Episode 28 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.

I'm going to go for it, Joe.

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

-There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

-Goodness gracious me!

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

Not nice to gloat. There we are.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's a brand-new day and we're holding up the buses in Sussex

with a couple of thoroughly sensible, down-to-earth experts - Charlie Ross and Catherine Southon.

-Charlie, what are you wearing on your head?

-A fez.

-You look completely stupid.

Well, one of them is anyway.

Catherine is both auctioneer and expert in maritime art

-and well known for her dazzling, persuasive charms.

-I like the fact that you're stroking my hand.

Charlie ran his own auctioneering business for 25 years,

so should know a thing or two about antiques,

but clearly not enough to get ahead of his competitor so far.

I'm at a hell of a disadvantage being male here!

Our esteemed experts began the week with £200 each,

but two auctions later, the pressure is on because they now have less than they started with!

Charlie made up a little ground yesterday,

but still starts this leg with a rather pathetic £135.30.

Catherine also begins with a loss.

She now has a thoroughly unimpressive £194.96 to play with.

So, both experts really have to make some money on this leg or it could be disastrous.

Thankfully, though, they do have their sprightly little 1966 Austin-Healey

which, although has no roof, does have room for them

and Charlie's utterly ridiculous fez.

This week's road trip takes us eastwards across the south of sunny England,

starting in Corsham, Wiltshire,

and culminating in Rye, East Sussex.

Today, we're kicking off in Birdham, West Sussex,

then gently wending our way along the coast

to an auction showdown in Lewes, East Sussex.

-Oh, oh!

-Antiques, left!

-Right, left, left!

-Whitestone Farm Antiques.

Oh, this looks just my sort of... Oh, yes.

Oh, yes, this fantastic emporium is, you've guessed it, situated on a farm

and is overflowing with rustic charm. I only hope owner Joe knows what's about to hit him!

-Hello.

-Hi. Charlie's the name.

-Don't worry about me.

-I was just going to introduce you, Catherine.

-I'm Joe.

-This is lovely.

-Great, Joe.

-How long have you been here?

-11 years. It's a bit dusty.

-We like it dusty.

-Not displayed.

-I don't like it displayed.

While Charlie harnesses Joe for himself, Catherine has spotted something she likes straight away.

We've got fleur-de-lys.

A Scottish emblem with the thistle.

I like those.

Joe, could I ask you a question, please, about these down here? I'd love to know what these are.

Tell me what they are.

I believe they're more than likely out of a chimney

and they were the sort of decorative pieces in it.

How much are they, just out of interest?

Well, they vary between £45 each and £65.

What sort of deal could you do on sort of six of them?

I'll do you a very, very good price.

For six...180.

Catherine, that's nearly your entire budget, darling!

I like them because they're different and I've never seen anything like that. I shall think...

Now, here's something Charlie did very well with in the last auction.

A Silver Jubilee...bottle of beer!

I've got a very, very good track record with buying old booze at the moment.

We've turned 5p into 12 quid already.

-Here is 5p.

-That'll do fine, sir.

£12 on the bottle of beer...

We can do that again. Joe, may I monopolise you for a bit?

This was the object that excited me no end.

"Silver Jubilee Ale." I love the top because it's almost pretending to be a bottle of champagne.

The last one I bought was 5p. I don't know if this is 4p or 6p?

-It's a little bit more.

-Is it really?

-How much is it?

-I think I might have paid £12 in an auction for it.

LAUGHTER

There's no flies on you!

-How much is it? I might as well ask.

-£4.

-£4?

We have got a torn label here which is very, very important when you're buying rare...

£3 then. LAUGHTER

Quick, find the chip in the bottle!

Will £2 buy it?

Well...

You are a one, Joe. Thank you.

Catherine, meanwhile, just can't get those bricks out of her mind.

They're very risky. It's not safe like four silver serviette rings or something like that.

It's something that could completely die.

It's nice to take a risk though, isn't it?

If I bought two of them, what would you do for that?

-They would have to be 60.

-Right. You couldn't do 55 on those?

-She's a hard lady.

-Oh, I'm not! I'm just merely...

But I like the fact that you're stroking my hand.

Will she stop at nothing?

She never strokes MY hand!

-It's against the rules?

-No, no, I like it.

-Oh, right.

I'm at a hell of a disadvantage being male here!

I think I'll probably go for two because I think three is a big part of my budget.

Miss Southon, may I have a little bit of Joe again?

