Episode 9 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.

-Going, going, gone.

-Yes.

Hello!

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

Yes!

There will be worthy winners and valiant losers.

I'm going to try and win.

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

-The sun shines on the brave, doesn't it?

-Exactly.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

It's the third leg of our road trip in the West Country,

with Tom Scott and Phil Serrell.

-Do you know what I love about a road trip?

-Go on.

-The weather.

-This is just right. Lovely, isn't it?

-A little bit of soft top.

Shouldn't we have gone down there?

Part-time Lancia navigator Phil,

from Worcester, is an auctioneer by day, with a wealth of knowledge.

That's a fairly grotesque bit, isn't it?

Dealer Tom, from the county of Rutland,

may have only just slipped behind the wheel

but he is already proving to be a smart, speedy

and extremely determined chap.

Watch out, Phil, he means business.

Done.

I got quite excited when they said to me,

"We've got this new chap coming on. He hasn't done it before."

-I thought, "That will be all right."

-This is my first time.

-Get out.

"Your cheque is in the post and I will still love you in the morning."

I've heard all that!

Well, Tom started out with £200 and he has managed to increase that

to £220.24,

whilst Phil also began with £200

but has a slim lead with £240.08.

I'm going to blow the lot on clotted cream and pasties.

That should even things up.

Our trip begins at the far south-west corner of Britain,

at St Buryan, before wending its way around several counties,

but always hugging the coast, to reach Wareham in Dorset.

On this leg, we're starting out in Cornwall, at Lostwithiel.

After a brief excursion into Devon,

ending up back there for the auction as well.

"Lostwithiel. Ancient stannary town." What's a stannary town?

Well, any number of things to do with tin mining in Cornwall

and Devon actually.

Lostwithiel was the administrative centre of a mining area

where tin coinage was once collected

for the Crown or the Duchy of Cornwall.

-This is lovely, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-There we go.

-Let's go. See what we can find.

-We've got some nice bits.

-Good, mate.

-See you later. Have a good day.

Take care.

-Hello. How are you?

-I'm fine, thanks.

Not only will the auction be a general sale,

so no rock ephemera, please, but it will be just down the street.

Mike, though, might be able to point Phil at something

he can see a profit in.

I like this mirror.

-Don't give me a price on it yet, but is that by anybody?

-No, it's not.

It's just a nice design. The shape is right.

It fits in with that mid-century look.

I would see that making 20 to 40 quid,

something like that, in an auction.

I think Mike just realised what Phil will be offering.

-Can I have a look at the back of it?

-Yeah. It's quite hefty.

-It looks to me like it's come out of Star Trek.

-It does, it does.

It's got the right look.

I can just see that in Mr Spock's living quarters.

Logical!

Could you do that for ten or 15 quid?

-I'd do it for 15. I couldn't go any lower.

-That's all right.

I'm going to buy that off you for 15 quid. I think...

In the right auction,

I would hope that that could make 50 or 60 quid.

General sale around the corner. Don't get carried away.

I think that's a bit of fun. I quite like that.

OK, Tom's turn.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-You must be Judith.

-Yes.

-Tom.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Hello.

So far this week, Tom has sniffed out something in no time flat.

He seems to have relaxed a bit this morning, though.

This is another piece of wood. I love bits of wood.

It's just a beech rolling pin. I love that, though.

A couple of terracotta plant pots.

They are pretty recent, obviously, but they are quite nice.

It's good as a pair.

The ticket price on these is £28.

They are worth a quick go.

Perfect for a general sale.

Good seasonal piece as well.

He's definitely getting the hang of it.

Something like these eight glasses up here, these are quite fun.

These eight...

They are quite fun. Very, very fine.

They could be quite good.

The ticket price is £18.

Time to speak to Judith.

You've got a pair of terracotta garden urns upstairs.

You've got £28 on them.

I know what you're going to ask for.

Interesting.

-How about 20?

-Exactly.

-Can we do 20?

-We'll say 20.

Perfect. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

To help the deal, because you've given me that little more off,

-you've got another little set of eight green glasses...

-Glasses.

..up on the shelf. Those are quite fun. Those are on at £18, I think.

He would go down to 15 but definitely no more.

-Because they are worth it.

-That's fair.

-So we could do the two for 35.

-Yeah.

-Perfect.

-Right.

-Two purchases. Done. Thank you very much.

I'd better get you some money.

So, with his younger rival off to another good start,

what's the next move for the silver fox?

Aye aye...

-Hello, how are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-Good, good.

Can I have a grapefruit juice, please?

With at least ten antique shops to choose from, why come here?

You've got some interesting bits hanging on the walls or whatever.

Can I tempt you to flog any of those to me?

Well, it depends how much you offer, but, yeah.

-Story of my life, that is.

-That's it.

-I'll have a look round.

-OK.

Here we go.

That's quite interesting because this would have hung on a bar

over a fireplace not too dissimilar to that.

And by adjusting this,

you have a saucepan or a pan on the bottom or a kettle

and you could've adjusted this up and down

so that it was either really low on the fire or higher or.

Oh, right.

Jackie, my budget is little, all right? And I mean really little.

-We are talking a few pounds here, not big time.

-Okey-dokey.

And I think that bit of metal is interesting.

You've got two of those, haven't you? You might not miss one of those.

-Right, yeah.

-Is there anything outside we could have a look at?

-Yes.

Now, for a trip up the beer garden path.

I like that.

-Don't suppose you've got another one, have you?

-I'm afraid not.

She's a pub landlady, Phil, not a scrap-metal dealer.

That has come off something like a railway porter's trolley. Yeah.

-I think it's a bit of fun.

-Yeah.

This is really mean. Can I give you a fiver for the two? A fiver.

-Is that all?

-I am mean.

I don't know how to show a girl a good time.

-Go on, then, a fiver will do.

-You're an angel.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you. I'll get myself a drink with that.

I'll pay for mine first.

