Episode 3 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're kidding me on.

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!

On this rather foggy road trip,

we're joining two esteemed experts for the third leg of their journey.

I'm getting the impression we're lost here.

There's not going to be any antique shops around here, are there?

Let's live in hope.

Charlie Ross is an auctioneer whose decades in the business have

made him cunning, confident and a little cocky.

I'm on a roll here and the problem is having so much money,

because you just want to spend it, spend it, spend it.

Freshfaced Christina Trevanion

hopes her vim and vigour will make her a formidable rival.

-I'll give him a cuddle.

-Oh, yes.

Our duelling duo are driving a 1977 Volkswagen Camper through

a bit of a peasouper.

Strategy, I think we need to find an antique shop where we can

actually see the antiques because the fog is...

I think the strategy for you, frankly, is to find an antique

shop that has got something cheap enough for you to buy.

SHE LAUGHS

Both experts started with £200 but Christina has had an unlucky start.

After two disappointing auctions, she has just £128.80 to spend.

But old hand Charlie's coffers have swelled to £457.14

and it's starting to go to his head.

I bought ten things and only one thing has made a loss.

Oh, that's impressive. What are you going to spend it on?

-I might spend it on presents for you.

-Ah.

-A box of chocolates.

-Oh, yes.

-A new frock to replace the curtains.

-I am not wearing curtains.

Our pair started their journey in Inverness.

Their route will see them take in the beauty of the east coast

on their way to Boston in Lincolnshire.

Today, Charlie and Christina

are heading towards their next auction in Newcastle.

They're starting in the heart of Northumberland in the small

market town of Alnwick. If only you could see the place.

You would have thought, wouldn't you, leaving Scotland

and coming into England, that you'd have better weather.

For 1,000 years, Alnwick Castle has dominated the landscape,

even in fog.

Originally built to defend England from the Scots,

it's now one of the largest inhabited castles in the country.

Christina's first stop is just a few miles away.

This looks really quite exciting.

-I think you might find the objects of your dreams here.

-Do you think?

Just let me know if you need to borrow some money. Give me a ring.

-Yes, will do.

-Cheeky so-and-so.

-Hello.

-Good morning.

-Hi.

-Pleased to meet you.

-Hi, I'm Christina, who are you?

-Peter.

-Peter, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-This is rather lovely, isn't it?

Peter bought Alnwick Lodge 36 years ago.

It's become his home and his business. Everything is for sale.

The architectural salvage outside, when we were driving in,

I noticed there were some anchors and that sort of thing.

I might go and have a hunt and see what those are outside.

-It's a bit rainy at the moment, isn't it?

-We have umbrellas.

-Do you?

-Have you got any wellies?

-Yes, we've got lots of wellies.

What tremendous customer service.

See, this is what you need when you're antique hunting,

none of these fancy shoes.

Now, I thought those look quite fun.

-What's that? How do I get over there, Peter?

-You stand on a stone.

-Can I come up here?

-I will send somebody to get it for you.

I don't want to crush your tete a tetes.

-That's fine, there's nothing to crush in there.

-Am I OK up here?

-Yes, you're fine up there.

-These are actually from a fishing boat?

-Yes, yes, yes.

-Fab, OK.

I need to think outside the box to beat this pesky Charlie Ross

-and I think an anchor is quite cool.

-The heaviest one, eh, Peter?

-What do you want for your anchors?

-£20 for this one.

-£20.

-Would you take 15?

-I'll take 15.

-You'd take 15.

-I'll take 15.

-You're a gentleman, Peter. Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-£15 for an anchor.

-That's one deal shipshape then.

I wonder how Charlie is getting on.

Where is the antique shop? Keep our eyes peeled for an antique shop.

Charlie is headed to the foothills of the Cheviot Hills

in the pretty village of Powburn.

With the best part of £406 already burning a hole in his pocket,

can Charlie find anything to further increase his lead

at Hedgeley Antique Centre?

-You must be Charlie.

-I am. You're Brian?

-I am, Brian.

Nice to see you, Brian. Looks like you've plenty for me here.

It's a feast for the eyes, Charlie.

It's quite striking.

I don't know whether this chap has been shot or whether...

I think he's been attacked by moths, probably.

I think all the buttons have gone.

Military buttons are very collectable.

That's why they've been pulled off. Brian has priced the tunic at £80.

I would have to buy that so cheaply.

I think that would make, I don't know, 30 quid at auction or

something, in which case I would have to buy it for 20 quid.

