right. I might as well know what the bottom line is.

-Is it £15, something like that?

-£17.50.

-£17.50.

-Absolute best.

Mark's tempted by the rope maker's gauge,

but he's going to think on it.

Mark Stacey isn't hitting the shops quite yet.

He's calmly saving his pennies

and has ambled off for a visit to nearby Oakham Castle.

Norman era Oakham is one of the finest examples

of 12th Century domestic architecture in England.

The Great Hall is all that remains of the Medieval castle,

but it houses a completely unique collection

that tells the story of its centuries-old history.

Mark's meeting Jane Williams from Rutland County Museum.

She's going to show him around.

-I'm Mark.

-Hello, I'm Jane.

-Nice to meet you, Jane. Well...

I wasn't expecting to see this.

-What are all these... Are they horseshoes?

-They're horseshoes.

They're presentation horseshoes

that have all been given to the lord of the manor.

For centuries, every peer of the realm who visited Oakham for the first time,

had gifted the castle a horseshoe.

The 230 that hang in the Great Hall commemorate the visits

of monarchs and nobility from the Wars of the Roses to the present day.

Crikey!

The oldest one we have at the moment is the Edward IV,

which was given in 1470.

-It's the large, flat one.

-The one that looks actually less glitzy.

-Yes.

-Strange, isn't it?

-Originally, it would have been very glitzy.

-Really?

-Yes.

But how did the tradition of giving horseshoes spring up in the first place?

A clue lies in the name of the family

for whom the castle was built back in the 12th century - de Ferrers.

It's a Norman French name.

They came from Normandy with William the Conqueror,

and their name, loosely translated, means "to clad with iron".

-As you would shoe a horse with iron.

-Of course.

-So that's the connection.

-So maybe from that, you think it developed into this horseshoe...

-Quite possibly, yes.

The original de Ferrers who came with William the Conqueror was in charge of the horse.

-He's master of the horse.

-Again, that's another...

-So you've got another...

-That's another strong link.

-Equine connections.

Mystery solved.

And peers present horseshoes to Oakham right up to the present day.

-And you've got others directly relating to the Royal Family, haven't you?

-Yes.

You've got the present Queen,

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II below 1967.

Tell me about that one.

It's quite special because the Queen's had a racing plate

from her race horse, Oriel, put in the middle.

So that was quite a nice little touch

because we don't have many real horseshoes.

There's one final unique thing about this collection of horseshoes

and old eagle-eyes Mark has spotted it.

It's strange to me, because I'm used to having the horseshoes the other way up.

That's how we tend to hang a horseshoe in England.

We say the other way up, you keep your luck in.

In Rutland, the locals say that if you have it that way up,

the Devil will build a nest inside.

And so they always hang their horseshoes this way.

I wonder where that came from.

Oakham's collection is certainly unusual.

As far as we know, and we have visitors from all around the world,

nobody has ever told us of this tradition taking place anywhere else.

-And in the smallest county in the United Kingdom.

-That's right, yes.

Jane, thank you so much for your time and showing me round.

I've learnt an awful lot and I'll come back again for a longer visit some time.

-Bye-bye.

-Pleasure.

Meanwhile, Mark Hales is still shopping.

He's headed on to a different branch of the same shop he was in earlier.

He's been browsing for a while

and hasn't made a decision on his first item yet.

I don't panic. I never panic. It's not in my nature.

Erm... A little bit flustered though!

I'm glad you've made that important distinction, Mark.

I like that rocker.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

I like that.

Dark stained, 19th century.

It's not just a chair. You can rock the chair. It's good.

Sit in front of the Aga in that, can't you?

And just rock yourself to sleep on a Sunday afternoon

with your Sunday papers and your pot of tea and perhaps later on,

you can start thinking about crumpets and things like that.

Yeah, that's a crumpet chair, isn't it?

And what could be more British than a, erm...crumpet chair, Mark?

Peter co-owns the shop with stepson, Tom. Can he cut Mark a tasty deal?

-Do you know off the top of your head? Is it a bargain?

-45.

-45?

Looks like Mark's going to try and shave a bit off that price.

-35. And I'll have a go. Country auction.

-I know.

-Country rocker.

-We'll split it. 40.

-£40.

-It's got to be...

-Got to be a profit in that, hasn't there?

-Got to be.

£40, mate. Well done. Thank you very much indeed. That's a lovely buy.

You've made my day. I can relax now. In fact, watch this. Watch this.

