VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite celebrities... Oh, that is good.

VO: ..paired up with an expert...

I like that.

VO: ..and a classic car.

Feeling confident?

Er... VO: Their mission?

To scour Britain for antiques.

(GLASS SMASHES) Look at you.

You're really good!

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

(GASPS) Is it a find?

VO: But it's no easy ride.

XAND VAN TULLEKEN: Hey, come on!

VO: Who will find a hidden gem?

(MIMICS DUCK) Take me with you.

VO: Take the biggest risk?

Have you got a tow truck?

VO: Will anybody follow expert advice?

I might have bought rubbish.

Who knows?

VO: There will be worthy winners... Yay!

Whoo!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Come on.

Someone else!

Someone!

VO: Put your pedal to the metal!

Aah!

VO: This is the Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

Wotcha.

We're in the New Forest...

They're all lovely round here.

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

Oh, look, let's say hello to the neighbors.

(TOOTS HORN) MELINDA: I would love it.

DOMINIC: Morning!

VO: ..with TV's community justice crusader, Dominic Littlewood, and doyenne of TV presenting, Melinda Messenger.

What do you know about antiques?

Cuz I'm sort of, like, regretting the fact that, you know, I've partnered up with you now, because you know everything.

I'm not too hot on antiques.

DOMINIC: I know they're old.

You might have discovered my weakness on this show.

There's one!

VO: But Dom is king when it comes to wrangling dodgy builders and rogue traders.

In 2009, he and Melinda first met when they co-presented Cowboy Builders for over 11 series.

DOMINIC: Is the air con alright?

Are you getting a bit cold?

Cuz I could always turn it off.

Does it just bump up... VO: And after 25 years in showbiz, Melinda has swapped lights, camera and action for a new chapter as a trained psychotherapist.

DOMINIC: I suppose, for me, the thing which is really nice about antiques, there's a story attached to it.

Yeah, that's the thing I love about them, the history.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

The fact that you can look at something, like a chair, that families have, you know, sat on that chair over hundreds and hundreds of years, possibly.

It could be Louis XV, you know?

It could be.

The king might have sat on it.

MELINDA: Yeah.

VO: They'll be joined by Road Trip royalty in the super chic Mercedes 300SL from 1988.

Nice.

It's dealer Tim Medhurst, and gavel-wielding auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp.

I'm so sweaty!

VO: Such drama, Tasha!

NATASHA: I wonder what they're going to buy, actually.

They were, of course, the people bringing down the cowboy traders, The cowboy builders.

They're not shy.

Those secret cameras.

Do you think they did... Oh, they probably did doorstepping.

Yes, yeah.

It takes a certain type of... Could you do that?

Erm, maybe.

NATASHA: You couldn't.

TIM: Could you?

No!

VO: Me neither.

TIM: I think when you ride a horse, you can get a hot bottom, isn't it?

Or is it something like that?

And if you've got a hot bottom, the horse jumps around and...

I think it's the way you sit on it.

NATASHA: I hadn't heard that.

Do you have a hot bottom right now?

I do, actually, yeah.

It's really warm in here.

Mine's boiling!

Or is it a fizzy bottom?

TIM: I can't remember.

VO: Hot bottoms?

Glad I'm not in the car with you two.

And what of the veteran 1956 Land Rover Series 1?

Made before a time when seat belts were mandatory.

DOMINIC: If this is what I could buy today, then I'd be quids in.

I would have this on my drive all day long.

If I can beat you, I will find that, you know... Yeah, I'd be chuffed.

MELINDA: Yeah.

Dom, honestly, I think it's a given.

You will absolutely beat me.

But saying that, I will try.

VO: Best of luck to you both.

A cha cha cha around the county of Hampshire awaits, before an auction in Staffordshire.

But first we're in the town of Lyndhurst, in the New Forest in Hampshire, in this delightful establishment.

How lovely.

DOMINIC: So, we're here.

Yeah, this is beautiful, isn't it?

DOMINIC: First shop.

This is one of my favorite little towns.

DOMINIC: Is it?

MELINDA: Yeah.

VO: A hot spot for curios and collectables, this antiques business has been on the go since 1998.

Home to over 40 dealers, there's a plentitude of stock to rootle about.

Ah, look, there's our trusty experts, armed with 400 smackaroonies each.

Let's enter the world of antiques.

Lovely.

DOMINIC: Natasha.

NATASHA: Dom, how are you?

Alright.

Looking forward to this.

Oh, it's great to see you.

Are you comfortable in an environment like this?

Do you know what, these are the sort of shops which are great fun to look around, even if you don't know anything about antiques.

I mean, there's always something interesting to look at, isn't there?

On with the specs.

Down to business.

OK.

So, the battle is on?

DOMINIC: Oh, yeah.

I don't want Melly beating me.

Melly, that's sweet!

Does everyone call her Melly?

I think just me, and I think she probably hates it.

NATASHA: I like it!

Right, OK, you lead the way.

And anything that jumps out at you, shout.

DOMINIC: Okey doke.

VO: While Dom prepares for battle... MELINDA: Tim?

Hello!

TIM: Hello, Melinda.

Lovely to meet you.

Yeah, you too.

MELINDA: I've got to tell you, I know nothing about antiques, so I'm going to be dependent upon you.

Well, I'm really looking forward to seeing what your taste is for antiques, and what you're looking for.

So, shall we just get stuck in?

Shall we?

Yeah.

VO: Seems much gentler on this side of the shop.

MELINDA: Tim, I'm always curious, what actually qualifies as an antique?

Cuz there are some things I look at and I think, "Oh, yeah, you know, I had that in my house when I was a kid."

An antique would technically have to be about 100 years old.

Anything after that would be classed as vintage, retro.

But, I mean, vintage has now been stretched to the '80s and '90s.

Well, this is terrifying.

TIM: I'm vintage now.

Yeah, well, yeah, you know, I'm born in '71.

DOMINIC: Natasha.

NATASHA: Yes?

Can I have your opinion on this?

NATASHA: Well, it's right there, 1900, the date on the tin.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

So, second Boer War.

You're a soldier, you're fighting for Queen and country.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

It's time for you to receive a little morale boost.

And I don't know exactly what would have been in said tin, but I'm presuming some chocolate or something like that.

"Chocolate tin for the troops."

You know your onions.

NATASHA: Do you feel contents?

Have you had a shoogle?

Yeah, it's empty.

NATASHA: Oh, there's nothing in there.

DOMINIC: But you wouldn't want chocolate that's 122 years old anyhow, though, would you?

Well you would actually.

DOMINIC: Would you?

Because with the contents... Did I see £150?

Yeah.

With the contents, it's worth more than that.

Oh.

It's probably worth about 60, 70.

If that's full of choccies, I would be more interested, cuz you've just enlightened me there.

DOMINIC: But somehow I think the price I've got in my mind is gonna be so far apart from their asking price, I think it's unlikely.

You never know... For it to make money it would...

Honestly, you're right.

You'd have to knock off the one.

And we wouldn't want to be rude now, would we?

No, I don't mind being rude, honestly.

Oh, you don't mind... No, I don't mind being rude.

Got no problem with that at all.

You're not known for it, Dom.

Well, if you don't wear socks, you can't pull them up.

VO: Precisely.

Keep looking, you two.

MELINDA: Hello, you.

DOMINIC: Oh, Mellie.

Do you know what?

I am so lost.

I'm surrounded by old things in here.

I haven't got a clue which is valuable and which isn't.

That's the thing, isn't it?

Because there's so many different collections, you don't know what's valuable and what's not.

But what are you drawn to?

