[ENGINE REVS] TIM WONNACOTT: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts.

And I think I found something.

Pretty good, yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Behind the wheel of a classic car.

[HORN HONKS] - Oh, stop it.

TIM WONNACOTT: And a goal-- scour Britain for antiques.

MAN: Ooh!

I think it's brilliant.

TIM WONNACOTT: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

Oh.

TIM WONNACOTT: But it's no mean feat.

You're some man.

TIM WONNACOTT: There will be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Oh!

TIM WONNACOTT: Will it be the high road to glory?

Yeah, baby!

TIM WONNACOTT: Or a slow road to disaster?

Oh, nope.

TIM WONNACOTT: This is the "Antiques Road Trip."

[THEME MUSIC] Quite enough of that.

Hello from heavenly Hampshire-- [MAJESTIC MUSIC] --and the start of another road trip with Izzie Balmer.

Good morning, sir.

Are you enjoying your ride?

TIM WONNACOTT: And his most noble lord of collectibles, Charlie Ross.

Absolutely loving it.

Thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Goodness.

What are they playing at today?

How did you sleep, sir?

Not very well, I'm afraid, Balmer.

Not very well, indeed.

So if you could drive a bit gently today, I might be able to have a little [INAUDIBLE] in the backseat here.

I'll do my best, sir.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, I've never seen a chauffeured Triumph 2000.

I wonder if this makes me the valet.

You've been driving so beautifully this morning.

I've got a little something for you in my pocket.

For me, sir?

Some sweeties.

Some sweeties?

Don't turn around.

Keep your eyes on the road.

Oh my goodness.

It says "loving you."

Oh, sir.

No, I've just eaten that one.

See if we can find something a trifle more appropriate.

Sweetheart?

Thank you very much, sir.

They're rather fizzy, aren't they, Izzie?

I love a fizzy, Izzie.

TIM WONNACOTT: Let's leave them playing silly billies for a moment and remind ourselves that jewelry specialist Izzie has triumphed so far with some sparkly buys.

I think they might be diamonds.

TIM WONNACOTT: Charlie knows his Chesterfield from his Chippendale.

Carry on buying furniture, Ross.

TIM WONNACOTT: With great success, too.

Yay.

TIM WONNACOTT: Who will stick to their guns this time?

Perhaps you could give me a few tips, sir.

I could, but I don't want to give you good tips because we simply can't have a chauffeur beating her boss, can we?

You don't have to do some thinking, sir.

Thinking?

Chauffeurs are not employed to think, Izzie.

No, sir.

They're employed to drive.

[LIVELY MUSIC] TIM WONNACOTT: Gosh.

We've done a bit of Downton Abbey there.

Well, Sir Charlie, you'll be playing with a piggy containing just over 250 pounds on this leg, which is good.

But young upstart, Izzie, has a touch more.

Oh, yes.

289 pounds, 88.

She's just ahead.

CHARLIE ROSS: Have you ever been lost in a wood, Izzie?

No, sir, I don't believe that I have.

- No?

- Have you, sir?

Oh, several times.

Yes.

Were you alone, sir?

No, Izzie, I wasn't.

Would you mind driving on?

TIM WONNACOTT: There'll be no getting lost on this trip.

They started in the Cotswolds, then wandered into Wales before heading easterly to the home counties.

Her trip along the South Coast will conclude with a final auction in Battle.

I'm just checking on my shares.

I hope they're going to go up enough for me to buy you a sumptuous supper tonight, Balmer.

That's very good to hear, sir.

TIM WONNACOTT: Don't forget me, the valet.

The third leg of this jaunt will end at auction in Exeter.

But we start proceedings in the Hampshire village of Hartley Wintney.

[JAZZ MUSIC] Charlie going solo, popping into White Lion Antiques.

What could be more delightful?

Quite an array of delights, eh?

I'm sure you'll find something classy here, Charlie.

Ah, another piece of furniture.

A late George III tambour top writing table.

And there's a bit of a clue in the price here as to the way furniture is going.

678 pounds, sale price 350 pounds.

Not a lot of money.

But more money than I've got.

TIM WONNACOTT: Anything more than in budget.

There's a silver topped sugar shaker there.

TIM WONNACOTT: Shiny.

Izzie will be jealous.

1925.

Cut glass body.

Priced at 19 pounds.

There's always a twist.

It can't be without damage.

TIM WONNACOTT: Time for closer inspection.

Yeah, it's had a bit of damage around the top.

You can see that from the neck here.

That's why it's presumably 19 pounds.

But the cut glass body of this sugar sifter, as far as I can see, is intact.

I'll have it.

Thank you very much.

No need to negotiate because it's 19 pounds and it's a profit.

TIM WONNACOTT: Sweet fine, then.

Let's leave Charlie to browse on and catch up with Izzie.