Well, for a price like that, it's hard to go wrong,

whatever those old lumps make.

Ideally what I'm looking for is someone at the auction room who

has a saucepan that they want to warm over a fire, and a one-wheel trolley.

Well, good luck, Phil.

Meanwhile, they are back on the road,

heading east from Lostwithiel towards Liskeard.

-Is that my shop there?

-Oh, there you go.

-That looks all right.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Get in there, mate.

-Have fun.

-Yeah, have a good time.

-See you later.

-Bye.

-Hi, how are you?

-Fine, thanks. Welcome to Liskeard.

-Yeah, cheers.

-Good to see you. How are you doing?

-Yeah, really good.

Bay Tree Trading doesn't sell trees.

Not many traditional antiques here either.

Just the job for Phil then.

I think the term is second-hand.

It's not often that I'm speechless, but I am.

Hang on. Has Alexis got something?

Nice piece of Doulton plate. Absolutely perfect.

18th-century Royal Doulton.

-That's not 18th-century. That's about 1930.

-1930, is it?

Made in England - anything that's got Made in England, it's 20th century.

There we are.

Oh, dear. Good luck, Phil.

But while Phil struggles, Tom motors on,

heading south-east from Liskeard to St Germans...

..to visit an ancient and magical home.

It's beautiful, this, isn't it?

Little bit bumpy for the old Lancia but...

It's going to be an impressive view when we get round this corner,

I think.

Port Eliot has been the home of the Eliots of St Germans

for 500 years and Tom's here to see

a few of its accumulated treasures, with the lady of the house.

-Lady St German.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-A pleasure to meet you. I'm Tom.

-Lovely to see you.

-Thank you so much for having me at this wonderful house.

-Come in.

Not forgetting Roo and Lark.

The nation's oldest continually inhabited dwelling

and now open to the public every summer, Port Eliot is vast,

with over 100 rooms and an air of faded grandeur about each one.

The house might almost have inspired Gormenghast.

I think one of the things I love about Port Eliot

and it's known for is its patina.

It's an extremely old house

and it really hasn't been redecorated for several generations.

For example, this wallpaper is 19th-century.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

It's green, as you can see,

and the green dye contained arsenic and people died from this wallpaper.

-Of course. But we'll be OK today.

-You should be. Yes.

There is no recorded cases of anyone dying from the wallpaper here.

During the Middle Ages, Port Eliot really was a flourishing port

and an Augustinian priory.

But in the 18th century the Eliots employed landscape painter

Humphry Repton to build a dam

and create what is now a Grade I listed park and garden.

Now it's a perfect, perfect classical landscape.

-It's a kind of pastoral ideal, and it does change hourly.

-Yes.

And also, it would have been a bit inconvenient

-to have to wait for the tide to get home.

-It's a bit of a wait.

Yes, it would have been every 12 hours you could have made it home.

Neoclassical architect Sir John Soane,

who designed the old Bank of England,

also got to work on the house at that time,

demolishing much that was medieval to create an enfilade.

Incredible, isn't it?

The first Baron Eliot, and the man who paid for that refit,

can be seen in this family portrait by Joshua Reynolds.

-He was a patron of Joshua Reynolds all his life.

-Right.

And Reynolds was so grateful to Edward Eliot that

when he died he left him his snuffbox, which we have here.

Which is beautiful.

And when Reynolds academics come here and they sit on the sofa

to study this picture and the others in the room,

if you give them this to hold and they open it,

they almost pass out

because they can't quite believe what they're looking at.

We're very lucky to have it here.

And if you're not keen on Reynolds, there's plenty more,

like the van Dyck in the morning room,

as well as several more modern works.

But the house's undoubted masterpiece is the huge mural

in Sir John Soane's round room.

-It is all incredible, isn't it?

-It's so powerful, the mural.

You actually can't read a book sitting in here.

-Yeah, it distracts you.

-Yes.

All you can think about when you're in here

is the mural and what it's saying.

The Riddle, by the controversial Plymouth-based artist

Robert Lenkiewicz, was commissioned in 1980

and took over 20 years to complete.

Hidden amongst the dragons and destruction

are several references to the family's history.

Every time I come in here I see something different.

-You suddenly spot something.

-I've just spotted a Harley-Davidson.

Absolutely, that's my husband's.

-He rode to Morocco on that in the '60s.

-Fabulous.

-And it gives you some sense of the scale of the room.

-Absolutely, yes.

You can lose a seven-foot-long motorcycle

in the corner of the room!

Thank you so much for showing me around.

-It's been absolutely brilliant.

-Maybe I should show you the way out.

-Do you mind?

-It's not that easy, it's not that straightforward.

Brilliant. Thank you.

Now, what's Phil been up to?

Last time we saw him he was a bit stuck.

An antique shop would be useful, though.

You've got to think laterally in this business.

Quite, Phil.

I suppose after his trip to the pub earlier,

anything is possible.

Time to get Owen over for a chat.

These barrels, are they ex-beer barrels or are they just barrels

that are made for garden centres?

They're whisky barrels, they are ex-whisky barrels.

If you've got a sensitive nose you can smell the aroma.

-Actually, you can smell some booze, can't you?

-Yes.

-That's fantastic.

THEY LAUGH

It's a bit like the pub all over again!

£20, £19.

-Can we take the best-looking one of the £19-ers?

-I would say...

-Well, that one looks quite nice.

-OK, can we take that out?

-Certainly.

Right, and to put in Sir's pot?

Now, what I want is something that looks really, really big

-and is really, really cheap.

-OK.

You could have something like a rhododendron.

Shorter, but it will fill out the container better.

I am not sure how Phil's big and cheap approach

would go down on our Gardeners' Question Time, but it's a plan.

So that's about the right size.

-Would it be possible to put some stuff in there?

-Er, stuff?

-Soil I guess is what we're looking for.

-Compost, yeah, we can do that.

And how much could you do that for?

So we've got the barrel, 19, the rhododendron is 25...

