Episode 4 Antiques Road Trip

It's the nation's favourite antiques experts,

-with £200 each, a classic car...

-We're going roond!

..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 on!

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

What am I doing?

Got a deal.

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

This week, we're hitching a ride with two antiques experts,

Christina Trevanion and Charlie Ross.

Are you looking for an antiques shop? Cos that's what we're here for.

You don't want an interior shop, you want an antiques shop.

Bakery! Bakery!

Christina loves anything old that sparkles.

She's a Shropshire lass who loves to shop.

I will absolutely bite your hand off for that.

Co-driver and veteran road-tripper Charlie is a tough task master

when it comes to doing deals.

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

You'd put the phone down?

They've take to the road in a 1977 Volkswagen camper van.

Do you know? The weather is so lovely today.

It is.

I think I've got a suggestion for tonight.

Don't look at me like that!

Let's sleep in the van tonight.

OK.

-Yes?

-Yes, I'm up for that.

-Definitely.

-Have you got a hotty?

-I've got you!

-A-ha-ha, matron!

Lordy! It's all very Carry On Camping.

Both experts kicked off with £200.

After a disappointing start,

Christina has just £153.10 to take to the shops.

But Charlie's still in the money.

He has £359.14 in his kitty to spend on this leg.

Charlie won the first two auctions, but Christina's fighting back.

You've narrowed the gap, haven't you?

-I think that's...

-You have narrowed the gap.

You were 300 behind, now you're 200 behind.

After the next auction, you'll be 100 behind,

therefore it'll be absolutely nip and tuck at the end.

SHE LAUGHS

Christina and Charlie are travelling over 500 miles, from Inverness

in the Scottish Highlands to the Lincolnshire coastal town of Boston.

Today, they're starting in the city of York

and heading south to the auction in Bourne, Lincolnshire.

-Oh, God!

-Mind these bicycles.

-Cyclists make me nervous.

-Look! York Minster!

-Really?

-Oh, it's fantastic.

Cyclists make me nervous, Charlie.

SHE GASPS

I've seen York Minster, you can now take me away.

York is renowned for its Roman and Viking heritage.

Iconic York Minster Cathedral in the heart of the city is one of

the largest of its kind in Northern Europe.

Up to the bollard and stop.

Whoa!

-Perfect. Well done. We're here!

-Marvellous.

-Happy shopping.

-Yeah, best of luck.

Charlie and Christina will head their separate ways to

take on the antique dealers of York.

Christina's first shop is The Red House Antiques Centre.

Before the browsing starts, she's calling the auction house.

It'd be really helpful to know what sells well,

what you've got really strong buyers for.

'Collectibles...'

What about jewellery and things like that?

'Jewellery's fine, we have a fair bit of jewellery.'

Thanks so much for you help. Cheers.

Bye now. Bye-bye.

Great!

Jewellery and silver do well.

Hello, gents. Could I possibly have a look in a cabinet?

-Yes.

-Would that be all right?

Dealer Steven is on hand to help.

I will give huge discounts because I am here and I want to sell.

Yay!

Sounds promising!

What about the dog bookends?

They're signed.

Yeah, but they're massively over my budget, Steven.

They're not jewellery, either.

The ticket price is £250 for the pair -

that's £100 over Christina's budget.

I would be looking at £80-£100 for them.

Ah, couldn't do that, though. I would do 150 on them.

That is all my money.

Yeah. If I were you, I wouldn't want to tie all my money up in them.

Neither would I!

But I can see why Christina was drawn to them.

They sport a signature by Prosper Lecourtier.

Known for sculpting life-like bronze animals.

A Lecourtier bronze is worth thousands of pounds.

But these bookends were cast later and they're not bronze.

So they're just a couple of dogs.

Couldn't go any more on them?

Sadly not, no. 140.

They actually cost me, and people say this all the time,

but on this occasion it is the truth...

SHE LAUGHS

-They cost me £150.

-Not a word of a lie.

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

-Yeah, they are.

Dog things are always in.

They could show a profit, actually, them. They could.

The bookends would be an incredible risk at auction.

Lecourtier's name could draw bidders but they're not original,

and if Christina buys them, it'll be the gamble of the Road Trip.

Oh, Steven...120.

-I can't.

-120.

-I can't.

-Go on, it gives me...

Look - 130.

That's it, we've met halfway.

