VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts... Alright viewers?

VO: ..with £200 each, a classic car, and a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

I'm on fire - yes!

Sold - going, going, gone.

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

But it's no mean feat.

50p!

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

Tricep dips!

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

Ooh!

Oh!

Ah!

Should be a good one.

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

This week we start a brand new chapter with our illustrious Road Trippers Paul Laidlaw and Thomas Plant.

THOMAS (TP): No such thing as bad weather, is there?

PAUL (PL): (CHUCKLES) Tom!

Tom!

Back to reality.

Back to reality.

You're drifting again.

VO: This is auctioneer Paul Laidlaw.

He's very intuitive, you know.

Spotted it because of my antique sixth sense.

VO: And he's all man when it comes to choosing antiques.

Let me show you some tea and dinner ware.

VO: Thomas Plant is also an auctioneer, but sometimes away with the fairies.

I love a seahorse - do you like a seahorse?

Seahorses I think are the most magical creatures.

VO: He knows a good antique when he sees one.

Particularly like this diamond bunny rabbit with the bowtie.

VO: Cheeky.

Our gents about town begin their adventure with a bulging wallet of £200 each and this isn't the first time they've had a good old joust in our antiques tournament.

TP: As I recall, back then in the heady days of 2000-and-whatever... PS: (LAUGHS) 2000 and then.

TP: 2000 and whenever, it was a fabulous result.

TP: You thrashed me.

PL: (LAUGHS) VO: And their nifty little motor is the 1963 Sunbeam Alpine.

There's no roof.

There's no roof!

Then what are we going to do when it rains?

PL: Er... TP: Get wet.

Yeah, get wet.

VO: Paul and Thomas will, come rain or shine, travel over 600 miles from Morecambe in Lancashire to the county town of Bedford.

But this is hopefully the beginning of a thrilling antiques adventure, and we kick off in the popular sea-side town of Morecambe - bring me back a stick of rock, fellas.

And we'll auction later in Clitheroe, also in Lancashire.

So, we're off to the not so sunny Morecambe.

A young Eric Bartholomew grew up here, even taking his stage name from the town, becoming the show stopping Eric Morecambe.

The sun may be well and truly hiding but a bit of cloud and drizzle won't dampen our boys' spirits.

TP: Well driven Laidlaw, well driven.

Thank you very much Mr Plant.

Watch me just demolish this seawall.

Thelma and Louise moment at Morecambe.

Get out from these straps.

They're quite easy access really.

I'm just worried about how my right cheek is going to react.

VO: Too much information boys.

They are both quite big strapping lads for the delicate little Sunbeam though.

Let's not hang about - you're sharing your first shop of the day in Northern Relics.

And waiting to greet them are a big pair of giraffes, a pair of lions.

Ha!

I wonder if Noah's about.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: One thing's for sure - they're a right pair of cheeky monkeys.

Let's stick with tough-talking Laidlaw.

He's full of determination.

I'm going to find amazing things and blow good money on them.

He who dares wins and all that.

VO: Blimey!

Don't mess with him, Thomas.

Fighting talk indeed.

PL: Look at the startling originality of the design and then observe the quality of workmanship.

We have got a bizarre fire screen.

It's in wrought iron and copper, there's a touch of the ecclesiastical about it.

That's seriously good work.

I envy... the talent.

Period?

Period?

Arts and crafts, yeah.

Makes sense.

So, late 19th up to, let's say, the 1920s.

I love it, I absolutely love it.

It's got that factor, that... ..you may not like me but I defy you to ignore me.

Yeah?

VO: Are we talking about the antique?

I love it, I love it.

There is no price tag on it.

VO: Well, he's certainly in love with this little number.

Hmm...

I wonder if he's unearthed a wonderful treasure.

Paul tracks down Chris, the owner, to talk money.

Chris.

Yeah?

Can I borrow you?

Course you can.

The first thing I thought I would ask you about, the fire screen thing there.

Yeah.

But there is nicht on it at all.

CHRIS: That is 50.

Oof, jeez, right, why?

I would buy this screen.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not just test...

I'm not just mucking you about... Yeah.

But we're a country mile off.

But it works for me if it's cheap, not if it's... got a big price tag.

Yeah.

What can it be?

CHRIS: What are you offering?

PL: I'm offering you a tenner.

Oh, no, more than that.

Let me kick off with a cheapie at 15 and I promise you I will buy more stuff today.

Alright.

Yeah.

Cheers buddy.

Thanks Chris.

VO: The steely but charming Laidlaw haggle has given Paul a great start to the day.

Now where's that young Tom?

Is he parting with his pennies as quickly as Paul?

Come on Thomas, snap out of it - you've got antiques to buy, you know!

So this is like a jerkin.

A military jerkin.

And a really nice one.

Of course I'm going to put it on, of course I will try this on.

VO: As you can see, our Thomas is a real fan of dressing up.

I look rather dapper.

VO: If you say so yourself, Thomas.

It looks like he could be tempted.

Now focus, Tom.

There is a leather jerkin.

A coalman's.

Is it a coalman's thing, is it?

CHRIS: Yeah.

TP: Is that what it is?

Yeah.

Ah!

It's quite nice actually.

Different isn't it?

It's clean for what it was.

We're selling that on behalf of a bulldog rescue charity.

Oh, are you?

That's just a donation to the charity, £20 donation to the charity.

Oh, is that all it is?

Yeah.

Well I think I've got to have it.

VO: Remember it's not for you, Thomas.

Nice piece of social history though.

The faithful coalman was once an integral and important part of every British household.

What's caught his eye now?

So a lovely leather case, super.

"John Taylor, opticians and jewelers."

So I found them on the bargain shelf.

Well I don't know how much of a bargain they're going to be but...

I just like the way they're really well cased.

A lovely thing, really.

So yeah, I think I'm gonna ask.

Do you think those could be a £20 note?

Yeah.

That's brilliant, thank you, We'll have the coalman's jacket just cuz it tried it on and it fitted!

The spectacle case we like.

Look, that's just a lovely thing.

Yeah.

So £40 I owe you.

Yeah.

VO: Well that was easy peasy, Thomas.

Back to Paul - he's definitely on a mission.

Come into my office.

Never going to sell this.

He's not trying to sell it - there's no price on it and it was against a pillar.

I spotted it because of my antique sixth sense.

It's a stick barometer, 19th-century affair.

Rosewood veneered, one of my favorite veneers.

We've got a central glass column which was once filled with mercury.

I don't think there's much, if any, in there now.

VO: The stick barometer was first made as a scientific instrument, but as the popularity grew so did their decoration and were often considered prize pieces of furniture.

I've just got a bit of a hunch that I will be able to buy that.

VO: Oh, yeah.

But before he does, the Laidlaw radar has detected something else.

Let me show... Let me show you some tea and dinner ware.

VO: Oh, yes please Paul.

PL: Behold... for my money an extremely elegant... ..porcelain tea and dinner service.

You've got to bear with me here because it's not wearing its quality on its sleeve, it's not shouting out, "Look at me, I'm fabulous."

Let me show you a muffin dish first.

Look at that.

Good form.

Tasteful decoration.

Oh, and what do we have here?

"Made in France by Haviland & Company."

VO: In 1842 David Haviland crossed the Atlantic to set up a porcelain company in Limoges and ever since has been renowned for quality and prestige across the world.

Buy this.

You've got antique French porcelain dinnerware, it's extremely elegant and at the very least we can get a good and extensive tea service out of this.

What you reckon?

Couple hundred of quid?

VO: Hmm... maybe a hundred then.

Wait till I get my specs on, Paul.

What?

£35?

That's the value that's to be had buying antiques.

Astonishing.

Stick barometer, this and Chris.

I will be two ticks.

VO: Righty-ho.

Blimey, there's no messing about with this one.

I'm going to try and spend some proper money with you now.

Right.

Now, this - does that ring a bell?

It was buried against a pillar, but between the pillar and the cabinet.

Yeah.

Has it been forgotten about?

No, I've got 150 quid on it.

CHRIS: Nah.

PL: If you go near it?

Nah, I can't.

Here's one for you.

This could seal the deal.

Of all the things to look at, I am looking at your part tea and dinner service.

I'm not interested in the dinner wares... erm... at all.

So I'm interested in a good half of it.

I'll give you 120 quid... but I want that.

CHRIS: 130, you've got a deal.

PL: Oh!

120 and that is how we divide it up.

And we bought the screen as well.

Bought three things off you.

CHRIS: Oh, having that as well?

PL: Yeah.

Go on then.

Good man, thanks for that Chris.

VO: Well Paul is definitely showing his rugged determination - that's £15 for the firescreen, £100 for the barometer and £20 for the part tea set.

Both boys are working their socks off.

PL: (LAUGHS) VO: But the call of the road trip beckons and our fellas must buckle up and move on.

The boys are snaking six miles northwards to the small town of Carnforth.

Ever the gent, Paul is dropping off young Thomas at his second shop of the day.

PL: Any shop, any shop, any shop that I'm denied could be the one with the holy grail in it.

I want to get in there.

Holy grail.

You never know, Paul - I might find it.

I am taking my hat... VO: We'll catch up with Tom later, but for now let's follow Mr Laidlaw.

He doesn't have a care in the world.

He's got a bag of antiques already and he's traveling just up the road to inspect a rather special furniture dynasty.

Leighton Hall is a grand residence with a history spanning over 750 years.

Paul is excited by his invitation, because for two centuries it has been home to the famous Gillow family, renowned for their exquisite furniture business Gillow & Co of Lancaster, which was founded in 1730 by Robert Gillow.

Susan and Richard Gillow Reynolds are the current owners of the hall and passionate guardians of some very rare Gillow pieces.

Paul is meeting with Susan to find out more.

Hello, Susan.

There we are, hello Paul.

Welcome.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

It's very nice to see you.

And what a pleasure to be here at Leighton Hall.

SUSAN: It is the Gillow family home and we do have a lot of lovely pieces that people come to see.

PL: So, Robert - was he a cabinetmaker or a joiner when he settled in Lancaster?

SUSAN: No, he wasn't.

The Gillows were farmers on the Fylde coast and Robert should have gone into the farming tradition.

PL: Yeah.

But he came to Lancaster to be near his father and to support himself, he...

The story is he started really with a joinery business, quite a modest business, and it just gradually built up and furniture commissions came in and then that side of the business began to take over.

VO: The business really took off with Robert's son Richard.

He was a craftsman and inventor, and his designs included billiard and telescopic tables.

I recognize this dining table as Gillow's patented extending table, isn't it?

You do and they invented this so-called telescoping mechanism that works this table and the important thing to know about it is that it is a telescoping table.

It's not one of these you wind out, you pull it out as you would a telescope.

Yeah.

You stretch it right out, you bring the extra leaves in you pop them all in and then you seat all these people.

VO: In the mid 1800s the company worked on the interiors of the Palace of Westminster, later diversifying into fitting out passenger liners such as the Lusitania, at the time the world's biggest ship.

Before Paul leaves Susan wants to show him a rare piece of furniture within the collection.

SUSAN: This little piece is very much a family piece, it is something that was made for Elizabeth Gillow.

And this is probably the youngest piece of Gillow we have.

You can see tremendous change in style and design...

Indeed.

..running into the early 19th century - this was made in about 1810, 1815.

Aha.

And it was made especially for her and she was a very religious lady so first of all her favorite Bible stories are carved into these ebony panels... Aha.

And set in all around but the figures, the ivory figures were hers and she asked that they be cut down and set in the alcoves at the top and you can see they have just been sort of chopped in half and put in there.

So Christ and the Virgin Mary, Our Lady.

Absolutely, there.

And then lots of space for storing her bits and pieces so when you open it you have got a nice deep drawer... Aha.

..at the top there.

And then in the middle we've got a little cupboard in here and in the cupboard she probably stored her household books, her diaries, things like that.

I see.

Oh, and apparently her skipping rope.

I don't think so.

This lady was the mother of 16 children.

Oh my word.

And so maybe this belonged to one of the children.

And then underneath in the smaller drawer...

I'll just take the key here.

It's very neat, this, it...

It's all fitted out as a tiny writing compartment So you've got a leather-topped piece to press on to write your letters.

What an exquisite and ingenious piece of furniture but all the more special because it's a family commission.

And I hope that wherever you go in the world you'll never find another one like it.

And if you do, don't come and say.

VO: Cor, what a treat for Paul, you lucky old thing.

And if you want to experience it too, this exquisite collection is open to the public.

VO: Now, we'd better check up on that other cheeky scamp Thomas.

He's having a good old nosy in Vicary Antiques owned by the rather lovely Michael.

Wonderfully sort of crammed...

Absolutely.

..which is fabulous.

Can I have a good look?

You may.

You may indeed.

As long as you don't get lost.

Is there a risk of that?

Er, yeah, people go in the back room and... What, never come out?

Absolutely.

VO: Better watch yourself Thomas.

There's certainly plenty to choose from.

So this is a Japanese fan box or glove box... ..made from inlaid pieces of wood.

These stylized metal handles in the form of chrysanthemums, almost like a mon, a Japanese mon.

With lacquered interior.

Just exquisitely done.

VO: This box would have been rather important in keeping the fan's delicate silks dirt free.

Priced at £50, it's a possibility.

What's he unearthed now?

Very attractive, Carltonware, early, early Carlton.

Persian pattern.

As you can see, the Persians here against a royal blue.

Erm...

Early Carltonware, Persianware there, the Carltonware early mark with the bird.

It does have a hairline crack in it.

VO: And with a mountain of antiques to get through, Thomas comes across something else he likes the look of.

TP: So this looks like an onyx inkstand or desk stand... ..probably in the art-deco... Well, it is art deco.

You have lovely hinges here in gilt metal.

A real sort of gift for somebody isn't it?

VO: Looks like he's going in for a deal.

So the Japanese box and the inkstand... ..and the Carltonware at £100 for now.

VO: So to clarify, ladies and gents, £20 for the vase, £35 for the Japanese box and £45 for the inkstand.

Got it?

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Michael.

VO: And with a total of five items in the bag, Thomas has certainly been a very busy boy.

And it's now time for the chaps to rest because our adventure continues tomorrow.

Night-night.

VO: It's the start of a brand-new day and it's Thomas's turn to get behind the wheel of the Sunbeam.

PL: You like the car?

TP: I do.

But she is quite... She's wanting to go.

She doesn't like idling, does she?

You're right about the... PL: The posture, it's very upright and very narrow.

VO: So far, Paul has spent £135 on three items - the fire screen, the part tea set and the rosewood barometer.

Paul has £65 left to splurge.

Thomas has been a very industrious little bee.

He's spent £140 on five items - the coalman's waistcoat, the dainty little spectacles, the Japanese fan box, the Carlton vase and the art-deco ink set.

Thomas has £60 for the day ahead.

VO: We're off for a spot of shopping in the town of Chorley.

Hopefully they'll get there - young Thomas doesn't seem quite to have mastered the old driving quite yet.

TP: Yeah, sorry, I'm in the wrong gear.

VO: And on the wrong side of the road.

TP: Aaargh!

She's quite difficult to drive, to be honest.

You reckon?

VO: Blimey, maybe you should get behind the wheel, Paul.

TP: Well, here we are.

PL: Thank you, driver.

TP: Well that is alright, that is alright sir.

I would say well driven but...

Really?!

Oh, come on Paul.

Hang on, hang on, I just want to get it just there.

There we are.

PL: I want out.

VO: I don't blame you Paul.

Next stop is the sumptuous Heskin Hall Antiques where numerous traders sell their wares.

Young Thomas is rather relaxed though because he's already got a treasure trove of antiques.

Hello.

VO: Paul has lots of ground to cover but after searching the place high and low he's finally found something.

Got a present for Tom.

VO: Cheeky!

This is as close as I've got.

Shall I tell you about it?

There is one deck here.

Actually I think it's a nice little cabinet.

It's the pocket adding machine.

Calculating machines - hot and getting hotter.

That is an early little pocket calculating machine.

VO: Blaise Pascal invented the mechanical calculator in the mid 17th century but this little number was a handy pocket size for the thrifty Victorians.

Find an interesting thing at the right price and I'll be impressed.

£16.

VO: Not bad - sounds like a good contender.

Right, I think I've seen everything I need to see... ..and by that I mean everything.

I think it is time to ask about that cabinet.

VO: Paul fetches Lynne, the lady in charge, to begin negotiations on the little adding machine.

PL: Hi, Lynne.

DEALER: Hello.

I have seen some things in a cabinet in that room there.

Is it possible to have a look?

It's that one there, if I may.

Would our friend here with the eye for the unusual... Aha.

..like to haggle?

VO: Lynne is unable to get hold of the dealer on the phone so she makes an offer on his behalf.

Erm, I reckon I can do... Would he kill me?

Erm... PL: (LAUGHS) LYNNE: That's the next question.

Run the risk.

Run the risk.

I know.

It'll be alright.

He's lovely.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I could do that for 12.

Can we round it down to 10?

I like tens and 15s and 20s but I'm not offering you 15.

(SHE CHUCKLES) I can only do 12, I'm sorry.

I shouldn't really... 12 it is then.

Without speaking to him.

That's alright.

No, no, no, not a problem.

Let me give you some money.

VO: That's a total of four antiques for Paul - hurrah.

Meanwhile, young Thomas is leaving empty handed.

He's off on a solo adventure, traveling south to the village of Aspull near Wigan.

It's with some trepidation that Thomas parks up beside the rather scary sounding Snake Pit.

But there's nothing to fear, Thomas.

Well, not quite yet - this is the home of catch wrestling.

For many centuries Wigan was famous as a prime coalmining district.

At its peak there were 1,000 pit shafts within five miles of the town center.

Most families in the area had a connection with mining and it was from this tough, dark world that the global phenomenon of catch wrestling evolved.

This was real fighting for real men.

Thomas is meeting with former catch wrestler and top coach Roy Wood.

Thomas.

Hello Thomas.

Pleased to meet you.

Pleased to meet you.

What's your name?

ROY: Roy.

TP: Roy.

This is a particular type of wrestling?

It is Catch As Catch Can wrestling, it's the old Wigan style, the old miners' type of wrestling.

I mean, I don't know anything about wrestling - it has not even entered any part of my life.

I mean not even the modern stuff.

Are you going to lead on and educate me?

Yes, I think you will be a bit wiser when you leave.

OK, brilliant.

TP: What are the rules involved?

Well the rules - they're very, very simple.

There was no time limit on it - they just wrestled until one of them couldn't stand up or he submitted.

The idea was to get your opponent on his back and then it's finished or put a submission on and as soon as he says, "Right, that's it," then it's finished.

I think they called it "catch as catch can" because you could grab anywhere you wanted.

They'd give you the leg and you'd grab their leg and then they counter it.

They'd give you their arm, you'd try and move and they'd know the counter to that move you were trying and it was very, very technical actually.

VO: Roy learned the tricks of the trade from famous catch wrestler and local man Billy Riley.

In Billy's day, matches were highly illegal.

They'd be set up in fields where people would gamble on who would be the winner.

Billy became so good that he went on to claim a very important title.

He actually went to Johannesburg and wrestled in Johannesburg.

He went by boat, I think it took him two or three months to go there, and he wrestled for the British Empire Belt.

Really?

And he wrestled a fellow called Johnson and I believe Billy broke this fellow's arm and he came back the British Empire champion.

Did you ever meet him?

No?

He trai...

He were my coach.

Was he?

Yeah.

He was an old man when he coached me.

VO: And with the help of Roy, Thomas is about to take on the past.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) (CAT MEOWS) (ROARING) VO: Don't worry - young Tom did escape the Snake Pit.

Meanwhile Paul is still in a determined mood to find one last antique.

He's traveled eastwards to the town of Darwen.

Owner Stephen has been running the business for many years and has a mass of everything you could possibly think of.

Good luck Paul - you might be in here for some time.

DEALER: Hello.

PL: Hello.

How're you doing?

DEALER: Hello.

PL: I'm Paul.

DEALER: Hello Paul, I'm Stephen.

PL: Stephen, good to see you.

DEALER: Nice to see you.

PL: This is an interesting place you've got, is it not?

Thank you.

I hope you find something.

Dare I say it could be my kind of a place.

I'll just have a browse - is that alright?

Course you can, yep.

VO: Let the Laidlaw thorough inspection begin.

VO: Eventually he does uncover something that rather delights him.

It ain't me, don't get me wrong, but that's a stunner.

Pff!

What is not to like?

Speak... Lateral speakers, stereophonic.

Amazing knobs.

Love it.

VO: I think he likes it.

So, after a good look round, he has a couple of options to play with, but which will he sink his teeth into?

PL: Hello?

DEALER: Yeah?

I thought you'd disappeared.

(THEY CHUCKLE) Man, it took some doing, yeah, it's some place.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Erm, I don't what your memory is like, I bet you it's darned good.

I'll run a few things past you.

Right.

Hit me with some prices.

Erm...

Starting, actually starting up here.

That.

The trunk?

Yeah.

Er... Be gentle with me.

Oh, ri... Well, 75.

Pretty fair, isn't it?

Erm, downstairs, a '70... late '60s, early '70s record player, a real funky looking thing.

It's quite an upmarket-looking one, not like the Dan...

It is.

Better than the Dansette, yeah.

Absolutely yeah, really funky.

I'll do that for 25.

VO: So the trunk or the record player?

The decision is yours Paul.

What's the death on the record player?

The bottom line, say 25.

20.

20 quid.

So it's 20 and 60.

Buying the record player.

The record player.

PL: Cheers.

DEALER: Very good.

VO: And that's the last deal of the day.

The boys are meeting up to give one another's treasures the once over.

Da-da-da!

That random assortment of stuff.

Ooh!

Should that be lying down or is there a fixed reservoir in it?

It's, er, empty.

There's very little mercury left.

Very little.

OK. What is that?

This is uber cool.

This is where it's at.

The future of collecting.

VO: If you say so Paul.

I can't believe you've bought that, Paul Laidlaw.

It must have been a fiver.

I paid 20 quid for that.

Did you?

How very dare you diss my retro?

Ghastly.

What is that?

A pocket, erm... PL: Little late Victorian/ Edwardian pocket adding machine, a little-tin plate affair, a wee little stylus and you move the little digits and so on.

VO: Now for the important bit - how much did they cost?

The barometer, stick rosewood barometer, I imagine that was £80 or something like that.

PL: £100, yes.

TP: £100.

That's a punchy, punchy thing.

Yeah.

A fiver for the pocket calculator.

12.

TP: 12.

PL: Right order of magnitude.

Yeah, yeah.

And then 20 for that you've told me.

Yeah.

That's so lovely - that's profit, profit, profit.

VO: Your turn now, Tom - show Paul what you've got.

Erm... 19th-century spectacles, silver framed or...?

No.

They're... Nickel.

OK. Nice little leather case.

Yeah, it is lovely.

Sweet.

Did you get those for £20?

I did get those for £20.

Yeah, and you are going to do alright with those.

Yeah, I think so, I think so.

Erm... Now I do like... Japanese glovebox?

Glove or fan or whatever but that I thought is the nicest thing there.

Geometric parquetry all over.

Yes, it's lovely, it's lovely.

I've... Go on, go on, go on, go on.

Am I going to be dazzled?

TP: No, no.

PL: Or is it just a box?

TP: Just a box.

PL: Lacquered interior.

Yeah, fair enough.

Actually, that is really nice.

It's lovely isn't it?

Yeah, in a sea of bland such items, that is really nice.

I like that, I like that a lot.

Um, you might have got that cheap cuz it's a brown box.

Not really.

£30, £40.

It was 35.

Bang on - we're doing alright here.

Is that Carltonware, Losolware?

Carltonware.

Did you have to wade in deep for that?

TP: No, no.

PL: Cheap?

Well, I bought all of this for 100 quid.

OK, so how are you dividing?

20, 45, 35.

My word, a nailbiter.

Thomas.

Well done, my man.

Well done, Laidlaw.

Cannot wait.

PL: (LAUGHS) VO: So let's hear what our chaps really think.

Oh my poor record player.

He was harsh - I thought he'd like it.

I am surprised at Laidlaw, I thought Laidlaw would have bought really good quality items, yeah.

The barometer's lovely but it is missing its mercury and it's...

It's yesterday's news.

VO: It's been a jolly jape of a first leg - we began our journey in Morecambe traveling via Carnforth, Chorley, Aspull, and Darwen, finally arriving in Clitheroe in Lancashire.

Nestled in the Ribble Valley, the town is home to Clitheroe Castle, thought to be the smallest Norman keep in England.

But it's auction day as our boys arrive in town.

TP: I'm feeling very relaxed.

VO: Oh, what happened to your trousers Thomas?

We do have standards on this show, you know.

Silverwoods is one of the North's leading antiques auction houses.

Wilf Mold is today's auctioneer and has a few thoughts on Paul and Tom's lots.

The Pye stereophonic projection system - we do have various collectors for that sort of stuff.

So I can imagine it could do quite well.

The coalman's waistcoat... (SIGHS HEAVILY) A quirky thing.

It's one of those daft things - it could be a tenner or it could be £70 or £80.

VO: Paul Laidlaw started the day with his full allowance of £200 and spent £167 on five auction lots.

Thomas Plant took his £200 and exercised a little more caution and spent £140, also on five auction lots.

All eyes to the front.

The auction's about to begin.

Oh, dear me.

VO: To start us off, we have Paul's rather stylish record player.

Who'll start me at what for this one?

£40 for it.

40 anywhere?

30 then, 30 quickly.

Go on, I'll take 20 this time, 20 is all over, 22, 25... Well, there you are.

28, 30, £30, 32, 35.

38, 40, 42.

TP: Ye of little faith.

WILF: 42, 45, 48.

Ye of little faith!

WILF: 50 and five.

At £50.

TP: Laidlaw!

WILF: 55 new bidder, 55 and 60.

TP: Ooh, new bidder.

60 and five, 65, 70 now.

70 and five sir, 75, 80.

PL: What?!

WILF: Vinyl, back in.

£80, 85... TP: Oh it is back in.

WILF: 85 if you like sir.

PL: Scorchio.

Anybody else?

All finished at £80 this time and it's going.

VO: Music to your ears Paul, a lovely profit from the get-go.

Long may it continue.

80 quid!

OK, I'll take that.

I'll take that.

I think I might just hand in my hat and cut up now and disappear.

VO: Oh don't do that, Thomas.

We're sticking with Paul - it's the arts-and-crafts firescreen next.

Can he continue with yet another lovely profit?

At 45, 50, five, 60 now sir.

£60.

Get in there!

At 60 only bid, where's 65 for this one?

At £60... PL: I tell you what - if this is cheaper than the record player it speaks volumes for the market, and it is!

£60.

VO: Looks like Laidlaw is on a roll today.

I'll tell you what - I can explain this heat... because I'm on fire.

VO: Now don't let's get cocky Paul - it's your rosewood barometer next.

Here's hoping we're not in for stormy weather.

I will start it at... £60.

TP: Oof!

WILF: 60 bid, 65 if you like.

At £60, five, 70, five...

He's got 100, he's got 100.

90, five, 90 with me.

Where's 95?

New man.

95, 100, 110.

110 in the room.

PL: Oh, it's cheap.

It wants to do 200.

At £110, where's 120 this time?

WILF: Next to you.

120.

130.

TP: Yeah.

WILF: 140... TP: It's going to do it.

I have 130 next to you, 140 if you like.

PL: It's not making me much, that.

No?

All done at £130.

VO: Cor, the sun is certainly shining for Paul - the profits are mounting up.

How are you feeling?

Alright, alright.

Come on, you've done really well.

I admit, the shorts were a good idea.

The jacket's coming off.

(HUMS "THE STRIPPER") VO: Ha!

Moving swiftly on, it's Thomas's turn to shine with the sturdy leather coalman's waistcoat.

Never saw one so one of these before so it will test me as much as you.

Right, start me at what for this one?

£50 any of you for this one?

50, 30 then.

£30, 20... TP: Nah.

20 bid, 20 and two now.

Straight in and no harm in that.

22 from anybody else then now for the waistcoat?

22, 25... PL: They're off.

WILF: 28, 30... TP: Fun thing.

PL: 40 quid coming.

At £30, we can make a bid.

At £30 and 32 now.

At 32, at £30 and 32.

Anybody else?

At £30 and 32 for the waistcoat.

All quite sure at £30?

VO: Well, it's a start, Thomas, and it's still a profit but you've got a bit of catching up to do.

PL: Can't argue with that.

TP: Can't argue with that.

No harm in that.

VO: Back to Paul and the rather elegant Haviland tea service.

£80 for the whole service, 80 any of you?

£80, 50 then, 19 pieces of Limoges porcelain.

£50 quickly.

I'll take 40.

30 if you like.

Nobody wanting it?

20 surely.

WILF: 20s all over now.

TP: Hands everywhere.

22.

25?

At 22 bid, you can bid more than once.

Can't make 22 quid - it's got to do 40 plus.

I've £28, looking for 30.

£30 new man.

£30.

There's still profit there.

Don't worry about it.

38, 40 now.

£40, 42, 45.

At £42 and it's going, this time at 42.

VO: Yet another profit.

He's pretty good at this, you know!

So far, so good.

Relief.

Well done.

VO: It's Paul again with the dinky Victorian adding machine - can he make it five in a row?

Right, £30 for it?

30, 20?

Good little fun item, is this.

£20, any of you?

Comes complete with a stylus.

Tenner then.

Start at a tenner - just get it started.

Little adding machine.

Five, five here, six... PL: Got to make a profit.

It's going up in pounds, help me here.

TP: There we are, you're fine.

WILF: 12, 15, 18?

15 is bid.

There you are, you're done.

I mean, they will be disappointed when they buy it, when they see it.

At £15 are we all done and thought?

Are we all finished at £15?

VO: That was your last lot of the day, Paul, and it's been profits all the way.

The difference is, you know about it.

You know about it - that is what is so good.

You know, you know how it works and all of these things.

They might not know.

If I looked at it I would have thought, "Yeah, alright.

"I could spend 18 quid on that - what is it?"

VO: Over to you then Thomas.

Show us what you're made of - it's the spectacles next.

Nice little lot here.

All complete with lenses.

Start me at what for those?

£30 including the case, £30?

20 then.

20 any of you?

Tenner bid, 10 and 12 if you like.

At £10 right in the middle.

At £10, I'm looking for 12 now.

£12, 15, 18.

WILF: At £15 bid.

TP: Oh.

At 15 only bid and 18 anybody else?

At £15, where is 18 for the spectacles?

At £15, where is 18 now?

All done at £15.

VO: Oh dear, not what you were expecting.

But it's not over yet Tom.

Mm, but... no great pain taken.

TP: No.

No.

PL: No great pain.

It's this vase, this is the one.

TP: This is the one.

PL: I'm telling you.

VO: Perhaps the early Carltonware vase can come to the rescue.

Start me at what for this one?

£60 and set me off.

60 any of you?

50 then.

50 anywhere?

Well I'll take 30 for a start.

£30.

Come on, you should be jumping up and down at that money.

30 bid.

30 and two.

At £30, and 32 where?

At £30.

32, sorry.

32, 35, 38, 40 and two.

45, 48, 50.

Ooh, it's looking good for you.

At £48, 50 if you want.

Go on!

PL: No, it's too much now.

TP: 48.

WILF: It's going at 48, 50 this time now?

No?

All done at £48.

Where's that?

Sorry, I couldn't...

Didn't see you.

£50.

BIDDER: No, I'm here.

(LAUGHTER) Oh, you did come again, then.

£50.

£50.

TP: He did come again.

I love that.

52?

All done at £50 in the room then.

VO: That's more like it - a nice tidy profit, Thomas, but still not enough to overtake Paul.

Aye, well done, man.

It's alright isn't it?

That's alright.

Good spot.

That's a lovely result.

That's a lovely result.

I say lovely, I mean...

I mean nauseating.

Why?

I'm happy for you.

Yeah, but Laidlaw, Laidlaw, Laidlaw, I've been happy for all your great results...

I know, yeah.

You know, and I'm such a... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Relaxed... You're a delicate flower and lovely through and through.

Naturally.

VO: It's Thomas again, with the beautiful Japanese box.

£50 for it, for the glove box?

50?

30 then?

£30.

Nice little piece.

Even at a distance, that's a good-looking thing.

Yeah.

Where's 20?

Did I see 20 from anywhere?

Thank you.

£20, 20, 22 we are looking for.

No.

That is a huge loss.

No, you've got more interest there.

These guys know it.

28, sir.

30 either of you?

I've got the lady there.

£30, 32, 35, 38, 40 and two.

It's getting there.

40 bid.

Your turn now, 42 if you like.

At £40 and 42 anywhere else?

At £40 away on my left.

It's very minor.

I'll take it, take it.

Yeah, no shame in that.

No shame.

VO: That's the spirit Thomas, but you're still lagging way behind.

I'm worried about this onyx stand, it's gonna bomb.

PL: You want to be worried.

TP: I am worried.

We're setting this up there, we're setting this up beautifully here.

You're worried about it, I'm sticking the boot in - it's gonna make 100 quid.

It's not, that'd be lovely.

Be lovely if it did but it ain't gonna.

I can tell you, it's gonna bomb.

VO: It's great to have so much faith, Thomas.

Ha-ha!

Anyway it's the last lot of the day with the art-deco inkstand.

£30 for it?

25 then?

Who will start me at 20 for this one?

A tenner straight off.

10 right on the front here.

10, bid's 10, and 12, at £10, come on, help yourself.

12, 15 now, sir.

At £12 bid and 15 where?

Done.

It was a weak moment.

Weak moment, Plant.

Awful.

Awful.

At £12.

It's going at 12.

VO: Whoops, it bombed.

Your prediction sadly came true, Thomas.

TP: Ouch.

Ouch.

PL: Oh!

Oh!

TP: Ouch.

PL: Deli... Delicate flower.

Oh, it's landed badly.

It landed badly, really badly.

I feel quite sick.

Medic!

Medic!

(THEY CHUCKLE) I need to go.

What'd that make?

I don't know.

TP: I don't know.

12?

PL: 12.

Come on, let's go and cool down.

Oh, it's hot, come on.

VO: Our chaps started today's show with £200 each.

Right, let's find out who has triumphed at today's auction.

After paying auction costs, Thomas made a small loss of £19.46.

Thomas Plant has £180.54 to carry forward.

Paul meanwhile is storming ahead with a mighty profit of £101.14.

Paul Laidlaw is today's winner and has £301.14 to start the next leg.

Well done.

Well then, Mr Plant... Well done.

PL: Cheers, buddy.

TP: Put it there.

VO: Next time on the Antiques Road Trip... Paul Laidlaw talks tough to stay in the lead.

I'm not going to make you a reasonable offer.

I'm going to make you a bad offer.

VO: And we see there's more to Thomas Plant than just antiques.

(PARP!)

Yeah, that works.

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