antiques experts... Let the Road Trip begin!

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

IZZIE: Ooh!

DAVID: You hit the roof then!

VO: And a goal - to scour Britain for antiques.

Pump yourself up... with antiques.

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

But it's no mean feat.

That's a top job, isn't it?

VO: There'll be worthy winners... AUCTIONEER: £400.

RAJ: Fantastic!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

I'm screaming on the inside.

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

The gloves are off.

VO: ..or the slow road to disaster?

The gearbox has gone!

VO: This is the Antiques Road Trip!

Giddy-up!

VO: Hi-de-hi, campers!

It's the start of another great trip.

We're on the winding roads of Wales with not one but two auctioneers.

The debonair Charles Hanson and the rakish Raj Bisram.

Isn't this amazing?

A campervan.

It's quite hard to drive though.

Well, I think it might be your arms.

They're in the wrong position.

I'm imagining I'm a bus driver.

I'm thinking I'm a bus driver.

I'll take the pay later.

So I'm the conductor, am I?

CHARLES: That's right.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: This pair of likely lads are touring in the comfort of a classic 1971 Volkswagen campervan.

But we can also camp, can't we?

We can camp.

So we can... We can camp in the van together?

We can.

We can, yeah.

Have you got your pajamas with you?

No, I haven't.

Because I don't normally wear pajamas.

Well what do you wear then?

I don't.

Nothing.

I like to sleep... You've got to wear something.

..au naturel.

VO: Heavens to Betsy, what an image.

Don't look at me so strangely.

A lot of people sleep with no clothes on.

VO: Good thing these two are old chums, eh?

Ha.

Charles from Derbyshire has been a Road Trip regular for over a decade.

Whoa, no!

I'm sorry!

VO: And when Kentish man Raj made his debut several years ago...

I don't think, if I do another trip, it'll ever quite be the same.

Get out of here!

..Charles showed him the ropes and walked away with the win.

AUCTIONEER: Sold.

CHARLES: Thanks a lot.

CHARLES: Thanks, auctioneer.

RAJ: Well done.

That's classic.

Thanks a lot, chief.

Great.

Thank you very much.

Our second trip...

I can't believe it.

..after six or seven years.

I can't believe it.

And look at you.

You've aged terribly.

Get out of here.

It's seven years ago, you and I. I think revenge is the wrong word.

But certainly you won't be getting away so easy this time.

VO: He means business.

This time out, our intrepid experts are embarking on a romp across Wales, taking in everything from the mountains to the valleys, before an antique showdown in Denbighshire.

This is so Welsh.

You've got the sheep singing our praises as we go past them.

Well there are about six sheep to every person in Wales, aren't there?

I can count eight in that field and there's two of us, so we're getting there.

We're getting there.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Baa-a-ack to the matter at hand, on this leg... their purchases will go under the hammer in Bolton, Lancashire.

But our shopping spree will begin in Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire.

Lovely.

VO: A historic market town, nestling within the Teifi valley, it's overlooked by the ruined castle from which it takes its name.

And it's where the boys will find their first shop, Emlyn Antiques Centre.

CHARLES: Wait for me, Raj!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Stop it.

No, listen!

Go away.

Wait for me... VO: Sprawling across 2,000 square feet and with over 50 dealers displaying their wares, it's bursting with all sorts of goodies.

There's Elisa.

She's running the show today.

With £200 each to spend it's all to play for.

Now that's a mangle.

"Please do not turn mangle.

Squashed fingers."

Sometimes you ought to just pump yourself up... with antiques.

That's a pretty little child's plate.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Shame about the chips.

Thursday.

Friday.

Come on, Hanson!

We can do this.

VO: Very impressive, Charles.

Ooh!

One of my first loves that really got me into antiques was this material here.

It looks white, it is.

It looks like porcelain, it's not.

Actually, you'll just see from the chipping on the rim, actually, it's called Delftware.

And Delftware in England was really made before we invented porcelain in the 1750s.

And I just wonder...

It's been described as... "English polychrome plate circa 1820?"

Let's go back 100 years.

It's more like 1720, and at £25, despite the crack, it could be a bit sleepy.

Wakey-wakey.

Don't crack.

What are you worth?

Yeah, I agree.

Probably between 50 and £70.

I like you.

I might come back for it.

VO: That's one contender.

Now, where's Raj got to?

(STRANGLED PARP) VO: Out of puff already.

Ha.

We're just getting started.

I mean, this is really simple but so decorative.

It's basically a 19th century copper water jug.

It's been really, really battered.

And by the looks of it, the handles have probably come off and been put on again, from the solder marks that you can see here.

But it's a really nice decorative piece.

It's got a really nice spout as well.

I think that would look fantastic with water and flowers in it, and if I can get that at the right price, that's a buy.

VO: That's one each so far, if you're keeping track.

Oh, these are great.

When it comes to antiques, what are unique are samplers.

Because look at this one here.

You've got, OK, a bit of moth damage, you've got some holes in the actual silk, but this is a map stitched by a young girl.

Her name was Elizabeth Mott.

She probably stitched it in around 1800.

It could even be as early as 1790.

Why do I know that?

Well, you can see these trailing silk flowers, which are all interlinked, is typical of that style of the late 18th century.

Now, if this is under £200, I'm buying it.

Nope.

No, I'm not.

It's priced at 395.

I'll tell you what, though.

She's well worth it.

The map's amazing.

VO: Moving on, what other more affordable treasures can you find?

Now these are interesting, antique clogs.

These are quite collectable.

This is probably late 19th, early 20th century, and they're really in good condition.

These are actually adult ones.

The real collectable ones are children's ones.

And you know, you see workmen today that wear hobnail boots.

Well, you can't get any more hobnail than these.

These have got horseshoes.

I mean, blacksmiths used to look after these and it's still got its original metal toe cap.

I'll tell you what, with a polish these would look really good.

But you're looking for collectors.

The price.

The price is really attracting me.

They've only got £25 on them.

VO: I'd think it's time to strike a deal, Raj.

"Wooden shoe?"

Get it?

Oh dear.

Hi Elisa.

Oh.

Hi Raj.

Hi.

I found a couple of things.

Right.

VO: Uh-oh.

Watch out, there's a Hanson about.

In the far room, I found a nice old pair of wooden clogs.

Right.

So I just wondered what you could do for the two items.

What size are the clogs?

DEALER: Copper jug?

RAJ: Excuse me.

One second.

DEALER: Sorry.

RAJ: I'm being interrupted.

They might fit me, the clogs.

They probably would go across your mouth.

OK?

How much are they?

We're going to take him back.

We are going to take him back where we found him.

CHARLES: See you later.

RAJ: I can only apologize, OK?

We are going to take him back, alright?

Where were we?

The clogs at 25.

DEALER: Yeah.

RAJ: The water jug at 25.

What could you do the two items for?

Copper jug could be £15.

The clogs?

And the clogs, seeing as it's you, she'll probably do those for 15.

RAJ: I'll have both items.

DEALER: Fabulous.

And thank you very much indeed.

VO: That leaves Raj with £170 in his wallet.

These clogs were made for walking.

VO: Meanwhile, Charles is still shopping.

Oh, that's quite nice.

I love this Morocco case.

You think, "Wow, what's inside there?"

And you open it up and inside is a really beautiful antique double-ended ruby glass perfume bottle in the original box.

A fine quality, made even finer by the fact you've got the original owner's initials on the outside of the mushroom screw cover.

It dates to around 1885.

It's London or Birmingham made.

It's not hallmarked, but the quality is...

It's fantastic.

The only thing is the price is at 165.

It's just a bit strong.

I'm going to call the dealer.

DEALER: Hello?

CHARLES: Hi.

Sorry to shout.

DEALER: That's alright.

CHARLES: Good to see you.

DEALER: And you.

CHARLES: I love this object.

It's pretty.

What's the best price it could be, Elisa?

Normally it would be 10%, but I think she would go to 120.

VO: Very generous.

Now for the Delft plate, ticket price £25.

If I did the plate for 15...

Which makes 135?

135.

CHARLES: I'll take them both.

DEALER: (CHUCKLES) Thanks very much indeed.

No, my pleasure.

VO: Hey big spender.

That leaves Charles with just £65.

I'll take my scent bottle.

DEALER: Mm-hm.

CHARLES: And I'll grab my plate.

And you can say going, going, going... DEALER: Gone.

CHARLES: Goodbye.

See you!

VO: Time to get back in the camper and hit the road.

Meanwhile, Raj has made his way to Llanybydder in Ceredigion... ..a historic market town surrounded by lush farmland.

Raj is meeting professional chef and Welsh food expert Hazel Thomas.

For the past few years, Hazel has been working with the University of Wales and Welsh National Library to document Welsh food heritage.

Yummy!

Hi Raj.

Hi Hazel.

Welcome to Drefach, Llanwenog, and my home.

Thank you very much for having me.

And straightaway, Hazel, I can smell something delicious coming out of the house.

I've been cooking all morning for you Raj, making bara brith for you.

Have you?

Do you want to come in?

I'd love to.

Thank you.

VO: Welsh cuisine draws its roots from farmers and the working class - simple, nourishing and without a scrap going to waste.

But as fewer people farm the land, traditional dishes are cooked less and less.

Raj is here to learn why they need to be preserved.

Look at that.

Wow!

Hazel, this looks amazing.

What is it?

This is the bara brith.

And is it a cake or a bread?

Well actually, this one is the bread version of bara brith.

So bara means bread and the brith means speckled.

And the speckled element is all the fruit in there.

Traditional dishes like this one were deeply connected to the land, with ingredients restricted to what was grown or easily at hand.

Recipes have been handed down from generation to generation, but in modern Wales many are in danger of being lost due to changing farming and eating habits.

This version of the bread, is it unique to this area and do other areas have different recipes?

I would say it's unique to this house because each region has its own version.

OK. Each household would have had its own version.

So I've actually got an old handwritten recipe, which I believe belongs to my great grandmother.

But they use four pounds of flour.

Now I only used a pound for this one.

One and a half pounds of lard.

Lard and margarine.

It sounds like a cake that could feed the village.

It probably did.

VO: Bara brith has even spread to South America.

In the 19th century, homesick Welsh settlers in Patagonia adapted the recipe using molasses and alcohol instead of the traditional tea.

The resulting cake, known as torta negra galesa, is still enjoyed by their descendants in Argentina to this day.

I'm guessing, Hazel, that a lot of bara brith has been made in this kitchen, hasn't it?

Oh, undoubtedly.

And especially during the time when the farm was functional, cuz we had not only the village pub here, but we had a 60-acre farm as well.

Daily there would be something baking and probably they would make enough once a week to last them a week.

Hazel, what's the next step?

The next step, we need to let it prove now.

RAJ: Yeah.

HAZEL: So I've turned the light on on my oven.

Not the temperature, just the light and that's sufficient to allow that dough to prove.

So if you pop it onto that bottom shelf then.

VO: Today, the majority of traditional Welsh dishes are eaten on special occasions and only recently have efforts been made to document the national cuisine.

Hazel has been part of a project which has been instrumental in recording recipes and dishes before they're lost forever.

This looks absolutely amazing.

A traditional Welsh afternoon tea.

So why is it important to you, Hazel, that we preserve all these traditional Welsh foods?

They are an important part of our heritage and culture here in Wales, and if we don't preserve them we will lose them like everything else.

And I think we've already lost a lot in the way that we used to treat the land and farm.

We used to farm in harmony, and that's all gone now.

So we need to rethink about what we're doing and look at food and farming in a more sustainable way.

Well, this certainly is bringing us back to the traditional ways, isn't it?

HAZEL: Yeah.

RAJ: Can we try it now?

Shall we start with the bara brith?

RAJ: Yeah.

HAZEL: So if I can pass you a little slice of that.

Certainly.

Thank you.

And you can help yourself to some butter in the dish there.

Yeah.

RAJ: It's delicious.

HAZEL: Really?

RAJ: Mm, really.

HAZEL: Oh, I'm so glad.

HAZEL: I'm so glad.

RAJ: Absolutely delicious.

VO: Welsh recipes are in the blood.

Born from necessity, they're now cherished delicacies, passed down, adapted, but never forgotten.

Back on the road, Charles and the campervan are en route to his next destination.

I've never been camping.

Don't enjoy camping.

But I think on a jolly Antique Road Trip holiday, I can survive it.

Survive a night with Raj, win the week.

That's how I see it.

VO: That's the spirit, Charles.

The hardy survivalist is making his way to the village of Llanon... ..where he will find Welsh Vernacular Antiques.

I'm here!

Fantastic.

VO: Housed in a former Welsh chapel vestry, it's a family-run business.

Jonathan minding the shop today.

Hello there.

How are you?

Hello Charles.

VO: They have one of the country's largest stock of Welsh antiques in here, so there's plenty of choice for Charles to spend his remaining £65 on.

The elegant, almost advertising mount here.

Here she is in her bonnet and her ringlets and looking very much in period of the 1860s.

But of course, it's an advertising sign for Horniman's Tea.

I think it's made of like a plaster but it could be a fiberglass or a resin.

It has got some age.

I think this could be 1930s, 1940s.

I think it's really quite classic, and I like tea, and I like her as well.

VO: Ticket price just £5.

One to come back for.

Tape measure.

Always comes in handy.

Bit of sticky tape.

One I made earlier.

Now, on this top... really big chest, actually, is this very nice cane.

And I quite like canes.

Looking at the fairly soft finish to it, with this... this sort of spiral turning here, which is interwoven, I suspect it is British and probably would date to around 1880.

To me, it's 140 years old and it sits well and it might help me hobble off with a profit, you never know, at auction.

VO: And at £15, it's pretty good value.

Just in this cabinet here are two really fine jugs.

And they're lovely.

They are pink lustered on this almost blue ground and the puce monochrome print here is inscribed "Queen Victoria and Prince Albert."

They were made in the 1840s, by the style of the jug with this ovoid body.

This puce transfer print is celebrating on both of them the coming together of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

What a great queen she was, Queen Victoria.

Jon?

Yes?

How are you?

I love these jugs.

They're nice, aren't they?

I can't see a price on them.

How much are they for the pair?

15 for the pair.

Really?

That's good value, I think.

Really good.

I'll put the jugs down.

I think the market now likes the shop sign.

The best on that would be a fiver for the tea sign.

That makes 20.

Plus the cane at £15.

Well, I think I'm going to give you now £35.

VO: That leaves Charles with just £30 in the kitty.

Time to get back in the camper and to find Raj.

It's been a good day, hasn't it?

Yeah, it's been a lovely day.

Maybe we should camp up.

Camp out, you mean.

Let's camp out.

Let's... Why don't we... Why don't we go en plein air tonight?

Rather than being in the hammock, why don't we just take in the Welsh stars?

RAJ: Absolutely lovely.

CHARLES: You're a star.

CHARLES: Shall we do that?

RAJ: Lovely.

We can sing Twinkle Twinkle, Little Welsh Star.

VO: Hey, who are you kidding?

You'll be in a cozy hotel before dark, getting stuck in.

Nighty-night!

Ha!

VO: Another day has dawned on our Welsh antiquing adventure.

Hey!

Oh gosh, I'm blinded by the floral patterns.

Where do they think they are, Hawaii?

Charles... How... How could this happen?

OK, this... this road trip is turning into... flower power.

VO: Raj is driving the camper today and it's all gone a bit retro.

Well I found this shirt and I just thought, you know, this is Wales, it's you and I.

In a way, we are on this great flower power tour.

We reflected that in our shirts.

It's great, isn't it?

It's absolutely fantastic.

VO: Surf's up, boys.

CHARLES: Could do a swap maybe as well.

RAJ: Swap what?

CHARLES: We swap shirts.

Well, no thanks.

But why not?

Have you seen... Have you seen yourself in the mirror?

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: He's been dressing in the dark again, Raj!

Ha-ha!

Anyway, to the matter in hand.

Yesterday, Mr Bisram picked up a 19th century copper water jug and a pair of Welsh adult clogs... Now these are interesting.

# These clogs were made for walking.

# VO: ..leaving him with £170.

Meanwhile, Charles went on a bit of a spree, bagging a Delftware plate, a 1930s Horniman's Tea sign, a Victorian walking cane, a pair of commemorative Staffordshire jugs, and a Victorian scent bottle... Well, the quality is...

It's fantastic.

VO: ..which gives him just £30 in his pocket.

Look at the sandy lanes here, look.

We've... That's because we keep going round in circles.

No, this is because we're getting near the sea.

It's getting beachy.

Shall we go for a swim?

Have you brought your swimming trunks?

I bet you wear... Do you wear Speedos?

No, I don't wear Speedos.

CHARLES: I bet you do.

VO: Ha-ha.

But first, there's the small matter of some antique shopping to do.

VO: The boys are motoring to Carmarthen for a joint retail opportunity.

Lying just a few miles north from the eponymous bay, it's the oldest town in Wales, and it's where they'll find the Carmarthen Antiques Centre, their destination.

Look at that!

Right, wait for me this time, Raj.

Chase me!

Hey.

Here we go!

VO: Emma, the dealer - another fan of the Hawaiian look, I see - has a lot of nice things in here.

Plenty for the gents to rummage through.

Raj still has a fair bit of shopping to do.

Have you found anything yet?

Now here's a nice little piece.

It's a celery vase.

What's nice about it, it's hand blown.

If you turn it over, you can see it's got the pontil mark on the bottom, and it's in really, really good condition.

That's a really nice piece.

They're not obviously used for celery any more because celery is usually kept in the fridge these days.

But what a lovely vase that would make.

And it's a 19th century one.

It's Victorian.

It's got £35 on the ticket, as you can see there.

If I can get that at the right price, that's for me.

VO: Straight to business then.

I like it.

Raj, where are you?

Come up here.

Anything exciting you've found?

Charles, with the theme that we've got going - the Summer of Love, the '60s... Oh, they're really cool.

What do you think of that?

Man, that is a lot of love there.

That is love!

They are cool.

What you can also do is when you're sort of antiquing as well, people can't see what you're looking at.

I'm looking not at you now, I'm over there.

It's quite cool, isn't it?

These are really cool.

Yeah, they look great.

Man, there's so much love here.

Peace.

I'll see you later.

Peace.

VO: Yeah.

Far out, man!

Anyway, enough of this lark.

Back to it, gents.

I'm in the zone.

I found something.

I quite like this box.

It's peculiar in that it goes like that.

It's on a slant, in so far you've got this back section on the angle, really well dovetailed, in mahogany, but the front of it is bowed round, and again wonderfully dovetailed.

It could be a piece of campaign furniture that you would have taken on your travels if you were perhaps going off to the Crimea or somewhere like that in the mid 1850s.

You've got these very interesting casters, so you wonder what it fitted, what military expedition it went on in the Crimean times of the 1860s and its story.

It's priced at £79.

OK. All I can do in this world is say to the dealer, Emma, "Emma, I've got £30.

Take me or leave me."

But I've got an idea.

I'm going to give her a shout now.

Emma!

VO: Brace yourself, Emma.

How are you?

Now, I'm admiring this box.

I've only got £30 left over.

Now, it's a take me or leave me.

Is that in any way acceptable?

It is acceptable.

There's a little bit of profit there for the dealer, and I know that they'd be quite happy for you to have it.

VO: A fabulous discount.

Thanks, Emma.

I'm really grateful.

There is £20.

There's a 10.

Here's my box and I'll say have a great day.

EMMA: And you.

Take care.

CHARLES: Take care.

Be good.

EMMA: And you.

CHARLES: Bye.

VO: And with that, Charles is all shopped up.

Back inside, Raj is still browsing.

I love it when I go into a shop and I see something I've never seen before.

Now, they're not that old, but I've never actually seen glove molds before.

And here's a set of metal glove molds.

VO: Industrial glove molds like these are very popular with new collectors.

Their lovely silhouette makes them fabulous sculptural items or towel rails.

They'd be a perfect piece to put in an accessory shop or a clothes shop, with a really nice pair of gloves on them.

I can see them being a very, very salable item.

There's £95 on the ticket.

Emma!

VO: Time to get Emma over.

I'm sure she's close at hand.

Get it?

Hi.

Hi there.

I've seen a couple of things that I really like.

I particularly like these.

They're amazing, aren't they?

What would be the very best on these you could do?

What have we got?

95.

Yeah, we've got £95 on the ticket.

50?

We're nearly there, I think.

What about...

I've seen something else I like.

There was a celery glass and that had £35 on the ticket.

What could you do that for?

15 on the celery vase, as it's you.

Are you looking more for the... A little bit.

40, and that's probably the best.

At £40 for these and £15 for the celery vase, we have a deal.

EMMA: Thank you very much.

RAJ: Fantastic.

VO: That leaves Raj with £115 to go on with.

Er, that doesn't look sensible, Raj.

Let's hope there's no bumps on the road.

VO: Llanelli is our next port of call, where Charles has just arrived.

He's heading to Trostre Amateur Boxing Club, one of the oldest boxing clubs in the country.

I'm ready.

Kind of.

VO: Easy, tiger.

Charles is meeting Derek McAndrew... CHARLES: Hi Derek.

DEREK: Hi Charles.

VO: ..to discover how a small town in Wales made a big hit on the sport of boxing.

Why is boxing so important to Llanelli?

The reason why Llanelli is so important in boxing terms is because a gentleman in 1843 was born, John Graham Chambers...

Yes.

..and in 1867, Mr Chambers wrote the Queensberry rules of boxing, which are the rules of boxing which we currently use, and this club uses even today.

VO: Boxing can trace its roots to the ancient Olympics and the Roman arena.

But the sport only hit the mainstream in 17th century London.

At the time, boxing was a vicious and brutal event, and by 1866 it was in deep trouble, with many bouts ending in mass brawls to be broken up by the police.

So Derek, before John Graham Chambers, what were the rules of boxing in Wales?

Well, frankly, Charles, there were very few rules.

CHARLES: Right.

DEREK: Boxing in those days was almost brawling.

It involved scratching, butting, gouging, all sorts of things, including spiked shoes for kicking.

Oh golly.

So you can imagine what went on.

They were perceived by the upper classes as being a brawl.

So something needed to change.

VO: To improve the sport's image and attract more fans, Chambers introduced his rules in 1867.

They ensured fair play, timed rounds and padded gloves, encouraging boxers not to fight simply to win, but to win playing by the rules.

So my question is, they were his rules, they were Chambers' rules, but why are they called the Queensberry rules?

Good question.

The reason for that is John Graham Chambers was very friendly and went to the university with the ninth Marquess of Queensberry.

Ah.

And the ninth Marquess of Queensbury sponsored John Graham Chambers to write these rules and introduce them into boxing at a price of, we'll call them the Queensberry rules as opposed to the Chamber rules.

CHARLES: Wow!

DEREK: So that's how they came in place.

VO: The last official bare-knuckle boxing fight took place on 8 July 1889.

Despite many feeling the new rules were too soft, eventually they would become the governing code of the sport, transforming boxing from a bloody brawl to a fair contest.

I'm in round one against Raj, so maybe a bit of coaching might help me get my gloves on to take Raj on.

I'm looking forward to meeting the coach called... CHARLES: Jonny.

DEREK: Jonny.

Jonny Rees.

VO: Wales has a rich heritage of boxing, producing a prolific stream of champions, including retired boxer and now coach Jonny Rees.

CHARLES: Hello.

JONNY: Hi, how are you?

You must be Jonny.

JONNY: That's correct, yes.

CHARLES: Jonny you're a big lad.

JONNY: Thanks.

CHARLES: You're a champion, CHARLES: aren't you, as well?

JONNY: I was, yeah.

Fancy taking me on?

I'll have a go.

VO: Ha-ha!

This should be interesting.

Charles, get stuck in.

Imagine it's Raj out there.

CHARLES: I'm ready.

JONNY: No.

VO: They don't call him Heavyweight Hanson for nothing.

Yes.

It's tough in the Welsh boxing gym.

VO: Graham's rules still govern boxing to this day.

And even though they don't bear his name, they helped shape it into an elite sport.

Not bad for a boy from Llanelli.

VO: And while Charles works up a sweat, let's check in with Raj and the campervan.

So far I've bought four items, which I'm really pleased with.

I haven't really spent a lot of money.

I've spent about £85.

I've got 115 left.

I've got one more item to buy so I really want to blow the budget, as it were.

And if I can find the right thing, I'm happy to spend the lot.

VO: He's making his way to Aberdare, a town known rather poetically as Queen of the Hills.

VO: Raj has £115 to spend at Aberdare Market Antiques.

Dave, the dealer, has amassed quite the collection of treasures and curiosities.

Anything catching your eye, old boy?

Great things, David, I have to say.

DAVE: Thank you very much.

RAJ: You know.

Is there any chance I can have a look at this piece?

DAVE: Yes.

Certainly.

RAJ: Amethyst scent bottle?

DAVE: Amethyst.

Chinese.

RAJ: Yeah.

DAVE: 1920s, probably.

Certainly not a modern reproduction.

Tell me what you know about it.

It's basically a stylized snuff bottle.

A tour de force of carving.

And there isn't any damage to it.

I mean, the quality of this, David, is really, really nice.

I do like this.

It's not hand finished.

It looks like it may be machine polished, so it's got to be early 20th century, would you say?

It's definitely a mid-republic piece.

RAJ: OK. DAVE: 1920s, 1930s.

RAJ: Yeah.

VO: Snuff bottles became popular in China under the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century.

Early examples are very collectable, but this one is quite late.

Is there a price ticket on it?

The tag is actually 110.

What would be your best on that?

Well, 60.

That's where I would be comfortable with.

At £60... we have a deal.

DAVE: It's yours.

RAJ: Thank you.

VO: And that's Raj all done and dusted.

The Volkswagen beckons and the open road calls.

Reunited, our antiquarian wanderers are calling it a day.

Have you done a lot of camping, Charles?

No, I've never camped in my life, actually.

Do you snore?

I do not snore.

Er, look at me.

I snore.

No, I don't, I don't.

Should we keep the windows open or not?

Doors closed.

I often talk in the night as well.

Do you?

Yeah.

Well, maybe we should record it.

Maybe you'll make more sense when you're asleep than you are when you're awake.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Auction next, gents.

Best get some shuteye.

What a lovely day to be beside the seaside and take in an auction.

Pull up by the dodgems.

The moment of truth, Charles.

Pull up by the dodgems.

Amazing.

The moment of truth.

VO: After setting out from west Wales, our road trippers have arrived in Porthcawl and the Coney Beach amusement park.

CHARLES: Well, what a day.

RAJ: Ah!

Sun is shining.

I feel my luck is gonna change this time.

It's the first one, chief.

It's been a while, you and I.

It's been a while.

VO: Meanwhile, their precious cargo has been sent north to Lancashire and the Bolton Auction Rooms.

VO: Harry Howcroft will be the man wielding the gavel today.

It's in the room at £24.

VO: Charles splurged his entire £200 on six lots.

Anything stand out, Harry?

Yeah, the walking cane.

Nice example.

Good condition.

Nice twist handle, we should get that away OK, no problem.

VO: Raj was a bit more conservative, spending £145 on five lots.

What does Harry make of his purchases?

I think we may do OK with the glove mold.

Nice example, metal.

Very nice design, this piece.

VO: The auction is open to bids in the room, online, and commission from around the world.

RAJ: Brilliant.

CHARLES: Pleasure.

Here we go.

First lot's coming up now.

VO: Charles's Horniman's Tea sign will kick things off.

I've got 60 bid on the net.

CHARLES: How much?!

RAJ: How much?

HARRY: £60 bid.

Five is there?

CHARLES: Six?

At 60.

70 bid... £70!

It cost me a fiver!

At £70 bid.

I'll take five.

At £70 bid.

I'll take five anywhere.

Are we all... CHARLES: This is unbelievable.

RAJ: Yeah.

This is unbelievable!

Gavel's up then at £70.

Five just in time.

Thank you.

Go on, lad.

Keep going.

I'll take five.

At £80 bid.

Look at him go.

HARRY: At £80 bid.

CHARLES: Keep going lad!

£80.

Last call, then.

90 bid.

Go on.

Make it a ton.

At £90 bid.

I'll take five.

It's a good thing.

At £110 bid now.

At 110.

120.

130 bid.

At 130.

All original, nice.

150 bid.

At 150 now.

160 anywhere?

170 bid.

At £170 bid.

At 170.

We're on the net at 190.

£200 bid.

This is crazy!

This is crazy!

240 bid now.

260 bid on the... on the net.

At 260.

280 anywhere?

At £260 bid.

We're on the net then for 260.

Last call then.

The gavel's up then at £260.

CHARLES: 260!

That's £255 profit!

CHARLES: I can't... RAJ: On the first item.

VO: Well!

Don't think any of us were expecting that.

Tremendous.

I'll always drink hot tea in the summer.

That's brewing a storm.

VO: That's a tough act to follow.

Now, Raj's water jug up next.

I just like copper.

And it was really battered as well.

I've got 12 only bid.

At 12 only bid.

RAJ: 12?

CHARLES: Come on!

RAJ: 12?!

Come on.

CHARLES: Come on!

It's worth more than that.

CHARLES: 12 quid.

RAJ: He's saying it's worth more than that, but it's... RAJ: Nothing's happening.

CHARLES: Come on.

I'll take 14.

At 12 only bid.

HARRY: All done at £12?

CHARLES: Come on!

The last call then at 12.

No!

Unlucky.

It was...

I didn't think it was going to make a lot of money, but I did expect it to make more than £12.

Yeah.

VO: Quite.

A £3 loss on that one.

But that's what auctions are all about, as we both know.

VO: Can Charles's Delftware plate serve up a decent return?

And it cost me £15.

There's £15 bid.

Might hopefully make 30.

I'll be a happy guy.

Tin glazed pottery, I love it.

I've got small commissions with me, at 30 only bid.

At £30 bid.

At £30.

I'll take five.

On commission then at £30.

Take a bow, that's history.

Love it!

Well done.

Another profit.

Small steps.

VO: Not bad at all.

This is feeling like Hanson's day.

So far so good, my friend.

VO: Raj's clogs are next under the hammer.

And I've got a thing about clogs.

CHARLES: Why?

RAJ: I'm not sure.

I've got 22.

26.

£28 bid.

At £30 bid.

At £30 bid.

At 35 bid now.

On the internet at £35.

HARRY: Last call, then, at 35.

RAJ: It's a profit.

It's my first profit.

VO: That's more like it.

Double the money.

I've got to be happy with that.

See, it just shows you've got a good eye.

That's my right one.

My left one's not so good to be honest.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Let's see what Charles's commemorative jugs can do next.

They're in great condition, not been knocked at all.

They were...

There were no chips.

22 bid now.

22 bid.

24 bid.

24 only bid.

At 26 bid.

26.

28 anywhere?

At £26 bid.

28 I'll take.

Come on!

Let's go.

28 now on the UK.

RAJ: They're going still.

CHARLES: Share the love.

£28 bid.

35, just in time.

CHARLES: Oh!

HARRY: 40 anywhere?

RAJ: Wow!

HARRY: At 35 only bid.

At £45.

That's OK, isn't it?

That's OK?!

That's OK, Charles?!

It's good, isn't it?

It's great.

I'm over the moon, Charles.

I can't tell you.

I'm so over the moon.

VO: Another impressive profit for Mr Hanson.

What a great day here, isn't it?

The sun's shining, the seaside's alive, isn't it?

It's great to be here.

VO: Raj will need his celery vase to do very well.

No chips, no bumps.

RAJ: No nothing.

CHARLES: What's it made of?

RAJ: Glass!

CHARLES: OK. Er, it's...

It's a good... RAJ: No bids.

No bids!

(THEY CHUCKLE) No bids!

Er, it's a good one.

Where do you want to be?

I've got 10.

12.

14.

16.

18.

At 18.

£20 bid just in time.

HARRY: Are we all done at 20?

CHARLES: Congratulations.

HARRY: Last call, then... RAJ: Thank you.

Last call, then, on the net at £20.

Thank you.

VO: A small profit is a profit nonetheless.

I am happy with that.

At least I didn't lose any money.

VO: Charles's African stick now.

Could do well, this.

What's it worth, Rajie?

I think probably... To be honest, I reckon this might make 80 quid.

I've got bids straight in at £75.

Oh!

I can't believe it!

We're on the net, then, at 75.

That's good.

Well done.

Another well done.

I keep saying well done all the time.

VO: It's all coming up Hanson today.

But you know how it is, Raj.

One good thing and you can be back in the game again.

VO: If ever Raj needed a helping hand or two, huh, this is it.

They were unusual and I can... you know, I can see them being RAJ: as a feature in a shop.

CHARLES: Yeah.

I've got 75 bid.

£80 bid.

85 bid.

HARRY: £85 bid.

RAJ: 85?

At 85 now, is there 90 anywhere?

Go on, keep going.

Keep going.

Last call, then.

The gavel's up at 85.

Thank you.

At last.

I doubled my money.

VO: Superb!

He's back in the game.

That's a knockout.

That was a result.

VO: Charles's mahogany carriage box is up next.

You paid £30 for it.

Yeah.

It might make a loss, Raj.

Got bids of £40.

Yes!

That's good.

Five bid in the room.

55... Go on.

..in the room.

At £55 bid.

55!

That's good!

At £55... Well, you often don't want to buy a box, but that box was made for buying.

VO: A decent return on that one.

£25 profit.

Can't grumble.

VO: Raj's final lot now, his amethyst snuff bottle.

This, I'm hoping, could do well.

I've got 50 bid, straight in.

Go on!

Go on!

On the internet at £50 bid.

Five is there?

At 50.

60 bid.

£60 bid.

All done and finished at £60?

RAJ: No!

HARRY: We're on the internet.

Oh!

(CHUCKLES) Give me a minute to recover.

Oh, Raj.

VO: All square on that one.

Oh no.

VO: At last, but not least, Charles's big-ticket Victorian scent bottle.

Will it make 120-plus, Raj?

That's the question.

RAJ: It should do.

CHARLES: Yeah.

Straight in at £90 bid.

Take five.

£100 bid.

At 100.

RAJ: You see?

CHARLES: Come on!

At 110.

120 bid now.

At 120.

At £120.

That was my favorite object I bought.

VO: At least you got your money back.

And that's our lot this time.

You're gonna have me in tears if you carry on like this, Charles.

That is... VO: Well, we've had all the fun of the fair today, but time to talk brass tacks.

Raj started out with £200 in his kitty.

Minus saleroom fees, he made a modest profit and ends this leg with £228.84.

Nicely done, Raj.

But Charles's advertising tea sign sleeper hit sent his profits soaring, swelling his piggy to the healthy sum of £479.70, putting him firmly in the lead for our next outing.

Jolly good show.

What should we do next?

I don't know.

Why don't we have a go on the dodgems?

What did I tell him?

No!

Stop it!

RAJ: (WAILS) Woo-hoo!

(YELLS) subtitling@stv.tv