Could you do it for £20 the two, cos I'm stuffed?

-I, I, I, I think we could, yes.

-Thank you.

Shake hands. Let me get you some money out.

That's the quickest I've ever seen Phil move.

Look at that.

Back together again, our experts are heading into Devon

and to the Port of Plymouth.

You and I haven't done the same shop yet, have we?

No, mate, this is another new experience.

This is going to be tussles and tussles, isn't it?

They did say you're a very, very fair man.

Let me tell you, they lied.

-This is a brilliant little place, isn't it?

-This is really cool.

This looks quite something.

Hello, John.

This is the oppo, Tom.

Charming, Phil!

All right? Pleased to meet you.

Crikey! What to choose?

Ah, Phil's spotted something.

Can I get that down and have a look at it, please? I like that.

This is a Victorian woolwork piece of militaria,

relating to the Battle of Ladysmith and other battles.

The latest one was Ladysmith,

so we're talking about just before 1900.

Actually it's the Gloucester Regiment.

The Glorious Glosters were one of the most honoured units

in the British Army, although since 2005 they've merged

with some other regiments to become the 1st Battalion, The Rifles.

-What would that come for?

-35.

-And that's the death on that?

-That's the death.

OK, I'll have that.

I think Phil's mojo is definitely on the rise.

-Can I just have a look at that? What is that?

-It's a loudspeaker.

It's called the Sterling Baby, probably a 1910, 1920 early speaker.

I really like that.

What would that come for?

-I would do it for 20.

-OK.

If you put a light in there, wouldn't that make a great lamp?

Yes, it would, actually.

I suppose that could be described as a lamp bulb moment.

TING!

Two buys to Phil.

-I better give you some money.

-Yes, that would be good.

£55 the total.

-Thanks very much.

-Thank you very much.

Phil's finally content, it seems.

Time for Tom to get a turn with the proprietor.

What about Buddhas? You can't go wrong with Buddhas.

Too easy to reach, I think, John!

Tom's intent on a rummage.

-That's a camel saddle.

-You could convert that and stick a...

You could even turn it into a coffee table, couldn't you?

Or, if you had a camel...

That's great, isn't it? I like that.

What would you do something like that for?

-Has it got a ticket on it, actually?

-It does.

-What does it say?

-Do you want me to be honest or not?

-Yeah, tell me.

-It is at 75.

I'll do it for 50. How's that?

50's probably still a bit steep for me, but I do like it.

All right, 40. Now that I look at it in the light, I must admit,

it's not inspiring me either.

It's been through the wars, hasn't it?

I tell you what, I'd go for it at £30.

-OK, cheers.

-Deal. I like that, that's brilliant. Thanks, John.

Tom has jumped back into the Lancia with more shopping to do.

He's returning to Cornwall to the town of Callington,

with plenty of cash in his pocket too.

I've still got £150 left to get rid of, so, erm...

I'm sure we'll find something.

I still need a hairband.

Or maybe a haircut.

The little town of Callington is famous for its murals.

Pasties too.

-Afternoon.

-Good afternoon.

-Tom. Nice to meet you.

-Dave Williams.

Welcome to my humble emporium, Tom.

Despite its moderate size, Goldings has a good mix,

with a bit of Eastern promise too.

What is this, Dave?

-DAVE LAUGHS

-It's something quite rare.

Pick it up, it's very light.

Like a great big finial, isn't it?

DAVE LAUGHS

It's actually a rice container.

-I was going to say a rice container, OK.

-Made in Burma.

You'll see them in Burma still in use, by monks,

to get their daily rice ration.

But they're very much smaller than those.

The other useful fact is that the wood contains a particular

sort of resin which discourages any insects or rodents

who might have designs on your rice.

-We'll keep that one in mind.

-Mm-hmm.

Dave's also got a storeroom at the back. Might there be a bargain?

-Nice oval frames there.

-Very nice Regency frames there.

Very nice.

Dig 'em out for you.

They're prints by Angelica Kauffmann

that were extremely popular in that period.

Angelica Kauffmann was a Swiss-born artist

who was one of the only two female founding members

of the Royal Academy in 1768.

Where would you see these at? What would you do these for me at?

Make me a reasonable offer.

I'm probably looking at about £20 for the pair.

Phwooh.

Despite Dave's reaction, I think they're making progress.

Let's look at the rice container again.

I've got 85 on it.

It's a very unusual piece.

How about 85 for all three?

If I knew a little bit more about the sale,

then I'd be a little more...

..eager. But I'm just...

-Well, I bought it!

-I know you bought it.

But then again, I buy odd things.

That's the thing, you've got it in your lovely shop.

A steering wheel for an elephant.

Obviously(!)

That's an ankus.

You have got some brilliant little pieces lying around.

-Do you know how they use them?

-I'm assuming it's kind of...

Probably not very nicely, by the looks of that.

Hook that behind the elephant's ear. Either left or right.

Just give it a tug to tell it to go left or right.

I could have done with that with Philip earlier.

It would take more than that.

You're at 85, aren't you, with the rice container and the two frames?

Yup.

-You've got 30 on here.

-How about 100 for the four pieces?

-Well, I was going to say 90.

-Ooh. Painful.

-95.

-Shall we meet in the middle?

-92.50?

-Go on, you've got a deal.

Brilliant.

So, £62.50 for the rice pot and elephant goad,

plus £30 for the Kauffmann prints.

With the shopping done,

let's remind ourselves of what they've bought.

Phil began with £240.08, and he spent just £95

on five auction lots -

the regimental woolwork,

the Stirling baby horn,

the pan hook and wheel,

the Star Trek mirror,

and the barrel and plant.

Tom started out with £220.24,

and he spent £157.50, also on five auction lots.

The green glasses,

the rice container and elephant crop,

the Angelica Kauffman prints,

the terracotta urns,

and the camel saddle.

So now it's time to hit the road and head for auction.

After beginning in Lostwithiel,

the third leg will conclude at an auction

right back in Lostwithiel.