-Ah! You notice I didn't sit in the rocker!

-Very wise!

-Thank you.

He's quite literally off his rocker!

Let's have a look.

Now, he's spied some more intriguing items.

Lovely old bucket. Make a super jardiniere, wouldn't it?

A bit sad, actually, because buckets were made to be used, weren't they?

What else have we got here?

Nice Victorian tools. Lovely old chisels, look.

Boxwood handle, tool steel. You can't buy this steel any more.

It's wonderful.

Lovely rebate plane by Griffiths of Norwich.

Remember the rope maker's gauge

from the other branch of this shop he visited earlier?

Well, he's got an idea.

I wonder if we can put that with that. That's two tools.

And the rope maker's instrument we saw in the shop.

And that's a good lot for a general sale. But it's all down to price.

-Peter, are you there? Oh, you are.

-What have you found this time?

-Well, I love tools.

-They're nice, aren't they?

So I'm thinking, bucket, the plane and the rope maker's gauge.

-That's a good tool lot. It's an interesting lot.

-Nice lot.

The ticket price of these three items combined is £75.

So will Peter move on the price?

What am I thinking? I'm thinking 15. 15 is 30. A tenner.

-40, the three.

-We're going to do the same thing, because I was going to say 50 the three.

-So I'll meet you in the middle again.

-What's that?

-45.

-Can we throw a chisel in with a boxwood handle?

-Yeah, OK.

-A little bit of damage there.

-It's got a split ferrule.

-45. Chuck that in as well. It's another little novelty piece.

-Sure.

Thank you, Peter. You've helped me. I appreciate it.

What a deal? £45 for the gauge, plane, bucket and chisel.

Let's hope Mark Stacey can do as well in his shop.

He's travelling the 20 miles from Oakham to Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Mark Stacey does need to get his shopping started.

He's heading towards Notions Antiques,

where proprietor Sharon is on hand to help.

Lovely to meet you, Sharon.

What's that item Mark's spotted?

It's a little trivet.

"Trivet, Isle of Man", it says. Oh, I see.

I saw, when I first looked at it, the English rose,

the Irish clover and the thistles.

But if you look in the centre, it's got the Isle of Man legs.

But I think the Isle of Man connection is quite nice, actually.

It would be, if you were anywhere near the Isle of Man!

And it's only got £14 on it.

So if I could get that for a fiver, or something.

I might ask Sharon about that, actually.

What can she say but, "Get out of my shop!"

That's the spirit.

On the way downstairs to see Sharon, Mark's stumbled upon something else.

Can you guess what it is? I felt like Rolf Harris then!

Can you guess what it is yet?!

It's actually a conservatory seat.

-Sharon, there's no price on the little blue and white conservatory seat.

-No.

-What about £30?

-Oh, gosh, no.

-Has that frightened you?

I just love window seats and I love blue and white.

I think that's a bit nicer than some you see, isn't it?

I like the little handles and you've got the bit on the side.

And I just love the delicate birds. Now, those, do you know... Oh!

What a good catch!

My goodness! Well caught!

I need a round of applause. I caught it!

Let's see that in action replay.

Look! Reactions like coiled steel spring! Look!

Gosh! I'm just going to put you there for a minute.

I tell you what, I would never have done that in football or rugby.

Anyway, enough daring heroics. You're here to find some items, remember?

What's that you've got, Mark?

This is a Victorian milkmaid's yoke.

Now, that's more interesting, isn't it,

because I presume if you were a Victorian milkmaid...

Which you're not.

..it's the sort of thing

you would have put over your shoulder, like that,

and I presume they must have held it somehow

and then, of course, you'd have your pails of milk, going along.

That's got the sort of rustic charm about it, doesn't it?

I think you'd better get upstairs and start charming Sharon.

So, Mark's trying to do a deal on the three items he likes.

The total ticket price for them is £76.

What's Sharon's rock-bottom price though?

-What about £55 then, for the three lots?

-Oh, it's tempting, isn't it?

Could we go to £50?

-I don't think so. 52.

-Oh!

£52.

Can't we do 50? Am I being really awful?

-Yes.

-I am being awful?!

-No, go on, I'll do 50.

-Thank you.

Ah, friends again,

and Mark's bargaining's got him £26 off the list price.

Mark Hales is back on the road

and heading south to Uppingham in Rutland.

It would help if I knew the way, wouldn't it?!

