Episode 4 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 fallen in love with a brick!

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 feel antiqued out!

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

-GEARS CRUNCH

-Charlie!

-Sorry about that!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

It's the fourth leg of our titanic tussle in a 1969 Morris Minor

between Road Trip new recruit Christina Trevanion

and gangly grandmaster Charles Hanson

Have you ever won a Road Trip before?

-I've only ever lost one, darling!

-Oh, really?

-I never knew that!

-I've played six, lost one.

Crikey, Christina! I bet you wish you hadn't asked.

Still, our auctioneer and Shropshire lass is giving as good as she gets.

And the contents?

-Ooh, no!

-No?

Charles from Derbyshire might be prone to the odd spill...

-How much is it?

-It's £25.

-Don't throw it about!

-Sorry about that.

But when it comes to bargains her fellow gavel wielder has a very keen eye,

and after suffering an early setback he stormed into the lead.

-£170!

-Yes! I won that!

Charles began with £200 and after three trips to auction

he's increased that to an entirely laudable...

Christina also started out with £200

and so far she's acquired a respectable...

But a long way behind.

I think you've got to play dangerous. I think you've got to...

I'm either going to lose it all or lose it all.

Chin up, Christina!

Our experts embarked from Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire,

before weaving over 600 miles through the North of England

to conclude at Cobridge in the Potteries.

Today, they'll kick off in Leeds, Yorkshire,

before heading north to a thrilling auction at Penrith in Cumbria.

But to start, Charles has brought Christina to the scene of one of the greatest sporting comebacks

of all time, Headingley Cricket Ground.

-This is phenomenal.

-Just look at this, Christina.

-Wowee!

-This is any English gentleman's paradise.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-When you look up at that wicket...

-Yeah?

-..Look at that green...

-Yeah?

..What are your tactics if you're talking sport and cricket?

If I was... Well, I'm not really a cricket fan, I have to be honest,

-but I'm going to have to be quite clever because you're way out ahead of me.

-Get out of it!

-You are!

-If you're on the ground, it's four runs, if you go over me, it's six.

-Right.

-OK?

-OK.

-So go for a six.

I will! I am going to go for a six! Can you do a twelve?

Er...no.

That didn't go well. Good job we're only talking about cricket rather than actually playing it!

-Madam.

-Thank you very much.

-Your driver will depart.

-See you later.

-Go for it.

-Bye.

But when it comes to the great crease of life,

I'm sure Christina will be straight on to the front foot.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Christina.

-I'm Pete.

-Pete, nice to meet you, Pete.

-Nice to meet you, Christina.

This looks very exciting.

Lots of furniture, I see.

More besides...

-There's a bit more down there.

-Show me round, Pete, show me your empire.

-Bit more furniture.

-Bit more furniture in here.

This could be quite a task.

I've only got £271 to spend.

-And he's come up with something really golden.

-Oh, Lordy!

Oh, look!

Somebody's bear.

Well, he used to be golden! Quite some time ago, though...

He's certainly well loved.

He's got very much replaced pads and paws all over the place

which bear collectors are not going to like.

The search goes on.

It's amazing what you can come up with.

Oh! There's a big spider in there!

Ooooh! I don't like spiders.

Maybe it's time to consult Pete.

There's this dressing table.

-It's got this sort of tambour...

-Yes, they're little tambour...

Tops.

Ooh!

Ow!

They're vicious!

I don't think we're seeing it at its best.

So what's that sort of money?

45.

£45.

It's a big lump.

That's what concerns me. It's a big bit of furniture.

Not many people could accommodate it in their homes,

but there's something about it that I just quite like.

And what would that be, Christina?

£20?

-35.

-Come on, Pete.

30.

-Oh, go on, it gives me a fighting...

-25 and that's that.

-It gives me a fighting chance at £20.

-OK, 20. It's done.

-Yeah?

-OK, yeah.

-Pete, you're a legend. Thank you.

It's either going to be brilliant or it's going to bomb spectacularly,

and I think it's probably going to be the latter.

Possibly, but isn't it staggering that you can pick up a substantial piece of furniture for just £20?

Now, here's Charles, padded up and ready for his first delivery.

-Good morning, sir.

-Good morning.

-How are you?

-Fine.

-I'm Charles Hanson.

-I'm John.

-Good to see you, John.

-Welcome to our emporium.

Now, something tells me there'll be no boundaries at Swiss Cottage either,

but in this game it's all about responding to whatever life delivers.

Is there anything here, John, that's quite quirky, that's quite different, that's quite...radical?

Bull's head, if you want quirky.

