Antiques Road Trip

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

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

I'm always in turbo.

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

Hot stuff!

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

IZZIE: (GASPS) VO: But it's no mean feat.

There'll be worthy winners... PHIL: Cha-ching.

MARK: Oh, my goodness!

VO: ..and valiant losers.

DAVID: Bonkers!

VO: Will it be the high road to glory... You are my ray of sunshine.

NATASHA: Oh, stop it!

VO: ..or the slow road VO: to disaster?

(GEARS CRUNCH) Sorry!

VO: This is Antiques Road Trip.

Yeah!

The open roads of Kent beckon for a brand-new adventure with a couple of old hands at this game.

CATHERINE (COS): Oh, David, it's you and me again!

DAVID (DH): I can't believe it.

When were we last on the road?

10 years ago, I reckon.

10 years ago.

I was in my 30s.

You were in your 40s.

DH: It's amazing, isn't it?

CS: (LAUGHS) VO: Yeah.

Cheeky one!

It's been a minute since dealer David Harper and auctioneer Catherine Southon butted heads.

And you actually thrashed the pants off me, I seem to remember.

I don't remember that.

"I don't remember!"

CS: Of course you do!

DH: Seriously.

Everyone remembers a win.

Or you have so many!

Well, have I ever lost?

VO: Things haven't changed much in a decade.

Back then, David, from County Durham, was still sporting ridiculous trousers and tended to get very excited about things.

(GASPS) That's...

I like that!

It's a Ford Zephyr.

VO: Whereas Catherine, from this neck of the woods, was always calm, collected and free from fashion faux pas.

(CLATTERING) Oh, no!

I've lost my bracelet!

VO: Well, most of the time.

Ha-ha!

But have the long years apart dulled their competitive edge?

Everybody else on the Antiques Road Trip always say, "Oh, I really don't want to win."

I do!

I want to win this.

Thank goodness for that!

I'm not going to pretend I want you to win and be kind CS: cuz I don't.

Quite frankly.

DH: Good.

We don't want any of that behavior when I want to win.

Let the battle begin, David!

VO: Ha-ha!

Our scrappy duo are armed with �200 each and, lending a touch of Gallic charm, this jolly, 1988 Citroen 2CV.

CS: Dolly she's called.

Dolly.

Well, they were called Dollies in the '80s because this design - I'm going to be very interesting now.

Get ready to be interested.

CS: I am.

I am.

DH: Because the Citroen 2CV has been around since the 1930s!

CS: Right.

DH: These things were designed, literally, to drive across farmers' fields.

Did you know that?

CS: Were they?

DH: Yeah.

Carrying produce - like eggs.

And the suspension is so good you could drive over a bumpy field without breaking your eggs.

Why did you always look at me as if I'm lying... DH: ..all the time?

CS: I'm not.

No, I'm fascinated by you, David.

VO: Or she just zoned out for a moment.

Ha!

For their reunion road trip, our two chums will head east to west, all the way along the south coast of England to a final auction in Trowbridge.

(SCREECHING) Oh, it's a bit squeaky, CS: that steering wheel.

DH: It is!

Yes!

Or is it you?

I told you you've aged!

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: But for this first foray into antiquing, we'll be keeping it in Kent.

They'll be shopping all the way to Otford but their adventure begins on the coast at Ramsgate.

A bustling seaside resort in the 19th century, attracting visitors from all over - including one Vincent Van Gogh, who worked, briefly, at a boys' school in the town.

And speaking of undervalued genius - look who's arrived!

CS: Oh, David!

DH: Oh.

(HANDBRAKE CRANKS) CS: Oh, my...!

That was meant to be your job.

You're the handbrake woman.

very It's gonna be one of those road trips, then?

CS: That frightened the life out of me.

Oh, come on, it's only going to get worse.

Poor old Dolly.

Come on, Dolly.

Come on, Dolly!

VO: Honestly, we'll get Dolly parked up properly while you look about inside.

You won't find a lost van Gogh in here but, given the size of the place, there's bound to be some little masterpieces tucked away.

With the wares of over 200 dealers on offer, there's a lot to consider, but at least there's enough room to spread out and do their own thing without getting in each other's way.

I can hear David's booming voice so he's obviously excited about something.

VO: I told you it was his default state.

Smile!

VO: Silly man.

Right, time to get serious.

CS: These are quite cool.

It's like an advertising sign.

Oh, look at this!

Never seen these before.

You tilt it up, it's like blinking eyes.

What's it called?

"Magic Blinking Specs."

VO: Ha-ha!

A joke shop favorite - like stink bombs and whoopee cushions.

So, I'm guessing this is, like, 1960s.

This is a bit of fun.

So, you've got the advertising board and you've actually got the toy, as well.

Isn't that cool?

How much do they want for this?

VO: �95 - with an extra pair of specs thrown in.

CS: That's a lot of money but I've never, ever seen those.

That is cool.

It is winking at me, though.

VO: Might be one to look into, then.

