Episode 18 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. BOTH: Yes!

Hello!

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've got to try and win.

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

-Sun shines on the brave, doesn't it?

-Exactly.

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

It's day three of our romp round the West Country in a bright red Lancia

but it's not all about antiques for Phil Serrell and Tom Scott.

-I'd much rather go for an afternoon tea than a pasty.

-Would you?

-Yeah, yeah.

-You like your clotted cream, do you?

These are nice, aren't they?

Cream tea enthusiast Tom is a dealer from Rutland who adores

big French furniture.

-New to the Road Trip but with a nose for a bargain.

-It smells.

Worcester man Phil is an auctioneer and philosopher...

-AS FORREST GUMP:

-Life is like a box of chocolates.

..with a refreshing approach to the world of antiques.

This old stuff, no-one wants it.

So how are our two getting on?

Is that a natural look, the Hugh Grant, foppish look?

-HE LAUGHS

-I hate working with young people.

-Do you feel a bit like you're doing the school run?

-Yeah, I do.

Ha! They'll be fine.

Tom started out with £200 and he's managed to increase that

to £230.02 whilst Phil,

who also began with £200, has a bit of a lead with £309.08.

-Give it a bit of a tweak or something.

-Squirt it again.

-Nice work, Tom.

-Yeah! Get in there!

Our trip begins at the far southwest corner of Britain

at St Buryan before winding its way across several counties,

whilst always hugging the coast to reach Wareham in Dorset.

Today 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.

This looks just like my kind 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.

That's quite rude, I would have thought.

You know, far be it from me to say!

That's by a local artist

and we bought several of his pieces at a local auction.

-Can I put it on the table?

-Course you can.

-She's a big girl, isn't she?

-Got a nice bottom, hasn't she?

I haven't got round to her bottom yet. How much is the...?

What's the very, very best you can do on that,

-that's nowhere near...£90?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Depends what else you buy.

-OK.

I'm sure we could put a lot together.

While Phil gets in touch with his artistic side

let's see what Tom's up to.

-Morning.

-Good morning.

-How're you doing?

-Fine, thank you.

-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.

-OK.

-Does that make it more attractive for you?

-Makes it a little more attractive.

-A little more, right.

-A little more attractive.

-OK.

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.

If I put those into auction and they make £80...

They're not going to make any more than £80.

No, I'm not going to do this because this is stupid.

-This is utterly stupid.

-Is it all over?

-I want to own these.

-This is one of those daft things, I want to own these.

-Oh, Lordy.

I don't think they're going to make much of a profit,

-if anything at all for me.

-Now don't.

Paula just has to smile.

There 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.

This looks great. Fantastic. What a great collection of...all sorts!

There seems little chance of him acquiring any boat parts from Moira.

Not that sort of place. Apart from that old binnacle, that is.

What can he navigate towards, though?

This is The Sage Of The East.

-It says here, "Tom in full sail." I don't think that's me.

-Nonsense.

If you'd seen your rival buying those funnels just now,

you'd certainly get a second wind.

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.

I'm just kind of thinking, price-wise,

what we might be able to do?

-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!

Well, it looks like Phil's got his freedom back,

but not for good behaviour, surely.

-We're not on the run, are we?

-No, no, no.

But if you hear any sirens...

Ha-ha! Night-night.

Next morning and the Lancia's making quite an impression.

Look at this - goes like a bird.

Albatross.

Too early to say if our boys' luck was in yesterday,

although Tom was certainly very pleased with his frame.

That's got real potential.

He spent a total of £165 on two auction lots,

leaving him with £65.02 to spend today.

Ooh!

I'm not sure if Phil still considers himself fortunate

to have acquired those ship's funnels,

or his picnic hamper and pump trough,

but they set him back £115, leaving £194.08 at his disposal.

This is heavy!

Later, they'll be making for the auction in Chudleigh,

but our first stop is on the northern edge of Dartmoor

at 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, this looks like a proper antique shop to me,

so Phil's more outrageous tendencies could be reined in.

Well, most of them, anyway.

I'm not going to buy them, but I just like making a noise.

That's a shame - "bongo-playing auctioneer"

would be quite something.

It hasn't taken him long to beat a path to Jo's bargain section either.

This is our 50% room. Everything in here...

-I like the sound of that.

-..half its marked price.

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.

-Don't need any more mirrors.

-Yep, I think we can all agree on that.

That's a nice little stool, isn't it?

Good to see him back in the window.

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.

More quick work on those two. I think Tom's shopping is complete.

That's me done, four lots. Let's hope I don't get hammered in the auction.

Right, now, our two are back on the road again,

with some very long noses.

-I bought a rocking horse...

