Episode 23 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.

I think I've arrived!

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction,

but it's no mean feat.

Yes!

There'll be worthy winners, and valiant losers.

Tails.

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

Argh! Argh!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

It's Scotland versus England on the third leg of the road trip,

with Englishman David Harper and Scots-born Paul Laidlaw.

When negotiating a bargain, savvy southerner David

likes to leave it to Lady Luck to decide.

What do you want? Heads?

Tails.

Whereas canny Caledonian Paul's buying habits

can only be described as, well...

Quirky, and I'm not ashamed.

OK, I feel slightly dirty.

David started the week with £200, but two auctions later

managed to increase his loot to £214.60.

Not much to live on!

Paul started with the same amount

but his pockets have bulged

to an impressive £369.40.

Better!

It's another glorious day in the British countryside!

Actually, they're battling the elements

in this red 1968 Triumph Herald.

-A moment ago we were in our sunglasses.

-Yes.

It was OK, sort of warmish, wasn't it?

-Bracing!

-Bracing, but doable.

-Now, suddenly, we've gone to November.

-Indeed!

But this is a time-travelling machine, isn't it?

THEY LAUGH

On this route, our fearless compadres

started in Windermere in the Lake District,

travelling a 600-mile journey to the city of Dundee.

Today they're starting in Hexham in Northumberland,

before heading north-west across the Scottish border

for auction in Dumfries.

Located just a few miles south of Hadrian's Wall,

the charming market town of Hexham was once a key border town.

It has played scene to many battles

between the Scots and the English.

Today it's host to another one,

with auction riches and reputations at stake.

-Oh, here we are, Paul.

-Hexham, I presume?

First day's shopping. THEY LAUGH

-Are you raring to go?

-Good luck, my man.

-I'll see you later.

-Have a good one.

Such good sportsmanship, chaps.

Paul is popping into the family-run Ashbourne House Antiques

to bag the first bargain of the trip.

-I better introduce myself, I'm Paul.

-Oh, hello, I'm Beryl.

-Good to see you, and this is yours?

-Yes, it is, indeed.

This place has a lot of antique militaria,

much from the First and Second World Wars.

As a keen collector, that should be right up Paul's street.

A lamp...

This doesn't look military to me.

I love this.

This is superb. Look, I've got to say it, a horrible word,

"quirky".

Look, I said it. And I'm not ashamed.

OK, I feel slightly dirty.

That's a Wee Willie Winkie-style chamber stick, is it not?

It's a little portable candlestick to get one from chamber to chamber

in the dark hours of the night.

We have light switches for that sort of thing nowadays!

It's battery-operated and possibly from the 1940s,

made from Bakelite plastic.

It's ticketed at £26.

A bit of a problem,

a little breakage.

Never buy anything you're going to have two apologise for.

Golden rule.

But I'm still tempted.

It's great, isn't it?

I don't know!

It might give me sleepness nights if I had to sell that at auction!

Something a bit more weighty has caught Paul's eye.

It's a late 19th, or early 20th century

marine navigational sextant, or quadrant.

Seafarers would use one

to measure the angle between two objects in the sky

and plot their exact position at sea.

It's a good thing. It's a good thing, look at that.

Mmm, but good enough for its £200 ticket price?

If it's going to be two, I can't buy it.

What about 180?

It's not enough. I'll tell you what I want to do,

I want to try and buy something else from you.

-I've picked that up.

-I know it's damaged.

What a shame, but isn't it just crazy? Love it.

-A straight 20 would be OK.

-Ah, no, no, no.

So I want to give you, so you know where I stand,

I want to give you £10 for that and 150 for that,

but we're not striking a deal now.

-That's where I stand, OK?

-Indeed we're not, no.

-Right!

Beryl doesn't seem to be budging.

Paul is wandering around,

but isn't particularly keen on much else.

Is this a tactic to soften Beryl up for his final offer?

It could be a good strategy, this.

Are you going to give me that sexton for 150 quid, then?

160 for the sexton and the Bakelite.

