Episode 13 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

The nation's favourite celebrities...

-Oh!

-Just want to touch base.

-..paired up with an expert...

-Boo!

-..and a classic car.

-No hands!

-Their mission - to scour Britain for antiques.

My office...now.

The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no easy ride. METALLIC CREAKING

-Oh!

-Who will find a hidden gem? CAR HORN HOOTS

-I like that.

-Who will take the biggest risk?

This could end in disaster.

-Will anybody follow expert advice?

-But I love this.

Why would you buy something you're not going to use?

There will be worthy winners and valiant losers.

No, I don't want to shake hands. Put your pedal to the metal.

Hang on. Let me get out of first gear.

This is the Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Today we're taking a sporting trip

around the South East of England

with Paralympians Danny Crates and Liz Johnson.

Do you know, last time we was together, we was in Lycra?

We was doing the triathlon. Do you remember?

We've traded up to a nice... A nice classic car

from a dodgy old wet suit.

Danny is a Paralympic world record-holder and gold medallist

in 800 metres sprinting.

A former rugby player, he lost his right arm

in a car accident in 1994.

Now retired from athletics,

this sporting champion is a TV commentator and proud Essex boy.

Look, this is what it's really about.

Countryside, open spaces, fresh air, and a classic old car.

Paralympic swimmer Liz was born with cerebral palsy

and has been swimming since she was three.

With gold, silver and bronze Paralympic medals under her belt,

she's now retired from the sport,

but this Welsh wonder of the water hasn't lost her competitive streak.

I'm retired, I like a bit of competition.

Since we couldn't compete internationally any more,

this is where we're going to get our competitive kicks.

Today, Danny's behind the wheel of this classic '70s BMW.

-What do you think of me car, anyway?

-I like it.

-An old BMW.

-I like it.

-Nearly as old as me.

To be honest, you're doing pretty well with this whole one arm

driving an old school car. Already, I think you're doing a sterling job.

Going for gold today in this elegant 1965 Daimler

are antique aficionados David "Dave" Harper

and Arusha "Roo" Irvine.

So, we've got a couple of exciting guests.

-Sporty.

-Don't we?

-Very sporty.

Very sporty. I'd love to know just how much they know about antiques

cos they're even more used to collecting gold medals.

What if one of them does have some prior knowledge of antiques

and if you combine that with a competitive nature...

Hang on a minute, we don't want them knowing more about antiques than us,

that would be a real massive problem.

But if we don't win for them, we're history.

Yeah. We are not in it to get silver.

Well, I'm not in it to get silver.

No, you want bronze.

You can go silver plate.

-DANNY:

-Are you going to listen to your expert?

-LIZ:

-Yes, because I know nothing.

If I were left to our own devices,

it might go horribly wrong quite quickly.

I think the experts are going to have their hands full with us.

I don't know if they know what they've let themselves in for.

Well, they are about to find out.

It's a BMW. Hello! Hello!

How do you get out of this thing?

Ah, a classic classic-car problem. LAUGHTER

-Hang on, hang on, hang on.

-I can't get out.

Sorry, I should be a gentleman, shouldn't I?

-Liz!

-Lovely to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you too.

So, you are with me to day?

-I am. You're coming for a road trip in the BM.

-Wow.

-Would you like me to drive?

-Yeah, you go first.

-Come on!

I will put you in because...

You don't trust me to open the door.

With £400 each to spend, the race is on.

We're not going to get to the shop first at this rate, are we?

You have to get in through the window.

Oh, we've done well.

-ROO:

-Oh, no!

We'll overtake on the bend. Don't worry.

You are very competitive, aren't you?

I am. I would say I'm less competitive than I used to be.

Oh, you get less competitive as you get older, I think,

-there's no doubt.

-Yeah. And also, yeah, but... Yeah, no, I am.

What's your one piece of advice

going to be for me? Because I want to beat Liz.

I think we should just go all out.

Let's spend as much of it as we can, have fun, and win.

And if we didn't win, how would you feel about me?

I won't judge you just on that one performance.

LAUGHTER

That's the spirit!

Setting off in rural Suffolk,

our teams will motor into neighbouring Essex,

before heading north-west into Cambridgeshire

for a Huntington auction.

But first, to the village of Clare.

Liz and David's first stop is Clare Antiques and Interiors.

So is this going to be your very first antiques shop?

No, I've been to vintage shops before.

-Does that count?

-No, doesn't count.

-OK, well, then, yes.

-There you go.

-This is probably my first experience.

With four floors packed full of antique gems,

there's certainly plenty to choose from.

What about this?

-It's a torch.

-I know, but it looks old.

It's a nondescript torch from the '40s, maybe even '50s.

Oh, that's not old enough.

-We're going old.

-How old do you want to get?

I don't mind. But I don't feel like we should go in an era...

-What, into the 20th century?

-..in an era where people are still alive.

-OK.

-HE LAUGHS

I like that coat. But again, I like that coat for me.

This is not going so well, is it?

-So, you are good at shopping.

-I am.

-For you.

-Yes.

It's not all about you, though, Liz.

Right. The race is on for the first buy as Team Crates

are also on their way to Clare.

See, now, the one thing I shouldn't have any problems with

is when we get down to talking money.

-And actually...

-Now you're on my patch.

..I fall very short on that. I'm not very good at bartering.

-Really?

-No, I'm not very good at it.

I go in quite strong and end up coming out spending more

than it should have been.

They are also starting in Clare,

but at Market Hill Antiques and Collectables.

This looks like the kind of place

we're going to get ourselves a bargain.

Although he specialises in Art Deco,

dealer Robin does have a bit of everything.

There's plenty here. Certainly!

Anything catching your eye yet? At first glance?

Do you know what amazes me when you come in these places is, like,

you can always relate to something, can't you?

I've already seen some glassware that reminds me of my nan.

She had the green glassware.

And then I have seen toys in the corner, the Tonka toys,

really similar to what I had as a child.

I don't think you can come into one of these shops

and not reminisce about something.

