Episode 15 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!

How do I look?

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

Yes!

There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

I'm going to become a bin man!

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

I like it when you're chasing me!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's all to play for on this fifth and final leg of the Road Trip

between our hardy antiques experts, Mark Stacey and Will Axon.

-Let's go for broke!

-Shall we?

-We've got no option, really.

Our intrepid duo have made a pact to spend every penny they have

in the aim of being crowned this week's winner. Brave boys!

Mark's a seasoned barterer and has used all his experience to get that cheeky smile back on his face.

While Will's cabinet fever has taken a turn for the worse.

The walls seem to be closing in on me.

Having started the week on £200, Mark and Will will finally both begin a leg

with more money than they started with.

Mark is in a rich vein of form with stonking great wins in the last two auctions.

He has £296 to start this final leg.

While Will's snapping at his heels with £251.86 to spend.

So, as they prepare to risk everything for victory,

our antique experts ride into battle in their noble white steed,

a classic 1963 Triumph TR4.

This week's Road Trip is whisking us through no less than five counties.

The boys started the week in Hastings, East Sussex,

visiting Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire

before their final auction in the London suburb of Ruislip.

Today, we're kicking off in Gosfield in Essex

before finishing at an auction showdown in Ruislip.

-Oh!

-This looks like it, Mark.

-This is it.

Hoping the rain doesn't put a dampener on things,

the boys' first stop is at Gosfield Shopping Village.

-Cabinet Room, that sounds like us.

-Or the war room!

This huge shop is the perfect place for the boys to start their battle to blow their budget.

Don't forget our agreement, Will! Remember...

-I'm up for it. Are you up for it?

-Absolutely! My word!

We're going to do it, right?

I like this. This is a really nice ink standish or a desk stand, really.

And they've got down here, "A rare Regency desk tray. 1810".

And it says here enamelled and gilded,

but, actually, it's meant to be Boulework.

Boulework was named in honour of the pre-eminent artist in the field of marquetry, Andre Charles Boule.

He perfected the fashion of inlaying brass and tortoiseshell in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In order to trade tortoiseshell and ivory, it must predate 1947,

although it's still not to everyone's taste.

It is in a terrible condition.

I mean, it's got a lot of the brasswork missing,

and some of the silverwork on it, I think is actually later.

With a starting price of £135, dealer Glenn is on hand to give Mark a closer look.

-You certainly can.

-I've just fallen in love with it.

I think it's a lovely piece.

It looks as if it's had a hard life, though, Glenn.

I'm going to be very cheeky, Glenn.

What could be the lowest price on that?

We could go to 50, I think, for that one.

50? Oh, gosh! That's really a shock to me.

Because that's the sort of figure I was hoping to get it for.

-Will you put a reserved on that for me?

-Certainly.

A whopping £85 off the asking price, eh? Nice work, Mark!

Now, what's Will up to?

Now, I know Staffordshire's not hugely fashionable at the moment, but they're a good subject.

Two huntsmen...

..one with his crossbow and his spaniel,

and the other one holding up a deer.

You're right! They're not in vogue these days,

and at £75 you'd better ask Beta if she's amenable to a deal.

ALARM SOUNDS

Oh, crumbs!

Wasn't me!

-There's a lot of silver.

-A lot of silver!

Well, now you know you can't get them for a steal, Will!

I mean, my budget sort of leaves me at sort of £50, really, for the pair.

-I was thinking about that price.

-Were you?

-Yeah.

-Oh, dear!

-So, are we agreed?

Ooh!

Strike while the iron's hot, why not?

But Will's playing it cool

and has also put his item on reserve.

It looks like the long game for these two boys.

It's a little piece, a gentleman would have it on his desk or in his library for keeping matches

or vestas.

You keep them in here.

But it's just a sweet little thing, because you've got a sort of Alpine walker here

with his backpack there...

and his walking cane.

And this is like a barrel here.

This item's also marked at £135.

Are you going to aim low again, Mark?

Do you think if I bought the two items that I could get that for £70?

-70, plus the 50 for the...?

-Yes.

120 in total.

-I think we could do that.

-Can we do that?

-I think we can.

-Well, let's shake hands on that, shall we?

-Thanks very much.

Cor! You're on fire, Mark!

But Will seems to have fallen into that old theme trap again.

I might have fallen into a stag and deer theme,

because, look, there's quite a stylish bronze stag at the back there.

I mean, it's very much in that sort of Art Deco style.

And having been reduced in price several times,

it now has a ticket price of just £80.

If I was going to be interested in it, it would have to be a sort of similar...similar figure

to my last lot, sort of £50.