As Mark will eventually find,

Uppingham is a scenic antique-hunter's paradise

as well as home to Uppingham Public School,

alma mater to national treasure, Stephen Fry.

That's quite interesting.

He's on his way to the marvellous Junk And Disorderly.

Let's hope owner Peter can help him make some sober choices.

-Good afternoon. I'm Mark.

-I'm Peter.

-How do you do?

-Would it be all right if I had a browse?

-Absolutely.

-There are more bits upstairs.

-I noticed the staircase.

-You're welcome to wander around.

-Thank you so much.

And it's not long until he's spotted something.

You've got a Pelham Puppet. They're great fun, aren't they?

British-made Pelham Puppets have been delighting children

and collectors alike since the 1940s.

The rarer styles of puppet are highly sought-after

and can attract significant sums.

The one Mark has happened upon there is a skeleton.

It's in its original box. I wonder if it's...

The age-old question - within my budget?

How much is it, Peter? I've only just started looking, but what do you think?

The ticket price on it is 59.

It's the sort of thing I'd want to buy for £25.

And then, you know, I've got a good chance,

I've got a fighting profit there, haven't I?

-Right. I can't come down as far as 25.

-That's fair enough.

What's your bottom line you know in your head? What's your bottom line?

-35, I can do for you.

-35. Tempting. I like that.

I'm going to give that some thought.

Now, it looks like ceramics expert Mark

has finally found some pottery he likes.

Isn't that pretty? 1860s, copper lustre. It's in good condition.

Nice little sparrow-beak jug.

A nice little pedestal bowl to go with it.

They're in good order. No cracks or chips.

£4.50 and £5.50.

That's a nice little lot. A useful lot.

I think we'll go and ask Peter how much these can be.

The jug and bowl combined come to £10.

-Peter.

-Hello.

-I found these upstairs.

-Aren't they lovely?

-Yes. Very nice. A bit of lustreware.

-That's 4.50 and that's 5.50.

-OK.

If you're thinking about your Pelham Puppet and these,

if we said £40 for the pair, so you're talking £5 for these two.

-Wow! You can't say fairer than that. That's lovely.

-Excellent.

-That will do. Thank you, Peter.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-That's wonderful.

So another great deal.

£25 off the combined ticket price of the jug, bowl and Pelham Puppet.

Thank you, Peter, indeed!

And with that, it's the end of hectic day one. Night-night.

Rise and shine. It's a start to another day on the road trip.

-Off we go again.

-So far, Mark Hales has spent £125 on four lots.

The job lot of tools, the rocking chair, the Pelham Puppet and the copper lustre bowl and jug.

He has only got £49.56 left to spend today.

Mark Stacey has spent £60 on three lots.

The blue and white garden seat, the dairymaid's yoke

and the Isle of Man trivet.

He has £94.16 still clinking in his coffers.

You do so love to shop, don't you?

I do like to shop and I'm going to use every available minute.

They're champing at the bit.

But Mark Hales isn't shop-bound quite yet.

First, he's paying a visit to Burghley House near Stamford.

How grand's that?

I'm going to drop you off. I think you're going to have fun today.

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Have a lovely day.

-Thank you, and you.

-And be very lucky today.

-Oh, I think so. Bye.

-Bye.

Burghley is one of the best surviving Elizabethan stately homes in the country.

It was built for William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Elizabeth I.

Mark's here's to meet Jon Culverhouse, Burghley's curator.

-Hello, you must be Jon.

-Mark. Good morning. I am. Nice to meet you.

Magnificent. I've never been to Burghley House. Who's this?

-This is Toffee.

-Toffee.

-My assistant.

-Come this way and we'll go in.

-Thank you very much. I'm very excited.

Burghley is the ancestral seat of the Marquises of Exeter.

The family have presided over this estate, with its historic facade

and stunning interior murals, for over 400 years.

It's one of the grandest houses in the country,

but it's not the house that Mark's here to see.

A special exhibition inside

commemorates the life of the sixth marquis.

Burghley House was his home and special achievements

are particularly relevant in 2012.

This year, an Olympic year, it's an exhibition

of the Sixth Marquis of Exeter, his Olympic career and his life.

He was a gold medallist in the 1928 Olympics.

The Sixth Marquis was an athletics all-rounder

who competed in both hurdles and relay at an Olympic level.

This spectacular footage shows him competing at the 1928 Games.

The character of Lord Andrew Lindsay in the film Chariots Of Fire

was partly based on him.

