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Private Notes
Charles Hanson and James Braxton search out antiques in Oxfordshire, on their third adventure together. One of them finds a piece of jewellery that could be very valuable indeed.
Charles Hanson is excited to discover a very rare table. His rival, James Braxton, puts his antiques hunt on hold to visit a medieval vineyard in Bedfordshire. Cheers!
It’s the halfway point of Charles Hanson and James Braxton’s epic journey around southern England. Today, our experienced road trippers, auctioneers and chums will start shopping in Suffolk before ending up on the Kent coast at Chatham. But whose buys will make the most profit at auction?
Each expert takes to the road in his own classic car to fill with treasure. Charles gambles a huge sum of money on a 200-year-old oil painting, whereas James decides to play it safe, picking up an antique with local provenance. These different tactics may well decide this leg’s winner.
The two antiquers also discover how the pagan ancient Egyptian corn dolly became a Christian East Anglian institution, and they get a short lesson in the history of yoga (including the bit about goats).
Auctioneer Charles Hanson and fellow gavel basher James Braxton are back on the road, navigating their way around Kent in a 1950s MG and a 1960s Austin Healey.
Expect fruit, lots of fruit! Well, it is the Garden of England after all. Plus, in Gillingham, the restored paddle steamer they call the Heroine of Dunkirk.
Our treasure seekers remain true to form, with ‘Bamboo Braxton’ finding an unusual Japanese artefact made from just that material. Charles, the self-proclaimed Road Trip 'dandy', is drawn to some Georgian sugar nips. All of which makes for a very exciting auction in Essex.
It’s the last leg with expert gavel bashers Charles Hanson and James Braxton. This is the final opportunity for both experts to find the most profitable antiques, and James is determined to take his first Road Trip victory.
The open road has somehow brought them, in their classic cars, all the way south to Hampshire. James is drawn to an exotic alcohol container, while Charles’s eye lands on an unusual pocket watch stand, but whose treasure trove will be worth a king’s ransom at the final auction? And who will be crowned the week's winner?
Along the way, Charles’s struggles with the art of signwriting, and James meets a little owl.
A new antiques adventure sets off with good pals Natasha Raskin Sharp and Margie Cooper. Behind the wheel of their 1960,s motor they start out in the west of Scotland, en route to an auction in Dumfries.
Their trip through bonnie Scotland inspires some local purchases. A model of a Scottish terrier intrigues one expert, while their rival plumps for a Robert Burns-themed object. Which will attract the most bids?
Along the way, the two antiquers take a break from their shopping to uncover the secret recipe of a nation’s favourite dish, and they slip into armour to re-enact a famous battle.
Antiques experts Margie Cooper and Natasha Raskin Sharp are on the second leg of their tightly fought trip. It’s a Caledonian canter in a classic coupé, as our pair hit the shops looking for goodies to sell at auction.
While Margie goes all mushy for a vintage monkey pyjama case, Natasha takes a chance with a rare piece of Victoriana. There’s also a bit of sightseeing along the way as Natasha hones her boat-building skills and Margie seeks the stars in the darkest of dark skies.
As the rain lashes against the windscreen, our competitors get all cosy and chatty in the car, but will they stay that way when their items cross the border into Leicestershire, headed for the auction?
It’s the third leg of the antiques odyssey of dealer Margie Cooper and auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp. Touring around the Lake District, Natasha is behind the wheel of the smooth and sassy 1960s Mercedes motor, while Margie ends up on a pushbike!
Natasha discovers a musical secret hidden in the shadow of Skiddaw, while for Margie it’s the very essence of the Lake District, the freshwater upon which it thrives, that takes centre stage. It’s a tight-run race for auction glory as Natasha falls for a rare piece of Edwardian silver and Margie gets creative with two arty items.
Who will come out in front when their goodies go under the hammer in Lichfield?
It’s the fourth leg of the trip for antiques dealer Margie Cooper and auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp, and Lancashire is their destination.
