Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Miranda Krestovnikoff Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

-The nation's favourite celebrities...

-Got some proper bling here.

-..paired up with an expert...

Point, point!

..and a classic car.

Get your hands up!

Their mission, to scour Britain for antiques.

All breakages must be paid for.

This is a good find, is it not?

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction. But it's no easy ride.

Who will find a hidden gem? Who will take the biggest risks?

Turn my antiques head on.

Will anybody follow expert advice?

I think it's horrible!

There will be worthy winners...

This is better than Christmas!

..and valiant losers.

Time to put your pedal to the metal. This is Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

On this road trip, we have a pair of very clever celebrities.

These scientists could teach us

a thing or two but there's one gaping hole in their vast knowledge.

I don't know anything about antiques. I'm a little nervous.

-Well, you and me both.

-This to me is truly a leap into the unknown.

It really is.

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE is a respected space scientist.

With a degree in physics and a doctorate in mechanical engineering, she's one smart lady!

Looking at the sky in different bands of the electromagnetic

spectrum gives you a very different viewpoint.

When Maggie's not behind a telescope, she's in front of the camera,

presenting The Sky At Night.

Remember, get outside and get looking up.

Miranda Krestovnikoff will go to any length...

This is much more than some bizarre fashion statement.

..and any depth to explain the wonders of the natural world.

This is the closest I have ever been to puffins in the water.

Zoologist Miranda is a familiar face on programmes such as Coast,

Countryfile and The One Show,

offering a new perspective of what lies beneath the waves.

Our two knowledgeable ladies are enjoying life in this 1961 Morris,

which was manufactured before seatbelts were mandatory.

Not the best weather for a convertible, though.

-We're going to be blessed with rain all day.

-Yes.

I'm going to be racing in and out of the car.

Crikey! Found you, found you. That is first.

Do we have any idea where we're going?

-Yes, I guess we're going to meet the experts.

-And what awaits us at the other end.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Yes and you're in good hands with auctioneers Philip Serrell

and James Braxton, who are enjoying the ride in the 1972 Lancia Fulvia.

See, I think, James, that being a huge Star Trek fan, I think

I should go with the physics lady, Dr Maggie.

I think that should be my course. What do you think?

You're very happy with that, because I'm a countryman and I think that Miranda's the lady for me.

That's the pairings scientifically selected, then

and we'll arm them each with £400.

-I do want to win. Ha-ha!

-Yeah, of course.

I was going to say, it's a bit of an evil laugh there, going on.

Lordy, I think we're going to have a proper competition today.

Let the experts meet the scientists.

-Well, look at that!

-Very good. Very adroitly driven.

I'm going to go and grab the physicist.

-Lovely to meet you. How are you, all right?

-Oh, lovely.

-Enjoying the Morris, actually.

-Good, good.

-Very nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you. James.

-James, Miranda.

It's time to hit the road.

-What do you want to do? Drive?

-Yeah, can I drive?

Of course you can. Get around that.

It's chocks away in Yeovil before sidling across Somerset,

heading over the River Severn into South Wales

and ending with an auction in Clevedon.

First, though, it's time to get to know each other.

I'm not buying any stuffed animals, if that's where you're going. No stuffed animals.

-No stuffed animals, no, no. OK.

-No, I think they're really very bizarre.

-What is your favourite bird?

-My favourite bird?

It has to be the puffin. You look at a puffin...

-Why the puffin?

-You just want to smile.

-Yeah.

They're really comical, they're brightly coloured,

they go "brrrrrrrrr""!

How are things going in the rival Morris?

-Maggie, or shall I call you doctor?

-Oh, no, no, no, no. Maggie, please.

The Sky At Night.

Patrick Moore brought all that alive for a whole generation, didn't he?

-He did. He did the programme for 57 years.

-You've been doing it for...?

-18 months.

-Right. OK. OK, OK.

A bit of a way to go.

Maggie, why are you driving me through a river?

-I don't know where that came from.

-Really?

Whilst many Somerset towns boomed trading wool,

Yeovil developed a speciality for making gloves.

Our foursome will share their first shopping experience

today in Emporium Antiques.

Let's just hope we get there before the other two do.

You're in luck, Philip. The shop's all yours. For now!

Plenty to see but any words of advice, Phil?

I think you need to go and find something.

-I'll tell you what I think.

-OK, lovely.

-You need to find something.

Whatever it might be, I want you to find me the best two things in here.

-OK. Well, something caught my eye but I don't know which vintage.

-OK.

-The plane.

-Yes.

-I think that's wicked.

-Do you?

-Yeah, I do.

I think that's really, really lovely.

-Heavy?

-Not as heavy as you'd want it to be.

-Ah.

And I suspect not as old as you'd want it to be.

As a rough rule of thumb, if it's got a base like that on it,

it stands a chance of not being that old.

I know a spaceplane, a modern spaceplane,

-a design, which has this look, it's all retro 1950s.

-Like a shuttle, almost.

-Actually, yeah, the shuttle was a bit bulkier.

-Would you want to go in the space shuttle?

-Yes, actually,

-I would have definitely gone in the space shuttle.

-Would you?

-Yeah.

-My dream has been to one day go into space.

-Absolutely bonkers!

The polished aluminium plane has a ticket price of £79.

-One to think about.

-There's something else I saw.

-Go on, then.

Squeeze through here.

She is keen.

I love the stone.

It's got the pink, the mottled...

-Right.

-How heavy is it?

It's got quite a weight to it. I love the colouring in it. But what is it?

-It's meant to be a curling stone.

-Oh, I see.

If you hold it like that, that...

-Oh, yes. They sweep.

-Absolutely right. You like that?

-I do.

-I just like the colouring.

-What we'll do...

-We'll ask about it.

-We'll ask about it.

-It's lovely.

-But make sure you remind me that it's in my pocket.

-OK.

That little paperweight is priced at £9.

And look who's arrived.

-Hopefully, Miranda won't notice all the taxidermy in here.

-Elephants.

-A heron.

-That is a heron, isn't it?

-Yeah. There's a puffin here, though.

-Isn't that funny?

-We were talking about puffins in the car.

-Yeah, your favourite bird.

-That is actually a puffin.

-It's got your name written on it.

Well, no, I'm afraid, you know, his beak's lost its colour and its...

-No, it's too sad, unfortunately.

-Moving on...

I feel quite overwhelmed.

I just have absolutely no idea where to start.

I think, just go for the unusual. The novelty is much prized nowadays.

-Really?

-So anything unusual.

-OK.

-So eyes peeled.

Will those sage words from James help?

It's just bewildering. It's... I don't know where to start.

I don't know the value of any of these things.

It all looks beautiful.

Um and I'm a bit terrified, actually.

I really hope that James is going to hold my hand and help me

-along the way, because I just don't know where to start.

-Really scary.

Her favourite bird is the puffin.

And what do we first see in this shop? A stuffed puffin!

Ah, a bit awkward, that!

Meanwhile, Maggie's taken Philip to another corner of the shop.

Looking in here earlier, it's bizarre. But there's a cow!

-Let's just have a look, shall we?

-And the thing is, it's got fur.

It's...it's...it's alive!

Skin-covered toys like this cow

were the forerunners of the soft cuddly ones we love to squeeze today.

Ticket price is £16.

That's quite fun. It's got a bit of...

-A bit of a dopey smile, though, hasn't it, really?

-Adds character!

-But this is cow skin on a wooden carving.

-Oh.

I sort of kind of think she's quite nice.

And I was thinking, the two might make a nice little desk lot.

I mean, I just think that's...

It's...yes! Slightly demented smile!

The cow, or Philip?

Miranda and James meanwhile have found dealer Rob.

Now what should we be looking at, Rob?

-Have you got any antiques bargains?

-Tucked away in the corner somewhere!

Funnily enough, something that people walk past quite often...

-Yeah.

-..is this one here.

-OK.

-And you can see the marble inset here.

-Yeah.

-This is where the big unveil... Have a look at this.

-Ooh-hoo!

And if you just open this up here,

you've actually got your cupboard with all of the pipes there.

Oh, really?

This clever pot cupboard sports a ticket price of £345.

Your maid would have rushed up, up early,

she would have brought hot water up,

you would have poured it in that, remembering to put the plug in,

and then you'd put the jug back underneath the hole,

lo and behold - bing!

-It goes straight back into the jug.

-It's perfect.

-Isn't that clever?

-It's really clever.

-That is typically Victorian, isn't it?

-It's just a lovely object.

-It makes you smile, doesn't it?

-Yes, it does.

-When you opened the door, and looked inside, it made you smile.

-Yeah.

-Yeah. It is the novelty.

-Novelty! That's what you wanted, James.

And their rivals? Maggie's found something.

Oh, that's quite cool.

I love these. The sort of recessed handles.

-Why do you think they'd be recessed?

-It looks as if they want it flush.

-Yeah, but why?

-Ooh, yeah! I don't know. You move it around a lot, you don't want it knocked off?

-When Colonel so-and-so went to the battle of Crimea in 1860 whatever...

-Yeah.

..he would have taken his campaign desk, his campaign chest.

Sunken handles made these chests easier to stack

and therefore transport between military postings.

This chest is priced at £145.

Hang on, Miranda and James have found something else.

Now what is it? Shove chalk and half pence.

-Shove halfpenny.

-Shove halfpenny. So have you played shove halfpenny?

No. I've heard about it. Never played it. Never seen a board before.

Time for another lesson.

So you put £10 there, or whatever, and then you got the thing

and then you shoved it.

-And you have to get it between the lines.

-Oh, my goodness.

-Fabulous. There you are.

-There you go. You've just won a tenner.

You've got a score there. Won a tenner.

So what have you got on this, Chief?

-You can have that for £20.

-£20!

-Which is a bargain.

Shall we have it for 20 quid?

-That's a bargain, I think. Don't you?

-All right.

-That's great. We're having this, then, aren't we?

-Do you like that?

-It feels good and it's wood.

-Will you give us a... Rob, it sounds terribly cheeky.

Can you give us a little hand? Can we say £19 for that?

-We can indeed.

-Well done. Yeah? Can we do that?

-Deal.

Rob, could you do this for 100?

For you, yes, I will. Yes. For you.

-Oh, you lovely man.

-Bless you. Thank you so much.

That's two great deals.

£19 for a boxed shove halfpenny set,

and Rob generously knocks £245 off the pot cupboard. Crikey.

The question is, can he afford to be so kind to the other team?

-Crack on. How can I help you?

-Well, let's start.

-You've got a campaign chest down there.

-I have.

-Can we have a look at that?

-Thank you.

Now this does weigh a little bit.

-There we go.

-Let's have a look at it.

It's made out of padouk wood, this, you know.

-P-A-D-O-U-K - padouk.

-What's padouk?

Padouk is... Padouk is um,

er, to the best of my knowledge, it's an equatorial hardwood.

It's the sort of thing that if you're a colonial officer,

you might have a campaign chest made out of padouk wood.

Right. Yes.

I mean, I actually quite like that.

We could do it for you for £40.

£40? That's a great discount.

The chest isn't all these two are interested in.

-So we also quite like the little...

-OK.

-..cow.

Oh, that's fantastic, isn't it?

And the little paperweight, really, I suppose.

We've got £16 on this one. £9 on this one.

How about, just for you guys, £55 for the three pieces.

-We haven't quite finished yet.

-No problem.

-There's the aeroplane.

I'll bring it over.

Cos it's got a bit of weight to it and I just like the sort of

-1950s sleek design.

-Yeah. It's got no real age to it as far as I know but, like you say,

it's very difficult to tell with something like this.

It's really a desk piece, isn't it, on a gentleman's desk.

I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking, £10 for that.

-£20 for that. £40 for that.

-Yes.

So are you happy that we buy those three?

Lovely, and we've got potentially two lots or more.

-One, two, three, four and £70?

-Yes. £70. Yeah. I'm very happy with that.

-I'll shake your hand, now, sir. Brilliant. Thank you, Philip.

-Thank you.

-I hope you do really well.

-Thank you. You've been really good to us.

-Thank you.

He has been good and four items in their first shop is good going.

Time for the physicist to do the math.

20, 40, 60. And ten. 70 quid.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

That's both teams off to a flying start.

Cos we've got quite a few good things under our belts now.

Well, you've done really, really well.

Really well. Are you sure you haven't done this before?

Phillip's impressed with his celeb.

But what of their rivals out on the open road?

Are you very competitive, Miranda?

I have to say, I really am quite competitive. But this is a...

-I'm so...

-Let's beat Maggie!

James and Miranda have motored the Lancia 20 miles north-east to

one of the prettiest market towns in Somerset, Castle Cary.

MUSIC: A String Of Pearls by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra

OK.

They've come to hear about a local man whose legacy has helped millions of people.

To share the little-known story of Douglas Macmillan,

is Castle Cary resident David Gee.

-David, nice to meet you.

-Welcome.

-Miranda.

-Hello, James.

-Welcome.

When Douglas was growing up in the early 1900s, there was no NHS.

Healthcare was a luxury few could afford.

When his father William became severely unwell, there was

little support for him and none for his family.

Young Douglas could only watch as his dad deteriorated.

William McMillan contracted cancer and Douglas saw him

go down so quickly and it really hit him

and he resolved that people should not suffer like this.

The death of his father left a deep impression.

In his dad's memory, 27-year-old Douglas created

the Society for the Prevention and Relief of Cancer.

In the early days, he talked about cure and prevention

but later on, it was established

as a nationally registered charity in 1924

and around about that time,

he turned more to the caring for people with cancer,

rather than trying to cure it

and he made it his life's work and it became his hobby

and effectively his work to do something about this.

Despite working full-time as a civil servant,

Douglas dedicated his spare waking hours to the charity.

He believed families needed support at a time

when the breadwinner was unwell.

During the War, Douglas even collected coal

and personally delivered it to homes of cancer patients.

A unique exhibition in the Castle Cary museum recognises

the work of this compassionate man.

We've got this document here with his aims. He says,

"I want to see homes for cancer patients throughout the land

"where attention will be provided freely or at low cost,

"as circumstances dictate

"and I want also to see panels of voluntary nurses who can be detailed

"off to attend the necessitous patients in their own homes."

That's the start of Macmillan nurses, of course.

You mention the name Macmillan and people instantly recognise it.

-Macmillan nurses, yeah.

-That's right.

-He looks very kindly, doesn't he?

-He was a kindly man.

30 years after its launch,

Douglas's charity was receiving donations of over £16,000 annually.

Half a million in today's money.

In 1948, Health Minister Nye Bevan had a radical idea that has

since become the envy of the world.

The revolutionary National Health Service provided free

care for all at the point of need.

Drugs and surgery were now freely available but Douglas spent

the next 20 years campaigning for better facilities in hospitals.

Meanwhile, the charity was pioneering a new approach to

care by supporting the families of those diagnosed with cancer too.

This is a particularly nice picture.

This is Douglas in his latter years, in his retirement home

in Ansford, which is a little piece of Castle Cary on the edge.

He had a house built and he retired there,

came back in 1965, I think it was.

In 1945, Douglas retired from the civil service

and threw himself into fundraising.

His ground-breaking work was gaining recognition.

World Cup footballer Stanley Matthews and top comedian Arthur Askey

stepped up to support Douglas and boost the profile of the charity.

Douglas died in 1969. The charity he nurtured for over 50 years continues.

His legacy is now one of the country's biggest charities,

raising over £200 million in 2015.

-Well, thank you so much...

-Thank you.

-..for sharing that.

We got a real flavour of this man

and his wonderful life and his caring nature

and the legacy that he left behind as well.

-It's been really enlightening. Thanks ever so much.

-Thank you.

-A pleasure. Pleased to meet you.

-Thank you.

-Pleasure.

Back on the road, how are Philip and our inspiring stargazer getting along?

I was just really keen to get a closer look at the stars.

And telescopes are expensive. But then I made my own telescope.

-You made your own telescope?

-Yes. It takes a while.

-So you made your own telescope at 14?

-Yeah. It was a necessity really.

Can I just tell you that I didn't?

Maggie and Philip are headed to Somerton,

the former county town of Somerset.

The next stop is right in the heart of the town.

We did really well at the last place, you know,

-so I think we should just chill here.

-Oh, yes.

-You go and find something you really, really like

-and I'll try and find something that I really, really like.

-OK.

-Then we'll compare notes later.

-Absolutely right.

Sounds like a plan.

I've no idea what it's for.

Hmm. Perhaps a more familiar item, then.

Now, of course, for me, seeing a telescope, I can't resist, so...

And this is a beautiful one. A nice weight to it.

And it's got this built-in lens cap either end.

So there's one at that end and then one at this end, too.

It's a nice piece, yeah. Ah, stiff.

But quite nice wood.

Nice metal features. I think it's still a thing of beauty,

so I'd like to get Phil's input on that, to get a feel of... yeah, of the age of it.

Well, I can tell you, it's Georgian and it's priced at £58.

Maggie's gone off looking on her own.

So I'm sort of wondering what she's going to come back with.

You know, it could be a telescope, some kind of scientific microscope.

It could even be a new planet!

But she'll come back with something, that's for sure. Here she is, look.

-How are you?

-I'm fine, thank you.

-Have you found lots of things?

-I have.

-Really?

-But, yeah, I don't know much about them so I'd like to find out more.

You're asking me? Come on, then. Let's go and have a look.

-Guess what, Philip?

-I know what that is.

-Yeah.

This is it, isn't it? It is. A telescope. I couldn't resist. OK.

-Let's have a look at this, then.

-I wasn't sure what to look for.

When you draw these out like that,

you would find a name like Dollond or something like that

just on here and of course on this, there's absolutely diddly.

That's quite a length.

Cos I do think this is an astronomical telescope.

-What difference is there? You think this is a seafaring one, do you?

-Yes.

Actually, it's partly aperture size and with a telescope,

cos you're looking at a dim objects,

you usually want to get as big an opening as possible.

So this might have been used by a ship's captain or

-something like that, you think?

-Yes. Imagine them sort of on the deck.

-There's a long thing.

-That sort of appeals to you?

-Oh, yes, yes.

Cos I'm into optics. And I made my own telescope, so it's sort of...

I remember that. Yeah, yeah.

OK, right.

-I went out with a girl once who made her own telescope. Come on, then.

-Weird, was she?

Phillip's got his eye on some things, too.

These sticks here, which I think are really quite fun.

-If I just put that down there for a second.

-Yeah.

So, the first one, yeah, isn't actually a stick. It's a measure.

-It is.

-Well, it says here it's a draper's yardstick.

-Ah, OK. For material?

-Yeah.

So that's quite interesting.

This is a swagger stick, so you can...

Yeah, so you can swagger.

It's quite nice. It's leather covered.

-And a metal end.

-Yeah.

What sort of weight?

-Oh, yes. I think a good swagger with that...

-Yeah.

"Look at me, I just found a new planet."

What have you found?

-Erm... This I like.

-Ooh. Knobbly.

Well, yeah. It's either blackthorn or it's off a rose.

Oh, yeah, cos it's got the burrs.

That, I just think is interesting.

This...

Yes, like a head.

I just think... Isn't that a lovely little doggie?

-Yes.

-So he's quite nice.

-Gosh.

-And last, but not least...

-Ah.

-Do you know what that is?

That's... Ooh. Oh, my.

-I thought it was snakeskin.

-No.

-No!

Ooh.

-It's a shark's vertebra.

-My goodness!

-Right?

-Yeah.

-So...

-It's got wobble.

-Yeah.

I mean, it needs tightening up a little bit,

but it's a shark's vertebra and I just think that's quite a fun stick.

-So you like all of these, do you?

-I do.

-OK.

Let me just go and get the shopkeeper

and see where we can go.

Collectively, the sticks are priced at £330.

Will dealer Peter be open for a deal?

What we're were hoping - the first thing that we'd like

to buy off you is that, this lovely telescope.

What could you do that for?

I think the very best on that's going to be about £35, Phil.

About. I like the "about" bit.

Well... It's a bit more.

Would "about" be 30, do you think, or not?

I think we're... Yeah, we could possibly do that for 30 for you.

Well, let's put that one down. You'd like that, wouldn't you?

-I do.

-So we'll definitely have that?

-Yes.

Right, let's put that there. That's a sold.

And then these sticks, we really love these.

If we could buy all of them, we'd buy all of them,

but it's all down to price, isn't it?

I could do you a good price on all of them.

OK, what's a good price on all of them?

£180 for the lot.

What do you want to do?

If we do it as a job lot, five sticks does seem quite substantial.

-OK. Done.

-And I think we've got enough money to play with.

-Yeah.

-Done. Done, done, done, done, done.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much. Thank you.

-Thank you.

Thank you for looking after us. Thank you.

That's a deal for the telescope at £30

and the collection of sticks with £120 knocked off.

-Show me how to find a planet.

-SHE LAUGHS

Do you know what?

I think Planet Serrell's got a really nice ring to it.

Well, don't stargaze beyond your bedtime.

Another big day tomorrow. Nighty-night.

The next morning, our celebrities are dissecting yesterday's events.

I didn't know where to start...

Looking at the bric-a-brac for me, working sort of scientifically.

"This has a value and it's this much..."

-Yes, it's logical.

-That's it. But this is, sort of, market-led

and you don't know what the market is, so...

And I find that quite hard.

I learnt a huge amount about what makes something interesting,

buyable, attractive to other people...

Look, a heron. Look at him go!

It's beautiful. Wow.

Can we look at the wildlife, please?

-You've got a one-track mind.

-I really have.

Yesterday, Miranda and James parted with £119

for a Victorian mahogany washstand and a shove ha'penny set.

Fabulous!

There we go. You just won a tenner.

They still have £281 left to spent today.

While Maggie and Philip picked up a toy cow, a marble paperweight,

a polished aluminium model aeroplane, a campaign chest, a telescope

and a collection of sticks.

"Look at me, I just found a new planet!"

They spent £280,

leaving them £120 for today's purchases.

We've done really, really well.

Really well. Are you sure you haven't done this before?

Yesterday was rather a success, apart from the Lancia, that is.

Driven through one too many puddles, perhaps,

and it looks like that chap's struggling.

-What have you done to our car?!

-I didn't do anything...

-What have you done to our car?

-We thought it was a boat.

-It's not a boat, is it?

-Oh, no, puddles...

-Walk! She's got her walking shoes on.

-We might enjoy it.

I'll drive, come on. Is that all right?

Maggie and Philip set off on foot because today,

Miranda and James have the only working car.

I went to bed and all I could think about was antiques.

Oh, my goodness me, my head was full of all the stuff that we saw,

the things that we bought and the things that we didn't buy

and did we make the right decisions. I think we did, actually.

-I was really pleased.

-So, on quiet reflection...?

-Yeah, happy. Happy.

That's what I like to hear.

This morning, James and Miranda kick off the shopping

in the Welsh capital.

Cardiff was once the world's busiest port,

with its fortunes built on the export of coal.

Absolutely enormous, isn't it?

-It's a big old industrial thing, but if we come this way...

-OK.

-Where do we start?

-I think we can go up and down here.

A huge pumping station in Victorian times, this place is now home

to over 30 traders and our brave duo have over £280 to spend.

That's one of those amazing silver chests.

So that's what you kept your silver in.

-If one had lots of silver.

-Yes.

So normally, that would be inscribed with the owner's name.

-You could fit a small child in there, couldn't you?

-Yeah.

-SHE GIGGLES

-But look at the engravings.

Sold by Goldsmiths, jeweller,

-to HR...

-HRH! The Duke of Sussex.

-Duke of Sussex.

Interesting provenance, but this chest has seen better days.

-This is just old wallpaper. They were normally base-lined.

-OK.

So you'd keep everything protected.

And this would have gone to maybe a bank

or a place of safe storage when people were away.

Funny, isn't it? It's something and nothing.

You really want that engraving on the inside to be one

-the outside, don't you?

-Yeah.

Not for them this time then.

Right... We've only touched the surface of this place.

-God...

-Oh, dear!

-Big old... Big old lion.

-Oh, my word!

Poor Miranda. Can't seem to get away from stuffed animals.

-Let's have a look at this fellow.

-Right.

So...this should be a sleeve-cut, just beautifully fitted.

-And then you'd undo this...

-What would go in there?

Probably, er, hard liquor.

Great. Pour me a cup, then.

Is this all silver then?

We've got a mark here, but we should have four or five marks,

so very definitely plate.

Had that had a silver mark on it,

that would've been well worth buying.

-It's plated.

-OK.

-But a beautiful design.

-OK.

And at £95, unlikely to make a profit at auction.

Nothing catching your eye? Perhaps time to think of a plan B, James.

I think for a last throw of the dice,

I think we should go to the shop in Newport.

So it's our very last shop, it's our last chance,

-but I think we'll have more fun there.

-OK.

James, that's a big gamble. It's now all or nothing at the next shop.

-Oh, well.

-Not very fruitful, then.

-No.

-What a shame.

-Chin up!

Back in Newport, Philip and Maggie are on foot

and heading towards the city centre.

They're quite literally following in the steps of the 20,000 men

who brought this country the closest it has ever been

to a full-blown revolution.

-Welcome to Newport Museum and Art Gallery.

-Good to see you.

To hear how a group of men, led by local John Frost,

were intent on toppling the government in 1839,

they're meeting museum manager, Mike Lewis.

John Frost became very enthusiastic about Chartism.

They say he was an eloquent orator

and became a kind of de facto head of the Chartism movement in Newport.

So what is the Chartist movement?

The Chartist movement was a movement...

really a fight for democracy.

A parliament that reflected the aspirations

of the greater population,

that was really what the Chartist movement were fighting for.

In the 1830s, there was growing discontent across Britain.

The government was made up of wealthy landowners,

able to buy their way into parliament and reluctant to relinquish control.

Industrialisation had created a working class desperate

for fairer pay and conditions, yet powerless to bring about change.

For a lot of the workers in the factories, in the mines,

it was pretty grim.

But the Chartists were also middle-class,

shop-owning people that were denied the right to vote.

So who could vote?

You had to have a property qualification, so all the

renting classes were denied the vote and that was more or less everybody.

John Frost, like millions of others,

had signed a petition called the Great Charter.

It demanded votes for all and for any man to be able to stand as an MP -

rights we take for granted today, but revolutionary thinking at the time.

You had this charter and it was put forward. What was the response?

Well, the charter was rejected by the parliament.

This must have really rocked the establishment boat, really?

I suppose that's why they didn't vote for it in parliament.

They didn't want this to happen. They had the power.

-This is our little club, thank you.

-Yes, that's it.

Political upheaval was rippling across Europe.

The French, unhappy with how their country was run...

..overthrew those in power.

British MPs knew their necks were on the line too.

Fearing a revolution on home soil, they banned Chartist meetings,

intent on stamping out the cause.

The police were ordered to round up Chartists nationwide

and the focus fell on Newport.

You mentioned John Frost. This is a poster written by him.

-What's he saying in here?

-That's right.

A number of Chartist sympathisers had been set upon

by a number of special constables

and they were taken prisoner and this pamphlet really is asking

the working men of Monmouthshire to stay cool

but firm in their demands for the Chartists' rights.

Despite John Frost calling for calm in Newport,

his fellow Chartists were becoming impatient.

Their motto was "Peaceably, if we can. Forcibly, if we must."

-So basically, it was a powder keg and it could all blow up?

-I think

the feeling was at this time that we were on the edge of something.

Thousands of men armed themselves with home-made weapons,

left their homes in the Welsh valleys and marched through the night.

They headed for central Newport to demand

the freedom of the imprisoned men.

But they arrived cold, wet and exhausted.

Of the many thousands that planned to meet outside the Westgate Hotel,

where they believed the men were being held,

only a fraction arrived on time.

Worse still, Newport's mayor had heard of the Chartists' plans

and had called in the army.

Thomas Phillips, mayor of Newport,

stationed elements of the 45th regiment at the workhouse,

which was on the outskirts of Newport,

and brought a detachment into the Westgate Hotel.

They waited for the marchers to come down Stow Hill, and they did,

and they circled round the front of the hotel

and then somebody fired a shot.

The next action was the soldiers threw open the shutters

and opened fire on the mass in front of them.

-So that first shot was the tinderbox?

-It was.

22 men were killed instantly, many more wounded, all of them Chartists.

The rest ran for their lives.

Soon after the authorities took control,

they rounded up a number of the Chartists, including John Frost,

and they were then taken to Monmouth and charged with treason.

It was feared that had the Chartists overthrown

the authorities in Newport, other uprisings nationwide

would have brought the country to the brink of a revolution.

So what happened to John Frost?

He was put on trial shortly after the rising.

He was found guilty of treason and then sentenced to be hanged

and quartered.

And is that what happened?

No, there was a bit of disquiet about the fact that these sentences

were so harsh and very quickly,

the sentence was commuted to transportation and John Frost

then went to Australia with his two other treason-charged colleagues.

Even with one of its leaders punished with exile,

and despite the government's success in quashing the uprising,

the Chartist movement did not die on the steps of the Westgate Hotel.

The campaign continued

and persistent peaceful protests encouraged parliament to rethink.

Electoral reform took place over the following years,

but it wasn't until 1928 that all men and women over 21 were able to vote.

I'm just really embarrassed that my history taught me

-nothing about this.

-I didn't know anything about it either.

Remarkably, other than annual elections,

today, Britain's political system has adopted five of the six demands

set out in the Great Charter.

As for John Frost, he was given a full pardon.

He returned to Britain after 15 years in Australia.

He died in 1877 aged 92.

Thank you very much for coming along and please come back to Newport

to find out a little bit more about the Chartist story.

Perfect. Thank you.

Hot on the heels of their rivals,

Miranda and James have made their way back

along the coast to sunny Newport.

-At least we haven't got the rain today.

-No.

It was a bit aquatic yesterday, driving through those puddles.

-Look at this.

-A bit of sunshine today.

-South Wales delivering sunshine.

-It really is.

-And agriculture.

-Grumpy cows.

They're enjoying the day!

With £281 left to spend,

this next shop really is the last roll of the dice.

-This is it.

-This is it.

-This is the one.

This is our cornucopia.

They're optimistic.

-Ah, sanctuary.

-Yeah!

-This looks interesting, doesn't it?

-It does look interesting.

-So I think, should we ask mein host?

-Yeah.

John's the main man here.

We have a challenge. You are our last hope.

We come here wanting to buy about three items.

Now, have you got some goodies? Have you got anything sorted away?

-'Fraid not.

-Oh, no!

Do you want to go and have a little rummage?

-I think that's our only option I'm afraid.

-OK.

-All right, we'll rummage away, then.

-If anything springs to mind, John...

-Yeah.

-I'll dig it out immediately.

-That'd be lovely.

(Can't let the others win, James!)

No pressure, James, eh?

I'm looking inside everything.

There's got to be something.

Hang on. John's found something.

Oh, God!

-HE LAUGHS

-It's a sweet little thing.

A stuffed armadillo given new life as a card tray.

I just... Sorry.

-No. I really can't.

-You can't even...

Something about dead animals. No.

Not to my taste either.

Dead animals everywhere. Poor Miranda.

The pressure's on, James.

CLATTERING

Looking up, looking down, looking all around.

I think the clock can stay down.

CREAKING

Hmm... It doesn't even work.

HE SIGHS

James has started sighing quite a bit,

which has made me slightly worried.

Something of value.

We must have been round the shop about ten times.

There really is literally nothing.

-What have we done, James?

-White flag's going up soon.

-No!

-The white flag is being raised.

CRASHING

Oh, battery pack.

-Lordy. Really, James?

-Sorry.

As Miranda and James continue their hunt...

..Maggie and Phil have headed the 20 miles east

to the Welsh border town of Chepstow.

Doing some of the journey on foot

allows more time for Maggie to impress our Phil.

-Ooh, actually, I went out to Nasa headquarters...

-You've been to Nasa?

-Yes. Yes.

-Really?

-That's wicked!

-Comes with the job!

-What were you doing there?

-There was a Pluto fly-by.

-Yeah.

And so the press of the world all gathered in Nasa headquarters

to actually see a space probe go past Pluto.

That's just absolutely fantastic.

-Really, really fantastic.

-It's amazing.

It certainly is. Now time to buy some antiques.

-So here's our shop, look.

-Looks interesting.

-I like the look of that before I start.

-Ooh! That's beautiful.

-It is.

-Is it oak?

-You're absolutely spot on.

Coffer. Late 17th, early 18th-century.

Wow! I love the way you can do that.

Well, it's really interesting in an anorak sort of a way.

-I'm an anorak!

-Shall we dissect it?

Yeah, yeah, please do!

Right, Phil, your chance to impress your celeb. Good luck!

OK, what does that tell you?

OK. There was something there that's come out.

-That's all you need to know.

-OK.

So something's gone on there. That's the first thing you need to know.

-What's happened there?

-OK.

-That looks like these aren't the original hinges.

-Yeah.

So we know something's happened there.

-Look at this - can you see that line down there?

-Yes.

And this side as well, all the way round.

There's been a little box there and you'd have kept candles in there.

-Why?

-The candles, I think they probably contained camphor.

But this, the whole box, the big box,

-is a blanket box and for materials, so the wax...

-Camphor is mothballs.

..it keeps the moths away so your little candle box

tucked on the end is also a huge great mothball.

So you know where your candles are and it's keeping the moths away.

-Absolutely.

-Dual use!

-Very, very clever.

There's one last bit of social history

that I love about these things.

This has been reduced, I would think by about two or three inches.

-Oh, so it would be taller?

-Yeah. The reason why is... Imagine this

in a really big, grand hall.

Timbered grand hall. And an even, flagstone floor.

And to clean the flagstone floor, you chuck water on it.

-Chuck water on it, you rot the legs.

-Right.

So these things get cut down and reduced in size.

-I still love it.

-Well, I like it a lot.

It's looking like a good, sturdy box and I love all that history.

You've given it a life to me.

Well done.

Well, it's priced up at £225.

If you want to make a cheeky offer of 120,

but we can't go any more because we haven't got more.

Right, go on, then.

One tiny step into a shop and one giant find for the space scientist.

But can she pull off the deal of the road trip?

-I'm Maggie.

-Good afternoon.

-Lovely to meet you.

Hi, I'm Philip. How are you, Dawn?

Hello. Good afternoon, welcome to Chepstow.

-Well, we've seen something we like, haven't we?

-We have.

-It's the large wooden chest.

-The coffer?

-The coffer, yes.

Erm... We had a look at it. I really love it.

-That's probably a bad negotiation tactic!

-SHE LAUGHS

This isn't going down very well, now, is it?

But, yeah, we've got £120 left.

Do you think you can help us?

I've got the money here.

Lay it out on the table and she might go for it!

As you've asked so nicely... Go on!

-Oh, thank you so much.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

Go on.

Well done, Maggie.

£125 off the ticket price of the knocked-about coffer.

I'm going to take you shopping again with me, because you are good.

-Really good.

-This is fun. I'm loving it.

-I so love this chest, though.

-It's great, isn't it?

Yes, it is. And you found it without even going into the shop.

-We spent all the money!

-Every last penny.

-I'm really pleased. We've done well.

-I love what we've got.

As for the other team, are they still struggling?

Not looking good.

You see, that's a... You know, that's a thing of yesteryear.

A table like that, yeah.

Ooh, this could be something.

-Right, OK.

-It's funny.

Why would you do a square table and then offset it?

So you can stick it in a corner easily or...not easily?

Well, it's still there, isn't it? It's just a weird one.

Just a different way of doing things, isn't it?

But to what extent do people buy late-Victorian tables, nowadays?

Well, I wouldn't, personally.

-But, erm...

-It's got a butterfly wing shaped top.

It's got a lot going on for it, hasn't it?

Sounds like a strong contender.

Now, keep going, James.

It's got some weight to it.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-What are you looking for?

This one's quite good because it's really nice thick enamel.

The Sunday Dispatch was once Britain's biggest-selling

Sunday newspaper. It ceased publication in the early '60s.

This sign would have adorned a newsagent's wall.

Do people collect these?

Yeah. Lots of pubs, restaurants, they collect them.

This is quite a nice one. It's big and bright.

It doesn't have a picture, a decorative element to it.

It's a magazine, but somebody doing up a pub would like this.

-John's asking £60 for the sign.

-Let's hold that thought.

Hold that thought, OK.

-That's given me a little bit of positive hope.

-Come on. Come on.

-Positive hope.

-OK.

-Might be another sign.

I quite like the table. I don't know why I like the table.

But I like its quirkiness.

I'm not sure Miranda's so keen, though, James.

-You've got to talk me into the table.

-99% of tables will be...

-Square.

-Will be squared to the top.

None of it's damaged. It's got a gallery at the bottom.

And, you know, every home should have one, especially an offset one.

-Are you selling it to me?

-Yeah.

This is a gamble.

Brown furniture doesn't make the money it once did.

John's priced it at £60.

John, if we said 25 for this and 25 for the enamel sign,

-and... We need something meatier, don't we?

-Hmm.

Leave no stone unturned, James.

How about a bowl of fruit?

-Miranda...

-Hello.

-Would you buy this?

-Talking about your five a day.

-LAUGHING:

-That is horrible!

-What?

-It's horrible.

-But is it...?

-Really horrible.

-Is that kitsch?

Is that kitsch?

-Is that horrible?

-Would you have that in your house?

You know, you're the expert, but I think it's absolutely hideous.

-Do you think that's hideous?

-Yeah.

Would somebody pay... ten quid for it?

But is that something that you could say?

"That should be part of your five a day."

That is, you know...

John's asking £12 for all this fruit.

-You quite like it, don't you?

-I do quite like it.

It's spectacularly hideous, isn't it? In a way?

In a sort of smiley way. It did make me smile.

-Made you smile!

-I know.

Wasn't quite the reaction I was hoping for.

I tell you what. I like that so much, I'll just sell it for a fiver.

A fiver, that's just what I was thinking,

-OK. Mind-reader. Should we do it?

-We've got to.

I think...

So that's 25 for the table, 25 for the enamel and a fiver for that...

It's not bad shopping. £55.

-You'll make money on that.

-Thank you, John.

-Thank you.

-Are we done?

-We are done. Give the man a shake.

-Thank you so much. It's been an experience.

-It has!

-Thank you very much.

-No, a pleasure. Pleasure.

Well done, James, for helping Miranda find three final items to take

to auction at the knock-down price of £55.

Right, we need to settle up with you, then, John.

-Thank you so much. You've been a star.

-Yeah, thank you, John.

-Very kind. Thank you. Thank you.

-Great.

See you again. Bye-bye.

-Happy?

-Yep. Very happy.

After all that excitement,

let's get our teams back together to see who's bought what.

-You've got to brace yourselves.

-Three, two, one! Go.

-PHIL:

-What on earth is that there?

-James, that's awful.

-Apparently it's Italian.

How much did you pay for that?

Well... A fiver.

-You were robbed!

-THEY LAUGH

-That is filthy.

-But I love the table. That looks beautiful.

-Do you like the table?

-I do.

-How much was the table, James?

-Er... 25.

-Well, that's for nothing, isn't it?

I like the fact that it's offset.

-The washstand looks quite cool.

-Yeah, that's quite cool.

Actually, the closer I get to that...

What on earth?!

Looks like something out of a medical journal, doesn't it?

How much was your tin sign?

-£25.

-No, the trouble is, you keep being drawn back to this...

It's mesmerising, isn't it?

Time for Maggie and Phil's pile.

I've just got to tell you, we've got nothing like that.

-Nothing...

-Really? Nothing of this quality.

-No, no.

-You'll be pleased to know!

-How much did you spend in all?

-Every penny, mate.

-Everything.

I'd be fascinated to see what £400 buys.

-Actually buys you.

-Yeah.

-Are you ready? Three, two, one, go!

Look at that!

I tell you what £400 buys you - almost an auction sale.

-Absolutely right, yeah.

-You've got everything covered.

You've got miscellaneous section, you've got furniture.

-You're doing well!

-What are these things?

-They're shark vertebra.

-I could believe that.

-No!

Oh, Miranda. Another dead animal.

-So, we've got our telescope is one lot and that was...

-30.

-£30.

That's good!

This might be our Achilles heel because all of these are one lot.

-Yeah.

-And they were £180.

-Really?

-Yes.

Then this little lot, which was the plane, a lovely little cow...

-Is that coal painted bronze?

-No, no, no. No, it's cow's hide on wood.

-What?

-Spooky!

-Yeah.

-It's cow's hide on wood.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-So we bought this as a little desk lot...

-OK, it's a bit quirky.

-Look at her smile!

-She's missing a front hoof.

OK, don't get picky!

This was £30, this lot.

-That's £30 in all?!

-Yeah. So that's a profit.

So it's just a sort of...nice decorative lot?

This, I thought was lovely. This is the...

It's part of a campaign chest.

We thought it would make a nice coffee table. 40 quid.

And then our last lot, James, is this here.

Just come round the front, look.

-Look at the detail!

-Let's see. Let's see. Oh, lovely.

It's a thing of great beauty, isn't it?

-And, you know...

-Solid.

-So well made.

-120 quid.

120 quid?

That's great, but when you spend money,

you get more hinges, don't you?

Never seen so many hinges!

-We've brought colour.

-And we've bought class!

-MIRANDA:

-We've brought comedy...

-To an otherwise drab world.

Anyway, I think we've all done very well, don't you?

Don't have anything more to do.

Actually, my eyes are a little bit sore!

Now, what do you really think?

-Well, the fruit bowl...

-Do you know what?

Everybody in life, sometimes you have a blindspot moment.

And I think that is James' blindspot moment. I mean, it's awful!

I think Philip really likes the little table.

He was really taken by the table

and that gave me a lot of confidence in the table.

I'm worried. They didn't spend all their money.

I think you're spot on and that could be a problem for us.

-Yes. But I don't care. We love our stuff.

-Have you enjoyed it?

-I've had tremendous fun.

-Come on.

-Best of luck to them.

-Yeah.

-Are we still in scrumping country?

Oh, yeah. Shall we go for a pint, then?

After setting off from Yeovil, our celebrities and experts are making

their way to Clevedon near Bristol for this road trip's main event.

-Glorious.

-It is.

-It's amazing.

-Ah, yeah, this is more like it.

This is the calm before the storm, though, isn't it?

Yeah, the auction. Dun, dun, DUN!

-How are you feeling?

-Er, apprehensive.

Phil's been wonderful, but I've got quite an emotional attachment

to the things we've bought now.

-So I'm...

-Right, I don't have an emotional attachment...

To the fruit bowl! Come on, you do!

I make no apologies for the fruit bowl.

We'll soon see.

-Here they are!

-Oh, hello!

-How are you? Are you well?

-I'm all right.

-Good.

-Yeah, slightly...

Don't be nervous! Don't be silly!

To the victor, the spoils.

I wonder what auctioneer Mark Burrage

makes of our teams' little collection.

The coffer's nice. A good, clean, honest example.

Early 18th-century, so we should be looking, I think, £150-200 bracket.

I really like this washstand. It's unusual.

Can't remember seeing one with the lift-up lid

fitted with the basin and the jug underneath.

I think between £100 and £200 today.

Generally, brown furniture is quite difficult to sell,

but today with the two items - the washstand and the coffer -

I think they'll both buck the trend today and sell reasonably well.

Maggie and Phil were the big spenders,

parting with all £400 on five lots.

While Miranda and James spent a mere £174 also on five lots.

Brace yourselves. It's time for the auction.

OK. Let battle commence!

Bring it on!

Oh, fighting talk! First up, James and Miranda's kitsch bowl of fruit.

That fruit bowl's going to make some money.

I still had nothing to do with it.

If it makes £100, I still had nothing to do with it.

Commission bid here. I've got £5.

-And 8. Now £8.

-8!

-Profit!

-10 here. 12 now.

12 now. £12. 12 bid.

15 with me.

I'm selling on the £15 then.

Amazing! That is amazing. That put a smile on my face.

And a big, smug grin on James'.

What a great way to start.

Ooh... I'm getting butterflies!

Catch your tummy.

-You do get a bit nervous, don't you?

-Yeah!

-Absolutely.

It's very exciting.

Now Maggie's telescope.

-30, I'm bid. 35. 35. 35, at 40 and 5...

-Phew!

Once more. 5. 50.

50, 50, I'm bid.

With me at £50 then.

-Well done.

-That's 50 quid. Well done, Maggie.

That's excellent.

Well done, Maggie. Great find, great profit.

-That was really exciting!

-This is a battle now.

-No.

-Yeah.

-All right.

Miranda's boxed shove ha'penny next.

I have £20 to start. 22, 25, 28, 30, 32 now.

32 in the room. 35.

35 here. 8. 8 now. 40.

40 here. 2. Bid's in the room then. Selling at £42.

-Thank you.

-Very decent.

Yeah, that's all right, isn't it?

I would say that's more than working profit.

That's almost vulgar profit.

It is.

More than doubled your money.

Yeah. Beat that one.

Over to you!

-Ooh, the rivalry!

-A ding-dong battle.

Three items make up this next lot for Maggie and Philip.

It's their gentleman's desktop collection.

Just have a look at that smile,

because it won't be there for very much longer.

Appreciate it now.

Just enjoy it.

I've interest here at 25, 30,

-5, 40, 5...

-Oh, no!

50, 5, 60...

-Somebody likes that plane.

-60 in the room. 65.

65. 5 bid? 70.

75. 5 and 80?

In the room, then, on £80.

-Just look. Look. Look at that!

-It's brilliant!

-Absolutely...

-Nutters!

Aren't they doing well?

You know what the best part about it was?

The way that smile just went...

-Couldn't believe it.

-Slipping down.

James had to convince Miranda to buy the lamp table.

It's next to go under the gavel. Can it make a profit?

30, I am bid. 35 now. 35?

-It's unusual.

-35 there. 40. 45.

50. 5. Commission buyer.

55, anyone else?

Yes or no? Selling on the 50.

Commission buyer.

-James, that was cheap.

-That was quite cheap.

Doesn't matter. Still a profit.

Doubled your money again.

-I thought that would get more.

-Do you know what, Maggie?

-That's so sad...

-I am gutted.

-He said that so sincerely(!)

-So, so sad!

-I'll wipe a tear.

-Don't listen to them!

Next up, Maggie's find - the campaign chest.

I have £40 to start. 45? 45?

And 50 and 5?

55, 60, 5?

5 and 70.

Selling on £65 then.

65, well done.

Well done, Maggie. Another healthy profit.

You got away with that one.

Cheeky!

Up now is James and Miranda's enamel sign.

We have interest here again on the book.

30, 5, 40, 5.

50. 5. 60 here.

5? 65.

65?

70. 5.

Commission here at £70.

Selling on £70 then.

70 quid! 70 quid, 70 quid.

-SHE LAUGHS

-Going to get silly now.

Miranda! Don't blame you, though. Great profit.

I would say, using naval parlance, we have caught the wind.

-You've got what?

-We've caught the wind.

-Oh, sorry!

I wasn't too sure...

Next up, Maggie and Phil's gamble buy. Can the sticks make a return?

I have again commission bids here at 110.

20, 30, 40,

150 here. My bid.

160 in the room. 170 now.

180. 190.

I can't believe it!

£180. The bid is in the room at £180. Anyone else?

All done then at £180.

I'm afraid that will be a small loss after auction costs are deducted.

-Have we saved the best till last? I don't know.

-I think we have.

-I think we have.

-I think you have. I think you have.

James and Miranda splashed out £100 on this Victorian wash basin.

It was their one big buy.

Five, six, seven commission bids.

That's a good start!

So working through them, we'll go 80, 90, 100. 110, 120, 130.

140, 150, 160.

170, 180, 190.

-I love the rhythm.

-Yeah, I know.

200 now. 200?

200 on the book and I'm selling at £200 then.

-Oh, yes!

-200.

-That's good.

Really well done. That is really well done.

Well done! Look at that - a fantastic profit.

-It's done really, really well, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

Yeah, it's a nice item!

Sad, isn't it? It's gutting.

All is not lost!

Maggie knocked over £100 off the asking price of the coffer.

There's every chance this last lot could win the game.

Interest here. One, two, three, four commission buyers here.

100, 10, 20, 30, 40.

It's going!

70, 80. 180 and 90 now.

190. 190. 200.

I'll take ten. 210.

210, 210, 210? With me, on the book, against you all in the room.

Make no mistake - selling on £200.

-Commission buy!

-Well done. Well done.

That's amazing. Look at his face!

-I love his face.

-Well done.

And a profit to end the day.

But is it enough?

-It's going to be very close.

-Is it?

-Profits all round.

-Yeah. Well done!

-Will we break even?

-Let's go outside and work it out.

Come on, let's go. Well done.

I'm intrigued!

I've got no idea.

Maggie and Phil started out with £400 and made -

after paying auction house costs - a respectable profit of £71.50.

While Miranda and James also began with £400.

After all fees were paid, they made a rather wonderful profit of £135.14.

All profits go to Children in Need.

-Do we know who won?

-I have the numbers.

-You have the numbers?

-It's close, is it?

-Oh, dear!

-Just trying to build the tension.

-It's working!