I wonder what Lostwithiel means.

Well, since you asked, Phil, it's reckoned to come

from an old Cornish expression meaning tail end of the woodland.

There was a battle here too, back in 1644,

probably not fought with elephant prods and rhododendrons though.

Up and at 'em, Tom-o.

Who's going to win, you or me?

Come on, let's get in.

Jeffreys have been here in Lostwithiel for almost 150 years,

so I suppose they must have sold a potted plant before.

The bad news for Tom, though,

is that two of his items have been damaged in transit.

He's lost one green glass

and the bamboo rice container has become even more misshapen.

Because Tom's items were insured, though,

the auctioneer's valuation guarantees a minimum payout -

£25 for the glasses and £50 for the rice device.

In charge of proceedings is auctioneer Ian Morris.

Phil's first into battle with his Glorious Glosters' woolwork.

I've got two bids of £20.

Exactly the same, and that's where we'll start with me, at £20.

£20, £20, 22, 22, 25, 28... £30?

At £28... 30, 32... 35? 35. 38? 38. £40?

-38 in the middle...

-That's good. Is that good?

-I'll tell you in a minute.

-..45. 48? £50? £50.

55, 60? 60. Five?

At £60 we bid, at £60, all done.

The buyer, 50, thank you.

First skirmish to Phil, well done.

That's record-breaking for me, that is.

Double-figure profit? Get in.

And speaking of things being broken, Tom's SEVEN green glasses.

£30 away? £20 away, very nice-looking.

£20? At ten, I'll take 12...

Be nice to get him over the 25.

At £16, 18 now? We all done? Going...and £16.

£16, to 184.

Just a pound more than he paid, but remember,

because they were damaged in transit,

the £25 insurance valuation applies.

So I would have made a pound, I've actually made ten.

I'm going to start breaking more of my stuff, I tell you,

it's the way forward.

How about Phil's horn?

-I think that's got real potential.

-I hope so, I hope so.

-I've got three bids, and I'm going to start at £40.

-Ooh, profit.

At £40, I'll take five.

45, £50, 55, £60.

£60 still with me, at 60. 65.

£70. Is it five? £70 still with me.

At £70...

£70. Five, no? We all done? At £70, to 729.

After all the angst, Phil's doing very well here.

-That's good, really good.

-Phew.

-Well done, mate.

Now for Tom's elephant steering device and damaged rice container.

Actually, I don't mind the bamboo pot,

it's the elephant steering wheel I can't quite get my head around.

There we are, that one's carrying a little bit of damage.

For those two together, can I say £50 away? £30 away? £20 I'm bid.

At £20 to get on then. 22, 25, 28, £30,

32, 35? 35, 38?

At £35 I'm bid. £35, are we all done?

At £35, to 721.

Thanks to the guaranteed insurance price of £50,

based on the auctioneer's valuation, the loss is nowhere near as heavy.

I think he really wanted the elephant steering wheel

and he's hoping in the next sale there's going to be

a set of brakes, wing mirrors and lights to go with it!

Time for Tom's frames. Prints too, if you like.

£50 away? £30 away? £30 I'm bid.

-Got bids in the book.

-£50, 55, 60. Five?

65. 65, bid's to the room, at £65...

-That's a good one.

-Good price, isn't it?

-65...65.

-That's better, Tom.

-I'm pleased with that cos it's...

-Don't rub it in, Tom.

It's a result, no need to labour the point.

Now for Phil's pub acquisitions.

That's the way forward,

you start buying lumps of metal, watch him try and bust that.

It's probably that what rolled into my boxes.

PHIL LAUGHS

-Can I say £20 away? £20? I've got £15 on the book.

-Get in.

18, 20, is it two? At £20 I'm bid.

£20 the bid, two or not?

Are we done?

I'll sell them at the £20.

-Nice little tenner profit.

-Lovely.

-Pleased with that.

Yes, almost anything would have been good.

It's your urns next, isn't it? How much is a Greek urn?

Not a lot these days. Not an awful lot.

Tom's looking for a couple of keen gardeners here.

Can I say £30 away? £20 I've got on the book.

Know what, I thought he said £200 there.

£30. 32, 35...38, £40.

-Bid's on the book.

-Is that it?

At 42 to my left. At 42 over there then, 45, no?

Done at 42, to 307.

Not bad. If only he'd stuck some rhododendrons in them.

-They were very cheap for somebody.

-Yeah. Sorry.

Phil's Star Trek mirror.

-DRAMATIC VOICE:

-How boldly will the bidders go?

-The retro-style oval and bevel wall mirror.

-Why, why, why, why?

Lovely wall mirror there, £30 away? £20 away? £10, pretty as a picture.

12, is it 14?

Isn't that Alexis from Bay Tree Trading?

22, 25? At 22, the bid's right in the middle. At £22, 25, no?

Absolutely flabbergasted.

That's made me a profit, how the hell is that?

Not out of this world, but better than some expectations.

Always knew that'd make a profit, always knew,

had confidence all the way through.

It's the one Lostwithiel's been waiting for -

Phil's plant and pot lot.

Very antique, it's a rhododendron, called the Rocket,

hopefully it will fly.

-I've got two bids very close together.

-Get in there!

I've got to start at £28.

-Get in there!

-At £28...

Are we done? £28 the bid, 30, no?

Both bids on the books, very close together. At £28. To buyer 79.

Should have bought two, shouldn't I?

Don't push your luck, Phil.

So, just Tom's camel saddle between Phil and a comfortable victory.

Wish me luck, mate, come on.

I do wish you luck actually, I do.

Not much, but a little bit.

Can I say £30 away? £20 away?

At £10, a bid, I'll take 12. 12, 14, 16.

Come on, come on, come on.

At 16, 18, 20. 22?

-22. 25?

-I think that's a bit harsh, mate.

-At £22, five, no? Going?

-Shocker.

-Going at £22.

