Episode 26 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts

with £200 each...

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

-Yippee!

-Sometimes a man is in need.

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

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers!

Knobbly nick-nacks.

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

It landed on the rug!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

It's a right royal showdown on this week's Road Trip

as the antique trade's answer to Prince Charles

does battle with our very own Bonnie Prince Charlie!

Charlie Ross is a veteran freelance auctioneer

whose twinkle-eyed charm makes him one of the most formidable Road Trippers ever.

Shop! I need a lady, please!

Whilst whipper-snapper Charles Hanson, a Derbyshire auctioneer,

is determined to show what young blood can do.

I'm off and running. I'm off and running, Charlie!

Go! Go! Go!

-You and me.

-I can't believe it.

-Experience and youth.

Both of them begin this week with a bumper budget of £200.

They'll be aiming to trade that up on each leg of the Road Trip,

buying antiques to sell at auction.

Charles and Charlie are paired with a very stylish set of vintage wheels.

The 1971 Triumph TR6.

Do you know, Charlie, this car is a dream, isn't it?

It's fantastic, as long as you're not driving it!

Cheeky!

This week, Charles and Charlie will travel around 500 miles

through the glorious heartlands of England,

from Tarporley in Cheshire

to Itchen Stoke near Winchester in Hampshire.

In this leg, they begin in Tarporley,

heading for their first auction in Manchester.

Luckily, our pair are the best of chums.

# Consider yourself my mate #

Just tell me where we are!

Fine. You're just outside Tarporley, a terribly pretty village

that seems to be the ideal place to begin.

They're heading for their first shop where a bevy of beauties await.

It's so exciting, Charlie.

Are you ready? Going, going, gone!

And they're off!

Girls!

Hello!

-I'm Charlie.

-Hello.

-Charlie, nice to meet you. Jane.

-Jane.

-Louise.

-Louise.

-Hi, Louise, Charles. Hi, Jane. Good to see you.

-Hello.

-Ladies, can we just browse?

-You can browse, yes.

Can we maybe take a personal shopper with us? Are you available to escort us?

-Whichever you prefer, sir.

-Any preferences?

-How can I possibly have a preference with two such beautiful women!

-Absolutely!

Don't be too long. I'm going to count!

OK.

Hmm. Does young Charles have a strategy planned out?

Jane, my Road Trip with Charlie is all about buying things which are quirky.

I'm not too keen on knobbly nick-nacks.

Looking around, you only seem to deal in nice high-brow objects which I love.

Hmm. Knobbly nick-nacks notwithstanding,

is there anything to catch Carlos's eye?

Jane, round the corner, what I did see,

are these pair of figures.

It's a pair of plaster lamps in the shape of cherubs.

Ticket price, a substantial £145.

-They have a look, don't they, about them?

-They do.

They certainly make a statement.

-Are they yours?

-No, they belong to another dealer.

-I think there's age to them, but I think they've had work done on them.

-Yes.

They're big and they're bold. They're quite frightening

but they've got a great look.

Jane will phone the dealer, Francesca, who's selling them.

But what can Charles offer?

They could, on a bad day, make 30.

On a good day, they could make £100.

So 50 is a fair offer.

Jane's spoken to the dealer. Will she accept Charles's cheeky offer?

OK. Bye.

Have I been too rude?

She said, essentially, that 50 is more or less what she paid for them.

To give a profit, would Francesca viably take £60 for them?

I'll tell you what. Go down to the 70.

65.

Take a chance. Heard that song?

# Take a chance

# If you change your mind... #

# Honey, I'm still free

# Take a chance on me... #

-Take a chance together?

-65. Go on. I'll shake on that.

-Thank you, Jane.

-It's done.

-That's my Road Trip up and running again, Charlie Ross!

I'm up and running!

Charlie, I'm off and running!

So Charles's musical haggling seems to have won the day.

And he's got his first buy.

Mamma mia!

# Mamma mia, here I go again

# My, my, how can I resist you #

Meanwhile, Charlie's still downstairs, doing his level best to charm the lovely Louise.

Right, Louise, where are your things?

Round the corner, just round there.

-Round that wall.

-Splendid.

That looks rather good. Mercury in there.

Yes, we're bell ringers.

A pair of Moorcroft candlesticks.

1920s. Would you model it for me?

Not now, no!

I don't suppose this is yours, is it?

No, you've gone past mine!

Oh, no! I'm coming back. Sorry. Come on. Come on.

Show me yours! Show me yours!

Oh, Charlie!

Something caught my eye in here.

Charlie's spotted a rosewood box.

The price on the ticket is £68.

It's still got the original interior to it, which is unusual.

The thing to look for with these boxes is damage.

If there's mother-of-pearl missing, it's a nightmare.

Jane can do a deal on the box.

What can Charlie offer?

About 30 quid. At 30 quid I would certainly buy it.

Jane doesn't look quite convinced.

Can Charlie sweeten the deal?

What can I get you? Is there a sweetie shop in the village?

-I'm very partial to chocolate.

-Are you? Tell you what.

I will go to the shop and buy you something.

So Charlie offers to buy Jane some chocs if she'll let him have the box for £30

rather than the £34 she wants.

See you in a minute.

He's heading for The Old Fire Station chocolate shop.

Charlie might be in the chocolate shop,

but his tactics aren't changing.

Are you negotiable on your price at all?

I'm very tight on buying my Victorian rosewood box.

I'd say these are fresher and newer than your rosewood box!

-I suspect we might be able to do something.

-Certainly fresher!

He'll take a box of the hand-made truffles for Jane.

-Is that all right?

-Gosh!

She won't be able to resist...those.

How much do I owe you, sir?

Well, 5.99 normally. To you, £5.50.

Ooh, how splendid!

Big Cheshire smile.

Hmm. I think there's a flaw in your maths here, Charlie.

-Very kind of you. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-All the best.

But Charlie's about to have a terrible realisation.

I think I've got this slightly wrong.

I've now paid £5.50 for the chocolates

and hopefully I'll get the box for 30.

But it could have been 34.

Oh, Lordy. I'm not sure maths is your strong suit, old boy!

-Jane.

-Charlie.

-Today is your lucky day.

Oh, Charlie, thank you!

It's yours.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-That's so sweet of you.

Chocolates included, the box cost £35.50,

so his charm actually costs him money!

But at least he's got his first buy.

Now he's heading straight upstairs where he immediately spots a hand mirror.

-That's quite nice.

-Blimey, that's cheap. Sorrento.

But Charlie seems to have taken a shine to it, too.

Do you want to leave me up here and I'll see you downstairs?

No, you can go downstairs now. I like a bit of Sorrento.

I was just browsing that, Charlie.

I was just about to pick it up.

Yeah, course you were, Charles!

-I've never heard so much rubbish...

-Can I help you?

-..in all my life.

-You have been up here for an hour and you've missed that.

-Yes.

The southern-Italian town of Sorrento

has a long history of producing items in marquetry.

This mirror dates from the late 19th century.

I'm not going to have an argument with you.

OK. OK, go on, take it downstairs.

-Go on.

-Jolly reasonable.

-Do you really want to buy this, Charles?

-No, I don't.

-Go on, get out of here.

-# If you change your mind... #

Exactly. Go on. Get downstairs.

A little jealous, Charles?

I went straight up and saw something I liked.

-You didn't.

-It's not difficult in this shop.

It's a pretty little thing, I must admit. I did look at it for my dressing table.

-Did you.

-Yes.

-You come up with all the lines, don't you, Jane?

-Yeah, yeah.

-All the lines.

Half price. 7.50.

Can you really not do a fiver on that?

6.50.

How can I turn that down?

How can I possibly turn you down?

-That's a good deal.

-It is. I'll have it.

-You'll have it.

-Yep. Put it with my purchases.

I'm going back upstairs.

Because I like this sh... Ooh, God, I just bumped my head!

-Ouch!

-Have you got a first aid kit?

Oh, do be careful, Charlie.

Meanwhile, Charles Hanson is in another part of the antiques centre

with another dealer, John.

And Charles is upping the pressure.

One thing, John, I did see, that I really, really like

is this wonderful maritime time-piece

which also includes the barometer dial, also the compass

-and also the thermometer.

-Yes.

-On the anchor.

-That really is...

-That's a really high quality piece.

-Yes, it is.

John, what age is that?

-1910, would you say?

-Hmm.

Aye, aye, Captain! I quite like this.

1910, it's a real Edwardian novelty.

On the ticket is a whopping £250, well out of Charles's league.

He only has £135 left, but can he persuade John to cut him a deal?

I've got 135. Would you possibly come down to that level?

-Yes.

-Would you really?

-135.

-Yeah. Um...

Here we go!

