Antiques Road Trip

Margie Cooper and Ochuko Ojiri's B-road rummage through the antiques shops of the north west gets underway in the mighty city of Liverpool and continues across the Mersey towards Chester.

They point their 1960s classic car to the nearest shop, where Margie finds a silver egg cup with a royal connection, while Ochuko spends £100 on a 1940s fairground ride. This leg of the trip sees an eclectic mix of purchases for their £200 starting budget, including cast iron radiators and an anatomical model arm. But what will excite the bidders at the first auction in Newport, Shropshire?

In a break between the shops, Margie and Ochuko discover how zoos help in the struggle to stem the catastrophic decline of the planet's at-risk animal species and discover the story of the war games that helped win the Battle of the Atlantic.

Stoke-on-Trent welcomes Margie Cooper and Ochuko Ojiri, as they compete to find antiques they can flip for a profit at auction. With their classic car headed further into Staffordshire, these pals put friendship to one side as they race to find the winning collectable.

A huge brass luggage rack from a railway carriage catches Margie's eye. Convinced it's just as usable in a home today as it was in a train 100 years ago, she expects big bids come auction day. Margie is also charmed by an Edwardian spaniel that forces her to part with £30.

Ochuko goes for a trip on the canals to learn about the man who built them and changed the economic landscape of the area. Hoping for financial good fortune at auction, Ochuko buys antique dumbbells and an enamel sign. However, a little French birdcage might be the buy that really flies in the saleroom.

Antiquers Margie Cooper and Ochuko Ojiri compete to find the most profitable antiques on their route south along the Welsh Border. Their 60-year-old classic car offers not only a little luxury but also has a huge boot for all the collectables and curios they'll take to auction.

A large Victorian oak barrel catches Margie's eye. Noting the craftsmen who made such containers are known as coopers, Margie hopes her namesake will help make her a profit. However, not all her buys are based purely on instinct, with more considered purchases including a jelly mould with a royal connection.

Meanwhile, Ochuko opts for an eclectic mix of buys: a mirror, an American money box and even some Danish egg cups. He raises a glass at auction for one standout find when some Sheffield silver excites the bidders.

Margie breaks from shopping to hear how the wool industry has helped support the needy and elderly in Shrewsbury for nearly 600 years, while Ochuko heads to Stourbridge to learn how immigrants built the industry that made the area world famous. He also turns his hand to glass blowing.

We're on safari with Road Trip pals Margie Cooper and Ochuko Ojiri as they get up close and personal with some Worcestershire wildlife in their vintage Jaguar. It's their fourth leg and, pockets bulging with profits from previous auctions, there's nothing to stop them from spending big apart from their own nerves.

At the shops, Margie makes a beeline for some of her favourite stuff, silver. But it's a collection of 19th-century porcelain with a fascinating history that really grabs her attention. Meanwhile, Ochuko's eye is drawn to a piece of 1970s modern art that might be a bigger find than even he realises.

Taking a break from the shopping, Margie discovers how Victorian ingenuity transformed the kitchen and started the boom in culinary gadgets. But does she have what it takes to make it as a maid? Ochuko heads to Malvern to find out about a wartime invasion of scientists and the top-secret invention that would change the course of the war.

Then it's off to the auction with big profits on their radar.

It's the last gallivant for Road Trip pals Margie Cooper and Ochuko Ojiri. They continue their antiquing adventure in Wiltshire, zipping around in the rather classy classic car. Ochuko has a big budget to play with, but Margie isn't far behind.

Margie hunts down a real mixed bag of offerings, from a large Edwardian shoe sign to an early 20th-century mbira, which is an African thumb piano. Meanwhile, Ochuko spends big as he attempts to part with every penny, all in the hope of making auction-winning profits. However, a set of 1930s hat moulds captures his hat-lover heart.

In amongst the shopping, Ochuko finds out about the young postmaster who went on to create one of the country's best loved cities, while Margie looks after Britain's most precious historical objects and gets up close and personal with every antiques expert's worst enemy.

Who will rise to triumphant victory at the final auction?

Catherine Southon and David Harper last went head-to-head on a road trip ten years ago, but their time apart certainly hasn't dulled their competitive edges. Starting off in Kent, these two sparring specialists will head along the south coast of England with £200 as their starting capital and a touch of Gallic charm provided by their cute Citroen 2CV, Dolly.

Catherine, on home turf, has an eye out for some quirky optical items and also fancies her chances with a menagerie of metallic animals. Meanwhile, David's newest strategy is to try his luck with some very unfashionable items as well as getting his hands on a hammer that would put any auctioneer's gavel to shame.

