Episode 1 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts, with ?200 each... I love that.

..a classic car, and a goal to scour Britain for antiques. Yippee.

It's a good job I like you. The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers. I'm getting wet!

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

How much did you make? About a couple of quid.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

It's the start of a brand-new road trip with a couple of

cheeky chappies and firm favourites of the antiques circuit.

Thomas Plant and Philip Serrell.

We're in the Northwest right now.

Not somewhere I've spent a great deal of time. We're in Lancashire.

Don't be fooled by baby-faced Thomas Plant.

He's got years of experience as both dealer and auctioneer,

although he's not afraid to call on his boyish charm when required.

Why the one?! Come on. Nice and easy for me.

Philip Serrell's warm charm matches his wise old owl-like wisdom.

Over 30 years in antiques have taught him never to take a challenge

lying down, especially from a young whippersnapper like Thomas.

The daftest, dangerous, most stupidest lot ever.

I'll give him a run for his money.

The route takes our intrepid road trippers

across land and sea, from Samlesbury in Lancashire

to the Isle of Man and back, down to the final destination in Greenwich,

almost 700 miles away.

But today's trip begins in Samlesbury

and ends up at auction in Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man.

Samlesbury lies in Lower Ribblesdale in Lancashire,

just six miles from Preston.

GROANS

Moo! Famous for its witch trials in 1612, today, it's a peaceful village.

Our experts are heading to Samlesbury Hall, the historic home

of the Southworth family, which, rather conveniently, also sells antiques.

Here we are. History, antiques, galleries. Oh, look at this.

That looks stunning. That's Tudor, isn't it?

Is that sort of 1480? 1480.

As Philip shops, Thomas will get the guided tour.

So you're going to keep all the bargains.

I'm going to trawl it through, pick it over. You can pick it over.

Just make sure there's nothing left for you at all.

Whilst Thomas goes for a nosy around the country pile,

Philip gets his shopping under way with a little help from manager Genevieve Donlon.

Oh, wow. This is a stunning building, isn't it?

It is, it's beautiful. This is the long gallery.

Because the hall lost all its furnishings, part of the reason

we sell antiques for people is this also furnishes the hall.

It is a good way of furnishing the place, isn't it? It is, yes.

That's a nice chair.

Leather tub chair by Garnett and Sons.

Garnett and Sons were cabinet and furniture makers of distinction,

based in Warrington at the turn of the 19th century,

producing some very desirable pieces. That's nice.

Isn't that a nice thing? And it's clearly been reupholstered.

You can see just there, look, that's where the original tacks would have been.

Let's just have a seat.

That's really nice. It's comfortable, isn't it? Yeah.

How much movement is there on your price? Not a lot of movement.

It is priced to sell. What were you thinking of?

I'd like to try and buy it for between 50 and 60 quid. No.

No. As I say, it is priced to sell.

If I went to 75, that's really pushing it. Is it?

OK. I'm going to buy that because I love that. It is a lovely piece.

I think it's a really, really nice chair. Thank you very much indeed.

You're welcome. Thank you.

As Philip seals the deal upstairs,

downstairs, Thomas has gone to visit the curator, Sharon Jones.

We were driving up and we were trying to date it. Can I have a go? Yes.

So we thought it was Tudor.

We thought it may be between 1480 and 1520. How wrong are we?

Well, you're quite right to a certain part of it.

This part was actually built in 1325.

Oh, right. OK. So that's the oldest bit.

That bit was the hall standing on its own.

Then we pan back over to this part of the hall, which was about 1490.

So you're absolutely spot on with that.

Then we built this bit in-between in 1535, so from there to there is 1535.

So are we going to go inside, and are you going to give me a grand tour?

Yeah, I'll walk you through the rooms and tell you what happened with the families here.

The hall has had many incarnations in its 700-year history.

It's been a pub, school, factory,

but it started out as the ancestral home of the Southworth family.

So, here we are in the parlour, which was built in 1535.

If you can read Latin, that's what it's going to tell you above the fireplace there.

Thomas South... Southworth, yes. Southworth.

That's the Southworth family.

This crest in the middle, that's the Southworth shield.

The family were staunch Catholics

during the time of the Reformation under Henry VIII,

when the Church of England broke away from the Catholic Church in Rome.

But the Southworths refused to change their religious beliefs,

which was just the start of their troubles.

There is a story of one of the ladies from our family,

a lady called Lady Dorothy Southworth,

fell in love with a local from Hoghton Tower, one of the de Hoghtons.

They were strong Protestant. We were very strong Roman Catholic.

They agreed to meet, they met here in the grounds,

Lady Dorothy's brothers found out about the meet

and they killed him and his two soldiers,

and they found skeletal remains in the grounds actually out here,

and they reburied them, they are still there, but they then sent

Lady Dorothy off to a nunnery in France, where she died of a broken heart.

Now, the tale is that we still see Lady Dorothy crossing the road.

Really?

So, the priest holes?

Yes. In the entrance hall

we've just walked through, there's a definite priest hole. Lead me on. Through here.

Priest holes were secret hiding places built in to many Catholic

houses during the time of the Reformation.

There's a priest hole actually in the fireplace over here.

They hid by the fires. Yes, they did. And you can sort of...

It's better if you sort of see it through there.

They've gone in and stood right at the back there.

I think I'm going to have to go. Do you mind?

Not at all, no. Right.

They were a bit smaller then, weren't they? Yes.

I don't think I'd be a very good priest. They were slightly smaller!

You think I'm a bit too big to be a priest?

Maybe not if you were imitating Friar Tuck. Oh, look who's coming.

Thomas, what are you doing? I'm pretending to be a Catholic priest.

If I could find some bricks, I'd brick you in there now.

I'm going to get out. Have you got the keys to the car? You're filthy now.