Would you... I'm not being funny.

I want to take to auction three items.

Would you possibly give me a bit of change from 135?

Just for me, John?

Maybe a tenner? John, would you make it 125?

Leave me a tenner for luck tomorrow. I'll have a whole day shopping with £10!

That's a big discount.

-One for the road.

-125.

-Are you sure?

-OK.

125. That leaves me £10.

Thanks, John.

Let's hope my maritime time-piece will tick the right way, eh, John?

Well, let's hope it does.

Meanwhile, Charlie the charmer is still upstairs.

And yet another item has taken his fancy.

Arts & Crafts Movement, wall pocket in brass.

Typical Arts & Crafts decoration here.

The Arts & Crafts Movement of the late Victorian period

celebrated design drawn from natural form and traditional craftsmanship.

This wall pocket is priced at £32.

I really do think it's a good thing.

Oh, I can't resist having a go at this!

Shop! I need a lady, please!

LAUGHTER

-Louise!

-A young, attractive lady. Any one of the two will do!

How many ABBA songs would I have to sing to get the price down on that?

I've got a much better voice than Charles Hanson!

Shall we say three?

# Waterloo... #

-Ooh!

-Ooh, dear! Ooh, crumbs!

Tut-tut!

I think... I think we're probably looking at a best price there of 25.

25?! I thought you were going to say 20.

-I'd pay £20 for it, I really would.

-20?

-Yeah.

-Go on, then, £20.

-Happy with that?

-Yep.

And with that, Charles and Charlie's bumper Tarporley spending spree

draws to a happy close.

-Enjoy the chocolates.

-Thank you, I will, Charlie. Thank you. I will.

-Lovely to see you.

-All the best.

-Good luck.

-It's been delightful.

-I'm gonna win!

-Good luck!

Lovely ladies, lovely buys.

Expensive chocolates.

With only £10 left in his budget,

Charles Hanson is in no pressing rush to shop this afternoon.

So he's already in the car, driving the 33 miles

over the Welsh border to Llangollen, Denbighshire.

He's going to take a look around the fascinating house, Plas Newydd.

-Afternoon!

-Hello!

-How are you?

-Good, thank you.

-I'm Charles Hanson.

-Hello, Charles.

-Nice to meet you.

He's meeting heritage assistant Gail.

The house is a museum dedicated to the lives of two extraordinary former inhabitants.

"The ladies of Llangollen", as they were known,

living here together in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby.

They came here in 1780.

They were here for 49 years.

-May we go in?

-Please do. Come in.

The pair lived here, sharing a bed and a loving companionship

which scandalised some members of their Georgian and Regency society,

but also drew many famous friends to visit them,

including poets Byron, Shelley and Wordsworth.

The ladies were high born, but rejected their aristocratic backgrounds

to live a life dedicated to learning, art and nature.

This incredible house is their enduring legacy.

So really, the story of this house, dwelling,

-revolves around two ladies.

-Yes.

Well done, Charles(!)

The ladies put their artistic stamp on the house,

most strikingly in these wooden embellishments.

Both ladies came from aristocratic Anglo-Irish families.

They got together. They came here, they left their homes?

Yes, it was termed as an elopement. They "eloped" from Ireland

and the two met through their love of literature.

Tell me about them, as ladies.

As ladies, very courageous, very brave for their times.

They knew what they wished to achieve out of life.

What they wished to do with their lives was better themselves,

educate themselves and beautify their surroundings

and live closer to nature.

The couple were also interested in art and design.

They remodelled this property from a traditional farmhouse

into this extraordinary Gothic style.

Their vision leaves us a unique home.

What a wonderful place to elope to.

I look in this hallway, Gail, and all this oak panelling

really reflects a romance for the past.

It's a collage of carvings, a mosaic, really, it's become,

but of old furniture and ecclesiastical carvings.

This is the roof of a four-poster bed,

which is quite incredible.

We've got coffers, blanket chests and so on,

that have been cut up and assembled here with the help of a local joiner.

The ladies had the idea and the eye for the design.

We also have lots of stained glass, if you'd like to come through.

Mind your head, Charles!

Tell me about the stained glass.

It's done in the same style, really. A mosaic of stained glass pieces.

They are. They're shards, aren't they?

You've got chins and eyes.

And strange pieces. Some pieces are even upside-down.

-Absolutely.

-But it's more to get the overall effect.

-Absolutely. They had a real passion for the past.

-Yes.

