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

Which way are the bargains?

VO: ..behind the wheel of a classic car... Do you know where we are?

No.

VO: ..and a goal, to scour Britain for antiques.

Act one, scene one.

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

Ta-da!

VO: But it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners...

Woo!

Happy dance!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

Heartbroken.

Close your ears.

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

It's just delightful, isn't it?

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

VO: This is Antiques Road Trip.

VO: Yeah!

VO: A sporty red classic car?

Oh, yes!

Long, empty country roads?

Tick!

Green fields stretching out forever?

Yep!

Britain's jolliest antiques expert?

Mm... Fortunately, Catherine Southon will supply the smiles, riding shotgun alongside Phil Serrell.

Who is your favorite male Road Trip companion?

Not you.

What?!

VO: Aww.

It's been seven long years since Catherine and Phil last did this together.

I always remember you jumping out of the car to chase a sheep up a road.

VO: Let's remind ourselves of the day Catherine tried to help a farmer.

CATHERINE: It's fallen!

PHIL: Don't worry, don't worry.

CATHERINE: Oh, it's fallen!

Where's he going?

Oh, no!

CATHERINE: Dear God.

(LAUGHS) PHIL: Running after it is not a good idea, Catherine!

CATHERINE: We've lost this man's sheep!

PHIL: This is like Wallace and Gromit, isn't it?

It's crossing the border!

CATHERINE: He's in Devon!

VO: (CACKLES) Happy days!

CATHERINE: I'm a Londoner!

I don't get out in the country much.

VO: But never mind the livestock, what about the competition?

The last two times you have won.

Yeah, twice so I've won twice.

CATHERINE: You've won twice.

PHIL: I've won twice.

CATHERINE: Yes.

PHIL: Twice?

Twice, yes, d'you want me to say it again?!

One more, please.

Twice?

CATHERINE: Twice!

PHIL: Thank you.

I am here to make him look good!

VO: Hey, don't give him the satisfaction, Catherine.

There's new rules, so listen up.

You'll each have a £1,500 budget to last you all five legs.

What's the plan gonna be?

There is no plan.

I'm gonna beat you, that's what I'm going to do.

VO: That's the spirit.

VO: You get five chances to compete for the most profit at the auctions you visit as well as this stylish Morgan Roadster.

Lovely.

Oops!

Careful.

Oh!

You're not a very good driver, are you?

Ey, don't you start that.

VO: The bonhomie has to last as well, of course.

They begin way out west, then tour several delightful southern shires before eventually reaching the Home Counties, Essex and East Anglia.

D'you know what I love about these cars is the simplicity.

PHIL: Yeah.

CATHERINE: There's not a lot that can go wrong.

Famous last words.

VO: Upbeat as ever.

Today we're going to be seeing an awful lot of Somerset, starting out in the city of Bris'ol.

VO: Home to Blackbeard, Banksy and big bridges, Bristol is just the spot for a couple of rebels at heart to kick things off at Gloucester Road reclamation yard.

CATHERINE: This is your kind of thing, isn't it?

PHIL: Yeah.

CATHERINE: You're gonna be at home here because there's nothing...pretty.

PHIL: What about me?

You're not pretty.

What?!

VO: Excellent trash talk, Catherine.

A vast array of goodies and a handsomely hirsute dealer on hand, they should have no trouble rooting something out.

Hello!

Hello.

CATHERINE: Hiya James.

JAMES: Hi.

Good to see you, I'm Catherine.

PHIL: James, Phil.

How are you?

Right, where do we start?

Well, I think you should go that way.

Cuz I'm going to go this way.

Hm.

See you later.

PHIL: Oh!

VO: Let the rummage commence.

Remember that they each have £1,500, so, whatever floats your boat.

Oh, these are fabulous.

These are...

These are my childhood in a nutshell.

VO: Oh, me too.

CATHERINE: In the 1980s, these rollerboots were the coolest thing to have.

I had a pair of these and I had them on every single day when I came home from school.

CATHERINE: Let me try it on.

Oh, wow!

Even putting this on just brings back... ..so many memories.

I feel very confident in these.

Memories!

Can you imagine Phil in a pair of these?

VO: I'd sooner think of the proverbial bull in a china shop.

Here he comes.

There aren't many places you can go and find a gravestone.

VO: Usually, just cemeteries.

PHIL: How much is that?

JAMES: I was looking for around 300 on it.

Can I just ask you a question?

How do you arrive at your price structure?

Ah, it's a very, very sophisticated... PHIL: Complex.

JAMES: ..method, yeah.

Yeah, is it like algorithms and all that?

JAMES: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

PHIL: I thought there probably would be.

JAMES: Formulas and all that kind of stuff.

VO: Yeah.

Highly scientific.

I think we'll be passing on the gravestone.

Anything a tad more likely?

See... CATHERINE: Oh, they're nice.

PHIL: ..do you like them?