OK. That's as far as I'm going.

130.

-130?

-130.

That's £120 off the list price.

If I got them for 130...

Yes?

..You've got another store, you said.

Vintage emporium on the top floor.

-Has it got clothing?

-Clothing.

If I got those for 130, could you throw in something?

I know the way this is going.

You can choose from a selected range - a scarf.

-A scarf. All right. Is that deal?

-Absolutely.

-Oh, no! Really?

-I'm waiting for you to shake my hand.

Oh, no!

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

-It's got to be a good scarf.

-Well, we'll see.

-Am I going to make any money on these?

-I would think so.

I would dearly hope so, for your sake.

-Oh, God! OK. £130.

-Done! Done!

Deal's done - £129 for the bookends and a token £1 for the scarf.

What a gamble. If those bookends don't rack up profit,

Christina's lost a huge chunk of her money.

Meanwhile, Charlie's been browsing the three

floors of York's Antiques Centre,

and he's called dealer Rebecca over to open a cabinet that

belongs to her mother.

Ah! There's something I like.

There's something I really like. You know what that is?

-Hat pin.

-This is a hat pin by a man called Charles Horner.

-Heard of him?

-Yes.

Very good.

Charles Horner's silver is incredibly collectable.

He produced exquisite work in silver and enamels from the 1850s,

his factory was in Halifax and that's only 45 miles away.

I think that's absolutely glorious.

The problem is it's £78.

And I think it's been damaged and soldered.

Do you see there?

So I'm afraid, fabulous though it is,

probably have to be bought for...30 quid or something.

That's a cheeky low offer - less than half the asking price.

-Is she nice, your mum?

-She is nice.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained - you go make a phone call,

-I'll carry on having a look round.

-OK.

-OK? Thank you.

Probably think I'm being a bit mean here,

but that damage is all-important to a bit of silver like that,

so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

It's never going to make a huge amount of money,

and if I buy it for 30, it's going to make £40/£50 at auction, I think.

It's what I would call a "Christina buy" - safe...

and a little bit boring.

You rotter!

I wonder if Christina's found her scarf?

You can pick any one of those.

-One!

-One.

-Oh, Steven, come on!

One scarf - that was the deal.

Oh!

That's quite sweet, isn't it?

-So £130 for our scarf and my bookends?

-Yeah.

Done! And I have been!

I feel the same.

Christina walked into this shop with £153.10,

she's leaving with £23.10, two dog bookends and a scarf.

Across town, how's old Charlie-boy doing?

I've got hold of my mum and she says you can have that for 30.

She didn't?

-She did.

-Did she think I was being rude?

-It's OK.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah!

Would you tell your mum...? Give me your hand. Mwah!

Tell your mum she's a star.

Now...while you were twisting Mum's arm,

I spotted a little something down here.

There's a little scent bottle down there.

Sort of pod-shaped. I love it.

-And it's got a simulated sort of crocodile skin...

-Mm-hm.

..Effect to it. And it's got some age.

I can see here...

I'm afraid, with my glasses...

It's Birmingham, but it's 1906 so it's Edwardian.

Ticket price - £49.

It's owned by another dealer.

Could you just simply ask what the best price would be on it?

-I will do.

-I'll keep my fingers crossed.

-OK.

There's a painted bronze figure...

What can you notice about that?

There's a hinge here and there - what does that tell you?

That tells you that when Rossco does this...

HE GASPS ..All is revealed.

Isn't that splendidly risque?

And I think this is by Bergman...

Now...his name was Bergman, but he's signed it Greb here.

Why Greb?

Bergman was Jewish, mid-European,

and what you expect in the end of the 19th,

beginning of the 20th century - a certain amount of persecution.

So as not to be...found out, persecuted,

when he signed his name, he quite often signed it "Greb".

Why Greb?

Bergman - first four letters of Bergman backwards - G-R-E-B.

B-R-E-G going to the other way.

Hugely collectable and so

delightfully unaffordable for old Rossco,

this Bergman bronze is priced at £2,200.

Put the girl down, Charlie.

-Hello.

-Hello!

I've spoke to Catherine, the dealer.

What's the damage?

-She says she can do it for 25 for you.

-£25?

-Yes.

-I'll have it. Thank you very much indeed,

and I'll pay you, too!

Charlie leaves, having spent £30 on a Charles Horner hat pin

and £25 for a silver Edwardian scent bottle.