Mmm...so £50 off?

-Bearing in mind...

-It's already...you see?

Well, that's because no-one else has bought it, so I'm doing him a favour.

No alarm bells ringing for you, then, Will!

-I think we can...

-Do you think we could do that?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Do a favour.

-You see, this is very difficult for me,

because as soon as you say, "Yes", I feel like I ought to say, "Deal!"

But our cunning expert is looking to add one more item to his bundle,

hoping he can knock more money off when it's time to pay.

This caught my eye.

They've got it down as a French ebony and ivory inlaid watch box,

circa 1840, so we don't have to worry about the fact that it's got ivory in it.

Mmm...pre-1947 ivory's not everyone's cup of tea,

but, at £75, Beta is back again to talk shop.

I know your price already!

You do, don't you?

Hey! I think we all do, Will! £50?

-I might throw a cat among the pigeons and say 40 this time instead of 50!

-Oh!

You will disappoint me!

45.

-Oh, go on, then! Well, I'll tell you what, put it with the other bits...

-Uh-huh.

-..and I'll come up in a minute and we'll tot it all up and see where we're at.

-OK.

That's £145 for the three items, Will,

over half of your remaining budget.

Now to negotiate a deal on the bundle.

130?

40?

I'm going to be really mean and say 135.

-135.

-It's a deal! Good!

-Deal.

-Lovely. Oh, lovely, lovely.

Lovely jubbly! So, that works out at £45 for each. Well done, Will.

But methinks your nemesis will be happier after that shop.

Mark's taking control of the wheels after that shopping extravaganza and is heading to Suffolk,

to the rather impressive surroundings of Kentwell Hall in Sudbury.

But we're not here to admire this beautiful home, rather to hear of its salacious past,

where infidelity began one man's road to ruin.

And, you know, our Mark loves nothing more than a bit of scandal.

Waiting to meet him is the Hall's present owner, the larger-than-life Patrick Phillips.

-Strange things have happened...

-Really?

-..in this house over the centuries,

-and it's one of the intriguing parts of living in a house like this...

-I bet!

-..is picking up all these bits.

-It is!

-And the more scandalous they are, the more I like it.

I love scandal. Shall we start?

LAUGHTER Why not?

Richard Moore's father originally inherited the house from his uncle, the Lord Mayor of London,

Sir John Moore. When Richard wed Sydney Arabella Cotton in 1796,

they made Kentwell their marital home.

But it was a marriage not without its troubles,

for within these walls lies a story of passion and intrigue.

But why would we start the scandalous tour in the kitchen?

Ah! Well, this is, of course, one of the places where the staff congregate,

and they were peeking through this door, so we hear, or read,

-and they could see the stairs at the end of the corridor.

-Oh, yes, of course!

And the wife of the owner of the house, Mrs Moore,

was seen ascending those stairs with the new young steward

-with whom she'd spent many an evening going over the house accounts.

-Well, of course!

He was checking the figures.

Shall we move on?

Patrick's bringing Mark into the library to tell us more.

-We're getting into the thick of the tale.

-Are we?

Now, tell me, tell me more, Patrick.

When the staff saw Mrs Moore and the steward ascend by the backstairs together,

-they knew something was afoot, because she would be expected to ascend by the main stairs.

-Yes.

And so they all beetled across into here...

and were listening for sounds above.

And they report that they heard two lots of footsteps upstairs,

and they heard the creaking of the bed...

The next day, when the staff go up to the bedroom,

they make close inspection of the bedding,

the condition of which they report to their Lordships.

I would love to be one the Lordships, wouldn't you?

And it was in this great dining room that Sydney Arabella's scandalous shenanigans were finally exposed.

Mr Moore and Mrs Moore were dining a deux in here.

A butler was standing wherever butlers stand,

and an altercation arose between Mr Moore and Mrs Moore,

and Mrs Moore took the water carafe and poured it all over the head of Mr Moore.

-In front of the butler?

-In front of the butler...

and stormed out of the room.

So, the butler used this incident to explain to Mr Moore

that did he know that his wife had been doing more than the accounting with the steward?

Anyway, Mrs Moore was immediately banished from the house by Mr Moore...

"Get out of here, you..." whatever it was they said in those days.

-So, there was no question? He took the word of the butler and out she went.

-And out she went.

Well, we must assume she and her lover lived happily ever after.

Ironically, it was the aggrieved Mr Moore's life which took a sorry turn.

Through gambling debts, the money he had spent on the house and the divorce,

his finances spiralled out of control.

