Episode 24 Money for Nothing

Throwing out the whole three-piece suite, are you?

How do you make money for nothing?

What have you been smashing up?!

The answer could be hiding in over 20 million tonnes of household waste

thrown out by us every year.

-Can I have them?

-You're welcome to them, they're only going in the skip.

That's why entrepreneur Sarah Moore wants to get her hands on things

before they hit the skip.

I'm a passionate maker, buyer, and user of old stuff,

and I've turned that passion into a money-making business.

I make new stuff out of old stuff, and I sell it for a profit.

And with some of the country's elite designers and makers...

I think we can really be quite playful with this.

I could make several mankinis out of this, couldn't I?

She can transform her finds into desirable...

Oh, that's such a relief.

Valuable...

It looks all shiny!

And, hopefully, saleable items.

I love them, you are a gem.

If Sarah is successful,

then she can hand the profits back to the very people who had no idea

there was cash to be made from their trash.

I really can't believe that, that's amazing.

Each month, Witley recycling centre in Surrey becomes home to over 600 tonnes of trash.

This makes it totally plunder-ful for eagle-eyed Sarah.

Well, I'm back in the office - well, the recycling centre -

but I've already been scanning for items that might be my next potential project.

Sarah's on the hunt for three items she can salvage and sell on for a profit.

What's that?

Before Sarah started her tip searching quest,

she got special permission to be here.

So if you're thinking of coming to raid the skips, hold your horses.

I love horsing around at the tip.

Come on, giddy-up. Actually, enough horsing around,

time to find some real rubbish.

You could be in luck.

Robert might have just what you're looking for.

Now, I recognise those legs.

That's not going in there, is it?

I was planning on doing so.

-Really? Is that yours?

-It was my grandmother's but, yeah, it's mine.

-Do you know what that is?

-Yes, Ercol.

-Ercol?

-Yeah.

-Not your bag, then, Ercol?

I've still got the dining table and chairs.

I love it, my uncle worked for them and my nan bought this brand-new.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Since the 1920s, Ercol furniture has exuded elegant simplicity.

Early pieces are sought-after.

Well, the ones without big cracks in them.

Just before it goes in there, any chance I could take it away?

Yeah, course, yeah, why not?

Seeing that pitch up has absolutely made my day and I like it because it's not that heavy, either, is it?

-No, it's not.

-I'm going to take that and say thank you so much,

-and I shall come and see you soon, hopefully.

-OK.

-Thanks a lot, bye.

That's our first item ready to renovate.

What would Robert like done to it?

I'd like to think Sarah could restore it back to its former glory,

but I'm sure she's got every intention of doing something great with it.

What a fantastic thing to end up at the tip.

It's not in perfect condition but this is iconic English furniture.

But this table should be restored, it will look amazing.

And there's definitely money to be made here.

Sarah knows exactly who she wants to take this on.

Meet the 3 Restorers, Johnny, Rosie and Tom.

They love taking old furniture and making it like new again.

A lot of antique stuff is nice because you know

it's got a nice history to it and most of them are family heirlooms,

so they've been through people's families for centuries and it's just nice

to give something back to someone who can then enjoy it again for a lot longer.

Even when it's broken, these three can make stuff beautiful.

I really love it when we get a project in that needs so much work,

so literally from being in bits, like a chair in bits,

you strip it right back to the start, maybe take it apart,

build it back together again.

Basically a full-on restoration.

They're game for a challenge,

but is this cracked coffee table a challenge too far?

That's one item down, two more to find,

and, with the day getting on, Sarah needs to strike while the iron's hot.

Any old iron? Any old iron?

Time to press ahead.

There's plenty to choose from out of Julian's trailer.

Sarah's picked from Julian in the past.

What's in store this time?

There's a lot going on round here.

-Whose is that?

-That apparently was my dad's.

I don't know from what decade,

but it certainly hasn't seen the light of day for quite a few.

Julian is helping his mum clear her house after the death of his dad.

-Would it be all right to have a quick look at it?

-Yeah.

The bike belonged to Julian's dad, who used it to commute to

the train station as part of his journey to work.

I think it's got a bit of style. I mean, I'd have loved to have seen that when it was...

Yeah, in its day I can see it must have been probably a nice bike.

It's got a nice lamp on front, all pretty furred up now, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-No, that's probably not leather, it's pro plastic, but, yes,

I'm sure it had a look to it in its day.

I really like the fact that it's a bit tatty.