Christina's made her was across York to hear a story of secrecy,

resistance and determination -

she's visiting the oldest active convent in the country,

and nun Sister Agatha Leitch.

-How lovely to see you.

-Thank you.

I'm longing to tell you all about the exciting people who have

lived here over the ages.

In the 16th century, Catholicism was outlawed.

Catholic families had a stark choice -

loyalty to their church or Protestant King Henry VIII.

For priests, it meant a life on the run

and in some cases, death for treason.

York's Bar Convent was founded in secret in 1686.

The nuns took on aliases and became teachers.

And the convent's secret chapel remained a closely guarded

secret for well over 100 years.

All that gold leaf as well.

-So when was that built?

-1767.

-Gosh.

To avoid detection,

the chapel was built secretly in the centre of the building.

The beautiful neo-classical designed dome is ingeniously

concealed from outside by a pitched slate roof.

It's stunning!

It's...

It's just so decadent!

Look at that gold.

Why are there so many doors?

You've got one, two, three, four...

Five, six, seven, eight.

-Eight!

-Get out quickly.

People coming up the stairs,

priest saying mass - he would have said it that way.

Right. He goes straight out of that door there, shoots down the stairs,

comes up through a secret stairway and ends up in the priests'

hiding hole there.

Really?!

So there was so many doors cos they had to get out.

Fortunately, as far as records tell,

the clandestine escape routes never had to be used.

The convent is custodian of a unique artefact,

a brutal reminder of the persecution Catholics

faced in medieval England -

the 400-year-old hand of Catholic martyr Margaret Clitherow.

Margaret lived 200 years before the chapel was built,

in a time when sheltering a Catholic priest was a criminal offence,

punishable by death.

However, she had created a secret room in her house for priests

to give mass.

The authorities were suspicious and raided her home.

They tried to do everything to make her say,

"Right, I will renounce being a Catholic."

But she wouldn't - she wanted to protect her children.

Margaret knew if she ended up in court,

her children would be forced to give evidence and tortured.

By refusing trial by jury,

she was automatically sentenced to execution -

she would be pressed to death.

That doesn't sound very nice.

No, it doesn't and I'll show exactly what happened too.

Oh. OK.

She was brought down and someone,

mercifully, put a stone there.

Then they put heavy weights, doors on until she was pressed to death.

But in fact, the stone pierced her spinal cord

and she died within a quarter of an hour.

Jesus have mercy on their souls.

Margaret Clitherow died while refusing to renounce her faith

and became a Catholic martyr.

But Margaret's grizzly demise didn't end there.

She was thrown onto the dung heap

and at night, a Catholic came

forward and cut off, I don't know

whether it was one hand or two hands.

Margaret's 400-year-old preserved hand is a solemn reminder of

when Catholicism was effectively suppressed in England.

I think it's a wonderful thing to have an object that you know

has belonged to a holy woman.

People come form all over the world to venerate this woman.

Margaret became a saint in 1970

and her hand is kept as an exhibit at the convent.

Sister Agatha, it has been such a pleasure meeting you.

It is just fascinating, it really is.

Thank you so much for having us.

And I've loved meeting you, Christina,

and good luck with those antiques.

Thank you - I do need it, desperately.

Meanwhile, Charlie's headed to Kirkstall,

a few miles west of Leeds city centre.

Not far from the beautiful 12th-century abbey

is Aquarius Antiques, where Pete's been trading for 30 years.

-Pete, I assume?

-Hello.

-Charlie here.

-Hello, Charlie.

-Nice to see you.

Over that time, he's packed his sizeable shop with

furniture from every decade, and the odd collectable.

It's a minefield here!

That's a nice hinge.

Really lovely hinge.

Ah, I've seen something there.

There's no ticket - Pete's off to his office to find a price.

Now we've got there a Georgian, oak, tray-top commode.

Commode comes from the French for "convenient",

and this would have been at a time before homes had indoor loos.

In the middle of the night, you'd have that by your bed and you'd

think, "Hm, I think the time has come...Rossco's in position."

When you're finished, you put your lid back on your...

Ah!

Now you just slide that back in,

and get back into bed and go to sleep.

Pete's back - what's the damage?

Is it just too insulting to offer you £40 for it?

Cheeky!

I'll take 50 and that is it for me.

To hell with it.

I will pay you £50 for that.

If someone doesn't want to pay more, well, bother them!

-Put it there.

-OK. Thanks, Charlie.

Now that's a great price for a nice piece of Georgian furniture.

# Good night, sweetheart, well, it's time to go... #

It's the end of a very busy day of buying.

Looks like our tired twosome are true to their word

and have set up camp.

It's time for some shut-eye, and Christina's bagged the top bunk.

-Right, I'm putting the lights out, is that all right?

-OK. Good night then.

-Night-night!

-Sleep tight.

Don't let the bed bugs bite, eh?

-Charlie?

-Mm?

Are you warm?

I'm toasty.

I'm a bit cold.

Oh, don't be so wet!

Will we go and find somewhere to stay?

-You're pathetic!

-I know!

Your camping's about as bad as your antique buying.

But I love you.

Off to a hotel - night-night, you two.

It's day two of the Road Trip!

Yesterday, Charlie haggled hard for some bargains

and picked up a Charles Horner silver hat pin,

a silver scent bottle and an oak commode.

He spent a total of £105, leaving him with £254.14 to spend today.

Today, I'm going to spend, spend, spend like there's no tomorrow.

I'm going got thrill you with the quality of my purchases.

-Oh, OK. Good, good.

-For the first time on this tour!

Christina started with £153.10.

She bought some dog bookends and a scarf, all for £130.

She has just £23.10 for the day ahead.

You know I about roughly 150 quid?

Yes.

I've spent 130.

Ooh! I'm liking this, Christina.

Christina, to use a horrible modern expression that I can't stand,

you've come to the party.

SHE LAUGHS

This morning sees our pair

make their way across West Yorkshire to Menston,

a village in the picturesque Wharfe Valley,

about six miles northeast of Bradford.

First stop for the day - Park Antiques.

-What a lovely shop.

-Does lovely mean expensive?

No, no! Cheap with your charm.

-Wish me luck.

-I will.

-I might need it.

Park Antiques is run by Brian and Les.

Brian looks after the furniture,

Les, the smalls and porcelain.

-Hello.

-Hi!

-Hi, I'm Christina.

-I'm Les. Pleased to meet you.

-Nice to meet you, Les.

-Hello. Who are you?

-I'm Brian.

-Brian?

Nice to meet you. Hi, Brian. Oh, my goodness.

This looks amazing.

And I wish I had more money to spend!

Yeah, so will they when they find out you've only got £20.

What have we got in here?

This looks like my kind of lot. What have we got in here?

That's just an assortment...

It's my kind of price tag as well! Here we go.

A box of goodies, 14 pieces in all, for a fiver.

The auction house said jewellery sold well.

What have we got here?

Some brooches, Wedgwood Blue, jasper cameo ware.

And then we've got... What on earth is that?

It's got a stamp on, hasn't it?

It has. Some really nice enamel work on there.

Can I ask you hold that for me?

Have I got my trusty...?

I never usually leave home without it - here we are.

Let's have a look.

This one bears all the hallmarks of being a Charles Horner piece.

Looks like the Charles Horner hat pin Rossco picked up

yesterday might have some competition in the auction.

Oh-ho! Hello!

-Sterling silver - CH.

-There we go.

-Charles Horner.

-Lovely.

-Perfect.

Well done - there's your bargain.

There is a bargain!

Christina needed a bit of luck -

no wonder our jewellery expert is smiling.

So we've got £5 on that.

That's the box to make your fortune on, isn't it?

I will absolutely bite your hand off for that.

-OK.

-At £5, thank you very much.

Thank you - it's a deal.

-But I have got some change.

-Excellent!

Still with £18.10 left,

Christina is shopping on.

That's rather lovely.

Well, that's priced at...£30.

Oh, is it?

Lots of lovely little natural inclusions in there.

She's spotted a spray brooch, set with 14 semi-precious stones,

including some sapphires.

With just a sniff over £18 in her pocket,

can she get this at a better price?

Would you take £18.10 for it,

should the need require?

-If it will help, go on. £18.

-£18.10 - I like that very much.

Christina has gone for broke.

She started this leg with £153.10 and has spent every single penny and

is leaving Park Antiques with a nice collection of brooches and fobs.

Meanwhile, Charlie's on his way to

Shipley on the outskirts of Bradford.

His next stop is Carlton Antiques Centre.

35 dealers trade from here, including Alan.

-Hello there.

-Hello, Charlie. Alan.

-Alan. Good to see you, Alan.

-And you.

Alan's keen to show Charlie round.

Lovely bowl as well.

The work that's gone into that...

Superb! That's phenomenal workmanship, isn't it?

Dated as Victorian - I don't think there's any doubt it's Victorian.

-About 1870.

-Yeah, which is nice.

It's what the French would call a bonbon dish,

a bowl for sweeties to you and me.

The over-the-top decoration, the bobbin handle

and the vine-leaf decoration are typical of the period.

Ticket price is £85.

I wish it was silver!

-It'd be about £385 then.

-I think it would be!

It certainly looks he part,

but it comes down to getting a good price over

the phone from the dealer.

-Let's see if we can do a deal.

-OK.

-What's his name?

-Paul.

-Paul?

-Yeah.

-Is he a nice man?

-He's lovely.

-Ask him if he'll speak to me.

Hiya, Paul, it's Alan from Carlton Antiques.

I've got Charlie Ross on the phone for you. Just one moment...

There you go, Charlie.

Is that Paul? I'm doing extremely well.

I've spotted something which I'm told belongs to you.

Whether this is good news or bad news, I don't know.

I'm going to try one-one ditch effort here -

if I offer you 35 quid, will you put the phone down or say,

"Charlie, I'd like to sell it."?

You'd put the phone down.

40's the death. Right, you've got a deal.

-I'll have it.

-Well done. Better than half price.

Looks like something else has caught his eye too.

That's a very ornate Victorian claret jug.

With a lid.

Strangely...

it...

You'd think, to all intents and purposes, it is silver plate.

If you look at the bottom of it...

you'll find a stamp on the bottom and that looks silver.

Having said that, that looks plate -

it's rubbed away - but this looks silver.

And this looks silver.

And it's a complete mystery.

The jug is priced at £120.

If it's silver, it could be worth up to £200 for scrap alone,

but if it's silver plate,

it will struggle to make a third of that.

Are you the owner of this exceptional object?

-Yes, I am, certainly.

-Tell me all about it. What's your name, sir?

-Malcolm.

-Malcolm, I'm Charlie.

-Hello, Charlie.

I've been looking at that and I can't work it out,

-so explain it to me.

-Well, you and me both.

-I bought it as silver plate.

-Yes.

Presumably, if you bought it as silver plate,

you paid 30 quid for it?

-I paid more than that.

-You didn't!

I paid double that and you can have it for 80.

-And that is it.

-You're all heart.

-I know.

-What do you mean, "That's it."?

-That's it. That's it.

I want 20 quid profit out it.

If it's silver plate, it'll make 35 quid at auction, won't it?

But, ah! If it IS silver plate.

I'm not that much of a gambler!

There's only one way this is going, isn't there?

Look at me. It's going to begin with a seven, isn't it?

And it's then going to have a nought and we'll both have won.

-You've worn me down. You've worn me down.

-Yeah?

-Go on, then.

-Put it there.

Charlie leaves Shipley with two lots -

the ornate silver-plated Victorian bonbon dish, bought for £40,

and the claret jug - could be silver,

could be silver-plated - a gamble for £70.

While Charlie shops, Christina's got her feet up.

Earlier, she picked up a job lot of brooches and fobs for just a fiver.

This, for me, it's my bargain day.

What I've actually done, the box of 14 items,

I've actually split them into two separate lots.

So I've split the enamel brooches on here,

and then I've put the remainder over

here as a single lot as well.

That's now two £2.50 lots - a shrewd move.

Dividing her jewellery means she stands a better

chance of conquering at auction.

Meanwhile, back in the van, is Charlie as chipper?

Was I kidding myself with that claret jug?

Did I really think it might be silver?

It's a gamble. However, all is not lost.

I've got a fascinating bit of history to attend to now.

Yes, you have!

Charlie's driven to Boothtown

on the outskirts of Halifax in West Yorkshire,

and the former home of road contractor Percy Shaw,

whose invention has saved thousands of lives.

Charlie's meeting Percy's niece, Glenda, to hear the story of how

a cat on a foggy night inspired her uncle's inventive mind.

You must live in the only house in the world that has Catseyes

-going up to the front door!

-Yes, I think so.

It was here that Great Uncle Percy invented the Catseye, was it?

-It was.

-Yeah.

-If you like, come inside and I'll tell you more about it.

-Thank you.

In the 1930s, driving a car was becoming an affordable reality.

But there was a real danger to this new-found luxury.

At night, poor street lighting made driving hazardous

and in foul weather, it could be deadly.

One night in April, 1933,

driving home from the pub through bad weather,

Percy struggled to see the road ahead.

As he as coming past a very dangerous part of the road,

it happened by sheer fluke,

he saw a cat sat on the edge of the road.

And it reflected in his headlights

and so he stopped the car, immediately,

realised he'd averted sure disaster

and then that's when he got his eureka moment.

Percy knew if he could replicate the reflection of cats' eyes,

he could prevent thousands of accidents.

Then in 1934, after tinkering with ideas in his workshop,

he produced a reflecting road stud prototype.

Although this was a useless idea that he made,

but the idea's there -

you can see it's made of the three component parts

that are still in existence today.

-You've got the glass eyes...

-Yes.

-..You've got the rubber

-that protects the glass...

-Yes.

-..And then you've got the metal casting to protect the rubber.

-Yeah.

And that goes in the road.

That really is quite different from the modern one, isn't it?

He soon developed this idea -

that you've got to have the eyes pointing this way,

so that they can pick up the car headlights.

Percy's Catseyes worked in all weathers,

were robust enough to be repeatedly driven over by heavy trucks

and required minimal maintenance,

but he struggled to persuade the Ministry Of Transport

to invest in his invention.

It wasn't until almost ten years later,

during the Second World War blackouts,

that Percy's Catseyes were adopted.

Business boomed, Percy built a factory beside his house,

employed around 130 locals

and was soon manufacturing 1.5 million Catseyes a year.

-This is the modern one, which has larger eyes.

-Yeah, yeah.

Specification for modern-day conditions.

Surely, the problem with these is that you get a bit of rain,

bit of mud and it just covers over the lens

and you've lost the function.

-Yes, you get rain, but it goes into the dish there...

-Yeah.

..And there you've got a slit there...

These are your cat's eyes,

and it works exactly like a cat's eye or a human eye, for that matter.

When a car goes over it, it goes into the water

and the eyelid washes it.

-Oh, that's amazing. So it's self-cleaning.

-Yes.

Catseyes went on to be a global success.

In 1965, Percy was awarded an OBE in recognition for services to export.

By the time Percy died in 1976, aged 86,

around 15 million Catseyes had been made.

Today, the component parts are manufactured abroad,

but Catseyes are still assembled in the same factory 80 years on.

And it's still a family business. The company's run by Glenda's dad.

Thank you so much for showing me around. It's been wonderful.

Wonderful. When I drive home, I shall think of Percy.

And, as our experts take the road at auction,

here's a rundown of what Charlie and Christina

picked up on their travels.

Charlie bought a Georgian oak tray-top commode. Handy.

An Edwardian silver scent bottle.

A Charles Horner silver hatpin.

An ornate Victorian bonbon dish.

And a possibly silver Victorian lidded claret drug.

All that lot cost £215.

But challenger Christina's gone for broke

on a pair of bronzed-effect dog bookends,

an Indian-style shawl, a spray brooch,

and a box of jewellery she split into two lots for auction.

All for a grand total of £153.10.

But what do our experts think of each other's purchases?

There's nothing in Charlie's purchases which is really kind of...

lighting my fire.

Sugar basket...

Yeah...

Scent bottle...

Yeah...

Dog bookends, I don't like dog bookends.

I think there could be a bit of a clanger there.

It cost £129.

Value?

I shouldn't take off the hundred if I were you!

HE LAUGHS

I have a big fat zero in my pocket.

So I have invested everything into this auction.

Oh, dear.

So, will it be boom or bust for Christina at auction in Bourne?

Situated in the heart of South Lincolnshire, Bourne is a small

historic market town.

-Oh, it's a bit bumpy.

-It is very bumpy.

It's also very, very, very flat, isn't it?

It's very flat. Have you ever been to Lincolnshire before?

I don't think I have.

The town was built around natural springs, hence the name Bourne,

which derives from the Anglo-Saxon, meaning water or stream.

-I do feel nervous about today, I do.

-What are you doing buying dogs?!

-Well...

-I mean, dog bookends.

-Well...

-Do you honestly think dog bookends are commercial?

Today's auction takes place at Golding, Young & Mawer.

The company has a history of selling since 1864,

and old hand Colin Young is at the rostrum.

The bits that are a little bit more interesting are that wonderful

pair of bookends because they sit so well

and they look a little bit better than they probably are.

The claret jug is a really interesting one.

It is stamped 925, so it doesn't have a full set of English

hallmarks on it, and for that reason it's catalogued as white metal,

and we'll let the buyers decide how far they want to go with it.

Well, now's the time for Colin to grab his gavel and our experts

to take their seats because Charlie's claret jug is first up.

Good luck, good luck.

Could be silver, could be plated. A gamble by Charlie, bought for £70.

Stamped 925 on the bottom...

Yes!

At 30 and bid. 5 now, do I see?

Bid 40. 45?

45, bid 50? 50, bid 5?

Bid 60, 65.

See, see, see, see!

£70 on the internet...

-He thinks it's silver.

-Well, it'll do.

He has done well, Colin.

You're all out in the room, then. All out, going at £70.

STRIKES GAVEL

A small loss after auction costs.

It could have been worse, it could have been better.

It was such a gamble, I think it must have been plate,

in which case it is a miracle.

Christina's first lot is the richly embroidered Indian-style shawl,

bought as part of a job lot with the expensive bookends,

it cost just £1, modelled by Charlie.

Oh, no.

Who's going to start me at £80?

£80? My goodness.

I've got to get the bids in early before he displays it!

At 50 bid. 5 anywhere else cos that's going to kill it dead?!

How dare you!

£50, anyone?

All right, then, start me at £20. £20, anyone? 10 to go, surely.

£10, anybody? £10.

£10, surely.

It didn't work, Charles! £10? Surely, £10 for it.

It's not mine!

That's the whole point - he was trying to wreck it for her!

You were supposed to twirl magnificently!

I've never been so embarrassed.

This is five times more than you paid for it.

Selling at £5.

With a £5 winning bid, Christina has the first profit of the day.

You realise if I hadn't modelled it, it would have made 30?

Yes, possibly, yeah!

Next, Charlie's Edwardian silver scent bottle.

50 to go, surely. £50, anybody?

Yeah, it started at 80 for my scarf.

HE GASPS

5 anywhere else? 5, surely?

At 40.

Do we do 2? We do on the net. 45, 48 now.

48 bid. £48 now, surely. It's no money at all here at £48.

45. Got a bid back in the room. 48 is the last call, then.

At £45, the whole world has seen it, the whole world is bidding.

£20 profit!

Back in the room at 45, selling at £45, all done.

STRIKES GAVEL

Sold for a £20 profit.

-£20 up.

-£20 up.

-Well done.

Christina's spray brooch is next.

Can it keep up their run of profits?

30?

Thank you, the lady's bid at 30.

5, I've got, 35.

Oh, my goodness!

45, bid 50, do I see?

It's a fantastic profit, £50.

5 again now, surely. 50 with me.

-We are doing so well.

-Last call, then. It's on the market at 50.

All done and finished, I will sell, you've all seen it.

STRIKES GAVEL

Cracking result! A profit of over £31, wow.

You're doing so well, Christina.

SHE LAUGHS

Charlie's damaged Charles Horner hatpin now. Here it goes.

£10, anyone? £10, 12 with you,

15, 18, 20, 22,

25, at 25, surely?

Fresh blood.

-28?

-28, I've got. 30? 30 bid.

At 30, standing in the middle of the room.

That's commission.

Last call, then. Selling at £30, all done.

STRIKES GAVEL

That's the second lot to sell at the cost price,

technically a loss after auction costs.

Next under the hammer is the first of Christina's fobs and brooches.

She bought her job lot for a fiver and split them into two for auction.

This lot includes her Charles Horner Hallmark brooch.

£30, anyone? 20 to go, surely.

Oh!

I've got two on the book. 25 now, 28.

He's making ten times more than it cost you.

The internet is flashing, but you have to roll onto 32 now.

My 30's in the room. 2 now, do I see on the net?

At 30, back in the room at 30, are we all done?

Selling this time at £30.

STRIKES GAVEL

Her shrewd move to split that box of trinkets has paid off.

-It's not bad, is it?

-It's unbelievable!

Now Charlie's bonbon dish.

£40, anyone?

