VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts!

Yes, a good weight.

(SNIFFS) And it smells.

- (HORN HONKS) - VO: Oop, steady!

Behind the wheel of a classic car.

Good morning, my lady.

Good morning, Parker.

And a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

- Whoopsie!

- Come on!

The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.

- (GASPS) - But it's no mean feat.

- (LAUGHS) - There'll be worthy winners... - (CHEERS) - ..and valiant losers.

(SOBS) Will it be the high road to glory...

It's about winning.

- ..or the low road to disaster?

- Whoa!

Pothole!

This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Whoops!

Welcome to the latest episode of Antiques Safari, or The Off The Road Trip.

Ha!

Nyoom!

You can't drive this and not want to go "nyoom"!

- (TIM LAUGHS) - Nyoo!

VO: Behind that enormous wheel is Catherine Southon and keeping an eye out for elephants and rhinos, Tim Medhurst.

You're itching to get in... - I am, I want to drive.

- ..the saddle, aren't you?

I want to be less close to the verge.

Yeah!

VO: Little risk of any encounters with wild beasts today, however, because this little adventure is taking place in the Home Counties.

I am taking you to St Albans.

There's something about hot-cross buns with St Albans, isn't there?

Enlighten me.

I think they sort of originated from St Albans.

Did they?

I love, love hot-cross buns.

Do you?

I think we should get to St Albans and have an Alban hot-cross bun.

- And a cup of tea.

- For elevenses.

VO: Tim is an auctioneer from Dorset with a hands-on approach to antiquing... Feel that history.

..while Catherine from Kent is also an auctioneer... Chocks away!

..has an equally immersive technique.

So comfortable.

CATHERINE: Last night, I had a nightmare.

- Did you?

- Yeah.

One of those really horrible ones where you wake up and you're, "Oh!

Is it real?

Is it real?"

- And I had 50p left.

- Oh.

And you were grabbing everything.

It was awful.

VO: No, that really happened.

Although not quite as bad as in your imagination.

- Aagh!

- Aagh!

VO: But not a lot better either.

Ha!

Catherine started out with £200, and after two very unlucky trips to auction, that's been reduced to a mere £107.18.

While Tim, who began with the same sum, has headed in the opposite direction and he's currently the proud custodian of £408.30.

Not that he likes to talk about it much.

I have over £400.

- Do you want to say that again?

- I have over £400.

VO: See what I mean?

Our pair set forth from Sussex and headed both south and west.

Today sees them tootling up towards the Thames, and next they'll sidle over beside Wales, before sinking south once more, to finally reach journey's end in Wiltshire, at Devizes.

We have found the third gear!

VO: Aha!

Today our auction destination is Bushey, but the shopping starts in the aforementioned St Albans.

City on the Ver, formerly Roman Verulamium.

Now named after the very first British saint.

In this one together.

Sun is shining, I have so much money I don't know what to do with it!

VO: Good to see Catherine's putting a brave face on things!

Now, just what have Three Wise Monkeys got to offer?

I like that entrance sign.

That's fabulous.

The gilt writing - how much is that?

Oh, £355!

VO: Oh, blimey!

Moving swiftly on, what about his nibs?

Crikey, steady on!

TIM: This is really, really charming.

We've got here a lovely little prisoner-of-war work cigarette case.

And it's dated here 1943.

And Stettin was a German region back in the 1940s.

VO: Formerly Prussian, now part of Poland.

TIM: And on the front here, quite crudely decorated, we've got a handshake and above it a dove with a letter in its mouth and I think that's really sweet.

Oh, and turn it over, we've got the heart with the initials NA.

And that might have been the love of their life.

And they may have never thought they would see them again.

And it's quite crudely made - it's made of aluminum, which would've been a metal that you'd just find lying around.

And it's a great piece of Second World War history.

A collectable with a story.

And on here we've got the price of £40.

I go into this thinking I've got to buy things that I like and I would want to own.

And I'd certainly like that.

VO: Well, I don't see why you shouldn't have it.

Now, more aged receptacles.

This is nice.

It's a tin in the form of a Georgian treasure chest, I guess.

But it's actually a biscuit tin.

But that's quite nice, and that's priced up at, on one side, £22 and on the other side reduced to £8.

£8 is cheap for that, isn't it?

And it's about my level, actually.

I think if you saw that, and probably you looking at home think that's quite a rich casket.

It's a tin but it's worth a lot more than £8, I think.

VO: Roomy too.

You could squeeze an awful lot of garibaldis in there.

But when in St Albans... - Is this elevenses?

- We've got tea.

VO: Of course it is.

