Epsom 1 Bargain Hunt

MUSIC: William Tell Overture by Rossini

Today, we're at Epsom Racecourse in Surrey

and the track, which is one mile and four furlongs long,

has seen some spectacular wins and some devastating losses.

Let's hope that our Reds and Blues are on track today,

as we go Bargain Hunting.

We won't be placing any bets on horses here today,

but our teams do have one hour on the clock

and they each have £300 to take a punt

on three items found here, at the antiques fair.

Let's hope that they all gallop home with profits at the auction

but, in the meantime, let's find out what lies ahead.

Caroline's piling on the pressure.

-He who dithers...

-Yes.

-..loses.

-Yeah.

David's feeling the pressure.

Next time, be quicker, right?

Go, go, go, go, go. Speed.

And at the auction, the pressure keeps on mounting...

-Oh, guys...

-..and mounting.

-Ooh...

-That's all for later.

First of all, let's meet our teams.

To my right, we have friends Colin and Paul on our Red team

and to my left, Christina and Pauline for the Blues.

-Hello, teams, welcome. ALL:

-Hello.

-Let's start with you two, Colin and Paul. Very welcome today.

-Thank you.

-Colin, you are a retired butcher.

-I done butchery for 42 years.

-Wow.

Had three shops. Very hard work, long hours,

so it's nice not to have to get up in the morning now.

Now you find yourself on the golf course, is that correct?

Three times a week, I play.

What do you get up to when you're not playing golf?

I like gardening, fishing, shooting.

-OK, the hunting, shooting, fishing set.

-Yeah, yeah.

I think Paul might be a bit jealous of that

-cos you're not a man of leisure yet, are you?

-No, hopefully soon.

-What do you do?

-I do some work at the golf club,

look after the societies and make sure they have a good time,

and I do a bit of security and a bit of driving.

-OK, so three jobs.

-That's it.

While this guy's swanning around, fishing them out of the bunkers.

-That's it.

-Or are you a bit better than that?

-No.

-Yes.

-No?

-What's a bunker?

-How do you reckon you're going to get on today?

Do you have any tactics?

Well, we'll buy well, cheap, sell for lots.

-Yeah, and we'll take advice.

-We'll take advice, yes.

Well, we've got a good expert lined up for you,

so I'm sure you'll be in very capable hands.

Let's head over to our Blue team.

-Christina and Pauline, welcome, ladies.

-Thank you.

You two met nowhere near here, other side of the world, is that correct?

-That's right, yes.

-Whereabouts did you find yourselves meeting?

Well, we were living next door to each other, in Tehran in Iran.

-OK, wow!

-We worked as journalists.

Then the revolution happened and then we were still there,

-we still managed to stay there.

-Wow!

But we had a wonderful relationship

because, literally, she was just over a 12-foot high wall

and if we needed to have a drink with each other

or sit out in our gardens,

we would just, sort of, pop over the wall.

You've retired now. Christina, what do you do with your time these days?

I still do some sailing but I play golf and walk

and I'm writing a memoir because my grandchildren don't believe

-that I've lived such a rackety life.

-Wow, a memoir! What's it called?

The working title is just Granny's Story.

That's a great title! Amazing. When you say they don't believe you,

is that because your stories are quite whacky?

Some of them, yes, and I don't think bear repeating on television,

-but never mind.

-Now, Pauline, tell me about yourself.

-In your retirement, what do you do?

-I live on a boat a lot of the time.

-Wow!

-I've had the boat for 40 years.

It's a sailing boat and needs lots of care and attention.

Oh, well, like we all do. What are your tactics today?

One of my tactics is to stop Pauline buying something utterly stupid,

because she's very impulsive. I tend to be the opposite.

I'm waiting for something to jump up and say, "Buy me."

Hopefully, it does.

I shall rely very heavily on our expert, I have to say.

It sounds like they're going to have their work cut out, ladies.

-I think so, yeah.

-In order to go shopping,

you're going to need some money, and I have got £300 for each of you,

so Reds, here's your £300,

Blues, here is £300 for you.

Off you go and very good luck.

It's a battle of the sexes today. Did someone say, "Girl power"?

Which of our experts are in the saddle today?

It's good odds for the Reds with Caroline Hawley.

And hoping for a full house, for the Blues, it's David Harper.

Colin, what are you looking for today?

Silver items - snuffboxes, jewellery.

If I find something that screams, "Buy me," then I'll do it.

-Paul, what are you looking for?

-Anything.

-Large items, small items?

-Large, possibly.

-Large. Expensive? Cheap?

-Expensive.

-Pauline?

-Yeah, something very old.

-Very old?

-Preferably for a boat.

-Oh, wow.

Right, teams, you're under starter's orders

and your 60 minutes start now. GONG RINGS OUT

-Shall we go?

-Yes.

-Come on!

Let's go!

-Eyes peeled.

-That's the spirit, Reds.

-What attracts you on this stall?

-Not a lot.

-Right.

Don't hold back, Pauline!

-Have you found anything, Colin?

-Um...

-Is anything jumping out?

-Is that a scent bottle?

-Yeah.

-What price would that be?

It's £98. Have a look.

-Is that enamel?

-That's porcelain.

A little voice inside my head tells me that this will be French.

It's delightful and it's got its original glass stopper

which is very, very good because very often they haven't.

I think, in auction, we're going to have our work cut out

to get £98 for that, if I'm really honest.

It would be £80 and I won't go a penny less than that.

I would estimate that at £40 to £60 as a come-hither estimate.

-Bit too dear.

-Thank you very much.

-We may be back.

There's plenty of stalls here, at Epsom, to explore, Reds!

-Now, is this screaming, "Buy me, Blues"?

-Is this a biscuit barrel?

-Yes.

-I haven't seen a biscuit barrel for, oh, 50 years or so.

-Really?

-I like that.

-I think it is more of a modern one.

-It is a modern one?

-It is.

-But I love the colours.

-Good colours.

-For £20, it's no money is it?

-I really like that.

-OK.

-Are we interested?

-It's pretty ugly, isn't it?

Pauline's clearly not one to mince her words!

-Are we going somewhere else?

-Yes, but we may come back for that.

-I really quite like it.

-Thank you, ladies, thank you.

Looks like these ladies are going to keep you on your toes, David.

Good luck.

Now, Paul, Colin, I need a quick word.

I don't want to rush you or stress you,

but we're a third of the way into the shop

-and we haven't got a third of our items.

-OK.

-I'd like to get this, if we could.

-You'd like to get that?

-You've decided?

-Yes, I have.

-Hang on, have you even looked at it?

-It's just, it's cheap.

-Cheap isn't always good.

I believe it's a cigar box or cigarette box, I don't know.

It could be a jewellery box cos people don't really smoke anymore.

-That reminds me of a boat.

-It does, a ship's wheel.

-A ship's wheel?

They're asking £12. We could probably get it for, I don't know...

-A fiver?

-8 to 10, maybe?

-Would you like to...?

-Yes.

-Can you find the owner of this fine thing?

-We have to find him.

-Excuse me.

-Hmm, what are your haggling skills like, Reds?

-Could you do £8?

-I've got £12. I could do £10.

-£9.

-That's the bottom line, £10.

-Really?

-Yeah.

We can always come back, can't we?

-Yes, but we are a third of the way into the shop.

-We are.

Thank you very much for that. We might be back.

With 20 minutes on the clock,

I wouldn't leave it much longer to bag your first item.

-He who dithers...

-Yes.

-..loses.

-Yeah.

-Wise words, Caroline.

-Now, what have the Blues spotted?

-How about this?

-Oh.

-That is not a maritime bell.

-PAULINE RINGS BELL

-That looks like a temple bell or something.

-Do you like it?

-It's solid bronze. You don't like it?

-Mmm, not really, no.

-Do you two agree on much, generally, or...?

-No.

-No.

-We have totally different taste.

-Right.

Oh, dear. What about this plate then?

That is ridiculously cheap. I haven't even handled it. £11.

It's damaged but it's an Imari, Japanese, hand-painted plate,

shipped from the port of Imari. It's 200 or 300 years old.

-It's got a rather intensive-looking crack in it.

-But, you know what?

People say in this business, "Don't touch it if it's damaged."

I say exactly the opposite because it's damaged and repaired,

you buy it for no money, yet it's still a beautiful object.

-I'm going to see if we can get it for £8.

-Shall we handle the object?

-Right.

-Right, there we have it.

-You're right, it is very beautiful.

-Look at the painting, hand-painted.

-I know, that IS beautiful.

That burst of oriental flowers with an oriental vase on a stand.

-I love it.

-Japanese pieces should be decorated on the back.

-I wanted you to turn it over, yes.

-OK, there we have it. Look at that.

-Oh, it's so pretty.

-It is.

-Do you know what these little marks are?

It's stood in the kiln on five tiny little thin pieces of wood,

maybe slivers of bamboo, stood there 200 or 300 years ago, to fire it.

-Oh, we have to get it.

-And it hasn't changed in all that time,

-apart from the big whacking crack.

-Let's have it.

-Yeah, no, no.

-Definitely.

-We want it, we're going to buy it.

-Yes.

Let's see how good you are at negotiating down.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Hi, there.

We love this, but it does have a very serious crack.

Could you do it for £8?

A lot of work's gone into restoring it so it's stable,

but it's your lucky day. £8.

-Thank you very much.

-We've done the deal.

-Thank you very much.

-That's good.

-Marvellous.

-That is so pretty.

-Right, you two. One purchase in.

Next time, be quicker, right? Go, go, go, go, go. Speed.

Then we might miss something important and interesting.

-No, it's all about speed.

-Too fast.

Good advice, David, but I think it's probably falling on deaf ears.

So, one in the bag for the Blues.

-Are the Reds about to cut their first deal?

-Fruit knife.

-Is that a silver one?

-Yes.

-Hallmark's silver.

-How old?

-How old?

Now, that is Sheffield, 1921.

-£12. Now, really, for a bit of silver, that's cheap.

-Yeah.

That's not a lot of money. I think... Is that damage?

I always say this. Feel with your fingers as well as your eyes.

-There is a bit of damage, yeah.

-A tiny bit. Really, that's not bad.

-What do we need to try and get this for?

-That's cheap.

-See if it can be £8.

-Yeah.

-Says me, running away!

-The expert says £6 to £8.

-Um, £10 is the best.

Could you do £8 for these really nice guys?

We need to make a profit and we haven't bought a thing yet.

-Get them started, please.

-Sorry, £10 I can get all day long.

-Annoying.

-Just to give us a chance.

-No.

-He's not going to move, I can tell.

-He's not going to move.

-We'll go for it, shall we?

-Yes, we should.

-Are you happy with that?

-Yep, very.

-Brilliant.

-Yep?

-£10? All done?

-All done.

-Excellent. Thank you so much.

So, Colin has his silver knife. Well done, Reds. It's 1-1.

But we're halfway though, teams. You might want to step it up a gear.

Have our journalists found a potential scoop

-with this mysterious box?

-Oh, it's broken.

THEY LAUGH

-VENDOR:

-It slips out.

-Oh, it gets worse!

-Look at that!

-Oh, I see.

-And then you...

-Put this in the centre, like this.

-It's like a miniature kneehole desk.

-Yes.

-This comes open.

And what I love, my favourite bit,

look at the condition of this lacquerwork in there.

-Isn't that amazing?

-Oh, that's beautiful.

-The Japanese are master craftsmen.

-Absolutely.

The parquetry inlay here, the way it's put together.

-The condition as well.

-It's not very old though, is it?

-It is, it's 19th century.

-Is it?

-It is, yeah.

-It's a true antique.

-Oh, yeah.

-How do you know?

Well, because I've been in the business for 500,000 years,

and I can tell, from 40 feet away,

that it was made in the 19th century.

-I've caught sight of the price, you see.

-How much is it?

The ticket says £240, David, so is that the best price?

-VENDOR:

-The best price would be £180.

-£180.

-£180.

It's a bit specialist. I think in a...

In a general sale, it probably wouldn't fly, would it?

-No.

-VENDOR:

-I've just had the nod to say I can do £150.

Who are you talking to? The spirits?

-No, my husband's over there!

-Oh, is he?

-Leaves us too short, really.

-Does it?

-PAULINE:

-£140.

-VENDOR:

-£145 is the best.

You won't go to £142? That's only 3 quid - that's a cup of tea.

I know, that's what I'm thinking!

THEY ALL LAUGH

-Right, it's £14...5.

-5, yes.

Or walk away. You could lose £50.

You could, very easily. But if you're risk-takers, do it!

-We'll do it.

-Do it!

-We'll do it.

-Marvellous. Thank you vey much.

Well sold.

These ladies ARE risk-takers. Well done, Blues.

That's your second item. With under half an hour left,

you'll need to keep it together to clinch your third.

-Where is our partner in crime?

-Oh, dear, Pauline's wandered off.

Now, Reds, are you about to balance things up?

-Actually, I like that.

-What do you like?

-This. That's brass, is it?

-VENDOR:

-No, it's bronze.

-Bronze.

-The scales of justice.

She's blindfolded.

On a marble base.

I don't think she's got a lot of age,

-but she's rather sexy, isn't she?

-She is.

-I would put £60 to £80.

-What's the price?

-£80.

-£80? Oh, well.

-That is the best price.

-Is it?

-It was £100, yeah.

-Let's be fair. Think of justice.

-Yeah, that's right. £80 - that's justice.

-Oh!

-Could you do her a little bit less?

-£79.

-Oh!

-No, I...

-There's a couple of people interested in that.

-You really like it, do you?

-Yes, but I think for £70, maybe, not for £80.

-And do you want it at £70?

-At £70, I think...

-Well, if Colin was OK with that?

-We shake on your hand at £70?

-VENDOR:

-In the middle, at £75.

If we get £70, I don't think we'd lose money.

-I think, hopefully, we'd get our money back.

-Come on!

-VENDOR:

-No, I'll hold at £75.

-£74.

-Ooh...

-£74? Oh, go on, cos I'm tired.

-Go on then.

-Yep, £74.

£74! Well done. Two in the bag.

So, we've got one more item left and we haven't got that long to go.

-Lead on.

-Yeah, let's follow you, man.

No, you don't. There are less than 20 minutes remaining.

Now, are you happy with how things are going, Caroline?

It looked like they weren't going to buy anything at all,

but they've managed to catch up. Fortunately, Paul spotted something.

She happened to be a semi-naked female, but whatever.

-We've got it, so it's going well.

-Excellent!

Now, this looks a bit ethnicy, doesn't it? I like that.

What's all this about?

"Everything on the table - £5 to £25."

-Pauline, what are your thoughts?

-I like this, you see.

-It think it's a nice piece.

-Back to your biscuit barrel.

-It's pewter.

-Yeah.

-It's lovely.

-Tell me why you're drawn to that.

-The shape.

-OK.

-And the fact that it's pewter.

-Do you like pewter?

-I love pewter.

Any impressed marks? There normally are.

There are. There are some pewter marks in there.

They're well and truly rubbed. No maker. And its purpose?

-It's got some age. Biscuits.

-It's a biscuit barrel. Biscuits.

-Biscuits.

-You like your biscuit barrels.

-I like my biscuits

and I like my biscuit barrels.

-How much would you like to pay for it?

-£5.

-£8. £5, £8.

-£5, £8?

-Something like that.

-I'll go and find out. Wait there.

-Even £10.

-Would you have it at £10?

-Yes.

-Christina?

-Yes.

-OK, wait there.

-Yes.

-Go and work your magic then, David.

So, Reds, are you still trotting along nicely?

-What do you think of this, Paul?

-I quite like that, actually.

-Caroline, what do you think?

-I do like that.

-That's a lot of horse for your money, isn't it?

-What's it made of?

-I would think that's spelter.

-OK.

-Late 19th, early 20th century.

-Originally, it would have been one of a pair.

-OK.

-Rearing horse.

-If it was in bronze, that would be lots of money.

-Yeah.

Spelter was a cheaper way of making things affordable to the masses,

-but still looking magnificent.

-I like it.

-I do.

And it would still make a statement today, wouldn't it?

-You could even have it in the garden.

-Yeah. Love it or hate it.

-Yeah.

-Do you both love it?

-Do you like it?

-I do like it.

-I'd like to make an offer on it anyway.

-Would you?

-What could be your very best?

-£25.

-£25? And that's your best price?

-Can you do a bit better?

-OK, I'll do it for £20, yes.

-Can you shake your hand on that?

-Red's my colour.

-Thank you very much.

-My golly goodness!

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Appreciate that. That's lovely.

-Well, hey, guys, woo-hoo!

-Well done!

-We're done.

-I'm pleased with that, yeah.

-Three items bought.

Gosh, you were slow burners, I have to say,

but once you got off the starting block...

-That's it.

-You did it!

-We're done, we're done.

-Come on! Woo-hoo! Cup of tea.

-Well done, Reds.

Go and grab yourselves a well-deserved cuppa.

We're going to get a table.

Now, David, what's the best price for the biscuit barrel?

-OK, I have some news for you.

-Yes?

-She thinks it's a tea caddy.

It could be a tea caddy.

It's a caddy of some sort, for biscuits, tea, whatever.

-How much do you think it is?

-£15.

-£10? £8?

£15 is the best price.

Not £1 less. It's take it or leave it time.

I'd take it. Then we can go and have a drink!

-Oh!

-Not so fast, Pauline. Christina has spotted something else.

I really like that. Look at this.

-There's a lot of work in here.

-Great work.

-It's beautiful.

It almost has... I'm just going to try and get Pauline excited here.

Pauline, what does that shape remind you of?

-You could not get me excited about that!

-I can, I can. A boat.

-It looks like a boat.

-No.

-No? You're not excited?

-Not the kind of boat that I know.

-Put your excited face on.

Right, shall I go and find out how much it is?

-Please, so we can be really sure.

-Hold that. Thank you.

Ha, you're earning your money today, David!

Has it been different to how you imagined it was going to be?

-I think it's been better than what I thought it would be.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Stressful?

-Yeah, it is.

-It is, isn't it?

-It's not easy.

-No.

When you sit indoors, you think, "That's easy. I'll give it a go."

I bet you sit on the sofa and say, "Ah, I can do better than that!"

-Yes.

-I think we all do that. Now, David, do you have a price?

-Right, I've got news.

-You've got news?

-I've got news.

Pauline, how much do you think it is?

-£15 again.

-OK, Christina?

-£4.

-£4?!

-How can it be £4 on a table that says £5 to £25?

-Oh, yes, sorry. £5?

-It's £5.

-Oh.

-£5.

-OK.

So, the lady says she thinks it's for mixing pigments.

Who knows? Who cares? It's interesting.

I can give you a couple of options.

You can either buy that or that

or buy the pair and put them together,

-which would be a bit of an odd thing to do.

-Yes.

-That would detract from either of them.

-Yes, it would.

-So, what are we going to do?

-Make up your mind time.

-This.

-The caddy?

-Yes.

-You want the caddy?

-I want the caddy.

-Shall I go back and say we've done it?

-Yes.

-Marvellous!

Pauline, well done, you.

-Well done, Christina, well done.

-HORN BLARES

I'll pass that on. News just in. Time is up.

Three very unusual items. I'm going to call them quirky.

Come on, let's go. I'm going to buy you a nice drink.

So, let's remind ourselves what the Red team bought.

First up, will this fruit knife cut the Reds a profit?

Next, will the jury be out

with this scales of justice statue?

And in the final furlong,

they cantered home with this horse and rider statue.

Here we are, back with our Red team. Colin, Paul, how did you get along?

-Very good.

-Good. It's a quick hour, isn't it?

-Flies by.

Tell me, which is your favourite item, Colin?

I think the favourite item was the bronze statue of the lady.

And which do you think is going to bring the biggest profit at auction?

I would like to think the horse.

-Seeing as we're at a racecourse, after all.

-Yes.

-Paul, do you agree with Colin?

-I do. I liked the statue the best

but I think we'll make more money from the horse.

-How much did you spend overall?

-£104.

Hmm, yeah, I was counting along. It wasn't a lot, was it?

-Quite a mean amount.

-Yep.

-So, £196, if you don't mind.

Thank you very much. And a pound coin for good measure.

-Straight over to Caroline Hawley.

-Thank you very much.

They've left you a lot of money. What do you reckon you'll be buying?

Well, I've had a good look round and I've got some ideas.

We'll let Caroline brew her idea

and we'll find out what the Blue team bought.

First up, will this Japanese plate serve up a profit for the Blues?

Sticking with the oriental theme,

our journalists bought this writing desk for £145.

And finally, let's hope they don't crumble with this biscuit tin.

Well, well, well, here we are, our Blue team. How did you get on?

-We'll see, won't we?

-We will see.

-At the auction.

Christina, were you led by David? Did you take his advice?

-Absolutely. All the time.

-Did you?

-Yes.

-I don't recall that!

What was your favourite item, Christina?

I think the travelling bureau.

OK, and what do you think will bring the biggest profit at auction?

-Oh, dear, the Imari plate.

-Pauline, do you agree with all of this?

-What was your favourite item?

-Er, the plate.

-The plate, OK.

So, we're in accordance here.

-And for auction profit, what are you thinking?

-I haven't the faintest.

-Haven't the faintest?

-I wouldn't hazard a guess.

-Wouldn't hazard a guess. But do you remember what you spent?

-£168.

£168, OK, sort of halfway there. So, that leaves £132.

If I could please have that back, that would be brilliant.

I'm going to hand that straight over to your trusted expert.

-Thank you, Natasha.

-David, any ideas?

It's going to be quite nice not to have to be herding all the time,

so I can go and spend some money.

-Mmm, it's what you do best.

-It is. I'll see you later.

While David's off buying something rather lovely,

let's take a trip to somewhere rather lovely too.

I've come to Parham House in Sussex. It's a well-loved Elizabethan home.

It's just behind me there and, believe it or not,

only three families have lived here

since the foundation stone was laid in 1577.

I've come to meet Lady Emma Barnard,

whose great-grandfather bought this house in 1922.

Lady Emma and her family have lived here since 1993.

Hello. I have to say, "Wow and hello." Nice to meet you.

-Welcome to Parham.

-Thank you very much.

Here we are in your home and please do tell me the story,

the history of Parham.

Parham used to belong to the monastery at Westminster

but in 1540, after the dissolution of the monasteries,

a chap called Robert Palmer bought it.

And his son decided that he needed a slightly grander house

and in 1577, his grandson, little Thomas, aged two and a half,

laid the foundation stone of this house.

They thought it was good luck for a little boy to lay a foundation stone

because it would bring prosperity for the house in the future.

Anyway, that little boy grew up

but he didn't really like Parham very much, I don't think.

He much preferred life at sea

and he became an adventurer with Sir Francis Drake

and had all sorts of adventures on the high seas.

So, eventually, in 1601, he actually sold Parham to Thomas Bysshopp.

Your family bought this property from the Bysshopps

-in 1922, didn't they?

-That's right.

My great-grandfather, Clive Pearson, and his wife, Alicia,

completely fell in love with it

and it was in rather a sorry state by then.

My great-grandfather was an engineer,

-so I think he saw a wonderful project.

-Mmm.

And my great-grandmother loved paintings and chattels and books,

so they were the most amazing team to take Parham on

and that's what they did.

It was very much still standing

but it had a very badly leaking roof and it had no electricity

and the drains left a lot to be desired.

And they restored the house to its original Elizabethan splendour.

I take it these paintings that surround us weren't here

-when they arrived.

-Some of them were here, but very few.

They had spies in all the London auction houses

and they bought a lot of things which Parham HAD had -

furniture, needlework, tapestries. They made an amazing job of it.

At the beginning of World War II, the house was reorganised

and the largest furniture was put into storage.

The Pearsons took in 30 evacuee children from Peckham in London.

By 1942, they were relocated

to make way for soldiers from the Canadian army.

So when, finally, the war came to a conclusion,

Alicia and Clive made the decision to open the house to the public.

-Why was that?

-A scholar friend of my great-grandmother,

Rupert Gunnis, suggested that they open it to visitors.

At first, they were absolutely horrified -

not because of the thought of strangers coming into the house,

but they genuinely thought they weren't grand enough.

And he said, "Rubbish, you've got wonderful things. Open it up."

So, with great trepidation, they decided to do so

and they were in terrible fear and trembling

that nobody would want to come. And, of course, people DID want to come.

One of the rooms Lady Emma is keen to show me is the Long Gallery.

-Now, close your eyes.

-Close my eyes, OK.

-Close your eyes.

-Eyes are closed.

-Open them!

Oh, wow! Oh, Lady Emma, this is amazing!

-It just goes on and on and on.

-The room is 158 foot long.

I think it's the third longest in a privately owned house in England.

Centuries ago, it would have been open to the rafters

and they would have done all sorts of things up here -

walked on rainy days, they would have played games.

And there was one chap, one of the Cecil Bysshopps,

who lived here during the Napoleonic Wars,

and he used to drill his troop of soldiers up and down this room

when the roads were too bad and the weather was awful.

This ceiling is amazing. This was your great-grandparents' legacy.

This was. When they put it in, many people raised their eyebrows

and thought it was absolutely horrible,

but I don't agree with them.

-Lady Emma, thank you so much for having us along.

-You're welcome.

Now, talking of raising things, the big question now is,

will our contestants raise the roof at the auction?

Well, I've whizzed over from Epsom to Wisborough Green

and I'm here in Sussex with auctioneer Jonathan Pratt.

-JP, thank you for having us.

-You're welcome.

We are moving straight on to our Red's first lot.

It is a hallmarked silver fruit knife. What do you think of that?

I like to see these little things cos it's a bit of history.

You've got the silver blade.

They would have used it when they were travelling around

and they would eat their fruit with it and it conjures up a nice image.

But there's lots of them, so they have a limited value,

but they're quite decorative.

When you say they're decorative and not rare,

-what kind of price are you talking in the auction today?

-£5 or £10.

Well, £10 paid, so not a disaster there for the fruit knife.

Let's move on, JP, to item number two. Here she is, in bronze no less.

We've got the divine law and order goddess, Themis.

Yes, I think she's nicely made. It's nice quality.

She's not terribly old, but this is the sort of thing

that would sit on a desk in your legal office,

and so, it needs to be quality

because that industry's got a lot of money anyway.

Coming up at auction with an estimate of £50 to £70,

-I think I can do quite well with it.

-You've gone for £50 to £70?

-Yeah.

-Well, Caroline and the Reds paid £74.

-Right.

-So, that's not too bad, is it?

-I don't think so.

-I think there's still plenty of room for that.

-There is.

Finally, we have item number three.

After Coustou, we have this rearing horse,

reined in by the groomsman and it's all very French.

Yeah, you see these in pairs in bronze in the 19th century.

They're copies of the much, much larger, life-size marbles

in the Louvre in Paris, but it's decorative.

-What did you stick on it?

-£20 to £30.

-They only paid £20 for it.

-That's good.

-So that is good.

Well, Jonathan thinks it's all a bit safe around here,

so perhaps the Reds won't need their bonus buy,

but let's find out what it is anyway.

Hello, Paul and Colin. This is the exciting bit.

You had £196 of leftover lolly. Caroline, what did you spend it on?

-Do you have any ideas?

-None whatsoever.

-Right, there you go.

-Ooh, we're getting married.

-Congratulations!

I should have got down on one knee, shouldn't I?

Let me tell you what it is.

Sapphire, two diamonds, 18-carat gold.

-How old?

-I would think that's, sort of, 1920s, '30s.

-What would be the estimate in auction?

-I paid £140.

I think it's got to make £150, £160,

so there's not going to be a huge profit,

-but I think there'll be a profit on it.

-Very nice.

-Were you expecting to see a sparkly ring underneath there?

-No.

Caroline's gone out on a limb with her sparkly ring,

but let's find out what our auctioneer thinks of the bonus buy.

Now, what do we expect from the glamorous Caroline Hawley

but a beautifully glamorous sapphire ring. What do you think of that?

Are you a traditional jewellery sort of man?

Yes, I quite like traditional style

and this three-stone sapphire and diamond ring

is what you'd expect. He's a little bit rubbed, sadly, on the facets.

-I can see it, yeah.

-That has a bit of effect on it.

But it's in 18-carat gold and the condition,

-other than that, is pretty good.

-What did you put on it?

-£80 to £120.

Oh, OK. Perhaps, as they would say, all the money. Caroline paid £140.

But I have the opportunity to give a sensible estimate

and, you know, then you have a chance to push it on.

-You've got to get people interested.

-A come-get-me price, shall we say?

Well, hopefully, they'll come and get it.

Shall we move onto our Blues,

starting off with their first item, the Japanese plate?

-18th century, would you agree?

-Absolutely.

18th century in this Imari palette.

-I don't need to point out what's happened to it.

-We can all see!

But there's a strong market for Asian porcelain and pottery.

It's got a certain price, doesn't it? What would you say that is?

It's worth £10 or £20.

That's great news, actually, because somehow,

Pauline managed to convince the vendor that they should be paid £8.

-Yeah.

-That's all right, isn't it?

-It is.

It's earlier and it's nicer in that respect, so that's great.

Now, we're sticking with the East. We've got our traveller's desk here.

-Good bit of parquetry. Does this appeal to you?

-I rather like it.

It's a bit fidgety. It makes you want to touch it.

-Those very dainty handles are just dying to be touched.

-Yeah.

It's a lovely item.

It's got style about it and they were really clever with their style.

-What about your estimate? How do you feel about it?

-£80 to £120.

Mmm-hmm, is that a come-get-me price once again, Jonathan,

because £145 was paid?