Which they've put back together in an ad-hoc way, which worked.

In their own style, yes.

Gail's taking Charles upstairs into the bedroom.

The ladies shared this until Eleanor's death in 1829.

Here we have the ladies' bedroom.

-Isn't it a gorgeous room?

-It is.

-Did they ever come out and say, "We're courting?"

-Oh, no.

-Were they very private?

-Very private about it.

The way we get an insight into the ladies' lives

is that Eleanor Butler kept a journal for many years.

In this, she calls Sarah her sweet, "my beloved", and so on,

and their terminology certainly shows that they had a great love for one another.

And that love and companionship is what life is all about.

And with that happy thought, it's time for Charles to hit the road.

Thank you ever so much for a wonderful visit.

Meanwhile, Charlie Ross has travelled to Tilston in Cheshire,

where he's keen to hunt for more buys.

-Hello.

-Hello! Sally, is it?

-Yes, it is.

-Charlie.

-Hello, Charlie.

Sally's got something that might just capture Charlie's heart.

This little piece is unusual. Did you notice that?

No!

You'll have to educate me here.

Sally wasn't quite sure what the object was,

until she found a newspaper cutting

relating to the theft of a similar piece.

I didn't know what it was for, then I found this little thing

which says...

-"Artichoke cup stolen".

-Yes.

-Sally! Really!

-Not this one! I didn't! I promise!

It's an unusual little object, isn't it?

-A Chinese artichoke cup.

-Yes.

-Would you get a whole artichoke in there?

-I think you'd just put the heart.

-Just the heart.

-Just the heart.

-What a glorious object!

-It's like a little Chinese hat, isn't it?

-It looks like it, yes.

Yes, you look charming, darling!

Suits you!

What a lovely thing. That's just so gorgeous.

And it hasn't even got a price on it.

Well, it's rather special, isn't it? £45 because it's a damaged top.

-Is that all it is?

-Yes.

-I could fool Charles Hanson, my opponent, with that.

My worry was him, how he jumps up and down.

He's have broken the whole lot. You're lucky he's not here, to be honest.

Oh, Sally!

What was that you were saying, Charlie?

I did a Hanson!

It landed on the rug!

Thank God for that!

Anyway, it's been damaged before.

I don't care! My heart!

Charlie didn't break it, but he is going to buy it.

I'm not going to ask you what your best is, because it was £45 and I think that's reasonable.

-We have a deal.

-We have a deal.

-And I love it.

-Hanson will like it.

-Hanson will be jealous, I reckon!

He will be jealous! How delightful!

Delightful indeed.

Buying fever is upon Charlie today,

so he's off to Chester, Cheshire.

The city's historic buildings sing of the past.

Let's hope he can find something shiny to buy in this frankly-named antique shop.

-Peter?

-Yes.

-Charlie.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you.

-OK.

Charlie's spent £107 today,

so he's still got £93 in his pocket.

Thinking of the auction in Manchester,

Charlie's decided to put Peter's canny local knowledge to use.

Over to you. Pull me something out that you think that you can sell me that I'll make a profit.

And Peter, if it makes a profit,

I will sing your name...

-from the rooftops.

-Listen.

Peter's got an early 20th century American coffee percolator.

Complete. Nothing missing on it.

Dated on the bottom with the patent numbers to 1906.

Something you can make money on, especially in Manchester.

How many coffee bars would like to put that in their coffee bar?

How, in Manchester, a trendy city...

A trendy coffee bar would like that.

Well, but now - how much is it?

-If you didn't turn a profit on that at £20.

-What?!

-You're not selling me that for 20 quid?

-I'll do it for 20.

Huh! That's woken you up, Charlie. What a bargain!

That's really fantastic.

Be still, my beating heart!

But I'm trying to beat that Hanson, and frankly, that's my way forward.

You'll do it with that.

I'm sorry. It's not a lot of money, is it?

-Listen, it's money.

-It's money.

-At least I hope it is!

Oh, that's real!

I should hope so.

And with that zinger of a deal,

Charles' and Charlie's jam-packed first day ends on a high.

Night-night, chaps!

Right, it's the start of a new day on the Road Trip.

The boys are just outside Chester and about to head for the shops.

But things are not off to a roaring start.

GEARS GRATE

Like a lady. Treat it like a lady.

I can't get it into gear. I doubt it's the gear box.

I think the clutch... If the clutch has gone...

Calamity!