The house was sold, but, sadly, his debts were insurmountable and he was committed to a debtors' prison,

where he died soon afterwards.

-Well, that was a juicy little tale from the early 19th century.

-I hope it didn't shock you!

I need to go and lie down and get over it.

A juicy tale, indeed.

So, while Mark's mopping his brow,

Will's travelled east to Finchingfield in Essex,

hoping he can add to his auction arsenal.

Finchingfield, a picture-postcard village with its duck pond, village green and medieval cottages,

was once home to the author of The Hundred And One Dalmatians, Dodie Smith.

Will's arrived at Finchingfield Antiques and he's not wasting any time.

With just over £100 left, you'll need to pick wisely.

An 18th-century hand-blown bottle.

With a good deep base.

Obviously, the deeper the base, the more glass you've got to use,

hence it's more expensive to make,

which is why, when you get some very good early-vintage wines,

they tend to have a very deep base to them.

He's not had much luck with glass on this trip, but it doesn't seem to have put him off.

Now, this I like, this little...

..glass rummer...

I mean, from the shape, it's going to be circa 1800, 1810.

It's only £40, which seems reasonable.

Time to get owner Peter involved.

Right.

There we are.

I just wanted to check the... check the condition.

Right, it's just got a little nibble here and there, but...

PING!

-Nice ring.

-Perfect.

Perfect!

Star-cut base, square foot...

-Can you move a little on the price for me?

-What would you like me to move to?

-20.

-20?

I'll do you an absurdly ridiculous price...

of 25.

-25?

-Mmm.

-It's worth taking a punt at that, isn't it?

-I think so.

-£25.

-Mmm.

Will just can't help himself.

He's going back to the wine bottle to try and match them up,

but with no price on it, Peter's making a call to the dealer with an offer of a tenner.

And it's good news!

-Done.

-Nice one.

-It's all yours.

-That's all right, isn't it, for a tenner?

-I think it's a nice thing.

-Yeah, it is, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself there, Will.

Are you going to leave it there or...? No. Aha, thought not.

Another piece of glassware, is it?

There's quite a nice cordial glass here as well

which would sit quite nicely with my two lots so far.

Trouble is it's had a repair and it's just got some nibbles on the base as well.

With £39 on the ticket, Will has offered £25 for the glass and Peter's worked his magic again!

-Is that a deal?

-It's a deal.

-Good work.

-You've done it.

Well done.

Nice going, Will. That's £60 for the group.

It's the end of a busy day and time for our experts to have a well-earned rest.

Nighty-night.

It's a brand-new day for our treasure hunters

as they wind through the country in search of their next adventure.

-Are we shopping together again in the morning?

-I think so, yes.

Oh, let's hope it's as big as yesterday's.

Well, I hope so, otherwise it could be very push and shove!

Are you sure this is the best road to be taking a classic Triumph down, boys?

-Don't cramp me... Oh! Oh, God!

-I don't think we're going to find any antiques down here, Mark!

Oh, I knew it! What have you done?

Oh! Oh!

-There's a ford! I'm not going through that in this.

-No, we're not going through there, no.

Well, looks like it's the long road to success for you two now!

These roads aren't built for these cars.

So, as the boys try to find dry land,

let's recap on what they've bought.

Mark has spend £120 on two items,

a Continental silver spill holder and an ink standish.

That means he still has a mighty £176 left to spend.

Will, on the other hand, has parted with £195 on a pair of Staffordshire figures,

a bronze stag, an ebony and ivory watch box, and a collection of glassware,

which still leaves him with £56.86 to spend on his last lot.

The boys are heading over 50 miles south-west into Hertfordshire

to resume shopping in St Albans.

In Roman Britain, Verulamium was the second biggest city after Londinium,

and was built very near the present city centre,

and it's within the centre that the boys are looking for Fleetville Vintage Emporium.

Ah! Here it is. Don't worry, boys,

it looks more than big enough for the both of you!

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Mark.

Georgina is the lady to help you around this indoor flea market.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hi, Will.

These are what you call a gu vase because of the shape.

You've got this slender body and then this central knop.

But at £120 it's a bit out of your league, Will.

Well, I suppose it might be worth a chance.

You fancy your chances with Georgina, don't you?

I want to see this!

-I've got something like £56.58.

-Oh!

-Oh!

-And I want to spend out. I don't want to walk out of this shop with a penny in my pocket.

You've actually got another 28p, Will! But I don't think that will sway this deal!

Oh, that's... I don't think I could do that.

I understand. I thought it would be worth a cheeky ask.

If you borrow some money from Mark...