I saw you stroking his hand.

I thought, "Will you stop at nothing when you're trying to buy antiques?"

I just touched his hand and I didn't mean to stroke it like that.

But he was quite all right about it, so I might carry on.

-You're shameless.

-Am I?

-You are shameless, but I quite like your style.

Hello, what's this with £45 on the ticket?

I was wondering how to play this?

It doesn't make a great sound.

I would never look at one of those... It's like a zither, isn't it?

I never know the difference. It calls itself a "mandolin harp".

What particularly attracted me was all the decoration, the transfer printing, and we've got George V.

This German-made mandolin harp was designed to commemorate the coronation of George V

whose family originated from Saxony.

However, the outbreak of World War One led the King to change his name to Windsor

in an attempt to distance himself from his origins and the enemy.

-I can do a very good price on that.

-What, a tenner?

A fiver you were going to say?

Not quite that good, Charlie.

-Ssh, no, no. What...?

-45.

When I looked at that, I thought, "If that's 25 quid, I'll have that,"

but that's going to be too rude, isn't it?

-Did it cost you more than that?

-It did.

Does 30 quid get you out of trouble?

I'm hurting you. What's it going to make at auction?

-I really don't know.

-I honestly don't know any more than you do.

35?

I want to buy it and my heart tells me to buy it.

My heid, of course, tells me, "You're a plonker, Rossco,"

-but on the other hand, I'm going to buy it.

-Well done, Charlie. Well done.

I think that's fab. What Miss Southon will think of that, I do not know, but I don't care.

Two purchases down for Charlie, but Catherine is still wrestling with her chimney bricks.

If I buy three, I've got to spend £85 and I think that's too much to spend,

but I think to buy two of them for 55...

Sensible decision. Go for two.

-Still thinking?

-Yes, I am still thinking.

-I would like to buy all of them.

-That's two, four, six of them.

Hang on, Catherine. Didn't you say two just a minute ago?

What would 120 be?

-Too low.

-Too low?

-Hmm.

-150.

-Hmm.

Can we say 130, Joe?

140.

Right.

130...

130...

130... I'm going to go for it, Joe.

I think Joe just said 140, didn't he?

-130.

-Whoa, whoa, whoa!

-I think I am going to go for them.

-Was I on 130 or was I on 140? You've got me confused.

-Where were we? Sorry.

-140.

-I thought we said 130.

-Nice try, Catherine.

-Go on, 130.

-OK. Sorry. I honestly couldn't...

-Oh, yeah(!)

-I'm not sure I can stand the indecision any more.

-Thank you. I'm not sure I can stand it any more.

I love them and... We'll see what happens.

I expect poor old Joe's quite worn out by that!

Now, out of the frying pan, into the fire!

This may be a shout too much, but could you possibly take a tenner for your fireman's helmet?

I will drive along in it then.

Just to see you wearing that driving along, I think you can have that for a tenner.

You are a gentleman, sir!

I am going to wear that wherever we go now. I feel very at home with this on.

Then when we get to the auction, it might even make more than a tenner.

I don't care if it doesn't. It's so comfortable compared with my fez.

Boy!

So, just to recap, Catherine has bought six chimney bricks for 130

and Charlie snaffled up a bottle of beer, a mandolin harp and a fireman's helmet for 47.

Gosh!

Our experts are leaving Birdham behind

and heading four and a half miles north to Chichester.

Chichester is a beautiful and bustling market city.

It's towered over by its impressive cathedral, the spire of which once fell down during restoration works.

That's builders for you! Thankfully, Charlie has his helmet on though just in case

as our pair pull up at the next shop.

-Can I come?

-No, you can't come. This is all for old Rossco.

-Lesley?

-Charlie?

-Charlie, it is indeed. Lovely to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you too.

-Thank you for letting me in.

May I take my old mac off and reveal my rather outrageous jacket?

Oh, please don't! Wow!

There were a couple of things that really took my eye.

There is something I'll pull out here because it looks rather interesting.

I do like things relating to booze and that's a champagne bottle.

It's got a serrated edge on it. It's a vesta.

So you put your matches in there

and strike 'em there.

Oh, that's fab. It's also a cigar-cutter.

Isn't that a rare object?

Put the end of your cheroot in there or small cigar

and hey, presto, it cuts it.

So you can cut it and then light it.

I love the top where it's absolutely as a champagne cork should be.

I've priced it at 50 which I have to get.