A lot of fun chauffeuring Charlie this morning.

He's much less irritating, actually, when he's in the back.

Probably because he's further away.

TIM WONNACOTT: Keep him at arm's length.

Good tactic.

Izzie's first shop is in Newbury, Berkshire.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC] She's popping into the town's emporium.

Brimming, full of curious collectibles, to tempt her to part with some of that 289 pounds.

Hello, crab.

I should give you a name.

How about Colin?

Do you like Colin?

This reminds me, my friend does the most amazing crab dance.

I probably can't even do it justice.

But it's like this and then.

And then his legs start going.

And then just kind-- I don't-- what do crab legs do?

TIM WONNACOTT: Oh, yes.

A sideways shuffle.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, yes.

That doesn't do it justice.

TIM WONNACOTT: What's Colin's price, then?

Oh my goodness, me.

He's 300 pounds.

Colin, I love you, but you are not for me, I'm afraid.

I shall have to do my solitary crab dance alone.

TIM WONNACOTT: Dear, oh dear.

So long, Colin, the crab.

Let's nip back to Hartley Wintney to see if Charlie's grabbed anything worth shelling out on.

[CHUCKLES] Who writes this stuff?

This has taken my fancy.

Not because it's of any great age, although it's 1950s, but it's a rather splendid shopping list.

It's after an illustration by Mabel Lucie Attwell, a very famous Illustrator of children's books, most of all, I remember, for "Alice in Wonderland."

I just love the idea of this.

"Shopping will be easy if you will insist that when you're running short of things, they're put down on this list."

TIM WONNACOTT: Is the price just as poetic?

It's 22 pounds.

I think somebody would buy that for fun.

Sure, it's not original, but it would be hundreds of pounds if it were.

I think it might make a profit.

TIM WONNACOTT: Charlie now has two possible buys.

Meanwhile, 30 miles away.

Oh, look at these piggies.

Three little piggies.

I really like these.

They're bronze pigs, and they've got the maker's initial on the bottom, which is for Michael Simpson.

They are 20th century.

He studied in Staffordshire, and he's known for his bronze figures of animals.

But they're so realistic looking, and they're so cute.

And they're little piggies.

TIM WONNACOTT: Oink, oink.

[CHUCKLES] And the price?

100 pounds.

Oh, I'm going to put these back because I might have to have a little think about them.

But also, what is this?

This is a patch box or a pill box.

Patch boxes would have been used in the Georgian period to store the patches that they used to put on their faces.

TIM WONNACOTT: These patches were faux beauty spots and became fashionable from the 17th century in France.

They signaled wealth and luxury.

And wherever you put the patch on your face, it meant something different.

So there's a whole language of patches.

You know, once patches went out of fashion, little trinket boxes were still being made to store pills in.

The catch is a little bit loose.

And there is unfortunately a crack across the top.

It is only 15 pounds, a lot cheaper than the piggies.

Charlie's snapping at my heels now, which means he's got a good chance of overtaking me.

And I really don't want that to happen.

I don't know whether to go with the pigs, who I love, or go with the pill box, which is a safer bet.

TIM WONNACOTT: While you're making your mind up, how's Charlie doing?

I love a tin plate toy.

And this is a Sea Wolf submarine.

It's 1960s or even possibly 1970s.

But what do we say about toys?

Mint in box is what we like, M and B.

Well, it's boxed.

I wouldn't say it's mint.

Although, I can't see any damage on it whatsoever.

TIM WONNACOTT: Price?

79 pounds.

I think if I could buy that for 50 or 60 pounds, there would be a squeak in it.

Because these sort of things are highly collectible and going up in value.

TIM WONNACOTT: Time to get the owner on the blower and do a deal.

CHARLIE ROSS (ON PHONE): Hello.

Your Sea Wolf submarine?

You could do it 40 quid?

You, sir, are a total gentleman, and I am so pleased I phoned you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yeah, well done.

Time to talk money on the other two possible items.

A silver top sugar shaker, beautiful.

It's 19 pounds, and who am I to argue.

SHOPKEEPER: There must be a misprint.

19 pounds, bargain.

Well done.

TIM WONNACOTT: And the illustrated kitchen shopping list?

What's the very, very, very, very best?

I think he could probably go to about 18 pounds on that.

I'm going to have it, sir.

80.

TIM WONNACOTT: That's 77 pounds for the sugar shaker, shopping list, and submarine, as you do.

Thank you very much.

TIM WONNACOTT: Just over 173 pounds left to spend.

Izzie must have made a decision by now, too.

As much as I adore the pigs, I don't think I can make any money on them.

Whereas, hopefully, there's a small profit in this one.

So it's a safe bet for me today.

TIM WONNACOTT: Good choice.

Gary?

Hello.

Hello.

I really like this little trinket box, and it's priced at 15 pounds.

So I'm just going to hand you over some money if that's OK. That's great.