Natasha ends up on two wheels and resorts to pedal power, while Margie swaps the 1960s convertible classic car for an 80-year-old fire engine. In a break from shopping, Natasha explores an underground world hidden beneath a suburb of Liverpool and tries to find out why it exists.
With antiques in pewter, mahogany, silver and cast iron - and such a closely run contest thus far - which item will win the day and take one of our experts into the lead?
It’s the last leg of the trip for antiques dealer Margie Cooper and auctioneer Natasha Raskin Sharp. It has been a close battle, so can either of them pull ahead as they go searching for antiques in the dales of Derbyshire? Maybe Margie can, as she has bagged the classic car, leaving Natasha puffing up the hills in her wake on a pushbike!
They both shop until they drop, buying everything from delicate glassware to hearty rustic pieces, with an animal-shaped cocktail shaker thrown into the mix. Along the way, Margie explores a world of splendour in an historic 550-acre garden, tucked away in a very surprising location. And Natasha discovers a renowned artist whose intricate and breathtaking paintings and drawings illuminated the spirit of the age in which he lived.
As the contest comes to an end and our companionable chums reach for the tissues, who will be glorious in victory at the final auction of the trip?
Road Trip favourite Phil Serrell takes on antiques whipper-snapper Tim Medhurst on an adventure on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall, travelling in a fine 1970s convertible.
Phil shows his brawn with a couple of shot puts before tackling some hedgerows with a billhook, while Tim fancies himself a winner on the fairway with an Edwardian golfer’s ashtray. Phil gets involved with a small army of soldiers, but Tim is keen on militaria too, and he lands a collectable from the First World War.
In Berwick-upon-Tweed, Tim tries to get a hinny to sing, but whose praises will be sung at the auction in Edinburgh?
Phil Serrell and Timothy Medhurst continue their road trip in Scotland behind the wheel of a 1970s convertible.
Phil discovers some gastronomic treats in Perthshire, including a fine scone in Scone, the rejuvenating properties of a tea brewed from the leaves of the birch tree, and some tasty tree sap. Tim, meanwhile, turns Jacobite and leads a one-man highland charge at Killiecrankie, where redcoats turned tail in the battle of 1689. And while searching for a fresh batch of antiques, our ‘lad o’ pairts’ shows off his keyboard skills on an antique piano, in a way perhaps not intended by Beethoven.
Who will have the biggest bag of groats when their Scottish purchases are sold for pounds sterling in Worcestershire?
Tim Medhurst and Phil Serrell are touring the byways and waterways of the Cotswolds. But while Tim is in the sporty motor, Phil is on the slow boat. Moneybags Tim tries to maintain his lead by investing in some eclectic choices: a brass top hat, a French marriage globe and a travelling font, which may or may not add blessings to his already stuffed pockets.
Phil is aiming to strike back at auction with some Chinese rice paintings and an old porthole, thrown in for free. Travelling on foot and by narrowboat, he may look slow, but is he catching up?
Tim comes over all Olympic-cyclist with the lycra, looking more and more at home on his bike. Former PE teacher Phil takes a break from driving the old Triumph to walk through the treetops at the national arboretum - a challenge for a man with vertigo!
Making their way through Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, coin expert Tim is excited by a Victorian half crown, while Phil is positively overjoyed when he secures a chair made for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969. Our experts enjoy a little sunshine, and Tim even goes foraging in the fields with a herbalist. At an al fresco breakfast, the bacon rolls are on Phil, but who will have egg on his face at auction?
Phil and Tim are in Wales for their last leg, but there’s no saying who is on their last legs as we reach the end of this epic - they both set out with bags of cash from their previous successes. As the rain sets in, Phil is a sight to behold in his waterproof poncho on the bike, and Tim takes a soaking while putting the roof on the convertible classic car. Just as the weather isn’t playing ball, Phil isn’t playing Welsh handball either, though he does visit the last court of its kind in Wales.