That might be useless to you.

On the other hand, you might think, I've had enough of this tunic.

It did come in a box with other stuff. I have sold the other stuff.

Yes, 20 quid, you can have that for 20 quid.

I'm having that for 20 quid. Are you happy with that?

That's fine, thank you very much indeed.

Thank you very much, that's very good.

Hopefully the auctioneer will have a mannequin which he can put it on.

Actually, hopefully he'll have a small porter he can dress in it.

It'll have to be a very small porter.

A fantastic first buy for Charlie though,

at a quarter of the ticket price.

Meanwhile, Christina is still in antique dealer Peter's back yard.

See that coffee table base in there? It's got a nice shape to it.

-How much is on that?

-We'll have to get it out.

-How did she spot a table in all that lot?

-I'm coming in, Peter.

-It's all right, I'm getting it out, I'm nearly there.

-I'm coming in.

-Careful!

-This is magic.

-It's a hard hat area in here.

This is what antique hunting is all about. I like it.

Brilliant, right, now, how do we get it out?

Let's see if we can... Oh, I'm wearing it like a necklace.

Angle it down there. I think I just blocked our escape route.

I think it's there.

-Now don't tell me you want 300 quid for this now.

-No, I don't think so.

It's certainly seen better days.

It looks like she's found a piece of 1960 G-Plan furniture.

Originally, it would have had a glass or tiled top.

-What do you want for it?

-£40?

-£40? No!

£40, is that including the bird poo or without?

-Oh, well, it can stay in the rain.

-I would give you a fiver for that.

Up a little bit, up a little bit.

I think it needs seriously cleaning up.

It's a bit battered around the edges but a fiver.

-Save it for a fiver.

-Fiver.

-I feel like I've rescued it.

-You have rescued it.

-From the fire pile.

-That poker round has paid off.

This is what antiques hunting is all about for me.

-A memorable experience.

-Brilliant, a fiver. I'm happy.

But there's no rest for a bargain hunter.

Now the owner of an anchor

and coffee table without a top,

Christina still has £108.80 left to spend.

Scrub-a-dub-dub, now.

Charlie's headed 40 miles south to North Shields,

just outside Newcastle upon Tyne.

He's headed not far

from the former home of one of the area's most famous

former residents, George Stephenson.

He became one of the greatest British engineers of all time,

celebrated for his contribution to creating the world's railways.

But it's one of his early life-saving inventions

that kick-started George's

illustrious career at the frontier of British innovation.

Charlie's come to the Stephenson Museum

to find out more about this local lad

with the help of curator John Clayson.

Are you the controller?

I am indeed. John Clayson.

Illiterate until he was 18,

George Stephenson spent his teenage years

working in the mining industry,

attending night school to gain an education.

George Stephenson was born into the coal industry.

He was brought up in a cottage

right beside a colliery wagon way.

With the increasing demand for coal to fuel

the Industrial Revolution,

pits in this area ventured deeper than any others

in the United Kingdom.

Men and boys worked in primitive conditions,

hundreds of feet underground.

One of the biggest threats to life came from explosions,

caused by naturally occurring gases,

ignited by the workers' only source of light.

This is a naked flame lamp. It would burn whale oil.

This is the container of the oil. There would be a wick in here.

The problem was they were going ever deeper into the ground

just to get the coal

and they were going into ever more gassy seams.

So these sort of lamps

were beginning to set off explosions.

So they had to think of something.

What could possibly be a little less dangerous than a naked flame?

Stephenson knew only too well the dangers of working in the mines.

In 1812, 92 miners were killed

when a lamp caused an explosion at nearby Felling mine.

It killed everyone working at the coal face.

Over a third were children, the youngest an eight-year-old boy.

In the aftermath, Stephenson got to work,

and in 1815 he presented his revolutionary prototype.

He worked out that if the wick was burning,

-it would be drawing in air through this tube.

-Yeah.

If it drew in air fast enough,

then the flame of propagation, if you like,

-wouldn't be able to get out of the tube.

-I see!

So the flame would be contained within there.

-You still have the air get to the gases.

-Absolutely.

At the same time, another man had also come up with a solution.

Humphrey Davy was a celebrated chemist and scientist

based in London.

-He came up with a gauze idea.

-Right.

Davy's invention differed only slightly to Stephenson's,

using metal gauze rather than glass.

He accused Stephenson of stealing his design

and claimed an uneducated northerner wasn't capable

of producing such an invention.

