0:00:07 > 0:00:09We may live in a digital age...
0:00:11 > 0:00:14..but a surprising amount of British trade is still done
0:00:14 > 0:00:16the old-fashioned way...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19AUCTIONEER CHANTS
0:00:19 > 0:00:21..at traditional auctions.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Now's your time to get a bargain.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28These sales may feel like throwbacks to a bygone age,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31but for the buyers and sellers who flock to them,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33they're still the best way to conduct business.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36At 1,600. Blow your nose and bid again.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40We'll be visiting the UK's most dynamic traditional markets...
0:00:42 > 0:00:45..selling everything from pigs to cattle,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49- sheep dogs to ponies...- 580.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51..fish to veg,
0:00:51 > 0:00:56and discovering how they are the heartbeat of rural life.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58There'll be bargains to be had today.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00- 450.- That's part of being at an auction.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06Today, we're in the county of Lincolnshire at the UK's largest veg
0:01:06 > 0:01:07and plant auction.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Agriculture and farming is the lifeblood of this area.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14We'll be meeting the auctioneers in the hot seat...
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Saving a penny. Sometimes it's nicer to spend a penny than save it.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22..and following the fortunes of three buyers and sellers...
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- At 44.- Sometimes it works like that.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- This is the auction.- ..as they experience all the excitement...
0:01:29 > 0:01:32If I really want it, I just keep my hand up.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35That's a brilliant price.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36..and tension...
0:01:36 > 0:01:38No!
0:01:38 > 0:01:40..as the hammer falls.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41Sold.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We're in Spalding in South Lincolnshire,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00an ancient market town known as the heart of the Fens.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Famous for its flat landscape and big skies,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07this huge area of eastern England
0:02:07 > 0:02:10has some of the best soil in Britain.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15Around 25% of all the UK's plant and veg growing happens here.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20No surprise, then,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24that Spalding is home to Britain's oldest and largest horticultural
0:02:24 > 0:02:27market, Spalding Auction house.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Sounds like a bargain. 150.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Do the best you can and don't mess about today.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Bid at £4.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I think they'll make a lot of money.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40Spalding market happens three times a week and it's actually two sales
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- rolled into one...- Sold. Two.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49..a veg auction, today selling over 1,000 bags, boxes and nets...
0:02:49 > 0:02:53I usually buy these most weeks - if they're the right price.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56..of everything from potatoes to cauliflowers,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59carrots to sprouts,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and a horticultural auction...
0:03:01 > 0:03:05They were just over £1 and I'll probably sell them for about 5.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10..with an amazing 16,000 shrubs, trees and plants for sale today,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12all grouped into lots.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Spalding Auction is the biggest of its type in the country.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21It takes two auctioneers to keep the whole operation moving.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25On veg, it's new girl on the lot Claire Pearson.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I've been auctioneering for nearly a year.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32I've come into this rather late in life but, er,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35I seem to be going quite well at the moment.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39And on plants, it's ten-year auction veteran Ady Williams.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43We always try our best to sell as much product as we can for the best
0:03:43 > 0:03:46price possible. If you sell something cheap
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and they're not happy, they're not going to come back.
0:03:48 > 0:03:5050p bid. Bidding at the back, sir.
0:03:50 > 0:03:5250p. He's looking at me.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It's a big market for such a small place,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58but it's the sheer scale of growing round here that drives it.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Agriculture and farming is the lifeblood of this area.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Everything revolves around it.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It's 10am, and before the auctions kick off
0:04:09 > 0:04:13there's a flurry of deliveries and signing in the hundreds of lots that
0:04:13 > 0:04:15will be sold today.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Have you brought a few bits for us? - Oh, yeah, yeah.- OK.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Still glistening with the morning dew on.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21Cut this morning.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Can't get a lot fresher than that.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Freshness is critical at Spalding,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29but it puts the auctioneers under pressure.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Pretty much everything here ought to be sold in the next four hours
0:04:34 > 0:04:38because by tomorrow it won't be fresh any more.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41We have to go pretty quickly.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48It's a Wednesday, the busiest sale day of the week.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Time for the auctions to get under way.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Welcome back to Spalding Auction.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58- Morning, everybody. - These are Peperomia.
0:04:58 > 0:05:003 by 105. Bid.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02I'm bid 35. Bid. At 40.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03At 40 bid.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08An unusual feature of Spalding Auction are the raised decks
0:05:08 > 0:05:09on wheels.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13They allow the auctioneers to get a good view of the bidders and to move
0:05:13 > 0:05:16around the lots at high speed.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19We're going around the corner into the next row, ladies and gentlemen.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21If you'll follow our man with the fluorescent jacket...
0:05:21 > 0:05:25It is a bit unique cos other places will bring the goods in front of a
0:05:25 > 0:05:27fixed station, but we're not, we're portable.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32150, 160, 170, at 180, 190.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33£2 bid. 2.10.
0:05:33 > 0:05:362.20. A local buyer. At 2.20...