I've lost the keys. You've lost the keys. I've got them.

I put them in the priest hole. Have a good day. See you later.

I'm a bit out of breath! In and out of that priest hole.

Pleasure to meet you. And you too. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Having satisfied his ecclesiastical curiosity,

it's time for Thomas to defrock and get down to business.

It's shopping time.

What's that, then, Thomas? This is a silver pocket watch.

It's an open-faced example with Roman numerals. It is silver.

This chamber is not. This is plated.

Check to see if it's working...

Give it a quick shake, and it is ticking.

And you can see the second hand moving round.

Will he get any movement on the ?40 price tag? Tick-tock, Thomas.

Um...I could probably go to 35 on that.

Not as low as 28? Sorry, no.

So you couldn't go as low as 29? I couldn't, I'm afraid, no.

What could you do? 32?

Halfway. 30.

31. Why the one?

It just helps the client. Why the one? Why the one? Come on.

Nice and easy for me. Round figures. Round figures.

I'm only a simple man. Now, now, don't put yourself down, Tom.

That's my job. Would you do it for me? I will do it for you.

That's very sweet of you. You won't get into much trouble? Hopefully not.

?30. Thank you very much.

Having left Thomas to wheedle his way to a purchase, Philip

has driven on to his next location in Bretherton, 14 miles away.

Now, Bretherton is a small village in the borough of Chorley,

and Philip's next shop is a barn of a place called Old Corn Mill Antiques.

Run by Aiden Finn.

How are you doing, all right? I'm not so bad.

Big old place, this, isn't it? You've got stuff everywhere.

I want something that's not on show, I want some little hidden gem.

Hidden gems, right this way.

Something for all tastes, if you're prepared to roll your sleeves up and get your hands dirty.

Cast your eyes in this. Lordy, Lordy, what is all this stuff? History.

History. This is the past. Got the bells and whistles, this.

These fit on the back of a horse, I would think.

See, that's just falling apart. Age. I know just how it feels.

How much do you want for this lot? Probably a couple of hundred.

Old grumpy pants here has spotted an ancient-looking coach lamp.

What's that one there? That's a better one.

All I want to see is whether it's broken or not.

It's more perfect than the other one.

It's either perfect or it ain't - it ain't MORE perfect! But you're right, it is more perfect, isn't it?

We're not going to be talking... Well, I'M not.

..big sums of money here, cos you've got half a lot. Triple figures.

Yeah, ?1.57. Oh, cheer up, Philip.

Come on, let's go and have a look downstairs. Just like I told you.

There's something here for everyone,

not that I'm one to blow my own trumpet.

I would think it's probably a French horn,

and you would hold it like that, wouldn't you, and play like that.

The thing I like about it is it's got this London maker here, look.

And he's not done yet.

Aiden has something else he wants to show Philip.

You'd like see my tooling. Cheeky! Look at the work in that.

That's quite nice, isn't it? Beautiful.

You get a leather desk and you put gold leaf around the outside. Yep.

Old books, as well. And then this would have to be heated.

Then, you'd run that round there and this repeating...

It's almost like an acanthus border

would be put on, either on the book or the desk. Through the gold leaf.

Gold leaf embossing thing, isn't it?

There's only 95 quid on it.

You live in a dream world. Yeah, but it's a lovely dream.

How do you see it?

No, I've got to try and buy 'em for 40 quid. But you can say no.

50 quid. And I reckon you'll get more than that for that.

I'm going to give you 45 quid. And that's me finished.

Oh, you're a hard man. You're a gent.

It's a good job I like ya! Thank you very much!

But I wouldn't buy ya.

So, a big job lot of metalware, an antique tool and a carry-on,

all for ?45.

Philip really needs to develop a sense of humour - or lighten up.

Reunited, Philip and Thomas head off towards Liverpool,

but there's no stopping for shopping.

They're driving to the ferry terminal for their next journey leg.

Sea legs at the ready?

Our boys are off to the Isle of Man.

This beautiful island

is a self-governing British Crown dependency,

located in the Irish Sea, 32 miles long and 14 miles wide,

famous for kippers, Manx cats and the Isle of Man TT Races.

It's plenty big enough

for our boys to put their foot down and get back on the antiques trail.

After disembarking in the island's capital, Douglas,

our boys are heading to Peel.

Situated on the west coast, Peel has its very own castle,

built in 1392, and is believed to be the first place Christianity

was brought to the island by St Patrick, in 1226.

But enough of the history, Thomas and Philip are here to shop in the Arts Antiques Centre,

managed by Zoe Brindley. Hi, Zoe!

Hello! Morning! All right to have a look around? Certainly.

You go upstairs, I'll go down. Righty-ho, good luck, Thommo.

And you.

Got a nice little Chester pot here, 1906. I could do that for 20.

Is that the very...? It is the very best. OK.

Yeah. It's pretty. It's nice. Ladies like things like that, don't they?

Thomas is struggling to find anything at all.

I think that I'm definitely going to have that. If I could pay you.

Ooh, he's coming up the stairs. I'll put it in my pocket. Hold on.

We've got ten...20, there we are.

Spondulies changing hands. Thank you.

I'm going to walk round the harbour. You've been buying already. See if I can get you some kippers.

See you soon. Take care. Bye. What's he bought? I'm not telling you!

Can I look up here, please? Please do, yes. Thank you.

I'll leave you in peace. Just shout me, if I can help. Thank you very much.

Philip heads off to Moore's Kippers,

in search of a man who sells seafood on the seashore.

BELL CLANGS

Do you do kipper baps? We do kipper baps, yeah.

Two hot kipper baps would be lovely. No problem. Thank you very much.

Never one to miss an opportunity,

Philip's attention is momentarily diverted.

