Episode 3 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.

I'm 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.

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

-Ooh! Ooh!

-Ow!

This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

'TIME IS TIGHT' BY BOOKER T AND THE MG'S PLAYS

It's the third leg of their road trip

for our experts Charles Hanson and Philip Serrell.

As they navigate the streets of South London,

they seem to have gone all Cockney on us, like.

Phil, we're not far from Peckham.

Mickey P, Del Boy, Rodney, you and me.

-Don't call me Grandad, Charlie.

-Got a pony in your pocket.

Grandad. Grandad.

I'm Rodney, you'll be Grandad, OK?

-You are a bit of a plonker.

-Yeah, Rodney.

At least you're not driving a yellow three-wheeler, chaps.

Charles is an auctioneer and valuer with over 14 years' experience.

Looking good, Charles.

Philip's a seasoned auctioneer and antique expert,

and after falling behind in the last leg the alarm bells are ringing.

BELL RINGS

Our experts began their journey with £200 each,

and two auctions later the gap is widening

with just over £80 separating the pair.

Charles made a winning start to the road trip,

triumphing in the first two auctions,

giving him a very pleasing £335.38 to spend today.

While Phil, the only person to have beaten Charles Hanson

on the Road Trip before,

is trailing this time round, amassing only £254.20 so far.

Slow down. Slow down! Slow down. Just slow down, slow down.

Charles is at the wheel as they bump their way through

the streets of Greater London in a 1969 Triumph GT6 convertible.

Watch out for those sleeping policemen.

Do you know what, Charlie? I'm feeling carsick at the minute.

Charlie, these sleeping policemen, they have a design.

It's actually meant to slow you down when you take them.

-Don't take them at 50.

-Oh, no wakey-wakey.

Let's go, guys, you're road-tripping. Wakey-wakey.

Wakey-wakey indeed.

Our road trip covers a massive 900 miles

from the north-west of England, at Southport,

winding down into Wales,

across to London before finally reaching Cirencester

in the Cotswolds.

This leg takes us from the South London district of Bermondsey

into the heart of the capital before ending up at auction in Greenwich.

Bermondsey lies close to Tower Bridge

on the South Bank of the River Thames.

In 1952, the bridge opened

while a double-decker bus was still crossing.

Driver Albert Gunter made a heroic three-foot leap

onto the north bascule

and was later given £10 by the City Corporation

to honour his act of bravery.

Our brave boys, though, are starting their shopping expedition

underneath the arches, at Tower Bridge Antiques.

If they can get out of the car.

We both know what is an antique, and this is the big time, Phil.

This is London. Let's do it.

I don't know what he's talking about half of the time.

Someone's been watching The Apprentice again.

Can you tell? Look at the way he walks.

-After you.

-Cheers. Thank you.

-My pleasure.

Oh hand to help is dealer Jed.

-Good to see you. Jed?

-Jed.

-Good to see you, Jed.

-Charles Hanson.

-Charles.

-What a great emporium you have of antiques.

What's the plan, Phil?

You keep him talking, I'll go and have a look.

He's ahead of me, I've got to try and beat him.

With Phil trailing,

he seems to be on a mission to find something quickly.

This is a brand-new Chinese pot.

What on earth do I want a brand-new Chinese pot for?

But that old is worth thousands.

It's decorated with carp.

Which is very emblematical for the Chinese.

It is brand-new

but it's decorative and it's sort of 30 or 40 quid.

I think it would make quite a cool table lamp.

But it just doesn't want to be any more than that.

Sounds like you're not sure if it can turn a profit at auction.

Maybe you should just browse on, then.

Oh, look, there's loads of them.

Double rubble trouble.

-Charlie!

-Philip.

-Charlie!

-Philip.

I've got just the thing for you.

Oh, Phil, it's my missing lady.

Charlie bought the three seasons out in the last sale

-and was missing the fourth season.

-Right. Yeah.

They have a certain weathered look about them.

They're not very old, they're 20 or so years old.

They've got a few knocks.

-By jolly.

-What's she made of? Is she a painted metal or is she a stone?

She's concrete, Charlie, like the other ones were.

Rubble. Absolute rubble.

But, Phil, they make money. And what's the name of the game, Jed?

-Making money.

-Exactly. Listen to the man, OK?

Resisting her charms this time round,

Charles has decided there's nothing for him here and is moving on.

Back inside, Phil's been drawn to the vase again.

It has a ticket price of £50.

Perhaps there's a discount to be had.

-I think I'm going to make between 40 and 60 quid at auction.

-Right. OK.

-So I've got to buy them at, like, 30, 35 quid.

-Yeah.

-30 quid.

-30 quid.

Gentleman. Ooh-hoo. You're a gentleman.

Let me just give you some money.

Meanwhile, Charles has headed over the Thames to Bethnal Green,

hoping to find some bargains north of the river.

Le Grenier specialises in vintage pieces

which, for an antiques man like our Charles,

could be out of his comfort zone.

But he'll need to get with it.

Vintage and retro are booming these days.

It's vintage, it's retro and it's "Get forward-thinking, hey, Charles?

"Get with the times, Hanson."

You know, you've got to start looking at this market, because to me it's amazing. Wow.

Glad to see you're embracing it, Charles.

Sweet Mila is on hand to help with all your vintage needs.

I suppose I've got to delve into the unknown. That's quite sweet.

What's in there?

That's quite nice. Isn't that cute?

Isn't that nice? A little cruet set. Oops.

There we are. That's just quite...

Wobbly?

-..colourful, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

The reason I like this is it's a Melmac or a Bakelite...

-Oops!

-..cruet set, and it's just striking.

And if we're going to Greenwich, it's just got a real look about it.

The salt and pepper shakers look original

but the yellow one should be a mustard pot,

not another salt cellar, as the ticket points out.

I'm getting quite desperate. I've bought nothing yet, Mila.

You know, give me a smile, Mila. Smile, Mila, hey?

-What's the best price on that?

-Um...£6.

Yeah. I was going to offer £5 for it.

-Could that be a sale?

-OK.

First item bagged

but Charles seems to be struggling to get his head out of the 1900s.

What we're seeing at the moment on our trip so far

is either expensive antiques which are too traditional

or I'm seeing things that really are just very, very vintage,

and I need to buy.

A frock?

Ooh.

That's quite nice, Mila.

I suspect it's probably, I don't know, I mean, it could be 1980s,

it could be '60s, but the summer is here.

Oh, crikey, what's he doing, eh?

That may be far out, Charlie,

far out from what you should be looking at.

Whatever it is, it has flower power, and Philip will go berserk

if he sees me buying a frock,

but, actually, when needs must you've got to dig deep

for the cause of making a profit.

What's best price, Mila? Come on, let me see if it suits you.

Does it?

-Um...£8.

-£8.

-I like this colour.

Do you like... Well, I'm pleased you like the colour, yeah.

Yeah. I'll take £5 for it.

-5?

-£5.

-Yes, OK.

Hmm. Meanwhile, Phil's made his way west to Kennington.

Kennington is the location of famous cricket ground the Oval,

but Phil's heading just along the road to the Cinema Museum.

Devoted to keeping alive the spirit of cinema's halcyon days,

the museum houses a unique collection of memorabilia

and equipment from the 1890s to the present day.

-So, I'm Martin.

-Martin.

-This brings back memories, doesn't it?

-Well, it would do, I think, yes.

Blimey.

The building was originally the Lambeth Workhouse,

offering shelter and employment to the poor.

Thousands of Londoners were helped out of destitution here,

including a certain cinema legend.

In 1898, with an absent father and his mother confined to an asylum,

the young Charlie Chaplin was brought to stay.

Charlie Chaplin came here, with his mother and half-brother Sydney.

Hannah was unable to earn a living so she had no choice

but to go into the workhouse,

as she knew the boys would be looked after and educated.

Within 20 years, his meteoric rise

had made him one of the most famous men in the world.

This was the birth of the golden age of cinema.

It became a special event

and theatres were designed to reflect that.

With smartly dressed staff,

you could even be greeted by the house manager.

Well, it's a great social experience, the cinema.

I can remember, I don't know what it would cost to go to a cinema today but 5p to go and see a film.

5p, yeah.

And this is like a trigger for all sorts of different things,

because, like, I used to have to go to school on Saturday

but I know lots of children didn't go to school on Saturdays...

They used to go to the Saturday morning picture club.

-Very popular.

-All sorts of different things they'd see.

With tiny numbers of televisions in homes in the 1950s,

Saturday morning movies became a staple for kids,

giving the parents a rest

as the local cinema screened popular cartoons and Westerns.

At that time, audiences young and old

were often shown to their seats by uniformed usherettes.

The usherettes always seemed to be

almost dressed like waitresses, didn't they?