It's a wee candlestick for a bit of frivolity

and the sextant is as it is. I know exactly what we're talking about

and I'm happy to take a punt at it.

160?

-Go on, then.

-Thanks, Beryl!

Loving your work!

The wandering around seems to have worked.

Beryl seems happy with the price and Paul's secured his first piece

and that Wee Willie Winkie for £160.

Marvellous!

Meanwhile, David has arrived at the nearby Malcolm Eglin Antiques.

This must be Malcolm. Hello, Malcolm.

-Hello, Malcolm, David Harper.

-Nice to see you.

-I love those trousers.

-I borrowed them for this morning.

Did you really?

It would have been ironic if I'd put mine on, wouldn't it?

THEY LAUGH

I brought a change, just in case!

-Did you?

-No, I'm teasing.

Malcolm's a man prepared for any eventuality,

but is he prepared for David's hard bargaining?

His shop is family-owned

and has a nice homely feel to it.

This is really how antique shops are going

and this is how they should be presented.

It gives you an idea

of how an object might look in your house,

rather than just piling stuff in.

It's so well done, everything's clean and fresh

and you could feel it in your own home.

David is £155 behind Paul

so needs something impressive on this trip to bridge the gap.

So, as ever, he has set his eyes to the Orient for inspiration.

This 19th-century Chinese games board

looks like it's made from lacquered wood and papier-mache.

It may have been made for export around the 1880s

and has a ticket price of £165.

But David will want a discount -

of course!

165 on the ticket, how would it be at 110?

-Yeah, I mean, it's nice, it's nice.

-Where do you want to be with it?

Oh, I daren't say.

If you daren't say, don't say.

It's not like you to be bashful, David.

There is a photo on the wall, however,

that I think is quite priceless.

Look, please, can I not go anywhere without seeing this character?

No, you cannot.

He gets everywhere!

Yeah, well, somebody's got to keep an eye on you lot.

David's back at the games set again.

He's certainly keen on it.

He's ready to make a new offer, I fancy.

For me to get out of it...

-90.

-Yeah, it's...

There's got to be a profit in there, David.

It couldn't be 60?

I'll tell you what, shake on 80.

-I'll do it at 70.

-Couldn't.

I'm not going to lose on it, sorry.

I know, I know. I'm being mercenary,

only because I have to be for this one.

Because he's blinking thrashing me, Malcolm,

that's what he's doing, thrashing me.

-MOURNFUL MUSIC

-OK, here we go.

It looks like he's playing the sympathy card.

-Come on, 75.

-Good man, thank you very much.

-Good man.

-No problem.

It worked! Is this a new negotiating tactic from David?

Another string to his bow?

First item bagged, which is just as well,

as Paul is on his way.

-Well, about time, Laidlaw!

-Compadre!

The sun is shining

-and here comes... a groin strain.

-Whey-hey!

THEY LAUGH

Wait a minute, David, have you stolen something?

Am I technically a getaway driver?

Hang on!

-And...yes!

-Boot it!

Oh, crikey! Batman's job's safe.

Paul's driving David 12 miles

to the village of Mickley in Northumberland.

-Here you go!

-Thank you very much indeed. This is my treat for the day.

I am looking forward to hearing how this goes. I envy you, this one.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

-Cracking, have a good shop.

-Enjoy, I know you will.

-I will. See you later, Paul.

-See you later.

-Bye.

David is visiting the exquisite Cherryburn House,

the birthplace of 18th century naturalist

and trailblazing print artist Thomas Bewick.

David's meeting Emily Bryce from the National Trust.

-You must be Emily.

-Hi. Nice to meet you.

Thank you very much and I see you've just been admiring

that wonderful northeastern view there.

Yeah, it's really something quite special,

particularly on a day like today.

Thomas Bewick spent his formative years at the Cherryburn farmhouse.

It's here he developed a passion for ornithology

which, together with his artistic flair,

enabled him to make precise drawings of the wildlife around him.

Aged 14, Bewick became an engraver in Newcastle,

but this museum at Cherryburn still retains examples of his work.

