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

I don't know what to do.

(HONKS HORN) VO: ..with £200 each, a classic car, and a goal: to scour Britain for antiques.

What a little diamond.

VO: The aim - to make the biggest profit at auction, but it's no mean feat.

Back in the game.

Charlie!

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

Oh!

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

Oh!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

VO: Yeah.

VO: It's leg two of this week's epic road trip with dynamic duo, Natasha Raskin and Philip Serrell.

NATASHA: I think we are a good match, you and I, do you know that?

Yeah.

Do you get tired being happy all the time?

No, but do you know what I think you're doing Phil?

You're kinda chilling me out a little bit.

VO: Phil is a road trip veteran and an expert auctioneer with a reputation for being a bit of an old grump.

Have you got any idea where we are?

No, no idea.

Do you have any idea where we're going to?

Uh, Newport.

Newport.

We're in Newport and we're heading for Newport.

PHIL: I don't want to be picky, but this is not Newport.

Let's just establish roles here.

Pilot, navigator.

VO: Novice road tripper Natasha is an auctioneer in Glasgow, who specializes in Scottish contemporary art.

I cannot think of a better way to spend the day than driving around Wales in a gorgeous Porsche with a handsome man like you.

Oh, what a girl, what a girl.

I'm so glad you memorized that script I gave you.

VO: On this journey, our trippers are cruising in a classy 1957 Porsche, 356 Coupe.

I absolutely adore this car and of all the road trips I've done, this is the kind of car I want to take home with me.

VO: Natasha made a loss on the last leg.

After starting with £200, she's ended up with £161.96 to play with.

Meanwhile, old hand Phil, played a stormer and made a great profit, so he has £275.90 to spend today.

What are you going to be looking for today?

Well, cheap things.

I don't have much to spend, but I think that I'm going to go slightly smaller, slightly more feminine this time.

I've got a plan.

What's the plan?

Just buy five totally different things.

VO: Our experts' mammoth mission began in Narbeth in Pembrokeshire and will see them travel several hundred miles covering Wales and southern England, before finishing up in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Today's trip kicks off in Newport and will meander its way north towards the auction in Newent.

Nothing like a relaxing drive in the British countryside, eh?

Oh Lord, have we got to go on that?

I think we might have to.

You're joking.

I do not fancy that at all.

NATASHA: No.

OK. What that thing hanging out of the sky?

VO: That thing is the Newport transporter bridge.

Built in 1906, the grade one listed structure is very rare, with only six operational transporter bridges worldwide.

This is a bit exciting?

Well it depends on what you deem as exciting.

VO: Originally built to carry steel workers across the river Usk, the mile and half journey now costs just £1 per person or £2.75 for those brave enough to climb the 270 steps up to the high level walkway at the top of the structure.

It's moving.

It's moving, it's moving, it's moving.

PHIL: Oh my life.

Are you not enjoying this?

No I don't.

I don't like this one little bit.

NATASHA: Why?

Cuz I don't like stuff like this.

It makes me all...mhe.

Are you OK?

Yep.

Just feeling very bgrr.

VO: Safely back on solid ground, it's time for our pair to part ways, as Natasha is heading to her first pit stop.

NATASHA: Hello?

JOHN: Hello.

Oh hello.

Hi there.

I'm Natasha.

Hi, I'm John.

Hi John, lovely to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

This looks like an absolute treasure trove of a shop.

VO: Good name too, Strawberry Water Junk Company.

OK, OK.

I don't really know where to start.

There's so much everywhere that I can't help but look up, cuz there is so many pictures.

I can't stop looking up, but I don't think we're gonna look at pictures today.

Look at stuff, look at stuff.

VO: Stuff, eh?

Plenty of that in here.

That is the best thing.

Maybe that's by somebody.

Oh, how exciting.

Ah, a Beswick.

Oh, that's amazing!

I do know the name Beswick, of course, because everyone does.

It's probably 1970s, but it's in the form of a pheasant.

It's probably for keeping eggs.

It's hand painted, which is really nice and he's only 15 quid and if John would give me something off of him, come on, he's got to be a winner.

VO: There's only one way to find out.

This has £15 on it and I think it's really sweet and I wonder what would be your best price on the pheasant tureen?

Oh, dear.

I'll be sweet to you, a tenner.

A tenner?

OK, well, I think for a tenner it's a pretty good deal, but before we shake on it, there's another thing as well that I've just clocked as we walked passed.

VO: Ah, she spotted a rather large glass carboy, which were primarily used to carry acids.

NATASHA: What I know about these, you could write on the back of a stamp, but it's I guess it's a sort of molten glass.

It wouldn't be blown, would it?

JOHN: No.

No, so it's a big bit of molten glass, but they're so decorative, aren't they?

You can do anything with those.

Well, you put it out in the garden and inside have it going growing... Yeah!

They're really really awesome.

JOHN: It would have been an acid holder, wouldn't it?

NATASHA: Oh really?

I think it's a lovely lot and I'm thinking, what's it got on...I don't...haven't even seen the price.

NATASHA: OK, so it's got £28 on it.

I really like the two.

I think they're totally bizarre and disparate, but at the top end, their combined price was £43.

Mm-hm.

