Episode 18 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts with £200 each, a classic car...

We're going round.

..and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

I want to spend lots of money.

The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

Oh, no.

There'll be worthy winners...

-Yes.

-We've done it.

..and valiant losers.

You are kidding me.

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

-What am I doing?

-You've got a deal.

-This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah.

This week's venture pairs two auctioneers vying for Road Trip victory.

Oh!

With over 25 years' experience under his belt,

James Braxton knows how to play tactically.

Yeah, Philip will be weeping when he sees that.

Philip Serrell has developed a rather unique taste for collectables

during his 30 years in the antiques business.

Oh, I love that.

See what I mean?

Our two professionals began with £200 each.

On today's third stint, the gap is widening,

with over £100 separating them.

Philip's eclectic assortment of goodies has bagged him £255.88 so far.

Cheer up.

James managed to double his money on two items for the second time running,

retaining his advantage with £356.04 in his wallet,

as the chaps belt up for the latest leg.

-Do you know what? I think I've got to change my plan.

-Why, Philip?

Well, because we've had two auctions now

and I've been out there at the cutting edge

and it's turned around and bit me on my not insubstantial bum, really.

Yeah.

You're always pushing the seams of the definition of an antique.

But it can all change in the shake of a tail feather.

The fellas are putting pedal to the metal again

in this splendid 1955 Austin-Healey.

I'm just going to follow you, I think.

I'm going to just watch what you buy and try and buy the same things.

"Watch and learn," I think is the phrase.

I wouldn't get too comfy up there on your pedestal, James.

The chaps' colossal 920-mile crusade takes them

from central Scotland through the Borders to the Lakes,

Lancashire, Cheshire, into Wales, before concluding in Newport, Shropshire.

The third stretch sets off in Southport and wiggles up and down

towards Knutsford in Cheshire.

This is lovely, isn't it? Have you been to Southport before?

Never been to Southport.

Southport doesn't just have the world's only lawnmower museum,

it was also home to Albert Pierrepoint,

Britain's last official chief hangman.

He sent some of our most famous murderers to meet their maker,

but today, it will be James' and Philip's reputations hanging in the balance.

There's a lot of very good housing stock in Knutsford.

Maybe I'll buy sort of architectural fittings, door plates.

Really? I think I've got to go and buy Royal Doulton and bits of silver.

That's the way forward for me.

Well, they'd better get started.

First stop is in the heart of the town centre.

-Whoa, whoa, whoa. There we are, look.

-There we are.

The Royal Arcade contains 35,000 square feet of antiques

so there should be plenty of choice.

So are you feeling lucky?

Well, I'm just Doulton and silver, Doulton and silver.

Off you go, chaps.

Oh, look at this. I've got the distinct feeling like I'm giving my age away here.

Hank Marvin. Do you remember Hank Marvin?

HE HUMS

-Oh.

-Careful.

Meanwhile, James is covering as much ground as possible

-to try and dig out a juicy find.

-There's a lot here.

Hey, there's a bit of arts and crafts.

James did well with his arts and crafts pieces at auction in Kendal,

the home of arts and crafts.

But this time, the auction is in Knutsford.

I should buy that. I need to get ahead.

Ha-ha-ha.

But Philip's also deviating from his plan.

He's given up on Doulton and silver and true to form, he's heading off piste.

The chaps had dinner in a local restaurant last night

rammed with shooting and fishing gear

that Philip would love to get his hands on,

leaving James the shop to himself.

Let's see how my day is going to roll.

Not the best sign.

But James has already spotted an old favourite of his.

This is an interesting fellow. This is a flower brick.

They're made of delft, which is a tin-glazed earthenware.

This one's a ceramic one. What is it? Blue and white.

Three pounds, and then it's got 50p here.

It's a nice sort of 18th-century design.

Original 18th-century tin-glazed flower bricks can make upwards of £500 at auction.

This is a reproduction but they're still fairly unusual to see.

So you pour the water in that and then you put individual things

so at 50p, this represents incredible value for money.

Meanwhile, a few minutes down the road,

Philip's off on one of his jaunts again.

The Lansdowne Bistro is an award-winning seafood restaurant,

not necessarily the first place you'd think of going shopping.