I've got mine.

(SLURPS) I think elevenses should really become a thing again.

Elevenses is good.

Let's reinstate elevenses!

- Cheers to elevenses.

- Cheers!

VO: Pip-pip!

Got to get on, though.

Oh, OK. Good luck.

You just sit there and enjoy yourself, dear.

OK, I will.

I will, there's three more to go.

VO: BUN appetito!

They look boring, really boring, as a pair of black vases.

But turn them round and your heart just melts.

Look at these little Yorkshire terriers painted on the front.

And you turn them upside down... and what does it say?

Jennens & Bettridge.

And who were they?

Well, they were makers in the mid-19th century, making items out of papier-mache.

This one's probably got a weighted bottom... - haven't we all?

- Quite.

And that one's got a hole in the bottom.

VO: No!

Sorry.

I think this one might have been damaged at some stage, and possibly been repainted, because I don't think it's as good.

Good makers, not great condition, but what a lovely subject.

VO: Ah, had his bun boost!

Ah, it's all fun and games today, look at this.

It's the Electric Speedway game.

Look at that.

And it's by British Games Ltd company.

So I'm thinking this is a 1930s game and you'd put your bet on your motorcycle and when it stops spinning, if the light goes on, your bike is the winner.

I think that's great fun.

Look at that.

I don't know how rare this is, I just quite like it.

I love toys and games from the 1930s.

I think they've got great charm about them.

And people have also kept it in its original box.

I'm gonna find out how much this is and I might well buy it.

VO: Time to talk to Nick.

Hello.

- Hi.

- Hiya.

- Hi, how're you doing?

- Not bad.

I've had great fun looking round.

- Good.

- And I love this.

I found this really cool '30s Electric Speedway game.

- Good spot.

- But I've looked over it and there's no ticket price, so what do you reckon?

Let me have a look.

Oh, ah, yeah, yeah.

I think we could do this for 75.

- 75, ooh!

- Yeah.

OK, that's quite a bit more than I was hoping for.

We can do you a little something.

Tell you what, give me your real lowest price and I'll have a think, say yes or no and we'll go from there.

Probably best we could do is 55.

Right, OK. Do you know, I'm going to take a gamble.

- Cos it's a gambling game.

- It is lovely.

Let's do a deal, 55 quid.

Right, I did have my eye on something else as well.

- OK. - Um, just in - this cabinet here, actually.

- Sure.

- That little cigarette case.

- Ah, yeah.

So it's got a ticket price of £40.

- Right.

- And I just see... - what do you think?

- Say 33?

Can we squeeze it down to the 30?

- Would that work?

- Yeah.

We could do that, yeah.

- So 55 on the toy... - Yeah.

30 quid for that.

Thank you very much.

VO: £85 please.

A mere drop in the ocean for him.

(TIM SIGHS HAPPILY) Catherine, meanwhile, has her £8 biscuit tin reserved and then there's them vases.

Nick?

Hello!

May I talk to you about your vases?

Certainly.

- Your vases.

- Would you like to?

I think they are completely different.

The painting is completely different of the doggies.

- And then the bases... - One's heavier, yeah.

One's heavier and the sizes here, the feel.

- Feel them, close your eyes.

- Yeah, yeah.

..and hold them.

You can feel which is the better quality.

Feel them, feel them.

What would you do for the pair?

What's your really bottom price for them?

I could do them for 25.

Oh, OK. And if I just bought one?

I could do him for 20.

I wouldn't want to let him go for much less than that.

So £20 for this one, and £25 for the two.

Yeah, I think that's quite fair.

VO: I think we're almost there.

This looks even better the second time I've seen it.

£8, definitely.

Right, and I am gonna buy these, I'm gonna buy them together.

I think it would be foolish not to.

And we'll just have to live with the fact that they're not a pair.

- Nick.

- Hello.

- Nick, Nick, Nick.

- Yes, what can we do?

I love your treasure chest and I love the fact that it's £8.

We're back.

£20.

Can we do £20 for both of them?

Every penny is counting at the moment.

Er, 20... What did we say - 25 for the two?

- OK. - Yeah?

- Alright.

Yeah, we can do that.

- So £20.

- 28 altogether.

- Is that alright?

- Yes.

- Thank you so much, Nick.

- That's OK. VO: Her budget stretching seems to have gone well.

- Bye-bye.

- All the best.

Bye-bye.

VO: And so while Catherine heads back to the Landy, we'll get the latest on Tim's whereabouts.

He's around here somewhere... ..Having made the short trip to Rothamsted Manor in Harpenden, to learn about John Bennet Lawes, the Victorian pioneer of agricultural chemistry, from scientist John Jenkyn.

