antiques experts... RAJ: That's me.

PAUL: I like that.

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car.

TIM: Hold on!

IRITA: (SQUEALS) VO: And a goal, to scour Britain for antiques.

En garde!

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

But it's no mean feat.

I don't believe it!

VO: There'll be worthy winners... PAUL: Yes!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

I was robbed.

VO: Will it be the high road to glory...

Right, come on, let's go.

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

DAVID: Oh, Roo!

Oh, Roo!

ROO: (SQUEALS) VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Top dollar!

We're soaking up the scenery in the gorgeous Peak District, with views guaranteed turn heads.

PHILIP (PS): Isn't that beautiful down there?

IZZIE (IB): Eyes on the road, Phil, eyes on the road.

PS: Sorry.

VO: Yeah.

Our distracted driver is auctioneer Philip Serrell, and keeping him right is Izzie Balmer, also known to wield the gavel from time to time, heading out on the penultimate leg of their journey.

So is this home for you?

It's the Staffordshire side of the Peak District, but it is the Peak District nevertheless.

So it feels like home.

It's in my blood.

I was gonna say to you did you spend a lot of time in the Peak District when you were young, but you still are, aren't you?

Aww, I like you Phil.

VO: Heh-heh, don't think the feeling's mutual after last time out, when Izzie helped herself to a brace of brooches.

This is going to be the last brooch.

This is it, no more after this.

VO: Oh yeah.

And her old china bought some old china.

This is Nanking cargo.

VO: But at the auction Phil's fortunes took quite a hammering.

I need comforting and... and looking after.

Big hug.

You haven't let me forget, have you?

No.

No.

You're not going to, are you?

IB: No.

PS: No.

You lost really quite a lot of money.

If I was you, I'd be feeling awful.

I'd be thinking, how on earth am I ever going to catch that Izzie Balmer up?

She's just amazing.

Izzie, this is a marathon not a sprint.

VO: It's been more like a three legged race for Phil so far.

He started with £200 and made great strides but he fell flat on his face last time out and now is on £314.10.

But after starting on the same amount, Izzie has leapfrogged into the lead and is now the proud possessor of £381.70.

But Phil is hoping to level the playing field.

I've got a real request for you, Izzie.

IB: OK. PS: Please... IB: I know what's coming.

PS: ..no more brooches.

I won't.

I promise.

No more brooches.

IB: I make you a pledge... PS: OK. Mr Serrell, I am not buying any more brooches.

The only exception, and I mean this... No, you can't have an exception!

Phil... No more brooches is no more brooches!

VO: Well we'll see how long that lasts then.

To help them cross the finish line they've got this nippy little '60s TR4A.

It used to be a Triumph but it's had a little accident.

The old Riumph is performing well.

It is.

I see she hasn't got her T back, has she?

No, we've missed a T. Missed a T, do you like the way I did that?

It's missed T, Mr T. Oh right, that went straight over my head.

I know, when you have to explain your jokes there's a problem, isn't there?

VO: I pity the fool.

The trip kicked off in Kent and wandered its way across the country from east to west.

We're now doing a bit of the Midlands before we end up at a final auction in Stamford, Lincolnshire.

This time out we'll have a shufty in Staffordshire and Shropshire in search of things to buy, ending up at a shop in Shifnal.

But our pair get the ball rolling today in Congleton.

This Cheshire town was once renowned for making silk and other fabrics.

But what do you do with the mill when production stops, eh?

Ha, fill it full of antiques of course.

IB: This looks a big old place, Phil.

Yeah, well, I'm gonna play catch up here, Izzie.

Well, I'm gonna leap out then and try and get a head start.

Bye.

VO: She's full of beans this morning, isn't she?

Come on, Phil.

Slow and steady wins the race.

There's a lot to take in.

Four expansive floors full of treasures to discover in here.

Should keep our two out of mystery for a while.

The cabinets are very tempting, and I'm trying to resist looking at them because if I look I might see a brooch and I might be tempted.

I'm going this way.

VO: You can do it, Izzie.

It's all about willpower.

Oh, coat's off, she means business.

I'm a little bit in two minds about this.

It's quite clearly a sampler.

VO: It is, a piece of needlework often completed by children to show off their sewing skills.

Samplers can sell really well.

Now there are a couple of things to look for in a sampler.

Age, so ideally you would like them to be Georgian, and ideally 18th century.

The second thing is condition.

The third thing is how detailed it is.

And the other very important thing is, the younger the girl the better.

VO: That's four things but carry on.

Now this one isn't a great example for pretty much all of those reasons I've listed really.

So there's not that much detail in the center here, there's a huge amount of age staining.

There was never a huge amount of use of color and what is left of it other than the red has faded quite significantly.

VO: Poor Sarah Walton, having her handiwork besmirched like that.

However, what I do like about this, despite it not being the most detailed, is the snake entwined around a tree.

The serpent in religion obviously signifies temptation because you have Adam and Eve and a serpent suggesting to Eve that she should pick the apple from the tree.