Are those scallop shells? They're scallop shells.

So that lot there and a lobster pot? How much would that lot be?

45 quid? Ouch!

Those shells and the lobster pot might make 20 quid... Yeah.

..so I've got to try and buy them for ten or 15 quid. Yeah.

Well, 15 quid, seeing it's you. Are you sure? You're a gentleman. I'll take 'em, thank you very much.

As Philip shells out - ha! -

it's Thomas that's left feeling that

he's been stitched up like the proverbial kipper.

Sorry I couldn't purchase anything. That's all right. Never mind. But Philip's bought off you, I saw him.

Thank you very much. Thanks for coming in. Pleasure.

Bye-bye. Having failed to buy anything, Thomas now has a small wind problem.

GUSTING

Just as well he's outside(!) Thomas, I got you lunch. What? Huh?

Lunch? Lunch! What have you got me? Nice baps.

No, I like a good pair of baps. What are these?

Behave! Kipper baps, that's what you asked for! Kipper baps? Nice!

Go on, then. What do they taste like? I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Really? Yeah.

GARBLED: They're very nice. Are they? Mmm.

Didn't your mother never tell you not to speak with your mouth full?

With time running out,

Thomas has hurried on to Jurby, on the north-west coast.

So far, Thomas has only bought one item, and he's still got ?170 to spend.

His last shop is a huge warehouse, Jurby Junk, run by Stella Pixton.

Hello, Stella.

Hello. Hello.

I'm Thomas. Oh, hello, Thomas.

What's your name? Stella.

And you've got lots of pussy cats.

Probably not a good time to mention Thomas's allergy to cats,

or attempt to get a bargain.

I have a little notice there, look.

Puss! "Do not ask to pay less. No reductions."

So, pussies aplenty and no haggling.

You can't comprehend it until you look at it.

Good luck, Thomas, I reckon you're going to need it, mate!

Oh, there's a bit of silver-wilver there.

Bits and bobs.

The cup, this one? Yes.

HE SNEEZES

Ah, cats one, Thomas zero.

Thomas has his eye on a silver George V presentation goblet.

We've got a cup here for Fairhaven Sailing Club Regatta, 1926,

won by John Kenniworthy, priced at 30.

Can I have a look at the religious plaque there?

Oh, yes, a nice little one. I love religious things.

The icon is brass and silver plate,

and features the Madonna and child, keenly priced at ?15.

I love that. It is rather nice.

Oh, I like that, it's a really sweet thing.

OK.

Oh, cup, there at the bottom. The twin handled one.

This is a race, for Concours d'Excellence, Bexhill, 1934.

It's another George V silver trophy, with motor racing interest,

priced at ?20.

One last thing,

there's a little pounce pot, or pepper pot on there. Thanks.

I see a theme developing.

This time Thomas has gone for George IV.

The silver pepper pot is dated 1824 and is marked up at ?15.

So, let's cut to the chase.

I know I read your notice, which is fine,

so that's ?30 for those two.

That's ?30. 60.

And that's 20. 80.

Yes. I'll take that off your hands.

That didn't take long at all, and not a haggle in sight.

He's even managed to avoid the cats. Well, almost.

Hello, there's a pussy cat here. Oh, dearie me. Hello.

Right.

And for your respecting my no haggling. Yes.

I can give you a few things you could sell in auction.

Not solid stuff, but connected with my father,

who was a pioneer aviator.

I've got information sheets here,

which will give quite a lot of history about Father.

Looks like a series of first-day covers,

postage stamps on cards or envelopes,

franked with the first date of issue.

"The man who put Britain in the lead for the first time

"in aviation history by winning the Schneider Trophy, 1914."

Very collectable. If they're going for nothing,

then Thomas has nothing to lose.

So if it's all right, I'll take an example of them.

Take more if you wish.

I think six is enough.

Thank you very much. OK.

It is an honour to meet you, and know your father was so important. Yes.

Can I give you that? Yes, please. Is that all right? ?80.

Nice to meet you and your cats and everything here.

It's wonderful. Thank you. Bless you. Bye-bye.

Goodbye! God bless. Thank you.

With all the shopping and sneezing complete...

HE SNEEZES ..time to recap on what our boys have bought.

Thomas began this first leg of the road trip with ?200 and spent ?110 on five lots.

His prized buys are a silver plate religious icon paired with a George IV silver pepper pot,

a George V presentation trophy,

a set of Howard Pixton covers, a silver watch and chain and a George V silver goblet.

Philip also started with ?200 and also bought five lots,

costing ?155. He bought a book binder's tool, a job lot of metalware,

a 19th-century chair, a dressing table box

and a basket full of scallop shells.

And a lobster pot, as you do.

Having seen each other's items, what do they really think?

Fantastic. Eclectic. Wonderful.

I really like the book binding tool, good profit in that, and shells

and lobsters, I wouldn't expect anything else.

He has put all his eggs in one basket.

I like that. That will do quite well.

And the other will do OK just on melt value alone.

So it's game on.

Fighting talk.

Just a few short miles to the auction in the capital.

Our experts are going head-to-head at Murray's Auction House.

It's 7.00. Any self-respecting antiquarian would be in the pub.

Where are we? In an auction. What is going on?

Auction first, boys,

and we kick off with Philip's gold leaf embossing tool.

But will it leave him with a good mark-up?

I feel a bit anxious. ?80. No. Profit.

No, no, no, no.

?50 for it. ?50. Interesting walnut handle on it. ?50.

?50. Ten for a start.

Ten I'm bid. 15, 20, 5,

30, 5, 40,

5, 50?

There you are, ?50.

?45. Good for the leather on the tops of desks as well.

Not just books.

45. 50? Want to try one more?

45. Are you sure?

Last look, at 45, a lucky gentleman over there.

