VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts with £200 each, a classic car and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

Going, going, gone.

Yes!

I'm loving that, bird.

VO: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

Yes!

VO: There'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Don't I look handsome?

VO: So will it be the high road to glory or the slow road to disaster?

I'm going now.

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

VO: Yeah!

VO: We're back on the road for the fourth leg of our road trip with dapper chaps and antiques experts Thomas Plant and Charlie Ross.

THOMAS: Rosco, this is rather beautiful isn't it?

CHARLIE: It's absolutely gorgeous.

THOMAS: Do you know where we are?

CHARLIE: We must be very nearly in Wales.

VO: After running his own auction house for 20 years, Charlie's expertise lies in antique furniture and vintage cars, not to mention an uncanny ability to charm everyone in his way.

I'm looking for some bargains.

Ha ha!

VO: Thomas is also an auctioneer of considerable experience with a particular penchant for jewelry, silver and, er, hats.

I'll do the rest of the shop dressed as an American soldier.

VO: Our pair of charming chappies began the road trip with £200 each, but three auctions later... (CHARLIE SOBS) VO: ..a chasm is opening up between them.

CHARLIE: Can you remember how much you've got now?

THOMAS: Oh, it's so boring, the whole money thing, isn't it?

CHARLIE: Oh, how lovely to hear that.

D'you want to give it to me, then?

THOMAS: Yes, of course!

I feel very uncomfortable winning, to be honest with you.

VO: Oh, my heart bleeds!

Thomas is leading the field by quite a margin - he starts this leg with a whopping £485.84.

Charlie meanwhile is somewhat of a straggler, kicking off this leg with a rather limp £170.56.

But right now the sun is shining and they have the joys of their 1971 Triumph Spitfire to nip about in.

This week's road trip is taking us over 400 miles from Watchet in Somerset up to Shropshire via North Wales, before looping back down to finish at an auction showdown in Bedford, Bedfordshire.

Today we're starting our journey in Church Stretton, Shropshire, then we'll skip back and forth over the English/Welsh border before returning to Shropshire for an auction in Minsterley.

Sadly, though, our poor experts seem to have little idea of where they are.

THOMAS: Where are these mountains?

CHARLIE: We're in Shropshire.

I know we're in Shropshire, but these hills, what are these hills called?

VO: Er, they're called the Shropshire hills, boys.

First stop is the charming small rural town of Church Stretton.

Back in 1214, King John granted it a market charter, and markets have been held here ever since.

Oh, there's a church here too.

And a giant antiques center!

THOMAS: There we are.

CHARLIE: Thank you, my man.

Ah.

You wait in the car.

No, no, no, no, no.

What's wrong?

Didn't you like my driving?

I was absolutely terrified.

VO: Not as scared as dealer Terry's probably feeling right now, look out.

Hello there.

Hello there.

Charlie is the name.

How are you?

I'm Terry.

Hello.

Thomas.

Terry, yeah?

Yeah.

Terry yeah May we have a look round?

Yeah, carry on.

VO: This antiques market is enormous, with three floors housing the wares of up to 60 dealers.

Surely there'll be something here to tempt the chaps!

Thomas is diving straight in, weighed down by his extremely heavy pockets.

Having all this money one feels quite uncomfortable.

What am I gonna buy?

VO: Thomas's opponent, meanwhile, has the opposite problem.

Don't buy expensive things.

Keep cheap.

So, I could really go completely wrong from now on in and then lose everything, which I've done before in the past, believe you me.

I'm an old master at this.

Thomas has never won a road trip, and I have no intention of this being his first.

VO: Eagle-eyed Thomas has already spotted something he likes.

THOMAS: So, this is a spelter figure in the art deco style of a dancer.

It has had a little bit of damage or cracking just here.

Spelter, which has been bronzed to make it look like bronze.

Such nice movement to her.

Yeah, I like that very much.

VO: Spelter is an alloy including zinc, which was popular in the art deco period as it was much cheaper to make than bronze.

The ticket price is £75 - best have a chat with Terry, eh?

She is a nice figure.

She is.

She has been restored here though.

Yeah.

THOMAS: What, what... TERRY: What can I do?

Yeah.

I mean, I have got a figure in mind... TERRY: Yeah, I know.

THOMAS: Because of the restoration.

Yeah.

I'll go and give him a ring.

VO: The figure is owned by a dealer who's not in today.

He doesn't look that hopeful.

TERRY: Alright then, OK. What... What's the best?

TERRY: 63.

THOMAS: 63?

Yeah.

Why the three?

Because that's what he wants.

(TERRY LAUGHS) Not 60?

TERRY: Em... phhh!

I'll do 60 for you but I can't do any more.

Yeah, I'll buy it for 60.

TERRY: OK. THOMAS: Thank you very much.

VO: Well, that's one purchase down for Thomas.

How's old Rosco getting on?

I am going around one of the biggest antique emporiums for miles around.

Nothing I am looking at is doing it for me.

