[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: The nation's favorite celebrities-- Got some proper bling here.

NARRATOR: --paired up with an expert-- - What?

- Calm down.

Oh, no.

- What?

NARRATOR: --and a classic car.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] NARRATOR: Their mission, to scour Britain for antiques.

All breakages must be paid for.

This is a good find, is it not?

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

But it's no easy ride.

Who will find the hidden gem?

Who will take the biggest risks?

Put of my antiques head on.

NARRATOR: Will anybody follow expert advice?

I think it's horrible.

NARRATOR: There will be worthy winners-- This is better than Christmas.

NARRATOR: --and valiant losers.

Oh, no.

I'm sorry.

NARRATOR: Time to put your pedal to the metal.

This is "Celebrity Antiques Road Trip."

MAN: Yeah.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: On today's show, we have a prized pair of gardening gurus of British TV and radio, Christine Walkden and Matthew Biggs.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: So how long have we known each other?

Well, I've known about you for years and years and people used to talk about Christine Walkden, the compost queen.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Christine and Matthew will zoom about town and country in a 1974 Rover P6.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Being in a car, is so-- Christine, it's just you can smell the leather and the sound of the engine.

Well, and-- I mean, she's sweet, though, isn't she?

She is She's very, very good.

Oh.

NARRATOR: Christine is a regular gardening expert on TV and radio.

She famously opened her back garden to millions of viewers on the BBC series "Christine's Garden. "

Daredevil Christine has even taken to the skies in a hot air balloon for glorious gardens from above.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: You see, gardening is about life.

Oh, yes.

The essence of gardening not only is cultivation of plants, but it's the cultivation of an understanding and appreciation of life.

And it teaches you to observe.

And it teaches you to appreciate.

And I think that is, you know, part of the magic of gardening.

NARRATOR: Matthew is a regular on Radio 4's "Gardeners' Question Time" and trained at Kew's Royal Botanic Gardens.

Matthew first graced our screens back in the '90s on the really useful show.

And he's appeared with Christine at the Hampton Court Flower Show.

In this competition, they'll be armed with 400 pounds each.

But how long will these good chums stay friendly?

How competitive do you think we're going to be, Christine?

I'm gonna beat you.

Oh, you know.

[LAUGHTER] I'm gonna beat you, Biggsy.

Are you now?

Really, really, really.

NARRATOR: Watch out, Biggsy.

Keeping an eye on proceedings are today's experts, auctioneer James Braxton and dealer David Harper.

They're behind the wheel of the 1965 Sunbeam Tiger.

This is a throaty beastie, James.

It is the best.

Listen.

Well, I'm still in second.

NARRATOR: Easy, tiger.

Do you know about Matt and Christine?

I do, yeah.

Very well-known gardeners.

Yeah.

Are you into gardening?

JAMES BRAXTON: Yeah, I do.

I love gardening.

- Do you?

Yeah, I do.

Tell me about your gardening.

[LAUGHTER] Well, it's green and brown, so all right.

Yeah, that's exactly-- No, no, but-- That's where I am with gardening.

NARRATOR: Whilst over in the sedate Rover.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I'm going to use my intuitive female skills to outdo you.

NARRATOR: You've got your work cut out, Matt.

Our trip begins in the Northamptonshire town of Brackley, moving northwards to the town of Northampton, snaking south through central Bedfordshire towards that decisive auction in Greenwich, Greater London.

Yeah.

[LAUGHTER] Oh, it's moving.

Hello, Matt.

MATTHEW BIGGS: We got here safely.

Look.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: It was fun.

Look, I'm in one piece.

JAMES BRAXTON: Is it a lovely car?

It is nice.

Nice to meet you.

How are you?

James.

How are you?

- Hi.

Pleased to meet you.

NARRATOR: Christine's a self-confessed petrol head.

Its inspection time.

Hey, look at this.

Oh, [INAUDIBLE], yeah.

MATTHEW BIGGS: [INAUDIBLE] Oh.

Vrr, rr.

Oh.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: And more.

Ey, what a beast.

That is a proper engine.

Come on, let's have a look at this.

Small space.

NARRATOR: Well, this is unusual.

Aha.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: That's it.

Well done, though, isn't it?

DAVID HARPER: Are we ever gonna go buy some antiques or what?

Well, we will in a bit.

She's smooth.

Listen to that.

MATTHEW BIGGS: This is very smooth.

Quite a different sound, isn't it?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Well, I've already made my mind up.

OK.

I am going with the classic racing car green.

- Oh.

- There you go.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Looks like they've chosen their experts, too.

A your jacket-- MATTHEW BIGGS: We've got a sporting [INAUDIBLE] Your jacket matches.

I know.

I know.

Good man.

And them with that trousers.

Real two classys.

- Team trousers.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Real fun.

JAMES BRAXTON: Watch it, lads.

We're [INAUDIBLE].

NARRATOR: Cheeky.

JAMES BRAXTON: Come on.

Let's go buy something.

Go shopping.

NARRATOR: Uh-hum.

The bonnet.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Our excitable road trippers are showing their first shop of the day.

Brackley Antique Seller is perhaps the largest antique center in the Midlands.

Good luck dealing with this foursome.

Hey, look at this.

JAMES BRAXTON: There we go.

Look at this.

Goodness.

Hey.

It's vast, isn't it?

DAVID HARPER: We should be able to buy something here.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Well, we should hope so.

[LAUGHTER] - Hello.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Hello.

JAMES BRAXTON: There we are.

Hi.

Welcome to Brackley Antiques.

How are you?

- Hi.

I'm Christine.

- I'm James.

James.

- Hello, I'm Matt.

Nice to meet you.

- All right.

Lovely to me see you.

JAMES BRAXTON: We like your jacket.

Very resplendent in color.

Yeah.

For sure, isn't it?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Yeah.

DAVID HARPER: And what do we have behind the best pair of trousers in the building?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Look at these.

DAVID HARPER: Oh, wow.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Wow.

Come on.

This is a man of style.

Good to meet you.

This is you if you got green on.

Then you could be a traffic.

MATTHEW BIGGS: What's up?

Matt.

Nice to see you.

You must-- you must-- you must be Marigold.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Manners, James.

James and Christine are first out of the starting blocks.

Any Braxton top tips?

JAMES BRAXTON: So the cheaper items are very often in the cheap seats in the back row.

OK. Oh, OK.

Right.

- Go on.

You're in the know.

Yeah, I'm in the know.

I've done it before.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Yeah, just a few times.

JAMES BRAXTON: Really decorative object.

Oh, yeah, Look.

You could plant up.

[LAUGHTER] Perfection.

And make-- or make a great ugly basket.

[LAUGHTER] I think somewhere else as well.

Oh, right.

Absolutely.

NARRATOR: Can Debbie point them in the right direction?

Spotted it this morning.

No.

And it's got a floral theme to it.

OK. JAMES BRAXTON: Floral.

Be made.

Now, look.

DEBBIE: Papier-maché.

JAMES BRAXTON: What is that?

Papier-maché?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Right.

Right.

It's 20 pounds.

I mean, quite a few years to go-- JAMES BRAXTON: What?

For all that?

Yeah.

JAMES BRAXTON: Now papier-maché, Christine, is generally made in Birmingham.

OK.

So you know Birmingham was the sort of workshop of the world.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

NARRATOR: The Victorians loved papier-maché.

And one of the top manufacturers of the time was Birmingham-based factory Jennens JAMES BRAXTON: I'll tell you what's nice about that.

The colors are very bright in the background.

I would say, Debbie, you have found our winner.

Yes, I'm gonna-- Beautifully hand-painted, these chrysanthemums.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, come on.

