VOICEOVER (VO): It's the nation's favorite antiques experts... Alright, fair enough.

It's a really cute subject.

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

NATASHA: Make it so.

MARGIE: Here we go.

VO: And a goal to scour Britain for antiques.

Frankly terrifying.

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

But it's no mean feat.

I've lost money!

VO: There'll be worthy winners... Get in there!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Could have been worse.

VO: Will it be the high road to glory?

Ooh.

VO: Or the slow road to disaster?

Ugh!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Ha-ha!

VO: Good morning, beautiful Brecon Beacons!

The '70s Triumph Herald is back on the road, and auctioneering expert Tim Medhurst has it all to himself.

TIM: I have to say, I am loving driving around Wales at last in a car - four wheels, not two.

I mean, I did love that bike, but I'm sort of glad Phil won the auction so he had to take it on.

VO: Yeah, that was the deal.

And he's a sight to behold.

Do you know what?

I'm actually really pleased to be riding this bike, because it means I won the auction!

Ha-ha!

VO: It's true, ha!

Having started with £200, Phil stormed ahead last time and starts today with a piggy just crammed full of £661.58.

And doesn't he look pleased with himself?

Ha-ha.

While, despite losing last time, Tim's run of good fortune means his initial £200 has still grown to a mighty £491.62.

Rain's on!

It's soaked!

Oh, no.

Poor Phil!

VO: Not exactly Butch Cassidy, is he?

There's a phone box here.

I might just call and get a taxi.

VO: That would be cheating.

Phil and Tim set out from Northumberland, toured the Scottish Highlands, then went south through the Cotswolds and west to Wales, en route to a final auction in Nottingham.

Time to get this show on the road.

PHIL: Ooh!

VO: Crikey, it's like Wacky Races, and Phil's first.

Morning, Timbo.

Alright?

Are you nice and dry?

Hello, Phil.

You look like a banana with a helmet.

Thank you for that.

I never, ever thought I'd miss that thing.

Do you miss it?

Oh yeah.

But...I won an auction!

Actually, I... How good is that?

I was gonna say I can't believe it, but, actually, I can, cos you bought really nice things.

I want to go back and see if I can buy the same things again.

Good idea.

It's our last leg, mate.

I know.

I'll miss you.

We've had a good run, haven't we?

Yeah, like hemorrhoids.

(PHIL LAUGHS) It'll be interesting, but Wales is a good hunting ground for antiques.

Yeah.

So, cash to spend.

Shall we go and burn it?

TIM: Let's do it.

Do you want me to come in the car with you?

No, that's alright.

I'm happy to wander off.

You want me on the bike?

Your turn on the bike.

I'm taking the car.

(BEEPS HORN) VO: Whether on two feet or two wheels, Phil is headed this morning for Pontypool in the county of Monmouthshire.

Once famous for its 17th century Pontypool japanning process, which is a decorative lacquering of tin plate.

Phil might be lucky and find a fine example at his first shop today, Ragamuffins.

This former bank is stuffed with a fine range of antique, vintage and retro to tempt banana man.

Do you know in this business, sometimes you have to pick things up that make you laugh, and these just make me laugh.

You ready?

Just have a look at these.

(TEETH CHATTER) (PHIL LAUGHS) VO: Hilarious.

Now, stop chattering and get on.

I like this.

This is a cool thing.

The ticket label here says, "Copper and brass spring-loaded candle lamp, handmade trench art?"

And trench art, by and large, is made out of old artillery shells.

But just here, you've got the remains of...looks like it's silver, which in fact is what it was.

This was silver plated.

And the reason why it's silver plated is that you light your candle and you pop that over there like that and because all this is silvered at the back and because all this is silvered here, that light then reflects into the room.

So this is probably a 19th century student lamp.

It's priced at £40.

I think I'm gonna try and buy that.

And do you know what?

Because I'm so far ahead of Tim, I don't even think I need to negotiate on the price.

VO: Get you, cocky!

Meanwhile, Tim is still braving the downpour.

I am like a drowned rat.

VO: Poor Rattie!

He's making his way a few miles west to Usk, and parking up at the Usk Emporium, where Stacey is behind the counter and the wares are looking interesting.

TIM: Hello.

STACEY: Hi.

How are you?

I'm very well, and yourself?

Not bad, thank you.

I'm looking forward to looking around.

Good.

Help yourself.

Thank you.

VO: Crack on, then.

Oh my.

Wonder what's up there.

What's that?

I love this.

It's like a little Bunsen burnery thing.

Look at that.

I love all this stuff.

VO: What, even these Dr Crippen-style surgical instruments?

Oh, now, these are gruesome.

What is this?

I mean, what on earth do you do with that?

VO: Makes your eyes water, anyway.

Oh, man.

Ooh!

VO: Make him stop.