Meanwhile, Tim gets a taste of the national dish, Welsh rarebit, and discovers it’s more than just cheese on toast. Phil gets carried away by traditional Welsh country antiques - and then risks a hernia carrying a grandfather clock. Tim splashes out on some fine silver and takes his chances on three very old Chinese plates. Who will be first over the finishing line?
It’s a brand new trip and there’s a brand new expert. The newbie is London-based porcelain dealer Serhat Ahmet, who joins a doyenne of the road trip, Christina Trevanion, for a jaunt around the antiques emporia of Wales and the Midlands. They kick off in north Wales in their rather glamorous Porsche Speedster.
It’s all uncharted territory for Serhat as he gets his hands on a conveyance for dollies and one piece of pottery that has Christina a little jealous. But she manages a scoop of her own, picking up a last-minute purchase that might be a lot older and a lot more valuable than it first appears.
On their travels, Serhat takes a trip to a particularly famous village that brings a touch of the Italian Riviera to the west coast of Wales, while Christina heads to the Isle of Anglesey to discover how an ancient method of making a commonplace culinary ingredient has made a comeback on the coast.
Then it’s off to auction in Bolton to find out if Serhat’s nerves can handle the excitement.
We’re on the road again with antiques aficionados Christina Trevanion and Serhat Ahmet, for a wander round the West Midlands and the Black Country. And there’s a new addition to the Road Trip convoy - a very robust Series One Land Rover. Not as nippy as the Porsche Speedster but better over the bumps.
Both experts decide to play to their strengths this time out. Porcelain dealer Serhat gets his paws on a lot of ceramics while Christina goes a bundle on one of her favourites: jewellery. Along the way there are some spooky portraits, the obligatory top hat try-on, not to mention a spot of off-roading.
Taking a break from shopping, Christina heads to a very fine garden to discover the fascinating history of how the Tudors kept themselves clean. Serhat takes a canal journey that leads him back to the Industrial Revolution and deep underground to find out about the practice of 'legging'. Then it’s off to the auction for their purchases to see if Serhat can hold on to his lead or if Christina will put the new recruit back in his place.
We’re at the halfway point of our antiques odyssey with experts Serhat Ahmet and Christina Trevanion. They’re travelling north to south down the backbone of England, from Sheffield to Coventry, one by Land Rover and one by Speedster. This time out, our pair decide to push their boundaries.
Porcelain dealer Serhat turns his back on his usual pots and goes in search of shinier things. Jewellery aficionado Christina tries to steer clear of sparkly items and almost succeeds. However, she does manage to get her hands on one very large and very brown item. There’s also dangerous furniture, the obligatory antiques shop dog and a spot of ventriloquism.
In between the shopping, Christina meets two of the fastest men alive and comes face to face with their incredible high-speed vehicles, while Serhat heads off to discover a designer you have probably never heard of but who single-handedly changed the look of the British street.
As all of their goodies head off to auction, there are a few close calls for one of our experts, and something worse for the other.
We’re out in the fresh air once again with country girl Christina Trevanion and city boy Serhat Ahmet. Bristol and Gloucestershire are their stomping grounds this time out, and while the country roads offer no challenges for Christina’s Land Rover, it’s a different story for Serhat’s Porsche.
On this leg of the trip there is plenty of foraging, and not just in the shops. Serhat goes gaga for glass and hankers after various bits of Arts and Crafts metalware. Christina gets an offer she can’t refuse as one shopkeeper gives her a very good but very threatening deal. She also causes chaos trying to get her hands on possibly the largest item ever on the Antiques Road Trip.
Serhat’s glass obsession continues as he visits the home of the iconic Bristol Blue glassware, where he gets to try his hand at a spot of glass blowing, with mixed results. Meanwhile, Christina heads to the farm to get down and dirty with some of Gloucestershire’s most famous but endangered porcine inhabitants. As the auction draws near, can Christina hold on to her lead, or will Serhat pull it back from the edge?
It’s the last outing for our travelling twosome, Serhat Ahmet and Christina Trevanion, on a whistle-stop tour around south Wales. They battle each other and the elements as 'Storm Christina' hits, so it’s roof-up time in the Porsche and, as Serhat takes to two wheels, time to pop on a poncho.
There’s a mad dash around the shops for our two as Serhat tries to eke out his tiny budget, while Christina struggles to blow all of her money. They look at baths, buckets and big sticks to try to turn a profit at the auction. And there’s still time for them to brush up on their circus skills.
Serhat follows in the footsteps of two brothers who discovered a whole underground world beneath their farmland, and a trip to a spa doesn’t turn out quite as expected for Christina, as she takes the plunge into a rather weird and wacky sport.
And then it’s time for their final battle, to see who will be covered in glory at the auction.
In this adventure around the south coast in a zippy 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider, auctioneer and lover of all things sparkly Izzie Balmer takes on veteran Road Tripper and silver expert Catherine Southon.
Catherine is a shopping pro, snapping up everything from a decorative lavatory to an art nouveau pendant, while Izzie starts off slowly but soon becomes the antiques dog whisperer with a bevy of doggie delights.
Away from the shops, Izzie demonstrates a knack for Bronze Age DIY, and Catherine faces her fear in Hampshire with the thug of the hedgerows. Who will triumph at the pair’s first auction in Leicestershire?
The antiques adventure continues in Devon with auctioneers Izzie Balmer and Catherine Southon, who rule the road in a racy red 1970s Alfa Romeo Spider.
With unbelievable excitement, Izzie embarks on a spending spree that involves 18th-century porcelain and a quirky Georgian marrow scoop. As a lover of all creatures great and small, she also relishes the opportunity to find out about the sporting parson who created the ultimate fox terrier.
Meanwhile, Catherine does a thoroughly splendid job of netting an eclectic mix of items that includes some specimen slides and some stylish Scandinavian silver. Catherine also tantalises her taste buds in Devon with a pasty recipe from the 16th century.
Both wait with bated breath to discover who will be victorious at the auction in east Devon.
Auctioneers Izzie Balmer and Catherine Southon have made it to the Cornish coast with the aid of a swanky 1970s Alfa Romeo Spider and a not-so-glamorous, good old-fashioned bicycle.
Izzie remains true to form and picks up some Scandinavian jewellery before squeezing into a wetsuit and plunging into the history of surfing in Newquay. Catherine continues her quirky buying streak, which this time includes a Bristol Blue glass lamp stand and a set of celestial charts. Looking for tactics for how best to beat Izzie at auction, Catherine also learns about the ancient martial art of Cornish wrestling.
We’re off on a south Devonian adventure with auctioneers Izzie Balmer and Catherine Southon. While Catherine is whizzing around the coastline in a shiny 1970s motor, Izzie tackles hill and dale on two wheels.
On this jolly jaunt, Izzie isn’t rolling in riches, but she still manages to notch up a truckload of goodies, including a 1920s flapper dress, a couple of violins and yet another beloved brooch. But it’s an Arts & Crafts tile that really steals her heart. Izzie also hops off her bike to go on a nautical adventure to an island steeped in military heritage.
Meanwhile, Catherine finally decides to splash some cash, picking up some delicate little trinket boxes, some weighty railwayana and a walking stick with an appropriate maritime connection. She also makes a diversion to learn more about a ruined fishing village, swept away by ravaging storms.
This south west adventure concludes with a tour of Devon, Somerset and Dorset for auctioneers Izzie Balmer and Catherine Southon.
Izzie buys some liqueur glasses, a Victorian chandelier and yet more brooches before settling on a river bank, in a top secret location, on the lookout for a very rare animal.
Catherine takes a risk with the purchase of a massive anchor with no provenance, but plays it safe with some Georgian shoe buckles. In amongst all that shopping, there’s still time for Catherine to embark on a detour to meet some pioneering artists.
Who will have the lead after today's final auction?
