North East Bargain Hunt

Gateshead is home of the famous Angel of the North, but there's no time to sight-see.

With hundreds of stalls to trawl, our teams should have no problem

bagging some bargains.

Well, I can hardly keep up with today's teams, I tell you.

For the reds we've got good friends Irene and Ann.

Welcome to the show. And for the blues we have Ernie and Dorothy.

Welcome to Bargain Hunt.

Now, Irene, when did you two first meet and become friends?

We first met about 20 years ago.

We worked together. And then for the past six years since we retired,

we've been going out once a week visiting all the local coffee shops.

-You never go to a pub?

-Occasionally, occasionally. But just for a meal.

-Just for a meal. That's your story, anyway.

-Yes.

-Now if I was to say Bargain Hunt equalled 17 points, would that mean something to you?

-Scrabble.

I play Scrabble on the internet.

-Do you?

-Yes. I've got about 20 games on the go at one time.

-20 games?

-Yes. I play against people from Australia, America, Malta, South Africa.

-How brilliant. I had no idea that happened on the internet.

-Yes.

Ann, let's get straight to the point.

You are completely barking mad, aren't you?

I love me dogs. I have two border collies, Rolly and Sweep, and two German shepherds, Echo and Asia.

And you get involved with charities with your dogs.

Pets As Therapy, it's a charity where we visit hospitals and hospices.

And that led to Sweep being awarded PAT Dog of the Year award, wasn't it?

Yes. We won the award for the work that we did with a gentleman who

was left severely disabled after a road traffic accident.

One of the reporters said, "What difference has Sweep made to your life?"

And he said, "He's given me back my life."

Ah, isn't that brilliant?

Now you collect quite a lot, too, but I can't guess what the subject would be.

It's not cats!

-Anything to do with dogs.

-Well, in all these fairs there's lots of old dogs wandering around.

-Anyway, talking of old dogs. Ernest?

-Thank you very much.

-How did you two meet then?

I went into a public house one evening many, many moons ago

and this lady was up on the stage sitting with a guitar and singing.

-Really?

-And that lady turned out to be my Dorothy.

-What did you do as a job of work?

-I served my time as a whitesmith.

I've been a junior linesman on the overhead power lines.

I've been a taxi driver. I've also been a part-time speedway rider.

Have you? Gosh, you are a jack of all trades, aren't you?

-One or two different things, yes.

-And I'm told also a poet.

-And a poet as well, yes.

I was nominated, strangely enough, as poet laureate for Metro Radio

by a guy called James Whale.

And after about three poems, he said to me, "I will dare you to write a poem about a certain subject."

-He did, and I managed to do it each and every time.

-It's quite a challenge.

-Yes, indeed it was.

-Now, Dorothy, it was your voice that first attracted Ernie, wasn't it?

Yes, it was. I used to do a terrific amount.

I used to do charity shows and one thing and another.

-You also write songs, don't you?

-Yes, I do, yes. On an odd occasion.

If I need write something about a certain subject, I usually come up with something.

Is this a sufficiently odd occasion?

Oh, yes, of course. I couldn't come on to Bargain Hunt without that.

Well, you'd better give us a bit of a trill then, hadn't you?

# BBC 1, Monday to Friday

# 12.15 until 1.00

# You'll find me vying with contestants

# Most think it is only fun

# But to me it is a challenge

# To price out every lot

# You've guessed, Yes, it's Bargain Hunt

# Antiques with Tim Wonnacott. #

Isn't that amazing! Fantastic. Well, I can't reach those notes,

but what I can do is to hand you out a few notes.

-300 of them.

-Thank you.

-There you go, Annie.

-There you go, Irene.

-Thank you very much.

You've got an hour to shop for three items,

and any leftover lolly will be given to your expert to find a bonus buy.

-All clear?

-Yes.

-Your experts await and off you go.

And very, very good luck.

So will it be our musical blues or our barking reds

who reign supreme today?

Let's meet today's experts. Can you guess who it is for the reds?

It's David Harper.

Hunting down bargains for the blues is wee Paul Laidlaw.

Ann, David, come and have a look at these.

Wow, big, bonny set.

-What's the story here then?

-Well, the dealer's told me

that these were presented to winning owners of horseraces in Newcastle.

-Newcastle Races, yeah.

-Yes.

-When? Any idea?

No. No idea at all.

Looks like '50s, '60s, '70s, really.

Just a cardboard box. Any particular race meetings?

No, I would suspect because it has "Newcastle Races Prize",

there is a race at Newcastle called the Donkey Derby.

-Was that donkey racing?

-No, no.

It's the Pitmen's Derby.

It's the Northumberland Plate.

I would suspect that that was the race.

Well, they're good-looking things but they're not silver.

Silver-plate with a nice bit of gold gilding on the interior there.

So they're very pretty. There's no date anywhere. "Newcastle Races"

is one thing, but I'd love a date, a name of a horse, a trainer, jockey, anything like that.

Mind you, with it being races, the auction is in Yorkshire, which is horsing country.

-Well, Leyburn, yeah.

-So is it a good buy then?

No doubt about it. Just down the road from Leyburn is Middleham.

Loads of horse breeding there and lots of horsey people

-and horsey people spend brass, don't they?

-Yes.

-And that's what we're after.

-Yes.

So talking about brass, what sort of money?

Well, it was on offer at £100, but I've managed to knock them down to 65.

Well, there's no way could you ever replace them for that sort of money.

Get a couple of horsey people, particularly ones who want to pretend they've won some races.

They're the ones you want!

You know, 100 quid.

If I wanted them, I'd have to pay £100, yeah.

Fingers crossed that they're going to be there that day.

Ernie, mine's a double.

-Do tell, what you got there?

-It's a whisky flagon.

Indeed, aye. Are you a whisky man?

I have tried it, but my preference is a different ale.

My good lady is a whisky person.

-So does your good lady like this?

-Oh, I love it.

I love just the pattern, the colour. The blue's so deep on it.

It's absolutely beautiful.

I think it's absolutely gorgeous.

-May I?

-Yes, of course.

I think, at first glance, you have spotted something rather sexy indeed.

It should be Doulton. Doulton stoneware. Nicely marked up.

It's all there for you. Lovely little mark, that.

-Yes.

-Uh-huh.

-You've got this tube-line decoration.

That's piped on in slip. Slip is just thinned-down clay.

-So you throw your body and then you pipe on this pattern.

-You pipe it on.

-Just like icing sugar.

That's exactly how it's done.

Silver mounted. They are silver. Walker & Hall.

That should be about 45.

These are frequently mounted post-production, but that appears all right to me.

If I'm being perfectly honest with you, I'd have put the flagon earlier

than the stopper, but it marries well.

-Feels right to me.

-Will it make any difference, the fading of the blue?

The glaze doesn't seem to have taken properly.

That's just where the glaze has not fallen as evenly over there.

It's poured over. It's a bit thin.

That little imperfection there, the Arts and Crafts people loved.

It demonstrated that it was a hand-made piece.

-It was a hand-made item.

-I'll wager it wasn't cheap.

What's he asking for it?

He was asking 160.

I'll tell you what, that's not crazy money in a retail environment.

But you'd need the gods with you to make a profit on that.

-Is that the death?

-No, no, no.

We've got him down to 130.

And then my good lady gave me that look.

-And I thought, "I'll try once more" and I got it down to 120.

-Great.

Are you going to go and do the deal?

-Yes, indeed. I'm off.

-Good luck.

Irene, David. Have a look at this.

A fine figure of a horse, that, isn't it?

I think the base is onyx, I think, is it?

Yes, nice and heavy. What is it then?

It looks as if maybe it's supposed to be an ashtray...

-Or a pin tray.

-But you could use that for lots of things.

Little trinkets, pins.

It could be an ashtray, but you don't have the area to hold a cigarette.

What's the horse made of?

That's bronze, I'm quite sure.

That is lovely. Onyx-based, lovely quality, nice and slim and tall.

-Real racehorse-looking thing.

-Yes.

It's even got the detail of the reins there. It's so fine.

Super detailing. Nice painting.

Maybe this is the horse that won those goblets.

That's real wishful thinking, that one!

But by goodness me, we're on a horsey theme here, girls, aren't we?

The horse itself is cold-painted, meaning that the bronze is moulded

-and then when it cools, then it's painted.

-Oh, right.

Lovely. So it's hand-painted.

The Germans and the Austrians were really big, about 100 years ago,

on making all sorts of animal figures in bronze and then cold-painting them.

So it's probably Austrian or German.

And date, it's probably early 20th century.

As for price, I haven't looked at the ticket there,

but it's got to be worth 40, 50, 60, 70, £80 all day long.

-Right. Well, it's for sale for 70.

-It's about right, isn't it?

I feel I'd probably could try to get it for less.

Well, you're gonna have to. But it's just such a lovely thing.

I think that people, particularly where we're going, horse country...

-Horse country, racehorse country.

-With all our horsey gear!

-Yes!

-We're got to find a market for it, haven't we?

-I shall gallop along to the store.

-Aw, very good!

Ann got to the finishing post and reined in the filly for £45.

-Hey, guys.

-Yes.

-Knee-jerk reaction.

-OK.

-Oh! Fabulous! Oh, I really like those.

-You like?

-Oh, yes.

-Have a feel. Take them.

-See what you think.

-Yes.

Oh, I do like those, Paul.

Aren't they really sweet?

-And a Newcastle retailer.

-Exactly.

-Wellington Street, yes.

-Let me tell you some more about them.

Pair of napkin rings, of course. They make wonderful christening gifts.

There is a market for them, OK?

Solid silver. A pair.

Now if you look at them here, we've got them decorated in this band of foliate scrollwork.

Does what it says on the tin.

-Beautiful.

-This little... We'd call this a cartouche here,

which is a little area made for engraving ownership initials...

-I see!

-And this is a double-edged sword.

If they're your initials, we're laughing. But life's not like that.

They're someone else's. But it's neither here nor there.

We look at the hallmarks here.

-Assayed in Birmingham in 1946.

-1946.

An expensive object in '46, I'm sure.

I remember the prices well in those days.

LAUGHTER

-What do you think?

-I think they're amazing, but how much?

Here's the damage. At the moment, they're on at £25 each.

Each? I think that's a bit steep.

-I agree with that.

-I do.

I'm pretty sure I can get something off that.

If the price was right, what do you think?

-Oh, definitely.

-No problem.

-It's a good 'un.

-Yes.

Paul worked his magic and halved the price, nabbing the napkin rings for £25.

What an earth is that?

Well, I understand it's a trivet.

-A trivet, OK.

-Yes, you hook this on to the fire.

-Like that, yeah.

-You have the pan sitting on here.

-Got you.

-Now if you want the pan to boil,

-you leave it over the fire at its highest.

-Brilliant.

If you want it to simmer,

you bring it forward and it simmers on the lower heat.

-Fantastic.

-Simple as that.

-Did you know it was a trivet when you saw it?

-Not really.

The stall-holder did tell me. Shared that information.

He's been doing a selling job on you, hasn't he?

I did like it, cos it's so old. It looks old.

How old do you think it is?

I would like to think it was over 100 years old anyway.

OK. And what does "GR" stand for?

Obviously, someone's initials.

Is it George something?

-George...

-Well, I imagine... I think someone pretty important.

-I think, King George.

-Sixth?

No, not the sixth. It can only be, one to four, can't it? So George I, 1714.

The last George that we're talking about in this period is George IV, who died in 1830.

But looking at the style, I would say it's George III, about 1800 in date.

-Gosh!

-It's over 200 years old.

So what it is, it's a Georgian microwave! Isn't it?!

Probably do the job just as well.

I think it will last longer than any modern microwave.

-But what a great piece of kit.

-Isn't it in good condition?

Wonderful. I mean, look at that. Look at that casting there.

Absolutely rock solid.

-Being used for 200 years, probably non-stop, as good as it was the day it was made.

-Yes, it's amazing.

And what a great system. Just bung it on your fire, warm up, cool down, keep it simmered.

-It works.

-Well, it's only £42.

We're going to a lovely, quality, country sale, aren't we?

Where people live in country cottages.

It's going to the right place, there's no doubt about it.

Let's just hope there's two people who want it.

The sliding trivet was finally bought for just £30.

Oh, I like that.

Ernie, Paul, come and see what I've found.

Yes.

-She's pretty.

-Isn't she gorgeous?

-You love figurines, don't you?

-I do.

-I love it.

-Like the one I broke...

The lovely one I had at home and you threw the ball for the dog and broke it.

-No, it just fell off the shelf by accident.

-Yes, yes...

I know about that as well. But just look at the detail on the face.

I like the colour. I don't know how old she is, but it's got a...

-Doulton.

-Yes, it's Doulton.

-I might have known.

-It's got a number on the bottom,

so we could find out more about her if we wanted to.

What do you think, Paul?

I like it for all the reasons you just stated.

Are you one for the china ladies, Ernie?

It is beautiful piece, there's no two ways about that. Gorgeous.

And that's what sells it today as much as it did, oh, 60 years ago.

And these are just so popular.

Now, the earlier the better,

because it's not at all controversial saying

as they moved forward in time,

the quality of the decoration just slackened off.

This is an earlier figure. This is Dorcas, this little lady here.

An unusual name for you. And you did spot the serial number there.

That's the unique model number for this figure.

She was introduced in the mid '30s and she was made for about 20 years.

We could look up these numbers and this decorator's initial and find out

more precisely when it was made within that 20 years.

But that's academic.

It is so subtly glazed.

Look at this here, so lovely. But tell me, do you like the price?

-£160?

-Not really, no.

I think it's a bit steep.

If I was buying it for myself, I might well go to that because I love her so much.

I'd estimate that 80-100, 120.

So I mean, we're not a million miles off.

Worth a punt because there's nothing to worry about.

She's a commercial lassie.

I'd give her a go, but you've got work to do.

Dorothy did a deal, bagging Dorcas for £130.

Time's up. Let's see what the reds bought.

The reds started with the silver-plate presentation cups,

bought for £65.

Have they backed a winner with the cold-painted bronze horse?

Finally, will their trivet bring the auction house to the boil,

or will it be more of a slow simmer?

Hmm!

The blues started with a whisky decanter,

but will they need a stiff drink at the auction?

The cased, silver napkin rings were bought for a well-folded £25.

Finally, will Dorcas catch the bidders' eyes and make our blues a profit?

We're in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, for today's auction.

So, Irene and Ann, you spent £140.

You gave David £160 of leftover lolly to buy something splendido.

-We did indeed, yes.

-Let's find out what he bought.

A fine figure of a fellow. I think you two will fall in love with him.

-Oh, gosh!

-Looks like you a bit.

-Looks like me?

I thought it looked like Tim.

-Bloody rude.

-Oh, my gosh!

-What do you think?

Well, he's quite ugly.

What do you mean? Might look like me!

-What's he made of?

-Well, it's majolica.

Oh, right. That's means something.

It does, but made by a really good maker and stamped on the base, "Wedgwood".

So Wedgwood are very well known for making really high-quality majolica with Minton and people like that.

Absolutely fabulous. Great quality. Give him a stroke.

-How much did you pay for it?

-45. I know it's only a single.

But I think, you know, for 50, 60, 70 quid, he's an absolute bargain.

If there's people out there who like ugly men, he'll sell well.

Well, my wife does, by all accounts!

-So modest.

-I know.

-Don't run yourself down, sweetie.

No, Tim, I don't do it very often.

I've noticed that.

-Paul took your £25's worth of leftover lolly.

-He did.

What did he buy? OK, Paul, reveal all.

-Let's see.

-Questions first.

-Dorothy, is your heart all right?

-Yes, it's fine.

-That's one thing.

-Ernie, you did national service?

-Yes.

-Don't need me. What's that then?

-Ooh!

-I hope it's a dud. I hope it's a dud!

-Not as much as I do.

-Hand grenade!

Indeed it is. Novelty paperweight. That's the real deal.

Believe me, it's safe. The worst you could do with it is drop it on your toe.

But that is a Mills bomb.

British Army. Introduced in the First World War.

This is its Second World War incarnation.

I've got to say, it is a design icon.

It's a classic. You think grenade, that's what it is.

-Will it make money?

-I'm telling you, it'll make a profit.

If it doesn't, I'll pull the pin.

Have a look. What do you think of that?

-Oh, gosh, it's heavy, mind.

-Isn't it?

-It's a real one, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-Perfect.

-How much did you pay?

-£25.

-£25 paid.

Big question is, Ernie, is it an earner?

-In my opinion, no.

-No.

-Really?

-Now how excited are you?

-Very.

On an excitement stakes?

-Out of ten? Eight.

-Eight out of ten.

-What about you, Irene?

-Oh, 9½, definitely.

Don't peak early, that's all I can say.

You found the presentation cups. Nice racing, sporting interest.

It all depends on who's here.

The auctioneer's put 30-60 on them. You paid £65.

Personally, I think there could be a bit of a hole there.

But watch out for that one.

But if all else fails, you can always fall back on the bonus buy, can't you?

-We hope!

-You hope.

Anyway, first up then are the presentation cups. Here they come.

Case set of six silver-plated, engraved goblets.

The Newcastle crest and Newcastle races. Start where you will.

A good set of six of them.

Start me at £50. 20, then. 20 bid.

Thank you at £20 only bid. At £20.

-Come on. More, more.

-Newcastle races at £20. 30.

40. At £40.

-Roll it, please!

-Look out.

-More!

-At £40...

£40.

I'm sorry to say, that is minus £25.

Anyway, now the trivet.

Lot 41, the Georgian copper, brass and iron sliding trivet.

An unusual item there to have been pierced and initialled.

Start where you will. £50. £20 then. 20.

-It's worth that.

-Come on!

-40.

-Yes, yes.

-At £40.

-You're in profit.

-I'll take five, if you will? At £40.

You all done this time at 40?

That's very good, £40.

You are plus £10.

-Plus ten.

-Oh!

Minus 15 overall.

Now your little gee-gee here. Here we go.

Lot 52, the small, cold-painted, bronze figure of the horse

on the green onyx base.

£50. £20. Nicely modelled. 20 bid.

-At £20. 30. 40. 50.

-Yes!

-Yes!

-Come on!

Right here in the front row. At £50. Are we all done?

Selling at 50.

Making a profit. That's very good.

-Good girl. Plus £5.

-Told you.

You told me, yes. Told everybody! Well, that's fantastic.

£5 profit on that, which means overall you are minus £10. OK.

-Minus £10. What are you gonna do?

-We'll have to go with David.

-The ugly fella.

-We'll go with the ugly man.

-Ann, are you happy with that?

-Even though he's ugly, yes, I am.

-Here it comes.

Lot 56 - the 19th-century, Wedgwood, majolica candlestick there.

£20, may I say? 20 bid. 30.

At £30. Any advances there?

-Oh, come on.

-50.

-Yes.

50. 60. Thank you.

-At £60.

-60!

-All done at £60.

You're out there at 60.

Come on, one more. Yes!

-What a handsome fellow!

-Plus 15.

-I love that!

Which means, overall, you are plus £5.

Oh, hallelujah!

-So do you know how the reds got on?

-No idea at all.

Brilliant. We don't want you to.

Let me run through your items. I've talked to the auctioneer.

He thinks the whisky decanter, which you found, Ernie, is worth £70-£100.

-Good lord!

-So he's a bit under you, but on the other hand, it's in good condition.

The napkin rings, which you found, Paul, which were incredibly cheap at £25. He's put 20-30 on them.

-And your little figure of Dorcas, £100 is his estimate.

-Oh, dear.

-So that might be a bit tight, too.

-Ooh!

So you've got two tighties and one possibility, but if all else fails, you've got the bomb to fall back on.

Anyway, first lot up is the whisky tot and here it comes.

Lot 75, the Royal Doulton stoneware decanter with a silver collar.

£100, may I say? 100. £50 then?

50, the bid. Thank you. 60.

70. 80. 90. 100.

-Oh, yes!

-120. 130.

-You're in profit.

-130. Good order. 130. Michael, no. 130.

The bid is on my left now. £130.

140, back in again.

Give you time. £140, the bid at the back of the room now.

At £140. All done?

-Yes!

-Well, done, both.

-140.

Plus £20. That's a very good start.

I said you wouldn't make profit. The napkin rings.

Lot 76, the two cased, silver napkin rings. "LL" and "EL". At £50.

-40. Well, £20 then? 20 bid.

-Come on.

-At £20 only bid. All in at 20? 30.

-Come on!

At £30. The bid is on my right now.

-Go on!

-All done!

-£30.

-Profit.

Not bad. Plus £5. We're not getting sniffy. Now Dorcas.

-Lot 77, the Royal Doulton, china figure. Dorcas.

-Fingers crossed.

It's all on you, Dot.

Several bids on this. And we start at £50.

A £50 bid for Dorcas. At 50. 60. 70.

-80. 90.

-Yes, yes!

-100. At £100.

-Come on, a bit more!

-£100.

Are we all done this time? At £100.

-No! Ah!

-£100, darling.

That's minus 30.

Which means overall you are minus £5.

Ah, lordy lord! Ah, what a shame.

Don't worry, you've got the bomb to fall back on.

-True.

-What are you gonna do?

Are you going to trust him? £25, you paid for this grenade...

-We might as well.

-Do you trust him?

-I think so.

He paid £25. It's coming up now.

Second World War, No.36 grenade, Mills bomb.

Where would you be for this one? £20. 10 then. £10, anybody?

10 bid, right here in the front row. At 10. 20.

-20, 30.

-Yes.

40. No. £40. Anyone else?

£40...

£40. That's plus £15.

Which means you are £10 up.

-Massive.

-Well, done, Paul. That is a first-rate effort, I tell you.

Well, what excitement.

A roller-coaster today. Absolutely fantastic.

Do you know who's won?

-No idea.

-No. You know what your own scores are, don't you?

-Yes.

Yeah, you know that. They're pretty sharp, this lot!

Well, by a very short nose, I have to tell you,

-the reds are the runners-up.

-Oh!

LAUGHTER AND CHEERING

I know it is bad luck, isn't it?

I mean, your presentation cups, they weren't so good. Minus 25.

But the trivet came back very strongly.

And then you got your little bronze, which nobody thought was gonna do...

That did all right. You were minus 10. And then what happened?

David strode into the forum.

-Like a knight in shining armour.

-With a £10 profit on the ugly old toad.

-So overall, you have a profit of £5.

-Great!

Five smackers.

-But for the victors today.

-Wow! Get in!

Look at Ernie's face! Fantastic, wasn't it?

£20 on your whisky decanter. That was a very good profit, wasn't it?

-Yes, indeed.

-Not bad on the napkin rings.

Well, done, Paulus. That was very good.

And minus 30 on the Dorcas.

It all looked as if it was going very, very badly wrong. And the Mills bomb came back to save you...

-Fantastic. There you go, £10 profit.

-Thank you, kind sir.

Very, very good. Well, we've had a great day.

-Join us soon for some more bargain hunting, yes?

-ALL: YES!

For more information about Bargain Hunt,

including how the programme was made, go to:

www.bbc.co.uk/lifestyle

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