Golly! It's an old one, isn't it, the bull's head. Tell me where it came from?

A butcher's, an old-style butcher's.

-This bull's head, I would have thought, would date to what 1910, 1920...

-Something like that.

It's Edwardian, it's George V, that typical shield back is very Edwardian.

He's a bit tired, isn't he? He's been a bit moth-eaten.

-But it's got a big price, hasn't it? 350.

-It's a big price, yes.

-Yeah.

What's the very best, John, if our horns were locked at 350?

-At 300 we'd come down...

-Look at me.

-300 we'd come down...

-That's the very best, is it?

-Yes.

This bull's head could rear its ugly face and make £400,

but it could happily make £100.

And I would be taking too much of a gamble at £300. I'll leave it.

Never mind! There's plenty more wildlife to be spotted around here.

And they're nice up there.

These red leaping deer capture the art deco, and that's really nice.

This is a vase that goes with it.

And there we are. They're made by Crown Devon.

And Crown Devon were a really forward-thinking art deco manufacturer.

They're all been priced individually. It's just a lovely ensemble.

And probably a bit out of my price range. £175 and actually I would want the whole lot going together

as one bundle of art deco joy.

-Hi, John.

-Hiya.

What would be your best price for the famous five?

Er...

-110.

-110.

The only concern is if it's a general sale and it's a real bric-a-brac affair...

-It's all there.

-They might get lost.

I'm going to think about it. £110 is a really good offer,

but I need to be really sure about it.

Hang on! He's off. Charles is having his usual trouble, though, getting started, it seems.

Christina, meanwhile, has left town with Morris.

Whoo!

Motoring from Leeds over to Shipley...

..and the historic Victorian village of Saltaire.

It's really lovely, look!

She's not here for the World Heritage site, though...

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-Are you Malcolm?

-I am, yes.

-Hi, Malcolm.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Christina, very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you too.

-This is amazing.

-Oh, yes. It's a treasure trove.

Malcolm's establishment on the third floor of an old textile mill has a bit of everything.

Not that that always helps!

Mr Bond, I've been expecting you.

Boggled and perhaps a trifle regretful about that dressing table, she's called the auctioneer.

What about furniture?

Ouch!

Right, OK.

OK.

Well, no more furniture, then, certainly.

I love that! Look at that! How cool is that?

Chrome set of aeroplane cruets. That's awesome.

Practical too.

-You're looking at this?

-Yes, please.

I think it's quite fun.

I mean, I think it's terrible. It's obviously in very bad condition and not worth that at all.

I know that ploy.

So the ticket price is...

-£68.

-Right.

I'll have to ring him, but I can normally work up to 10%.

-So that's £6.80.

-But I'd...

-That's £60-ish.

-Well, I'd say £60.

But I can also ring and see if I can squeeze a bit more out.

That would be amazing. Especially as a lot of the chrome is peeling on there.

-It's an unusual thing, isn't it?

-No!

-I see them every day!

-Do you? Oh, right. You can get me another one, then!

-I'll go and ask.

-Thanks.

-I'll come back.

Obviously you'd want it in good condition.

When you're buying something you want it is as best condition as you can get.

So to have that bubbling in sight, it would detract from the value.

Yeah, it's a bit mottled.

But I think it looks very art deco. It's also got a registered number

on the back there which is a good sign.

But it's just a bit of fun, isn't it?

He's back.

-Can't get hold of him.

-Oh!

-So...

-Oh?

I will...

I'll do it at...

Yes?

..56.

Mmm.

-56? That's your absolute maximum?

-It is.

Because what I'm doing is taking the commission off.

-I'm asking for blood, aren't I?

-You are.

And I can't give you it.

-You can ask your mother.

-Is there any leverage on about £50?

I'm prepared to let it go at 50, but that's the best I can do.

OK. So £50.

I like it.

-Why not have it? What are you whispering for?

-I don't know!

Oh, go on, then! £50.

-All right, lovely.

-Brilliant. Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Let's go for it.

But while Christina's been busy making her first buy, Charles has headed for the centre of Leeds,

where, down on the waterfront, further along the River Aire,

is a museum dedicated to arms and armour.

-And you must be...

-I'm Karen.

-Karen. Charles Hanson.

-Lovely to meet you, Charles.

Welcome to the Armouries.

This impressive building displays the National Collection.

It all started out in the Tower of London, but the huge space here can display over 8,500 objects

and Charles is in for a behind-the-scenes treat.

What's was this armour's serving purpose? Was it protection?

A combination of saving your life and, at the same time, looking good.