Consequently, Davy was widely credited

with designing the first miners' safety lamp.

That seems unjust to me.

It was unjust and people did support George Stephenson

and created a bit of a fuss round this part of the world.

Quite right, too!

In 1833, some 18 years later,

a House of Commons committee

found Stephenson had equal claim to the invention.

Although Davy's lamp became standard issue

in British mines,

Stephenson's invention

was used exclusively in the north-east of England,

greatly reducing explosions in mines.

But another of its lasting legacies

is perhaps its name,

as it became known as the Geordie lamp.

George Stephenson's lamp was well-liked by the local miners,

in preference to the Davy lamp.

They were such skilled miners that they were in great demand

when new pits were being opened up in other parts of the UK.

They took their lamps with them and were known as "Geordies".

Logical, isn't it?

Yeah. Having earned recognition and success,

Stephenson went on to design the world's first passenger railway.

Although Charlie has come to see the lamps,

before he leaves, he's keen to have a go on the big boys' toys.

-Right, Charlie.

-That's a yes, sir!

This is where the real work starts. Up you go.

Huh! Up she comes.

-Hello, sir!

-Pleased to meet you, sir.

-Are you the boss?

-Aye.

-What's her name?

-My name's Roly.

-Roly.

Can we go somewhere?

Yes, we'll go up the yard. You're the driver.

I'm the driver?!

What do I have to do?

-Steam brake.

-Steam brake.

Turn it on.

STEAM HISSES

I can hear things going on.

WHISTLE BLOWS

Roscoe's coming!

Christina's made her way across Tyne and Wear

to Cleadon, a village located between South Shields

and Sunderland.

Her destination - Cleadon Antiques & Gifts.

This is a bit smart, isn't it?

We've got chandeliers and everything!

Christina has called in helpful owner Judith to find a bargain.

That's a bit different. It's got tiles on.

Oh, yes, a windmill. It's very Flander-y, isn't it?

I thought that would be reasonable.

My negotiator will do a good price on that.

THEY LAUGH

-Mr Negotiator.

-Why do you call him the Negotiator?

-Cos he's hard.

Oh!

SHE LAUGHS

Do I need to stick with Judith?

I think you should.

I mean, that's rather lovely.

I like that coffee set.

It's nice, isn't it?

That can be done at a reasonable price.

It's quite a collectable pattern, as well.

This palette, with gilding, iron red and cobalt blue,

is known as the Imari palette.

It's a generic name

from Japanese porcelain

that was originally exported from the port of Imari

in Japan.

What have I got here? I have one, two, three, four,

-five...that's seven!

-Yeah.

-Wow!

Usually you'd only find six, wouldn't you?

I think if they've got a coffee pot, it makes a tremendous difference.

It sort of doubles the price with a coffee pot, doesn't it?

Yeah, I like that.

-He's a good seller, isn't he?

-He IS a good seller!

THEY LAUGH

And a good negotiator!

If I give him a cuddle...

Oh, yes, feel free!

Hey, anything to knock a few pounds off, eh?

So, how many of the saucers have we got?

Five saucers...

Ah! That's our problem, isn't it?

Five saucers, seven cups...

I think you're being over-picky.

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-Ha-ha-ha-ha!

That's your cuddle gone!

I'm going to cuddle Judith instead.

Yeah, stick close to Judith.

It's time to start haggling with Mr Negotiator.

What have we got on that coffee set?

It's got £48 on it.

I think we could probably tuck that under 30 for you.

Probably 25.

25? That's about half-price.

That's hardly negotiating.

What's that?

-She's on to something else now.

-Carlton Ware.

-Carlton Ware.

That's rather lovely.

That's a sort of silhouette,

couples dancing, but I'm just not sure...

Has that been restored?

Careful! You'll be accused of being picky again.

I really quite like these.

She's gone from a coffee set to Carlton Ware

to lawn bowls.

Christina's rather indecisive today.

Judith...

Bowling balls or silhouettes?

Silhouettes.

-Silhouettes.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

SHE LAUGHS

Right, Judith, we have to negotiate with him now.

Can we do...?

THEY LAUGH

Judith and I would like to make you an offer.

Judith's become an ally, look.

Can we do 20 on the coffee set, and a fiver on the silhouettes?

Yeah, I think that would be fine.

Over £20 off the Carlton Ware

and a coffee set better than half-price.

Mr Hard Negotiator didn't even need a cuddle.