Yeah, I do, very much.

They're quite cool, aren't they?

CATHERINE: Very, very much.

PHIL: They're French, I think.

CATHERINE: I think they're very stylish, nicely stylized as well.

Are they French?

PHIL: Dunno.

No idea.

PHIL: Naples.

CATHERINE: That's not France, is it?

Naples.

They're Italian.

I used to teach geography.

Yeah, well you were obviously very good at it, weren't you?

Yeah, that's why I don't teach geography anymore!

VO: Ha-ha!

They also say "Fabrique en France" so French after all.

If they were sold at auction, I would put them in at £60-£80.

They could make 80.

Why am I telling you this?!

Why am I telling you this?

Make up your own mind!

She's lovely.

I love her.

VO: Those tiles are unpriced, but could be bought.

And while Phil thinks on, his chum's taken a fancy to what can only be described as a florist's stand.

CATHERINE: So it's got...one, two, three, four, five.

Yeah.

CATHERINE: Five holes for... JAMES: Yes.

CATHERINE: ..your plants.

That's quite nice, I mean, well, I say nice, it's not normally my thing.

I have to say I'm completely out of my depth here.

JAMES: Yeah, it's a little industrial in the sense it would have been from a shop rather than somebody's house, but they're very, very popular nowadays, that kind of industrial style.

CATHERINE: Mm-hm.

And what would you be asking for that?

JAMES: I think originally it was ticketed at £90, but I think there would be a little bit of wiggle room in that.

CATHERINE: £90?!

Wow.

PHIL: Yeah.

VO: Ouch!

You're paying for the rust and the patina and all the elements of its age.

VO: Touché, James.

JAMES: You know, you can make me an offer, Catherine, it has been here for a number of years.

CATHERINE: Years?!

JAMES: Yes, so... CATHERINE: (LAUGHS) VO: I sense a cheeky offer coming on.

What's it gonna make?

£30.

OK, go for it.

Is that alright?

Yeah, let's go for it.

James, you're a star.

OK. VO: First to seal a deal is Catherine with a whopping £60 off the 90 ticket price.

CATHERINE: Thanks, James.

Wow.

JAMES: Thanks.

VO: And so, while Catherine departs with 1,470 still in hand, stand is to be sent on.

VO: Phil's headed straight back to those tiles he admired earlier.

PHIL: How much are these, James?

Er, I was selling them for, say, 15 each.

JAMES: But if you wanted to do a set of them, then I'd probably be able to do you a deal.

How much is the deal, James?

PHIL: If I bought eight of them, could they come for 60 quid?

JAMES: Yeah, go on, then.

PHIL: I think these are really lovely, aren't they?

VO: Get your cash out, Phil.

So at £60 for the eight tiles, Phil has his first buy.

I'll go and pick them up and wish me well.

Brilliant, I do.

PHIL: Take care, matey.

See you soon.

VO: Which leaves him with £1,440 for his future requisites.

And while he grabs the Morgan and gets motoring we get to listen to this familiar tune.

MUSIC: "Hark!

The Herald Angels Sing" VO: With lyrics courtesy of a man who has had a huge influence on Christian worship, because he and his brother were responsible for the radical and disruptive religious upheaval called Methodism.

And Bristol was the backdrop.

(CHOIR HUMMING) VO: Catherine's come to the New Room to find out about a period of tumultuous history from co-director Kate.

CATHERINE: So what is Methodism all about?

Methodism was a Christian movement that started in the 18th century.

John and his brother Charles Wesley, along with their friend and fellow preacher, George Whitefield.

And it began here in the heart of Bristol.

And it was a movement that spread both nationwide and globally.

KATE: There is now said to be 80 million Methodists worldwide.

VO: John and Charles Wesley were Oxford scholars who were part of the Church of England.

They began to deviate from its strictures, having experienced an evangelical desire to spread the gospel to ordinary people.

Their college buddy, George Whitefield, shared much of their religious ideology and had taken to preaching in the open air, against usual Church practice and he asked John to take over his congregation.

John accepted the invitation and he came and spoke in the open air, in Kingswood, to the colliers.

He wanted to really reach out to the poorer community in the city of Bristol.

He realized that the Church of England weren't accommodating of lots of different people around the city and he wanted to say that the gospel was for everyone.

He sought to reform the Church of England.

KATE: He never initially wanted to break away.

KATE: Would you like to come inside?

I'd like to warm up!

(LAUGHS) Very much.

VO: Methodism offered a practical method of following Christianity that people could apply to their daily lives, hence the name.

In Methodism, John was forming a stricter and more industrious version of Christianity and he decided to create a place of worship that would also serve the wider needs of the community.

The New Room was built in 1739.

It features a double-decker pulpit, pews made from ships' timbers and it's the oldest purpose-built Methodist chapel in the world.

CATHERINE: Tell me about what went on here.

Back in the 18th century, it started out as a meeting place, but it was also working as like a community center.

KATE: You had medical dispensaries here, you had food banks.

KATE: We're sat in the Common Room, and the Common Room was used for prayer and Bible study.

KATE: It was also a great place of singing and worship.

Particularly around this room you can imagine people gathering and discussing what the next steps, how the next branch of Methodism would span across the country.

VO: In 1774, John Wesley published a pamphlet entitled Thoughts Upon Slavery.

He described it as "the sum of all villainies".

Methodists had already experienced persecution for deviating from the Church of England's theology.

But by advocating abolition in one of the major slave trade ports, the Wesleys made some very powerful enemies indeed.

KATE: You had the congregation of the New Room and you had the traders coming in and a riot erupted.

CATHERINE: I can imagine.

Wow.

VO: John wrote that, "The people bashed against each other "with the utmost violence "and the benches were broke in pieces."

Although he also records that he carried on undaunted.

Fortunately, brother Charles found a way to preach his message of love and peace in the hundreds of evangelical hymns he wrote and Methodists had novel ways of spreading the word.

KATE: This is one of the miniature hymn books.

And you can see the text is very, very tiny.

CATHERINE: Minute, yeah.

(LAUGHS) They would have been easily able to carry this around on horseback up and down the country, carry lots of copies with them to hand out to people.

KATE: They were doing something that was against the Church of England's practices and the hymn book is really small as well, so it can be discreet.

(CHOIR SINGING) VO: Now, then, Catherine's tracked down the source of the music, which is Wesley's most famous tune, sung by Christians the world over.

MUSIC: "Hark!

The Herald Angels Sing" VO: And she's getting stuck in, prepare yourselves.

# Joyful, all ye nations, rise # Hark!

The herald angels sing # Glory to the newborn King... # VO: Positively angelic, Catherine.

I'd like to know how Methodism connects with music.

Charles was the poet and hymn writer.

And, in a sense, he expressed his and John's theology and faith, so music and singing has always been really important to Methodists, and it is to us, I think, in the choir.

Because we're singing our faith and then hopefully going out and living it too.

VO: Famous Methodists include Beyonce, Nina Simone and Dionne Warwick, so John and Charles would be happy to be singing from the same hymn sheet as them and millions of others in the world today.

VO: Now let's take a look at one of the city's most iconic landmarks.

Not that one.

That one.

Because Phil's at the top of the Avon Gorge to try out the local limestone roller-coaster.

If you want to see an old man make a complete clown of himself, stick around, cuz I'm going to have a go.

VO: I've got my popcorn.

This is bonkers.

VO: You can see from the shine that generations of Bristolian bottoms have slid down Slidey Rock before.

Oh, here we go!

Oh, here we don't go.

VO: That's true.

PHIL: Come on, man, go!

VO: (CACKLES) I think bulk overcomes slipperiness here.

VO: True.

He's not going fast.

Look at that.

I've hit rock bottom.

VO: (LAUGHS) VO: The good news is your shop is just down the road in Clifton, so you'd better slip off quick.

Get in there, Phil.

It's Rachel's & Michael's Antiques.

RACHEL: Hiya!

PHIL: Hi, I'm Phil.

How are you?

Good, thank you.

I'm Rachel.

Good to see you.

How are you?

Good to see you.

You haven't got any spoons, have you?

Just a few!

VO: Innumerable spoons, plus a wealth of other quality items, all tightly packed into just one room, providing our expert with plenty of options to spend at least some of his remaining budget of £1,440.

Can't walk away from this, really, can I?

PHIL: So this is a table centerpiece and it's called blushed or gilded ivory, which, of course, has got nothing to do with ivory.

But this blushed ivory color here is almost like a sprayed-on finish.

It's made in Worcester and if you look just there, you've got the shape number, which is G71.

And that means the G indicates to you that it originated from the Grainger's factory.

VO: Set up in 1801 by Thomas Grainger, Grainger's Worcester Porcelain eventually sold up to Royal Worcester in 1902.

They continued to use their designs into the 21st century, but this one is from 1897.

Coming from Worcester, I can't walk past a piece of Worcester, can I?

I'm gonna come back for that later.

VO: That's one possible, although not very surprising purchase but there's plenty more to tempt in here.

These are quite interesting.

And that is as well, so I'm going to plonk these on here.

PHIL: These are actually fire dogs, in the arts and crafts style.

PHIL: And that's kind of typified almost by this stylized flower head just here.

What is interesting like, stylistically, that is very similar to those.

This is probably...a coal bin.

I'm not suggesting you buy that to put coal in.

PHIL: But it would make a great magazine rack, wouldn't it?

You don't sell antiques anymore.

You sell a look.

And these have got today's look.

VO: But does it look like profit?

The coal box is priced at £95 and the fire dogs at £75.

PHIL: So the plan is this...