-There is a good mix of things here, a lot of ceramics and glass.

-Yeah.

Less chat, please. Let's get buying.

This caught my eye, this old police car.

That is actually really cool.

It has still got the siren,

because what happens is the siren is driven by the same motor

as what drives the wheels,

and the siren, the impeller in there collects dust,

and it has seized up, so they ripped off the siren

to actually keep the wheels turning so the children

could still play with it after a period of time.

But this one still works and runs.

-Does it still work?

-It's a little bit sluggish, but it does...

A bit like the car we have been driving around!

-You had no problems earlier, so...

-This one is mid-1930s.

And the shape is very 1930s on the car, it's almost sort of...

That is...that is brilliant.

Made by the American manufacturer Louis Marx,

this working tin plate car is quite a collectable.

But what's the price?

And we have got here 295.

200 would probably buy it.

I think, shall we put this to the side to think about it?

What sort of budget have you got?

Well, we have got a bit, but we have got to be careful though.

-That's a big dent, isn't it?

-It is, it's definitely a big dent

-in the budget.

-I'd say a toy is a big risk to have a big dent on.

-Yeah.

-There could be a big profit.

Could be, but I think anything...

Let's pop it to the side and see if there's anything else

that catches our eye. But you like that, though?

I like it cos it's a toy and I'm a big kid at heart.

But I just question whether it would raise enough money at an auction.

Sensible heads on today, then.

But is it the same across town?

-What are these?

-I know they're vases.

-Vases, yeah.

-But that, now, that's got function.

-Why? Why has it got a function?

-Because you can put flowers in it!

-It's quirky.

-It is quirky, isn't it?

-And it is quite cheap.

-Is it 12 quid for two?

I'm going to say it's £12 each. But we could put them together...

I love the combination.

-Because they are a pair, aren't they?

-I think so.

Let's have a look. Have a look at the painting on there.

They've got slightly different designs, but, yeah,

they've obviously they come from the same place. That's all I know.

That's very good, very good!

Look at the colour of that, look at that.

I really like it and I don't know why.

Look at the little bubbles, can you see the little tiny

-miniature bubbles popping up in there?

-Yes.

That's a sign of being hand-blown,

so that gives you an idea of its quality.

So they are hand-painted, period.

-Yes.

-They are a pair, aren't they?

-Yeah, I think we should get them as a pair.

-I do.

-Can we buy them?

I don't see why not.

-You're the boss, right?

-I think we should buy them.

But it's over to you now. To test your bartering skills.

-OK.

-Shall we go and see David?

-Right.

Let's get down to business.

-David. Hi, how you doing?

-Hello.

-Found something?

-We have.

Brilliant, well done, what are these?

-Over to Liz.

-Coloured bottles.

-We like them both.

Oh, right, great. So that's...

-So, how much are they? They're £12 each.

-They're £12 each.

-24.

-So if we were to get them both...

-Right.

-Would we be able to strike a little bit of a deal?

-I can do a little bit.

-OK.

-Not a great deal, though.

So if I said to you I have a £20 note.

-That's very nice.

-It is very nice.

-I couldn't take £20, I'll take 22.

-So are you fixed on 22?

-I am fixed, yeah, sorry.

-OK. What are you thinking?

-Well, two quid, it's £2!

-It's £2!

-OK, let's do it.

-Let's not quibble over £2.

Well, that's what I was trying not to do!

Thank goodness for that. Deal done.

The two late 19th-century Victorian hand-painted glass vases for £22.

-How exciting.

-Was it, did you like that?

-Yeah.

-Good.

Meanwhile, Danny and Roo are still looking for their first buy.

One thing we haven't looked at is all the little silverware

and stuff like that, which you said can sometimes be a little gem

-if you catch the right one.

-They can be.

It is easy to go into an antiques shop and skip the cabinets

cos there's too many small bits to look at.

But actually that's where you can find little treasures.

Something here is catching my eye.

That looks like a letter opener to me.

It does, because it has got sort of the width there,

but the nice thin blade on the end.

And what's interesting about it - does any of that look familiar?

-That style?

-They almost look like bullets or something like that,

-it's...

-It's trench art.

But not necessarily made by soldiers in trenches.

Any decorative item where the manufacture

is linked to armed conflict,

from the Napoleonic Wars to the present-day,

can be described as trench art,

and this particular piece comes with an interesting story.

Robin? Can you tell me a little bit more about this?

You're right, it is a form of trench art.

-Yeah. Do you have any provenance in it?

-But this is a little bit

different. If you look at it, it is made obviously of brass and steel.

Now, you wouldn't find pieces of steel like this in the trenches.

And these are not actually cartridge cases.

This is a steel strut on a biplane wing.

And these are the turnbuckles which were used

to tension the wings on the plane before the pilot took off.

And one of the engineers, after the First World War

or somewhere around about then, has made that.

Would that have come off of a biplane, these parts,

or would that have been in the spares boxes?

No, this would have probably come off one

that had been destroyed or been, you know...

It would not have been surplus new stock,

it would have been a plane that had been damaged or crashed.

-So what is the price on this thing?

-£65.

-£65, OK.

The thing about this, it's got a wonderful story about it,

and I love where the parts are from. I'd be thinking around about 15.

How about 30?

-20?

-25, I'll do a deal with you.

-You happy with 25 for that?

-Yeah.

-OK, let's go for it.

Good work. First purchase of the trip.

One First World War trench art letter opener for £25.

-Brilliant.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very, very much.

-Lovely to meet you. Thank you. Cheers.

-Have a lovely day.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Meanwhile, Liz and David are motoring their way

to Bury St Edmonds.

With you and Danny, are you competitive with one another?

I think, yeah, whenever you get any athletes in the same room...

-Yeah.

-Or in the same environment, they're very competitive.

And I think obviously Danny and I have known each other a long time,

so that just heightens it a bit.

My gosh. And how about Danny?

Does he want to thrash you?

-Of course he does.

-Does he?

-Yeah.

He can dream.