His triumph is represented over here. We have his gold medal.

An Olympic gold medal and an Olympic silver medal.

The gold medal at Amsterdam in 1928 for the hurdles

and a silver medal in Los Angeles in '32

as part of the British relay team.

Ah, the relay teams. Now, am I allowed to touch these medals?

Please do.

Jon, this is surreal!

I mean, this is an Olympic gold medal and I'm holding it!

I mean, that is absolutely wonderful.

Because you have the gold, I'm not as awed by the silver!

The silver represented a huge triumph as well,

because this was for the relay in Los Angeles.

Lord Burghley's time was quite remarkable. It was...

He was a great factor in the team winning silver.

Lord Exeter was involved in the British athletics world for the rest of his life,

becoming a greatly admired champion of the sport.

He went on to organise the 1948 Games in London.

After he retired from competition,

he became an ambassador for sport and Olympism all over the world.

It was his enthusiasm that put on the '48 Games in London.

So he really pushed it through.

Against all odds, in war-torn London

and when everybody else thought it couldn't possibly happen.

And with the Games back in London in 2012,

it's even more important we remember Lord Exeter's pioneering work.

-Thank you so much.

-You're very welcome.

-It's been fascinating.

Good. Good to show you round.

Meanwhile, Mark Stacey is doing the mile into Stamford in record time

for his first shop of the day.

So pretty. I think it's a charming town.

It's got everything you could ask for.

Indeed!

First shop is Stuart Porter Antiques,

with delightful young Sophie here to assist.

What will catch keen-eyed Mark's attention this morning?

I've found this really funny bottle. What do you think of that?

The glass is embossed with these chimpanzees or monkeys.

Five quid.

I mean, it's a bottle with two monkeys on it, at the end of the day.

Are you quite sure about that, Mark?

No, it's two monkeys. There's one there and there's one there.

Oh, Lordy!

No, look, it's one, there. Oh, it's only one monkey.

-Huh! You monkey.

-Oh, he's got very long arms and legs.

-Don't we all?

Oh, that's very confusing. OK, there's one monkey, actually.

-And what can you lose on a fiver?

-Well, you could lose a fiver.

But don't let that stop you.

-Cash all right?

-Yeah, cash is fine.

Once Mark pays the ticket price, monkey bottle purchased, and he's off to the next shop.

Mark Stacey is back in the car

and driving to Market Deeping, Lincolnshire.

The Deepings are a group of villages bordering the River Welland.

The largest, Market Deeping, is known for its historic stone buildings.

In the local antiques centre, he is meeting dealer, Ken Slater.

-Have you got plenty of money with you?

-Absolutely not.

-Oh!

Not quite true actually, Mark. You've got £100 left.

You're not planning to plead poverty to Ken later, are you?

Oh, now, what's this? It looks like an old...well bucket.

Mind you, how old, I don't know.

But that could be a lucky wishing-well thing for me, you see.

I could put that down the well and come up with barrels of profit.

On the other hand, I could sink without trace.

Mark's thinking it might make a rustic job lot with his milkmaid's yoke.

I didn't look at the price.

No good news on the ticket, I take it, Mr Stacey?

The well bucket is marked at £32.50.

Let's see if Mark can wish that price down to size.

Ken?

-Now...this is yours, isn't it?

-It is.

-You're going to hate me.

-Oh, yes, here we go.

Can I just tell you now, you've got every right to say no and "could you leave the shop?"

At this rate you will be thrown out of every shop in England, Mark.

-I'm going to have to try to get it for about a tenner.

-No, ease it up, £12.50?

Kenneth, honestly, you are a charming man and I really do want to,

but I just have to be ruthless with myself.

I want to spend money but I'm so terrified of this auction.

-I know people are going to hate me for doing this.

-OK.

-Are you sure?

-I'll do it for 10.

-Are you sure? You're happy about that?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Promise me.

-Yeah. Yeah.

-Thank you very much, Ken.

Another cunning job lot assembled thanks to

Mr Stacey's barefaced cheek. Or is it cheeks?

Now, it's time for Mark Hales to get a last chance to shop.

He's travelling towards Long Sutton, a pretty Lincolnshire village.

Local church St Mary's boasts a spire from the 13th century.

It's unlikely that Mark will find anything quite that old

in Long Sutton Antiques And Crafts Centre.

But he's chipper nevertheless.

I've got £49 left. That's not a lot of money.