Hoo-hoo!

Now, has David found anything more sensible?

This really is a quirky place.

I mean - hello?

An upside-down monkey.

VO: That's a no, then.

Oh, if only you could weigh this.

I mean, seriously, it almost knocks you off your feet.

This is a proper mallet.

And I've got to tell you, I've never bought a mallet in my life before.

VO: Looks like a good one to start with.

�35 is the price on that.

It's probably 100 years old.

I'm guessing it's some kind of fruitwood.

But the way it's constructed is absolutely just delicious.

Look at the banding here.

It's literally made in a blacksmith's forge.

You can see the hammer marks when this thing was literally red hot and it's been hammered around this big, solid chunk of wood.

Gorgeous!

If I can bag it for 30 quid, I think there's a margin in there.

VO: They've definitely got a thing for novelty today, then.

Toys.

That is one thing I'm definitely not going to buy.

Everything goes wrong when I buy toys.

VO: I think you have an audience, Catherine.

CS: (LAUGHS) Does she know what she's talking about?

Ha-ha-ha!

You look so...!

What are you talking about?

We want to know.

There's actually not much difference there, David.

DH: Well, apart from the hair.

CS: Apart from the hair.

Looks like my two naughty children.

There we are!

Oh, that's perfect!

Yeah!

(CHUCKLES) CS: I love it.

DH: Anyway, we're off.

Good.

Nice friends you've made.

VO: Ooh, he's in a daft mood.

Shall we?

CS: Well, we're very close to Whitstable, which is prime oyster territory.

These are oyster-serving spoons.

So, the handles are made just from silver plate... ..and, then, the bowls are made from mother-of-pearl.

Now, there's a reason why you have mother-of-pearl rather than metal.

It's because the metal reacts with the oysters.

This is quite nice because they're in a nice, fitted case but they are missing a chunk.

You can see there where there's a little hole in the case.

So, this has obviously been dropped.

VO: They're priced at �75.

I think there's a bit of bargaining to be done.

VO: Well, Richard will be the chap for that, today.

There you are!

Richard, you're a very hard man to track down in this place.

It is vast.

Have you found something interesting?

I have found a couple of things.

You've got an advertising board with these child's glasses on.

Yeah.

CS: Blinking eyes.

DEALER: Mm-hm.

Love it - but... it's got �95 on.

Mm-hm.

I can do a little bit on it.

It's going to have to be �80.

Well, I think �80 is probably a big risk... DEALER: Yeah.

CS: ..at this stage.

VO: Looks like that's staying put, then.

The other thing - you've got a pair of oyster-serving spoons.

DEALER: Yes.

CS: But one is missing a chunk of mother-of-pearl.

Yeah.

A little bit damaged.

Now, those ones have got 75 but I don't really want to pay much more than... probably 50.

I'm going to do 50.

Wonderful.

Thank you very much, Richard.

I shall get my money.

VO: So, that's Catherine first off the blocks with �150 in hand.

Back inside, David is following his nose.

Oh, if only you could smell this!

It's marvelous!

But, even better than that, look at this!

We've got stuff for sale, as well.

This is like the perfect cafe.

VO: Anything whetting your appetite?

DH: Not that.

I don't like that.

I like... that.

That is a proper antique with a good story to tell, I would say.

VO: Let's hear it, then.

DH: It is a green leather box and it says poker chips - so, obviously, relates to the poker game.

But if you look very carefully at the decoration here - the mounts - these are solid silver.

And, without reading the hallmarks, it's got to be, like, 1900, 1905, so probably Edwardian.

(GASPS) Look at that interior!

So, you've got chips in here.

These are not made out of wood or ivory or bone.

These are Bakelite.

You would've had your cards in here, Bakelite dice and you've got a little diary of some sort.

Let's have a look.

"Instructions on how to play poker."

VO: �85 is the asking price.

Worth a gamble?

Ha!

This is an extremely good quality, proper antique.

And it fills me with joy.

VO: Terrible poker face, David.

So, after a bit of buffing up on those silver bits... DH: How does that look?

VO: ..it's time to show your hand to the dealer.

Richard?

Hello.

Hello.

Can you see I've done something to your box?

You've been polishing it.

I have.

DEALER: It looks good, actually, DEALER: I like it.

DH: Now, listen, can we try and do a deal?

I wanted �85 for it.

I know you did but we are men of the world, Richard.

Would you get close to 60?

Can we do 50?

I'll say yes at 50, no messing about.

I'm going to take your 50, David.

Cracking.

Thank you for that.

And just because you're very special, what about that mallet?

I bought it off a man who tells me it's for a circus, for piling in the pegs for the big top.

Priced at 35.

Can I make you a one-off offer?

DEALER: Yes - 34.

DH: (CHUCKLES) Make it 30 and I'll say yes.

I'll take the 30 off you, David.

Fantastic.

I owe you 80.

VO: And that leaves �120 for our man with the mallet.