But from dining there last night,

Philip knows owner Mark Temple has a huge collection of shooting and fishing items

adorning the restaurant's walls

and may have some going spare.

-Hi, Mark. How are you?

-Philip.

Last time I was here, you said as well as all of this, you might have a bit more

that was surplus and you might want to sell it.

Absolutely.

Philip is known for his passion for sport

but it's more usually rugby and fast cars.

It's called a leg of mutton because it looks...

Let me guess.

..just like a leg of mutton.

-But hasn't that got a lovely colour?

-Yeah. Yeah. Nice patternation.

-Yeah.

Hey, you've got all the terminology, haven't you?

Bit of leather work required but that's not major.

-You would put the barrels down there.

-That's right.

And the stock would go down there

and there's some pegs here where there's been a divider.

-Oh!

-Early shooting stick.

Early shooting stick for the gentleman perhaps who wanted to just take a rest in the field.

There you are, isn't it? It's peaceful, isn't it?

No time for sitting, Philip.

It's lovely that.

And you've got this little bit here.

Yeah, that unscrews, screws on the bottom.

Stops it sinking into the mud.

It stops you burying yourself in the field.

Continental cartridge.

I love that. That's really, really nice.

Looks like Philip's cunning plan is working out nicely.

Then got a little measure that could go with that.

And that's actually for measuring the powder

-that would go into a cartridge, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Philip's managed to pull together a rather nice little shooting lot for auction

but as it's a seafood restaurant,

Mark has also got a rather large stash of fishing memorabilia.

A little reel there, a little Hardy Princess.

-That's a Hardy reel?

-Yeah, that's the name people want.

That's lovely.

Antique fishing tackle is hugely popular,

with Hardys being one of the most collectable brands.

-Isn't that just beautiful, look?

-Three little flies in there.

-Three little flies on there.

-The name again.

-Hardy.

Oh, that's fantastic, that is. And what's that?

That's a little...

Again, a Hardy Devon.

-That's Hardy, it's on the fins.

-That's fantastic.

Philip could have two separate lots on his hands here,

that's if he can persuade restaurant owner Mark to part with them.

-What do you want for it all?

-Make me an offer.

I'd like to give you 80 quid for it all, really. Then I'd have two lots.

That's what I'd like to do.

-This is what we call a pregnant pause in the trade.

-Mm.

-I'm feeling very nervous.

-£80?

-Really? Really?

-You've got it.

Oh, you're a star.

Philip may have strayed from the norm

but his gamble could pay off

as he's bagged himself a five-part shooting lot for £50,

and three-part fishing lot for £30.

I think Mark knows more about that than I do

but I think he's sold me a really good deal.

I'm just hopeful that I can catch up with James.

Meanwhile, back down the road, still in Southport,

James is sticking with his 50p flower brick,

not exactly manager Caroline's deal of the century.

I managed to find about the cheapest item I think is in the place, isn't it?

-Yes, you're quite right there. 50p.

-50p.

-It's a king's ransom, isn't it?

-There you go.

I'm not even going to haggle over 50p. I think it would be rather rude.

-You want change? You want some change?

-I'd love some change. Thank you.

So James is off the mark

after spending just 50p on his first item,

a ceramic flower brick.

Meanwhile, Philip is pootling south of Southport to Liverpool,

the home of The Beatles, the world's first supergroup.

# Baby, you can drive my car... #

The Beatles, they just...

Well, revolutionary, they really, really were.

They changed the face of music for my generation.

Most of us think The Beatles

were formed at Liverpool's Cavern Club

or the nightclubs of Hamburg,

but it was actually in a small family-run coffee bar

on this unassuming suburban street

that the Fab Four really began, as Paul McCartney fondly remembers.

I think it's a good idea to let people know about the Casbah

because they know about the Cavern.

They know about some of those things but the Casbah was like the place where all that started.

It was actually before the Cavern

and we had a more intimate relationship with it.

It was almost our club because, you know, we'd help paint it and stuff.

Philip's here to meet Roag Best,

whose family were at the very heart

of the early Beatles story way back in 1959.

-Hi. How are you?

-Hi, Phil. Nice to meet you.

-You too.

Am I looking forward to this.

Roag's mother, Mona, was an extraordinary woman.

Before starting the Casbah Coffee Club,

she was a wall of death rider in India

performing death-defying circus stunts like this.