But...we can find something, can't we, for £49, in a place like this?

I should hope so.

-Mm, Mark's made a friend.

-Go on then. Go on then!

I'm not sure he'll carry you over the finishing line though, Mark.

Ah!

What the heck?!

-I think it's easier just to stay down here, frankly.

-Grovel!

I think the stresses of this trip are taking their toll, old chap.

Ah, here's something.

What a lovely pietre dure Italian marble plaque.

It would have come out of...

It would have been inset into a bit of furniture.

Top of a box, anything you wanted to do. Isn't that lovely quality?

All the polished hard stones. Pietre dure.

Now, I'm not quite sure what that means.

But I know a man who will know what it means.

Indeed you do, Mark.

Pietre dure, roughly translated, means hard stones.

It's the name given to the technique of creating images

from the inlay of highly-polished hard stones.

You're welcome!

Ah, look who's arrived - the opposition.

Well, I'd better get my skates on, I think, because Mark is already here.

So I'll have to start hunting before he finds all the bargains.

Indeed. It's nearly the end of the day,

so Mark Stacey doesn't have much time to buy.

Careful with that, Mark!

Well, that's quite fun, isn't it? A moulded glass bottle.

1960s, apparently. £9.50.

Would that go with my wine bottle, I wonder?

It's quite an interesting shape.

It might do if I can get it for a better price.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Mark Hales is hoping for to secure

the pietre dure for a gem of a deal from shop owner Jimmy.

The ticket price is £88.

A good price, that. But I mean, I'm telling you the truth, I've got £49.

Will it buy? Did you buy it well? Will it buy or not?

It'll buy. It'll buy, yeah. It's a nice quality thing

-and I think you'll do well with it.

-Yeah. I think I'd better buy then.

-Thank you, Jimmy.

-You're welcome.

It's really nice. You've got me out of a bit of a pickle.

You've helped me along. Thank you.

And with that, Mark Hales has spent all but 56p of his budget.

Good work! Mark Stacey is still downstairs

and he's spotted yet more glass.

I quite like this. There's no price on it.

It's Mdina Glass from the island of Malta.

It's just a little sculptural figure -

probably of a seahorse,

if you look at the head.

And it's nicely done.

It's signed on the base, Mdina. There's no price on it.

But, you know, if that was not very much,

again, like a fiver or something, maybe I could put it with the monkey.

So we'd have a monkey and a seahorse. I'm sure there's a play there!

The monkey played with the seahorse or vice versa.

Yeah(!) Vice versa, yeah(!)

Makes perfect sense now, I think(!)

Anyway, can Mark get a deal?

-A tenner.

-How much?

-A tenner?

How much?

Ten pounds for a seahorse who can't swim?!

Can dealer David do any better than that for the tenacious Mr Stacey?

-Seven pounds.

-Oh! Can I think about it? Can I put it back in my pocket?

Hmm, don't forget that's there, will you, Mark?

Can he add another item to the deal, maybe?

I'm thinking of putting it with my monkey bottle.

-The seahorse and that strange-looking monstrosity there.

-OK.

And he's got £9.50 on that. So that's quite cheap already, I know, but...

But of course, you know what I want to pay for it, don't you?

About half that.

Can we do them for a fiver each?

-Thank you very much.

-So, Mark buys the pocketed seahorse

and the blue glass bottle for a fiver each. Deal!

The shop's about to close. And Mark still has £79.16 left in his wallet.

He's right up to the wire.

But now dealer Jimmy has something which intrigues him.

-Oh, it's one of those...

-One of them.

-Gosh!

-You see plenty of them.

-You do.

But you do not see them with a card table and a pattern as well.

No, you don't.

-Good Lord!

-That could be the bit for you, and that can be cheap.

How much is cheap? It has to be really cheap.

-Let's see what price we've got.

-I don't want to look. I can't look!

I'm allergic!

Gosh!

It's a foldaway card table, patterned in an Islamic style.

-But seriously, what is the one-time offer you can do on it?

-55.

Ah! Actually, that's very tempting.

Can I be very cheeky?

You? Mark? Cheeky? Huh, never(!)

Cos I like even numbers. Could we do 40?

You're an angel.

Angel?! Mark's bargained Jimmy down to £40.

-At the last possible second, Mark makes a big buy. Phew!

-Thank you so much.

They've now decamped nearby

to reveal their purchases to each other,

but what will the sparring twosome make of each other's buys?