VO: How about an early 20th Century oak-framed screen with cross stitch tapestry, eh, Charlie?

CHARLIE: I quite like the peacock.

Faded a little bit I should imagine from where it was originally, but it's priced at £30.

See, that's not a lot of money, £30.

One could probably think that it might be buyable for 20.

VO: Hey, keep your voice down, someone's lurking.

THOMAS: Rosco!

CHARLIE: Shh!

Rosco!

I've bought!

Come on, let's go.

I'm sorry but I can't be pushed into these things.

Just because you have found something, I can't deal with it when someone is so smug.

Why aren't you buying the cross stitch Berlin woolwork panel?

Why am I not buying it?

THOMAS: It's only £30.

CHARLIE: I know.

Why don't you buy that?

Who says I haven't?

I will find Terry.

Dah-da-da.

Terry.

How are you?

Well, I'm having a marvelous time.

Upstairs is a cross stitch panel.

I got in a right muddle, I was going round and round in circles.

Would it need a phonecall to try and tweak it a bit, or...?

I'll do 25.

She wouldn't go any more.

Yeah?

She wouldn't?

No.

Not even if I blew her a kiss down the phone?

No.

No, that would probably make her go back to 30.

(BOTH LAUGH) Oh dear.

There's no downside at 25 quid, is there?

No.

Put it there, governor.

VO: Phew!

Well done Charlie - one item all sewn up.

Thomas would like to buy more here, but there's a problem.

It's another whole room.

A whole other floor.

Where am I?

Hang on a minute, we're walking round in circles.

Oh, God!

I can't get out.

VO: Meanwhile, Charlie's on a roll.

He's found something else to perk him up.

CHARLIE: Cafe au lait?

A little very cuz-looking almost Christopher Dresser design.

Hot milk and one, coffee in the other and away you go.

Very, very nice and I like... the...

They are ebony, aren't they, those handles?

I think they are very nice.

VO: Together they're priced at £40.

I think they would probably make 30 quid at auction.

Which is...

I have got nowhere to go.

No.

Is it a very nice amenable person that owns these?

Are they lovely?

TERRY: I can do them for 30 quid for the pair, but that's as much as I... Can you?

Yeah.

Could you do me a gesture, like 28?

I mean, that sounds really pathetic, eh, and you can show me the door if you like, but it's just psychologically... 28?

CHARLIE: Yeah.

TERRY: Right.

Could you do...?

Are you sure?

Yeah.

Fab.

Thank you very much indeed.

Sorry to be such a cheese pairing misery.

Two quid could be the difference at the end of the day, you never know with life.

VO: Yes, every penny counts!

Especially when your opponent is displaying an intimidating amount of intellectual prowess.

I have a very short concentration span, it lasts for about a minute.

Um, and, um... VO: Eh-up, what's this?

I think I'm... pair of tribal carved spears.

They're not spears, they're paddles.

VO: You're right, they're African ceremonial paddles.

Like that.

£45 the pair.

I think I'd have them for 30.

Oh, there he is.

VO: Lordy!

They're tripping over each other in this shop!

Make them be another person.

There we are.

VO: Very convincing!

Is he there?

Is he hiding?

I've seen him round the corner, you see.

No, he's not hiding from you.

Well, he might be.

Well, cuz in fact I saw him as I picked these up.

Yeah.

You trying to hide 'em?

Yes.

(BOTH LAUGH) Would you not take 30 for them?

No.

THOMAS: Aw!

Really?

TERRY: Yeah.

Why not?

Cuz they only came in two days ago.

You wouldn't phone Terry, just to ask?

I'll try.

Just... Do you mind?

No.

I'll try, but I don't...

He might do a bit more, but not a lot.

They're good, though, aren't they?

They're good big things.

VO: Yes, but will the dealer come down on the price?

35.

Oh, really?

Yes.

Lucky day.

Lucky day?

Yes.

I think I've gotta have them for £35.

I think they're cheap at that, yeah.

THOMAS: Yeah.

TERRY: Definitely.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

VO: Both boys have managed to buy two items each in their first shop.

But whilst they've been busy, the rain's arrived.

Oh no look, the car's got wet.

We're gonna get wet bottoms.

CHARLIE: Hood up.

THOMAS: Hood up.

VO: Poor old loves.

Wet bottoms or not, the road trip moves on.

Our chaps are heading 31 miles west just over the border into Wales, to the town of Welshpool, where Thomas is dropping Charlie off for a spot more shopping.

CHARLIE: Oh.

F.E.

Look.

THOMAS: Look at that.

CHARLIE: Fred Anderson.

CHARLIE: Posh shop.

There's only one thing I'm going to need in this shop.

What's that, some money?

Your money.

Alright, out you get.

Come on.

Thank you, dear.

Have a nice visit.

I will, bye bye!

Oh!

This is a Rosco short of shop.

VO: Thomas and his money meanwhile, are heading north - and back into England, to the town of Oswestry.