VO: It's priced up at £58.

Are you tempted?

IB: What do I think it will sell for?

It might only be 50 to £60, but sometimes they can get a bit carried away if you have two people that really like them.

I think this is worth a shot.

The other reason I like it, it does not look anything like a brooch.

VO: That's sound logic there.

Now, after his thrashing at the last auction... Know what I mean, Izzie?

Doof-doof-doof.

VO: Looks like Phil's in a pugilistic mood.

Izzie!

Come and meet your fate.

Look at these Izzie, I've got you at last.

I think not.

En garde.

PS: Glove.

VO: Crikey.

Never bring a fist to a swordfight, Phil.

Let's settle this the old fashioned way, by buying antiques, eh?

"Book early to see the Graham Moffat comedies."

I really like that.

It's a monochrome poster but it's just lifted up by the little boy in that red bobble hat and the jumper, the lady's red hat, her handbag.

It's late Edwardian and it's that era that gives it a look.

And I think it's really, really lovely.

VO: And priced up at £100, nearly a third of your budget, Phil.

To try and buy that for I want to pay for it's probably too big an ask even for me.

I'm cheeky but I'm not that cheesy.

VO: The play's not the thing, then.

Keep looking.

Elsewhere, Izzie is veering dangerously close to those cabinets.

I'm not breaking any of my own rules by looking in a cabinet because this one hasn't got any brooches in it.

VO: She still can't resist a bit of jewelry though.

It's an art-deco bangle.

It's a double headed snake.

Maybe that's going to be my thing, I'm off brooches, I'm now on to snakes.

And it's just that with little paste stones.

Some people might call it ivorine.

Basically it's plastic.

VO: And very early plastic, mind you.

It's celluloid made to look like ivory, much kinder to the elephants.

Now, this one is quite large.

It'd fall off my wrist actually.

I do really like it and it's only priced at £38.

Now, these can make quite a bit more money than that.

They're usually a bit more detailed than this one.

But to have an art-deco plastic bangle in quite good condition... You know, it is quite flimsy and it hasn't broken and snapped and been reglued together.

And you know, if you're walking around with a bit of plastic on your wrist, you are trendy.

You were cool.

You were fashionable, you were glam.

VO: Well, I'm all for a bit of glam.

Let's grab your other snaky item and try and do a deal.

Ken?

Yes Izzie.

Ken, I have found two items and there's a bit of a theme going on with them.

This one's a serpent and this one has a serpent.

Right.

So you're into snakes today.

I am.

Now this one's priced at £38.

The sampler is priced at £58.

What's the very best they could be?

DEALER: 45 for the sampler.

IB: Yeah.

And knowing the dealer, they will do 25 for the bangle.

So that's £70 for the two of them?

70 for the two.

You've got a deal.

VO: Super.

So that serpent-like sale leaves her with a little under £312 in hand.

Time our snake charmer slithered off I think.

Now, back to the other fella.

Anything pinging on the Serrell radar?

Look at those.

I mean if you're gonna get a pair of scissors, get a pair of scissors.

How about those?

Those are fantastic.

VO: You could give yourself a serious haircut with those, Phil.

I would think this is for cloth.

VO: Yeah.

But, like, fair size rolls of cloth.

So this has got G Wilkin of Sheffield, which is obviously the manufacturer of these.

I would say they're probably 19th century and I'm kind of guessing if you're working like that, perhaps you just rest it on a table to cut your cloth.

You don't have to keep manhandling it up and down.

And these little things here which I think are tighteners, but they're also a rest.

You know, so that when you get to pick it up it's just there waiting for you.

VO: £95 is the ticket on that.

Will they do well at auction?

Well, let me tell you.

I've never seen a pair of scissors like that and I wouldn't have a clue.

(WHISPERS) I'm gonna go and find Ken.

VO: Right.

Why are we whispering?

PS: Ken?

DEALER: Yes, Phil?

These are wicked, aren't they?

And they're haberdashers' scissors.

DEALER: Yeah, I think they are.

Yeah.

I don't suppose 45 quid would buy them, would it?

I don't think so, not with this dealer.

DEALER: He will come down.

PS: Yeah.

75.

Let me make you my best bid.

My best bid would be 60 quid.

Go on, I'll take 60 then.

You're a gentleman.

VO: A snip.

Ha-ha!

That's cut his budget down to £254.

Mind you, with his first purchase done let's head for the car.

But no running.

Now, taking advantage of the best the British weather has to offer, Izzie's popped out for a walk in the park.

VO: Oakedge Park to be precise, near Wolseley Bridge in Staffordshire.

She's here to try her hand at a sport that's a test of skill, patience and aim.

But where's her instructor?

VO: Oh, just follow the sound of gunfire.

Hey Andy!

How you doing?

Very well.

You don't miss a shot, do you?

VO: Well, with nearly 40 years of shooting under his belt, Andy Plant's had lots of practice.

Andy, it's quite a setup you've got here.

What have I got myself into?