Trust me. I know just about enough about cars

to know that this is not gonna work.

So we're what, a mile outside Chester?

This is a pickle. But wait, who's that on the horizon?

By pure chance, a big fan of the Road Trip appears in the car park.

Our car has stopped working.

-Hello, sir. How are you?

-Hello!

-Very nice to see you!

Very nice to see you!

Lovely Peter, the Road Trip fan,

agrees to give them a lift to the shops.

Good golly. Those lucky Charlies have charmed their way out of yet another jam.

Thank you, Peter.

So far, Charles has spent £190 on just two lots.

The cherub table lamps

and the maritime mantel clock with barometer,

leaving him only a meagre £10 to spend today.

While Charlie's already amassed five lots at a cost of £127.

The Sorrento-ware hand mirror,

the rosewood sewing box...

..the Arts & Crafts wall pocket,

the brass percolator

and the Chinese artichoke cup.

Which leaves him with £73 in his pocket.

-Bye, Peter!

-This way, Charlie.

-Bye!

-Bye, Peter!

-What a great guy.

Thanks to Peter, they're finally in Chester city centre.

Now, if they can just find their antiques shops...

-Charlie, come on!

-Slow and steady wins the race.

-Look. "Welcome to Chester."

-Know the story of the tortoise and the hare?

-Yes.

-Yes. Just slow down.

You're like Romeo up there! Come on.

Look at him. Always running!

Charles has hared away from Charlie the tortoise

and off towards K.D. Antiques.

He's meeting old chum Calvin.

Last year, Charles went on an epic buying spree in this very shop,

putting almost £100 in Calvin's till.

His budget this time is rather more modest.

What I'm looking for is something that might just cost me

-£10 or thereabouts.

-OK.

And what I intend to do today, to be completely blunt with you,

is I'm going to take your object

and then try and build on it.

-And swap it...

-With other dealers?

-Exactly. With your blessing.

OK.

Further to this master plan,

Charles thinks he's found something he can trade up.

It's an auctioneer's gavel. Isn't that wonderful?

-A pocket gavel.

-Isn't that neat?

Ticket price is £14. What can Calvin let it go for?

-Five pounds.

-Five pounds.

Going once, going twice, going, gone.

-That's it, Calvin.

-Well done.

-Thanks, Calvin. That's great.

The cunning Charles has another buy, and he's off to see if he can trade it up.

Meanwhile, Charlie is nearby in another shop

where the delightful young Rachel is helping him.

That's taken my eye. Gosh, that's fabulous, that bread fork.

-Yeah, it's lovely. It's an unusual item, really nice...

-Glorious!

The quality of that!

Yeah, it's beautiful.

That's a fabulous item.

It's a Victorian silver-plated bread fork

used for serving bread or rolls at a formal dinner.

There's £27 on the ticket.

There's probably a little bit of trade in that, isn't there?

-I could probably tweak you a bit.

-You could tweak me a bit.

I could probably do that for you for about £23.

Fantastic quality.

If I made those, I'd want to put my name on them.

Terrific. Charlie pays £23 for the bread fork

and he's got his last lot for auction.

But his problems aren't over.

He wanted to spend this afternoon at a museum about half an hour away,

but with the Triumph still caput, how will he get there?

Our car's broken down, so I have to get a cab.

-I'll hitch in the rain.

-My husband is in Chester today

-and I'm sure he could drop you off en-route.

-Is he not working today?

-No, he's got a day off.

-That would be brilliant!

-OK.

What service, eh?

Charlie's off to meet Rachel's husband Matt just around the corner.

It's Charlie's second miscellaneous man in a car park,

and it's not even lunch time!

A-ha!

Would you be, by any chance, Matt?

Hi, Charlie, how are you?

-This is really kind of you.

-No problem. Glad to help.

Charlie and the Good Samaritan, Matt,

are heading for Northwich, about 18 miles away.

The area around Northwich has been famous for producing salt

for many hundreds of years,

and this afternoon, Charlie's going to learn why.

-Matt, thank you very much indeed.

-Not a problem. Have a good day!

-All the best!

-Bye, now.

Gosh, aren't people nice, eh?

Charlie's heading into the Weaver Hall Museum

which tells the salty story of the region's past.

He's meeting community and education officer, Tom.

-Ah, Tom?

-Yes. Very pleased to meet you.

-Today, I'd rather be down a salt mine, it's so horrible out there!

-You want to find out about salt.

This area is built on salt,

literally and figuratively.

And it's brought the local people both prosperity and misfortune over the centuries.

My word. Tom, before we get into all this,

I need to start at the very beginning.

-Can I take you back 220 million years? Is that far enough?

-How long?

-If we've got time...

-I was thinking Roman times! 220 million years?

At that time, what is now Cheshire was a very salty sea

which dried up, and over those millions of years,

has left behind that, which we call rock salt.

If you don't believe me, lick your finger, rub on there, and have another lick.

-I'd better not actually lick that.

-Don't do that.

Ha, good advice, Tom.

Most of that is salt. So if you have water running underground over the top of that,

instead of your spring being fresh drinking water,

it comes out very salty. But we can make something of it.

We can make the beginnings of salt, something people have been doing for over 2,000 years in Cheshire,

back to the Iron Age.

Salt would be produced by evaporating the water from this natural brine.

Behind them is a pan used to do this. That dates from the medieval period.

A medieval pan, so only 1,000 years old. But still old enough!

Salt was produced in this way for many hundreds of years.

In the 19th century, a new technique for extracting salt was pioneered.

Water was pumped underground, dissolving the mineral.

This was a boon for the industry, but became a curse for the town.

-I wanted to show you some effects of the salt industry on the town.

-Yes.

One of the worst effects it had was subsidence, or as some people say, sub-SI-dence,

and it's the collapse of the ground

-when they took too much salt from underneath.

-Of course!

The subsidence problems caused by salt extraction

came to a head in the late 1800s.

Most famously in Northwich, the Castle Street subsidence.

We see where a whole house has tipped backwards.

That's absolutely extraordinary,

that the house is still more or less intact!

This is as a result of the unique architecture they came up with.

That was to have a timber frame that would hold the bricks together.

So if the building tipped, the wooden frame held the bricks in place

and the glass in the windows, and they could jack the whole thing back up again!

This destructive kind of salt extraction has now ended.

but the area continues its tumultuous relationship with the mineral.

Rock salt is mined nearby to this very day

and with thanks to Tom for his "seasoned" knowledge...

-It's been absolutely fascinating.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much. Bye!

..it's time for that old salt, Charlie, to hit the road.

Charles is still back in Chester

and is about to try his luck in the shop where Charlie Ross bought his percolator yesterday.

His plan is still to swap the gavel he bought earlier,

along with the lonely fiver still in his pocket,

for an item that might make more at auction.

Will canny Peter take the bait?

Peter, the first question is, do you like it?

-I love that. It's fantastic.

-Do you really?

Chester's storeyed streets have given Charles a taste for the ancient today.

When you're in Chester, you want to... You just get a feel

and you want something historic.

Peter has some genuine archaeological finds

that might fit the bill - a number of medieval rings.

In the main, these are British finds - metal detectorists, archaeologists.

-This one here was found in the Thames.

-Really?

Fairly recently.

It's a fertility ring dating from way back in the 1100s.

That's a medieval bronze ring, almost a love token, in the shape.

-I think so, yes.

-With that heart.

-With that heart shape, yes.

-What a wonderful ring.

So that is a beautiful little medieval ring, 12th century.

Now that, Peter, is priced at £45.

But would that ring

be a viable swap for my gavel?

-With the fiver.

-With the fiver.

-That you've got in your pocket.

-I've got five pounds left over.

-Five pounds as well.

-It's a good deal for you.

-It's a good deal for me, absolutely.

Thanks again. Look after the gavel, OK?

See you, Peter. Bye!

And with that buy, our lads are ready to reveal their purchases to one another.

Go on, then, Charlie. I can't wait!

I like your array. No, I really do.

But what I want to go to, Charlie, first of all

is this small jar and cover here.

-Is it a custard cup and cover?

-Artichoke.

-Is it really?

-For the heart of an artichoke.

-That's a really rare object, Charlie. I love it.

But all importantly, I suspect you probably paid £45.

-How much was it?

-£45.

-No, it wasn't! No, it wasn't! Really? No!

Bang on the money, Charles.

No wonder you're a valuer!

-I love the rosewood box.

-It's got its original interior.

I bought it on price.

-I like it.

-It is what it is.

-And this is a patent coffee percolator.

-What a lovely object.

-I thought it was quite quirky having coffee through a tap.

-Great object.

-Cost 20.

-No, it didn't!

-That's better.

-That's a really good thing.

Very complimentary.

-Now, I, Charlie, I bought three things.

-Yep.

Charlie, you do look impressed(!)

They're chipped plaster!

Ghastly!

The best thing to do here, I think,

is to sell the shades.

Throw those away and sell the shades.

-They are outrageous.

-They are outrageous.

-They're like you!

-Don't you like them at all?

-No.

I get the feeling you're not too keen on them, Charlie!

-But this.

-Isn't that gorgeous?

-I think it's amazing!

High praise!

-What did that cost?

-That was 125.

That is as nice as those are dreadful!

-Charlie, this ring is circa 1180.

-Yeah.

And it was fished out of the Thames in March 2012.

-That's real history, isn't it?

-It certainly is. How much was it?

I only had today £10 left over.

So I had to trade hard. So I bought a gavel for a fiver.

I went to see Peter. I had a five pound note.

He was very happy to do a deal where I gave him the gavel and a fiver

and in return, he gave me that ring.

Well done, old man. Well done.

That's all very sportsmanlike.

But when their rival's back is turned,

which lots do they like most and least?

Charles's dreadful lamps.

But his fantastic clock and barometer,

which I think is shop of the week, frankly.

That percolator, again, to me, Charlie, it's a knobbly nick-nack.

You've changed your tune, then!

Come on, buddy, let's get away with this £20 lot which might make a tenner.

Don't buy something because it's cheap.

Buy with a passion. Buy because you adore it.

Like you adore those cherubs, eh, Charles?

I'm very happy with my purchases.

If I had the choice now of swapping any of his for mine,

I would swap...none of them.

Confidence from the young upstart, eh? Off to the battlefield, then!

On this first leg of their Road Trip,

our happy Charlies have travelled from Tarporley, Cheshire,

to arrive at their auction in Manchester.

Batten down the hatches! Profit, here we come!

With the Triumph back on the road, they're off!

A modern cultural power-house rising from its proud industrial past,

Manchester's a vibrant UK city that needs little introduction.

What was the industry in Manchester?

-Oh...

-Textiles?

Ohhh!

Apart from to Charlie, it would seem!

Venerable auction house Capes Dunn

has been serving the city for 180 years.

Today, auctioneer Caroline Lane will be wielding the gavel.

But before she faces the crowd,

what does she think of our lads' buys?

I think they are a fun, eclectic group of items.

The cherubs, they're nice, attractive things.

Are they antique? Possibly not.

They look like they could have been made 20 years ago.

What about the coffee percolator?

We unpacked it and went, "Crikey! This has been cleaned within an inch of its life."

It's a shame, because it doesn't show much of its age.

It's a nice thing. It's quite pretty.

Charles and Charlie both started this Road Trip with £200.

Charles Hanson has spent the full whack on just three lots.

Charlie Ross, meanwhile, has assembled six lots at a cost of £150.

Battle is about to commence.

First up is Charlie's Sorrento inlaid mirror.

How will it reflect on his buying acumen?

Who will bid me £10 for this lot?

Surely £10? It's here to sell.

Thank you. £10 seated here on the front.

Thank you very much. Here at £10. Any more?

Surely? Thank you. £15.

15 there. Any advance with the gentleman on my right at £15.

-Well done.

-Are we all sure at just 15?

Charlie's off to a solid start.

Next up, another for Charlie

as his rosewood box faces the crowd.

He had to woo the dealer with choccies to get it,

but will it seduce the sale room?

Start the bidding with me at £15.

Looking for 20. 20 at the back of the room.

25. Thank you. 30.

35 on my right. If we're all sure at £35.

Oh, dear. The cost of the chocolates tips the scales.

Bad luck, Romeo!

Without the chocolates, a profit. With the chocolates, a loss.

Now, the first for Charles Hanson.

His 12th-century fertility ring.

Will it bear fruit?

A rare 12th century fertility ladies' bronze ring.

-Ooh, I say.

-Circa 1180.

-Bit of fertility.

-It's history, Charlie.

-Yes.

I'm going red!

I think my parents would like me to get one of these!

Lot 33, with me at £10.

-Come on.

-It's already in at ten.

-Thank you. 15. 20.

25. 30.

35.

40. With the lady seated here at £40.

Any more? 45. Back in, sir. Thank you.

We're at 45 now. One more?

One more? No?

I can't tempt you. 45 with the gentleman seated.

If we're all sure at £45.

The sale room gets a giggle, and it's a profit for Charles.

One for Charlie, now.

Here's his American percolator. Can it build up a head of steam?

I will start the bidding with me at £15. With me at just 15.

20. 25 now. 30. 35.

40 now. With the gentleman at £40.

-Brilliant.

-Up a bit.

-Brilliant.

-Are we sure?

Just £40. If we're all sure at 40.

-45 just in time.

-Oh, yes!

45 with the gentleman standing. 50. Thank you.

At £50, if we're all sure at 50.

Splendid. I love that auctioneer!

She's doing you proud, Charlie.

-Coffee?

-Don't.

-Coffee? Coffee?

I think you might have had too much of the stuff, Charlie.

Now Charles's gamble.

The, er, decorative cherub lamps.

Tell me now, you don't actually like them, do you?

No. No.

-With me at £20.

-Oh, no.

-Far too much.

25. 30. 35 now. In the room at 35.

-40 on my right.

-What?!

-45 here.

-Keep going.

50. 55.

-Good grief, sir!

-Keep going!

-How dare you?

-One for the road!

65. 70.

70 on my right. 75.

-Oh!

-75 with the gentleman on my left.

-Good man, sir.

£75. Any more? If we're all sure at 75?

-80 just in time.

-Yes!

-Oh!

-80 just in time.

-One more.

85. Thank you.

85 now.

It's a wack business.

Any more? 85.

Good man, sir. Thank you very much.

Manna from heaven for the young pretender,

as he steals the lead.

Well done, old bean!

And now Charlie's silver-plated bread fork.

Who'll start me for this lot? £15?

-Who'll start me 15? Thank you.

-Oh, madam!

20 I have. The gentleman seated. 25. Thank you. 25 I have.

With the lady seated on my right at 25.

If you're all sure, I will sell at 25.

-Well done.

-Lovely taste, madam.

Marvellous taste.

It just about holds.

But that's a small loss for Charlie after auction costs.

Charles is still in the lead.

Next is Charlie's Arts & Crafts wall pocket.

I have interest with me and it starts at £30.

The bid is with me at 30. 35 and I'm out now.

35 on my right. 40 if you'd like. Thank you, sir.

No? £40 with the gentleman standing.

Not bad, but I still think it could do a bit more.

Any advance? All sure? Nice example.

All sure at just £40?

Very respectable.

And Charlie sneaks ahead of the young buck.

You know your stuff, Charlie.

The artichoke cup Charlie nearly broke is next.

Does a smashing profit await?

I have interest. It's with me at £50.

With me at 50. I'm moving into the room.

-# Do-dee-dee! #

-Well done, Charlie.

Any more?

-Come on!

-Well done.

-My bid at just £50.

-Seems cheap.

-It does.

-I will sell at £50.

-Well done, Charlie.

-Could we do one more?

Hmm. The auctioneer clearly had faith in it,

but it fair choked with the crowd.

Yo-ho-ho.

So, everything rests on Charlie's much-admired maritime time-piece. Will it take sail?

-A novel Edwardian gilt-metal...

-Wonderful thing. This is it.

-I have interest.

-Ooh.

I can start the bid with me at £80. With me at £80.

-That's a good bid.

-With me at £80.

-A nominal bid.

-Keep going.

-The bid is with me at 80.

Ohhh.

Any more on this lot? Seems cheap. It's a nice thing.

-With me at just £80.

-Unbelievable.

We're all sure? I will sell at just 80.

Oh, dear! Despite those high hopes,

it fails to float.

Hard game, isn't it?

It's a hard game, bean.

I've had so much luck on my Road Trip.

I need some bad luck. And that's bad luck.

Graceful in victory,

but noble in defeat.

Was there ever a pair like 'em?

So the distinguished Charlie Ross takes the day

with a steady accumulation of profit.

Tortoise one, hare nil.

Charles Hanson started this leg with £200.

After paying auction costs, he made a stinging loss of £27.80.

He begins the next leg with £172.20.

Charlie Ross also started with £200.

He made a reasonable profit of £26.30

and starts next time with £226.30.

-I've just been talking to the man that bought your fertility ring.

-Yes?

"I like this", he said, "but it's a bit late for me."

It's never too late on the Road Trip.

On to the next leg, boys.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

the boys go from Chesterfield to Grantham.

Charlie finds something he simply must have.

-I want that. I want that!

-You have it.

And Charles will literally do anything to seal the deal.

The car. The car needs washing. Anything else?

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd