Detling 25 Bargain Hunt

BELL TOLLS

WIND HOWLS

HE SNORES

WIND WHOOSHES

-Who are you? BOTH:

-We are the ghosts of the Christmas experts.

What business has brought you here?

We are here to show you the error

of your wicked ways.

300 from the Reds...

HE LAUGHS

..and 300 from the Blues.

HE LAUGHS

And all for me!

HE CACKLES

Ebenezer Roscoe Scrooge, it's time for you to change your ways.

-BOTH:

-So go forth, and let's meet the teams.

ALARM BELL RINGS

That scared the Dickens out of me!

No good lying around in bed -

we've got an antiques fair to visit.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

£300 for everyone!

Let's go Bargain Hunting!

SLEIGHBELLS CHIME

Ah, good tidings, fellow Bargain Hunters,

and welcome to this special Yuletide edition of the show.

We've got a festive feast for you, so put down your pudding,

move aside your mince pie,

and let's check out what's coming up.

On today's show, the Reds shop and chop till they drop.

It's all right, she can chop the tree down.

HE LAUGHS

Top festive tips from the Blues.

-Store magazines...

-Hide your Christmas presents.

Eh, exactly right!

And, over at the auction, there's Christmas cheer...

It's paid for itself!

..but also a touch of festive fear.

Nothing can go wrong...go wrong...go wrong

with Madley!

And I deck the halls to find out more about the history

of Christmas decorations.

Back then, people lit candles and put them on the Christmas tree.

Health and safety!

But that's all coming up later.

Now, let's meet the teams. And today,

we're keeping it in the family.

For the Red team we have Sue and Nicky, and for the Blue team,

Dan and Sam.

Merry Christmas!

-ALL:

-Merry Christmas!

-Marvellous! Good cheer to you all.

Now, you're sisters, and you're very close, aren't you?

We are, very close. Being my big sister,

-she used to like to mother me quite a lot when I was little.

-Aw.

But when I was older and she had her first boyfriend,

I was a little bit feeling left out and I wanted to go out with them on

their first date, so they went for a romantic stroll along the beach with

me trailing along behind them.

How long did that relationship last?

Longer than you'd think, actually.

Nicky, you've got a dancing business, haven't you?

I do. I've had it for 16 years. I was a professional dancer until I was 27.

-Were you?

-I was.

-What sort of dance - modern dance or ballet?

-Showgirl.

-Oh, really?!

-Yes, absolutely.

-The sort of Folies Bergere type?

-Absolutely, Folies Bergere.

Can we have a little kick?

I'm not in the right dress code, but shall I have a go? I'll have a go.

-Woo!

-Oh, my word! That's quite high. Well, chaps?

-Not a chance!

-Pretty impressive, I think, though.

-Not a chance.

-Now, what about antiques?

-I like silver.

-Do you?

-Yes.

-Expensive tastes!

Yeah, I've got a little loupe, jeweller's loupe,

-so I can look at hallmarks and things.

-Very professional.

Wonderful, so you'll be knowing exactly what to look for?

-Yes, think so.

-Well, good luck, anyway.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

-Now, you boys, Dan and Sam.

-You are twins, aren't you?

-That's correct, yeah.

Yeah, identical twins, yeah.

Dan in denim?

-BOTH:

-That'll do.

-That's the one - Dan in denim!

-Yeah.

Now, Dan, you're recently qualified, I think, as an electrician,

-is that correct?

-Yeah, I work as a spark now, up in London, yeah.

-Enjoying that?

-Love it, yeah.

Good group of people I work with and I like playing with

-power and electricity!

-Playing with power!

Hasn't always been the case, though, has it?

No, no, I used to spend a lot of time up in the air before...

Tell us more about that.

..flying helicopters all around the Pacific,

a lot of tourist gigs out to volcanoes.

Good grief, what made you pack that up?

I thought I'd better come back and see my brother.

Oh...my word!

I think these two get on as well as you two do.

Now, you're a fitness man, Sam?

I do like to do a bit of fitness every now and

-again, yes, that's right.

-Every day in the gym?

No, not quite every day in the gym -

I do do karate four times a week.

Are you a qualified whatever-they-are?

I'm a certified instructor-in-training at the moment.

Give us a move?

No, I best not. It's very dangerous.

Have you tried it on your brother?

-No.

-Not yet. He hasn't annoyed me quite enough yet.

I don't believe that for one moment!

What about antiques, chaps?

Um...a very limited knowledge.

-Yeah?

-I like shiny things.

-Good start(!)

-Heavy.

Carry on(!) LAUGHTER

You can do a bit better than that, can't you, Dan?

No, not at all - know nothing about antiques.

Oh, I say, girls.

This is going to be a piece of cake for these girls.

Focused, know what they're going to buy...haven't got a clue!

-Absolutely.

-You'll probably win.

It's got to be interesting, though.

Now, what are you missing for your shop?

Inspiration, and probably a bit of cash.

-Oh, yeah, money.

-Money.

Money? Well, if you look on your tree,

on the left and on the right there,

you will find a box.

If you open it up, you might find some money.

-ALL:

-Oh-h-h!

That'll be gone soon.

£300 each, have a wonderful Christmas shop!

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you!