Here we are, then.

TIM WONNACOTT: Glitzy purchase made and around 275 pounds left in the purse.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC] Meanwhile, Charlie's heading to the town of Basingstoke.

He's put shopping on hold to detour to a local firm that's been trading hereabouts for over 50 years, but has a long history stretching back to 1890.

[UPTEMPO MUSIC] The company's founder, Charles Blatchford, pioneered a new approach to prosthetics at a time when artificial limbs had not kept up with other advances in medical science.

Hello, David.

Hello.

Welcome to Blatchfords.

Thank you very much, indeed.

TIM WONNACOTT: Charlie's meeting head of research, Dr. David Moser.

CHARLIE ROSS: Wow, this is really state-of-the-art, isn't it?

How far back do we have to go for the first prosthetic limb, do we think?

Well, the records seem to show that the first prosthetic devices date back to ancient Egypt times.

CHARLIE ROSS: Really?

A big toe, which was found on a mummy.

TIM WONNACOTT: Believed to be 3,000 years old, it was made by top craftsmen of the time and aimed to provide the aristocratic user with a sense of wholeness in Egyptian society.

Also stopped from limping.

The thinking was that not only did it help preserve the look of the foot, but it was also really important in wearing the footwear of the time.

As we go through the ages, wars must have had a huge impact on what was needed.

War has been one of the biggest, I think, drivers in development of prosthetics simply to account for the needs of the many individuals who came back with such horrific injuries.

CHARLIE ROSS: Yes.

TIM WONNACOTT: In the Middle Ages, the first articulated prosthetic limbs were made of iron or wood by skilled armorers, allowing injured soldiers to go straight back to the battlefield and continue to fight.

But the advancement of prosthesis over the centuries was slow to catch up with the rest of medical science.

The game-changer came with an incredible development in the early 19th century.

The Battle of Waterloo, one of the most famous legs is called the Anglesey leg.

And, really, that sort of design carried on through several hundred years.

TIM WONNACOTT: Invented by James Potts in 1800, the world's first articulated leg was named after the 1st Marquess of Anglesey, who used it when he lost a leg during the Battle of Waterloo, and who famously said, "By God, sir, I seem to have lost my leg!"

Prosthetics like these were skillfully crafted, taking many hours to produce and costing a fair bit of cash, too.

First World War, there was a need to standardize the engineering-- Yeah.

--and make a much greater volume of prosthetic limbs to deal with the number of casualties.

So it introduced a change in the way limbs were manufactured and designed.

CHARLIE ROSS: Yes.

And that's really driven innovation to what we call modern prosthetics today.

TIM WONNACOTT: Charles Blatchford's mission was to create affordable prosthetics allowing injured veterans an active lifestyle.

He purchased various prosthetic patents and then improved on what had gone before.

This is one of the first aluminium alloys that was invented.

CHARLIE ROSS: Yeah?

DAVID MOSER: And this was quite popular during the First World War, basically with the birth of aviation, the metal knowledge and engineering made its way into prosthetics.

Due to the high number of veterans coming back from the conflicts in World War I and World War II, there was a need to manufacture or fit limbs at a much higher rate.

CHARLIE ROSS: Yeah.

And that really heralded the modern era of prosthetics, where much of the device, or the leg, could be assembled very quickly from a standard set of components.

CHARLIE ROSS: Mm-hmm.

And it would just leave the socket, or the interface, to be handcrafted to the user.

CHARLIE ROSS: Yes.

TIM WONNACOTT: Work like Blatchford's changed lives overnight and allowed for the wearers to go back to living life to the full.

This is the BSK, the Blatchford Stabilizing Knee.

CHARLIE ROSS: Right.

And it works like a brake mechanism.

You can see this leather band-- CHARLIE ROSS: Oh, yes.

--rotates on this drum.

So when weight is applied, and the knees flex, it acts like a braking mechanism.

CHARLIE ROSS: Yeah.

And that meant that the wearers could stabilize themselves, weight bearing, as a knee was flexed.

It provides a lot more stability and security.

TIM WONNACOTT: The fast pace of post-war medicine and the creation of plastics means state-of-the-art prosthetics can be developed by engineers like David today.

The best prosthetic limbs are the ones the users aren't really aware of.

It's just adapting and adjusting as they need it.

Yeah.

And then, this is looking a bit sort of Olympic-gamish?

That's right.

This is for athletes, so it's designed purely about performance and quite a specific activity, sport.

CHARLIE ROSS: Take that to its nth degree, presumably, you can end up running faster than an able-bodied person?

It might happen one day.

TIM WONNACOTT: That would be astounding.

Time to meet with engineer Daryl and help build a state-of-the-art prosthetic.

So what I've got to do is get the heel on here.

Is that right?

- That's correct, yep.

The screws go in.

The screws.

One, two.