I could do that for 80.

You don't know him very well, do you?

So, no joy for Will, but Mark has found something to gee him up.

Now, this is quite interesting.

This, I think, is from a horse on the Manchester Ships Canal, if you see the MSC.

I'm almost sure they would have belonged to a horse

that was pulling maybe the barges or the canal boats.

The blinkers would have been used to prevent the horse from being distracted on the towpath.

They're late-Victorian and are priced up at £35.

I love it, I think it's got character,

-I think it's got social history on its side...

-Absolutely.

You want to see me make a small profit on it?

Well, seeing as you're stressed...

I think I will try and help you out. Do you want to do the deal at 20?

-I'd rather do it at 15.

-Oh, Mark!

Because then it gives me a bite.

-Well...

-And I haven't finished shopping yet.

-No, I do appreciate that.

You know, I might find another thing.

-OK.

-I might not, mind you!

-OK, seeing as I got a kiss and a hug...

-Oh, my gosh!

-It's 10, then?

-No, it was...

15 it is!

10! Come on, kiss and a hug, go!

Oh, you old smoothie! Our Georgie is a game girl, you know!

Now, as luck would have it, Will has bumped into Riccardo, the owner of the gu vase he was interested in.

Can he resurrect the deal?

I've got £56.86 in my pocket.

-I want to give it a punt, see what happens.

-Yeah, OK.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Oh, lovely work!

-We can do that.

-Shall we do it?

-Yeah.

-Good!

Well, let's go and have a word with George. Did you see that? That was a stroke of luck!

So the gauntlet has been thrown down.

Will is all spent out, and he's not going to let Mark forget it!

-I've spent out.

-You've spent it, did you?

-I spent every last penny.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah.

-It's not a little lie?

-It's not a lie.

-There's no trickery.

-I have zero pence left,

-and I just wanted to show you that if you don't spend out...

-Yes?

..That is where you will find yourself... On the naughty step!

-Go on, then.

-Thank you. Naughty step, indeed!

-I don't think those shoes are your size.

-Thank you! They're not my height either!

Oh!

So with that, Mark focuses his attention on a large glass bowl.

It's got quite nice decoration going around it,

a sort of diamond-y upper border.

I mean, it's really... it's a huge piece of glass.

But with £161 left in your pocket and £50 on the ticket,

what are you going to offer Georgina for it?

£20?

You're doing it again, Mark!

Am I being naughty? Do I get another slap?

Indeed!

Could you meet me at 25, Mark?

-Yes, I could. Thank you, George.

-Done.

-Thank you very much.

A big purchase, Mark, but for a small price.

Are you sure you're going to honour your end of the bargain?

Will, on the other hand, has not a penny to his name,

and after going out with a bang, it's fitting that he's off to visit a gunpowder mill.

Will's heading back to Essex

to the fantastically named Secret Island in Waltham Abbey.

Secret Island was one of the three Royal Gunpowder Mills in the UK,

but the only site to have survived virtually intact.

Of course, it was not so secret to the locals over the 350 years it produced explosives.

The mill began as a commercial venture in the 17th century,

but went on to supply ammunition for the Crimean War and the First World War.

It gained its secretive name around the end of the Second World War

when it became an important site for research and development

with workers made to sign the Official Secrets Act.

But Will is meeting tour guide Michael to find out about its origins as a gunpowder mill.

Is that literally like we would imagine a mill next to a river with the waterwheel and so on,

-being powered by the water?

-Absolutely.

-Was gunpowder produced like that?

It absolutely was. Yes, in the early days, it was water-powered.

-The site that we have here, this was the site of the earliest gunpowder mills.

-Right.

-And, as you can see, it's on a canal here.

-Yes.

-This in fact was Millhead Stream,

which provided the power to drive the waterwheel.

Gunpowder was originally discovered by the Chinese in the 9th century,

the constituents of which are sulphur, carbon and saltpetre.

Time now for Will's science lesson.

As a layman, what is saltpetre?

-Not very romantic, I'm afraid. It is excrement, animal or human excrement.

-Really?

-Indeed.

Go on! Have a sniff!

Thankfully it doesn't smell as such still.

Oh, that's disappointing.

Let's have a look what it looks like.

-OK.

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

-Yeah. So almost like a sort of salt consistency, isn't it?

It is, really. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

And the next one was sulphur.

-Right. And that's what we've got in here, is it?

-It is, yes.

-I did pay some attention at chemistry lessons at school.

-Right, good!

-And I can recognise the yellow colour of sulphur.

-Absolutely.

Oh, a full-bodied vintage, eh? Hints of citrus, perhaps?

Well, I think it smells of sort of spent fireworks.

-OK.

-For obvious reasons, probably.

-Could well be.

Honestly, Jilly Goolden, eat your heart out!

I feel like I'm on Blue Peter here, but maybe an adult version of it.

Wow! Look at that. What a great colour!

-And then the final ingredient...

-Is charcoal.

Let's have a look at that. Oh, look at that!

This, of course, is produced from wood.

The elements were mixed together before being ground and incorporated using the millstones

to produce what was then known as black powder.

Gunpowder suffered from several weaknesses,

not least of which was the fact that smoke emanating from the gun

gave away the position of the shooter,

and so gunpowder was eventually phased out in preference to chemical-based explosives.

Were they as dangerous to produce as gunpowder?

They certainly were very volatile indeed, needing very careful handling.

Nitro-glycerine was even more so in that it needed to be produced within a very tight temperature range.

-Right.

-If it went above 22 degrees centigrade, the whole of the plant would have gone up.

-Oh, blimey!

In order to avoid meltdown, workers were required to watch temperature gauges for hours on end,

dreary work indeed.

As you can imagine, very sleep-inducing too.

So to prevent any catastrophic catnaps, they invented this, the one-legged stool.

-If you would like to sit on the one-legged stool...

-Let's see how I would have done.

-So, I would have been sat here...

-You would have been looking at these gauges...

-Staring at the gauges.

And I would have felt my eyelids starting to go... I'm feeling a bit sleepy anyway, it's been a long day!

-Me eyelids are starting to go and I would have just...

-Start to nod off.

-Oh!

-That's it, absolutely! BELL RINGS

-It works.

-It works. You cannot sleep on a one-legged stool. It is impossible.

Following on from its time producing explosives and its top-secret research and development days,

the site was opened to the public as a visitors' attraction.

-I bet they do a great fireworks display!

-BOOM!

Now, while Will has been entertained by explosives,

Mark has made his way to Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire,

where, in 1563, the English Parliament met because of an outbreak of the plague in London.

But with time running out, Mark's heading straight to his last shop of the trip to see Bonnie

at the sweetly named Honey Lane Antiques.

-Bonnie, that's amazing, isn't it?

-It's beautiful.

-I tell you what, that would look stunning if you had a big mansion, wouldn't it?

-Yeah.

-Nice and big.

-In your downstairs cloakroom!

Cloakroom?

Wherever it hangs, this late-19th century beaten-brass charger is priced at £150.

We could do that for 130.

-Can I put...can I reserve it?

-You certainly can.

-Can I put it down there?

-Yes.

Looks like you're hooked, Mark!

And Bonnie's not finished trying to get all of your remaining £136!

What about if I threw a cannon in?

-A cannon?

-A nice cast-iron and brass cannon.

-Oh, that's quite...

-For £136 for the two.

-I think it's great fun and it goes well with our sort of armorial theme.

-Indeed.

Come on, Mark, the clock's ticking. It's time you made your mind up.

-Life's a gamble, isn't it?

-It is.

-The choice is yours.

-I know.

-But I don't...I'm not good with choices.

-You see...

I can see Tim now going, "Oh, Mark's dithering again!"

Oh, good grief! No wonder! Stop dithering, man!

-This...oh!

-Oh, careful, dear!

-Some kind of a mythical sea horse with the...

It's called a hippocanthus.

Ah, Bonnie's trying to see if another lump of metal will add weight to the deal.

It's a decorative pierced brass dish, probably early-20th century.

-So the cannons, this...

-That.

-And the charger.

-And the charger.

-Well, they kind of fit, I suppose.

-They do.

-Because they'd make a nice interesting lot, wouldn't they?

-Indeed.

-Shall we do that?

-Yes.

-I think you couldn't possibly go wrong.

-Bonnie, come and give me a hug.

Because I think they'll... I don't care if they make any money.

-It was a pleasure meeting you.

-You too.

-And we've had a bit of fun, haven't we?

We have. It's been great.

So, Mark has managed to spend up, but maybe the pressure to blow the lot has backfired.

Has Mark been rather rash in spending £136 on these three items?

Only time will tell. So, let's reveal what they bought.

-Show me yours.

-I'll show you mine in due course.

Well, let's have a look. Where am I? Here we go.

Well, well, well! Gosh!

You and your job lots!

What do you mean, my job lots? I got one job lot.

-And then this piece which is bronze, rather stylish, and I think it is of the period.

-Yes.

Mmm, suitably underwhelmed, Mark!

