Episode 6 Antiques Road Trip

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

a classic car and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

That hurts.

My sap is rising.

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

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Could you do 50 quid on that?

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

Your steering is a bit lamentable!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

This week, we start a brand-new chapter

with the raffish duo of James Braxton and Charles Hanson.

Put it on, James! Now I feel so much warmer.

HORN BEEPS

Auctioneer James Braxton has a wealth of experience

in the world of antiques, but his exquisite taste

sometimes means the price tags don't quite match his budget.

-Is that near 100?

-I'd like to get about two.

-Right.

And of course, he's a charmer with the ladies.

-Can I show it to you?

-Yes, fine.

But hot on James's heels is an ever over-excitable young auctioneer,

Charles Hanson.

I'm so nervous I need the toilet!

He has a great strategy for buying - that's if he can find a shop!

I'll go into this first day relaxed and content

and just let the objects come to me.

Well, hopefully he'll find some shops.

It never hurts to be ambitious, but first things first, eh?

Our chaps begin their adventure

with £200 each and the open road in front of them

and their automobile of choice for this week's trip

is James's beloved 1952 MG.

She's clocked up a good few miles,

but she's a trusty old thing...sometimes.

I think she's wrapped up here. Come on! Get moving!

-Dear, oh, dear!

-Dear, oh, dear indeed.

James and Charles will travel

380 miles from Dulverton, West Somerset, via the Isle of Wight

and make their way to Truro, in glorious Cornwall.

But this is day one of the trip.

We begin our shopping mission in the idyllic location of Dulverton

and will auction over 55 miles away

in Crewkerne in the county of Somerset.

Dulverton is a pretty little town near Devon.

The bridge is thought to date back to 1,000 BC,

although according to folklore,

the devil had a hand in building this bridge.

So, without any further ado, let's catch up with our own devilish duo.

-Ride her in, James, ride her in.

-Here we are.

-I'm slightly worried about the brakes.

-Ride her in. That's OK.

-James, this is it.

-The start of our road trip!

Exactly, but don't you feel it's almost too serene around here

to really generate those big returns?

Oh, come on, you're the catalyst -

you can bring some energy to this part of the world.

-You think so?

-Yeah, definitely.

-OK!

And off we jolly well go.

Let's start off with old James Braxton.

First stop is a visit to Anthony Sampson.

-Are you going to go in there?

-Am I going in there?

-Are you going in there?

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

-I'm going this way.

-Get me some clotted cream.

-I will do. Bye!

Is this the door?

Hello.

-I love your six plank coffer. It's so lovely.

-Isn't it a super one?

-Yeah.

-So, still very nice, high ends, aren't they?

-Yes.

Particularly interesting, there's a little notch on the front.

-And is that very expensive?

-Well, it's just under £1,000, it's £950.

It's lovely.

Yes, it is lovely but also completely out of your budget.

Now, let's see if we can buy something, Anthony.

What's this fellow?

Yes, well, this I think is, what, late 1890, 1900.

-So, how much have you got on that fellow?

-That is 495.

Crumbs! Maybe it's time to cut your losses?

-Thank you very much indeed, Anthony.

-Bye, now.

-Bye.

The Braxton instinct is kicking in.

From one to the other, walk!

And not only that, everything's half-price!

-Hello.

-Hello there.

-Hello.

So here am I, looking at a Lionel Edwards.

I presume it's a print, it must be a print at this price.

Early Lionel Edwards print, £220.

I'll see whether that can be bought cheaply.

Hold onto your horses, looks like James is going to go for a buy.

Is it half of this?

So 220, 110.

I don't even know that the half price is set in stone.

The owner of the print needs to be called,

so Liz asks for an offer.

I'd offer him £45 for it.

-OK.

-OK?

-Let's see.

-Let's see.

Hello, Max, it's me again.

We've had an offer for one of the pictures.

It's Carol's - the big Lionel Edwards print,

the triptych that's on the stairs.

OK, fine, right, OK.

Right. Thanks, bye, bye.

-Maybe £100, but no lower than that.

-No, that's fine, that's fine.