Is this OK for you in a more contemporary way?

Yes, and he's got form too, having snapped up a suit earlier this trip.

The museum has items like this lobster-tail helmet from the Civil War,

but Charles is here to see the much fancier tournament sword.

These were the jousts that began in the Middle Ages and soon became a highly dangerous spectator sport.

Henry VIII was very keen, but so were other European monarchs.

This one here is one of the jewels of our collection.

This armour here's got a breastplate, a back plate, a neck plate

-and full articulating arm defences. You can see how you can move.

-Yeah.

-What age is this?

-Precisely, and you don't often get a chance to say that, 1591.

-It's not? It's not?

Sophie, Electress of Saxony, wants to give her husband Christian

the best Christmas present ever,

and she orders him a suite of 12 of these.

It was a way of showing yourself.

I actually think that's why Henry VIII was so well-known as a physical presence

was because he showed himself at tournaments.

King Henry became so enthusiastic about jousting that he hired German craftsmen

to create his own armoury in Greenwich,

making plate of increasing thickness.

I feel fairly underdressed, I feel quite open to damage.

You need some extra bits.

This is to protect your face.

Because this is the most vulnerable area, this is the area you're going to be hit.

I'm jousting in what year in this?

You're jousting in about the 1580s, 1590s.

-In England?

-In England.

-So this is an English-made jousting outfit?

-English-made jousting outfit.

-I feel very humble to wear this.

And for sir's tootsies?

These are the steel feet of Henry VIII.

-Worn by Henry VIII?

-Worn by Henry VIII.

-I can't believe it.

-You can flex it.

It's just amazing. So, essentially, Karen, they were worn like that, were they?

Yeah. Absolutely.

-So I'm actually walking...

-You're walking in Henry VIII's footsteps.

That's just incredible.

But these shoes are by no means the only items of armour that once belonged to Henry here.

There's a complete suit, for example, made for the young king at a very famous joust.

Well, here we are in the Tournament Gallery

and I'm going to show you an armour for Henry VIII made for him when he was a young man, still in his 20s.

It was made for him to wear at the Field of Cloth of Gold tournament...

-Gosh!

-..A magnificent tournament that was held between himself and King Francis I of France

in 1520. It became the byword for luxury and extravagance.

He is almost invincible. He was Henry VIII, he was invincible.

And I'm thinking, how can I prod him? Where can I take a hit?

You're never going to get into this armour, I can tell you.

Every single plate locks into every other. It does however weight 94 lbs, so it's very heavy.

I've got to be Christina's knight in shining armour,

and seeing Henry VIII, King Henry from 1520, what are your tips for me?

I think you've got everything it needs, because I can see you've got a chivalrous nature.

I think Karen's got a bit of a soft spot for our Charles!

But I've heard that the knights of old did sing a fair bit.

-Can you yodel?

-No.

-It just makes you want to sing.

-It does.

-# The hills are alive...

-..With the sound of music... #

-SHE CONTINUES

-Quite.

-# Those songs I shall sing...

-La-la-la...

-# For a thousand years...

-La-la-la... #

Anyone would think this wasn't a Road Trip competition at all!

Nighty-night, you two!

Next morning, Christina learns the truth about Charles.

-So did you buy anything yesterday?

-No comment.

-You're not allowed to tell me?

-I can't tell you.

-But surely you can tell me whether you bought something?

-If I tell you, you'd know the truth,

-I would feel under more pressure, so that's a clue.

-So you haven't?

Maybe not.

Yes...

After not spending a penny in Yorkshire so far, Charles still has an awful lot of cash left,

£543.80, to be precise.

I'm going mad, but I quite like it.

While Christina has so far bought a 1960s dressing table and a salt-and-pepper set for £70,

leaving her with £201.94 at her disposal.

It's either going to be brilliant or it's going to bomb spectacularly.

Later they're making for the auction in Penrith,

but our next stop is Skipton.

This historic market town is famous for its castle and mills,

although it's a lesser-known fact that Skipton was also the site of prisoner-of-war camps

during both World Wars.

Nowadays, one of those is a caravan park!

-There's a parking space there.

-Wash House Antiques. It's tiny!

It's tiny!

-It looks packed to the rafters.

-They say small is beautiful, don't they?

-They certainly do.

So what we can do is we can go with a hop, a skip and a jump!

See you later.

Now, Charles, Skipton has little to do with skipping.

-Good morning.

-Good morning, Charles.

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-What a wonderful shop you have.

-Thank you.

-I'm Charles and you're the lady in tweed.

-I'm Samantha.

-Hi, Samantha. Good to see you.

