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Antiques experts Izzie Balmer and Tim Medhurst set off on a road trip around north Wales. Searching for treasures and relics from a bygone age, they compete to make the most money at auction.
Izzie gets in a spin about a mid-century swivel chair, and Tim’s inner child comes alive when he discovers three toy cars. But it’s not all shopping as Izzie learns about the Menai suspension bridge, a wonder of the engineering world, while Tim takes a trip on the world’s oldest narrow-gauge railway. Their trip ends at auction, where their antiques go under the hammer and they find out who has made the most money.
Antiques experts Izzie Balmer and Tim Medhurst continue their road trip around Wales in a classic car.
As they search for treasures and relics from days of yore, the impending auction is never far from their thoughts. This is a competition after all!
Izzie combines her passion for fashion and antiques with a traditional Welsh lady's outfit, while Tim roars with delight when he discovers a lion-shaped pincushion. Taking a break from the shopping, Izzie learns about an ancient Welsh instrument, the Crwth, and Tim goes underground into an abandoned mine to discover how people lived and worked in the 18th century. As always, their trip culminates at an auction, where their antiques go under the gavel and they find out who has come out in front.
Antiques experts Izzie Balmer and Tim Medhurst set off on a road trip around north Wales. Searching for treasures and relics from a bygone age, they compete to make the most money at auction.
Antiques experts Izzie Balmer and Tim Medhurst continue their road trip around Wales in a classic car. As always, the search goes on for antiques that will turn a tidy profit at auction.
Izzie finds an ornament made by a soldier in the trenches during World War I, while sweet-toothed Tim gets all excited when he discovers some 100-year-old chocolate. On this leg of the trip, Izzie takes a detour to learn about Aneurin Bevan, the politician who devised and created the NHS, whilst Tim takes a trip to Parc Penallta. Built on the site of a former coal colliery, this country park houses one of the world's largest sculptures.
Shopping done, it's off to the auction to see our duo's purchases go under the gavel. Who will find themselves in the lead at this crucial halfway point?
Experts Izzie Balmer and Tim Medhurst are cruising around Wales in a classic car, searching for antiques to sell at auction. It's a competition, mind you, so profits are the name of the game.
Izzie finds a selection of maps from the days before cars ruled the roads, and Tim gets all excited when he discovers a William Gladstone commemorative medal. With the shopping done, there's time for our experts to learn more about local history as Izzie finds out about a shameful event that took place in Cardiff, while Tim takes a trip to Carmarthen to learn about the poet and scholar who helped save the Welsh language from extinction.
All roads point to auction for our duo. Who will reign victorious at the penultimate sale?
The time has come for Izzie Balmer and Tim Medhurst to conclude their epic road trip around Wales in a classic car. With only one auction to go, time is running out for our dynamic duo to scour the country's antiques shops for items that will sell for a profit when they go under the gavel.
While Tim goes on a veritable spending spree that includes an arts and crafts letter box, Izzie hopes that two Chinese vases bearing the symbol for good fortune will prove to be an auspicious purchase. As always, our experts find the time to step away from the antiques shops to delve into some local culture. Izzie tries some laver bread, a Welsh culinary delight made from seaweed foraged from one of the country’s most stunning beaches, and Tim goes all Poldark as he gets to grips with a scythe to discover traditional farming methods still being used today.
Then it's down to brass tacks: the final auction. Who will be crowned the winner of this road trip? There’s a big surprise in store for one expert!
Veritable veteran James Braxton takes on relative newbie Irita Marriott as they cruise through Kent in a classic car in search of profitable antiques.
James spots a 19th century child’s rattle which sparks international interest, while Irita pins her hopes on a damaged Daum Nancy glass lamp.
James finds the time to visit an underground network of caves in Chislehurst, which once sheltered 15,000 people during the Blitz and Irita dusts off her dancing shoes for a belly dancing lesson in Maidstone.
Then it's off to the first auction, an epic showdown on the Romney Marsh in their trusty steed, a 1960s Volvo. Who’ll come out on top?
It’s the second leg of Irita Marriott and James Braxton’s jaunt along England’s south coast. They’re travelling in style, driving a classic 1960s Volvo, as they scour antique shops in Kent and East Sussex.
On their way to an auction showdown in Kent, James visits an experimental wartime listening post in Greatstone and Irita learns about a pioneering lighthouse at Beachy Head.
James has a wedge of cash to spend and is looking for high-value items as he tries to maintain his lead but Irita is snapping at his heels with some canny purchases. Can she close the gap at auction?
James Braxton and Irita Marriott are on the third leg of their grand tour of England’s south coast. They’re searching for antiques in East Sussex and Hampshire in their classic car from the 60s.
A novelty beer bottle and a fish kettle whet James’s appetite for a profit while Irita hopes a 19th-century puzzle box will solve her woes at auction.
On the way James gets up close and personal with some octogenarian sea turtles in Brighton. Irita makes a stop of her own at the historic Portsmouth Docks to learn about a Victorian philanthropist who dedicated her life to helping the sailors of the Royal Navy.
Together they head to Dorset for an auction face-off, with Irita gambling all her funds in an effort to catch up to James’ commanding lead.
Embarking on the fourth leg of their road trip, James Braxton and Irita Marriott rummage through antiques shops across Wiltshire and Dorset. While James has enjoyed success at auction with his items, is this the outing where Irita can also do the same?
James goes on a journey back to the land before time where he meets a famous fossil hunter. Irita takes a break from shopping to visit the site of the once-great Shaftesbury Abbey.
Both our experts buy their favourites on this outing, with James championing brass and Irita backing porcelain but who will come up trumps at the penultimate auction?
Irita Marriott and James Braxton cruise Britain’s back roads in a 1960s motor as they search for profitable antiques to sell at auction. Irita gives James a run for his money as the duo head into the final leg of their trip.
James takes a detour to learn about the brave Polish night fighter pilots who defended Exeter from the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Meanwhile, Irita goes behind the scenes of a beloved local cinema as it’s brought back to life.
James is excited by his discovery of a snuff box with a connection to the abolitionist movement but will it be enough to secure a victory? It all goes down to the wire at the final auction.
Seasoned antiquer and auctioneer Charles Hanson accompanies Ochuko Ojiri on his Road Trip debut. A dealer, gallery owner and vintage enthusiast from London, Ochuko loves 20th century art, but what will he be able to acquire with a modest starting sum of £200?
This treasure-hunting tour kicks off in Yorkshire, with our experts behind the wheel of a 1970s open-topped Triumph Spitfire. Their joint aim is to buy antiques that will make a profit when sold at auction - no mean feat! Charles finds an item that promises to bring joy to the home, while Ochuko plumps for a sleepy Japanese poodle.
There is still time, however, for our experts to visit Hull, where they walk in the footsteps of a rugby league trailblazer and learn how a trawler disaster inspired a group of activists who would go on to become known as the Headscarf Heroes.
Dealer Ochuko Ojiri and auctioneer Charles Hanson root around antiques shops, searching for items to sell at auction. In their bold, blue 1970s classic car, our duo have reached the Pennines.
Charles makes a very small purchase - a seashell for just a few pence - but notices it harbours a nautical secret. Will it reward him at auction? Meanwhile, Ochuko goes back in time to his youth and picks up some toys he hopes will inspire bidders wanting to relive their childhoods.
While there's some serious shopping to do, there's also time to dive into some local history along the way. There's an encounter with a unique piece of British railway history and a chance to find out all about one of the country's oldest and rarest sheep breeds. Prepare yourselves - there are little lambs!
Our experts each began their journey with £200, and it’s already shaping up to be quite some contest. But how much will they gain (or possibly lose) over the course of several hundred miles? Today we reach sale room number two.
We’re approaching the halfway point of our jaunt with Road Trip regular Charles Hanson and first-time tripper Ochuko Ojiri. And what a journey it has been so far!
Both are heading for the great city of Liverpool in their rather eye-catching classic car. There are plenty of antiques to catch their eyes when they hit the shops, and plenty of local history to learn about too. Our experts grab the chance to find out about a unique and very old city centre institution, and they head across the Mersey to experience Liverpool’s canal connection to Britain’s industrial past.
Charles is drawn to the Far East and tempted by several Chinese carvings, pots and pieces of porcelain. Ochuko's focus is closer to home when a very large enamel sign adverting cakes whets his appetite for a profit.
Then it's time for auction number three. It's clear that our experts are forging a lasting friendship, but they're both in it to win it, make no mistake!
It’s the fourth leg of the trip for antiques experts (and strictly amateur in-car disco dancers) Ochuko Ojiri and Charles Hanson. Their classic car is pointed south, towards the Midlands. Charles may well be the favourite, with a string of Road Trip victories under his belt, but newbie Ochuko is proving to be a worthy challenger.
In Stafford, a clown with a red ruffled collar catches Ochuko’s eye. Charles’s weak spot for anything with rococo detail means he spends most of his budget on a 220-year-old unusual find.
While buying antiques to sell at auction is the aim of the game, our experts make time to further their knowledge. One learns about a forgotten Second World War bomber rediscovered in Russia, while the other encounters several monkeys in a garden in Stoke-on-Trent.
As Charles and Ochuko cruise around the gorgeous summer countryside, there's only one thing on their minds: the penultimate auction.
It’s the final, thrilling episode of our week-long road trip with Charles Hanson and Ochuko Ojiri. While cruising around the Midlands, our experts see the site of an historic Black Country industrial dispute and try to distinguish ‘bare’ Coventrian fact from fiction.
Charles gets excited when he spies some French opera glasses at a great price, and an oil painting catches Ochuko’s eye – but will it attract big bids?
At auction, will it be Road Trip regular Charles or daring debutant Ochuko who reigns victorious? Competition aside, it's safe to say that this budding bromance is now in full bloom!
An all-new adventure sees antiques experts Catherine Southon and Serhat Ahmet heading out on an east-of-England odyssey, on the hunt for the old, the unusual and the precious. They kick off in Kent with £200 and a rather special motor, a Morris Minor Million, built to commemorate the millionth model to roll off the production line.
Catherine comes across a rather useful spare appendage when shopping. She also throws the cash around on a few of her items, but may regret it when her pockets feel a little light. Serhat does a lot of searching to sort the reproductions from the genuine articles, but he comes across one item he thinks could sell big. There’s also the occasional scare as our shoppers delve into the darkest recesses to look for bargains.
On their travels, Catherine detours to the capital to discover how London’s smelliest year led to an amazing piece of infrastructure and made big improvements in the population’s health. Serhat heads out into the Thames Estuary to get up close to a relic of World War II that may still contain a nasty surprise.
An all-new adventure sees antiques experts Catherine Southon and Serhat Ahmet heading out on an east-of-England odyssey, on the hunt for the old, the unusual and the precious. They kick off in Kent with £200 and a rather special motor, a Morris Minor Million, built to commemorate the millionth model to roll off the production line.
Catherine comes across a rather useful spare appendage when shopping. She also throws the cash around on a few of her items, but may regret it when her pockets feel a little light. Serhat does a lot of searching to sort the reproductions from the genuine articles, but he comes across one item he thinks could sell big. There’s also the occasional scare as our shoppers delve into the darkest recesses to look for bargains.
It’s the second outing for antiques experts Serhat Ahmet and Catherine Southon, heading in an easterly direction in their lovely lilac Morris Minor Million. This time they are scouring the countryside of the East Midlands for old objects of desire, although city slicker Serhat is a bit overwhelmed by the rural setting and finds it a challenge to identify the local fauna.
On the back foot after the last auction, Catherine puts in a call to complain. She gets swept up in the romance of an item containing a wartime love story and buys some items that no self-respecting lord lady of the manor should be without. Serhat, after being snubbed by one antiques shop inhabitant, amasses a diverse collection of items, but still manages to slip in some of his beloved porcelain.
On their travels, Catherine visits a local church that broadcast to the nation during the dark days of the Second World War, and Serhat goes in search of thrills as he meets the head of a daredevil dynasty that can do things on two wheels that defy gravity.
Then it’s all the fun of the fair as our pair head to Clacton Pier for a spot of auction watching and a go on the amusements. Will it be a rollercoaster or just swings and roundabouts?
It’s a scoot up the East Anglian coast for antiques experts Serhat Ahmet and Catherine Southon, taking in Suffolk and Norfolk in their lilac Morris Minor Million. Their quest for antique goodies hits a stumbling block when they run into a spot of car trouble, possibly caused by Serhat’s overenthusiastic headbanging.
With both experts slightly on their uppers after the last auction, our purchasing pair play to their strengths. Serhat heads straight for the ceramics, picking up a few rare items, some of which have definitely seen better days. Catherine makes a beeline for her favourite tiny treasures but gets to grips with a couple of hefty items on the way.
Taking a break from the shopping, Serhat meets the great-nephew of a remarkable woman who broke the social norms of her day to go and fight on the front line. Catherine, meanwhile, gets to sample a local delicacy that sounds rather unappealing but has sustained the local population for centuries.
Then it’s off to a picturesque spot by a windmill to watch their items go under the hammer at auction. But will they make any bread?
It’s the penultimate run-out for our peripatetic antiques purchasers, Catherine Southon and Serhat Ahmet, who find themselves hitting the shops from Norfolk to Northamptonshire. Their fabulous lilac Morris has had a polish and is running smoothly, which is more than can be said for their competition after the last auction.
They both need to get some cracking deals if they are to get back on track. Serhat is on the hunt once again for ceramics, while Catherine has her eye on a more eclectic mix of items. On the way, Serhat makes some new four-legged friends, and Catherine tries to find out what you can buy for under a pound.
Out and about, Serhat finds out about a refugee who fled his war-torn country and became a local legend in his adopted hometown thanks to his crazy stunts and feats of strength. Catherine gets a taste of a high-speed motorsport and goes for a ride from which she might never recover.
A spot of stately splendour is their backdrop for the auction, where they find out if their items are sufficiently upper crust.
It’s the end of our east-of-England expedition with antiques experts Catherine Southon and Serhat Ahmet, who are heading out on the bumpy backroads of Lincolnshire. With the results of the previous auction having swelled both their wallets, our two shoppers are in a chipper mood as they head off in their lilac Morris Minor Million towards Derbyshire and their last chance to buy.
Keen to make good use of his new-found wealth, Serhat heads straight for the pricier items with desirable brand names attached, while Catherine has an eye out for the unusual, the quirky and, in one case, the downright creepy. To mark their last trip together and their new-found friendship, they both try their hand at each other’s areas of expertise.
It’s not just all about the shopping, though. On their travels, Catherine discovers the history of the most iconic of classical instruments at a school that teaches students how to make them. Meanwhile, Serhat scales the heights (and depths) to hear the story of how a group of enterprising 18th-century miners helped turn a peak in Derbyshire into one of the country’s earliest tourist attractions.
Then it’s off to the home of the British Grand Prix to watch their final auction. Is Catherine on the home straight or can Serhat overtake right at the end to take the chequered flag?
Dealers Margie Cooper and Paul Martin travel through Somerset and Wiltshire on their first road trip together. Margie is a veteran road tripper, but this is only Paul’s second outing, so there’s much at stake as they compete to find profitable items to sell at auction. What will entice them to spend their £200 budget?
In a strawberry red Jaguar, they are both on top form, uncovering an eclectic mix of items, from Edwardian furniture to East African tribal art. Along the way, Margie learns about the first safari park outside Africa, and Paul discovers one town’s historic link with safety on our railways.
But who will come out on top at the end of the day when their lots go under the hammer?
Margie Cooper and Paul Martin set out on the second leg of their trip with their classic car pointed to Somerset.
Paul falls in love with a juggling clown called Clever Willie and pulls some strings to get a discount on some other antiques. Margie’s attempt of finding quality collectables goes down the pan when she settles on a toilet bowl dating from 1860.
It’s not all about shopping, though. Margie detours to discover a fascinating hidden story in the most unlikely of locations, and Paul hears how a famous shanty man helped to preserve traditional songs for future generations to enjoy.
Dealers Paul Martin and Margie Cooper are heading in a westerly direction in their elegant red Jaguar, and this time they are scouring the countryside of Devon for all manner of antiques.
Two auctions down and one expert is confident in their unassailable lead, though their rival has a strategy they believe will prove victorious.
Paul gets swept up in the romance of the east with a hanging lightshade and buys an item that no self-respecting pirate should be without. Margie’s magpie eyes focus in on something she is certain will make a profit at auction.
Margie takes time out from shopping to try her hand at crafting some local pottery, with hilarious results. Meanwhile, Paul visits a local fishing village transformed by a very forward-thinking woman.
As Margie and Paul cruise through the Cornish countryside, only one thing is on their mind – the third auction of this trip. Will one expert’s lead be in question?
It’s the fourth leg of a wild west adventure featuring antiques experts Margie Cooper and Paul Martin.
Margie’s new strategy is to play it safe with traditional antiques, and she falls for a 1930s child’s chair and a 19th-century milking stool. Paul, however, takes a chance on a 1920s car horn that’s in good working order – and very loud. Both experts buy mirrors, but could this prove a costly mistake for one?
In a break from shopping, Paul learns about the formation of the light infantry and the brave actions of one soldier turned pacifist, while Margie tries a tea grown entirely in Britain. How refreshing!
Margie Cooper and Paul Martin head for Plymouth on the final leg of their journey. The competition has tightened, and only a few pounds separate the rivals.
Along the way, Margie hears the story of a footballer, once forgotten but finally being given the recognition he deserves. And Paul is all at sea discovering the tale of a lighthouse, built in the 18th century, that became a beacon of engineering prowess.
On this final outing, it's the shopping that takes centre stage. Silver expert Margie finds some lovely art nouveau pieces, while a sergeant major’s swagger stick gets Paul’s ‘atten-shun’!
A humdinger of an auction unfolds as this exciting trip comes to a climax.