And apply the-- Apply the glue.

A little bit on there.

Yep.

And then line them up.

Yes, sir.

And then, oh, I see, I've got it.

There we go.

A Charlie Ross foot.

Lovely.

Thank you very much, indeed.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well done, Charlie.

That's remarkable engineering.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC] With her first purchase securely in the glove box, chauffeur Izzie is back on the road.

Do you know what?

I think there's been enough prep dancing for one day.

Can't spoil everyone with it.

Got to keep it back to surprise people with and wow them with it.

TIM WONNACOTT: Always keep them wanting more, eh?

Izzie's making her way at the town of Hungerford, nestled in the North Wessex Downs.

Hello, Mr. Squirrel, do you know the way to the next shop?

Right, is it?

Much obliged.

Ah, huh, here we are.

It is packed.

Dealer, Stewart, has five rooms of stock crammed in.

And you first.

Thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: But Izzie's heading out back to see what's hidden away.

This is an Aladdin's cave, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Stewart's storeroom, full of treasures.

I think I might have found something.

I'm presuming it's a letter holder.

It's a letter rack.

There's a bit of damage on it, need looking at.

Is that remnants of paint or enamel or something?

Gilding, I should think, on those parts-- - On the leaves, yeah.

- --because often, yeah-- Yeah.

And there's an antennae missing there.

Oh, it's lovely.

It's probably continental, probably French, looking at the nut on the thread there.

They're not common things-- No.

--and it wouldn't take a lot to doing up, actually.

TIM WONNACOTT: Lovely find, Izzie.

What else can you uncover?

[GASPS] Stewart!

What have you found?

What have you found?

I found some of these jelly molds.

So they would put patés or fish-- - Patés?

- Yeah.

I hadn't thought of that.

And then they turned them out.

I kind of presumed the ones that, you know, like the chicken or like the lobster, that you'd put something savory relating to that.

Yeah, that would be probably-- You know, you'd put some chicken in here.

- --chicken and paté, yeah.

- Patés make sense-- And that's horseshoe paté.

You know, I don't know what-- And thistle paté?

Yes, that was a prickly something right there.

Or maybe this would be thistle jelly, perhaps.

Yeah.

That's Harrods.

So that means that was sold by Harrods.

[INAUDIBLE] includes that one.

Really?

Yeah, [INAUDIBLE].

Obviously, they need a set stood up.

And that's what helps it stand up, of course, you know, on the flat.

Whoops.

Uh-huh.

TIM WONNACOTT: Right, that's two possibles.

Time to talk prices.

Let's say, the chicken and one horseshoe in with the butterfly for 40 quid.

That seems very fair because then I could get two lots out of that, couldn't I?

So it's 10 pounds for these and 30 pounds for the butterfly, and that makes 40 pounds in total?

It does.

There we go, 40 pounds.

[INAUDIBLE] TIM WONNACOTT: Deal done, and you still have over 230 pounds left.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC] Time to motor on and collect Charlie.

Still in character, are we?

I must say, if you eat with me tonight and then beat me in the third leg, I'm afraid I shall have to go for another chauffeur.

You would not discard me so easily, sir.

I might.

TIM WONNACOTT: He seems to be enjoying his new status too much!

Nighty night.

[ADVENTUROUS MUSIC] Morning has broken and it's a new day for our sprightly road trippers.

Roles reversed, and it's driving Miss Izzie this time.

Good morning, Charles.

Good morning, madam.

I'm not really accustomed to this role of chauffeur, madam.

No, I can tell.

Is it comfortable, madam?

Well, the back is very comfortable.

You're driving, however-- Yes?

--it's a little on the bumpy side.

On the bumpy side, madam?

I prefer it smoother, Charles.

CHARLIE ROSS: You prefer it smoother?

First thing in the morning.

I think good, madam.

I'll see what I can do.

TIM WONNACOTT: Do mind the potholes.

If you had to sum up our road trip together in three words-- Three words?

Three words.

You're only allowed three words.

Simply marvelously magical.

And you?

Four words.

Four words?

A waste of time.

Would that do?

[LAUGHTER] TIM WONNACOTT: Well, Izzie wasted no time in buying three items.

This is an Aladdin's cave, isn't it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Spending a total of 55 pounds on an Edwardian agate pillbox, a butterfly brass letter rack, and two food molds.

Let's shake on it.

Thank you so much.

OK, lovely.

TIM WONNACOTT: She has just shy of 235 pounds In her pocket.

Charlie purchased a cut glass shaker-- 19 pounds, and it's a profit.

TIM WONNACOTT: --a Mabel Lucie Attwell shopping list, and a boxed toy submarine.

I love a tin plate toy.

TIM WONNACOTT: Negotiating this lovely lot for a total of 77 pounds, leaving him just over 173 pounds for today.

Amazing.

We don't really go for the same things, do we?

No, we don't.

You go for old bits of boring wood.

Well, I am old and boring.

Typecast.

And I go for sparkly, glitzy things.

Yes.

Little bits of trivia.

Oh!

You want to stick with that.

Oh, you want to stick with that.

Stick with your jewelry and you'll win.

TIM WONNACOTT: It's certainly still all to play for.

Well, after dropping off his passenger, Charlie's motoring the Triumph into Wiltshire and the city of Salisbury.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC] He's popping in to the city's antiques market.

Where there's a veritable feast of antiques and collectibles.

On a previous road trip, Charlie did business with dealer Peter.

He must be about here somewhere.

Peter?

Hello, nice to meet you.

- We meet again.

- How you do?

Have you found anything interesting?

Anything come through the door in the last few days?

I could have a little look.

Peter was going to supply here of things.

And I think last time I came here, I managed to find something rather nice.

Oh!

He's always promising.

What have you got in there?

Oh, look!

If you went to a Scottish dinner party, you'd have one of these, and it's for you whisky.

TIM WONNACOTT: Known as the noggin.

This one's got its label, which is most unusual.

And when you had your haggis and your neeps, you poured your own whiskey.

I mean, how cool is that?

Got anything else?

Anything that might be lurking there?

Well, if I look at that, it looks like a Sheraton knife box.

So we'll open this up.

And this is not a knife box.

It's got a chamber stick in there, which looks like a taper stick.

TIM WONNACOTT: These boxes were often termed go-to-beds, allowing matches to safely burn down and offer just enough light to retire to bed.

Sweet.

CHARLIE ROSS: What a wonderful design Oh, I can see a hallmark on there.

It's an anchor, it's Birmingham, and it's on a C. 1902.

The maker's mark been rubbed, but-- It's a nice thing.

--kind of is a pretty thing.

How much is that?

Unique thing, 100 pounds.

You wouldn't take 50 quid for it, would you?

No, I don't think he would.

Got to start somewhere, don't you, Peter?

This is it.

CHARLIE ROSS: This is it.

Hang on.

This is it.

80 quid.

Sold.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

That's a great thing.

80.

TIM WONNACOTT: It really is.

And that little find could do big things at auction.

Fingers crossed.

[UPTEMPO MUSIC] Izzie, meanwhile, has put a halt to her shopping and is visiting Whitchurch on the River Test, where the waters powered the wheels of industry in the 19th century.

There was once a working mill on the Test every half a mile due to Hampshire's position between ports on the South Coast and markets in London.

Once at the center of Britain's booming Victorian silk industry, Whitchurch Mill is still in production, determined to preserve its luxurious silk making heritage.

Izzie is with Director Sue Tapliss, and the story starts at the great waterwheel.

We use a system of bypass sluices to get as much water underneath our waterwheel as we possibly can that then drives the paddles, and it pushes the waterwheel around, which then, through a system of drive belts and cogs, takes the power to the top floor.

Can I have a go?

Yes, of course, you can.

I was expecting it to be heavier.

It's very well lubricated.

Keep going.

Am I not there yet?

No, no.

Probably about a foot more till you get to that line.

But that's an arm workout.

And they would have done this throughout the day to get the best flow of water.

You can hear it rushing underneath the waterwheel, turning those paddles.

You can see nothing in the silk industry is fast.

TIM WONNACOTT: Put your back into it, Izzie.

Legend has it that the process of silk production was discovered by the Chinese and was a closely guarded secret for centuries.

Strong demand for local silk production in Europe led to two monks in 550 AD smuggling silkworms from China to Constantinople, the ancient city today known as Istanbul.

But by the late 17th century, the Spitalfields area of London produced most of Britain's silk.

To reduce costs, manufacturers took production out of London.

Silk is a natural product.

It comes from the silk moth, the Bombyx mori.

It produces a cocoon, which is actually the silk yarn that we work with.

So once it's spun its cocoon, it pupates into a moth.

And these are put into hot soapy water where the threads of silk unravel.

And we can reel off about a mile of filament silk from this.

- A mile-- - A mile of silk.

--from one of those?

Yes.

TIM WONNACOTT: Silk weaving is an intensive process.

Away from London, a cheaper workforce, in places like Whitchurch, allowed mill owners to increase production and profit.

This once exclusive product was becoming affordable for many.

In 1886, the mill's reputation for producing quality silk led to owner James Hide to strike a deal to make the linings of raincoats for Burberry.

Business boomed.

But by the 1950s, cheaper imports from the Far East and commercial mills, heavily investing in new silk weaving technology, signaled troubled times.

We really survived because Stephen Walters, a silk producer, bought the mill as a sort of industrial treasure.

He wanted to keep it going because it preserved old technologies and old skills.

We were sold to Ede QC gowns for Queen's Counsel.

