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

Testing!

Testing!

VO: ..who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK.

Lord above!

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

But it's not as easy as it sounds and there can only be one winner.

What a dilemma.

VO: So will it be the highway to success or the B-road to bankruptcy?

If I wasn't in the same car as you I'd let your tires down.

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Our two experts this week are those two stalwarts of the antiques trade, Philip Serrell and David Barby.

PHILIP (PHIL): Get your hand off my knee!

(GEARS CRUNCH) Look that's what you do.

What?

When you start criticizing my driving.

I wasn't criticizing your driving.

Just keep your hand off my knee.

I wouldn't want to touch it!

VO: Auctioneer Philip Serrell adores all periods of antiques, and particularly enjoys the social history aspect of his job.

Well, you can clearly see it's a truncheon.

These aren't for beating up your local antique dealer?

No.

VO: David Barby was a precocious talent.

His interest in antiques started when he was just 12.

Ever since then, he's used that knowledge to his pecuniary advantage.

# Money, money, money... # VO: But it's hard to believe that they've had the time to buy any antiques at all.

What with all this mucking about.

Look at them!

Dear, oh, dear.

It's got a small head... What do I look like, eh?

Caesar Augustus.

Thank goodness you can't see me.

Do I look like Gladiator?

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Both experts started this week with £200.

David surged into the lead early on.

He did very well with his buttons and he's in the lead.

One bidder on the counter at 150 and selling away.

VO: He starts this leg with a handsome £483.22.

Philip also did splendidly.

His £6 tire spreader made a staggering £74 profit.

AUCTIONEER: 80.

PHIL: I'm staggered.

Is still with the chap at 80.

That's brilliant.

Brilliant.

On my right at 80.

VO: His spending money for the day is a very respectable £262.53.

But David's still ahead by more than £200.

And Philip's going to have to work hard to stay in the race.

This week's road trip is a leisurely stroll from the east to the west of England from Lincoln to Wotton-Under-Edge.

Today's leg kicks off in Brightlingsea and ends in St Ives for auction.

Do you know what, Barbs?

I'm looking forward to today.

Why's that, give me three good reasons?

The sea, the side.

That's two good reasons.

PHIL: I like the seaside.

DAVID: I like the seaside.

PHIL: I'm going to get a kiss-me-quick hat.

VO: What's it with you guys and your matching outfits?

Brightlingsea was renowned for its shipbuilding and fishing industries, particularly oysters.

These days, it's better known as a popular destination for tourists.

Just the ticket for our day-trippers.

Lovely pair, aren't they?

Philip's first stop is Cellar Antiques And Clocks.

Right, man on a mission.

I'm going to be really mean because I've got to be mean.

I'm not even going to look at prices.

I'll bid you for things.

I like your goat.

How much is your goat?

DEALER: How much is it?

PHIL: Yeah.

Can I make you a silly offer on it?

What's the silly offer?

Well, it's going to be ever so silly.

It's 170.

No, I'm going to insult you.

I was going to bid you like 35, 40 quid for it.

No chance.

That's why it was silly.

He's quite fun, isn't he?

VO: Yes, he is, but he'd also take up most of you budget, you old goat!

I keep looking at ship's wheels everywhere I go.

VO: Yes, you do, you bought one in the last show.

What's that off?

That's off of a 28-foot river cruiser.

Built on the River Thames, just before the turn of the century.

VO: It costs a reasonable £52 if you like that sort of thing.

I'm not sure what you could ever do with that.

I suppose you could always scrap it, get the bronze.

I think what people use those for are coat hangers.

They put a shaft in the center... ..and you can hang your coats on it.

What a man!

Is 20 quid any good on that?

Yeah.

I might be having that.

Let's put it down there for a minute.

VO: As Philip haggles, David leaves Brightlingsea and heads north to Colchester.

This beautiful 15th century timber-framed house was built by William Gilberd, physician to Elizabeth I.

Today, it houses Tymperleys Clock Museum.

It's one of the finest collections of clocks in the country, which were bequeathed by local businessman and philanthropist, Bernard Mason.

David's guide is Catherine Newley.

Hello, David Barby, very pleased to meet you.

Hello, I'm Catherine.

Would you like to come in and see the collection?

I can't wait!

VO: Bernard Mason began collecting Colchester-made clocks in 1927.

