Episode 2 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 is a good job that 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...

Oh, 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.

Yeah!

On this road trip, a pair of duelling devils are vying for England's heartlands.

Young Thomas Plant runs a Berkshire sale room with his cheery energy

and a magpie eye...

Shiny, shiny and...oh, more shiny.

..while Philip Serrell, an auctioneer from Worcestershire,

has a quick wit and a very sunny outlook.

I don't know what's happening, really.

My life needs to take a new direction.

They both started this road trip with a cool ?200.

Though he lost a little lolly on the last leg,

Thomas has still managed to accumulate ?247.54 in total.

While the privations of the last time have left Philip

in the poorhouse with only ?193.34 to his name.

It was the rash purchase of a large canoe that did him in.

I'm still emotionally destroyed after the canoe saga.

Don't talk about it!

I think I was scuttled!

Just call me Bismarck from now on! All right, Bizzy!

This whole road trip takes our boys from Samlesbury in Lancashire

over the waves to the Isle of Man

and then south to Greenwich in London,

a heroic journey of almost 700 miles.

Today they begin in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire

and cruise through the Peak District

and the East Midlands before ending up at their auction in Leicester.

Sheffield is, of course, Steel City -

famed for its long association with the metal, but it also has one or two surprises in store.

And if there isn't enough to worry about,

it looks like the car's conked out too.

MOTOR STRUGGLES TO START

That is gone, isn't it? It's dead, finished, kaput.

Thomas, what we'll do, we'll call a cab. All right, OK.

Here we are. Here we are.

You are a gentleman, sir.

Thomas.

Oh, this is much better, isn't it?

Don't worry, lads, a local garage will pick up the car.

What's your name? My name is Gill.

What are you doing for the next couple of weeks, Gill?!

I'll pay the man, don't worry. I'll pay him. Thank you.

You have got more money than me.

Finally, they've arrived at their first shop,

Dronfield Antiques where dealer Howard presides.

Howard, I'm Thomas. Thomas, hi.

Hi, Philip. Hi.

I'm sorry we're a bit full in here, but it's always like this.

Howard's shop is, indeed, stuffed to the gunnels with items.

But while mountaineering over the acres of stock,

Thomas has spied something.

Oh, my giddy aunt!

I've seen some scales. They might be a bit big.

They're railway ones, I reckon. Railway scales.

I mean, the whole thing weighs a ton.

These heavy duty scales were made by W T Avery of Birmingham,

a manufacturer of weighing scales founded in the 18th century.

What you know about these?

Um, well, I would have thought they were late Victorian probably.

They've been there a while actually.

What have you got on them? I think they're on at about 65, I think.

50 quid to buy them. OK, OK.

But before long, he's trying to haggle Howard down.

Can we do anything on the price?

How much less? Well...

About a fiver less might do it.

Well, I was thinking maybe a tenner less.

I would like to pay ?40 for them if you are happy with that.

I'll take your ?40, yes. Really? Yes.

Right. You're a very kind man.

My pleasure. Hopefully, they'll be all right.

And I hope they'll be an earner.

So do we, Howard. So do we.

Thank you very much.

Philip hasn't found anything in Howard's shop

so he's wandered off, just down the road, to Swifties,

a yard that deals mainly in roofing and architectural salvage.

This kind of place is right up Philip's street.

Luckily, Tracy's on hand to give him a friendly welcome.

Oh, stop it, Tracy. You'll make the dog blush.

Can Tracy and her doggy assistant, Molly,

help to salvage Philip's chances in this game?

That's nice, isn't it?

You can see cool things here.

I like that, there.

I wonder how much that is. It looks like a pedestal.

I can't really see, that's the trouble. I'll have to find Tracy.

It's a solid marble pedestal or plinth. It's priced up at ?50.

You could put a bird bath on there.

You could put a sundial on there.

You could put a plant on there. That's what I love about you, Trace!

You've got some vision.

What could you do that for me? 50.

Oh, behave, Trace! Go and have another look at it!

Blooming ruined, that is. ?40.

I'm daft enough to want to buy that.

I'll give you 30 quid for it, sold as seen.

Go on, then. You're an angel.

Now, Philip, how on earth are you planning to get that...?

Oh, I see.

Whoops, carefully now. Mind the dog.

Back at the other shop, Thomas is ready to move onwards

and has just found an old friend, Gill, the taxi driver.

Yes, that's brilliant, thank you.

They're heading for Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire,

about 24 miles away... which is rather a long taxi journey.

I hope you brought your wallet, Thomas.

Now known as the capital of the Peak District, Chapel-en-le-Frith

was founded in the 13th century.

Thomas is heading into antiques

and collectables where Barry's ready to greet him.

I'm Barry. Barry, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.

So here we are. We're in... I think we're in the Dales.

I'm pretty sure we're in the Dales.

Not even close. You're in the Peak District.

Let's hope your eye for a bargain's sharper than your geography today, Tom.

Sure enough, he's spotted something he might want to snap up.

The thing about postcards and photographs - Victorian, Edwardian,

up to the First and Second World War - look at this lot.

You just wonder where they went to, what they got up to.

People like big job lots of photographs.

Barry, what can be done on these?

Normally, we sell them out as individuals.

I would have thought about 45 quid for the lot. Can I offer you 30?

What about 35?

Go on, 30.

35.

It's a battle of wills.

I'll make a concession.

?32 and that's it. 32? Not 30. 32.

Thank you very much, sir. Thank you.

And I get the basket?

Yeah, I suppose so. What do you mean, "I suppose so"?!

I thought Dick Turpin wore a mask!

(LAUGHS)

There you are. Thank you, sir. I'll get you some change.