I'll bowl my bowling ball out.

I will shake your hand and say thank you very much.

-You're more than welcome.

-That's brilliant!

Christina now has four items to challenge Charlie's lead.

One day down, one to go on the road trip.

Time for a well-earned rest all round, I'd say.

Night-night, you two.

It's day two of the road trip and another misty start.

-Have you any idea where we are?

-It's really rather beautiful, isn't it?

-It is, but the weather hasn't got much better.

-It really hasn't.

Yesterday, Christina haggled hard and bought four items for just £45.

£40?! No!

Is that including the bird poo or without?

An old fishing boat anchor,

an Imari coffee service,

a Carlton Ware bowl

and a G-Plan coffee table,

leaving her £83.80 today.

Charlie is lagging behind on the shopping front.

He's spent just £20 on a Victorian infantry officer's dress tunic.

He still has a wallet full of cash.

£437.14, to be precise.

Are you feeling positive about your purchases yesterday?

Well, I bought something that is going to require you,

so that it can be seen in its full glory.

Why would I help you make more money?

-Oh, God!

-Because you're a kind soul and you love me.

-Because I love you...

-Yeah.

..I will help as long

as it doesn't involve taking any clothes off.

No, no...oh!

SHE LAUGHS

First shop of the day is for Charlie,

in the market town of Chester-le-Street

in County Durham,

seven miles south of Newcastle upon Tyne.

It's somewhere along here.

There it is. "Antiques".

-Oh.

-"Old and interesting".

-How appropriate!

-How dare you!

SHE LAUGHS

As opposed to "young and fascinating" like you, I suppose.

-Have fun.

-Mwah, bye!

See you later.

Might do.

Bye!

HORN BEEPS

Colin's been dealing in antiques and collectables

for almost 30 years.

His shop, a former electrical substation,

is packed with treasures.

All a bit sparky.

When I walked in, there's something that really took my eye.

Hanging up there are three

Art Deco ceiling lights,

with frosted glass.

There's a central light,

with brass arms to it,

and there's a pair of hanging lights.

I haven't got a clue how much they are, they have no price on them.

But they really took my eye.

The Art Deco style originated in France during the roaring

1920s. The geometric shapes, bold colours and lavish ornamentation

was popular until after the Second World War.

Argh!

Careful.

They need a damn good clean.

I love this Deco, a real Deco look to them.

I think they're French or Belgian.

Oh, hang on, we've got a label on it.

May I have a look?

"Made in Taiwan." Oh, no, no!

HE LAUGHS

French...

"Hand crafted uniqueness."

Perhaps they're not old, they look...

Oh, no, looking at the glass, they're reproduction ones.

I mean, they're so Deco looking.

I can see from the wires in there, they're reproduction.

Well, you'd have to list them as Art Deco style, Charlie,

because period they are not

but they DO... do the business.

How much would they be?

-Er, £100.

-£100.

Jolly tempting, that is.

Jolly tempting.

Modern reproduction lights are more likely to work

than an item with older electrics.

This may make them considerably more attractive at auction

and could be a very astute purchase, Charlie.

The lights come complete with ceiling mounts, too.

Can you shave them a little bit on price? Have you got any leeway

for an old man standing on a chair?

£80 finished.

At £80, Colin...

-..you've got yourself a deal.

-Thank you.

That's Charlie's second purchase of the trip.

A three-branch ceiling light and a pair of hanging lights,

all in Art Deco style, and for £20 off the asking price.

Charlie still has just over £350 to spend.

He's been drawn to a collection of tin-plate toys -

memories of yesterday's steam train, eh, Charlie?

About a dozen bits of rolling stock, some in good condition.

Well, very few bits in good condition, a couple of them.

The rest of them are in poor condition.

A couple of the better pieces are priced at £10 each.

The Chad Valley Company...

Erm, wonderful makers of toys

and we've got the model there.

Again, the transfer printing is both sides and in good condition.

If they were very cheap I would buy them as one lot

and hope that the two tankers, which are in good condition,

would provide the bulk of the price. Colin...

-Yes, Charlie?

-I've been peeping into your cabinet, here.

-Right.

You've got a couple of pieces of rolling stock there,

-the tankers...

-Yeah.

..which are nice.

I have to say the ones with the wood, or cardboard on the top,

-are so badly bashed.

-Right.

Can I have a price for the whole blooming lot?

-A good price 50 quid.

-50 quid for the lot.