Would you be open to an offer of £30?

Yeah, go on, it's near enough.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

I feel awfully cheeky, but if you're happy with that, I'm gonna grab your hand and go with it.

VO: So, with two lots bought, Natasha's off to a flying start.

Phil, meanwhile, has motored his way... VO: ..17 miles south to the Welsh capital, Cardiff.

VO: One of Britain's flattest cities, Cardiff also clocks up more hours' sunlight than Milan.

Surely that will brighten up Phil's day.

I sort of loathe to admit this, but I do really like Wales.

I mean, as an Englishman who's mad keen on rugby, you know, Wales, Wales is our natural enemy, but I think Wales is...

I love it, I really do.

VO: That's nice, but enough of the loving, you've got some shopping to do.

PHIL: Hi, how are you?

I'm good, thank you.

Welcome to The Pumping Station You've got a massive place here, haven't you?

We have.

VO: It's on an industrial scale, with more than 35 different traders, all under one roof.

Lovely.

How are you good sir?

Are you well?

I'm good young man, yourself?

Young man?

I'm warming to you already.

VO: Hey, Phil's not been a young man for a long time.

But what's this he's spotted?

Your intaglios here...

Yes.

Can I have a look at the group of them please?

Yes.

VO: It's a collection of 19th century intaglio metal molds and glass seals.

Intaglios are designs or images that are cut into hard surfaces, such as metal or stone and back the 18th and 19th centuries they were collected by grand tourists as sophisticated keepsakes of classical antiquity.

These...these are ground tour bits, so the way you want on your ground tour in 1820, and you want a souvenir, you needn't bring back a stick of rock or a piece of troika or whatever.

Yes.

You brought back books and you opened the books out and the books would have been full of intaglios.

VO: Phil's clearly interested, but can he strike a bargain?

What would you take for those and what would you take for those?

DEALER: £150.

PHIL: That's for all of it?

PHIL: See, I'm miles away from your price.

I've really got to try and get those under 30 quid.

DEALER: You're gonna struggle.

Could 25 quid buy 'em?

Cash.

The folding holding.

Hm... Yeah.

Go on.

Oh you're an absolute gentleman.

Thank you ever so much.

VO: So, a generous discount there from Paul has secured Phil his first purchase.

Anything else float your boat?

Well, this little watercolor...

It's of HMS Tidepool, which one presumes is that there.

I just think it's a really interesting little watercolor.

It's quite finely done.

It's pencil and watercolor, but there's a great deal of depth to it.

VO: The ticket price is £28, but can Phil convince dealer David to take less.

I think at auction that's gonna make between, oh, I don't know, 20 or 40 quid.

That's what I think, which means I've got to try and buy it for between 10 and £15.

Now this, this is, this is wha... this is what we call a pregnant pause, a long silence.

Well I'm going to shock you.

Oh my goodness!

DAVID: I'm gonna shock you.

PHIL: Hark at this.

I'm going to shock you.

Go on then.

DAVID: You can have it for £14 and that's my final offer.

Thank you very much.

You're a gentleman, thank you very much indeed.

There you are.

VO: That purchase puts Phil neck and neck with Natasha on the buying front, with both of them bagging two lots each in their first shops.

Natasha's also made her way to Cardiff.

And has come to its indoor flea market for a scratch about.

Hm... OK.

This is really great.

Wow.

I think I actually want to find something sort of vintage and retro-y.

It's got that look, doesn't it?

VO: You can say that again.

Look at the planter.

That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

What is going on with this?

Planter...plant 1970's tiger plant pot.

Probably put this one down and move on.

VO: Yes, something a little less garish might be best.

Well, there's one thing that I really like.

It's quite unusual.

Um, it's this little coral and seed pearl brooch there.

So what's going on with that?

I don't have a clue what the, what the motif is.

It's a riding...well, it's a riding crop.

You see the bottom part of the whip... NATASHA: Right!

OK. ..and you've got your handle up here.

And the horseshoe's just to represent hunting and all that sort of thing.

Yeah, so...yeah.

Good luck.

So it's seed pearls and coral, is that right?

DEALER: Yeah.

Is this in nine carat gold?

No.

Oh, right, OK.

It's...

I still haven't found a mark on it.

NATASHA: Ahh...OK.

So I think it's gilded.

OK...

So it's...

I'm not pricing it as a nine carat gold.

NATASHA: What's your price on that then?

I'd do it for £25 for you.

NATASHA: It wouldn't be right if I didn't counter offer you.

What if I said £20?

What, just what if I said that?

What would you do?

£20.

You're OK with £20.

NATASHA: Can we shake on it?

DEALER: OK, definitely.

Oh, that's excellent, thank you so much!

Oh, thank you.

I think that is really cute.

VO: Nice deal done there, knocking £5 off the asking price and it looks like Natasha's artistic eye has spotted another little treasure.

NATASHA: This lovely little oil on canvas board painting is making me pretty misty-eyed, because it's the most nostalgic, really nicely executed painting of what I'm guessing would be the artist's father, signed, Jan Fisher.

So I'm gonna say female artist, probably around the 1980s.

It's got a nostalgic feel to it and I think that Jan Fisher has produced something that wasn't commercially commissioned.