-Hello.

-Are you a Yorkshire lady?

-I am, yes.

-Fine.

I think the tweed has definitely put him in the mood,

plus of course the contents of Samantha's fine little shop.

-That's a nice gavel, isn't it?

-Yes.

As an auctioneer, you always want to sell objects with a gavel that's tactile,

and this is light, has a lovely feel,

-and it's probably what, 1920s?

-Right.

-Nice gavel, isn't it?

-I shall think about it.

-That would do the job.

-It could be going, going, gone if the price is right.

-All right.

That's a nice box as well, isn't it?

I think that's a really beautiful box.

-It has got a little issue in that it's missing a little bit of the foot there.

-Yeah.

I love this box because the detail is so good,

and furthermore it has a lovely feel, has a nice mellow colour,

and it's just a pretty box.

-Circa 1880. How much is that?

-Have I not put a price...?

-No price.

-Oh!

Is it a freebie?

-Is it a freebie?

-Well, no...

It could be very cheap!

-Not quite free, Charles, but it could be very reasonable.

-Yeah.

-If I were to say £15...

-£15. It's food for thought.

He's giving the shop a thorough examination!

In the corner over there is a really nice oil lamp, the one with the... is it a ram's horn?

-Right. It's actually a Victorian put-together.

-A made-up.

-And it's actually an electric lamp now.

-Oh, is it?

-Obviously for the purpose of auction we would have to have it PAT tested.

-Yes.

Check the leccy is in order for public sale and use.

I just think somebody might enjoy it for what is it.

It's a bit of a drama queen by appearance.

What would it cost me to buy?

If I was to say 35...

-What I might do is come back to you with an offer for maybe two, three or even four items.

-Right.

-Is that OK with you?

-Fine, yeah. I'll see what I can do.

Thanks, Samantha. You could be my great redeemer!

Come on, Charles, let's see the colour of your cash!

Now, what about your travelling companion?

My name's Christina.

-I'm June.

-June. Nice to meet you, June.

-Hi. And you are...

-Melanie.

-Melanie. And you're my ladies for today.

-We are.

Brilliant.

Well, it's nice to have plenty of help.

-Brilliant. This building's phenomenal, isn't it? The old foundry.

-Yeah.

Quite a place too.

Oh, gosh, we're going up again...

-Up again.

-Right, OK.

Lots of choice, but with very few dealers around,

so she'll need all the advice that Melanie and June can supply.

I have dealings with this dealer.

-I know exactly what she'll do in the end.

-OK, brilliant.

OK, that's great.

Ah, now, that could be handy.

Well, I think we might go for a bit of a group lot.

Nice picture frame.

That's quite nice, isn't it? That's London 1984.

£55 on that.

Well, that's quite nice, isn't it?

That's nice with the patterned glass.

We've got D&F which is Deakin and Francis, and then Birmingham

-and...is that 1919?

-Yes.

The toilet jar is £50.

-What about the scent bottle?

-That's rather nice.

This is fast work!

That's got a nice star-cut base

which you would expect of a slightly better quality piece.

-But it stands nice, though, doesn't it?

-Yeah it does.

The scent bottle is £35.

If we were to hypothetically say this group, what do you think on that?

We'll say £90.

I'm thinking more probably along the region of maybe £70 for the group.

Well, go to 80. 80's my best offer.

-80?

-Yeah.

-I will go for that 80, because I think that's very fair.

It's very fair and thank you very much. Grand. Thank you.

Speedy! Now, the last time we saw Charles he had quite a heap of stuff too. Any news?

The last item I'm going to sort of remark upon are the two birds. Tell me about them.

I've had this some time, but I seem to recollect when I bought it that the lady said it was a Russian one...

Da!

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

-Whether it is... Now, this one, I'm sure, is a modern one.

-That one, I think has some age.

-Yeah, this is quite a quirky toy.

But who knows? He might just fly away at auction.

There doesn't seem to be a key for the clockwork.

Hello! What's your name?

Though, fortunately, Charles can supply all the energy required.

What am I worth? A fiver? A fiver?

Silly boy! Now, any danger of a deal?

If I bought our four items, could you work a price out for me?

-Looking at the individual prices, it would be totting up to £90.

-Right.

I could trim it down to 50.

I would love to really buy the group for about £40.

The big oil lamp would be £20, the gavel and the box, 15,

and then the two birds would be £5.

Well, it's not something I would usually do, but in this case I think we can end it at that, then.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-Can I raise my gavel?

-Yes.

-Going, going...

-Gone.

Sold! £40.

Thank you very much.

Just as I go and say au revoir...

Aye-aye?

That bookcase over there, Globe-Wernicke, early 20th century...

-and it appears to be in good condition...

-It is, it is in good condition.

-Could it be a goer?

Hang on! This is turning into quite an outing!

I think it's a real popular item.

I think it's one of those pieces of furniture that's really in at the moment.

Globe-Wernicke, founded in the USA during the late 19th century,

patented the expanding bookcase, whereby units of different depth and height could be fitted together.

They're now highly collectable.

What's your rock-bottom price?

-I think for that I would have to stick with £100.

-£100?

The very, very best I could do would be 95. I definitely couldn't move below that.

I think at £95 I shall say...

I'll take it. Thank you very much. I'm going to take it. £95.

I'm over the moon.

That is impressive, Charles!

So after yesterday's draught, now the flood.

Back at the Antique Centre, Christina's finally got hold of a dealer.

What about some photographs from the Beeching era?

-Are they railway photographs?

-Yes, they came out of a clearance I did from an ex-train driver.

-Right.

So they were all his snaps just after Beeching which is the time a lot of the railway stations disappeared.

So there's a good little bit of history from the mid-'60s.

And then lots of disused stations...

some of them actually with the track taken up as well, so a bit later.

-But all the lovely old signal boxes...

-All abandoned.

-..And things like that.

Quite a few stations.

-Gosh! It is a very specialist market, though, isn't it?

-It is.

-But if you found that right market.

-Yeah.

-What have you got on these, then?

-Asking sort of 38 for the whole lot.

I'm just concerned that they could be the kind of thing that makes a couple of quid at auction

-or they could make quite a lot of money.

-Yeah.

I would be happy to get these in the sort of £15-20 region.

I think maybe sort of, like, 35, maybe 30 would be the best, really.

I think they're fascinating, but I don't know how many other people will think they're fascinating.

Yeah. There's lots of chaps love this sort of stuff.

You'll be fine, honestly!

Seb's got a point, Christina.

Give me £26 and we have a deal.

-Shall we go 25?

-Yeah, let's go 25, then.

-Yeah?

-OK?

-OK, 25.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. I think those are quite interesting.

-Yeah, they're good fun.

-Completely not what I would usually buy, but maybe that's where I've been going wrong!

-Yes.

These do seem to be a bit of a bargain. Remember she's still got about £100 left.

Now, anything else?

-What are those prints over there?

-Fashion prints, yeah.

-1940s.

-They're rather lovely, aren't they?

-Yeah, original frames as well.

Original parcel tape?

Yeah, absolutely, yeah!

I think they've got a lot of style

with these sort of slightly demure colours,

but that's what ladies were going for, slightly higher hemlines.

I mean, this art deco look is very, very trendy at the moment.

But this price... Is that £18 for the two or each?

Each at the moment.

What about...? You're going to hate me.

-How much am I going to hate you?

-Quite a lot.

What about £15 the pair?

-The pair?

-Yes.

-15's too low.

-OK. What's your absolute, absolute minimum?

I'm thinking sort of 24.

-24 for the pair?

-For the pair. And the frames, of course, as well as the prints.

-Well, I would hope that you'd throw the frames in!

-You know!

What about £20 for the pair?

I'm going to let you have them for 20, OK?

-OK, you've got a deal.

-OK. Well done.

-You're a star. Thank you.

-Thank you. £20.

Well done, Skipton. Quite a haul for them both,

that explains the very good mood in the Morris, I presume.

Whee!

They're now motoring south and west across the Lancashire border

from Skipton to Burnley.

Just...

It's almost like being in a Flintstone car.

Who was the lady in the Flintstones who had ginger hair? Was it Alma?

"Wilma!" actually, Charles.

Shall we just open the footwell and I'll pedal?

Yabba dabba doo!

Burnley, of course, bears little resemblance to the town of Bedrock,

certainly since it sped into the industrial age during the 18th and 19th centuries,

becoming one of the world's largest manufacturers of cotton cloth.

Looks like this establishment works on a fairly industrial scale too.

Off you go, then, Charles. Good luck.

He's still got an awful lot of cash to spend at Karlen Antiques.

So what will take his fancy, eh?

Retro pottery?

Come over here, Sharon.

This is quite nice.

Look at that for design.

-That to me...is it Midwinter?

-It is.

-It is Midwinter...

-And it's cheap.

Is it cheap? Oh, Sharon, you're talking my language now.

-Are these little soup bowls or...?

-They're soup bowls, I would say.

-We'll put those up there.

-They look quite sweet.

-Yeah, they do look sweet.

Is it the '50s or '60s?

I think probably more like '60s. But does it matter?

-You know, if you're a swinger and you like the '60s, that's fine, isn't it?

-Yeah.

If I said to you, what's the very best on that little ensemble, what would you tell me?

-Only because it's you and I know you need to make money...

-Sharon! I'm in need.

-We're talking £10.

-Oh, my God, Sharon! Don't do that to me, Sharon!

-I like your little doll here. That's quite nice.

-Dream baby, that one is.

-Yeah.

-I used to...

-How much could she be?

What is she on there? 22.

£12.

She can't help herself.

He'll find it difficult to spend much here.

What about this hat, sweetheart?

This is '60s.

-It is, isn't it?

-It is, isn't it?

The right lady...it's very Audrey Hepburn, do you not think?

Can you put it on for me? I can't model it.

I just don't think I'll do it justice.

Oh, I say! No, you do.

-That pretty young lady!

-It's got to go. How much is it?

-£5.

-£5.

Is he buying all of it?

What's the best price on the whole lot?

20 for all the lot there. I think that's a real bargain.

Can you see the little glass dish there with the bull's-eye?

-Oh, yes, that one there.

-You can throw that in.

-I just can't say no to you!

I just can't say no!

You know, if that's OK with you, I'm going to say yes.

-Yes, well, I'm really happy! Let's shake on it quickly!

-Are you sure?

That's done. Thank you very much. Give us a kiss. Thank you.

So Charles is now done shopping with almost £400 still in his pocket.

While blissfully unaware of just how cash rich her rival is, Christina's still at the wheel,

slipping out of Burnley and down to Cliviger.

Now, do you remember the salt-and-pepper set Christina acquired yesterday?

Well, she's about to visit someone who's filled her home with such treasures.

-Hello!

-How do you do? Come in.

-I'm Christina.

-And I'm Christine.

-Oh, there we go.

Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness! It goes on and on and on.

Oh, my goodness! Christine, this is phenomenal.

# Shake your money maker... #

Over the course of 30 years, Christine has acquired 2,830 salt-and-pepper sets

and shows no sign of wanting to shake the habit just yet.

But every collection starts with just one.

-I was doing an antiques fair in Harrogate with a friend...

-Mmm?

And there was a stall of Carlton Ware which I love.

But the only thing I could afford on the stall was the condiment set.

-Oh, this is the first one?

-This is the very first one.

This is the first one that you bought ever?

-Tell me how this flourished into...

-This.

-..This.

I wasn't looking for something to collect, because I don't think that's what happens.

-They look for you!

-Right.

-They find you.

-Which is your favourite?

-This one.

# All the little pigs they grunt and howl

# The cats meow, the dogs bow-wow

# Everybody makes some row

# Down on Jollity Farm... #

Salt's been a valuable commodity throughout human history and pepper is the world's most traded spice.

Plus with just about all the major potteries having dabbled in cruets,

they're naturally attractive to collectors.

Is there anything like the Koh-i-Noor of the salt-and-pepper world?

Is there anything that you would really, really like to find?

-Dickens characters.

-Salt-and-peppers?

Oh, they've got to be salt-and-peppers, yes. I manage to keep to that now.

Except occasionally I buy a sugar sifter.

-Or a teapot...or a biscuit barrel...

-But it's similar.

# Well, get out in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans... #

The 2,830 and counting salt-and-pepper sets are themed around Christine's home.

The kitchen is home to anything that might conceivably relate to eating and food.

Must get in the way of cooking, though!

Whilst her office is populated by sports, occupations and travel.

# ..Shake, rattle and roll... #

-A lot of salt-and-peppers are souvenirs.

-Right.

-It's one of the things I really like about them, I like souvenirs.

-Yeah.

I like to buy something when I've been somewhere.

-To take home with you to remind you of that place?

-Yes.

-So can you remember where you bought everything?

-Yes.

-You've obviously got an incredible memory!

-Not bad.

That's quite something!

Especially when your entire house is salt-and-peppered!

# It's the time of the season... #

Even Christine's bathroom has a seasonal theme,

with just about every watery variation thoroughly explored.

-Shells! Of course you can have shells in the bathroom!

-Yes.

-And penguins.

-Yes.

-And boats.

-Yes.

-And ice creams!

-Isn't that one nice?

-I love that one.

It's brilliant, very kitsch.

Christine, I love your collection. It is fantastically eccentric

and I think it's wonderfully British.

And I think it's about to get a bit bigger.

-Are you ready for this?

-I am.

-Not one...

..but two!

-Oh, I say!

-Antiques Road Trip salt-and-pepper!

-That's fabulous.

-Totally unique and yours.

-Thank you.

Thank you so much.

# Salt'n'Pepa's here... #

Now, let's have a look at what our two have salted away.

-It's really very fragile, Hanson, so be really careful.

-Oh, that's cool! Wow!

-Christina...

-This I love!

-Do you really?

-Yeah!

Shame about the shade.

-So you've got a Globe-Wernicke bookcase...

-Yes.

-OK, like that. What did you pay for that?

What's it worth?

-Well, they used to be £100-150, didn't they?

-Yeah.

It cost me £95.

-OK.

-So it wasn't cheap and you're spot-on low estimate.

And then you got some china.

Much more than that, Christina!

Yeah, that's my bundle of joy over there. An Armand Marseille bisque-head baby,

a hat that I thought would really suit you...

-Ooh!

-This is 1960s, darling.

-It looks whoo!

And the lady who sold it to me said... That's just gorgeous.

-Oh, I love it!

-You know what? You've got style.

-That is special.

-Isn't it?

-Yeah.

You get the 1960s retro Midwinter,

and Sharon the stallholder also threw me in an ashtray.

Now, follow that, Christina!

OK, ready...three, two, one...go!

Oh, wow! Oh, my gosh, it's bright!

Do you know...? I like!

Seems a lot shinier than when we last saw it.

Some spit and polish perhaps.

-It was totally out of vogue, wasn't it?

-It was.

-And now I think the market is coming for it. It's really...

-I like it.

-A 20th-century antique.

-It's for the 21st century.

-I'm going to do one thing.

-Yeah.

Nice.

What I also like and what I was looking for was something of novelty.

-I love this.

-And it's a cruet set.

-I hope it wasn't too cheap.

-No, it cost me 50, though.

-That's cheap.

-Well, no...

-No, I like it.

-And over there, you've got a nice collection...

-Of railway photographs.

-Nice.

If you're that way inclined.

-Well...

-Do you know? It could be an interesting race.

-It'll be very interesting. Good luck.

-Good luck. Can't wait. Good luck.

Well done, partner, well done.

Partner? What do they really think?

Mine were quite cheap, Christina's bought quality, but they've come at expense.

I love the bookcase. I love the lamp. I think those are really quirky.

Look at the ducks! I've a feeling I'm going to be out for a duck...again!

She's really gambled hard, she's going for it, and go, girl, go, girl!

Come and catch me if you can!

After starting out in Yorkshire, at Leeds,

before heading over to Lancashire,

this leg of our trip concludes

at an auction in the Cumbrian town of Penrith.

Look at this. It's lovely, isn't it, Christina?

-Really sweet.

-It's so pretty.

Penrith is blessed with a large number of wells

and the town's good fortune was once marked by pagan-inspired well-dressing ceremonies during May.

-I can pop you here.

-That looks perfect.

There we are. I can almost roll you out a red carpet on this sunny day.

Right, good luck.

I think that Charles is still trying to be a good knight.

It's Christina's birthday as well, so let's hope that that is a good omen.

Welcome to Penrith Farmers' & Kidd where at least ten delightful lots are just waiting to be snapped up.

Let's hear what auctioneer Tom Sergeant makes of them.

Mixed lot. It is very strange. You'd really need somebody to want everything in that lot,

but they might see the potential in one of the items, but it is a very varied lot.

Hardest lot to sell, probably the dressing table.

Normally we can't sell a whole suite of that, so a dressing table on its own could be a struggle.

Christina began with £271.94 and she's spent £195 on five auction lots.

Whilst Charles started out with £543.80 and he has just spent £158

also on five auction lots.

Now, you two, attention, please.

There's an auction underway. Charles' birds go first.

-Clockwork toys.

-One's working. Come on!

I've £10 on commission. £10, the bid's with me.

10. 12. 15.

-18. 20.

-Keep going.

-£20 bid. At 20.

-They're there, look.

-Keep going.

20 bid. 22. 25.

Good lad! Keep going.

Selling at £25. 350.

Well, those certainly grabbed the worm!

What will Penrith make of his next very mixed lot, though?

Absolutely a perfect lot for this market, isn't it?

It's a general sale. You want general items.

-You'll do really well on this.

-Look at me.

No, you will.

Armand Marseille doll and the other bits and pieces with that as well.

Oh, it suits you.

£10 bid. £10. 12.

15. 18. 20.

-22. 22 bid.

-Keep going.

-At 22.

-Cheap.