I'm gonna see if I can buy these two and that little Worcester centerpiece.

If I can get that, I shall be quite happy, I think.

VO: No pressure, Rachel.

PHIL: Rachel, how are you doing?

I think what I'd like to do is try and buy this bit of Worcester off you and the two arts and craftsy bits I looked at.

PHIL: In an ideal world, I'd like to buy the two for...around the 60 quid mark, if I could.

PHIL: Is that going to work or not?

I think around the £80 mark, if you want to include the Royal Worcester one... OK. RACHEL: ..would be a good shout.

What about if we split the difference?

Would that work for you?

Oh... Well, I know you only want those two items because they remind you of your childhood.

Yeah, absolutely, yeah... RACHEL: (WHEEZES) D'you know what?

The cheek and abuse you get, it's unbelievable.

That just knocked a fiver off, I reckon!

No, whatever you can do.

Whatever you're happy with.

I think... Yeah, 75 would be... OK, I'm gonna do that.

..a decent... That would be a good price.

Yeah, no, I'm very happy with that.

VO: That's the Worcester centerpiece plus the fire dogs and coal box for £25 each.

PHIL: Take care, Rachel.

RACHEL: Thank you very much.

See you soon.

Yeah, I'm quite pleased with that.

VO: What a day, eh?

Time to reunite with your buddy for some dinner.

So I'd do you sausage and mash and a big bowl of ice cream.

PHIL: I would cook you probably some lobster, some French fries, some champagne and... You do realize I'm married?

What?

CATHERINE: I might let you have one of my fries.

VO: Ah, now that's love.

VO: Nighty night.

VO: Another day in Somerset beckons for our intrepid duo in the Morgan Roadster.

CATHERINE: Shall I whack the heater up a bit?

Look at that, feel that that's lovely.

Is that warming your cockles?

Yeah, it's lovely.

VO: All the mod cons, eh?

What could be more fun?

It doesn't matter that the sun isn't shining.

You're in this wonderful... Actually, can I just stop you there?

Cuz it does matter.

It matters a lot.

You're so cynical!

VO: Yesterday, Phil shopped hard and bought several French tiles, a set of copper fire dogs and a coal box, both in arts and crafts style, and a Worcester centerpiece.

Lovely.

Coming from Worcester, I can't walk past a piece of Worcester, can I?

VO: After that, he's got £1,365 remaining.

And Catherine parted with her cash on a vintage flower stand.

£30.

JAMES: OK, go for it.

CATHERINE: Is that alright?!

Yeah, let's go for it.

James, you're a star.

VO: She's left with £1,470, but looking at their purchases you might think our experts have swapped styles.

Are you gonna carry on this sort of tradition of buying feminine things?

CATHERINE: Well I bought rust, which was well out of character for me.

Yeah.

Did you buy a profit?

Exactly.

Is it gonna make some money?

VO: They'll find out in Rosewell, where they'll sell their wares at auction.

But first, Catherine's been dropped off at the seaside, putting the super into Weston-super-Mare.

It's a historic Victorian seaside resort, which is also the birthplace of Monty Python's Flying Circus's founder member, John Marwood Cleese.

She's got almost £1,500 in her back pocket and she's hoping to spend at least some of it in Violet Antiques.

A single-room emporium packed with many delightful items, only a few of which are actually that color.

Oh, well.

ANGIE: Hello, Catherine!

How lovely to meet you.

CATHERINE: Angie?

ANGIE: Yes.

Angie, you look lovely, look at this, all matching.

Thank you.

How wonderful, how lovely.

Thank you for having me.

You're welcome.

CATHERINE: I'm noticing a bit of a theme, lots of dogs and animals and whatnot.

CATHERINE: Dog lover... ANGIE: Yes.

..by any chance?

Wonderful, I'll see you a bit later.

ANGIE: OK. CATHERINE: Thank you!

VO: That's Angie's dog, Pidge, by the way.

She's not for sale.

Angie, I love your whippets.

CATHERINE: Aren't they lovely?

ANGIE: They're gorgeous.

CATHERINE: Great glaze.

Oh, they're fabulous.

What a wonderful collar as well, with these grand... Beautiful, with the tassels.

..tassels.

And having a pair.

VO: These are Majolica, a type of tin-glazed pottery.

Ticket price, £395.

CATHERINE: Did you pay quite a lot for them?

CATHERINE: No.

You didn't?

ANGIE: No.

CATHERINE: So there's movement.

ANGIE: Yes.

We like a bit of... (CRASH) Oh!

You know you said they weren't damaged?

ANGIE: Yeah, they are now!

CATHERINE: (LAUGHS) VO: So how much is that doggie in the window?

Erm... For you, I could do them for 150.

Mmm.

OK, I'm gonna think on, I'm gonna move on because I've only just seen those, so I haven't explored.

VO: That's a whopping £225 potential discount for those.

Woof, woof, eh?

What else can she sniff out?

CATHERINE: This has caught my eye.

Looks like a little occasional table.

It's quite heavily carved with sort of foliage around the outside.

Always good to turn it over and look at the wear.

It looks like it's got quite a bit of wear to it under there.

Although some of these joints have been rather crudely glued together.

Angie, what are your thoughts on this, your table?

Oh, it's got a bit of a... ANGIE: It's got a bit of a wobble.

It's got a bit of a wobble.

Haven't we all?

ANGIE: I think so!

CATHERINE: My first thought, when I was walking up from a distance, I thought it was Indian, but actually with this central figure it doesn't look Indian.

VO: Spot on, Catherine.

It's almost certainly African, most likely 1920s or '30s.

CATHERINE: How much are you asking for it?

ANGIE: About 50.

CATHERINE: About 50 on that one.

OK. Is that your best sort of price on that?

Erm...

The very best would be 45.

CATHERINE: OK, lovely.

I'm going to put that in my mind and I'm going to carry on.

Good.

Wonderful.

Thank you very much.

VO: So that's the Majolica whippets and the occasional table floating around in Catherine's brain.

CATHERINE: Pidge, Pidge, Pidge, Pidge!

Pidgie, Pidgie.

This is Pidge.

Hello, Pidge.

What have I got?

OK, OK... Are you gonna help me look for things?

Bye!

VO: Right.

Pidge has got that bit covered.

Anything else in Catherine's patch, though?

CATHERINE: That's rather nice.

Propelling pencil.

VO: Gorgeous and collectible.

CATHERINE: And it's by the top maker.

Sampson Mordan.

Very nice.

Sampson Mordan making...all sorts of small items out of silver.

CATHERINE: Late 19th century into the early 20th century.

VO: After co-inventing the propelling pencil in 1822, production continued until the factory was destroyed during the Second World War.

What's nice is it's got a little cylindrical holder here to keep the leads in and it matches perfectly.

CATHERINE: And they are asking...£45.

Not bad.

If I can get it for sort of 20-ish, or 25, that might be worth a go.

OK, can put that in my bundle.

VO: Catherine's haul now includes one propelling pencil at £45, a pair of Majolica whippets, original price £350, and an African hardwood table for 50.

Over to Angie.

Angie?

I was hoping that you would do the whole three for £150.

That's just a bit too low, I'm afraid.

Can we do 165?

Pfft-cha!

ANGIE: 165.

CATHERINE: Oh!

I will, just for you.

Oh, Angie!

Thank you.

VO: That's £20 for the propelling pencil, 35 for the table, and a smashing £110 for the doggies.

CATHERINE: 165.

Thank you very much, Catherine.

CATHERINE: Coming your way.

VO: And Pidge.

Leaving her with £1,305 in her purse.

The large dogs... Ha-ha!

VO: ..to be sent on.

VO: Now, let's check in with her pal, Phil.

What's the mood in the Morgan?

It's peaceful.

It is so peaceful.

VO: Thanks for the update.

He's en route to his next shopping destination, the splendid old Saxon settlement of Axbridge.

Now, let's see if that rosy glow carries on into his final shop, Ripley Antiques & Vintage.

He's got £1,365 to his name, but remember it has to last him the whole trip.

PHIL: Hi, how are you doing?

Phil.

Oh, hi, Phil.

How are you doing?

PHIL: You are...?

JULES: Jules.

PHIL: Jules, good to see you.

Well, I see you've got some interesting things in here, I'm gonna have a look round.

OK, yeah, help yourself.

Well, not help yourself, but... PHIL: No, not literally.

JULES: No.

VO: No freebies!

That's an awful lot of stock, though.

A world in itself.

PHIL: This is a table globe, probably out of a library or the like.

What I love about these is, so the story goes, when globes came out, kind of late-18th century, obviously, the whole of the world wasn't discovered.

So, you know, like when Tasmania was discovered, and you'd bought your globe, you got a bit of paper come through the post with Tasmania on it and a grid reference as to where you should stick it.

I'd love to buy that, but that's going to be hopelessly out of my price range.

VO: Quite right.

Budget-busting at £1,900.

Meanwhile Catherine's not so very far away in Shepton Mallet.

In the foothills of the Mendips, and beside the ancient, extremely straight Roman Fosse Way road.

And Catherine's route leads her directly towards Somerset Antiques & Interiors with £1,305 remaining.

VO: So what are your first impressions?

There's a lot of furniture!

I feel...maybe a lamp.

I dunno.

We'll see.

VO: Yes, lots of lamps.

And loads more besides.

That is fantastic.

A carved, wooden... Looks Chinese.

Now that is absolutely super.

Look at these.

All these little individual...panels with these figures on, a sort of scrolling decoration.

It's 19th century.

It's probably...

I would say it's about 1860s in date.

VO: But how much is it?

(GASPS) (SQUEALS) £645.

OK, £645, what have I spent?

I've spent...almost £300.

I can't spend £600.

VO: At around half of your total budget, it would be brave.

But what a thing, eh?

Now, whither Mr Serrell?

Just 16 miles away in Axbridge, also busily rummaging.

PHIL: So that is, obviously, a little inkwell, capstan in shape, silver hallmarks.

PHIL: So you'd use that just for wiping your nibs.

And that's a stamp wetter, put some water in there and you spin that round.

VO: Now that's one classy desk tidy.

PHIL: What's the price?

It says £55.

Hallmarked Birmingham, 1915.

That looks interesting.

VO: One to remember, then.

What else will the Serrell gaze alight on?

PHIL: Now look.

So that's a wine chart.

There's some fairly cool wines on there, Chablis, Chambertin, Montrachet.

VO: You've got pricey tastes, Phil.

The map is itself a very reasonable £45.

It shows you where all these wines are produced.

PHIL: I think what I want to try and do is get a bit of variety in the lots that I'm putting into auction.

And I think that ticks that box.

VO: Yep, nice find, you deserve a tipple.

VO: Shepton Mallet is, of course, almost as famous for its cider, although Catherine won't be touching a drop whilst hard at work.

This is nice, too.

CATHERINE: It's for a child's cradle.

So you'd put a nice...

I'm thinking of a nice wicker basket or something like that, in here.

CATHERINE: It probably dates from the mid-19th century.

And I love the fact that it's metamorphic.

I love the fact that you can make it smaller and larger.

It's an interesting piece.

I've never, ever come across something like this before.

What have they got on this?

"Not for baby use."

VO: Could it be upcycled for something in the modern home?

CATHERINE: I think you'd probably put a basket in there, maybe fill it with teddy bears or something like that, put it in a nursery.

VO: Exactly.

Let's consult proprietor, Paul.

I've never seen one of these cradles before.

A metamorphic cot.

CATHERINE: Yeah.

I mean, I didn't know if it was French.

PAUL: It could be French, but I came to the conclusion it was English.

PAUL: When you look at the supports, it's almost sort of Edwardian, late-Victorian, with the carvings.

CATHERINE: Right.

VO: Good knowledge, Paul.

You've got 165 on it, Paul.

What would be your best on it?

It'd be 130.

CATHERINE: Yeah.

But I don't know how commercial that is, I'll be honest with you.

Right, OK. After you.

VO: Ah, well, keep looking.

Something's sure to turn up.

Back in Axbridge, her rival can't stop coming up with possible purchases.

So far, he's spotted a desk tidy and a Bordeaux wine map.

Anything else?

PHIL: That's got a bit of a look, hasn't it?

So if you...refer back to the fire dogs I bought, and that kind of coal box magazine rack-y thing, that's got a similar sort of arts and crafts look.

VO: The arts and crafts movement's celebration of the artisan was a response to the industrialized production of the Victorian era.

So it's priced at £120.

PHIL: I mean, I think it's kind of around the 50 quid mark.

So I need to think where I'm going here.

VO: Over to shopkeeper Jules to discuss a deal for all three items.

I would have loved to have bought the three for just under 90, but that's not gonna happen, is it?

(SIGHS) No, er... Can you do 100 for the three?

Yeah.

I'll do 100 for the three.

PHIL: You're a top, top man, let me just pay you some money before you change your mind.

PHIL: You've got interesting things.

JULES: Thank you so much, Phil.

Thank you, that means a lot.

VO: That'll be £30 each for the map and the desk tidy and 40 for the candlestick, leaving 1,265 in Phil's pocket.

Now, is Catherine actually going to buy anything in Shepton Mallet?

What did I say when I came in?

I said I'm going to buy a lamp.

CATHERINE: I love this.

What do I love about it?

I love the fact that the base is just completely stylized.

CATHERINE: You've got this sailing ship on the sort of quite rough seas.

With the brand at the bottom there and also the brand on the shade there.

That's quite nice to have the two together.

This is probably an advertising lamp for port.

I think it is Porto, I think, Portugal.

And I would say the date of it... What is it?

Is it '20s?

Is it '30s?

I don't know.

VO: You're bang-on there.

While the lamp may be 90-100 years old, Delaforce Port have been going for 260.

Now, that's my kind of vintage.

CATHERINE: Right, OK. Let's go and speak to Paul.

I found your stylized lamp.

Oh, the Delaforce, Porto.

Delaforce.

Can I make you an offer on it?

Go on, then.

How does 50 sound?

I'll do 70.

I'd be happier at 60.

I'll do 60 for you.

CATHERINE: 60?

PAUL: I'll do 60.

Shake.

20, 40, 60.

PAUL: Thank you very much indeed.

CATHERINE: There we go, super.

PAUL: Thank you.

VO: Well done, Catherine, that's all your shopping done.

CATHERINE: Bye!

VO: So you can relax with 1,245 left for next time.

Although, on second thoughts, don't get too comfortable just yet, because there's that first trip to the saleroom to start worrying about.

Which way to the auction?

That way.

CATHERINE: That way?

PAUL: That way, that way.

VO: And don't forget the shuteye.

VO: It's auction day in the former mining town of Rosewell, just south of Edinburgh.

CATHERINE: Ready for the challenge?

PAUL: It's a lovely, bright day, isn't it?

CATHERINE: It is.

Let's just hope it stays that way.

CATHERINE: (LAUGHS) VO: After rummaging first in Bristol and the Mendips, they've brought their booty north for round one in our best of five at Thomson Roddick Auctions, selling in the room, on the net and on the phone.

With Sybelle Thomson the woman in charge.

At £220.

VO: Phil spent £235 on his first five auction lots.

What's the pick of the bunch?

SYBELLE: I personally love this desk stand.

More people nowadays are working from home.

So actually it would make a great feature in the middle of your desk.

It'll make a really nice working environment.

And it would be a good talking point.

VO: Catherine spent a fraction more, at £255, for her five lots.

Money well spent, Sybelle?

SYBELLE: This propelling pencil is really interesting because it's by a really famous maker, Mordan.

A normal silver propelling pencil we kind of struggle to sell, but this name will help sell it and this could attract interest from all over the world.

VO: Drumroll, please.

Let's get to it.

Do you know that this is the first time that you and I have been at an auction together for a very long time?

Oh, you are romantic, aren't you?

I'm very romantic, aren't I?

This time I'm gonna give you a bit of a run for your money.

I know that.

VO: First up, the vintage florist's stand.

It's rust, Phil.

There's nothing wrong with a bit of rust, or a bit of woodworm.

What did you pay for it?

Well, I paid 30.

I was hoping I'd pay 20.

CATHERINE: I remember now.

And who would like to start me at £30 for the stand?

CATHERINE: 30.

SYBELLE: 30 bid.

With the lady at 30 bid.

Is that your mum?

Is it my mum?

PHIL: Yeah.

CATHERINE: No!

35, 38, 40, £40.

Keep going.

SYBELLE: £40.

Anyone else going on at 40?

At 40.

Come on, a bit more.

42.

42.

PHIL: Aw, for Go... CATHERINE: Shh!

It would look lovely with trailing plants.

CATHERINE: It would!

SYBELLE: 45.

But I'm selling it to the lady on my right at 45.

It's a lady's lot, this one.

At 45.

Oh, I'm really pleased.

VO: What a start, eh?

Embracing a change of style has paid off.

D'you know, I'm gonna have a new resolution.

I'm going to try and play nicely.

I'm really pleased, Catherine, that's made £15 profit for you.

Good, isn't it?

VO: Next, Phil's French tiles, which Catherine also quite fancied.

You're trying to explore your masculine side with rust and I'm trying to explore my feminine side with flowery tiles.

CATHERINE: Pretty things.

PHIL: Yes, pretty things.

I have got bids on the book and I must start at 40 bid.

PAUL: That is not good enough.

SYBELLE: 40 bid, 40 bid.

42, 45, 48, 50, five, 60, five, 70, five, 80, five.

Still on the book at 85, make no mistake, at 85.

I think it's worth a bit more than that.

Any advance on £85?

VO: First one, and now the other.

They're both off and running well in Rosewell.

25 quid profit.

That's about seven cheese sandwiches, isn't it?

Why are you measuring it by cheese sandwiches?

It kinda brings it back to reality, doesn't it?

VO: Catherine's hardwood table now.

Who'd like to start me at £80 for it?

80?

Oh... £50 to make a start.

50?

Oh, no, she hasn't got 50.

32 online, 32, 35, 38, going online at 38, 40 at the back.

Here we go again.

42, 45, 48.

Look, you look like a goldfish, shut your mouth, please.

SYBELLE: Anyone else going on at £48?

It's profit, that's all you need to know.

VO: Quite.

All the news is good news.

I could have done this with Natasha, Roo, Izzie... CATHERINE: And you chose me.

PHIL: ..Hettie... ..and I've got you.

VO: Phil couldn't resist this Royal Worcester centerpiece, but will his home town loyalty pay off?

£20 to make a start.

20?

What did you pay?

25.

I've got 20 bid.

Bid up in the room at 20 bid.

22, 25 with me, 28, 30.

There you go.

32, 35.

Anyone else going on at 35?

At £35.

VO: Just rewards and another nice result.

I think we're juddering along at a similar sort of profit.

Yeah.

This could be quite tight, couldn't it?

It could.

Could be exciting this one, couldn't it?

Yeah, absolutely.

VO: Now, then, Catherine's propelling pencil was much fancied by the auctioneer.

How will it fare?

The internet's at 30, 32.

PHIL: No.

CATHERINE: Come on.