That's lucky!

It's amazing what I find appealing.

But there's something about it, it's got a bit of style.

I'd love to see if there's something that could be done with it, but I'm not sure what.

Well, it looks like it could, it's got a bit of nice colour underneath.

The paintwork's quite a nice colour, so maybe you can turn it into something.

-If I can take it away...

-Please do.

-..and do something with it.

If it saves me lifting it into a skip, that's absolutely fine by me.

I'm going to come and find you. I don't think I'll be riding to see you but I will keep in touch

to see if there's something I can make out of it.

Yeah, I'll be fascinated to see if you can manage to turn that into something useful!

-It's a challenge, isn't it?

-It is a challenge, yeah.

-Brilliant, thank you very for letting me have it, I'll keep in touch.

-No worries, good luck.

-Thanks.

-Cheers.

Just when you think you've seen it all, Sarah takes a rusty,

seized old bike.

What could she possibly do with that? Julian?

I'm having a real struggle to see anything that's going to be salvaged worthwhile off that,

but, I mean, there is the nice red paintwork on it and hopefully she's got a good team of magicians

who are going to turn it into something interesting.

Well, it's a sweet old bike, isn't it, but it is in terrible condition.

I was hoping that the chrome, on closer inspection,

might be a bit better than it is, but it's got a solid frame,

it's got a sweet light on the front,

it's got a bit of a bell on it and a basket on the back.

I'm sure something can be made out of it but at the moment

I'm not quite sure what that might be.

If you think a bike is a surprising save,

just wait till you see who Sarah's picked to take it on.

Are you looking for luggage made from thrown away threads?

Then Neil Wragg is your man.

Neil's had just about everything beneath his sewing machine needle,

as he takes rugged materials destined for the dump and turns them into

bespoke bags and high-end holdalls, each one lasting a lifetime.

I've sewn out of necessity to begin with, I've sown to repair,

and then you end up just keep sewing until somebody says,

"You should sell those."

I love the creative side to it,

the fact that you can take a fabric and then work from there,

so instead of working from a template, a design,

you actually get the fabric, you start from there and then decide,

actually, what can this be made into?

Well, Neil, what if I was to tell you there is no fabric,

and that it's actually a bike?

With two items found, the hunt is on for a third.

One Sarah can work on at home.

Who knows where this junk might lead?

If you go walkies over to Colin's van,

there might be something very sweet indeed.

-Hi, there.

-Hello.

-Hi, I'm Sarah.

-Hello, Sarah, I'm Colin.

-Lovely to see you.

-That's not going in there, is it?

It is, unfortunately, yes.

It looks like somebody's spent hours making it look like that, it's really beautiful.

My mother embroidered that, yes, my late mother.

My late father was doing it up,

-hence the difference in colour between this and this.

-Right.

And then the dressing table to go with it?

Yes, that's the top over there.

Wow.

Shall we carry it out to the front?

Kidney-shaped table tops are a French design popular in the late 1600s

during Louis XIV's reign.

I think we're looking at a sort of mock Regency look.

Later, the design was copied by European furniture makers,

especially in the early 20th century.

It's great to see that it's all there, including the key, isn't it?

And that works, too, that lock.

It probably needs a bit of reimagining and a new look to it,

but is this something that, rather than sending off for re-use,

-we might be able to take away?

-Absolutely, yes.

-Brilliant.

You're more than welcome to it.

I might have to ask you to help me, because I think it's going to be heavy!

-Would you be all right just to carry it across with me?

-Yes.

That would be fantastic, thank you so much.

Sarah's got herself a dated dressing table and stool.

What do you think she'll do with them, Colin?

It needs a little bit of care and attention.

I hope it goes to a nice home, a really good home,

because it's been a good friend to us.

So, look at it, it's just not desirable.

If this is going to sell for money,

it's going to need a really clever idea to bring it bang up to date,

and a lot of hard work.

Sarah has her three items.

Johnny, Rosie and Tom will crack on with the coffee table.

Neil... I don't know what he'll do with that bike.

And Sarah will try to bring the dressing table and stool bang up to date.

Well, the recycling centre has definitely delivered again.

It's time to take away the goodies and hopefully turn a tasty profit.

Deep in London's Crystal Palace, love is in the air.

Sarah's hoping her cracked coffee table will be a labour of love for

restorers Johnny, Rosie and Tom.

We're really looking forward to Sarah arriving,

really hoping that she brings us something classic in its design,

we don't have to add anything or embellish it too much.