I have the opportunity to maybe be a little bit mean

cos that's what I could do, so maybe I have.

But if we get to £145 and excess, I'll be pleased.

Now, our final Blue lot. This pewter biscuit barrel.

-It's got some fun handles, does it not?

-It does.

The handles make it. If you took those off,

it's a pretty straightforward Victorian biscuit barrel

and this adds that little thing to it, brings it to life.

-What kind of price have you put on this?

-£10 to £15 is what it's worth.

-£15 was paid.

-Yeah.

-And I think those handles will do it.

-I think they're just too much fun.

-Yeah.

Anyway, it all sounds as though it could be a bit risky.

They might be on the edge here, the Blues,

so they may well need their bonus buy,

so let's go and find out exactly what David bought for them.

Well, this is thrilling stuff, Chris and Pauline,

because you left David Harper £132 of leftover lolly. What did you buy?

-Are you ready, you two?

-Yes.

-I've got one each

and I think you're going to be devastatingly impressed.

-Ooh, look at this.

-Oh, well.

We have, here, an airship, a zeppelin,

flying over a mountain range.

First World War and marked on the back WMF,

a famous German maker, particularly known for Art Nouveau.

-I think they're incredibly rare.

-How much did you spend?

You're showing so much enthusiasm, I love it(!)

-We gave you a lot of money.

-Well, I did spend a lot.

-How much do you think?

-Goodness me, I don't know. £20?

-£25?

-Oh, my God!

-£20.

-£70.

-Oh, Lord!

-What is it going to make at auction?

They are either worth a five or ten pound note or a couple of hundred.

-All depends on whether we capture the right market.

-Hmm.

David, let's hope for the latter.

Ladies, you don't have to choose now. Let's zip back to JP

and find out what the auctioneer thinks of our bonus buy.

We have got these airships, passing over this mountain range.

What, for me, is so interesting about them is,

when I think of trench art, I think of wee trinkety things,

periscopes that have been made, vases.

I just do not think of these interesting plates

and lo and behold, a mark on the bottom, WMF.

Yeah, they're WMF marked there.

They're very hard to find, actually, initially.

As interesting as they are,

is that going to translate into cold hard cash?

-I've got a low estimate on them.

-How low?

-£10 to £15.

-David paid...

-Yes?

-..£70, the pair.

That does seem like a lot of money but I might have been quite mean.

-Are you on the rostrum today?

-I am indeed.

-Fantastic, JP.

I can't wait to see you in action.

65 to you, sir. 65. 70 for them?

-One more? Selling.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Colin, Paul, tell me how you're feeling.

-We're here, in the auction room. What are you thinking?

-Very excited.

-You're very excited?

-We're going to make loads of money.

-Loads of lolly!

Listen, gentlemen, the fruit knife is going under the hammer right now.

Let's watch JP in action.

It's a small, folding fruit knife with silver blade,

mother-of-pearl handle, Sheffield, 1921.

I've got three bids on the book. Three bids to start me.

-I've got 5, I've got 10, I've got £12.

-Yes!

-You are instantly in profit, well done!

-20.

-Here we go.

-25.

25 has it here. 30 to the left of you. 30. Do you want to go one more?

35? 35. I'll sell at 35.

Last chance, it's £35.

-Fair warning at £35.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

Oh, my goodness! £25 profit!

That's brilliant. Well done.

Right, here comes your favourite lot, the bronze figure.

A modern patinated bronze figure of Themis.

I've got bids to 25, 35, 40 I have.

OK, paid £74. He's starting at... Oh.

55 now. 55. Who's got 60?

Cost a lot more on the internet, these. £50 here.

Any more bids? Come on. £55. Another bid.

Who's going to stick their hand up? I'm selling. Yours, sir, at 55.

HE BANGS GAVEL 55.

OK, so £19 loss, but you're still plus £6.

-It's OK, it's OK.

-We're in the money.

-This, you think, is going to be your biggest profit.

-Yes.

After Coustou. A Marly horse here, being restrained by a groom.

Spelter model. I've got £25 straight in.

Straight in at 25.

-30. 5. 35 there.

-This could be it.

-Looking for 40 now. 40.

-New bidder.

5. 45. Still on the right at 45. One more, sir?

I think you're going to come away with a good profit here.

-Fair warning. It's going at £45.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

£45 - brilliant!

Plus £25, means overall, plus £31.

Gentlemen, well done!

But this is decision time

because it all rests now on whether or not you go for the bonus buy.

-We're going to go with it because we trust her.

-You trust her?

Of course you do. Fingers crossed we do well on the bonus buy.

Let's see how it goes.

18-carat gold, sapphire and diamond three-stone ring.

I've got bids at 40, 50, 60, £65. On the book at £65.

Looking for 70. Thank you. 70. But I'm out now, at £70.

5. 80.

85. 90.

-95. 100. And 10.

-Yes!

-A couple more needed.

-Go on, one more, madam. 120. 115?

115. 120.

One more? OK, £120 on the left.

At £120. Any more at £120?

-Selling, 120, fair warning...

-Oh, guys.

-HE BANGS GAVEL Oh!

-Oh!

-Close.

-A valiant effort.

-Don't worry. Only £20 lost, which means it's plus £11.

-Ooh.

I cannot believe you've come to Bargain Hunt and made a profit.

-That can't be bad.

-Very well done. Plus £11 could be our winning score,

so don't say a word to the Blues, OK? Keep it mum.

50.

Here we are. Chris, Pauline, David, we're here at the auction.

-The time has come. How are you feeling?

-Very curious.

-Curious.

Better than nervous. And how about you, Chris?

Yes, curious, a bit nervous, a little bit of trepidation, yes.

A bit of trepidation.

But you're well-travelled ladies - you don't fear anything.

So, our first lot under the hammer is our 18th-century Japanese plate.

Let's see how it goes.

A Japanese porcelain plate, early 18th century.

I've got, to start, 5, 8, £10. Straight in at 10.

-Profit straightaway.

-Profit!

-With me at £10. 12 at the front.

-15 anywhere?

-Go on!

£12 is getting it. All done at 12?

-There's got to be one more.

-Come on, a bit more!

-Fair warning.

-Bit more.

-Selling.

-£12.

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Ladies, it sold for £12. Plus £4. You're in profit.

-That's 50%!

-OK.

-Sounds much better, 50%.

-A lot better.

-Here comes the traveller's chest.

-Small parquetry traveller's cabinet.

-I've got bids to start me at £60.

-Ooh.

-£60.

-It's got to be worth more than this.

-Oh, God.

-£60. Where's 5 now?

£60 with me. 65 and 70 with me.

-70.

-75. 80 with me.

-Getting there.

-Ooh...

-Come on.

-80 with me.

85. Gets it now at £85. Commission's out at £85.

-Looking for £90 though. 90.

-Oh, 90, new.

-Come on!

-Down the front at 90.

Any more at 90?

-It's terrible.

-Ouch, ouch ouch.

HE BANGS GAVEL Oh, £90. What have we lost?

-It's your fault!

-I know, I know.

We've lost £55, which makes you minus £51.

So, we are depending on the biscuit barrel. Here it comes.

A late 19th-century pewter biscuit barrel. I've already got a fiver.

-Oh, a fiver! A Lady Godiva.

-8 here. Where's 10?

-Come on!

It's got to be worth a tenner, come on. Only £2 more.

8 down the front here, on the sofa. 10.

12. 15? 15, go on.

15 is bid. 18.

-Oh, you're in profit!

-20. One more. 22?

£20 on my right and selling. Last chance, 20...

HE BANGS GAVEL £20. It's a profit on that.

A fiver, which means that we are minus £46.

-I don't want to know.

-Minus £46.

-Oh, dear.

-Don't worry about it.

-You look so devastated.

-No, we're going to make it on the zeppelins.

Do you reckon? Because that is now the decision.

It is whether or not we go with David's bonus buy -

-the trench art, WMF plates.

-Yes.

-You hated them, you hated them.

-I hate them.

-We'll go with them.

-You're going to go with them!

You've gone for the bonus buy, the trench art plates,

for which David paid £70. Here they come.

It's a pair of World War I brass trench art plates.

Very nice little things, these. Bids starting with me straight in at £55.

-Straight in at 55, ladies!

-What? What?

-Look at that.

-Come on!

£60 here, looking for another 5. £60. Come on, another fiver.

Keep going. £60 here. Any more at £60?

-Two zeppelins for 60 quid.

-Any more? No? All done.

-It's going, last chance, 60...

-HE BANGS GAVEL

-Oh!

-Well, it could have been worse.

-Yeah. It's minus £10.

It means that you are minus £56 overall, ladies.

You should be proud of that, I tell you, minus £56. Do you know what?

On Bargain Hunt, a loss can sometimes be a win,

so you never know. It could be a winning score.

Promise me you won't say anything to the Reds.

-Don't worry, ladies, keep your chin up.

-Not a word. Zipped.

-Yeah!

Here we are, Reds and Blues.

-It's result time and that was all good fun, wasn't it?

-Great fun.

-Did you have a great time? ALL:

-Yes.

I tell you what, we've got two results

that are very different today, believe me.

I'm afraid our runners-up today are the Blues.

-Oh!

-Christina and Pauline, I'm so sorry to tell you

that you do not go home with any money today.

-Minus £56. A valiant effort though, I'd say.

-Oh, dear.

Let's move on to our winners today, the valiant Red team,

-who go home with £11 profit.

-Yes!

-It's very exciting, isn't it?

Twice, you made £25 profit - not only on the fruit knife

but also on your spelter figure after Coustou. Very well done.

-Happy with that?

-Oh, yeah.

-Good fun, nice day.

Let me give you some money. Quite hard to split £11.

-Paul, you're after it?

-Thank you.

A ten pound note and a one pound coin.

It was a great show today. If you enjoyed that - we certainly did -

why not check out our website or follow us on Twitter.

The details are on your screen now.

And why not join us again for some more Bargain Hunting next time?

-Yes? All:

-Yes!