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Mr Halo.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42There are 30 or so buyers at the plant sale today,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45mostly auction regulars who run garden centres,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47flower shops or market stalls.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50And Ady has a hunch what they might be drawn to.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Certain times of the year, and now is one of them, November,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59when the days are a bit dull sometimes,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02it gets dark early and they want a bit of colour.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Something nice to look at and it's not all drab and dull and dingy.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Sometimes they might pay a little bit more than they want,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10but if they know they've got a quality product,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12then they go away happy.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17Could be an advantage for local seller Carl Inkley, who's offering
0:06:17 > 0:06:20several hundred brightly coloured pansies for sale today.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I'm expecting the pansies today could make good money.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28We could see 30p today, hopefully.
0:06:29 > 0:06:3130p a plant may not sound much,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34but when you're selling over 400,
0:06:34 > 0:06:35small differences mount up.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41And price is vital for Carl because what he makes here at the auction
0:06:41 > 0:06:43pays the wages of his staff.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Carl's business is just five miles from the auction
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and it's on a big scale.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01He grows and sells well over one million plants year.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I run Greenacre Nurseries.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06We produce pot bedding plants.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Anything from a nine-centimetre pot to a three-litre pot.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16The nursery has been running for just over 20 years and is very much
0:07:16 > 0:07:20a family affair, with daughter Skye managing the office.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Good afternoon, Greenacre.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Carl imports potted seedlings called plugs,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30grows them here and sells them on at the auction.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33These are the plugs that we bring in from Holland.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35When we're really busy in the spring, we can have...
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- HE SIGHS - ..ten times this delivering
0:07:38 > 0:07:44every week. Anywhere up to 60-70,000 a week of different varieties.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48We grow about a quarter of a million fuchsias every year,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51round about a quarter of a million pansies,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55bedding plants and basket plants, about a quarter of a million,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and about 500,000 perennials a year.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04His top-end potting machine cost him over £20,000 some years ago
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and it's hard at work from dawn till dusk.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12This is what we use to pot the fuchsias on from the plugs.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18We tend to pot on average between 2,000, 2,500 an hour.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21It cost me more than my house did when I bought it and...
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But I think it's saved me twice that.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Really, all it does is distributes the pots onto a belt,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31fills them with compost and drills a small hole in them,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33so when they come around to Edita,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35she just puts the plant into a hole
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and puts it down for Sharon to put
0:08:38 > 0:08:43on the tray. It's basic, but it all works and it works well.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Carl's life used to be very different from the gentle world
0:08:48 > 0:08:53of horticulture. He was once a long-distance lorry driver.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Been doing this now nearly 25 years.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01I was a farmer's son that went on to lorry driving and had an accident
0:09:01 > 0:09:07and broke me back and I just started growing a few plants at home in me
0:09:07 > 0:09:11back garden and it started from there, where there was
0:09:11 > 0:09:12me and the wife
0:09:12 > 0:09:16just potting a few plants up, to where we've got now.
0:09:18 > 0:09:24The transition from lorries into plants was a major transition.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26The fact that
0:09:26 > 0:09:28I was nearly 18 months not walking
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and knowing I couldn't drive a lorry,
0:09:31 > 0:09:36er, you've got to earn a living and keep me family
0:09:36 > 0:09:40and the only thing I knew anything about was growing plants.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44We're never going to be rich in this job,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48as anybody that gets their hands dirty, but there's a living.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55It's a seasonal business and profit margins are modest,
0:09:55 > 0:09:59so prices at market are of paramount importance to Carl and family.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05The auction is very important to the business and the money from
0:10:05 > 0:10:07the auction covers the wages each week.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10So with six staff to pay,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15there's a lot riding on today's line-up of pansies and cyclamen.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19This is a trolley we've got up ready for the auction.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25Erm, pansies, nice, good-quality pansies.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27We've got a trailing pansy.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30That, again, looks very nice.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35And then we've just got a few cyclamen from the
0:10:35 > 0:10:36end of the batch of cyclamen.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I hope for these two trolleys, if it's a good day tomorrow,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46to get between 200 and £220.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50We're back onto the orchid selection.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52These probably mixed orchids now.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55We're going to kick off at 150 for the orchids.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Bid. I am bid 150, bid.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58160 bid. At 160...
0:10:58 > 0:11:02On auction day, sellers like Carl tend to deliver their lots early
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and get straight back to their farms or nurseries.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I don't stop at the sales no more.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I would like to, but I just don't get the time no more.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13It's come up here in the morning, get unloaded,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16get back and start growing again.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Most of the sellers probably turn up 7:30 to about 9 in the morning
0:11:21 > 0:11:22with all their goods on trolleys,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25bringing them in, and then they just leave it to us.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27They're usually too busy to spend the time here,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29to watch their goods sold.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35Carl's two racks make a colourful splash on this overcast autumn day.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38This is all he's brought in today, just two racks of plants,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41because it's a reasonably quiet time for Carl.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42- I've known him for about... - HE SIGHS
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Well, as long as I've worked here, so about 30-odd years.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49He's a big bike enthusiast, as you can see when you see him.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Obviously, he has his leather jacket and...