Mona was growing tired of her son's friends hanging around in the house upstairs

so she offered them the basement to use.

-Wow. What's all this?

-That was our mother's work.

With growing up in India, she was huge on Eastern philosophy

and her belief was that an Eastern dragon

painted in the entranceway to your home, your business,

your club would ward away evil spirits and bring good fortune.

It's a good luck charm.

The Beatles giving her a little rub on the way out,

little rub on the way in.

The Beatles touched this and it brought them good luck.

I think it brought them a lot of luck, Phil.

Hope springs eternal, Phil.

Roag's mother Mona was far from conventional,

shown by the incredible story behind the house.

My brother Rory saw the house, told Mo about it.

She loved it but didn't have the funds to buy it

so she went and gathered all her jewellery together, went to a pawn shop,

pawned her jewellery.

The money from the jewellery, she went and bet everything on a horse in the 1954 Derby.

The horse won.

-What were his odds?

-33 to 1.

So she just basically hocked the lot...

Oh, yeah.

..took a real punt and stuffed it on a horse at 33 to 1?

Pretty much.

Downstairs, the Casbah Club soon became the place to hang out for local music.

As part of the deal to use the space,

the budding musicians had to help decorate the basement.

A certain young art student, John Lennon, was happy to help out

and certainly left his mark.

-Oh, wow. Just there.

-Yeah, carved his name into the wall.

-John.

Mo wasn't happy. She called John at the tail end of doing that.

He got a crack around the head.

John's trying to explain it away that he's an art student,

this is his artwork, he's signing his name.

Mo's looking at it as he's vandalising her club.

Roag's brother Pete Best,

along with Paul, John, George and Stuart Sutcliffe,

officially became The Beatles in 1960.

After a famed tour of Hamburg,

the band returned triumphant here to the Casbah Club.

The first time they played in this country,

the first time they played in Liverpool

was on this stage on the 17th December 1960.

So basically, you've got a group that were the biggest thing of their generation

and they're playing in a cellar the size of a postage stamp.

Where did everybody go?

They kept jamming into the club and jamming into the club.

At the club's height,

The Beatles were bringing between 1,200 and 1,500 people to the club,

of which 1,300 would stand in the garden just listening to them.

That's insane.

The band went on to conquer the world

but they left behind more than artwork and memories.

First of all, Phil...

One of the original microphones here at the Casbah,

one of Paul's earliest mics.

-That's history, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Absolute history. I'm not going to try and sing.

And another lovely little item I've got for you.

This is John Lennon's penknife.

He hadn't forgotten about being told off and getting a smack from Mo.

John being John, takes the opportunity to grab the moment

and carve into the ceiling "John I'm back."

No, it's over there, Phil.

Over there. That's just fantastic, isn't it? This has been really magical for me.

I think I'm probably the right age to come here. You've been a star.

-Thank you.

-Phil, it's been a pleasure.

I've got to return you that before I put it in an auction. You take care.

-Lovely meeting you.

-Thank you very much.

Sadly, Roag's mother Mona died in 1988

but her memory lives on in the perfectly preserved Casbah.

While Philip finishes reminiscing,

James is heading north-east to Chorley in Lancashire.

Home to successful sugar magnate

and original benefactor of the eponymous Tate Museum,

Sir Henry Tate was born in Chorley in 1819.

James is hoping for a little sweet success of his own

in the delightful market town set at the foot of the West Pennine Moors.

His next port of call is Heskin Hall,

the 16th-century grade I listed historic house.

It was once used for tax collecting but for the last 18 years,

it's been home to an antique centre run by Dennis and Lynne Harrison.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-James.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-Everything's a bargain, is it?

-Definitely.

Not a problem for James, though, with over £350 in his pocket.

-Arts and crafts this is.

-Not again, James.

It's a nice copper fellow.

Arts and crafts mortise, and integrity of design again.

It's pegged here, which is rather nice,

and then a typical sort of stylised poppy decoration.

If I could get it at about £20, it would be worth buying

but if they say to me, "That's £40," it's not worth the punt.

This late 19th-century embossed fire curb

is the epitome of arts and crafts.

It uses the natural material of copper

crafted in a simple form with its workmanship exposed

and pattern inspired by the British countryside,

a common motif in the movement.

It comes from the yellow room upstairs

and doesn't have a price tag on it.

-Right.

-15, 20?

-Is that the date?

-No.

I think James might have a live one on his hands here.

1520?

-Quarter of the value.

-I know.

-Quarter of the value?

-£30 it's yours.

-You see, that makes it a marginal purchase for me.

-£25.

-I tell you what, meet you in the middle. £22.

-Oh, no, you don't.

-£25.

-£25. I will give you £25.

-Very kind. Thank you very much.

-Hooray.

Thank you, Lynne.

It's not often James can't charm his way to the price he wants.

Not a bad day's work.

But there'll be no rest for the chaps tomorrow

so they'd best get in some beauty sleep.

Nighty-night.

Rise and shine, fellas.

Our experts are once more taking the open-topped Austin-Healey for a spin.

Have you always been a cravat man, James?

No, not really but I just like to look after myself

and the old army saying is "Any fool can be uncomfortable."

And I come prepared. I've got my little rug round my knees.

-I'm all snuggly buggly.

-It's like going out with Bertie Wooster.

Doesn't that make you Jeeves, then, Philip?

Philip did pretty well yesterday,

collecting a five-part shooting lot and a three-part fishing lot for £80,

leaving him just over £175 to splash today.

James has a whopping £330.50 still to spend

after picking up a copper fire curb and a flower brick for a song.

It might be an early start but the boys are in high spirits this morning.

# Lanky, lanky, lanky, lanky, Lancashire

# Whoa, lanky, lanky. #

Our dashing duo began their outing in Southport

and after a little zigzag, they're still in Lancashire,

heading south towards Wigan.

It's commonly known as birthplace of George Formby

but another of Wigan's most famous citizens was Margery Booth.

An opera singer living in Berlin during the Second World War,

Margery smuggled information out of a prisoner of war camp.

She even sang for Adolf Hitler

while concealing secret documents in her underwear.

From one hero to, well, James,

who's at JW Antiques just outside Wigan, run by owner William Kenny.

-Hello. James.

-William.

-Hi, nice to meet you, William.

Very fine place you have here.

This 4,500 square foot former Methodist church

has eight or nine separate rooms full of antiques,

furniture and collectables.

I don't know. I can't find anything.

James is usually on the ball when it comes to finding exactly what he wants

but today, he seems to be, well, dithering.

Anything else I should be looking at? Have you got anything tucked away?

Finally, James has found himself reverting to type.

Such good-quality thing, a nice wrought iron frame.

Again, sort of very arts and crafts feel to it.

Beautiful work here, and then a nice copper bowl.

A coal bucket, so a fireside position.

Good swing handle to it. Quite practical.

After all that, James has gone for arts and crafts again.

-And what about your walnut table here?

-It's £55, that.

-That's a good look, isn't it?

-Yes. Only come in last week, that.

Like a pig in muck,

James loves nothing more than a whiff of fresh stock.

We've got a nice art deco, so 1920s piece of furniture.

When you look at a piece of furniture like this, it's made of walnut,

figured walnut, bookmatched top.

You don't see these so often.

It's got strong lines and that could do quite well.

-And how much on the jug there?

-£20.

-£20.

Well, that looks good. So Glyn Colledge. Maker for Denby.

It's a good shape, isn't it? Nice pot. £20.

Somebody wants a sort of '60s interior, that's the fellow for them. It's a nice item.

-Lovely. Unlike...

-HE ROARS

Urgh.

James has finally picked out three items.

Now he just needs to make it worth his while.

-And how much have you got on this fellow?

-£45.

-£45.

My only hesitation with this is it's a replacement bowl.

It's a good-quality replacement bowl but it's still a replacement bowl.

-Could that be a bit cheaper, William?

-£40.

-£40.

-What was the art deco table?

-Did we say £55 on that?

And then £20 on the pot on top of it.

-You can have the three - one, two, three - £100.

-£100.

Goodness. I'm not going to argue with that. Thanks a lot, William.

-Really kind.

-That's a £20 discount.

And with those three items added to his other two lots,

James's shopping is done.

Meanwhile, Philip is making his way to his next pit stop

in the small village of Bretherton in Lancashire.

This pretty little village once had a thriving corn trade

but now the old corn mill has another use.

