VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts with £200 each...

I love that.

VO: ..a classic car and a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Yippee!

I've got pieces that could fly.

VO: The aim?

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

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

Hello, ladies.

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

But there's nobody bidding.

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

VO: Yeah!

VO: Today we're out on the road with an enchanting pair of antiques experts: Mark Stacey and Paul Laidlaw.

I'm just a giver, Paul.

Well I'd heard that.

If I wasn't driving I'd hug you.

VO: Antiques dealer Mark Stacey is very supportive of his road trip compadre.

Well done, Paul, for finding something.

And I mean that really sincerely.

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: And he's finding this antiques adventure a journey of discovery.

I'm going to stick to my principles.

(LAUGHS) By God, there's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself say!

VO: Auctioneer Paul Laidlaw is a happy chappy.

VO: But a real tough cookie when it comes to buying antiques.

Are they ever going to be 20 quid?

PAUL: I can't believe I'm... DEALER: Um... VO: And really enters into the spirit of the adventure.

(LAUGHS) He who dares wins!

VO: Mark's biggest profit so far from the previous auction was the china Lassie dog, but it wasn't enough to take on the might of tough-talking Laidlaw - oh no, he stormed it with profit after profit.

(GAVEL) VO: From his original £200, Mark has made some small gains - he has £210.66 with to play today.

(GAVEL) VO: But second-time winner Paul Laidlaw is racing ahead.

He's speculated and accumulated his £200 to a hefty £371.10.

VO: The boys are traveling in style in the 1967 Sunbeam Alpine GT.

But you know, it's not over yet.

Oh, well...

There's three more auctions.

I looked at...don't think I'm sitting pretty.

PAUL: (LAUGHS) VO: Paul and Mark will travel over 300 miles, from Sabden, Lancashire to Bridgwater in Somerset.

On today's show, they're beginning in the county town of Stafford, and will auction 30 miles away in the town of Nantwich in Cheshire.

VO: Stafford has a rich history and is home to the largest timber-framed townhouse in the country, but back to present day.

Our antique hunters are ready to spend, spend, spend in their first shop of the day.

Any ideas?

PAUL: Well, we passed a wee half-timbered street up there that had your name written all over it I suspect.

Should I be listening to you though?

PAUL: (LAUGHS) Trust me Mark.

Love you like a brother, I would... there's no competitive element to this!

MARK: I'll see you later.

(LAUGHS) Have a good 'un!

VO: They're a playful duo, aren't they?

Anyway, let's get this show on the road.

Mark's first shop is just around the corner.

Assistant Maureen is on duty today - look out.

What a lovely little shop you've got here.

It's gorgeous, isn't it?

I love it.

Curiosity shop.

It really is, actually - do you know, I don't know where to look first!

VO: Well, as all antique experts know, store rooms can be a haven of fresh, unsorted stock.

MARK: This looks quite interesting, doesn't it?

Because when you look at something like this, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

You've got a sort of eastern style.

All that's very busy, chasing with foliage.

This absolutely bonkers handle, which is shaped with a sort of...

I don't know, some sort of animal that's eating the lid, and a sort of animal head on the bottom.

This is almost certainly silver plate.

Now there's three pieces to this.

You've got the teapot, the rather big sugar bowl, again with the same sort of decoration, and you've got a charming little cream jug, again the same decoration.

Now is it Indian?

No, it's not.

It's actually made in England, for the Indian market, and we're probably looking at something that's made about 1860.

The only problem is, again, is the price: £150.

MARK: Yes, no, that's lovely, thank you.

VO: The owner isn't here, so Mark gets on the telephone to find out the very best price.

Could we do it for 50 please?

Oh please, 50.

OK, listen, I'm not going to argue over a fiver - honestly, Stephen, that's very kind of you.

If you're happy to let it go for 55...

Listen, thank you so much.

Bye bye, Stephen.

Bye.

VO: £55 Mark?!

You're a very lucky boy.

Paul, meanwhile, is heading to Browse Antiques, also in Stafford.

Hello!

HUGH: Hello.

How you doing?

PAUL: I'm Paul.

HUGH: Hello Paul - Hugh.

Pleased to meet you.

This is your emporium?

This is it, yep, come and have a wander round.

VO: Oh, what have you got there then?

A carved meerschaum pipe.

It's actually probably a cigarette pipe.

VO: Meerschaum is a soft white mineral, often used to make highly decorative smoking pipes.

We have what I think is rather a little charming 17th-century tavern scene.

Got a little...

I'm going to call this chap a cavalier here, and here's our rather buxom tavern maid serving up the ale.