Away from the shops, David finds himself on a Belgian battlefield of the Great War, as he visits a reconstruction of what life was really like in the trenches of the Western Front. Catherine has a playdate at the factory of a famous toy company to find out about the man whose inventions have brought joy to generations of kids and adults alike.

Then it's time for their first battle of this campaign, and where better than a castle to watch it from?

It's round two of the tenth anniversary tour for our Road Trip veterans, Catherine Southon and David Harper. They're taking their ever-reliable French classic car all along the Sussex coast, popping into antiques shops along the way in search of potential money-makers.

There's a strong whiff of nostalgia for our two at the shops. Catherine seems to have a hankering for items with an aeronautical theme, one of which takes her back to her childhood. David has a flashback to his school cricket team and gives a demonstration of his prowess - probably unwise in a room full of china. There'll be some terrible parking, sticky situations with masks, and a canine antiques appraiser on the menu too.

On their journey, David heads off to a rather special airport that has a history going back all the way to the very early days of flight. Catherine discovers a magnificent fortification, built by the Romans, that has stood in defence of the realm right up into modern times.

Then it's time for our Road Trip royalty to see how their treasures fare under the hammer.

We're officially halfway through the trip with Catherine Southon and David Harper. This time round, our expert pair will be shopping on the Isle of Wight and across the Solent in Hampshire, carried all the way by their little faithful French motor called Dolly.

David goes Dutch with some dishes, but also picks up a Chinese canister and a south Indian lamp. Catherine keeps things closer to home with a Scottish Wemyss ware jar.

Before they head down the coast into Dorset to watch the auction at a Victorian manor house, they find out how homesick French sailors in the Second World War helped introduce garlic to the Isle of Wight. And a trip aboard a boat sees Catherine receive a lesson about the father of wireless communication, Guglielmo Marconi.

David Harper and Catherine Southon are travelling about the Jurassic Coast on the fourth leg of their trip. As David takes charge of map reading, Catherine continues to struggle to navigate through the gearbox of their little French motor.

David fancies a ceramic cat and, having had some success with it last time, another piece of Dutch Delft. Catherine finds an old clothes rail big enough to hang the very biggest pair of Victorian pants.

In a break from the shops, Catherine plays dress-up as she goes to war in Weymouth, while David throws a pot in Poole. The competition is hotting up but, with the auction watched from a former courtroom, order is assured!

Catherine and David are on their last legs in Devon. Catherine is still having bother with the classic car and its French gearstick but finds steering an enormous 100-year-old traction engine to be right up her street.

Bridges are crossed as David walks from Devon to Cornwall over the river Tamar, spanned by Brunel in 1859, and their jaunt along the Jurassic Coast affords lots of scope for our Road Trip veterans to unearth things with an interesting past. They're both on the tiles at Kingsbridge, but while Catherine opts for the more traditional, David scoops up an eel spear and a fetish doll, hoping for luck with the more outlandish.

Their final auction is at Broughton Astley in Leicestershire. Has Catherine kept good company with William de Morgan, or was David born with a large George IV silver spoon in his mouth?

Strap yourselves in, it's the start of another road trip, with dealers Mark Hill and Irita Marriot embarking on an antiques adventure across south east England.

Irita's a Road Trip veteran, but this is only Mark's second outing, so there's much at stake as they compete to find profitable items to sell at auction with just a £200 starting budget.

Driving a sky blue 1967 Triumph, they're both on top form. While Irita spends big on her beloved porcelain, Mark invests in a set of mid-century Italian ceramics. Who will come out on top in this pottery throwdown?

Antique experts Irita Marriott and Mark Hill continue their road trip around England in a classic car, scouring every nook, cranny and dusty shelf for treasures from the past while competing to make the most profit at auction.

Irita gets excited by a 200-year-old regency ornament, and Mark indulges his taste in the macabre when he discovers some Victorian anatomy moulds.

But it's not all shopping. Mark learns about a perfume pioneer from Amersham, and Irita dons her pads to find out about a towering figure from the world of women's cricket.

Their trip ends at auction in Bedford, where their antiques go under the gavel, and they find out who has made the most money.

We're halfway through this trip with experts Irita Marriott and Mark Hill, who are cruising around East Anglia in a 1967 Triumph Herald. Both are hunting through the region's shops for antiques they can flip for a profit at auction.

