VOICEOVER (VO): The nation's favorite antiques experts, £200 each and one big challenge.

Cuz I'm going to declare war.

Why?

VO: Who can make the most money buying and selling antiques as they scour the UK?

This is hard.

VO: The aim is trade up and hope each antique turns a profit.

Come on!

VO: But it's not as easy as you might think - and things don't always go to plan.

Push!

VO: So will they race off with a huge profit, or come to a grinding halt?

Whose side are you on?

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

VO: In what's been a week of fierce rivalry, from the Highlands of Scotland to England's breathtaking north, Philip Serrell and Catherine Southon are about to go head to head one last time.

Part of me thinks I'm gonna go and blow a load, I'm gonna go and blow a load, and let's just...let's just see what happens in the last auction.

VO: The aim of this game is to make the most moolah at auction, mind you, yesterday in Leeds it was losses all round.

I've had a really bad day here.

CATHERINE: It was just painful.

Oh!

VO: Though on this, the fifth and final leg of their road trip, Philip and Catherine are both desperate to take first place.

You will not blow all your money.

There is absolutely no way you will blow your money.

There's no way, I know you very well.

I might do, I might do, I might do, I might do.

VO: Philip's strategy has been to buy the daft and the different, and for the most part it's worked a treat, transforming his original £200 into a rather tasty £455.22.

CATHERINE: You're getting competitive, aren't you?

PHILIP: Me, competitive?

I couldn't spell it!

PHILIP: Is that with a K or a C?

Catherine... VO: Catherine, on the other hand, has been having a terrible time of things.

As well as struggling at auction.

That's a joke.

That is a joke.

VO: And being unable to tell one animal from another.

CATHERINE: Oh, look at the little goats!

PHILIP: They're sheep, dear.

CATHERINE: They're not, they're goats.

PHILIP: You're from London, aren't you?

VO: She's also very much in second place, having made a total profit of just £51.44, although in this game, just one auction lot can make all the difference.

PHILIP: Come on then Catherine, what's the plan?

Tell me what your plans is, spill the beans.

CATHERINE: Do you really think that I would tell you my plan?

PHILIP: Yes, cuz you love me.

CATHERINE: No chance.

VO: This week's road trip has so far taken us from the northeast of Scotland through the Lake District then on to Leeds.

And today we're headed to Skipton in North Yorkshire with our final destination being Liverpool.

CATHERINE: Do you know where the name Skipton comes from?

PHILIP: No.

It comes from the Saxon name for sheep.

Sheep town.

You see?

PHILIP: Have you been swallowing some sort of tourist guide in your hotel room?

VO: Yes it is indeed true that Skipton is a sheep town.

Traditionally they've been the woolly backbone of the local economy, and every year the locals celebrate this fact with an event appropriately called "Sheep Day".

PHILIP: And are those cows or camels?

CATHERINE: Oh, just be quiet.

Skipton.

Gateway to the Dales.

VO: Catherine's first stop today is Wash House Antiques, a small shop with a lot on offer.

PHILIP: What a lovely shop.

Hello.

Add a fiver on, alright, thank you.

PHILIP: Ow!

CATHERINE: Go away.

Bad luck!

Hello!

Good morning.

Hi.

Nice to meet you, Samantha.

Hi, Samantha.

How are you doing?

VO: Looking to finally outfox you know who, on this leg, Catherine's playing hardball.

I do like that.

I'm not sure.

This is my last chance to beat Phil Serrell.

CATHERINE: Would you be happy to take 25 for it?

The problem with 25 is it gives me no profit at all.

My tactics are to be extremely careful.

Really play it safe.

VO: And Catherine's favorite tactic - go in incredibly low.

CATHERINE: Could that be...£10?

Oh, heck.

Oh heck.

That's quite a drop.

VO: Then point out every last fault, as is the case with this Georgian leather hatbox.

So I think the problem is, cuz it's so damaged on the top, that's going to put some people off, isn't it?

SAMANTHA: I think I probably could, at a push, let you have that for 10.

OK. Can I think about that?

What I would like to do is probably pick out a few items and then put them together and then we can see what we can do, is that alright?

Absolutely.

VO: Meanwhile, Philip's enjoying the fabulous combo that is a classic car and summer in West Yorkshire.

PHILIP: Absolutely soaked.

It leaks like a sieve, and it's diverting everything like a drainpipe into my lap.

Either that or I've got a problem I hadn't realized.

VO: Well, you never know.

So let's move swiftly on to the nearby village of Cullingworth, which although only small, boasts an antique shop that's bigger than Texas, and it's called Antiques at the Mill.

Blimey, is it Paul?

PAUL: Hiya.

Hiya, how are you doing?

Philip.

Fine thanks, good to meet you.

PHILIP: Blimey, you've got some stuff here.

How many floors of this have you got?

We've got two at the moment.

PHILIP: And how many items of antiques have you got in here?

PAUL: Oh, I dread to think.

PHILIP: Thousands.

PAUL: On this floor, I dunno, maybe 600?

This is the place that I'm going to start looking.

Help yourself.

