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

Going, going, gone.

Yes!

I think I've arrived!

VO: The aim?

To make the biggest profit at auction.

But it's no mean feat.

Yes!

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

Tails.

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

Aah!

Aah!

Aah!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

VO: Yeah!

VO: Today sees the start of a new journey, with two Road Trip veterans.

VO: Auctioneer Paul Laidlaw has a passion for militaria, an eye for detail, and is always keen to pass on his specialist knowledge.

PAUL: What more can the antiques expert tell you about it?

Not a lot, really!

VO: Trying to beat him at auction is antique dealer David Harper.

He enjoys taking a risk; all things oriental; and isn't afraid of a bit of hard graft.

Look at that.

DEALER: I've never seen a man work like this!

Have you not?

Never seen me work like this!

VO: Ha-ha!

Well, with £200 each in the wallets, the best of the British springtime and this 1968 Triumph Herald, our experts are in for the trip of a lifetime!

DAVID: I tell you what, Paul - it's very good to be back in a classic car.

PAUL: You liking it?

DAVID: Oh..!

And the sun's shining - it's... PAUL: You are lapping this up, aren't you?

Look at this!

DAVID: It's wonderful.

PAUL: "I'm back in the zone", says David Harper!

DAVID: I'm back in the zone, I am!

VO: What fun!

VO: On this route our boys set off from Windermere, in the English Lake District, and cover almost 600 miles.

They'll cross the border into Scotland, ending the week in the city of Dundee.

On this leg they'll start in the Cumbrian town of Windermere and weave their way towards the auction in East Boldon, in Tyne and Wear.

PAUL: Kendal - my adopted home.

DAVID: Yeah.

PAUL: And where are we gonna end up?

DAVID: I've no idea, where are we gonna end up?

God's own country!

DAVID: We're going to Scotland!

PAUL: But what a journey for us!

DAVID: My grandmother was Scottish - a proper... PAUL: Very good!

DAVID: ..proper Scot, so there's Scottish... ..blood running in these veins!

PAUL: Freedom!

VO: Oh, lordy!

VO: Lake Windermere, at 10½ miles, is the longest natural lake in England.

PAUL: Look at that!

DAVID: There's Windermere.

PAUL: Jeez!

DAVID: On a good day, Britain, for me, is the most beautiful place on the planet.

VO: The nearby town of Windermere was named after the railway station built in the mid-19th century, and had, before then, been known as Birthwaite.

VO: Our experts' first stop is tucked away in a little courtyard and run by Jean and Barrie.

DAVID: Barrie.

Nice to meet you.

Where d'you wanna go?

You want me to go that way?

What do you want me to do?

PAUL: Go to hell!

DAVID: Oh, no!

DAVID Oh, charming!

What a great start!

DAVID Do you hear that?

VO: Mm.

PAUL: Gloves are off now, Harper!

VO: Now, now, fellas don't fall out so early in the trip.

That is one that is one cracking chandelier.

And it's... Well, I'm not far away.

I've got £200 to spend, so I'm short of £2,450.

VO: From David's expensive tastes, to Paul's sense of humor.

I cannot believe it - in 20 years.

Usually these retail at about five to seven hundred pounds.

This has got real mileage.

VO: Don't fall for it, David.

PAUL: Catch any of that?

You little horror!

I'm gonna have to watch him.

Please, come on in, Paul - have a great time.

Which were the bargains?

Eh, I tell you, I think you should buy furniture.

It's doing particularly well at the moment.

VO: Ha!

They're both at it, now!

Come on chaps, time's ticking on.

DAVID: So what have we got then, you two?

Come on - dealer to dealer, what have we got in here that stands you at no money?

BARRIE: I'll come up with two little pieces for you.

OK. Might be good - you never know.

Probably save me hours.

VO: He may not trust Paul, but Jean and Barrie have got some hidden gems, including this 19th century Staffordshire character pepper pot.

Ticket price: £95.

He's a big, portly fellow.

He's a happy, well-fed chap.

I'd love to have a go at him, I would, cuz I think he's rare, but I think in auction, I think it might be, because of the damage, £20-£30.

If you take £20 for him...

I couldn't do it, David.

No, I couldn't do it.

VO: Barrie's not having that.

DAVID: Some objects do get you, you know?

There's just something - they just grab you.

And he grabs me, because he's just got that...quirky appeal, hasn't he?

BARRIE: Yeah.

DAVID: I'd have a go at 20 quid.

It'd be my first purchase.

We can't do 20.

Will you do 30?

DAVID: I tell you what - I'll spin a coin.

VO: Oh, no - not again!

Spin a coin!

It's a risk, Harper!

BARRIE: 25 and 35.

You gonna do that?

Go on, then.

25 if I win; 35 if you win.

You ready?

VO: Good luck, everyone.

I'll win this.

Tails.

VO: And Harper wins with heads.

Thank you very much, you two.

My first purchase.