OK. Bank that.

VO: Paul definitely has an eye for the unusual, and now he's found a real little rarity.

PAUL: We have a little silver cylinder.

This cockerel finial, I don't know what he's doing there.

And we've got this little knob here that clearly turns this carousel, and they appear to bear cocktail recipes.

Now if I turn this, do these just...?

PAUL: Look at - holy m- aw, please... PAUL: Aw, love a gadget.

Quite like a drink as well, to be honest with you.

That's working on many levels for me!

(LAUGHS) VO: And me.

"Doctor's Cocktail"...

I think that's a riot.

Date-wise, cries out mid-20th century.

Could it be 1930s?

It could be as late as the 50s, in all honesty.

Mid-20th century I think is your hedge, but what's not to like about how novel, and I'm going to say decadent, that is?

Bank that.

No doubt.

VO: Well, that's a good couple of items rooted out.

Maybe he'll start buying soon!

Oh, hang onto your hats - Paul has that glint in his eye again.

We see a little enameled white metal brooch.

I like that very much.

Could this be Tut-mania?

"What?"

Tut-mania.

Howard Carter, in 1922 I think, has uncovered Tutankhamen's tomb, and there's a huge revival in interest in such, and we get all of these Egyptianate, Tut-mania influenced pieces, and we have a little look, and we see two cracking little initials.

We see CH.

CH is Charles Horner, famed for his enameled silver work, his art nouveau silver work, small silver brooches, hatpins, and so on.

That's a name to conjure with.

VO: Have we made a road trip discovery?

£10?!

And we've also got a big smile on our face!

That is what they call a no-brainer.

Right, let's keep going.

VO: But before he begins negotiations, he wants to have a nosy in the back storeroom.

PAUL: I love that.

(LAUGHS) What appeals to me, it's got nothing to do with it, but I think he's just such good fun.

We know the origin: Chinese.

We know the period: it is gonna be inter-war.

In carved hardwood, but we have carved bone and horn, eyes and a full set of dentures here.

Look at his smiling face.

I mean, it looks absolutely...

I adore it.

We have the problem that it is lighting, and lighting can frighten - you know I'm passionate about it, but the end user at the auction can worry, they go "well who am I gonna get to wire that?

Will I get a socket to fit?

Does a modern bulb go in it?

Is it safe?"

And this is a hurdle you've got to overcome at auction, so ignore my enthusiasm - this is cold, rational, this is business.

Is there money in it?

And we'll see.

Starts at 75.

It's not a lot of money.

VO: Right - he's certainly picked out enough.

Let's get buying Paul, eh?

PAUL: Hugh, how are you doing?

HUGH: Fine.

Saw anything else?

Uh... yeah, I mean there's things I'm interested in.

VO: Cheeky Paul asks for a combo price for the laughing Buddha, the pipe, the cocktail menu and the brooch.

150.

Sounds a good price.

And the brooch is in there?

If you do it 150, the brooch is in today.

PAUL: Loving your work.

Thank you.

HUGH: Yep.

Excellent.

VO: £150?

That's almost a quarter off the combined ticket price of £195.

Who's laughing now then, Buddha?

VO: Meanwhile, Mark is heading 17 miles away to Stoke-on-Trent.

VO: This area is considered to be the home of the pottery industry in England, and is commonly known as The Potteries.

Mark is going to visit a wonderful collection of Paragon figurines.

VO: The Paragon China Company was a British manufacturer of bone china from 1919 until 1960.

The company was renowned for producing high-quality tea-ware and tableware, and were granted three royal warrants.

The Paragon brand enjoyed great success throughout its reign, and was visited by celebrities such as Gracie Fields, and also a young Princess Elizabeth.

VO: Kathy Artus has one of the largest collections of Paragon figurines in Britain, and as a third generation former employee of the factory, her passion for this once great company is second to none.

Kathy is going to give lucky Mark the grand tour.

Kathy, thank you for inviting me to your home just - Your Paragon collection.

KATHY: Yes.

I mean, it's amazing!

How many pieces have you got?

KATHY: 206 altogether at the moment, and I'm still collecting.

I've been collecting for a long time now.

MARK: But in its heyday, how many people were employed at the factory?

Do you know?

KATHY: There must have been at least 60 gilders and lithographers and things.

MARK: Really?

KATHY: Yeah, it was quite a large factory.

And they did such a variety.

They did the dogs, the ornaments, they did all the cups and saucers, the dinnerware.

MARK: And when did they close down?

KATHY: Well, they were taken over by T.C.

Wild's and then Doulton.