A great start for Philip, and a healthy profit.

That's very good.

Let me tell you, that's not VERY good -

that's like world-record result today, mate.

First up for Thomas, it's the silver-plated religious icon

and the George IV silver pepperpot.

30 for a start for the silver pepperpot and the icon.

?30. 30. 35, I'll take.

For nothing. 35. 40. 5. 50.

45 behind me.

45 behind me and I'm going to sell it at 45. ?45.

You're not taking this seriously, are you?

No, but the thing is, whatever way I look at it, it is a profit.

Oh, that'll do, then.

Another profit, which means they're both off to a good start.

128!

Here we go, here we go.

Philip's job lot of metalware is up next -

a selection of horse passes, bells, coach lamp and a French horn.

Let's see if it was worth getting his hands dirty for.

At ?50 for the horse tack, ?50. 60 I'd like.

At ?50. 60.

70. ?80. Dead ahead at ?80.

?80. 325.

Brilliant. It's good, isn't it? Actually, that's all right.

Which just goes to show...

NORTHERN ENGLISH ACCENT: Where there's muck, there's brass.

And puts Philip in a clear lead.

Thomas is continuing his silver streak with the George V

presentation trophy.

Let's see if it can win him any prizes. ?100 for it. 50 for a start.

?50 for it. 50 at the back. 60 I'd like.

Five if it'll help you.

At ?50, at the back. At 50. ?50.

Thomas's trophy rewards him with yet another tasty profit.

Let's see if he can keep it up.

Surely he can't go wrong with the Howard Pixton first day covers,

which didn't cost him a penny.

?50. Interesting little lot.

?50. Ten for a start.

I've got ?10 bid.

Ten, yes? 15 I want.

A rare little lot. 15, 20.

5, 30?

25 on the left at ?25. ?25. 30 if you want.

35?

?30 here. At 30, on the phone now at ?30. Any more?

?30 they go, last look.

If something costs you nothing, you are on a 100% winner.

Well, that remains to be seen.

But it certainly closes the gap between them.

Only a fiver in it now. Philip's not sitting pretty yet,

but he might well be after the sale of his 19th-century tub chair.

?100 for it.

?100. 50 for a start. Good, solid chair. ?50.

30 I'm bid, thank you. ?30. At 30. 40 I want.

At 30. Creeping up slowly.

40. 50. 60. 70? 80. There you are.

90?

?80. On the phone at ?80. 5?

90.

?85. By the coffer, at 85. Any more at 85?

85. Last look at ?85.

Not exactly a tub-thumping success, but a ?10 profit

means he strengthens his lead.

What's next?

It's your watch. My pocket watch.

Oh, dear - that's a bit of trouble.

BOTH: # There may be trouble ahead... #

Time to see if Thomas can catch up

with the silver pocket fob watch and chain.

Who'll bid me ?50 for the silver pocket watch?

20 for a start, then.

Go on. 20. 20 I'm bid.

30.

?20 here. ?20. Last time I buy a watch, then.

Just when every second counts, he makes a loss.

Bad luck, Thomas, old fruit.

More silver now. No, not for Thomas, for a change.

It's Philip's pretty little dressing table box.

?30. Make a nice little present. Make a lovely pressie.

If he's asking for 30, I'll get ten.

Silver top. Ten for a start.

Ten. 15, a present for the lady.

Sea of hands?

Sea of hands everywhere, always.

30. There you are. 30. 5?

?30 behind you, now. Are you sure?

35? ?30... Any more?

Do you know, that's not too bad, is it? Oh, come on.

It is 33%, isn't it? It's a good margin.

Perhaps not the great profit he was expecting there, but ?10 is ?10.

A little ?10 here and a little ?10 there.

It's all still to play for, with Thomas's final item,

the George V silver goblet.

I've got 50 bid on it, the presentation goblet.

?50. 60.

60, 70. 60 at the back. 70 I want.

At ?60. Ooh, God.

At 60. ?60. Pen, please.

1668.

A toast to Thomas, then, as he doubles his money on the goblet.

Philip's final item is the basket of scallop shells, and lobster pot.

You never know, stranger things have happened at sea. There we are.

?10 for it. Interior designer stuff. Here we are. 10. 15 I'd like. 15.

20. 5. 30. 25.

You'll be sorry to miss this. 20.

You'll be kicking yourself if you don't bid 30. ?25.

30. 5.

?35. Any more at 35? Last look, 35.

So Philip makes a mint on the molluscs,

but is it enough to take the first victory?

Very, very, very...

Work that out, Tombo, because I've got no idea where we are.

Allow me.

Thomas started the show with ?200, and after auction costs

has increased his spending power to ?258.10,

going through to the next round.

Philip also started with ?200, and after auction costs

he just pips Thomas to the winning post with ?270.50.

Close enough.

That was all right, wasn't it? That was very good. Little skip.

It's still daylight, as well, look.

I know, but we're not used to this, really.

I know. We're so far up north, we're almost in Scotland.

"Oop" north. Oop north.

Right. Where to now, then? Well, I need a drink, actually. Mainland.

Now, Phil, do you mind me driving? No, no, no. But if we could stop...

There's a peaked cap shop down here. I would like to get you one.

Drive on.

Meow!

With just ?12.40 in it, it's neck-and-neck

as they get back onto the open road.

Bye! Bye!

This whole road trip takes our boys from Samlesbury in Lancashire

over the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man, then south to

nautical Greenwich, an epic journey of almost 700 miles.

On this leg, they'll begin in the ancient city of York,

ending up at auction in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Ooh, aye.

Founded by the Romans in 71 AD, the walled city of York

has seen more than a little triumph and tragedy in its two millennia.

Oh, there's the Minster.