0:11:52 > 0:11:54But he's a great guy. Yeah, he...
0:11:54 > 0:11:55If you don't know him,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58you could be a bit intimidated by his look and appearance,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00but when you get to know him, he's a really nice guy.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Really nice. I hope he said the same about me.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06140. Four lots now.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08The auction has been there right from day one,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12right from the first batch of pansies that I grew.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Ady has been there as long as I can remember
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and he's grown in with the job and he is very good at his job.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23He's very good for the grower and for the buyer, but
0:12:23 > 0:12:26he gets the best price he can at the time.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32There's a range of buyers at today's plant sale,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35mainly purchasing for their own garden centres, shops
0:12:35 > 0:12:37or market stalls.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39First up, Carl's cyclamen.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42We're moving along to a good selection now.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46It's lot number 85, this, 60 of the mini cyclamen.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50They're being sold per plant in batches of 60.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52English-grown. Let's put these in at 50.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54They're English. 40?
0:12:54 > 0:12:55Bid 30p with a low bid. Five.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57At 40 bid. 45 bid.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59At 50 bid to the mobile bidder. At...
0:12:59 > 0:13:01You're out from Norfolk, sir, at 50?
0:13:01 > 0:13:05- Sawmill.- That's 50p each for the cyclamen.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Better than Carl expected.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Now the trailing pansies.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Carl hopes for 30p a plant.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15The trailing pansies.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17These are going by the pot. 20p for a trailer.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Bidding starts low, at 20p...
0:13:20 > 0:13:2126, 28.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- ..but it's building quickly.- 34.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Bid 36. 38. 40.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28It's your turn now, sir. Are you out, sir?
0:13:28 > 0:13:3042, a fresh buyer.
0:13:30 > 0:13:3244. At 44.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34The bid's looking at me here, ladies and gentlemen.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Mr Lionel. Two lots, sir?
0:13:37 > 0:13:38Takes them both.
0:13:38 > 0:13:4144p each is a great price.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Nearly 50% more than Carl hoped for.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Four more lots of pansies.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Let's put these in at 20, individually potted.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Now it's the regular pansies.
0:13:52 > 0:13:5418 bid. At 18. Are you bidding, Miss?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56At 20. 20. 22.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57The cap's in now at 24.
0:13:57 > 0:13:5926 bid.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01They're proving popular.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Mr Bowman? Four lots, sir?
0:14:03 > 0:14:04Four lots clears.
0:14:06 > 0:14:12All four lots, 288 plants in all, sell for 26p each.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Not a bad price, especially this late in the season.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19We're moving along to the bellis. There's two lots of 72.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22And now Carl's last two lots.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Two. 24. At 24.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28144 bellis, or red daisy.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Two lots of tete-a-tete.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34And 120 tete-a-tete, miniature relatives of the daffodil.
0:14:34 > 0:14:3560 on a pot. 30p.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I'm bid 30, bid 35.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42- At 35 bid.- All sell well, wrapping up a good auction for Carl.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44He'll get the total figure later.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49More importantly, he'll be able to pay the wages.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51For today, at least.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Produce and plants are worth an impressive £2 billion a year
0:14:59 > 0:15:00to this region.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05Farming is the third biggest industry here
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and employs as many as one in four people.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Lincolnshire is a big agricultural area and horticulture,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16and most people who work in this area work in horticulture
0:15:16 > 0:15:17or agriculture.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19It is a major thing for this area.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20A big employer.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Flower growing on a huge scale is key to Lincolnshire's agribusiness
0:15:26 > 0:15:27and it always has been.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34In the '20s and '30s, thousands of acres of tulips were grown here,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37rivalling the famous Dutch tulip industry.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39The link was so strong,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42the area around Spalding is still called South Holland.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47That's when a lot of the Dutch came over to Lincolnshire,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49it's why a lot of the architecture is quite Dutch
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and a lot of the old houses that are here almost look a little bit Dutch.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57In 1948, local growers launched tulip week,
0:15:57 > 0:16:02when buses took visitors on tours of the vast tulip fields.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Spalding plant and veg auction began in the very same year,
0:16:07 > 0:16:08right in the centre of town.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14And soon after, the annual Spalding tulip parade began.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18With its flowers and floats, it grew quickly,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22attracting 100,000 visitors in its heyday,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24and ran for over 50 years.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28It ended in 2013.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31But the auction is still going strong.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The auction house was formed in 1948,
0:16:34 > 0:16:37so it's been in this area for a long time and it was originally
0:16:37 > 0:16:40in the town centre, but in 1995
0:16:40 > 0:16:43we moved to where we are here and it just seems to have gone from
0:16:43 > 0:16:45strength to strength now.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It's built up some unique traditions over time.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Mr Galore. Any further bids?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53One is that every buyer has their own codename.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55One. Mr Magnolia.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- One.- Mr Corgi.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59- One. - Mr Mash.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Two to Mr Mash.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04You're out with a local bid, sir. Monster.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06One to Mr Slipper?