It's a first edition

of The History Of British Birds, which was Bewick's second major work.

And this is the Land Birds version of it.

He also did a Water Birds book.

You can get to see lots of very intricate images

of the birds themselves.

During the day, Bewick engraved business signs,

but in the evenings he would work on great illustrations

that would reveal his true creative craftsmanship.

He started off doing drawings from stuffed birds

but what he decided was that, actually,

the stuffed birds, they were never posed in natural poses,

so he didn't like that. He used to ask people

when they would go shooting or kill a bird,

to either post one to him,

or he got them from a whole range of sources,

so he was getting them through the post.

Bewick developed a method of using engraving machinery

to create complex printed images.

This is a replica of the printing press

that would have featured at Bewick's workshop in Newcastle.

It's operated by historic printing adviser Christopher Bacon.

This is the original wood-engraved block

made by Thomas Bewick, and it's from the picture you've been looking at.

What's interesting about it is you can see that

the block has been relieved to different levels.

This was all part of his technique.

It meant that the lower levels would actually ink more lightly

and the higher levels would take more ink,

and they'd get the pressure first when the platen comes down.

This was a completely new innovation.

Till this point, most printing plates had been flat,

and if you wanted an engraving,

it would need to be done on a copper plate.

But Bewick combined the skills he learned as an engraver

to create something special.

-There you can see the detail.

-Oh, my golly gosh.

Thank you very much indeed!

Bewick revolutionised print art in Georgian England,

and Cherryburn House offers a snapshot

of the 18th-century rural life

of perhaps Northumberland's greatest artist.

Whilst David is in Mickley,

Paul has driven to the seaside town of Whitley Bay

to take in some bracing sea air.

The town was simply known as Whitley until the 1880s,

but constant confusion with the town of Whitby in North Yorkshire

led to a re-christening with the simple addition of the word "bay".

One place that has kept the old name, though,

is Whitley Jewellery and Antiques,

and that's where Paul is.

It's parky out there, I'll tell you!

-Nice to meet you.

-You are...?

-Philip.

-Good to see you.

-I'm Paul.

-And Linda.

-Linda, how are you?

-I'm fine, thanks, Paul.

Good to see you.

Formalities out of the way,

Paul likes to make his way around each shop clockwise.

Or is that anticlockwise?!

Now I've deviated, haven't I?

I was clockwise and now I've gone there.

That's all wrong.

It's how you miss stuff.

Easy mistake to make, I guess.

Paul's going for a deep rummage.

His eagle eyes have spotted something, though,

shining on the floor.

How bizarre.

I've never seen the likes.

Tweedledum, Tweedledee

and one with the Queen of Hearts' pages.

These brass plaques

feature the characters from the original novel

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

and are probably late 19th or early 20th century.

They're too far gone, aren't they? Polished to oblivion.

Someone's had a right good go at cleaning these

and it's taken a bit of the shine off them.

Is there any money on the brass plaques? Are they dear

or are they not dear?

Well, we've got them marked up at £25 each.

-So they're dear in my book!

-You think they're dear?

-I do.

See if they were sharp? They're worth a punt.

Paul looks like he's deep in thought about Tweedledum and Tweedledee.

Are they really worth £50?

And can he do a deal?

I do want to buy them, to be honest with you.

I want to buy something,

but I'm not a gambler

-and I'm going to make you a puny wee offer...

-Right.

..of a tenner.

-Each?

-No.

-Oh!

He drives a hard bargain.

-I'll see what I can do for you.

-Look at all that damage.

Shall we go in the middle? 15?

-I'm offering you a tenner.

-Ah, Paul...

Do you know what you need to do next time?

Not have them buried in the corner,

as though you'd given up all hope of getting anything for them!

That is sending me a subliminal message.

That'll be lovely. You can have them for ten.

You, my friend, are a good man.

Thanks very much!

Thank you.

Can there be a better pair of mascots

than Tweedledum and Tweedledee to join our wanderers' road trip?

Having avoided any white rabbits,

Paul's picked up David

and the two seek shelter for the evening,

so night-night.

It's the start of a new day on the road.

-So, you've got a lot of shopping to do today.

-I do.

I'm excited. I'm raring to go.

I just want to get on the ground and get buying.

THEY CHUCKLE

-The evil laugh is out.

-Just as I had suspected,

he's fallen for my plan!

Oh, Lordy.

Yesterday, David splashed out £75 on a 19th-century Chinese games board,

leaving him £139.60.

Paul pushed the boat out,

spending £170 on the marine navigational aid,

a Bakelite chamber stick

and two brass plaques,

leaving him £199.40 today.

This morning,

the boys are off to the historic coastal borough of Tynemouth.

They're heading straight to Tynemouth Market,

a place that's just about big enough for the two of them.

OK, left or right?

There's nothing that way. You go that way!

PAUL LAUGHS

-Oh, David!

-You! You!

It's meant in jest.

Look at all that!

-Good luck!

-See you later.

Get on with it, then!

Tynemouth Market is based

at Tynemouth's magnificent railway station.

It's the working railway station for the Tyne and Wear Metro

but, at weekends, it transforms into a bustling marketplace.

They sell just about everything imaginable here.

Cracking pair of boots, eh?

-It was a fine man - a gentleman - that wore those.

-Oh, yes.

Gee whizz, can you imagine?

But with so many stalls to choose from,

it's a race to see who bags the best bargains first.

I've not got time to think about what David's up to.

He'll be a man on a mission, a machine,

a bargain-hunting Terminator.

Our David, though, is no Terminator.

He's actually a pussycat.

But he IS on a mission.

1959. Paul will remember that. He would have been... How old is he now?

Paul's 75... He would, I suppose, just be getting married in '59(!)

-He looks good, but he's had a few operations.

-Ho-ho-ho!

I didn't think he was as young as that(!)

Speaking of things of a fair age,

David's picked up a silver lady's parasol handle

in the form of a swan.

-It's a novelty thing but missing the eye is a major problem.

-It is.

Gosh, that would have been a very fine piece of kit,

so made for a lady of quite some substance.

It's hallmarked 1901, but has a bit of damage.

Silver can sell quite well

but is it worth the £50 dealer Chris is asking for it?

I can't do it. I'd like to own it

because it's an item of quality.

-It has a little bit of damage.

-It's got damage.

What's the price that you'd like to buy it at?

-I'd love it at a tenner but I'm not going to get it, am I?

-No.

-OK.

Anywhere near?

Um... I think the bottom would have to be 30.

Make it 20 and I'll have it.

Let's do some business.

25.

Spin you for it?

-20 or 25?

-Yeah.

-OK.

Oh, Lordy!

He's not going to try this old trick again, is he?

If he wins, he gets it for 20.

Lose, and it's 25.

-OK, what do you want?

-Heads.

-Heads?

Tails.

Huh! Fluke!

And for just £20, let's hope he's even luckier at the auction.

First purchase, first stall - this is what I like.

Paul, meanwhile, is on the other side of the concourse

and he's being called towards some vintage phones.

I mean, I'm a man for my vintage technology and instruments.

These are style icons, are they not?

A bit like yourself, Paul,

but are they stylish enough

to pay dealer David £48 for them?

They look magic!

They look absolutely spectacular.

Clearly, you have worked on these, these are good to go,

-plug them in and you're away.

-Yes.

Could you sell me one of these at a knockdown price?

It depends on what the knockdown price is.

I don't know. What am I going to buy for 25 quid? Anything?

No, I'm afraid not.

The red and ivory?

I've got that at 48.

And I would take 38.

Is there any way on God's Earth you'd take 30 quid for it?

It's a one-off, so I'd agree to do that.

-You're a good man. I like your style in every regard.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. I'll give you some money.

-OK.

Whilst Paul secures his first item of the day,

David is still struggling to find something he likes.

So much choice - and, potentially, so little time.

He knows he needs to buy carefully

if he wants to close the £155 lead Paul has on him.

Speaking of which,

Paul is eyeing up these watchmaker's glasses, priced at £40.