It's time to take a break from the shopping

and a detour to an exhibition of some very special paintings

at the Moyse's Hall Museum.

They have come to learn about this lady, Mary Beale,

a pioneer of the 17th-century art world.

One of the first recorded professional female painters,

her influence is still felt in the art world today.

Heritage officer Ron Morell knows how it all started for this

ground-breaking artist.

Who exactly was Mary Beale?

She was a local woman who was born in Barrow in 1633,

and she grew up in a family of artists.

Her father was an artist.

And she went on to become the first

actual female paintress in the country.

In the 17th century,

only men were taken on as artist apprentices.

However, for young Mary,

her friendship with the King's chief portrait painter, Sir Peter Lely,

was to turn the world of portraiture on its head.

He encouraged her, and that encouragement really built the fire,

it fanned the flames, so to speak.

She emulates him, she follows his track.

He's effectively polishing the skills that she has,

and as a result of that, of course, that raised the game

that she had got with her artwork and improved it.

Lely wasn't the only man to encourage Mary.

Her husband Charles became her assistant,

making her the main breadwinner,

a role reversal that was unheard of at the time.

Her husband, who was also an artist, but not as good as her,

and so he carried out the more routine work

such as the stretching of the canvas, the preparation,

the sizing, also the mixing of the paint.

Her paintings were of a greater quality, and were more saleable,

and also she had the skill and she had the business acumen as well.

Mary and her husband opened a studio in their house in London.

Hugely popular with her clients, she became a commercial success.

She did numerous pictures of her son in various guises,

of herself, the same.

But most of her work was actually commissions.

And indeed in her best year she had 83 commissions for portraits.

But critics in the art fraternity dismissed her ability,

and she was airbrushed from history.

Only in more recent years has her talent been recognised.

Her work may not be as well known as other artists,

but her value to portraiture, and more importantly equality,

cannot be underestimated.

Back in the beamer, and Danny and Roo

are headed for Braintree in Danny's stomping ground, Essex.

So how are you finding the BMW, enjoying driving it?

This is good fun, I think this is a bit of us.

Well, definitely, definitely more you.

Hooning around the Essex countryside!

Hooning around! That's proper Essex jargon, isn't it?

Probably not hooning as much, even though... Cruising, maybe.

-Oh, yeah.

-Braintree antiques is home to a number of dealers.

Let's get cracking.

This... This place looks huge!

I think we should definitely find something here.

Looks exciting. It's like a treasure trove.

This looks interesting. What has Danny spotted?

-A mirror.

-Roo, I think I found something.

-I'm liking the look of it. Oh, it's just me!

-Danny boy!

-Oh, my word.

-What do you think? Does it suit me?

-I think it's very you.

-What on earth?

Has she been in the dressing up box?

Do you think it might help me with the haggling?

-Doubtful.

-Shall we give it a go?

I think we should give it a go, yeah.

Arusha, who are you supposed to be?

You're going to love what you see in this mirror.

Well... Maybe not.

See, that's really cool. That's quite Arts And Crafts style.

And with mirrors you can often get sort of more recent copies,

but the way to tell is weight.

Good old antique mirrors are pretty heavy,

and it's got the old sort of wire there,

and you know, the old wood board.

So that's very solid, and the price...

£30, and made in the 1930s.

If we were to get that for around about £15, that's a good solid buy.

Goodness me. Has she not taken that off yet?

Actually, Danny, it's not fair that you don't have an accessory.

I think you should wear this.

I'm actually quite pleased

because I was worried you were going to give me a wig.

-Oh, Lordy.

-There we go.

-She is dressing Danny up too.

-Isn't that pretty?

-Does that work?

-Give us a strut.

-And turn.

-Work it. Work it.

-Right, enough of these silly shenanigans.

Get to work, you two. There's buying to be done.

That's quite interesting. Danny?

What have you got for me?

I have found this, this is a Meerschaum pipe.

What is Meerschaum? I know.

Basically it is a beautiful pipe, it looks like ivory, but it's not.

Meerschaum is German for foam of the sea.

It is formed from a porous ocean mineral called sepiolite.

Meerschaum pipes are very, very collectable.

They would often be carved into beautiful figures,

sometimes kings and queens.

This just looks like a lovely lady, and this is Victorian as well.

-Do you like it?

-I do, it's very ornate,

and I like the fact that the discolouration

has actually come from its being used.

It's not something that has just sat in somebody's cabinet.

So the price on it is. There it is.

Ah, there it is. It's £58.

So I think if we could get a little bit of movement on that

then it could be a very interesting buy.

If the prices are right,

we could have another couple of little items under our belt.

You might want to lose the crazy costumes

before you speak to dealer Justin.

We found a couple of items.

-Maybe not.

-So now we want to do the serious bit.

-Yes.

-Says a man in a boa!

-Carry on.

So we've seen this Meerschaum pipe.

And the mirror upstairs, the Arts and Crafts mirror.

Now, you have got this priced at 58.

-How much is the mirror up for?

-30.

30, so we have got 58 on here, 30 on the other one, giving us £88.

We'll be completely honest.

On the mirror,

we're thinking 15.

And on the pipe, thinking 25.

50 quid for both of them.

Split the difference at 45?

For a man in a boa?

I think I'm prepared to do that.

Gosh, I'm glad that's over.

But they do have another two items bagged, the 1930s mirror for £15,

and the Victorian Meerschaum pipe for £30.

-Have a good day, bye.

-Aren't you forgetting something?

We'll save them for you.

They'll be waiting for you here every time you come.

-I was quite liking this, actually.

-Two very broken hearts here.

Well...

I shall see you soon, my darling.

-Bye.

-I feel naked now.

And so ends a busy day of shopping and dressing up.

Time for our celebrities and experts to get some rest.

Nightie night.

Good morning, road trippers.

We are in sunny Essex today.

How is the mood with our celebrities?

I don't want to worry you, but I'm fired up for today.

I've got a feeling that today

we're going to find something quite special.

There's some good shopping in Essex, we could go clothes shopping,

-shall we do that?

-I could do with a new pair of shoes.

LAUGHTER

Danny and Roo had a successful first day.

They picked up the trench art letter opener,

the Victorian Meerschaum pipe, and the 1930s mirror.

Are you happy with 25 for that?

-Yeah.

-OK, let's go for it.

..leaving them with £330 to spend today.

While Liz and David bought the pair

of 19th-century hand-painted glass vases...

-Can we buy them?

-I don't see why not.

..leaving them with a whopping £378 still to spend.

You're looking all gorgeous!

I know, I'm rocking the fuchsia, you're rocking the green.

-Here they are!

-Our friends are here, ready for day two.

-Wunderbar.

I'd better open the door, it doesn't work.

-Be a gent now.

-You can't get out.

-LIZ:

-They haven't had it fixed.

Lovely to see you.

-Good morning.

-Hey, are you all right?

-Lovely to see you again.

-How you doing?

-Danny.

-Good to see you.

-Great to see you.

They are all starting at the same shop this morning.

-So, time to hit the road.

-No, no, no.

Oh, not again!

Not fair.

Are we going big today?

Are we going to take a big, bold...?

We've got a lot of budget left.

I think we should.

Liz is fiercely competitive, she comes across all nice,

but she's out there with David now conspiring how to beat us.

Exactly, she is, as we speak.

-DAVID:

-Do you feel more confident about your negotiating

and hunting for antiques after our little bit of experience yesterday?

I want to improve on my bartering skills.

I want to really push you into that uncomfortable zone

-of getting the best deal possible.

-Oh, really?

I'm not good at being too mean.

-Well, you want to win, don't you?

-I do, yes, OK, let's do it.

This is going to make for an interesting day for all of us.

And we are in the same shop,

so we have got to have our A game today.

-We have got to be focused.

-Yeah.

-I might need your prowess, though,

when it comes to the bartering and getting us a decent deal.

They are all heading east to the outskirts of Colchester,

to a converted barn which is home to Origin Antiques.

Looks interesting.

Wow. I love to see a good big barn like that.

Do you think that means it's going to be a real good mix of stuff?

Yeah, I think there could be some hidden treasures here.

And do you know what? The others aren't here yet.

-We can get in first.

-Yeah!

Origin Antiques has only been trading since last year,

but there's plenty of stock for our teams to fight over.

There's a lot of furniture here.

Now, this is quite interesting, this is a set of five scent bottles,

but they are all silver topped.

And they are all monogrammed with the initials of the family,

so in that day and age, actually, sort of late 1800s, early 1900s,

to have them silver topped and monogrammed,

you definitely would have had status and money.

I'm going to actually have a closer look at these,

because the price is really good.

There's five of them for £30.

Now, some shops you can go into and find one for £30.

It's not the big money that we were hoping to spend,

but we have still got a couple of items to buy.

That could make us...

Yeah, that would definitely make good money at auction.

She is on a mission.

But watch out, here come the opposition.

-Beat us.

-Beat us?

-First and last time.

-Do you reckon?

-Yes.

Good, I like your confidence.

Right, my gosh, we have really got to get our eye in here.

There's lots of things.

-Furniture, though, isn't it?

-It's mainly furniture.

This is my first love, I've got to tell you, furniture.

-I love the box.

-OK, but you don't love it.

But is it what we need in our adventure?

Do you know what it is? Apart from a box?

No, I was going to go with box.

It is a box, well done, you're learning so quickly!

OK, it's a box made from rosewood,

so you can tell it's rosewood because it looks like mahogany.

But it's got that real black vein.

If I open it up...

..it's missing its original interior,

but in there would have been three sections.

A box that side, a box that side,

and a little mixing bowl in the middle.

And it was a tea caddy.

-Oh.

-So when we have a cup of tea, we use a tea bag.

-Yeah.

-And we don't value the cups of tea, we just bung a tea bag in.

-Yeah.

-This was made in the time when they really valued tea,

and the ritual of taking tea.

And the lady of the house would have the key to the tea caddy,

because the tea itself was still expensive in 1820.

And she would mix her own little blend.

-So, ticket price, shall we just have a look?

-Yeah.

-£40.

-OK, so how much do we need to...?

-If we were to get this...

-20.

We need to leave here with it being £20?

We want it for 20 quid, it's a very good box.

So it is one to speak to Ken about.

-OK.

-You will need to wait your turn.

Proprietor Ken is looking after Danny at the moment.

We've got our eye on these scent bottles.

Can you get them out for us so we can have a look?

-Of course, yeah.

-It's this set of five, yeah.

We will just come in from the back here.

Do you know anything about them, any history,

and what the marks on the top are?

Well, as you can see, they are all monogrammed.

If I can just pop them over here, you can have that one there.

And this is number two.

-Right.

-You can see, there is some age to them as well.

They are in remarkable condition.

There's no sort of, you know, big chips on the glass or anything.

Now, that one is, that's obviously the assay marks there,

and there's the line that you look out for to say it's hallmarked

British silver. I think these are quite interesting, do you like them?

Is this something to put to the side?

I do, I love the fact...

It's the little emblem on the top I love more than anything.

-Yeah.

-The fact that that was like a family's kind of coat of arms,

-kind of emblem.

-Yes.

Could you actually pop these to the side for us?

We could hold those back for you, no problem at all, of course.

-Seeing as we've got...

-And keep them well away from prying eyes.

-Yes, that's why, yes.

-I see. You've got the first refusal, then.

-Yeah, perfect.

-That Liz Johnson is trouble.

Yeah. We'll see what else Danny is going to sniff out for us.

-Thank you, Ken. See you soon.

-You're welcome, no problems.

How are Liz and David getting on elsewhere in the shop?

What do you think about massive Victorian dining tables?

I really like it and I know that there's a lot of houses

that would buy it and look for something like this.

I'm just cautious about spending a big chunk of our money.

That will be a much bigger chunk. We need to get a price on that.

But that's a very big, solid mahogany,

Victorian, wind-out dining table with two leaves.

-You like this, don't you?

-I do.

-I can sense it.

I do. See, I love that.

I don't like it. I just absolutely love it.

Brown furniture is just...

-And we might be lucky to catch it on the way up.

-OK.

-Yes.

Let's leave them to ponder.

Where have Danny and Roo got to?

Wow. Danny, come and have a look at this.

I'm on me way.

Uh, do you need to use the bathroom, young man?

I can hold it. That is a chamber pot!

Very cool, though. Good to keep with us in the BMW.

Just in case we get caught short.

This is an Arts and Crafts hall stand.

This is sort of early 1900s,

but does it remind you of something we have bought already?

-It looks very similar to the mirror.

-Hm-mm.

And the mirror looks identical, with the same edge on it.

Exactly, it has got the same bevelled edge, the same dark wood,

and I love the fact that you've got the sort of rust on these hooks.

-It is a lovely sign of age.

-Ticket price? £75.

I think that could potentially,

if we don't find anything else that is substantial,

this could go nicely with the mirror

and beef up that lot and add more value to it.

I think that's definitely one that we will speak to Ken about.

Is there anything else that has caught your eye?

I was having a look at a nice display cabinet over here, actually.

I mean, I just love it. It is quite grand, isn't it?

And you can try and imagine what it had in it.

It would have been something quite spectacular to fill this cabinet.

That is huge.

I have to say, Danny, that is a really, really good spot.

Because display cabinets will always do well.

What is the price on it?

So, it is £190. It needs a bit of work, doesn't it?

I mean, as you'd expect, it's been used and...

Let's have a little look.

I mean, the glass on the outside,

it is good to see there are no panes of glass missing which can happen,

there's no cracks.

It does have both shelves down here.

It just needs to be sort of screwed in.

So it is a display cabinet that with a little bit of TLC,

with polish, it would look beautiful in any home.

Time for another chat with Ken.

Shall we...shall we maybe talk about the cabinet first?

-You want to go in big?

-Yeah. We do like it. It is a good size.

You know, they can do well at auction,

but what worries us is the condition slightly.

And you've got that priced at 190. What could you do on that?

I would certainly entertain an offer.

We were probably thinking round about the 60 mark.

60?

OK. Now...

Taking into account we are looking at other objects as well.

Oh, well, if we're going to roll a few things together...

Do you think we could get up to 80 on it?

Shall we think about that one for a second, park it?

We have got the hall stand, which is the Arts and Crafts style one,

that you've got priced at 75.

Realistically, make me an offer for 40 and I'd love to shake your hand.

And the silver-topped bottles.

Yes. You know they are special.

Cos you can hear the cogs are whirring now,

-there's figures flying all over.

-You know they're special.

They are lovely, it is nice that there's a set of five of them.

What could you do on those bottles?

Well, we have currently got them priced up, very keenly,

I think, at 30. I don't want to take too much of a hit on that price.

Give me 130 for all three sets.

How about 120 and we shake your hand now?

I'm pleased I've got a nice comfortable seat to sit in.

And we want the seat as well!

Throw it in for free.

And if I shake your hand, I don't need you to twist my arm, OK?

-Promise.

-Go on, 120.

-Done.

-Then we've got a deal.

-Thank you so much, Ken.

-Thank you.

-You are welcome.

-Sounds good.

Do you deliver? I can't fit it in the back of the BM.

That generous deal from Ken

means Danny and Roo have bought a hall stand

for the mirror they bought yesterday for £35,

the Victorian display cabinet for £60

and the set of silver-topped dressing table bottles for £25.

Wow. But is Ken going to be as kind to Liz and David?

Ken, give us the news.

What do you think about the table, and how much is it - trade?

The table we had come in about three weeks ago.

It does have some oddities about it.

You will notice that the leaves are slightly different sizes

where they split, so it's had something changed around in time.

Oh, no, I hadn't noticed that. Talk to me about that, what do you mean?

Well, you see, normally your split would be central.

-Oh, I see what you are saying.

-Oh, right.

It has been shortened up.

So it has got a bit of a story to tell.

Yeah. OK, that's all right. Stories...

-It's fine, look.

-Yeah, we've all got stories to tell.

Yeah, exactly. OK, continue.

-Yeah.

-If I said to you, we are looking for 220 on it,

because it needs a little bit of work doing,

now normally a table like this, if it was in perfect condition,

would obviously go for a lot more than that.

-Yeah.

-So I would be asking you for 220 on it today.

Well, I would like, if we can get somewhere near a figure

that might work, to get it out and look at it set up,

if that's possible.

-Of course.

-Can we get it to anywhere near, like, 120, 140?

We can certainly... Let's get it together, shall we?

We'll have a look, we'll see how well it goes together...

But can we get it closer to that figure?

There's a possibility that we can get closer to that figure, David.

We will try our absolute best for you.

-He's got his poker face on. I'm cautious...

-Why are you cautious?

It's a big chunk of money.

-Yeah.

-But I kind of like that whole quirky lopsidedness, because,

you know, we should all take in lopsided people.

-I like that.

-And things. So I like that connection.

So, yes, let's not put it out on the pile just yet.

-All right.

-I'm excited to get it out and look at it.

-Is that OK?

-That's absolutely fine. We can do that for you, yeah.

Liz, I want you to sit down and enjoy this moment.

Look at that, the way that this thing is constructed

is ridiculously good.

They don't make 'em like they used to.

You will find that each leaf

will have its own specific place to fit.

Good job, boys. Well done.

Please come and visit your early Victorian dining table.

Don't you just want to roll all over it?

I'm not sure it is stable enough for my weight.

-But, yeah...

-Stand back, please, look at it.

-What, and take it all in?

-Take it in.

-No, I do really like it.

-I'm happy to take a gamble.

-All right.

-To a point.

But we still need to win.

This is the offer to you...

-Fire away.

-£140.

It's a keen offer, I will give you that.

-It certainly is.

-Can we do it, Ken?

-Just say yes.

-Just for today, I think...

..because you have been such good customers...

-Oh, that's kind of him to say.

-Never been said about me before.

We are going to let it go for 140

just because you are my favourite team.

-Yes.

-Wonderful, Ken, you are a star. Thank you very much.

-You are welcome.

-Thank you. Don't leave me hanging.

You have got an ultimate piece of furniture, then.

-Yes!

-Ultimate piece of furniture.

-Well done, you.

-Wonderful.

Hang on, Ken, they've not finished yet.

This box, I do really like it,

and I would love to take it off your hands.

-I can't open it.

-Good. It should just pull open from the top.

No, it was just me not being able to open it.

So, could we potentially maybe give you £20 for this

and take it off your hands?

We will let you have it for 20 today.

Yes, I love this guy!

And so you should.

That's a total of £160, and another two lots to take to auction.

Meanwhile, Danny and Roo are heading into Colchester,

which was once the Roman capital of Britain.

They are off to visit the ruins of the only Roman circus

to have been found in the United Kingdom.

1,700 years ago, Romans who settled in Britain

brought with them the most popular sport of the time -

Chariot racing.

No clowns here, though.

Circus comes from the Latin for circle

and the track that they raced around.

Archaeologist Philip Crummy is going to show them around

this incredible archaeological discovery.

So all this area here we have excavated

and we've marked out these white foundations,

the positions of the foundations of the circus itself.

A popular day out, thousands would gather at the Circus

to watch the chariot racing.

A raucous place to be, it was a chance to lay bets,

meet friends and eat and drink.

So it is kind of like the equivalent of football today,

people travel to follow their team and their favourite races.

It was exactly the same as football.

The fanaticism was fantastic.

People really loved chariot racing.

In fact, Roman society was split a bit on it.

Some people regarded a love of chariot racing

as being rather lower class.

The actual charioteers themselves became like film stars, pop stars,

football stars, and the most successful ones

could earn masses of money and become really famous,

really wealthy.

The race was a seven-lap, 2.5-mile thriller,

with thousands of spectators watching on.

So, you're going to come in here.

There it is. Our lovely model.

That is very impressive.

-That is phenomenal.

-Look at the size of it.

To think that was out there.

And up here is where they started the races.

These are the starting gates.

There's eight holes, four on each side.

8,000 spectators.

There were four teams that would race at one time

and they were known by the colours of their tunics

and their helmets.

This was the bit they raced round.

Seven times round here.

Much like Formula 1, the charioteers

navigated 14 incredibly tight 180-degree turns

and got into the best position by overtaking on the straights.

So, just how quick would these chariots travel?

-About 25mph, roughly.

-Wow.

Chariot racing was dangerous to both drivers and horses,

adding excitement for the spectators,

but often resulting in serious injury and even death.

Here is our replica Roman racing chariot.

-Wow. This is life-size, in effect?

-Yes, yes.

And what they did was,

they used to wind these reins around their backs in a loop

and they controlled the horses and the chariots

by leaning from side to side and pulling on the reins.

So you can see he's got to have a lot of body strength,

really the strength from the body.

He has got to be brave, he's actually very fit.

The most popular sport of its time,

chariot racing was central to Roman life.

It involved money, celebrity and speed

and was the precursor to our love of high-octane,

thrill-seeking spectator sport.

Its legacy lives on in stadiums and racetracks all over the world.

This is where all the races start here.

This is where the tension would be building up in the beginning.

The gates would fly open and off they go.

And there would be a huge cheer as soon as they took off.

Imagine that. 8,000 people, "Whay!"

All hoping that their guy was going to win, their team was going to win.

See, now, you've got my heart pumping,

because I have stood on many a start line during my career,

but the difference about me racing, I was only racing eight other guys,

there were no horses involved and I was never going to die on a track.

It must have just been exhilarating.

-Are you up for a race?

-I think it would be rude not to race

-seeing as we're here.

-I'll hang up my boots.

Right, you take gate one.

-I'm in lane one.

-Lane one.

-Right.

-Ready? Steady? Go!

That was close.

That was a close race.

Do you know what?

I think we'll do it with horses next time.

So, while they catch their breath,

Liz and David are cruising north-west in the Daimler,

to the town of Halstead.

They're off to their last shop - Halstead Antiques Centre.

Dealer James is on hand to help today.

-Be nice to him, right?

-OK, OK.

-Remember, smile.

That's it. You are winning him over already.

-Yes.

-Go on.

-So are you, your shirt matches the wall,

-so you will be winning him over.

-Absolutely.

It is only the most stylish people

who have that colour on their shirt, it's the one against the wall.

Well, thank you, James, and a very nice shirt you are wearing as well.

-Well, thank you.

-Stop it, you two. Right, time to focus.

You've got £218 left to spend.

So, you've got to just scan, scan, scan until stuff jumps out at you.

-I used to play the cornet.

-Go on, then.

CORNET PLAYS

Goodness me!

-Did you play it well?

-I used to play the cornet, it has valves.

-This is a bugle.

-Well, what do I know about musical instruments?

-Clearly nothing.

-Nothing!

I think the next time we see you on TV,

it will be at the next Olympics, hooting them all in.

SPLUTTERING HOOTS

Hopefully slightly better than you.

Yeah.

HOOTING

Oh, Lordy.

Put it down and get on with the task at hand.

Would I be right in thinking, though, if it is too cheap,

people won't even look at it?

Like something like this.

-A jug.

-Yeah. Would people be like, "That wouldn't even make..."

Because it's got six quid on it.

Sometimes you come to places like this and you see something priced

at £3 and it has been there forever

because everybody has thought it's not worth anything,

it's three quid, what's three quid? They ignore it.

But sometimes the things that are priced at very little money

can be quite valuable. Psychology!

-I like it.

-I like it.

OK, that is a good lesson.

What else can the rootle out that is cheap?

OK, what, then, is that?

-Have a hold of it.

-It is a cider mug.

Yeah, it is a cider mug, but this goes back to the time

when just having a pint of cider was very much more

than just having a pint of cider.

It was more of an event. And it is a fun cider mug.

-So look inside, what do we have?

-A frog.

-A frog.

So, if you were to drink the cider slowly,

nothing very much will happen, you will just see the frog.

But if you were to throw it back,

then if there is any cider that has been caught behind the frog's mouth,

because it will, there is a little void there,

just as you throw it back,

it will give you a lovely little spit right in the eye.

Is that cool or what? It's a fun cider-drinking mug.

You need to get out more.

What type of person is going to buy it?

Well, someone that collects this kind of stuff.

-So is it a collectable?

-It is a collectable.

I mean the company that made these were called Pratt & Co,

so it is called Prattware.

Ticket price is £35.

It is a case of do we want it or not?

I reckon we might get that for 20. With a little bit of twisting.

And you, you know...

-OK.

-..smiling.

I will ring the dealer, see what he can do.

After a quick phone call to the vendor,

James is back with a price.

I've spoken to the dealer. The best he can do is 25.

25. Are you up for it?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Shall we have it? Yes.

-Shall we?

-OK, James.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. Sorry.

Thank you very much.

Right, back to that bargain you spotted earlier.

What about this mug?

I can't help but keep getting drawn to it.

-No maker's mark.

-So no-one's going to buy it?

Hang on a moment. I mean, it has actually got a look to it.

Yeah, but I don't want to have a look, I want it to have value.

OK, I am trying to give it some value.

I'll tell you where the value is.

It has an Art Nouveau look to it and it's actually rather pretty.

I know, but do we want it?

I reckon, it's six quid, if you can get that for four quid,

I think it will get 20.

-Really?

-I do.

-So shall I try and buy this for £4?

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes.

-Time to turn on that Welsh charm.

Can I please have this jug for £4?

I will do it for four because I like your playing.

That's cool. Thank you so much.

-Thank you. James, thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Hurrah! Deal done. Good work, Liz.

That's the Prattware-style frog cider mug

and the late 19th-century lustre jug for a total of £29.

That means our teams are all bought up and ready for auction.

Time now for some well-earned shut-eye.

It's auction day,

and our celebrities are off to meet their experts

to scrutinise each other's buys. I love this bit.

-Are you excited? I am.

-I'm really excited, but I'm a bit nervous.

It's like going to a competition, though, isn't it?

It's like the same, that competitive spirit.

Yeah, and I am... Like, I really want to beat you, but actually...

-Do you?

-Yeah... Maybe.

-That's not nice.

-No, in a fun, friendly way.

I'm sure we will have another competition later in our lives.

After shopping all around Suffolk and Essex,

our Paralympians are now racing

their way to Huntingdon and the finishing line.

I'll tell you what, if I win the auction, you can drive the car.

And if you lose the auction,

I will be the boss and then I can drive the car as well.

So, before they head in to the auction,

let's reveal their treasures.

Let's blow them away with our collection.

I think you must have bought the biggest thing in the shop.

-Yeah, that's what we went for.

-Just straight away.

Didn't care what it was, we want the biggest thing you've got.

No, it is impressive, isn't it? Are you impressed?

The table is quite amazing.

I'm not worried about that stuff. But the table is amazing.

I am liking your Victorian glass.

I love my sort of blue and green coloured glass.

-We love those.

-We like those.

And what about the ceramics, are they quite rare?

You can explain those.

Well, this one with the little froggy inside

that spits in your eye if you don't drink it properly.

-Right.

-So it is a cider mug. You liked that, didn't you?

I did, and he thinks if he is more enthusiastic about it every time

he explains it then I am going to love it a little bit more.

-Is it working?

-You'll learn to.

-Did you try it out last night?

-No, no, we didn't.

-We should have done.

-Oh.

-So did you guys spend a lot of your budget, then?

-Just over half.

-Especially on that table.

-Yeah, I think we did quite well.

We were half, about half, wasn't it?

Yeah. I mean, the table is bonkers beyond belief - £140.

-How old is it, the table?

-1850.

-Wow.

-I know.

Almost as old as you.

Oh, that hurt. We will see who's laughing later on.

All right, let's see if we laugh at your stuff.

-All right, OK.

-Go on, let's have a look.

-All right, here we go.

-This is our delicate table, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Oh, wow.

-Here we go. And...

-What are your thoughts?

-You happy?

-I'm very happy.

-Are you happy?

-I'm very happy.

-OK, good.

-Oh, right, sorry, nothing, nothing.

Go ahead. Knock us out.

So this is our big bargain here.

A set of five silver-topped dressing table bottles.

-How much of a bargain?

-A big bargain.

-£25.

-That's good.

-All engraved with the family's initials

-on the top as well, so all matching.

-Birmingham and London.

So we were very, very happy with that.

Danny, that was your big find, wasn't it?

-Go on, tell them about it.

-We wanted something big, didn't we?

-Yeah.

-But someone bought a big table,

so we thought we couldn't match that.

He bought the biggest thing in the shop.

Yeah, so we found a beautiful display cabinet.

-I really like that.

-Your vases would go lovely in there.

They would work... That is a good, old, late-Victorian shop display.

And that had a decent price tag on it, didn't it?

So, what did you spend, roughly, overall?

Well, we haven't actually added up. I think it was south of 200.

OK. Well, we are just north of 200, so that's it,

we are about even-stevens, but now we will see you at the auction.

We will. All right, come on, let's go.

Let's go, let's go and talk about them.

But what do they really think of each other's buys?

I was confident with what we'd bought anyway,

-cos I really like our little stash.

-Yeah.

But I'm even more confident now I've seen theirs.

-I mean, their table's glorious...

-Yeah.

..but who needs a table that big?

Thinking back to our table,

and the condition of our table, I'm so excited.

I think we've got a good mix of nicer antique period pieces,

which are distinctly Victorian, distinctly Arts and Crafts,

but then we've got the quirky things like the trench art

and the meerschaums, which are good names.

