VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts, £200 each and one big challenge.

Cuz I'm going to declare war.

Why?

VO: Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

DEALER: (LAUGHS) CHARLES: Gone.

VO: The aim is to trade up and hope each antique turns a profit.

Well done, buddy.

VO: But it's not as easy as you might think - and things don't always go to plan.

CHARLIE: (SHOUTS) Push!

VO: So will they race off with a huge profit, or come to a grinding halt?

I'm going to thrash you!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

VO: All this week we're on the road with an adorable duo: auctioneers Charlie Ross and Charles Hanson, who are becoming a bit like father and son.

CHARLES: Dad, are we nearly there yet dad?

CHARLIE: No, we're not there yet!

VO: Charlie Ross is an amorous antique dealer, ruled by his heart.

I keep falling in love with things!

I love the old petrol pump signs.

I love those!

Oh, I'm in love with that tin!

"I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper".

VO: Charles Hanson, however, is ruled by his head, and is slowly but surely learning the ABCs of antiques.

It's a true capital A for antique.

This is a big capital D for decorative.

All this time in this business, you're always learning.

VO: And his education in antiques is paying off: yesterday, Charles got an A+, with another major victory.

For a piece of a tractor... (GAVEL) AUCTIONEER: I will sell it to that man.

VO: While Charlie was bottom of the class, having made no profit at all.

I give up.

I've never had such a sound thrashing since I was at school!

VO: From his original £200, Charlie Ross now has a pitiful £157.60.

VO: Charles Hanson, meanwhile, has grown his £200 to a whopping £547.89.

VO: Charlie, though, seems rather impressed by the success of his younger competitor.

CHARLIE: You're just too good for me.

CHARLES: I am not!

CHARLIE: # You're just too good to be true # BOTH: # Can't take my eyes off of you.

# VO: On their road trip our two Charlies are traveling from Bridlington to their final auction of the week in Rye.

Today, their first stop is Royal Tunbridge Wells.

VO: The historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells owes its existence to the discovery of the chalybeate spring in 1606.

In Georgian times, the town was the playground of royalty and the aristocracy, and was the place to see and be seen.

Our experts should fit in perfectly.

CHARLIE: The sun is out, my £157 is burning a hole in my pocket - come on, let's go and find a shop.

My dream would be to buy big - I want you to buy big and sell small.

VO: While Charlie browses some local stalls for treasure, Charles is trying to get ahead by sneakily swotting up.

Research is the key to success, so I'm actually getting online now to just decipher what the auction is we're going to, and what they sell.

We're going to a general sale.

It's telling me "Hanson, spend carefully, spend cautiously."

VO: Nearby, Charlie has stumbled across a shop that's caught his eye.

CHARLIE: Hello!

Are you Mr Proprietor?

I think that'll do, yep - Ron Goodman's the name.

Hello Ron, Charlie Ross.

VO: Time to get looking, Charlie.

CHARLIE: Got a lot of treen in here, haven't you?

RON: Yes.

CHARLIE: Basically a name for small items, collectible items made of wood - oh look, it says "The Beach, Hastings".

RON: Wow.

CHARLIE: Where am I going next?

Hastings.

VO: That's all very well, but the auction's in Rye - 13 miles from Hastings.

VO: Known as Mauchlineware, this array of early 20th-century wooden objects have scenes transfer- printed on them from areas like Hastings, Rye and Winchelsea.

The group is made up of a picture frame, napkin holders, boxes and an obelisk-shaped thermometer.

CHARLIE: I would probably split it in the auction into three lots, I would imagine: I would put the Hastings lots together, however many there were; I think I would probably put this on its own at the other lot.

RON: I'm willing to let you have all the Hastings objects for £155, because the other items wouldn't be any good if you were selling them in Hastings.

VO: The auction's in Rye!

£140, the lot.

I'll tell you what, shake the hand, £155.

£155, we got a deal.

£150?

Leave me a fiver in me pocket, Ron.

Please Ron.

Listen, I've got five children at home - CHARLIE: Well I've got six.

VO: Are you sure about that?

CHARLIE: Tell you what, are you a gambling man?

Heads or tails.

I'll call.

£150 if I'm right, £155 if I'm wrong.

I'm gonna call... heads.

CHARLIE: Waaaay!

RON: Oh my God!

150 quid!

VO: Hold on: it's shop one on day one, and you've just spent all but £7.

Interesting tactic that.

CHARLIE: (CALLS) Treen for sale!

Fine treen for sale!

VO: Charlie's now almost spent out, but with a bulging wallet, old Charles is ready to splash some cash.

ERICA: Do come in.

Good afternoon to you.

Good afternoon sir.