Oh, [INAUDIBLE].

[LAUGHTER] No.

Proceed.

We only want Latin, please.

Yes, and chrysanthemum.

[LAUGHTER] Lovely, isn't it?

That's what it is, mate.

[LAUGHTER] On this occasions, it's chrysanthemum.

JAMES BRAXTON: That shuts me up, doesn't it?

And look.

[LAUGHTER] That shuts me up.

NARRATOR: Well, that'll be a first.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I think we might work on it?

Might I get a bit more?

I think we got-- I think we want to have it.

- Oh.

You mean-- yeah, well, I think we could haggle.

Yeah.

We could ask the dealer for you, John.

Yes, please.

You speak to John-- JAMES BRAXTON: John.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: --and say that you've got this interesting northerner who's as tight as hell-- JAMES BRAXTON: [INAUDIBLE].

--that would like to sort of make an offer.

But it needs to be a really good low offer.

Right.

Will do.

[LAUGHTER] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: What will they talk about while they wait for Debbie to return?

Though we identify plants via the sexual parts of the flower, we need other-- Steady, Christine.

Steady.

[INAUDIBLE] little bit of sex in the garden, mate.

It's all [INAUDIBLE].

And you need to pull all the bits and have a look at their sexy bits to really, you know, get it right.

NARRATOR: Blimey.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: You simply have to look.

I'm blu-- I'm blushing.

Are you guys blush-- I'm blushing.

I'm hope this is a female that you've blushed at these days.

NARRATOR: Thankfully, here comes Debbie.

- Here's our lady.

- Right.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: What happened?

I've had a word with the lovely John.

- Good.

- Yeah.

And does he appreciate he's got a tight-fisted northerner?

He does.

Yes.

Excellent.

Good.

[LAUGHTER] Well, he's come down to 15, which I think is-- 15.

Well, yeah.

I think it's good.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I think that's-- that's quite-- JAMES BRAXTON: I think it's fair.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: See, I say you've got a deal.

OK doke.

All right.

- Well done.

- First lot.

Thank you, Debbie.

You're really darling.

First lot.

First lot.

Good.

Well done.

NARRATOR: The first item is in the bag, the 1890s papier-maché dressing set for 15 pounds.

[MUSIC PLAYING] What about David and Matthew?

MATTHEW BIGGS: I love the way things just jump out at you.

It is quite extraordinary, isn't it?

I don't know what you're looking at here.

There's lots of artifacts, but I'm looking at this.

It's quite hea-- it's quite heavy.

OK.

I'm not even quite sure-- Well, I think depending on which angle you look at it.

Is it a flattened hippo?

You-- feel the weight of that.

Yeah, no, that's-- oh, I see.

Yes.

- It's hard.

- Yeah.

Well, it's soapstone.

So soapstone, you know, being a stone but it is quite soft.

And so, it's very easily chipped and damaged.

That's the thing with it.

But easy to work.

Is it a hippo?

- Right.

I don't know.

- Is it a hippo?

Are you a hippo?

NARRATOR: I don't think he speaks, you know.

DAVID HARPER: So-- I mean, it's actually stone.

It's probably African.

Southern African.

They are-- the Shona people, particularly in Zimbabwe, are incredible carvers.

I like it.

I think I'm gonna buy this.

It's a very interesting thing.

Should we go and see the guys here?

Yeah, this has got-- DAVID HARPER: You carry 'cause you're responsible.

- Thank you.

- Yeah.

[LAUGHTER] I think it ought to have a name as well or something.

Oh, we'll definitely name him.

NARRATOR: First, let's find Jim to talk money.

Oh, Jim with the pants.

Hello, Jim.

JIM: Hello.

Hi.

- Good to see you again.

Yeah, and you.

Right.

Now, Jim, while I was walking through, this beauty caught my eye, and he's lovely.

Don't say too many nice things about that.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: The ticket price is 28 pounds.

MATTHEW BIGGS: But I noticed the price has been knocked down already.

Yeah.

So you've done that already.

So I want you to just knock it down again for me.

Can you do that, Jim?

I may have to ring the dealer and see what the best offer we can get on it.

NARRATOR: Matthew, have you done this before?

And as for that all important name, Matthew's favorite tree, of course.

So this is Jacaranda.

Jacaranda.

Jacaranda.

All right.

He says for you, he will do it 15 pounds.

Oh.

15.

That's-- 15.

You can't negotiate that.

It's a deal.

That's fantastic.

Thank you very much.

- Thank you very much.

- Thank you.

Thank you very much.

That's great.

Well, come on, Jacaranda.

My first purchase.

And my favorite tree.

Lovely jacaranda tree.

Takes me back.

Happy days.

Oh, good.

NARRATOR: Jacaranda, the soapstone hippo, for 15 pounds.

Well done, Matthew.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Now, Debbie, go back to Christine and James.

Oh.

[LAUGHTER] Cool.

There.

Look at that.

Does that look good.

Robust fellow.

Yeah, look at that.

You can't buy 'em like this, you know?

It's something we do professional.

Pa.

I mean, schoop.

Beautiful.

NARRATOR: I think we need a bit of focus.

James, any ideas?

JAMES BRAXTON: I like the bus stop sign as well.

Do you like that?

That's nice.

Yes.

We're going to London.

Oh.

You've got to think trendy.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Oh, OK. What do they got on it?

67 quid.

It might be somebody's lucky bus, wouldn't it?

It could be.

Does that do a-- you've gone quiet, Christine.

Does that do anything for you?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I mean, do you think we're gonna make anything on it?

JAMES BRAXTON: Well, not at 65.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: If we sort of spoke to the powers of be, what do you think?

DEBBIE: I could try for you.

Cheeky offer.

What sort of price were you thinking?

Well, you know me.

You know me.

You know me.

I'm gonna be cheeky.

I'm gonna say 35.

DEBBIE: I can put the question.

If you want?

- Do you think?

Yeah.

Oh, should I be putting 45?

Well, let's see.

I'll ask them first what their best price is and then-- Yeah.

NARRATOR: Debbie finds out the best price from the dealer for the sign.

JAMES BRAXTON: Have you spoken to the people?

Yes.

And how does 45 sound?

45.

How does that sound?

That's quite good to me.

Oh, that sounds good to me, yeah.

JAMES BRAXTON: 45.

- Done.

- Done.

Done.

Pleasure doing a deal with you, Madam.

60 quid.

NARRATOR: The bus stop sign for 45 pounds and the papier-maché dressing table set for 15.

Oh, look at that.

There you are.

NARRATOR: Careful with that, James.

[MUSIC PLAYING] David and Matthew are still having a scout around.

I saw this box and I think I noticed it because it says "Corned Beef."

DAVID HARPER: Well, what's the connection?

And I love corned beef, that's all.

I just love corned beef.

- Is that what-- right.

To me, my idea of a decent meal is corned beef or haslet sandwiches.

I also think people might buy a box with a bit of character.

Everybody has wine boxes, you know.

There's lots of wine boxes around.

Not many people have a corned beef box, and they might like it.

NARRATOR: There might be a reason for that.

DAVID HARPER: But date-wise, how old is it?

Well, I don't-- it could be-- I mean, I think look at the text.

Oh, well, yes, that's true, isn't it?

I think that's a bit of a give away.

I'm guessing '50s or '60s.

MATTHEW BIGGS: It's very nice.

DAVID HARPER: It's actually stamped into the wood.

- This is a nice label.

- OK. Have a look at the price tag.

DAVID HARPER: You got to guess.

How much do you think it is?

How much do you pay for that?

What would you pay for that?

MATTHEW BIGGS: I probably would say this is 20 pounds.