John, what was the state of agriculture in the 19th century?

Well, it was really a period of enormous change.

Of course, there was a lot of industrialization going on in the cities, there was movement of agricultural laborers into the towns.

Farmers were keen to adopt steam engines, for example.

But there was still a lot of ignorance about the best way to grow crops.

VO: Yeah.

Nowadays known as Rothamsted Research, this place is a world leader in the science of food production.

But back in 1814 it was the local manor where John Bennet Lawes was born.

He went to Eton and Oxford, but distinguished himself at neither place.

But when he came home to the manor in 1834, one of the first things he did was to have a laboratory installed in one of the bedrooms and he proceeded to teach himself chemistry.

VO: Lawes began a scientific investigation of what farmers had long since known - that certain chemical elements could be added to soil to improve yield, such as phosphate in the form of ground bones.

By 1842, he developed a process for making what we now call superphosphate fertilizer and started to build his first factory at Deptford Creek in London in 1843.

Lawes soon enlisted the help of another chemist, Joseph Henry Gilbert, and together they founded the Rothamsted Experimental Station, establishing the principles of crop nutrition and creating an astonishing archive.

TIM: We've just walked past all of these amazing bottles with the original labels, some dating back to the 1840s.

What are they all?

These are samples from various field experiments at Rothamsted, samples of crops, soils, fertilizers and so on.

And in total we have an archive of around about 300,000 samples... - Wow!

- ..dating back to the 1840s.

It is true to say this is a unique archive - nobody else in the world has an archive anything like this.

It gives scientists the opportunity to go back in time and do analyzes on those soils which were not possible in Lawes and Gilbert's time.

VO: But undoubtedly Rothamsted's most enduring contribution to the science of agriculture was begun in 1843 and continues to this very day.

Why have you brought me here, John?

Well, this is probably, to agricultural scientists, the most famous field in the world.

Wow!

It was set up by Lawes to test the effects of different plant nutrients on the growth and yield of wheat.

But because it's been going for so long, and receiving in many cases identical treatments for all of those years, for soil scientists in particular it's a very valuable test bed to look at soil function and so on.

And you can see the differences clearly, can't you?

You can.

The plot on the right there has received farmyard manure every year since 1843, and the plot on the left has received nothing since 1843.

VO: Not convinced?

Ha!

Let's enlist the help of the drone for a better look at how nutrition affects plants.

TIM: What can we see from this image?

There are three major plant nutrients - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

And you can see that as you go through those plots, increasing amounts of nitrogen, so the crops are becoming darker and thicker.

VO: The plots thicken!

What an amazing place.

Meanwhile, Catherine is also deep in the Hertfordshire countryside, over on the edge of the Chilterns.

This is fabulous!

Come on, you can make it.

A bit like that other steep thing she's facing - ha!

- trying to catch up with her rival.

I can't help but love Tim - he's the nicest character ever.

But I think he is a little bit smug.

Because he has mentioned so many times how much more money he has than me.

Do I care?

VO: Whatever you say, ma'am!

But your next catching-up opportunity awaits, just outside the village of Redbourn.

Oh my goodness, we are going through wrought-iron gates.

This place is gonna have no bric-a-brac.

VO: Yes, it's quite a pile - fine antiques for sale next to a working stable yard.

I wish I had more money.

Oh dear, oh dear.

Ha!

The tally currently stands at just under £80.

If Tim was here, he would probably be all over this.

Minton majolica at its finest, in the form of an oval pie dish, with this wonderful duck and rabbit.

And it's pretty much almost perfect.

Little hairline crack there.

VO: HARE line, get it?

Ha!

That would definitely have been a Tim gag.

But that is... delicious.

£575.

So, actually, even Tim couldn't afford it.

Ha!

VO: So there!

In fact, there's really quite a lot he couldn't stretch to in here.

This... is wonderful.

This is a miniature brass ship's telegraph.

And it passes a message from the officer on the bridge who wanted to communicate to the engineers and tell them the speed that he wanted the ship to go.

(BELL DINGS SLOWLY) Slow.

Or whether he wanted it to go... (BELL DINGS QUICKLY) ..full steam ahead!

It doesn't even have a price.

All I know is it's way off my budget.

I'm not even going to ask.

VO: Well, I have.

At least a thousand.

But there is something she may safely set a course for.

Over to Julie.

So, this is an item that might be possible to... Susie Cooper.

OK. VO: Well, a poster about the pottery legend anyway.

You see, the thing is you could look at it and say "1992".

However, it's advertising and celebrating one of our major ceramic designers from the 20th century.

- Yes.

- So...

I completely agree with that.

..therefore that makes it almost antique.

I think it's got pizazz and I like it, Julie.

And I think that Tim might be slightly jealous.

Hmm, so, under 50, this would be?

Well, it really isn't under 50 but I could probably just squeeze it to a little bit less if, erm, - that's going to be a help.

- Right.

What were you thinking of, then?

Can we shake on 20?

Catherine, as it's you, I think we can.

VO: Shaking all over!

Thank you very much indeed.

I shall look after it.

I'm glad it's going to a good home.

VO: Yes, from Bushwood to Bushey!

Ha!

She's successfully eking out those limited resources of hers.

Now, don't mention the money!

Shall we play a little game of I-spy?

I-spy?

Go on then, Tim.

I spy with my little eye something beginning with P. VO: Profit!

(LAUGHS) Nighty-night.

Next day, Tim still can't quite believe how well it's all going.

This is quite a novelty for me to be actually in the lead.

Is it?

I'm enjoying my time on top while it lasts.

Aw.

Oh, matron!

- Sorry!

- (LAUGHS) But despite her reduced funds, Catherine still did plenty of shopping yesterday, acquiring two papier-mache vases, a Susie Cooper poster and a biscuit tin... Absolute steal.

..leaving her with just under £60 for today, while Tim picked up a POW cigarette case and a 1930s racing game... Ah, it's all fun and games today.

..meaning he's got... Well, let's hear from the horse's mouth, eh?

Do you know what?

I have over £300 today.

- Oh!

- I'm sorry.

You're not sorry.

Do you want to say it again?

In fact, announce it to the world.

I have over £300!

Or, as blues singer Howlin' Wolf once chorused... # I got 300 pounds of heavenly joy.

# My lordy.

Later, they'll be beating a path to the auction in Bushey.

But our first stop today is in Henley-On-Thames, where Tim will be shopping alone, having already bid adieu to his chum.

Looking as keen as ever.

Oh, sorry.

I'm tripping into your shop.

- Calm down, Timothy!

- Hello, how are you?

- Hello.

- I'm Tim.

What's your name?

- Hi, Tim.

I'm Ivana.

- Sorry.

I've never fallen into a shop before.

VO: Fallen in love, though, I bet.

He's always like this, Ivana.

Full of beans.

Sometimes buns.

This is one of my favorite vases.

It's... Well, it's a copy of the famous Portland vase.

VO: The original is about 2,000 years old, got smashed and resides in the British Museum.

This would have been made, probably, in the late 19th, early 20th century.

It's a Parian ware and it would have been made just for the tourist market.

It's not the best quality.

The original is superb.

Beautiful glass.

This is molded, it's not handcrafted.

But still a nice-looking decorative vase.

And I just really, really like these.

Unfortunately it's got a little crack on the bottom there I've just seen.

VO: Not exactly HAIRLINE.

£35.

You know, it's not expensive but I want to be spending big bucks, so I'm going to just put it back and keep on looking.

VO: Because he does have quite a lot to, you know... Oh, ha-ha, whoops!

..spend, remember?

Oh, I like these.

Covered-up stuff.

That is a lovely little table.

I mean, it's not the best quality, but I just love what they represent.

This is called a cricket table.

And originally they were made in the 17th century because pubs, taverns and quite a lot of cottages had uneven stone floors, so to have a table with four legs was quite difficult to get even.

And I have to say if you're sitting at a table that rocks when you lean on it, it's the most irritating thing.

And that solves this.

They got the nickname of cricket table because of the three stumps.

This one's made of oak.

Probably, looking at the quality of it, certainly nice and handmade, I should think 19th century.

The top is an unusual shape.

Quite often they're circular.

The furniture market has been tricky in recent years, but I've noticed a little bit of a change.

I think people have suddenly realized that you can go to an auction or an antique shop like this and you can buy lovely bits of antique furniture for - what?

- 45 quid.

If you ask somebody to make that today, it would cost you a lot of money.

So I reckon that's worth a bit of a punt.

I shall go and see if we can do a little deal.

VO: Everyone padded up?

Ivana...

I have found this little cricket table which I've fallen in love with out the back.

Yes.

- Now, I'd love to buy it.

- Mm-hm.

But of course it comes down to price.

- You've got 45.

- Mm-hm.

Is there any wriggle room?

38?

- 38.

- Yeah.

If we can squeeze off another three quid, can we do 35?

- Yes.

Yes.

- Lovely.

It's a deal.

Thank you very much.

VO: All very convivial.

Now, I think the coast is clear.

But while he's been busy back in Henley, his chum has traveled downriver.

Nice day for it, too, isn't it?

Yes, Catherine's come to Marlow, also on the Thames, to Christchurch United Reform Church, where they're lucky enough to have an organ by THE great Victorian organ builder.

(ORGAN PLAYS) Hi there.

Catherine.

Very nice to meet you.

Bruce.

How are you?

Bruce.

Very well, thank you.

You look lovely.

I knew you were coming.

I can hear some wonderful sounds inside.

Can we take a look?

Excellent idea.

VO: Bruce Buchanan is an authority on Henry Willis, the man who revolutionized this instrument.

But what is it that really makes his organ so special and so different from everything else?

Well, they reflect his personality.

He had a very strong personality.

There are two sorts of hymn, Gentle Jesus Meek And Mild, and Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven.

He was a Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven sort of man.

(CATHERINE LAUGHS) Right.

VO: Henry Willis was born in London in 1822, next to the church of Christ Church Spitalfields, and he was apprenticed as an organ builder in 1835.

When did he first really become famous?

Well, he made a sensational appearance at the Great Exhibition in 1851.

He came from nowhere to hire the best spot in the whole of the Crystal Palace, and there he built what was effectively the largest working organ in the country.

It was a sensation, mainly because it was big, but also because he had installed in it a new way of connecting the pipes to the keys.

He introduced pneumatic movements, small little bellows which were supplied with compressed air when the organist pressed the key, and it was these that pulled down the valves.

He had little batons between the keys, which you pressed, and the stops came out or went in according to a preset combination.

So the organist no longer needed two people either side of him to work the stops whilst he was giving a recital.

So all of a sudden it became a one-man band?

VO: Ha!

Willis was soon the pre-eminent Victorian organ builder, supplying his instruments to the cathedrals of Salisbury and Durham, as well as the Albert Hall, his bold new sound coinciding with a revival in attendances and a boom in church building.

Willis organs were in demand.

Some Victorians preferred it to be very soft.

Willis would have none of it.

His are extremely bright, because the congregation have to be able to hear the tune.

- Mm.

- And so he builds a bold, congregational sound.

So everyone knew about him?

Oh, everyone knew about him and everybody wanted one.

Except those that didn't - very stuffy people of course.

(LAUGHS) VO: Now, with apologies to Father Willis, Catherine Southon, piano grade two, is about to try her hand with maestro Clem Virgo.

- Hello, Catherine!

- Hello, Clem!

Nice to see you.

Right, well, do come aboard.

Thank you.

Now, we've got a piece here, a transcription of Verdi's Aida, the Grand March.

And this is quite a good start, because the right hand doesn't have to move very much.

I'm going to play it for you, just to show you how it goes.

If you follow it... (ORGAN PLAYS) Two, three.

See?

So you're actually not having to move your hand at all.

That's it, you're ready.

(ORGAN PLAYS) BOTH: Two, three.

- Whoops.

- Oh.

No?

- Two.

Three.

- Three.

- No, no.

- No?

Bom, bom, bom.

Once again.

VO: Patience, Clem.

Two, three.

Very good!

And again.

Come on, let's cash in on this progress.

VO: Time for a bit of Willis magic.

Right, we're going to add a trumpety sound now.

VO: All together now.

- (ORGAN PLAYS) - D, G. - Two, three... - A. E, E, E. # B.

# (HE HUMS) VO: Hmm, brava, brava!

Now, while all that's been going on, Tim has been pulling out a few stops of his own.

I don't want to look after my profit at all.

I want to spend the lot, I want to gamble on it and just hope that it pays off.

I'm off to Reading.

I don't really know much about Reading.

VO: Well, that's my job really.

Like the man said, heading for Reading in Berkshire.

Famous for three Bs - beer, bulbs and biscuits.

So, more bickie tins?

Look, just don't FANNY about, right?

- Hi.

- Hi there.

- I'm Tim.

- I'm Will.

- Nice to meet you.

- Yeah, well thanks for coming.

Thank you.

VO: Where there's a Will...

Remember, Moneybags still has almost 290 left.

That's a lot of biscuits.

Now, that is more the price I was looking for.

£225.

It's a whole long-case clock.

Look at that lovely hand-painted dial.

And I love the cut-steel hands as well.

This was made probably in around 1800.

So we are looking at a pound a year since this was made.

Doesn't seem like a lot of money, really.

But... lovely item.

I've got time on my hands, so I might just carry on looking.

VO: He does like that joke.

No more clocks, eh, Tim?

What about his less-well-off companion?

Back at the shops again - just you try stopping her!

- in the Berkshire village of Warfield at The Old Grain Barn, where she would ideally like to pick up a couple of items for not very much money!

Look at this scrummy cabinet.

Art deco with a wonderful sunburst design coming out of it.

£125!

Shut the door!

VO: Or about twice what she has.

Try upstairs.

Nice trunk.

VO: Everyone likes a trunk.

A bit like the grown-up version of that biscuit tin she bought.

CATHERINE: Early part of the 20th century.

Let's have a look.

Nice handles.

Actually really nice handles, aren't they?

Have a look at these, inspect these a bit more.

Look, it's got little hearts on.

Hearts on the end.

85.

(SIGHS) What have I got left?

59.

VO: Same ballpark.

Just.

Hm.

How about our Reading correspondent?

I like these little boxes here.

This is known as a trampware box because they were made from just bits of old crate lying around.

So anyone could make them.

And if you actually look at them closely, there's a little label there which you can see would have been on the bottom or on the side of a crate.

So this would have been assembled from just, I don't know, maybe a cigarette box or tea box, something like that.

And somebody would have layered all of the bits of wood up and then almost chip-carved the decoration along here.

VO: Priced at £55.

Quite a lot of them originated in America, made sort of in the second half of the 19th century, I should think.

I suppose it's a nice little bit of folk art.

And I just like the fact that somebody has made something out of nothing.

VO: Yeah, very clever.

Anything else?

Oh, I love these because they still sell well as a piece of furniture.

Because they're usable.

You can still sit in a nice oak office chair from, say, the Edwardian period.

And nicely made as well, solid.

They're known as a captain's chair and I can only assume that's because the boss sat in the main office chair.

Normally they swivel.

This one looks like it's frozen through age.

I think probably over 100 years and it's given up, or if you just put a bit of oil in there it would probably loosen up.

So at 36 quid, that's not expensive.

And if I can get a little bit more off I might be in with a bit of a profit there.

VO: Hardly the big spending we were promised, though.

Over to the boss.

Will?

Ugh!

- Yeah, hi.

- Hello.

How are you?

So what have we found?

Ah, I've found a nice chair and a nice box.

Yeah, a captain's chair, that's... - Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?

- It is nice.

Nice and solid.

And I love this trampware box as well.

A bit of 19th-century upcycling.

Just wondering if we can do a little group deal.

You've got £55 on this box.

And the chair, 36.

What do you reckon?

So...

So that's 91, isn't it?

Yeah, £91.

I don't know.

What shall we say?

30 and 40.

£70 - how does that sound?

£70, 70... Tell you what - can we squeeze another fiver out?

Then it's a deal.

Yeah, I think we can manage that.

Lovely.

Thank you very much.

- You're a gent.

- OK, lovely.

VO: So, £35 for the box and 30 for the chair... - £65.

- I like to see cash.

..completes Tim's little spree.

Thank you.

See you soon.

Bye.

VO: Now WAR-field.

# What is it good for?

# Teapots?

This is a SYP - simple yet perfect - teapot.

This was designed by Hamilton Cochrane back in the early part of the 20th century.

This example is made by Wedgwood.

And the whole concept of it is that it can stand in two different ways.

So it can stand in the normal way, or it could stand... ..like that, on its side.

To separate the leaves from the tea and thus prevent stewing.

Ha!

It is quite a rare thing.

It's priced at £120, which I think for a rare teapot is probably not a lot of money.

VO: Plus, think of the elevenses!

Ooh!

What does that remind you of?

It reminds you of Georgian tea caddy.

Lovely little marquetry inlay there, except it's not wooden.

It's tin.

Wouldn't that look nice with my little Georgian-style casket biscuit tin?

£19.

Hm!

Hm.

VO: Hm!

Let's consult Stuart.

I have a mere £59 left.

- Oh, my goodness me!

- I know.

I like a couple of items.

Your little box here, the little tea caddy - is there any movement on that?

Yeah, I'm sure we can do something.

What sort of...?

Come on, Stuart.

Erm... How much would you like to pay for it?

Oh no, don't ask me that.

That's a terrible question.

You tell me.

- I could do that for 10.

- Alright, - That's terribly generous.

OK. - There we are.

Now, I really, really like this.

Can anything be done on that?

The trunk.

Erm... How much did you say you've got?

(GROANS) 59.

So you've only got 49 now?

VO: Good point, sir.

How about the tin box and the trunk for 59?

That is very generous of you.

VO: Gosh!

Generous it most certainly is.

CATHERINE: Probably one of the nicest ones I've seen for a while, actually.

OK, let's do that.

- Trunk and the tin.

- Done.

VO: Thanks, Stuart.

Do you come with it?

Oh!

(LAUGHS) VO: Well, he would fit in the back.

Ha!

Now, reunited and off to you know where.

On our way to Bushey Auction!

Yes.

Shall we stop for a cuppa on the way?

I do like a bun, so shall we?

Yeah.

Let's do that.

VO: Too late for elevenses.

Let's call it tiffin... then shuteye.

There was once a movie studio in Bushey.

Elstree's not very far away.

After beginning in "Bun Central" at St Albans, our snacking nick-nackers have munched their way back towards Hertfordshire, at Bushey Auctions, with internet bidding and electricity.

It is freezing!

It is, but I cannot wait to get in there.

I'm not bothered about profit - I want a heater today.

I want a radiator!

I can feel the warmth... - I can feel the profits.

- ..of the auction!

VO: I can feel the force!

They shot that one at Elstree, though.

Ha!

Catherine parted with almost every penny of her £107... ..on four auction lots.

I love this little chest.

This is exactly what I would've loved as a kid to keep all my toys in.

It's 19th century.

It's unusual, it's got lots of little tacks around it and I wonder if, maybe when it was first made, it was leather-covered.

I just really like it.

It's charming, and useable.

And I like usable antiques.

VO: Tim, meanwhile, spent a bit more.

But not much - 185.

Five lots.

Electric Speedway.

Right, well, these little figures, the little men on motorbikes, all look in lovely condition.

Original paint.

Not sure about the box and the rest of it.

He paid £55.

This could be Tim's downfall.

VO: He said it was a gamble.

What about our auctioneer?

The man who puts the bush in Bushey, bearded David Porter.

The Yorkshire terrier vases - by good makers.

These are lovely and collectors will go for that.

They'll be put off by the fact that the condition is not that good.

Captain's chair, I love.

That's fantastic.

Beautiful worn oak.

The original casters as well, which always helps in the sale.

VO: Here they come.

Looks like they've still got their original casters as well.

Moving nicely, excitement mounts!

Cripes, it's busy, isn't it?

It is busy.

VO: Yeah.

Tim opens the batting with his cricket table.

I've got a bid of five on the internet, - in case you're worried... - Aw!

£5.

10, madam.

Double figures, £10.

Come on, we've got a way to go on this... Getting dangerous, isn't it?

15.

At 15, £20.

£20, madam... That seems really, really cheap.

I'm going to sell, £20.

With you at £20.

- (GAVEL) - That seems too cheap, - doesn't it?

- That was very cheap.

VO: Sounds shocked.

He's not used to a loss.

Surprising.

Welcome to my game.

(LAUGHS) Now, Catherine's not-very-old poster, featuring a ceramic great.

I've got a bid of five.

£5.

The bid is here.

Five... - Come on.

We can go on from £5.

- This was my weaker item.

£10, sir.

In the aisle at 10 and selling to you, sir.

£10 bid, fair warning to the internet.

- Anyone else?

- Oh!

- Oh, come on... - With you in the aisle at £10.

- Sold at £10.

- Blimey!

- (SIGHS) - Thank you so much.

VO: Had a nice frame too.

(SIGHS) VO: Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

Tim's Speedway game.

Vrrmm, vrrmm!

And we're up to £15 already.

- Oh!

There's bids.

- At £15.

20 at the back.

At £20.

- Come on, sir.

- Bid's in the room.

Keep it going.

Come on, someone.

Your bid, sir, 25.

30.

- That's all the money, surely.

- Come on, keep going!

I paid 55.

35.

Are you sure, sir?

One more?

One more, sir.

Just for luck.

- Are you sure?

£40, I've got.

- Yes, come on!

I'm gonna sell to this gentleman in the room.

£40 in the room.

They are, I like that.

Fair warning to the internet.

- (GAVEL) - Sold, £40.

Do you know what?

We had fun with that.

VO: And it could have been an awful lot worse.

The Electric Speedway has sped away... to a loss.

VO: That's what you call a segue way.

Ha!

I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you.

Thank you.

Already, we've got a bid of £5.

£5 is bid.

£10... - Don't be silly.

- £10.

- 20 down here.

- Yes!

30.

They're going mad for it.

£30.

35.

35 and... Ooh!

You've doubled your money already.

Any more than 35?

- Almost.

- No, I haven't.

£35 then.

All done?

£35.

- (GAVEL) - Sold, £35.

You've nearly doubled your money.

35 quid.

You paid 20, yeah?