So when you went from being a barrister to a QC, you became a silk, you wore silk robes.

And those were woven here on our Victorian machinery.

In the 1980s, Ede to run the silk mill anymore.

The proposal was that this silk mill and the grounds were turned into housing development.

But there was an absolute cry from the people of Hampshire, who wanted to preserve the machinery, the skills, the site, as a working museum.

It's wonderful to see the traditions and the crafts being kept alive today.

There's nowhere else in the country that you can learn these skills.

TIM WONNACOTT: Today, the mill produces bespoke silk fabrics for costumes and large wall hangings using traditional processes still practiced by silk weaver Hannah [INAUDIBLE].

So you take your threads in order from the back and poke your hook through the eye and the leash and then pull it through.

And you do that for every single thread.

I can go to the back and pass them through to you.

Oh.

HANNAH: And then-- Well, it doesn't go through right.

Oh, it does.

I see.

--I can hook that on and pull it through.

Goodness me.

Yay!

I did it.

I'd love to see it in action.

Yeah, so if you grab your ear defenders, we can turn it on.

[LOUD THRASHING] TIM WONNACOTT: Though the glory Days of the British silk industry are over, the wheels of this mill continue to turn.

By George.

[UPTEMPO MUSIC] Back in the Triumph, is Charlie happy with his buys so far?

I'm really thrilled with my little take a stick by me go-to-bed.

Which still leaves me just shy of 100 pounds to spend.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yeah, Charlie's taking his wad to the port city of Southampton.

Land, ahoy!

His last buying destination of this trip is Robin's Nest Emporium.

Eyes peeled, Roscoe, for some final buys.

Going somewhere, are you?

Wow, a wonderful old case.

And I bet that's seen some life.

Beautifully made heavy gauge leather.

And it's got all these labels on it.

Now, of course, what do people do nowadays to give it extra provenance and value?

They buy labels.

And they rub them in the mud, and they tear them in half, and they stick them on, and they pretend they're old.

But I'm absolutely certain looking at the color of these and the texture of them, I don't think you could wear something like that.

There we are.

Look, port of landing, Liverpool.

I bet there are some fascinating places on there.

TIM WONNACOTT: The ticket price is 65 pounds.

Tempted?

Lovely.

Ooh, and look who's just arrived with 230 pounds to spend.

Straight away, she's made a friend.

Hi.

Hello, I'm Lorna.

I'm Izzie.

TIM WONNACOTT: And I'm Tim.

Is everything on here yours?

Absolutely, yep.

Ooh, I'll have a-- All up for negotiation as well.

That's what I like to hear.

I was just looking at those.

They did catch my eye.

I can't even play snooker.

I'm trying to think.

Are they a complete set?

LORNA: Yes, they are.

There is instructions in the box if we get lost.

So, yeah, there is some in there.

IZZIE BALMER: Do you know how old this set is?

LORNA: I should imagine it's 1950s just by looking at the box.

But I wouldn't have any more information than that really.

IZZIE BALMER: So what have you got it priced at?

LORNA: It's actually 25 pounds, but that's for the set and the scoreboard as well.

And, actually, what I'll do, I'll even throw that in as well, the traveling chess set for you.

So then I could have it like in a games lot?

You could do.

IZZIE BALMER: Is there anything more we can do on the price?

About 18 pounds.

Yes, that's very fair.

TIM WONNACOTT: Still no jewelry bought.

Unlike Izzie, this.

I wonder how Charlie's getting on.

Charlie, what are you doing slacking?

I'm not slacking, I'm having a cup of coffee.

And look what I bought you.

And I kind of got shopping to do, Charlie.

Get on with it.

Oh, all right.

I mean, I suppose I am ahead.

I beg your pardon.

TIM WONNACOTT: Come on, Charlie, back to it.

[INAUDIBLE] so I better go and buy it.

I've just spilled coffee on top of myself.

I love a teddy.

It's got the little Merrythought button.

It's got some age.

Merrythought started in 1930.

TIM WONNACOTT: Merrythought is Britain's oldest surviving teddy bear manufacturer and derives its name from a wishbone, meaning good luck.

He's 38 pounds.

There's another one here.

Oh, I think he's been a growler.

But he doesn't growl anymore.

You can feel the mechanism of the growl.

Come on.

[IMITATES GROWLING] Oh, it does work.

Although, that was me.

TIM WONNACOTT: It was very convincing, Charlie.

I love those two.

What's he?

24.

Oh, crikey.

Best part of 60 pounds.

There's not a profit in those at the moment, but there might be later.

TIM WONNACOTT: Shop manager, Carol, get dealer Charmaine on the blower, please.

CHARMAINE (ON PHONE): Charlie, why don't you have the two for 30 pounds?

The two for 30 pounds?

Can I blow a kiss to you down the phone?

CHARMAINE (ON PHONE): Well, I'd rather you drove by personally, but OK then.