-I like this little lot.

-This lot here?

-Yeah.

A nice rummer, has got one or two little nibbles...

-and then I found an 18th-century... bottle...

-Bottle.

-Yeah.

-And an 18th-century...

-What I liked about this was that deep...

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Very nice, very pushed in.

-Exactly. But it wasn't a lot of money.

It's a nice little honest 18th-century lot.

-That's what I thought. You know, for a study collection.

-And Staffordshire figures.

Do you know what? I kind of regretted them after I bought them.

Do you know...? I absolutely adore Staffordshire figures.

-I think they're great.

-I think they're wonderful. I love the colours.

-Look at his face.

-I like the naivety...

-Fine 'tache! They're in very good condition.

But they just don't seem to be flavour of the month, do they?

Likey, but no likey!

-And you kept with your form of a Chinese!

-I did it for you. I thought...

-Oh!

-It's not terribly old, you know that.

-And it's not great quality. Lovely shape.

-It's all right.

Yeah, it's a gu vase.

Used for libation...

-Exactly!

-Look at you!

-Well, you know...

-Ooh! Will!

-Honestly, I'm beginning to think you might know something about antiques!

-No, I'm just guessing.

Now, I'm looking forward to seeing what you've bought.

-Are you really?

-Yes, of course I am!

-Are you ready for this?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's quite different, Will.

Oh, look!

Because...because I've gone completely sort of bonkers, really.

Let's take these off so I can have a closer look.

-I found... Well, I found this in the...

-Skip?

-The Village.

-You might think that, actually!

-I'm joking.

It needs...it needs a heck of a lot of work, but it is a really nice period thing.

-It's a Regency...

-That's nice quality as well, isn't it?

I mean, it was marked up at £135, but I got it for 50.

That's a good discount.

I bought this amazing glass bowl!

-Great size.

-It's a wonderful size.

-Perfect condition.

-DEEP RING

-That's...

-It's interior design.

-That is a good bowl.

-And it was 25 quid.

-No?

You couldn't buy a plastic one for 25 quid!

-But then this is what really struck my eye, Will.

-Oh, there's something else at the fr...

-That!

-Oh!

-Oh, look! I'm going to put these back on!

-I think it's absolutely amazing, actually.

But, I mean, I paid far too much, Will. I paid far too much for all this.

-I bet you didn't. You're double-bluffing me.

-No, I'm not, £136.

-For that little group.

-Yeah. It's too much.

Listen, what better way to end the show, you know, with no money in our pockets,

a load of stuff in the sale? Let's see what happens.

So, what do our pair really think, then?

Can I just say how proud I am of my friend Mark,

because we agreed to spend out and spend out we have.

We're both on zero. It's all down to the wire for the last auction.

Will is desperate to find a Chinese piece.

We are going to the auction house that sold, reportedly sold

an 18th-century Imperial vase for £50 million.

That isn't going to make 50 million, I'll tell you.

50p more like!

So, with the storm clouds circling above, is this the sign of things to come

as our boys head to today's auction?

On the last leg of their Road Trip,

our seasoned experts have zigzagged their way

through Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire,

starting out in Gosfield

and ending up in Ruislip for the auction.

-Well, Mark...

-This is it.

-This is it.

-Our moment of judgment.

-The battle lines are drawn.

-Shall we go and find out?

-After you, sir.

The final battlefield is at Bainbridges,

and, as Mark said, scene of the famous multimillion-pound Chinese porcelain vase sale

which made world headlines in 2010.

Presiding over our proceedings is auctioneer and owner Peter Bainbridge.

Let's see what he thinks of our experts' choices.

We've got a Boule standish to sell,

which is probably 19th century.

It's missing a top of one of the wells in the middle,

so that, plus all the repair that's necessary,

I would think it may only be worth £40-£60.

Also I'm afraid an item that was entered a Regency wineglass,

and it's definitely not Regency, it's 20th century, in my view,

and it comes with a little cordial glass which is down as 18th century, may well be.

But, in fact, it's got a damn big piece of metal in the bottom of it,

so I guess it's been repaired which completely negates its value.

Oh, dear! That doesn't bode well.

Will Axon set out on this leg with a meagre £251.86,

but kept to his promise, spending it all on his five lots.

Mark Stacey began this leg with £296 and also went for broke on his five lots.

Now, brace yourselves! Peter is a good old-fashioned auctioneer.

First up is Will's 19th-century ebony and ivory French watch box.

Let's have a bid. Will it be... who's going to give me £20?

-20 to go. 10 to go, then, please. Come on.