0:17:06 > 0:17:09The codename avoids the market ever mixing up clients
0:17:09 > 0:17:12with similar surnames.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14But in the poker game of auction,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18it's also a way for buyers to keep their cards close to their chest.
0:17:18 > 0:17:26All of our bidders have a name that isn't necessarily their own name.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29How many, Mr July? Two to July.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31They have bidding names.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33So that has been a challenge, learning all of those.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Back at the auction, sales are moving at a pace.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42310. 320. 320. 330.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Cactis are next, Nick,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46just be careful with these.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48We don't want any accidents.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Scoping out what's on offer in the plant sale are buyers
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Hugh Faulds and John Cullen, codename Halo,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and in decisive mood.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00No. No. No, no, no.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, nope.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Oh, that one's nice, actually.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The couple run a garden design business and nursery
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and also sell plants online.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Today's auction is a crucial opportunity for them
0:18:20 > 0:18:22to buy for next season's flower shows
0:18:22 > 0:18:24and also for their online business.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26There's more trolleys arriving down there.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28- As we speak.- As we speak,
0:18:28 > 0:18:29so there's still, you know, it's early days,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32- that's why we get here so early. - The early bird catches the worm.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Not necessarily. You've still got to bid on it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37THEY CHUCKLE
0:18:42 > 0:18:46John and Hugh run the business from their home in Algarkirk,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49a tiny village less than ten miles from the auction.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53The couple moved here from London two years ago,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55seeking more space
0:18:55 > 0:18:57and the best growing land in Britain.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Come on, Bailey. Come on.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Are you coming up with us? Come on, then.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04- Oh, you sounded like your mother there.- Eh?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06You sounded like your mother!
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It is very agriculture here,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11so it is good soil.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14There's still a lot of nutrients in the soil here,
0:19:14 > 0:19:15so things grow really well.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17You battle with the winds,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19but the plus side is that your soil is very rich.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25John went into garden design after being made redundant in 2008
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and Hugh joined him later, also after losing his job.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I worked for a council, doing environmental management systems
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and they just came to me one day and said,
0:19:34 > 0:19:35"We don't need you any more,"
0:19:35 > 0:19:37and I just thought my world was falling apart,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and I really didn't know what was going to happen.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42I then decided to join the business.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46As well as the garden design, nursery and online businesses,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49the couple have started taking part in some of the UK's
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- major flower shows.- Three years ago,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54we decided to take the plunge
0:19:54 > 0:19:56and enter into the floral marquees within
0:19:56 > 0:19:58the RHS shows,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00where you are judged by a panel of judges
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and they will decide what your
0:20:02 > 0:20:04medal is at the end of that.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08It's a bit of a nerve-racking experience.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12To top it all, they entered the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show
0:20:12 > 0:20:17in 2017, after a last-minute cancellation by another competitor.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21And we were absolutely delighted cos we got a silver medal.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Most people have about eight to ten months to get their gardens together,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29we had five weeks,
0:20:29 > 0:20:31so I think that's pretty damn good.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Look at this, a bit sloppy, isn't it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37John and Hugh's double mission at the auction will be to buy plants
0:20:37 > 0:20:39for their online business,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42as well as next year's all-important competitions.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47At the moment, it's not so much our downtime, this is our prep time.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51So what we're doing now is for shows that we're maybe going to be
0:20:51 > 0:20:55attending in seven or eight months' time, erm,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59so it's actually quite important for us to get as much stock as we
0:20:59 > 0:21:00possibly can at the moment,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02to do all the bits and pieces that we need to do,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04cos it's a great time to do it.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08But the newcomers are also still adding to their own garden,
0:21:08 > 0:21:13so there's a third priority for them at auction, too.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18We've planted probably, oh, round about 800 plants out here.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19Lots and lots of lavender,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22a lot of lavender actually came from the auction house,
0:21:22 > 0:21:23as did the rosemary.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27The conifers and most of the shrubs that are all out here, all came from
0:21:27 > 0:21:29auction house.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33With businesses to run,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36flower shows to win and their own garden to expand,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40having the auction on their doorstep is a dream for the couple.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45But when it comes to bidding, John does have his worries about Hugh.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50I suppose, yeah, the difference between Hugh and I is Hugh
0:21:50 > 0:21:53never looks at a figure, so he very rarely would be able to tell you
0:21:53 > 0:21:57what something is actually worth or how much the end price is
0:21:57 > 0:22:00that we're going to sell it for - all he sees is something that's
0:22:00 > 0:22:03a little bit pretty and he thinks it'll look really good. So, yeah,
0:22:03 > 0:22:08we do have a clash of personalities on that one, shall we say.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12I am not really allowed to do the bidding that much because
0:22:12 > 0:22:16I tend to go, if I really want it, I go, I just keep my hand up.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19And that's really bad.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21I think it's really good, but John thinks it's really bad.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23So I will just stand there till I get it
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and I don't care how much I'm going to pay for it.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28There was a funny situation when we first started the auction,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30where we were actually bidding against each other.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35And bless him, Ady said, "I've got you, I've got you,"
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and I still had my hand up and I still thought I was bidding against
0:22:38 > 0:22:40someone else and I was actually bidding against John.
0:22:43 > 0:22:462.50, 2.60, 2.70, 2.80...
0:22:46 > 0:22:482.80. I'm with you at 2.80.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Put them in at 1.50 bid, at 1.60. 1.60...
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Porter. Ooh, late bid there, Nicholas!
0:22:56 > 0:22:57But when they get into the auction,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01it looks like it might be John who's in profligate mood today.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03INDISTINCT
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- £22.- My bid.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Bid, Mr Halo.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Sold to Halo, and these two garden pots as well.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Of course, as usual, John's wanted another bird bath, haven't you?
0:23:14 > 0:23:16How many have you got already?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- Three.- Now we've got four.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- Four.- However, I did like the pots and we've got the pots as well.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23We got them for six quid apiece,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- which I think...- Yeah.- ..is really, really good, so I'm chuffed.
0:23:25 > 0:23:2715 Pieris lot, four years and under...
0:23:27 > 0:23:32Two minutes in and they've already spent over 10% of their budget.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Focus, Halo, focus!
0:23:34 > 0:23:36On to the plant sale, come on!
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Next is the trailing ivy
0:23:42 > 0:23:45that John thinks would be a good purchase for flower-show season.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48We have a run of ivy now, there's eight lots of nine
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and we're going to start the bidding at 35p. Bid at 35p.
0:23:52 > 0:23:5535p... Halo...?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57But with more than 70 plants,
0:23:57 > 0:24:0035p each is more than John's willing to pay
0:24:00 > 0:24:01and he drops out.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I did have a little go at some ivy but it was going too high a price,
0:24:06 > 0:24:07so I left that.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Lot 52.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Now, here's another selection skimmias, there's various counts
0:24:18 > 0:24:21on these, we've got one 8, a 16 and a 24.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Those are nice.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Those are really nice.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27To make up for the disappointment,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30John jumps in for some white skimmia,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33a pretty flowering shrub from Asia that'll sell well online.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36At 1.40. 1.50 is the magic one, Legend.
0:24:36 > 0:24:391.60, at 1.60.
0:24:39 > 0:24:415, at 1.65 bid.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43We're still going up here, at 1.65.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Mr Halo?
0:24:45 > 0:24:49- Small, though.- A lot of eight, sir? A lot of eight to Halo.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51A success for Halo.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52Mr Porter.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55And while Hugh heads off to get a trolley...
0:24:55 > 0:24:58We have 20 of the Gaultheria. 50. Bid
0:24:58 > 0:25:01..the normally parsimonious John, left alone,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03goes on a bit of a spending spree.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05£1... £1.10.
0:25:05 > 0:25:071.20, 1.30, 1.40
0:25:07 > 0:25:10is the Algarkirk bidder, ladies and gentlemen.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13- Halo.- And Halo buys again.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17So that was a shelf of Gaultheria, which has nice red berries on it.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Not quite sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but...
0:25:20 > 0:25:21..it looks good.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26John's profligacy has not gone unnoticed.
0:25:29 > 0:25:3012.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33So you went more than we agreed?
0:25:33 > 0:25:35You weren't here.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37That's cos I was doing a trolley.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40That's why you sent me to do the trolley, wasn't it,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43so that you could buy what you wanted?
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Next up, some cherry trees, or Prunus.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51We have three lots of three Prunus, they're in the pots at 7.50.
0:25:51 > 0:25:547.50 bid, at 7.50 is Mr Halo.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Three lots of three there, sir?
0:25:56 > 0:25:57The Amagawa. Amanogawa.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- Is that the first one? - It's the middle lot.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01- Middle lot. - That's a brilliant price.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03The first three and the last three left, that's all.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06A real bargain at £7.50 for each tree.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I'm really, really pleased because it's a good price.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11I mean, literally, if you go to the retailers,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14you're maybe paying 40 quid for them. It's gone for £7.50.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15Hello!
0:26:15 > 0:26:19It's one of the big pluses of the auction -
0:26:19 > 0:26:24trees that would have cost £40 at a garden centre, for just £7.50,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and there's still plenty of lots left to sell.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Other bargains surely await.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Back at Carl Inkley's nursery,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42the auction has already sent through the results of his sale
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and the former truck driver is rather pleased.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Ooh! Very good.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50Very good.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55The mini cyclamen, we expected 50p and they've made 50p.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00The trailing pansy, I thought we'd be on a bonus if we got 30p,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04but, oh, they've made 44, so a good day.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I thought it was going to be when I had a look round,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10but, yeah, perhaps the top price we've ever made on those pansies.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15I'd anticipated today to be around £200.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19We're coming out with £244 on the two trolleys,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22which is, yeah, very good for this time of year, yeah.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24It was a very good day, yeah, very good day.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27The money will just go into the pot to pay the wages
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and everything else.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33It's been a great auction for Carl.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37When margins are so tight, an extra £40 makes a big difference,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39especially at a lean time of year.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Flowers are vital to Lincolnshire,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52but at the heart of the region's agribusiness is veg.