Just give me a shout... PHILIP: Can I do that literally?

PAUL: Well, not quite.

PHILIP: Oh, alright then.

VO: So, when faced with hundreds and hundreds of objects...

Memo to self - find a place where everything's on one floor.

VO: ..what is it that most excites a seasoned antiques man from Malvern?

PHILIP: I've got a real weakness for chimney pots, you see.

What sort of bloke has a weakness for chimney pots?

This bloke.

VO: In that case, Philip, you're in for a real treat.

That is a mother of a chimney pot, isn't it?

By the cringe...what sort of... That's got to be off some sort of mill or something, hasn't it?

I would think it's got to be Edwardian, it's got to be 100 years old, hasn't it?

PHILIP: That is a belter.

I'm gonna go find him and see A) how much it is, and B) how much I can buy it for, cuz those two aren't necessarily the same price.

VO: Back in Skipton, it's still raining, and as for the woman who's playing it safe, so far she has quite the stockpile.

And the most recent addition - field binoculars, retailing for £15.

CATHERINE: Nice leather case.

Well, leather cover all around the body.

I was hoping I might find a little name around the lens, around the eyepiece, but there doesn't seem to be anything.

VO: Though on closer inspection, it turns out they're made by Watson and Son - the Rolls Royce of binoculars - whose heyday was the early 20th century, which is when these were made.

But is this enough to impress a woman playing hardball?

You could have them for £5, and I think at that they would stand a good chance.

CATHERINE: I'll have a little think of that if I may.

I'm sorry I'm being... Just I've got my hard head... hard head on today.

Cuz I've really got to be strict with myself.

Break the habit of a lifetime, you see.

VO: That's all well and good Catherine, but eventually you'll need to make a decision.

I'm so rubbish at making decisions.

CATHERINE: I'm having kittens at the moment, I really am.

I'm probably doing the wrong thing, but there we are.

I'm gonna give this a go, cuz I think it's got a great look.

Can this be eight?

And stay with the five for the binoculars.

Um...

I need to be careful not to put all my eggs in one basket.

VO: £13?

How can that be all of her eggs in one basket?

She really is playing hardball.

How about, the real bottom line, 12 for the two?

CATHERINE: That sounds good.

And then you should hopefully stand every chance at that.

CATHERINE: I think that's very kind.

12 for the two.

SAMANTHA: Yes.

CATHERINE: I think that's very kind.

There we are.

£20.

Wonderful.

So that was 12.

12 for the two.

I'll just get your change, thank you.

Thank you very much.

I love the shape of this, I know it's really battered and worn, isn't that a lovely shape?

It really is a great shape.

It is.

Really quite quirky.

We like a bit of quirky on this program.

Absolutely.

VO: Speaking of which, Philip's looking to do a deal on his chimney pot.

PHILIP: That is the mother of a chimney pot.

PAUL: The Long Tom.

PHILIP: The what?

PAUL: The Long Tom.

Is that what they're called?

PAUL: It's called a Long Tom.

It's Leeds, they were made in Burmantofts in Leeds.

So that's a Burmantofts chimney pot?

PAUL: It is indeed.

Is it stamped Burmantofts?

PAUL: It probably won't be, no, they were mass manufacturing them, so they weren't always stamped.

You can find them stamped, but probably not.

What's the price ticket on that?

£85.

Listen, I'm mean, me.

PAUL: We're used to it, go ahead!

I have got very short arms... PAUL: ..and very deep pockets!

Can we just get it out?

PHILIP: Course we can.

I just want to make sure it's perfect.

We'll get it out for you no problem.

And while you're doing that, can I go and look in your... cuz you've got some stone troughs in there, haven't you?

We have, yeah.

Can I have a look at those as well?

PAUL: Course you can.

PHILIP: Thank you.

VO: It may look odd, but the Long Tom is perfect for the garden, as it's Philip's next potential purchase.

They are actually Yorkshire stone, but they are new.

When you say new, that's a million years old... What you mean is...

It will have been newly cut.

Newly cut out to make a trough.

This is a pump trough, isn't it?

PAUL: It is.

PHILIP: So you'd have gone out to the rear yard of your house, and you'd have had your pump, hand pump, wrought iron hand pump that goes down to the well, and you pumped it and it pumped water up into a stone pump trough.

PHILIP: See, I'd like to buy the two for like... PHILIP: Just under 100 quid.

I don't think you're taking my 16 children into consideration.

Well, that, Paul, is your problem, not mine!

PHILIP: What could you do the two for?

Listen, if you can do £100, I think we can have a deal.

PHILIP: On the two?

PAUL: On the two.

Oh, Catherine told me to spend money, I'm going to.

I just love them both so much.

Go on.

There you are look, there's 20.

I'll just check.

But there isn't any cracks in it, and there's no concrete, is there?

There's no cracks, there's no concrete.

20, 40... VO: So, Philip now has his Yorkshire stone, which he plans to auction in Liverpool.

Do you think he's thought this through?

PHILIP: 100.

Thank you very much indeed.

CATHERINE: # She'll be coming round the mountain # When she comes, woo woo!