-Oh, come on!

For goodness' sake, it's unusual. Tenner bid. Thank you. 15 now.

I've got a bid at 10. 15. £20. £25? Thank you.

£30. 35 now. 35. 40.

40 I'm bid. Got a bid at 45 anywhere?

Got a bid at 40 at the back of the room. Any advance on £40?

-All done today at 40.

-Puh-puh-puh!

Selling at £40. Last time.

It was very close, Will.

Close is not good enough, I'm afraid. That's a loss, Will.

Next in line is Mark's Continental silver spill holder.

I'm opening the bidding here at £80. Do I hear 90 anywhere?

I've got a bid at £80. 90? My bid is £80. Take 90 now.

-Is it going to go up?

-Come along, let's see another bid!

Thank you. 90. 100 I'm bid. 110?

I would. 110.

120 now. £110. I've got a bid at 110.

120, I've got a bid. 130 now?

130 bid. Thank you. 140 anywhere?

140. Thank you. 150 now.

Are you all done at 140?

Well done, Mark. You've doubled your money. Good work.

-I need it, Will.

-OK...

Oh, he's never happy, that boy!

It's Will's glass rummer, cordial glass and wine bottle next.

Peter thinks this could be a flop. Let's see.

Opening bid, what say now, £20?

10 to go, then, please. Your starter for £10. 10 bid. 15 now.

We've got a bid at 10. Do I hear 15? I've got a bid at £10. 15.

-20 I'm bid. 25?

-It's going on a bit.

£30. 35 now. 40?

At £35. 40 anywhere? Got a bid at 35. Another bid, sir, at the back? £40?

-At £35. Any further bids? 40 I'm bid.

-Just... Go on!

Got a bid at 40 now. We're selling at £40 for the last time today.

At 40. Any further bidding? We're selling at £40 for the last time.

All done. 40.

231. Sold.

That look says it all. Another loss, Will.

Mark's rather large glass bowl is next.

Here it is. Have a look at the stage, then, please. Isn't that lovely?

It's so big, isn't it?

This comes probably from a wash set, ladies and gentlemen.

And, er... or you could use it as a footbath.

You could put fish in it, couldn't you? £20?

£20 to go. £10 to go, then, please.

At the back. 10 I'm bid. 15 now. 15 I'm bid. Thank you.

20 now, please. 20 I'm bid. 25? 25 bid. 30?

30 I'm bid. 35?

35 bid. 40.

40 I'm bid. 45?

I've got a bid at 40. Any further bids?

We are selling today at £40 for the last time.

Are you all out at 40, then?

Oh!

OK, big sighs, but that is another steady profit, Mark!

Can Will's stag finally turn him a profit?

£20 to go, then, please. Come on! Let's get a move on at £20.

Opening bid at £20, surely to goodness?

What's going wrong? 20 I'm bid. 25 now? The bid is £20.

25. Thank you. 30? 30 I'm bid. 35 now, please. 35. £40 now.

-I've got a bid at 35. 40 anywhere? 40, come on!

-Surely!

£35. Any further bids? I'm selling today at £35.

Any further bids? For the last time today, then, at £35.

So another crushing loss for Will.

I guess the bidders found it a bit "deer"!

Ha-ha! Never mind!

I think I'm going to have to write my letter of resignation!

Well, if you need a seconder...! Er...

A touching piece of moral support there, Mark!

Perhaps you're blinkered by your own success!

Very collectable, £20?

Quite collectable, £10?

Thank you. 10 I'm bid. 15 I'm bid. 20 now, please.

£20. 25. I've got a bid of £20 at the back of the room.

-Come on! They shouldn't...

-You're in profit.

Make it 25, will you? At £20. Come on, a bit of imagination!

25, thank you. £30. 35.

£40. 45?

Are you all done and finished at £40? Any further bids?

40 and selling to number 93.

-Thank you.

-£40.

-£40, that's all right.

That is all right, Mark!

There is no distraction for you in your pursuit of profit!

It's your pair of Staffordshire huntsmen up next, Will.

I figure these should yield you a return.

£20. £20, ladies and gentlemen, please, with a spaniel, remember.

So, anybody interested in dogs. £20.

Ooh, 10 to go, then, please. Come on. Show me somewhere.

Tenner bid, thank you. 15 now? 15 I'm bid. 20 now. 20 I'm bid.

25? I think you should.

So does Will!

They're lovely! At £20. 25. That's better. £30, sir?

Oh, madam, and you're a horsey person!

Yeah, but it's a spaniel.

Oh, but look at that little goatee!

-£25. £25.