Although Colchester was not one of the biggest manufacturing centers of clock-making, the collection is interesting from a social history perspective.

It shows the evolution of clock production in the town over a period of several hundred years.

Perfect!

Am I right in assuming that these are the earliest clocks in your collection?

Yes, these are some of the earliest and they're lantern clocks, mainly because they look like lanterns.

They date from the middle of the 17th century?

Some are from the middle of the 17th century, some are slightly later, beginning of the 18th century.

VO: Lantern clocks started going out of fashion with the introduction of long-case clocks in the 18th century.

So here, we've got a clock that dates from the 1730 and you can see the lacquer work on it, but what's particularly interesting is on the clock face we've got different cities around the world that were presumably parts of the trade routes.

So there's Jerusalem, Boston, Newfoundland, San Salvador, Lisbon... How do you tell what the time is let's say in Jerusalem?

Or Boston?

When the hour hand reaches the city in question that means it's noon in that city.

Oh, right.

That's very simple, isn't it?

Yeah, it's the early version of London, New York, Tokyo.

What an advance in clock design and manufacture from lantern clocks to this.

Yes.

Ah, I was always told that little section there, it could be secured with a peg inside... Yeah.

..and that would stop the servants from taking the clock, or anybody else round, and they'd finish their labors, let say a quarter of an hour, half an hour, even an hour earlier.

VO: Simultaneously with the development of static, lantern and long-case clocks, traveling timepieces or watches developed.

This is the inner sanctum, isn't it?

These are a couple of the pocket watches from our collection.

The one on the left is the 1725 one, and the one on the right is a later one, 1775.

I can see they're both pair cased as well.?

Pair case, as the name implies, two cases.

Yes.

The outer one was for protection.

It's hard to believe now, but the pocket watch revolutionized the way we live.

For the first time a time-keeper was available, which was both accurate and portable.

What I like about this.. ..is the actual movement itself...

Wonderful structure.

Beautifully pierced.

VO: But time is of the essence, David, and you should start shopping.

I've had an exciting day.

Thank you very much indeed.

Nice to meet you.

VO: Back in Brightlingsea and still in Paul's shop, Philip spots something else to tickle his fancy.

Paul, can I've a look at this, erm... ..scribe thingy here?

Most certainly.

VO: A scribe scores a fixed line in the timber, so that you have a straight line to cut and this one costs £15.

What you would do is adjust this here up and down here.

Then you run that along your piece of timber and those two little nails score the timber.

Early tools can be hugely collectable and sought after, as I'm sure you know.

And this with the maker's stamp on there.

It's a beautifully made thing.

If you look at this, this is rosewood.

I think it's a really nice thing.

You want the ship's wheel as well, don't you?

I'll give you 25 quid for the two.

26.

25, and I'll take 'em done deal and walk away.

Is that cash, or card?

PHIL: It'll be cash.

PAUL: Alright done.

I have been!

Thank you so much.

Thank you ever so much.

VO: So that's £20 for the ship's wheel and £5 for the scribe.

That's not dear.

Well, more than nine pence.

His sightseeing over, David leaves Colchester and heads towards Halstead.

His next stop, Halstead Antiques Centre.

Which looks to me as if it's stuffed with...stuff.

Hello.

David Barby.

Good to meet you.

Ken Hewitt.

What I looking for, basically, silver.

KEN: Yeah.

DAVID: Unusual pieces, quirky... That sort of element.

And I hope that we can negotiate on price on certain things.

Right... VO: Yes, David, those magic words - "negotiate" and "price" your favorites.

Who are you up against?

Philip, Philip Serrell?

Dear Philip.

Yeah, a nice, nice, nice guy.

We rag each other, but we're old friends.

Till after the show.

VO: David soon sniffs out a cabinet full of silver.

The dealer who owns the items has emigrated leaving unpaid debts and Ken is able to be flexible on price.

Now, just give me an example.

This is priced at £125.

Mm-hm.

What sort of price are we looking at on that?

In general everything in there I'll go half on.

50%.

That really is quite encouraging.

If you want to pick out the pieces you like, we'll put them on the desk.

That one you like?

This is a glass jar.

I think somewhere along the line, it's had a new base to it because I can feel the putty inside.

So I think that's a new base.

VO: So, that goes right back in the cabinet then!