This family-run business is headed up by Aiden Finn.

It's an old favourite of Philip's so he's hoping to pick up a good deal.

Old Phil, it's lovely to see you back again.

-Good to see you.

-Are you looking for some more bargains?

Well, I'm looking for something different.

-Have you got anything put by for me?

-I always have something for you.

Oh, what's he got out the back, then?

-Have you ever seen these?

-They're laminated, aren't they?

You can see here where you've got the different layers of timber.

-For strength.

-Yeah.

Well, they're government stamped.

They've got all the stampings of the aviation stuff.

They're likely to be auxiliary propellers

from a wooden aircraft pre-Second World War

made by British aircraft manufacturers Vickers or Handley Page.

Like Philip's shooting and fishing lots,

aviation is another area which can be highly collectable

so he may be onto something here.

-They're nice things.

-They're interesting.

-How much are they?

Well, we've got, like, two and a quarter on them

but I know you want a bargain.

That's £225 to you and me.

-Have I gobsmacked you?

-Yeah.

-They're decorators' pieces.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But they're not going to make £200, I don't think.

The most I can give you for these is 70 quid.

That's me finished out of it.

-I can give you 70 quid.

-Is that each?

-I wish it was.

Well, because it's you and it's worth it for the fun

and I hope you do well on them...

Well, you're a gentleman.

-I hope you do well.

-Thank you very, very much indeed. Thank you.

I'd better give you some money quickly.

I would if I were you.

£70 for two antique propellers sounds like an incredible deal to me.

-You've done me proud again. See you soon.

-See you later on. Cheers.

Meanwhile, James is propelling north towards Preston.

Like green flags for parks and blue flags for beaches,

Preston is one of only 42 places across the UK

that's been awarded a purple flag

signalling a safe and enjoyable night on the town.

Sadly for James, he's only here for the day.

He's heading just outside the city to Waddecar,

one of the UK's 361 Scout centres and camps.

It's also home to the country's first Scouting museum

dedicated to the history of this phenomenal worldwide movement

and its 30 million members.

The museum was set up and founded by Michael Looms,

a Scout since he was nine years old.

Hello, James. And welcome to Be Prepared - The Story of Scouting and Guiding

here at Waddecar.

Thank you. Looks fabulous. Let's go in.

In 1899, Robert Baden-Powell, a colonel in the British Army,

wrote a military handbook teaching his soldiers

how to gather information about an area or an enemy, called Aids To Scouting.

It was also going to soldiers and to NCOs

so his idea that even at the lowest range, you should be trained.

A chapter here - Quickness Of Eye. Eye and ear.

It's using your senses, isn't it? Dodging the enemy. Tracking.

And it was the size, as we see, like a pack of cards to fit in their tunic pockets.

And if they did well enough, they could get a badge,

which was the first proficiency badge in the Army,

in this case for Scouting.

Baden-Powell was posted to defend the South African township of Mafeking against the Boers.

During the siege, he was inspired by initiative

shown by young lads who had acted as lookouts and helped guard prisoners.

Baden-Powell realised the previously untapped potential of young people.

So the roots or the conception of the whole thing,

did it come from this period in South Africa?

He was so impressed with the way these youngsters behaved,

under 16 they were, doing all sorts of duties,

and how well they responded,

that he often said they were the first Boy Scouts.

After returning from South Africa,

Baden-Powell wanted to see if youngsters in Britain could benefit

from learning similar techniques in a non-military setting

so he held a camp at Brownsea Island in Dorset.

He took 21 boys there, half of them from the Boys' Brigade,

half of them from his office of friends and his young nephew,

and they had this wonderful time and afterwards,

-the little red book that he wrote for the soldiers came out as Scouting For Boys.

-I see.

Using his experience from the camp,

he adapted his military book Aids To Scouting into Scouting For Boys.

It began in six separate pamphlets

but was soon published as a complete book.

The Scout movement was born

with groups popping up all over the globe.

The book has since reportedly sold over 100 million copies worldwide

and been translated into over 80 languages.

21 years after it all began,

Scouts from around the world gathered to celebrate their leader.

We've got a rather nice little cooker there.

Yes, the Scouts of the world all gave a penny

or the equivalent in their money to buy him a present

and all he said he needed was a new pair of braces.

Well, they had a lot of money so they bought him the Rolls-Royce car,

a caravan and this is his stove that he used.

That's jolly nice. It shows you the power of masses, doesn't it?

And why should James miss out on all the fun?

Transformed. In fact, wearing this uniform, I feel like a boy again.

The essence of Scouting is learning skills for life

so Michael is showing James how to get knotted.

These are the knots that a Scout would have to learn.

There's so much fun you can have with a piece of rope, isn't there?

-You can. They've got some superb books on knotting.

-I love a bit of knotting.

Who doesn't?

One of the trickiest knots is the bowline.

So, we do the loop like so.

-You want the long line.

-Long line off that, yeah.

-You come up.

-This is the sort of rabbit, isn't it? Round the back.

-And back down again.

-We pull these three.

-These three against that one.

And that makes your bowline.

That is a thing of beauty, Michael, isn't it? It really is.

So, Michael, would I pass a proficiency test?

-You're definitely a natural at knotting.

-That's very kind of you.

Michael, thank you very much indeed. That's a great honour.

-I really enjoyed myself.

-It's been a pleasure having you.

Whilst James gets changed, Philip is trying to scout out

his last lot for auction so he's heading east to Darwen.

This picturesque market town was a hub for textile production

during the Industrial Revolution

shown by the cotton balls on Darwen's coat of arms.

The 86-foot Darwen Tower overlooks the town

built at the end of the 1800s to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

They say you've got to speculate to accumulate.

Well, I've got £185.88 left

and if I'm going to catch Braxton up, the lot is going to go.

Looks like it could be antiques shop owner Steven Hughes's lucky day.

He buys and sells anything old and interesting

so this could be the perfect place for Phil.

-Steven, how are you?

-I'm very well. How are you?

I tell you what, I love a man with belt and braces.

We've got the same taste, have we? This is fantastic, this is.

I've now lost at two auctions so I've got to try and catch him up.

-We'll do our best to help you out.

-I'd like a big lump.

-I specialise in lumps.

-Fits in with me, that.

-There's the biggest one.

Hey, I wasn't going to say anything

and Philip's already spotted two big lumps.

Those are off a fireplace and they've been painted, haven't they?

-Yeah.

-And how much would those two be?

-£60.

Do you know, I'm warming to you.

-I am.

-I don't particularly want to lift them.

Obviously Philip picks something buried at the bottom

of a pile of stonework.

Gordon Bennett!

-I think they've got some potential. 60 quid the two.

-Yeah.

Provided I don't have to pick them up.

And I don't blame you

but there's still plenty more to see inside Steven's huge warehouse.

Hold on a minute. Hold on a minute. Hold on. That's n...nice.

That's out of a library.

The problem with that is that it's really, really lovely

and it's a thing that everybody wants at the minute

but because there's no drawer sides, it's useless.

-How much is that, please?

-I'd like £150 for it.

-You'd like.

-I'd like £150 for it.

-OK.

He's got expensive taste and as it's Philip's last shop,

his kitty is limited.

I've got £105 and 88 pence on the table

for that bank of card index drawers

and those two pillars outside.

Now, I know straightaway from what you're asking.

We're asking what? £150 and £75.

-£225.

-£225,and you're offering me £105.

-That's like 50-odd percent off.

-Yeah.

-Ooh.

-But you're well behind on the...?

-I'm £100 behind at the minute.

Phil will have the violins out in a minute.

I'll do the deal as long as I don't have to pick the stones up.

Steven, you're a star. Thank you ever so much.

Jammy so-and-so. 50% discount is a massive drop.

With the pillars costing £50 and the library drawers for £55,

not forgetting the 88 pence, Philip's now completely spent up.

With the shopping complete, let's remind ourselves what they've got.

Along with the last two items, Philip has the propellers

and the shooting and fishing collections,

making five lots all ready for auction.

James also has five lots -

his Denby jug, flower brick, fire curb,

coal bucket and walnut table,

but unlike Philip, James has only spent £125.50,

barely a third of his budget.

But what do they make of each other's wares?

Phil's bought some really good items. I love his propellers.

They'll do well,

but I think his winner are those oak card index things

so I think Philip's really raised his game

and I think he could take me on this one.