Girls and boys go out to play, but who will win today?

And joining our two teams are our very own Santa's little helpers.

Getting all wrapped up with the Reds is Raj Bisram.

And hoping he'll have a gift of the gab for the Blues,

it's Richard Madley.

What is on our Christmas shopping list today?

Well, I'd like to find something industrial, or the

small, little items that we can use to maybe fill some stockings.

Something striking? Perfect for Christmas, maybe?

A gift, maybe, for somebody? I don't know.

Something electrical. Yeah, something a bit different.

-Sparkly, glittery, and striking.

-And glamorous.

Lights, camera, action!

Right, teams, your 60 minutes starts now!

Let's go!

Let's start off at Santa's grotto.

Very good, teams, and loving the hats, by the way.

And already the Reds are well away.

-Right, girls.

-Nice, dancers.

I quite like that silver lady who's fallen over -

she's had a Christmas tipple.

Obviously had...obviously had too much Christmas drink.

-She's quite nice.

-Yeah.

-What's she made of?

A white metal. Ooh, it's got £70 on that.

It's quite heavy, that, for that.

This would fetch somewhere between £40-£60 at auction.

-She's quite nice.

-Let's just find out.

-OK.

Hi, there. Right, come on, girls, in you go.

What is the absolute best you can do for us on that?

60.

-60?

-I was thinking more...35.

-35?

-Yeah.

Oof, a cheeky bid, Nicky.

-35, then.

-Would you do it for 35?

-You will do it for 35?

That would be amazing. Oh, thank you.

-Happy with that?

-You happy?

-Before we make a decision, girls,

-OK, I mean, it's early days.

-I know.

-I can't believe it.

-But I was drawn to her.

-I was drawn to her, too.

-You were both drawn to it, and you both like it?

-And I think I'd love that.

-I'd like that.

In that case, at £35, I would shake the lady's hand.

-Lovely.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-Well done.

-Well, our first buy.

-BOTH:

-Yay! Well done, girls.

-Happy Christmas!

Crumbs, Reds, that's a 50% discount.

Two minutes in and one item down, Loving your work.

Now, how are the boys getting on?

I've seen an old fire extinguisher I think we want to have a look at just

-over here, if I can.

-Hey, if you've seen an old fire extinguisher,

take me to it. Let's have a look at it.

I love the design of it.

Right.

Now, LMS.

-Is that a railway?

-What do you think about that?

Well, I think it's a good spot early on.

And there's the box that's with it - LMS first aid box.

-I take it that's...

-All part of it?

Well, it's got a price tag on it.

Any clues there?

-Not on there, no.

-Marvellous(!)

-THEY LAUGH

Even better.

-Sir?

-Hello.

-Can you help us with your fire extinguisher

and your first aid kit?

The fire extinguisher appears to be unpriced, which is very seasonal,

as it's Christmas. Thank you very much indeed(!)

Everyone loves a trier, Richard.

And we were wondering if the first aid kit went with the

-fire extinguisher?

-No, they don't go together.

-The first aid kit's 45...

-Right.

..and the fire extinguisher's 110.

-Oh, is it?

-It is, yeah.

Right.

Now, LMS. Is that railway?

London, Midland and Scottish.

-Right, OK. You were right with the railway connection.

-OK, right indeed.

Shall we have a look inside the first aid box?

Is that something we are able to do?

I mean, I like the fire extinguisher,

but at £110, it would be rich, I think.

Opening up, we've got...

Oh, my goodness me, look at that.

That's fantastic, isn't it? Look at that.

Wow.

Might struggle to make a profit on it.

Why don't we just bank it?

-Good idea.

-Perfect idea, yeah.

-Thank you very much.

We may well return.

If we did return, was 45 your final price?

Yeah, we could maybe do a little on each, specially if you're buying the two.

-It's Christmas.

-He's a good salesman, this guy, indeed.

Thank you very much. We may well return.

-Thank you.

-Thanks very much.

-OK, cheers.

All very promising, Blues.

It's still early doors.

Right, Reds, chop, chop.

What do you reckon? She can chop the tree down.

We haven't got the tree yet.

-Oh, the Christmas tree.

-That's what I was thinking.

Once we've won, we'll put one up.

Once we've won, eh, Nicky?

I do love a bit of fighting talk.

# Simply having a wonderful Christmas time. #

Back with the Blues, and here's something

for under the Christmas tree.

Thought this was quite interesting, for the Christmas time as well.

Toys, bikes.

Yep. I like the look of it.

Not so keen about the condition and I've also seen the price on it so...

-Shall we move on?

-On our bikes.

That's a no, then, chaps.

Off you scoot. Meanwhile, the Reds are getting into the festive spirit.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

What have you seen down there, Sam? Let's have a look at it.

It's a fire extinguisher, is it?

You like your fire extinguishers, don't you?

-There's a theme, isn't there?

-There is definitely a theme,

going with fire extinguishers.

I love the branding, just on the back there.

What, the maker's name and the instructions?

Pyrene fire extinguisher.

Probably from... What's this from, the 1950s?

-I would have thought so.

-Indeed.

Shall we actually have a look at it?

-Can I...

-There you are, it's all yours.

-I really like that.

-It is nice.

Nice item. Really nice.

-It's quite cool, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

-That chrome look is very in,

and you were talking early on about

-something slightly industrial or engineering.

-Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

And the price?

Well, the ticket price is £20.

Well, we're not going to lose a lot from this, which is quite useful.

-I like your thinking. This is why you are here. Sam...

-Come on, Sam.

-Shall I go?

-Go and do your bit for the blues.

-You go and get a few pounds off for us.

-I'll do that.

All right, good luck.

Well, sir, it says 20. What would be your best price?

Festive price, seeing as it's Christmas.

-I'll do 15, as it's Christmas.

-As it's Christmas. Do it for 15?

Yeah.

Do you think there's any...

I don't think we can go wrong with 15, do you?

How about 12, and we've got a deal?

I can't really, no.

-No?

-I've got kids to feed, look.

And Christmas is coming!

I'll tell you what, as it's Christmas, I'm happy with 15.

-Are you happy?

-Are you happy with 15?

-I would be happy with 15.

-I'm happy. Good. Excellent.

-Thank you.

In that case, thank you very much indeed.

-Thanks very much.

-Cheers, mate, thank you.

-Indeed.

-Happy Christmas.

-Merry Christmas!

Excellent! Right then.

-We have a purchase.

-On to our second, Blues.

Come on, let's keep going. Well done.

Good work, Blues. That's one to tick off the Christmas list.

Deal sealed in ten minutes.

Well done!

Meanwhile, the Reds are still on the lookout for their second item.

Glasses are pretty, those glasses.

They are very Christmassy looking.

They are Italian, they are in a nice box,

but, I mean, what are they going to cost?

I wouldn't want to pay more than between £5 and £10 for those.

You know, in an auction they could make 15, 25, £30.

We want something... Bit more than that, yeah. I like them.

OK, well, we will remember those.

We'll try and remember where they are.

Something for a cheeky little Christmas tipple, maybe.

One for the back burner, anyway.

What have the three wise men spotted?

What would you use it for now, though, Richard?

You could use it for a coffee table.

Store the magazines away.

-Store magazines, blankets.

-Hide Christmas presents.

Exactly right.

Always thinking, Blues.

I like it. By Jove, girls, is that Mother Christmas?

-Christmas lady, let's have a look at that.

-I like her.

Oh, yes, definitely. And she's dressed in a lovely colour, red.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-OK.

Going to have to pick her up and have a look.

Oh, it's a Leonardo collection.

Yeah, this is a collection that's not that popular.

I'll be honest, girls. It's a nice figurine, nice, Christmassy,

but to be honest, there's not a huge collectors' market.

These were pretty cheap when they were made

so we're going to have to put that back.

A pair of Staffordshire dogs.

Do you know what these would fetch if these were in good condition?

-No.

-No.

-Sticks!

DRUMBEAT AND CYMBAL

Raj Bisram, ladies and gentlemen.

He's here all week.

What's taken your fancy there, Richard?

This is catching my eye.

-What is it?

-Well, it's a cylindrical pin box or dressing table box

-made in Birmingham.

-Birmingham stamp.

Very good. Gosh, you can recognise your hallmarks already.

It's written, Birmingham.

-That old trick.

-But I think you should check anyway.

-1898.

-God, you can even work out the dates as well.

You guys, you're dangerous.

No flies on these boys, Richard.

The price on it is shown currently at £68,

so I'm going to put that one on my list.

I can also see something also catching my eye which is over here.

-OK.

-Similar. For which I get out my eye piece.

I'm going to have to have a look at this, because this is not English.

This is possibly Indian.

Now, Indian silver is something

that has become quite collectable over the last few years.

-The price on this is £75.

-OK.

I think the price is right up there.

The cylindrical box would probably be a better, safer bet.

You haven't got to buy either of them.

Shall we get our feet damp and just see?

-Let's do it.

-Let's ask some questions.

Now, as it's Christmas,

we are thinking about buying a piece of silver for the auction.

And I've picked up these two pieces.

The cylindrical box.

And the best price you might be able to do on that one?

-Would be 60.

-Now, the beaker, obviously,

is a little bit of a punt on my behalf,

and I'm not getting strong buying signals from my team members here.

So I'd be going out... I was guessing it was Indian.

STALL HOLDER: I think it's Indian. And I'd probably

-nibble that down to 60 as well for you.

-That would be a gamble.

-Let's go for the gamble.

-I want to gamble.

-Do you want to gamble?

-Yeah.

-I think it's worth a gamble.

I love it. Excellent.

We're going to go for your beaker.

Thank you very much indeed.

-My kind of buyers.

-Consider it sold. Gamblers.

-Thank you very much.

-Yes, indeed!

Well, these chaps are easily persuaded.

No pressure, Richard.

That's two for the Blues, and the Reds are playing catch up,

with just one buy.

Coming up to halfway through your Christmas shop, teams.

Get your skates on!

-Oh, look!

-Sledges, sledges.

We might have a hard winter this year, girls.

-I like a sledge.

-My goodness, you like a sledge.

-I do.

-I wonder if they've got one they can do for a tenner.

-Let's find out.

-Let's find out. Yeah, if we could get one of these

for a tenner that would be great, wouldn't it?

I like that one.

-Yeah, I quite like that one.

-Can you do it for us

for a Christmas treat for £10?

STALL HOLDER: Normally 17.50.

-OK.

-17.50 £10 for Christmas?

-I'll do it.

-Yeah?

-Oh, can you?

-OK, girls.

What you should say to these gentlemen

is a big, big thank you in Dutch.

OK. So what you say is danke je wel.

-Danke je wel!

-Danke je wel!

Danke je wel!

Fluent in Dutch, Mr Bisram.

I'm very impressed.

-Danke je wel!

-Danke je wel!

Lovely. Fantastic.

And I'm also very impressed with your second purchase, ladies.

A very apt buy for today's shop.

-Hooray.

-Danke je wel!

Now we need the snow.

Now we need some snow. Fantastic.

And cue the snow.

-Am I carrying the sledge?

-You carry the sledge.

Like the sledge, let's hope it's not all downhill from here, ladies.

OK, teams, that's two items apiece.

Just that final item to find.

OK, Blues Brothers, what's the plan?

I don't know where we're going to go on the third one.

-The third will be big.

-We've got something interesting.

We got something silver.

-The third one's got to be a bit different.

-Yeah.

-And, ladies?

-We did say we were going to

-get something sparkly and glittery and we haven't yet.

-Oh, dear.

-Well, we'll have to.

-Half an hour.

-Half an hour, we'll find something

sparkly, glittery and Christmassy.

-How about that?

-Definitely.

-Definitely.

-Spend some money.

-Yeah.

Well, you sound confident anyway, girls.

And the boys are sticking to their plan.

They're looking for something on the large side.

I think that would look pretty cool in most places,

-to be honest, wouldn't it?

-It would do.

It would do. Look, it's a Fresnel lamp.

It is stunning.

But I'm going to tell you now, time against us,

I think it would have been a nice one under

the Christmas tree on Christmas morning,

-but not even if our budget was tripled.

-No.

And you'd need a rather large Christmas tree for it to fit under.

Move along, boys.

Looks like it's a change of scenery for the Reds as they venture inside.

After you.

-BOTH:

-Thank you.

Right then, Richard, time for a little regroup.

Remember, you still have that first aid kit as a backup.

I think it will have been snapped up but let's have a look, shall we?

Exactly. So if it is there, we can have a deal.

If it's not, then plan B,

we have to try and find something way up the other end of the fair.

-Are we going?

-Quick, let's go.

-Come on, let's go then.

Not exactly large, though, is it?

You'd better get a move on.

Girls, we haven't got long left.

There is some beautiful things on this stand

and I know that one of you likes Lalique.

-Lalique, yeah.

-I mean, you know,

that is a modern piece of Lalique but,

you know, of course, Rene Lalique,

one of the great designers of glassware.

But I'm not too keen on the modern.

-No, I don't like...

-This is embossed as well.

But we've only got 17 minutes left so we need to really get a jiffy on.

Well, at least you ladies know what you like.

Oh, Dan's spotted something.

It's a field radio, isn't it?

Field telephone. Yeah. Second World War.

So the price on the telephone is...

Well, it was 120.

I'll do it for you for 75.

I've seen them do well before.

We've got a gamble to take.

Is the first aid kit still there?

The telephone's here. What about this?

Of the two of you, who's the fastest runner?

-Samuel, probably.

-Samuel, right, you run over...

-See if it's still there.

See if it's still there.

-If it's still there, you've got to come back here.

-OK.

Off you go.

Running all the way, Samuel.

Running! Oh, well.

What have the Reds found?

# Five gold rings! #

Actually, not five, just the one.

-Oh, that one looks nice.

-That ring there.

-That's quite pretty, isn't it?

-The ruby?

-Yeah. That's the very best, isn't it?

-Wow. That's lovely.

I'll do 180 on it for you.

-How much would that sell?

-I think it's a nice...

If it's a nice little ruby...

Rubies, apart from diamonds, are the most expensive thing.

What's the gold, Raj?

-What is this gold?

-It'll be, I should think it's either

nine or 18-carat gold.

OK, stop looking at it on your finger now.

Start some dealing, girls.

That's right, Raj, time to get down to business, ladies.

So, after Sam's leisurely trot,

he's back at the first aid kit store and, luckily, it's still there.

Hello there. Hi, I saw you earlier about the first aid kit.

-Yeah, that's right.

-It's marked 45.

-Yeah.

Is there any movement on that at all?

-Best price would be 35.

-35.

That would be my best price.

Let me report back. I'll be back in a few moments.

Back you go then, Sam.

Meanwhile, our Red sisters are still at the same stall.

Sadly, just like Santa, our stall holder is a bit shy.

-Hello.

-No, there is no negotiation on that price.

How much did you say it was? 150?

-180.

-Was that 160?

And now the charm offensive.

-What's your name?

-Vic.

Hello, Vic, I'm Nicky.

Here we go. Watch those eyelids flutter.

OK. Not to make my Christmas?

I'll tell you what, as I'm Nicky and you're Vic, 170.

STALL HOLDER: You're getting a bargain at 180.

'Nice try, Nicky!'

STALL HOLDER: 175, it's yours.

What do you think?

-What do I think?

-Shall we go?

-We are in too deep, girls.

-We're in too deep.