I'll be honest, Colin, I wouldn't want to pay more than 30 for the lot.

35?

-Are you happy with that?

-I'm happy.

I'm on a roll here and the problem is having so much money

because you just want to spend it, spend it, spend it.

I've probably spent, in the last ten minutes,

the whole of Christina's budget!

HE LAUGHS

Oh, dear!

The wonderful feeling of superiority!

How's that big head feel, old bean?

Now, unlike the lights, and the rolling stock,

I'm in dangerous ground here because I simply don't know enough.

I know it's superbly made.

With regard to its value...?

Roscoe! Not your field.

Charlie's found what looks like a late 19th century

British officer's dress sword.

It's missing the leather scabbard and there's no provenance.

There's no ticket price either.

A wonderful coronet on the top.

And, er, splendid detailing.

I wish I knew more about militaria, I must say.

If he's going to gamble on something he knows nothing about,

he'd better negotiate a good price with Colin.

How much is it? To me, now, cash?

To you, now, £100.

-I'm going to give you £100 for that.

-Are you?

That's a quick, instant buy. No messing.

You quote the price, I give you the price

and I haven't got a clue what I'm doing. I love it!

Thank you very much, indeed, sir.

Big spender Charlie has just splurged £215

on some reproduction Art Deco lights,

some rather tatty tin-plate toys

and a sword he knows nothing about.

This could cost him dear at auction and give Christina a chance

to take the lead.

Meanwhile, Christina's taking the camper van west

to the pretty town of Corbridge, in Northumberland.

She's been spending shrewdly, so far,

and still has £85 in her purse.

I'm going to try and spend as much as I can

on something that is going to be the mutt's nuts of antiques.

That's the spirit!

Not far from Hadrian's Wall, Corbridge is built on the remains

of a Roman garrison town.

Today, Christina's hoping to build on her fortunes

at Corbridge Antique Centre.

Oh...

There's lot of things here and I'm very, very...

..spoilt for choice.

Wow!

Well, there's an old mother-of-pearl card case

which could be of interest.

The cabinet belongs to a dealer, the lovely Margaret.

I wanted to have a look at this.

So we have got a mother-of-pearl card case in here

and it's still got its interior, as well, hasn't it?

We've got a little bit of loss on there.

Of course, it would have been used for your calling cards, originally.

You would have arrived at somebody's grand home

and been welcomed by their butler and got out your calling card case

-and put it down on the silver salver.

-Yes.

-Or the card salver.

The butler would have trolleyed away and given it to his mistress.

Oh, yes, there's a strong collectors' market

for these elegant 19th and 20th century calling card holders.

Ticket price for this one is £45

but what will Margaret let it go for?

-25.

-£25, put it there, great.

Thank you very much.

A neat £25 for that case is a great buy.

Meanwhile, just five miles down the road in Hexham,

Charlie's made his way to Instinct Antiques.

Dealer Michael has been in the business for almost 20 years.

-Hello!

-Hello, Charlie.

-Are you Michael?

-I am, Charlie.

-Nice to see you.

-Are you all right?

-I'm very well.

Right, where am I going to start in this fantastic establishment?

There's a certain drink influence here.

Michael, obviously, likes a drop, I think.

There's a nice bottle of Merlot in the corner.

Sauvignon Blanc...

Look out, he's croaked. One too many?

I wonder if you get a nice glass of Merlot with every purchase?

You'd be lucky!

-Can I draw your attention to this?

-Yes.

I love high Victorian mechanical things

-and this is a money box.

-It is.

It's so beautifully moulded.

-You've got the mother bird here.

-Yes.

Presumably... How does that work?

-Can you get your coin in there?

-I'll see if I've got a coin to put in.

-I've got a 2p piece.

-2p.

-I'll put that in there

and give it a try, see what happens.

-There you go.

-That's marvellous.

What sort of date is that?

-That's dated 1883.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-It's got a patent mark on it, has it?

-Yes.

If you look at the bottom...

..on there it tells you patent.

January 28th, 1883.

In the 1980s, huge numbers of Victorian-style money boxes

were reproduced and imported from the Far East.

This diluted the market for originals,

as buyers lost confidence, but this looks every bit the original.

It has the pattern and colour finish and is really rather fun.

The ticket price is £195.

What a gamble.

This is the moment of the road trip.

But I don't know what it's worth.

It's a bit like buying that sword earlier.

It's no good just going round the country buying things you don't know about.

Well, I suppose the only thing to do is to make you an offer

and see if you take it.