Now, if you have a broken glass on an old watch,

it's nearly impossible to ever find a replacement.

An interesting thing, innit?

-You got much money on that?

-We try to get about 40 for it.

Have you been trying for long, is the question!

-I've had it about two years.

-No!

HE LAUGHS

Let me have another wee look at it, yeah?

The set comes with several rubber tools

and glasses to repair many different types of watches,

however, there is a part missing.

Could dealer David take another offer?

It's like a mandrel that's missing.

Bid you a tenner for it?

Take it off your hands two years later.

-15.

-Take the money and run.

-15.

-Tenner?

-I'll meet you halfway - 12?

-Deal.

Cheers, my man. Thanks for that.

The watch glasses join the phone,

making up a £42 haul for Paul.

David, however, is still wandering around

but can't see anything else he fancies.

But with just two items against Paul's five,

and with one more shop to go,

he really needs to start buying.

But it looks like he's decided it's not to be.

Paul, having completed his shopping, is heading north,

up the coast to the former mining town of Ashington.

Woodhorn Museum records the rich mining history of the town,

but that's not the reason he's here today.

Paul has come to hear about one of the key turning points

of the Second World War -

the capture of the German coding machine, Enigma.

Whilst the Enigma isn't here,

Paul is meeting Charles Baker-Cresswell.

His father captured the first Enigma machines

seized during the war.

-Is it Charles?

-It's Charles.

-Pleased to meet you, I'm Paul.

Great.

Britain required more than a million tonnes of imported material per week

in order to survive the war.

Charles's father, AJ Baker-Cresswell,

was commanding officer of HMS Bulldog.

During the war, he ensured the safe passage of merchant ships

supplying essential materials and food for the war effort.

My word, he cuts quite a fine dash in his naval uniform.

He does. He was a good-looking man.

So this would be, I assume,

-towards the tail end of the First World War?

-Yes, I would think so.

On 9th May 1941,

their convoy was fired upon

by German U-boat 110.

They returned fire,

crippling the German U-boat,

forcing them to abandon ship and surrender.

Crucially, the U-boat stayed afloat,

giving Commander Baker-Cresswell's crew

a rare chance to get their hands on the elusive Enigma machine.

And there is a photograph taken by my father

from the bridge. That is HMS Bulldog,

that's U 110,

those are the British sailors on the U-boat.

She's down at the stern already.

She's down at the stern and a Lieutenant Balme,

who was a young man of 19 then,

he went down the hole in the U-boat

and the whole lot went down and started passing stuff up.

Everything, anything,

-including the encoding machine.

-My word.

-Knowing that at any point this thing could go under.

-Yeah.

-My word, the bravery.

-Yeah.

Once in their hands, though,

code-breakers worked to understand the machine.

Within a few months, they were finally able

to decipher top-secret German military instructions.

By capturing this Enigma machine from 110,

it resulted in the saving of countless lives

-because we had broken the Enigma code.

-Yes.

And we knew what the Germans were up to. Wow.

Historians believe the capture and cracking of the Enigma code

shortened the war by two years,

saving many lives.

But the Enigma machine wasn't the only treasure

Baker-Cresswell's crew found that day.

This is the chronometer that my father got out.

Being a navigator, he was interested.

This is the actual ship's chronometer from U 110?

Absolutely.

And there is the German sea eagle.

Ownership mark of the Kriegsmarine.

And here's the sextant,

which my father also took star shots from the Bulldog with

that same night.

-My word. Would you believe I bought one of these yesterday?

-Did you?

Albeit not a Kriegsmarine example.

Well, I hope it works well.

Addison Joe Baker-Cresswell

played a pivotal role in turning the war around.

Living well into his 90s, a true British hero.

May I thank you sincerely for treating me to that.

Whilst Paul hears about an amazing piece of history,

David is still hunting for a bargain.

He's popped along to the leafy suburbs of Jesmond,

north of Newcastle city centre.

He's now at the Fern Avenue Antiques Centre,

his final shop of this trip.