Anyway, Liz, thank you very much indeed.

Oh, well. Onwards and upwards, James.

Let's catch up with Charles. Let the dog see the rabbit.

Charles is having a good old nosy in Acorn Antiques with owner, Peter,

and he's spotted something straightaway.

This is in my budget

and of course, what I think we have here is a biscuit tin, don't we?

-Yes, Huntley & Palmers.

-That's it, Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin.

Actually, it's very nice condition.

We've got Huntley & Palmers Biscuits marked on the base here,

Reading and London,

and of course by lifting up this section here,

you open up to take out a biscuit

and this biscuit tin would date to around 1910?

-Yes.

-Thereabouts.

-Nice biscuit tin. It could be yours for £110?

-Yes.

Are you open to negotiation, sir, or is it a normal 10%?

-Call it £80?

-£80?

-They're very collectable.

-Yeah, they are collectable, I agree.

I'm getting £30 off, you know, what a discount!

And I can't really argue with that,

but I think at auction on a really bad day, it might only make £50.

Sounds too much of a risk for young Charles.

You've got me going, sir. I appreciate it, you've got me going.

Oh, no deal!

Seems the chaps are reluctant to part with their pennies.

Empty-handed, the boys head off to pastures new,

to the delightful village of Williton in West Somerset.

You know, you get a man of the South, you know, a great southern...

-Oh, my, look at the water!

-Oh!

-All we need is a lorry.

-God!

-It has RAINED here.

-Wow!

As you can see, driving in James's vintage car without a roof

is a bit of a challenge when it's raining - the skinflint!

-I'm going shopping.

-I think you want to get into the warm.

-James, I'm drenched. Look at me!

-Well, good luck.

I've got to now go and try and find some superior antique...

-Hope you find something.

-..looking like a drowned rat!

Charles is going for a good old rummage around West Somerset Antiques.

Tim is the owner, great name,

and will hopefully point young Charles in the right direction.

Something Somerset, yes...

-All I can think of is things like cheese and cream and...

-Cider jars.

Exactly! Exactly. Thanks very much.

What I'll do, I'll have a wander round.

I want to start big because I want to set the standard for James.

He's having a really good sniff around, literally!

This is quite a nice box, because I can feel in its tactile nature

and in the way it's been carved,

this box no doubt is probably circa 1880, 1890,

probably some type of walnut.

Octagonal outline,

with this interesting Manxman, Isle of Man type of design.

-How much, Tim?

-£25, I'm asking for that.

-£25.

And your very best price, Tim?

-£20.

-£20.

-Has it been here a while?

-No, it hasn't.

-No good?

Well, it's going, it's going. It's gone. I'll take it, Tim. Superb.

-Thank you very much.

-First purchase.

All I can say is thank goodness one of our dynamic duo has started buying!

Tim, how much is the nice chest of drawers in here?

-The fine bow-fronted...?

-Yes.

Tim, that's a good little Georgian bureau, sorry,

Georgian chest of drawers, spare handle...

There's one for the corner over there.

In its current condition, £120.

-Best price? One best price?

-100 quid.

-100 quid.

You couldn't go wrong with that.

-They often say proportions are everything.

-Yes...

You look at the body...

He's quite an excitable fellow, you know.

It's got two good top drawers.

For pity's sake! It's a chest of drawers, Charles!

-And then a body of three long drawers.

-Oh, blimey!

Oh, dear, Tim, you've put me into a quandary now.

You're a good man, £100.

-£100 is the best price?

-It is.

-Very tempting.

Tim, I like it very, very much and I think at £100, it's going once.

-Best price, Tim, £100?

-It is.

-Look at me, £100, yes?

-It is.

-All right, OK. Tim, I'll take it.

-Marvellous.

-Good man. Thanks, Tim.

-Thank you very much.

Charles is definitely in the mood for buying.

James, however, is having a bad day on the buying front,

but he's not worried.

He's travelled a solitary mile to Washford

to find out more about the history of the wireless.

It's a bit of a bumpy arrival.

Whoopsie! Watch out for the suspension, James.

The Washford Radio Museum

is owned by lifelong radio collector, Neil Wilson.