Can I have my 10p back?!

VO: And with a flip of a coin, he's bought his first item for £25.

VO: With David now done with shopping, can Barrie and Jean tempt Paul with a little treasure?

That's a Stanhope, isn't it?

The wee... No, it isn't.

PAUL: Is it not?

BARRIE: No.

PAUL: How much is that?

BARRIE: That can be...a fiver.

I'd like to spend more...but I'm not talking you up!

VO: Come on, Paul!

Give us the lowdown on your tiny find.

Yeah.

I've gotta come clean.

It's a Stanhope.

It isn't.

It is.

It's not.

It is.

And I wouldn't want to do the dirty on you and walk outside and go "D'you know..." VO: What a decent chap!

And so full of knowledge!

Stanhope - named after the man - in the 19th century, developed...if I say microfilm...it's painting a picture.

It is photography, greatly diminished in scale.

And you look down them, and there are two little views.

So you get two Stanhopes for the price of one there.

VO: Ooh!

think he spies great profits with these little binoculars.

Have we got a deal at a fiver, then, yeah?

I can't go back on it, can I?

You're a gentleman, Barrie.

Wish me luck.

And pray to God I'm right!

You're gonna get some luck with that!

One of the smallest things we've seen on the Road Trip.

Next, I'll buy a wardrobe.

VO: He certainly eyed up a bargain with this one.

I still can't see it.

VO: Meanwhile, David is back on the road - off to the village of Coniston, sitting in the Lake District National Park.

VO: The 19th century poet, art critic and philosopher John Ruskin made Coniston his home, and has been commemorated with a museum.

But more recent notoriety has come from Coniston Water and the world speed records that have been attempted and set by one of the greatest sporting dynasties this country has ever known.

And David's in for a taste of life in the fast lane at the Ruskin Museum, courtesy of museum director Vicky.

Vicky.

Hello, David.

How nice to meet you.

Thank you very much indeed.

Welcome to the Bluebird Wing at the Ruskin Museum.

So, can you show me around?

VICKY: Yes, of course.

Lovely.

VO: The museum tells the story of record breaker Donald Campbell, and his father, Sir Malcolm, who broke land and water speed records in the 1920s and '30s, using specially constructed vehicles he named "Bluebird".

DAVID: This is something that I have never known and I've always wanted to know: why were the boats and the cars - for both Malcolm and Donald - called Bluebird?

VICKY: Apparently, in 1912 the hit play in the West End was called "The Blue Bird", and it's about two children pursuing the Blue Bird of Happiness, and Sir Malcolm thought that the elusiveness of the Blue Bird of Happiness was similar to record-breaking.

DAVID: Just never quite able to get your hands on that bird.

VICKY: Just nearly within reach, but he couldn't just grab hold of it.

DAVID: Yeah, I know the feeling.

VICKY: And of course it was a very effective piece of marketing, because it meant that the blue color was used for all the cars and the boats.

VO: But Donald carried on the family tradition, breaking seven world water speed records, and to this day is the only person to hold both the world water and land speed records in the same year.

VO: So great was his passion for speed, that his last vessel, the Bluebird K7, was more aircraft than boat.

DAVID: It looks very insect-like.

VICKY: Very insect... DAVID: I mean, the design is... VICKY: Bit like a water boatman or something.

Yes, absolutely - as if it is hovering on top of the water.

VICKY: And it did, and Donald Campbell, in order to go faster, actually bought a Gnat trainer fighter from the Ministry of Defence, who were decommissioning... DAVID: So this is a fighter engine - an aircraft engine?

Oh, yes, yes.

VO: But water speed records are a dangerous dream to chase.

Over the winter of 1966/1967, Donald was pushing to better his own 276mph record at Coniston.

These images were taken during weeks of unsuccessful attempts.

Then, on the 4th of January, Donald was on target to smash the record when disaster struck.

VO: While speeding at over 300mph, Donald lost control of his craft.

The Bluebird somersaulted in the air and nose-dived into the water, breaking up on impact and killing the 45 year old husband and father.

VICKY: In a way it's sort of more or less implicit from the start, that there is that risk.

The water speed record has the highest attrition rate of any sport, as far as I'm aware.

It's 80-odd percent.

DAVID: Really?

VICKY: Yeah.

The awful thing is that had he just managed to control her for another sort of 100 yards or so, he would almost... Well, he'd have certainly broken his own record, and the record that he set could even still be in place, because the record currently stands at 317.

VO: Donald's fame in life has been mirrored in death, as he and his craft remained in the lake for over 34 years before they were recovered.

And since 2001, the wreckage of Bluebird K7 has been undergoing a painstaking restoration project, in preparation for display in the museum.

DAVID: And now all you need here, Vicky, is the boat - you need her here, don't you?

VICKY: We do.

I mean, she will be coming here in due course, but the conservation rebuilds being carried out by volunteers, and they're not doing it 24/7.

DAVID: Well, will you let me know when she arrives?

I'd love to come back... We will.

We'll let you know.

DAVID: Well, Vicky, it's been an absolute delight and an honor.

Well, thank you for coming.

Thank you for coming.

My pleasure.

Thank you for inviting us.

VICKY: Glad you've enjoyed it.

It's quite a story, all this.

Fascinating.

VO: Meanwhile, Paul is heading towards the next stop of the trip - the historic market town of Kendal.

VO: Since the Roman settlers began dealing with the local tribes, over 2,000 years ago, trading has been an important part of Kendal's history.

Today it's still famed for its variety of shops, and Paul's heading for one with a past.

VO: Housed in a listed 17th century manor house, owners Robert and Andy have packed it full of eclectic and tempting antiques.

I did say before I was looking for somewhere to rummage!

I think I've arrived!

VO: The trick is to turn this treasure trove into your own pot of gold.

PAUL: Context is bric-a-brac.

And that's car boot sale on a table, is it not?

VO: Oh!

Cheeky!

And in amongst it...is rather a rich thing.

So, period - second half of the 19th century.

Medium - gilt brass...with applied enamel porcelain plaque there.

It's a rich piece of Victorian, very decorative metalwork.

VO: He's taken with this gilt brass chalice-like vessel, but it's not the only item he's got his eye on.

PAUL: African.

Carved...wooden...stool.

My children could've told you that.

What more can the antiques expert tell you about it?

Not a lot, really!

VO: At least he's honest!

PAUL: That has a pleasing patina.

It's got wear and tear...that's unlikely to have been brought about over here - because over here, it sits in the corner, with a plant on it, does it not?

Um...any port in a storm.

In this case, it could be an African port.

We'll give that a try later on, shall we?

VO: A man on a mission, with two items in his sights and no sign of surrender!

PAUL: That is an officer's service dress - that's the correct terminology.

Royal Army Medical Corps.

Captain.

Why am I looking at it?

Well, it's a strong market, military - hot.

It's all there.

It has its belt and it also has its trousers.

VO: With a passion for militaria, Paul's gunning for glory.

PAUL: Here's another one.

In this instance... That was Royal Army Medical Corps.

This one has collar badges of the Royal West Kent regiment, and of course collectors chase relics of particular regiments.

OK. Well, that's another one I can ask about.

VO: This place certainly has him all lit up.

And he's also found a Chinese carved table lamp.

PAUL: Chinese.

Carved hardwood.

I love it!

I must admit, I absolutely love these things.

Bags of character there, and you put yourself a nice silk shade or a pagoda form shade on that, what's not to love?

VO: What about the £185 price tag, Paul?

It's worth a shot.

PAUL: A few wee bits and bobs.

The likes of the officer's service dress there.

DEALER: We're looking for £87 for that.

PAUL: OK. That's unlucky, but c'est la vie.

You've got a Victorian cup.

DEALER: We've been looking for £150 for that.

PAUL: I know, I know, I know.

DEALER: So where would you want to be?

PAUL: Oh, I'll wade straight in at my limit, and not play any games.

At 50, I take a punt.

DEALER: We'll let you have a go at 50, and see how you go with that.

VO: Laidlaw's gaining ground, with a third off the Victorian brass.

PAUL: There's a wee African stool, sitting on the floor, in front of you.

DEALER: That's unusual.

Anything ethnic these days... Again we're looking about £45 for that.

PAUL: Yeah.

It was gonna be my parting shot, just because you've asked, a tenner, to be honest with you - a tenner.

DEALER: Have a go with that, just for interest - to see what it will bring... PAUL: Take a punt at those two, then.

DEALER: ..in the auction.

VO: It's another great deal, at £10 for the stool.

And now for his final strike.

Strike while the iron's hot.

DEALER: Yes.

Long shot.

DEALER: Yes.

PAUL: Two more things.

DEALER: Yes.

PAUL: There's the two service dress tunics.

I didn't even ask you about it - the Chinese, carved, hardwood figure lamp... DEALER: Yes.

..at the top of the stairs, and it's got a massive price tag on it.

DEALER: You're welcome to bid us on that.

PAUL: Yeah.

So no...no pressure at all.

I want to pay 70 quid, the lot.

DEALER: Two tunics and... ..and the Chinese lamp... ..at £70.

PAUL: 70 quid.

Plus - stool at 10; brass at 50.

DEALER: No problem.

Pleasure, Andrew.

DEALER: You're welcome.

PAUL: Good man.

VO: Well, I never!

That's a saving of almost £600!

Parting with over half his cash, Paul's making off with four items.

PAUL: Robert.

DEALER: Thank you.

VO: And joining David once more, they wind down together for the night, after a fast and furious day on the road.

Night night.

VO: It's the start of a brand new day on the road trip.

DAVID: So, have we suddenly gone back to November or something?!

Is it Chr...near Christmas?!

This is freezing!

VO: Bracing - eh, chaps?

DAVID: This is real motoring.

It's raw.

PAUL: Hypothermia in the morning!

Nothing like it!

VO: Yesterday Paul parted with £135 and picked up five items - the Stanhope binoculars; the African stool; a pair of Second World War dress tunics; an early 20th century Chinese table lamp; and the gothic chalice-like vessel, with the porcelain plaques; which leaves him with £65 to take him to the end of the day.

VO: On the toss of a coin, David bought the Staffordshire character pepper pot for £25, which means he still has £175 to spend.

VO: Our experts are braving the British spring weather en route to Hawes, in North Yorkshire.

VO: Sitting to the east of the Pennines, this picture postcard market town makes it particularly popular with visitors.

And one big draw is Paul's next stop - the proud home of Wensleydale cheese.

DAVID: Listen, have a great day.

PAUL: Yeah, well you get pickle, cheese and crackers, OK?

DAVID: OK. What kind of bread do you want?

Just lots!

DAVID: Just lots of bread?

OK. Alright.

PAUL: See you later.

See you, Paul.

VO: This crumbly cheese has a rich heritage, going back to the 12th century.

It's now enjoyed globally, including by animation stars Wallace and Gromit.

Although there are other producers of Wensleydale in the UK, this is where it all started, and as such, houses a museum, charting its cheesy past.

Today it's still made only using milk from local farms, and has been the recipient of almost 400 awards in the last decade alone.

VO: So pucker up, Paul, for a real taste of Yorkshire history, courtesy of managing director David.

PAUL: Well this is not what I expected.

I know we're in a museum setting.

I expected farmhouse sort of environment, and I see Norman arches.

MD: Well, we're in...

Yes, because the story of Wensleydale cheese really started with those first monks who came over from France, at the...after William the Conqueror had taken over the country.

So they arrived in the 11th and 12th century and they were the people who really brought cheese-making to these parts.

VO: Back then, cheese was primarily a way of preserving sheep milk.

Over time, the art of cheese-making evolved.

Cows' milk was largely used, and the process moved out of the monastery and into farmhouse.

MD: These are our stone presses, and these would've been used to press cheese in a farmhouse location.

These would've been built into a wall or built into the inside of a building.

And what always fascinates me about Wensleydale cheese is people describe it as a lightly-pressed cheese.

Can you imagine that lightly pressing something?!

Just incredible!

VO: It wasn't until 1897 that cheese was made commercially in the area, when local merchant Edward Chapman sought to standardize quality.

But it was the now legendary local businessman Kit Calvert MBE, captured here on the left, who rescued the business from closure in the 1930s and started the creamery, as we know it today, in 1953.

MD: So we have a fantastic document here, which is the souvenir of the opening of the new creamery.

But there is just a fantastic paragraph there - it's just really...sums the picture up.

PAUL: "This new creamery is only what our industry deserves, "and if treated with such... "with much care and respect as it was by our predecessors, "it will pay its trustees worthy compensations."

A heritage... MD: That's brilliant.

..runs through it, doesn't it?

VO: The current custodians of this heritage and taste continue to invent new cheeses, including the Kit Calvert Wensleydale, which is handcrafted to an old traditional recipe.

MD: Wensleydale cheese changed during the Second World War, when the Ministry of Food really encouraged cheese-makers to have cheese ready and available faster.

Therefore the moisture went up, and that's where this sort of characteristic white, crumbly style of Wensleydale - still very milky and still very appealing - came to the fore.

And probably these older recipes of Wensleydale cheese got forgotten a little bit.

PAUL: I see.

MD: But...just as a way of commemorating Kit Calvert, we were encouraged by certain customers, saying "Can you make us an old-style Wensleydale?

", which is what we did.

So if you just a break a little bit off the end of there.

PAUL: Just a little bit?

MD: Have a generous bit...it's worth it.

You'll see how smooth and creamy.

PAUL: Tangy.

MD: Tangy.

From the nose to the palate, man alive, David!

You're my new best friend, do you know that?!

Yeah, yeah.

I see you really enjoyed it!

I love it.

Wonderful - thanks very much.

Pleasure.

VO: As Paul hits the cheese... VO: ..David's been hitting the road, en route to West Burton, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park... ..where he's been met by a slower pace of rural life.

VO: Hurry along, then, girls!

VO: The beautiful village of West Burton was a thriving market town around the late 18th and 19th centuries.

And the market cross and stocks can still be seen today.

David's appointment is at The Old Smithy Antiques, with owner Elaine.

DAVID: Hello.

ELAINE: Hello.

Hi there.

Gosh, this is gorgeous!

Lovely to meet you.

What a gorgeous place!

ELAINE: It is - it's lovely, isn't it?

And a lovely heat source.

ELAINE: Yeah.

It is.

It's lovely on a cold day like today, isn't it?

DAVID: Absolutely.

And I've been in the c... Feel my hands.

ELAINE: Oh, they ARE cold.

Ooh, my word!

Bitter.

Well, warm heart - a very warm heart.

VO: Crikey!

And with only one purchase so far, you'd better warm up fast, David!

ELAINE: I think it's Japanese, but it's a silver cigarette case, but the inside is just quite... DAVID: Oh.

ELAINE: ..quite something.

VO: The silver cigarette case has a ticket price of £85 and an engraved picture of the volcano Mount Fuji - the highest mountain in Japan.

DAVID: That's copper laid on top of silver.

It's got a good weight.

Put it aside for now, is that OK?

I will, yeah.

I'll leave it there.

DAVID: Right.

I'll dive in here again.

VO: Will the cigarette case erupt into profits at the auction?

Or perhaps this little 19th century glass dish will.

ELAINE: I know it's Masonic... DAVID: Yeah.

ELAINE: ..but I think that has quite a bit of an age to it.

I'm pleased you pointed that out to me, because anything with any sort of Masonic emblem is sought after, isn't it?

And they can do quite well.

I mean, that's a good chunk of hand-blown glass.

Do you think it's some kind of... ..it's a paperweight of some sort?

ELAINE: Yeah, but... DAVID: For anything - pins... ELAINE: You never know with the Masons, do you?

DAVID: You dunno.

Let's shake your hand.

ELAINE: Oh, gosh!

DAVID: Oh, oh... You're one of those, aren't you?

Eh, well...no... No - women aren't allowed.

Of course.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

VO: Ticket price is £18 but maybe another handshake could bring that down, David.

DAVID: Can it be a tenner?

Yeah, I think I could do it... DAVID: OK. Let me have that for a tenner, Elaine.

Than you very much.

That's the first one.

ELAINE: OK. DAVID: Thank you.

So that's that.

Now, let's go to Japanese cigarette box, marked "Sterling".

It's nicely engraved.

But you've got some silver polish, so if I do buy it, can I buff it up?

I would think so.

Alright.

How much can it be?

Go on.

Give me the double best death price.

ELAINE: Eh...65 is the death on that, I'm sorry.

DAVID: Oh, no.

I'll have it for 50, if you say yes - I'll take a chance on it.

I could do it at 60, maybe - at a push.

DAVID: Gosh, I can't.

ELAINE: No.

55's the very death - the very death.

65, really, but I would do it at 55, and that's as far as I can go... DAVID: OK.

I can see it in your eyes.

I'll have it.

Thank you very much.

ELAINE: OK.

Thank you very much.

VO: A good deal - but can it shine, David?

Oh, look at that!

DAVID: Look at that, yeah.... Elaine, you are absolutely dreadful.

What is your house like?!

ELAINE: Oh, gosh - don't ask!

VO: Behave, Harper!

Oh, my goodness me, Elaine - you are gonna be absolutely devastated!

The price is going up!

That is Japanese silver, baby, looking the way it did when it was made.

I've never seen a man work like this!

Have you not?

Never seen me work like this!

ELAINE: That's worth twice as much now.

DAVID: It is.

Elaine, you're so right.

VO: D'you know, he's always been one to add a bit of sparkle - even to little lumps of stone.

PAUL: They are depicting typical Chinese scenes.

We've got people here, we've got landscape, we've got outcrops of rock, and we've got some age to them.

But they're probably tourist pieces.

No price, which probably means they're free.

Elaine?

I don't know how much those are.

How much do you think they should be?

DAVID: Shall I tell you?

ELAINE: Go on, then.

DAVID: I think they should be, for the pair, a few pounds.

ELAINE: A few pounds.

Well, I was thinking more like a tenner a piece.

DAVID: Oh, gosh!

ELAINE: Em...but I suppose I could do the pair for 15.

A fiver for the pair.

Can you squeeze up to £8?

DAVID: Oh, go on!

Only cuz you're gorgeous!

Oh, go on, then!

Thank you!

VO: So, with these 19th or 20th century early Chinese stone carvings, he's walking off with three items.

DAVID: That's 70.

ELAINE: Right.

Good.

ELAINE: See you.

DAVID: Goodbye.

VO: And back in the Triumph with Paul, they head to their final shopping destination.

DAVID: How many items do you need to buy?

PAUL: I'm not telling you.

DAVID: You can tell me.

You can, honestly.

Paul, no one's listening.

Tell me anything you like.

Go on.

Personal issues, I can help you.... PAUL: You couldn't handle my personal issues.

DAVID: Are they as bad as people say?

VO: Oh, I say!

VO: They're en route to the town of Middleham.

DAVID: This is my territory, Mr Laidlaw.

PAUL: This is your..?

Am I on your patch?

DAVID: You're on my patch.

VO: The town's castle was the childhood home of Richard III, and still rises over its inhabitants today.

As it was left to go to rack and ruin by the Tudors, the stone was used to build many of the local houses.

PAUL: Is the handbrake on?

DAVID: Eh...yeah, I think so.

If it isn't, it's going down the hill, with you!

And I think... PAUL: Good luck, yeah?

DAVID: You are that direction.

You're...

It's all downhill for you, look, from now on.

PAUL: See you later!

DAVID: See you.

VO: What a carry on!

And off he goes to Middleham Antiques, to meet road trip regular Angela.

Hi, Ange!

Paul.

Pleased to meet you.

Yes, I know.

One of my favorite presenters.

PAUL: Oh, I'm loving you!

You talk a lot of sense.

PAUL: And you're one of my favorite antique dealers... ..because YOU'RE talking a lot of sense!

I'll do my thang.

ANGELA: Just shout when you want me.

PAUL: Thanks, Angela.

ANGELA: Yeah.

VO: They're like old friends already.

PAUL: Oy, oy, oy, oy, oy.

That's good.

VO: He's getting warmer in this room.

PAUL: Angela.

ANGELA: Yes?

PAUL: And one of the daftest things for me to pick up is an old stoneware - what do we call it - a flagon, but a jar, but it's got 22 quid on it.

ANGELA: Oh, yes.

I think we can do something on that.

I need you to knock 20 quid off that.

ANGELA: I could let it go for five...but not two.

PAUL: You'd sell us that for a fiver?

ANGELA: Mm-hm.

No point in being silly about it.

Old, old, old stock.

Everything's moveable - it is not set in stone.

I'm loving your work.

VO: A deal for an old jar.

You do spot some corkers.

PAUL: I'm gonna tell you why I bought it.

ANGELA: Ah, it's the name.

And what's that?

"S-R-D".

ANGELA: Mm-hm?

The best story I've heard yet: Services Ration Department.

Know what these stored?

Rum.

But the "S-R-D" makes it appealing to me, because it's a military thing.

VO: A tipple on yet more militaria - but Paul's a man with a plan.

I have got one good military lot that just got better, by virtue of a rum jar.

That's magic.

Totally comfortable with that.

£20 for two service dress tunics yesterday.

It's now 25 for two service dress tunics and an SRD rum jar.

I'm telling you, that's getting to be a nice wee lot.

VO: He's excited!

VO: But has David been having as much luck with shopping endeavors, with the help of Richard?

I did walk by the window just now, and I saw that.

RICHARD: The Chinese pot?

DAVID: I mean, it's new, isn't it?

RICHARD: That's right.

It is 20th century.

I've got it in for 695... Oh.

..which I think is about...an average price for that.

OK.

I think you're probably right.

It's a big lump, isn't it?

Yes.

I bought it to put the wife in but she won't fit.

VO: Hey!

I hope your wife's not watching, Richard!

There's gonna be pillow talk.

RICHARD: It seems like you might have Chinese on your mind... Oh, I've always got Chinese on my mind, that's for sure!

RICHARD: I have this... this one here.

DAVID: Teapot?

RICHARD: Yes.

It's an interesting piece, isn't it?

DAVID: It's pretty modern, isn't it?

RICHARD: Mm.

VO: He's tempted by the cockerel shaped teapot, but at £75, he's not counting his chickens just yet.

Mm.

Can the jade teapot be.. Are you ready for a bid?

RICHARD: Go on.

DAVID: 40 quid?

RICHARD: No, I couldn't do it for that.

I wouldn't cover my cost on it, David.

DAVID: Really?

RICHARD: Yeah.

DAVID: Are you sure?

RICHARD: Yeah.

DAVID: OK.

If you offer me 50, I'll take it.

VO: Here we go.

DAVID: You know where we've gotta go with this one.

You know where we have to go.

RICHARD: 45.

DAVID: Good man.

Thank you very much.

Chinese jade teapot.

VO: With that final purchase, our rivals regroup and make the short... VO: ..journey to the town of Aysgarth, for a showdown.

Do not kill me, Paul.

Oh, behave yourself, David!

Be kind.

You are playing this down!

Are you ready?

Oh...gosh.

Oh, my gosh.

OK. Al...right.

Aye, aye, OK. Where do you want to go?

Show me the wee Staffordshire piece.

Yes, yeah.

PAUL: Pepperette.

DAVID: Yes.

PAUL: And who is he?

DAVID: I don't know.

It's a late 18th century character.

But I love his face, and he's got comedic value.

He is a toping gentleman.

Yes.

He certainly is.

But I think he's fun.

I love such things.

Good.

It's a great period.

Oozes charm.

I'm totally with you in every regard.

Thank you.

"But..." But I don't think you paid a lot of money for it.

No, I didn't.

VO: Indeed.

And all thanks to the toss of a coin.

DAVID: We've got a mottled jade Chinese teapot.

And do you know where it's from - what period?

The Ming Ding Dong dynasty.

Which is... You totally set me up there!

Which is about made yesterday.

The guy just finished it, like this, and I went in - "There you go - there's 45 quid."

Effectively that.

There's no age to it.

PAUL: You're a gambler.

And that's a clever buy.

You put in there and you find a couple of people who think 'Gosh, that might be an old one!'

So that's me, Paul.

I'm done.

I think it's a very astute portfolio you've got there, and we both know it has potential.

VO: Will Paul's items pack as much of a punch?

DAVID: Well, of course - militaria.

That is obvious... PAUL: And?

And very interesting.

The smallest thing I bought.

DAVID: Oh, my gosh.

Bone.

Bone.

You can see the little flecks in it.

Is that a little bit of.. What's that marking?

It's a double Stanhope viewer.

Oh, how gorgeous!

What is in there?

What can we see?

It took some doing, but it transpires it's Conwy Castle, and a little local village - Deganwy or something.

That is super, Paul.

It's a sweet little thing, that.

How did you even see it?!

I wouldn't see it!

Very sweet.

OK. PAUL: Right.

The piece I'm least proud of is my ethnic African stool.

Can I tell you what I think that is?

I think it's Asante, I think it's west Africa, Nigeria, and I think it's absolutely cracking.

Is there lots of wear?

There's plenty of wear.

PAUL: There's good wear.

And look at the wear from the clay soil up, importantly.

DAVID: I like it, Paul.

PAUL: It's OK?

Yes, I like it.

DAVID: I think it's proper Asante and I rate it.

It's a good table, innit?

It's a very good table.

I tell you what - we could stand here, at a fair... PAUL: Yeah, that's right!

DAVID: And I think we could make ourselves, you and I, enough to have a good weekend away somewhere, eat and drink as much as we can possibly consume.

I reckon we could do it.

I like the way your mind works!

Wouldn't that be good?

VO: They may be heading off on holiday, hand in hand, but do they think they'll be neck and neck at the auction?

Some shrewd purchases.

I know why he bought every single piece, and he's only made one mistake - that being the Staffordshire pepperette.

It's a loser.

But everything else, I think, has got some potential.

It's a good offering - good portfolio, as I said.

Like it.

DAVID: I think it is going to be a close call.

I don't think any of us are gonna be embarrassed by the things that we've bought, and it's anyone's game.

And bizarrely, we've both spent about the same amount of money too.

So very interesting.

VO: Will their purchases pay off?

Time to find out, as they head to auction, in East Boldon.

DAVID: To the auction, Paul Laidlaw - the auction.

PAUL: This is it D-Day.

DAVID: The first one.

And I'm feeling remarkably, stupidly confident.

No one else will build you up, other than yourself, so you might as well get yourself on a pedestal and chop yourself off at the base!

Why don't we build one another up?

Shall we do that?

I've always said you were amazing.

Paul, I've got... You know what?

I think I love you.

VO: Oh, lordy!

The Boldons are a group of three villages, surrounded by green belt land, with a deep connection to mining.

Today's auction is at Boldon Auction Galleries.

After you, Paul.

Thank you very much.

Ladies first.

VO: And while our experts get their teeth stuck into the competition, auctioneer Giles Hodges shares his thoughts on their lots.

The market for Staffordshire on the whole is pretty flat, because, unfortunately, there's a lot of reproductions around.

We've got two Chinese soapstone carvings.

The word "Chinese" sort of brings a bit of excitement to most salerooms at the moment, but they are fairly crude, they're fairly standard, and I think they might just struggle a little bit today.

VO: Paul spent £140 of his original 200 and is offering up five lots.

VO: David also began with £200, and spent £143 on five lots, with £57 cash left over.

So take it away Giles!

VO: First up is David's pepper pot.

AUCTIONEER: Tenner to start me.

Fiver, off we go.

Oh, Paul!

Five pound here.

At five, At five.

Eight.

Eight, and 10.

£10.

Oh, God.

You were wrong!

AUCTIONEER: The bid's down there.

You're both out.

DAVID: Come on!

Go on!

AUCTIONEER: 15.

At £15.

The lady's bid at the moment.

Go on, lady!

£15.

Your bid.

All done at 15?

VO: Paul was right about that one - it's a loss.

Not a bloodbath.

AUCTIONEER: 191.

VO: Over to Paul now, and his Gothic piece of Victorian gilt bronze.

10.

15, 20, five, 30, five, 40.

£40 upstairs.

Is there another fiver?

PAUL: There's got to be.

45.

45 downstairs, the bid is downstairs.

All done at £45?

Close.

Mm.

Close, close.

You got a small loss.

VO: £5 to be precise, David.

Even more after commission.

Not a great start, fellas.

VO: David's hoping to carve out better profits with his two pieces of Chinese stone.

Five pound bid downstairs, at five.

At five, eight, 10, 12.

..the money.

15, £15 downstairs.

Come on.

I need that tenner, back!

AUCTIONEER: 18 anybody else, there?

DAVID: Go on.

At £15.

We're away at 15.

I'm crawling back, Paul.

I'm crawling back like this!

Desperation!

VO: You'll be up and walking in no time with that £7!

VO: Now for Paul's Chinese carved table lamp.

I've got two commission bids.

I start at £30, I've started.

AUCTIONEER: 35.

DAVID: Ooh.

AUCTIONEER: 40, five.

Anybody else?

PAUL: It's still cheap.

50, five, 60, five, 70... VO: It's hotting up!

AUCTIONEER: At £75.

Gentleman's bid...

I'd buy it at that.

Yeah, it's cheap.

I still think it's cheap.

Still cheap.

Yeah.

..and away at 75.

PAUL: I'll take it.

Take it, Paul - take it.

I'm giving it to you.

VO: That's kind of him!

And that £25 puts Paul in front.

VO: Is his next lot sitting on yet more profits?

Got two commission bids.

At 20 start me, straight in.

25, 30, 35.

The bid is upstairs on the balcony.

PAUL: It should do... AUCTIONEER: ..at £35.

We're all done?

At £35.

VO: Another £25 helps Paul increase his lead.

It's nice earner.

S'alright.

Well done.

Steady away there.

VO: Right, David - let's hope your Masonic engraved glass can dish out more cash.

Somebody bid me a bid of £5 for the Masonic.

Gentleman at the forefront at five.

10, 15, 20, five.

25 at the forefront.

30, £30 on the right-hand side.

£30, ladies and gents.

Come on.

AUCTIONEER: Are we all done at 30?

No, we're not.

VO: He's catching up now though, with a £20 profit all of his own.

I wanted 300.

I got 10% back.

VO: Up next is his big risk - the Chinese jade teapot.

Somebody start me for £50 and away for it, somebody.

50 bid.

Straight in at 50.

55.

60.

DAVID: Come on!

AUCTIONEER: £60, down to the left.

DAVID: Come on!

AUCTIONEER: At £60.

Are we all done, ladies and gents?

Egg 'em on!

Egg 'em on!

Egg 'em on!

Egg 'em on, Paul!

Egg 'em on!

Love you though I do, you're on your own!

..at £60.

VO: Not pouring out much of a profit but it's good at £15.

I wanted 120.

I got half!

VO: Can Paul's miniature lot give him a big return?

Commission bid at 15 to start me.

PAUL: Oh... AUCTIONEER: At £15.

PAUL: I thought it was 50!

AUCTIONEER: 18.

DAVID: Oh.

20, 22, 25, 28.

All done, ladies and gents?

£28.

VO: You've got your eyes on the prize now.

That is a good profit.

Alright?

From a fiver!

It's better my blinking jade Chinese pot!

VO: David's last offering - the silver Japanese cigarette case.

Will it be a smokin' lot or not?

20 to start it.

25.

PAUL: Oh... AUCTIONEER: 30.

DAVID: Come on.

Five, 40, five, 50.

DAVID: Come on.

AUCTIONEER: Five.

DAVID: Come on.

PAUL: Away you go, away.

AUCTIONEER: At £65... DAVID: Oh now, come on.

AUCTIONEER: ..and all done?

DAVID: Come on.

AUCTIONEER: 65.

DAVID: No.

VO: Not exactly a towering mountain of profit, I'm afraid, David.

VO: And for Paul's last lot, he's combined his Second World War dress tunics with the First World War rum jar.

Can it seal his victory?

Somebody bid me a fiver the lot, please.

Bid at the back of the hall first.

Five, 10, 15, 20, five, 30, five, 40.

DAVID: Mm.

You're away.

AUCTIONEER: 50, 55.

60.

DAVID: You're away.

AUCTIONEER: Five, 70, five.

Downstairs at 75.

Are we all done?

At £75, and we're away at £75.

VO: And that profit is bang on £50, which gives victory to Laidlaw.

Good day out.

No bloodshed there.

Buying a pint, my man?

Buying a pint sounds marvelous!

You're great, you are, Laidlaw!

VO: David Harper started with £200, and after auction costs, he made a profit of £8.70 - ha!

- which gives him £208.70 to spend next time.

VO: Paul Laidlaw also started with £200, and has made an impressive profit of £71.56 after costs.

That puts him in the lead, with £271.56 to spend on the next leg.

Well done.

DAVID: Very good.

All very successful, I think.

PAUL: Not a bad morning's work!

I mean, I know you're the one with the Maths degree but I think you'll find that 208 beats 271.

In what parallel universe are you?!

In my universe.

And winner drives.

PAUL: Get off!

DAVID: Ready?

PAUL: Yes.

DAVID: Wahey!

VO: Next time on the Antiques Road Trip... David Harper shows off his love of antiques...

I almost want to kiss it.

Is that...is that really wrong?

VO: ..and impresses Paul Laidlaw with his purchases.

PAUL: That's... DAVID: Stunning, beyond belief.

PAUL: ..a belting good thing!

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