But with only £119 left and just two items in the bag,

he really needs to do some buying.

-Hello there.

-Hi.

-David Harper.

-I'm Neil, nice to meet you.

Great to meet you, too. What's your position here?

-I'm sort of general manager.

-OK.

-OK. Top salesman.

-Yes.

-Right, OK.

-Hopefully today.

Oh, I see. I like that. Keenness.

This shop has a range of goods from around 12 different dealers.

Oh, gosh, there's so much to look at.

What's this?

What is that?

David's picked up a cast-iron figure of a horse-drawn carriage.

So, what we have here, then, is a child's toy

purporting to be from the very late 19th century,

circa 1900, which, if I was really confident it was from that period,

that would be the cheapest thing I've bought on this road trip so far,

at 20 quid, but it's a funky, funky monkey.

They're not monkeys, they're horses.

Funky perhaps, but tricky to date precisely.

Can you make a call and bid them a tenner? Just for a bit of fun?

I'll go and see.

If I could own that for a tenner...

It's really chancy.

It's the kind of thing, in auction, that could surprise you.

Good fun it may be,

but can you get a few pounds off?

Neil has called the dealer to find out.

-Come on, Neil.

-Very best he can do would be £15, David.

-£15? I've got to buy something, Neil. Thank you very much.

-Good.

That's good. OK.

A nice addition to David's collection,

but let's hope he won't be flogging a dead horse with this at auction.

He's not stopping there, though.

DISCO MUSIC PLAYS

I quite like that.

Really? I'm sure somewhere there's a disco missing its table.

This one has a ticket price of £40.

-It's a bit greasy.

-Well, they do say GREASE is the word.

God only knows what this thing has seen.

Lots of flared trousers and cravats, I guess.

See, this is a 20th-century thing, obviously,

but it's got that kind of bejazzle look, hasn't it?

Bejazzled? What is he on about?

-Bid him 20 quid. Please.

-I will.

-I'm sorry.

First of all, say I'm very sorry...

-Yes.

-..for being horrible.

No, no. No, no. Don't worry.

All right. Bid him 20.

That'll be bonkers if I buy that.

He's very, very, very sorry but it has to be 40.

-Really?

-Yes.

-He's very, very, very sorry?

-VERY, very, very sorry.

-Is he?

If I was even sorrier, he wouldn't come down a bit more?

-No.

-No?

It looks like it's not to be.

David wants a better discount than that.

Whilst he mulls it over,

he's spotted a large brass bowl,

possibly 19th century, North African, for burning charcoal.

It has a ticket price for £75.

What can that be?

Um...£40 would be the best we could do on that.

40 quid?

Neil's offering him a whopping £35 discount on that.

It's got the exotic, hasn't it? It's got the exotic feel,

which is fantastic. I think I'm going to have to have it.

-I've got to have it. £40.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Purchase number two.

Two purchases in the bag

but David still has THAT table on his mind

and has asked Neil to offer the dealer £30 for it.

-He won't come down below 40.

-Seriously?

-Yeah.

All right. If you were in my shoes, Neil,

would you take a chance?

I would take a chance.

-Shall I take a chance?

-Yes.

-Neil, I'm going to take a chance.

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you.

-That's a quirky bunch of purchases!

Quirky bunch. Thank you very much indeed.

It certainly is.

£95 conceivably well spent on three items.

And as the shops close on the final day,

it's time for our fellows to reveal their wares.

I think it's my turn to go first.

-Voila!

-Yeah, I'll tell you what.

I'd walk up to your stall at a fair.

-Is that cast iron?

-It's cast iron.

It looks substantial.

It's a cast-iron, late-19th-century-style piece.

You're hoping it'll make 40 to 80 quid again.

-That's what I'm hoping for.

-What did you pay for it?

-£15.

-Now...

-One, two, three, four...

Have you lost something, David?

I was looking down at my fifth item thinking,

"Someone's put this old, manky table there," but it's mine.

Yes, it is. In all its glory(!)

Think 1980s discotheque.

It's broken and oxidised and ghastly.