May I say, I'm most impressed.

I think you've been very brave.

-Well, we've got an Indian table.

-No, we haven't got an Indian table.

-Is it not Indian?

-It is Islamic. You think that's a really boring table.

-Shall I tell you something else about it you won't have known?

-Do.

It's actually not just an Islamic table,

it's a card table.

I think that makes it rather unique.

I think it makes it considerably more interesting

and may I ask, what did it cost? £40?

Bang on the money, Mark.

Yes, exactly right. £40.

Yes. Well, I like that. I like that a lot.

I must say, I do rather like the trivet.

I was attracted to the nice turned stem and the casting.

I think it's rather fun.

-I thought for 20 quid...

-You can't go far wrong, surely?

More cautious optimism from Mr Hales - maybe.

-And I've got a bit of porcelain.

-Now, I'm very impressed.

We have a lot of blue Prunus over there,

circa 1920 or later.

And I like it, it's big, it's decorative. How much was it?

-20 quid.

-Can't go far wrong, can you?

Shall I reveal mine?

Do.

Are you ready?

Whoo, here we go.

Mark, I can't believe this.

-Wow!

-And...

There we are.

Right, what do you think?

How many lots have you got there?

Quite. You've amassed a pile of items, Mr Hales.

Let me explain.

A super Norwich-maker plane.

-That's good.

-And a bucket.

A most unusual Isle of Wight, Cowes rope maker's instrument

and a boxwood handle.

I think that's fabulous.

-What did that one lot cost you?

-That cost £45.

-I think that's a winner.

My, we are generous today!

Then, we have a rather nice Pelham Puppet.

I mean, Pelham Puppets are popular, aren't they?

Personally, I've never seen the Skeleton

and I don't know whether it's a rare model or not,

-but the sheer size...

-I think it's great.

-Good fun, that.

-Great fun.

-And in its original box?

-Yes.

And the price?

It was £35, which I think is enough money, but I think there's room.

For your pietre dure panel.

-Thank goodness you said that, I'm very relieved.

-I like it a lot.

It is a little bit of quality.

I'm impressed with you having a stab.

-Did it cost you a lot of money?

-No, I don't think it did.

It cost me the remaining money I had on my person, which was £49.

I don't think that's a lot.

Mark, I'm very impressed with your items.

Have you spent all your cash?

I literally have pennies left. Pennies.

You've done very well, well done. I look forward to the auction.

Thank you, and I love your items too.

All terribly sportsmanlike, chaps.

But when the opposition's back is turned, what do they really think?

I think Mark might be a little bit unlucky.

He certainly hasn't been as brave as I've been.

He's got money left over, over £30.

I really did expect him to spend every penny.

I really do think that my quality has been a lot higher.

Well, well.

I do like to be honest about these things.

It is a game, it is a competition,

-but I don't believe in blustering for the sake of it.

-Mmm.

The winner of this challenge is going to be difficult to call.

I suspect Mark will do it,

because I think the tools and things are interesting.

Today the boys have travelled over 100 miles

from Oakham in Rutland

to Downham Market in Norfolk.

Known as the gateway to the Fens,

Downham Market was noted during the mediaeval period for its horse fair.

Well done, we're here, Mark.

Lovely sunny day.

Barry L Hawkins Auctioneers

are a long-established Downham Market saleroom.

Barry himself will be presiding over today's sale,

but before he takes the floor,

what does he think about the lots our two Marks have assembled?

Some of them are very saleable,

but there's one or two that I think we might have difficulty in selling.

The rocking chair is made up of all types of pieces of wood

and maybe parts of it are Georgian, but some of it is not.

My favourite item perhaps is the well bucket

together with the measuring tools.

The card table, I've never seen one like it before in my life.

The thing is to make sure people turn it over

and see what is on the other side.

It's an interesting item, I've never seen anything like it.

Mark Hales started today with £174.56

and has spent all but 56p on five lots.

Mark Stacey began this leg with £154.16

and has assembled five lots at a cost of £115.

It's pistols at dawn! Let battle commence.

Auctioneer Barry has a background in fast-paced livestock sales,

so try to keep up.

First up is Mark Stacey's ceramic garden seat.

36 on the book, 38,

40, 42,

45, 50,

60.

60 on the book.

62, 65 against you there.

The book has it at 65.

Are you done with it? Quickly at 65.

What a start! A stonking profit to Mr Stacey.