0:27:52 > 0:27:5650% of all the veg we Brits eat is UK-grown.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Much of it is produced right here,
0:28:00 > 0:28:05where much of the soil is grade one - the very best for growing.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Rich and silty because the whole region was formally marshland that
0:28:08 > 0:28:10flooded frequently.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15Everywhere you go around here,
0:28:15 > 0:28:20it's... Every field you look at has got cauliflowers in it, potatoes,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23cabbages, everything you could imagine, really.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30It's excellent growing soil and that's why we're so famous, I think,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33now, for good growing.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Eastern England has been the national veg patch
0:28:36 > 0:28:38for hundreds of years.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43And when mechanisation came to British farming,
0:28:43 > 0:28:45it happened here first
0:28:45 > 0:28:47because the big, flat, open fields
0:28:47 > 0:28:50suited the cumbersome early machinery.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58These days, Lincolnshire still has a lot of small and medium growers,
0:28:58 > 0:29:00too small to deal with supermarkets
0:29:00 > 0:29:01or big wholesalers.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06And it's those smaller operators who rely on the auction.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13Lots of the local farmers are quite small.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15They only have a few acres,
0:29:15 > 0:29:19so they're not big enough to sell to multiples.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21When they're only growing
0:29:21 > 0:29:24five or ten boxes of cauliflowers every week,
0:29:24 > 0:29:26this is the perfect outlet for them,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29and that's the attraction for them to come here.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Saving a penny, sometimes it's nicer to spend a penny than save it,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39but she's saving a penny today.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42- AGC.- £2 a box, £2, thank you.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45£2, 2.10, 2.10 nearer the rostrum...
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Seller David Dickinson is a good example of a smaller grower who's
0:29:51 > 0:29:52an auction regular.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56The stakes are high for David
0:29:56 > 0:29:58because what he gets here for his produce is
0:29:58 > 0:30:00the bulk of his income.
0:30:01 > 0:30:07In the auction, things just vary from one week to another, really.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11All we can do is sort of, like, bring in the best quality we can.
0:30:11 > 0:30:15He's selling everything today, from cabbages to kale,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17sprouts to cauliflowers.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19And that is it, the van is empty.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24Altogether, 52 boxes, nets or bundles of his finest veg.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Living just six miles from Spalding,
0:30:36 > 0:30:40David was born and bred here in the Fens.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45The family farm is small, but his passion for veg-growing is palpable.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48I love sprouts
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and I think now the new varieties we've got are lovely.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55They've got a reputation and people won't have them
0:30:55 > 0:30:57and they won't change their mind now.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58They were done to high heaven, weren't they?
0:30:58 > 0:31:01They were done till mushy. I mean, my mam used to do them and that...
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Oh, dear, they were horrible.
0:31:08 > 0:31:15We came here 62 years ago and that was my father's first-ever farm.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20It is grade one soil, absolutely perfect for growing vegetables.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26Like so many of these small but intensely productive Fenland farms,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29David's enterprise is very much a family affair.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30Right.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Winter Savoy cabbage, the standard cabbage.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36They're ideal for this time of year, with cold weather.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39In this stunningly good soil,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42the range of what David grows is remarkable.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45We're just like a big market garden.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I only have 25 acres that I'm cropping
0:31:48 > 0:31:51and on that at the moment we're selling cauliflowers, cabbages,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55Dutch cabbage, red cabbage, Brussels, Brussels stalks,
0:31:55 > 0:31:56Brussels tops.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01We've still got carrots, beetroot, leeks and green kale and black kale.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Curly kale is very, very fashionable now.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06It's the new thing that's come in.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08If you'd said it to my dad 60 years ago,
0:32:08 > 0:32:12he'd say kale was for cows and not for humans to eat.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17It's not easy earning a living from veg-growing
0:32:17 > 0:32:20and David faces multiple pressures.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25Margins are very tight because seed costs have gone up,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27spray costs are going up,
0:32:27 > 0:32:29fertiliser costs are going up,
0:32:29 > 0:32:34but the price of the end product has not gone up in relation to it
0:32:34 > 0:32:38and whoever we sell through takes their cut
0:32:38 > 0:32:41and we're left at the bottom and these margins are getting smaller.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44So we are in a state of flux, to be honest.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51- Carrots in both? - Yeah, you want a cauliflower.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Their new veg-box business is an attempt to diversify and widen their
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- market.- Dirty parsnips.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05I think we've got probably about 20, 25 customers.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08It's just beginning to grow a little bit, isn't it?