It's called clay pigeon shooting, or nowadays called clay target shooting.

The idea is to be able to hit a moving target with a shotgun.

So clay pigeons as in the bird?

It goes back to 18th century, mid 1700s, shooting birds on the wing was quite popular.

And it became a competition where the birds were in a box, which is called a trap, and you called pull, they pull the rope, the trap flicked up and the birds flew out, and they were pigeons.

VO: But even back in the 19th century, the idea of killing birds purely for sport rather than food was seen as cruel and distasteful.

So much to the relief of pigeons shooters came up with all manner of artificial flying targets to practice their aim and continue their sport.

In Britain, the target was basically a glass ball filled with feathers to make it more interesting when it broke so that people didn't sort of have withdrawal symptoms.

Sounds more like a Christmas decoration or a snow globe.

Yeah, a bit bigger.

Yeah, a bit bigger.

When the glass balls were sent out it was basically just a spring arm and it threw the ball away.

But the problem with the glass ball, when you're shooting out in a field that was used with livestock, there were glass shards.

Ah.

VO: Into the story steps American inventor George Ligowski.

After seeing children skimming clam shells across a lake, he came up with a flying disk for a target and that, with a few technical tweaks and improvements, is what is still used in the sport today.

That's a standard clay pigeon target.

The clays are made out of China clay and bitumen and they biodegrade.

So when the clay flies out, they still refer to a clay broken as a kill, the machine that sends the clay is still called a trap.

So they're spinning, they're like a little mini frisbee.

But the traps are very adjustable and you can adjust the height, you can adjust the angles So the idea then was that the target could mimic the flight of ordinary birds.

VO: Well, I think we should see it in action.

OK, Izzie, this is the trap.

This is the machine that sends out the clays for people to shoot at.

I'd like you to operate it.

So when I shout pull, I'd like you just to press the button.

VO: Show us how it's done, Andy.

Safety's off.

Pull.

VO: Good shot, sir.

Shooting used to be the preserve of the upper class.

Now it's a fast growing sport with competitors from all walks of life.

Oh, I missed one!

VO: Happens to everybody.

There are clay shooting venues across the country and the grounds here at Oakedge even hosted the British Open championships back in 2018.

Right, that's my go.

Now it's time for you to try.

VO: Now, when you're a novice like Izzie, it's vital to be trained by a qualified instructor like Andy as safety is paramount with firearms.

She's got the basics down now, so good luck girl.

So into my shoulder.

Proper stance.

Proper stance.

Cheek.

That's excellent.

Pulled in.

OK. Are you ready?

VO: She'll give it her best shot.

ANDY: Finger on the trigger?

IB: Mm-hm.

Target's on its way now.

Lift and shoot.

That's good.

You're only just over the top.

Target's on its way now.

Lift, shoot.

That's much better.

VO: Not quite hit anything yet though.

It goes so fast.

Yeah.

And I get like braindead, I forget that I'm meant to focus on it.

VO: Never mind.

Let's try again.

ANDY: Now.

Lift.

ANDY: Ah!

IB: What?

That was that close you took paint off it.

VO: One more chance.

ANDY: Lift and shoot.

Yes!

VO: She got it.

Ha-ha!

Yes!

ANDY: OK, break the gun.

You have to remember to do all the safety things before you can celebrate.

Yeah.

And now can be like "yes"!

VO: Nice shooting, Hawkeye.

ANDY: Excellent.

IB: Yay!

VO: Out and about in Staffordshire, our Phil is also having to weather the weather.

I'm trying to think of that music hall comedian, his catchphrase was "turned out nice again".

VO: That'd be George Formby.

PS: Well, let me tell you it has not turned out nice again, it is raining and raining hard.

The roof, or as we now call it the sieve, isn't functioning very well.

It feels just like I'm about to go into a tunnel.

Oh, and lo and behold.

Lord above.

VO: Dark in here, isn't it?

But on the other side lies the country town of Stafford, where a few doors down from this splendid old edifice is Phil's next shop.

What's it called?

Windmill Antiques, well, what else?

This is one of those shops where I am just petrified that I might knock something over.

There's such a diverse range in here.

You've got enamel signs, you've got bits of furniture, china, little war related items.

VO: And it's all presided over by Ian, who never lets a bit of shop space go to waste.

Now, what can our man throw his £254 at?

Go, Phil.

Do you know what?

These are a real bygone antique.

This is a Victorian walnut grandfather's chair.

This would date to somewhere between 1865 and about 1880.

If it didn't have these arms and just came straight down and none of this here, it would be a grandmother's chair.

Quite why grandfathers need the arms I don't know.

But there you go.

You've got little short cabriole legs here, not unlike my own.

And the whole of this show wood frame is carved here.

So we've got this cresting rail up here that's carved, but just look at these scrolls here.

That is just absolutely fantastic.

VO: Very fancy.

No ticket on it though.

You'll have to ask.

PS: Ian.

DEALER: Phil.

I kind of like that chair in the window.

Nice 19th century chair.

Well, it would have been better still 20 years ago, wouldn't it?

It was like £300 to £500 wasn't it?

Yeah, it would have been.

And now you're going to struggle to get 100 quid for it, aren't you, in an auction?

I am off you.

Yes.

(CHUCKLES) VO: Your reputation precedes you, Mr Serrell.

What's the best you can do that for, please?

You can have that for 50 quid.

£50, really?

Really.

This is the bit where I kind of usually bid you, but I don't feel I can do that, can I?

Not under these circumstances.

OK. £50, I'll take the chair.

Thank you.

While I'm here, behind you... is that a tea canister?

It is.

VO: Oh, new stuff.

PS: Those things are quite fun, aren't they?

People convert them into table lamps and that type of thing.

But they repro them a lot, don't they?

They do, but this is a genuine one.

OK, how old is that one?

This'd be late 1800.

They were made all over the country but this one was made in Bristol.

How do you know that's made in Bristol?

Because it says so on the back.

VO: Well, you can't argue with that, can you?

The ticket price on this is 100.

50 quid wouldn't buy it, or 55?

Not quite.

60 quid and I'll have a deal with you.

60 quid, we'll call it a deal.

VO: Another super discount.

Add in that chair and his running total is £110.

But he's not done yet, oh no.

Ian very kindly has let me have a little firkle through his drawers.

VO: Gosh, and they've only just met.

PS: I know that he specializes in First and Second World War stuff.

It would be quite nice if I could just buy a bit of militaria.

What's in here?

So this is a Second World War RAF sweetheart's brooch in the form of a propeller.

And that would have been a gift to a loved one by a serving officer in the RAF.

And the key thing for me with that is the B word.

It's a brooch.

Now I know someone who's had a lot of success with brooches.

VO: If you can't beat them, join them.

This is an interesting thing, look.

On war service, 1915.

So this is a button badge or a lapel badge that you would have worn in the First World War when you weren't in uniform.

I just think this is just absolutely wonderful.

Look at this.

There was a fund to raise money for Spitfires in the Second World War, in the Battle of Britain.

And when you donated your money you'd have collected a little Spitfire club badge.

Those three things are really, really, really quite evocative.

And I think also that there's a demand for things like that in the marketplace today.

VO: Better have another chat then.

PS: Ian?

DEALER: Yes sir.

These three bits here, what could you do those for please?

Well, the ticket price on those should be £50.

Say 30 quid?

That's your best shot?

I think it is, yeah.

I'll have those if I may.

So that's £60 for the bit of tin?

Yep.

£50 for the chair, that's 110.

Yeah.

And the 30 for these is £140.

Is my maths right?

VO: Impeccable.

Right, I think Ian wants his counter back now so take your remaining £114 and go and pick up your compadre.

Oh, apart from a bit squeaky how's the car, Phil?

I love this car.

In fact, I'm going to whisk you off into the sunset, Izzie... Aww!

..in my... in my Riumph.

I like the sound of that.

VO: Good luck finding a sunset in this weather.

(CHUCKLES) Nighty-night.

It's a very fresh Shropshire morn and our couple of tourists are up early taking in some of the county's attractions.

Look at that.

That's the Wrekin, isn't it?

The Wrekin?

Have you heard the expression "all around the Wrekin"?

No.

All around the Wrekin is an expression, it means you're sort of... Well, you're going round and round and round that hill over yonder.

So you're just getting round and round in circles?

Yeah.

Correct.

VO: Sounds like your average road trip then.

Ha.

Now, how did we get on yesterday?

Izzie, what did you buy then?

Oh... Hit me with the beans, Izzie.

I can hit you with another B.

Not another brooch.

It's in the glove compartment.

I like that actually.

I bought it thinking it was a double headed snake bangle.

And it is, isn't it?

But now I'm looking at it and thinking it doesn't look anything like a snake and what on Earth have I done?

And I've just gone and spent £25 on a bangle.

What's that made out of?

Well it's art deco, so... Yeah.

..it's an early type of plastic so it's probably celluloid.

Isn't that what you get on your bottom?

That, my darling, is cellulite.

Oh right.

OK. VO: Blimey.

Ha-ha.

Our Izzie also forked out on a 19th century sampler.

I think this is worth a shot.

VO: But she still has princely £311.70 at her disposal.

Phil saw his budget trimmed down to £114.10 after picking up a huge pair of scissors... How about those?

Those are fantastic.

VO: ..as well as a tea canister, a Victorian grandfather's chair and a collection of military badges, one of which might be right up our Izzie's street.

I went down the B route as well, Izzie.

Did... No!

Guess what I bought.

Did you... oh my goodness, did you buy a brooch?

I bought a brooch.

Yeah!

I bought a brooch.

Woohoo!

VO: Yes, he's seen the light.

Eventually those wares will be off to an auction in Middle Littleton.

But let's start out our shopping today in Shrows-bury... or Shrews-bury.