I mean, that fender at £25, that's sort of OK

but 50 pence for a three-week-old flower brick? What's going on?

I think he's playing it really, really safe

but he can afford to, he's £100 more in front of me.

Me, I've had to spend every penny.

I could be really in the doo-doos here.

The fellas have reached the last stop of this leg

after travelling 170 miles from Southport,

ending up at auction in Knutsford, Cheshire.

How much were you ahead of me before we started?

-Philip, let's just leave it at over £100.

-Over £100.

Yeah, over £100.

Shall I just say it again? Over £100.

I wouldn't get too cocky, James.

You never can tell what will happen at the auction.

The picture postcard streets of Knutsford,

one of Britain's most expensive towns,

have attracted a wealth of celebrities, especially footballers

who can commute to the nearby cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

It is wealthy around here. You can smell it, can't you?

I'm just thinking,

what I really want is a footballer who's got a penchant for propellers.

That's what I'm looking for.

Frank Marshall are local surveyors, estate agents and auctioneers.

-That'll do nicely, Jim.

-That's perfect, isn't it?

-Absolutely right.

Well done.

What where you saying?

-I think we're here, Philip.

-Safe and sound.

Safe and sound. Never in any doubt.

Today, Rachel Houston-Holland is going to be at the podium for them

and she's already eyed up the fellas' wares.

The library drawers, really popular at the moment.

The propellers are rather interesting.

The fender's rather nice and you've got an arts and crafts coal bucket as well.

Really popular area at the moment

so they should hopefully do really well on the day.

The boys' fate is in the hands of the good folk of Knutsford.

-I think I might be a bit doomed here, mate.

-Why?

-From talking to 'em.

-No telephone booths, no online bidding.

-Excellent.

It's too late now, fellas. On with the auction.

First up is James's Denby jug.

Who's going to start me at £20? £20.

Surely it's worth £20. £15, then, if it helps.

This is just music to my ears. I mean, sorry, this is really sad.

£10. Thank you sir. £10 on the front row.

Come on. And £12.

Hammer down, girl.

-Oh, no.

-At £15, are we all finished and done at £15?

I think you'll find that's brought it back to 96 quid.

I think Philip may be enjoying this.

Not a great start for James with a £5 loss.

-That was a weak lot.

-Things are looking up, aren't they?

Don't speak too soon, Philip. Next it's James's pricy flower brick.

How much did this cost you?

50p.

Nice decorative item at £5 now. £5. Surely. Come on.

£5, someone. Thank you, madam. Right at the back.

She's deluded. Utterly deluded.

It's with the lady at £5.

That's all right. Very happy with that.

It would be, it's a remarkable 900% profit.

Sadly, that only means £4.50 in the kitty.

-Have I got any chance of profit?

-Well, you've sold two lots as well.

That's the best thing for me. You've only got three to come.

I've still got five to go. Mind you, that could be five disasters, couldn't it?

Time to find out if anyone is going

to take the bait for Philip's fishing lot.

Start me at £30.

£30 I have. £30.

£35. £40. £45. £50.

£55. £60. £65. £70. £75.

£80. £85. £90.

£95. £100. £110.

No, he shakes his head. It's at £100.

Are we all finished and done at £100? On my left at £100.

Oh, that's jolly good. Well done, you.

Well done indeed. Philip's first lot has tripled his money

but he did buy it from a restaurant.

I'm having a celebration sweetie, Jim.

Doesn't say much, does he?

Yes, James has gone remarkably quiet now the tables have turned.

Next up is his fire curb.

Start me at £20 with the fender.

Any interest at £20?

£20. £10, then. £10. £10 on my left.

£12. £15. £18. The gentleman now at £18.

Whoops! That's a second loss for James.

Do you remember, James, when we were in Kendal, you said to me,

"It's all about buying what the sale room wants,"?

-Do you remember?

-Yeah, I know.

Now, now, Philip, play nicely.

Let's see if James's coal bucket can fire things back up for him.

Nice coal bucket. £20. Come on. £20 I have. £20. £22 with you.

I'll come back to you. £25. £28.

£30. £32.

£35. £38.

No. £38, sir? No, it's a £35.

-At £35.

-That's cheaper than that, James.

Ouch. It turns out arts and crafts aren't popular in Knutsford.