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Yeah. It was Marion's idea about five years ago
0:33:10 > 0:33:12and I've just got round to it.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16So we'll put parsnips, kale, cauliflower and carrots.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18I mean, look how she's done it.
0:33:18 > 0:33:19I could've tried all my life
0:33:19 > 0:33:23and still don't get them as nice as that, and they look lovely.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26But the main source of income remains the auction.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30A lot more goes off to the auction than what goes to the veg boxes.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32It's only a small amount that goes to the veg boxes, really.
0:33:33 > 0:33:38David's ties with Spalding market go back almost to its beginnings.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42We are very fortunate to have Spalding Auction so close,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44so I can take a load in every day.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48We've been doing this probably for 50-odd years.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Selling to the auction, it is always a gamble.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Supply and demand will affect the price,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and if there's no supply going into the auction,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58then the price will go up high.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02But that is the risk you take when you take your produce on a day.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05We don't quite know what everybody else is bringing in.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11In the auction today, I've got two lots of 15 boxes of two different
0:34:11 > 0:34:14types of cabbage, I've got some Brussels sprouts.
0:34:14 > 0:34:18Brussels, you would want to be making over £5 a net.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20I've got some Brussels sprout stalks.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25Stalks you want to be 50-60p for a Brussels stalk.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27And I've got some cauliflowers.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Cauliflowers really want to be £3 for six.
0:34:31 > 0:34:38I brought a load in last Wednesday of very nearly the same products
0:34:38 > 0:34:40and I made about £115.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44If I get anywhere above that, I'll be well happy.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50£3 bid, 3.20. 3.20 in front of me.
0:34:50 > 0:34:523.40 on the back, 3.40, 3.60...
0:34:52 > 0:34:563.80. Everywhere, 3.80.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Back at the market, David's hopeful for a good auction.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01HORN TOOTS
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I'm happy with what I've brought in today.
0:35:04 > 0:35:05Hopefully it'll sell well.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09With his 50 years' experience,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12the seasoned seller knows that appearance is everything.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18A crop is sold on eyesight
0:35:18 > 0:35:20and people will look at it, and if it doesn't look right,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23then they'll walk past because there'll be somebody else's to buy.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27So it has to look grade one, look nice.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31For Brussels, say, we could buy a light green net or a dark green net.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34You put it in and you look and you will see a big difference,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37so you look at what looks the best,
0:35:37 > 0:35:38what catch people's eye.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Like many sellers, David doesn't stay for the auction.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I come straight home, I never stay for the sale,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54because I have another order coming in at half past eight,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58so I never get time, so I've never seen my produce sold, to be honest.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01We have to put all our faith in the auctioneer to sell it.
0:36:01 > 0:36:024.60, thank you.
0:36:02 > 0:36:034.60, 4.70.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Time for that faith to be put to the test
0:36:06 > 0:36:09because David's produce is up next.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13On to the caulis in sixes, four lots here.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Start me at £2. £2 anywhere?
0:36:16 > 0:36:17Anybody bidding? £2?
0:36:17 > 0:36:22Let's go 1.80. 1.50? 1.50, he bids me, 1.50, 1.60, 1.70...
0:36:22 > 0:36:241.70, any further bids?
0:36:24 > 0:36:26We're at 1.70.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28AGC.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Two to Mr AGC. Mr July, you were the underbidder.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Clears.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Someone's got a bargain, but not David.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40He wanted £3 per box of six for his cauliflowers
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and got £1.70 instead.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46On to the January King, these are in sixes, 1.50.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48Anybody starting it? Thank you - 1.50, I'm bid.
0:36:48 > 0:36:54- 1.50.- Now it's David's January King cabbages, 15 boxes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Any more bidders? 1.50.
0:36:56 > 0:36:57Can't see any more hands.
0:36:57 > 0:36:591.50.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00- Porter?- Three, please.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Three to Mr Porter.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04One to Reality.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Everybody's hands go up now.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08- SHE CHUCKLES - We've got quite a few, haven't we?
0:37:08 > 0:37:11We've got one to Galore, one to CPL,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13one to Canoe, two to Mark.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15Nine sold, six left.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18The January Kings prove popular.
0:37:18 > 0:37:23All 15 boxes sell at £1.50 a box, a good price.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Now we have the sprout stalks.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Start me at £1, £1 bid.
0:37:26 > 0:37:281.10, 1.20, 1.30, 1.40.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30£2. £2, 2.10, 2.20.
0:37:30 > 0:37:322.20, 2.30.
0:37:32 > 0:37:342.40. 2.40, 2.50.
0:37:34 > 0:37:362.50 in front of me, 2.50.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39David's sprout stalks are much in demand.
0:37:39 > 0:37:422.80, then. Right on the back row.
0:37:42 > 0:37:43Council.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44Clears.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49£2.80 for each bundle is more than David was hoping for.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54We have sprouts in nine-kilo bags, ten on offer.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58David wants at least £5 a net for his sprouts.
0:37:58 > 0:37:59£5 anywhere?
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Anybody bidding, £5?
0:38:01 > 0:38:02Let's go 4.50, then.
0:38:02 > 0:38:034.50 bid here.
0:38:03 > 0:38:054.50. 4.60, 4.70.
0:38:05 > 0:38:074.70, 4.80 at the back.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09- 4.80 and climbing.- 4.90.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12£5. I've got £5.
0:38:12 > 0:38:145.20. 5.20 at the back now.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Any further bids? I'm at 5.20.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Fair buy. Clears.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23A little above what David hoped to achieve.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29And later on, he'll get his total figure for the sale.
0:38:31 > 0:38:3332. 32. 35.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37- 35...- The auction is beginning to wind down.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Any further bids at 35?
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Time for buyers Hugh and John to collect their purchases.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47We're going to have to borrow a trolley from them, I think, John.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Though there seems to be something of a dispute
0:38:49 > 0:38:50about what they've spent.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52We've spent 118 so far.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54- We've got another 200 there. - And that's about...
0:38:54 > 0:38:55John, what've you bought?
0:38:55 > 0:38:57About £300, I think.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59I think.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01- Roughly.- Let's go and just see how much it comes to.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06The auction office will reveal all.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14£330-odd,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15to be precise.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Erm...not bad for a very small shopping list.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Yeah.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25- Thank you!- They set themselves a budget of £300,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28so spending £330 isn't too bad.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33They wanted to buy for next year's competitions,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35their online business, and themselves,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37and they've succeeded.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Er, don't go forward! No, no... Let's get them...
0:39:39 > 0:39:43The ilex - elegant, tall, silver holly plants,
0:39:43 > 0:39:44will form part of a show next year.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49The skimmia will be perfect to sell online.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- Whoa! - THEY CHUCKLE
0:39:53 > 0:39:54These are beautiful, aren't they?
0:39:54 > 0:39:56These are really gorgeous.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00And for their own garden, they're delighted with the cherry trees.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Do you think we'll get time to plant these as soon as we get back,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- it's getting dark, isn't it? - Probably.- I want to get these in.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06They're so gorgeous.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08There we go.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11Yeah, back to the nursery now
0:40:11 > 0:40:13and hopefully, we've got a couple of hours of light,
0:40:13 > 0:40:14maybe an hour of light left,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17so we might get a few things actually planted in this evening.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- Do you think?- Well, we'll try.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Or we'll have a cup of tea, one of the two.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23I think it's a cup of tea.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28They are two buyers who are certainly leaving the auction happy.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Five miles away on David Dickinson's farm...
0:40:41 > 0:40:43..it's time to make that call.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Hello, Michelle - David Dickinson speaking.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Yeah, I'm all right, duck.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Can you just look my prices up for me, please?
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Right. 15 stonehead.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03For 1.80, yeah.
0:41:04 > 0:41:0615 January King...
0:41:07 > 0:41:09..1.50. Four cauli...
0:41:11 > 0:41:131.70, is that all?
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Yeah, 1.70.
0:41:15 > 0:41:1725 stalks,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19five bundles at 2.80.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Ten nets of sprouts...
0:41:24 > 0:41:25..5.20.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27Thanks very much, Michelle.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30No, they've done all right, you've done all right, well done.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Take care, see you tomorrow, bye.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Cabbage have done us about as normal,
0:41:38 > 0:41:40that's about a standard price for them.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44Brussels have sold well, stalks have sold well.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45Cauliflower...
0:41:45 > 0:41:48..not so well, but there's been a glut of cauliflower.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52I thought they'd make a bit more, but they've been poor,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54but generally they've done all right.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59Well, overall, we're going to bring home £130 from that load today
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and that's all right, that's good.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03I didn't quite make 120 last week,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06so I've made about £15 more this week to what I did last week.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10All up, a successful auction for David
0:42:10 > 0:42:12and better income than last week.
0:42:14 > 0:42:19In Spalding, the market will soon be empty after a hectic day of selling
0:42:19 > 0:42:22over 1,000 boxes and bags of vegetables...
0:42:23 > 0:42:26..and nearly 16,000 plants.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32And tomorrow morning, they'll be back to do it all over again.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36The thing I like about the auction is you never know what's going to
0:42:36 > 0:42:37happen on that day,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41no two days are the same, and that's what makes it so refreshing.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42You're up on the rostrum,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45the buyers are there to buy and before you know it,
0:42:45 > 0:42:46it's time to go home again.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57For sellers like Carl Inkley and David Dickinson,
0:42:57 > 0:43:00the extra pounds they've earned at auction this week are enough to make
0:43:00 > 0:43:04a real difference in an industry of increasingly tight margins.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11And anyway, it isn't just about the money...
0:43:13 > 0:43:17This is our bit of England and we love it and we're proud of it
0:43:17 > 0:43:22and we get pride out of walking round and seeing our crops growing.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24This is what we know, we love the countryside.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28We care more for the countryside than
0:43:28 > 0:43:30the profit we make out of it.