VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts... Alright, fair enough.

It's a really cute subject.

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car.

NATASHA: Make it so.

MARGIE: Here we go.

VO: And a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Frankly terrifying.

VO: The aim, to make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

I've lost money!

VO: There'll be worthy winners... Get in there!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Could have been worse.

VO: Will it be the high road to glory?

Ooh.

VO: Or the slow road to disaster?

Ugh!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Steady!

VO: It's the final chapter of this particular Road Trip tale, and Wales has brought on the weather.

CHRISTINA (CT): Oh my gosh, this is like driving up a river.

It is horrible out there today.

It is windy, it's rainy.

VO: Yes, it's not a top down day for auctioneer Christina Trevanion.

But fear not, we've also provided suitable transportation for her fellow tripper... SERHAT (SA): Argh!

VO: ..Serhat Ahmet.

Whoa.

VO: Well, we gave him a poncho.

Ha!

So I've got the bike, Christina's got the Porsche.

Woohoo!

And she sent a storm to threaten me, I think.

I'm calling this storm Christina.

Ugh... VO: Ha-ha!

Well, he's certainly taken a buffeting at the hands of its namesake, who's well in the lead.

Last time out, our little whirlwind went big.

Like, really big.

I think I'm causing chaos.

(SHE LAUGHS) VO: But calm and collected Serhat kept his head and shopped canny...

It's an absolute bargain.

VO: ..and notched up a win at the auction.

Serhat, you made a profit!

I know, it does sometimes happen.

So, Serhat won the last auction, which is great, obviously.

But it just means that he's making money now, which makes me nervous.

Very nervous.

VO: At the moment, he's got other things on his mind.

I decided, you know, I'll rock a denim jacket... ..and some suede shoes.

That was clever, wasn't it?

VO: Loving the socks, though, Serhat.

He started this trip with £200, and after some thumping losses, he's back on an upward trajectory.

He now has £128.74 for today's fun and games.

Christina, who began with the same amount, has managed to grow that sum to £274.10, more than double her rival's kitty.

But she can't rest on her laurels just yet.

I think my plan for this last leg is there is absolutely no point being safe.

There's no point being safe.

I'm going to spend it all and I'm going to go out with a bang.

VO: I think Serhat would be happy just to get to the first shop!

And now we're going uphill, just to make it even more crazy.

VO: Come on.

Argh!

VO: Feel the burn.

Ugh.

VO: It's been quite a journey so far.

Starting off in north Wales and exploring much of the Midlands, we've got one last trek to do of their final battle in Battle.

Before that decisive auction, we'll be all over the south of Wales in search of shops, ending up in Rhydowen.

But we begin the last outing of these two at Ammanford, home to Ammanford Antiques Centre, and no surprises who gets there first.

Horrible day out there.

Ooh!

Ooh.

VO: This rather jolly Victorian church hall has five rooms packed with all sorts.

But Christina's not going to have the place to herself for long, because our human dynamo has just about made it.

Maybe you should go and say hello.

Whoa!

VO: Now, that's just taking the mickey.

CT: Hi.

SA: Hi.

(SHE LAUGHS) Dry, are you?

Perfectly dry, thank you very much.

Yeah.

Oh, my God.

We've got matching bikes!

Um, except yours is definitely not wet.

(SHE LAUGHS) I'm wearing this season's latest fashion.

CT: You're absolutely right.

SA: Do you like it?

I mean, that is going to be on the catwalk in Milan... Do you want to borrow this?

..next spring.

I'm good!

But thanks.

(BOTH LAUGH) VO: Now we're all together, let's get down to business.

And it looks like Christina's zeroing in on something already.

Ooh!

Oh, I do love a Welsh blanket.

They're just lovely.

The s of them, look at them, they look like a sweetie shop, don't they?

What does that say?

"100% Welsh wool blankets with slight faults."

£25 sounds very, very reasonable.

They've got some love... Oh, look at those!

Look at these s. They're fabulous, aren't they?

VO: I think they're a shop specialty.

There's a lot of them.

Perhaps a friendly dealer can give you some expert advice.

CT: Shane, talk to me about Welsh blankets.

They're very old Welsh blankets, the ones that you're looking at there.

Mm.

They're between Edwardian, right the way up to the 1960s.

They were originally made in Wales on a narrow loom, and they were made in Welsh cottages.

And all the different dyes were taken from things from the countryside.

CT: And there was a plentiful supply of sheep?

And a lot of sheep.

(SHE LAUGHS) That's right.

Yeah, absolutely.

VO: Let's get them out and have a closer look.

Oh, they're heavy!

Seriously heavy.

And can you imagine...

It'd be like lifting a wet sheep to shear it.

There we go.

See, that's rather lovely.

I like that one.

Pull this one out.

VO: Put your back into it, girl.

CT: Oh, that is lovely, isn't it?

Oh, that's a pretty one.

Look at that one.

VO: We might be here a while.

Whew, that was close!

It's like the Leaning Tower of Blankets.