CHARLES: How are you?

Not too bad, thank you very much.

CHARLES: Are you a local lady?

I live in Tunbridge Wells, but I wasn't born here.

Where do you come from?

Germany.

Germany?

Oh, fine.

VO: Now, find something to buy.

Well Erica, I quite like this down here.

Ah!

(LAUGHS) Tell me about that.

Well, you know what it is.

Tell me.

I'll test you.

ERICA: It's about 1720, 1740.

Good, she's good.

ERICA: And it's Worcester.

Correct.

But it's so beautiful, and it's so perfect.

CHARLES: It is.

ERICA: If it had the smallest fault, it would not ring like this.

CHARLES: No, you're right.

It's called the three flowers pattern.

Yes.

Dr Wall at Worcester, he would have made this in what we call the first period.

VO: Dr John Wall was the man who founded the first Worcester porcelain factory in 1751.

CHARLES: Your price is...?

ERICA: £24.

CHARLES: Yeah.

This has a big capital A for antique.

If you were a lady of etiquette, and if Erica was out dining or drinking with her friends in the 1770s, she would drink her tea like so.

This, in the 18th century, as a material, was so highly prized.

ERICA: It was.

CHARLES: What's your best price?

ERICA: £16.

VO: Well - how much?

CHARLES: She said £16 to me.

BOTH: (LAUGH) CHARLES: Your best price...?

Is £15.

£15.

OK. We'll shake on it, £15, Lovely.

I'm gone.

Thank you Erica.

ERICA: You're welcome.

And by the way, what's goodbye in German?

ERICA: Auf wiedersehn.

CHARLES: Auf wiedersehn.

Madame.

VO: That's French, Charles.

Careful, I thought it was supposed to be 18th century.

VO: As they're in Royal Tunbridge Wells, which has some of the finest period homes in Britain, Charlie's going north of the town center to explore one of them - Salomons House.

Now a museum, the 1850s-built country house was once owned by two fascinating men: Sir David Salomons, one of Britain's first Jewish MPs, and later his nephew, a scientist.

The house was one of the first homes in Britain to have electricity, in 1874.

Today, the museum's managed by Canterbury Christchurch University, and Charlie's meeting Kathy Chaney to show him round.

Hello Kathy, I'm Charlie.

KATHY: Hello.

Come on in, this way to the museum.

The museum is here?

Yes, we have a museum.

It's a very small one, but it's here.

On the way, this is a bust of David Salomons, who was the first of the Salomons family to live here, and it's to him we owe this house.

CHARLIE: And he was a banker by profession?

KATHY: He was, yes, yes.

He was one of the founders of the London & Westminster, what became the National Westminster Bank, yes.

CHARLIE: Gosh.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

VO: Sir David Salomons had many strings to his bow.

Not only a successful banker, he was also an MP.

KATHY: Something that commemorated his time as an MP - we actually have a bench from the House.

CHARLIE: From the House of Commons?

KATHY: We do indeed, yes, because he was the first Jew to speak in the House, but he spoke illegally.

CHARLIE: And why was it illegal?

Because though he had been elected as an MP for Greenwich, when he went to take the oath, it was in a form that he couldn't swear as a practicing Jew.

It finished up "on the true faith of a Christian."

VO: To legally speak in the House of Commons, it was necessary to swear the Christian oath, and being Jewish, David Salomons couldn't do that, but this didn't stop him - he spoke anyway.

He was fined for speaking illegally in the House, so some years later, when it was refurbished and the benches were being taken out, a friend of his, they clubbed together, and they bought it for him and they said "well, you've already paid dearly for this, so here you are, here's your bench."

And that's him?

KATHY: That's him, yes, in his aldermanic robes, as alderman of the City of London.

CHARLIE: Yeah.

And later became Mayor?

KATHY: And later became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London.

CHARLIE: Gosh.

I'm seeing a barrister's wig there.

KATHY: He never actually practiced as a barrister, but he taught himself the law.

As a Jew, he couldn't go on to higher education or to university.

Oh, all Jews were barred from university education?

They could take part in university education, but couldn't graduate.

There were any number of restrictions on things.

VO: As David Salomons experienced, in the early 19th century, Jewish scholars in England didn't have the same rights as Christians.

It wasn't until 1890 that Jewish community members could participate in all walks of life.

The first David Salomons didn't have any children, so he left the estate and his wealth and everything to his nephew, David Lionel Salomons, who's one of these Victorian scientist-engineers, interested in all the new developments of the day.

CHARLIE: Am I right in saying this is one of the very first houses in Britain that had electricity?

It was certainly one of the earliest, yes, to use it for domestic purposes.