I would pay...£150 for that.

150?

Well, I think from one old man to another old man, we'll do the deal.

I like that!

I like that! Thank you.

You've made my day. You really have made my day.

Risky purchase. Will it make money at auction?

First, a sword for £100 and now a money box for £150.

Charlie's game for gambling today.

With her shopping done, Christina's headed off to explore

a formidable fortified tower in the middle of Hexham.

This imposing building is reputedly England's first purpose-built jail.

Christina's about to delve into Hexham's dark past

and its rather interesting take on the class system

in the Middle Ages with jail museum manager Janet Goodridge.

-It looks fairly foreboding, I have to be honest.

-Yes.

-Do you want to come in and have a look round?

-I'd love to, yes!

Let's go on in. The friendliest welcome I've ever had into a jail.

Construction of the sturdy stone structure was completed in 1333

and for 500 years, the town's prisoners were held here.

-So, would you like to come and have a look...

-Down there?

..and experience what the poorest and most dangerous prisoners did?

-Down here?

-Down this ladder.

-There was no ladder in the 14th century.

This is the most elegant thing I've ever done(!)

Steady! Prisoners were dropped through

the trap door on to the stone floor below.

So, how far is it from there to the floor?

It's about 18ft.

Oh, good grief! And they'd just drop you?

You'd get dropped down in here, yes.

And I'm assuming that most people would probably end up with

-some sort of injury from that.

-You're going to damage yourself.

You're going to have a broken leg or a broken ankle, easily, yes.

Imprisonment was not generally given as a punishment in medieval Britain.

Prisoners were held in jails only

until a judge was in town to pass sentence.

Courts are held every three months,

so you could be down here for three months...

-And be innocent!

-Be innocent, yes. Yes.

So it purely could be, he said you did this, and you get arrested,

you wait three months to even prove you're innocent.

Prisoners even had to pay to be locked up.

As soon as you arrived at the jail,

the jailer charged you four pennies to be taken in as a prisoner.

Really? So, what if you couldn't pay?

Then you ran up a debt.

And you couldn't leave the prison until your debt was cleared.

Debts soon escalated.

In the 1300s, a farm labourer would earn about two pennies a day.

The poor, no matter what crime they were accused of committing,

ended up in the underground cell.

If you're poor, this is where you end up.

So, there was no segregation between men and women and children...

-It was just everybody.

-Everyone was put in.

It's a sort of dog eat dog situation.

The first thing they're going to do is think, "Right, easy meat,"

they're going to take your clothes off you, they might take any food off you that you've got.

And they might mistreat you as well.

Oh, dear! Hexham jail, though, has several floors.

While the poor were thrown into the damp, dark dungeon,

facing death and disease,

prisoners from the upper echelons of society

had a very different time inside.

So, this feels quite palatial, compared to where we just were.

-Who would have been in here?

-This is a rich prisoner...

-This is a prisoner?

-And his servants and his family, yes.

OK. So, you could bring your family and your servants in here with you?

They can come and go as they please, but he has to stay here,

unless he pays someone to stay here as a pledge.

-He can pay someone to take his place.

-No!

-Yes.

-And he just walks away?

-He walks away until his trial.

So, basically, if you've got money...

You can be as comfortable as you like.

You can even sleep in your own bed.

The sentence for serious crimes was death, but those found

guilty of minor misdemeanours were fined or faced gruesome penalties.

There were stocks, a pillory

and whipping post in the marketplace for shaming punishments.

-So, stocks is where your feet...

-Your feet are through.

-And you sit there.

-Yeah, people throw things at you.

Pillory is where your head and arms are through and if they really

don't like you, they'll nail your ears to the pillory as well.

So, when people throw things at you and you wince, you tear your ears.

Oh, my God!

The original pillory is still at Hexham jail.

Fortunately, these days, it's only a tourist attraction

and is not used on the people of Northumbria.

I know I haven't made any profit, but I don't think I deserve this quite yet.

No! Who's got any tomatoes?

Don't be so hard on yourself. Anything can change in this game.

As this leg of the journey draws to a close, here's a rundown

of what Charlie and Christina picked up on their travels.

Charlie marched away with a Victorian light infantry

major's tunic and, seemingly in the mood for militaria,

a Victorian officer's dress sword.

He bought two Chad Valley toy train tankers

and 11 other pieces of rolling stock.

A pair of Art Deco-style ceiling lights with moulded glass shades.