Look at this, this one's got a fringe.

Oh, I love that.

VO: Decision time, then?

Oh, OK.

Right.

This is a yes.

And I'm going to go for... this one.

No, this one.

No.

VO: The tension is palpable, isn't it?

Not that one.

I think that's a no.

That one or that one.

Oh, I'm going to be toasty warm, aren't I?

VO: You certainly are.

Well, I'm glad we've got all that lot sorted out.

Now, over in a different aisle, Serhat has spotted something lurking in a cabinet.

SA: I'm going to have to take my hat off for this.

VO: He means business.

Not his usual ceramics, is it?

Gosh, what are these?

That's a Meissen vase.

VO: Ah.

Ceramics-adjacent, then.

It says, "Presented by the Duke of Holstein Glucksburg."

But to who?

I don't know who it's been presented to.

That's another piece of Meissen, a Meissen table.

Oh, that's a KPM vase.

VO: I can imagine a young Serhat having these on his bedroom wall instead of footballers.

SA: They're chromolithographs, so they've been printed in .

And they are just very nice.

They look very old.

Gosh, keeps going, doesn't it?

Oh, here we go.

Her Royal Highness and Princess Alexandra.

Caroline of Denmark, and of His Royal Highness Albert Edward, Prince of Wales.

So they were married, if I've got my history correct, in 1863.

And these are all the gifts they received from royalty and from high up people in society, people that would've been invited to their wedding.

VO: Sure beats a toaster.

SA: I think they can be sold separately, cos I'm really keen on these porcelain ones.

And I think it would be nice as a single lot to have the porcelain ones with their Royal Highnesses.

VO: No price on those.

We'll need to have a chat with someone.

SA: Debra.

DEBRA: Hey there.

VO: Ah!

SA: Hello.

VO: Hi.

I discovered these in the cabinet behind me.

OK.

So, we've got one, two, three, four, five, six, seven of these.

Are they individually priced?

Cuz I couldn't find a price on them.

Well, actually, they're a bargain at £7 each.

VO: So, his selection of some seven comes to £49.

Can I make you an offer?

I'd love to pay £30.

£30.

Right.

OK, well, that's quite a chunky discount, but I think, on this occasion, we can probably do that.

Oh re...are you sure?

I'm sure.

Yeah.

Oh wow!

That's great.

Thank you, Debra.

VO: That first purchase leaves him with a smidge under £99 to play with.

Thank you very much.

VO: And some nice pictures for him to drool over later.

Right, mister, on your bike!

Oh!

VO: Still in the warm and dry, Christina's got designs on something else.

CT: Oh, those are cool.

Those are very cool.

So, those are a pair of grape nips.

"Fox and grape silver plated grape scissors."

£12.

£12!

Seems very cheap.

VO: A snip, you might say - ha!

CT: Those are lovely.

Look at those beautiful foxes entwined on the handle there.

The Victorian era, these would have been used because it would have been very, very not done to pick your grapes.

Obviously, you would cut your little bunch of grapes off and put them on your plate, rather than what happens in my house is we just demolish an entire punnet of grapes.

Very uncouth.

VO: Quite.

Savages!

I mean, normally, I would say no to grape scissors because now they're totally useless.

But actually, with those wonderful foxes on there, and for £12, that's not bad at all!

VO: I think she's having em!

Grab your blankets and go and find Shane.

Right, I am loving your Welsh blankets... Ah.

..which you've sold to me good and proper.

And then, I found those, which I thought were really sweet as well.

Ah, grape scissors.

Yeah.

Exactly.

So, I think I owe you £62.

Thank you very much.

VO: You think right.

That'll leave you with £212 in your pocket.

And I'm just delighted that I've bought something Welsh in Wales.

They are lovely.

They really are.

Thank you!

VO: Time to brave the elements.

It's so nice when antiques still have their uses.

Meanwhile, Serhat's deep in the wild, wet Welsh countryside.

He's heading into the Brecon Beacons, towards a little place called Dan Yr Ogof to explore one of Wales's most incredible natural wonders that was only uncovered a little over 100 years ago.

SA: Hello, you must be James.

Welcome to Dan Yr Ogof caves.

VO: James Price is not only the caves' director, but also the great, great nephew of the two men who made the discovery.

JAMES: Now, the Morgan brothers, they were just two local farmers who farmed all of the land that you've just walked through.

They just wanted to discover where the river came from.

So back in 1912, they followed the river in and came out into the caves that we're about to walk into.

But when they did it, they only had some candles, a little ball of string and a lot of bravery and maybe a little bit of stupidity.

VO: Well, if that was good enough for them, it's good enough for our intrepid explorer.

SA: It's extremely dark, isn't it?

JAMES: Yes.

SA: Even with candlelight.

VO: There was already a known cave on the farmland, which had seen use since the bronze age, but what Tommy and Jeff Morgan were to discover was something else entirely.

JAMES: We're lucky now.

We can cheat a little bit.

OK.