In the early '90s, Neil purchased this 1933 BBC transmitting station

to house his collection of all things radio.

Neil is going to show James around.

Now this is an amazing place.

What do we have here?

Right, it's basically a museum to celebrate the...

Well, the BBC and early broadcasting.

Principally, radio broadcasting rather than television.

Because this was a BBC transmitting station,

I decided to set this museum up.

Over the years, Neil's passion for radio has resulted in

a museum that is crammed full of some real radio gems.

In the early days of radio, it was a rather different world,

with large valves and cumbersome equipment.

We begin with one of the great radio landmarks.

So, what do you have here, Neil?

Well, this is various information that was issued to engineers

at the time of the Queen's coronation in 1953.

All the various plans and positions for everything.

This was, at the time,

the biggest outside broadcast that the BBC had ever attempted.

The sheer amount of wires needed for this event

was displayed here like a road map.

The documents show the monumental BBC operation involved

in bringing the coronation into the homes of the British public.

Somewhere in here, there is a script of the day itself.

-Oh, the running order?

-Yep.

-Goodness.

That's it, starting there at 10.15 in the morning. "This is London."

Oh, I see, the script.

And each place would have this

and this would be your broadcasting cue, would it?

Yes, so here we go, Wynford Vaughan-Thomas

and it just says what he was going to do.

As Princess Elizabeth made her way to Westminster,

every detail was planned with precision

right down to every word of the commentary.

How interesting.

Also in the collection

is a unique recording with a royal connection

which has never been broadcast.

One that I've got here is actually,

was made during a royal visit to Broadcasting House in 1939.

Really?

And they actually demonstrated how recordings were made.

So, the Royal family spoke into the recorder and this was the result.

STATIC CRACKLES

'We've had a very interesting afternoon in here.

'We heard all the noises.'

So the voices we heard, Neil, who were they?

Well, they would have been the Queen Mother, King George VI

and the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

It's extraordinarily rare,

I've never heard it anywhere other than from this disc.

-Hang onto it!

-Yes.

-Well, thank you very much indeed, Neil.

It's been a fascinating tour.

I'm slightly the wiser about transmitted airwaves.

-Anyway, you promised me some cake.

-Indeed, yes.

-Where is it?

-Go on, lead on!

-Righto!

'And it only remains for me to say,

'for I don't know how many times, good luck.

'Here we go.'

# We've sung about the soldiers and sailors on the sea... #

Back in Williton, Charles is still in the antique shop

and is in haggling mode.

And he's found an old cello, priced at £60.

Tim, this cello, tell me about it.

Well, I think again,

-you like something with a challenge, don't you?

-Yes, I do.

-This is in need of a bit of... I don't play, unfortunately.

-No.

-But, yeah.

-Where did it come from? How old is it?

-I guess it's...

Whoopsie daisy!

-How old is it, Tim?

-It's got to be 70, 80 years old at least.

-Has it been here a while?

-Oh, yes!

-It's not been here that long.

-No...

-It's quite tired, isn't it?

-It is.

Somebody will love it.

HE KNOCKS CELLO

If I said to you without anything going into it,

what would be the best price to take it away, what would you say?

-£30.

-£30.

I'll be cheeky for the first time.

I'll take it away, Tim, and pay you £20

and take a complete haphazard guess

on that it might make me a bit of money.

-25, you've got a deal.

-£25, we'll meet halfway.

Do you know what, Tim?

I've never before in my life bought three items in a row in one shop

and at £25, I will do.

£25, it's a jump in the dark.

What I do know is it's quite an exciting cello

that might have some legs.

Never mind its legs,

we want to find out whether it's got any notes in it!

Good deal, though.

We'll find out whether it's been an savvy buy over at the auction.

Nice old dusty box, here.

It's actually quite nicely made, lined in mahogany.

We've just got a whole array of tools in this box

on different tiers.

And it looks as though it's really never, ever...

been emptied and sorted.

There are lots and lots of tools.

And again, I'm no DIY expert, I'm no tool man.

My wife will tell you, when it comes to DIY and fixing things,

I can't do it very well.