30?

Such a lovely thing. Oh, this is so cheap.

£20 to go, then, surely? Who is going to start me at £20?

Nobody interested? We'll move on if you don't. £20, anybody?

That didn't even make you bring your arm up, no?

-£10, then?

-Oh, no.

10 bid? Oh, everyone, that's all right.

10 bid, 12 bid, 15, 18, 20,

20 bid, 2 bid. 22, 25 now...

At 22, the bid's down here at 22.

5 anywhere else? At £22.

At 22. Surely one more.

At 22, last call, then, selling...

Going then at £22, thank you.

GAVEL STRIKES

Oh, that is a loss of £18. It appears the tables have turned.

This is not Charlie's auction.

-Oh.

-Welcome to my world.

SHE LAUGHS

That hurt.

Christina's second lot of brooches and fobs now.

Right, this is your big one.

-This is my leftovers.

-This could make 50 quid.

Start me at £40.

£30, anybody?

-Oh, come on!

-Don't worry, this will fly.

The lady has bid at 10.

-12 anywhere else?

-12 on the internet.

Oh, we're up to 20 on the internet.

Oh! On the internet!

25 now? 25 bid, do I see now?

28 now? Well, there are a lot of them.

28 bid. 30, do I see?

£30 bid. 32 now, do I see? 32 now, surely?

HE GASPS

£32?

Christina!

You're all out in the room, back on the net, selling at 35 bid.

Oh!

At 35. If he gets excited at 35, he's going to be excited at this.

I've got 38.

Oh!

40 now, do I see? 40 is the last call.

Selling at £38.

STRIKES GAVEL

Another solid profit from the smart buy Christina.

Well done.

Oh! Christina, that's one of the biggest percentage profits

ever made on an auction.

SHE LAUGHS

Charlie's 18th-century commode is up next.

His profits have been going down the pan today.

Can he have any success with this last lot?

£30, anyone? I'll take 20 to go, then.

No.

£10. 15? 20?

Bid 30? Bid 40?

Bid 50? 50 bid.

5 now, surely. 55 bid.

Well done, Colin.

At 50 bid. Bid 60. It's 60.

5 anywhere else? Bid 70.

See?!

5 anywhere else?

-This is why I like furniture.

-From £10 to £80, are you kidding me?!

5 now at 8, it's on the market, it's going to sell, make no mistake.

Done and finished at £80.

STRIKES GAVEL

Old Rossco is a furniture know-it-all and with a profit

like that, I wonder he didn't buy some more.

You know how people say brown furniture doesn't sell any more?

-Well, there you are, it does.

-Well, that is why had faith in you.

HE SIGHS

Now their last lot of the day.

Christina is winning the auction

but if her bronze defect bookends don't sell well,

she could lose all the profits she's made so far. Here they come.

Straight in at the bottom estimate, start me at £40.

Thank you, 40.

Do I see 50? I'll take five, then.

45? 50?

60 and 5. Bid 70?

75 bid. 80 bid.

90 bid. 95 bid. 100.

110. 120 now, surely.

110, 120, 130 now,

140, 150, 160,

170 now. 160.

At 160, are we are all done and finished?

You're all out in the room, make no mistake.

At 160, you are out on the net.

All done and finished and selling at £160.

STRIKES GAVEL

SHE LAUGHS

Oh, my God!

A profit of £31. Christina's made a profit on every lot today.

That's two auctions in a row she's beaten Charlie.

-What about that, then? Four auctions down.

-Yes.

-Two to you, two to me.

-I think that's generous, but...

-Now we are going to the decider.

-The final leg.

-Come on.

It is all to play for.

After costs, Charlie made a loss of £12.46,

but Rossco still has £346.68 in his kitty to carry forward.

After paying auction house fees,

Christina has made a gain of £78.96.

As a result, Ms Trevanion has £232.06 to start the next leg.

She's catching up.

SHE LAUGHS

-Thank you.

-Genius, we're genius.

I take it all back!

I take it all back! Those dogs were absolutely marvellous.

-In the passenger side.

-All right, all right.

HORN HONKS

You're so good!

On the next Antiques Road Trip, with the last auction approaching, it is

all to play for.

Has Charlie rediscovered his lucky charm?

Look at that, it's not a Ross tartan, but is not bad.

Or will Christina's strong run continue?

It's heavy, it's really heavy!