Lesley, you're such a temptress. Can we do anything at all on it, squeeze it?

The only drop I would do would be, just being nice, to 48. And that's it.

-And I bet you don't lose on it.

-How much do you bet me? 48 quid?

The two extra I'm taking off.

Charlie, don't forget you've got to make money.

I'm going to spend £48 of my hard-earned money

and I'm going to have your voice ringing in my ears, Lesley,

"You won't lose money on that, Charlie."

It's fresh to the market. I think you'll do well.

-20...

-Nicely done, Charlie.

Now, Catherine is busy mastering the art of gear-changing

-while heading to another antiques shop on the other side of Chichester.

-I can see it!

With £70 left to spend, let's hope the kind owner can navigate her to something pleasing and profitable.

-Hello there.

-Hello.

The problem is Catherine is hard to please.

-Hello. And you're...?

-Peter Hancock.

-Peter. Hello, Peter.

Right, I'm looking for something special.

I've heard that before.

It's a bit chipped though, Peter.

Isn't that lovely? I love the way it's cut with these flowers here.

-It's very nice.

-Very pretty with all the foliage. I haven't got enough money!

-That's 20 quid.

-I am looking. I'm really...

-Does it appeal to you?

-No. I won't go for that sort of thing.

No, that's fine. How much do you want for that?

£200, you see.

Can I have one last look in that silver cabinet? I think that's probably my best bet.

I'm looking at your perfume bottles because they seem to be quite reasonably priced.

Catherine's picked up a thing of quality,

a perfume bottle made by celebrated silversmiths William Comyns & Sons

-who even made coronets for coronations.

-It's very nice.

What can you do that for?

I could do that for 40.

40...

I like the repousse work, the raised relief work on this.

I like, in particular, the bird

and then at the front it's got a place there where the lady would have put her initials.

Luckily, there's no initials there which is quite nice.

I'll take it from you if that can be 30.

OK.

This one here... I'm so sorry that I'm doing this to you.

-That one could be 20.

-Do you want to do 15 on this?

-Hmm?

-Do you want to do 15 on this?

She's going for it.

PETER LAUGHS

I'll do £45 the two.

45...

-Let's go for them.

-Is that the real deal?

-That's the real deal.

We'll shake on that then. Thank you very much.

-Payment time?

-Yes.

-20...

-20.

-40...

-40.

-50...

-50.

Peter, thank you so much for dealing with me. Wonderful. £5 change. Thank you.

-Anything for a fiver?

-Anything for a fiver...

While Peter, no doubt, has a well-earned little lie-down

and junior assistant Paul wraps up the deal.

That's lovely. A fantastic little perfume bottle.

And I can have this for a fiver...?

-I'll wrap it for you.

-Fantastic. Yeah, quick. He won't mind, will he? I don't want you to get fired!

You're a lucky girl, Miss Southon.

Charlie and Catherine are leaving Chichester behind,

popping into Hampshire and the village of Emsworth.

Emsworth sits at the north end of Chichester harbour.

Back in the 19th century, it was a thriving fishing village,

famed for its oysters, and was home to no less than 30 pubs and beer houses.

Nowadays, there are merely nine pubs

and a rather delightful antiques shop run by the equally delightful Hilary. Look out!

-Good afternoon.

-Good afternoon.

-Charlie Ross.

-Hilary Bolt.

-Hilary, nice to meet you.

-And you.

-May I have a look round?

-Please do.

-There is something I saw in the window which is fantastic.

-It's the Silver Jubilee train.

-Yes.

-Don't bother to get it out.

-Are you sure?

-No. It's just not in my range.

-Talking about the Silver Jubilee, we do have a chair from the coronation.

-Do you?

-Is it the stool or the chair?

-It's the stool.

-Oh, the stool. Yes indeed.

Because I believe, after the coronation, you could respond to a newspaper advert

and put your name down for one or more of the chairs or the stools

after the person who had sat on them had had the option of buying it themselves,

so earls and countesses went away with their high-backed chairs

-and choristers could or could not have their stools according to the whim...

-Yeah, isn't that fantastic?

And there we are, look - "coronation". I think they're great.

They're such a piece of history, aren't they? Is this yours?

-No. But what have they got on it?

-85.

This stool belongs to one of the dealers who sell their wares here.

It's a nice thing to buy in view of where they came from.

-Do you want me to make a phone call?

-I don't want to be rude.

We have two types of sellers here. There are the sticklers and the tarts.