Bizarrely, he's coming here to learn more about a very Welsh institution.

THOMAS: I'm looking forward to a lovely Welsh reception.

Full of warmth, humor, and good singing.

VO: Ah, food for the soul!

Thomas's destination is the Welsh Guards' Museum and standing by to meet him is Stan Evans, a veteran Welsh Guard himself.

Thomas.

THOMAS: Hello.

Stan, is it?

STAN: Stan it is, yes.

THOMAS: Thomas.

STAN: I'm the curator.

VO: The Welsh Guards were formed not only to protect the Queen, standing guard at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, but also as an infantry regiment to go into the First World War.

They are the youngest of the Guards regiments, only coming into being in 1915 - and straight away they had to design a uniform - with a badge to identify themselves.

Back into the Battle of Agincourt, the Welsh men who had no uniforms whatsoever, were told that on the side of the battle there was a field of leeks.

"Wear a leek upon your chest and kill those that don't".

So, it really is the oldest badge of uniform.

This is the uniform they would have worn.

The buttons would have been Welsh Guard buttons and here we see the leek in this situation it would have been in.

VO: The Welsh Guards soon distinguished themselves, earning 21 battle honors shown on the color and two Victoria Crosses, one from each World War.

In the Second World War, one act of bravery left behind a very different kind of memorial.

STAN: Corporal Winslade was an infantry section leader then, he was responsible for one outpost and they were holding off the Germans until the other companies could get to safety and they held them off for as long as they could and unfortunately Corporal Winslade was shot through the chest and the bullet entered his breast pocket and we can see here his paybook and a photograph of his girlfriend and the bullet has penetrated both.

Wow.

Em... And he was killed instantly.

VO: During both World Wars, and since, in all British conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan, the Welsh Guards have sustained many casualties, but are well known for their bravery and loyalty to their regiment.

Back in the UK, they are most famous for standing the guard at the Royal palaces wearing the iconic ceremonial uniform.

And it looks like they may have a new recruit!

The red jacket.

VO: Oh Thomas - you never miss a chance to dress up, do you?

STAN: Face round to me.

When you are getting dressed for duty you ask somebody "can you give me a pull round?"

A pull round?

This is a pull round.

You stand there and I do that.

VO: Oh, lordy!

VO: Does he look the part?

Don't move, Thomas!

While his opponent stands guard, Charlie's back in Welshpool, feasting his eyes on the goods of shop owner Ian.

Oh, goodness me, this room could have been designed for me, couldn't it?

IAN: Well, I hope it could be.

VO: Oh dear, looks like a bit out of your budget though, Charlie.

CHARLIE: How long have you been here?

We have been here just over 100 years.

VO: Look out, here comes the sob story.

I have to say something straight away, sir, looking at your lovely objects.

I've come here with a pathetic sort of hundred-odd quid of money.

Yes?

And, ah, I've been...

I haven't done well so far.

Ah, you... You could do... You could do with a change of luck?

I could do with a bolster.

VO: Or rather something small that you can afford.

All feminine, and so on...

It is, it is.

Very very nice.

He's looking at you.

OK, so always too big.

IAN: Those are quite interesting.

CHARLIE: Water buffalo, just a bit out of... yeah.

Aren't they lovely?

They're alright, but they're just a bit out of the bracket.

You're not going to sell those to me for 100 quid, are you?

No, I can't afford to.

They are a true pair, aren't they?

They're a true pair.

CHARLIE: Sort of thing that's... you know, um, saleable nowadays.

Yes.

CHARLIE: I like those.

IAN: Yeah.

I'm gonna do an exact sum in a minute.

VO: Canny Charlie's fallen for a pair of wooden Chinese water buffalo, carved in the early 20th century but the ticket price on them is way over what he can afford, at £245.

But I've only got about 110 quid.

You've got 110 quid to spare?

I can't buy those, can I?

My buffalo cost 140.

I could probably charge you 155, but it's out of your bracket unfortunately.

Well, it's just out of your bracket.

But I mean, em... VO: Oh crikey!

IAN: I'm...

I'm thinking a little bit now.

I did buy with them a very nice mahogany tripod table for 200, which I got 500 for.

VO: There appears to be a glimmer of hope and now, Charlie spots something else.

He has had a leg off.

Are you aware?

IAN: Oh, golly.

Do you think I'll be lumbered with them now if I don't sell them to you?

What did you say was your offer?

CHARLIE: 110.

IAN: 110... VO: Chancer.

£110, I will sell them to you and I will wish you the very best of luck with them.

Are you s...?

I wish you the very best of luck with them.

Gentleman and a scholar.

Well... Ooh, you want money!

Oh, money.

90... 100... and 10.

Thank you very much.

And I've still got a fiver.

Yeah, and I tell you what I'm gonna do.

What are you gonna do?

I need those to be lucky for you, to win.

Yep?

That's for you and that's for luck towards the auction.

When I was selling the chickens and the cows and what have you...

Yes?