VO: Encouraged by his uncle, who provided him with a laboratory, when he inherited the home the young David Lionel Salomons started exploring the use of electricity in 1874.

When the light bulb was invented by a Joseph Swann three years later in 1877, David installed one of the country's first domestic electric lighting systems here himself.

And just over here on my right, you'll see one of the original switches for his lights.

CHARLIE: It must have been really exciting for people to come into this house to see electric light working.

I think so, yes.

CHARLIE: The average person wouldn't have a clue what electricity was.

They'd think it was magic, wouldn't they, if you came in here and saw a glowing bulb?

...for the staff as well, for the servants who were here.

CHARLIE: Great place to work.

KATHY: Yes.

CHARLIE: You'd want to be working in Mr Salomons's house, wouldn't you?

Yeah.

VO: Having glimpsed into the lives of two remarkable men and their Royal Tunbridge Wells home, it's time for Charlie to get back on the antique hunt.

VO: Speaking of remarkable men, how's Charles' shopping going in town?

The day is now going on a bit, I've got one item, fairly happy, and just hoping they have somewhere I can hopefully - afternoon gents, how's life?

MEN: Hello, very good.

How's life?

Antiques here?

Yeah, we've got some.

CHARLES: Eh?!

Yeah...if you want you can...

Hold on, aren't you an Indian restaurant and takeaway?

It is, Indian restaurant.

CHARLES: But you sell antiques?

You're joking.

Well why not, we'll go in.

You never know, you never know where a gem may be uncovered.

VO: This is a first.

CHARLES: Wow, look at this!

Wow!

VO: It's a great big, six foot gilt brass, cockerel- mounted...ashtray.

Yeuch.

Here's my big capital A for antique, this was bought a short while ago, and this is a big capital D for decorative without too much pedigree, but it's a statement piece.

Name me a price.

I don't know, you tell me.

CHARLES: Gents, I like it very much, OK?

And I like Indian food as well, very, very much.

And you know, it feels quite surreal being in an Indian restaurant trying to buy antiques, not really what you'd expect, but you know, I've come off the street, that's part of my journey, it's a real opportunity for me to buy something.

CHARLES: Are cockerels part of an Indian meal?

Do you have cockerels?

Oh chicken, sorry, it's chicken!

CHARLES: It's chicken tikka!

I will give you £20 for it.

VO: They may be laughing now, but while Charles cools down with a drink, the gentlemen ponder his proposition.

MAN: We agree.

CHARLES: £20?

That's fine.

CHARLES: Are you sure?

That's fine.

Oh, I'd never, ever have believed once I would buy an antique in an Indian restaurant.

It's not really an antique, it's decorative, it's ornamental.

Probably no more than 1970s in date.

Thanks gents.

Thanks very much.

I'm fine, I'll be fine.

Watch the ceiling.

Thanks gents, all the best to you.

Bye.

(CALLS) Good luck!

CHARLES: (GROANS) Bye!

VO: Well, I've seen it all now - whoops, Charles.

VO: So Charles has got his trophy from the Indian takeaway - it's time for the boys to reunite and call it a day.

CHARLIE: (CALLS) Come on Mr Hanson.

CHARLES: Long time no see, Charlie Ross.

CHARLIE: Your car awaits you, sir.

How are you?

VO: Nighty night, then.

VO: The next morning, the sun's shining, and spirits are high.

BOTH: # We're all going on a summer holiday, # To make our dreams come true, for me and you.

# VO: Oh dear, getting worse this.

You're not on holiday, chaps - you need to find more antiques, and the next stop is Hastings, 28 miles away.

VO: Yesterday, the boys both made a dent in their spendings.

Charlie blew £150 - practically all his money - on three lots of Mauchline.

That leaves a pitiful £7.60 for his second day of shopping.

CHARLES: Tell me about that.

VO: Charles, on the other hand, was a little more frugal, and only spent £35 on a tea bowl and an Indian brass cockerel, leaving him with a splendorous £512.89 for today.

CHARLES: What infamous date does Hastings, as a year, say to you?

CHARLIE: The Battle of Hastings, 1067.

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Haha, no.

The coastal town of Hastings is best known for the brutal Battle of Hastings fought six miles away by the Normans and Saxons in 1066.

Hastings Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1070, but now only its ruins remain.

VO: For centuries, it was a significant fishing port, and today still has the largest beach-based fishing fleet in England.

VO: With less than a tenner in his pocket, Charlie browses what Hastings has to offer.

Ah, are you the proprietor, sir?

DEALER: I am indeed.

I'm Charlie.

Hello Charlie.

CHARLIE: Hi.

Nice to see you.

May I look round?

Course you can.

Yes.

A Gothic... prayer stool?

VO: With only £7, you might need one of those.

VO: Charles, however, is not feeling the pressure, so decides to take a trip.

VO: He's off to Leeds Castle - no, not in Leeds, on the outskirts of Maidstone, 30 miles from Hastings.

VO: The lovely Leeds Castle is set on two islands on the River Len, and dates back to 1119.

More recently, in 1974, the owner of the castle left it to the Leeds Castle Foundation, a charitable trust who have kept it as a living house open to the public.

Although steeped in history, Charles is going to find out about a quirkier side of the castle, and to welcome him is heritage manager Nick Fulcher - his double.

Welcome to Leeds Castle.

Thank you very much.

CHARLES: (LAUGHS) NICK: It's an unusual collection that we have here at the castle - a collection of dog collars.

CHARLES: Why?

NICK: Well, the collection comes about from the last private owner of the castle, Lady Bailey, who purchased the castle in 1926.

She was very good friends with John Hunt, the late medieval scholar, and he was a collector of many things, including dog collars, so when he died, his wife donated the collection across to us, the Leeds Castle Foundation, to put on display.

NICK: These ones are actually some of our earliest ones in the collection.

They are mainly 15th and 16th century, and they are specifically designed for hunting.

CHARLES: So Nick, if I open the cabinet here, number four reads "a German medieval iron spiked collar".

NICK: The thing that you'll find most surprising about it is its weight.

It's one of the earliest ones actually in the entire collection - purely functional, for defense.

And of course the most vulnerable part of a dog is its neck, if it's going to get attacked, so the collars would be heavily spiked to protect them from basically being killed.

CHARLES: Of course.

NICK: So we now go from the medieval period into the Baroque period, so you're looking here 18th century, where things start to develop and hunting dogs are still very active, but they also start to become more part of the family.

Yes.

So breeds are more distinct and even some fashions start to develop specifically for breeds - perhaps not to the level of booties or carrying them around in your Burberry bag, but the equivalent of bling in the 18th century is the expensive fabrics.

CHARLES: And of course, down here Nick, is one that actually just took my fancy, because it really is a work of art.

NICK: You're referring to this collar down here, which is Austrian, 18th-century, and is covered in red velvet, so something that starts to become more common in collars is the fact that the family crest is also embossed onto it, so that you know that this particular dog, which must have been highly prized, belongs to this family.

Where do we go next?

Well you then start obviously, in terms of time-line we're going to proceed chronologically through into the 19th century, and things really do start to change here, because you're starting to talk about the rise of the pet, and it became very fashionable in France with French bulldogs, that were the fashion accessory of their particular time, and therefore they then started to develop their own fashion style, which were these amazing badger-hair collars.

CHARLES: That is about 1890, 1900 in date?

NICK: Yes.

CHARLES: Let's have a look at this, Nick, just open it up.

Isn't it wonderful, Nick?

NICK: And usually, most of them from this period in this particular style are indeed all red.

I might just put it on and see what she thinks of it.

NICK: I'm really worried where you're going with this one!

No, just slip it on me!

Thank you.

NICK: (LAUGHS) No, because I'm just sure that if people do watch this and they see these great collars, they could be something of the future, don't you agree?

Erm - no.

VO: Charles, I think it's best that you beat a hasty retreat - if you can find your way out.

VO: Back in Hastings, where Charlie has only £7 left, he's taken a shine to something.

CHARLIE: I've just found this in the corner.

A sled?

DEALER: That's right, Charlie.

I was trying to work out how it worked, but there's a bit of a footrest here, isn't there?

Yes.

CHARLIE: Put your foot on there, drive it along like that.

DEALER: Off you go.

CHARLIE: Oh that's wonderful!

And put your child on the front presumably.

DEALER: Yep.

CHARLIE: Looks Edwardian to me.

£55.

That's not too bad.

What's the very best?

Very best?

I'll do 40 quid, Charlie.

40 quid.

Hmm... DEALER: Can't go wrong.

CHARLIE: (LAUGHS) Love the "can't go wrong"!

I could go wrong.

Where are we, Hastings?

My brain is working overtime here.

Do you buy anything related to Hastings?

Of course I do, yeah.

Yeah?

You like things related to Hastings?

Well, I have to tell you, yesterday I bought some bits of treen with Hastings on them.

Right, yeah.

CHARLIE: I at the moment am practically out of money, but is it worth showing them to you?

DEALER: Of course it is.

CHARLIE: I like the idea of this, a bit of swapping!

VO: This is a new one on me.

Good thinking!

CHARLIE: Well here we go.

Could you be interested in these?

DEALER: Absolutely, yeah.

CHARLIE: When I saw these up in Tunbridge Wells, I thought 'where am I going next?

I'm going to Hastings!

I must take them to Hastings, that'll be great!'

Do you know, after I'd bought them I suddenly realized the auction is in Rye.

VO: At last, the penny's dropped - the auction is in Rye.

If I can't get money off you for these, then frankly I'm not gonna get money off anybody, am I, really?

No.

CHARLIE: Those little pin boxes are worth sort of 20 quid each, but would you swap me your sled for a couple of those?

DEALER: Course I would.

Yeah.

May we shake on that?

I think we can.

VO: Well done - clever strategy, Charlie.

I quite like the cut of your jib here, I think I might be looking around your shop a bit more!

Yeah, you carry on.

VO: So Charles is now leaving Leeds Castle to join Charlie in Hastings for some shopping.

CHARLES: Afternoon to you.

DEALERS: Hello Charles.

Richard Locke.

And Miss Locke?

Mrs...

I'm sorry, Mrs Locke!

Cheryl, Cheryl.

Cheryl Locke, and I'm Mr Luck, hopefully Lucky.

CHARLES: You know, I have got £500, Mrs Locke, and I wanna spend it - I've got a nice piece of Royal Dalton china, Bayeux Tapestry with the Battle of Hastings on it, and a larger one.

CHARLES: OK, and they're very, very nice.

I presume they're priced individually?

CHERYL: This one's £185, and this one is £85.

CHARLES: Something local, which is parochial to the area, I think will hopefully thrive.

Your best price is?

£160.

CHARLES: I think I prefer the bigger one, more so than the smaller one.

I'll think about it.

RICHARD: You've walked past my cats.

CHARLES: Where'd they come from, Richard?

RICHARD: I would think they've come from the far east.

I think they're very wacky, and I think in today's market they're interior statement pieces, aren't they?

RICHARD: Yeah, they're unusual.

CHARLES: OK, and these are probably how old, Mrs Locke?

RICHARD: 20 years.

CHERYL: Yeah, at the moment.

CHARLES: OK, and they are decorative, and I must remember with big D decorative, decorative.

VO: We've heard that somewhere before, Charles.

Marked at £120 for the pair, will Charles run with the pussies?

CHARLES: I'll probably say between £50 and £80 for the pair.

RICHARD: If you gave us £80 for the pair, I think you would have a very good deal there.

CHARLES: I think they're honestly a very realistic proposition.

VO: Charlie's also contemplating an animal-themed purchase: an elephant inkwell.

CHARLIE: People like elephants, don't they?

DEALER: They do, always popular.

CHARLIE: Is that cheap?

DEALER: Yeah, I could do that for 30 quid.

DEALER: It's a done deal.

CHARLIE: How's that work?

VO: Haha!

More swapping?

Two pieces of treen here for one elephant inkwell.

These two little pieces of treen are going back in me box, those two... that little box and that little pin case, we have swapped for the sled.

DEALER: We have indeed.

Nice doing business with you.

No money's changed hands!

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: This is unreal - he went in with £7 and he left with £7 and two new items: work that out.

VO: Charles is reflecting on what he should buy.

I like this mirror very much.

VO: Is it because you can see yourself?

RICHARD: What are you going to date that at, 1900?

CHARLES: I think it probably is, isn't it?

Quite like that mirror, it's a mirror which has all the great elegance and sophistication of the Neo-classical with this lovely trophy and these bell-flowers, beveled glass.

Best price Richard?

Quite like it.

RICHARD: £60.

CHARLES: OK. VO: Indecisive as ever, but the clock's ticking - time to make some decisions.

Richard, you've got some great things here, and without further to-do, I think I'd like to make some offers if that's OK with you.

Would you sell the cats at £60?

RICHARD: £70 for the cats, £35 each.

I would then probably go in on the mirror, which - I'm being lean to be mean to be keen - would you take 40?

RICHARD: Meet me in the middle - 50.

CHARLES: OK.

I love the Dalton jug.

You said to me "Charles, 160".

Richard, I would probably need to go in on that jug, £100.

RICHARD: You would have to go in at 120 on the jug.

CHARLES: OK. RICHARD: 120 for the jug.

CHARLES: 50 for the mirror is 170, and then you're saying for the two cats, 70, which comes in at how much?

CHERYL: 240.

CHARLES: 240.

CHARLES: I would go in at 220 for the whole lot.

Would you really?

230 for the whole lot.

And we'll load it into your car for you.

CHARLES: And that's a sale, Richard.

RICHARD: Deal's done.

CHARLES: Thanks Richard.

VO: All shopped out.

Charles is now off to meet Charlie, so they can show off their wares - ooh, low bridge.

CHARLIE: What a journey!

Charlie, we've came, we've conquered!

CHARLIE: Do you know, it's taken me about three or four hundred miles to get my £200 down to nearly nothing!

But Charlie, you know what they say, it really is never over until that fat lady out there somewhere, she calls it a day and sings to us.

Show me something.

CHARLES: It's wonderful, it's Worcester, it's 1775, it's the best part of 240 years old.

CHARLIE: What did you pay?

It cost me £15.

CHARLIE: We're going to go from the sublime to the ridiculous.

OK, I can't wait.

VO: You haven't seen Charles' cats and cockerel yet!

Do you get a lot of snow in Devonshire?

Yes, we do!

Then this, when you have a family, is just what you need!

Oh, I love it Charlie.

You stand on the back there, you rest your foot on the footrest there...

Yes.

And you push it along, and you put young Hanson Junior in the front.

CHARLES: What'd it cost you?

CHARLIE: Well, approximately £40.

CHARLES: It didn't!

CHARLIE: It did.

Approximately?

Well I'll tell you why.

Why?

I went shopping yesterday and bought one lot, but it had lots of components.

I took a few bits out and bartered today.

CHARLIE: Show me another.

Oh it's a nice mirror.

Back to the frivolity of the Neo-classical age, when you, Charlie Ross, would have been a dandy.

CHARLES: It cost me £40.

CHARLIE: Excellent!

CHARLES: Thank you Charlie, thank you.

Well, lay it down, and I will show you my next gem.

CHARLIE: Now, you see this rather grotty old cardboard box?

Yes.

I bought a little bit of treen.

Oh, nice.

CHARLIE: An obelisk thermometer in boxwood, with three different scenes of Hastings.

CHARLES: Oh, you've bought a cracker.

It does come with some more.

No!

No!

CHARLIE: What you've got here, apart from Hastings, Rye is just over there.

Whereabouts?

No, no, there!

Rye.

CHARLES: Yes.

CHARLIE: And Winchelsea.

CHARLES: Yes.

CHARLIE: Both represented here.

CHARLES: I can't believe it.

CHARLIE: And the sale's in Rye.

CHARLES: Charlie, I thought, like with your seaside souvenir, where we are today, I thought 'Hanson, come on, it's been a great journey, buy a seaside souvenir'.

I found this.

CHARLIE: Ooh, Dalton?

CHARLES: Isn't that lovely?

Absolutely Charlie, it's the Battle of Hastings.

That screams Dalton.

CHARLES: Isn't it wonderful?

It captures our journey.

Yeah.

Our battle.

1066, here we are!

Our Hastings, here we are.

You'd have been absolutely useless in the Battle of Hastings, wouldn't you?

Thanks!

You'd have run over the edge.

CHARLIE: You're not going to like it.

You're going to say "Rossco, you've gone back to the 70s, and you've bought something people aren't going to like".

CHARLES: Oh, that's nice!

No, I like it!

It's got some age, it's probably 1900, you've got that wonderful influence of India.

CHARLIE: I just thought, people do collect elephants.

The guy asked 30 quid, but he had a little bit of treen for it instead, so it probably stands me in at about 20.

Charlie, that's a bargain.

I'm going that way to France, but give me one minute, OK?

One minute, Charlie.

Close your eyes, Bean!

I've got them closed!

CHARLES: Close your eyes!

Don't look Charlie, please.

Oh, not one at either side!

CHARLES: Don't look.

VO: You're surrounded, Charlie, and they're a big pair of cats.

Pussy galore?

CHARLES: Pussy galore.

(LAUGHS) Argh!

Aren't they great?

They cost me, for the pair - CHARLIE: 25.

CHARLES: Up!

Going higher!

CHARLIE: £40.

CHARLIE: 70?

CHARLES: £70, got 'em.

CHARLES: Sold to you!

CHARLIE: Well done.

Be one minute Charlie.

Oh not again!

VO: Yes, again - and you won't believe your eyes.

CHARLIE: Please, not more cats!

VO: Nor can I. CHARLIE: Dog?

CHARLES: Don't look!

Elephant?

VO: Think cockerel.

Oh my goodness me!

Isn't it great?

What is that?

It's one big cockerel on this fantastic stand, which I think Charlie would have been for the purpose of perhaps an ashtray.

CHARLIE: It speaks to me!

Do you know what it says to me?

CHARLES: Tell me.

CHARLIE: "Don't bid!"

VO: Both experts have seen the weird and wonderful items - how do they think each other has done?

I think Charlie Ross, he's finally come good, he has finally, finally found his skill level.

The treen is a wonderful lot.

Sled for £40, absolute bargain, and that could really move as well, so Charlie isn't over yet.

Those two cats?

Ridiculous!

And that ridiculous thing from the takeaway!

What is that enormous cockerel doing in a sale room?

Probably making him a profit.

VO: It's been a competitive final leg of this road trip, spanning Royal Tunbridge Wells, near Maidstone and onto Hastings, and the final destination for the chaps is the auction in Rye.

VO: The ancient maritime port of Rye is perched up on a hill, almost suspended in time.

It has enchanting cobbled streets and beautifully preserved medieval, Tudor and Georgian buildings.

Sadly, the chaps have no time to explore, as it's auction day.

CHARLES: One of us is going to become that conqueror today.

CHARLIE: Yes.

And one of us is frankly going to get it in the eye.

CHARLES: It's our final curtain, Charlie.

VO: Rye Auction Galleries hold two auctions a month - one antique and one general sale.

VO: Kevin Wall is our auctioneer for today's general sale.

What does he think of the best and worst of the Charlies' lots?

I think the star lot is going to be the cats more than anything.

They're not antiques, because they are decorative.

To get a pair of them is going to be super.

The worst of the lots I do believe is going to be the sled.

We don't get a lot of snow around this area, so I don't see it doing very well.

VO: Charlie Ross started this final leg of the competition with £157.60, and with a bit of swapping, ended up spending £150 with four lots to take to auction.

He's left though with no buffer, and has just £7.60 in his pot.

VO: Charles Hanson began with £547.89 and spend nearly half of that - £265 to be precise - on five lots, leaving him with a healthy reserve of £282.89.

VO: I hope you're sitting comfortably - it's time for the chaps' final auction of the week.

Where is everyone?

Oh, there they are.

Two of them.

Oh, more upstairs.

VO: First up, the Edwardian child's sled, as beautifully presented by the auction porter.

Charlie?

Where are you off to?

That's somebody else's job!

There it is, being shown!

Somebody got £20?

It's not moving very fast.

£10 I'm bid, £10, do I see £12?

£12 here, £15.

£18, £20 at the back.

£22.

£25, he's come back at £28.

£30 sir?

No?

CHARLIE: Please, sir!

KEVIN: At £28 on my right.

CHARLIE: £30!

£30, £32, £35 sir.

CHARLIE: One more.

KEVIN: £35.

£38?

CHARLIE: Thank you sir.

KEVIN: £40 sir?

KEVIN: He's shaking his head now.

All done... (GAVEL) VO: Oh dear.

A slippery start for Charlie's first item, with a loss.

CHARLIE: Do you know, I very nearly got my money back!

VO: Next lot is Charles' mirror.

CHARLIE: I'm batting for you, boy.

Pass the bat and Hanson, you're off.

Go on Hanson.

VO: What are you doing?

KEVIN: Here's the late Victorian mahogany beveled rectangular wall mirror, having hand-painted gilt decoration to the top, c.1895.

KEVIN: Let's go.

£20 I'm bid, at £20, do I see £22?

Where am I looking, £22 here?

£25, £28, £35, £38, £40.

One more.

KEVIN: £45.

£48.

At the back at £48... (GAVEL) VO: And it's a good start for Charles, with an £8 profit.

VO: Next is Charlie's elephant inkwell, and he's up again.

Oh dear - I suppose this is how the auction's going to be today.

It's very decorative.

£10, somebody.

£10 I'm bid, £10, do I see £12?

Don't miss it.

£15, £18?

It's well worth it sir.

£18, he's come back, £20 is it?

£20 at the back?

Oh no!

At £20, £20, do I see two?

£20, you're all left out now, with the bid at the back of the room, KEVIN: at £20... CHARLES: Sell it!

(GAVEL) CHARLES: Yes!

VO: At least you broke even on that one, Charlie.

Do you think if I hadn't portered it it would have made £60?

VO: Let's see if Charles was right about his Battle of Hastings jug generating local interest.

£100 then, come on, let's get it going.

£100 I'm bid.

OK, £110, £120, £130, £140.

Fifty, £160, £170, £180, £170 here, at £170... (GAVEL) VO: He was right - a tidy profit there.

He's striding even further ahead of poor Charlie.

Sums up the whole battle we've had.

Exactly.

The defeat of Harold by the Conqueror.

VO: It's time for Charles' A for antique.

Lot 120 is the Worcester bloom white tea bowl in three flower patterns c.1780.

£20.

£20 I'm bid, £20, do I see two?

Where am I looking?

KEVIN: £22 here.

£25.

£28.

£30, two, £35, £38, £40, two, £45, at £42 on my left, at £42, £45, are you coming back?