-The sticklers, you know you've got 10%...

-And that's it, yeah.

-The tarts are there to make sales. They know what they're prepared to let it go for.

-A lovely attitude.

I daren't be around when this call is made.

Oh, hello. It's Hilary here from the antiques shop.

We've got somebody who's interested in the coronation stool.

Could you do it, by any chance, for, say, £35?

Hmm... Stickler or tart?

Hold on.

Uh...

They say yes, but only if it's cash.

Oh, it'll be cash. Really?

-You're an absolute angel.

-Thank you.

-That's really splendid.

-Some real crispies for you.

-Whoa!

-Not a lot. Don't get too excited...

Well done, Charlie. That's your shopping all finished for today.

Just up the road, Catherine is pulling up to somewhere rather special.

Behind the facade of this unassuming bungalow lies a treat for the ears and eyes.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-Lester Jones collects and restores Victorian, mechanical music boxes.

Wow!

This is brilliant. So how did you get interested in musical boxes?

It started as a family collection, my grandfather and father,

then the restoration side of it was something that I took on seriously about 25 years ago.

We've got a lovely selection here as well of cylinder boxes.

Can we have a little listen to see how it sounds? I'd love to hear it.

CAN-CAN MUSIC

We know this, don't we?

SHE SINGS ALONG

Developed from 18th century musical snuff boxes,

the very first Victorian, mechanical music boxes feature a metal cylinder covered in pins.

When rotated, the pins catch the teeth of a comb in a specific sequence,

thereby creating the lovely sound exactly as the Victorians would have heard it.

-I buy them in an unrestored condition.

-And you like to do it yourself.

The movements and the cases are then all fully restored,

so they look and play like they did when they were new.

-What's over here?

-That's a musical chair.

-These are quite rare, aren't they?

They're very spindly, so not too many have survived. There's a small cylinder music box under the seat.

When you sit on it, it allows the governor to run.

I always think these are hilarious. Here we go. It's not going to work now.

-TUNE PLAYS

-There we are.

I suppose they used to find this quite hilarious, didn't they?

It was a bit of a novelty and a bit of fun,

but I'm not sure I feel terribly comfortable on a chair

where music is being played underneath my bottom.

I think I'll get up.

They were truly into novelties. The Victorians put musical boxes into fruit bowls, steins and chairs.

You name it, you can find a musical version of any household item that they had at the time.

Eventually, the cylinders were replaced by discs

which enabled tunes to be changed quickly and easily.

TUNE PLAYS This is a typical instrument

that would have been in English pubs and cafes just prior to 1900.

So people would have thought these were quite cool things to have at the time.

Today, we have our jukebox, something where we put the money in and we get our selected music.

-That's what they were doing in the 1900s.

-In 1900, this was cutting-edge technology.

And now these beautiful machines have become very desirable and valuable.

I'm looking over here at this beautiful automaton. Can I have a look at this?

So by automaton, we're meaning...?

A mechanical, moving figure or a picture, often with a musical movement as well.

Let's see what it does. I'm intrigued to see.

-TUNE PLAYS

-Oh, look at that. Oh, look at that!

That is absolutely delightful.

We've got a little train going past.

We've got this little figure walking around the turret

and this rocking ship.

Even that just by itself...

It's so sophisticated. There's so much going on there,

to go up and down on this simulated sea, plus the clock movement.

That is very exciting, I think.

-Thank you very much, Lester. It's been a real privilege and a pleasure.

-I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you very much. Fantastic.

Oh, lucky Catherine. But now it's the end of the day -

time for our experts to get some well-earned shuteye.

Night-night.

CRACK OF THUNDER

Day two and...oh, dear!

With no roof, our experts have resorted to shower caps.

Charlie Ross, remind me what we're doing.

Because I feel that I have lost the plot slightly.

I must say, the Lord has blessed us with the most unbelievable weather on this trip.

But thankfully, our experts have both been blessed with a "glass half-full" take on life.

# Always look on the bright side of life

# Do-doo, do-doo, do-doo, do-doo

# Always look on the bright side of life... #

-I just got dripped on by that tree!

-'Come on, Brian, cheer up!'

Our competitive pair are leaving Emsworth behind

and heading to Arundel in West Sussex.

So far, Catherine has spent £180 on four items -

three glass and silver perfume bottles and a set of six chimney bricks,

leaving her with a whopping - not - £14.96 to play with.

I'm going to go for it, Joe.