DAVID HARPER: OK.

It's priced at 25.

NARRATOR: Now, where's Jim?

Hello, Jim.

Hello again.

Hi there.

We bring a box.

How cheap is the box?

Very best price we could do on this box will be 15 pounds.

That's a good deal, I think.

15 from 25.

- It's a pretty good deal.

- Actually, that's all right.

That's a-- - Are we happy with that?

Yeah, 15.

15.

Yeah.

Shake his hand, Jim.

Thank you very much.

- Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Well done.

It's a first, I can tell you, the first corned beef box I've ever bought.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: A corned beef box and Jacaranda, the soapstone hippo, for a total of 30 pounds.

[MUSIC PLAYING] As for Christine and James.

I'm curious to know what that Biggsy has done.

That Biggsy.

Biggsy?

Yeah.

Our Biggs.

Our Matthew.

- Oh.

Oh, Biggsy.

Sorry.

- Yeah, that Biggsy.

- Right.

OK.

Sorry.

I thought you were referring to antique then.

No, no.

Well, he might be.

[INAUDIBLE] Let's be kind.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Leave Matthew alone.

Our happy duo are having a rest from shopping and heading to the village of Lamport in Northamptonshire.

Christine and James are stopping off at the splendid Lamport Hall.

This 450-year-old estate is a place Christine has always wanted to visit as it has some fascinating and quite peculiar stories to tell.

, CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Well, it's glacial, isn't it?

JAMES BRAXTON: It is very glacial.

Yeah, should we go?

Should we go and see who lives here?

Absolutely.

[LAUGHTER] Yeah.

NARRATOR: Assistant Property Manager Neil Lyon is here to share the magic.

Neil.

How nice to meet you.

- Welcome to Lamport, Christine.

Hi.

Well, it's a pleasure to be here.

- Hello.

- Hello.

James.

Welcome, welcome.

Look at this.

NARRATOR: Lamport Hall has been home to the Isham family since the 16th century.

The eccentric Victorian baronet, Sir Charles Isham, who was born and bred on the estate, was fascinated by the trend for fantasy and follies.

A passionate and innovative gardener, he began work on one of England's first rookeries in 1847.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: This garden, this alpine garden is famous because of its time period.

We don't see rock gardens like this anymore.

You can see some really nice plants on there.

I mean, it's itchy itchy.

There's a fence.

When there's a fence, it never stopped me.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: But it was what inhabited the rockery that really took the world by storm.

We know that Sir Charles went on holiday in the 1850s.

Right.

He went to Nuremberg and he saw German miners taking little terracotta figures down the mines as good luck symbols.

And he thought this is a fantastic.

They're just the thing I need to populate my rockery.

And he brought a large number over, and they would inhabit the rockery right behind us.

[MUSIC PLAYING] (SINGING) Ha ha ha.

Hi hi hi.

I'm a laughing guy when you [INAUDIBLE] me.

NARRATOR: These are little figures became known as garden gnomes.

Charles was the first to bring their like to Britain, and is responsible for creating a worldwide craze.

Today, there are an estimated 15 million gnomes across Europe.

So why don't we see more of them today?

Well, I'm afraid there's a story to that.

They were all assassinated.

What?

All by one in 1903.

Sir Charles, you see, spent more time with his gnomes than he did with his family.

[LAUGHTER] Great.

The story goes that as soon as he died, the daughters went out with their rifles and had a good old pop at them.

Fortunately for us, one hid.

One managed to escape.

His name's Lampy.

And he's still in the hall today.

NARRATOR: Lampy was one of the original 21 gnomes brought back from Germany.

He's made Lamport Hall his home for over 150 years and is considered to be the oldest garden gnome in the world.

He's now kept under lock and key as he has an estimated worth of around two million pounds.

Heh.

NEIL LYONS: So here we are.

Here is Lampy.

This is Lampy.

Look at this.

The world's oldest garden gnome.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Wow.

NEIL LYONS: Perhaps not as tall as most people think gnomes are.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: No.

NEIL LYONS: And no plastic.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Thank goodness for that.

[LAUGHTER] No.

But the detail is quite amazing.

JAMES BRAXTON: It is.

And the sculpture is quite good, isn't he?

He's leaning forward.

It's a beautiful piece of work.

But the thing about Lampy is that Sir Charles actually believed he came alive at night.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: During the 19th century, there was a growing obsession with fairies and gnomes and a belief that they really did exist.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: The colors stayed quite well as well or hasn't it really?

NEIL LYONS: It has.

It has.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: So was Lampy out on the world?

Presumably, he was out on the garden for quite some time.

He must have been.

Perhaps he was in one of the caves that Sir Charles built for the miners.

Yeah.

But he's a very, very lucky survivor, and I always say to people he's a great icon of gardening history.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Well, indeed, he is, you know.

'Cause we haven't got many around, don't we?

Christine, would you like to hold Lampy today?

I would love to hold.

Promise not to drop him.

NEIL LYONS: Well, thank you.

- Yeah, yeah.

Look at it.

Just look at little-- look at this little happy face.

James, would you like to do the honors as well?

Go on.

Come on.

You're gonna-- Don't drop him.

Talk about being aesthetically compromised.

Here I am holding Lampy.

Though, he's a very fine fellow.

He is, indeed.

Pretty interesting.

Yeah, really interesting.

Yeah.

I think he's rather enjoyed being with you as well.

[LAUGHTER] CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Yeah.

Yeah.

NEIL LYONS: But I think it's time for Lampy to go to bed, actually.

- To bed.

Yeah.

- He's getting a bit tired.

Good night, god bless.

Sweet dreams.

Just keep thinking of plants and keep that rock garden in order, mate.

NARRATOR: Lampy lives on as a very famous resident of Lamport Hall and keeps sir Charles's passion for magical gardening very much alive.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Meanwhile, David and Matthew have also traveled northwards.

They're in the town of Northampton.

MATTHEW BIGGS: This smell with the sort of leather and the, you know, is it oil?

Well, it's my aftershave, Matthew.

- It's your-- - Yeah.

Just for me.

Thank you so much.

NARRATOR: The Old Bakehouse Antiques is their next shopping destination.

- Look at this.

- The TARDIS.

[LAUGHTER] Oh, straight into the TARDIS.

How lovely is that?

NARRATOR: Let's see how team trousers get on in here.

An extraordinary place.

It goes back and back, doesn't it?

NARRATOR: I think Matthew likes this antiques caper.

MATTHEW BIGGS: It's quite overwhelming, to be honest with you.

- Stay there.

Stay there.

I've just seen something.

Move forward and wait there.

OK, don't look.

MATTHEW BIGGS: All right.

NARRATOR: What are you up to, David?

One hand out.

Have to feel the-- feel the ends.

It's some-- it's an old garden sprayer.

Is that right?

Yeah.

NARRATOR: How on earth did you guess that?

[LAUGHTER] Marvelous.

It's certainly gonna be that or a bicycle pump.

NARRATOR: What?

Oh, but isn't it beautiful?

Isn't that a gorgeous piece of kit?

My, that is lovely.

What would exactly that be used for?

They would have used it for spraying.

For spraying for insects.

For what reason?

To get rid of pests and diseases, generally.

- Right.

- Yeah.

So anything like this, particularly that it was made of-- this is copper.

DAVID HARPER: Yeah.

MATTHEW BIGGS: This copper with brass fittings.

And it was just made in the days when they made things to last.

You know, the Victorians were proud seemingly of every piece of handiwork.

Weren't they?

Everything they made was made for the queen and the empire.

- Exactly.

- And made to last.

And made to last.

NARRATOR: They sound keen on the Victorian gardener sprayer.