# She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes.

# PHILIP: Why are you slapping my thigh?

VO: Our next stop on this leg is the market town of Todmorden, which is surrounded by the glorious Pennines.

CATHERINE: Oh my word, it's really coming down!

CATHERINE: I cannot believe two seconds ago, we had gorgeous sunshine, now we've got this.

CATHERINE: Mind you, it does feel cozy in here with you, Phil.

VO: As well as jaw-dropping scenery - which we can't quite see today - Todmorden also boasts two Nobel prize winners, though the most important thing any visitor needs to know is the weather can be rather changeable.

PHILIP: This weather, one minute it's glorious sunshine... CATHERINE: It's really nice now!

PHILIP: ..then it's pouring down with rain, then it's glorious sunshine, it's just unreal.

VO: And with the sun emerging yet again, our next stop is Picture House Antiques, where Philip and Catherine can fight over the collectibles of 12 different dealers under one roof.

Hold on, hold on!

No, no, I mean, I wouldn't ever steal the march on you and rush ahead.

You are rushing ahead, wait for me!

Oi, oi, oi, oi!

VO: Well, the early bird catches the worm, and sure enough, Philip's found something in seconds flat.

I think this is really cool.

And the thing about...

I know Catherine teases me about me turning everything into a table, I'm not going to turn this into a table, but the way this business is now, you've got to think laterally.

When I started, copper warming pans were £100, and copper kettles were £90, and now they're like a fiver each, the business has changed, and it's not always traditional antiques that make the money.

So you've got to think out the box a little bit.

And for me, I think that is really out of the box.

I think it's cool.

I'm gonna try and buy it for 15 or 20 quid.

So you know, I love that.

I really love that.

VO: Just one problem - the ticket price is £34.

Let's hope Tim here is in a giving mood.

Great name.

I can do a little bit on it, but... PHILIP: How much is a little bit?

Make a little bit a lot.

You say it'll make 30?

I think it'll make...

I think it'll estimate at 15-30.

So in my eyes, I've got to be buying it at the bottom end of that estimate, cuz I've got to pay commission in the sale room and all that sort of stuff.

Of course.

So I'd like to buy it, in an ideal world, at 15 quid.

I think it'll have to be a little bit up from that, I think the guy who owns it...

I think he'd take about 25 for it.

I'm not arguing over a fiver, go on.

PHILIP: Really?

TIM: Yeah.

Go on.

Oh, you're a gentleman, thank you so much.

Let me put that there.

VO: Clearly, Phil's off to a great start, and Catherine's got her eye on something too.

I said that I didn't like Tunbridge ware, when old Serrell produced his at the sale yesterday, but that is a far superior piece in my eyes, and it's a thermometer, which has been set onto this.

These little geometric shapes, the inlay, is really pretty.

Really nicely done, and all the way round.

Let's just have a look at the price.

150.

I don't think I'm gonna go anywhere near there, so I shall pop it down.

VO: And when Catherine makes up her mind, nothing can change it.

CATHERINE: Tim?

TIM: Yes.

Hiya.

Your Tunbridge ware here, the thermometer, what could you do on that one?

TIM: How's 125 sound?

Honestly, that sounds too high.

Does it?

VO: Next move... TIM: I've got someone who wants to talk to you about the Tunbridge ware.

VO: ..butter up the dealer, and that involves yet another of Catherine's classic tactics - pick just one very low price, and stick to it.

You've got 150 on it.

Can we say 60?

Can we say 60?

I'd prefer 60.

Go on, do 60.

Go on, Gary.

CATHERINE: I'm on my hands and knee...I'm on my knees here.

Yeah?

Are you happy with that?

OK.

Thank you very much indeed, and I shall hand you back to Tim.

Thank you very much.

Bye.

Wow.

VO: So, 60 it is.

Bravo, Catherine, bravo.

Though the prize for the quirkiest item goes to one Mr P Serrell.

What's that thing up there?

TIM: The horse's head?

Yeah.

TIM: It's an interesting thing that, it's off a fairground.

It's original.

An old fairground... What does that say?

TIM: Sunny Bright Eyes it must be the name of the ride.

Oh, my life.

Do you know, the first thing that worries me about that, and this is... You see so much of this cast iron stuff that is restored.

TIM: I've seen it, I've seen it.

It's painted up to look like it's white, you bury this for 12 months, and no one's ever gonna know the difference.

All the screws and nuts and bolts are gonna rust together.

PHILIP: You know, and it just bothers me that it's repro.

It's not repro, that.

The source it came from, it's not repro.

PHILIP: What's the very best you can do that for?

Because bear in mind I'm gonna try and beat you down.

TIM: £70.

PHILIP: How much?

£70.

I think that's too much of a gamble for me.

VO: Only one way to settle this - phone the dealer.

TIM: What's the death on this horse's head?

Your absolute death...

I've got a poor auctioneer here.

Tell him I'm poor.

Really poor, mega poor.

TIM: "God", he says.

DEALER: (ON PHONE) 50 dabs.

It's cheap at that.

TIM: 50 quid, 50 dabs, he says.

45 dabs!