An even bigger loss after auction costs means

the old hand triumphs again.

-Loser drives?

-All right, again. It's always me.

Tom began with £220.24 and, after paying auction costs,

he made a profit of £9.78, leaving him with £230.02.

Phil started out with £230.08

and, after paying auction costs, he made a profit of £69.

So he has £309.08 to spend next time.

-Well, there we go.

-Well done, Phil.

Perhaps wary of young Tom's capacity to fight back,

-Phil is not rubbing it in, though.

-Tenner up, aren't you?

-I am a tenner up.

-You're not a loser, Tom.

-A tenner up.

-Ooh, look out.

-Ay, we're off.

On the third leg, we're starting out near Dartmoor at Ashburton

before heading off round Devon

and arriving at an auction just up the road at Chudleigh.

The first town to elect a Monster Raving Loony candidate

to public office, Ashburton sits on the south-east corner of Dartmoor.

Now, one of my favouritest films was The Hound Of The Baskervilles

-with Peter Cushing.

-I like Peter Cushing.

-Was that on Dartmoor?

-It was.

And the Great Grimpen Mire in the Sherlock Holmes story

was inspired by the nearby Fox Tor Mire.

It's a nice little place, Ashburton.

This is really, really pretty along here.

-I love these hung tile clinkers.

-Clinkers.

-Clinkers.

Now, what can our detectives track down?

-You go that way and I'll go this way.

-See you later.

-Catch you later.

Phil's starting this leg with a generous £309.08.

This looks just like my sort of of shop, this.

Love things like this.

I mean, what the hell are you ever going to do with that?

This shop promises to be an Aladdin's cave...

-when he finally gets into it.

-Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep...

Actually, this is the ultimate... Hello?

HIS VOICE ECHOES That's scary!

Hello!

A pair of boat funnels. You can't argue with that.

£175. You can argue with that.

-Good to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-Do you know, I love your funnels.

-They're good. Just need the boat to go with them really, don't we?

-Yeah.

-Careful, Paula. Don't give him ideas.

-That's fun.

-Yes.

-Perfect weather for it as well.

-Don't hold your breath!

-Can I bring that in with me and have a look round?

-Course you can.

-Come and have a look round.

-How much is this?

That is £25 so the best would be about £20.

"About". I like the "about"!

"About" is cool with me. I can live with it.

You can start with "about".

-Let's put that to one side cos I can live with that - about.

-Right.

Who could blame you, Phil? There's so much more Shambles to enjoy.

No need to plump for anything yet.

Ah! He's sweet!

He's in a good mood.

Meanwhile, Tom's starting this leg with £230.02.

-Tom. Nice to meet you.

-Mike. Pleased to meet you, Tom.

I think Tom should enjoy himself at Ashton House.

Some of that old wood that he's very fond of,

as well as lamps and even the sort of bed he specialises in.

What a lovely shop!

Loads and loads of really, really nice pieces.

He has to buy for that general sale, though, and he knows it.

My goal has got to be to beat Serrell.

2-0 down is not a good start.

That's the spirit. Ah, a hanger. Don't get hung up on it, Tom.

That's a good curtain pole, isn't it? That's nice, isn't it?

-A bit of a beast, that one.

-It's a big 'un, isn't it?

I've got two dozen rings that go with it as well.

They're in very good condition, actually.

They are nice, aren't they? I like that a lot.

Might win in the big and awkward stakes

between me and Philip as well.

Nice.

How many people will be looking for one of those in Chudleigh, eh?

Nice oval frame. That's really nice. I like that.

Good bevelled glass.

Nice late... Kind of more turn of the century, but that's nice.

A few bits of damage, again,

but these are quite easy to sort out.

What's the price on this one?

£115.

I think on reflection he's serious about this one.

Time to talk to Mike.

-The very best I can do that is 85.

-85.

If I can twist your arm a little more...

..maybe getting to something around about 55.

Do you need to sit down or lie down?

-I'll come down to 70 but 55 is too far down.

-55 is too far.

-No. I can't do 55.

-How about 65?

-Deal?

-Deal.

-Brilliant.

Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Tom's off to his usual flying start but what of Phil

and those pricy funnels?

What I want is your ship funnels but they're not going to come, are they?

-Depends how you can persuade me.

-Hello.

Seems he's fallen in love with a nice pair of funnels.

I'd like to buy them for £40 and you're not going to sell them

-for £40, are you?

-No.

-What's the very best you could do on those?

The very best would be £80.

Still quite a lot of money, Phil.

I think they're lovely.

He's talking himself into this.

Here we go.

I would like to give you £50 for the two funnels

and £10 for that hamper, which is £60 for the two.

Cheeky!

-Is that your very last offer?

-Absolutely positive.

-£60 for those, there.

-Oh, go on, then.

You're an angel. I love you.

You've made that quite clear.

Right, the hamper might come in, I suppose.

Let's just hope Tom doesn't go equally bonkers in Etcetera.

-Hello.

-Hello, there.

-Hi, I'm Tom.

-Hello, Tom.

-Nice to meet you.

-And you.

Nice big frame.

See, that would make a brilliant mirror frame.

That is nice.

French sort of late 19th century.

Would have been a picture.

That's got real potential.

He's quite excited about that one.

Yeah, and at £200 that's worth having a chat with Moira.

I'd need to do something pretty spectacular

with the price to help me on that.

Time to adopt a poker face.

I spotted your carved French gilded frame upstairs.

Do you remember what price was on it?

It's on at £200.

I'm kind of looking about half that.

-Trying to get it to £100, really.

-Did my jaw drop open?

It did a little bit.

I'm not surprised, love!

It must be your lucky day, actually,

because it belongs to a dealer who has recently joined us.

She's actually on holiday in Bali at the moment

so I can't get hold of her.

She needs a little bit extra to spend.

-She has given me some discretion.

-OK.

-I think she would probably let it go at 100.

-Would she?

-Yeah.

-That has to be a deal. Thank you very, very much.

-You're welcome.

-I love it. I think that's going to be great.

-It's a lovely piece.

That's got some potential, I think.

Half price! Tom's got quite a deal, there.

That's it. Shopping done. That was an absolute bargain. I'm off, now.

Phil, though, is still on the premises.

What's he after in that back garden? Not a potted plant again, surely?

Oh, no. A pump trough.

Trust you to find things that aren't even in the shop.

So what is it? It's stone, isn't it?

That'll go nicely with those funnels.

I'll give you £50 for it.

You give me £70 and it's yours.

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

Fine. If you can lift it and carry it out...

No way, Jose!

65 and it's yours. Nobody else is going to have one, are they?

I tell you what, £55. Can you do that?

-Yeah, go on.

-You're an angel. Thank you very much indeed.

-Pleasure.

I don't know how I'm going to get that away from here.

First bend ze knees, ze back straight.

Oh!

Steady!

This is heavy.

Now, remember how close they are to Dartmoor?

It's time for Phil to head deep into the national park,

making his way from Ashburton to Princetown

and the Dartmoor Prison Museum.

This is my first time on Dartmoor

and I just think it's absolutely stunning.

Look at that - it's glorious! Absolutely glorious!

A Dartmoor pony! There's my first one, look!

It's a real, proper, genuine Dartmoor pony!

I think I might buy one for the next auction.

Do you want to get in my car?

See you, matey, bye-bye.

The free-roaming ponies belong in this wilderness

but the barren terrain can be tough for humans

so like Alcatraz, Dartmoor's environment

makes it difficult to escape from.

Nowadays, it's a working Category C jail

but Phil's here to learn about the time

it once held some of Britain's most serious offenders.

-Hi, you must be Jeff.

-That's right.

-Philip. How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-Good to see you.

-And good to see you. Welcome.

I feel a bit nervous about being here, in case I get locked up.

We've got a couple of spare cells!

The prison was first built over 200 years ago,

when Britain was at war with France.

Thousands of French prisoners who had been confined in derelict

prison hulks near Plymouth were then moved to this isolated spot.

But the modern history of Dartmoor began in 1850,

when it was commissioned for convicts.

Tell me, every museum has got a black museum. Have you got one?

-Yes.

-Can we have a look?

-Just round the corner. This way?

-After you.

The museum pulls few punches about how tough life inside can be.

Take this selection of confiscated weapons.

So, which is the oldest sort of device in here?

-It's the small weapon right in the middle.

-That's a weapon?

-That's a weapon.

-What would that have been used for?

Before 1932, a little hole that the prison officer used to look through

wouldn't have had a glass in it.

The person on the other side would be waiting for him to come

along and then...

-Bodge him in the eye.

-..bodge him in the eye.

Prisoners at Dartmoor worked hard, usually outside the confines

of the jail, breaking rocks,

clearing fields and building walls and paths.

That, of course, meant opportunities for escape,

although the forbidding countryside

would deter all but the most desperate.

Who's the most notorious escapee?

The most notorious escapee was probably Frank Mitchell.

He was one of the Kray gang.

Frank Mitchell, AKA the Mad Axeman,

escaped from Dartmoor in December 1966,

almost certainly with help from the Krays gang.

-We really think he was broken out of here for a publicity stunt.

-Really?

So the Krays could prove they could break somebody out.

-What happened to him then?

-11 days later, they shot him.

-Why?

We don't know. But at the trial, the Krays were found not guilty.

Picking that page there, from August through to December,

you had one, two, three, four, five, six, seven people try and escape.

-Was that a regular occurrence?

-Yes, it was.

Unless they've got somebody like Mitchell picking them up,

-they weren't going to be out for very long.

-That's amazing.

Those who failed in their escape attempt faced punishment

and in the basement of the museum is another grisly reminder

of what Dartmoor Prison life was once like.

-This is the A-frame.

-Yeah. That looks a right instrument of torture.

-It's a very fine example.

-That depends on your perspective.

-You stood here like this, did you?

-Yeah.

And your hands would have been strapped...

-There.

-There and there.

And your feet would have been strapped to the straps here

and then they would administer the beating.

Oh, Lord.

The flogging was done with this little item.

-That is a cat-o'-nine-tails.

-This is a cat-o'-nine-tails.

Did anyone ever have two lots of floggings?

One would put you off, wouldn't it?

Frank Mitchell is recorded to have received a flogging twice.

It's deterrent enough for me.

I'm going to shake you by the hand and thank you very much indeed.

Enjoyed it, but you half frightened me to death.

-Take care.

-Will do.

-I'm off!

Having broken out of Dartmoor, Phil's rejoined Tom

and they're heading for Okehampton.

This is the Okement River which runs through the town

and once drove its wool mills.

Makes quite a contribution to its name, too.

Wish me luck.

You'll be fine, mate. I'll see you later.

Yeah, drive carefully. Bye.

-Morning.

-Good morning.

-How are you, all right?

-Very well.

-Is it all right if I have a look round?

-Absolutely, help yourself.

Lovely, thank you.

Now what in this packed shop will catch Phil's eye?

A sign saying 50% off?!

I can't resist half price. I do like half price.

It's good stuff, half price is.

There's something in here I quite like.

-The old fire extinguisher?

-Yeah.

Ah, that looks familiar.

-My travelling companion, Tom, bought one of these.

-Oh, right.

And he thought it was fantastic.

But it only made a tiny profit.

-Nicer one than that, too.

-So you've got that at 34?

Yeah, so 17, but, again, anything in here is open to offers.

I got this wrong. I'm doing myself, here.

It's 24 quid, it says on there.

-Even less.

-So it's 12 quid?

-Yep.

He likes it here. More brass, though?

Those are nice. And this is a...

Do you know, I always get pestle and mortar mixed up.

Which one's which?

-One's pestle...

-That's the mortar.

It's quite a nice bit of spun brass.

Can I put that with that?

-I might be able to have a little bit of a brass lot.