We always used to give the biggest buyer of the day a bit of luck money.

Oh, aye, well you're definitely my biggest buyer today.

VO: Charlie you are a very lucky man indeed.

By Ian giving you back that £10, you got those water buffalo for a snip at £100!

Ridiculous.

It's the end of the day, and time for our experts to have a well-needed lie down.

Sleep tight!

VO: Day two and our devilish duo are comparing the size of their wallets - again!

CHARLIE: I mean you went shopping yesterday and you've still got over £400 left?

THOMAS: Mm, just under.

How much have you got left?

Ah, I've got £17.61 I think, or or 57 or... THOMAS: Wonderful.

CHARLIE: 56, or... THOMAS: You've really done well.

I'm not sure about the pence.

VO: Every penny helps, Charlie.

So to recap - Charlie has spent £153 on three items - a cafe au lait set, a screen with cross-stitch needlework and a pair of Chinese carved water buffalo.

That means he has £17.56 left in his coffers.

Thomas, on the other hand, has parted with £95 on an art deco figure and a pair of African ceremonial paddles - which still leaves him with a magnificent £390.84 to play about with.

Our chaps have motored back into Wales, and are heading for the large town of Wrexham.

Impoverished Charlie is dropping tycoon Thomas off at his next shop, hoping he'll spend big.

CHARLIE: Got all your money in your pocket?

THOMAS: Yeah, and it's bulging.

(CHARLIE LAUGHS) Buy something nice.

Bye bye.

VO: Bryn-Y-Grog Emporium houses the wares of over 50 dealers and one of them is standing by to help Thomas.

Morning.

Thomas.

BRIAN: Thomas Plant, isn't it?

THOMAS: That's right.

BRIAN: Hello Thomas.

THOMAS: Brian?

Brian.

I hope you find something to buy, I'm sure you will.

I think I will.

I'm sure I will.

It looks massive!

VO: Massive it is and with a healthy wallet, surely finding a treasure here should be no problem for our expert.

Proper antiques.

VO: So what's your tactics today Thomas?

THOMAS: My tactics are to buy quality.

Concentrate.

Don't buy a resin panel, which this is.

Don't spuff it all on one item.

VO: Did you say 'spuff it'?

Retro Mysterons raygun with lightbeams and... ..and voice changer.

ECHOES: Rosco this is Planty, your merciless Mysteron.

How many children have put their lips around there?

Disgusting!

VO: Yeuch.

I must start doing some buying now.

I've had a good look.

What I'm looking at here this onyx cigarette set.

I'm not really interested in the lighter, but it is...

Marvelous colors to it.

I think this is spelter, but it's quite well painted, actually.

It's got a bit of age to it.

It's the kind of thing which, you know, you buy for a tenner and it's going to make £25.

Yeah, it's not a bad-looking thing.

There's so much stuff.

VO: So, that's a contender.

Now what's this with a ticket price of £38?

THOMAS: It's a deed box.

VO: This deed box dates from the early 20th century and would have been used to hold important documents such as house deeds or bonds and other valuable items.

It would have been double locked with two keys and kept in a strong room in the bank or solicitor's.

38 quid.

That's no money really, it's quite good.

BRIAN: Safe/deed box?

THOMAS: Yeah, the deed box.

VO: Time to see if Brian can do a deal.

Do you know if they've got the keys?

BRIAN: Eh, no, sorry.

THOMAS: No?

As it... As... As is?

As is, yeah.

I quite like that.

That's quite fun.

Well, the paint's pleasant on it.

There's enough of the gilding left to decorate it quite nicely.

Yeah, that's quite a good, fun thing.

Good decorative lot.

Yeah.

Quite like that.

That's quite good fun.

So, it's got £38 on it.

How about £28?

Five?

25?

Yes.

We'll have that for sure.

Yeah, OK. At 25, that's great.

We'll definitely have that.

That's brilliant.

VO: A good deal indeed!

Now what about that green onyx ashtray?

I think that is delightful.

That's nice.

Have a look at it.

BRIAN: Yeah, that's good.

The pheasant's very good, isn't it?

THOMAS: The pheasant's brilliant isn't it?

Would they mind if I just gave them a tenner for that?

BRIAN: Oh gosh, no.

THOMAS: Quality.

That's nice, yep.

That's nice.

Yeah.

You know, and then people can use it to put little cufflinks in or something.

Yeah.

Shall we say £8 for that?

Oh, perfect, perfect.

That's great.

25 and eight, so that's... BRIAN: 33, £33.

THOMAS: £33 yeah.

VO: Last of the big spenders, eh?

While Thomas has been shopping, Charlie is en route two miles west to a rather large country house.

CHARLIE: This is the longest drive up to the house I think I have ever been on.

Driving for hours!

VO: But what a sight to greet one at the end.

Charlie's come to Erddig House - widely recognized as one of Britain's finest historic houses, and now owned by the National Trust.

Poised to show Charlie around is curator Graeme Clarke.

Thank you.

VO: Erddig House was inherited by the Yorke family in the mid 18th century, who continued to live here for the next 200 years.

But although the house appears to be steeped in all the trappings of the aristocracy, there's an unusual story here, of the family - and servants - who shared these rooms.

Cuz this is all about the servants, really, isn't it?

It is, yes.

The history of the house?

That is right and at the end of the room there we have the door to the servery, where, which would have been the door for the servants to come in.

VO: Although the Yorkes inherited the house, they were not hugely wealthy, and began losing money from the start.

As a result, they couldn't afford to pay their servants the usual going rate - so instead, they opted to pay them in kind in order to keep their loyalty... by treating them like family.

There weren't any backstairs that were segregated, another feature of the house.

The servants rubbed up well alongside the family.

So you would bump into servants all the time?

Yeah.

Yeah.

This is their version of the dining room, the servants' hall.

So you would have had your meals in here.

You would have the butler at one end and the housekeeper at the other, so heads of the respective staff.

And here we have portraits, oil paintings of the servants of Erddig.

CHARLIE: That's almost unheard of isn't it?

VO: The paintings were commissioned by Philip Yorke, the first in the 1790s - and it was he who also wrote the poems included in the paintings, about each of the servants.

Who have we got here?

Well, this is dear old Jane Ebrill, who worked for 70 years for the Yorkes.

CHARLIE: 70 years!

Yeah, no retirement age then, but we know the Yorkes housed her in her own cottage on the estate and gave her the lovely job title of spider brusher when her days as housekeeper were done.

She was still allowed on the estate but didn't really have anything to do?

GRAEME: A really interesting character here is Thomas Rogers.

Now, he was carpenter, joiner here, he was saved from the press-gang from the Napoleonic Wars, by the squire who paid a ransom... To keep his servant?

To keep him here.

I would like to come in here and listen to the old conversation.

VO: Philip Yorke's tradition of honoring the servants was to continue in the family right up to the 20th Century.

That's right, here we are in the servant's passage, and we have the successors to those early oil paintings, with photographs of the servants.

This is a lovely touching story.

It is Lucy Hitchman, and Lucy was the nurse and Ernest Jones was the groom, and they let most days when they took the young lads for their pony trip around the garden.

Inevitably, as these things happen, they fell in love.

Oh, how exciting.

Yes.

He was much below her station.

People advised him not to court, but they got married.

Oh.

With the family's blessing?

The family's blessing, commemorated in verse.

If I just finish off the poem, "we trust the attachment here begun may last while life its course shall run."

But perhaps the most important photograph we have at Erddig is this 1912 group photograph of the principal servants, and they are all holding a tool of their trade, so you will see Will Gittings has a saw, he is the carpenter.

The Butler has a bottle of claret, and most importantly the family have put themselves in the photograph behind their servants.

Wonderful.

So, we've got the cook here, holding some sort of game bird.

GRAEME: That's right.

Brace of pheasants.

Yep.

Ready to be prepared in the kitchen.

Cooked up in the pot.

Shall we?

Marvelous.

CHARLIE: A wonderful room, isn't it?

GRAEME: It's one of the largest rooms in the house.

It shows its importance.

One has the sense really of it being a very happy home, the relationship between the family and the servants.

Everybody you feel must have got on.

It feels like a home.

Although it is enormous, it feels like a home and I want to meet the servants that were here and ask them how well they were treated and hopefully you would get the right answer.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Are you treated well here?

Oh, all the time.

Oh, good.

Thank you so much Graeme, it's been wonderful.

Thank you Charlie, lovely to meet you.

VO: What a fascinating visit for Charlie.

Now, if only he was on a similarly equal footing with sparring partner, Thomas Plant.

Our chaps have reconvened in the Spitfire and are now journeying to Ruthin in Denbighshire, where a shop awaits Charlie.

CHARLIE: I am going shopping.

THOMAS: Yes?

And you're going shopping.

I am going shopping.

And you've still got a lot of money.

Still got a lot of money.

I've got very very little.

I've still a lot of money and I'll probably still have a lot of money by the time I finish, unless I see something amazing.

Thomas, go big!

VO: Oh will you stop banging on about the money!

Ah - the county town of Ruthin.

In the 15th century, a rebellion against King Henry IV left the town ravaged and burnt to the ground but luckily for our experts, it rose from the ashes.

Are you gonna take this car on?

Yes, I am.

While I spend the rest of my money.

You've done so well.

I'll leave it ticking over for you, sir.

Leave it ticking.

I've got more profit to make.

Oh, ch!

Get out, come on.

Oh!

When's your coach getting here, sir?

Rosco, you'll be fine.

VO: Oh Charlie, stop sulking!

So while Thomas heads off, Charlie has a surprise in store - someone he knows from the antiques trade.

Hello!

It's you.

How are you, Andy?

Very well.

Long time no see.

I didn't know you were here.

Is this your establishment?

It certainly is, yes.