Right - time to hammer down and head off to the next one.

Now, up for some fun, Catherine's taking a break from shopping and has headed to Margate, home to a very British toy company that's beloved by kids and grown-ups alike - Hornby.

She's off to the visitors' center for a playdate with the company's marketing director, Simon Kohler.

CS: Simon!

SIMON: Catherine!

This is wonderful!

I feel like a child, well, sort of in a sweet shop or a toy shop, I should say.

SIMON: Oh good.

Good, good.

CS: Perfect for me!

VO: The company was the brainchild of Frank Hornby.

Born in Liverpool in 1863, he worked as a cashier in his father's business but, at home, he dabbled in his workshop making toys for his children.

SIMON: And he would make cranes and bits and pieces like that out of sheet metal.

He sort of realized that they were sort of like a one-item thing and he devised what we now call Meccano - it was Mechanics Made Easy, originally - which was strips of metal with holes in it at regular intervals, in various shapes.

And he was able to produce SIMON: mechanical objects... CS: Mm-hm.

..which was great for... for youngsters of that age.

So, starting off, really, just with this idea of having interchangeable parts... SIMON: Correct.

CS: ..and connecting them.

Absolutely.

You know, with small nuts and bolts.

Meccano became very, very popular and by 1915 he was a millionaire.

VO: At that time, Germany was the major producer of toys in Europe, but with anti-German sentiment running high after the First World War, British customers were looking for homegrown products.

Frank Hornby could see an opportunity.

And he was a very clever man - very astute, great inventor - but, also, could see opportunities.

And he saw this opportunity - tin-plate trains.

VO: Launched in 1920, Hornby's clockwork train sets were an instant success and more engines and accessories followed.

Although Frank died in 1936, his company continued to innovate, introducing a line of trains at half the scale of Hornby's originals.

Known as OO gage, it became the standard for model railways in the UK.

Which one's this doing, then?

SIMON: It's... CS: Oh, here we are!

SIMON: You got it?

That's the Scotsman.

Oh, amazing!

VO: And, soon, rival toy companies, such as Mettoy and Tri-ang, wanted in on the action and Hornby's metal trains couldn't compete against their more modern methods - injection-molded plastic.

Making diecast bodies was labor intensive.

You'd always get excess metal.

CS: Right.

SIMON: So, that has to be filed off.

With injection, you still have that injection port but that you can break off.

CS: Mm-hm.

SIMON: Finished model.

Don't have to do anything with it.

Perfect.

Cheaper, quicker.

Exactly.

Tri-ang were able to bring out train sets which were cheaper and, therefore, became more popular than the Hornby OO because they began to add more locomotives, more rolling stock, etc.

And so, gradually, squeezing Hornby OO out until, about 1965, the brands amalgamated and moved manufacture of the railways from Liverpool to Margate.

VO: The company continued to expand and now produces diecast vehicles, model-making kits and slot-car racing sets.

But it's the trains that have always been at the heart of the company.

Wow!

This is...

This is a big mamma!

We haven't got a model town here - we have an entire county.

SIMON: Yeah!

CS: (CHUCKLES) This is huge!

SIMON: Yeah.

Of course, you don't have to have something as fully detailed as this because you can add to it.

You can start off with an oval and a siding, etc.

And then you can get your buildings and then you add your roads and then, "I'll have some cars."

And that's giving it a whole feel.

It's really whatever you want it to be.

And I think that's the magic of what model railways, toy trains is all about.

VO: Today, the entire model railway industry is big business and it continues to grow, thanks to a fan base which includes Rod Stewart, Jools Holland and Eddie Izzard - all living out their dreams of being engine drivers.

It seems to me, though, that it's no longer become a toy.

SIMON: (CHUCKLES) CS: It's developed, really, into an adult's hobby.

Yeah.

Frank Hornby devised a toy.

Mm.

It was a toy train system.

And, as people have matured, the models that they're looking for have matured, as well.

But, it doesn't matter whether you're a child or you're an 80-year-old... ..you have a model railway, you are, in essence, playing.

SIMON: That's what you do.

CS: Absolutely.

You're looking at it, you're enjoying it.

CS: Yeah.

SIMON: It's a hobby and you're playing with your hobby.

VO: And long may it continue to go round and round and round.

But now, also heading to Margate, David and Dolly - having a little chat about the missing member of the team.

The great thing with Catherine Southon is that she openly admits that she wants to win.

This, for me, is wonderful.

It's nectar cuz she really wants to crush me.

So, the game is on!

VO: Sounds like fighting talk to me.

His next opportunity to bag that killer item is here... Funky!

VO: ..at RG Scott's Furniture Mart, catering to treasure-seekers and antiques experts since 1978.

(BELL RINGS) Oh-ho-ho!

What a place!

VO: No shortage of stock in here.

The problem won't be whether they've got what you want... Wow!

Look at this!

VO: It's whether you can ever find it.

All beautifully dusty.

Always a good sign.