But highwayman or not, Thomas's luck is in today.

You're a winner. Why am I a winner?

There's no change. No change?! Thank you very much. ?30. Get in!

Nicely done, Thomas,

and he's about to have a nice surprise.

It looks like the car's been repaired and delivered back to him.

Let's hope she works. Come on, work for me!

ENGINE TURNS OVER

Ha-ha! I can't believe it works, that so brilliant.

Reunited with Philip, it's time to get back on the road,

although Thomas is still as clueless as ever.

Are you shopping in Bakewell? I don't know.

You are.

Philip's dropping Thomas off in Bakewell, Derbyshire.

Ah, lovely.

This pretty market town is home to the celebrated delicacies,

the Bakewell pudding and the Bakewell tart.

Well, Thomas, you have a jolly good shop. OK.

Good luck! Thank you.

Thomas is heading for the regal Tsar Emporium where dapper owner

Mel holds court.

Hi, I'm Mel. Mel, nice to meet you.

It's a bit like an assault course in here. It is a bit.

You might get molested by Maximus. He's floating about. Maximus?! Hello, Maximus.

Are you named after Maximus...

DOG YAPS Sorry! He's feisty.

He's only playing but...

I have the same trouble with Thomas and Philip.

It's quite cute, isn't it?

It's a child's toy tambourine, made of wood and pigskin,

probably dating from the 1950s.

It's a great bit of fun.

And he's spied something else that might just be the answer to all his prayers.

I quite like the little St Christopher.

That's sweet, isn't it?

It's a rosewood St Christopher plaque priced up at ?14.

St Christopher, obviously, the patron saint of all things travel.

Would be good for us on our travels.

I think we need it with the car.

It certainly couldn't hurt.

Now, what deal can he strike with Mel? How much is on the ticket?

You've got ?25 on it. Yeah. Um... You know...

Yeah. To give you a chance, I'll do you that for ten.

And the St Christopher? How much is on that ticket? 14.

Well, I suppose seven. Seven.

Could we do the two for 15? You're a cheeky one, aren't you?

Can but ask. OK then. We'll do that.

Oh, brilliant. We'll do that. We'll have those for 15.

A glittering deal.

Wonderful. Thanks.

Righty ho.

Philip, meanwhile, has driven about ten miles

to the Matlock area in Derbyshire.

The former spa town of Matlock sits at the southern edge of the Peak District.

The shop Philip is aiming for is in the small village of Cromford

just to the south of Matlock. Dealer Pat is on hand to help.

Hi, how are you? Is it all right if I have a look round? It is indeed. Philip. How do you do?

Philip's not doing too well so far.

The thing is, I have got to buy.

I've only bought one lot. That's the issue for me.

Luckily, he's alighted on something which might spark some interest.

That's a fireman's nozzle, if you'll pardon the expression.

So that would go on the end of your hose and put your fire out.

I like that.

But will Pat throw a wet blanket on his enthusiasm?

I think at auction... You've got that priced at 30 quid.

I think at auction, 30 quid's the top end.

I think it would make 15 to 30 quid.

If I offered you a tenner, would you throw me out the door? I might do.

But would you throw me out with this and you with a tenner? Ha!

I could manage 15. How about 12 quid? My maths ain't very good.

That's sort of splitting the difference. All right.

And 13's unlucky, isn't it? We're not going to say 13.

Pat, you're an absolute gentleman. Thank you ever so much.

I'll get some money out.

His second buy seems to have lit a fire under him.

He's back in the car and heading for Matlock town centre.

I'm so far behind the game now. I've got to go and buy something.

And I've got to go and buy something that's not going to make me

just ?10 profit, so it's going to mean taking a risk.

Matthew from Magpie Antiques is an old pal.

Hiya, matey.

Good to see you. You too.

So, let's hope he can help Phil stack up another buy.

And it's not long before something takes his fancy.

# Je t'aime... #

Hellfire. How much is she?

# Oui, je t'aime... #

I'm very, very tempted.

Isn't she hot?

Isn't she just gorgeous?

His interest might not be as crackpot as it seems.

Retro mannequins can be popular

and might attract interest from vintage style enthusiasts.

Right, sir. I've had a word. I can get that young lady for you...

..for 60 quid. You don't get the clothes with her, unfortunately.

So you'd need to wrap her up in a towel... Not the clothes?!

You need to wrap her up in a towel and sit her in that convertible.

No, I can't do that. I can't do that.

No, you can't.

The designer corset the mannequin is wearing is far too expensive for Philip.

It's selling for ?120 second-hand.

So, you can keep your mitts off that lot.

I didn't think this was that sort of show.

Right, Phil. Here's your date for this evening.

She's a picture.

Now, what can Matthew do on the price?

What about if we come down a little bit on the price...

Give you 30 quid for it. That's it. Finished as she is. Handshake.

Got to buy something off you.

And I know I'm being mean, but I've just got to buy something.

Let's say 35 and you take scarf, as well. The whole lot as it stands.

The whole lot, ?35. Go on. She is yours, sir. Cheers, matey. Spot on.

Good Lord. How am I going to explain this to my wife?

That's none of our business, Philip. Anyway, best get going.

They're driving about 20 miles to Ravenshead near Nottingham

where Philip's dropping Thomas off.

Having bought all the lots he wants for auction,

he's decided to visit an intriguing local collection.

All the best.

Thomas is meeting Andy Carter,

a petrolhead with an addiction to a special kind of vehicle.

Bubble cars.

Hello. Hello, Thomas. Pleased to meet you. I'm Andy.

Andy, nice to meet you. Andy, are these all your cars? Yes.

This is my bubble car collection.