If you don't want that, there's something drastically wrong here.

Do you want that desperately?

Absolutely.

Desperately.

NARRATOR: How much is it?

DAVID HARPER: It's 22 pounds.

It's no money.

It's no money.

And whatever he says, we're having it, aren't we?

- Too right.

- We're gonna have to have it.

OK. MATTHEW BIGGS: Too right.

But my heart is just going crazy.

It's wonderful.

NARRATOR: Matthew's giddy with excitement.

Their beloved Victorian water pump spray is a possible.

What's next?

Wow.

Whoa.

And there is more.

More, isn't it?

NARRATOR: Oh, yes.

There's more to explore outside.

DAVID HARPER: Is there something calling you somewhere?

I'm just seeing if I'm getting the-- the urge.

NARRATOR: Blimey.

Oh.

What a treasure trove this is.

MATTHEW BIGGS: It's amazing.

DAVID HARPER: As a decorative object, I like it.

That is great, actually.

DAVID HARPER: Do you like camera?

MATTHEW BIGGS: I do.

I do.

I do.

It's a mantique.

Have you heard the term?

- No.

- I love it.

- Mantique.

It's a mantique.

Every man has to have a man cave, doesn't he?

That's the kind of thing that falls into the mantique area for the man cave.

Yeah, it does.

It's something that you just-- it's never going to work.

You don't know anything about it.

But you just look the way it looks.

It's leather and it's wood.

Incredible.

I love that.

Dare we look at the price tag?

Yeah, well, let's-- yeah, I see what we can work for all day.

It might be too expensive for us.

What's it say?

MATTHEW BIGGS: Circa 1890s, plate camera, 95 pounds.

DAVID HARPER: 95 pounds.

MATTHEW BIGGS: It's starting to be one of those pieces that I've just got to buy.

Because you start-- you look at it, you think about the history.

But the engineering in it and, you know, the brass-- the way the brass slider there and the combination of wood, crafted wood, you know, lens, it's just a magnificent piece of equipment.

DAVID HARPER: I think in auction, that's gonna be 50 to 70 pounds as an estimate.

If we can get it for 50 quid or thereabouts, we're gonna stand a chance.

- We might find out.

- Shall we go and find-- Give this a go.

Shall we go find a human being who can tell us how much-- yeah, come on.

NARRATOR: That would be helpful.

How about owner Steve?

- Are you the owner?

- I am.

I'm Steven.

- Steven.

David Harper.

Lovely to meet you.

- Hi, Steven.

I'm Matt.

- Pleased to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

Nice to meet you.

Marvelous.

What a great fabulous place.

Thank you.

I love the idea of all the sheds.

Yeah.

Very clever.

Now, something has caught my eye and it is absolutely beautiful.

It's a concertina camera, about 1890s, in the shed.

- Beautiful.

- Yes.

It is-- Yeah.

--a lovely piece, but it's 95 pounds.

So I think it's a designer's piece, isn't it?

That's what we were saying.

What you guys were saying.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

As an interior-- if we were interior designers, I think-- and I think we could be, Matt.

- We're on our way.

- Yeah, the trousers [INAUDIBLE] - We've got the trousers.

We're halfway there, at least.

NARRATOR: Enough about the trousers.

What about striking a deal?

STEVEN: What'd you reckon?

50.

Hmm.

It has been around for a while and I know the dealer well.

So I think that's a fair price.

50.

Yeah.

That'd give you a bit of movement.

- Have we done it?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- OK. First deal.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Deal.

50.

DAVID HARPER: Doing well.

- 50.

- 50 done.

Great.

Now, Steve, we want to run something else past you here.

There is a Victorian gardener spray pump.

- Yeah.

- Do you know it?

Yeah.

Priced at 22 pounds.

Yeah.

We've seen it.

Matt is a bit of a gardener.

I've done a bit of gardening.

In his time.

And it's an interesting piece.

And I know wouldn't appeal to everyone.

STEVEN: No.

MATTHEW BIGGS: But a gardener, maybe.

But-- What could that be?

15.

Normally, it'd be 10%, but I think you get in there.

MATTHEW BIGGS: 15.

STEVEN: Yeah.

Have we done it?

Again, like you said, yeah, they're popular at the moment.

But-- yeah, you've got to take it to auction, aren't you, sir?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

I feel good to have a fighting chance of that.

- Have we done that?

- Yeah, I think we've done it.

- 15.

- Well done.

You've done it.

- Yeah, it's great.

- Officially signed again.

- Thank you ever, sir.

No, that's great.

- Thank you very much.

- You're welcome.

- It's too easy.

This is too easy.

NARRATOR: That's 15 pounds for the gardener's pump spray and 50 for the 19th-century camera.

After all that, I think you deserve a bit of a rest before you do it all again tomorrow.

Nighty night.

[MUSIC PLAYING] How are our gardeners feeling this morning?

I'm not telling you what I bought.

Are you gonna tell me what you bought?

No, absolutely not.

[LAUGHTER] I just don't know.

A couple of flying pigs and a white elephant.

Oh, well, that's fine.

Well, hopefully not a [INAUDIBLE]..

I bought a giraffe.

Bought a giraffe.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Fervor.

What about our experts?

And did you have a classic buying day yesterday?

Yeah, we bought really well.

We bought two good bargains.

But how are you finding Matt?

Oh, Matt's lovely.

Matt has an infectious character and personality.

He's got such a warm aura.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Yesterday, our giddy gardeners went in all guns blazing.

James and the dizzy with excitement Christine spent 60 pounds on two items, the Victorian papier-maché dressing table set and the London bus stop sign.

David and Matthew, the tough negotiator, dished out 95 pounds on the soapstone hippo, the corned beef box, the 19th-century camera, and the gardener's pump spray.

The troops have assembled now in the town of Kettering in Northamptonshire.

- Well, hey.

- Oh, here they are.

Here they are.

- Here they are.

Good morning.

Morning.

Morning, Christine.

How are you?

How are you?

Good, good.

This is arriving in style.

JAMES BRAXTON: Very [INAUDIBLE].

[LAUGHTER] How are you?

Look at that shirt.

That is so cool.

Thank you.

It's a very horticultural day, you know?

DAVID HARPER: I love it.

You can see it has-- now, how many of the flowers can you name?

Yeah, very good.

Very good.

Are you well?

I will name none.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: You'll name none.

Very good.

Very good.

Yeah, look at this.

That is marvelous.

We got shopping to do.

We have got shopping to do.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: We'll join David and Matthew later.

But for now, James and Christine are powering towards their next shopping destination in the town of Wellingborough.

Did you have a garden at home?

How did you get into gardening?

I got into gardening by starting with a crocus bulb.

And I started growing carrot tops on my bedroom window and mustard and grass on flannels, which made me daddy eat.

Then I took over the wall between our house and next door.

I just thought this was Alice in Wonderland.

JAMES BRAXTON: Magic.

Magic.

Absolute Alice in Wonderland.

NARRATOR: What can James and Christine find in here for that all-important Greenwich auction?

So what have we got in here?

I don't know.

Hopefully, antiques.

Hopefully, bargains.

[LAUGHTER] Come on.

Let's hope.

NARRATOR: Thankfully, Hunters Emporium is fit to burst with all shapes and sizes of curios.

Hi.

Nice to meet you.

Good morning.

I'm Nick.

- Hi.

- I'm James.

Hi.

- You've got lots of goodies.

There's a few bits knocking around, I think.

You'll have a good look around to see what you can find because there's all sorts everywhere.

I can't keep track of everything.

Come on.

Let's go and have a shifty.

NARRATOR: Christine doesn't hang about, and James is keeping the focus laser sharp.

I walked past this room and I saw something on the shelf that I think is London all over.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: OK. JAMES BRAXTON: Where we're going.

It's a very sort of decorator's thing.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Oh, right.

JAMES BRAXTON: And it's these.

Oh, it's stencils.

Stencils.

Right.

Hey look.

But great for-- you could polish them up.

Spell the name of a restaurant, kitchens, whatever.

Right.

Or even possibly use them.

Right.

Well, quite.

Now I was slow at school.

How many should there be?

26.

[LAUGHTER] And a half.

26.

[LAUGHTER] Right.

Should we count them.

Should we count them?

So I've got two, three.

NARRATOR: We'll be here all day.

26.

JAMES BRAXTON: 26.

The encouraging thing is it has no price on it.

Come on.

I think it's gone up.

OK. OK.

I think we might have found something.

Yeah.

Nick, I was just walking through that room.

We were looking in the cabinet, and I thought I quite like this.

They're fun, aren't they?

Yeah.

Interesting little things.

You could do a lot with them.

JAMES BRAXTON: Yeah.

I think we were thinking 15.

How many of these did you want?

- All of them.

- All of them.

- We want-- - All of them.

Alphabet.

Well, it's got to be worth a pound each.

Pound each?

Well, it's got to be.

I don't think you could lose on that.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: A pound each.

That's quite a lot, isn't it?

Are you prepared to sort of, you know.

Bearing in mind that I'm a thrifty northerner and I've got so-- look where my pockets are.

I'm not where my handys.

It's a long way away.

And if I've got to go digging, it needs to be worth digging.

So now then.

Come on.

I suppose 20'd be the sensible number, wouldn't it?

20.

I don't think we can go much better than that.

- Rings to you, doesn't it?

- Yeah, yeah.

I think that's good.

Deal done, sir.

NARRATOR: 20 pounds for the complete alphabet of brass stencils.

That was all right.

Another bargain.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Now, what of their competition?

DAVID HARPER: What about you then, Matt?

Are you more of a specialist or a kind of a-- do you have a general knowledge with your gardening?

No, I consider myself as a GP.

A GP.

So, you know, if your apples have got a cold or problems with the lawn or you need to know how to prune your roses, then I hope I can help you.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: They're still in Kettering and taking a break from shopping to hear the incredible story of an inventor and pioneer.

They're meeting Charlotte Widgery to find out more.

DAVID HARPER: Good morning, Charlotte.

Hello.

Hi.

- Hello.

- Nice to meet you.

- David Harper.

- Hi.

I'm Charlotte.

Lovely to meet you.

Charlotte, I'm Matt.

Nice to meet you.

Lovely to meet you.

I used to come here as a child.

That's amazing.

So many people say that.

[LAUGHTER] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Wicksteed Park was one of the first leisure parks in the UK.

It was the brainchild of Charles Wicksteed, a 19th-century inventor largely responsible for inventing the children's playground, which in turn has evolved into the multi-billion pound leisure park business of today.

Charlotte, who was Wicksteed?

Wicksteed was Mr. Charles Wicksteed and he was a local gentleman.

Not originally.

He grew up in Leeds and then moved down here to start his engineering company.

So he was very much a mechanically-minded sort of person.

He was one of these people that sees a problem and then thinks well how can I fix it.

So his brain was always going.

NARRATOR: Before Charles invented the world of playgrounds, he created many everyday objects that we still use today like the automatic gearbox and the power drill.

Charles was well ahead of his time.

And when his immense success brought him great fortune, he wanted to give it back to the town he loved.

In 1913, he purchased some beautiful meadow land with the intention of creating a green space for families to enjoy.

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: So Kettering was a very industrial town.

We had a lot of the shoe manufacturing here.

So there was a lot of industry going on and a lot of people on those low incomes who didn't really have very much green space.

But there was space for adults to play.

There were tennis courts.

There were bowling greens.

There were cricket pitches.

But Charles Wicksteed could see this was not fair on the children.

So what was play like for children before he started the park?

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: Children obviously did play but very much with bits of equipment, with toys, with tricycles, with spinning tops, you know, things that doesn't stay.

MATTHEW BIGGS: There's no such thing as play parks.

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: But there was nothing-- there were no playgrounds.

They simply didn't exist.

DAVID HARPER: Right.

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: But Charles Wicksteed, again, this was his inventive side of things.

As he bought the land, he immediately opened it up and said to children and families, come here.

Come and use the land.

NARRATOR: It's now impossible to think of a childhood without a playground, and Charles wanted to make the children's time at his park as fun as possible.

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: So he put some bits and pieces together, which then just stayed up for a few days.

And so all the other local children came and played on them and it became more popular.

So then he thought, right.

Let's see what we can do.

Now I've got some photos here.

He started putting in some of these early bits of equipment.

DAVID HARPER: That's a slide.

And that is the slide there.

With pines of wood down the hill.

Which is-- yeah, it's very simple.

I think I made something similar as a kid.

Yeah.

[LAUGHTER] So these are teak and they were polished to make it slippery.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Wow.

Brilliant.

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: I don't know.

DAVID HARPER: But I can see adults playing here as well, which I think is brilliant.

CHARLOTTE WIDGERY: One of the things that Charles Wicksteed really wanted was for everybody to play together, young, old, boys, girls.

It's lovely.

It was amazing.

He was just so enlightened, wasn't he?

What an enlightened man he was.

But he changed the face of play.

NARRATOR: The shoots and swings were a great hit.

In 1921, the park officially opened and became the very first playground.

It is now evolved into what we see today.

(SINGING) Woohoo.

Woohoo.

NARRATOR: The part was so successful that Charles became the first manufacturer of play equipment.

Wicksteed Playscapes still operates to this day.

In 1926, he added a watery whoosh by creating the first water ride in the world, which, nearly 90 years later, is still in working order.

(SINGING) Yeah, yeah.

NARRATOR: Charles's legacy is not only did he begin a new chapter in the history of children's play, but he set up the first of millions of playgrounds worldwide.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Christine and James have snaked their way south to the village of Woburn.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I was selling stuff.

I mean, from the plot, I used to sell it to my school teachers.

And the headmaster, I always used to put a penny mark up on every single item.

[LAUGHTER] One time, he got me in the office and he said to me, you are charging me a penny more on every single item than the rest of the staff.

And out in a flash, I said, my dad reckoned you can afford it.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Very shrewd, Christine.

The Antiques Association has been formed by over 30 dealers and is housed in a rather lovely five-story Georgian townhouse.

Let's have a look in here then.

Hi.

- Hello.

Hi.

Christine.

- I'm Anna.

- Hi, Anna.

Hello.

James.

- Hi.

- Hi.

This is very strange, isn't it?

An old townhouse.

ANNA: It is.

It was a family house at one time, but it's been apartments and a shop for probably 40 years.

JAMES BRAXTON: Really.

Really.

So, Anna, will you show us the lay of the land?

Absolutely.

Come this way.

[INAUDIBLE] Thank you.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Looks like a suitable room for Christine.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Do you see-- ah, now [INAUDIBLE] look here.

What on earth is that?

Hey.

NARRATOR: Careful, Christine.

So what you reckon?

Were shears.

Edging shears.

Edging shears.

They're grass cutting shears.

Really?

You know these days that a lot of people go for these?

JAMES BRAXTON: Yeah.

- And they'll trim-- For the box.

Yeah.

Oh, for the box.

Or for trimming.

But it's one-handed, right?

You're taking one cut, one cut, one cut.

Yeah.

All right.

It sounds very painful.

Would you like to hold those please.

Sounds very painful.

NARRATOR: Yeah, I'm with you there James.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Now with this.