22. At 22.

22. Selling at £22.

3085.

Oh, a tiny loss after commission.

You've got to ride it.

I'm disappointed. I've fallen off.

Now for his box and gavel.

The auctioneer's been casting admiring glances at that one!

And £10 bid.

Come on! Keep going!

10. 12. 15. 15 bid.

18. 20.

-Good!

-Go on, you could do with a new gavel!

-Keep going!

-One more.

-20 I've got.

22.

25. Still with me, 25.

25 and the lady's got it at 25.

That late spurt has got him a profit.

-That's a £10 profit.

-Exactly.

-I can't grumble.

That is properly in the money, isn't it?

Now for Charles' curious lamp,

£3 dearer thanks to its PAT test.

There we are. 20 bid. £20 bid. At 20.

25. 25 bid.

-25. 30.

-There's more hands! There's more hands! Come on!

At 50 bid.

At 50 bid. At 55. 60. 60 bid.

At 60. 60 bid for that one.

-More, more!

-One more!

At 60.

-I'm over the moon.

-Well done.

Remember all the cricket analogies earlier?

That's a four, I'd say.

Christina's turn now.

You just need one item to take off, to ignite, to inspire...

So will her little silver collection be that very lot?

Various bids. I've £40 bid.

£40 bid for the lot. At 40. 45. 50.

55. 60.

60 bid. 65.

-Keep going!

-65. Now with 65.

65, all done. Selling now at 65.

621.

Oh, dear! That's out for a duck, I'd say!

Minus 15!

It's my birthday!

-# It's my party...

-And I'll cry if I want to! #

Now for her salt-and-pepper aeroplane.

There we are. £10 bid.

10 for the cruets. 10 bid.

-Some more, some more!

-Any more? 10 for that. 10 bid.

-More, surely?

-12 for the cruet.

-12 for the cruet, then. Selling then.

-It's iconic!

-Ah!

-Selling at 12.

Oh, dear, never mind, Christina.

Your fashion plates are up next.

At £10 bid. 12. 15. 18. 20.

-22 I'm after. 22 over on the right.

-You're in profit.

£22. 25. 28.

£28 bid.

28, all right. Selling at 28.

Well done, partner.

She'll never catch him up at this rate!

-It's a mixed day, isn't it?

-A mixed day. Do you know...?

-It really is a mixed day.

Let's just hope all those railway buffs the dealer talked about

have been poring over these.

I have 55 bid.

Brilliant!

55. 60. 65.

70. 75.

80. 85.

90. 95.

100. 105.

110. 115.

130. 140. 150.

-160 I have.

-Obviously, they're incredibly valuable.

170. 180.

190. 200.

-At 200.

-It's your birthday!

£200 the bid.

At 200 selling, at £200.

Great stuff, Christina!

The comeback starts here!

Give us a hug, give us a hug!

Lot 651.

That's amazing!

This was the not-so-big-spending Charles' greatest investment.

I've 50 bid.

-Keep going.

-55. 60.

65. 70.

Got to be 100, isn't it?

£85 bid. 90.

-£90 the bid.

-Cheap. One more.

-Come on, come on, come on.

At £90. 53.

Lost a fiver.

Yeah, and even more after commission.

That's life!

You win some, you lose some.

Despite the cheap price, Christina's dressing table

looks a lot riskier.

-What's it going to make, really?

-A fiver.

-Oh, come on!

-A fiver.

Why'd you but it, then? Why'd you but it?

-Cos it was a punt.

-I've £10 bid.

-10 for the dressing table. At 10.

-That's it!

10 for dressing table, then. 10 bid.

-10 for the dressing table.

-The mirror's worth that.

At £10.

It doubled our expectations!

-Yeah.

-It doubled our expectations!

Someone's got quite a bargain there!

But thanks to her photographs, Christina is the victor today.

-It's your day, birthday girl. I commend you. Well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Cup of tea?

-Yes, cup of tea!

Christina began with...

And after paying auction costs, she's made a profit of £63.30,

leaving her with...

..to spend next time.

Charles started out with...

And after paying auction costs, he's made a profit of £24.04,

leaving him with...

..and a lead of almost £250.

-I've won two. You've won two.

-Correct.

-You have a little bit more money than I do.

-Pass me the keys!

No, I think...I think... it's a victory drive for me.

Go on, get in the passenger seat.

Next on Antiques Road Trip...

nothing escapes the eagle eyes of our Charles!

-It's known as the goose boy.

-Why the goose boy?

Because he's with the goose.

And could Christina's charms bring her victory?

Oh, we've got competition! I like it!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd