Episode 16 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts. All right, viewers?

With £200 each, a classic car and a goal -

to scour Britain for antiques.

On fire! Yes!

Sold. Going, going, gone.

The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction but it's no mean feat.

50p!

There will be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Tricep dips!

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

Oh!

It should be a good one!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

This week, we start a brand-new chapter with our illustrious road trippers,

Paul Laidlaw and Thomas Plant.

There is no such thing as bad weather, is there?

Back to the alley, back to the alley. You're drifting again.

This is auctioneer Paul Laidlaw. He's very intuitive, you know?

I spotted it because of my antique sixth sense.

And he's all man when it comes to choosing antiques.

Let me show you some tea and dinnerware.

Thomas Plant is also an auctioneer but sometimes, away with the fairies.

I love a seahorse. Do you like a seahorse?

Seahorses, I think, are the most magical creatures.

He knows a good antique when he sees one.

-I particularly like this diamond bunny rabbit with the bowtie.

-Cheeky!

Our gents about town begin their adventure with a bulging wallet of £200 each

and this isn't the first time they've had a good old joust in our antiques tournament.

As I recall, back then in the heady days of 2000 and whenever it was.

-2000 and then.

-Whenever!

It was a fabulous result. You thrashed me!

Their nifty little motor is the 1963 Sunbeam Alpine.

-We have no roof.

-There is no roof!

-What are we going to do when it rains?

-Get wet.

Paul and Thomas will, come rain or shine, travel over 600 miles

from Morecambe in Lancashire to the county town of Bedford.

But this is hopefully the beginning of a thrilling antiques adventure

and we kick off in the popular seaside town of Morecambe.

Bring me back a stick of rock, fellas!

They will auction later in Clitheroe, also in Lancashire.

So, we're off to the not so sunny Morecambe.

A young Eric Bartholomew grew up here, even taking his stage name from the town,

becoming the showstopping Eric Morecambe.

The sun may be well and truly hiding but a bit of cloud

and drizzle won't dampen our boys' spirits.

-Well driven, Laidlow, well driven.

-Watch me just demolish this sea wall!

Thelma and Louise moment at Morecambe!

Can you get out from these straps? They're quite easy access, really.

I'm just worried about how my right cheek is going to react.

Too much information, boys!

They're both quite big, strapping lads for the delicate little Sunbeam, though.

Let's not hang about.

You're sharing your first shop of the day in Northern Relics.

Waiting to greet them are a big pair of giraffes, a pair of lions.

I wonder is Noah is about.

# The animals went in two by two, hurrah, hurrah... #

One thing's for sure, they're a right pair of cheeky monkeys!

Let's stick with tough talking Laidlaw. He's full of determination.

I want to find amazing things. And blow good money on them.

-He who dares wins and all that.

-Blimey!

Don't mess with him, Thomas. Fighting talk indeed.

Look at the startling originality of the design

and then observe the quality of workmanship.

We've got a bizarre fire screen.

It's in wrought iron and copper.

A touch of the ecclesiastical about it. That is seriously good work.

I envy the talent.

Period? Period?

Arts and crafts. Yeah, makes sense.

So, late 19, let's say the 1920s.

I love it, I absolutely love it.

It's got that factor that you may not like me,

but I defy you to ignore me.

Yeah?

Are we talking about the antique?

There's no price tag on it.

Well, he's certainly in love with this little number.

I wonder if he's unearthed a wonderful treasure.

Paul tracks down Chris, the owner, to talk money.

-Chris, can I borrow you?

-Of course you can.

The last thing I thought I would ask about, but the fire screen there.

-There's nothing on it at all.

-That is 50.

I would buy this screen, don't get me wrong, I'm not just mucking about.

But we're a country mile off.

It works for me if it's cheap, not if it's got a big price tag.

-What can it be?

-What are you offering?

-I'm offering a tenner.

-No.

Let me kick off with a cheapy at 15 and I promise I'll buy more stuff.

-All right.

-Cheers, buddy.

The steely but charming Laidlaw haggle has given Paul a great start to the day.

Now, where is that young Tom?

Is he parting with his pennies as quickly as Paul?

Come on, Thomas, snap out of it! You've got antiques to buy, you know.

This is like a jerkin.

A military jerkin. A really nice one.

Of course I'm going to try it on, of course I'm going to try this on.

As you can see, our Thomas is a real fan of dressing up.

-I look like the dapper.

-If you say so yourself, Thomas.

It looks like he could be tempted. Now, focus, Tom.

-There's a leather jerkin.

-The coal man's.

-Is it a coal man's thing?

-Yeah.

-Is that what it is?

-Yeah.

-Oh, right. It's quite nice actually.

Different, isn't it? It's clean for what it was.

We're selling it on behalf of a rescue charity.

That's just a donation to the charity, £20 donation to the charity.

Is that all it is? I think I've got to have it.

Remember, it's not for you, Thomas.

A nice piece of social history, though.

The faithful coal man was once an integral

and important part of every British household.

What has caught his eye now?

A lovely leather case, super.

John Taylor, opticians and jewellers.

I found them on the bargain shelf.

I don't know how much of a bargain they're going to be.

It's like they're really well cased. A lovely thing really.

Yeah, I think I'm going to ask. Do you think those could be a £20 note?

-Yeah, that'll do.

-That's brilliant, thank you.

I'm going to have a coal man's jacket,

just because I tried it on and it fits! The spectacle case, we like.

It's just a lovely thing. So, £40 I owe you.

Well, that was easy peasy, Thomas. Back to Paul.

He's definitely on a mission.

Come into my office.

He's never going to sell this.

He's not trying to sell it, there's no price on it.

It was against a pillar. I spotted it because of my antique sixth sense.

It's a stick barometer. 19th-century affair.

Rosewood veneer, one of my favourite veneers.

We've got a central glass column, which was once filled with mercury.

I don't think there's much, if any, in there now.

The stick barometer was first made as a scientific instrument,

but as the popularity grew, so did their decoration.

They were often considered prize pieces of furniture.

I just have a bit of a hunch that I will be able to buy that.

Before he does, the Laidlaw radar has detected something else.

-Let me show you, let me show you some tea and dinnerware.

-Oh, yes, please, Paul.

Behold, for my money, and extremely elegant,

porcelain tea and dinner service.

You've got to bear with me here because it's not wearing its quality

on its sleeve, it's not shouting out, "look at me, I'm fabulous."

Let me show you a muffin dish first.

Look at that! Good form, tasteful decoration.

Oh, and what do we have here? Made in France by Havilland and Company.

In 1842, David Havilland crossed the Atlantic to set up a porcelain

company and ever since has been renowned for quality

and prestige across the world.

By this, you've got antique French porcelain dinnerware,

extremely elegant and at the very least,

we can get a good and extensive tea service out of this.

What do reckon, a couple of hundred quid?

Maybe, wait until I get my specs on, Paul.

What, £35.

That's the value that's to be had buying antiques. Astonishing!

-Stick barometer, this, and Chris. I'll be two ticks.

-Rightio.

Blimey, there's no messing about with this one.

I'm going to try and spend some proper money with you now.

Does that ring a bell?

It was buried against a pillar, but between the pillar and the cabinet.

-Has it been forgotten about?

-No.

-I've got 150 quid on it.

-No, I can't.

Here's one for you, this could seal the deal.

Of all the things to look at, I'm looking at your tea and dinner service.

I'm not interested in the dinnerware at all.

I'm interested in a good half of it.

I'll give you 120 quid but I want that.

130 and you've got a deal.

120 and that's how we divide it up.

-We've bought the screen as well.

-Go on, then.

-Good man, thanks.

Well, Paul is definitely showing his rugged determination.

That's £15 for the fire screen, £100 for the barometer

and £20 for the part tea set.

Both boys are working their socks off.

But, the call of the road trip beckons

and our fellas must buckle up and move on.

The boys are snaking six miles northwards to the small town of Carnforth.

Ever the gent, Paul is dropping off young Thomas at his second shop of the day.

Any shop, any shop that I'm denied

could be the one with The Holy Grail in it.

I want to get in there.

You never know, I might find it.

We'll catch up with Tom later but for now, let's follow Mr Laidlaw.

He doesn't have a care in the world, he's got a bag of antiques already

and he's travelling just up the road

to inspect a rather special furniture dynasty.

Leighton Hall is a grand residence with a history spanning over 750 years.

Paul is excited by his invitation because for two centuries,

it has been home to the famous Gillow family, renowned for their exquisite furniture business,

Gillow and Co of Lancaster.

It was founded in 1730 by Robert Gillow.

Susan and Richard Gillow Reynolds are the current owners of the hall

and passionate guardians of some very rare Gillow pieces.

Paul is meeting with Susan to find out more.

-Hello, Paul, welcome.

-A pleasure to meet you.

-Very nice to see you.

What a pleasure to be here at Leighton Hall.

It is the Gillow family home

and we do have a lot of lovely pieces that people come to see.

So, Robert, was he a cabinetmaker or joiner when he settled in Lancaster?

No, he wasn't.

The Gillows were farmers

and Robert should have gone into that farming tradition

but he came to Lancaster to be near his father

and to support himself.

The story is, he started, really, with a joinery business,

quite a modest business.

It just gradually built up and furniture commissions came in.

Then that side of the business began to take over.

The business really took off with Robert's son, Richard.

He was a craftsman and inventor and his designs included billiard and telescopic tables.

I recognise this dining table as

-Gillow's patented extending table, isn't it?

-You do.

They invented this so-called telescoping mechanism that works this table.

The important thing to know about it is that it is a telescoping table,

it's not one of these that you wind out,

you pull it out as you would a telescope.

You stretch it right out, bring the extra leaves in

and pop them all in and then you seat all these people.

In the mid-1800s, the company worked on the interiors of the Palace of Westminster,

later diversifying into fitting out passenger liners

such as the Lusitania, at the time, the world's biggest ship.

Before Paul leaves, Susan wants to show him

a rare piece of furniture within the collection.

This little piece is very much a family piece.

It's something that was made for Elizabeth Gillow.

This is probably the youngest piece of Gillow that we have.

You can see tremendous change in style and design,

running into the early 19th century.

This was made in 1810, 1815. It was made especially for her.

She was a very religious lady, so first of all, her favourite Bible

stories are carved into these ebony panels, set in all around.

The figures, the ivory figures, were hers.

She asked that they be cut down and set in the alcoves at the top.

You can see they have just been chopped in half and put in it.

Christ and the Virgin Mary there?

Absolutely and then lots of space for storing her bits and pieces.

When you open it, you've got a nice deep drawer at the top.

Then, in the middle, we've got a little cupboard in here

and in the cupboard, she probably stored her household books,

her diaries and things like that.

Oh, and apparently, a skipping rope. I don't think so!

-This lady was the mother of 16 children.

-Oh, my word!

So maybe this belonged to one of the children.

Underneath, in the smaller drawer, I will just take the key here.

It's very neat this. It's all fitted out as a tiny writing compartment.

You've got a leather top piece to press on to write your letters.

What an exquisite and ingenuous piece of furniture

but all the more special because it's a family commission.

I hope that wherever you go in the world, you'll never find another one like it!

If you do, don't come and say, all right?

What a treat for Paul, you lucky old thing.

If you want to experience it too,

this exquisite collection is open to the public.

Now, we'd better check up on that other cheeky scamp, Thomas.

He's having a good old nosy in Vicary Antiques,

owned by the rather lovely Michael.

Wonderfully sort of cramped, which is fabulous!

-Can I have a good look?

-You may. As long as you don't get lost!

-Is there a risk of that?

-Yes, people go in the backroom.

And never come out?

-Yes, absolutely.

-Better watch yourself, Thomas.

There's certainly plenty to choose from.

This is a Japanese fan box, or a glove box.

Made from inlaid pieces of wood.

These stylised metal handles

in the form of chrysanthemums,

almost like a Japanese mon.

With a lacquered interior.

Just exquisitely done.

This box would have been rather important in keeping the fans' delicate silks dirt free.

Priced at £50, it's a possibility.

What has he unearthed now?

Very attractive Carlton Ware.

Early, early Carlton. Persian pattern as you can see.

The Persians here, against the royal blue.

Early Carlton Ware, Persian Ware, the early mark with the bird.

It does have a hairline crack in it.

With a mountain of antiques to get through,

Thomas comes across something else he likes the look of.

This looks like an onyx ink stand, or desk stand.

Probably in the Art Deco... Well, it is Art Deco.

You have lovely hinges here in gilt metal.

A real gift for somebody, isn't it?

It looks like he's going in for a deal.

So, the Japanese box and the ink stand,

and the Carlton Ware at £100 for now.

So, to clarify, ladies and gents, £20 for the vase,

£35 for the Japanese box and £45 for the ink stand. Got it?

Thank you very much, Michael.

With a total of five items in the bag,

Thomas has certainly been a very busy boy.

It's now time for the chaps to rest

because our adventure continues tomorrow.

Night-night.

It's the start of a brand-new day

and it is Thomas's turn to get behind the wheel of the Sunbeam.

-Do you like the car?

-I do,

but she's wanting to go.

She doesn't like idling, does she?

You're right about the posture.

It's very upright and very narrow.

So far, Paul has spent £135 on three items.

The fire screen, the part tea set and the rosewood barometer.

Paul has £65 left to splurge.

Thomas has been a very industrious bee, he spent £140 on five items.

The coal man's waistcoat, the dainty little spectacles,

the Japanese fan box, the Carlton vase and the Art Deco ink set.

Thomas has £60 for the day ahead.

We're off for a spot of shopping in the town of Chorley.

Hopefully they'll get there.

Young Thomas doesn't quite seem to have mastered the old driving yet.

Sorry, I'm in the wrong gear.

-And on the wrong side of the road.

-Oh!

She's quite difficult to drive!

Maybe you should get behind the wheel, Paul.

Well, here we are.

-Thank you, driver.

-Well, that's all right.

-That's all right, sir.

-I'd say well driven but...

-Really?

Come on, Paul!

Hang on, hang on! I just want to get it just there. There we are.

-I want out.

-I don't blame you, Paul.

Next stop is the sumptuous Heskin Hall Antiques

where numerous traders sell their wares.

Young Thomas is rather relaxed

cos he's already got a treasure trove of antiques.

Paul has lots of ground to cover but after searching the place

high and low, he's finally found something.

-I've got a present for Tom.

-Cheeky!

This is as close as I've got. Shall I tell you about it?

There is one deck here, actually, I think it is a nice little cabinet.

It's the pocket adding machine.

Calculating machines are hot and getting hotter.

That's an early little pocket calculating machine.

Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical calculator

in the mid-17th century but this little number

was a handy pocket size for the thrifty Victorians.

Find an interesting thing at the right price and I will be impressed.

£16.

Not bad. Sounds like a good contender.

Right. I think I've seen everything I need to see.

By that I mean everything.

I think it's time to ask about that cabinet.

Paul fetches Lynne, the lady in charge,

-to begin negotiations on the little adding machine.

-Hi, Lynne.

-Hello!

I've seen some things in a cabinet in that room there.

Is it possible to have a wee look? It's up in there, if I may.

Would our friend here with an eye for the unusual like to haggle?

Lynne is unable to get hold of the dealer on the phone

-so she makes an offer on his behalf.

-I reckon I could do...

-Would he kill me? That's the next question.

-Run the risk!

-Run the risk! I know!

-It'll be all right. He's lovely.

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah. I could do that for 12.

-Could we round it down to 10?

I like tens and 15s and 20s but I'm not offering you 15!

SHE LAUGHS

-I can only do 12, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be...

-That's all right.

-Without speaking to him...

-No, no, not a problem.

-Let me give you some money.

-That's a total of four antiques for Paul.

Hurrah! Meanwhile, young Thomas is leaving empty-handed.

He's off on a solo adventure, travelling south

to the village of Aspull near Wigan.

And it's with some trepidation that Thomas parks up

beside the rather scary sounding Snake Pit

but there's nothing to fear, Thomas.

Not quite yet. This is the home of catch wrestling.

For many centuries, Wigan was famous as a prime coal-mining district.

At its peak there were 1,000 pit shafts

within five miles of the town centre.

Most families in the area had a connection with mining

and it was from this tough, dark world

that the global phenomenon of catch wrestling evolved.

This was real fighting for real men.

Thomas is meeting with former catch wrestler and top coach, Roy Wood.

-Thomas.

-Hello, Thomas. Pleased to meet you.

-Pleased to meet you.

-What's your name?

-Roy.

-This is a particular type of wrestling.

It's catch-as-catch-can wrestling.

It's the old Wigan style, the old miner's type of wrestling.

I don't know anything about wrestling.

It's not even entered any part of my life, not even the modern stuff.

-Are you going to lead on and educate me?

-Yes.

-I think you'll be a bit wiser when you leave.

-Brilliant.

-What are the rules involved?

-Well, the rules are very, very simple.

There's no time limit on it.

They just wrestle until one of them couldn't stand up or he submitted.

The idea is get your opponent on his back and then it's finished.

Or put a submission on and then as soon as he says, "right, that's it",

then the job is finished.

I think they call it catch-as-catch-can

because you could grab anywhere you wanted.

They'd give you their leg and you grab the leg and they counter it.

They'd give you their arm.

You'd try and move and counter to that move you were trying.

It was very, very technical, actually.

Roy learned the tricks of the trade from famous catch wrestler

and local man, Billy Riley.

In Billy's day, matches were highly illegal.

They would be set up in fields where people would

gamble on who would be the winner.

Billy became so good that he went on to claim a very important title.

He actually went...

to Johannesburg

and wrestled in Johannesburg.

He went by boat. I think it took him two or three months.

-And he wrestled for the British Empire Belt.

-Really?

He wrestled a fellow called Johnson and I believe Billy

broke this fellow's arm and he came back the British Empire Champion.

-Did you ever meet him?

-He was my coach.

-Was he?

-Yeah.

He was an old man when he coached me.

And with the help of Roy, Thomas is about to take on the past.

Don't worry, young Tom did escape the snake pit.

Meanwhile, Paul is still in a determined mood

to find one last antique.

He's travelled eastwards to the town of Darwen.

Owner Stephen has been running the business for many years

and has amassed everything you could possibly think of.

Good luck, Paul. You might be in here for some time.

-Hello. Hello.

-Hello.

-I'm Paul.

-Hello, Paul.

-I'm Stephen.

-Good to see you.

-Nice to see you.

Here's an interesting place you've got, isn't it?

-I hope you find something.

-Dare I say, it could be my kind of place.

-Just have a browse, is that all right?

-Of course you can, yeah.

Let the Laidlaw thorough inspection begin.

Eventually he does uncover something that rather delights him.

It ain't me, don't get me wrong, but that is a stunner.

What is not to like?

Speakers...lateral speakers, stereophonic.

-Amazing knobs. Love it.

-I think he likes it.

So after a good look round, he has a couple of options to play with

but which will he sink his teeth into?

I thought you'd disappeared. HE LAUGHS

Man, it took some doing. Some place!

I don't know what your memory's like. I bet it's darned good.

I'll run a few things past you to hit me with some prices.

-Starting... Actually, starting up here. That.

-The trunk.

-Yeah.

-A gentle one.

-All right. Well, 75.

-That's pretty fair. Nah.

Downstairs a '70...late '60s, early '70s record player.

-A real funky looking thing.

-It's quite an upmarket looking one.

-Not like the...better than the Dansette.

-Absolutely. Really funky.

I'll do that for 25.

So, the trunk or the record player?

The decision is yours, Paul.

What's the death on the record player?

-The bottom line? Say 25, 20 quid.

-20.

-So it's 20 and 60.

-I'm buying the record player.

-The record player.

-Cheers.

-Very good.

And that's the last deal of the day.

The boys are meeting up to give one another's treasures the once over.

# Dun-dun-duuun. # That random assortment of stuff.

Should that be lying down or is there a fixed reservoir under there?

-It's empty. There's very little mercury left.

-Very little, OK.

-What is that?

-This is uber cool. This is where it's at.

-The future of collecting.

-If you say so, Paul.

I can't believe you bought that, Paul Laidlaw. It must have been a fiver.

-I paid £20 for that.

-Did you?

-How very dare you!

-How very dare you!

-Diss my retro!

-Ghastly! What is that? A pocket...

Little late Victorian/Edwardian pocket adding machine.

Little tin plate affair.

There's a little stylus and you move the digits and so on.

Now for the important bit. How much did they cost?

The barometer, stick rosewood barometer.

-I imagine that was £80 or something like that.

-£100.

-£100.

-It's a punchy, punchy thing. A fiver for a pocket calculator?

-12.

-Right order of magnitude.

-Yeah, yeah.

And 20 for that, you've told me. That's so lovely, that's profit, profit, profit.

Your turn now, Tom. Show Paul what you got.

-19th century spectacles. Silver framed or...

-No!

-Nickel? OK.

Nice little leather case. Sweet.

-Those were £20?

-I did get those for £20.

-And you're going to do all right with those.

-I think so.

-Now, I do like...Japanese glove box?

-Glove or fan, whatever.

-But that, I thought, is the nicest...

-Geometric parquetry all over?

-It's lovely.

-I've got...I've got...

-Go on! Go on! Go on!

-Am I going to be dazzled?

-No, no, no.

-Just a box?

-It's just a box.

-Lacquered interior.

Yeah, fair enough. Erm...

I don't know. That's really nice. It's lovely, isn't it?

In a sea of bland such items, that's really nice. I like that.

I like that a lot.

And you might have got that cheap because it's a brown box.

-Not really.

-30 or £40?

-35.

-Bang on! We're doing all right here.

-And is that Carlton Ware?

-Carlton Ware.

-Did you have to wade in deep for that?

-No, no.

-Cheap?

-Well, I bought all of this for £100.

-OK. So how are you dividing...

20, 45, 35.

My word! A nailbiter.

Thomas, well done, my man. I cannot wait.

So, let's hear what our chaps really think.

My poor record player! He was harsh! I thought he'd like it!

I'm surprised at Laidlaw.

I thought Laidlaw would have bought really good quality items, yeah.

The barometer's lovely but it's missing its mercury

and it's yesterday's news.

It's been a jolly jape of a first leg.

We began our journey in Morecambe, travelling via Carnforth,

Chorley, Aspull and Darwen, finally arriving in Clitheroe in Lancashire.

Nestled in the Ribble Valley, the town is home to Clitheroe Castle,

thought to be the smallest Norman keep in England.

But it's auction day as our boys arrive in town.

-I'm feeling very relaxed.

-What happened to your trousers, Thomas?

We do have standards on this show, you know.

Silverwood is one of the North's leading antiques auction houses.

Wilf Mould is today's auctioneer and has a few thoughts

on Paul and Tom's lots.

The pine stereophonic projection system,

we do have various collectors for that sort of stuff

so I could imagine it could do quite well.

The Coleman's waistcoat...

Quirky thing. It's one of those daft things.

It could be a tenner or it could be 70 or £80.

Paul Laidlaw started the day with his full allowance of £200

and spent £167 on five auction lots.

Thomas Plant took his £200 and exercised a little more caution

and spent £140, also on five auction lots.

All eyes to the front. The auction is about to begin.

Here we go.

To start us off we have Paul's rather stylish record player.

Who will start me at what for this one?

£40 for it. 40 anywhere? 30, then.

30, quickly. I'll take 20 this time. 20's all over. 22. 25.

-There you are.

-30. £30. 32. 35. 38.

-40. 42.

-Ye of little faith!

-45. 48.

-Ye of little faith!

-48.

-50. 55.

-Laidlaw!

-55, new bidder. 55 and 60.

-New bidder!

-65. 70, now.

70. And five, sir? 75. And 80?

-What?

-£80. 85.

-It is back in.

-85 if you like, sir?

-Scorchio!

-No? Anybody else?

All finished at £80 this time? It's going.

Music to your ears, Paul. A lovely profit from the get go.

-Long may it continue.

-80 quid!

OK, I'll take that. I'll take that.

I think I might just hand in my hat and disappear.

Don't do that, Thomas. We're sticking with Paul.

It's the Arts and Crafts fire screen next.

Can he continue with yet another lovely profit?

At 45. 50. 55. 60 now, sir.

-£60.

-It's in there.

-At 60, are we bid?

Where's 65 for this one? At £60.

I tell you what, if this is cheaper than the record player

-it speaks volumes for the market.

-At £60.

Looks like Laidlaw's on a roll today.

I tell you what, I can explain this heat because I'm on fire.

Don't let's get cocky, Paul, it's your rosewood barometer next.

Here's hoping we're not in for stormy weather.

I will start it at £60.

60, bid. 65 if you like. At £60. Five. 70. 75. 80.

-85.

-It's got 100.

-90.

95. 90 with me. Where's 95? New man. 95. 100.

-110. 110 in the room.

-It's cheap. It wants to do 200.

-At £110.

Where's 120 this time? Next to you. 120.

-130. 140.

-It's going to do it.

I'll have 130 next to you. 140 if you like? All done at £130.

The sun is certainly shining for Paul. The profits are mounting up.

-How are you feeling?

-All right. All right.

-You've done really well.

I'll admit the shorts were a good idea.

Jacket's coming off.

SINGS "THE STRIPPER"

Moving swiftly on, it is Thomas's turn to shine

with the sturdy leather Coleman's waistcoat.

Never saw one of these before so it will test me as much as you. Right.

Start we at what for this one? £50, any of you, for this one? 50.

-30, then. £30. 20. 20 bid. 20 and 22 now.

-Straight in.

-There's no harm in that.

-22. Anybody else for the waistcoat?

-22.

-They're off!

-25. 28.

-30.

-Fun thing.

-40 quid coming.

At £30. And 32. At 32. At £30 and 32.

Anybody else? At £30 and 32 for the waistcoat.

All quite sure at £30?

Well, it's a start, Thomas, and it's still a profit

but you've got a bit of catching up to do.

-Can't argue with that.

-Can't argue with that.

-No harm in that.

Back to Paul and the rather elegant Haviland tea service.

£80 for the whole service. 80, any of you? £80.

50, then. 19 pieces of Limoges porcelain.

£50, quickly. I'll take 40.

30, if you like. Nobody wanting it? 20, surely.

-Hands everywhere.

-22.

-25. At 22 bid. You can bid more than once.

-25. 22 quid!

-It's got to do 40 plus.

-At £28.

Looking for 30. £30. New man. £30.

-32.

-Still profit, don't worry about it.

35, 38. 40, now. £40. 42. 45.

At £42 and it's going. This time at 42.

Yet another profit. He's pretty good at this, you know?

-So far so good. Relief.

-Well done.

It's Paul again with the dinky Victorian adding machine.

-Can he make it five in a row?

-£30 for it. 30. 20.

Good little fun item. Is there £20, any of you?

Comes complete with a stylus. Tenner, then.

Start at a tenner, just get it started.

Little adding machine. Five? Five here. Six.

It's got to make a profit. It has got to win pounds. Help me here.

10, 12, 15. 18. 15 is bid.

-They will be disappointed when they buy it, when they see it.

-£15.

Are we all done? Have we all finished at £15?

That was your last lot of the day, Paul,

and it's been profit all the way.

The difference is you know about it.

You know about it. That's what's so good.

You know how it works and all of these things. They might not know.

If I looked at it I'd have thought,

"All right. I could spend 18 quid on that. What is it?"

Over to you, then, Thomas.

Show us with what you're made of. It's the spectacles next.

Nice little lot here, complete with lenses.

Start me at what for those?

£30, including the case. £30. 20, then.

20, any of you? 10.

10 and 12, if you like. At £10 right in the middle. At £10.

I'm looking for 12 now. £12. 15. 18.

At £15 bid. At 15, only bidding 18. Anybody else? At £15.

-Where's 18 for the spectacles?

-Oh, dear.

At £15. Where's 18 now?

-All done at £15?

-Oh, dear.

Not what you were expecting but it's not over yet, Tom.

-Bother. No great pain taken.

-No, no.

-It's this vase.

This is the one, I'm telling you.

Perhaps the early Carlton Ware vase can come to the rescue.

Start me at what for this one? £60 and set me off.

60, any of you? 50, then.

50, anywhere? I'll take 30 for a start. £30.

Come on, you should be jumping up and down at that money.

30 bid. 32. At £30 and 32 where?

At £30. 32, sorry. 32. 35.

38. 40. And two. 45.

48. 50.

-It's looking good for you.

-At £40. 50, if you want.

-Go on!

-It's too much now.

-It's going at 48. 50 this time, now?

No. All done at £48. Where's that?

-Sorry, I couldn't see you. £50.

-No, over here!

-You did come again then! £50.

-£50. "You did come again!" I love that!

52. All done and £50 in the room, then.

That's more like it. A nice tidy profit, Thomas.

-But still not enough to overtake Paul.

-Well done.

-It's all right, isn't it?

-That's a lovely result.

-That's a lovely result.

-I say lovely, I mean nauseating.

-Why?

-I'm happy for you.

-Laidlaw, Laidlaw, Laidlaw.

I've been happy for all your great results.

You know, and I'm such a relaxed...

Yeah. You're a delicate flower and you're lovely through and through.

Naturally.

-It's Thomas again with a beautiful Japanese box.

-£50 for it,

for the glove box. 50. 30, then. £30. Nice little piece.

-Even at a distance, that's a good looking thing.

-Where is 20?

Did I see 20 from anywhere? Thank you. £20. 20.

-22, we're looking for. At £20.

-No, that's a huge loss.

You've got more interest there. These guys know it.

28. 30. Either of you?

I've got the lady there, £30.

32. 35. 38. 40.

-And two.

-Getting there.

-40 bid.

Your turn now. 42, if you like. At £40. 42, anywhere else?

At £40 away on my left.

-It's very minor. I'll take it. I'll take it.

-No shame in that.

-No shame.

-That's the spirit, Thomas,

but you're still lagging way behind.

I'm worried about this onyx stand. It's going to bomb.

-You want to be worried.

-I am worried.

-We're setting this up.

We're setting this up beautifully.

You're worried about it, I'm sticking the boot in.

-It's going to make £100.

-Lovely if it did but it ain't going to.

I can tell you, it's going to bomb.

It's great to have so much faith, Thomas.

Anyway, it's the last lot of the day with the Art Deco ink stand.

£30 for it. 25, then.

Who will start me at 20 for this one?

Tenner, straight off. 10 right at the front here.

10 and 12. At £10. Come on, help yourself.

12. 15 now, sir. At £12 bid and 15 where?

-At £12 bid and 15 this time.

-It was a weak moment. Weak moment. Awful.

-Awful.

-£12. It's going at 12.

Whoops! It bombed.

Your prediction sadly came true, Thomas.

-Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

-Delicate flower.

-Oh, it landed badly.

-Landed really badly.

-I feel quite sick.

-Medic! Medic!

-THEY LAUGH

I need to go.

-What did that make?

-I don't know.

-12?

-12 quid! Come on. Let's go and cool down.

-It's so hot!

-Come on.

Our chaps started today's show with £200 each.

Right, let's find out who has triumphed at today's auction.

After paying auction costs, Thomas made a small loss of £19.46.

Plant has £180.54 to carry forward.

Paul, meanwhile, is storming ahead with a mighty profit of £101.14.

Paul Laidlaw is today's winner and has £301.14 to start the next leg.

Well done.

Well then, Mr. HE LAUGHS

-Well done.

-Cheers, buddy. Cheers, buddy.

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, Paul Laidlaw talks tough

-to stay in the lead.

-I'm not going to make you a reasonable offer.

I'm going to make you a bad offer.

And we'll see if there's more to Thomas Plant than just antiques.

HORN SOUNDS Yeah, that works.