This is a Victorian silver sauce boat.

It's by Charles Sunnick.

This is London 1899.

It started off life basically as a simple Georgian design, and then during the 19th century they put more embellishment in, like all this sort of punchwork and repousse decoration.

But if they'd have left it plain and very simple, being an exact copy of the Georgian one it would be probably worth a bit more.

VO: David knows a bargain when he sees one and he's not finished yet.

Saucy!

A little quaich.

VO: A quaich is a shallow two-handled drinking cup, which originated in Scotland.

A good weight, isn't it.

I like that.

A very good weight.

Right.

Very useful for the whisky.

DAVID: (LAUGHS) I think we might do some business on one or two pieces.

Good, excellent.

VO: Philip's finished in Brightlingsea, and heads into Halstead, where David's also been buying antiques.

On the way, he stumbles upon Old And Modern Furniture.

Jo, the dealer behind the counter, is a bit camera shy, you won't see her, but you'll certainly hear her.

I'm going to have a good look at this pine desk.

The top doesn't lift up at all, it's got a drawer.

It looks fairly old.

Replacement wooden handles.

It's priced up at £65.

Jo?

What's the very, very, very, best you can do on this for me?

JO: £65.

VO: She's quite elderly.

I don't quite think she's got the hang of this business.

Is that it?

The price is what it is, is it?

VO: Steady!

I can see why she doesn't want to be on camera.

JO: 60.

VO: Yeah!

Do you want to have another little think about that?

JO: No.

VO: There you go.

Try harder, Philip!

Get heavy with her!

All of these weights?

They're £20, is that all of the weights here, yeah?

No, that's that one on it's own.

PHIL: That one on it's own?

JO: Yeah.

VO: Cor!

You'd better sit down, cuz I'm going to be mean.

PHIL: Alright?

VO: Oh, Lord!

I'm going to bid you a fiver for the weights.

VO: How much?

Oh, no!

(SILENCE) How much do you want for them?

Er, 15.

Oh, come on, Jo!

Perhaps you'll have more luck with Jo's husband, Mike, who we also don't see.

How often do you leave her in charge of this shop?

Oh, dear me!

She's blooming like a dragon trying to deal with.

Ask him if he'll take a fiver for this weight?

Good man.

You've got to buy Mike a beer next time you see him.

Have I got them?

Yeah, if you buy him a beer next time.

Thank you, my love.

Hang on, off camera, this.

PHIL: Thank you so much.

Mwah.

JO: (GIGGLES) VO: Perhaps she's not so elderly.

Moving swiftly on... Back to that half-price silverware in Halstead.

This is quite a nice little copy... ..of a Georgian helmet-shaped cream jug.

If I turn it upsidedown.

There's the helmet.

VO: With all this silver at half price, it's a snip at £62.50.

This is quite a nice Scottish origin piece although it was made in Birmingham.

It's a Scottish quaich.

It was intended for gruel, porridge, liquids - anything which you could sup out of a... ..container like this.

So that would be £62.50.

VO: Finally, the sauce boat even at half price, it's still £122.50.

The three items together would cost £247.50.

I'm going to offer you £180 for the three.

It's not enough, David, I'm afraid.

£200 for the lot.

Can we split the difference at 190?

200's good.

190.

200's good, come on.

Would you do £190 for me, please, please?

You're a very hard man.

But I like you.

Go on.

190.

190.

Thank you very much.

VO: So, the sauce boat cost £90 and the other two items, £50 each.

Now, can I have your name and address in case they don't sell?

BOTH: (LAUGH) Philip Serrell.

Is he coming tomorrow?

You've taken all the good things.

There'll nothing left for him.

VO: Poor Philip... Their shopping for the day now over, it's time for our chaps to put their feet up.

Let's hope they don't get too comfortable...

It's the second leg of Philip and David's trip across Essex and Suffolk and both our chaps are eager to spend, spend, spend.

PHIL: It's a pleasure to work with someone who's got as much experience as you.

You mean, "as old as I am" is that what you're trying to get at?

A barbed comment.

No, no, no, no.

I don't know anyone who's been alive that long.

VO: So far, Philip's been cautious with his money and has spent a mere £30 on three items.

He's left with £232.53 to spend.

David, on the other hand, has been a bit more extravagant.

He spent £190 on three items of silver.