Irita finds some overlooked, and very cheap, porcelain in a shop and identifies it as being rare and Hungarian. Mark indulges his taste for mid-century design. Our duo also pick up a penny-farthing, some pretty earrings and a 1930s duck that is sure to appeal to collectors at auction.

In a short break from the shopping, Mark hears about the race to discover Neptune, and Irita helps to pump water out of the Fens, learning that land that was once drained for farming is today under threat from rising sea levels.

They end their trip in the beautiful grounds of Peterborough Cathedral, but whose items will sell for the most and seal them the win on this leg of the road trip?

It's the battle of the hats on this leg of the road trip, as we decide who wears it best between dealer Irita Marriott or expert Mark Hill. Today they navigate the Fens in search of an antique that will make a fortune at auction. Getting them from shop to shop is a 1960s Triumph, and a bag of sweeties helps to keep their spirits high.

Mark falls head over heels for a very stylish and shiny mid-century kitchen appliance, while Irita uncovers something so gold, garish and gaudy it may not sell at auction. They also find a collectable with a very grisly and gruesome history.

Away from the shops, Mark discovers a massive three-and-a-half-thousand-year-old structure, lost for centuries under the wetlands, and Irita heads to King's Lynn to hear how the humble lives of the town's fisherfolk inspired a great 20th-century composer.

And then it's off to the auction to find out if the old adage 'If you want to get ahead, get a hat' holds true.

It's the end of this road trip for Irita Marriott and Mark Hill as they pilot their 1960s Triumph Herald towards one last auction. With money in their pockets and a renewed sense of purpose, the competition is heating up.

As they hit the shops, Irita decides to throw caution to the wind and buy with her heart rather than her head. However, she's distracted by a trip to a historic farm to find out why music played a key role in spreading the Salvation Army's message over the years.

Mark is focused on catching up with his travelling companion, so he buys a 1970s motorbike! He has high hopes for a biscuit tin and sets his sights on auction glory with a stereoscopic viewer. He also detours from the shops and goes on a journey back in time to learn about women's roles in the Great War.

These two pals put friendship to one side as they enter the saleroom for a final time. Who'll win the Road Trip crown?

Izzie Balmer sets off on a road trip with a brand new rival, jewellery expert Ishy Khan. Kicking off in Kendal, with £200 each, the pals are looking for antiques that will make them the most profit when they come to sell at auction.

Veteran tripper Izzie plays it safe with a novelty silver sugar bowl but chances her luck with a broken piece of silver she hopes will attract bids from dealers with a keen eye for rarity. Izzie also goes on a hunt for an American president and ends up making the most remarkable discovery by a coffee machine.

Ishy strikes gold when he finds a jewellery box filled with treasure, including an RAF sweetheart brooch. The rookie also gambles on a locked box with no key, in the hope saleroom bidders will wonder if there's treasure inside. Ishy learns about a children's story made famous by its Lakeland setting, but will it be a fairy-tale ending for the new road tripper at the auction?

Road trip regular Izzie Balmer and a new recruit, south London jewellery dealer Ishy Khan, embark on the second leg of their trip in a golden vintage Volvo. This time they're crossing the Pennines, rummaging through the shops of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Ishy picks up an iridescent alligator for just a few pounds, while Izzie goes for jewellery and a very, very long Victorian ruler.

Along the way, they find out about a contralto singer from a village in Lancashire who conquered the concert halls of the world, and an eccentric Yorkshireman they used to call ‘the Shotgun Gardener', but who will be victorious at the Barnsley auction?

We've reached the halfway point with experts Izzie Blamer and Ishy Khan. Auctioneer Izzie, from Bristol, is an old hand at flipping antiques for profit, whereas Ishy's a road trip rookie. So, is our young jewellery buff in good hands? Of course he is! In fact, they're getting along famously.

This time around, the pair explore the county of Yorkshire, pointing their vintage golden Volvo towards the likes of Knaresborough, York and tea and cake hotbed Harrogate before heading south for their third auction. They also discover an awful lot of fascinating history along the way, including a trip to a spa and the little-known story of a woman who played a part in setting up some 200 schools around the world.

Experts Izzie Balmer and Ishy Khan do Derbyshire in a vintage Volvo. South London jewellery dealer Ishy and auctioneer Izzie, who grew up around here, are on the fourth leg of their junket, finding antiques to sell for a profit at auction.

As well as casting their expert eyes over some old favourites, Izzie has her sights set on a little something for the breakfast table, while Ishy has some miniature sporting equipment in mind. They both have a rummage through some job lots of jewellery and indulge in the odd musical interlude along the way.