VO: And at the counter, RG Scott himself - or Ron to his friends.

So, with �120 itching to be spent, let's get stuck in.

Oh, look at that!

�30 for a little swing mirror.

It's 19th century.

It's mahogany.

And you cannot get any greener, more environmentally friendly, than buying antique furniture.

And now is the time to do it because prices are on the rise for this.

People are realizing that they can buy, and use daily, wonderful antique pieces.

And, to make that mirror to that standard new today, wouldn't cost you �30.

It would cost you �1,000.

VO: Excellent value, I'd say, then.

But not so good if you're planning to sell it on, eh, David?

Let's look elsewhere.

Oh, nice spot for a seat for a while.

Look at that.

Feast your eyes, everybody.

Oh, hello!

VO: Oh, hello.

DH: Bit of Wedgwood.

I do like a bit of Wedgwood.

And these are clip-on earrings.

I'm going to say they're probably 1950s.

Now, you're thinking to yourself Wedgwood clip-on earrings are not particularly fashionable.

You might be right but, you know, somebody interested in vintage pieces would wear them.

They're priced at �15.

They're just absolutely no money.

And including the all-important and crucial marked-up box.

VO: That was an easy find.

Anything else in there?

So, this is a bangle, quite obviously, made out of cinnabar lacquer.

So, cinnabar lacquer is, literally, tree sap with a red dye applied.

The tree sap is allowed to harden and then a master craftsman would get some hand chisels and carve out the decoration.

And being Chinese, of course, we've got to feature a dragon.

Here is the dragon head.

And what we're going to look for are the claws.

The more claws a Chinese dragon has, the more important it is.

One, two, three, four, five.

So, we have a five-claw dragon.

And that's just really interesting because there was a time in Chinese history when only somebody of the highest rank - and I mean emperor status - could own anything that depicted a five-clawed dragon.

VO: Not so much nowadays.

That's yours for a tenner.

I'm going to do it.

I'm going to guarantee you it's going to make a profit.

VO: There's confidence for you.

Let's go and see the man.

Right, Ron, I've got some cash for you.

Have you found some bargains?

I've found some cracking things.

Good show.

DH: So a bit of Wedgwood.

�15?

RON: Yeah.

And a cinnabar lacquer bangle at a tenner.

No negotiating.

I'm going to leave the money on there for you, Ron.

RON: OK. DH: Thanks a lot.

DH: I'll go grab them.

RON: Thanks very much.

Nice to see you.

Come again when you're in town.

DH: I will.

Cheerio.

RON: Thank you.

VO: That frugal purchase whittles his budget down to �95.

Time to hop in the old deux chevaux and pick up your traveling companion.

CS: Are we still feeling French after today?

Well, I feel a little French, myself.

Hon-hon-hon!

CS: We're so close to the coast.

DH: Yeah.

We could jump on a ferry and go and have a plat du jour and a bouteille de vin rouge and stay there the night.

What do you fancy?

Well, I think Margate, fish and chips by the sea... CS: Is better?

DH: ..is more me.

VO: Oh, such a sophisticated palate!

Bonne nuit!

Sunlight breaks on another Kentish morn and it's Catherine's turn to deal with Dolly.

You look like you're concentrating.

I am.

This is my serious, concentrating face.

DH: You look confident.

CS: Well, I'm not.

(CHUCKLES) This is a front!

Inside I'm shaking.

VO: You'll get the hang of her by the end of the trip.

Catherine was cautious yesterday, too, getting her mitts on just one item.

These are oyster-serving spoons.

VO: And that left her with �150 and a lot of work to do today.

Different story for David, of course.

He still has �95 in hand after picking up a set of poker chips, a cinnabar bangle and a circus mallet... Goodness gracious me!

That has malleted some stuff!

VO: ..and one other thing that he's dying to share.

When it's safe to do so, you can look.

(LAUGHS) Oh, David!

I'm a modern man!

What are they?

Wedgwood?

Wedgwood.

Solid silver.

Made in England circa 1950s, in their original box.

Hello!

And deeply unfashionable.

DH: You are so... CS: Oh, David!

DH: ..off-trend!

CS: Get with it.

DH: You are off trend.

CS: Who, in their mind, is gonna wear those?

(CHUCKLES) VO: Well, you did say you wanted to scrap.

Later, all the lovely bits and bobs will head off to auction way up in Glasgow.

But, next on our itinerary will be just outside Teynham... ..and the Wild Winds Antiques Emporium where, having ditched David... Hey, Dolly, I am off to do some shopping.

VO: ..Catherine has just blown in.

Oh, it's nice and warm in here.

And familiar territory.

I have been here before.

VO: Well, this will be a breeze for you, then.

30 dealers ply their trade in here - anything from antique to shabby chic and more than a few eclectic items thrown in, too.

Whoa!

Careful now!

That wasn't supposed to happen.

I actually quite like that.

It's a hunting sort of thing.

VO: A weather vane - just what you'd expect from a place called Wild Winds.

CS: I like the gun dog on this.

I like the sort of silhouette effect.

And I'm guessing that he's maybe... ..duck shooting or something like that.

Vintage weather vane, �58.

If I can get that for the right money, I think this would be rather commercial.

Yeah, I think so.

VO: One for the "potentials" pile, then.

But there's lots more to see in here.

I don't like snakes but I am drawn towards snakes in jewelry, or a bronze, in this case.

And this...

He's got his fangs out and he's really, really, really ugly.

But he is beautifully cast.

I love the way it's all intertwined, as well.

I mean, that's pretty heavy.

I just think the quality there is super.

It really is something special.

VO: I think its owner agrees - it's priced at �186.

I've got a lot less than that if I need to buy some things, but...

I wouldn't mind giving that a shot.

Yeah.

And it's going to bite.

What else?

VO: She's keen on this cabinet.

Oh, he's cute!

What is that?

A Schnauzer?

Is it a Schnauzer?

VO: A very art deco Schnauzer, I'd say.

On this little, sort of, onyx base with this sort of marble effect.

He's quite fun.

He's �48.

OK.

This is now getting very exciting because that's two things I've seen in there that I like and I also like that weather vane, which all seems to be slightly more than I have.

VO: More than almost double what you have.

I need to talk to the lady that runs the shop.

VO: That'll be Jackie.

Let's hope she's feeling generous.

CS: Aha!

JACKIE: Oh, hello!

Jackie, I have found a lot of items.

Mm-hm.

The first being a little snake bronze.

Yes, I know the one.

Yeah.

And, then, you've got a little miniature Schnauzer pen tray.

Oh, right next to it.

CS: Mm-hm.

JACKIE: Yes.

And, then, in a sort of back room, I found a weather vane.

I think that's the same dealer's item, isn't it?

CS: The same dealer.

JACKIE: Yeah.

CS: Good taste.

JACKIE: Yes.

VO: That all comes to �292.

Yikes!

Can anything be done on those?

The dealer got the little cobra and the Schnauzer - that was part of the same bundle of items.

CS: Right.

JACKIE: He's managed to get quite a lot of money back for some of the other stuff.

Oh, OK.

So, he's willing to do about �70 for the two items together.

That's very generous.

OK, I will definitely take those.

OK, lovely.

VO: Blimey, that's a bargain.

Now, what about the weather vane?

I think because you've bought the two other items, um, he would be happy with 25 for that.

Wonderful.

I'm going to get my money out before you change your mind.

That is wonderful.

VO: Landed on your feet there, Catherine.

So, that makes �55 for the cobra, 25 for the weather vane and 15 for Fido.

A very reasonable �95 all in.

I am very, very happy.

Thank you very much.

CS: Nice to see you.

JACKIE: And you, Catherine.

JACKIE: Bye-bye.

Bye.

CS: Thanks Jackie.

Bye.

VO: And, with �55 still in hand, that's one satisfied customer.

Off we go, then.

No shopping yet for David, today.

He's a man on a mission.

He's heading into Detling Park on the edge of Maidstone where, somewhere in this wood, there's a corner of Kent that's been transformed into a Belgian battlefield of the First World War.

This trench, based on real military fieldwork near Ypres, has been brought to life in painstaking detail by historian Andy Robertshaw and his team.

DH: Andy, hello!

ANDY: Hello, David.

Good to see you.

This is very atmospheric, isn't it?

It certainly is.

Absolutely.

So, this is a recreation of where the guys would go over the top, Andy.

To be honest, you go over the top very infrequently, but this is where you're going to eat, you sleep, you drink, you go to the toilet.

This is where you live.

VO: By using the exact-same building methods and materials that frontline troops used in the Great War, this modern reconstruction aims to give a feeling of what life in the trenches was really like.

But why build the trenches here, Andy?

Because this ridge is incredibly important.

It's a defensive position used by the Romans, used by the Normans.

And, in 1914, this is the Chatham Land Front - in case the Imperial German Navy can land on the Swale, they built where we are now.

And was it used for training during the Great War?

It was used for training.

It was used for teaching people how to build trenches.

And, then, the techniques that they used here were the ones they used on the Western Front, because they'd learn how to work in the night, how to dig it silently - everything before you get to France or Belgium.

VO: There were 475 miles of trenches along the Western Front from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps.

And life for the soldiers on the front was so grueling that they could only be stationed there for five days at a time before being rotated out to the back lines to recover.

There's so much to do in the trench system, whether it's repairing the trench, whether it's cleaning up, whether it's getting out there and repairing the barbed wire, because that could save your life.

The enemy get in in a raid - that's it.

So, there's a big incentive to keep yourself busy.

You sleep in daytime, you sleep where I am now.

I mean, you don't have a bedroom.

Then you work all night, then you're back again.

So at the end of five days, you're pretty wrecked.

VO: And aside from the backbreaking work, there was, of course, the ever-present threat of the enemy to deal with.

DH: This is a real fire bay, then.

It is.

And the soldiers here, two of them able to fire over the top with their rifles and they're able to, then, fire at the base of their own wire and at any oncoming soldiers.

Now, looking over there, then, Andy, is that replicating the German trenches?

That's the German outpost line.

They are that close and both sides will be well aware of where the enemy were.

And, literally - you know, coughing, sneezing - they can hear it.

Amazing.

You're doing a great job there, chaps.

VO: To get this as close to the real thing as possible, Andy and the team examined photos and plans of the time, went on archaeological digs on real trenches and looked at first-hand testimonies from the men who were there.

But the actual building of the trench taught them so much, as well.

This, then, Andy, is living archeology.

It is, and it's all done experimentally.

It really does fascinate me how they could have filled the sandbags silently.

Well, you probably have a team of three people, sometimes two - there's two of us.

There's a shovel, there's a sandbag.

DH: Yeah.

ANDY: What you do is you hold it over your fingers so that you don't get your fingers cut.

You don't want cuts in these conditions.

That ground's already been broken up.

We can imagine someone's been in with a pickaxe.

We've got to do this silently.

Then we'll stop talking.

VO: By recreating the conditions of that dark time in history, visitors get a real feeling of what the troops in the trenches went through.

It's also used to teach today's soldiers how those who served before them lived and fought.

But, for Andy, there's a more personal reason for building the trench.

My grandad served between 1916 and 1918 - wounded twice, gassed twice.

I never spoke to him about it, but he spoke at great lengths to my dad about it, about what it was like.

And, then, now it's a way of getting across to young people and soldiers what it might have been like.

But you've really brought it alive for me today.

ANDY: Thank you.

DH: Thank you very much.

VO: Elsewhere in the Kentish countryside, Catherine's definitely getting the hang of the motor.

(CAR HORN BEEPS) Hey, Dolly, we have arrived!

Yee-ha!

VO: Yes!

They're pulling up into the village at Chart Sutton now, for a quick pit stop at the garden center.

Oh, look at that parking!

VO: Close enough.

Now, if you tiptoe past the tulips - ha!

- and bypass the begonias, you'll find yourself at the Chart Sutton Antique Centre, where the goods of 25 dealers are on offer, currently being looked after by Trevor.

And, with �55 left to spend, there's plenty to ponder.

It says, "Denver optic company fits you at home."

(CHUCKLES) Fit your own glass eye!

How creepy is that?

I've seen thousands of glass eyes before.

I have never, ever seen one in its original fitted case.

That's cool.

Who wants it?

VO: Yeah.

But there's a bit of a niche market for pre-used ones.

Now, 17 miles west as the crow flies is the pretty Kent village of Otford, where David is having a mooch about.

Nice duck pond.

Ha.

He's heading to his last shop of the day - the Otford Antiques and Collectors Centre.

Hello!

Hello, David Harper.

STEVE: Steve.

DH: Steve, good to see you.

DH: Wow!

Can I wander around?

STEVE: Of course.

Brilliant.

I'll give you a shout.

VO: Yet another shop that's bulging at the seams.

They like to pack them full round these parts.

Oh!

A bit of '70s chic.

Pshhh!

VO: He still has �95 in his pocket and a lot of shop to look at.

So, while he gets acclimatized, let's see if there's any progress back in Chart Sutton.

CS: These are lovely.

A pair of owls.

Probably pepperettes - well, condiments.

What happens?

Heads come off and in goes your pepper.

These are quite nicely cast.

You can see the feathers quite well and I think to have a pair is rather nice.

Now, if these were silver, we'd be looking at, probably, �600-�800.

Owls are popular.

People like owls.

VO: These ones are pewter.

The ticket says �85.

I do not have �85.

I'm going to ask Trevor.

He can only say no.

Let's hope he doesn't.

VO: Only one way to find out.

Trevor, I have found some friends.

They're quite nice, actually, aren't they?

I think they're sort of period.

Probably about 1900, TREVOR: something like that.

CS: Yeah, yeah.

Now...

I will cut to the chase.

CS: �85... TREVOR: Yes.

..you've got on them.

I have... �55 in total.

TREVOR: OK. CS: Would 55 buy them?

Yeah, I can do them for 55.

That would be tremendous.

VO: That's every last penny of hers gone.

I'm all shopped up and I'm done.

TREVOR: Lovely.

CS: Thank you very much indeed.

CS: See you, Trevor.

TREVOR: Nice to see you again.

TREVOR: Bye.

CS: Bye-bye!

VO: Now, over in Otford, has David stumbled over anything yet?

A bit of very old-fashioned Royal Dux.

Goodness me!

Years ago, I would have gone crazy over this stuff.

It's art nouveau.

It's Czechoslovakian, circa 1900, and it was massively collected.

They always had that kind of brown wash on them which just isn't very trendy.

VO: That's priced up at �65.

In the '90s, I think you could times that price by 10.

I need to speak to Steve.

Steve?

VO: He'll help you get your DUX in a row.

Ha!

What are your thoughts on Royal Dux?

Lovely pieces.

DH: Yeah.

STEVE: Lovely pieces.

But in the market at the moment... OK, 60.

I mean, it's cheap enough, but can I... Can I try and do a deal with you to give me more of a chance?

I would like to stay at 60.

Really?

It's 60 or nothing.

Is that what you're saying to me?

DH: In a very polite way.

DEALER: In a polite way, yeah.

OK. Well, I'll go with the 60.

I'm going to have it.

VO: The old Harper charm doesn't work on everybody.

So, with �35 left over...

Thanks a lot!

..that's him done for the day.

And, having been picked up, it's time to think about tea.

A local delicacy perhaps?

DH: Jellied eels.

CS: Oh, crikey, no!

Don't we eat jellied eels in Kent?

CS: Have you eaten those?

DH: Never.

Have you?

They are absolutely foul.

Are they really?

I'd love to try a jellied eel.

OK, you eat jellied eels and I will watch and laugh.

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Lovely!

And, then, shuteye.

Ha!

With battle lines drawn, where better to watch their first set-to than a castle?

And a very nice one it is, too.

Right, pronounce the castle name correctly.

CS: Herstmonceux.

DH: Herstmonceux.

CS: Herstmonceux.

DH: That's very Norman.

CS: Built 15th century.

Yeah.

A grand place for us to start.

VO: Absolutely.

Having completed Kent, our two have moseyed on over to East Sussex - but their items have headed way up north, all the way to Glasgow.

McTear's Auctions is where the action is, with online bidders, phone bidders and in-person bidders all eager to bid.

Ha!

Catherine blew the lot - all �200 on five auction lots.

But what catches the eye of today's man in the rostrum, James Bruce?

The hammer will come down now.

The art-deco pen stand is a good desk accessory, charmingly crafted with the bronze Schnauzer.

I think, despite the damage to the base, this will do well.

VO: David also bought five lots, only spending �165 on them, though.

Thoughts, James?

JAMES: The poker-chip case will do well at auction.

Mounted in silver, and hallmarked for 1899.

A good early piece I'm sure our buyers will pick up on.

Now, gizmos for watching at the ready, we're only moments away.

Do you have any big hopes?

Think you're gonna double bubble on anything?

Absolutely... CS: none whatsoever!

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: First up is Catherine's weather vane.

Could be a money-spinner.

I've got a �20 bid... DH: Oh.

JAMES: ..in the book.

DH: He's in.

JAMES: �40 is... CS: Yes!

DH: Whoa!

JAMES: He's in at five.

CS: Come on!

Five and 50 is next.

There you go.

55.

And 60 now.

Oh, 60!

(CHUCKLES) 65.

You're not giving it up that easily.

JAMES: �70.

CS: 70.

And five's next, �70 against you here online.

75 and 80.

JAMES: At 85 now.

CS: 85!

Oh, he loves you, this one.

Another - �90.

DH: Oh!

JAMES: And five?

�90 it is.

JAMES: 95... CS: I'm happy with that.

Is he going to finish next Tuesday?

Well done, you.

VO: We could see which way the wind was blowing on that one.

It's really good.

DH: Very, very well found.

CS: Thank you.

DH: Well done you.

Seriously.

CS: Thank you David.

CS: I'm really pleased.

DH: I love that.

VO: David's massive mallet now.

Let's hope it's a hit.

JAMES: �10 starts us off.

DH: Oh, there you go.

Who is interested at 15?

CS: Chuck it on the fire.

JAMES: At 20.

DH: 20!

JAMES: 25?

Go on!

JAMES: Another bid, surely, out there.

Any interest?

It's a circus mallet.

At �20.

DH: Oh, bad show.

CS: Bad show.

And I will bring the hammer down for the hammer at �20 now.

Oh!

VO: That took a bit of a walloping.

Why was it a circus hammer?

Well, it's a big one to... Getting the tent poles in.

Alright - it's a tent hammer.

I think that's what it was!

A tent hammer!

VO: Time for something a little more delicate, then - those oyster-serving spoons.

I paid a lot of money for these.

I paid too much.

You've got 15 online and 20.

But you'll have to do better.

I've got five in the book.

25.

And 30.

I've got five here... DH: You're doing alright.

JAMES: ..in the book.

And 40?

I've got five.

�45 here.

50.

I've got five?

You're into profit, aren't you?

55 now.

Yeah.

But I need a bit more.

At �55.

Oh, please!

Go on!

One more!

At �55 now.

JAMES: Selling.

CS: Agh!

(GAVEL) VO: Well, not to everyone's taste, but a profit, nevertheless.

That's OK. You sort of got out of them, by the skin of your teeth.

Literally the skin of my teeth.

VO: David's slightly unfashionable Royal Dux is up next.

Is it due for a comeback?

�50 we are bid online but I can see you hovering.

Come on!

Do we have another bidder?

Of course.

55 and 60 now.

Come on!

65 is next.

Any interest in the room?

DH: Come on.

JAMES: We've got 60 bid here.

�65 here?

CS: Come on.

DH: A long way to go.

We can sell if we're all certain.

If we are all done.

Fair warning.

�5 profit.

What a winner!

VO: You're just ahead of your time, David - or very out of touch.

Ha!

I did think you might make a little bit more.

That is disappointing.

VO: Catherine's Deco doggy now.

Will the bidders sit up and take notice?

Who's in at...?

10 bid online.

15 and 20 in the book.

Five, sir?

25 with yourself.

DH: There you go.

CS: Lovely.

And 30.

And five.

And 40 and... JAMES: 40 it is.

DH: Wow!

That's fine.

That's brilliant.

CS: I'm happy with that.

DH: I thought he was gonna go.

�40 at the back on the left.

And I can sell if we are all done at �40 now.

CS: Hey!

DH: Very good.

VO: Who's a good boy, then?

DH: Yeah!

Buy dogs.

CS: Buy dogs.

VO: Now, another of David's slightly outmoded objects.

Those Wedgwood earrings.

I think they are really horrible!

DH: Now, don't push it!

CS: What?!

(CHUCKLES) Who is in at �40?

DH: Go on!

CS: Oh, David!

�20 then, perhaps.

CS: Surely?

JAMES: �10.

Oh!

�10 if you are coming in.

Online bid.

CS: There you go.

DH: 10?!

JAMES: 20 if you're in.

DH: Go on!

At 15.

Surely another?

JAMES: �15 we're bid.

DH: 15?

CS: Did you think he said...?

DH: I thought he said 50.

CS: Definitely not 50!

DH: 15?!

The hammer will come down now.

What a loser!

VO: You can't say you weren't warned, David.

Never again.

Honestly, I'm having a bit of DH: a disastrous day out.

CS: (CLEARS THROAT) VO: Let's see if Catherine's owl pepperettes can turn a few heads.

JAMES: I have got �35.

DH: Yeah.

But it's been blown away at �45 online.

50, surely?

JAMES: Just in time.

CS: Oh, 50.

And five?

By a whisker.

By a whisker.

At 55, we are selling now at �55.

Fair warning at �55.

VO: They look a little disappointed with that.

I think it was just a little bit too much.

VO: Now, remember, David promised a profit on this one - his cinnabar bangle.

�25 between bids here.

But I think it's worth one or two more.

DH: Go on!

JAMES: �25 with me.

David, this is good!

JAMES: ..interest in... DH: Good!

Come on!

I've got five.

35 here.

40 if you're interested.

CS: That's brilliant!

JAMES: ..for the cinnabar lacquer at 35.

Fair warning.

VO: Well, he wasn't wrong.

A very good result.

Just think if you'd have bought three of those.

I know!

VO: Catherine has high hopes for her last lot.

She thinks it's a charmer.

25, �30.

35, �40.

And five with me.

At 45.

DH: Oh.

Oh.

JAMES: Knew there was interest.

�50.

And five?

With me in the book, commission bid.

At 55.

Just a little bit more, please.

60.

�60 it is.

At �60.

All online now.

At �60.

I'll say fair warning for the cobra here at �60.

Get rid of that cobra!

VO: It wasn't much of an adder - ha-ha!

- was it?

Listen, it made a bit of profit.

VO: Time for David's final item - the poker chip case.

Let's see if he can hit the jackpot with this.

We can already open at �85.

(GASPS) �85?!

CS: (GIGGLES) DH: Come on!

And 90?

Thank you.

Five is next.

Five.

And 100.

DH: Yes!

CS: Oh, David!

100 bid.

JAMES: And 10.

DH: Yes!

110.

20 is bid.

JAMES: 120.

DH: Get in there!

Raise the stakes at 130.

DH: 130.

JAMES: 140.

Of course.

CS: (GASPS) DH: Come on!

What is your response?

150.

150.

You're out.

CS: David!

150!

DH: Get in there!

At 150 here.

160 back in.

Yes!

Go on!

170.

Is that your response?

It is online at 170.

Thank you.

At �170 to you online.

Fair warning now.

DH: Yes!

CS: Well done!

VO: As they say in poker, read 'em and weep.

I'm very proud of you, David.

Oh, thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

I think you have slightly got the edge.

I've got a smidgen above you, I reckon.

VO: Let's find out, shall we?

Catherine kicked off this trip with �200 and, after auction costs, she's managed to grow that to �246 exactly.

But today's high roller was David, who started out with the same amount and, after saleroom fees, is currently sitting on �285.10.

But that was just the opening salvo.

I think that was a good day at the office.

We both did well but CS: that poker set was.... DH: Yeah.

I know.

Come on.

Well, let's go and find DH: some more poker sets.

CS: Amazing.

No more earrings.

DH: Definitely no more earrings.

CS: No more Wedgwood earrings.

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