He's saying 45 and he'll take it, can you do it?

45 and I'll take it.

DEALER: Yeah.

Can you not split it with him?

How much is that?

What did he say, 50?

47.50?

Well, it'll make the numbers interesting, won't it?

Go on, 47.50.

47.50, we have got a deal.

Alright, thanks, Clive.

Thank him, thank him.

He says thanks very much.

Gone.

Thank you.

Well let me give you the money for that first.

There's £60, look.

£47.50.

PHILIP: Truthfully, I have no idea what's that's gonna do.

I think if that's American, and it's somewhere between 1890 and 1920, I think that could make a couple of hundred pounds.

TIM: It easily could.

I hope I get past the winning post with this!

See you later.

TIM: Sure you will.

I'll see you now, Philly.

Bye.

VO: Well, the bidders will decide soon enough, but right now that's us done for the day.

PHILIP: Do you know what I think about this little car?

CATHERINE: No.

PHILIP: I'm not convinced it's gonna last.

CATHERINE: When you drive it, bits fall off.

PHILIP: What, me or the car?

CATHERINE: Yeah, both of you, actually!

VO: As the sun rises on the final day of this contest, our experts are as determined as ever, though feeling slightly melancholy.

CATHERINE: So this is it, Batman.

PHILIP: What do you reckon, Robin?

CATHERINE: Oh, this is it, isn't it?

CATHERINE: This is the last shop of the entire trip.

PHILIP: I'm quite sad, really.

VO: You are.

So far, Philip has spent just under £170 on four auction lots, and still has £287 hiding in the darkest recesses of his wallet.

I've absolutely loved this trip, it's been wonderful.

It's been enormous fun.

And sharing it with you has been a pleasure.

Oh, thanks honey, same with you.

VO: Catherine has parted with £72 for three auction lots and has another £180 at her disposal.

Today, you know, I am going to buy something that is gonna blow you away.

Do you know, I've heard this before somewhere.

So have I!

Like every day, I've heard this.

Every day.

Oh, Philip!

VO: Our first stop today is Ramsbottom, a very English town that's actually built by the Scots.

VO: They were wealthy mill-owners Daniel and William Grant who were later immortalized as the Cheeryble brothers in Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby.

The town is also famous for its black pudding throwing competition, but that's not important right now because Catherine is putting her game face on.

CATHERINE: This is it.

PHILIP: This is it, is this what... CATHERINE: Yeah, I'm gonna surprise you.

PHILIP: This is the Southon revenge, is it?

CATHERINE: I'm going to open a bag of surprises.

PHILIP: Oh my... Ooh!

That's never happened before.

CATHERINE: You are rubbish.

VO: The local antiques center is our next destination, where once again there are several floors, and multiple dealers.

I think there's gonna be lots of treats in here, it's the end of Philip Serrell as we know it.

PHILIP: As we know it.

CATHERINE: Good morning!

Hello.

Morning.

Is it alright if I have a look round?

Thank you, thank you.

VO: Determined to hold on to first place, Philip's last shopping trip of the week is all about strategy.

So I'm gonna try and buy either nothing, or I'm gonna buy a little small item just to make my five items up, but I'm gonna be mean.

I'm gonna be really really mean, cuz, you know, I could just go and blow my lead, and I don't want to do that.

I mean, it's about taking part.

The hell it is, it's about winning, really, isn't it?

VO: And after much consideration, the item that fits that brief is... Have a look at that book, is there anything that just strikes you as being a little bit odd about it?

Well, the answer is it's left handed, cuz you should expect it to be like that, and opening that way.

I've never seen anything quite like that before.

And if you just have a look at it here, it's Flowers of the Holy Land, and it's just all these really beautiful pressed flowers.

John?

JOHN: Yeah?

This little olivewood book, is that yours?

Uh, yes it is.

VO: And bear in mind the marked price is £25.

PHILIP: I'm gonna make you a one-off really mean, cheeky offer.

Yeah, thought you would.

And you can either accept it, or you can say to me, well don't show me the door, but... You could smile graciously at me and say no.

PHILIP: Are you ready for this?

JOHN: Go on.

It's a fiver.

A fiver.

Sorry, no.

I'll shake you by the hand then.

OK, thank you.

VO: That's Philip done and dusted, he's got his four items, and he's not going to risk his lead.

Fair enough - what's Catherine up to?

CATHERINE: I quite like this necklace.

I never ever, ever, ever, ever go for jewelry, but you've got some beautiful pieces.

VO: Now the sparkling stone in this necklace is marcasite, a mineral that's been used in jewelry since the days of the ancient Greeks, and it was also very popular with the Victorians.

But can Gina give Catherine the price she really wants?

Put it on, put it on.

Let's see what it looks like.

GINA: Sometimes when they sell on eBay, I put...

I put the piece on my neck, and then I take a photograph in the mirror, and you get the reflection.

CATHERINE: How much could you do that for?

GINA: I'll do that for 35 for you.

Could you come a lot lower on that though, cuz I'm gonna be selling it at auction.

I've got 45, I've said 35.

CATHERINE: I'm looking at 20 really.

Really?

VO: My goodness, she's persistent!

I would do 25, but that would be my best.

Could you do 20 for me?

GINA: Yes, go on, I will.

CATHERINE: Will you?

GINA: Yeah.

CATHERINE: Are you happy at that?

Yeah, I'll do that for you.

Thank you.

VO: While Catherine continues to browse for victory, Philip's already on the road.

His next stop is Bolton on the high street, and no he's not shopping, he's going to the pub - again.

VO: Ye Olde Man and Scythe is one of the oldest pubs in Britain, and it also has one very colorful history.

JOHN: Hi.

What can I do for you?

Well, you're not the scythe, you must be the Olde Man!

I am the Olde Man, that's right.

I'm Philip, how are you doing?

Very well.

I'm John.

VO: Not far from here, the Bolton Massacre took place - a bloody episode of the English Civil War, where in a battle of parliamentarians versus royalists, 1,500 people were killed.

It's a proper boozer, isn't it?

JOHN: Oh, absolutely.

It must have seen some real activity out there, I don't know, from rampaging royalists to marauding pop groups, isn't it?

That's right, we've had both.

PHILIP: Really?

Oh yes, and I can even show you some of the evidence of it as well.

PHILIP: Where's that?

It's all in my museum room here.

PHILIP: Is that it?

JOHN: Yes.

Oh go on, lead on, let me have a look.

JOHN: Right.

On we go.

VO: More than 400 years after this pub's first pint was poured, the owner, the Earl of Derby, led the royalist charge against the parliamentarians, but needless to say, it didn't go very well.

So we have our massacre outside the front door, and then bizarrely, seven years later, Derby is executed outside the front door, and before he's executed...

He spent the last couple of hours in this pub.

On this chair?

The last three hours, yes.

So who actually said that Derby sat in this chair?

A guy called Tom Donovan, who was the licensee here during the early 1800s, and what he wanted to do was improve the trade in the pub by attracting tourists in, so he found the chair and he put the brass label on it, that you can see there, that says that Derby sat on it.

PHILIP: So the probability is that that's a complete and utter load of bunkum.

JOHN: Correct.

Fantastic.

Now, I've got to tell you here, right, this is a bit like me, it's seen better days, cuz it's got a new splice on the back leg, it's got a new splice on the front leg and a new splice on the front leg there.

It reminds me very much of me granddad's broom, it's just as me granddad used to use it, it's has 14 new heads, and 15 new handles.

But why is it all so battered?

VO: Actually, I can answer that question.

It all kicked off in 1964 and it involves rock legend The Who.

PHILIP: The Who?

JOHN: Yes.

What, Daltry, Townshend, Moon the loon?

Yes.

One of them climbed up on me wall to sit on it, and because it was hung against the wall like that, that back leg broke off completely.

So that chair, it's actually seen...

It's been through the mill, hasn't it?

Oh, yes.

VO: But even so, this famous chair, in this famous pub, is still pulling in the punters, and in keeping with more than 800 years of tradition, Phil's finishing this tour with a cheeky glass of beer.

John, that's really really lovely, but if I stop here any longer, I'm gonna get completely caned with all this.

It's been lovely meeting you.

And if ever I come here again, this will be the first port of call.

You take care mate, God bless, bye bye.

VO: Back in Ramsbottom, Catherine's set her sights on this - a tortoiseshell ring box, circa 1919, with a rather lovely silver inlay.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but perfectly legal, since it was made pre-1947.

CATHERINE: What's the lowest you could go on that?

GINA: I would go to £50 for you on that.

CATHERINE: Could you go lower than that, because of the scratches?

No, I can't really.

I couldn't really.

I'm worried about the scratching, and I'm worried about that, cuz it's going to put people off.

CATHERINE: It's a shame cuz it's beautiful, isn't it?

GINA: It is, yeah.

Can we say 30?

Yes, because I want you to win!

CATHERINE: Aww, you're my best friend.

GINA: That's OK. VO: And as Catherine seals the deal with her latest best friend, she's feeling quietly confident about that final auction.

I actually think I've bought really well, of all my items in the last day or so, I think I've bought really well, I'm happy with everything, and I'm confident for the first time that every single item is going to make a profit.

You heard it here first.

VO: With her shopping spree complete, Catherine's off to see a cheeky relic of pre-industrial Britain.

Wow.

That's beautiful.

VO: No, I'm not talking about Philip.

I'm talking about Bolton's Hall in the Wood - a faithfully preserved Tudor manor home built in the late 1400s.

Wow, hello.

Good afternoon, hi, I'm Catherine.

Hi, I'm Matthew.

Hi, nice to meet you.

Welcome to Hall i' th' Wood.

CATHERINE: What's it called?

MATTHEW: Hall in the Wood.

CATHERINE: Hall in the Wood, but you said it a bit differently.

Well, in typical Lancashire, they run all the words together, so Hall in t' Wood.

Oh gosh, I won't even try to say that.

VO: Let me try.

'All in t' Wood.

Is that it?

No?

How's it pronounced in English?

Hall in the Wood.

Yes.

VO: Huh.

In the 18th century, Hall i' th' Wood became home to Samuel Crompton, the inventor of the spinning mule - an extraordinary device that was at the forefront of the industrial revolution.

And he dreamed it up in what he called his conjuring room, so that his family could make a better living.

Something we take for granted today - you go down the shop and buy cheap cotton clothes.

Couldn't do that before; before, cotton was expensive, you had to import it from places like India.

Crompton allowed people to make it in this country, and it was that...

They took that invention, they put it into huge buildings, they employed hundreds, thousands of people, industrial revolution.

So he did, he opened up a whole new industry in this country.

MATTHEW: Indeed, and that industry brought great wealth and power to Britain, and basically as a result of that, the whole world changed.

VO: The genius of the spinning mule is that not only was the thread it produced much finer, it was also much stronger.

MATTHEW: And his invention.

CATHERINE: Oh my word.

MATTHEW: As you can see here, we have a replica of the mule, or at least part of the mule.

This is only a part of it?

It's enormous.

MATTHEW: Well, it was designed to go in a house, though.

MATTHEW: I mean, a big house.

CATHERINE: A very big house!

But they were designed as domestic machines, they were people who were working out of their own homes, spinning cotton to sell at market.

So at this stage, it's not something you'd put in a factory.

But it has been described as the most complicated wooden machinery ever invented.

VO: But while Crompton was a great inventor, he wasn't a great businessman, and so the spinning wheel that changed the world ended up by being his downfall.

He didn't patent the machine, partly that was because he'd used some ideas from other people's inventions, but also because he was persuaded that he might make more money if as was the common at the time, the invention was offered to everybody to use, and they would maybe pay a subscription for it if it took off and became popular.

It became hugely popular - other people made the money and he died penniless.

I think that's really, really sad, for someone who's invented something so incredible.

It is, but the thing about him was, he wasn't trying to change the world, he just wanted to make life better for his family.

And in doing so, he accidentally destroyed his whole way of life.

That's very sad.

VO: Whilst in his lifetime, Samuel Crompton failed to receive the recognition he deserved, today he's celebrated by the people of Bolton, and the Hall i' th' Wood is dedicated to his memory.

VO: With this road trip almost complete, it's time for our experts to reveal to each other what they've bought.

This is the last time we're gonna have to do this.

I know.

Go on, you go first.

CATHERINE: OK. Is this a real C Southon lot?

CATHERINE: Binoculars.

Field binoculars, Watson and Sons.

PHILIP: And you paid?

CATHERINE: Two.

Do you have any conscience?

PHILIP: My turn.

Alright.

Now, Catherine... CATHERINE: I think I've seen that.

CATHERINE: Was that still in the antique center yesterday?

PHILIP: Yes, yes.

How cool is that?

That is really, really nice.

PHILIP: 20 quid.

CATHERINE: 20 quid?

And you tell me I rob people!

What's next?

PHILIP: Oh, that's lovely, isn't it?

That's a little silver and tortoiseshell ring box for a dressing table?

Part of a dressing table set?

Round about 1910, 1915?

It's actually 1919, so not too bad.

That would make at auction...

I don't know, £50-80?

I was hoping you'd say a bit more than that!

Cuz I've sold them before for 100.

Well, I have, but I think the market for tortoiseshell isn't quite what it was, say three or four years ago.

You've always got to put a downer on something!

PHILIP: I'm getting the withering Southon look now.

You've always got to put a downer on something, haven't you?

PHILIP: Are you ready for this?

CATHERINE: Yeah go on then, what's next?

PHILIP: That's it there, look.

It's another Serrell special, isn't it?

It's a cast iron fairground rocking horse head.

PHILIP: Cost me £47.50.

Do you not like it?

Would you...well, you clearly wouldn't have bought it.

No, I wouldn't have bought it.

Right, I shall show you my wares.

That's lovely.

CATHERINE: Look at that, I mean, you'd put that on top of your wardrobe, and doesn't that look smart, I think.

It's a really good decorator's lot, isn't it?

CATHERINE: Now, this is not the sort of thing that I normally buy, at all.

But...

I thought it was so beautiful that I had to have it.

I wouldn't have a clue whether that cost you £5 or £50, but probably somewhere in the middle of that, I don't know.

CATHERINE: 20.

PHILIP: I think you should be alright with that.

I don't want to be... Everything I've shown you, "you should be alright with that, you should be alright with that."

I don't want to be alright.

Why, what do you want to be?

CATHERINE: I want it to be good, not just be alright!

Well, alright is good for me, remember.

PHILIP: Do you like that?

CATHERINE: It's a chimney.

PHILIP: It's a chimney.

You're mad, aren't you?

You're completely mad.

PHILIP: That's fantastic.

CATHERINE: What did you pay for it?

PHILIP: 40 quid.

CATHERINE: And you think it's gonna make you £50 profit?

CATHERINE: You'll be lucky.

PHILIP: No vision.

Come on, next.

Well, I've just gone and bought this.

I think that's lovely.

CATHERINE: Isn't that just super?

PHILIP: Yeah.

I reckon you paid £80 for it.

CATHERINE: I paid 60.

PHILIP: You'll make a profit.

Is that it?

CATHERINE: Yeah, that's it.

PHILIP: Finished.

CATHERINE: You've got... How many items did you get?

One, two, three.

Three items.

And one more.

Come with me.

Oh, there's more?

There's more.

There's more, there's more, there's more.

Hold on.

VO: For the lady who loves pretty things, Philip Serrell presents... Is that it?

Is that what you've bought?

Yes.

This is completely cast in stone, and I think that is a sure fire pump trough.

PHILIP: Do you know this weighs about four hundredweight?

I don't know what to say, I really really really don't know what to say.

PHILIP: Do you think I'm mad?

CATHERINE: All I can say is... Only you, Philip.

Only you would buy this.

VO: Well, those two look cozy, but what are they really thinking?

He didn't really get too excited about things.

He was a bit flat.

So that doesn't fill me with a great deal of confidence.

He's pushed me down a bit, pushed my emotions down.

I think she thinks I'm stark raving bonkers.

But I really like what I bought, and I think they stand a good chance.

And I think they might just see me past the finishing tape.

VO: After starting off in Skipton, Philip and Catherine end this, their final leg, in the glorious city of Liverpool.

PHILIP: Do you know, you're my Liver bird.

CATHERINE: Am I?

VO: Having celebrated its 800th anniversary, Liverpool has many a story to tell, from the explosion of the Beatles to its former status as one of the world's biggest ports.

In fact, by the 19th century, 40% of the world's trade passed through its docks.

CATHERINE: So, today is my day, Philip.

CATHERINE: Today is the day that I make £200 profit and catch you up.

PHILIP: What about my Long Tom?

CATHERINE: Your what?

And I don't say that to many girls.... My Long Tom.

What was your Long Tom?

My big chimney pot.

Oh, that thing!

What do you mean, "oh, that thing"?

VO: Our final auction of the week takes place at Cato Crane, though before auctioneer John Crane gets things under way, what does he really think about our experts' choices?

I think it's a very interesting little collection of stuff actually, they've bought really nicely.

Um...

The trough worries me just a little bit.

It wouldn't really fit into gardens here, because it's Yorkshire stone.

JOHN: It's not really a sort of Liverpool, North Wales thing.

I love the little thermometer, that will do quite well I think.

JOHN: The hat box, what's the point?

JOHN: Who wants a Georgian hat box?

The chimney pot's a great thing, it's tall, it's got presence, perhaps of all the things, that's the thing that I would probably go for, the chimney pot and the deckchair.

JOHN: I think it's a good thing, and I think it'll sell, too, I think it'll bring good money.

VO: Philip started this leg with £455.22, and has gone on to spend £167.50 on four auction lots.

VO: Catherine, meanwhile, began with £251.44, and has secured five auction lots for £122.

Time to find out who out of this duo will take first place.

We've now got three members of our team!

CATHERINE: Vera's with me.

Two against one now.

As long as you divide your profit by two, I don't mind.

VO: Right then, welcome aboard Vera.

Now, let the auction begin.

VO: First up, it's Catherine's leather hatbox.

JOHN: Probably a military one.

A nice object, ladies and gentlemen.

50.

30 if you like.

Any bid at all?

Oh, come on!

JOHN: I know you've got to have a special use for it.

Nobody whatsoever?

No!

30 is bid.

30 is bid, 35... 40 with you, Trevor, please.

JOHN: 40 with you is bid.

JOHN: I've got a bid of 40 here, and I'm going to sell it.

VO: Despite the lack of bidders, that's a good start.

Catherine's £30 up before commission.

£22 profit, isn't it?

She said it's not worth 50.

VERA: It isn't.

I'm with you, rubbish isn't it?

PHILIP: Have you ever thought about going on television, my love?

PHILIP: Have you?

VO: Next it's Philip's Yorkshire stone pump trough, but will it excite the bidders of Liverpool?

Silly item.

30 is bid.

JOHN: 35 is bid, 35, you're in, 35.

I've got 40 here.

45.

45, 50 with me, a commission bid.

50.

55.

JOHN: 55, come on, one more, 55, 60.

65 with you.

65, got to beat that, come on.

65.

£65.

£70 over there.

JOHN: I'm selling at 70.

Do you want 75?

75.

VO: Not bad, but perhaps it might have done better in - let's see - Yorkshire?

That's roughly just broken even.

Yeah, you probably have, yeah.

VO: Oh well, on to Catherine's field binoculars.

Bought for just £2, now surely there's a profit in this.

Who'll give me 20?

10 if you like, just a little lot.

£10?

10 is bid.

12.

14.

16.

16.

18 is bid.

20 now, 22.

£22, I'm selling at £22.

That'll do me.

At £22.

VO: That's £20 up before commission, but I'm afraid young Vera here isn't impressed.

Watson & Sons is a very good optical maker.

It's not as well known as Liverpool makers, you see.

PHILIP: That's put you in your place, hasn't it?

PHILIP: Well done Vera, I like you.

You let her have it, Vera.

VO: Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but even so, Philip's chimney pot is um...quite something.

On this basis, I should be happy with 50 quid.

I think it might just make that, actually.

Oh, thanks.

JOHN: Really, really nice object, ladies and gentlemen, what's it gonna make?

£150 for it.

I hope it does.

JOHN: It's worth every penny.

I'll bid 60 here on a commission bid.

JOHN: 60.

What about 70?

I've got 80, 90, come on.

Well done.

JOHN: 85 if you like.

OK, I've got 80 here.

JOHN: £90, I'm going to sell now at 90.

CATHERINE: Get excited, Philip!

No, I don't do excitement.

Sold, thank you.

VO: Wow, look at that.

One smoking pot.

90!

So £90 is... A good profit.

PHILIP: It's about buying the right thing for the right auction, that's what I think, don't you think?

OK. VO: Let's hope Catherine has done just that with her tortoiseshell and silver jewelry box, though there's good news - we have a phone bidder.

JOHN: Fully hallmarked, 70...5.

Yes?

75 is bid.

80, madam.

90.

And five sir, alright with you?

95.

100 on the phone.

105, 110.

£110 now.

110.

JOHN: 110, I think it was on the phone, any further bid, for the last time now?

Oh!

Another bid.

I'll go back to the gentleman over here.

JOHN: 130 is bid, another bidder standing here.

130 here.

For the very, very, very last time, £130.

Your bid.

All done?

Sold, thank you.

VO: My goodness, all of Catherine's Christmases have come at once - watch out Philip, it's game on!

Well done, my love.

130.

That's £100 more than I paid for it!

VO: Continuing Philip's al fresco theme, next it's his vintage deckchair complete with canopy and stool.

We just need a bit of sunshine.

Yes, lots of sunshine.

That's what rules it out, isn't it?

40, 45 is bid.

50.

50.

50 is bid.

I'm selling at £50, it's a nice thing.

I told you 50, didn't I?

Yeah, you're a better judge than me.

All done at £50 now, come on.

VO: Hmm, something tells me it's going to sell for 50.

..over expensive at 50.

All done at £50 now.

VO: Not bad, Philip, but so far, this is definitely Catherine's auction.

Let's see if she can come up trumps with her Tunbridge ware thermometer.

It is in good condition.

I haven't said a word.

I'll take £40 is bid.

40 is bid here.

45.

55.

It's on the telephone.

But I need it to go a lot higher.

60 in the room now.

65.

65.

I have to hurry you.

65 is bid.

70.

70 is bid now, 75.

JOHN: Sir, are you gonna bid at 85, sir?

85, yes, £85.

95?

VO: Not quite the runaway profit Catherine was hoping for, but a healthy margin nonetheless.

And if I was you, I'd sort of feel that was a bit cheap.

Yeah, I think it was cheap.

VO: Philip's last auction lot is the one he's pinning all of his hopes on, so for this fairground horse's head, he's looking for up to £200.

JOHN: It's a good thing for the garden.

I hope so.

I've got 45 is bid now, 45.

50.

50 is bid, thank you.

60 if you like, I don't mind.

60.

65, anywhere?

£60 is bid.

All done at 65.

VO: Not sounding good.

Oh dear, Philip's dream of a big profit has fallen at the last hurdle.

What do you reckon, Vera?

Uh, a fair price.

22.

A fair price.

VO: So far, Catherine's auction curse has lifted and then some, but now it all comes down to this - her art nouveau marcasite necklace.

Look at it.

It's beautiful!

What do we say?

£10 for it.

10.

12.

£12 over there now.

14.

14.

16.

16 is bid over there, thank you.

JOHN: 18.

£18.

18.

20.

Make it 22 and I'll sell.

22?

Good price for marcasite.

I think it's a world record price for marcasite!

All done at 22.

VO: Oh dear, it seems the bidders of Liverpool aren't great wearers of marcasite.

VERA: Didn't have a name, you see.

No, no, I could give it a name, Vera.

VO: Catherine started this leg with £251.44, and made a fabulous profit of £131.38, so she ends on £382.82 - unfortunately not enough to catch up with Philip.

VO: The silver fox meanwhile kicked off with £455.22, and has made a modest profit of £62.10, giving him a grand total of £517.32 pence, and making him this week's winner, and oh, what a week it's been!

(ROMANTIC MUSIC) VO: From Philip's love of the daft and the different... Have you got bunions?

I thought it was for doing unmentionable things to sheep or cattle, really!

VO: ..to Catherine's desire to hug everyone she meets.

You're so lovely.

She's so lovely, I felt a nod there.

VO: This was a road trip filled with bad driving.

How do you get this into first gear?

VO: And plenty of friendship.

And you're sharing it with me.

I know, you're the love of my life.

The love of my life.

VO: But our story ends here.

CATHERINE: Didn't we say that winner buys dinner?

Winner of this auction buys dinner.

CATHERINE: No, loser buys dinner!

That's you.

VO: How about loser phones a tow truck?

Tatty-bye!

You're rubbish!

See, I told you.

Do you want me to drive?

No.

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