Charlie, meanwhile, has spent £130 on five items -

a bottle of beer, a fire helmet, a coronation stool, a vesta-cigar cutter and a mandolin harp.

That leaves him with £5.30 to splash about. Lovely!

I'm thrilled.

So with very little money left, an expensive antiques shop is probably out of the question.

-An aerodrome?

-Car boot sale!

-In here?

-Yes, turn around.

CATHERINE SCREAMS

Ah, just the ticket!

Come hither.

This huge car boot sale is held on an airfield and is normally teeming with buyers and sellers,

but Catherine and Charlie have arrived a little late.

I rather like this.

I rather expect it's quite a lot of money. It's got a super wheel.

And it's just suitably distressed.

-A bit like me!

-Get in and I'll wheel you around.

-I'm not sure the gentleman will give us permission.

-You're lighter than I am. You should be in the barrow.

-No, I'm not getting my jeans dirty.

-I'm not getting my trousers dirty.

-In you get.

-No!

How much would you pay for that barrow?

-About a fiver.

-Yeah.

It's 50 quid.

No, I would probably pay, realistically, about 15.

Catherine is on her local patch here, but any insider knowledge doesn't help

when nearly everyone has gone home. Huh!

I fear I have missed the boat.

It seems to me that Miss Southon has finally fallen apart.

It's very like her.

It's normally completely full right down to the end here.

Hello! Got anything left?

Charlie has stumbled across a friendly Dutchman - Harry Oolders.

I love your hat. Is that for sale?

-Is that your wife in the car?

-Yes.

-Hello, my dear!

-How are you, Charlie?

-How very... "Charlie" - you know my name!

-How very sensible to stay in the dry...

-Yeah.

-..while the old man does the business.

I will come straight to the point.

I've been shopping yesterday. I bought a few things.

I am left with £5 in my pocket.

-No more?

-No more. I don't have any more.

Oh, look, that must be a Dutch oil painting.

-Wempe.

-Wempe, yes.

Pieter Wempe - he's a very famous artist(!) Oh, yes, he is.

Charlie, what are you doing? That painting is total tat!

It's a lovely signature.

-Is that £5?

-£5 for you.

I think for a fiver...

It's probably worth two quid, but you're such a lovely man,

I'm going to buy it because I want to buy it. Here we go.

Five of the best, sir.

Charlie's final item, but Catherine can't find anything she wants to buy,

apart from... Remember this?

-How much is your wheelbarrow?

-I've got 50 on it.

-Oh!

-£50.

-But I can move a little bit.

-Can you move a lot?

Something like that would look great in a garden filled with...

-Absolutely.

-Filled with nice, blooming flowers, it would look wonderful in the summer.

I tell you what. £30, you can buy it.

I would buy it at that, but I promise you, I haven't got that left.

Can I buy it for £14.96?

I could have a lot of fun with that.

I'd love to sell it, make a lot of money and shove Charlie in it and wheel off to success.

-Go on, shake my hand.

-Shall I do it?

-I've never sold one as cheap.

-Have you not?

-Never.

-Do you think I should do it?

-Shake my hand.

-Yeah!

That's a first - a deal done on sheer exuberance!

You've got to hand it to her.

-This is literally it down to the last drop.

-I believe you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-£10...

-14 pounds and 96 pence.

-I will never forget it.

So that leaves our experts virtually spent up.

While Catherine squeezes the rain out of her socks, Charlie has somewhere rather lovely to go.

He's heading to the West Sussex village of West Hoathly to visit a very old and special house.

It's called The Priest House

and showing him around is the curator who lives in it now - Anthony Smith.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Charlie Ross.

-Anthony. A pleasure to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Thank you for letting me in today.

-Thank you for coming.

All I know is I'm at The Priest House, named after a priest?

It never was the house of a priest. Its name comes from its connection with Lewes Priory.

-This was built to administer the land. It's a church office.

-When was it built?

-About 1430.

This beautiful, ancient house nearly collapsed from centuries of neglect

until it was finally rescued in the early 20th century by a wealthy and very forward-looking man.

-Who was...?

-John Godwin King who lived to the north-west of the village.

-Is this the man?

-That's John Godwin King, yes.

He never put the rents up for anyone who lived in his properties.

-How unusual for a landlord!

-Very, yes.

John Godwin King bought and restored the house, so that he could use it as a museum

for all the treasures he collected locally and while travelling.

One of these was his Australian wife who founded a local theatre group.

This is Charlotte King who ran the local players

and this is producing their Greek drama in 1913.

The idea was to get as many people from the village involved as possible.

Charlotte and John Godwin King were both ardent Liberals

and these views were reflected in the ethos of Charlotte's theatre company.

-This was performed by village folk?

-Partly by villagers, but also they brought their friends from London.

But they might end up playing the part of the maid and servant

and the local shepherd or shopkeeper might play the lord or lady.

It was all very egalitarian and they still do it that way.

We know that some quite famous people came to see it. George Bernard Shaw was probably the most famous.

-Really?

-I know a man who is now in his 80s who performed when he was a little boy

and at the end of the performance, he was sat on an old gentleman's knee.

-He said it was a gentleman with a big white beard.

-George Bernard Shaw.

And this gentleman said, "Young man, you were quite awful."

This was George Bernard Shaw.

John and Charlotte's daughter Ursula was a Suffragette

and John himself was a member of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage.

Upstairs is an extraordinary memento of that struggle -

a large handkerchief embroidered with the signatures and initials of 68 Suffragettes.

Embroidered by women in Holloway Prison in March 1912.

And they went on hunger strike in there?

A third of the women on the handkerchief went on hunger strike and a third were forcibly fed.

It's a mystery how the handkerchief ended up in West Hoathly.

We don't know why it's in the village, but it turned up at a jumble sale in the 1960s.

It was going to be burned with all the remnants at the end of the day.

It was taken off the bonfire pile by the custodian of the museum here at the time and she cleaned it up.

-There can't be many artefacts more important, relating to that movement.

-No, no.

John Godwin King was ahead of his time,

recognising the value of restoration and preserving pieces of history

long before it was fashionable to do so, and thank goodness he did,

but now, Charlie, you have to leave that beautiful cottage garden behind you,

for it's time for our experts to reveal all to each other.

Where better than across the road in beautiful West Hoathly Parish Church where I used to worship?

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

Oh, oh!

What do you think about these? You know where I bought them.

I know exactly where you bought them and they're fantastic and I wanted to buy them.

No, I wanted to buy one of them as I don't have your amount of money.

I was asked £45 for one of them,

so one, two, three, four, five, six...24...

Yes, it's £270.

-Well, I got them for 130.

-I don't believe you.

I would have only bought one. In itself, it would have been quirky.

-What would you do with one?

-Make a sixth of the loss I would with six.

-Are these one lot?

-They are, yes.

Right, I'll tell you what those are worth.

MUTTERS TO HIMSELF

-About £100 to £120.

-No, they're not worth that.

-With that embossed top? Come on.

-Come on.

-I paid £50 for those.

-For the three?

-Yes.

I know, it just doesn't seem fair, does it, Charlie?

Now where is she off to?

You haven't bought... You didn't have enough money to buy that.

I saw that at the boot fair. I said, "How much is it?"

The gentleman said, "It's 60 quid, but you can have it for 50."

Now, you told me you only had £14.

And 96 pence, actually.

And I actually paid him £14.96.

-He was quite happy to sell it to me.

-I'm sure he was over the moon.

-Oh, dear, here we go.

-You're in the money. Profit, profit, gamble.

Do you remember the last auction?

-Yes.

-What did I buy for 5p?

-Beer. You haven't bought more, Charlie?

-Well, it made 12 quid.

-Ta-da!

-That's a very boring stool.

Don't gloat too soon, Catherine.

-It's a coronation stool from Westminster Abbey.

-Is it?

Anybody that was at the coronation had the right to buy their chair or their stool.

That was owned by a chorister.

-You burst out laughing because if it wasn't a coronation stool, it is a fiver on a good day.

-Yeah.

But they were asking £85 for it and I bought it for 35 quid.

Sticking on the coronation theme, we go to 1911.

A zither? Is it a zither?

It's actually called a mandolin harp.

-Yes.

-But it was the transfer of George V and the decoration

that did it for me and obviously not for you and that's absolutely fine. This is going particularly well(!)

-This was about £10, £15?

-I paid £35 for that.

I asked a nice Dutchman, "What will you sell me for £5?" He said, "That painting." That, I bought for £2

simply because the last one made £12, but my favourite item is that.

I thought that was a little knob on there.

-I didn't notice that.

-It's a mandolin knob(!)

-What is that?

That is a Veuve Clicquot champagne bottle,

vesta, striker

-and...cigar cutter.

-That's fantastic.

