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!

Uh-oh!

Calling South Yorkshire - watch out, because there's two antiques experts coming your way.

Yes!

Dealer Irita Marriott and auctioneer Phil Serrell.

And you're likely to hear them before you see them.

(HIGH HORN HONKS) IRITA: That's my kind of horn.

PHIL: Yeah.

IRITA: This is you as a horn.

(LOW HORN HONKS) PHIL: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

IRITA: (CHUCKLES) IRITA: And now back to Irita.

(HIGH HORN HONKS) I thought that was good!

VO: Phil was a magpie last time.

Isn't that sweet?

Look.

VO: But Irita found a bird that really took off.

150.

VO: But it's a new day.

You're looking dapper, as always, Phil.

I'm fighting fit.

Fighting for breath and fit for nothing.

(CHUCKLES) VO: What?

With those muscles?

Well, I used to teach PE many, many, many years ago, and then I did...

I did the Great North Run.

Oh, did you?

Yeah.

In the first 30 yards, I've never had so many bums come past me in such a short space of time.

It was quite unbelievable.

(CHUCKLES) VO: Ha-ha!

It wasn't just the bums that passed Phil last time as his original 200 slipped to £178.56... ..while Irita won the day for the second time this trip, by topping up her piggy to the tune of £269.90.

Well, Phil, what's 100 quid between friends?

Well, I'll tell you exactly what it is.

It's 100 quid, that's what it is.

VO: Well, they do seem in fine fettle as they travel the B-roads in that gold Aston Martin, heading ever northwards to Northumberland.

Our twosome will be winding up in County Durham this time, but are heading for Barnsley this morning to begin their trawl in Yorkshire's antiques emporia.

The traditions of its industrial past live on here in football, brass bands and the Barnsley chop.

Yum, yum!

And a feast of antiques and vintage awaits both Phil and Irita at Barnsley Antique Centre.

PHIL: Here's the plan.

I'll go to the left.

You go to the right.

Sounds like a deal.

VO: Or a folk dance.

Ha-ha!

Take a twirl and see where you land.

Any takers?

Anyone?

Form an orderly queue, Miss Havisham.

(CHUCKLES) Now, where's Phil?

If in doubt, go to default Serrell - buy a ladder.

I would think they're somewhere between just before or just after the Second World War.

I mean, as ladders go, I think that's quite cool.

So, I bet you're thinking, "Why would you want to buy a ladder?"

Well, not even I can turn this into a coffee table, but what you can do with it - I mean, you can lift the bottom out, like that.

And... ..they're kind of... You know, you can use them like that in a bathroom as towel rails.

VO: Or a set of shelves.

Repurposing antiques is kind to the planet.

I quite like them, and what I like about them is the fact that, you know, they're not scabby.

They're kind of...

They are as they are, as they are.

They've been used inside the house, not outside.

And I think they've got a look.

You know, I think they've got a cool look.

£45.

What do I want to buy them for?

20 to 30 quid, I think.

That would be my price.

Oh, well, we'll find out.

VO: One to consider anyway.

Meanwhile, has the blushing bride unveiled anything yet?

Now, my mum once told me, "Never leave a penny behind."

And guess what I just spotted?

2p on the floor.

Do you think this might bring me luck today?

Hey, that was a good catch.

Let's hope I can find a good catch.

VO: Time to net some antiques, Irita.

Phil's not slacking.

That, I think, is a really cool thing.

This is a handkerchief that would have been given to American pilots in Operation Desert Storm, I think.

And if they were shot down in Kuwait or wherever, this they could have handed to locals.

And it's in all sorts of different languages, and it's basically saying to them, you know, "We're on your side.

Please don't hurt us.

"Look after us."

And I think things like this are really, really quite collectable.

I've no idea what it's worth.

Actually, having seen me perform so far this week, you couldn't argue with that, could you?

Um, so we've got, "1991 Operation Desert Storm.

"Until they are all at home."

And it says, "I am American and do not speak your language.

"I will not harm you.

"I bear no malice towards your people.

"You will be rewarded for your assisting me "when you present this number "and my name to American authorities."

So, you know... you're holding a bit of history here, and I think that's really cool.

It's got a ticket price on it of £85.

I think I'm going to have a word with the dealer and see if I can do a deal.

VO: A future collectable, I think.

He's off to the counter.

Cinnamon, how are you doing?

I'm fine, thanks.

How are you...

It's like Aladdin's Cave, this, isn't it?

Thank you very much.

Yeah.

The first one I want to ask you about is your ladder.

DEALER: Right.

PHIL: The double extended.

I think it's priced at £45.

OK. 25 would have to be the best, I think.