£45.

£48.

We're all done then, against you all at £48... (GAVEL) Thank you.

Great, that's a good profit.

VO: He's happy with that.

VO: Now let's see if Charlie's decision to put his Mauchline thermometer in as a single lot was wise.

Mauchline obelisk with thermometer, having three panels depicting Hastings scenes.

KEVIN: £12 I'm bid, at £12, £12, do I see £15?

£15.

£18.

£20, two, £25, do I see £28?

At £28, thank you.

At £30, two, £35, £38, £40, two, £45, £45 on my left.

At £45... (GAVEL) VO: Things are hotting up for Charlie, but he might need a small miracle to beat his opponent.

Is that a profit there?

Is that a profit?

£5 profit!

VO: At last, the long-awaited cockerel ashtray - Charles' trophy from the Indian restaurant.

KEVIN: Lot 140 is the gilt brass two-tier stand having proud cockerel finial above exotic engraved column and fluted bowl to base.

Well, what can I say?

£10 I'm bid, thank you sir.

KEVIN: At £10, £10, let's see the hands, £12, £15, £18, £20, two, £25, £28, £30, two £35, £32 upstairs.

VO: Yes Charlie, people do actually want this.

KEVIN: Am I missing anybody?

At £32... (GAVEL) Profit.

Great.

Fantastic.

VO: Unbelievable.

Yet another hot- curried profit for Charles.

You should always trust a cockerel.

VO: Up next is Charlie's collection of Mauchlineware with south coast scenes on them.

Upstairs I'm bid £10, £12, £15, £18, £20, two, five.

CHARLIE: Here sir, this lot!

KEVIN: £30 here, £40, two, £45, £48, £50, five, £60, five, £70, five, £80, five, CHARLES: (LAUGHS) KEVIN: £90, five, at £90 at the back of the room, £90 I have, at £90, £90, £90, are we all done now?

And finished at £90... (GAVEL) VO: At last, a decent profit, and he's back in the game - well, kind of.

That's a big profit.

Well done.

Well done.

In the whole week, it's one of my few profits.

VO: Sadly, it's not quite a big enough profit.

VO: Last, but by no means least, are Charles' pussies.

Here we go, Charlie.

The cats are ready for lift-off, Charlie.

I'm going to help you.

This is our moment.

Pair lot 160 is a pair of 20th-century large, carved hardwood cats.

VO: They're both at it now.

Well, this is the final lot.

I can start the bidding straight in at £100, £100 I'm bid.

VO: You might need a seat, Charlie - I think his cats might do quite well.

£100, do I see £110?

£120, £130, £140, £150, £160, £170, £180, £190.

I'm out, £190 here, £190, £190, do I see £200?

£190 on the telephone.

£190... (GAVEL) (APPLAUSE) Thank you, thank you very much.

CHARLIE: I have to lead the applause there.

You're a genius.

Fantastic.

You are a genius!

VO: They were indeed today's star lot, which means that - surprise, surprise - today and this week's runaway victor is Charles Hanson.

CHARLIE: You buy antiques, they make a profit.

You buy rubbish, they make a profit.

You are the dealer of dealers!

VO: What a week it's been.

Charlie started the last leg of the road trip with a modest £157.60.

In this leg, he made a meager profit of only £8.26 after auction costs, giving him a total for the week of £165.86.

VO: Young Charles started with a bulging £547.89.

He continued his winning streak, making an impressive profit of £135.16 after auction costs.

This takes his grand total to £683.05.

VO: Top of the class, Charles.

VO: Never mind, Charlie.

Perhaps that long-awaited trip to the beach will put a smile back on your face.

It is really quite nostalgic, the whole length of the country and we've reached the sea, and you've thrashed me.

Congratulations.

Put it there, mate!

Well done, Charles.

CHARLES: Come on, Bean.

CHARLIE: Come on!

VO: So, this brings us to the end of the chaps' Antique Road Trip, and what a journey it's been.

They've had their ups... VO: ..and their downs.

Bother!

VO: And a lot of car trouble.

CHARLES: Can't believe it!

VO: But have become firm friends.

# So I can waste my time with you, # # So I can waste my time with you.

# # Every day, every night, I can't get you off my mind, # # So I waste the whole day through, # # cuz I'd rather... # Congratulations.

Let's go!

I'm with you all the way, baby.

CHARLIE: ...Try again!

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, we're with James Braxton and Jonathan Pratt in Nantwich.

Jonathan indulges.

Glass of fizz?

Well!

Why not?

Why not!

VO: And James goes a bit cuckoo.

And for a cuckoo clock, do you need a cuckoo?

(CUCKOO) subtitling@stv.tv