So, whereas the Morgan brothers came in with their candles, they were putting arrows on the floor to find out where they're going... Yeah.

..we've got electrical lights.

Oh, wow!

That's incredible, James!

That's beautiful, isn't it?

VO: Around the time of this discovery in 1912, the pastime of potholing was gaining popularity, but the Morgans had none of the ropes and other kit that their contemporary cave explorers took with them.

They did, however, bring a revolver to protect them from anything nasty lurking deep inside the caves.

Ooh!

This is as far as they got on their second day of exploring.

We're only 350, 400 meters into the cave.

Now, we know that because just up here, they've put a little inscription, saying, "The Morgan Brothers, 1912."

Oh yeah.

And they've got their diaries as well, which show this is where they came to.

I love that that's still there.

That's brilliant, isn't it?

JAMES: In pencil!

Really simple.

As they got further on, they got more experienced, they learned how to cave, what to do.

They discovered underground lakes, and they actually brought in an old coracle fishing boat to cross those lakes.

In total, they probably explored a couple of miles of this cave.

VO: The brothers realized the caves could be a lucrative tourist attraction and in the years that followed their discovery set about putting in steps, floors and electric lights.

SA: Wow, that's amazing!

VO: The caves opened to visitors in 1939.

Unlucky timing, as only a few weeks later, they were shut down and commandeered following the outbreak of World War II.

JAMES: The government used them as a storage facility for documents, works of art, mainly from the towns of Swansea and Cardiff, cos they wanted to protect them from the Blitz.

It seems like quite a strange place to store artworks and documents, being so wet and damp.

It is, but the humidity and the temperature is constant in the caves.

So once they were packaged up correctly, they were fine to be left in here for as long as was needed.

But also, when the war was going not so well, they weren't sure if the Germans were actually going to invade the country, it was used as a munitions dump.

So that the resistance could have continued from certain areas dotted all over the UK, and this would have been one where they could get more weapons, more ammunition etc.

VO: It took until the 1960s for Dan Yr Ogof to welcome the public once again.

Since then, it's gone on to become one of Wales's favorite tourist attractions, and the caves continue to be explored.

This one, known as the Cathedral, was found in 1953, and it's estimated that there may be over 80 more miles of caverns still waiting to be discovered.

Now, back on the surface, Christina is on the move again making her way to Carmarthen.

Legend has it that the great wizard Merlin was born in a cave near here - not the one that Serhat has just been in, though!

Carmarthen Antiques Centre is our girl's next port of call.

Let's see what she can conjure up in here.

Hello.

Oh hi, welcome.

Thank you.

Am I alright to have a wander round?

Yeah, of course you are.

Thank you very much.

VO: That was Penny.

She's in charge today.

They cater for all tastes in here, everything from vintage to the truly antique.

Time to hit those cabinets!

Well, I've got to spend £200 to spend, haven't I?

£200!

And I want to spend it all, every single last penny.

VO: 212, if you want to split hairs.

I want something that's really going to, you know, do really, really, really well.

I just want to find something, just something.

I mean, that's...ow!

Ow!

(SHE LAUGHS) There's glass there.

VO: Hey, when I said hit those cabinets, I didn't mean that.

It's very clean glass, Penny.

Very clean!

VO: Perhaps she should try for something a little more accessible.

CT: Well, that's cute.

Antique child's slipware mug.

VO: Perfect for an antique child - ha!

CT: That's quite lovely.

I would suggest that's actually what we call agateware, because it looks like the wonderful marbling in a piece of agate.

I think that's rather lovely.

So that's quite early.

Look at that lovely little mark on the bottom where it's been taken off the wheel.

Can you see all those whirly bits there?

That's a technical term there, whirly bits.

(SHE LAUGHS) VO: Takes years of training for that sort of knowledge.

Ha.

To me, that is almost like a coffee can form.

So an early 19th century coffee can, which is obviously straight sided.

And of course, in that sort of period, in the early 19th century and late 18th century, coffee was still relatively new and therefore taken in tiny cups.

VO: Priced at £15.

Moving swiftly on.

I think that's got to be worth that all day long.

I like that.

VO: Better have a word with Penny then.

CT: Hi Penny.

PENNY: Hello.

I bring a very modest offering to the altar... Aww, how lovely, isn't it?

..of the antiques center.

It's really sweet, isn't it?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Do you know anything about it?

I don't because it's just come in.

Oh, fresh stock.

It's only in the last day or so it's arrived.

I haven't seen it before.

Oh.

Um, it wouldn't have been hanging around if I'd seen it.

(SHE LAUGHS) Oh.

Would you have taken it home, maybe?

I would.

Would you?

Ah.

Well in which case, oh my goodness, I'm going to give you £15 very quickly.

I'm not going to haggle.

I'm going to run.

PENNY: OK. CT: Bye!

Thank you.

VO: Cor, that helped her make her mind up.

And still with a smidge under £200 left, it's time to call it a day.

Hey, I tell you what, I am very, very, very glad that I bought these Welsh blankets, because I am toasty warm in here.

