0:00:02 > 0:00:04- The nation's favourite celebrities...- Oh, I like that.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07- ..paired up with an expert... - Oh, we've had some fun, haven't we?
0:00:07 > 0:00:09..and a classic car.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11It feels as if it could go quite fast.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Their mission, to scour Britain for antiques.
0:00:14 > 0:00:15- Yes!- Fantastic.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17If I do that in slow-mo.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22- Come on, boys! - But it's no easy ride.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25- Ta-da!- Who will find a hidden gem?
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- Don't sell me! - Who will take the biggest risks?
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Go away, darling.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Will anybody follow expert advice?
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I'm trying to spend money here.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36- There will be worthy winners...- Yes!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39..and valiant losers.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Put your pedal to the metal, this is the Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Yeah!
0:00:50 > 0:00:54On this road trip, the past is really coming alive,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58as we journey into antiquity with glamorous TV historians
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Suzannah Lipscomb and Kate Williams.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05# That it's all just a little bit of history repeating... #
0:01:06 > 0:01:09- It does feel Thelma And Louise. - I do want to pick up a Brad Pitt.
0:01:09 > 0:01:10- That would do.- I don't know whether
0:01:10 > 0:01:12he knows much about antiques, though.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14- That's what we need. - That's not what we need him for.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16We need an antiques expert.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19We need to have a chat later, don't we?
0:01:19 > 0:01:23And chat they might. These two have been chums for years.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25So when did we first meet?
0:01:25 > 0:01:30- I think we first met at that History Today party.- Oh, yes, that's it.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- They do have the best parties. - They do have the best parties.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34I can imagine.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37From, you know, parties in London
0:01:37 > 0:01:39to our little trip away to France.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42- Our holiday away together last year.- How lovely.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Suzannah and Kate are both learned writers,
0:01:46 > 0:01:51august academics, and regular presenters of history documentaries.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52They're most at home
0:01:52 > 0:01:55pacing the halls of our ancient homes and palaces
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and scouring the pages of dusty tomes,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01helping to bring the past to life.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Suzannah's specialism is the 16th century Tudor period.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07While Kate's is the 19th century reign of Queen Victoria,
0:02:07 > 0:02:12from whom she seems to have been taking some tips.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14- Gosh, it is a lovely car, though. - It is an amazing car.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15Did you just wave like the Queen...?
0:02:15 > 0:02:20No, I'm just waving at these children. I don't think...
0:02:20 > 0:02:22The car brings it out in you.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24THEY LAUGH
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The regal little number they're driving in
0:02:26 > 0:02:28is a 1968 Renault Caravelle.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Mon dieu!
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Assisting them on this trip into the past
0:02:32 > 0:02:35are two antiques expert of a very fine vintage,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38David Harper and Catherine Southon.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Definitely not crusted.- I think...
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I'm always happy with you, David.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48- Oh, and it's so good to be with you, Anita.- Anita?!- What?- Anita?!
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Oh, I'm sorry, sorry, I was living in a dream world.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54David! Honestly.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Today, these two are driving a 1973 Triumph Spitfire.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59I used to have one of those.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04With £400 to spend, our two teams will begin today
0:03:04 > 0:03:07in the town of Bletchley in Buckinghamshire,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11and then wend their way slowly south
0:03:11 > 0:03:12to do battle at auction in London.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And what a battle that's shaping up to be.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17I think you're sweetness and light.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22And yet I think that actually, underneath, you're deadly.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24It's you who actually are sweetness and light,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28but under it is a brutal beating heart of competition.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30See, this is what I said, I thought you'd be competitive.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33- Let's do a test.- It's The Hunger Games.- Let's do a test.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Who's better at spelling? Did you just make an allusion
0:03:36 > 0:03:39to a game in which people end up killing each other?
0:03:39 > 0:03:40KATE CHUCKLES
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I think you did.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Just like the film!- Blimey.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And with the game red in tooth and claw already,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52it's time for celebrities to meet experts.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- Look at that! - Look at the amazing car.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58- Hello.- Very nice. Hello. How exciting.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01You two look very good against that very posh car.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02It's a nice car, isn't it? We've done well.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I don't think he's looking at the car.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07They've decided that Kate will pair with Catherine,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09and Suzannah with David.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Would you like to take the driver's seat?- Oh, my goodness.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- I can have a go.- And they're off!
0:04:14 > 0:04:16I'll open the door for you, at least.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- Oh, look at this.- I know.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21I've been trained. Enjoy yourself, you two.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And you. Don't spend too much.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26- Bye, girls.- Bye!
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Time for these newly minted teams to size up the opposition.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Now, come on, Suzannah, dish a little bit of dirt.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39What's Kate going to be like?
0:04:39 > 0:04:42So, Kate is one of the loveliest people you'll ever meet.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44But she is a prolific author.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- Right.- We're friends, and she appears on TV programmes
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I haven't even heard that she's making.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51She's constantly doing things.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55She's so busy. So I think she must be...
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- She's got an inner core, you know?- Ah.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00- She's driven.- Yeah. - And she's driving. Ha!
0:05:00 > 0:05:02I'm thrilled to be driving this car,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05because my mum was completely obsessed with these cars.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08So your mum was fascinated by Spitfires?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10She dreamt of a Spitfire, it was her dream car.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13And so I spent a lot of my childhood looking at them.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16They became an object of desire when I was a child.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So that's wonderful that we're living your mum's dream.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19I'm so excited.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22So, with the tip of a hat to Kate's mum,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25they're heading for the town of Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29They're aiming for their first shop of the trip, Fenny Antique Centre.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Careful how you say it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Well done, brilliant, we are here.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34Oh, my goodness.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Are you ready? - Yeah, I'm ready. All set.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41We've got shopping to do.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45You certainly have. And assisted by dealer Mags.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47- Hello.- Hello.- You all right?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- Nice to meet you. - Thanks for having us.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54We can make a potion in here.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56- Like George's Marvellous Medicine.- We could.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- And we could poison the other team. - We could poison the other team!
0:05:59 > 0:06:01LAUGHTER
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Seems a little extreme.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06What about silver? A little trinket box.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- Heart-shaped trinket box. That's quite nice.- Hm.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12- Easy to fit in your house. - That's quite nice, actually.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16It's a jewellery box, hallmark silver, dating from 1901,
0:06:16 > 0:06:21AND just inside Kate's Victorian era of specialism.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23£55.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25We could get that for cheaper, couldn't we?
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- (I like your attitude.) - I'm developing it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30You are, aren't you?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Time to call in dealer Mags. Mags? Mags?
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Got the box, it's from Birmingham,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37which adds to it because it's my hometown.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- Oh.- So it's a Brummie box.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44What I like about it is it's really nicely embossed, so you have got
0:06:44 > 0:06:47really nice little...
0:06:47 > 0:06:49All the flowers and the foliage and the swags.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53- But what can Mags do on the price? - I think we need to go down a bit.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Go on, then.- Can you do 20-ish?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00I can do 30.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04I think 25 is where it wants to be, if we want to make some money on it.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- "I really want to be £25." - Who said that?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- OK, then, 25.- Thank you.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Are you happy with that?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15They'll take that, and no mistake. Deal done.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Kate's already managed to bag an item dating from her favoured area,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23the Victorian period.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27But finding something from Suzannah's 16th century Tudor period
0:07:27 > 0:07:29may be a bit trickier.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34David and Suzannah need to come up with a plan, me thinks. Stand by.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37We see a lot of 18th and 19th and early 20th century pieces.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40And, really, if you boil it down, that's our periods,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42because they're the things we're used to handling.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45We don't very often find anything from any earlier periods,
0:07:45 > 0:07:47your favourite period.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51It would be fantastic to find something from that period.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Very unlikely.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54But I think, with your help, we might get it.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Well, that would be a total thrill. I would be ecstatic.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00So, they've set themselves a high bar.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03They're driving to the Bedfordshire town of Ampthill,
0:08:03 > 0:08:08as they aim into their first shop of the day, Lawson & Lee.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- How quaint.- Well, Suzannah, here we are. Welcome to my world.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17So, what are you drawn to naturally?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Well, naturally, I'm drawn to the books.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21SHE LAUGHS
0:08:21 > 0:08:23So, straight to the books they go.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26If I were, you know, shopping with my own money,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I'd definitely be getting this one. Look at that.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Yeah, isn't that beautiful?
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Gorgeous.- So, tell me why you love that so much?
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Well, it's a history of the Reformation of the 16th century,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38so immediately this is a great source.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40It is, isn't it?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43With laser-like precision, Suzannah's gone straight for
0:08:43 > 0:08:46a book on her own specialism, 16th century history.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49The book itself doesn't date from as early as that,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53though it was published in 1846, so it does have some age to it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57"What I propose to write
0:08:57 > 0:08:59"is the history of one of the greatest revolutions
0:08:59 > 0:09:01"that have ever been accomplished amongst men," he says.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Oh, my gosh.- Anyway, so I think it looks kind of cool.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- And I would definitely get it.- OK.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09But I don't know much about the market of these things.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11But you do know a man who does, Suzannah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13The condition is good, originality.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15I mean, it's well over 100 years old.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17The gilded pages are lovely.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20It's amazing, seriously, that we walk into a place
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and there is a book that so relates to you, it's unbelievable.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25This is a sign, it's a sign.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Can we keep it as a possibility and see what else is here?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- Oh, you're not an easy shopper, are you?- No.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32When you go shopping,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36- do you put things aside and go and think about them a lot?- Yeah.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Oh, dear. OK, all right, now I know what I'm in for.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42That's priced at £15.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I like that, I love it for you,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46I think it's brilliant.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50It sums up you! I'm amazed that you're not desperate to buy that.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51Well, I am desperate to buy it,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53but I'm not desperate to give it away to anyone else!
0:09:53 > 0:09:55THEY LAUGH
0:09:55 > 0:09:57So, they'll keep their powder dry on that
0:09:57 > 0:09:59until they've searched the rest of the shop.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08- Cheers.- Cheers.- Yeah.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10THEY LAUGH
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Now, what's this?
0:10:13 > 0:10:15It's just... It's cool and trendy, that's it.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I mean, I guess it's coming back into fashion, but...
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Is that a way of you saying that you don't actually like it?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23(I don't like it very much.)
0:10:23 > 0:10:28It's a piece of retro glassware, probably dating from the 1960s.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Suzannah doesn't seem keen.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I better put it down.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So you wouldn't put that, then, on a 16th century coffer?
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- No.- No. You wouldn't do that.- No.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- No.- And that's creating a sort of ripple of horror through my body
0:10:41 > 0:10:43when I think about that, actually.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Being a historian, you end up liking the stuff from the distant past.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50- Of course you do. - It's a no-no to retro, then.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51And time to wander straight back
0:10:51 > 0:10:54and look at that book on the Reformation.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57It's our job to help the auctioneer give it a nice description,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59and the auctioneer will do a really good job.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02But I think if we could just flower it up a little bit
0:11:02 > 0:11:06with something from you, a little handwritten note as to what it was,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10maybe its historical importance, a bit of context somewhere,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and a little thank you from you for purchasing the book.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- Just slip it inside there, it may help it.- OK.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- Can I tempt you to have a go at it? - Yeah, I think so.- OK.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22But it's if it's a choice between that and...
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- the red and yellow monstrosity. - Yeah, which one would you go for?
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- I think we'll be going with this one.- Would we really? OK, OK.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29Surprise, surprise.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33But can Suzannah secure a good price with dealer Claire?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I'm going to put you right on the spot.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I'm going to ask Claire to come over,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- and I need you to do a deal.- OK.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44It was priced at £15.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46What might Claire offer?
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- 12.- 12.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53Erm, could you drop it to ten, please?
0:11:55 > 0:11:56Um...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59For such lovely customers.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Hm, I don't know whether she believes that!
0:12:02 > 0:12:04She looked at me and thought, "No, I don't think so.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05- You will?- Yes.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- Yes, I will.- Very well done, very well done.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Thank you very much.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Deal done, and their first purchase is in the old bag.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Meanwhile, back in Bletchley,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Kate and Catherine are still scouring their shop
0:12:19 > 0:12:21for shiny items of interest.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23That's quite interesting.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- I mean, it's only silver plate. But that inkwell there...- Oh, yes.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Is that an ostrich or an emu?
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Er... I think...
0:12:31 > 0:12:33It looks a bit like an emu.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34It's more of an emu, isn't it?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36The inkwell, or desk stand,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39definitely harks towards Australia,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42mounted as it is with an emu and a kangaroo.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45It's a lot of money. £110.
0:12:47 > 0:12:48It says 110 or best offer.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Best offer, eh? That sounds hopeful.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52The vendor is not in the shop today,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54so Catherine will put in a call.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58Mr Stewart. Mr Stewart, hello, it's Catherine Southon here. Hello.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Thank you very much for taking our call.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04We're just a little intrigued about your...
0:13:04 > 0:13:06The desk piece.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08What would be your very best offer on it?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Would you?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14OK. All right. OK, I shall have a word with my colleague.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Thank you very much indeed.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- He's had it a while.- Yes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20He will take 50.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- Whoa.- Which is a bit of a drop.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Hey, a less-than-half-price offer on that
0:13:25 > 0:13:28means it's definitely a strong contender.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30But Kate, it seems, is part magpie,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34because she's spotted yet another shiny piece of silver plate. Oops!
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I had a friend at university with a samovar.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39She used to give us nonstop bubbling tea.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41I would say that's high Victorian,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44the way that that's really decorated.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Another Victorian item takes Kate's fancy.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51It's a samovar. A vessel for heating water for tea,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53traditionally used in Mother Russia.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57But the ticket price is a substantial £245,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01so they'll need to have a word with dealer Roy.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02Where's Roy?
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- Sir? Might you be the owner? - I am.- Ah!
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- We've seen something that we quite like.- Can we look in here, please?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- It's like a trophy. - It's like a trophy.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- Is it heavy?- We've won...
0:14:14 > 0:14:18- Pretty heavy.- Wouldn't it look nice in a sort of teashop or something?
0:14:18 > 0:14:21It would look the business.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22I think I like it.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Yeah, but it looks as if an ornate finial
0:14:24 > 0:14:26may have been knocked off the top.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Could that be the angle to secure a better discount?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32To be honest, I think it's a risk for us, isn't it?
0:14:32 > 0:14:36What is your absolute real, real, real best
0:14:36 > 0:14:37that this could be?
0:14:37 > 0:14:3980.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43That's really pushing it.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45I don't even know if that's going to be...
0:14:47 > 0:14:49- ..making anything, do you? - Not really.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Could you come to 75,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and then we won't ask any more?
0:14:55 > 0:14:5775, then.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58Cor, that's tempting.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01But they have the inkwell in mind, too.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Those two items are now offered at a total of £125 combined.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Er, Mags!
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- What I'm suggesting is, can we offer you 120?- That's 120.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12I'm glad you can add up, Catherine.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13CATHERINE LAUGHS
0:15:13 > 0:15:16That's only £5 off. For the two.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- Yeah.- Are you happy with that?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- Let's do it.- Yeah?
0:15:21 > 0:15:23- Girl power.- Girl power.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25- Are we happy?- Let's do it.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- Brilliant.- Thank you, Mags. - Thank you, Mags.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- We've bought three items.- Yeah.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Poor old Mags, that team certainly know how to bargain.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36That's three items in the old bag already.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37- Woo-hoo!- Well done.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Meanwhile, David and Suzannah are waxing lyrical
0:15:42 > 0:15:45about their shared love of engaging with history
0:15:45 > 0:15:47through handling old objects.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48It is a thrill, isn't it,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51because you have that real sense of tangibility -
0:15:51 > 0:15:53literally, tangibility with the past.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Someone else was touching it,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57you know, 500 years ago, 400, whatever.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- I'm with you.- You would be.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03With Suzannah's love of old books already well established,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05they're taking a break this afternoon
0:16:05 > 0:16:08to learn about one tome that had an enormous impact
0:16:08 > 0:16:10on 19th century Britain,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Mrs Beeton's Book Of Household Management. Ha!