They're parking up next to York landmark Clifford's Tower,

and heading their separate ways.

You have a great one.

Philip's on his way to his first shop, with ?270.50 to play with.

I've never, ever been to York before.

I've got no idea what to expect, so I think the best plan is no plan.

Fair enough, Phil.

But it's beginning to look as if you're just ambling about aimlessly.

Finally, Philip has managed to wander to his first shop,

the Red House Antiques Centre,

where he's meeting assistant manager Andy.

Good to see you. Is it all right to have a look round?

Yes, help yourself.

Planned or not, Philip has seen something that might just

strike the right note.

Can I have a look at that? You certainly can.

That beastie there, please.

It's a portable music stand, dating from the Victorian era.

Ticket price is ?38.

Oh, here we go. So that goes...there.

Are you having trouble with that, Phil?

That goes there, like that.

Shall we take that as a possible? Can we put that on the counter?

The stand belongs to a dealer who rents cabinet space in the shop.

Andy's going to give him a ring

to see what his rock bottom price might be.

In your cabinet, you've got a nice little folding music stand.

Thanks a lot, sorry to bother you. Cheers now, bye-bye.

You know when things don't go very well? We do, Andy.

The dealer isn't keen to budge much on the ticket price,

but the tireless Philip has decided to try negotiating

with the shop instead, who might be able to tweak

the price down a little by waiving their commission on the sale.

Stuart, also an assistant manager, might be able to help.

Let's make an executive decision. I'll give you 30 quid for it.

Is that done? Good man. Thank you very much, thank you.

Very reasonable.

First buy in the bag and Philip's off to his next shop, Banana Warehouse.

With the help of dealers David and young Warren,

let's see if he can "exterminate" the competition.

How much is that? That, unfortunately, is not for sale.

It was made by primary school children and we hire it out.

What a shame. I would have loved to see you try to get it into the car.

Could I have a look at the cricket bat, please?

Philip's eyeballed a sporting item, which might give him a good innings.

It's a miniature cricket bat, bearing the facsimile signatures

of legendary cricketers of the mid-20th century.

It's got some great names on here, look. Rhodes, Tom Goddard,

Compton.

Ticket price is ?30. Warren's going to phone the dealer who owns it.

If you could, that would be fantastic.

And I'll continue to have a look round.

He says you can have that for 15. That's an absolute deal. OK.

That's on. Hang onto that, then. What should I be looking at?

It depends what your taste is, what you want.

Taste? Have you seen this programme? I haven't got any taste.

Well, you do always buy something different.

You're very tactful, Warren.

What about that little mangle? Want me to get it down?

It's a child's toy mangle. On the ticket, ?25.

How much does he say on this one?

He says he'll do you a favour and go for a tenner.

It's worth a hell of a lot more. I like that, yeah. OK, put that with

the cricket bat and we're getting a bit of a parcel here, aren't we?

Philip's decided to combine the toy mangle

and the miniature cricket bat into a job lot.

But he's still browsing on.

He's found a basket of antique legal documents.

These are just indentures that date back, but they're not that old.

That one's 1900.

Basically, they're like mortgage deeds for parcels of land.

One of them mentions the Duke of Westminster.

Ticket price for the two documents that Philip has

selected from the pile is ?10.

Warren, could I put these with my little parcel?

So far, we've got a mangle, we've got those two,

and we've got a cricket bat, haven't we? Yes.

We're getting there, we're getting there.

And there's yet another thing he's spotted.

Better fetch the stepladder, young Warren.

There's a whisky barrel up there, I wouldn't mind having a look at that.

I don't know how old it is.

He's adding the 19th-century ceramic barrel to the reserve pile.

It says ?30 on the ticket.

Right, I need to see about some prices, don't I?

With a veritable bundle of potential buys on the table,

it's time for Philip to get haggling.

Combined ticket price of all the items is ?95. Let's see.

15 for that, and ten for that, so that's 25.

Fiver for those two and a tenner for that, is how I'm valuing them.

Yeah.

He gets a lot for a bargain ?40.

Thank you very much, Warren. You're welcome.

And with that, he's off to wander the winding streets

of York once more.

Thomas, meanwhile, is hanging out

with some jolly, colourful characters.

# She is handsome, she is pretty She is the belle of Belfast city

Come on, man. Enough busking, you've still got ?258.10 to spend.

Whoops.

Hello, I'm Thomas. Hello, Thomas - Phil.

Phil, nice to meet you. CJ. CJ. So, how does it all work?

If you don't know how a shop works, Thomas,

this is going to be a very long day.

You find something, you pay us lots of money.

Thank you, Phil.

If I'm not careful, I'm just going to be buying shiny things.

And, as if by magic...

They look all right.

God, look at that colour in there.

George II candlesticks.

15 quid. Nothing for something, you know, 1720.

And there's something else in the cabinet.

And the Archimedes drill?

That Archimedes drill is named, oddly enough,

after the ancient Greek genius Archimedes,

who had a screw.

They're a very useful tool, you can use them nowadays.

The drill bit goes in there.

It's supposed to spin.

I really like it. OK.

What can that be?

Ah... Really, you know?

?18. ?18. Well, that's not bad, is it?

I've seen something else I quite like of yours, as well.

Ah, pair of candlesticks.

Yeah, I like them.

Been polished within an inch of their lives, though. Of course.

What deal could Thomas strike on the candlesticks?

Ten, ten, how does ten sound? Ten? And then the Archimedes drill?

We say we agreed on 18.

18.

Can I make you an offer? You can make us an offer.

Can I buy this for 25?

Yeah, I think we can do that. Is that all right?

That's fine by me.

Thomas is having a final browse around

but look who's arrived.

What are you doing down here?

Well, I have actually bought some incredible items. Have you?

Incredibly bad items.