TIM: They are for pulling teeth, aren't they?

Oh!

I'm starting to feel a bit ill. VO: I hope so.

Quick, get the smelling salts, nurse.

Oh, what's this?

I spotted this in the window.

How much is your doggie in the window?

This is a bust of John Milton.

Now, he was the very famous English poet famed for Paradise Lost.

Now, John Milton was 17th century, but this bust, I would imagine, is probably nearer the 19th century.

Some terracotta busts, if you're lucky, you can get sort of 18th century ones and they can be worth quite a lot of money.

This one, to me, does look like a 19th century one, but the pity is the damage on it.

There's chips.

The damage, to me, doesn't affect its value too much, but probably, for a collector, it might do.

So...what's the price, anyway?

£89.

I don't think that's out the way, but I want to be buying something that I know is a certain profit, something I know will go on and make some money.

I do love it, but I better leave it.

Nice to meet you, Mr Milton.

To be or not to be.

Oh, no, that's somebody different.

VO: The question is... Ha!

Back in Pontypool, has Phil been visited by a muse?

No, but he might be in railway heaven.

PHIL: Allun, how are you doing?

ALLUN: Hi.

All this railway stuff, is that yours, or...?

Yes.

What are all these in here?

These?

We found these quite interesting.

It's almost as if the station master never threw anything away.

So we have a mixture of...

The one folder's got approximately 400 luggage labels.

PHIL: Yeah.

ALLUN: Original unused ones... PHIL: Yeah.

ALLUN: ..off GWR and BR.

The other folder has a lot of paperwork for, like, flyers, and like... Little posters and stuff?

Yeah, posters and instructions for, like, the signalman on that particular weekend or whatever.

And then the center one is telegrams and receipts and stuff dating right back to about 1870.

And is that for sale as a job lot, or...?

That's as a job lot, yes.

And how much are you...?

We're looking for £100 for the three folders there.

Can I have a look?

You most certainly can.

Thank you.

And these date 1903, 1970, 1962, 1854...

So, what would this one be?

This one is flyers.

It's information from different stations.

PHIL: Look at this here, look.

This is for the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway.

And this is a waybill.

"But it must not be used for fish, game, dead rabbits, poultry, meat, tripe..." Ugh.

"..butter, cheese, vegetables, watercress, eggs, fruit or ice in quantities of 200 weight or more."

I'll tell you what, I don't know what this is worth - the whole lot.

In all seriousness, I don't know whether it's worth a pound or 1,000, I suspect neither.

What's a fair price, do you think, then?

Where would you like to be on it?

Where I'd like to be probably isn't where you'd like to be.

50 quid.

Ooh.

It's a bit light.

Just tell me, what is your very best price?

75 would be my...my best on it.

Yeah, well, I'll have those.

And I'm gonna definitely have the student lamp, £40.

So that's... My maths is about 150?

150.

You're a gentleman.

Thanks very much indeed.

VO: Excellent.

Unfortunately, we can't say the same for the weather.

Tim's still warm and dry, though, back in Usk.

TIM: Now these are up my street.

I love... Oh, look, they're all different.

Different plates.

Now, the thing that draws me to Chinese porcelain is how fine it is.

Listen to this.

(RINGS CLEARLY) Listen to that ring.

VO: Oh, he's a maestro on the old plates.

TIM: Like the day it was made.

And these plates date to the second half of the 18th century.

So we're talking potentially around 250 years old - and there's not even a chip.

Isn't that incredible?

I think that's astonishing that something can last that long and not get any damage.

And that's what draws me to porcelain.

The plates are all different here.

This first one is nicely decorated with flowers.

This one here, wow, that's a busy decoration there.

Look at that.

Lots and lots of flowers.

Really, really busy.

And then this one here, this is probably the most commercial one.

It's decorated with what we would call precious objects.

We've got a table, chair, and other objects.

And around the rim, there's flowers and bamboo as well.

I really like these and, look, they're priced at £78.

That's not a lot of money.

I think if we can do a bit of negotiating and take those to auction, I think you've got collectors who would really like those.

I'm quite keen on them.

VO: I'd buy them.

What will Stacey let them go for?

TIM: Stacey.

How you doing?

STACEY: Yeah.

I've found these Chinese plates and they're priced at £78.

I would love to pay £50 for them.

Could you do 55?

Can I push you... TIM: 55.

STACEY: ..to 55 on that?

Do you know what?

55 is a deal.

Now...this is...I put it back cos I wasn't gonna buy it, but the John Milton bust in the window...

Right.

I know it's priced accordingly, cos it's got a bit damage, so, priced accordingly, but it's up at 89.

Can we do 50 on that as well?

If you can give me another £5 on that, I can get away with that.

So, 110 the two?

110 the two.

110 it is.

Thank you very much.

Fabulous.

One, two, three, four, five... 110.

Exact money.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

I've enjoyed myself.

STACEY: Take care.

TIM: Thank you.

Bye.

VO: They're fairly splashing it about this morning.

Or is that a rain metaphor too far?

Phil's back inside his banana skin as he makes his way to the village of Nelson, the last bastion of an ancient traditional game, once a route to fame and fortune, which can claim to be Wales' first national sport.

Welsh handball, played in singles and doubles, is rather like squash, but using the palm of the hand.

Former miner and historian of handball Kevin Dicks is an enthusiast for keeping this game alive.

PHIL: Hi, Kevin, how you doing?

KEVIN: How you doing?

This is the Nelson Handball Court, where we play handball or Pel-law in Wales.

Say that again.

KEVIN: Pel-law.

PHIL: Pel-law.

And it's the last court in Wales.

And there used to be handball courts everywhere in Wales.

Yeah.

They were absolutely...

In fact, there was more handball courts in Wales at one time than there are rugby pitches today.

Really?

Can you believe that?

VO: Kevin believes the first reference to Welsh Pel-law was in the 9th century Historia Brittonum.

Many cultures across the world have a tradition of games played with the palm, like pelota, which originated in the Basque Country of Spain.

Ireland has its own Gaelic version, which is still played in the Emerald Isle, and a version played as doubles survives as Eton Fives.

The main requirement for the game are three walls, and the Welsh version flourished where fine stone walls were most readily available.

It found a home in the... in the churchyards, and it was purged out of the churchyards by the Methodists because of the damage it used to do.

And in fact, there's a church in Llanvair-Discoed near Caerwent and it says there, "Whoever here on a Sunday will play at ball before Monday, the Devil will have you all."

Because they called the game the Devil's Game because of the damage it did to the church.

Let that be a lesson to you, Kevin.

Well, I'm really worried about that, Phil, because whenever I get a game now, it's on a Sunday morning.

That's no good at all.

I'll watch my step there.

VO: The sport attracted crowds of spectators and much gambling accompanied matches.

A handbill from 1786 lays down a Britain-wide challenge with big prizes at stake - up to 400 guineas, a fortune at the time.

Many courts were attached to public houses, which were multiplying in the Victorian period.

The Nelson Court, the last in the land, was built in 1865 by the landlord of the pub across the street, the Royal Oak.

Kevin, why is this pub so crucial in the history of handball?

When they redeveloped the public houses with the onset of deep mining in South Wales, Henry Roberts had the foresight to build the handball court away from the property.

So when all the old stone-built inns were swept away, the handball courts all disappeared.

But at Nelson, we were left with Henry Roberts' ball court outside the property, and when they rebuilt the hotel as we see it today... PHIL: Yeah.

KEVIN: ..as a large building, then it preserved handball in the community.

VO: The loss of all those other courts attached to demolished old pubs made people like Kevin all the more determined to save this one, mindful of the game's importance to the culture of working folk.

So it was a massively popular sport, wasn't it?

Oh, it was huge at the time, yeah.

How many people did it used to attract to watch a top game?

There was upwards of 3,000, I would say... PHIL: Really?

..standing around that court.

PHIL: So our landlord could see bigger crowds.

Yeah.

He visualized drinking.

KEVIN: More money in his tills.

Correct.

Good man.

I like him.

Yeah.

We were lucky in Nelson that we had the wall to play on, so we kept playing it throughout the 20th century, through the Depression.

Some great, very famous games then.

Up until about early '50s, when there was a bit of a decline in it for a short while, and then it came back with the Chamber of Trade when they started organizing the sport in the late '70s and '80s.

And then we formed the Welsh Handball Association in 1987, I believe.

Oh, that's good stuff.

And it led to international competition with teams from England, Ireland, United States, Canada.

So, we all became internationals overnight because nobody else was playing it.

So you're capped for Wales?

Capped for Wales, yeah.

How's about that, then.

And the proof is on the wall there.

Good man!

VO: Kevin is one of a long line of champion players.

Today, Phil can see former world champion Kerry and his son Alex in action.

They're showing how manly they are now, these manly Welshman, see, playing in the rain like that.

OK. Kevin, this is clearly a huge passion for you.

But what's gonna be the future of handball, with its one court?

Well, it's very difficult to get kids to play the game any more.

There's so many different influences kids have got now as when I was young, but there is a movement with the English Wallball Association and there is a future for the one-wall game of handball, not just in Wales, but also in and through the rest of the United Kingdom and in Europe.

Well, you want it to survive, don't you?

PHIL: If this is Wales'... KEVIN: Absolutely.

..oldest, kind of national sport, you really, really, really want it to survive and not die out.

We do.

And people from all over the world love to play on this court - come from Australia, United States.

They make a special trip just to play on this one court.