Never(!)

It's pine and then ebonised and on the front,

obviously somebody over the years has repainted maybe their name,

"H Dipper."

H Dipper, who was H Dipper? Harry Dipper? Henry Dipper?

-We don't know. Tim?

-Yes.

-What is your price?

Well, I've been asking £50 for the chest and £40 for its contents.

So you're really asking about 90, and I'm saying to you Tim,

look, clear me out, wash me out,

here's my £55 leftover and you'll have my entire budget

for my first Antiques Road Trip with James.

If I go down, Tim, we go down together, OK?

Well, I can only ask to take every last penny, can't I?

-So, yep, you've got yourself a deal.

-Fantastic. OK, that's great. Thanks.

-Thank you very much.

-Superb. Can't believe it. £55.

Well, he started at a gentle trot

then bolted into a hearty gallop and blew his budget.

Thanks, Tim, all the best!

Well, that's it.

I'm shopped out, I've bought four fantastic items

and I feel like dancing in the rain.

Nutter!

It's time for James and Charles to get a good night's sleep.

Nighty night!

It's a brand-new day and the boys are up bright and early,

but Charles is in a very laid-back mood.

Shall we have a quick game of tennis?

No, I think we'll leave that.

Got plenty of time. Shall we go walk on the beach?

You may have plenty of time, but funny enough,

I've got to do some shopping.

So far, James seems to have forgotten the name of the game

and has spent a big fat nothing on absolutely zero items.

He's got everything to play for and still has an untouched sum of £200.

Charles, meanwhile, seemed to be rather unwilling to part with his cash

until he decided to blow the whole sum and total

on the Victorian octagonal box,

the bow fronted chest of drawers,

the battered cello

and the large Victorian toolbox.

No more shopping for Charles, then.

The boys spent the night in the village of Braunton, North Devon,

where my parents lived.

Naughty shirker James is on a jaunt to the coastal resort of Combe Martin. Beautiful!

Combe Martin has the Guinness World Record

for the world's longest street party.

James is also a record breaker

for failing to buy a single item by the end of his first day.

Look at that! Hey, who wants a swim and a hill climb?

We don't want you taking your kit off again, James.

Put your foot down and start buying, pronto!

Sherbrook Selectables is Mr Braxton's first port of call.

-Hello, James.

-Good to meet you.

-Very pleased to meet you. Trevor.

Trevor, very nice to meet you, Trevor.

-Now, may I have a look round?

-You certainly can.

-Thank you.

It would be a pretty poor show if I couldn't find something, wouldn't it?

That's a very splendid canteen, that, isn't it?

Art Deco, yes. It's an Art Deco box.

I think it dates to around the late '20s, early '30s.

This canteen was made by James Dixon & Sons.

Founded in 1806, they were one of the foremost names in silver plate

and sterling silver tableware.

And is it complete, Trevor?

No, unfortunately we have the one carving fork missing.

-Everything else seems to be there.

-So, that's that one.

I'm sure there's more. What else have we got here?

This is rather interesting, can you tell me about this, Trevor?

-Orrefors.

-Orrefors?

-That's Swedish.

-Swedish, Orrefors, about 1950.

-Yep.

Hand cut and signed on the bottom.

Just a nice piece of heavy Swedish glass.

It is, isn't it? Can I feel? Oh, it is heavy, isn't it?

And that hasn't been ground down. That looks good and feels good.

Nicely engraved and then frosted.

-Could you do £50 on that?

-No problem.

That's very kind. Thank you very much indeed, Treasure. Treasure!

-Trevor! You treasure!

-Later!

THEY LAUGH

I can't believe this! I'm falling to my knees.

God bless you, Combe Martin, because I have finally bought something!

Hallelujah! Big Brackers is off the starting block.

Right, Trevor, the thing I looked at earlier,

now I've got the first one under the belt,

would you take £50 on that?

-Yeah, I think we wouldn't have a problem there.

-You're a lovely man.

God bless Combe Martin again and thank you, Trevor.

You're very welcome.

Looks like the Braxton magic is returning.

Long may it continue!

Back to Charles in Braunton.