Ah. Yeah, I think we're doomed.

No, you're not doomed. Absolutely doomed.

That's the spirit, Philip.

He's going to have a browse.

I'm going to see how much a box of hats is.

Jolly good. Ticket price is ?50.

Martin, these your hats?

I don't know how many's in there, I haven't counted them.

20 quid and that's you. Done. There you are.

A buy from camera-shy dealer Martin's disembodied hand.

And look, there's his hand.

I just bought 20 quid's worth of ridiculous hats.

Why? I don't know.

Ha-ha. It's time our hapless duo were getting back on the road.

I haven't got a clue where we are.

As usual. They're driving, actually, towards Cawthorne, South Yorkshire.

Just west of Barnsley,

Cawthorne is a friendly place. Mornin'.

That's a lovely horse.

Thomas has dropped Philip off in the village.

Have a good time, matey.

And he's heading into his next shop of the day,

where he's meeting dealer Karen.

And not for the first time, apparently.

Hello. Morning, Morning, again. Lovely to meet you again.

Thank you very much for having me back. My pleasure.

Thomas visited this shop on a previous road trip.

How's he feeling about his prospects?

Open mind, have a look, get on with it.

Well, it's a plan of sorts, I suppose.

(And don't panic.)

Now he's dug up something that might just turn a profit, look.

I think that's for cutting silage.

Hay, yeah, fermented hay.

Or peat.

It's priced up at ?29.

He's taking it downstairs, where he's spied something else.

I like that little car.

The Jetex! The Jetex car.

That's great fun.

Jetex was a mid-20th-century manufacturer of model vehicles,

which were powered by a miniature rocket motor. Ticket price is ?25.

I like old toys. They bring back a real nostalgia to people.

Karen will open the cabinet for him. It's the toy.

I have to say... HE LAUGHS

..the box is in pretty poor state.

But it's a great fun thing.

And while the cabinet's open, something else has taken his fancy.

That is quite cool.

It's a piece of trench art -

a brass serviceman's cap made from an artillery shell.

It may have been crafted by a soldier serving during World War I.

On the ticket - ?20.

That's more unusual. I haven't seen one like that before. I've never seen that before.

We'll ask about that, as well. Yeah.

Karen will phone the dealer who owns the toy car

and brass cap to see what sort of deal might be struck.

You've got 25 on the car and 20 on the cap.

Thomas is asking, can you do 30? 30, 30.

That's lovely, Richard. Thank you very much, love.

What does he say? Yes, he'll do 30. Oh, great.

Oh, and then the hay cutter? Yeah?

What can that be? He wouldn't do it for 20, would he? It's got 29 on it.

I think he probably would, yeah.

I think I'm going to go for all three. Lovely.

Lovely! Deal done.

I give you ?50. That will be lovely.

Thanks very much. Thank you very much. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

Having already accumulated an array of items,

Philip is keen to learn a little more about the local area

and has wandered off to the Cawthorne Victoria Jubilee Museum.

He's meeting museum president Barry.

Hi, I'm Philip. Hello, I'm Barry Jackson. Barry, how are you?

The museum was founded in the late 1800s by the village's vicar,

who rejoiced in the name of Charles Tiplady Pratt

and whose private store of fascinating objects

formed the beginnings of the collection we see today.

You've got an eclectic mix of, like,

everything from everywhere, haven't you? Yes.

We've been called the Victorian hodgepodge before now. PHILIP LAUGHS

Ha-ha! The museum building was built by Pre-Raphaelite painter

John Roddam Spencer Stanhope and his brother, Sir Walter.

They supported the reverend in his mission

to allow the Cawthorne people access to the collection

in the noble name of self-education.

Barry's taking Philip to see a particularly hair-raising item.

And what's that? Is that a telephone exchange or something?

No, it's a hair perming machine. You what?

For perming hair.

The hair was rolled up and then put into these,

which were electrically heated.

Where would this have dated from?

Oh, 1930?

And this is an English device?

Yes, there's somebody using it there.

Let's have a look, then.

So this...? Oh, my word!

Well, that's a chap!

I tell you what, that to me looks like an absolutely evil device.

Round the corner,

there's something that's much more to Philip's taste.

Barry, this is incredible, because this is such a barmy place.

You go from hair-perming machines to William De Morgan,

who was one of the most iconic potters,

designers of the 19th century.

Donations given to the museum

through Spencer Stanhope's glamorous connections

included items from the writer and critic John Ruskin

and these wonderful late Victorian ceramics by De Morgan.

William De Morgan was a real exponent of

the Pre-Raphaelite movement, wasn't he, in terms of design? Yes, yes.

And his pots are so sought after. Yeah.

This is just the most amazing place, isn't it?

In this room, there's something a bit more playful.

Now, that's knurr and spell, isn't it? Yes.

I know what that is, because I read a book once.

Just the one, Philip?

It struck me as being quite the most bizarre game. Can I touch it? Yes.

Hmm. This traditional game was popular in the North of England

in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Fires the ball up in the air. And then you hit it.

And then you stand there and whack it, don't you? Yeah.

I've got a real favour to ask. Yes, we... Can I have a go? You can.

So Barry's game! Let's take it outside.

Well, I'm not going until I hit one.

Well, we might be here for a while, then!

You ready for this?

Oh, BLEEP!

You ready?

Oh, BLEEP! I've lost me... Is it me knurr or me spell?

Which is which? I've forgotten.

I'm going to hit one of these. Stand back.

Ready?

# Hit me with your rhythm stick... # Did you see that? Very good.

Success! But now Philip's getting cocky.

Watch out for that car.

HE LAUGHS BLEEP!

Sorry.

I think I better hand you this back, Barry,

before I do some damage somewhere or other.