And we just need more kids playing it in the environment and just keep it going for the next 150 years.

But it starts with me and you having a quick game by here now, Phil.

Well, no, I'm more in favor of the apres-handball... Oh, OK. VO: While Kevin and Phil retire to the Royal Oak, Tim's northbound, 10 miles or so to Merthyr Tydfil.

Its beautiful name is said to be that of a dark age Welsh princess slain here by pagans.

Tim's heading for Halfway Trading Antiques, which is packed with fine wares from centuries past.

Ah, it's much drier and warmer in here.

VO: All the better for concentrating on the wide variety on offer.

Look at that.

Shirley Bassey.

VO: Modern day Welsh royalty.

One bust per day is surely enough.

What about a 19th century hall chair?

This chair probably would have been a set, sometimes maybe 12, and often you would have a nice family crest or armorial in the center as well, specially commissioned for your grand hall in your house.

Now, if I sit in that... Of all the hall chairs I've ever sat in, that is not pleasant.

Oh, you could actually get some knots out with this.

Maybe I should patent it as a massage chair.

VO: I'd like to see that business plan.

TIM: Now, I really quite like that.

That is a good old lump of silver, that's got some weight to it, that has.

But what I really like about this is it's engraved, "Challenge Cup, given by the..." Hmm.

No, I can't pronounce that, I'm afraid.

Something District's Sheepdog Trial, September 18th, 1913.

I think that's brilliant.

So this would have been given to somebody who trialed their sheepdog in a competition.

And that's quite a prize, isn't it?

I wonder if they came first.

I just really like it.

It's got a full set of hallmarks here with the maker's mark and the assay office, the lion passant for solid silver and also the date letter as well.

And I've had a sneaky look at the price.

£130 that's up for.

I mean, that's quite a good old chunk of silver for £130.

And with a bit of negotiation, I could see that going on in an auction and making a bit of a profit.

So, food for thought.

I shall pop that back.

What's this, next to it?

This is really nice.

It's a Georgian shape, or style, lidded tankard.

It's not Georgian, if only it was.

It's much later, but it's got a full set of English hallmarks, so it is solid silver.

And on the front, again, there's an inscription saying, "Presented to George George, Esq, Chairman of the Caerphilly Urban District Council on the occasion of the opening of Caerphilly of the first Cornish unit house to be built in the Principality of Wales.

8th March, 1950."

I think that's charming.

It's a nice quality tankard.

It has got some knocks and dents, but it is solid silver and it's a tankard and I quite like that charming inscription.

Good bit of social history.

Kelly, how much is this tankard?

I've got 95 on it.

95.

Now, I like both of these, Kelly, but it is price dependent.

So, we've got 130 on this one, and you're saying 95 on that.

Yep.

Any movement, do you think, if I took the two?

Well, I'd like to see you make a bit of profit in auction as well.

So, if we say 180 for both?

180 for both.

Kelly, that's very kind.

I'll take that.

Thank you very much.

Good.

VO: And he's off!

Happy as a malarkey.

Take care.

KELLY: Thank you, bye.

TIM: Bye.

VO: But Phil looks a little bit less chuffed.

Nighty night, banana man.

VO: Well, today is brighter, and Phil looks a bit brighter back on his bike.

PHIL: This is lovely, absolutely lovely.

A lot of people don't realize it, but it is part of SAS selection, this is.

PHIL: I didn't make it.

VO: Thank goodness!

And four-wheels Tim is already at the appointed place for breakfast, leisurely sipping his tea.

TIM: Oh, hello, Phil.

PHIL: Tim, how are you?

TIM: Yeah, I'm alright.

PHIL: Don't take it too easy.

I've got to tell you, I'm a little saddle-sore.

Are you?

I'm not surprised.

That...that bike is not a thing of beauty and joy, is it?

It wouldn't become a best friend... PHIL: Is this mine?

TIM: It is.

PHIL: Thanks, mate.

TIM: Chin-chin.

Would you like some sugar?

No, I just want to... Oh, Lord above!

It's like creosote, that is.

Have you been winning tankards and things?

This was my shopping trip.

Those are really cool.

Are they silver?

Yeah.

VO: They are.

As well as the tankard and the trophy, Tim also shelled out for three Chinese plates and a bust of Milton, and is left with £201.62.

What about Phil?

I went into this shop and found some railway ephemera and I think it was partly the fact that I thought it was a cheap lot and also for the fact that I wanted to swap it for that bike.

I really like those.

I love British Railways artwork.

PHIL: The posters that they did were fantastic.

Yeah.

The 20th century artwork is just fantastic.

PHIL: Yeah.

VO: It was.

Phil also bought a copper and brass lamp, so he has £546.58 in his piggy.

I can't believe, Phil, that this is it.

This is our last...

It's been real fun, hasn't it?

This is our last hurrah.