-That's enough. It's all right.

£25. Are we going to 30? We are selling at 25.

30. Thank you.

-35?

-Go on.

-I've got a bid of 30 at the back of the room.

-One more,

-to make me break even.

-30.

No. At £30. Any further bids? Selling at 30, then.

Last time today at £30.

-Sold for 30.

-Gosh, Will.

Gosh, indeed! It's really not been your day today!

But how will the bidders react to Mark's big blowout?

His large brass platter and brass accompaniments.

-Oh, I can't bear this!

-Here we go.

I think large is a bit of an understatement.

Look at the damn thing!

- It's huge. - It is huge, isn't it?

You could sublet it, madam!

And you also get with it a pierced brass dish over there,

-which is pretty dull...and a miniature cannon.

-It's not dull!

-It is.

-OK, for the lot, what are you going to give me, £20?

20 to go. Come on, it's been polished. You don't have to. £20.

Well, it's worth thinking about! 20 I'm bid. Do I hear 25 now?

25 at the back. At £30? £30, thank you. 35?

35, thank you. £40?

At £35. Another fiver?

-Go on!

-She's shaking her head.

35 at the back of the room. Any further bids on 35, then?

Selling at £35, all done.

-Gosh!

-35, 74. Well done.

Ouch! I bet you're brassed off with that!

That stonking great loss means Will could be back in with a chance,

if only he could make a healthy profit on his last lot,

his bargain buy, the gu vase.

Come on, somebody give me a £10 note. 10 I'm bid. 15. £20.

-It's going on, it's creeping up.

-£20. 25.

£30.

£30 I'm bid. 35 anywhere? 30 I'm bid. 35?

35. £40? 45.

£50?

Got a bid of 45. 50 anywhere? Got a bid of 45. Looking for 50 now.

£50.

55? Got a bid of 50. In the front row at £50. Be able to take 5 more.

We're selling at 50. A gu vase at 50. Any further bids?

All done. Gu and gone!

-"Gu and gone!"

-Gu and gone!

Huh! Gu and gone with your chance of victory, Will!

No beginner's luck here, then!

It's Mark's last lot.

The Boulework inkstand or pen stand.

Peter estimated £40-£60,

but can our Stacey go out as winner of this week's Road Trip on a high?

50 to go, then, please. Come on. 50 I'm bid.

60 now. I've got a bid of £50. 60 anywhere?

We've got a bid of £50. 60 anywhere now?

I've got a bid of £50. 60? Thank you. 70 now, please.

70 bid. Thank you. 80 now. 90?

100 on the book. 110.

-120.

-Oh!

-120. 130. 140.

-Oh, this is going very well!

-140. 150. 160.

-Ker-ching!

170.

180.

190.

-200.

-Gosh! It's good.

210. 220.

230. 240.

250.

-£240.

-Yeah, mate!

£240 now. Do I hear 250? We've got a bid at £240. Do I hear 250?

Another bid, 250?

250?

Selling at 240, then.

Here at 240. For the last time today at £240.

Are we all done at 240, then?

-Sold at 240.

-I can't believe it!

-£240!

-I cannot believe that, Will!

-Mark, you've got it, you've got it, mate!

-£240!

-Oh!

Top job, eh?

That's a cracking profit of £190 before costs, Mark,

and don't you look pleased with yourself?

Come on. Let's get some fresh air and a drink!

-A stiff drink!

-Come on.

So, Will Axon's debut turned into a disaster!

He kicked off this leg with £251.86,

but after auction costs made a dismal loss of £91.96,

and ends this Road Trip with just £159.90.

Mark Stacey started this final leg with £296.

He earned a fantastic £109.90 profit after auction costs,

making him not only today's winner,

but also the winner of this week's Road Trip!

He's left with a grand total of £405.90.

Well done, Mark! All profits go to Children In Need.

Oh, well, that was a tale of two halves, wasn't it?

A tale of two halves, I should say! Your half and mine!

-Sorry about that!

-Listen, it's all fair in love and war.

MUSIC: "It Takes Two" by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston

Will, you're clear this side. Yes, go on. Go to it, Willie!

And what a trip it's been for our boys!

With experience triumphant over enthusiasm...

It's had its ups and downs.

Do you know, I'm beginning to absolutely hate antiques!

Will learned to develop a thick skin...

and a fetish for themes.

Alcohol theme.

Stag and deer theme.

My glass theme.

-And the master soon showed his class.

-Oh, lovely.

I'll come back here again!

And, above all, they formed an unbreakable bond.

Toodle-oo, chaps!