-That's a surprise.

-Well done.

-£65.

-It's a fabulous price.

Next, the unusual Islamic card table.

15 I've got on the book. 18, 20.

25, 30, 35, 40, the book has it at 40.

Come on.

At £40 on the book. Are you done with it quickly? At £40.

A-ha! It hasn't set the saleroom alight.

Well, it could have been worse, I suppose.

Mark Hales' first lot now.

20, 22.

20 will start it.

28, 30. On the book, 35.

40, 45.

The book has it at 45.

-50, try one more.

-Small profit?

52. Are you done with it? Quickly at 52.

A small profit indeed, but a profit nevertheless.

-He worked hard for that.

-It's a £12 profit.

-After commission it's a small profit.

-A profit is a profit.

Another lot for Mark Hales.

I'm going to start at a tenner.

Ten, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22.

Oh, no. They're just stopping.

28 on the book.

Are you done with it? Quickly at 28.

A disappointing loss.

-It's not much of a loss.

-No.

Indeed, but it means Mr Hales is trailing behind his rival.

One of Mark Stacey's now.

I've got two bids on the books, so away we come.

I'm going to start six on the book.

Six, eight, ten,

12, 14.

I'm going 20, 22,

inside of 22. No?

22 the bid is, 22. 22 all done, quickly at 22.

Another £12 profit for Mr Stacey.

He's still in the lead.

22 quid, that's up 12.

Even after commission there's a little bit of profit left over.

And now Mark Hales' job lot of tools.

It was auctioneer Barry's pick of their lots,

but will it grab the punters' attention?

At 15, 18, 20.

Have a look at this, 25.

30, 35, 40.

The book has it at 40.

Come on. It's got to be more than that.

At 45.

Are you done with it? Quickly at £45.

Oh, dear.

-It's bearable.

-It is bearable.

Next up, Mark Stacey's rustic pairing.

Two together, very interesting bits and pieces.

£30, £40. A tenner?

A fiver? 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20,

22, 25, 28,

30, 32, 35.

At 38. All done very quickly at 38.

It hasn't exactly captured the saleroom.

-Oh, that's very disappointing.

-Yes.

-It really is.

-It is disappointing, but you didn't make a loss.

A quick change of room and another chance for Mr Hales.

Unusual bits and pieces. 30, £40.

A tenner will do.

10 I got, seated there, 12, 15,

18, 20, 22,

25 seated in the middle.

-It's pretty good.

-Good price.

Quickly at 25.

This puts him back in the game,

but the lead is still with the other side.

You must be pleased with that.

I am. £20 profit. That's a good price for that.

Next up, Mark Stacey's monkey bottle, seahorse and 1960s glass.

£20? A tenner?

Come on.

A fiver, somebody, quickly.

5, 6.

8, 10, 12, 15,

18, 20, 22, 25,

25, 28, the book has it at 28.

30, I'm bid 32, at 32,

the book has it that 32. Are you done with it quickly?

At 32.

The glassware menagerie has done him proud.

I think I'm all right with that, actually. £17 profit.

-Fantastic.

-I'm quite happy with that.

Finally, it's Mark Hales' pietre dure plaque.

It's his last chance to steal the lead from the opposition.

I'm going to start 40.

On the book at 40, 45, 50, 55,

-60, 65.

-More, more.

80, 90.

At £90.

I'm nearly happy, that's better.

At 110, against you there. Quickly at 110.

On the very last lot, a stunning sale for Mr Hales.

Yes. Yes.

I'll have what he's having.

A nail-biting finish brings Mark Hales the standout sale of the day.

At the end of the auction, Mark Stacey made the most profit.

He began this leg with £154.16.

He then made a very nice profit of £46.54

and starts the next leg with £200.70.

However, it's not quite enough to catch Mark Hales,

who now has the most in his wallet.

He started today's show with £174.56

and after paying auction costs

made a respectable £39.20 profit,

giving him £213.76 to carry forward -

and maybe buy some more pietre dure.

-Barry was a star, wasn't he?

-He was absolutely wonderful.

-Lots and lots of enthusiasm.

-He knew his crowd.

And he got something from nothing, didn't he?

He certainly did with your lot!

-Oh, do behave.

-Are you in?

-Onwards, let's get buying.

-Buying.

Next time on Antiques Road Trip, we have more tough choices.

Oh, the decisions of it all, honestly.

And startling revelations.

I'm looking for...antiques.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.