The area boasts beautiful golden beaches

that attract surfer dudes from all over the world.

So, it makes perfect sense to have a museum here telling the history of surfing.

# Everybody's gone surfin'

# Surfin' USA

# Everybody's gone surfin'

# Surfin' USA... #

Charles is going to find out more from the curator, Peter Robinson.

Most people think of surfers as a 1960s craze

where tanned young men in California took to the waves,

but in fact it goes back much, much further.

It's thought that surfing goes back potentially thousands of years.

There's even been cave drawings found in Hawaii

of people standing up on surfboards.

It was certainly a very developed board sport by the time

Captain Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1779

and started to write about surfing.

So what's in here, Peter?

Well, in this cabinet you've got the earliest known drawing

of someone standing up on a wave.

It was first published in 1851 by the Reverend William Ellis.

It's an image that's now known globally in surfing history

as being really an iconic moment.

I think because of the morals of the time, he's put a loincloth on there.

-The reality is, they probably would have been naked.

-Of course.

This is one of the earliest British surfboards.

It dates from just after the First World War and is made of solid wood.

It was ridden by a guy called Nigel Oxenden,

who himself was a fascinating character.

He won the Military Cross in the First World War as a major.

He went over to Hawaii and learnt how to surf

and then established the Island Surf Club of Jersey in 1923,

Europe's first surf club.

This was the board he used.

He'd ride it prone, rather like a boogie board today.

He was a remarkable character

and really the key linchpin of British surfing.

So from the early days.

This board, to me Peter, looks as though, goodness me,

let's say a big breaker hit me on the head,

this sort of board could cause me some damage.

Oh, it would cause you a lot of damage, and if you move on to something like this,

this is the type of board that Edward VIII,

who was at the time the Prince of Wales,

would have ridden in Hawaii in 1920. It weighs around about 100lbs.

# Fun, fun, fun Now that daddy took the T-bird away

# Fun fun fun

# Now that Daddy took the T-bird away... #

This has to be my favourite board in the entire collection.

We've got more than 200 surfboards in the museum's collection.

It was made here in Braunton in 1968 and the bottom of it is actually

a roll of paisley pyjama cloth that's been laminated under the fibreglass.

Not only is it iconically British, it's a fantastic board to ride.

-Is it really?

-Yes, it's superb.

It captures the essence, I suppose, Peter,

it captures the essence of the '60s

and was that when surfing was really coming out?

It's kind of when modern surfing culture as we know it today was born,

in the late '50s and early 1960s,

and this really does embody that era of flower power

and a very free-spirited life on the beach.

Surfing was, in its modern form, was in its infancy at that time.

Certainly in the UK.

And what a better thing to be walking down the beach with than that?

It's an object of great beauty.

-And it's becoming cooler and cooler, hey?

-Absolutely.

-Looks that way.

# Fun, fun, fun

# Now that Daddy took the T-bird away. #

Cool Charles is simply having too much fun. Let's catch up with James.

James has travelled nearly 80 miles south, to the tiny village of Hele,

in Devon, where local legends abound of smugglers and shipwrecks.

Time's running out, James.

We'll have you walking the plank

if you don't buck up and buy some more antiques!

A cathedral of antiques.

-Hello. James.

-I'm Chris.

Hopefully, shop owner Chris can help James in his shopping mission.

-Can I have a quick rove around?

-Sure.

And then can I grab you and take you round the items?

Not a problem.

Meanwhile, Charles has finished shopping

and with the beautiful Devon sunshine,

could he be actually going for a surf?

# We have all the time... #

Don't be silly!

Look, he hasn't even taken his jacket off.

Back to James. He's found a lady.

This lady here fascinates me, Chris.

-She's not pretty, is she?

-She isn't pretty, she isn't pretty.

It's one of the finest noses I've seen, really.

-It's a great nose, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah. It's certainly a beak.

It is a beaky nose, I can see.

I can see great austerity

and a lovely element of severeness about her.

-Pecked to death!

-I think she'd be doing the pecking.

That's what I mean!

Could that be cheap?

Like cheap, cheap, 20 quid cheap?

Hmm...

It did have a... Yeah, I could do it for 30.

30, OK.

What about the opaline glass?

This shiny looking globe

would have originally been used as a light fitting.

-That could be 20.

-That could be 20?

-Yeah.

-So, a crisp £50.

-A crisp £50.

Crisp £50. Chris you've got a crisp one. Thank you very much indeed.

-Best of luck with it.

-Really kind.

Quite a good deal there, James.

The original price on the painting was £55 and the globe was 28.

The sun has disappeared, so Charles is joining James

to have a good old gander at each other's purchases.

-Here you are, young man.

-Oh, good health!

-Get that down you.

-What is it?

-Somerset organic cider.

-Really? Alcoholic?

-I would imagine so, it's come from Somerset!

-Good health, cheers.

Oh, Charles, do you think that's a good idea?

Well, are you ready?

-Three, two, one.

-Hurray!

-Hold on, hold on, hold on!

-Look, there! My wonderful items!

-Look at them!

So, you've bought three items, or am I missing something? Hey!

-What a lovely cello!

-Exactly.

-Is that a full-size cello?

-Now, half size, I think.

-Half size.

-Half size. So I bought...

..four items - one, two, three, four.

You haven't just bought for items, you've bought the contents of a home!

James, I'm knocking on wood, OK?

I'm knocking on wood to give me a profit at auction.

-Well, I like your chest.

-Thank you very much.

-Great.

-Thank you very much.

-Yeah, yeah! A lovely bay front.

-Nice splayed legs, I think that's a winner.

-Yeah?

-Now, what is that on top?

-This is a lovely box.

-Look at the quality. It's a nice box.

-That's lovely.

-Isn't it?

-A sort of soap dish, isn't it, really?

-Or powder box. How much?

-£30?

-£20.

-Winner, winner.

-Like it? Like it?

-Winner.

-OK.

-Don't like the trunk particularly.

-Eh? Why not?

James, sometimes the beauty is within. Let me sell it to you.

Look at the inside, James. Look.

-I've got a whole array of tools.

-You've got a carpenter's box.

-Look, look at that.

-You have got a winner!

-Like it?

-How much? Nothing.

-£50.

-£55.

-That is going to make good money.

-Think so?

-You're going to make 150, £200.

-Are you being serious?

-Yes.

-And the cello?

-I think it's very nice.

I love the over-engineered of the...whatever they're called.

It's called a scroll, James.

-It cost me £25.

-Cheap.

-You think so?

-Very cheap.

-Great.

It's James's turn now. Show us what you've got.

Ready, steady, small goods.

-These feel slightly inconsequential in comparison...

-Get out of here!

-..to your mighty items.

-Oh, I like, I like!

-Here's the first one.

-Yes.

-OK.

-Missing one item.

-Yes.

-The fork.

-OK, erm...

Hmm, I don't think he likes it.

James, what I tend to say is that the fashion for the old canteen

is slightly out of vogue, you know?

I like it, but I don't like it that much.

-What do you think of my severe lady?

-Um... Well, James...

Don't say oil painting. You were going to say oil painting there.

She's got a certain...

Is that a bird dropping there, or is that just paint?

-Just a bird dropping.

-It is, OK. I thought it was.

-£30.

-I think, James, you probably can't go wrong at £30,

-but I wouldn't buy it.

-OK.

-Vase?

-Yeah?

-Orrefors.

-Yeah, love it.

-Signed on the bottom.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And intact.

-Again, not for me.

-Not for you?

-Not for me. Sorry, buddy.

-Last one.

-Yeah?

-Don't touch it.

-Why not?

-Oh, you can. Feel the weight.

Thanks. Oh, yeah, I like it. Yeah, I like it. Yeah.

What is it, exactly?

I think it's a glass shade, so you would have had a collar round there.

-Is it a vase?

-No.

What I like so much is I've gone for the very boring, traditional

patinated furniture and you've gone for almost the 20th century.

-You've gone collectable, I've gone antique.

-I know.

And I'm the young one and you're the older one, right?

So, let's hear what our chaps really think.