Rather I drove by personally.

Well, [SMOOCHES] TIM WONNACOTT: Kisses and bear hugs all round.

And with that, Charlie's shopping is complete.

- Lovely.

- Good luck with your bears.

Thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Now, where's Izzie got to?

- Hello.

- Hello.

Hi, I'm Izzie.

I'm Rob.

Nice to meet you, Rob.

I spotted the suitcase.

TIM WONNACOTT: Uh-oh, didn't Charlie have his eye on that earlier?

And what I spotted, or rather like about it, is the luggage labels that are on it.

TIM WONNACOTT: We've already heard about those.

What's it like inside?

It's-- I don't really know, it's nice.

--very smart, isn't it?

And it's even got this for hanging your trousers or dress or something over to keep it nice and neat inside the case.

Can it be really cheap?

I did buy this fairly well, so-- I wouldn't really be wanting to pay much more than 30 pounds.

ROB: 35.

- We could do that.

Yeah, 35.

That'd be amazing.

Yes, thank you very much.

OK, thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Izzie's made her final purchases-- the snooker balls, travel chess set, and the leather suitcase, all for 53 pounds.

All systems go?

All systems go.

Drive on, Charles.

Thank you, madam.

Should we go for a cocktail?

Let's go for champagne.

TIM WONNACOTT: Oh, sleep tight.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC] Ring a ding a ding.

It's auction day.

Here is the cathedral city of Exeter, where my parents got married.

The second most populous city in Devon.

Let's hope everyone's turned up at the sale room.

Are you feeling confident?

Oh, I'm not sure, Charlie.

I mean, I can't keep up with you at this pace.

Because I'm running for profits.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yes, hurry, hurry, hurry.

The auction's about to start.

We're at the end of the third leg on this trip.

After setting off from Hartley Wintney, our experts have raced their way to Exeter.

Today's auction is being held at Bearnes Hampton On this trip, Izzie bought five lots for the grand total of 108 pounds.

Ha ha, I recognize this.

I spent many, many minutes looking at this, but it was 65 pounds.

But, Izzie, you've bought it for 35.

I don't know how you do it.

TIM WONNACOTT: With bags of charm, that's how.

Charlie parted with 187 pounds, also on five lots.

I love this, this is fabulous, and it ticks all the boxes.

It's novelty, it's miniature, it's silver.

Strictly speaking, it's usable.

You could light your way up to your bedroom at night.

I wish that I'd seen this.

Nice find, Charlie.

Well done.

TIM WONNACOTT: In charge of the gavel is auctioneer Brian Goodison-Blanks.

What does he make of today's lots?

The snooker balls and the travel chess set, they're probably suffering from the digital age, where most people are playing games online.

I don't know many people who play snooker or travel chess at the moment.

They're probably gonna be 10 to 15 pounds.

The yellow submarine is one of my favorite pieces, in its original box, doesn't look as if it's too play worn.

Very popular in the yellow color, probably because of the song that's popular at the time.

This one, I think, will do quite well.

About 40 to 60 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, let's hope it rises to the occasion and attracts bids in the room and on the phone.

Now, get a shifty on, the auction's about to start.

Here we are.

Here we are.

Auction number three.

TIM WONNACOTT: First up, Izzie's suitcase.

Can it bag a profit?

It's nice to see one with original labels.

They're not fake labels.

No.

The commission's with me at 5, 8, 10, 12, 15 pounds.

15?

[GASPS] A bid at 18, first place.

Got a man in a hat.

- Oh, he's pulled out.

- Oh, no.

BRIAN GOODISON-BLANKS: --10 pounds, then, sold-- I'm so pleased I didn't buy it.

Knock 20 pounds off of the case, 20 with my commission bid.

TIM WONNACOTT: The suitcase didn't take off, but there are more lots to come.

[IMITATES SOBBING] And is this clean?

It's always clean.

I keep it for young girls to mop their eyes with when they've lost money in auction.

TIM WONNACOTT: It's Charlie's first lot now, the cut glass sugar shaker.

But, Charlie, you're sweet enough.

Oh, oh, oh.

The commission bid here with me at 10 pounds.

10.

You're quite sure, then, 10 pounds with my commission.

Oh, no.

No.

BRIAN GOODISON-BLANKS: --for the sugar shaker.

10 pounds only with my commission.

TIM WONNACOTT: A sweet smell of success there.

It's a small loss.

Never mind, keep perky.

Keep perky, Roscoe.

It's only money.

TIM WONNACOTT: Will Izzie's brass butterfly letter rack be worth a flutter?

What's it made of?

Brass and other metals.

Brass?

Brass.

Br-ah-ss.

I'm from the North, brass.

Repeat after me, br-ah-ss.

Brass.

What can you do?

5, 8, 10, 12, 15.

Oh.