-Absolutely.

That's 24.

So that's 12 and that's 12, but no reasonable offer refused.

-Absolutely, not in this room.

-The thing is, is it reasonable?

That's what we've got to think about.

OK, let's go and have a look, then.

He seems set on his little brass section.

I think at auction they're going to make...

perhaps 15-30 quid, the two, which mean's I've got to try

and buy them for somewhere between 5-10 quid.

-That's all I can do.

-Goodness me!

-It's mean as hell, isn't it?

But they were in the no reasonable offer refused section.

They were in the no reasonable offer.

Are we going to get to ten?

-Whatever you can do for me. I'm not going to...

-A fiver each.

-Can we do that? I'm happy with that.

-There we are, my love.

I wonder what Tom will make of Phil's fire extinguisher.

-Cheers!

-Bye!

Meanwhile, the man himself is pressing on...

..making his way east from Okehampton towards Crediton...

..the birthplace of St Boniface, the Apostle of Germany.

Morning.

-Ah, good morning.

-I'm Tom.

-Hello, Tom, nice to meet you. I'm Jim.

-Hi, Jim.

Ah, he's Jim and the shop's called James Antiques. Ha!

Tom's not got an awful lot of cash left,

but perhaps one of the smaller items might tempt him.

It's just a little barrel, isn't it? It would have had your tap on here.

Very little one, though, isn't it?

Another little bit of wood.

Good mallet.

It's £22.

I do like that.

In good working order. French, possibly, too.

That's all quite nice, isn't it? Nice little stool?

That's got quite a bit of age to it.

That's got to be early-mid 19th century, isn't it?

Very little.

Might also be French. Perfect for a milk maid.

Doesn't wobble too much, that's all right.

I'm drawn to these little bits of wood, aren't I?

Not many people are, that's the trouble.

Oh, it's a crying shame, Tom.

It's £28.

That's a possibility.

Time for a little entente cordiale.

-That's nice. That's got some stories.

-Lovely, yes.

You've got £22 on there.

Mmm-hmm.

What sort of friendly deal could you do for me,

bearing in mind I'm holding a mallet.

Yes!

How does 15 sound?

15 sounds better, but...

-..it's not great. I was hoping for a tenner.

-Oh-ho-ho!

12. How about 11?

-OK, you've got a deal.

-Deal on that one.

-Jolly good.

-That's nice, I like that.

One nailed.

So what can we do on here? You've got...

28.

Try 20 on that?

How about 25 for...

..the two?

I've got 11 here.

28.

Mallet versus stool, eh?

-26.

-Like scissors, paper, stone.

OK, we've got a deal.

-Brilliant, thanks, Jim.

-We won't argue over £1.

-That is brilliant.

So 26.

That's me done, four lots.

Let's hope I don't get hammered in the auction.

However, with more shopping on his mind,

Phil's commandeered the Lancia.

Charming(!) Just like a baby.

He's heading south west to Bovey Tracey.

This town is also named after its river - the Bovey, in this instance.

Hi, I'm Philip. How are you?

-I'm Tina.

-Good to see you.

You couldn't get much more in here, could you?

Yeah. You can hardly see the wood for the trees.

This is a nice mahogany mirror

and it's so far out of taste it isn't true.

Another mirror, eh?

With a price tag of £95.

Right, so what we've got here is a 19th century mirror.

This is made out of mahogany.

This is cross-banded in satinwood.

Do you remember Arthur Negus? "Beautiful dovetails.

"Wonderful dovetails."

Could you do that for 40?

-I wanted 48. I'll come down to 45.

-OK.

So, I think...

..I'm going to buy that off you.

So one mirror for £45 and Phil's done with a kiss.

Take care now.

With shopping done, what have they got?

Tom started out with £230.02, and he spent £191 on four auction lots -

the mallet,

the three-legged stool,

the oval mirror,

and the picture frame.

While Phil began with £309.08, and he spent £170 on five auction lots -

the dressing table mirror,

the fire extinguisher and brass mortar,

the picnic hamper,

the ship's funnels,

and the pump trough.

Does anything stand out?

A real good gamble is that frame,

because the most he could possibly lose on that is £30-40

and he might make 200 quid, so it's really going to be game on.

He could catch me up just in one item.

Thanks, Tom.

I'm confident that that frame is going to do really, really well.

Would be great to beat him at this auction.

He's 2-0 up at the moment, so I need to get one.

After beginning in Ashburton and almost circumnavigating Dartmoor,

today's trip will conclude at an auction in nearby Chudleigh.

-This is it.

-An ancient wool town.

-Perhaps we should have bought some wool.

-Should have done.

Poetry too.

The great 17th century poet John Dryden

wrote some of his most famous works hereabouts,

thanks to having a local lord for a patron.

-My frame's going to beat your funnels.

-Get out of here.

-It is, clearly.

-That is just the innocence of youth.

My funnels or your mirror?

-It's going to be my frame, isn't it?

-Oh, get out.

-It is!

Auctioneer Michael J Bowman's been holding regular auctions

at Chudleigh Town Hall for over 25 years now,

so get ready Chudleigh!

First up is Phil's dressing table mirror.

-What do you think?

-I think it's going to go for £45.

-Don't say that.

-I think it will.

-Think or hope?

Both, to be fair.

Start me at £10 for the mirror. 10 bid, thank you.

At £10. At 10.

12, 15,

17, 20,

22, 25,

27, 30...

It's getting there.

At 30. Lot 64 at £30.

At 30. 32.

35.

At £35. 37.

40.

It's going, it's going.

40. Front of the room.

All done?

At £40...

Oh, dear - a losing start.

Even more after commission.

I was bang on.

40 quid.

Or did I say 45?

Mallet under the hammer, anyone?

How do you know it's French?

-I just think it is.

-Why? Did you go, "Ooh, ma-llette?"

The old mallet, there. Well patinated. Start me at £10.

Come on, £10, come on, £10.