I'm here in south London with my fantastic bit of Ercol tip-find furniture.

I've brought it to Tom, Johnny and Rosie and I'm hoping they're going to love its style.

But I think they're going to hate its condition.

Really, Sarah? I can't imagine why.

-Hiya.

-Oh, hi.

Are you going to take that end?

Thank you.

Look what I've got for you.

Ercol. What do you think? Something you can work on?

At the moment, it's got cracks all the way through it.

It's got some really nasty movement going on here.

That's why it ended up at the tip.

It is a sweet, iconic piece of their design.

They do have a very strong market appeal, don't they?

This one obviously is in really bad condition.

I have seen people paint them,

I've seen them given a spruce-up in different ways.

-I was wondering if you fancied doing something more sympathetic with this one?

-Yeah, definitely.

I think being solid, we can really take off all this old finish,

get it sanded and make the top look like new again.

Obviously once we've repaired the cracks.

Brilliant. Well, I think it's got some value to it once restored.

Can you give me a rough idea about how much it's going to cost to make it saleable at a high price?

-I think it's probably going to be 120 to 160.

-That sort of price.

It really depends on whether these joins want to go back properly.

If they don't, then we might have to think of doing something slightly different.

It sounds like you've got a fair bit of work to do.

I think on that basis, if we're around about 150, maybe a bit lower,

that's perfect. There's money to be made on that.

I don't envy you trying to sort these out,

because I know wood can have a mind of its own. So, thanks very much.

-Tell me when it's done. I'll come and get it.

-Cheers.

-Bye!

This is exactly the sort of thing we wanted to see today.

It solid wood, solid elm.

Maybe a bit of a challenge, but that's what we like, with these splits.

But, yeah, really excited about it.

Well, isn't it great to see so much enthusiasm for what might just be a simple restoration?

With that table, it's all about the condition.

If that crack gives them a problem,

we are not going to come in on budget and I won't make any money.

With the cost between £120 and £160 to restore this table

to its former glory, Rosie, Johnny and Tom have their work cut out.

Next stop, Marlow in Buckinghamshire,

home to bag virtuoso Neil Wragg.

Neil makes bags from just about anything, old leather couches, tents.

Well, maybe not just about anything.

Honestly, what is Sarah thinking?

A bike into a bag?

This is going to be interesting.

Well, if Neil was just an ordinary amazing bag maker,

I'd be worried about bringing this old bike to him.

But I know something about Neil that you don't.

He is a Scout leader.

So I'm hoping he'll be prepared to take on the bike challenge.

Sarah's coming, it's always a challenge and always a pleasure.

I think you might change your tune in a minute.

-Hello.

-Hi, Sarah.

You've brought me a bicycle.

Bicycle. You can use bicycles, can't you?

You'd better come in the back.

Oh, dear. Not good.

It's definitely seen better days.

Do you work with bikes often?

-I ride them.

-Right.

But I haven't made a bag from one.

Before you say no, let me talk you through the idea I've had.

-Are you ready?

-Ready.

This has been dropped off by a guy whose father passed away last year.

In the panniers here

are his train tickets.

I think it says 1982.

So, this was his old commuter bike.

I thought, how about using some really cool bits of the bike

to turn it into some kind of commuter luggage?

Commuter luggage, OK.

We can make some really nice exquisite, designer panniers

-for the bike.

-Does that mean you're going to take it on?

Of course he'll do it, Sarah.

Neil's idea of bicycle panniers, bags you attach to your bike,

aren't as out there as you might think, as almost a million of us now cycle to work.

But just how a bike can be turned into bags is beyond me.

Neil, over to you, mate.

We could try and incorporate some of the bike into the bags,

so that the bike carries on cycling.

I thought some of these bits of bike, like here, the lovely logos,

there's a great badge on the front.

I was just hoping you could get a bit of that essence out of it.

I was just thinking of using the reflector.

-You want more than that?

-I always want more.

-You want more.

This all sounds lovely.

Two bike panniers made from bits of the bike.

But Neil still has to source the bulk of the material to make them,

so does all this come at a big cost?

Maybe you're looking at £100 for each one.

Something like a couple of hundred pounds for the pair.

So, when you're talking about it, £100 a bag was pretty much what I had in mind. 200 quid for the two?

-Always a pleasure.

-Oh, dear.

Well, that is definitely one of the more obscure projects that I've come up with.

I love the idea that Neil is going to recycle the cycle and it's

definitely going to go on another journey.

This wasn't what I expected.

It's going to be tricky, but let's see what I can come up with.

I'm going to need my thinking cap on for this one.

Sarah's left Neil with £200 to create two upmarket bike panniers.

Neil's staying positive, but this could be hell on wheels.

Back home in West Sussex,

Sarah has a little tin of something to help her work her magic.

For now, she'll concentrate on the dressing table, rather than the stool.

Well, this sweet old dressing table ended up at the recycling centre for a reason.

It's really dated, it's got a sad white coat on it

that really needs refreshing. It just doesn't look appealing.

But I've got high hopes for it.

I think if I change the colour of it, strip it all back,

remove the mirror, try and make it look more like a desk,

then there's a chance I might make some money out of it.

First job, ready, steady, strip.

Steady on, Sarah.

Ah, you meant paint stripper.

Handling harsh chemicals means it's on with the protective gloves.

Nice!

And the safety glasses.

This is a strong stuff, so you really need to be safe.

This is the kind of stripping where you need to be wearing more clothes, rather than less.

Sarah's removing the many layers of old paint from the

dressing table by using a solvent-based paint stripper.

She's working in a well ventilated area.

However, with any paint thinner, or stripper,

always read the product guidelines as it may advise that a respiratory

mask should be worn at all times, or for prolonged use.

This is going to be a real challenge, to turn into something that's saleable.

It's so dated.

I quite like a challenge.

It's the moment of truth.

What will Sarah find under that paint?

Great, layers of paint.

Oh, more paint.

No exciting reveal of wood yet because there's another layer of paint under here.

There's a little peek of wood down there.

I think it might be beech and that's good,

because it would be pale and interesting and quite hard wearing.

Fingers crossed it's all made of that.

There are layers and layers of paint on this,

where people have updated it and changed their room schemes.

But I'm really committed, I want it to look lovely. I want to strip it.

I've got a feeling this could take for ever.

Sarah spent just £19.99 on the paint stripper,

although at this rate she might need to go back to the shop to get another tin.

In Crystal Palace, Johnny, Rosie and Tom

are getting to grips with the classic, if a little shabby,

coffee table.

Look at that.

It's coming apart. Shall we see what the base is like?

First things first, get this frame off?

-Yes, get this off.

-Screwdriver?

Johnny starts by removing the legs to get a better look at that

problematic crack.

The biggest problem with this table is going to be how well this glues

back together and whether or not it's warped out of shape.

Hopefully, if we can get it back together, flat,

then that's sort of crisis averted.

Ercol furniture definitely is well worth restoring it.

At the moment it's very popular, particularly that 1950s blonde furniture look.

Very popular. I definitely think what we're doing is the right thing.

We don't want to be messing with it too much,

because it's famous for the design, it's famous for the wood.

So, I'd say, yeah, keep it to its original state.

With the legs off, they can now see if there's any warping in the wood.

So, is it warped?

It's warped quite a lot, hasn't it?

It's warped.

Where it's been detached for a while, it's kind of gone like that.

Over time, one side of the table top has curled up at the end,

making the surface difficult to join back together.

This looked like it was going to be straightforward to begin with.

Just a case of squashing it back together.

But we need to make sure everything's really flat

otherwise it will either come apart or it won't be a clean join.

So we have to figure out how to get it really nicely together.

-Might need bigger blocks across the whole thing.

-This is the thing.

After much debate, our trio decides to support the troublesome warping

with lengths of strong wood and clamps.

These will level the two sides of the split

and help to create a smooth join.

We're just putting these batons on here to try to counter

the way that the wood is trying to move.

Once we've got everything looking pretty flat,

then we can worry about pressure this way to close up the gap.

-Shall we turn it back round again?

-Yeah.

Ercol has been making furniture since 1920.

The beauty of their design is simplicity.

Not a word that springs to mind when looking at that support structure.

And the more complex it becomes, the more confusing it gets.

-I don't know if we're overcomplicating it.

-Yeah.

Basically, we're just trying to put all our heads together and figure

out the best way of clamping it, without causing too much more damage to the piece already.

Once we've got this right, it's a case of putting some glue in and clamping.

It's really straightforward, but it's just this bit,

it's the sort of bit that takes time and effort to figure out.

You take all the time you need, Johnny.

Although you've taken up quite a bit just trying to fix that crack.

Plus, you don't even know if it's going to work.

Back we go to Marlow,

where Neil is working out how to incorporate

bits of that rusty old bike into a design for panniers.

OK. So, I locked myself in the local brewery overnight to give me time to think.

The ideas I've come up with will be two leather bags,

leather for the outside and possibly

see if the inner tubes from the bike are usable.

Inner tubes will be the lining.

I'm going to use the brake cables for piping and lining.

I'm going to use some of the fluorescent strips to add high-vis.

I'm going to use the grips for handles.

Anything else I can find from the bike that is going to help to make

this cycle luggage quite unique.

I don't think you have to worry about it being unique.

Neil starts by removing the brake cables,

followed by the wheel spokes.

He hopes to use these to make the bags more rigid.

So far, so good. I think I've got possibly enough spokes.

I'm not sure how many I'm going to need

to reinforce the bag, but not many.

The main body of the bags will be made up of leather

from an old couch.

For the lining, though, there's another part of the bike he can re-use.

The tyres are obviously no good at all.

They're completely perished and gone.

I'm hoping the inner tubes have some use in them.

Oh, yeah. They're good.

They will be fine.

Rubber inner tubes are an ideal lining, as they're strong,

bendy and waterproof. A bit like myself.

Next, Neil breaks out the angle grinder.

And, yes, those are swimming goggles.

If you're trying this at home, please use proper safety goggles.

Neil's cutting off the straight lengths of tubing.

These, he hopes, will also work as part of the design.

So far, this is what I've reclaimed from the bike.

So, the outside of the bag is going to be leather.

Some black leather.

From an old sofa.

And then for the lining for the bag,

I'm now going to cut the inner tubes up and get them into

as flat a piece as I can.

He cuts the inner tubes into sections and lays them out flat

ready to sew.

Before he adds the rubber lining,

Neil constructs the leather body of the bag.

And the metal bars have indeed nabbed a place in the design.

Right, so it goes in...

So, the rack of the bike is going to go along here and you just get a

buckle, a leather buckle and we're going to hold it to the rack

there and there.

And that keeps the structure of the bag, the rigidity, the strength,

it's not going to flap about and when you want to take

the bag away, you just do that.

Neil is on a roll.

But there's still an awful lot to get put into this design.

We'll just leave him to it.

In Sussex, Sarah's finally got the layers of paint

off the dressing table.

As time is ticking on,

she's leaving the stool out of the makeover and sticking to the job in

hand. What time is it, Sarah?

Time to lime. But I've never limed before.

Can't be that hard, can it?

Oh, that's quite white.

God, I hope it comes off.

So the theory behind the liming is that you brush on this lovely white wax

and it soaks into some of the grain of the wood and then you buff it off,

but you still get all that lovely wood pattern coming through.

I know what you're thinking.

I've spent hours stripping it and now she's painting it white again.

But I'm hoping it should buff off,

should be beautiful, waxed,

slightly limed and well worth the effort.

When Sarah spotted the dressing table, it was dated and out of favour.

Now it's totally transformed.

Gone are the old-fashioned mirror and fixings,

as are the layers of white gloss.

Sarah's hard work reveals a beautiful beech finish.

She's applied a subtle lime wax to give the wood a delicate

whitewash effect.

On the top, a contrasting chestnut paint creates a stunning leather inlay look.

Overall, the feel is no longer fussy but simple and elegant.

Stripped back, it's gone from wedding cake

to wonderful shabby chic bake.

Well, I think I've certainly achieved what I set out to do,

which is reposition that dated-looking dressing table into a piece of furniture

that can go into any room in the house.

I've given it a lovely, scruffy looking top,

hopefully so it looks like it's been made years ago rather than just finished.

And I think it should make a bit of money.

Do you like the desk? What do you think? Your cup of tea?

She's my biggest fan.

Do you like it?

Bramble certainly likes the smell of it.

All that's left is for Sarah to grab some snaps to show off online.

When Sarah saw Colin with his dressing table at the tip,

there was certainly a sentimental attachment.

My mother embroidered that.

Yes, my late mother. And my late father was doing it up,

hence the difference in colour.

And Sarah was happy to see that it was still in one piece.

It's great to see that it's all there, including the key, isn't it?

And that works too, that lock.

The table was bought by an interior shop in Marlow,

run by a different Sarah.

Sarah's done a fantastic job with this.

And she's stripped it back and look at the grain on here.

It feels lovely.

And I think once we dressed it up and put a mirror on it,

it will be lovely as a dressing table, or it could even be a little writing desk.

Meanwhile, our Sarah has returned to Haslemere to show Colin how his old

dressing table has changed.

-Hi, there.

-Hello, Sarah. Very nice to see you again.

-Yes, and you, too.

-I said I'd come and find you.

-Absolutely, yeah. I'm very excited about that, actually.

-What have you done?

-What did you think I would do?

Because it was a lovely old dressing table and a sweet stool,

but what did you think...?

Lovely piece of furniture, I don't know, perhaps stripped it down,

take the white paint off, or maybe paint it white again, I don't know.

But it certainly needed some refreshment, that's for sure.

-I have some pictures here to show you.

-OK.

Here is your dressing table.

-And it has been...

-My goodness, look at that.

That's totally transformed, isn't it?

I love the distressed look, actually.

It's a favourite style of mine, actually.

-It's really lovely.

-Really? You think that's all right?

-Yes, yes.

Can I have it back?

You can, but you'll have to travel to a shop to get it,

so I have managed to sell it.

I've got some money here for you, actually.

-Oh, wonderful.

-I have got...

£142.50.

That's tremendous.

Well done. Oh, that's tremendous.

I wouldn't have room for it here anyway, so that's...

I'm glad it's gone to a good home.

What might you do with £142.50?

Well, that's pretty easy. My late wife died of cancer,

so it'll go to a cancer research charity, most definitely.

I loved working on it.

I'm so pleased that you're going to do that with it.

It's hopefully a happy ending for a lovely piece of furniture.

Oh, absolutely. My wife would be happy, too.

-That's wonderful. Thank you very much.

-It's been so nice to catch up, thank you so much.

I don't often get a kiss! How lovely.

-Bye-bye.

-Well done, that's tremendous.

You might not get kisses often, Sarah, but I think you should.

It's a great result for the dressing table.

Sarah spent £22.50 on paint stripper and wax.

She sold it for an impressive £165,

giving Colin a fabulous £142.50 profit.

That's our first item selling for a profit.

Sarah's back in Crystal Palace to see how our three restoration whizzes

have got on with the coffee table.

Were they able to solve the clamp conundrum and close those gaps?

I'm here to pick up my coffee table and I'm expecting to be wowed by its transformation,

not because it's had a massive overhaul,

but because it's had a delicate, subtle, lovely restoration.

-It's gone well, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, it's gone really well.

It looks great. It's gone back together pretty much perfect.

It's not warped any more.

I think we've returned it back to what it would look like originally if it was looked after.

It's still got signs of age, which is nice,

because it's an old table, but it looks, you know, neat,

tidy and the finish has come up nicely, you can see all the grain,

so really pleased with how it's turned out.

When Sarah salvaged the coffee table at the tip,

it was beaten and broken.

Now it has risen from the ashes.

The top is glued into one piece and the warping is gone,

clamped straight to create a crisp,

smooth surface with perfectly matched joins.

Underneath, the legs have being given a gentle, thorough clean.

And to finish, the whole table has been stripped,

with the varnish replaced by a wax finish.

Goes to show a bit of head scratching,

a lot of patience and plenty of TLC

can restore a table to its former glory.

-Hiya.

-Hey.

-Hello, are you all right?

I'm all right.

-That's not my one.

-Yes. That's your one, yes.

Well, of course, I know it's my one, but...

That looks fantastic, it looks...

Well, I was going to say brand-new, but not quite brand-new.

How did it go? Because it looks just unreal.

It was good, it was fine.

There was a few issues with the clamping it back together.

I think we had to do a few, like test runs before we got there,

but, yeah, it's gone back really nicely.

It's a proper restoration job, isn't it?

It looks like it was never damaged and that was something that was

worrying me, that I'd come in here and it'd be, you know,

a little bit off and not quite right,

but that looks like it's been looked after all its life.

Did it come in on budget? Because I know that clamping and sorting out

all the top is quite tricky. Was it a difficult process?

Yeah, it was a little bit difficult.

Because we had to trial a few different ways of clamping.

Because it was warped, you clamped it one way and it would bend one way

and you clamped another way it would bend another, so we had to do a lot of sort of,

just took a bit more time figuring out the method.

Then once we figured it out, it went back quite well.

-Cool.

-But it came in on budget,

but kind of more the higher end of what we sort of quoted.

So where did that leave us on the money?

We quoted about 120-160 and because of the time and how long it took,

especially with the sanding as well, because we didn't realise how deep the stains were in it,

it came to about 160 in total, which is what we quoted,

but sort of the upper end.

What you've done to it, I couldn't have hoped for anything better than that.

It looks fresh, but vintage.

It's got everything going for it, so that is a great job.

-Thanks so much. See you soon, guys.

-See you later.

-Bye.

Well, I was after a perfect restoration and that's just what they delivered.

That Ercol is now beautiful, saleable and really desirable.

It was a really nice response, I think.

It's exactly what we were hoping for.

I mean, we were proud of it anyway, but, you know, to get her response,

-after she's sent it in the state it was to what it is now, yeah, it was really nice, wasn't it?

-Mm.

Yeah, yeah.

Back at the tip, Sarah was quick to spot the potential in Robert's boot.

-Look at those legs.

-I reckon that's Ercol.

That's not going in there, is it?

I was planning on doing so.

Robert was reluctant to see it go.

-So you are an Ercol fan, then?

-Yeah, I love it.

My uncle worked for them, my nan bought this from brand-new, so...

With a family connection, Robert had high hopes for its future.

I'm sure she's got every intention of doing something great with it.

So, yeah, I'm really pleased that she's taken it from me today.

I don't think you'll be disappointed, as the restoration is top-notch.

Sarah went straight home and posted pictures online,

and she found a private buyer.

Now, Sarah's travelled to Midhurst to show Robert the transformation

and hand over the profit.

-Hi, there.

-Hello.

-Hi, Robert. How are you doing?

-Not too bad, yourself?

-Yeah, very well, thank you. Nice to see you again.

-Yeah, you too.

So, you were dropping off an Ercol table at the tip.

-It was your grandmother's, is that right?

-It was, yeah.

Your uncle used to work for Ercol?

-He'd done a brief apprenticeship there, yeah.

-OK.

So, did you think, when I took it away,

what I might have done with your table?

Well, I weren't sure.

I was hoping that you were going to restore it yourself, but, you know,

I know also that you paint things and make other bits and pieces to them, so...

I'm not actually sure what you've done!

-It's all right, I've some pictures here to show you.

-Excellent.

It wasn't something I'd worked on, it was something I took to south London to a fantastic team of guys.

They did a fantastic job on your table.

They've managed to get rid of all those cracks,

they have resurfaced it and it is now a pristine Ercol table.

-Excellent.

-It did look amazing and we shared it on social media

and it got an instant buyer.

-So it did sell.

-OK.

-I've got some money here.

-OK.

I've got a fiver there for you.

-Lovely, OK.

-And 130 quid there to go with it.

Wow, thank you. Oh, dear...

Thanks a lot.

I love handing over money.

Cheers, that's going to come in handy.

Well, you've just moved house.

-Is that where it's going to go?

-Yeah, that's going on a coat hook.

Is it? I know somebody who can make a really nice one of those.

-Yeah, I'm sure you do.

-Coat hooks, well,

thank you so much for your time at the tip and here today.

-Thank you very much.

-Really good to catch up. Bye-bye.

-Bye-bye.

The cost to restore the table was £160.

Sarah sold it for a cracking £295,

giving Robert a £135 pocket full of profit.

Back in Marlow in Buckinghamshire,

Sarah left the bike that belonged to Julian's late father.

Has bagman Neil turned it into fabulous bike panniers?

What was I thinking?

The last time I came to Marlow, I left my favourite bag maker,

Neil Wragg, with a bicycle.

What will he have made of that?

Well, this was a completely different challenge to what I'm used to.

I've managed to incorporate as much of the bike as I possibly can,

including some very personal touches,

and I hope Sarah's going to be quite thrilled.

When Sarah picked this bike up, its commuter days were long over.

Now Neil has made two bespoke bicycle panniers,

showcased beautifully on the back of Neil's own bike.

It's an ingenious use of materials throughout.

The handlebar grips are the top handles,

while the inner tubes formed the internal lining.

The brake cables are piping.

The frame struts are fixings.

And the spokes add rigidity.

Neil's vision even includes a rail ticket that once belonged to Julian's dad.

A wonderful touch and an inspiring design.

-Sarah, hi!

-Hello, how are you doing?

-Very well, how are you?

Yeah, I'm really well. Where's my bicycle?

This way, follow me.

Now, that's not my bike.

This isn't the bike but this is most of the bike.