I know, it's great, isn't it? It's 20th-century funk.

-It's something that rhymes with "funk".

-Junk? A bit harsh, perhaps.

Come on, how much did you pay for it?

-Oh, my Lord, 40 quid.

-Behave yourself.

-You paid four quid for it.

-I paid £40 for it.

I couldn't help it, Paul, it's different.

It's different from sellable.

I get the feeling Paul doesn't like it.

OK, move on.

-Oh...

-That looks rubbish, doesn't it?

No. I love the colours.

-Isn't it magic?

-I love the colours.

That's what would draw me to it. A plain red one or a cream one

in a general auction... I've no idea.

20 to 40? 20 to 30?

-I think it's 30 to 50.

-Yeah.

-So we're in agreement.

-Yeah.

I paid 30 quid for it.

What's in there?

That is a 19th-century marine sextant.

-Oh, my gosh.

-Navigation aid.

-That's your one, isn't it?

-That's the one.

-Paid 150 squids for that.

-OK. Well, you know...

I hope it makes 250.

I think it's got every chance. That's good. That's your star lot.

So, I think a very, very interesting table

-yet again.

-I've got another good spread.

-Paul, I look forward to Dumfries.

-You joking?

Indeed. But first, I want to hear

what they really think about each other's lots.

Biggest scary number has got to be the sextant.

That could be very meaty.

And it's quite worrying.

The two things I preferred the most

were the Alice In Wonderland plates. In terrible condition,

but pretty rare too, so they may be a surprise.

For me, it's all about the table.

HE CHUCKLES

The table is a hole in his fortunes,

no two ways about it.

The silver parasol handle -

it's a smart thing, it's silver.

It could make him a decent profit.

I personally like the Chinese games box.

You can't call this one. It's a good offering.

It's going to be an interesting sale.

You're right. So let's get on with it.

After shopping in England, the boys are heading across the Pennines

and up to Scotland and Dumfries

for today's auction.

Located near the mouth of the River Nith

into the Solway Firth,

Dumfries has a strong connection with Robert Burns.

It's where the Scots poet spent the final years of his life.

Our very own wee, sleekit cow'rin tim'rous beasties

have finally arrived at Thomson Roddick Scottish Auctions.

It's the scene of today's auction showdown.

Oh, he's going to take the sign out!

-Thank you very much.

-I expect nothing less, Driver.

-We have landed.

This family-owned auction house

was founded in 1880

and fifth-generation auctioneer Sybil Thomson

will be at the podium today.

She has some thoughts, though, on the boys' lots,

particularly the sextant.

The sextant's interesting. Unfortunately,

we believe it's actually a quadrant rather than a sextant.

A quadrant's a quarter of a circle, and a sextant's a sixth of a circle.

The umbrella handle has got lovely decoration

and I think it'll hopefully do quite well.

It's a very glitzy-looking mirrored table,

but maybe slightly out of fashion in the present market,

but you never know, with changing tastes...

It looks very much like something

that came out of a 1970s nightclub in Blackpool, or somewhere.

David started this leg with £214.60

and has gone on to spend £190

on five auction lots.

Paul, meanwhile, kicked off with £369.40,

and has parted with £212,

also for five lots.

So, let the auction begin.

First up, it's game on for David's Chinese games board.

-Give me a starter at £32. 32.

-Off and running.

35. 38.

40. 42. 45.

-Oh, David Harper.

-48. 50. 55.

60. 65. 70.

-75. Any advance?

-Come on.

£75. 914.

That's exactly what he paid for it.

But after costs, it works out at a loss for David.

That's what I'm here for - to make you look good.

You're my fall guy.

Next, it's high time for Paul's watch glasses.

Start straight in at 10 bid. 10 bid, 10 bid. 12.

-15. 18.

-Oh, more than that.

-22. 25.

-No, no more.

-28. 30.

-£30.

-It's horrible.

-Any advance on £30?

A great result for Paul's watch glasses -

more than doubling his money.

Not bad, that, Paul. Well done.

Next, will Paul's slightly damaged Bakelite lamp

hold its own in the cold light of day?

£10? 10 bid. 10 bid.

-Damn.

-12.

15. 18. 20.

22. 25.

25. Any advance on 25?

25!

The Bakelite has done incredibly well,

delivering £15 profit.

Seriously, well done.

It's time for Paul's retro telephone.

Start at 18 bid. 18.

20. 22. 25. 28.

30. £30.

-Gentleman on my left. At 32.

-No!

-32. 35.

That is insane.

£35...

A profit, but after costs there won't be much left for Paul.

-Just get out of that.

-You've gone red.

David's second item for auction

is the copper and brass charcoal-burner.

10 bid. 12. 12.

15. 18. 20.

22. 25. 28.

-30.

-Bobbing along. Bobbing along.

-32.

35. 38. 40.

-42.

-Yes.

-At 45.

At £45...

Again, after costs,

David's just about broken even.

I made a fiver, didn't I?

-On paper.

-Before charges.

Horrible Paul.

PAUL CHUCKLES

Will Paul's Alice In Wonderland brass plaques

work wonders for his profits?

20 bid. 20 bid. 22.

-Come on, then.

-Oh!

-25. 28.

30. 32.

35. 38. 40.

42. 45. 48.

50. 55. The bid's with the lady at 55.

£55... And your number is...?

An incredible profit for Paul.

-Unbelievable!

-What?!

-Unbelievable.

-Another discerning purchase.

I know.

So far, David has started with a canter.

Could his toy carriage gallop into the lead?

Give me a starter at £45.

48. 50.

55. 60. 65.

70. 75.

75. It's on commission.

-Come on, Dobbs.

-You're all at 75.

Anyone else going on? At £75...

A triumph for David,

who's been just about breaking even thus far.

-Well done, man. Well done.

-Get in there.

-Good buy.

-Thank you.

-15 to 75?!

-Lovely.

-Get in.

-I need that so badly.

It's time for Paul's sextant.

Or is that a quadrant?

Starter at £100. 100.

110. 120.

130. 140.

-150. 160.

-Well done.

170. 180. 190.

200. New bidder. 210.

220. 230.

-It's made its money now.

-Any advance on £230...?

With £80 profit, Paul will be very happy with that.

-It feels good.

-Seriously.

-Cheers, man.

-Seriously.

Get in!

Agh! Agh!

Next up is David's swan parasol handle.

-20 bid everywhere.

-Everywhere. Sea of hands.

30. 32. 35. 38. 40.

-Come on.

-42.

-Come on, baby.

-45. 45. 48.

-Go on.

50. 55. 60. 65.

-She's getting there.

-On my left at £65...

A very nice £45 profit for David.

-Last one to go.

-You're up.

-I'm up.

I could go down.

-You could.

-I could.

-Could? Will!

It's all down to that final lot -

David's mirrored table.

20 bid. 22.

-25.

-What's happening?

-28. 30.

-This can't be your lot.

-35. 38. 40.

-Oh!

-Go on!

42. Can I tempt anybody else?

42. At £42...

Everyone thought it would bomb and although, after costs, it's a loss,

it's a lot less than they had thought.

Pass me a piece of that humble pie!

Well... No, you were right, because I've made a slight loss.

You got out of it!

Unbelievable.

David started this leg with £214.60.

After auction costs,

he made a profit of £57.64,

ending the leg with a total of £272.24.

Paul, meanwhile, started with £369.40

but after costs made a profit of £95.50,

thereby winning this leg of the road trip

with £464.90.

Sunlight. Give me sunshine!

And a warm glow from within as well, given those results, my man.

-A warmer glow for you! But well done. Well done.

-Thank you.

What's wrong with that...

-Three down...two to go.

-There's still time.

I don't want this one to end.

Which way are you going? That's the way out.

Onwards and upwards, chaps.

Path of least resistance.

This leg is going to be mine!

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

Paul tries to get into the mind of his opponent...

David Harper would buy that.

..whilst David's luck begins to change.

This is the start of the big comeback, Laidlaw.