18, thank you.

Ooh.

[INAUDIBLE] It's a bit low.

22.

TIM WONNACOTT: The bidder has walked away with a great prize.

Bargain.

A snip.

TIM WONNACOTT: The butterfly.

Next up, Charlie's Mabel Lucie Attwell-style shopping list.

Reminded me of my youth, being born in 1950.

And it's-- Oh, I thought you were born earlier than that.

Thought it was 1850.

You're praying.

Are you praying?

At 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 15 pounds.

15 pounds.

I paid 18.

With a commission in the book at 15.

TIM WONNACOTT: Someone has a bargain for their kitchen wall.

It's only a little loss.

TIM WONNACOTT: Izzie's only sparkly item, the agate pillbox.

The only problem is there is a crack in the top of the agate.

Don't want cracked agate, do you?

Not really.

Commission at 10 pounds here.

Well, that's a start.

- A start.

- 10 pounds.

- At 10.

- Oh, Izzie.

Oh.

BRIAN GOODISON-BLANKS: Sold at 10 pounds.

Oh, Charlie.

Any bids at all at 10?

TIM WONNACOTT: No mind, it's only a small loss.

Oh, Izzie.

Oh, dear.

TIM WONNACOTT: Now, will someone take care of Charlie's well-loved teddies?

They remind me of you.

They're all cute and charming and cuddly and furry.

[IMITATES RETCHING] At 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 22-- 22?

--25, 28, 30, 32, 35-- Perfect.

--38-- It's a bit more.

38 with my commission.

TIM WONNACOTT: Someone loves a teddy, too.

And it's clawed a profit.

It's just a profit.

So I'm not gonna walk out on you.

Well, I was rather looking forward to you walking out on me, watching you storm out in a tantrum.

TIM WONNACOTT: Not the usual buy for Izzie now, it's the vintage snooker items and chess set.

Which color balls do you put in the triangle?

All of them.

No.

5, 8, 10-- 10 pounds.

10.

Oh, Izzie.

--for over 15.

IZZIE BALMER: Oh, come on.

BRIAN GOODISON-BLANKS: At 15 pounds-- Oh, stop.

That's so far.

15 pounds, and I'll sell.

TIM WONNACOTT: Izzie's bought nice things, but that's the fourth consecutive loss.

Ouch!

- Oh.

Another small loss.

Another small loss.

TIM WONNACOTT: Rub a dub dub, it's Charlie's sub.

But you know what submarines do, right?

They sink.

They sink.

At 12, 15, 18, 20, 20 pounds, 22, 25, 28, 32, 35-- Oh, it's going.

BRIAN GOODISON-BLANKS: --38, I have.

CHARLIE ROSS: Oh, no, it's-- --first place, 42, 45, 48, 55, 60-- Charlie!

55, I have.

A 60, first place.

- Izzie wizzie.

Charlie, it's perfect.

It's selling at 60.

All done?

TIM WONNACOTT: Popping up with a lovely profit.

Oh.

Your smile's got bigger.

I'm feeling so buoyant.

Next, Izzie's final lot, her two Victorian molds.

I love aspic.

I don't think I've ever had aspic.

It's a sort of savory jelly.

It's quite posh.

Your molds-- That's why you know about it and I don't.

Interest here at early stages at 5, 8, 10, 10 pounds is here.

Oh, come on.

Let's go, let's go.

10 pounds, then, for the two molds.

Charlie.

Oh, Izzie.

At 10 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: No profit, but a break-even does save her blushes.

Oh, dear.

They've gone moldy.

TIM WONNACOTT: I predict this one will do well-- Charlie's go-to-bed.

And Wee Willie Winkie going to bed with this.

I can imagine Wee Willie Winkie with a night cap and a night shift on.

Yes, that's how I go to bed every night.

Starting at 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 110, 120, 130-- He's still going.

--140, 150 in the room.

(SINGING) Double your money and try to get rich-- 160, 170-- 170.

--180, 190, 200.

200 pounds.

200.

200 pounds, then.

[EXCLAIMS DELIGHT] Yes!

I love it.

Roscoe!

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, look at that-- a massive profit for Charlie.

Let's go outside and count up my money.

Oh, must we?

TIM WONNACOTT: I'll get the calculator, eh, hmm.

[PENSIVE MUSIC] Izzie started with just short of 290 pounds.

After auction costs, she finishes today with just over 245 pounds in her piggy.

Charlie began with 250 pounds and 10p.

After his auction costs, he's made a profit of just over 77 pounds, taking him into the lead for the first time for the next leg.

Well done there, man.

[LAUGHTER] Is that a spring in your step?

It's a spring in my step.

Things are looking up.

Have I overtaken you?

You've overtaken me, well and truly.

Oh, it's time to go to bed.

TIM WONNACOTT: Pip pip.

[THEME MUSIC]