And he splashed out £150 on a Victorian cast iron

mechanical money box. Altogether, the five lots cost Charlie £385.

Last of the big spenders, eh?

Christina's purchases included a G-Plan teak mid-20th century

coffee table, a fishing boat anchor,

a Booths Rajah pattern Imari coffee service, a Carlton Ware bowl with

silhouettes of dancing couples and a mother-of-pearl calling card case.

All that lot cost her £70.

There's lots there, with lots of potential,

but what do the experts think of each other's lots?

Carlton Ware bowl - ridiculously cheap! £5, I like the look of that.

The sword...

Militaria is a very, very specialist area

and he's paid a lot of money for that sword.

You've got a mother-of-pearl card case, £25, about right.

I think...I might win it!

Who knows?

Time to let the buyers decide and head off to auction

and to Newcastle upon Tyne.

-Have you ever been to an auction before in Newcastle?

-No.

Neither have I.

Situated on the north of the River Tyne,

Newcastle is one of the largest cities in England.

The modern city combines its industrial heritage with

impressive modern architecture.

Today's sale takes place at Thomas Miller Auctioneers.

The firm have been trading since 1902

and now operate from a former tea factory.

Today's auctioneer,

Guy Macklam, has been working at Miller's for 11 years.

I think the item that's going to make the most money will be

the tin plate toys.

They're highly collectible and the condition is pretty good.

-How about Christina's anchor?

-I'm not sure.

It's one of those things, sort of decorative item somebody

might put in the garden, or something like that.

But the value might be quite low on that, I think.

I think we'll have to see. The auction's about to start,

but there's just time for Charlie to call in his favour.

-It does fit you a treat!

-I feel quite comfortable in it.

-I'm not surprised.

I think it's more of a dancing tunic than a marching tunic.

Lovely, darling(!)

Christina's yet to come away from auction with a profit,

but can today's lots turn her fortunes?

Charlie's impulse buys means he's staked

hundreds of pounds on high-risk niche items.

-I've got one thing that's going to make a profit.

-What's that?

I know, I love this.

Just as well, as you're modelling it for him.

Charlie's Victorian Light Infantry Major's outfit

without any buttons is our first lot.

All fits together with a hessian belt, at £50 for it, anyone?

380, we are selling. 50 bid. Thank you, madam. Any advance on 50?

£50.

-It's a profit!

-I had better take it off now! No!

65, 70.

I don't come with it. I am not in it.

At £70, offered. Doesn't come with it, at 70.

All finished at 70? Selling to the lady in the seats at 70, all done.

Sell at 70.

Yay!

Well done, Charlie!

-Oh.

-Well done. £70!

-Thank you, Lord!

-That's amazing!

Thank you, Christina.

Well done!

Well done, indeed.

With Christina's help, though, Charlie is off to a strong start.

A £50 profit.

Now Christina's first lot. Anchors aweigh!

£20 for it, anywhere? £20 bid.

-Come on.

-£20, you're making a profit?

All done at 20? Five, surely?

No, come on.

We finish at £20. I sell to you, sir, for a maiden bid.

All finished at £20?

One bid, that's all it takes.

£5 profit, not a lot but every pound helps.

You've made a couple of quid!

Frankly, the way you've been going on those trips,

-I wouldn't...

-It's not bad.

-..turn my nose up at that.

Next, Christina's salvaged G-Plan teak coffee table

bought for just a fiver.

The auction house has kindly donated a piece of glass

and Christina's given the wood a jolly good wax and polish.

It looks rather nice now.

20th century design piece for £10?

-For £5?

-Oh, no! No!

£5, that is for nothing.

Exactly!

Oh, it's got five.

-Four?

-No!

Two?

He could get down to zero.

One? Would anybody like it for £1?

No!

One, two, three, four, five, six people want to bid £1.

Two?

It's lovely, I've cleaned it and everything.

I did. It was filthy.

-Four.

-Don't listen to her!

Five.

Six...

We're away.

-Seven.

-Pounds?

-Yeah.

-Eight, nine.

-Oh! Oh!

Double figures, sir, come on.

Any advance on £9?

All finished at nine?

-Ten. We got there!

-Oh!

Thank you.

Two out of two for Christina and another £5 profit.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Cracking auctioneering.

I thought he'd gone down to pence.

Charlie's toy trains are next.

Here we go.

£100, anywhere. Start me 50.

I'd be happy with 40.

£50, come along. 50 anywhere.