James may have broken even

but that's another loss after auction costs.

-Next it's Philip's shooting lot.

-I like the cartridge bag.

I think it will make £85.

Could this little five-piece lot help Philip get ahead,

lock, stock and barrel?

-Start me at £30 to start. £30.

-Ouch.

£30, I have at £30.

£32. £35. £38.

£40. £42. £45. £48. £50. £55. £60. £65.

Wow. That's firing away.

£80. £85. £90. £95.

£100. £110. £120. £130.

No, you're out?

-That sold really well.

-£120.

It's at £120.

That's outrageous, Philip. Well done, you.

Now you're just going to ratify your position with your propellers.

It's just like being gently trampled into the ground, isn't it?

Cor, Philip has definitely got his own back

for the last two auctions, doubling his money again.

Maybe rubbing that dragon in the Casbah helped after all.

Will his luck hold with his propellers up next?

Lots of interest, as you can imagine. Rather interesting lot.

-Oh, dear.

-And I must start the bidding with me at £60.

It's a commission bid now of £60. £65. £70.

£75. £80. £85.

Clears the commission bid.

£90. £95.

£100. £110. £120. £130.

£130 anywhere else?

It's at £120.

£120. £120.

At £120.

Phew, that could have been a lot worse.

It's still a £50 profit.

-I thought that was going to career away.

-Did you?

-Yeah.

Now it's over to James's final lot, his art deco walnut table.

Here we are.

It's my last chance.

I have some interest in this lot so I shall start the bidding

with a commission bid of £55.

-Is that a profit?

-£55. £60, where?

Still with the commission bidder at £55.

Are we all finished and done at £55?

That's a £10 profit for James.

Staying with the wooden furniture theme,

it's now Philip's oak library drawers

that auctioneer Rachel has tipped for success.

-Library bookcase these are.

-Right.

Sorry, sorry, I've lost all interest in this particular auction.

Me, me, me, me, me. No interest in his partner.

-Got lots of interest so I must start the bidding at £50.

-Oh, dear.

£50. £55. £60.

£65. £70. £75. £80.

They just can't stop bidding with you.

£100. £110.

It's at £100 standing now. Fresh bidder. £110. £120. £130. £140.

-£140.

-It's at £140 now.

Gentleman standing at £140.

£140. You're romping away.

Certainly looks like it as Philip has more than doubled his money again.

That's been your biggest earner so far.

It is but I've had some luck at where I've shopped.

That's the bottom line. You know, whatever steal...

No, I think...

The luck is to where you shop.

Yeah, but not everybody would have bought that in a shop.

And Philip's still got his final lot, the stone pillars.

I have interest on the book and I have to start the bidding with a bid of £40.

Commission bid now at £40. £45.

£50. £55. £60. £65.

This isn't the lot, is it?

Come on, James, get with it.

-Joking.

-£85.

-The gentleman seated.

-Sorry, Jim.

Didn't see that sort of rhythm on any of my lots, I must say.

-It's about a 50 quid profit there, Jim.

-Well done.

-Just steady work, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Very good. You've had a great day.

I've had a great day. I've had my best day.

A solid £35 profit after making a profit on every item,

unlike James.

I bear you no grudges and I must say, I feel very pleased for you, Philip.

Well done. Congratulations.

You know, for one minute, I thought you meant that. Get out of here.

I'm certainly not shaking your hand.

James began today with £356.04.

He spent less than half his money, and after auction costs,

he's down by £20.54,

giving him £335.50 to spend next time.

Philip has stolen the lead on the third leg,

with £255.88 to start with.

After auction costs, Philip has made a whopping £207.42,

giving him £463.30 to spend on the fourth leg.

What a difference a day makes, hey?

You ought to drive, Jim.

With all that money swirling around in my head, I won't be able to concentrate.

I must say, talk about a one-sided auction.

A bit of a suggestion to make for you.

I think the time has now come to steer clear of arts and crafts.

I think so. I think you're right.

I'm just going to sit here and bask in the sun and the profits.

Oh, my life.

Next time on Antiques Road Trip, the pressure mounts.

It doesn't get any easier, that.

-Philip's going quackers.

-HE QUACKS

And James will do anything to get ahead.

It's all right. I do yoga so I've got a good balance.