Lincoln 19 Bargain Hunt

Today, we've headed to Lincoln.

There are over 2,000 dealers here, at the Lincolnshire Showground.

This fair is vast.

So, what are we waiting for?

Let's go bargain hunting! Yeah.

Now, did you know that Lincoln Cathedral once had a tower

which made it the world's tallest building?

Until it fell down in a storm in 1549.

But we'll have no tall stories here today.

Oh, no.

Here's a quick taster as to what's coming up.

The Reds and Blues meet head-to-head on the Bargain Hunt battle ground.

-We bought five things, the Koh-I-Noor Diamond for £50.

-Oh, good.

THEY ALL LAUGH

We've made money on our things already.

Oh, yeah, we have.

Just keep in mind, we are the underdogs, OK?

But who will steal the ultimate prize at auction?

-One more.

-Come on.

-One more.

This is a bit more like it.

-That's it. Yes.

-Everyone's woken up a bit.

Let's meet the teams.

On Bargain Hunt today, we really are keeping it in the family

because we've got brother and sister-in-law Paul and Brenda

versus father and daughter Amisha and Narendra.

-Hello, everyone.

-Hello.

-Hi.

Paul, you're married to Brenda's sister. You must get on very well.

Yes. I've been married 38 years.

I met Brenda 39 years ago and she's kept me in check ever since,

being the oldest of a bunch of nine sisters.

You're very keen on remembering the past. Tell us more.

Yes, I have the honour and privilege to be a battlefield tour guide

and I take groups of school students to the Somme and to Ypres

to show them the sacrifices that were made

and to make them understand the meaning of remembrance.

-You've served yourself?

-Yes.

I had 13 years in the Royal Air Force Regiment,

which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I left that at the age of 30 and joined the prison service, 23 years.

Left that last year and here I am now as a tour guide.

Very nice, too.

Now, Brenda, you've retired once, but you got fed up with that,

so you retired again.

-That's right.

-And then you did some work in between.

-That's correct.

-Tell us about that.

No, I've not retired again. I'm still working.

-Oh, are you?

-Yes.

-At what?

I'm an administrator for a leisure company.

-Is that suntanning or golfing or...?

-No, no, no, no.

I work for a food and drinks buyer.

-That's an important job, then, isn't it?

-Oh, yes.

You get to taste all the lovely foods.

How very nice, too.

So, what do you do to relax when you're not working so jolly hard?

I take a group of grandchildren to the seaside

or I go round National Trust houses.

-Do you?

-Yes!

So, are you two going to be able to make a great team effort today?

-Oh, yes.

-Yes.

-I'm going to...

-I've got him under control.

-Yes.

And I've taught him what he's got to do.

-I've told him already what he's got to do.

-Very good.

-Well, stand by then, Paul.

-To!

THEY ALL LAUGH

Anyway, very good luck.

Now, Amisha, tell me about your job in the teaching profession.

Yes, I'm a qualified teacher, but for the last three or four years,

I've been working as an early years consultant.

What does that mean?

It means I get the privilege of working with

lots of beautiful young children,

lots of very dedicated practitioners and families

and I support adults in delivering the early-years curriculum,

hopefully in a multi-sensory and exciting way for the young children.

Gosh, that's an awful lot of words joined up in a couple of paragraphs.

I'm already an admirer, I tell you.

-Apart from all that lot...

-Yes.

-..you also like collecting antiques.

-Yes, I do.

Me and my husband quite like having a bit of a mosey

round the antiques place and we're quite lucky in Lincolnshire here

cos there's a lot of places to choose from.

Now, Narendra, you have been desperate to go to India

-on your hols ever since you retired.

-That's right.

But you've not made it yet. Why's that?

When I retired, my first plan was to go to India

and spend about a year visiting all the historical places in India.

Mm-hm.

And Amisha came to me and says, "Daddy, you can't go to India

-"because I'm planning to get married."

-Ah!

And then after Amisha's marriage, I started my plans again

and within a month, my son came to me,

"Daddy, you can't go to India

-"because I've decided to get married now next month."

-Oh, no!

Yes. Yes.

How many more children have you got?

Only two, thank God for that!

-So, those two are off the payroll now, are they?

-That's right.

-So, are you saving up to go to India now?

-That's right.

-Now, you two clearly get on terribly well, right?

-We do.

-Yes.

Do you know what you're going to buy?

-We have got a strategy in place.

-Have you?

-Yes.

Are you going to share it with us?

-Daddy's going to be the haggler.

-Oh, is he?

Yeah, and I'm going to maybe be a bit more decisive, hopefully.

-Are you holding the money?

-Someone's going to have to do it.

-I'm holding the money.

-You're holding the money?

But she's going to tell me when to pay and how much to pay.

-OK.

-He thinks he's in control, but...

Anyway, now the money moment. £300 apiece.

There you go, Brenda. You've got the £300.

Notionally, I'll give the £300 to Narendra,

even though Amisha's going to control it, right?

Anyway, you know the rules. Your experts await, and off you go!

And very, very, very good luck.

Well, I never did.

Now, let's meet our experts.

Aiming to go ape with the Reds is Charles Hanson.

And Paul Laidlaw will be enlightening the blues.

Now, let's see what the teams are looking for.

-What about the sewing table? What do you think?

-I don't really like it.

-It's nice enough.

-We'd better trot on.

Oh, is it that time already?

-Let's get a trot on, absolutely.

-Let's do it, then.

We've had a bit of a chat

and we're looking for something that's going to make us go,

"Wow! What on earth is that?"

"Wow, I like."

I'd like to buy some nice silver, something that stands out

and shows it's really quality.

-Hands on.

-Hands on.

-Very much that.

-Are you ready to get hands on?

-Oh, certainly are.

-Certainly are.

Let's go and do it.

Right, teams, your 60 minutes starts now, and the meter is running!

Right, get going, teams.

-Shall we just go straight in?

-Let's do it.

-Yeah?

Ooh! Ooh!

-Did you like that? Chinese porcelain.

-Is it Chinese?

-Bit expensive, £80. Yeah. A bit too much.

-Yeah.

Yeah. We'll leave it.

Well, that's taking the advice on board.

Now, the Blues are already showing signs of indecision.

-That way, I think.

-Let's go...

-There's more choice.

The thing is... Yeah, this way.

We need to buy something.

You certainly do, Amisha. That's what this show is all about.

-It's a Denby.

-Denby.

There is no price on it whatsoever

and that's always quite nice because it's name your price, isn't it?

Yeah.

-Excuse me, how much is your vase?

-That's a fiver, sir.

-Put it down and let's walk on.

-Okey-doke.

That's the kind of thing with a two-minute dash at the end

-if we need it, I think.

-Exactly.

-Yeah.

Don't forget, someone might get to it before you.

-What do you think of the game set above?

-Ooh.

That's got more mileage, hasn't it? More traction.

-Can I have a look at it?

-I'm sure, if you're careful.

I'll let you. Thank you.

-Now, that's nice.

-Where's Dad?

-Narendra?

-Here I am.

-Look at this.

Tell us about this.

-All the chess pieces are there.

-Good.

-I haven't a clue what they are.

-PAUL CHUCKLES

I like the bit that we're at Lincoln.

-Oh, yeah!

-Oh, so we are, yeah.

You've got your chess set, you've got your board.

-Yeah.

-Your drafts, dominoes.

-You've got your pegs.

-For your cribbage.

-Lovely.

The only problem with it is the board.

Oh, that's a shame.

-Yeah.

-But I've got £110 on it. I could do £90 on it for you.

-£90? Shall we have a think?

-Well, we'll think about it.

-Well, you're not sure, are you?

-No.

You're in retreat, you're in reverse, Narendra, aren't you?

-"Get out of here," he says.

-NARENDRA LAUGHS

What's your problem with that? Speak freely.

-Just because it's damaged.

-I agree with you.

But what drew you to that?

I think it's just the way that this just seems to scream out

-a lot more character.

-Doesn't it? Doesn't it?

-Well, we've got a game compendium, which is always desirable.

-Right.

Could you do as a real deal on that?

I could do £80, but that's...

-It's coming down as lean as you can.

-You couldn't go to £70?

-I'll split the difference, £75.

-Oh, no, no, no.

-See, you're jumping in.

-That's right.

-Did you see that?

-Sorry.

-Yeah.

I think it's about right at £75, but it's just only about there.

Can we think about it?

I think maybe we should, but it's up to you.

Thank you for... It's lovely.

-Yeah?

-Thanks so much.

-Thank you very much.

-Hopefully, we'll see you in a bit.

There is nothing wrong with putting it on the back burner, Blues.

Meanwhile, time for tea for the Reds.

Guys, look at this.

You know, I see lots of four-piece silver tea sets,

but this has caught my eye because you've got this heart-shaped motif,

-which is so Glaswegian...

-It's very unusual.

..Scottish, Charles Voysey.

In manner, it's Arts and Crafts.

It is marked electroplate nickel silver and in the right sale,

-it could be £400 or £500.

-BRENDA EXHALES

But it needs to be the right sort of sale,

because the price guide on this is £230.

If you could buy it for £150, it could fly

or it could fumble and fall.

-Do you like it?

-I do, very much.

-Do you?

-We both like that.

-I like the lids.

If you never ask, you never get.

-Excuse me, madam.

-Hello.

-Have you got a second?

-Yes, hi.

-What is your best price on that?

-On the Voysey tea set?

-Yeah.

I can do it for £200.

I'll be honest with you, I was hoping to pay about £150.

I'd have liked to have paid £150 for it, too.

Whether we can meet you at £180.

But I'm afraid I paid more than that for it.

I'll do you another five pounds for £195.

I think it's a lot that Mr Wonnacott would just thrive on.

-Yeah.

-Right.

-And would wax about.

You're right, Carlos. It's magnificent.

Oh, you know me so well.

We've got to consider, that is two thirds of the money gone.

Let's say you came into my valuation day at my sale room,

you were the vendor of this.

I might say to you, "I'm going to guide it at £100 to £150,

"but it could make £300 or £400."

-I would like it.

-And it just has got potential legs to run and run.

Shake the ladies hand and I'll say, "Going, going..."

-That sounds good to me.

-Gone.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks.

-Thank you.

-Good luck with it.

-Thank you ever so much.

-Thank you. We might need it.

-Yes, yes, I know.

Wonderful lot. I love it.

It is a wonderful lot, Reds, but with a hefty price tag.

Well done. That's your first item. Get the kettle on.

But bear in mind, the clock is ticking.

-20 minutes into this gig.

-Ooh!

Don't panic, don't panic.

However, I keep thinking about this games compendium.

-I keep thinking about that.

-Really?

Yeah, and I was just thinking...

It's there, it's there in my head, and I'm just wondering...

Well, it's a big site.

If we head off in that direction and run out of time and think,

"Do you know, I wish we'd bought it," we've got to run back.

It could have gone because someone else spotted it.

-Let's go and have a look.

-Go and have a chat with him?

-Yes, definitely.

-Where was he?

Oh, here we go again. Which way now, Blues?

This place is enormous, so best strike while the iron is hot.

We really like the chess box, wooden chess box.

-The compendium. Yeah.

-Compendium.

We talked a little bit privately. Please, if you can...

Honestly, I was trying to help at £75.

-So it would have to be £75.

-I think we're buying it.

-I think at...

-What do you reckon?

-Yep, £75.

-Fine. Thanks very much.

-Excellent, thank you so much.

-Thank you so very much.

Really appreciate that.

That's it.

With one swift roll of the dice,

that's the first purchase for the Blues.

Hooray!

The Reds are still soaking up the atmosphere.

-That is nice.

-That is what you call a blotter.

If you were an Edwardian or late Victorian lady, probably about 1908.

-How much is that blotter, sir?

-£120.

-£120, there we are.

-BRENDA GASPS

And I would say drop a third and that's more like auction, you see.

-Yeah.

-A really good lot at £120 isn't a lot.

-But it's out of our spend, isn't it?

-I think so.

It is after you've spent all that money on the tea set, Charles.

Now, with both teams browsing nearby stalls, I sense trouble ahead.

What's on the plane?

I think it's a boat plane.

-Ah.

-It's for doing interior curves, yeah.

-It's really different, eh?

-Is it dear?

-Eh?

-Is it dear or cheap?

-£15.

Any good with your hands, folks?

If you saw the stuff I made, you wouldn't even recognise what it was,

so that's your answer.

-One thing I've seen over here I quite like, follow me.

-OK.

Just keep your head down, OK? Just get your head down.

Aye, aye, enemy ahead.

They haven't seen you. Just come in here. I quite like this.

It's a cabinet for sheet music.

But the Blues, they are quite oblivious.

So, it's a wood plane, we know this.

And it's got an adjustable arc here,

so we can make this curve tighter or on a shorter radius, yeah?

-And it allows you to dress the inside of...

-Oh, right, yeah.

-..a curved element.

-Can I have a feel of it?

-Absolutely.

-I was just thinking about maybe being used as a doorstop.

You know people like a unique...

The lady I bought it off said exactly the same.

See? You laugh at me.

-There you are.

-What do you think about it?

The tool market is a good one

because, as you say, boys and their toys.

-It's one of the strong economies amongst the collecting crowd.

-Yeah.

If it was by Spears or one of the great names,

we'd be going, "Oh, my word."

But whether it is a Stanley, we do not know.

-Date-wise, it'll have 100 year so it's an antique.

-Yeah.

Is it worth taking a punt at? I think people might.

-Yeah, I really like it.

-Would we take a punt?

-Yes.

-I'm happy with it.

-Can I look at it?

-Dad wants to look at it.

-It doesn't have to be 15 quid, does it?

-No.

-I don't think it's dear.

-£12, I'll do it for £12.

-Would you do it for ten pounds?

-Go on, then.

-I'll help you with it.

-Ta-dah!

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you very much.

Cheers, my friend. Thanks very much.

-Lovely, thanks.

-Thank you so much.

Guys, rabbit out of a hat.

-We're probably close to back on schedule.

-Phew!

So, the Blues are plane sailing with their second item in the bag.

Well done.

Your best price, sir, on this one?

To you, a special price cos I like you.

-Oh, good man. Thanks, mate.

-90 quid.

-Oh, don't say that.

-Oh, no.

-Come on.

-I agree.

-Let's make our move.

-Yeah.

Ooh, here comes the clash of the titans.

Well, that's all right. Back on schedule.

-Oh!

-Oh, here you go.

-How is it going?

-Hi. How's it going?

-Have you done any shopping?

-No comment.

Oh, yes, we bought five things - the Koh-I-Noor Diamond for £50...

-Oh, good.

-THEY ALL LAUGH

-We've made money on our £300 already.

-Oh, yeah. We have.

Just keep in mind, we are the underdogs, OK?

-He's a kingpin.

-Underdogs win.

Exactly, underdogs come good.

THEY ALL LAUGH

-It's good fun though, isn't it? You enjoying it?

-Yeah.

Good luck, guys. You're going to need it.

-See you later. Bye.

-Good luck. High-five.

-All the best.

-THEY ALL LAUGH

See you later, Charles.

They all seem quite jovial,

but less larking around and more shopping, please.

The Blues need one more purchase and the Reds need two.

Guess how long we've had so far?

-40 minutes?

-How long? About half an hour?

-40 minutes.

-40 minutes!

What have you done with the other ten?

Which means we've got ten per item now. Ten minutes per item.

-We'd better move then.

-Right.

Indeed. Step on it.

Were there any objects you were interested in when we set off?

-I know you said silver and plate and so on.

-Yeah.

We were looking at glasses.

I just want to have a look at this glass bottle here.

I wouldn't, I wouldn't.

Mark Paul's words, Amisha.

And what have the Reds spotted now?

Thank you. That's different. I've not seen anything like that.

-What's it for? What does it do?

-It's got a button hook type thing.

-You slide the things out, you've got a blade.

-Oh, yeah.

But it's different.

It says here, "Knife, pencil, tooth pick and button hook. £48."

Silver plated.

What would be the very best you could do on that, sir?

I was looking for £40, but you could have it for £35.

-£35?

-Yeah.

-Charles, do you...?

My hands are filthy, dear me.

It's a shame it's not silver, otherwise it would be £200 or £300.

-What is it, 1910?

-I would think about that.

So just a good Edwardian novel contraption.

To me, it's the kind of thing that would be in an officer's pouch.

Absolutely.

I can see you've got a love for this, haven't you?

I do like it very much, yes.

-And, sorry, the best price?

-£35.

Couldn't be £30?

Come on, then. I'll do it for £30.

-Yeah, I think we should go for it.

-If you're happy.

-I'm happy with that.

-I like £30.

-I'll shake your hand on that, sir.

-Right you are.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

We are very grateful. Thanks a lot.

Thanks a lot, guys. What a great find.

Item two, £30. One more to find.

-Good work.

-Game on.

Well done, Reds. Just one more item to go.

But don't forget, that clock hasn't stopped ticking.

Oh, lovely! I'm not sure. I can...

1990s?

Yeah, very funny, Amisha. Hop on, love.

Right, time to gee this lot up.

Hey, you're looking really packed up there, Charles.

-Having a good time?

-Yes, fantastic, thank you.

-How many pieces have you bought?

-Two.

-Two.

-Have you?

-Yep.

-Happy?

-We've just bought our second.

-Very happy.

-How much time have you got left?

-Ten minutes.

-Ten minutes.

-Ten minutes. Oh, I say.

-Ten minutes.

You're going to have to pull your finger out.

-Just a little.

-We are.

-Well, good luck with that.

-Thank you, Charles.

-Thanks, Tim.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

With time getting short, the teams need to focus and concentrate.

-Ooh!

-Vroom!

Like I said.

That's interesting, isn't it?

That is kindling in the shape of a plane.

I'm with you, Paul.

You just scan the shelf.

And what leaps to mind?

-Nothing.

-Nothing.

C'est terrible.

I've been doing Bargain Hunt 12 years

and never once have I not found that final third item, so...

Not today, Charles. We've got to find the third item.

-We are finding it. We're on it.

-Hope so.

Fighting talk, Brenda.

And, Charles, we always knew you'd come good, dear boy.

Now, Paul, put your foot down.

What about your boot scraper?

-Your boot scraper?

-Yeah, that's all right. 25 quid.

How do you feel about that, folks? Are you townies or country types?

-Countryside.

-So frequently you'll be walking home with muddy wellies?

Yeah.

-That is actually...

-So you know the score.

-Is that iron?

-Cast iron. A Victorian brute.

-I do like that.

They reproduce them, OK?

Look at all the pitting, yeah?

That's got some age and it's wearing its age. Or is it?

-It's been restored. That's not a problem.

-OK.

Got a use as well, which I quite like.

-Yes.

-Got a purpose to it.

-I do quite like that.

-It's got to be worth 20-40 quid, hasn't it?

-I reckon if we can get that for £20.

-I totally agree with you.

-Yeah?

-Do we know anybody that can haggle?

Do we know anybody that's good at haggling? Think of anybody?

-Excuse me.

-Oh!

Ta-ra! Over to you, Narendra.

-Excuse me.

-I like that. I do like that.

-We like that scraper, you know, shoe scraper.

-Yeah.

Um...

-How much did you say it's for?

-£25.

-£25...

-Can we have it for £15?

-No.

-Please?

-No.

-No?

-£20.

-Make it £17.50.

I tell you what, I'll give you a pound back for luck.

-19 quid, end of story.

-NARENDRA LAUGHS

-Fine, OK.

-OK?

-Are we OK, £19?

-Are we ready?

-Thank you very much, yeah.

Champion.

-Brilliant.

-Guys, we did it!

-I thought for a minute...

-Yay!

-In time.

It felt like we were struggling for a while there,

-and then it just happened.

-That was fantastic.

-Feeling good?

-Really pleased now, yeah.

-Just in time, yes!

-Yes.

-Loving your work.

-Thank you so much.

-What a team.

-Yeah, what a team. Yeah!

-Blue team.

-Go for some tea, coffee?

-Oh, that would be lovely.

-Let's go.

-We deserve it.

-Thank you very much, yes.

Well done, Blues. That's you done and dusted. Go and put your feet up.

But with only minutes left, the Reds still need one more item.

Don't you like this?

-What is it?

-It is a smoker's cabinet.

-That's quite cute.

-It's really nice.

And how much is that, Bren?

-It says £70.

-£70.

It is a two-door.

It's really nice cos it can be used for other things.

So, what would you use it for?

If we're trying to recycle antiques today,

what would you use a smoker's cabin for?

To be honest, I would put knick-knacks in here.

Those little drawers that you always need to put your earrings in

and things like that.

-What sells it to me, it's quality bevelled glass doors.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-And it's George V.

-Yeah.

-Not in bad condition either.

-No.

How much is it, Brenda?

It's £70, Charles. Do you think...? What would it...?

What is it worth, Paul?

Hmm.

£30-£40, I would have thought.

It's the sort of thing which £70 isn't a lot, really,

for what it represents,

but at auction, probably between £40 and £60.

-Right.

-So it's worth a question.

-Shall we ask him?

-Yeah, why not?

Excuse me, sir. What is your bestest price on that?

No haggling - bestest.

-£55 is my best, best.

-£55?

We're against Paul Laidlaw. He always beats me, ALWAYS beats me.

I know he does, yeah.

Don't be such a bad loser, Carlos.

And you can have the pipes as well.

-Oh, yes.

-Well, that adds to it.

Can you do for £49?

Cos if we did it for £49 and then it went to £50...

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, we're on.

-Shake the man's hand. Shake his hand.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-That's it.

They think it's all over.

It is now.

Time's up. Let's check out what the Red team bought, eh?

They poured £195 into an Arts and Crafts silver-plated tea service.

And an early 20th-century silver-plated multi-tool

cost them £30.

And finally, a late Victorian smoker's cabinet

with two clay pipes set them back a smoky £49.

Well, team, that was fun, wasn't it?

-It was brilliant.

-Yes, lots of fun.

Now, what did you spend, Bren?

-£274.

-274.

I would like, please, £26 of leftover lolly.

£26, Paul.

-Thank you very much, Paul.

-25 and one, 26.

Very nice. I'm going to give this small amount of cash to Charles.

What are you going to go for, boy?

I think, Tim, something debonair, distinguished and quite formal.

Oh. I can't untweet that.

That leaves a large amount to look forward to, doesn't it?

Yes, it does. In fact, the whole world to go for a chance.

Good luck with that.

Meanwhile, why don't we check up what the Blue team bought, eh?

A Victorian mahogany-cased games compendium cost £75.

A Stanley wood plane set them back a plain ten pound note.

And they scraped away £19 on this Victorian cast-iron boot scraper.

Cor, you're pretty hot on the negotiating stakes, aren't you?

-I think I get the gene from Dad.

-We are.

-Is that what it is?

-Runs in the family.

OK, how much did you spend all-round?

-£104.

-£104.

-£104.

So, that means I want £196.

-Oh.

-That's right. £196.

-Which is a small fortune.

-Wow.

-£196 goes across.

-Do us proud, Paul.

-Laidlaw.

-THEY ALL CHUCKLE

I hope you're going to spend the lot, boy.

-PAUL LAUGHS

-Do you think you might?

-We will see.

-I think it's a long shot.

-We put all our faith in you.

Yeah, we certainly do.

And half the nation is waiting, Paul, so good luck.

Now, I'm heading off somewhere rather lovely.

I am at Belton House, just outside Grantham, in Lincolnshire.

Until the mid-1980s, this was the seat

of the Brownlow and Cust family.

But not a lot of people realised that there is a direct connection

between that family and this house

and one of the most controversial political leaders

of the 20th century - Margaret Thatcher.

And the connection is most of the silver

displayed on this dining table.

And to tell us more about it is Catherine Granger,

House and Collections Manager here at Belton.

-Catherine, good morning.

-Good morning.

Now, tell me about this connection, then, between Margaret Thatcher

and the silver.

Well, when Margaret Thatcher came to office in 1979,

she discovered there was no silver at Downing Street

because previous prime ministers had brought their own.

So being born and brought up in Grantham,

she came and saw the present Lord Brownlow and asked him

if she could borrow some of the Belton silver

to take to use in the dining room at Downing Street.

-Good Lord.

-And he said yes.

-This would be in 1979, I guess?

-Yes, that's right.

And it stayed there the entire term that she was an office, did it?

The whole time. So, a very long time.

Most of the pieces that we see on the table comprised that loan.

Yes, everything except the cutlery and the silver soldier,

who is there because it is 2014

and 100 years since the beginning of the First World War.

-So, it's your tribute at Belton.

-Yes, it is.

-Lovely.

So, this silver that we see will have had a considerable airing

to international dignitaries, all the people visiting Downing Street.

Whoever ate there during Thatcher's time

would have seen and used this stuff.

-Yes, indeed.

-These are rather fun, Catherine.

Tell me about the covered dishes.

They are by Paul Storr, who was a royal silversmith and goldsmith.

And they actually have the Earl's coronet on the top of them.

That is a fantastic handle to have on the top of your cover,

-isn't it?

-Yes.

But it's special, though, isn't it?

Because Paul Storr is perhaps one of the most collectable

and coveted silversmiths of the late Georgian period

because the quality of everything that he made

is so extraordinarily high.

So, what happened in Downing Street, then,

after the National Trust took back Lord Brownlow's silver?

Well, the silver all came back here in August, 1991, and at that time,

the Silver Trust was set up and a sum of money was given

so that some silver could be made for Downing Street.

Well, I've got a bit of an insight into this because in 1997,

my cousin, John Wonnacott, was commissioned

by the National Portrait Gallery

to paint a picture of John Major at Downing Street.

And you can see John Major in the White Drawing Room

surrounded by pieces which were commissioned by the Silver Trust.

You'll notice in the foreground of the picture

this bowl by Toby Russell, created in 1996.

We are very honoured because Bargain Hunt

has been granted special permission to film it here today.

It is a real treat for me because amazingly,

this piece was in Downing Street just hours ago.

Well, this is a thrill for me

because having seen it in the picture,

I've not had an opportunity of actually handling it.

Absolutely extraordinary.

And this was commissioned by the Silver Trust?

It was, yes, and the Silver Trust is entirely privately funded

and the silver is all actually on loan for use at Downing Street.

And I see there's an inscription here that the trustees commissioned

in memory of Jean Muir, who presumably was the fashion designer.

Yes, I believe so.

And she was a trustee of the Trust, which is lovely.

Thank you very much, Catherine.

The big question today is, though,

are our teams about to polish off a big profit over at the auction?

Well, Colin, it is a treat to see you in Bourne for a change.

-Yes! Different venue.

-Very nice too.

Anyway, for the Reds today,

Paul and Brenda have gone for this rather handsome plated tea set.

I absolutely love it.

I used it as an illustration on the cover of the catalogue

for the website

because it's just got that wonderful look of Art and Crafts.

It looks a fantastic set.

Well, let's hope that there are two or three people out there

who speculatively see it for what it is,

which is a beautifully designed bit of metalwork.

And when you look at the wicker handles, which are so finely woven

so you won't burn your hand when you've got the hot water

or the hot coffee in it, that is just a peach.

So, somebody out there, Colin, is going to get,

I hope, excited about this.

I love it. It's one of the best lots in the sale.

