Angus Ashworth and Steven Moore, Day 1

TIM WONNACOTT: It's the nation's favorite antiques experts.

I think I found something.

Pretty, good, Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Behind the wheel of a classic car.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Stop it.

TIM WONNACOTT: And a goal, to scour Britain for antiques.

I think it's brilliant.

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

But it's no mean feat.

You're some man.

TIM WONNACOTT: They'll be worthy winners and valiant losers.

Oh.

TIM WONNACOTT: Will it be the high road to glory?

Yeah, baby.

TIM WONNACOTT: Or the slow road to disaster?

STEVEN MOORE: Oh.

Nope.

TIM WONNACOTT: This is the Antiques Road Trip.

Dig that.

Today we're giving a great big howdy moo to a brand new star in our Road Trip firmament.

STEVEN MOORE: So are we free wheeling or are there rules?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well there's a few rules.

I mean we've got 200 pounds each.

STEVEN MOORE: OK. ANGUS ASHWORTH: How competitive are you?

STEVEN MOORE: Do you want to fight?

TIM WONNACOTT: Lordy.

Already seems to have a firm grasp of the basics, doesn't he?

And so he should.

Because Stephen Moore has been talking about antiques on the telly for yonks.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It's interesting the jewel on your chest.

STEVEN MOORE: This is a three carat jewel.

Boys can wear broaches, too.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah exactly.

TIM WONNACOTT: Flat caps as well, it seems.

Behind the wheel of their 1960 Hillman Super Minx is auctioneer Angus Ashworth, so expect lots of northern bonding.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: From the Northeast?

STEVEN MOORE: From Newcastle.

Born, born and bred Geordie, can't you tell?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: What?

It's Not the strongest of accents, I must admit, but-- STEVEN MOORE: Give me a couple of pints, it'll come back.

TIM WONNACOTT: Why, aye.

Stephen's been a dealer, an auctioneer and even a museum curator.

STEVEN MOORE: Hours of amusement.

Who needs an Xbox?

TIM WONNACOTT: And he's also awfully fond of a canny pot.

While Angus from Yorkshire, not that he ever talks about it-- ANGUS ASHWORTH: Lovely grain in it there.

Very reminiscence of Yorkshire oak.

TIM WONNACOTT: --much.

Would describe militaria as very much his cup of Yorkshire tea.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: You looking forward to it?

STEVEN MOORE: Absolutely.

Yeah.

I mean it's going round antique shops and looking for starts.

What could be better?

TIM WONNACOTT: Plus, they'll have the beautiful Scottish borders as the delightful backdrop to their first chunk of mileage in the Minx, kicking off in Melrose and seeing a wee bit of England, then heading further north to thoroughly explore the central belt of Bonnie Scotland, before moving on to Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and the North East, concluding it all with an auction back over the border in Dundee.

So some familiar territory for our peaky pair but are they going to pull off a blinder?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: We're going to see some great places, great scenery, it's going to stay dry, hopefully.

TIM WONNACOTT: No chance.

Today's auction destination is in the Lake District at the village of Crooklands, but we set out from the aforementioned Melrose.

In the shadow of the Eildon hills, delightful ruined Abbey, too.

And in a nearby farmyard-- ANGUS ASHWORTH: Here we are.

What a good looking spot.

TIM WONNACOTT: Excitement mounts at old Melrose.

STEVEN MOORE: You can smell the antiques.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well after you.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh, you're a gentleman.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: You're welcome.

TIM WONNACOTT: Awfully affable, aren't we this morning?

Long may it last.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: This is quite interesting.

A pair of Arts and Crafts bookends, in teak, carved there with this triple-masted ship.

But what's interesting is, "From the teak of HMS Iron Duke, Admiral Jellicoe's flagship, Jutland, 1916."

Jutland, very famous naval battle in the First World War.

In fact, probably one of the most famous Naval battles of the First World War.

TIM WONNACOTT: Also the last one in history fought mainly by battleships, so far.

Price, 50 pounds.

Gosh.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It is military so it ticks the box for me for that, albeit Naval when, you know, I was Army, so there's a bit of bad blood between me and the Navy.

TIM WONNACOTT: Sounds like that's the end of that then.

What else is down on the farm?

STEVEN MOORE: This is interesting.

It it's heavy.

And it's a plant stand.

And it's by Burmantofts Faience.

They were a really good maker.

This is about 1900-1910.

And it's a good quality thing.

It is missing a jardiniere.

TIM WONNACOTT: Missing a price label too.

But plenty to catch his eye around here.

STEVEN MOORE: This is a little Chinese enamel box, with a bat on the top, which is a Chinese symbol for longevity.

This is late 19th, early 20th century.

It's a good quality thing.

It is 48 pounds.

So it's got two compartments.

I don't know what it's for, but you could almost imagine two compartments, a man and a woman, longevity.

It could be made for a marriage.

I think that's something we could maybe buy.

TIM WONNACOTT: Decisive stuff.

Oh, look.

He wants to share.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Oh.

Hello.

Ooh.

Look at you.

Is that another item hiding behind?

STEVEN MOORE: This is going to fly.

Well, I hope it is.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It's enamelware like that.

Have you bought them yet, or-- STEVEN MOORE: No.

That's where the bargaining happens.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Is it?

Well, I best get looking because I haven't found anything yet.

STEVEN MOORE: Best of luck.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yes.

TIM WONNACOTT: Very sporting.

Hope is that the man in charge, Greg's the name-- STEVEN MOORE: Hello.

I found these.

I will-- I'm Stephen.

GREG: I'm Greg.

STEVEN MOORE: How do you do?

GREG: Hi.

STEVEN MOORE: This is priceless, apparently.

How much is it?

GREG: We had 165 on that.

STEVEN MOORE: OK.

I might give that back to you in that case.

GREG: OK. TIM WONNACOTT: Dead to him now.

STEVEN MOORE: What about this?

I quite like it.

But I don't like 48 pounds.

Can you tempt me?

Go on.

GREG: How about 30?

STEVEN MOORE: OK. 30 is a deal.

Thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: First buy of the trip.

What about his newfound friend?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Say, we've got a couple of whistles there.

What's nice about those two whistles, ones marked L-N-E-R, London Northeastern Railway, and one is L-M-S, which is London Midlands Service, I think.

TIM WONNACOTT: London Midland and Scottish, actually.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Railway stuff, hugely popular.

We could just go for one of them or you could maybe buy the two as a lot.

I mean, they're only 22 pounds each.

Which I don't think is bad.

L-N-E-R is more my home territory.

TIM WONNACOTT: Would that be Yorkshire?

Huh.

It doesn't look that old, though.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That's great for me at home, but will it sell well in Cumbria, which is North Western?

TIM WONNACOTT: Indeed.

Oh, it's Greg.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: A couple of things in the cabinet that I found.

GREG: OK. ANGUS ASHWORTH: Is, these whistles.

[BLOWS WHISTLE] Works.

22 pound on the ticket price.

I mean, I don't know what they could be individually, or potentially for the pair.

GREG: Do them 15 pounds each for you.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: 15 pounds each?

OK.

I think because I'm from the L-N-E-R region we'll have to go with that one.

TIM WONNACOTT: Both out of the blocks.

That's great.

Back to the rookie.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh, now this is interesting.

This is a fire mark.

In the early 19th century the first fire brigades were set up by insurance companies.

So if you had paid your insurance to Palladium Insurance and your house is on fire their fire brigade would come along and they saw that, yes you're a customer, they'd put the fire out.

If you were a customer of another insurance company they'd let your house burned down.

TIM WONNACOTT: Charming.

STEVEN MOORE: So it's 125, but it's a real genuine thing, and you never know, he might be in a good mood.

We'll have a check.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yeah.

Gosh.

Good luck everyone, eh.

STEVEN MOORE: Hello.

I spotted this.

It's a fire mark.

You know what it is, I'm sure.

But it's a nice early one.

The only thing I don't like about it is 125 pounds.

Could it be 60?

GREG: I can't do it for 60, I'm afraid, Steven.

STEVEN MOORE: 65?

GREG: 70 would be the lowest.

I'll take a chance.

STEVEN MOORE: I'll take a chance as well.

OK. GREG: OK?

STEVEN MOORE: 70 pounds, right.

TIM WONNACOTT: Greg certainly was in a good mood.

Two items.

100 pounds left in his pocket.

And now Angus has the run of the place.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well that's really sweet.

They've put there small ebony pot.

It looks like ebony.

But this is Irish bog oak.

TIM WONNACOTT: A rare wood, literally fossilized in an Irish bog.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: So you've got the carved shamrocks around the body and of course the harp of Ireland there.

Lovely with that tapering handle on it.

I really like that.

Very collectible.

Something somebody can have in a curio cabinet.

I mean, it's not a lot of money.

8 pounds.

I think I might take that away because I just like that.

And this.

Look at this.

All framed up this, this page.

The Newes is spelled differently from what we do now.

Number 52.

Published July 6, 1665.

Wow, you know, 350 years old, roughly.

TIM WONNACOTT: It's all about the great plague of London, which killed an estimated 100,000 people.

Early public information.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: On the back about the watchman, parishes, nursing, the sick.

So it's all to do with stopping the spread of disease.

Quite an interesting thing.

You know what?

36 pounds.

I just love that.

I love the pot.

Probably shouldn't do it, but I'm going to go for those.

TIM WONNACOTT: Looks chuffed, doesn't he?

Time to talk to you know who.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Greg?

Found a couple of old bits.

This little Irish bog oak pan.

And this, quite interesting.

My concern is obviously very prominent date.

GREG: Yep.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Relates to the plague.

GREG: Yes.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I mean it looks old.

It's got loads of wear.

There's perforation coming through the paper.

The paper looks right.

But I do wonder if these have been reprinted at some point.

So I think it's a bit of a chance.

GREG: OK ANGUS ASHWORTH: I mean you've got 36 pounds on there, 8 pounds on that, so that's 44 pounds.

GREG: OK. ANGUS ASHWORTH: What would be the best price for the two?

GREG: How about 30 for the two?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah, go on then.

Brilliant.

Thank you.

TIM WONNACOTT: And now, while Greg has a sit down, Angus departs.

Still got over 150 pounds left though.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: On to the next one.

TIM WONNACOTT: And as the Minx motors on, whither Steven?

Well he's taking a walk in the woods actually to learn about the area's association with the ancient art of archery, heading deep inside the Ettrick Forest for a meeting with local toxophilite, Doug Anderson.

DOUG ANDERSON: Archery in this area really goes back about 6,000 years.

The oldest bow, longbow ever found in mainland Britain was found about 19 miles away in the Rotten Bottom Bog, so it's been a long, long tradition.

TIM WONNACOTT: Several hundred years ago the bow and arrow was a deadly weapon of war, and without doubt the Ettrick Archers' finest hour was the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

DOUG ANDERSON: The Scottish archers basically wiped out the English archers as they were retreating, which took away England's most effective weapon on that day, and turned the tide of the battle.

TIM WONNACOTT: And now the moment he's been waiting for, an archery lesson from an expert.

DOUG ANDERSON: Pull back, keeping your arrow on your hand.

Now open your fingers.

STEVEN MOORE: What?

DOUG ANDERSON: Just fingers.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh just like-- Oh.

DOUG ANDERSON: Here we go, you fired.

STEVEN MOORE: Which one's mine?

DOUG ANDERSON: It's in the black.

TIM WONNACOTT: Good start.

Further back, further back.

Pull up, now.

Let it go.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh.

DOUG ANDERSON: That's called a [INAUDIBLE]..

It's on the board, but it's not scoring.

TIM WONNACOTT: Not bad for a novice, though.

DOUG ANDERSON: You pushed it as you let it go.

STEVEN MOORE: This is going to be the bullseye.

DOUG ANDERSON: Right?

So it's the same again.

Elbow up as you pull back.

That's it.

Now look at 4 o'clock and then let it go.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh.

DOUG ANDERSON: Improvement.

Seven.

Dead on.

STEVEN MOORE: Ooh.

DOUG ANDERSON: Shall we recover?

STEVEN MOORE: Yes.

TIM WONNACOTT: Crikey.

I think he's a natural.

Ach.

Time to travel to nearby Selkirk to find out about a recently revived archery tournament called The Silver Arrow.

No, not a romantic novel by Sir Walter Scott, although the great writer, who was also a Selkirk judge, became deeply involved with this shiny projectile.

STEVEN MOORE: Hello, I'm Steven.

How do you do?

LINDSAY NEIL: Hello.

Hi.

I'm Lindsay Neil.

Hi.

STEVEN MOORE: So I can see a silver arrow, but what's the significance to Selkirk?

LINDSAY NEIL: This was made in 1660.

These medallions here at the bottom were the first winners of the arrow, which was only for 15 years after the arrow was made.

STEVEN MOORE: So what made them decide to offer a silver arrow to the best archer?

What was the idea behind it?

LINDSAY NEIL: The idea behind it was to bring people into the town, a sort of tourist attraction you might say.

And then it was put away in a chest because everybody stopped using bows and arrows and started using firearms, so long bows and arrows were no longer the things for military weapons.

TIM WONNACOTT: Which is where, almost 150 years later, that famous local sheriff with a fascination for history comes into the story.

LINDSAY NEIL: Sir Walter Scott discovered it in the charter chest at the town.

STEVEN MOORE: He was a great one for rummaging wasn't he?

LINDSAY NEIL: He was.

And he invited his friends from the company of archers in Edinburgh to come down and shoot against the people of Ettrick Forest.

Anyway one of them won it and they took it back to Edinburgh and they hung on to it and wouldn't give it back.

It was really only when we discovered this letter here, which proved that Selkirk had commanded the making of the arrow and also that it owned the arrow.

So it's a tradition resurrected now of archery in the area.

STEVEN MOORE: And thriving today because the Silver Arrow came back to Selkirk.

LINDSAY NEIL: Yes.

TIM WONNACOTT: Hear, hear.

Now, what's the mood in the Minx?

Are we targeting victory or all of a quiver?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I think Steven, he's going to give me a run for my money.

I think I'm going to have a tough trip on my hands.

But I mean I've still got 155 pounds, which is bags of cash.

So I'm still got a lot of options when it comes to buying something in the next shop.

TIM WONNACOTT: I think I'd call that cautious optimism.

Plus the sun shining all the way to Inner Leithen.

And keepsakes.

Not too close.

Straighten the wheel.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That's how you reverse park a classic.

TIM WONNACOTT: Right.

Sounds like that maneuver's perked up morale no end.

Just needs to find his bearings.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: What on earth is that?

F-A-G Germany.

It's like a-- Oh, it's a bearing.

TIM WONNACOTT: Who writes this stuff?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That is quite funky as a desk piece.

TIM WONNACOTT: Bit like a Rubik's cube.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It's quirky, it's different.

That's what I'm always saying I'm after.

No price ticket on it.

I think that's worth finding out because that's really quite cool.

TIM WONNACOTT: Wunderbar.

[SPEAKING GERMAN] ANGUS ASHWORTH: Lots of interesting things in here.

Military badges, which are very me.

But what I've seen in this corner, there's a few tokens.

This one's lovely, 1812.

So it might have been a bridge token.

So you would buy a token like a yearly pass and that would enable you to cross the bridge.

We've got various ones here.

This one's particularly nice, Robertson's Carlisle.

Carlisle's in Cumbria.

You know where our next auction is, Cumbria.

A local interest, ah brilliant.

And that one, that's a rare one.

New Haven Fish Market token.

I think they're a winner.

TIM WONNACOTT: Margaret's in charge around here.

Hi, Mags.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I found a few bits which I knew I would because lots of interesting things in here.

One is this bearing, which is kind of cool, but not quite sure what I'd do with it.

And then I found this nice little group of tokens and-- Oh!

Just before you, you give me a really nice price, can I have a look at that whistle?

I just spotted that.

Because I bought a whistle exactly the same pattern as that earlier today, only on closer inspection I actually think it's a later copy.

So I could redeem myself and put that with my not so good whistle, so you got a good one and a bad one.

So what's the very best prices on those?

My name is Angus which is kind of Scottish, if that helps.

TIM WONNACOTT: Take no notice.

He's from Yorkshire, as if we didn't all know that.

MARGARET: Well, what should we say?

45, maybe?

45 on these?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Right.

MARGARET: So that would come to 90.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: So 45, 45.

MARGARET: Yeah.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: And the whistle?

MARGARET: Umm.

Well, what about a round 100?

That'd be ten for the whistle.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: And if I just took the tokens and the whistle?

MARGARET: Say 60?

TIM WONNACOTT: So a wee bit more if he just takes two.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I like that, but I love the tokens.

Definitely want the whistle.

So I'll take those two at 60.

MARGARET: OK. ANGUS ASHWORTH: Thank you very much.

MARGARET: OK. ANGUS ASHWORTH: Lovely.

Thank you.

MARGARET: Thanks.

TIM WONNACOTT: I think that's the final whistle for today, well shopping-wise anyway.

Because he's off now to collect Steven back in the forest, practicing.

DOUG ANDERSON: Aim down a bit, down a bit.

Now let go.

Off to the right.

TIM WONNACOTT: Hello.

Robin Hood approaches.

A bit of a tournament coming up.

DOUG ANDERSON: Right.

I think you're probably ready to meet your competition, as long as he's not shot before.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well he was in the Army.

More about bullets than arrows these days, though, we assume.

Here we go, look.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Oh, my word.

You shot that?

Right.

STEVEN MOORE: No pressure.

TIM WONNACOTT: Whoops.

STEVEN MOORE: Bull's eye.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, he is a very good parallel parker, at least.

Look at that.

STEVEN MOORE: Aww.

I say-- ANGUS ASHWORTH: Just lulling you into a false sense of security.

STEVEN MOORE: I see what your game is, sir.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: The game is on.

TIM WONNACOTT: I think our road trip just acquired an edge.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: [COUGHS] Oh.

Oh.

Unlucky.

Unlucky.

STEVEN MOORE: Well there we are.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Thank you.

I mean, I think you narrowly won that, but then you did have a fair bit of practice, didn't you?

STEVEN MOORE: Well I'll charge you a small shandy tonight, how about that.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Wonderful.

Let's go.

STEVEN MOORE: Brilliant.

TIM WONNACOTT: Night, knight.

Get it?

Today they'll be seeing something of what lies south of the border.

Plus it seems that the Minx has already been christened.

STEVEN MOORE: Come on, Betty.

You're struggling a bit here.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Come on, Lass.

STEVEN MOORE: Giddy-up, Betty.

TIM WONNACOTT: He clearly knows how to coax the best out of a classic car.

Got off to a solid start yesterday, too, acquiring a Chinese enamel box and a fire insurance badge, as you do.

STEVEN MOORE: If you were a customer of another insurance company they'd let your house burn down.

TIM WONNACOTT: Leaving 100 pounds in his wallet.

While Angus splashed out on some tokens, a historic newspaper, a bog oak pan, and not one, but two train whistles.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: [BLOWS WHISTLE] Works.

TIM WONNACOTT: And still has 95 left for his purchases today.

Now what do these straight roads remind you of?

STEVEN MOORE: So it's all about losing the archery competition?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah, well I just, you know, I didn't want to, your first day and everything, I just thought it'd be nice to-- TIM WONNACOTT: Rubbish.

Later they'll be off to the auction in the Lake District but our very first target today is in the village of Powburn, Northumberland, where having said Cheerio to his chum, Steven gets to have a whole shop all to himself.

STEVEN MOORE: Who knows what we're going to find today?

TIM WONNACOTT: You can just tell he's incredibly excited.

STEVEN MOORE: I quite like this little concrete doghouse.

I may have to see how much that is.

TIM WONNACOTT: Woof, woof, eh?

Still got an awful lot of money left.

STEVEN MOORE: This collection of decanters, I love decanters.

But when you look at them, you know, that one's got the wrong stopper.

That one's clearly the wrong stopper, that doesn't fit.

But this one here is a nice decanter.

It's really good quality.

It's obviously not for wine.

It's a spirit decanter, whiskey or brandy.

It's good quality.

It's 10 pounds.

That's dirt cheap.

TIM WONNACOTT: No laugh.

STEVEN MOORE: This isn't a bad thing.

It's an Eastern European hand-painted tray, very decorative.

It has got a crack.

Sometimes it's quite good when you're looking at the front of something always look at the back, because there you can see the crack is obvious.

When you're looking at the front the crack is not nearly so obvious.

So that's why people are always picking stuff up.

Because you've got to really make an assessment of what it is because it's your money you're spending.

But in the antiques world crack is whack.

TIM WONNACOTT: Crack is what?

Ooh.

Hello.

Back outside.

STEVEN MOORE: You know, I quite like this.

It's, it's weird and a bit quirky.

I mean, is it actually a doghouse?

Is it a rabbit hutch?

It's better as a dog house.

I don't know how old it is.

It's certainly got age to it.

It could be 50, 60-year-old.

TIM WONNACOTT: For the mid-century mutt, eh?

Time to talk to Ian.

STEVEN MOORE: How much is it?

IAN: It's 100 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: Doggone.

That is exactly what I have left.

IAN: Well I could move on it for you.

STEVEN MOORE: OK. By a lot?

IAN: The very, very best I could do that for 60 pounds for you.

STEVEN MOORE: 60 pounds?

TIM WONNACOTT: Well amazingly he hasn't said no.

Look at that hole in the roof.

STEVEN MOORE: Can you not sell it for the next five, 10 minutes?

And I'll have a think about it.

IAN: Absolutely.

STEVEN MOORE: OK let's have a look at some more stuff.

IAN: Come on, let's have a look.

STEVEN MOORE: Thank you TIM WONNACOTT: Look, there's nobody there.

He hasn't sold it for the last 10 years.

He's not going to sell it in the next 10 minutes.

That decanter, that's a different job.

STEVEN MOORE: Ian.

IAN: Mm-hmm?

STEVEN MOORE: I think I'm going to go for this.

It's only 10 pounds.

IAN: Mm-hmm.

STEVEN MOORE: But I just think it's a really smart thing.

IAN: It's nice.

STEVEN MOORE: Decanters are so undervalued.

IAN: They are.

STEVEN MOORE: You couldn't even buy whiskey for 10 pounds.

IAN: You couldn't.

It's very nice.

STEVEN MOORE: And I still got to think about that doghouse.

IAN: Have you?

STEVEN MOORE: 60 is the absolute death?

IAN: Mm-hmm.

Bargain.

STEVEN MOORE: It's cracked.

It's all-- IAN: It's aged.

STEVEN MOORE: I mean, is it legal to put a dog in it?

IAN: Well I don't know how you'd got a dog in it.

STEVEN MOORE: You know what?

I'm going to go for it.

IAN: Excellent.

TIM WONNACOTT: Sold.

Looks pleased, doesn't it?

STEVEN MOORE: I think someone else can deal with that.

TIM WONNACOTT: Cruel master.

Now, while Steven makes his way to the next shop, with just 30 pounds left-- STEVEN MOORE: Well that's almost all of my budget blown.

TIM WONNACOTT: Quite.

Let's catch up with his rival back up in the Scottish countryside without a cash register in sight, just outside the town of Hawick at Stobs Camp, the now abandoned former military facility which is revealing its secrets to a team of archaeologists.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Another nice Scottish sunny day.

ANDREW JEPSON: Absolutely.

TIM WONNACOTT: Andrew Jepson has been here studying the camp for three years.

ANDREW JEPSON: This was acquired by the war department in 1902 because of the effects of the Boer War in South Africa.

Soldiers on the battlefield there were not used to the trench warfare so 20,000 soldiers came here to train, usually here for maybe two to six weeks.

We know of one maneuver alone when they were training here that they would have a mock battle with 11,000 men in one event.

They weren't in permanent buildings at that point.

They were in Bell Tents.

So the tents are across the whole of this landscape.

As far as the eye could see you would see Bell Tents.

TIM WONNACOTT: Some of the permanent construction from the early years still survives, like this drying hut for soggy uniforms.

But most of the buildings came about at the beginning of World War One, when Stobs took on a new role.

ANDREW JEPSON: We suddenly start to bring prisoners here.

And the first prisoners that arrived are German civilians.

So they are people that are living in the UK or they're taken off ships that are close to British ports and they're interned in this camp.

So this is what the camp would have looked like.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: What's that road there that we can see?

Is that there?

Oh I can see.

Yeah.

And that's the foundations for those ones there.

IAN: And in between that we've got all these ancillary buildings.

We've got cook houses, bath houses.

And each one of those would have been surrounded by triple barbed wire fencing.

And then very early in 1915 we start to see the first German military soldiers arriving, being captured from the Western Front.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

ANDREW JEPSON: We've got sailors and soldiers being brought here.

In total about 4 and 1/2 to 5,000 internees here.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: What was life like?

I mean, what was life in the huts like?

ANDREW JEPSON: It's going to be cramped, day after day the same thing.

So it's a tough time.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: As the war ground on with no end in sight and very little prospect of escape from this bleak spot the men soon rallied and found ways of carrying on a semblance of normal life.

ANDREW JEPSON: They have stage productions here.

They put on plays for themselves.

They write their own newspaper called "Stobsiade" and it's written here and printed in Hawick.

They've got schools here.

They have a library here.

They have gymnastics and sports competitions.

They make furniture.

They make toys, and they're selling those to the locals and to the British guards.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: There must have been a few deaths in the camp while they were here?

ANDREW JEPSON: Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

And we've been doing some work to remember them.

So let me show you.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: OK. TIM WONNACOTT: Although Stobs Camp returned to its original purpose in 1919 volunteers have been hard at work restoring the cemetery.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Why is this so important?

ANDREW JEPSON: The stone seats and the steps and the memorial were built by the German prisoners.

People come here and pay their respects all the time.

So it's really important for us to remember.

TIM WONNACOTT: To our comrades who died far from home, former enemies, now friends.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the border who is that mysterious dapper gent at the wheel of the Minx?

Mafia?

STEVEN MOORE: Well I think I could get quite used to this.

I haven't driven for six years.

I've never driven a classic car.

Betty is the first classic car I've driven.

I quite like Betty.

It's a love affair.

It's started to rain, but you know what?

We Geordies are made of tough stuff.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yes.

I expect he'll have his stripy top off in no time.

So watch out inhabitants of Ford, and customers at the Old Dairy.

Our Geordie is coming.

STEVEN MOORE: Ooh.

Champagne bar.

Perfect.

TIM WONNACOTT: Let's just keep it on ice until your remaining 30 pounds have been put to good use, eh?

Good Lord.

Look at that lot.

STEVEN MOORE: This is something familiar.

I actually started collecting bottles.

That was the first thing that got me into antiques.

I suppose it's because of these I'm here today.

And this is a cod bottle.

If you heard of the expression "codswallop" cod bottles were sparkling mineral water bottles.

So the pressure of the water held the marble in place and you pushed the marble down and poured the water out.

It was part of the temperance movement so it was described as codswallop.

It wasn't alcohol in other words.

TIM WONNACOTT: Looks like he's going to be busy with those for a while.

So why don't we focus instead on Angus' last retail location.

Any guesses?

Yep.

He's come to Kelso, where the great Scottish engineer John Rennie designed the bridge over the Tweed.

Ahh.

Look, there he goes.

Got 95 pounds left.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Hello.

How are you doing?

Angus.

TOM: I'm Tom.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Tom, lovely to meet you.

TOM: Yes, same here.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Nice little shop you've got.

TOM: It's nice and compact.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That's good.

Small's good.

Small's good.

TIM WONNACOTT: Small's beautiful.

Who said that?

A German economist, actually.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: This is interesting.

This is General Headquarters, British Armies in France.

And this is probably World War One it's relating to.

It's a little noted from the front basically thanking somebody for donations of eggs to the wounded in the hospitals.

So what a lovely, interesting little snippet of history from the First World War.

I mean that's just lovely.

I can't see a price on it.

The signature looks like Haig.

Well of course there was a famous General Haig.

I don't know if it's him but I mean that would be nice if it was.

That is very interesting.

TIM WONNACOTT: Now, what about down south?

What can we afford in Ford?

STEVEN MOORE: This is a little what we call a sweet meat jar.

It's Georgian, it's about 1820, and it's in really good condition.

When you're looking at any kind of antique object you're not just using your eyes you're using all of your senses.

So I can already feel in my finger it's got a good weight to it.

That's the kind of thing you want to look for for something that's quality.

I know it sounds crazy, but a badly made thing will feel too light.

TIM WONNACOTT: If you didn't know sweet meats are just sweets.

STEVEN MOORE: Using your fingers, you can feel this has been cut.

But also there is a little chip and that's kind of normal because somebody has been putting the lid on for 200 years.

So apart from a few little chips this is in really good condition for a piece of glass, fragile, 200-years-old.

Actually it's 14 pounds.

This is an antique I can afford.

Do I buy it?

TIM WONNACOTT: Well whyever not, old bean?

STEVEN MOORE: Keith, I love this little Georgian sweet meat jar.

KEITH: Aha.

Isn't it nice?

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah, and it's only 14 pound.

I think that's quite cheap.

I shouldn't say that to you maybe but I'm going to take that because it's the real article, and it leaves me with some money.

TIM WONNACOTT: Sweet meats sorted.

That's his last little purchase made.

Time to fire up Betty and pick up his compadre, by the Tweed, in Kelso.

Got that little letter put by?

Oh, yes.

Anything else?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: This looks interesting at the back.

I always like things that would sit nicely on a desk for some reason, not that my desk at work has any nice things on it.

There we go.

No need for batteries.

We've got this lovely calendar there with a silver hallmarks mount.

Yep.

There we go.

Birmingham S.A mark there, with the anchor.

And then you've got these little bits on the top so you can change the, the month, and the date set as well.

TIM WONNACOTT: Known as a perpetual calendar, 1932.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well, that is a good decorative piece and still fairly usable.

48 pounds ticket price.

That's not bad.

Yep, the frame is not pristine but that is a very strong contender.

I think we'll have to go see what we can do on that.

TIM WONNACOTT: Over to Tom.

Tom Tom.

Where are you?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Hello.

TOM: Oh.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I found a couple of bits.

TOM: Jolly good.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That hasn't got a price on it, the note.

TOM: That's very remiss of me.

Yes.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yes is it free or-- TOM: Oh, dear.

Only the air is free in the shop.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That's very generous of you.

TOM: I'd be looking for what?

30.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: 30 on that.

TOM: Yeah.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: OK. And-- TOM: And this?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

TOM: How about 38 on that?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: 38 on that.

And is that the absolute?

TOM: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Breathe that free air.

We couldn't do, like 35?

Keep it to notes rather than loose change.

TOM: Oh, yeah.

Right.

OK. Make it 35.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Thank you very much.

Very kind of you.

TIM WONNACOTT: Bingo.

Thanks, Tom.

And that's him shopped up now, too.

Time to get to you know where.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Looking forward to the first auction?

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah.

I love auctions.

It's kind of that, from the smell of bacon and coffee in the morning and then the smell of despair when your lots don't sell.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: So sum up for me in like three words how this road trip's been for you so far.

STEVEN MOORE: Really bloody marvelous.

Can I say that?

TIM WONNACOTT: I think you just did.

Shuteye, please.

Looks like a glorious day in Cumbria.

After making off from Melrose our chaps have shopped on both sides of the border before heading southwest towards the Lake District and Crooklands at 1818 auctioneers.

Yep.

It does mean they've been in business over 200 years.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Here we are, our first auction.

Are you excited?

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah I am a bit.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah, I mean I see they've put your doghouse by the bin.

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah, it adds a touch of class, I think.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: After you, Steven.

STEVEN MOORE: You're a gentleman.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well apart from the concrete doghouse-- Great name for a band, don't you think?

Steven acquired four other lots, spending a total of 184 pounds in the process.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Ahh.

I recognize this.

TIM WONNACOTT: Me too.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I did have a look at it and thought, that's nice.

Pressed tin.

I looked at it and thought, hmm, the ticket price was quite a bit.

Steven's managed to negotiate it down to 70 pounds so he's done very well there.

We'll see if I regret not buying it later.

TIM WONNACOTT: Indeed.

But what about what you did buy?

Five lots in all for 140 pounds.

STEVEN MOORE: Now Angus is kind of rubbing it in because apparently he bought this right under my nose in the first room of the third shop I went to.

I was obviously distracted by one of the many things I'll be making a load of money on, who knows?

It's a nice thing and that's something I would have bought myself.

TIM WONNACOTT: Regrets?

One or two.

What does auctioneer Kevin Kendall consider to be classy?

KEVIN KENDALL: We've got an enameled box, possibly 19th century, although they are very difficult to put a date on.

I'm expecting it to do OK, although they're not as popular as they once were.

This is a newspaper cutting that's been framed up.

Important piece of history, really.

Dates back to 1665.

Double framed as well.

So you've got the information on both sides and I imagine there's very few of these have survived.

TIM WONNACOTT: Here they come, not a care in the world by the look of it.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: You look to be oozing confidence.

STEVEN MOORE: Absolutely.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Good.

Good.

STEVEN MOORE: As long as the mask doesn't fall we'll be fine.

TIM WONNACOTT: Don't drop that sweet meat jar, either.

Steven's initial sortie.

KEVIN KENDALL: Start at 8.

8 pounds bid.

8 pounds bid then.

8 bid.

8 bid.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Cumbria's perhaps not the sweetmeat capital.

KEVIN KENDALL: 8 pounds, 10 now, 10 bid.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: 10.

Internet's coming in.

You're all right.

Internet's saving you.

KEVIN KENDALL: 10 pounds.

If you're all done I'm going to sell away.

All done at 10.

Internet buyer.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh.

OK. ANGUS ASHWORTH: Not too much of a loss, though.

TIM WONNACOTT: Certainly not.

A bit of a shame, though.

STEVEN MOORE: That's 200-years old.

It's handmade.

And it sold for 10 pounds.

TIM WONNACOTT: Angus's whistles.

One old, one probably not.

Both work though.

KEVIN KENDALL: Five pounds only.

5 pounds bid.

5 bid.

5 bid.

5 bid.

Six.

10 now.

10 bid.

10 bid.

10 bid.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: 30 the pair.

KEVIN KENDALL: 10 the bid standing.

10 pounds and selling at 10.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Told you I'd lose money on them.

TIM WONNACOTT: Well, you got that right Angus.

I just wanted to give you, you know, your first auction to give you a chance.

STEVEN MOORE: That was very generous.

TIM WONNACOTT: Steven's biggest spend next, his fire insurance badge, admired by Angus.

KEVIN KENDALL: 25 only.

25.

28.

30 bid.

30 bid.

STEVEN MOORE: Ooh.

KEVIN KENDALL: I'll take it [INAUDIBLE] if you like.

STEVEN MOORE: It's only 40 pounds away.

KEVIN KENDALL: 30 pounds only.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: [INAUDIBLE] still climbing.

35.

KEVIN KENDALL: 35.

35.

35 pounds.

Eight anywhere?

At 35.

Internet buyer.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Unlucky.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yes.

Keep on buying nice things and at some point they'll ensure you make a profit.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It didn't pay out for you, did it?

STEVEN MOORE: No it didn't.

TIM WONNACOTT: Extra, extra, read all about it.

Angus is very old news.

KEVIN KENDALL: Start me 10, then.

10 pounds bid.

Thank you.

10 pounds bid.

10 bid.

10 bid.

12?

Go on, 15?

12 bid.

12 bid.

12 pounds.

Going for the last time, they're going to sell away at 12.

STEVEN MOORE: I'm sorry.

No headline news for you.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: No.

TIM WONNACOTT: Oh well.

Beats having the bubonic plague, at least.

I've never said that before.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I just bought it because I thought it was interesting.

STEVEN MOORE: And Steven bought this decanter because he really likes decanters.

Plus, it was cheap.

KEVIN KENDALL: I've got 8, 10, 12 now on the internet.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That is incredible.

KEVIN KENDALL: 12 pounds good on the internet.

12 pounds bid.

12 bid.

12 bid.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well, that's a good price for a decanter.

KEVIN KENDALL: 15 anywhere?

I've got 12 on the internet.

I'm going to sell it.

It's here to sell at 12.

Internet buyer.

STEVEN MOORE: We live to sell another day.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: First profit of the trip.

Here's to many more.

STEVEN MOORE: Beginner's luck.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Hardly.

Over to Angus.

Can his calendar cross the profit Rubicon?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: You heard about the person who stole the calendar, didn't you?

STEVEN MOORE: No.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Got 12 months.

STEVEN MOORE: Oh, dear.

KEVIN KENDALL: 20 bid.

22.

22.

22.

Is that 5 standing?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: He needs to create a bit more.

KEVIN KENDALL: 25.

28.

STEVEN MOORE: You're so close.

KEVIN KENDALL: 28.

28.

28 and selling.

All done at 28.

30 online.

32.

32.

32.

Done at 32.

STEVEN MOORE: And it's a loss.

I'm so sorry.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: You don't mean that.

TIM WONNACOTT: I do.

It came so close.

Lost on penalties.

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah, the condition was a little bit-- ANGUS ASHWORTH: OK.

Thank you, Steven, yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: Now, live from the car park.

Bow wow brutalism.

KEVIN KENDALL: 15 if you like.

10 pounds.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I think you might have to take five.

KEVIN KENDALL: I will take 5 if I really have to.

I don't really want to.

STEVEN MOORE: Go on, it's lovely.

KEVIN KENDALL: 5 pounds?

STEVEN MOORE: It's rustic.

KEVIN KENDALL: 5 pounds?

Thank you.

5 pounds bid.

TIM WONNACOTT: Whew.

KEVIN KENDALL: It's good for your backs, though.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: That is so kind of you.

KEVIN KENDALL: 5 bid.

5 pounds and I'm selling this time then at 5.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: [STIFLING LAUGHTER] TIM WONNACOTT: A bit of a flop for him.

But a nice little fixer upper for some lucky hound.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I mean it was different.

I mean-- TIM WONNACOTT: Token time.

Can they be cashed in for Angus' first profit of the day?

KEVIN KENDALL: Are you going to start me then?

10 pounds, thank you sir.

10 pounds bid.

15.

15 bid.

15 bid.

A little bit more if we can anywhere.

15.

STEVEN MOORE: You're only 30 away.

KEVIN KENDALL: --to be all done at 15.

18.

20.

22.

25.

25.

STEVEN MOORE: The collectors arrived.

KEVIN KENDALL: 25.

Done then at 25.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I've slipped further than that.

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah.

I'm sorry about that.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yes.

Do please keep buying interesting stuff.

STEVEN MOORE: They were good period things and they should have made more money.

TIM WONNACOTT: Steven's final lot, the Chinese bat box.

15.

18.

20.

30.

40.

45.

55.

60 online now.

60 pounds bid.

65.

70.

70 bid.

Is that a 5 at the back?

75.

80.

80 now.

80 bid.

80 bid.

Got 80 pounds on the internet.

I'm going to sell away-- ANGUS ASHWORTH: Good profit.

KEVIN KENDALL: --at 80.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: There you go.

50 pound profit.

TIM WONNACOTT: Hurrah.

See, it can be done.

STEVEN MOORE: Get in.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Yeah.

TIM WONNACOTT: And now, Angus' last chance to make a profit.

His bog oak thingamy.

KEVIN KENDALL: I'll take 10 for a start.

It's easier to sell.

10 pounds bid now.

10 bid.

10 bid.

10 bid.

12.

15.

I'll take 18.

18 now.

18 bid.

Good ma'am.

18 bid.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Round it up to 20 [INAUDIBLE] KEVIN KENDALL: 18 pounds at the back of the room.

I'm going to sell at 18.

STEVEN MOORE: I'm-- ANGUS ASHWORTH: It's a profit.

STEVEN MOORE: It's a profit.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: It's a profit.

STEVEN MOORE: I'm amazed it didn't make more money.

TIM WONNACOTT: It's been that sort of day, Steven.

Going to be close though.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well, come on.

Let's go see what we've done.

STEVEN MOORE: Yeah, exactly.

Let's get out of this place.

TIM WONNACOTT: OK. We've done our sums and the results are as follows.

Newbie Steven started out with 200 pounds and after auction costs he made a bit of a loss.

So he now has 132 pounds and 44 pence.

While Angus, who began with the same sum, made a slightly smaller loss, also after costs.

Which leaves him just 7 pounds ahead with 139 pounds and 54 p. ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well, neither of us did that well, but-- STEVEN MOORE: No, we're kind of neck and neck.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: I just want to thank you so much.

STEVEN MOORE: What for?

ANGUS ASHWORTH: For buying that dog house.

That saved me.

But-- STEVEN MOORE: The good thing is, the dealer who sold it to me is really happy.

ANGUS ASHWORTH: Well, first auction down.

Let's get to the next one.

STEVEN MOORE: Excellent.

Come on.

TIM WONNACOTT: Yes.

Let's.

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