You've got that kind of framed Desert Storm, almost like rescue kind of handkerchief framed thing, PHIL: which... DEALER: Oh yeah, I know the one.

DEALER: Yeah.

PHIL: Yeah.

I really like that.

Er, I think at auction it's going to make £50 to £80, but I don't know.

DEALER: Right.

PHIL: Erm... could I offer you 40, 45 quid for that?

OK.

I'd have to ring the dealer on that one and check on the price... Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's fine.

VO: While Phil bites his nails, is anything grabbing Irita?

Now, the color and shape of this reminds me of Loetz glass, which was a glass maker in Old Bohemia in Czech Republic.

They were most popular in early 1900s with the art-nouveau fluidity, all the lines.

And it's their iridescent color that they are the most known for, and the little fluted top.

Love the little flowers.

Are they meant to be dandelions?

They look a bit like it, don't they?

Is that right?

This is £1.

That can't be right.

"Green... "Green flower vase, £1."

It's £1.

I ain't even going to waste my time talking about this because I am going to buy this.

VO: I don't see how you could lose on that.

I love it!

Right.

VO: Crikey, it's all happening.

How's that telephone negotiation going?

Thanks very much, speak to you later.

Bye.

Bye.

Bye.

He actually paid £65 for it.

Yeah.

Er, but he'd be willing to let it go for 55.

That is really generous.

PHIL: It is, isn't it?

DEALER: OK. Um, I'm going to...

I'm going to be really cheeky and I feel rotten about it.

Can I offer you...?

So, that's £80 for the ladder and the Desert Storm.

DEALER: Yeah.

PHIL: Can I offer you £75 for the two, please?

Yeah.

Go on then.

OK, we'll do that.

Yeah.

OK, let me put some money down for you.

VO: Mm.

Very generous.

25 for the ladder and 50 for the safe conduct pass, and he has just over £103 left.

PHIL: Five.

Thank you so much.

DEALER: Perfect.

I promise I'll leave now.

Thank you very much.

Bye.

Oh, Lord above.

VO: (CHUCKLES) VO: He's not!

Crikey!

I've seen it all now.

Bye, Irita.

Lovely job.

Lovely job.

VO: (CHORTLES) With Phil on his way, time for Irita to do a deal.

Glen, Glen!

Yes?

The ticket says £1, so... IRITA: Yeah.

DEALER: ..it's £1.

I'll just say thank you and get out of here before you change your mind.

(CHUCKLES) You're OK.

Thank you!

VO: Yeah, your chariot awaits.

I love my vase.

Why on Earth have I got a ladder in the car?

Where's Phil?

Well, he's not...

He must have bought that.

Well, I've never had a companion like that before, but I guess I'll be going up in life with a ladder next to me.

VO: Probably a first for an Aston Martin, this.

See you later!

VO: Our country boy should be in his element now as he ventures northwest to Featherstone, just south of Pontefract, where the fields are filled with something which wouldn't have been seen on a British farm when Phil was a lad.

15 million pumpkins are grown every year in the UK for celebrating Halloween.

Heather Copley has been growing them here for the last 15 years.

Heather, how are you doing?

Philip.

HEATHER: Hi.

Um, there's a few pumpkins here, in't there?

Just a few.

Lord above.

I mean, how many are there there?

Er, we've got 20 acres here.

PHIL: 20 acres.

HEATHER: Yeah, sev... PHIL: How many to an acre?

HEATHER: 7,000-ish.

So, my maths is roughly... What?

Hun... Is that 140,000 pumpkins?

There or thereabouts.

Lord above!

VO: For the last few decades, this variety of winter squash has been grown for the purpose of carving scary faces, lit up by candles.

It's an American thing, isn't it, really?

Recently, yes, very much has come back.

But prior to that, research shows it actually came from Ireland.

So where they used to do the Samhain festival, which was always the night, the eve of the first of November.

It was really about marking the change in the seasons from light to dark.

Yeah.

And then obviously light to dark, and the... this life and the afterlife, are all very synonymous in that pagan culture and at that time.

And they would... very much did it to remember the dead as well, people, their loved ones that had passed away.

So, it was actually a very positive... PHIL: Yeah.

HEATHER: Or I would think that was a very positive festival for them to have.

And they would carve these faces out of mangels and swedes, turnips, that type of vegetable, which is really hard.

PHIL: Yeah.

HEATHER: You've got your spoon, so they couldn't do anything very artistic.

So the faces were scary.

And then they also would dress up with masks to ward off evil spirits.

So it was all to do with the whole light, dark, this life, the afterlife, and marking those transitions, but in a celebratory mode.