That's really good for you, isn't it?

35, 38.

It's with Scott at 38, 40.

Get the hammer down.

£40.

42.

Get the hammer down.

45, 48.

PHIL: (MUFFLED) Help.

48, 50.

Keep going.

£50.

Can I tempt anybody else?

CATHERINE: Yes.

PHIL: No, no, no!

Anyone else going on?

At £50.

VO: That canny purchase has propelled Catherine's profits forward impressively.

What did you pay for that?

(WHISPERS) 20.

20 quid?

Have you got no shame?

That's over 100% profit.

VO: Watch out because Phil's carefully-curated arts and crafts collection is next under the hammer.

VO: He's got high hopes.

It's like me, really, it's at the cutting edge of trendiness, isn't it?

Well, it's bashed about a bit.

What?!

I can start at 65 bid.

PHIL: Ouch!

CATHERINE: Very good.

SYBELLE: 65.

65.

CATHERINE: No, it's good.

70, five.

You'll do good.

Online at 80, £80.

Anybody?

So it's losing me money at the moment.

I'm out on the book at 90.

Selling on the internet at 90.

I think this is cheap.

Anyone else going on at £90?

VO: All that hard work has come to nowt.

Just wipe the smile off your face.

VO: Step forward, Catherine's Majolica pooches, picked up for a very nice price.

100 bid.

Oh, I've got...I'm at 100, 110, 120, PHIL: (GROANS) SYBELLE: 130, 140.

CATHERINE: Excellent.

Excellent.

SYBELLE: 150, 160.

SYBELLE: The whippets are going to run away at 160.

Oh, I love this auction room.

Can we come here again?

Selling at £160.

Yes!

VO: Those whippets certainly shot out of the traps.

What d'you think?

I think... Go away!

VO: Next up is Phil's wine map.

£30 for the wine map.

30?

20?

Please do not tell me what you think this will make.

I'm not saying anything.

I'm not saying anything.

PHIL: Good.

SYBELLE: I've got 10 bid.

SYBELLE: 10 bid.

PHIL: Ouch.

At the back.

10, 12, 15, 18, 20, two, 25, 28, 30.

I'll come back to you in the room, don't worry, 32, I'll not miss you.

They're in the room, they're all lining up for it.

SYBELLE: 35, 38.

Are you ready for this?

I'm not going to "wine" about this.

SYBELLE: 40.

PHIL: Hold on... ..let me do that one more time, just cuz I wasn't sure you were with me.

SYBELLE: 42.

PHIL: I don't intend "wining"...

I do wish you'd stop talking, cuz I can't hear what's going on.

45, 45.

Look at that!

SYBELLE: 45.

Just shush!

At 45.

I'm selling it at £45.

VO: Chin, chin!

VO: Not vintage, but not bad either.

That's very, very good.

I knew it.

But in the future, if you could not keep talking all the way.

VO: Now for Catherine's lamp, her last lot.

Some interest on it.

I can start at 15 bid.

Oh, no.

This is my bad lot.

15, 18, 20, two, five.

On the book at 28, 30.

I spent so much money on this.

35, 38, 40.

I cannot believe that.

42, 45, 48.

These people have no taste at all.

Will you be quiet?!

£50.

Anyone else going on at 50?

CATHERINE: I paid 60, so I've... PHIL: Did you?

CATHERINE: Yeah.

PHIL: Oh, good.

So that is a loss.

Oh, that's cheered me up.

So you are losing money?

On £50.

VO: Ooh!

Nearly a clean sweep of profits.

Oh, hard luck.

You love it, don't you?

Yeah.

VO: The final lot is Phil's, his handsome desk tidy.

And who'd like to start me at £80 for it?

CATHERINE: 80?!

SYBELLE: 80?

CATHERINE: No.

SYBELLE: £80 for it.

It's worth a lot more than that.

£50 to make a start?

50?

50 bid.

PHIL: Oh, I think... CATHERINE: What did you pay?

30.

(CLICKS TONGUE) With the lady at 50, five, You're out, madam?

Go on.

60, 65, 70.

Bid's on my right at 70.

SYBELLE: Any advance... CATHERINE: Hammer down.

SYBELLE: ..on £70.

Ker-ching!

VO: Yet another profit.

Rosewell's done them proud.

Who has won that one?

I dunno.

We are close.

Mr Wonnacott, he'll tell us.

VO: I'm on it.

Right.

Numbers crunched and it is tight.

Phil made a profit on nearly all his items.

After saleroom costs, he's made a profit of £31.50.

But it's Catherine who pips him to the post for the win.

After saleroom costs, she made a profit of £34.46, enough to give Catherine a one-nil lead in the best of five.

That was alright in the end, wasn't it?

Well, depends on your bloomin' perspective a bit, doesn't it?

Wonderful!

Bring it on, Phil!

Bring it on.

Are you happy?

Yeah, ecstatic.

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