The pronunciation is hotly contested, so to avoid offending any Salopians let's call it the county town of Shropshire.

Ha.

What's not up for debate is that it is the location of Izzie's next shop, Memory Lane.

Let's take a walk down then, shall we?

Any of these lovely things tempting you to delve deep into your pockets, Izzie?

I would quite like to get something that I don't normally go for.

But there's kind of like out there and out there.

And I'm sort of out there rather than out there.

You know?

VO: Clear as mud.

Now is that out there or just out there?

It says a speculative pencil drawing, and then at the bottom LS Lowry.

VO: Ah, the renowned Lancashire painter, famed for his pictures of industrial life in the early 20th century.

It says it's a pencil drawing.

I think it looks a bit more like ink from here to be fair.

But if it is a Lowry, it's £110 which doesn't seem that much.

His originals are in museums like the Tate and places.

But his prints, if there are signed prints, they can sell for a couple of thousand pounds at auction.

It's dated 1951, it's obviously been folded up for a very long time because you can see the staining to the folds and the damage where it's starting to tear along those weakened lines.

So perhaps in that sense it only is worth £110.

VO: If it's not the real McCoy that could be £110 down the pan.

Keep looking and see if anything else catches my eye.

VO: Well, that's quite conspicuous.

Can I get this out?

Whoops!

VO: Steady.

I've seen this flag which now I've got it out doesn't actually look quite as impressive as I'd hoped because it's quite small and faded.

But it's the union flag, early 20th century.

The label says it's World War I.

It certainly looks the part and it's got the age staining and then some little moth holes and holes in it which unfortunately are all going to affect the value.

But union jacks, British flags, military flags can do really well.

now admittedly you do want them a bit bigger than this one.

This one is quite small, but it's only priced at £25.

And I could wave this as I do victory against Mr Serrell.

Pride before a fall and all that, hey?

VO: Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it.

IB: Hello.

DEALER: Hello.

You must be Holly.

I am, yes.

Hello.

Hello.

I've had a good look around your beautiful shop.

What I have found is this flag, which I'm hoping is going to lead me to victory.

That'd be nice, wouldn't it?

So it's priced at £25 and, um, I'm just gonna give you £25.

Oh, thank you.

I know, it makes a change, doesn't it?

10, 20 and five, there we go.

And onwards to victory and all that.

DEALER: Yeah.

Good luck.

IB: Thank you so much.

DEALER: Thank you.

Bye.

IB: Bye-bye.

VO: That leaves her with a little under £287 still to play with.

Now, it looks as if the Queen is in residence so it's time to head out.

Philip, meanwhile, is starting his day out in the country... at the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock.

He's at Cuan Wildlife Rescue to come face to face with one of Britain's best loved wild mammals, and one that's sadly now being classified as vulnerable to extinction.

Hey, how you doing?

Alright?

Hi, how are you?

What have you got there?

Looks like a little pincushion.

Not quite, it's a hedgehog.

Oh, isn't he lovely?

VO: And his handler is Fay Vass, the CEO of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

He's a British or European hedgehog.

Yeah.

Scientific name is Erinaceus europeaus.

I'll settle for hedgehog I think.

Yeah, probably a good idea.

They've been around for longer you might think, about 15 million years.

They were around before sabretooth cats, wooly mammoths, that kind of thing.

In the Middle Ages they were thought of as being related to witches... Really?

..and that they were harbingers of doom and that if you saw one bad luck was on its way.

Probably the worst thing that happened to them was Queen Elizabeth I passed a bill in 1566 which said that hedgehogs were responsible for crop damage on agricultural land.

And so she put a price on their head.

If a hedgehog was killed, it was worth 3p to the person who killed it.

VO: The reputation of the humble hedgehog was restored in the Victorian era, when they were sometimes kept in kitchens to keep insects under control.

But in more recent times, these shy nocturnal creatures have come under threat once more.

FAY: There's lots of dangers that hedgehogs face.

And probably the biggest problem is loss of habitat and fragmentation of habitats.

There might be pockets of land that are good for hedgehogs, but if they don't join up it can't sustain a population.

Oh, that's awful.

Which is why the preservation society came about in 1982 to protect our spiny little friends.

It was set up by Major Adrian Coles after he discovered a hedgehog that had fallen into a cattle grid.

FAY: He realized it had no means of escape and would die unless he saved it.

So he got a milk pan, rescued the hedgehog, and because he was a Shropshire county councilor at the time he persuaded them to put ramps in all of their cattle grids so that hedgehogs could escape should they fall in.

And the publicity that followed from that made him form the hedgehog society VO: The society works to improve the plight of the hedgehog, encouraging people to make their gardens more hog friendly and lobbying to give the species more legal protection.

They also work with rescue centers across the country where animals who are sick or injured get looked after by people like Beth Robinson.

Beth, are you the chief hedgehog nurse?

I am chief hedgehog nurse of Cuan Wildlife.

How many hedgehogs have you got in here?

This year altogether we've had actually over a thousand hedgehogs in through our doors and actually currently we have over 200 hedgehogs in our care.

Main reasons that they actually come in, it's young orphaned juveniles that are struggling to gain weight for hibernation.

So it can take up to a couple of months sometimes to get them actually out and a good weight for release.

VO: And to make sure they're on the road to recovery, they need regular checkups.

So here's one of our little hedgehogs... PS: Oh look at him!

BETH: ..that we've got.

So he's a couple of months old at the moment and he's been with us since a tiny little hoglet.

I'm just gonna give him a little sharp injection here.

What's that for then?

That's actually a really strong wormer.

Just a second and it's in.

Beth, I've got a favor to ask you.

BETH: Yes?

PS: Can I hold one?

Of course you can.

VO: He's been dying to ask that.

Better get gloved up then.

Ow, you little rascal.

VO: They are noted for their prickles, Phil.

Aw, look at you.

Can he see me?

He can, yeah.

That's probably why he's rolled up in a little ball.

Oh, look at his little face.

Let's put him down.

There you are matey.

So how much does he weigh?

He weighs five ounces.

VO: It's an ongoing struggle to preserve these little beasties as hog numbers have declined by 50% in the last 20 years.

But hopefully the work of these hedgehog heroes will give them a fighting chance of survival.

Beth, that's has been fantastic.

I just... one last thing, you've let me pick him up... Can we call him Phil?

VO: Hey, she might be even Phyllis.

Ha!

From one prickly customer to a smooth operator.

Izzie is on the move.

I've still got loads of money left so I would really like to spend a good chunk of that if not all of it.

I'd like to buy what I call a proper antique.

VO: Well, I'm all for that.

Let's see what you can find for your remaining £286 in the Shropshire town of Shifnal.

Corner Farm Antiques is your final destination and you'll have it all to yourself until a fella called Tiggywinkle arrives.

Ha.

You want proper antiques?

They've got proper antiques.

Some a bit too proper for you to afford, but they have more budget friendly pieces too.

Look out.

I have spotted something right at the back here, a brass and ormolu thermometer.

What I like about this is the bird up on the top, and also the fact that it's gold.

Because, true to type, I'm going for something glitzy.

I think it's 19th century.

I say that hesitantly because it's in quite good condition and it's quite shiny.

But if you look at the base that just has a lot of age to it.

There, it's sort of all rusted, you've got that great big screw.

And the fact that it's ormolu, you tend to think of it as French, and French clocks, and it tends to be an 18th and 19th century type of decoration.

VO: Indeed, the word ormolu is French for ground gold, but this thing is basically gilded bronze.

I just think it's pretty.

It is, however, £148 and I don't think it's worth that at auction.

I will park it for now and see what else I find.

VO: One more to think about then.

Uh-oh, Phil's arrived.

What does he think he looks like?

What are you doing?

You might well ask.

Phil, I've got a great gag.

What?

Right, this is amazing.

You ready?

Yeah.

The yoke's on you.

Fantastic.

I do the jokes.

VO: Shall we get back to shopping then?

Oh lordy.

Sideways, Phil.

Well, he's got that out of his system.

Let's see if he can spend some of that £114 of his.

There's lots of really, really shiny, sparkly things in here that I think will be right up Miss Balmer's street.

But there's one thing that I really, really love.

And it's not so much the object that I like, but it's who it's by.

Here's a little bit of Georg Jensen.

VO: The renowned Danish silversmith from the early 20th century.

Items produced by his company are very collectable.

And it's basically a little heart shaped locket.

And you open it up and you've got a space for a photograph there.

As an object do I like it?

Well, probably not that much.

But it's a piece of Georg Jensen and just to own one piece would be really, really special.

VO: That's got a ticket price of £58.

PS: It kind of looks like it's out of period in that it's Georg Jensen but after Georg Jensen died.

I mean, that is very sort of '70s isn't it?

Sort of flared trousers and permed hair really?

A little bit?

The thing about this is you're not buying a silver locket.

You're buying Georg Jensen.

At least I hope I'm buying Georg Jensen.

VO: Only one way to find out.

Rosie?

Yeah.

You OK?

Yeah, this little Georg Jensen locket.

You've got it priced at £58.

Yeah?

Need help, Rosie.

Do you want the sob story now or later?

DEALER: Um... (CHUCKLES) PS: Later.

We've heard it all before.

Shall we do it for 45?

Would 40 quid buy it?

DEALER: Er... VO: Charmer.

DEALER: OK. We'll do it for 40.

PS: That alright?

DEALER: Yeah.

PS: You're an angel.

VO: The Serrell wink works every time.

And that buy leaves him with £74.

Elsewhere, with that thermometer still in contention, Izzie's found something else.

Are we sitting comfortably?

This is a 19th century corkscrew.

And in all honesty, I don't know that much about corkscrews.

But sometimes the ones with the brushes can do surprisingly well.

And sometimes they don't.

But I just think it's a bit different and a bit novel and it's not at all shiny, so it's not what I normally go for.

VO: It's a rather nifty rack and pinion job that gets corks out easily.

Priced at £118.

I don't know.

I do like it, there's something about it that does appeal to me.

I just don't know if I'm going a bit too off piste here.

But, you know, if you don't take a risk in life, and if you don't have a bit of fun, then you're never gonna get anywhere, are you?

VO: That's the spirit.

Let's have a word with shopkeeper Tim.

You can't go wrong with a Tim.

Hello Tim.

I found two items that I really, really love, which is the thermometer at 148 and the corkscrew at 118.

Now, I was wondering, I was rather hoping, is there anything we can do on the price?

Um...

So that's 148, so into 248... We're both trying IB: to do math here.

DEALER: Yeah.

VO: £266 all in.

The thermometer, I'll do that at 110.

Right.

And the corkscrew, 85.

VO: That's 195.

You're welcome.

Can I be really cheeky?

Can I say 180 for the two?

Yeah, go on.

IB: Amazing.

DEALER: It's alright.

Thank you very much.

VO: Yeah, so 70 for the corkscrew and 110 for the thermometer leaves her with £106.70.

I think it's time to bid farewell.

Well that's it then, Phil.

Shropshire done and dusted.

Think there's anything we've not done whilst we've been here?

Well, I just feel like we should have had some Shropshire blue cheese, don't you?

Oh no, Phil, you're stinky enough as it is.

That's not very nice.

VO: He put a clean scarf on and everything.

Time for some shuteye before there's tears, children.

Now, where would make a good backdrop for a spot of auction viewing?

You do bring me to some spectacular places, Izzie.

I certainly do, don't I?

VO: Yes, this should do the trick.

This very grand property, whose origins date back over 900 years, is Hooton Pagnell Hall... situated in Hooton Pagnell, of course, in South Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, the stuff they bought has headed down to Middle Littleton in Worcestershire.

VO: Up for sale at Littleton Auctions in the room, on the net and with commissioned bids left in advance, Izzie's stumped up £275 on five auction lots.

Let's see if auctioneer Martin Homer finds any of it alluring.

Don't need to.

The Victorian sampler, we have them in most of our sales and they always do well, very collectable.

VO: Philip started with slightly less money, £240, on his five lots.

Any standouts, Martin?

The grandfather chair is probably my favorite lot.

Lovely shape to it, lovely color to it.

I think that's going to do really well.

VO: Sounds promising.

Let's check out the mood back at the castle.

I'm just feeling a bit anxious again.

I always feel anxious.

I think I might have paid too much money for some of my items.

Yes!

VO: Well, there's no turning back now, because... What time is it?

VO: It's auction time!

VO: Starting with that sampler of Izzie's.

Let's hope it leads the bidders into temptation.

I can start you at just £30.

IB: Ooh.

MARTIN: Give me a 30.

Hammer down.

35.

35 now.

45.

45, 50 on platform one.

65 now on platform two.

OK, so we're in profit.

80 on platform two.

This gets better, doesn't it?

MARTIN: 90.

£100.

IB: Excellent.

All I can see the look on your face, I tell you what.

140?!

Trying not to be a Cheshire Cat.

150.

160.

VO: Look at that!

Going once, twice.

PS: (CHUCKLES) IB: I'm going to be very gracious and just sit here smiling.

VO: And Sarah Walton's needlework reputation is restored.

I'm actually really, really pleased for you.

You look it.

Incredibly pleased for you.

VO: Phil's first chance to claw back now.

Are his huge scissors a cut above?

They're not what I would think of as your sort of purchase because they're very gold and sparkly.

It's your influence, Izzie, it's wearing off on me.

Aww!

I can start the bidding at £30.

PS: Oh no!

MARTIN: Anybody at 30?

At £30, 35, comes back to me at 40.

At £40.

45 on platform two.

I can go 50.

Oh, he's got a commission.

On my commission bid at £50.

Looking for 55 now.

Lovely pair of scissors, these, at £50.

Lovely cheap pair of scissors.

£50.

All done?

Fair warned at 50.

Will you stop smiling at me like that?

Sorry.

Let me just rearrange my mouth.

Alright, can we just... Come on.

VO: No haberdashers online today, obviously.

It could be worse.

VO: The second of Izzie's serpents now, a double headed snake bangle.

MARTIN: 15 I'm bid, thank you.

IB: Oh no.

At £15.

Is there 18 anywhere?

It's a worm, isn't it?

It's at 18?

And I'm selling at just £15.

IB: Oh no.

MARTIN: Are we all done then?

£15.

Do you know, I hate to gloat at someone else's misfortune, but... yay!

VO: So much for plastic being glam.

The tide has turned I think.

That's a result for me.

VO: Don't get too cocky, Phil.

Let's see how your grandfather's chair does first.

I start it at just £40.

Bid's with me on commission at 40.

200, that's more like it.

Ooh!

VO: Wow!

IB: Oh, well done.

At 200, 210 220.

MARTIN: At £220.

IB: Phil Serrell!

£220, ladies and gentlemen.

Such a good result.

Are we all done?

I'm selling at £220.

Well, Mr Serrell.

IB: Well done you.

PS: Ah!

Ha-ho!

Hey, that's helped, hasn't it?

VO: Not half!

I must say that result puts you back in the game mate.

Well I am absolutely delighted.

I was beginning to doubt anything I'd ever bought again ever.

VO: One for the vexillophiles now, Izzie's First World War union flag.

20 I've got, thank you.

We're on platform one... Oh!

..at 20.

I'm at £20 on platform one.

Do I see 22 anywhere?

Are we all done then?

And I'm selling at £20.

Sold at 20.

I am surprised, I thought there would be a lot more interest in that.

VO: I think we'll fly it at half mast after that loss.

You win some, you lose some.

VO: Phil's hoping to win some with his next lot.

His tea canister, Bristol fashion.

MARTIN: £50.

PS: That's a help.

IB: Good start.

PS: Yeah.

I'm at 80.

PS: Oh.

IB: Fantastic.

I can go 90 on my book.

110.

Woohoo!

I'm pleased.

I'm pleased, I'm pleased, I'm pleased.

..go any further.

We're at 120 on platform... IB: Phil!

Doubling your money!

I think I'm...

I'm alright for this to stop now.

PS: (CHUCKLES) IB: Had its time.

I've got room now at 140.

I'm looking for 150 now.

£150.

I'm at £150.

Are we finished, everyone?

And away at 150.

Well I knew it all the time really.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Yeah.

Another impressive profit for our man.

That's a top result.

I think that's done really, really well.

It exceeded my expectations for it.

VO: I bet Izzie would like a similar outcome for her 19th century corkscrew.

Can she pull it off?

30 I'm bid thank you, on platform one.

35 I've got on platform two.

I'm on 35.

Oh Phil, I don't...

This has got a long way to go.

Yeah.

£35, are we all done then?

Fair warning.

At just £35.

Cheap that, Izzie.

Oh well.

VO: I think her commanding lead might be slipping away.

PS: That was unlucky.

IB: Oh well.

Cuz those things can make big bucks, can't they?

IB: Took a risk, didn't work.

PS: Yeah.

VO: Phil's first ever foray into brooches now, part of his military pin collection.

I will start you at £50.

(CHUCKLES) That's amazing.

55 on platform two, back to me at 60.

65.

I can go back in at 70.

At £70.

Today is your day, you're on fire.

75 takes my commission bid out.

We're at 75 on platform two.

80 we're at now.

At £80.

Looking for 90.

All finished at 80?

£80.

I'm absolutely chuffed with that.

VO: As well you should be.

I think we know which way this one's going.

I mean, it's been a great week whatever, but it's suddenly just got a lot better.

I'll bet.

VO: Izzie's last chance to stop the decline.

Hoping for a warm reception for her thermometer.

40 I'm bid, thank you.

At £40, 50 we've gone to now.

We're at £50.

Interesting lot, this.

£55.

Platform one comes in at 60 then.

We're at £60.

You've got a way to go yet, Izzie.

65.

We're at... 65 now, platform two at 65.

Feel like time's running out, time's a-ticking.

70 I've got, platform one.

At £70, all done?

IB: No!

MARTIN: And I'm gonna sell... at £70.

I think you're really unlucky with that.

VO: Decidedly chilly I'd say.

You look wounded, hon.

I am!

I know what's happening today and I don't like it.

It's not much fun.

VO: And it might just get worse because last up is Phil's silver locket with that big Georg Jensen name.

Straight in at £30, thank you.

Straight in.

This bodes well.

Platform...

In at 40 now on platform one.

At £40, 45 platform two, 50.

Phil, you're in profit.

That is a result.

60, can't keep up, 70.

70, 75.

80, platform one.

What were we saying about a name?

£100 on platform one.

IB: Phil Serrell!

At £100, 110 now.

Was it imported?

MARTIN: At £110.

PS: Yeah.

Are we all done?

Fair warn then, at £110.

I literally can't believe that.

I'm kind of flabbergasted with that.

VO: Alright, I think you can start to get a bit cocky now, Phil.

Do you think I've won this, Izzie?

Oh, I think we need to go and work it out.

(THEY LAUGH) VO: (CHUCKLES) VO: I doubt there'll be any surprises, but here goes.

Izzie started this leg with £381.70, but after auction costs she sees her fortune slip to £352.70.

Bad luck.

VO: But Phil, who was trailing with £314.10, has had all in all a rather good day.

After saleroom fees he beefs up his budget to a very impressive £574.30 and he's well in the lead going into the last leg.

You know that gloating thing that you do, how do you do that?

Oh, I think you've nailed it.

I think...

I don't think you need any advice from me on that one.

Let's go.

Who's driving, you or me?

Oh, you are.

You're my chauffeur now.

Oh am I?

VO: Hey.

Rank has its privileges.

subtitling@stv.tv