VO: Yes, part pagan, part Christian, Halloween revels in Scotland and Ireland included dooking for apples and dressing up as guisers, going door-to-door singing songs or telling jokes.

Turnip lanterns were carried to frighten folk.

In the New World, the native pumpkin was abundantly grown and Celtic settlers discovered that they were bigger and easier to carve.

When did this kind of Irish-American festival come back to these shores?

It really started to gain a bit of momentum and traction around about the '80s.

Yeah.

Er, which really, if you think about it, would link in with some of the films.

I think it's an awful lot to do with television as well... PHIL: Mm.

HEATHER: ..cuz we had ET where they're all getting dressed up.

Yeah.

Um, The Karate Kid.

I used to love that... Yeah, yeah... ..where they all had the different activities going on around... Yeah.

..their stories revolving around that.

And then some of the scare films came out as well, so I think it was that American TV as well that helped bring it over.

It's just growing like mad.

We work with a lot of other farm shops over the country, and for a lot of us, pumpkins will be bigger than Christmas this year to us.

Bigger than turkeys?

HEATHER: Yeah.

PHIL: Really?

Yeah.

Can we wander through the pumpkin field?

Absolutely.

Right, I actually would quite like to learn, cuz... HEATHER: Yeah.

PHIL: ..I saw some kind of little gourdy type ones?

Yes, we've got quite a few different sorts over here.

Big ones, white ones.

Shall we get a nice collection?

I've brought you a wheelbarrow, you'll be glad.

So what you're trying to say is I'm the laborer?

HEATHER: Yes.

PHIL: Right, fine, come on.

Come on.

VO: 27 varieties are grown here.

And some provide a good seat, if you're up for it.

I'm going to sit down on that pumpkin.

Are you?

Well, I invite you to sit down.

Yeah, but there's more of me than there is of you.

HEATHER: See!

PHIL: Good lord!

There you go.

Fantastic.

Hey, how cool is that?

They're quite comfy, aren't they?

PHIL: Yeah!

HEATHER: Yeah.

Heather, these have all been cut, haven't they?

Yes.

Yeah, so what we do... Um, they have to be cut, cuz you see how the leaves are starting to go a little bit white?

Yeah.

That's the mildew that they get at this time of year.

PHIL: Yeah.

HEATHER: And that mildew, if we don't cut it, will go into the actual pumpkin and then the pumpkin will rot.

So you cut them to keep them, really?

We cut them to keep them, which is how they will keep for, you know, six to nine months or more.

VO: Time to choose one for Phil to carve.

PHIL: I like that one.

HEATHER: That one?

It's got a nice form to it.

And we've got a little flower?

PHIL: Yeah.

HEATHER: Yeah.

VO: Ladies first.

There we go.

That's one.

Shall we get another one, just for good measure?

Here we go.

Oh, that one looks like a bottom.

Well, do you know, that's exactly the thought that I thought of.

Hold on, Heather.

Just hold on, will you?

Gordon Bennett!

HEATHER: Come on!

Get a wriggle on.

Oh, my life!

VO: Put your back into it, Phil!

And back to the farm for the carving lesson.

Do you know what?

I think I'm actually...

I mean, I've never been one to brag, but I think I'm pretty good at this.

Right, eyes shut.

Eyes shut.

Ready?

Oh, that's fantastic!

And a tooth!

Absolutely.

I think I'm going to turn professional.

VO: But it's smiling.

Not scary at all.

Unlike the one carved earlier.

Ha-ha!

PHIL: Is that me?

No, it's Elton John.

VO: Either way, it's terrifying!

Stick to pumpkin pie, Phil, eh?

Irita and the ladder - ha-ha!

- are on their way to the North East now, where the last shop of the day is in Selby.

VO: Now & Then is the destination, and there's Richard getting things gleaming for Her Ladyship, who will be here any minute.

Yep, here she is, look.

Fleet of foot and ready to start scouring.

£1 down and 2p up.

I reckon she still has £168.92 left, maybe.

This could not be more me.

I don't even have to pick it up to know what it will say on the bottom.

And what it will say is that it is Wileman china.

Am I right?

Of course I'm right.

I have sold and bought hundreds of these over the years, and I have never had the sugar pot with it.

Never.

I know this one's got some hairlines... ..but I have never even seen one of these survived.

I'm quite excited.

Can you tell?

(GIGGLES) VO: Oh, yes!

The fluted shape is just divine.

The color on this one could be better.

The color is not quite right.

The condition isn't quite there.

There's no side plates, but it's a good thing.

It's a chancy thing that could pay off.

And I am prepared to take that chance.

VO: It's not ticketed, but that's a possibility.

Anything else?

VO: Did anyone say "take a running jump"?

Ha-ha!