-All in one.

At last, she likes something. Hallelujah!

-48 for it.

-I think that's good.

-So I've got one out of five!

-Oh, no, hang on!

-You've got more?

I'm afraid I broke the rules. You took the mickey out of my fez.

I bought it for a tenner. 135, the lot.

Some mixed reactions there. Now, what do they really think?

Wheelbarrow, quoted to Rossco, £60. Catherine buys it for £14 and a few pence.

She's bought three wonderful silver-top jars,

one by William Comyns, a great maker, which I think is worth 100 quid on its own,

then she looks at my items and bursts out laughing.

The beer, the picture, the helmet - it's just Charlie really, isn't it?

Silly Charlie.

But I think there is a tad of seriousness coming in there

and there's a couple of things there that I'm a little bit jealous of.

The stool, I think is actually rather good.

But between you and me, I do hope that the bricks sink.

Ooh! Well, let the battle commence, eh?

Catherine and Charlie's third leg began in Birdham, West Sussex,

had a little detour into Hampshire, then continued eastwards.

It will conclude at an auction in Lewes, East Sussex.

This is where it's at.

How was that, Miss Southon? Perfectly driven as always.

-Allow me.

-What a gent! Gorringes made its name by selling the collections of large country houses

and now has a reputation for auctioning fine antiques and collectables.

So does auctioneer Philip Taylor think our experts' choices make the grade? Philip?

Charlie and Catherine have brought some interesting things for us to look at,

but unfortunately, maybe they didn't realise the day we're offering it is a silver sale.

I'm not sure we're going to have too many buyers for their wheelbarrow on a silver sale

or for the chimney bricks. We'll see. Hopefully, we'll do OK.

The best item is the silver-mounted, cut-glass scent bottle by William Comyns, always a strong seller.

The most undesirable thing, I think, is the completely undrinkable bottle of beer.

Oh, dear, a silver sale. Perhaps a crafty call to the auction house in advance might have been a wise idea.

They'll know for next time, though!

Charlie started this leg with £135.30

and spent exactly 135 on six auction lots,

not one of which is silver.

Oh, it'll be cash.

Catherine began with £194.96 and spent every penny she had.

She has split the perfume bottles into two separate lots,

so has four auction lots in total.

-14 pounds and 96 pence!

-I will never forget it.

This could be disastrous.

Oh, Charlie, I'm actually panicking!

Good luck. You'll need it.

First up is Charlie's coronation stool.

£30 again to start it? £20 for the coronation stool? 20 I'm bid.

25. 25. 30 bid. 35.

£35 only. 40 bid now. At £40.

I need to sell it at 40. Are you all done? Then at £40 it goes...

That's a loss after the auction house takes its well-earned commission.

Ah, here we are. This is my lot, everybody.

Yes, it's Catherine's big gamble next - her chimney bricks.

-Bomb and that's it.

-Bomb or not to bomb? That is the question.

Rocket and Rossco is history.

£20 to get them started? £10, surely?

-£10?!

-The chimney bricks at £10?

-Oh, no!

-I'll give you 10.

-What a man!

-£10 bid. At 10. £10 only. 15 now.

-Come along now. At 15.

-I don't believe it.

-20 in front.

At 25 now. They're unusual, aren't they, at 25, you must say?

Are you all done? At £25 they sell then.

Oh, dear, she's dropped a brick there. Six, actually. Poor girl.

-Are you all right?

-No, I'm absolutely heartbroken.

Will Charlie's helmet set the house on fire?

£10 bid me on it? Any bids at 10? 5, will someone say?

Any bids at £5? Thank you, 5 I'm bid. Brave lady at £5.

Thank goodness for the brave lady!

10 I'm bid now at the back. 15, madam? Make it 12 if you wish?

12 I'm bid. Thank you. At £12 only.

-£12 only...

-Yes.

It looks like a profit, but sadly, that's a loss after costs.

-You got a profit on that?

-No, not after commission.

Next up, Catherine's two perfume bottles.

£30 to get them started? 25 then? 25 I'm bid. The two together now.

-25 only.

-I need a bit more than 25, Charlie.

-£30 bid. £30. 35.

-Ssh!

-35. At 40.

Come on. Come on. They're really good.

-45. 50.

-Come on.

-At 50.

-At £50 bid.

-Come on.

-At £50. 55. At 55. 60.

-The two together now at £60.

-Please keep going. Please keep going.

-65. At 65. Still yours at 65.