We've finally come in off the road.

Every time I see you you're at a fair.

That's right.

All over the country.

I think I've spent money with you over the years.

Ah, once or twice.

Not a lot.

I've got a confession to make.

You're skint?

This is what I've got left.

ANDY: Ohahah!

CHARLIE: £17.56.

I've got something that might interest you that's just come in.

What?

Unusual.

Did you know... unusual.

You know I like a bit of unusual.

Something very very small.

Is it delicate, Andy?

No, it's not delicate.

Oh.

VO: Ooh I wonder what it can be.

Before we find out, let's see where Thomas has got to.

He's heading through the beautiful Welsh countryside to his last shop in Denbigh, handily called Denbighshire Antiques.

THOMAS: Hello.

PAUL: Hello.

THOMAS: Thomas.

PAUL: Nice to meet you.

THOMAS: What's your name?

PAUL: Paul.

Paul.

Wow, you've got a lot here, haven't you?

PAUL: Yeah, I have, yeah.

I plan to spend a bit of money with you, if that's alright.

Hope so.

VO: Right - are we going wild or playing sensible?

Rosco wants me to buy furniture cuz it's quite expensive and of course, you know, one could lose money on furniture, so if I bought a bit of furniture, I mean, I think Rosco would be sort of dancing a jig.

Come on, Planter, get buying!

I've seen something I quite like.

This is a terracotta garden urn and obviously it comes in bits.

This lifts off that.

And that goes down like that.

It's a base.

This is where the plant would go.

It should have been one of a pair, but look at these lovely petals here.

Probably 1920s, but what a thing for somebody's garden.

I don't know if it'll sell well, but it's got a chance.

Right time of year, I have to say.

Right, let's go and find our Paul.

VO: It has £110 on the ticket, but let's face it, our Thomas can afford it.

I'm not a great expert in garden statuary.

Is it something which you'd be prepared to do a deal on?

PAUL: Yeah.

THOMAS: Yeah?

PAUL: Not a million miles from where it is, to be honest.

Oh, really?

I see this at a figure.

PAUL: At?

THOMAS: 70 quid.

I couldn't sell it at 70.

What could you sell it to me at?

90 would be the money.

Come on, what about 75?

Reluctantly, I'll take 80.

75?

Because, you know, I want to sort of try and make a profit.

I think you'll be making more of a profit than what I did.

Oh, come on, now you said this came to you well, and...

It did, but I still feel you'd make more of a profit than what I am.

Well, I... 75 and you've got a deal?

Go on then.

THOMAS: Oh, you're a star.

PAUL: 75.

You're an absolute star.

VO: I can't believe it, Mr Cautious has finally splashed his cash!

Well done.

Now, if you recall, Andy was about to pick out something unusual for our Charlie.

ANDY: Now, have you still got your eyes closed?

CHARLIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Right.

There we are.

Open your eyes.

Very very unusual.

CHARLIE: Oh, isn't that wonderful?

It's a needle case.

I would think round about...

BOTH: 1920s.

Yeah.

Spot on.

Looks like Thomas Plant.

He has a hat, you know.

Well, absolutely.

VO: The needle case is made of celluloid, an early form of plastic, that was often used instead of ivory because it was cheaper.

And we take that off and out comes the thread.

Yeah.

Oh, look at that.

This isn't all, is it?

This could be yours... Could it?

For a 10 pound note.

And you'd still have a fiver to spend.

I'd still have £7.56 to spend.

Is it as much as that?

Oh, Lord, today is my lucky day.

(LAUGHS) Thank you, Lord, for sending Andy.

I shall have it, sir.

Deal is safe.

Never has shopping been made so easy.

It's marvelous.

VO: Well, that went well, didn't it?

Now can Andy help Charlie find anything else for his remaining pennies?

Where's your bargain basement bit?

Em... D'you have one?

Not really.

CHARLIE: I don't want an American nit comb.

Do I need a nit comb?

What about a stone gargoyley thingy?

He's grotesque, isn't he?

These things look quite cheap in here.

There's five quid here and six quid there.

Yes, it's...

There's a pin cushion in the form of a... what looks like a pheasant there.

There we go.

A little pewter pin cushion.

ANDY: Could we do... Could we do this for seven quid?

CHARLIE: I think you probably could, cuz it's priced up at four.

ANDY: No, it's not?

Never!

CHARLIE: Well that's... That's the one with the broken leg.

The one without a broken leg hasn't got any price at all.

It's priceless, sir.

I've got £7.56.

You've spent your money, sir.

That was the easiest shopping I've ever done in my life.

Deal done, sir.

Deal done.

Well, I'll give you my money.

That's a tenner for that, sir.

ANDY: Tenner for that, sir.

CHARLIE: And... £7... Fifty... six p. Jill, we'll be having egg and chips for tea tonight.

Yes, yes.

Yeah, and I won't be!

VO: Aw, poor old Rosco.

So with all our experts' shopping done and dusted, it's time to reconvene.

It's the moment to reveal all to each other and Charlie's up first.

Woah, Rosco.

Look at this.

You have bought a pair... Yep.

..of Chinese carved water buffalo with figures on.

Look at that.

Oh, and on the stands as well!

They could do £300, and you could wipe me off the... Oh, Thomas!

You could destroy me now.

£100?

£110 and he gave me £10 luck money back.

So, £100.

Those are really good.

They're good, aren't they?

VO: Ooh, do I detect the green eyed monster there Thomas?

We saw that.

Yes, we saw that... How much was that?

That was £25.

Rosc, profit, profit.

And can I?

What is...?

CHARLIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

THOMAS: What is this?

Have a look at that.

Have a look at that.

THOMAS: Hideous!

Ivorine... CHARLIE: No, it's wonderful.

Oh, and he comes off.

It's a little necessaire.

Aw, a little necessaire.

Eugh!

Oh...

I love it.

VO: That's divided them.

CHARLIE: Excite me.

De-de-de-de, de-de.

There we are.

Oh... That's a good form.

That's beautiful.

That's a good form.

Good thing, isn't it?

She's got a good look to her.

May I handle her?

Yeah, course, you can touch her.

Who's that modeled after?

I don't know.

It's like a Lorenzl... Yeah.

Has the foot been off?

It's got a crack on it, yeah.

That's why... Yeah.

That's why it was only £60.

Are these spears or are they paddles?

£35.

They don't look very old to me.

I said they weren't, they're sort of 1920s... No, but they're fun.

CHARLIE: That I love.

The shape of that... THOMAS: It's good, isn't it?

CHARLIE: Fabulous.

That's very good.

Did you buy that for less than £100?

Oh yeah.

Oh, creepy, creepy boy.

What was it, 75 notes?

Exactly.

£75.

Yeah, yeah, but that's lovely, and it's such a good saleable thing.

You did spend more than me.

I did... Congratulations.

Well done.

I told you I'd spend more than you.

VO: All very cordial but let's see what they really think.

I must say this time I'd rather have my lots than Thomas's.

There's a pair of water buffalo on Charlie's table which are magnificent.

Very jealous.

These could be the ones which he beats me with.

His figure after, he thinks, Lorenzl, Preiss, whoever, is nice, but that broken foot I think is... is relevant.

I can't stand that clown.

I can't stand it.

I'd like to think I'm gonna claw back 100 or so, and then we'll be two-all going into the last one, and that'll be quite exciting.

VO: Thomas and Charlie kicked off this leg in Church Stretton, Shropshire, then meandered back and forth over the English/Welsh border.

Now, they're returning to Shropshire for an evening auction in Minsterley.

Look at that, Rosco.

Oh.

I feel like a condemned man already.

Oh, shut up!

You've got the water buffalo, haven't you?

Honestly!

Come on, Planty.

Get in.

VO: The auction venue ce soir is Henderson's, a busy and fast-growing family-run business, owned by auctioneer Phil Griffiths.

So what does he think of our experts' choices?

PHIL: The terracotta garden urn is my favorite.

I think people are going to really like it.

Commercial.

Be nice to have a pair, but, em, yeah, I think probably...

I can see that making 120-150.

The market in Chinese antiques at the moment is very good, so I think probably they could be around 100-150.

Em, again, you know, they could even do, do a little bit better than that.

VO: Charlie started this leg with £170.56 and spent every single penny on five auction lots.

Thomas kicked off with £485.84 and spent £203 also on five auction lots.

Now where have those cheeky chappies got to?

Ey up!

I say, they look almost presentable.

What a good idea this was of yours.

Well, I don't know, it's an evening auction, isn't it?

Are you modeling yourself on James Bond?

You look dapper.

A Sean Connery.

The name's Bond... Charlie Bond.

More like Basildon Bond.

VO: Yeah, no time to waste - the auction's about to begin!

And first up, it's Charlie's cross stitch panel.

Shall we say for this 50, £60?

Start me at 30.

30?

20?

And 20 is bid.

At 20.

Got 20, that's quite good for me.

26, 28, 30 now.

Oooh!

New place.

At £30.

VO: It's a well-needed profit for Charlie, albeit a small one.

How could I be excited?

It's washed its face.

VO: Thomas's deed box is up next.

What shall say for it?

50 or 60?

30 then?

30 is bid.

32, 35... CHARLIE: Look, there's a lady in the front row.

Thomas you're a genius!

Look.

The lady there.

50.

At £50.

She must be a Swallow.

Thomas.

I'm learning from the master.

No further interest?

Are we all done with it at £50?

Selling at 50 then.

VO: An excellent profit for Thomas.

The boy can do no wrong!

I actually am a bit in, in shock.

It's phenomenal.

VO: Don't be downhearted Charlie, it's the first of the two pheasants now - your pin cushion.

Start me at 10?

10 is bid.

At £10 bid, at 12, 14?

Taking off.

£14 on the front row, at £14.