Well, they had uniforms.

They varied according to the cinema circuit and so on,

and the cinema owners wanted the staff to look smart and presentable.

So, come with me and I'll show you our uniform exhibition.

-Oh, really? Which way are we going?

-That way.

And unforgettably they weren't just responsible for seating arrangements

but provided a much-loved treat as well.

And there's the lady I'll hold in my...

-Oh, the Eldorado ice cream.

-Yeah. Have you got any of those?

There's an ice cream tray down there.

How does that work? Does it literally just fit?

Can I try it?

-So, that would just fit on there.

-Right. Yeah, round there.

Then you'd just have your tray of ice creams. And what was that?

-That's a light.

-So you'd have a light in there, would you?

There'd be a light, yes.

-So, it would be ice creams, chocolate...

-Peanuts. Yeah.

I can just remember going to the cinema,

as, like, an eight- and nine-year-old,

and the lady would come down, and there was the anticipation.

-Particularly if it was a bit of a dull film.

-Yes.

That you're going to get an ice cream at half-time.

-There's no half-time now.

-There's no half-time.

-There's no trays.

-No.

-The world's a sadder place, for that.

Sadder and not so sweet.

-Thank you, Martin.

-Thank you, Phil.

Listen, this has been really special. I've really enjoyed it.

Cinema may have lost some of its grandeur

but it still remains a hugely popular pastime in Britain today.

But how's Charles getting on?

He's off to hipster central, Brick Lane Market.

Once more famous for curry restaurants,

it's now become a busy destination for locals and out-of-towners

in search of retro clothing, vintage furniture and bric-a-brac.

Feeling a little out of place,

Charles is hoping Eddie will keep him right.

It's great to be on Brick Lane. I can't believe I'm first time here.

-First time?

-And the culture, the ambience.

-Don't know what you're missing.

-I can't believe it.

-It's got a je ne sais quoi element.

-It has. And you sell antiques?

Oh, this is definitely up your street. Definitely.

-It is up my street, definitely.

-Let me show you some interesting objects.

These OMK stacking chairs

were designed in the '70s by Rodney Kinsman.

In good condition, they could fetch up to £150 each.

However, these have seen better days.

25, 50, 75, £100

and you might be going, going, going...

How about £120?

I've got to go £100. I can't go...

It's such a gamble for me because, you know what?

Life is a gamble and these, in their condition, a huge gamble.

How about if we buy something else as well?

That could be an option.

Yeah.

So, you might let these go at £100 if I can find something else?

-Yeah, find something else...

-OK.

-..and then we can do a...

Do a deal.

Steady Eddie's no pushover, Charles.

-That's quite nice, Eddie.

-Yeah.

-That's got great style, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

Handkerchief vases were popular from the late 1950s,

made from crimped glass and often in vibrant colours.

Eddie, if I bought those three there, handkerchief vases, would you take...

-Charles.

-..100 for the chairs

and would you take 30 for the vases?

It would be £130 cold cash.

100... Let's say 140.

Are you happy with that? And I have no idea about those chairs.

Charles, you're the man and I want you to win, right?

So, at the end of the day, if I can give you a bargain, why not?

Yeah. Let's do it, Eddie.

-Sold.

-That's right.

-I'll do it. Thank you very much.

At £140, he'll either be weeping into his vases

or sitting on a profit with these items.

The boys are now back together, ready to get some rest,

so nighty-night.

Rise and shine, chaps.

Your capital adventure continues, but what's this?

Has Phil been taking fashion lessons from Charles?

Phil, what's made you follow the Hanson lead?

Well, I just think, Charlie, you're a man of style.

And I've always thought, actually, most of it's not very good.

But I just feel that that hat, I think it's the way forward.

Hats off to you, chaps.

You might look like a pair of twits but you're our pair of twits.

And we love you for it.

Charles has gone on a bit of a retro tangent,

spending £150 of his budget

on a set of four chairs, a green dress and a cruet set and vases,

leaving him with £185.38 still to spend.

Philip has only bought one item so far,

the 18th-century Chinese-style vase for £30,

leaving him with a lot to do and £224.20.

The boys are making their way to Crystal Palace,

where Charles is being dropped off, hoping to find something

that is actually antique.

Phil, listen, give me some hope and belief.

-Get out of here. See you, Charlie.

-See you. Bye.

Looks like he's back on familiar ground here.

And there's a gorgeous box on here.

It's a porcelain box with a lady and gentleman,

and if I'm not mistaken this box and cover here,

you've got a gentleman in a pink frock jacket looking quite colourful,

a lady in a really rich crinoline dress.

And I suspect this box...

..it's being described as 19th-century,

just possibly it could be 18th-century.

And, if it is, it could be quite valuable.

On display at £165, it's time to get dealer Nick involved.

This little box here.

-Right.

-Can I look at it?

OK. Yeah. That...can be 140 on that.

Yeah. Nick, I think it's a wonderful box because it's a marvel of history,

and I'll take it for 140.

-Fantastic.

-That's one purchase done. I love it.

Brilliant. OK.

That was quick. No haggle, then, Charles?

He must be confident it will turn a profit.

Nicholas, I bought the box. I would like to buy one more thing.

This clock on the back here, the only reason I like it is because,

number one, it's coated in the exotic.

It's coated in the tropical jazz snakeskin.

I love these ivory discs here.

Really capture the exotic, which is all about the Art Deco.

And you've got this really wonderfully clear dial that really

oozes style, what, from the 1930s?

-I think so, yes.

-Great clock.

Mmm. Not everyone will be as keen on snakeskin and ivory.

But it pre-dates 1947, so it's legal to buy and sell.

Charles only has £45.38 left, so Nick's checking to see

if a deal can be done.

OK, I'll have a look upstairs and see what I can find out.

All right. Thanks.

I've got nothing left.

That's my entire budget blown if Nicholas will take...

Going, going...

Will it be a yes or will it be a flat no?

-I think it's going, going, gone.

-Gone, sold. Brilliant. Are you sure?

Yes, it's all good.

This is becoming a habit, Charles.

But spending every penny hasn't failed you yet, boy.

Meanwhile, having only spent £30 so far,

Philip's back in Bermondsey.

He's made his way to a studio

belonging to a couple with peculiar names.

-Hello? Hello?

-Hello.

-Hi. How are you?

-Hi. How are you doing?

-I'm Phil.

That's Dustbin and that's lovely Bones beside him.

Together, they're Dustbin and Bones,

and their shop is the epitome of vintage and retro.

-This is an artillery case, isn't it?

-That's correct, yes.

-It's very hard to find one this size.

-What's your price on that?

That one is... That would probably be about 250 to 300.

I shall put that back quickly.

And what about this cartwheel? How much is that?

Oh, that one can go for 80.

There might be a bit of scope to do something with that.

Definitely. Yes, yes.

That, at auction, I think that's going to make between 50 and 80 quid.

-Yeah.

-That's where I'm at. So let's put that back.

Now, let's go outside. Is all this your out here?

Yeah. It's a bit of a mess.

It's all right. I like your easel.

Is that yours or is that a...

That, actually, I found here many years ago.

You found here, so it's free stock.

Free stock. Did you hear that? Free stock. He's got free stock.

Nice try, Phil, but they're looking for £20 for this artist's easel.

OK.

We can buy something here.

Cos I'd quite like to buy this off you.

-And the easel.

-Yeah.

But I'm going to be mean. I'm going to be mean, I'll tell you that now.

Don't scare them, Philip. You've still got to get them to agree.

Tell you what, I'll give you 50 for the two, that's my best shot.

-I'd be happy with 50.

-OK.

You'll definitely make a profit.

I think you could be right.

At £40 for the wheel and £10 for the easel,

that's a great deal, Philip.

But you've still got shopping to do, mate.

With no such worries on his mind,

Charles has headed over to the district of Lambeth.

He's going to learn the full story of the lady with the lamp,

Florence Nightingale.

A Derbyshire girl, this museum details her life

from Victorian childhood to the Crimean War and beyond,

based here in St Thomas' Hospital.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to see you as well.

-I'm Charles Hanson.

-I'm a Derbyshire man. Need I say more?

-No, absolutely not.

I know Florence Nightingale is held in very, very high regard

in Derbyshire, and her family home was there.

And she always saw herself as a daughter of Derbyshire.

Florence was actually born in the Italian city of Florence,

hence the name.

The family moved back to Derbyshire where life was tough

for most children in Victorian Britain,

but Florence had a privileged upbringing,

making her choice of career even more surprising.

What we need to understand is that Nightingale's life,

although she was very privileged, was very,

very narrow and the expectations on her were very clear.

She would have been expected to marry a nice, respectable older man,

but she certainly wouldn't have been expected to work for her living.

Nursing back in the 19th century, it wasn't an upmarket girl thing to do,

like the police force. I mean, it wasn't for that affluent class,

so how did she go against the grain?

She was a very serious, a very studious

but also a very religious girl and young woman,

and she felt very, very strongly

that she'd been called by God to serve her fellow man.

So, really from this sort of graceful, I suppose,

youth and her direction through her religion

and through her desire to be a nurse, of course,

what I know as being Florence, what made her so important was the Crimea.

-Yep.

-Wasn't it?

-Yes.

I mean, in that it is her work in the Crimean War

that is the reason why Florence Nightingale is so well known today.

In the 19th century, Britain and its allies

were engaged in a conflict with Russia, the Crimean War.

In 1854, Florence and 38 volunteer nurses were sent to the front line.

New communication systems meant that British press

could report daily as events unfolded.

So, this is one of my favourite objects in the entire museum.

-This here?

-Yeah.

This is Nightingale's own personal chest

that she actually took to the Crimean War.

That's incredible.

This, for me, has such a strong connection to Florence Nightingale,

that I think it really does pack a big emotional punch.

Initially, the conditions at the barracks hospital were so bad,

in that first winter Nightingale and her nurses were just firefighting.

They were doing what they could in really appalling circumstances.

When I ever think of Florence Nightingale,

across Derbyshire we romanticise and think it's the lady with the lamp.

Is the lamp here?

We do have the lamp itself in the museum, yes, we do.

-The real lamp?

-Yes.

-Really?

-Would you like to see it?

-I'd love to.

So, here we have Nightingale's very own lamp.

-Is that the lamp?

-This is her lamp.

-I've always thought the lamp...

You know, you sort of had to rub it and the genie would come out. But it's not, is it?

No, a lot of people do have that... That's an imaginary vision.

-With a handle, yes.

-And, yes, absolutely.

-The brass Aladdin's lamp.

-Exactly.

But, actually, this is a Turkish workingman's lamp,

and it's much more practical because you can carry it around,

hook it up and it casts a nice light all around it.

But, equally, when you're not using it, it concertinas up.

The idea of 'the lady with the lamp' is, of course, incredibly symbolic

because she was seen as casting light and creating order,

but also somehow being quite a sort of angelic person.

When the war ended, Nightingale, in her 30s,

suffered recurrent ill health.

However, she still campaigned constantly

for the development and improvement of nursing standards

across the world.

She believed passionately that the lessons that had been learned

from the Crimean War, should be applied.

So she was passionate about public health

and the health of the army.

And she believed that the two went hand-in-hand.

Recognised as one of the founders of modern nursing,

the current nurses' pledge, the 'Florence Pledge',

was named in her honour.

I'm so grateful, it's been a wonderful visit

and I won't forget this because she was a Derbyshire girl.

Florence died in 1910,

but her tireless campaigning and zeal for health reform

helped pave the way for what would become

the National Health Service.

A truly fitting legacy for this incredible woman.

Phil's headed to Greenwich, meantime... Ha!

..and with only three items bought, he's got his work cut out.

But in a junk shop, THE Junk Shop and Spreadeagle

is actually the longest established antique shop in the south of London.

Perfect for our Phil.

That's...a complete and utter piece of nonsense, isn't it?

Sounds about right for you, then.

Just ask Ian, eh?

-It's a rudder off a little dinghy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Well, Phil, we are auctioning in Greenwich,

which has a strong maritime history, so this could be a clever buy.

Now, me and my mate, we've been pretty much rudderless

for most of this trip.

How much is that, please?

Um, that I would have to phone up and I can find out for you.

A quick phone call to Toby, the owner, gives him his answer.

OK, Toby. Thank you.

Alright, see you soon. Bye now. Bye.

-So what did Toby have to say, then?

-£20.

20 squid?

What do I want to buy a rudder off a ship for?

-You might find a ship to go with it.

-Oh, yeah.

So while Phil ponders, owner Toby and his son Otto have arrived...

..and might have landed him the catch of the day -

a wicker laundry basket priced at £45.

I like that.

It's one of those, like, hotel laundry, I suppose.

I just think it's a cool, funky thing, that.

-Rather nice with the rope handles.

-I just love it all.

I tell you what, you've been really, really kind to me

but I am gonna make you an offer, 'cause I have to.

Can I give you 50 quid for that and the rudder?