-Come on, keep going.

-Keep going.

-Last time then, lady's bid in front. At £65 they go...

Look at that! An excellent profit for Catherine. She's edging back.

-To hell with the bricks! Forget the bricks.

-No, Charlie, I can't ever forget the bricks.

We'll all have to move on now. It's Charlie's oil painting next.

Anyone seen it? 20? Start me at £20? £10 to get me started, someone?

-Something would be good.

-Yes, something would do. £5.

-The gentleman's seen it. £5 only.

-Congratulations, sir.

You don't need to see it at this price. At £5.

I'll have to sell it at 5. It goes at £5 only...

And that's broken even. Charlie is struggling to make profits today.

-We're not having a good day.

-You're having an absolute stormer!

-Charlie...

-You made 40 quid on your bottles.

-£130 bought...

-Forget that.

-£25 sold.

-Just forget that and move on.

That's not a good day in my book.

What you both need is a bit of music to your ears. Will the harp sing?

What will we say? £20 for the zither?

£10 for the zither to get it started? 10 I'm bid.

-Result, frankly!

-15 bid. 20 now. 25. £25 for the zither.

-30.

-This is a world record for a zither.

In the corner now at 30. You're going to get it, I think, at 30.

-Finished at £30...

-You're a wonderful man.

It's another loss. Oh, dear.

Chuffed?

Over the moon(!)

Next, Catherine's rustic wheelbarrow.

£20 I'm bid. At 20 here. Only at £20. 25, I should think so too. At 25.

£30 now, sir. At 30. 35, will you?

At 35, I have. It's on the back wall now at £35.

-Oh!

-At £40. At 40.

-On the internet.

-At £40 on the desk.

-Oh!

-£45.

At 45. 50, I have.

-Beside me now at 50.

-Thank you.

-Sells at £50 on the desk...

Thank you, everybody.

Excellent profit on the wheelbarrow, considering it's a silver sale!

You've got to laugh or you cry.

Next, Charlie's only silver of the auction. Silver Jubilee, that is.

Any bids at £5? Get me started, surely? £2 if you wish?

-£2 on my right. The bid is at £2.

-Somebody's bid £2.

-Somebody's bid on the internet. Marvellous.

-At £2 only...

Oh, that bottle sank!

I've got to pay a commission on that, Miss Southon.

I've got to pay about 35p commission.

Hopefully, Charlie's champagne plated vesta picks up his profits.

£20 to get it started? £10 if you wish? Thank you, 10 I'm bid.

-15 bid now. Thank you, sir. At £20.

-I'm surprised, actually.

-Very cheap, isn't it?

-I'm very surprised. That's not on.

25, thank you, sir. At £25. I haven't seen one of these before.

£30, I have. Thank you, sir. At £30.

-35.

-It deserves to do well, this, Charlie.

-The bid now is at 35.

-Not quite what I expected.

-I'm letting it go then at £35...

That really surprises me.

Champagne Charlie loved it, but sadly, no-one else seemed to.

I would have bought that, definitely.

Now it's the last lot of the day - Catherine's embossed perfume bottle.

She sure needs it to make a profit.

Straight in at £50 to start it.

55. 60 now. 65.

£65 bid. At 65... 70 bid.

Are we all done? Any further bidders then? At £70. It sells at 70...

Well done, Catherine.

A great profit for Catherine,

but has it made a dent in her bruising loss on the bricks?

Let's splash out. I'll buy you a glass of water.

Enjoy your bricks, sir.

What a roller-coaster this auction has been!

Charlie started this leg with £135.30

and has made a loss of £33.32 after auction costs.

That leaves him with a rather meagre total of £101.98 to carry forward.

Don't look so sad!

Catherine had a disaster with her bricks,

but her other profits meant she is still today's winner.

She began this leg with £194.96

and made a loss of £22.76,

bringing her total to £172.20 to spend next time.

Right, Miss Southon, allow me, oh, most prestigious brick-buyer.

You're not allowed to mention that word!

-Although I just bumped into the buyer who bought the bricks.

-Yeah.

-£25?

-He did.

He's just sold them for 50.

CHARLIE LAUGHS

-Thank you, Lord!

-I cannot believe it.

-Onwards and upwards.

-Off we go!

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, Charlie is none too pleased.

My budget is s-s-severely limited.

And Catherine ups the ante.

-I think you need to go down the back.

-Why?

-Because it's the cheaper area.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd