Episode 13 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

-Some of the nation's favourite celebrities...

-That's the big view.

-This is the pig for me.

-One antiques expert each...

-Celebrities!

-I think we could have a go at this, don't you?

-And one big challenge.

Who can seek out and buy the best antiques at the very best prices?

What are they doing with this?

-And auction for a big profit further down the road.

-I've got £10 bid.

-Who will spot the good investments? Who will listen to advice?

-I tell you, it goes with your eyes.

-Does it?

And who will be the first to say, "Don't you know who I am?"

Cuckoo!

Time to put your pedal to the metal.

This is Celebrity Antiques Road Trip!

Yeah!

Welcome to Hertfordshire, a county of over a million souls

on the doorstep of London and popular with everyone,

from the Romans to Queen Elizabeth I, who grew up here.

The latest distinguished visitors to the county

are two stars of screen and stage,

Britain's Don Warrington and America's Stefanie Powers.

The first challenge for Stefanie is her 1975 Morgan

and the quaint British habit of driving on the left.

-Left is that way?

-I've never done a hand signal.

-I mean right, right.

-I have no idea.

-This, for us, is left.

-Right.

Because we're driving on the other side of the car...

It's completely wrong.

Stefanie Powers found fame young in Hollywood.

Millions adored her in Hart To Hart.

She's a wildlife conservationist who lives in Kenya,

loves horses, and endured the jungle on "I'm a Celebrity".

She's worked with great illusionists,

but shows no loyalty to another former co-star, Herbie the Beetle.

I love this car. I am slowly falling in love with this wonderful car.

Don Warrington was born in Trinidad and grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne.

He also found fame young,

playing Philip Smith in the classic Rising Damp.

He's appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company

and National Theatre.

Recent TV includes Death In Paradise and Casualty,

and in 2008, he received an MBE for services to drama. Bravo!

-So what are out celebrities' tastes in antiques?

-I am a minimalist.

I like things with sharp corners and clean lines. I don't like clutter.

God, I wish I could be a minimalist.

Hmm. A minimalist on an antiques hunt, eh?

That could be interesting for experts Margie Cooper

and Charles Hanson in their 1968 Beetle.

But Charles is preoccupied. Surprise, surprise.

I'm quite excited because today I'm sitting next to a lady

with big red lips and lovely red nails.

Charles Hanson is entranced by beautiful women,

but has strange ideas about attracting them.

When not distracted...

he's a Derbyshire-based auctioneer with a passion for history and early English porcelain.

It's our first time together in a car.

I want to make chemistry with you.

Oh, steady, Charles.

Margie Cooper's not here for your chemistry!

She's here for her expertise in antiques,

especially furniture, and early 20th century silver.

Sweet little thing.

Under pressure, this dealer has her own peculiar traits.

And she knows the lows...

Yes!

And the highs of the antiques world.

Charles has a hankering to pair up with Stefanie. Who wouldn't?

But wants to believe he's giving the others a choice.

You know, we'll show off our credentials and they'll decide.

And hopefully, Stefanie will say, "I want you."

LAUGHTER

Regardless of who teams up with who, though,

each team will have £400 and two days shopping

to see who can make the most money at auction.

Starting in St Albans,

we'll be weaving our way through Hertfordshire,

then heading into London

before going to auction in Billingshurst, West Sussex, God's country.

St Albans is a small cathedral city just north of the M25.

During the Napoleonic Wars, its clocktower was part of

a communications chain relaying signals from Whitehall

to the North Sea fleet in Great Yarmouth.

Within five minutes.

Our teams today are communicating face-to-face,

and with less danger of launching a fleet...

-Hello there!

-Hi!

..by meeting up at an eclectic emporium near the city centre.

-We're in one piece!

-Indeed.

-Barely.

I don't have to go to the gym because my arms have had a great workout.

-There's no power steering.

-(Shake the man's hand.) He could be yours.

I'm not choosing. I refuse.

-Hello.

-Shake his hand.

-Don, I'm Margie.

-Hello, Margie.

-The deal's done.

-Hello! Trying to make a graceful entrance.

-Good to see you. How are you? Nice to see you.

-Oh, OK.

-Do you mind?

-Oh, very forward, Charles. French kiss?

-We've got to pair off.

-Have you any preferences?

-We refuse to choose.

-Well, I could choose.

We could do boy, girl, boy, girl.

Result! Charles gets his heart's desire.

Both teams are starting off at Scally Dog's Emporium,

run by Scally Dog, assisted by father and son Trev and Tom, the puppies.

Whilst they nose around, Stefanie and Charles settle some basics,

like much of their £400 to spend.

-Oh, I think we should spend it all. But it's on what.

-Exactly.

What is going to get us the most, as we call it, bounce for our buck?

-Bounce. I like it.

-You like this?

He likes that. Just outside, Margie is starting to get an idea of Don's tastes.

-I quite like that.

-Yes... Really?

-Clearly you don't.

-Well, no...

-God, you try lifting that.

-I wasn't going to. But it's... I don't know.

-It's got style.

-There's something about it.

Driftwood, maybe.

-How much do you think that should cost?

-Not a clue.

-It'll probably shock me.

-You are the expert.

LAUGHTER I'm not an expert on tatty bits of old wood here.

Oh, so you're calling it tatty now. OK.

Whoops!

-Meanwhile, Stefanie is feeling nostalgic.

-The Wings of the Hawk!

-This is great. Van Heflin. I knew Van Heflin.

-Really?

-I did a movie with him.

-Yes, there he is.

-This is too early for you, isn't it, 1953?

No, this is way too early for me. Thank you very much.

Well done, Charles!

As a young child, did you look at that and think

"I want to be part of that in later life"?

No, no. No, I wanted to be an archaeologist or a veterinarian.

Really? So you like history. You like digging up history, do you?

-I like digging around. We can dig around.

-We can dig.

-Oh, but look!

-Oh, my God. I'm in this movie.

-I can't believe it.

-The last magnificent...

We used to call this Magnificent Seven Will Never Ride Again After This Movie.

It was the end of that franchise.

-Oh, what were they doing with this in here?

-I can't believe it.

-Did you put this here?

-No, no, I promise you.

Did you have this in your backlog, or did you just get this for today? I mean, where is this?

I must admit, today this was hanging up in my house

and I brought this down this morning.

My God! That's incredible!

So, Stefanie, what was your role?

-Were you a cowgirl?

-No, no.

As was typical of those Magnificent Seven movies, the Mexicans

were coming in to kill everybody in some sort of a town and I was in the town

and Lee Van Cleef comes in with all his band and we became a...

an item.

-Tom, how much would this poster be to buy?

-For you...

Look at the lady, look at the lady. Look in her eyes.

I could do a very good price.

I could probably sell that framed for about 120.

The poster is a huge temptation for Stefanie and Charles,

but they decide to have a look around while mulling it over.

Meanwhile, Margie is also thinking about purchases appropriate for an actor.

It's Royal Doulton. You know, all the Shakespearian characters.

They have themes. That's obviously Falstaff. £80. Do you like it?

Um...

-We're touching on your world, aren't we?

-My world...

No, it's not me, I don't think.

I think that's a big fat "No", Margie.

-Don's got his own ideas.

-What about this? What do we think about this?

What does the sign say?

It says "Ethnic quiver and arrows.

"Very unusual."

How would this go at an auction, do you think?

Who is going to be in Sussex wanting this?

Well, it's not practical, I realise that. But...

The buck has to stop with you because I can't sit there.

I refuse to sit there when I've told you to buy something and it goes down...

I'm just trying to imagine if I were at an auction and this came up,

would I be interested in it?

SHE SIGHS The thing is, we'll have a whiz round

and then we'll have a little think.

-So you're saying now?

-I'm not saying no. I'm just saying...

-No.

-No, I'm not saying no.

-Yes, you are.

-I'm just saying maybe.

-Maybe? OK.

Maybe? Someone on this team is going to have to commit.

Stefanie and Charles, on the other hand,

are in a decisive frame of mind.

So, tell me, Tom,

if my iconic lady signed it,

-it can only add value, right?

-Oh, most definitely.

-So,

what can you do for us?

I did agree a price of 120.

120. You did agree a price of 120?

Yeah, I like it very, very much.

Look at the man in his eyes, OK? Give him a twinkle in the eyes.

Give him a twinkle.

The best I can do is take another tenner off and do it for 110.

Fantastic. I'll shake on that.

-No problem.

-£110, Tom.

-Thank you ever so much.

-It's a pleasure.

-Thank you.

So, in return for £110 and a big dollop of film star charisma,

Stefanie and Charles have their first lot.

But Don and Margie have yet to agree on anything.

-I just spotted that railway sign, which I quite like.

-OK.

"Any person who omits to shut and fasten this gate

"is liable to a penalty not exceeding 40 shillings."

Don't you think that's quite quirky?

If you say it's quirky, I believe it's quirky.

I would simply read it as a sign.

-But people sort of put them in their rooms.

-Do they?

-Yeah.

So you would recommend that?

Well, I quite like it. I wouldn't say I recommend it, but I like it.

Well, I need you to say you would recommend it, because...

Well, it all depends on what the price is.

All right, let's find out.

Hmm. Don wants certainty

but Margie prefers wriggle room.

The sign's £120, so Margie guides Don on what to offer.

-You want to know what my best offer is?

-Your best offer.

The best advice I've had is 65.

If you could push to £70,

I could let it go.

I'm sorry, I can't.

-I'm afraid I can't sell it, then.

-Oh, no.

-Well, fair enough.

£70 is my best price and that's a big drop. That's £50 off.

I can't move from 65.

I've been told.

I am under orders. I can't move.

Wow! Don't mess with Don! But hang on.

How much is the quiver and arrows?

-I can't remember how much it was.

-It had 85 on it.

-Yeah?

-I'll do you a good deal on the quiver.

-Really, really cheap.

-If you buy the sign and the quiver,

I'll sell it to you for...

115.

If you say a round 100, I'll go for it.

This is mean. OK.

-Shake on it.

-Ah, that's very kind.

-Thank you very much.

-You have quite an intimidating stare.

-Do I?

Yes, you do.

MARGIE LAUGHS

-Sorry.

-Fully forgiven!

So we go...

Hmm. That stare could produce quivering bargains.

With the sign reduced from £120 to £65

and the quiver from £85 to £35,

Don and Margie are launched!

Stefanie and Charles have already hit the road

at a decidedly brisk pace. Are those white knuckles?

Are you a professional driver?

-You mean, do I race?

-Yes.

-Do you race?

-I did once.

-Yeah, I thought you did.

What keeps you so young? Is it this?

-Fear!

-You live on the edge?

From St Albans, it doesn't take them very long

to cover the nine miles to the next port of call,

which is Hemel Hempstead.

Hemel Hampstead is a Hertfordshire town

with fine architecture and a splendid Norman church.

Despite these attributes,

it's strangely famous for its enormous complicated magic roundabout,

said to have been voted both the best

and the second worst roundabout in Britain.

As Charles and Stefanie arrive, Charles detects a problem.

Something funny has happened.

-What's happened?

-I'm stuck to my seat.

Whether it's your driving, I don't know, but I literally...

-Yes?

-If I take my seatbelt off...

He's got very excited.

I'm stuck to my seat. Honestly.

STEFANIE LAUGHS

-Can you tell why?

-Why?

-I don't know.

-Well, just...

-Do you want to hop out and come and help me on this side?

-Yes, I will.

-Thank you, partner.

Oh, yeah. Pull the other one, Charles.

-There's some tape there.

-What's happened?

-Oh, there it is!

-What is it?

-The belt loop!

-Never let it be said...

-My legs are like jelly.

-..that I don't help a fellow in distress.

-Thank you very much.

Very distressed, Carlos(!)

Team Powers is shopping at Cherry antiques, run by Scott Cullen.

There's a lot to consider.

-Enjoy a look around.

-Thank you. It looks beautiful.

Looks gorgeous.

Look at that. Isn't that nice?

-Yes.

-Do you like it?

-It is,

it reminds me of all the things that we used to do when I was a child.

-Really?

-We did these samplers...

The earliest surviving samplers date back to the 1500s.

What started as a way of recording different stitches

soon became a more elaborate display of skill and different motifs.

English girls really stopped, I suppose, performing samplism

-in a big way by about 1900...

-Is that true?

Yeah. But your American girls were doing them into the 1960s!

-Well, I'd say '50s!

-I love it because it is quite naive.

You've got this maybe farmer here with his gun, maybe,

with his dog, and here the lovely turreted building on the left side.

How early is this, Scott?

I think it's probably sort of late 19th century.

Is there any information on the back?

Nothing at all, because what we look for, Stefanie,

what we love to see...

What's this? It says National Paragon Corporation, 100% linen.

Look, if that's there then it isn't very old, is it?

-That would help to date it, wouldn't it?

-Yeah, look at that.

-That linen mark on there, I never saw that.

-I didn't see that.

-Well!

-So it's quite late.

-Good thing I came along!

You don't miss much, do you, Stefanie Powers?

The ticket price is £60 so Stefanie and Charles decide to continue

looking around, and Stefanie is soon captivated.

If you look at the work, I mean, the work is absolutely beautiful,

there are a couple of chips here and there but it's really, really...

This organic design, you know, recreating the natural world,

was, I think, extremely important to the Victorians.

-You're almost bringing a tear to my eye.

-Really?

-I kid you not.

Because you're talking my sort of language in the sense that it's

terribly undervalued, people tend to dismiss it as just being fussy,

dust-gathering...

Victorian obscenities, and you're giving it a love and life.

-I admire you. Don't you, Scott?

-I think she's after your job!

I agree! I thought this would be more your taste.

It's that minimal, modern look.

And this, when I say minimal,

represents a style that we call the Arts and Crafts.

-Is this Arts and Crafts?

-Absolutely. The birth of the 20th century,

and it's all about the gild of handicraft.

It's showing the studded joints, showing this roundel hammer detail.

It's a return for art for art's sake. That's quite a nice mirror.

It's got a lovely patination. It's 1910, thereabouts,

and it really captures the birth of that last century.

I think it's in a really good condition.

-That could do quite well.

-He does go on, doesn't he?

-Do I?

Got it in one, Stefanie.

You might!

Meanwhile, Don and Margie have taken a break from shopping.

They're heading just inside the M25 to a site near London Colney.

They're about to discover the crucial role Hertfordshire played

in supporting the RAF during World War II,

in the company of a former RAF man.

Chocks away.

-Ah.

-Hello.

And welcome to the De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre.

-My name's Ralph Steiner, operations director.

-Like the hat.

The De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre celebrates the iconic British

aeroplane manufacturer with a collection of over 20 historic aircraft.

It was at Salisbury Hall, next to the centre,

that the story of its most celebrated plane began.

So, Ralph, why are we here, what exactly is going on here?

Well, in about 1939 the directors of De Havilland, in their wisdom,

moved to the design team of the Mosquito out here

in the middle of nowhere. Obviously the factory could've got bombed,

and they designed the Mosquito in Salisbury Hall in 11 months.

I don't think we could build a motorbike in 11 months today.

The Mosquito was to become one of the most versatile aircraft of World War II,

serving amongst other things as a day-and-night fighter,

a fighter bomber, pathfinder and photo reconnaissance plane.

The museum is home to the prototype and much more.

What a marvellous place.

Now, what we have here is the bomber version of the Mosquito.

You can see that by the nose cone, which is Perspex,

and at the front you see a different windscreen.

If we turn round and have a look at the fighter version,

we've got a flat screen, we have got four 30-30 machine guns.

And, underneath, you see four other holes,

and underneath there go four cannons.

The actual machine guns, for two seconds, shoots out 166 rounds.

-Gosh!

-And the cannons underneath, for two seconds, 88 rounds,

so it's got a nasty sting to it.

De Havilland rightly anticipated metal would be in short supply

during the war and designed the Mosquito to be made mostly of wood.

So much so, it was dubbed The Wooden Wonder.

The aircraft wing, all made of timber,

the fuselage all made of timber.

The only major metal sections are of course the engines,

the bearers and the suspension unit.

Here we've got the inner skin, which is the plywood.

Balsa wood filler.

Plywood and, on the outside, we have the linen,

which covers the actual woodwork to protect it.

And there you are, you're flying in here,

-maybe 400 miles-an-hour on the outside.

-Gosh.

-How many were built?

-7,781.

-How many did you lose?

-We nearly lost half.

You imagine getting into the aircraft, it's wet, it's dark.

You've got to fly over the English Channel at 50 feet.

You've got to find your target. Now the searchlights are on.

You're being shot at. If you're lucky, you find your target.

You turn round. Now the fronters are up. The searchlights are up.

You're still being shot at.

And if you're really lucky you'll come back to your base,

if you find your own base, you land, you debrief, you go into the mess.

And there's six empty places.

And they were the buddies you drank with the night before, or you played cricket with.

They're not here any longer.

And tomorrow night you might be doing another trip.

You've got to do 30 of those to complete a tour.

Despite the tragedies, the Mosquito had the lowest loss rate

of any aircraft serving in RAF bomber command during World War II.

And its dedicated admirers ensure that the De Havilland story

lives on.

-You're a real enthusiast, aren't you?

-Great.

-Yeah.

-British, Hertfordshire, Hatfield!

-I'll tell you what I'm going to do.

I'm going to get your flag.

Yeah! Yeah! Wey!

That's it, Rule Britannia.

Really enjoyed it. You're amazing.

Thank you very much. Thank you for coming.

Back at Cherry Antiques in Hemel Hempstead, Stefanie and Charles

are still interested in the sampler and the Arts and Crafts mirror,

together priced at £105.

AUCTIONEER SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY

But they ring the auctioneer in Sussex and he suggest toys

and works of art might fetch good prices.

I think we get the idea, works of art, toys as well,

and that's your Friday sell.

Stefanie soon makes a find.

Just looking at something of beautiful craftsmanship

is this marquetry.

English, it says. Art Deco. It's lovely, isn't it?

-It really captures the movement of those birds.

-Yeah, it's beautiful.

Off the wall. OK.

Marquetry techniques developed in the Low Countries

in the early 16th century, and later the craft flowered

in France, in furnishings for royal palaces, for example at Versailles.

This humble example is from a Gloucestershire workshop

and dates from around 1928.

It has a tremendous range.

It can be in a house that's traditionally furnished,

it can be in a house that's even modern.

I do agree with you because you've got an ebony frame...

And it has that same sort of craftsman idea. Bedemeier...

Oh, my goodness, where did that come from?

Bedemeier, that's German!

-But, you know, your artistic...

-Very impressive.

-Well... But don't you see that?

-It's got such a modernist feel.

You've got bird's eye maple, rosewood, you've got a mahogany,

you've got different wood-stained timbers,

you've got a really vast array of exotic timbers

that really makes this a good Deco exotic work of art.

So, the picture might be the sort of thing the auctioneer had in mind,

but at £245, it's a huge gamble.

There was another suggestion.

And also the auctioneer said toys, and what's over there?

And what's your great love?

Oh, my goodness. Look at these!

It's called the Derby, and yes, I'm from Derby. Electric Derby.

-I think we had something like this in the States as well.

-Really?

I think we did. Let me have a look.

-It can't be your decade, surely, it's 1950s.

-Well, honey... SHE LAUGHS

-Look at me! No way. No way!

-Tee-hee!

No way, surely.

Let's see. Look at how nicely it's been maintained. The box... Oh! Wow.

-That is in great condition.

-I love it.

-Look at that.

-I do too, I think this is great. Does it work?

-Yeah, I believe so.

Ah, very cunning reply. In this game, priced at £40,

battery power shoots ballbearings along a racetrack.

They push the horses towards the finishing line.

Different weights can be added to the horses to change the odds.

-It sounds great.

-It's really sweet.

-Isn't it?

Look, these faces could almost be American, couldn't they?

Hold on. No, it's not you!

We all sort of looked the same, didn't we, in those days?

Very picturesque, I should say myself.

There's mum and dad. Dad at home in a tie!

-But that's how we used to dress, didn't we?

-Of course it was.

We were snap happy in our dressing back then.

After a long time in the shop,

Stefanie and Charles need to make some hard choices.

They postpone a decision on the marquetry picture,

despite Scott reducing it to £150.

They want to take the racing game, the sampler

and the Arts and Crafts mirror.

The combined ticket price is £145,

but Scott has indicated he'd take £115. Wow.

Are we going to offer Scott 80 for the three items?

-I couldn't do it, I'm afraid.

-OK.

I'm not surprised. A cheeky offer - it's been rebuffed.

But Scott is willing to move a little bit.

-I will come down to 30 on that.

-OK.

-So I'll come down 10 in total.

-105.

-Yep.

-Good, let's do it.

-Shall we do it? Shake the man's hand.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Scott.

-Thanks ever so much.

So, it's a deal for a mirror reduced from £60 to £45,

the game from £40 to £30 and the sampler from £45 to £30,

making a total of £105, plus the poster bought earlier for £110,

which means Team Powers has had an extraordinarily busy day.

But before poor old Charles can relax,

-he must endure another white-knuckle ride.

-Ready?

Take your time, OK?

Hold on tight! Nighty-night.

Day two of the road trip, and Stefanie and Don

are en route to Redbourn, just outside Hemel Hempstead,

to meet up with our experts, and they're comparing notes.

Naughty.

So, how did you get on with your expert?

Oh, well, Charles, he's adorable.

But I'm sure his mother will get on at him

because his shoelaces are always falling apart.

No, he's a cute guy, he really is a sweet guy.

My expert and I, we just talked about antiques dealers,

-what they get up to.

-Ah.

-Tricks of the trade.

-Oh, did you? Oh, you can share that with me.

What you don't know, Stefanie,

is that Don's already mastered a very useful trick of the trade.

Don's great, he's very laid back, and when he comes to doing the deal,

he just sort of stares at them and there's a horrible pause.

Charles confesses he's more than a little smitten.

-It's really strange.

-You clicked?

-We have clicked.

I can't believe that she spoke so poetically

about a Victorian encrusted pottery bowl.

It's so outdated. I didn't dare say it to her,

"Look, Grandma, this is Grandma's favourite."

That would have been our love affair over.

Yeah, you're right there, Charles.

As well as embarking on the great romance of the century,

Charles and Stefanie have managed to spend £215 on four lots.

The film poster, the Arts and Crafts mirror,

the sampler

and the horseracing game.

They haven't decided about the marquetry picture,

so they have £185 left to play with.

Don and Margie have used Don's stare to good effect,

acquiring two lots, the railway sign and the quiver and arrows

for a total of £100,

-leaving them with £300 in hand for today.

-A hundred.

They're all meeting up at Bushwood Antiques,

a vast antiques empire with over 8,500 items.

This place is huge, so you can go that way, we can go this way, any preferences?

-I thought I might go left.

-OK, fine.

Our two teams are refreshed and keen to snap up bargains,

using the weapons at their disposal -

the stare for Team Warrington and film star charisma for Team Powers.

-Oh, my God, look at this!

-Jeepers creepers.

-This is Ali Baba's cave!

Stefanie and Charles dive in at the deep end of 25,000 square feet

-of very upmarket stock.

-Gosh!

The selection is huge, but the owner, Tony, helps them narrow things down.

There, look, just put it on.

It's adorable, it's really something.

-Oh, that's perfect.

-It really suits you as well.

They must have had very small heads.

Does that...? Does it sort of do it for you?

Yeah, we're a bit late for the races, but...

THEY LAUGH

-What you've got here is a really good late Victorian hat box.

-Yeah.

And look where it's been over the years.

Look, Stefanie, all these old stories of paper, labels...

-it's been on railway, it's been...

-..on its travels.

-..on coaches, been on carriages.

-There we are.

Listen. Listen to me.

Come on! Listen to me!

This is...

# One...

# Thrilling combination

# Every little step we make. #

Do-do-loo-do-do-loo-do.

That's it!

But look at the interior. It's a leather hatbox.

-Look, it's beautifully...

-Oh, look at that!

-..velvet-lined.

And you would place your hat in there, like so...

You would say, "Darling, I'm off to Ascot," or wherever

and you would then just, you know, tighten your belt up.

-I think, actually, there's some lice in here.

-Lice?

-Some live lice.

-Thank you very much. I put it on my head.

-I'm joking! It's a joke. Sorry.

-I think it's been fumigated.

-Exactly.

I think it's been fumigated, because there's not a single...

Hold on, hold on. There we go, it's gone.

-Wait a minute, maybe you've got some in yours...

-Yeah, get out of here.

Hey, wait a minute!

Yuck! Sharing nits.

What matters here is the wear and tear to the hat and box,

so Charles wants a good price,

even before deploying Stefanie's charms.

I'm hoping Tony might look at me and say,

"Actually, it's below our budget," Tony, isn't it?

I can take £85 for it.

I know you're big fan of Stefanie Powers, you know,

and I mean... Look at the lady, Tony. Look at that lady, OK?

And as Stefanie looks so wonderful in the hat, I'd...

I'd hate to see her go out without it, so...

how about...£40?

-When the lady has it, a man cannot resist a sale.

-No, no.

I'm putty in your hands.

Would you take £30 for it?

You've got more front than Selfridges, but I'll...

On this particular occasion, I'll accept.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Look at us, OK? That's a deal!

-Give me a kiss!

-Give him a hug!

-Give him a kiss!

-Give us a kiss.

-Thank you so much.

-You're very welcome.

-Thanks, Tony.

Just across the yard, Margie and Don are also overwhelmed by choices.

Brass pan.

-Oh, look here.

-Anything?

-Oh, this is gorgeous!

Victorian writing slope.

You use it on your lap.

-They were great letter writers, weren't they?

-Were they?

-Underneath there, you would put your envelopes and paper...

-Yeah.

-Here, there's more room to put things.

-Right.

-Some of them have secret compartments.

-Yes.

-This is for your ink...

-Yes.

Pens, ink, whatever you want to put in there.

-But it should have a pull on it and it's come off...

-OK.

..which is a bit annoying.

Well, it is a bit annoying, but it might help us.

You think it might help out? You're getting the...the hang of it.

Sales manager Julie

explains the slope is £145 and late 19th-century.

She also knows how to reveal the secret compartment.

Just pull that there, out it pops...

-So you'd keep your secret...

-Yeah, anything.

-..bits.

-Love letters.

-Love letters, eh?

-Yeah, bits and pieces. Maybe a bit of jewellery.

-Really?

Yeah, and it's in good condition.

-I think we could have a go at this, don't you?

-Do you think so?

I don't know. You tell me.

Well, I just think it's a nice thing.

It just depends how...

generous our friend Julie is going to be.

Well, let's be really nice to her.

Let's see how we get on.

If I were to say...

I know it's not...

-115?

-It's a deal.

-There we are.

-You've done it, darling.

-OK. Thank you.

-Shake the lady's hand.

Thank you very much.

The toned-down version of the Warrington Stare

secures a discount

and better potential for a profit later at auction.

Outside, Stefanie and Charles have rung the dealer

and agreed to buy the marquetry picture of herons

they saw the previous day.

He's reduced it from £245 to £150,

but no further. Will it take off?

I think it's a real gamble.

But, hey, look, we walk on the wild side, OK?

Let's not get into a flap about it!

Margie and Don head off

on the final leg of their antique shopping.

Unlike Stefanie, Margie's not besotted with her classic car,

just hot and bothered.

This car will be the death of me.

It is the most awful, rattling, old crate

I have ever driven in my life.

Without you, I can't get into reverse...

I've heard that said before.

LAUGHTER

From Redbourn, it's 10 miles across country

to the town of Berkhamsted.

The town is set in a valley in the Chiltern Hills,

and dates back to pre-Saxon times.

Berkhamsted School counts novelist Graham Greene

amongst its most eminent old boys.

Our own eminent team, Margie and Don,

already have three items, but not much time to buy any more.

Margie's got a radical solution.

We could actually go and find a cake shop.

-And buy what?

-A cake and two coffees...

-No.

-And say...

-You've had your cake for today.

-SHE LAUGHS

Quite right, Don. Keep focussed.

Are we going to go in, or are we going to look...?

Perhaps the perfect purchase awaits at Heritage Antiques.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Hi, my name's Don.

-Hi, Don.

-Hi, and you're the...?

-I'm John.

-You're the owner, John?

-Yeah.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Right, so we've got half an hour to go...

-Right, start out the back.

-Panic has set in.

-Start out the back?

We're looking for something to make a profit at auction.

-Right, what are we after?

-Right, let's have a look...

This silver cabinet should be right up Margie's street...

Nothing in there...

..if she keeps her cool.

Oh, dear! What are we going to do?

Well, stay calm, for a start.

John has an idea.

-OK.

-There you are, a multi-flowered...

A multi-flowered zither.

Chords down here and single notes up here.

Zithers of various forms are found

all the way from central Europe to East Asia,

with the earliest known examples dating from pre-Christian times.

Nowadays, the instrument is probably most associated

with the theme music from the film The Third Man.

All right. Now, how much would this go for in auction?

-I know you can't...

-I don't know,

cos I have never bought one in auction.

All I know is I've got £85 on it.

How much are you prepared to let it go for?

-You can have it for 65.

-Oh!

I can? If I were somebody else, what would happen?

Probably 75, I would think.

-Really? So you're doing this for me?

-Yeah.

-We've got to be tough, Don.

-Got to be tough.

-Can you... Can you help me?

-We're desperate.

-Do you think it would be good...?

-55?

-55?

-If we go 50, then you've got a deal.

-No, I'm not happy.

-She's not happy.

-She's not happy.

-Oh, go on.

-For that, you get, look...

painted flowers, lacquered top,

you get all the notes,

-you can sing Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do...

-Yeah, great.

..and backwards down again.

If I sing it, will you knock another fiver off?

-How about 45?

-Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do, da, da, da...

-45.

-There you go.

-OK, 45.

And you get a tuning key.

The tuning key is thrown in for free, which is handy.

But Margie pushes her luck even further.

Only one other thing. Have you got a duster?

-No, the dust comes with it.

-Oh, crumbs.

On the way out, Margie spots another possibility.

Oh, look here. These are great, Don.

-Don, these are nice.

-It's a sampler.

I love these, but it's not very colourful.

Plainer than the one Stefanie and Charles bought.

"Martha Tealby, Harrold School, October..." She did that in 1842.

-Did she?

-Yeah. She did.

It's called doing their rows.

-They were also learning the alphabet as well as learning how to sew.

-OK.

And then they'd use all different stitches and things.

-And these are very highly rated.

-Are they?

But it needs a bit of c...

And she's done... It was always a bit religious...

All right, it's highly rated, so...

if we were to talk about dropping the price...

..might we come out of it with a bit of a...

What do you think?

Yeah, I'm just a bit worried about the lack of colour in it.

John, what's the best on that?

That's got to be 80.

-Oh, crumbs. Has it?

-Yeah.

-It's absolutely got to be?

-Yes.

-There's nothing you can do?

-No.

-Nothing at all?

-No.

It's John...

versus the stare.

OK, I'll take a risk and take it down to 75 for you.

-All right, just leave that with me for one second.

-All right.

Just let me contemplate that for a second. OK...

The sampler belongs to another dealer,

so John's reluctant to agree a bigger discount.

Margie and Don confer in private.

-I mean, if we buy it at the price...

-Yeah.

..that means we have four items?

-Five items.

-Five items.

-And we've still got money left...

-Yeah.

..so we're likely to make more on five items

than we are on four, are we not?

Yeah, unless we go down on all of them.

Well, if we go down, we go down,

-but let's go down in flames.

-All right.

-OK?

That's the spirit, Don.

And your stare has amazing effects.

-Go on then, 68 - that's what you suggested.

-Thank you very much.

I was just going to go 65.

Nobody likes a smart arse.

Well, that's brilliant. Thank you very much.

-That's very kind of you.

-Thank you.

Oh, yes! So with the zither reduced from £85 to £45 - wow! -

and the sampler from £88 to £68,

Margie and Don's shopping is complete.

Maybe now it's time for cake.

Stefanie and Charles have also completed their business.

They've left Hertfordshire behind and are heading into central London.

And Stefanie has a revelation for Charles.

Our chemistry is growing, isn't it?

-It is.

-Do you...?

-I'm going to be very sorry when this is all over.

-Are you really?

I feel I have a new...new little brother.

Aww! Little brother?

-Come on!

-Little brother Charles!

Sorry, Charles. Turns out, it's not THAT kind of chemistry.

Here we are. I think it's that blue door there.

Fortunately, there's a perfect distraction at hand.

Stefanie has previously worked with famous magicians

and today, she's visiting The Magic Circle.

The Magic Circle.

Secret society.

MUSIC: "Magic" by Pilot

Good afternoon. Welcome to The Magic Circle. Come in.

The guide is Will Houston,

award-winning magician and specialist in the history of magic.

I'm a member, I'm a magician,

there's a flag flying outside, that's how you know.

And you have to be a magician to be a member?

You have to be a magician to be a member,

and you have to pass an exam to be a member as well.

The Magic Circle was founded in 1905

and has around 1,500 members worldwide,

dedicated to promoting magic.

Magic itself is found in cultures throughout the world.

The earliest surviving evidence of it

dates back to the ancient Egyptians,

but in the Western world, its heyday came much later.

# Ho, ho, ho, it's magic

# You know... #

The golden age was probably sort of the 1850s through to the 1920s,

or thereabouts.

Because that was the time, really, when magic started to get rid of

its association with street performance and the supernatural

and become more and more accepted as a legitimate form of entertainment

that people could go to see in the theatre or learn as a hobby

or have performed in their own homes or drawing rooms.

One of the most peculiar magicians

who's represented in the Magic Circle Museum...

his name was Chung Ling Soo,

and he used to perform as the original Chinese conjurer.

He used to perform a routine called the Bullet Catch,

where he would get a bullet signed by somebody from the audience,

it would be loaded into a gun

and the gun would be given to a marksman.

He'd stand opposite them, holding a china plate,

and they would fire the bullet.

He would catch it on the china plate, without the plate breaking,

and then he would pass the plate back to them,

so they could look at the bullet

and check to see it really had their initials on it.

He did it successfully for years and years and years,

and then he was performing on stage

at the Wood Green Empire Theatre in 1918.

The gun was shot, the plate broke and he collapsed on the stage...

..and was killed.

He got taken to hospital and, unfortunately, he died.

And it turned out that the original Chinese conjurer

was actually an American magician called William Robinson,

who had just realised that selling himself as a Chinaman

would make his act more exotic

and more appealing to the London audiences.

Does anyone know what happened?

No-one knows for sure what happened and what went wrong.

It's just another one of those mysteries

that you find in the world of magic.

A visit to the magic circle wouldn't be complete

without some magic, would it?

But Will has some important preliminaries.

I CAN tell you that before every show,

-I have to warm up all of my fingers, one by one...

-How?

And I haven't done one, so I'll show you how you warm up the little finger.

-Yeah, fine.

-Just the little one.

The first thing you have to be able to do is have a little finger

which is telescopic...

-Oh!

-So it sort of slides in and out of itself.

-Oh, my goodness me!

-The second is, it has to bend.

-Oh! Oh!

This isn't the bad bit. The bad bit is if you start to push...

-Oh, my goodness me! Oh!

-Ah!

Oh, crikey!

And you can also...

-No, no, no, no!

-Oh, blimey!

-What are you doing?

-Well, you just need to...

-SNAPPING NOISE

-Oh! Sorry.

Yikes! Don't try that at home.

..put it back into place, ready to go.

-Are you...? Are you all right?

-I am. I am ready to perform now.

But before I do, I will get rid of my sleeves

so you know there's nothing untoward about that.

So, something using four large, old silver dollars.

And the idea is that I won't touch the coins,

-I'll keep my hands above them at all times.

-OK.

If I wave, one coin jumps,

followed by the second one

and the third one.

Then one coin goes back,

and another,

and another.

And covering them all for just a moment,

they go together,

until...

STEFANIE LAUGHS

-Can I shake your hand?

-Absolutely.

I'm absolutely in awe of you.

-Thank you very much.

-I really am.

Gosh!

I wonder if our teams can work the same wonders

creating profits at auction? Ha!

Let's see how they rate each other's chances, as they reveal all.

-We spent all our money.

-All your money?

-Bar five pounds.

Bar five pounds, but we bought this wonderful array of items...

Oh, my goodness! Don might be intrigued by that.

Well, it fitted the head of my lady,

so we had to buy it, right?

Well, we did. It so reminded me of Chorus Line.

I have seen those die.

-Excuse me?

-I have seen those die at auction.

-Have you, really?

-Look at that! Perfect.

-It's mint.

-It is.

-It's absolute mint.

-Look at that. Isn't that divine?

-That is mint. Obviously an unwanted gift.

-Yes.

-Let's move on. Let's move right along.

-It's our big risk.

-Yes.

-On the roller coaster, we'll ride high with these.

Right, just take the top off.

-I think the top will come off now, we might go bang.

-Let's go.

OK, ready? Three...

-Oh, lovely.

-Isn't that beautiful?

-Yes, an oriental panel.

-But it is high risk. And what's it worth?

On a good day, I think you'll be fine. It's just tomorrow it could...

-Not be a good day.

-Give it a go, girl. You've got to go.

Yes, you've got to go, girl.

We have to hope then that there's no way of predicting it.

Let's see what you have.

-We're so excited about this.

-Are you really?

-Oh, look at that.

-Is that..?

-Oh, the zither.

-The zither.

-Early 20th century zither.

-The zither, I love.

-Yes.

-It's in good condition, is it?

-Yes.

Extremely good condition. It works.

Fascinating, the stitchery, that you have the stitchery as well.

-Yes, this is the sampler with the date on it.

-Oh, "Hope."

This is what the auction's about, hope tomorrow.

It's a really good mix. Don, good luck.

Good luck and let's hope we do very well.

-I'd love to shake your hand.

-Hold that for him.

-I'll hold that and you shake hands.

-Good luck, Don.

-Good luck tomorrow.

-Good man.

-Good luck tomorrow, OK?

May the best team win, but may we all make a profit.

So, it's all good wishes and bonhomie,

but what did they really think?

Very strong lots. I think, er...

her poster because obviously that's connected to her

-and that great big wooden carving thing.

-Really, you like that?

-I did quite like it.

-With the herons?

I like the herons, yes. Yes, I probably would, you know.

I think they bought very well. I like their box.

I think that's a real bargain at £115.

But hand on heart, would I want any of their other items? No.

I think we're even-stevens. I wasn't actually wowed by their things.

-Were you?

-No. They made no impression on me whatsoever.

Am I happy with our items? Yes.

We will ride high, with five out of six

and then, my sweet half of America,

we'll go to your picture and then we might crash.

-I hope it's a soft landing.

-HE LAUGHS

Auction day sees our celebrities and experts heading south

to Billingshurst, West Sussex. Ah...

Bellmans holds monthly sales of up to 2,000 fine art collectors lots.

Morning.

The teams are unsure how their purchases will do,

but they're putting on a brave face.

-Nothing to fear but fear itself!

-Apart from the stair.

-£75, £70...

-Auctioneer Will Pasfield

is the man with the best chance of predicting profits correctly.

So what does he make of the eclectic lots?

'The first thing we've got up is the black zither,'

from Don and Marge. I think that could be a bit of a tricky sale.

Not many people play the zither any more,

so I'm going to struggle with that one.

Charles and Stefanie have bought the beaten copper mirror.

It's a very nice thing.

It's a nice, small mirror. It can go anywhere in the house.

I personally would like to see it hanging in my downstairs loo,

but unfortunately, I'm not allowed to bid on it.

Charles and Stefanie have bought The Magnificent Seven poster.

It's also signed by Stefanie herself.

I'm not too sure how dry the ink is on the signature,

but posters are always popular, so we'll see what we can do with that.

As to which team wins today,

I wouldn't like to call it. It's pretty close.

They both bought some pretty good lots, to be honest

and they've both bought some pretty bad lots as well.

Oh, gosh. Hold on for a bumpy ride then.

Each of our teams started with £400.

Stefanie and Charles spent £395 on six lots,

whilst Don and Margie, pushed for time,

bought only five lots for a total of £328.

Let battle commence, eh?

-Good luck, Don.

-Thank you.

-And the others. Good luck.

First up is Don and Margie's pretty zither.

And who's going to start me off at £10 for the zither? £10.

£10 bid in the front row...

Well done. Well done.

Do I see 15 anywhere? 15 and 20, Jill. 20. 20, I see and five now.

No, they say. £20 in the front row. Do I see five anywhere?

Five from anyone else? It's £20, front row. All done at £20?

Oh dear. The zither's out of tune, leaving Don down.

I'm not happy, I'm afraid.

-You're not happy?

-No, I'm not. No, no, no, no.

I'm very depressed about the zither. Really depressed.

Stefanie and Charles' top hat is next.

-£20 is bid. Do I see five now? Five anywhere?

-Go on. Keep going.

-That's it, one more.

-..and five and 40. The computer's flashing as well.

-Yes, there's internet bids!

-40 now, computer, if you want to bid.

It's gone quiet, I'm afraid. No, it's £35 on my left. 40, new face.

-And five now? Five anywhere? Five and 50...

-One more. Yes!

-..and five.

-No, at five they go. And 60?

-Yes!

They're waiting in the wings to bid. 60 has it, five? 70, sir?

-You can have a go now.

-Go on, sir!

-£70, sir? It's 65, back of the room.

Do I see 70 anywhere? Gentleman back of the room at £65. All done at 65?

It's a topping start for Stefanie and Charles's ambitions.

-Brilliant.

-Yay!

-Yes! £35 profit.

-So we made £35.

Now it's a decidedly unpredictable lot.

The quiver and arrows that caught Don's eye.

And who's going to start me off at £20? £20? £20?

£20? £10? £10?

Come on, put your hand up, you can buy it for £10.

£10 is bid on my left. Do I see 15?

-Well done.

-I've got 10, who's got 15? Who chose this?

The man hiding. I've got £10 bid.

Do I see 15 anywhere? 15, anyone?

I'm selling them for £10. To my left, in the room, at £10.

No bull's-eye there, I'm afraid, Don. It's another loss.

So, we're 50 quid down.

-I'm beginning to sulk now.

-Don't start leaping about, Hanson.

Keep the faith.

Stefanie and Charles's horseracing game is next.

Racing certainty or non-runner?

-£10 is bid. Do I see 15? 15 and 20?

-Come on. Keep going, sir.

£20. No? It's £15 on the left. 20, I see. Five? Five anywhere?

-Keep going!

-20 on the back right now...

-Keep going.

-..and five. 30.

Did you move? No? It's £35 left. All done? Selling for £35.