I think that's fair, actually. You knocked me down on the rudder. I will go for that.

-Is that fair?

-Yeah.

So with the basket for £40 and the rudder for a tenner,

Phil's finally bought all his lots for £130 - half his starting budget.

This could make for an interesting auction.

But first, it's time for our experts' grand reveal.

-That's part one, Charlie.

-Oh, Phil, that's nice.

I like...oh, my goodness me, Phil.

That's almost part two, Charlie.

-Oh, Phil!

-Whoa! Look at this, Charlie.

Wowee! Oh, my goodness me, Phil.

It's just taking it all in in one go.

-One, two, three, four, five lots.

-Yes.

I love your easel, by the way.

I think that's really cool.

This was retrieved... this cost me a tenner.

-It wasn't £10!

-Yeah, it was a tenner.

And it's worth all day long between £50 and £70.

You'd hope so. And that was a tenner as well, Charlie.

-£10?!

-Well, I thought we were rudderless.

-Do you sail?

-Only close to the wind.

-No, I don't at all, Charlie.

-HE LAUGHS

And then I had two 40 quid lots.

The old laundry basket, country house laundry basket.

And one wheel on my wagon.

And the big wagon wheel is gonna roll, Phil.

-What I really want is a three-wheeled wagon.

-Ah!

And then that would be ideal.

Now it's Charles' turn. What's Phil going to make of those chairs?

Look at these, Phil. Aren't they just so, so stylish?

Look, Phil. Look at the chairs. Aren't they wonderful?

Look at the chairs, Phil.

They're a bit rusty, but it doesn't matter.

Uh-oh.

They're awful.

-What do you mean, they're awful?

-They're absolutely awful.

-You didn't buy those?

-I did buy them.

Charlie...how much did you pay for those?

£100.

-Anyway...

-They're wrecked.

I must admit, Phil, looking at them now in this light,

they are quite tired.

What do you mean looking at them in this light?

Charlie, look at them. They're awful.

I don't think he likes them.

That's nice. I like that. How much was that?

It cost me £140, and to me, Phil...

-I like that.

-Thank you.

And I like that as well. That's really cool. How much was that?

I years ago had a pair of snakeskin shoes and feeling this finish...

-You had a what?!

-Pair of snakeskin shoes.

Why?

Because back in my heyday, Phil, I had a bit of a London look about me.

-Not now, I'm an old man.

-Alright, OK. How much was that?

-Phil, this was £45...38 pence.

-That's alright, that's profit.

It was my last bit of money left over. £45.38.

Don't sneeze, Phil, don't sneeze. You might miss them.

Aren't they great?

-Ah...

-Handkerchief vases.

Phil, we're mid-week through our Road Trip, I'm just going a bit wild,

I'm just taking a bit of time out from the normal...

-Let me ask a question.

-Yeah.

Have you been out in that sun without that hat on?

No, it's over there, my hat.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Just come with me a minute.

-Yeah. That lot's...

As if we didn't already know, let's find out what they really think.

What on earth was he doing with those chairs?

I mean they are just, truly, remarkably, awful.

Phil...I take my hat off to you, it's gone.

You bought really, really well and...

..I think all your lots, the wagon wheel as well...

Yeah, I'm in trouble.

It's time to get back on the road and head to auction.

Charlie, there's a bus here, Charlie. Over that way.

No, back over this way now.

-Just try and keep it straight.

-Sorry, Phil.

If you just hold this wheelie thing here, like that,

it tends to go in a straight line.

-It's the pre-match nerves.

-Really?

Big auction, Phil.

Oh, sounds exciting.

It's been a cracking third leg,

kicking off in Bermondsey with stops on both banks of the River Thames

and ending in Greenwich for the big auction.

Phil, this is officially halfway.

-Are your chairs in there?

-And I think after halfway...

-Are they?

-..you'll be leading me.

Go and have a look and see if your chairs are in there.

-Come on.

-Now, now, Philip. Remember who's in the lead.

Our boys are at Greenwich Auctions.

Established in 1999,

and at its helm today is straight-talking Robert Dodd.

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

The artist's easel... it's a nice easel.

It's a nice one.

We tried to look for a signature,

perhaps it has been used by Lowry or Van Gogh,

but, unfortunately, there's no provenance.

I really like the chairs.

And we knew as soon as we saw the OMK Design on it and London

that they were quite important.

Ooh, very interesting.

But, ultimately, of course, it's up to the bidders.

Charles Hanson set out on this leg with £335.38

and spent every last penny on his five lots.

While Philip Serrell began this leg with £254.20

and only spent half of that,

parting with £130 on his five lots.

Listen up, it's time for the auction cry.

Good luck.

First up is Phil's Chinese 18th-century style vase.

Stunning lot, this.

Stunned?

And the bid's with me at only £15 on that.

Looking for 18. I've got 15, 18, 20 with me.

Looking for 22.

-It's profit.

-No, it's not.

No, that's lost money.

Are you really, really sure? The lid's worth that.

Are we all done?

-Profit, isn't it?

-No, no, no.

-At £20.

-Ouch!

A commission bid from someone not in the auction wins it.

But that's a loss to start for poor Phil.

Mind you, we've got your really nice chairs next, haven't we?

HE GAGS

Phil detests them, our auctioneer loves them.

But what will the bidders think of Charles' chairs?

These are iconic, and as far as we've been able to find out,

there's also one or two on permanent display

in the contemporary design section at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Hear that? In the V&A.

I know what they say, you know, they talk about condition.

No, the condition's not that good.

But if you know anybody who sprays cars,

they'll be able to do these.

AUDIENCE LAUGHS

-I've had a bit of interest in these.

-Oh, come on.

International bids, Isle of Dogs, Isle of Sheppey.

AUDIENCE LAUGHS

Is that really being serious?

I don't know. I think so.

I've gotta start these straight in with a bid of £45.

-OK.

-Looking for 50. 55. 60. 65 with me.

Looking for 70 anywhere.

-75 with me.

-Keep going.

-Looking for 80. This is cheap.

80. 85 with me. 90. £100 with me.

-I'm looking for 110...

-Keep going, keep going.

110 I need. 120 with me. Looking for 130.

-Charlie, how he's made those I don't know, Charlie.

-Keep going.

At £120.

-Give him a round of applause.

-Thank you very much.

See, Phil? You never can tell.

So much for being rude about the chairs.

Lesson learned, eh?

Now, how will the bidders react to your late-19th-century cartwheel?

The bid's with me on that cartwheel at £10 only. Looking for 12.

15, 18, 22, I'm out.

22, 25. 28 I want. 28 there, I've seen ya.

£30, 32, 35, 38.

£40 I want. £40 standing. 42. 45 I want.

No? Why not? You started it, you can't pull out.

I've got 42, looking for 45. We all done?

45 new player. See you all. 48. 50.

52, 55, 58.

58 there, looking for 60. It's only another couple of pound. All done?

60 there, then. 62 there. 65. 68. £70.

72, 75, 78. 80 I want. 78 there, then.

We all done this time?

At £78 on the cartwheel.

You do know your wood, Philip.

That's turned you a nice little profit.

Next up is Charles' green dress.

Will anyone fork out for this frock?

-You should have worn that, Charlie.

-It happened so fast.

Bid's with me at £8. £10 there, then.

I'm out. Looking for 12.

I've got £10, I'm looking for 12.

Where you gonna get another one?

-Why would you want another one?

-We all done at 10?

£12 on there... I can't do 50p, love.

I've got £10, I'm looking for 12. Are we all done this time?

At £10 only on the frock.

BANGS GAVEL

Well, who'd have thought it?

One very happy buyer and another profit.

Now, can Philip clean up with his large wicker laundry basket?

The bid's with me at only £22 on this.

Looking for 25. I've got 25. 28. 32...35...38. £40 I'm out.

Anywhere.

£40 there, then. I'm out. 42. 45. 48. 50.

Five I want. 50 there, looking for 55.

I have £50 in the middle of the room, are we all done?

Profit.

Last time at £50.

Nice work, Philip. This is starting to go very well.

It's another of Charles' vintage lots next.

He's paired his Melmac cruet set

with the selection of handkerchief vases.

They are good old English retro vases.

I think they're worth 8 quid - what did you pay for them?

-45.

-They'll make 400.

And it's gotta start with a bid with me straight in at £15.

Oh, 15. Oh, shame. I thought it was 50.

22 I want. 22. I'm out, looking for 25.

I've got 22 on this lot. Are we all done?

Last time. At £22!

Well, that represents a hefty loss, Charles.

Your retro gamble just isn't paying off.

Now, will there be interest in Phil's maritime lot?

The boat rudder.

No-one should be without a boat rudder.

And the bid's with me at only £10 on those.

Looking for 12, they're worth all of that.

Look great in the garden.

15 with me. 18. I'm out. Looking for 20.

I've got £18 on a boat rudder and a tiller. Are we all done?

£20 there at the back of the room, 22 you need.

22. Five I want. 25.

28 I want. 25 down there.

I'm still looking for £28 anywhere. Are we all done?

Down the back of the room at £25.

That's a profit and a healthy lead, Phil. So well done.

Next is Charles' big purchase.

He said it was a rare 18th-century porcelain box.

So can his antiques knowledge save him from his retro blunders?

And it's gotta start with a bid with me of £30 on that.

Looking for 32 anywhere.

32, 35, 38, £40.

Some interest on the phones for this one.

55. I'm out. 55 I'm out, I need £60.

65 on the second phone. £70...

A lot of interest.

I'm looking for 75. £80 I want.

80 I've got, 85 I need.

£85, Louis. 85...£90. £90 on the first phone. Yes.

I'd rather have this at 100 quid rather than your chairs, Charlie.

105. 110 I'll take.

110. 115 I'll take. 120 I need.

125 I'll take.

125 I've got. 130. 135 I need, Luke.

-Well done, Charlie.

-I've broken even, that's alright.

I'm happy now, it's broken even. The phones are flying.

£150 please, Louis.

150. I've got 145, I'm looking for £150. Are we all done at £145?

Selling this box at £145.

Nice piece, Charles.

But that was a lot of work for a £5 profit.

And that'll be a loss after auction costs, I'm afraid.

But it's cracked.

We've both got one lot left each.

Your artist's easel and my snakeskin mantel clock.

Exciting, isn't it?

Oh, I'm having a job to hold myself in, Charlie.

Come on, Phil, a bit more enthusiasm, please.

It's your artist's easel next.

It may not have been Van Gogh's,

but you'll swap provenance for a profit, I'm sure.

Straight in at £25 on that.

Well done.

Looking for 28. I've got 25 on it.

I'm looking for 28.

30 with me. 32, 35. 38 I need.

You gotta go for it, mate.

£38 I want. 38, 40. Two I want. 45, 48.

50, 55, 60 with me.

65. 70 with me. I've got 72. 75 with me.

I'll take £80. Are we all done?

Last time. At £75 on the easel.

-Give him a round of applause.

-Well done, Philip. Well done.

That's a great result. I mean that really is...fantastic.

Yeah, best profit of the day so far.

So well done, Philip.

It depends on the clock.

It's gonna be really, really close this one, Charlie.

All we can guarantee is an exciting finale.

Yeah.

To win today's auction,

they'll need to get really excited by your snakeskin clock, Charles.

Great-looking piece, this.

And it's gotta start with a bid with me of £25 only on that clock.

Looking for 28. It's worth all of that.

25, 28, £30.

Looking for 32 anywhere. 35 here.

Looking for 38. 38.

£40. I'm out at the back of the room looking for 42.

I've got 42 on the telephone.

Looking for 45. Are we all done at £42?

You won't see another one of these.

Are we all done at 42? Looking for 45?

At 42... £45 just in time, looking for 48.

48 on the telephone. Looking for 50, I've got.

I'll take 52, Luke.

52 I need. I've got £50, are we all done?

Last time. At £50 on the clock...

That is cheap.

Give 'em a round of applause. Thanks very much.

-Thank you very much. You tried.

-Thank you very much.

-I think they're cheap, Charlie.

-Yeah.

Sometimes the bidders just don't bite, Charlie. Bad luck.

-Well played, Phil.

-I think you might be driving.

And I think you might be winning. HE LAUGHS

So, Charles Hanson let his retro theme get the better of him

and, after auction costs, he made a loss of £50.84,

which means he starts next time with £284.54.

While Philip Serrell played it safe, starting this leg with £254.20

and making a tidy profit of £73.36.

Which means he's in the lead in the trip and takes forward £327.56

to spend next time.

The sun's come out, it's a happy day.

Happy day, Phil.

North-east, here we come. That way.

BOTH SING # The sun has got his hat on

# Hip, hip, hip, hooray!

# The sun has got his hat on... #

That's the right attitude, chaps. Stay bright.

-Next time on Antiques Road Trip...

-Ruff! Ruff!

..the pressure's getting to Phil.

What the hell have I done?

And Charles is pulling out all the stops to get back in the game.

They could make 400 in the right sale and that's exciting.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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