VO: Well, it's alright for some.

Ah!

VO: Come on, Serhat.

Only a few more miles till bedtime.

Nighty night.

VO: Morning, early risers.

Is that the sun trying to come out for our last day of shopping?

CT: Aha!

Hi, you guys!

How are you?

I'm channeling my inner sheep this morning.

We match!

Good fashion choice.

VO: Ba-a-ck to work.

I bet there's someone else who's glad of a break in the weather.

No Poncho, no tucked-in trousers.

But there was me thinking yesterday that storm Christina was my enemy.

But actually, that lovely wind was pushing me along.

VO: Yeah, there's no pleasing some people.

Yesterday, cycling Serhat only managed to bag one item - a set of prints of porcelain.

That's a Meissen vase.

VO: He needs to make his remaining £98.74 go a long way today.

Meanwhile, Christina plumped for a pair of grape scissors, a trailed slip mug and a couple of Welsh blankets.

Oh, I'm going to be toasty warm, aren't I?

VO: That leaves her with £197.10 that she's absolutely itching to part with.

I have literally put all my eggs in one basket, which is so dangerous!

Because what if I don't find any eggs, and what if there's no basket?

VO: Well, you'll find out when you get to the ancient town of Llandovery.

Very popular with tourists, Romans came here, as did Henry IV.

You even get the occasional cyclist.

SA: Hello!

CT: Hi!

Oh!

Good morning.

Good morning.

How are you doing?

Yeah, really good.

Tell me, what have you been buying?

They look interesting.

What's that?

So I thought, I'm not going to buy porcelain.

CT: Mm.

SA: I'm going to buy... ..porcelain on paper!

Pictures of porcelain, because that's so different, Serhat!

(BOTH LAUGH) SA: So I've got seven here... CT: Mm-hm.

..and they cost 30 quid for the lot.

Oh, that's not bad, is it?

Really... How about you?

How did you get on?

Well, I'm a mug for pottery.

(SHE LAUGHS) SA: That's cute.

So...it is cute, isn't it?

I thought £15, not too bad at all.

Excellent.

We've got a lot to do now.

So this is our last day.

I know.

Our very, very last day.

How did that happen so quickly?

I know!

Blink of an eye.

It's not over yet.

I'm going to race you to the shops.

Ready, steady, go!

Go!

VO: Oi!

That's cheating.

They're both off to the first shop of the day, the Llandovery Antiques Centre, and it looks like Serhat has beaten Christina to the punch for once.

Ah!

Ah, what?!

Oh, go on, you go first.

Ha-ha-ha!

VO: Ever the gentleman, eh?

Chock-a-block is one way to describe this emporium.

Lots of nooks and crannies to explore.

Let's see what they can find.

Look at that.

That's really cool, isn't it?

It's a barge pole.

VO: An eight foot one at that.

I just love how it's worn, how the paint's worn away on that.

I just love the s, the black, yellow, blue, white and red.

It's got the hook at the end and the point, that's how you push the barge away, or pull yourself in with the hook.

VO: Yeah, but what would you do with it these days if you hadn't got your own barge?

Best use for this would be windows that are really high up that you need to hook, pull down, and I certainly remember at my school, which was a Victorian school, teachers having poles like this, not a barge pole, of course, to open and close the windows.

VO: You could also use it not to touch things with.

SA: £45.

I think that's well within budget, and I'm sure I can get a good price on that.

So I am going to probably just leave it back there for now and keep... keep wandering around.

But yeah, I think I want that.

VO: Looks like he's going to get a bit of stick, then.

Now, how is our other shopper getting on?

CT: What's that?

Mid 20th century silver plated champagne bath.

Champagne bath!

That's really cool.

"Champagne de Venoge, Epernay."

That's really quite luxurious and decadent, isn't it?

Normally I would look at silver plate and go, "Don't touch it with a barge pole."

VO: Hey, Serhat could help you with that.

I just think that would look amazing just stood on the side of your dining room with a beautiful great big magnum of champagne in it.

Wouldn't that be quite cool?

Or is that just in my house?

I wish that was in my house!

(SHE LAUGHS) I love that, what is it on it?

£90.

VO: It could be one of those big ticket items you've been after.

Do you think they've got some free champagne to go in it?

VO: Don't push your luck, girl.

Down at the other end of the store, Serhat's got his mitts on yet more long bits of wood, or nearly.

Woohoo, Serhat!

VO: Oh, lordy.

Are you alright?

Yeah, I'm just kind of wobbling side to side.

Oh, well done.

That's cool!

Can you walk?

Why are you so good at this?

Well, because I have to wear heels quite a lot of the time.

Maybe you should try wearing heels a bit more.

Whoa.

Hee-hee.

Come on!

Coming.

Sort of.

VO: A room full of breakables, what could go wrong?

Oh, one of them has seen sense at least.

Aha.

That's good, isn't it?

It's an ice bucket.

VO: I think we're starting a trend.

That's really stylish, it's arts and crafts.

And it's applied with these beautiful brass elements that have been beaten, really, with a hammer to get that lovely effect.

And I love the fact that it's not perfect looking.

You know, it's got these really unrounded edges and all the rivets in there.

That's great.

VO: The ticket says £75.

It's a bit pricey for you.

SA: Just noticed, actually, that one of the handles, it's got a new rivet in there.

So I'm hoping that I can use that as a really good reason, bit of an excuse to get the price down.

Yeah, I think that's going to be something I go for.

Try and have a deal on that.

VO: Shari will be the person to talk to then.

SA: Shari.

SHARI: Hello.

I found this lovely ice bucket, arts and crafts.

Really love it.

And there's a barge pole over there.

Now, it's all about price.

VO: Which currently stands at £120 for the two.

Right, OK. What would be your very, very, very, very best price?

Very bestest price.

Let me just ring the dealer and see what he wants to come up with.

Can you do that, do you mind?

Yeah, I can do that, no, I don't mind that at all.

Thank you, Shari.

I will do that for you now.

VO: So while he waits with bated breath, Christina has her sights on another item.

What is this?

What is this?

Oh, hello.

There we go.

I was looking at the back!

(SHE LAUGHS) Dingbat.

VO: I'm glad you said it.

CT: This is a rather lovely black lacquered and gilt decorated Japanese ladies' keepsake.

They've put early 20th century here.

I would say it's probably more late 19th century, made in the east for the western market.

Normally you see these what we call chadansus, and they're like a miniature chest with doors over the front.

But this is quite an unusual format in that it's also sort of a stand as well, isn't it?

Looks like it's had something sitting on the top there.

The decoration on the front is unfortunately quite worn, but what caught my eye was the decoration on the back.

Look at this.

I think they call them mondes, these kind of circular designs here.

Each of these would have had a particular meaning for sort of longevity or good luck or something like that.

VO: There's £160 on that.

Add in your champagne bath, and that's £250, which is more than you've got.

I can but ask.

VO: Yes, let's.

Let's go and see what they say.

VO: You'll be negotiating with Jane.

Hi, Jane.

Oh, hi.

What have you got there?

CT: I've been shopping.

JANE: I can see.

(SHE LAUGHS) So, two very beautiful things.

But I do have a mini confession to make.

I will give you, if it's OK, everything that I've got left, which is £197.10, which is right there.

And there's a very important 10p.

JANE: I can see that.

For these two items.

Would that be alright?

I'm sure it will be, as long as the 10p's included.

The 10p, very important.

The 10p is all yours, Jane.

(SHE LAUGHS) VO: So let's keep the champagne bath at 90 and say that the cabinet cost £107.10.

And flat broke but happy, our Christina's shopping is all over.

Now, dealers have been consulted and the results are in.

What did he say, Shari?

His best price would be 65.

VO: Blimey, that's good.

Do you think we might be able to squeeze him down to 60?

Yes, I think it would be, yeah.

Yeah?

Are you sure?

I think it would be, yeah.

Brilliant, thank you.

VO: Even better.

So that makes £35 for the bucket and 25 for the barge pole.

And Serhat still manages to cling on to £38.74.

Thank you, Shari.

Bye.

VO: Well, one thing's for sure, the champagne's going to be plenty cold tonight.

Elsewhere, her final bit of shopping well and truly finished, Christina has the rest of the day to herself.

Now, what to do?

It's been quite a long Trip.

I could do with a bit of relaxing.

I'm hoping a bit of a spa, you know, nice relaxing time.

I think I deserve it.

VO: Well, as luck would have it, she's off to Llanwrtyd Wells, a very pretty spa town.

It's also the birthplace of a particular international sport, but we'll come to that shortly.

Christina is meeting Bob Greenough to find out how this place was at one time a top tourist destination, all thanks to its smelly sulfurous springs.

CT: Hi, Bob.

Now we're in Llanwrtyd Wells, is that right?

BOB: The story of it is, way back in 1732, the vicar of St David's church was wandering through the nearby properties, and he suffered very badly from scurvy.

Oh.

And he noticed this rather handsome, healthy looking frog.

What?

A handsome, healthy looking frog.

Yeah.

And he thought, "Well, it's in very good condition, this frog, and I just wonder, with my skin, whether maybe this stinking stuff it's waddling about in, it might have some effect," and he decided to test this water by bathing in it himself.

And miraculously, his scurvy cleared.

VO: Word spread of the healing properties of the springs.

The town began to see an influx of well-to-do visitors, keen to bathe in and take the waters.

As the tourist money poured in, this tiny rural village transformed itself into a health resort.

BOB: 1860 is really what triggered the big growth, and it is when a railway came through town.

Suddenly, people who were working in the collieries, in the factories, in the foundries realized that they could take part in this healthy experience with our spa town.

And literally they arrived in thousands on the trains.

They didn't just want to come here and take the spa, so we had two 18 hole golf courses built.

People would promenade up and down from the hotels with their boaters and their blazers.

CT: Oh, wow.

BOB: And little parasols.

I can imagine it was an amazing place to be at that time.

VO: But by the 1940s, the spa holiday had fallen out of fashion and the visitors stopped coming.

In 1976, with the town in the doldrums, the owners of this pub, together with some of the locals, came up with something to put Llanwrtyd Wells back on the map.

A new and slightly bonkers sport that would attract visitors once again and eventually turn into an international event with competitors from around the globe.

Bob, I'm a little bit confused.

I thought I was coming to a spa, and then you said to put a wetsuit on.

What sport is this, Bob?

Uh, this will be bog snorkeling.

Bog snorkeling?

That's the word.

VO: And, as an organizer for the World Bog Snorkeling Championships, Bob knows a thing or two about it.

The rules are simple, as our resident snorkeler Jen will now demonstrate.

A 55 meter trench is cut into a peat bog.

Competitors swim the length and back against the clock using flippers and, of course, a snorkel.

BOB: What you can't do... CT: Yeah?

..is use your arms in any form of swimming stroke.

Oh.

So it's either arms ahead... CT: Right.

BOB: ..by your side... CT: Yeah.

BOB: ..or underneath you.

CT: Doggy paddle!

BOB: That's the one.

And is it popular?

It's immensely popular, you wouldn't believe how popular it is.

We have had people coming from Australia on a Friday doing this and going home the next day.

CT: No!

BOB: Yes we had.

Well done, that's awesome!

Is it a nice day today for bog snorkeling?

Lovely!

(SHE SOBS) VO: Come on, Christina.

Serhat got soaked yesterday.

Your turn.

This is probably the maddest thing I have ever done in my entire life.

VO: Just keep an eye out for handsome frogs.

CT: Alright, then.

BOB: Ready?

One, two, three, go.

VO: And she's off.

The sport has certainly raised the town's profile.

The annual world championships have taken place here since the 80s, and nowadays, around 170 people come to take part in the contest.

The town has also become a center for other wild and wacky events like the Man vs Horse Marathon, and mountain bike chariot racing.

Ha.

Now, the bog snorkeling world record is one minute and 18 seconds, so has our girl managed to trouble the top spot?

Oh!

That was well done.

Have to say, that was quite invigorating.

Right, Bob, hit me with it.

What was my time?

Um, it was a good time.

It was 3.28.

Three minutes 28?

Yeah.

VO: Well done, Christina.

Gosh, she is a good sport, isn't she?

Now from paddling to pedaling.

Our Serhat's out and about and pondering his ever-shrinking coffers.

SA: Think I'm going to have to apply my same strategy as this morning.

Be charming, smile a lot, beg, get on my knees.

I don't know, whatever it takes.

VO: Well, it's time to turn up the charm one last time.

He's off to the village of Rhydowen, and his final shop of the Trip, Alltyrodyn Antiques.

There's lots to tempt our chap in here.

Beautifully laid out as well, look, and it's all lovingly looked after by Sarah.

Nice polishing, Sarah.

Let's hope Serhat's meagre £38.74 is no impediment to purchasing - ha!

It's my last shop, it's my last leg of the Road Trip.

I don't feel I can end Road Trip without a final splurge on ceramics.

VO: I think splurge might be over-egging it.

These could be alright.

Yeah, £28 on the set of three.

They've got the registration diamond here, and that was brought in in the late 19th century so that we could date pieces.

They're beautiful, they're a graduated set of three.

It's a swan, bending over the neck into some bulrushes or reeds here, and that's creating the handle.

I just think that's a really fun thing.

I think I'm going to bear those in mind.

VO: That's a good start.

What else?

Oh, that's nice.

Bridge.

Well, it can only be for one thing.

Sure enough, it's a bridge card box.

And these elements, the little bows on the corners and the word "bridge", and even the little shield for the keyhole, it's all silver.

It's all sterling silver, hallmarked.

VO: Yeah, it's hard to see, but that's Birmingham, 1905.

£26 is the asking price on that.

SA: It's just a lovely little box, isn't it?

I mean, there's no key, but the price is right.

VO: It is.

But add in those jugs, old bean, and you're coming up short.

Time for some smooth talking.

SA: Sarah, hi.

I've interrupted your polishing.

Oh, no worries.

Nice to be interrupted.

I found two really lovely things.

The first one is this.

It's the bridge card box.

Mm-hm.

And in the other room, I found the three blue ceramic swan jugs.

SARAH: Oh, OK. SA: The ewers.

SARAH: They're a great .

VO: £54 in total.

Here comes the kicker, Sarah.

SA: It's my last shop on my last day of Road Trip.

Yeah.

Can you see where this is going?

Yeah.

I can, yes!

(BOTH LAUGH) That's £35... Mm-hm.

..and that's £3.74.

Can you do a deal on those two bits for that... Yeah.

..measly amount of money?

SARAH: Go on.

SA: Was that a yes already?

It's fine, it's a yes already.

I hadn't even finished my sentence!

You're not going to get any more out of your pocket.