His spending money for the day is £293.22.

This morning, our two chaps are still in Halstead.

It's a pretty little village in rural Essex, and regular competitor in annual flower shows.

Blooming marvelous!

Halstead is also where they used to film Lovejoy, so it's perfect hunting ground for our boys.

First stop for Philip, Halstead Antiques Center.

That is, if David's left him anything.

Ha!

A ship's wheel!

And, as we know, they're really rare things.

Can I buy three?

VO: No, you can't, Philip!

But Ken has something you might be interested in - a Wedgwood dinner service.

The trouble with that is, if you're going to buy a part service.

It's difficult for people to know what to do with it and I think that you and I are of a certain age.

Young people don't collect things that.

I think these things are a bit like Black Forest gateaux PHIL: and Berni Inns.

KEN: Yeah.

They've had their day.

VO: David, however, has exhausted Halstead, and is on his way to the delightful village of Steeple Bumpstead.

Well, I think I spent quite a lot of money yesterday, so I'll be a little bit careful.

VO: First stop, Bumpstead Antiques and Interiors.

GRAHAM: Mr Barby.

DAVID: Hello.

GRAHAM: Good morning to you.

DAVID: And your name?

Graham Hessell.

Hello, Graham, very pleased to meet you.

Can I afford anything?

It depends how hard you're going to bargain, but I'm sure we'll find something for you.

I hate bargaining.

Well, that's OK then.

VO: Lying toad!

Come along then.

In particular, I noticed the card case.

Ivory card case, 19th century.

Quite a nice one.

It has a little bit of damage to it.

Ah, right, right.

If you take that off you'll see the damage.

That has to fit exactly as a pagoda roof there.

Otherwise when people put it back and they've forced it down, it doesn't fit.

Isn't that lovely?

So what's the price of this?

The price to you would be 550... DAVID: (GASPS) ..so probably a little bit higher than you've got.

Quite honestly, you're quite correct.

It's beyond my price range.

VO: Back in Halstead, Philip finds something that is within his price range.

Ken, can I have a look at this truncheon, please?

Go through my thousands of keys.

You're the Halstead jailer, are you, Ken?

There we go, help yourself.

You can clearly see it's a truncheon.

But these aren't for beating up your local antique dealer.

No.

These are very much ceremonial.

A Victorian period, decorated Treen truncheon with hand-painted crown.

VR - Victoria Regina.

That's Queen Victoria, there's the crown.

Ken at £65 it's just too much money for me.

I think it's a lovely thing.

I'd like to buy it at 30, 35.

If I have to go to £40, I would.

Let me give him a call, and see what he can do.

Alright.

Thanks ever so much, thank you.

VO: But there's no reply from the dealer, so Ken does the negotiating himself.

I wanna buy it off you for £30 that's what I really want to do.

Phil, can't do it for that.

KEN: What's he got?

65 on it?

PHIL: Yeah.

That's more than half price.

I know.

Can I do you £35?

35 and I'll have it here and now.

I'll get my money out my pocket, see if that'll tempt you.

If you'll do £40, I'll shake hands.

Go on, I'll have it, definitely.

Thank you so much.

VO: Up the road in Bumpstead, David hones in on something for the suave man about town.

It's a hat box.

Hawkes and Company, Piccadilly, London.

It's got the right address.

There's nothing inside it.

But what a very nice decorative item.

VO: And a nice price too - £225.

DAVID: (WHISTLES) It's got to be really, really, really cheap.

£50 or something like that.

VO: Time to put your negotiating hat on, David.

What's the best you can do on that?

What would you like to offer me?

I don't want to be insulting... VO: No much!

..but I think it's got to be well under £100.

The very best I can do on that... And it is the very, very best would be £125 and you're getting it virtually at cost price at that.

VO: But even at cost price, it's still too much for David, who leaves without buying anything.

Back at Ken's, Philip discovers the treasure trove of cut-price silver that David found earlier.

At least what's left of it!

That is a piece of silver, 1944, sort of, almost late art deco, isn't it?

It is.

This is, well, it looks a real plain Jane.

It says here it's dated 1895 and it's a silver dipper, or a little tumbler.

I quite like that.

VO: Hang on, isn't that the jar that David rejected?

Out of the three, that's very decorative and I quite like that.

What's she got on this one?