Bubble cars, or micro cars, are tiny but road-worthy vehicles

dating from the 1950s and '60s.

Today their retro looks and quirky charm make them

irresistible to their devoted fan base

and most particularly to Andy who has more than 20 of them.

It's my hobby, yes. Your hobby? Right back to when I was a teenager.

So, tell me about the bubble car. Why were they invented?

Well, they appeared after the war in the mid-'50s.

The Suez Crisis meant petrol was rationed.

They do fantastic fuel consumption.

So these cars were much cheaper

so it enabled working people to get around and get to work.

They were one step up from a motorbike.

Covered transport.

Well, that's it. Covered transport. You wouldn't get wet. That's right.

Bring me through your collection here.

This is my first car. A BMW Isetta.

My mum and dad didn't want me to have a motorbike

when I was 16 years of age.

So they went and bought me an old Isetta.

Andy got the car in 1970 after the micro-car craze had waned for most.

They suddenly dropped out of fashion.

When the Mini and the Fiat 500 and the NSU became popular,

all of a sudden, nobody wanted a bubble car any more.

They weren't cool enough to be seen in.

But caring not a jot for popular opinion,

Andy's love for the bubble car was born.

Were you chuffed to bits? Oh, yes. Fantastic.

Yes, I could take a girl to a party. I had my own mobility.

It was fantastic. That was it. Freedom. Yes. You could get out.

How do you get into this one? Well, you'll have to stand back, Thomas.

OK. Yeah, yeah. The whole front of the car opens up.

There we go. Then you just jump in.

And you'll notice the steering wheel even moves out. It does.

To allow you room to get in. Then you just slip in. Just jump in.

Literally, just jump in.

Ooh, it's, um... Right.

Are you OK in there? Yeah, I'm all right.

Luckily, I don't suffer from claustrophobia.

This is wonderful. It's quite sort of compact and sort of bijou in here.

Wonderful. Open-top motoring.

Bubble cars were made both in Britain, like these Peel cars

built in the Isle of Man,

and in Europe, like Andy's BMW.

German cars were obviously much higher quality.

The British cars quite often were made of fibreglass,

they were designed with a motorbike engine.

It looks dreadful. But that's part of its charm, Thomas.

I know it is part of its charm.

That, I think, has got lines, it's got design to it.

Somebody's thought about that.

Some nutter's done that one.

You know? You can imagine someone in a shed...

But that's the great British way, Thomas. Tut tut.

Now a special treat.

Andy's going to let him drive one of the bubble beauties.

I'll take her for a spin round the block.

# Here in my car

# I feel safest of all

# I can lock all my doors

# It's the only way to live

# In cars... #

This is brilliant.

How was that? Wow. Wow. Wow.

What a great, great experience.

I don't think I've ever driven a car like that.

You did very well.

Well, that's very kind. Very kind.

Thank you very much.

I've really enjoyed my day. It's been my pleasure, Thomas.

Meanwhile, that old gear-head Philip has the, er, macro car

and has driven on to West Bridgford where he has one last shop to visit.

Hello. Hi. Philip. Philip. Andy.

Right. I've got to buy something.

With only three items bagged and time rapidly running out,

yes, you jolly well do, Philip.

But something's caught his eye.

Uh-oh. The theme is developing here.

Is that a young lady up there?

It's just a fairly saucy post Second World War calendar.

The price on the ticket is ?38.

What I like on the back is this inscription.

"To Albert, with lots of love, Annette."

So Annette clearly had a good old sense of humour, didn't she?

He's going to weigh up that decision,

but something in a cabinet has caught his eye.

It's a little set of scales for checking the weight of gold sovereign coins.

He's thinking he might combine them in a job lot

with the fire hose nozzle he bought earlier.

That's appropriate. Ticket price is ?10.

The purpose of this was just to make sure that you weren't being

kippered on your gold. That's right. So you'd weigh your sovereign...

Sovereigns or half sovereigns.

..and it should have a specific amount of gold in it.

That's right. I think that's quite a bit of fun.

But we've got a load of weights missing, haven't we?

Well, that's a possibility again, isn't it?

And here's a fab little item.

SONG: THUNDERBIRDS THEME TUNE

Fantastic. Look at that.

Thunderbirds are go.

I think that is possibly one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life.

In fact, I think that's so bad it's verging on genius.

Unfortunately, it isn't an original Thunderbirds item.

It dates from the early 1990s. Ticket price for the toy is ?10.

Philip's amassed a little pile of items and they're certainly diverse.

The combined ticket price for all three pieces is ?58.

Now, what sort of a deal can he strike with Andy?

To me, there's ?25 worth there.

I think 20 for the three.

22.50.

And we can deal.

I tell you what, because I can't do 50ps,

I'll give you 22 quid. Go on, then. ?22. You're on. You're a gentleman.

And with that, Philip has his lots for auction.

And not a moment too soon.

He started this leg with ?193.34 and has spent a total of ?99

on five lots.

Philip bought a fire hose which he's paired with the sovereign scales,

the post-war calendar, the Thunderbirds toy,

the vintage mannequin and a hulking great lump of marble. Mind the dog!

Thomas, on the other hand, set out with ?247.54 -

he spent ?85 on four lots.

He bought a set of Victorian scales, a St Christopher plaque,

a basket of random postcards and photographs and a tambourine.

But with their eyes on the prize,

what do our boys really think of each other's buys?

I think Thomas has been really clever, cos he's only spent about ?80.

If they GIVE all his stuff away, he can't lose as much as I did

with my canoe or the rest of it at the last auction.

Oh, enough about the canoe!

I think he's been really quite clever.

To buy underwear on the Antiques Road Trip on an armless mannequin

is BRILLIANT! Is it going to make profit?