Well, at the moment...

I've started looking at these pictures.

I mean, look.

That, to me, I'm thinking, "What's great about that?"

But then it says here it's 180 years old.

DOMINIC: But then it's only 38 quid.

MELINDA: I mean, I think these are probably...

These are great.

I think you should get a whole selection.

Yeah, there's a couple of old things downstairs I've seen as well which would suit you.

A couple of old, vintage pottery things, yeah.

There's a bedpan there, you know.

If you don't sell it, you could always use it, Melly, can't you?

DOMINIC: Eh?

VO: Charming.

They're bezzie mates, really.

TIM: Right, let's see what's down here.

MELINDA: Yeah.

TIM: Look, the air raid shelter.

MELINDA: Brilliant.

I like that it's all kind of themed.

TIM: Oh, it's cooler down here.

MELINDA: Oh, it is.

MELINDA: And it smells nice.

TIM: Mm.

Fruity.

TIM: I love that ammonite that's been put on that stand.

TIM: Isn't that wonderful?

MELINDA: Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Cuz it looks like it's literally been dug out of the earth.

TIM: Yeah.

VO: Before we understood about ammonites, they were thought to be coiled up snakes, giving them the moniker snake stones.

But, actually, they're ocean-dwelling mollusks that have fossilized.

TIM: I love, from an auction point of view, the fact that, because it's been presented on that stand, it's not necessarily an academic piece.

It can be used as a decorative object.

So, anybody viewing the auction that likes the look of it... MELINDA: Yeah, true.

..you know, it would fit in with their home, wouldn't it?

That's a great idea.

Now, Melinda, that might be one to think about.

TIM: I think you'd need to be getting it down a fair bit.

MELINDA: OK.

I'll leave that to you.

We'll think about it, though.

VO: Elsewhere in this vast cavern... Natasha, I'm struggling big time.

Me, too.

But I've put together a little collection for you.

Yeah.

I worry they're too me, and not very you.

Do you know what, the fact that it's not me is probably a big bonus right now.

NATASHA: I don't know.

Well, have a little look.

OK.

So, the first little item is a pair.

They are little finger plates that would go above your brass door knob in your art nouveau Edwardian home.

VO: Often in Edwardian homes, additional decorative features were literally screwed into doors and other fittings.

The price is £15.

I'm not digging them.

You are.

And I'm excited by that.

NATASHA: I mean, I wouldn't get too excited because of the price.

VO: Alright.

What else have you got there, Tasha?

NATASHA: Do you have a cat?

DOMINIC: I did have a cat.

NATASHA: You did?

I had a Maine Coon, it was lovely.

NATASHA: Oh, huge.

Well, I had a little black cat, called Jack, so I find it really difficult to walk past any black cat items.

So, this we're gonna call Jack.

It's wind-up.

VO: Actually, Dom, I think she's serious!

Ha!

NATASHA: Careful not to over wind cuz it has got age... DOMINIC: Oh, look.

It looks like it's gasping for breath.

Oh, come on.

It's so sweet.

It's got its little whiskers.

VO: It's feline rough.

Look.

Look at the way it stares at you, though.

NATASHA: Yeah, it's creepy.

Isn't that going, "Ooh"?

Yeah.

But you know what people like?

They like the macabre.

Do they?

NATASHA: I think it's quite fun, and at £65, if we could get a discount, say we got that for 40, I think there would be good money in it.

That scares me, if I walk out this shop, I'm probably gonna get run over by a lorry or something.

NATASHA: No!

DOMINIC: There's something creepy about it.

Finger plates, you know, by the door, I mean, you know...

It only does one door, doesn't it?

DOMINIC: Let's see what we can wing on those two.

If it's no good, I am prepared to walk away.

Let's go in hard.

Come on, you're Dominic Littlewood.

You're here to doorstep, you're here to shop.

Otherwise there's no profit, is there?

Let's do it.

VO: While they prepare to go 10 rounds... Er, sorry, find the dealer... ..what else have Melinda and Tim uncovered?

TIM: Don't look at it, but put that coin in your hand.

This is what I love about coins.

You have in your hand a coin that dates to about 1,700 years ago.

Isn't that wonderful?

1,600, 1,700 years ago.

This is a Roman coin.

It was struck by Emperor Probus in around two...

I think he was around 280-ish AD, and he only reigned for a few years.

But isn't that incredible?

It's extraordinary.

This is about 100-plus years before the fall of the Roman Empire.

VO: Loving it, Tim.

You can tell he's a passionate numismatist.

TIM: A nice touch with this is, when these were first minted, they were dipped in a silver wash, so it would have looked like a silver coin originally.

And you can see part of that silver's... MELINDA: Still there.

TIM: ..still there.

MELINDA: Yeah, it's just glinting.

TIM: A Roman Legionnaire soldier would have been paid in silver, a silver denarius.

So this was pocket change, basically.

Wow.

TIM: So just imagine the Roman streets that's been through and... MELINDA: Ah, I can't think of the word for it.

TIM: It's transporting, isn't it?

It's transporting, I literally feel like I can hear them all, bustling around on the streets.

VO: Price, please.

TIM: That is priced at £25.

MELINDA: £25!

TIM: I know.

It's incredible.

I'm thinking that might be quite a nice one to take to an auction.

Let's carry on looking round.

We'll leave it there.

Oh, I'm excited now.

VO: I can tell.

Over on the other side of the shop, Dom's found dealer Jan.

The clockwork cat and the pair of art nouveau brass plates come to a total of £80.

Yeah, go on, then, let's do something.

What are you thinking?

DOMINIC: I'd like it to start with a three.

JAN: I'd quite like it to start with a five.

DOMINIC: What!

I'll go 39.

There you are, I've helped you.

I've gone first.

DOMINIC: It starts with a three, ends with the highest number with a three, £39.

50 would be the bottom, I think, on that.

You've got deal.

VO: Crikey!

DOMINIC: Thank you very much.

DOMINIC: I tell you what... VO: Excellent haggling.

..I'm happy.

Are you happy, Jan?

JAN: Yes, yeah.

Absolutely.

DOMINIC: OK. We're all happy.

Are you happy?

I am...

In awe, I think is what I'm going to say.

VO: I don't know what just happened there, but thank you very much, Jan. £35 for the clockwork cat, and 15 for the pair of art nouveau brass plates.

With £350 left, Dom and Tasha hit the road.

NATASHA: Dom, I am just so glad you spotted those.

Yeah, so am I. VO: Back inside, what of our rummaging Melinda and Tim?

TIM: Melinda, look at that.

Isn't that sweet?

This is the exact sort of thing I love having around the house, because it's fun and jolly and colorful, isn't it lovely?

MELINDA: It's really lovely.

What is that bird?

TIM: Is it an ostrich?

It's probably a baby emu or ostrich.

MELINDA: Could be.

TIM: He looks cheeky, though.

MELINDA: He does.

TIM: Or she.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, it's Spanish, so dating to the late 19th, early 20th century.

And it's just really nice because they're all one-offs, because they're all hand-painted.

The fact that it has been done by hand, it just sort of, like, imbues it with something, doesn't it?

It's like that amount of attention... TIM: Yeah, yeah.

..and time that's gone into it.

VO: It's priced at £45.

TIM: So if your negotiation skills are as good as I think they might be... Oh, dear.

..then I think we can get it down nearer 30.

MELINDA: OK. TIM: I don't think you'd lose out.

VO: Right, let's find dealer Jan. Be gentle with her.

TIM: Melinda and I have had a wonderful time looking round your wonderful shop.

VO: And relax, Jan. Really beautiful things, but three things in particular, the jug, which is £45... JAN: OK. ..also the ammonite fossil on a stand... TIM: That was 95 on the ticket.

MELINDA: 95?

Yeah, 95.

JAN: OK. MELINDA: And a Roman coin at 25.

So they all come to 165.

The closer we could get to 100, you know, that would be amazing.

So we could possibly get to 110.

MELINDA: 110?

JAN: 110.

Oh, that seems very reasonable.

MELINDA: 110, it would be amazing.

TIM: Oh, thank you so much, Jan. JAN: Good, good.

MELINDA: That's great, isn't it?

I think that's a nice group of items for that.

MELINDA: Perfect.

JAN: Yeah?

VO: Go, Melinda!

That breaks down to £55 for the ammonite fossil, £30 for the Spanish faience jug, plus £25 for the Roman coin.

That bevvy of items leaves you with £290.

Oh, well, there we are.

First shop down.

MELINDA: Amazing.

VO: Certainly is!

Now, I spy Dom and Tasha.

Do you want to know something cool?

Go on.

So I'm sure you remember fondly Don't Get Done, Get Dom.

Yes.

I remember it fondly too.

Because when I was in university and between terms...

Yes?

..I did an internship at White City, at the BBC.

DOMINIC: Did you?

And I interned on Don't Get Done, Get Dom.

We never met, but I feel like you're my old boss.

So you can tell me now, cuz it won't go back at them, what were they saying about me in the office?

They said you were delightful.

VO: With a capital D!

VO: Our Road Trippers are headed towards Southampton docks.

Berthed here is a 91-year-old national treasure, the ST Challenge - the only surviving steam tug to take part in Operation Dynamo.

Volunteer Ed Irons can regale the heroism of this gutsy vessel and her part in one of the biggest rescue operations of World War II.

ED: Hi, nice to meet you.

I'm Ed.

DOMINIC: Hi, Ed.

Dominic.

ED: Nice to meet you.

NATASHA: Tasha.

Lovely to meet you.

ED: Nice to meet you, too.

NATASHA: Thanks for having us.

That's alright.

We're always happy to have visitors.

VO: May 1940, Dunkirk.

An entire British army faced destruction.

Out of the fog came a makeshift armada - over 800 vessels, from Navy destroyers to fishing boats.

ED: Operation Dynamo was the British attempt to evacuate troops from Dunkirk beach in France after they'd been encircled by the German forces.

Just before the Germans took control of France, basically.

ED: Exactly, yes.

The idea was to get smaller vessels that could get onto the beach, and then bring the troops from the beach to the destroyers and other warships.

VO: To speed up the process, the British Admiralty appealed to owners of small boats for help.

They became known as the Little Ships.

DOMINIC: Tell me about her pedigree, Ed.

We've been told Challenge is responsible for saving 3,000 lives.

Now, we're not sure if that's due to the fact that she hauled ships, so there was one Royal Navy destroyer she actually assisted in getting back to Dover.

VO: Winston Churchill and his advisers estimated the operation would bring back between 20,000 and 30,000 men.

Over nine days, the makeshift armada would rescue over 300,000 battle-weary men.

As an ardent fan of all things seafaring, Dom is getting a rare chance to steer Challenge.

ED: Not only do we have right of way because of our size, cuz we have over 12ft of draught below the waterline... DOMINIC: "Might is right," my dad would say.

ED: Yeah, exactly.

That is exactly how this tug works.

DOMINIC: The bigger you are, get out of the way.

ED: Exactly.

DOMINIC: And after the war, what actually happened to her?

ED: So, after the war, Challenge went back to her regular civilian service.

So it was mostly towing large ships in and out of the Thames and the docks there.

And then she continued that all the way up until 1972, when she, being the last working steam tug on the Thames, was moored up ready for scrapping.

DOMINIC: That would have been a terrible shame.

ED: It would have been.

Fortunately, a week before she was to be scrapped, a man came along and bought her, and housed her at St Katherine's Dock.

DOMINIC: Oh, yeah?

Yeah, in East London, yeah.

ED: Yeah, which is where she remained for a couple of decades, when a trust then took her over, restored her fully, and got her back to steaming again.

Well, I've got to say, Ed, I feel very honored to be steering a 91-year-old steam tug ship called Challenge down the Solent.

So you've made my day.

ED: Oh, we're very glad to, and we're very glad to have had you aboard with us.

DOMINIC: Thank you for that.

VO: This seafaring treasure lives to tell the tale of an operation that not only ensured the survival of Britain's only trained troops, but it was a huge boost to civilian morale and helped Britain to fight on in the summer of 1940.

(HORN BLARES) VO: Now, where are Melinda and Tim?

TIM: If you could sum up your varied career with your favorite ever part of your job, what would it be, do you think?

I mean, I've literally... Cuz it's been 25 years... TIM: Yeah.

..of working in TV, so you name it and I think I've pretty much done it.

Yeah.

So it's really hard to choose one thing, but if I had to, it probably would be Cowboy Builders, which is... That was my favorite.

I was hoping you'd say that.

I loved Cowboy Builders.

It was because we could change people's lives.

TIM: Yes.

That's really what I loved about it.

You know, that we could go into somebody's home and they had no way out of a really awful situation.

Mm.

And, in a space of a few weeks, we could give it back to them.

Yeah, that's amazing.

MELINDA: So that was priceless.

TIM: Made a real difference.

VO: This pair are in the sunny city of Southampton, the home of the fish finger.

Inventor Clarence Birdseye manufactured them here, don't you know?

TIM: Well, hello, Southampton.

MELINDA: Mm.

TIM: Here we are.

TIM: Oh, this must be our next shop.

VO: We're going in here - Robin's Nest at number 129.

MELINDA: It's huge.

TIM: Wow, what a building!

I'm thinking, you know, we've had the first shop for practice.

TIM: Shall we divide and conquer... OK. ..and meet at the back and compare notes?

MELINDA: Fabulous.

TIM: Does that sound good?

MELINDA: Reconvene at the end.

TIM: OK, right.

Let's do that.

MELINDA: See you in a minute.

VO: Great plan.

A carefully curated selection of antique, vintage and retro fancy goods awaits in the former majesty of this restored bank.

£290 is the sum Melinda and Tim have to spend in here.

Ooh, coins.

If only we had a coin expert on hand.

Where is he?

MELINDA: Tim?

TIM: Hello!

Tim.

Coins... TIM: Ah, you found some more coins.

TIM: Not just one, three.

TIM: Silver denarius.

Isn't that amazing?

MELINDA: A denarius?

TIM: Yeah.

VO: The denarius was the standard silver Roman coin from around 211 BC, but I'll let the coin supremo tell you more.

So, Roman silver denarius are basically only this size.

Also, you've got the Roman emperors on them, and also the wear as well, you've got to be careful of forgeries, though.

But these look perfectly genuine to me.

MELINDA: Wow.

TIM: Yeah.

VO: What about the price?

TIM: They're a tenner each.

MELINDA: They're a tenner!

£10 each for a silver Roman coin.

TIM: So if we mix these with the bronze coin that we've already got...

Sometimes it can be risky, grouping things.

But I think with these, because they're all Roman coins, they will all appeal to the same collector.

Whereas I think this would be a wise move, especially as they're all £10 each - do you want them?

That's unbelievable.

Yes, please.

TIM: Yeah, OK.

Right.

VO: Well, that's a definite.

What else can we uncover?

MELINDA: Aw!

Tim, look at this!

TIM: Oh, he's charming, isn't it?

He is worn, isn't he?

TIM: He's what we would call in the trade play-worn.

MELINDA: I know it's really tatty, but actually, I really like that about this.

VO: It's definitely seen better days.

TIM: Yeah, it's kind of, um...

I don't know, it's quite interesting seeing the underlayer of one of these horses.

You can see this really old, almost like sackcloth, and it's holding in its woodchips, maybe mid-to-late Victorian.

So we're talking well over 100 years old.

MELINDA: This is up for 50... TIM: 50?

MELINDA: Yeah.

For restoration.

TIM: I mean, that's probably a reasonable...

I mean, it has got legs, well four legs... MELINDA: Literally.

TIM: ..at auction.

Because I think it is a good restoration project.

I like the fact that you can take something like this, give it to somebody that's a master of their craft, and it will come out the other end looking magnificent.

I think he should come with us.

MELINDA: Yeah, definitely.

TIM: OK, Right.

Should we go and try and do a deal?

MELINDA: OK. VO: Along with the trio of Roman coins for 30, and tired old Dobbin for 50, we've got a total of £80.

Stand by, Sue.

MELINDA: Hello.

SUE: Hi.

TIM: Hello, Sue.

SUE: Hello.

Just wondering if there is any way you could do us a deal.

So £80 altogether... 60?

60 would be amazing.

Yeah.

That's very generous.

Yeah, thank you very much.

SUE: OK. MELINDA: Wow.

Thank you.

VO: Nice work, Melinda.

Thank you, Sue.

Very kind.

60.

There we go.

Awesome.

SUE: OK. MELINDA: Thank you very much.

TIM: Thank you very much.

VO: Our best chums now have £230 remaining.

MELINDA: Well, that was a success, it feels.

TIM: Yeah.

All our shopping done for the day.

And now we can get our strawberries and cream.

MELINDA: Oh, perfect.

VO: Sounds heavenly.

Shopping is finito for today.

Well, it's not every day you're driving around with a horse and cart behind you, or two horses and a cart behind you... Do you know what?

How British could this get?

Horse and cart behind us?

A Land Rover?

I mean, all we need is a bag of fish and chips and we've ticked every box, haven't we?

NATASHA: Yes!

TIM: I'm so pleased that our tastes seem to collide.

Me too.

Well, I mean, it's like you can bring these things to life.

TIM: We're two peas in a pod here on this trip.

VO: A perfect dream team.

Nighty night.

VO: Howdy doody.

We're still in heavenly Hampshire.

DOMINIC: You know what I love about vehicles like this, right, they're rougher than a bear's backside, and it's just so much fun to drive.

I feel like we could be, like, you know, on safari somewhere... DOMINIC: Yeah.

..like, out in the wilderness.

VO: That's Hampshire for you.

I think I like more modern antiques.

So would you say more retro?

VO: Ooh, get you, Melinda!

DOMINIC: I'm hanging out for my next shop.

I think things are gonna change.

I'm hoping for one big item.

A winner, a little bobby-dazzler, yeah.

A little winner.

Yeah.

VO: Cue Tim and Tasha.

TIM: We bought the...

Probably the world's most ragged rocking horse.

We did the exact same thing.

TIM: Oh, did you?

NATASHA: We have a cat.

Let's just say it's seen better days.

TIM: Oh, well, we'll have a little farmyard of animals that need help.

Yes!

VO: Yes, let's have a gander at this little menagerie of yesterday's spoils, then.

There's been no stopping Melinda.

She snapped up four lots, totaling £170.

Absolutely mind-blowing.

VO: But Dom and Tasha...

If you don't wear socks, you can't pull them up.

VO: Quite.

Dom, despite his boldness, has spent just £50 on two lovely lots.

You've got a deal.

VO: Time for a closer look.

MELINDA: Right, you ready for this?

Yeah, go on, go on.

DOMINIC: Oh, a knackered rocking horse!

MELINDA: I knew you'd say something horrible.

DOMINIC: It's worn-out.

Look at it!

Heck is that, Dom?

Forget my rocking horse, what is that!

DOMINIC: I know where you're going with this, Mellie.

Wait until you see this, right?

I don't know if I want to.

That looks like it's hexed.

DOMINIC: Watch.

Watch.

Watch.

That is the creepiest thing I've ever seen.

DOMINIC: Look, look at it!

Would you give that to your kids?

They'd never sleep again.

Only... Yeah, only if I really disliked them.

DOMINIC: It's German.

Apparently, it's very desirable.

And in real life it should be covered in fur, and it'd be worth a fortune.

Tell me about this lovely rocking horse that, you know, has seen better days.

MELINDA: It has seen better days, hasn't it?

I prefer to look at that as...

It's been loved.

I just picture it sat in some old Victorian attic somewhere, and it's had children playing with it.

You know for...

I picture it on a bonfire.

VO: Whoa there!

Rein it in, Domster!

MELINDA: I just can't call it.

At the moment, I think it's definitely swinging in your favor, but, you know, I'm just glad I haven't finished spending yet.

DOMINIC: Let's get this back on.

DOMINIC: I blame Natasha, I'm telling you.

VO: After dropping off Melinda elsewhere, Dom has made it to the village of Four Marks in Hampshire.

The Vintage Cupboard, a stalwart of the quirky world of antiques.

Inside, we should find a rummaging Tasha.

Oh, there she is!

DOMINIC: Natasha, are you busy at work, there?

Well, I'm just admiring these wee glass sweets.

It's amazing how this kind of stuff is made.

DOMINIC: You are a sight for sore eyes.

Are you ready for this today?

Do you know what?

I'll tell you how ready I am.

When I walked in the shop there, I saw something that caught my eye.

"Oh, I like that!"

NATASHA: Straight in.

DOMINIC: Immediately.

Lead the way, please.

VO: Promising.

Dom is minted, with £350 in his back pocket.

DOMINIC: A couple of things caught my eye.

NATASHA: Oh!

DOMINIC: Muffin the Mule.

VO: Muffin the Mule was a huge BBC TV hit from 1946 until 1955.

Presented by Annette Mills, it was huge with children of all ages.

Obviously, all depends on price, but what do we have?

We have a marionette, a three-string marionette, so not the most complicated toy, which people can manipulate and have fun with.

It's Muffin the Mule, a piece of fun, that clearly you were instantly drawn to, as soon as you walked in here.

VO: Ticket price?

NATASHA: £48?

Ooh, £58.

OK.

I think, at auction, it's sort of 30 to 40.

So I think you could do a bit of your famous haggling.

VO: Uh-oh.

I think that could be a nice spot, actually.

DOMINIC: OK.

But as long as the price is right.

And I think, no matter what, we should walk out of here with Muffin the Mule.

Well, don't say no matter what, the owner might be listening.

VO: Yeah.

Pity's sake, Tasha!

The browsing continues.

Maybe ask for a "ruff" price.

Ha ha!

DOMINIC: Natasha?

NATASHA: Yes.

I've found something right up your street, look!

A wind-up squirrel eating a pine cone.

Whoa!

VO: He's speedy!

We've not known one another long.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

And somehow you've found my dream item.

DOMINIC: Ah!

NATASHA: I'm actually obsessed with that.

NATASHA: Oh, my goodness.

How much is she?

I'm gonna say she.

She's...

I feel that she's a wee madam.

DOMINIC: 35.

NATASHA: £35.

I absolutely love her.

Do you think that we should add her to the cat?

DOMINIC: Yes.

NATASHA: Do you think that she would... DOMINIC: Might make the cat look a little bit more appealing.

She has more mohair than our cat.

Yeah.

NATASHA: She has her key, which is cool.

Yeah.

Works.

NATASHA: She has her acorn, she has some sort of label.

So we spent £35 on our cat, £35 for this squirrel.

Together £70.

What's the auctioneer saying?

They're standing on the rostrum, they're saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have for you a very special lot.

"I have a wind-up clockwork... Beautiful squirrel.

Well, squirrel.

I'm so upset you didn't say beautiful black cat.

We haven't got there yet.

Yep.

OK, so "beautiful squirrel"... DOMINIC: Yeah.

..with "creepy black cat?"

"Weird black cat, gasping for breath."

Gasping for breath.

VO: Yep.

That will sell it.

Clockwork toys hit the toy world in the 19th century, and continued into the mid-20th century.

This little squirrel looks to be from the 1950s.

I'm delighted that you spotted her.

NATASHA: The first red squirrel I've ever seen.

NATASHA: Dom, I like it.

Keep looking.

This is very exciting.

VO: Teacher is very happy with her pupil today.

DOMINIC: Natasha.

Eh?

NATASHA: Oh, you came with a friend.

DOMINIC: (MUMBLES) VO: Sausages.

Well, I've got to be honest, I think she should have a little dabble, and we should go for it.

Yeah?

AS DUMMY: Yeah.

Listen to Dom.

He knows what he's talking about.

Who said three's a crowd?

DOMINIC: (BANGS HIS FOOT) Oh!

VO: I think we're going a little bit... (CUCKOO CLOCK SOUNDS) VO: ..in here.

Now we're very firmly in Natasha's domain.

NATASHA: Dom.

DOMINIC: Yes?

NATASHA: I found something... DOMINIC: Have you?

..that I've really fallen in love with instantly.

I'm instantly in love with this drawing.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

NATASHA: What do you think?

Never mind anything about its history or its style.

Just, what do you think?

Normally, for me, I wouldn't even consider anything like that as an attractive antique for me.

NATASHA: OK. Because, "Ooh, dusty, doomy, gloomy."

But that's quite jolly.

NATASHA: It's so jolly, isn't it?

DOMINIC: It is.

You've got five bald monks there, dancing around.

With a little dog getting excited.

You'd slot right in.

VO: Cheeky!

Here we have men from that era doing something under the moonlight.

There is a little bit of moonlight here... DOMINIC: They're dancing, aren't they?

Look, the dog's dancing.

NATASHA: The dog's in a frenzy.

Look, it's kicking up stones.

Maybe they're a bunch of cowboy builders who saw you, and they ran and they got away successfully.

Shaved their heads and thought, "He'll never recognize us."

Exactly.

Could be that.

Yeah, "We'll blend in with the monks."

NATASHA: The runaway builders.

DOMINIC: Ooh!

VO: It's priced up at 45 spondoolies.

DOMINIC: Squirrel.

Yep.

NATASHA: Muffin.

Muffin.

NATASHA: Picture.

DOMINIC: Picture.

NATASHA: Bob's your uncle.

Only the price to sort out.

VO: Let's do that, then.

Er, Lindsay...

I love your shop, Lindsay.

Thank you very much.

DOMINIC: Loads of quirky bits in there.

Absolutely.

We've got Muffin the Mule, we've got a wind-up squirrel, red squirrel, which we quite like.

LINDSAY: Yes.

DOMINIC: And Tasha, our expert, has found a picture which she really likes.

Incidentally, it's bald men dancing.

VO: No comment.

Right, I've done my sums.

£138 for the lot.

Right.

I need the price to start with a nine.

Best I could do would be... Ooh, how much?

Sorry, I was a bit premature on that.

Um... 110?

VO: Oh, crumbs.

DOMINIC: I'll tell you what.

Let's do an air handshake on a round figure, £100.

DOMINIC: Deal done.

LINDSAY: Deal.

Are you sure?

Hang on, are you asking me or her?

NATASHA: I'm asking everyone involved.

Are you happy, Lindsay?

LINDSAY: Yes.

DOMINIC: I'm happy.

NATASHA: £100!

DOMINIC: I've got to pay before she gets the price up.

Thanks ever so much.

You're definitely happy with that deal?

LINDSAY: Absolutely fine.

DOMINIC: So am I.

You're an angel.

VO: That breaks down to 35 for Muffin the Mule, 35 for the clockwork squirrel, and 30 for the watercolor pen-and-ink drawing.

Dom now has 250 remaining.

NATASHA: Delighted with all of that.

DOMINIC: Chuffed.

Happy as Larry.

NATASHA: Chuffed is one of my favorite words.

VO: Where are our new best friends, Melinda and Tim?

I think, with the items we've got, we have a strong chance against Dom and Tash.

I'm full of confidence anyway, are you?

Do you know?

I've got no idea, really.

If I'm being really honest.

But I do love them.

TIM: Yeah.

MELINDA: You know.

So... And it's been fun.

TIM: Let's give them positive thoughts.

VO: We're bound for Basingstoke.

Right here, inside the Milestones Museum, we have a nod to the Victorian fascination of the seaside penny arcade.

MELINDA: The pier.

(LAUGHS) VO: Nick Suffolk is the guardian of this bygone entertainment that was once the crowning glory of seaside pursuits, and a lucrative money-spinner, too.

MELINDA: Hello.

NICK: Hello.

TIM: Hi, Nick.

Hi.

Welcome to Milestones Pier.

NICK: What I really want to show you while you're here today is a little bit about the history of penny arcades and amusements, how people used to amuse themselves on beautiful summer days.

VO: In the late-19th century, the seaside holiday was a novelty for the landlocked industrial factory worker.

A breathtaking escape to the magic of the coast.

The new fashion for promenading would lure you to the paradise of the penny arcade, where state-of-the-art entertainment awaited.

In that time, there wasn't any other form of entertainment.

This was it.

This was really exciting, wasn't it?

It was.

I mean, you had really no interaction with technology on a day-to-day basis, except for perhaps your work.

This is one of my favorite machines.

It's our Mutoscope.

These were invented in 1894.

This is a much later one, from the 1920s, but it's a working one, so you can actually see what it does today.

It's an early kind of cinema in your pocket, really.

VO: Invented in 1894 by a team of hotshots, including Brit WKL Dickson, an employee of Thomas Edison, they came up with this revolutionary design, heralding the early moving image.

It's a very, very simple device.

So when this was out, people really hadn't seen films very much.

Film was kind of new.

It was just coming in.

Cinemas were not on every street corner, and obviously no one had television or anything.

So if you wanted to see a moving picture, this was the way to do it, and it would cost you only one penny to do it as well.

MELINDA: Oh, wow.

Oh, my gosh.

MELINDA: How are you doing over there?

TIM: I'm doing alright, actually.

So was this the sort of start of arcade games, then, as we know it?

It was, it was one of the starts.

It was one of the most popular ones, when piers first started to get machines.

So the kind of 1890s, piers changed from a functional thing that you had a ship on, to something you promenaded on, and you went for a lovely walk on when you'd come on the train for your day out to the seaside, and people saw a moneymaking opportunity.

MELINDA: I should imagine that the most fascinating thing about that was just to be able to see moving images.

You know, if you'd never seen that before, that'd be quite breathtaking, actually.

TIM: Yeah, yeah.

NICK: Really magical, I think.

Yeah, really magical.

VO: Indeed it was.

Piers around Britain multiplied to over 100.

The walk over the waves was a huge money-spinner for the developing penny arcade.

NICK: Claw machines were first invented in 1924.

This is a much later one.

This is from the '60s and '70s.

But kind of '24, '30s is when you started to get a little bit more disposable income.