The weakest item was his chest of drawers. The biggest was the weakest.

But the funny thing was how yin and yang we were.

But he's bought some cracking items.

He's going to make some serious money.

Do you know what? I think he's panic bought

and I think his panic buys might be in trouble.

It's time to get the big wheels moving.

And go!

It's been a cracking first leg.

We began our journey in Dulverton, travelling via Williton,

Washford, Braunton, Combe Martin, Hele - Phew! -

and finally arriving in Somerset's fine town of Crewkerne.

The town has a long and ancient history

including status as a Saxon royal mint,

and it's a jolly lovely place to stop off on your travels.

It's auction day as our two experts roll into town.

Thank you ever so much, mate, for letting me borrow your hat.

-Best of luck for this one.

-Yep, yep, yep. Hope we like photo.

Lawrence's of Crewkerne have been trading fine wares for over 50 years

and sell everything from dolls to diamonds.

Richard Kay is today's auctioneer

and has a few thoughts on James and Charles's purchases.

Being principally a picture specialist here,

the portrait caught my eye.

I'm not sure I'd want to live with her but she's intriguing.

Somebody at some point will identify who it's by and even who it's of.

I think the one that puts me off more than any other is the cello,

which sits rather forlornly in the corner at the moment

and doesn't look as though it's loaded with commercial potential.

James Braxton started the day with his full allowance of £200

and spent a proud £150 on four auction lots.

Charles Hanson took his £200 starter pack and threw caution to the wind.

He blew the full £200 on four auction lots.

And remember, the auction house takes a commission off the selling price.

All quiet, please! The auction is about to begin.

You know, I'm feeling slightly in awe of you today.

-You're looking so smart.

-First day on.

-You know, this is a serious...

-This is my new navy blue flannel.

This flannel is six years old, it's Irish,

and it feels second-hand today compared to you.

Enough about the togs, boys.

First up is Charles's full-bodied chest of drawers.

Bids here start me at £70. £70 I have.

-Come on, let's move.

-At £70, 75, 80. 85, now.

-On my left, I'm selling at 85 in the room.

-A little more.

-At £85.

-Come on! Surely a little bit more than that?

Are we done at 85? Last time.

There's something rather final about a hammer coming down.

I've lost £15. Bad start, James.

No, but you've everything to play for.

-You are going to take this leg.

-I've learned, though, it's all about...

Don't be too clever at the start.

Hanson, take the thing steady, OK? You know.

It's a loss, but Charles knows it's early doors.

Next we have another from Charles. It's the Victorian octagonal box.

Let's see if it can make a profit.

Bids start me here at £30 on this lot. £30 is bid.

-On commission at £30.

-Come on! Let's keep going!

All done? I'm selling, then, £30, absentee bid. Last time.

That's good, that's £10 profit.

-That's good.

-I'm delighted.

-You can't argue with that.

So, I'm five pounds down, that's good.

A tenner's a tenner

and the young pretender is full of smiles and optimism.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

It's James's oil painting next.

Steady, steady!

Start me here at £20 on this one. £20 for it.

£20 anywhere?

£10, then. £10? 12, 15.

-No? 15 on my far left. I'm selling at 15. 18 now.

-Come on.

20. 25, 30. Five, 40. Five, 50.

£50, on my far left.

-That's good.

-Selling at 50, then.

Last time at £50, all done?

-Well done.

-Thank you.

-Well played, skipper. Well played.

-Well played.

-That's good, isn't it?

-I'm in there.

Steady work, steady work.

I'm in the driving seat.

An excellent start for James.

Let's hope the profits keep steady and consistent.

It's Charles's battered cello next.

If this goes wrong,

things are looking a bit slippery for you, I would say.

I thought that chest was a winner.

-And closed bids, here, £30, I must.

-Yes!

35, is bid. 40 now. 45. 50, five. 60, five.

-70, five.

-Don't say, it Hanson.

90, five. 100, and 10. 120.

-It's 120, on my far right at £120.

-Jim, it's a massive profit!

-I'm selling at £120.

-Going, going...

-For the last time.

-Gone! Yes!

Superb, I'm back in business.