What is your estimate?

Well, I put an estimate of £80-£120,

but if it doubled it, you wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Well, you need to double it, really,

cos Charles has been very brave here.

-Right.

-And I support him wholeheartedly, really.

£195 is what his eye told him, and that's what they paid.

He's got a very good eye

and I think that is something you really should consider buying.

-Next is this little etui thing.

-Yeah.

-Is it silver, the case?

Silver in colour.

There's no hallmarks on it so we can only catalogue it

in effect as either a silver plate or a white metal.

But the condition of it will probably make up for its lacking in silver.

Yeah. So, you've got a toothpick, you've got a little button hook,

got a pencil, you've got a penknife.

I mean, really handy gadget, actually. £30 paid.

Well, my estimate is £25-£40, so they should be OK.

OK, brilliant.

And finally, is the smoking compendium.

Yeah, it's OK. It's a little bit tired around the edges.

Very Victorian in its style, apart from its little handle,

-which is very Art Deco.

-Yes.

And very much later. TIM CHUCKLES

Anyway, there it is. How much?

Well, we've put an estimate of £30-£50 on this.

I can't see it setting alight above that.

They paid £49, so they are right on the edge of oblivion

with that particular object.

But the big hope is going to be the tea and coffee set,

-isn't it, really?

-Yeah.

If that all goes wrong, they're going to need their bonus buy,

so let's go and have a look at it.

Well, kids, this is fun, isn't it?

-It's great.

-Oh, yes.

-This is the leftover lolly moment.

You gave Charles Handsome £26.

Charles, what did you spend it on?

Tim, I spent £25, and there she is.

Isn't she gorgeous?

This is a lovely oval portrait miniature, probably early Victorian.

She has ringlets, she is well painted.

But it's just a very nice, middle-class lady

of the mid-1850s, and looking good.

-How much did you spend, did you say?

-Well, she cost £25,

and I think she could do quite well,

so I would hope she might make between £40 and £60.

-Oh, that's good.

-Wind blowing.

-Do you like her?

-Yeah, well, I do, yeah. Very much.

-Is she attractive?

-Yeah.

Cos the key thing is, Brenda, she's attractive.

I don't fancy her.

All right, well, I do.

THEY ALL LAUGH You're outnumbered.

-Is that a crack in there?

-Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

And do you know, I never saw it when I bought it. It's just minor.

How much will we get for that?

Brenda, I hope she'll hang out well here in Bourne.

I hope she'll realise between £40 and £60.

-It's a profit, then, isn't it?

-I hope so.

Right now, though, let's check out with the auctioneer

what he thinks about Charles's miniature.

OK, Colin.

Typical kind of mid-Victorian lady, I'd say, wouldn't you?

It is. The newest it's going to be is sort of 1850, 1860 if we're lucky.

-But certainly no oil painting.

-No.

What's your estimate, Colin?

Well, we've put an estimate of £25 to £40 on it.

Oh, well, then, he's a brilliant man, old Charles, isn't he?

Cos he only paid £25, and with any luck,

he'll turn in a small profit on that. Great.

Now, moving on to the Blues. We've got the games compendium.

These things used to sell for loads of money, didn't they?

They did. They were very, very desirable.

So, we've got something for backgammon, we've got drafts,

we've got dominoes, you've got chessmen, you've got a shaker.

There's a lot of stuff in it.

There is. You know, it's a decent thing.

And you want to have Staunton on them or you want Jacques on them.

-There's no name on these at all that you can see.

-No.

Well, there we are. So an anonymous compendium.

You would be more than happy, I would hope, to go home with this for £100.

-Just have some fun.

-Is that your estimate, then?

-Oh, £70-£100.

-OK, fair enough. £75 they paid.

-So, they paid the right price, when you think about it, retail.

-Yeah.

What about planes?

It's how they like them, nice and old and grubby and has been used.

Very strange shape, isn't it?

Have you done some research on that one?

Yeah, well, it came in just marked as sort of number 113,

but it is by that very well-known manufacturer called Stanley.

Oh, yeah.

But that one looks old enough and has got enough use in it

to be pre-1920, I would say.

And there are serious collectors of woodworking tools, aren't there?

Absolutely. I mean, it's a wonderful market.

What's your estimate?

£25-£40 estimate. It does reflect the market.

-They paid ten pounds. That's great, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So, we're in two potential profits here, which is lovely.

Now, the boot scraper.

Good, heavy, Victorian piece.

There's no markings on it to find the registration design.

Maybe £25-£40.

Well, that's marvellous. £19 paid.

That means you're predicting a profit on all three items.

They won't be needing their bonus buy,

but let's go and have a look at it anyway.

This is your moment.

You spent £104. You gave Paul Laidlaw £196.

Paul Laidlaw, what did you spend it on?

-Wow!

-Ta-dah!

-Wow is a good response.

-Wow. OK.

-What do you think? What you think it is?

-Uh...

-Something to put something in?

-The something would be a...

-Looks like watch or a clock.

-A pocket watch.

-A pocket watch, yes.

-An Edwardian silver pocket watch holder.

-Oh, wow.

What do you think? Have a look at that.

It also has a rather, I think, attractive presentation inscription.

-That's right.

-Inscriptions can help, they can also hinder.

"To Mrs W.J. Pardo from the C. maids, July 6th, 1910."

-What's a...?

-From the chamber maids.

-Oh, wow!

-Well, they liked Mrs Pardo for some reason.

-They did.

I've never seen one of these before.

-Can you see the appeal?

-I really like it.

Can I ask you how much you paid for it?

Of course. That's the nitty-gritty.

I paid £50 for it.

-Did you really?

-I think that's incredible.

-Do you think that's a lot or a little?

-I think that's a good price.

-You think it's a little, then?

-I think it's quite a reasonable price.

-It's a good price. Good.

-I think it's a smart example of its kind.

And what is it going to make at auction?

I'd like to see it do £50 to certainly £70.

OK. Or even £100, right?

Oh, I'd love to see it do that.

That'll be fab. I really like that. Fantastic.

-Really pleased with that. Thank you, Paul.

-Good.

So, these chambermaids, about which we know nothing except that

they clubbed together to get a sum of money that was substantial.

-Yeah.

-I mean, that was not a cheap thing in 1911.

-Absolutely, no.

-And if we were in a stately home,

what would you have in a stately home?

You'd have a housekeeper who'd be the one

that looks after the chambermaids.

So, that could be a gift a la Downton Abbey

from the chambermaids to a retiring housekeeper, Mrs Pardo,

who's moving on to Chatsworth

or she's moving on to some other grand house.

-Yeah.

-Which is intriguing, isn't it?

-Absolutely it is.

-So, you're happy with that?

-Yeah.

-Very happy, yes.

Well, you don't pick until after the sale of your first three items.

But for the audience at home, let's find out

whether the auctioneer likes Paul's watch case.

OK, Colin. There you go. It's rather nice, isn't it?

It is rather tidy.

These sort of things, when they come for auction,

are usually very good sellers.

And you'd be looking at sort of £80-£120 for something like that.

-Mm-hm.

-But you've got fairly deep scripting on there.

It's a lovely story with what it says on there of this being a gift

from the chambermaids.

But again, it's a very personalised item

and I think that's going to diminish the value.

All right, it's not worth so much cos of the inscription.

What is your estimate?

The estimate today is £30-£50, Tim.

-£50 paid.

-OK.

I have a funny feeling about this, Colin.

I think it's going to do really rather well.

I think somebody is going to get swept up with the romance of this.

I'll stick with doom and gloom.

Anything's a positive. TIM LAUGHS

-OK, very good news. Anyway, you're taking the sale today?

-I am indeed.

We're in safe hands. Thank you very much, Colin.

30. 32 now, 32.

Well, here we are. We're on the edge of the abyss.

-How are you feeling, Paul?

-Bit nervous.

-Yeah? Bren, you all right?

-A lot nervous.

Let me just run through the items.

The four-piece tea and coffee service which is,

I have to say, an incredibly lovely object.

£195 spent.

He's estimated £80-£120.

The Arts and Crafts four-piece tea service by Coles & Fryer this time.

Who's going to start me at £100 for it? 100?

50 to go then, surely. £50, anybody? 50?

It's such a punt for somebody.

Got a bid. Any more now? I'll take five. 55.

Bid 60, 60. Got a bid?

60, 65, 65, bid 70.

-70 bid now, £70, surely? No?

-Come on. More.

-At £70, any more now?

-I don't believe it.

Now 70, back in at 70. 70 bid, 75?

Very nice shape to this one. At 70 bid, 72 now.

The world's seen it. They're not bidding.

It's in the room. It sells at £72.

-Oh, well.

-£72 is three...

That is £123 minus.

-Oh!

-HE LAUGHS

Now, here comes the etui and compendium.

Who's going to start me at £50 for it? 50?

£30, 30?

-Surely?

-20 to go then, surely? £20, anybody? 20?

Start me. Ten to go, then.

Ten, 12, 15, now 15.

18, 20. 20 bid.

22, 25, five bid, 28, 30.

-No? 28 over there in the green.

-One more. Come on.

-At 28 bid.

-One more.

At £28 bid. 30 anywhere else?

Now at 28, are we all done, then?

Selling at £28.

That's minus two pounds, which means you are minus £125.

-Now the smoker's cabinet.

-There we go.

Very nice Victorian smoker's cabinet. Who's going to start me at £30?

I don't believe it. He can't see 30.

20 to go, then. £20, anybody?

20. Look at what we are selling.

-He's gone, he's got 20.

-At 20 bid.

Two now, surely. Two now, do I see it?

20, got a bid, two. 25 now?

25. Five bid. To anybody else now?

At 25 bid.

-Internet!

-28 on the net, 28.

Bid 30 now. No in the room.

At £28, it's on the internet then, at 28.

Are we all done now?

Last call then, going at £28.

It's minus £21.

That's minus £146.

Well, there we go. Are you going to go with the bonus buy?

-Yeah, why not?

-You're going to go with it?

The decision is made, we're going with the bonus buy.

Now you've decided that you're going with it,

his estimate on that is £25-£40, OK?

He is predicting a sure-fire profit on this and here it comes.

The 19th-century portrait miniature.

Who's going to start me at £100 for it?

£100, anybody? 100.

50 if we have to. £50, anybody? 50 do you have for me?

-Come on.

-Anybody going to start me at 50? 50?

Anything on the net? 50?

OK, 30. 30 bid. 32 now? £30 bid.

At 30, it's a start. At 30 bid.

It's a low one. 32 on the net.

35, 38. 38.

-And it's in.

-Bid 40, 40 bid. 42 now?

-£40 bid, two now. 42 in the room.

-The hands are up.

48 bid now, 48 bid. At 48, 50 now.

-£48 bid, 50?

-Good job!

-This is the last call from the room.

-One more.

-At 48, are we all done?

Selling this time, then, at £48.

£48 is two short of 50,

which is plus £23.

Well done, Charles. You are vindicated.

-That's marvellous.

-BRENDA LAUGHS

-Which reduces the losses to £123.

-Oh!

And minus £123. Could be a winning score. Don't worry about it.

We'll see what happens in a moment.

Now, Amisha, Narendra, are you feeling excited?

-Really excited. Really nervous.

-Bit nervous.

-Are you?

-Bit of butterflies?

-Huge butterflies.

Narendra, what are you particularly worried about? Any particular lot?

-I'm still a bit worried about the board games.

-The games compendium.

-Yeah.

-OK, fine.

-You paid £75 for that.

-That's right, yes.

-He's estimated £70-£100.

-OK.

-OK.

-That should be no problem, really.

-That's not bad.

-OK.

-Here we go. Look.

-The Victorian mahogany games compendium.

Start me at £50. You'd pay that for the box. £50, anyone?

50 bid. Five anywhere else now? Five, sir?

£50 bid, five anywhere else now?

At 50 bid. Do I see five now?

-I don't believe that.

-Five, surely?

Go on, sir, have another one.

55, 60, 65, 70. £70 bid.

Five anywhere else now? At £70 bid.

Five do I see from anywhere else now?

At 70, I'll offer you 72.

-Give it a tweak.

-72, have another one. 72?

There is a lot of gaming there.

At £70, are we all done, then?

Selling in the middle of the room at £70.

Oh, team! £70.

You're minus five pounds. That is such a sheet of Bronco.

Now, moving on. Here comes the Stanley plane.

Adjustable circular or radius wood plane this time.

There it goes. Start me at £40 for it. 40?

40? 30 to go then, surely. Start me 20, then.

Oh, my. £20, anybody? Ten to go, then.

Ten pound bid. 12 now, 12 bid, 15 bid, 15, 18 and 20.

You're in profit, at least.

22, 25, 28, bid 30. No?

28 bid. 30 now, surely? At 28 bid.

Can we shave a bit more out of this?

At 25, sorry, 28 bid. 30 now, do I see?

Seated bid, then, selling at £28.

I'm loving it!

-That is plus £18.

-High-five!

Plus £18. You had some losses.

-You're now plus £13.

-OK.

Now, last lot for this bit.

There we go. A good early Victorian model, this one.

Who's going to start me at £40 for it? 40?

30 to go. Just look at what we're selling here.

£20, anybody? £20, anyone?

20 down here. 20 bid. Two now, surely.

At £20. We ought to be double this.

22, 25, five bid, five, 28, bid 30.

30 bid, 30 bid, 32 now.

32, 35. No?

This is a bit more like it.

-That's it, yes.

-Everyone's woken up a bit.

35, 38, bid 40 now. 40 bid.

40 on the internet, is it?

42 now, 42, 45, surely. 45.

45!

45, 48 now. At 45 bid.

48 do I see from anywhere else now?

-At 45. Are we all done?

-Here we go, kids.

At £45.

That is plus £26.

You had £13. That's £36. That means you are plus £39.

You are going home with profits, team.

What are you going to do about this travelling watch case?

-Decisions, decisions.

-Is your cup half full or is it half empty?

I'm thinking we've done a lot better than we thought we were going to do.

-I think we should go for it.

-Let's go with it.

You're going to go with the bonus buy? You sure about this?

Yes, we're going to have faith.

We're going with the bonus buy, we're going with it.

The decision is made. And here it comes!

This is the travel clock. There we go. The lovely case there.

Who is going to start me at £40 for it? £40, anybody? 40?

Surely we haven't got to go any lower? 30? I'll take 20.

£20 bid. At 20 bid, two?

I make it at two. Two bid. At five anywhere else now?

Now at 22. Got a bid, five. Five. 28, surely?

25 for the bid, 28 now surely?

At 25, 28, 28. Bid 30, 30, got a bid.

Bid 32 now, 32, 35.

35, no, no? At 32 got a bid.

Five anywhere else now? Surely.

At 32, are we all done, then?

Oh, no.

It can't be £32.

Going at £35, on the book at £35.

Minus £15 means that overall, you are plus £24.

-Oh, kids.

-What can we do?

How to have £39 and suddenly finish up with £24?

I'm shaking, I'm a nervous wreck.

Well, I don't blame you. I'm like a nervous wreck, too.

And as for Paul, he's quaking!

-Anyway, here we go. Look, plus £24 is OK.

-That's OK.

Listen, plus £24 could be a winning score and the thing is,

-don't say a word to the Reds, all right?

-No.

-Lovely.

-All will be revealed in a moment. Well done, team.

-Lovely.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

-Brilliant.

-Well, team, that was fun, wasn't it?

-Oh, yes.

Considerably more fun for one team than the other, though.

You can hardly believe that they were spawned by purchases

out of the same fair, such is the chasm between them.

Anyway, the team which have failed to make profits today

by a big margin are the Reds.

-Aw!

-Aw!

And you lost £123, which was a fair old wodge, wasn't it, really?

-It was close.

-It was close, yes.

-Close.

-We made a bit up.

-You made a bit up, you did indeed.

You've been good sportsmen.

The ones going home with the profits, though, are the Blues,

who take £24.

-Yay!

-Yeah!

-Thank you very, very much.

-£24 coming your way, Amisha.

Thank you very much. Wow.

-So, darling, did you enjoy it today?

-Fantastic.

-Absolutely amazing. Thank you.

-Narendra, was it good for you?

It was absolutely brilliant. Yeah, a very good experience.

I would recommend this to anybody.

-Good!

-AMISHA LAUGHS

We have a heartfelt commendation there.

Thank you very much.

And thank you, Paul. It's been a great day.

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

ALL: Yes!