0:16:14 > 0:16:17They're driving to the Hertfordshire town of Hitchin,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21where they're meeting historian and biographer
0:16:21 > 0:16:23of Mrs Beeton, Kathryn Hughes.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25- Hello.- Hello.- Hi.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Do you like our ride?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- What a gorgeous car. - It's great, isn't it?
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Not quite Victorian, but almost there.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33He knows his stuff.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Kathryn's going to fill Suzannah and David in
0:16:36 > 0:16:37on the very surprising story
0:16:37 > 0:16:42of the ultimate Victorian domestic goddess, Isabella Beeton.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Her legendary Book Of Household Management
0:16:45 > 0:16:49was the first, and still the best-selling, homespun blockbuster,
0:16:49 > 0:16:54a hit on a scale that would put today's lifestyle gurus to shame.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56So, what sort of things are in it?
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Well, there's 2,000 recipes for a start,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00which is absolutely extraordinary.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02So everything you might need to know.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04But not just that,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06also how to run a household,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08not just cookery - everything.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10How to splint a head.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13How to get stones out of horses' hooves.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18How to save somebody from something called apparent suffocation.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20- Apparent?- Different from actual suffocation.- OK.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Anything you could need to know is in there.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24I have to put it down because it's actually very heavy.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26THEY LAUGH Certainly is.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28First published in 1861,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Mrs Beeton's enormous tome contained advice
0:17:31 > 0:17:35on everything the up-and-coming Victorian housewife might need.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Taking in social etiquette,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41medical matters, and even legal advice,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43as well as her famed recipes.
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Gosh!
0:17:44 > 0:17:46The interesting thing about Mrs Beeton
0:17:46 > 0:17:50is that she's writing for people who have exactly this kind of kitchen.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54So she's not writing for very grand people with large staffs.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55I mean, it's very odd
0:17:55 > 0:17:57because we tend to think that she inhabits
0:17:57 > 0:17:59a sort of Downton Abbey territory.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Not like that at all.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03She herself came from quite a modest family.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05And she was writing for people, women in particular,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08very like her, who had to run a household,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11who didn't have a lot of resources,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13certainly didn't have a professional cook.
0:18:13 > 0:18:14And they wanted advice.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17That information must have been out there in different guises.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Was she the first person to compile it all in one easy-to-use book?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23You're absolutely right.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27I mean, she's not an originator, what she is is a compiler,
0:18:27 > 0:18:28a curator, if you like.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30She looks and reads everything,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and then she puts it together in one digestible kind of package.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38This easy-to-use formula proved to be a real winner.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40How many copies did she sell?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Well, it looks as though in the first year
0:18:42 > 0:18:44she might have sold 60,000 copies.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- 60,000?- Which is enormous.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50I mean, as for how many copies it sold overall in Britain,
0:18:50 > 0:18:55it looks as though it's probably the most successful book bar the Bible.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57- Wow.- Wow!
0:18:57 > 0:18:59But despite this extraordinary success,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02the real story of Mrs Beeton's life is little known.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05So, who was this woman, where did she come from?
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Well, it's interesting, isn't it, because we tend to think
0:19:08 > 0:19:10she must have been a very substantial matron
0:19:10 > 0:19:12of, I don't know, about 55.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14- It's definitely the idea of her I have in my head.- Absolutely.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17- Older, I would say an elderly woman.- Stout.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Stout, a little bit of a dragon.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21- Slightly frightening.- Yeah.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Well, if I told you that actually she was 21
0:19:24 > 0:19:26- when she started work on it.- No!
0:19:26 > 0:19:28She was 25 when it was published.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33- And, very sadly, she was 28 when she died.- I'm absolutely astonished.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37In 1856, when she was just 20 years old,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Isabella Mason married a professional publisher,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Samuel Beeton, and together the couple began to release
0:19:43 > 0:19:46articles on cookery and domestic matters
0:19:46 > 0:19:49that evolved to become the Book Of Household Management.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53She was writing just at the moment when the British publishing trade
0:19:53 > 0:19:56was undergoing this vast expansion,
0:19:56 > 0:19:57paper was much cheaper,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01taxes had been lifted on certain kinds of publications.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03So suddenly you can put together
0:20:03 > 0:20:07these really, really large books quite cheaply.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11That, together with an expanding urban middle-class,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14meant they found an eager audience of young housewives.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19She has a real talent for writing very, very precisely,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22very clearly, because that was very, very important with the recipes.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Prior to her, recipes tended to be terribly vague.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Cookery writers would say things like, "Take some flour."
0:20:29 > 0:20:32She's one of the first people to put the ingredients
0:20:32 > 0:20:35at the beginning of the recipes, so prior to her, believe it or not,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38you would read the recipe and then you would suddenly,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40three quarters of the way through,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42come upon the fact that you needed three lemons,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44and sadly you didn't have them.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45She's writing for beginners,
0:20:45 > 0:20:50she's writing for women who don't instinctively know how to cook.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51Like herself.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Although Isabella died tragically young,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56following complications in childbirth in 1865,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59her book went from strength to strength
0:20:59 > 0:21:01over the following century and beyond.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03So she only lived for 28 years,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07but, strangely, you know, she still lives on because of this book.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Yes, absolutely.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15Meanwhile, Kate and Catherine are enjoying the Hertfordshire scenery.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Going on this amazing '50s trip through the countryside.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21That sounds good to me.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- I feel like Bridget Jones going on a mini break, it's amazing.- Quite.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Their next destination is the town of Letchworth,
0:21:27 > 0:21:32where they're aiming for their next shop, Past And Present.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34That looks pretty.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Let's shop.- Go for it!
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Kate likes something that tells a story.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Where we can look at it and we can think about its history.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47- I like things that have a story. - About where it's come from. Yes.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Dealer Michelle "ma belle" may have something
0:21:49 > 0:21:51with a bit of a local tale to tell.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Have you seen the basket on the floor there?
0:21:55 > 0:21:57I have seen that. I did actually just look at that, actually.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02It's from a business in Hitchin that was called Letchworth Hill Laundry.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- And they did laundry for years and years.- Ah, "LHL".
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- Yes.- Yeah, ticket price on that is £70.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11I think 70 is steep.
0:22:11 > 0:22:12I think it's very steep.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- What...?- We could maybe do a deal with you?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16I think it's steep.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18While Michelle looks into that, they'll keep browsing.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20In life, you can't afford everything you want, can you?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22I wouldn't mind a yacht with a hot tub, but I can't have one.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25You're right. Let's carry on.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Tried. Doesn't work.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I quite like this.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36This is Royal - Royal Albert.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37- So, where's that from?- There we are.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Royal Albert bone china.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Now, you quite like a bit of royal...
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Haven't you done quite a lot of work on the royal family,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- in terms of...?- I have. - You've reported on weddings.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Yes, I've reported on the weddings and the coronations
0:22:50 > 0:22:51and every royal event.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54I've done that, and written on Victoria and Albert,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and written on the Queen herself.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58So I have a lot of royals in my life.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Royal Albert is a British ceramic-maker
0:23:02 > 0:23:05granted a royal warrant over a century ago,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07and it's still trading today.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09This cup and saucer dates from the mid-20th century.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13There's no ticket, so Kate will ask Michelle for a price.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15How about 15?
0:23:15 > 0:23:1615?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18We'd have to go much lower than 15.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20It's supposed to be for auction,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and so it would have to be £5, wouldn't it?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Oh, you push a hard bargain.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28OK. Do you want to do a deal?
0:23:28 > 0:23:31OK, they'll put that cup aside at an offered £5,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34but will keep looking for more treasures.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- Meaty moneymaking stuff. - Go for it!
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- All right.- Go for it, Kate. - I'm on a mission.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Hmm.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I just thought this was quite a nice set of knives
0:23:47 > 0:23:50with these beautiful blue bone handles here.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54The vintage knives have £15 on their ticket,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56another to add to the list.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57But she's still going.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59What else has Kate spied?
0:24:01 > 0:24:02This is sort of weird.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05You know, I'm not...
0:24:05 > 0:24:06Come on, Mr Vase.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Careful now! Oh, dear.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Oh, gosh, I could've... I saw that dropping then.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It was close, Catherine.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18The unique retro vase probably dates from the '70s or '80s
0:24:18 > 0:24:19and is marked up at £20.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21You all right, duck?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Why?- Well...
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- Why?- Well, it's a bit horrid.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29- I would never picture you... - No, no.- ..next to this vase.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31No, no, it's not really my...
0:24:31 > 0:24:33But I think it's so horrid it could be good.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Do you know, you're right.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But they do now have a sizeable haul of items set aside -
0:24:38 > 0:24:40the linen basket, the cup and saucer,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42the knives, and now the vase.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43So, make-your-mind-up time, eh?
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- But what we could do is put it all together...- Yeah.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48..in a crazy lot.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Would that be too weird?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54No. All that stuff combined is currently sitting at £115.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Now, Michelle "ma belle" has an answer
0:24:56 > 0:24:59to the very, very, very best price for the lot.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00What is it?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- I think I've done you a deal. - What's that?- Oh?- Yeah.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05How about 65?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- Yes.- Oh!
0:25:07 > 0:25:09- Are we happy?- I think that's got to be the answer.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- Are you happy with that? So we've got...- It's so crazy.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- It's really crazy. - It's so wild it might just work.
0:25:14 > 0:25:15Yeah!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18So that whole bundle of stuff will form one auction lot.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Gosh, let's hope the gamble pays off.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26And that buy ends this first
0:25:26 > 0:25:29frantic, fun-filled frenzy of buying.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Nighty-night.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35A mere rest can't keep these history-hunters
0:25:35 > 0:25:37off the trail for long - oh, no!
0:25:37 > 0:25:41The morning sun finds Suzannah and Kate ready to do battle once more.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43So, how was your day yesterday, Kate?
0:25:43 > 0:25:46It was really fun, we got some things.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Well, I think I learned a lot, actually.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51There's quite a lot of pressure on today to get lots of good things.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52And we're historians.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54I feel the stakes are high.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55I'll say.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57But what do David and Catherine have to say
0:25:57 > 0:25:59about their celebrity charges?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- We had a really good day yesterday. - Tell me about it.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Well, there's no stopping Kate.
0:26:04 > 0:26:05Suzannah was the same.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Her first bit of negotiating was effortless.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11She oozes confidence.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15So far, Kate and Catherine have four lots -
0:26:15 > 0:26:17the Victorian trinket box,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19the Australian inkwell,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20the samovar,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24and the job lot of vintage items, including the linen basket.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28They have £190 left to spend today.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33While Susannah and David have bought only one lot,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36the book about the Reformation,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39they have a whopping £390 left to splash.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44And on this lovely country morning,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46everyone's feeling very chipper.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48- Hello!- Ooh, hello, you two.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- Don't they look fantastic? - Beauties, I love them in this car.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- You really suit this car.- I know.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55- KATE:- I can get used to Suzy driving me.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58Are you ready for another day of madness?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Let's get this show on the road, then!
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Go on, off you go.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03- DAVID:- OK, enjoy your day. - And you.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- SUZANNAH:- It's not starting.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07- CAR TURNS OVER KATE:- See you later.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- Right. - DAVID:- There's nothing there?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10- Hang on a sec.- Not clicking?
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- CATHERINE:- What's the matter? - Oh.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Huh, the car's conked out.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Looks like they'll need a push-start.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20You push as hard as you can for about half a mile
0:27:20 > 0:27:22- and then we'll bump it.- Thanks!
0:27:22 > 0:27:24OK, girls. Rev it.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26CAR RATTLES
0:27:26 > 0:27:29David's such a gentleman, isn't he?
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- Are you doing this as well? - Yes, I can.- OK.- Go!
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- There we are, that's better. - That's more like it.- That's it.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Push it, push it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Second gear.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Keep going! Oh!
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Come on! Oh, lord,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45it seems Kate and Catherine have had enough of this lark,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and they're off!
0:27:47 > 0:27:49- Hello. - DAVID:- Oh, very amusing(!)
0:27:49 > 0:27:50You haven't got very far, have you?
0:27:50 > 0:27:54- Oh, very amusing(!)- Oh, dear. - "Oh, dear", you're so sympathetic.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Do you want us to tow you?
0:27:55 > 0:27:57- SUZANNAH:- Yeah, that would be great, thanks. Yeah.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Would you mind? - CATHERINE:- Bye! - DAVID:- Shall I get the rope out?
0:28:00 > 0:28:01- Have a nice day.- Bye!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03- SUZANNAH:- They are actually leaving.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I'm sure Suzannah and David will figure that one out.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Having abandoned their opponents,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Kate and Catherine are feeling competitive.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18If I was being really hard-headed about money, what should I get?
0:28:18 > 0:28:21I think, yesterday, we were buying things that we really loved.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Now we've got to really be a bit strategic
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and think about what is really going to make us some money.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28- Make us some cash.- Yeah.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29Cold, hard cash.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Ah, goodie!
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Suzannah and David have finally managed to start their car
0:28:34 > 0:28:37and it's game on with them, too.
0:28:37 > 0:28:42I feel a particular sense of, erm,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45revenge, I think, is the word I'm looking for,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47given that they abandoned us in our car.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Crikey! This game's really hotting up
0:28:50 > 0:28:53as they drive towards the town of Dunstable.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56Suzannah's a seasoned traveller,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00and there's one country she loves to visit above all.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02How much time did you spend in India?
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- I spent... Oh, I've been there seven times.- Oh, right.- I love it so much.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11- Such beautiful countryside. - And colours.- Colours, amazing food.
0:29:11 > 0:29:17- Gosh, yeah.- And, I mean, glorious things, the artwork.- Yeah.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19It'd be amazing if we could find something Indian today.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Well, that's something that we'll look out for.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26With that thought in mind, they're motoring to today's first shop.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31Look at this! I mean, stuff pouring outside. Oh, you're straight in.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35- Look at this!- Oh, I say! What are we looking at there?
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Isn't this a beauty?
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Hey, like a vintage-seeking missile,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Suzannah's straight to an object once again.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43If I have children, I think I'll get one of these,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46rather than the modern things. Doesn't it look amazing?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48It is absolutely amazing. Is it Silver Cross?
0:29:48 > 0:29:52- Is it actually THE brand?- It is.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- It isn't.- It is.- Is it, really? - Is that a special brand for prams?
0:29:56 > 0:29:57Well, yes.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01The British company Silver Cross was founded in 1877
0:30:01 > 0:30:06and lays claim to inventing the world's very first baby carriage.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09This is probably a mid to late 20th century example.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14- It's in really good condition. Is there a kind of retro interest?- Yes.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- Maybe?- Yes, there is.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19They're taking note of that quality perambulator
0:30:19 > 0:30:22and strolling inside to meet the dealer, Richard.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24- Hello, how are you doing? - Pleased to meet you.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- How do you do? - I'm Richard.- Suzannah.
0:30:26 > 0:30:27Pleased to meet you, Suzannah.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30I'm Tim. This place is absolutely stuffed.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35- Does it make you feel daunted by seeing so much stuff?- Excited.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37- I want to get going. - Good, that's great.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41- Nothing scares you, actually, does it, really?- Erm, heights.- Heights?
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- But hopefully that's not... - There are no heights involved.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47No heights involved, OK, only lows.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48Well, no, we're going to have some highs as well.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50We're going to find some good stuff.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53High quality, low ticket is the name of this game.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03- Well, another nice-looking thing is this brass tray here.- Yes.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Definitely Indian. Now, that's got age, I feel.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- Do you want to have a look at it?- Yeah.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12I think this is a thing of beauty.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15Inspired by Suzannah's love of all things Indian,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19they've alighted on a brass tray from that very subcontinent.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22OK, tell me about this. Why do you love it?
0:31:22 > 0:31:25Just the delicacy of the carving.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I mean, yeah, it looks just like a fine thing.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- I mean, it's a beautiful thing. - Date-wise, what's your instinct?
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- Early 20th century. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- I think this is the period of the Raj, isn't it?- How amazing!
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Much as they love it,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42David's not sure it will stand as a lot on its own,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44so they're looking for something to go with it -
0:31:44 > 0:31:45another Indian piece, perhaps.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49- We could make a tray of delights. - Yes.- Couldn't we?- Yes.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51"Tray" bon!
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Something else, though, has caught their attention.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59OK, that is seriously for nothing. I mean, it's an incense burner.
0:31:59 > 0:32:04It's not fabulously old, but it wasn't made last week.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06- That's beautiful.- It's fantastic!
0:32:06 > 0:32:09It's a censer for burning incense,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13ticketed at only £12 and probably hailing from east Asia.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18- It could be... It may be Buddhist, then.- It's probably Buddhist.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22I think you would probably say it was early 20th century,
0:32:22 > 0:32:26mid-20th century, in a much earlier style,
0:32:26 > 0:32:27but it's got the look.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29And I tell you what, it's got the price -
0:32:29 > 0:32:3112 quid, we should be running out with that.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35- That might be quite nice with our brass tray.- Do you fancy that tray?
0:32:35 > 0:32:37- I really like the tray. - And I really like that.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42So, with tray and censer, off to Richard they trot.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Ticket price on the two combined is £30, so watch out.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- How much are we going to pay you for them?- Er, £30 would be good.- Ah...
0:32:49 > 0:32:54But if we weren't to pay you £30, what would you accept for them?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- Ooh, 40?- Ha, very good.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00I think 25 is where I'm at.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But will he go any lower?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04I'll knock another pound off if it makes the difference,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07- there we go. 24. - You didn't even have to speak.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11I just had to stand here and exude this sense of reprimand.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15- 24, OK.- Have we done it? - Let's go for 24.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19Deal done there, then, but David's still on the hunt.
0:33:19 > 0:33:25All right, I can't keep my hands off proper period furniture.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28This thing screams, you wouldn't believe it,
0:33:28 > 0:33:34early 19th century, c18th century, the Regency period. It screams it.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Scream away!
0:33:37 > 0:33:40These shelves are priced at £18.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44I promised to show Suzannah something real and antique,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47and I think this is the first real antique I'm going to show her.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51And so he'll corral Suzannah and Rob, the dealer who owns them.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53I've got to tell you,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- I think they're ridiculously cheap - and I shouldn't be saying that.- Ssh!
0:33:56 > 0:33:58I know I shouldn't be saying that,
0:33:58 > 0:33:59but I can't help it. I'm out of control.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01Pull yourself together, boy.
0:34:01 > 0:34:02£18?
0:34:02 > 0:34:06- It's a very good price. - Tell him it should be more.- No!- No?
0:34:06 > 0:34:08You're really bad at this negotiating lark.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I know, I don't know what's happened to me, yeah.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16- £15.- £15...- What do you think, Suzie?- I think we take them for £15!
0:34:16 > 0:34:20Shall we have them? Shake his hand, we'll have them at £15.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Yet another buy in the bag,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25but they've still got an eye on that classy vintage pram outside.
0:34:25 > 0:34:31It's marked up at a substantial £180 - nothing babyish about that.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36In auction, it needs to be well sub-100. It really does.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Are we going to get well sub-100, Rob?
0:34:40 > 0:34:42The best I can do is 95.
0:34:43 > 0:34:4595.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48I think that's a good buy.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50- 95.- There's a twinkle in his eye, though.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53I think there's a bit of flexibility there.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56- I'll shave another fiver off. - You're being very fair.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58- I think you'll do well on it. - That's very generous.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01That's a very productive shopping excursion.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Can I get my shelf unit in there?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Hang on, if you're going to be doing all the pushing,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08I might as well let you do that as well. How's that?
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- OK, you hold it steady.- And I'll guide you through. That's it, to me.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Always the way, isn't it? Always the women's work. Always the way!
0:35:16 > 0:35:17There you go.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18Careful, David.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20- That's it. - I like you very much, but...
0:35:20 > 0:35:22I'll follow you.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24At a distance, I'm quite embarrassed at this point.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Like a rag-and-bone man.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Now, Kate and Catherine already have four items,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35so they're taking a break from buying.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38What does it feel like, driving this amazing car?
0:35:38 > 0:35:40- Isn't it incredible?- But it's also quite sporty. I feel quite sporty.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43I feel completely Girl Power. I feel like we could be in LA,
0:35:43 > 0:35:46going along together with the palm trees and the top down.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Well, they're not in LA!
0:35:48 > 0:35:52But they are aiming for sunny Luton.
0:35:53 > 0:35:54As well as a history buff,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57Kate's also a dedicated follower of fashion,
0:35:57 > 0:36:01so this morning, they're going to learn about the enormous role
0:36:01 > 0:36:04that the Luton area played in the world's fashion scene
0:36:04 > 0:36:07in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
0:36:07 > 0:36:08They're heading for the Hat Factory,
0:36:08 > 0:36:14where they're meeting Luton cultural head of collections Elise Naish.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18Oh, my goodness! Oh, I love it. These are incredible!
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Right up until the 1990s,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24this building was a busy, working hat factory,
0:36:24 > 0:36:28and it was the millinery industry that transformed this town.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Luton's association with the hat industry goes back to the 1700s,
0:36:31 > 0:36:35but it wasn't till later that it really took off, you know,
0:36:35 > 0:36:36sort of the 1800s.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39So, Luton was hat-central.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41It was one of the key industries here.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44In the heyday, we had thousands of companies
0:36:44 > 0:36:45working around in the town.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48It's very well placed here, isn't it, cos you've got London,
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- it's quite easy to get to London for the shops.- Absolutely.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52And quite good for the south coast, for export as well,
0:36:52 > 0:36:56- for sending London hats to Paris.- Exactly right!
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Throughout the 1800s,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Luton's hatmaking trade expanded and industrialised,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04employing more and more people,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07and this had a terrific impact on the local area.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09- I'm guessing the population grew. - Absolutely.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12I mean, between the late 1800s and the 1900s,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15I think the population sort of quadrupled in size,
0:37:15 > 0:37:19and some of the companies, like Connors here in the 1930s,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22were employing over 1,000 staff.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26So it was absolutely huge economic infrastructure
0:37:26 > 0:37:28and employment in the town.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30So, Luton was hat-central.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Were other countries competing, or was it all about the British hat?
0:37:34 > 0:37:36No, there were other countries competing.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Italy and Switzerland were two of the major centres
0:37:39 > 0:37:42where hat production was coming out of, so Luton really had to compete
0:37:42 > 0:37:45with the quality that was coming out of...
0:37:45 > 0:37:46- It was cut-throat.- Absolutely.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48People used to go and sneak to other factories
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- and see what they were producing. - No! Industrial hat spies?
0:37:51 > 0:37:54- Industrial hat spies, absolutely. - That's my job.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- I'm going to be a hat spy. - They would come back,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59they would work out what was fashionable, what the colours were.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01You wouldn't believe the sneaking that went around.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04So, some of the work ladies could have been hat spies
0:38:04 > 0:38:07sent in to get ideas and nick the patterns.
0:38:07 > 0:38:08It's like Willy Wonka.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Absolutely, yes. They could have well been hat spies
0:38:11 > 0:38:12- in terms of that sort of thing.- Wow!
0:38:12 > 0:38:16And whether engaging in hat-based espionage or not,
0:38:16 > 0:38:21the industry kept one particular part of Luton's population in work.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23It must have created this incredibly skilled workforce,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25because just look at the workmanship on there.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Amazing. And a lot of it would have been a lot of women, I presume.
0:38:29 > 0:38:34It also gave women the power and money in terms of occupations
0:38:34 > 0:38:36and, in fact, a lot of the hat companies
0:38:36 > 0:38:37- were actually run by women.- Really?
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- So the women were the breadwinners. - I really think they were.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Luton was said to be a town where, if you wanted to come
0:38:43 > 0:38:45and find a wife, you were more than likely to...
0:38:45 > 0:38:46Oh, cos of all the hatmakers?
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Because there were so many women involved in the industry...
0:38:49 > 0:38:50This is the place to look for a girl.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54This competitive industry fed an appetite for fashionable chapeaux
0:38:54 > 0:38:57at a time when hats were de rigueur daily wear
0:38:57 > 0:38:59for everyone in the country,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03a trend that continued right up until the post-war period.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08- But in the 1930s, Luton was producing 70 million hats.- A year?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11- Yeah.- 70 million hats a year. - 70 million hats.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14When you think of everybody wearing a hat every day...
0:39:14 > 0:39:16There's not that many people in the United Kingdom at that point.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Well, you had your work hat, you had your Sunday-best hat,
0:39:19 > 0:39:20you had your special-occasion hat.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- It wasn't just one. - No, it wasn't just one.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Fashions change, so you had to keep up with the Joneses
0:39:26 > 0:39:28and have the latest model as well, too.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34And Luton's milliners are still at the fashion vanguard today.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37There are still around ten hatmakers in the town
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and Kate and Catherine are visiting one of its most venerable.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44Philip Wright runs his family hatmaking business,
0:39:44 > 0:39:48which was first established in Luton in 1889,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51so he's the ideal person to show Kate and Catherine
0:39:51 > 0:39:53how a felt hat is made.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56First, Philip takes a sheet of suitable felt
0:39:56 > 0:39:58which has been soaked in water
0:39:58 > 0:40:01and shapes it over a heated aluminium block.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03So, we pop the felt up
0:40:03 > 0:40:06and, over a period of ten minutes,
0:40:06 > 0:40:09the felt will gently dry.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13This gentle drying process gives the hat its shape.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Now is the time to take it down.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19It's all about precision, isn't it, here? You've got to be very careful.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25- Erm...- That's beautiful!- Can I touch it?- Yeah. So, now it's a lot firmer.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Oh, it feels... Lovely, and nice and warm. A nice and warm hat.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- It's like freshly baked bread. - Freshly baked hat!
0:40:30 > 0:40:32That is lovely, isn't it?
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- And this process has not changed in centuries.- Centuries.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- This is how we've always made them. - Always made them.- Yeah.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41And, of course, these two stylish girls
0:40:41 > 0:40:44can't leave without trying on a hat or two themselves.
0:40:48 > 0:40:49Oh, I quite like that one.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55There you go. Now, there is a mirror just over there.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Oh, I love that.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59That's amazing.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00Suits you, Kate!
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Meanwhile, David and Suzannah are still on the lookout
0:41:03 > 0:41:07for another item, and they're heading to their next shop.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09It's all in the hunt.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13What we are today, Suzie, we're treasure hunters, yes.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16We are pirates - pirates of the antique shops.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18I've been called worse.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Arrr, Jim lad!
0:41:20 > 0:41:23They're aiming for the Hertfordshire town of St Albans,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26where, arriving at Ballito's Vintage Marketplace,
0:41:26 > 0:41:29which today has quite a crowd.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34Oh, you're all out enjoying the weather. Very nice!
0:41:34 > 0:41:36- Good to meet you all.- Which direction are we going?- This way.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38- Brilliant.- Thank you.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44They'd better get searching. Oh, goodie, more hats(!)
0:41:44 > 0:41:47Don't worry, it is vintage and very dusty.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Hello! Look at you!
0:41:50 > 0:41:53I'm sure that should be worn at an angle, shouldn't it?
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- There's one behind for you. - Oh, right, OK. Oh, yes!
0:41:57 > 0:41:59You're so right there.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04- Angled or not angled? - No, not angled.- Not angled.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Very fetching.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08But they'd better look sharp,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10as Kate and Catherine have now caught up.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- This is war!- This is war.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Can you hear them? Let's move, move, move, move, move.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- What are we going to do... - I'm in here.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26You can come in if you want to, but it might be a bit scary.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32- What are you doing amongst those clothes? What are you doing?- Hello!
0:42:32 > 0:42:35- David, where are you? - Oh, hello! Oh, hello!
0:42:35 > 0:42:36What are you doing down there?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39- I gave the game away, I didn't hide very well.- That was such bad hiding.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42- Anyway, lovely to see you. - Oh, yeah, great to see you.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44- I'm not trying to avoid you in any way.- What have you bought?
0:42:44 > 0:42:46- We're not hiding or anything.- No.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- I think you should go over that side.- Yeah.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52That side looks like it's got so many things.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54- I think you should go there. - In other words...
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Thank you for that helpful advice, Suzie(!)
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- ..they don't want us around. - They don't want us here?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- We'll go. - Was it conveyed subtly enough?
0:43:01 > 0:43:04I think they got the message.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06- It's packed.- It's packed.
0:43:06 > 0:43:12It is a jamboree, jamboree emporium. Look at him!
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Look at that!
0:43:14 > 0:43:16It is an ant menu-holder.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18It is indeed.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23This large metal fellow is ticketed at £150. Gosh!
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Don't you think he's kind of cute?
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Little friendly person who'll offer you a menu?
0:43:28 > 0:43:32No, "cute" doesn't come to mind when I look at that. Nasty!
0:43:32 > 0:43:35So, Catherine's well and truly put the kibosh on that.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37They'd better keep looking.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40- Oh, Catherine, what do you think about that?- I think that's lovely.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43- No! Oh, my God...- '50s.
0:43:43 > 0:43:46Catherine, have you just approved of something I've come up with? '50s.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49- '50s, yes.- I mean, I wouldn't use it, but I think it's lovely.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Cranberry and gold water set. I like that.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55I could use that, I think it's really pretty.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57This set of vintage jug and glasses
0:43:57 > 0:43:59was ticketed at £48,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02but, since then, one of the original five glasses
0:44:02 > 0:44:03has been lost from the set.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07They might be able to negotiate a knock-down price from dealer Eric.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08Eric!
0:44:08 > 0:44:11It does say on the ticket five, and there's only four.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15- There are only four there, yes. - So, could that be, what, ten?
0:44:15 > 0:44:17Can it be ten?
0:44:17 > 0:44:19I think that's... Yeah?
0:44:19 > 0:44:2115.
0:44:21 > 0:44:2312.50?
0:44:24 > 0:44:28- Sold.- Thank you, Eric. Great doing business with you.- And you.
0:44:28 > 0:44:29Thank you, Eric!
0:44:29 > 0:44:32- Thank you very much, bye-bye! - Thank you, goodbye.
0:44:32 > 0:44:33Thank you, ladies, bye-bye.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36Nearby, the other team are still looking for another item,
0:44:36 > 0:44:38or are they just messing about?
0:44:38 > 0:44:40Puts you in the shade, doesn't it?
0:44:45 > 0:44:49We want something that nobody can truly value,
0:44:49 > 0:44:51that no-one's ever seen before.
0:44:53 > 0:44:54Like a laundry box?
0:44:57 > 0:44:59No. Like...
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Like this?
0:45:04 > 0:45:07- What is this?- It's an ant!
0:45:07 > 0:45:09It's an ant.
0:45:09 > 0:45:10It's an ant.
0:45:10 > 0:45:16- Now, that is outrageous on so many levels.- Ant menu-holder.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18- You're right about the ant. - It's a menu-holder.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Oh, I see, that makes sense.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22It's a menu-holder. That's very cool.
0:45:22 > 0:45:23In what world does that make sense?
0:45:23 > 0:45:25Quite!
0:45:25 > 0:45:28They, too, have discovered our metal friend,
0:45:28 > 0:45:31but this time it's our celebrity who's unconvinced.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35This is the ANT-iques Road Trip.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43- It's £150!- It doesn't want to be. It really doesn't want to be.
0:45:43 > 0:45:44I need to speak to them and say,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47"Look, how long have you had the ant menu-holder?"
0:45:47 > 0:45:50"I don't know, as long as the antiques centre's been here?"
0:45:50 > 0:45:51- A while.- Yeah, exactly.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54Exactly. Nobody wants him.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Can we buy him for 30 quid? He's not exciting you, I can sense that,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02even though he is a genuine ant.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04I'm trying really hard, but, erm...
0:46:05 > 0:46:07- I mean, it's different. - Everybody...
0:46:07 > 0:46:12Mark my words, everybody that walks into that auction will go home
0:46:12 > 0:46:16and remember that they saw a metal ant menu-holder.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19Now, I've come to trust you in the last couple of days.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Do you genuinely think we could sell this?
0:46:22 > 0:46:26He does. So David will go and speak to the dealer.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30You get to know and get to love the ant, whilst I find a human.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33That's a really alarming thing to say.
0:46:33 > 0:46:34It certainly is.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36While Suzannah contemplates this turn of events...
0:46:36 > 0:46:37It's kind of growing on me.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41It's a weird creature, but increasingly endearing.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44Are you talking about me or the ant?
0:46:44 > 0:46:45SHE LAUGHS
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Right, I've spoken to a human.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49He's called the fellow that owns the ant
0:46:49 > 0:46:54and, not surprisingly, the ant has been here for a very long time.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56I think we can see that, yeah.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00- OK. Now, we can buy the ant, 50 quid. That's it.- That's good.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03I want that ant. Do you want the ant?
0:47:05 > 0:47:09- OK. Let's get the ant.- Shall we have the ant? We've bought an ant.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12You've bought an ant on the Antiques Road Trip.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Yeah. I'm quite anti, myself.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Now, both teams have all their items for auction.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23It's time to unveil their purchases.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Shall we call our collection eclectic?
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Eclectic is certainly one thing it is.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30- Yes. Ant-ique is another thing. - Ant-ique.- Yes.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34- Do I spy an ant?- Is that the ant? - DAVID:- No.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Did you buy the David ant?
0:47:36 > 0:47:39- Come on, come on. - Are you ready? There is the ant.
0:47:39 > 0:47:41It's the ant menu-holder.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45- And then we are going to go like this.- I adore that.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47- KATE:- Is that Silver Cross? - DAVID:- Yes.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49- That's so beautiful. - When does that date from?
0:47:49 > 0:47:51- DAVID:- I think that's probably 1970s.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53- KATE:- Has it ever had a baby in it? It's pristine.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56- DAVID:- No, it has been used. It's got patination.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58- It's perfect.- Don't forget our other beautiful things here.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59You've got lovely things.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01- KATE:- How much did you pay for the pram?
0:48:01 > 0:48:03- How much did you get the pram for? - I really like the pram.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07- What did we pay for the pram? 90.- 90.- 90 for the pram.
0:48:07 > 0:48:08- KATE:- Pretty good. - DAVID:- Good.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10I really, really rate that.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12The pram is very popular.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14But what of their other items?
0:48:14 > 0:48:16This was our first purchase.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18You couldn't have chosen a more apt item.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21- Look how beautiful it is.- Yes.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25So it's 1846. And it's a history of the Reformation.
0:48:25 > 0:48:27- KATE:- No way.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30- So it's all about Luther. So it's about the 16th century.- Perfect.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33It's a beautiful book. It has a lovely inscription,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36which is, "Thomas Rogers, the gift of a young lady."
0:48:36 > 0:48:38That's mysterious in itself.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40I think that's very well-suited.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42- DAVID:- It really is. You couldn't get better, could you?
0:48:42 > 0:48:43No. All very positive.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47But what will Suzannah and David make of their opponents' haul?
0:48:47 > 0:48:49I have exactly that teacup at home!
0:48:49 > 0:48:51- You do not.- I do.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54That's quite a coincidence, isn't it? But what about the rest of it?
0:48:54 > 0:48:58- And there's more. - What is that?- I know.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00- That's disgusting. - What have you bought?
0:49:00 > 0:49:02- KATE:- It's disgusting. - DAVID:- Which one's disgusting?
0:49:02 > 0:49:05- It's her. She doesn't stop. - The vase, it seems, is not a hit.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- KATE:- It competes with the ant for weirdest thing ever on the Road Trip.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10- It's horrible. - DAVID:- I love it.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12- KATE:- You love it? - DAVID:- There's a charm in ugliness.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14- KATE:- Yes, but you say you love it.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16- DAVID:- I do love it. It's wild and wacky.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18Says the man in the peppermint-green trousers.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22Are you selling one, two, three, four objects as one lot?
0:49:22 > 0:49:26- Yes.- That's really good for us, by the way, just so you know.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28What do they make of the massive samovar?
0:49:28 > 0:49:31That would have been rather good, wouldn't it?
0:49:31 > 0:49:32Missing a finial, I see.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34- KATE:- I know. - Yes.
0:49:34 > 0:49:35- DAVID:- I really like that.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39We are miles apart, and we wish you the very best of luck at auction.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41I'm sure you do. I'm sure you do. We'll see you at the auction.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43See you there.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47But what do they have to say when their opponents' backs are turned?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49What do we think?
0:49:49 > 0:49:52Well, I love the pram. I think that could go for a lot of money.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57- OK, their stuff - what's your favourite of theirs?- The samovar.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59The little trinket thing is quite nice as well,
0:49:59 > 0:50:02but I think they've paid for it what it's worth.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04I think I was with you, and you're the best -
0:50:04 > 0:50:07so we have to win because you're a genius.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I like our stuff.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12- Maybe I'm just getting attached to it now.- Even the ant?- Even the ant.
0:50:12 > 0:50:13THEY LAUGH
0:50:13 > 0:50:15With both teams set on victory,
0:50:15 > 0:50:19it's almost time to put the first hammer down.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22On this road trip we began in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire,
0:50:22 > 0:50:24and find ourselves now aiming for auction
0:50:24 > 0:50:26in the north London area at Southgate.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34Suzannah and Kate have commandeered the Triumph and are on their way.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38- Always fun to give this one a go.- I know, it's an amazing car, isn't it?
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Bless them for letting us try it out.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44See these houses here, I think they could be enhanced by an ant.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Possibly. Or a vase.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Hopefully they're lived in by lots of yummy mummies who want that pram.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Of course they'll want that pram.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Today our battleground will be Southgate Auction Rooms,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58where David and Catherine await.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Look at these two gorgeous creatures.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02- Aren't they wonderful?- Hello.- Hello.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05- Hello.- You don't disappoint with the trousers, David.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07He never does!
0:51:07 > 0:51:10- So lovely to see you. - Hello, handsome.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12Hello. Lovely to see you.
0:51:12 > 0:51:13- Are you ready to go?- Yes.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Let's remind ourselves of who bought what.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Both teams started with £400.
0:51:19 > 0:51:24Suzannah and David spent £189 on five lots,
0:51:24 > 0:51:29while Kate and Catherine splashed out £222.50
0:51:29 > 0:51:33and also have five lots in today's sale.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35Our auctioneer is Bill Carrol.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40Before the off, what does he make of our teams' buys?
0:51:40 > 0:51:42The samovar. No, I like this.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44We sell samovars here quite a lot.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47But it's quite an unusual one. Silver-plated.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50And what of the ant menu-holder?