I suppose it was the mid-70s when they actually finished.

MARK: And how many did they produce, do you know?

There's no record.

In fact, until I started collecting, all I've got is a very rough list which I've added to over the years.

Who was the chief designer of these figures?

Basically Reg Johnson.

He designed most of the figurines.

I've got an example to show you.

VO: Reg Johnson was a renowned studio potter and was a design director for the Royal Doulton group, working mainly for Paragon and Royal Albert brands.

KATHY: This one of Princess Margaret, this was one of the original molds.

MARK: Oh yes.

KATHY: As you can see, all the flowers are actually made individually.

MARK: Individual little petals.

So they're put on and then hand-painted.

KATHY: That's right, and then fired, yes.

That was one of the original ones.

When they went into production, because it would cost so much to have them done and have the individual flowers made, they actually started painting, they just had put blue dress and they painted the flowers on.

MARK: Painted on.

KATHY: Hand-painted.

And the features aren't quite as strong... MARK: As crisp.

KATHY: No, because that was taken off a mold.

MARK: Yes.

KATHY: That was the original.

KATHY: Yes, we've got a few that really... took a lot of getting, if you like.

MARK: Gosh.

KATHY: This one, which is Urchin, I had this one from America.

I probably paid over the odds for him - don't tell my husband!

MARK: OK. KATHY: But all we got was a name, we didn't know what he looked like, there was no record of color or pattern, and as far as I know there's only one.

MARK: And the date on this is 30s?

KATHY: Uh, 40s.

MARK: 40s.

KATHY: Yes.

MARK: He's rather cheeky, isn't he?

KATHY: Yes, he reminds me of my grandchild, my grandson.

MARK: Oh does he?

KATHY: (LAUGHING) Yes!

MARK: So he's... KATHY: ..he's lovely.

MARK: He's obviously a little pixie of some sort, isn't he?

KATHY: Yes, again, very rare.

I think these are lovely, cuz they're... What I like about them, they've got that sort of real energy about them, you know.

Yes, they've all got different features.

MARK: Yes, and they've got a real quality, rather than the mass- produced figures... KATHY: They're alive.

...who all look very the same.

These look very individual.

They've got individual characters.

VO: But alas, we must say farewell to Mark and catch up with that cheeky chappy Paul Laidlaw.

Paul's still in Stafford, and continuing his 'shop-athlon' in Windmill Antiques.

He's already bought four items, and he's hungry for more.

Hello.

Ian?

IAN: Hi Paul, yes, how are you?

How you doing?

Nice to meet you.

PAUL: Good to see you.

Love the feel of your establishment!

My kind of shop!

IAN: Good man, good man.

PAUL: (LAUGHS) PAUL: Is that a traveling pipe?

It is, isn't it?

IAN: Yep.

PAUL: I've seen them, they're mad, aren't they?

It all disappears into itself.

How utterly insane.

It's not dear, is it?

What's the price on that?

Out of interest?

IAN: Oh... tenner?

To you, a tenner.

I'm gonna put it back.

Eh... to be honest with you, I've already bought a pipe.

Um... and that's why it resonates, and I knew what it was.

VO: In this treasure trove, it's not long before he finds something else.

PAUL: Sugar tongs.

And modeled as a wishbone.

Delightful.

Good fun.

Decent set of assay marks.

What's on those?

IAN: £20 to you, Paul.

PAUL: 20 quid on the sugar tongs isn't expensive, but you know I'm gonna... bid you on it!

IAN: (LAUGHS) PAUL: That was a given!

Oh right, yes.

PAUL: So what am I really gonna pay for them before I shake your hand and wish you well and bid you adieu?

£15.

As a goodwill gesture.

PAUL: That's what I'm gonna do.

Cheers man.

Thank you very much Ian.

IAN: Cheers, thank you very much.

PAUL: I'll gie you some money.

One last parting shot, we looked at your wee... traveling combination-ey pipe thing, missing its... (SMACKS LIPS) It is lacking the... (SMACKS LIPS), yeah.

Take a couple of quid for it?

Parting shot?

I don't see why not.

That's OK. PAUL: It's a wee bit, isn't it?

IAN: Yeah, it's a bit of fun.

PAUL: Excellent, I've already bought something that marries...

I bought a bit of meerschaum.

IAN: You can put it with the others, can't you?

PAUL: Exactly.

It's all grist to the mill.

Thank you kindly.

We keep doing this!

We're on a roll.

VO: Crikey Moses - for the total of six items, Paul's going to combine the small travel pipe with the meerschaum pipe, and the silver sugar tongs with the silver brooch.

Got it?

After a long, exciting day though, it's time for the boys to turn in and have a good night's rest.

Nighty night.

VO: It's a brand-new day and the boys are raring to go, even though the heavens have descended.

MARK: Day two, Cheshire.

PAUL: Footballers' wives' territory.

MARK: Absolutely.

We don't fit into that category though.

PAUL: (LAUGHS) MARK: I don't think, anyhow.

Are you a WAG?

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: So far, Mark has spent £55 on one lot: the silver-plated Indian-style tea set, leaving a princely sum of £155.66 for the day ahead.

Paul meanwhile threw caution to the wind and spent £167 on six items, which he will combine into four auction lots.

That gives him a nice chunk of £204.10 to spend.

VO: The boys have traveled to the village of Walgherton in Cheshire.

VO: They're heading for Dagfields, a Mecca for antiques lovers.

There are six giant antiques emporia, with over 200 dealers.

Got a - don't abandon, come on!

You've... (LAUGHS) You've got to at least give it a try Mark, it's not over till it's over.

It's not over, but it is over if you can't get out of the car.

It is!

That is a problem.

Stay.

VO: Come on dearie, it's not that bad.

Mark is first to get stuck in.

We'll have a little mooch in here, I think.

MARK: Hello, good morning.

I'm Mark.

Pleased to meet you Mark, I'm Geoff.

Nice to meet you Geoff.

This is your shop, is it?

GEOFF: It is, yes.

VO: What will tickle his fancy in here then?

This is rather interesting, because we've got...

I mean, this is certainly 19th century, and the first thing that struck me actually was the little shield there with the initials on it.

I think it says "HS".

What I think we've got is four 19th century colored aquatints or something like that in a later frame, but then somebody has drawn and water-colored all these wonderful birds and decoration around them, and the colors are still quite vibrant on it, and you've got exotic birds, we've got a golden pheasant here, a peacock, I think that bird is strangely called a hoopoe.

VO: Interesting.

I never knew you were a bird-lover, Mark.

And there's a cockatoo, which doesn't look very happy actually, squawking.

And then there's a hummingbird and various other birds.

It's rather fun though.

It's priced up at £49, which actually is reasonable for all that work, I have to say.

VO: And, he spies something else.

MARK: It's a baluster-shaped vase with gilt decoration, cobalt blue.

No factory marks.

It feels as though there's a little bit of age though, I don't know.

Painted with a windmill scene.

It's a surprise.

It might be, I suppose, someone who's just bought a blank and painted it, but this cobalt is very nice.

It's quite stylish for a mantelpiece or something, in a big Cheshire sitting room.

VO: There's no hanging about with this Mark.

He's going to strike up a negotiation.

MARK: Now what this is building up to... (LAUGHS) ...is my ridiculously low offer.

GEOFF: I was expecting it.

Which - ooh!

Do you need to sit down now or after?

No.

MARK: Do you think, Geoff, that I would get this for a tenner?

GEOFF: Oh.

How about 15?

MARK: (EXHALES) £15... MARK: Tell me about this vase over here.

I mean, I don't suppose we could say the two for £15?

Em... Ooh, ooh the pain's growing!

Em, yes, seeing it's you.

MARK: Are you sure Geoff?

Yes, I am sure.

Oh, please, I really do, I mean this is going to help me.

Thank you very much Geoff.

Pleasure.

And you're sure you're happy with..?

GEOFF: I'm very happy.

VO: (GROANS) What a chancer!

Let's catch up with Paul.

Although he has four lots, he just can't help having a good nosey about, the old pro.

PAUL: Check this out.

1920s, 30s, we see a vogue for pewter tea sets, OK?

What they tend to look like is pretty dull, Olde English, yeah?

Just dreary, and of course they oxidized to that pewter, that flat pewter gray, but in this instance you've got this geometric form, you've got compressed forms.

I love that to bits.

And look at the price tag.

VO: Yes, you've guessed it - he's found something he loves.

For an oval tray, the pot, the sugar, the cream... VO: Huh!

£22.

PAUL: Go and have a word.

But I need it at a giveaway price.

I'm gonna ask.

£22, see what happens.

Yeah.

VO: I think he's addicted to antiques.

And it's got 22 on it, can you do it... VO: Philip is calling the dealer of the tea set to find out if Paul's bid of £15 is acceptable.

OK Mark, thank you.

PHILIP: He says for you sir, he'll do it, cuz you're one of his favorites, he says.

BOTH: (LAUGH) And he's now one of mine!

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Maybe Mr Laidlaw needs to calm his jets - seven items and a total of five auction lots.

VO: Back together again, the road trip wheels are on the move once more.

VO: Mark's being dropped off in Leek in Staffordshire.

VO: Did you know that former five times world professional darts champion Eric Bristow lives here?

Not a lot of people do.

Anyway, Mark's hoping to score a bulls-eye and take the lead from Paul.

He's going for a mooch around in Christopher Mudd Design... MARK: Fine, I'm Mark Nice to meet you.

VO: Dealer Natalie is manning the shop today.

Mark is keen to get back on form in the old profit stakes, and he's stumbled on a new strategy.

MARK: This is the sort of thing Paul Laidlaw would like, you know: a pair of vases in brass, but they're made of old shell cases, and it's known as trench art.

The soldiers in the trenches, when there were long periods of non-hostility, they would take these spent shells and use whatever primitive tools they had to sort of, in this case, planish the actual shaft of this with the little dots, and actually beat out that pattern and then shape the top.

I mean, these are not terribly rare, but they're great fun and really collectable, and I really like them, because I think it just shows you that, you know, in amongst all that carnage of the Great War, when life in the trenches must have been absolute hell, these soldiers, to keep themselves busy, and they turned out, you know, actually wonderful pieces of art like that.

And these are priced up at... £48 the pair, which is not very much.

I love the thought of something that was causing such destruction as being now turned into, you know, a pair of lovely vases you could use at home.

VO: Mark's on a mission to find out the very best price from Natalie.

If I buy them, I've got to get them at a very cheeky price.

Yes.

OK?

You can say no, of course.

There's no obligation on your part, alright?

I'm just trying it on a bit here, but if I buy them I need to get them for about £10 for the pair.

Ooh, that's quite low!

It is quite low, I know.

12?

We could do them for 12?

MARK: I'm not going to argue.

That's fine.

Thank you.

NATALIE: OK. (LAUGHS) Thank you very much Natalie.

VO: And on that bombshell, let's catch up with Paul.

VO: Paul has traveled three miles away to the large village of Cheddleton in the Staffordshire moorlands.

VO: He's visiting the unique Cheddleton Flint Mill, a site once highly important to the potteries industry in nearby Stoke-on-Trent.

Aw, superb.

Good for the soul!

VO: In the late 18th century, when pottery making was reigning supreme in the UK, Josiah Wedgwood was a pioneer of a type of English earthenware called creamware.

It was discovered that the baked flint produced by the mills was an excellent ingredient to provide durability and strength, therefore allowing a cheaper alternative to expensive porcelain.

At the peak of the pottery boom, there were dozens of flint mills in and around Stoke-on-Trent.

VO: The Cheddleton Flint Mill Preservation Trust was formed in 1967 to save the site from dereliction and ruin.

Since then, the mill has undergone substantial renovation and is open to the public.

Paul is meeting with treasurer Helen Outram to find out more.

PAUL: You've got two water wheels here!

Two, yes, we have, yes, and I believe that's unique, in Britain at any rate, yes.

PAUL: So where does the whole process begin on site?

HELEN: It begins up by the canal, so the flints came in by narrow-boat, from the southeast of England, Kent or Suffolk, or even from the coast of France, and was unloaded by the crane, put into the kilns.

It was layered, a layer of coal, a layer of flint, a layer of coal, a layer of flint, until it was full, then they set fire to it and it burnt for two days.

Then it was unloaded from the bottom of the kiln and loaded onto little trucks and the plateway used to come right across here, and then it's ground in the mills.

PAUL: Right.

This one is about 1800.

PAUL: Right, yeah.

The other one is earlier, yes.

PAUL: Right.

And this is the rest of the plateway.

Oh I see, yeah, yeah, yeah.

HELEN: And then it did actually turn into here as well, yeah.

PAUL: Let's go.

HELEN: Yeah!

BOTH: (LAUGH) VO: Inside the mill Helen has some examples of flint before and after baking.

PAUL: I see a couple of pebbles.

That's right.

Now that's the raw flint, which is almost black.

PAUL: Yeah.

And after it's been calcined, it becomes white.

Almost like something you'd break out the bottom of your hearth, isn't it?

HELEN: That's right, and much easier to grind.

PAUL: I see.

VO: The heart of the mill is upstairs.

So here's the grinding pan.

Wow.

And the flints go into the grinding pan.

So what's the, what's the end product, Helen?

The end product is a milky liquid which is actually a suspension of silica particles in water, and when it's to the right consistency, it's run off down the trench there and goes down into the washtub, which is on the floor below.

VO: Once washed, the liquid would be baked in the drying kiln.