-A rocking horse?

-..an aquarium...

-An aquarium, what else? That sounds fishy.

-..two wheel barrows.

-Two wheel barrows?

Always buy things in pairs, don't you?

-Do you want to know what I've bought?

-Yeah.

I bought a helter-skelter,

I bought a slide,

a tractor and a flock of sheep.

Now, why does that sound so worryingly plausible, Phil?

They're motoring from Crediton

towards the Devon county town of Exeter.

There's been a settlement here since 250BC,

and Exeter has several historic buildings,

but there were once many more, until World War II, that is,

when the Luftwaffe destroyed or severely damaged

much of the city centre.

Fortunately, photographs survive, though,

and Tom's here to see a unique archive of old Exeter.

-Afternoon.

-Hello, Tom, pleased to meet you.

-How are you doing, Peter?

-Fine, thank you.

-Good.

I hear you've got a bit of a collection to show me.

I think you'll find this pretty interesting.

Sounds good, let's have a look.

Peter Thomas got the photography bug from his godmother

and was given his very first camera at the age of 11.

He grew up to become a camera dealer and collector who, in 1974,

discovered a huge treasure trove

at Exeter's oldest photographic studios.

Going through the negatives,

I was really surprised at what I was looking at,

because in reality, I was looking at the history of Exeter

and as an Exeter boy, didn't recognise what I was looking at.

-OK.

-So, again, it started an intense fascination for me

relating to archive photography and, in particular, Exeter,

my own city, which I realised, actually, I didn't know that well.

The man responsible for those photographs

was Australian Henry Wykes, who first set up a studio

in the city in 1914,

documenting Exeter life in portraits, street scenes

and much else besides.

Wykes's archive, which Peter purchased in the '70s,

now forms the basis of his collection

and contains over 42,000 negatives.

The cameras he would have been using back in 1914,

this is the sort of camera it would have been?

These kind of cameras he would have used for external work,

-because they were easy to take around.

-Right.

And here you can actually see the original Henry Wykes studio camera.

That is enormous.

And this was so big it was on casters

and it was pushed up and down the studio floor

until he got the correct distance from the subject.

Very artistic.

Henry Wykes became the city's most popular photographer,

with premises at the prestigious Bedford Circus.

And here on the side, Henry Wykes's signature

on a panel telling you it's the Henry Wykes studio.

Fortunately for the archive, however,

Wykes moved elsewhere during World War II, before the bombs

which would destroy so much of the city

fell on the Georgian masterpiece.

-If he hadn't, total devastation.

-Gone.

And in the wartime period as well,

Henry was to take photographs like this.

-Oh, I see.

-Which actually shows the west front of the cathedral

and they had put bomb blast screens in

-to save the windows.

-Isn't that amazing?

And this is where we get

some of the most fascinating images for people today.

-I love this.

-This is typical of the street scenes, Exeter street scenes.

There was a huge variety of historic buildings

right throughout the city and, of course,

with the devastation of the war,

a vast amount of that was lost in the central area.

But Henry, thankfully, recorded a lot of this.

By the time Henry Wykes finally retired in the '60s aged 88,

he was Britain's oldest working photographer...

Focus on the left side and you press the button on the front.

This could take a bit of time.

..a Rolleiflex just like this one never far from his side.

-Ready?

-Yeah.

Lovely.

But while Tom's been snapping on his Rollei,

Phil's climbed behind the wheel of the Lancia...

Charming. Just like a child.

..heading south west from Exeter to Bovey Tracey.

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

The other bit comes from the de Tracey family,

who became lords of the manor after the Norman conquest.

One of them, a William de Tracey,

was even implicated in the murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket in 1170.

Could be tasty!

Hi, I'm Philip. How are you?

-I'm Tina.

-Good to see you.

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

I think you could be right, Phil,

but I'm sure you can do your bit to create a bit more space.

After tea, of course.

There we are, my dear.

That looks excellent. Thank you very, very much indeed.

Cheese and pickle, ham and tomato.

That looks excellent.

Well, maybe just a small slice.

And then get back to work. How sweet.

This is a nice mahogany mirror

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

At auction, that's going to make between £50-80, I would think.

Another mirror, eh?

How much is that?

Erm, 95.

-Can it come for less than that?

-Yes.

-Good.

And how much

is that?

-My typewriter?

-It makes me laugh, that does.

-40.

-That's 40. I can come down on that.

So, to the age-old question - mirror or typewriter?

What's the best on that, and what's the best on that?

The very, very best is 48.

And what about that?

25.

I think we need to have a look at them, don't we?

Take a letter, Miss Tina.

-That works.

-I was 15 when I learned on one of these.