Yes.

Yes.

Good.

There is something.

There is some hope.

VO: There's always hope, Catherine.

Woof-woof!

I'd better watch out.

(LAUGHS) I don't think so.

Time for Tim's tin.

Start the bidding at £10 on this.

A fine piece for £10, ladies and gentlemen.

- Why are no hands going up?

- Yes?

Five, then.

Would you like to go five?

Thank you, madam.

£5 is bid in the room.

Madam, you can come again.

Oh, thank you.

I've £10.

We're at £10, ladies and gents.

- Come on, madam.

- I don't think we can scrape along any more, can we?

- (LAUGH) - Yes, we can.

- 15.

- Yes!

Come on.

£20.

Over on the right at 20, thank you very much.

At £20.

- (GAVEL) - Sold, madam.

- It's made a small loss, but... - Yeah, but it doesn't matter...

..I'm glad I've bought it... ..because it is a really interesting thing.

VO: She's right, you know.

Pukka story.

They've probably got a bit of a bargain there.

- Mm.

- I hope they treasure it.

VO: Catherine's assorted biscuit tin selection.

Are they full of biscuits as well?

- No.

- Oh.

£10.

£10.

15.

£15.

- Are you sure?

- Come on, keep it going.

I've got £15.

Come on!

No?

It's your last chance, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm going to sell these two fabulous pieces for £15...

He is trying.

VO: Yeah, keep smiling, eh?

It was only a little loss this time.

Now, Tim's trampware.

Spare a bid, guvnor?

Who's going to start the bidding at £10 on this one?

Who's gonna start me at 10?

I have a bid of 10 on the internet.

£15 at the back of the room.

- Ooh, it's started.

- £20.

I've got a new bidder at 25.

- £30.

- Keep going, sir.

Yes?

£35.

40.

Are you sure, sir?

One more, sir.

Come on.

One more.

45.

- Yes!

- See what I do for you?

£45.

£50.

50 it is.

£50 then... - (GAVEL) - Sold, £50.

- Ooh!

I got out of trouble.

- You did.

VO: And back into profits.

Well done.

It's a jolly nice find.

Yeah, pleased.

VO: Catherine's very nice trunk is next.

£5, are we selling this fine item... - Oh, that's silly.

- ..for 5?

10 now.

We're into double figures, ladies and gentlemen.

Relax.

15.

15.

20 at the back on the left.

25 sir?

25.

- Come on, keep going.

- £25.

It is yours at £25.

- No.

- No!

30, we've got a new bidder.

- £30 we have.

- Oh, come on.

At £30, I'm selling, then,... - How can that be sold for £30?

- (GAVEL) VO: Yeah, rotten luck, isn't it?

Chin up, Catherine.

I think you are my really, really unlucky charm.

VO: Harsh!

Finally, the captain's chair.

Look at that patina!

I've got £10 now.

£10.

35, now we're getting sensible.

35, 40.

- This has got to make £300.

- There's a telephone.

We've got a telephone bid at 45.

£50 bid here.

55 on the telephone... Come on.

..and 60 down on the internet.

65, at £65.

£70.

At 75.

£80 for the fine chair.

At 80 and five is bid.

At £85.

Internet and phone, you've got your best combination there.

- Yeah.

- A phone and the internet.

Are we selling at £95?

- No, come on!

- I'd like the three figures.

- £100.

- (EXHALES) At £100.

One... 105!

- 105.

- Oh!

Take... 110.

Would you like a hundred and...?

Yes!

115.

120.

£120 - are you happy with that?

(MIMICS GAVEL) - 120, all done?

- (GAVEL) - Thank you.

- Well done.

That was a lovely, lovely thing.

VO: Not to mention the lovely, lovely profit as well.

But we've had fun, right?

- It's been interesting.

- It has.

Come on, let's go and buy some more stuff.

VO: Well, hang on a moment, Tim.

There's sums to do first.

Catherine started out with just over £100 and after auction costs, made another loss.

So she now has £73.98... ..while Tim, who began with over £400, managed to make a wee bit more, also after costs.

So he's got £428.30 for next time.

Well... - Hmm!

- Ooh!

Ooh!

Do you know what?

That was fun.

- And the sun is shining!

- Oh, I know!

Come on.

VO: Next time, just like The Who's greatest hits, we're meaty...

They look happy to see us!

..beaty... - Oh!

Oh!

- ..big... We're away!

Absolutely brilliant.

Well done.

- ..and bouncy!

- It's the Cotswolds bounce.

The Cotswolds bounce!

I don't know if that's a thing.

It is now!

He-he!

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