Come on, then. Let's see, I'm so excited.

Let's have a look.

We've got the set of up-cycled leather cycle luggage.

What have you used from the bike, then?

So, from the bike, we've got his old steel tubes,

which were obviously from the bike and how you attach it to the frame.

-Yeah.

-His old saddle bag straps.

Obviously you can see the grip.

We've got his brake cable as piping.

We've got the inner tubes from his old bike, with patch.

We've got the spokes to create the structure.

And I think you can see the last tickets he bought

incorporated into the label.

I'm speechless. Honestly, Neil, they're fantastic.

So, that's how you...

To get all of that in there is amazing.

There's a lot of the bike.

Neil's come up trumps with this clever design,

using so much of Julian's late father's bike.

But what about the budget?

Did you make it on budget?

I think they were £100 for the bag.

Yes, after all the angle grinding,

it was just some straightforward sewing.

I'm blown away. Honestly, I don't know what else to say.

It's just fantastic. Thank you, they are amazing.

And just to think, that bike is going on a completely different journey now.

-Going on another journey.

-You are fantastic, well done.

-Thank you.

-Beautiful.

Well, I am blown away with what Neil has managed to achieve,

but he has handed over the baton to me.

I've got to sell them now.

There was a lot of the bike involved in the, in the final product,

so it was nice. It was quite emotional.

I don't normally get the angle grinder out to do my sewing projects,

so this was quite a challenge.

But it's turned out very nice.

When Julian brought his trailer of trash to the tip,

Sarah was soon on the case.

-Whose is that?

-That apparently was my dad's.

I don't know from what decade,

but it certainly hasn't seen the light of day for quite a few.

Recognising the bike had seen better days, Sarah wasn't put off.

I really liked the fact that it's a bit tatty.

-Yeah?

-That's lucky. Yeah, I know.

Julian realised it was a massive task to make anything from the bike.

Hopefully she's got a good team of magicians who are going to turn it into something interesting.

Yeah, Julian, Sarah has friends who can work their magic.

On this occasion, though, it's Neil who pulled the panniers out of the hat.

Sarah snaps some pictures of the panniers to put them up for sale.

Now Sarah's in Godalming to show Julian what happened to his dad's bike.

And I reckon he'll be gobsmacked.

-Hi, there.

-Hiya.

-Nice to see you again.

-Yeah, good to see you.

-How are you doing?

-I'm really well.

Now, I said I'd pop back and see you if there was something to be done with that old bike.

-Yeah, yeah?

-Did you think, what on earth's she going to do with that?

I couldn't really imagine seeing it turned into anything decent, no.

So I'll be impressed if you can transform it into something.

I have. Not personally. I took it to Neil Wragg,

who's a fantastic bag maker over in Marlow and he saw the bike,

-wasn't that impressed to begin with...

-Understandably, yeah.

But he likes a challenge and I've got some pictures here to show you what he did with it.

OK, yeah, love to see it, yeah.

Your bike has been recycled into bike panniers.

Oh, right? OK.

So what he did is he used some of the frame to make the structure for

-the panniers.

-Yeah.

-He used the brake cables to make the piping

of the bags and he's even used some little train tickets

-that were in the back to make the labels.

-Nice touch.

Right, yeah, that's all right.

I wouldn't have seen the bike in there unless you pointed it out,

but I can see now all the little elements of it, yeah.

-So, what do you think of that?

-Yeah, amazing.

I'm absolutely astounded that he's managed to turn it into

something quite so attractive and useful looking,

because it was basically a pile of scrap, wasn't it?

I haven't sold them yet, I haven't had them for very long,

but I think they should sell well and give you some profit.

Thank you so much, especially for your time, I know you're very busy,

-so lovely to catch up with you.

-Pleasure, thanks a lot.

-Thanks ever so much.

-Take care.

-Bye-bye.

-Cheers.

Neil charged £200 to transform the bike into panniers.

With Sarah still to sell them, though,

it could mean a potential loss of £200.

But I'm sure it won't be long before Julian is pedalling away

with a profit.

Sarah salvaged three unwanted items from Witley recycling centre.

Colin's dressing table was given a fresh new look by Sarah.

Robert's coffee table has been lovingly restored by Rosie, Tom and Johnny.

And Julian's old bike continues life as panniers, courtesy of Neil.

Well, three fantastic finds that were about to be binned have been

transformed into unique and valuable items.

And what's more, we made some money for nothing along the way.