It's probably going to do all right. It'll probably make something.

I think perhaps arms would have helped, wouldn't they?

Does that mean that I'm going to retain the lead?

Well, I haven't done that well myself, so it's...

all up in the air - we'll have to wait for the auction.

Then you won't have long to wait.

On this leg, Thomas and Philip have travelled from the city

of Sheffield to their auction in Leicester in the East Midlands.

I quite like Leicester.

Do you know, I think it's quite attractive.

I'm glad it meets with your approval, chaps.

They're aiming for Churchgate Auctions. Are you ready for this?

I am ready. Oh, thanks for stopping in a puddle!

Set my day off beautifully! Don't bicker!

Auctioneer Dickon Dearman will be at the helm today.

First up are Thomas's Victorian scales. What will they weigh in at?

Do I see ?30? ?30 for them? 20, then? ?20.

?20 has been bid on those scales. Is there 22, now?

22... That's not great. 24, 26, 28, ?30.

32, 35, 37,

?40. 40, yes.

45, 50... 50!

Do I see... No. Selling then to you, sir, for ?45.

They make just a shade more than Thomas paid -

not an auspicious start, but better than a loss.

This doesn't look good, does it? A lot of work, isn't it? It doesn't look good.

Now, Philip's job lot of fire hose nozzle

and sovereign scales - will they set the sale room alight?

Do I see ?10? ?10 has been bid... 12, from you, sir.

14, 16, 18, ?20.

22. 22, 25, 25 now. 25 do I see anywhere?

25, is there? Selling then, for ?22...

Again, they squeak a profit.

A turn for Thomas, next, as his basket of miscellaneous photos

and postcards are up. Do I see ?20 for these? Oh, dear.

?10, then? ?10 I have down there. This is not good news.

?12, 14, 16, 18, ?20.

You're off. ..24, 26,

28... 28, do I see now?

Selling then for ?26.

Another sale price that's nothing to write home about.

Tough luck, Thomas.

What did you pay for those? Don't...

I'm not telling you, ner-ner, ner-ner ner! ?20.

Now, can Philip's post-war bombshell seduce the punters?

Opening here at ?15. Get in there - profit! 17 now. ?17.

17 from you, sir. Is there 20 now? ?20.

20 do I see now?

No further bids... Selling then, for ?17.

That is a good profit.

I wouldn't say it's a GOOD profit, but it's a profit!

It seems there's one thing that always sells - shrewd, Philip.

It's previous experience with the two of us.

Yeah, that's a massive hit, that, isn't it?

Now, the other woman in Philip's life. Can he repeat the trick?

So, ?20. ?10, then.

Ouch! Do I see 12? ?12, 14?

16, 18, ?20. 22,

25, 27, ?30 has been bid.

35 now, 35 is there, anywhere?

Selling then for... Ooh, 35, fresh bidder, madam.

Fresh bidder. There you are.

?35. Is there 40 now? ?40? 40 is there, anywhere?

Selling then, for ?35.

?35. Which is exactly where we started!

And lot number 64...

Seems like the punters didn't fancy her.

It's all looking good, isn't it? Rosy.

It's Thomas's tambourine next.

Perhaps this will shake things up?

20. Do I see ?20? I'll take ?10, then.

?10 bid, 12, 14... I'm going.

Start the car.

This is just ridiculous. Yes, 22, 24? Shake of the head.

24, do I see now? Anywhere? No further interest...

Selling then for ?22.

An unexpected success - with bells on. Well done!

# Kumbaya, my Lord... # Oh, Ging Gang Goolie, more like.

Now, the Thunderbirds toy that even Philip seems to lack faith in.

?10. That's fantastic! Get in there! Do I see 12 now?

?12, 14, 16, 18, ?20.

?20. 22...

Don't dare to dream...

I'm living the dream(!)

?30, 32 now? 32 is there, anywhere? 32, do I see?

Selling then, for ?30.

And it flies! F-A`B!

You are one of the country's leading toy experts, right? Yes.

That's not in any dispute at all.

You said my toy was worth 50 pence.

This isn't a toy auction.

I wouldn't have entertained it.

Thomas could do with some help here, so let's hope

his St Christopher plaque will protect him from further losses.

?10 for this. Do I see ten? A fiver, then? Oh!

?5 has been bid, and six now. Six pounds. Eight pounds?

10, ?12, 14, no, ?14, do I see?

16. ?16 now, anywhere? 16, 16, do I see?

Selling, for ?14.

Doubled my money. Looks like someone's watching over you, Thomas.

And finally, the great hunk of marble - can it carve out a profit?

What's my marble plinth going to make? ?30? 25 if you like.

25 has been bid. Do I see ?30? ?30. ?30 just there. 35?

What did you pay for it? 30. 40, yes. ?50? 50, thank you, madam.

Do I see 60 now? ?60. 60 is there, anywhere? Selling then, for ?50.

Thank you.

A very respectable sale,

proving even Philip's bad luck isn't set in stone.

Thomas started this leg with ?247.54.

After paying auction costs, he made a rather modest profit

of ?2.74, which gives him ?250.28 to carry forward.

While Philip began with ?193.34, he made a slightly more

substantial profit of ?27.28, giving him ?220.62 in his wallet.

So that means that, despite his grumbling,

he ends this leg victorious. Well done, Phil.

I've had enough. I'm going to... Don't!

Come on, we've all made money this time.

We've got to be happy. How much d'you make?

About a couple of quid!

Onwards and upwards. Come on - two pounds profit... ?25. Let's go!

Wahey!

So, there's everything to play for

as they motor towards the next showdown.

This whole road trip takes our boys from Samlesbury

in Lancashire over to the sea to the Isle of Man, then south

to nautical Greenwich in London, a journey of almost 700 miles.

On this leg, they are in the exotic East, beginning in Stickney,

Lincolnshire, heading for their auction in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

They're journeying through the Fens, a lovely region of flat,

fertile farmland,

heading for the village of Stickney,

with cash in hand - Thomas has ?250.28 to play with,

and rival Philip just 220.62 as they make their way

to Clutterbugs Antiques...

Well, door-to-door service, Thomas, look at that.

..where Alan will greet them. How are you? Nice to see you.

Are we all right to park here? Wherever you like.

I'll go upstairs and you go downstairs.

So far, the lads' performance hasn't been uniformly winning.

On the last leg, Thomas made a paltry profit of ?2.74,

and this less than stellar performance is weighing

on his mind this morning.

I've really got to have my head correct and buy good things

which they're going to want at general sales.

Further to this ambition,

Thomas has spotted something that might just be a winner.

Where did you get these from? Somebody brought them in.

They're not Masonic, they're buffalos or...

They are a set of four medals

issued by the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes,

a social and philanthropic organisation

structured in fraternal lodges. Ticket price for all four is ?80.

Now, can he get a handshake from Alan on the price?

What would you do for the four?

What are they, ?20 each? ?20 each. 80...

Give us 60. Buy the lot, you get one free. Right, thank you.

That's a good deal. Kind of, but I haven't finished shopping.

Haven't finished shopping.

He's browsing on.

And he seems to have all sorts of buffalo on the brain this morning.

What do you know about that? Not a lot. What age would you say it was?

Early 20th. It's got a bit of wear to it.

Maybe late 19th.

It's quite nice, though, isn't it?

It's a type of buffalo paperweight cast in bronze.

On the ticket is ?35.

Would you do that and the medals for 50?

60. Come on. Shake your hand on 60. No, no, no...

Yes! No. 50. 60. 50 and we've got a deal.

The terms shirt and back spring to mind. Oh, come on, ?50.

You're a star. Just to get rid of you. What do you mean get rid of me?

Thomas' bullish haggling gets him the deal he wants.

?50? And he's off and running. Thank you very much.

Philip, on the other hand, has decided to abandon this shop

and strike out on his own.

It's not like you to go off-piste, old boy.

Where are you going, Philip?

I might go buy a tractor. See you later on. All the best.

(He always does this.)

Philip's decided that, since he is in a rural area,

he'd like to see if any local farmers have items that they might

sell him. It's an unconventional approach.

Do bear with us. I've no idea where he is going.

There's an old farmhouse there that...

Hello?

Hello. I wonder if you can help me.

Agricultural bygones. Hello, doggy.

Where's the best place?

Any old fruit crates, wooden ones, anything like that?

Well, in East Kirkby there's a shop that sells all sorts.

Philip's driving to the village of East Kirkby, Lincolnshire.

Ah, let's go and have a look in here.

And after all that drama, he ends up back in an antique shop. Ha!

Luckily, dealer Richard here at Craven Collectables is already a fan

of the Road Trip. Watch the programme, first day have a dust.

And here you are, you turned up while I'm dusting.

I know, Richard. He's most inconsiderate.

The Goldfinger book, is that a first edition? The who?

Is it a first edition?

I think you'll find it is.

He has two so-called first editions of James Bond novels

but printed by the book club.

Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice. They're priced at ?25 each.

I mean, I would guess these would be worth an awful lot of money

if they both had a dust cover and if this was in better condition.

So they would. First editions of these novels with original dust covers by the first printer

can sell for anything between ?500 and ?3,000.

But sadly, these are Book Society first editions,

and, as such, are worth vastly less.

Philip is still thinking about taking the books.

But he's browsing on with the irrepressible Richard.

How much is the wine rack? 20 quid to you.

This enormous wine rack was made by Wilbins,

a London manufacturer.

These are no good, big ones, because you can't get them in the house.

You cut them in half. Don't be so silly.

Look at that. And you've even got makers of London.

I can feel myself getting kippered by you here. No, no, no, not at all.

Hmm. I think you might've met your match, Phil. I've sold you two books

but we ain't agreed on a price yet, how about a lovely milk crate?

Look at that. Do you ever stop to draw breath? Manners, Philip.

What's that box there? What, this? This is social history.

They're wooden bread trays, stamped with the name

of a local baker, Glenton Myers.

Philip's thinking that he could combine them into a job lot

with the wine rack, if he could get a word in.

Bit of woodworm, shows a bit of quality. How do you work that out?

Age. Gives you the age.

I would like to buy these here, those there,

they can go as one lot, and the two books.

Well, I make it 75 quid.

See you then, Richard, it's been fantastic. Thank you ever so much.

I'll try and call in again sometime. Come on, be sensible,

make the offer then. I'll tell you what. You just sit down

a minute, I'll get the book. Sit down. No, just sit down.

So, Richard's starting price for all of the items was ?75.

What can Philip bargain him down to? JAMES BOND THEME PLAYS

You ought to be paying me to take them away. No, no, I'm in business.

I'll give you 30 quid the lot, that's the end of it.

Done. Ha-ha! What have I done?

So, Philip has his first two lots and plenty of badinage to boot.

Thank you, Richard.

Philip's on a buying spree and has driven

to New Bolingbroke.

He's heading for Junktion Antiques, where he's meeting owner, Jack.

Hello. Morning.

This looks like my sort of place, this does. That's good, then.

I'm Philip. How are you doing? Jack. Good to see you.

Stuffed with motoring memorabilia, old contraptions,

fairground items and all manner of old gubbins,

this shop could scarcely be more to Philip's taste.

Threshing machine. Yeah. And how much is that?

That could be, er, ?50.

Oh, hold on. Hold on. My friend.

I'm not sure that will fit in the car!

He loves Jack's stock, but with just over ?190 in his wallet,

he's finding that much of it is outside his budget.

?300.

?1,500. Oh, no...

Er, 225.

But I do guarantee it. It is working(!)

THEY CHUCKLE

How much is the iron founders' sign?

?200.

PHILIP SIGHS

You don't sell aspirin, do you?

But after a real rummage, he spots something that might help him

get the jump on Thomas - a wooden vaulting horse. Oh, lordy.

How much is that, Jack? That could be...

Come on, Jack, now think hard here. ?90.

No, think harder. 100.

Oh, Jack, no, no, no. Now, can we have a deal on that?

Where do you want to be?

Well, I see it at auction as making 50 to 80 quid.

?70.

This may seem like another of Phil's eccentric enthusiasms, but the horse

could in fact be a canny buy.

They make great coffee tables, don't they?

You take the top two off and you've got a small ottoman

at the end of your bed. And then, out of these other sections,

you put a glass top on them and you've got a really cool coffee table.

We'll talk about that in a minute.

Still, at least he dug up something else that interests him.

Is that a malt shovel? Yeah.

Malt is germinated and dried grain,

used in the production of beer, whisky and foodstuffs.

This probably dates from the early 20th century.

Can I give you...

60 quid for this and the vaulting horse? No.

What can I give you?

?100. Oh, behave, Jack!

I'll shake your hand, Jack, at 80 quid the two.

90 quid and you've got a deal. 85.

No, 90. 85. 90. 85.

90. 85. No, 90.

Because I like you.

Go on, then, Jack. You are a gentleman, thank you.

Jack's one tough cookie when it comes to haggling,

but Philip's got the malt shovel and the vaulting horse,

so everyone's a winner.

And with that, Philip's heading south to meet Thomas.

Spalding. What do you know about Spalding?

Glad you asked. They're driving into the town of Spalding...

..which is an ancient market town known as the Heart of the Fens,

at the centre of an area famous for its rich soil and agriculture.

Well done, Thomas. Got there in the end.

You going to go in here, then?

I'm going to go there, yeah. Go on, matey, have a wander off.

Philip is striking out on his own again while Thomas is heading

into his first shop, where he'll meet owner, John.

Thank you for letting us come here. You're very welcome.

Can I have a look round? You can, with pleasure. How nice.

There's an item in a cabinet that he might like to try his luck on.

What's that Bullion Board?

A game, I think, Thomas. Philips Bullion Board.

"This is a bullion board game, a three-in-one sensational indoor game."

The aluminium board allows the lucky purchaser to play

the rather obscure games bullion and poker bullion,

or good old-fashioned draughts.

I like the graphics on it. They are great, aren't they,

the colours as well? How much is this?

I can't see a price on it, Thomas.

Oh, there's no price on it. It could be ?10 to you, sir.

That seems fair enough, doesn't it?

Thank you very much, I'll have that. You're welcome.

I noticed you've got a chess set round the corner.

These are the ones you were on about, are they? I saw those.

Is it complete?

I think they're all there, yes. I better count them.

Yeah, you count. Do you mind? No, I don't mind.

They're all there, 32 pieces.

The pieces are all present and correct.

But they're selling without a chessboard.

There's no ticket on them either. What should John do?

It could be ?15. 15? Could I have both of them for 20?

I should think you could. Well, I think that makes a nice addition,

doesn't it? Yes.

Yeah. Thomas is planning to parcel the two games

he's bought into one lot, but he's still looking for more bargains.

His magpie eye has alighted on a collection of paste jewellery,

including a 19th-century French buckle,

an Art Deco cuff and three other bracelets.

I quite like this paste.

Do quite like that.

Paste is inexpensive jewellery,

sometimes including polished cut glass instead of precious gemstones.

Oh, suits you, Thomas.

Now, what kind of price can John offer?

60 quid for the lot. ?60?

Really? Yes, really. Really? Yes.

You'll make a good profit on those, Thomas. I don't think I will.

What could you do?

I'll do you the lot for 50 and that would be it.

40 and we've got a deal. No. I can't do that. 45.

48 and we'll have a deal.

Oh, for the love of God.

?48. ?48.

So it's 20 and the 48 makes ?68. There's 70.

But John can only find ?1.20 in change

rather than the two pounds Thomas is owed.

80 pence more. That's the best I can do, Thomas.

I think I can survive. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Thomas. Nice to see you. And you.

So, Thomas has taken the Bullion Board game,

the chess pieces and the collection of paste jewellery.

A couple of minutes away, old Phil has gone for a wander around

Spalding town centre. Once again he's determined to go off-piste.

I think that looks interesting because it is Elderkin's gunmakers.

You never know, they might have some old accessories that might be quite useful.

DOOR BUZZER

This is a gunsmith with a venerable pedigree. Five generations of

the same family have run the business,

dating back nearly 130 years.

Of course, shotguns like the ones sold in this shop require

a shotgun certificate under UK laws.

But shop owner William has generously agreed to let Philip

look around to see if there might be

any antique accessories he could buy.

Eventually, Philip uncovers a small collection of shotgun accessories.

Here we've got an oil bottle which will fit in your motoring case.

And you'd have taken it with you and that would've just oiled your gun. That's quite a nice thing.

This is a little brush and that would have just brushed around

the trigger guards and possibly on the hammer guard to keep it clean.

This is for pulling cartridges out of the gun. If your cartridge got

stuck in your gun, you'd clip that round the outside

and that would pull the cartridge out.

And then finally we've got this great thing here

which is just... You put that in the end of your barrels

and that's just when you're not using the gun. And that's to stop

anything from dropping down there.

What sort of price can Philip agree with William?

At auction they'll make 10 or 20 quid, eh? Something like that.

So if I give you a fiver or something, would that be fair?

That's fine. Bang on!

I'm going to a shooting area, so fingers crossed

that they do OK for me. What a lovely man and what a great shop.

And with that, he's got his lots for auction.

The boys are reunited and back in the car,

driving the 20 miles to Stamford, Lincolnshire.

But it looks like the weather's turned.

Philip, we are driving through a wall of rain.

Hmmm. That looks pleasant. Shame the car doesn't have a roof!

Mind you, I don't know why people go abroad in the summer, do you?

Happily, it's much drier in Stamford.

Largely built from Lincolnshire limestone, Stamford's lovely,

historic buildings give it a unique atmosphere.

Thomas is off to a shop, but since Philip's bought all his lots

for auction, he's decided to visit a particularly ancient local landmark.

You have a lovely visit. You have a good shop, mate.

He's on his way to Browne's Hospital,

which just slightly predates the local NHS Trust...

where he's meeting curator Pam Sharp.

Hello, I'm Philip. How are you? I'm very well, thank you.

This is the most fantastic building. Tell me. This was a hospital?

No, it was never an infirmary.

Hospital was in the mediaeval sense of the word, meaning hospitality.

Built in 1475, this was an almshouse,

a home for the local poor,

many of whom were workers from nearby estates

who lost their tied cottages when they became too old or ill to work.

Who was the benefactor who set all this up?

William and Margaret Browne, who were very rich wool merchants.

The Brownes created a large endowment of land which brought

in an income and funded the hospital's work for many centuries.

This was the common room where the men lived,

and each man had a cubicle.

There were five cubicles down this side

and there were five cubicles down this side.

There were wooden partitions

giving each man his privacy

and here is a little model of how it would have been.

That is a fabulous building through there. What's that?

That's the chantry chapel.

Prayer was central to the lives of the men who lived here.

They had to pray for the souls of Margaret and William Browne

who had, by then, died

and also for King Henry VII and his queen, Elizabeth.

And there would be services in the chapel every day.

This is a glorious building, isn't it?

MONASTIC CHORAL MUSIC

So, what happened when it ceased to become an almshouse?

It's still an almshouse. Even now? Yes, we have 13 residents.

Incredibly, the hospital continues

in almost exactly its original function today,

over 500 years later.

Anyone who doesn't own property can apply to come and live here

at low cost and in a tranquil setting.

All of the residents are of retirement age

and there is a waiting list.

So, why do you think Browne did this?

Why did he, in 1475, why did he set all this up?

He was very concerned about people, and their welfare

and the welfare of people who had worked on his estate, probably.

So I've been thinking, what I'd better do, Pam,

is start behaving myself and actually get my name on that waiting list.

Maybe you should!

Behaving yourself, Philip? I'll believe that when I see it!

So, with thanks to Pam, Philip's leaving the hospital

to continue the good work it has been doing for so many centuries.

Thomas is nearby and is still looking for his last items,

helped by shop owner, Peter.

Hello, Thomas, Peter my name is, nice to meet you.

Couple of Meccanos out there. I like the Meccano.

Thomas is mad about toys and games and he's found yet another

playful item which might help him build up a profit.

I'll have a look in there. What's that?

The box of Meccano is priced up at ?48.

I quite like the look of the Meccano.

If we could work out what we can do on that. We could, yes.

I'm going to go looking. Do you mind? I'll take that up to the desk.

It's got quite a good look, sort of a Modernist table.

It's just quite shabby, isn't it?

It...certainly is! It says ?40 on the ticket.

Bit 1980s, isn't it?

The table belongs to dealer, Tina.

Hello, is this yours? Yes it is, yes.

It's very sort of '70s, '80s, isn't it?

Here I am on my knees.

I know, lovely. Quite! I've got a TV star on his knees, begging!

A TV star?! Where?

What sort of deal might Tina strike on the table?

I'm on my knees. I'm begging. ?20.

?20. I can't say fairer than that. ?20. Thank you very much.

Can I give you a kiss? Ooh!

Mwah! Mwah! Good work.

And Peter has now spoken to the dealer

who's selling the Meccano set, And what price might he offer?

Give it a whirl, and we could do it for 25. 25.

25 quid.

Well, I'll go down, I'll go down to 20.

I'll go for the Meccano. I like the Meccano. There's a lot here.

We'll go for that, and we will go for the table, so, 20 for that,

and 20 for that, ie ?40.

Now, Thomas, too, has all his lots for auction.

And he's off to meet Philip.

With all shopping completed,

let's see how our boys have spent their dosh.

Thomas started our with ?250.28 and spent ?158 on five lots.

He bought a set of medals, a buffalo paperweight,

a job lot of paste jewellery, an '80s mirrored table

and a collection of vintage board games and Meccano.

Philip started out with ?220.62

and spent a total of ?125, also on five lots.

He bought two James Bond novels,

a wine rack, paired with some wooden bread trays,

a malt shovel, a collection of shooting accessories,

and a vaulting horse. Giddy-up!

So what do they make of each other's items?

It's all about the vaulting horse, isn't it?

Is it going to make a profit? Touch and go, touch and go.

I think that wine rack is his secret weapon.

That bloomin' sweet trolley he's bought, why on earth did he buy that?

The only thing that's missing off it is a Black Forest gateau.

Mmm! That sounds rather delicious. Mmm! Oh!

On this leg, the boys have driven over 150 miles

through the eastern English fenlands

to end up at their auction in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

The ancient city of Ely towers over the rich,

flat fenlands that surround it.

Work began on its magnificent cathedral in the 11th century.

There's Ely cathedral, straight ahead.

They're heading for Rowley Fine Art Auctioneers.

Auctioneer Will holds our lads' fate in his hands today.

First up, it's Thomas's bronze buffalo paperweight.

Will it run wild?

20, surely, to start me at 20.

10, I'm bid, at 10 only, 12, 15, 18,

20, 25, 25 I'm bid. Thank you.

Rounded up now, Mrs M, no? At 28 it is here.

All done, then, are you sure? At ?28 and selling!

That's like 180% profit. No, it's not.

Oh, yes, it is!

Really, really pleased for you(!)

Next, Philip's Bond books, sans dust jackets.

Might these prove a licence to print money?

20, then, start me for the two. At ?20. Grace any bookshelf.

?10, start me then, bid.

At 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, now,

at 25, who else is in? 28?

Right, elsewhere, it's 28. ?28 in the corner. One more might do it.

He works hard, Will.

All done, then, are you sure? Last chance, in the corner at 28.

28 seems to be a recurring theme here, doesn't it?

I just hope that it doesn't continue throughout the sale.

Indeed! But that sale is respectable, if not a killer.

Now, Thomas's medals

awarded by the Royal Antediluvian Order Of Buffaloes.

?50, would you start me for those, surely, 50,

for all the medals, surely. 30, then, start me, give me a wave.

At ?30, will you? Well 20, sir, thank you.

At ?20. ?20 is all I'm bid in the room.

At 20, 2, at 5, 28, 30, 5, 35, shake it the other way.

35 here, I'll take 8 if it helps. At ?35 and selling this time at 35...

Oh! Crushing.

A disappointing loss there for Thomas.

That's turned out quite nicely.

Yes(!)

But let's see if Philip's next lot might be in with a shot.

It's the collection of shooting accessories.

?30 for those, well, 20 to get on, if you must.

?20 for the shooting accessories. A tenner, then.

Have a look at me now, bid, at 10. 12, 15, 18.

You know what? You've doubled your money! And more.

At 15, are you all done? Trying me best here, at ?15.

A tidy profit on a well-hunted lot.

Thomas's paste jewellery is next to go under the hammer.

Will cut glass prove to be a boy's best friend?

I'm bid 30 here, ?30 I have. You bidding? At 35, 40, 45, 50.

Bids are in. One more might do it, five. At 55, it's in the room.

Well, only just.

55, 60, fresh blood. At ?60, left-handed now.

5, at 65, 70.

You know your jewellery, don't you?

At 75, at 80, 5, at 85, 90.

Before you at 90, can't see you, at 95.

Round it up now, 100 bid, at 100, left-handed at 100 now.

10 might do it, at 110. Yes? 110. At 110, I'm bid.

Last chance at 110.

That's done really well. That's put you in profit. It's all right.

I'm really, really, really pleased for...

THEY LAUGH

A gem of a profit there to Thomas. But can he repeat the trick

as his job lot of board games and Meccano enter play?

15 here with me at 15. I told you...

On the Meccano, at ?15, are we all done? 18 bid, the voice said 18 now.

At 18, my bid is out already at 18. Yes or no, I shan't dwell. At ?18...

Oh, no! That's not so bad then, is it?

THOMAS SIGHS

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

Can Philip's malt shovel do any better?

20 bid, at 20... Already there.

At ?20 I'm bid, on a maiden bid of 20.

I shall sell it then on a maiden bid at 20,

it's going to be, last chance...

?20. It's a fiver profit.

It manages to dig up a small profit.

Now the, er, "funky" occasional table?

?30 for it, surely, for you trendy, young things?

?20 then, start me for it. ?10 surely. Start me, ten, at 5.

Bid, at ?5, a bid of ?5. Are you all done, ladies and gentlemen?

It's here to be sold, make no mistake. At ?5, you all done? 129.

That's just sort of wound it back a bit, hasn't it?

It seems the crowd were no keener on it than Philip.

I'm not going to start crowing too soon,

because I could be there with you in a minute.

You're learning, Phil!

The enormous wine rack and bread trays are next.

?10 is all I'm bid, at ?12.

Elsewhere? At 12, 15, 18.

You're in profit, you're in profit!

22, can't see you, 25. At 25, the hammer is up at 25...

30! At 30.

Wow, I think!

Don't lose it for a bid, 40 bid.

At 40 bid, ?40, at ?40...

Philip earns a lip-smacking profit.

And now the very last lot - the vaulting horse.

Philip's great leap of faith.

?100 will it be for the vaulting horse?

?100 to start me? Well, ?50 then, a giggle from the back.

At ?50, start me for it, will you? At ?30, bid me. ?30 I'm bid. Ouch!

Still got a few legs.

At ?30, are you all done? I shan't dwell. At ?30. All done then at ?30.

No, no... Ouch!

And it lands face down on the gymnasium floor. Schplat!

There is a plus side to this. What?

The less it sells for, the less commission you have to give out.

I'm glad you can see the funny side, old boy. Ha-ha!

Philip began this leg with ?220.62

and thanks to the vaulting horse and auction costs,

he made a stinging loss of ?15.94,

putting him almost back where he started with ?204.68.

Thomas, on the other hand, began today with ?250.28.

After paying costs, he squeaked a less than glorious profit

of ?1.92, finishing this leg with ?252.20.

And making him today's winner!

That was a great day, wasn't it?

Great day. Great day for you.

Great day for you, because you could've lost a lot more!

To the Stag, and away to the next bout.

ENGINE REVS