Oh, you're a star, Sarah.

Thank you.

VO: So that's 20 for the jugs and £18 and a pile of coppers for the box.

And that's it, no more money, no more shopping.

So, Serhat, how have you found your first Road Trip?

It's taken my breath away, literally.

I think I'm going to have to have a lie down for about four days after this is over.

In fact, I'm just going to start walking.

VO: Yes.

Time for some shuteye, then onto the final showdown.

VO: Right.

Finish your tea cos it's auction day and our experts' last chance for a bid for glory.

CT: There he is!

SA: Hello.

Hello!

Isn't this just the most beautiful place?

VO: Yes, Bassmead Manor Farm is a rather pretty spot to watch your last items go under the hammer.

CT: This is it, Serhat!

SA: I can't believe it, our last auction.

CT: How are you feeling?

SA: Fine actually.

The nerves have completely gone, auction to auction, and I've just really settled into it.

SA: I think I've... CT: Good.

SA: ..found my swagger.

CT: Oh, no.

How are you feeling?

Um, quite nervous!

VO: It's all been building up to this.

After a whirlwind whizz around Wales, we're back in England at St Neots in Cambridgeshire.

Their last purchases have traveled on all the way down to Sussex and Battle - very apt.

Burstow and Hewett Auctioneers will be their ultimate arena with bidding in the room, on the phones and online.

Serhat spent his entire £128.74 on five auction lots.

Let's garner the opinion of today's man with the gavel, Mark Ellin.

The ewers, I think, are really nice.

They are aesthetic movement, so late 19th century.

They have the diamond registration mark underneath, so you can date them, and they are decorative things.

I think they'll do OK. VO: Christina also went all in, spending her £274.10 on five lots.

Any star buys, Mark?

I think my favorite item out of all these pieces is the Japanese cabinet.

I just think they're useful, current items.

They fit into a modern home.

And I think there'll be a few people after it.

VO: Sounds promising.

Now, what's past is prologue, as someone once said, so onto the main event.

OK, alright, here we go, here we go, here we go!

VO: First in the spotlight are Christina's grape scissors.

No home should be without them.

MARK: £20 I'm bid for them.

CT: Oh, it's bid!

He's got it, he's got it.

Happy days.

Wonderfully optimistic.

SA: Someone's bid!

Any more bids?

Selling now, then, right at the back of the room.

Going at £25 here, then, all done?

Awesome.

Just over doubled my money.

VO: We're off to a promising start, then.

SA: Well done.

CT: Yeah.

I'm going to go out looking for some grape scissors next time.

(SHE LAUGHS) Yeah.

VO: Now, can Serhat follow suit with his bridge card box?

£50 bid for it.

Get in, Serhat!

50 online, with a telephone bidder as well.

60, 70, still going online.

Serhat!

OK, I don't know what's going on here.

Yeah, 80.

CT: 80!

Oh, my gosh.

SA: £80!

They're not messing around either.

It's going up in tens.

MARK: No, phones out.

Thank you.

We're up to 90.

Would anyone like to say 100?

CT: Serhat!

SA: Whoa.

This is brilliant!

MARK: Net bidder still.

Going at £90 then.

Brilliant!

Well done!

Yes, yes!

CT: Fantastic!

VO: Wow!

That one definitely came up trumps.

Serhat's arrived, everybody!

(BOTH LAUGH) Serhat's at the party, on the last auction.

CT: Yeah.

VO: Well, better late than never.

Now, the auctioneer's favorite, Christina's Japanese keepsake cabinet.

If you want to watch some money hemorrhaging, Serhat, then let's watch it right now.

Oh.

100 bid for it, at 100.

What?

MARK: £100.

110, 120.

That's, frankly, a miracle.

You're speechless, aren't you?

I am speechless!

That doesn't happen very often!

150 I have at the moment.

150, wow!

150 we have.

Last chance, then.

Selling online for the last time at 150.

Ah!

Congratulations.

(SHE LAUGHS) VO: You need to have faith, Christina.

That's their third profit in a row.

That's brilliant.

That's a miracle.

That is a miracle.

VO: Next up, Serhat's set of swan jugs.

There are three of them, but the porter ran out of hands.

30 here on the net.

CT: There we go.

SA: Yay!

35, I can take.

40, we're up to.

Oh, good.

Well done.

Doubled up.

Come on, swannies.

Get swimming.

MARK: 40 we're up to now.

No more, last chance, and going at £40.

The bidding's here, then.

CT: Well done... TA: Happy with that.

..you've doubled your money.

Yeah, it's good, isn't it?

Yeah, really good.

Well done.

VO: And another profit.

It's all going swimmingly, isn't it?

You really are sort of starting to flex those wings, a bit like those swans.

Yeah.

Yeah, just ruffling my feathers.

Yeah.

VO: Now, Christina's slipware mug.

Very nice whirly bits on this.

MARK: £20 online here.

SA: Oh, that's good.

CT: This auctioneer, he's really sweet, isn't he?

Anyone like to say 25 for it?