-We're in too deep now.

OK, 175, can we shake on that?

Yep, 175.

-Fantastic. Thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-Do well with it.

The sparkle we wanted.

Absolutely. And I can tell you're happy with it

because your eyes are both sparkling.

So, fantastic.

Oh, you charmer, Raj.

Only minutes to spare and that's the Reds sewn up.

So, Sam, what's the plan?

Dan, Richard, I've got an answer.

-It's still there.

-Yes...

-Best possible price, £35.

£35.

-That is a good price.

-What are you thinking?

Well, we thought you would be quite good at negotiating, quite good.

-We said 40.

-We thought 40.

Did you? I think that is our third item.

Let's go and have a look, shall we?

I don't want to rush you, boys, but you only have three minutes left.

I feel some divine intervention is needed.

-We've got our three items.

-BOTH:

-Yay!

Let's go and have a cup of tea, shall we? Well done.

Mine will be a white with two sugars, thank you very much.

Come on then, Blues, let's wrap this one up.

-It's still here.

-It is still here.

-Well, it was the second item we looked at, 58 minutes ago...

-Yes.

..and it is still here.

Let's go and do the deal then, Sam.

-Thank you very much, sir, we'll have that at 35.

-35. No worries.

Thank you very much indeed,

-and a merry Christmas to you.

-And to you, too.

Hats off, teams, your time is up.

-So, what shall we get? A glass of eggnog?

-That sounds wonderful.

Now, let's check out what the Red team have bought.

The deco lady cost them £35.

Next up, sliding its way to the auction was the sledge.

It only cost them a tenner.

Ring the bells. Their final bit of bling set them back £175.

Nicky and Sue, good shopping.

-You did spend quite well, didn't you?

-Yes.

What was your favourite item?

-It has to be the ring.

-The ring.

I did get some money off. I got it for 175.

Yes, but they were only asking 180!

£5!

Cracking bargaining!

-And what's going to make the biggest profit?

-The Art Deco lady.

-The Art Deco lady. And what do you think, Sue?

-I think the same.

-I think that one.

-So that's the one.

-Confident, Raj?

-I love the sledge.

Do you? I know why Raj loves the sledge... because it was cheap!

-Now, you spent £220.

-We did.

-Which means you have 80 left over,

which I'm afraid you have to hand over to me.

-Oh, do I?

-I don't hold it for long, because it goes to wonderful Raj,

who is going to buy something

particularly Christmassy with it, aren't you?

Well, I'm going to go and look for a reindeer.

THEY LAUGH

-I'm going to try.

-To go with our sledge.

-Wonderful.

-Don't wait up for me.

-To pull the sledge?

Well, good luck with that.

While Raj goes in search of Rudolph,

we'll check out what the Blue team have bought.

When roasting your chestnuts on an open fire,

be sure to have one of these handy.

The extinguisher cost them £15.

Like the Christmas turkey, they gobbled up the goblet for £60.

Finally, their shop was wrapped up

with the first aid kit costing them £35.

Dan and Sam, are you expecting something

to go wrong with your lives?

It must just be built in, I guess.

You bought a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit.

THEY LAUGH

What is all that about?

Is that a first?

I think it IS a first. What's your favourite lot?

I love the fire extinguisher,

just for the price paid, and I think it's a stylish item.

-Are you the same, Dan?

-Yeah, definitely.

Although I do like the first aid kit as well.

What's going to make the biggest profit?

-Out with it, man!

-The fire extinguisher.

-The fire extinguisher.

-Without a doubt.

Without a doubt. You only spent £110.

-Sorry about that.

-But that means you've got 190 left over.

-There you go. All yours.

-No, no - all HIS.

What is he going to do with THAT?

On my way round, I've seen something

that I think just captures the moment

at this special time of year.

So watch this space,

or I might go off piste.

Ooh!

While Richard goes off piste, we're off to deck the halls.

Just down the road, at Leeds Castle in Kent,

I'm here to discover the history of Christmas decorations.

Fashions have certainly changed over the years.

It's only since the mid-20th century

that decorations have actually gone up before Christmas Eve.

Nowadays, it's not unusual to see a touch of tinsel in October.

Christmas just wouldn't be the same without a bauble or two,

but have you ever wondered where these customs originated?

I've been joined by historian Rupert Matthews to find out more.

So, in times gone by, how did people used to decorate their houses?

Well, if we're really going back 1,000, 1,500 years,

we'd be using evergreen holly, of course,

something from a long time back.

If you want to look at mistletoe, for instance,

-the Pagan Celts viewed this as a big fertility symbol.

-Ah!

Hence the kissing.

Hence the kissing, you're absolutely right.

What about the Yuletide log?

That's another thing that goes back to pagan times.

That was a huge, great part of a tree trunk

that was dragged into a lovely big hall or a castle like this.

And you set fire to it,

and you kept its smouldering right the way through

-for the next two weeks.

-Fascinating.

Now, coming to more modern times, what about today's decorations?

A lot of the things we do today started in Victorian times.

The very first Christmas card came out in the 1840s.

But, of course, the really big thing

the Victorians brought in to this country was the Christmas tree.

But it was Prince Albert who really popularised the Christmas tree

from the 1840s onwards, after he had married Queen Victoria.