You all right? Yeah. If you're quite finished causing mayhem,

it's time to get back on the road.

They're driving about 30 miles south to Harworth, Nottinghamshire.

Once a busy colliery town, Harworth is also home to one of Britain's

sporting greats - the post-war road racing cyclist Tom Simpson.

They're aiming for Harrison Antiques,

where they're meeting the charming Christine.

I'm Thomas. Pleased to meet you. Philip. This is Philip.

The boys are splitting up

and heading into two different retail units that Christine owns.

Obviously, this is where all the furniture and ceramics are.

Oh, brilliant.

And before long Thomas has something in his sights.

Ooh, ooh, can I have a look at something in this cabinet?

Thomas has a strategy. He's going to try to find militaria

and automotive items to combine into two job lots with the toy car

and a piece of trench art he's already bought.

Do you have any more sort of militaria things?

He's spotted some medals and a World War II range finder

that fit in with his military theme, and a vintage pendant

from the Le Mans sports car race that suits his motoring one.

What's that got to be? And that as well?

And there was no price on this.

Er, right. The Le Mans sort of... The Le Mans, yeah.

We'll get a price and come back to you on that. Thank you.

Right, I can do all three for 35. Oh, brilliant! That's definitely...

Can we put that aside while I look upstairs? Certainly.

With those items reserved,

he's unearthed something completely different.

You know what this is? I don't, no.

You put a cartridge in there... and this goes in the ground.

I think it goes in the field. Moles? But is it for moles?

It's a 19th-century device for frightening moles away.

Scary, if you're a mole.

He's interested, but before he can make an offer... That's my car!

..the heavens have opened outside and there's no cover on the car.

Uh-oh! Oh, I'm getting wet!

This is a bit of a case of bolting the stable door...

..once the horse has bolted.

It never rains, but it pours.

Ee-up, old chap.

Where's Philip in all of this? Huh?

"Oh, TP will do it! Don't worry!"

I give up. HE LAUGHS

Oh, dear.

I'm going to go upstairs.

You do that, then, Thomas.

Meanwhile, Philip is next door with dealer Roger

and he's dry, for the moment,

though he's spotted something that might just change all that.

How much is that? The canoe? Yeah. It's ?180.

What's the death on that, then?

The death on the canoe? Yeah. It could be 150.

I've got to try and buy it, if I can, somewhere just below the 100 mark.

Is that possible, do you think? I can't do it that well. All right.

We don't mind an offer, we don't like insults.

I like that, can I use that? You can use that, yeah.

Haven't got copyright, have you? LAUGHTER

Can I have a look at it? Can we get it down?

We can lift it down, yeah. So it's got these two paddles? Yeah.

You lift your bit down, then.

Are you ready? I'm ready.

And while Roger's in his compromised position...

I'll tell you what, don't go any further.

Bloody hell, I'm coming off here!

I'll give you 120 quid for it, seen like this now.

Done deal? Done deal. You're on.

Let's put it back before we break something. Fantastic!

Hey, and you, Philip, are shameless.

Haggling with a man while he's got a boat above his head?

Come on, let me shake you by the hand. I'd better pay you, haven't I?

Yeah, money, money. There we are, ?120.

Next door, it seems that

even a good soaking can't dampen Thomas's spirits.

He's like a whirlwind and seems to be pursuing

the opposite strategy to the one-item Philip.

Oh, they've got loads of stuff up here. Toys!

He's bouncing along with his plan to assemble

two job lots themed around militaria and cars.

He's dug out an Egyptian military arm-wrestling trophy. Ha!

And a 1950s Royal Engineers plaque. Eclectic, eh?

There is method to my madness, I promise.

And he's found another piece of trench art,

modelled from wartime detritus. A paper knife.

And... Oh, no, something else! I saw the Schuco car.

Similar sort of age, 1950s, I think.

Made in US Germany, yeah, so the Schuco toy

to go with that Le Mans thing. And another one.

I'm starting to think you're a shopaholic, Thomas.

Oh, I've got to have that. Racing cars.

And finally, a bag of buttons. Phew!

Now, none of the pile of items Thomas has found

has been priced up yet, so he's going to have

to keep his wits about him when he speaks to Christine.

He's already been offered a deal of ?35 for the Le Mans pendant,

medals and rangefinder, but what can she offer for the rest?

So, if we say...25?

Can I offer you 50 for the lot?

Go on, then.

Yeah. Yeah? Yeah, I'll do that.

?50? Yeah. 50 nicker for the lot. Lovely. Thank you very much.

Terrific! He gets a deal of ?50 for the - gasp! -

medals, pendant, rangefinder, toy car, trophy and plaque,

paper knife, tin and buttons. Phew!

But he's just remembered something.

There was one thing I saw and I forgot to buy.

The mole scarer!

Now, I was, I forgot...

That thing over there, how much is that?

That one? Let's have a look. Can we just sort of throw that in?

?10. Is it? It's a tenner, is it?

Could that be...a fiver?

Well, seeing as it's you, and seeing as you've had to

stand in that rain putting that hood up, I'll do it for a fiver.

A fiver, right, OK, let's see if I've got a fiver kicking about.

Done! I'm exhausted just watching you.

A fiver. Cheers, thank you very much. Thank you very much.

And, with that, all the shopping is done for the second leg

and it's time to refresh our memories

on how our boys spent their dosh.

Thomas Plant started this leg with ?258.10.

He spent ?127 exactly on five lots.

He bought an Archimedes drill,

a job lot of automobilia,

a pair of Georgian candlesticks,

a job lot of militaria

and, finally, the mole scarer,

paired with a rustic spade. As you do(!) Dear, oh, dear.

Philip Serrell began this leg with ?270.50.

He spent ?210 and also has five lots to show for it.