I was a bit worried about their things, their items,

because at first glance they looked really nice,

-but then you've trained me...

-Oh.

I'm more than confident that we've got the better items.

I love all the stuff on our table, I really like the mix we've got.

-Yeah.

-But personally, I find their mix a bit bland.

I'm really happy.

-Wonderful. Let's get ourselves to the auction.

-Let's do it.

On this trip, Danny and Roo spent £190 of their £400 on five lots.

-Done.

-We've got a deal.

-Thank you so much, Ken.

-Thank you.

Liz and David also bought five lots, but spent £211.

Thank you very much.

Today's sale is taking place at Hyperion Salerooms in Huntingdon.

The auctioneer today is Rod Best,

so what does he think of everyone's lots?

The tea caddy? Er, now, rosewood - nice condition.

Personally, I like it.

I think it should travel up towards the £100 mark, and maybe more,

maybe it rides up. But 200 max.

Yeah, the display cabinet, I like this.

It's got a maker's mark on the bottom, which is good.

And, unusually, it's got two glass shelves with it,

so all the shelves are there.

I would say this could surprise.

40, 60?

Right, take your seats, please, let's get started.

Who's been to auction before?

-Never.

-Not like this.

First up, Danny's trench art letter opener.

I can start you at just £10.

I'll start at 10. I'm looking for 12.

12. 15. 18. 20. 5.

30. 5. 40. 5.

45, I have.

-Ooh!

-50. 5.

55. Still with you at £55.

60. 5. 65. 70. 5.

£75.

All done and selling at 75.

Danny and Roo are off the blocks fast.

-Well done, that was good.

-Well done.

-Well done. Good start.

-Well done.

-Well done, boss.

-Well done, good start.

No, that was very good. That was very good.

Will Lizzy's pair of 19th-century vases get them an early lead?

I have four, six, eight, ten where?

It is eight.

Ten. New bidder at ten.

-12.

-Go on.

-Go on, keep it going.

-At 12.

-Come on.

-Keep it going.

-Any more?

-Go on.

I'm sorry, I am going to sell at 12.

Don't sell them at that!

It is against you.

I'm sorry. We're done.

Bad luck, chaps.

I don't want to peak too early, all right?

No, we want to feel the pain.

Danny's Victorian meerschaum pipe is next.

Start you at just, um...£5.

Looking for eight now.

At eight, I have. Ten.

12. 15. 18.

20. 2. 22.

-Come on.

-25.

-Getting there.

-28.

30. 35? 32, if you like.

32, if you like, sir.

OK, it's against you at the back.

32 to the gentleman in the safari hat.

-At £32, all done...

-A little bit more.

-..and selling.

Every profit counts.

You're still in the plus zone.

-In the higher echelons of profit, yeah.

-Yeah.

-They've peaked very early.

-Yeah.

Yeah, maybe there's only one way for us to go, yeah.

Let's hope it's not downhill from here!

Next up, the Victorian mahogany dining table.

David convinced Liz this would make a profit.

We will start the bidding for the winder and table at £30.

-Oh.

-With me at 30.

I'm looking for 35 now.

35. 40. 5.

50. 5. 60. 5.

70. 5. 80. 5.

-90. 5. 100. 110.

-It's going.

-Come on.

120. 130. 140. 150. 160.

-Come on.

-150.

-Come on!

155? 155. 160. 160. OK. 165?

No, 160 it is, then.

It's with this gentleman there, the original bidder.

Are you sure, sir? It's 160.

-I will sell.

-Don't sell it.

I will sell for £160.

She's back in the game.

-At least we're in profit.

-OK.

That was his big gamble.

-We got out of it.

-And that could have been your big loss.

Yeah. Yeah, that was where our money went.

But it was also gambling...

Danny's silver-topped dressing table bottles next.

We have two commission bids jointly

and I will start with us at £20.

I'm looking for 22 from the floor.

22. 25. 28.

-Oh.

-30.

-We're off.

-5.

-Five bottles.

-40. 5.

50. 45. No, it's with you, back to 45.

It's against you.

He's back in now at 50.

55. 55?

It's £50 again with the gentleman with the hat.

At £50.

Are we all done and selling at £50?

You have doubled your money there, Danny. Well done.

-Well done.

-Well done.

-You're doing all right.

That was a good call, to get them.

But, you know, it was under your guidance as well, so...

It's really...

Next under the gavel,

Liz and David's 19th-century rosewood tea caddy.

£30. It's a low start at 30.

I'm looking for 35.

-Come on.

-35. 40. 5.

50. 5.

60 anywhere? At 55.

I am selling to that gentleman there.

-At 55, I will sell, make no mistake.

-Go on.

To the gentleman in the glasses there in the shade. At 55, sir?

That's better.

-Clawing back.

-This is going to be so tight, by the way.

It's going to the wire, isn't it?

Danny and Roo's combined lot

of the '30s mirror and the hall stand are next.

Just 10 we're going to start you, just £10.

12. 15. 18. 20.

2. 5. 8. 28.

Commission's at 28. 30 anywhere now?

30. 2. 5. 8?

40? 38, then.

In the seat on the right, 38. It's against you, sir.

With that lady at £38, we all done?

That's a disappointing loss. Bad luck.

Look in that direction, quickly.

-Yeah, so...

-Oh, you...!

THEY LAUGH

What?

No need for smugness.

Let's see how your Pratt-style froggie cider mug does.

I will start you at £1.

Excellent!

And I have a bid of 1.

I'm looking now for 2.

-I'm so delighted about that.

-I have £2.

3? 3.

4? 4.

-5.

-One way up from that.

6? No?

5 is with you, sir.

-Oh, come on.

-Against you all.

There at £5 only and I will sell.

Oh, dear, you got bad advice on that one, Liz.

Told you so.

This is ridiculous!

Who chose that mug?

-Him.

-Oh.

-Oh...

Danny's last lot now, the Victorian display cabinet.

Straight in, £30.

Thank you very much. 30.

5. 40. 5.

50. 5. 60.

On. 60. 65. 70.