Any further bids?

And going at £20 here, on the maiden bid.

SA: Aww.

CT: A little profit, just a smidgen.

VO: Well, it's only a little mug, to be fair.

It's not a loss, that's the main thing.

SA: Yes.

VO: Quite.

Time for Serhat's pictures of porcelain.

A boy can dream, can't he?

I thought, I haven't got £10,000, so I'm just going to buy a picture of the £10,000 item.

OK, fair enough.

10 in the front row.

Thank you very much.

£10.

CT: You've got a bid.

SA: Oh.

CT: You've got a bid.

SA: £10.

Too late.

At £10.

You've beaten the internet, and selling in the room at £10.

The bidding's here then.

OK, that's kind of a little bit more than £1 a print.

Hm.

A little bit more.

VO: Huh.

No one else shared your fantasy, Serhat, and that's broken your winning streak too.

You loved them.

And would you buy them again?

Maybe.

(BOTH LAUGH) VO: Now, what could be toastier than a Welsh blanket?

Two Welsh blankets, of course.

MARK: 50, straight in.

CT: What?!

SA: Did he say scratchy?

60, 60, anyone else bidding on those?

70 online.

Oh, 70!

Oh my.

70, yeah, you're well in.

MARK: 80 is the bid at the moment.

Selling at 80, then.

It's your last chance.

£80, that's not bad at all!

80!

MARK: Absentee bidder selling at £80 here, then.

SA: Ooh.

CT: Happy days, there we go.

VO: Gives you a lovely warm feeling, doesn't it?

That's a nice, decent profit on your blankets.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

VO: Teachers with high windows, take note, it's Serhat's barge pole.

Wish me luck, cos this time I think I really do need it.

Absentee bidder at 30.

CT: £30?!

SA: OK. CT: Serhat!

What did you pay?

SA: 25!

At £35.

40, yes.

Perfect.

Well done, Serhat.

There's obviously a barge pole shortage out there.

It's going, then.

For the last time at 40, and selling, then, here at 40.

Hey!

Brilliant.

Well done, Serhat.

VO: Yeah, it's better than a poke in the eye with... well, one of those, actually.

Ha!

SA: Someone wanted one.

CT: Yeah.

Hooray.

(SHE LAUGHS) Quite... Can't quite believe it, but there you go.

VO: Christina's final lot now, and the question is, will bath beat bucket?

It's the battle of the coolers.

£50 bid for it.

A long way to go.

A long way to go!

MARK: 60, yes.

SA: There we are.

Any further bids for this?

Oh, it's going to be sad times.

SA: Ooh.

MARK: Any further bids for that in the room?

Here at 60 then, and I'll sell.

It's gonna break my heart!

MARK: Last chance, selling at 60, then.

There we go.

Ah.

SA: Oh.

CT: £30 loss.

Never mind.

VO: Not as cool as you were hoping, but now it's Serhat's turn.

Keep that champagne on ice for now.

OK. VO: His final lot on his first ever Road Trip.

Fingers crossed for a big finish.

Let's see who's the coolest.

Yeah.

30 online.

30, 40, 50.

Into profit already.

Wow.

CT: Serhat!

SA: 60!

Hey!

MARK: At 70, 80.

SA: I wasn't expecting that.

CT: Oh!

MARK: 90, we're up to now.

CT: Oh, Serhat!

SA: 90?!

MARK: You're bidding online?

100 now.

It's 100 online.

(SHE GASPS) SA: Mixed up?

CT: Three digits.

All done at 100, then.

And selling... CT: Amazing!

SA: Thank you.

MARK: All done?

And going at £100 here, then.

CT: Awesome, well done!

(SHE LAUGHS) VO: He's lost for words!

What a fabulous result.

I'm so happy!

What a great way to end my first Road Trip.

CT: Absolutely.

SA: A stonking profit.

A stonking profit, absolutely.

VO: Don't pop the corks just yet, there's some sums to do first.

Serhat started this leg with just under £129, but he made, after auction costs, a whopping £100 profit.

He rounds off this Trip with £229.60.

A valiant fight back, and well done, that man.

But despite only making a mere 60p profit after saleroom fees, Christina held on to her overall lead.

So she is queen of the Trip with a final total of £274.70, and all those profits go to Children In Need.

I'm really proud of that win.

I feel like a winner, being over £200, but, hey, you are the overall winner... CT: Ah, you'll always be... SA: ..of our Road Trip.

No, don't be daft.

You'll always be my winner.

Aw.

So we've got to say goodbye.

We've got to say goodbye.

I can't believe it.

It's been a joy, but until next time.

Until next time.

VO: Well, we've had a ball, haven't we?

Lots of laughs...

BOTH: Aaaah.

(BOTH LAUGH) VO: ..the occasional tear... Ow!

VO: ..and no small amount of chaos.

Ha-ha!

Blow, blow!

Hey!

Hee-hee.

Come on!

Coming!

Excuse me, mattress.

Oh!

VO: Au revoir, mes amis.

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