Away from the shops, Izzie heads to Derby to see a huge collection of Victorian toys that were the home entertainment systems of their day, as well as being a novel form of advertising aimed at theatregoers. Ishy heads to Matlock Bath, just in time to take part in a festival of lights that took its inspiration from Queen Victoria herself.

Then it's off to auction to see who bought best.

Ishy and Izzie are in the Midlands on the last leg of their road trip, making their way to a final Leicestershire auction in a golden 1970s Volvo. Road Trip rookie Ishy is still hoping to catch up with old hand Izzie as they pin their hopes on purchases as eclectic as a Victorian pub table and a collection of old maps.

Away from the antiques emporia, Ishy heads to Leicester to visit the first Jain temple in the western world, and Izzie discovers the history of folk art.

Both jewellery afficionados are attracted by shiny things, but will it be the Georgian ring or the Egyptian pendant that hits the jackpot in the saleroom?

The Lake District plays host to a new road trip with best buds Natasha Raskin Sharp and Philip Serrell. With a £200 starting budget, they're on the hunt for profit-making antiques.

Natasha blows the lot on a variety of goodies, including a Victorian portable toilet. She also finds time to visit Carlisle Cathedral to look at its breathtaking medieval stained-glass windows.

Philip, his usual ebullient self, acquires a bevy of buys, including an early 20th-century toy lion and a huge bag of marbles. Has he lost his? He finds out at the Lancashire auction. Phil also makes a detour from the shops to learn about the life of famous Lakeland poet Robert Southey, the author of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Auctioneers Natasha Raskin Sharp and Philip Serrell are zigzagging their way along the Scottish Borders on the hunt for profitable antiques.

Natasha uncovers an early silver sandwich box and delightful Scottish spirit kettle. She takes a detour to North Berwick and the lifeboat station to learn how a disaster led to the development of life-saving equipment we should be grateful for today.

Meanwhile, Phil goes for broke with his spending spree, buying a Victorian fish service and a woodcut by an esteemed Scottish artist. He also visits Jedburgh jail to find out about the Georgian who revolutionised the state of British prisons.

All roads point to Glasgow for an auction, but who has been the savviest with their buys?

It's the third leg with road-tripping auctioneers Natasha Raskin Sharp and Philip Serrell. The Scottish whirl continues, this time in Tasha's stomping ground of Glasgow.

Looking for profit-making antiques to take to auction, Natasha goes French with some candlesticks and Italian for a paperweight. She also makes a diversion to discover how a Scottish Sunday school teacher created the Boys Brigade in the late 19th century that went on to become a global youth movement.

Meanwhile, Phil starts the day quite joyful but reverts to type and buys a combo lot of weighty farm troughs. He also finds time to rest from shopping to discover an epic symbol of Glasgow's maritime and engineering past.

It's the penultimate leg with road-tripping auctioneers and good friends Natasha Raskin Sharp and Philip Serrell. Their tour of Scotland continues in East Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.

Both are trying to buy antiques they can later sell for a profit at auction. Natasha picks up a silver tea caddy and a collection of first edition Virginia Woolf books. Auctioneer Tash indulges her passion for art with a detour to the town of Kirkcudbright to learn more about the Glasgow Boys, a group of rebel artists who sent shockwaves through the art world in the early 20th century.

Phil discovers why a collection of ancient musical instruments was a status symbol in the 19th century. He finds a beautiful watercolour by a local artist in amongst his browsing, but is distracted by some very tasty-looking homemade scones.

This trip takes our best buds across the water to a Belfast auction. Could this be the one where Natasha clinches victory?

It's the last outing with experts Natasha Raskin Sharp and Philip Serrell. Their four-nation tour continues, and after a gallivant around England and Scotland, this time they're touring Northern Ireland and then heading to an auction in Wrexham, Wales.

Natasha is dazzled by the sight of a bright pink Majolica lotus-pattern tea service and the sounds of the Irish fiddle. She even gets a mini masterclass on how to play this centuries-old instrument of the Emerald Isle.

Philip is feeling the pinch and is desperate to find some profit-making antiques. He scoops up an old bowler hat, a pair of early dumbbells and a mid-19th-century worktable that reminds him of his beloved granny. In Belfast, he finds out about Irish linen and just why the fields of Northern Ireland were once blanketed by the ‘wee blue blossom'.

At the final auction, the internet bidders go wild for one lot, making one tripper thrilled with the result.