£85.

And as I said I'm keen to get something back on these to recover my costs so knowing you need to make some money, last and final offer, I'll do it at half price.

My maths isn't very good.

Is that 40 quid?

£42.50.

I don't do 50s.

£43.

PHIL: 40 quid.

KEN: 42.

I'll have them both at £40.

£40.

Good man, you've got a deal.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I'm really pleased with both of those.

VO: So that's £40 for the truncheon, and £40 for the silver jar.

And that's a result, Philip.

David's now finished in Steeple Bumpstead, and is off to the quintessentially English town of Saffron Walden.

It's one of the best preserved examples of a medieval market town with every style of architecture from the 12th to the 21st century.

Next stop, dealer Paul Lankester.

Good afternoon.

David Barby, very pleased to meet you.

And you, welcome.

I'm looking for the elusive bargain.

Well, I almost hope you don't find it.

That's a terrible thing to say.

It means I've made a mistake somewhere.

No!

Not at all.

There's always bargains to be had.

VO: David's panicking because he's only got two hours left to shop.

I'm still looking.

I'm still looking.

Getting more and more despondent.

VO: But David's eagle eye soon swoops upon something glassy, but not classy.

This is a Murano glass... ..er, dish, 1950s, '60s...

It's tinted glass with gold fleck inclusions and then this green band... ..is on the periphery of this glass which is spun by hand.

At £12.50, that's not a bad buy.

When you're looking at glass, you always look at the base to see the amount of wear, because if it's an old piece it would have been put on a table and moved around so you've got scratch marks on the bottom.

This has an element of scratch marks that I don't think has been reproduced.

Somehow the color appeals.

VO: But can he buy it at the right price?

Panic.

Panic.

Don't panic, don't panic, Mr Mainwearing!

I'm panicking.

What's the very best you can do on that?.

Are you struggling at the moment to find something that you need to buy?

Yes, really, really, struggling.

If I'm very generous to you and let you have it for £10.

Could you go under 10?

£8?

PAUL: £8?

DAVID: £8.

Even I could make a profit on it at £8.

It's still here.

But I like it.

But you don't have things in your shop that you like and you don't want to sell.

I want to sell it, but I was rather hoping for a bit more than the £8 you seem to be offering me.

£9 and we'll come to a gentleman's agreement.

I would like that for £8.

Against my better judgment, I will agree.

Thank you very much indeed.

DAVID: Thank you very much.

PAUL: That's my pleasure.

VO: Philip is taking a break from shopping and is off to visit Layer Marney Tower.

At 80 feet, it's England's tallest Tudor gatehouse.

His guide is current owner Nick Charrington.

Nick, how are you?

Very well, Philip.

Good to see you.

PHIL: This is just wonderful.

NICK: It is, it's great.

VO: Nick's parents paid a mere £8,750 for the house.

They bought it on a whim back in 1959, when nobody wanted to buy old properties like these.

Although the house is open to the public for six months a year, it's still very much a family house.

It's sort of a mad Tudor building.

They were very competitive in those days about who could build the tallest, the biggest and the most flamboyant.

I think Henry Marney was quite keen to do his stuff.

I think he did.

Let's go and have a look.

VO: Lord Henry Marney, as Lord Privy Seal and Captain of the Bodyguard, was one of Henry VIII's most important and influential courtiers.

Although the house was never completed, it still has over 100 rooms and 400 windows.

It was built around 1518, 1520 that sort of time.

VO: Did you two decide the dress code beforehand?

It was a time when all the Tudor courtiers were building like crazy.

They were encouraged by Henry VIII, the king.

He believed that if you were a significant person, you had to have a significant building.

And as the king, of course he had the most of them so he inherited the throne and took over 24 royal palaces and when he died, he left 67.

VO: In fact, one of the very first visitors to the house was Henry VIII, who stayed for a couple of nights in 1522.

So your records show that Henry VIII stopped here and the probability is that this was his room?

Yes, either this room, or possibly the one below.

The idea was you had the King's set of apartments.

Then on the floor below, the Queen's set of apartments.

VO: A visit from the King and his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was a great honor.

It was his way of thanking Lord Marney for a lifetime of service to the Crown.

And the tour's not over quite yet.

Next, a visit to the roof.

This is the original staircase we're on now and so you've got the original oak newel post and then the oak treads.

I love those boards there.

It's terrific.

Lovely big gaps to look through.

They're not lovely to look through.

Nick, I've got to tell you, I don't have a head for heights.

OK, we're now on the roof.

We're about 70 or so feet up.

Sorry that was not very clever.

Thanks very much indeed.

Are you alright, Phil?

Yeah, just terrific(!)

VO: You might not want to take in the stupendous views, Philip, but we do.

Drinking wine and eating sweetmeats on the roof was a favorite Tudor pastime.

But it's clearly not one of Philip's.

I'm going back down here, Nick.

This has been terrific.

Thank you very much indeed.

VO: (LAUGHS) As Philip recovers from his dizzy spell, back in Saffron Walden, David works up a sweat.

Not a pretty sight.

# You know you're so fine # You know that you're gorgeous... # They're very butch, aren't they?

I remember when I was in the Boys' Brigade... ..we had such equipment like this... ..and they were heavy then, although I can't remember them being as heavy as they are now!

I think these are Victorian dumbbells.

And they're cast iron and they're £15.

Let me have a word with Paul and see if I can get them (WHISPERS) reduced.

VO: (WHISPERS) Ah, yes, David.

It wouldn't do to pay the price on the label, would it?

Interestingly, I was looking through a book, the other day, and I discovered a picture of the Boys' Brigade.

I was in the Boys' Brigade.

KEN: Were you?

DAVID: Yeah.

The Boys' Brigade were exercising using these exact dumbbells.

Rugby Baptist Church.

Would you like to have a look?

"Boys' Brigade at drill."

In 1890 and, look, they're all holding the dumbbells.

That's not you, is it?

1890.

Thank you very much(!)

That is extraordinary and, yes, those are the actual dumbbells.

VO: But at £15, they're more than David wants to pay.

Let's dumb 'em down.

I tell you what I'll do, 10 quid.

What about £8.

No, no!

You let me have the other one for £8.

I know, but these, look...

These are 15.

These are 15 and I think they're worth £10.

I can't let them go for less than that.

That's your very best?

Very, very best.

OK, £10.

That's a deal.

I can't shake.

Will you gift-wrap them for me?

VO: (LAUGHS) Blooming ha-ha(!)

The shops are now shut and it's time for Philip and David to reveal what they've bought.

But what will be good enough to win at the auction?

Let's lean over, shall we?

Oh, that's lovely.

A good weight.

What you, me, or it?

Both of us.

It's Birmingham, 1938.

That was £50.

Oh, that's cheap, isn't it?

I think it was reasonable.

VO: Secondly, it's the ship's wheel.

This is rather like deja vu, but everything's reduced.

It's a bit of a recurring theme!

Oh, I think this is better than the last one.

PHIL: Do you?

DAVID: Yeah.

Well, it's 1898, River Thames.

Well, I think it's fantastic.

It was £20.

This is quality.

Oh, those are good.

Have you got the other one?

Yes.

I quite like these dumbbells.

I remember using similar ones when I was in Boys' Brigade.

£10.

PHIL: Those are alright.

DAVID: I think they're OK.

I bought this.

Ah!

I know where you got that from.

I gave him £40 and I thought I've never seen anything quite like that before and there's a reason why I've never seen anything like it.

It's got all this new plaster.

That's good value.

It's worth it for the silver, isn't it?

That's what I thought.

VO: Now, for David's next item, the Murano dish.

Well, I like this because of its color.

It looks to be Murano.

I think we're looking at probably 1950s to '60s.

This was probably one of my more expensive items actually.

PHIL: A fiver, was it?

DAVID: £8.

Next up, the weights.

Oooh, that is heavy, isn't it?

Yeah, but it's sort of, Yours were a lot heavier.

Do you like that?

Yes.

I bought them for a fiver, the lot.

That I think is worth £20 on its own.

That is lovely.

I like that lot.

More silverware from David - his helmet-shaped jug.

I tend to go for a lot of silver.

That's a nice thing, isn't it?

It's 1911, London hallmark.

I just thought it was so, so beautiful.

For £50 I couldn't resist it.

PHIL: It's a lovely thing.

DAVID: I think so.

I really like this because this is simplicity in itself.

That is elegant.

Rosewood.

You turn it, look.