Yeah.

Four at a time.

Four choppers.

Really?

Yeah.

So the labor-- Is reduced considerably.

And actually, as a tool, that's quite nicely balanced.

Do you feel that?

How nicely balance that is?

You don't use hand tools, do you?

Give it me back.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Uh, that's kind of obvious, Christine.

JAMES BRAXTON: Christine.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: It's 75 quid.

JAMES BRAXTON: 75 pounds.

You thought that out the right way?

So you think I'm mad looking at this?

I think it's very interesting and I think you can add something to it because your connection to gardening.

You know, bearing mind, I'm a tight northerner and I've got very deep pockets.

NARRATOR: We've heard this before.

Now, are you prepared to chat to me, please?

60 pounds.

60 pounds.

Christine, I hate seem to be wanting here, but I-- But.

45?

No.

No?

[LAUGHTER] 55.

55, I would maybe be pushed to, yes.

Can I push?

[LAUGHTER] Can I seriously push hard?

Yes, you can.

You know, I-- done.

55.

- What a [INAUDIBLE].

- Well done.

Well done.

- Here we are.

Thank you.

- Are you happy?

Thank you.

It's good.

That it's well-engineered.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Absolutely.

I see what you mean about the balance.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I like that.

You're sort of like you're a sort of crocodile at the garden, isn't it?

- Well, I like it.

I'm not sure if it'll sell, but I think-- you know, I like that.

Don't tell me that now.

NARRATOR: Best to keep that to yourself, Christine.

Can the lovely Anna tempt them with anything else?

ANNA: Here's something that might be of interest.

It still has its original price on.

OK. Five shillings and nine pence.

Wow.

[LAUGHTER] Has its own key.

Totally unused.

There's a cash book and a notebook.

Hey, cash book.

Come on profit and loss accounts.

[LAUGHTER] Yes.

There's one compartment for silver with its purse inside.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Look at this.

ANNA: And one for gold.

JAMES BRAXTON: It's a pretty box, isn't it?

I think, you know, what money?

Well, on the ticket price is 68 on it.

But I think we could do a much better price on that.

Let me go and ask the dealer to see.

That'd be kind.

Thank you.

Just remind them that-- - That you're a northerner.

- Yes.

Yeah, northerner.

And you're very mean.

Very mean.

Incredibly mean.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: You're not that bad.

All right.

Now I've had a word with him.

Good news?

Well, in my eyes, very good news.

Really?

Really?

He's willing to do it for 40.

Would you compromise on 35?

Yeah.

Done.

[LAUGHTER] You're a star-ladden.

You're a star.

Excellent.

NARRATOR: The lethal-looking shears for 55 pounds and the red money box for 35.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Really lucky with these.

JAMES BRAXTON: Go on.

[INAUDIBLE] I'm really-- hey, look.

Have a go at those plants.

NARRATOR: Christine's very handy.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Yeah.

[LAUGHTER] Yeah, I like that.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Back to Matthew and David making their way south to the town of Ampthill in Bedfordshire.

So do you think this antique bug might have bitten?

It's has.

Look, I can show you the marks.

[LAUGHTER] I've got the fever.

Have you?

I've got the fever beater.

NARRATOR: The chaps are descending Ampthill Antiques.

MATTHEW BIGGS: This looks very exciting.

DAVID HARPER: Shall I just let them know we're here?

MATTHEW BIGGS: Yes.

DAVID HARPER: We're here.

NARRATOR: Boys and their toys.

Hello.

Hello.

Hello.

Hello, darling.

NARRATOR: Hello, darling.

Wow.

Oh, look at this.

DAVID HARPER: It's fantastic.

How many dealers have you got?

I think there's about 56.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Lots of options than here, David.

DAVID HARPER: Yes.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Lots of options.

- Yeah.

- Can we go?

Let's go.

- Well, come on.

And you've got exactly one hour to do your shop.

NARRATOR: Blimey.

Libby runs a tight ship.

Yes.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, we might get shut in.

We are gonna get shut in.

NARRATOR: Try to keep calm, Matthew.

David, we're going to go big, right?

You want to be?

I want something in your face, different, curious, wild.

Right.

This is it.

This is the big moment.

OK. NARRATOR: They've got just over 300 pounds to play with.

So shop, boys, shop.

MATTHEW BIGGS: David, David, over here, mate.

Come quick.

Come here.

Look.

NARRATOR: Steady there, Matthew.

Look at this.

Oh, my gosh.

OK.

This is right up my street.

Tell me about it.

NARRATOR: Certainly very large.

Well, one of the things I like about it is that it's-- in more ways, you could look at it as a great big pot.

NARRATOR: Yeah.

DAVID HARPER: Yeah.

But even though it's quite sort of chunky and robust, you've got this added elegance in the curves.

And those kind of curves, you would want in a garden as well.

When you're cutting your borders, you would want those.

And I like curves.

I like curves.

I'm seeking the perfect curve.

Are you?

I think you might just have found the perfect curve.

NARRATOR: But what exactly is it?

DAVID HARPER: It's an exceptionally big wine pot.

It's a wine pot?

It's a wine pot.

We like a little bit of wine, don't we, on occasions?

MATTHEW BIGGS: A little lobby wine in there.

DAVID HARPER: We can have a month's supply in there, you and I. MATTHEW BIGGS: That's so feasting.

That's the proper term.

Feasting.

Celebrations.

That kind of thing.

Huge weddings, huge parties.

That's what it is.

NARRATOR: This super-sized wine vessel is of Chinese origin.

And with a bit of muscle, we can investigate further.

Blinking heck.

That is monstrous.

Now, Chinese pieces are very often not marked.

I can tell that there is some age to it.

It has no character mark, which is fine.

Because very often, you can't believe a Chinese character mark.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Right.

Often paying homage to old, past potters from-- NARRATOR: OK, David.

But remember, it's heavy.

DAVID HARPER: It might've been made in the 1920s.

It might've been made in the 1980s.

NARRATOR: Poor Matthew.

[INAUDIBLE] fantastic age to it.

Like provenance.

But it's a lump.

It's a lump.

OK, I can tell you that.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Finally.

[INAUDIBLE] Right.

I like it.

OK.

But I think that this is-- I love it, mate.

Well, I'll tell you what.

The thing is, we need to see how much it is.

It's not worth a lot of money, Matt.

It really isn't.

Yes.

But as a feature piece, somebody might pay for it.

OK. Let's get Libby.

Let's get a price.

Where is our lovely Libby?

Libby.

NARRATOR: And as if by magic.

Ms. Libby, what do you think about that old pot?

I think it's very nice.

It's a nice decorative piece.

There's no great age to it.

You've been filling that with wine and trying it out 'cause the handle's been broken.

LIBBY: That's right.

[LAUGHTER] Was it you?

No, not at all.

No, it wouldn't be me.

NARRATOR: Mind your manners, David.

Ticket price is 125 pounds.

DAVID HARPER: So, Libby, how much is it towards trade.

It would be 110 trade.

110 trade.

MATTHEW BIGGS: I would say for this 90.

I was gonna say 70.

70.

What do you say Libby?

I would say 110.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Ha!

Good on you, Libby.

I could do a phone call and i can ask him.

- Go on then.

- Please.

[INAUDIBLE] OK. Hello, Alex.

It's Lib.

Interested in that great big blue teapot-cum-vase, cum-decorative piece.

They're offering you 80 pounds.

Would you like to take that?

Hold on a minute.

Could you do 90?

We'll meet him halfway.

85.

- 85.

- What's he called?

- Alex.

- Alex.

- Alex, hi.

It's David Harper.

Thanks very much.

Can we meet you halfway at 85?

Good man.

Thank you very much.

Cheers.

Bye.

Bye.

- Oh, Libby, that's great.

- Yes.

- He says-- - All right.

- --20 quid, Libby.

That's absolutely marvelous.

- No, he did not.

[LAUGHTER] - No?

No?

No, no, no.

NARRATOR: Honestly, David.

85 pounds for the giant-sized Chinese wine vessel.

And that big beauty completes our shopping trip.

Now for a peek at one another's buys.

Just go on.

Show us your-- - Come on.

- Yep, right.

Go.

- Ready?

Come on.

Right.

Go on.

JAMES BRAXTON: Ready?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Yeah.

JAMES BRAXTON: Get it off.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Ey.

Matthew Biggs, look at this.

OK. - Look at that.

- Hey.

MATTHEW BIGGS: How's that for a collection?

A green fly killer.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: I think she likes that.

[LAUGHTER] - Don't do that.

Somebody's-- it's a water cannon for green flies.

Absolutely.

So, you know, isn't it great?

DAVID HARPER: Isn't that lovely, [INAUDIBLE]??

What a tactile thing that is.

- This is nice.

- Now that is a good-- yeah.

- I was so fascinated, but-- NARRATOR: I mean, that planted up with beautiful plants in that.

Well, Was fascinated by the box, actually.

I didn't buy it for any aesthetic reasons other than the fact that I like corned beef.

Yeah, OK.

He's got corned beef.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] I like corned beef.

More for me.

A little piggy, piggy, piggy?

NARRATOR: Actually, he's a hippo.

- What about that?

- Look at this.

DAVID HARPER: The pot.

JAMES BRAXTON: OK. CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Look at that.

JAMES BRAXTON: A big pot.

DAVID HARPER: It's a big wine pot that, full of wine, would be amazing.

Yeah.

Rent at a party.

NARRATOR: Now, what about Christine and Jame's offerings?

CHRISITNE WALKDEN: Well, just look what we've got.

JAMES BRAXTON: 1, 2, 3, go.

Whoa.

A [INAUDIBLE].

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, yes.

What on earth are they?

What do they do?

Ah.

Well, they-- [INTERPOSING VOICES] JAMES BRAXTON: Don't go too near.

NARRATOR: Yeah, keep your distance.

How.

lovely.

[INAUDIBLE] What did you pay for that?

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: What did we pay for that?

JAMES BRAXTON: Hardly a lot of money.

55.

- 55.

Oh, gosh.

Well, I've never seen anything like it before.

JAMES BRAXTON: This is a masterstroke.

DAVID HARPER: OK. A London bus stop.

Oh.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Look at this.

I love that.

Oh, my goodness.

JAMES BRAXTON: 1960s enamel that is, but love that.

(SINGING) Na na na na na.

I really love that.

How much was that, James?

JAMES BRAXTON: 45.

That's for nothing.

I love-- that's my favorite object.

That's right.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: And then we have this rather lovely-- Yeah, OK. You look-- Matthew, look at the detail.

DAVID HARPER: Yeah.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Is it papier-maché?

Or is it just-- CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Papier-maché.

JAMES BRAXTON: Papier-maché.

DAVID HARPER: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Yeah.

So, you know, the five items that we bought.

JAMES BRAXTON: That was a stiffer price.

It was 15.

[LAUGHTER] You see-- you see.

Don't be laughing just yet.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: Oh.

Anything can happen at auction.

I am sure anything can happen.

But you see, market.

Establish your market.

My gosh.

You are megaconfident.

- Yeah.

Let's get out [INAUDIBLE].

See you tomorrow.

DAVID HARPER: See you tomorrow.

NARRATOR: But what do they really think?

MATTHEW BIGGS: I'm slightly unnerved by the bus stop sign, I have to say.

I think that might be their ace card.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: I love that [INAUDIBLE] sprayer.

JAMES BRAXTON: Do you?

Would you swap it for the shears?

No.

Categorically not.

- No.

- No.

- OK.

I mean, there's much more workmanship and elegance in my shears.

MATTHEW BIGGS: The two lots that will be the best for them, bus stop and the shears.

The shears are lovely shears.

So we'll just see if I should be, you know, diversifying into antiques.

If not, I'll just run back to me a little green plants.

[LAUGHTER] [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: It's auction time, so we're off to Greenwich in London.

Christine and Matthew were bursting with excitement as usual.

So what are you looking forward to today then?

Winning.

No, you haven't got a-- there's no way with your lot.

NARRATOR: James and David await their arrival at Greenwich Auctions.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- How are you?

Very well.

You're looking very bright and cheerful.

That's wonderful.

- [INAUDIBLE] Yeah, great.

Yeah.

I'm fine.

[INTERPOSING VOICES] Are you well?

MATTHEW BIGGS: Very good.

Are you?

Are you?

We are incredibly.

We're like little kids at Christmas.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Let's see if you're going to get what you ask for.

Heh.

Today's auctioneer is Robert Dodd.

What does he make of their offerings?

We're all down [INAUDIBLE] to a 18.

My overall impression is they've bought some very, very interesting lots.

Some good, some not so good.

I think the bus sign is a good lot.

The nice thing is there's a lot of people who collect anything to do with London transport.

I mean, it's a big teapot, but it's far better to say drinking vessel rather than a teapot.

[MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: Matthew and David were today's biggest spenders.

Matthew plumped for buying with his heart and was carried away by many waves of excitement.

They spent 180 pounds on five items.

Christine and James were very different.

Get to know your market was Christine's motto.

But she was an even bigger whirlwind of excitement.

They spent 170 pounds also on five items.

All quiet.

The auction is about to begin.

[SIGHS] Feeling anxious?

Yes.

Very, very anxious.

NARRATOR: First to tempt the Greenwich bidders is the papier-maché set from Christine and James.

Lot 20.

Absolutely stunning lot, this.

Papier-maché five-piece dressing table set, circa 1890.

Brightly painted with chrysanthemums, birds, butterflies.

The set included-- Lift them up.

Lift them up.

NARRATOR: Oh.

That's woken up the audience.

ROBERT DODD: All of that, straight in at 15 pounds.

Wow.

Wow, Cheaper the price.

Looking for 18.

Are we all down?

- At least.

- We might, indeed.

18.

Now one.

Come on.

ROBERT DODD: 18.

22.

I'm out.

What?

For two pounds?

You're having a laugh.

Elegant.

ROBERT DODD: [INAUDIBLE] hamburger for that.

Beauty.

ROBERT DODD: Come on, 22 pound or I'm out.

22 pound there.

We'll have a 25 or we're done.

At 22 pounds.

We made a profit.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: Blimey.

Well, Christine's happy.

Good start.

We'll allow you that, just to give you a head start, you know?

- We'll allow that.

Head start.

NARRATOR: It's Jacaranda, the hippo, next.

Good luck, Matthew and David.

Lot 30.

Another stunning lot.

Jacaranda.

Come on, Jacaranda, do your thing.

NARRATOR: Matthew's certainly full of excitement.

Matthew, calm down.

MATTHEW BIGGS: Let's go, Jacaranda.

Come on, baby.

ROBERT DODD: All right.

It ain't gonna help you, Matthew.

[LAUGHTER] Jacaranda.

I would call it Erich.

Anyway.

Bids with me straight in at 15 pound.

Good.

Good start.

ROBERT DODD: 18 I want.

18.

19.

20 pound.

I'm out.

20 pound there.

Looking for 22, I've got 20.

I'm looking for 22.

Come on, baby.

ROBERT DODD: Are we all done?

Last time.

At 20 pounds.

MATTHEW BIGGS: That's all right.

That's all right.

It's OK.

But you made a profit.

You made a profit.

NARRATOR: A small profit for Jacaranda.

Maybe you should have called him Erich.

Next up is Christine and James' London bus stop sign.

They hope this will appeal to the London bidders.

Lot 17.

Stunning lot.

Now you know whose this one is, don't you?

[LAUGHTER] Straight in at 35 pounds.

38.

40 pound.

42.

Five with me.

Take 48.

I've got 45.

All right, 50 with me.

Looking over 55.

I've got 50 on it.

- It's beautiful.

ROBERT DODD: Are we all done?

At 50 pounds.

Aw.

Aw.

I thought it would make a lot more.

NARRATOR: No, but it's a profit nonetheless.

Keep up the enthusiasm, guys.

[MUSIC PLAYING] We're sticking with Christine and James.

It's the luxurious Moroccan money box next.

ROBERT DODD: And the bids with me, straight in at 25 pound only.

You'll give a 28.

It's beautiful.

ROBERT DODD: I've got 25.

28.

30 pound.

And two.

Five with me.

Looking for 38.

40 pound there.

Looking for 42.

Are we all done on this box?

Last time.

At 40 pounds.

- Well done, lad.

- Well done.

We got away with that.

Yeah.

That's very good.

NARRATOR: It's still a profit, Christine.

You're ahead of Matthew, but only just.

And his corned beef box is up next.

Look at that.

Beautiful lettering.

Absolutely stunning.

What the hell were you doing before, God only knows.

[LAUGHTER] No.

We're straight in at 10 pound down [INAUDIBLE]..

Looking 12.

15 here.

Looking for 18.

Come on.

ROBERT DODD: I've got 15.

18.

19.

20 pound or I'm out.

20 pound there.

Looking for 22.

Are we all done?

- Come on, beef box.

[INAUDIBLE] beef box.

Come on.

All right, 20 pounds.

NARRATOR: A small profit.

But it helps you edge closer to leaders Christine and James.

So you made a 50%-- Yeah.

Very [INAUDIBLE] 50-- we need at least 52% markup on the next item.

NARRATOR: That's fast maths.

You'll have to wait because it's Matthew and David again with the 19th-century camera.

We got a start with a bid with me of 30 pounds.

32 I need.

Anywhere on this?

I've got 32.

Five with me.

38 I need.

We all [INAUDIBLE].

Classic, beautiful.

NARRATOR: You're not meant to shout for the opposition, Christine.

ROBERT DODD: When are you going to see one of these this year on holiday?

[LAUGHTER] 40 pounds.

Looking for 42.

[INAUDIBLE] here.

Looking for 48.

Oh, ey, ey, yeah.

I've got 45 on this.

Are we all done?

Last time.

At 45 pound on the camera.

Don't worry.

It's OK.

It's OK. That is disappointing, I have to say.

NARRATOR: Eh.

And the team spirit didn't help.

Only a small loss for Matthew and David, though.

It's Christine's lethal weapon next, the gardening shears.

These are not just shears.

These are aster shears.

[LAUGHTER] What does that mean, though, [INAUDIBLE]??

ROBERT DODD: A set of dour blades.

Danger.

Where are they?

Get them out.

Shall I model them?

ROBERT DODD: Can you get them out for there, NARRATOR: Oh, Lord.

She's off.

ROBERT DODD: Seriously.

You need to see this.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: May I model my masterpiece?

Please.

What is this gonna make a big difference?

Go on there, girl.

That's it.

No, it will make a difference.

And these have got a start with a bid with me of 28 pound on those.

Looking about 30.

They're worth all of that.

28, I've got.

Come on.

ROBERT DODD: Give me a 30.

- The engineering.

ROBERT DODD: You can't call it out unless you're taking it down Deptford market.

A little bit more decorum, girl.

28.

Looking at the 30 on these.

Are we all done?

Last time.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: 30 quid.

At 28 pounds.

CHRISTINE WALKDEN: 28?

JAMES BRAXTON: [INAUDIBLE] You come and collect them.

[INAUDIBLE] about that.

NARRATOR: I think you may have frightened the room there.

That gives Matthew a chance to catch up.

Here comes his Victorian gardening sprayer.

Were there international bids on this?

Really?

Yeah, isle of dogs.

[LAUGHTER] I've got a starting bid with me on this pump at only 15 pound, and that is so cheap.

15.

Look for 18.

20.

He's got a [INAUDIBLE] 22 pound anywhere?

22 pound or I'm out.

It's on the telly.

Come on, I'm looking for 25.

[INAUDIBLE] bed now.

That's a bit glamorous, isn't it?

All right, 22 pounds.

Well done.

Seven quid.

Seven quid.

[INAUDIBLE] NARRATOR: Another healthy profit.

Hurrah.

It's the giant-sized drinking vessel next from Matthew and David.

Look at this thing, absolutely magnificent.

Pick it up.

ROBERT DODD: Right.

Absolutely magnificent.

Someone said it was a teapot.

And I said, well, you know, if you're gonna invite anyone around, you could invite Poland round with that teapot, ain't you?

Sorry.

It's something against the Polish.

They're a lovely country.

Dry in at 60 pounds.

Well done.

ROBERT DODD: Who'll give a 65?

It's worth all of that.

65.

75 I need.

85 I need.

85 I'm out.

All done at 85 pounds.

Yes.

- We've actually lost money.

- That doesn't matter.

[LAUGHTER] We've not lost as much as I thought we had.

It's a result.

That's all right.

NARRATOR: That's the spirit, Matthew.

I admire your positivity.

It's their final lot of the day now.

Christine and James' brass stencils.

Good lot, this.

Excellent lot.

ROBERT DODD: Just got a starting bid with me on the lot of 15 pound.

18 I need on this lot.

20 with me.

Looking for 22.

I've got 20 on it.

How much you should pay for it?

- 20 pounds.

- OK. Five I'm out.

28 I need.

28 there.

30 pound.

32.

35.

Yeah.

ROBERT DODD: Eight I want.

What's the matter?

- It's good.

ROBERT DODD: A 38 pound I've got.

40 pound there.

Looking for 42.

All done.

This time with the lady.

Middle of the room at 40 pound, 417.

Wow.

[LAUGHTER] NARRATOR: I think she liked that result.

Let's calculate the scores.

Who will be today's winner?

Matthew and David started out with 400 pounds.

After auction costs are deducted, they made a tiny loss of 22 pounds and 56 pence.

Their final total is 377 pounds and 44 pence.

Christine and James also began with 400 pounds.

And after paying auction costs, they made a loss of 22 pounds and 40 pence.

Their final earnings are 377 pounds and 60 pence.

Incredibly, Christine and James are the winners by a mere 16p.

God, that was a close one.

- Come on.

- Go on, you two.

Go on.

- And I will leave you to sob.

- Yeah.

Until [INAUDIBLE].

Take care.

- You, too.

- Come on, Matthew.

I'm gonna drive.

JAMES BRAXTON: Your doorman awaits.

Come on.

One last drive, Christine.

Oh.

Look at this.

Look at this.

[LAUGHTER] There we go.

JAMES BRAXTON: Take care.

Enjoy the last drive.

I will.

Cheerio.

Bye.

Go on.

Happy gardening.

DAVID HARPER: Yeah.

Absolutely.

Do you think they'll stick to gardening?

Or they're moving into antiques?

No, I think they should stick to the gardening.

Right, right.

NARRATOR: James.

So long, Christine and Matthew.

You've been an absolute delight.

Do you know Matthew?

I have loved the last few days with you.

It's been great.

Christine, it's been my privilege, pal.

It's been my privilege.

[THEME MUSIC]