And so this was a great chance to entertain people, and also to make a little bit of money out of them as well.

VO: Come on, Tim.

We know you're itching to have a go.

TIM: Come on.

MELINDA: What are you after, the unicorn?

TIM: I'm going for the...

Yes!

MELINDA: Oh, you got something!

TIM: I've got something.

MELINDA: Well done.

TIM: Yes.

TIM: Look at that!

I've got myself a little smiley face ring.

VO: Don't forget to check the hallmark.

Ha-ha!

MELINDA: Oh, well done, you.

TIM: I'm chuffed with that.

I'm gonna keep it.

VO: People couldn't get enough of pouring their money into machines, ensuring the penny arcade would become a jackpot of a business.

The next big craze was pinball, inspired by the early billiards-style game of bagatelle.

NICK: And then they developed, they added flippers, they added complications and, in the end, you got pinball.

So 1931 was when Baffle Ball was first invented in America.

By 1932, you had adverts for the machine in this country.

So it traveled over very, very quickly.

VO: Baffle Ball was a great hit with those wanting much-needed cheap entertainment during the Great Depression.

As the game developed, pinball became the catchier title.

The secret to making pinball popular was this, right here.

It was the scoreboard.

So as soon as you put that on it, it became something you could compete with other people to be the best at, in a bar or in a pier.

And, of course, that became even better when you get the electronic machines and you can start putting your initials next to those scores, so everyone can see how well you've done.

Wow.

Were you any good?

I have to admit, I've never actually played on one of these proper arcade pinballs.

MELINDA: Now is your chance.

Shall we have a competition?

TIM: Wahey!

MELINDA: Oh, there we go.

MELINDA: I love the way it all just powers up like that.

That's quite iconic, too, isn't it?

Yeah.

It's an attention-getting thing.

MUSIC: "Pinball Wizard", by The Who.

# He's a pinball wizard There has to be a twist # Pinball wizard's Got such a supple wrist... # TIM: OK, let's see how we get on.

VO: No need to be so serious, Tim.

(PINBALL MACHINE PINGS) MELINDA: Well done.

TIM: Whoa.

MELINDA: Look at that!

TIM: I didn't even look... MELINDA: 1,000 more than me.

TIM: Yes!

VO: Liar!

And while we're here, let's see into the future.

TIM: Right.

Do you think we should see if we're going to beat Tash and Dom?

NATASHA: I think this is a brilliant idea.

Fortune teller, it tells you what money you're gonna have, what age you live to, and how many children you're gonna have.

But we'll focus on the money, shall we?

VO: Probably for the best.

MELINDA: What are we gonna make?

TIM: £23.

MELINDA: £23!

TIM: Come on.

I wish we'd got that million.

MELINDA: Yeah, I love it says, "For amusement only".

MELINDA: In case you believed it.

VO: Well, let's hope you can make more than £23.

From the simple pleasures of the penny arcade, it helped evolve the video gaming market, which is estimated to have a worldwide value of nearly $200 billion.

Oh, look, there's the trusty Land Rover.

Lovely!

NATASHA: You're coming around to furry little clockwork toys.

Well, I'm certainly coming round to the one I found, not the one you found.

But, together.

Oh, what a pair!

DOMINIC: Yeah.

NATASHA: What a pair!

The world will go wild, Dom.

NATASHA: It's our cat.

DOMINIC: Your cat.

Our cat.

Say it with me, Dom.

DOMINIC: It's your cat.

NATASHA: Our cat.

DOMINIC: Your cat.

Definitely your cat.

VO: Safe to say he hates that cat.

MUSIC: "Cool for Cats", by Squeeze.

# Cool for cats... # VO: Dom and Natasha are also in the Hampshire town of Basingstoke, known as Doughnut Town because of the plethora of roundabouts.

VO: Ha!

NATASHA: It's called, look.

The Squirrel.

Squirrels!

DOMINIC: Ah!

NATASHA: This is a good thing.

NATASHA: This is a good sign.

DOMINIC: Well spotted.

DOMINIC: Good vibe.

NATASHA: Good vibes.

VO: We're all about good vibes.

For over 40 years, this emporium, bearing the name of the little bushy-tailed acorn lover, is the place to get antique goodies.

Dom and Tasha have four items and a total of £250 remaining.

NATASHA: Dom?

DOMINIC: Yes.

Do you love a good wedding?

Urgh... No, you're not soppy, are you?

NATASHA: You're not giving me soppy.

VO: Definitely not.

NATASHA: This is quite a soppy object, quite romantic.

So it's looped onto my finger.

NATASHA: It's for your bouquet of flowers.

NATASHA: Your posy.

DOMINIC: OK. Yeah.

Now, the reason why it's so lovely is because it has two purposes.

You have a pin here, which unscrews, and goes right through the stalks, and it keeps them in place.

NATASHA: OK?

DOMINIC: Got you.

But then, you're done for the day, you think, "OK, well, I want to keep that bouquet and display it."

DOMINIC: Yeah.

Worry not, pull this down, on this sprung stand.

Three little legs appear, and it becomes a freestanding vase.

Can I stop you for a second?

NATASHA: Oh, right.

Yes.

DOMINIC: OK.

It's dainty.

It's lovely.

It's nice.

No doubt it's silver.

You love it.

It's all about weddings.

It's a girlie thing.

Not for me, thank you very much.

I like big, bold statement.

I want something I can put on the table that Melinda and Tim are gonna go, "Whoa..." NATASHA: OK. DOMINIC: ..I am worried.

DOMINIC: That won't do it for me.

Lovely.

Wouldn't knock it.

Big, bold.

I'm gonna do the rounds.

Do you know why I like your style?

Because if you hadn't stopped me, I'd probably still be talking in about 20 minutes' time.

Yeah, not for me.

So let me put that down.

NATASHA: It is lovely... VO: Let's leave them to find a show-stopper.

TIM: How are you enjoying your antiquing experience?

Do you know?

I'm really loving it.

TIM: Good.

MELINDA: I'm really loving it.

The difference is, is that you kind of bring everything to life.

MELINDA: That's what I really love, is it's the story each item tells.

TIM: And the feeling behind it as well, because they've been precious objects for so many, many years, that it's a privilege to handle them now, isn't it?

VO: Melinda and Timbo are eight miles away, in the village of Odiham.

King John stayed in the castle here before negotiating the Magna Carta in the 13th century.

TIM: Ah.

Well, we're here.

Our last chance at a bit of a shop.

VO: Now, we're going in this nifty little number.

TIM: Don't find all the bargains without me.

VO: A co-operative of traders are literally selling all sorts in here.

I spy a profit.

VO: With £230 left, let's see what Melinda takes a fancy to in here.

MELINDA: Tim?

TIM: Hello.

MELINDA: Have a look at this.

Oh, you found something.

TIM: So what are we looking at here?

MELINDA: So it's Harrods, and it says it's a barograph, whatever that is.

TIM: Right, so...

It looks here... TIM: It's like an altimeter, an altitude meter reading instrument.

I can see on the label there it says that it's for ballooning as well.

Well, it could be for ballooning, cuz it looked to me on the first instance that it probably dates to turn of the century, about 1900, and the Wright Brothers' first flight was in 1903.

So it could be for ballooning, because it predates aeroplane flight.

VO: Nice thing.

MELINDA: It's pricey.

TIM: Yeah, 175.

Well, you know, it's got a good retailer's name on that, Harrods.

But I think it might be a bit of a money pit for us.

MELINDA: OK, in that case... TIM: Yeah.

MELINDA: ..goodbye.

TIM: OK. VO: While they keep delving... ..Dom's looking for big stuff in Basingstoke.

Alright, what have we got here, Adam?

What we have here is a very, very large Bermantofts vase.

Bermantofts was a company that was working out of Leeds in the late-19th century, and made monumental pottery.

Yeah.

Gordon Bennett, it weighs a ton.

Right, if I pick it up, if I break it, do I own it?

Cor!

VO: It's certainly a big whopper, Dom.

NATASHA: All of a sudden, Dom's into Bermantofts ceramics.

I can't really hear what he's saying.

I think I might intervene.

VO: Brace yourselves.

NATASHA: May I swoop in?

I've got a feeling I might be in trouble.

No, I just want to grab this wee one, and have a little closer look at it.

NATASHA: It's just I'm quite taken by this one.

So the waves here are just a stylized scallop form, almost like scales of a fish.

DOMINIC: Yeah, yeah.

Really lovely way of depicting the waves.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

VO: Bermantofts pottery was a major producer of tiles and architectural ceramics in 19th-century Yorkshire.

But they also produced art pottery, such as the little and large versions here.

Both vases have a combined ticket price of £560.

Yikes!

DOMINIC: I love this, you love that.

I want them as a pair.

I know what my budget is.

Alan, I'm gonna give it to you straight, because, at the end of the day, we're talking about cash, 250 the pair, or we're gonna have to walk away.

That's the nuts and bolts of it.

Have we got a deal?

Against my better judgment... ..yes, we've got a deal.

Give me a high air five.

NATASHA: I can't cope.

Did that just happen?

DOMINIC: That happened.

NATASHA: Without you here, I would never have done that.

You're a bold man, you're a bold man.

VO: Well, ain't that the truth.

Alan, I can tell you that's all I've got, cuz I don't even need to count it out.

250.

Thank you very much.

You're happy with that deal?

Yeah, I'm happy.

Superb.

I'm happy.

The only one who's a bit worried is Natasha.

NATASHA: Oh, my days.

Right, you grab large, I'll grab little.

Okey dokey.

Weighs a ton.

NATASHA: It's terrifying.

DOMINIC: Thanks, Alan.

NATASHA: Thank you, Alan!

Cheerio, bud.

VO: Thank you for your generosity, Alan.

NATASHA: Dom, you must not drop that vase.

DOMINIC: (LAUGHS) I'll tell you what, Melinda is gonna be so jealous.

VO: Every penny spent, but will Dom's big gamble pay off?

How about a little calm?

Let's whiz over to Melinda and Tim.

TIM: Melinda.

MELINDA: What have you found?

TIM: What do you think of this?

MELINDA: Oh, that's cute.

TIM: Isn't it nice?

But what do you think it looks like from the outside, if you were just to glance at it?

MELINDA: It looks like a miniature cupboard.

OK, well, you are right.

If you open the doors... Look in there.

Three beautifully made doors.

And look at the color of the oak inside.

That's what it would have looked like all over, but, of course, with the sun, well over 100 years, it's faded the outside.

But look how beautifully made it is inside.

Now, if you close it again, it's actually a bit of novelty because it's made in the style of a Victorian safe.

If you imagine a big, cast-iron Victorian safe, it's made to be one of those.

So it's kind of like a safe box.

VO: Novelty is always very attractive at auction.

I like it.

MELINDA: Oh, that would make a great little tea chest.

Exactly.

Yeah, it could be, yeah.

MELINDA: That is really lovely.

That's very sweet.

I just like the idea of maybe it sitting in a lady's boudoir, with jewelry in it, something like that, or a gent's study, and it's got, I don't know, bits of man stuff in it.

I don't know.

VO: You'll find out soon enough, Timbo.

It's priced at £45.

Stand by, Jerry.

TIM: Hello, Jerry.

JERRY: Hi, Tim.

Hello.

TIM: Nice to see you.

So, we found something... Oh, wonderful.

MELINDA: ..for £45.

JERRY: OK, yes.

So, just wondering if there is any kind of, like, room to maneuver on that?

Call it 40.

Would 40 work for you?

Could we go to 35?

I would have thought maybe 37 would be OK. OK, deal.

I think that's good.

Yes, that's very generous.

Yeah, yeah, thank you.

VO: Well done, Melinda.

Thank you, Jerry.

TIM: We've done it.

We've bought all of our items.

VO: That's it.

The shopping is over.

It's like such a joy to be paired with you.

TIM: Oh, It's been a privilege.

Because you're the fount of all knowledge.

Oh, that's very generous.

I won't be able to get out of the car my head will be so big.

It's a good job the roof's down.

Now, I don't want to be too confident too early... Yeah.

..but should we have a little pre-auction toast to our success?

Right, I'm totally confident.

I think we have nailed it.

I'm very happy with our purchases, all bar one.

DOMINIC: Won't mention it again.

NATASHA: My cat.

I think we've got it in the bag.

VO: Time for some shut-eye.

VO: Wakey, wakey, Berkshire.

Fizzing with excitement, we have a Mel and a Dominic.

DOMINIC: So we're on our way to the auction, Mellie.

I'm quite nervous, actually.

Whilst I'd like them to do well, I kind of feel like I owe Tim something as well.

DOMINIC: Yeah.

MELINDA: Yeah.

I couldn't care less.

I just want to beat you.

And just for that, now I want to beat you.

VO: Alright, you two.

This is the rendezvous point.

The Museum of English Rural Life, established in 1951 to record the rapidly changing countryside following World War II.

DOMINIC: Judgment day, Mellie!

MELINDA: May the best man win.

DOMINIC: Or woman, or woman.

I like your style, though.

VO: Watch out, we have a battle on our hands.

After a good old charge around Hampshire, the gang have gathered in Reading while their goodies have been sent onwards to Penkridge in Staffordshire, home to Cuttlestones.

It's open to online and commissioned bids across the globe.

Commanding the rostrum is auctioneer Ben Gamble.

At 45... VO: Dom's the man with the plan.

He spent every penny of his 400 smackers on five lots.

What's your fave, Ben?

BEN: Yeah, the Bermantofts vase.

It's just a...

It's a really good, vibrant thing.

It's impressive looking.

And I know one or two people who popped into viewing yesterday were looking at it, so I've got high hopes that should do well.

VO: Mel has been cautious.

She spent £207 on five lots.

Any hot contenders, Ben?

BEN: So the Victorian rocking horse is a good thing because it's original, and I think buyers for those things, they're always looking for originality and condition.

Even though it's not in great condition, it's original, so it's something for people to have a go at.

So that's got high hopes that it will ride away today.

VO: Let's giddy up, then, and race over to Reading.

Tablets at the ready.

Let the auction commence.

This is exciting!

It's D-Day, isn't it?

I feel actually a little bit kind of nervous now.

NATASHA: Oh, really?

VO: First out of the traps is Melinda's Victorian rocking horse project.

This could be a little gem for you.

I'm putting money on this horse.

BEN: We'll start the bidding at £18 on a commission.

20 and two, at 22 and five.

Eight, at 28, 30 and two?

At 35.

38.

MELINDA: Oh, wow.

TIM: We're into profit.

At £40 I'm out.

It's £40.

Come on, rocking horse.

Bidder at £45.

Are we 50 now?

BEN: Sure?

At £45.

NATASHA: Hello!

DOMINIC: 50% profit.

TIM: That's amazing.

VO: Don't sound so surprised, Dom.

Excellent start, Melinda.

It made a profit, and that's the best thing, isn't it?

MELINDA: That's the main thing.

NATASHA: That is the aim.

MELINDA: That is the aim.

It didn't lose.

VO: All quiet for Dom's clockwork combo of the squirrel and that cat.

NATASHA: Just looking at them now, Dom... DOMINIC: Yeah?

NATASHA: What were we thinking?

BEN: They're running at 12, 18, 20.

28 now, at £30.

Oh, it's going to go.

It's gonna go.

Selling there at £30.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Don't.

You know what?

We took a gamble.

It didn't pay off, c'est la vie.

VO: A healthy attitude, Dom.

Blimey, they are a bit scary.

I thought my little black cat Jack was going to bring us luck.

I think he used up all his lives, didn't he?

Oh, yes.

That was life 11.

MELINDA: Yeah.

Should we move swiftly on?

TIM: Yes.

VO: Good idea.

Melinda's late-19th century novelty cabinet is next, which should do well.

I'm getting worried, Natasha.

Getting worried.

You definitely should be.

At £18 there, at 18.

Oh, come on.

At 20 and 22.

Oh, here we go.

22 and five, at 25.

Got a way to go here.

BEN: 30 and two.

TIM: Oh, he's got some keen bidders here, hasn't he?

MELINDA: Yes.

40 bid, 40 and five.

Well done.

BEN: At five.

At 55.

MELINDA: 55!

BEN: And 60, and five.

MELINDA: And 60!

TIM: Yes!

70 and five.

I'm happy with that, though, aren't you?

Yeah.

All done, last chance.

80.

NATASHA: Oh, love it!

At 85.

Don't miss it.

BEN: At £85.

MELINDA: That was phenomenal!

TIM: What a relief!

Shall I get a taxi?

VO: Yeah, blimey, Melinda, you're storming this, girl.

But it had that magic word, didn't it?

Novelty.

TIM: People love something a bit unusual.

VO: Come on, Dom.

It's the pair of art nouveau brass plates.

Interest on the net, as we can see.

They're starting at £20.

MELINDA: Oh, my God!

They're at 20. Who says two?

A little bit more would be nice.

NATASHA: It would be nice.

Quick sell at £20.

Cheap, wasn't it?

It went so high and then... Well, we're off the mark.

VO: First profit, Dom.

You need some more to catch Melinda.

NATASHA: That's lovely.

TIM: Well done.

Well spotted.

VO: Back to Melinda, and the ancient ammonite fossil.

Who spotted this?

Was it you, Tim?

We both have the love of fossils and ancient things.

And there was a cabinet of fossils.

That's why I love you so much.

Oh, thank you, darling.

£65 I'm bid.

TIM: 65.

DOM: 65?

Nice, nice, nice, nice.

I can't believe it.

TIM: That's a good starting point.

Are you 70?

Surely.

At 65...

It sounds like it might be... Come on, someone else.

Last chance.

£65.

NATASHA: Seems cheap.

DOMINIC: Still a profit.

It's still a profit.

I would have hoped for a little bit more, because it was a lovely thing.

VO: True, but you're still beating Dom.

You have not lost any money yet.

MELINDA: So far.

TIM: So far.

MELINDA: So far.

TIM: Long may it continue.

Yeah, exactly.

VO: Time for Dom's huge gamble, and the auctioneer's fave, the Bermantofts vases.

Oh, I'm hinging everything on this, cuz I went for this.

BEN: We've got the bid straight in on 420.

NATASHA: Ooh!

At 420, 450, 480, 500.

550.

At 550, I'm bid... No way!

That's absolutely amazing!

NATASHA: 550!

DOMINIC: Yes!

600.

At 600.

NATASHA: 600!

DOMINIC: Go on!

50.

At... NATASHA: 650!

MELINDA: Goodness!

At 650, then, all done?

£650.

TIM: Wow.

NATASHA: Unbelievable.

Back of the net, Natasha.

VO: Wowee!

Dominic Littlewood!

The gamble more than paid off.

All of a sudden, we're back in the game.

NATASHA: I really can't believe that, I'm amazed.

Dom, all I can say is, thank you.

You've saved it.

I swear to you, you've saved it.

VO: Yeah.

OK, Melinda, let's see how your Roman coin collection fares.

£45 in, 50.

Come on, we need a little profit out of these.

55 and 60.

We're into profit.

60 and five.

Would you like 70 or not?

BEN: At £60 we're bid... MELINDA: We would.

At £65 then.

TIM: A little more.

MELINDA: More than that.

All done at £65.

65.

Well, it's profit.

TIM: It is a profit.

NATASHA: I'm so chuffed.

Old money makes new money.

VO: It does, T-dog.

Keep those profits coming.

Your track record is still clean at the moment, isn't it?

TIM: It is.

DOMINIC: Profit on every item.

VO: Over to you, Dom, with the watercolor pen-and-ink drawing.

BEN: Interest at the grand old price of £8 bid.

MELINDA: Oh, come on.

They cannot go for £8.

BEN: All quiet on the net.

10, quickly.

BEN: It's here to be sold.

MELINDA: No!

BEN: Anyone, yes or no?

MELINDA: No, don't.

We shall sell at £8.

That was so wrong.

That's terrible.

VO: Good job you made such a huge profit earlier on, you two.

What were we thinking?

You quite fancied it for your downstairs loo.

VO: Come on, Melinda.

It's the turn of the colorful Spanish faience pottery jug.

We were captured by the little bird on there.

MELINDA: Yeah.

The bird looks quite like Mick Jagger.

TIM: Yes, it does!

A bit of swag.

NATASHA: It's doing a bit of a Mick Jagger!

BEN: Interest will start, £80.

NATASHA: Oh, amazing.

At £80 I'm only bid, there, at 85, 90.

Five, 100, 110.

NATASHA: 100?

What?

130, 140, 150, 160...

It's flying!

At 180 bid, you're out, away, and no mistake.

BEN: And we shall sell, all out on the net.

Going and selling at 180.

You paid for it... MELINDA: I cannot believe that.

TIM: What a profit.

That's such a result.

VO: A huge glug of a profit.

Great result.

Look at your skill.

I mean, this is phenomenal.

I won't be able to leave the room.

To see, to be able to spot that, and know that.

TIM: Keep talking, Melinda.

VO: (CHUCKLES) It's the final lot.

Can Dom kick on with Muffin the Mule?

When I saw it, I said, "We are having that."

NATASHA: It's so good.

MELINDA: That's a winner.

Well, I hope it does well for you.

BEN: We're in at 18, 20 and two.

BEN: On five, eight, 30.

NATASHA: Right, here we go.

At £35 there for Muffin the Mule.

Yes!

BEN: 40, who says five?

NATASHA: Go on, someone say five.

BEN: Last chance, selling and done there.

At £40.

NATASHA: Oh, Dom, be more excited.

TIM: Well done.

It's not six weeks in the Seychelles money, is it?

It's not.

No, I would say cancel the cruise.

VO: Every profit counts.

I love Muffin the Mule.

Both had a couple of big winners, haven't we?

VO: That was a bit of a battle.

Let's tot up the numbers.

Melinda and Tim began with £400.

After all auction costs, they made a profit of £153.80, ending with £553.80, which is an achievement.

Dom and Natasha also started with 400 big ones, and made a wonderful profit of £213 and 36 pennies.

They have ended with a whopping £613.36, making them the star-studded winners.

And all profits go to Children In Need.

Well done.

DOMINIC: I've got to say, I've had a really, really enjoyable experience going out buying antiques with you.

Yeah, do you know what?

I've loved it too.

Beats chasing dodgy blokes down the street, don't it?

MELINDA: Doesn't it?

DOMINIC: Yeah.

VO: Toodlepip, you two.

We'll miss ya!

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