We've got a maker's stamp just there and it's for marking timber, isn't it?

That's right.

That's right.

That is very elegant, I love that.

You didn't pay a lot?

No, a fiver.

That is cheap for something so beautiful.

It is.

Let me guess.

Another bit of silver.

VO: Yes, Philip, you're right, another item of silverware from Ken's cut-price cabinet in Halstead.

And you got there before me, correct?

Oh!

Dear oh, dear!

Yes.

And I don't blame you at all.

What did you pay for that?

A hundred and what?

No, no.

I paid 90.

I think that's a very, very, well-made thing.

Would you have bought that?

Would you honestly have bought that?

I would have, truthfully.

I'm awfully tempted to use the next one that I've bought.

I just thought it was a really nice, Victorian, ceremonial truncheon and I think it's a bit of fun.

Yes, lovely, lovely object.

And I think that was cheap.

DAVID: How much?

PHIL: 40 quid.

Oh, that is cheap.

And I think there might be £50 profit in that.

It's worn at the top there.

It might be worn a bit more in a minute!

I wouldn't do that to you, Barbs.

I think your cream jug is just the best by a distance.

Best by a distance.

Sauce boat.

PHIL: What did I say?

DAVID: "Cream jug".

See brain's going now.

It's age, don't worry.

It'll happen to me eventually.

VO: It's all very good humored now.

But what do they really think about their rival's purchases?

His best bit's undoubtedly the silver sauce boat.

If I'd got in the shop before David I'd have bought it.

I didn't like the weights.

Unless somebody wants a good doorstop.

I'm not quite sure that I can see David and dumbbells.

Barby and dumbbells?

That jar, that blue jar, which I rejected...

There's an awful fear that it might go for about £80 and I rejected it.

VO: You're laughing now, David, but you won't be if Philip beats you.

So far on this road trip, our two chaps started off in Brightlingsea, and haggled their way to Saffron Walden via Colchester, Halstead, and Steeple Bumpstead.

Today, they're heading into the ancient town of St Ives, the one in Cambridgeshire, not Cornwall.

It's bizarre, you talk about St Ives and I'm sure most people think of Cornwall, don't they?

I'm sure they do.

I'm sure they do.

VO: For the past thousand years, it's been home to some of the biggest markets in the country held under the watchful eye of its most famous resident - Oliver Cromwell.

PHIL: Are you a Roundhead, or a Cavalier?

DAVID: A Cavalier.

PHIL: Yeah.

I've always thought you took a fairly cavalier approach to things!

VO: Hyperion Auctions was founded in 1995 and hold sales every two weeks of antiques, furniture and collectables.

But how does auctioneer Lester Day think our chaps will do?

Do I see 15?

At £12.

DAVID: Now, what about our lots?

LESTER: Well...

Mine in particular.

This sauce boat, I would say that we're probably going to be looking at around for one, £140, £150 mark.

Oh, that sounds very good.

And have you had any muscle-bound, young men coming into the saleroom as I bought those dumbbells?

We've had quite a lot of interest in them.

Probably... ..maybe £10, £20.

I bought that lovely, little scribe - that woodworking tool in rosewood.

It's very nice.

Nice condition.

What do you think it'll make?

I think £20 to £30.

OK.

The truncheon is fantastic.

It's good.

I think we're probably looking at around the around £100 mark.

VO: Encouraging words indeed!

Especially as Philip has some catching up to do.

He started this leg with £262.53 and spent £110 on five items.

David, however, had £483.22 spending money, and spent just £208, also on five items.

The auction is about to start and an expectant hush descends.

First up, David's dumbbells.

They brought back many happy memories, but will they pull their weight?

A pair of cast iron Boys' Brigade dumbbells.

Showing here as modeled, We'll leave him for a little while, might build his muscles up.

I have commissions in at 15.

Well done, Barbs.

£15 I have on commissions.

Do I see 18?

18.

Do I see 20?

At 18... At least it made a profit, £8!

VO: And that's one up for David!

Next up, Philip's wheel.

It's the second he's bought, but will it help him steer towards victory?

A little bit of interest in this, been viewed well.

I have 30.

Do I see 32?

30.

Do I see 32?

At £30... (GAVEL BANGS) VO: Start as you mean to go on, Philip!

That's a £10 profit to you.

David paid £8 for his green glass dish.

But what will the bidders think it's worth?

I start you at £10.

Do I see £12?

This is David Barby looking wounded again.

DAVID: It's so cheap.

PHIL: Yeah.

18, 20, 22?

Selling at £22.

Well done, Barb.

VO: And it's a decent, little profit of £14, but David, as usual, is not happy.

Barbs, you do make me laugh.

You do wounded better than anybody I know.

VO: Now it's Philip's brass bell weights.

He paid a fiver for them.

I have £10 bid.

Do I see 12?

I've got 12, 15, 18.

Do I see 20?

At £18.

(GAVEL BANGS) VO: Well, they certainly helped you punch above your weight.

We're creeping in, Barbs, we're creeping in.

That's brilliant.

VO: At £90, the sauce boat is David's most expensive item.

But will it make the most profit?

We have 70.

Do I see 75?

75, 80, 85?

I've got 85.

Do I see 90?

£85.

Do I see 90?

Christopher Columbus.

At £85.

(GAVEL BANGS) VO: Oh, no!

That's the first loss of the day of £5.

Oh, David...

I saw you smile.

Not at all.

I was so happy for you to make a profit.

At last!

You're such a rat.

VO: Next up, Philip's rosewood scribe.

Let's hope, for his sake, it's not a write-off.

I start you down at £12.

£12 is good.

I've got 15.

Do I see 18?

Selling at £15.

(GAVEL BANGS) Philip had hoped for more than a £10 profit, but David seems more upset than he is!

Oh, that's disappointing.

That really was disappointing... You look heart-broken, I must say.

Yes, I feel for you.

VO: Not!

Can David redeem himself with his second piece of silver, the George V quaich?

We go right in on commissions at 50.

Do I see 52?

Well done, Barbs.

That's a result.

55, 58?

We've got 58.

Do I see 60?

At £58.

(GAVEL BANGS) VO: It's made a profit, but only £8.

Well, done, Barbs.

That's got back to where you started, hasn't it?

VO: Don't rub it in, Philip... Now it's time for Philip's Victorian jar, which David saw first, and rejected.

344, a 19th century, Bristol blue glass rouge, or powder pot with hammered effect.

That's a lot of rouge!

I have commissions down at 30.

Do I see 32?

I'll have to take that.

32, 35, 38?

I've got 38.

Do I see 40?

40, 42, 45, 48?

I'm staggered.

LESTER: Do I see 50?

DAVID: I rejected it.

Selling at £48.

(GAVEL BANGS) VO: It's another small profit, but a profit nevertheless.

Next up, David's final piece of silver, his £50 cream jug.

Silverware hasn't been selling very well today, can this do any better?

I have commission bids here at 40.

42, 45, 48, 50, 52.

I can't believe this.

At £52.

(GAVEL BANGS) VO: And the profits just seem to be getting smaller.

Has your Midas touch deserted you, David?

The auctioneers had high hopes for Philip's ceremonial truncheon.

But can it live up to expectations?

50.

Do I see 55?

55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95.

Selling at £95.

(GAVEL BANGS) DAVID: That was so good.

PHIL: That's alright!

VO: You can be a bit more excited, Philip!

You've just made a profit of £55, the biggest of the day.

Shall I drive you down to the bridge?

I'll drive and throw myself over!

Really, is it that bad?

Oh, terrible.

VO: Cheer up, David!

Philip may have won this leg's auction, but let's see who's in the lead.

Philip started the day with £262.53.

After paying auction costs and commission, he made a profit of £59.70 and takes £322.23 forward to tomorrow's show.

Do I see 20?

£18, I've got 20.

22?

David did less well.

He had £483.22 spending money.

After commission, he made a loss of £14.42.

He takes £468.80 forward to tomorrow's show.

But with only one leg to go, he still has a commanding lead over Philip PHIL: Are we alright for fuel, Barbs?

Which one's the fuel tank?

PHIL: You do worry me.

DAVID: You never stop.

Did you know you never stop talking?

PHIL: Well, you can't with you.

DAVID: Even in your sleep, you never stop talking.

VO: On tomorrow's show, Philip picks up tips from the master in an effort to catch up, (MIMICS DAVID) Is that your very, very best?

VO: Ha-ha!

While David's had enough of antiques buying for one day.

I'm going to sit in the car and sulk.

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