Bit of a donkey derby, as it turns out,

with only a modest £5 profit before commission.

After two losses,

Don and Margie hope their railway sign might get them back on track!

I've got bids on here that takes me up to £50.

Who's got five now? Five anywhere? Five anywhere?

Oh, no. Come on.

It's a commissioned bid. I'm looking for a five somewhere.

-It's on, 55, I see. At 60. And five, sir?

-More!

70, and five? No. Still with me at £70.

Five from anyone else?

Are we all done at £70?

Well, with a £5 profit, at least they're out of the sidings.

Cheering news for despondent Don.

-Ah, you see!

-Very good. Well done, Don. Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

-First profit. STEFANIE: It's your first profit.

The auctioneer's favourite is next, the Arts and Crafts mirror.

And I've got £20 bid on this lot.

Do I see five? Five, 30, five. 40, five...

-Keep going, come on!

-£45 bid.

-Do I see five anywhere?

-Keep going.

-Five anywhere? Five, 50, and five?

One more...

55. Who's got 60 anywhere? 60 anywhere?

It's £55 in the room. 60, new face. And five?

You're not getting it that easily. 60. It's lovely.

£65, do you want it?

-THEY LAUGH

-£65. 70?

He shakes his head at the back. It's £65 on the right. Do I see 70 now?

-All done at £65?

-That's good.

That's a respectable profit

and builds on Team Power's handsome lead.

It's Stefanie and Charles's sampler now.

It's colourful but not as old as Margie and Don's.

£10 is bid. Looking for 15 now. 15 anywhere?

-15 anywhere?

-I love this. Come on.

-15 on the net.

20. And five on the net.

25 on the net. And 30 now.

And five on the net. £30 in the room.

They're hovering over the bid button. No?

It's £30 in the room...

-What did you pay?

-£30.

-35, new face.

And 40. No? Internet, you can come back now. At £40.

I've got 35 in the room.

Do you want it at 40? Don't let it slip through your mouse.

-No? It's £35 has it. All done, selling for £35...

-Oh, shame.

Oh, it's a very slender £5 profit, which means a loss after commission.

Next, it's Margie and Don's writing slope, their most expensive buy.

And I'm straight in at £35.

Who's got 40 now? Who's got 40 anywhere?

40, five, 50, He says no,

-but the computer's flashing.

-Keep going.

-£45 with me.

50 on the net. 55 on the net.

I've got one more commission at 60.

It's 65 now on the net if you want to bid.

-Five anywhere else?

-Oh, that's absolutely ridiculous.

One more bid from anyone?

-It's with me at £60. All done at 60?

-That is absolutely...

It's a beautiful piece, gone for a song and Don's back in the dumps.

I'm really depressed now.

That's great(!) That's fantastic(!)

I have never seen a box of that quality go so cheap.

Stefanie's signed a film poster in the hope of magnificent profits.

£30 anywhere? Who's going? £30 is bid. 35.

-And 40, five...

-Oh, there's a fight.

50...

And five. 55.

Keep going.

-And 60, and five.

-Go on, sir.

-She's here as well.

-70?

-She'll give you a kiss, sir.

-75, sir?

-New face, 75 and 80.

-Yes, come on!

And five, new face again. 90.

-And five.

-She'll give you a kiss and a cuddle.

-100, round it off.

100 and ten.

We've broken even, we've broken even.

-120.

-She'll give you a kiss.

-130. 140...

-150.

-Whoa!

-160, he says no, it's pushed him off.

160, sir? Don't be bullied.

-160. You don't want it for 160. It's £150 on my right.

-Brilliant.

-One more.

-If we're all done, I'm selling for £150.

-Brilliant, thank you, sir, very much.

-Yes, Michael, yes!

Hollywood history nets a tidy profit.

But film star kisses aren't in the rules.

Don and Margie's final lot is the sampler

and it needs to do incredibly well.

Ten is bid. Looking for 15 now. 15 anywhere for the sampler?

-15 on the net...

-Keep going.

-And 20. And five on the net now.

Five on the net. 25. 30, it's jumping. 30. 35 on the net now.

It's £40 on the net now. 45 on the net now. 50 on the net now.

£55, it's settled. 60, sir? 60 has it.

65 now on the net, if you want to bid. 65 on the net. 65. And 70.

And five on the net now if you want to bid.

Come on, keep going! It's our last lot!

-No, sure?

-You sure? Are you positive?

-£75 on the net.

80 from anywhere else? It's on the net, £75.

-At 75.

-Missed it.

Oh, dear.

No grand finale for Team Warrington.

That's us, we're finished.

It's not over though until the last lot, Don

and it's Stefanie and Charles's big gamble, the marquetry picture.

-£30 is bid. Do I see five now?

-Keep going.

-Five and 40.

-It's got to go, it's got to go.

-And five, and 50, and five. And 60.

-There's a phone bid.

-And five. No?

-Come on.

-£60 has it on the right.

I'm looking for five now. Internet, 65.

Do you want it on the internet at £65? £60 on the right. 65 and 70

and five and 80. And five.

-Keep going.

-£80 on the right-hand side.

-Do I see five anywhere else?

-Keep going.

-£85. That's it.

Do I see 90 anywhere? It's with Mike, £85. All done, £85...

We could be out.

Ouch! It's all over now,

with a whopping last-minute loss for Team Powers.

-What a shame. You took a gamble.

-Shall we go and have a cup of tea?

-Let's go.

-Let's go.

It's been a bumpy ride for both teams,

but despite the marquetry mishap, Stefanie and Charles

are the winners, as they lost the least money.

Our celebrities began with £400 each.

After losses and commission, Don and Margie are down by £135.30,

so they end the road trip with just £264.70.

Stefanie and Charles did rather better, losing £38.30 in total,

so they end the road trip with £361.70,

so, sadly, no profits were made today.

-It's been a slice of heaven.

-Yes. Absolutely. Well done.

-We must do this again.

-We will.

Actually, I think Charles was the one in heaven. At least for a while.

Right now, for Margie, it's back to hell on four wheels.

-This awful buggy!

-Cheerio.

-Bye. Bye!

-Take care.

-Lovely to see you.

-Bye, love.

-Loved your work.

Thanks. To-da-loo.

Goodbye!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd