London 9 Bargain Hunt

We're in Kingston upon Thames today,

which is part of motor racing folklore.

It was the birthplace of an iconic car - the Mini Cooper.

ENGINE REVS Well, it sounds like someone around here

fancies themselves as a racing driver.

But who will win? Red or blue?

Did we have you fooled?

Well, you didn't think we'd fork out for a real car chase!

And now it's time to put the pedal to the metal.

Let's go bargain hunting.

We've been given the green light to hunt for bargains

in the Kingston Antiques Centre.

But which team will find themselves in pole position

and who will hit the skids?

Let's take a look at what's coming up.

The Reds want their expert to keep an open mind...

What on earth are they?

Oh, I love them!

..the Blues wind their expert up...

You could make a pair of snowboards out of that.

..I get my hands on some evidence from a legendary crime...

This was actually found at the scene

to break into the high-value package coach.

..and it's smiles all round at the auction.

But will it stay that way?

So it's a family affair today, but will our teams make a fortune?

Probably not, knowing this show!

For the Reds today, we've got sisters Cesca and Vicky,

and for the Blues, we have son and father Matt and Paul.

-Welcome, everybody. Hello.

-ALL: Hello!

That was a very warm welcome! Thank you.

I'm going to start with our Reds, and specifically with you, Vicky.

Delighted, I have to say, that you're not surrounded by

animals because you've got quite an unusual job

and I thought you might bring some with you.

Tell us about it.

Well, I actually work for a mobile petting farm.

So I will bring farm animals to inner-city schools in London.

I'll spend the morning bottle-feeding a lamb.

-As you do.

-As you do!

Or I may bring little animals like hamsters and rabbits,

so the children get to hold them.

It's lots of fun and it's quite educational as well, so...

And you do a little bit of moonlighting, I hear?

I do, I do. I'm a jazz singer as well.

-Cool.

-So I'll have a cow in Brixton, for teaching the animals,

and then I'll go back to Mayfair in a sequinned dress.

Well, you certainly lead an interesting life.

And Cesca, you're musical, too, or at least you had a bit

of a flutter with the pop charts, didn't you?

Yes. I was in a band called Get Crucial back in 2007.

And we had a single out

and it was a bit of a Marmite single.

You either liked it or hated it. It was basically four words.

-And...

-Which four words?

-I like watching planes.

Most of the song. We were going to change it when we went to record it,

but I couldn't think of anything else, so it sort of stuck.

And so, people either thought it was good

or they thought it was absolutely irritating.

Well, it sounds like you're going to have fun anyway.

-Do you often agree?

-Yeah, I think we will.

-Yeah. Well, we'll see.

-Yeah, we will see, yes.

On that note, let's head over to our Blues.

So, Matt and Paul, thank you for joining us.

Matt, all this talk of music and singing.

You must be itching to burst into song because you love it.

Yes, I've sung with the City of London Sinfonia as well,

in front of 3,000 people in, like, a crowd.

And I did, like, a little solo. I came on stage and things.

Must have been nerve-racking.

It was but when I was on there, I just loved it.

I was, like, really happy to sing and stuff.

-So, yeah.

-Now, tell me,

you're not just a singer but you're also into literature, too.

-You write.

-Yeah.

Yeah, so I've got my own little anthology,

so I've written about 40 poems that I have together,

that I want to try and get published as well.

I'm going to be really busy, aren't I, next year?

-You're an ambitious guy.

-I know.

Paul, I heard you're pretty good at impressions.

I've done a few impressions.

I did actually get one played on the radio.

When Chris Tarrant had a breakfast show,

he wanted a phone-in of people to do impressions of him because he hadn't

agreed with one he'd seen on the telly the night before.

So he did play mine.

He wasn't very complimentary about it.

But another DJ later in the day did play it again

and said it was uncanny, so, who knows?

Uncanny. So if it's that good,

I'm afraid we're going to have to hear it.

I knew you were going to ask. I haven't done it for a while.

Tee-hee! Who wants to be a millionaire?

Do you know what? That is so good.

I'm with the other DJ. Brilliant!

So good! Well, obviously no-one can do any shopping without money,

so for the Reds, £300.

And for the Blues, just the same, £300.

I know that your experts are eager to meet you so off you go

and, everyone, have a great time.

Wouldn't it be great if we made a Bargain Hunt millionaire?

So, let's meet the experts hoping to steer our teams to glory.

He's got the rhythm, but he's not got the Blues.

David Harper takes charge of the Reds.

Pointing the Blues in the right direction,

it is Christina Trevanion.

Right, you troublesome sisters.

What are we going to be looking for? Cesca?

Anything quirky and miniature, and anything '60s vintage,

'60s furniture.

-Like it.

-Oh, maybe, like, Chinese ceramics?

-Chinese ceramics?

-That's very specific, isn't it?

OK, all right.

If it feels right, just buy it.

As long as it makes a profit, that's what we want.

Drumroll, please!

Teams, your 60 minutes start now.

Let's go. Very exciting.

And that's a groovy chair immediately.

-We'll come back to that.

-One for the back burner already?

-You don't mess around.