Get out of it.

That ain't working either.

-It's all going horribly wrong.

-It has.

What's occurring here? That doesn't work, Tina, does it?

-Faulty goods.

-Aww.

Mmm, those two might struggle to make the front page,

however long they hold it for.

What about the mirror, then?

That should work, at least.

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'll decide on one or the other.

I'll definitely have one or the other.

Could that come for about 15?

No, I've got to get nearly 25 on that one.

OK. What about that? Can that come 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.

Time to compare those purchases.

-Hey, Tom, how are you doing?

-I'm good.

-I wish I'd got here earlier.

-Why's that?

-Someone's left an old frame in the woods behind us.

He's right. Or there's antiques growing on trees.

Go on.

Mirror, mirror... I can sense a theme. Oh, I like that.

-Yeah?

-I do.

-My little stool?

-Yeah, I like that.

-It's nice, isn't it?

That's got "sale" written all over it. How much was that?

-That was £15.

-That's for nothing, isn't it?

-Don't know how old it is, but it doesn't matter, does it?

-No.

15 quid. That's cool, I like that.

How much was your mirror?

-Mirror was £65.

-Nice thing.

-I like that, good size.

-Quality thing.

-That?

-£11.

-Yeah.

-Not exactly his favourite, I assume.

Are you going to show me this, then?

-Come here.

-He's taking me to the woods. Help!

There's a lot of timber in that, isn't there? Oh!

MUSIC: "Teddy Bears' Picnic"

-Lean it up there?

-Yeah.

That will be a cracking mirror or a cracking painting.

But isn't it a lovely frame?

Yeah, that's a really, really good frame.

I've fallen in love with that.

That's the danger,

that you see something in it that someone else doesn't.

Yeah, like your pump trough, perhaps, Phil.

It's got a few scars around the edges, but that's...

Just don't get the removal man

who took your last stuff to the auction to touch this.

Mate, this is more likely to break his foot.

-Now, when it comes to breaking feet...

-Let's see what you've got.

Now prepare to see something very familiar, Tom.

-We've got...

-Got a nice hamper.

-I thought we'd have a picnic.

-What else have you got here?

-You bought fire extinguishers

so I don't see why I shouldn't buy a fire extinguisher.

Were you so impressed with my buy last time? That's why you bought it?

Where's your bracket?

At a fiver, they don't have brackets.

You're after that £2 profit I made on mine, that's what it is.

-Those two were a tenner.

-That's nice.

This was a tenner.

-This is good. It's nice.

-I just thought that was OK.

-This is a real "yesterday's antiques".

-Yeah, definitely.

It's got replacement handles

-but it's nice enough.

-It's nice. It's faded nicely.

And I bought it for £45.

-That should be all right, shouldn't it?

-I would hope so.

Do you like those?

-They're brilliant, aren't they? I love these.

-I love them.

I don't know what the hell you'd do with them?

What would you do with them?

-I've no idea.

-Put them to your ear, you can hear the sea.

And finally, if you want to pick that up...

-TOM GROANS

-..you'll have no shoulders left.

-That's a lump, isn't it?

-Yeah, that is a lump.

That's lovely.

That was 55 quid.

That's a bargain.

It's nice with the front to it, isn't it? That's a nice shape.

Anyway, let's go back to the woods, shall we?

Let's go back in here and put my picture frame away.

But what did they really think, then?

The funnels, I think they're great, but...

..who's going to buy them?

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 I wonder how he rates Tom and Phil's little acquisitions.

My favourite item is the picture frame.

Good condition for its age,

it's a good size, it's decorative, makes a statement.

It's probably worth 100-150.

My least favourite item is the oval mirror, the gilt mirror.

I think it'll struggle.

Mirrors are so cheap to buy brand-new that second-hand ones,

unless they're a bit special,

could be difficult, so I think it's a £15-20 mirror.

So, his best and his worst, courtesy of Tom.

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

What sort of friendly deal could you do for me?

Bearing in mind I'm holding a mallet.

Whilst Phil began with £309.08 and he spent £170 on five auction lots.

OK, Chudleigh.

..£30.

Keep your hair on.

-What's up first?

-Your toilet mirror.

I hope it's not my down-the-toilet mirror.

-I think it might be, but...

-Cheers(!)

Remember, he narrowly plumped for this instead of an old typewriter.

-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.

It may get worse.

Tom's mirror was the auctioneer's least favourite lot, remember.

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. What a brilliant auction house.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't rub it in.

Next on Antiques Road Trip...

This is Philip Serrell.

..some touchy-feely bargaining...

Can I squeeze you a little more?

..and a touching admission.

-My mum made it last week.

-Did she?