Are we all done with this lot?

Selling then at 14.

Mr auctioneer, you are the business.

VO: An excellent profit Charlie.

Seldom can a man have been so excited by £14.

VO: It's Thomas's pheasant now.

Will it fly as well?

Start me at 30?

30?

20?

20 is bid.

22, 25.

I don't want to be greedy.

VO: Those pheasants have done well, haven't they?

Another profit for Thomas.

VO: Anyone for coffee?

Start me at £10 then?

Wooh, 10?

At 10?

10 is bid.

At £10 on the front row.

12, 14.

CHARLIE: Give this lady a nudge.

18.

Madam, cafe au lait.

18, keep going, madam.

20 now.

Rosco will give you a big kiss.

Go on.

Rosco will give you a kiss.

There we are... Oh.

On the front row and selling at 22.

Are we all done?

VO: Charlie's first loss, especially after the auction house takes its commission.

Congratulations, madam, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

VO: Now will Thomas's paddles take him up the creek?

Start me at 30?

20 then?

20 is bid.

22, 25, 28.

At £30, in the doorway.

At £30.

Is there any further interest?

First loss of the day.

£30?

Are we all done at 30?

That's your first loss of the day.

It is, isn't it?

VO: Yes it is.

But you're still winning by a country mile Thomas.

My heart bleeds for you.

It...

It doesn't at all.

It does, Thomas, it... Go away!

VO: Charlie loved it.

Thomas hated it.

What will the bidders think of the wee little needle case?

Start me at £10?

10 is bid, 12, 14, 16...

There's a man bidding round the corner, going like the clappers.

..Two, 25.

THOMAS: Look at that, Rosco.

28... THOMAS: 25.

30 now, 32, 34... Thomas!

38... Rosco.

You hated this, Thomas.

On the phone I will sell.

You're gonna win.

You're gonna thrash me.

44.

46.

At £46.

There is a God.

48.

50.

THOMAS: I hate it!

PHIL: £50 then... Is that all?

Can't believe... VO: A stonking profit for Charlie!

There is hope yet.

Put it there.

It's renewed my faith in my, ah... Can't stand him!

I can't stand it!

VO: Thomas's garden urn is up next.

What can we say for this?

I think perhaps £100 to start it.

50 to go?

50 is bid, five, 60, five, 70, five, 80.

Getting better.

Five, 90.

Ooh, he's going well now.

At £90.

Five.

I was nervous then.

Small profit.

Are we all done?

Sold, 95.

VO: A tidy profit for Thomas.

A working profit, Thomas.

Can't complain.

No.

Better than not buying it.

VO: Now it's Charlie's big hope.

He needs his water buffalo to make a large profit to stand any chance of catching up with Thomas.

50 to go?

50 is bid.

Five, 60, five, 70, five.

At £75.

At 80 now.

Five.

At £85.

90, five... Five.

100 and 10.

THOMAS: 10.

At 110.

You... 120.

At 130.

At 130.

140.

At 140.

Getting there.

Getting there.

We need a lot more than 140.

Selling at 140, are we all done?

Ooh, ooh, Rosco.

VO: Oh dear.

It's a profit, but nowhere near what Charlie was hoping for.

I'm well chuffed.

I wanted £250 for those, Thomas.

VO: Charlie's only chance is for Thomas to make a devastating loss on the last lot of the day - his art deco figure.

3,600... ..may we say for this?

Start me at £100?

50 to go?

40 is bid.

At 40, five, 50, at £50 now.

The dealer I know is bidding on this.

..Five, 70 now.

Five.

£80, 85 now.

On the front row.

90 is bid.

THOMAS: 90.

CHARLIE: 90.

That's 30 quid less 10, 15, that's a profit.

110?

Now you're going.

Now you're going.

130.

Good effort.

130.

Sold 130.

Yes!

Good, Thomas.

Thomas.

That's a good profit.

VO: Very sporting of you Charlie!

A resounding profit for Thomas.

Well done, old bean.

Well done.

Congratulations.

Well, we both made profits.

I think that's not bad.

I think you've done jolly well.

I'm getting better.

Another 15 legs I'll have you.

VO: So Charlie started this leg with £170.56 and has made a profit of £39.36 after auction costs.

That leaves him with £209.92 to carry forward.

Thomas began this leg with £485.84 and made a slightly larger profit of £67.60, meaning he beats Charlie yet again.

Our Planter has £553.44 to spend on the last leg.

Phew!

Well done, Thomas.

Well done.

And where would sir like to go this evening?

Well, are you gonna drive me?

The casino?

The casino.

Marvelous.

Oh well.

You're back over that £200.

Thank heaven for small mercies!

It's dark.

The night is yet young.

Oh, stop talking that way.

VO: Next time on Antiques Road Trip... Thomas meets his match.

If you don't give me the money, I'll show you the door.

VO: And Charlie tries a new approach.

Is this is my lucky day, Margo?

It is.

Melt into my arms.

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