What's this?

Let's have a look at what else we can find.

Oh!

Never seen one of these before.

This is something that was probably used by a very large kitchen.

Basically, it has a little drawer on the bottom and a grater.

And I think this would have been used for something like zest.

Kitchenalia is very, very popular.

It's not my sort of thing.

However, this appeals.

It has a really nice look to it.

It's crude, it's basic, but it was made for purpose.

VO: And it's priced at £40.

Calling Richard!

Richard?

Yes, Irita?

Now, I've had a good look around and I quite fancy two things in your shop.

Right.

The first thing I want to ask about is the little zest kitchenalia pine cabinet thing...

Right.

It's £40.

What would be the best price on that, please?

£20.

OK.

This is the next thing.

Pot.

That beautiful set that you're looking at would be... £55.

Well, see, I told you, I'm going to be easy.

55, 20 quid.

£75 is what I owe you.

Here's your money.

And thank you very much.

I loved visiting your shop.

It's amazing.

DEALER: Thank you.

IRITA: Thank you very much.

DEALER: Bye.

IRITA: See you later!

VO: Time to call it a day, with just under £194 left.

Her tea set will be safely sent on.

Oh, Phil and his ladder!

He had to buy something big and awkward.

It's just so him, isn't it?

Classic Phil.

VO: How will you fit him in the car, then?

Ha!

Oh, well.

Nighty-night.

VO: And which way is the wind blowing them this morning?

Yorkshire was split up into three ridings and this is the east one.

Nearest the coast, I think.

How good is that?

Never knew that.

Yeah.

Well, you see, I just know these things cuz I'm a very accomplished geography teacher.

Oh-ho-ho!

VO: Ha-ha!

If you say so.

Excuse me, is Beverley that way?

DRIVER: It's that...

It's that way, mate.

It's that way?

IRITA: Yeah, it's that way.

Oh!

You're going the wrong way!

VO: Yesterday, the, erm, accomplished geographer located a Gulf War safe conduct pass and a ladder, leaving him £103.56.

As for Irita... Well, I bought one thing... Yeah?

..for a whole entire pound.

What, for a pound?

You can't get a packet of crisps for a pound.

It is the first time in my life I have bought something in an antique shop for a quid.

A pound?

Yeah.

PHIL: Go on, show me.

IRITA: This is what I got.

PHIL: That is really nice.

IRITA: I know!

PHIL: Bit of art nouveau glass.

IRITA: I know!

Yeah!

VO: She also bought a pine grater and an early Shelley tea service, which means she has £193.90 at her disposal today.

Phil, you've got a spider in your hair.

In fact, there's two.

Oh, money spiders?

Just leave them there.

Do not touch them under any circumstances.

IRITA: Shall I try to get... PHIL: No!

No, no, no.

They're money, money.

Money spiders.

Hey, don't be greedy!

VO: Hope they don't bite.

Irita, Phil and the arachnids are taking the roads less traveled towards the east coast, bound for Beverley this morning.

A lovely market town with ancient churches, a fine racecourse and a busy calendar of music festivals.

And today... there's a 10K running right through the town.

So, get sprinting, you slackers!

Irita and Phil's first shop is Beverley Antique Centre, and the race is on to the bargains.

Ooh, this looks very good indeed.

Plenty to go around.

Silver.

Now, in the last leg, I bought an Indian silver piece.

Didn't make a profit on it.

At first glance, everybody looking at this would think that is where it originates from.

And you're not far off.

However, there's a tell-tale sign.

If this was Indian, the base of it would be completely smooth.

This one isn't.

That means it's Burmese silver, and for whatever reason, that seems to be more sought after than Indian.

Look at the tiny little birds.

And they go all the way around.

That has caught my eye.

It is a little bashed and worn.

£89.

I do like it.

It's not often you see it.

VO: Sounds promising.

Looks like it's revision time.

How have you got time to sit down and read a book?

Uh, research.

Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted, Irita.

"Entering an antique center, "make sure that you push Irita into a darkened room, "preferably a coal cellar with nothing in there at all to buy, "whilst you scour the rest of the building "for priceless objects."

Well, that's really sound advice, isn't it?

Well, you are more than welcome to do that, but I might just buy the cellar door and make a profit.

I could turn that into a coffee table.

(CHUCKLES) Well, I'm going to get to it first.

VO: First to leave with a door is a loser.

Ha!

I like a bit of carved wood.

Now, this isn't the kind of carved wood that I would usually buy, which is Black Forest.

It is carved out of fruitwood.

What does the label say?

Russian double inkstand.

It's a bit of a naive folk art.

That's what it looks like.

However, it is splendidly done.

VO: Well then, perhaps it's time to talk to Bruce.

Hi, Bruce, you look all comfortable down there.

DEALER: I am.

(THEY CHUCKLE) There are two bits that I quite like.

One's the inkwell in the cabinet there.

Yes.

That was priced at 55.

Any maneuver on that?

I can do it for 40.

OK, that's that.

There was also a box that looked like an Indian silver downstairs... DEALER: Yes.

IRITA: ..in a cabinet.

IRITA: That was 89.

DEALER: Now that can be 48.

OK. Um, so, 40 and 48?

BOTH: 88.

VO: Very generous discounts there, Bruce.

IRITA: Thank you very much.

DEALER: Alright.

IRITA: Lovely to meet you.

Bye.

DEALER: OK, bye.

VO: The race is still on, but Phil's stuck at the starting line.

Time to get help from a knowledgeable dealer?

Peter, can I interrupt you?

How are you?

Alright?

Hello, Phil.

How are you?

Yeah, I'm very, very well.

I'm kind of struggling at the minute.

I'll play it straight down the line with you.

DEALER: OK. PHIL: I've got about 30 or £40 PHIL: to spend.

DEALER: Yeah.

Alright?

If I could buy a Penny Black or a medal, and I don't know what I would get...

I'll show you Penny Blacks first.

Yeah.

Penny Black is a postage stamp, isn't it?

Yes.

Well, these have all got DEALER: a red postmark... PHIL: Yeah.

..which was the first postmark, and it's called a Red Maltese Cross.

The black one came a few months later.

So...

Right.

..these are all the first Penny Black with the first postmark.

PHIL: So those are 1840s?

1840, from May 6th.

And you could do one of those for 30 to £40?

Yes.

But you have rare variations, you have different colors?

You have... Is it a Penny Red?

Yes, that was a year later than the Penny Black.

They're worth a lot more money.

DEALER: 1841.

PHIL: Yeah.

Because they found they could erase the postmarks from the black.

Yeah.

Now, when they changed the color to red, you could see where the trickery had been.

Ah, OK.

So, the Penny Black only lasted a year and people were defrauding the post office from the word "go".

Ooh, we can't have that, can we?

DEALER: No.

PHIL: I'm just wondering... if I could perhaps put a medal... Um, have you got a medal as well?

I'm...

Yes.

What do you think about the First World War?

Yeah.

Well, I think it's... For me, it's both my grandfathers served in the First World War.

Ah.

Let's have a look at this one here.

This is a single silver medal.

Yep.

Um, made of silver, complete with the ribbon.

Yeah.

That's very reasonable.

Here's another one similar.

This one is to the, um, Middlesex Regiment.

I haven't got a Worcestershire.

And this one is to the Royal Artillery.

Separately, how much are they?

DEALER: Well, they're £20 each.

PHIL: Yeah.

Um, I think a fair price would be £10 each.

OK, fine.

And they are actually silver.

Peter, advise me, cuz I'm like...

I'm an innocent abroad here.

Which is the better of those two for me to put into auction?

Well, because this is named DEALER: to a regiment... PHIL: Yeah.

..the Middlesex Regiment... PHIL: Yeah.

DEALER: ..that would be more interesting to a collector than perhaps this one, which is artillery.

There are a great number of artillery ones.

PHIL: Yeah.

DEALER: The Middlesex Regiment, you get a person that collects the Middlesex Regiment.

OK, fine.

He'll go for that.

Peter, I'd definitely like a Penny Black, cuz I've never owned one before.

And if I... You'd recommend me to take the Middlesex medal?

I would.

OK, so I'll take that and a Penny Black.

What would be the best price, please?

£50.

So, that's for the cheaper Penny Black and that one, yeah?

Well, I would upgrade you very slightly and give you the one in the middle for £50.

Oh, that's really kind!

Let me just pay you quick before you change your mind.

So that's two, four and 10.

I'll take that and I'll take that.

Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Safe journey.

VO: Too kind!

10 for the medal, 40 for the stamp, leaving him with just over £53.

Oh, look at him go!

Time now for our fashionista to take a trip a few miles south to Hull, home of an haute-couture sensation of the late Victorian era - Madame Clapham.

Irita's meeting Rob Bell of The History Troupe to hear about this apprentice seamstress who rose up the ranks, moving to Hull and establishing her own salon in 1887.

Why Hull?

So Hull is a big place.

It's massively expanding.

It starts at 20,000 people in 1800, and by the close of the century, 1900, you're close to 90,000.

So, that's a massive expansion.

So there's a lot of money around.

And the other thing is Kingston Square is in the middle of the medical quarter.

What that means is all the surgeons, all the physicians and all of the people who've got a few quid all live in that area and work there.

The other thing that's quite important is cheek by jowl with the medical quarter is Little Ireland.

And Little Ireland is where all the Irish migrants, that had been coming over from the famine onwards, and also to build the docks, had their daughters and they could get work in the salon itself.

And the salon itself, we're talking 200 seamstresses by 1900.

VO: Challenging the ideas that high class ladies had to go south to dress a la mode, Madame Clapham adapted the very latest fashions from London and Paris, and as her reputation grew, she attracted patronage from royalty, adding the title of court dressmaker to her labels in 1901.

ROB: Queen Maud of Norway is somebody who is a heck of a big catch.

And Queen Maud never came to Hull, but she, Madame Clapham, would go to Sandringham, where she would actually measure her for dresses and so on.

That's what she was doing.

IRITA: Mm-hm.

ROB: She was providing a service and would actually tour the hotels of Yorkshire.

She had a slot in Harrogate, a slot in York, and also in the West Riding.

So anybody with some money and wanting to social climb needed a good value-for-money dress and that's what she would provide.

VO: Madame Clapham's quality outfits at provincial prices put Hull on the fashion map.

And Irita's going across town now to meet Meridith Towne, a fashion historian and historical dressmaker, to find out what made Madame Clapham's dresses so sought after and stylish.

She loves a frilly, complicated construction, so lots of pleating.

This beaded design, this ruching, there's always lots going on.

This is exactly the sort of thing that Madame Clapham was known for.

What were the conditions like for the actual workers in the workshop?

Not great.

I mean, conditions in general in the late Victorian era weren't great for workers, but it was a good employment for women.

Madame Clapham started as an apprentice, and she worked her way up to having her very own salon.

And so you can imagine young girls coming into her workroom and being like, "I could do that if I work hard enough."

VO: The New Woman of the early 20th century was demanding personal and political freedoms, but liberation from cumbersome clothing was still some way off.

But the look was changing, and Madame Clapham was, as ever, in the vanguard.

What is becoming incredibly prominent at the turn of the century is the bust.

Now, you do not require two articles up there.

You require simply one.

It's known as the mono-bosom.

And these designs are all based on this large mono-bosom, and you can see it here with the mannequin.

This is the shape a woman is supposed to look like in her corset.

Well, it's not reality is it?

It's not reality as well.

This is what the corset is putting you into.

And when you see Madame Clapham's fashion sketches... Mm.

..you see the sort of sinuous shape.

And it's this S-bend that they're trying to create.

Mm.

But we know that there were things called breast improvers or bust improvers, which are pads that you put on the front, pads for the bum, pads for the hips.

They will make you this shape.

What happened to her business in the end?

Well, Madame Clapham kept with it.

She was undoubtedly a workaholic.

She was... Mm.

..working all the way up to her death in the 1950s.

So she passed on the salon to her niece and she kept it going into the 1960s.

But by then, you know, it's a different market.

It's a different world.

And it's very difficult to imagine that the woman that was making these was also the name associated with the fashions of the 1960s in Hull as well.

And so I like to think of Madame Clapham as she had an amazing run, and it's a name that we know of in Hull and should be known wider than that.

She was, in her heyday, known throughout the country, even internationally.

But, yes, there's always an end to greatness, and unfortunately it did not survive the youthquake of the 1960s.

VO: She wouldn't have approved of miniskirts, but Madame Clapham had shown that highly successful and elegant fashion could be created outside the capital.

Now, talking of style, there's our suave male model in that classy car.

You know, you live in hope that you're just going to find that one thing.

Just one thing, that's all you need.

VO: Phil's headed further up the coast now to Bridlington.

And it's his last chance to snap up a winner.

He's shopping at Gray's, where there must be something with his name on it.

Ooh, there's more outside.

Do you know, this place is really, really cool.

VO: So what grabs you, Phil?

So what have we got?

Well, obviously it's a skeleton.

In terms of date, I would think it's kind of...

I don't know, somewhere between 1930 and 1950.

But it's kind of a cool-looking thing.

Let's just see if it says anything down here.

So... We've kind of got "left leg".

I'd worked that one out.

And it says here... "St John's Ambulance.

"St John's Gate, London, EC1."

And it looks like it's signed by J Teck.

VO: It's a poster used for teaching human anatomy, and it dates from 1942.

I can see that dressing some pub.

I can see a medical student buying it.

I still think it would look really, really good.

VO: But Phil, it's priced at 150 and you've only got £53.56.

But it's kind of life-sized.

That is cool, isn't it?

I'm going to go and see if I can do a deal.

VO: Watch out, Lynn.

You can't see his brass neck under that scarf.

PHIL: Lynn, how are you?

DEALER: Hello.

Well, I'll tell you what, you make use of every bit of available space here, don't you?

We try.

There's one thing that's really, really caught my eye.

You've got a six-foot poster of a skeleton.

Ah, yes.

Which is currently, like, way out of my price range.

I have got £53 and some odd pence.

How much would you charge me to have a selfie with you?

Would that be about £100?

Oh, done.

Done.

You have been!

(THEY CHUCKLE) VO: Very generous, Lynn.

He's cleaned out, but... £100.

You could get Daniel Craig for less.

Take your Bond-mobile and go and collect Irita.

VO: And it's a fine day for a showdown.

PHIL: Here we are, Thornton Hall.

Woohoo!

That is beautiful!

VO: They've made their way steadily north and have arrived in County Durham, just outside Darlington.

Oh, hold on, I'll breathe in.

(INHALES SHARPLY) (CHUCKLES) PHIL: Oh, well, top driving.

IRITA: Are you... PHIL: Top driving.

IRITA: Oh my lord!

VO: And top place to watch their auction, eh?

This manor house dates from 1550, and since 1995, the stunning gardens, which had all but disappeared, have been returned to their former glory by owners Sue and Mike Manners.

PHIL: Absolutely stunning, aren't they?

IRITA: Very nice.

I think... PHIL: Beautiful.

..County Durham is welcoming us with a spectacular view.

Yeah, I kind of think that... Yeah, as we move north, I'm hoping my profits move north and not south.

VO: Well, I'm not sure if this bodes well, Phil, but their purchases have gone south - ha!

- to Tring in Hertfordshire, where they'll go under the hammer at Tring Market Auctions to bidders on the phone, online, and in the room.

And presiding today is auctioneer Stephen J Hearn.

Irita spent £164 on five lots.

What does Stephen think is a winner?

The Loetz glass vase with the trail decoration, that's an attractive piece.

That's in fashion at the present time.

VO: Indeedy!

Phil has gambled all of his £178.56 on his five lots.

Stephen?

The anatomical skeleton... Er, yes, that tells us where things are, doesn't it?

They often sell quite well.

Well, fingers crossed.

Abso...

Fingers?

Everything crossed, I think.

IRITA: (GIGGLES) VO: First up is the fine Shelley tea service, which Irita has brought to the table.

What about £50 for it?

Er, 50... 60, 70, 80.

IRITA: 80!

PHIL: Well done.

PHIL: You're off to the races.

STEPHEN: ..we jump to £160.

IRITA: Ha-ha!

PHIL: Well done, you!

Hey, we're in it... At 160, if there's no further bid?

At 160 then, I'm going to have to sell.

I am, really, at £160.

Thank you.

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

IRITA: 160 quid.

I'll take it.

PHIL: Yeah.

VO: More tea, vicar, eh?

Excellent.

You spotted it.

Well done, you, cuz I probably wouldn't have even looked at it.

Well, thanks.

No.

Well done, you.

VO: Next, can Phil's World War I medal win him a good start?

£30 for it?

£20 for it?

STEPHEN: £20 bid.

IRITA: Oh.

Two now.

At £20 I'm bid for it.

22 I'm bid, and five now...

It's going up, Phil... 28, I'm...

I'm selling it.

It's going to be sold.

I shall sell for £28, away from you.

(GAVEL) STEPHEN: Thank you.

Yeah, that's happy enough, isn't it?

IRITA: Are you happy?

PHIL: Yeah, I am, yeah.

VO: It's a small victory.

You tripled your money.

Yeah, that's good enough.

Very, very happy with that.

Very happy.

VO: It's the turn of Irita's pine grater.

More grist to her mill.

At £20 is bid for that one.

22 I'm bid, five I'm bid, eight now.

At 28, is it?

At 25 I've got.

28 now... Don't stop.

20... At £25 there, if there's no further bid.

It's going down.

It's gone.

There's not exactly a zest for those, is there?

VO: Oi!

I'll do the puns, thanks.

Hey-ho.

It's still a profit.

Absolutely right, yeah.

VO: Can Phil scale the dizzy heights with his ladder?

It's next.

50, I've got it.

There you are.

They do like ladders.

That is fantastic, Phil...

It's going down then, at £50.

Thank you.

I should have bought five ladders, I think.

(CHUCKLES) VO: Well, your profits are creeping up.

That was good.

Well, you know... That was really good.

I've always had a good eye for a ladder.

VO: So we've heard.

Ha!

Time now for Irita's silver box.

20 I'm bid for it.

And two anywhere?

And five I'm bid, and eight I'm bid.

And £30 I'm bid.

And two and five I'm bid.

And eight and 40 I'm bid.

£40 then.

No!

I shall sell then for £40.

(GAVEL) STEPHEN: Thank you.

I think that's cheap.

I think that's really cheap.

VO: Is her luck on the turn?

I think that should be the last silver piece I buy.

Oh, no, no, I think you should buy a lot more.

PHIL: A lot more.

Like... IRITA: You would, wouldn't you?

VO: Up next, it's Phil's safe conduct pass.

What is its value?

£50 for it?

Anyone got £50 for it?

Where do we start?

£20?

No!

20 I'm bid for it then.

At £20.

22, 25, 28.

Quite rare, I'd have thought.

£30 bid, at £30... IRITA: Mm.

STEPHEN: ..and two now.

IRITA: Keep going.

STEPHEN: 32, 35.

38 now.

At 38.

And 40, is it?

Yes.

STEPHEN: And two now.

IRITA: Of course!

At 45 in the room.

Eight anywhere?

At £45, if there's no further bid... IRITA: No.

..it's going to have to be sold.

At £45.

Thank you.

Well, I now know what they're worth.

(CHUCKLES) We both do.

VO: Well, it was an interesting thing.

I thought that was cheap.

I'm disappointed.

VO: Will there be demand for a wooden inkwell?

It's up next.

At five, 55 in the room.

And 60 I'm bid.

And five and 70 now, and five now.

At £70.

Five now, then?

At £70...

I'll take it.

I'm selling at the £70.

(GAVEL) IRITA: I'm happy with that.

Yeah, that was OK. VO: I think that was good.

No, I'm alright with that.

That's a profit.

Good.

Good, good, good, good, good.

VO: Under the hammer now, it's Phil's Penny Black.

£50 for it?

Anyone got £50, £30, £20 for it?

Anybody got £10 for it?

Surely there's a 10?

There's 20.

There's two, there's five.

IRITA: Come on.

STEPHEN: There's eight.

At £38 then.

£40.

STEPHEN: And £2.

IRITA: Whoa!

STEPHEN: At 50... IRITA: You're getting there.

Very slowly, but getting there...

There you are.

Have a good look at it.

It's a good one.

At £55.

60 now.

You're not moving.

OK, then.

At 55, I'm selling.

It's going down at £55.

Thank you.

Hey!

At 55, am I disappointed?

I think it was kind of what I thought it might make.

IRITA: Mm.

VO: It's a beautiful thing.

IRITA: Well, it's a profit.

PHIL: Yeah.

VO: Talking profits, she can't really fail to make one with this £1 Loetz vase now.

What about £40 for it?

£40, £30, £20 bid.

STEPHEN: At £20 bid.

IRITA: Oh, don't go down!

At 20 with two, I'm bid.

And five and eight and 30.

And two and five at the back, and eight now.

And 40, is it?

And two now and five now.

At 42 and five now.

Oh, Phil... At 42, 45 and eight now.

At 45, one more.

48.

And 50 now.

No?

Are you sure?

At 48 then.

I shall sell at the £48.

(GAVEL) STEPHEN: Sold.

Thank you.

Well, that's good enough, innit?

From £1 to 48?

IRITA: I will take that.

PHIL: So I'm...

So, I'm mathematically challenged.

Is that 4,500% profit?

Er, more.

VO: Crumbs.

It's a lot of profit.

Ha!

IRITA: That was fantastic.

PHIL: Yeah.

VO: So, Phil's last chance to make a comeback now with the anatomical chart.

What about £50 for him?

Any buyer, £50?

Bang.

Five.

60 now?

IRITA: Oh, bang, straight in!

STEPHEN: Yes, surely... £55 I'm bid for it.

60 I'm bid.

At five now.

At 65.

70 I'm bid.

IRITA: Hey!

STEPHEN: And five now.

And 80 now.

At 75.

80 I've got.

And five... Wheel it in, wheel it in.

And 90 now.

At 90.

And five.

£90 here.

And five.

At 95.

£100.

And 10 now.

110.

And 20 now.

At £110.

And 20 now.

Going down for £110.

Thank you.

That's fantastic!

110.

Yeah, it was OK, that, actually.

Yeah, I'm quite pleased with that.

VO: It got my adrenalin going.

No, I don't... No.

No, no, no, no.

I've never, ever been one of life's great smilers.

No, I'm quite pleased with that.

Come on, madam.

Off we go.

Come on.

VO: Well, Laughing Boy did better than last time and increased his total, after auction costs, to a respectable £236.16.

But Irita made it an auction hat trick by serving up a couple of excellent dishes, finishing with a winning total, after saleroom fees, of £387.16.

Well done!

VO: Au revoir.

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