Because he was also trying to remould the royal family

and give it a lot more of a softer profile.

So he made a big thing about

presenting Christmas trees to schools, to children's homes,

to all the sorts of charities

that the royal family was getting involved with.

So it had that cachet of royalness about it,

and before you know where you are, everyone wants a Christmas tree.

And with the Christmas tree, of course, came decorations.

And so, for instance, the very first Christmas bauble

-started over 200 or 300 years ago, hand-blown glass.

-Oh!

-Very fine glass.

-Yes.

Of course, very difficult to make, cost an absolute fortune.

And it wasn't until plastic came in in the 1950s

that really, again, most people could start to have

large numbers of baubles around the house.

-Ah, what about the lights?

-The lights.

Well, would you believe it?

Back then people lit candles and put them on the Christmas tree.

-Now, you know how...?

-Health and safety!

You know how dry a Christmas tree is.

There were some terrible accidents.

And so in 1882, over in America,

Thomas Edison came up with the idea of electric lights on trees.

He did them as a publicity stunt

-and nobody took any notice at all cos they cost so much money!

-Yeah.

Once they'd mastered how to make them

as tiny as the ones we use today, they started to take off,

and before you know where you are again, of course,

you've got lights all over the Christmas tree.

Then someone invented outside lights

so you have lights all over your house.

We've got a nice reindeer on our front lawn.

My girls absolutely love it.

Thank you, Rupert. I'm going to make it my job

to put more effort into decorating my home this Christmas.

-LAUGHING:

-Quite right.

Meanwhile, we're off to the auction room.

Will our teams find some crackers of their own?

MUSIC: Last Christmas by Wham!

My trusty reindeer have brought me down the road to Canterbury,

to the Canterbury Auction Galleries,

and I'm here with the auctioneer, Cliona.

-Hello.

-Hello. You're very welcome.

Well, it's great to see you.

And what do you think of the Reds' items?

We start with this figure here.

-Very Art Deco in style.

-Yup.

The chrome-plated, lovely naked woman always goes down quite well,

-doesn't it?

-Yes. I'm not surprised.

In this style of the artists of the period,

-but not a period piece.

-Yeah.

But a nice decorative thing nonetheless.

And for that reason, we've put £15 to £20 on it.

£15 to £20?

Well, they paid £35.

So you might have to just press the accelerator pedal a little bit.

We'll do our best.

The second item, of course, is extremely Christmassy,

-and is our sledge.

-Fantastic, isn't it?

We just have to hope it will be a white Christmas...

-I'm dreaming of one.

-Indeed, aren't we all?

..to tempt kids out there and tempt the parents to buy it for them.

I mean, if not, it's a nice decorative thing,

-the sort of thing you sometimes see in pub interiors or the like.

-Yeah.

-Estimate?

-Estimate we put on that was £5 to £10.

Right, they paid ten, so one quick bid and you're away.

Now, what about the ring, the third lot?

A very nice decorative ring.

-Obviously, there is a value in the gold and the stones there.

-Quite.

18-carat gold.

-The stones are pretty but they're not very big.

-No.

However, we still placed an estimate of £100 to £150 on it.

Yep. Well, that's pretty promising, really.

-They paid 175.

-OK.

So they're just over the top of your estimate.

If the ring doesn't tick all the boxes,

they might need their bonus buy.

Let's have a look it.

-Nikki and Sue, you spent most of your money, didn't you?

-Yeah.

£220, leaving this man - at Christmas time - with £80.

What have you got them?

I thought, "Christmas time, what do people like?"

-Cocktails!

-Hey!

-Ooh, I love cocktails.

-A couple of siphons and...

-A little shaker.

-..a little shaker.

-I like that.

-They're nice.

-That's really nice. Three for the price of one.

-Yeah.

Have a look at the cocktail shaker.

I mean, most cocktail shakers are plated,

but this is a little bit different.

You can actually see what's going in there, it's marked up.

It's just a little bit different, as far as cocktail shakers go.

-Do you like cocktails, girls?

-Yes.

-Love cocktails.

Oh, Raj, you've hit the spot.

-Well...

-What sort of era, when is that?

I should think it's 1950s.

-It doesn't matter, really.

-No, it doesn't.

-Useful object.

-Absolutely.

-I'd buy it.

So how much did you pay for it?

Well, I had £80.

Would you be upset if I spent all of the £80?

No, I don't think so.

Oh, that's good. Cos I spent 22.

-Oh, did you? Brilliant.

-Wow.

And what do you think it will make at auction?

They should make £30. £30 to £40.

-OK.

-Brilliant.

-They're lovely.

Well, girls, of course, you don't have to decide now.

Leave it till the auction.

You're quite pleased with that, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-Cheers to Raj.

Well, the girls like the siphons and the cocktail shaker.

But will the auctioneer?

The cocktail shaker is probably the more commercial of them.

And the problem is, it's just not a very early one.

Some of them can be extremely ornate and decorative,

and this may not be quite there.

However, it still serves a purpose and Christmas is coming,

-so fingers crossed.

-We'd both like a cocktail, wouldn't we?

-Indeed, yes, please.

-What about an estimate?

We placed £5 to £10 on those.

I'm not surprised.

-Raj went in at £22 here.

-OK.

But not too bad.

Well, that's for the Reds.

Now, Sam and Dan for the Blues.

Their first item is the fire extinguisher here.

It's made by a manufacturer, Pyrene,

who made many fire extinguishers for commercial vehicles

-and boats and the like.

-Yeah.

So it is the sort of thing that might appeal to a classic car owner

-or something like that.

-Ah!

It's an interesting thing, it's in reasonable condition,

-and it also has its metal holder as well.

-Yeah.

For that reason, we've put a huge estimate of £5 to £10 on it.

-Have you really? You've gone right over the top there, then?

-Yes!

-But it's not too terminal, really, cos they only paid £15.

-Brilliant.

Now, the next item intrigues me.

The beaker. Is it silver?

We have tested it and it proves to be a bit of silver.

-What we would call low-grade silver.

-Yes, yes.

So it's below our standard 925

-that would be typical for English silver here.

-Quite.

And as a result, we have to call it silvery metal or white metal.

What sort of estimate have you put on it?

-We put £25 to £30 on it.

-Yeah.

It certainly has that Indian feel to it.

And, you know, we may have the bidders coming in

from the Middle East or Near East on this, so I think we should do OK.

Fingers crossed. Well, he did pay £60.

OK. Yes, he splashed out the cash on this lot, on their behalf.

Now, Sam, again, liked the first aid box.

-Yes. Was he feeling poorly?

-THEY LAUGH

Well, he might be after the sale of the beaker.

There is the railway connection,

which might bring it up a little bit.

An intriguing thing to have.

Included in the box are a lot of the contents,

complete with a record book of the treatments that were distributed.

What about an estimate?

-We put £10 to £15 on that.

-Have you?

-Yes.

-They paid £35 for this.

-OK.

Now, they might need some first aid.

They might also need their bonus buy, let's have a look at it.

Sam and Dan, you left this man with £190.

-Yeah, a lot of money.

-What did you get?

So, tempted as I was to go skiing at this time of the year,

instead I thought we'd go skating.

Now, I've brought you...

Ooh, that's a reaction, wasn't it?

-It's lovely, isn't it(?)

-I bought you a watercolour.

I bought you an Edwardian watercolour.

Continental scene of skaters on a lake in Austria.

So how much did you pay for that watercolour?

Well, you left me £190.

And with it, I spent...

£5 of it.

-Oh, that's brilliant.

-What do you think we could get at auction?

I think today we're going to do double,

treble or even quadruple our money.

-I like the sound of that.

-Brave talking.

With this huge amount of money he's laid out,

you don't have to make your decision now.

Leave it until the auction and then you can decide

whether it's £5 well spent or very badly spent.

Either way, what does the auctioneer think?

Well, Cliona, they sent Richard with £190 to spend,

and he bought this. What do you think?

Right. Did he spend all £190 on it?

LAUGHING: I'm not going to tell you until you give me an estimate!

Right. Well, a nice continental watercolour, a great scene,

the festive scene and the time of the year that we're selling.

But it's an unknown artist.

Condition is a little bit against it...

It's a bit faded, isn't it?

A little bit faded, and also you've got these brown spots on the paper,

-which we refer to as foxing.

-Yeah.

For that reason, I like it as a decorative picture,

but we've only put £10 to £15 on it.

Well, well, well.

-I can reveal that he didn't pay £190.

-OK.

-He paid a fiver.

-Oh, right. Brilliant.

Do you know, I think that's really charming for £5.

That's all right, isn't it? A nice decorative picture.

-A quick minimum bid of 100 and he'll be well happy.

-Perfect.

-You'll be taking the sale?

-I will indeed.

Good, I'm looking forward to it.

I wonder what's going to happen.

700. 720.

Right at the back of the room, I'm selling.

Sam and Dan, are you aficionados of the saleroom?

-I think so.

-Not really.

-Been before?

-BOTH:

-Never.

-THEY LAUGH

Now, your fire extinguisher, you like that?

-I love that item.

-Best item.

-You really like that item.

It cost £15.

Well, we'll see how it goes. Here it comes.

Lot number 126 is the Pyrene fire extinguisher.

Start me here at £5.

Thank you, five I'm bid on commission now, looking for ten.

Who's in at £10?

There we go, £10.

All the way from India, £10 we are bid.

Looking for 15. 15.

Back to you on the internet at 20.

£20.

Thank you, 25. 30.

This is amazing!

You coming in at 30?

30. 35. 40.

£30 for a fire extinguisher!

40?

It's here in the room at £35, now looking for 40.

At £35, then,

if we are all done at 35...

Brilliant! Absolutely marvellous.

A profit of £20, and here comes Richard's beaker.

Start me here at £25.

25, I'm bid on commission, looking for 30 now.

Who's in at 30? Any interest on 30?

25 I'm bid, looking for 30 now.

30, I'm bid. 35. 40.

40, now we're going.

Are you bidding 40?

Is that bid in the room at 40?

No. So, £35 here on commission.

Oh, this is far too reasonable.

Any bid of £40?

If not, I will sell at £35.

If we're all done at 35...

Oh, dear, oh, dear.

That's a loss of 25.

You're now £5 down.

But you've got the first aid box to come.

Who's in at £10?

Any interest at £10?

There we go, £10 we're bid.

-Who's in at 15?

-It's a start.

Any interest on 15? Right at the front here at £10 now.

Looking for the 15. Any bid of £15?

£10.

-Oh, dear.

-We're looking for the 15.

Anybody else in? If not, I will sell at £10, then.

If we're all done at £10...

Oh, that's minus 25.

That's a cumulative loss of a miserable £30.

I mean, that's a mere drop in the ocean.

And, of course, you do have the potential

of one of the finest works of art ever seen in this part of the world,

courtesy of Richard Madley.

AS A SKIPPING RECORD: Nothing can go wrong...go wrong...go wrong...

go wrong...with Madley.

Now, your bonus buy - yes or no?

-Let's take another risk.

-We've got to.

-Yes?

-We've got to!

THEY LAUGH

-Sure?

-Let's do it.

-There we are.

-No pressure, Richard(!)

-None at all.

Who will start me at £10?

Thank you, 10 I'm bid.

15. 20.

25. 30.

-Richard...

-Anybody on 30?

-Come on.

-Any interest at 30?

It's at £25 here on my right.

-Looking for the £30.

-Come on!

Anybody else in the room at £30?

£25 I have bid here.

Looking for 30. Any further offer?

If not, I will sell at £25.

-Brilliant. That's all right.

-If we're all done at £25...

-That's plus 20.

-That's amazing.

With your -30, after all that shopping for an hour,

you finally lost ten quid.

I mean, that's not too bad.

Could well be a winning score, so not a word to the Reds, not a word.

And we'll find out later.

MUSIC: Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

Now, girls, are you excited?

-Yes.

-Have you ever been to an auction before?

-No.

-Never in your life?

We're starting off with your nude woman.

£35 paid.

There's every chance you could make some money.

Here it comes.

The chrome-plated standing figure of the nude woman.

Straight in on the internet at £15, now looking for 20.

Who's in at 20? 20.

Straight up to £30. 35.

40.

-Back to the internet at 40.

-40 on the internet!

£50. 55. 60.

Any interest at 60?

Anybody bidding? No, £50 it is on my right.

Any further bids? 60.

-65, 70.

-65!

75. 80.

Anybody at 80?

£75, any further offer?

If not, I will sell at £75.

If we're all done at £75...

Do you know what the profit is on that, girls?

It's £40!

-Here comes your sledge.

-£35 we're bid here on commission now,

looking for 40. Who's in at 40?

Here at £35 now, who's in at 40?

-Any interest in the room at £40?

-It only cost a tenner!

£45 I have here on my left, on commission. Any further offer?

If not, I will sell at £35.

If we're all done at £35...

Oh, you've made 25 -

you're now £65 so far.

-Here is the ring.

-Lot number 106, who'll start me at £100?

£100 to someone, £100 I'm bid.

Who's in at 110 now?

110, 120, 130.

-Anybody at 130?

-Come on.

£120 it is, seated. Any further bids?

-Bit more!

-Any further bids? £120, seated. Looking for 130 now.

Anybody in at 130?

If not, I will sell... 130 right at the back.

-130!

-150. At the back, 150.

160. Selling at 160.

Any more bids?

If not, I will sell at £160, then, if we're all done...

Oh. You've lost £15.

But you were £65 up, so you're actually now plus £50 overall.

-Wow!

-Well done.

Girls, you are absolutely amazing.

So what are you going to do about Raj's bonus buy?

-Ditch it.

-"Ditch it"!

THEY LAUGH

-Right, Raj, Harry ditches.

-I liked it, Raj.

Well, cost 22, do you know what the auctioneer's estimate is?

No.

Five to ten. Look, here we go.

Lot number 110, who'll start me at £5?

£5. Any interest at £5?

Oh, dear. Come on, shake it up for Christmas. At £5, any interest?

Somebody in the room at £5.

Any bids? The cocktail shakers.

There we go, £5 I'm bid at the back of the room.

Who's in at ten now? Any further bid on that?

If not, I will sell at £5, then, if we're all done at five...

Thank you very much.

Aww.

You would have lost £17,

but of course you've lost nothing at all so you're still £50 up.

I mean, that is fantastic.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Congratulations. Now remember, not a word to the Blue team.

-OK.

-OK?

Well, what a treat we've had.

Christmas time on Bargain Hunt.

But, of course, we don't have losers,

we have winners and we have runners-up.

And I can't possibly imagine who's who on this occasion.

But the answer is...

-the Blue team!

-Oh, no!

-Oh, dear, dear, dear.

You somehow managed to lose a little bit of money.

Only a tenner. You started so well.

You started with a fire extinguisher.

What a ridiculous choice! THEY LAUGH

But it made you £20.

After that, all your profits were extinguished, I'm afraid.

But, girls, girls...

and, Raj, you're all glowing.

I'm not surprised cos you're going home with £50.

-Yay!

-They've done well, give them a round of applause.

Thank you.

-You've had a good time?

-Fantastic.

-Fantastic.

Well, don't forget to have a look at our website,

and to follow us on Twitter.

And have a Merry Christmas,

and join us for more Bargain Hunting.

-Yes? ALL:

-Yes!

MUSIC: Driving For Christmas by Chris Rea