0:51:50 > 0:51:52It's unusual, I suppose.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56Would you want it outside your restaurant? I think not.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59But it's an unusual item,
0:51:59 > 0:52:01so it's hard to say, really.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Oh, yeah! Thanks, Bill. Great moustache.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10First up is Suzannah and David's book
0:52:10 > 0:52:12on the 16th century Reformation,
0:52:12 > 0:52:15accompanied by a dedication from Suzannah.
0:52:15 > 0:52:1725 anywhere?
0:52:17 > 0:52:19All done at £20.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21- No.- 25. 30. 35.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24- That's better.- 40. - You're performing well.- 45.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- Whoo!- 45, with you, sir.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31All done at £45?
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Hey, that turns a nice little profit for them.
0:52:34 > 0:52:35A very positive start.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38- Thank you, thank you.- Well done.
0:52:40 > 0:52:45Now it's Kate and Catherine's eclectic lot of vintage items,
0:52:45 > 0:52:47including that linen basket.
0:52:47 > 0:52:4910. £10.
0:52:49 > 0:52:5310. Are we all done then at £10?
0:52:53 > 0:52:54It was a bit of a mixture.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56For the very last time.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59HAMMER THUDS That lot's hung out to dry.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02But there's still everything to play for.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04- I think £10 was fair for this. - Unbelievable.
0:53:04 > 0:53:07It's Suzannah and David's brass tray now,
0:53:07 > 0:53:12inspired by Suzannah's Indian travels along with the Asian censer.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16£20. 20. 25. 30?
0:53:16 > 0:53:18- 25, with you, sir. - You're riding high.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Are we all done at £25 now?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24Are we all done at £25?
0:53:24 > 0:53:27It's £1. Ouch!
0:53:27 > 0:53:31Not the flyer they were hoping for, but it's just about in the black.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33- £1 profit.- £1 profit.
0:53:33 > 0:53:38Kate and Catherine's set of 1950s jug and glasses meets the room now.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Start me £20.
0:53:40 > 0:53:4320 on the net. 25, then?
0:53:43 > 0:53:45Are we all done at £20?
0:53:45 > 0:53:47That's it. 25.
0:53:47 > 0:53:5030, 30 on the net? No?
0:53:50 > 0:53:53- Yes.- Yes, 30 on the net.
0:53:53 > 0:53:5535. 40. 45.
0:53:55 > 0:53:5750. 55?
0:53:59 > 0:54:02- Well done.- Kate, you've got a new career ahead of you.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Are we all done at £50?
0:54:05 > 0:54:07HAMMER THUDS
0:54:07 > 0:54:09A crystal-clear winner there then. Well done, Kate.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11That's very good.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15The 19th century hanging wall shelves for Suzannah and David
0:54:15 > 0:54:16now take their bow.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19- 20, 25.- Go on.- 25?
0:54:19 > 0:54:21- Are we all done at £20?- No.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24- For the very last time...- Come on.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26..are we all done at £20?
0:54:26 > 0:54:27HAMMER THUDS
0:54:27 > 0:54:29A modest profit means they're hanging on in there.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- Oh!- No. This is a disaster.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34- CATHERINE:- That's still something.
0:54:34 > 0:54:35It's a fiver.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39Now it's Kate and Catherine's antipodean inkwell.
0:54:39 > 0:54:4150. 55.
0:54:41 > 0:54:4555 on the net? Are we all done?
0:54:45 > 0:54:46She's bidding.
0:54:46 > 0:54:4855, a new bidder.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- 60. 65. 70. - They're on fire, these two.
0:54:51 > 0:54:5575. 80. 85...
0:54:55 > 0:54:58- Keep going.- ..90. 95. 100.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- 110...- This is very bad.
0:55:00 > 0:55:02- 120?- It's very good.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04Is it? It's good.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06£110 now.
0:55:06 > 0:55:12Are we all done, for the last time, at £110?
0:55:12 > 0:55:14HAMMER THUDS Excellent work.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Fantastic result. Well done.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18Well done, you two, well done.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20- Hurray!- Well done.
0:55:20 > 0:55:22Another for Kate and Catherine now -
0:55:22 > 0:55:24the heart-shaped trinket box.
0:55:24 > 0:55:29All done at £50 now? Are we all done at £50?
0:55:29 > 0:55:31HAMMER THUDS
0:55:31 > 0:55:34And that sells smartly to make a nice little profit.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36And now it's Suzannah and David's
0:55:36 > 0:55:38most controversial lot.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39We have bids on it already,
0:55:39 > 0:55:41much to my surprise.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43Don't say that!
0:55:43 > 0:55:47Of course, it's our old friend the ant menu-holder.
0:55:47 > 0:55:4975. 80 anywhere?
0:55:49 > 0:55:52- Come on.- 80. 85.- Come on.- 90?
0:55:52 > 0:55:54- Come on, Anty. - Are we all done at £85?
0:55:54 > 0:55:57No! One more.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59All done at £85?
0:55:59 > 0:56:01HAMMER THUDS
0:56:01 > 0:56:04Ooh! He's certainly proved himself. The ant I mean.
0:56:04 > 0:56:09- He didn't do too badly, did he? - I think that's pretty good.
0:56:09 > 0:56:10- KATE:- Yes!
0:56:10 > 0:56:12- CATHERINE:- You love it now.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15- SUZANNAH:- I have to hand it to you. That was you.
0:56:15 > 0:56:19Suzannah and David's pram now, by Silver Cross.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21£10 anywhere for the pram?
0:56:21 > 0:56:24- It's a Silver Cross. - Come on, come on. £10.
0:56:24 > 0:56:2610! Yes. We've got to beat 10.
0:56:26 > 0:56:2715 anywhere?
0:56:27 > 0:56:31Are we all done for the very, very last time, £10?
0:56:31 > 0:56:32HAMMER THUDS
0:56:32 > 0:56:36That baby really went out with the bathwater. That's an unlucky loss.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40David, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43- I can't believe it. - Help me, help me. Please help me.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47After that big loss, it's the last chance for a Kate and Catherine
0:56:47 > 0:56:50as their sizeable samovar is up next.
0:56:50 > 0:56:5170, I have.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53- 75 anywhere?- Straight in.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56- 75. 80...- Someone else.
0:56:56 > 0:56:57- He's bidding.- ..85. 90.
0:56:57 > 0:56:5895. 100.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00110. 120.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02130. 140.
0:57:02 > 0:57:03150. 160.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05170. 180?
0:57:05 > 0:57:07170 with you, sir.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11Are we all done at £170?
0:57:11 > 0:57:14HAMMER THUDS
0:57:14 > 0:57:17And that brewed up a very tasty profit for them.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21You were fab. Can you come with me on all of these Road Trips?
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Cos you were brilliant.
0:57:23 > 0:57:24Yeah, she is, isn't she?
0:57:24 > 0:57:26That was amazing.
0:57:26 > 0:57:27Let's do the maths.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Suzannah and David began this trip with £400.
0:57:30 > 0:57:36After paying auction costs, they made an unfortunate loss of £37.30,
0:57:36 > 0:57:40leaving them with £362.70.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42They make a lovely couple, though, don't they?
0:57:42 > 0:57:46While Kate and Catherine also began with £400,
0:57:46 > 0:57:50but they made a smashing profit of £97.30,
0:57:50 > 0:57:54giving them a bumper total of £497.30.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57So, Kate and Catherine are victorious.
0:57:59 > 0:58:02- Thank you.- Oh.- Thank you.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06You've done very well, you two. I can't believe it.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09And it's time for our esteemed historians
0:58:09 > 0:58:11to hit the road.
0:58:11 > 0:58:12Go, girls.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14- Bye!- Bye!
0:58:20 > 0:58:22- That was fun, wasn't it? - It's been so much fun.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24I just wish we could do it every six months.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27- It's been amazing, and you've been fantastic.- You did very well.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29It was great fun.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Cheerio, girls. You've been swell!