-Those school benches are fun, aren't they?

-What are they?

-They look nice.

Like, people like upcycling stuff don't they, these days?

Oh, they do.

That could potentially be a swear word in my presence, you know that,

don't you? Upcycling, no!

What does that say? So they are folding, aren't they?

They are folding, sort of, school benches.

You could make a pair of snowboards out of that.

Are you always this helpful?

I try, I try.

Careful what you say, Paul.

You could end up sat in the naughty corner.

What's this, then? Again, it's a '60s thing, isn't it?

So you've got that look.

I'm not as keen on this bit.

Why not? Well, it's just...

Yeah, I don't know. It's too black, like...

But you could replace that, couldn't you?

Easily, yeah. Vicky, what do you think?

-Erm...

-You don't like it?

-No, it's not my favourite.

No. Not for me.

OK, OK. So what do we do in a situation like this,

when one sister really likes it and another sister doesn't like it?

Is there a protocol?

-Does someone have the final...?

-Carry on looking.

-Carry on looking, OK!

Well, you've got plenty of time to play with, for now.

That mirror's quite nice. Is it brass?

-It looks kind of like...

-It's unusual, isn't it?

So what caught your eye about that?

-I love the design.

-Ooh!

-Ooh, is it heavy?

It's quite heavy! I'm strong.

What do you think? I love the design of it.

I think that's a really good spot. I think that's beautiful.

-It is.

-Yeah, it's gorgeous.

-It's very much sort of Arts and Crafts,

just lovely poppy and Christmas rose and Christmas holly design.

The Arts and Crafts period was all about things being hand wrought

and their construction being visible in what you can see.

So for example, this sort of, what we call planishing, here,

is where it has been hand done, if you like.

Really lovely example. Nice, bevelled mirror, there.

It takes quite a lot to get that bevel on it

but I love the fact that

it's this wonderful, sort of, hexagonal shape.

It's not just a circle or a square.

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's got some shape to it.

-I really like it.

-I think we both like that, so...

You know what I really like about it? Do you know what I really, really like about it?

-That we agree?

-A, that you agree,

and have you seen the price?

-Yes, yeah.

-£25!

Yeah, how much do you reckon it could potentially get at auction?

Well, I would say at auction,

I would see that in an auction house at £30-£50.

Catalogued correctly, Arts and Crafts movement, beautiful thing.

And yes, it is a brass. I think that would polish up beautifully.

-Really nice.

-I think we should...

-Shall we go and ask?

You are super speedy. I'm loving your style, loving your style.

And I'd love it if you could get even more off the asking price.

Now, let's see how the sisters in red are getting on.

-I quite like the hand.

-Go on instinct.

-The hand holding the...

I had that but I smashed it.

But do you quite like that?

-What do you mean?

-I used to have the exact one.

-You never did!

-But I broke the fingers off.

Be careful with that one then!

And then I couldn't replace the... I think I've still got the globe.

-Is it '80s?

-49? Yeah, it is '80s.

Yeah, '80s is quite chic now.

I know we talked about '60s stuff

but you'd be absolutely amazed at what's really selling

in kind of interior-design-led markets, particularly in London.

OK, well, Vicky, let's get it out very carefully,

bearing in mind you broke the last one.

Watch your slippery fingers, Vicky,

and careful with that £25 mirror, Blues.

Matthew, my boys spotted this mirror over in the back left over there.

What could be potentially your best price on that?

-I think she would do £20.

-£20?

-Could you do it at 18?

-18? Ooh, Matthew!

Is he good at haggling normally, then?

He's OK. I'd have said, "Could we do 15?"

and then I'll let you say, "Oh, go on, I'll give it for 18 then."

I think I like the sound of that one better. We'll do 18 for you.

'A haggling lesson and a buy, all in 15 minutes.

-'Bravo, Blues.'

-Let's keep going.

-Cool.

-Let's keep going. Keep on wandering.

While they wander, I wonder if the Reds are going to keep hold of the '80s lamp?

It's quite expensive, that's the only thing.

The quality is not there, I've got to tell you, I mean,

but this is 1980s.

It was meant to be thrown away after a period of time.

Can we have a little think about it?

-Of course you can.

-And then come back to it?

-Just, for safety,

let's just put it on... Well, I don't know, I'll put it back for safety.

I'm trying to be polite.

Well, I'll be blunt.

You've had 20 minutes and need to get a move on.

The Blues are looking at their second item.

-That blue piece sticks out.

-Yeah, that's colourful.

-I don't know what it is. Nice.

-And it's blue!

That is gorgeous.

-So what's it made of?

-That's what I was going to ask.

It looks like it's made from...

This bit's made from gold, and then you've got this bit here

which is guilloche enamel.

-Now, it's trying to be Faberge.

-Faberge?

-Yeah.

-And obviously,

these little pendants became popular after Faberge's style.

And you would wear it, obviously, as a little pendant or often,

in the Victorian or slightly later period,

they had them on a charm bracelet.

-Oh, OK.

-And you'd see little charms just full of these wonderful eggs,

but now, they're more popular as, obviously, as pendants.

-I think that's beautiful.

-You could put it on a bellybutton piercing now!

-No, OK.

-What?

That would be very...unusual!

-You...you could.

-Repurposing it, isn't it?

Is that what you want to do?

Is that upcycling?

That's the one, that's the one.

I never thought I'd hear those words coming out of your mouth.

-I'm not going to lie, that was odd.

-OK, moving on!

-What's the price?

-I'm expecting it to be a fortune, guys.

-What does it say?

-138.

How much do you think it would make at auction?

I don't think, when I look at the stamp of this,

this is stamped but I think it might be silver-gilt, not gold.

-Right, OK.

-And I'm not entirely sure that it is a Faberge example, well,

it's not a Faberge example. But that is quite sweet.

-But £138?

-Do you think we really should leave it?

Is a lot of money. Let's put the egg back in the cabinet.

-Yes, let's pop it back.

-And move on to pastures new.

Bye-bye, egg.

And hello to some vintage lights.

I really like these as well, these lights.

OK, let's have a look at these.

So, why do you like them?

I just like them. I mean, they do look a little bit crude, though,

like someone has just...

-Yeah.

-Literally drawn those on.

-Yeah, literally done that, yeah.

Weren't they originally like that? And someone has embellished it?

No, I think they were originally like that.

-Oh, OK.

-Which really helps you date them pretty well, I think.

And they fall into that brilliant category of mid-20th-century art,

which is just so hot now, it is unbelievable.

Would they make money if we took them to auction?

£48. In auction, I suppose...

With no name, they are 30 to 50 quid.

Ah, oh, dear, gosh, OK, I said £48 for the pair but it's £48 each.

-Oh, wow.

-So, there just under 100.

-That's too much.

-Too much.

-I think it's too much.

Right, I'm going to put it back.

Quickly, Mr Harper,

you're knocking on the half-hour mark and haven't bought a thing,

-unlike the Blues.

-What do you think of this?

The hooded blackout lamp?

Warden's lamp, isn't it?

-Warden's hooded...

-I think it's quite unusual, like,

I can imagine it as a decorative item maybe in someone's house?

-Is it?

-I don't know.

I mean, there are buyers for World War I and World War II memorabilia,

-though, isn't there?

-Yes.

-I have no idea whether you would make money on it.

Yeah, potentially could have a sort of novelty interest,

social history factor to it.

But maybe at that price, it's a real punt, isn't it, £25?

-Yeah.

-Do you kind of have an idea of what it could make?

-Er...

-It's a bit, kind of...

-10 to 15.

-So maybe not.

It's the kind of thing that might capture people's imagination.

It's the story that goes behind it, really.

That would be the key, if you could find out

who it belonged to and hear their tales, yeah.

That is why provenance is so important.

Whereas to us, it's just a blackout lamp.

-Yeah.

-Let's get the cabinet open and have a closer look.

So, we've got this World War II warden's lamp, here,

a relic from your youth, Dad. Do you remember it?

I wasn't even a twinkling in my mum's or dad's eye, actually!

It's got a clip on the back there and obviously,

you've got your carry handle as well, so you could have seen...

You know, is everyone OK? That sort of thing. And obviously,

you've got some sort of fuel reservoir in there, haven't you?

Erm, I mean, if you like it, guys, it's a...

It's certainly a potentially risky thing.

It would be a punt, not at the price, there,

but giving us a chance to maybe sell this on.

-A chance that we could do 20 for you.

-No, 15, certainly,

we'd take it off your hands for 15 and give it a nice home.

True. I don't think it can go that low, though.

We could do maybe another £2, say 18.

Well, why don't we?

-Yeah.

-There might be a nice bit of story behind it.

And the auctioneer, maybe, can give some story to it.

-Is that a deal?

-Yeah, I think that's a deal.

Matthew. Thank you very much.

You're certainly not lightweight when it comes to haggling, gents,

but what does CT really think?

You guys, it's not sparkly and it hasn't got any diamonds in it.

You promised me!

-Come on, next one.

-We've still got one item to get.

-We can do it.

-OK, come on, then, let's keep hunting.

I'd be thankful your team have two items in the bag.

We are well over the halfway mark and the Reds haven't spent a penny

but I think David is taking a stand

and making a beeline for the chair they saw at the start of the shop.

So, try it out.

-Sit in it.

-Come on, it's a red chair for the Red Team.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

-It might bring us luck.

-It's quite comfy.

-Do you like the style of it?

-I do, I do, and it's quite tactile.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, I like it, you have a go, Vicks.

-OK, come on, Vicks.

-Yeah.

Is this the one, the winning seat?

Oh, I say, I say.

-Is it leather or plastic?

-No, it is PVC.

It is faux leather.

-OK.

-In the '60s, they loved using this stuff.

It's friendly to animals as well, isn't it?

Very friendly to animals, absolutely.

But I think this little tub chair dates to about 1965, 66,

maybe even '67, which is a very good year, the year I was born.

-Price?

-75.

-75 quid.

If you turn it over, oh, my gosh!

-It's got instructions.

-It's got instructions.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, that is wild.

Look at that. It shows you how to remove the cover,

so you could change the colour if you wanted to.

-Oh, that's brilliant.

-But that is completely original.

-Yeah.

-Look at that, selected by the council of industrial design

-for the design centre.

-Oh, we like that.

-We have to get it.

-We love it.

But what are you prepared to pay?

Here's Leslie from the antiques centre to talk prices.

We've already brought it down once. But for you, they will do 65.

-Yes, shall we take it?

-It's an iconic little piece.

-Yeah.

-Please do.

-Retro, yeah.

-Lovely.

-Please buy it.

-Yeah, it's cute.

-It'll fit in most interiors.

-I'm happy with that, are you?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Shake Leslie's hand.

-Excellent.

-Sale done.

-And it matches you!

-Thank you.

So, two items to get in 15 minutes. I hope you can do it.

Meanwhile, the Blues are sitting pretty.

Right, guys, look, seriously, we've got one more thing to buy.

What are we going to go for?

We haven't really spent a huge amount.

Yes, something a bit extravagant, maybe?

We thought about silver at the beginning.

Yeah. But we haven't seen anything really so far.

So, we'll have a look around.

-OK, let's have a look for some silver.

-Something a bit intricate.

OK. What about these?

-What on earth are they?

-Oh, I love them.

-Do you?

-Yeah, they're lamps.

-Oh, they're amazing.

-More lamps.

-Surprise, surprise!

I love them.

-Do you?

-The jewels on them, look.

-Would you wear them?

-I think I would, maybe some earrings?

-You've got the necklace.

-I absolutely love it.

-It's so unusual.

-OK, tell me why you love them.

-Have you seen anything like it before?

-Never. They're quite...

Are they '60s?

I don't know. '70s? I think they might be '70s more, maybe even '80s.

I don't know, I just think they are so unusual.

-I think they're awesome.

-There is no quality there whatsoever

but they're so cool, it's painful.

It is. They are great.

-Oh, I love them.

-Let me go and find out how much they are.

-OK.

-OK, be prepared.

Hurry, David, ten minutes and counting.

Now, what has taken Matt's fancy?

I also quite like these two little silver dishes here as well.

-These, here?

-Oh, yeah, those two, there.

OK, and great for me because they're Chester.

That's my local assay office.

So, Chester 1901.

Chester wasn't one of the most prolific assay offices, so Chester,

people do collect the Chester hallmark because it wasn't that...

-Yeah.

-..as I say, prolific.

-Quite rare.

-Yeah, exactly, a bit more scarce, exactly.

So... And the gauge is just a little bit, if you squidge that,

you can just feel a bit of flex in it.

-Oh, yeah.

-So...

-That's quite nice, though.

-They look a bit like a little boat.

-They do, don't they?

-Yeah.

Boat-shaped little... What we call navette shape.

How much do you think the silver Chester ones would get?

They've got to be worth £25 apiece,

haven't they? I'd say probably £50-£70.

-I think we should have a haggle.

-Yeah. Shall we have a go?

-Yeah, shall we go and ask Matthew?

-Yes.

-All right, then, let's go and ask Matthew.

I might need some help getting up from down here.

I'm getting old!

-Oh, thank you.

-Will the Reds need to sit down

-when they hear the price of the lights?

-Right, OK, are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Here we go.

For items that really should have no value whatsoever...

..the best price, as we often refer to in this business, the death, is,

-for the three, 110.

-Ouch!

-Shall we go with our guts?

-I think we should get them.

-Are we going to go with them?

-Yeah.

-Yeah, let's do it.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Thank goodness for that!

That's an understatement.

You have just over five minutes to buy item number three.

Now, back to the Blues and Matthew from the antiques centre has arrived

for another bout of haggling.

What do we think could be the best price on those?

Actually, I'm going to leave my king of hagglers over here

to do the negotiating.

-We could probably do, initially, 65.

-Would you take 50?

50...

I think possibly that's a little bit low but I think we could do 55.

-55.

-54?

-54, go on. LAUGHTER

-54, 54...

-54. 54?

-Could you do that?

-Yes, yeah.

-Would you?

-We would, we would.

-Brilliantly done.

-Let's do it.

-Well done, well done, well done.

Good teamwork. Well done.

-Fantastic!

-You're a chip off the old block, Matt.

-Dad must be proud.

-Hey, well done.

-Teamwork.

-Yes.

-And time to spare for a cup of tea.

-Let's go. I'm there already.

Take a load off, Blues.

Vicky's found something you can get comfy on.

I like...

these two chairs up here.

Right. OK.

I think they're quite small, they've got that nice industrial theme.

I love the colour.

I just think they'd look cool.

-OK.

-In a nice modern...modern house, or they're quite compact,

-so I like them.

-I would go with one or the other.

Let's decide based on whether any of them actually have a company stamp,

because that is more important than show.

Ah, OK, that's the one with the company stamp, Vicky.

Now, does that change your mind?

I still like the other one but I like the fact that's got a maker.

-Yeah.

-So we can find out more about it.

-That's why.

-Interesting. I'm going to put it down first.

OK.

Who is going to be brave enough...

Oh! ..to try it out?

-It's a child's... That's got to be a kids' one.

-It's low, it's very low.

Doesn't mean we couldn't buy a child's chair for an auction.

50 would be the best for this.

-Is that it, Leslie?

-Yeah...

-No less?

-No, really sorry.

-No less?

-No, I can't, no.

No? OK, over to you.

Do you, A, buy that object for £50, or B,

-run out of time and not buy an object?

-Oh, let's just buy it.

OK, we'll do it for 50.

-All right.

-50, yeah? Good.

Thank you very much. Excellent. Thank you for being so helpful.

-Thanks, Leslie.

-Thank you.

-Well done. Brilliant.

-Well done, you two.

That's it. Your 60 minutes are up.

What an eclectic mix we have.

Wowser. Right, cup of tea?

-Yes.

-Yes, please.

-Let's remind ourselves what the Red Team bought.

The sisters took their time to buy the '60s tub chair, £65 paid.

They think these '70s lights have a look bidders will pay big bucks for.

They forked out £110.

And their third buy was another chair.

This plastic child's seat was £50.

Well, what a pair of super sisters.

Cesca and Vicky, you did brilliantly.

Are you surprised at how it went?

It was actually quite hard. I thought it would, you know,

you watch the programme and you think it's going to be quite easy,

but, yeah, it was difficult. But we got some really good buys.

So tell me, Cesca, which was your favourite of the three?

I like these '70s lamps,

the really extravagant, over the top, ridiculous lamps.

And which one do you think

is going to bring the biggest profit when we go to auction?

I think maybe the small chair that we bought.

OK, cool, and what about you, Vicky? Do you agree with your sister?

I do. I tend to agree with her this time.

I think the little kiddie's chair is quite...

is quite unusual, so I think hopefully someone will like it.

Now, let's talk money. 225 spent.

Nice work. So who's got £75?

-I do.

-I'll take it.

But I'll give it straight to David Harper.

-Thank you very much.

-So, £75.

Any inkling what you'll do with that?

Because I'm so darn trendy these days,

I may be going something vintage.

-You never know.

-Well,

David's off to set some new trends and in the meantime,

let's remind ourselves what the Blue team bought.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, will you make the team money at all?

They paid £18.

They think the World War II blackout lamp will light up the auction.

It also cost £18.

And the frugal Blues splashed out on the Edward VII bonbon dishes,

£54 paid.

So after all that, is Christina now an honorary member of the family?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Pretty much, yeah. We've adopted her, yeah.

Well, you've adopted a good one, there,

but you've not adopted some high spending, have you?

-No.

-£90.

-Yeah, we're a bit cautious.

A bit cautious but you bought nice items with the money.

-We love the items, yeah.

-Which is your favourite one, Paul?

It has to be the warden's lamp

because I'm sure there's a really good story behind it.

OK, so, for the provenance?

-Yeah.

-Matt, do you agree with Dad? What was your favourite item?

It's definitely the warden lamp because it's so unusual.

Like, I haven't seen one before,

and it would make quite a nice decorative item in someone's house.

OK. But do you think it is going to trump the other two at auction?

-Do you think it's going to bring a big profit?

-Maybe the mirror will get the most profit.

Well, hopefully the auction bidders think they're all precious

and you make lots of money.

And, talking of money, you've got £210 in your pocket.

-There you go.

-I'll take it from you

but it's not staying with me for long.

It's going over to your new sister, Matt.

-It's going to Christina.

-It's in good hands.

-Do you have any idea what you're going to do with all that money?

-I have no idea,

and I don't quite know what I'm going to do without you, now.

I feel a bit bereft that it's all over!

Well, as Christina wanders around, lost and bereft,

I'm sure she'll find something brilliant for the Blues.

In the meantime, I'm off to visit somewhere rather intriguing.

1963.

The year of JFK's assassination and Beatlemania.

But there was another event that dominated the headlines,

an audacious crime that's gone down in history

as one of the most infamous heists of all time.

There was shock when a Royal Mail train carrying £2.5 million

was robbed at Sears Crossing in Buckinghamshire.

The crime was nicknamed The Great Train Robbery.

It was a crime like no other,

and there was uproar from the establishment.

"How dare these men rob the Royal Mail?" they said.

And the police were determined to get them behind bars.

Thames Valley Police, based near Reading,

are the custodians of artefacts and evidence that helped investigators

build a case against the Great Train Robbers.

Well, Tony, there's a real variety of items

in front of us on the table.

Could you talk me through them?

Well, the wires here, they were found by Sears Crossing,

which was where they first put the false red light up to stop the train.

And what they did is to cover the green light with a glove,

and connect a battery using that to the red light.

Once the gang had stopped the train,

they forced their way inside using an axe

and went looking for the mailbags that contained millions of pounds.

This was actually found at the scene and this was the one that was used,

actually, in the mail van, to break into the high value package coach.

The actual robbery itself was meticulously planned

to the extent that police did not find any evidence there

to directly link a person to the scene.

But the police's luck quickly changed.

The gang went to a farm in Buckinghamshire to lie low

but they had to flee

when they found that the boys in blue were closing in.

And the items they left behind were a gift to the police.

Leatherslade Farm was one big clue.

There was a team of fingerprint officers,

photographers and forensic officers and they spent three days

just going through Leatherslade Farm and the outbuildings.

In Leatherslade Farm, these mail sack covers were linked

to the mailbags that had been stolen from the train.

Some of the mailbags the offenders had tried to burn

but they put them all down in the cellar

and that is where they were found, in the cellar at the farm.

The gang even left fingerprints all over their hideout,

and the mountain of evidence included a Monopoly board

the men had played with after the robbery.

And allegedly, they were passing the time playing with real money

rather than Monopoly money.

So there is an example of it right there, a £5 note.

Yeah, a £5 note from that time.

It's quite good, actually, that it happens to be Monopoly

because it's all about going to jail.

-It's such an ironic twist, isn't it?

-Yes, yes.

We'll never know how many times

somebody fell on that "going to jail"

and then said, "No, no, I'm not going to jail."

But of course, the joke was on them in the end.

Look at all the evidence they left behind on this Monopoly board.

Yes, and you can see there,

the fingerprint markers where fingerprints have been found.

Well, allegedly, again, this is allegedly,

they were meant to be wearing gloves there.

To pick up paper is rather difficult

so they probably took the gloves off and played without it

and thought, 'Blow it.'

Well, we say on Bargain Hunt all the time that provenance is key

and what was once an ordinary Monopoly board

is now part of serious criminal history.

Do you know how much that's worth?

Well, it was valued once at around about £300

but very difficult to value.

Oh, it's got to be worth more than £300.

Yeah. We've actually had, or the curator here has had,

a phone call from somebody offering in the thousands for it.

But it's not for sale.

The real value of the board

is how it and all the other evidence at the museum

helped police quickly identify the train robbers

and build a bulletproof case against them.

This is just a tiny fraction of the evidence, isn't it?

Over 2,000 exhibits, each one of these would be an exhibit,

were identified.

And over 1,700 referred to in the actual trial.

The gang members who went on trial

just five months after The Great Train Robbery

were collectively sentenced to over 300 years behind bars.

Some of the robbers, like Buster Edwards and Ronnie Biggs,

managed to evade capture and went on the run,

although the law eventually caught up with them as well.

But the police couldn't have collared The Great Train Robbers

without these priceless pieces of evidence.

Well, I've had to make a run for it from Reading

to our sale at Special Auction Services in Newbury.

I'm joined by our old mucker, Thomas Plant.

-Hello, Thomas.

-Hi, Natasha.

-How are you today?

-Very well, thank you.

-Are you well?

-I'm well. I'm excited.

-Good.

-I am excited because we're starting with the Red Team.

-Yes.

-Cesca and Vicky, sisters.

And they've bought a cool vintage tub chair.

And it's very apt because it is very red.

It's not a name, as in, it's not a designer piece,

so we've put £30-£50 on it.

30-50. I think that is a wee bit punchy.

-Do you think so?

-And I tell you what I think even punchier,

the £65 paid by the sisters.

-Wow!

-Quite a lot of money.

-That is.

-The thing is, online it could do all right.

Cesca really led the sisters towards that chair but both of them

decided that this copper and steel -

bejewelled - copper and steel ceiling lamp was the business.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, the jewels in it just make it.

Otherwise it's simply ghastly.

I mean, there is no sign of quality to them at all.

I mean, they are teardrops because I am crying looking at them.

OK, well, is your estimate is going to bring tears to the girls' eyes?

-£30-50.

-30-50.

Well, let me tell you, they will be crying

because with David they paid £110.

Oh, my! No!

-Shall we move on swiftly?

-I think so.

Let's move on to this sort of...

Sounds-like-wood-but-isn't-wooden chair.

It is like a plastic, it's a moulded plastic.

-I actually like this.

-You like this?

I don't mind it. It would be great for a playroom.

It's hard wearing.

-It is.

-Do you know, you could put your crayons over it...

It's great. Put it in there, they are not going to damage it.

Again, it is not a known name, it's a look.

So I put it in at £20-30.

The girls paid £50 for this chair, so not too scary.

It is the cheapest item that they bought

but it sounds to me as though you think

they might need their bonus buy.

So let's find out what David bought for the Red Team.

Well, Cesca and Vicky, seriously retro.

Probably the most retro that anyone has ever gone on Bargain Hunt.

Loved your stuff. David, with your £75,

have you gone down a seriously traditional route? LAUGHTER

I love it!

I couldn't keep away from the vintage retro.

Yeah, I like the style. Just not as sure about the pattern on it.

-What do you think?

-It's usable.

Everyone needs a coffee table, don't they?

-Exactly!

-So, girls, what would you have paid for it?

-£30?

Yeah? Loads of enthusiasm there.

-I like that. Vicky?

-I think it's worth about 45.

And I paid £50.

What do you think it will make at the auction?

I don't know. £50-80.

Anyway, you don't need to make your minds up now.

It is time to find out what our auctioneer thinks of this trendy table.

Well, here it is.

Just if there wasn't enough retro in the Red Team,

David has gone and added in to the retro mix.

-What do you think?

-I think David has surpassed himself with this.

In a positive or a negative way?

In an absolutely negative way. It is horrific.

Do you know, this Formica is the only stuff

that remained after the bombs dropped.

-It is cockroaches, rats and Formica.

-What about the pattern?

-Ghastly.

-What about your estimate for it?

-£30-50.

£30-50.

Well, David paid the top end of the estimate at £50.

-Did he?

-So not the end of the world.

If you put a very positive spin on it

-then you might just get him a profit.

-Absolutely.

Let's move away from the sisters to the Blue Team.

This time we've got Paul and Matt, father and son,

and they started off with Arts and Crafts.

-This mirror, what do you think?

-Well, we called it Arts and Crafts style, which I believe it is.

You can tell that by the metal and the depth within the actual repousse work here.

-So it's machine made, do you reckon?

-Yeah, it's machine made,

but the glass is bevelled around by the mirror.

It is a very pleasant item, actually.

So we have put £40 to £60 on the mirror.

-Well, Matt, he got this for £18.

-18?

That's really good!

Their second item was this blackout lamp for bicycles,

World War II. Do you think it's the real McCoy?

No reason to doubt it.

It's pretty... specialist, these items,

and it would be for a bicycle and also for wandering around,

hence you've got the big handle.

-It is what it is.

-A bit of social history.

-Social history.

-So, how much is that worth?

-£20 to £30.

Well, once again, £18 paid.

-This is a favourite figure.

-They've done all right, yes.

Now, it would be good if they paid £18 for this pair of bonbon dishes,

but they didn't. What do you make of these?

Well, they are very thin but they are very pleasant.

If you look at them, they look great.

Best silver, they're hallmarked Chester, so you get the collectors.

They are well pierced.

What do you think they are going to fetch at the auction?

-£60 to £80.

-They paid £54, so they should make a wee, tiny profit.

I hope they do. They are rather pretty.

It's looking good for the Blues, and it doesn't look as though they

will need their bonus buy but just in case they do,

let's find out what Christina found.

Well, Matt and Paul,

you left Christina a seriously considerable sum of money.

-What did you come up with?

-Are you ready?

-Ah, ooh!

-Right!

-It's very purple!

Yes.

-Writing set.

-Exactly right, Dad.

This is a cased writing set.

In here, you've basically got

everything you would need for your Art Deco desk.

A letter knife here.

This is a dip pen, so you would have had nibs and things in the top here

and you also have a seal, so you could sign your letters.

It is stained with pink and it's got these wonderful black dots on here.

-I just think it's beautiful.

-I really like it, actually.

I wasn't sure at first because the colour was a bit, "Oh, my God!"

-You know, when it came through...

-Isn't that the best bit?

Yeah...

How much did you pay for it?

I paid £35 for it.

OK.

And I would hope that, at auction,

it would fetch £40 to £60, £50 to £70.

I do really like it, actually.

-I'm impressed.

-Oh, good. Phew!

Well, it seems like quite a good report

but let's see if Thomas thinks the writing set

is something to shout about.

So, Thomas, this is what Christina found for Matt and Paul.

This lovely desk set.

-This is great.

-It's cute, isn't it?

It's dead sweet, it really is.

Ivorine and brass.

Ivorine is the simulant of ivory.

So there is nothing to apologise for with this.

It's plastic, basically.

And who could ever apologise for such a lovely dusky pink?

It is a great dusky pink.

-It is, isn't it?

-What do you reckon it's going to make?

Well, I think it's going to make £30 to £50.

Well, Christina was left £210 but she only spent 35.

-Well done, Christina.

-Well done, Christina.

And well done everyone, actually.

It looks like it's going to be an interesting few bits

-to go under the hammer.

-Absolutely.

And you will be wielding the gavel today.

-Naturally.

-All I can say is, brace yourselves!

Start the bidding with me here at £20.

£30. £30, I have at £30. 35, and it's 40 now.

45. 45, it is.

Right, Vicky, Cesca. David. Here we are in the auction.

Are you nervous? Have you been to an auction before?

-No, first time.

-First time?

-Very nervous.

-Oh...

-What about you, Vicky?

I've been before, yeah.

-So you are maybe the cooler customer here.

-Yeah.

We'll see, we'll see.

So, the first item hoping to entice those bidders

is your vintage tub chair.

Ladies, here it comes. First lot.

Lot number 328 is a vintage Evans furniture tub chair.

Start me, ladies and gentlemen, this fine tub chair, at £20.

Start me at £20.

Come on, ladies and gentlemen. Try us, then, at ten.

He's trying ten!

We've got ten online.

Exciting!

Ten once, ten twice.

Are we done? I know, I'm trying...

That's so bad.

Sold for £10. That's a loss of 55.

Worry not. Here comes your most expensive item.

Lot number 329 is a set of 1970s copper and steel

jewelled teardrop lights. Start me here at £30.

15, then.

Ten, I've got. At ten it is.

£10. At ten.

Surely, there must be more at ten.

12, I've got in the room.

15. 15 it is.

At £15. 15 once, 15 twice.

-Are we done?

-OK!

Oh, my goodness!

-Feel the pain!

-That's a loss of £95.

We are currently minus 150

so we really need this moulded plastic chair,

which you bought for 50, to take it home.

-Come on, ladies.

-Lot 330.

This is the child's seat, moulded plastic,

metal-painted pedestal base.

Start me here at £10.

It only needs to make £1,000 just to get back our losses at all!

Ten, I've got. I've got ten.

Is there 12 anywhere else?

A little child's seat. Is there 12 anywhere else?

Any advance in the room?

-£10, we're all done.

-It sold.

-The hammer went down.

-At ten.

So, we were minus 150.

We are now minus 190.

We still have your 1960s...

-Oh, yeah.

-..formica table.

You don't have to go with it.

-You can hedge your bets.

-I think we do.

I don't think we have a choice.

So you are going with the bonus buy.

Here we are. Lot 334.

1960s formica metal occasional table of rectangular design.

Start the bidding at £15.

Is there 15 anywhere?

-Start at a fiver, Thomas.

-A £5 note, then.

A new £5 note.

Five, we've got.

-Five, we've got.

-Eight anywhere else?

Eight? Ten now.

Just make it 12. 12, he says. Yes!

-At £12.

-So, let's tot it up.

£12. That's a loss of £38,

which means, ladies, we have lost £228.

-Winner!

-In a way.

Right, Matt and Paul, Christina.

Here we are in the auction.

It's that time. How are you feeling?

-A bit nervous but excited.

-Are you?

-Looking forward to it.

I think we might earn some money. Don't know how much yet, but...

Well, he loved the mirror, and guess what?

It's your first lot. Here it comes.

Next lot is 346.

This is a brass Arts and Crafts style hexagonal mirror.

Start the bidding with me here at £30 for the mirror.

-Come on.

-More than that to start.

At £30. Ladies and gentlemen, 30 I've got.

Ohh...

Are we done? 30, it is. £30 once, twice...

I tell you what, £30 is a good place to start.

£12 profit.

Now we are on to the World War II memorabilia, the bicycle lamp.

Lot number 347, a World War II bicycle blackout lamp.

I can start the bidding with me here at £10.

Ten, 12...

15 I have.

Lady's bid at 15. At 15.

-18.

-18 online.

-You've broken even.

-Go 20.

20. Lady's bid at 20.

In profit!

Yes!

Lady's bid at £25 it is.

At 25. 25. Any advance?

Are you done? At 28 now.

At 28 once, twice...

28, internet got it.

Excellent. £10 profit.

£22. And next is our silver.

Not so risky at only £54.

-Here it comes.

-Lot number 348,

a pair of interesting Chester Edward VII bonbon dishes.

I can start the bidding at 30...

Five. 40... Five.

And 50 with me.

One more!

£50... Is there a five anywhere else?

There has got to be one more.

I will take a pound bid off somebody.

-You will regret it!

-You will regret it!

It is on my book.

You are going to make their day if you go 55.

Somebody stick your hand up. No?

Oh, £50!

Well, he worked hard.

You lost £4,

which means that, overall, you are still in profit

but it's £18, not 22.

So, you've got to consider this.

Christina bought you a beautiful writing set in ivorine.

Pink and purple and gorgeous.

-Are you going to go for it?

-I think so.

-I think so,

it's a lovely piece and it is in really good condition.

Going for the bonus buy.

-Here it comes.

-352,

an Art Deco ivorine pink, cream desk set in fitted case.

Start the bidding with me here at £20.

20 I have, at £20.

Come on! We need some more!

Ladies and gentlemen, is there two in the room?

22 now. Online it is, at 22.

Is there a five somewhere else in the room?

Once 22, twice 22. Are we done? The gavel is up.

Oh! 22!

OK. So, what does that mean?

It means a small loss of £13

but you had 18, which means you are still...

A fiver!

A Lady Godiva!

Well, I tell you what, I don't think I've ever experienced anything

so up and down and down and up.

Today, our winners are the Blues

with a very small profit of just £5.

But we will head to you in a minute to celebrate.

Let's go straight to the Reds

because let me tell you, Blues, these girls,

they made a loss of £228.

So if you're going to lose, lose in style.

That's what we thought, yes.

Let's move to our victors today, the Blues.

With a fiver. Yes!

Who will take it? Five whole pounds.

-Matt.

-Thank you very much.

-I think it has got to go to you.

You both did extremely well.

Everything made a profit except the third item.

-So close!

-And so close, but you know what?

In the end all was well, you go away a fiver and you can say that you

went on Bargain Hunt with Christina Trevelyan and you made a profit.

-How good is that?

-And there's not many people who can say that!

I tell you what, it has been an absolutely wild day

-but I've have fun. Have you all had fun too? ALL:

-Yes.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-And if you had fun at home,

why not visit our website because that is where you can find out

how to apply to appear on Bargain Hunt

and if you have Twitter then follow us...

We would love to hear from you.

But much more importantly than that, if you enjoyed it,

join us again for some more bargain-hunting.

-Yes? ALL:

-Yes!