I'm bid £30 for it, only. Any advance on 30?

35, 40, 45, 50, 55...

That's pretty good.

60? Come along, sir.

60 with the lady. Any advance on £60? Selling to the lady.

All finished at £60. Sell at 60.

This is going so much better than I ever hoped.

I can't agree more, Charlie. £25 profit, well done.

Next under the hammer, Christina's coffee service.

£50, anywhere?

A splendid design, look at that.

£30 anywhere for it?

-Give me 20.

-Oh...

-Give me 10.

-Oh...

10, 12, 15. And again, Sir, 15.

Was that a bid on the right? 17.

-Come on.

-This is cheap.

20 bid. 22.

25? Don't stop.

Getting better. Getting better. Getting better.

Middle of the room has it. At 25, all sure?

Can't complain, another £5 profit.

Now Charlie's reproduction Art Deco lights.

Start me at 100.

I'm bid 50, only.

Any advance of £50?

60, 70, 80, 90, 100...

See.

110, 120, 130, 140...

Gentleman has the bid at £140.

-How do you do it?

-It's a piece of cake, really, isn't it?

You're unbelievable!

Selling to you, sir, away at £140.

Oh...

What's that, £60 profit?

-What did you pay, 80?

-Yeah.

-Well done, you.

Charlie's doing rather well.

£135 profit on his first three items.

No wonder he's looking so smug.

The Carlton Ware bowl is next for Christina.

Start me 20.

£20 for it, surely? It's worth every penny of 20.

15? Start me 10.

480. Come along, ten bid.

Thank you, sir, at £10 and the maiden bidder.

Looking for 12, elsewhere.

-At a maiden offer at ten.

-Come on!

I thought this would bring a lot more. I'm bid ten only.

I thought it would bring a lot more, as well. Unusual for Carlton Ware.

Nice. With the hammer going down for a tenner,

Christina's made another £5 profit.

Charlie's Victorian dress sword now.

He staked a whopping £100 on this

and is hoping for bids from specialist collectors.

Will the gamble pay off?

-50 for a low start?

-Oh, dear.

-I'm bid £20, then.

-Come on!

-No, come on, it's fine, it's fine.

-At £20.

25, 30, 35.

At £35. 35 down here.

At £35, seated. All finished at 35?

Selling in the seats at £35.

Charlie's lost £65.

That's wiped the smile off his face.

Where's that smile? Where's that smile?

I might have a tissue, somewhere. Hang on a minute. It'll be fine.

Now, Christina's calling card case is up next.

£50 anywhere?

Going the wrong way, 40, 30?

-He's going down. 20.

-At £20.

-25, 30, 35...

-Oh!

Hang in, sir, was that a bid? 40.

45, 50. At £50.

Middle of the room at 50. Any advance on £50. We'll sell for 50.

CHRISTINA LAUGHS

Bought for £25, sold for £50.

What a cracking auction for Christina.

Every lot has raked in a profit. Her luck and her fortunes have improved.

There's 50 quid. That's double your money.

Now their last lot of the day,

Charlie's cast iron Victorian money box.

It cost him a colossal chunk of his kitty.

£100 today?

£50 today?

-I saw the exact same one about six months ago and it made £160.

-20.

-120?

-Oh!

I am bid £20.

30, competition. 30.

40.

Five?

I've got £40 in the second row, any advance on £40?

I can't believe it!

CHARLIE GROANS

40 quid!

Are you sure?

45 bid. At £45, come along, another five, surely.

At 45, all finished at £45?

-Hammer's down.

-I can't believe it.

£105 loss.

That's wiped out all the earlier profit

and sunk Charlie into the red. For the first time on this road trip,

Christina's come out on top.

-The sweet smell of success.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

You have done the business.

Well done, for losing. Come on.

It's not been Charlie's day.

After costs, he's made a loss of £98.

But Mr Ross still has £359.14

in his kitty to carry forward.

After paying auction house fees, Ms Trevanion

has made a gain of £24.30.

As a result, Christina has £153.10 to start the next leg.

Well done, that girl.

-Come on, Miss Trevanion.

-Why, thank you, Mr Ross.

-Off we go again.

TOOTS HORN

Goodbye, chaps. Get some well-earned rest, eh?

Next time on the Antiques Road Trip,

Christina's going nowhere.

That's it, we've met halfway. OK, that's as far as I'm going.

And Charlie's at the end of the line.

If I offer you 35 quid, will you put the phone down?

You've put the phone down.