The finished product would be clay-like blocks, which would then be transported to the potteries to be used for the manufacture of creamware.

Helen, that's a fascinating tale.

HELEN: Thank you.

Thanks very much for letting me come here today on such a glorious afternoon.

Oh, it's lovely to meet you.

Lovely to meet you.

HELEN: Thank you.

PAUL: A real pleasure.

HELEN: Thank you very much.

PAUL: Thank you.

VO: While Paul's been discovering the lost world of the flint mill, Mark Stacey is still in Leek visiting P & J Antiques, his final shop of the day.

Hello Jo, nice to meet you.

And you.

VO: Mark's meeting with proprietor and dealer Jo, and as usual, Mark likes to get to the heart of the dealer's fresh, unsorted stock.

MARK: Ooh, now what are these Jo, covered in dust?

JO: They're something I've had for a while.

We think they're Austrian silver but we can't really find the hallmark.

Oh is it?

I don't know where you can see, probably go out there.

Yeah, go outside.

MARK: Quite elegant shape, aren't they?

JO: They are nice, actually.

But need a little bit of work on the bottom, but it's... they're all there, aren't they?

JO: I think they're quite nice.

Yeah, sort of early 20th century I would have thought, cuz they've got a slightly classical look but in a 20th-century style, haven't they?

JO: Yeah.

MARK: You know, they're filled silver, as you know.

How much are they Jo?

With... if you're not, if you don't beat me down, they're £20 for the pair.

20 for the pair...

He's going to say "ohh!"

I'm not allowed to beat you down though.

MARK: (LAUGHS) It's not fair!

Go on then, try.

If I said £10, you are going to come back to me and say... JO: 15.

MARK: £15, and I'm gonna say: "Jo, I'll take them."

Thank you very much indeed.

VO: It's time for the boys to show one another their antiques goodies.

Oh my good Lord.

I'm not sure about the old Buddha lamp there Paul.

No!

I thought you were gonna love him!

Seriously?

No, no, I don't like that.

PAUL: Aw, I would take him home!

I love him!

MARK: I, I... you can have him.

PAUL: (LAUGHS) You can have him.

And I hope if you touch his belly it brings you good luck.

I love this.

PAUL: Bonus is the tray.

Oh that's nice, that's nice.

I do love this Paul.

PAUL: This is my little gem.

MARK: No, I do like that.

That's really swish.

PAUL: By?

MARK: Charles Horner?

That's the one.

MARK: Yeah.

Beautiful.

How much was the Charles Horner?

Cheap?

PAUL: 10.

10, that's fairly reasonable.

I mean, even in damaged condition that should be £80-100 or more.

But I think that's got Mark Stacey written all over it.

MARK: I love that.

PAUL: Yep.

MARK: Love the cockerel on the top.

PAUL: Yep.

Very nice thing.

Silver?

I wish.

MARK: Silver plate.

PAUL: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I think you've done extraordinarily well.

I applaud you.

Thank you very much my man.

Except for the lamp.

Go on, show me, show me, show me, come on.

OK, we've gone down the metalwork route, oh, and we've got... MARK: Oh yes, no, actually this... PAUL: Right... MARK: I absolutely adore that.

I absolutely adore it.

I absolutely adore the mount... MARK: Yes.

But the vibrancy and the quality... PAUL: That's a fascinating, fascinating piece.

MARK: I love it, I fell in love with it Paul.

Uh, expensive or not?

Um... well I don't know, you tell me: £10.

It was a gift, wasn't it?

Now the other good buy that I made today... You bought a pair of silver candlesticks - is it electroplate?

- didn't you?

MARK: Yes.

PAUL: 250 quid's worth of candlesticks for... For... £15.

You've done it!

How've you done it?!

But what I thought you would really like Paul, and I bought them because I love trench art.

PAUL: Trench art.

MARK: I don't think they're valuable.

They were £12.

PAUL: Well, there's... You've done it, you've done it!

You didn't think you were going to!

I told you Paul, I told you, there is life in the old dog yet.

There's life in the old dog yet!

VO: Having seen each other's purchases, what do our experts really think?

(SCREECHES) Stacey had a hat, now he's got a rabbit in a hat.

Where did he get the candlesticks from?!

Oh!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

I don't think Mr Laidlaw's very happy with me, do you?

VO: Let's get back on the road and head to auction.

VO: It's been a competitive third leg, starting in Stafford via Stoke-on-Trent, Walgherton, Leek, Cheddleton, with the final destination of Nantwich on the horizon.

VO: The town of Nantwich was renowned for its salt houses as far back as the 10th century.

Here we are Paul.

PAUL: Looking good.

MARK: The auction room.

Sun shining on the righteous yet again Mark, story of my life.

Absolutely.

Oh of course, Paul!

PAUL: (LAUGHS) VO: Peter Wilson Auctioneers have been established in the town for many years, and are renowned for their gallery and fine art sales.

Auctioneer Rob Stones tells us about his favorite lot.

ROB: ..25, your bid.

Three top hits for me are gonna be the candlesticks - because I think they should do well since they've had a little bit of a clean - the cocktail menu dispenser thing - I think that's a terrific thing and everybody seems to like that, it's been in and out of the cabinets a lot - and last of all, purely because it makes me happy, the Buddha.

VO: Mark Stacey started today with £210.66 and spent £97 on five auction lots.

Paul Laidlaw began with £371.10 and spent £182 on five lots.

Not only do we have a packed saleroom, but we also have an audience live on the web.

VO: First up it's Mark's 19th-century vase.

He thinks it could do pretty well.

Who'll give me £10 to start this off?

10 anywhere now?

Do I hear £10 surely?

Lovely decorative vase for somebody at 10.

At £10 only, at 10.

Oh come on.

15, the internet like it, at £15 bid, at 15, 20 is there now, £15 on the internet, at 15, 20 is there now, at £15 bid on the internet, £15 only then... (GAVEL) Tripled your money!

Yes, it's a profit, isn't it?

VO: Ah, not the profit you were expecting though Mark, but yes, it is still a profit.

Next up it's Paul's laughing Buddha.

Let's hope the smile attracts a nice big profit.

I've got £50 bid for it straightaway.

Oh, 50 straight in.

55 is there now, £50 at bid.

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

I'm liking it a lot more now.

110, 120, 130?

120's here.

120 - 130?

130!

130.

I'm liking it a lot more now!

ROB: 130.

Where's the net?

ROB: I like this very much, at £130, bid's there at 130, and going to be sold at 130... (GAVEL) VO: Paul definitely enjoyed that result.

Not so sure about Mark though.

Quite ridiculous.

VO: Now, maybe Mark's unusual 19th-century decorative frame with photographs will claw back some winnings.

I've got £30 for it.

MARK: Oh, 30 straight in.

PAUL: Straight in.

On commission, 35, 40 is there now, 35, I'm bid at 35, 40, 45, 50 now, 50 bid.

You're off.

Oh that's alright.

Yeah, it's gonna do you.

Come on, a little bit more.

Come on internet.

ROB: 50, it's your bid at 50.

At £50, had its chance, at £50 then, being sold at 50... (GAVEL) VO: Well, that was a great buy Mark, with a wonderful slice of profit.

It's definitely put a smile back on your face.

(EXHALES) Coming out your shell now, I see.

PAUL: (LAUGHS) VO: Over to Paul, and that rare little cocktail carousel.

£50 bid straightaway, at 50, 55 is there now?

At £50 I'm bid, at 50, and five now do I hear?

At 55 there, 60, 65, 65 is there now?

65.

65 - 60, 65, 65 there, 65, the bid's there, that's 70.

Multiple bidding on the internet, 70.

At 70, 75, 80.

It's all on the net.

ROB: 85 is it now on the internet?

85?

£80 we have, at 80...5, 90 again on the internet, 90 you're bidding?

£85 I'm bid.

Is that 90?

£90 bid now?

At 90, at £90 only.

Any more bids?

It's a lovely thing.

At £90 only then.

Put the hammer down!

Put the hammer down!

(GAVEL) MARK: (SIGHS) PAUL: OK, OK. VO: Yet another sizable profit for Paul.

This is all going very well.

It's Paul again, with the silver lot of sugar tongs and the Egyptian brooch.

£50 bid straightaway, at 50, I'm bid at 50, and five now do I hear?

£50, 55, 60 on commission, 65, 65, 70, 75?

70 with me on com- 75, fresh bidder, 75, 80 is there now?

75, you're all bid out.

75, going to be sold at £75 then?

(GAVEL) Ooh.

Well it's £50 Paul.

VO: The bidders of Nantwich are loving Paul's lots.

It's yet another chunk of profit.

There there Mark, it's your turn next with the Indian tea set.

It should make £100, but, y'know... Not if my prayers have been answered.

At 30, where are you now at £30?

This is really cheap.

At £30, £30 bid down here, at £30 I have, 35 is there now?

At 35, 35, 40 now, 40 bid, 45, it's good value, 45.

At 40, the bid's here at £40, at 45, anybody else for a cup of tea?

At £40, the bid's here at £40.

I can't believe it Paul.

45, 50 now.

You sure?

45, the bid's there at 45, and going to be sold at 45.

Bid's there.

At £45, going away.

At £45... (GAVEL) Well, I just don't understand it.

I don't understand that.

I don't understand it Paul, honestly.

VO: I'm not understanding.

Sadly, it didn't make £100.

That's your first loss of the day though.

Over to Paul, with the charming pipe duo lot next.

At £50 I'm bid, 55, 55, 60, 65, 70's with me, 75 now?

At £70, bid's with me at £70, 75 on the internet, 80 here, 85 now, 85, 90, 95, on the internet at 95, 95 you're bid, on the internet at 95, at 110, multiple bidding on the internet, 110 now, 110, 120 is there?

120, 130 now, 130 bid, 130, 140 is there, 140 bid, 150 now.

150 do we hear?

150, 150 bid.160, multiple bidding on the internet.

160, 160, 170 now bid, 180 now bid, at 180, at 190 we have now, at 190.

You going to fill it up on the internet?

£200, make it a nice round figure?

200 bid now, at 200.

The bid's there at £200, will be sold, at £200 on the internet then, multiple bidding... (GAVEL) MARK: Congratulations.

Cheers.

Congratulations.

If I smoked, I'd open a big fat cigar.

VO: What a cracking profit Paul.

That's the best result so far.

It's Mark next, with the trench art shell cases.

Straightaway at £30 for these, at £30, 35 anywhere now?

35 there, at 35.

40 with me, 45 now, 45, your bid at 45.

50, fresh bidder.

MARK: Oh, 50 PAUL: You're doing well.

ROB: Now 60 bid, 65?

At £60 then bid, right at the back at £60, 65 anywhere else?

65, 70 now, 65 I'm bid sitting down here, £65, it will be sold.

At £65, bid's there at 65... (GAVEL) That was a good price Mark.

That was a very good price.

VO: It was indeed, thankfully.

That was a great buy Mark.

Next it's Paul with the 1920s pewter tea set.

£20 to start it off please, at 20.

20 anywhere now?

20 bid straightaway, his hand went up like a demon there, £20 straightaway.

At £20, 25 is there now?

Ah, disappointing.

ROB: Great value for money this is at 20, and five, 25, 30, 30 bid, 35 now, 35, just one more, 35?

At 30, the bid's here at £30, bid's there at £30, it's £30, a very stylish thing for a little money, at £30 and going to be sold at £30 only then if you're all finished and done?

Being sold at £30 then... (GAVEL) VO: Not one of your best results today though Paul, but every penny counts.

MARK: You know, you've doubled your money, there's no shame in that.

Yeah, yeah.

Right, it's the candlesticks.

Dun dun dunnnn!

VO: Now for the final lot of the day - it's Mark's pair of silver candlesticks that he managed to buy for a song.

I've got £80 bid for them, straightaway at £80, 85 is the now.

At £80, I'm bid at 80, and five, now what value for money, come on now, look what I'm doing.

There's no bidding!

There's the net.

The net.

85, 90, 95 is the now on the internet, 95, at 95 do I hear?

At 95 surely.

MARK: Yeah.

95 I'm bid, at 95, that takes my commission out, at 95 on the internet, at 95, 100 anywhere else?

It's going to be the net.

But there's nobody bidding!

Super value for money at £95 and going to be sold at 95.

This is just... ...unbelievable.

Sorry.

Had to be the damage.

It's just unbelievable.

VO: Come on Mark, it's an £80 profit.

Great results, but not enough to beat Paul.

Congratulations.

Cheers man.

The drinks, again, are on you.

VO: Mark started today's show with £210.66 and after paying auction costs made a profit of £124.40.

Mark has £335.06 to carry forward.

(GAVEL) VO: Paul, meanwhile, started with £371.10 and after auction costs made a bumper profit of £248.50.

Paul is today's winner.

He has a whopping £619.60 to take forward.

Well done.

MARK: Wow, Paul.

Congratulations again.

Cheers man.

I think I'll drive this time.

Yeah, good.

You can bask in your own... glory.

PAUL: (LAUGHS) PAUL: Home, Jeeves.

MARK: Onwards and downwards then, Paul.

VO: Next time on the Antiques Road Trip, Paul and Mark head for the Herefordshire town of Leominster.

Mark gives it the full monty.

The first thing I'll do is start stripping off - now don't get excited at home, it's only the jacket.

VO: And Paul gets upset by a plate.

It's insane, isn't it?

I mean really, what on earth?

I love that.

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