He bought a porcelain whiskey barrel,

a Victorian music stand and indentures,

a toy bat and mangle,

a selection of hats

and, for the big finish, a canoe!

Oh, Lordy! No paddle!

Having spied the buys,

what do Thomas and Philip think of each other's purchases?

I think Thomas has done really well with his lots,

I love that bit of auto memorabilia he's put together.

That Schuco car and the Le Man pennant - they should do really well.

So, you know, he could be up there with me.

It's all about Philip's boat, it's all about the canoe.

?120 paid, that's a lot of money

for old Phil to spend on one single object.

The other great thing is the folding music stand,

that's really very nice.

But, at the end of the day, it's all about Philip's boat.

Our intrepid pair began in York

and have wandered through the land of the White Rose

to end up at their auction in Rotherham

as they head for Paul Beighton Auctioneers...

Here we are.

..where Jody Beighton will be wielding the gavel.

First up is Thomas' Archimedes drill -

what can it SCREW out of the punters?

We start at the bottom estimate - ?10.

Ten! No.

Interesting item. Five, if you like. ?5. Five I'm bid.

Take six, any advance?

Maiden bid, then, is at five. No further interest.

At ?5, then. All done and sure?

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

Hm, a disappointing first lot.

Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

He's like a pickpocket just taking a tenner out of your pocket.

Now one for Philip.

His whisky barrel. Hic!

Any interest at five?

We're away at ?5, six at the back, eight, ten,

12. 14.

It's against you. 16, 18, at 16 down the front, 18 we're looking for.

Any advance? ?16 then, here to sell.

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

They're unsaleable, aren't they. He's just swum the Channel with that.

Philip seemed puzzled at his own success.

But it reaps a modest reward.

You have made a profit. Yeah.

Next, Thomas' job lot of automobilia.

Will it race away?

Start us at ?20, I'll take 25.

25. 30, 5, 40, I'm out, 5.

50, 5.

I said I'd give you 50 quid for it. You did.

That's all right. Yeah.

It's better than all right, Thomas! You've doubled your money!

Now, Philip's combined lot of Victorian music stand

and indentures.

Ten to start. Two indentures there.

10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, two.

You're fine. Speedy bidding. Speedy bidding.

Any advance now? 22, 24? At 22 now.

22. That's just been given away.

?22. All done and selling at 22.

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

Oh, crumbs. Another loss for Philip.

I don't think there are many travelling musicians around Rotherham.

Still, chin up - Thomas has another chance to light up the room

with his pair of Georgian candlesticks.

Ten, then, if you like. 12, 14, 16.

18, 20. One more, sir? Go on!

At ?18. 20 in the doorway. 20, 22, 24,

26, 28. At 26 and away.

Another win for Thomas, great.

The candlesticks perform as predicted

and it's a respectable profit.

So far, Philip's on a bit of a sticky wicket.

Can the toy bat and mangle squeeze a needed profit from the crowd?

16 straight in. 18, 20, two, 24.

26 now elsewhere.

Bid's at ?24 in the seats.

Take 26, any advance? At ?24 and selling...

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

Another small loss. He's down at but not out.

Oh, dear. Would you mind not saying that with such a smile on your face?!

I do like your evil side, Thomas!

Thomas has a chance to widen his lead with this rustic spade

and mole scarer, as you do.

?30, 20.

Ten, if you wish. Let's crack on. Ten I'm bid, take 12.

Two items there. I'm bid at ?10, looking for 12. No.

14, 16, 18, 20. 22, 24.

26.

28, it's got a second wind.

At 26. 26 - go on! 26 and done.

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

Looks like the only thing it scared away was bidders.

There are occasions on a Sunday morning when you get up and think,

"I should have stopped in bed." "Should've stayed in bed."

I think this is one of them.

Philip badly needs a winner.

Will his hats prove he has a head for this game?

16 we're looking for. 16, 18, 20, 25?

There we are, 30. Profit.

50, 55.

Brilliant, you see?

55 we're looking for. Any advance? At ?50, all done and sure?

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

You must be pleased. I am, but I'm so anxious about this boat.

But hats off, Philip, that was an astute buy.

I'm really anxious about it. I have never seen you so anxious.

I am, I could go and do 70 quid. Don't be ridiculous. You'll be fine.

Now, the second of Thomas's big job lots.

Will his militaria charge to victory?

40, 30?

20, let's get on.

Thank you, take 25.

Oh, dear, all that work.

22, 24, 26, 28, 30.

No. It's not got the legs.

?35. 40 with you. We're under estimate there at ?35.

Disappointing. 40, will you? At 35 and away.

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

That's bad news.

Sadly, it's a big loss for a big lot.

He's in trouble if Philip's canoe doesn't sink.

That's a hideous loss.

Philip's canoe is up last. Can he paddle to victory?

50, somebody start me. Start where you like - it's here to sell.

50, we're in. 60 we're looking for. Any advance?

I'm bid ?50, back of the room. Told you 50.

Any advance at all?

Looking for 60. It's at ?50. Seems cheap.

Yeah. I did tell you 50 quid, didn't I?

HE BANGS THE GAVEL

And he's up the creek without the proverbial. Bad luck.

What are we going to do now?

I tell you what I'm not going to do -

I'm not going to buy any more canoes.

That's sensible.

Philip started this leg with ?270.50.

After paying auction costs, he made a stinging loss of ?77.16,

giving him a disappointing ?193.34 to carry forward.

While Thomas started with ?258.10,

he lost a comparatively modest ?10.52,

giving him ?247.54 to carry forward,

and making him the de facto winner of this ill-starred auction.

Why are you looking so forlorn? That wasn't good, that.

You were doing all right until that canoe happened.

I think the people of Rotherham aren't quite ready for canoes. No.

Cheer up, chaps.