It's just a nice memory that she's had that she's wanted to reproduce.

It's just a lovely thing.

VO: Can she convince owner Pete to part with the painting for under the £50 ticket price?

NATASHA: What would be your best price?

I can probably do it for 40.

Oh, Pete, 40 quid, you reckon?

Well... You're not going to mug me now, are you?

I'm not going to mug you, but here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to lay my cards on the table.

I was hoping that Peter, Pete, that you would offer it to me for £20.

That is ludicrous, isn't it?

Ludicrous?

Oh, come on, come on.

PETE: Yeah.

Well, what can I say?

What do you reckon?

Is that...am I being too cheeky?

No, go on.

NATASHA: Am I laying it on too thick?

Go on, you can have it.

NATASHA: Are you sure?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh Pete!

You're such a star!

Thank you so much.

OK, no problem.

Oh, my goodness!

Come on.

He's just so cute, he's everyone's best friend.

Yeah, he is.

And you're now mine.

VO: Aw... Another great deal done, securing the painting for £20.

Yes!

VO: She's off to a strong start.

VO: Phil meanwhile, has taken a 20 trek west, to Bridgend.

VO: This Welsh countryside was once host to a Second World War prisoner-of-war camp.

This site held captured German military personnel, both during and after the war, and it was the site of an infamous daring escape.

Phil's come to meet Hut Nine Preservation Society member, Brett Exton, to find out more.

PHIL: Hi.

Hi there Phil.

How we doing?

Hi.

Very good.

How are you Brett, alright?

Fine thank you, fine thank you.

This is a...an interesting building, isn't it?

BRETT: It is, isn't it?

This is Hut Number Nine of a prisoner-of-war camp.

Prisoner-of-war?

Prisoner-of-war camp.

German prisoner-of-war camp.

Right, so not a very big one by the looks of it?

Oh, it was huge, it was huge.

PHIL: Really?

BRETT: Yeah, yeah.

There would've been another 30 huts at least.

PHIL: Oh, right, not just this bit then?

No, not just this one.

This is all that remains.

VO: The site is almost unrecognizable now, but this 1950's footage shows the camp closer to how it would have looked during the war.

There were over a thousand prisoner-of-war camps across the United Kingdom, with Island Farm, also known as Camp 198, holding almost 2,000 prisoners.

Wow, so this is our cell?

Yes, this is a...this is a... We are the Germans and this is our cell.

BRETT: Yeah.

PHIL: So what are we doing, what was our, I mean, that's clearly where we slept.

Yeah, this...this obviously is where we slept, but we would've just had to find things to amuse ourselves, you know, so we would've written letters to home, we'd have made things, you know, we'd have crafted little things, toys...

Mind occupation here must have just been...

They'd have gone stir crazy.

Well, they were very, very artistic... Yeah...

So in some of the rooms they drew some very, very intricate pictures.

VO: Many of the original paintings have been preserved, some of which are rather racy and there was a reason for this, as these were the ones used to distract the guards from uncovering the secret tunnel the prisoners were digging.

In 1945, March 10th, 1945, 70 Germans got out of this very hut, tunneled to freedom, making it the largest escape from any PoW camp in Great Britain.

How did they know where they were?

Because you know, you're... you're in the middle of Bridgend, you wouldn't know you're in Bridgend or Bournemouth, would you?

Well, the British military had been quite ingenious.

They thought well, if we're going to be invaded by the Germans, what can we do to make things a bit, a bit difficult for them?

Yeah.

So they'd taken all the road signs down for...from every single street, every single road, but what the British had forgotten to do, was take the maps down off the back walls of the railway carriages, the very, very train that brought the Germans here in, back in November 1944, so these Germans had seen these maps on the back walls of the rail carriages and traced them onto their handkerchief and onto the tail pieces of their shirts.

PHIL: This really is Colditz in reverse.

BRETT: (LAUGHS) Absolutely, yeah.

VO: It took the prisoners over four months of hard graft to dig the tunnel from Hut Nine, out to freedom on the other side of the fence.

It started in the room here and it went down about three or four feet in the sort of curve shape.

Underneath this very path... PHIL: Underneath this path?

BRETT: Underneath this path, this path would have been here in 1945 and then in length, totally, about 30 feet in total.

PHIL: And I mean, that's an engineering feat, isn't it?

Absolutely, you know, vorsprung durch technik they say and the tunnel is still standing today, 70 years on.

BRETT: It's never collapsed.

PHIL: Really?

BRETT: After all this time.

PHIL: So how did they do it?

BRETT: Well, the actual tunnel, was dug uh, using any type of uh, instrument, anything that was sharp.

Uh, the edge of a tin or... PHIL: Spoons, anything.

BRETT: You know, spoons, knives, anything of that nature.

Uh, but what's the interested thing, is how they shored the tunnel up.

Yeah... Um, the, all the beds in there, uh, the bunk beds, were made of timber.

PHIL: Yeah.

BRETT: So they cut the equal lengths of bu... uh, wood off the, off the bed legs.

All the bunks went down and nobody noticed, but that's what they used to shore the side walls of the tunnel.

And what did they do with losing all the soil?

BRETT: Well, inside the hut, on a sort of corner shaped part of the hut... PHIL: Yeah.

..they extended the wall with some plasterboard.

PHIL: So made like a dummy wall?

BRETT: Yeah, to make a false wall.

So they got the plasterboard and they extended this false wall, but they didn't have any screws, nuts, bolts, those sort of things to fasten the wall, but what they did have was a plentiful supply of porridge and they brewed... Porridge?

Porridge.

They brewed up a real gloop-like consistency and that's what they used to glue the wall together.

The irony of the, of the glue, uh, being porridge, is that on one of the walls, the prisoners drew a porridge man and he's carrying a PoW porridge bucket and that's like a joke at the expense of the guards.

VO: Although ultimately the joke was on the prisoners, as their months of hard labor were to end up in vain.

Some made it as far away as Birmingham and Southampton, but within a week all 70 of the escapees were recaptured and imprisoned once more.

So after the war, did all the soldiers go home?

Or, I mean, did some of them stay?

Well, some of them, uh, settled down in the area.

BRETT: Uh, they... PHIL: Really?

Yeah, they been, they'd been out on, working on farms and uh, been...

It became more like an open prison, so they would have been allowed out under armed escort, to work in nearby places and some of them befriended local women and some of them settled down.

They married locally and settled down locally, you know, in Bridgend.

That's fantastic, isn't it?

Yeah.

Really good story.

This is very much part of Bridgend's history, isn't it?

Oh, very much so and it's a history we would love to see preserved and hence why this is a grade two listed building today.

PHIL: That ain't the prettiest grade two listed building I've ever seen.

No, I agree with you, but it's one, probably one less...

But it's the story, isn't it?

It's the story.

Absolutely.

It's the story.

It is a fascinating story.

Brett, you've been a star.

Thank you for sharing that with me.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you.

You better make your escape I think.

I am.

Yeah, but not by tunnel.

PHIL: By Porsche!

BRETT: All the best.

VO: It's been a busy day all round, so it's time for our weary experts to head off for some well earned rest, nighty night.

VO: It's the start of a brand new day, Natasha and Phil are back on the road, enjoying the scenery.

Does it pull on your heartstrings, Phil, when you see lambs gamboling around fields?

PHIL: I quite like spring lamb.

Mint sauce, new potatoes.

Don't you?

Oh Phil, you're a cruel, hard man.

Farmer's son.

Oh we... Oh that explains it.

That explains it.

Farmer's son, farmer's son.

Oh, there's nothing like a wee lamb gamboling around.

So, a wee lamb gamboling onto your plate.

Yeah...no, no!

VO: So far Phil has spent £39 on two items, the 19th century intaglio molds and seals, and the 1970s watercolor.

He still has a healthy £236.90 available to spend.

While Natasha's storming ahead on the buying front.

She's forked out £70 for four items, the Beswick egg tureen, glass Carboy, unmarked gold brooch and the original oil painting.

Leaving her £91.96 to play with today.

PHIL: Are you really pleased with your buys yesterday?

Um, reasonably so.

They got better as the day went on, I do believe.

How much did you spend?

I've spent £70 in total.

NATASHA: So about... PHIL: 70?

Yeah, just under half my money.

How much have I spent?

I've spent...

I've spent £39.

Oh.

How many items have you bought thus far?

I've...I've only bought two, but I'm sort of... Oh, that's OK.

I was going to scold you for having bought three or four.

VO: This morning our experts have steered the Porsche to the popular market town of Evesham, ..where our Little Miss Sunshine is ditching Mr Grumpy.

PHIL: Have a really good day.

NATASHA: Don't buy too well.

PHIL: No, I'll try hard not to.

NATASHA: I'll have some of your cash.

NATASHA: Bye.

VO: Phil's first stop of the day is Twyford Antiques, with an eclectic range of collectibles, set over two floors.

PHIL: There's two quite nice little wine labels in here that might be worth a look at.

See, in the 17th and 18th century, there were wine labels that were put onto whisky, gin, brandy, whatever and it was a little silver tag that went round the collar of the decanter or the bottle that told you what it was.

They actually did one for Worcestershire, for Worcestershire sauce.

Um, it's always been my...

I've been looking for one around 10 years.

VO: It's just sherry and champagne that dealer Andy has on the menu today.

PHIL: This is a sherry label and it's silver, hallmarked London and it's interesting because this one here is twice the price of that one, isn't it?

Mm.

PHIL: Why is that then?

I suppose champagne would be a little bit... ANDY: Champagne, well I suppose yeah, champagne's more expensive, so the label's more expensive.

PHIL: Can't fault his logic can you?

VO: Certainly not.

The ticket price on the cheaper sherry label is a hefty £136.

Could there be much movement on the price on that?

Normally you'd probably get away with about 100.

OK. Um... And abnormally?

Abnormally, might drop down a little bit below 100 for you.

There's a possibility.

Right.

Can I leave that one out with you?

Yep.

Certainly.

VO: One to think about.

Anything else take your fancy?

PHIL: This is just a really cool thing, isn't it?

This is a stationary engine and you've got the, the uh, the steam engine here.

You then boil the furnace and the steam then operates that pump there like that.

I think that's a real good bit of fun.

Andy?

ANDY: Yeah.

Would there be, could there be a bit of movement in the price on that one as well?

VO: With a ticket price of £99 on the stationary engine and £136 on the sherry label, what kind of deal can Phil work, eh?

PHIL: What would be the best you could do on each of those?

Realistically, we would probably be looking about sort of £60 on him, £80 on him.

I don't know what to do.

VO: Chop, chop.

If I could have the two, for £90, I'd have 'em both off you.

£95?

Do it for £90, I'll have a deal with you.

Go on, then.

PHIL: Thank you.

VO: That very generous deal bags Phil another two lots.

VO: Natasha has taken a cruise south to one of the most unspoiled villages in the Cotswolds, Snowshill.

VO: She's come to visit Snowshill Manor.

This 16th century house holds a unique collection of extraordinary treasures that back in the 1920's and 30's attracted both the famous and royalty.

Hello, hi there.

You must be Sue.

SUE: Hello.

I am.

Hello, hi, I'm Tasha.

Hi Tasha, lovely to meet you.

Lovely to meet you.

Yes.

Thank you very much for having me along.

This is the collection of Charles Wade, is that right?

It is.

This is Snowshill Manor and this is the place that Charles Wade chose to house his collection of around 22,000 objects.

VO: Charles Wade was an architect, artist, craftsman and most famously, a collector.

Inspired by his grandma's special cupboard of curios as a child, at the age of seven, Charles started building his incredible collection of children's toys, clocks, mechanical oddities and other bizarre items.

In 1919, after stumbling across an advert for the sale of Snowshill Manor, Charles knew he'd found the perfect place to house his collection.

NATASHA: OK, so this is our first port of call?

SUE: This room is called Zenith.

NATASHA: Zenith?

Charles Wade, uh, named all his rooms.

OK... Um, depending on where, where they were in the house or maybe what was in them, but the important thing about this room is that it contains granny's cabinet.

I was just about to say, this is a stunning lacquer cabinet.

So from when does this date do you think?

It dates from mid 19th century.

Yeah.

And my eye's darting around because it's quite a collection.

Are these things that Charles collected, or are these grandma's curios?

Well, these ones here are things that were in the cabinet when Charles was a child, so these were granny's curios.

NATASHA: Amazing.

SUE: And she only opened this cabinet on Sundays, so it was quite a ritual.

Looking at granny's collection on a Sunday, that special day, that made Charles want to be a collector.

VO: Bitten by the collecting bug and his love of handcrafted objects, Charles spent his life building an impressive catalogue of weird and wonderful items, most of which he surprisingly uncovered in the UK.

What I'd love to see is something so exotic, that I just would never believe you, that he purchased it here in the UK.

Is there anything of that ilk?

Well, I think if you come and look at Charles Wade's collection of Samurai armor, you'll find that pretty amazing.

VO: Housed in the Green Room is one of Europe's largest collections of Samurai armor.

The 26 suits date from the 17th to 19th centuries.

This is mad!

I'm speechless and a little bit terrified.

NATASHA: Where on earth did he find this collection of Samurai suits in the UK?

There's actually quite a...quite amusing story about where he found some of the suits.

NATASHA: Mm-hm.

He needed a washer for a tap, so he took himself off and to the plumber's and it was a tiny plumber shop, apparently, barely room for a sink in the window and a few washers and he went in and there was a suit of Samurai armor and the man said "Oh, well, um, if you want some more, "there's a whole load underneath the tarpaulin in the yard" and there were, I think there were six sets of Samurai armor in total, really laid out almost as scrap.

Oh, that's just bizarre.

And he was able to buy them for quite a small sum of money.

NATASHA: Yeah, well I mean, it's really fitting actually, because didn't he have a saying, that he had a set motto as it were, three words, "Let nothing perish."

Yes.

Yes, indeed.

That was what he said.

His own, his own motto.

And - yeah, it must have absolutely disgusted him when this tarpaulin was thrown off... Yeah.

To see these things lying on floor he must have thought...

Yes.

They're perishing, I can save these!

Absolutely and that's what he loved to do.

You know, he would have taken them away to his workshop, at the back of his cottage and spent many many hours working on them.

VO: Charles' motto also applied to the manor itself.

Completely run down when he bought it he spent three years restoring it to its former glory.

So impressive was the end result, that both royalty and celebrities came to visit, including writer Virginia Wolf, who turned out to be one of Charles' few unhappy house guests.

Well, I think you either got Charles Wade, or you didn't.

OK. And Virginia certainly didn't.

Um... Oh.

He, he had, loved his clocks.

NATASHA: OK. SUE: Many clocks throughout the house and they were all set to different times and they'd all chime at different times.

Oh, not Virginia's cup of tea.

Not Virginia's cup of tea, because she made the mistake of relying on these clocks and missed her train back to London, so she was...she thought he was a bit of a fraud and didn't get him at all.

NATASHA: Oh.

SUE: So not a happy weekend.

VO: After marrying late in life, Charles retired to St Kitts and in 1951 the estate was passed to the National Trust.

He regularly returned to his beloved manor but on one such visit in 1956, Charles sadly took ill and passed away in a nearby hospital.

So it kind of, his life kind of came full circle.

SUE: He was back... NATASHA: Full circle.

..in, in the manor that he loved and had created.

Yeah, well he had a very busy life...

Yes.

..and a seriously interesting one.

Yes.

It has been a real thrill, a real dramatic thrill to... Oh, I hope so!

..to learn about Charles Wade and his fabulous legacy.

Thank you so much for showing me around.

I'll... SUE: No trouble.

NATASHA: I'll never forget it.

Oh, that's brilliant.

Well, that's what Charles Wade would have wanted.

VO: And so the fascinating collection of a wonderfully eccentric man will continue to live on at Snowshill Manor.

VO: Phil meanwhile, has made his way to the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon.

He's heading to the very street Shakespeare was born in, and into Henley Street Antiques to meet owner Steve.

I'm a man with a mission.

I'm definitely going to buy something off you.

I don't mind what it is.

You've got lots of really good stock.

What I want is something that's either been here for a long, long time, that you need to get rid of... You're looking for a bargain.

Yeah, you've got it.

VO: Nothing like cutting to the chase, eh Phil?

That's looking like it's trying to be Mr Chippendale, isn't it?

STEVE: It is, yeah.

And how much could that come for?

STEVE: That could be 150.

PHIL: Do you know what, this is just ridiculously cheap, because what I find bonkers in this business, is that if you went to auction and you saw a scrubby old painted pine chest of drawers...

Fetch more money.

It'll make more money than this, which is just a really good quality - If you like brown furniture, it's fantastic value at the moment.

PHIL: I think that's a nice thing Steve, I do.

OK, anything else?

VO: Yep, there's a bit more brown out the back, in the form of a settle.

Now this is made out of oak, isn't it?

VO: Top marks.

Interested Phil?

I have made a certain specialty out of buying things that have been nobbled, by a bit of worm.

VO: So, is it worth the £175 ticket price?

Cuz if you can shove your little pinky in places that you shouldn't shove your little pinky, that is a problem.

Your little pinky shouldn't go there.

VO: Best have a word with Steve, eh?

I, I'm thinking, which has got more leeway in it?

This or the chest of drawers?

Uh, there's tiny more margin on this maybe.

Um... Best on the chest of drawers could be 150.

VO: Perhaps one last look at the chest of drawers will help decide.

So the death on this is 150?

The best on that is 150, yes.

And on the settle?

STEVE: 140.

Can we split it and do 130?

130?

Yep, let's do it.

You're a gentleman, thank you.

VO: Deal done on the damaged oak settle.

Sold for a pricey £130, but has Phil bitten off more than he can chew?

PHIL: I just hope that I'm sitting on a fortune now and not in the poorhouse.

VO: Hm... Only time will tell Phil.

But before we find out, Natasha's still got a bit of retail therapy to do.

VO: So she's made her way the pretty town of Deddington.

VO: She's on the hunt for one last lot at Deddington Antiques.

There's certainly plenty to choose from Natasha.

NATASHA: Um, a million items and only one to buy.

So, could be anything.

Could be anything - glass, silver, sculpture.

Seems to be quite expensive, this shop.

Oh, I really need to spot the sleeper and I really need to do it fast.

VO: Well, you've only got £91.96 left to play with.

Better ask owner Brenda for a helping hand.

OK, now you say you've got a piece of Beswick?

I do already, yes.

Wha...and it's a tureen?

It's a tureen, it's in the form of a pheasant, it's for eggs.

BRENDA: Would you like a penguin?

Well, sort of, because they're very saleable, aren't they?

VO: This little feathered friend is priced at £33.

OK, so it's got the exact same stamp...

It's got...absolutely right.

..as my pheasant.

So we're talking about 1970s?

BRENDA: That's right.

NATASHA: Something like that?

That's right.

NATASHA: Is he holding a cane?

BRENDA: He's holding a cane.

NATASHA: Aw, he's the dad.

BRENDA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He's the dad.

He's dad penguin, so... Yeah, big daddy.

Am I... Big daddy?

Yes.

That's what I call Phil.

VO: Does Phil know you call him that?

NATASHA: What else were you thinking?

Cuz I do love pottery and it's, you know, it's always good to go outwith your comfort zone, isn't it?

BRENDA: Again, it all depends how much money you've got.

OK.

They are fab-u-lous.

They are pretty cool, aren't they?

VO: Ah, but with a £58 price tag, are the piggies worth a punt?

I, I love penguins.

You prefer the pigs?

But I think I prefer the pigs.

And I, I think, I think Philip will be devastated you've got the piggies.

Do you reckon?

Yes, I think he'll be so jealous.

NATASHA: What if I offered you £25?

What if you offer me £35?

35?

Mm.

Well, what if I offered you £30?

What if you offer me...32?

This is fun, isn't it?

Come on, 32.

Are you forcing it?

32.

Oh, go on then, Brenda.

Well done.

VO: A nice bit of negotiation there, girls.

NATASHA: Do you know what Phil told me to do?

Yeah?

He told me to buy something I loved.

Yeah.

Do you love it?

When you brought that out I thought... That's it.

Phil.

That's the one.

That's me... What, you saw Phil, when you saw this?

That's Phil.

Poor Phil!

VO: Poor Phil indeed, and with that, they're all bought up.

So Natasha bought the Beswick pheasant tureen, the piggyback, also stamped Beswick, the decorative Carboy, the oil painting and the coral and seed pearl brooch.

That little lot cost her £102.

Meanwhile Philip bought the stationary model, the collection of intaglios, the silver sherry label, the watercolor and the costly oak settle.

He spent a mighty £259 in total.

So what do they think of each other's lots?

This is going to be the battle of the late 20th century paintings.

I've gone oil, Phil's gone watercolor.

They couldn't be more different, but I think that Phil has won a watch.

At £14, that watercolor is stunning.

What I absolutely love, is that portrait.

That's very her.

That's a really cool thing and I think that's absolutely lovely.

With a woodworm infested antique oak settle, he's determined to shoot himself in the foot, but guess what, I'm going to predict it's going to be his star lot.

PHIL: I really love that settle.

I think the patternation on it is absolutely fantastic.

The problem for me is the woodworm.

Have you seen the size of those holes?

Those woodworm...they must be this big!

VO: Scary thought.

So from starting this leg Newport in Wales, our experts are now hurtling towards the auction in Newent, Gloucestershire.

And I'm wearing my lucky tartan.

Really?

Black watch.

I do have matching trews, but I thought that would be a bit much for our auction.

I was gonna wear mine, black death.

Oh...!

VO: Ha.

Oh dear, something playing on your mind, Phil?

I, I'm sort of OK with most of my lots, but I threw 130 quid into a settle.

NATASHA: All in.

PHIL: Oh, yeah.

The thing's got more worm than Ilkla Moor Baht'at.

NATASHA: I'm a big fan of you know, statement pieces of furniture.

PHIL: Yeah.

NATASHA: You've gotta make one.

This statement is, help!

VO: Too late for that Philip, as you've now arrived at today's saleroom, Smith's of Newent Auctions.

Are you stuck?

Come on my love.

I'm struggling here, I'm struggling, I'm struggling.

Oh, you've done it, you've done it.

Absolutely.

Right, are you ready for me to play some serious catch-up?

Absolutely.

This way.

PHIL: This way.

VO: There are two auctioneers wielding the gavel today, Barry Meade and Rita Kearsey.

Before they start, let's see what Rita makes of their lots.

The egg tureen, that's quite nice.

I haven't seen that particular model before.

I think it's a little bit of an unusual one.

Um, and so hopefully we will pick up some Beswick collectors.

I think my favorite item is probably the sherry decanter label, just because it's a very nice quality piece.

I like the steam engine.

It's a collectable and it's uh, in very good condition, so hopefully that will do well on the internet.

VO: The auction's about to begin and it's a busy one with bidders in the room, online and on the phone.

First up is Natasha's 1960's Beswick, animal group piggyback.

I'm looking for 20 for that one, somebody, please.

20.

10 I have.

Then at 10.

12, 12, make it 14.

14, make it 16.

Make it 18.

18, make it 20.

18 sitting down.

Any advance on 18?

Then 20, anywhere else then?

Selling at 18.

297.

VO: Unlucky Natasha but plenty still to come in this auction.

Shall we walk in again and just pretend that didn't happen?

Yeah, that'd be nice, yeah.

VO: No time for that though, as Phil's silver sherry label's up next, which was fancied by auctioneer Rita.

£40 for the sherry label.

40 I'm bid, looking for 42.

I've got 40 now.

Looking for 42 on the net.

Come on.

Creep up.

RITA: 44.

Oh, you cheeky fox, you've got a net bidder.

RITA: At 42, on the internet, looking for £44 now.

At 42, at 42.

Looking for 44.

44 in the room.

46.

48.

46 on the net.

Looking for 48.

At £46 then.

You all done?

You all finished?

I'm selling at £46.

Ooh.

That really isn't very expensive though.

Ouch.

VO: A shock loss there for Phil.

Not ouch.

It's not an ouch situation.

Um... That's a gentle bump.

That's a gen...gentle knee in the nether regions that really, isn't it?

VO: Can Natasha fair any better with her second bit of Beswick?

This time it's her 1970's pheasant.

BARRY: 20.

NATASHA: Yes.

20 for that one.

Thank you 20.

NATASHA: Yes!

PHIL: We're off!

20.

22.

At 20.

Any advance on 20?

Yes.

Come on.

BARRY: 22.

At 20 in the middle there then.

22 anywhere else then?

Selling at 20 in the middle.

460, thank you.

That's alright, but it could have done better.

VO: A profit's a profit and that's the first of the day.

Can Phil score a profit with his Willesco working model of a stationary engine?

I've got interest on commission... starts me at £24.

Ouch.

I'm looking for £26 then.

At 26 now.

Yes.

RITA: Looking for 28.

£28 now.

NATASHA: Ooh.

RITA: Looking for 30.

At 28.

At £28, looking for 30.

You all done then?

At £28, you all finished?

Selling then at £28.

VO: Hm, clearly there are no engine enthusiasts in the saleroom today.

Will a spot of jewelry be more their taste?

It's Natasha's unmarked yellow metal, seed pearl and coral brooch next.

RITA: The lucky horseshoe?

I think this will do well.

This will do well.

Can I see £20 for this one?

Can I see 20 for it?

20 I'm bid?

On the net at 20.

Looking for 22.

Thank you online.

Come on.

RITA: At 20 now.

Come on, come on.

At £20.

22 online.

Two online bidders.

Looking for 24.

24 now.

Looking for 26.

At 24.

Come on.

The battle of the bidders.

At 26 now.

At 26.

£28 now.

Looking for 30.

At 30, now.

Looking for 32.

Yes!

Come on!

At 32.

Make it 34 online.

At 32.

At 32.

34 now.

Looking for 36.

At £36.

You all done?

Selling then at £36.

Oh!

That's a tiny little profit.

That's OK!

It sort of deserved a bit more than that.

It did deserve a bit more.

VO: A good profit nevertheless.

Phil's turn again.

Can his watercolor secure his first profit?

£20.

20 for it?

20, anyone?

Someone start me at £10 for it then.

£10 for the watercolor?

NATASHA: Phil!

Must be worth £10.

10 I'm bid.

Looking for 12 now.

At £10, looking for 12.

That's a bit of a relief really.

At 10.

At £10 then.

Are you all done at £10?

I'm selling then at £10.

VO: Talk about an unlucky streak, but at least it wasn't a big loss.

I just want you to know that I'm not warped or bitter in any way at all.

VO: Next up, Natasha's over sized, Carboy.

RITA: £20 for it.

NATASHA: Oh gosh.

20 anyone?

Not a hand in sight.

RITA: 20 I'm bid.

On the net at £20.

Oh 20, you're in, you're in, you're in, you're in, you're in.

RITA: For 22 now.

At £20 on the net.

At £20.

NATASHA: Go on.

RITA: Looking for 22.

That's plus, plus two squid.

Oh no.

At £20, then.

You all done?

At £20.

Selling at £20 then.

Right, so I, I reckon you're about minus oomph pence for that.

VO: Phil's right, the £2 profit will result in a small loss after auction costs are deducted.

Right come on Phil, let's get you that first profit with your 19th century intaglio molds and seals.

Interest in this starts me on the internet at £32.

Oh yes!

A profit!

RITA: I'm looking for 34.

At 34 now.

Looking for 36.

At £34.

At £34.

At £34 then, are you all finished?

Oh come on, oh come on, oh come on, oh come on, oh come on, oh come on!

I'm selling it on the net at £34.

Well, you'll take a profit.

You're absolutely right I will.

VO: By Jove!

He's done it!

Great little profit there for Phil.

Wished I didn't spend all that money on that settle.

Settle down, Phil.

VO: Next up it's art expert Natasha's final buy, the modern British original oil painting.

RITA: Telephone bid on this item.

Oh!

There you are!

Stop it!

Can I see £20 for it?

Yes, you can!

Go on!

20 I'm bid.

20 on the telephone.

PHIL: There you are.

RITA: Looking for 22 now.

Come on, online.

At 20 on the phone.

Looking for 22.

At 22.

NATASHA: Yes!

RITA: 24.

Looking for 26.

28.

Looking for 30.

Yes!

30.

Looking for 32.

It's worth it!

It's worth it!

Looking for 34.

36.

Yes!

Well done you, darling.

RITA: Looking for 38.

40.

Looking for 42.

44.

Looking for 46.

At £44 on the telephone.

Are you all done at 44?

Selling then at £44.

VO: Great profit there for Natasha, but she hasn't won yet, as there's still one lot to go, Phil's big risk, the antique oak settle.

Someone like to start me at £100 for this?

Looking for £100.

Looking for 100.

Looking for £100.

Start me at £60 then.

60 for the settle.

60 I have.

£60 online.

Looking for 65 now.

At 65.

You coming back in online?

I'm gonna sell then at £65.

You all done?

Got a laugh, haven't you?

Selling... at £65.

You've got to laugh, because if you didn't, you'd cry.

Oh, Phil.

RITA: That is 991.

Bloomin' 999.

9991.

RITA: Lot 739.

VO: Someone's got a nice settle there for a great price, lucky devil.

Onwards and upwards, Phil.

Shall we go?

Yeah.

Loser drives?

Oh no.

I'm in no fit state.

I'm in no fit state.

I need nurturing and looking after gently here.

I might even need a darkened room.

Come on, let me drive you home.

Lord above.

Well done.

VO: Phil was down on his luck today, resulting in a loss of £108.94, but he's still got a healthy £166.96 to spend on the next leg.

VO: Natasha fared better, giving her an overall profit of £11.16 after auction costs, which means she takes the lead going into the third leg, with £173.12 to play with.

You're in a state of shock?

I'm in a state of shock, but in a good way.

In a good way, but I feel sorry for you.

Really?

NATASHA: Yeah.

PHIL: You look it.

NATASHA: Right, here we go.

VO: Now, now Philip, nobody likes a sore loser.

PHIL: Go, go, go!

VO: And they're off!

Toodle pip road trippers.

Next time on Antiques Road Trip, Natasha struggles to find the right way.

Well, that looks like serious oil paintings.

I'm gonna go this way.

VO: And Philip gets on the wrong side of a dealer.

Would you just like to pull that knife, just in the middle of my shoulder blade?

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