Item... 10 bid, thank you.

At £10. At 10.

At £10. We have one bid at 10. At £10 and I'm selling.

-If there's no further bids...

-Nobody else wants it?

I wonder why.

-I can't believe that.

-I can.

Not an auspicious start.

If that was an English mallet...

Time to worry about Phil's mortar without pestle

and altogether useless fire extinguisher...now!

Both useful in their ways. Start me at £10 for the two.

10, is there?

10 to start. No bid anywhere? There for sale.

10, thank you, sir. At £10. Gentleman's bid now at 10.

-Can I see 12 anywhere?

-Trouble, here.

-Are you going to struggle?

-Yeah.

-Gentleman's bid seated at 10.

I'm selling if there's no further bids at £10.

At £10...

That felt like a good result...

in the circumstances.

I don't like Devon. I'm not coming here again.

That's the end of it.

Devon's famous for its milk, so how about Tom's little stool?

Start me at £10 for the stool.

10 bid, thank you. At 10.

12.

15.

At £15.

-Front of the room at 15.

-£15?

-At 15. 17, a gentleman's bid.

-Good boy, go on, go on.

£17, in the centre seated at 17, gentleman's bid. Are you all done?

At £17...

A tiny triumph.

I think I've just made 20p.

What can Phil's picnic basket do?

Just a profit would be nice.

Edwardian hamper, right time of year for this. Start me at £10.

-Oh, why doesn't he start it a bit higher?

-At £10.

At 10.

At 10, 12.

Hell, I made a profit!

At £12. The hamper at 12, in the doorway. All done, and I'm selling.

I tell you what, this is tough, isn't it?

Three down the toilet.

This is no picnic.

Is it raining out?

I wonder why these people are in here,

cos they're not bidding, are they?

It must be raining outside. I don't know what they're doing.

Tom needs all the luck he can get with this mirror.

I want to savour this moment. What did you pay for the mirror, Tom?

-COUGHING:

-£65.

-Sorry, how much?

-The gilt-framed mirror hanging up on the wall.

-Come on, come on.

The whole lot, they're all turning round. Come on!

Is there 10 for the mirror?

-Is there 5 for the mirror?

-Are you serious?

£5 if you like, it's there for sale.

That's unbelievable.

-No bid.

-No bid?!

-5 bid now, at £5.

-I would've rather he'd left it.

-He's just done you a disservice.

-Yeah, I could have taken that on.

At 5.

-At 5, back of the room, all done?

-I'm feeling a bit sick.

-At £5.

That's dreadful! A huge loss that leaves Phil nicely in the lead.

Not much to boast about, though.

What you've got to remember is that people watching this

recognise us as being experts in our own field, right.

They recognise that we can go out there,

we can sniff out those little nuggets that other people miss

and we can pay £65 for them

and sell them for £5.

That is a skill that a lot of people don't have.

Phil's funnel might do just as badly and even things up a bit.

I'm not sure this lot are ready for funnels.

Not only useful but attractive. The pair, start me at £20 for the pair.

Big intro.

20? At £20, thank you, sir. 5, may I say?

25.

30.

Hello.

40.

45.

50. Are we all done?

At £50...

Mr Jameson, thank you.

Phew! A relief, but still a loss after commission.

Before the auction, I was concerned I'd only bought four lots.

I'm actually now quite pleased.

-Do you want one of mine?

-No!

But the silver fox has one last chance - his pump trough.

This is my Usain Bolt, this is. This is my banker.

If this doesn't run to glory, I'm absolutely up it, mate.

-Start me at £20 for this...

-£20?!

-20 bid, thank you. Lady's bid at 20.

-At least he got 20.

-5, may I say?

At 20. 25.

-30.

-That's good.

At 30, 35. 40.

It's getting there.

At £40, in front of me at 40.

45, a new bidder.

At 45. 50.

5.

60.

5.

70.

-5.

-That's better.

-At 75. Gentleman's bid now at 75.

Standing, at 75.

-At 75.

-It just means I've wiped my face for the day.

It's better than...

At £75.

Mr Bainbridge, thank you.

That profit means Phil's now made a small loss overall.

I'm going to go let this auctioneer's tyres down.

I am. I'm going to find out which his car is.

It'll be the Rolls-Royce outside. I'm going to go let the tyres down.

Thanks to his mirror, Tom's gone backwards,

but could the French frame somehow save the day?

-Are you anxious?

-I'm very, very, very, very anxious.

Let me tell you, I'm actually quite anxious for you.

The picture frame at 128.

-This is it. You can hear that buzz.

-The whole room's lifted.

The picture frame at 128.

A handsome piece. Start me at £30 for this.

-30 bid, thank you.

-Oh, good(!)

50, 60

70, 80,

90, 100.

-Oh, yeah.

-110, a new bidder.

120.

130, 140,

150, 160,

-170...

-My heart, mate.

-Well done.

At 180.

At 180. 190.

200.

210, 220,

230, 240.

250, 260,

270.

At 270, 280.

290.

At 290.

I tell you, this has got to be one of the best auction houses

-I've ever been to.

-Standing, at 290.

Lady's bid at 290. All done?

At £290.

-£290.

-Well done, mate.

-Thank you.

That fantastic result has changed everything,

putting the new boy on top.

I've won an auction.

Does that mean I've won an auction?

What it does mean is the drinks are on you.

-Loser drives, though, buddy.

-Oh, here we go.

Not only has Tom won today,

but he's grabbed the overall lead as well.

Phil started out with £309.08 and after paying auction costs

he made a loss of £16.66.

So, he has £292.42 to spend next time.

While Tom began with £232.02 and after paying auction costs,

he made a profit of £73.04,

leaving him with £303.06 and a narrow lead.

That is a spanking in any sort of language, mate.

-We've had some good ones in there.

-Absolute spanking.

-And some real shockers.

-I'm delighted for you.

That was brilliant.

So newbie Tom is fighting back.

All's to play for.