This is our last supper, or breakfast... Or last breakfast, yeah.

Our last cake.

Well, I suppose I'd better go and get the bike, had I?

I think so.

I'm sorry, Phil.

A deal's a deal at the end of the day.

Yeah, it is.

You can do it.

See you later.

Give me a head start.

Give me a head start.

Later.

Toodle-oo.

Yeah, toodle-oo.

It's just down there on the left.

VO: Our king of the road is off to the one-time kingdom of Powys this morning and the market town of Brecon with its Norman castle glowering above, built to defend its English overlords.

Ooh, that's better.

That's a lot better.

You can sort of stretch your parts around.

VO: Oh, lordy.

Phil is advancing on Beacon's Antiques, a very traditional shop specializing in fine Welsh country furniture.

This place is right up his street.

Graham, we're in Wales, so, I mean, it would be criminal if you hadn't got some good Welsh furniture, wouldn't it?

It would be.

And what I love about this stuff is that an expert like you, not only can you tell which county it's come from, but you can probably tell which town, can't you?

Yeah.

I mean, that's a typical Cardiganshire deuddarn.

Deuddarn?

Deuddarn, which is a two-tier... PHIL: Two tier... GRAHAM: ..two-stage cupboard.

Then you get a Cardiganshire press cupboard, which is behind you.

Yeah.

Then you get a Carmarthenshire one which is that style...

So, what's the difference?

They are sort of lower and more squat in size... PHIL: Yeah.

..than the Cardiganshire one.

It's what we call vernacular furniture, isn't it?

Yeah.

It's just...

It's furniture that's specific to a region.

..slightly different areas doing slightly different designs.

VO: So what does Phil fancy?

But in amongst all this Welsh furniture... ..there's a longcase clock or a grandfather clock, and if you just look at that dial... ..it's made by a man called George Donisthorpe.

George Donisthorpe is a Birmingham man.

And I know that cos it says Birmingham on the dial.

VO: Let's have a look, then.

This is mahogany.

Got these columns here.

This opens up.

And there we are.

Look, George Donisthorpe of Birmingham.

There's the second hand sweep.

Longcase clocks or grandfather clocks, basically, in very, very simplistic terms, they either go for eight days or 30 hours.

And eight days are always worth more than a 30 hour one cos you haven't got to wind it up so often.

VO: There's no price on that ticket.

What's your best, Graham?

What would you like to offer me?

I was kind of hoping it'd be 150.

That's a no.

So...195, would that do?

It's yours.

Yeah, it could be 195.

Alright.

Well, I tell you what, I'm not gonna mess around.

I'll definitely have it off you.

VO: Done.

Anything else?

PHIL: I mean, I think this is probably art deco.

I would guess at somewhere between... Well, probably 1920s.

It's got a leopard's head on the hallmark, which tells that this was assayed in London.

But it's all in one piece.

This is onyx or marble, and we've got this green stone inlay here.

I quite like that, and at 28 quid, it's no money at all.

And what I'm really trying to do is get a broad mix of items for the auction.

I don't want to put all my eggs into one furniture basket.

Graham, I quite like this.

This is £28.

Can I have that as well?

Yeah, certainly.

Just add it to the...

So, that with the...

The clock was 195, £28... Oh, what's your math come to?

PHIL: £223?

GRAHAM: £223.

Well, hold on.

There's the 220, there's the three.

Thank you very much.

Wish me luck.

Best of luck.

VO: I'm just hoping you don't get a hernia.

Clock that.

Surreal.

VO: Time is marching on and so is Tim.

He's headed a few miles west to the village of Defynnog, nestling at the foot of the Brecon Beacons.

This lush landscape has long provided good dairy farming land, and the Welsh have been making cheese here for centuries.

Bread and cheese have always been a cheap culinary staple here.

And local cheese from Caerphilly is just what's needed to make a good Welsh rarebit, the national dish that Wales has bequeathed to the world.

VO: Time for Tim to head to the International Welsh Rarebit Centre, where owner Roos Geraedts is waiting to tell him more.

Oh, hello, you must be Roos.

I am.

Bore da, Tim.

Welcome to the Welsh Rarebit Centre.

It looks great.

Well, I've brought some cheese.

Oh, brilliant.

Well, you better come in, then.

VO: So what makes Welsh rarebit different from cheese on toast?

Cheese on toast, you can kind of get anywhere.

But in Wales, we have something much better, which is actually Welsh rarebit, which is more complex.

It's got more flavor, it's creamier.

It's more like a smooth sauce that's then grilled and it's got mustard in it.

Worcester sauce or cayenne pepper, a beer.

You can use beer, milk, stout.

In some recipes, they even use wine and obviously the cheese, which depends what cheese you use.

And then you basically cook it and then you put it on top of toast and then you grill it.

Well, that puts cheese on toast to shame, doesn't it?

It does indeed.

I get very upset when people come in and it's like, "Do you have any cheese on toast?"

VO: The first written record of a Welsh dish called "rostyd" cheese was in 1542.

And in 1725, the name we now know first appears when John Byrom wrote that "he did not eat of cold beef but of Welsh rabbit and stewed cheese."

The theories are that it's probably because this dish was often eaten when there was no meat around.

So in the times where more the...you know, the richer people would only be eating meat.

So it's kind of like a joke, really.

VO: It has never lost its popularity.

And wherever the Welsh have gone over the globe, they have taken their national dish with them.

In 1900s America, this humble meal even became the subject of a popular newspaper comic strip by Winsor McCay.

He basically drew a man eating a Welsh rarebit every single night before he goes to sleep, and he has really strange dreams and then he draws out these really crazy dreams.

It's kind of like almost Freudian.

It's around 1905.

And they also made one of the first animated little films of The Dream Of A Rarebit Fiend.

I brought along a little block of cheese, the Caerphilly cheese, I'm gonna try some as well.

It is really zingy.

Oh, it is, isn't it?

It wakes you up.

Yeah, it's more lemony.

I use it normally in like a spring, summery rarebit because it's got that kind of slight, you know, tangy...

Still melts in your mouth though, doesn't it?

ROOS: Yeah, yeah.

TIM: It's delicious.

Yeah.

I have to admit, I am a big fan of cheese and all this chat about rarebit has given me a hungry tummy.

Yeah, I can imagine.

So we should start cooking, I suppose.

That sounds good.

Maybe I can teach you how to make your own.

Oh, I'd love that.

Come on.

VO: Yes!

Time to put that fine Caerphilly Tim brought to good use.

So what we start with is just basic butter... VO: Flour, leeks, Worcester sauce and a measure of beer.

Right.

Here we go.

Most important part.

Ooh!

Look at that!

Lovely.

VO: Ooh, I can practically smell it.

Right, so this is where all the magic happens now.

Yes.

This is quite important, actually, because you want the toast to be toasty.

Nice.

You don't want it on not toasted bread because you don't want soggy bottoms.

Yeah, soggy bottoms, we don't want that.

VO: I should say not.

Under the grill... ROOS: Hope you like chives.

TIM: I do, I love chives.

VO: What's Welsh for scrummy?

Oh, now, this is the life.

Look at that.

Absolutely delicious.

Yummy, yummy, get in my tummy.

VO: Enjoy, boyo.

Ha-ha!

See you later.

And while Tim is held up by his Welsh rarebit, Phil's gonna be first to arrive in the village of Trecastle for their last shop of the trip.

Trecastle Antiques is a lovely old school, housing a large selection of antiques and vintage.

PHIL: I love that.

This is a tailor's iron.

Looking at the state of my trousers after that bike, I could probably do with that.

What would you do with it?

Well, you wouldn't iron your trousers, but you might use it as a doorstop, you know, and that's the way you have to think in the world today.

£22.

I don't think that's expensive.

VO: Quite.

Ah, here comes our other, better-laundered expert.

I wonder what he will fancy.

My goodness, look at that.

I could do with a new hammer.

Not sure what I'd do with that.

I don't think it's for hanging paintings, is it?

You'd go through into the neighbor's sitting room.

You'd just knock, knocking the hammer against the wall.

VO: Ooh, put it down!

Now, where's Phil?

PHIL: This is a sweet little thing.

Now, this is English, produced in Staffordshire, I would guess somewhere, 1800, 1820.

Excuse the pun.

It's a little "deer".

I just hope it's not too dear.

A lot of these are damaged.

A lot of the stags have their antlers broken off them.

But this is a doe deer, not a stag deer.

£35.

I don't think that is too dear.

VO: You certainly have enough "doe".

Ha!

I wonder how old that is.

I think it's probably a little bit more comfortable than Phil's bike.

PHIL: Timothy!

TIM: Oh, hello, Phil.

PHIL: How are you?

TIM: I'm alright.

PHIL: Good.

TIM: Do you remember those?

Well, I kind of do, yes.

I mean, I'd rather not talk about transport like that because I feel a bit saddle-sore.

Well, it hasn't got a saddle.

I was thinking it might be a bit more comfortable.

Couldn't be any worse.

I pedaled around most of Mid-Wales today.

Did you have one of those new?

Kids.

Sorry.

VO: Ooh!

Touched a nerve.

PHIL: Mike, how are you doing?

MIKE: Fine, thanks.

I really love your little deer.

I was worried that he might be too "deer" or a little "deer".

Should've gone for a chicken, that would have been "cheep."

Listen, I do the puns around here.

I tell you what.

At £35, I think it's actually gonna be "my dear".

Cheers, matey.

Thank you.

There's the cash.

Take care.

Bye.

Thank you.

Bye.

VO: That's Phil sorted.

What about Tim?

Oh, that's pretty cool.

I quite like that.

This isn't really something I would normally be into, but that is quite a cool thing, I think.

It's a sort of art deco candlestick and it's got this sort of bronzed and patinated figure kneeling and holding this ball which you can put your candle in there.

And it's got here a registration mark.

Now, that probably means that it may have been patented.

And look, it's priced at £35.

I reckon that's well worth taking to an auction.

So, before Phil sees that, I'm gonna go and do the deal.

VO: Phil's already done and dusted.

But on you go!

Sales office.

Hello, Mr Manager.

MIKE: Hello, Tim.

TIM: How are you?

Good, thank you.

I found this candlestick upstairs.

Pretty wacky, isn't it?

MIKE: Lovely thing.

TIM: It's pretty cool, isn't it?

MIKE: Very unusual.

Now, priced at £35.

I can't argue with that.

So I'm gonna give you the money.

Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you very much.

I've enjoyed myself.

No extra charge for the candle.

Thank you.

Perfect.

VO: Right.

Step away from the antique shops.

TIM: Let's have some fun.

TIM: Well, I have to say, what a day!

I've enjoyed driving around the Welsh countryside and, actually, the rain has held off.

I haven't got a soggy bottom, so I'm happy.

VO: And neither has Phil.

PHIL: I hope the brakes on this thing work.

VO: I'm bracing myself.

See you tomorrow after some shuteye.

VO: We're at the beautiful Glamorgan coast this morning, and its rugged shores, which once lured many a passing ship to its doom, are looking serene.

Ogmore-by-Sea is the rendezvous point.

And Phil is first at the Pelican in her Piety, which is a pub.

Come on, Timbo!

Sorry.

What are you doing?

Just tucking it all back in.

It's alright.

It's blooming wet in Wales, mate!

It is.

Beautiful Welsh countryside.

The sea is just over there.

TIM: Typical British weather, though.

Let's get in the warm, nice and snug.

VO: Tim and Phil are gathering indoors to watch on their tablets as their antique purchases go under the hammer in Nottingham at Arthur Johnson & Sons, where this sale is taking place online only.

Phil spent a whopping £373 on five lots.

What does auctioneer Philip Poyser think of what he bought?

Railway ephemera is really collectable now.

It's a big lot of various ephemera, mid-20th century.

It's what people are looking for and it's the sort of ephemera that won't exist in 50 years' time with everybody using the internet these days.

VO: Tim divested himself of £325 on his five lots.

Phil?

PHILIP: The Chinese porcelain plates, they're interesting.

There's a big collector's market.

A lot of Chinese buyers now for 18th century Chinese porcelain.

I think these will do very well.

VO: With £170 separating them, it's time for the off.

This is the make or break.

Yeah.

And I've got a horrible feeling it might be break!

(BOTH LAUGH) VO: Well, let's see.

First up is Phil's Staffordshire doe.

It's got some naive charm.

How much on that?

£30.

It's got some naive charm, like you.

PHIL: Yeah.

At 65.

At 65, auto-bid.

At £65, it's going to the opening bid, then.

I sell, done, at £65.

VO: That's a fine lump of "doe".

Brilliant, nice buy.

Nice buy.

It was never in doubt, frankly.

VO: Hey!

What about Tim's art deco candlestick, then?

It's next.

£40 to start.

Yeah, come on.

£10, then?

What?!

Bid 10, I'm only bid 10.

40 to 10?!

15, bid at 15, 18, 20, 20 bid, at 25, 25 bid, at 25, at 25.

30, 30 bid.

At 30.

Last call.

The hammer falls.

It goes, done at 30.

VO: Oops.

Not a good start for Tim.

Oh, I can't believe it.

I thought that would go on.

I did.

VO: Yeah.

It was not to be.

Time for Phil's copper and brass student's lamp now.

PHILIP: I've got 40 bid.

PHIL: Ooh!

TIM: He likes to drop, doesn't he?

At 50.

At £50.

Five.

55, I've got.

60.

Go on, work your magic.

Go on, go on.

PHILIP: Make it five, please.

Make it 10!

At £60.

At 60.

Five.

PHIL: I'm happy enough.

70, 70 bid.

At 70.

At £70.

Five make it, being sold... TIM: Go on, one more.

PHILIP: ..sold, done at 70.

VO: Another fine result for Phil.

Good profit, that.

PHIL: Yeah, absolutely.

Not as good as some things, but, no, I'm pleased with that.

VO: Let's see if Tim can catch up a bit now with his silver tankard.

250, I've got, thank you.

250, bid at 250.

260.

260 bid on commission.

270.

280 on commission.

He's got bids everywhere.

Commission bid is out.

At 290.

At 290.

Well done, Tim.

PHILIP: At 290.

PHIL: Well done.

At 290, at £290, then.

Yes!

Last call, it goes, sold at £290... VO: And that is Tim back in the game.

I think I've kind of worked out the way this is going now.

(BOTH LAUGH) That's a really good result!

That's a top result, mate.

That's really good.

VO: What's the time?

Time for Phil's fabulous longcase clock.

110 bid.

110.

At 110.

At 110.

Bid at 110.

It's crash and burn, isn't it?

120 bid, at 120.

At 120 online.

£120.

One more, is it?

£80 down the toilet.

PHILIP: Being sold, value for money.

PHIL: Too right it is.

VO: 'Ello, 'ello.

I'd like to report a crime against antiques.

In a way, I'm quite pleased I bought it because it does demonstrate...

It does.

..what you can go and buy out there.

TIM: Yeah.

I just wished it hadn't been that!

VO: From money lost to Paradise Lost.

Yes, it's Milton next.

Or at least Tim's bust of him.

50, I've got.

50.

£50 bid.

TIM: Ooh!

PHIL: Here we go again!

£50.

Oh, come on!

Being sold, then.

It goes to the opening bid.

Being sold.

It goes at 50.

VO: Oh, dear.

No money in dead poets today.

I think that was a reasonable buy, wasn't it?

For them, yeah.

TIM: Not for me.

No.

I think that was actually really cheap.

VO: All aboard the Nostalgia Express for Phil's railway ephemera, departing now, platform two.

120, I've got.

120 bid.

At 120.

120 bid.

At 120.

Straight in with profit.

130, 140, 150, 150 bid.

160.

170.

170 bid.

At 180.

180, 190, 190.

200.

210, 210 bid.

220.

220, 230.

240.

240.

50.

250.

That helps, doesn't it?

250.

Take 60 next.

Being sold.

Done, it goes at £250.

The hammer falls.

VO: And Phil steams back on track.

Excellent.

It's nice to buy a lot that gets what it deserves.

TIM: Definitely.

PHIL: It doesn't always happen, does it?

TIM: No.

VO: No.

And just how much does Tim's silver trophy deserve?

150, please.

180, I've got.

180, 180 bid.

At 180.

PHIL: That's it.

At 180.

190, 190 bid.

It goes, done, I sell at £190.

VO: Tim's on fire!

Well done, you.

I'm really pleased for you.

Thanks, Phil.

Thanks for being so nice about it.

(PHIL SIGHS) VO: Under the hammer now, it's Phil's onyx dish.

PHILIP: Start me at 10.

TIM: Oh, no!

PHILIP: 25, I've got, thank you.

At 25, 25, at £25 bid.

Some way to go.

35, thank you.

At 35 bid.

I was worried for a second!

At 40.

At 40, bid five.

45 bid.

At 45.

50, 50 bid.

At 50.

At £50.

I'll take five next.

At 50.

At 55.

55 bid.

At 55.

At £55.

At 55.

It goes then.

60.

60 bid.

Just in time.

At 60.

At 60 bid.

65.

65, I've got.

TIM: You've tripled your money.

I sell at 65.

VO: He's doubled his money.

Well, that's alright, isn't it?

I think it's alright.

PHIL: Yeah, yeah.

VO: And Phil could still pip Tim at the post in this close race if Tim's Chinese plates lose their luster.

TIM: Come on, start them at 100.

I've got one 130, 250, I've got.

PHIL: Well done.

TIM: 250?!

250.

Bid at 250.

At 250 bid.

260.

260 in the UK.

270 in China.

At 270.

At 270 bid.

TIM: In China!

PHILIP: 280 bid, at 280.

Come on, China!

Bid on the china!

Being sold, last call, the hammer falls.

It goes at £280.

VO: Tim, I take my hat off to you.

That's amazing.

I am actually very, very happy.

Yeah, and I'm overjoyed for you.

(TIM LAUGHS) VO: Well, put a brave face on it, Phil.

After all the ups and downs and after auction costs, you finish this Road Trip with a quite fantastic £755.98.

But after that trio of huge profits and after saleroom fees, Tim is out in front with a quite magnificent £855.42, and takes the laurels.

Well done, both!

And all profits go to Children in Need.

How extraordinary!

That's the end of that, then.

Yeah.

Well, what a week, Phil!

VO: It's been one helluva week.

By land and sea... (BOTH LAUGH) Argh!

PHIL: I feel a bit bilious.

VO: ..in top gear...

Charge!

VO: ..and the slow lane, ..they sniffed out success... Hello, mother.

VO: ..with talent... (FUR ELISE OUT OF TUNE) VO: ..and hard work.

VO: They were both winners.

£290, then.

Yes!

380.

(PHIL LAUGHS) VO: We salute you.

Iceberg ahoy!

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