-That was a storming result.

-Wasn't that wonderful, eh?

-Well done.

-I'm back in business. You were right, it was a banker.

It may have been old and battered but it's music to Charles's ears.

It's James's Swedish vase next. Could it swing him into the lead?

Good luck, mate.

Interest here. Bids start me at 55, £60 is bid.

-My God!

-£60 is bid.

At £60, on commission. I'll sell at 60. It's against you in the room.

At £60, for the last time. All done.

Great, profit! Profit!

-You're flying.

-I've got to pay commission on that.

Can't grumble, eh? You're warming up, you're warming up.

Hold on, nine quid, I've made £1 profit out of that!

You're warming up. It was a profit, OK?

It's a small profit but it's not enough to put him in front.

Lot 265 is a large opaline glass light globe

being held up for you there.

£20 for it? £20 for this? At £20 anywhere?

-£10, then?

-He's got it.

-10 is bid.

-He's got it.

Maiden bid at 10. I'll sell at 10 if you're all done?

-Come on!

-At £10.

-Oh, come on! One more!

-At £10. All done.

-Oh, cheap.

-Oh dear, that was cheap, wasn't it?

It's your first loss, James. Keep strong, old man.

Next up, it's Charles's toolbox, the item that James is dreading.

This is the big one, James. Mr Dipper's chest.

-Big it up.

-Interest here. Bids start me at 90. £100 I have.

-Yes!

-110, 120, 130, 140. 150. 160.

-It's moving, it's moving, Jim!

-170, 180.

-It's moving! I'm cooking with gas!

-210, 220.

-220!

-It's £220, gentleman's bid on my right.

-With you, 220 and I'm selling.

-Cooking with gas, Jim!

-Last time at 220, if you're all done?

-It's 220!

-Last time.

-Oh, wonderful!

-It was.

-Oh, thanks, Jim. Hold on. Hold on.

Mirrors, signal, manoeuvre.

220! That was a biggie! I've been taken apart.

-I'm up and down, don't worry.

-220, eh? 220!

God! Can't believe it! I'm lost for words.

Well that's first, then!

Well done, Charles

and you should thank H Dipper for a magnificent profit.

-Well, the drinks are on you, chief.

-Yeah. Scrumpy all round, eh?

It all hinges on James's canteen of cutlery,

the item Charles was less than impressed with.

Interest here. I have to start at 90, 110, 120 is bid.

-£120 is bid.

-Unbelievable!

-At £120, and I'll sell.

It's an absentee bid at 120.

Selling on the book, get it you in the room at the last time at £120.

-Well played!

-Back in there!

-That is unbelievable!

-Well done!

-God!

-I needed that.

-Brilliant!

-I needed that to keep up with this young man.

-Get out of here!

-I did.

-Get out of here!

Great result, James,

but sadly it's not enough to beat the incredible results from Charles.

We both had a tremendous day, haven't we?

-We have had a tremendous day.

-I can't believe it.

-Let's go.

-Have you got the car keys on you?

-No.

-Why not? Where are they? James?

There you are, there you are, there are the keys. Go on!

The chaps started today's show with £200 each.

Charles has had a terrific auction, but who is the winner?

After paying auction costs, James made a small profit of £46.80

and has a reasonable £246.80 to carry forward.

Whizz kid Charlie Hanson, meanwhile, made a whopping profit

of £173.10, catapulting the young pretender into the lead.

Charles has a delicious £373.10 to start the next show.

-Which way, straight on? Yes?

-Yes, straight on.

-Gently!

-Steady, Charles!

Thankfully his antique buying is better than his driving.

Feel the brake. Nice opportunity for...

Don't change up too early. Can you feel the brake?

We need to stop now. That's it.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, James and Charles travel to Dorset.

James demonstrates he's a very patient man.

-Don't say sorry, just do it.

-Sorry.

-Don't say sorry!

-Sorry!

-Don't say sorry!

-I won't say it again! OK! OK!

And Charles is a very brave boy.

If you turn the handle...

-Will it hurt me or not?

-No. I promise it won't hurt you.

-Is it a trick?

-No.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd